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— DigitalSportsDesk (@DigSportsDesk) December 15, 2016

Come Fly with Me ...

The bicycle, engineered by Ignaz Schwinn, was usually put in motion by the power of my older brother, Timmy, for his Newsday paper route. For that reason, it had a large front basket, big enough to carry a stack of 50 papers, then filled with Woolworth’s or Gimbel’s advertisements for post war families rearing baby boomers on Long Island.

On this day, however, with lunches packed and placed in brown paper bags, the basket held a toddler. It was a bumpy ride to Scooter Lane park. Although it took only 10 minutes, the ride crossed from the Island Trees section of Levittown through a block or two of Bethpage and into Hicksville, the town of St. Ignatius and Holy Trinity where that little toddler would be schooled one day.

On this particular bright summer day, school was already in session.

By today’s standards, of course, a parent might be chastised or even charged with neglect for allowing a child to be placed in an 18-by-24-inch wire basket, mounted to the front handlebars of a bicycle. But, in the early 1960s, it was a much simpler time. we knew not of car seats or nicotine or of asbestos. We worried more about the Viet Nam war than we did of lead in our drinking water, sipped from front yard hoses or rustic water fountains at the Village Green pool. 

On this day, I was learning to fly without a seat belt in sight. We were off on an adventure. Me and my older brother, Timothy, 11 years my senior. It was great. I was free. It was so easy being three.

Until this day, my mother - now 91 and going strong - laments, “What was I thinking, allowing you guys to do that?”

It was among the most important days of my life. I was only three, maybe three and half, but, I remember it today. I do.

Another important day in my life was a day, less than a decade later, when my brother Thomas and I boarded a Pan American Clipper jet at JFK International Airport. I was 12 and he would be 17 that December and we were off to Frankfurt am Mein to visit with Ulrich von der Osten, a family friend who greatly assisted my father in establishing Pan Am’s European inventory control operation. Two American kids, dressed in suit coats and ties, were off to see the world.

Oh what courage it took, not for the kids but for their mother and father - my wonderful parents - to put us on that trans-Atlantic flight. Thank God they did, as on that summer day, school was in session, yet again, and the lessons would last a lifetime.

The world was a much different place in 1970 than it is in 2016. The advent of seat belts, flower power, Sly and the Family Stone and a world of difference in terms of mores and standards, have lent their way to a more conservative approach of political correctness, finger-pointing, rash and unrelenting judgement of our neighbors, literally and figuratively, foreign and domestically, albeit with our front, rear and side air bags.

An American child in 1970 traveled the world as a truly global citizen. Our presence was welcomed. Our country respected. Our opinions valued and sought after, respectfully.

An American adult in 2016 now travels the world apologizing on behalf of a nation for Donald Trump and the antics of Ryan Lochte.

It wasn’t always that way.

My training from the front basket mounted to a bike or a trans-Atlantic flight to Germany, with side trips to the East German border or a boat ride to Koblenz on the river Mein, paved the way for a lifetime of international travels, much of it carrying the globally accepted torch of the National Basketball Association to countries far and wide. From friendship tours and coaching clinics in Tblisi or Vilnius, Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, vodka toasts in Milwaukee and Moscow, to games and events in Beijing and Shanghai, Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, or Tokyo, Saitama, Yokohama or Sapporo and beyond, we enjoyed a wonderful place in the world of basketball while never losing sight of the importance of sport to the United Nations.

That lifelong voyage culminated one day when I read a testimonial in the prologue of a book about the great Boris Stankovic, the head of FIBA largely responsible for righting a wrong and being sure the very best basketball players in the world competed on the global stage in the Worlds and Olympics. I was so honored, taken back really, by a passage from that book on the life of Stankovic, written so perfectly by Oscar Elini and Lorenzo Sani, two of sports’ most accomplished historians.

They wrote: "We would like to thank Terry Lyons of the NBA for such a helpful introduction to his world, that of the NBA. The friendship, which began on a basketball court at a time when the reality of this great sports spectacle was not yet globalized, but which today can reach out and touch one hand. At that time, ‘world' basketball was just a dream but today, it is a reality that fills us with pride and joy. Terry, together with his colleague, Brian (McIntyre), taught us that NBA not only means National Basketball Association, but also 'Nobody Beats America,' not in speaking on the court but with regaard to knocking down fences and finding the most efficient shortcuts that helped their idea, their vision take off and kept flying higher than ever."

Such a nice compliment, yes, but that high came crashing down for me one day while on a bus ride at the 2006 European Final Four in the Czech Republic. I was flying solo, barely making the tournament opener after a delayed connection via Heathrow.

As one of the last six or seven to board the tour bus, I sat in one of the few remaining empty seats, next to a middle-aged gentleman from Serbia. As I slid into the chair, I turned and smiled and maybe said a simple, ‘Hello.” It was returned with a nod, but certainly not with a smile. The short ride continued to the venue, in the heart of Prague, a wonderful city. If I remember correctly, I made some small talk, asking for the gentleman’s opinion on the prospects of CSKA Moscow, Maccabi or the two Spanish teams, Tau Vitoria or FC Barca, in that evening’s games. The reply, direct but not diplomatic, set me back a lifetime.

“Excuse me,” he said, in near perfect English, “but I do not like Americans.”

“Okay,” I replied, knowing that bus ride was some 44 years after my bicycle ride to the park on Scooter Lane, and some 36 years after my first trip to Europe.

Come Fly with Me ...

The bicycle, engineered by Ignaz Schwinn, was usually put in motion by the power of my older brother, Timmy, for his Newsday paper route. For that reason, it had a large front basket, big enough to carry a stack of 50 papers, then filled with Woolworth’s or Gimbel’s advertisements for post war families rearing baby boomers on Long Island.

