I really should put this on the rants and opinion page but I want to put here for this reason. Historical perspective. Paying players has been nothing new. It has been done under the table since college sports has existed. SMU from the 80's, Kentucky basketball with Eric Manuel, UCLA and Cal with Ronnie Knox. Booster and athletic directors says its necessary to attract top level talent to their universities. University Presidents don't want to admit.
All I have to say is this if Notre Dame is struggling then cheating is allowed until they start winning. NBC doesn't want to see a losing product, year after year. Since when can a college team sign a contract with a television company for broadcasting rights? Yet, these players on the field don't get nothing for it? Amateurism is for the eunuchs because if you had a girlfriend, she leave you in a hurry if you played for free but with consequences. Bear Bryant did look out for his stars and gave his Bear honey's a job network.
Joe Pa looked out for his players. They do it within the rules but he has built a resource to rely on without monetary means that newbees have to develop for at least 10 years. Jackie Sherrill who played under the Bear, well? Joe Pa, took over for Rip Engle in 1966. He was assistant to him for 16 years and his chief recruiter. I'm curious to know how he got Lenny Moore and Rosey Grier in 1952 to come to Happy Valley when they weren't Nitany Nation or had a winning program. Lot of racist schools like Pitt but Big 10 was king like Michigan State and Duffy Daugherty for black players. Penn State was independent. Hmm?
Once Penn State and Joe got famous, players came to him as well as the college professors and presidents for "advice." Not to down Joe but you look at all coaches who started programs like Bobby Bowden, Knute Rockne, Don James, and Lou Holtz. They paid up. That was true with programs that seen better days. It ain't cheating, if you don't get caught. But I'm like so what. I like paid football, the players play harder and are tougher because they are getting paid. Unless you are an academy that goes beyond winning, schools with other agenda programs just don't fit the amateur mold.
I can go on about Dana Bible, Howard Jones, Pop Warner (he sold players to baseball teams like Jim Thorpe), Wallace Wade, and others. But I will say that old Husky running back says in the 1926 Rose Bowl, he was promised money. Whether true or not, players deserve to be paid because they have always been paid. To bitter former interns like Tony Kornheiser, shut up. Even Hannah Storm got paid in college.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Ernie Johnson, Sr. the Kung Fu Master
Dont' want it to be a mother's day article but I always wondered why son's of famous athletes' mother gets the blame not the credit for their son's success. In this case, its Ernie Johnson Jr. Every article about Jr. relates to his father and how Sr. will talk about how tough he was on him and how he made go through "the hardway", blah, bla, blah. Yet, read an article about Ernie Johnson's Sr., he always gives credit to his wife for taking care of the kids while he was on the road, broadcasting for 50 years or more.
I have only seen Dusty Baker give credit to Barry Bonds' mother, Pat through her genetics (she ran track in high school) and her competitive spirit that was passed on to Barry. Senior can take credit for a lot of things but dealing with ego's of former athletes is not one of them. Charles Barkley. Charles would have crushed Sr. so bad, it wouldn't be funny. Yes, Ernie, Sr. was in the Marines, "faught" in World War II and pitched for the Milwaukee Braves. However, Charles would have said, but I did you wife. Sr. would have gone home crying, thinking about cutting himself or joining the Klan. Charles would be like "what did I do?" On the other hand, Jr. would have matched Charles ego with diplomacy and said "so did I." That he learned from his momma.
The studio host is like a QB in football or the point in basketball. They have to master all vocal deliveries and know when to deliver the lines. He has to master the script of himself, his guest, and his partners. The host has to take charge in these terms; who to pass to, who to share, and vie other host an equal chance to perform et shine. Finally, the host has to be the toughest guy in the studio. Kenny the Jet and Charles. John Smoltz and Ron Darling. Former athletes with egos who played the game. You can't be soft and passive or they will run you over (Chris Speilman) or come hard with an attitude like of Marty Brennaman (You can talk that regional bull but you can't handle ego's of former athletes who are like you).
The news folks from Fox, CBS, and ABC couldn't do this in a group(Barbara Walters had trouble with Starr Jones?). Likewise, famous broadcasters of Vin Scully, Brennaman, Jack Buck, Ernie Harwell, Harry Kalas, and yours truly, Ernie Johnson, Sr. could do it if they had guys who shucked up to them or great friends. You always saw either the broadcaster kiss up to the color-man or other way around. These broadcasters always played the straight man with no ego front which annoyed the heck out of me. Cause deep down, they had big egos but couldn't take the intensity of being "commander of chief." That is why you had Harry Caray with Skip and Skip with Chip. Marty with Thom.
