Now for the bonus round...Which of the above stats is the most amazing of all?
A man coaches for 32 seasons, including 27 consecutive winning seasons, producing 10 NBA first round selections, including 3 of the 50 Greatest Players of all time. He wins 592 games for a .680 career win percentage, including three 30 win seasons, making the final four 5 times, including 2 NCAA championship games.
He is the winning coach of the "Game of the Century" in 1968.
His most astonishing stat of all? How about the fact that this giant of the game has been waiting for 20 Years to be nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame. This has got to be the greatest sports travesty of all time. After all, he has more wins than 67 percent of the coaches already enshrined. He ranks 5th all time in NCAA Final Four appearances. Above all, he is a class gentleman, and he is absolutely worshiped by his former players, for the things he did for them. Unfortunately, Lewis is now 84 years old and may not live to see his own inevitable enshrinement. That would be the unkindest cut of all for a man that did as much for college basketball as anyone on the face of the earth.
In the era of over priced, over hyped, over the top athletes, the day has finally arrived. No, not the day that the Houston Rockets finally admit they have a mediocre basketball team on their best day and a depressingly boring head coach. That day arrived unceremoniously every morning for the last month. Today we heard the three little words that imply that we the sports fans have been right all along, and that our warnings have gone unheeded for too long. Three little words that say we never should have made a circus of our sport, and drove the real sports fan from the arena. Write this date down in your calendar.
While attempting to explain his team's dismal 4-15 record at home this season, Houston Rocket Jon Barry reasoned to his interviewers that the Toyota Center is "just too nice." Barry went on to explain that there is so much going on besides the basketball game, that the fans become distracted and distant thus remove any home court advantage. The Toyota Center is one of the most plush sporting venues in the country. The atmosphere at the arena can be likened more to that of a nightclub rather than a basketball arena.
As exhibited in this photo of the west lounge fans can relax and enjoy the game from here without ever claiming their stadium seat which lies to the immediate left.
Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy has become so concerned that his team has become too comfortable in their home environment that he has had the buffet removed from the training room prior to games in an attempt to light a fire under his team when playing at Toyota Center.
A view of the west side bowl seating area.
When fans attend games at Toyota Center, they are constantly bombarded with sensory overload that takes away from the game. They get hit with everything from contests, to power dancers, to Clutch the mascot, in a circus atmosphere. Players like Tracy McGrady and the giant Yao Ming get lost in the shuffle of tricks and treats, all in the name of entertainment. What does it say about the sport, if the game cannot sell itself? Does an owner have to find ways to justify a $325 ticket price when they fail to put a competitive product on the court?
What happened to the days when fans went to the game to actually watch the game? Perhaps if the greedy players and owners had not priced the average fan out of the game they would have an easier time finding somebody who cares when the game gets to crunch time.
Seems as though the owners and players are finally reaping what they have sown these past two decades. By catering entirely to the affluent ticket and suite buying customers the last twenty years, the NBA finds itself in the unenviable position of being on the receiving end of the very apathy they created. The sad thing is that Pandora's box is open and there is no going back to the good old days, when customers were fans and teams had to compete for the entertainment dollar. We are in no way suggesting that the NBA is going to collapse in the near future. But it sure does seem there is a crack in the foundation.
It is being suggested here that perhaps the home court advantage could become extinct in the age of posh playing palaces. Do most fans of the NBA today even remember the hellhole that used to be the Boston Garden? But what a home court advantage. The old parquet floor had gaps in it wide enough to twist a player's ankle. When visiting teams went to the Garden, you could almost touch the ghosts of Celtics past. The place was dripping with history. It is surreal now to see that teams are finding creative ways of making the home team feel uncomfortable so they will play better.
The Anthony Davis event was an unfortunate set of circumstances, and I think most americans will side with Davis on the fact that he wanted to protect his wife. However, the league did what it had to do to protect the integrity of the game. I think the fan was probably way out of line in his actions, but from most accounts he did not injure Mrs. Davis, and no weapons were found upon him to indicate that he meant to do her any harm. Is the fan a jerk? Probably. Did he break the law? Apparently not. Did he know prior to the confrontation that this was a ballplayer's wife? It does not look like it at this point, so there does not appear to be a harassing motive here. Should the players or perhaps the NBA teams look at player family security a little better? Absolutely. These men are wealthy athletes, and they know that security is an issue. If Davis is concerned for his wife's safety at a basketball game, it should have been addressed prior to her seat selection. Davis' actions while admirable and chivalrous, could have very well caused a riot and that is why the message is clear. You cannot leave the court for any reason. Period. I think the league exercised judgment in their decision to only levy a five game suspension, taking into account the fact that Davis did not assault anyone. If Davis had gone into the stands for anything other that what he did, his season would be done. We can certainly empathize with Anthony Davis, but we cannot ignore that what he did was wrong.