On this day, however, with lunches packed and placed in brown paper bags, the basket held a toddler. It was a bumpy ride to Scooter Lane park. Although it took only 10 minutes, the ride crossed from the Island Trees section of Levittown through a block or two of Bethpage and into Hicksville, the town of St. Ignatius and Holy Trinity where that little toddler would be schooled one day.

On this particular bright summer day, school was already in session.

By today’s standards, of course, a parent might be chastised or even charged with neglect for allowing a child to be placed in an 18-by-24-inch wire basket, mounted to the front handlebars of a bicycle. But, in the early 1960s, it was a much simpler time. we knew not of car seats or nicotine or of asbestos. We worried more about the Viet Nam war than we did of lead in our drinking water, sipped from front yard hoses or rustic water fountains at the Village Green pool. 

On this day, I was learning to fly without a seat belt in sight. We were off on an adventure. Me and my older brother, Timothy, 11 years my senior. It was great. I was free. It was so easy being three.

Until this day, my mother - now 91 and going strong - laments, “What was I thinking, allowing you guys to do that?”

It was among the most important days of my life. I was only three, maybe three and half, but, I remember it today. I do.

Another important day in my life was a day, less than a decade later, when my brother Thomas and I boarded a Pan American Clipper jet at JFK International Airport. I was 12 and he would be 17 that December and we were off to Frankfurt am Mein to visit with Ulrich von der Osten, a family friend who greatly assisted my father in establishing Pan Am’s European inventory control operation. Two American kids, dressed in suit coats and ties, were off to see the world.

Oh what courage it took, not for the kids but for their mother and father - my wonderful parents - to put us on that trans-Atlantic flight. Thank God they did, as on that summer day, school was in session, yet again, and the lessons would last a lifetime.

The world was a much different place in 1970 than it is in 2016. The advent of seat belts, flower power, Sly and the Family Stone and a world of difference in terms of mores and standards, have lent their way to a more conservative approach of political correctness, finger-pointing, rash and unrelenting judgement of our neighbors, literally and figuratively, foreign and domestically, albeit with our front, rear and side air bags.

An American child in 1970 traveled the world as a truly global citizen. Our presence was welcomed. Our country respected. Our opinions valued and sought after, respectfully.

An American adult in 2016 now travels the world apologizing on behalf of a nation for Donald Trump and the antics of Ryan Lochte.

It wasn’t always that way.

My training from the front basket mounted to a bike or a trans-Atlantic flight to Germany, with side trips to the East German border or a boat ride to Koblenz on the river Mein, paved the way for a lifetime of international travels, much of it carrying the globally accepted torch of the National Basketball Association to countries far and wide. From friendship tours and coaching clinics in Tblisi or Vilnius, Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, vodka toasts in Milwaukee and Moscow, to games and events in Beijing and Shanghai, Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, or Tokyo, Saitama, Yokohama or Sapporo and beyond, we enjoyed a wonderful place in the world of basketball while never losing sight of the importance of sport to the United Nations.

That lifelong voyage culminated one day when I read a testimonial in the prologue of a book about the great Boris Stankovic, the head of FIBA largely responsible for righting a wrong and being sure the very best basketball players in the world competed on the global stage in the Worlds and Olympics. I was so honored, taken back really, by a passage from that book on the life of Stankovic, written so perfectly by Oscar Elini and Lorenzo Sani, two of sports’ most accomplished historians.

They wrote: "We would like to thank Terry Lyons of the NBA for such a helpful introduction to his world, that of the NBA. The friendship, which began on a basketball court at a time when the reality of this great sports spectacle was not yet globalized, but which today can reach out and touch one hand. At that time, ‘world' basketball was just a dream but today, it is a reality that fills us with pride and joy. Terry, together with his colleague, Brian (McIntyre), taught us that NBA not only means National Basketball Association, but also 'Nobody Beats America,' not in speaking on the court but with regaard to knocking down fences and finding the most efficient shortcuts that helped their idea, their vision take off and kept flying higher than ever."

Such a nice compliment, yes, but that high came crashing down for me one day while on a bus ride at the 2006 European Final Four in the Czech Republic. I was flying solo, barely making the tournament opener after a delayed connection via Heathrow.

As one of the last six or seven to board the tour bus, I sat in one of the few remaining empty seats, next to a middle-aged gentleman from Serbia. As I slid into the chair, I turned and smiled and maybe said a simple, ‘Hello.” It was returned with a nod, but certainly not with a smile. The short ride continued to the venue, in the heart of Prague, a wonderful city. If I remember correctly, I made some small talk, asking for the gentleman’s opinion on the prospects of CSKA Moscow, Maccabi or the two Spanish teams, Tau Vitoria or FC Barca, in that evening’s games. The reply, direct but not diplomatic, set me back a lifetime.

“Excuse me,” he said, in near perfect English, “but I do not like Americans.”

“Okay,” I replied, knowing that bus ride was some 44 years after my bicycle ride to the park on Scooter Lane, and some 36 years after my first trip to Europe.

We've all been there, and it Drives Me Crazy

No kidding ...

Tapin2 MAXES Out Kobe Farewell for AEG, LA Team Store

Tapin2 is a new client and one that has tremendous potential in the sports industry, for teams (minor league and major league), venues (sports and other), and for merchandizing companies who can service fans directly from their app or app of team/league/venue/retailer, etc).

