At 8:04 PM, drich said... I would like for you to explain to the millions and millions of the fd's fans the true story behind the bill laimbeer photo that graces your home page. Hope all is well. The senoritas are awaiting you!
The year was 1989. Flip Diesel was just a young tyke, eating his wheaties with hopes of being a champion someday. Life was fantastic. Something was different on this day. The Detroit Pistons were on the Wheaties box this morning, but it wasn't Joe Dumars or Dennis Rodman that caught young Jeezy's eye. It was the big white guy with the cereal killer's glare that captured young flip's curiosity.
Bill Laimbeer never had it easy. He wasn't fast, he couldn't jump, and he wasn't very pretty either. Coming out of Notre Dame, he was forced to play in Europe before he would ever set foot in the NBA. Still, he had one undeniable quality: he was badass. He was the badest of the bad boys, and to get through the Detroit Pistons, you had to get through the elbow tornado named Bill Laimbeer. If you were soft, Laimbeer would straight punk you. If you were more athletic, Bill would outsmart you. Bill used every trick in the book, and frustrated a generation of NBA players. And yet he had the love and admiration of his teammates.
The year was 2004. Flip Diesel is sitting in the lockerroom listening to another Barry Sanderson speech. Barry is an assistant coach and probably the biggest overachieverr I have ever met. I find it unbelievable that this guy has a high paying division one coaching job, a beautiful wife, and even his own office which he has no use for. I love the guy, but surely there must be somebody better qualified to live his life. Actually Barry is a great guy who deserves everything he has. Anyways, I am sitting here when Barry says "Chap we need you to be an enforcer, Do you know who Bill Laimbeer is?" Suddenly, I flash back to that day i was eating wheaties and see that scary looking man on the box. I reply, "Yeah, I know Bill." And we engage in a discussion on what Bill Laimbeer did for his team, and even hough he was a prick and everybody else hated him, his teammates loved him. So a day later, we go to Clemson to play in our annual rivalry game. I once again get reminded again as my duty as an enforcer, only sit the entire first half on the bench. Still It gives me time to reflect on my past and think about those good days when I was still eating Wheaties. When The Pistons were champions and I was watching cartoons all day. I become inspired and when I get put in the second half, I play inspired basketball. I become one with the aura of Bill and only a minute into the game get warned to watch my dirty play. Still,I felt like Bill was with me that night, and after the game everybody was congratulating me on my successful job enforcing the game. They were all saying, great job Bill. And from that day forth Bill Laimbeer has become a part of me. Almost like an alter ego. So it seemed only appropriate that I pay tribute to him, by placing his picture on my website.
No comments:
Post a Comment