The Fade Away Jumper

I’d like to tell a story about a chapter in my childhood pertaining to my first experience in organized basketball.
I played a lot of playground basketball. My guys would go from playground to playground for a game, but this one time we tried playing organized basketball for the recreation teem league for the first time. We played well, in fact we played better then expected.

My team by far wasn’t great but we grew up together and new each other’s ways and game. There were the Clark boys, two great athletes Ron a Larry. We had our big man, let’s call him Bumps because he had acne very, very bad. There was me, Sleepy, I have bedroom eyes, and Bill, the Senator. We called him the Senator because he was an apple polisher if you ever saw one. He was an Eddie Haskell replica from “Leave It To Beaver.”

Larry was a power forward/center, Ron was a point and shooting guard, Bumps was a power forward/center and me, I was a shooting guard/center. I played center because even at 5’8” tall, I could grab the rim and dunk a tennis ball. It was weird but I could play the spot. I’d steal the ball if a big man put it on the floor, and I could block out well, get run over and fouled with big men going over the top of me. The Senator, well the Senator would shoot the ball. When he had the ball, no matter where he was on the floor he’d shot it, but he’d shoot a fade away jumper. A “Fade Away Jumper” is a shot when the shooter shoot’s the ball jumping up and backwards before letting the shot go. Bill always shot a “Fade Away Jumper”. We tried to tell him, “just go up with the shot you idiot, you don’t have to fade away all the time you shoot a jumper especially when no one is guarding you, Geeez.” Bill would try this at times but he said it was awkward so he’d just fade away. He’d look stupid fading away and no body guarding him.

Well, as I said, we did pretty good. We were tied for first place with a very good team that we hadn’t played with one game to go and it was against them. The winner went to the playoffs.

In this big game, it was tight. Skilled against unskilled but we played our hearts out. But now the rest of the story.

16 seconds remained in a tied game; we had time out and the ball. The play was to get as close too the basket as posible for the easiest shot posible before time ran out, but by all means, get a shot off. Not too bad for us you’d think. The worst case scenario was overtime with this great, great team, real simple right.

Well, we had the full court to go. I take the ball out and pass it to Ron. Their full court press was on and it was awesome. Ron was smothered immediately but got the ball back to me. I dribble three times and was smothered too but got the ball back to Ron. Ron got across half court and got the ball back to me with 5 seconds left on the clock. I look for Bumps but couldn’t see him. I looked for Larry but couldn’t see him. I looked for Ron and saw him racing toward the basket but I had no passing lane. I needed to shoot the ball and that’s when I saw Bill, he was open but further away from the basket then me but I had no shot and no choice. I bounced passed the ball across the court to Bill. Bill got it and went up with a defender in his face, this defender’s arms were stretched out and waving, but when Bill (the Senator) went up, and guess what, he was fading away. He was leaning back at about a 45 degree angle and his defender was leaning forward toward him desperately trying to block that shot at a 45 degree angle too but Bill got the shot off. I watched the ball rise and looked for the ref to see if there was a foul. The defenders guarding me turned and watched the ball’s flight with obvious looks of pain on their faces. Their coach must have told them, “No shot! No shot!” I looked at Bill as he landed on his feet stumbling from his jumper and stepping backwards in order not to fall and his defender was stumbling forward like wise. Bumps came into my view and was charging toward the basket as the ball crested at its arch and was on it’s descent down. The Clark’s were just standing with their eyes glued to the shot. Time was out and it also seemed as if it stood still until, ------- swish with a rip right though the net. Touché, game over, we win, We Win! Bill now was damn near moon walking with one fist up shaking it chanting “Chee, Wayloo Wayloo, Chee.”
The look of discuss on the faces of the super stars was priceless, The look of joy on the Senator’s face was also priceless. The look on the faces of the people in the gym looked as if they’d just witnessed the most fantastic “Fade Away Jumper” they’ve ever seen in their lives, and you know something, they did.

Gaidi

You Pundits Are Wrong

First, congratulations Barack Obama. I wish the Pundits would stop selling news papers. They’re now dissecting the map for electoral votes between the two Presidential candidates. Now, let me give you my two cents worth.

I’ve heard the media say between Hillary and Obama on issues they’re about the same, that it’s basically a popularity contest, you pick’em. I’ve heard this between the two candidates themselves. Well if Hillary’s 18 million votes were about issues and Obama’s issues were about the same as hers, what makes the Pundits think that Hillary’s voters will flee to McClain when his issues are out of touch with the main stream America and our Party’s? And who says McCain’s supporters are signed and sealed in blood? To me, if the issues are close between Hillary and Obama, dahh!

Is what I’m reading is that Hillary’s voters are so racist that they can’t vote for a black man to end the War? Is what I’m hearing is that Hillary’s voters are so distraught and militant that they will take this country down the tubes by voting for McCain or not voting at all and business as usual even though she lost fare and square so let’s just snuff out health care for all? Is what I’m saying is that Hillary’s voters really don’t have the same issues of the Obama’s campaign since she lost and too hell with the Economy, Judges, Middle Class, Better education for all, Ending rewards for the fat cats, National Image, New foreign policy, Outsourcing, Obama and his campaign? Well I don’t think so.

The Republicans have ruined this country. Obama’s campaign issues almost mirrors those of Hillary’s. Obama won fairly and the Democratic Party recognizes he has the answers and the direction for this country and the world, and so does millions of Americans on both sides of the isle. You Pundits are wrong.

Gaidi