April 25, 2009

Oh, Say Can You Sing?  A National Anthem to Remember

As I prepared to write about an act of uncommon decency by a professional athlete, I realized that calling it that was unfair, that it diminishes what happened, because this was simply an act of uncommon decency, period.  That it happened on such a high level and under such a bright microscope might likely stir the heart more, but it's the act itself that is ultimately what stirs us to begin with.  Who it was and when it took place simply moves it up the pedestal.

Today is the sixth anniversary of Maurice Cheek's moment on the pedestal.

There is in the American consciousness for notable performances of the National Anthem at sporting events.  Jose Feliciano's evocative singing at the 1968 World Series in Detroit was the first to interpret the "Star Spangled Banner" before a national audience.  Because 1968 was one of the most tumultuous years in U.S. history, many at the time were so outraged that it took his career years to recover.  Today, the rendition not only seems tame, but one of the most tender and beautiful.  (And among the least known.  If you've never heard it, do yourself a favor and click here to listen.) 

Whitney Houston gets mentioned often for her rousing rendition at the 1991 Super Bowl, during the Gulf War.  For many, Marvin Gaye's deeply soulful performance at the 1983 NBA All Star is the most memorable.

But for sheer emotional joy, it's hard to top what happened on April 25, 2003, before Game 4 of the NBA playoffs between the Portland Trailblazers and Dallas Mavericks.

Context only adds to the story.  So, once again: 

This was the playoffs.  This is what all professional athletes live for, what their year is about.  The regular season is a prelude, an effort to get into the post-season and be in place to win the league championship, to become a part of your sport's history.  Everything centers on this.  As the start of each playoff game nears, as the roaring crowd is at its highest pitch, as players put on their proverbial "game faces" and the battle is moments from beginning, all external thoughts get filtered out, and focus is completely, solely on their task ahead.  

The National Anthem, for most athletes, must be one of those external influences.  More than most of us, who hear the "Star Spangled Banner" largely on special occasions, professional athletes have heard the National Anthem played before every single competitive game they've played.  Game after game repeatedly each season, and season after season, for decades.  Relentlessly.  As meaningful as the song is, it is also just part of the ritual for a professional athlete, focused on the game, geared up for the game, anxious to start the game.  Silent, not singing, maybe not even hearing the music.  Waiting for the National Anthem to be played, and finished, so that they can finally start what they're there for.  It's likely as much background noise as it is patriotic uplift.

And so it must have been as the Trailblazers and Mavericks prepared for their playoff game to start.  

Stepping out onto the court was Natalie Gilbert, a 13-year-old girl.   Just another National Anthem, just another youngster who won a contest, just another two minutes the crowd wanted to get past for the game they were there to see, to start.  And she started fine.  A little hesitant, since it's a frightening occasion for a child, with a national audience, flashing lights and a military guard.  But in her wavering voice, she was prepared.

Except that a few lines in, the high pageantry of the moment got her, and something went very wrong.  She totally, thoroughly forgot the words.  A young 13-year-old child, standing in front of over 10,000 people, lost.  Alone.

And that's when Maurice Cheeks showed the kind of person he was.

Maurice Cheeks had had a very good NBA career as a player.  He played for 15 years and was selected to four All Star games.  When he retired, he was the all-time leader in steals and fifth in assists.  He averaged over 11 points a game.  And then he later became a coach, the position he was currently in for the Portland Trailblazers.  It was Cheeks who was responsible for his team, responsible for keeping them focused on the game, responsible for guiding them.  But he saw a 13-year-old girl in trouble.

And that's when Maurice Cheeks showed the kind of person he was.  Immediately.

Cheeks always had a reputation in the NBA as a good guy.  But he was about to prove it on a national stage.  And what happened next - not just with Maurice Cheeks, but eventually with all the jaded players whose minds had been previously-focused on their game, an entire stadium of basketball fans there to see basketball, even the opposing white-haired coach Don Nelson - is just enthralling.

The moment is wonderful, but how it builds and surprises is even better.

And at the end, this tiny girl looking up at the giant of a man - who stayed around, refusing to leave her side and return to his team - with her face awash with relief, a huge hug, and the clear words mouthed, "Thank you," is all you need to see to why it's hard to top what happened on April 25, 2003, before Game 4 of the NBA playoffs for sheer emotional joy.  Six years ago today.
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​The other day, when posting the video of Alysa Liu winning the Gold Medal for women's figure skating at the World Championships held in Boston in late May, I mentioned that the U.S. team won three of the four Gold medals given out.  The other two were for 
Ilia Malinin in the men’s competition, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates for ice dancing.

I also noted how remarkable Malinin was. And I would be remiss if I didn't post his winning freestyle skate, as well. I did way that his win was largely anticipated, since he was the defending world champion and undefeated this year.  But what he does on the ice is truly special.  

