The Cialis commercial said if such and such lasts for more than four hours, I should see a doctor.Tom Brady is back on the field for the first time since that fateful day last September. It was the fateful day when Bernard Pollard crushed the hopes and dreams of Patriots fans everywhere. To say I’m excited to see Brady back in an official capacity would be a gross understatement.
I’ll admit it.I’m a Tom Brady fanboy.I’d go gay for the guy.I would like to start a budding bromance with him.Tom Brady could kick my dog and I probably wouldn’t be that mad at him (sorry Miles!). I’d be his goat from the Stetson ad. He had me at hello. I’d stand on the tip of the Titanic, spread my arms out, and let him hold me, DiCaprio style. I really would.
Let’s face it.2009 has sucked.For me, it has been one big crap casserole. You know what, though?September is on the horizon.September means football and around these parts football means Brady.Brady will turn 2009’s water into wine. The clips of him back at practice have been all over almost every station on my TV dial.
I caught the movie Invincible over the weekend.It is one of those movies that I have to watch if I see it on.One of my favorite scenes is when Vince Papale’s father talks about a Steve Van Buren touchdown saying, “That touchdown got me through 30 years in the factory.”
As crazy as this sounds, those brief clips of #12 are getting me through the doldrums of 2009.They represent the possibility that things can and will get better.They represent a chance that all of the bad things that have been been happening lately will all be good things soon.They represent a change in the economy and a removal of the gray clouds that seem to be lingering overhead. They represent hope.
It’s funny how sports can do that.
If we’re being honest, there are a lot of things to look forward to in 2009:A friend gets married in July, a potential upcoming Hawaii trip, Glee in the fall, another Red Sox run at the World Series (*knocks on wood*) and about 27 babies (this may be a slight exaggeration) will be hatched by friends and family this year.Most of all however, September is on the horizon.
Of course, seeing these clips does not guarantee anything. The game on February 7th, 2010 in Miami is light years away. Right now, all we have is a hope that Brady will be back to his old self. We can only hope that the effects of his injury do not linger. Right now, that is good enough for me.
I want to love you.I want to get on the LeBron bandwagon.I really do.You are a transcendent talent and have a chance to be the greatest player to ever lace up sneakers for an NBA Game.You’re a rare combination of speed, size and court vision.It is really fantastic to watch you play.
But come on, dude.You flop around the court like a fish out of water.I get enough flopping from my sports when I watch soccer (big game for Manchester United today, btw), I don’t need it when I am watching basketball.Look at you.You’re what, 6’8” 270 pounds?As sports fans we’re a forgiving lot, but in this age of HDTV, it really isn’t hard to tell when you are faking it.
We are all witnesses.
You made me want to dislike you.I didn’t want to do it.I didn’t want to do it. A true sports fan should be able to appreciate your greatness.Believe me, I’ve tried.I am even willing to look past that whole “playing in Cleveland” angle.If you knew me, you would know this is a really, really big thing.
You don’t need to flop.You’re better than this and are too good at basketball to depend on it.
Please stop.
Sincerely,
Mike
P.S. – However, thanks for making last second, game winning shots and causing live newscasts like this (see the 41 second mark):
EDITOR’S NOTE: TLC is premiering a show about two midgets named “The Little Couple” at 10pm tonight. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued/excited about this.
Since I’ve been home a lot more over the past few weeks, Miley has experienced a lifestyle change. She spends most of the day looking like this (see picture on left). Before, she was spending eight hours a day in her crate; These days, it is much less. I’ve even begun trusting her more outside of the crate when I’m not home. Last Sunday, because her Dad was having too good of a time with his family and then went to the Celtics game, Miley spent over 11 hours alone with the run of the house. She didn’t even have an accident.
However, all hasn’t been quiet on the accident front. She has had a lot of them recently. We’ve gotten out of our old routine of me working and having set walk times. The “pee on the floor, get banished to the crate” game is (regretfully) now almost a daily occurence. She has definitely gotten more comfortable at home with Dad around more often. As with any lifestyle change, we’re in an adjustment period right now and hopefully it ends soon.
Speaking of adjustment periods, walking Miley around her neighborhood has become a daily adventure. Seeing another dog on our walk induces an inner rage that only certain canines possess. All Miley really wants to do is say/smell hello and once she does that she is fine. However, it takes an especially courageous dog owner to approach us with the spine-tingling bark and apparent (but not really) angry demeanor she displays.
There are good and bad aspects to simultaneously owning a dog and having all this free time on my hands. One of the bad aspects is that having her limits how long I can leave town. If I didn’t have a dog, I’d probably be driving cross-country right now exploring all places I’ve always wanted to see (Austin, Jackson Hole, Seattle, etc). I even looked into doing this, but just can’t leave her behind for the amount of time needed to do it. Such is the life of a dog owner.
