A Legend Returns

You can only imagine the excitment that rippled through the line forming outside of the Manchester, CT Best Buy at 4:40 am Friday morning. They came seeking to jump start their holiday shopping seasons, lured by the promise of inexpensive electronic goods, first run DVD's and a Huey Lewis and the News greatest hits CD for only $4.99. Nary a soul expected to witness the unannounced return of one of this country's greatest post-Thanksgiving shopping champions. I speak, of course of Jake Oakman who, donning his trademark black Eddie Bauer jacket (zipped to the top of course) and Boston Red Sox hat, returned to the Black Friday arena after a 4 year absence. As he stepped out of a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis, a hush came over the crowd. Word spread throughout the line of over 500 people who gathered to await the opening of Best Buy. As he walked past the line towards the end, spontaneous applause erupted as the people began to understand what they were witnessing. The confident walk, not in a hurry yet not plodding, had not changed since we last saw him, and for that moment, the brisk air seemed to warm and all seemed right with the world. Shoppers were eager to offer him their place in line, hoping to spend the time waiting with him, hearing his old war stories, and trying to learn what was in store for them that morning. Black Friday veterans and rookies alike wanted to shake his hand and buy him some warm coffee. He turned down the offers to cut in line, "It goes against the spirit of this day," he was heard saying. So, with his iPod headphones firmly in place and the holiday tunes of Kanye "Kane" West filling his ears, Oakman made his return to the grand stage and it was as if he never left.
Who among us can forget the impact he has had on Black Friday? Making his debut at a mere 9 years old in 1989 he shot to the top and set shopping records every year from 1993-1996. "It seemed natural at the time," he said during a 1996 interview, refering to his youthful start. "I had a paper route so it seemed logical to go out with my Mom and Dad after the papers had been delivered. I remember my first time. It was 1989 and we went to Meijer on Hillcrest Road in Springfield, OH. I saw two ladies fight over a roll of wrapping paper and I knew, at that moment, that this was the place I wanted to be." After making his name on the lower circuits and racking up numerous awards including, but not limited to; Rookie of the Year and three time Shopper of the Year awards, Oakman achieved immortality in 1997. For it was on that day that he set the all time speed holiday shopping record, a record that stands to this day. "I was just in the zone that day," he reflected while on the Charlie Rose show in 1999. "I couldn't be stopped. I knew what I needed, where I was going, and I was not affraid to use my size to my advantage." On the Goldeneye controversy of the same year: "Look, I have no regrets. VCR tapes were still the rage, Goldeneye was on sale for $4.99, and I am a huge James Bond fan. I would take the movie from that 7 year old again, any day of the week, and twice on Black Friday. That is how you become the best. That is how you set records." Clutch Magazine put that in it's top ten clutch plays of all time, alongside contributions from Curt Schilling, Michael Jordan, and Doug Flutie. Oakman continued to achieve success on the mall circuit for the next few years, gradually becoming an elder statesman of the sport until he hung up the debit card after 2001, never to be seen on Black Friday again.
That all changed this morning, and it seemed like a turn back the clock affair. Oakman was in a Grand Marquis, he had been up all night, he had studied the ads and had his battleplan firmly mapped out in his head. However, one could tell he wasn't back for more glory, he doesn't need it. It was, rather, a nostalgic return to simpler times for him. So there he was, in line signing autographs, sharing stories about the Elmo craze of '98, the great Sears Hardware Sale of 1999, and many other tales of yore. When I asked him how it felt to be back, he simply answered "It feels great. I am a little rusty, but it is nice to get back in the groove." After witnessing this remarkable return, I think it is going to be a great holiday season. Merry Christmas.