[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 24, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H5070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATIONS CHICAGO BULLS

  (Mr. COOK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, if I could have the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Davis) come up and join me, a year ago I came to the House floor 
to pay off a bet with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson). I bet 
him that the Utah Jazz would beat the Bulls. I lost. My payment was a 
floor speech honoring the Chicago Bulls.
  Last night, in preparation for this speech, I dug out that speech I 
gave last year and I remembered a vaunting conclusion. I was right. My 
closing words were, ``We will see you next year, Mr. Jackson. But next 
year the results will be different.''
  Well, it is next year and I am back again, a broken man. I have 
learned a very important lesson about the evils of betting. And during 
the playoffs, we all learned a lesson in stamina, commitment and inner 
strength from the master himself, Michael Jordan.
  I agree with Time magazine's assessment this week that what we have 
seen in Mr. Jordan during his remarkable career we may never see again. 
I heartily congratulated the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) on 
winning this and would like to present this from Scottie Pippen to the 
gentleman and congratulate him again on an outstanding home team and 
their sixth National Basketball Association Title.
  This is a team that has set the standard in basketball for decades to 
come. And if there ever is another team like them, I hope I have 
learned to quit betting against them.

                          ____________________