Life is fleeting.
We were reminded of how short life can be on Monday night when former University of South Dakota and Kentucky star Desmond Allison, 31, was shot and killed outside an apartment complex in Columbus, Ohio. http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2011-07-26/former-uk-basketball-player-desmond-allison-shot-killed
I did not really know Desmond Allison, except for the relationship that a (former) Sports Information Director has with athletes competing at The University of South Dakota. In my association with him in 2005-07, I liked the soft-spoken Allison as I worked with the coaches (and Dez) to set up interviews with the media. What I remember about him - other than being a remarkable athlete - was how considerate he was and how glowingly teammates talked about him as a teammate.
As I looked over Google for stories about Allison, I began recalling from my time at USD how some Coyote athletes died too young (more on a future blog); often of what seemed unfair and cruel circumstances (illness, car accidents, etc.). Allison's death was cruel and unfair in my view. With his athletic career seemingly over, he was moving on to other things.
From story after story in the Google search, I found that Allison's friends spoke highly of him as a person with tremendous potential in athletics and a good person, who couldn't shake trouble. He grew up in a crime-infested neighborhood in Tampa, Fla., and was able to use athletics to get away from that dark environment.
Many say he was the greatest athlete they knew. http://www.tampabay.com/hometeam/blog/desmond-allison-killed-ohio/10123/. NBA star Tracy McGrady called him a friend and was shaken by Allison's death. Here he speaks about his relationship in a blog by John Clay. http://johnclay.bloginky.com/2011/07/25/tracy-mcgrady-and-tampa-remember-desmond-allison/.
His high school coach at Robinson High in Tampa, Fla., told the St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) http://www.tampabay.com/sports/preps/former-robinson-high-standout-desmond-allison-reportedly-shot-killed-in/1182392 that he was dismayed by the news of Allison's death. "Another tragedy, one that has a far-reaching effect on Robinson High School and the Tampa community. I'll tell you what, in all my life, Desmond Allison was the best athlete I've ever seen. He had opportunities that he squandered, but he kept trying. He had a great personality. This is a sad, sad turn of events.''
"Desmond's death represents what's wrong in American cities these days," said University of South Dakota Head Football Coach Ed Meierkort, who gave Allison the opportunity to play football for the Coyotes in 2005. "The Coyote Family is pained with this news of a young man that was always positive and had so much potential. Our prayers are with Desmond's family," said Meierkort.
Others, including those in the media, also reflected about a man who left the world far too soon. http://kentuckysportsradio.com/?p=87781
Before ending up at Kentucky and then USD, Allison was a high school prep phenom in both football and basketball at Robinson High. He was a highly ranked basketball player listed at #61 among the top 100 players in the country by RSCI in 1998. His ranking placed him ahead of current NBA stars John Salmons and Udonis Haslem as well as current San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates. At the top of the list was current NBA standout Al Harrington with Stromile Swift ranked fifth.
He was recruited to Kentucky where he was a freshman starter for the defending national champion Wildcats. He started two seasons at Kentucky (averaged 8.9 points and 4.4 rpg., as a sophomore), playing alongside current NBA star Tayshawn Prince. Then in his second season, he was arrested for a DUI and due to head coach Tubby Smith's "no tolerance" policy was forced to leave the program.
After a year in NAIA basketball and some additional troubles with the law, Allison was given a shot to return to athletics at age of 25 with The University of South Dakota football team. Meierkort allowed Allison to come play football for USD in 2005 as a tight end/wide receiver.
During his two seasons at USD, Allison was a standout for the then-Division II Coyotes. He finished with career totals of 51 receptions for 747 yards and 16 TDs. In 2006, he had 35 receptions for 547 yards and nine TDs, including a scoring catch in a second round playoff loss to Grand Valley State. His contributions had helped the Coyotes reach the playoffs for the first time since the 1986 season. In 2005, he had 16 receptions for 200 yards and seven TDs for the Coyotes (9-2) nation's top scoring team at nearly 50 per game.
