My Undoubtedly Lucky Number 13

Daniel Griffin

Opinion Editor

Jan. 13, 2006 is a day that will go down in history. Not only Friday the 13th, but the day that I, Daniel Griffin, was born. Jan. 13, 2006 would mean even more to me than just my birthday growing up. The date would eventually drive my selection of jersey numbers throughout my athletic career. The number 13 is something that I hold dearly and will never let go of.

Ever since I was a child, admiring the look of the dignified number one standing closely with the unfaltering support of the number three behind it, the number 13 has always, and will always be, MY NUMBER. The number, that has been MY number since I was a child, the number that was on my first toy race car, and the number that is on every piece of paperwork that ever exists about me. The number 13 is the lucky one for me.

The number 13 is the one I choose when all else is uncertain. The number 13, to me, is more than just a number. It’s a friend. It’s familiar. It’s security. It’s nostalgia. It’s confidence boosting. It’s family. The number 13 is what I feel like God blessed me with, and what I will always carry with me. It’s what my family and friends know me as, and numerically the place where I am at home.

The last number I ever wore in my baseball career and the first number I ever placed my young and ambitious eyes on, number 13, the greatest number to exist, will always be the number that persists.

The number of Danny Griffin, Dan Marino, Wilt Chamberlain, Paul George, James Harden, and many more. My number, their number, our number sits in the hall of fame of numbers. Producing the best and making the best, I believe that number 13 is the best because it comes from the best.

Though it may be seen as bad luck, though some believe if you choose it you might get bad luck. To me, number 13 is all the best of luck, and something, someone, that will never, ever give up!