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[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 93 (Thursday, June 8, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H5741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

           SETTING THE STAKES ON THE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I be 
recognized ahead of Ms. Jackson-Lee for 5 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will Ms. Jackson-Lee join me, and 
my colleague from Orlando, Mr. McCollum from Florida.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee].
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues, Gene Green and Ken Bentsen from 
the great city of Houston and the great State of Texas in a full-
throated support of defending our world champion, yes, you might be 
thinking, Houston Rockets.
  To Ms. Brown and Mr. McCollum, who are from Florida, and their 
Orlando constituents, all of you
 have much to be proud of in their young Magic team, a team that 
promises to be a strong NBA contender for years to come--in the future. 
But I am confident that in this instance, the veterans experience of 
Hakeem the Dream, Clyde the Glide, and the rest of the tested Rocket 
squad, will be a decisive advantage over the strong shoulders and 
young, young legs of Shaq, Penny, and the talented Magic lineup.

  The Houston side of this friendly wager offers a basketball signed by 
all of our team, but particularly our all-star center. And our staffs, 
now, listen to this, are prepared to provide the Floridians when you 
lose with a delicious Texas barbecue meal. We do not think that this 
will happen, that we would have to prepared that for you, but, however, 
in the good spirit of good sportsmanship, we look forward to receiving 
a signed ball from Magic and, as well, I look forward to enjoying a 
delicious meal prepared by your staffs in the true Floridian style, and 
I know you know how to get a good meal going.
  So I hope you will accept this friendly wager for the Houston Rockets 
World Champion to do it again.
  I yield to Mr. McCollum.
  Mr. McCOLLUM. I thank you both for yielding. I must say having 
Orlando Magic, with Corrine Brown and I representing Orlando, we are 
mighty proud of them, and we are ready to step up to the challenge that 
you have just made to us.
  We understand the talent the Houston Rockets have, and we saw them 
last night as they won a very, very close game. I think, however, the 
closeness of that game and the excitement of it just proves how evenly 
competitive these teams are. And it is our judgment, and I am sure 
Corrine Brown and Bill McCollum will both agree, that when the chips 
are down after the whole series is completed, our young Magic are going 
to surprise your Houston Rockets and we are going to be able to be the 
ones receiving the meal.
  We are more than happy to provide a basketball if indeed we are on 
the short end of the stick, but we do not think we are going to be. We 
have got Penny Hardaway, we have got Shaq and Anderson and Scott and 
Shaw and Grant and a whole list of others, Bowie and Royal, and I could 
go on down the list, Turner.
  Those are players who have never had the chance to be where they are 
today, with the exception of Grant, who was with the Bulls for a few 
years, and they are hungry. And we got a feeling that they are just as 
hungry, and in fact more than we are for a meal, they are hungry for 
the championship.
  We are looking forward to the next few games as we meet the challenge 
you have offered. We are proud in Orlando of our Orlando Magic.
  For the moment I will yield back to my colleague, Corrine Brown.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Ms. Jackson-Lee, not only do we accept your 
challenge, I am prepared to raise it.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Oh, my goodness.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Not only do we stand by our men in Orlando, the 
Magic, but we will throw in a couple of Disney tickets and Universal 
Studio tickets. And I understand we have some of the sweetest corn in 
the country. We are prepared to provide sweet corn and peanuts. And 
someone from your delegation asked for an alligator. But what we are 
prepared to do, is the Houston team will be alligator bait.
  Mr. McCOLLUM. If the gentlewoman will yield, before that, about the 
corn, we have zellwood sweet corn in season right now. If we do not 
make it, and we think we will, we are going to bring some of that up 
here and we are going to serve you some of the best sweet corn you have 
ever eaten.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. My goodness, it looks like two on one. But my 
colleagues who are in absentia will join me in accepting the challenge. 
We have got beets, we have got good fruit, we have a variety of other 
talent going on in our great State, along with Sam Cassell, Kenny 
Smith, Mario. We have got a whole list of those on the fine Houston 
team. I do realize that all of this that we are betting on the friendly 
wager will go to charity for all of our good efforts in our respective 
States.
  But I tell you standing here in the well, I am feeling embellished 
and strong to accept your challenge, for the world champion Houston 
Rockets will do it again.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. We will see you tomorrow night at 9 o'clock in 
Orlando.
  Mr. McCOLLUM. We will indeed. And we look forward to seeing you in a 
couple of games after that too. We are sure we are going to be around 
right to the end, and we are looking forward to this challenge.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Thank you. We are all very optimistic.
  

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