Weekend Basketball Association: Obama Comes Out to the Chaparral

I know no one is going to believe me, but, this weekend I got to play basketball with Obama!! And, believe it or not he was on MY team. A name is a name, and I‘ve heard about the left handed three pointer that he can shoot. But, I must be honest, I was skeptical about his skills at first. I mean forgive me for it ‘cause I’ve never seen him play before. I’d only seen the still photographs in the papers and on the internet’s Huffington Post and the like. He took a few laps before the game around the field and then took a few shots before the game got started. When the game got going he drove the middle and threw up a hook shot and connected. Later, he drove the middle again and attacked the basket for another basket soon thereafter. I soon came to realize, I can’t loose with Obama on my team.

Yes, he won me over with his heads up play, grit and ability to drive the middle. I think we played three games together and we won them all. I was really disappointed when he grabbed his gear and checked his Blackberry. He said he had an appointment with the dentist. Well of course I thought to myself, “…self, this guy is being modest. He’s really leaving to meet with some head of state like Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown; some local Senator like Feinstein or Boxer, or maybe a meeting with Pelosi on some important matter related to re-structuring healthcare in America. Did he really expect me to believe the bit about seeing the dentist? His teeth were perfect!”

Well, Mike Fox took Obama’s spot after he left for the “dentist”. Personally I think if Mike’s also planning to take his spot in 2012, he needs to start campaigning and fund raising now. Perhaps, he should consider a run for the Senate first in 2012 and then think about the Presidency in 2016. I mean he’s got the problem of name recognition and then there’s learning all the names of all the other leaders in the world like Gordon Brown, Kevin Rudd, Stephen Harper, Michaëlle Jean, Hamid Karzai or Hugo Chavez to mention a few. Then he’ll after to learn how to pronounce Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, and Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan.

Mike Fox celebrates after learning that he has been chosen to replace Obama.

So, all of you that didn’t come out to the Chaparral, you missed out on a real treat. I hope Obama returns next week, but, he didn’t say. I’m sure mum’s the word on his schedule; we don’t want someone with nefarious intentions to know where he will be at any given time. But if he does return next week, I’m gonna get his autograph and a much better picture with him. Everybody should come out next week in the hopes that he does show up again.

Alright, all jokes aside, it was a great day for outdoor basketball - partly cloudy and not too cold; maybe 65 degrees, although the corner bank showed 41 degrees at around 7:50am when I got there. The turnout was good; it peaked at about 22 persons. DeAndre and his clan, DJ and Larry were there with the verve and enthusiasm of youth. Mike Fox and Joey trucked through the games with the timing and precision usually found in the delivery business. The other Mike was there too operating with Virgil, Ike, Larry, Rich, Bruce, Jaime and Kent Campbell with anesthesia to relieve the pain from the beatings they were giving out on the courts. Steve was there moving like there was no tomorrow, faking right going left and faking left and going right. I checked him and I’m still a little bit dizzy.

Victor actually showed up early with Zach, but lost all the points he gained for showing up early, ‘cause he left early too. Victor leaving early is alright, but he took Zach with him, which was the offense – he got 12 demerits for that. Next week, he starts all games with 2 points given to the other team. This ruling is pending approval by the Commish who was not present to finalize the ruling.

Now we have to get Eric to get Nick out of bed for next week; and, bribe Roy into coming out by saying Mike or Virgil will bring some classic Reggae music to the courts next week. Then he and we will all be ready for the Bob Marley Festival in Long Beach sometime this February. One love….