California rolls out the red carpet for Showtime

TMZ Sports:

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is allowed to practice and even play home games as part of his 25-day jail sentence he's currently serving at a Southern California jail.

Caldwell-Pope pleaded guilty in Michigan earlier this month to a probation violation after he failed to comply with the terms of a drug and alcohol screening program put in place after he was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Caldwell-Pope pleaded guilty to a lesser charge that stemmed from his arrest in March, which came when he was a member of the Detroit Piston.

According to the L.A. Times, court records revealed that “Caldwell-Pope missed several drug and alcohol screenings” related to his probation, resulting in another Michigan court hearing. After playing against the New York Knicks on Dec. 12, he attended the hearing, where he was given the 25-day sentence. Two days later, he petitioned for the work-release program, and it was approved that day.

The prosecutor’s office in Auburn Hills, Mich., agreed to allow Caldwell-Pope to serve his jail sentence at the Seal Beach Police Department Detention Center--- located about 30 miles from Staples Center in Inglewood, CA. KCP was initially sentenced to 12-months probation -- and was required to submit to drug and alcohol testing. Problem is ... he didn't comply, so the judge ordered him to be locked up. The judge still allowed KCP to do a "work-release" sentence -- where he's locked up at a facility for most of the day ... but he's allowed to leave to do his job.

As part of the work-release program, Caldwell-Pope isn’t allowed to leave the state of California and must return after practice and games where he also is required to submit to a breath test. He has to wear a GPS monitor when he’s outside the detention facility.

California law provides a bathrobe and slippers and

The Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day.

UBER -

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Bullies are still trying to eliminate the competition

Darien, Connecticut is the nation's sixth richest community, with median household incomes at $208,906, and the average price of a home at more than $1.2 million. "Median" is a way of measuring the average by listing all the numbers in a data set and picking the middle number. New Canaan's household earnings are the second highest in Fairfield County. The median income of a household in town is $180,434 and home prices average more than a $1 million.

New Canaan’s 27-0 win over No. 1 Darien was the shot heard round Connecticut Thursday morning as the Rams clinched the eighth and final spot in the Class L playoffs and won their first Turkey Bowl in five years. Darien’s winning streak ended at 34 games.

Darien Times:

The game took a turn on Wednesday night when Darien quarterback Jack Joyce and safety/receiver Brian Minicus were arrested on charges stemming from an assault earlier this month, rendering them unavailable for the game. The Blue Wave were also without the services of LB/WR Nick Green, but coach Rob Trifone offered no reason for his absence. New Canaan Police made the arrests early evening of Wednesday, Nov. 22, resulting in Minicus and Joyce not playing in the Turkey Bowl. Police also said that when questioned, Joyce provided false information.

A 17-year-old, who was not identified because he is legally a minor, was charged with conspiracy to commit third-degree assault and second-degree unlawful restraint. The incident in question involved Minicus and the 17-year-old going to a house on Old Kings Highway around 11:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, and assaulting a New Canaan juvenile. Minicus put the New Canaan teen in a headlock, while the Darien 17-year-old held him down. Police said Minicus then began punching the New Canaan teen in the head and face until a friend of the victim pulled Minicus off.

In March of 1969, the Charlestown High School basketball team lost a heartbreaking “Tech Tourney” game to Somerville High School at the Boston Garden. Shooting sensation Billy Endicott was the game’s leading scorer and primarily responsible for Somerville’s thrilling victory. In what turned out to be a very black eye for Charlestown, a group of young adults used their disappointment to inflict a post-game beating on the unsuspecting Endicott. The incident served to cement pre-existing negative stereotypes about “Townies.”

With numerous bruises and two black eyes, Billy Endicott was ineffective in the following Class A Tech Tourney game. He was held to four points, and prevented Somerville from winning its eighth state title in 25 years.

Charlestown Patriot-Bridge:

The word on the “street,” however, was that gangs were coming to Charlestown that night from every direction to exact revenge for the Endicott battery. The Somerville gangs were supposed to come through Sullivan Square, Everett and Chelsea rioters were to cross the bridge at “The Neck,” and North End groups would come over the Charlestown Bridge into City Square.

A week later, at the Somerville Knights of Columbus, there was a benefit function for Billy Endicott. Frankie Fontaine was the Master of Ceremony and Jackie Gleason, the Guest of Honor. In the middle of them was Billy Endicott, who was sitting in a wheelchair and still showing the effects of the assault. The prevailing theme was to apologize to him on behalf of Charlestown. Billy smiled gently and continued to listen to the adults who were fawning over him.

For the next few years, I kept track of Billy Endicott’s basketball exploits. He went on to enjoy a spectacular career at UMass-Amherst and played alongside teammates Rick Pitino and Al Skinner. I’m guessing he probably got to watch, and maybe even practice with, Julius “Dr. J” Erving. Today, Endicott continues his legacy as an AAU youth basketball coach, as well as instructing and mentoring local “hoop” prospects. His is a remarkable story of perseverance and accomplishment, one that I will never forget.

The New Canaan-Darien altercation started because of trash talk on Snapchat. The rich kids from Darien used their war of words to inflict a beating on an unsuspecting juvenile. Charlestown used their fists. Somerville and Charlestown have patched up their differences.

Let's hope that the privileged from the seventh safest state don't get worked up over a nickname.

According to Webster’s New International Dictionary, 1993, a person who is a native or resident of Connecticut is a “Connecticuter”. There was the “Connecticotian” by Cotton Mather in 1702, the “Connecticutensian” by Samuel Peters in 1781 and the “Nutmegger” since 1800. It is derived from the nickname, the Nutmeg State, based on the practice of the Connecticut peddlers who traveled about selling nutmegs.

I think I'll take the beating.




Paul Murphy


Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Conservatives have no place on Thanksgiving

Con·serv·a·tive - holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics, religion or football.

Innovation - the introduction of something new

In 1989, Charlie Weis became a first-time head coach at Franklin High School in Somerset, NJ, installing a run-and-shoot offense, guiding Franklin Township to a 10-1 record and a state title. A much slower paced formula seemed innovative for Weis as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots and Tom Brady from 2000-2003. Stops with the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, University of Florida, University of Kansas, University of South Carolina(twice) and the University of Notre Dame should be classified as conservative.

The oldest schoolboy rivalry in Southern Ohio is neither conservative nor innovative. Ironton High School has played Portsmouth 125 times since 1899. The first meeting ended in a scoreless tie, 0-0. The game was a double-header for Ironton, which also played to a scoreless tie against rival Ashland, Kentucky. Portsmouth and Ironton are deadlocked in the series at 58-58-9.

In 1997, Ohio changed the rules for ties. If a game is tied after regulation, each team gets an offensive possession from the opponent's 20-yard line. If no winner is determined after one round of possessions, overtime play continues until a winner is determined. Now that's innovative.

