Opinion

ROCKET's RED GLARE

By Jan Hubbard (Special to DigitalSportsDesk)

SAN ANTONIO –  May 17, 2012 -- Apparently the fine administrators at Woodlake Hills Middle School in San Antonio see no irony in trying to improve the learning atmosphere by doing something dumb.

When a red-haired student showed up Wednesday with a haircut that had an image of Spurs forward Matt Bonner – a.k.a The Red Rocket – shaved on the back of his head, he was told that it was a distraction to other students and it had to be removed or else he would be suspended.

When Bonner heard about it, he was stunned.

“Couldn’t you just move him to the back of the class?” was Bonner’s common sense suggestion. “Then nobody would see it. It wouldn’t be a distraction. Otherwise, the nicest thing a fan has ever done for me is ruined.”

Bonner is a player of modest overall talent but exceptional shooting ability. He is capable of getting on a roll and drenching opponents with a flurry of 3-pointers, and that endears him to fans, including Gonzalez.

But Bonner is also a stickler for education. At the University of Florida, Bonner graduated with a 3.6 grade point average. His mother taught grade school for 35 years, retired for three and missed it so much that she is going to return to teaching.

“I’m not going to condemn the school,” he said. “If anyone is in support of education and academics, it’s myself – my Mom being a teacher, and my own academic success. Like I said, they could have just moved him to the back of the class.”

Gonzalez mother said she had asked school officials about the haircut and they did not object, but later a school official said that wasn’t the case.

As distracting as school officials claimed it might have been, however, their reaction caused far more PR damage to the school district. Bonner told the San Antonio Express-News that he planned to shower Patrick with Spurs memorabilia and also invite Patrick and his family to Game 2 of the Spurs-Clippers series Thursday night.

"Obviously, I’m hooking Patrick up with signed everything,” Bonner said. “But we’re also trying to get him to the game tonight. Hopefully, it works out and he can make it, and I hope he still has that [image] shaved on his head.”

Gonzalez’ mother said he would comply with the school order to remove the image, but she was frustrated with how the issue had been handled.

 

While there is no doubt that schools should have control over hairstyles or clothing they consider distracting, there is little doubt that the situation could have been handled in a better way without embarrassing the student and certainly without the school district embarrassing itself.

Ultimately, however, Bonner enjoyed the tribute from Gonzalez.

“I’ve seen the picture,” Bonner said. “It’s a very flattering portrait of myself.” 

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Found: One person sad to see Nets leave NJ

By JAN HUBBARD

(Special to DigitalSportsDesk)

(Editor's Note: Jan Hubbard, a regular contributor to SheridanHoops.com -  has joined the staff of DigitalSportsDesk and will write columns, features, opinion pieces and an occasional blog entry while breaking news and doing all the things he's done throughout an illustrious career covering sports and pro basketball.  As is the mission statement of the DigSportsDesk - Hubbard, along with the other talented staff columnists, reporters and bloggers, is available for assignment. The DigitalSportsDesk is proud to have Hubbard join the staff ).

APRIL 25, 2012 -- The proudest New Jerseyan I had the pleasure of meeting was the late Mike Weber, who spent many years covering the NBA for the Newark Star-Ledger. He constantly touted all things New Jersey, was the only guy I ever saw who had a drawer full of New Jersey t-shirts and he displayed pride in his state with great flourish and arrogance.
 

He actually perfected the art of looking down on and feeling sorry for people from other states. I was from Texas so while Mike would not diminish me has a basketball writer or human being, it was clear that in his estimation, my pedigree was lacking. Weber carried himself with the air of New Jersey royalty and while his provincial superiority was more amusing than irritating, he made it clear that when he was around common men from the other 49 states, he was a Jersey blue blood and they were not. 

I thought about Mike, who died in 2005, when I read the stories leading up to the last game the Nets played in New Jersey Monday night. He would have been outraged at the Nets defection. His vitriol would have made statements by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sound mild.

“New Jersey for Brooklyn! What kind of moron would do that?”

