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09 February Pistol Pete MaravichPistol Pete Maravich's Basketball Diaries beginning on Fox College Sports. Here's a YouTube Video to get you primed.....what a beautiful jump shot.... 26 September Winner Take AllSometimes a game is just a game. But sometimes, a game is more than a game and the expression "winner takes all" is taken literally -- the winner takes the life of the loser. Explore and enjoy the Meso-american Ballgame at this award winning website.
 16 June Cristiano Ronaldo ComplilationI'm not a big soccer fan, but even I can appreciate the amazing footwork here. I am even having trouble following the ball with my eyes. If I were an opponent, no chance.... The numerous fakes, and then where and how he does hit or direct the ball, the accuracy, and the speed at which he runs controlling the ball -- amazing.
Quote Cristiano Ronaldo Complilation 21 March NCAA Tourney is rigged?Is the NCAA Tourney rigged? Hmmm...maybe not rigged. But Billy Packer lays into the NCAA selection committee and the selection process. There is always a lot of debate and discussion on the NCAA picks...particularly on the schools "on the bubble." But commentators are usually not so outspoken and a little more wishy-washy. No one is left wondering "But what do you really think Billy?" Quote Billy Packer talks tourney 01 March Talking about Autistic high schooler scores 20 in debutHeartwarming real-life "Rudy" story is Jason McElwain of Rochester, NY. Autistic team assistant dons players jersey on the season's last game. Coach sends him in at the end of the game. Missed his first 2 shots, but then hit 6 3-pointers in a row! The video on the link is worth watching.
Quote Autistic high schooler scores 20 in debut - Other Sports - MSNBC.com 31 January Number 33Number 33
My favorite basketball game I watched was game 5 Celtics vs. Pacers in year 198?. It was playoff intensity all the way with a lot at stake. The Pacers were led by Chuck Pearsons, a great competitor who had a great in-your-face rivalry with Bird. The Celtic's Big Three -- Bird, McHale, Parish -- were still together but were at the tail end of the careers. Bird was injured with heel spurs that limited his already limited mobility ...and with back problems that made him wince. I remember on one play Chuck Pearson racing down the floor on offense beating Larry Bird back....he setup and waited for Bird to unsuspecting backpedal into him. I remember Bird grimacing at this fair, but heated maneuver. The game was that intense. And the Pacers were beating the Celtics.
Halfway through the 2nd period Bird recklesslly dove for a loose ball risking life and limb as he always would do to save a possession for the C's. This time he really hit the floor hard and his head hit the floor with a wallop. His face literally bounced off the floor. I thought he shattered his cheekbone he hit that hard. He got up, shaken, and he had to leave the game for X-rays. It was looking dismal now for the C's.
The 3rd quarter started and the drubbing continued. But then a few minutes into the quarter all heads turned to the tunnel leading from the lockerrooms and the place erupted in cheers. Bird was back!
What took place next no one who saw the game and knows the game of basketball will ever forget. Bird dominated. And not just scoring, but defense, passing, transition. It was not even like the dominating influence of championship years gone past, but he just totally took over the entire game. Oppenents almost half his age were left shaking their heads and looking at each other as if to say "What is going on here?" Shots after shot drained through the net without touching the rim, or bounced perfectly off the backboard and then through. Transition scoring with crisp passing sliced through the defense. Defensively balls were stolen. It was almost as if an adult was playing with children, or as if a grandmaster chess player was playing against another player seeing moves far ahead and anticipating.
Never a quick player, he had some moves that were just amazing. One category of move that I liked was to initiate contact with the opponent...and in that split millisecond post-contact where a gap would open and a perfectly smooth and hitchless motion would play out same as it has a million times before -- the feet, hips, and shoulder would square to the hoop, the ball would rise above the waist with the upper arm perfectly parallel to the floor, the lower arm at 90 degrees, bent legs straightening, and a flick of the wrist leaving the arm in a perfect gooseneck with fingers pointing at the hoop propelling the ball, backspinning, on its way to the target. Swish.
Or he would play with his back to the basket, shielding the ball from the defender, much the way a center would play...except he would be 25 feet from the hoop. A subtle head fake, foot jab, or ball fake and the defender would respond quickly, but wrongly, and a turnaround rainbow jumper would rain down not touching anything until the very bottom of the net.
As I watched that game I realized for the first time how great a player and competitor he was. I was without a TV for much of his era....college, too poor, no cable, poor reception ... and all those time I opened the sports page and took for granted some headline saying "Bird leads 4th Quarter Comeback", or "Bird Hits Shot At Buzzer".... |
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