An
      Untriumphant
      Return
     
     
      by
      Adam
      GALLANT
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      Saturday,
      January
      19,
      2002
     
     
      a
      sports
      event
      of
      the
      most
      substantial
     
     
      degree
      took
      place
      in
      Chicago
      as
     
     
      Michael
      Jordan
      returned
      to
      the
      United
     
     
      Center
      to
      play
      against
      the
      Chicago
     
     
      Bulls.
     
    

    
     
      Wait
      a
      minute,
      didn’t
      this
      guy
     
     
      already
      retire
      like
      twice?
      Well
      he’s
     
     
      back
      again
      for
      another
      swing
      around
     
     
      the
      league
      before
      he
      hangs
      it
      up
      for
      a
     
     
      third
      time
      which
      will
      no
      doubt
      be
      at
     
     
      the
      end
      of
      this
      season
      if
      his
      new
      team,
     
     
      the
      Washington
      Wizards,
      don’t
      make
     
     
      the
      playoffs.
     
    

    
     
      Jordan
      fought
      back
      tears
      as
      the
     
     
      fans
      gave
      him
      a
      booming,
      three-
     
     
      minute
      ovation
      before
      the
      game.
      As
     
     
      announcer
      Ray
      Clay
      introduced
      Jordan
     
     
      before
      the
      game,
      the
      sellout
      crowd
     
     
      stood
      and
      started
      clapping
      and
      scream-
     
     
      ing.
      At
      first,
      he
      tried
      to
      ignore
      it,
      look-
     
     
      ing
      down
      at
      his
      blue-and-white
      Air
     
     
      Jordans
      and
      chewing
      on
      his
      lip.
     
    

    
     
      As
      the
      ovation
      continued,
     
     
      Jordan
      finally
      looked
      up.
      His
      eyes
     
     
      filled
      with
      tears
      and
      he
      glanced
      around
     
     
      the
      arena
      that
      will
      always
      be
      home
      no
     
     
      matter
      where
      he’s
      playing.
      He
      gave
      a
     
     
      shaky
      smile
      and
      waved
      at
      the
      fans,
     
     
      who
      adore
      him
      for
      the
      six
      titles
      he
      won
     
     
      with
      the
      Bulls
      even
      if
      he’s
      no
      longer
     
     
      wearing
      that
      familiar
      red-and-black
     
     
      No.
      23.
     
     
      Unfortunately
      this
      will
      be
      the
     
     
      only
      memory
      Jordan
      and
      the
      fans
      of
     
     
      Chicago
      will
      cherish
      about
      his
      return.
     
     
      He
      had
      a
      terrible
      game
      with
      a
      career-
     
     
      high
      nine
      turnovers,
      and
      was
      7-of-21
     
     
      from
      the
      floor
      for
      16
      points.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Wizards
      were
      able
      to
      hold
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [8]
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Michael
      Jordan
      in
      between
      filming
      ads
      and
      dating
      Bugs
      Bunny.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
      to
      defeat
      the
      hapless
      Bulls
      77-69
     
     
      earning
      their
      19th
      victory
      of
      the
      sea-
     
     
      son,
      matching
      their
      total
      from
      last
      sea-
     
     
      son.
     
    

    
     
      After
      the
      game
      Jordan
      talked
     
     
      about
      his
      “un-Jordan-like”
      perform-
     
     
      ANCE.
     
    

    
     
      “When
      the
      crowd
      started
      that
     
     
      whole
      thing,
      it
      made
      it
      tough
      for
      me
      to
     
     
      play.
      I
      had
      a
      tough
      time
      playing
     
     
      against
      Chicago.
      It’s
      like
      playing
      a
      rel-
     
     
      ative,
      in
      a
      sense.
      It’s
      not
      as
      intense;
     
     
      you’re
      not
      quite
      as
      motivated.”
     
    

    
     
      Chicago
      wasn’t
      any
      better,
     
     
      threatening
      the
      NBA
      record
      for
      lowest
     
     
      field-goal
      percentage.
      The
      Bulls
      shot
     
     
      just
      24.7
      percent,
      just
      shy
      of
      the
      NBA
     
     
      low
      of
      22.9
      shot
      by
      Milwaukee
      against
     
     
      Minneapolis
      on
      Nov.
      6,
      1954.
      The
     
     
      Bulls
      set
      a
      franchise
      record
      for
      worst
     
     
      shooting
      percentage
      in
      a
      half,
      manag-
     
     
      ing
      just
      16.7
      percent
      in
      the
      first
      half.
     
    

    
     
      Chris
      Whitney
      led
      the
      Wizards
     
     
      with
      20
      points,
      with
      10
      of
      those
      com-
     
     
      ing
      on
      free
      throws
      in
      the
      final
      minute.
     
     
      Popeye
      Jones
      had
      14
      rebounds
      for
      the
     
     
      Wizards.
     
    

    
     
      “It
      wasn’t
      kind
      of
      ugly;
      it
      was
     
     
      real
      ugly,”
      said
      Washington
      head
     
     
      coach
      Doug
      Collins,
      who
      coached
      the
     
     
      Bulls
      from
      1986-89.
     
    

    
     
      In
      the
      end
      though,
      the
      game
     
     
      didn’t
      matter.
      The
      fans
      of
      Chicago
      got
     
     
      what
      they
      wanted:
      another
      opportunity
     
     
      to
      cheer
      for
      their
      hero
      who
      brought
     
     
      them
      so
      many
      positive
      memories
      over
     
     
      the
      years.
      Jordan
      may
      not
      play
      in
     
     
      Chicago
      anymore
      but
      he
      will
      always
     
     
      be
      a
      Bull
      in
      the
      hearts
      of
      millions,
     
     
      including
      his
      own.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Come
      and
      celebrate
      —
     
     
      with
      Alexander
      Keiths.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ee
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Geers
      te
     
    
   
   
    
     
      friday,
      jan
      25
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Regie
      reac
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sunday,
      jan
      27
     
     
      monday,
      jan
      28
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tuesday,
      jan
      29
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Baba’s:
      Free
      Space
     
     
      Myron’s:
      Greg
      Doucette
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Baba’s
      Lounge:
      Free
      Space
      _
     
     
      Myron’s:
      Big
      City
     
     
      Olde
      Dublin
      Pub:
      Boys
      in
      the
      Kitchen
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Baba’s
      Lounge:
      Eyes
      for
      Telescopes
     
     
      The
      Barn:
      Negative
      J
     
    

    
     
      Melons:
      Monkey
      Dust
     
    

    
     
      Myron’s:
      Joey
      Kitson
     
    

    
     
      Olde
      Dublin
      Pub:
      Boys
      in
      the
      Kitchen
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Baba’s
      Lounge:
      Port
      Citizen
     
     
      Harp
      and
      Thistle:
      Scott
      Parsons
     
     
      Melons:
      Flush
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Myron’s:
      Big
      City
     
     
      Olde
      Dublin
      Pub:
      Boys
      in
      the
      Kitchen
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Plenary.
     
     
      More
      plenary.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Baba’s
      Lounge:
      Rattlesnakin
      Daddies
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Those
      who
      like
      it.
     
     
      like
      it
      a
      lot.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Three,
      three
      topprag
      pizzas