On the other hand, one can never get too down about their current situation when your spunky, four-legged partner in crime pounces next to you, rawhide or ball in mouth. You can’t help but smile when this happens. Another great thing is when she tilts her head to the side after I say something to her. When she does this, she gives off the appearance like she is actually trying to figure out what I am saying to her. In the pantheon of Miley (or any dog) ownership, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
The absolute clincher is every time I come home, I am greeted with this face. It is always attached to a quickly wagging tail. Coming home to this sight is a constant reminder that things really aren’t as bad as they seem, and that brighter days inevitably lie ahead.
My apologies for not writing as much lately.I’ve been walking around in a malaise over the past few weeks and the motivation to write really hasn’t been there.Thanks to some of the Fellas on Wednesday night and Mr. Baseball last night, I think I’m “getting by with a little help” from my friends.One of my problems is that I am very hesitant to ask people for help when I need it.This is definitely something I need to work on.Hopefully after the long weekend, I’ll be back to writing regularly.
Anyways, tomorrow is the one year anniversary of Truth About Mike.I really can’t believe I’ve been writing here for a whole year.I wanted to thank everyone for their support, each and every piece of feedback I’ve received about the blog, and especially for the comments left here.It is that kind of stuff that has kept me going and it means so much to me.
In honor of my one year anniversary, I present to you a “Best of Truth About Mike” edition.The seven entries listed below are my favorite entries from the past year and they are in no particular order. I’ve tried to place them all in the “fabulous” category (right sidebar) so they would be easy to find.
Thank again to everyone for checking in each day. Also, thanks to Keri for pushing me to start the blog and for the great guest entry on my birthday.It definitely has been an interesting experience.I hope you guys have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
I have seen the hit of next fall’s TV season and its name is Glee. It is from the creators of Nip/Tuck.
Fox ran a special sneak preview of the pilot last night and it was excellent. I’m really annoyed that I have to wait until the fall to watch this show. If you missed it, keep checking fox.com and they will probably have the episode up on there eventually.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m pushing this week’s Miley update back a bit.
Exactly eleven months ago right now, Chris the Grouch and I spent all night walking around Boston looking back on the Celtics’ 17th NBA Championship.It was a memorable night, one that I’ll never forget. I’ll always think of that night when I pass places we passed that night in the city. It happens pretty often because we walked almost everywhere that night.
Similarly, last night the Celtics season ended.Last year, I walked out of the Garden smoking a cigar.This year due to a mis-communication, I walked out alone left to ponder the fate of the 2008-2009 Celtics.With seconds left, I left my seat because I didn’t want to see the Magic celebrate on our floor – a floor that has become symbolic of athletic excellence in the pantheon of Boston sports and the NBA as a whole.
As much I was able to soak in the very end of Bruins defeat, I couldn’t stay and watch the last few seconds of the end of Celtics’ season.I didn’t want to remember them that way.I wanted to remember how they played in one of the most exciting playoff series ever (in any sport) against the Bulls.I wanted to remember how they fought and fought and fought, even though they were undermanned.I wanted to remember them for the good season they had, not for the unhappy ending we had just seen.
Over the past few years, when I entered the Garden, I usually took the same route to my seat.Same entrance, same escalator and same path.Each time, I would pass an older gentleman, in front of the same souvenir store.His job was to stand there and wave people into the store during both Celtics and Bruins games.Each time I passed him, I would give him a fist-bump.He was my lucky charm and more often than not, it worked.The few times I was in the Garden and forgot to fist-bump him, it always felt awkward.
I’ve fist-bumped that guy over thirty times over the past few years and he never said anything to me until tonight.I often wondered if he even recognized me.Tonight during our fist bump, he actually spoke. He said, “I hope to see you Sunday,” meaning that he hoped the Celtics would win and would be hosting Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland.Chris was impressed that he knew when the next game would (theoretically) be.
After I got separated from Chris, I decided to take a quick walk over to the old man’s store to see if his duties included postgame as well.He was there and I approached him, shook his hand and said, “Two good seasons. We’ll see you next year.”He smiled and wished me a nice summer.
As I walked to my car, I thought about what he said.Summer was here.Last year, when the season ended, I walked out into a celebratory mob on a warm June night that didn’t want to go home.This year, there was a chill in the air and the crowd wasn’t celebrating, but fleeing like burglars from a crime scene.Everyone just wanted to get the hell out of there.
The walk back to my car took me through the North End, one of my favorite parts of the city.I parked over there because Chris and I grabbed dinner in the North End before the game.As I walked down those quiet and crooked streets, my sadness over the loss turned to happiness as I replayed the events of the day in my mind.
Yesterday was a really good day.It started with a trip to my cousin’s house.Most of my local relatives were there including another cousin and his family from New Jersey.I ended up staying over there longer than I had originally planned (sorry Miley!) because I was having such a great time.At one point, I looked around at all of their smiling faces, the kids playing with each other, and realized how lucky I was.Yeah, I may have lost my job recently, but while jobs come and go, the people in your life that truly love you will always be there.
No matter what.
I will remember May 17th 2009 as a great day, not as a sad day.It was a great day because I got to spend most of it with the people that matter most.As I left my cousin’s house, I told myself it was already a wonderful day no matter how the Celtics did in the upcoming game.
