The Daily Payoff: TL Column

(This column appeared as a weekly series of writings on all subjects which intersect with the world of Fantasy Sports, Horse Racing, Casino gaming and other worldly activities)

The CrossRoads of Fantasy Sports Meeting Gaming

By TERRY LYONS, Contributing Columnist
@terrylyons @The Daily Payoff

The intersection of sports gambling and fantasy sports has been a key crossroad of the American sports scene long before the daily fantasy providers were sinking millions into a constant stream of radio and television ads. While betting on the outcome of games, usually on a money line, might’ve put former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose in a predicament, the average baseball fan has long enjoyed the thrill of predicting the future.  Whether handicapping the pitching duel or wagering ridiculously on the very next pitch being a ball or strike, the experience has captivated the fans.

Fantasy at the Ballpark, is an American tradition - we just don;t want to admit it. (Photo by T. Peter Lyons/DigSportsDesk)

As the current climate continues to change, quicker than the ice melts in Antartica, the leading sports executives are recognizing the change and see the business opportunity on the horizon. But they would only have to look back to the summers of ’74 and ’75  in Queens County, New York to have seen the future.

While the New York Yankees and New York Mets were each playing mediocre baseball, teetering around .500, fans at Shea Stadium were treated to games nearly every night as the Yankees were relocated across the East River when The City of New York renovated Yankee Stadium for two full seasons. While the Mets’ roster featured Cy Young award winner Tom Seaver who went 22-9 in ’75 when his club finished 82-80 and 10 games back of the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Yanks’ roster included the core of eventual ’77 and ’78 World Series championship teams, the opportunity for a baseball fan that summer was simply the ease of getting great seats at prices that were next to nothing, especially for the displaced Bronx Bombers.

It was the perfect summer for high school buddies to head out to Shea, grab box seats for $5 apiece and play a game we simply called, “Pass the Hat.” We knew it was probably illegal but a harmless form of wagering.

Little did we know, it was an early form of fantasy baseball that kept us fully engaged each and every at bat. The rules were simple. The game worked best when you had at least four participants, great when you had six or eight. To start, someone would take off their baseball cap and everybody would “ante up” a buck by tossing it into the cap. Batter up and the person holding the hat was eligible to collect the loot if a player got a hit when you were holding it. If the batter made out, you were obligated to toss in another $1 buck and pass the hat to your buddy seated next to you. If a player walked, you passed the hat free of charge, so, in our game, a walk was not as good as a hit. One caveat was the luck of holding the hat when a home run was hit. In that case, not only did you collect the money in the hat, but everyone participating was required to toss another dollar at the lucky winner, and then ante up again before the next batter.

As the years went by, we entertained ourselves with some other variations of our game, including an end-of-inning wonderkind called, “Grass-Mound-or-Other,” which required you to guess where the ball would end up after an inning ending out. After the final out, say a fly ball to left field, we eagerly watched the left fielder jogging towards his dugout to see if he would roll the ball to the pitchers mound and whether it would rest on the dirt hill (3-1 odds) or just off the edge and on the infield grass (even money). If the ball were tossed to a fan in the stands or carried into the dugout, all bets were off unless you had previously designated “other” which would get even money. There were many a times we had to stand on our infield box seats to get the proper angle on a ball tossed over the mound and nearly out-of-sight. It was glorious way to pass the time and highly intriguing, with the proof always shown through the fact neighboring fans would want to “get into” the game.

Surely there are hundreds of other New Yorkers with similar stories and different variations of the games they played at the ball field, and tons of examples of how soccer fans at Arsenal or dozens of other European Premier League clubs can wager on the first goal, the next goal or some other occurrence whether it involved the outcome of the game or just the next statistical transaction.

To date in the North American sports world, no league or venue has been permitted to get into the action because of federal laws. The recent influx of daily fantasy sports (DFS) is the first hint of gaming activity on an “official” basis, as Major League Baseball, via its digital media arm, MLB Advanced Media, has partnered with Draft Kings on an official sponsorship package.

That package consists mostly of touting their “experiential” offerings for tickets and other game enhancements or hospitality and trips.

The NBA partnered with Fan Duel, taking an equity position. However, the DFS offerings, to date, have only been salary cap-style games. The site infrastructures of either Fan Duel or Draft Kings have not been altered to allow in-game adjustments to line-ups or other such variations, such as predicting fantasy stats in an “At Bat” or single inning.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has boldly stated his viewpoint to potentially legalize sports gambling and take it away from the off-shore web sites or back-room bookies and into the open. His counterparts in charge of other major sports leagues have not been so forthcoming, especially the NFL and MLB which both seem to be burying their heads in the sand while Silver steps up, communicating transparently by way of his breath-of-fresh-air op-ed piece written in The New York Times last November 13th.

Wrote Silver in the NYT, “Betting on professional sports is currently illegal in most of the United States outside of Nevada. I believe we need a different approach,” noting the massive amounts of money wagered through “illicit bookmaking operations” or “shady offshore websites,” as he noted the popularity of sports gambling in the international world that is so much a part of the NBA’s global business plans.

In closing, Silver wrote under his by-line, “I believe that sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated.” But what wasn’t a major statement in Silver’s op-ed or yet recognized by the powers-that-be in any of the North American major sports, is the fact more lenient federal and state laws on gaming and fantasy sports will bring about more engagement with the fans.

