Rummpd
06-21-2005, 07:42 PM
A Most Special Fathers Day Continues
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By Peter Rumm, MD
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Jun 21, 2005, 06:22
http://www.hoopsworld.com/member/article_13122.shtml
I am not only a writer, but a long suffering at times fan of a particular team, i.e., the Spurs.
I have watched them and the NBA from afar in pediatric and public health travels on early morning television in strange places including Germany, Australia, Russia, and Lithuania in the past. I have "bled silver and black" since living in the great city of San Antonio a couple decades back. As a pediatrician I had the privilege of meeting David Robinson and others in charity events or on hospital visits to sick children back in the late 1980s. and early 1990s. Believe me I have "lived and died" with their success, have all their championship gear but also bitter memories of recent hard-times like the dagger of Fisher's 0.4 miracle shot. I also know that I have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars traveling to see them in various places, or going to sports bars to watch them on big screen television for crucial games.
Yes, I was worried though about "my Spurs". Going into last night the team was struggling after two blowouts.
Tim Duncan appeared seemingly traumatized by the non-calls and physical clutching, just was not the same player from games 1 and 2 or at any time I could recall from past finals. Manu Ginobli, the all world star of games 1 and 2, was perhaps injured and one wondered if the Piston's had not igured a way to neutralize his interior movement.
Meanwhile, Bruce Bowen himself had to wonder - could I slow down Richard Hamilton? Most importantly, one more bad loss and this team might have just fallen apart, despite heading for home finally for games 6, and if necessary, game 7.
Yet on Father's day, while traveling in Chicago for business, I got an assurance from my 7 year old son, Peter, not to worry! He had prayed to God and the Spurs would be alright and they would win. He also said that he would wear his 21 jersey for 24 hours prior to the game and not take it off during it either.
Finally, before the game, he plastered the entire family room wall with hand drawn pictures of his favorite Spurs, Parker, Ginobli, Duncan and "Nazr", which he kept as a surprise until I returned home last night late about twenty four hours after tip off. He did this to bring "karma" to the Spurs.
Oh the naivety of youth!
But then by five minutes into the game, except for the secret of the wall to wall Spurs pictures, watching from afar in a very crowded and boisterous ESPN Zone in Chicago, I knew Peter Jr. was potentially on to something. (One would not believe the passion of the fans on both sides in that place that night).
At the second half I moved on to Jilly, where I watched it again, albeit on a on smaller screen. "No worries". For this place was equally excited, if not more so, about the game. Here even Rotarians, from other countries such as Canada and Australia for an International Conference (I am a Rotarian, but was actually there for another conference of the AMA) were jumping up and down at the games tense moments, drowning out the poor singer as we gathered around several smaller screens.
Despite an early 13-6 deficit these Spurs had turned it on again. This resilient team was again banging the boards, passing to the open man, playing strong defense, and looking to run some. Manu Ginobli was everywhere rebounding and driving the lane like a human windmill, Parker was probing the defense, and Duncan was well "back to being Duncan" and on is way to 26 and 19, despite some inglorious free throw woes at the end.
On the way to Jilly's, I called my son at half-time and he said again: "don't worry Daddy Spurs will win!". I asked why and he said it was because they had "brought the energy". Smart kid.
It wasn't easy, the Pistons played a great and exciting game on their end as well. Chauncey Billups was simply outstanding, becoming almost unstoppable against Tony Parker (until the Spurs switched Bruce Bowen on him around the start of the overtime). Rasheed Wallace proved once again that he was the significant NBA mid season pick up of last year, with his sharp interior moves and swarming defense on Tim Duncan. Make no mistake, the Pistons are a deserving champion trying to repeat.
However, it was the Spurs night, despite a most valiant effort and overall execution by the home team.
This was mainly because the Spurs brought the indomitable will and "clutchness factor" of one Robert Horry. Mr. Horry, who in in his mid 30s, scored 21 points off the bench to add to his singular playoff legacy. However, it was more than the raw points, it was how he did it. "Big Shot Rob" went beyond the sublime in the fourth quarter and the over-time period. He hit three after three after three ( 5 of 6 overall) until the game winner at about 6 left seconds in the overtime, scoring 18 of his points in that run. Even as much as his gamed winner, I will always remember the intensity of his dunk over Hamilton.
This dunk also seemingly injured Horry's non-shooting shoulder, but this five time NBA champion persevered and somehow played through pain until his game winner.
Thank you Robert and both teams for playing so hard and well and bringing needed excitement back to the finals!
Most importantly, thank you son!
