The Bowl Announcing Super Team

This woke me up about a week ago and I feel compelled to share this strange saga.
Announcer: And now folks, live from Las Vegas, Nevada it's the Las Vegas Bowl with our A team of announcers Brent Mussberger, Lou Holtz and Dickie V! And now heres Brent.


Brent: A warm Holiday greeting from the Entertainment Capital of America Las Vegas.

Lou: Yes Bwent, gweetings to awl our friends.

Dickie V: Brent A roonie, It's great really super duper P-T-P time great to be here. I'm talkin Prime Time Players Bay-BEEE!!

Brent: Well Todays matchup presents Utah vs. Boise State. Utah looks awfully big. But Boise State is the prohibitive favorite.

Lou: Speaking of Big, you don't get any bigger dan the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. If da point spread was based on character, Notre Dame would be three touchdown favorites in every game.

Brent: You know Las Vegas is sure the place where people have alot of fun. Now it's a family destination. And now, a favorite of our pre game, Professor Lou's pep talk to the Underdog Utah Utes.

Lou: Now Boyz, look heh, your gonna go out on the field today, and nobody past the Wahsatch Mountain range is gonna give you a snowballs chance in hell. But when you put on dose golden helmets...oh wait your colors are red...when you put on dose red helmets and jerseys think of Ara Parseghian and Knute Wockne. Dats what I tole all the boys and it seemed to work... come to tink of it, thats what I told em at South Carolina after I left Notre Dame.
The I-Wish are playing tonight Wight??

Brent: Thanks professor, you hit it right on the head as usual. Las Vegas is a fun place to go on a holiday. And now here's a special feature, Dickie V in a pre game pep talk in the Boise Locker Room.

Dickie V: You know daddyo, I was at the Paris playin the tables the other day when who walks in but the man himself. I'm talkin baby about Robert Montgomery Knight the Legend baby the legend. And he gave me some good advice that I'm gonna give you tonight and you take it with you win lose or draw. This is advice I've heard from the friggin General himself. He said "Dickie V, you chrome domed son of a gun, if you have to be that close to the side line my teams gonna play in sunglasses so they don't lose sight of the ball coming off that damn chrome dome cue ball of yours". And the general himself, the greatest coach every since my ole friend Jimmy Naismith, told his team to wear sunglasses and that game baby will go down in history as a game changer. So Boise, wear your shades under those helmets. I wont be on the sideline tonight but if some bald guy is, you will have a great advantage. Plus you win style points Bay Bee, and style over substance is always what it's about. Now go out there and play...and good luck against those Dookies BABY, coach K will have them ready. He's got the PTP ers baby...Prime Time Players Daddyo-A Rooni. Vegas Bay Bee, where I used to hang out Frankie and Dino and my favorite little point guard of all time, Sammy Davis Jr. BABY...You talk about PTP.

Brent: Dickie, thanks but they are playing the Utah Utes. But nevertheless good advice. Las Vegas is a place where thousands of people get married each year.

Lou: Bwent, Boise is weally having a big speed advantage today. And Notre Dame will have the size.

Brent: That's Utah coach. Look at that Show Girl. They have show girls in Vegas.

Dickie: Look at those Unies BABY. Boise has the orange and blue. Just like my buddy's old uni's TRT...I'm talkin Timothy Richard Tebow. The greatest college player in the history of the sport Daddy -O...the original PTP er. I was talkin with Florida Head basketball coach Billy Donovan just the other day baby and he is good now, but his incoming class is LOADED baby with a capital L. And Tebow will soon be the MVP in the NFL baby. Mile High City watch out baby...Can you say Super Bowl City with multiple rings coming BABY. TRT in the house.

Brent: Las Vegas is the fun capital of the World....WAIT watch out, the Generals in the booth with a folding chair.

Dickie- Robert Montgomery Knight BABY.

Knight: (Hitting Dickie V over the head with a folding chair and grabbing the microphone from Brent. The General is in a red sweater with a big white I on it.) "Now look you punks, I was sent here as a representative of people everywhere to pull the plug on this team. Dickie, everyone is sick of your hype and your myopic favoritism to Duke basketball. They are great and don't need you as a mouthpiece. You're in the Basketball Hall of Fame?? There are great coaches out there that have toiled and deserve to be put in instead a hyped up gas bag like you. Plus Tebow's a great kid, but how about a little love for other players who are tons better like Sam Bradford. Professor, you are retired. Nobody cares about every team being compared to Notre Dame. Mark May is a smart man, but you've made him look like a genius one time too many. And Brent, you are being banished to being the announcer for Olympic Curling and the annual paint drying compitition in Pittsville Alabama. These will be the only times you will be allowed on TV. These venues will serve your sacchirine broadcasting style well. An oyster in a closed shell could bring more excitement to these games than you. You're saving grace was you were good for a nap...as in you put the whole audience to sleep. I'm taking over this booth and all the big games. I'll be the color man, and now here's the new voice of all sports on every network, my new partner and lead man on the network, Howard Stern".

And then I woke up in a cold sweat yet somehow happy with the new world of sports broadcasting.

What the NCAA and Cam Newton Affair Taught Me

It was at an AAU tournament called the Mac Irvin in Chicago years ago that an AAU coach told me "these kids from Chicago ain't stupid. They know what they're worth." The late great Art Tolis once told me "if you think basketball recruiting is a rat race, it's nothing compared to football."
With that in mind, I'm pretty sure Cam Newton isn't stupid and he probably has an idea of what he is worth. The NCAA is a business and they did not want any possibility of TCU or Boise State in a potential BCS championship game. So it's one day you're ineligible, no wait you're eligible. You didn't know what was happening it was all your daddy.
Now, I will never know what actually happened, if anything really did in fact happen. There sure was a ton of smoke. BUT, if something did happen, how was this much different from Reggie Bush. His parents got the money and Cam Newtons' parents allegedly got the money. Reggie Bushes mistake was not paying the agent back the borrowed money. It has cost USC dearly...ramrodded by a Nebraska AD who had an agenda.
Speaking of Nebraska, I was at the first ever Cornhusker basketball Tourney a way back when with Ron Godfreys fabulous Miami Hurricanes. My first thoughts were why would anyone want to play at this ice box tundra. Why don't players want to come to Miami and warm weather schools where winters are nice. It looks like kids have finally gotten smart.
I know big name schools have been penalized in the past. The over-riding theme seems to be if you are an up and comer and start beating the big boys too often watch out. A couple points in fact are Jacksonville University. They got squaushed like a bug because it just ain't right beating the Seminoles and Gators. Check out Pony Excess on 30 by 30 on ESPN. SMU got the death penalty in sports for doing what Auburn and Southern Cal are getting caught doing. In fact, they were doing what every University in Texas was doing...they were probably just a little more flamboyant about it. SMU had the nerve to beat Texas. Houston used to have the nerve to beat Texas and they got exiled to Conference USA to play Army and tons of other teams that are a total disconnect from the days of playing Texas and A and M every year. Now Texas doesn't have to worry about SMU getting all the good players from Dallas and Houston getting all the good players from Houston and getting pounded iby those teams. Texas can conveniently avoid playing those schools every year because they have been effectively squashed. In the movie Pony Excess it is quite amusing with all the people who say "I hate Texas." America is a land of bandwagoning front runners and in Texas everyone is generally for Texas (except the Aggies) because Texas is the 800 pound gorilla that generally wins and dominates. It doesn't seem that long ago, but it was, when Houston pounded Texas in Austin 66-15. With a little help from their friends, Texas doesn't have to worry about that happening any longer. The NCAA can solve the Boise State problem really easy. Trump up some charges and put them on probation. That way they won't get the chance to beat an Oklahoma and destroy the BCS hoedown.

What's In A Number?

What's in a number. If you ever go to Jeff Sagarin on a search engine such as google, you would be surprised.
I was watching UCLA play Villanova the a few weeks back and again I was blown away. Unfortunately it wasn't because they were the awesome team UCLA fans expect. They just looked way below average to be wearing the blue and gold. Their number is 141. Yes, UCLA is calculated at the 141st best basketball team in America. That sort of has me puzzled. How a good player from anywhere could walk away from that campus and not be awestruck is beyond comprehension. It is a gorgeous school with everything a young man could desire including incredible weather. Now when you look at all the players in the pros from Ben Howlands first UCLA teams, you almost have to wonder why they didn't win it all. I used to look at those teams and wonder why he pulled the reigns so hard on the race horses that played for him.
While we're talking about the Bruins here is another number...61. That's where the football Bruins rank. Oregon out recruits the Bruins by leaps and bounds. I guess the Nike money talks. One last crazy football number...24. Arizona State is ranked as the 24th best football team in the country. They went 6-6 and are not eligible for a bowl because one of the wins was against a Division IAA. Okay, one final thought...the number one....The Pac 10 Conference is number one by a hair over the SEC, followed closely by the Big 12. Then there is a dropoff to the Big 10. These numbers are subject to change after the bowl games. Who'd of thunk it?
On the basketball side here's another crazy number most people won't recognize...the number 2 as in BYU. BYU is the number 2 power rated team in the country behind Duke. And on the West Coast, Steve Fisher has San Diego State at number 7. Would you have guessed those numbers? BYU's long range number is 6, as in 6th best in the whole nation. I'm betting outside of Utah that's a pretty well kept secret.
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Some teams have it and some teams don't. I've been watching the Boston Celtics and the NBA for over 50 years. The Knicks Celtics game a couple nights ago was typical. The Celtics hit one at the buzzer to win it. They have mostly been hitting that same shot for the last 50 years. Some franchises seem blessed.
Speaking of the Knicks, they are a great team to watch. Raymond Felton has been reborn when the Bobcats traded him. What were they thinking replacing him with DJ Augustin? Larry Brown has this throng of admirerers. I would never say he is not a great coach. I believe there are a number of them better in the NBA. Jackson, Pop, Riley when he coaches, McMillan, Addleman, Karl,Rivers and maybe even D'Antoni to name a few. A point guard has to be just right for coach Brown or he will nag him to death. Also, he couldn't deal with youth on the one Olympic team he coached and it was not a pretty result, even with a younger Tim Duncan. In fact, that team prompted the advent of the Olympic basketball team as we now know it....organized and winners.