Lower Merion and Radnor High School in Pennsylvania meet each Thanksgiving with a lot riding on its outcome. The annual football game played since 1897 has been a great rivalry with Lower Merion holding a slight edge over Radnor, 56 wins, 55 losses and 11 ties. Radnor High School grants the students of the school a half-day on the next school day if the school beats Lower Merion. However, the students of Lower Merion do not enjoy any similar reward.

Nobody noticed when the diminutive Timmy McCarthy brought the water bottles onto the field for Radnor during a fourth quarter timeout. Little did the Lower Merion defense know that Timmy would be staying in the game lining up at the tight end position next to the right tackle.

While in the huddle, Timmy took the ketchup packets from his pocket and spread the ketchup on his knee pads. His white pants now had the look of a player who worked in the trenches. When the teams broke the huddle, the defense didn't recognize that he was by far the smallest player on the field.

Most high school coaches like to run the ball and throw mostly on third downs. Screen passes are quite prevalent and trick plays are generally used in the season's final game.

Plays like Red Rocket Right, Hook and Ladder, Statue of Liberty, Fumblerooski, Fake Punt, double and triple reverses usually get snuffed out before the play unfolds. Lower Merion never saw "Heinz 57" coming.

It helped that Timmy McCarthy's older brother Tommy, was the starting QB. Other than the fact that Timmy might get trampled coming off the line, the play was called with Radnor facing a third down and one at midfield. Tommy took the snap from center and threw a short pass in the right flat to Timmy. The ketchup on the knees never touched the ground as Timmy caught the pass and lateraled to his brother who ran down the right sideline untouched.

Thanksgiving Feast with All the Fixings - Rachael Ray

“All Rachael wants is to go to bed knowing that everyone who came to Thanksgiving dinner couldn’t have had a better meal and is stuffed beyond belief.”

Herb-Roasted Turkey with Dried Plums, Parmesan Flats, Goat Cheese Truffles, Cranberry Sauce, Autumn Greens and Apple Salad, Mushroom Stuffing, Calabaza Squash with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts, Chive Mashed Potatoes, German Chocolate Pecan Pie, Orchard Fruit Pie, and plenty of Ketchup.

One high school play from scrimmage. One half day off from school. One win on Turkey Day. Not a chance I'm playing my senior year, said Timmy. "I only have, but the one brother."

Happy Thanksgiving

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

There is no hesitation in Houston

Tyler Lauletta, Business Insider:

In June 2014, the prestigious spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated went to the Houston Astros, who were then coming off three consecutive seasons with at least 105 losses and had a 36-48 record that season.

The cover boldly predicted that the Astros would be World Series champions in 2017, and it was backed up by a story from Ben Reiter titled "Astro-Matic Baseball: Houston's Grand Experiment," which took readers through the Astros' rebuilding process with an in-depth look at the team's front office as it prepared for the draft and planned the team's future. George Springer would be 28.

With the Astros' Game 7 win Wednesday night, Reiter's bold prediction came to fruition.It was one of those slow-developing ideas. The Astros were so bad. Losing 105 games three seasons in a row, Alex Trebek is making fun of them on "Jeopardy," they're putting up 0.0 local television ratings — it just seemed from afar like a total disaster. So we were thinking, "What is going on down here? What's the plan?" And this was before the Sixers started "The Process" — this hadn't really happened in sports to this degree.

The question that should precede the sardonic answer is, "What is a blowout preventer?"

Stutter -to speak in such a way that the rhythm is interrupted by repetitions, blocks or spasms, or prolongations of sounds or syllables, sometimes accompanied by contortions of the face and body.

Early in high school, George Springer was 5-foot-2. By his senior year, a growth spurt added nearly a foot. Even as he flourished on the field, he had to contend with a stutter that was evident at a young age. Self-conscious of it, he became withdrawn and avoided speaking in school or other public situations. Kids can be mean so the best way to avoid ridicule was "to not speak at all."

Springer was called up to the big leagues in April 2014, adopted new techniques to help with his speech, and later became a spokesman and fund-raiser for the Stuttering Association for the Young.

“It took a lot of courage,” his father said, adding: “This didn’t happen overnight. It was hard work, most of which, quite frankly, George did. We were there to guide, assist, coach and support, but he was the one that had to be comfortable in his own skin. He was the one that had to adopt all the techniques. I give him all the credit.”

“I can’t spread a message to kids and adults if I’m not willing to put myself out there,” said Springer.

Sports Illustrated got it right when they put George Springer on the cover three years ago. The Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres are possible choices to win the World Series in 2020. Alex Trebek is working on questions for these two perennial losers.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Daddy, please don't cry over damaged fields

Kimberly Houghton, Union Leader:

Dad sues school district after son suspended from playing football. A father is suing the Nashua School District after it suspended his son from playing football because he damaged a local athletic field with his truck this past summer.

Lisa Gingras, director of athletics and wellness for the school district, suspended Vincent Priore for the fall athletic season after he was charged with criminal mischief for vandalizing school property when he, along with several other students, drove on a Nashua High School North athletic field with his vehicle.

Vincent, 16, of 75 Lock St., a student at North, received his athletic suspension on July 31, according to court documents. Appeals made to Gingras and the Board of Education were ultimately denied.

Vincent’s father, Christopher J. Priore, filed a subsequent appeal with Superintendent Jahmal Mosley in August. Mosley upheld the one-season athletic suspension.

“Ms. Gingras could have suspended Vincent for three seasons, however Vincent took responsibility for his actions and we commend him for taking ownership for this poor decision,” Mosley wrote in his decision.

Mosley went on to state that Vincent is a student athlete, and behavior expectations for athletes are clearly outlined in the school district’s policy for extracurricular activity eligibility.

According to the policy, violations of the student behavior standards policy that result in a suspension, which include vandalism and destruction of property, will cause a student to be suspended from extracurricular activities, Mosley said.

“Immediate action is needed because football season ends in November. We have gone through three appeals with school board,” the elder Priore writes in court documents filed at Hillsborough County Superior Court. “He continues to miss the season ... every day that passes is another day of missed sports, which is not fair to the student athlete.”

North is 3-3 and has three games remaining in the regular season. Priore is asking the court to reverse his son’s athletic suspension and issue an immediate injunction that would allow Vincent to return to the football field.

“We have been served unjust by the school district contradicting their own policy and basing decisions on emotions instead of facts,” Priore claims in court records. “I spent my last $260 to fight for this ex-parte order. Cannot afford an attorney.”

Vincent’s father told the Union Leader that because the incident took place over the summer, the school district should not be permitted to punish him for something that took place outside of the normal school year.

“The school has no authority to give them suspension during non-enrollment time. My son has been punished more than you can believe,” he said on Monday. “The Nashua High School North (football) team has suffered because he is not there to protect the quarterback.”

Priore said Vincent, 16, was ordered to pay $1,200 in restitution, and that he made his son perform 36 hours of community service at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and took his truck away for a month.

