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Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 56 of 68)

An old guy’s perspective on all sports

Diary of an Adoptee: Banister World #422

Every now and then these past few weeks I’ve drifted off into what my wife calls “Banister World,” wondering the impact of my certified letter on total stranger? What has happened since the letter arrived? (See Post #404). Was it then hidden somewhere in a drawer? Was there ever a discussion about its shocking contents? Was a response slowly making its way to me through the mail? I don’t know why I suddenly expect instant answers to a 66 year-old unsolved mystery?

Would I next need to employ a different tactic? Or, should I just be patient and step back? I’m reading the book Getting Open, the story of Bill Garrett and the integration of college basketball. It presented itself as the closest resource to uncovering what life was like in my presumed birth mother’s home town, during the time just before I was born. It also seemed prophetic that my good friend just happened to have a copy of this book, when I mentioned a long-shot Bill Garrett connection with the Banisters. After all, it’s not exactly on the best seller list.

Shelbyville High School won the state basketball championship in March of 1947. My birth mother, Edna Faye, would have been 13 years old, soon to be 14 on April 9. Her twin brothers were only a year older, but sister Eva would have been 16 and in high school, perhaps along with 18 year old Elmer. Her older siblings included 20 year-old Elvin, Wilma 22, and Helen 23. Did they attend basketball games like most of the community who packed the bleachers? Cross Gym, where they played, held 3,500 spectators, one-third of the Shelbyville population at that time. Football was a minor sport in Indiana in that era, as farmers were confined to the fields until basketball season started in August. Did they know Bill Garrett or any of his teammates or coaches? Did they cheer for the “Golden Bears?” 

Four years after Shelbyville brought home the hardware, I was born from an affair that took place around the Thanksgiving holiday of 1950. She would have finished her Junior year at Shelbville High with a noticeable baby bump and then secretly whisked-away to Indianapolis to give birth. Did she then return to Shelbyville or was she sent somewhere else to avoid any ridicule from fellow townspeople? Did my untimely appearance ruin her life plans? What happened to the father? Did the disapproving community brand her with a “Scarlet A?”

What happened next for her remains unknown? I’m appreciative that my life went on only slightly interrupted, with no recollection on my part. It wasn’t until years later that I began to even wonder about this woman that gave birth to me. Would she have loved me as much as my adopted parents? Would I have gotten to enjoy the same benefits and opportunities that only affluence could afford? Or, would I have just finished high school and stayed in rural Shelbyville my entire life? At that time, the Ku Klux Klan controlled Indiana’s laws, so it was rare for a predominately white school to have three regular black starters. As a result, they were mocked by the competition as,”The Black Bears.” Coach Frank Barnes was an integration pioneer, with a need to win games to preserve his job. 

By the time, I was born in August of 1951, Bill Garrett had become the first black athlete in the Big Ten Conference, as the first to play at IU. Coach Branch McCracken made him an All-American his senior year. Garrett’s All-Star team then played the Harlem Globetrotters at the Indiana Fairgrounds in Indianapolis just after my birth mother’s 18th birthday, attracting over 14,000 basketball fans. Did she go to that game with classmates her Junior year to celebrate her city, with me still a hidden secret? Shelbyville’s most famous citizen was about to become a Boston Celtic, one of the first three black athletes to be drafted into the NBA. Or is this just another of my sports fantasies?

I feel a need to know more about the city of Shelbyville, so a trip to the city’s library later this month might be in order. I can look through some high school annuals and search for any Banister connections. The most important thing is to try to find a photo of my 5’2″ brown-eyed, mother. Will the unknown Marine father have also gone to Shelbyville High School? At twenty years old, he would have been the same age as my birth mother’s sister, Eva, and also could have gone to school with or played against Bill Garrett? According to the adoption agency, he was 6’2 1/2,” slightly taller than Garrett, and played basketball, football, and baseball. Also, my birth mother’s brothers, Elmer and Elvin, would have been about the same age as Garrett. Can I find them in a year book? If so, I can expand the “Banister World” fantasy. 

 

Old Sport Shorts: February Sadness #421

In another short month,

it will be March Madness.

While I suffer through,

More February Sadness.

 

March is usually a month I look forward to, as college basketball teams vie for those 68 precious slots on the NCAA Tournament bracket. It used to be only 64, but the “Big Dance” is always expanding to accommodate less disappointment. For those teams that don’t make the field there is also that NIT (Not in Tournament) option. Unless, you’re an Indiana University fan, in which case your only option may be to sit home and watch.

I’ve tried very hard to remain loyal to the program, after all those years of success, but I’m now beyond just disappointed. I cannot believe that a college team can shoot a dismal 18% in the first half of a BIG Ten game. Granted, it was a great defensive team, Michigan State, who may very well go on to win it all. However, grade school kids shoot better, even I could shoot better than 18%. These are scholarship players, receiving a free education, who practice every day, and have been doing this all their lives. How is this possible?

