The Captain
Boston Celtics
Over the years, people have asked me how a guy born and raised in S. FL became a Boston Celtics fan. Well, when I was around 7-8 years old, I remember watching my first NBA game on tv with my father. Not sure who the Celtics were playing, but I remember falling in love with the parquet floor in the old Boston Gardens. That day, the Celtics became my team. I have rooted for them through the good times and not so good times. I am glad Florida finally got two NBA teams, but I will always be a Celtics fan. My father passed away three years ago this week. If he was alive today, we would be talking about the Celtics run for their 18th Championship. Go Celtics!!! ~OC
Magic and Bird Saved the NBA
I truly enjoyed the ESPN documentary The Last Dance, chronicling the career of the GOAT Michael Jordan. But without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, there probably is no Michael Jordan or NBA. Magic and Bird saved the NBA. Let me explain.
Some of you are probably too young to remember, but once upon a time the NBA playoffs and finals were taped. That’s right, you had to avoid the news all day if you did not want to know the scores of the games. The NBA was coming off a drug scandal. Most people were just not interested in watching the NBA. Then March 26, 1979 happened. The NBA would never be the same.
On March 26, 1979, the Michigan State Spartans took on the Indiana State Sycamores for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Ervin “Magic” Johnson, the kid with the big smile vs. Larry “The Hick from French Lick” Bird. Most of America watched the drama play out from Salt Lake City, Utah. That night Magic’s Spartans got the best of Bird’s Sycamores. But that would not be the last time we would see these two compete against each other. That night in Utah would change the NBA forever.
Magic Johnson would be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird would be drafted by the Boston Celtics. Magic and Bird would turn around the two most storied franchises in the NBA. Most importantly, they brought the fans back to the NBA. No longer were the playoffs and finals on tape delay. Fans could not get enough of Magic, Bird and the NBA.
No doubt Michael Jordan is the greatest player to ever play in the NBA, but we must never forget that the kid with the infectious smile from Lansing, Michigan and the Hick from French Lick saved the NBA. ~OC
Big Money! Don’t Apologize.
Free agency started in the NBA yesterday. Some huge contracts were signed and more to come. I have already seen some negative post about athletes making so much money. I am sure there will be more negative post and articles. Would I love for our teachers, nurses, first responders and those in the military sign those huge contacts instead of athletes? I would love that. Sadly, that will not happen anytime soon. In America we love our sports. I am definitely guilty of being a huge fan. That is why I will never criticize an athlete for making millions of dollars. We the fans created the market. So we have to live with seeing athletes continuing to sign big money deals. I always find it interesting that we celebrate the business owner who does well financially and call it free enterprise. The American Dream! But when it comes to athletes, we complain they are overpaid. Which I believe most of them are, but once again we the fans created the market. If we truly wanted to see our teachers, nurses, first responders and military personnel given million dollar contracts we would demand it. But we don’t. Instead of complaining about the huge contracts athletes are signing, start demanding that we pay our teachers, nurses, first responders and military personnel what they truly deserve. As voters, we have the power to effect change. For me, I will continue to support an athletes right to sign those huge contracts. One day, I hope to celebrate our teachers, nurses, first responders and military personnel signing those huge contracts. ~OC
Some of My Favorites
Some of my favorites:
Team:
Cincinnati Reds
Boston Celtics
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Florida Gators
Players:
Baseball: Johnny Bench
Basketball: Larry Bird
Football: Lee Roy Selmon & Derrick Brooks
Florida Gators: Al Horford, Danny Wuerffel & Tim Tebow
Coach: Tony Dungy
Movies:
Hoosiers
Selma
Brian’s Song (The Original)
12 Years a Slave
Woodlawn
Remember the Titans
Doc Hollywood
Facing the Giants
13th
America History
Any Jimmy Stewart Film
Music:
Kirk Franklin
U2
Michael Jackson
Prince
TobyMac
DC Talk
Bruce Springsteen
George Michael
Bee Gees
4Him
Queen
Elton John
Alisa Turner
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Anthony Evans
Run-DMC
Lecrae
FC Worship
Lionel Richie
The Commodores
Stevie Wonder
Rod Stewart
Kenny Chesney
Truth
Michael English
Proverb
Kim Walker-Smith
Harry Connick Jr.
Michael Neale
Tenth Avenue North
Jeremy Camp
Journey
Earth, Wind & Fire
Hall & Oates
Def Leppard
Hillsong United
Jackson 5
Luther Vandross
Whitney Houston
Adele
Books:
Bible
America Story by Bob Dotson
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs
Moment Make by Carlos Whittaker
Under Our Skin by Benjamin Watson
Just Mercy Bryan Stevenson
Unscripted by Ernie Johnson, Jr.
Living Out Loud by Craig Sager
I’ll Push You by Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray
Breaking Cover by Michele Rigby Assad
Love Does by Bob Goff
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Radical by David Platt
Transformed by Remi Adeleke
Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Drop the Stones by Carlos A. Rodríguez
Brave Surrender by Kim Walker-Smith
Comeback by Dave Dravecky
When You Can’t Comeback by Dave & Jan Dravecky
Quite Strength by Tony Dungy
Separate Peace by John Knowles
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Believe by Eric LeGrand
Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox
Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox
God & Football by Chad Gibbs
The Pact:Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt
Vulnerable by Raleigh Sadler
This Life I Live by Rory Feek
42 Faith by Ed Henry
The Slave Across the Street by Theresa Flores
Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes
Long Run by Matt Long
Forty Thousand To One by Ben Petrick
The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
When The Game Was Ours by Jackie MacMullan
Catch You Later by Johnny Bench
Love Thy Rival by Chad Gibbs
This is just a short list of my favorites. I could go on for days. ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 