"It can keep people much more engaged at so many different points in a game,” said Joe Favorito, the Director of Industry Relations and a faculty member at Columbia University’s sports management program. “If a baseball game score is one-sided, you might stay for the entire game,” he said while noting the payoffs for “In-game” wagering/entertainment might be a coupon for a free hot dog in the eighth inning or a promotion to get more 20-somethings to attend a different game, later in the season.

So while the wager doesn’t have to be about money, the bottom line for a sports team, league or venue should now be to use newfound, hand-held “app-crazy” technology and obvious widespread acceptance of gaming, to offer-up another form of in-game entertainment and keep the fans happy. Traditionalists might scoff at the idea, but, quite frankly, they don’t have to play, just the way some sports fans go out to the races just to see the horses run or intelligent readers buy Playboy for the articles.

Personally, I’d like to see a much more transparent viewpoint come from the Park Avenue hallways of both Major League Baseball and the National Football League, as those two sports have the most to gain. But, until then, I’ll head out to Yankee Stadium or the new Shea (they call it CitiField), with my old buddies, my baseball cap and $20 or $30 in singles.

A TALE of TWO CITIES (Parts I-II-III)

http://www.digitalsportsdesk.com/New/tennis.html

Rory McIlroy

By TERRY LYONS

Editor's Note: Lyons will be providing a double dose of sports insight tofday, first from the PGA Tour's Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, then from the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York where he'll file stories tonight and all day on Sunday before returning to Norton, Mass and the TPC Boston for the final round of the FedEx Cup playoff event. Enjoy and follow along on Twitter at #DigSportsDesk

NORTON, Mass - September 1, 2012 - Daybreak on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts where the best professional golfers in the world are competing at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second round of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs, brought to you in cooperation by EMC.  For any sports marketer, that's a mouthful.

With that prelude, the story of covering two major sporting events on the same day begins.  Tonight, I'll settle in at the U.S. Open tennis tournament at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens - about 30-45 minutes east of New York City.  This morning and this early afternoon, I'm in my native Boston on the gold circuit.

Here we go!

7:00am - I awoke pretty early in my own bed in my suburban Boston home, not far from where the Boston College Eagles will play host to what used to be the Miami (FLA) Hurricanes. After a stop at Dunkin Donuts, a must plug for any true New Englander, it was a 30-minute car ride to the Brown Lot at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, the satellite parking lot for the PGA tournament.  A short media shuttle ride over, and the DigitalSportsDesk was back in action, a day after covering the first 18-holes of the tournament with the impressive and exciting start by the one and only Tiger Woods (-7/64) and PGA rookie, 21-year old Seung-yul Noh of South Korea (-9/62).

8:00am - On the ride over, I tuned into Sirius-XM's PGA Tour channel and listened to the morning round-up as they promoted a full day of college football on the satellite radio chain. The highlight of their promos was the fact the Notre Dame vs. Navy game was soon to kick-off (with coverage on not one but two Sirius/XM channels). The talk of the PGA town was the 9-under 62 stroked by No and the fact Woods was certainly in the hunt. The early tee-times for Pat Perez and David Hearn (shot 67-69) and some movement from the group with the leader (Noh) along with Ryan Moore, a Tacoma, Washington-born 7-year pro who posted a 64 on Friday and would go on to hit 68 today after stroking four birdies and an eagle on his front nine this morning.

9:00am - I asked to be dropped off at the TV Broadcast compound and trekked up to see an old NBA on NBC friend in executive producer Tom Roy, one of the best producers and classiest acts in all of sports TV history. Unfortunately, with a 2pm air-time, I was a little too early, but jotted out a short note and left it for Tom at his office trailer.  Sure enough, by 11am, he replied by text with an invite to join him at the NBC compound. With the ND vs Navy game kicking-off, I rigged up my own small broadcast compound in the Media Center by going wireless with three screens, the main screen being the MacBook Pro, ably assisted by my (new fave) Ipad and the small screen iphone.  A little FIOS username and password later and I had the CBS Sports broadcast of the ND game streaming live from Ireland. Not bad.

9:30am - The mandatory email reading and catch-up, along with a photo editing search on Getty Images preceded my update of DigitalSportsDesk.com and its affiliated sites via Linked In, my Twitter feed(s) - #MediaForward - #terrylyons  #DigSportsDesk  & Facebook of course. I'll get to Pinterest later.   If you're reading this, please check out all of the sites and join, like, follow, friend, share and everything in between, please.  It helps build the audience for the fledgling online destination for sports fans and purists.

10am - After my second cup of Joe, headed out from the air conditioned PGA Media Center to the grandstands at the 18th green. The 18th green at the TPC Boston went from being one of the easier Par 5s and possibly the easiest hole on the is one of the most difficult putting greens on tour.  The TPC Boston was originally conceived by golf legend Arnold Palmer with an assist from PGA pro Brad Faxon, a New Englander. In 2007, the course was re-designed by golf architect Gil Hanse, who tweaked the green once again this spring. The 18th is now smaller and was elevated to create sweeping drop-offs in front, behind and to the left side of the dance floor.

Before the tourney began, Tiger Woods said, "The green is way different. We can't bail left," he noted. "Based on the pin, we've got to figure out where the spot is to miss it. The good news is we've got probably another 8 or 10 yards from over the hazard to the front edge of the green that we can land the ball in, and hopefully that'll be enough to keep it on the green."