Entertainment...This Had It All

Okay, lets get the bad jokes out of the way. The East Coast fans are either asleep, drunk or both so they cannot watch late night West Coast Football. The Boise kicker tried to hang himself, but he couldn't kick out the chair. And so on. My apologies and sympathy for the kicker. Kicking is not as easy as it seems. I held for a professional kicker at a workout one day...he was a friends son...and I gained a newfound respect for kickers.
Now for the scenario: Nevada is a very good team. Oregon beat Cal by a whisker in the closest of calls. Nevada beat them by about 50 something. Nevada is a team with a sophisticated offense and a very good coach. Nevada is a top 3 team in the Pac 10 if they are in that conference.
As for Boise, you can count on them being in about the best games you would ever want to watch. Remember Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl with the gimmick plays? This game did not have gimmick plays. This game did cost Boise about fifteen million dollars.
When the game was tied and there were nine seconds left, Kellen Moore found his receiver for a long bomb that left one second on the clock. The look on the Nevada coaches face was priceless. It was the classic "if looks could kill" expression. He was ready to pounce on someone. Then the Boise kicker missed a twenty something yard chip shot. Another big swing in emotions. Now the Boise coaches face said it all. This is a kicker who was a record setting kicker.
Of course in overtime he misses again and Nevada takes it all on a chip shot of their own when they take over. There were four swings of emotion in this game that were very incredible.
Earlier in the week Ohio State President Gee said Boise or TCU did not belong in a BCS game. He also stated that the Bowl system was perfect. It made me wonder if the big money the Bowls generate finds its way into these presidents pockets.
Boise's President responded that the formula big conferences have for winning is playing their in conference games and scheduling three or four cupcake teams. How True! To Ohio States credit, they did schedule Miami this year. Miami had a ton of talent, but a very erratic team. You never know when you schedule these games a few years out. A team Miami dominated, Pitt, may end up in a BCS game because they are in a really weak conference, The Big East. Funny.
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You can't be undefeated and a dominant team every year, and two teams found that out this year, Texas and Florida. When I was watching Texas A and M play the Horns, I kept thinking a few thoughts. Why don't the Longhorns have at least one draftable running back and receiver. Granted they have a ton of players that went to the pros, but that is a job that is one of the best in the country in terms of being surrounded by talent. They must have recruited Houstonian Oliver Luck. Luck is the best quarterback in college, but he probably didn't want to sit behind Colt McCoy. (Besides, if you are smart enough to be offered by Stanford, you are probably smart enough to accept. Stanford is uncompromising on their academics.) They probably recruited the Oregon QB, but maybe wanted him at another position. They probably did the same with Oregon RB La Michael Thomas.
Next year Texas has the number one running back in the country committed. He chose Texas over Alabama. The recruiting gurus say Bama was a better fit for his running style. Here's hoping Texas can coach him up. That has been the big question...are they really recruiting the right players and are they coaching them up. They seemed to with Colt McCoy after his sophomore season. Time will tell.

Grateful Thoughts of Some Grizzled Veterans

When growing up, a natural Saturday rite of passage was going to the barbershop with my father. While he was in the chair, some of the reading material would include "Men At War" and other magazines. Generally they would show a muscled up Sargeant Rock type of guy with no shirt running in the Phillipines with a machine gun in one arm and a nubile woman being rescued from harms way in another arm. It was sort of an at war version of Tarzan and Jane. My dad caught me reading that when he got down from the chair, jerked it from my hand and said it was all bull%$!*. I didn't ask what it was all about and he wasn't telling.

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Charles "Bud" Bowman was my grandfather. He gave me more than I could ever repay. Not money, just guidance.

When I was young, the world was being reshaped and driven by the WWII veterans. Hitler was still very much in the forefront of newsreels and history lessons and combat movies did well at the box office.

My Grandfather was a World War One vet. When I would go through his drawers I would find medals from his service. The closest I could ever get to any mention of this service or combat was watching the annual Army-Navy game. And combat was never mentioned. I was very curious about the combat thing as a child because it seemed to be lurking in the background. I never pushed the envelope with Bud. I was at the Rodeo Parade in Phoenix as a very young kid and wanted him to buy me a poppy from a street vendor, and I was told in no uncertain terms that he did not approve or want anything to do with a poppy plant or its byproducts...which at the time confused me. After all, it was just a flower. I had no idea of the relationship between the poppy and heroin.

What I did find out from my mom years later was that Bud was gassed in the trenches in France and was buried alive. The WW One was the great coming out party for nerve gas. I guess that would explain Bud was a tad high strung. How could you not be from that experience? It has to be hard to shake the memory of being buried alive with hundreds of your dead and dying friends while you are suffering from nerve gas. That is dead center in the smell of death. Yet he always had patience with me and taught me so much. He basically said in so many words that war sucked and that there was no romantic part of the Army during intense combat.

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My Father, Richard, graduated from High School at age sixteen. He went to John Carroll University in Cleveland on a Mathematics scholarship. He grew into his frame that year and was tired of going around having people call him a slacker for not being in the service. At seventeen he had his mom sign his enlistment in the Navy.

Richard went to the Pacific Theatre of the second world war. As opposed to the European War, this part of the war did not get the publicity or at least as much publicity. When the war was over he played on the all Navy football team featuring Hall of Famer, Joe the Jet Perry. They beat Doc Blanchards' all Army team. This was a period when your best players were all in the service. Richard went on to star at Arizona State with another great, pro football Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson, and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.

Dad never mentioned war and made it very clear that he wasn't going to. One day I pushed him and he said "How would you like to be blown out of the water and have to retrieve both halves of your best friends body? How would you like to go to his house and tell his parents while you transport his remains?"

Dad didn't think there was anything cool about combat, never walked in a Veterans parade and avoided a return trip to the San Diego Naval Yard like the plague, even though our family was on the west coast. His bumper sticker on his truck read "Send Batman to Vietnam." Dad helped Veterans on a one on one basis but never went to the VA for medical help. He never let me know about the help.

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Who are the angels that come into our lives and give us something and disappear? I was stuck in the middle of a very busy intersection at LeJeune Road and Highway 101 in Miami. Severe Traffice was all around. This young lady came up and gave me a push. During the push, my car knocked out two of her headlights. I offered to repay after she pushed me out of harms way. I never saw her again.

In 1969 I was going to enlist and go into the Army. My friend, Bob made a pact and we were going to go down to the recruiter and sign up in the morning. My boss at the pool I worked as a lifeguard was named Ralph.

Ralph was from New York City. He asked me if I was nuts. He told me before I gave up a scholarship to Miami, to stand over by a six foot block wall. He would be right back with some pistols and rifles. He would shoot at me and just barely miss. He said if I enjoyed that to go and enlist. I went to Miami.

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Eddie Morton will never come back to the high school re-union. Eddie and I jumped off roofs onto the grass while our parents were working. Eddie lost his life in the jungles of Vietnam fighting for the US Army.

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The EMT's were a band we put together at a car dealership (Emergency Musical Technicians). Sugar Bear, a Vietnam Amputee, asked us to play on memorial day at the Houston VA compound. We agreed to play for free. After Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee spoke, we came on a played a good hour set before a few thousand. For a change we were really on and the crowd liked the stuff like Hendrix's "Hey Joe". It will blow your mind how many Vietnam Vets are still mentally still over there. The Vietnam Vets and the volume of them with alcohol and substance problems blew my mind. The next time you see a guy who is a vet living on the street old and grizzled, salute him. If you can spare some money, give it with no stipulations or ego involved. Our government has thrown these guys to the curb.

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Fast forward. James said yesterday in a meeting I was at "If God comes back right now as a human being I will kick his a#%. I had two kids I know well yesterday burn to death in a fire yesterday. I knew those kids and their family well. And if somebody tells me it's Gods' will I will kick their a#%. Anger is how I deal with these kinds of problems. It brings me back to Southeast Asia and all the things that shouldn't have happened. Don't come up here and tell me it's God's will."
Have mercy on our veterans and all the traumatic experiences they have experienced.

Football and the Heat Lose to Utah

I am not a fan of either team, but tonight I thoroughly enjoyed the Heat losing to the Jazz in Miami. My son yelled it was over time and I went down and caught the last 3 minutes.

First, Deron Williams fouled out on a terrible call. So little Ronnie Price was in the game and the deck was stacked. I have a little history with these players. Ronnie Price was in my son's district in high school. He was five six and went to McNeese State and transferred after one year. A funny thing happened after that year...he grew 8 inches!

Deron Williams played with my son in an all star game in Texas his senior year. I was always very impressed by Deron Williams, but in highschool and college he was overshadowed. In high school, Bracey Wright was his team mate who later played for Indiana and was the Texas player of the year. Bracey had major knee problems or more people would know about him. At Illinois, Williams was overshadowed by the in state guys. Now he is the best point guard in basketball. I always like the concept when you can get a guy about 6 five or taller to run point. Alot of coaches nip that concept in the bud because they have a smaller player who is fast and put the taller player on the wing.

Anyway, Kirelinko hit a big 3 pointer and Elston hit 2 free throws and the heat lose at home. One thing I thought was interesting....this was Wade's team in overtime. I don't think LeBron scored, although in fairness he was the point guard. Still, he appeared to fade into the background when it counted. Miami will have a target on their back all season.

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Last week, four of the top 5 BCS teams were from the West: Oregon, TCU, Utah and Boise State.

