I really lucked into my first car.
I was just a punk sixteen year old, and as such I was definitely not deserving of the beautiful automobile that was handed down to me. In addition to being a punk I was also pretty damn dorky, so when I first leaped behind the wheel of my new ride I couldn’t help but think my social status was changing for the better. This was going to be my lucky break.
I’ll never forget the first few spins. Pushing down on the gas and feeling my head whip back into my headrest for the first time was quite the rush. Before long I was heading down the 101 every night just to drive. For a sixteen-year-old kid, there was no greater freedom.
But not long after I started these journeys, something went astray under the hood. The initial prognosis was that it was going to be an easy fix.
Of course, it wasn’t.
The car ended up out of commission until I could save up a ridiculous of money to get it fixed. I remember being terribly depressed at first, but I jumped to the acceptance stage pretty quickly.
These things happen. Cars break down. Such is life.
When we saw Blake Griffin perform in those initial test drives called preseason games, he was nothing short of stunning. He played at a hundred miles per hour. There were the crazy hustle plays, the out-of-nowhere blocked shots, and of course those breathtaking dunks. He absolutely looked like the real deal. He was going to inject life into a floundering franchise. He was the panacea. He was the Clippers’ lucky break.
But then the freak injury happened. That was followed by the initial blue-sky diagnosis, the eventual delays, and now the definitive word that Griffin won’t see the floor until next season. My reaction when I first heard the news that Griffin would be out for the remainder of the season was not unlike the reaction had eight years ago when I got the news about my car. There’s the pit in the stomach feeling, and then there’s the acceptance that follows.
These things happen. Athletes suffer injuries. Such is life.
I guess I’m just not much for believing in curses. I’m willing to acknowledge that the franchise has had an unlucky go of it, but I’m unwilling to say the future is damned because of some bad ju-ju that hovers around the team. I’m much more comfortable in believing that you make your own fate. The Clippers can either fold and throw away the positive momentum they’ve built, or they can band together and try to make a run. Either way, they collectively have a choice. Their immediate fate rests on that choice, not a curse.
Blake Griffin is an amazing talent, but the fact remains that the Clippers have been flirting with the No. 8 seed without his ever stepping foot on the floor. It’s a painful blow, but the main pieces remain intact. Pardon me for being optimistic at a time like this, but this season doesn’t have to be chalked up as lost quite yet. The music is still playing, so the Clippers should keep dancing.
As for my car, the long wait was excruciating, but eventually it was fixed and came back as good as new.
I can only hope the same happens for Blake Griffin.
27 Responses
my 1st car wouldn’t have even been a bench player in the vladistock men’s league.
i’ve had blake way in the back of my mind for awhile.
sure, i got excited thinking he was gonna play weds. vs. bulls.
but mostly i’ve been plugged into the team ‘as is’ and thinking lately they could actually make a play for the 8th spot.
now the water pipe episode and the last 5 qtrs feel like the we got blasted with a haymaker.
if kaman and camby can’t keep rolling like they were, the 8 seed is gonna fade fast and this is gonna get depressing.
those 2 weeks leading up to ‘the pipe’ were a real surprise to me and the team looked so good at times. i sure hope that wasn’t the peak. anxious to see what the next month will be like.
as for blake, after summer league, i was all excited that he was gonna be an absolute beast and maybe eventually one of the 10 best players in the league. now i just hope he doesn’t have to be towed away.
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Excellent post. Direly needed, too.
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 8:37 am
I’m hoping CB.com can have a Clipper Nation Support/Therapy group in the near future – desperately needed.
Ram Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 10:13 am
I thought that’s what this was!?!
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 9:20 am
I always thought GRIFFIN as a bonus not a franchise foundation. If you want to build your team you do it with players like Baron, Gordon, BRAND, Kaman etc.
Clippers tried this ONE MAN mission many times including Lamar Odom and Shaun Livingston. Is it really worth it? Hell No.
Just move on. Don’t bet on Griffin and waste your time. Send Thornton & Camby to Philadelphia for ELTON BRAND. And find takers for Novak & Ricky Davis. BRAND plus 3 more defensive minded role players will do just fine.
