A quick note to all. As I am sure you've noticed, I have had to call a "time-out" on the blog. I hope to re-establish a routine for posting items in the weeks/months to come but have no firm timetable on that, so I will not make a promise.
Thanks for your interest over the past year+
Fanatics
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And now, blogging for Terry Lyons . . . . . .
One great thing about the sports world is that there is a fabulous concept called the substitute. Webster has several meanings for the word, however, the one that describes it as “to serve in place of another” works best for me in this situation. You have the back-up wide receiver, the second string point guard and the 9th inning pinch hitter. If the “A” guy isn’t fairing out so well at some point in the game, the man in charge has the option of sending in a replacement to try to make it happen. Sometimes it plays out okay, other times it all goes south. In this case, it is only meant as a way to support, something that as a nation and a family we have come to know all too well in the past several years. Support in the way our country should take a serious stab at and as a family (and friends) we hope and pray that something will break real soon. Their saving grace is democracy (country) and perseverance (family/friends) respectively.
So, what are the topics that we can blog about today, you might wonder aloud.
Sure, the anxieties nationwide are at fever pitch. But, by no means is this a bailout. That just doesn’t work and does no justice whatsoever to the “starter.” Similar to the work that will be done on Capitol Hill, the “daily blogger” will find a way. Make no mistake, this nation and that blogger has a wild genetic makeup. Determination, desire and the dedication it takes to stay the course are inherent traits in both.
Sure, the Yanks and the Mets tanked, didn’t make the cut, came up short, ran out of gas. But they’ll be back, Arnold. It’s all the catch phrases you can come up with in any given season. But, in the name of the Wizard of Oz, they all get a parting gift. It’s called Spring Training 2009. Pitchers and catchers start in February, just a 5-month, blink of the eye away. Their saving grace is “wait ‘til next year!”
Sure, the Knicks have some hope. The Donnie and Mike show has yet to premier, but it’s already better than last season’s re-runs. Maybe we should make Zeke pay Zach that big nut out of his share. Hey, what’s right is right. But, there is the optimism that comes with every fall tip-off and that is what keeps you going. Their saving grace is “wait ‘til this year.”
It has been “The Blog” that has set the ship right over the last dozen + months.
And what, you may ask, set this whole blog in motion? Well, it’s actually pretty mundane. The United States mail. It arrived a day or two ago. The letter. Had the SJU logo on the outside. Had the invoice for the 2008-09 Men’s Basketball Season Tickets inside. And, for that one split second, it was there. Same as it has been for the better part of 27+ years before. The anticipation. It is, in fact, a fleeting moment at best. It’s very similar to dusk when the twilight is just about to make itself known. One minute, there’s the light of day, the next it’s now turned dark. The anticipation equates to that millisecond of time in-between when you have the feeling. The Redmen, Alumni Hall (with all due respect to Coach Carneseca) MSG, the LIRR, the Sly Fox, the pub near the pizza place on the corner at Penn Station. The “blogger” has disappeared into the sunset, but it was he that made it all possible for so many years. There was “Burnsie, Billy, T2 and T3” at all those games for all those years. Sure, T1 laid the pipe for the tradition, and we hold that dear. As T2, I’m grateful to both for bringing me along. In those days, I watched Ralph Abraham own the boards and Richie Lyons define the word defense. In later years, it was the grace of Reggie Carter and the athleticism of Malik. I moved on to the “Dollar Bill-like” teamwork with Chris and Mark. Talkin’ ‘bout my generation of St. John’s basketball. And, at this moment, there is another season upon us. Their saving grace . . . well, that can be your call to make. You be the substitute. I’m simply going to enjoy the experience this time around.
All I know is that I came to praise “the blogger,” not to bury him. This is all about serving in place of another. No way he can be replaced, on the blog or elsewhere, for that matter. But, all followers and believers in The Blog can make a difference. There is always a connection to a connection. A story for a story. We will carry on the tradition of the “seats.” - Section 49 at the Garden and 3A at Carneseca Arena. It does not get better than that. So, sports-and-blog-fans, send in a blog now and then. Throw in a comment for a comment. There may not be a reply for a while, but there will be soon enough. And, the saving grace for me? Well, that’s a whole new blog now, isn’t it?
Hang tough, Brother. There’s always a new season coming ‘round.
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