Boise appears to be getting more of the shaft by the minute. Last year they beat Oregon and they have 22 starters back. Now for fairness, they did play them on that blue field at home. Still, I think they win again in Boise, and Oregon wins at Autzen Stadium. Who wins at a neutral site? We may never know. Oh yeah, they beat TCU as well last year. Yet they are slipping.

A team that could be the best in the USA may not even get to play in a BCS game. Go figure. If I was at a big school I would be afraid to play them as well. Still, a David vs. Goliath matchup is always intriguing.

Best Team to Watch In the Last 25 Years

The phrase they keep saying repeatedly about the BCS bowl rating system is "the computers can't see them play."

You and I can see them play. Oregon is the best team to watch that I have seen in soooo many years. I am saying 25 years, but I honestly cannot remember when I have seen a more intriguing team. I didn't say they were the best, just the most fun to watch. Also add unique to that description. The motion they run. On one play alone La Michael James went in motion and switched positions 4 different times before the snap. Their coach is like a mad scientist. He adjusts to what the other team gives and then its over. They score so fast that their defense is on the field a ton, so they tend to give up points. I have noticed in the second half, the defense does not give up many points and the offense turns the game into a rout. They are the point a minute Ducks and are must watch if you like exciting college football.

Someone brought up a good point. How do you prepare for this team. Every team I have seen them play was gassed by the second half. They are not the fastest, but the fastest tempo ever played for sure.

La Michael James is very fast but small. Don't let that fool you, he is really strong as well. He's another Texan, along with their quarterback, that got away from Mack Brown. They may be the most well coached offensive team in the past 25 years.

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My heart goes out to all involved at the tragic incident at Notre Dame this past week. It was one hellacious storm...it was even a problem flying around it as I had to do. I am not going to point any fingers because all parties feel extremely bad and I am sure they are second guessing themselves.

Not to sound like a broken record, but in a normal Notre Dame atmosphere, Tulsa is down 40 at the half. I am not a Notre Dame homer. I was when I grew up Catholic. I watched them routinely kill us when I was at Miami. We never said anything bad about it, we sort of expected the result. Where I drew the line was when Golden Domers said it was unfair when Miami did the same to them. The Irish throttled teams for years and when you have a talent laden team like Miami used to field, you can't tell your players to go half speed. That's a certain recipe for injury. They cancelled the Miami series, but recently re-signed a new series with the Irish. It's great to see this ferocious rivalry renewed. Now I sort of wish the Irish would be a power again. The world of college football is really much more intriguing when they are in the mix. Hopefully they figure it out sooner rather than later. Again, my condolences to all involved.

Notre Dame: Now those Were the Days

Long ago and far away many, many years ago, young men would get in their cars with their dads and listen to the golden voice of the Real Dan Patrick, the voice of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish were on every radio station that mattered and if you didn't see the game, no problem. The Sunday after we could tune into Lindsey Nelson on the Notre Dame highlight show. Every week Walt Patulski or Jack Snow would beat almost all comers. Every year Ara Parseghian would sign a bumper crop of players...big strong boned kids from the Midwest up front, a killer QB and backs and receivers that could run over you or around you.

Last week All American Quarterback candidate Ricky Dobbs of the Naval Academy ran over under around and through the Irish. This would never have happened in the good old days. But now something else is happening.

• Most 18 year olds don't know of the Notre Dame Mystique.
• ND's admission department will not let in the marginal academic qualifier. Most of their competion does, even the good academic schools.
• Younger players are going down to Southern schools more than ever. Most of the talent is concentrated in a Sun Belt state. Dallas had 4 of the top ten Draft Choices in the NFL in 2009. The top 3 producers of talent for college and the NFL are Texas, Florida and California.

Brian Kelly has one great Track record everywhere he has coached. If he can get the players, the Irish will return. Because once upon a time if the head coach of the Irish came knocking on your door, you signed on the dotted line, no questions asked. Now, the youngster may not understand what Notre Dame has been all about. It's been a long time.

They're Out Of Here! Audios Yanks and Phils

Every Week during baseball season you tune in Espn and hear the announcers melodious voice "And this Sunday night from BEE-yooo-teee-fulll Fenway Park (Drumroll Please) Its the Yankees at the Red Sox." Like I would have never guessed right? What they should say is "Ladies and Gentlemen, let's see if they can buy another pennant...yes its the boys from the Bronx coming up to Beantown for some of the same old thing." These are the last teams I want to see...(in fact if I watch more than 2 innings of televised baseball I consider that labor). The Sox and Yanks are the last 2 teams I want to watch. And the beauty of this whole deal is that we have eliminated two of the most obnoxious fan bases in the world.
Now the TV boys on Madison Avenue hate this, but I think it's pretty cool. We get to see two teams that actually built themselves through drafted homegrown talent.
The Rangers are sort of interesting. They tried to go the Yankee route and went bankrupt doing it. Then they rebuilt through the draft.
They also have one of the most interesting stories in the last decade. Josh Hamilton. You would have movies about this guy if he played in the big Apple. He was hopelessly addicted to drugs. He had all the things that plague a drug addict...weight loss, loss of family and friends as well as a promising career. His talent level is amazing because after dropping out of the game he has made an exceptional comeback. He posted MVP numbers this year. So check out the series this year and get hip...and take that California trip.

Musings

Last time out I wrote they are dropping like flies. NFL Players who are sustaining tough injuries are all too common. Today a recently retired player from the NFL said that if the season is increased to 18 games, people would lose their lives and get even more time taken off their time here on the third stone from the sun.
These players have to bulk up in size more than ever. When they are done the smart/lucky ones drop the weight. Others keep on eating like they were when they played and their bodies balloon. That coupled with the collisions make for some real damage. Check out poor Earl Campbell . He can barely make it down the stairs. That's just sad.
A friend wrote the following. I hope he wasn't talking about me in the last few sentences. Check out our writer below.

Maybe the solution is to go back to leather helmets with no face masks.

I remember my dad telling me when I was in HS that he believed the increase in head injuries was actually due to the evolution of helmet design. When they went from leather and no face guards to plastic ones with cages, the head became a weapon. Kids used to be taught to tackle by sliding their head off to the side and letting their shoulder take brunt of the impact. By the time I was in high school, we were taught to lead with our heads and plant our face in their chests, and wrap up. The result was an increase in neck and head injuries. With leather helmets and no facemasks, you might see a rise in broken noses, but they will be more likely to think twice about leading with their head in a violent collision.

At least they are making spearing and helmet-to-helmet tackling illegal. But there is still the problem of QB’s as sitting ducks being drilled by 300-llb lineman onto their backs while their heads bounce off the artificial turf. Not much you can do about that. Ever look at Danny White’s eyes? Something not right there. And we had a classmate who got a severe concussion in HS who was never the same after that. And, sadly, there were other HS classmates who never changed . . . . but that’s for a different blog, eh?
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If you are looking for an article about a boxer you may never have heard of but will exemplify courage and get to your heart, click the story below by Jerry Crowe, a fantastic writer. Click to Page 2 when you are done with the first page of the article. Click below

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/01/sports/la-sp-crowes-nest1-2010mar01

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Artis Gilmore is connected in many ways with a few of us. Click below for a great article on how he is being shafted for the basketball Hall of Fame. Again, Jerry Crowe picks up the human side really well. Click Below

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/14/sports/la-sp-crowe-20100311

Are They Trying to Kill These Guys?

First, they make good...no make that great money. They think they are bullet proof, and most of us do at that age. It's a life of total pure D Glamour and we would probably kill to be in their place. Having said all this, they are dropping like flies.

I'm talking about pro football players. The ones who played at this level in the 60's, 70's and 80's are passing away too quickly. Jim Otto can barely get out of bed. Conrad Dobler needs his leg amputated. He had about 12 knee operations just on one knee and numerous knee replacements. One problem, his wife is a paraplegic, so he has to walk to take care of her. The list is long. And these are the guys who are alive. The list is just as tragic on the guys who have died before their time. ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease is rampant in this demographic group. The recent study shows that the jarring of the brain shakes loose the protein enzyme that causes this fatal disease. That's why in ex-NFL players the disease is hundreds of times more prevalent than it is in the general population.

Now we are hearing that their will be some hardball played between owners and players in the off season and the owners will get paid the TV revenue regardless if their is or is not a season. The tipping point they say may be an 18 game season.

Let's look at the current season. Philly's starting QB, Concussion first game. In fact their linebacker also had one and was allowed to wobble back onto the field. It was scary he was so out of it. Jason Whitten of the Cowboys had a concussion during week one and argued in vain to get back in while the team hid his helmet. Matthew Stafford of the Lions, the number one draft choice in 2009, made it exactly one game.

This is a totally violent game with players getting bigger and faster by the year. Watch any game and you will see a 300 pound defensive end chase down a fast fairly athletic quarterback who tries to scramble. My point is, the injuries in a 16 game season are dicey. I think we will lose even more players with 18 games. But, in the end, greed always wins out.
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If you get a chance, watch Russell Wilson of NC State. I stumbled on the last 2 of his games, and this kid is something else. He has a cannon for an arm and is fast enough to get out of trouble. And he is really accurate. He generally passes rather than runs, but is really fast. He is already playing pro baseball, but wants to play in the NFL. His only drawback is his size...five eleven. Check him out, you will like him. He will surely give NC State a chance at the championship game in the ACC.

It Is In Full Swing Now

I will admit it. I like the pros in football more than college, but not that much more. College football during the regular season was relevant as opposed to the college roundballers. Due to no continuity because of one and out for the elite players, college basketball is meaningless during the regular season. Just the way it's structured.

Today we had another top team eliminated from the BCS championship...Texas. The top 4 rated Horns were destroyed by UCLA, a team that had troubles for most of the previous 3 games. Not so today. UCLA got thumped on the ground. Texas is playing a ton of freshmen and will get better as the season progresses. My problem with Texas is that with all the talent they get, why can't they run the ball. They have had one good running back in the last 10 years, Jamaal Charles. Remember, Vince Young and Colt Mccoy were not running backs.