Allison showed Coyote coaches and fans a unique set of skills on the football field that he displayed in big moments. One of my most vivid memories about Allison was his 3-TD performance (17, 14, 27 yards) that helped the Coyotes win a first-round playoff game in 2006 at Northwood (Mich.), 31-28 in overtime. In that game, he had 78 yards receiving on five catches. It was USD's first playoff win since defeating Troy State in the national DII semifinals in 1986.
I also recall the 18-yard TD pass he caught in the 4th quarter of the Coyotes' playoff loss with Grand Valley State a week later. In 2005, he caught the a TD in the NCC title game (seven yard TD throw from Wesley Beschorner) in which USD defeated North Dakota, 42-30, to claim a share of the conference crown, the school's first since 1978.
Yet, with all those football skills, he was willing to help other programs try to get better. Obviously, he had matured and found footing at USD. I recall Allison practicing with Dave Boots' men's basketball team.
As you can see, all of my recollections of Allison are connected to athletics. I am sure his friends and family can relate more personal stories, which they will do with each other as they say goodbye.
Like Meierkort and many others, I offer my condolences to his family and friends. His death is sad, tragic and pointless. He becomes another victim of senseless gun violence. FBI statistics on gun violence from 2008 showed that more than 14,000 people died from gun-related homicides.
Thanks for the memories Desmond, you will always be a Coyote. Rest in peace.
McKelvey 2nd at Pan Am Juniors... Kyle McKelvey of Beresford, who will be member of the 2011-12 University of South Dakota men’s track and field team, took second in the shot put at the 2011 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships held Sunday at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Fla. McKelvey continued his unbelievable year with a throw of 60 feet, 4 inches. He finished second to Jamaica's Ashinia Miller (65-6 1/4) and was well ahead of third place Caleb Whitener of the University of Georgia at 56-6.
Coyote Pre-season All-Americans...Punter Cole Zwiefelhofer (Chippewa Falls, Wisc.) and offensive tackle Tom Compton (Rosemount, Minn.) have been named to Phil Steele’s 2011 Preseason FCS All-America Team. Compton is a first team selection, while Zwiefelhofer was selected on the third team.
http://www.usdcoyotes.com/sports/football/release.asp?release_id=6476
SDSU FB Stars Sign With NFL...With NFL training camps about to begin (finally), local players are signing with teams. KELO is reporting today that SDSU standouts Colin Cochart and Cole Brodie are headed to Cincinnati and Jacksonville respectively. The Argus Leader's Terry Vandrovec says that Derek Domino has signed with the Denver Broncos. All are unrestricted free agent signings.
Couple of national notes... The USA women's softball team captured the World Cup of Softball with 6-4 win over Japan on Monday. http://espn.go.com/olympics/softball/story/_/id/6802037/us-beats-japan-claim-world-cup-softball-title.
Meanwhile, Michael Phelps swimming reign may be over as Ryan Lochte has defeated him in the 200 Free. It may make Lochte the world's top swimmer. http://espn.go.com/olympics/swimming/story/_/id/6801756/swimming-world-championships-ryan-lochte-beats-michael-phelps-200-free
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Aberdeen Native Terry Francona Wins 1000th; Blyleven Gets Deserving Hall Honor
As a Detroit Tigers fan, I am finding it perplexing that I keep writing about things other than concerning the Motor City kiddies. Yet, here I go again. I write a note about Red Sox skipper Terry Francona and post my second "notes" section about someone from the Minnesota Twins organization. Oh well, both Francona and Bert Blyleven are definitely worthy of a little "Genz" penmanship.
Aberdeen, S.D., native Terry Francona has now won 1,000 games as a manager, becoming just the second Red Sox manager (Joe Cronin) to accomplish that feat. He reached the milestone with Boston's win over Seattle on Saturday. Francona was born in Aberdeen and moved with his family to Beaver County, PA. His father, John “Tito” Francona is a former major leaguer from 1956-70. Remember this Red Sox faithful, Francona served as the Tigers’ third-base coach in 1996 - not a great season in Detroit land. The Tigers finished 53-109, and in last place.
Francona is a former major league player for nine seasons with five teams. He hit .274 and finished with 474 hits. In 1997, he was named manager of the Philadelphia Phillies and then was fired in 2000. After serving as bench coach for Oakland and Texas, he was brought to Boston in 2004. He has directed the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. Francona and Bill "Rough" Carrigan (1915, 1916) are the only two Red Sox managers to win two World Series titles.
