Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Running With the Bulls: A High Stakes Game of One-on-One

This is just a repost of something I wrote over at Foul Balls (It was a two-part series!) but since it's more humorous than about sports, I thought I'd post it here as well.

The story behind it is that I'm just incredibly sick of watching the Bulls this season, and since I can't enjoy watching them play, at least I can enjoy making fun of them.

So here it is.


Location: Hyatt Regency, Orlando, FL. John Paxson's room
Date: Tuesday January 15th 1:15PM


(Bulls general manager John Paxson awaits Joakim Noah in his suite. Jim Boylan is sitting on the couch. Joakim was supposed to be there at 1:00PM)



John Paxson: Where the fuck is this kid. Has he learned nothing? He's already 15 minutes late.

Jim Boylan: I saw him in the lobby a while ago boss, he's probably just caught up with the fellas!

JP: Well he's supposed to be in here. We need to have a talk about him maturing as a man.

JB: I'm sure he'll be fine boss! He brings much needed energy!!

(Joakim enters the office)


Joakim Noah: What up, bitches!? Sorry I'm late. We were having a players only meeting to gameplan for tonight's game against the Magic. We're going to try and force Dwight Howard to take jump shots and attack him on the defensive end.

JB: That sounds fantastic, Joakim!

JP: No it doesn't. Joakim, it's the coaching staff's job to come up with a gameplan, not the teams. The team is supposed to do what they're told.

JB: Oh, don't be so hard on him, boss! He's only trying to help. He brings such a youthful exuberance to the locker room and the court!!

(Paxson shoots Boylan a death stare)


JP: As I was saying.....Joakim. Let coach Boylan and his staff come up with the game plans, and you start worrying about making yourself the best basketball player you can be.

JN: How the hell am I supposed to do that if you people keep benching me? So I yelled at coach Adams. So what? Ben Wallace threw coach Skiles through a window. He didn't get suspended.

JP: You don't worry about Ben Wallace! You worry about Joakim Noah!

JN: That's so unfair! Ben gets to do whatever the hell he wants, and nobody punishes him.

JP: Ben is a veteran, he's earned that right. You still have to put in the time.

JN: This is bullshit.

JP: What's that?

JN: I said, this is BULLSHIT. The rules here are bullshit, this team is bullshit, everything is bullshit!

JB: Now, now, fellas. Let's not make a big ol' fuss! Who wants a Werther's Original!?

(Boylan pulls out a bag of Werther's Originals from his pocket)

JP: Boylan! Get the fuck out of my room.

JB: But why....

JP: Now!!!

JB: Yessir, boss!! Later, Joakim!

(Paxson turns back to Noah)


JP: Joakim, I'm tired of your behavior. This isn't college, we aren't in Gainesville. You aren't the big man on campus. I'm your boss, and you'll do exactly as I say.

JN: What the fuck ever. I'm out of here.

JP: That's it! There's only one way we can settle this. A high stakes battle of one-on-one basketball. You and me. Right now.

JN: High stakes? What will that solve? How much you wanna play for? $10,000? $20,000?

JP: Our lives.

JN: Are you fucking kidding me? Our lives?

(Paxson flies out of the room into the bathroom from whence he emerges with his battle garb)



JP: Let's do this shit.

(Meanwhile, outside the room, after overhearing the argument between Joakim and John Paxson, coach Boylan has run to the room of the only man who can help.)

(Ben Wallace sits in his hotel room watching Dora the Explorer)


Ben Wallace: Hola, mi nombre es Ben Wallace. ¿Cómo usted está haciendo hoy?

BW: Man, this Spanish shit is easy! Ben Wallace is learnin' at a 5th grade level!


Ben Wallace's Headband
: Why the fuck are we watching this shit, Ben? Order some porn or something. Daddy needs to release some tension.

BW: Can't do it, man. Gotta game tonight, Ben Wallace need his legs!

BWH: Fuck that. You're gettin paid either way, right? This team ain't going anywhere. There's no Chauncey. There's no Rip. There definitely ain't no Rasheed Wallace. Ya'll fools ain't goin nowhere. Let's get some porn, and take a night off.

BW: Ben Wallace do miss Rasheed's tender touch. Now Ben Wallace is all sad!

BWH: And you know what makes Ben Wallace happy? Bukkake Bonanza 13.

BW: Oh, ok.

(There's a knock at the door)


BW: Oh shit. Somebody is at Ben Wallace's door.

BWH: Ignore it, we got work to do!

JB: Ben!? It's coach Boylan! I need to talk to you big guy! There's trouble a brewin'!!

BW: Oh no! Trouble! Ben Wallace will help!

(Wallace goes to the door and lets coach Boylan in)


BWH: God damn it.

JB: Ben! Mr. Paxson, sir and Joakim are gonna come to fisticuffs very soon! They're planning on playing a high stakes game of one-on-one!!

BW: They's gonna kill each other!?

JB: You sure are smart big guy! Yes! Yes, they're going to kill each other. Somebody needs to stop them.

BW: Oh I don't know that I can coach Boylan. Ben Wallace's Headband and Ben Wallace were going to watch Bukkake Bonanza 13. He really has hit heart set on it!

JB: Well, if that's what you want to do that's a-ok with me, Ben! I should remind you though, Mr. Paxson, sir and Joakim are going to kill each other.

BW: Hmmmmmmmm...that could be bad. As the team's highest paid player it's up to Ben Wallace to show young Joakim Noah the way!

JB: Way to take responsibility, big guy! You sure do impress me with your professionalism!!

BW: Headband! We must go! Get on Ben Wallace's head!

BWH: But I already ordered the movie!

BW: Let us go save a young man from making a tragic decision!