When is Lou Holtz going to give it up on Notre Dame? Every game he shills this team and every game they get thumped. Stanford had them outclassed the minute they got off the bus. Notre Dame has had the same team for the last 17 years. Slow on defense and not quite enough tools on offense....and of course very over hyped. Is it just me or does Mark May make Lou Holtz look like a fool on every show on ESPN. He is the ultimate Golden Domer shill.

Down here in Houston we have a really crazy reality. There are probably as many or more Cowboy fans than there are Houston Texan Fans. I don't usually take sides on a jersey, but it would keep the volume of obnoxious on the low end if Dallas loses tomorrow. I have nothing against the Cowboys but their fans in Houston are the ultimate front runners. I mean, they don't tend to root for the other Dallas professional teams. I think with the injuries Houston could have it's hands full. It is very hard to win 3 in a row in the NFL and also hard for a pretty decent team to lose 3 in a row. Dallas is a pretty decent team.
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Here's What the Fans Say About the East West Media Bias:

Rick Wrote
Nice sports blog, Rick. You are absolutely right. Eastern media bias is a thorn in the side of anyone who lives in the West and follows sports coverage. Loved your examples, especially the USC-ND rivalry.

Sports coverage of western teams is terrible here in Maine. The only way to get a PAC-10 score or highlight is via cable/satellite TV. With local network affiliates, you never see highlights or get coverage of any teams outside of New England unless they happen to play the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, or UMaine.

Mike Wrote
X-lent.
I remember....maybe when you were at Miami, and I was playing round ball on the ASU concrete with all the football players all day on Sunday - and many nights - listening to ASU games when I lived off of Mill Avenue down from the stadium in Tempe, watching Danny White or some player sit next to Coach Kush on his TV show talking about all the mistakes made in the game two nights ago. Well, it was all predictable - Woody Green would run touchdowns, the defense would crush the poor opponents, and we would have to suffer through Sunday's announcer call ASU "Arizona" if and when they rarely mentioned them........and wait until Monday to read the shortest, briefest mention of ASU's latest improbable win or score.
We would sit in the back yard, Bud can in hand, and wait for the fireworks on those Saturday nights. It seemed like we were always underdogs if you read the press or listened to the radio/TV experts. Thank God for the Arizona Republic. ASU in the WAC and what little notice they got reminds of Boise's situation.
It was amazing to watch whatever player sat next to Kush when he was asking questions. It was beyond respect what these guys had for him........it really was some kind of fear. It was an interesting time with Kush's aura and all that talent and speed on our team - OUR team, the one that didn't get any respect.
I hope on all those games where they killed a big 'un from the East or Midwest that someone got very, very rich in Las Vegas on us.
It really was quite a time for seven to eight years, and it was pure Phoenix, at least the Phoenix that I remember.
You know who sends shivers up my spine now watching and listening to this perfect example of excellence in taking cues on when to speak and when to cut away for a commercial, and all the while do it so smoothly that if you didn't know any better, you'd think he might know what he was talking about? It's that insipid, Brent Musberger. He HAS to have a great agent. God, was he terrible on that Boise game!?! Does stating the most obvious in a boring, ignorant fashion count for analysis now? He has turned into the 60's Chris Shenkel. They both belong on the old black and white Shell's Wonderful World of Golf.
Goldwater was right: they should cut off the east coast and let in fall into the ocean.
(Thank You Readers...Maybe the only 2 I have)
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I have lived in Phoenix, San Diego, Miami, San Antonio and Houston and spent tons of time in LA. Of all those towns, I would have to say Phoenix in the 70's was really the best in many ways. We only had the Suns and ASU football was the social event of the year. In fact, since teams would not invite ASU to play in Bowl games, we had to invent a Bowl. It was the Fiesta Bowl. Some of the teams that lost to ASU in the Fiesta Bowl include Nebraska, Florida State, Pitt with Tony Dorsett twice, and a Barry Switzer coached Oklahoma squad. This program is an accident waiting to happen if it ever gets aligned correctly. Biggest student body in the country, newest weight room and gorgeous stadium. It's hard to believe a school that was in the top 5 in sending players to the pros has fallen so far in recent times. Okay, enough for shilling the old days. The East Coast isn't that bad and once they move out west they usually see the errors of their ways. Like a guy recently said, "A 50 year old in New York looks 65 and a 50 year old in L.A. looks about 35. The lifestyle is just so much better."

The Second Biggest Sports Season is Officially Over

Could you barely stand it? Most were on pins and needles waiting for the second biggest sports season to end....The season of "Waiting for Football to Begin". So here goes.



Had to watch all the talking heads give all the reasons Boise would lose and before that why Utah would lose to Pitt. Some things never change and never will. That thing is East Coast Bias and their myopic view on sports. I have been putting up with it forever. In the late 60's one of my favorite days was when the University of Arizona beat Ohio State in Columbus and Arizona State routed Wisconsin 49-0 on the same day. Of course that wasn't supposed to happen. You see, normally the west coast games are on too late for any East Coaster to notice. In fact, when we were a newspaper oriented society, their games did not hit the papers until Monday.

I cannot remember how many times I heard how Notre Dame would hand it to Southern Cal, and normally it was a one way score...as in a USC rout. Memories get very short. Sunny Climates equals speed and NFL players. Your top 3 Cities for NFL players are Houston, Miam and Los Angeles. With Dallas producing 4 of the top ten year before last you can see a trend. South and West equals speed.

It was that way about the South until Florida started the trend of spanking Ohio State and now it's a known truth...the SEC is the brutal strong gold standard of football conferences.

Boise State may be a mid major, non BCS school. Like Gonzaga in basketball, there is nothing mid major about their football program. Your would be correct in saying their team does not go through the meat grinder of a schedule such as an SEC team. The injuries are easier with their kind of a schedule. So while Boise may not be as deep, their first stringers have proven they can usually line up with anyone and hold their own.

Having said all this, the Big 10 may be as loaded as it has been in some time. They have some strong teams in Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa and possibly a few others. Iowa amazes me every year because they are so well coached. Here are a few other things that are playing out early:

• Notre Dame looks like the same team they have had for the last 10 or 15 years. Slow, not very explosive, with a couple of studs on offense. That running back and receiver are very good. We will see about the rest.


• Miami and Ohio State are ready for a replay from the game Miami got robbed and jobbed by the refs. I didn't say that, its a direct quote from 2 former Ohio State Players who are now pros.


• Don't take too much away from Texas, Florida and other teams lethargic starts. They are starting tons of underclassmen and all had explosiveness and speed to burn. In about 4 or 5 weeks they will be very good to excellent.


• Michigan looks very fast. They will be a big power in a year. All the big powers in the Big 10 will graduate their quarterbacks and stars and they will be poised to win. Michigans fans are trying to get Rich Rod's scalp...a big mistake. He has his crazy system almost in place and these players will be hard for another coach to win with...his system is that unique.


• Who is Jack Crowe? Well, he coached Arkansas to 2 bowl games and had a nice winning record but he lost to Citadel and got immediately fired. Last Saturday it was his turn to be the upset maker with Jacksonville State beating Ole Miss in double OT. After reading about the reporter getting fired in Arkansas why am I not surprised a good coach gets fired down there. Something in the water down there. Jack Crowe can definitely coach the boys up.

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Musical pick to click...Roadsongs by the Derek Trucks Band. Trucks is one of the best guitarists in the world and they have a dynamic group. His dad is an original member of the Allman Brothers and Derek replaced Dicky Betts for the last few years. Lets just say Dicky Betts just wishes he could play as well Derek Trucks. He is about as strong as it gets. When he plays with the Allmans, Trucks is paired with Warren Haynes, probably the strongest duo on the same stage in the universe.

The Green is Engaged and Want It

This has been a strange series for the first 4 games, but game 5 finally played to form. In most of the other games, a supporting role player carried the day. Derek Fisher was dared to beat the Celtics and he did, with a drive that split 3 players in game 3. Big Baby Glen Davis put a woodshed whipping on Lamar Odom in the fourth game.

So last night, the series came to form. A star, Paul Pierce, carried the day. But more than that, all three of the Big 3 played strong. For the purple, only one showed, Kobe. Doc Rivers has said in the timeouts that we are getting good looks, don't panic. In game four, I didn't believe him till the second half. In game 5 I believed him for the whole game. The Celtics set good picks and made good dive cuts off screens. They played as a team, got every loose ball. They were, as Tony Allen said, "fully engaged". The Lakers meanwhile made the final score look close thanks to a third quarter when Kobe scored 19 straight points. And they were bad shots. Fade away jumpers from beyond the 3 point line are not exactly high percentage, I don't care who is taking them. Plus one on four basketball is a losing cause. It looks like the only option they have at times, but when the other players watch, it slows the offensive flow. Yes I marvel at his athleticism, but I wonder where his team mates are. And Ron Artest is a total liability on offense. It would be nice to see Gasol show up again and have Odom show up at all. With Bynum very limited in mobility, this series is shrinking quick for the Lakers. Still, as Yogi said, "It ain't over till it's over."

Advantage Lakers But Still Up In the Air

This last game left a ton of questions unanswered. The Lakers surely seemed to stagnate in the late going. Terrible 3rd quarter, and a ton of standing around with many poor shots by Kobe. When that happens the offense stagnates and the Lakers stand around and watch. When Garnett turns back the clock interesting things happen. So it could still be a dog fight. The Lakers length is taking its toll....7-2 blocked shots, killing on the boards, and Artest is having some effect on Pierce, although its very hard to watch Ron-Ron on offense...will he ever hit a jumper this series?

It looks like they let just any old ref work the most important game of the year in basketball, and the last 2 games have been terrible in terms of poor officiating. I don't know who the refs were for, but thank the Lord for instant replay in the last 2 minutes so all the blown calls were reversed. I have to say the game is so fast and some of the plays are so quick that I do not envy their job.

