The incredibly underrated but great Pittsburgh Steelers’ coach, Chuck Noll, passed away last week at the age of 82.
He guided and helped build what I believe to be the greatest team era in pro football history, namely the Steelers from (1974-1979), who won four of the six Super Bowls in those years.
Another coach from that era, John Madden, gets a “preach more violence,” football video game named for him, though he won but one title with tremendous Oakland Raiders’ teams. Noll, on the other hand, gets so little credit for winning four.
Yet the record speaks for itself, as Noll led the great player draft of 1974 and won 4 titles guiding a truly great team.
Ruby Dee was a true great and a fantastic lady. She passed away last week at the age of 91.
There were so many great performances. She played Rachel Robinson, another beautiful woman inside and out, in the Jackie Robinson Story.
Her performance in “A Raisin in the Sun” with Sidney Poitier, remains one of the greatest ever.
Ruby Dee and her late husband Ossie Davis were really out there at their own risk, in fighting for civil rights. Each was an articulate visionary in what is an ongoing struggle.
I met Ms. Dee twice, first briefly with her husband Mr. Davis at a service for defense attorney William Kuntsler. I cherish the memory of the three of us holding lit candles in tribute and for hope.
About 16 years later, I had a great talk with Ms. Dee at a tribute to Sidney Poitier. She reminisced about great days with Sidney, and their two families which remained close.
During a phone interview months later, with her great voice she said my full name in wrapping up our conversation. It made me feel great, not easy in this angst ridden world.
As once Ossie Davis said “Hi neighbor” to me, now he and his wife and my parents are “neighbors” in a better place.
Think of the obstacles toward being “neighbors” as addressed in “Raisin in the Sun” and even now, years later. Try to finally embrace that people are people, some good, some bad and others great, such as the case with Ruby Dee.
The San Antonio Spurs won their 5th NBA championship and first since 2007, by routing the defending two time champion Miami Heat in the last three games of the NBA finals.
San Antonio took the title in five games as was the case with their title in 1999. Kawhi Leonard, won the Finals MVP award.
In winning the last three games by wide margins and in bouncing back from a devastating defeat to Miami in last year’s finals series, the Spurs accomplished quite a feat.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich tied the too often forgotten Minneapolis Lakers’ coach, John Kundla, and current Heat team president, Pat Riley, with his fifth coaching title. Only Phil Jackson and Arnold “Red” Auerbach have more NBA titles as a coach.
Tim Duncan won his fifth title while Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, each of whom missed a key free throw in the Spurs’ horrible game six loss last year, have now played on four title teams.
This year, the two basketball champions of 1999 in college and pro got to “party like it was 1999” as pop singer Prince once said he would do in a hit song.
Both the University of Connecticut and the Spurs each of whom won their first crown in 1999, added to an impressive total this year.
Connecticut won their 4th NCAA title and the Spurs, (5-0) in game 5 of the NBA finals, won their 5th crown.
Finals MVP
Recently I attended an extraordinary one night concert, called “We’ll Take Manhattan,” that featured the music of Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers.
It was a benefit for a great organization “Operation Smile,” which helps children who were born with a cleft condition or a facial deformity.
The performers were all sensational. Their names are Kristin Maldonado, Jeremy Michael Lewis, Telly Leung, Hannah Elless, Morgan Reynolds, Laura Dreyfuss, Trevor McQueen and Caleb Ryan. Bryan Carter, a terrific drummer, was the musical director.
Caleb Ryan was also the producer and director. His words in the concert program regarding the beautiful music of Rodgers and Hart, the fact they overcame adversity in their lives and the hope some will help the children born with deformities were beautiful.
Toward that hope: Operation Smile.
The Los Angeles Kings won their second Stanley Cup in three seasons, when Alec Martinez scored in the second overtime of game five, lifting the Kings to a five game triumph vs the New York Rangers.
Martinez also scored the semi-final series winning goal in overtime of game seven vs the Chicago Blackhawks.
Justin Williams, who opened the scoring in game five and had the overtime winner in game one, was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the outstanding player in this year’s playoffs.
This year, the Kings won their first three series by winning on the road in game seven. Their coach, Darryl Sutter raised his Stanley Cup final coaching record to (2-1), both wins with the Kings (2012 and this year).
Sutter’s one loss as a coach in the Stanley Cup final was in 2004, to a Tampa Bay Lightning team that included current Rangers players, Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards.
That Lightning team was coached by John Tortorella, the former Rangers coach, who helped build the fine, current Rangers’ team.
Justin Williams
The San Antonio Spurs needed one win in two games at Miami last year to win the NBA championship. They did not get either game. This year, they won both games three and four easily, and once again are on the precipice of the NBA title.
San Antonio hopes to win their 5th NBA championship and first since 2007, at home in game five on Sunday night. The Spurs are (4-0) in previous game 5’s of a finals series.
I picked the Spurs to win this series and they are one win from doing so. However, I am surprised that they not only won both games three and four in Miami, but eased to victory in both games. That feat is quite impressive.
As the current NBA finals, between two very good, but not great teams progresses, my thoughts are on three great NBA teams of the past.
Those teams are the 1986 Boston Celtics led by Larry Bird, the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers with Earvin “Magic” Johnson and the 1996 Chicago Bulls featuring Michael Jordan.
They are the only three teams in the past 31 seasons (1984-2014) to win the NBA championship without losing a home game.
The San Antonio Spurs took a 2 games to 1 lead in the NBA finals with an easy victory at Miami vs the Heat in game 3.
The Spurs will look to go up 3 games to 1 in game four tomorrow night in Miami. The Heat have won 13 straight playoff games following a loss.
Remember game 5 is in San Antonio and as I have predicted all along, that will be a key factor in San Antonio eventually winning this series.
It is truly sad that Bob Welch, such a fine major league pitcher, passed away at the far too young age of 57.
He pitched for two World Series winning teams, the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers and the 1989 Oakland Athletics. Additionally he was part of three other pennant winning teams, the 1978 Dodgers, 1988 Athletics and 1990 Athletics.
In 1990 he won 27 games, a number topped only by Denny McLain’s 31, since 1952 (Robin Roberts won 28).
I talked with Bob at the Dodgers’ former and great spring training complex in Vero Beach, Florida during training in 1982.
The Dodgers had won the World Series in the strike marred 1981 season and Bob retired Jerry White in the decisive 5th game of the NLCS to clinch the pennant.
When I asked him about it, Bob, who had yielded a key three run homer to White in game 3, modestly said he thought White would hit the pitch he threw in game 5, 10 miles.
I took out my album to look at a picture of Bob and me from that 1982 meeting. I see a nice field, trees in the distance and Bob holding a bat over his left shoulder.
No “thousand words” here but what comes crackling through: his hair (even mine, I had hair then) blown back in the breeze, life, addictions, caring about sports and who wins.
What matters is living life and doing, which a very brave Bob Welch did.
Overall, despite the horrible logistics that goes with one hundred thousand plus in attendance, I had a very nice time at Belmont Park this past Saturday, when the Belmont Stakes were featured.
Belmont Park is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. It was especially so with the many ladies in their beautiful clothes, wearing unique, lovely hats.
Quite a bit of serenity washed over me as I looked out at the beauty, in full view from the track. Upon leaving late, the track lit up, reminding a friend of a beautiful cruise ship. A nice sight, which capped a fine day.
Andy B Sports 