Been a little busy...

As so many of you know, I've been a little busy lately handling the millions of media requests for the enshrinement ceremonies at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Here's a nice clip, from NESN, to recap the event:



And yes, "Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion."

The "other" - Hall of Fame and 53-zip?

While the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an esteemed client, I will take a second to post an item on the Hall down the road in Cooperstown, headed up by PR friend and colleague Jeff Idelson, the wonder President of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Check this story - clipped from the files of MassLive via the Springfield Republican. It depicts some wonderful news about the concept of youth games in Cooperstown, but underlines the issues of even competition.

Read On (and give me a few days to track down the coach of the home run record team):

Cooperstown: A place where creams come true for some youth baseball teams

Posted by dnthomps August 29, 2009 13:27PM

For the second August in a row, I took my 10-12 A baseball team to Cooperstown Dreams Park.

The weeklong tournament is regarded as one of the elite youth sporting events in the country. It's similar to the Little League World Series, minus ESPN.

For 13 weeks during the summer, 1,300 competitive baseball teams from all over the country flock to Cooperstown.

The players and coaches are treated like major leaguers, and the facility is like that of no other, with 22 enclosed fields, complete with dugouts, home run fences, stands, scoreboards and lights.

For the players, it's like Disney World on Christmas Eve.

However, while the baseball is overall very good, there's an imbalance among some of the teams. There's everything from average Little League teams to over-the-top travel teams comprised of players from various towns, regions and states. For example, the week we attended this year, the Eastern Massachusetts All-Stars consisted of players from most of the New England states, which put them on a different playing field than a town team.

The varying talent pools create some mismatches. Most of the coaches of the elite teams recognize when they're playing a far inferior opponent and throttle back, as we were all told to do at a coaches' meeting prior to the start of the games.

As with most youth sporting venues, however, a few coaches didn't get the message, and the result was some humiliating lop-sided scorers. There was a 30-0 game, as well as a 35-0 final, where the winning team kept stealing until it was 25-0.

The topper, though, was a 53-0 game between eventual champion Tri-State Arsenal and the Fairmount Braves. The Arsenal drew players from Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, while Fairmount is a town with a population of 1,300 in Pennsylvania. An umpire told me the Fairmount coach asked to concede the game after the second inning, but the Arsenal coach refused because his team was going for the record for most home runs in a week.

Losing is one thing, and getting thumped is another. But 30-0, 35-0 and 53-0? Come on. Each game was stopped after four innings because of the 12-run mercy rule.

After learning of these scores, the following night I didn't sleep well. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and was awake until daylight. My switches were turned on. I kept thinking about what I would have done if I was on the losing end of an eventual 53-0 score.

Right off the bat there would have been some poor language on my part directed at the opposing coach - that's an automatic. But how would I have gotten back at this guy? How could I send this guy a message?

My first reaction was to put my own kid on the mound and to have him throw a few "high and tight," but that would have been wrong because the other team would have retaliated. My next thought was to have my infielders make some bad throws that happened to go near the opponent's coaching staff, but again, that may have put my kids in some physical danger.

So I kept thinking. How does one react to being beaten 53-0 in a 10-12 baseball game? It took a full day to come up with an appropriate solution: I would have made the remainder of the tournament miserable for the opposing coach. I would have gone to every one of his games and heckled him until I got under his skin. And when I got under his skin, I would have kept going. I would have gone on and on and on to the point of completely ruining the trip for that coach.

Is that stooping to the level of those coaches who allowed those 30-0, 35-0 and 53-0 scores? Maybe. Would I have set a bad example for my players? Again, maybe.

But those coaches ruined the trip of a lifetime for some kids, and I think those coaches deserve the same in return.

Bill Wells can be reached at wellsb6@charter.net

Tyler's Court

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Tyler Ugolyn Foundation to dedicate 2nd "Tyler's Court" in Springfield

by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Monday August 31, 2009This plaque was placed near the Tyler's Court on Franklin Street in Springfield that was dedicated last September. Tyler's Court honors the memory of Tyler V. Ugolyn, a Springfield native and Columbia University student-athlete who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 in New York at the age of 23.

SPRINGFIELD -- The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday it proudly will continue to assist the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation with its goal to support youth basketball by refurbishing urban courts in cities and towns throughout the United States. The unveiling and dedication of the newest "Tyler's Court" will be held at Springfield's William N. DeBerry Elementary School on Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. as part of this year's enshrinement events.

"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation, as we celebrate Tyler's passion for basketball and pay tribute to his lifelong desire to share his love of the game with children throughout the country," said John L. Doleva, Hall of Fame President and CEO. "Thanks to the Ugolyn Foundation, there will be another 'Tyler's Court' in Springfield, the birthplace of basketball. On a court bearing Tyler's name, generations of youngsters will have the opportunity to learn more about the game and share in the joy that Tyler experienced when he played basketball."

"On behalf of our family, we are very appreciative of the continuing support of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and, once again, the city of Springfield and the YMCA of Greater Springfield in this unique private and public partnership. Tyler's commitment to sharing his love of the game was demonstrated as a student-athlete at Columbia, where he helped establish a basketball clinic for Harlem area youngsters," said Tyler's father, Victor Ugolyn. "We continue to gain some comfort from Jackie Robinson's epitaph which states that the value of one's life is not determined by the number of years, but by the number of lives you've touched. It is very fitting that our beloved Tyler's legacy of loving one another be again recognized, especially at this time of the year."

