I did not waste my valuable time watching this ‘game’. I have a policy on the award winning okcthundergound.com that I do not cover sporting events which have no inherent value to the sports landscape or society as a whole. The fact human beings particpated in this event and other human beings paid to witness it is a depressing microcosm on how far the American culture and ethos has fallen.
If my writing is beginning to somewhat mirror that of the late great historian-writer Authur Schlesinger, Jr. that is because two weeks ago I finished his nine-hundred page memoirs and then last night finished his classic ‘Cycles in American History’.
I realize this blog originates in Oklahoma, thus I will go no further trying to explain Dr. Schlesinger’s theories on the cylces of American history. But I will write this though, if you are one of he few fertile minds which stroll on here from time to time…you might read Cycles in American History because Dr. S pretty much as far back as the 1990’s predicted some grifter-rogue like Trump would emerge as an American president.
As far as hoops–MJ will write this…my heart goes out to former OU guard Jeremiah Fears for being drafted by this piece of shit franchise which needs to be bought and moved to either Las Vegas or Seattle. The Pels fired their coach Willie Green last week and will challenge Indiana and perhaps Russell Westbrook’s newest adventure in Sacramento for being the worst team in the NBA this season.
Indiana…wow. One game away from winning the NBA championship in June. One game away from a parade and then Haliburton goes down, they lose the game, and then they lose center Myles Turner in free agency. It can turn in the blink of an eye.
The Breaks of the Game, baby. David Halberstam wrote that book about the Portland Trailblazers after their championship season when Bill Walton’s body went south. If you aspire to be a real NBA fan you should read this book.
That’s it for MJ this early Tuesday morning. I need to get some things done today outside on the mini-ranch before the much needed rains arrive in Deer Creek, Oklahoma.
Obviously, the Ricky Vaughn pic above is in honor of Taylor Wein Week here on the blog. Just thinking out loud to myself on here…in the event OU does advance to the CFP and hosts Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans in a first round game in Norman. What I would do as coach at the coin toss to inspire my team? I’d send my four captains to mid-field, those being Taylor, Owen Heneke, John Mateer, and R Mason Thomas. Probably Kip as well.
I would send Taylor out there carrying a chain saw. He would be the lead captain. Regardless of how the flip goes…I’d then have him crank up the chainsaw and then start walking towards Lincoln Riley before R Mason pulls him back.
Maybe a little over the top. But maybe not. Setting the emotional urgency tone is what the captain needs to do as will be the case this Saturday versus Missouri.
Grace, mercy, and love.
MJ