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Description: Taking you into the game from the view of xAble.com's play-by-play commentator...
Every third Wednesday, the
It is 1970, and I am at
History shows the Knicks won the World Championship, and my love affair with the game of basketball was forever cemented. Being there and seeing Willis Reed hobble out to the free throw line during practice and sink his first shot was an emotional picture that I will always remember.
So 30 years later, as I prepared to announce the Championship of Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball, our first webcast of the sport for xAble.com, I was reenergized with the excitement of basketball, the same enthusiasm I felt for the sport as a young teenager.
Every tournament has its drama and the last two games of the championship were no exception. The 3rd place game, the University of Texas Movin Mavs versus the Arizona Wildcats, turned out to be the “barn burner”, as my color commentator, Tracy Chynoweth, said. There were more lead changes than wars in England! I don’t want to spoil your enjoyment if you have not yet watched it, so I recommend that you sit down with your favorite snack and drink and be prepared for a ride. That is a good as it gets.
Of course, the “Final game” for the championship and bragging rights came down to the #1 team against the #2 team. Everyone was predicting the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater Warhawks, (that is a lot of Ws), though ranked number two, would take the Championship. Their team is packed with so many of Paralympic athletes. On the other hand, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini came in with a record of 19-1. A team like Illinois can’t have a 19-1 season and not know how to play the big game. A great game and a thrilling victory it was, but I’ll let you find out the rest on your own.
As you will see, it was great basketball and I have become a huge fan of this version of my favorite sport. If you are expecting something cute and “inspirational”, you are also bound for a surprise. These are athletes who do amazing physical feats and bring heart, soul and mental toughness to compete at the highest level.
I want to thank my color commentators Dr. Tim Nugent, “the father of the NWBA” and Patrick McCoy for sharing with me their passion and the great history of the game and the coaches Steve Paxton, Tracy Chynoweth, Doug Garner and Stacy Pinney for taking time from their work to add depth and insight to make these broadcasts so exciting.
To all you newcomers, I welcome you to the world of Basketball played from a chair, and if you are already part of the wheelchair basketball community, I thank you for such a great introduction and welcoming.
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This is the world of quad rugby. A community of what some might think are 'crazed' quadriplegics and others disabled by many of life's hardships. On the court, they are ready to rumble. They tumble, they crash, they glide in for a score, or they spin out of control. There, they are free from the judgments of the walking as they fly on the court. For three consecutive weeks, I was the sports broadcaster for xAble.com in this new world and I have come away a believer in a game that is still relatively unknown.
I tell my friends, "I am going to a quad rugby tournament in Alabama," and they say "Rugby?" I repeat, "Quad Rugby," and then add Murderball, hoping for some recognition to dawn on their faces. Some remember the name but nothing much about the movie. A few have seen the movie, and they marvel at this glimpse of another world far from their own. I have entered a community where the stars of a movie are just dedicated participants in a sport that many people would not dare to play. These are people, some of whom have suffered broken necks. They fall in their chairs, the whistle sometimes stops play to right them, and then play continues, moving the ball to cross the goal line or perhaps maneuvering to block an oncoming freight train or smash into a player about to receive a pass.
What is wrong with this picture? Nothing!
These are athletes with varying degrees of mobility that are actually rated to make a team. In this system, there is a job description that fits each player's ability: low pointers, mid pointers, and high pointers all have a role. Disability becomes an athletic statistic.
Do you wonder if these are athletes? I have seen the elite members from the best the United States has to offer competing against five international teams traveling as far away as New Zealand. This is serious business. The level of play at Division 1 is split second decisions and full out racing, always maneuvering for a goal or preparing for the next possession.
I welcome you to the sport of Quad Rugby. Visit the xAble.com website and start with Elio Navarro's Sports Show. Then, check out coverage of the Demolition Derby or Knock 'N Roll Tournaments. There, you will see excitement, skill and all the makings of drama, "The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat".
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