This court in Springfield represents the fourth "Tyler's Court," all made possible by the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation. Court renovations were made in Detroit at the 2009 NCAA Final Four, in San Antonio at the 2008 NCAA Final Four and in Springfield during the 2008 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend. Both Tyler and his younger brother, Trevor, were born in Springfield, as was their father, Victor. Both parents, Diane and Victor, were raised in the city. In addition, Victor serves as a member of the Hall of Fame Board of Trustees, so the dedication and refurbishment of a second court in Springfield is particularly meaningful to Tyler's family and the Foundation.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno stated, "We are deeply appreciative of the Ugolyn family's effort to take the extremely unfortunate tragedy of their son's passing on September 11th and turn it into such a positive legacy of Tyler's love for basketball and for fostering positive paths for the youth of our community."

Named in honor of Tyler Ugolyn, a former NCAA student-athlete in basketball at Columbia University who, at the age of 23, was a victim of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, the Foundation was established by Tyler's family to support youth basketball, with an emphasis on court refurbishment and providing character building educational programs and skills clinics to children in urban settings. The not-for-profit foundation, formed by the Ugolyn family in 2001, provides for court refurbishments, clinics and educational programs in cities at no cost to participants and organizations, with all funding provided by the Foundation. Each refurbished court will be named "Tyler's Court', so noted with a special plaque installed courtside, along with the words "I just love playing the game', a quote attributed to Tyler while a high school player in his hometown of Ridgefield, Conn.

At the court dedication, along with Tyler's family and friends, will be Dan Chung, President and CEO of Fred Alger Management, generous supporters of the Foundation and this dedication. Tyler was an employee of Fred Alger Management, which lost most of its employees on 9/11. Also present at the dedication will be Sports Illustrated 's Jeff Pearlman, who profiled Tyler in the magazine in September 2001, and Tyler's AAU coach Dave Cooks, currently head coach at Marquette University High School.

"This gift both honors the memory of Tyler Ugolyn and contributes substantially to the holistic development of children and youth in Springfield," said James Morton, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Springfield. "Through this gift, the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation supports the YMCA in building strong kids, strong families and strong communities."

Basketball Hall of Fame Showcases Photo Exhibit by Andrew D. Bernstein

(Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

Currently, at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (TL proud to have the HofF as a client):

***

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of basketball, will exhibit original portrait and action sports photography depicting memorable match-ups and moments in the recent history of the NBA Finals, shot by Andrew D. Bernstein, Senior Director, NBA Photos.

The solo exhibition, previously showcased in Los Angeles during the 2009 NBA Finals, covers images of the NBA Finals captured by the lens of Bernstein from 1983 through 2009. The exhibit is part of a full series of new, interactive programming to honor the Hall’s “Class of 2009,” to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame during ceremonies scheduled for September 10-12, 2009.

“We encourage basketball fans from all over the world to plan a visit to Springfield and the Basketball Hall of Fame,” said Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame President and CEO John Doleva. “We’ve been working hard to prepare for the enshrinement ceremonies surrounding the historic Class of 2009, and the Hall is filled with new exhibits and plenty of enthusiastic basketball fans enjoying the museum and playing our game. The wonderful NBA Finals photo exhibition by Andy Bernstein will join a brand new exhibit honoring 2009 inductee Michael Jordan to create an entire new wing of extraordinary basketball content to be enjoyed by basketball fans everywhere.”

Bernstein studied communications at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California before beginning his long association with the NBA as a founding member of the league’s photo division. For almost 30 years he has played a major role in chronicling the NBA’s history photographically. His work frequently appears in national publications such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, The Sporting News, Time, and Newsweek. Bernstein’s work regularly greets visitors to NBA.com and other worldwide Internet sites and publications. Bernstein has photographed nearly 150 NBA Finals games, the most by any photographer in the league’s 63-year history, and has captured some of the greatest moments in the league’s history, both on and off the court.

The exhibit consists of 30 photographs carefully selected by the photographer. “A lot of time and reminiscing went into choosing these photos,” said Bernstein. “Twenty-seven years of NBA Finals supplied me with an amazing collection of memorable moments. To be able to return to Western Massachusetts, where my dream started, and have my work displayed in the Hall of Fame is unbelievably thrilling,” added Bernstein. “The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of the sport. The recognition doesn’t get any better than this.”

When a Brig. General says you're a great American... you don't argue

"I told Bob, 'You are a great American' — it's so refreshing, because he relates to the soldiers so well, it's like a championship coach relating to his players," said Brig. Gen. Bob Brown, deputy commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, speaking by phone from his base in Mosul.

"He just gets it. And the soldiers were mesmerized. They listened and they learned a ton."

On Friday, August 7, I had "one of those days."

It was a busy day. I had a full schedule of work and a writing assignment with a fast approaching deadline. The day before, August 6th obviously, I had a fascinating day, working with the Harlem Globetrotters PR team on a promotion for the Basketball Hall of Fame and - at about 7pm - I landed a late-breaking ticket to see Paul McCartney at Fenway.. Pretty good August 6th, wouldn't you say?

Then, along came Friday.

