(Not sure if this goes into CS or IMHO, but I’ll let a wandering Mod take care of that if need be…)
If you’re even a casual sports fan, you likely indulge in the occasional daydream of professional sports glory. So, what’s your “dream role”?
Me, I’d be a starting pitcher a la Sandy Koufax, pitching for my hometown team (the Mets). Or a versatile 2-3 swingman a la Vince Carter, but playing for the Knicks. (This fantasy is alas far less frequent these days as the Knicks need a lot more than a “versatile swingman” to right their ship…)
I am the benchwarmer. For example, one of the guys on the Spurs that doesn’t play all season except when there’s a blowout. I still get to collect a championship ring and salary bonus.
I used to imagine I was the exciting, fast young try scoring wizard playing for Saints in the Australian Rugby League. When I was a bit older I used to imagine I was the hard headed cagy veteran who guided Saints to victory. Now I imagine I am coaching them.
When I was young, I would have liked to have been a goal-scorer for England at Wembley in the World Cup. **Bobby Charlton ** was exciting to watch, but then **Geoff Hurst ** did score 3 (including one in extra time) in the actual 1966 final!
A few years ago, I watched **Jonny Wilkinson ** kick the winning drop goal in extra time in the Rugby World Cup final.
However nowadays I’m more the managerial type. **Jose Mourinho ** of Chelsea football club is the man for me.
Funny you chose that because I think one of the most underrated pieces of sporting genius of modern times allowed that to happen.
No one seems to remember that on the previous play Wilkinson set himself for an unlikely, but possible, field goal attempt. Matt Dawson, on receiving the ball, realised the Australian defence was going to be all over Wilkinson and made a dazzling little break that got the play upfield enough to allow Wilkinson his famous moment.
I have often wanted to meet Dawson so that, as an Aussie I could shake his hand and tell him that I thought he won the final.
I’m Jesse Owens standing ont the podium at the 1936 Olympics getting my gold medals or Ron Turcotte riding Secretariat to a 31 length win at the 1973 Belmont Stakes
First basemen, a la’ Lou Gehrig, but I’d take an even lesser mortal like Will Clark. I wouldn’t want to play for a powerhouse like the Yankees, but as the first female starter in MLB, I guess I’d even be content to walk on the field for my hometown [ ::: sigh ::: ] perennial losers [ ::: sigh ::: ], them Texas Rangers. And ideally, I’d like to have been old enough to do it back in the 70s with folks like Buddy Bell, Tom Grieve ('cause he’s the bestest announcer ever!) or Fergie Jenkins in his first year. Just to hang, man. How cool would that be!? Ultimately though, my heart will always belong to the '96 crew. We miss you Elster, Palmer, Greer (whose signature is on my Nokona 13 incher) and Tettleton.
I don’t know what sport I was in, but I must have been great, because now I’m the one who gets to run up, with a flaming torch, and light the cauldron at the Olympics.
Not only is it my sports fantasy, it’s the one thing, if a genie granted me a wish, that I’d most want to do.
Getting the “lucky dog” pass with 10 laps to go at Talladega. I sprint to the 2nd place and bump Jeff Gordon out of the way with 5 laps to go. The Dupont Chevrolet spins, rolls over, catches fire, and unfortunately, Jeff Gordon gets out unharmed. (Even in my fantasy, I am not completely heartless.) I take off as soon as the green is waved and hold on to win.
Grossman, back to pass–it’s a short out in the flat to Enfant Terrible–he’s breaking a tackle–breaking two tackles–and he could…go…all… the…way! Touchdown! Touchdown, Bears!
Basically, Garrett Wolfe is living my sports dream, the change-of-pace third down back for the Beloved. sigh
In my fantasy, I am the owner of my hometown NFL team. Even in my fantasy, I know that I am not qualified to make any actual decisions, so Marv Levy is my GM and he’s running the talent show. Other than that, I know exactly what I am going to say in the press conference when it is announced that I am the new owner.
The biggest conflict in my fantasy is that I don’t know if I can continue to wear my lucky jersey for opening day. I’m probably expected to look nicer when greeting the visiting team owner and other possible VIPs. But can I give up my lucky jersey?
The fantasy also fast-forwards a few years into the future, when I am crying on TV as I accept the Lombardi trophy.
