It is hard to believe that thirty years have passed since Rabbi and math teacher, Harry Goder was honored at Northeast Jewish Center in Yonkers, New York.
Much of what happened after is truly sad and not even a recording remains of that day’s ceremony honoring a truly brilliant, unique and humorous man.
He prepared us for the Regents examination in trigonometry calling the quadratic equation an “automatic,” warning we better get the question involving it correct, if nothing else.
Additionally, his “regular” exams often were actual old regents exams, perhaps from the 1930’s. The class did not react well to this.
Mr. Goder (Mr. Goder in high school, Rabbi Goder in Hebrew School, I was fortunate to have been taught and encouraged by him in both places) said to the class, “I know what you are thinking, but my parents were indeed married when I was born.”
Not many years later, I was the public address announcer for The College Of White Plains basketball games. An official made a questionable call, the reaction was somewhat severe. I applied Mr. Goder’s words/humor/joke to the official. Did he get it? I was “asked” to leave the game.
It was worth it, telling my friend Harry Goder the story and repeating thirty years ago today, when as is the case now, I pay tribute to a wonderful man.
In a great, cozy even intimate setting at IRT Theater (154 Christopher Street in New York City) the cast of Tom Block’s “Sub-Basement” dazzled the audience with his superb writing and Hunter Bird’s direction.
The story of “Adrienne” her career, romances and psyche, as she interacted with three male characters, is performed, in beautiful fashion by Veronique Ory.
I have been fortunate to see Ms. Ory in other performanes on the stage, as well as her YouTube comedy webseries, “Common Ground.”
Watching her perform, it is no wonder she has received awards from the likes of Entertainment Today and Metro L.A.
The men Zenon Zeleniuch as “Gustav,” Patrick K. Dooley (“Simon”) and Barry Phillips (“Arnaud”) also deliver excellent performances.
“Sub-Basement” is another great production of of Athena Theatre. Performances are (Thursday-Saturday) at 8 P.M. and Sundays at 3 P.M. through April 15th, with an additional performance on Wednesday April 12th at 8 P.M.
Click below for ticket information
Click below to gain information about the fabulous Athena Theatre
Athena Theatre – NYC-based non-profit theatre company
Yesterday for the second straight day, teams from neighboring states won regional finals games to advance to the national semi-finals next week.
Saturday the neighboring states of Washington and Oregon advanced as Gonzaga and Oregon University respectively, won regional finals games.
On Sunday it was the Carolinas as first South Carolina upset Florida and then North Carolina won by 2 points as 2 point favorites vs Kentucky.
Gonzaga is a nice favorite vs South Carolina in the first national semi tilt next Saturday while N.C. is a little less the perceived choice in its game vs Oregon.
Spelled differently, pronounced the same, the great Jim Nabors pictured above.
Alas his “Gomer Pyle” was from North Carolina, one of the states with a team in the national semis.
In a two year, three season span 1977- and 1979, teams from states in the northwest United States, Oregon and Washington, won their only NBA titles.
The Portland Trail Blazers won it all in 1977 but not since that time.
Meanwhile the ’79 title winning Seattle SuperSonics, coached by Len Wilkens, not only have not “titled” since, but are now in Oklahoma City as the Thunder.
Yesterday, college basketball teams from each state ended national semi-finals appearances droughts.
First Gonzaga rolled as a nice favorite, vs Xavier, to its first ever national semis appearance. They will face the winner of today’s East Region final between a pair of SEC teams, favored Florida and South Carolina, each of whose football teams were once coached by Steve Spurrier.
Then Oregon pulled a big upset vs and virtually at Kansas.
The Ducks (Oregon), which won the very first NCAA Basketball Tournament in 1939, will be in their first national semi since that time.
Luckily for Kansas coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks, they took the ’08 title when it was virtually handed to them by a John Calipari coached Memphis team.
Mario Chalmers, who hit some big shots as a two time NBA title winner with the Miami Heat, hit an all-time type clutch shot, to send the ’08 final into overtime, in which Kansas prevailed.
