Let the games begin.

It's that time of the year. The winter professional sports teams have either begun their season or are preparing to. Saw yesterday that the Chicago Bulls (my favorite team) are starting pre-season play in London against the Utah Jazz on October 6. I won't be there. I assume the NBA is looking for new venues to support the price tags of some very highly paid athletes.

How could they possibly be worth that amount of money? I mean anyone can shoot a ball!

Wrong.

Last night, like the NBA players, about 30 of us showed up to play "hoops." Call it the first day of practice, only in our case we eliminated pre-season and jumped right into the regular season. It's a "get together league" where Dads of kids at our local grade school gather together, put on some cool reversible jerseys and step out on the court. As noted on the flyer we received, "it's a friendly pick up game where like soccer the best part are the treats afterward."

Unfortunately a lot of the "star players" were not able to make the "treats." We had 2 sprained ankles, one strained calf, a pulled hamstring and two early morning conference calls. I escaped but am very sore this morning. For 2 of the games I was covering "Brad." Really nice guy, about 15 years or so younger and 65 pounds heavier than me. Two pops to the jaw, one step on my ankle and a lot of pushing and shoving to get that elusive rebound, I did make a new friend as we were laughing afterwards and finding out if our kids were in the same class. (Imagine covering Shaq as a normal human and you get it.)

I am convinced there's a reason why people my age are in the stands at NBA games (one guy had floor seats who I was talking with) and not on the court. We didn't even play full court and after one game I was spent. I had no reason to be out there; wrong shoes, wrong ability, wrong, wrong, wrong. But I had fun.

The picture above is appropriate to this situation; Derrick Rose, the NBA rookie of the year knows how to play. He can play all 48 minutes and still walk after the game. Full court. This photo was a lucky catch. Normally when he is calling for a play he will stick up an index finger, a couple of fingers (if it is play #2 for example) but for this shot he did a "thumbs up." Maybe he was sending a signal to his coach, someone in the stands, or me. If it was to me he was suggesting I stay put and leave the basketball to him. He's right, I have no right to be playing his game. Except until next week when I put my "tennis shoes" on to play hoops again.

Shooting sports shots is my game. I love watching the game behind my camera. When other people are sipping their beers, eating a "dog" or cheering on their favorite player, I am watching the game happen through a large lens. It's an unusual way, maybe, to watch a game, but for me it is the only way.

Next Friday the city of Chicago learns if they have won the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympics at 11:57 CST. If we do win it (please!!) I will be there. I won't be in the water, on the field or in the ring---but will be where I belong, behind the lens of my camera.

Thanks for stopping by.