Alright, so I gotta share this thing I got myself into the other day – they were calling it “chipotle basketball.” Sounds a bit out there, right? I wasn’t even planning on grabbing food there, but when I heard about it, I thought, “Well, this I gotta see.” You know how it is, sometimes these weird little things just pique your curiosity.
So, I moseyed on over to my local Chipotle. And sure enough, they had this little area set up. Wasn’t anything grand, mind you. Definitely not NBA tryouts. What we had was:
- A tiny little hoop, looked like something you’d hang on the back of a bedroom door.
- A basket full of those soft, almost foam-like mini basketballs.
- And a small line of folks, a mix of kids looking way too confident and adults looking slightly bewildered but willing to try.
The whole idea was pretty straightforward: sink a basket, you get some kind of discount or a coupon. Classic marketing ploy, but hey, who am I to turn down a challenge, especially if food’s involved? I watched a couple of people before me. One kid just casually tossed it in, no problem. Then this other guy, probably my age, nearly took out a light fixture. It was a real mixed bag.
My Big Moment at the Mini Hoop
Finally, it was my turn. I grabbed one of those squishy orange balls. Felt a bit silly, to be honest, a grown man about to shoot hoops for a potential dollar off his burrito. But there I was. Took my first shot. Clank! Straight off the rim. Not even close. A little embarrassing, I won’t lie.
Okay, shake it off. Second attempt. I really focused this time, tried to remember any basketball skills I ever had, which, turns out, isn’t much. The ball arced beautifully… and then bounced right off the front of the rim. Strike two. I think you got three tries, if I remember correctly. The pressure was on, well, as much pressure as you can feel in a Chipotle over a mini basketball game.
For my last shot, I took a deep breath. This was it. My chance for glory, or at least a cheaper lunch. I tossed it up and… it just sort of died in the air and fell short. Nothing. No buzzer-beater, no discount, no triumphant cheer. Just me, three failed shots, and a line of people behind me.
So, I ended up just ordering my usual, paid full price, and sat down. And as I was eating my burrito bowl, it got me thinking. It’s kinda funny, all these little games and promotions companies roll out. They know what they’re doing, trying to get you engaged, make it an “experience.” We see it, we know it’s mostly just a bit of fun to get you in the door, but we still play along, don’t we? Maybe it’s for the tiny chance of winning something, or maybe it just breaks up the routine of an ordinary day. This whole chipotle basketball stunt, it was exactly that. A minor distraction, a bit of silliness.
Didn’t walk away with a prize, but I got a story out of it, I guess. And sometimes, that’s just how these things go. You try, you miss, you buy your burrito anyway. Life goes on, you know?
