I plan to feature athletes I find particularly enjoyable, regardless of what team they're on and explore what it is about them that appeals to me.
The first one of these was originally going to be on David Ortiz, but I realized that I should start with the athlete, and the moment, that captures the spirit of this series for me. I'd like to think of him as the unofficial mascot of this blog. That man, and that moment....
I know, I know.....its hard watching those superbowls even after all these years. The game was pretty much a blow out at this point, yet Don Beebe was still in the game. As Marv Levy (head coach of the Buffalo Bills at the time) said of Beebe: "Don showed what a fighting heart is about. He gave everything he had all of the time". As a Bills fan, and as a Buffalonian, you have to take satisfaction in the little victories. We may not have won that Superbowl, but Don Beebe didn't let Leon Lett showboat and get away with it. (Also, I hate showboating. HATE IT).
Buffalo isn't a terribly flashy city. It has a lovely art gallery (seriously, if you're in ever in Buffalo, the Albright Knox is a must), amazing weather in Summer, beautiful architecture from a time long past, a great Orchestra (with a violist who is also has a really fun Sabres blog) and people who are kind and friendly and work hard. The athletes that the folks in Buffalo embrace tend to reflect these traits. The city LOVES its lunchpail type athletes. Athletes like Lindy Ruff, Steve Tasker, Don Beebe, and Chris Drury who do the hard work it takes without so much of the showboating and arrogance you see in sports today. And in Drury's case it's a heartbreaker when they aren't as into us as we are into them. As a Buffalo sports fan I was (and am) angry and outraged at LeBron because I feel a spiritual kinship with "the mistake by the lake" (also, Major League is the best sports movie ever). If Buffalo still had an NBA franchise it could have just as easily been us.
of course, kid couldn't jump two feet without landing on his head....
but he played hard, and was recognized by the league for his work ethic and character. That commitment to the job at hand was captured in that one moment when he slapped the ball out of Lett's hand. It illustrated that giving your all, even when the final outcome may not be changed, is still worthwhile. Or at least it did to me.
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