21

As a kid growing up in Memphis I was very much into sports. From organized sports including the big three to golf and tennis. But it was nothing like my favorite two games growing up. Pick up and run football and 21.

Pick up and run was the best because there was normally only one kid in the neighborhood with a football. Everybody it seems had basketballs but such wasn’t the case with footballs. So on any one of them three open fields from Castalia Heights, to Magnolia Elementary School of the field by the ditch next to South Parkway Gardens Apartments. In Pick up and run would be any where from four to forty young men playing no-holds bared football in which who ever got the ball would run and be subject to being gang tackled (which was usually the case) by all else playing.

Now I loved that, but didn’t love it more than 21. 21 was the basketball equal to pick up and run. The best games were played with 15 or more people. Object was to be the first one to get to 21 in points via free throws or a regular basket. We never played the tip version, for real ball players had to take it back pass the free throw line and score between all those playing. We had another version called Arkansas 21, which was also called rough house – which was strange since the winner had to score 36 points.

I say this because not always do I get the chance to talk of my love of sports and politics without a discussion of economics or some other mundane esoteric stuff. But I just wanted to know if folks imagined like me, what the games of 21 will look like for the future occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I will give Obama the benefit of the doubt, that he does enjoy 21. I mean James Joes, although 54, was a forward at Georgetown back in the day and Eric Holder (next AG) played ball at the reputable Stuyvesant High School in NYC. Add to the mix Obama’s personal assistant – Reggie Love who played round ball and football at Duke University and Arne Duncan, who lettered in Basketball at Harvard - Mr. Obama (a member of a Hawaii state basketball championship team back in the day – may need to step his game up. I mean I hear Susan Rice was one of Washington, DC’s best point guards back in the day.

What does this mean, well really nothing, except I love sports, and wish they would televise some of the games one day – I mean professional basket aint like what it used to be, and well 21, is always 21, especially if you aint got enough folks to run a 5 on 5 full court game.

fantasy congress

Since I killed what would be roughly the amount of brain cells one would loose after consuming a pint of Tequila last night, I would like to interrupt our regular scheduled programming to suggest an intersection of two things that I thought should never merge, or that from a regression of my days as a chemistry major, are insoluble.

If you don’t know, I am a fantasy sports junky and a CSPAN addict. I mean I have badges and shit and been playing since about 1995. From ESPN to the Sporting News, I have had a many of fantasy tems covering baseball, basketball and football. What many of you do know, via the reading and mental consumption of my tractates posted on this Blog, is that also am an astute follower of politics and politrix. Looking at CSPAN today, I noticed that these folks were passing Bills, was amazed because I had never seen the process work so well since “I’m just a Bill on Capitol Hill” School house rock days – I may be dating my self. But what I came to find out was that the were voting on two things:

H.Res. 697 - Commending Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre for establishing a National Football League record for most career touchdown passes, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. Kagen / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

and

H.Res. 654 - Congratulating the Phoenix Mercury for winning the 2007 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Championship (Sponsored by Rep. Pastor / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

I was puzzled that my money was going for them to vote on these resolutions when the taxes on my 11 acres going up steadily each year. I mean it’s cool to honor folk, but do they need to take it to the floor for a vote? I’m down with H.Res. 630 (Congratulated the Warner Robins, Georgia Little League Baseball on winning the 2007 Little League World Series Championship - Sponsored by Rep. Marshall / Oversight and Government Reform Committee) and things of hat nature, but can’t they send an email around?

Afterwards, I just so happened to run across a new fantasy league. It is called the Fantasy Congress, and a person can pick up to seven represenatives, from either side of the house to make a team. I couldn’t resist the temptation to set up my own league and draft my stating line-up.
Each person can have a team comprised of upper-senators, lower senators All-stars (senior representatives), a supporting line-up mid-range representatives) and rookies (junior representatives). Points are given for six categories 1] legislative success, 2] voting attendance, 3] Maverick score (having guts to break and vote against party lines), 4] speeches, 5] national news media coverage and 6] local news media coverage.

I was even allowed the chance to extend my season beyond the limits of the active congress and senate so I set mine to one year. Now why am I saying this? Well I set up a league and it has room for 23 folks. Since they ain’t working for us from a representation perspective, we may as well get some use out of them as quasi-athletes. So what yawl say, who down to play some fantasy congress? I’ll be waiting. The League is called the Rawdawgbufalo Libetarian blogosphere and the password is 9andahalfby6.

Let’s do this.