Christopher Priore watched the wrong football movie. He would have learned something if he observed, Remember the Titans.

What a difference a generation makes. When Keith Hendricks and Jeff Christopher ripped up the golf course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio in the fall of 1970, they took their punishment like men. When the judge gave the young boys the option of jail time or the Armed Services, they joined the United States Navy for four years. The judge had the draft board on speed dial.

Keith - “I was young, drunk, dumb and stupid.”
Jeff - “Same here.”

Their Daddy's didn't go to court to plead for a reduced sentence. They promised the judge that the boys would be on time for the induction ceremony.

The judge had Uncle Sam on speed dial, too.



Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Hurricane makes it to The Show and brings home a special guest

UMSportsHall of Fame:

Warren Bogle was one of Coach Ron Fraser's most durable and consistent pitchers in the early years of the Miami Baseball Program. Back before Hurricane Baseball was THE place to be in South Florida, he helped lay the groundwork for the building of Mark Light Stadium and the glory years to come. The Lyndhurst, New Jersey native set standards for future players to reach, and was described by Coach Fraser as one of the most selfless and competitive team players of all time for UM Baseball.

In his two seasons at Miami, "Bog", as he was known to his teammates, would lead the team in victories and innings pitched each year. His 9 complete games in 1966 was a then-school record. His earned run average that year was 2.52. His 15 career complete games still ranks 6th on the list. He struck out 242 opponents in 191 career innings for an average of 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings...a record that stands today. Bogle struck out a then-school record 128 batters in 1966, back when UM played fewer than 40 games. He recorded 17 strikeouts against Rollins College on May 6, 1966. Ever the tough competitor, and back before designated hitters, Bogle hit for himself and had a career .329 average and .523 slugging percentage. In 1967, he led the team, slugging .620.

Drafted in the fourth round (73rd overall) of the 1967 Major League Baseball Secondary draft by the then Kansas City (now Oakland) Athletics, Bogle made his major league debut in Yankee Stadium on July 31, 1968, becoming the FIRST Miami Hurricane baseball player to do so. He lasted 4 2/3 innings, striking out seven and allowing a single to outfielder Mickey Mantle. "At least, I kept him in the ballpark," said Bogle.

The 21 year old youngster appeared in 16 major league games. He fanned 26 batters in 23 innings, walked eight, allowed 11 earned runs, 4.30 era, one balk, and no decisions. Bogle batted five times, striking out against tough lefthanders(Steve Barber, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, Tommy John and Sam McDowell). He gave up the first major league home run to outfielder Merv Rettenmund of the Baltimore Orioles in an extra innings loss. Rettenmund sent the Orioles' ball boy to the Athletics locker room to have the ball signed by Bogle. After telling the kid to get lost, A's catcher Jim Pagliaroni told Warren that "this ain't high school. Sign the damn ball."

The 1968 Athletics featured four future hall of famers: Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter and Tony La Russa. The team also included young stars, Bert Campaneris, Joe Rudi, Sal Bando, Rick Monday and Blue Moon Odom. The hitting instructor was former New York Yankees centerfielder, Joe DiMaggio.

Warren had only one brief conversation with Joe DiMaggio. After informing the former Yankee legend that his mother was Italian, they made plans for a postgame meal in Lyndhurst. Sal Bando, Joe Rudi and Tony La Russa tagged along.

There was never any mention of hitting streaks, Marilyn Monroe or who's the greatest outfielder. The topic was Italian Food Forever – Those who eat well, eat Italian. Mrs. Bogle won MVP.

A torn tendon in the pitching arm ended the brief career of lefthander, Warren Bogle. Following a stint in the minors in Iowa City in 1969, Oakland A's pitching coach Sherm Lollar told Bogle "that he should return to the University of Miami and finish his degree."

The best day was pitching in Yankee Stadium in front of two busloads of folks from Lyndhurst. The best night was when the Yankee Clipper came for dinner.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

It's not the size of the dog in the fight

USA Today:

The story by News Journal sports writer Rob McCurdy garnered national attention. It featured Lexington, Ohio cross country runner Sami Stoner, a legally blind junior believed to be the first high school athlete in the state to compete with a guide dog.

“I came across her story and thought, ‘Oh this is amazing.’ We thought it was such a fantastic story,” ESPN producer Lisa Binns said.

“It’s been different,” Stoner said. “I really just try and do my regular routine, but it’s kind of weird having to be wired up. It actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I was worried it would fall off (when I was running) but it ended up being fine.”

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Stoner since her story captivated people across the nation last fall. She inspired others suffering from Stargardt disease, which is a juvenile form of macular degeneration. After running cross country in junior high, her vision began to fade in the eighth grade, but she didn’t want to give up the sport she loved.

Stoner has been interviewed by a number of national media outlets and gives motivational speeches for various luncheons and groups ranging from the Boy Scouts to the Lions Club.

“I was shocked at all the attention I got,” Stoner said. “It was an extremely well written article and I can’t thank him enough for it. That article really sparked everything that has happened in the past year. … It’s been an amazing experience. I got to meet so many people I wouldn’t have gotten to meet if I hadn’t had that opportunity. I never dreamed anything like that would come of it. It really has been a great experience.”

Both Stoner and Chloe were in good spirits when they crossed the finish line with a time of 32:55.10. At the beginning of the season Chloe was struggling to finish races and was diagnosed with a thyroid issue. She’s since been placed on medications and is happy to be running by Stoner’s side. The pair must wait 30 seconds after the start of a race before they can run for the safety of both the runners and Chloe.

“She’s been on medication about a week now and she laid down once for about 10 seconds then got right back up and finished the race no problem,” Stoner said. “I was very proud of her.”

The Boston Red Sox were willing to eat $48.3 million just to make third baseman Pablo Sandoval go away. Sandoval showed up to spring training badly out of shape in 2015, three months after he signed a five-year, $95 million contract. His look in spring training 2016 was even worse, prompting Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy to write "Get a load of that gut."

Bleacher Report:

A missed interference call in the 11th inning led to the Boston Red Sox officially playing their game on Saturday against the New York Yankees under protest. The situation occurred in the top of the 11th inning when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a ground ball to Mitch Moreland, who threw to second base. Baserunner Matt Holliday turned around to go back to first base, causing the return throw from shortstop Xander Bogaerts to be off line.

Ellsbury was called safe at first on the play after the umpires went to the review booth to get clarification on the rule.

The Red Sox won't mention in their protest to Major League Baseball that they squandered a golden opportunity to win the game in the 10th inning. Andrew Benintendi led off with a single to left-center and Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a single to right. Manager John Farrell chose not to have pinch hitter Chris Young bunt the baserunners to second and third. Young struck out and the runners never advanced.

Speaking with ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi, Sami Stoner told Tom that "if she were able to see, she would like to look in the mirror and see how she looked."