There’s no point feeling bad about spilled milk. Just say thank god, and move on.
rmb Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 10:04 am
Clippers should not DO Shaun Livingston on Blake Griffin. There are some clever folks out there. They would do anything to snatch this talented player. Clippers should do everything to keep Griffin even if he’s not in playing shape next season,
kenji Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
clips didn’t do any kind of “shaun livingston” move to shaun. They picked up his 4th yr option knowing he wouldn’t touch the floor. Then offered him a $1M / 1yr contract and his stupid ass declined thinking he could get more from another team. But what happened? the teams he swore were highly interested in him didn’t sign him and he ended up getting cut by every team thereafter. Greed. But i’m so glad he didn’t re-sign with the clips. he was a wasted pick even when he was on the floor, but few other people saw he wouldn’t be able to last in the nba. All the talk about “potential”. Pssh.
Can’t compare blake with shaun. Its like steak vs lunch meat.
kenji Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 6:45 pm
you can’t be serious about wanting to bring brand back.
bongstradamus Reply:
January 15th, 2010 at 1:15 am
Its not an entirely bad idea. we know elton better than anyone, we wanted to have him for 5 years and hed get his minutes. blake could easily play next to him next year and hed be with baron.
i still love him. im sure wed all come around if he came back and played just as hard as before.
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 9:47 am
And don’t start DeAndre if you want to win. He’s not ready yet. Why not use Camby for pick-n-roll? Atleast he can pass the ball. Or start SMITH & then some SKINNER. DeAndre can only fill the gap at this stage. If we’re giving up hope for this season, then play DeAndre 35mpg.
If Clippers don’t run their offense INSIDE-OUT, they are not going to win many games. It should not start & end with Kaman. It should be our culture. That’s when Baron succeeds.
That’s how we won 18 games.
bongstradamus Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
DeAndres part of the future, he needs playing time this year to be ready.
Skinner is at the twilight of his career, its probably his last year in the league. Id prefer to suffer DeAndres learning curve than give minutes to a pending retiree that could have been used to develop a new talent.
rmb Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
We can develop anyone we want, but let’s stop tanking entire season for the mere purpose of doing it. The successful season should be the #1 priority.
kenji Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
i’m with you on this one bong.
sure deandre still has a lot to learn, but you can’t overlook deandre’s presence when he gets the minutes. In no way would I want to play skinner over deandre. Skinner is there to be on the B-squad during practices, not to be depended upon in actual games.
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 9:56 am
At least, the clippers sprung the cash for the surgeon that did Tom Brady’s surgery. I thought the procedure was going to be handled by Dr. Nick Riviera. “Hi everybody!!”
Newtybar Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
This is the surgeon that botched Brady’s surgery. Brady had complications with his surgery that lasted awhile.
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 10:09 am
Does the team get 1 more win this month?
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 11:38 am
It’s not a “curse” in the sense of some mysterious mojo. It’s the idiots that run this team. The latest fiasco being the misdiagnosis of Griffin’s injury. The team expected him back, and did not replace him on the roster. Their first line bigs, Kaman and Camby are injury prone, and have been playing too many minutes. They’re not going to be available enough to help the team be successful, so it’s going to be another lottery season, pure and simple.
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 11:50 am
the blake injury wasnt the killer
the loss to the grizzlies was i doubt we can re coop…..
sucks because we were making huge strides and well on our way….if we win against the cavs or lakers i might keep watching but if we lose both games ima just stop watching the team for the rest of the season…its pretty much over.
yessir Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
“true” fan right here
Newtybar Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
He belongs on the Laker bandwagon
Q.D. Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Sadly, I’ll keep watching the clips. I’ve invested my life here.
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
I know this is a basketball blog, but curious minds want to know — what kind of car, DJ?!
D.J. Foster Reply:
January 14th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
It was a 1994 Nissan 300zx. I loved that damn thing.
bongstradamus Reply:
January 15th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Hah my first ride was a 1994 Honda Prelude. I loved that about the same.
Just bought an end of the line 2001 Prelude a couple years back. 50k miles and cherry. Theres just something about your first car…
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I’m glad there was an admin blog of not believing in a “curse”. I’m so sick of people using the “curse of the clippers” phrase. Injuries happen in sports, not matter what team it is.
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
We will finish strong and get the 6th seed…open vs Denver. With a strong 2nd half, we could even get to the 2nd round… Go Clips!!
Posted on January 14th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I remember just weeks ago when the talk among fans was that Chris Kamen should be traded! Glad the trigger wasn’t pulled on that one!
Posted on January 15th, 2010 at 12:28 am
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