Getting Drafted ... or Not

I've talked about my first team http://oldredtiger.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/a-word-about-surgery-and-tin-sheds.html

and where I fell in love with the game http://oldredtiger.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/humble-beginnings.html

But watching the NBA Draft today (and seeing some kids get picked and others not) made me think about my difficult introduction into organised basketball. Everyone's heard of the 'Michael Jordan got cut' story which is definitely more story than truth - truth is he just didn't make the Varsity team but he did make the JV team something that was pretty common for a High School sophomore. 

Competing against guys 2 years older at about the time young lads mature is a difficult prospect and a 5'10 Jordan just missed out cause he was a little small compared with other High School Seniors (read about it all here http://www.nbadraft.net/forum/real-story-michael-jordan-getting-cut-his-laney-high-varsity-team ) 

Regardless he used this setback to fuel himself to become the greatest player of all time

Truth be told I didn't even make my High School Open team until I was in year 12 - that's a longer story for another day but given the depth of talent and the fact we came 3rd in the Nation in 1990 and won the National title in 1991 it wasn't a complete surprise.

What may surprise though is my history of district basketball draft day failure.

My first district tryouts were with the Tigers in U14 as a 2nd year. I wasn't in the 40 best kids in the area and did not get my name called out. I was gutted as that was my local club and the one I wanted to play for. I got cut again as an U16 1st year and it wasn't until U16 as a 2nd year that I finally got picked in a side at a major club.

Back to the start though ... unable to make even the Tigers U14 Div5 team I went to a new club the Southern Districts Dragons .. to be honest they were a bit of a laughing stock, had crappy uniforms and didn't have a home stadium (we trained at Reynella East High)

I can still hear the "You don't have a stadium" taunts!!!!

What the Dragons did have though was a side in U14 Div2 which was to be a huge stroke of luck as I quickly got to play against much better competition. In the summer season we got pummelled most weeks but it was a great learning experience. 

Over the summer break there was Basketball Talent ID camps held at the old Forestville stadium - at Southern we were allowed to send 2 kids ... I was lucky enough to be chosen. Again this was huge ... all the major clubs had their 4 or 5 best players from Div1 and I got to spend a week having a crack. We were coached by topflight players like Al Green, Lisa Vlahov & Mark Bradkte and although I was well out of my depth I got a taste for it.

Sometimes you don't get picked right away, other times not at all, but I think you learn more from the knockbacks and the struggle against stronger opponents. Persistence and hard work can overcome just about any obstacle and I hope those are 2 traits that sum up my basketball journey ...

Links

Anyone who knows me knows I like to research - as they say information is power. So I'll share a couple that I've been watching this week regarding my injury

First the surgery - not for the squeamish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bu9z9UJHDw

Second ... this guy is a bodybuilder / strength coach who has rehabbed from the same injury - he has a bunch of videos which can be found here http://www.youtube.com/user/kylenewell1000/videos

I sure am glad that I live in the internet age - I'd say even 50 years ago this injury would have left me in a wheelchair and I certainly wouldn't have been able to watch videos of surgery and rehab.

Speaking of videos I really enjoyed Grantland's NBA Job Interviews http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/tag/_/name/nba-job-interview I have a Draft/My Early District Years post coming up soon but in the meantime get acquainted with the NBA's future stars

Quick Rehab Update - 3 weeks

Had 2nd PT session today

Roller under knee locked at 40* - more painful than it looks

Managed to get from 45* last week to 55* this week which was a little bit short of what I'd hoped but was somewhat expected

Yesterday I was unable to do any rehab due to a couple of issues. Firstly the bottom of the 10cm incision is red, angry and painful. 

I wasn't 100% sure if it was the tendon or the skin so I backed off for the day - looks like it is the skin so hopefully settles down over next few days and I can get back into it.

Quads - use them or lose them in 3 weeks!!

