Fifty years ago, the Milwaukee Bucks were on their way to their lone title, up (1-0) in the final, in which they would sweep the Baltimore Bullets.
Both of the Phoenix Suns’ NBA final appearances came in years with this calendar (1976 and 1993). Phoenix still leads, but barely in the race for the “figurehead” division title.
I note John Tresvant, a fine player, who is one of only 5 players to snare 40 or more rebounds in an NCAA game, when he played at Seattle University (Elgin’s school), played in consecutive losing final rounds with Elgin and the Lakers vs the Knicks (’70) and for the Bullets, as stated, vs the Bucks in 1971.
“Tres” developed a kit to help young rebounders. He is 80 plus and living in the state of Washington.
Of course “TRES”-this from Wikipedia
“In 2006, he invented the Total Rebounder Exercise System (TRES), a basket designed for use in training young players in rebounding techniques.”
Even in recent pre-Covid years, the NBA and NHL playoffs would be underway or about to be by this point. That is not the case this year, yielding a longer period of essentially meaningless NHL and NBA games and it is still so early in the baseball season.
I wish it would all go away period as there is nada in it for me, but at least the playoffs offer some interest.
Despite the above, I note the race for the North “reg” crown between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, the “with me having no fear” (maybe a mistake) the incredible winning/covering by the New York Knicks and the now 11 straight wins by the Oakland Athletics.
Yesterday in a beyond wild game in the Bay Area afternoon, Oakland scored 3 runs without a hit to (13-12) the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings.
Let’s keep it “light,” with some notes/coincidences gained from watching the 1950 film, “Our Very Own,” yesterday on TCM.
“Linking” with four actors, all women, (actresses?) Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, Joan Evans and Jane Wyatt, notes manifested and follow.
Ms. Crawford was not in the film, but was the godmother of Joan Evans, the latter named after the great star. Crawford also played Ann Blyth’s character’s mother, in the great film, “Mildred Pierce,” directed by Michael Curtiz.
In that one, Blyth is really “bad” and at one point, gets slapped by Ms. Crawford.
“Our Very Own,” (no need for a spoiler alert as I will reveal little regarding the story) yields a scene where a far more sympathetic character, played by Ms. Blyth, is slapped by her father, played by Donald Cook.
Jane Wyatt plays the mother of Blyth’s Gail, Evans’ Joan and 12 year old Natalie Wood’s Peggy. In an early scene, the phrase “Mother knows best” is uttered by I believe, Gus Schilling, playing a television delivery person, this of course in the early days of television.
Speaking of television, Jane Wyatt later played the mom on “Father Knows Best,” a fine and popular television show.
Fifty years ago tonight, the Baltimore Bullets upset the New York Knicks in game 7 of their “semi,” played at Madison Square Garden. Fred “Mad Dog” Carter hit a big shot and pumped his fist, putting the Bullets up 4 points, with about a minute to play.
Wes Unseld pressured Bill Bradley’s final shot, it missed, Gus “Honeycomb” Johnson grabbed the rebound and the Bullets were on to the final, vs the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was all Bucks in the final, Lew Alcindor (later Kareem), Oscar Robertson and Bob “Greyhound” Dandridge leading Milwaukee to a 4 game sweep.
In effect, the Bucks won what is still their only NBA crown, that April 19th, officially doing so on April 30th.
The Knicks would have had quite a chance vs the Bucks, while the Bullets simply did not. However, it still resonates as a great Bullets’ “semis” win!
Updating all these years later, tonight the Phoenix Suns, upstart, “figure head” (ode to Prince Phillip, who died in recent days) “div” leaders, (people, some named Andy B bet on that, Pauly and Mitch got 16 and can hedge, not I and nada on the Spurs’ upset win at Phoenix Saturday. Now a seemingly brutal road trip for the Suns.)) visit Milwaukee.
There is significant history between those ’68-’69 entering, franchises, as the Bucks won the coin toss and eventually Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
They have one title, the Suns have none.
Maybe it happened before or since, but surely it happened exactly 50 years ago today and tomorrow, when on those consecutive days, first the defending NHL champion and then the defending NBA champion were ousted in a decisive 7th game, played in their home arena.
On Sunday April 18, 1971-not even rookie status (he had not played enough regular season games) goaltender, Ken Dryden’s brilliant 42 save performance coupled with a 2 goal, one assist effort from Frank Mahovlich (brother Peter also had an assist in the game) led the third place Montreal Canadiens to a (4-2) win in game 7, vs the defending champion and record breaking Boston Bruins.
