10509 way avenue

[clyde]

Time for some quality childhood memories.






I'm skipping to my 2nd last year on Way Ave. It was like...1959....would have been about 11.

Picture this;a cold ,dark,gray,snowy day in Cleveland.Late December near Christmas.It's 4 PM....no one to play with.So I take my football and go to the schoolyard.I'm pretending to be Jim Brown,Bobby Mitchell and Ray Renfro.

No..not all at he same time.


First,I would be Mitchell and return a kick off 103 yards.

Then I would be Brown,plowing through a whole aand evading lb's ...only to be pulled down from behind at the ankles after a 44 yard gain.Getting tackled in the snow was fun. I'd kick the pig who tackled me and then go back to the huddle...slowly and mockingly---like Brown did.

Then I would be Renfro....blazing by corners and making a great leaping catch....and falling to the snow with the corner all over me.62 yard gainer. Would spit on the corner as I got up.



Keep in mind I am also announcing the play by play as I do all this.


"Pitch to Brown, sweeping left end...Hickerson wipes out a linebacker!...Brown's to the 30,35,40,45..look at that mothah fucl<ah go!!...50.....40....30.....20....10.....touchdown! !!!"



Ah wuz good!!




Then..about the middle of the 3rd quarter I see it.


The homes that rimmed the schoolyard as if they were always watching what was going on inside that schoolyard-------well they were!!

People in windows, standing in driveways....cheering; "Heah we go Brownies, HEAH WE GO!!"




Eauxh MINE GOT!!

Said I!!

I was very shy.




So embarrassed in looking like a complete nincompoop----I ran home.


It would be 6 weeks before I did this again.


Only this time I made dem shoo it was 6PM....in the night---when it's dark.