Tiger was right.  I wandered out and watched three or four groups come down the 18th fairway, all with intimidating approach shots. Once within range, they laid up and tried to stop their shots on the highest tier of the elevated green.  Phil Mickelson's approach landed 30 feet short and he was challenged to make one of the more difficult "up & downs" for birdie "4." Nearly every other golfer missed birdie chances and settled for par.  However, a few, including tournament leaders (as of 2:00pm, Saturday) Rory McIlroy and Ryan Moore, each posted eagle 3s en route to their tremendous rounds.

11am - As the temperature began to rise, I took a stroll through the center of the course, past Holes #1 and #8 and #9, then over to the broadcast compound where I caught up with NBC's Tom Roy.  Roy is the executive producer for all of NBC Sports and the Golf Channels coverage of the PGA Tour. He appreciates, loves and enjoys the game of golf and is on site for nearly all of NBC's coverage. We shared a few life updates, mostly on family and mutual friends, but realizing he was two hours from air, I excused myself with hopes of catching up on Monday or down the road, after the Ryder Cup. TRoy invited me to view the action from the trucks and I hope to do that before the tourney concludes on Monday, the Labor Day holiday here in the USA.

We hopped in an NBC Sports golf cart, reserved just for the Exec. Producer, and zipped back towards the Media Center where I jumped off before Tommy headed up to the range to get some pre-production elements done.  Time well spent.  In fact, afterward, I was thinking of Tommy's counterpart on the NBA on NBC, director Andy Rosenberg, and I emailed him to let him know I caught up with his colleague.  Andy and Sandy Grossman (CBS and Fox) were two of my all-time favorite live action sports directors and two of the very best.

Noon - The early tee-time pairings were all closing down their rounds and the cut-line reads (+1).  I was hoping to meet-up with fellow St. John's University alum and co-New Englander in Keegan Bradley. However, Bradley posted a disappointing (71-73) and failed to make the cut, being two over par. Next time.

1pm - The PGA Tour Media Center organizers served a scrumptious brunch, consisting of both marinated chicken and marinated steak fajitas, along with red potato salad and terrific cold green bean salad, all with the compliments of the PGA and the chef.  Great stuff.  Energized after some fuel-injected Diet Coke caffeine, I headed back to the media center where Rory McIlroy was ready to conduct his post round media session.  McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, is one of the fan favorites in Boston because of his Irish heritage. His golf game might have a bit to do with his popularity, too, although the most interesting human interest question came from his much-reported and apparent romance with tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. McIlroy's golf facts, club choices and putting skills were set aside for a minute when it was announced for all to see and hear on the PGA televised media session that the gallery following the 23-year old was full of young, maybe teen-aged, boys.

While McIlroy recognized his friend's pain and misfortune of being a Day 2, first-round upset victim at the US Open in New York, he was happy to have her among the fsans here in Boston.

"It's nice," he said. "It's nice to have her out here. I think everyone would still love for her to be in New York, but unfortunately that isn't the case. It's great to have her support out here. Obviously, when she's not here, she's trying to follow as much as she can and watch as much as she can."

2pm - Time to gather all my things together, grab a few photos and to dedicate some time to writing and reporting, more tweeting and social media outreach. Gone are the days when you would file one story for the bulldog edition, one for the final and call it a day.

2:30pm - Wrap-up time at the Media Center.  I check a few US Open scores, some NCAA college football scores where I'm happy to see that Penn State leads Ohio, 14-10, early in the third quarter. I'll pick up some games on the car radio as I head for the second half of this "tale of two cities," after a 4+ hour car ride to Flushing Meadows, not far from St. John's in Jamaica Estates, Queens.

Mardy Fish at the US Open

FLUSHING, NY - September 1, 2012 - After a short pit-stop for a gasoline fill-up and restroom break in New Haven, Connecticut, the DigitalSportsDesk made the drive from Norton, Massachusetts to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens in about four and half hours. The "Tale of Two Cities" continues.

3:00pm to 7:15pm - The DigitalSportsDesk drove from Boston to New York, enjoying a combination of PGA Tour radio and US Open Radio on Sirius/XM, along with a full schedule of NCAA college football.  I was surprised by Penn State's 24-14 loss to Ohio, but my beliefs were confirmed when Miami (FLA) defeated Boston College, 41-32,  at BC and Iowa State defeated Tulsa, 38-23 at Iowa State.
There were quite a few other games that were entertaining, including #12 Wisconsin's narrow victory (26-21) over Northern Iowa, Maryland's 7-6 win over William & Mary and Nevada's 31-24 upset at Cal. On the home stretch to the tennis center, as I approached and crossed the Whitestone Bridge, I listed to the all-out destruction of James Blake by Milos Raonic.

7:30pm - Being without the official media credential and a valid parking pass, I was forced to wing it.  A relatively easy drive sans traffic or any delay whatsoever concluded in the vast parking lots of CitiField, directly across Roosevelt Blvd and about a mile from the entrances to the tennis center.  I grabbed the two computers and hoofed it over to the main entrance where there is a very strong security presence all along the way. The one thing that worried me on the drive was the fact the press credential center was scheduled to close at 8pm. A traffic delay would have cost me dearly.

