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 My Grandfather passed away a little over three years ago but yesterday he was front and center in my mind as I heard about the untimely passing of Bulls great Norm Van Lier. No, my Grandfather wasn't a basketball player but like Norm, he told you how he truly felt.....even if you didn't like it. Actually, sometimes, ESPECIALLY if you didn't like it. That's what makes people like this great. Unfortunately, when my Grandfather's time was nearing the end he talked about how he worried that no one would show up at his funeral because of all the disagreements he had with people and I'm sure Stormin' Norm felt the same way. It wasn't regret in his voice but instead it was a wish that people knew that he meant well and wanted to push them to think a little harder about things.
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You see, people who truly 'keep it real' are so many times overlooked when they are alive. Would you invite a guy over to your house when you know all he's going to do is disagree with what you say just to play Devil's Advocate? Do you want your kids to spend time around someone who advocates punching a guy in the mouth so you that he knows who's in charge? Do you want a guy speaking at a tribute ceremony when you know what he's going to say is completely unfiltered? Front offices of large corporations easily say no to that. People looking for good friends always say yes. Norm wanted to view the Bulls Organization as friends when they are just a corporation trying to put a product on the floor that is going to keep revenue streams high and people happy. Sometimes the best man for the job isn't really the best man.
It's not until these people pass that we truly understand what they meant and what their actions did for all of us. Was Norm harsh in his comments about Bulls players in the past? Yes. Was he right a lot of the time? Absolutely. Did he hurt feelings? Damn straight. Norm loved the Bulls and each missed shot hurt him and each losing season bruised him. Norm loved basketball and the way it's played sometimes cut him to the core because it didn't follow with the way he played, hard and with '48 minutes of intensity'.
That's the only way Norm knew how to do it. The direct way and as hard as he could for as long as he could. When Norm played, if an opposing guard was 'in the zone' you would throw Norm on him and have him harass the living daylights out of the guy. There wasn't any 'buddy-buddy' stuff going on with him and while that probably caused Norm to have a lot of drinks at the bar by himself after the game instead of with the opposing players, they absolutely respected him. He did and said the things that other people wish they could do and say.
Off the court and out of the commentary booth Norm was the Bulls lifeline to the community. He was someone that any regular fan could walk up to and talk to about the Bulls and that helped the Bulls gain so many fans, especially in the lean years. For that, his contributions to the Bulls franchise will never be truly measured. Fans loved his brash style, his love of the game and his 'everyman' quality. I don't even have space to go into his radio work and how awesome that was. He'll never be replaced. He can never be replaced.
Hundreds of people showed up at my Grandfather's funeral to pay their respects to a man who 'told you how it was'. Arguments that used to make them mad now made them laugh. If there is a Heaven and my Grandfather was able to see that then he would have known his life was lived the right way. I suspect over the next few days thousands of people, if not more, will line up and tell stories about Norm and how he lived his life like it's supposed to be lived. They'll talk about how his comments/tight defense may have hurt them at first but in the end they contributed to their success. It's unfortunate that Norm Van Lier can't hear those stories now but maybe he'll take a break from his pick-up game in Heaven to look down and see that he gave us all so much more than "48 minutes of intensity". |
4 Comments
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2008 Cubs Preview
Back when ballin was truly ballin!
With each passing of people like this and your grandfather (though, I didn't know either personally, this really does hurt our society as whole. Our toughness is fading away.
I agree, I think Clint Eastwood said something along the lines of "people are pussies now" in Esquire a few months ago.
I've been tellin you guys you're pussies for ten years.
You haven't known me that long....