The team can play outstanding defense, and it was this reason only that they stayed in the game through the first half. I will give Coach Archie Miller credit for bringing that basic fundamental back to I.U. Basketball. It’s been missing for years, and the one thing in basketball that you can control on the floor. We all know that teams can have a bad shooting night, but you can still be competitive if you don’t allow your opponent to score either. Ultimately, they only lost this game by 3 points to a Top Five team, while finishing at 28.8% from the floor and 21.1% from three point range (4-19). Michigan State was 48.9% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. Somehow, the Hoosiers managed to hit 72% from the free throw line, despite being one of the worst teams in the country at this basketball fundamental. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hit their free throws when the game was on the line, as has been all too common this season.

To make matters worse, Indiana’s biggest rival, Purdue, is now 12-0 and ranked third in the nation. This is like salt in the wound to any devout Hoosier fan. Also, Michigan State‘s success this year is the result of recruiting in Indiana’s own back yard. Jaren Jackson Jr. is from Carmel, Indiana and went to school at La Lumiere in LaPorte, Indiana. I’m convinced that most any kid from Indiana, where hoops is king, can shoot better than 18%. Zach McRoberts is the only native Hoosier in the I.U. starting line-up, and up until this year he’s been sitting on the bench. He is also a walk-on, known primarily for his hustling defense and rebounding ability. I.U. Basketball has definitely lost its way!

The Hoosier record stands at 12-12 and 5-7 in the BIG after 4 consecutive losses, giving up the only victory for Illinois in the conference to date. Two of those losses were to #3 Purdue and #5 Michigan State, where the same disturbing patterns emerged in both close games. The shooting was abysmal, the turnovers untimely, and poor defense against the three-point shot costly. The threes and free throws wouldn’t fall, sloppy shots went in for the opponent, and their three pointers with the shot clock about to expire were all too frequent. The I.U. offense missed open layups, clutch free throws, and threw the ball away with consistency.

In 2008-09, after the dismissal of Coach Kelvin Sampson and the resulting NCAA probation, I.U. experienced some bad years under the direction of Tom Crean. They went 6-25, 10-21, and 12-20 respectively. With one more win, Archie Miller will have won more games than each of those “Crean & Crimson” teams, so we haven’t taken as big of a step back with this coaching change. Crean favored a run-and-gun approach that put little emphasis on defense. I like the fundamentals he’s brought to Bloomington, but Miller needs some shooters to give his team balance. Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou? (See Post #369).

There’s little hope for the remainder of this year, as I expect nothing but February Sadness from the Hoosiers. Only Purdue gives the state of Indiana some potential madness. They have the longest winning streak in Division 1 basketball, but I do not expect them to go undefeated in the BIG Conference. I’m just glad that I have some association with the university, so that I have someone to cheer for in March and early April. In the meantime, I’m throwing in the white flag, with expectations of more bad basketball these next two months. Please, don’t let it extend into next year – put some Madness back in my life.!

 

 

 

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Friendship #420

The month of February is all about friendship and love. It started with two concerts and dinner with good friends. We saw 72 year-old Bruce Cockburn and 65 year-old John Hiatt, two performers that I would not have normally gone to see, but thoroughly enjoyed. It was good to see two fellow Senior Class members still active on the circuit. I was envious of their continued passion for their work, extending their careers into the twilight of their lives. Both of my retired buddies play and collect guitars, so I often follow their lead on must-be-seen-before-they-die performers. I’m rarely disappointed, and get to experience some of the unique music venues around Portland, like the Aladdin Theater and Revolution Hall. Also, older audiences tend to be better behaved and prefer to remain seated, rather than interfere with your view of the stage in favor of their awkward dance moves.

My best friend & wife next went to see the movie, Lady Bird, as a popcorn dinner and holding hands is our weekly tradition. We certainly hold hands more often, but restrict our popcorn eating to theaters and sometimes ballparks. I will leave her for a few days this week to ski with old friends in Steamboat. She doesn’t ski and prefers warmer climates to use her precious vacation time, so she’ll spend just her weekend with us, as we celebrate the 65th birthday of our hostess. She and her husband just bought a retirement home near the slopes, so they invited several of us to join them for the week. I will approach the mountain with caution, as all retirees should, hoping to return without a cast. I haven’t skied in at least two years, as evident by the cob webs on the padded travel bag that holds my equipment. The only other item in our garage with more dust on it is my golf bag.

