You grow up as a young kid playing sports whenever you get the chance.

I would play baseball all day long in the summer, throw the football around in the fall and fire the puck around all winter long. And I did it because I loved the games. I did it because I had fun. I did it for the passion.

All along, no matter what game I was playing, I would grab the bat and pretend I was George Brett in the World Series. I would throw the football as if I were Joe Montana in the Super Bowl. And I would stickhandle with the puck like Wayne Gretzky. Well, at least I tried to do that.

It was fun thinking that in some way I could be like him. Little did I know at the time that I would wish to be like him for many years to come.

I recall watching my favorite team at the time, the Islanders, dominate the NHL for four years. I remember them sweeping the high-powered Oilers to win their fourth Cup. I recall the talk around school between my classmates and I was that teams needed to hit Gretzky. That no one hit him and he was left to roam the ice free.

Looking back, it was nothing less then myself and the others really not knowing or understanding what hockey was all about, let alone what Gretzky was all about. His game wasn't about hitting or getting hit. It was the opposite. It was to score goals and set them up. And he could do it like no other. I really opened my eyes to the Oilers with that first Cup win over the Islanders. They were an offensive machine that was very hard to beat. Their European-style of play with all that passing was something awesome in my mind.

Here I was, a young kid in Hockeytown being exposed to some pretty bad hockey, yet I was watching this high-powered Oilers team simply dominate. What a contrast in play between the Red Wings of the early 1980s and the Oilers. Oh how I wished the Red Wings would play like the Oilers. So in any event, I watched The Great One as much as I could. I watched in awe of his greatness. I would marvel at the records he broke. It seemed as though it would never end. The scoring and the assists would go on and on.

In my mind he was more than Great. He was like a god sent down from hockey heaven to save the game. He was my hero. I know it sounds corny and all, and I know having heroes these days isn't looked upon with any respect. In my mind there was something special about No. 99.

It was 1985 and the Oilers were coming to the Joe Louis Arena for a game against the Red Wings. I was lucky enough to go to the game with some friends. There was an electricity in the air that I never felt at the arena until the recent Detroit Stanley Cup runs. The Oilers were in town and everyone wanted to see the phenom Wayne Gretzky. So before the game I went to the Oilers side to watch the pregame warm-up.

I had a program in hand, with Wayne on the cover. Much to my surprise, Wayne went along the boards and signed every program, poster, and whatever each fan had for him to sign. He came by and signed my program. Wow! I was floored. I could not believe I got his autograph. I thought it was the coolest thing this superstar hockey player would do for the fans. And I'm sure he did it in all the arenas as well, but to me it was special. What a great gesture and show of class by this great athlete. This in a day when athletes are criticized for not being fan friendly or being only about money. This was like coming in contact with Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, or Michael Jordan.

A few years later Wayne was in town at a local bookstore promoting his new book. So without much hesitation I decided to go and perhaps get his autograph. I was wearing my new black Kings jersey and was very anxious to see him. I snuck a hockey card into the book that I presented him in line, hoping maybe he would sign the card, too. Well he opens the book and grabs the card. He signs the book, and he says to me, "I can't sign this card, but would you like me to sign your jersey?" Well immediately I said yes! I don't know how I could even speak, but I know that I did. I felt like Cliff Claven after meeting a beautiful woman, stuttering and not making any sense.

Ok, so I'm exaggerating a bit, but I was very excited and blown away. There were thousands of people in line and he took the extra effort in signing my jersey. Wow, what a thrill to have the Great One sign my jersey. I was so emotionally high on that ride home from the experience I could not stop smiling. It is a day I will never forget.

The next time the Kings came to town, I went to the game with a drawing that I had made in hopes that he would sign it as well. I knew the odds were against it but I wanted my idol to see what I had made in his honor. Well, unfortunately there was a huge snowstorm that night and I missed the entire first period. I was a little disappointed, but I was ok with it all. I had the opportunity to watch him play the rest of the game and that was a treat in itself.

I would go on to wear No. 99 on my various hockey teams and even softball teams. Not that I still wished I was like him on the talent side, but it was more of an acknowledgement and perhaps homage to my idol. He was the best, and yeah, of course I wanted to emulate him in some way. Wearing his number is perhaps the closest in that regard that I could ever get.

To this day I argue with many fans about the Greatness of Gretzky. They give me the same arguments over and over. They say well if he were in the Original Six he would have not had as many points. Well the point is he wasn't in the Original Six and he didn't have to worry about that.

In the time he played, no matter how diluted the talent may have been, he superceded all others by a wide margin. Gordie Howe said that Wayne would still be one of the league leaders in scoring even in the old days. Mostly because of the way he sees the game and what not. People will always have their favorites of course. Living here in Hockeytown, Gordie Howe is God. Seems if you are over 40 Bobby Orr is the best ever. If you are 50 and older Gordie was the man. If you are under 30, Steve Yzerman or Mario Lemieux are the best.

Whatever the case, to deny Gretzky his due is being short sighted. No, he did not hit. He didn't have to. Yes, when he could get caught he would get hit and he was hit often. No, he didn't fight. He couldn't with his size. No he wasn't the best forechecker around, because his offense was his best defense. I think the stats speak for themselves, and it will never take anything away from Orr, Lemieux, or Howe. He was and is the Great One. I could see the Webster Dictionary editing the definition of the word great: to state Great: See Wayne Gretzky.

At one of his final press conferences Wayne said that he was thankful that God gave him the talent to perform at the level he did. He also said that maybe his success was all due to the passion he had for the game. That to me, says it all. The passion! He isn't super human by any means. Here is a guy that off the ice is terrified of flying. Yet on the ice he was super.

I'm happy to say that I was lucky enough to see him play. I was lucky enough for a few brief moments in time, I came in contact with the Great One.

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