AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Remembrance message for late dad1/17/2024 ![]() While at community college, my world, his life and our families' lives changed forever. He'd show me his hands which were covered in paint and rough from the daily work he did on cars. My dad wanted me to get an education and get a great job rather than work with my hands every day. He then whispered to me, "I love you Doug, but don't ever do this to us again," gave me a kiss on the head, and went back to the bleachers.įollowing graduation, I was going to pursue my goal to be a sportswriter, a decision my mom and dad both supported fully. When I got turned over and I was able to open my eyes, there was my dad waiting to help me up and over to the sidelines. ![]() I thought my season was over, but because of the knee brace on my knee, it saved me from serious injury. I collapsed to the grass like a sack of potatoes while pounding my fist. Next thing I know, the guard took his helmet and shoulder pad and drove it into my already sore and injured left knee. ![]() One October afternoon in my senior year, I was playing defense on a third down and had full evasion to the quarterback. games since they were in the day and he and my mom would come to the varsity games on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons. My dad would make sure to take off from work early during the J.V. I also played football in high school as an offensive and defensive lineman. My mom would tape the games and after they were over, he'd go over them with me like a coach, then go outside to shoot around, while still teaching me. I was on my elementary school's basketball team in sixth grade when our team went 10-0. He was also my biggest fan when I played sports. My current favorite Yankee player, Andy Pettitte, shares a lot of those same qualities I admire in a player as well. His favorite Yankee growing up was Thurman Munson because of his grittiness and passion for the game of baseball. I remember jumping up and down in my living room and hugging him as I had seen my first Yankee championship at age 12 while he had not seen one since he was 17, so after 18 years at age 35, he was just as excited as I was when Charlie Hayes caught the final out. In October of 1996, we watched the Yankees win their first World Series over the Braves on a Saturday night. We went to many more Thunder baseball games because my mother's boss had season tickets to give away, but I'll remember the first one we went to. He taught me how to keep score, how to fill out a score sheet and everything else a father tells a son. We saw a young rookie by the name of Nomar Garciaparra play that game and most baseball fans know how his career turned out in baseball. My first baseball game was a minor league game when I was 11, a Trenton Thunder-Binghamton Mets AA game in 1995. He went to vocational school to perfect his craft and he was never unable to find a job.īecause he worked a lot, going to sports games was rare, but it was a special time. ![]() It was his passion in life to work on cars since he was 14. He also worked a lot as an auto body painter and he took a great deal in his work. I learned how to catch and throw because my father taught me how. We'd spend many winter nights throwing the ball in our backyard. He also bought me my first "big kid" NFL-sized football when I was eight. It was in the backyard with dirt, but we eventually moved it to our new driveway. We set up our first basketball court when my family bought their house in 1992. ![]() He bought me my first glove when I was six. He also loved telling me how Michael Jordan scored 63 points against the Celtics in 1986, yet Boston ended up winning the game.Īside from his stories, he also taught me how to play the games and their rules. He also loved to show the highlights of when Bird stole the ball from the Pistons on an inbound, passed it to Dennis Johnson for the winning layup. He had many stories to share of the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson rivalry. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |