The Celtics push the Pistons …by Reggie Williams

Despite the Boston Celtics’ League leading record the chatter prior to Wednesday night’s heavyweight battle against the Detroit Pistons was that the Celtics had not yet been truly tested. Many basketball analysts believed the Celtics’ meeting with the Pistons would be that test.

After their 87-85 defeat to the Pistons, suffering their first home loss in 13 games, it’s clear that the Celtics failed.

Or did they?

While the final score indicates that the Celtics fell a tab bit short of victory, the game revealed as much about the Pistons’ deficiencies as it did the Celtics. The game showed that it took the Pistons, who have a ring, the best starting five in the League and at least five years together as a unit, all they could muster to defeat a team, who only have 23 games as a unit under their belt.

The Celtics outrebounded, shot for a higher field percentage (49 percent to Detroit’s 40) blocked more shots, created more turnovers and handed out more assist than the Pistons. The Celtics lost their composure in the third quarter and much of the fourth due to the defensive intensity applied by the Pistons, but the Pistons’ victory was more a result of converting their 3’s and free-throws than anything else. The Pistons shot 45 percent from the arc and converted 20 of 23 free-throw attempts. In contrast, the Celtics shot 28.6 percent from the “3” and missed eight crucial free-throws.

The match-up was indeed an excellent barometer for the Celtics to measure their progress, but quiet as it is kept the game was also a scale for the Pistons to weigh how good they might be. It’s too early to suggest that the game was a statement game, but if it was the Pistons needed the victory more than the Celtics did.

For all the swagger often demonstrated by the Pistons (they consistently remind the NBA world that they’ve seen it all before) they have a well deserved reputation for not being able to get it done. They lost four consecutive games last year to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and allowed that same Cavalier team, who hadn’t smelled the playoffs since 1998 prior to the 2006 season, to take them to a seventh game in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Pistons were eventually defeated by Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 2003-04 season they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, and were swept by the New Jersey Nets during the 2002-03 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Pistons are the best team in the Eastern Conference, but they better play more like champs because the contending Celtics are closing in.

Tuna Anyone?… By Paula Duffy

Do you like your tuna from a can, seared and encrusted with pine nuts or grilled over hot coals? Well, Arthur Blank must have felt that he, rather than the tuna he thought he ordered had been skewered over the coals. In a bold move that doesn’t usually happen til after the regular season ends the owner of the Falcons, recently made a fool of by not only his franchise star but his first year ex-college coach, went trolling for a new face of his franchise. Bill Parcells was contacted to see if he could stop the madness that has become the Falcons and make customers want to see the games again. A known commodity was needed….but not just as coach. Blank is a man who built a billion dollar business by understanding that the core of an organization must be solid for the customers to flock to what the company offers. The core of the Falcons was and has been in disarray for a long time. Once the rest of the franchise got blown up by taking the only fan draw on the field out of the mix and then a wet behind the ears coach fleeing under cover of night prior to the end of the season the place wasn’t worth the real estate that houses the stadium. That’s where the Tuna was to come in. An old school guy that you know won’t put up with any happy horse doo doo, Parcells was to be the football czar of the organization, effectively wiping out the authority of Rich McKay, long time GM of the team who would be replaced. Parcells would go out and find a GM, a coach and he would help out with the coordinators as well. They’d plan the draft together and evaluate the talent from scratch. Parcells would restructure the place in his image, you know the way he’s done at all the teams he’s been at; most recently the Dallas Cowboys. When TO mouthed off last week that Wade Phillips was the guy that made the Cowboys who they are, Parcells shut up and let Keyshawn Johnson do the talking. It wasn’t only Key though; it was most of the sports community who know that he had a hand in drafting, trading for or acquiring the major talent on either side of the ball down in Big D. So it seemed like a match made in heaven…..until Wayne Huizenga came calling. Apparently, Bill and Wayne had talked about the exact same role to play in the Dolphins organization but….Wayne was looking to unload majority interest in the team, having tired of the mess that became that storied team. Bill won’t work for people he doesn’t know and that was a deal breaker for him. So he flirted with Blank and let it be known that he was close to a deal. Huizenga realized his last best hope of getting Bill was to promise that he’d stay in control of the team; that sealed the deal. On Wednesday the story went from Bill going to Atlanta to Bill dumping Atlanta for Miami, It’s easy to understand. He’s a Jersey/NY guy and let’s face it, you can’t spit 2 feet in Miami without finding transplanted New Yorkers. He is best of pals with former Dallas and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson, loves to fish with Johnson on his boat and has an affinity for the pony races. I think he can find what he really likes down there. So Blank was left to face the media again to say that he had been left at the altar. You’d almost feel sorry for him if he seemed like a better kind of guy. Maybe it’s the mustache. So the Tuna lives to fight another day and create another team legacy. I can’t wait.

Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com and listen to me Saturday mornings on the Sports Journey Radio Show.

© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC

Who Wants to be A College Football Coach…by Steve Sherwood

In a world where cut-throat is the name of the game, here are five schools that got the most bang for their buck in the mayhem of the hiring and firing process.

Three years. That’s the average amount of time a new head coach has to turn a program around before he is seriously considered for removal from the position. Like in anything some have more time to prove themselves and others are on a short leash, but one thing is for sure though after this crazy football season some serious moves have been made. From the big daddies to the bottom of the barrel million dollar contracts being signed, bought out and taken away like an episode of CBS’s Survivor tribal council. You have no idea who is going to stab you in the back or undermine you, even members of your own team. So, who made out big? Who didn’t make out at all yet? Let’s take a look at the coaches walking in, the ones who walked or got kicked out and the ones who haven’t even arrived yet.

Arkansas – One of the greatest lessons I have ever learned is if it is not broken, don’t fix it. Another good one is don’t count your chickens before they hatch. The Razorbacks didn’t heed either of these rules. After going 75-48 in 10 years head coach Houston Nutt was all but on his knees with the guillotine halfway down by the time the end of the season was coming near. Then Nutt upset the then-No. 1 LSU Tigers 50-48 in triple overtime. Jeff Long, the first year Arkansas athletic director probably looked like Sylvester right after he ate Tweedy while Granny was looking. He regurgitated his thought process just as quickly. So with foot in mouth Arkansas offered Nutt a lucrative contract extension, which he humbly walked away from. The hiring process was just as big of a mess.

First it was reported that Clemson’s Tommy Bowden and Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe were the frontrunners. Then it was North Carolina’s Butch Davis but not before being reported it was Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville. Confusing, I know. All except Grobe signed extensions with their respective schools, so the search went on. They then went to the NFL to literally steal away in the middle of the night Atlanta Falcons coach Bobby Petrino, Baltimore Colts style. I am fine with it, but don’t leave your troubled Falcons team with three games left to go in the season. It’s disrespectful, undermining and outright wrong. Petrino was 41-9 during his four year tenure at Louisville, so we know he can coach at this level. God knows no one will ever give him another chance in the NFL. This is a match made in heaven; at least until Petrino finds something better next season.

Baylor – There was no question that Guy Morriss and his 18-40 record in five seasons with the Bears had run its course but moving on who should take the reins? Talks with San Francisco’s assistant coach and former Baylor Linebacker Mike Singletary didn’t work out as planned with athletic director Ian McCaw. Houston Nutt was a possible successor as well as former Baylor player Jerry Moore who took his Appalachian State squad to new heights winning three consecutive Division I-AA national championships as well as their memorable upset over Michigan this year. But Baylor decided on Houston’s Art Briles whose offense ranked fourth overall in total yards. Doubling his salary to 1.8 million has its ups and downs though. Before going 34-28 at Houston with four winning seasons out of five the Cougars had only two in the last 12 years. Baylor, well they’ve had 12 consecutive losing seasons in a row. Briles will have more than three years to get the Bears out of the Big 12 basement, after all Rome wasn’t built in a day. With the money they are shelling out for him it would probably be in his best interest to have them to the middle of the pack as soon as possible.

Michigan – This is one of those jobs where it doesn’t matter what you have done up to this point. Just crumple up your resume because your life just started. You will forever be remembered for what you did at the most winningest program in college football…period. So when the Wolverines job opened up after Lloyd Carr’s retirement (121-40 in 13 years) the only possible scenario would be for LSU’s Les Miles to take over. He played at and coached for Michigan under the great Bo Schembechler. This is the type of job that comes around once in a lifetime, but the media coverage got so out of control that Miles had to have a news conference the morning of the Tigers SEC championship game to let everyone know that he was not in the running for such a thing. Then the Wolverines looked to Rutgers Greg Schiano, who came to be a man of his word on his beliefs to bring the Scarlet Knights to greatness. As crazy as that would have sounded five years ago all I can say if anything else, the guy has my respect for what he is trying to do there. Also in the running were a few of the Wolverines coordinators, but nothing serious. They finally lured West Virginia’s coach Rich Rodriguez to the helm, which I thought was a great decision. He led the Mountaineers to two BCS bowl games in three years with a 60-26 record in seven seasons. He had his spread-option attack was one win away from the BCS national championship game this year, but that is not something we will get into. Like I said before it does not matter what you have done before you became the Michigan coach, the only thing that matters now is the maize and blue. Case closed.

Mississippi (Ole Miss) – Was it obvious to anyone else that after the Rebels finished up 3-9 and went winless in the SEC that Ed Orgeron was getting the boot? Yea, I thought so too. This isn’t a rags to riches story, but the Rebels knew what they wanted. Less than 24 hours after Houston Nutt resigned he was the new Ole Miss Coach. We talked enough about Nutt’s accolades above, how he knows the SEC and has already took a withering program and took them to the top of their game. We shouldn’t expect anything less here. Nutt already hired South Carolina’s defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few new additions to the Rebels coaching staff before they take the field in ’08.

Texas A&M – As far as the firing of Dennis Franchione I am not even sure that is something that has to be discussed. When you run an illegal newsletter with information you are withholding from the general public to your boosters for upwards of $1,200 I feel like it’s one of those things that says “pack your bags” very plainly. There is no grey area there. A&M athletic director Bill Byrne had a serious amount to time to think about whom he wanted to succeed Franchione and I think his pick was right on. Mike Sherman spent the last two seasons with the Texans as an assistant, but went 57-39 in six seasons with the Green Bay Packers winning three NFC North titles. He also spent seven seasons as offensive line coach at A&M under R.C. Slocum from 1989-93 and 1995-96. This is more of a homecoming for Sherman rather than a hire. He is left with decent talent and an NFL resume which can lure an on the fence player looking to take his game to the next level. He also has something called honesty, something A&M hasn’t seen in the last five years.

The Dolphins Get Tuna and 1st Win in Week 15

The Sun was finally shining again in South Florida as the Miami Dolphins get their first win of the 2007 season against the Baltimore Ravens.

Finally a sigh of relief could be heard in the Dolphins locker room as the Dolphins got their first win on Sunday. The guys were so hyped up after the win and Joey Porter lead the way with his cheers. This was more than just a regular game for the Dolphins; it was a major victory, saving them from what potentially could have been an embarrassing win-less season. It ended the speculation that this team would be the first in NFL history to finish 0-16. That’s a record no team wants to have.  As the 2007 Dolphins celebrated their 1st win, the members of the great 1972 Dolphins team were on hand to celebrate the anniversary of their perfect 17-0 season. Go figure….But at least now these guys have hope for next week’s game against the Patriots even though that hope is not going to last long against New England. I predict a blowout as the Dolphins just don’t have enough weapons to get at the Patriots.   

I’m sure the Ravens never imagined being the team to loose to the Dolphins, how embarrassing. At halftime it looked like the Ravens had the game at 13-3 but the Dolphins came back and got the job done in overtime. The Ravens  clearly had the advantage with the coin toss and sett up a Matt Stover field goal. But, when Stover pushed the kick left, Miami then needed only three plays before Cleo Lemon dumped a short pass to Greg Camarillo and the wideout sprinted 64 yards for the win. Camarillo finished with three catches for 109 yards & a touchdown, the first of his two-year NFL career.

Aside from the win, the now 1-13 Dolphins are also celebrating a new addition to their faculty as the Big Tuna, Bill Parcells accepted a 4 year deal with the Dolphins football operations.  Next year, Tuna will play a key role in attempting to turn the struggling Dolphins back into a playoff worthy team. If anyone can do it Parcells can; much like he did when he went to the Giants, The Jets, the Patriots, and the Cowboys. It would have been great to see Parcells come in as head coach but he insists he will not coach in Miami. Parcells said he would assist the new coach from the front office, whoever that will be.

Initially, on Wednesday many believed Parcells would be headed to Atlanta but the deal fell thru and the Dolphins quickly closed in on a contract with Parcells. Apparently the Dolphins were already in negotiation with Parcells when the Falcons contacted him and the Dolphins were able to make a better offer. “I’m honored to join such an illustrious franchise as the Miami Dolphins and to work for one of the best owners in the league in Wayne Huizenga”, Parcells said. “He shares my same commitment to winning, and I told him I would do everything I can to help turn around the team’s fortune”.

Parcells will get in there and make a lot of changes just like he has done in the past with other teams. It’s going to be a massive undertaking but I’m sure he’ll make the changes needed to benefit the team in the long-run. We all know of Huizenga’s desire to get the Dolphins back to being a playoff team and if anyone can do it, it’s Parcells aka “ The Tuna”.

 

*Rumor Mill has it owner Wayne Huizenga was considering selling his team due to the frustrating season. He has confirmed he’s been talking with potential buyers since April of last year. But to down play the rumors Huizenga made a statement to the Associated Press. He said, “Most recently, we have had conversations dating back to April with several similarly interested parties. My viewpoint however, has always been the same. I am not actively looking to sell the Miami Dolphins, but I know there will always be individuals who are interested in becoming involved in some capacity in the teams’ ownership”.

**In  other Dolphin  News: Defensive End Jason Taylor was the only Dolphin selected to the Pro Bowl this year. He finished this weeks’ game against the Ravens with two sacks and a blocked field goal for the Dolphins.  Is he deserving of this honor? I question the Pro Bowl selection process when players like Mario Williams (who clearly had a better season than Jason Taylor) aren’t selected.

 

The Saints Go Marching in Atlanta

 New Orleans defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34-14 and manage to stay in the Playoff race.

The pressure was on the Saints this week. Monday’s game was an important win for them as they become one step closer to gaining the final NFC Wildcard spot. The 6-7 Saints trail the Vikings by one game for the final slot with only three games left in the season.

The Saints were able to run the ball and win without two of their key players, Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister. They have a tendency of playing better when their in a position to run. They had a total of 145 rushing yards, better than any of their previous 12 games this season. New Orleans scored late in the first quarter when Drew Brees threw a 25-yard TD to David Patten. Atlanta responded with a 33-yard TD pass from Chris Redman to Roddy White to tie the game. NO then regained the lead with a field goal. Marques Colston then scored big with two key touchdowns. But the game was over when Roman Harper intercepted a Redman pass & returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. Olindo Mare’s field goal sealed the game for the Saints. Overall, Drew Brees passed 328 yards & three touchdowns for the win.

As for the struggling Falcons, they are now 3-10. This was just a week of bad news for the Atlanta Falcons. On top of the loss to the Saints, the Falcons Star QB was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison and their head coach Bobby Petrino resigned with only three games left in the season. I’m sure the Falcons are looking forward to bidding the 2007 season goodbye as they can began to look ahead to next year. It has been a rough run for Arthur Blank’s Falcons and the nationally televised Monday Night Football loss to the Saints sure haven’t helped matters any.

* The Falcons named Assistant Coach Emmitt Thomas Interim Head Coach for the final three games of the season. He has been a coach with the Falcons since 2002. The players have excitedly embraced their new head coach. The Falcons play Tampa Bay on Sunday.

 

Who’s Zooming Who?

So all you folks who thought Barry Bonds was being targeted and asked over and over why other players weren’t being called out about using steroids I have one question: are you happy now?

Roger Clemens is this year’s Barry Bonds…..except without the lying under oath, yet. He hasn’t been asked about where he got his steroids other than from the Yankees former trainer who said to the Mitchell Commission that Roger didn’t only source them from him. But Tejada, Sheffield, Pettite and others are wondering whether they have enough to sue for defamation or face the fact that Barry and McGwire aren’t gonna be the only ones affected when the time comes to vote for the Hall of Fame; not that I think Pettite would qualify anyway but there is a damn good argument that Sheffield and the Rocket are up there.

The Mitchell report is nothing more than an indictment by a grand jury of one: Senator Mitchell. As a former prosecutor he took evidence both oral and documentary in nature and without talking to the accused (they refused…but we’ll get to that) he named them in public as drug users, cheaters and potentially criminals. All without a positive drug test.

Barry was given the opportunity to face the grand jury investigating BALCO and to get immunity if he told the truth. These guys were afraid to talk to Mitchell because he couldn’t promise them that he wouldn’t have to give up everything in his report to prosecutors at a different time. Loose lips sink ships as they say so these guys decided not to go on record and have things misconstrued.

What a mess. First he indicts everyone without counter testimony, and then he begs Bud Selig not to discipline them. What about Jose Guillen who already is in arbitration over a recent 10 day suspension arising from information gathered by investigators into shipments of steroids to him? Does Mitchell think Guillen and others who are currently serving or about to serve suspensions WITHOUT A POSITIVE TEST should be exonerated as well? Good question huh?

This is such BS and will only be fodder for lawyers making money by researching for their clients the information that will help them decide if they should bring libel/slander suits. This is just beginning and we’ve got a long time til Spring Training. What a mess!

Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com and listen to me Saturday mornings on the Sports Journey Radio Show.

© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC

The San Antonio Celtics are tough

Philadelphia, PA – The absolute best team in the NBA is the San Antonio Celtics.

Oh, you say there’s no such team right!

Well, I beg to differ.

Because the Boston Celtics play such efficient basketball (a la the San Antonio Spurs) I’m just not sure if I’m watching the Spurs or Boston when I watch the Celtics play. This was evident as I watched the Celtics defeat the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night at the Wachovia Center.

Led by a 3-pointer arsenal the Celtics defeated the Sixers 113-103 in front of 15,779 fans who braved the snowy Mid-Atlantic weather. While the Sixers (5-13) maintained an aggression in the paint, the Celtics (15-2) slowly broke the Sixers’ will with their 3-point accuracy. James Posey, second in the League in 3-point shooting, converted two 3’s in the final 92 seconds of the third quarter and then opened the scoring for the Celtics in the fourth quarter with a “3.” Not to be undone, Eddie House followed Posey’s 3’s with two of his own.

“Boston is a tough team,” explained Maurice Cheeks in his post-game press conference. “They have a lot of players to spread the floor with; a lot of players who are shooters and you pay the price.”

The Sixers mounted a championship effort for approximately 40 minutes but paid that price that Cheeks spoke of.

The Celtics present a huge match-up problem for most teams. They space the floor well and unselfishly share the ball causing the defense to exert maximum effort throughout 48 minutes. The Celtics are averaging 23.5 assist per game; the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons are the only teams averaging more assist per game.

Teams whose defensive scheme is doubling-down on Kevin Garnett will be burn as he finds Ray Allen, Posey or House spotting up. If the defense flares out to the shooters – Paul Pierce attacks the “D” with his mid-range game or places defenders between a rock-and-hard-place with his pick-and-roll play. And while a number of basketball pundits question the play of point-guard Rajon Rondo, his quickness and ability to get in the paint plays a key role in the uncontested shots his teammate are getting.

Defensively the Celtics are atop the League in defensive points allowed. Opponents are averaging just 88.3 points against them. The effort exerted on the defensive end of court by the Celtics was evident when they played the New York Knicks last month. Leading by 48-points and just 56 seconds remaining in the game, House with five fouls chased down the Knicks’ Nate Robinson and fouled him preventing an uncontested layup. The foul was House’s sixth.

The Celtics look a lot like the Spurs. They both have a dominant big man in the middle; quick and agile players who shoot well and have the ability to get in the paint. They play with an unselfish mindset and are dedicated to hard nose defense. The Spurs and Celtics also have veteran bench play.

So you see the best team in the NBA is the San Antonio Celtics.

OK – the best teams are the Celtics and Spurs, but boy do they mirror each other.

 

Reggie Williams, an award-winning editor and journalist, serves as Senior NBA Analyst for Sports Journey Radio. You can listen to his analyst Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 4:40 P.M. and 4:54 P.M. on ESPN 1240 in Delmarva, Maryland and Saturday’s on The US Sports Radio Network.   

 

 

Boys and Girls

My Weekly Sports Journey for the week ending December 7, 2007

Boys and Girls

Your pal and mine, Mr. Lake Lewis and I have more in common than just being sports a holics and getting up at the crack of dawn to entertain radio audiences across America on a Saturday morning. We are people of a certain kind in this country that can easily be misunderstood and have our feelings hurt by things that wouldn’t bother the average person. Lake is African American and I am a woman. Not such a big deal in this day and age you say? I beg to differ. This past Monday night when the Ravens basically gave away the best chance so far to beat the Patriots this year, a controversy erupted over the use of the term “boy” by an on field official. More than one Ravens player complained that the official repeatedly used the term as he spoke to them during the game. The official in question is black as are the athletes. The athletes were livid about it since they say it was uncalled for, got them upset and disrespected their manhood. Many would ask why since we have been programmed to believe that this should only be viewed in a negative light if it had been a racial slur uttered by a Caucasian. That isn’t true. Black men will tell you that their fight for respect in the world at large, especially in the business world is a tough one. They will also tell you that stereotypes of black men include those that shirk their obligations or don’t succeed through their own fault. When you fight this stereotype each day of your life you can get sensitive to the very sound of it. The official that supposedly uttered those words was an older man who the players, in their frenzied game state, might have seen as putting them down or egging them on to prove that they were jerks. The league is investigating the matter and we have found out after the athletes went farther than they should have by spouting off insults towards the official that some of what they said was untrue. The official was a player for a fair amount of time in the league and had done his share of coaching, unbeknownst to the insulted Ravens. Being of a certain age he might not have appreciated the way these Ravens’ players went about their business. To him, and I’m just hypothesizing here, their way of playing the game may not have been the way he did it in “his day” and perhaps he wasn’t a fan of the actions they took or the words they spoke to him and other players on the field. He might have thought that they were childish acts and words. To a guy of that age and that mind set, the term childish equates to these men being “boys”. Again, I’m just hypothesizing because we have heard nothing from the official or his union nor have we heard anything from the NFL about it all. But as a woman who cut her teeth in a man’s business world as a lawyer for a Japanese company that didn’t have more than one woman as a lawyer in its US subsidiary when I began my career, I became used to having the men in a meeting presume I was a secretary and was expected to make the tea or coffee. At my next job, in the testosterone fueled world of big time mergers and acquisitions, there were many times I was the only woman in meetings about plans to sell our company. I can’t tell you how many investment bankers asked me to make copies of documents prior to them realizing that I was the head lawyer for the company that was retaining their services. Then when I ventured into the world of sports I had jerks on radio call my business trivial or “cute” and sometimes insult my intention to teach other women about the world of sports. So please excuse those of us who have heard it all, but not been able to digest it quietly or easily if we go off on a rant here and there. The unfortunate part for the Ravens is that their reactions might have cost them a game. The official should be disciplined if he was trying to incite the players on the field rather than just using a bad choice of words in the heat of the moment. But it’s hard to explain to those that haven’t been in the position what that feels like inside your gut when you hear it. I have more skin on the inside of my cheeks that has been bitten off as I held my tongue for years. There were times I popped off and I was put in my place for it since it could have been done in a different way and in a better place. I feel for the players and I think I understand the official but you’ve got to walk a mile in these guys shoes to really get it. That’s all I’m saying.

Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com and listen to me Saturday mornings on the Sports Journey Radio Show.

© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC

That Jersey Swagger

Redshirt freshman running back Knowshon Moreno took the state of Georgia by storm this season. Something everyone from New Jersey knew would happen; we just didn’t think it would happen this soon.