1) The Longhorns won, USC didn't throw it away. They did what any good team does with a chance to ice the game. They went for it. The Texas defense stopped them. Period. There were no missed calls on that play. Texas earned it. Then they earned it again by scoring. And they earned it again because they held USC.
2) Vince's knee was on the ground, but it wasn't fourth and goal. Stop saying it changed the game. Texas would have scored a TD anyway, at least a 95% chance, and USC would have not had time to recover for the field goal. It's a wash. You look silly to the whole nation when you try to explain away Undeniable Truth #3 with Vince's knee.
3) USC's clock mismanagement had nothing to do with the officials or Vince's knee. Calling a last timeout on an extra point when you have :19 seconds left is reason enough why USC should not have won, but you can add Weinart's 8 second bull ride to end the game a very close second.
4) The officials missed calls on both sides. It happens. What they didn't miss was the facemask that gave the Horns a first down on the last drive, instead of 4th down that they should have had because USC's defense was gassed.
5) You didn't hear the refs complaining about USC's poor ball control techniques.
6) Vince Young REALLY is that good. Deal with it. Until he plays a single down in the NFL, there is no way of knowing if he will be better than Leinart. But there's also no way of knowing otherwise either.
7) You never heard Texas complaining about USC's pre game media coverage. Let the Horns have their day in the California sun.
One movie from each of the big four have been put up for scrutiny. Feel free to add to the list....
3rd Runner Up- 61* - You can't help but watch this movie over and over, even if you are not a Yankees fan. The realism in the details is top notch. The musical score is a 10 out of 10. When Maris plays that game in Baltimore you can almost will him to hit one out against Wilhelm. Billy Crystal gets an A+, because baseball is the hardest sport to re-create the drama. Best Moment- Hauk speaking to Maris in his office before the Baltimore game-"Look Rog, I'm not a sentimental type guy, you know, but most of us #### around the game for a while and we're forgotten. Ruth, Cobb, Gehrig, Dimaggio, those guys, were bigger than the game. And I know that is not what you want, but right now whether you like it or not, you're bigger than the game. This is your one chance to go out there and show 'em what your made of..."
2nd Runner Up- Miracle- First I saw it in real life. Then I thought no movie could ever do it justice. I still get chills when I hear Al Michaels yell "Do you believe in Miracles?". The single biggest moment in American Sports. I still remember most, if not all of the players names. Kurt Russell does an admirable job of recreating Herb Brooks. The action shots are the best sports shots in a movie ever. Best Moment (Besides the Obvious)- Brooks addresses the team just prior to playing the USSR- "Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here tonight boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game. If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But, not this game. Not tonight. Tonight we skate with them, tonight we stay with them, and we shut them down. Because we CAN. Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players, every one of you. You were meant to be HERE tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing what a great hockey team the Soviets have, screw 'em, this is your time, so let's go out there and take it. "
1st Runner Up-Friday Night Lights- Never a better depiction of life in Texas high school football. This movie is about 98% dead on accurate. Billy Bob Thornton does a fabulous job as coach Gary Gaines. The musical score is the best match in a sports movie. Hits the ball right outta the park. Best Moment- Gaines talks to the team at haltime of the state championship-"Being perfect doesn't have anything to do with that scoreboard out there. It's not about winning. It's about you and your relationship to your self, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye, and know that you didn't let them down, because you told them the truth, and the truth is that you did everything you could, that there was not one more thing you could have done. Can you live in that moment, with clear eyes and love in your heart. With joy in your heart. If you can do that gentlemen, then your perfect. I want you to take a moment and look each other in the eyes. I want you to put each other in your hearts forever, because forever is about to happen here in just a few minutes..."
And the Winner is...HOOSIERS. Most inspiring sports movie of all time. I'm not a huge basketball fan, but this movie will make you one. Gene Hackman who plays Norman Dale is nearly flawless in this picture. You could listen to the musical score without the movie, its that good. Best Moment- Dale talks to the team just prior to the championship...and simply tells his team "We're way past big speech time....I love you guys."
