March 6th marks the birthday of one of the most dominant centers in NBA history. A man who in college was a two-time All-American, two-time SEC player of the year, and received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men's basketball player of the year in 1991. He also holds the NCAA record for blocked shots in a game with 17 blocks. A 4 time NBA champion, 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist, and even an NBA MVP.
Unfortunately for Greg Ostertag, he happens to share this mans birthday... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAQ!!
But dammit how can you not love the high-top crew-cut!! Anyone who lived through the Jordan era was vicariously forced to experience the glory of my favorite lumbering Utah Hill Giant. Now don't get me wrong O had some game. For a big dude he could definitely get up for the shot block and even the occasional thunder dunk ... because that's how we did it in the 90's son!!
Not Pictured: Ostertag's Spine!!
But Greg resided in a different era of league athleticism. An era where teams could truly get away with position players. Ostertag was cast with Scorsesian precision on a consistent and frighteningly physical team. One pedigreed with a legacy of unparalleled pick-and-roll-dominated efficiency. He may not have been able to roll, but you can't say the man didn't know how to set a hell of a pick...
But let's get serious. If memories were hilarious pictures of Greg Ostertag then your high school reunion pretty much looked exactly like this:
This brings me to the next reason I insist on memorializing our Gentle Jazz Giant. His KILLER F****** TATTOO!!
Before full body and sleeve work became a near institutional fraternal initiation ritual in college ball and especially the pro game, Greg had the foresight to proudly sport this F****** GEM!!
So I hereby proclaim today, March 6th, henceforth to be known as Greg Ostertag Day. May we celebrate a man whose consistently serviceable, yet generally uninspiring play, and propensity for ridiculous photographs provide us with fond rememberances of an age forgotten. An age where mammothian forest creatures the likes of Bryant Reeves, Cherokee Parks, Jim McIlvane, Dino Rada, and of course our beloved Greg Ostertag were free to roam the paint and subsequent hillsides in search of meat, bounty, and contracts inversely proportional to on-court value... because that's how we did it in the 90's son!!
TO GREG OSTERTAG DAY!! HAPPY OSTER TO ALL FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT TRIPPELL DUBBELL!!
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