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Lonny Baxtina
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
 


Lonny Baxter, beefy power forward,
former Wizard, former Terp, was arrested
early this morning. A witness reported shots
fired from a car that Baxter had been driving
near the White House, at 17th and I,
not far from Baxter's hometown, Silver Spring.

When I was growing up in Silver Spring,
I backed down Roger Mason playing forward
(though soon he would be much taller than I)
one time at Y sports camp! Then I rested,
not taking stock in sweaty driving
and dishing, until I saw Lonny taking shots

and making all of them, blocking shots
of puny MoCo 4Aers every spring.
Lonny at Richard Montgomery: That driving!
That dunking! Nobody had a forward
who could take him. He arrested
the attention of scouts and caught the eye

of every RM Rocket fan when I
was a senior, he a junior, looking for his shot
at a big-time program. He ultimately rested,
stayed at home at Maryland. After a spring
of life away trned sour, I moved forward
by going back, and found myself by driving

to the same school where Lonny now was driving.
And when we both were seniors, in '02, I
knew that Lonny, favorite power forward,
and the rest of the Terps had a legit shot
at the title. I screamed "LB! SILVER SPRING
REPRESENT!" I drank. Never got arrested,

unlike many Terps - but still, who would have rested
after that championship? No; the driving
was over; we were back in Silver Spring,
home, triumphant, LB and I.
And in the NBA, when Lonny's shot
was no longer enough to move him forward,

I still clung to the memory. But spring
turns to sere summer, and now driving's arrested.
So Lonny: If you have to take that shot, move forward.



__

I guess this kills the Italian trip, too.

...............................................
posted by Rex Immensae Majestatis Chapman



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