You ENCOUNTERED a Car? (Puckmugger’s Sports Challenge Write-Off)
Jul 24 '05
The Bottom Line Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing!
When I first heard about Puckmugger’s 2nd annual recreation/sports write-off, I figured I wasn’t eligible because I wouldn’t be able to complete part two, where one has to try a new sport. I then saw that round two was optional and so my answers to round one are below, along with my recent bike adventure with someone else’s car.
1. What are your favorite sports to watch on television?
Throughout the year, it has to be boxing. There’s plenty of I on DirectTV Total Choice. In season, though, my beloved Fighting Illini football and basketball teams are #1 on my TV. I also like watching the Tour de Lance (err France) when it is going on.
2. How often do you watch sports on television?
Pretty much whenever it and I are both available.
3. What are your favorite sports to watch live?
I get to Illini basketball games when they play in the Chicago area. Other than that, a couple of White Sox games each year. Plus, my company’s bankers are usually good for a comped Cubs game or two and an occasional visit to a Bulls skybox.
I tend to stay close to home to help take care of my wife, who is disabled.
4. How many live sporting events do you typically attend annually?
Not that many – maybe 5 or 6 total.
5. What organized team sports have you ever participated in previously?
6. What organized individual sports have you participated in previously?
7. What pick-up sports have you participated in previously?
Some freshman and intramural basketball and soccer in high school and college, a bit of rugby. I used to play a bit of pick-up basketball.
8. What sports or outdoor activities do you currently participate in?
9. How often?
I’ll shoot a basketball in the driveway every once in a while with my heart rate monitor on to make sure I get a good pulse going. Mostly, though, it’s bicycling.
I have a road hybrid bike, a 2004 Coda Comp, which I use for long rides (15-26 miles) and for an occasional weekly commute to the office. I also have a recumbent bike, a Cycle Genius ALX 20 squared, which I use for shorter rides (5-15 miles). I generally try to get out there 3 or 4 times a week, but it’s been tough this summer because the Recumbent has needed a tune-up lately.
Here's the review on the recumbent:
Cycle Genius ALX 20 Squared Recumbent Bicycle
I'll do a review in a few weeks on the road bike.
My encounter with the car
This was exactly 4 weeks ago. I was about 20 miles into a 24 mile ride, heading home. I was turning left (from west to south) onto a busy street, so I did what I sometimes used to do, which is to take the sidewalk on the east side of the street, against the traffic flow. There’s a White Hen a couple of doors down, with a blind driveway protected by a short, bushy tree. So anyhow, I was on the sidewalk going about 10mph and I saw a car poke out and keep inching out. I braked to about 5 and ran into the car. Ruined the wheel, cracked the frame. I got bruises and cuts when I fell onto the bike with my considerable gut. Thank God it wasn’t my head. I always wear my helmet but there’s only so much a helmet can do.
So the driver and a witness stopped. I started feeling faint and had to sit down. The witness, who seemed knowledgeable about fitness, called it “road rush”. After a few minutes, I felt better. The cuts were bleeding a little but not so much. The front wheel was trashed and I later found out that the fork needed to be replaced as well. We didn’t call the cops – I figured the guy was nice enough to stop and it was my fault anyway because I shouldn’t have been driving that fast on that side of the street heading toward a busy blind driveway.
I called my sister-in-law and wife for a ride home. My beloved Coda Comp took about $225 in damage, but I’m now good to go. I had a real bad looking bruise on my lower gut, the size of two fists but my doctor wasn’t alarmed and it has subsided. I still have some tenderness at the point of impact, but that is subsiding as well.
My son raised his eyebrow when I told him and his tone of voice saying “You encountered a car?” was priceless.
I remember that years ago, when I worked at a general aviation airporet, my boss told me, “John, any landing you can walk away from is a good landing”. Well, this was a good landing.
10. Is there any sport that you wish you could participate in now?
I wish I’d learned to roller skate and ice skate at a child.
11. What’s keeping you from doing it?
Now? Weight, glass knees and general clumsiness.
12. If your fairy godmother was going to give you all the skill and a job in pro sports, what sport would you play?
I’d be a pro golfer. I was always terrible at golf.
13. What team and position (if relevant)?
What position? Winning a tournament with a million dollar first place prize.
14. What beer would you promote as a sports celebrity? (OK, that was just to make certain Bruguru, Marty and Fuche participate)
Sam Adams, but I don’t think they do sports.
15. What brand would you promote?
Nike. I loved those Lance Armstrong boxing commercials.
16. Do you have any sports heroes? Who are they and why are they your heros?
Well, I like Lance because he’s so dominant. But I prefer the everyman – someone who may be a little less talented, but with drive and determination is able to succeed, even if in a fleeting manner. I also have a soft spot for athletes who make the most of the big break.
In basketball, both John Paxson and Steve Kerr rode Michael Jordan’s coattails to championship runs, but each performed when they got their break.
David Ogrin, a golf journeyman originally from Chicago, survived on the PGA tour for years and broke through in 1996 for his only tour victory.
Amleto Monacelli on the pro bowlers tour finished second 7 times before he broke through to a victory. Now, he’s in the PBA Hall of Fame after 20 of them (maybe 21, now).
Lou Henson, the basketball coach who took the Illini from rock bottom to consistent excellence and has fought leukemia with the same determination that he showed in Big 10 basketball arenas for decades.
17. If you could invent a new sport, no matter how absurd, what would it be?
I just ran out of ideas.
Thanks again to Puckmugger for organizing the write off.
Thanks for reading. God bless.
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