"Sometimes at practice one of the guys'll say, 'Let's just break, it's just one day,"' he said. "And I'll say: 'It's just a few more hours. You only got a couple more to go. It'll be worth it in the end."'
It's important to keep at it! The author uses this to help the readers get a better understanding of how important this is to them.
"We fast so we can feel for the poor people, to know how they feel," said Khalil, 16, a junior. "I'm going through this hunger and thirst for 12, 13 hours. They're going through it for a lifetime."
I like how the author shows us a little bit about what this is about.
He would go back to watching it on television like the 6-year-old he had been when he discovered this crashing competition, much to the consternation of his parents, refugees from the more lethal forms of competition practiced in the Lebanese civil war.
His childhood is mentioned. He mentions how his parents were alike in the way of watching the crashing competition on the television.
He wore his letter jacket from the Dearborn High Pioneers, with an orange chevron on each shoulder for his two years on the varsity and the stitching on the back spelling out his nickname, Flea. From a pocket of his sweats he pulled out a few dollars for a Pepsi and the meat-and-cheese pie called lahma ma jibini.
This specific chunk helps build an image of Ali Ahmad. The use of imagery here helps draw in the readers because you have to wonder, why is this description important here?
twice inside the 5-yard line without a touchdown against Allen Park, and falling for the fullback draw play all night against Monroe --
The players are still working hard even if they are hungry and thirsty. They are not giving up on themselves either even when things don't look good with their crucial errors they still find a way to persevere.
resisted the temptation of a water break during practice;
Wow he really is willing to risk his own health and well being to stay true to Ramadan. Dehydration is truly lethal to the body. I guess that shows that he really is an above and beyond religious man.
As much as football meant to him, as much as it mattered to win, those things only counted for Ali if he was also staying true to Allah.
It truly is difficult to keep that balance between multiple loves. This also shows how strong his religion is eating would really help his performance on the football field but his faith for Allah is really admirable.
THIS season asked for a greater sacrifice than the culinary.
This sentence is interesting to me because it almost implies that the football games are more important than the sacredness of Ramadan. To me it seems contradictory because from the previous quotes from the Muslim players, they definitely recognize the value of being faithful. One player said, "you know you've worked hard. You know you've been faithful. And that makes you much tougher out on the field." This sentence may represent how the school or non-Muslims may see Ramadan as a hindrance. However, the players that fast see it as a superpower that helps them be a "warrior" on the field.
The easy commingling of Ramadan and football season, Middle East and Middle America, has a value beyond the personal.
Not only does the author mention that the football team is in Dearborn multiple times, he actually goes into some historic information about the city and how it came to have a dense Arab population. This background information is important because it helps draw the parallel of the struggles first generation immigrants faced and the struggles their children or grandchildren face in everyday school life.
“He’s such a big guy,” Boogaard’s brother Aaron said. “The doctor told him it took about twice as much medicine to knock him out as for most people. He’d go through 30 pills in a couple of days. He’d need 8 to 10 at a time to feel O.K.”
It's sad yet very interesting that even though these fights were draining him and needed the help of drugs to help him feel better he continued to fight for his team no matter what the cost was which is the sign of a true team player even if his goal is to try to injure the opposition.
The N.H.L., formed in 1917, considered a ban on fighting. It ultimately mandated that fighters be assessed a five-minute penalty. That interpretation of justice, now Rule 46.14, still stands. It has never been much of a deterrent.
If the NHL would have banned this it probably would have caused outrage by the fans so it was smart by them to leave it in the game somewhat and this shows that fighting in hockey is just a common part of the sport and they should just let it happen.
Boogaard rarely complained about the toll — the crumpled and broken hands, the aching back and the concussions that nobody cared to count. But those who believe Boogaard loved to fight have it wrong.
If that was the case then why would he continue to fight even if he knew that it would not work out and he knew this injuries would come back to hurt him.
Boogaard took a swing with his long right arm. His fist smacked the opponent’s face and broke his nose. Coaches and scouts laughed as they congratulated Boogaard.
Did Boogaard realize at this moment in this fight that this was his purpose in hockey and was this his mission to assert his dominance on everyone else.
He was hardly a bully. Paradoxically, he was picked on largely because he was so big.
This is where the author introduces Derek's past, this could be one of the factors of his aggressive tendencies.
It meant
The repetition of "it meant" helps emphasize the peaceful aspects of Derek's life. Throughout the article, I noticed how the author consistently brings up Derek's past whether it was violent/aggressive memories or nice family bravados. The author incorporates the use of repetition in a very effective/impactful way to help build Derek's character.
long
I noticed how the author casually places words like this to emphasize Derek's tall persona.