Blyleven Deserving of Hall Recognition…Did you know that former Twins player Bert Blyleven is one of 10 foreign-born major leaguers to being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Blyleven is from The Netherlands.
Blyleven is obviously a deserving HOF enshrinee who showed off his humor and good-natured personality during his induction speech at Cooperstown on Sunday (July 24), televised by MLB Network. As noted by Matt Zimmer of the Argus Leader in a column on Monday, July 25, Blyleven is probably best known by those 35 years and younger for his TV work as a Twins color analyst.
The comical and easy going Blyleven is best known around the league for his color commentary for the Twins and his “Circle me Bert” promotion. Years ago, he was a major league pitcher for 22 seasons, finishing with 60 shutouts and 3,701 strikeouts, total that ranks him rank fifth all-time in baseball history. A two-time all-star, Blyleven pitched a no-hitter in 1977 and has had his number, #28, retired by the Twins. He won 287 games and lost 250 with a 3.31 ERA.
Blyelven, who was part of the Twins 1987 World Series championship team, was elected on the 14th HOF ballot after years of personal frustration for Bert and his fans. There are a lot of other “great” things that can be said about Blyleven but he is a class guy that deserved enshrinement.
He calls Dodger HOF pitcher Sandy Koufax, who some considered the best pitcher of all time, a great inspiration (with good reason). Yet, Blyleven had perhaps the greatest curveball of all time, yes, even better than Koufax. It is time that he was honored by baseball’s Hall. Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson said that Blyleven had a “knee buckling curve” and the long wait for enshrinement was a bit knee buckling for Bert and all his fans. Good for you Bert – congratulations.
Aberdeen, S.D., native Terry Francona has now won 1,000 games as a manager, becoming just the second Red Sox manager (Joe Cronin) to accomplish that feat. He reached the milestone with Boston's win over Seattle on Saturday. Francona was born in Aberdeen and moved with his family to Beaver County, PA. His father, John “Tito” Francona is a former major leaguer from 1956-70. Remember this Red Sox faithful, Francona served as the Tigers’ third-base coach in 1996 - not a great season in Detroit land. The Tigers finished 53-109, and in last place.
Francona is a former major league player for nine seasons with five teams. He hit .274 and finished with 474 hits. In 1997, he was named manager of the Philadelphia Phillies and then was fired in 2000. After serving as bench coach for Oakland and Texas, he was brought to Boston in 2004. He has directed the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. Francona and Bill "Rough" Carrigan (1915, 1916) are the only two Red Sox managers to win two World Series titles.
Blyleven Deserving of Hall Recognition…Did you know that former Twins player Bert Blyleven is one of 10 foreign-born major leaguers to being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Blyleven is from The Netherlands.
Blyleven is obviously a deserving HOF enshrinee who showed off his humor and good-natured personality during his induction speech at Cooperstown on Sunday (July 24), televised by MLB Network. As noted by Matt Zimmer of the Argus Leader in a column on Monday, July 25, Blyleven is probably best known by those 35 years and younger for his TV work as a Twins color analyst.
The comical and easy going Blyleven is best known around the league for his color commentary for the Twins and his “Circle me Bert” promotion. Years ago, he was a major league pitcher for 22 seasons, finishing with 60 shutouts and 3,701 strikeouts, total that ranks him rank fifth all-time in baseball history. A two-time all-star, Blyleven pitched a no-hitter in 1977 and has had his number, #28, retired by the Twins. He won 287 games and lost 250 with a 3.31 ERA.
Blyelven, who was part of the Twins 1987 World Series championship team, was elected on the 14th HOF ballot after years of personal frustration for Bert and his fans. There are a lot of other “great” things that can be said about Blyleven but he is a class guy that deserved enshrinement.
