Baseball: It follows the seasons, beginning each year with the fond expectancy of springtime and ending with the hard facts of autumn.
It is the great arrogance of the present to forget the intelligence of the past.
Ken Burns (born 1953) is an American filmmaker who specializes in documentaries about American history and culture. Many of his works have been presented in PBS.
One’s love of the game sharing
Encouraging life’s new vision
One more summer of baseball
Boys answering their final call
Autumn’s sandlot football days
In field’s dirt, drawing up plays
Collecting each baseball card
Keeping all, never will discard
Playing catch with dad each night
Pitching finds home plate in moonlight
Playing high school football games
Friday nights bringing lasting fame
Playing one final season
Retirement waits in postseason
Wrapped up in competition
Respecting each sport’s traditions
Memories of each game played
Never allowing time to fade
Dreaming of playing again
Competing in life’s senior lane
Remembering each mentor
Always open, each coach’s door
Enduring fabric of sports
Our love of the game playing out
Written in June, 2019, this light-hearted poem takes a curious look at names of professional sports teams.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Sports teams abound
Loyal fans cheer on
Unique names astound
What is a Laker?
Honoring “Land of 10,000 Lakes”
Minnesota becomes Los Angeles Lakers
What is a Dodger?
In Brooklyn, dodging the trolley tracks
Becoming baseball’s “Dem Bums”—the Dodgers
What is a Canuck?
Referring to a French Canadian
Now hockey’s Vancouver Canucks
What is a Celtic?
Honoring Irish, Welsh, and others
Now a trademark of the Boston Celtics
Who are the Knickerbockers?
Remembering Dutch settlers’ trousers
NBA Knicks shortened from Knickerbockers
Why the Wizards?
Depicting violence as the NBA’s Bullets
Transformed into the energized Wizards
What is the meaning of the Mets?
Official team name of baseball’s Metropolitans
Becoming New York’s “Amazin’ Mets”
What’s with the Jazz?
Utah certainly doesn’t fit today
Formerly in New Orleans as the Jazz
Why the Cleveland Browns?
Sounding like such a simple name
Founded by their coach Paul Brown
Pausing now to catch an exciting game
Let’s hope their name brings them fame
Nothing ever small
Dreaming, another novel—
Writing with bigness
Pick baseball or golf
Swinging for fences or greens—
Which swing shall I use?
Congress at impasse
Where’s spirit to compromise?
Buried long ago
Here is another installment of Monday Memories. This poem was first published back in October during the middle of the college football season. He enjoys following and cheering for his two favorite college football teams
Filling the huge Horseshoe in their scarlet and gray
Cheering on their beloved Buckeyes each Saturday
Watching mascot Brutus fire up the thousands of fans
Experiencing tailgate parties from the back of a van
Sitting elbow to elbow in the bleacher seats
Seeing that the Buckeyes are hard to beat
Experiencing another remarkable Michigan victory
Wondering what Coach Woody would want to see
Go Buckeyes Go!
Conquer another foe!
Special Note: The reference to Coach Woody honors the greatest of all Buckeyes’ football coaches, Woody Hayes. He coached the Buckeyes from 1950-1978. His teams won five national championships and 13 Big Ten conference titles.
Another college football season is upon us. Now you know where my football allegiance stands: Montana State Bobcats and Ohio State Buckeyes. I need to hurry along now to stay ahead of rivals Montana Grizzlies and Michigan Wolverines.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Sports teams abound
Loyal fans cheer on
Unique names astound
What is a Laker?
Honoring “Land of 10,000 Lakes”
Minnesota becomes Los Angeles Lakers
What is a Dodger?
In Brooklyn, dodging the trolley tracks
Becoming baseball’s “Dem Bums”—the Dodgers
What is a Canuck?
Referring to a French Canadian
Now hockey’s Vancouver Canucks
What is a Celtic?
Honoring Irish, Welsh, and others
Now a trademark of the Boston Celtics
Who are the Knickerbockers?
Remembering Dutch settlers’ trousers
NBA Knicks shortened from Knickerbockers
Why the Wizards?
Depicting violence as the NBA’s Bullets
Transformed into the energized Wizards
What is the meaning of the Mets?
Official team name of baseball’s Metropolitans
Becoming New York’s “Amazin’ Mets”
What’s with the Jazz?
Utah certainly doesn’t fit today
Formerly in New Orleans as the Jazz
Why the Cleveland Browns?
Sounding like such a simple name
Founded by their coach Paul Brown
Pausing now to catch an exciting game
Let’s hope their name brings them fame
Photo by Daniel on Pexels.com
Destined to command the pack around the track
The shiny and high-speed race car never slacks
Fine-tuned to outrun and outmuscle every foe
This car will sprint to the finish, never too slow
Racing for a championship with 200 grueling laps
The experienced driver is favored to win in a snap
Waiting all week for race day to finally arrive
The rest of the field wonders how to survive
Handled with precision, the favorite speeds onward
The driver’s bubbling confidence shines forward
Taking the lead from the start of the 500 mile sprint
The cool, poised driver stays ahead as others flinch
Hearing the engine competing at its maximum speed
Four, three, two laps and one more to finish the deed
Running razor-close to the edge of the wall
The driver knows the competition shall fall
Entering the final corner of today’s dominating ride
The car fuels excitement with nothing ever to hide
Anticipating the checkered flag waiting at the finish line
The driver applies a final burst of speed for the last time
Victory ahead . . .
CRASH!!!
Crushed into the outer wall takes away smiles
This car won’t be racing for quite a long while
Saddened by a single error and a disastrous mistake
The driver grimaces at his unfortunate luck and fate
Big Sky Buckeye 