Local boy done good...

This past Sunday I was able to meet one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. Ron Simmons, known to many fans for being the first black WCW World Heavyweight Champion as well as a member of the Nation of Domination and the Acolytes Protection Agency in the WWE as Farooq. He had such a presence about him that though younger fans may only know him as the guy who is reduced to a catchphrase nowadays, he was one of the more powerful performers I ever had the chance to see. However, this is more than just an extended Wikipedia page about Simmons' career.

Simmons was well known around Middle Georgia, particularly in the small city of Perry. He attended Warner Robins High School, which was the school my brothers and I attended in the late 1980s - early 1990s. He was workout buddies with my uncle, and even to this day is one of the most celebrated athletes in the area, from his All-American career at Florida State to his exploits in the squared circle. Along with other players such as former Los Angeles Raider Eddie Anderson, it's always refreshing to see people from our hometown grow up to succeed on a greater scale.

Meeting him was more than about getting a photo-op (although it was incredibly cool!) it was about reminiscing about dreams from a long time ago. Often we allow the treadmill of life to interrupt those dreams and we leave them back in our hometown, thinking that they were only foolish machinations of our mind as we move forward to focus on bigger paychecks and comfort. Mr. Simmons was a reminder of how dreams can truly come true if we are willing to work hard and stay focused on the bigger goal ahead.

Wherever you go, bring your dreams and gifts with you; you never know what rooms they can open...

To pause and reflect

 

 

On most days I would use this platform as an opportunity to express my personal viewpoints on the impact that the decision makers have on the world of not only sports but in society.

 

Today is not that day. I was prepared to write about the recent comments on former ESPN analyst Curt Schilling, but that will have to wait for another time. Two recent tragedies have occurred within the past 12 hours that necessitated a change in plans.

 

The first one came from Southern California, where news of one Joanie Laurer, aka Chyna to wrestling fans of the late 1990s, passed away from an apparent overdose. Whether or not that is true is not the story at this time, neither are the events in the latter years of her life. I take you back to my college years which coincided with the famed "Attitude Era" of 1998 when she first made waves as the proclaimed "Ninth Wonder of the World" in the WWF. Normally my friends and I would pack the community room at Virginia Commonwealth University to see the antics of Shawn Michaels and HHH as they formed Degeneration X and took over the WWF by storm. However, our eyes would quickly be averted to the woman standing behind them, with a chiseled physique and stone-cold look.

 

Over the months and weeks of late 1997 and beyond we would marvel at how physical she would be with the other male wrestlers, even beating them on several occasions. She was nothing like the Barbie-doll types that usually would be featured on Monday Night Raw broadcasts. Chyna even won the Intercontinental title while battling Chris Jericho. As a matter of fact, we'd be surprised when she competed against the women, as if it was somehow unfair for her to even lower herself to that level.

Later she would go on to be known as "Mamacita" with Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero, and find a new level of stardom before leaving the wrestling business.

 

What made her so special and unique was that she was unlike anyone we had ever seen, or have seen since then. I don't know if she ever made peace with those in the business, but she left a lasting impression at a time when we were looking for something different. Male or female, wrestling fan or not, Chyna was truly a wonder to see.

 

The next story, while not directly sports related, hit me and I'm sure millions of others like a ton of bricks as Prince Rogers Nelson, affectionately known as simply "Prince," passed away today at the age of 57. Iconic, legendary, gifted, there aren't enough words to describe what this man did as an entertainer, actor and producer. If you grew up in the early 1980s, you watched or knew someone who had seen "Purple Rain," sang "1999" and knew what he meant "When Doves Cry."

 

Prince was known by many as an avid basketball fan in the state of Minnesota. He played for Bryant Junior High in the early 1970s as an undersized 2-guard along with his half-brother Duane before making beautiful music with his guitar on near Hendrix-levels. Even as he went on to become the second greatest musician along with Michael Jackson in the 1980s he was still a figure with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, frequently attending their games and making his usually quiet presence known.

 

 

 

Younger generations may only remember him from the Dave Chappelle skits of 2003 with him playing basketball and offering pancakes to his defeated opponents. I will always remember him for his affectionate love of purple, the mysticism in which he performed on the keys, to the vivid imagination in which he expressed himself through his music.

 

If there is a lesson to be learned from these respective lives, it's that to enjoy the days of your life as much as possible. Live, love, and learn.



When reality gets crossed...

Even as a child I knew that when I was watching a professional wrestling match that it was athletic theater, popularly defined these days as "Sports Entertainment." The competitors who faced off in the squared circle certainly knew how to entertain an audience with every move, and every storyline was designed to keep up enthralled. Many men even call it their very own soap opera, with anticipation of each dramatic episode keeping them on the edge of their seats. That said, there are those times in which those in attendance, and sometimes at home, believe that they are as much a part of the action as those who compete. Just go onto any blog site whenever an episode of WWE's "Monday Night Raw" has concluded, and you will read the opinions of many an armchair booker (booker is a term for someone who writes the wrestling storylines) who thinks they can create a better story, if only they had the chance. The vitriol becomes so intense that it turns into personal attacks, and people confuse fantasy with reality.

This confusion took place in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on Sunday when WWE wrestler Roman Reigns was attacked by a fan during his match. According to police, the fan used a gold-plated briefcase to throw it into the ring, hitting Reigns in the process. Fortunately no one was hurt and Reigns was able to finish the match, but the fan was removed from the arena and as a result was banned from all future wrestling shows.

Although the fan issued an apology and no charges were filed, what is interesting to note is that when other fans saw the briefcase, they chanted for the man to throw the briefcase in the ring. This is a symptom of a larger problem, in which people tend to listen to the voice of what's popular as opposed to what is right. I often tell my students what is mentioned in Proverbs 1:10 "My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!"


Go back to a time in which you listened to the wrong people, and the resulting consequences of those actions. What if you had decided "You know what? Thanks but no thanks," to the people who tried to steer you in the wrong direction? Are you listening to those voices even today? Innovation is not saying yes to every idea that comes along, but it's being able to say "No." It shows focus and determination to do what is best, and is a benchmark of maturity.

However, I'd have to question the maturity of a man who decided to spend his time painting a briefcase gold in the first place...