Otherwise the fact Self and Kansas have lost 4 times in a regional final as the one seed, would hurt even more than the considerable amount it does.
Coincidentally, today Calipari, who finally titled with Kentucky in ’12 is with them in Memphis for the South Region final, vs one time Kansas coach Roy Williams, a two time title winner with current team, North Carolina.
The winner in that Memphis tilt, as is the case with Gonzaga vs a yet unknown opponent, will be the favorite vs Oregon, in one national semi next Saturday.
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It was exactly fifty years ago today, on Saturday March 25, 1967 that the then Lew Alcindor led U.C.L.A. to the first of seven consecutive NCAA crowns, in a finals victory vs Dayton.
The Bruins, coached by the great John Wooden and with such great players as Gail Goodrich, Bill Walton, Keith Wilkes and Sid Wicks–many W’s, as in wins and Wooden, Walton, Wilkes and Wicks—-won 10 titles in 12 seasons, a fine “W” player, Richard Washington hitting the key shot in Wooden’s last title season, in his penultimate game, the semis win vs Louisville.
After another team from the state/commonwealth of Kentucky, Kentucky University pulled a slight upset eliminating U.C.L.A. in last night’s round of sixteen game, the once dynastic U.C.L.A. Bruins have but one crown in the 42 seasons following the dynasty.
Alas 42, the number of points Mr. Goodrich “filled” (tire joke and a poor one) in leading UCLA to the ’65 crown.
As a result of top seed Gonzaga winning by 3, the projected number vs West Virginia and Xavier pulling off a big upset vs two seed Arizona, tomorrow’s West Regional Final will produce a first time national semi-finals participant.
There is more pressure, perhaps on the top seed, Gonzaga, (the Zags), but Xavier, an eleven seed, has also been denied in a regional final twice.
Gonzaga favored by eight tomorrow, should get the job done. Hail Xavier’s great comeback win vs ‘Zona but in the end, that will be a key to Gonzaga’s first national semis entry. Alas, they do have to play the game!
It was nearly twenty years ago that Jim Leyland guided the wild card Florida Marlins to a World Series victory in 1997.
They were a wild card entrant. The same might be said of the United States team that Leyland just guided to the World Baseball Classic crown.
The U.S. team, do not get me wrong, a deserving winner did not win either of its groups but as stated here, were certainly wanted by the event organizers and had intangibles in rematches vs both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Tomorrow night in the Midwest Regional semis in Kansas City, a thoroughly unfair advantage for high powered Kansas, those Jayhawks are favored to beat Purdue.
In the opener, Michigan, which roared to 4 Big Ten Tournament wins and the required two in the so called “Big Dance,” is a slight favorite vs Oregon.
Out West (you do know the way) in San Jose, Pac 12 Tournie winner, Arizona is a solid favorite vs Xavier while Gonzaga, repeatedly a failure to gain Final Four entry is a decent “fave” vs West Virginia.
The great Dionne Warwick pictured above. There is association between Ms.Warwick and NCAA Regional play as in 1979, her nephew Gary Garland Houston, Cissy Houston’s son and Whitney Houston’s brother was on a Final Four entrant with DePaul University.
On Friday night in Madison Square Garden, two East Regional semi-final games will be contested.
In the first one, South Carolina, twice crowned the NIT champion at Madison Square Garden, will face Baylor.
Next, Florida takes on Wisconsin.
Both South Carolina which beat Duke and Wisconsin, which ousted defending champion, Villanova pulled pretty big upsets to reach the round of 16.
I had written here that the fact Duke won its conference tournament, was a negative in their bid to win a 6th title.
South Carolina made sure of the “no Duke title,” with a second round win, playing near home, an NCAA constant, which rightfully often drew the ire of the late Beano Cook.
The state of South Carolina houses national title winner, Clemson, which denied Alabama a title in a finals game. Now South Carolina University denies Duke early in the tournament.
Do not feel bad for the powers and their great coaches. Duke head man Mike Krzyzewski has 5 titles as does Bama coach Nick Saban, the latter has won 4 with current team Alabama while Krzyzewski won all 5 con Duke.
Andy B Sports 