The guy everyone thought would be mismatched was the difference maker, Derrick Fisher. His picture is in the dictionary under the word winner and cross filed under clutch.

Had to know Ray Allen could never match his game 2 performance...it was a record. But he was way off in game 3.

The adjustments the coaches made in game 3 on both sides was interesting. It was like both teams went to plan C. The Celtics took away everything the Lakers had and dared Derick Fisher to beat them...and he did.

Tony Allen played some of the best defense on Kobe since James Posey in the 08 series. Too bad he is such a liability on offense.

Hey, I gotta go. I get to be fantasy water boy for tonights game.

Typical Laker Choke Job vs Celtics and Terrible Reffing

Well, there is historically one thing you can usually count on in NBA basketball, and that is the Lakers choking against the Celtics. Ray Allen went wild in the first half and the Celtics got hot at the end of the 4th quarter when it counted and schools out.

This was one of the most poorly officiated games I have ever seen in an NBA playoff game. Glenn Davis had 2 phantom calls, Kobe Bryant had 2 or 3 as well and there were enough to go around including at least one on Garnett. The out of bounds play was even blown, with replay! I always like to believe in conspiracies, but with the Knicks never winning anything for soooo long and San Antonio winning so many titles, I guess that is not a possibility. You know they would rather have a matchup like the Lakers Celtics or have the Knicks in the picture every year. This looked more like an NCAA regular season game, no , maybe more like a local YMCA biddy basketball game with dad officiating his sons game.

It's back to Boston for the series. Phil Jackson's 47-0 record when winning the first game of a playoff series could be in serious jeopardy.

They Can Turn It on at Will...and They are Long

A few years back I was sitting courtside at an AAU game talking with a coach and we were noticing a certain player. The coach mentioned all the qualities of this player and then he mentioned, he is long. Such a simple idea. Long is harder to shoot over, harder to pass through, and gets to rebounds quicker.

The Los Angeles Lakers have length. Glen Davis felt it when almost every shot he put up got sent back. Rondo saw it first hand when he tried to pass through it. The whole Celtics team felt it on the offensive glass.

Just like heigth, length cannot be taught. Pau Gasol is listed at 7'1" but people who cover him say that is about 2 inches low. Odom is extremely long. Same goes for Bynum and Artest. Add that to Kobe throwing off Rondo's game, and its and extremely difficult situation for the guys in Green.

In the 2008 series, Walton was the first man off the Lakers Bench along with Radmonovich. Now its Odom, which gives the Lakers a big advantage. Whenever I talk with friends who used to play in the NBA, they bring up Odom as a gold standard of talent. I never ask them, it just comes to the surface. Six ten with an ability to play any position on the court and being a lefty to boot is one hell of a combination.

Towards the end of the regular season, people were miffed about the Lakers losing games they shouldn't and sort of turning it on at will. In game 1, they seemed to turn it on at will. The Celtics at this point seem to be a better matchup for the Lakers than the Suns. The Suns nullified much use of Bynum because of speed and an unusual style. Almost everyone shoots the 3 on the Suns and on the fast break they cut to the 3 point line instead of the basket, which is really different. Still, they died by the jumper in the end. Point being, Bynum is relevant against the Celtics and makes them deep because Odom comes off the bench.

Still, its the Celtics and if they can steal a win in game 2, they historically have a great track record against the Lakers. But one thing they won't be able to change is the length.

Last Minute Finals Thoughts and More

Who do you choose tonight? Its a question I have waited until the last minute to ask myself.

The case for the Lakers. They have the best player for sure and maybe the best 2 players as well as the best player off the bench, Odom. Plus, when they played the Celtics the last time, Trevor Ariza was injured as was Andrew Bynum. Bynum is a big body they can throw at the Celtics, even though he is injured. Plus with Ron Artest and an aging Boston team, you can make a good case for the Lakers. Garnett is mostly a jump shooter and is not the player he used to be. Paul Pierce shoots 23% when guarded by Artest. Artest shut down Durant in the Oklahoma City Series and closed it out on the road. When Kobe guarded Westbrook, he shut down the OKC team and negated Westbrook. Rondo is better than Westbrook. Derrick Fisher has played well in a number of roles against Utah and Phoenix. Rondo has struggled on the road of late.

Boston's case. The Lakers will never play against a better defensive team. The trio in the middle of Perkins, Wallace and Davis will play the Lakers extremely hard. Rondo is coming on and seems to be a mismatch at point, although if Kobe guards him they will dare him to shoot outside, his weakness. The Celtics bench is much deeper and stronger as a unit and if Glen Davis comes on, watch out...and he has been going strong lately. Nate Robinson had a breakout game the last game. If the big 3 keep playing like they are 5 years younger (Allen, Garnett and Pierce) this team will not be denied.

So, with that said, I still would have a hard time picking a clear cut winner. There will probably emerge an unlikely hero that will push one of these teams over the top. With Boston aging and breaking up soon, this could be the last Lakers-Celtics matchup that we will see for a number of years.

One last number that is very interesting. When a Phil Jackson coached team wins the first game in a playoff series, they are 47 -0...yes undefeated. So, this series could be decided in game one. Enjoy!

FINALLY, Some Good Games

Orlando set some double staggered screens so Jameer Nelson could get around the corner and the Magic avoided the sweep. What adjustments will the Celtics make in Game 5? The Leprechauns looked their age at the end of game 4 and Rondo came out flat for the most part. Can the Magic keep up their energy and get a game out of Vince Carter in Game 5. It would help their cause. The Celtics rotations were slow and with the staggered screens, Howard had a ton of easy scores. The Chess game begins, with Stan V making the first move.

Phil Jackson got really out coached in the 4th quarter of game 4. The Phoenix zone made a slight adjustment and it was enough. Phoenix got a superb effort from their bench. Having seen various Phoenix teams play about 200 times in LA, I do not believe the trend continues at the Staples Center. It will be interesting to see what adjustments the Zen Master will make. The Lakers usually get pushed to 6 or 7 games most series. I don't see a jump shooting team beating them. Still they looked slow on the rotations on defense and that has to be a concern. it will be very intriguing to see what moves are made tonight and tomorrow.

Five Games, Five Blowouts

The NBA conference finals have been all but unwatchable unless you're a total homer. The Celtics have uncovered and exposed Dwight Howard. He may have a good defensive game or a good offensive game but he cannot put both together. He goes for help way too early and leaves his man with an easy assist or put back. Plus new coach Patrick Ewing has seemingly made his total game go down a notch or two. With him all but out of the series, the Celtics have dared the Magic to beat them with the low percentage 3 ball. So far, no good for the Magic. The trio of Rasheed Wallace, Kendrick Perkins, and Big Baby Davis are taking turns guarding Howard. Say what you want about Wallace, he has always been a fantastic post player, especially defensively. In game 3 the Magic gave up.

One thing I have wondered about all year has been the criticism leveled at Hedo Turkoglu. Last year he seemed to carry the Magic with good ball handling, assists and shooting. For sure he is not as athletic as Vince Carter....not many are. Turkoglu seemed to be the right person for the Magic, but they couldn't wait to get rid of him...probably because of an expiring contract. Turkoglu was averaging about 6 asssists a game in the playoffs and Carter is averaging just over one.

The Magic's big ammunition was supposed to be Jameer Nelson being healthy and the best bench in the NBA. Rondo has really negated Nelson and the Magic bench has disappeared. Oh well, at least winters in Orlando beat shoveling snow in Boston.

In the West Coast series it has been too much height and talent for the Lakers. The Suns face game 3 tonight. If they cannot win tonite, it's Celtics-Lakers, the NBA's dream matchup. I have to give credit to the people who said there were 2 teams that could make noise in the post season if they are healthy that were not at the top in the regular season...the Spurs and the Celtics. They were half right on the Spurs and all the way right on Boston.

Thoughts from Ohio on the NBA

Since I am in Ohio, Dayton to be exact, its time to talk about the Cavaliers. They came up short because they had no supporting cast. A Jaimison came up woefully short. He was supposed to be the missing link and got abused by KG down low and had some very bad luck on his shots. Everything that could go wrong did for him and for Mo Williams as well. By the way, where was Delonte West? He usually plays fairly tough in the clutch. The big matchup now will be how well an old Kevin Garnett can keep up with Rashard Lewis. I think he may be a tad slow on the switches and going through screens. Speaking of switching, Steve Nash abused Tim Duncan every time he switched on him. San Antonio played hard but lost. Ginoboli was never the same since he broke his nose.
I look for a rested Orlando to take it to Boston. It would sure be fun to see another Celtics Lakers series. The Lakers are coming on and if they stay healthy, they seem to have the length and the talent. Point guard is a weakness, but Fisher is playing really well when it counts. What seperates these good teams from the pack is they can play and win at any pace. Certain teams can only win when they run...like the old Phoenix Suns. This Suns team has early offense, but is not necessarily a fast break, transition team like Dallas. Teams that rely on running only, like this years Houston Rockets can win, but if its the least bit off, they cannot score consistently in the half court to win in the playoffs.
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Part 2 of Gino and the Gassers strange saga of Rock and Roll will be coming soon. The Dayton Airport is the greatest. This is the first time I have seen other flights there. I have heard they have lost over 300k jobs. God Bless Dayton.

The Story of a Big Time Rock Band In the 60's and 70's

Editors Note: I have been so swamped by requests to tell more of the story of Gino and the Gassers that I fell very obligated to continue. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. The pictures above are real promo shots of Johnny Diamond and Gino for the Reunion Tour. The memories are foggy, but here goes.