As several distinguished writers have pointed out the last few days, the Nets were always lightweights in New Jersey. Even when they rode the talented coattails of Jason Kidd to consecutive NBA Finals, they could not ­motivate the masses. I was not at games between the Knicks and Nets in New Jersey when the Nets had the great teams with Kidd, but I’d be willing to bet that at several points when the Nets had the ball, the majority of fans were chanting “defense, defense.” When popular teams such as MJ’s Bulls, the Celtics and Lakers visited, the home team was often treated like visitors.

Nets fan support was so mild that many tickets were available. Knicks fans – and others – not only in New Jersey, but also New York, were able to buy tickets that were far less expensive than Madison Square Garden to watch the Knicks at the Meadowlands.

Understand that the Nets never really performed in such a way to build a fans base like the Mets or Jets – each of whom has had to battle established teams with greater tradition (the Yankees and Giants, respectively) but formed large loyal followings of their own.

The Nets were, very simply, incompetent.

In their first 25 seasons after entering the NBA in 1976, the Nets made the playoffs 10 times.

They won exactly one series.

Of those first round losses, six were sweeps.

Overall, their playoff record in those 25 years was 9-30.

But my memories of covering the Nets were quite different during the 14 years I spent living in New Jersey. The late Chuck Daly was the head coach for two years and he was one of the most enjoyable individuals to ever grace the NBA sidelines. Daly had coached the Dream Team the summer before taking over in New Jersey and I covered that team so there was a working comfort level that made all Nets games a good assignment.

Daly was quite the character. He had been born into poverty and had never gotten over that. He was always looking for a financial angle. When he was negotiating a seven-figure contract with the Nets, he actually asked them to buy a condominium for him and he also wanted a clothing allowance. His most original demand, however, was aimed at rival Pat Riley, who was rumored to have a $300 per day per diem on the road.

Daly’s demand? As he put it to a close friend, “One dollar a day more than Riley.”

A trip to the Meadowlands was also a chance to talk to Willis Reed, one of the NBA’s all-time legends, who was a team executive and at every game. He was always friendly and cooperative and it was a privilege to be able to pick his brain and benefit from his basketball insight.

I once criticized him in print for trading for Drazen Petrovic, who was a great European player but had struggled in Portland. Reed gave up a future No. 1 and I wrote that lottery teams should never give up unprotected No. 1 picks for unproven players. It could have turned out to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Petro, however, came to New Jersey and was given the freedom to be himself. He became a 20-point scorer his last two years and during that time, I sought Reed out and apologized. When I did, I made an admission that I don’t think made Reed’s day, but did make him smile.

It was official – Willis Reed knew a hell of a lot  more about basketball than I did.

A retrospective on the Nets would not be complete without a tribute to Petro. When you cover the NBA fulltime, you develop many working relationships with players. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, I enjoyed covering all the major stars and Petro was one of my favorites. It was impossible not to like him.

He was pure basketball and discussions were always totally about the game. My favorite conversation with him was once after a practice when I asked if he played shooting games when he was alone.

“Oh  yeah, “ he said, lighting up. “All the time.”

His practice habits were legendary. Denver coach George Karl was his coach at Real Madrid in the Spanish League, and he’d talk about watching Petro take 500 jumpers before practice, 500 after practice, 500 three-point shots at another  practice and 200 free throws at another.

So, he said, one day Petro said he wanted to see how many jumpers it took him to reach 100.

He said nothing afterwards, so I took the bait and asked, how many?

Petrovic smiled and said: “Hundred and four.”

I’ll always refer to the arena at the Meadowlands as Continental Airlines Arena. It was not particularly a warm home for the Nets, but it had good working conditions for the media and my experiences were nothing but good.

The interesting part of the Nets move to Brooklyn is I believe the atmosphere there will not be that much different than in New Jersey. They may draw more fans because there is easier access to the arena and more population near it.

But does anyone think basketball fans in Brooklyn grew up following the Nets? Yes, there will be some passionate, loyal Brooklynites who adopt their new team. But if Las Vegas posts odds for who gets the louder cheers in that first Knicks-Nets game, betting on the Knicks will be easy money.

During the time I spent in New Jersey, I found criticism of that state to be inaccurate. The large cities have big problems, but there are many, many small towns that provide a high quality of living. Both of my kids grew up in New Jersey and I wouldn’t change that for anything.