How do you replace tight end Keith Glascoe, who was so good onlya bum shoulder kept him off the New York Jets' roster in theearly '90s?
The answer is you can't replace actual people or lives. Yes you can replace a person at a position but as a human being we are all very different and no one is exactly the same.
f it wasn't Danny pulling Tommy out of the pile,it was Tommy pulling Danny out.
This is one of the spots in the article where the word pile has two meanings the first meaning is pulling out of a football sport pile or "dog pile". and uses the word pile of rubble in the remains of the World trade center.
Although the team misses their fallen teammates its impressive how they still decide to stick to tradition.
They found Johnston again three weeks into the digging.Heffernan was there, and he helped carry his teammate out.
This phrase really intrigued me. By using the word "digging" it really adds to how Johnston really was a saving grace for the team. This really does show how it can be difficult to bounce back from a terrible event, but, even it takes a long time, it's still possible. To be able to come back from a terrible event really does show how this trait applies to both football and firemen.
Most of the guys on the team have a nasty case of the WTC cough,which is what you get from digging week after week, up to 18hours a day, and inhaling dust, smoke, glass particles, asbestosand, indeed, microscopic remains of their fallen comrades. Butthe guys are playing. "Damn right," says fullback Tom Narducci."It's tradition."
The idea of tradition plays a major role, in my opinion, of their motivation to push through the obstacles. These people need to continue the tradition and even with all of this problems that happened when they inhaled all of those terrible things, they pushed forward to continue the tradition that was so important to them.
. The New York City Fire Departmentfootball team starts its National Public Safety League seasonnext week missing seven starters, 12 alums and two coaches. Butthe firemen are playing. Hell, yes, they're playing.
When looking at this phrase after reading the passage allows me to see exactly what he means by saying "Hell yes, they're playing." The importance of being able to bounce back from losing it all is important in any aspect of your life and that trait was heavily tested after 9/11 in New York.
How do you replace tight end Keith Glascoe
When looking at replacing people it can seem very difficult, especially when growing and marinating together. I feel the same way when looking at our tennis team next year. We lose many people that made our team our team, but it is an important trait to become just emotionally attached to the point where you create a bond, but are able to move on.
You cry together at enoughfunerals, you figure you can bleed together on a football field,too. One thing about firemen, they don't let each other fightbattles alone.
This portion makes it more than clear about how this sport has turned into more of an emotional connection between all the players. The comparison made with football and firemen is really interesting as when fighting battles, for fun or for work, it is important to do it as a team and group. Just like how people grieve together, they should be able to work together to get things done.
One thing about firemen, they don't let each other fightbattles alone.
It is clear this recreational sport is way more than a game at this point. It is touching to read that people that might not even like football are joining to be a part of the community. It's important to see pure things such as this and take them to heart. It emphasizes the importance of grieving as a group.
How do you replace tight end Keith Glascoe,
This is talking about replacing but I feel like it contradicts a previous statement. The article said earlier that the game was tradition. With that claim, playing the game with new players is a great way to carry on a tradition and start a new one of honoring the fallen.
We both played high school and college, so we nevergot to see each other play. On this team, we were alwaystogether."
The football and baseball teams were way more than just a sport for fun. It was a way to garner real relationships with the people you work with, and for some, family. Maybe it was an escape from their work lives. A vacation to "normal life". Risking your life every day as a job is not normal, but a friendly came of recreational football is.
Most of the guys on the team have a nasty case of the WTC cough,which is what you get from digging week after week, up to 18hours a day, and inhaling dust, smoke, glass particles, asbestosand, indeed, microscopic remains of their fallen comrades. Butthe guys are playing. "Damn right," says fullback Tom Narducci.
Another way to show the team's dedication to both their jobs and the game as well.
, 'We'll have a team if weonly have 10 guys. We're playing.'"
This shows mike's commitment to the team even though they were facing a horrible situation.
But how? Forget about replacing the players. How do you replacethe men?
they lost so much they didn't think it was possible to get back to normal. everyone had lost so much they couldn't imagine getting a team.
One thing about firemen, they don't let each other fightbattles alone.
The Fire Department is such a tight nit group, they are a team, they have each others backs all the time and they will always be there for each other. A team is just like that.
you figure you can bleed together on a football field,
Their work is not a lot different than play, they are always there for each other road whether or not they or on a field or in a burning building.
'We'll have a team if weonly have 10 guys. We're playing.'"
This shows perseverance and commitment of the men and women of the department. The NYCFD will continue their tradition even though there was a major national attack.