Bobby: Ruins

Narrated fan-portrait of what made a 'special' media-age college-athletics (basketball) 'prodigy' worthy of a fanfare-driven 'American' script.

A media-age 'fan-diorama' of what made the inimitable college-athletics play/genius of point-guard Bobby Hurley (Duke basketball) reflective of our social-media 'culture' of commentary, inspired (loosely!) by Blue Chips (Nick Nolte). 

DISCLAIMER: This work of sports-fanfiction offers no commercial/legal/professional ties to Duke/basketball or its referenced 'star' of celebrity (Bobby Hurley) and all images used herein comprise a purely 'personal' exercise in creative readings (for 'open' coloring). 

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I'd been composing a special social-media culture 'examination' of college-athletics fanfare in the post-9/11 era Homeland (America) for a sportsmanship-driven capitalism-race 'defense' of modern social activity creating rhetoric for commerce and media-life education and 'handshakes' to counter this new age of antiterrorism storyboards, designed to offer a special 'flowery' concerning net-linked democratic exchanges reflecting a consumerism/entertainment/education 'arena' intelligence (for all) after graduating (Dartmouth). I created a special Duke University ('Blue-Devils') basketball-team logo 'doodle' for cyber-fanfare storyboards drawing interest from modern fans/posters/writers working with sports-media broadcast commentary for a Western 'view' of all that had become an 'American' exercise in 'pure' delight (for the Ego). I called this 'Selfie'-art a 'Republic'-Education ("RE").

Well, Duke Blue-Devils had accomplished much in the era of the legendary Coach-K. They'd risen from the ranks of the ACC (competitive conference) to reach Final-Fours in the late-'80s and after much disappointment(s) had achieved two consecutive national-title wins ('91-'92) and then 3 more whopping national titles in the new millennium ('01, '10, '15), all under the legendary Coach-K. Duke also achieved multiple ACC titles since the '90s and obtained multiple regular-season #1-rankings (wow). However, I chose to 'spotlight' the triumph of a special 1990s era of Duke accomplishments, the wonder-boy of point-guard play, Bobby Hurley. Here's a guy who was not to big/muscular but was 'instrumental' in Coach-K's triumphant 'march' to consecutive title-wins in 1991/1992, the first-time ever a school-team achieved that honor in college-basketball since John Wooden's legendary UCLA Bruins (wow). Well, Bobby Hurley really was a 'prodigy-light' of Duke's unforgettable achievement(s), and he retired from basketball-athletics to become a coach and horse-race fan, but no one of college-athletics fanfare in this post-9/11 era Homeland (America) should forget what he 'offered' to our media-age 'culture' of sportsmanship-drawn capitalism-race magic (and basketball/media memoirs!).

"The most courageous player I ever coached was Bobby Hurley. Even when I myself felt stifled by moments of doubt, I could look into Bobby's eyes and find the confidence to proceed. My job in coaching was to give him the freedom to boldly follow his instincts.

In the 1991 NCAA semifinal game against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, we were a considerable underdog. UNLV had won 45 games in a row, including the National Championship game from the previous year when they beat us by 30 points, 103-73. Unlike the year before, this year's game was hard-fought, close, and incredibly exciting. Throughout the course of the game, usually only one basket separated the two teams' scores.

With under two and a half minutes remaining, UNLV jumped to a five-point lead and it seemed the momentum was going their way. When Bobby brought the ball down the court, I recognized that UNLV had changed from man-to-man defense to a matchup zone. I jumped up off the bench to tell Bobby to run a certain play against this new defense. Just as I got to my feet, Bobby took a three-point shot and knocked it down. He did not need my instruction, he needed to courageously follow his instincts. As a result of that play, the momentum shifted back and we were put in the position to win the game in the last few seconds. Bobby's three-pointer was as big a shot as any Duke player has ever hit. After we beat UNLV, we won our first National Championship by beating Kansas 72-65. Many people think of game-winning shots as last-second shots. This is not always the case. Bobby's courageous shot in the UNLV game is the perfect example.

The following year, we again found ourselves in the national semifinal game, this time matched up against Indiana. The Hoosiers played an amazing first half and really should have blown us right out of the gym. However, Bobby hit four three-point shots in that half to keep us within striking distance. We played well and together in the second half and won, eventually beating Michigan for our second straight National Championship. Neither of those championships would be ours unless Bobby had the courage to follow his instincts" (Coach-K).

One might 'reason' from these academic words of 'high-praise' for Bobby Hurley, by the legendary Coach-K, that this prodigy-man of point-guard play for the 'iconic' Blue-Devils delivered to our media-age a special 'spirit' for what creates in this new millennium that 'charged' Homeland exercise in social-media (e.g., YouTube) for 'memoirs' of broadcast college-athletics (basketball!) 'chess-excellence' for both fans and writers. You don't have to be a Duke alumnus to appreciate what Coach-K's 'Blue-Devils' delivered to the national/TV landscape that special 'touch' of teamwork/leadership driven athletics handshakes/celebrity (hmm). That's why my social-media re-presentation of Bobby Hurley's 'special' contribution to the media-arena for capitalism-race 'energizers' in the post-9/11 era invoked in me that special 'American' fascination with what inspires us to 'draw' that cool-image of Western landscape 'art' of readings (for the Ego). Perhaps I've become a capitalism/media Romanticist (for American history).

As I sit in my room and complement my Duke/college-athletics 'spotlight' for media-age 'chess-excellence' in sportsmanship-drawn competition-class activity/education for this post-9/11 era Homeland 'expression' for network-driven life memoirs, I think of how cheering for Duke's runs to national titles in 1991-1992 and Bobby Hurley's 'ghost-magic' of praised leadership/genius engender in me that social-media age 'American-citizenry' appreciation of why Western culture includes that cool-commentary about media-life 'reaction' (for the Ego).

So, I got myself an American-history celebratory ornamental Civil-War chess-set in honor of this cyber-toast/storyboard of what Duke guard 'Bobby' gave us (all!) for social-media 'expression' of memory of competition-class education and television-culture, an 'application' for what makes the American 'story' one of wrought/competitive science (for the Ego). This is indeed high-praise 'art' for the Western ruins (ha).

WIFE: You got us He Got Game (Spike Lee) for Valentine's Day, darling?
ME: Excellence, Esmerelda; for this 'toast' for competition-class 'art' is 'all' American (ha).

WIFE: What's the Romanticism behind the 'culture(s)' of basketball, darling?
ME: Excellence...this is a 'game' for an American expression of 'pure' wit(s).

WIFE: Alright.

Why all the fuss about Coach-K's Blue-Devils or its 'prodigy-man' of the 1990s (Bobby Hurley) for this post-9/11 era Homeland social-media 'culture' expression of sportsmanship drawn 'American' idealism/superstition, you (maybe) ask? Well, honestly, I consider my 'toast' for Hurley-Duke a 'memoir-rule' for what casts this entire capitalism-race 'experiment' of lifestyle-linked social-network life (and education!) as an 'archaeological-mall' for everything 'reciprocal' (under the sun).

“Don’t take your culture for granted. There needs to be a constant renewal of values that lead to camaraderie" (Coach-K).

WIFE: I got you this Bobby-Hurley 'memoir-trade card' for your b-day, darling.

ME: Excellence; seems I can add this 'treasure' to my album/collection for American music.

WIFE: Well, at least no one can say you don't acquire those 'frills' of television-hyperbole.

ME: Without qualification (thanx).

"Doing well is the result of doing good. That's what capitalism is all about" (Ralph Waldo Emerson). 

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"Money is everything" (Ecclesiastes)