"Hoops"Mentioned: War
Rating: G
- Transmission opens inside of "McGovern's Pub", the local South Boston hang-out of Mickey Showery. Pops the bartender leans up against the bar standing behind it talking with a patron who is jotting something down. Mickey slowly strolls into the bar looking to have had a couple already and looking for more. -
- Mickey takes off his jacket hanging it onto the hook looking over his shoulder at the man talking to the bartender. - mickeySHOWERY: "Hey Pops-- who's stretch McGee sitting in my chair."
- The bartender goes to say something to Mickey but is silenced by the patron who looks back at Mickey. - barPATRON: "Sorry Mr. Showery, I just came in and plopped down any ol' place."
- The man stands from the chair sliding over one stool and sitting back down. Mickey smiles and nods walking over to the bartop patting the man on the back looking to the bartender. - mickeySHOWERY: "See Pops, now this is a man that recognizes a true Athlete when he see's one-- not like half these bums you got coming in here."
- Mickey shakes his finger in front of the bar, "Line us up some drinks and shots for me and my friend here.." Mickey says reachin for his wallet and tossing it down onto the bar-top. - mickeySHOWERY: "What's you're name, pally?"
barPATRON: "Nate."
- Mickey looks over to 'Nate' squinting for a moment before he gets a sudden shake of sobriety. - mickeySHOWERY: "Wait a minute .."
(snapping his fingers) "You're Nate Archibald!"
- Mickey looks at the bartender. - mickeySHOWERY: "Tiny Archibald, Pops .. in your bar!"
popsBARTENDER: "Aye, I knew that Mick .. and you come walking in here tooting you're own horn insulting the man."
mickeySHOWERY: "I'm sorry Mr. Archibald, I assumed you were one of these regulars coming in here to test me. Man, Tiny Archibal in my bar... You were fantastic with the Celtics man, just fantastic."
tinyARCHIBALD: "Well thanks Mick, believe it or not I am a fan of you as well. My grand kids love watching you on XDF."
- Mickey puts his arm over Tiny's shoulder pointing at him while looking at the Bartender. - mickeySHOWERY: "Freakin Tiny Archibald!"
popsBARTENDER: "I know..."
mickeySHOWERY: "Well don't just stand there man .. take a picture."
- Pops shakes his head reaching behind the bar and grabbing a camera. Both Mickey and Tiny smile brightly as Mickey leaves his arm over Tiny's shoulder while Tiny throws a peace sign. Pops snaps the picture as tiny goes back to signing his autograph on an 8x10 and sliding it across the bar. -
- Pops brings Mickey a drink and refreshes Tiny's - mickeySHOWERY: "So what brings you to our little hole in the wall?"
- Tiny takes his beer and has a sip from it looking over to Mickey. - tinyARCHIBALD: "Community Out-reach. I do it a couple times a year-- speak at schools to catch the kids before they act up and then at juvenile correction to get the ones that have already."
mickeySHOWERY: "Aye, I've always wanted to get invovled with that .. give back to Southie, ya know. But the agency say to .."
tinyARCHIBALD: (finishing Mickey's sentence) "Make your money now, do out-reach later."
- Mickey nods taking a drink. - tinyARCHIBALD: "That's what they tell all of us man... agents can't take their 30% of 'Nothing' so they want you out there making money."
- Tiny shakes his head. - tinyARCHIBALD: "Shoot, I was already retired for 4 years before I figured out how to get involved."
"I'll tell you though, there is this "Culture of Incarceration" with kids these days. They are out there actually trying to get arrested .. Robbing .. Banging .. they figure doing a 6-months in county will get them some street credit. And matter fact, there are other ignorant kids out there that do look up to these kids who have been locked up .. its gotta stop."
- Mickey shakes his head agreeing 100%. He's seen it with his own eyes. - tinyARCHIBALD: "You should come out with me, man. Maybe spread the word to some of your wrestling buddies. I mean, not for nothing, we got a lot of little pale irish kids in the out-reach and they don't always relate with a mid-aged black guy, you know?"
mickeySHOWERY: "Yeah, like I said-- thats something I wouldn't mind being involved in."