Boston team radio announcer Tim Neverett begs Red Sox' fans to root hard for the California Angels against the second place Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. The Boston Red Sox need to look long and hard in the mirror before their season goes dark.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Patriots Hall of Fame is out to lunch

New England Patriots History:

Beginning in 2007, the Patriots started a new hall of fame tradition, inducting at least one player to The Hall each year. The process for induction involves a panel of media, alumni and staff who collectively nominate the players or head coaches most deserving of induction. After the nominations are made, the committee votes and the top three tallies become that year's finalists. The Patriots then give their fans the opportunity to vote online to make the annual selection. The New England Patriots held their annual nomination committee meeting on April 12 to select this year's Patriots Hall of Fame candidates. The finalists were (listed in alphabetical order) Clayborn, defensive lineman Richard Seymour and linebacker Mike Vrabel. For the second straight year, former Head Coach Bill Parcells was omitted by the committee. Parcells is a Pro Football Hall-of-Famer

The New England Patriots announced that cornerback Raymond Clayborn has been voted by fans as the 26th person to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Clayborn was a three-time Pro Bowl player (1983, 1985, 1986) during his 13-year Patriots career that extended from 1977 through 1989. He was drafted by the Patriots in the first round (16th overall) out of Texas in 1977 and quickly established himself as one of the game's best cornerbacks, as well as a superb kickoff returner.

Clayborn played a vital role in bringing the Patriots to respectability in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. During his 13 seasons in New England, he helped lead the Patriots to 10 winning seasons, including four postseason berths. In a 31-14 AFC Championship victory that propelled the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance, Clayborn's performance helped end an 18-game losing streak to the Miami Dolphins in the Orange Bowl. Clayborn was a member of the Patriots' 1970s and 1980s all-decade teams. He also set a franchise record by playing in 161 consecutive games.

Bruce Allen, BostonSportsMedia:

The relationship between the media and professional athletes has always been an adversarial one. Rarely however, has it gotten physical.

On September 9th, 1979, the Patriots had just routed the New York Jets 56-3.

The atmosphere in the Patriots locker room following the game should’ve been light hearted, but cornerback Raymond Clayborn was miserable. He had a bad week, twice scuffling with teammates in practice.

After the game, Clayborn was snapping at writers and bumping into them on purpose. Legendary writer Will McDonough of The Boston Globe took exception, saying “”Hey, Ray, there’s no need to do that.”

Clayborn reacted by jabbing his finger in McDonough’s face, poking him in the eye. McDonough then punched him twice, knocking him into a laundry cart and taking down a number of people with him.

The story immediately went into legend, with some accounts stating that McDonough had knocked Clayborn “out cold” with a single punch, and others describing more of a scuffle between the two.

McDonough was lionized among his colleagues in the media for the incident, which was lauded as an example of “southie justice.”

Former New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy met with Bill Parcells at Hofstra University in 1998. Van Gundy was at the New York Jets' training camp to watch how Coach Parcells operated.

Steve Serby, NewYorkPost:

I think Keyshawn Johnson had just written that book “Just Give Me The Damn Ball.” So I was coming with Coach Parcells out onto the field, and he said, “Walk with me,” so I’m walking with him and he says, “Do you know Keyshawn Johnson?” I said, “No, I don’t know him,” and he beckoned for Keyshawn Johnson to come over. And he introduces us and Coach Parcells starts asking me questions. He says, “Do you like good food?” And I said, “Yeah sure.” And he goes, “Well if you want to know about any restaurants around here, talk to Keyshawn. He’s your guy.” And you can see Keyshawn Johnson getting his chest puffed up a little bit. And then, he said: “Do you like clothes?” And I said, “Nah, you know, that’s not my thing.” He goes, “Well if you change your mind, Keyshawn’s your guy.” Keyshawn’s getting puffed up a little bit more. And his third question to me was, “Hey Jeff, do you like to win?” I said, “Coach, of course.” He goes, “Then don’t f—–g talk to Keyshawn Johnson, he doesn’t know a f—–g thing about winning.”

The Patriots Hall of Fame staff doesn't know if a football were blown up or stuffed. Without Bill Parcells, the New England Patriots would have moved to St. Louis. The next stop would have been Carson, California or Carson City, Nevada, the home of The Ponderosa in the hit show, Bonanza. Either way, nobody would have cared.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

The Duke was a real joke

StraightDope:

At the time of Pearl Harbor, John Wayne was 34 years old. His marriage was on the rocks, but he still had four kids to support. His career was taking off, in large part on the strength of his work in the classic western Stagecoach (1939). But he wasn't rich. Should he chuck it all and enlist? Many of Hollywood's big names, such as Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart, and Clark Gable, did just that. (Fonda was 37 at the time and had a wife and three kids.) But these were established stars. Wayne knew that if he took a few years off for military service, there was a good chance that by the time he got back he'd be over the hill.

Besides, he specialized in the kind of movies a nation at war wanted to see, in which a rugged American hero overcame great odds. Recognizing that Hollywood was an important part of the war effort, Washington had told California draft boards to go easy on actors. Perhaps rationalizing that he could do more good at home, Wayne obtained 3-A status, "deferred for family dependency reasons." He told friends he'd enlist after he made just one or two more movies.

Wayne was a hard-nosed Marine sergeant, a naval lieutenant and a commander of an airborne battalion during the invasion of Normandy. But those were his movies.

Wikipedia:

Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing (May 3, 1905 – February 17, 1986) was an American professional baseball player. A pitcher, he played in Major League Baseball from 1924 through 1947. He played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Chicago White Sox. Ruffing is most remembered for his time with the highly successful Yankees teams of the 1930s and 1940s.

Ruffing dropped out of school as a child to work in a coal mine in his native Illinois. He played for the mine's company baseball team as an outfielder and first baseman. After he lost four toes from his left foot in a mining accident, he became unable to run in the field, and switched to pitching. He played in minor league baseball in 1923 and 1924 before making his MLB debut with the Red Sox. After struggling with Boston, pitching to a 36–93 win–loss record, the Red Sox traded Ruffing to the Yankees in 1930, where he became the ace of the Yankees' pitching staff.

Ruffing won 236 games for the Bronx Bombers while losing 132. He was dominant in the postseason, winning seven while dropping just two decisions. He completed eight of his nine starts. He also belted 36 home runs in the regular season, finishing third all-time behind Wes Ferrell with 37 and Bob Lemon with 39. He hit over .300 in eight different seasons, and was frequently used as a pinch hitter. He also played in the outfield in emergency situations.

Ruffing was a member of six World Series championship teams with the Yankees. He also appeared in six MLB All-Star Games. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967. The Yankees dedicated a plaque to Ruffing in Monument Park in 2004.