7:45pm - At this point in the tourney, there were only three people in the media accreditation center, me and the two USTA staffers working the computer hardware. Processing took all of about two minutes and I was quickly handed my "M" media badge which included my head shot, a photograph taken by Andrew D. Bernstein when we did the team photos for the 2007-08 USA Basketball national team. I had it on file with the USTA.  A few steps, a bag check, a scan of the bar code and I was inside the compound, a facility I know very well from years and years of attending the US Open.

In fact, the first US Open I attended was in 1976 and '77 at the WestSide Tennis Club in Forest Hills.  At one point in the late 80s, I lived on a street in the lovely town of Forest Hills, a house a block away from the tennis club, still operational today with lovely grass courts throughout.  In 1978, the US Open was moved to the then-brand new tennis center and I was lucky enough to frequent the event each and every year. Back "in the day," as they say, the ProServe group in Washington DC, headed by David Falk and Donald Dell, had quite a grasp on the top players. ProServe offered tickets and hospitality to us as a professional courtesy.

IN 1999, I began to be credentialed among the media members covering the event and it's been an amazing tournament to witness as the growth soared with the building of Arthur Ashe Stadium and the refurbishment of the grounds.

8:00pm - Getting right into the action that I first heard by US Open radio but then witnessed as I settled into the media center, Milos Raonic of Canada, ranked #15, defeated American James Blake in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0, 7-6. When Blake met with the media in the interview room, the topic immediately went to the dominating service by Raonic. "Definitely one of the best," said Blake when he was asked to compare the speed of the serves he was trying to return. "I mean, it's tough to pick one better than the other, because you can take (John) Isner's (Andy) Roddick's -- I never played against Pete (Sampras) in his prime, but when they're having a good day, there's not much a returner can do. Obviously, it's pretty darn effective (serve), as it's gotten him to the top 20 in the world already and probably rising."

8:30pm - After a few quick "tweets" and some email, I am filing this section of my blog and heading out to "Ashe," the main court at the national tennis center where #23 Mardy Fish of the USA will play #16 Gilles Simon of France.  More to come via twitter during the match and online at DigitalSportsDesk.com later on.


FLUSHING, NY - September 1-2, 2012 -- The Sports Saturday/Sunday saga continued late into the night.

9:00pm - American Mardy Fish destroyed Gilles Simon 6-1 in their first set. With the fact Simon was nursing a stiff calf and continually stretching it between points, games and after the set, some of the the Flushing Meadows crowd headed to the exits. Simon had other things in mind and he stormed back to take the second set 7-5. The third set was the key as Fish struck back with a 7-6 (7-5) tie break victory to go up 2-1. As the clock struck Midnight and the match approached the three-hour mark, the US Open operations people played Eric Clapton's "After Midnight" on the Public Address system as the fans danced the night away. We even had a little of the "Village People" and Y.M.C.A - circa 1977 and '96. Fish took advantage of a key break point in the fourth set and defeated Simon 6-3 in the set to advance and avenge a straight sets beat-down from the 2011 French Open. Home court advantage holds forth.

9:45pm - A quick run from the media seating section in the 200-level back to the main media center was well worth the trip, as I ran into an old NBA and St. John's buddy, Seth Sylvan.  Seth was working the late night shift for the US Open (USTA) staff and running the press operation.  We spent some time, caught up on friends and family and I showed him the inner workings of DigitalSportsDesk.com  Together with his colleagues, we decided to undertake another "A Day in the Life" series for the DigitalSportsDesk.com site, highlighting the amazing set-up and a "behind the scenes" look at the vast digital production capabilities of the USTA as it presents the US Open tournament.

12 Midnight - About 4,000 enthusiastic fans remained in Arthur Ashe Stadium, many rooting for the American, Mardy Fish, but one young man screaming "Allez Gilles!" The serve and volley efforts of each player were strong and everyone in the stadium anticpated a five set marathon.

12:30am (Sunday) - With the crowd dispersed throughout the lower levels of the Ashe Stadium and ushers turning their heads and allowing fans to sit anywhere, I made my way to a corn spot by one of the CBS/Tennis Channel HD cameramen, a great vantage point. The speed and agility of the players intensifies as you get closer and just like most sports, the closer you are, the more you "feel" in terms of the power, impact on the ball, top-spin from the forehands and overall speed and quickness to cover the court.

When the fans chants of "Let's Go Fish" and "Here we Go Mardy" bellowed through the stadium, the home court advantage seemed to help as Fish broke serve and won in the fourth, despite his whopping 75 unforced errors in the match as opposed to Simon's 31. Fish did take advantage of his serve as he won 75% of his first serve points while Simon managed only 53%.

The first and fourth sets took 30 and 34 minutes respectively, but the middle two sets required 54 minutes for the 7-5 Simon second set win and 65 minutes for Fish's 7-6 tie break victory in the key third set, won with a 7-5 advantage in the extra session.

1:30am - With only a handful of French media present and solidly focused on interviewing Simon en Francaise, i headed to the main interview room in the Media Center to see what Mardy Fish would have to say. I also figured that a few good questions might help the efforts of my USTA media operations colleagues, so I quickly scouted the stat sheets and Fish's bio in order to ask some intelligent questions which surely would be recorded and fed on the satellite TV feeds. About 10-15 minutes into the wait, it was announced that Fish was seeking treatment and would not be available in the interview room.  No harm, no foul in my book and it was time to pack-up and get some sleep.