Up at six, catching up on a ton of work for my blue-chip clients. Juggling some favors (booking Al Vega for a gig at the House of Blues), while juggling some family visits (the Lyons/Martin gang all doing our best to get a few days together in Boston and -- hopefully -- the Cape this coming week.

Writing, writing and more writing. Some editing.

Then, at about 1pm, we held a conference call about COVERT and its future on the silver screen. Appledown Films and Scott-Burns Productions have been shifting "four on the floor" to lay the foundation for the motion picture adaptation of COVERT and things are progressing at "warp-speed" rate. (I choose not to elaborate too much in this area as it is not my place to 'break news' nor use my personal blog to delve deeply into the inner workings of a client's business).

But, to say the least, very positive vibes continue to surround the COVERT project. Just as fate lent a hand in introducing me to the project, it continued throughout the promotional tour for the hardcover and segued into the outreach for the new paperback version of the book. Lately, I've been shaking my head alot and even pinching myself now and then to be sure that I am not dreaming. COVERT's future continues on an uphill climb in ways that we only imagined in August of 2007.

I can say this: Throughout the entire project, I enjoyed bringing energy to the group - we call the COVERT team and I like to call "CAMP COVERT" The story is SO good, that it fuels some creative juices and ideas that flow like a river of dreams. Time and resources are the only limit, of course, as so many people involved with TEAM COVERT have other priorities in terms of work and family. COVERT, after its initial launch by Sterling Publishing/Union Square Press had a great run and the publisher has to move on to promote other titles. That's life. That's publishing.

However, the launch of the paperback together with the fact COVERT was optioned for a motion picture in early June, brought new life to the project and it brought some fresh faces and SERIOUS ENERGY. Judy Goldstein and Larry Spiegel of Appledown are the equal of a lifetime portion of the 5-hour energy drink. They are simply amazing. Let me count the ways:

1. Professional

2. Smart

3. No nonsense

4. Great Drama on the screen = good; Any Drama off the screen = not good

5. Open

6. Selfless

7. Fans of the game

8. Respectful of the game and its officiating staff as a whole

9. Respectful to people and the support groups of the folks they work alongside

10. Inclusive

11. Inspiring

12. Thorough

13. Entertaining and funny

14. The kind of people that you want to be around

15. People you enjoy working with and for

16. Honest and straight-forward

I could go on.

The work day clocke in from 6am to about 7:30pm and I took a break to do a 45-minute (easy) bike ride in Newton. Upon return, I had a few dozen messages and one stood out. Bob Delaney and Dave Scheiber had worked together on a news piece that was scheduled to appear in the St. Pete Times (Fla) on Sunday. The editors liked the story so much that they decided to run it 1-A and move it to the World section. They also decided to run it as a tease on Friday night to encourage people to go out and BUY the paper on Sunday. The story was that powerful.

The link came in and it fueled a flurry of calls, emails, forwarding of messages and an all-out social networking/communication blitz to help creat some buzz behind the artcile adn to get the story and its Tampa/St. Pete Times URL to places where it could make a global impact.

Mission accomplished: Read this message which came in overnight from a person working on the other side of the globe:

"Great article. We are so proud! We've been passing around the e-mail
and hard copy so everyone can read it! I've also forwarded it to the units we visited so they can enjoy the great article and the great shots. Just awesome! Thanks again for your visit - we sent all the notes from BG Brown to the NBA folks and the publisher.

That message came from someone who is helping the United States of America try to win a war against cowardly terrorists.

Please read THIS. http://www.tampabay.com/sports/article1025531.ece

GLOBIE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD......

(Photo by T. Peter Lyons)
FROM SPACE to the HALL: (L-R) Springfield (MA) Mayor Domenic Sarno, Harlem Globetrotters mascot Globie, and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Vice Presidents Paul Lambert and Scott Zuffelato pose with the Globetrotters team basketball that flew aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis mission to the Hubble Telescope in June, along with a commemorative plaque from the Atlantis crew, outside the Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA on Thursday. Globie parachuted from 3,000 feet onto the Hall of Fame grounds to make the official presentation to the Hall of Fame, where the Globetrotters are one of only six teams ever to be inducted.

Jordan Exhibit Opens at Basketball Hall of Fame

Be sure to view this and make a trip to Springfield sometime soon:

New Michael Jordan Exhibit

Vecsey, Collins Heading to the Hall...

This from today's NYP:

Peter Vecsey, the ultimate NBA insider, is heading inside the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Vecsey, The Post's NBA columnist nationally renowned for his irreverent, always ahead-of-the-curve "Hoop Du Jour," will be inducted during festivities on Sept. 10-11 in Springfield, Mass., after receiving the Curt Gowdy Media Award.

The award is presented annually to distinguished members of the print and electronic media for outstanding contributions to basketball. TNT'S Doug Collins will receive the electronic media award.

The pair will join Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton and Rutgers women's coach C. Vivian Stringer -- announced earlier this year -- in the Class of 2009.

The official announcement will come today, Hall of Fame officials said.

"To be inducted with these guys, it's quite an honor," Vecsey said. "To be recognized as one of the best makes it all worth the while.

"It's amazing. I thought it would never happen, because I'm so tough on people."

Known for his biting style, Vecsey has been breaking stories for The Post since 1977. A graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School, Vecsey attended Hofstra University and served as a sergeant with the U.S. Army's Green Beret Special Forces Unit from 1965-1967.

