I Bleed Red, Black and White Nice Guys

Almost everyone who has talked to me in that last two days realized this would be coming. I haven't even figured out why this is such a big deal, but I have some theories. Clearly the biggest factor is I am a huge basketball fan.

On saturday I was tending to my employment at The Yorkville Club where some of Toronto's exclusive come to shed pounds and tone their physique, when I looked up to see someone I recognized walk-in. To my shock it looked like Joey Graham of the Toronto Raptors. The shock is not so much him being in a gym, but being that he was here and not in the Raptors' facility. Then my eyes really opened, when I saw the front desk swarming with tall skinny white guys and big muscular black guys all wearing the same black, white and red gear. THEN IT HIT ME. It wasn't Joey (Joey? yeah I know it sounds ridicious - why not Joe?) it was his twin brother Stephen Graham and his Portland Trail Blazers teammates.

These experiences are always surreal. I think it is because it is almost like recognizing a friend you have never met. That sounds wierd but let's face it, I know their faces, I know personal information about them, for god-sakes I EVEN watch them at work. It's JUST that I have never met them before. Nor do I ever expect to. So when my knowledge of them meets reality its bound to be surreal. (Okay the usage of the word 'friend' is liberal, maybe 'person' is better suited).

Beyond this though I was just really excited to finally be in the right place at the right time. You can't plan these things, so when they happen the concidence makes the experience seem pretty magical (for lack of a better word). So here I am standing in the Yorkville Club trying to attend to the needs of a client and all I can do is stare over at the reception desk. I AM trying my hardest to focus but I can't. My brain is literally in lock-down. The client has something coming out of his mouth. I think they are words. His mouth is forming O's....and I am thinking 'but why can't he just wait? - FOR GOD's SAKE SHUT THE FUCK UP! I am not even looking at you!'...but words keep coming out of his mouth. He is trying to decide - AS IF HE IS IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT - between a few options and he wants MY advice. But I can't stop thinking to myself, 'what the hell is going on? The Portland Trail Blazers JUST walked in, and WHY isn't there anyone around who CARES? Am I the only one who is shocked?'

Usually I have a game-face for work. Because I am dealing with high-end clients I have to be on-top of things, especially on a saturday when things are the busiest. But I knew my focus was gone for the day. I fought hard to keep focused for the next several moments, but as soon as I had dealt with that client my focus had the drain-plug pulled - imagine my focus is that last twister of water being swallowed up by the sink. And as soon as it was gone, I was on that computer bringing up the Portland Trail Blazers entire roster. It took me all of 45 seconds to identify every Blazer that had walked in. But I didn't stop there... Let's put it this way: 'I had some 'errands' to run.' Important stuff, like...walking around the club.

Actually I haven't even gotten to the highlight yet. At this point it's a big deal, but I am preparing to observe a few of these specimens before getting back to work, which was fun, but I was pretty lucky because that wasn't it. About an hour and half later five or six guys who had finished their work-out came over and chatted with me. It was pretty awesome. I can tell you things like LaMarcus Aldridge actually acts like he is 21. Sergio Rodriguez seems tall at 6'3'' and can't speak english all that well. Joel Przybilla is a true GIANT at 7'1''. But my favorite was Dan Dickau.

Dan Dickau is a guy I had lost track of. Before he was drafted in 2002, he was a first team All-American for Gonzaga. During this time he lead a few suprise preformances by Gonzaga at the NCAA Tournament, which is really the only reason he is on my radar screen. He has played on five different teams since entering the NBA in 2002. This is his third stint in Portland, which seems pretty ludicrous. He defines the phrase 'well-travelled.' He had his best year in 2004-05 when he split time between Dallas and New Orleans. He ended up averaging 12.5 points in 29.4 minutes, while making 46 starts. Since then he has barely averaged 10 minutes a game, only getting 5.9 per game this season.

This brings me to my point: When I was talking to him on saturday he seemed like a genuinely nice guy and it's really too bad he hasn't got a fair shot at being productive in the NBA. He was a great college player but is over looked because of his defence. However I think if he got a shot in the right situation he would thrive. But that doesn't even really describe why I think he is pretty aweome. That lies in the nice guys points which I give out every once and awhile. Dan really hit the jackpot on my scale later that night as I was waiting to meet my friend for dinner in Yorkville when he walked by with Jamaal Magloire and said Hi again. Yeah that is the JACKPOT - for me. So now when I think about the hand he has been dealt: I think its too bad he doesn't get more of an opportunity to play. He deserves it right? I mean he's nice.

I envision him (just from meeting him and my two days of research) as being the undiscovered Steve Nash. I mean after all, they are both....short, white, at one point both had moppy hair styles...and both are from the West Coast. He stands only about 6'0 ft tall and weights 180 lbs. (which is basically my size). And you were wondering why i liked this guy? Of course his SIZE automatically makes him my favorite player. I COULD be THAT guy, if I had worked on my wind sprints a bit more in high school.

Maybe this is why I made a point of watching the game Sunday. I even found myself hoping he would come on and single-handedly turn around the game for the Blazers. Although as it turns out Jarrett Jack (the rookie who starts and takes Dickau's minutes) had already done that by the time Dickau came on. I don't think I have ever been more excited about seeing an opposing player (exluding the San Antonio Spurs). I jumped up out of my chair when he entered the game at the 10 minute mark of the fourth quarter. I swore and cursed the official when he disallowed Dickau's basket because of a non-ball offensive

In fact the whole weekend I was consumed by my need to find out more about my boy Dan Dickau. I found out he has a hot wife who is a Portland Trail Blazer cheerleader. I even sent him an e-mail requesting an interview with him. I have pretty much lost my mind, and I KNOW it. I am even making plans to find out where he lives....just kidding. Seriously though he's my boy now. I get the NBA package on my dish, and I have already booked-off nights when the Blazers play. I have planned out what to say in my future e-mails - I want to keep them 'encouraging'. I have already phoned Bryan Colengelo telling him he should get this guy. THIS is the START of something huge. Portland will be receiving my call shortly. It will regard my campaign to get Dickau more minutes or a new team which is based on the whole-Steve-Nash-comparsion. I don't care that in Steve Nash's fifth year he had improved every year and was already averaging 15.6 points per game, 7.3 assists.

Somebody needs to release the potential in Dan Dickau. Somebody needs to be campaigning for him. And I have decided it is going to be me. Why not right? What the fuck-else am I going to do with my time? Instead of you know working on those applications, a list of important books to read, resumes - all those time wasters, I have decided Dan Dickau is my project. Man he doesn't even know what has hit him yet. NBA GMs around the league don't know what's around the corner.

The ONLY thing I am missing is a clever title for this campaign. Something like Dan Dickau - THE NEW STEVE NASH....or Dan Dickau The-most-underrated-short-white-point-guard-f
rom-the-west-coast-since-Steve-Nash-took-that-title-from-John-Stockton. Or maybe.....Dan Dickau for President will suffice.