Young Again

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

By Ronald N. Guy Jr.

Professional All-Star games are antiquated.  That’s being kind.  More bluntly, they are a waste of time.  The products now are a competitive embarrassment and disgrace classics of yesteryear.  MLB and the NHL have tried several gimmicks, most prompting more yawns than intrigue.  The NFL Pro Bowl is dead.  What?  You didn’t notice?  Exactly.  The NBA All-Star Game, once a must-see event, is now more like a Harlem Globetrotter’s exhibition, only less entertaining. 

Last Saturday night I sunk into the couch to enjoy some well-earned air conditioning after another soupy Southern Maryland day.  Seriously, can we get a break?  The free outdoor sauna is nice and all.  The pores are loving it.  Detoxification takes little more than a mid-day stroll around the cul-de-sac.  But sheesh, the spontaneous sweating is a bit much. 

Anyway, immediately following the perfectly executed couch landing, I reached for the remote – love that magic button-adorned, voice-enabled, hand-held command center for lazy entertainment.  I’m old enough to remember when my sister and I were the remotes, so forgive my strange appreciation for the run-of-the-mill household device.  A quick scan revealed few intriguing sports options.  What’s this?  WNBA All-Star Game featuring the women’s Olympic team against a WNBA team comprised of stars who just missed Team USA’s roster.  I was skeptical, but with limited options I gave Alexa the order.

Ninety minutes later, the WNBA All-Stars had beaten the Olympic team 117-109, and I was left convinced that I had just witnessed the greatest All-Star Game ever.  That could be true, or reckless recency bias.  But objectively, I’m confident it’s in the top five all-time.  Here’s how I processed the moment.

The first player who appeared on the screen was Team USA’s Diana Taurasi.  She’s my favorite women’s basketball player of all time.  Straight up gangster on the court.  Shoots without conscience and ultimate confidence.  Handles.  Vision.  Dimes.  She does it all.  If you’re bothering to keep score – be it a WNBA game, an All-Star Game or a friendly backyard pick-up game – she’s going straight for your heart and is looking to consume your spirit, hopes and dreams.  She will do so with a wry smile and without an ounce of guilt.  Love it.  She’s forty-two freaking years old and still killing it (challenge issued, LeBron).

Then I learned that Cheryl Miller was coaching the WNBA All-Stars.  Miller was my favorite player as a kid.  She was an alien in the early 1980’s, a statement meant in the most complimentary terms.  Miller was so far ahead of her time.  Between Miller and Taurasi, there were greats like Sheryl Swoops, Lisa Leslie, Tamika Catchings, and Cynthia Cooper. Today’s best player is A’Ja Wilson, followed closely behind by Breanna Stewart.  The last few years have brought an influx of talent, including Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark this year, two stars who promise to take the league to new heights. 

Two things about the game jumped off the screen.  First, the level of play was simply incredible.  If there’s a sport that has advanced more than women’s basketball in the last 25 years, good luck convincing me of it.  The second was the effort.  The two teams were going at it.  The pace was relentless.  Both squads were taking and giving punches.  Every player was putting it on the line, giving their best and raising the level of play in their teammates and opponents.  As a sporting spectacle, it was beautiful: an authentic competition, stoked by nothing more than professional pride. 

As one ages, psychological scar tissue tends to build.  Hope doesn’t shine as bright.  There can be less laughing.  Smiles aren’t as wide.  Complacency can settle in.  Life, as is simply said, is hard – as much on the mind as the body.  There are many available tonics – therapy, exercise, hobbies, strong social connections, mindfulness and intentional gratitude.  All are noble pursuits. 

Sometimes though, a group of women committing to a cause, projecting positive energy into the universe, developing a collective will and accomplishing something amazing is all that’s needed to lubricate the mind, rejuvenate the soul and make you feel young, even if your date of birth suggests otherwise.