Messed Around and Got a Triple Double
Blogging January 18th. 2008, 3:22pm
Last week, we extended the offer: pick all four NFL games correctly, with the point-spreads, and you’ve got yourself a free post. And commenter Magglio Merkin did just that, and here’s what he has to say …
This space could have been used to beg Terrelle Pryor to join the Wolverines, or hate on LeBron. Instead, I would like to introduce to you some of the personalities you run into when playing pick-up basketball at your local bucket. I have listed them in order of least hated to most hated.
* Fundamental Frank: This is the ancient guy who can no longer run and has the same knee braces as Jeff Saturday. He probably has coached at one time or another and loves to tell you about it. Sure he is old, but his elbows are sharp and his post game is flawless. He usually smells like a retirement village which only serves to elevate his game.
* Mild Sauce: We have all D’ed up on this kid. You may recognize him by his headband (or two), a few Nike sweatbands on his elbows, and one leg sleeve. You guard him because he is shorter than you, but little do you know he doesn’t play defense anyway. He talks a ton of trash and shoots only three pointers. Also, this dude is always a black hole – the ball goes to him and it never comes back.
* Johnny Hustle: Everyone’s favorite ball breaker. His 30 + years lacking any athletic talent have produced a soul of pure evil. Rebounds are his pleasure and if you get in his way you can expect an undercut. This is the guy who dives for balls heading out of bounds and couldn’t hit a shot to save his life. Somehow, whenever he saves the ball from going out of bounds, he rockets it off your nuts.
* The Hack/ Whistle: The man in the middle. On defense, he sits his fat ass in the lane and doesn’t move. When you head in, you are getting a forearm chop to the head or face, it matters not. Your pain is his gain. If you even try to call a foul you will be showered with tears and saliva as he goes napalm in defiance. On offense, he goes all whistle on you. No nudge is too soft for this guy. If he feels a shirt brush his arm he is taking it to the top, no questions asked.
* The Mental Michael Jordan: My personal favorite. He feels he is the best there was, the best there is, and the best there ever will be. Nobody can run with him. He will shoot the rock if given an opening. But if you shoot it, you had better make it or you are damn sure hearing about it. If he turns it over, it was due to your lack of communication. If he misses it, you weren’t moving enough to clear out his defender. His glare is a little too Ron Artest and it tells everyone in the gym that this guy is bat shit bonkers. He will chuck a ball at a kid who accidentally walks on the court because, you know what? He doesn’t give a fuck about a kid.
56 Responses to “Messed Around and Got a Triple Double”
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January 18th, 2008 at 3:26 PM
Who’s the chucker?
January 18th, 2008 at 3:26 PM
awesome work…I think I saw all these guys catching a beer with “softball guy” the other night
January 18th, 2008 at 3:27 PM
A funny video version of this post:
http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2007/08/11-guys-you-meet-in-pickup-basketball.html
January 18th, 2008 at 3:28 PM
You forgot “The Energizer Bunny” who no matter what the numbers has to run run run the ball every single time. Offensive sets are useless, just get the ball, run fast down the court and take a shot even if there isn’t a teammate within 50 feet of the basket. He is the bane of lazy smoker (former now).
January 18th, 2008 at 3:31 PM
Mags…i hate every team you stand for, but that was pretty solid. and as marshawn lynch says, “don’t get any better than solid.” except for that pic of KK’s Gash in the afternoon roundup, that was SOLID.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:32 PM
I like the post Magglio Merkin, nice work.
This may be the only post you ever get here, and that’s what you select as a topic? Too funny.
Which one is irishmafia? I’m thinking Mild Sauce. Magglio – which one are you?
Can sportsgal play too?
January 18th, 2008 at 3:32 PM
That made me laugh because it’s so true. Nicely done.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:35 PM
You left out “Token Girl Athlete” who thinks she can ball. Didn’t mind playing with TGA, but hated playing against them, because you were damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Block their shot, you’re an asshole. Let them get what they want, and your team is probably losing. Plus they usually wear those really baggy mesh shorts, which are a disaster on girls.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:35 PM
i was about to say that nuts, nut im a bit taller. i play the 3 spot on my YMCA over 50 squad
January 18th, 2008 at 3:35 PM
Eh…I enjoyed the Bret Hart reset??
January 18th, 2008 at 3:38 PM
Mags…you have to show up to your own post bro…come join the banter
January 18th, 2008 at 3:38 PM
Great work.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:41 PM
“It’s the war. It’s just the war.”
January 18th, 2008 at 3:42 PM
<—- Johnny Hustle with Steve Nash handle.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:43 PM
@ ALL
Thanks for not flaming me (ahem) CRM! (ahem). I am glad you enjoyed it. My reasoning for this topic was I played ball for the first time in about 6 months (hit by a drunk driver, broke my hip and leg twice! looooong story) and I ran into the Mental Michael, got pissed, wrote about it. I actually sent in another one about the playoff system because I think this one was too long (500 words shit!) but thanks to a little editorial excellence (TBL) it ended up pretty nice. Thanks for your time. This was fun.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:44 PM
THERE IS ALWAYS A SHOT CLOCK!!
January 18th, 2008 at 3:48 PM
I am totally the Hack/Whistle….with a little Johnny Hustle thrown in…I hate the Mental Michael Jordan…always has been the bane of my existence..they suck the fun out of playing ball..I suck I know it..this ain’t the NBA…talk trash thats one thing..make you feel shitty for being there fuck you..FUCK YOU!!!..
