Wasif's World

With the recent release of “The A-Team” movie, I have been feeling nostalgic for the old TV show, more specifically, for the old B.A. (Bosco Albert) Baracus, played by the incomparable Mr. T.

The man did it all in the 80s. He wrestled, boxed, had a breakfast cereal named after him, starred in one TV show (“The A-Team”), then another (“T and T,” 1988-1990), and did the voice of himself in his own animated TV series titled “Mr. T,” (complete with Mohawk-headed dog). While Bo Jackson impressed us in two sports, Mr. T displayed his multitude of talents on the entertainment side.

But what a lot of people don’t know is, Mr. T certainly could’ve been Bo Jackson if he’d decided to play sports instead of going the Hollywood route, for he was quite the athlete at Dunbar High School in Chicago, active in all extracurriculars. I did some research and here are just some of the things I found out about him (with apologies to Chuck Norris, whom Mr. T pities anyway):

Mr. T made the varsity team early in his school career. He was still only known as Lil’ Mr. T.

Playing for the baseball team, Mr. T once turned a quadruple play.

Mr. T did not like to practice. He derived no “fun” from “fundamentals.”

Mr. T put the “cross” in “lacrosse.” Before he played, it was just called “La.” Then he started knocking out opponents with his right cross. The “e” on the end is just for show.

Mr. T was on the rowing team. Actually, he was the rowing team. Alone, in a boat for eight, he just yelled “Move, fool!” and came in first every time.

When Mr. T was told to take a lap, he put it in a choke hold. That lap was never the same.

Playing golf for the first time, Mr. T got a hole in one. He went over to where his ball landed and punched a hole in the ground, counting it as an ace.

Mr. T didn’t bother climbing the rope in gym class. He just pulled the ceiling down to him.

Mr. T ran track but kept derailing the trains, so he gave it up.

Mr. T never quit on a play; he gave the play a chance to catch its breath.

Any game Mr. T pitched was a “perfect game.”

On the swim team briefly, Mr. T dove into the pool with all his gold around his neck. The gold weighed him down to the pool floor where he ran the 100 meters ... and won!

Mr. T made All-State in all states.

Needless to say, Mr. T rewrote the record books. Actually, he had his high school secretary do it for him. Mr. T doesn’t do clerical stuff.

Mr. T once tied the defending state wrestling champion ... in a knot. They had to suspend the match for 30 minutes while the other team untied him.

Mr. T once dunked a basketball so hard it lodged into the earth’s core causing unprecedented seismic activity. So he gave up the sport.

Mr. T won a debate contest by simply saying, “Cut the jibber jabber!”

Mr. T had a statue erected to him made out of chunks of linebackers that got in his way.

Mr. T played checkers in a study hall once. One opponent said, “Crown me.” That was the last time anyone said that to Mr. T again.

Mr. T would’ve been on the boxing team if he could find a willing opponent. So he shadowboxed and beat it so badly, there are now regulations in place against it.

Yes, he has always been an impressive man.