2:00am - My buddy, Seth, offered to drive me around the the CitiField parking lot where I left "Phil Ford," my 2012 Ford Fusion which was the lone vehicle in the "Tom Seaver" area near the new Shea Stadium. While driving through the lots, I marveled at the fact that I might've been driving in the spot where Tommie Agee or Ron Swoboda made the great catches in the 1969 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.  That said, it was time to get some shut-eye as the "Tale of Two Cities" came to a close.

National Tennis Center in NYC

Tomorrow (really today), is another day, and I look forward to seeing #2 seed Novak Djokovic play #31 Julien Benneteau of France at 11:00am edt and then American Andy Roddick, who announced that the 2012 US Open would be his last because of his decision to retire. Roddick faces Italy's Fabio Fognini in a match that will not begin until 1:30pm today, at the earliest.

Rob Pannell Nominated for ESPY

Rob Pannell, the NCAA, Ivy League and Cornell lacrosse player of the year, has been nominated for an ESPY award.  You can vote for him by visiting Cornell's news page - click HERE.

Rob Pannell (3) in the 2009 NCAA Championship game

The ESPYs, an award show hosted by ESPN, is a celebration of the best sports moments and athletes of the year. The 2011 ESPYs will be held on Wednesday, July 13th at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, Calif.  Fans can vote to select the winners online or by mobile device by July 9 at espn.com/espys or on the ESPN Facebook page: facebook.com/espn. Additionally, fans can follow the official ESPYs Twitter page: @ESPYs. 

Joining Pannell in the Best Male College Athlete category is: Jimmer Fredette (BYU Basketball), Andy Miele (Miami-Ohio Hockey), Cam Newton (Auburn Football), and Kemba Walker (Connecticut Basketball). 

In addition to being named the USILA Player of the Year, Pannell also repeated as the Jack Turnbull Award winner as the Division I national attackman of the year. He is a three-time All-American and is the reigning two-time Ivy League Player of the Year. He led the nation in points per game (5.24), while ranking second overall in assists per game (2.76), and 10th overall in goals per game (2.47). He was also the first Big Red player since 2001 to lead Cornell in points, goals and assists in the same season. Pannell owns the longest point-scoring streak in the nation, having registered at least one point in each of his 52 career games, and he has the most career assists (140) and career points (236) of any active player in Division I men's lacrosse. 

The ESPYs and related events benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research in memory of the late Jim Valvano.

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame works with Ugolyn Foundation to dedicate new Court in Indy

This story ran in the Indianapolis Star on March 31, a few days before the Final 4.  The Hall of Fame works with the Ugolyn Foundation, the NCAA and the YMCA to refurbish and dedicate basketball courts in tribute to Tyler Ugolyn.  See:

Every Friday was boys' night out for the Ugolyn clan of Ridgefield, Conn.
They'd head to the local YMCA and shoot hoops: Victor, the father; Tyler, the oldest son; and Trevor, three years behind his brother.


"Wonderful memories," said Victor, 62, a hint of sorrow in his voice.
"Tyler had an incredibly strong faith. And that's important for anyone in life."
So it's fitting that after Tyler died on 9/11, his father would use basketball -- and faith -- to turn unbearable grief into triumph that would one day play out in Indianapolis.
The Tyler Ugolyn Foundation, started shortly after Tyler, 23, died on the 93rd floor of World Trade Center Tower 1, strives to build character and provide educational opportunities for urban youths through basketball.
In a tradition that began in 2008, the foundation has committed to renovating a basketball court each year at a local YMCA at the NCAA men's basketball Final Four host city. This year's recipient is the Ransburg Branch, 501 N. Shortridge Road, on Indianapolis' Eastside.
The 50-year-old YMCA basketball court recently underwent a complete makeover, the results of which will be unveiled at a dedication on Easter Sunday.
The floor was sanded down and refinished. Walls received a new coat of paint. Old wooden bleachers were replaced with two metal sets. Two heating units "that sounded like airplanes taking off" were replaced with an efficient new model, said Ellie Pauley, Ransburg's executive director. The two backboards are brand-new.
Like other renovated courts, Ransburg's will bear the name "Tyler's Court" and display a plaque with Tyler Ugolyn's favorite quote: "I just love playing the game."
At Ransburg, half the members receive financial assistance, a major reason Victor Ugolyn, his wife, Diane, and son, Trevor, 28, selected it.
Tyler, who was a 6-foot, 4-inch basketball player at Columbia University, co-founded a basketball clinic for Harlem youths that continues to this day: the Tyler Ugolyn MVPs of Character Basketball Clinic, hosted each year by the Columbia basketball program.


"It's an honor for them to choose us," said Pauley, who unofficially opened the renovated court on Jan. 14, the day before the start of the YMCA's basketball season. "We've been blessed with this all the way around."
The timing of the gift could not have been better, as the struggling economy has forced organizations such as the YMCA to delay or even eliminate improvement projects. The renovation cost $30,000 -- $25,000 of which came from the foundation. The rest was funded by the Y.


