This opening description of the street foreshadows the fate of the titular athlete, Flick Webb. He was apparently a phenomenal basketball player when he was young. The speaker even describes him as "the best" and as a county record holder in scoring points in a season. However, Flick now "just sells gas, / Checks oil, and changes flats" (19-20). The word "just" conveys the disappointment both Flick and the county likely feel about his brief basketball career. He was so gifted at the sport, but he does not play any more and "never learned a trade." His potential, like Pearl Avenue, was cut short. The speaker says that many in the town remember Flick's prowess, but ultimately, it no longer matters, as "It makes no difference to the lug wrench" (25). The street described at the start of the poem parallels and foreshadows Flick's brief basketball career, as the poem reflects on wasted potential and the disappearing dreams of youth.