He also has done considerable work as a TV analyst. He is regarded as the nation's first NBA columnist, grabbing that title at The Post 32 years ago.

Vecsey is famous for the stinging nicknames he's attached to those he's criticized -- among them, Larry (Next Town) Brown; Rashweed Wallace; M(inor) L(eague) Carr; San Quintin Dailey; and Charles (Sir Cumference) Barkley.

Vecsey's wit has targeted entire teams, too -- just ask the New Jersey Nyets, the Cleveland Cadavers and the Los Angeles Paper Clips.

And the trades and other scoops you read about first in Vecsey's columns are too numerous to list.

This will be the fourth time Vecsey has been given Hall of Fame stature. He already has membership to the Molloy Hall of Fame, the Rucker Hall of Fame and the New York City Hall of Fame.

"Doug Collins and Peter Vecsey have dedicated much of their professional careers to report on the game of basketball while they entertain and educate millions of fans, readers and television viewers around the world," said John L. Doleva, Hall of Fame President & CEO.

"The Basketball Hall of Fame is very proud to recognize their extraordinary efforts."

Vecsey, Jordan and the other members of the Class of 2009 will give their formal acceptance speeches in front of a star-studded audience, including over 70 returning Hall of Famers.

Basketball Hall of Fame exhibit is touring in Las Vegas

NEWS ITEM: The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has a great exhibit touring Las Vegas. Check it out in another blog about Las Vegas vacations:

http://vegasvacationblog.com/2009/06/26/official-basketball-hall-of-fame-exhibition-now-open-in-las-vegas/

Hall of Fame was Settting for TRUE HEROS

SPRINGFIELD - Bob Delaney has a different opinion of the meaning of peace.

Being yelled at by Hall of Fame coaches, glared at by 6-foot-11, 300-pound athletes and booed and harassed by 20,000 fans a night may not sound like fun for most people, but it is therapy for the veteran NBA referee.

That may appear stressful to most people, but Delaney has experienced more, much more in his life to feel threatened and intimidated on the basketball court.

Before he became one of the enforcers of the rules of basketball, Delaney was an enforcer of the law in New Jersey and spent three years undercover, infiltrating Organized Crime in the Garden State and helping to arrest and convict dozens of Mafia members.

New Jersey state trooper Bob Delaney ceased to exist while Bobby Covert showed up on the Jersey waterfront, running a trucking company as part of the joint state police-FBI operation called Project Alpha.

Speaking before 300 students from middle schools in Springfield, Holyoke and Ludlow at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Center Court on Friday as part of the shrine's MVP of Character speaker series, Delaney spoke of how he used refereeing to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder suffered from his undercover days.

"To me basketball is therapy," Delaney, whose book "Covert: My Life Infiltrating the Mob" is now going to paperback, said. "I didn't look to get into the NBA, I was just looking for inner peace. I had always been around what was bad in life and I wanted to be around what was good.

"The distractions of everyday life are separated when I'm out on the court," he said. "But it was a passion for me, it was part of who I'd been since I was a kid. And when I was going through tough times I just wanted to get back to what was peaceful to me and that was the basketball court."

Life after Project Alpha was difficult for Delaney, in part because he felt guilty for betraying the people he had come to call friends, and because he had trouble adjusting to life after Bobby Covert.

Returning to the basketball court just felt good, it wasn't meant to be a career for the son of a New Jersey state trooper. But Delaney was passionate about officiating and worked hard at it, and he got the right breaks to make a living out of it while officiating helped him cope.

Delaney spoke to the students of passion, education and leadership, and made a point about snitching.

"If someone's got a gun in a backpack and you're not talking, you're not being a leader," he said.

Besides talking to students, Delaney still works with law enforcement at every level of government and is heading to Iraq and Germany this summer to talk to the U.S. soldiers about post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ramble On ... News Items...

NEWS ITEM: JERRY SLOAN GETS NEW KNEE; THANKFULLY, STILL HAS SAME HEART:

This from the Deseret News:
Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan on Thursday underwent surgery to replace his right knee, and according to general manager Kevin O'Connor, the procedure was deemed to be "successful."

A full recovery is expected. According to a statement from the Jazz released Thursday evening, Dr. Russell Nelson performed the operation in Salt Lake City.

That's the same doctor who performed hip-replacement surgery on Phil Johnson, Sloan's longtime top assistant coach. Sloan is under contract for next season, and when the team cleaned out its lockers Tuesday, he gave ample indication that he intends to return for a 22nd season as head coach.

A successful surgery, he suggested then, would have no negative impact on that decision.

The Jazz's postseason ended with a Game 5 first-round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last Monday night. Sloan will be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame this coming September.

***

SIXERS to MAKE CHANGES:

Philly.com reports that Andre Iguadala was predicting some massive changes to the team over the course of the next few months, including player personnel, anc coaching moves. See this from Phila:

"Moves. It's going to be a busy summer," Iguodala said. "I'm going to sit down with Ed and discuss what I think will get us over the hump."

As for coach Tony DiLeo, the team's assistant GM who replaced Maurice Cheeks in December and led the club to the playoffs, well, Iguodala didn't exactly endorse his soft-spoken boss.