After the 1942 season, Ruffing took a job with Vultee Aircraft, a defense contractor. Despite missing four toes, a United States Army doctor certified Ruffing as Class 1-B in the Selective Service System, overruled Ruffing's personal physician, who had ruled Ruffing unfit for service. The Army decided that Ruffing could serve in a non-combat role. At age 38, Ruffing missed the 1943 and 1944 seasons due to his service during World War II. He served in the Sixth Ferrying Group of the Air Transport Command of the United States Army Air Forces at the rank of private. He did pitch for the Air Transport Command's baseball team, throwing a perfect game against Joe DiMaggio's team, and leading his team to the championship.

One guy never complains about having to serve his country. The other whines to Boston Globe columnist Tom Long that "the directors got it wrong when they killed me off in Sands of Iwo Jima." As Ray Davies of the Kinks penned in the song “Celluloid Heroes,” “I wish my life was a nonstop Hollywood movie show.” We clearly see denial definitely beats the real thing.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Haven't we been down this road before?

MassLive:

Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia, who Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles spiked Friday, then expressed his frustration following the game. He seemed to take Machado's side, instead of his team's side.

"I just told him I didn't have anything to do with that," Pedroia said Sunday. "That's not how you do that, man. I'm sorry to him and his team. If you're going to protect guys, you do it right away. "

Pedroia's comments received heavy criticism over the past 48 hours. He responded today here at Fenway Park.

"We all talked about that and we're going to keep that in-house," Pedroia said. "We feel good about each other. We all have each other's backs. Everybody knows how everybody feels about each other. We're pretty excited about the group we have."

He was asked to clarify what he meant by "That's not me, that's them."

"I just did. I think the guys that should know, know how we feel about each other and things like that," Pedroia said. "It's unfortunate that the outside has an opinion. They're going to have an opinion about everything. We all know how we feel. We're moving on. We're getting ready for this series, then the Cubs, then the Orioles."

When 17 Red Sox players wanted manager Bobby Valentine fired in 2012, they were happy to spend part of an off-day at a hotel in New York complaining about their brutal lot in life to owners' John Henry and Larry Lucchino.

When the funeral for Johnny Pesky--Pesky spent over six decades with the Red Sox in various capacities-- was held on another off-day, Monday afternoon in Swampscott, four players decided to show up. David Ortiz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Clay Buchholz and Vicente Padilla represented the 2012 Red Sox at Johnny Pesky's funeral. While transportation services were provided from Fenway Park, the near empty yellow bus for the players made the trip to the North Shore and back.

"My No. 1 priority that day was being there, being with family and just sharing that last moment with him. I said on the airplane to everybody, 'Expect his funeral tomorrow. If you can go ahead and show up, go ahead, that would be great.' If they could make it, great. ... The funeral is the last goodbye you give to a friend. There's no way you're a friend with somebody, that person passes away and you're not going to show up to his funeral." -- David Ortiz.

Johnny Pesky took the time daily to hit fungoes(a long lightweight bat for hitting practice balls to fielders) to Dustin Pedroia. Claiming he couldn't find a babysitter for his three year son Dylan, Dustin Pedroia skipped the funeral and stayed home.

Vice Sports:

Reggie Jackson did indeed play for the Baltimore Orioles for one year—1976, the lone season of his career that he wasn't a member of the Oakland A's, the New York Yankees or the California Angels.

After mouthing off to New York Yankees pitcher Dock Ellis when the latter nearly grazed the slight Orioles shortstop Mark Belanger with a homeward toss—"Why don't you hit a big guy like me?" Reggie taunted—he found himself on the receiving end of a high-and-tight fastball from Ellis, who may have also been delivering some delayed payback for the gargantuan home run that Jackson had hit off of him in Detroit during the 1971 All-Star Game. "Did I kill him?" Ellis chuckled to the home plate umpire, while Jackson writhed in the dirt, his signature aviator shades smashed to pieces.

X-rays showed no damage beyond a badly-bruised cheekbone. Jackson expressed disappointment to the press that Ellis hadn't called to see how he was doing; perhaps the pitcher was too busy counting the twenty-dollar bills that had been surreptitiously stuffed into his locker by his teammates as a tip for beaning Reggie. "Someone didn't like him," Ellis would later reflect in his autobiography. "He was supposed to get hit!"

Baltimore Orioles ace righthander pitcher Jim Palmer put aside his feelings for teammate Reggie Jackson following the near beaning by Ellis. Palmer had been critical of Jackson since his early season holdout. "The fact that Reggie is not here from the start has hurt the attitude of the club and it has hurt our performance on the field," raged the 1975 AL Cy Young winner. "Do you think it ever occurred to Jackson that there are 24 other guys over here counting on him?"

Like him or not, Palmer said to Jackson, "Should I hit the first two Yankees I face or shall I keep going"? Jackson replied, "One is plenty."

Most people only remember the New York Yankees contract—while Jackson's image on the August 30, 1976 cover of Sports Illustrated primarily elicits a puzzled reaction from those who view it: "Huh? Reggie played for the Orioles?" There isn't even a baseball card for it. Reggie's holdout prevented a 1976 baseball card for the slugger so the 1977 card, as a member of the Yankees, was airbrushed with the Orioles' logo.

Following the completion of his 21 year career, which included five World Series titles and two-time World Series MVP, Reggie Jackson stated that the 1976 Baltimore Orioles were "the best team he ever played on." Dustin Pedroia may want to read up on that.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Canada's best athlete has it all over Michael Jordan

Wikipedia:

Lionel Pretoria Conacher, nicknamed "The Big Train", was a Canadian athlete and politician. Voted the country's top athlete of the first half of the 20th century, he won championships in numerous sports. His first passion was football; he was a member of the 1921 Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts. He was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team that won the International League championship in 1926. In hockey, he won a Memorial Cup in 1920, and the Stanley Cup twice: with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1934 and the Montreal Maroons in 1935. Additionally, he won wrestling, boxing and lacrosse championships during his playing career. He and Carl Voss are the only players to have their names engraved on both the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup.

Conacher was a prolific athlete, excelling in numerous sports at the same time. He played with 14 different teams, winning 11 championships. He was 16 years old when he won the Ontario lightweight wrestling championship, and at 20 won the Canadian amateur light-heavyweight boxing championship. In 1921, he fought, and was knocked out by heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey in an exhibition match.

Numerous organizations have honored Conacher's career. In addition to being named Canada's athlete of the half-century, he was named the country's top football player over the same period. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1955, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1964, the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1965, the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994, and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. The Canadian Press gives the Lionel Conacher Award to its male athlete of the year.

Wayne Gretzky, who was voted Canada's top athlete for the second half of the 20th Century, has won the Lionel Conacher award six times.

Conacher's younger brothers, Charlie Conacher, and Roy Conacher, were also Hall of Fame hockey players. His namesake, Lionel Jr., was a first round draft pick in 1960 and played a season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Brian Conacher, a second son, was a member of The Toronto Maple Leafs 1967 Stanley Cup championship team. This was the last year that the Maple Leafs won the title.