When we aren’t traveling, my wife likes to spend her weekends with her two best friends, our schnauzer pups. When she gets home at night after a hard day at the office, she’s too exhausted to spend much time with them, so she tries to make up for it with long weekend walks. I will run ahead with Tally until she quickly loses interest and then loop back to the slower moving Tinker, who no longer runs and stays at my wife’s side. Tinker is like me in her hesitation to spend too much time outdoors. She has so many allergies and hates the feel of some grasses on her paws, so the outdoors is nothing to her but a giant toilet. In her opinion, there’s no other reason to go out there, unless it’s to go for a ride in the car. On the other hand, Tally loves to romp, and it’s critical to keep her on a leash. The weekend walk/runs give both Tinker and Tally the opportunity to sniff the butts of their furry friends.

My wife enjoys music, but our tastes slightly differ. She prefers uplifting popular music, while I lean more to the blues and classic rock. She has already bought tickets to see Pink, Steely Dan with The Doobie Brothers, James Taylor & Bonnie Raitt, Hall & Oates with Train, Sam Smith, Def Leppard/Journey, and Elton John. I will enjoy all of these shows, for in most cases, the second or third time around. At least, Pink, Sam Smith, and Train are not yet of retirement age and will be fresh new experiences for me. Also, we have reserved seats for each of these shows. The two shows I just attended this past week were in much smaller venues than these Moda Center dates, so it was strictly General Admission. That meant we also had to be there an hour early and wait in line for a decent seat. It makes for a long evening. I much prefer the assigned seats that we have for these upcoming shows, and appreciate that even movie theaters now allow you to select seats in advance. It avoids hassle and saves time, but it still doesn’t resolve the problems associated with those sitting in neighboring seats. (See Post #121).

Our February tour continues from Steamboat to Phoenix, for my wife’s budget meetings. We will have to spend Valentine’s Day apart, but I will fly in the next day once the business sessions conclude. Friends from Tucson will drive us to their home for the weekend. We hooked up with them last year after several years apart, so we’ll get a chance to experience more of the desert. I will then connect with a Fraternity Brother, who I reunited with last year after nearly 40 years. We plan to go to Surprise, Arizona and watch the Oregon State Beavers play Cal Poly in a college baseball tournament. UnfortunatelyThe timing of the budget meetings is just about a week early for Spring Training, otherwise we would have had some other choices for games. I’ll fly out early the next morning.

The February “friendship and love tour” ends with a trip back to Indiana. My wife’s niece is expecting their first child, and she is being honored with a shower. We also have to take my wife’s 96 year-old mother to the doctor, as is the case several times a year for us. Hopefully, she’ll stay out of the hospital on this trip. In the back of my mind, I still have hopes that I will hear back from my birth mother’s family, but I would also like to go Shelbyville, her home town, and look through the high school yearbooks for some photos of her and her siblings. It’s been about 12 days now since they received my certified letter (See Post #404). It took 9 days for the letter to get to them, so I will approach the mailbox tomorrow like a kid waiting for Christmas.

When the short month of February comes to an end, after spending half of it on the road, I will promise to spend as much time as possible with my wife. I haven’t been very attentive, leaving her alone in favor of other friends. We’ll spend half the month of March on a cruise ship with little time apart, after spending Valentine’s Day in two separate cities. Last year, her meeting didn’t start until the day after, so I’m sure there are other employees disappointed about not spending the “biggest day of love each year” with their significant other. I’ll at least have the two puppies and the cat to keep me company. She’ll have just The Company! 

 

 

 

 

Old Sport Shorts: Boiler Up! #414

It’s a new school record! 17 straight victories for the Purdue Men’s Basketball team and the eighth longest winning streak in Big Ten history. Unfortunately, it came against my underdog Indiana Hoosiers. I think the most people were expecting a lopsided Boiler win, but IU hung in there until the end. It was a great national TV showcase for the state of Indiana, but another frustrating loss for a once proud Cream and Crimson program with five National Championships. Now, it’s Purdue’s turn. In actuality, Purdue leads the 117 year rivalry 118-89, having dominated in the early years, earning 51 or the first 62 games through 1939. They’ve won the BIG 10 Conference  Championship 23 times to Indiana’s 22. Overall, Indiana is the 11th all time winning Division 1 program, while Purdue is 19th, but Indiana has had better success in the NCAA tournament. In my lifetime, the joke has always been that Spring was officially here when IU was still playing basketball and Purdue wasn’t. That likely won’t be the case this year. Boiler Up!

Purdue has captured a NIT (Not in Tournament) Championship back in 1974, but so did Indiana in 1979, over Purdue on a last second shot. Ejections, technical fouls, a sucker punch, tirades, double overtime, a thrown chair, and a jackass have all played a role in the storied basketball wars between the two schools. Legendary coaches Bob Knight and Gene Keady added to the madness. IU has been ranked #1 in the country many times throughout the years, while Purdue has never been there or finished there. The closest the Boilers have come was #2 in 1987, defeating the soon to become National Champion Hoosiers that year in West Lafayette. Purdue has advanced to the Elite Eight four times, the Final Four twice (1969 and 1980), and to the National Championship in game in 1969 losing to UCLA and Purdue alumni, John Wooden, along with his super-star center Lew Alcindor, a.k.a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Rick “The Rocket” Mount led the Boilermakers. Purdue lost its only other Final Four match-up in 1980, again to UCLA, this time coached by Larry Brown. Purdue’s Joe Barry Carroll was the tourney top scorer that year.

