Not a day for Random Thoughts from EB

What I’ve learned in life, mostly the hard way, is that while game winning shots and goals matter, or game winning hits or touchdowns, they don’t compare to relationships developed throughout life. Last week my friend Mike Smith from Lyndon, who loved Northeast Kingdom athletics without comparison, passed away at too young of an age.

Mike and I had an often uproarious relationship at times. He’d send me a text to jab me about the Yankees, or what his thoughts on historic local athletes were, or his thoughts on the St. J/LI rivalry, and politics. But mostly, our conversations were inspired and amicable. He loved talking about the on field prowess of Steve Lewis and Rick Cameron. For those of you too young to understand, Lewis of SJA and Cameron of LI, played in the best game ever witnessed, according to Mike and several others I have spoken to over the years. As Mike would tell, Chuck Smith ran down Steve Lewis and Lyndon stopped St. Johnsbury inside the five yard line which eventually preserved a 7-6 win for the Vikings. Pictures show fans twelve people deep back in 1966 all around Robert K. Lewis Field when that game was played. He would always say, and I believe him, that Steve Lewis is the best athlete to ever go to SJA and that Rick Cameron is the greatest running back to ever play in the NEK.

Mike would talk about the great Eddie Woods from LI. He’d talk about the ridiculously talented track athletes in the 60’s and 70’s he watched. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone who was so loyal and proud of both SJA and LI. Mike went to both schools. He told me that Lyndon Institute should have had Levi Gardner do the coin flip this past year at the big game. It was a great idea.

There are so many athletes that we talked about and I will always relive those conversations. I think over the past two years he stepped up in that area with me as he knew I no longer had Johnny to bounce thoughts off where sports were concerned. His favorite athletes ever, however, were his grandkids, Colby Zaun and Wyatt Mason. As well they should be. And they were and are good ones for sure!

When I was at Lyndon working on the fields prior to a baseball game Mike’s truck would always be up top looking over McDonald Family Field, and I knew I better rake just right, or have home plate looking just so, or he was going to let me know. It was good pressure. If I didn’t have the rosters ready for him when he showed up I’d hear about it – always in a good way. Seeing him and Phil Cliche in the truck before the games really made my day. I can only imagine the conversations between those guys. Two virtual encyclopedias of NEK sports knowledge – and a little bit of hyperbole mixed in – but that’s alright too.

I sent Mike a text a couple of weeks before he passed and it read the following, ‘Thanks Mike, I appreciated our relationship over the years. From the conversations that included the likes of Mike Garcia to Mark Weigel to Stevie Lewis and Wyatt Mason it’s been great. Godspeed’.

I couldn’t leave it at that. A couple of weeks later, and just a couple of days before he passed, we spoke on the phone. While I got to say good bye to Johnny it wasn’t a transactional conversation. I wanted to have one with Mike one last time. I told him I wasn’t going to make it to the Jack Byrne Palliative Center to see him as that place holds the memory of Johnny’s last days for me – and I can’t pull myself to go there again. He got it. We still playfully talked about sports and I told him he would get to go see Joe DiMaggio play baseball, and Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra, and all the Yankee greats he loved so much. I asked him if he’d say hi to Johnny for me which he obliged. There were tears shed. Lots of them. Hanging up the phone sucked. But, I am thankful we had those last conversations about sports, and life. About one minute after I had hung up the phone I received this text from Mike, ‘Make no mistake’ – there will not be an ounce of giving up’ – with the thumbs up emoji following the text. I responded with ‘I don’t doubt you’.

All we should really hope for in life is to hope to have a good life with a good family – of course surrounded by sports! Mike left his mark in those departments and when I walk into McDonald Family Field tomorrow I’ll look up on the hill and envision his Toyota with him sitting in it. Spiritually he’ll be there, cheering on his grandson and one of the two schools he so dearly loved. Rest easy Mike, and enjoy the games up there in Heaven!

The opinions expressed by EB are solely his and are not a reflection of those of NSN. If you’d like to reach out to EB please contact him at eberry@nsnsports.net