Out of My League by Gee Whillickers

[Camy]

Wow! Oh wow, oh WOW!

If it wasn't 4:00am I'd be leaping about whistling and clapping. This is a fantastic story—which is entirely fitting and right, seeing as Gee started this 'Coming Out Challenge.' Of course it helps if you understand Ice Hockey and don't have to keep referring to 'The Moron's Guide.'

'Out of My League' is truly heartwarming, and I don't regret one minute of lost sleep.

[The Pecman]

That was really nice. I know zip about hockey -- the only time I've ever been on a hockey rink in my life was one day on the movie Blades of Glory — but Gee definitely made me feel like I was there. I think the gay side of it was wishful thinking, but I liked it nonetheless and thought it was really charming.

[Bruin Fisher]

I loved this story. It's very well told, which probably goes without saying from an author of Gee Whillickers' standing, but more than that, it's a heart-warming, involving, delightful tale which brought to life a sport and a culture that's very foreign to me, and made me care about the characters.

There's a fair bit of talk over here at the moment about soccer and the total lack of out gay players. Like penguins, no-one wants to be the first in the water. Judging by the evident institutionalised homophobia among the players, management and fans, I can hardly blame them. If only there was a pair of young soccer players like Chris and Lucas!

[Merkin]

I'd like to see this fabulous story show up in an anthology intended for university writing students.

James

[Guest Dabeagle]

While I have enjoyed each one I have read, this one is my favorite. So very well played!

[Hoskins]

I love this story because Lucas becomes a better hockey player as he becomes more comfortable with himself and with Chris - he's not a "a third-line grinder on a middling triple-A team" at all, and coming to terms with himself lets him really let go and play the game he wants to play without the crap.

Having played hockey (although for a very short time and very poorly) a long time ago. you NAILED it.

Just a great little story. I've read it a few times and recommended it some, too.

[colinian]

When I took English 43 'Introduction to the Writing of Short Fiction' during the spring semester of my freshman year at Cal, the instructor told us that we would do our best writing if we wrote about something we know. Gee proves this with his very excellent story Out of My League. Even for someone hockey-ignorant (me) I never got lost in the details about the game and the positions and the way the games were being played. Bravo, Gee.

Colin

[gwilym.pocock]

I am not sure about the bumping guidelines- but I'll post anyway.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I felt connected to the characters, and I was euphoric at the end. I felt the ecstasy of the win at the end.

[Lugnutz]

Bump at will. It makes the reader want to re-read it.

[The Pecman]

Just read it again and enjoyed it all over again. And I hate hockey!

But I always love a good story.

[Gee Whillickers]

.... And I hate hockey!

Grrrrr. Them's fighting words. Drop your stick and gloves and let's go.

[Merkin]

I am not sure about the bumping guidelines- but I'll post anyway.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I felt connected to the characters, and I was euphoric at the end. I felt the ecstasy of the win at the end.

Do we even have a bumping guideline? I think a positive comment about any story should trump any issue about bumping. Besides, what we talk about here is often so interesting that I think a lot of it deserves bumping from time to time.

[The Pecman]

Grrrrr. Them's fighting words. Drop your stick and gloves and let's go.

Not a big fan of baseball or football, either. I can stand tennis.

[Cole Parker]

And diving. I'll bet he watches the male springboard and tower events at the Olympics very closely indeed.

C

[dude]

Just read this story again... wow

Mike

[Bruin Fisher]

I just read it again too. Good, isn't it?!!!

[The Pecman]

And diving. I'll bet he watches the male springboard and tower events at the Olympics very closely indeed.

Diving and gymnastics are both must-see Olympic events. Hocky... not so much.

[Cole Parker]

I've written Gee several times encouraging him to write more. Instead, he wants to career around on his bikes. A tragic loss to the literary world -- that's my opinion.

How about a story that speaks of the adventures of being on the road? Maybe on the top of a Triumph
Bonneville?

C

[Gee Whillickers]

I've written Gee several times encouraging him to write more. Instead, he wants to career around on his bikes. A tragic loss to the literary world -- that's my opinion.

It's just so hard to type when your hands are holding the grips and working the controls. Believe me, I've tried it.

Especially at 160 km/h, the wind blast tries to rip the keyboard off the bike.

Did I say 160? Ahem. For all you young readers, obviously that was a misprint. I would never egregiously break speeding laws like that.

Never.

[Nigel Gordon]

It's just so hard to type when your hands are holding the grips and working the controls. Believe me, I've tried it.

Try a helmet mike a some good voice recognition software. I presume you are using a helmet!

[Guest Dabeagle]

Maybe, since Gee isn't averse to musical themes, there is something by Jethro Tull 'Too Old to Rock and Roll (Too Young to Die)' that features the line 'He once owned a Harley Davidson and a Triumph Bonneville. Counted his friends in burned-out spark plugs and prays that he always will.'

There's something in there for you, Gee. Though I think motorcycles are excessively dangerous and hate the pious who want you to watch out for the riders - as they weave through traffic, inviting disaster.

[colinian]

What Gee should do is buy a GoPro with the helmet attachment and take videos of his travels and post them on YouTube so we can all enjoy the danger of traveling a wee bit over the posted speed limit.

And remember, in Canada they use metric measurements, km/h and other weird stuff like that. So we of the non-metric mindset have to go to the Great God Google (the font of all knowledge) and beg for conversion:

160.0 = 99.419

And yeah, that's a conversion, the same sort of thing that some religions try to accomplish.

Colin

[Gee Whillickers]

Nah, just to be clear, that was all in fun, and was hyperbole.

I abhor the idiots on motorbikes that ride far faster than traffic, weaving in and out like lunatics. Like so many similar things, people notice that which is noticeable. The majority of bikes, travelling along with traffic and riding sensibly, aren't even noticed by most non-riders. One idiot though, and the perception becomes something like, "All those motorcycle riders are idiots and lunatics!"

That's what track days at the track are for.

I've been riding for decades. I am a motorcycle instructor. I teach students how to stay alive and stay safe, and how skilled riding leads to more fun, not less. I prefer to stay alive so I can have the opportunity to ride again.

[ChrisR]

Just finished this one. What a GREAT story! My dad and I used to have NHL season tickets, but I think I learned more about the game from your tale than from 3 years of the Seals, Not to mention a wonderfully interwoven storyline off the ice. Beautifully done.