They are similar to cars, these phones and computers, we have to constantly spend more. So frustrating!
Anyway, let’s get some notes regarding the 4 national semis teams, who have perhaps a record 17 crowns entering the semis, I would think a record for sure in any national semi, sans U.C.L.A.
Kansas, with 3 titles, won it all 70 years ago and in “same calendar,” 1988.
Their opponent in the first semi today, in which the so called “sharps” are on both the first half and game “under,” is Villanova, which also has 3 crowns, won it 37, 6 and 4 years ago, none (Peter Sagel said “none” as I typed it) of which has the 2022 calendar.
North Carolina has 6 crowns. They won it in same calendar 2005 and also 65, 40 and 5 years ago, the ’82 version at the New Orleans Superdome, where this the 41st tournament with some CBS coverage, ’82 was the first, will be played.
However, another “they get in, you feel in NEED of them and they pile on the cost,” entity, cable television, gets all 3 remaining tilts, NOT over the air CBS!!
Duke has 5 crowns, the second a repeat one, thirty years ago, in 1992. None were in same calendar as 2022 years. All 5 were under retiring coach Mike Krzyzewski and with Jim Nantz as the lead announcer.
Despite its presence on TBS, I must pay for both the 3 remaining tilts and the results I want, Nantz for a 32nd time (my #, but not my cause) will “call” the final game.
James Worthy of title winning North Carolina, pictured above, was the Most Outstanding Player of the ’82 NCAA Tournament.
Sorry “Clever,” but a gambling “rough one,” that first hurt, but then helped one “Bobby G.”
He/”Bobby G” gave one plus with N.C. and with N.C. up 1 with say 2 seconds left, Worthy missed both free tosses. (Ode to Joe Tait).
Mr. “G” stopped betting!!
By the way Mr. Worthy was a great player and I can attest to the fact he is a classy, intelligent, well informed individual.
WFAN, a no listen for a long time is I believe summed up by Bob Seger, a Tigers’ fan, save caller to them in 2042, Jo Jo from Mars comments on the Yankees having power and not speed. Bob Seger, a Tigers fan, “Still the same” lyrics.
More than anything it is complaints about the local teams win or lose.
There is an eery gambling presence.
An ad for a female tout was played a week late.
First of all, she was promoting tonight’s “Villanova/Michigan” game. Problem: the game was played a week ago.
Even with that, her prediction of “many points,” was still wrong. I no longer follow, but I would think (63-55) and 118 would be an under.
The above applies even more so regarding the many fraudulent “touts” involved in sports gambling.
Some related items passed through my head, yesterday, as I drove with the still active in Northeast Jewish Center activities, “Cheese Man,” on the 35th anniversary of unrecorded speeches by Rabbi Harry Goder and me at the temple.
In my speech, I evoked Mr. Goder as a math teacher (he did that as well, as teach Hebrew School, now so many years ago and sadly as are the unrecorded speeches, Goder’s death is also 35 years into the rear view mirror, that goes inexorably forward, a reason “The Eagles,” among others, warned “don’t look back?”) telling us, as we looked on, mad at his old Regents Trigonometry exams, that his parents were “indeed married,” when he was born.
Mr. Goder’s words came into my mind when I was the P.A. announcer for The College of White Plains basketball games in 1977, as I said similar or same, regarding a referee, being booed profusely. He did not like it and that was the end of my P.A. doings there.
I told Mr. Goder the next day. He laughed then and 10 years later during my speech.
His speech was even better. Why was it not recorded? 5 weeks later, Rabbi Goder was gone.
I have to remind myself that his words, his wisdom, his coaxing me to better work in both Hebrew School and 11th grade math are still within. It “Ain’t” easy, but on we go.
Let’s take a break from what has been an “if it can go wrong,it does/missed opportunities/must deal with the fall out, NCAA Basketball Tournament and cite a few random baseball notes.
Once, while working for ABC, a year after “getting” him, John Tudor and Tito Landrum for a post game 4/’85 World Series interview, Reggie Jackson asked that I go upstairs and ask the legendary Yankee Stadium public address announcer, Bob Sheppard to record an announcement, indicating Reggie was up to bat.
Mr. Jackson wanted Mr. Sheppard’s words and had secured such an “intro,” from another great P.A. man, Sherm Feller, for years in that role, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
Now “folla” (ode to Robert Shaw in “The Sting”) as greats “collide.”
Similar to Feller, being among the P.A. greats, Mel Allen has that status among baseball broadcasters, while Sandy Koufax is certainly accorded such esteem, when categorizing baseball’s top pitchers.
Sandy had shown signs of future greatness but was not “there,” yet, when Allen pronounced his last name “Koo”fax in his 1959 World Series (radio, as it was a rare year the Yankees were not in the W.S. and Mel so often was on the television broadcast with them) introduction.