It all happened by accident. I was a really good basketball player, but I broke my ankle quite severely and had to give up my scholarship at a major university. Surgery was barbaric back then by todays standards. So I went to work for Jim's Union 76 when I was back on my feet. While I was recovering from my injury, I picked up bass guitar and learned most of the blues and rock bass lines and almost all of James Brown's songs, the man I wanted to pattern my lifestyle around. Who could be better than James Brown, the man who was able to stop the riots with one sentence when the cops and politicians couldn't. He was my man, and we were going to do him proud. I figured since my girlfriend Karen left me because I was no longer a popular jock, I could meet the babes playing rock and soul music.

At the Union 76 I met Tiny, who's real name was Josh. He was the assistant manager. We called him Tiny because he was six eight and about 270 pounds of Polynesian muscle with the biggest hands in the world. I was the gas pumper and tire changer. Tiny had my back and I had his. We connected because he was also a first rate athlete whose knee injury kept him out of USC and their football team. Believe me we could hump it when business was good. We could also handle any crazy situation that came up, and in LA there were crazy situations to spare.

Tiny was actually Gino even though that wasn't his real name. We thought the two G's in the bands name sounded strange yet appealing to the stoned out masses. We used this as our theme. We had promo shots where we were at the gas pumps and in our attendant uniforms twirling around drumsticks and guitars with our shades on. We would wear the uniforms onstage and then pull them off as some of the wilder numbers we played progressed. We also had Union 76 baseball hats to hide our long hair. The unies even had our name tags! This was a ploy to get hired for weddings and bah mitzvahs, which will come into play later. My stage name was John Diamond. Hey we were close to Hollywood and everyone needs a stage name. I got this name from a B rated soft skin flick called "House of Cats". It was a name the pimp in the movie used and I thought it had some great possibilities.

Here's something about a stage name you may not know. You really have to live that name and be that alter ego or it will kick you in the butt. A person will be talking to you and use the name John. You are living in Rick, and it doesn't work out. You will be wondering who they are talking to and they will think you are spaced out. So when you take that stage name you have to live it.

We went with mostly Fender gear. The bass that the Beatles played was god-awful and it just was a testament to McCartney's greatness that he could get that sound from that instrument. I went with the jazz bass, even though my hero, James Jamerson of Motown used a P Bass. The Jazz had a thinner neck and worked best for me.

So we mostly had all our instruments and went over to Ace Pawn and paid 25 a week for a PA system. Tiny's girlfriend's dad unknowingly signed over his car as collateral, but it all worked out. It was killer. Also a pain, because setting up and breaking down was a chore. We went to the woodshed and learned 50 songs and had them down cold. They were all the show stoppers....Satisfaction, Louie Louie, the Jolly Green Giant, Under My Thumb, I aint
Gonna Eat out My Heart anymore, Bring it On Home to Me. I sang most of the wild songs. On some of them Tiny played Bass for me so I could hit the splits and do some flips off the amps. Daring moves, but crowd pleasers. Tiny sang the Tear Jerkers and slow ones, not to mention back up vocals. He was a musical genius in that he could play it all....Sax, Keys,Drums and all Guitars. Plus his voice was a few octaves higher and it made for a good combo. Bart was our guitarist. He was an Army vet that did two tours in Nam and didn't give a damn. The funniest guy in the world. Magic Mike was drums, and he could put up a heavy beat all night long. This guy never got tired.

Our first gig was at Al's Cocktail Lounge in Culver City. We decided to not do the weed or anything because of all the stunts we had to pull off. We also cooled it pretty much on the booze. Think about it, Tiny going Airborn on stage. This is not some little wimpy guy like the Jonas Brothers, but a full blown athlete that was six eight! At Al's we brought a pretty big crowd. Ex jocks, some of the SC football team, surfers, future groupies and more. This worked good because Al's could swing country at any time and this way we dominated with rock music and they had no choice when we played the show stopper "Its a Mans World" with Tiny belting it out, followed by yours truly doing "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash and the Nightcrawlers and ending with the psychedelic version of Annie Had a Baby. The crowd went nuts.

There are crazy things that happen at these gigs. That night in the parking lot, I was by myself and listened to a lovely conversation between a guy getting off work and his girlfriend. They were sitting in his dump truck. He hadn't showered or anything and was pure grime head to toe, and was making his intentions known! She was yelling something about him being married, but it didn't seem to stop them from having a dump truck love affair. In fact, I coined the song "Dump Truck Love Affair" for our first album from this very incident.

Back then there was a band in every bar. We knew we were getting hot and our musicianship was getting better with every gig. When we made a mistake we covered it fast and only we knew. Plus we hired 2 hot chicks, Gina and Lori, to dance certain numbers. The crowd was in a semi riot state, but in a good way most every night. We only had a problem when Bart or Magic Mike would drink more than the bands pay. But that was cool too. On those nights tips were usually good and would get us by. Remember, back then bands made about what they do in todays age.

One night, Bob Morgan, the hottest DJ in LA came in and saw us and hired us for his daily show that was sandwiched around Where the Action is and Hullabaloo. Then we took off and were really working. We could quit our day jobs. Private parties and great gigs. We had our first original "You got a Killer Body, but a Psycho Mind". One of the lines was " Youre beautiful baby and I love ya, but ya treated me unkind...OOOOH yeah, ya got a psycho mind." Of course it went over great and was requested by our following, which was growing by leaps and bounds every day.

After gigs, we would go to Tiny's pad and jam and play acoustics and bongos till 5 in the morning with various friends....TO BE CONTINUED

A Great Band and Some NBA Thoughts

It was the 60's. One day our band, Gino and the Gassers, was playing and got discorvered by a bigtime Hollywood recording agent. We quit our day job at Jims gas station and signed on the dotted line for one hundred dollars. Laugh now, but that was nothing to laugh about then. We went into the studio for a day and recorded an album...naturally it was a smash...no costs or promotional items were spared. Within a week, we were onstage at the Fillmore with all the greats, Santana, the Allmans, bringing the house down. However, we ran into some snags and a week later we were back pumping gas and changing tires at Jim's Union 76 station in West L.A. I tried to tell our agent, Chauncey Napalitano, that the name the Losers, was not a good deal, but would he listen...no. What could have been. The guy in the picture next to me Tiny, wowed em at the Fillmore, and it's still being talked about to this day in San Francisco. Chauncey still holds our contract so we can't even play in a bar, but he promises to get a re-union world tour going soon. He says there are some openings out in Southern Nebraska, so I will keep you posted when it happens.

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Here is the latest scenario that has to scare the powers that be in the NBA. The talented Oklahoma Thunder could actually pick up a free agent that would really put them over the top. They have room under the cap and plenty of draft choices to give. That free agent is Chris Bosh. Bosh is originally from Dallas, so its only a 35 minute plane ride to his house. He would have to be excited to play for a team that promises to get better with time. So there just may be a way Oklahoma City attracts a free agent difference maker.

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NBA Power Ratings

1) Orlando- If Howard can stay out of foul trouble, watch out.

2) Cleveland-The Kings elbow is a question.

3) Boston-Physical. Rebounding a big question against active bigs. Playing well but Miami was tailor made for them.

4) Lakers-Could beat any team above and on paper is the best. Are they out of their funk.

5) San Antonio-They are healthy for the first time all season and they truly dont care about the regular season.

Down and Out in Okie City

It's not glamorous in OK City, you can probably get some chicken fried baloney sandwiches from a guy wearing a zero U hat in the few restaurants that stay open past 8. HOWEVER, their fans and their team show up to rock in a college-like atmosphere. Odom and Artest have yet to show up and this team has no sense of urgency. Even though the Thunder is lacking at center, they have young fast talent to burn. Don't let Durant's skinny frame fool you...he is tough, getting to the line more than anyone since Michael Jordan and making 90% of those free throws. The Lakers need to wake up quickly or they are in trouble. Plus Kobe needs to get out of his physical and mental funk. In OK City, the young team shows up to play, and the fans turn out to cheer, not just to be cool or seen.

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If you wonder why college basketball is sort of a non issue during the regular season, keep in mind Kevin Durant and Bynum of the Lakers would be college seniors if times were like the good old days.

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Jerry Sloan, Nate McMillan and Greg Popovich are 3 of the best coaches in the League. Sloan is missing 2 starters and has his team ahead of a talented Denver team. McMillan has a patched up Red Cross Unit, and his team is still making Phoenix sweat it. As good as Steve Nash is, he puts his team at a distinct disadvantage on defense every night. Thats not a good position in the more half court oriented playoffs. Nate McMillan consistently does a great job. And then there is the old fox, Greg Popovich. He prudently rests his team in the regular season and now they are turning back the clock. Tim Duncan is frisky. Tony Parker seems to have regained his speed and mid range game. Ginoboli is Ginoboli, and Richard Jefferson is coming off a disappointing regular season and delivering difference making performances in the playoffs. They have the chic pick...the Dallas Mavericks, on the ropes. These 3 coaches are in the top 5 in the league. Some would say they are in the top 3.

Playoff Musings Early

Usually the first round of the NBA playoffs are just getting warmed up as a preliminary of what will come. The LA OK City matchup is one of the more intriguing 1 versus 8 matchups in awhile. Yes, LA is up 2 zero, but now they go back to OK City and will have their hands full. They still seem a little banged up and there seems to be a sort of disconnected synergy with the Lakers. Kevin Durant is the real deal at 21. Imagine someone almost seven feet with a wingspan of a 7 foot 6 player that can do all he can. Expect the next couple games in Oklahoma City to be very interesting.

Dallas seems to be exposing San Antonios age. Phoenix may get by a banged up Portland team, but they still don't show the halfcourt game or any resemblance of defense, especially when a key stop needs to be made. Denver is tough at home and Utah is very injured with 2 starters out. So it will probably be some form of Denver, Dallas and the Lakers, but don't be surprised if it's Dallas. Still, if LA is healthy and they jell, they could take it all....they just have seemed very dysfunctional this season.

In the East it will eventually boil down to Cleveland and Orlando, with Atlanta causing some problems. I just don't see the Celtics, they seem a few steps too slow.