That game was in the afternoon, televised nationally by CBS, with the great Dan Kelly doing play by play, ably assisted by analyst, Jim Gordon. (A link to highlights plus post-game comments from Bruins’ greats Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito is included at the end of this post).
On Monday night April 19, 1971–ABC went live (Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and maybe even “Dandy” Don Meredith appeared on the telecast) and the Baltimore Bullets were upset winners, vs the defending champion New York Knicks, in game 7 of their semi-final series.
Both the Bruins and Knicks won a second ’70’s crown, not long after, the Bruins in ’72 and the Knicks in ’73.
Since that point, the lone title for either team was the Bruins’ 2011 triumph.
Sadly, I never met Bob “Slick” Leonard, who died days back at age 88, and thus could not directly share/inhale his zest for life and his incredibly personable ways.
I knew of his basketball greatness, rooting a great deal for his Indiana Pacers’ teams, who won the most (3) ABA crowns and provided great moments (riding Bill Keller’s heroics to the pivotal game 5 ABA Final win in ’72, with two great “hoops” callers, Jerry Baker with Indiana and Marty Glickman on (the then New York) Nets television behind the microphone) and great players, Roger Brown, Fred Lewis and George McGinnis, to name three.
In addition to the three titles, Leonard guided the upstart Pacers to the ABA Final in ’75, upsetting a dominant regular season Denver Nuggets’ team, before losing in 5 games to the Kentucky Colonels, a soon to be defunct franchise’s only title. The first of 5 final round appearances for Leonard’s Pacers came in the second of the nine ABA seasons (you see Leonard and Indy were in more than half of the ABA final rounds, winning 3)in ’68-’69, when the Rick Barry led and the great coach Alex Hanumn Oakland Oaks (a long since defunct franchise) took the title.
Mr. Leonard also made the decisive free throw, with the score tied and 27 seconds remaining in Indiana University’s title game win vs Kansas in 1953.
He was a long time commentator on Pacers’ broadcasts and did all he can, including organizing a telethon to help save the Pacers’ franchise upon its costly move into the NBA at the start of the ’76-’77 season.
Bob Leonard, pictured above, also played for the Lakers in their first “L.A. season” and the expansion Chicago Packers who became the Zephyrs then the Bullets and are now known as the Wizards.
What a career and what a personable man in regard to Mr. Leonard.
A good story, as Patrick Marleau, a 41 year old, 21 year veteran with the San Jose Sharks, is three games away from breaking the great Gordie Howe’s NHL record for games played. Of course Mr. Howe went on to play many more years, including some on the same team with sons Mark and Marty.
Marleau has had a distinguished career, though sans a Stanley Cup win.
He is just the fifth player to appear in over 1,700 NHL games.
In addition to Marleau and Gordie, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier and Ron Francis also played in over 1,700 NHL games.
One day all my knowledge and dedication to sports, however little important, will be recognized.
Alone, empty and up in the middle of the night, I ascertain these facts, you will not get elsewhere.
Some of you are bigots, many of you are successful and please realize, I do not dip into that horrible vat of thinking, though my personal life and non career, haunt me each and every day.
Without citing recent events, (when asked once, regarding recent events, Mr. Santasieri said they were “recent”), I cite Mr. Aaron started in left, not right, on the night he hit home run #715, to pass the great Babe Ruth, on April 8, 1974.
The eventual ’74 season, baseball runner up team, the L.A. Dodgers, had gone (15-2) with a tie vs the Braves in ’73. Atlanta (Braves) won that night by a (7-4) “tune.”
L.A. made 6 errors. The franchises were involved in great pennant races vs each other in both 1956 and 1959 and in at least one other year, that in 1982, the Braves clinching on the final day of the season, on which, Laura and Jeff Lovins wed.
There were only 3 games in the “bigs” that Monday April 8, 1974, involving the Yankees, Indians, Giants and Reds in addition to the Braves/Dodgers tilt.
Largely because of the Yankees, from (’47-’66) those teams combined to at least make all 20 World Series in that span, winning 17.
The Indians won it all in ’48, their last crown, also were swept by the Giants in ’54. The Braves won it all in ’57 and then lost in ’58, each W.S. vs the Yankees, who won 15 pennants in 18 seasons (10 titles) from ’47-’64. Meanwhile the Dodgers won 10 pennants and 4 titles in the 20 year/seasons span (’47-’66).
Finally, pitcher Buzz Capra finished the Atlanta win that historic night of Henry’s record breaking home run in April/1974, pitching 3 scoreless innings and fanning 6.