He calls Dodger HOF pitcher Sandy Koufax, who some considered the best pitcher of all time, a great inspiration (with good reason). Yet, Blyleven had perhaps the greatest curveball of all time, yes, even better than Koufax. It is time that he was honored by baseball’s Hall. Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson said that Blyleven had a “knee buckling curve” and the long wait for enshrinement was a bit knee buckling for Bert and all his fans. Good for you Bert – congratulations.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Itch is Back; Plus A Take on Thome
I am starting to feel it.
With all of this NFL lockout talk coming to a head, college previews hitting the Internet and magazine racks, and high school football in the conversation, I am antsy for the start of football. Believe me, I have a great passion for baseball as the races heat up. I also became a bit involved in women's soccer during the World Cup.
All of that aside, football is the game that captures my deepest passion.
It was a while ago when I was one of those teenagers heading down to the Gettysburg (SD) Park to do a bit of off-season football training. A few sprints,a lot of kicking and throwing the football, and then across the street to the High School gum for late afternoons weight sessions, all in preparation for the fall football season. I probably did too much of the throwing and kicking and not enough of the weight room. Still, those days seem as if they were yesterday.
It is interesting how the football focus gets real for players as late July soon becomes August. Today's off season preparation is much different than when I tried to figure out my own workouts to be ready to play football for the Battlers in the late 1970's and early 1980s. The game is more scientific or strategic; football camps are part of nearly every players schedule in the summer; and participation in acceleration training is important, so I am told.
Regardless, when you get down to it, football is still...well, football. At its root, the game is about blocking and tackling, throwing and catching, running and jumping. Those that do it better, win.
It is funny as I reflect about how and why every late-summer the itch for the game comes back. It is if I have a scratch that never seems to heal.
Why is it that the dog days of July and August fail to dissuade those with the passion for playing the game. Physically grinding two-a-day practices shouldn't be anybody's idea for fun. Punishing the body endlessly, why?
I mean really why get up at 5:30 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. practice and putting on shorts and ripped t-shirts that should have been washed a week earlier. Then, two hours or so later, you and your buddies are at a local watering hole for a Coke, Dew, Pepsi or whatever, talking and venting about the uselessness of 4x4 drills, gutbusters, and meaningless run through of offensive plays. I can hear the players talking. Really, doesn't the coach realize, it is time to hit? Don't they know we know this offense and defense? Why do they constantly lecture us about repetition being the key to success? I mean this isn't school - it is just a game, right?
After about an hour in the local establishment, you head home for a nap or just jump in your beat up truck to waste away the afternoon, cruising nowhere except to engage in a few water balloon fights. All in fun - though when your coach finds out about your "grab ass" behavior, you find a few more sprints and calisthenics in the practice mix.
He doesn't just understand boys will be boys.'
I still want to put on some pads and spikes right now -- but only in dreams or thoughts. I mean really, the muscles are a little old and easily injured now. Plus, I like my couch, or seat in the stands.
Still, as I think about the start of games, the adrenaline still fills my insides. It is a feeling, a passion that never goes away. Sometimes I think that is why so many of our heroes play beyond their days. Understandable but we all need to move on.
As fans (and players), we can't wait to head to the games on Friday, Saturday or NFL on Sunday, ready to give our all whether it is on the field or in the stands. We invest time into our Steelers and Vikings, Chargers or Packers, Colts and Pats. Or, our Battlers, Knights, Warriors, Eagles or whoever we favor in high school. And, of course, on Saturday there are the Sooners, Huskers, Coyotes, Jacks, Vikings, Cougars or whoever.
I love this feeling. I don't play anymore but my passion still runs deep. I can talk to the TV as much as I want. I can sit in the stands and cheer or jeer. I can head to a local watering hole and debate why this and that was done or wasn't.
Yep, I can feel it - football is back...almost.
Now to a Hall of Fame discussion... I was watching the the mother ship yesterday and ESPN commentators began discussing the candidacy of Jim Thome, a member of the Minnesota Twins, a classy guy that is quickly approaching 600 home runs.
J.A. Adande, who I usually agree but not this time, suggested that Thome had a long career of good stats but was never the defining player for any of the teams that he has played on.
Thome has been member of the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, L.A. Dodgers and now seems to be finishing a long successful career with the Twins.
