The Hardware
Originally uploaded by aham23.
This weekend was a Gus Macker Weekend for me. Since 1992 I have played in the Macker. It's a 3on3 basketball tournament where they match you up with simillar teams based on entry forms each team submits. There are usually 16 teams on a court and it is double elimination. It is street ball where we call our own fouls and it can get rough. The do have "Court Monitors" to keep things clean.
In my younger days we would travel around Illinois and play in about 5 a summer. Same team for each tourney. We had a two year run where we never finished lower then second and racked up numerous first place trophies. Actually I have boxes of Macker trophies in the basement.
Well, I am getting older and the tournament wins had been none since 2001. We scored a couple thirds, but that was it. Hoops is a rough sport and my body just isn't conditioned for it anymore. Or so I thought.
This year is my last year. I proclaimed this fact last summer that I would be retiring from the Macker. We played two. We finished third in June and I didn't have much hope for this Macker. I had not played since, well, June's Macker, and have been falling out of shape fast.
The core of this team has been the same for ten years. We got a sharp shooter, big guy (me) and the best freaking 3on3 guard around. Through in an aging all state high school stud athlete and we white boys can hoop.
We played five games and won them all. We won close games, came from behind, shot well, rebounded, made cuts, and played like it was 1997. It was freakin awesome. The sharp shooter and the guard played their best hoops in years.
Man, I may have to rethink this retirement thing. Later.
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