Thanks to a friend (thanks Rick!), I was able to go to the Bruins game last night.There are few things in sports like a Game 7.Game 7 is the culmination of a hard-fought seven game series.It is every sports cliché all wrapped into one game.One game to decide a season’s worth of blood, sweat, and tears.
The game was amazing.It was the best hockey game I have ever been to – even before it went to overtime.It had everything.It was pulse-pounding, gut wrenching and near heart attack inducing. Hell, I was nervous during the break before overtime. The Garden was jumping and the energy in there was electric.It was an adrenaline-filled surge up until Carolina scored their game-winning goal in overtime.
Then, the place became quiet.
It was a deathly quiet, an eerie quiet. It was so quiet that I could hear the screams of jubilation from the Carolina players down on the ice – all the way up from the second to last row in the balcony.Think about that.17,000+ people.Silent.
After about 5-10 seconds of that stunned silence, the crowd began to cheer.It was an appreciative cheer for the effort the Bruins had given all season.It was the final curtain call for the 2008-2009 Bruins. It went on while the Bruins gathered at their bench and watched the Hurricanes celebrate on their home ice.
One of the great things about hockey is at the end of each playoff series both teams line up at the center of the ice and shake hands.I wish they did this in every sport.As I watched the Bruins and Hurricanes exchange pleasantries, I scanned the crowd around me.It was like a funeral in there.Some people slumped down in their seat, others muttered (“What an awful, awful feeling” – I heard someone say), a guy slammed his fist into his chair and faces of dejection surrounded me.
As goaltender Tim Thomas skated away from the handshake line, towards the exit, he raised his mask and waved to the crowd.The crowd cheered again.Without Thomas, the game would have been a Carolina rout.
I feel awful.Not so much for the season ending, but for the (few) true Bruins diehards I know. I am a Boston sports fan. I’ve been one since I knew how to root for a team. To me however, the Bruins always took a back seat to the Sox, Pats, and Celtics. Even though the first ticket to a sporting event I ever bought was to a Bruins playoff game in 1990, I did feel like an outsider rooting for them at times. There isn’t enough time in the week to passionately follow all four teams at once.
The diehards are the guys lived and died with this team.One of my diehard buddies brought a television to the AFC Championship game tailgate so he could watch the Bruins game.Another drove back to Montreal after watching Game 5 of this series so he could be back for morning classes the next day.This is a 4.5 hour drive!I felt so awful for those guys that I sent them texts apologizing for the loss.I had nothing to do with it, but I figured it was the least I could do for them.
I have to hand it to the Bruins.They had a very good season.They had the best record in the East, swept the dreaded Canadiens and were a goal away from advancing to the conference finals.Their most impressive accomplishment was that for three weeks, they stole the Boston sports spotlight.It was the 70’s all over again. They were the top sports story in the greatest sports city in the world, and they earned it.I even got caught up in it.I am not ashamed to admit that I watched the Bruins more than the Celtics over the past few weeks.
Riding down the escalator of the Garden to leave, I saw an older gentleman next to another man. They didn’t look alike, but must have been season ticket partner friends or something.The older gentleman let out a deep sigh and with a stern look on his face, turned to his companion and said:
“Well, I guess I will see you at game one next season.”
You sure will, good sir.
The Bruins will be back.
Have a great weekend, everyone! Make the most of every day.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Now that I have more free time on my hands, I will probably be switching up my posting patterns. If you don’t see a new entry early in the morning, check back later.
As much as it sucks to lose your job, being a Boston sports fan doesn’t suck. Today, the city has a chance to score its third sports trifecta in a row. The nice thing about today is that the games are spread out a bit:
3:30pm – Red Sox at Angels
7:00pm – Celtics at Orlando (Game 6)
8:00pm – Hurricanes at Bruins (Game 7)
Every time you go and think things can’t get any better for sports fans in this town, things get better. I think Boston sports fans are the luckiest fans in the country. If it wasn’t for KG’s injury, Boston would have a legitimate shot at winning all four major professional championships, all within the same sports year. This is simply unheard of these days. We are so fortunate to have all four of our teams in such good shape.
The very best part about all of this is seeing all the diehards of each sport here happy. While most fans root for all the teams, everyone has their own particular favorite whether it be the Sox, B’s, C’s, or the Pats. I love being able to talk to all my Boston sports fan friends/relatives about a successful team. It isn’t too often when it happens and it really is a special time. As I’ve grown older, the best part about sports for me is seeing how much joy it brings to people I care about. At this point in my life, it is why I watch.
By the time the Bruins and Hurricanes shake hands tonight, we will have a better idea of what the next two weeks of sports viewing will be like.
I, for one, hope the roller coaster ride continues.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I now have a Facebook page for Truth About Mike! Thanks again for setting it up, David!
As crazy as this sounds, those brief clips of #12 are getting me through the doldrums of 2009. They represent the possibility that things can and will get better. They represent a chance that all of the bad things that have been been happening lately will all be good things soon. They represent a change in the economy and a removal of the gray clouds that seem to be lingering overhead. They represent hope.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m pushing this week’s Miley update back a bit.
