Pray۔in۔est
Team
Dur the
latter half of 1900s in what England۔ese-speak۔in North Americans dub۔d they’s deep south,
basketball wuz huge۔by
popular, and so wuz the Baptist Christian church. Nowonder, therefore, that pre-game prayers
wuz as common as cotton fields, Saturday night folk dances, breakfast grits. Dur the
1999 basketball season, however, two Georgia province middle·school teams – the
Alligators from Deadend and the Scavenge۔ors
from Smell۔y Salts –
elevate۔d team prayer
to level never before witness۔d
even in the socald Bible belt. It all start۔d with the first game of the basketball season
in Deadend, a small town so-name۔t
because of it’s location on the northern edge of Okefenokee swamp. The
Deadend Alligators, whose play۔orts
wuz pick۔d from a
middle·school student body of only 189, wuz general۔ly consider۔d
to have a next-to-nothin chance of beat۔ing
the Atlanta Allstars, the team of a large middle·school (with 2,707 students)
in the provincial·capital. Prior to the
open۔y whistle, 12 pretty
cheerlead۔orms from
the Atlanta visit۔ing
team, wear۔ing orange
mini۔skirts reveal۔ing they’s legs, and
snug-fit۔y low-neck
blouses feature۔ing
the up۔er portions of
they’s bob۔ing boobs –
elicit۔ing un۔approve۔y frowns from conservative
Deadend church go۔ors
– cartwheel۔d onto the
rectangular basketball sportcourt, twirl۔d
they’s batons, and lead۔d
the visit۔ing
admirefans chant۔ing,
“Allstars, Allstars, go, go go!” and “Who do we love? Allstars!” Among the
Deadend admirefans sit۔ing
in the bleachers on the sportcourt’s opposite side, the mood wuz grim
resignation. The previous season they’s
team had perform۔d
surprise۔by well, win۔ing almost half they’s
games, thanks to they’s accurate shoot۔or
Vance Robinson, but as always they’s performance fall۔d far short of qualify۔ing for Georgia province championship
playoffs. Mere۔ly look۔ing
at the orange-uniform۔clad
team wait۔ing on the
sidelines, wuz enough to quell hope of even the most diehard optimists: the Allstar’s five-mans team include۔d two giant Negros. The Alligators had one Negro (that race wide۔ly consider۔t superior athletic۔by to Caucasians), but he
wuz only cheerlead۔orm-height
tall. When it wuz
the Alligator’s turn for they’s pre-game rally, instead of the usual 12
cheerlead۔orms in
they’s brown mid-legcalf۔length
skirts, in walk۔d all
28 membors of Deadend Baptize۔or
Church choir, sing۔ing
the well-know۔t,
"We Love You, Jesus!", follow۔d
by "We Believe in Miracles!"
The admirefans, represent۔ing
nine-tenths of Deadend’s population, quick۔ly
realize۔d the
strategy’s potential and rally۔d,
not with the usual shout-in and stomp۔in
of foots and wave۔in
of flags the brown color of the swamp, but by loud۔ly sing۔ing
the hymnsongs. Anythin to
offstave start۔ing
another long basketball season with a humiliate۔ing
defeat, seem۔d to be
the general feel۔in. The switch from tradition, Alligator
admirefans soon learn۔d,
wuz the brainchild of coach Dan Smith, tall and thin, who double۔d as minister۔or of the town’s only
church. While the Allstar’s coach pump۔d up his play۔ors’ adrenaline by stress۔ing the need to win, coach
minister۔or Smith
repeat۔d the keypoints
of his previous Sunday's sermon on the power of faith. For the
open۔y up۔ward toss, the Allstar’s
play۔ort wuz so much
tall۔er than the
Alligator’s tall۔est
play۔ort that the
former dint bother to jump. The game
start۔d, to nobody’s
surprise, with the city team score۔ing
12 straight points before the small-town Alligators earn۔d they’s first two. Neither of the two Allstar Negros need۔d to shoot the ball; each
could mere۔ly jump and
without the basketball ever leave۔ing
his hands, stuff it down۔ward
through the hoop – impossible to block.
