With the recent publicized extramarital affairs of Tiger Woods — Jackie Christie, wife of NBA player Doug Christie can hold her head up high and say, “that will never be my husband!”
(From bloomberg.com)
They poked fun at Doug Christie. Oh, how they laughed. They whispered and snickered in the locker room, even his own, which is supposed to be a safe haven. They mocked. They mimicked.
They called him names. Heck, Bryant Gumbel once labeled the former National Basketball Association player “whipped” on national television.
Ignorant and mean. Much of the venom was directed at Christie’s wife, Jackie, who was deemed controlling. And that was the nice stuff. There were threats made by telephone and e- mail.
“Pure evil,” Jackie said over the telephone the other day from Bellevue, Washington, where the Christies are settling into their new loft-style home.
Christie was a professional athlete who dared to be different. He willingly brought his wife on road trips. He took his marriage vows seriously, especially the part about forsaking all others. Christie actually enjoyed having Jackie around, even if her presence meant no strip clubs or groupies at the hotel lobby bar. Even if teammates didn’t get it. Imagine that.
Christie loved his wife. And, what’s more, he wanted her to know it, even while he worked. So the husband made up a signal, which he’d flash during games. On the court. On the bench. Didn’t matter. Christie would raise his left fist, and extend his index finger and pinkie.
It was the husband’s way of reminding the wife that he was thinking about her. Only her. The single-game record was 72 gestures. Different, yes. But so what?
Get this: Some of the athletes who once snickered at the Christies are now seeking their advice. Neither of the Christies would name names, except to say that Woods isn’t among the athletes who asked for help.
“I wish he would’ve reached out,” Jackie says. “I think we’ve stopped a lot of affairs.” Read More…
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