Last night foot went completely numb, then hot and prickly then painful. I had a terrible nights sleep (which is relative as I haven't had a good nights sleep for 3 weeks)

On a positive note I can start some additional exercises - some hip flexor leg lifts whilst on side & some hamstring/glute leg lifts while on stomach. No quads allowed!!!

Even adding a couple of mundane stretches to my current routine and gaining 10 degrees is enough to brighten what has been a pretty dark week. Onward and upward

35* until I can sit with my knee bent - oh what a luxury ....

Pounding the Rock

Jacob Riis : When nothing seems to help, 
I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock 
perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. 
Yet at the hundred and first blow
 it will split in two, 
and I know it was not that blow that did it, 
but all that had gone before. 
http://www.48minutesofhell.com/coach-pop-pounding-the-rock-jacob-riis-spurs


Another Saturday stuck at home, I awoke this morning physically stiff and sore but more than that I was mentally in a world of pain ...

Save a seat for me - 2014 Playoffs I'll be there I know u will too

In the background its been about my teams rollercoaster over the last month really culminating in a crazy final week where we just didn't take our chances. It will be one that I and many others will never forget - Basketball played at its highest level on the highest stage - and even in a season in which we did not win it may have been my favourite Playoff run of all time. I definitely will not forget it ...

Winning isnt always measured in titles

Rather than go on about the Spurs anymore I'd ask you to click the following link and have a read of this great article and read the quote (and unofficial Spurs mantra) above http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-heat-nba-finals-lebron-james

Thanks for constantly inspiring me, you are truly a team and an organisation that commands my utmost respect.


But this mornings battles were an individual one brought about by another Saturday and the difficulties and monotony of my current stonecutting expedition...

3 weeks in and its a struggle ... the day to day physical improvement is so incremental ... but the grind of rehab and the absolute dependence on others is a massive challenge.

 3-4 times a day

• Undo Leg Brace
• Heat Pack / Massage leg for 10 mins
• Redo Leg Brace
• Push my knee to the limit (currently 45*) by grabbing my upper leg and pulling it towards me without using my quads. 10 x 5 secs hold at point of pain
• Keep leg bent at 45* with cushion underneath for 30 mins
• Ice Knee 20 mins
• Get up and walk around

I'm hoping for 15* a week or a couple of degrees a day. So far a week in I'm stuck at 45* so like the proverbial stonecutter I will keep pounding the rock ... hopefully the results will take care of themselves

Missed Opportunities

For reasons most of you will understand - there will be no blog today just a few tears .... NoSpursNo

Lot of love for Manu & Spurs just a few too many mistakes ....

Sliding Doors

What ifs??? they play a huge part in everyday life but a lot of the time they just slide on past and we don't notice ... today was not one of those days

From 10 to 45 in 2 days

I had my first Physio appointment during the 4th quarter of Game 6 ... it went exceptionally well I got my knee to 45* ... so I think I am maybe 15* ahead of schedule ... my Phys gave up his lunch break (Thanks Chris really appreciated) to take the appointment so I didn't have to wait until Monday ... What if I waited?

My appointment finished with us up 4 with 45 secs left - the game was on in the waiting room. The timing was unbelievable & score surprising as we were down 3 when I'd last checked. Manu made 1 of 2 free throws .. What if he makes 2? 

Jesus Shuttleworth knows the answer 

Pop sat Duncan on the 2 biggest defensive plays of the game both O boards to Miami for 3s... I didn't like it at the time and in hindsight I'm asking ... What if Duncan was on the floor?

I missed nearly all of OT on the drive back home ... I felt like today there was some cosmic force at play ... I'm pretty sure there isn't but ... What if there is?

Before the series started I picked us to win in 7 including losing game 6 and winning game 7 on the road ... What if I'm right? (well I'll win a few hundred bucks that's for sure)

18 days ago I was feeling great and decided to throw one down in warm ups ... What if I didn't? This one will stay with me for a while ...