It’s too bad, but understandable, that the Nets had to leave the state. But as I’m sure Mike Weber would tell us, Jersey will somehow survive.

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The Wendy Booker Story: "I Am the New Face of MS"

By TERRY LYONS (Special to DigitalSportsDesk.com)

BOSTON - JANUARY 10, 2012 -- It's ten days into the new year, do you know where your resolutions are?

Wendy Booker does and she's keeping her promises. Booker is currently skiing to the South Pole and is ten days into a 17-day ski and sledding expedition which will complete the second leg of her amazing, three-prong, top of the bucket-list, mission impossible-type goal of tackling the Polar Trilogy.  In April 2011, she booked to the North Pole and accomplished that feat with the little help of some Alpo and a determined team of canines. Come springtime this year or next, the vast ice covered tundra of Greenland will be in her sight to complete the three-part goal.

The Polar Trilogy attempt comes after a series of marathon runs, including Boston and its famed Heartbreak Hill, along with her mountain climbing treks which now includes successfully scaling six of the "Seven Summits," the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.

And, oh yeah, Wendy Booker, a 57-year old mother of three who lives in Boston and grew up in Westchester County, NY, has MS. 

In June of 1998, Booker was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) after experiencing balance problems, blurred vision and numbness on her left side. Multiple sclerosis is a terrible condition which affects the body's central nervous system, the brain and spinal cord. MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this nerve covering is damaged, nerve signals slow down or stop.

The nerve damage is caused by inflammation and when the body's own immune cells attack the nervous system. This can occur along any area of the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord. The exact cause the disease is unknown but researchers have made significant strides in treating MS since the mid-1990s. . The most common thought is that a virus or gene defect, or both, are the cause but environmental factors may play a role. It is more likely to occur when there is a family history of MS, and, in general, more women are affected by MS than men. Booker's form of MS is RMSS which is characterized by partial or total recovery after attacks, also known as relapses or flares. Hers is the most common form of MS as approximately 85% of the people with MS initially begin with a relapsing-remitting course.

Upon being diagnosed in '98, Booker openly admits to following the very typical human response of picturing herself in a wheelchair and falling victim to the debilitating condition. She spoke of taking time to come to terms with the diagnosis. After that, she told a Rye, NY based reporter for AOL-Patch, "It's what happens after you get up from the couch that matters."

That's when Booker took charge of the rest of her life. A casual runner, she decided to enter a marathon to challenge herself and raise awareness for people living with MS.  One marathon in the year 2000 became two, then three. 

"We called ourselves, the 'Back of the Packers,' said Booker a few days before departing on her current jaunt to the South Pole. "I was so humbled to be running with them.  Saucony, the shoe company, took 26 people with interesting stories, like my MS story, and called us the "Saucony 26," and while there were some good stories at the front of the race with the elite runners, the really cool stories were those about the people suffering in the back of the pack.

"I have my personal name for it and I call it the 'Wheaties Box phenomenon' and that is a term that describes the fact that we, as Americans, unfortunately, only embrace the winner, the gold medalist. In a race when first and second are decided by a hundredth of a second, nobody remembers who came in second. It is such a fleeting, fleeting moment.  You get on that Wheaties Box and everybody knows you, but tomorrow? Nobody can remember."

Like most, Booker is drawn to the human interest stories, the story behind the story.  And hers is certainly one to be told.

In 2002, at the age of 46, Booker joined a team of climbers with MS who were attempting to climb Mt. McKinley in Alaska. The first attempt did not bring her to the summit, but her next trip, in 2004, did, and she reached the top of the mountain on the second try and, in doing so, Wendy became the first woman with MS to ever conquer the 20,320-foot summit of Mt. McKinley, also known as Denali.  She proved to the world that her MS condition would not keep her from pursuing her dream and she related her experience of scaling Mt. McKinley to Jerry Milani, an outdoor sports columnist for Bleacher Report, saying, that it reflected her past experiences with MS.

"It’s hard, it’s steep, it’s scary, we don’t always get to the top, and sometimes, we have to do things more than once," she said.

