In Dreams
by Thomas Greco, Publisher
As I write this a few days after my 63rd birthday, dressed head to toe in the warmest clothing I could find, fighting a bad flu, not able to move, all I could basically do was lay here and run things through my mind, hoping to somehow fall asleep without coughing for a solid hour.
As I rolled from one side to another…
I focused on my career as the 10-time Super Bowl winning quarterback of the New York Giants. After winning the Heisman trophy twice as running back at Rutgers, I was drafted by the Giants in 1983. My rookie year, I set an NFL record, rushing for over 3,000 yards. Unfortunately, we lost in the playoffs to the Atlanta Falcons, but we had a promising future. The very next year, I was on a rushing tear again when starting quarterback Phil Simms was knocked out for the season. Amazingly, our backup quarterback got hurt on the very next play, and coach Bill Parcells asked me to finish the game at the position. After throwing for six touchdowns, Parcells decided to keep me at quarterback, and I led the Giants to their first-ever Super Bowl trophy with a win over Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins. Simms was traded over that summer, I remained at quarterback, and the rest is history. Ten Super Bowls and 12 Most Valuable Player awards in 20 years until I handed the team over to
Eli Manning…
…then I rolled over and…
I focused on my career as a 20-time All Star Major League Baseball Player. Drafted by the expansion New Jersey Diamonds, my first year pitching record was 47-3 with an ERA of .060. Oh, and I also hit 106 home runs as the center fielder. After 10 years and eight World Series titles, the Diamonds were sold and moved to Colorado. I refused to leave New Jersey and signed with the Mets, leading them to a World Championship in 1993. I spent the last 10 years of my career in Yankee pinstripes, adding nine more rings to my collection. They say my pitching and hitting records will never be broken…
…then I rolled over and…
I focused on my career as Heavyweight Champion of the World. I was an amateur when Muhammed Ali, spurred on by the recent movie Rocky, decided he wanted to fight a real-life unknown “Italian Stallion.” People scoffed when they put me in with “The Greatest,” but they weren’t laughing when I knocked him out in the second round. After a quick rematch where I duplicated the feat (this time in the sixth round), I started my 20-year rein. Ken Norton? First round KO. Larry Holmes? Fifth round KO. Mike Tyson? Third round KO. Twice. I beat them all until I got to 48-0. My 49th fight would be my last so that I could say I retired with the same record as my dad’s favorite athlete, Rocky Marciano. I stopped Lennox Lewis on cuts in the fourth round…
…then I rolled over and…
I focused on my career as a rock star. At 15, I started my band, the Memories, and our 1976 debut album sold over 10 million copies. Between 1976 and 1980, we released five critically acclaimed records and sold out arenas around the country. Unfortunately, since I wrote all the songs, played lead guitar and sang lead vocals, my bandmates became jealous, and we broke up. I launched my solo career shortly after and have released 17 chart-topping albums including my latest duets compilation featuring Taylor Swift. Last time I checked, only the Beatles and Elvis have sold more records than me. Of course, being that successful as a rock star led to a movie career…
Crap.
I woke up.
Honest to God, I wouldn’t trade the life I’ve had for any of those fantasies. No one has been more blessed than me. There isn’t enough fame or money in the world to replace the people I love. Here’s hoping that this coming year you get a chance to experience even just a tiny bit of the blessings I’ve experienced. Wishing you and yours a healthy, happy New Year!
Want more? Check out the January 2024 issue of New Jersey Automotive!