How does a six feet one inch basketball player, hitting the scales at 171, connect with coach Rick Patino, the Louisville Kentucky, Cardinals. Where is the priceless ingredient of two humans through a grueling 4 year struggle, pursuing “w”’s in thegym and the Cardinal classrooms.
II
To calibrate the chemistry of a father surrogate and his “son”over those seasons, the player nicknamed “Russdiculous”(a horse owned by the coach). A journey from Archbishop MulloyCatholic High, Queens N.Y.. Russ Smith, initiated into his crib like squawking by his surrogate father, coach #Jack Curran.
A rebirth or whatever one wants to call it. A DNA genetic to come alive twice, a second umbilical cord life enrichingenchantment.
A Oracle of Delphi testing to the Gods, the hands of time ticking down: the shot clock winding down: ten nine eight seven six…beyond the three point line, the Wildcats down by two to the Badgers from Madison, Wisconsin, a Kentucky twin brotherplayer,” from downtown” , the March Madness field of eight,last night in Dallas, U/Conn waiting in the wings Monday night, for the Championship dual...
III
A second chance at a rebirth may not be a slam dunk. But in the reality of obstetrics, the game comes alive for have not sonsborn into the states of hunger, deprivation and “con” , the chances of metamorphosing into a continuum where ignorance is not blessed and omnipresent cannibalism appears in denial.
On hearing his high school coach #Jack Curran passed away, Russ Smith made a prayer “For the rest of my life, I will remember Coach Curran.”
IV
Isn’t it one thing to transcend the nylon chords at Louisville, and to matriculate for the fourth year and graduate with a degree inhand. But when one considers pursuing the measure of a complete human, isn’t the degree a stepping stone into “It’s a wonderful life, throwing the dice, Coach”.
Is it an accident that coaches like Jack Curran mentor young men, motivating them to become complete humans. That the search to find themselves lies is a dream like discovery that is hidden from the ordinary 20- 20 eyes, and noisy money grubbers, haunting our cyber spaced 21st century.
V
“For the rest of my life, I will remember Coach Curran”
April 6, 2014. The City that never sleeps.
