Crossover Chronicles is a relatively new blog, so we decided it was a good idea to introduce you to the crew. We’re doing that in a new feature called “Writer-Palooza.” For the next few days, we will feature one writer, introducing him to you via an original piece, his favorite basketball video, and a wildcard post on any topic that he wants.
Today we feature Surya Fernandez. You can find him on Twitter here.
It’s not considered to be a very “macho” thing. It’s generally frowned upon. Yet, we’ve all done it at some point in our lives. Professional athletes may be freakishly athletic and the definition of manliness, but they’re just as susceptible to breaking down like any of us mere mortals.
Shedding tears of joy? That’s generally regarded as being more than acceptable and in fact, is usually celebrated and with good reason. Who doesn’t love the image of Michael Jordan sobbing while cradling his first NBA championship trophy at the ripe old age of 28 after many years of playoff failure? There’s hardly ever a time where players holding a press conference to announce their retirement don’t break down in tears and find it hard to articulate their thoughts. Even Derrick Rose couldn’t make it through his MVP press conference without choking up big time.
Ah, but what about other circumstances? Heat forward Chris Bosh was ridiculed after his emotional breakdown at the conclusion of his first NBA Finals appearance that ended with a fourth loss to the Dallas Mavericks at the AmericanAirlines Arena. People still don’t know what to make of Adam Morrison’s crying after Gonzaga blew a 17-point lead to UCLA during the NCAA Tournament. Because Bosh is a punching bag for critics of the Heat and because of how the Big 3 came together the summer before, it was predictable how lots of people would take pleasure in laughing at him. I didn’t see it that way of course because it showed to me how much Bosh cared. It was a stunning end to a highly emotional season where the spotlight never shone on him as harshly as it ever did up in Toronto. His teammates were there to pick him up when he crumbled to the floor and it was good to see that as well. Harnessing that emotion and pain may very well give Bosh that extra push if there’s another chance to win that coveted ring every NBA player strives for and there’s nothing to be ashamed about wanting it that badly.
And what about Morrison? That’s a tough call there. By all accounts, he began sobbing during the closing moments of the game. Gonzaga was only down by a basket so there was still a chance to take one last chance at winning. Couldn’t he have waited just a little longer to break down and curl up in the fetal position on the court?
There’s also Rose during his rookie season who took a blow to the face from Detroit Pistons forward Antonio McDyess and started bawling on the sidelines. Over at NBA TV, analysts Gary Payton and Chris Webber took great delight in mocking Rose to the point where they were running out of breath in their laughter. Payton was one of the toughest guards in the NBA when I grew up watching the game but I don’t seem to recall Webber being a physical bruiser-type specimen down in the paint in his playing days like he apparently does. Maybe it was a little odd to see that sort of reaction but it’s certainly possible that Rose got teary-eyed because of a physical reaction to getting a blow to that part of the face. Or maybe it just really, really hurt.
You might recall “Crygate” last season when Heat coach Erik Spoelstra freely admitted that a few of his players where crying in the locker room after a tough loss to the Bulls at the AAA. I was there at the press conference and I knew there would be an instant s***storm as soon as he uttered those words and I wasn’t surprised at the reaction that rained down on Twitter, blogs and opinion pieces everywhere wondering who were the “culprits” that dared show emotion. Fast forward a year later at the same arena with the same teams playing against each other. This time it was the Bulls coping with the tough loss and Rose was literally crying in front of the media as he struggled to come to terms with missing two consecutive free throws in the closing moments of the game that could have given his team the victory. This time? No mockery from anyone. Interesting.
I’m not one to cry much myself. I didn’t even do it when I was born, according to my mom. Okay, I may have had a lump in my throat after the first ten minutes of Up but I sat unmoved duringTitanic as Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson floated downward into the dark abyss away from his true love forever. I definitely cried after the birth of my first kid but held it together during my wedding as my bride got misty-eyed during our vows. Then, a chance at my dream job during this holiday season came and went. Let’s just say I didn’t take it well. To be so close and yet so far from my goal was a tough pill to swallow. In fact, I think it’s still lodged in there somewhere. But there’s even more motivation now to succeed after being so close and almost tasting victory. Maybe it’s like Bosh in the Finals or even Jordan after losing to the Pistons Bad Boys during his postseason roadblock to the Finals. Maybe it’s nothing like that, but the pain was still very real and that hurts no matter what situation you’re in.
There’s nothing else like being a professional athlete on the biggest stage in front of all those people and it’s impossible to truly put ourselves in their sizeable shoes, but the act of crying, and the reasons why, are one of many things that does unite us all.
