From the Bleachers

COLUMN BY KURT MARGGRAF IN CHICAGO

While talking with an old college friend that I haven’t seen in years, I was reminded why we were such good friends.

Freshman year, I was sitting in my dorm room, playing Motown music with the volume up to eleven, when a guy from down the hall came dancing into my room saying how much he loved the Temptations, a soulful group from the 60’s that was also my favorite group.

We got to talking a little longer and discovered that we had grown up relatively close to each other, loved Chicago sports teams, and R&B music. Now, some 50 years later, it seemed like yesterday when we last talked. If that doesn’t show you the power of music and sports, I’m not sure what does.

My friend Nick, who was about six inches shorter than me, snuck up behind me once and blocked my shot during a pick-up game. All these years later, that block still brings him so much joy that it brings a huge, sincere smile to my face.

We played a lot of basketball, once even playing a game with Walt Frazier (we didn’t know who he was at the time, but most of all we sat around listening to records and talking about sports. We attended Southern Illinois University when Walt Frazier was playing), Frazier went on to have a hall of fame career for the New York Knicks).

We spent many hours at the Arena cheering on the team that would eventually defeat the Marquette Warriors to win the NIT championship at Madison Square Garden. We also used to playfully fight with Carl, the middle linebacker on the football team.

Once the playing around went a little too far and, thankfully, he did us a favor by leaving and going upstairs to his room. About an hour later, he called to me through his open window. I opened my window and stuck my head out only to get drenched by a wastebasket full of water. He yelled laughingly that I needed too cool down. Carl went on to play for over a decade in the NFL and coached another decade.

The Cubs were beginning to emerge from years of mediocrity, the Bears were the Bears, still years away from their championship team with the great defense and coach Ditka, and Michael Jordan had yet to arrive in Chicago, but Aretha Franklin was coming to town so all was right with the world.

Well, not exactly. Viet Nam was raging and young men everywhere were being asked to go to war. The Democratic convention was being held in Chicago, students were demonstrating, and Mayor Daley issued a “shoot to kill” order to the police force.

Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. A very astute unknown person said, “Choose a major you love and you’ll never work a day in your life because that field probably isn’t hiring.”

Be kind. Talk to you next week. Peace, love, and happiness.