It is no secret that, for an unbiased reporter, I do a poor job of keeping my feelings to myself. I have no problems expressing my likes and dislikes.
I think I opened this can of worms years ago when the Colts were in Baltimore. I was a Colts fan, but had spent a few years in L.A. making friends and becoming a Rams fan. On one particular day back then, I was sitting in the Colts’ press box at a Colts Rams game at Memorial Stadium with my Pop, AFRO Sports Editor, Sam Lacy. Rams running back Dick Bass was a good buddy, and when he broke into the secondary, I sprang to my feet and shouted, “Go Dick!” At that moment the monster was born, and Sam was not happy. This was obvious when he fixed me with the stink-eye and said, “Sit down!”
However, all is not bad. Growing up in D.C., you automatically hated the Dallas Cowboys. Rooting for the Boys was akin to blasphemy. I managed to hold on to my anti-Cowboys bias through the careers of Dallas stars such as Roger Staubach, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Tony Dorsett, Hershell Walker, Randy White, Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson and a few other notables. Then on one rainy Sunday evening, after taking a horrible beatdown, QB Tony Romo stopped his car and in the driving rain changed a flat tire for an elderly couple. This good deed caused me to lighten up on the “I hate the Cowboys issue.” Now with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott running the show, I find myself rooting for the guys from Dallas.
Joining my list of non-favorites was the New England Patriots and Tom Brady. Then along came a feel-good story out of the Super Bowl. Tennis star Eugenie Bouchard was wrapped up in the game. Her status as a fan of the Atlanta Falcons caused her to send out a celebratory tweet with a subtle congratulation flavor when the Falcons were up 21-3. A Patriots fan, John Goehrke, was also a fan of the tennis beauty and happened to pick up on the tweet. He responded with praise for Tom Brady and his comeback ability, and challenged her to a date if the Pats won. She accepted, and we know who won. Eugenie is so gorgeous she is slated to be in the next swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated. To add to his good fortune, John and Eugenie are penciled in for a second date. I guess Tom Brady will now get credit for giving Cupid a hand. And I know John feels like he hit the lottery.
Among my likes, I would like to share the feel-good story of the month. A fifth-grade basketball team from St. John’s school in Clark, N.J. was informed that they would not be allowed to continue with two girls on the team. If the girls continued to play, all games would be forfeited. These kids have been playing together for four years and this decision was not received well. When the boys were asked if they would continue without the girls, the answer in essence was “Hell, NO!” The vote was unanimous. Afterward, organizers decided the best decision was to overturn the rule and let the girls play.
When the initial ruling was announced, University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, who was seeking the team’s 100th straight win, didn’t want to talk about his story—instead, he addressed the plight of the St. John’s team. As it turns out he is from the area and his son played on a mixed team. He was very outspoken over his dislike of the rule, and mentioned that the best player on his son’s team was a girl. That’s a lot of pressure for a youth sports committee, and I like the outcome.
I have introduced my knucklehead, John, in the past, and I mentioned that he is a formidable threat on the baseball diamond. There was a young lady, Tara, on his team who is as fast as lightning. During one tight game, Tara came to bat. I turned to Davis, John’s dad, and said, “What do ya think?” Dave said, “I don’t know, but if she hits it on the ground they better go to Plan “B.” Let’s hear it for the girls.