Without the foundation, "we couldn't have done the work," Pauley said. "It was a much-needed renovation. It just could not have been done right now in these economic times."
Damian Roark, 14, who has been visiting the Ransburg Branch since 1997, likes what he sees.
"You actually don't slide. You stick," Damian, a student at Franklin Township Middle School West, said about the new floor.
"It's just better equipment," he added. "They went up, quality-wise."
Count Doug Walker among the Ransburg YMCA's devotees: He's been visiting the Y since 1960.
After a fire in 2002 forced a remodeling of the facility, officials decided to make the gym the centerpiece. After you check in and turn the corner, the gym beckons through a wall of glass.
"We wanted to have that 'wow' factor," said Walker, the chairman of Ransburg's board. "We've always had a 'nice' factor. Now we have a 'wow' factor."
The Ransburg project is the fifth Tyler's Court: The first was created in 2008 in San Antonio, followed by two during enshrinement weekend at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 2008 and 2009, and last year at the Final Four in Detroit.
At the Boll Family YMCA in Downtown Detroit, new scoreboards and bleachers were installed. Other funding paid for youth programs and a large display board that alerts the community to upcoming programs.
"You can't help but feel better about what you do and how you do it after meeting the Ugolyn family," said John Harris, executive director at Boll. "Obviously, something tragic affected the family. Through that tragedy, they've really grasped onto something that will continue to give back for generations to come."
From San Antonio to Springfield, thousands of youths, basketballs in hand, continue to benefit from Ugolyn's gift.
"My son gave back in so many ways," said Victor Ugolyn, who still lives in Ridgefield. "We're just continuing what our son would be doing. That's what it's all about."

Boston Blazers - Good Luck in 2010

Here's to a National Lacrosse league Championship for the upstart Boston Blazers in just their second year.  That's the goal for the season that starts tomorrow, Saturday, January 9, 2010 at the Boston Garden.


The pre-game festivities will start the season at Johnnie's (138 Portland Street, Boston) at about 5pm, before the evening game.  (The Bruins play at 1pm vs the NY Rangers, so it'll be a busy day and night at Johnnie's).  The Blazers front office, coaches, team, players, and fans will be out in full force while the Toronto Rock and their fans will be welcome at the pre and post-game party, as well.


Here's the Boston Globe's season preview, published today: (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)


Blazers return with more fire
Team shoots at goal: NLL title

By Sarina Mathai, Globe Correspondent  |  January 8, 2010

In the Boston Blazers’ first year in the National Lacrosse League, they went 10-6 (after losing their first two games), tied for first place in the East Division, made the playoffs, and their captain, Dan Dawson, was the league’s MVP.

Not bad for an inaugural season.

Now the Blazers are looking for no less than championship gold in their second season after being knocked out of the playoffs by Buffalo. The Bandits, who were the reigning NLL champions at the time, defeated the Blazers, 11-8, in the 2009 East semifinals.

“I think we did exceed expectations by making the playoffs, and we finished the season happy,’’ said coach Tom Ryan. “This year, we won’t be happy with just making the playoffs.’’

They start the season with a home-and-home series against the Toronto Rock that begins tomorrow night at TD Garden. The Rock finished last in the East Division last year (6-10), but they introduced 12 new players to the roster in the offseason.

The Blazers’ roster has not changed much, with 18 returning players, including Dawson. The 6-foot-5-inch forward scored 104 points in 2009 (30 goals, 74 assists), setting a record for assists.

Ironically, his coach wouldn’t mind seeing his assists go down in favor of more goals.

“A lot of our success [last season] can be contributed to Dan’s roles on and off the floor, but we want him to be a little more selfish this year and create his own scoring opportunities,’’ said Ryan.

A player who won’t be returning is Jason Bloom, who was traded over the summer to the Washington Stealth for defenseman Mike Kirk, who played on two championship teams in Canada’s Major Series Lacrosse. Kirk will inject veteran leadership into a young defense.

“The experience from winning a championship is not something you can teach,’’ said Dawson. “He’s definitely going to show the young guys on defense some of the stuff he has learned.’’

The move will take some weight off the shoulders of All-Star goalie Anthony Cosmo. Last year, Cosmo posted a 10.14 goals-against average, third-best in the league. The 168 goals allowed by the Blazers were the fewest in the East Division.

“Much like Dan is the leader on offense, Cosmo is undeniably our defensive leader,’’ said Ryan. “His role as a leader and bringing guys together, setting them straight and talking them through certain scenarios, is important and reflected in his GAA last year.’’

Other key players returning on defense are Bourne-bred Mitch Belisle, Jack Reid, Jon Durno, Kyle Ross, Jon Harnett, and Paul Dawson (Dan’s younger brother). All played a full season together and look to continue their success.

The offense returns the rookie sensation and first overall pick in the 2008 expansion draft, Daryl Veltman, whose 34 goals led the team. Sean Morris, a South Boston native and UMass alum, had a great preseason in 2009 only to sprain his ankle and miss the first half of the season. He was a key contributor on offense (8 goals, 16 assists) in the final six games, so the Blazers expect him to be even better in a full season of play.

“With Morris back, we’re a little bit quicker up front and our offense is going to be more spread out,’’ said Dawson.

The road ahead features their new rivals, the Bandits, as well as three games against the Orlando Titans (formerly the New York Titans), who lost in the finals to Calgary.