I don't have the answers to any of these What Ifs? but I do know I'll be giving rehab my all, I never die wondering

BIGger than TEXas

Nothing bigger in Texas than the Spurs

Today was always going to be massive day for me ... first follow up with the OS ... I had this pencilled in the calendar and had been staring it down for 2 weeks.

But a few other BIG things happened along the way ...

Had to tackle stairs which had been a BIG fear all week ... strategy is to shimmy down on my ass with my good leg hooked under my bad leg for support. It worked & wasn't as hard as I thought

Tex is BIG and a top bloke

Left the house for the first time in 2 weeks, the sun was shining, people were out in the city going about their mornings, I had a BIG smile on my face and almost a tear, rediscovering the simplest things is a huge joy

Got the Hospital and shared a lift with a BIG unit who was also on crutches. His name is Taylor TEX Walker ... Crows champion forward who is recovering from an ACL tear. We exchanged pleasantries and injury stories. Most footy players generally don't look that BIG compared to on TV but TEX is the exception he is a large unit. His team needs him back too ...

I got fitted for a new knee brace which is more comfortable and allows a range of motion in the knee up to 90 degrees. My current ROM (range of motion) is more like 10 degrees and my mission is to get to 90 ROM within 4 weeks. This is BIG news as it means rehab can begin in earnest

Manu hit tough shot after tough shot

I am Manu hear me ROAR!!!!

and finally deep in the heart of TEXAS its game 5 in the NBA finals. Its the last game in TEXAS and if the Spurs are to have any hope of winning the title today is a must win game. I've watched the first half were up 9 and are playing superbly. 

Manu is finally playing well, Timmy and Tiago are dunking and Danny Green still cant miss ... cmon you Spurs everything else has been great today ... a win in game 5 would be BIGGER than BIG!!!!

Update: Manu has massive BIG testicles - never ever underestimate the heart of a champion!!! GoSpursGo

Saturday GameDay

GameDay shorts & a sweet Jacket

Today for me was probably the toughest day so far ... not physically ... on that front it was actually my best (see below) .. but mentally. 

Saturdays for me during winter are all about Basketball ... it gives you a purpose ...something to look forward too ... something that frames your whole weekend. 

Get up early, eat the right foods, stretch, hydrate, massage, more stretching, taping, some music and then mental preparation. Like clockwork from April to September this is the routine but there is nothing routine about it ... Saturday is GameDay. 



For the past 5 years I've lived this playing Church Ball for the PAC Old Scholars and previously for 5 years playing ABL for the Southern Tigers ... so lets call it 10 of the last 12 years ... a long fucking time!!

90s Spurs so camp so colourful

Today I woke up as per usual and put my PAC shorts on first thing in the morning (well my missus put them on for me). Moved to the couch, ate a nice breakfast and then was suddenly lost ... no stretching, no taping, no mental preparation, no GameDay ... 

I'm not the first person to get injured or the first person to retire but I am going to miss it ... Saturdays from now on are just another day.

To the positives !!!

• For a few seconds at a time I can stand on 2 feet without crutches
• Nick & Jude and their near 3yo Max came to visit
• Its my 2 cats 2nd birthday
• Martin & Jess and their near 2yo Beatrice came to visit 
• (we watched the Crows who did not cover Saturday in glory)
• Martin gave me this sweet retro Spurs parachute jacket - which made my day
• Our PAC boys got up by 4 points

AND

Its Saturday still one of the 2 best days of the week!!!

MY real favourite team

OK the other day I said my favourite team all time was the San Antonio Spurs and that is true but obviously I haven't actually laced em up in the Silver, Black and White

NCT U18 Div 3 boys ... definitely boys not yet men

My real favourite team and the team that has had the most influence on my life is a team very close to my heart

The 1991/92 Under 18 Div 3 Boys team for NCT the Noarlunga City Tigers

(Back left) #40 Scott Irving, (Front Left) #42 Travis Rainsford, (Front Right) #45 Martin Carter & (Front 2nd Right) #6 Me

Yep we had 4 other players, a coach, possibly 100s of fans but it was these 4 guys and a 5th starter whom we shall call Jack Daniels who were the central figures in this part of the story - what an All Star 5!!

