On the John: It’s just that some cats swing like that, I guess.

On the John

It’s just that some cats swing like that, I guess.

Originally completed July 3, 2010

Yeah, but what would YOU have done? (photo: AP/Ivan Sekretarev)

I am officially enjoying the 2010 World Cup more than the 2009 NFL season. This comes as a startling shock to me. It was not long ago that I reprimanded my brother for abandoning his American roots by daring to term the Chicago Bears’ sport “American football.”

As readers of this column know from my use of the term “soccer/football,” I still can’t go all the way. Comparing the experience of following a once-every-four-years tournament for one month against an annual sporting season for five is not equitable… we shall see if my enjoyment of soccer/football carries beyond July 11th and into the Premier League or MLS…

From May 8, 2005: Cubs vs. White Sox…the painful existence…

May 8, 2005

In 2005, second-year Cub Derrek Lee won a batting title, a Gold Glove, and nearly bagged a triple crown.

In a perfect world—or, at least, in a better one—I would have watched the Bulls and Wizards play Game 7 at the United Center this afternoon. That was not the case. Instead I spent my Monday getting a few things ready for camp, little preparation jobs like accessing my gym shoe situation and re-breaking in my glove. I also spent this afternoon reacquainting myself with the current baseball season, a season that I’ve pretty much ignored in favor of focusing entirely on the Bulls playoff run. I haven’t ignored the season completely, but if you had to choose between focusing your attention and energy on the surging Bulls or the slumping Cubs, what would you choose?

Moving On–The tale of Scottie Pippen’s 1994 Chicago Bulls

October 6, 1993: Moving on

My mom told us while we were getting dressed for school.

October 6, 1993: The Day the (American Basketball Portion of the) Earth Stood Still.

It must have been something for her, hearing the news and knowing she had the responsibility to tell my brother and me. I can imagine her downstairs, getting ready for her day in the classroom, making our sandwiches and listening to the radio as she would on any other morning, and then comes the report, and her own personal reaction, and the sudden decision that had to be made of how to tell us. This wasn’t a death; a family member, or even a pet, passing away. This wasn’t a building bombed or a country going to war; it wasn’t a house burning down or a near-fatal car accident. This was just a man deciding he no longer wished to play basketball. That’s all it was. Yet she knew it was more than that, we all knew, the city knew, and so she walked up the stairs and stepped into our room and gave us one final moment of innocence before telling us what we never thought possible.

“Boys, I’ve got some bad news.” We stood and looked at her. “Michael Jordan retired.”

Bear Down and Get Some Runs, best-of: February 6, 2005

When a Beatle's doing the halftime show, the event in question can probably qualify as a national holiday.

February 6, 2005

Ric and I are disagreeing again.

“I’m just saying, I think it should be a national holiday.”

“That’s dumb. It’s the Super Bowl, man. It’s a sporting event.”

“Don’t you think that school and work should be canceled tomorrow?”

“It’s a sporting event.”

“Yeah, but think about it. It’s called Super Bowl Sunday. What other sporting events have an official day-of name?”

“Most people don’t know it as Super Bowl Sunday.”

“Yes they do.”

“No. They don’t. I like the Super Bowl and all. I’m not against it, but it’s not an official holiday.”

Regardless of what Ric says, Super Bowl Sunday is, at the very least, an unofficial national holiday, as evidenced by the amount of people who watch it despite not watching football regularly throughout the season. It’s like the High Holidays of sports; the attendance is always inflated.