July 30, 2020

 

The season restarts today!  And…I’m not working again.  I don’t know how the schedule is decided but it feels like I am stealing money.  I get paid every day regardless, but it would sure be great to get a few more games under my belt before the playoffs begin in a couple of weeks.

 

Representative John Lewis was laid to rest today.  I spent a great deal of time in the morning watching his service which was being broadcasted live from Atlanta. I see what is going on currently in our nation when it comes to racial equality.  To think that he committed most of his life trying to right the wrongs of centuries of inequality is difficult for me to wrap my head around.  Nearly sixty years ago he started his fight to change America for the better, and at these NBA games the “Black Lives Matter” slogan is everywhere.  Have things really not changed that much since the sixties?  Are we progressing or regressing as a country in the area of racial injustice? We are so divided on this issue, as well as others, but watching and listening to the beautiful tributes to this pioneer was so inspiring I could only hope that the rest of our nation was listening.  The three living former Presidents that spoke (Jimmy Carter sent a message that was read) were eloquent, well spoken, and applauded by the mourners in attendance.  I had always enjoyed listening to Bill Clinton speak.  I met him in Arkansas when he was Governor.  I knew he had what it took to become President one day. He thinks before he speaks, and those pregnant pauses only help him emphasize what his is speaking about.

 

George Bush, well to me he always looked like he was going to laugh after completing a sentence.  During his presidency, listening to his speeches was entertaining as he would invent words while orating.  But today, he spoke from the heart, as words of conflict with resolution were ever present.  He and John Lewis often clashed on issues, but they never attacked one another.  They respected the others position and strove to achieve a compromise resolution.  His tribute was wonderful.

 

And then Obama gave the eulogy.  I miss listening to him addressing the nation.  Rather you liked or despised him, his message was always delivered in a clear and concise manner.  There was never a need to hold a press conference after one of his speeches to clarify what he said.  When you heard Obama speak, the message was clear.  His eulogy to John Lewis was no different.  He praised the man that inspired him from the very beginning and recognized him as the true patriot he was.  And, it was so refreshing to hear the words from all three Presidents that heaped praise upon the departed other than speaking about themselves.

 

It’s a beautiful day so, once again, after my morning rituals (do I have to keep mentioning this or have you grasped the concept that my mornings are very regimented?) I headed over to the pool near me to get some sun and read a little.

 

I thought I stumbled upon a stag party.  The games played today don’t start until later in the evening so even if you had to go to work, it wasn’t until later in the afternoon.  The pool area was packed, with men.  Consider that the broadcast teams are composed of mostly men as it is a male dominated profession. And the referees, well, they only have a few women in their ranks, and the support personnel seem to be mostly male as well.  After I settled myself into my socially distanced lounger, I perused the crowd once again, and did spot three women that were among the throngs of men.  And I felt a bit sad for them.

 

Every time they moved, whether to take a dip in the pool or turn over on their stomachs after catching too much sun on their fronts, it seemed like all eyes were upon them.  Men are not very good at disguising their thoughts or intentions, and I found it humorously amusing to observe the men as they leered at the women.  The three lone women had to fully appreciate the attention or loathe it.  I don’t know, and I sure wasn’t going to inquire, but watching this from a distance made it difficult for me to fully concentrate on my book.

 

At one end of the pool my referee friends we once again grouped together, drinking their wine, smoking their cigars, and playing what seems to be a never ending game of dominos. Some had on masks, others did not, but in my opinion, they were not doing a great job of social distancing.  As luck would have, either good luck or bad, depending how you wish to look at it, an NBA security officer approached and requested they put on their masks and split apart  a little better than the effort they are putting forth. Immediately, without question, they followed the advice offered by the security officer.  That is how you respond to a request in the bubble.

 

On the way back to my room my wife called to say a package she had delivered for me was available for pick up at the shipping/receiving department here at the resort.  I had no idea she was sending me anything and she wouldn’t let on what she had coming my way.  She simply said it was ready to pick up.  I headed towards the shipping department after I dropped my poolside needs back at my room.

 

The shipping/receiving department is at the very back of the convention center, where all the practice courts are.  I had to place my wristband against the reader to make sure I was up to date with my tests and my NBA health app was current.  Several players were walking the hallways within the convention center, either going to practice, leaving practice, eating in their lounge, or doing interviews at the designated interview areas.  I eventually made it back to the conference room that was turned into huge makeshift shipping and receiving area.

 

This was the location for anything and everything related to the NBA came.  There were basketball stanchions, weightlifting equipment, basketball, case upon case of sports drinks, you name it, and it was there.  Each team had a large area set aside for items that were designated for them.  Each team area was filled with items that had yet to be distributed to them, and each area was stacked full.  As I continued walking towards the area for those not affiliated with a team to pick up our deliveries, I couldn’t truly appreciate the amount of organization that I was witnessing as I ventured through.  Such organization, such preparation, such attention to detail.  This is a well-oiled machine.

 

On the back wall there are large letters from A to Z placed upon them.  I headed for the P to pick up a package for Pierce.  There it was, as promised, laying in a large rectangle reserved for items for P people.  In fact, there were two packages for me from her.  Double excitement.

 

I took both packages back to my room and tore them open like a kid on Christmas.  To my surprise I found 3 packages of McVitties Digestives and two packages of Biscoff Biscuits.  Now this may not sound like a big deal to you, but it was huge for me.

 

Earlier I mentioned how I liked to lay in bed at home and dip my cookies into a cup of coffee in the morning.  I had told Deidre two days earlier that I was out of “dippers” and without hesitation, she had them shipped to me.  I fell in love with McVitties when I played basketball in Europe, and the only way I could get them here was to have a friend from over there send them to me.  But now, with Amazon, (and my wife) she was able to simply order them and have them shipped.  I can now wake in the morning content.  Funny how a gesture like this can make me feel so good.  And now I really felt like crap for not sending anything back to Tucson on her birthday.  I guess that is the yin and the yang of our successful marriage.