Casual
MATUS, VICTORINO
Casual ALL THE WRONG MOVES Three years ago, I wrote in this space about a post-Thanksgiving football game my high school friends and I play every year. I bragged about how we ruthlessly tackled...
...He landed on top of me with unnecessary roughness...
...Unlike in years past, it was freezing cold...
...He decided at the last second to dump the ball to me at mid-field...
...On the opening drive, my quarterback desperately looked for receivers as the defense rushed him on a blitz...
...I bragged about how we ruthlessly tackled each other to the ground without any padding or protection, and scoffed at the idea of one day switching to two-hand touch or even flag football...
...I caught it, took three steps forward, and was immediately pum-meled by my friend Buck...
...The skies were gray...
...This year's post-Thanksgiving game had all the makings of another epic battle...
...So it's only fitting that at the game following the article's publication I received my first serious injury...
...He's wrong...
...Without hesitation, I went for the Surf 'n' Turf (Quarter Pounder with cheese and a Filet-O-Fish) and Super-Sized fries...
...Everyone matched up well—except for me...
...This doesn't bother me at all...
...You didn't have a big game today," asked one of the guys...
...The good news is my team won...
...But not concerned enough to raise the issue of touch football and flags...
...Without wasting time, I gave it a good tug...
...But at least I can still eat like one...
...It was second down and I decided to rush him...
...My body twisted to the right but my left leg was still planted to the left...
...I refused to believe this was anything serious...
...All I need is one more year...
...Sure enough, my pinkie had badly dislocated—popped out of its socket and bent away from me...
...I've been on a winning team for three years straight now...
...Was this the signal that the time had come for us to switch to touch football...
...Too bad there were no referees to see—and hear—this...
...For instance, after the big game, we headed to McDonald's...
...Full disclosure: The guy protecting the QB was someone's overgrown nephew...
...Aside from all the ribbing I got for this humiliating injury—one that ranks up there with Gus Frerotte's celebratory head-butt/concussion and Bill Gramatica's victory dance/sprained knee accident— the guys were actually concerned about my condition...
...And besides, I'm still finding ways to prove my youthful strength and tenacity...
...Worse than the pain was being forced to watch my friends from the sidelines...
...My cleat, meanwhile, was firmly dug into the frozen soil...
...And with the second step, I crumpled to the ground...
...A little later in the first half it popped out again, and again I snapped it back in...
...But this wasn't the worst thing that happened...
...My QB told me the only thing to do was to snap the finger back in place...
...It started to drizzle...
...Five minutes later, playing defense, I was trying to prevent Quarterback Steve from completing a pass...
...Sort of...
...As a result, I was traded back and forth five times, in a scene reminiscent of gym class...
...True...
...I'm not considered the best player on the team, so the guys figured it was just a freak accident...
...It was my knee...
...I might not have played like a champion...
...So I continued playing...
...After all, this isn't Veterans Stadium...
...And indeed, in the next two football games, no real injuries were incurred by anyone—even me...
...The QB and another defender carried me off the field and everyone else applauded...
...the last thing I wanted was to be sidelined this early...
...I was more horrified at the sight of this disfigurement than I was in pain...
...VICTORINO MATUS...
...Hardly...
...He was only in sixth grade, but was so large he was deemed too big a threat to play football with his classmates...
...And he takes karate...
...It didn't work...
...I don't think I'm washed up just yet, destined to be a mere spectator at future games or maybe to videotape them...
...But by the second half, I was a gimp, trying to tackle players with one hand, to catch with one hand, and hoping to avoid falling in the wrong direction...
...That's when I heard the sound no player ever wants to hear: "pop-pop-pop...
...After the second try, the pinkie fit back in its socket...
...He faked me out, juking to the right...
...I actually managed two sacks last year against my friend Steve, a perennial quarterback...
...At least my team won, 12-10...
...Rather, it means I have a whole year to train for what might finally be my breakout game...
...The bad news is, an X-ray showed my finger had been broken...
...After the initial shock of the tackle, I stood up and glanced at my right hand since something felt awry...
...Why are you eating so much...
...You're watching your football career go by you," joked a friend...
Vol. 8 • December 2002 • No. 14