Two years later, one player away from a big, deserved hand for former Boston (Braves) great left handed pitcher, Warren Spahn, I am pretty sure it was Feller (certainly Bob Feller was a great pitcher) who introduced “Sandy “Koo”fax,” at the second All-Star Game of 1961, which was played at Fenway Park.
You can not have such a game today and believe me, its result will always haunt me, however, the greatness and meaning of the one game playoff for the ’78 A.L. East crown, in principle supersedes its result.
Bill White, the starting N.L. first baseman in that ’61 All-Star tilt at Fenway Park, called Russell “Bucky” Dent’s three run, transformative (Boston fans have other names for it) homer, as a Yankees broadcaster those 17 years later in “same calendar” 1978
On the last Friday of the ’74 season, there are real races in three of the four divisions, truly compelling ones in two.
In a “meaningless”/non “div” race game, the starters are Mike Torrez for the Montreal Expos (remember them?) and Jim Lonborg for the Philadelphia Phillies.
On the last day of the incredible 1967 American League season/pennant race, Lonborg, though he and the Red Sox trailed (2-0), pitched Boston to the precipice of the pennant, in a win that knocked the Minnesota Twins out of the race.
When Dick McAuliffe, a title winner with the Tigers the next season, hit into his only double play of the season, the Angels were such to the Bo Sox, clinching the latter’s first A.L. flag in 21 years, doing so as a 100 to 1 “Impossible Dream” team.
11 years later in same calendar, 1978, though leading (2-0), Boston and Mike Torrez lost to the Yankees, who secured a third straight, true one quarter “div” title and eventually won a third straight pennant and second consecutive World Series.
Click below to see (I loosely paraphrase another Andy, (Warhol) regarding brief spotlight), me (Andy B.) appear in a black sweater and holding Reggie’s jacket at the 26 second mark, to procure interviews with Tudor and Landrum, for Reggie Jackson.
In a future post, much more on that story/event.
The 2022 national semis to be played on Saturday April 2nd are set.
In the first tilt, Kansas which outscored Miami by 31 points in the second half to win its “quarter” by 26 points has opened a 3 plus point(s) fave vs Villanova.
The first NCAA Tournament game between Duke and North Carolina will be the second semi on Saturday.
Duke is an early 4 plus point(s) favorite in what will be an exponentially hyped game.
While it is now “even money,” that there will be a Duke vs North Carolina national semi clash, there are two other “quarters” to be played, as with Duke -4 vs Arkansas and North Carolina -8 vs amazing Saint Peter’s, one today and one tomorrow.
Today as cited here yesterday, Houston is minus 2 plus vs Villanova and there is the aforementioned Duke/Arkansas ’94 final redux.
Tomorrow Siant Peter’s, the first 15 seed to ever reach the final eight is as cited getting 8 vs North Carolina. Steve A is getting much more on N.C. to win it all. He must “hedge” some.
Tomorrow’s other tilt matches Kansas, the lone top seed to make it to this point vs Miami.
Kansas in a bid to reach their 16th national semi is a 6 point favorite vs Miami, which is bidding for its first such appearance.
North Carolina will be hoping to reach its 21st semi, Saint Peter’s its first.
Duke is seeking their 17th semi while Arkansas, as is the case with previously cited Villanova and Houston, is bidding for its 7th national semi appearance.
The two previous Duke/Arkansas NCAA Tournament clashes were “semis” or later. As cited, it was Arkansas winning the ’94 Final while Duke prevailed in a ’90 semi.
UNLV ripped Duke in the ’90 final but Duke semi’d an undefeated UNLV team on its way to their first title game win (vs Kansas) in ’91.
They won it again in ’92 on a team that included a great college player named Grant Hill. His pro efforts were less stellar and you can opine on his “announcer” work after such “gems,” as saying Gonzaga “MAY HAVE TO FOUL,” if it can not steal, facing a deficit in the last 16 seconds, as he did Thursday past.
Danny Manning, pictured above, led Kansas to the ’88 crown.
Paolo Bandero led Duke (actually bet from plus 1 to 1 point faves), and its retiring coach Mike Krzyzewski, who notched his 100th NCAA Tournament win, by 5 vs Texas Tech and will meet Arkansas (they plus 10’d, again 1 seed failure, Gonzaga–why Susan Nebraska and its consequences?!!) in a ’94 title game redux, in one regional final tomorrow.
In the other Saturday “quarter”/regional final game, an even better strictly emotional result team for Nantz, Houston, is menos 2 plus vs Villanova. The winner will gain entry to the national semis for the 7th time.
Villanova has 3 crowns while Houston has none.