Here's one example (from a Tapin2 news release):

LOS ANGELES - As STAPLES Center, L.A. LIVE and AEG hosted an eventful and record-breaking week, the venues shattered industry one-night merchandise records by selling $1.2 million with an “assist” from Tap.in2 technology which powered the TEAM LA Store for in-seat delivery of officially licensed merchandise, including the exclusive “24 Collection,” commemorating retiring Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant.

“Our mission for Kobe Night was to celebrate Kobe Bryant’s legacy and dazzle the fans of Los Angeles with the exclusive ‘24 Collection,’” said Sean Ryan, Vice President, AEG Merchandise.  “Tap.in2’s in-app ordering system helped us give every fan the opportunity to have a piece of LA Lakers’ history delivered to their seat in under five minutes.  The partnership with Tap.in2 has, and continues to, exceed our expectations.  Their technology coupled with their attention to detail is best-in-class.”

Using the Lakers app, fans had access to an exclusive menu of “24 Collection” items including a snakeskin Kobe Bryant Jersey, high-end bomber jackets and multiple commemorative hats.  At the arena on game night Tap.in2 and TEAM LA Store were able to deliver 300 items to fans in their seats.

“We are honored to be a part of both merchandising and sports history,” said Tap.in2 co-founder Jordan Syms. “Our in-seat delivery technology for the ‘24 Collection’ merchandise brought as much joy to the fans as Kobe’s 60-point farewell performance, mainly because the fans never missed a second of the action.  Tap.in2’s mobile ordering platform helped drive revenue for our partners, the Lakers and AEG Merchandise, and Kobe’s loyal fans caught every Black Mamba moment.”

The continued expansion of Tap.in2’s partnership with AEG Merchandise came after executing an innovative in-seat delivery program for merchandise during the regular season serving the LA Lakers, LA Clippers and the LA Kings as well as a growing number of events at STAPLES Center.

About Tap.in2

Tap.in2 transforms the fan experience at live events through real-time, data-driven tools designed to help venue operators, concessionaires and sports or entertainment properties connect guests to everything a venue has to offer. Tap.in2 enables in-seat ordering of concessions, merchandise and promotions from a fans’ mobile devices.  Tap.in2 turns any device into a personal POS to maximize a fan's live event experience. For more information, please visit www.Tapin2.co

Jerome Kersey, Dead at 52. So Sad.

The calendar year of 2015 has just sucked.

I was so very sad to see news of Jerome Kersey, 52, passing away so suddenly.

Statement from Portland:

"A beloved figure and one of the most prolific Portland Trail Blazers, Jerome Kersey, has passed away at age 52. Cause of death has not been confirmed. A long-time resident of Portland after his 17-year NBA career, Kersey was employed by the Trail Blazers as Director of Alumni Relations as part of the team's Social Responsibility Department. "Today we lost an incredible person and one of the most beloved players to ever wear a Trail Blazers uniform," said Trail Blazers Owner Paul Allen. "My thoughts and condolences are with the Kersey family. He will be missed by all of us. It's a terrible loss." "We're shocked to lose such a great member of our Trail Blazers family," said Trail Blazers President and CEO Chris McGowan. "The news is so sudden, and we're sure more details will be forthcoming. But it is indeed a sad day for our organization, the city of Portland and the NBA. Jerome will be remembered not only for his incredible contributions on the court, but his tremendous impact in our community." "Jerome was an incredible influence on our players as a model for life after basketball," said Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey. "He set the bar extremely high with his long-lasting influence in this community." Kersey was part of the great early 90s Portland nucleus that led the Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. He ranks fifth on the team's all-time scoring list (10,067) and third in rebounds (5,078) after an 11-year tenure in Portland from 1984-95. He continued his career with Golden State, L.A. Lakers, Seattle, San Antonio and Milwaukee, and he won an NBA Championship with the Spurs in 1999."

***

During the Blazers' hey-deys of the early '90s, we frequently hung-out with Jerome on off nights, sometimes just chilling out at the Portland Marriott's "Champions" sports bar, usually watching the NBA playoff games on tv from back East.

I found him to be very down-to-earth and friendly. He was a pleasure to work with during team functions, interview sessions and in the hysteria of post-game.  At the All-Star Weekend, Jerome electrified the crowds with thunderous, powerful dunks - many not fully appreciated because of the quickness and speed he displayed.

Good guy.

My heart goes out to Jerome's wife and family. 
 

International Intrigue with USA and the NBA

Indiana's Paul George had yet to be wheeled into the operating room, and the naysayers/slash/sports pundits were speculating as to the response of the Pacers' Larry Bird and his fellow NBA front office cohorts. The media speculation ran from comments from basketball operations types to team ownership and the viewpoint that everyone knew might come with the most punch was from Dallas Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban, a longtime opponent of allowing NBA players to participate in events run-for-profit and sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international basketball federation (FIBA).

USA Basketball World Cup 2014 (Getty Images)

Cuban did not disappoint, lobbing his first salvo fewer than 24 hours after George's horrific leg injury, suffered in a televised intra-squad scrimmage between USA Basketball's "Blue vs White" teams of roster players seeking a spot on the senior men's national team scheduled to compete in the FIBA World Cup of Basketball late this summer.

"The [International Olympic Committee] is playing the NBA. The IOC is an organization that has been rife with corruption, to the point where a member was accused of trying to fix an Olympic event in Salt Lake," said Cuban to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. "The IOC [pulls in] billions of dollars. They make a killing and make (fictional HBO organized crime drama character) Tony Soprano look like a saint. The pros in multiple sports are smart enough to not play when they are eligible free agents. But teams take on huge financial risk so that the IOC committee members can line their pockets. The greatest trick ever played was the IOC convincing the world that the Olympics were about patriotism and national pride instead of money. The players and owners should get together and create our own World Cup of Basketball."