As Allstars’ points mount۔d,
the orange-clad cheerlead۔orms
bounce۔d and cartwheel۔d, flaunt۔ing they’s sexuality, while
they’s admirefans wave۔d
orange flags and chant۔d
victory slogans. The Alligators,
contrast۔ly, spend۔d they’s time-outs on
they’s knees. At halftime
the score wuz Allstars 59 and Alligators 27.
Dur intermission, after the sex۔y
Atlanta cheerlead۔orms
enthuse۔d the visit۔ing spectate۔ors, the Deadend Baptize۔or Church choir return۔d with more hymnsongs, and
reverend coach Dan Smith remind۔d
his team and they’s admirefans that “faith can move mountains”, and in his final
oratory invoke۔d the
Biblical image of David, who, propel۔t
by faith, slay۔d giant
Goliath. It seem۔d to many Deadend folks that God wuz compete۔ing against the Devil, yet
lose۔ing. Early dur
the game’s second half, however, the two black۔by
skin۔y Allstars stars,
both fly۔ing through
air for a re۔bound,
collide۔d, heads meet۔ing with a sicken۔in thud. Both drop۔d alike stones to the wood۔y floor. Both wuz subsequent۔ly carry۔d
away on stretch۔ors. Deadend
team۔fellorts and
admirefans express۔d to
one another hope that the injurys wuz·not permanent, yet they’s faith in
victory upsoar۔d. Other
talent۔y play۔orts replace۔d the giants, but with the
loss of the two best play۔ors,
the Allstars nolonger play۔d
with smug confidence, and in a game where a slight movement variation become۔d the difference between
complete۔ing or miss۔ing a shot to the hoop, the
mood swing take۔d it’s
toll. As for the Alligators, it wuz as
though God had clear۔d
a path for they’s victory, and all they had to do wuz fulfill they’s God-grant۔t actrole – which they do۔d with non۔relent۔y determination. As they’s admirefans bow۔d they’s heads, lips move۔ing with prayers, many so
engross۔d they wuz not
even watch۔ing the
game, not only Vance (nickname۔d
“Gun۔or”) but other
team memborts begin۔d
successful۔ly complete۔ing shot after shot. With God on they’s side, the Alligators even۔d the score, and then, late
in the dee۔four
quarter, pass۔d they’s
favor۔t
opponents. At the final buzz۔or the score wuz Alligators
110, Allstars 106. Then, instead of wild
pandemonium, organ music play۔d,
and Deadend admirefans, instead of dance۔ing
with joy and rush۔ing
to embrace they’s heros, sink۔d
to they’s knees in thankgivein. That stun۔y victory draw۔d the attention not only of
other basketball contend۔ors
in Georgia and across the Bible belt, but sports admirefans across the
continent۔wide USA
nation. Especial۔ly intrigue۔d
wuz a coach name۔d
Frank Mastors, from Smell۔y
Salts, a small western Georgia prairie town name۔d
after a salt pool long since cover۔t
by landfill on which present۔ly
stand۔d an impoverish۔y shop۔in mall and Smell۔y Salts Middle·school. Coach Mastors’ best play۔ort wuz a convict۔t thief and birth۔d-again Christian name۔d Jud Nabisco, nickname۔d Nab – not, the coach insist۔d when interview۔d, a reference to the
star’s conviction for shoplift۔ing
a pair of sport·shoes but for his uncanny ability for steal۔ing the basketball from
opposition teams. The Smell۔y Salts Scavenge۔ors wuz underdogs, but no
less ambitious than big-city teams.
