Becoming MannofStat

B-Ballers,

In 1999, I hyper extended my left knee, while smacking boards on some cat. I could barely walk. I was put into a wheelchair and taken to the prison E.R. The doctor examined my left knee and noticed bruised blood on the bottom of my left foot. So, I was sent to Wake Medical Center to be examined for blood clots.

The doctors at Wake Medical Center performed a Doppler test. After viewing the arteries and blood vessels of my left leg, they concluded that I didn’t have blood clots. When I came back to the prison, the doctor’s prognosis was to stay off of the court for a few months and take these anti-inflammatory pills for the swelling.

I eventually played ball again. I was still able to do my thing on the court, but afterwards the stiffness and swelling in my knee eventually became unbearable. Every time I went to the doctor, he’d just prescribe more pain medication (Motrin). He said it was natural for my knee to be aching and swelling due to my age, so I continued ballin’. By 2007, I was walking with a limp.

I went back to the doctor. This time he recommended that I receive an MRI exam. Surprisingly, it was approved. The MRI exam revealed that my left ACL was torn and my left MCL was dislodged. The doctors at Wake Medical Center couldn’t believe that I was still playing basketball.

I had a good doctor (Dr. Wood). He explained to me how they were going to remove tissue from my left hamstring, then using the tissue as a graph to mend my knee. At first, I had reserved feelings about the whole procedure. I told Dr. Wood that the procedure struck me as primitive and I felt they were experimenting on me. Na mean?

Well, after several visits, Dr. Wood learned of my loyal Eagles fanfare. He told me that my surgery would be the same procedure that Donovan McNabb just had. That didn’t make me feel any better, due to the fact that I gave up on McNabb when he choked in the Super Bowl in 2005. But, when I learned that professional athletes have this type of procedure regularly, I was on board. And, I gotta tip my hat; Dr. Wood did an excellent job on my knee.

The day before my surgery was my first appearance as the league statistician. It was the season opener. I didn’t know what to expect after I had to sign a release form, ridding the state of any responsibilities if anything was to happen to me during surgery. So, that night, I took the stat sheets to my cell. I decided to leave behind some form of sports commentary about the day’s events. I concluded that if I never wake up from surgery, at least the brothers on the row will know what it feels like to get some positive press. Feel me?

I left the block about 5am the next morning. I left my written commentary with one of my fellow ballers. I was gone for two days. When I came back to the death row housing unit, on crutches, the b-ball buzz was incredible. It seemed like every one was feeling my written b-ball commentary. That was the day I became the MannofStat. Ya heard?

It’s ironic that the founder of our league, Earl J. Richmond once told me that he was really going to miss my sports talk. He told me that someone would have to step up as a leader after he was gone. He reminded me that I was a point guard and dishing out dimes is what we do. Na mean?

So, here’s my latest assist to the ballers on the row as well as the masses in the blogosphere. I may not be on the court, but I’m most definitely in the game.

That’s what’s up!

Keep on Keepin,

MannofStat
Copyright © 2010 by Leroy Mann