I find it disconcerting how some people seem to overlook the play of guys like Thome, players that when they retire deserve a spot in baseball's hall. Guys like Bert Blyleven (finally inducted this year) and Ron Santo, now deceased but not inducted, are deserving but put through years and years of frustration. I am glad for Blyleven, he is a class guy who deserves enshrinement. Yet, I am a bit miffed that Santo, also deserving, wasn't vote in while he was alive. He will never be able to enjoy the moment that a lifetime honor like the HOF brings - sad, sad, sad.
Back to Thome, a lifetime .277 hitter who ranks in the top 30 all-time in RBIs with 1,646. Eighteen times he has had 20 or more home runs and 12 times at least 30. He has been in the top 10 of MVP balloting four times. For a nine year period (1996 to 2004), he hit more than 30 home runs every year. He isn't yet up for the Hall - he is still playing. Of the seven men with 600 HRs, only Willie Mays (660), Henry Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) are in the HOF. The others are Ken Griffey Jr. (630), Arod (626), Sammy Sosa (609) and Barry Bonds, the all-time leader with 762, who haven't been voted except for Sosa. But while Bonds, Arod and Sosa face induction problems due to steroids use, Thome has never been associated with such matters. To suggest Thome wasn't and isn't feared disrespects one of the true gentlemen in the game.
Remember, I am a Tigers fan, a team that Thome has brutalized over his career. Just as I listened to many deride Derek Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits and his candidacy for the HOF, I feel the same about Thome. Both men deserve a spot in Cooperstown.
Jeter has been one of the game's great ambassadors and a Yankee's captain, who has performed at a top level over one of the great runs of that proud franchise. And, Thome, wherever he has been, he has produced.
Is Thome feared? Maybe, maybe not.
I bet if you ask managers, or better yet, pitchers, what they are thinking about when the 40-year old power hitter steps into the batter’s box in a crucial moment, "fear" might not be how they feel, but "scared" is etched on their faces.
With all of this NFL lockout talk coming to a head, college previews hitting the Internet and magazine racks, and high school football in the conversation, I am antsy for the start of football. Believe me, I have a great passion for baseball as the races heat up. I also became a bit involved in women's soccer during the World Cup.
All of that aside, football is the game that captures my deepest passion.
It was a while ago when I was one of those teenagers heading down to the Gettysburg (SD) Park to do a bit of off-season football training. A few sprints,a lot of kicking and throwing the football, and then across the street to the High School gum for late afternoons weight sessions, all in preparation for the fall football season. I probably did too much of the throwing and kicking and not enough of the weight room. Still, those days seem as if they were yesterday.
It is interesting how the football focus gets real for players as late July soon becomes August. Today's off season preparation is much different than when I tried to figure out my own workouts to be ready to play football for the Battlers in the late 1970's and early 1980s. The game is more scientific or strategic; football camps are part of nearly every players schedule in the summer; and participation in acceleration training is important, so I am told.
Regardless, when you get down to it, football is still...well, football. At its root, the game is about blocking and tackling, throwing and catching, running and jumping. Those that do it better, win.
It is funny as I reflect about how and why every late-summer the itch for the game comes back. It is if I have a scratch that never seems to heal.
Why is it that the dog days of July and August fail to dissuade those with the passion for playing the game. Physically grinding two-a-day practices shouldn't be anybody's idea for fun. Punishing the body endlessly, why?
I mean really why get up at 5:30 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. practice and putting on shorts and ripped t-shirts that should have been washed a week earlier. Then, two hours or so later, you and your buddies are at a local watering hole for a Coke, Dew, Pepsi or whatever, talking and venting about the uselessness of 4x4 drills, gutbusters, and meaningless run through of offensive plays. I can hear the players talking. Really, doesn't the coach realize, it is time to hit? Don't they know we know this offense and defense? Why do they constantly lecture us about repetition being the key to success? I mean this isn't school - it is just a game, right?
After about an hour in the local establishment, you head home for a nap or just jump in your beat up truck to waste away the afternoon, cruising nowhere except to engage in a few water balloon fights. All in fun - though when your coach finds out about your "grab ass" behavior, you find a few more sprints and calisthenics in the practice mix.
He doesn't just understand boys will be boys.'
