If you're not a Chicagoan...

...you probably don't care.

When I was a senior in high school, I lived and breathed tennis. Sure I had delusions of grandeur. I TOTALLY thought I was gonna play at Wimbledon man!

Yeah so, back to reality...For some reason at Sectionals tennis, you had to choose between singles and doubles to compete in. Since my doubles partner and I were undefeated, coach chose for us to play doubles. The draw came out...we had beat (mighty handily I might add) every team in our draw. Looking good for our bid for State:)

The night before the big meet, I heard about a HUGE party going on. I just knew my ditball partner was going to go. After calling her on the phone, I knew I was toast.

"Just don't drink...go, have fun, but just don't get all drunk the night before Sectionals...OK?" You would think that was not an unreasonable request...Yes???

You guessed it...next morning I get a call from ditball partner's mother..."Ditball daughter isn't feeling well...she won't be able to play tennis today=("...yes, I heard later she was all drunky drunk at the party:/

I remember walking into the meet and defaulting us. It. Totally. Sucked:/

All my tennis buddies, who played for other schools were. floored!

Why were they floored you ask?

They were floored because they knew, what I knew...No matter how sick I was, no matter how bad I felt, I would have parked my sad, sorry butt on that court with a bucket if that's what it took...but I would have showed up and at least let my partner play for it!!!

I found myself remembering some of these feelings as I watched a "knee injury infested" Jay Cutler last night at the Bears game.

Here's the thing...This is only...ooohhhh...THE. MOST. IMPORTANT. GAME....of your CAREER.

Show the heck up!

I'm not questioning whether or not J.C. is tough. I watched him get up hit after hit, concussion after concussion and keep on playing this season. Much Respect.

BUT...If you're going to bow out...with a "knee injury" in the beginning of the 3rd quarter of a game that can send you to the SUPER BOWL...at HOME...against the PACKERS!!! You better be looking all Nancy Kerrigan after the hit by Tania Harding's thugs!!!

I am talking I want to see you on your butt, holding your knee and screaming "WHHHHYYYYYY!!!!???" to the heavens pal!!!!!

It's really hard to stomach/buy your knee story when you are STANDING on said knee, wearing your pouty face on the sideline. At least limp a little OK? 'Cause right now, all I can see is..."Waaaah, I'm playing bad, so I'm not gonna play anymore=("

Maybe he did have a knee injury, maybe not...In the most important game of your life, with all of it on the line...you owe it to yourself, you owe it to your team, and you owe it to the great city of Chicago to show up pal.

That is all.

1 comment

  1. On the other hand, we DID get to see the kid that will eventually replace him play. And I like what I saw.

    ReplyDelete

Back to Top