January 18th, 2008 at 3:51 PM
if i throw basketballs at kids who run on the court, does that instantly make me a Mental MJ? I just really fucking hate kids.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:52 PM
irishmafia — you’re AARP eligible? Holy Cow!
January 18th, 2008 at 3:54 PM
irishmafia must be the oldest reader on this site — he could have fathered 85 percent of TBL readers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
January 18th, 2008 at 3:55 PM
irishmafia grew up listening to the Lone Ranger on radio – he watched his first game on TV at 20 — lololololol
January 18th, 2008 at 3:56 PM
@ Big Nuts
I am a role player.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:56 PM
big nuts i was joking damn you
im only 27 i will drain threes on you all day chump
January 18th, 2008 at 3:56 PM
irishmafia — what was it like watching Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb play? Going to school in a one room classroom? Riding a horse to church?
January 18th, 2008 at 3:57 PM
ok that’s cool. yeah, irish, you seem like the chuck and duck type.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:57 PM
so Magglio sucks (translation for role player). Well, I am a “role player” too.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:58 PM
and i didnt ride a horse to church, i rode your mom than i took the bus to school, the short bus
January 18th, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Slim Perkins-He’s the guy who walks into the gym and everyone wants him on their team because he’s about 6′9″. “We will dominate with a big man”. Turns out all he does is shoot three point set shots, is freakishly allergic to the paint area, and couldn’t block a beach ball.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:58 PM
i have little nuts
January 18th, 2008 at 3:59 PM
I dunked once. Just once.
January 18th, 2008 at 3:59 PM
I was trying to figure out where I fit in and since role player equals sucks, that’s me
January 18th, 2008 at 4:00 PM
so big nuts, you gotta bug TBL about the conference. that is a great idea.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:00 PM
irishmafia = Greg Oden?
January 18th, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Shouldn’t the conference be in Tampa?
January 18th, 2008 at 4:03 PM
412=tag along
January 18th, 2008 at 4:03 PM
TBL — can we have a TBL readers only conference in Miami? We can do guest speakers (Jason Whitlock, Kim Kardashian), workshops on how to be a blogger (moderated by TBL, and includes Jenn Sterger, Atlanta Sports fan, CRM,and others) and the Coors Light girls. Whatdoyasay?
January 18th, 2008 at 4:03 PM
Great Work- but what about “Asian Judo Chop McEnergy.” I went to graduate school in Northern California and at that school there were about 15 asian persons that showed up to play, every fucking day. No fundamentals and a passion for dropping elbows. Fucking Yao Mingers. I got 4 sticthes over my eye. My freinds and I had to make sure we kept an equal amount on each team so they could guard each other.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:04 PM
Ok Tampa!
January 18th, 2008 at 4:05 PM
I’m sure Jenn Sterger could teach us all a thing or two.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:06 PM
I’ve cut one person in my life with an elbow. Dad didn’t allow me to eat dinner with him and the rest of the family for a full week.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:07 PM
rick, there’s also fingernail dude (who, not to be racist, but is almost always a black guy) who has ridiculously long fingernails and you end up with scratches all over your body and a very suspicious wife.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:09 PM
@ cool_rick
Badminton, only badminton.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:09 PM
so everyone busts the chops of sports blogging/writing kid, but this is universally loved?
January 18th, 2008 at 4:12 PM
maggs, detriot tigers just got richer in talent, cabrera signed for one year
January 18th, 2008 at 4:12 PM
coop- Yep, and when they foul you and you can see the marks on your back they deny it, morphing into some sort of a “Hack/Whistle.” I wasnt trying to be racist either, but when someone busts your dome and you cant talk shit to them because they pretend not to know english, it enrages you. I had to, (being dead serious) ride my bike to get stitched up.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:14 PM
lozo, I have nothing but unrequited love for SVPS and his post.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:24 PM
yesterday’s post was by scott van pelt….style?
January 18th, 2008 at 4:27 PM
@ lozo
The “It’s” post was by SVPS.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:38 PM
i’ve played with the “no look pass guy” but of course he always tries to throw it to the new guy who has no idea its coming and takes it in the face. I also love the “always gets hurt guy.”
January 18th, 2008 at 4:38 PM
@lozo: are you #4 in that video?
January 18th, 2008 at 4:53 PM
What about “super sweaty, loves to set picks with his shirt off” guy?
January 18th, 2008 at 5:45 PM
I was always the tall white guy who couldnt play ball, nor could I jump. but people always thought i was good.
January 18th, 2008 at 7:28 PM
I’m a combo of the Coach on the Floor and Mild Sauce. It’s okay if I shoot, you were supposed to back cut!
January 18th, 2008 at 11:49 PM
“You ruined my pickup game, in front of Todd Packer. TODD PACKER!”
January 19th, 2008 at 6:38 AM
What about “The Sweater”? You know, the guy who, as soon as he enters the gym, is wetter than Aquaman. My question is how does this guy ALWAYS end up on the skins team? And why do I always have to guard him? The scene in that Ben Stiller movie (“Along Came Polly?”) immortalized what I’m talking about. Pretty much the only good thing in the movie.
January 19th, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Good work, MM.
+1 for the man from Michigan.