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What my musings are all about...

Blogging might well be the 21st century's form of journaling. As a writing teacher, I have always advised my students to keep a daily journal as a way of organizing their thoughts for future writing projects, a discipline I have unfortunately never consistently practiced myself. By blogging, I might finally be able to follow my own good advice.

The difference between journaling and blogging is that the blogger opens his or her writing to the public, something journal- writers are usually reluctant to do. I am not so reticent.

The trick for me will be to avoid cluttering the internet with more blather, something none of us need more of. If I stick to subjects I know: sports and literature, I believe I can avoid that pitfall. I can't promise that I'll not stray from time to time to comment on ancillary subjects, but I will make every attempt to be interesting and perhaps even insightful.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

NBA CHAMPS

Although it was not the deciding factor, I'm convinced my wife donning her Warriors 46 gold and white v-neck Basketball shirt contributed to the Warriors winning the NBA Championship.

The shirt has history. Throughout the season, whenever Melanie put it on, the Warriors won. So, you see, there's precedent. To give you a better idea of  the shirt's magical powers, we experimented. Sometimes Mel would start watching a game wearing another Warrior T-shirt, a Curry one, for example, or one with my old number on it. Inevitably the Warriors would not play well. But as soon as she changed into her Warriors 46 shirt, the turn around began. The only time the shirt didn't work was at the second game at Oracle. She forgot to put the magic shirt on, and by the time she remembered the Warriors could only mount a comeback.

I'm thinking that my wife's shirt should be hung along side the Championship banner in Oracle Arena.

What a season. I started out not liking the name "Dubs", but I've changed my mind. I think the name does indeed fit. It's very 21st century, and sounds young and enthusiastic and exciting, which is what this group has been from the very beginning.

Listening to Steve Kerr after the game while he was being interviewed, I thought he was being too gentlemanly. Nice to give credit to your opponents, but come on.The Cavs, and the rest of the NBA teams that went down, WENT DOWN to a great Warrior team. HIS TEAM. I know Coach Kerr can't say that, that it would sound too egotistical, but his personality is written all over this group of young men. They would not have won with any other coach.

A big shout to the Warriors owners and management. Successful organization start at the top and their decisions and energy trickle down, all the way down to the ushers and ticket takers.

And finally, a big part of Warrior Nation were the fans, from all over the Bay Area or as it is sometimes pronounce, The Barea, Crazy and loyal and stubborn all these years of supporting with their money and their love.

Ode to the Golden State Warriors, Watching Their Quest for Victory   

One small change and the line reads: Good luck,
Timing, and the stars. This morning I'm still seeing
Curry's three float through the sky of the arena
Reminding me of a lesson in geometry:
An arc is a segment of the circumference
Of the circle - that from foot  (the flat plane of release)
Arcs in silent degrees over the moon into the hoop.

I am watching it with my arm in a sling
Having had my should replaced with titanium,
A smaller science, in my mind, than the one
Curry, and his teammate, Thompson,
Use to make mathematics fun.

As far as my titanium shoulder will allow,
I raise my arm to salute the Splash Brothers
And their teammates, three out of five,
Bogut, Barnes, and Green
And all the other players off the bench,
No small part of the equation called team.
And raise it up again through pain
To honor the others: players and coaches,
Gentry, Adams, and Kerr for his coaching
That were it not intense, looks much like Joy.

Something so old inside me called desire
Yearns to play again, to shake off years,
Travel through the television screen
And be six-six again, called undersized
Like Draymond Green snatching rebounds,
Playing beyond our skills because we will it,
Because we know that timing give us wings.

And wherever they are, the old Warriors,
Nate and Rick, Al and Jeff, I wonder, if like me,
They're watching these new Warriors, Dubs, seeing
How luck, timing, and the stars triangulate.
I'm loving it, sitting back and watching Victory
Happen with the flick of Curry's wrist.  

                             Tom Meschery









4 comments:

AngryCalFan said...

@ Tom Meschery. Barron Ernst (who you may or may not remember from long ago - I took AP English from you back in 1999).

Was incredibly cool to see you in the parade today for the Warriors. Congratulations on your long time association with the team, and great to see that you are well and still such a big supporter of the team! And also thanks for helping teach all of us Reno High school kids to better appreciate poetry and literature. Hope you are well!

Anonymous said...

Cleveland has a self-proclaimed king.
Oakland has a team-earned ring.
Danny Wilson

Ashoolroy said...

Congrats Dubs! It has been very fun to watch the Warriors on their road to victory knowing that my senior English teacher is a part of Warriors history. I now teach at Reno High, down in E8 taking over what was Ray Hayes' territory in Physics. I still recite the prologue to the Canterbury Tales and Shakespearean sonnets to my students when the mood strikes me. Thank you for being such an inspiring teacher. I know it's a long shot, but the class of '95 is having our 20th reunion next Friday the 26th of June at Louis' Basque Corner in downtown Reno at 5pm. A cameo from our favorite English teacher would be amazing!

Forever in your debt for my love of literature,
Aaron Shoolroy,
Reno High class of 1995

Danny Wilson said...

Broom them guys, broom them
Sixteen consecutive wings
No team has done that.