Within days of Deadend's miraculous victory, Coach Mastors and team lead۔ort Nab decide۔d to replace they’s
cheerlead۔ors with
choir sing۔ors, they’s
pep rallys with prayer sessions. Dur early
year 1999 USA wuz not engage۔d
in any wars, television view۔ors
wuz suffer۔ing from a
lull in high-profile criminal lawcourttrials, the public had overdose۔d on sex scandals, and the
next politician election wuz not schedule۔d
for twenty more months. Thus, by
default, do۔d legions
of media report۔ors --
not only represent۔ing
television, but radio, newspapers, magazines, even new۔by popular Internet – focus۔d on the prayer contest as
a way of boost۔ing
advertise۔in
revenues. Non۔alike professional and university teams that
compete۔d each season
for national championship, middle·school teams compete۔d only for provincial championships, thus rare۔ly come۔ing to the attention of
national audiences. Yet the steady rise
to contention of the two small-town teams that so obvious۔ly emphasize۔d prayer had arouse۔d national interest. As the
season progress۔d and
both the Deadend Alligators and the Smell۔y
Salts Scavenge۔ors
continue۔d win۔ing, other teams increase۔ly emphasize۔d prayer, to great۔er and less۔er extent. National television sports·broadcast۔or Gabby Goal latch۔d onto the story, which
eventual۔ly include۔d statistics, show۔ing a positive correlation
between ostentatious prayer and game victorys.
View۔ors, from
they’s sit·room couches face۔ing
they’s television screens, witness۔d
sideline prayer sessions, bow۔d
heads before foul shot attempts, play۔ors’
hands gesture۔ing the
four ends of a crucifix after swish baskets.
Only the Alligators and the Scavenge۔ors,
however, complete۔ly
replace۔d cheerlead۔orms with
neck-to-ankle-clad choir sing۔ors. As the
season pass۔d the
half-way mark, the fact that the two small-town teams wuz still in contention
for the provincial championship spark۔d
nothin less than a national debate.
Psychologors attribute۔d
the non۔probable
victorys to "the power of positive think۔in". Others outpoint۔d
that in the citys, much more than in small towns, police wuz combat۔ing an epidemic of
marijuana smoke۔in and
booze drink۔in among
middle·school students – both habits effect۔ing
concentration and coordination, so important in sports. One sports·broadcast۔ort claim۔d
that Alligator star Vance Robinson would have propel۔d his team to victory, prayer or not. But that arguement, religious enthusiasts
counter۔d, do۔d not account for the
superlative performance of the entire Deadend team, nor explain why Smell۔y Salts wuz do۔ing so well. Religious lead۔ors
of many denominations throughout USA welcome۔d
the publicity that prayer wuz receive۔ing
in the nation of some 300 million peoples in which tens of millions indulge۔d in pre-marital sex, ap
half the marriages end۔d
in divorce, and abortions average۔d
more than one million per year, murders tens per day, rapes hundreds per
clockhour. Many Christian minister۔ors attribute۔d the excel۔t performances of the two
teams simple۔ly to
faith. From his pulpit in Monroe Baptist
Church in central Georgia, however, minister۔or
Bib Townsend orate۔d,
"Prayer iz wonderful, but do God want we to pray for somethin as material
as win۔ing a ball
game?" His sentiment wuz broadcast۔d and echo۔d. But in the Bible belt that consideration wuz
drown۔d in the
cacophony of devout Christians who fervent۔ly
believe۔d that God wuz
demonstrate۔ing via
the 1999 basketball season, not only to Georgians but to the nation and the
world, the tremendous power of prayer. Few sport
admirefans deny۔d