Knowshon Moreno was a freak of nature at Middletown South High School. Every weekend I picked up the paper it was four, five or six touchdowns. After back to back state championships it became a joke (he won three). When it was all said and done he was New Jersey’s all time leading scorer. An EA Sports All-American and his senior year rushed for 1,808 in 10 games on 185 carries. You do the math. Basically every time the kid touched the ball he got a first down, or exactly 9.77 yards per carry, sorry. So when he committed to Georgia to join the likes of Herschel Walker, Tim Worley, Rodney Hampton and Garrison Hearst I couldn’t have been happier for him. The Bulldogs are known for a running back factory down in Athens, and Moreno fit the mold perfectly. I figured he would sit on the bench at least two years before he was able to be the featured back, but now he is on track to be one of the greatest running backs in Georgia football history.

After redshirting his freshman year Moreno was third on the depth chart this spring behind seniors Kregg Lumpkin and Thomas Brown. Lumpkin had a thumb and knee injury and Brown broke his collar bone which kept him out of three games. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. I’m not going to sit here and tell you Moreno got the job by default. He was slowly making his way into the starting lineup as is. I will tell you this though — if both those senior backs don’t go down and we have a Knowshon takeover the Bulldogs are not playing in the Sugar Bowl, that’s for sure. After losing to Tennessee 35-14 which brought them to a lowly 4-2 record a bowl didn’t even seem feasible at the time. Just last week I heard Coach Mark Richt giving his opinion why the No. 4 ranked Bulldogs should be allowed into the national championship. In the end, the only thing that kept them out was not playing in the conference championship or winning their division, even though that is not a qualification to play in the BCS championship game.

Without a doubt the reason for Georgia’s success this season is because of Moreno. Once into the starting line-up full time he ran off five straight 100-yard games. Included in that was Florida, Auburn and Kentucky. It’s no wonder he is the first freshman to surpass 1,000 yards rushing in a season since Herschel Walker. Now coming into the biggest game of his infantile college career against No. 10 Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl he will have a shot to show Heisman voters what’s in store for the years to come. After all, not many freshmen are able to have the opportunity to even start, forget about making All-SEC. Moreno received first team honors including SEC Freshman of the year. Not many people are able to seize the opportunities that they are given. Moreno wasn’t given it; he stole it all away taking the spot light and all.
It’s getting to the point now where Georgia is so stir-crazy about the Jersey native I’ve seen multiple internet groups which are hard to not chuckle when seen. Like how about, “When Tim Tebow goes to bed, he wears Knowshon Moreno pajamas” or “Knowshon Moreno would stiff-arm Chuck Norris in the face!” All jokes aside this kid is the real deal. Everyone knows it now, but we here in Jersey knew. In fact, we knew four years ago. It is just hard to believe that someone, anyone for that matter can walk into any SEC school as a running back and be like, “Here I am baby, gimme the rock.” He’s gone from third stringer to one of the best running backs in the country period, regardless of class. You name me three other players that that’s happened to and I’ll give you my job.

Coming into this year’s Sugar Bowl, the pressure is on Hawaii. This game is all about respect. Georgia, they have it year in and year out — Hawaii, not so much. The Rainbow Warriors will be looking to find some of that love that the only undefeated team in the nation hasn’t gotten all year long. The matchup is great, with one team having an efficient passing attack and the other with a vicious ground game. Look for New Orleans to rock harder then it will on national championship night, I guarantee it. With both Georgia seniors most likely going to be able to play, the workload won’t have to be as much on Moreno’s shoulders. Although I am sure Richt will not keep the ball out of his best playmakers hands for too long. Not only that, the kid is a class act. “I’ve got great blocking skills” he says, “helping the team out in any way possible is what I consider my biggest strength.” These types of players only come around a few times a decade. I already promised my dad that before he graduates that I would take him to see him play in Athens. I only hope he stays there long enough so we Jersey native’s can get a chance to cheer for our own. Because after all, this kid is made for Sundays.

Earl Monroe – A rare gem!

In 1976 I received a letter from the basketball office of Winston-Salem State University introducing me to their basketball program. That was a “wow” moment for me because I knew that Earl “The Pearl” Monroe created magic on the campus of Winston-Salem when it was called Winston-Salem Teachers College.

