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This is an archive collection of entries from  my main personal blog, My Mundane Mid-Life.


This particular entry is from January 19, 2002.



Welcome Back Michael, Goodbye Soldier Field, Good Job Danny

Chicago Bulls Washington Wizards
So, Michael Jordan comes back to the United Center. It's just a bit too much for him. He actually starts tearing-up during the player introductions and the only thing that "saves" him is the lights being turned out for the Bulls introduction. The AP report described it like this:

As United Center announcer Ray Clay introduced Jordan before the game, the sellout crowd stood and started clapping and screaming. At first, he tried to ignore it, looking down at his blue-and-white Air Jordans and chewing on his lip. But as the ovation continued, Jordan finally looked up. His eyes filled with tears and he glanced around the arena that will always be home no matter where he's playing. He gave a shaky smile and waved at the fans, who adore him for the six titles he won with the Bulls -- even if he's no longer wearing that familiar red-and-black No. 23. One fan summed it up best, carrying a sign that read, simply, "Thanks, Mike." Clearly moved, Jordan looked around, seeming almost stunned by the lovefest.
Michael's explanation:

"I had a tough time playing against Chicago. It's like playing a relative, in a sense. It's not as intense, you're not quite as motivated."

"I've got a statue sitting out front. It's going to be tough for me to come back and it just be another game. It's always going to be compared to what I did here. It's human nature. And I know that."

More quotes:
"I can say whatever I want about the uniforms and that the people have changed in those uniforms, but Chicago is Chicago, the Bulls are the Bulls, and the fans make the whole situation tough."
"I've got a lot of gratitude for this city, for what they gave me and the motivation of playing, and here I am, I'm playing against their team."
"I have too many memories," he said. "It's important for me not to come back and try to live up to that situation because that's tough. I may have a good game maybe the next time I come here. But to try to compare the two eras or the two situations, it's very, very tough."
He had a career-high nine turnovers, and was just 7-of-21 from the floor for 16 points. The Wizards still won 77-69 (it's not like the Bulls were playing any good, either. In the first half The Bulls shot 16.7% on the first half.

And you gotta like this: Jordan shows up two hours before the game, heading for the locker room. "Hey Michael!" someone yelled, "what's it going to feel like going to the visitor's locker room?" "I don't even know where it is," he cracked.

Welcome back, Mike.

Chicago Bears Philadelphia Eagles
Then the Philadelphia Eagles show up at Soldier Field to play the Bears in the playoffs and handed them their hats. Eagles won 33-19 in a game filled with injury, all against the Bears. I hated this game. How could there be so many injuries and no penalties? I guess it boils down to another "homecoming" - Donovan McNabb (he grew up in the suburbs). He was 26 of 40 for 262 yards and rushed for 37 yards. And between McNabb and Duce Staley, they just killed us. And their defensive end Hugh Douglas just pissed me off. Everyone he touched seemed to get hurt. He drove Jim Miller to the turf and separated his shoulder. Later Mike Brown gets thrown to the turf at the sidelines and gets a concussion. Marty Booker gets a separated shoulder in the 3rd. Shane Mathews had to come in and play the rest of the game and this guy can't pass worth a damn (at least Miller could air it out once in a while). The Bears just didn't show up. At least Jerry Azumah got an interception (tipped by cornerback R.W. McQuarters) and touchdown.

The game was over at 6:35pm. At 9:30pm, crews started dismantling Soldier Field. Workers began removing the seats (which will be sold for $200 a pair), taking down the goalposts (they're being taken to Champaign for next year). Crews had only 30 hours to clean everything and remove the seats before the power is to be switched off and the demolition begins.

Goodbye Soldier Field. You'll never be the same.

Chicago Wolves Cincinnati Mighty Ducks
The Wolves were in Ohio, playing the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. Dan Snyder had a hat trick and the Wolves won 5-1. At least there was some joy in Mudville.

posted at 11:07 PM | Link | Sports | § |


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This Blog was last updated Friday December 18, 2009 13:03:12 CDT (-06:00 GMT)
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