Now, when people talk about family connections and so on in all walks of life. I don't have jealousy component due to this view. Yes, the Alberts are known in TV and so are Vesceys in print. They have that chip on that shoulder that "nothing was given to them and everything earned" attitude. Which is true. Now, Ernie would fit into this category. However, unlike Kenny Albert and the others, Jr. groomed himself well (with the help of Sr.) to kill the teacher, his father. Not many can do this. Fate intervened with the Earnhardt's but it didn't with the Johnson's. Ernie did become a Christian after he split from his father in 1996 from the Braves.
Kudos to Ernie Johnson, Sr. for having the abilities of his father and his mother to balance out the ego's of Charles, The Jet, and Craig Sager. He may come from family but those dudes know that he can kill you with dignity and respect. That is true with Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and others. He did a lot of work: coverage or World Cup 1990, Goodwill Games, NFL, and he did Local TV for WSB-WSPA-WMAZ-WAGQ. However, it is his ability to kill the teacher (Shaq) which is why he is the Kung Fu Master of Broadcasting. You can give credit to his momma including Charles.
I have only seen Dusty Baker give credit to Barry Bonds' mother, Pat through her genetics (she ran track in high school) and her competitive spirit that was passed on to Barry. Senior can take credit for a lot of things but dealing with ego's of former athletes is not one of them. Charles Barkley. Charles would have crushed Sr. so bad, it wouldn't be funny. Yes, Ernie, Sr. was in the Marines, "faught" in World War II and pitched for the Milwaukee Braves. However, Charles would have said, but I did you wife. Sr. would have gone home crying, thinking about cutting himself or joining the Klan. Charles would be like "what did I do?" On the other hand, Jr. would have matched Charles ego with diplomacy and said "so did I." That he learned from his momma.
The studio host is like a QB in football or the point in basketball. They have to master all vocal deliveries and know when to deliver the lines. He has to master the script of himself, his guest, and his partners. The host has to take charge in these terms; who to pass to, who to share, and vie other host an equal chance to perform et shine. Finally, the host has to be the toughest guy in the studio. Kenny the Jet and Charles. John Smoltz and Ron Darling. Former athletes with egos who played the game. You can't be soft and passive or they will run you over (Chris Speilman) or come hard with an attitude like of Marty Brennaman (You can talk that regional bull but you can't handle ego's of former athletes who are like you).
The news folks from Fox, CBS, and ABC couldn't do this in a group(Barbara Walters had trouble with Starr Jones?). Likewise, famous broadcasters of Vin Scully, Brennaman, Jack Buck, Ernie Harwell, Harry Kalas, and yours truly, Ernie Johnson, Sr. could do it if they had guys who shucked up to them or great friends. You always saw either the broadcaster kiss up to the color-man or other way around. These broadcasters always played the straight man with no ego front which annoyed the heck out of me. Cause deep down, they had big egos but couldn't take the intensity of being "commander of chief." That is why you had Harry Caray with Skip and Skip with Chip. Marty with Thom.
Now, when people talk about family connections and so on in all walks of life. I don't have jealousy component due to this view. Yes, the Alberts are known in TV and so are Vesceys in print. They have that chip on that shoulder that "nothing was given to them and everything earned" attitude. Which is true. Now, Ernie would fit into this category. However, unlike Kenny Albert and the others, Jr. groomed himself well (with the help of Sr.) to kill the teacher, his father. Not many can do this. Fate intervened with the Earnhardt's but it didn't with the Johnson's. Ernie did become a Christian after he split from his father in 1996 from the Braves.
