72 Hours In The Life Of Steve Nash

Instead of spending most of today thinking about the dumbest holiday known to man, I beseech you to take a few minutes and consider one Stephen John Nash. Yes, I'm sure most of you reading this have at least heard of Steve Nash, the point guard for the Phoenix Suns who may very well wind up in the Basketball Hall of Fame one day, but I wonder how many of you have actually taken a few moments to really think about his life. And by think about his life I mean, if you have watched anything sports related this weekend, you've probably seen Steve Nash.

This has been Nash's weekend:
Friday Night: Light the Olympic cauldron to open the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, roughly 60 miles from your childhood home in Victoria, British Columbia.
Saturday Night: Win NBA All-Star Skills Competition in Dallas, Texas, a city that still adores you for the six years you spent turning their Mavericks from moribund cellar dwellers into championship contenders.
Sunday Night: Play in NBA All-Star Game.

Yeah, just a typical weekend in the life of Steve Nash.

I'm not entirely sure how someone could be so lucky to have that kind of three-day journey, but no one really seems to be noticing it. Of course, I have no problems with this. I like Steve Nash. He's a joy to watch on the court, and he's also one of the most underrated public personalities in the world, as his work for Vitamin Water can attest.



Still, I find it somewhat bizarre that this has slipped through the sporting consciousness. No one is really talking about Nash, perhaps because he's not the biggest star playing in tonight's All-Star Game, or perhaps because he was overshadowed in Vancouver by Wayne Gretzky, but it's almost absurd.

In fact, it's so absurd that I can't really think of anything else to say on it. There really are no words. I just hope some day I can have three days in a row that are quite so cool. If I, too, can manage to do it without the media broadcasting it, well, all the better.

At least Nash always gives hope to his come country, which is starting to get antsy after its first gold medal hopeful, Jenn Heil, was unable to defend her crown in women's moguls last night. Canada still has never won a gold medal on its own soil, but I have a feeling they won't wait too long this time around, even if the U.S. has taken the early medal lead with Hannah Kearney taking Heil's place on the podium and Apolo Anton Ohno getting his sixth Olympic medal.

If nothing else, Canada's women's hockey team, which beat Slovakia yesterday, 18-0, will probably continue to wax the competition.

In other news, I was stunned to find earlier this week that apparently the Melbourne Football Club, formally known as the Demons, is pulling whatever strings it can to have Barack Obama attend its season opening AFL match against Hawthorn when the POTUS makes his scheduled trip to Australia this March. On one hand, it excites me that Obama's visit might give footy a little more pub, but at the same time, why would the President want to see the mediocre Dees, who finished last in the league table last year, when instead he could simply come to the Melbourne Cricket Ground a day earlier and catch the season opening tilt of the defending-champions Geelong Cats -- who happen to be my favorite team.

In fact, while Geelong is facing Essendon, which also made the postseason tournament known to AFL fans as Finals, Melbourne and Hawthorn both missed the playoffs a year ago. Geelong being overlooked, in addition to Southampton meeting its FA Cup demise in a fifth-round tie against Portsmouth, has made this a rough week for me internationally.

At the very least, maybe Obama can come to his senses and see the greatest team of all. Failing that, maybe the U.S. can take a few more medals and cheer me up.

Expect a story early this week, though I'm currently debating which one to post. Also, with the holiday tomorrow, I may wait until Tuesday so you're all entertained at work instead of missing it.

You'll thank me later.