Thanksgiving - Talking Stuff(ing)

This post originally appeared in the Blotch section of the Fort Worth Weekly's website. To consume it there : https://www.fwweekly.com/2017/11/21/sports-rush-talking-thanksgiving/

The opportunity to help folks in need at Thanksgiving offers the giver certain rewards, like a sense of satisfaction . . . a feeling of community . . . and the opportunity to talk some trash.

A group of tall men and women brought food to Fort Worth’s Sweet Home Baptist Church Saturday - specifically turkeys. In addition to helping needy families, the birds provided the group an opportunity to call each other “jive turkeys” and instruct recipients to pull up near the group of “two-legged turkeys.” “Turkey” is such a versatile word.

The donors represented the local chapter of the National Basketball Retired Players Association, so they had some expertise in talking noise. It was all in good fun, and, in fact, as you’ll find out in this post’s featured interview with former Maverick Morlon Wiley, some of the kids at the event talked a little smack of their own to the oldsters.

In fact, former Clipper Steffond Johnson, with an assist from our videographer Dave French, secured the church’s basket standard in place so the children would have a regulation hoop at which to shoot. And these retired NBA, ABA, and WNBA players handed out a lot of turkeys, too. In addition to the NBRPA’s own contributions, sponsors Whole Foods Market, Ben E. Keith Beverages, the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church of Ft. Worth and Stop the Violence, Inc. chipped in donations, both cash and in-kind.

Fort Worth’s mayor, Betsy Price, who has known NBRPA chapter president Willie Davis for decades, made an appearance in support of their efforts. Other former players in attendance included Micheal Williams, Genai Walker-Macklin, Sam Perkins, Cincy Powell, and Eugene Kennedy.

NBRPA gatherings regularly include a bit of trash talk, but luckily they also frequently include charitable outreach. Saturday, Fort Worth absorbed both with a smile.


Rush Olson has spent two decades directing creative efforts for sports teams and broadcasters. He currently creates ad campaigns, television programs, and related creative projects for sports entities through Rush Olson Creative & Sports, Mint Farm Films, and FourNine Productions.

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