THE JERMAIN DEFOE shirt I’m wearing, the one I bought several years ago, has never meant more to me than it does right now.
It’s not exactly like the one Defoe wore when he scored five goals against Wigan last Sunday. Mine doesn’t have the yellow trim featured on the current Tottenham Hotspur home kit and, thankfully, my Defoe shirt lacks the little Puma logos on the shoulders, which look completely out of place in my opinion.
But the name and number — DEFOE, 18 — on the back is the same, only it’s a bit different considering what Defoe and my beloved Spurs did to the poor Latics at White Hart Lane.
A 9-1 football scoreline stands out for obvious reasons. It’s similar to a 22-2 baseball final or a 62-3 NFL result. These scores occur so rarely that they make even a novice fan, or folks completely disinterested in sports altogether, take note.
But when it’s your favorite team putting up that gaudy winning number, as Tottenham did in its scintillating eight-goal victory over Wigan, it becomes even more important. Spurs’ win will undoubtedly be remembered by all football fans for the rest of the season.
Tottenham fans will remember it for the rest of their lives. At least the one writing these words will.
I hesitate comparing any sporting event with truly historic happenings like the Berlin Wall falling or President Obama being elected. But just like those monumental occasions, I’ll remember where I was and what I was doing when Spurs beat Wigan, 9-1.
Is Tottenham’s win as important? Of course not, and I’m not even remotely implying that it is.
I’m simply saying that watching my favorite team score nine goals in a football game will probably prove to be a once in a lifetime experience, and I’m so glad I was able to enjoy every second of it.
When I’m old and gray, or older and grayer, as it were, I may not remember who scored every goal or what the halftime score was or who exactly was in Tottenham’s starting 11.
But if I ever want to recall that amazing game, I can go to the closet, find my Defoe shirt, which will be at least a size too small by then I’m sure, and wait for the memories to come flooding back.
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