"We'll see about that," he said, when asked whether DiLeo should return. "We'll talk. We'll try to get the best-case scenario."

***

NEWS ITEM: SCHOOL NURSE PASSES AWAY AFTER SAVING SCHOOL COACH:

Just an amazing story of human interest, passion and glory:

Read ON:
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A school nurse likely saved the life of a softball coach suffering from a heart attack just moments before collapsing herself. She later died.

Eileen Bowden, 59, gave John Rahbar CPR minutes after he collapsed with no pulse while collecting foul balls following a team practice, San Francisco television station KTVU reported.
Bowden's actions kept Rahbar alive until paramedics arrived, but then suddenly fell to the ground.

"After that, Ms. Bowden kind of got up, in just a brief moment, she fell down and seemed to need medical assistance," Santa Clara School District spokeswoman Tabitha Kappler-Hurley said. "She was taken to Valley Medical Center and unfortunately died en route."

Bowden rotated between five schools in the district, spending one day a week on each campus. She was also a police officer with the Santa Clara Police Department.

Bowden lived in Half Moon Bay and leaves behind a 12-year-old daughter. Officials said Bowden was extremely dedicated to the school community.

Rahbar's wife said he suffered a heart attack. He's expected to be released from the hospital in a few days. Rahbar's wife expressed deep gratitude to the nurse for her actions and sympathy towards her family. She said she believes her husband might not have survived if not for Bowden's aid.

It is still unclear what caused Bowden's death.

Hoop Heaven, Final 4s, Elite 8s and Cloud 9 ...

Across the Pond
By Terry Lyons

(This is written for the Basketball audience in Great Britain)...

“Hoop Heaven” is NCAA Final Four
“Cloud Nine” is the NCAA Division II “Elite 8”

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts (March 26, 2009) – The birthplace of basketball is a wonderful place called Springfield. It is a small city located in Western Massachusetts, USA, about an hour and a half car ride from Boston. Springfield is where Dr. James Naismith invented the game when he nailed a couple peach baskets to the gymnasium wall to create a winter activity for his students. It was the winter of 1891. In case you haven’t noticed, the game has grown in popularity since Dr. Naismith brought out the peach baskets and it progressed quite a bit since the very first “rule change” when someone was smart enough to cut out the wooden bottoms from each basket.

One aspect of that growth is in American college basketball. NCAA Basketball captures the imagination of the American sports fan throughout the month of March. The NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments bring out the best “Division I” teams in the country to play a “one and done” style tournament, known to most as “March Madness.”

While “March Madness” commands global attention and billions of dollars of CBS Sports’ media money, a little known tournament, pitting the very best “Division II” teams in the country has been growing in Springfield. The organizers of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame together with the Western Massachusetts business community and the MassMutual Center brought the Division II tournament to this small city in 2006 and they have worked hard to improve and impress the collegiate basketball world as they built the little-known event into a tremendous celebration of basketball, now in its fourth year here at a building which once hosted the NBA champion (see Magic, Larry, Michael and the others)each year in a preseason exhibition game

The MassMutual Center, formerly the Springfield Civic Center, enjoyed a $51 million (US) renovation and it now serves as a small, quaint but state-of-the-art venue for basketball and ice hockey games. The venue is a close walk from the downtown center of Springfield and a “nine-iron” away from the Basketball Hall of Fame, a terrific museum dedicated to all aspects of the great game of basketball – from the international game to the Olympics to the NBA to the collegiate game to high school, wheelchair – YOU NAME IT.

As of the beginning of this column/web log, the Elite 8 in Division II basketball has put forth three teams into the “Final 4.” The Augusta State Jaguars (yes, Augusta, Georgia for you Tiger Woods and PGA fans) defeated the Buccaneers of Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tennessee), 70-62 in the first game of the day, tipped at Noon Eastern Daylight time on March 25. At 2:30, the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos (Pomona, California) knocked off the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs in an exciting 79-74 quarterfinals.

After a short break for some dinner, the loyal basketball fans from Western Massachusetts and all points from Augusta to Erie to Memphis, piled back into the arena for an 86-77 Central Missouri Mules victory over the Gannon Golden Knights (Erie, Pennsylvania).

Tonight, you’ll be side-by-side with me to experience a game between the undefeated (30-0) C.W. Post Pioneers of Brookville, Long Island, NY as they face the undefeated (33-0) University of Findlay Oilers from Findlay, Ohio. Can you believe it, basketball fans? That’s Ali-Frazier I as far as I’m concerned.

Here we go:

First things first. The final score, 89-79 Findlay in overtime, was not indicative of the nail-biting, intense and great game we witnessed.

British Basketball fans should know that Findlay U men’s basketball roster sports a chap by the name of Robert Marsden. Although he is not on the active team roster, Marsden is a 6-6, 215 pound forward who played his prep ball at Danum School in Doncaster, England. He averaged 27.5 points and 14.0 rebounds per game and was honored as team MVP in each of his three seasons with the club. Marsden led Danum to the England Schools National Championship in two of the three years. He certainly is a candidate for the 2012 Great Britain national team and Coach Finch has him in a great place for future growth. Marsden visits Basketball 24/7 regularly and promised to email us with his views and updates going forward. The reason he wasn’t able to suit up this year is that he was caught-up in a NCAA eligibility rule that required him to sit out one year because of his 13-years of prep school in the UK. You should begin to follow his American collegiate career starting next fall.