Since that climb, she has reached the highest summit of six of the seven biggest mountains on each continent—Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Aconcagua, Mt. Vinson Massif and Mt. Kosciuszko—with only Mt. Everest keeping her short of her goal of seven-for-seven. Mount Everest because of its height and extreme weather, forced her to turn back twice, but she remained passionate and is considering another attempt somewhere in the future.

"I like the human interest side of a story," she said. "What happens when you don't make it to the top of Mt. Everest? I wanted to roll over and die, but somehow, we re-create ourselves and we keep on going," she said looking back at her goal to scale the largest mountain in the world.

How, on earth, is it possible to have a woman, diagnosed with MS in 1998 run a slew of marathons, climb the highest mountains and ski/sled terrain that makes Lambeau Field in Green Bay (Wisconsin) seem like Waikiki Beach (Hawaii)?

Wendy committed to a healthy diet, exercise and a daily dose of COPAXONE® -- a glatiramer acetate injection which she "self injects" without reservation everyday.  She has special equipment and storage for the drug when she is in the frigid confines of a mountain climbing expedition and speaks of taking the injection the same way one might consider popping a "One-a-Day" vitamin. 

At one point, in 2006, early on in her fame as a marathoner, climber and inspirational speaker who works with others facing similar daunting tasks in daily life, she was asked to describe what "Woman Power" meant to her. "While I can always appreciate the fluff question, that question was "Wow, what a cool question.

In '06, I looked at myself as a product of so many of the women who went before me. And that is me, in particular because I was born in the '50s (the era of June Cleaver of the TV show "Leave it to Beaver' fame) and then the '60s when Gloria Steinem came in, then the '70s when we really began to make a statement of who and what we are.  I found the 80s to be the hardest and that was when I chose to be a 'stay at home' Mom, but that was when we faced the crossroads and half of us went to work and the other half stayed at home and neither were sure they made the right decision.

"We looked at each other, one feeling guilty they left their kids and the other saying they weren't making any impact and I'm not making any money and therefore, I'm not worthy.

"Now, jump to 2011-12, and aren't I lucky that because of all of that, after 40 years - the 40 years of Title IX actually, I am truly the impact of that...the result."

"Now I can say, 'Look at the choices you have.  Don't be limited by being told no, you are too old, you have breast cancer, you have MS. Now, you have a choice, you can go right or left and that is what I think is the power that women have.'

"I have to credit a lot of luck and a lot of people who have come across my path along the way," said Booker when she looks back at those ultra-important 40 years of time. "

"I work, now, as a motivational speaker which is a joy, but I have my journey with MS and doing all this stuff, I say to people - what I call the 'Three S's. Self discovery, serendipity and stubbornness.  And all three play into who and what I am.  And serendipity is a fortuitous accident or luck and it's hard for people to believe you can put MS and fortuitous accident in the same sentence. But, I always think it made me more perceptive and receptive to the things going on around me that I would have missed.

"I get diagnosed for MS in the '90s, but prior to 1993, there were no drugs for this, there was nothing. When you were diagnosed prior to 1993, you were told to go home and prepare for a wheelchair.  I come boppin' along in the late '90s just as these drugs were put on the market.  I was put on one by a fabulous doctor at Harvard, one of the top in the country -- how lucky I am that I was living right here (in the greater Boston area). I get on this drug and in 14 years, I've never looked back."

The reason?

"In 1993, the first of the disease modifying therapies came out," explained Booker.  "Mine was the second or third to come out.  I asked the doctor, Dr. Weiner in Boston, 'If I were your wife or daughter what would you put me on?' And he put me on Copaxone, and I had no side effects.  I've had a few bumps in the road, some flare-ups, but, basically very few problems and 14 years is a long time. The drug is showing a very good track record.  It is easily tolerated.  The beauty for an MS patient is that they can switch.  If they are not happy with the one they are on, they don't feel well or they are getting a reaction from the injection, they can change.  My advice is to get with a doctor, a neurologist who you can talk to openly because that neurologist is going to be your team leader.

"It's afforded me the ability to go on living my life.  I don't think about it. If I can inject at 20,000 feet on a glacier, it's nothing when I'm home. It's like brushing your teeth. Anyone with MS can also call the drug manufacturer and get advice or information 24 hours a day, say you are having a tough time at the start with giving yourself an injection, they'll come out and help train you. They'll also help you with the finances, the insurance and its incredible user-friendly because the patient is so involved with the treatment."