We all knew each other loosely its Adelaide in the southern suburbs after all, I'd seen Trav and Scott around the place and Marty on the soccer pitch but we went to different schools Wirreanda, Aberfoyle Park and Morphett Vale Highs so were relative strangers.

But throw a group of 16 year olds together with a shared passion for hoops, add in Friday Night games (future blog alert), weekend trainings and a liberal dose of teenage discovery and you have a recipe for something special.

Love you guys too

And special it was, we quickly became very good mates and would spend large portions of the weekend together. This pretty much continued for most of the next 10-15 years, even today we are all lifelong mates and although we don't catch up as often as we'd like to we all share a common bond.

Yesterday one of my Tiger brothers Scotty "Doctor" Irving came and shared game 3 with me (as did Yatesy one of the PAC lads) which was a memorable experience. As the 3s rained (and boy it was pissing down yesterday in the Alamo) and we exchanged high 5s it took me right back 20 years to when we were making the shots in life or death games, teammates, friends, Tigers, brothers ... my favourite team of all time ...

Thanks Jobe, Keel and Doctor for the memories & to the game of Basketball for bringing us together 

Long Range Forecasting

I've done a lot of reading on recovery times for this injury and below is the approximate standard you'll find online for an aggressive rehab

• 3-5 days - Adequate pain control, decrease in swelling and wound check. Toe touch weight bearing
• 2 weeks - First follow up, Active flexion to 45 deg, 90 deg passive extension. 25% weight bearing
• 4 weeks - Active flexion to 90 deg, 120 deg passive extension. 50% weight bearing
• 6 weeks - 2nd surgery to remove wire
• 8 weeks - 120 deg Active flexion (at 120 you can ride a stationary bike) Full weight bearing (with brace)
• 12 weeks - straight leg raise with no lag, Full Active flexion (140 deg is full) Full weight bearing
• 16 weeks - tendon is full healed
• 26 weeks - symmetric quadriceps size and strength
• 36 weeks - 100% recovery

But my research reading messageboards, blogs and heaps of websites is that this is the best case. Most people seem to be 25% behind at each of the checkpoints at best and up to 50 or even 100% behind in extreme cases

Its gonna be a long long road ... and I'll have a better idea of the targets by this time next week. 

Whilst were talking forecasts here's a couple of my own ...

Game 3 - Spurs win by 5

Series - Spurs win in 7 - yep its a big call to win the series on the road in 7 but I just have this feeling that it will be 3-2 heading into Miami and they'll get it done the 2nd time around

But hey I could be wrong on all of the above and likely will be ... wouldn't be the first time ... but like everything my money is where my mouth is ... 

If SportingBet were carrying odds on a full recovery I'd definitely chuck a few $$$ on

Adjustments

Sometimes when you think things are on the right track something comes along and forces a change in strategy ... an adjustment

This is definitely the case for me at the moment as the usual weekly routine of work, study, DJing, basketball training, Monday and Saturday games, gym sessions and the minutiae of everyday life have been replaced with a very different game plan

My normal weekly plan has been adjusted into a new daily plan and even that takes a fair bit of work ... then every individual task has to be distilled into a bunch of new and quite foreign steps that I actually have to think about to execute. Sometimes we take way too much for granted...

Wake up, need to get out of bed, get crutches in right spot, drag yourself to end of bed, balance, get up, don't fall over

Toilet, get crutches, don't slip, get to toilet, negotiate door and lights, put 1 crutch against wall, pee

Ice, can someone get me the ice, unzip brace, ice 20 mins, re-zip brace, get up stretch legs, ice back in freezer

Day Plan -  wake up, move to couch, elevate leg, eat, get up every hour for 5 minutes, ice (see above), lather, rinse, repeat

Adjustments fucking loads of them ...

