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The Rice Thresher
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Michael Nalepa opinion editor. Last week, Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly presented an interesting theory - that Michael Jordan may be returning to the game of basketball. And then many people laughed at the thought of Jordan's third coming. Newscasters, sportswriters and even Jordan's agent dismissed it as impossible. Michael Jordan should be used to this kind of treatment. He faced the same criticism when he led the Bulls to six titles, topping his previous performances each time. Skeptics surrounded Jordan, from the NBC commentators who doubted his ability to perform night after night to the voters who denied him several NBA most valuable player awards. And he always proved them wrong. Even though a Jordan return is looking more improbable by the day, it should never be dismissed as impossible. Betting against Jordan is usually not the smartest thing to do. I grew up in Chicago, where it was almost possible to take Michael Jordan for granted. Almost. Watching him play, albeit on TV because buying a ticket was next to impossible, was one of the best forms of entertainment I have ever experienced. During the Bulls' dynasty years, it was pretty easy to tell when a playoff game was on TV in Chicago - all you had to do was look outside the window. On nights when the Bulls were playing in April, May and June, you wouldn't see any cars on the roads or people outside enjoying evening walks. The city would look like a ghost town because everyone was inside, watching the game. I have to admit, I have watched about five NBA games since Jordan retired in January of 1999. I'm not quite sure if I even made it all the way through any of them. It's just not the same. But I can still remember where I was when the Bulls won each of their championships. Even if Jordan does return for a third time, he'll most likely be a Washington Wizard, not a Chicago Bull. But that won't matter. We'll still get another glimpse of basketball being played by the greatest player ever. There are many who don't think a Jordan comeback would be such a big deal. He didn't cure cancer. He's not a nuclear physicist, a teacher, a police officer or even a podiatrist. He's a basketball player who makes buckets of money. And while all of that is true, millions of people still enjoyed watching him perform. Jordan has inspired countless children and many adults to work towards their goals, entertained fans all over the world and generally helped a lot of people just escape from the monotony of everyday life for a few hours. That has to be worth something. It's looking more and more like Jordan's comeback is only a rumor or a publicity stunt. But it doesn't really matter if this does all turn out to be false, because it's still been nice just remembering how much fun it was watching Jordan blend art and sport together and turn them into something that can only be summed up in one word - wow. Time will tell if the rumors are true or merely teasing us. But for now, we'll just have to be content with crossed fingers and fond memories. Michael Nalepa is a opinion editor.
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