Bucks Stop Here

Monday May 12th, 2008 - Chicago, IL

There was a tiny blurb in the Chicago Sun-Times this morning that brought back a giant memory. On this date in 1974 the Boston Celtics defeated my beloved Milwaukee Bucks in the seventh game of the NBA finals to win the championship. I had forgotten the exact date but that horrific memory still haunts me all these years later. It left a scar on my soul.

Sports has always been a passion with me and as a kid I was the only one in my family other than my grandfather who liked it even the least bit. My father used to ridicule me in his inimitable caustic snide way about how I was wasting my time and money watching a bunch of…well I can’t really repeat what he said but it wasn’t very uplifting. He hated it.

My grandmother hated it too. She would stop her whole world to watch Lawrence Welk or Hee Haw but if I wanted to watch a ball game she’d make sure I couldn’t enjoy even a bit of it. She thought it was funny to cheer against any team I was for and that was brutal.

Game 6 of that championship series in ‘74 is still one of the best basketball games I’ve ever seen. Kareem Abdul Jabbar hit one of his patented sky hook shots from way deep in the corner that now would have been a three point shot. It won the game for the Bucks on the road and sent the series back to a game seven in Milwaukee. They HAD to win it all.

I remember yelling and jumping all over the place when he hit that shot and getting my ear chewed off by my grandma telling me to be quiet and go to bed. I was 11 and it was a school night but all I cared about was watching that game. The Bucks were down but not out and when they won it in the end it gave me hope that there was a just God after all.

Then came the big game seven. I was sure they were going to win it all but those nasty Beantowners blew the Bucks out of their own arena and won it 102-87. John Havlicek is the devil and if I ever see him even if he’s old and sickly I’ll kick him in his shins. Hard. He is the one who killed the Bucks and took away my youthful hope and made me bitter.

My grandmother was right there in my face laughing and I had to restrain from hauling off and cold cocking her right there. She didn’t get how emotional sports can get and if I could have beaten Lawrence Welk to death with a clarinet that night I surely would have.

Once in a while I’ll see ‘highlights’ from that series on TV and it makes me cringe. I’m sure it’s like Dallas Cowboys fans feel every time they see video of the Ice Bowl in 1967. I don’t feel sorry for the Cowboys fans, I’m just saying I bet the feeling is the exact same.

Other than that little unpleasant relapse into the past I had a great day today. The shows at both WLS and Zanies were both really strong. It’s fun to be a part of a good show and I was part of two today. Jerry’s Kidders is starting to take shape and that feels really good.

We’ve got a live show coming up at Zanies in June. That combines the best of both my worlds and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m sure it will be a lot better than Topeka.