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OrlandoSentinel.com
Magic are the talk of the town, even for a child who rarely speaks
Mike Bianchi

SPORTS COMMENTARY

May 20, 2009

You turn on the radio and the gabmasters are talking about the Magic.

You drive your kid to school and the guy directing the car circle is talking about the Magic.

You go into Ace Hardware and two guys back in paint are talking about the Magic.

Even half-a-world away, they're talking about the Magic.

"This is Ahmed from Egypt," said the e-mail from Magic fan Ahmed Ismail that popped into my in-box late Sunday night after the Magic had vanquished the defending champion Boston Celtics "I think I'm the only guy within a 1,000-mile radius who stayed up for the game. I feel like I am walking on the clouds. I cannot believe it, man."

Finally, after all these years of apathy and indifference, everybody is talking about the Magic again.

Even a kid who couldn't — or wouldn't — talk just a few weeks ago.

"It's unbelievable what the Magic have done for my boy," says Izzy Rodriguez, an auto mechanic from Kissimmee.

Ryan Rodriguez is his boy.

A boy of few words.

Too few.

So few, in fact, that Izzy and his wife Karen became concerned a few months ago and put him in a special class for kids who do not socialize with others or verbalize their feelings.

Ryan is almost 4 years old — a time when most kids are babbling about the joys of having a "cimanon" bun for breakfast or "basketti" for dinner. But not Ryan. He rarely speaks.

Until the other day when something in his brain clicked.

Do you believe in Magic?

Izzy does. He's now the biggest Magic fan in town. Not because the Magic have infused the city with excitement heading into tonight's matchup with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but because they have infused Ryan — "or Ry-Ry" as he's known to his family — with the gift of gab.

We knew Stan Van Gundy could coax sweat and swagger from his players, but who knew he could coax words and wisdom from a young boy.

"Daddy, me play basketball? Me play for the Magic?"

Those were the words that came out of Ry-Ry's mouth a couple of weeks ago as Izzy was flipping through the TV channels and happened upon an advertisement for a Magic playoff game with Philadelphia. Ryan had always been captivated by watching sports on TV, but rarely put more than a word or two together. One speech therapist diagnosed him with selective mutism — a disorder in which otherwise normal kids become severely withdrawn and refuse to speak in social settings.

Izzy immediately went on-line and purchased two playoff tickets for $641. The family doesn't have much money, but he figured his son's words were worth the price of admission. When Ry-Ry learned he was going to the game, he immediately exclaimed, "Dad, just us going to basketball?"

Magically, Ry-Ry jabbered all the way to the game. And once inside the arena, he cheered and clapped and screamed. During timeouts, he became concerned. "No more play, Dad? No more play?" And when the game was over, he didn't want to leave. "No go home, Dad. We stay and watch the Magic."

"Ry-Ry talked all the way home," Izzy says, his voice cracking as he retells the story. "And I cried all the way home."

The Magic have given Izzy tickets to ensuing playoff games and Izzy recently sent team officials an e-mail that said, "Buying Ryan items for speech therapy — $500. ... Taking him to therapy and to doctors — $2,000. ... Seeing Ryan go wild at a Magic game — PRICELESS!!!"

This is the power and pull of sports. I've written it many times before but I'll reiterate it here: there are but two things that galvanize a community — a tragedy or a sports team. I don't know about you, but I'll take Magic over tragic any day.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was at a restaurant Monday night and everybody was talking about the Game 7 victory over the Celtics. Earlier, he logged onto to his computer and a military officer and Magic fan stationed in South Korea wrote to congratulate him.

"It means something when somebody in the military who is doing something so serious and so important can get some enjoyment out of what we're doing," Van Gundy says. "The fans are excited about our team and that makes you feel good.

"To me, this is why you have a pro franchise in your city. It's something everybody can rally around."

Words simply cannot describe what a championship run can do for a city.

Unless, of course, they come from the mouth of young Ryan Rodriguez.

"No go home, Dad. We stay and watch the Magic."

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