Life Cycle

As published in The County Times (countytimes.somd.com)

By Ronald N. Guy Jr.

Where has the time gone, my fellow Southern Maryland dwellers?  This column first appeared in The County Times in early 2008.  How old were we back then, my dear readers?  Unnecessary details.  Let’s just call it “younger”, shall we?  Gray was a less prominent color in our lives.  Aches and pains were fewer.  More beer could be consumed without consequence.  But think of the wisdom gained since then.  A consolation prize, I suppose…

Sports viewing offers no escape from the many logged years on Earth; it further galvanizes my significant conversion of oxygen into carbon dioxide.  As the band Bush suggested in their classic song “Machinehead”, “Breathe in, breathe out.”  Roger that: Have been, are and hope to continue to for years to come.  So yes, sports.  Hardly a game goes by where there isn’t a player named that leaves me thinking, “I remember when his father played.”  Or there is a coach who causes the mind to wander back to their playing career.  The roll call is long and distinguished.  Steph Curry (son of Dell).  Patrick Mahomes (son of Pat).  Cam Heyward (son of Craig “Iron Head”).  Arch Manning (Grandson of Archie, nephew of Peyton and Eli).  Marvin Harrison Jr.  Bobby Witt Jr.  Coaches?  Dan Campbell (Lions).  Rod Brind-Amour (Hurricanes).  Craig Counsell (Cubs), Jason Kidd (Mavericks).  Aaron Boone (Yankees).  I’m graying further just by typing this out.

All this time traveling brought one team to mind: the Washington Capitals.  They weren’t the first local professional team I saw live (Orioles).  Back when football was king in D.C. and the team had another name, I loved the Burgundy and Gold more intensely.  But of “my teams”, I’ve loved the Caps more consistently and seen them more live than any other – and it isn’t close. 

On October 12^th, the Caps’ 50^th season will begin.  There have been many changes in recent years.  Scarce few players remain from the 2019 Stanley Cup winning roster – just five years ago, a lifetime in professional sports.  Whether the Caps improve from their token playoff appearance last year is equal, if not oddly secondary, to another storyline: Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretsky’s goals scored record.  Ovechkin enters the season with 853 goals, 41 shy of Gretsky’s 894.

As a kid, I attended Caps games at the old Capital Centre and rooted for a team without much history.  I remember looking to the rafters and seeing just one retired number: Yvon Labre’s #7.  I knew little of Labre, only that he had served as the team’s first captain during the 1970s.  Over the years, company has arrived for Labre’s jersey.  Rod Langway’s #5, Mike Gartner’s #11 and Dale Hunter’s #32 now hang in Capital One Arena.

Oddity: I met Labre at an Ocean City pool in 2006.  His granddaughter and my daughter were surrounded by floats and attempting to swim.  My Caps floppy hat gave me away.  Admittedly, I didn’t recognize Labre, but we had a memorable exchange about Caps history and the yearning for a Stanley Cup.  At the time, the team was on the rise and Ovechkin was just a pup.  I could sense his optimism, and I trust he could sense mine.  But there was palatable caution in our words, the consequence of a player’s and a fan’s shared heartache. 

All these years later, it’s hard to believe the magic carpet ride the Caps and Ovechkin have provided.  But the end is near.  Life cycles with teams and athletes are finite.  Ovechkin is 39.  The careers of long-time teammates Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie are likely over.  What’s left?  Gretzky’s record, more retired numbers (19, 74, 77?, 43?, 70?) and Ovechkin’s Hall of Fame induction.  Then…memories…

Such is the fleeting time between special teams, iconic athletes and fans.  Such are the cornerstones of life – experiences, relationships, friendships, parenthood.  In the moment, it is sometimes hard to understand the context of what’s happening, where it’s going and what it all means.  That comes in time.  And time we’ve certainly had with Ovechkin - enough to know that whatever remains is to be cherished.  That’s all those years, gray hairs and acquired wisdom talking.