Could this finally be Purdue’s year? They have already secured the #2 National ranking, after wearing down unranked Indiana. Could 7’2″ Boiler big man Issac Haas be the next Joe Barry Carroll? He has the advantage of 7″3″ twin tower teammate Matt Haarms. They only have to get by Virginia to achieve the elusive rankings pinnacle. It’s reminiscent of the 1980’s, the last time these two universities were basketball dominant. Virginia also has not won a National Championship, but has appeared in both the 1981 and 1984 Final Four. They lost to North Carolina in 1981, while North Carolina than fell to National Champion Indiana. It was IU’s fourth title, with Isiah Thomas leading them to the Promised Land, if I could just sneak in another plug for the Hoosiers in this PU year (they won the Oaken Bucket, too). The 1981 Virginia Cavaliers were led by 7’4″ Ralph Sampson, who left the program in 1983 for the NBA. Somehow, the #7 seeded 1984 Cavaliers, without him, advanced to Seattle’s Final Four, but lost to Houston and Akeem Olajuwon.

More than thirty years have gone by since Purdue and Virginia have been national basketball powers, but they’re both back in the spotlight this year. Will we see them both in San Antonio, host of this year’s Final Four? Will Indiana even make the NIT? If not, I will be on the Purdue bandwagon. I think that I deserve to ride their coattails. After all, I was a 2000-2002 John Purdue Club loyal member, I have a Gene Keady signed jersey in my office (it’s not in a frame as big as the one that holds my 1976 IU jersey), I was the landlord for Black & Gold Magazine for three years; I provided the television studios for the weekly Coaches Show with Gene Keady; I formed a television partnership with Purdue University through a T-1 connection, allowing coverage for all Purdue athletics; I was a Purdue season basketball ticket holder and attended the banquets each year I was running the TV station in Lafayette, Indiana.

I can’t help it if both my parents went to Indiana University, and that they made me wear the IU logo as a child. They made me a Purdue hater! I only spent two years at Indiana University, but do hold a B.S. degree from there. All I did at Indiana was spend my dad’s money. I was never a Indiana basketball season ticket holder, only football (they were less expensive and easier to get). I think I actually have more ties to Purdue. Plus, a couple of Purdue grads have agreed to let me on the Boilermaker Express for the rest of this season, as a trial only. Boiler Up!

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Ten Bani #413

When I run in the darkness, I often don’t see the treasures that might be sitting at my feet.  When the sun is out, however, I often stumble across lost coins and trinkets on the streets and sidewalks along my route. I have always known the value of a penny ever since I was a young boy searching for the elusive 1909 S VDB Lincoln cent. Coin collecting was one of my first passions, and it’s impossible for me to walk (or run) around an abandoned coin. I always think of them as “Pennies from Heaven,” (See Post #183) and I collect them in a jar for good luck. I knew it was going to be a good day when I found one, and often finding pennies meant more than shiny quarters. Dimes, nickels, and quarters stand out more on the asphalt and often catch a glimmer of the sun’s rays.

This morning I found a 10 Bani coin from Romania, the equivalent of a penny. I’ve found Canadian and Mexican coins on the ground, and maybe even a French Franc, but never a Bani.  The State Mint issued Romanian Leu coins starting in 2005 in 4 different denominations, including the coin I just found. The date on mine is 2010, the year Bulgaria finished third in Eurovision with the song “Playing with Fire” by Paula Seling and Ovi, while 21 people died in floods.  As I put it in my pocket, I wondered about the message, thinking of the song “Pennies from Heaven” and good fortune from angels above. “Make sure your umbrella is upside down.” Should I be thinking about travel plans to Romania, as I recall my Romanian buddies Agata and Beata from Toastmasters?  They were using the program to improve on their second language, while I was still struggling with my first. Is Transylvania and Dracula’s Castle in my future? “I vant to suck your blood” I just gave blood to the Red Cross vampires last week, so “Count” me out for a few more months. Are there Banis from Mecca?

