Megatron & McAvoy

Apparently, I am not the first actor to find himself enamored of an athlete. Strangely, I find athletes are fascinated by those of us who make a living wearing makeup. I wish I could dissect my obsession for those who excel at something I could only do with the help of an athletically gifted Stunt Double. Still, when I find myself looking back on moments of personal glory, I pride myself on being able to say things like: “Yes, as a matter of fact I have been in the Red Wings Locker Room minutes after they won their first Stanley Cup in over forty years”, “Yes, I have had an impromptu golf lesson from Jack Nicklaus” (“Relax your forearms, kid”) and “Yes, I have been in the dugout of the old Tiger Stadium and ceremoniously lowered my ass upon the same pine as Kaline, Kuenn, and Cobb.” And there I was yesterday, during my annual pilgrimage to the Training Camp of the Detroit Lions, marveling once again at what can only be described as truly gifted human beings. What physical prowess! What commitment! What dedication, what execution, what stamina! There was Mathew Stafford spiraling bullets through the air! Offensive and Defensive Linemen, big as Buicks, making the ground beneath me tremor! Wide Receivers gliding like greyhounds! I cannot deny my Man Crush! I must embrace it! Because…wait, why would I do that? What we do is hardly the same. Athletes are real, they keep score, someone wins, someone loses. I’m more or less fictional, winning is subjective, and one man’s brilliant is another man’s why-is-he-still-in-the-business. Yes, we both work in professions where those who succeed become, at least for a moment, larger than life. And yes, for both of us fame is truly fleeting and that’s giving it more stamina than it deserves. To last, to have longevity, to outlive our moment in the sun. Who doesn’t want that? Surely, it’s reason enough to revere the legacies of Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Stewart, Clint Eastwood, and in my corner of the world Steve Yzerman, Al Kaline, and Barry Sanders. Maybe. All I know is, once again, I found myself standing in the presence of greatness, quietly hoping longevity would find its way to Calvin Johnson. In the end, that’s all we want. Just someone down the road to remember our moment forever.

Allen Park, MI

August 20, 2013