Never Grow Too Old for the Blacktop

There is one quote that will always stick with me, for as long as I live. It didn't come from some great ancient scholar or an air-headed stud athlete, but instead from a 16 year old kid who grew up in Cumming, GA.

The pubescent teen was not a high school prodigy by any stretch of the imagination, he just LOVED sports.

Growing up in a small town, that was all he never knew. He never played on a varsity team, nor did he travel around the southeastern United States on some god forsaken daddy ball travel team.

No, this was just a kid who loved the blacktop. Loved pick-up football at the park. Loved 30 MPH pitching duels with his friends. Loved the democracy of make-it-take-it, the brilliance behind four-to-score. He could have been the worst athlete this side of the Mississippi, but to him, "jaying the three" or throwing a post pattern was the greatest thing in the world.

One day, a flag football tournament was being organized at school. While all the jocks were oozing over the chance to show up the rec-league rejects, one team, calling themselves Scrub Leage Nation, foamed at the mouth at the chance to even PLAY with the the "athletically gifted."

As the team was finalized, made up with less then stellar football players who all just wanted to play, someone felt hurt because they were left off. When he asked the head of the team, the 16 year old kid whose base running allowed ample time for a smoke break, why he didn't want him playing, the boy responded: "You get too mad at us when we mess up."

Outraged, he stormed off in a fit, but not before uttering the three words pick up players know all too well... "Have fun losing!"

Everyone looked around to see if the kid needed help picking his cajones up off the ground, as the diss was sure to sting to the core. The room silenced due to shear tension. What happened next will forever stay in my mind, and go down as the single greatest sports quote of all time.

"I don't care, we'll have FUN doing it!"

The crowd erupted. David had just slain Goliath. Earl Boykins had just tomahawk jammed on Shaq. Kenshin Kawakami had just out pitched Roy Halladay.  There was no possible comeback.

You may be asking yourself, "Who the hell cares?"  And if you would have seen that tournament you'd probably ask it again. Scrub League Nation was MURDERED. But that's not what's important. Sports these days are all about the next level: How can I get drafted? How can I make the team? How can I improve my ability?

To Scrub League Nation, the questions read: "Who's turn is it to play quarterback?" "Where are the end zone trashcans?" "Who wants to buy pizza after the game?"

Sports should be about the camaraderie. The thrill. The love of the game. I know this subject may be tried and tested, but in a day and age where 12 year old kids are getting scouted by Pete Carroll to be the next great USC running back, I think it's time we all went back to the place where we fell in love with the game.

It's time we all went back to the neighborhood blacktop to play a round of horse. It's time we all tried a bogus statue of liberty of play in the park. It's time we gave the game back the essential reason sports is a passion of many. Gave it back the reason we all stay up late nursing our bruises from a rough game of community soccer, or blew all of our allowance on a new baseball.

Give back fun.