MARCH 2nd - Shoot for Greatness when You're Sober



On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game as a member of the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knickerboxers. The Warriors won 169 - 147 in front of a crowd of 4,124 fans in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Chamberlain was well-known as a scorer, and if you believe his humble brag that he had bedded 20,000 women, then he probably spent a good 63% percent of his time on this planet scoring in one form or another. You might want to double-check my math on that. Of course Bill Russell was just like, “That’s cute. I win championships.” In any case, legend goes that ole Wilt spent the previous night entertaining a lady friend until 6am and then boarded a train back to Philly at 8 working on no sleep and a hangover. Not that I’m extolling the virtues of playing ball hungover, though a couple of the greats seemed to be able to thrive while running off the fumes of parties past--Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle. Read up on Max McGee. But I’d venture to say that more often than not, a night on the town would have similar effects to what Jon Moxon and The West Canaan Coyotes experienced after spending a night at the strip club at ages 17-18 to see their sex-ed teacher, Ms. Davis, support herself at her second gig and not have any impediments or repercussions in this endeavor in the most believable movie high-school happening since Tom Cruise’s Joel Goodsen threw a party so his friends could pay for a bunch of hookers and somehow wound up impressing his college recruiter in Risky Business, which, incidentally, also took place in Pennsylvania. But the hangover didn’t bother Wilt. He had 41 points at halftime. It might have had something to do with him being 7 feet tall and having a shooter's touch and even shooting well from the free-throw line. And then another 59 in the second half, giving him an NBA record that will likely never be broken. All on a hangover. Still, I wouldn’t suggest it as strategic tactic. Moxon and Billy Bob got stomped. Tweeder couldn’t stop thinking about his teacher, which is both inappropriate and not what a WR should be focusing on. And while I’m not placing it beyond the realm of possibility that you are as athletically gifted as Wilt, I’d venture to guess you’re probably closer to a normal human being, of which I count myself among...and when I’m hungover, I find it hard just to turn to the nozzles in the shower. So maybe shoot for greatness when your sober--unless you’re in a drinking contest. Or you’re Wilt Chamberlain.

This day has been Marked.

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