All sports are a bridge to the past … in more ways than one

Is being fixated on sports, and/or the past, a bad thing?

NOPE.

Over the last month or so, that’s become apparent because y’all are dancing down memory lane via the “Yesteryear” pieces The Dickinson Press is submitting and that circumstance was as predictable as sunrise. Midwestern people like you who grew up here, live here, work here, raise children here, and thrive here move the planet, and it’s not a surprise that you glommed onto the subject-matter.

And it got-me-to-thinkin’ …

Via limited research, it was obvious football has changed over the years in rural North Dakota (and, it’s my intention to “Yesteryear” basketball, baseball, hockey, softball, DSU or whichever) and — while looking back over the website that has become instrumental to the piece’s success — a funny circumstance popped-up: Like New England’s football team from last week, there are those which no-longer exist. Now, they had a sense of pride and history, written down by us on the staff, and the names of those teams (somewhat-long-forgotten), are AWESOME.

Seriously, it pushed the rusted-wheels in motion to find the coolest one. While chatting with Mr. Rod Kleinjan of KDIX in the BAC pressbox during the Killdeer/Trinity game the other-day, he recalled them all, and regaled us whippersnappers with even more history. Stuff like that is enthralling, and it was a joyful trip that otherwise would be lost-to-human-memory.

Honestly: Best lightning delay, ever.

That-all-said, do you remember the Ashley Aces or the Sawyer Flashes? Perhaps you played for the Sheldon Shadows or the Rogers North Central Corvairs or you earned a letterman jacket from the Petersburg Dakota Prairie Knights, the Buxton Central Valley Valiants or the McClusky Dragons? Whether you signed yearbooks for your classmates with the Carson Chieftains or the Garrison Troopers is fine, and the Fargo Oak Grove Lutheran Grovers still miss you.

Seriously, what a buncha cool names … but I digress …

I’m not gonna tell you the website I use for this little excursion until the end of football season, but it’s fantastic. It unfolds things that are recognizable to old-timers and provides food-for-thought for an abundance of opportunities. As another sentiment, my gratitude goes out to the Dickinson Public Library for helping me wend my way through microfiche, which was initially confusing until they provided their guidance in this effort. I know the Dewey Decimal System, but management of tape-rolls from the 1960s ain’t my forte.

So, back to these unbelievably awesome nicknames/mascots of North Dakota football … it has long been a curiosity of mine how-many “Lions” live in Detroit and how few “Jaguars” live in Jax, but with names like the Steelers and Packers (both-of-which were based on working-people in those communities) it’s obvious why they have so much fan support. That said, I have met a “Giant” or two from New York and Florida still has real Panthers, so mascot-naming is not all for naught.

My contrary version of this story is that I have animus towards Utah for keeping the name “Jazz,” because Utah seems like perhaps the-most-un-jazzy place in the world, and the New Orleans team is now called the Pelicans (which is a great bird, but a terrible mascot) and I resent the Lakers’ maintaining the moniker because I know from-where they came. Los Angeles has no water (much-less, lakes) but Minneapolis does. I attribute the decision to laziness and alliteration, nothing-more-nothing-less.

Just to tick off a few-more-boxes’-worth of fabulous former ND mascots, I would be remiss to leave out the Kulm Gophers, Hope Hustlers, Hebron Brickmakers or Powers Lake Ranchers, and while Minnewaukan had their own “Midgets” (once-upon-a-time), I prefer ours. And, all-joking-aside, can we bring back the Rattlers, Glen Ullin? “Rattlers” might be my favorite mascot name, EVER.

I’ve read that “too-much attention” is paid to sports in America, and my simple retort is that sports might be the only thing holding the whole country together at this point. They provide a connection between the past and the present that neither politics, nor entertainment, nor music, nor residence could ever bridge. And, the people who dispense silliness like that probably never felt the symbiosis between themselves and teammates, combined with the fans in the stands supporting them … nor fed off that undeniable energy.

As a point of reality: Athletics are probably the last/best hope for this country.

You ever seen a person wearing the jersey of your favorite team in a city 2,500 miles away from where you stood? What happens?

Friendliness, and — most-likely — a conversation, quick hello or a thumbs-up happen. Pretty-much all the time. I’ve seen it, done it and bathed in that cohesion.

The names of these teams are gone, but anybody who played for the Cooperstown Lynx, Edgeley Rangers, Willow City Red Wings, Bowbells Eskimos, or Starkweather Stormkings would sever the index finger off their dominant-hand and relearn to write all-over again to relive those days. The efforts, hard-work and individual moments helped provide a foundation that built whatever futures that followed.

It’s a shame those days are gone, but the memories live on, forever. And it all can come full-circle … just ask the Belfield Bantams and South Heart Eagles.

Gaylon is a sportswriter who originally is from Jensen Beach, Fla. and his column appears weekly. He can be reached at

gparker@thedickinsonpress.com

and/or 701-456-1213.

Gaylon is a sportswriter from Jensen Beach, Fla., but has lived all over the world. Growing up with an athletic background gave him a love of sports that led to a journalism career in such places as Enid, Okla., Alamogordo, N.M., Pascagoula, Miss. and Viera, Fla. since 1998. His main passion is small-town community sports, particularly baseball and soccer.