As you know from yesterday, he did ask Billie Jean King to get a picture taken with him Saturday at the Princeton field hockey game. In fact, there were quite a few people who asked her for a photo, and she obliged every time.
What must that be like? TB could see where the person of whom the request is asked might be a bit wary. It says something about King that she was so open to it.
TB has never been into autographs. In fact, he's only ever asked one person for an autograph, and that was Harry Kalas, the legendary late Phillies broadcaster. When TB was a vendor at Veterans Stadium while he was in college, Kalas autographed his hat.
It seems like, in the digital age, getting a photo is way better than an autograph, unless you're a collector.
Speaking of Billie Jean King, you know that she defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" in May 1973 in a major moment for the women's movement. What you probably don't realize is that six months later, she and Riggs were on the 1970s sitcom "The Odd Couple." Riggs plays himself, and he hustles Oscar out of pretty much everything he has until Felix finds the one thing that he can do better than Riggs. Ultimately, they up the stakes for one last winner-take-all ping pong match.
This is what happens after that:
It's hilarious stuff, the entire episode.
For every show he's ever seen anywhere, his favorite remains "The Odd Couple," which ran for five seasons and 114 episodes, all of which are great. He has quoted line after line from the show throughout his entire life, usually to people who don't realize that the line is from a show, as opposed to some random piece of TB's mind.
One of the people who could relate and knew every line as well was Steve DiGregorio, at one time an assistant football coach at Princeton who went on to a long and highly successful career as a high school teacher and coach. Even after the man known universally as "Digger" left Princeton, though, he was very much a part of the fabric of the athletic department, with so many friends who were still there. He was a constant presence at games, along with the rest of this family, his wife Nadia and his kids Zack, Derek and Aaron.
TigerBlog became his friend in the 1980s and then became really close with him when they had offices down the hall from each other. At some point one of them quoted "The Odd Couple" and the other's eyes lit up.
When Digger turned 50, TB's gift to him was the entire Season 4 of "The Odd Couple." Digger called it the best gift he'd ever received, and TB believed him.
Digger, sadly, passed away at the young age of 60 after he fiercely fought several rounds of cancer. In fact, he passed away one year ago today.
Pretty much every day since, TB has been reminded of a line from "The Odd Couple" from something that came up in every day life. His first thought as always has been "Digger would love that." Then he realizes that Digger is gone. It's harsh reminder.
TigerBlog isn't the only one who has thought of Digger often these last 12 months. He's not the only one who misses him, who misses his laugh and dry humor, who misses his sarcasm, who misses his strength and courage.
He lives on in everyone whose life he touched.
TigerBlog cannot wrap his head around the randomness of life sometimes. Georgie Buck lived to 96. Pete Carril lived to 92. FatherBlog is 87 and still going strong, even though he's never met a steak he wouldn't eat or a dessert he wouldn't order.
On the other hand, there was TB's mother, gone at 55. There was Ann Bates, gone at 43. You know this from your own family and friends and acquaintances.
Some live for a long time. Some don't. Maybe genetics play a part. Maybe other factors. But there's also a randomness to it, and unexplainable, often unfair randomness to it. In Digger's case, he only got 60 years.
TB would say that the point, then, is to value every day, value the ones you love, value your friends. You never know what could happen tomorrow or the next day or next year.
And so he leaves you today with what was Digger's favorite scene from "The Odd Couple."
TB thought he and Digger would be friends long into their 80s and beyond. A year ago he was taken, from TB and everyone else.
He's gone, but he's not forgotten. He never will be. He'll always be cherished, and his memory will always be a blessing.
Love you, Digger.
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