Basketball from a fans perspective
No, no and no!!!!
I almost had my mind made up, despite my anger I was going to attend the Mizzou-KU game next Sunday. I've changed my mind after reading Saturday morning's Kansas City Star. "Does playing an exhibition on Sunday, Oct. 22 at Sprint Center to benefit disaster relief mean they will soon play a real basketball game? Bill Self, the KU coach and currently the most influential man of either campus, answered that question directly.
"It doesn't have anything to do with playing Missouri, " he said, "Not one thing with playing Missouri." Okay Bill cut out the double-talk are you sayin' you still mad at Mizzou for leaving the Big 12 Conference? My plan now is to donate the money I intended to pay for the game directly to hurricane relief. I can accomplish this without aiding the pompous attitude of the coach in Lawrence Kansas. LATE UPDATE: I will not be tempted, no television however radio will broadcast the game. Baseball is the only sport I do radio so there you have it.
Why not
A conversation was held on ESPN regarding Kyrie Irving. The question; "Would the Cavs retire Irving's number after he retires?" My response is why not, the Mizzou-KU story above holding a grudge this one is not. Irving was a vital member of the championship Cavs team. He might not have departed in a member pleasing to most Cavs fan but allow me to remind you of Shaquille O'Neal. After three championships Shaq left the Lakers in a public feud with Kobe Bryant. Time does brings about change, Laker jersey number 34 has been permanently retired and hangs in Staples next to a number of Laker greats. There's even a statue of the Big Aristotle outside the building.
Dicky V.
The dawn of every basketball season reminds me of this Dick Vitale story. Vitale is now 78-years old, the former college and NBA coach provides color commentary for ESPN's college basketball telecasts. He's been on the job since he was fired as Pistons coach which dates back to 1979. Several years ago Vitale reduced his schedule on the number of college games. Vitale is one of those broadcasters establishing his own style. His extensive word vocabulary is forever connected with Vitale, diaper dandy, baby and aircraft carrier are just a few. Vitale's over the top excitement of game action is also classic.
Years ago I was viewing a game and my wife walked into the family room on the way to the kitchen. She heard Vitale and asked me in a puzzled voice; "What's wrong with him?" I simply explained that's the manner Vitale broadcast games. Dicky V.'s had a number of critics over the years most connected with the seamy side of basketball. In recent years he's taken a more vocal stance on many issues of the college game. Vitale has been honored by the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame. I watched his Naismith HOF induction, the man stood before the audience with no notes and spoke for 20 minutes without repeating little if any portion of the speech.
Eternal Optimist
A friend also a Laker fan asked me the other day what I expected this upcoming season. My response was short, improved play and a very, very slim playoff chance in the Wild Wild West. Laker win totals have been trending upward, 17 three years ago, two years it was 21. Last season they won 27 games. I expect 32-35 wins, any number beyond that total would certainly be a bonus. At the same time I'm a realist any win total less than 27 would be extremely disappointing to me.
Bits n Pieces
I guess we might have a classic center dual if this one proves to be legitimate. This might not be a Chamberlain-Russell match or a Shaq/Hakeem/David Robinson pairing however it still proved interesting. Sixer Joel Embiid and Hassan Whiteside of the Heat faced off against one another in the game held Friday in Kansas City. The battle on the court resulted in tweets back and forth between the two. Center battles hearken back to the hey day of the Big Man, it's not all small ball evidently.
We question why college basketball is sometimes in such a quandary, the NCAA has no clue what's going on. What's even more tragic they have been lost enforcement wise for years. After what seems like an eternity they reported tons off impropriety the North Carolina program was to have committed. Finally when judgment day approaches they render NO VERDICT. The NCAA is impotent as one report indicated, three years of investigation and not even a slap on the wrist for North Carolina. They are leaving it to the school to administer punishment we assume.
