And they call soccer the beautiful game.
Watch along with me as I try to paint a picture of real, genuine, take-your-breath-away and make-you-look-to-the-heavens-in-wonder beauty.
It’s a sunny Sunday afternoon outside. The second day of the weekend St. Patrick’s celebration. Inside the BMO Harris Bradley Center there are people wearing green hair and green face paint.
For much of the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic it seems like the green beer hangover is hanging over every head in the place. Desultory doesn’t begin to describe it.
But then, in just six seconds, maybe a double blink of your eyelashes, the whole thing turned, as if on a whirling dime, and a charge of electricity roared through aging arena.
Let me set the scene.
There are just over four minutes left in the game, but the Bucks have been slowly creeping back into the game. Larry Sanders takes a great pass from Brandon Jennings and scores and is fouled. He makes the free throw and the Bucks are down, 101-97.
Now, watch this along with me.
Arron Afflalo brings the ball up the court. He’s a tough guy to guard, tall and rangy and a real veteran. He’s being guarded by Monta Ellis, who had been on a tear. Afflalo dribbles to the left side of the key and turns to back Ellis down. Ellis slaps at the ball and steals it.
He moves quickly two or three steps up the right side of the court and sees Jennings in the middle. With one hand he fires the ball to Jennings who moves up the middle.
Ellis moves the width of the court and finds himself just over the center line on the left hand side with a clear path to the basket.
Jennings sees the same thing and throws a perfect lead pass with his right hand to Ellis who takes the ball in stride, climbs into the rafters, lifts his right arm high into the air, the ball palmed tightly and already starting its downward journey and slams home a resounding dunk that shakes the rafters.
Just close your eyes and try to picture it. Steal! Boom. Boom and BOOM! All in just six seconds.
The crowd rises to its feet, almost as if one person. Jennings puts his finger in the air. Ellis points at Jennings.
The Bucks go on to win.
And they say soccer is the beautiful game.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