Game 2 brought some adjustments .. Miami made loads of them ...


Switching screens, going under the screen on Parker, side pick and rolls with Lebron as the picker in offence, super aggressive trapping on defence, force more mistakes, win

It definitely worked for them but it took some time for all these adjustments to pay off. I assume that will be the case for me but the pay off seems a long way off in the distance ...

Anyway I got my plan for tomorrow, and the next few days til next week when I hit the 2 week mark and see the surgeon. Then I'll need a new plan but I'm ready to make the adjustment ...

Humble beginnings ...

"This is where it all begins, with one kid alone on the playground, this is where you fall in love with the game, this is where the fantasy begins" ...    Michael Jordan (Jordans Playground)     
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcqVJzBytjo




For most of you reading this I assume the above holds true, it certainly did for me as a primary school kid. We lived no more than 300m from Coorara Primary and it wasn't too far to dribble a ball up to the asphalt courts and fire up a few shots. 

Its one of the greatest things about basketball, the ultimate team game, that all you need is a ball and a hoop and you're set. Whether you were loving life, upset about something or in trouble with the folks the simple act of putting the ball through the hoop would make everything else irrelevant. This is where I fell in love with the game

The problem was I wasn't very good at it, certainly not terrible but not up with my skills on the soccer pitch or athletics field. But I always knew push come to shove that basketball would win out and I would just keep trying to get better, to improve, I would not die wondering ...

My new best friend

Rehab will be no different ... I'm realistic about my chances of playing basketball again but 100% optimistic about a full recovery. Coaching basketball, riding a mountain bike, maybe some golf and table tennis these things will drive me

Right now its day 6 post operation and apart from pretty much spending all that time laying or sitting with the feet up I'm able to weight bear on the right foot at 25% supported by crutches and zimmer brace and make 4 to 5 baby steps. Right on schedule ...


Next milestone is first follow up with surgeon in 8 days time until then I'll spend a lot of time thinking about that kid on the playground, making the odd shot, not a care in the world ...

Quick Thankyou

Super quick but important post this afternoon as we hit the 1 week post injury mark

Huge Huge Thanks to

Palk - for keeping in touch and popping by
Fran - for whipping up that spicy vegetable soup that got me by the first few days
Thommo, Wans, Josh & Andy - for the visits, the wine and the cheese
Slate (Dad) - has been clutch this week helping out basically every day
Weasel (Mum) - advance thanks as next week she will be on deck
Matty Bonython - for sharing game 1, his medical expertise and advice (his dad had a double patella tendon rupture - which I cant even fathom)
Nik Kaz - for covering my gigs at Eden (get on down there people)
Pinot & Savvy - my 2 Burmese champions (PS jumping on that knee is bad)
Everyone else - for the emails, texts & calls of support

& 

Georgie - she is the best - for dishing up the meals, rebounding ice packs and pillows, blocking out grumpy patients, showing amazing hustle all over the court and for basically leading the league in assists over the last 7 days

Your awesome and I love you!

Fine line between Pain & Pleasure

The last 3 days have been a blur - the most pain I've ever been in, the loss of dependence, the realisation of the road ahead .... a drug induced haze of difficult toilet trips, crutches and complete uncomfortability. 

Try having your leg stuck out in full extension for 6 days - let alone 6 weeks

Basically it sucks

But today there was a ray of light - today was the first day I didn't require 24 hour medication, the first day I could put 25% weight bearing on my right foot and the first day of the NBA Finals!!!!

Bring that shit on

Psst Tony you are the greatest PG in the world - show everyone

For those that don't know my favourite sporting team in the whole wide world is the San Antonio Spurs - its not even close ...