When the Dodgers clinched their first top finish in 8 years on baseball ’74’s penultimate “reg” game on October 1st, it was Capra, who pitched and finished in their first loss, that got the “spoiler” clinching win vs the Reds.
Capra’s first inning that April 8, 1974 night was the 7th, and he fanned Von Joshua and then Lee Lacy to start the frame.
When the A’s clinched their third straight crown to end baseball ’74, the great Roland Fingers (remember the Rolaids relief pitcher award and please at least consider Mr. Fingers, so long shamelessly denied the Hall of Fame, as baseball’s best relief pitcher ever. Unlike the man considered so by proclamation, (nobody is that great or clear cut!) Mo Rivera, Fingers never blew a big game. Rivera blew such games in ’97, ’01 (THE game, #7 W.S.) and ’04 and I maintain the Yankees would have won more titles, with a good but lesser relief pitcher, sans him. Of course he was great, maybe and in some ways, clearly, the best reliever, but again not by proclamation, especially when one considers the so overlooked Mr. Fingers) got Von Joshua to ground out Fingers to Fury “Gene” Tenace to end it.
In their next W.S. appearance in ’77, vs the Yankees, for a third straight time in that event, L.A. (Dodgers) lost. Mike Torrez got Lee Lacy on a pop up to him, to end the game.
By the way, in that historic game, Reggie Jackson made history with 3 home runs in that W.S. clinching game. Until that time, only Babe Ruth, who did it twice, was the only player to accomplish that feat. (Since Albert Pujols and Pablo Sandoval joined the list).
Jackson’s final at bat resulted in his third home run. He hit it off the Dodgers’ Charlie Hough. On April 8, 1974, two at bats after his historic home run vs one time Yankees’ pitcher, Al Downing, Aaron grounded out vs Charlie Hough.
One more, the next year, the Yankees again beat the Dodgers in the World Series. It ended when Ron Cey, 6th in the L.A. batting order (Garvey batted 7th, Bill Russell 8th that April 8, 1974 night), popped out to Thurman Munson.
It really ended for Munson, an arrogant, truly outstanding player, in a small plane crash on August 2, 1979, 11 years after my Aunt Jeanne died. There should be perspective there.
Amidst all the trouble in the world, country and especially with all the bigotry and exclusion associated with The Masters Golf Tournament, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, won the event, his first victory, in a major golf tournament.
It was a great performance by Matsuyama and normally I would not “stretch” it into anything bigger, such as a message for unity.
People are people and maybe some day cops will stop freely (often going free) killing young Black men and the idiots who persecute people, such as the horrible persecution of Asian PEOPLE going on now, will cease.
Until then, events such as Matsuyama winning, will have to suffice. That is sobering reality.
Hideki Matsuyama, pictured above.
On their side, which clearly is not my side, as in addition to the rage I feel vs them killing Black people, I have been victimized by their “ball breaking” attitude over the years and cringe in fear and strong dislike every time I see them, they do face danger and once long ago, before I knew better based on bitter experience, I admired them.
This is not right on my part, to paint with such a broad brush, and oh have I tried, with limited success, to curtail my anti-cops feelings.
Leaving my woes and tough luck involving them and other matters, I am pretty sure I have a couple or three suggestions in attitude and law change, that just might help. Maybe some good can come out of all this unnecessary tragedy.
This was so wrong, regarding Mr. Wright’s death. Registration?!! That yielded death!! When they “ball broke” me, I got a traffic ticket or a parking ticket or “just” their stinking, superior, attitude!!
You out there on the fence with your some to mucho degree of bigotry, imagine having a son who could easily LOSE HIS LIFE any time he has an encounter, with these supposed trusted officials.
Next is their “shoot first, take your chances in court attitude.” Backed up by a sickening grand jury system, so stacked vs the petty offender and in violence protection, step with them, they get away with it.
Finally check their attitudes. I know how so many feel and the abuse goes way back. This is awful and ongoing!
So I say to you-stop “ball breaking,” Stop thinking you are so great, (anyone can wear sunglasses), change the shoot first thing and change the laws that favor it.
A la the great Robert F. Kennedy, a man like you, me and them, with flaws, urged the night Martin Luther King was killed, I urge my side, the largely Black protesters to protest yes, but sans violence and destruction.
You may say 2 months after Kennedy helped peace, at least in the Indiana city in which he was that night, 2 months later he was killed and truthfully right then, it (all hope) was gone.
Yet even I must persevere and even keep quiet. You do not have to, however, do so peacefully. We will get there but I understand your/my pain today, as it has happened again!!
Andy B Sports 