I’ve neglected my coin collecting in favor of sports memorabilia, and should probably fill those few remaining slots in my coin books. I also have a stamp collection, a lapel pin collection, a cuff-link collection,and a ticket collection. In fact, I have a collection of collections! I’m surprised that I don’t still have my bottle cap collection from childhood. In 1962 when I was 11 years old, there was a Coca-Cola “Tour the World” contest. If you collected 100 bottle caps from different countries and glued them the matching spot on the giant game card folder you could win cases of Coke or up to $150,000 in cash. I remember it being sticky work, removing the cork liners from the caps to reveal the destination. There was a gas station down the block from us that had a vending machine with a built-in bottle opener, and the attendant would let us go through the collection box each week. We also had a magnet on a string that we would use to fish bottle caps out of these vending machines around town. If memory serves me correctly, there was another Coca-Cola contest to collect bottle caps from all the states, as well as one for sports figures like Jim Brown. Come to think of it, I also have a collection of quarters from the 50 states, when those were made by the U.S. Mint back in 1999 and 2000. I’m still missing a few of those that I’m sure I could fill on Ebay.

Ebay has made it so easy for collectors to buy, sell, and exchange collectibles. You no longer have to fish treasures out of vending machines or visit garage sales and antique shows. I lost a bidding war yesterday for a signed letter by my White Sox catcher hero Sherm Lollar on official Chicago White Sox stationary. I was willing to go up to $25 and I think it ended up selling for $57. It’s good to know that there are other nutty people out there willing to pay big bucks for memories. I guess I’m not the only one who cares about Sherm Lollar, who’s been dead now for 40 years, so it’s difficult to get signatures from him anymore. It’s a supply and demand world, so if you’re willing to pay the price you can get just about anything. I’m just glad I got my penny’s worth this morning.

Retirement is not without Hassles: Fantasize #406

I was soaked to the bone by a cold, wet rain this morning, despite some waterproof outerwear. It was day 3,315 of my running streak, according to www.runeveryday.com. I was relieved to get it over with and into a hot shower and warm clothes. Despite all the rain in the Northwest, in most cases I’m facing just a mist or somehow able to dodge the raindrops, but this morning there was a lot of puddling. If it were easy, anyone could do it. Instead, somehow I manage to get through another day, fortunate to avoid injury, sickness, and laziness. As they say, “one day at a time.”

The cleaners have now arrived, so I’m prepared for a day of annoying background sounds, as they distribute water and cleaning agents through hoses to their truck parked in front of our house. The dogs are cowering, and the cat is locked in the bedroom. The neighbors have to be covering their ears from the obnoxious humming noises, as well. In its wake, at least it leaves behind a pleasant clean smell.  Like a new car smell, I wonder how long it will last?

It will probably take some time for my “second family” to absorb the impact of my recent certified letter, documenting my undoubtedly secretive existence all these years. I’m sure that the son of my birth mother will need to evaluate my intentions, and discuss what to do with close friends and/or family. I can almost hear the conversations in my imagination. I will be relieved once the shock wears off and reality sets in. At that point, perhaps further communication can take place. I remain apologetic in dropping the initial bombshell, but I want to know the truth about my existence.

Yesterday’s trip to the mailbox yielded a 1957 The Saturday Evening Post magazine that I bought on EBay, with an article comparing the Yankee’s Yogi Berra with White Sox catcher Sherman Lollar, a favorite of mine. (See Post #5). It was probably more fascinating for me to look at all the ads from that era that included a lot of automobile and appliance lay-outs. It was not a Norman Rockwell illustration on the coverThe original cost was fifteen cents, originally delivered to a subscriber in nearby Cresswell, Oregon. Slightly off the subject, I happen to know a woman who was also named after John Cresswell, the 23rd United States Postmaster General. He was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant, and mentioned in his biography that I’m currently reading by Ron Chernow. The focus of the magazine was on integration – The Deep South Says Never! I paid a little more that fifteen cents for this little piece of history; in fact shipping was $5.00 alone. I think it’s interesting that Grant fought for integration and a hundred years later the South was still fighting against it, not to mention for the next sixty years up until today. An article on baseball seemed unusual for a publication of this nature, but The Post continues to exist even today, although as a not-for-profit.

I’m not sure why I’m so fascinated with history and collecting memorabilia. At first, I thought it was a safe, round-about way of finding my roots. I still find it odd that a grown man like me has such a strong fascination with athletes, and collects pictures, autographs, articles, and clothing relating to them. It’s not as if I expect them to be worth something to anyone but me. It’s like I’ve adopted Sherm Lollar into my family, and his album of photographs and cards sit right next to the pictures of my parents. I didn’t even know him or have met him, yet I feel like he had some kind of influence on my life. His #10 became my #10, and all the result of simply watching him play in the 1959 World Series. It was only 8 years old and somehow he made an impression on me.  I guess that’s why they say that young children are extremely impressionable. It’s still not a sane justification for paying big bucks for a dirty, sweaty jersey worn by him 63 years ago. Would it make it better if he was in the  Hall of Fame, and I had paid even more? At the very least, it’s exactly my size! I must must still fantasize that my birth father was an athlete, yet I was perfectly happy with being the adopted son of an accountant. What would Freud say?

