Everything That's On My Mind

 Friday, April 21, 2006

Bring It

And so, another playoff season begins...along with sleepless nights when the games are on the west coast. During one of the Red Wings previous playoff runs, I remember having a conversation with a fellow pastor about the dilemma presented by west coast playoff games on Saturday nights. For the record, I have generally been disciplined enough to go to bed on time on Saturday nights, even when the game is still going.

While it does present a time management problem, it's great to have the top teams in both basketball and hockey in Detroit. We've always been a great sports town, even when our teams weren't good. When the teams are good, however, this town goes nuts. I still remember the insanity (in a good way) when the Pistons one their first championship. Lori and I were newlyweds living in the city of Detroit and it was a lot of fun.

I've blogged about my love for the Pistons before, so I guess it's time to give the Wings their due. I was a basketball fan from a young age but despite the fact that my dad was a hockey player I never really got into the game until the 80s. The impetus behind my interest in hockey was a quiet young man by the name of Steve Yzerman. Drafted in 1983, he singlehandedly revived hockey in Detroit and laid the foundation for what is now known as Hockeytown. After 22 seasons, it is likely that he will retire after this playoff run. Hockeytown will carry on, but it will never be the same without him.

I have great admiration for Yzerman. Throughout his career he has exhibited the textbook definition of perseverance. His knee was shredded in 1988 when he crashed into a goalpost. (This incident and others lead to the development of the break-away goal posts in use today) He recovered, obviously, and has continued to fight through many adversities throughout his career. He is one of the few athletes (fellow Detroiter Frank Tanana is another) who has completely changed his style of play and continued to have success. In his youth, he had all the speed and make-you-look-silly moves that you see in someone like Pavel Datsuk today. When his knees couldn't keep up with his creativity, he transformed his game to fit his damaged tools and continued to be productive. Despite multiple injuries that would have caused many to give up, Yzerman continued to doggedly pursue and acheive excellence in his sport. I hope Stevie goes out with a Cup over his head but whether he does or not, he's an inspiring champion and one of the few good role models in the world of sports today.

Now if we could have a two-team victory parade down Woodward Avenue this summer, that would REALLY be something.

Sports

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 08:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time          Comments [0]

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