Oh Say Can You See...

Before I get started with today's article, watch the following video courtesy of YouTube:


For those unfamiliar with the what you just watched, back in April of 2005, Natalie Gilbert was put center stage in front of thousands of fans at the Portland Trailblazers' Rose Garden arena to sing the national anthem. The night was reserved for a huge playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks, but we all remember for what we witnessed before the tip-off.

Natalie Gilbert started off beautifully and the crowd was very hush-hush, which is typical during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, until Gilbert started to stutter a bit and then ultimately stopped singing. Gilbert stood speechless in front of thousands at the Rose Garden and millions watching across America as she could not recall the words to this storied theme for our country. Maurice Cheeks, who was the head coach in Portland at the time, has always been known as a clutch player and a hall-of-fame point guard during his playing days, but he had his greatest assist that night for Ms. Gilbert.

Mo (as most know him in the sports world) walked over and quickly reassured her of the situation, calming her down in the process. Very softly, Cheeks spoke the lyrics of the song slowly by Natalie's side, encouraging her to continue. Still struggling, the 13-year old girl rose her voice to the occasion and sang the acappella of our anthem. Natalie continued tripping over the words but now everywhere the camera turned, players and coaches alike were singing along and the entire crowd at the Rose Garden joined in like a church choir and captured the hearts of those who witnessed the moment.

We wind down the moment with Natalie belting out the final lyrics and walking off the court to a standing ovation, but not before giving Coach Cheeks a hug of appreciation for saving her from what could've been a very embarrassing moment. For this, and many other things, Mo Cheeks has been one of the all-around "Good Guys" in the NBA and sports in general. Fans in Philadelphia, where he currently coaches the Sixers, echo the quote from Allen Iverson when he said "if you got a problem with Mo Cheeks, there must be something wrong with you."

The point is that we witness these events that are close to our hearts that connect with sports. With Independence Day approaching this Wednesday, I am reminded of Mo Cheeks' assist to young Natalie Gilbert as a defining moment for what people stand for in America. You might have one thing get you down and then, not only is there one person there for you, but thousands stand and pick you up. Not just Natalie Gilbert, but all of us.

There is a great connection between America and the sporting world. Can you think of another place where we hear our national anthem besides sporting events? Maybe you'll hear a remix rendition at your 4th of July celebration. I have stated before that I see sports as America's playground. Sports can also be defined in so many other ways.

The Definition of Passion: When broken down, each city, state, school, college campus or band of buddies come together to cheer on their team. And I say their team because these teams do belong to us. We may not invest the same amount of dollars that these owners do, but the countless hopes and dreams of a championship and the agony that breaks our hearts with every defeat is nothing that you can put a price on.

On a national level, the Olympics and World Cup are unprecedented in the competitive wars between nations for whatever prize we seek, whether it be a gold medal or simply the thrill of victory.

Tension Breaker: In 2001, after the catastrophic events of 9/11, everything in this country stopped. We had to take a moment to take in everything that just happened. Reruns ran on television, airplanes were grounded, offices and schools were closed and everyone stopped doing what they were doing. Two moments stand out to me that marked us as ready to move on. The first was when one of my coaches in high school looked up into the sky during practice and noticed a plane finally gracing the Philadelphia sky again when he remarked "that's a sight for sore eyes."

The second was when baseball resumed. Play had stopped for a week and the number one thing people needed was a distraction. Something to take our mind's off of the events and turn off CNN and tune into the ball game. I still remember the Phillies sending Robert Person to the mound for a huge game against the Atlanta Braves as they battled for the division under first year skipper Larry Bowa.

Did that night change what happened? Did it take away the pain we felt for our loved ones or the people suffering in front of the cameras from this terrible attack? No, but it gave us something else to keep us occupied and even gave fans a rooting interest while we cleaned up the country.

Stepping Stones for the Future: Movement is one thing that is not taught but is more so interpreted by infants as they get older and frustrated with the rug burn from all the crawling. You cannot teach children in a classroom how to work together to accomplish a goal the way sports can. Heck, what classroom atmosphere helps us understand how to throw a ball? Simply throwing a ball! No math, reading or science offers us this explanation in grade school. We depend on our gym classes for these responsibilities.

Now is it necessary for a child to learn how to throw a ball if he is to become an accountant or something other than an occupation dealing with sports or physical education? No, but its these actions that help our children develop the motor skills that they will rely on a adults. Sports and physical education shows us how to establish structure, rules and strategy to the games or activities we participate in, yet more and more schools are cutting Phys.Ed. from their curriculum in order to meet standards in other areas. Those in the decision making positions fail to acknowledge the need for our kids to go through this type of course work every year, as well as ignore informing children how to take care of themselves by observing what they put in their bodies.

There is a reason we are one of the largest nations in the world.
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But Wednesday for us is more than just barbecues and baseball. Coming together and celebrating America with our loved ones is what makes this holiday special every year. No one goes down to Penn's Landing or the Art Museum just to see fireworks. Its an all day event that allows us to get together and enjoy the freedoms this country offers us.The fireworks are simply the icing on the cake.
Happy Birthday America!

Our 42 of the Day A Rare Flag with 42 Stars
The 42nd Star signified the Entry of
the State of Washington into the Union in 1889