First-off, Cuban should've noted it would have to be considered the second greatest trick, because his timing of a multi-billion dollar sale of Broadcast.com to Yahoo will rank numero uno in most debates.

But, taking that aside, let's get back to the international basketball debate currently on a low boil after Bird and the Pacers front office took the righteous and classy step to stop the finger-pointing, take any pressure off USA Basketball and the basic concept of whether to participate in the event or not?

"We still support USA Basketball and believe in the NBA's goals of exposing our game, our teams and players worldwide," Bird said in a prepared statement. "This is an extremely unfortunate injury that occurred on a highly visible stage, but could also have occurred anytime, anywhere."

If taking Bird's viewpoint as the general guideline as the key starting point is the foundation, then framing the debate is rather simple.

Does a players participation in an international sporting event, representing his country, benefit the player and the NBA team paying his guaranteed contract enough so that the player should risk injury and put his body through the training, lead-up and event itself?

Much of the answer to that question cannot be measured on a balance sheet, as Cuban suggests. If it were to be about the money, the answer would be a resounding "No" and the debate would've never begun. The fact is, the debate is not about money and it's not about a measurable outcome. It's not about two basketball tournaments (FIBA World Cup and the Olympic Games), either. The benefits of playing international basketball come from all corners of the earth and from all levels of the game. You cannot ask whether Paul George, Kevin Durant or Lebron James should play for the USA without also wondering if Yao Ming, Serge Ibaka or Dirk Nowitzki would've ever "made it" to the NBA if it weren't for the grassroots national team (and local club) investments poured into the game years and years ago. It's not about "just" the senior men's level, either, it is about men's and women's basketball at all levels, cadet through juniors, Olympics through continental tournaments.

Cuban cannot have it both ways.

He cannot criticize the IOC/FIBA on one hand but then reap the benefits of the talent of German-born and bred Nowitzki on the other. He can not ask OKC Thunder fans and single out Kevin Durant's participation for the USA without considering whether OKC would be a contender without Ibaka, a mainstay of the Spanish national team. He cannot cash his check on the NBA China investments and praise the NBA's overall international popularity without thanking his lucky stars for a 7-foot-4 Yao Ming who timed his NBA career for the league's coffers and overall global tv resume almost as well as Cuban timed his exit before the dotcom bust.

On the USA side of the ledger, you might surmise that Lebron James matured mightily through his USA Basketball experience to help him become a better overall team player and certainly a better overall person, via the first class experience brought forth by USA Executive Director Jerry Colangelo and national team head coach Mike Krzyzewski and their staffs. While contemplating that thought, please remember that the likes of Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley and certainly Lisa Leslie are frequently quoted on their sentiment that the Olympic experience was, by far, the best sporting experience of their careers, and you might get a few international players to agree, especially the likes of Argentina's Manu Ginobili and Spain's Pau Gasol (who broke his leg in the 2006 World tourney in Japan and missed 22 NBA games the following season).

So the issue is solidly framed for more debate. On August 4, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke with ESPN.com's Stein in reaction to the Cuban story he generated on Saturday.

"Without a doubt, basketball has grown tremendously since 1992, when NBA players began playing in the Olympics," Silver said to Stein, a veteran chronicler of international basketball. "Also, it's important to note the [improvement] many of our players have made in terms of ability, leadership and passion for the game by playing for their home countries. Injuries can happen anyplace at any time. The experiences our players have enjoyed by participating in their national teams, however, are ones that are unique and special in almost every other way. At this point, I don't anticipate a major shift in the NBA's participation in international competitions.

"It seems clear, however, that this will be a topic at our next NBA competition committee meeting in September and our board of governors meeting in October. And, of course, we will continue to evaluate the pros and cons of participating in international tournaments."

In doing so, the razor sharp Silver needs to invoke the testimony of everyone involved, but he might simply start with Charles Barkley and Manu Ginobili and save us all some time.

Stern's Brightest Moment

Billion-dollar franchises, NBA in China, Global Games?  Nah.  Here is David Stern's brightest moment as Commish:

Totally Absurd

To Dennis Rodman and Charles Smith, I ask?

With human rights violations and abuses beyond any sane person's wildest and worst imagination, you can sit there and say, "we're just here to play some basketball?"

C'mon man.

And, outgoing NBA Commissioner David Stern provides some perspective on the power of sports diplomacy and appropriate timing:

A Christmas Tradition - A Little Shelby Strother

Merry Christmas everyone. 
TL

Each Christmas Day Contains the Past, Present and Future

By SHELBY STROTHER

TL's Favorite Book

It did not matter that the wind-chill was life threatening. It was Christmas morning, and a bright sun stabbed the frozen land. And children were playing.

The decision over which to play with - the official World Cup soccer ball or the Turbo Football - never materialized. With all the snow, a soccer match was out of the question. So spirals of pink and black performed in the most sincere imitations of Rodney Peete and Joe Montana floated back and forth in the yard.

What a nice sight.

The Annual Second Chance is near - it's called New Year's Eve. It is the window of opportunity where the hopes and fears of all the year (not to mention the mistakes) can be erased.

But Christmas Day is a time of reinforcement and the essence of tomorrow. And children playing with toys are the finest examples of what that tomorrow looks like.

I look out the window. I've been in that yard. All young boys have. Sports become such a part of childhood. Santa is aware of all of this, naturally.

This particular day is exquisite, I think to myself. I take personal inventory, not only of blessings and personal satisfaction, but of the presents of Christmas past. Still the kid, I suppose.

