Ziggy,
Skander will probably be back from time to time once he gets an internet connection set up at his new place. It's pretty safe to say that basketball might be his second largest passion...after the soon-to-be wife, of course. Bachelor party tonight! But I don't think Skander will ever be really big into the BBS. It'll be, at best, a passing curiousity. It's tough to get as loud and excited on a BBS as you do in real life, and if you don't see Skander jumping up and down and shouting, then you're not seeing him at his best. You should ask Caleb sometime about how excitable Skander can be. He actually suggested that Skander and I record our commentary to a Finals game, because he thought it would be a lot more exciting than the real commentary.
One thing, though, although I'm reasonably sure he'd never say it; he's glad to be missed by folks who really don't know him that well. I think it gives him a sense of pride; a sense of satisfaction. When I tell him "Ziggy asked about you on the board" (although I'm likely to use your real name), you can bet that the first thing out of his mouth will be some sort of statement of fondness for you. Granted, it'll be followed by a tirade about how you can get the best of every trade, but, then again, that's Skander - competing till the end.
As for me...I guess it's more than anything a need to get back to talking about basketball rather than reading what other folks are saying. FanHome needed me as a moderator, and I missed the days of the old Tempest! BBS. But there's only a handful of folks who really talk BASKETBALL there, and for those that can do it with a sense of humor...well...let's say I miss MSNBC a lot. I still laugh in fond memory of HC's postings about "Really hate Bill Walton? Don't just write about it - do something about it."
The fantasy league is also a big part of the reason that I'm here. This is where we can trash-talk in the off-season; this is where folks will argue about who is going to take the player that who else wanted; this is where I can talk about the great play in the last week of the season of Caron Butler and Bobby Sura and folks will know what I'm talking about.
And finally, I'm "Joe" here. Playing "Genghis, the Tempest Polar Bear" is fun - don't get me wrong - but it's nice to be able to put *MY* name to *MY* opinions, without having to add in an outside perspective to keep it funny.
A couple of days ago, I read back over a lot of old "Genghis" posts on FanHome, and I was kind of taken back to the state of mind I had in some of those days...especially with questions from the BBQ. I thought I was "content" with most things back then, but I could read a lot of hurt in the messages. I needed FanHome to get away from "being me" for a while. It felt good to be a bit more anonymous and more distant.
I guess the summary is that it's good to know where your friends are - even if, at times, you're not there with them. I'll be around for a while, and I'll never be too far away.
Joe