Speaking of Oklahoma City, they are young and talented, but what free agent wants to go there? They will always have middle of the road draft picks and its very doubtful they will pick up high impact free agents. OK City is not a destination point even with the great young Durant.

I really look for him to go to a glamour team as quickly as he can.

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Have you ever had a being in your life that gave you unconditional love....real unconditional love with no strings attached? I did with my dear friend Buddy the Dog. Buddy died last month at age 13. He was a great athlete, with tremendous jumping ability and great low end torque. Okay, maybe he did have some motivation for loving me, food. But he was a constant companion, and was always happy to see me, even when other people were not. He had some funny tricks down pat, and would tirelessly chase and retrieve a ball. He fought a real battle with tumors that riddled his body for the last 2 years. You would never know he was in pain until the end, he was really frisky. Plus, he was the best mannered dog I have ever seen, not to mention a fantastic dancer. He is survived by his mate Itsy Bitsy, but he is missed by me. Buddy, rest in peace my man, you were the greatest.

Cindarella Almost, My Autograph Experience

It's old news by now, but Duke won in the most thrilling NCAA final in quite awhile. Every possession counted and what a hard played game. Butler went dry for 7 plus minutes and it was the big difference in the end.

One thing I really admire about Duke and Coach K is the demeanor in the game Coach K shows. He lets his players play. This is because they are so well prepared. He has trust in his players. It is refreshing to see a coach have trust in his players instead of strutting the sidelines like a banty rooster in an Armani suit. This doesn't mean he doesn't take control during crucial situations...he does. It's just that he will also let the game unfold. I noticed that Huggins has also gone this way much more than the old Bob Huggins. John Wooden never had to do the Pitino/Jim Calhoun strut the whole game. In an 82 game season you never see Jerry Sloan or Phil Jackson doing this.

Coach K is the one percent of coaches who could coach in the NBA from college and do so immediately and have success. Remember, he had the dream team undefeated in the last olympics. Larry Brown had roughly the same cast with Tim Duncan 4 years earlier and absolutely botched it. He let his ego get in the way and avoided playing certain players and it cost him. So on any level my vote is that Coach K is truly at the top on ANY LEVEL.

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I remember growing up that the great Bill Russell once said he did not give out autographs. He said that people asking for them should get the autograph of the people who really made a difference in their lives, such as parents and teachers. My first autograph experience came when I was 14. It was at the Prescott recreation center. I was visiting my grandma and persuaded her to let me attend the big card featuring the legendary Don "Bulldog" Kent as well as the Monroe brothers, Sputnik and Sattelite. I arrived at the arena early and was outside talking when I noticed a Caddy pulling up and out stepped the great one, Don Kent. I immediately sprinted, ticket in hand. Unfortunately, I didn't see a 2 inch steel cable about 15 inches off the ground. When my feet hit the cable on a dead run, I went flying in the air about 10 feet and landed on the gravel and rock parking lot at the legendary wrestlers feet. I immediately got up and said, "Can I have your autograph Mr. Kent?" He said sure kid and signed it.

My other time was in San Diego at a Miami San Diego state game. This was when Miami brought back basketball and had Tito Horford and San Diego State had a flashy guard named Tony Gwynn. I was there with my 4 year old son and spotted Jerry West at halftime while I was talking with Canes announcer Sonny Hirsch during commercial breaks. So of course, I asked for Mr. Wests autograph for my son of course...who never heard of Jerry West. The autograph was for me. I did what Bill Russell said all autograph seekers did..."will you sign it for my mom, son, grandfather." Anyway, the ticket is long gone, just like that moment.

I have since recorded a few commercials with Earl Campbell, who was gracious enough to let me come to his office for a few hours. I know John Lucas fairly well, Mike Newlin pitched our company on the radio, I have met a ton of Oilers and Spurs, but Jerry West was the last person I have asked or received an autograph. But the greatest of them all was the fabulous Don "Bulldog " Kent.

Cinderalla Moves on and one Emotional Moment

Everyone has been telling us that Butler is not the Cinderella story, that they were ranked in the 11 spot early on. What these network gurus are missing is that this team is not a high major hoop brand, rated or not. And if they really were 11th best, why did they get such a crummy seed? Anyway, in my mind they are the Cinderella team in an upset laden tournament.

Butler won ugly versus Michigan State. My argument for pro basketball being far superior to college needed no more story line than Butler going scoreless for over 10 minutes and still winning. This would never happen in the pros, and remember, this is the 2nd best team in college basketball. The pro players are bigger, faster, better and stronger. The worst team, the Nets, would beat whomever wins tomorrow by 20 to 30. Much much better coaching in the NBA and a much faster game. College offenses are like comparing grade school math to a NASA rocket scientist when compared to the NBA. Remember college gurus Pitino and Calipari want nothing to do with the NBA. Just another pretty face in the NBA but on the college level the top dogs. Not downgrading college because the tournament turns what is basically a really irrelevant season into arguably the best event of the year.

Duke has made a believer out of me once again. They are big, and deep. Bob Knight had a talk with Johnny Orr once about Michigan when they were going to play. Orr was describing his team as having an all Big Ten champion sprinter, an All American long jumper as well as other track speed. As Orr walked away Knight said something to the effect of "Johnny, tomorrow we are playing a basketball game." This is what Duke has...basketball players. You hear how athletic the other teams are, but those teams still have to make shots. Duke makes shots. It reminds me of what Bum Phillips, the old Oilers coach said after a scouting combine. "I don't care how athletic these guys are, at the end of the day you still have to be able to play football."
Duke should win Monday, BUT, the charm of the NCAA tournament is that it is not best of 7, it is a one game shot. In an NBA best of 7 the best team comes out on top. This is a different game, so give Butler a shot. The team that was designed to beat Duke, with size and shooting and defense has been eliminated...Kansas.

Finally, I have never seen a more compelling scene than when Bob Huggins hugged his player, DeShawn Butler when he suffered a terrible injury competing against Duke. He cradled the players head and really displayed unconditional love like I have never seen at any level by a coach. Butler is a real quality kid who is graduating and won an award that basically named him citizen of the year, based on a combination of grades and voluteer work. I was sort of mad that the network kept the mike on long after Butler went down, capturing his screams. He was in terrible pain and it just seemed like they dwelled on it morbidly.

Have a happy tournament and Monday we will see if the slipper fits.

Almost the Mouse that Roared Final 4

In the 50's there was a book called the Mouse that Roared. It was about a small country of a few thousand people that declared war on the USA because the USA undercut prices on their only source of economy, wine. The USA did not know about this war and with a few archers invading New York City...their army was quite primitive...they caught our Secretary of Defense asleep at the wheel and captured a weapon that could destroy the world thus winning supreme power.

The last few weeks have been a tale of the Mouse that Roared. Many name brand big schools have been upset. It almost happened again with Baylor, but alas, it was not to be boys and girls. Baylor, a team most Big 12 opponents used to count on for 2 wins a year is a legitimate power. However, it could not beat Duke, allowing 2 late offensive rebounds turn into 2 Three balls late in the game. Couple that with a very dubious tech, and for a minute the Madison Avenue boys at CBS can stop worrying. The basketball gods have delivered their ratings darling, the Duke Blue Devils.

I have to hand the rebounding battle to Duke at the end. What I viewed against Purdue was not a fluke, they do indeed go for the gusto on the backboards..

But lets give some praise for the little guy. There are the Saint Marys, Xavier, Northern Iowa, Cornell, BYU, Old Dominion and the Cinderella story that keeps on going..Butler. In fact Butler is keeping on the Mouse that Roared theme alive and well in Indianapolis. If they win, it would be so cool.....and I don't have a horse in this race, but that would be a story.
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When I saw Kentucky play against West Virginia I kept thinking, what would this team be like if Cousins and Wall stuck around for 4 years. Probably an all time great team with the players Calipari would surround them with. Hope they don't take too big a pay cut going to the NBA.
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I have had a pipe dream about a scenario that would be so cool. The most recruited player in the country opts for Northern New Mexico Institute of Agriculture, spurning the big boys like Kansas and UCLA. This player is Magic Johnson, Lebron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrapped into one total once in a lifetime package. NNMIA is a new D-1 school with a gym that holds all of 3000 people. This big time recruit allures a great supporting cast and start kicking butt against all comers. Our hero the superstar, is an altuistic sort that wants to start a new tradition. The NCAA is sniffing all areas of concern as the big schools are really mad about this new kid on the block. The coach is a sly dog who is having his last hurrah coaching at NNMIA and is able to bend the rules just enough to not get caught. In the middle is the town the school is located in, Gallup, New Mexico, inhabited primarily by Native Americans. I will let you know when Hollywood calls.

Courtside Houston Regional Semi-Finals

This tournament could be the ultimate breath of fresh air if something happens today, and that something is if Baylor beats the Dookies. Sorry for all you front runners and CBS execs on Madison Avenue that give us a dose of what we should like everyday in your subliminal messages, but a Final 4 without Duke, Carolina, and Kentucky would be a real breath of fresh air. Oh yeah, and no Ben Howland and UCLA. Hallelujah.

During the course of watching the Baylor-Saint Marys and Purdue-Duke games the ugly phenomena entered its head again. Here in Reliant with fourty five thousand of my closest friends, the disease, Front Runner Itis, reared its head again. Baylor-Saint Marys was a blowout. Afterwards, Purdue did everything to make every possession count and turn the night cap into an ugly affair. They succeeded until the final 6 minutes when size and talent took over. Now, I have every ounce of respect in the world for Coach K and his team. And also, Dickie V has given an awareness to college hoops like no other. HOWEVER, I thought during one timeout the Duke mascot would take his headpiece off and we would see Dickie V's chromedome smiling. This guy is unabashedly the frontrunning shill for Duke, Carolina and Kentucky. Why doesn't he just stand on the sideline in a blue and white cheerleader outfit?