I got my first basketball when I was six. I made my first basket a year later. There was a tetherball set; I must have been eight. And a football helmet when I was ten. A Carl Furillo-model baseball mitt at eleven. There were tennis rackets and fishing poles and boxing gloves and shrimp nets and a Mickey Mantle 32-inch Little League bat and one time, even a badminton set.

Every Christmas, I'd play out my dreams and my mind would fly over the rainbow, imagining my propulsion. Of course, I would become a major-leaguer, an All-Star, an all-time great, a Hall of Famer. We all would. My vision extended well beyond the day.

My athletic ability, alas, never kept stride. It was not the worst realization I would ever make.

But I have noticed a direct correlation between Christmas gifts and sporting dreams. The dreams are for the young. So are the gifts. Usually, the two disappear in unison. The rare few who project into greatness discover they do not need imagination to make those lofty flights of fantasy. Hope is not the co-pilot. Expectation is.

It must be a wonderful view.

I was thinking about all of this when another memory nudged me. My 17th Christmas I got a typewriter.

It was about the same time that I'd maneuvered my fantasy a few extra miles. I'd received a baseball scholarship to pitch at a small school in Florida. There were other opportunities, other colleges available. But none that would allow my athletic vision to continue.

I had expected a Christmas of more games in the yard. More dreams to celebrate. I got a typewriter instead.

"What am I going to do with a typewriter?" I asked.

My mother said I'd need it for college. But she also said, "Sometimes you get too old to play games. But you never get too old that you can't use your imagination."

Sometimes Christmas is taken for granted. Almost always, in fact. I think Christmas music, and I hear bells. I turn on the radio and I hear someone named Elmo and Patsy lamenting their grandmother's head-on collision with a reindeer. I think of the meaning of Christmas, and I think of the most special birthday in the history of the world. But I turn on the TV and there are all these Claymation raisins doing Doo-Wop homages to the joys of buying machines wherein a microchip can seize command of entire generations.

Christmas (will soon) be gone, 364 days to go. But children still play. They chase the wonderful image of themselves as they would like to be seen. Christmas is their favorite arena. But they settle for lesser stadia.

But remember this - the present is sometimes confused with the package it comes wrapped in. Sometimes the gift is simply the freedom to imagine. There may be no greater one.

It was a great typewriter. I still play with it.

- A column by Shelby Strother

(For my Blog Entry on Christmas Eve over the past six years, I've alternated by posting memorable columns from a few of my all-time favorite writers. This column is, by far, my favorite column of all-time so read on my friends and "followers."  Here is to Shelby and a Merry Christmas to all).

###

Notes: For those of you who did not know Shelby Strother, I pass these little tidbits along; He was a very good friend. I've lost a father and an older brother. I've agonized and felt helpless as we've since watched close relatives and friends of the family pass away, but Shelby was the first good friend in my life who went and got cancer and then died. My good buddy, Bob Rose, did the same damn thing this past year.

Back to Shelby... I can remember Shelby attended the 1991 NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte, NC. That Sunday night, he said that he didn't feel well and was going to bed early. That was about Feb. 10, 1991. The next month was a bad dream, each minute of every day for a solid month. Shelby died in the suburbs of Detroit on March 3, 1991, leaving his wife, Kim and two great little guys, Tommy and Kenny (the latter joined Shelby in heaven a few years back but that is a terrible fact of life to be told another day). Shelby grew up in the great State of Florida and loved it. I met him when he was a writer for the Denver Post. He went on to be a sports columnist for the Detroit News, but when big news was breaking and the News needed a writer, they sent Shelby. Berlin Wall coming down, off went Shelby. I could go on.

Why College Refs are Terrible

I believe we all agreed with the great Tim Duncan when he proclaimed "FIBA (refs) suck," after Duncan was presented with a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens where he spent a considerable amount of time on the bench, in foul trouble.

I believe NCAA (and other) college basketball refs are nearly as bad.

I believe people who complain about pro basketball refs "never calling traveling" have no appreciation for the talented players at the professional level of play nor do they understand the importance of the "flow of the game" which will allow the players to settle the score, as opposed to allowing the coach on the sideline to control the tempo, or worse, to allow the referees to decide the outcome of a game.

I give you exhibit 1-A in the latter, where a college ref has the gaul to blow his whistle and signal a Technical foul after this play:

It annoys me to a point where I can't even comment on the incompetency of such an official who is clearly trying to "control" a game that is far too advanced, quick, fast and "above the rim" for his own comfort. Shame on the NCAA for allowing this to happen in their gyms.

Welcome Back and a Very Good Idea

Nice job and great idea to welcome back a player after he's worked his tail off to return to the game he loves (and dominated for a decade).

Any Given Sunday x 15+ hours

DigitalSportsDesk is ready for 15+ hours of sports today

BOSTON - The terms "Any Given Sunday" will take on a new meeting today as the NFL kicks-off its normal autumn Sunday scheduled at 1:00pm (edt) but continues with live game programming until early Monday morning.  That means your loyal sports writing servants at DigitalSportsDesk.com could easily be providing 15-17 consecutive hours of sports coverage on an NFL "couch potato" assignment desk on this dreary, rainy New England day.  Heaven!

Here is the "over-the-air" tv schedule for my neck of the woods in New England.

1:00pm - New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals

4:00pm - Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals

4:25pm - Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys

8:00pm - Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers (kick is later than 8pm, for sure).

11:30pm - San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders (special NFL Network game to allow enough time to convert the Oakland Coliseum from last night's American League Division Playoff series game until tonight's NFL game).

Of course, the pregame shows have been on since the NFL Network went on the air this morning with "Game Day First" at 7:00am (edt), but I'll shift over to the TV at about Noon to watch a combination of the main pregame shows on ESPN, CBS and Fox until the Patriots kick-it-off at Cincy at 1pm.