Cory Conacher was born with a rare condition in which his bladder was outside his body. As a result, he underwent a ten-hour surgical procedure at only five days old in which doctors reconstructed his pelvis in order to place his bladder back into his body. The situation was so severe that doctors informed his parents that he might never walk properly. Conacher is a distant relative of Hockey Hall of Famers Charlie, Roy, and Lionel Conacher. Cory graduated from Canisius College and plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Greatest American Athlete of the 20th century, according to the SportsCentury program on ESPN, is basketballer Michael Jordan, apparently in a close call with baseball player Babe Ruth.

Not only did Ruth belt 714 home runs in addition to 2,214 Runs Batted In, he also pitched, winning 94 games while losing 46 with a lifetime ERA of 2.28. He won all three of his World Series starts before becoming a full-time outfielder with the New York Yankees following his trade from the Boston Red Sox.

In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 114 strikeouts, 51 base on balls, 30 stolen bases and 11 errors. Jordan struck out 26.1% of his plate appearances. New York Yankees great outfielder Joe DiMaggio struck out only 5.4% in his at bats, never more than 39 times in any of his 13 seasons.


Try as he might, Michael Jordan has found baseball beyond his grasp. That might be an understatement.

Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Gross Misconduct follows in the family

Dennis Kane:

Imagine how proud Roy Spencer must have been. Roy’s boy Brian was about to play, on national television, for the fabled Toronto Maple Leafs in his first NHL game.

Brian Spencer had been no angel growing up, not by a long shot. The boy was quick-tempered, and quicker to fight, but everyone in Fort St. James, a dark, blue-collar town in northern British Columbia, knew he was a chip off the old block. After all, old man Roy was known in those parts as a fiery, hard-living, no-nonsense type of fellow, and his family, for all intents and purposes, was a tough family in a tough town.

When Brian learned he was going to Toronto, he quickly made his own call. It was to his dad Roy back home who, by that time, was dying from kidney disease. He was playing, he told his dad, and his game was to be aired on Hockey Night in Canada from coast to coast!

Bad kidneys or not, it must have been one of the best days of Roy’s life. For a proud hockey dad, something like this just doesn’t get any better. In the end, it couldn’t have gotten any worse.

The Canadian Broadcasting Company knew nothing about Roy and Brian Spencer and the big debut in the Toronto Maple Leafs uniform, and for whatever reason decided to air the Vancouver-Oakland game instead. It was a decision that led to tragedy. Roy, once he realized what was happening, rose from his chair in front of the television, got into his car with his rifle, and drove 85 miles to the nearest television station, in Prince George.

At the station, Roy demanded they show the Leafs game, a demand that was refused, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were called. Roy found himself in a shoot-out with the police, and the proud dad, who only wanted to see his boy playing in his first NHL game, was quickly shot and killed.

Brian Spencer’s career lasted 10 years, with stops after Toronto in Long Island, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. In 1987, while living a drifter’s life in Florida, Spencer was indicted by a Florida grand jury on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping with the death penalty on the table. Former teammate, Buffalo Sabres' star left wing Richard Martin came as a character witness in Spencer's defense. Brian was acquitted for lack of evidence.

Three months later, while he was beginning to get his life back in order, he was murdered by a young hoodlum trying to rob him. His friend Greg Cook told police that they had just purchased drugs and had stopped to grab some cigarettes. They were then confronted by a robber, who Cook claims shot Spencer and ran off.

The life of Aaron Hernandez is eerily similar to that of Brian Spencer. Both were athletes whose lives spun out of control.

Kevin Armstrong, NYDailyNews:

Aaron Hernandez negotiated a narrow path to such luxurious living. Born and raised in Bristol, Conn., a two-hour commute from his current home, Hernandez excelled as a prep star at Bristol Central High, establishing several state receiving records before losing his father, Dennis at age 36, to complications from hernia surgery. The roots of Hernandez’s unraveling begin there, by most accounts, but can be traced through his time in Florida and in his first three seasons as a New England Patriot. Coaches, ranging from Geno Auriemma in AAU, to Urban Meyer in Gainesville, Fla., and now Bill Belichick, have gotten the most out of him on the basketball court and football field, but many also expressed concern about his behavior and maturity as he won a college title and played in a Super Bowl.

Bill Belichick was actually issued a subpoena and just openly defied the request to appear in court for Hernandez' double murder trial. I am confident Bill wasn't going to say anything nice so he said nothing at all. He said "enough."

Gross Misconduct - The Life of Brian 'Spinner' Spencer by Martin O' Malley, 1988. The book was made into a TV film. The sequel should be a bestseller.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Brad Marchand is another Eddie Haskell

Eddie Haskell – America’s Bad Boy! The act of overt flattery to put someone at ease so you can take advantage of their lowered defenses.

“When child actor Ken Osmond stepped onto the set of Leave it to Beaver in 1957, he not only entered our living rooms, he homesteaded a permanent place in the American pop culture. The poster child for sneaky, rotten kids everywhere, he was the reference point for cautious mothers to warn their children about. And everyone in America knew an Eddie Haskell at some point in his or her lives….”

Joe McDonald, ESPN:

Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct and was ejected for spearing Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin in the groin at 19:20 of the first period Tuesday night at TD Garden.

The puck was in Tampa Bay's zone and Dotchin was defending the front of the net when Marchand attempted to play the puck, but finished with the spear. Lightning trainer Tom Mulligan tended to Dotchin, who remained on the ice for several minutes before skating off on his own.

He will have a hearing with NHL Player Safety on Thursday morning.

Marchand has been suspended or fined three times previously for infractions directed at an opponent’s lower body. While slew footing and clipping are not identical plays, they involve an attack on an opponent’s lower body that can cause a defenseless player to crash dangerously to the ice. Here, Marchand again attacks the lower body of an opponent in a manner that causes him to cartwheel to the ice in a dangerous fashion. He also has a tomahawk chop on his record.

Marchand’s first suspension came in March 2011, for two games on a hit. Columbus Blue Jackets' center, R.J. Umberger was in a vulnerable position: off-balance, low to the ice, with his back to Marchand. Marchand stuck an elbow out and nailed him in the back of the head.

Slew footing the New York Rangers’ forward Derick Brassard. He was unhurt, and Marchand got away with a two-game suspension.

Marchand dropped low and hammered Vancouver Canucks' defenseman Sami Salo in the knees, resulting in a concussion for Salo and a five-game suspension.

Clipped Ottawa Senators' defenseman Mark Borowiecki from behind earning a three game suspension.

Jonathan Willis, Bleacher Report:

January 26, 2017 - There is every reason to think that Marchand is going to keep kicking out his opponents’ feet and hitting them from behind and going low on hits. It doesn’t seem like the NHL is all that interested in stopping him. There simply isn’t any question. He's a dirty player and a danger to his peers.

Brad Marchand is an overwhelming choice when representatives from Make-A-Wish or Team IMPACT need a volunteer to meet with their children. He has a gift. Maybe Brad can eliminate his phoniness on ice to match his off-ice behavior.