I still want to put on some pads and spikes right now -- but only in dreams or thoughts. I mean really, the muscles are a little old and easily injured now. Plus, I like my couch, or seat in the stands.
Still, as I think about the start of games, the adrenaline still fills my insides. It is a feeling, a passion that never goes away. Sometimes I think that is why so many of our heroes play beyond their days. Understandable but we all need to move on.
As fans (and players), we can't wait to head to the games on Friday, Saturday or NFL on Sunday, ready to give our all whether it is on the field or in the stands. We invest time into our Steelers and Vikings, Chargers or Packers, Colts and Pats. Or, our Battlers, Knights, Warriors, Eagles or whoever we favor in high school. And, of course, on Saturday there are the Sooners, Huskers, Coyotes, Jacks, Vikings, Cougars or whoever.
I love this feeling. I don't play anymore but my passion still runs deep. I can talk to the TV as much as I want. I can sit in the stands and cheer or jeer. I can head to a local watering hole and debate why this and that was done or wasn't.
Yep, I can feel it - football is back...almost.
Now to a Hall of Fame discussion... I was watching the the mother ship yesterday and ESPN commentators began discussing the candidacy of Jim Thome, a member of the Minnesota Twins, a classy guy that is quickly approaching 600 home runs.
J.A. Adande, who I usually agree but not this time, suggested that Thome had a long career of good stats but was never the defining player for any of the teams that he has played on.
Thome has been member of the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, L.A. Dodgers and now seems to be finishing a long successful career with the Twins.
I find it disconcerting how some people seem to overlook the play of guys like Thome, players that when they retire deserve a spot in baseball's hall. Guys like Bert Blyleven (finally inducted this year) and Ron Santo, now deceased but not inducted, are deserving but put through years and years of frustration. I am glad for Blyleven, he is a class guy who deserves enshrinement. Yet, I am a bit miffed that Santo, also deserving, wasn't vote in while he was alive. He will never be able to enjoy the moment that a lifetime honor like the HOF brings - sad, sad, sad.
Back to Thome, a lifetime .277 hitter who ranks in the top 30 all-time in RBIs with 1,646. Eighteen times he has had 20 or more home runs and 12 times at least 30. He has been in the top 10 of MVP balloting four times. For a nine year period (1996 to 2004), he hit more than 30 home runs every year. He isn't yet up for the Hall - he is still playing. Of the seven men with 600 HRs, only Willie Mays (660), Henry Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) are in the HOF. The others are Ken Griffey Jr. (630), Arod (626), Sammy Sosa (609) and Barry Bonds, the all-time leader with 762, who haven't been voted except for Sosa. But while Bonds, Arod and Sosa face induction problems due to steroids use, Thome has never been associated with such matters. To suggest Thome wasn't and isn't feared disrespects one of the true gentlemen in the game.
Remember, I am a Tigers fan, a team that Thome has brutalized over his career. Just as I listened to many deride Derek Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits and his candidacy for the HOF, I feel the same about Thome. Both men deserve a spot in Cooperstown.
Jeter has been one of the game's great ambassadors and a Yankee's captain, who has performed at a top level over one of the great runs of that proud franchise. And, Thome, wherever he has been, he has produced.
Is Thome feared? Maybe, maybe not.
I bet if you ask managers, or better yet, pitchers, what they are thinking about when the 40-year old power hitter steps into the batter’s box in a crucial moment, "fear" might not be how they feel, but "scared" is etched on their faces.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
USA Women's Soccer Wins; Converts a Naysayer
In full disclosure, I am not a die-hard soccer fan. Not even close.
I love football (both college and NFL) and baseball with a little college hoops mixed in. I have lost my passion for the NBA. I will watch the women's softball World Series and occasionally turn on tennis when the U.S. Open or Wimbledon are underway.
It is rare that I will watch a soccer match at all. But, a revelation here, I have now watched both of the USA's heart-thumping wins in the 2011 Women's FIFA World Cup.
It wasn't planned.
Being kind of a sports nut, I was watching ESPN when the highlights of the USA's loss to Sweden a few days ago flashed across the TV. So, I decided maybe I would watch the quarterfinals with Brazil. Then, I thought, if I am asked a question about women's soccer, at least I can say, "yes, it was exciting but the USA's doesn't have it anymore."