The following year I visited the campus, but not as a basketball prospect. My first cousin was a student at WSSU and I was there to spend the homecoming weekend with her. On that Saturday morning 30 years ago my first stop was to visit Whitaker Gymnasium; I just had to see the basketball court where the basketball phenom from Philly had unleashed his magic.

I was humbled by Monroe’s trophies and honors (he was named NCAA College Division Player of the Year during his senior season averaging 41.5 points per game) that sat in the trophy case of the gym’s vestibule. I was in awe that I was so near to something associated with someone so anointed. I felt privileged to touch the trophy case that held his honors and walk across the gym floor where he lit up CIAA (Central Interscholastic Athletic Association) opponents just a decade earlier.

Last week I felt that same privilege; that same pride. Last week I experienced another “wow” moment provided by Monroe.

On Dec. 1 Monroe was honored by the Washington Wizards when they raised his No. 10 to the rafters of the Verizon Center, never to be worn by another player. As I listened to Monroe’s comments and subsequently watched his number be placed along side other Baltimore Bullet greats Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes and Gus Johnson, it took me back to my childhood watching those epic battles between he and my idol Walt “Clyde” Frazier of the New York Knicks.

That’s when basketball was at its best. 

Although Clyde was and still remains my all-time favorite player, there was no player more exciting to watch than the “The Pearl.” He was magic before Magic [Johnson]. As aspiring young basketball players, my friends and I knew we couldn’t fly like Julius “Dr. J” Erving, but we could at least try to spin and fake like the “The Pearl.”

We soon discovered that trying to twist and spin like “The Pearl” was just a difficult as learning to fly like “Dr. J.”

Monroe’s ability to improvise was so Baryshnikov like. I’m sure he left a many frustrated defenders pirouetting and wondering how he accomplished whatever amazing magic he would pull off. It’s been said that if you put five guys in a phone booth with “The Pearl” they still couldn’t guard him.

Drafted No. 2 by the Bullets in 1967 Monroe was named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 1967-68 season, averaging 24.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assist per game. During his four-plus season as a Bullet “he averaged 23.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.6 assist per game. He also averaged 24.3 points in four playoff seasons. Before Gilbert Arenas, Wizards All-Star guard, scored 60 against the Los Angeles Lakers last year, “The Pearl” held the single-season franchise scoring record with 56 points in a 1968 game, also against the Lakers. With humility, Monroe suggested had there been a 3-point shot in his day he would have scored more than 56.

“The Pearl” was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1990; named as one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in 1996 and last Saturday’s numbering retiring ceremony wasn’t his first. On March 1, 1996 his number 15 (which he wore for nine seasons with the Knicks) was retired. Monroe is one of eight players in the 61-year history of the NBA to have his number retired by two teams.  

The only thing more spectacular than his virtuoso moves is his maestro spirit. Some years ago when both he and I resided in New York we both found our way to 116th Street and Lenox Avenue to have Hasan provide our weekly haircut. Whenever Monroe entered the barbershop he brought with him a warm spirit. If you didn’t know – you would never guess that he was one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of Converses. This was because he always presented himself like a rare gem.

Monroe truly is a pearl.

Two week ago Monroe visited the Verizon Center to attend a press conference announcing that his number would be retired. Just like those days at the barber Monroe moved about the Phone Booth with that customary warm spirit. As he shared some of his fondest memories, he did so with a welcoming presence. His smile was bright and ever present, and he gladly allotted his time to whoever needed it – and he never rushed anyone.

Rumor has it while he attended John Bartram High School a friend called him ‘Thomas Edison” because of the spectacular moves he invented. He was dubbed “The Pearl” while at WSSU because he was a gem on the court. He was also known as “Jesus” because he was the “truth.” And according to the video montage presented by the Wizards at the last week’s ceremony Monroe was “Super Bad.”

Monroe is spectacular; a spectacular human being who is a rare pearl and indeed the truth. Yes, Mr. Monroe is “Super Bad” and is “class personified.” 

Mr. Monroe thanks yet again for another “wow” moment.