Old Sport Sports: Final Four Memories #400

I continue to ease my frustrations with Indiana University basketball by dwelling on the past. I was at an antique show yesterday with a friend and bought a NCAA Final Four lapel pin collection for $20. There were ten pins from the cities that hosted the event between the years1977 and 1986. I recall being at three of these championships, and had I bought a pin at each site I would have spent at least $50, so ownership seemed worth it. There was only one Indiana championship in that 10 year period, and that took place  in Philadelphia in 1981, with Isiah Thomas, Randy Wittman, Ted Kitchel, Landon Turner, Steve Risley, Ray Tolbert, Glen Grunwald, and of course Coach Bobby Knight. They lost 9 games that year, but the team seemed to come together late in the season. Thomas and Tolbert were both first round NBA draft choices, while Grunwald and Risley were drafted in later rounds, Wittman, Steve Bouchie, Tony Brown, Jim Thomas, and Landon Turner were drafted in subsequent years, but Turner was permanently paralyzed in an automobile accident that left him confined to a wheelchair, suddenly ending any hopes for an NBA future.  The disappointing thing about my pin set is that Indiana won the National Championship the year before and the year after this collection was issued, so I will need to find pins for at least those two years, and some of the other years that I attended.

I went to my first Final Four in nearby Indianapolis back in 1980 at Market Square Arena when Purdue finished third and Louisville cut down the nets. The next year in Philadelphia was IU’s championship, and then the following year I traveled to New Orleans to watch North Carolina and freshman Michael Jordan beat Georgetown and Patrick Ewing.  It was the only NCAA championship game to feature three of  the NBA 50 Greatest Players (Jordan, Ewing, and James Worthy). The silly third place game had finally ended the year before, otherwise I would have seen Houston’s “Phi Slamma Jamma” play defending champion Louisville. It was indeed a Final Four for the ages! I returned to New Orleans in 1987 to watch IU’s Keith Smart hit “The Shot.” It unfortunately was the fifth and final championship for my Hoosiers in now over 30 years. I then had to watch Duke win it in Indianapolis at the Hoosier Dome in 1991 and again in 1992 in Minneapolis. That frustrating game was IU’s only loss in the opener of a Final Four, as they had won the tournament every time in their five previous appearances. In all honesty, we gave away our prime CBS tickets to the finale and got out of Dodge. It was Blue Devil and Coach K history that I didn’t want to see!

Indianapolis hosted in 2000, as Michigan State won over Florida, after North Carolina and Wisconsin were ousted. A good friend was a Spartan grad and hosted a celebration party where I overdid it on tequila shots. The TV station I worked for had a suite, so I was also involved in entertaining clients. The most memorable thing was that the hypochondriac wife of my boss was desperately trying to get a hold of him, and actually had them contact him through the scoreboard. I remember his name was flashed on the screen along with a message to call home.

Indiana then lost to Maryland in the championship game of 2002 in Atlanta. I was unable to go for some reason, probably because they had lost their tournament vulnerability ten years before. Mike Davis had replaced Bobby Knight that year, and somehow got that team to the championship despite 10 regular season losses and an additional loss in the Big Ten Tournament. They got some revenge on top-ranked Duke that year by upsetting them with in the Sweet Sixteen. They then went on to beat Oklahoma and Coach Kelvin Sampson, who would replace Davis and lead the team into NCAA probation hell. Jared Jeffries, Dane Fife, and Tom Coverdale starred for the Hoosier team that earned the dubious honor of losing the school’s very first NCAA Championship game. IU had won in their previous five appearances, and have not made it back since. Kelvin Sampson was the beginning of the program’s downfall, that experienced a brief surge under Tom Crean, and is now in the hands of Archie Miller. Maybe sometime in the future it will be “Miller Time!” (See Post #35)

In 2006, Indy once again hosted the event, so I was able to attend my 8th Final Four (and 7th Championship game). Florida won the title over UCLA, and we were able to attend all the CBS celebrity events that year. I remember spending a lot of time talking with an  up-and-coming unknown named Ray Romano, so the parties were much more memorable than the games. In 2010 it was wife’s Alma mater, Butler, that beat Michigan State but fell short against evil Duke. We then followed Butler to Houston, Texas in 2011, or they followed us. My wife had been transferred to Austin, so coincidentally another Final Four with Butler was within easy driving distance. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs lost again.

I’m now stuck on 10 Final Four appearances in my lifetime, and will be out of the country for this year’s games in San Antonio. Although, it might have been a good excuse to revisit some friends in Austin. As much as I hate to admit it, I hope that Purdue makes the field. After coming home from the antique show and showing off my new pin collection, I watched my inconsistent Hoosiers stumble mightily to the Michigan State Spartans, another team that has the potential to make it to San Antonio. I’m tired of losing, and miss those aspirations of making it to the Final Four, so I’m beginning to lose my hatred of the Boilermakers, and falling back on memories of working with Coach Gene Keady on his weekly televised basketball show. The TV station that I managed for several years in Lafayette, Indiana was the home of the Black & Gold, so I slowly learned to shed some of my bias towards IU’s biggest in-state rival. It’s time to decidedly leap on their bandwagon!

