Sports and Life...Shockingly Inter-twined

This post is going to be a little different. A little more serious, but I'll make sure to throw in some dry humor.


So I came home today, looking to relax, and really looking for some preseason NBA basketball. No luck. Well, I do have this fantasy hockey team now, so I figured, why not give watching this Tampa Bay-Philly game a try?


I watched it for a while and was fairly entertained. I watched two periods and hit the gym.


I haven't picked up a basketball in about a month. I had some time to kill and couldn't really run, and I gave it a shot. I felt like Mugsy Boggs when he started dribbling after getting his powers back in Space Jam. The feeling was absolutely incredible. The fluidity in which I crossed the ball over, the way it curled off my finger tips as I drained jump shots. It felt like catching up with your best friend, the way the game just is. It just is. And it's incredible.


It got me to thinking about a million different things, but what really struck me was how dribbling a basketball changed my day. And I decided, I'll give you a list and save my Derrick Rose statistical projections for tomorrow. I'd love to get your own stories and feedback too so feel free to comment!


Here they are, the top ten sports moments/events/athletes affecting my personal and sports fan life.






#10 - Maurice Clarett/Chris Gamble


This could easily just be the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, but these guys really got me going. I loved Maurice as a cocky freshman who just dominated the Big Ten. Such a warrior. I almost made my college choice based on it!


And Chris Gamble was a poor man's Charles Woodson. So sick.

Look at that smile!

#9 - The Dismantling of the Blackhawks


This really hit me today. What if the Blackhawks never betrayed me and traded Chris Chelios and Jeremy Roenick? With MJ retiring, the Hawks had a great opportunity to grab my attention. But what the hell? You trade my favorite players? Alexei Zhamnov...


I rebelled by loving Joe Sakic and rooting casually for the Avs. This pretty much killed the sport for me. I doubt it can reach a pinnacle.

#8 - Game Six vs the Marlins


Need I say more? This is easily the most devastating moment of my life as a fan. I don't want to talk about it.




#7- Madden 96/NBA Jam


Oddly, these games started an obsessive compulsive interest in both sports. Steve Young to Derrick Lovelle on the HB screen all day baby. And this game gave me too much of a vested interest in the 1994 draft class. To the point where I can probably name half of it right here : Jason Kidd, Eric Montross, Jim Jackson, Jalen Rose, Brooks Thompson (thought he was going to be great!), Tony Dumas and Juwan Howad. This list of guys probably earned more excessive/overvalued salaries than any thing imaginable. Either way, Madden 96 really really made me love stats.

Still Fly

#6 - Steve Young

Find me this jersey and I will marry you.

For some reason, my first memories of football are Joe Montana. Whether it was the sick 3-d shadowing of their jersey numbers in '94, or the Bulls colors, I loved the Niners. Still do. I love the Bears too, but the Niners will always be number one.


Steve: efficient, savvy, quick thinking, tough as nails, and athletic. Pretty much everything I came to value in life. He's one of those rare athletes that I cried for. When he got hit by Aenas Williams on MNF after stupid Lawrence Philips missed a block, I wanted to go beat him. Kind of tearing up thinking about it. :(






#5 - The White Sox letting go of Robin Ventura


I'm sure this sounds like a particularly random thought. Honestly, Robin Ventura will always be may favorite baseball player, and the love I developed for him forced me to abandon the Sox when they let him go. I wanted nothing more than to spite them.


I still have a Robin Ventura jersey sitting in my closet at home. This, coupled with Kerry Wood, made me a fan of the lovable losers. Life-altering? I think so. I probably wouldn't even live in Wrigleyville now, had the Sox just kept Robin.






#4 - 2003 Bulls vs Lakers - 


Easily my favorite sporting event I have ever attended. I was able to see the Lakers with Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton playing together! Four hall of famers on one court. And I got to see Marcus Fizer go into beast mode and single-handedly destroy them. He had like 30 points and 20 boards. Marcus Fizer. Marcus Fizer.


Best sporting experience of my life, and I was on TV doing the YMCA. Oh, everyone at Woodlawn Middle School saw. And I got made fun of. But who cares? MARCUS FIZER!!

From the infamous Bulls Ninja Turtles Era, which included Corey Blount part deux

#3 - Quitting Stevenson Football due to injuries


Somewhat of a regrettable decision, but it completely ruined me for high school. I was lost and didn't have any idea what to do. Although it seemed  everything was coming together for me, this ruined it. I didn't ask a girl to homecoming, a became increasingly introverted, and it ruined me. I became a jerk for four years of my self.




#2 - 14 Points and 10 Rebounds vs Aptakisic


If you were on my team, you remember this game. We lost by a pathetic 43 points. Schwabe rolled the ball down the court and the entire stadium laughed at the blow out.


As always, ME ME ME. I finally got some serious PT after riding the pine. I played really well, and went smash mouth with local manchild Matt Riskin.


The next game? 0 minutes played. Never been so mad at Mr. Donofrio before. Screw that team. 


#1 - Like Mike...If I could be like Mike


I feel sorry for those of you who did not grow up in the Chicago area when MJ was playing in the 90's. I couldn't think of a better role model (seriously).


On the court, MJ exemplified everything you could ask for in an athlete: competitiveness, unwillingness to lose, and he was the hardest working player in the league. Oh yeah, and the best. And he got cut from his high school team. And Bulls fans were initially unhappy with the pick. Oh yeah, that guy. The ultimate alpha underdog. 


Like it or not, my win at all costs attitude came from this man. He made me love winning, and I'm not shaking that any time soon. Thanks, Michael. 




Feel free to share any stories of your own, I'd love to hear them. This post took me some time.




-RJ