Tip Off
Photo by ace photog MARCI CURTISI‘m not saying it’s because I did the ceremonial opening tip off, that the Troy Colts destroyed their opponent, 47-28. But I’m not saying it’s not. You can tell by the fierce intensity on the girls’ faces that this pretend jump ball was all business. I really didn’t quite understand […]
Photo by ace photog MARCI CURTISI‘m not saying it’s because I did the ceremonial opening tip off, that the Troy Colts destroyed their opponent, 47-28. But I’m not saying it’s not.
You can tell by the fierce intensity on the girls’ faces that this pretend jump ball was all business. I really didn’t quite understand the concept, having only seen people throw out the first pitch in baseball and maybe an honorary coin toss in football. In hockey do they do the same thing, then get the puck outta there?
But when Taylor’s friend Nicole asked me to be part of the honorary festivities for Cancer Awareness and said I’d be introduced as someone who beat the Big C, I thought, “heck yeah.”
Actually, it took a little convincing from Marci since I didn’t feel like being a poster boy. “Sometimes, it’s not about you Rodney,” she said. Seeing my daughters smiling and recording me in the stands, I knew she was right.
I was pleasantly surprised by the lady ref who lent me her pink whistle, in honor of her friend who battled breast cancer. But when she coached me on the finer points of ball tossing, I was certain she was mistaken. Look, I’ve covered enough basketball games to know they throw it underhand. Sure enough, when the real tip happened, the ref did it the way I remembered.
I may have slam dunked cancer, but I’m not beyond feeling ridiculous for looking ridiculous. My horizontal stripes notwithstanding.
Each of the girls were playing in honor of someone they knew who were battling or had fought cancer. It was amazing to watch them run onto the court as the announcer read off their loved one’s names. And with the way they put a beat down on their opponent, let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be any disease trying to play offense against the Lady Colts.