Of course, Nantz and the networks are happy with a Duke win and who knows they may “hit the jackpot,” with a Duke/North Carolina “semi.” Let’s hope not, but I have again not heeded Beano’s maxim of being “willing to lose,” so look out (not the mountain near there, but Tobacco Road rivals, still 3 wins away and pretty fair odds vs, may meet later than ever and oh the hype that would yield).
For the record, Houston plus 1’d region top seed, Arizona while “Vill” covered and all teased Michigan, winning by 8 (“get it 8” said Bob Loebman, another whose life was ruined by gambling and drinking) as a 5 point “fave.”
Paolo Banchero, pictured above.
Like him or not and I have no real feeling either way, this Coach “K,” is an all-time great coach.
I regret not speaking to him (was not sure it was him but what was there to lose?!), as he sat near me, waiting for his wife Mickey to return from the bathroom, after a performance of “Beautiful” which is based on Carol King’s career.
As with Ms. King, who I definitely do like, Mr. Krzyzewski has a prolific, outstanding set of (coaching) achievements. He got over the hump in ’91 and has added 4 more crowns after that. Only John Wooden with 10 has won more.
Days back, in reporting Saint Peter’s big upset win vs Kentucky, I cited a past Peacocks player, a truly outstanding one, Elnardo Webster.
Now, sadly, news that Elnardo Webster died at a time Saint Peter’s is in the round of 16.
Death, a la ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ song, is both “all around and does “take.” Doug Fox, who evokes memories of March 1987, and whose deep down kindness will overcome his propensity for BS and get him “in,” died days back.
35 years have passed since March ’87 and kickball with “no return” Alison, “Guy/Guy” trying and nearly succeeding in a suicide attempt only to live and eventually falsely accuse me and great non recorded speeches by Rabbi Harry Goder and myself.
That opening Friday when I thought “Guy/Guy” “G”one, “Jeep” Jackson of Texas El Paso hitting a big shot that at least “covered,” (he would die soon after), and Fox, “G” Man, the mercenary but flourishing “Lawyer” and me driving. I thought “Guy/Guy” gone and it hurt.
Now “Guy/Guy” “G”ot, “G” has a bad foot, “Lawyer” I suppose flourishes while I cite stuff, some, as this cryptic. As cited, Doug Fox died.
Elnardo Webster, pictured above.
The round of 16 in the 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament is upon us.
On Thursday night in the West Regional, top seeded Gonzaga, in its 7th straight round of 16 and still looking for its first crown meets Arkansas, whose lone title was in “same calendar” 1994 vs Duke.
Speaking of Duke, then and now team coach Mike Krzyzewski, in his last season and having coached all 5 school title teams, went to (5-1) vs Michigan State, Sunday past (all I believe vs Tom Izzo, who has one title) and now Texas Tech, the ’19 heartbreak runner up, is just a one point favorite vs Duke, in the other West Regional semi-final game.
Also on Thursday, in The South Regional semis, Villanova a 3 time champion, twice under current coach and sharp dresser, Jay wright is a 5 point “fave” vs Michigan.
Villanova had made 6 national semis, including the first and so much different, far fewer teams and exponentially less publicity in 1939 while Michigan has one crown to show for 8 semis appearances.
They are a stellar (6-1) in national semis but only (1-6) in the title tilt.
That game will be followed by Arizona as just a one plus point(s) favorite vs Houston. ‘Zona won its lone crown a 5/10 #, 25 years ago in 1997 and have made 4 national semis.
Houston, the not so “closet” team of CBS lead broadcaster Jim Nantz, was a national semi-finalist last season and has made a total of 6 semis.
They have never won a crown, losing 4 times in the semis and twice in the final game.
The great player, Elvin Hayes starred at Houston.
Prolific, talented writer Keith Huff (Mad Men, ‘A Steady Rain’) has written a humorous, insightful, superb play called “Garbageman,” playing through April 10th at Chain Theatre (312 West 36th Street).
The two person cast Kirk Gostkowski (‘Dan Bandana’) and Deven Anderson (‘Buddy Maple’) is superb. There is talk within the play of “words making music,” and the duo’s timing and cadence together, makes some of a most beautiful vintage.
There will be no spoilers here and having seen ‘Garbageman,’ wanting more knowledge and perspective plus its overall excellence, makes me want to see it again. Its plot, meaning and crackling dialog kept me “company” on the drive home.
There are references to the epic film, “Strangers on a Train,” (positive) and “March Madness” basketball which I still cite, however, as is the case with fictional ‘Dan,’ am dedicated in my goal NOT to watch.
Greg Cicchino directed this show staging its moving, layered story in an entertaining, most meaningful way. I highly recommend seeing it.
Click below for more information, including how to purchase tickets.
www.chaintheatre.org › garbageman-by-keith-huffGarbageman by Keith Huff — Chain Theatre