that, whether by divine intervention, positive think۔in, and·or drug-less live۔in, prayer contribute۔d to victory. The fact that both the Deadend Alligators and
Smell۔y Salt Scavenge۔ors continue۔d to win games against
teams from much large۔er
schools wuz trumpet۔t
on continent-across airwaves, create۔ing
suspense as to how far faith would propel what Gabby Goal dub۔d "the two pray۔in۔est teams". As the
season reach۔d it’s
climax۔y final 12
games, the Alligators and Scavenge۔ors,
upsoar۔ing with
confidence that they with God’s help they could outperform any team, rocket۔d forward with significant
victorys, outscore۔ing
opponent after opponent. Final۔ly, after narrow-margin
heart-thump۔y
victorys, those two teams capture۔d
the libertyright to compete against each other for the Georgia province
championship. Sports
admirefans throughout the nation, voice۔t
by they’s broadcast۔ors,
next ask۔d, “Which
team will win?” In the Bible belt, that
question spawn۔d less debate. Since by dual miracles the two pray۔in۔est teams had become۔d the championship contend۔ors, peoples reason۔d, the team that pray۔d the most fervent۔ly would probable۔ly become champion. In
basketball, as with other sports, compete۔ing
in one’s own town render۔d
a definite advantage, which wuz why the Smell۔y
Salts town council recruit۔d
the Baptist Church’s high۔est
rank۔in clergy-man in
the nation, Bishop Lukas Reedgrass, who happen۔d
to be Smell۔y Salts’
coach Frank Mastors’ wife’s father’s brother and thus an ardent Scavenge۔or admirefan, to lead
they’s pre-game prayer session. Deadend۔ors complain۔d that because Lukas
Reedgrass wuz they’s bishop also, he ought to remain neutral, but they’s
protests reach۔d deaf
ears. Passion for one's favorite ball
team wuz well know۔t
to override almost everythin. * Within guidelines of USA’s
middle·school basketball authority, the National Federation of Provincial
Middle·schools (NFPMS), each province set۔d
they’s own rules. In Georgia the
championship game wuz host۔t
by the team that win۔d
the most games – dur season 1999, by a margin of one victory, Deadend. Thus do۔d
the tiny community hitherto know۔d,
and know۔d only local۔ly, for it’s daredevil۔y alligator wrestle۔orts, become the host۔or for not only the Smell۔y Salts Scavenge۔ors and they’s admirefans
(entitle۔t to half the
gym’s seats), but also report۔ors
and photo۔ors from no
less than four television stations and 15 newspapers. They park۔d
they’s vans along Main Street (the only street) all the way to the deadend,
and, despite the winter chill, pitch۔d they’s tents on the
fringe of the mosquito-infest۔y
swamp. Inside the gym they’s technicians
lay۔d a
spaghetti-alike maze of electric wires emanate۔ing
from the few electrical outlets, power۔ing
they’s cameras, spotlights, amplify۔ors,
and communications equipment. Never in
the history of basketball had a middle·school game arouse۔d so much national
attention. On the
mornin of the big game, the visit۔ing
Scavenge۔ors awake۔d before sunrise for pre۔breakfast meditation. Then the Smell۔y
Salts, as report۔ors
dub۔d they, troop۔d into the wood۔y gym, build۔d dur year 1956, it’s roof
recent۔ly re۔patch۔d, not wave۔ing banners nor chant۔ing victory slogans but
carry۔ing prayer rugs
and sing۔ing a Christian
battlecry song tradition۔ly
direct۔d against
heathens, "We Shall Overcome!" When they
enter۔d, they discover۔d the gym floor complete۔ly occupy۔d with a church service,
with coach-minister۔or
Dan Smith bestow۔ing
individual bless۔ins
on each play۔ort. Alligators wear۔d
over they’s brown uniforms white church gowns.