... and why shouldn't they be Andrew Gaze has played for them as do current Boomers Patty Mills and Aron Baynes, their assistant coach is Brett Brown basically an Aussie. 

Mutual love between 2 of my teams

They should be every Australians favourite team ... and that's before we start talking about the Admiral, Duncan, Pop, Titles, Winning, Parker and Manu (and now Kawhi)

GoSpursGo

So why do I love them well its actually pretty simple back in 
87 or 88 my folks bought my brother an Atlanta Hawks full NBA playing uni (shorts and singlet) and me a Spurs one. This was a massive deal as we could rarely afford such items. 

But I got dudded Andy got the mighty Dominique Wilkins and his 50+ win Hawks and I got the 21-61 Spurs and to make matters worse the singlet was #21 which was Alvin Robertson and later Sidney Green (and much later Tim Duncan)

Regardless the Spurs were my team and I didn't know we'd drafted David Robinson and by the next year (once he'd finished service in the Navy) we'd have achieved the biggest one season turnaround in NBA history adding 35 wins and would be perennial contender still today

Oui I know lads ... I got this

I've been home on leave or not working for the last 3 Spurs titles pretty much by design and have loved those cold winter months watching my team on the biggest stage

I definitely didn't plan to hurt myself like this so I could watch the Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals but as the shot clock review happened on Tony Parker's ridiculous buzzer beater I wasn't in pain anymore or thinking about my knee ... I was just happy that things were back to normal ...

(and that Derek Fisher doesnt play for Miami)

This ones nice but everytime we get this one we get the other one 

A word about surgery and tin sheds

Thumbs up all OK ... the tag confirms I'm 37 getting a wee bit nostalgic ...

But first a few words about the surgery ... 


Holes are drilled in the Patella and sutures are stitched through the remaining tendon and looped through the holes. Some cross stitching is weaved through the tendon to provide extra strength. These non-absorbable sutures will stay in until the end of time.  

There are 2 other options from here - a full cast for 6 weeks or a metal wire for approximately the same time

My surgeon opted for the metal wire which is weaved through the tendon, the holes in the Patella and a hole in the top of the Tibia. This provides additional strength whilst the tendon is healing allows some weight bearing earlier (after 2 weeks rather than 6) and appears to be the way to go for a quicker rehab period. The downside is I have a 2nd operation scheduled in just over 5 weeks time to take out the wire.

That surgery will be less invasive and from everything I've read is a better way to go and also a real milestone in the recovery process.

During my research I've found an amazing website http://injuryupdate.com.au/
It is a great resource and the Patella Tendon Rupture Forum has been running for 8 years and has had nearly half a million page views http://www.injuryupdate.com.au/forum/showthread.php?878-Patellar-Tendon-Rupture

It is actually not a very common injury and I think because of this the Forum has become a meeting place for everyone around the world going through this horrible injury. I've read over half the 2000+ posts and intend to start posting soon too. Awesome work from an Oz based website


So back to nostalgia .... lets go right from the beginning ...

Started playing Basketball at Coorara Primary School in Morphett Vale around 7 or 8 years old, a couple of the mums that also played coached my first team as their sons were in the team. We wore Red and I bet the scores were 12-8 most weeks. 

Also at the school was a teacher who was the SAPSASA BBall coach .. fate again?? Unfortunately at this point I wasn't very good at Basketball but I was a pretty handy winger / striker on the soccer pitch.

Morphett Vale in the early 80s was a hoops hotbed fuelled by large suburban sprawl and an influx of young families. I remember watching my mum play daytime ladies BBall as early as 1980 in a large green tin shed in Wilfred Taylor Reserve.

Morphett Vale Stadium

It was to become my 2nd home ... 

A wee little dream

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away ...

Surgery successful and like our long time friend Homer Simpson perhaps a little more morphine would help.


Although lots of pain meds plus hip nerve blocker the pain is still a 4/10 dull in general but with some sharp edges like a rusty knife cutting through a well aged steak. 