“You have to beat the best to be the best,’’ Ryan said. “It’s a good benchmark for where you’re at as a team. The tougher the schedule, the more it will pay off come playoff time.’’

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):

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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.”

Ramble On ... Rock On.

Watch Derek this Thursday on Good Morning America on the ABC TV Network.
(Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

LOWELL, MASS - AUG 8 -- Rockin' at the Lowell Summer Concert Series with the one and only Derek Trucks and the DTB:

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.

"K it Ain't So, Hub?"

(Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

News "Iteam": USA Basketball Names Coach Mike Krzyzewski as the head coach of the 2009-2010-2011-2012 USA Basketball Senior Men's National Team.

TL's quick forward to the column.... "In September of 2004, immediately after the United States Men's Olympics Team "settled for" the bronze medal in the Athens Summer Games, the NBA had a serious decision to make.

There were two paths ahead. Either meet with the USA Basketball hierarchy and encourage them to return to the ways of 'pre-'92' and field teams for the World Championship and Olympics in the same manner that we currently field teams for the likes of the Pan Am Games, the World University Games, the Junior World Championship, etc. or to meet with USA Basketball and say "We've got to change the way we do this and turn the program over to one person and allow that person total autonomy in doing what he/she feels is in the best interest of one goal: Winning the Gold.

Well, the NBA and USA Basketball took the latter approach and on April 27, 2005 named Jerry Colangelo to a then-newly created role of Managing Director of USA Basketball's Senior Men's team.

On that day, Colangelo said the following: “I take on this responsibility with a great deal of commitment and passion,” Colangelo said. “My intent is to restore USA Basketball’s role in international basketball and the status we once enjoyed. With the increased international competition that exists, this will be a major challenge for us as we prepare for 2008 and the Olympics.”

That was the first day of the new program, one that would go on to take a bronze in Japan in 2006 but would win the gold in Beijing in 2008. The USA would have its "redeem team" a few years after the same moniker was hung on the 2004 team by the writer I highlight here today, Mr Jan Hubbard.

Instead of providing my opinion on Mr. Hubbard's work, I am going to post it and then post my comments after the story he wrote and published in the Ft. Worth Star today. Read on:

(The Dallas/Ft. Worth Star Telegram Headline for this story - which reads, "Coach K Gets the Nod, NBA Coaches Get the Shaft," was very inflammatory...and I Chose not to repeat it in my headline. I do make note of the fact it was above the Jan Hubbard-written opinion column in the Ft. Worth, Texas paper.)

By Jan Hubbard

The coronation became official Tuesday night when Mike Krzyzewski, the supposed "savior" of USA Basketball, agreed to a second term as Olympic coach.

Not to be ornery here, but the way I see it, Kobe Bryant was actually the savior when the United States won the gold medal in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics. Krzyzewski’s debut in international play featured this semifinal result in the 2006 World Championships:

Greece 101, USA 95.

Two days later, this was the result of the gold medal game:

Spain 70, Greece 47.

Didn’t say much for Coach K’s defense. Spain allowed 54 fewer points than the United States, and it should be remembered that Pau Gasol sat out that game with a foot injury.

Bryant was not on that 2006 team. When he arrived at the Tournament of the Americas in 2007, it made a monstrous difference. The U.S. had a player who approached defense with the attitude of Joey Chestnut eyeing a plate of hot dogs.

Jason Kidd, who also did not play in 2006, helped direct the 2008 team and players such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul were two years older. All that helped.

But Bryant was the leader on the court, clearly the best player in the world. He still is.

Although I don’t blame Krzyzewski for taking a second term as the senior men’s team coach, I do believe some great coaches who have been nothing but loyal to David Stern and the NBA have been insulted.

Utah’s Jerry Sloan has been the poster child for consistency. He’s the longest-tenured NBA coach with 21 seasons. He’s won 1,137 games. He’s coached teams to 50 or more victories 12 times. He’s made two appearances in the Finals, losing only to Michael Jordan. And he’s paid his dues by being an Olympic assistant coach for USA Basketball.

Krzyzewski has been at Duke 29 years and has won three national championships — the last in 2001.

But Gregg Popovich has coached the Spurs for 13 seasons and has won four NBA titles since 1999. USA Basketball puts a large premium on coaches participating in their programs and, like Sloan, Popovich also has served as an Olympic assistant.

Sloan is 67 and Popovich is 60. In 2016 — the first chance either will get to coach an Olympic team — Sloan will be 74 and Popovich will be 67. It is doubtful that either will be considered.

"My judgment was we’ve got the right team together," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "[Krzyzewski] has earned the opportunity to do it again if he chose to do it again, and there were outstanding people available if he chose not to."

Krzyzewski certainly deserves credit for directing Team USA to the 2008 gold medal — just as he deserves criticism for the 2006 failure.

But since NBA players began representing USA Basketball in 1992, there has not been one second when they were on the floor against a team with superior talent. Not one second. In short, Krzyzewski and Team USA did exactly what they were supposed to do in 2008.

The embarrassments of 2006, 2004 and 2002 were a result of bad coaching, bad playing and bad player selection. Whoever decided to put Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson and Larry Brown together in 2004 has obviously gone into hiding and is referred to in USA Basketball circles as "He Who Shall Not Be Named."

The 2002 team had plenty of talent but a cavalier attitude that proved to be fatal at the World Championships, with losses to Argentina, Yugoslavia and Spain.