No Deadend۔or –
not even the tiny۔est
baby so that ta could later claim to have witness۔d
the most momentous event in town history – wuz absent. The full choir, accompany۔t by the church organ, end۔d the pre۔game worship ceremony as it
had begin۔d – sing۔ing, “We Shall Overcome”. Nosooner
had they’s ceremony end۔d
than the Smell۔y Salts
occupy۔d the
floor. Bishop Reedgrass, wear۔ing a flow۔y white gown decorate۔t with the gold stripes of
his high office, without so much as acknowledge۔ing
the presence of his Deadend Baptist worship۔ors,
public۔ly beg۔d the Lord for a Smell۔y Salt victory. The effect
of the province’s high۔est
religious authority conspire۔ing
with the most powerful force in the universe visible۔ly shake۔d
the confidence of Alligator admirefans, which a count۔or prayer by Deadend minister۔or Dan Smith, whose white
gown conspicuous۔ly
lack۔d of the gold
authority stripes, do۔d
little to counter. Referee۔ing the championship game
wuz Patrick Hawken, an athletic-appear۔ing
bald۔ing man dispatch۔t by NFPMS’s Georgia branch, a
professional university basketball official with a long record of emotion۔less fair۔ness. At one oclock sharp he blow۔d the start۔ing whistle. The game
start۔d slow۔ly, with both teams, take۔ing time to gesture with
the sign of the crucifix, and mutter silent but visible prayers before and, if
successful, after shoot۔ing. The crowd, instead of wild cheerroot۔in at each reversal of
circumstance, remain۔d
almost silent. Television cameras film۔d many with heads bow۔d, eyes shut۔d, lips mumble۔ing prayers, while in the
bleachers others clasp۔d
they’s hands and look۔d
not down۔ward at the
competition but up۔ward
toward heaven. Quip۔d Gabby Goal to millions of
national view۔ors,
"You iz witness۔ing
a contest less of athletic skill than prayer power.” At
half-time the gym’s new electronic score·board read۔d Scavenge۔ors
44, Alligators 38 – a score most admirefans on both sides attribute۔d to the oneside۔ness of Bishop
Reedgrass. That the numbers wuz·not
further lopside۔y wuz
attribute۔t to the
home team’s advantage. Dur the
half-time television show, Gabby, inform۔t
by his statisticians, announce۔d
that for a championship game a record few shots (89) wuz attempt۔d, with a record high
percent (93) successful. A record few
fouls (one) wuz commit۔d
(an accidental tripfall), along with a record number of delay-of-game
violations (for pray۔in). The clear strategy of both coaches, Gabby
summarize۔d, wuz to forego
world۔y considerations
for those of an even great۔er
power. Dur second
half, as intensity of prayer increase۔d,
intensity of game slow۔d. After shots, instead of elbow۔ing for re۔bound position, play۔ors drop۔d to they’s knees with
they’s eyes shut۔d,
pray۔ing for the ball
to swish through – or not to swish through – the net. The Alligators steady۔ly gain۔d
on they’s adversarys, final۔ly
pass۔ing they, only to
fall behind again. Both
coaches and most play۔ors
and spectate۔ors clear۔ly feel۔d that the outcome of the
important game wuz full۔ly
in God's hands. Also loom۔d the certainty, not
overearhear۔t express۔t, that the prayers of half the play۔ors
and half the admirefans would not be answer۔t. With only
four minutes remain۔ing
to play, the score seesaw۔ing
back and forth, spectate۔ors
wuz so silent that only the bounce۔ing
ball and the sports·broadcast۔ors’
subdue۔d voices could
be earhear۔t. Everybody else, most with eyes shut۔d, or look۔ing up۔ward, wuz pray۔ing. That wuz
why nobody notice۔d
that from a corner of the gym from where most of the electric musicchords
emerge۔d rise۔d smoke, then little yellow
flames. A child first notice۔d they -- seven-years-old
Lucy Tomson -- who shout۔d,
"Fire!" Peoples
open۔d they’s eyes and
look۔d, aghast. They rise۔d
from they’s knees and seats, cry۔ing
out in alarm. Flames quick۔ly spread۔d along 43 years-old wood۔y walls. Everybody
next glance۔d up۔ward at the electronic
score·board. It read۔d 64 to 64. Three minutes, 26 clockseconds to game end. Justthen
referee Hawken blow۔d
his whistle. "Game over!" he
shout۔d. "Everybody depart the build۔in now. Hurry, but dont run!" Waste۔ing no more time, everybody
hasten۔d to the four
exits. By the time
the last spectate۔or
depart۔d the build۔in, another wall and the
roof wuz ablaze. Outside in
the chill۔y
late-winter air, the crowd gather۔d,
feel۔ing the heat as
flames spread۔d. The Deadend Volunteer۔or Fire Brigade, equip۔d only with garden hoses and buckets, stand۔d by help۔lessly. Fan۔t
by a moderate wind, the old build۔in
quick۔ly burn۔d to the ground. * The next
day NFPMS’s Georgia chapter declare۔d the championship game an even·score
– with no win۔or or
lose۔or – a first in
Georgia middle·school basketball history.