Interestingly, there are three games that will have my (divided) attention today with New England/Cincy at 1pm, Denver/Dallas at 4:25pm and Houston/San Francisco at 8pm. I'll enjoy the Patriots from a strict competitive aspect with AJ green the lone "fantasy football" exception. Same goes for the Denver vs. Dallas game where Wes Welker is the lone "fantasy" participant. The NFL on NBC will be a key game, as my fantasy team employs SF 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and I'll have a keen interest in his performance tonight.

The remote will be working overtime, as the MLB Divisional Playoffs heat-up with the St. Louis Cards at Pittsburgh at 4:30pm and the Atlanta Braves (don't call them Redskins or make tribal chants, please) taking on the LA Dodgers at 8pm edt. If it's pro basketball you crave, the NBA is tipping off its preseason with Global games coverage from Bilbao, Spain as the Philadelphia 76ers face Bilbao of the EuroLeague. In the WNBA - believe it or not - it's the Finals and (poor) ESPN will carry the Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Linx at 8:30pm edt. (The Twin Cities sports gods gave the Vikings a "bye" week to mark the occasion, I guess.

Motor sports fans, you've got the Hollywood Casino 400 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs while the golfers can tune into a rain soaked Presidents Cup match play tournament which gets nowhere near the buzz of the Ryder Cup.

Amazingly, there's no NHL action today to distract me, but there are three NHL ice hockey games along with a couple English Premiership futbol matches and two MLS soccer matches if you are so inclined.Tennis, you ask?  The China Open is ready.

Look here at The Blog (at) TerryLyons.com for updates throughout the day while the "Content Becomes King" at DigitalSportsDesk.com with photos, video highlights, and updates scores and stats as we post the written world throughout the day, evening, night and into the wee hours.

Enjoy!

***

Here is today's timeline, beginning with a Noon start for the NFL pre-game shows - although many, including the NFL Network have already had five HOURS of pregame chit-chat this morning.

12:00 Noon (edt) - The remote in hand, the highlight and special TLs "Garlic Roasted Potatoes" cooling in the oven, the column intro written and posted - so here we go!

The NFL Today!

12:01pm: "Hello everyone, I'm James Brown and welcome to the NFL Today," were the first words I heard as I flipped to my old friends at CBS Sports. While I enjoy ESPN and the others, I always seem to have a spot in my sports-watching heart for CBS.  JB is a pro's pro. The mix of personalities (too many people on all shows, by the way) seems best on The NFL Today with Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason,  and Bill Cowher complimenting each other quite well.

12:04pm - The first remote report, as James Brown throws in to Solomon Wilcox in Nashville, Tenn. for a report from the KC Chiefs vs Tennessee Titans game. (I learned nothing, by the way).

12:07pm - It's off to Miami for an update on the Miami Dolphins vs Baltimore Ravens game, a key early season game for sure.

12:09pm - A strong CBS Sports report on the future of Josh Freeman, the ex-Tampa Bay Bucs QB. - Key info - Detroit's All-Pro Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson will NOT play today.  Ahhh! He's on my fantasy team.  It's time to STOP writing and deal with my usual fantasy geek duties to check line-ups, active lists and other news, like the weather!

Buh-bye.  Back at Kick-off time, 1pm edt.

***

NFL Network Cameraman on the job (Getty Images)

1:00pm - Game Time ... New England at Cincinnati is the "main game."

1:01pm – It’s here! Kick-off – New England Patriots QB Tom Brady starts from his own 13-yard line after the Cincinnati Bengals kick-off  and CBS Sports covers the action. I am happy to hear the voice of my friend, Greg Gumbel.

On first set of downs, Brady is sacked. Crushed by Geno Atkins of Cincy.

Three and out.  Not good for NE but very strong for Cincy and its rough-house “D.”

1:09pm - I make my first move for ... The Kitchen and the NFL "RedZone" Sunday on my smart-phone which was charging by the kitchen counter, not far from the Roasted Potatoes, the (soon-to-be) Eggplant Parmigiana in the works and some chips.

***

1:30pm - My Verizon Red Zone is on the smartphone and it features an Instant Reply review in the Seattle vs Indianapolis Colts game. Nothing much there, but on my SONY tv screen, Cincy QB Andy Dalton threw his first career "Red Zone" interception and New England has the ball. Brady seems less-than-sharp, as he tosses one well ahead of Danny Amendola. Punt.

1:57pm - Mike Nugent of Cincy taps a 39-yard FG through the uprights and I watch the first score of the day, although my NFL RedZone has highlighted a number of interesting scoring plays, including the Indy Special Teams' runback of a blocked kick.  The Colts vs. Seahawks game - a real clunker a year or two ago - seems to be the marquee match-up today, so I'm glad I have the Red Zone.

My kitchen run turns-up a nice combo of Roast Turkey, Swiss and some Genoa Salami - not a great match with turkey, but it worked on a melted cheese/whole wheat toast hotbed, complete with Gulden's mustard.  Nice, quick break.

2:10pm - First head nod of the day.  Oh No!

2:18pm - The Bengals try to Ice Rob Gostkowski, the NE Patriots place kicker as the Pats attempt and hit a 42-yard FG to make it 3-3 for the half (Who's got the "Under?"). After the chicanery, New England scores and leaves :08 on the clock for a possible Cincy kick-off return. Basically, a paint-drying, grass growing boring half of football, American style.

Halftime: 3-3 score, but Cincy is leading.

2:35pm - Greg Gumbel makes my point, stating that NE came out "relatively unscathed" after poor field position worked against them all during the first half.  

