What this is all about
I was never good at many sports, but I instantly recognized the importance of competition at an early age. An avid collector of basketball cards, and a purveyor of the ‘7 year old one handed jump and throw towards an impossibly tall basket’ jump shot, basketball was easily my most favorite sport. Growing up in a small city in Michigan I was naturally drawn (or forced, as pictures of me in U of M clothing represent) to the popular hometown teams. My passion found me sneaking out of bed at 11:00 at night to find the living room empty and the TV all mine. Seeing that I lived with my divorced mother, finding a basketball game on the only television in the house was impossible. The exception to this was when the world was asleep, and the Bad Boys went into battle 3 timezones away. I huddled under a blanket 3 inches away from the television, absorbing the glow of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bill Lambier as they slayed the evil Lakers from somewhere across the uncrossable country. In defeat I learned of the ‘Magic’ that Ervin Johnson displayed, his links to what would become my favorite in-state university, and the Lakers Dynasty.
Hindsight allows me to realize that my mother had to know what I was upto. It was not until Vinny Johnson hit a simple 14 foot jump shot in 1990 that my secret came to the forefront. By some stroke of fate my deeds went unpunished.
Passion cannot be forsaken.
Since those early years my love for the game has evolved to a form not recognized by many people. While I still enjoy the NBA and the Detroit Pistons, I find the purest form of the sport resides at a lower level of overall talent. It resides where the game does not cash a check or endorse a sneaker. Yes, College Basketball in many forms is as corrupt as its big brother. It has evolved into a developmental league, players often staying one or two years before they are off to bigger and better paydays in the NBA. Players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Amare Stoudamire show that kids are ready sooner, and achieve greatness at a younger age than ever before. However, the sport reaches purity found no where else when you look past the Dukes and North Carolina’s, and into the hundreds of schools at the mid to low major level.
Stephen Curry was 5 foot nothing as a Junior in high school. His jump shot can melt butter and make your own mother cry, yet he was passed up by several big time schools, always looking for the next Kevin Durrant or Greg Oden. Given a chance at a small private school in North Carolina, as a sophomore in college, Curry produced the single greatest performance I have ever witnessed live on a basketball court when he alone outscored the entire Wisconsin team in the 2nd half at Ford Field in Detroit, leading his team to an upset victory and a trip to the Elite 8. He was not supposed to and he did.
The improbable. The impossible. Shouldn’t have a shot. Not supposed to be there. Yes, the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament always ends up righting itself in the end, producing a champion from a blue blood school with every advantage and no reason to fail. However, every now and then there is a George Mason, a Villanova, and a Davidson to remind us that there’s still a reason to play the game.
We’ll be there to tell you about it. The Trip started in 2001 with 3 friends from high school and has now settled in at 5. Many cities have been visited. The Trip has seen its highs, and its lows, but never did it cease to exist. It has spawned its own website, clothing, catch phrases, and even a future spin-off. The Trip has thrashed several hotel rooms, devoured a brackets worth of meals and consumed its share of brews. It will continue on into the future with no end in sight, and only one goal – to be there.
Shout out to Philadelphia 2009.
Themocracy
[...] once spoke about passion for the game of basketball. Over a year ago I wrote this, attempting to put this place into some sort of focus, or set it on the right track, or just have a [...]