The fictional Eddie Haskell grew up and became a Los Angeles policeman.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver needs to get his eyes checked

SBNation:

We warned that NBA commissioner Adam Silver will soon come down on teams that rest their marquee players for national TV games without advance notice. That time may be here.

In a memo obtained by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Silver told NBA owners there will be “significant penalties” for teams that fail to give the league “adequate notice” a key player will be rested for a game. Silver also said the owners cannot simply delegate the responsibility of resting players to other members of the organization.

Just how severe will those penalties be if Silver follows through on his warning? In 2012, then-commissioner David Stern fined the San Antonio Spurs a whopping $250,000 for sending Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green home for a TNT game against the Miami Heat.

The memo comes after the league’s two marquee teams sat their top stars for consecutive ABC Saturday showcases. The Golden State Warriors sat Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala for a March 11 game against the San Antonio Spurs. Warriors coach Steve Kerr justified the decision by noting the Warriors were at the end of a grueling travel schedule that featured eight games in eight different cities in 13 days. All four players are on pace to play in at least 80 of the 82 regular season games.

"It's my call and it's the right thing to do in terms of the way the season is playing out and the way the minutes have gone and (Kevin Durant's) injury," Kerr said when announcing the decision. "It's the right thing to do, so we're doing it."

A week later, the Cleveland Cavaliers sat LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love for a game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. The Cavaliers were just beginning a four-game road trip and had a back-to-back in the same city against the Lakers the next day. Irving picked up a minor injury two days prior and Love is still not playing back-to-back games as part of his recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery. James has no injury, though he has logged heavy minutes as he does every season.

The playing career for Earvin 'Magic' Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers covered 12 seasons from 1980-1991. The Lakers averaged 58 wins per season for a winning percentage of .741 and won five NBA titles. Magic was rated the greatest NBA point guard of all time, earning three regular season MVP and three NBA Finals MVP Awards. Johnson became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award, and his clutch performance is still regarded as one of the finest in NBA history. He also became one of four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.

The first move by Magic Johnson since taking over as President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers in mid-February was made for the future by trading sixth man Lou Williams to the Rockets for Corey Brewer and a first-round pick. Sports Illustrated:

Really, Williams was worse than useless in LA, he was counterproductive. Every foul he drew, every four-point play he converted, and every 20-point outburst increased the chances that the Lakers don’t retain their top-3 protected first-round pick. This year, Williams is averaging a career-best 18.6 PPG and shooting a career-high 38.6% on threes, and the Lakers’ offensive efficiency rating has jumped from 98.9 to 108 when he’s been on the court.

The next move was to shut down veterans Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov for the rest of the season. Forward Deng, 31, and center Mozgov, 30, are healthy, but the Lakers want to give more minutes to the younger players over the final regular season games. Deng and Mozgov were free agent acquisitions last summer, signing contracts worth a combined $136 million over four seasons.

The team has managed but two wins in 27 games for a sparkling 0.925%. There are six games remaining in this dream season. Let us hope the commissioner can make it to see the finale on Wednesday, April 12@ Golden State 10:30 PM. Will he have an issue if Golden State rests its entire starting lineup? A bigger issue may be that 1,068 tickets are available from $92.00 and up.

Magic Johnson: My 'Showtime' Lakers would beat the Warriors. I don't know about that, but 69 year old center Kareem Abdul Jabbar would have a field day against these present day Lakers. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver should be more worried about the integrity of the game than some poor fan not getting to see an unrested superstar.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

It is an impossible task to follow in the footsteps of legends

Andrew Joseph, USA Today:

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James had a stern message for LaVar Ball, the outspoken father of UCLA’s Lonzo Ball. Last week, LaVar criticized James’ 12-year-old son, LeBron James Jr., claiming LeBron Jr.’s basketball future would be held back because his father is an NBA superstar. James was not pleased.

LeBron Jr. is a 12-year-old basketball sensation who stars for the North Coast Bluechips AAU team. LaVar, though, doesn’t think LeBron’s son will grow up to be a superstar, and he made his case with some terrible logic. You got LeBron, it’s gonna be so hard for his kids, cause they gonna look at them like ‘you gotta be just like your dad.’ And after a while that pressure starts sitting on you like ‘why do I gotta be like him, why can’t I just be me?’ And then they’re gonna be like ‘aw, you’re soft, you’re not that good.’ Because the expectation is very, very high.”

In the 1987-1988 basketball season for Washington State, Lavar Ball appeared in 26 games, averaging 2.2 points.

At the meeting on Tuesday, I met Jim Thyng. He told me that I probably had heard of his father. I had.

Wikipedia:

Brigadier General Harrison Reed Thyng (April 12, 1918 – September 24, 1983) was a fighter pilot and a general in the United States Air Force (USAF). He is notable as one of only six USAF fighter pilots to be recognized as an ace in two wars.

General Thyng, who retired from the Air Force in 1966, shot down five or more enemy planes in both propellor-driven and jet planes. Flying a Spitfire in 162 missions in World War II, he downed nine enemy planes. Flying F-86 jets in 113 missions in the Korean War, he shot down seven planes. He was awarded a Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Purple Heart. On retiring from the military, Thyng became a New Hampshire candidate to the United States Senate.

On July 17, 2004, the towns of Pittsfield and Barnstead, New Hampshire, dedicated a granite memorial to a local hero. The winged obelisk was inscribed with the words, "Brigadier General Harrison Reed Thyng, Patriot, Leader of Men."

Spear-headed by the Pittsfield Historical Society, it took 3+ years to raise the funds necessary to put the monument in place. The obelisk is flanked by four granite stones, one each for the four campaigns in which Harry Thyng fought. During World War II, first he flew out of England, then North Africa, then to the Pacific; finally to Korea in 1951, where he commanded the famed 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing. Gen. Thyng had over 650 hours of combat flight time on 307 sorties in three wars, with operational experience flying the P-40, P-39, Spitfire Vb, P-47N, F-80, F-84, F-86, F-89, F-94, F-100, F-102, and F-106 fighter aircraft.

As the son of Harrison Thyng, I am extremely grateful to all those who helped make the memorial come true. He was a man who will now be forever remembered in granite. He, like the memorial, was a man of granite.- James Thyng

I had the privilege of flying successful missions in VietNam. I had no intention of matching him.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Providence College gains a distinct advantage by losing

NCAA Men's Hockey March 24-25

East Regional

Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, R.I.

#1 Harvard vs. #4 Providence

#3 Air Force vs. #2 Western Michigan

CollegeHockeyNews:

The big issue is Providence in Providence. Now, obviously the bracket just worked out that way, so you can say that's the case, but it is an elephant in the room. People weren't happy about it two years ago (when Providence was also a Number Four seed in Providence, and won the Regional against Miami and Denver).

