The Game: 2.17 ‘Before the Parade Passes By’ Recap
April 29, 2008 by Chandra
Original Air Date: April 27, 2008
DERWIN, still on crutches, drops by MELANIE’s waitress job to give her some mail and also tell her that after what happened the last time they were together, he wants to make sure they can get past it and still be friends.
Melanie agrees they should try, before asking Derwin why he’s not at the Sabers’ championship victory parade. Derwin doesn’t plan to go because he feels he messed up getting injured and doesn’t deserve to. Melanie convinces him he’ll regret not going for the rest of his life, especially since he has every right to be happy about the team’s win; he contributed to it, too.
When Melanie and Derwin arrive, the team members are glad to see them both. JASON and the guys even try to convince Melanie to come along, but she declines because she has to get to school. Unbeknownst to everyone, JANAY, carrying a rose for Derwin, is standing nearby, and she overhears everything. She leaves with a sad look on her face as Melanie drives away.
After the team returns, Janay finally approaches Derwin and asks him how he got there, knowing full well Melanie drove him. Derwin doesn’t lie exactly, but he doesn’t tell the straight truth either, simply saying he hitched a ride with a friend to be green and help the planet.
Meanwhile, a reporter approaches Jason and pisses him off by asking when the player will sign a new contract. Jason doesn’t know, although the situation is explained soon by his agents. The Sabers are offering him a lousy one-year deal worth $2 million dollars, while the Phillies are offering a better one. The problem is that the Sabers’ offer seems disrespectful to Jason and KELLY, and neither wants to move to cold Pennsylvania. The meeting ends with Jason declaring he’s going to retire and then firing his agents.
At Irv Smif Management, TASHA has a crisis, too, namely LEV letting everyone else help him acquire clients while he helps no one. Tasha spends the entire day wooing MAMA YOUNG, the mother of outstanding player CARNELL YOUNG. When she gets back to the office, however, Lev informs her he’s taking Carnell to a strip club that night, and he intends to sign the player soon after.
Unfortunately for Tasha, Lev considers it his signing, meaning he’ll get the commission alone, despite all of Tasha’s time spent with Mama Young trying to convince her to let her son sign with the agency. RICK FOX is onboard with Lev’s approach, too, until Tasha makes him see that although they help Lev sign people all the time, he never returns the favor.
So, of course, Tasha shows up at the strip club that night, intent on reclaiming her client. Unfortunately, while she and Lev are having tense words with one another, Rick swoops in and signs Carnell himself after convincing the young player he needs a manager who’s already been there, done that.
At his apartment, Derwin breaks the (he thinks) good news to Janay that he called the contractors and got them to finish her condo a month early. As a result, she can move back in before Sunday. Janay isn’t thrilled, though, because she believes Derwin only sped things up to get her away.
She reveals she knew he went to the parade with Melanie, and Derwin counters that he didn’t lie; he just didn’t mention Melanie specifically because he knew she’d blow it out of proportion. After Derwin is unable to tell her he’s not still in love with Melanie, Janay breaks up with him and leaves.
