Leftyventricle
04-03-2009, 11:42 AM
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/148992-to-the-san-antonio-spurs-thank-you
In this day and age of selfishness, showboating, and lack of loyalty, I would like to take just a moment to say thank you to those who deserve it.
Two words that still have significant meaning that aren't said enough, at least not with sincerity.
This isn't a thank you like the one I gave when that guy held open the bathroom door for me at work. This is a deep, heartfelt sign of appreciation to some true heroes in sports today.
Thank you to R.C. Buford, Peter Holt, Gregg Popovich, and the entire Spurs organization.
I know that nothing that I write here today will reach the eyes or the ears of the Spurs and I am okay with that. Maybe one of the dozen that actually read this will at least take something away with them after finishing this article.
I have been a Spurs fan since David Robinson entered the league. Prior to that, I was a Celtics fan. We here in St. Louis did not have a team and I didn't want to jump on the Bulls bandwagon.
From day one watching the Spurs, I noticed something. That something was a sense of pride to wear the silver and black. Not the sort of pride the Raiders have with their colors. I am talking about convict-free pride. Robinson, Sean Eliot and Cummings had me holding my breath on countless nights watching the late western conference games.
Then came the modern era with the arrival of Tim Duncan and Coach Popovich. These two stand-up individuals combined with the hard work shown by Bruce Bowen, Steve Kerr, Malik Rose, Kevin Willis, and other veterans and the brilliant drafting of Parker, Ginobili, and even the ones that got away are making a respectable impact on the league.
When I sit home and watch, I am honestly floored. I am moved by the professionalism of these men, these millionaires that have no real reason to care so much, but they do. From top to bottom, the Spurs organization just plain "gets it."
I currently coach and have coached youth basketball in the past and I tell them the same thing I am saying now. Watch the Spurs. They play the game the way it was meant to be played. I can take pride in it. I feel like I am a part of it. My heart breaks when they lose but I, as a fan, still can hold my head up high.
I know deep down that these men, these players, coaches, and leaders did it the right way. When is the last time a Spur has been in the headlines for something negative?
When we look at professional sports today, we see a lot of bad. We hear about the drugs, the guns, the violence. We watch traffic cams with our favorite athletes and coaches breaking the law and making terrible mistakes.
Not these guys. Buford, Holt, and Pop sure do understand that there are things more important in life and in business than drafting a pure athlete with a troubled past. They draft an athlete, a star, and a genuine human being.
So again, thank you. Thanks for the memories and the future. I know that I will enjoy watching the class of the NBA for years to come. And at the off chance a Spurs exec reads this...season tickets would be awesome.
Go Spurs Go!
In this day and age of selfishness, showboating, and lack of loyalty, I would like to take just a moment to say thank you to those who deserve it.
Two words that still have significant meaning that aren't said enough, at least not with sincerity.
This isn't a thank you like the one I gave when that guy held open the bathroom door for me at work. This is a deep, heartfelt sign of appreciation to some true heroes in sports today.
Thank you to R.C. Buford, Peter Holt, Gregg Popovich, and the entire Spurs organization.
I know that nothing that I write here today will reach the eyes or the ears of the Spurs and I am okay with that. Maybe one of the dozen that actually read this will at least take something away with them after finishing this article.
I have been a Spurs fan since David Robinson entered the league. Prior to that, I was a Celtics fan. We here in St. Louis did not have a team and I didn't want to jump on the Bulls bandwagon.
From day one watching the Spurs, I noticed something. That something was a sense of pride to wear the silver and black. Not the sort of pride the Raiders have with their colors. I am talking about convict-free pride. Robinson, Sean Eliot and Cummings had me holding my breath on countless nights watching the late western conference games.
Then came the modern era with the arrival of Tim Duncan and Coach Popovich. These two stand-up individuals combined with the hard work shown by Bruce Bowen, Steve Kerr, Malik Rose, Kevin Willis, and other veterans and the brilliant drafting of Parker, Ginobili, and even the ones that got away are making a respectable impact on the league.
When I sit home and watch, I am honestly floored. I am moved by the professionalism of these men, these millionaires that have no real reason to care so much, but they do. From top to bottom, the Spurs organization just plain "gets it."
I currently coach and have coached youth basketball in the past and I tell them the same thing I am saying now. Watch the Spurs. They play the game the way it was meant to be played. I can take pride in it. I feel like I am a part of it. My heart breaks when they lose but I, as a fan, still can hold my head up high.
I know deep down that these men, these players, coaches, and leaders did it the right way. When is the last time a Spur has been in the headlines for something negative?
When we look at professional sports today, we see a lot of bad. We hear about the drugs, the guns, the violence. We watch traffic cams with our favorite athletes and coaches breaking the law and making terrible mistakes.
Not these guys. Buford, Holt, and Pop sure do understand that there are things more important in life and in business than drafting a pure athlete with a troubled past. They draft an athlete, a star, and a genuine human being.
So again, thank you. Thanks for the memories and the future. I know that I will enjoy watching the class of the NBA for years to come. And at the off chance a Spurs exec reads this...season tickets would be awesome.
Go Spurs Go!