C.W. Post’s roster is full of kids from New York and suburban Long Island but two international players stand out right away. James Tchana, a 6-foot-7, 280-pound junior center hails from Douala, Cameroon. Tchana wears #34 and reminds NBA fans of a (very) young Shaquille O’Neal, a svelte Shaq that helped bring NBA basketball to London back in 1993 when the Orlando Magic played the Atlanta Hawks at Wembley Arena. Post’s deep roster also touts Lyndon Daniel, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound junior forward from St. George’s Grenada.

Findlay’s Josh Bostic is the Division II Player of the Year. Bostic, a 6-foot-5, 230 pounder is a certain NBA or NBA D-League prospect. If not, you’re sure to see him in the EuroLeague next year. Bostic appeared and started in all 33 games for Findlay and was named a first team all-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Bostic played an ice-cold first half, scoring only five points with four rebounds in 18 minutes of play. He played a strong second half and finished with 18 points.

Findlay’s Lee Roberts stepped up big-time in the final minute of the game, scoring a key basket and converting a free throw to give his club a 76-74 lead in regulation. Roberts shot 10-of-13 and finished with a game-high 23 points on the evening. Bostic and Roberts complemented each other nicely and can both play at the next level of basketball in the near future, whether that is NBA, D-League or European ball.

Findlay outscored Post 12-2 in the overtime period to advance to the Division II Final 4.

Attendance at the arena was an impressive 3,908 in the afternoon and 3,012 this evening.

NOTES: Post’s Kevin Spann, a 6-foot guard from West Babylon, Long Island scored 11 first quarter points on 3-of-4 shooting from downtown while rival guard Marcus Parker of Canton, Ohio equaled the output with 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range CW Post is a Long Island hotbed for the sport of lacrosse – both men’s and women’s programs. How do I know that? My niece, Kian, is the only NCAA champion in the family as her LAX team took the national championship two seasons ago… Spann led C.W. Post with 20 points on 6-of-13 shoting. … Bostic’s brother, Caleb, plays for Miami (Ohio) and is a young prospect to keep an eye on … NCAA Div II referees Jim Bannowski, Greg Nixon and David White did a very nice job.

Random thoughts: If you ever get a chance to go to the States, fly into Boston or New York and make your way up to Springfield for a visit to the Basketball Hall of Fame. It is terrific. And, guess who is getting inducted this coming September? … The synthetic basketball seems to be working fine on the NCAA level. Go figure?

Some fun links:

Basketball Hall of Fame:
http://www.hoophall.com

Findlay:
http://www.findlay.edu/default.htm

C.W. Post Basketball:
http://www.cwpostpioneers.com/index.aspx?tab=basketball&path=mbball

Great Story from Doncaster Free Press:
http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/free-press-sport/Danum-basketball-stars-shine-in.4644898.jp

Josh Bostic:
http://athletics.findlay.edu/sports/default.asp?id=15&aid=7294

Tribute to Big Bob Lanier and John "Red" Kerr ...

Each NBA All-Star Weekend, an insightful writer or columnist in the host city is smart enough to delve into the "Big" Bob Lanier story. The great St. Bonnie's center - Tim Russert's all-time favorite player, I might add - now hails from the Valley of the Sun and is still "getting it done" for the NBA, NBA Cares and Basketball w/o Borders programs.

Read the great piece on AZ Central:

"I found out early," he said, laughing, "that by feeding the hungry, I got a chance to eat some of the really good collard greens and fried chicken we were serving to the people."

Lanier had sympathy for those who felt isolated. He was 6 feet 8 by the time he was 14 and forced to wear ill-fitting men's clothes while his peers opted for khakis and penny loafers. He was told by a coach that his large feet would prevent him from becoming a successful athlete, and as a sophomore he was cut from his high school's basketball team.

He worked hard and improved, eventually ended up at St. Bonaventure. He was a three-time All-American and continued his interest in helping others, working with the Seneca Nation of Indians. In the NBA, where he averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds in 14 seasons, he was inspired by Detroit Pistons teammate Dave Bing, now a Detroit mayoral candidate, who "just kind of got it and made us get it," Lanier said. "He was the kind of leader and mentor who made sure guys got involved with community visits and doing clinics in tough areas. It was important to him."

Lanier retired in the same year, 1984, that Stern was named commissioner. Several years later, Stern asked Lanier to help launch the NBA's Stay in School program. He has stayed involved with many of the league's community outreach programs and was a founder of Basketball Without Borders, a group that runs basketball clinics around the world and helps teach at-risk youth life skills.

One of the reasons he moved from Milwaukee to Phoenix in 1996, in addition to the warm weather, was "a great airport."

Travel is a necessity of his job. He has introduced many NBA players to causes outside the United States. Stoudemire traveled to Sierra Leone in West Africa last year, and now his foundation is helping fund much-needed well construction.

Despite what some might suspect, Lanier is inspired by today's NBA players and their willingness to help.

"It's been absolutely phenomenal," he said. "Our players get it. I've got guys waiting in line to do some of the international stuff. We had some guys doing Special Olympics stuff in Africa recently. It gets me choked up thinking about it. This is a different era, a different player, but they still care about what we do."

