Arms Wide Open

I think former Tar Heel Ty Lawson’s going to do just fine in the NBA.

Wow. Alright, let me just get the only bad part of the our Opening Night visit to Conseco Field House for the Pacers game out of the way…Tyler Hansbrough (the reason we got the tickets) did not dress. Well, he was dressed, but it was a suit and dress shoes. His bad shin is “this close” to being ready to play. While that was a bit of a buzz kill, it did not put a damper on a great, great night for “the boy” and I. I couldn’t even make this up, check this out….

1. He got on the jumbotron (pictured above with me beside him taking the picture).

2. He got a ball when they were throwing them out during a time out

3. He got another pacer jersey when they were throwing them out during a different time out.

4. He got sat on by the mascot

5. NBA Legend Larry Bird was in the house…and my friend Jeff pointed out that we had better seats!

The Pacers didn’t bring home the victory, but man that was a lot of fun. We got there just in time for tip off and were sitting right behind the cameramen on the baseline the entire game. At one point, Jermaine O’Neal came right at us for a loose ball. He landed in the empty seat beside me but did step on my camera in the process. No harm done though. He even said “you okay”?

Could you imagine explaining that warranty claim? “See I was sitting in the front row at this NBA game and a player stepped on it….” Right…

Anyway, “The Boy” was star struck at Dwayne Wade, Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, Danny Granger and, of course, Larry Bird. You can actually see us on the game highlights on NBA.com. The best views are at the :43, 1:36 and 1:47 marks. We’re by the “I” in Indiana on the baseline. The video is (HERE).  It was definitely a night we will remember. We’ve got 2 more dates circled on our Pacers calendar right now. November 20th and January 29th. Both games are against the Cavs. More to come on that.

Here are just a few of the many, many pictures I took.

Thanks to the ultimate hook up from a great friend, “The Boy” and I were in the arena 2 hours before tip off of the Cavaliers and Celtics game at Ohio State University. Not only did we have access to the players as they warmed up, “The Boy” got to be one of the ball boys before the game. He was so excited on the way to the arena. Talk about a “bucket list”! He got to rebound during pre-game warm-ups for 2 of the greatest players that will ever play in the NBA. He also got to rebound and pass to 2 former Tar Heels that now play for the Cavs (He said Danny Green called him “son”). Personally, I got to shake hands with Ray Allen of the Celtics and actually talk some college hoops with him. Kevin Garnett, Mo Williams, Delonte West, JJ Hickson and Anderson Varejo also spent some time in the weight room prior to the game. My camera stayed in my pocket though as they were not there for a “Photo Opportunity.”

There is no way to express the gratitude of a lifelong Cavaliers fan to my friend “D-Rich”. Even though the Cavs got crushed, it is a night that “The Boy” and I will not soon forget. If you look closely in the last photo (Lebron shooting a free throw), you will see “The Boy’s” Lebron jersey at the base of the basket on the side. He had a PRIME seat for the game! You can see all of the photos (HERE). Great memories!

Seriously, this is just INSANE! I must say in advance of this clip that it PAINS me to post anything with Rachel Maddow. To say I am not a fan of hers is a HUGE understatement. HUGE. With that out of the way, I would say check out our ridiculously huge logo in the outfield towards the end of the clip. But that’s not why I post this. Listen to the description, watch and be amazed. Simply unbelievable.

It is no secret that I am a fan of two things…The Tar Heels and one Mr. Tyler Hansbrough. Last night I was checking out a site that I frequent called MrTarHeel.com. I stumbled across this letter that was written by Gene Hansbrough (Tyler’s Dad) and submitted to Tar Heel Monthly. It’s too good to not share. Regardless of if you like the Tar Heels, Tyler Hansbrough or NCAA Hoops, it’s worth a read.

As I read it I reflected on the pride of this Dad. It comes screaming out of the pages as you read. Isn’t that what we all want for our kids? I’m not talking about winning Player of the Year, or NCAA championships (although that would totally ROCK!). I am more referring to knowing that they achieved their dreams. Sorry for the length, but I felt like it was worth re-posting. Here’s his letter (the bold emphasis are mine).

Would you call him a failure? He was a little kid and he couldn’t quite raise the ball to the basket. He put the ball way down by his hip and pushed with everything he had. But the ball just wouldn’t get over the rim. Still, he stayed there all alone, flinging the ball upward again and again. He never did make one that day but he stayed there a long, long time.

(more…)

I mentioned it before, but “the boy” asks an interesting question rather frequently as we watch sporting events. The question is simple, but often I cannot give a clear answer. His question is this…

“Hey Dad, is (insert athlete’s name here) a Christian?”

Athletes he has asked about in the past are Lebron James, Tyler Hansbrough and Ryan Howard. I found out yesterday that Albert Pujols is a man of great faith. “The Boy” and I watched the home run contest together the other night. I had stepped out of the room, but when I returned he told me about an interview they did with Josh Hamilton while I was gone. They had asked him about his incredible home run display last year and he gave all of the credit, glory and honor to Jesus. “The boy” told me about it and later I heard him telling my wife.

Lastly this morning, I received an email from our good friend Lynne with an article in the Columbus Dispatch about a blue chip prospect in the Cleveland Indians farm system named Matt Laporta. He is the next big thing in Cleveland and currently plays for our local AAA Columbus Clippers. The article outlines his faith. Great, great stuff. I printed the Pujols and Laporta articles (see links below) and shared them with “the boy” this morning. Later, I plan to take him to the “I Am Second” web site so he can hear the testimony of Josh Hamilton first hand.

Dads, like it or not, our kids are going to follow athletes and pick their heroes (just like we did). Choose wisely.

Albert Pujols article -(HERE)

Matt Laporta article -(HERE)

Josh Hamilton testimony – (HERE)