It's not just that his skate included him doing six "quad" axels.  (Which is four-and-a-half revolutions, the "half" for the landing.)  It's that he is the only skater in the world who, in competition, has done even just one!  Spinning four times at a stand-still seems amazing -- doing it just once.  But six times?  On ice?  Landing on a blade and not falling?  And ?doing all your other jumps and spins -- for four times?  That's utterly stunning.  And to top it off, he threw in a backflip for good measure.

So, for however special Alyssa Liu's skate was, winning the World Championship after retiring for 2-1/2 years, this from Ilia Malinin is it's own brand of special.

I'm a week behind on this, but better late then never.

As we head into a Winter Olympics year just 10 months away in 2026, the final figure skating World Championships before the Games were held in Boston on the weekend of March 29-30.  And for the first time ever, the United States won the Gold Medal in three of the four competitions.  Those winners were Alysa Liu for women, Ilia Malinin in the men’s competition, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates for ice dancing.

Malinin with his remarkable six quads, and a backflip thrown in for good measure, was a significant achievement.  And by "significant," I mean that he not only did six quads, he is the only skater in the world to do, in competition, even just one.  That said, he was not just the favorite, he was the defending world champion and undefeated this year, so it was largely anticipated.  That doesn't lessen the victory in the slightest.  In some ways, it highlights the Gold Medal for consistently succeeding, and here at the pinnacle, under pressure.

But for me, it's Alysa Liu who stood out.  That's because the 19-year has been retired for almost 2-1/2 years.  She got the Bronze Medal at the 2022 World Championships... but that was her last competition.  She barely skated much at all last year.  But in Boston a week ago, she returned to skating and gave a powerful and graceful freestyle program that looked full of ease, almost as if she was skating for fun.  And blew the home-ice crowd away, as it goes crazy throughout, building in electric excitement, and exploding at the end.  (And exploding the moment is her father, who came to the U.S. in the 1980s and raised five daughters as a single parent.)

In fact, before the skate is even over, if you look at the quick close-up filling the screen around the 3:50 mark, Liu's face is already glowing with joy.  And her reaction when the skate is over is one of almost disbelief.  Actually, no, there's really nothing "almost" about it -- the moment she finishes, you can easily read her lips, "Wow!" as she then skates around stunned, and then listen closely when she gets off the ice and is embraced by her coach and choreographer.  You'll hear her repeating the phrase -- "What the hell??...What the hell???

There's another great moment off the ice, as well.  You'll see a skater come rushing in and embracing Liu, and the two jump up-and-down in excitement.  But the thing to know is that this other skater is not one of her teammates, full of joy for one of her fellow Americans.  She's from the Japan team.  (As she walks away, you'll see "Japan" on the back of her uniform.)  And all the more notable is that she's not only from Team Japan, but she's Kaori Sakamoto -- who at the time was in first place, about to be passed by Alysa Liu.  Since she also hugs the coach and choreographer, clearly they're all friends, and perhaps even have trained or at least skated together.  But whatever the explanation, it's tremendous sportsmanship and friendship.

Here then is that pure fluid skate that Alysa Liu gives.  The best, she says afterwards in an interview -- still unbelieving that she was in competition to win, let alone won -- that she ever gave in her life.  

As a bonus, here is the short program she gave earlier in the competition that so unexpectedly vaulted her into first place at the end of the round.  It's not the rousing kind of skate as the freestyle -- the short program is more technical with required elements.  But it's even more graceful with the same sense of ease.  In at least part, I suspect, because at that point she had no expectation of contending, let alone winning the Gold Medal.  Though she does show much of the same "ease" later in the freestyle.

By the way, what the title of the video below refers to (since we don't see it here, though she discusses it at the interview at the end) is that before she took the ice, when backstage where she noticed there was a lot of empty space in the room -- she did a cartwheel!!  Why, she's asked, what's up with that?  "I love cartwheels."

Being in Chicago now, I was talking last night with the elves back in Los Angeles taking care of the homestead, and they asked if I had any plans of going to Wrigley Field to see a Cubs game.  I could hear the suppressed laughter in their voices -- because at game time last night it was 38-degrees.  I should add that that's balmy...since at the moment (it's 9:30 in the morning, as I write this), it's 30 degrees.

My answer was that I've been to Wrigley Field in the cold weather and sitting for three hours in 30-degree weather is not high on my list of fun things, unless one is properly bundled up in winter gear.  And often even then.  So...no.

If you didn't seen Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on Sunday, their Main Story was on sports betting.  It was a serious, very interesting look at that world and the problem with addictive gambling -- but as you might imagine, given the subject, it leant itself to a lot of wonderful humor.
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Continuing our celebration of Opening Day, this is a fun song from the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which was adapted into an animated TV special.
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