Written by “You died on a Saturday morning”
No matter how many times I watch Forrest Gump, that line always gets to me. Why did Jenny have to die? She had worked so hard to overcome her demons and redeem herself. She, Forrest, and Forrest should have lived happily ever after in Greenbow.
I guess I am a sucker for a good redemption story. Many of my favorite movies are redemption stories. Groundhog Day is one. Phil Connors wakes up each morning at 6:00 to the sound of Sonny and Cher. But every day is February 2nd until Phil learns how to get over himself and break the chain. The best of all has to be It’s a Wonderful Life, where George Bailey learns to appreciate his fate and accept a life running the Building & Loan. I watch it every Christmas Eve.
For sports fans, now is the best time of the year. We have four significant events back-to-back over the next ten days, and this year they all feature redemption stories.
Today is Opening Day for Baseball. I love baseball for many reasons. One is for its redemption stories. Players suffer through slumps, injuries, or suspensions. Eventually, their skills decline but many find new ways to compete. Teams lose star players through free agency or trades. And, of course, there are scandals. But each year, after a long winter, they get a chance to renew themselves on Opening Day.
Next week is The Masters golf tournament. The focus will be on Dustin Johnson, the reigning champion and #1 player in the world. He has a powerful redemption story, growing up scarred from a broken home and later overcoming drug addiction. His recovery would not have been possible without the support of his partner, Paulina Gretzky, and the mentorship from her father, hockey great Wayne Gretzky.
In between, there the NCAA Basketball Final Four(s). There are several great stories to follow this year. We have underdog UCLA, inspired by superfan Hep Cronin. There is undefeated Gonzaga, a place that may or may not exist, according to Jimmy Kimmel. Former Minnesota prep star and likely lottery pick Jalen Suggs, who happens to be BFFs with Paige Bueckers, plays for them. Bueckers is driving attention to this year’s women’s tournament and their Elite 8 game with Baylor was a classic. Baylor’s men’s team is in the final four for the first time since 1950. Scott Drew has led them on a remarkable turnaround after their 2003 scandal.
However, I will be rooting for the Houston Cougars to upset favored Baylor and Gonzaga. They are dripping with redemption stories. Houston itself is a continuous redemption story. Kelvin Sampson has led the school on a remarkable turnaround. We all remember Phi Slamma Jamma in the eighties, the best team never to win a championship. Some can recall “the Big E” Elvin Hayes leading them in the sixties. However, the program had fallen on hard times after the collapse of the Southwest Conference.
Sampson found himself banished from college basketball. Indiana dismissed him after recruiting violations while coaching Oklahoma. He had to work his way back by being an assistant in the NBA. His friendship with Greg Popovich allowed him the opportunity, and he worked hard learning the NBA game. He has had a lot of success at Houston incorporating the NBA game into their style, which helps attract big name recruits.
Comeback stories fill the Cougars’ roster. Quentin Grimes, who went to the same high school as my daughter, was a McDonald’s All-American who didn’t fit in at Kansas but now is the leading scorer for Houston. However, the heart and soul of the team DeJon Jarreau. Sampson has molded him into a leader by teaching him the same lessons he had to learn. I the words of Jarreau’s mother, “you can’t go around the door. You have to go through the door.”
All redemption stories include a quirky guardian angel like Clarence, Forrest, or Ned Ryerson. They push them, guide them, and inspire them. For the Cougars players, it is Sampson. Dusty Baker plays that role for the Astros while rocking sweatbands and owning Zoom calls. Every time you hear a bell, Wayne Gretzky has scored another goal.
The past year has been tragic. We have lost so many lives to a mysterious and deadly virus. Just like Jenny, each loss was sad and premature. But this was real life, and each deserved their own chance for a happier ending. Our way of life was altered, in some ways forever. This time last year, we didn’t have an Opening Day, a Final Four, or a Masters. It was a year of Groundhog Days.
We all have our own redemption stories, and we live in a culture that needs a fresh start. I hope that these sporting events over the next couple of weeks remind sports fans how an unforeseen change in circumstances could take away something we hold dear. Their reappearance represents a second chance, one where we can go through the door that someone who cared for us opened.
Like Zuzu’s petals.