Doubleheader Treat for Fans

Talk about your long doubleheaders. The Muscolinos of Simi Valley were already outside Staples Center an hour before high noon Sunday, and weren’t planning on getting home until a few hours before midnight.

They were experiencing the sports equivalent of a harmonic convergence: two local teams in national playoffs, in the same arena, playing on the same day. First, the Lakers beating the Sacramento Kings, then the hockey Kings defeating the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 in double overtime.

The most important thing, as 11-year-old Stella Muscolino was aware, was remembering when to yell “Go, Kings.”

The second most important thing, her mother reminded her, was going for taquitos on Olvera Street during the four-hour break between games.

“I love sports,” said Stella, who wore a Shaquille O’Neal jersey while she slapped two goals at a carnival game set up on the street in front of the arena. “There’s not one sport that I don’t like.”

Few were the fans, however, who loved the two sports enough to cross yet another line that divides Los Angeles--hardwood floors versus ice. You don’t exactly see Jack Nicholson or Madonna pressing their faces to the plexiglass of a hockey game.

“We’re big Kings fans, but the company got us tickets to the Lakers game,” explained Stella’s dad, John Muscolino, 41.

“The Kings are playing here later? Really?” asked incredulous Laker fan Gina Nguyen, 23. “That’s crazy.”

Neither Gina nor her father, Thong, were planning on staying for Chapter 2 of the Los Angeles playoff saga.

Of course, if you couldn’t afford either ticket, sports-hopping was a moot point. So guys like Ozzy Rodriguez, 29, and his buddies donned Laker regalia to watch from multiple screens in the Fox Sports Sky Box bar, right next to the VIP entrance, on the first floor of the arena. So close, yet so far.

Working as data clerks, tow-truck drivers, forklift operators and such, none of the six was about to sacrifice $300 to a scalper for mediocre seats.

“I’ve never gotten tickets yet,” Rodriguez said of his years as a Laker fan. “It’s hard to get tickets to the Lakers. There are a lot of season ticket holders. We’re just working-class guys, blue collar. We knew we weren’t going to get any [tickets]. The important thing is we’re here for the Lakers.”

Rodriguez joked about going home for his King jersey, to return for the evening matchup. But Brian Simmons already had his No. 55 Ziggy Palffy jersey on, and had driven two hours from Bakersfield on the chance at some tickets for the second game. Meanwhile, he and his wife, Patty, and their 6-month-old son, Ryan, watched the Lakers beat the other Kings, 108-105.

“Heck, yeah, we’re ultimate Kings fans,” Simmons said, pointing to his 6-month-old future defenseman son, stuffed in a size-XXL Los Angeles Kings T-shirt. “We came out just to hang out and have some fun. This is a hockey town.”

Simmons whipped out a wallet with the Kings insignia on it to show his favorite Ryan photo--in full uniform with a stick. He said Ryan is mesmerized by televised hockey games--and the one he attended in person. Any other sport just bores him, Simmons said.

Boredom ruled the day, however, for those running the outside games or playing the music set up for what was supposed to be a street fair, but did not attract much of a crowd before the Laker game. Most operators just tried to stay out of the sun.

About the only visible excitement over the doubleheader--Muscolinos excepted--came from Candelario Medina, who parked cars at 12th and Hope streets. “Two games is big money,” he said. “I usually get $60. Now, I’ll get $120. But I’ll work from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.”