A few thoughts come to mind!

I MUST - just MUST make a run to Whole Foods for some delicacies and most notably to get the special chips of parmigiana cheese that will make or break my Eggplant Parm.  We'll need a few other things, too, like very good bread.

Time for a 15+ Any Given Sunday Game Break - TL style.  (I'll tune in to some sports radio, NFL channel and maybe even the Sirius XM Fantasy sports radio channel on the short trip.  Could even grab some dry firewood for the first fire in the fireplace of the season?

My errands are completed, delicacies all purchased (sauce and parmigiana for the Eggplant, nice french baguettes, some chicken and vegetable Chinese rolls, fresh guacamole and a few other items (for meatball parm hero dinner), so it's time to check all scores and stats updates.

4:00pm - New England's Brady tossed a last ditch, rain-soaked, desparation heave towards the end zone but it was tapped, knocked and eventually bobbled and grabbed before it touched the ground and Cincinnati finished up with a key American Football Conference win while NE headed back to Boston with their first loss of the season. Brady was less than sharp but some credit must go to the Bengals.

CBS Sports switched to bonus coverage of the 23-all Baltimore vs. Miami game. Marv Albert's voice filled our home like sweet jazz music.

4:10pm - Justin Tucker sent a line-drive bullet towards the goal posts and Marv pronounced it "goood" in a way that would've made Marty Glickman proud. Baltimore secures the win over Miami.

4:30pm - We join Jim Nantz and Phil Sims for the Denver at Dallas game and there is some renewed energy in the House that Jerry Jones built, so let's watch some football. Tony Romo put Dallas on the board with a TD pass to Dez Bryant to make it a game from the get-go vs. Peyton Manning and the Broncs.

5:30pm - Duty called and I went to work on a lengthy but productive conference call which linked business partners from three Los Angeles-area posts, one Houston sponsorship and marketing exec and yours truly. The time-out in the football marathon was also complemented by a nice family dinner of special Meatball Parm hero, my garlic-roasted potatoes, fresh garden vegetables from the Newton Community Farm (mainly a tomato salad) and some other wonderful delicacies. 

All the while, I've had one eye-ball on "The Shootout in Texas" between Peyton Manning and the Broncos and Tony Romo and his Cowboys.  Put up a 24-second clock for TD scoring or FG attempts, and the heck with first downs is the way I look at it.  Let's Go!

7:15pm - As the clock struck 7:15 in the east, Tony Romo completed a 79-yd completion and run after the catch to Dez Bryant and Romo became the first Cowboys QB to register a 500+ yard day. Minutes later, Romo passed for a short TD to Cole Beasley to make it 48-41 Dallas over Denver with a full 7:19 left in the 4th Quarter at Dallas. (long way to go).

7:28pm - Instead of playing Bruce Springsteen's "Trapped Again," Romo should record "Sacked Again," as the Cowboys -- in crunch-time -- allowed the Denver front line to penetrate on the blitz and sack Romo at a key point in the game. With the 2-minute warning looming, Romo ruined his 500+ yard performance by forcing a pass and having it intercepted by Denver's outside linebacker Danny Trevathan.

7:39pm - Matt Prater kicked a 28-yd field goal to give Denver a 51-48 win over 'dem Cowboys. Romo set team records, threw for more yards than Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, or Dandy Don Meredith but he'll always be remembered for the sack and the "Force" and the interception to blow this game. This could be a back-breaker for the Cowboys' 2013 season.

Time to switch to the NFL on NBC.  I've been with CBS Sports since Noon, now it's onward.

***

8:30pm - It's a little strange to think of the timing of a pregame show (NBC's NFL Sunday Night) at 8pm in much the same frame of mind as the NFL Today show I was watching earlier today, but that, indeed, is the situation as the familiar voice of Dan Patrick (I've known him since 1983) and the wise counsel of Tony Dungy together with no-nonsense commentary by Rodney Harrison prepped us for the game at hand - the Houston Texans at the SF 49ers.

I made note of Dungy's comment that he thought Frank Gore would run all over the Texans.  In the pregame, I was of the belief Texas RB Arian Foster might do the same to the 49ers "D."

Kick-off after a glimpse at 60 Minutes and a longer glimpse of Carrie Underwood (I liked Faith Hill better), brought the night-cap sessions of the NFL along as the Tex-49ers will lead into the SD Chargers and Oakland Raiders at 11:30pm. Yippee... it's just like 1pm again.

8:35pm - The 'Niners D (Tremaine Block) picked off an 18-yard Matt Schaub pass to take it back and it's 7-0 SF. Do you notice all the commentators now say, "Just like that?"  - As in, "Just like that, the 49ers lead, 7-0."

My other "pet peeve" of criticism directed towards current-day media/courtside/on-field reporters is the non-question interview when they state something like, "Talk about ... blah, blah blah." - when did the command "talk about" replace the journalistic approach of asking a pointed question of the subject being interviewed?

I can hear it now:
"Talk about how bad you looked when you threw that terribly-timed interception, Tony?"

Puh-leeze.

Oh yeah, Houston FG kicker Randy Bullock missed a 45-yard attempt.

8:55pm - SFs Frank Gore plowed into the Texans' end zone and "just like that," it's 14-0 San Francisco.

10:00pm - Let me take a walk downstairs.  Home land is on.

Ahhh, the best laid schemes of mice and men went astray as I sauntered down to the basement family room, away from the NFL action on Sunday Night Football. I wanted to spend some quality time and partake in one of my quality activities with my bride, that being the appointment viewing of "Homeland" via cable tvs "Showtime" network.

