Sac State basketball has a lot to compete with: quick drives to Tahoe, the Kings, Madden 2003, and of course those nonstop re-runs of The Simpsons and Seinfeld.

Not much beats a Ralph Wiggum one-liner or a George Costanza predicament, but if you’re like me, a classic American dude, you’ll enjoy an opportunity to see those last amateurs in sports — your very own Sacramento State men’s basketball team.

The 2002-03 Hornets have character. Each member of the Hornets has their own distinct persona and style of play. Together they form a cohesive group that plays hard and has fun doing so. In case you haven’t already found out for yourself, here are the top ten reasons to go see the Hornets in action:

1. They are better than you think. It’s time for all of you to admit it, just because you played varsity basketball in high school doesn’t mean your mediocre skills could earn you a roster spot with the Hornets. You are nowhere close to their level of play. So for those of you not on the team, please stop telling people you are a redshirt and will be playing next year.

2. A few things you’ll never see: a beer commercial revealing what drunk girls actually look like on nights out, a Hornet football player running out of cooking spray, or Hornet head coach Jerome Jenkins sitting down during a game. Jenkins is constantly in the official’s ears, stomping the sidelines, or slapping high fives with players. His upbeat style of coaching is responsible for the energetic and charismatic Hornets.

3. A dunk electrifies a crowd. At Sac State we have big time athletes, such as Jimmy White and Tony Champion, who look to dunk as often as they can. Enough said.

4. Chris Lange. The second-year freshman from New Mexico should have his picture in the dictionary next to the word spirited. Not a minute goes by when this guy isn’t thinking about where he is going to get his next high-five or chest-bump.

If it were up to me, Lange would be invited to every party ever thrown. I wonder what the Las Vegas over/under would be for the amount of times Lange yells, “Let’s go” in a game — 250? 400?

5. Hitting targets with a huge slingshot or drilling a half court shot could earn you a gift certificate to your favorite local restaurant. What says big-spender more than whipping out one of these on a first date? Then the story of how you got this fabulous prize… Wow, could you imagine!

6. DaShawn Freeman. The first-year freshman out of the Bay Area is the future of the Hornets. Like a new pair of sneakers, he is becoming more comfortable every game.

7. Tony Champion. Coach Jenkins calls his 6-foot-10 junior the “Baby-Shaq” of the Big Sky. Truly entertaining to watch).

8-10. Rashaad Hooks, Jimmy White, and Derek Lambeth. The three veteran seniors are the heart of this Hornet team.

Lambeth said, “as a senior it is important to offer leadership (to the younger players).” Without these three, the Hornets are like a brand new Lexus without one of those enormous gift bows. Everything is cheapened.

Have you heard of that new show on Fox, “Joe Millionaire?” The one where about 15 girls compete for the love of some guy they all think is worth $50 million, when in reality he only makes $19 thousand a year. Talk about disappointment. Don’t allow our Hornet players to be met with that same disillusionment every time they run into a silent Hive, where they had expected support from their fellow students.

Coach Jenkins suggests going out to watch their games. “You’re going to have a fun time, and you’re going to have an exciting time that will make you want to go out and party afterwards.”

They are waiting to put on a show for you. Put down the Playstation controller and turn off the Kings game.

It’s time to check out the last amateurs. Go take part in a game still driven by true passion, not checkbooks. This one is on the house.