There was a time boys and girls, when America got behind the underdog. Purdue was that underdog the other night. But ESPN has once again succeeded and made Duke the glamour team to root for. The fans, many of whom have maybe never been on the Duke campus and maybe never in North Carolina, were all gaga over the Blue Devils. I don't have a horse in this race so it's especially interesting to see. The fans who root for Duke do not seem as obnoxious as the Dallas Cowgirls fans.

And yes, the Duke team did get the easy regional because CBS wanted to pave the way to the final 4 this year as their media contract is up for bid and Duke sells. They were the number 4 rated number one seed and yet they got to open with the play-in game winner. What they did not count on is Baylor being good and playing them in Houston. Should be an exciting game.
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Colin Cowherd had a great show this week regarding New York vs. Los Angeles. It started where some myopic New Yorker called and said the Saint John basketball opening was the greatest. Cowherd countered saying that it was not, poor facilities, no income generated from a football program hurting it. Then he said something that most people from that area have never been able to comprehend...except the ones who have moved to LA. People in LA do not move to New York in droves, but people from New York move to LA in droves and stay if they can make it. You do the math...Brentwood or Brooklyn. An 8 foot mound of snow in a parking lot or a Pacific Sunset in February with the temp around 65? East Coasters, its' a big world out there...get hip and take that California trip. And visit the mecca of basketball while you are out there, the Staples Center. Alot more championships than the Gah-den, and it doens't smell like racoon urine.
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I see all these teams make March Madness and I have to ask myself one question. Why doesn't Arizona State make it more often? The only answer I can get is they don't pay enough money to the bigtime players. I have seen so many campuses and if I am 18, most don't compare to ASU. Sunshine, great facilities, entertainment right off campus no car needed, and beautiful, really beautiful women. 8 feet of snow in the parking lot in March, or coeds laying on the grass by the palm trees. This is a puzzle greater than Rubics Cube. Go underdogs and lets make this the un-brand name final 4!

That Was Madness

Finally for the first time in years we are back on the path of upset city in the madness that is the NCAA tournament. We are going to have a sweet 16 matchup of Kentucky- Cornell. This Cornell outfit is the first Ivy League team to make the sweet 16. Could there be a bigger contrast. Kentucky, an all-time basketball power that lives on the edge with coaches that push the envelope and fans that do not take kindly to second place and Cornell...Ivy League with a high percentage of graduation from the players. Oh yeah, Cornell hammered what has always been a tough Wisconsin team. The win was no fluke.

Earlier in the week I heard some announcer say that Vasquez from Maryland was considered the best Terp ever. Really? Over Len Bias, John Lucas, Bernard King and more. No way. Still in the Michigan State/Maryland thriller, you could see the isolation play forming and you just felt he was unstoppable...and he was. What a well coached thrilling game. The best part is that the coaches let the players play. My bone to pick with the college games is over coaching. This game was a great example where less was more.

West Virginia is really a hard playing team. Check out their interior passing. It is a thing of beauty.

The dagger shot by Northern Iowa against Kansas was just awesome. They could have run off 29 more seconds. It was a wide open look by a dead eye shooter. The shot put them over the top and don't you know the second guessing would have started had he missed. The beauty of the NCAA tourney is that with one and done, the best team doesn't always win. If you question this, see the University of Houston or Georgetown.

Syracuse looked like a machine with their wins. They just play in a higher gear. What passing and what a complete game when they are clicking. They are a force to be reckoned with. Kentucky looks really strong through the first 2 games as well.

If you were told a few years ago a team from Texas was in the sweet 16, you probably would not guess the Baylor Bears. Yet, coming back from massive probation just a few years ago, the Bears are in the Houston Regional. Don't count them out...they have 3 really good guards, size and a great shot blocker.

The step brother school from Kansas, Kansas State, is the one advancing in the tournament and they look like they belong as well.

Wrapping it up, if you like the unknown team and the mid major, this is the year for you. No North Carolina or UCLA. But an Ivy League, a Northern Iowa and a Saint Marys'. Who will be this years James Madison?

Len Bias Film..4 Months Later and I am STILL In Awe

Without Bias, an ESPN documentary about Len Bias has been on my recorder for almost 4 months now, and it still blows me away. There are so many elements to this film and on so many levels, that it still is hard to grasp them all. It's a very hard hitting and yet spiritual film on so many levels.

The first thing that hits me is how easy we forget. The start of the film, showing Len going against great competition still blows me away. What a talent. The ultimate inside outside player title probably does not do him justice. Just to make sure I wasn't reminiscing too much I even played the film to my son, who has played with many of the pros in the NBA. He was blown away as well. The one clip that stands out in the many is the one where he is about a foot above Michael Jordan on a 12 foot jump shot in a close game. Perfect elbow alignment, perfect arch and a poetry release. Oh yeah, ultra athletic as well. Could do it all.

What I also think about on the dawn of the 2010 NCAA tournament is how much the landscape has changed in college basketball since Len Bias graced the hardwood. Bias was not heavily recruited and developed under the college program for 3 years. This rarely happens in the modern day. Every year we have to put our hands around the college game because the elite freshmen bolt for the pros after one year. They do not even want to go to college. In the Bias era, a player could not go hardship until after his junior year. This process tended to weed out alot of the mistakes and built a better player in terms of fundamentals. In the Bias days you had a continuity to the program and some continuity with the star players. Now you really have to follow college basketball to know who is who. As a result, we have a sport that really is not relevant in the regular season unless you are rooting for a uniform. It only really matters in March. Now the players get the form that Len Bias had coming out of college after serving an apprenticeship in the pros. I am not going to deny a teenager the earning power that they get in tennis and other sports, but there is something to be said for playing under a Dean Smith or a Lefty Driesell for 3 or 4 years.

A couple of other mind blowers on this were the number of celebrities from every angle of life that were involved in the film. Politicians, Jesse Jackson, sports celebrities like Red Auerbach,

local leaders like Marion Berry...almost the entire Boston sporting press were in the story. The sheer mass of people attending the various memorial services will blow you away...it's as if a statesman died. Again, how easy we forget.

The time period also had some significance from a standpoint that this was right at the time period that crack cocaine posed a horrendous problem for many urban areas, particularly Washington, D.C.

Lastly, if you are a parent, you can especially appreciate the composure of Len Bias' parents. The way they have carry themselves has to be seen. Remember, they lost another son only a couple years later. Again, I don't want to ruin the film for you, but I strongly urge you to see Without Bias.

Belated Football Wrap

Like most football fans, I was able to observe a ton of games during the holiday season. Aside from the Alabama Texas National Championship game, I also watched the Orange Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. In fact I was very fortunate to watch them from a small fishing village in Mexico...something I would highly recommend.

The first thought in my mind when I watched Boise State and TCU tee it up is "What in the hell happened to this game and where is Arizona State?" Why would anyone think that?

The Fiesta Bowl was originally created as a bowl game for Arizona State to play in because they were not getting invited. In those days it was a no win game for anyone playing the Sun Devils. If you beat them you were supposed to...but there was a very good chance you would not.

Arizona State played in and won the first 3 Fiesta Bowls beating Florida State, Pittsburgh with Tony Dorsett and Missouri. They also beat Nebraska to finish 2nd in the nation as well as Zero U-errr Oklahoma in the 80's when O-U had Marcus Dupree.

Now, when I see a good coach like Peterson at Boise doing well and Kirk LaFrenz at Iowa my thoughts are Why Cant ASU get this coach or a coach like him? Is ASU paying enough...I don't mean the coach, I mean the players. I mean, how hard would it be to recruit a kid when its Scottsdale, the 2nd best weight room in the country or a frozen corn field (Iowa)? How hard to recruit a kid at Sun Devil Stadium, on of the 5 prettiest sites in the country or Boise? How are they missing the boat? The school is literally a sleeping giant for the right coach. Last comparison...tanned girls in shorts, or frozen coeds eating bon bons in a freezing cold dorm room in the middle of nowhere. Maybe they get it right again someday in Tempe.

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With the coaching change at USC, maybe, just maybe, UCLA will awaken from a long nap. You could have two of he most NCAA violating coaches in the same city.

************************************************************************************ NCAA hoops is finally getting close to being relevant now that football season is winding down. If I have to watch on TV, I go with the pros all day long. Much more scoring, better players and coaches, and not some coach standing like a banty rooster prancing up and down the sidelines the whole game. However, going to a good college game live is great fun. At the start of the season I went to the Rice-South Alabama game in Houston. I had a great seat because nobody attends Rice games. South Alabama came from way back to almost pull off the game. They put on a press and Rice literally could not bring the ball up court. South Alabama has since beat Florida in Gainesville, which is always nice by me.

I was also fortunate to attend our annual game at Toyota Center. It was Texas A and M vs New Mexico. The Aggies' coach, Mark Turgeon, complained that they did not need to play a minor league team like the Lobos. New Mexico won. Go figure. The Lobos are coached by Bobby Knight protege Steve Alford. Again, a very entertaining game.

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At the start of the season the Houston Rockets were without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady and would be without them the whole season. With that in mind, I didn't give them much chance of being much more than a lottery team. To date I have not seen an NBA team play much harder. Carl Landry is having a great season and Aaron Brooks while short is one of the 3 fastest players in the league. He put up 41 a couple nights back. While they will have some basic issues teams will have with a six foot five inch center (Chuck Hayes), I have to say I have not seen many better coaching jobs than the one Rick Adleman has done this year. In fact, you can also add Nate McMillan of Portland to the list as well. What he has done this year with all the injuries that have fallen on the TrailBlazers is nothing short of miraculous.

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Two blues artists that need to be checked our are Victor Wainwright and Barry Goldberg. Goldberg was Mike Bloomfields' keyboard artist for many years. Check out "Long Way to Go" by Victor Wainwright and "Middle of the Night" by Godlberg. Goldberg has a nice female vocalist from Kentucky. Both these groups just ooze with blues, rock, jazz and soul. Till next time.