Purdue won the Old Oaken Bucket, what I sometimes call the Toilet Bowl, from IU in football his past season, and went on to win, in dramatic fashion, the lowly Foster Farms clash against Arizona. Back in 2001, while running WLFI-TV, I spared no expense to send a broadcast crew to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, to cover the Boilers and future Hall-of-Fame Quarterback Drew Brees. They lost to Washington, but gave me reason to include a few Boilermaker souvenirs in my sports collection. Since IU hasn’t even come close to being in a Rose Bowl since 1968, it’s been very easy to stray from any IU football allegiance. I’m growing tired of supporting losers like IU, The Colts, and Da’ Bears. I often wish I had gone to grad school, so I’d have other collegiate teams to support. I enjoy watching Butler win, except against IU, and have tried hard to root for the Oregon teams, but haven’t made that passionate connection, as yet. I felt sorry for Drew Brees this past weekend, losing a chance for his Saints to advance, due to a rookie teammate blunder. Instead it was the Minnesota Vikings who will play against the Eagles for a home Super Bowl appearance. They were once a favorite of mine because of the color purple. I once painted my Electric Football team as the Vikings, choosing them for some unknown reason over the Chicago Bears and the Baltimore (now Indianapolis) Colts. I’m jumping on their bandwagon, too. Boiler Up and Go Vikes – I’ll wear your pin!

 

 

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: My Ten CommandMEnts #387

As I continue to learn more about the Knights Templar quest for the Holy Grail through the History Channel’s Knightfall series, and follow the modern day hunt by brothers Rick and Marty Lagina  on The Curse of Oak Island, I find myself curious about other biblical stories. In the process, I thought I might put my own personal twist on the original Ten Commandments.  As a courtesy reminder here they are:              
  1.           You shall have no other Gods before ME.
  2.          You shall not make idols.
  3.          You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
  4.          Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  5.          Honor your father and your mother.
  6.          You shall not murder.
  7.          You shall not commit adultery.
  8.          You shall not steal.
  9.          You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  10.          You shall not covet.
Now, here is my silly take on the Ten Commandments. What I call the CommandMEnts – because they’re all about ME:
  1.          I shall live like GOD is looking over ME to keep ME honest.
  2.           I shall have IDOLS like my dad, catcher Sherm Lollar, and Billy.
  3.           I will not use offensive language, except with I.U. basketball
  4.           I will RUN on the Sabbath and every other day of the week.
  5.          I shall honor adopted father & mother and find my birth parents.
  6.          I shall not murder, with the exception of mosquitoes.
  7.         I shall not commit adultery – it’s childish to fool around.
  8.         I shall not steal, unless it’s second base. 
  9.         I shall not be a nosy neighbor, and to pay the HOA fees on time. 
  10.         I shall always COVET Diet Coke and an Arby’s Jamocha Shake.
I hope I’m not struck by lightening for being so sacrilegious, but I tend to make fun of things I don’t understand. I do feel somewhat safer since I did go to church and leave an offering on one occasion last year – a big improvement over the year before. Furthermore, as I’m already on very thin ice, let me continue with Ten Final Thoughts on Religion:
  1.         Never criticize another’s beliefs of any kind.
  2.         Study the Bible as an important historical document.
  3.         Never waste prayers on your team to win because one team always loses.
  4.         Keep an open mind and forgiving heart for those whose beliefs are different.
  5.         Hope there is no Hell and never wish that someone goes there.
  6.         Be thankful that you don’t work on Sundays, and for heathens that do.
  7.         Enjoy any religious holiday, especially if you get gifts. 
  8.         What would travel be without Churches and religious artifacts to see?
  9.         What would comedians joke about without religion and politics?
  10.         Religion is the greatest mystery of all. What would we do without it?

 

 

 

 

 

Old Sport Shorts: “O” for Wisconsin #383

I’ve moved to Oregon, so when I see an “O,” I now naturally think of the Ducks. Joey Harrington, former star quarterback, claims to have originated the two-handed signal, where the thumbs and forefingers come together to make the 15th letter of the alphabet.  If you use only one thumb and forefinger, it’s just OK! Also, if I had lived in O-H-I-O, the “O” might have had some significance, but I was born and grew up in the state of Indiana, where my sole association was maybe the O-R-E-O cookie. At any rate, it’s hard to tell an “O” from a “0,” which means “nothing,” and I’ve had a lot more experiences with zeroes. There are good 0’s and bad 0’s!