No provision allow۔d
for a re۔play, it add۔d. That result۔d in no less than regional
uproar. Almost every Bible belt
basketball admirefan profess۔d
a passionate opinion. That neither of
the two pray۔in۔est teams wuz allow۔d to win prove۔d impossible for even the
most cynical to attribute to coincidence. Three days
later Georgia province investigate۔ors
announce۔d that the
cause of the fire, as wide۔ly
suspect۔t, wuz
over-utilization of the antiquate۔y
electrical system: a wire had nodoubt
become۔d too hot, and
ignite۔d a dry
wood·board, and only by a "miracle", and by the order۔by yet rapid manner in
which everybody evacuate۔d,
do۔d the tinderbox gym
flash fire result in no casualtys. Not long
afterward, Georgia Mirror newspaper reveal۔d
that Atlanta-base۔d
business tycoon Jim Walsh, original۔ly
from Deadend, had offer۔d
Bishop Reedgrass a bribe of 100,000 dollars cash -- five years earn۔ins -- to switch sides and
secret۔ly pray for the
Alligators -- but the bishop had not been sway۔t. A further USA Justice Department probe
determine۔d months
later that no laws had been violate۔t. Alligator
super-star Vance “Gun۔or”
Robinson, despite his relative۔by
short height, receive۔d
a four-years all-expenses-pay۔t
scholarship to play on Georgia University’s team. Later that same summer Smell۔y Salts superstar Jud “Nab”
Nabisco wuz nab۔t rob۔ing a petrol·station and
receive۔d a four-years
all-expenses-pay۔t
stay in Georgia Province Prison. The real
and endure۔y effect of
the incident, however, wuz re۔voice۔t by preach۔ort Bob Townsend, who
appear۔d on several
national۔ly televise۔d interview shows iterate۔ing his previous۔ly ignore۔t stance. "Pray for your personal salvation, your
family, your neighbor, your nation. But
God dont want we to abuse prayer by ask۔ing
for selfish material gain – not even for victory of our favorite ball
team." The
subsequent winter at the open۔y
game of the year 2000 basketball season, in Deadend's new enlarge۔d concrete·block gym
(finance۔t by tycoon
Walsh), the cheerlead۔orms
wuz back, along with they’s batons and the spectate۔or’s brown flags. Gabby Goal wuz there, his station's
television cameras’ metal۔y
encase۔t cables
connect۔d to a new۔ly install۔t electrical power supply. Coach-minister۔or Dan Smith preface۔d the game by address۔ing both teams. "Dear God, thank you for steer۔ing our prayers away from
selfish ends. By refuse۔ing to allow either of the
pray۔in۔est teams to win recent۔est year’s championship,
you teach۔d we a value۔able lesson. Please help we utilize the immense power of
prayer to effect self۔less
purposes. * *
* |
To write a comment about the story or the
language, click here. This story is from a collection of Christian short stories, Christianity, by Flora Morales. Click link for details. You have read the story in species language Peoplese, Alike English version. Did you notice how the spelling of the root word never changes? How the past tense is always formed by adding hyphnette "d"? For a quick overview, read Peoplese home page. So are you ready for pure Peoplese? The Sound Spell Same (SSS) version completely eliminates the need to memorize spelling words -- because if you hear a word, you know exactly how to spell it, if you read a word you know exactly how to pronounce it. A 7-year-old boy, after five 15-minute learning sessions, henceforth could spell any of thousands of words in SSS Peoplese. Spend 20 minutes reading the Peoplese SSS page, and you are ready to go. To read the above story in Peoplese SSS, click here. green-giraffe.org home page. |