Yep, I was one of those naysayers. I know, I know, where's your USA spirit. Well, I must confess it wasn't there, until....
I saw the penalty on the USA in the Brazil match. I jumped a little, cursed some, as the USA was penalized with a red card, in the process losing one of its best players, in the second half. Then after goalie Hope Solo stopped a shot by Brazil, the official gave Brazil another shot, saying a player encroached or Solo moved. Whatever it was, I spewed a few choice words.
Down a player to one of the best teams in the world, things didn't look good for the USA. Still, I watched and fretted a little. Suddenly, the USA, even down a player, seemed to be controlling play. The USA took the match to extra time. Here I was thinking, OK, it is only a matter of time before it ends.
Along the way, I began thinking, why do I care about USA women's soccer? I suspect it was because like the U.S. Hockey team in the Olympics, I am drawn to games where patriotism engulfs you. Sometimes, a call against your nation can fire you up - at least to this one observer.
As Brazil scored early in extra time, the USA still didn't quit. The fans in Germany started coming to their side. It was amazing turnabout, almost like Rocky IV when he beat Drago and then after the fight said to the Russian fans - "if I can change and you can change everybody can change!." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsJnxlXepsY&feature=related
That was happening to me. I was changing, rooting hard for the American women's soccer team.
The USA fought through, kind of like Rocky, beat the odds and when Abby Wambach's header late in overtime or extra time, tied the match, well I was hooked. I watched the USA win in a shootout of penalty kicks. Again Solo was huge with a big save. With a 2-2 (5-3 PK) USA win (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y5sPHb6lQw), I was ready for their next match.
Today in the Cup semifinals against France, the USA seemed a bit disjointed and tired. Still they took a 1-0 lead early. However the French team was here to play and they had a number of opportunities to take advantage of the porous US play. They counted just one goal, on a weird play, ball bouncing past goalie Hope Solo, who reacted to a player in the box going for a header.
In the 79th minute, Wambach did it again. For the third straight game, she scored a goal - this one again on a header. Shortly thereafter, the USA added a third goal and they were on their way to the World Cup finals. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=324833&cc=5901
Now, I am confused. I can't say I am a soccer fan yet. You won't find me heading out to local soccer matches, hoping I will find the next Hope Solo or Abby Wambach. But like Brandy Chastain and Mia Hamm did 12 years ago, the USA women are the attention of the nation, if not the world. They are continuing to build a legacy of excellence in women's soccer. These wins, and how they unfolded, are captivating young American girls if not all of America.
I think we are seeing the heart of a champion. I don't know that it matters who is next (Japan was leading Sweden, 3-1 in the 60th minute of the other semifinal when this blog was posted). It will be a downer if they don't win it all but they have won over people, like me and Detroit Free Press's Mitch Albom - http://www.freep.com/article/20110717/COL01/107170637/Mitch-Albom-U-S-women-s-soccer-team-converting-men-too?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p'
No, maybe I am not totally sold on soccer, but I am going to watch the finals. And, when those moments get tense, I will shout a few words or encouragement to the Americans and disapproval to the referees, thinking they will hear me through the TV.
This Cup finals will capture my interest and be an event that I will remember (even if it isn't the NFL or the World Series with my beloved Tigers).
The the best thing about this USA women's soccer resurgence isn't winning me over (obviously); but that soccer is back - if it ever left. The USA is tough, resilient and just plain good. We are reminded of that again.
I love football (both college and NFL) and baseball with a little college hoops mixed in. I have lost my passion for the NBA. I will watch the women's softball World Series and occasionally turn on tennis when the U.S. Open or Wimbledon are underway.
It is rare that I will watch a soccer match at all. But, a revelation here, I have now watched both of the USA's heart-thumping wins in the 2011 Women's FIFA World Cup.
It wasn't planned.
Being kind of a sports nut, I was watching ESPN when the highlights of the USA's loss to Sweden a few days ago flashed across the TV. So, I decided maybe I would watch the quarterfinals with Brazil. Then, I thought, if I am asked a question about women's soccer, at least I can say, "yes, it was exciting but the USA's doesn't have it anymore."
