I feel a bit remiss that I did not make mention of Yzerman's Hall of Fame Induction sooner, however I didn't really know what to say. How do you put into words what your childhood hero, your example of leadership, dedication, and integrity has meant to you, to the state of Michigan through the years. I'm not talented or articulate enough to express all those emotions into words. Luckily someone much more capable was able to convey what we were all feeling.
I remember as a little girl growing up in Metro Detroit, my 5th grade class was given an interesting project. We all had to pick a famous role model we looked up to and admired. Our assignment was to dress as this hero and present a 'biographical' speech to the entire class. Most of the little girls chose Queen Elizabeth, Madonna, or some other famous actress. Myself, and most of the boys in the class, we chose The Captain. As young impressionable kids we had already learned to recognize and appreciate a true, humble leader who chose the good of his team above others.
Yzerman was one of a kind. Unique even to his time. In a day where athletes personal and professional lives are filled with indiscretions and scandals we can truly appreciate having The Captain as our example. We can truly appreciate how lucky we all were to be there for the ride.
Last night he capped an amazing career. And as he has always done, he handled himself with grace, humility, and class.
To The Captain.
The only correction I have to that is that his career isn't capped yet. He's got GM duties someday with Detroit and Gold Medals to win with Team Canada. I love him, I hope he stays close to the game and becomes more influential in the future. His Leadership was something you could feel eminating from the TV when you watched at home. His glare had a measurable temperature to it. His timeliness for faceoff wins, goals, passes, defensive plays, defied all we thought possible in an athelete. In sum, I still get teary eyed when I see him speak of the franchise or see a tribute to him in any form or fashion. He is, for total lack of a more eloquent/articulate variation, Our Captain.
ReplyDeleteAnd Because you are a Detroit fan, I don't have to explain the crossover of this to our current Captain. Also totally worthy of 'The Perfect Human' nickname. Also totally worthy of The C.