meta name=”robots” content=”index, follow” Meschery's Musings of Sports, Literature, and Life Meschery's Musings on Sports, Literature and Life: 2018-04-22

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.

Friday, April 27, 2018

Flashy NFL Draft Boring and Etc

You got to be a total college and pro football aficionado to get watch the mind numbing NFL college draft. Compared to the simpler NBA draft, the NFL has way too many positions on defense and offense. That's 24 separate positions, with separate skill-sets. I don't think many people in football land were carefully watching the progress of left tackles or right tackles, which I learned for the first time today, reading the results of yesterday's draft, have different skill sets. "I feel like I've mastered both sides and I'm ready to go at either one," said Mike McGlinchey, the San Jose 49ers first round pick. So, I suppose there must be some left offensive tackles who have not, and are therefore relegated to a lifetime career as left tackles on the O-Line. Of course there are other sports with very specific position skills, I'm thinking baseball in particular. But there are only 9 positions to consider. Besides, MLB doesn't have a college draft extravaganza. NBA teams select the best at most five very different positions with several of the positions having overlapping skill sets. For example, a #2 guard (the shooter) could possess #1 point guard skills sets. I'm probably over explaining. My bottom line is I watched until the last of the five best college QB's were selected, then switched channels. I'm guessing many other fans did.

Etc #1

Thrilled to read that Steph Curry will be back on the court against the very dangerous New Orleans Pelicans, coached by ex Warrior assistant coach Alvan Gentry, perhaps as soon as the first game on Saturday. Without Curry, the Warriors are the Warriors. With Curry, the Warriors are the Dubs. This has to do with how far the Dubs can stretch the floor with Steph. Of its starters, three downtown shooters makes a huge difference these days as opposed to a team with two downtown shooters, no matter how good they are.

Etc #2

 My wife and I are off to Europe for the month of May, which means we'll miss the Western Conference second and final rounds. We are sorry about missing these games, but we have a date with Italian and French cuisine. We'll be cheering for the Dubs from our sidewalk cafes. If Tony Parker wants to join us as our translator, he's welcome. I have informed the Warriors that we'll be back to watch them defeat the Cleveland Cavs for their third NBA Championship. 

Etc #3

What a frosty last second winner LeBron shot to beat the Pacers! Form and rotation of the ball as it left his fingers, I could see it was going down.

Here's a poem I wrote a couple of weeks back honoring the death of a excellent high school and college point guard and later college coach, Bernie Simpson. Bernie played on the 1969 University of California Bears NCAA Championship team.


Bernie’s Funeral    by Tom Meschery

He was the starting guard on the high school team
that beat my high school team three straight years
for our city’s championship, and the guard
on the college team that beat my college team
in the NCAA tournament and left me at the bar
drinking beers while his team went on to win it all,
and it was him standing on a ladder cutting down
a piece of the net that I felt belonged to me.

I’m staring at the huge crucifix behind the altar.
The Ave Maria is being sung, and I’m wondering
about the minutiae of memory when I should be
thinking about the big picture of Bernie’s life.
The Ave ends and the priest begins speaking
about resurrection, an idea I find impossible
to consider. So I picture Bernie’s jump shots.
instead. They were pretty damn accurate.
It occurs to me that thinking of Bernie’s body
rising into that jumper, not with a lot of height,
but enough that the ball floated over the hand
of our guy guarding him, is strange and perhaps
inappropriate now that he no longer has a body.
And that soon I too will no longer have a body,
which should make me more serious but doesn’t.

After the priest, the eulogies begin. The best
is a daughter remembering her father’s words:
Show up; have faith; execute, that have given her
something to live by and pass on to her children.
After mass and the reception, on my drive home
I’m wondering if I've left any words behind
for my children to cherish after my death?
Nothing so eloquent as Bernie's I’m afraid.
More like keep your elbow directly under
your shooting hand; don’t leave practice
without making your last shot. Or, since
I have always found tranquility and joy
waiting for me in the kitchen, make sure
that you season while you’re cooking
and never be afraid to try new recipes.