The Gus Macker Tournament begins Saturday, May 28, in downtown Quincy. (Photo by the Quincy Exchange Club)
For the past 21 years, the kickoff to summertime in Quincy has been the Memorial Day Quincy Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. The annual event, sponsored by the Quincy Exchange Club, has grown over the years and now boasts more than 500 participating teams from all over the Midwest.
My personal experience with the tournament goes back to 2000, where I’d come back from college and referee or “Gus Bust” for the weekend. I was always a Buster for some of the younger courts. I spent two years referring for 9 to 10 year old boys division, and then two years in the 12 to 14 year old girls divisions.
I time as a Gus Buster, I was always surprised at the level of play. Some of these kids had a ton of talent. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear that they are now playing for some big-name programs. Sure, there were always more spectators gathered around the top men’s and women’s courts or the Dream Court at Fifth and Maine, but there was great ball being played on every street in Downtown Quincy regardless of the age group. There are also fantastic examples of sportsmanship and teamwork on every court.
One of the years I was busting, I had a couple of boys teams at a game late in the day on Saturday. It was hot, we were all tired, and the two teams were terribly mis-matched. One team, it seemed, was the 9-year-old version of the Chicago Bulls. The other looked like it was about to lose its last game without scoring a single point. I felt bad for the kids on the losing end of this shellacking. They were trying their little hearts out, but were simply out-manned.
While this was going on, one of the parents from the winning team was shouting to her kids to not let up and to “put a nail in their coffin.” I was appalled and was about to go and talk to the parent who was being so utterly rude, when one of the kids on the team that was winning came and tugged on my sleeve.
The kid asked for a time out. So I blew the whistle and watched as one of the greatest little moments in sports history happened.
He walked over to the parent and I didn’t catch all that was said except for, “you’re not being very nice,” and then he walked back to me. And I’ll never forget what he said. “Sorry my mom was kinda rude, ref. Hey listen, that kid over there is in my class at school, and he’s got Autism. I kinda want him to score a point, so is it cool if he shoots a few times and you don’t call him for traveling?”
And just like that, my faith in humanity was restored. I, of course, assured the kid that I wouldn’t call his classmate for traveling, and his classmate took a half-dozen shots or so until one finally sunk. Final score of that game was 15-1. If you looked at that score on paper, you might have thought that the game was an embarrassment, but if you were at that court on Sixth Street, you would have known that it was one of the greatest games ever played at a Quincy Gus Macker Tournament.
So if you’re looking for a good way to “Get Out” this weekend, I suggest going downtown and checking out the Gus Macker Tournament. Take some time to watch the smaller games going on off of Maine Street though. Some of the best stories in sports come from the most unexpected places.
Original Post May 23, 2011
Filed under: Fitness, Greatest Hits Tagged: basketball, Downtown Quincy, events, Gus Macker, Memorial Day, sportsmanship, three on three