Providence and Notre Dame could've flipped with The Friars going to Manchester, NH. Then, to help attendance in Providence, you could've placed Boston University there, or Union, and put Western Michigan in Cincinnati. Yes, Providence will be a bigger draw in its home town than BU or Union, but BU or Union will get enough people to make it OK while Providence shouldn't get the benefit, they don't deserve.

Of the 16 teams to make the tournament this year, only Providence did not participate last weekend. The Friars finished fifth in Hockey East and were blown out in their First Round Series by Notre Dame, 5-0 and 5-2. They were home watching the Hockey East playoffs after the first round in 2015, having been eliminated by the lowly University of New Hampshire Wildcats.

Here is a novel idea. Don't invite Providence. Since February 10th, they have played eight games. Four games were against Notre Dame, with the Irish winning three and the fourth ending in a 3-3(OT) tie. The other four contests were against the UMass-Amherst. Providence beat up on the hapless Minutemen, 6-2, 2-1, 3-0 and 5-1. The only win for UMass-Amherst since December 2nd was a 2-1 win over Alabama-Huntsville on December 30. This matchup featured two of the four worst hockey teams in the country.

The UMass-Amherst Minutemen ranked 58th out of 60 NCAA Division I programs. They ended the season with 17 consecutive losses, finishing with five wins, 29 losses and two ties. In Hockey East, they were 2-19-1. Their overall winning percentage was .166.

Boston University finished second in Hockey East. They lost last weekend at the TD Garden in Boston, 3-2 to their archrival Boston College. The Eagles lost to UMass-Lowell in the Hockey East final, 4-3. They finished third in the Hockey East standings, playing well late in the season, but were not chosen by the selection committee over fifth place Providence.

The BU Terriers were not rewarded for their valiant efforts. They were sent to the Western Regional in Fargo, ND to face the Fighting Sioux in front of 17,000 raucous fans.

I think they are giving out free cupcakes to those fans in Providence.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

Referees owe Northwestern a mulligan

ESPN:

The NCAA said officials erred Saturday night by not calling basket interference and goaltending on a Gonzaga player late in the top-seeded Bulldogs' 79-73 second-round NCAA tournament victory over No. 8 seed Northwestern in Salt Lake City.

The Wildcats had trimmed a 22-point deficit to five and had the ball when Gonzaga 7-footer Zach Collins reached up through the basket to reject Dererk Pardon's shot with 4:54 left in the game. There was no call, and Northwestern coach Chris Collins, jawing with the officials all day, ran onto the court, charged toward the referee and was slapped with a technical foul.

Nigel Williams-Goss made both free throws, and Northwestern -- in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history -- never got closer.

"I mean, it would have been a three-point game," Chris Collins said. "We had all the momentum. The guy puts his hand through the rim. It's a very easy call, in my opinion. But it's an honest mistake. Referees are human beings. They're here for a reason -- because they're outstanding officials. They made the calls. We have to live with them.

Shortly after the game, the NCAA issued a statement saying officials missed the violation under Rule 9, Section 15 of its men's basketball rules book.

"Article 2.a.3 states that basket interference occurs when a player reaches through the basket from below and touches the ball before it enters the cylinder," the NCAA said in the statement. "Replays showed that the Gonzaga defender violated this rule, which should have resulted in a scored basket by Northwestern."

Rule 9, Section 8 - "A Get of Jail Card Free"

There is an easy way to fix the highly questionable calls in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Allow each coach a challenge once per game. No coach would throw his ruby red flag on the court in the first half to protest a possible travel or three second violation. They would protect that piece of nylon with their life.

It took 78 years for Northwestern University to make an appearance in March Madness. We'll see you same time next year.


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy

The Game That Saved March Madness

Youthful Broadcaster Mike Gorman, who did the play-by-play: “Princeton looked like the high school team that stumbled into the wrong gym.” Princeton’s near-upset of Georgetown on St. Patrick's Day in a 1989 NCAA first-round game made sure Cinderella would always get invited to the ball.
Sean Gregory, SI:

Today the NCAA Tournament is a multi-billion dollar enterprise with cultural cachet to rival the Super Bowl. During its first week millions of Americans, many of whom haven’t watched a second of college basketball all season, fill out brackets in office pools and try to pick the likeliest upsets. They let economic productivity go all to hell, cheering for schools they’ve never heard of, following the action on smartphones and tablets as well as the TV at the corner bar.

But 28 years ago some underdogs risked extinction. As the tournament boomed through the 1980s, more and more schools began to seek Division I status. They coalesced into leagues in hopes of landing NCAA tournament bids that would deliver exposure and revenue. Eventually the major conferences, determined to freeze the field at 64 teams and grab the highest share of the money that went with 34 at-large bids, became fed up. Their representatives on the basketball committee hatched a plan to deny each of the weakest two conferences an automatic bid. Moreover, they proposed to pick the outcasts on Selection Sunday, which would strip a bubble conference’s postseason tournament of much of its drama. To extend the metaphor trotted out each March, a couple of would-be Cinderellas wouldn’t even leave their charwoman’s (woman employed as a cleaner in a house) posts for the ball.

It didn’t help that the Ivy League had sent teams to the three previous tournaments that lost by an average of 40 points. The Princeton-Georgetown game halted that discussion.

The chronic pessimist Princeton head coach Pete Carril had set the betting line. “I think we’re a billion-to-one to win the whole tournament,” he said. “To beat Georgetown, we’re only 450 million to one.”

The second half lead reached double digits at 31-21, for the Tigers of Princeton. Georgetown fought back, behind the inside presence of center Alonzo Mourning, tying the game at 49. Mourning, who entered the game as a 65% foul shooter, converted both ends of a one-and-one. Following a missed possession by Princeton, Mourning converted the front end of a one-and-one. The free throw put Georgetown up, 50-49 with 23 seconds remaining. He fired the second one long and Princeton's Bob Scrabis chased down the rebound in the left corner.

With two timeouts remaining, Princeton elected to hold for the last shot. Scrabis had his clean look at the rim with seven seconds left. Scrabis: “He jumped from the middle of the lane.” Mueller: “The way Mourning got out there, it’s insane.” Still, even after Mourning’s block, the game wasn’t over. Princeton kept possession. One second remained.

"For a beat, Princeton had an opening. Referee Range was preparing to hand the ball to Lapin to inbound. Mourning fronted Mueller on the near side of the foul lane. No Georgetown defenders stood behind Mueller. Lapin: “I was like, ‘Gimme the ball, gimme the ball.’ They were still getting ready. I just remember thinking, if the ref had given me the ball then, we would have had a good chance to score.” Carril: “They were a little disorganized there. We had an easy layup there.”

Princeton gets celebrated for almost winning. The word "Cinderella" has, by analogy, come to mean one whose attributes were unrecognized, or one who unexpectedly achieves recognition or success after a period of obscurity and neglect. On March 17, 1989 in Providence, the shoe "almost fit perfectly."


Paul Murphy

Follow me on Twitter at @_prmurphy