With Indiana University Basketball, I’ve lived through two undefeated regular seasons, and the last undefeated National Championship team in 1976. “32-0” stands as the greatest college basketball season ever, memorialized with a framed Kent Benson #54 uniform in my office. Granted, the accomplishment has spoiled me as a basketball fan, and no I.U. team has come close to matching that in over 40 years. That is definitely a good “0.”

When you score zero, you usually lose. Fortunately, overtimes have been established to give competitors extra time to score. There is zero chance of winning when you score “0′” but in soccer you can at least earn a tie. In tennis, it’s all about love, but you have to have more than love to win. Baseball pitchers are awarded “shut outs” when they give up no runs. and further honored if they give up no hits. Zero errors can earn you a Golden Glove if you’re a baseball player. Defense in any sport is ultimately defined by holding an opponent scoreless.

Beyond the undefeated Indiana season, there have also been a couple of disappointing streaks that I’ve had to stomach. For example, I remember making the long drive to East Lansing over a period of a decade and never coming home with a victory. I refer to that period of both basketball and football games as “0 for East Lansing.” One of most memorable football games that I attended was on October 10, 1998.  It was the annual battle for the Old Brass Spittoon and Hoosier Quarterback Antwaan Randel El had the Hoosiers ahead most of the game, as I recall. They eventually lost in overtime 38-31 and the East Lansing curse continued.  This was following a memorable 94-79 basketball loss on March 10, 1994. Television cameras caught Coach Bob Knight bumping foreheads with Sherron Wilkerson after the Hoosier freshman was benched for complaining to the referee about a non-call. After that game, I flew to the East coast for a convention and by the time I got there the accidental bump had turned into an intentional head butt. At that stage of my life, I spent a lot of time defending the antics of Knight, and this was a clear instance where ESPN had done him no favors. My colleagues were convinced that he had head-butted his player over and over again, since the one-time collision was comically repeated like a woodpecker attacking the tree bark, making it appear that he was abusing and bullying the kid. In the long run, it was certainly not worth fighting for the controversial coach even though he was a consistent winner.

The most embarrassing “0-For” continued following last night’s basketball loss to Wisconsin. It’s been since 1998 that an Indiana basketball team has won in Madison, Wisconsin. Sixteen straight losses to the Badgers in that time span! It’s hard to have been so spoiled at one time, and now face the agony of constant defeat. The last time an Indiana team won at Wisconsin was when Bob Knight was coaching. In those 20 years since, four different coaches have failed to win on that court, including Archie Miller, who just took over the reigns this year. It probably would have been more losses, but as the BIG conference grew beyond 10 teams, schedules could no longer accommodate the traditional home and away match-ups that once took place each year. To make matters worse, the Badgers have won 19 out of the last 21 games in basketball, including the last 5, plus Indiana has lost 15 of the last 20 football games against them.  It continues to be “O” for Wisconsin, and certainly justification to rip my diploma off the wall!

 

Retirement is not without Hassles: Welcome New Year #380

With hours of down time, sitting in my mother-in-law’s hospital room, I’ve had plenty of time to think about the coming year. Here is my list of resolutions for the upcoming year:

Build A More positive attitude – rainbows
Get Tooth fixed/New Dentist
Physical/Hearing checked/new glasses
Less Drinking 1 instead of 2
Weekly Friday Leadership Meeting lunch
Compliment my wife more
See the “Beauty in Life” – patience
Get To Run Everyday for 10th straight year
Daily pushups, crunches, and stretching
Be a better dog owner
Drink More water and less Diet Coke
Lose 10 pounds
More connections with old friends and family
Indy Car Portland weekend
No Debt Continues
Enter writing contest
Chew slowly/soft foods – protect teeth
Celebrate each day with my wife
Be a good Grandad and father starting with Disney world weekend and the birth of a third grandchild in May
Continue to Contribute to kids education fund
Limoges Box gift with poem each month
Daily blog post with monthly poem
Weekly Date Night
Weekly Movie Night
Sunrise game-Oregon State/Cubs/IU Game/Bowl and NCAA Tourney Game
Call my sister on Mondays
No car payments this year
Find volunteer work/contributions/give back
Continue Cooking on Tuesdays
Cut down on expenses
Continue laundry/vacuum/dust/mop
Expand Sports collection
Amsterdam and Venice Viking Cruise to Athens
St. Louis baseball weekend, Disney World, French Laundry dinner, Hawaii, Tucson, Indiana, NYC Broadway, Mexico, Vancouver Gardens, (90 days max away from home)
Plan Thailand trip for next year
Plan China Trip  in two years
Read a book a week
Finish Ken Burns documentaries
Finish novel about Tinker
Do some drawing, sketching, painting
Learn to play the uke
Continue to learn about history
Find out more about my birth mother

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