Doctor Jerry Buss, who died yesterday at age 80, has a very positive association with “80” as in 1980 and did a truly kind deed two days after his Lakers won the NBA Title.
I was as intense a Lakers’ fan as there was dating back to the days of Wilt Chamberlain and even before then feeling their “pain” in so many Championship Round losses to great Boston Celtics’ teams.
In 1980, I paid my way from New York to Los Angeles feeling I had to be there for the remaining games of the NBA Finals which were tied two games apiece vs the Philadelphia 76ers. I went to Game 5 at the Los Angeles Forum, a close Lakers win, but in the game Kareem Abdul Jabbar got hurt.
Kareem did not even accompany the team to Philadelphia for game six but with Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Jamaal Wilkes leading the way the Lakers captured the title with a stunning (123-107) win. It was a great win for the team, fans like me, and a rookie owner named Dr. Jerry Buss.
I tried to get all I could from the victory and two days later stood in the parking lot of the Forum hoping to get into the “Victory Party.” I deserved to be there as I lived and agonized with the Lakers’ quest. In hindsight, I realize that not only did I talk with Buss’ sister but a young girl introduced as his daughter, who had to be Jeanie, later to win titles of her own as part of Lakers’ management. They loved my story of coming from New York and my loyalty to the team. However, they could not get me into the victory party.
I was walking in another direction when a limousine pulled up and out came Dr. Buss with a beautiful starlet on his arm. This man had money, power, a beautiful woman and most important to naive me, an NBA Title in his first season as owner.
I approached him and told him my story asking if I could go into the party. He said “Sure come on in” and it was one of the nicest things to ever happen to me. That fact is sad but what Buss did was a great kindness that meant so much to me. On that alone, and he did so much else, when Buss gets to the “pearly gates,” surely God will echo what Dr.Buss said to me on May 18, 1980, “sure come on in.”
Mark Messier is a New York sports hero; he was an integral part and team captain of the New York Rangers’ Stanley Cup victory in 1994–the only one in the last 71 hockey seasons. He also achieved greatness as a key member of five Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup winners.
I focused on his Oilers’ glory when interviewing the very gracious hockey great after a game between Russian and American All Stars held February 15th to aid hockey diplomacy.
I asked Mark about the Oilers’ Cup victory in 1990 and he cited the pride and hard work of the players who persevered and won it all in just the second season after Wayne Gretzky had been traded from the Oilers. It is a very big accomplishment to Mark and one that fills him with great pride.
Next, Mark talked about the Oilers’ first Stanley Cup victory in 1984 when Edmonton dethroned the four time Stanley Cup Champion Islanders. Mark said “we had great respect for the Islanders” and we both agreed Game 3, the first of three straight Oilers’ wins to clinch the Cup was pivotal. Mark’s incredible hard work turned the series irrevocably in the Oilers’ favor.
Messier recounted the Oilers’ close win in game one at Long Island and said “The Islanders had beaten us pretty badly in game 2 so we were truly focused in game three at home.”
As O.A. “Bum” Phillips once said attempting to rank the great running back Earl Campbell, likewise I do not know if Mark Messier is the greatest hockey player ever, but it sure does not take long to call the roll (regarding his name.)
It was an honor speaking with the gracious Messier, a member of six Stanley Cup Champions.
Yesterday there was an exhibition hockey game between Russian and North American players played at Sky Rink, located at Chelsea Piers. The game which featured such great players as Viacheslav Fetisov and Mark Messier was part of the “International Hockey Diplomacy Initiative.” This will manifest in four games between America’s Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Hockey teams and the MHL (Minor Hockey League) Red Stars, an all star team of players aged 19-21 from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia.
“Hockey is a great unifier and we are pleased that some of the most talented players in the MHL will have the opportunity to come to the United States and face off against storied ECAC hockey programs,” said Alexander Medvedev, President of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
The personable Medvedev, who played in yesterday’s game (The Russian team pulled away for a (10-5) win) went on to say “We believe we all have something to learn from each other and we find it fitting to make this announcement about hockey diplomacy on Hockey Across America Weekend.”
The ECAC teams will face the MHL All Stars during the 2013-2014 hockey season. The ECAC teams that will take part are Yale University (Friday, December 27, 2013), Harvard University (Saturday December 28, 2013), Union College (Tuesday December 31, 2013) and Cornell University (Friday January 3,2014).
The game and event had rich New York hockey flavor including: Fetisov (who was once part of New Jersey Devils’ glory) and Rod Gilbert, (who coached the North American team), Ron Duguay, Paul Stewart and the beautiful Supermodel Carol Alt who all conjured up great New York Rangers memories.
It was an honor to interview Ranger legend Mark Messier after the game, and in my next post, you can read what he had to say.
