My First Childhood Hero: Pele, has Died.

Upon hearing that my first childhood hero, Pele, had died, I was filled with memories of my youth! I found myself thinking about stories I had told about soccer and my love of the sport, and now that there is something called the Internet, I found myself checking back on some of these memories only to find out they didn’t exactly occur as I had remembered… Oops.

As a kid growing up in Toronto who was, how can I say this politely, not so fit, I somehow had a love of the sport of soccer. I know it was 100% because of Pele, but I don’t remember how or why. I know that I begged my parents to sign me up for soccer, and in hindsight… who signs fat kids up for a sport which requires them to run… a LOT. Nonetheless, my parent put me in recreational soccer and I lasted for 3 long seasons. I played forward, but there was SO much running and I didn’t know how to play soccer, let along forward, so that was a bust. My coach put me in goal, but to ensure I didn’t break my glasses, he made me take them off. So our team had a goalie who was afraid of the ball AND who couldn’t see it. I’m pretty sure after a few (maybe 6) goals, I found my perfect spot… the bench. It was the right choice. I looked forward to the orange segments at halftime and I could watch my team and cheer them on and be safe from running and getting hit in the face. I also remember being kicked in the shin by someone with metal cleats and half the skin on my shin was torn off, and me thinking how barbaric this sport was. The iron is that as an adult I played 25 years of organized ball hockey blocking shots, taking cross checks, getting teeth chipped, stitches, and tons of other things strained, torn and separated.

I digress.

I remember late one soccer game, my coach subbed me in on defence and somehow the ball wound up on my side. I took the ball up the pitch waiting for someone to challenge me, and before I knew it, I was almost at the goal line and completely lost with what to do next. I heard my coach yell, SHOOOOOOOTTTTTTT”, so that I did, as I was tumbling out of bounds, and somehow my shot across the front of the goal had enough spin on it to find the back of the net. My first goal! My last goal too, as I immediately realized that I had finally contributed to my team and was content this wasn’t my sport.

But soccer… I played street hockey a ton, and I loved pitching, yet I played organized soccer, and I remember going to see the Toronto Blizzard professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League (NASL) play in Exhibition Stadium. I could have swore that I watched Pele play against the Blizzard while he was a member of the New York Cosmos. Turns out, that didn’t actually happen. Pele played for the Cosmos in 1975, 76 and 77. The Blizzard played at Exhibition Stadium from 1979 to 1984. Oops. I was right that the Blizzard lost to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and that was the beginning of my dislike of that franchise (the Rowdies, of course, not the Blizzard). I wished that I had the opportunity to see Pele play in person, and while I believe that I did, I think I’m going to continue to tell myself that I did, because I remember seeing him play somewhere, even if it was while daydreaming, on the soccer pitch, wondering why I thought I could actually play soccer.

My 1 goal put me 1282 behind my hero, Pele.

RIP, legend.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things you probably did not know about this Urban Daddy

1. I have on several occasions walked from King Street or Front Street up to St. Clair or Davisville – takes me just over an hour.

2. I am really not passionate about anything but life and making people happy – which could be a double edged sword. I have been accused of trying to please others before pleasing myself or those close to me, and of not having anything to be passionate about. I used to be passionate about hockey – watching and playing – in my single days, but marriage cured me of that. Besides my family, I cannot think of anything else to really get me going.

3. I get overwhelmed with tasks quite easily – just ask my wife – and as a result, need to do bits and pieces of them until they are resolved. Or, I have to only focus on one at a time. Once that task is completed I can move on to others. I have good intentions – want to do a lot but cannot accomplish all that I set out to do.

4. I have always wondered how to really make a woman happy (me and 10 million men ask the same question) besides all that crap we do on a regular basis like telling them they are beautiful, bringing flowers, remembering special days, and pitching in around the house. All that other corny stuff – picnics, etc… been there, done that… I need to see long-term infatuation or something concrete.

5. I love to garden – I really do. I like to turn the soil with my hands, and really get those plants going, and usually to success, yet I have always wondered how to get brocolli and peppers to grow big (without miracle grow), when I can get tomato stakes that are at least 7 feet tall, and what the hell do I do with green tomatos at the end of the season.

6. My first sports idol that I remember is Pele, the soccer player. I remember as a kid being devestated when the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the old North American Soccer League beat the Toronto Blizzard in a playoff game 1-0. The game was at the old Exhibition Stadium and it was cold. Pele played for the New York Cosmos in that same league.

7. I love to cook. I really do, although I have not cooked in a while since UrbanMummy is a really great cook, but when I have some time I love to just do it. Just yesterday, for example, I made some yummy mashed potatoes for the family, then took the skins, tossed them in spices, a little oil and baked them till crisp. The cajun skins were as good, if not better, than the mashed.

8. I think everyone has a little Obsessive Compulsive in their – my schtick has to do with food. Especially junk food. I have to eat the entire thing in the shortest amount of time possible, otherwise I obsess about it. Drives me crazy. Same with new foods. Have to eat them right away. I need to overcome this before I 300 pounds.

9. I love watching Wrestling. Have since I was under 10 years old. It makes me laugh. I know it’s scripted but it is really funny. One of the few shows that really makes me laugh.

10. I have no idea what people think of me when they first meet me but I think I have an idea. People that know me find me cool and funny, and see past my super sarcasticness. I can go between sarcasm and genuine interest and caring at the drop of a hat. People disinterest me unless they are creative, quick witted and have depth. I can still be nice but it might seem patronizing to some, and it probably is.

11. The absolute greatest day of my life was my wedding day. Second was the birth of my first son, and third is a tie between the birth of our second son and the day I proposed to UrbanMummy (not in one of those super-romantic ways I would have liked) and she said yes. To make up for the crappy proposal, I surprised her and took her to Disney for our first Anniversary.

12. I really do see myself running for politics later in life once I’ve settled the home front and am ready to either retire or am ready for a change. I will also by that time have a unique platform in place that will guarantee victory, and it is based on the fact that each and every one of us are part of the human race. Original, eh?

13. Is my second favourite number, next to #18.