JOHN UPDIKE : « Ex Basketball player" Before to start this first paper, I really think it is primordial for you to understand my choice concerning the poem. Why did I choice “Ex basketball player”? The answer is pretty simple; basically, as the main character on that poem, Flick, I love sport. I am actually a pretty good tennis player who plays for Florida Gulf Coast University but I used to be more famous when I was very young. The only reason I choose this poem as a topic for my first paper is that in my point of view, I have a lot of common points with Flick.
When people hear his name they remember when he played basketball and the role he had in county history. “Pearl Avenue” is another case of symbolism used by Updike (1). An avenue is typically grand; however, the poem describes “Pearl Avenue” as being “cut off” shortly after it starts (1,2) “Pearl Avenue” also leads to where Flick is working now (1). “Pearl Avenue” is a representation of Flick’s life and career. Both started with great expectations only to be met with a firm stop and cut short of any possible success.
No one notices so the ball just keeps being used and abused. One day the ball goes flat. The ball is expressing that it is tired of being treated like an object. It just wants to feel that it is truly needed. The ball knows that without it, the basketball player can not practice.
For my ad I have decided to choose the “Jordan Slap” commercial. I believe that this ad is effective simply due to the fact that there probably is not a person alive who does not know about Michael Jordan who is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. This of course makes everyone who plays this great game want to play the game just as he did for his long career. People want to wear his shoes, his socks, anything with the signature Jumpman logo on it just to be a little more like his airness. Now the point that this one of many Jordan commercials is trying to do is show you that anyone even professional athletes has to “break to build” their body in order to get better at the sport they play.
When I got there, the coach took time to talk to every player on the team and taught us that there was more to life than basketball and that basketball is a game of life. As a sophomore, he brought me up to play Varsity and I took pride in it, while other players and parents of the team disapproved of the situation and the decision that he made. But he took me under his wing and told me that he was doing what was best for the team. As a player, I realized that he took time with all the players on the team whether they played or not and it wasn’t always about basketball but about life in general. He taught me how to handle pressure in clutch situations of a game.
His tradeoff is a. nothing, because he enjoys playing basketball more than working. b. the increase in skill he obtains from playing basketball for that hour. c. the $6 he could have earned. d. nothing, because he spent $6 for admission into the sports complex to play
He has a good future in basketball. Now he has to stop Ice and put his grades up. All I am trying to say is that SLAM is a heart-pounding thriller that will keep you edged on your seat reading. Firstly, I think Slam will go to the top of the NBA (National Basketball
Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high” (Housman). This sufficiently explains how the boy in that poem was a local hero that was loved by his fans. This is also seen in “Ex-Basketball Player” whenever it said, “bucketed three hundred ninety points/a county record still!” (Updike) That must have been a might feat to accomplish. Both of the poems have a eulogy feeling to them. Of course, A.E Housman’s poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” has a cold, tomblike tone to it, because it is about a death of a young man.
Chris Herren is the ex NBA basketball player who always manages to make it to the headlines. However this is not because of his outstanding performances the news are mostly based on his latest drug usage and addiction confessions. It has been fourteen long years for the basketball star in drug addiction. Chris herren was a favorite among the Boston college basketball team. The officials at the NBA club expected him to be a future star even before his first official match as a national player.
We didn’t talk. Didn’t need to talk. We were basketball twins.’ (p. 228) Basketball is one of the central motifs in the novel and provides a link between Junior’s old world and new life. The first basketball game illustrates the hostility between Junior and his old school and friends, whereas the second game illustrates Junior’s new-found confidence and hope. One of the most poignant moments of the novel is when Junior’s team wins but then he realises he cannot take any pleasure in the victory.