It was a roar from the crowd unlike any other heard through three Washington Wizards home games at Verizon Center.
Late in the fourth quarter, Utah Jazz forward Marvin Williams stepped to the free throw line. He missed both, whipping the fans in attendance into a frenzy. "They embraced each other tightly, applauded, gave each other high-fives and danced along the aisles," according to The Washington Post's Michael Lee.
Why?
"Fans in the building are cheering only because they're getting a free chicken sandwich," CSN play-by-play man Steve Buckhantz sadly explained to viewers Saturday.
Oh, and the Wizards lost again, 83-76.
Washington is 0-8 for the second straight season, tying the franchise-worst start set last year and becoming only the second team in NBA history to start as such in consecutive years, joining the 2001-02 and 2002-03 Memphis Grizzlies.
Sports
Yes, Washington sports fans. It is not even Thanksgiving yet, and we are at the point of the season where Wizards fans are more excited about winning free sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A because an opposing player missed two fowl foul shots than the actual product on the court.
Those same fans, however, did make their displeasure known as boos rained down from the rafters like Chick-Fil-A coupons attached to plush cows sporting parachutes.
"It's acceptable," Jordan Crawford said to reporters. "We're 0-8."
"You kind of notice it, but the fans pay their money," Jazz forward Paul Millsap said, further rationalizing the fans' behavior. "They didn't get a win; at least they got some sandwiches."
But even when Wizards fans win, they still lose. Chick-Fil-A, as always, was closed Sunday.
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