Alexander Medvedev
“Night Games,” one of three Marvell Repertory Theatre productions currently playing at The Barrow Group Arts Center (312 W. 36th Street in NYC), was a truly riveting story that kept the audience in suspense for the entire two plus hours of the play.
Isaac Woofter stars and is fabulous as German soldier “Willi” (It is German soldier week for us as I saw “Valkyrie” as cited in our last post) who faces a life crisis and am reasonably sure was in every scene. His was a far reaching performance.
The entire cast was excellent and I cite Emma Rosenthal as “Leopoldine” and John Windsor-Cunningham as “Consul Schnabel” for their key roles. Each has a certain power over Woofter’s “Willi” and the interaction is superb.
Night Games was written and directed by Lenny Leibowitz adapted from the great Arthur Schnitzler’s (“Eyes Wide Shut” was based on one of his work) novella.
Schedules for future performances of “Night Games” as well as the other two “Marvell Rep” productions “Flirtation” and “Secrets” can be found at marvellrep.com. Additionally, when attending you are very likely to be greeted warmly by Bradley Eckerson, who is the Guest Services Manager of Marvell Repertory Theatre, and does a great job.
Isaac Woofter
I definitely have been affiliated with many coincidences. While not believing anything “hook, line and sinker,” I do think there may be something to it.
Now I know the science and certainly know something about probability. There are so many days or any measure of time when there are no coincidences. I also know I am more likely to get a coincidence because I often listen to or watch old prerecorded tapes, dvds, compact discs and yes, audio cassettes. Those are full of possible coincidences with my thoughts or even my “live” work or television watching.
This post is just about yesterday’s television watching coincidence. I came home at around six and put the television on around six fifteen. “Valkyrie” starring Tom Cruise was on and held my usually wandering attention. The movie certainly dealt with the government in place in Germany from 1933-1945. The coincidence is I was thinking about “All in the Family” which I can watch at 8 p.m. on Antenna TV.
My association between the movie “Valkyrie” and All in the Family was the episode of “All in the Family” in which a swastika, a symbol of the horror in Germany at the aforementioned time, was mistakenly painted on “Archie Bunker’s” door. Sure enough and you can look it up I suppose, that episode aired right after “Valkyrie” ended on another channel, I believe “The Movie Channel.” Trust me I was thinking of it and then it aired.
Gregory Sierra, who had a nice guest role on that “All in the Family” episode and eventually was a regular on “Barney Miller,” is 72 years old. I wish him and the world well. We all need good wishes. All in the Family Episode
This is the first week with no football. The anticipation (cue Carly Simon) is now for NBA, NHL and NCAA basketball to move into post season. That is at least a six week wait.
Baseball is also highly anticipated but two months away. I tried to get into a baseball mood this first week without football by listening to a tape of Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS from radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh and heard little through the static. So often I would be hearing static and not the game as I tried to tune in such stations back then.
The Atlanta Braves rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win (3-2) in game 7. The Pirates lost that decisive LCS game just like they had lost twenty years earlier vs the Cincinnati Reds. In 1972, the Reds scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win a decisive 5th game from Pittsburgh.
The 1972 Pirates had won the World Series the year before and would win another seven years later. Additionally, the Pirates won two divisional titles and seriously contended two other times from (1973-1978.)
However, after the horrible loss to Atlanta, the Pirates have finished under the .500 mark in all twenty seasons (one ended by a baseball strike), played since the ’92 NLCS.
There was another truly inspiring event held at the “92nd Street Y” in New York City as esteemed journalist Bill Moyers and his wife, producer Judith, joined son William C. Moyers on stage. The topic was addictions and recovery. Susan Cheever did a superb job interviewing the Moyers’ about William’s addiction to alcohol and drugs and his remarkable life since stopping in October 1994.
The Moyers’ were extremely candid about their ordeal concerning William’s addictions. Seeing William in his current state of sober, caring, and articulate executive director of Hazelden’s Center for Public Advocacy really moved the audience; likely consisting of many addicts or recovering addicts.
The Moyers’ shelves are lined with Emmys, but as Bill Moyers, already regarded by me and countless others as the face and spokesperson for so many of the less fortunate, said, “a person getting sober is more meaningful.”
William C. Moyers’ book about his struggles and ultimate triumph is entitled “Now What,” which is a guide to addiction and recovery. A fantastic evening of candid insight from the Moyers’ (wife and mother Judith has produced over 300 hours of television as President of Public Affairs Television) and Ms. Cheever, the daughter of the late great writer, John Cheever, and the author of “My Name is Bill” about Alcoholics Anonymous founder, Bill Wilson.
I was sad to be informed that Marty Reisman, one of the great table tennis players ever and quite a character, had died last December at age 81.
