Remembering "The Squid Squad".

"Squad Squad", you may ask? My high school comrades already know, and the rest of you are fixin' to find out. But first..

An old high school and church friend and I were reminiscing a couple of days ago about our high school days--specifically, how our high school had a "ghetto" reputation to one of the suburban districts, and about my time as the "white knight" on our basketball team. Yes, I was the only white guy, and even though I wasn't very good at the time, I more than earned my spurs as a member of that team--and my then coaches and teammates will back me up on that. Now, I'm getting to the "squid squad" part--so stay with me here!! My teammates and coaches will also tell you that I wasn't known as "white knight". No, my nick name was "Checkmate". Yes, "Checkmate". Why? If you said I played chess, you win a Clark Bar for your trouble. When I was a sophomore, I used to carry a chess set around. One of the coaches saw me with it as I went to dress for practice, laughed at me, and said, "What's up, Checkmate?!". And, it stuck.

Now, the chess players, along with the "nerds"--the guys with the pocket squares, the black-rimmed glasses, and the flood-water pants-- were known at my high school as the "squids". I don't know who came up with it, and I don't know how whoever came up with it. All I know is, like "Checkmate", it stuck. Now, to "The Squid Squad".

Three pretty popular guys did a skit at a pep assembly during my freshman year--they dressed up in, you got it, the pocket squares, the black-rimmed glasses, and the flood-water pants, and did this funky little dance the way that only a "squid" could do it: very little rhythm with a snortily little laugh (think the 1984 movie, "Revenge of the Nerds"). I remember it well. I can even tell you two of the three guys who did the skit (but I won't here--I do so to protect the guilty!). And, I laughed like everybody else did. Why? It was funny! Even though I, to a large degree, was a "squid".

So, why do I bring it up all these years later? Simple. Because even back then, I refused to be labeled, and even turned the tables on other "squids". Back to the basketball thing again: games were on Tuesdays & Friday nights--around 7:30. Well, chess matches--we were in a club league with other high schools from the Tulsa & Oklahoma City areas--were on Tuesday afternoons around 3:30. The basketball coaches allowed me to dress for Tuesday games around 3:15--I would then go play my chess matches in my uniform and warm-ups--my own little "psych-out" drill. You see, the opposing chess players pretty much automatically dismissed me because they thought I was a "jock", but what they didn't know is that I was either the 1st or 2nd-ranked chess player on our team, depending on the week. Needless to say, I pretty much cleaned up with the King & Queen and their court. And why I truly embraced the name, "Checkmate".

So was I worthy of being on "The Squid Squad"? I don't know. I didn't really think about it then, and I don't think about it now, except to laugh at those three guys doing "The Squid Hustle". I will say some of the most accomplished folks in my graduating class were fellow chess team members, and some some pretty accomplished guys were also my teammates on our state championship basketball team. Both experiences made me the man I've become today: not "jock", or "squid" or even "sports guy".

But I do think "Checkmate" has a nice ring to it.

And, so, my trip down "Squid Squad" memory lane is done. For those of you who remember, hide your calculators!!