Maybe now that he's retiring, Bill Laimbeer expects gratitude. A suspended sentence. A shrug, a grin, an "aw, heck, you weren't so bad." Maybe he figures, now that he's hanging 14 long, bumpy years, the spotlight will fall on the good parts of his story -- like his statistics -- and not the bad parts -- like his elbows.Well. He should know better. Not long ago, I asked Laimbeer whether he thought he'd ever make the Hall of Fame. He snorted a laugh, and said, "No."Why not?"Because the powers that be don't want me in there."
The ball was passed downcourt, and nine players followed it. They left the 10th player behind. He was on his knees, his massive palms holding his weight, his head down, facing the floor. His eyes were tight with pain. He held there for a moment, then slowly began to crawl, inch at a time, inch at a time. He wanted desperately to get off the court, a car trying to cross the line on fumes. Inch at a time . . .
* Lions 20, Bears 17 (today): The Lions can give thanks that Barry Sanders hasn't walked out. The Bears are still hoping he does.* Dallas 21, Miami 14 (today): The Cowboys can give thanks that their owner spends like the world is ending tomorrow. The Dolphins can give thanks that Steve DeBerg has lived this long.
MILWAUKEE -- As the winter sunlight slowly died on this, the town that made America burp, here were the Lions, trudging off the grassy County Stadium field, heads down, cleats clomping, looking like men who voted against NAFTA.And here were the Packers, dancing off the field, waving to the cheering crowd. Reggie White, the massive defensive lineman, held the No. 1 finger high over his head and twirled it around a few times, as if fly casting, or doing an Arsenio Hall impersonation."REGGIE! REGGIE! REGGIE!""HERE WE COME, REGGIE!"
There's a line from the movie "Stand By Me," a line written by Stephen King, which says "I never had any friends like the ones I had when I was 12 years old." I have thought about that line a lot recently. It seems more true than ever.Like most of you, I've made many friends as an adult. They are, in my eyes, wonderful people. Great senses of humor. Admirable. Compassionate.
* Green Bay 20, Lions 13: The Lions are playing for league-wide respect. The Packers are playing to make the playoffs. The second is more desperate. Always go with desperation.* Miami 17, New England 6: Don Strock starts the game at quarterback, gets hurt, Shula calls on Bob Griese, who gets hurt, Shula calls on Earl Morrall, who gets hurt . . .
Twenty . . . The clock matched Chris Webber's age when he pulled down the rebound. But as the seconds ticked away, he seemed to grow younger with them. Nineteen . . . His first thoughts were of victory, how his whole life had been geared to this moment. We will win, he told himself, cradling the ball against his chest. We will make a basket and we will win!Eighteen . . .
Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.