(Ben puts on his headband and heads to John Paxson's hotel room. As he comes to the elevators, Kirk Hinrich is getting out.)



Kirk Hinrich: Hey, Ben! Where you in such a rush too!?

BW: No time to talk, Harry Potter! Ben Wallace needs to save the day!

(Wallace then picks up Hinrich and throws him out a second story window.)

KH: Aaaaaaah!!

JB: Nice toss, Ben!! He broke through that glass clean!

BW: Ben Wallace is a man that feels if you ain't gonna do something right, you don't do it at all. Now let's go save the day.




Location: Hyatt Regency, Orlando, FL.

Date: Tuesday January 15th 1:37PM


(John Paxson's hotel room where he and Joakim Noah continue to argue)



Joakim Noah: Come on, Mr. Paxson? A high stakes game of one-on-one for our lives? How do we die? It's basketball!


John Paxson: It's simple! We play to 11, and the winner gets to shoot the loser in the face.

JN: Jesus Christ, bitch. Isn't that kinda harsh?

JP: It's basketball!!

JN: Do we even have a gun?

JP: Of course, I carry one at all times. It's under my pillow.

JN: Ok! Enough of this bullshit! I ain't playing for my life, bitch. I get it. I'll start getting to practice on time. I'll keep my mouth shut. I'll fall in line.

(Paxson pulls out a gun from his waistband)


JP: NO YOU DO NOT GET IT, JOAKIM NOAH. YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY GET IT JOAKIM NOAH. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT BASKETBALL IS. WHAT BASKETBALL EMBODIES. WHAT BASKETBALL TURNS YOU INTO. YOU CAN NOT KNOW WHAT BASKETBALL IS FOR YOU HAVE NOT PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE, JOAKIM NOAH. YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED FOR YOUR LIFE.

JN: k.

JP: SO YOU WILL PLAY ME NOW, JOAKIM NOAH.....

(Ben Wallace kicks down the door to Paxson's hotel room)


Ben Wallace: Ben Wallace commands you to stop this crazy bullshit right now! Ya hear Ben Wallace!?

JP: Get out of here, Ben. THIS ISN'T ABOUT YOU.

JN: Dude, bitch. I'm trying to get him to stop! He's lost his mind!!

BW: All of you shut up! We will put an end to this foolishness right here and now! You have both forgotten what basketball is all about! Basketball isn't about blastin' dudes in the face, or puttin' your life on the line. It's about something bigger than that. It's about a group of people coming together for one common goal. Sacrificing themselves for the group they have chosen to fight with. Only then can we rise up to the mountain top, and bring home the NBA championship. We owe it to ourselves, to work hard and maintain focus, and not fight about foolishness, and become the champions that Ben Wallace knows we all are. But most importantly, we do it for the fans. The fans that come out everyday to support us, and give us their hard earned dollar so that we may play for them. We owe it to them. And even more importantly than the most importantly, we owe to the great city we belong to. A blue collar city that's all about hard work. We owe it to Detroit!

(blank stares)


Jim Boylan: Actually, we play in Chicago, Ben. But that sure was a great speech!!

BW: Ben Wallace play in Chicago?

JB: Yes.

BW: El hijo de una ramera


Ben Wallace's Headband: You's a dumb motherfucker.

JN: Screw that, Ben Wallace is still right. I've learned my lesson here today. I've learned that there are things that are more important than what I want to do. I'm supposed to be a professional now, and I'm going to start working harder. I'm going to strive to be a better basketball player to not only help my team, but to help make myself a man. Thank you, Ben Wallace. Thank you for showing me the way.

BW: Oh shit, it's nothing, man. Ben Wallace is here to help.

JP: Wow, I'm sorry Joakim. I don't know what came over me. I guess I'm just under a lot of pressure lately because after Ben threw coach Skiles out the window, the onus of this is on me. I'm so sorry.

JB: It's okay, boss!

JP: NOBODY TOLD YOU TO SPEAK!!

(Paxson shoots Boylan in the arm)


JB: Won't happen again, boss!!

JN: You should probably get that looked at, coach. Let me take you to the trainer's room!

(Joakim takes coach Boylan to the trainer's room, and Ben Wallace and his headband go back to their room)


BW: It sure do make Ben Wallace feel good to be the hero! I make a great leader of this team.

BWH: Uh huh.

BW: You wanna watch Bukkake Bonanza 13 now, because there's nothing Ben Wallace loves to do more after being a hero than masturbate!

BWH: No man, I'm not in the mood anymore.

BW: But why not, Headband?

BWH: That shit you said in Paxson's room. That was the gayest shit I ever heard in my life. "People coming together for one common goal." My fucking logo shrunk that shit was so gay, how the hell can I jerk off now?

BW: Whatever then.

(Ben Wallace puts a pillow on top of his headband, and enjoys Bukkake Bonanza 13)

(...as for Kirk Hinrich)



Kirk Hinrich: Help.

Coach Boylan: Here, have a Werther's Original!

The End

Friday, January 11, 2008

A Strong Man With A Stronger Message

Really, has there ever been a greater American hero than Mr. T? I mean, not only did he avoid capture by the U.S. government during all those years with the A-Team, but he was also man enough to take on Rocky for the world heavyweight championship.

George Washington's got his own fucking memorial for less. "But Tom, he lived in Valley Forge with his troops during a long winter!"

Boo fucking hoo, I grew up with a mother who thought that 25 degrees was a perfectly reasonable temperature to have the windows open. Where the fuck is my statue? No where. That's where.

In a way, me and Mr. T are a lot alike. We kick ass, have awesome hair, and can kill a man with one punch.

We also know to respect our mothers. Even if the bitch did make me freeze all those years.