So does Lanier, who is a great example for this season's All-Star selections.

Recently, his 10-year-old daughter asked him he had ever been named an All-Star Game MVP.

"Google me!" he told her.

She should. She'll find out he was the MVP in 1974. She'll find out a lot of other great things, too.

***

The Chicago Bulls and Basketball Hall of Fame honored Johnny "Red" Kerr, the former NBA great, former coach and broadcaster. Here is Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telender's tribute to Kerr:


Kerr tribute: As good as it gets
Ceremony for Chicago legend a trip back in time to the glory days for 'Red,' Jordan, fans

BY RICK TELANDER rtelander@suntimes.com

For a moment at the United Center, time stood still. Or, rather, it went back to another era.

Call it golden.
Rick Telander, Sun-Times sports columnist

Honoring Red Kerr

It was a few minutes into the first quarter of the Pistons-Bulls game when Michael Jordan saddled up to Johnny ''Red'' Kerr, and they started b.s.-ing like old times. Just like when the big Irishman cut a wide swathe through the halls of Chicago hoops and Jordan was an active demigod of never-seen proportions.

The difference was ''The Big Red One'' was no longer playing, no longer coaching, no longer broadcasting.

He was sitting down, in a corner box about 40 rows from the court, slowed and weakened from the effects of prostate cancer.

The Hall's Official News Release:

SPRINGFIELD, MA - Johnny "Red" Kerr has been selected to receive the 2009 John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the Board of Trustees of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973 and is the most prestigious award presented by the Hall of Fame outside of Enshrinement. Named in honor of Hall of Famer John W. Bunn (Class of 1964), the first chairman of the Basketball Hall of Fame Committee who served from 1949-1964, this award honors coaches, players and contributors whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional or international game.

"Mr. Kerr's career contributions are the epitome of what the John W. Bunn Award Lifetime Achievement Award is meant to recognize. There are few people who have committed their lifetime to the game of basketball as Johnny "Red" Kerr has done. He has touched every facet of basketball and has done so with an unmatched passion, dedication, professionalism, and respect for the game he loves," stated John L. Doleva, Hall of Fame President & CEO.

Jordan is Jordan, the only athlete anyone can think of who had a statue built of him and erected, while he was still a player.

Jordan was casually debonair in an olive blazer, black turtleneck and jeans. Kerr looked professional, if thin and tired, in his black business suit, white shirt and tie.

Oh, the fun those two used to have!

And then there was another moment.
One more Jordan moment

It was during the halftime midcourt ceremony, arranged to present the 76-year-old Kerr with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame, an honor previously bestowed upon such luminaries as John Wooden, Hank Iba and Red Auerbach.

Arranged around Kerr, who was seated rather uncomfortably in a red cushioned wheelchair near the center circle, were hoops greats and pals such as Scottie Pippen, Dolph Schayes, John Paxson, Bill Wennington, Jim Durham, Bob Love and Jerry Colangelo, who would make the trophy presentation.

Jordan was there, too.

And when host Neil Funk announced good old No. 23, the crowd went nuts. Jordan walked up to Kerr and clapped his own gigantic hands near the man who once played in 844 consecutive games, who was the first Bulls head coach, who announced Bulls games for three decades, who once was bright red and feisty but now is shades of gray.

Resin powder exploded from Jordan's palms in a cloud of glory. Kerr, has been his custom, pulled out a hankie and cleaned his pants and glasses.

What, you though LeBron James invented the powder ritual?
'He is the Bulls'

For a while there we were all transported back to the days when Jordan and his mates gave this city a bouquet of sports joy that may never be matched.

Through it all Johnny Kerr was there -- on the sidelines, in the booth, on the bus -- and his passion for the game and the hometown team was unmatched.

''He is the Bulls,'' general manager Paxson said before the game. ''You know, he was a fan.''

And that came through in everything the lively 6-9 man did or said. His yelps and muffled curses when the Bulls screwed up or the refs made a ''bad call'' (any call against the Bulls) were so telling that ''FAN'' might as well have been stenciled on the large man's forehead.

Wennington, another Bulls career basketball nut, got thoroughly tied up with Kerr once Wennington retired and joined the broadcasting team.

''He'd sing all the time,'' Wennington recalled before the ceremony. ''Especially on the bus after a win. If you were listening to a game, you didn't even need to know the score, if the Bulls were ahead or not -- you could hear it in his voice.''

Now these current Bulls are average at best, and the 1990s days of NBA title after title recede like a fading voice.

Jordan, ever the fun-time guy, mentioned the joy of sharing with Kerr, ''a little drink here, a little cigar here.''

One after the other the attendees walked up to Kerr and hugged him. And soon the metal bust of Johnny at the microphone that will be displayed in the United Center concourse was unveiled.

Kerr himself spoke at the end, in good humor, chiding his own son, Matt, who fumbled handing him some typed notes. ''He never did listen,'' muttered Kerr of his adult child.

Kerr then spoke of this being the ''happiest day in my life,'' and a Bulls fan named Barack Obama came on the big screen overhead and stated, ''Thank you, Johnny, We love you!''

Soon enough the lights came up and the real world intruded, and the Bulls rallied for a victory.

But for a while there it was, as good as it gets.

