Before the Opening

The first public warm-up after the final roster announcement was set in Los Angeles. Traffic around the Rose Bowl began locking up before noon. American flags, World Cup banners, and sponsor lights filled the surrounding streets. Fans wore Brooks number ten shirts and Lucas number eleven shirts. Some wore a gray T-shirt that had clearly been printed in a hurry. BROKEN PRINCE TOUR. Under it, in smaller letters: Refund window opens in the 60th minute. Television loved it. The camera found the shirt, and the studio laughed immediately. Emma Foster stood near the touchline with a headset in one ear. The producer spoke through it. "We need thirty seconds on Mason before kickoff. Do you think he plays tonight?"