This is no attempt to diminish Krzyzewski, but a lot of coaches could do what he has done. He also coached the 1990 World Championship team, and that group did not win the gold medal.

In the history of U.S. play in the Olympics and World Championships, only two coaches have lost twice — Hal Fischer in the 1967 and 1970 World Championships and Mike Krzyzewski in 1990 and 2006 — and the latter time with pros.

It seems odd that with David Stern the de facto boss of the U.S. Olympic effort and Colangelo, who’s been involved with the NBA for more than 40 years, as the managing director of the senior national team, someone from the college ranks gets to coach in two Olympics.

Krzyzewski has resisted overtures to coach NBA teams in the past, and in terms of international play, that was a good choice.

Because as Jerry Sloan and Gregg Popovich can attest, if Krzyzewski were in the NBA, that would almost certainly mean that he would have no support from the most influential people in the NBA as the Olympic coach.

TL Opinion: On this story, Mr Hubbard shot a complete air-ball. First and foremost, he made one of the biggest mistakes in journalism, he did not let the truth get in the way of a pre-conceived notion that is 100% false. That faux pas, for Hubbard, is a very rare mistake.

Unfortunately, I believe he made the mistake because of the fact that on August 1, '04 -- the same day the United States Men's Olympic Team landed in Cologne, Germany on its training trip in advance of the Athens Olympics -- Hubbard was writing for the Dallas Morning News and awoke in his native Texas rather than waking up in Jacksonville, Florida.

On July 31, 2004 - the United States Men's team lost any chance of winning the gold medal. That major development occurred in Florida, not Athens. However, Hubbard was not covering the game that day, he was writing a story about professional lacrosse which appeared on the pages of the Morning News on August 1, 2004.

On that lovely July 31st Sunday back in 2004, assistant coach Gregg Popovich and head coach Larry Brown lost their team when they chose to bench Allen Iverson, Lebron James and Amare Stoudemire for their tardiness (by five minutes) for a team meeting before the USA vs. Puerto Rico friendly, won by the USA 96-71

That day, everyone involved in USA Basketball knew the model was broken. There was absolutely no continuity, no state of stability between the selection of players and the coaching of those players within the USA men's program. Coach Brown, trying to do his best I stress, did not "like" the very players he was dealt and he made it clear from the 'git go." Coach Brown and Coach Popovich fell into the trap. They circled their own wagons and alienated their team. Coach Brown was preparing for disaster and fueling it at the same time. Coach Pop bought the fuel.

In his article above, Hubbard makes reference to the selection, but he errs mightily when he tagged Coach K with a "savior" tag. That distinction should be hung solidly on the chest of one JERRY COLANGELO. Yes, it was Colangelo who took the keys to the car and made one thing clear in 2005-2006-2007-2008. Colangelo had total authority to name the coaches and players and he would not rely on the prior politics between USA Basketball constituents like the NBA, the NCAA and the various and numerous committees and boards when it came time to name his coaching staff and his team.

So, when faced with the challenge of defending the USA's 2008 Olympic gold medal for the next "three+ years," Colangelo again proved his mettle and evoked his authority when he named Mike Krzyzewski, Mike D'Antoni, Jim Boeheim and Nate McMillan to repeat as the national team coaches. In TL's humble opinion, that move is TREMENDOUS.

Now, I love coach Sloan like a brother and I think the world of his Hall of Fame coaching abilities, but the fact of the matter is -- Coach Sloan was not named the Olympic team coach in 1998-2000 and he was not chosen because of the fact Rudy Tomjanovich coached the Houston Rockets to an NBA title and he was pegged to lead the 1998 World Championship team.

I also respect Coach Popovich and believe he deserves a chance to 'redeem' himself and his shortcomings as an assistant coach in 2002 and 2004 in Indianapolis and Athens, respectively. I honestly hope he gets a chance to take a USA team into competition someday, but with Pop's massive ego, I doubt he would agree.

So, my conclusion is this: Time marches on. The USA men's program is run by Jerry Colangelo. Period. Colangelo faced a lot of pressure and he also faced the music when the USA team lost to Greece in 2006 at Saitama, Japan. After that game, Colangelo and Coach K met the media with a huge task ahead of them. After the loss, they recoiled and adjusted the USA roster to increase the national team's size and strength in the backcourt. That was easily done by adding the best player in the world (Kobe Bryant) and the most experienced and strongest leader among NBA point guards (Jason Kidd).

Note: Kobe was scheduled to be on the 2006 team but had minor surgery on his right knee as the team was about to begin training camp and could not commit to the long and grueling schedule in advance of the '06 Worlds

See the boxscore: http://www.usabasketball.com/seniormen/2004/04_msnt_box1.html

And the game story:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/athens/basketball/2004-08-01-men-schedule_x.htm

Another Favorite Thing ...

In honor of the Belmont Stakes, I send along one of my very favorite photos, taken by yours truly, T. Peter Lyons:

In Tribute to Memorial Day 2009

Here's to the brave men and women who began and defended our country:

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND ...

Enjoy the weekend from your friend, PR & Communications guy, NBA fan, blogger, new media guru and overall media mogul/muckety-muck.

Cape Cod Morning ... A Photo by T Peter Lyons

The Ball is Tipped ...

Showtime.... (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)