- A light bulb goes off in Mickey's head as he snaps his fingers pointing to the back wall of the bar. - mickeySHOWERY: "Pops, you still have that Celtics ball I gave you from the game I went too.. Maybe Tiny would sign that for us if he wouldn't mind."
- Tiny laughs, "Sure" he says as Pops hands Mickey the ball. Mickey reaches it out to Tiny but as he goes to grab it Mickey pulls it away. They both laugh, but Mickey does it again. - tinyARCHIBALD: "Oh whats this, keep away?"
- Mickey backs away dribbling the ball once between his legs and then at a slow place. - mickeySHOWERY: (ribbing him) "What'sa matter Tiny? Getting slow in your old age?"
tinyARCHIBALD: "Oh so you got jokes huh?"
mickeySHOWERY: "Wooo, I got jokes? You look like the one who is the clown."
- Tiny looks at Mickey smiling and shaking his head. The scene fades to black for a minute. -
- When we open back up we are outside the bar on a back park's ball court. The court lights had shut off some hours ago but a full moon allows us to see all that is taking place. -
-Mickey, in a tee-shirt and jeans, dribbles the ball before Tiny who is dressed in a more business slacks and collared shirt although it is unbuttoned to the third hole. - mickeySHOWERY: "So what am I up by 10?"
tinyARCHIBALD: (laughs) "You're down by 8"
mickeySHOWERY: "It's alright, I haven't even unleashed my A game."
tinyARCHIBALD: "I was gonna say it looked more like your C game."
mickeySHOWERY: "You haven't even seen my special move yet."
- Mickey does a quick shimmy and gets by Tiny having a free route to the basket. Mickey jumps and bangs the ball off the rim in a failed dunk that sends the ball shooting skyward and off into a bush. - mickeySHOWERY: "Damn it!"
tinyARCHIBALD: "It's alright Mickey, you know what they say, "White men can't jump."
- Mickey pulls the front of his shirt up wiping his face, "And black men can't swim.." he says retorting. Tiny laughs slapping Mickey on the back walking to the benches with him to take a seat. - mickeySHOWERY: "I know what your saying though .. this park at night is normally a pretty rough place. I am surprised we haven't heard a gun shot yet tonight."
tinyARCHIBALD: "It's gotten to the point Mick, that the police are just arresting everyone. There are so many bad apples out there that they scoop up the whole tree and call it a night. My grandkids can't walk these streets? If its not the Dealers and Thugs its the Cops and Sweeps. We have to start with the Community .. get them on the good foot and things will change."
mickeySHOWERY: "Well Tiny, Anything I could do to help you I am more than willing. I don't have a phone so just call the bar and they will know how to reach me."
- Tiny gives Mickey a funny look on the mention that he doesn't own a phone but laughs it off as he starts to adjust his shirt. - tinyARCHIBALD: "So tell me-- I watch all this wrestling --you really gonna retire? Or is this some kinda wrestling soap opera."
mickeySHOWERY: "Oh no, if I lose I am out. There is a lot of mess going on back stage with these couple fools and someone needs to step up and break it before it grows into anything."
tinyARCHIBALD: "You're fighting that War guy again?"
mickeySHOWERY: "Yeah he's the bottom level of there little unit. Personally, I think that woman Milton is a better wrestler than him, but you gotta start somewhere and they won't let men fight women."
- Tiny nods as he starts to push off the bench slapping Mickey on the back. - tinyARCHIBALD: "Well alright Mickey, be good and me and my grandbabies will be pulling for you Sunday."
mickeySHOWERY: "Thanks man, keep me intouch about that out-reach."
- Ting shakes his head in agreement slapping Mickey's hand and walking out of the frame. Mickey sits there for a moment looking down to the basketball boucing it as he is seated. -
- On last time he eyeballs the net standing from the bench and taking a running start at it as the transmission slowly fades to black. The "Boing" reverberation of the ball boucning off the rim is heard followed by Mickey calling out "DAMN IT!". Transmission ends. -