This blog is being written to extend socalsportsfan's"I hope this is the last post on racism in sports" to the next dimension. Socalsportsfan hits the bullseye with his comments, but he falls just short of the bigger problem. Let me also preface by saying that I, like socalsportsfan grew up in the south and experienced all the things that he wrote about as well. By no means do I want to diminish the problems that existed before or exist now. Racism is real. It exists today. But it is a much smaller problem than it’s ugly cousin, racial sensitivity.
Racism has changed quite a bit in the last thirty years. If we have to "take the time to really look" to spot racism, it probably isn't. The truth of the matter is, that practically everything in this world can be seen from a racist slant if you want it to be. Most real racists don't hide behind owner’s or coaches desks. Most real racists are proud of what they believe and want to spread their word throughout the world. They hit the road with their message, hold meetings with only "their people" present, invite the public to share in their indignations through parades and marches, rail against the evil establishment, call for violence against the offenders, and promote civil unrest until all the wrongs are righted. Notice that racists bear no particular color of skin anymore? Things have changed in the last thirty years. Unfortunately, not always for the better. There is a world of difference between racism and racial bias. What generally exists in the world today is some form of racial bias. Only a tiny fraction of a percentage of the population can be classified as racists. The rest of us are guilty of some form of bias whether consciously or sub-consciously. We are all human. In fact, it has been our experience that those that yell loudest about inequities are the most guilty of bias. Bias is a problem that can take care of itself over time. It is not the catalyst. Biases can be changed and evolved, which is what has happened over the last thirty years.
Racial sensitivity is the greatest perpetuator of racism. It is the crutch. It pervades your whole life. It makes you cry foul any time things don’t go your way.It holds you back from being your absolute best, because you believe in the end, it won’t matter.It keeps you from looking in the mirror and saying “what do I need to do to improve myself?”. It makes you not want to end racism but merely change the face of its color. It keeps you out of the great discussion because nobody understands the problem better than you. It is the shortcut to life, cry loud enough, someone will pacify you.It is the pathway to failure, frustration and yes, true racism. In the end, it costs you your credibility. It is the coaches, athletes, businessmen etc, that get past the sensitivity barrier that will succeed on their individual merits, like Dungy and Lewis.You won’t hear either one of these two men blaming their setbacks on racism, because they are past the sensitivity barrier.They are succeeding on their own merits.Those who want to follow in their footsteps need only do one thing. Kick the crutch out from under and get in the game.
Putting two and two together it is easy to figure out what happened with the Parker/Longoria vs. San Antonio police department. The next time your out having a good spirited time, and you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar, take your reprimand like a man and move on. I don't know the individual cop that pulled over Parker, but I can tell you that the San Antonio police department officers are some of the most people friendly cops in the country, hence why he only got a ticket and not what he probably deserved. If he would have screamed at a Houston or a Dallas cop like that it would have turned out remarkably different.
This is another story of a spoiled millionaire who thinks not only that he is above the law, but beyond reach. Then he and his girlfriend have the nerve to trash the reputation and career of an officer because they don't like the fact that he did his job! One thing that TP should realize is that when he cracks up his car using the 410 loop as his own personal Indy 500 test track, that it will probably be that officer or someone just like him who pulls his mangled butt out of the car before the fire department arrives. That's just one of the few other services that they perform besides "messin with people all the time." Come on Tony, be a man, fess up and apologize and you won't look like another spoiled french donkey to the American public. Grow up TP. Grow up.
the Toyota Center is "just too nice." Barry went on to explain that there is so much going on besides the basketball game, that the fans become distracted and distant thus remove any home court advantage. The Toyota Center is one of the most plush sporting venues in the country. The atmosphere at the arena can be likened more to that of a nightclub rather than a basketball arena. 
bombarded with sensory overload that takes away from the game. They get hit with everything from contests, to power dancers, to Clutch the mascot, in a circus atmosphere. Players like Tracy McGrady and the giant Yao Ming get lost in the shuffle of tricks and treats, all in the name of entertainment. What does it say about the sport, if the game cannot sell itself? Does an owner have to find ways to justify a $325 ticket price when they fail to put a competitive product on the court? 
It is being suggested here that perhaps the home court advantage could become extinct in the age of posh playing palaces. Do most fans of the NBA today even remember the hellhole that used to be the Boston Garden? But what a home court advantage. The old parquet floor had gaps in it wide enough to twist a player's ankle. When visiting teams went to the Garden, you could almost touch the ghosts of Celtics past. The place was dripping with history. It is surreal now to see that teams are finding creative ways of making the home team feel uncomfortable so they will play better. 
Unforgettable Blog of the Week Award 