News and exclusive writer and longstanding "sportsfan/sportsdoc".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Peter Rumm, MD
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Jun 21, 2005, 06:22
http://www.hoopsworld.com/member/article_13122.shtml
I am not only a writer, but a long suffering at times fan of a particular team, i.e., the Spurs.
I have watched them and the NBA from afar in pediatric and public health travels on early morning television in strange places including Germany, Australia, Russia, and Lithuania in the past. I have "bled silver and black" since living in the great city of San Antonio a couple decades back. As a pediatrician I had the privilege of meeting David Robinson and others in charity events or on hospital visits to sick children back in the late 1980s. and early 1990s. Believe me I have "lived and died" with their success, have all their championship gear but also bitter memories of recent hard-times like the dagger of Fisher's 0.4 miracle shot. I also know that I have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars traveling to see them in various places, or going to sports bars to watch them on big screen television for crucial games.
Yes, I was worried though about "my Spurs". Going into last night the team was struggling after two blowouts.
Tim Duncan appeared seemingly traumatized by the non-calls and physical clutching, just was not the same player from games 1 and 2 or at any time I could recall from past finals. Manu Ginobli, the all world star of games 1 and 2, was perhaps injured and one wondered if the Piston's had not igured a way to neutralize his interior movement.
Meanwhile, Bruce Bowen himself had to wonder - could I slow down Richard Hamilton? Most importantly, one more bad loss and this team might have just fallen apart, despite heading for home finally for games 6, and if necessary, game 7.
Yet on Father's day, while traveling in Chicago for business, I got an assurance from my 7 year old son, Peter, not to worry! He had prayed to God and the Spurs would be alright and they would win. He also said that he would wear his 21 jersey for 24 hours prior to the game and not take it off during it either.
Finally, before the game, he plastered the entire family room wall with hand drawn pictures of his favorite Spurs, Parker, Ginobli, Duncan and "Nazr", which he kept as a surprise until I returned home last night late about twenty four hours after tip off. He did this to bring "karma" to the Spurs.
Oh the naivety of youth!
But then by five minutes into the game, except for the secret of the wall to wall Spurs pictures, watching from afar in a very crowded and boisterous ESPN Zone in Chicago, I knew Peter Jr. was potentially on to something. (One would not believe the passion of the fans on both sides in that place that night).
At the second half I moved on to Jilly, where I watched it again, albeit on a on smaller screen. "No worries". For this place was equally excited, if not more so, about the game. Here even Rotarians, from other countries such as Canada and Australia for an International Conference (I am a Rotarian, but was actually there for another conference of the AMA) were jumping up and down at the games tense moments, drowning out the poor singer as we gathered around several smaller screens.
Despite an early 13-6 deficit these Spurs had turned it on again. This resilient team was again banging the boards, passing to the open man, playing strong defense, and looking to run some. Manu Ginobli was everywhere rebounding and driving the lane like a human windmill, Parker was probing the defense, and Duncan was well "back to being Duncan" and on is way to 26 and 19, despite some inglorious free throw woes at the end.
On the way to Jilly's, I called my son at half-time and he said again: "don't worry Daddy Spurs will win!". I asked why and he said it was because they had "brought the energy". Smart kid.
It wasn't easy, the Pistons played a great and exciting game on their end as well. Chauncey Billups was simply outstanding, becoming almost unstoppable against Tony Parker (until the Spurs switched Bruce Bowen on him around the start of the overtime). Rasheed Wallace proved once again that he was the significant NBA mid season pick up of last year, with his sharp interior moves and swarming defense on Tim Duncan. Make no mistake, the Pistons are a deserving champion trying to repeat.
However, it was the Spurs night, despite a most valiant effort and overall execution by the home team.
This was mainly because the Spurs brought the indomitable will and "clutchness factor" of one Robert Horry. Mr. Horry, who in in his mid 30s, scored 21 points off the bench to add to his singular playoff legacy. However, it was more than the raw points, it was how he did it. "Big Shot Rob" went beyond the sublime in the fourth quarter and the over-time period. He hit three after three after three ( 5 of 6 overall) until the game winner at about 6 left seconds in the overtime, scoring 18 of his points in that run. Even as much as his gamed winner, I will always remember the intensity of his dunk over Hamilton.
This dunk also seemingly injured Horry's non-shooting shoulder, but this five time NBA champion persevered and somehow played through pain until his game winner.
Thank you Robert and both teams for playing so hard and well and bringing needed excitement back to the finals!
Most importantly, thank you son!
News and exclusive writer and longstanding "sportsfan/sportsdoc".