Footy Classified is on the box at least my knee is in better shape than the Melbourne Football Club. Insert K(Neeld) joke here ..

Earlier in the weekend I backed Richmond to win by 25+ (at $10 to 1). Given the Southern Tigers Gold Reserves had a must win game also I must have known it was a good day for Tigers in all codes .. our boys got up too after dropping 2 straight with a solid one over Adelaide Uni pretty much at the same time I was under the knife - check the ladder here  - going pretty well for a bunch of old midgets
http://www.sportingpulse.com/comp_info.cgi?c=1-3-0-254697-0&pool=-1&round=0&a=LADDER

Its been a tough few weeks for the lads - losing Patty Clarke to his 2nd ACL tear and then yours truly. I know Timmy Hodge is close to returning from a year off post shoulder reco and I know I'll regret not making it out on the court with him for one last game ...

To Clarkey, Toddy, Hugh, Hodgey, THodge, Stacker and BC (and DC and PC) give it your best this year we can win this thing.

Playing Longford in Central Ireland, a decent road trip, depending on the travel we would stay overnight then after the game, we'd get hammered at the local pub / club.
 Some Free Throws and the bench (an area where I do some of my best work)

Post Op Nurse Stacey is from Ireland ... good to chat re travels and my former home (Belfast 05/06) and has me determined to see more of the world in 2014!! Reminds me where the game has taken me ... I played a season for Queens University in the Irish version of our ABL. 

Road trips to far away places,  players from all over the world (in our squad were 2 Aussies, a Kiwi, a French PF, a Scottish Centre, a US Guard and a few Irishmen) ...

So fast I'm blurry (cameras not that good back then) Playing D and Rebounding definitely my forte'

and especially walking home from training in the snow ... wont be forgotten despite all the Guinness

Prep for Surgery by the Numbers

Room 30 ... 33 would have been better karma or 6 those are my numbers in life, on the court and on the roulette table. Steph Curry wears 30 though so ill take it. He's as exciting a player to watch as I can remember and we love him over at Herbal Treatment HQ 


No 30 goes nuclear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbk7BlCShsE
and from the cheap seats a goosebump clip 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP0hkf3YjGQ

Surely arrow not required??

Prepped painted and ready for battle .. when they cut me open I expect black gold and old red blood to pour out. Met the surgeon he's an old Saints boy and my anaesthetist is from PAC and his girls play juniors for Sturt (so did I for 2 years ... gay) .. only a small crowd in @ the Wakefield Intercol Theatre .. but im ready to play defense and talk to the troops. Shotclock at 10 to shoot,  6, 5, 4, BzZzzzzz

Home Sunday Home

Nice swelling  - kneecap is floating an inch or 2 high

This is pretty much what happened - minus the defenders and NBA uniforms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1bmgl5rjjg

Home Sunday Home ... RICEing it up watching my Happy Happy Hawks during their BYE week. Had some money on a 90-99 pt win over the hapless Demons and the small payout helped dull the pain

Got great visits and support from all the best peeps. Thommo and Wans, Naked Josh  Moorfoot and little bro Andy P. Together with my lovely Georgie we had a vino some nice cheese and for something different a laugh at Forfeit Moorfoot (for some reason we have an extensive collection of random naked photos of Josh) perhaps I'll put some on a TShirt???

Sorry but payback for last years GF is required

Josh seems infatuated with doodling doodles on SnapChat if only he put that much effort into his free throw shooting ... also so much text and online love from all the Tiggers and Reds ... really humbling. 

This ... (PLS read it if you havent yet)  http://oldredsbasketball.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/sacba-week-5-results.html made baby jesus cry. As did my sms exchange with Coach Matty Clarke ... our life and bball paths have intertwined for over 20 years (our Dads also worked together - oh Adelaide) .. he and the entire Clarke family have always inspired me. 

If u surround yourself with good people u definitely can't lose!!