"There's a lot out there. The national MS Society does an amazing amount of research with the money they raise.  They are doing studies on childhood MS and they are doing a great deal of research which is how these drugs come to market. And, then there's an organization out of Florida called the MS Foundation which is great for the patients.  They do a thing called, "Cruise for the Cause." for people with MS.

"Sometimes, I realize that I am the new face of multiple sclerosis. Everybody should be that face. So, I decided to launch my speaking to say, 'I'm here to motivate, educate and challenge. Get on one of these drugs," says Booker. "It's totally made this illness not what we remember.  It ain't your momma's MS!  Now, with MS, the sky's the limit."

 

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Saving the Sports of Kings

By Ken Adelson - Special to DigitalSportsDesk.com

December 21, 2011 -- Horse Racing is the original American Sport. In the late 1600's the Governor of New York, Peter Stuyvesant built a racetrack in what was to become the borough of Queens and horse racing was born in America. In the early part of the 20th century it was among the most popular sports, if not the most popular form of sports entertainment in American. It goes back as far as man goes back. So why is it dying in the 21 century and what can be done?

Some quick background, I've been a Horse Racing fan since I was in high school. Growing up on Long Island my friends and I used to sneak out of school early, pile into my Dodge Dart and head to the Big A (Aqueduct Racetrack) or Belmont Park for after school entertainment. It wasn't long after that Saratoga became a regular August affair for me.

I was at the Affirmed-Alydar Belmont Stakes in 1978 as Affirmed won the Triple Crown. I saw Spectacular Bid go out too fast and get beat by Coastal to lose his shot at the triple crown a year later, and watched Forgo stage one of the biggest come from behind victories to win a big money stakes race If you're a fan, Horse Racing leaves indelible moments etched into your memory.

I enjoy the intensity and excitement of the short all out races and the challenging exercise of trying to figure out how the race will play out by studying the past performances and then deciding how to wager to make money from your efforts.

As I became a Broadcasting and Production professional, sportscaster and writer, I was fortunate enough to get to hang out in the press box at Turf Paradise when I worked in Phoenix. I began to see the industry from the inside for the first time and also started to see what was not happening around the track.

 

I would later be offered the job as Director of Broadcast at Turf Paradise but decided to turn it down for an offer to work at NBA Entertainment and return home to New York. So I never ended up getting involved in Horse Racing professionally, but observed from a distance and saddened to see its decline. So what does the industry need to do to regain its glory?

The Sport of Kings is on life support. It didn't happen overnight and won't be solved overnight, but by breaking down some of the key issues we can start to form possible solutions.

Here are my top ten problems and suggestions:

1) Let's start with nobody knows the rules!

Only those who work in the industry and your hard core fans can answer these questions; why do only 3 year olds run in the Triple Crown Races, what's a claiming race, what's an allowance race, what's a stakes race, why do they run all different distances on different surfaces, how do they decide how much weight goes on the horse, how are the odds determined and the list goes on. Without people having a basic understanding of the rules, you can’t grow a sport.

Strategy/First steps: Every person that walks into any racetrack in America should have the opportunity to watch entertaining videos that explain the basics of the sport on the big screen scoreboards boards and TV monitors before and in-between races. These videos should be produced through a central governing body such as the Jockey Club or NTRA and made readily available through all forms of traditional and social media. An on-line network should be set up to provide this and other racing information, features, and history. There should be track employees stationed throughout the facility that are there to answer questions and help this process.

This “education”  should also be a core feature of EVERY "live" racing broadcast shown on the networks, during local recaps shows, simulcasts and other distribution outlets. They can be sponsored to help recapture production costs. A coordinated effort is needed.

2) Nobody knows anything about the PEOPLE involved 

Without a connection between the fans and caretakers of the sport, nothing will change. A few trainers might have some notoriety but overall it's an anonymous sport.

