“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”
– Robert Green Ingersoll
When I came to, the first thing I realized was that I was no longer wearing swim trunks. The second thing I realized was that that was not my biggest problem.
As a kid growing up on the less-desirable side of L.A., my family’s budget didn’t include much in the way of sports equipment. My bike was purchased with paper route and babysitting money, as were my soccer-, basket-, base-, and foot-balls. So when my parents realized that the drive across L.A. to the beach was actually a surprisingly cheap getaway from 100+ degree days, we spent a lot of summers around the sand. Sadly, things like surfboards or boogie boards were out of the question. But my stepdad taught me something called “bodysurfing”. Basically, the idea is that you’re more the board than the rider.
I got pretty good over several years at it, and eventually got a little too brave for my own health. One day when I was out riding a few waves that were already decidedly too big to bodysurf, I went after one that ended up being beyond my abilities. Only I didn’t know that until I was stomach-down in the trough of it, staring up the face of the tallest wave I’d ever been under. I tried to paddle like crazy to get on top of it, but the wave picked me up and flung me like I might casually throw a peanut. I’ve often seen surfers get caught in a similar spot, and be flung head over heels for several yards. In my case, the wave swept me to it’s crest past the break, and then pretty much threw me straight down at the very few feet of water beneath it. I hit the ocean floor face first and pretty hard.
I don’t think I was out more than a second or two, but I will never know for sure. When I came to, all I knew was I was somewhere underwater, hurting like crazy, nearly out of air, and for some reason, naked. I made a beeline straight for the surface.
Except I was so disoriented by my fall, I simply swam face first right back into the sand. Now my face reminded me of how much it was already hurting. I nearly panicked, but got my legs under me and pushed off up to the surface of the water. After several wrenching gasps of air, I saw that my trunks were thankfully floating about three feet away. After re-dressing, a few minutes of treading water, and with my face and dignity semi-intact, I went back to where my friends were sitting on the beach. A friend mentioned a bloody nose I tried to staunch with my towel. Although we went back several times in the near future, it was over a year before I tried to ride another wave. I eventually found a love for it again, but every time the waves started getting too big, I scooted up to the sand. It was a long time before I could even dip my toes back in the water.
When the NBA put their season on pause 59 days ago, there was a lot of speculation as to the outcome of this season, and possibly impacts on the season to follow. Accordingly, the NHL, MLB, and NFL have seen impacts to their timelines as well. Two months later, basketball has slowly started to make it’s way back onto the scene, with the Nuggets practice facility set to re-open today. The NHL is pushing to get back to the ice soon as well, as both sports’ seasons and revenues have been the most-impacted thus far.
But even as the sports world as we know it kicks the tires on maybe-possibly getting back into motion, there’s a lot of confusion for the rest of us in general. When a work-stoppage has impacted pro sports in the past, it wasn’t because of an event that was a life-stoppage for us all. A player strike made for no games, not stay-at-home. For the first time in most of our lifetimes, we’re in the midst of an event that has deeply impacted us all. Not sports fans, not Coloradans, not Americans. All. Humanity. We just rode up the face of a wave that looked normal enough… until it swept us up, smashed us face first into the sand, and bloodied our noses a bit. Most of us may be sitting on the beach a little confused right now.
So, as the Nuggets are allowed to go back to practice facilities in very small groups, and with designated staff, we’re still a long way from a basketball game. A long way from being able to gather a couple dozen players and their attendant coaches and trainers and staff together, let alone 19,000+ fans. And that fan base will soon be one of the most crucial parts of that picture, won’t it? When you’re finally allowed to be, are you ready to go hang out with almost 20,000 of your closest pals in a closed environment? That last wave kinda hurt a little bit… Maybe just sit and watch this next one roll in.
Sometimes the hardest moment of being unexpectedly flung about isn’t about getting hurt or the drama-trauma of that chaotic moment. Sometimes the hardest moment is just after, sitting in shock and licking your wounds while trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
There will be more waves coming, my friends. And most of them will be well worth riding. It may take a moment before you may want to get back out there, and that’s just fine as well. But eventually, I hope we’ll all get our toes back in the water, and remember that we’re actually better off out there swimming together. Have a great weekend, DNVR Nation. Stay safe, stay happy, and get ready to get those toes wet.
