A Spoken-Word Statement from the Striped Shadow in the Spotlight
You think the fans came for you?
Maybe.
But they stayed…
for me.
You hit 40 points.
You threw your arms up.
You begged for the and-one.
You stared me down like I owed you an explanation.
I didn’t blink.
I didn’t budge.
I didn’t blow that whistle.
Because the real power?
Is in denial.
You move the crowd.
I move the game.
You live in the highlight reel.
I live in the frame before the foul.
You chase legacy.
I decide legacy.
“Superstars never get the good calls.”
You’re right.
Because superstars don’t need them.
And because I don’t feel like it.
You want balance?
I tilt.
On purpose.
You want justice?
Try the courthouse.
This is my court.
And the rules obey me…
when I’m feeling generous.
You get the shoes.
The crowd.
The commercials.
I get the silence after you snap.
That cold moment when even the arena can hear your ego break.
They’ll write books about your scoring.
But they’ll never forget
the ref who didn’t flinch.
Because sometimes,
the greatest call…
is no call at all.


Leave a comment