Chris Mullin... Hall of Famer

The greatest college basketball player in the history of New York City was - again - nominated for induction into the Nasismith Basketball Hall of Fame yesterday. Yes, Chris Mullin, who is the greatest college ballplayer in the great city's past and just happens to own two Olympics Gold medals and a tremendous career as an NBA player, will be up for the vote.

Only absolute idiots will leave him off their ballots.

But, -

Oh yeah, those very idiots passed on the likes of Chris and Adrian Dantley just last year to vote for others instead. Let's see what happens this year.

GBB in 2012

There is a very, very interesting sports and sports marketing story brewing in Bradenton, Fla and it could have a major impact on the 2012 Olympic Games.

The national basketball team for Britain is training in Florida under the guidance of Chris Finch.

Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls is on the team, and he is among some other top-notch talent. Suffice to say, if Great Britain Basketball can get its best players together and get 'on-track' to compete in the various international and continental tournaments, they could make some noise and contend with the likes of: Spain, Greece, Italy, France and Germany - among a few others.

The first step for GBB is to begin qualification for the 2010 World Championship, to be held in Istanbul.

If that were to be accomplished, the possibilites begin to soar.

And, don't forget, as host of the 2012 Olympic Games, Britain will field ONE team in basketball, hopefully for both the men and women. (Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales often compete separately as countries/territories but for basketball they will join as ONE).

I believe there is tremendous potential - both on and off the court.

Here is the schedule, as reported in article linked above - in The Times

National service

Aug 16 and 17 Great Britain v Ireland (international friendlies) K2 leisure centre, Crawley, West Sussex

Aug 21 Britain v Slovakia NIA Birmingham (EuroBasket)

Sept 1 Britain v Albania Meadowbank, Edinburgh (EuroBasket)

Sept 11 or 15 EuroBasket play-off Ponds Forge, Sheffield

The Draft...the final day

June 28, 2007 was my last 'official' day at the NBA. It was a really great day. A typical, hot summer NYC day. I was asked by NBA Entertainment to participate in a project to chronicle some of the history of the league. It called for a 1-2 hour sit down with one of the top NBAE producers, Craig. The day before, "Teif," as he is known about the NBAE halls, emailed a sarcastic email, something along the lines of..."ahh yes, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Shaq - who cares. I've been told I am doing the biggest inteview of my life tomorrow. High noon at the Westin."

We had a couple good laughs. I had a tough time on a few of the questions, especially the emotions I felt when I heard that Earvin "Magic" Johnson had the HIV/AIDS virus back in '91.

Teif later said that the interview actually fired him up to work at NBAE, as he heard about all of the stories and the passion we all felt as we began the process of creating NBAE from nothing. All of the stories of being in the 'trenches' with NBAE founder Barry Winik and the many producers and broadcast associates.

"It was my pleasure," wrote Teif in a powerful email he sent to me the next day. "Got some great stories, and, like I said, you fired me up to work here (NBAE) even more."

The afternoon turned to evening, and it was down to The Garden for my final night as an NBA employee. I knew it was going to be a busy night, as Yi Jianlian was in the house along with about 30+ media that had travelled to NYC from China to cover the NBA Draft.

Everything went quite well that night, although Yi's draft status with the Milwaukee Bucks remains an issue. One that I will follow closely, as his handlers try to manipulate the NBA Draft process to get Yi to a place where they think he can be 'marketed" well. The issue will be? Can he play?

Little do his marketers know, the frontline in Milwaukee might be a perfect place for Yi to cut his NBA teeth for a while, as he learns the ropes and the hard way of life in the league. We will see how it pans out.

After the 15 players on hand were led out from the green room to shake hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern and then be put through a literal gauntlet of ESPN, CNN, CBS, ABC, nba.com, NBAE, MSG Network, and a ton of other NBA interviews - the attention turned to the front rows of section 201-202-203 in the Felt Forum or "WaMu" Theatre as it is known in this, the day of the "naming rights to everything." That attention goes to a handful of kids, mostly international players, who are on hand and just praying to be drafted by an NBA team. many of them saw their dreams come true, including Giorgos Printezis, who was selected by San Antonio but later traded to the Toronto Raptors.

Well, as the second round came to a close, I made good on a thought that came to mind when I announced my departure from the NBA. I wanted to finish working, helping and doing some of the things that I did when I worked my 'first draft' in 1981. Those days, it was a 10-round marathon that began in the morning and went to about 6pm. We would take each round 'running' - the media/quick name for a list of what happened in that round, who was selected and by which team" - and distribute it to the working media on hand. The wire service guys lived and died by it, as the running was the key method to fact check their work to be sure all the names, schools and listings were accurate.

Well, I finished my NBA career by taking a list of the 2007 second round draftees, printing it and running from the 7th Avenue end of the Garden - where our press operation is located, to the 8th Avenue end where the Theatre and stage are situated and where St. John's grad and Naismith Hall of Fame media man Jim O'Connell, the AP college basketball editor, was putting the finishing touches on his copy. I gave "Oc" a big hug, as he knew the moment was coming and posed with him for a photo taken by another St. John's guy, longtime NBA Photos great, Nat.

It was all smiles and a perfect way to go out. I walked over to Tir Na Nog, an Irish bar across from the media entrance to MSG on 8th Avenue, near 33rd Street, and we toasted to a great run at the NBA.

A great night.