I am often asked what I love about what I do. Many have heard me say that I have never had a bad day at work. That may be a slight exaggeration, but very slight. It has never seemed like work to me. Even days when I fail are not bad days. So, what do [...]
College basketball is over. One of the better Final Fours is complete. Viewed in person by an average of 77,000 per night. The North Carolina Tarheels leave Arizona with the Championship Trophy. All three games in the Final Four went down to the wire. And, North Carolina was the only team with experience. In fact, [...]
My first Final Four was in Portland, Oregon, 1965, between UCLA, University of Michigan, Princeton and Wichita State University. It was held in the Portland Coliseum that seated 13,000 and change. I am not sure it was even sold out. A return engagement for John Wooden’s Bruins (1964 Champs). Michigan was a power in the [...]
No disrespect to Jimmy Stewart, but the new “Greatest Show” is March Madness. The number of people caught up in the process to name the best intercollegiate basketball team is second to none. The number of people that are involved in this show is staggering. There is the obvious. It begins with the conference tournaments. [...]
March Madness? Actually, the madness really begins in February. I think keeping their teams in present time is a BIG challenge for coaches. This is not true in all cases, but worth paying attention to. Let’s take a minute to look at the various situations that can become distractions. THE SUREFIRE “INs” These are [...]
This week’s Sports Illustrated has an article on the prep schools and other organizations designed to get the teen basketball phenoms an opportunity to fulfill their intentions to play, not in college, but the NBA. All of them carry the “next stop NBA tag” imposed by the people around them. The jury is still out [...]
Tonight the San Francisco Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers play the first game of of the NBA Finals. Yes, it is a seven game series between two 12-man squads. Why, then, is the press insisting that it is Stephen Curry of the Warriors vs Lebron James of the Cavaliers? Basketball is the ultimate team [...]
Since its inception, one of the great honors in the world of sports has been to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. A great season might not be good enough. This morning, I was struck by the irony of the two covers on the table by my bed. One featured Vin Scully, the [...]
It’s playoff time in the NBA. This time of year invites comparisons to previous playoffs and the great players that have had their day at center-court. I am a little disturbed that, in most cases, the writers and TV personalities can go back no further than Larry Bird and “Magic” Johnson. I have no problem [...]
I have been watching several games per day since “March Madness” started. (That’s, of course, only on the days they are playing). I am depressed that individuals and teams respond so poorly when the game is on the line. So many games have come down to the final seconds and too many times the loser [...]