The Losers Sixth (or Seventh) Man

We can't get enough of the Losers. Today, I am featuring our Sophomore sixth man, guard John Fleszewski.
John was a couple years behind most of us, although not the youngest guy on our team. John certainly brought his youthful energy to the court. He played in every game and might have even started one (how did that happen?). John lit up the net for a crispy 33.33% shooting percentage, leading our team in that category. (Okay, so he only took 3 shots, 33.33% is still 33.33%!)
John and I stayed in touch throughout college. He is a proud grad of Northern Illinois University (Go Huskies).
Thanks to the wonders of the internet and the intrusive world of Facebook, John and I have reconnected a bit. He is alive and well, still living in the greater Chicago area.
Again, despite the graininess, I love the picture. On the right is Greg Nessinger, trailing the play, but always ready for action (in other words, playing defense when the ball is stolen or the shot is missed). John is making a nice move, worthy of comparison to Pistol Pete Maravich. Look at how he is splitting the defenders. Simply poetry in motion.

John Fleszewski (with ball) and Greg Nessinger (black shirt on right) in Mt. Carmel gym in Chicago, IL-Spring 1983.

Another Loser

Dave Plonczynski was one of the most spirited members of my intra-mural basketball team, the Losers. Mooner always brought a great sense of humor to the games and with a 1-6 record, we needed humor.
Plonczynski and I became friends in our Junior year at Mount Carmel. We spent many weekends at Friar Tuck's and Wright's Barnyard, two great video arcades in the Calumet City-Lansing (IL) area. Bowling was another great time-spender, although Plonczynski was a bit of a ringer, as he was on MC's bowling team.
Plonczynski was a natural choice for the Losers. He wanted to win and tried to win, but he didn't take losing too hard. That was the spirit of the Losers! Whether slotted at guard or forward, Plonczynski gave it his all. Plonczynski scored 8 points in 5 games.
I have recently reconnected with Plonczynski. He is a father of 4, doing well, living in the western suburbs and is anxious for a Losers reunion.

John Fleszewski (top left) attempts to pass to Dave Plonczynski (white stripes) in Mt. Carmel gym in Chicago, IL-Spring 1983.

A Bunch of Losers

The NBA basketball season starts today. Who knows what kind of season my Chicago Bulls will have? They have been very inconsistent over the last few years.
One team who was consistent was the Losers. They...we were consistently bad. The Losers were my intramural basketball team during my senior year at Mt. Carmel. I was the starting off-guard (accent on off), although I am not really sure we had positions, except for Tom 'Hammer' Skalski. He was definitely our big man in the middle (and our enforcer, a role he gladly filled).
Other Losers included Dave 'Mooner' Plonczynski, Greg 'Ness' Nessinger, Keith Urbon, Mike Szotek, John Fleszewski, Jim 'Fish' Fisher, Todd Kruk and Ed Mann. We had a great time and even won 1 game. Each Loser will have his time to shine here, but for today, Tom Skalski gets his turn.

Dave Plonczynski, an opponent (in blue) and Tom Skalski in Mt. Carmel gym in Chicago, IL-Spring 1983.