Streetball, baby. Streetball.

Something crazy happened last night in the world of Monday Night Basketball. First, a little history: Monday Night Basketball is a phenomenon that has taken place for years in the greater Lake Odessa area. It starts in the fall every year, and takes place pretty much every Monday throughout the winter, spring, and part of the summer. It brings together ballers of all ages, from the mostly older crowd in the winter to the youthful crowds of spring and early summer. It brings together ballers of all skill levels, from the Jake Schrocks, Randy Blairs and Tyler Beglins of the world all the way down to, well, me. Monday BBall tends to fizzle out around July every year, thanks to many obstacles that stand in the way, such as securely locked school buildings, gyms without lights on, new coats of wax on gym floors, volleyball camps, wrestling camps, lazy people that don't want to play in the summer, etc.

But instead of focusing on the tragic death of Monday Night BBall that happens every summer, I choose to focus on the positive. Monday Night Basketball lasts nearly all year, in spite of the fact that it never seems to take place in the same spot two weeks in a row (Middle School or High School?) and it's never the same group of guys every week. It's almost as if Monday Night BBall has a life of its own.

Monday Night BBall has obviously had many twists and turns, but last night may have been a first even for the wacky world of Monday BBall. Where Monday BBall may have died in years past, it flourished. Where lesser ballers would have taken their balls and gone home, a few young men went the extra mile to play the game they love. That's right, kids, we played OUTSIDE. On the asphalt. It was like being on the streets of Harlem, with a few corn fields and some white guys thrown in. The middle school and high school were both locked. But 14 guys showed up to play basketball and DANG IT, they weren't going to be denied. It took a while to adjust to the extra heavy duty, double-rimmed outdoor hoops, but once we did, it was like we were born to be street ballers. Jeff, I'm sorry you had to miss this. The ball even landed in a big mud puddle a couple of times, and Nathan Shoup just took one for the team and wiped it off with his shirt.

Now don't get me wrong - I don't think everyone wants to play outside every week. But Monday BBall took a big step last night in my book - a step toward invincibility. Go ahead, lock us out of the gym. You still can't stop us. OK, this blog getting a little out of control. Adios everybody.