On a long Thanksgiving day in 2007 that I am proud to say included serving the less fortunate, I spent some time with Marty Reisman at a small gathering late that night.
There was quite a bit of intellect, frustration, and story telling at the table and Marty excelled at all of this. Most of Marty’s night was spent talking about himself and his exploits and at least for this one time, I was duly impressed. He had a skill and did something with it although some of it entailed true hustling. Certainly it was interesting.
Then later in the back and forth cross conversations Marty truly impressed me when he recalled his meeting the great Jesse Owens. Marty said Owens was what a champion was all about. We discussed not so much Owens’ great feats in winning at the 1936 Olympics, helping debunk horrible ideas being put forth about a “superior race, but the fact another Marty (Glickman) and fellow Jewish runner Sam Stoller were denied a chance to run and almost certainly win a gold medal in the relay race.
Jesse Owens already had three gold medals and did not want to deny the two Jewish runners their chance, but that is what happened. Marty Reisman, who did what many do in this mercenary country, recognized the horror and the prejudice. He marveled at Owens’ strength, though Jesse (some day I will tell you about another marvelous Jesse, named Krawitz) had to do what he was told. Mr. Reisman understood the impact, the history and the slow change. He was quite impressive doing so.
Here’s hoping Marty Reisman is playing table tennis with God. It would be one of the few times to ever even consider going vs Marty in the game he loved and contributed to so mightily.
Marty Reisman
The Baltimore Ravens richly deserved their Super Bowl Title winning as an aggregate 22 point or so underdog in the Divisional round, Conference championship game and Super Bowl.
The play of Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, Dennis Pitta and especially Jacoby Jones was stellar. Another “who but me?!” as I note a Jacoby first name (the just referenced Jacoby Jones) and a Jacoby last name (the Washington Redskins’ Joe Jacoby) were on Super Bowl winning teams 30 years apart.
I am still “middle of the road” concerning Ray Lewis, a truly great linebacker (not as great as Lawrence Taylor) as far as “off the field” is concerned. He was never tried for the events often associated with him and deserves the rights all citizens have in that regard. However, few athletes are role models and Lewis is not one of them. In Las Vegas and face it elsewhere, one could wager (over or under) on how many times Lewis would evoke God in his post game talks. Saying he does too much of it is a vast understatement.
The Ravens are the 9th team to win the Super Bowl after losing in the previous year’s conference title game. Either the Ravens or the SF 49ers were going to be the 9th team to win the Super Bowl after a conference title game loss in the previous season.The 49ers also lost in a conference championship game last season.
The breakdown is as follows: 11 Super Bowl winners did not qualify for the playoffs in the previous season. Also 11 had lost in the divisional round in the previous year. Nine winners repeated as champions, an equal number (9) had lost in the previous year’s conference title game (the Ravens becoming the ninth to do so). A total of seven lost in the wild card round (4), the Super Bowl (2), and in an unscheduled playoff (1), the year before striking “Super Bowl gold.” The team to lose in an unscheduled playoff game the year before winning the Super Bowl was the Kansas City Chiefs (at the Oakland Raiders for the AFL West crown in 1968).
Joe Jacoby
Jacoby Jones
In an exciting 47th Super Bowl the Baltimore Ravens gave the city of Baltimore its 5th football championship “holding off” the San Francisco 49ers by a (34-31) score.
No longer the Super Bore, these overblown games have been very competitive in nine of the last eleven years to cite two powerful numbers. After a power outage at the New Orleans game facility, the 49ers nearly came back to win, despite a (28-6) deficit.
Joe Flacco, who threw 11 touchdown passes and nary an interception in the four Ravens’ post season wins was named the game’s “Most Valuable Player.” Jacoby Jones, who gathered in the miracle touchdown to force overtime in the Ravens’ divisional round game win at Denver vs the Broncos, had a touchdown catch and returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown. That built the Baltimore lead to (28-6).
Very shortly after, there was a power outage. I scoffed when the CBS “army” of announcers touted the 49ers would make a game of it. However, I should have known better as close games have been the norm of late in the Supe.
Anyway, while I have seen through football for a long time I will miss it. This is the second time that the Ravens won four playoff games to win the Super Bowl and they join the New York Giants as the only teams to do so. The Ravens now (2-0) in Super Bowls have handed the 49ers (5-1) and the Giants (4-1) their only Super Bowl losses.
The Ravens wore “Art” on their uniforms to honor former owner Art Modell, who died last year (see Andybsports, Sept 7th). Modell and the Cleveland Browns won their last title 36 years before Modell and the Ravens won in 2000. Now one third of those 36 years passed before the next Ravens’ title 12 years (one third that time) later. Alas, most people thought the 49ers would win, ending an 18 year title drought. 18 is half of 36, oh well you get the “signs” for the little they are worth.
