J.J. Redick was a good college basketball player. e.e. cummings is not.

e.e. cummings is a good poet. J.J. Redick on the other hand...

He's apparently a good basketball player again. ESPN.com reported that the former college basketball player of the year pulled a Stella and got his groove back at the NBA Summer League. I'm happy for Redick. I'm a Syracuse University student and I've seen firsthand the "undersized, sharp-shooter who everyone leaves for dead in the NBA" storyline. Now Redick can start getting headlines again, Dick Vitale can revitalize his undying love for the Dukie and most imporant of all ...

ESPN can bring back the greatest pregame package in the history of sports.

Let's set the scene. J.J. Redick was a cold-blooded killer in college. He'd hit threes from one step inside half-court, silence entire crowds with unconscious free-throw shooting and then run up the court taunting the fans with a Wichita State tribute.

If you didn't support Duke University, you HATED him. As the piece illustrates, people would call his cell phone more than 70 times a night. Entire crowds would chant obscenities at him. And no matter what, Redick just went out and performed. He had that silent assassin type of toughness to him. You couldn't even rattle the kid with cartoon kitchen fires that probably scar young children.

So excuse me for taking a second to revel in this bit of unintentional comedy. Ladies and gentleman, the horribly over-dramatic poetry of Mr. Tough Guy, J.J. Redick:

[Untitled]
*With added footnotes for clarification

"i cant see what my future has in store*
but i move forth with the strength of a condor**

a sharp thorn*** once cut my soul
the blood flowed
but no bandage could cover the womb

i ask the lord what am i to do
he said son, i made the sky blue
the rain falls because of me
leaves change colors on a fall tree
i was the inspiration for martin luther king
i'm the reason ray charles can sing****
i've given strengh to others through and through
and my son i'll do the same for you."

*i can't see what my future has in store -- Take this guy's bio, subtract the championships, GM position and time as a color analyst for TNT. J.J. will instead be helping out Coach K in the future.
**strength of a condor -- Was that J.J.'s nickname for Sheldon Williams? It's at least better than The Landlord.
***sharp thorn once cut your soul -- Was it those Maryland kids? They made some mean (and incredibly un-PC) signs.
****the reason Ray Charles can sing -- Really? Over Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra or even Paolo Nutini (I love his voice)? Isn't Jay-Z his favorite artist?

Now maybe you're saying to yourself, "This poetry isn't that terrible." Fair enough. Poetry is a largely subjective object and different verses will have different value to different people. Redick does break his rhyme scheme up in the second stanza to avoid sounding Seussical and he does give an example-driven description of the strength of his lord (though maybe it's just an allusion to the strength of his abs and their biblical tattoo). But did you read this carefully? Did you watch his delivery in the video? You have to admit he's certainly not Keats and won't be on Def Jam poetry in the next year.

In the end we're all better for J.J.'s reemergence on the court. After his first 30+ point-game, ESPN can film a "rising from the ashes" comeback package, fans will rediscover their love or hatred and Redick can begin concentrating again on what's important -- his poetry, er, basketball.

Posted by Intern at 09:03 PM | Permalink