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RIP Craig Sager
A smile doesn’t go on for a mile…
it lasts a lifetime.
Craig Sager, the relentlessly positive NBA sideline reporter, has died at the age of 65. His toughness was iron strong, as he faced cancer and, incredibly, experienced that same cancer go into remission. Mr. Sager certainly had a memorable collection of high-profile interviews with basketball icons, but his legacy was built on something much more profound and meaningful.
His personality, decorated head-to-toe in spectacularly strange and overwhelmingly loud jackets and suits, was one defined by kindness. A rarity in this world, for sure. So many believe that we must be cool and removed, yet Mr. Sager is one example of how spreading happiness and trying to get people to smile (regardless of and because of their personal struggles and circumstances) is a gift that should be copied-and-pasted over and over…and over again.
One of the great misconceptions about people who appear happy all the time is that there isn’t a darkness or broken element in their life or that they don’t understand the grit of the world. In other words, that they aren’t “real.” Actually, it’s precisely the opposite. If you meet someone beyond the age of 10 who makes it their purpose to be happy, it usually means they have or are enduring deep struggles, but choose to be joyful and bright and bring out happiness in others.
Choosing to be happy instead of aloof and indifferent?
That sounds pretty damn real to me (in more ways than one).
Even just one smile can make all the difference…to somebody.
RIP Craig Sager.
No Strings Attached
Remember when anybody who was anybody had a fast-talking, lookalike puppet?
The ’90s was an insanely awesome decade for many reasons, least of which was because the NBA was actually fun to watch. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Steve Kerr, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoč and the Chicago Bulls were led by “The Zen Master” Phil Jackson. The Seattle Supersonics was a real team with Gary “The Glove” Payton, Shawn Kemp and one of the greatest sports names ever: Detlef Schrempf. And let’s not forget about Hakeem Olajuwon firing up the Houston Rockets.
Even so, the real magic of the NBA in the ’90s went down in Orlando. Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway is one of the league’s all-time greats, including his nickname. Along with his immense talent was his prowess for marketing and nobody talked a big game like Penny’s small friend who sounded precisely like comedian Chris Rock:
“Lil’ Penny.”
This blissful commercial is why “Throwback Thursday” is such a fantastic phenomenon.
It’s just a nice coincidence that Penny happened to throw the ball through the back of the hoop.
Bringing “Boomshakalaka” Back…akalaka
Kids today really need to get outside more…
so they find an arcade to play NBA Jam.
As vintage arcades continue to pop-up around the country (at least 2 in Columbus, Ohio) with NBA Jam being one of the prized centerpieces along with Mortal Kombat and Asteroids, my dad introduced me to the greatest basketball video game ever made in the form of a compact disc for the PC. Burning the nets and climbing two stories for a monster dunk was a thrill-a-minute. Playing this video game with friends was (and is) always a blast.
For this Throwback Thursday, I present to you the fascinating backstory of the popular video game NBA Jam.
Going head-to-head with friends in NBA Jam makes for an awesome time, especially when rediscovering your youth at an arcade. And the games are also intensely competitive. But when I was younger and my dad took a break from his work to challenge me or vice versa, those days were fun curve balls (wrong sport, but you get the point). It was as if I had discovered this secret portal in the universe because I had a dad who liked to play (and was pretty good at) video games.
Boomshakalaka!
Cleveland’s Fun: Believe It or Not!
“The Win” is where Cleveland is at now, but “The Decision” is where the city was not too long ago.
How did Cleveland’s faithful make the transition?
Basketball aside, the healing peacemaker was surprisingly not an intermediary at all. Instead, the conciliatory trigger was a state of mind. Specifically, the Ohio state (small “s”) of mind. More specifically, the “OH-” state of mind. Outsiders may laugh and roll their eyes at the passionately proud nature of Ohioans, but there’s a lot to be happy about.
That list can wait for another day.
For instance, when The Ohio State Buckeyes play that team up north or in a national championship, a win is not the only thing on the line. The entire identity and emotional well-being of its citizens are at stake.
People from Cleveland and beyond read the LeBron James re-dedication letter from July of 2014 to his hometown in northeast Ohio, but movie watchers saw an entertaining abridged version of his sentiment in the movie Trainwreck. Granted, LeBron’s scenes are about the only appropriate moments in the film (true story) and are also the most clever and endearing.
Destination Cleveland: Why haven’t there been a collection of creative tourism videos in the following video clip’s spirit featuring northeast Ohio’s favorite son and a skeptical traveler?
A Ted Mosby cameo could be cool too…
Right. Right!
Jimmy's Daily Planet 