Remembering Chris Street

tm3308

tm3308

Well-Known Member
This piece will be in today's paper. I spent the last two weeks obsessing over it, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Chris was a family friend that I didn't have the privilege of knowing personally, so this story was very important to me on a personal level. It was really cool to get to know him in the only way available to me.

I talk about Chris as a person and as a player, and I take a long look at the night of the accident. I also weave in and out of the second half of the Michigan State game following his death. I thought the overall structure played out exactly the way I envisioned; I was trying to go for something different and cool, and I feel like I pulled it off.

Hope you guys enjoy it.

Hawkeyes remember basketball icon Chris Street 20 years after death - The Daily Iowan

From the article:

Every year, the coaches give the Chris Street Award to the player or players “who best exemplify the spirit, enthusiasm, and intensity of Chris Street.â€￾ Last season’s recipient, Matt Gatens, said even though he never knew Street, he was a “hugeâ€￾ role model for him because of what he grew up hearing about him.

“Just how much of an influence he had on those around me,â€￾ Gatens said. “I heard so much about him, what they relayed to me about what he was like. People just spoke so highly of him, you think, ‘Well, I want to strive to be someone like that.’ â€￾

Gatens said Street’s memory is an important part of Iowa basketball, and he doesn’t want that to change.

“His legacy is still felt there, as it should be,â€￾ he said. “And hopefully, it will forever.â€￾
 
tm3308 said:
This piece will be in today's paper. I spent the last two weeks obsessing over it, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Chris was a family friend that I didn't have the privilege of knowing personally, so this story was very important to me on a personal level. It was really cool to get to know him in the only way available to me.

I talk about Chris as a person and as a player, and I take a long look at the night of the accident. I also weave in and out of the second half of the Michigan State game following his death. I thought the overall structure played out exactly the way I envisioned; I was trying to go for something different and cool, and I feel like I pulled it off.

Hope you guys enjoy it.

Hawkeyes remember basketball icon Chris Street 20 years after death - The Daily Iowan

From the article:

Every year, the coaches give the Chris Street Award to the player or players “who best exemplify the spirit, enthusiasm, and intensity of Chris Street.” Last season’s recipient, Matt Gatens, said even though he never knew Street, he was a “huge” role model for him because of what he grew up hearing about him.

“Just how much of an influence he had on those around me,” Gatens said. “I heard so much about him, what they relayed to me about what he was like. People just spoke so highly of him, you think, ‘Well, I want to strive to be someone like that.’ ”

Gatens said Street’s memory is an important part of Iowa basketball, and he doesn’t want that to change.

“His legacy is still felt there, as it should be,” he said. “And hopefully, it will forever.”
Click to expand...

Not gonna lie Tork had to hold back some tears. Absolutely frantastic article my man.
 
Wow. Just started tearing up on the train on my way to work. Getting some interesting looks from those around me. What an absolutely fabulous piece, and an amazing human being. Won't ever forget that day, or Chris.
 
I remember this also... I was at the top of my stairs reading about the Iowa Basketball team actually, when my mom told me that she needed to talk to me. That is when she told me what happend. I locked myself in my room for the next couple hours.... It was a bad dream to me, and I couldn't believe it.
 
I'm a current student.. Chris Street died 6 days before I was born. But reading this made me tear up man. Will definitely be picking up a copy of the DI today
 
I'll never forget the day of the accident. I was watching the news with my soon to be wife and I cried like a baby. Certainly it would've been tragic for any player, but Street was "one of us". He played so hard and represented the dreams of any Iowa kid who wanted to be a Hawk. It's great to see some of the same qualities in Adam Woodbury. RIP 40.
 
That was a potential Final Four team with Street. They just got done going toe to toe with a loaded Duke team at Cameron Indoor. They led the nation in rebounding margin, I believe at +14, so they just cleaned the glass.
 
Great article, Tork. Nicely done. I only knew Chris by what his coaches said and his play on TV. You appear to have captured his story perfectly.
 
I played against Chris in High School, basketball and football. Many do not realize he was the quarterback on Indianola's football team. He was a great athlete. I had a lot of respect for him and he was a great Hawkeye. This was a terrific article that captured his spirit very well! I remember that night very well and I cannot believe it has been 20 years.
 
We will never forget.

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Wonderful article, Tork. Thanks for sharing with us all.

I remember that day quite well for only being 7 years old at the time. I'll never forget how one of my classmates had magic markered "40" on the back of her sneakers. A very sad and somber day.

P.S.- I forgot just how much talent there was on that team. They were stacked!
 
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Great article. I remember the night of Chris's death all too well - I was with my parents (I was in High School at the time) and saw it on the 10pm news.. I basically just got up and went into my bedroom and didn't come out until the next morning. I was too devastated to do anything else.
 
Wonderful. As others have said, I felt like Chris was a brother. I never met him. I cried like a baby that night. I have said a few times on here, but I coached varsity basketball for a number of years. I wore the CMS40 "hard work" shirt under my dress shirt for big games. I wanted to do my part to honor him. Love you, Chris. Go Hawks!
 
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