Strategy/First Steps: The sport needs to create stars that walk on two legs. Horse Racing can follow the tested and successful model forged by the NBA, NASCAR and other major sports leagues. The sport has plenty of characters and intriguing personalities to choose from. Jockey's and trainers come from all over the world, owners range from blue bloods to blue collar. There needs to be a coordinated public relations plan to make them all visible in local markets and seen to be part of the community.

A primary aspect of this strategy needs to be based in broadcasting and social media. Programs need to be produced a la "NBA Inside Stuff" or "This Week in Baseball" that puts a “cool” mainstream spin on the current day participants and also gives a historical perspective. Behind the scenes access should be a big part of the programming.

3) There’s no compelling reason to hang around beyond the Triple Crown races and Breeders Cup

Strategy/First Steps: Connect people to things in the sport they can relate to, since the horses come and go pretty quickly, so anyone that gets attached to a particular horse only becomes a fan for a short time unless they are given other reasons to stay interested in the sport.

People need to know what they're rooting for so there needs to be a general education about the history of the sport, what goes into making a champion horse, what it takes the become a jockey, trainer, owner. There can be stories of the rich history, current big business and intrigue (breeding and sales), fashion, medicine and science, overcoming obstacles, the key is relating it to a wide audience.

4) There are no leagues, standings, or playoffs to follow

Strategy/First Steps: There can be a two year old division, a three year old division, a 4 and up division with points awarded based on on-track accomplishments. A play-off system can be devised that could lead to the Breeders Cup as the Super Bowl. One reason the points system works so well for NASCAR is that individual races count toward a bigger goal.

5) The sport still has a reputation of being a bunch of seedy old guys hanging out and betting their last dollars, not a family affair for entertainment

Strategy/First Steps: There is a core fan base, but it's not enough. That base does expand for the Triple Crown Races, Saratoga, Del Mar and the Breeders Cup but most days, it's a dismal lonely affair at the countries racetracks.

The model to remedy this can be found in other major sports. A day at the racetrack has to be a full day of entertainment for a wide diverse audience, not just 20 minutes of races in four hours surrounded by a bunch of screens flashing odds aimed at the current core. Just like an NBA or MLB game, the entire day needs to be scripted and choreographed with a number of strategic goals in mind.

6) Simulcasting doesn’t do anything to grow the sport

Strategy/First Steps: The sports has a built in-satellite network, every track is up on satellite feeds for six or seven hours every day, this air time can be used to promote and market the sport as well as showing the odds and races to perspective betters.

7) There has not been an effort to create a community of on-line gamers

Strategy/First Steps: Horse Racing is a natural for on-line gamers. There are hundreds of ways it could be produced for video games. This medium directly connects the sport to the new target audience, young adults who can form the next generation of fans.

8) Most people don’t understand the analytical challenge required to handicap

Strategy/First Steps: Back to the education thing. Tout sheets are nice, but instead of tracks handing fans today's "winners," teach them how to handicap, make it fun. It can be tied to education in a way never done before by showing the math and strategic thinking that's needed to handicap. Use it as a learning tool with prizes instead of dollars.

9) The current horse racing networks seem to cater to hard-core fan and don’t take a local approach

Strategy/First Steps: Between daily simulcasts, two full time networks, local broadcasts, and the current schedule of races slated for national and regional TV, the distribution outlets are already teed up.

My comment on why the two national networks have limited success is that these outlets do not connect with local racing fans, regional programming would be more effective. I think they need to reverse their approach, think local and start treating the sports at the grass roots level.

10) The Governing bodies don’t have the clout to unite the sport

There needs to be a single cohesive, empowered marketing and media organization that represents the industry. The current media landscape and new powerful social media outlets create new opportunities to reach potential fans. There's a reason all the major leagues, NASCAR, and the PGA have large Entertainment, Production, Marketing and Business Operations and have networks run by the leagues.

After passing up the Turf Paradise opportunity, I ended up spending 18 years at the NBA, launched NBA TV, the OKC Thunder’s Broadcasting and Digital Media Operations and learned the power of a coordinated Broadcasting and Multimedia effort. In my opinion it’s the first step to start reinventing the sport of horse racing.

Ken Adelson is founder of Media Forward and former SVP of Production Operations for NBA Entertainment and Executive Producer for OKC Thunder Basketball.

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