The Look
by Marc Burns
Anyone that knows me understands how important the sport of racquetball has been, and still is, in my life.
Indoor, 4-wall, glorious, racquetball.
I started playing in the early 1970s, then went all in when the Sportrooms began building courts in Miami, including one inches from our home in Kendall.
Tournaments followed, and in the past 45 years or so, I’ve been blessed to win over 100 events, including 24 Florida State championships and one national title.
And, amazingly, I’m still running around and hitting the ball to this day.
In the mid-1990s, when my then-teenage son Jonathan, or JB, realizing his future as a basketball player likely would not include the NBA, took an interest in racquetball, I was thrilled.
Eventually, JB became an exceptional player, better than I ever dreamed of being, one of the best amateurs in Florida, if not the best, and the preeminent player in his age group in the United States.
Marty Hogan was the first superstar of racquetball. He revolutionized the game with an uber-aggressive style, and enjoyed unparalleled success in the 1970s and ‘80s. In short, he was the Babe Ruth of racquetball.
So it was no small deal when Hogan showed up to play at a local tournament in South Florida in 2014. Almost 55, he was still formidable, and to prove it, he defeated Kevin List, a top Open player, in the quarterfinals.
Which set up a showdown against, yes, you guessed it, my son JB, then 35.
In fairness to Hogan, the age difference was significant. As great as Hogan had been, and still was, JB was just entering his prime as a player.
Most observers expected JB to win, but maybe that was a hometown bias and, well, this was still Marty Hogan, after all.
And indeed, with his father swelling with pride from behind the glass, JB was up to the task. He was aggressive and unmerciful. The scores were 15-8, 15-8.
The most memorable moment of the match? The instant JB hit the final, winning shot, he turned and stared at me, and gave me The Look.
The Look of incredulity and disbelief. The Look that said-- I knew I was good, but… Damn. I. Just. Beat. Marty. Hogan. Dominated him, in fact. This is so cool.
And in that moment, and with The Look, JB was also saying, to me: “And Pop, it was great to share that with you.”
And that’s yet another reason why racquetball is such a beautiful thing.
