Win a date with a professional athlete!

If it sounds like a gimmick, it is. A National Basketball Association team has seized upon an idea to attract single men and women to its games: sell a few players.

Of course, what the Washington, D.C.-based Wizards are trying to sell are tickets. It’s a marketing thing.

The Wizards recently had a singles night, during which three singles were paired up with three professional athletes. Wizards center Brendan Haywood was the big attraction.

This isn’t a new thing – pro teams host events like college nights for younger fans to meet and mingle – but the concept of hooking up with big-time basketball players with us common folk seems like more of a novel idea.

Not that Brendan Haywood and his 6.3 points-per-game career scoring average qualifies him as big-time, but he’s probably making more money than you, me and our next-door neighbors combined. Frankly, the whole thing feels a little like rap music – there’s a tongue-in-cheek song on Kayne West’s debut album about how women can catch themselves an NBA “baller.”

Now, does the NBA really care about the population of singles that pack its arenas? I doubt it. If the league did, it would probably lower ticket prices. This single woman once spent $48 to sit nine rows from the top of the Wizards’ home arena. But remember, it’s about filling seats. And I’m just bitter about the $48.

Aside from hooking up contest winners with athletes, there were some speed dating and ice breaker activities for the regular people at the Nov. 10 game. That’s pretty cool, I think. It takes guts and a fun attitude to participate in a singles event at halftime of a basketball game. And I like a person with guts and a fun attitude.

There were two other chances to win dates aside from big – and I mean big … the dude is 7 feet tall! – Brendan Haywood. Baltimore Ravens football player Will Demps and Wizards dance team member Jeanne were also up for grabs.

Lesley Pinkston of St. Louis, Mo., won the date with Haywood. She won’t have to guess about what the two should do on their big night. According to the Wizards’ Web site, Haywood’s favorite food is lasagna and his favorite movies are “Coming to America” and “The Usual Suspects.”

If Lesley looks deeper at the Web site, she’ll find that Brendan actually got to be on the judging panel to decide the roster of this season’s dance team. It’s a good thing Lesley looks like she could be on the dance team herself.

I’ve wondered what it would be like to date a famous athlete. In my job I deal with high school athletes all the time. I rarely talk to pros, usually because their manager (or agent or media liaison or publicity contact) won’t let me. I’m sure professional athletes have their charms, like getting good tables in restaurants and free entry into the hot clubs. But we have a lack of pros around here, except when the minor-league baseball Lumberjacks are in town. I’ll take the local YMCA adult hoops league stud.

In case you have in mind a trip to Washington, D.C., to try to snag yourself a professional athlete or dancer, the Wizards have scheduled four more Singles Nights. The Celtics are coming to town April 5, 2005, on a Singles Night.

Sorry, ladies. No word whether Paul Pierce, a Boston star – and single man – is available.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at jbloch@bangordailynews.net