Tuesday, February 9, 1999
Old school style will always pave way for athletes of modern
times
COLUMN: Stars like Jordan owe debt to skills of Dr. J, Muhammed
Ali, Pete Rose
There isn’t anything like the old school. What is old
school?
Old school isn’t any one quality. Old school players aren’t
necessarily the best players of any one era. Old school is a "je ne
sais quoi" – you know it when you see it, but you can’t figure out
exactly what it is.
Afros, knee-length socks, Chuck Taylors, high stirrups,
brushback pitches, head slaps, chop blocks and playing for a yard
and a cloud of dust – these are some examples of what the old
school is all about.
Old school is a player like Julius Erving. Dr. J is the epitome
of old school. In the old ABA with the red, white and blue ball,
Erving set the standard for what old school represents.
With the exception of tight shorts, everything about the good
doctor set trends for the ’90s. He had a head of hair that could
invoke Afro-envy from the Jackson 5. With his Converse, high socks
and wristbands, he was scoring and soaring before Michael Jordan
could dunk on a five-foot rim. Now that is old school.
Pete Rose was also old school. Representing everything that
baseball should be, "Charlie Hustle" would find a way to get dirty
before the national anthem. The most lingering image of the
all-time hits leader is one of him barreling into catcher Ray Fosse
and separating Fosse’s shoulder, effectively spiraling the catcher
into oblivion as a journeyman player for the remainder of his
career. Did I mention that the play took place at the All-Star
game?
Rose was the type of player that went all out on every play,
regardless of the situation. That is old school.
The Chicago Bears are a franchise that just oozes old school.
From George Halas to Dick Butkus to Gale Sayers to Mike Ditka, this
team has so much old school that it might as well be teaching by
candlelight.
But there is one player that stands out, even among this bunch.
That player is Mike Singletary. Remember his eyes? Singletary had
this look that would paralyze opposing running backs and
quarterbacks with just a glimpse. Singletary was the last of the
true middle linebackers, and he made sure that though the position
may be obsolete, it will never be forgotten. Old school? Without a
doubt.
But when thinking of old school, there is only one athlete who
represents what it’s all about – Muhammad Ali. From his days as the
"Louisville Lip," a.k.a. Cassius Clay until he received worldwide
acclaim as "The Greatest," Ali was what sports were all about and
what sports should still be about – entertaining while
dominating.
From his prediction of a knockout over 6-to-1 favorite and
one-time felon Sonny Liston, to the time he would challenge a
ringside-sitting George Foreman to a fight (this was in the ring,
immediately after Ali had destroyed Jerry Quarry), Ali was never
seen with his mouth closed.
Poetry, predictions, guarantees, flamboyance and "good looks"
were the things that separated Ali from any other athlete, past or
present. Even when his once-chiseled, gold medal winning 175-pound
frame had evolved into a more mature, less defined 223 pounds, Ali
incorporated brains, braggadocio and brawn to prove that no matter
who he was fighting, he was always "the greatest." This is truly
old school.
Not to fear, however, for the old school is not dead. The late
’80s and early ’90s provided us with a crop of players that will
represent the old school for the class of 2010 and beyond.
Magic Johnson brought a style, flair and energy to the court
that had never been seen. Kirby Puckett roamed American League
centerfields with exuberance, joy and passion that could inspire
any self-righteous baseball fan to pick up a ball and bat. Kevin
Greene brought an intensity and competitive fire to the linebacker
position that will be emulated for years.
These players aren’t old school yet, but they will be. Even the
Generation X athletes will eventually be old school. Guys like
Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Ken Griffey Jr., Mo Vaughn, Barry
Sanders, John Elway and Roy Jones Jr. will all be looked up to and
emulated due to some unique aspect of their game that just made it
more fun for everybody involved.
And that’s what it should be about. From the old to the new,
traditions are started, handed down and reinvented. There will
always be old school styles, old school players and old school –
it’s just up to the modern day athletes to create what will be
forever remembered.
Evan Lovett would like to give props to Tony Fong for providing
the inspiration for this column. Lovett is an old school b-boy who
can be found wearing shell-toed Adidas, high socks and wristbands.
Tips on growing an Afro can be sent to [email protected]
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