Just as "The Sopranos" made an HBO subscription a must buy, so has "Homeland" upped the ante of Showtime, a CBS entity. Each Sunday night, sometimes after the DVR has done its duty and taped the episode, we await time when the kids have gone to bed to watch the saga of Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), Nicolas Brody (Damien Lewis) and Saul Berenson (Mandy Pantinkin) as they navigate against the baddest asses in all the world as members of the USA's Homeland Security detail.

The problem on Sunday night?

I was tired.

I went horizontal.

The rest was history.

Sorry to all, as I left the Niners and their blow-out of the Texans and Oakland's win over the San Diego Chargers to the imaginations of my readers or to their smart phone score updates.

Maybe next time.  

Russ Granik: One "Hall" of a Choice

SPRINGFIELD, Mass - September, 7, 2013 -- The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will induct its Class of 2013. Included in the diverse group of players, coaches and contributors to the game are five "direct elect" Hall of Famers, in ABA great Roger Brown, little-known basketball pioneer Edward Henderson, NBA Veterans committee electee Richie Guerin and International great Oscar Schmidt. In addition, the rightful inclusion and the Hall of Fame's recognition of former NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik is a wonderful message for the many behind-the-scenes contributors to the global game of basketball.

Granik helped build the court of dreams, the NBA

At times, players and media criticize the inclusion to the Hall for non-players of the game. The question arises when referees or executives are named to the hallowed Hall, and the questions often come with a streak of venom and unfounded criticism. At issue is a simple question, really. Should the Hall be for players only?  Should alll others, including coaches like Red Auerbach, refs like Earl Strom or Mendy Rudolph, contributors like league and team officials such as 24-second clock inventor and Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone or the NBA's first Commissioner Maurice Podoloff, be designated for the same treatment as the media - a seperate wing?

I say no and I can highlight Granik as the reason why.

Granik's official Hall of Fame bio hints at the amazing impact he made.

"One of the most influential contributors to the game of basketball. Granik spent 30 years in the NBA league office starting as a staff attorney in 1976 and finishing his NBA career as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. He was involved in every major negotiation in the NBA from 1980 to 2005 including television contracts, collective bargaining and league expansion. Overseeing the expansion of the game into the international realm as a key figure in working out the details of professionals (NBA players) competing in the 1992 Olympic Games and subsequent international competitions. He was the NBA’s chief negotiator on four collective bargaining agreements and has served as NBA Executive Vice President (1984-90), Vice President of USA Basketball (1989-96) and President of USA Basketball (1996-2000). He was also the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board (2003-2007). In 2005, he received USA Basketball’s Edward S. Steitz Award," it says.

The bio just hints at the significance of such a key contributor to the game of basketball. 

Why?

Russ Granik was a quiet, but powerful workhorse behind the meteoric rise of the NBA to global prominence in the 1990s. Most importantly, he was a champion for every level of the game of basketball.  While his accolades and biography list major NBA contributions such as his negotiations of record-setting TV deals, resolved labor stalemates which resulted in trend-setting, progressive Collective Bargaining and Anti-Drug Agreements with the NBA's players, Granik's most significant contributions resulted from his work with the NCAAs, FIBA, the international governing body of basketball, global leagues, federations, Euroleague Basketball, and, most importantly, USA Basketball. 

Under Granik's watch, seemingly unresolvable problems with regard to mending fences, unraveling "red-tape," and creating consensus for the betterment of the overall game of basketball became everyday by-products of a career built on creating goodwill, strong relationships and dealing with people as one would like to be dealt with during a negotiation. That as a professional, a person who is respected and treats people with respect. In essence, Granik is a thoroughly decent human being and he treats his constituents with equal respect. Granik walked softly but carried a resume that could literally part a Sea of Red Tape and, unlike many who only barked of problems while surfacing and creating more problems, Granik would grab a No. 2 pencil, a phone and call upon years of goodwill to resolve most problems before anyone else knew they even existed.

His work in building the NBA-FIBA player pacts, his early recognition of powerful allies with the likes of FIBA Secretary General Borislav Stankovic, the late Coach Alexander Gomelski of Russia and BIG EAST Commissioner/NCAA veep/USA Basketball power-broker (the late) Dave Gavitt, might've earned him induction on its own. Certainly, without Granik's hard work, negotiating skills and willingness to give and take just the right amount, allowed for (former) Eastern Bloc European players such as Drazen Petrovic of Croatia (then Yugoslavia), Sarunas Marciulionis of Lithuania (then of the USSR) and Aleksander "Sascha" Volkov of the Ukraine (then of the USSR) to be the first true NBA global ambassadors, coming to America complete with a bevy of gold and silver Olympic medals but with "game" and a "take it to the hoop" approach never seen before on the international basketball scene.

At the time, the NBA had its Georgi Gluchkov of Bulgaria and long had Henry "Hank" Biasetti, a Canadian player of Italian descent who actually suited up in the NBA's very first game ever, an epic bout between the New York Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskies in the way back machine that was 1946. But, the league - much because of Granik - was quickly thrust into a modern day model for immigration and exportation for talented ballplayers who wanted to travel to find a good game of hoops. While some may call it a theoretical jump, without Granik's work, the Petrovic/Marciulionis/Volkov era internationals would've been sitting in their rocking chairs wondering if they could've ever driven the lane to challenge the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. The confidence instilled upon a legion of countrymen and Euro-Latin-Australian-Asian counterparts might never have gathered the confidence to say, "Yes, I can do that."

The result might've put Dirk Nowitzki in goal for the German Bundesleague F.C., it might've made Manu Ginobili a striker, Tim Duncan a swimmer or Yao Ming rocket scientist, instead of a Houston Rocket all-star center. And, that, would've been a shame.