Kudos to Ernie Johnson, Sr. for having the abilities of his father and his mother to balance out the ego's of Charles, The Jet, and Craig Sager. He may come from family but those dudes know that he can kill you with dignity and respect. That is true with Dennis Eckersley, Cal Ripken and others. He did a lot of work: coverage or World Cup 1990, Goodwill Games, NFL, and he did Local TV for WSB-WSPA-WMAZ-WAGQ. However, it is his ability to kill the teacher (Shaq) which is why he is the Kung Fu Master of Broadcasting. You can give credit to his momma including Charles.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Don't blame Lewis for being Guy
I was inspired to write this because of the buzzer beater concerning N.C. State and Houston from 1983 (State won, if you don't remember). That game has penalized the coaching career of Houston's coach, Guy Lewis, despite 592 wins and 5 final fours. Critics say that he had great athletes in Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Elvin Hayes, Don Chaney, Rob Williams, Lou Dunbar, Dwight Jones, Otis Birdsong, and Michael Young. Next, they mention the years that he went to the Final Four with Elvin Hayes (67'and 68')and Phi Slamma Jamma years (1982-1984) and nothing in between (Olajuwon played sparingly in 1982). However, I believe circumstances cut down his win totals and his ability to win an NCAA championship. Here is my case:
The NCAA banned the dunk from 1967-1976 not because of center Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) dominance but the fact that the 1967 Houston Cougar team had all five guys that could. That team made the Final Four. Lewis coached and emphasized the dunk because it promoted hustle, concentration, and toughness that so many coaches try to preach. The dunk taught power, flexibility, post play and positioning. Likewise, it taught players to be an attack mode regardless of the score with emphasis on rebounding and blocking shots. By doing those things, teams have control on offense and defense. That dunk law set his program back many years in terms of recruiting great athletes. Had the dunk law not existed, Houston could have won in 1968 and maybe UCLA wouldn't have this great dynasty or Indiana going undefeated in 1976.
Then the 1982-1984 teams of Phi Slamma Jamma. After each final four appearance in those years, their star player left for the NBA as underclassmen. Rob Williams left in 1982 as a sophomore, Drexler left in 1983 and Hakeem left in 1984 as juniors. Yet, Houston made the final four in 1983 and 1984 with a different line-up. You hear coaches complain about players leaving early and what it does to their teams on the negative side. Well, why not give credit to Lewis for coaching for those teams? Also, Lewis's players weren't highly recruited by many colleges because they were not "schooled" in basketball. Yet, these guys became stars under Lewis and many became stars in the NBA. He has three guys in the Hall, yet he is not there. That is not right!
I know coaching opponents criticized his coaching abilities but nobody could beat Kareem in 1967. In 1968 after beating UCLA with the dunk law, they lost point guard George Reynolds to academic ineligibility before the NCAA tournament. In 1983 final, Houston didn't make their free throws. In 1982 and 1984, they were not good enough personal wise to match up with Carolina and Georgetown. So in all, his recruiting and coaching style is what got his teams to the Final Four.
When UCLA lost in 1974 to N.C. State, it was due to David Thompson's vertical game of the alley-op pass from Monty Towe and his ability to block shots. People wondered how UCLA beat Kentucky in 1975 who had bigger players and a bench. Well, John Wooden's teams after 1967 didn't have to worry about being "dunked."
Guy Lewis in the Hall of Fame.
The NCAA banned the dunk from 1967-1976 not because of center Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) dominance but the fact that the 1967 Houston Cougar team had all five guys that could. That team made the Final Four. Lewis coached and emphasized the dunk because it promoted hustle, concentration, and toughness that so many coaches try to preach. The dunk taught power, flexibility, post play and positioning. Likewise, it taught players to be an attack mode regardless of the score with emphasis on rebounding and blocking shots. By doing those things, teams have control on offense and defense. That dunk law set his program back many years in terms of recruiting great athletes. Had the dunk law not existed, Houston could have won in 1968 and maybe UCLA wouldn't have this great dynasty or Indiana going undefeated in 1976.
Then the 1982-1984 teams of Phi Slamma Jamma. After each final four appearance in those years, their star player left for the NBA as underclassmen. Rob Williams left in 1982 as a sophomore, Drexler left in 1983 and Hakeem left in 1984 as juniors. Yet, Houston made the final four in 1983 and 1984 with a different line-up. You hear coaches complain about players leaving early and what it does to their teams on the negative side. Well, why not give credit to Lewis for coaching for those teams? Also, Lewis's players weren't highly recruited by many colleges because they were not "schooled" in basketball. Yet, these guys became stars under Lewis and many became stars in the NBA. He has three guys in the Hall, yet he is not there. That is not right!
I know coaching opponents criticized his coaching abilities but nobody could beat Kareem in 1967. In 1968 after beating UCLA with the dunk law, they lost point guard George Reynolds to academic ineligibility before the NCAA tournament. In 1983 final, Houston didn't make their free throws. In 1982 and 1984, they were not good enough personal wise to match up with Carolina and Georgetown. So in all, his recruiting and coaching style is what got his teams to the Final Four.
When UCLA lost in 1974 to N.C. State, it was due to David Thompson's vertical game of the alley-op pass from Monty Towe and his ability to block shots. People wondered how UCLA beat Kentucky in 1975 who had bigger players and a bench. Well, John Wooden's teams after 1967 didn't have to worry about being "dunked."
Guy Lewis in the Hall of Fame.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)