Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

#34

Going through my e-mail this afternoon, I saw an ad from the University of Maryland about new basketball gear being on sale. I don't need another Terps shirt, heaven knows, but I opened it. The highlighted item was a Len Bias jersey.

It would be one thing if #34 was part of a series, if you could also get Tom McMillen, Len Elmore, and Buck Williams, say. But Len Bias seemed to be the only one. What's with this?

I was at Maryland right after he died, and I don't remember seeing his jersey available then. I'm sure it was too painful, as well as too embarassing for the school...those were not our finest days.

Is he being honored now, almost 18 years (I can't believe it's been that long) later? Do the kids at Maryland now, seeing as how they were just infants in 1986, even know who Lenny Bias was?

I go back to College Park every once in a while, and it feels like a dark cloud passing over when I go through that part of campus on my way to Rt. 1...I always get the image from the news of the cops going through the dumpster outside the dorm looking for the cocaine vial.

I know people my age remember. I guess that jersey may be for us...nostalgia. Homage.

Except I got the dark cloud feeling when I saw the jersey in the ad. I can't help but fear it's just capitalization. If I knew the money was going to something specific and related...addiction services, drug abuse prevention...I might consider it. But since I don't know, this is one shirt I'll pass.

Posted by Nic at October 22, 2004 05:32 PM