But one evening in particular sticks out in my mind. I was 8 years old, and the only thing I loved more than my collection of ALF pogs was my favorite Grizzlies player: Andrew Dawsum. #8, affectionately known as “The Hunk” to his adoring fans. The old man worked his tail off at the coal mine 6 days a week, but as a special birthday treat, he took me to my first game at SFM Field.
Prior to the game, we stopped off at the brand new Shenanigan’s. As I savored my corn dog smothered in ketchup and washed it down with a Crystal Light, my dad pointed up at the glass ceiling. The Grizzlettes were doing their warmup routine in the outfield above us, and my pre-pubescent eyes were treated to their very first upskirt peep show. A strange feeling started to stir in my loins. This new and wonderful sensation was quickly interrupted by the sounds of my dad choking on his loose meat sammitch. I was worried about the old man for a second, but he washed it down with a swill from his Crystal Pepsi and was none the worse for wear.
I vividly remember the cornucopia of sights and sounds as we made our way up the Zayre Escalators to the Bud Light Pavilion. The Bugle Boy Jumbotron! The luxurious, padded seats, each with their own personal monitor! The scent of the artificial turf!
None of these wonders could compete with the sight of my idol, The Hunk. My hero, looking dapper in traditional Grizzly pink, casually throwing warm up tosses to his teammate, Jerry Dalton. He was even more graceful and athletic in person than he was on my transistor radio. As the warmups came to an end, The Hunk glanced into the stands and casually tossed me the ball. A real live baseball! For me!
Just when I thought my heart would explode with joy, The Hunk yelled up to me:
“Hey kid!”
“Yes, Mr. Dawsum?”
“You can be my wingman any time.”
I’ve grown older, and maybe a bit cynical, since that night. But I’ll never forget the evening of my first Grizzlies game, and the moment of my first boner.
3 comments:
I remember when I first heard about teh Grizz signing Juan Carlos Navarro and I was prettty excited. I'm sad to see him go. He had a lot of potential. I think Jarvis and Mike Conley can more than make up for his loss, though, especially if Josh Smith really does come to town.
Man, way to kick off our entry into the BLOGOSPHERE with a BANG!
You have inspired me to reflect on my fondest memories of The Pad. Expect a doozy soon, folks.
Right on man, The Pad has enough room for all sorts of memories! I forgot to mention - the Grizzlies won the game that night. Not a big deal I guess, they did win 131 games that year.
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