Yep, I was one of those naysayers. I know, I know, where's your USA spirit. Well, I must confess it wasn't there, until....
I saw the penalty on the USA in the Brazil match. I jumped a little, cursed some, as the USA was penalized with a red card, in the process losing one of its best players, in the second half. Then after goalie Hope Solo stopped a shot by Brazil, the official gave Brazil another shot, saying a player encroached or Solo moved. Whatever it was, I spewed a few choice words.
Down a player to one of the best teams in the world, things didn't look good for the USA. Still, I watched and fretted a little. Suddenly, the USA, even down a player, seemed to be controlling play. The USA took the match to extra time. Here I was thinking, OK, it is only a matter of time before it ends.
Along the way, I began thinking, why do I care about USA women's soccer? I suspect it was because like the U.S. Hockey team in the Olympics, I am drawn to games where patriotism engulfs you. Sometimes, a call against your nation can fire you up - at least to this one observer.
As Brazil scored early in extra time, the USA still didn't quit. The fans in Germany started coming to their side. It was amazing turnabout, almost like Rocky IV when he beat Drago and then after the fight said to the Russian fans - "if I can change and you can change everybody can change!." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsJnxlXepsY&feature=related
That was happening to me. I was changing, rooting hard for the American women's soccer team.
The USA fought through, kind of like Rocky, beat the odds and when Abby Wambach's header late in overtime or extra time, tied the match, well I was hooked. I watched the USA win in a shootout of penalty kicks. Again Solo was huge with a big save. With a 2-2 (5-3 PK) USA win (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y5sPHb6lQw), I was ready for their next match.
Today in the Cup semifinals against France, the USA seemed a bit disjointed and tired. Still they took a 1-0 lead early. However the French team was here to play and they had a number of opportunities to take advantage of the porous US play. They counted just one goal, on a weird play, ball bouncing past goalie Hope Solo, who reacted to a player in the box going for a header.
In the 79th minute, Wambach did it again. For the third straight game, she scored a goal - this one again on a header. Shortly thereafter, the USA added a third goal and they were on their way to the World Cup finals. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=324833&cc=5901
Now, I am confused. I can't say I am a soccer fan yet. You won't find me heading out to local soccer matches, hoping I will find the next Hope Solo or Abby Wambach. But like Brandy Chastain and Mia Hamm did 12 years ago, the USA women are the attention of the nation, if not the world. They are continuing to build a legacy of excellence in women's soccer. These wins, and how they unfolded, are captivating young American girls if not all of America.
I think we are seeing the heart of a champion. I don't know that it matters who is next (Japan was leading Sweden, 3-1 in the 60th minute of the other semifinal when this blog was posted). It will be a downer if they don't win it all but they have won over people, like me and Detroit Free Press's Mitch Albom - http://www.freep.com/article/20110717/COL01/107170637/Mitch-Albom-U-S-women-s-soccer-team-converting-men-too?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p'
No, maybe I am not totally sold on soccer, but I am going to watch the finals. And, when those moments get tense, I will shout a few words or encouragement to the Americans and disapproval to the referees, thinking they will hear me through the TV.
This Cup finals will capture my interest and be an event that I will remember (even if it isn't the NFL or the World Series with my beloved Tigers).
The the best thing about this USA women's soccer resurgence isn't winning me over (obviously); but that soccer is back - if it ever left. The USA is tough, resilient and just plain good. We are reminded of that again.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Don't Need Nitrous Oxide, Just a Little Sandler
I love to laugh.
Some of my friends may think I imbibe in nitrous oxide a bit too much. Folks, that is who I am. I like the funny side of things.
Every week I pick up the New Yorker at Barnes and Noble for the cartoons. OK, I read the articles, too, like Larry David's humorous piece, "Fore."
"I’ll never be good. It’s just not something I’m suited for. That’s O.K. I’m good at other things. What those are I have no idea. But I’m sure there are some. Flossing and dish washing come to mind. Getting people I can’t stand to like me is another. But golf ? No. I will never stand over the ball without considering the disaster about to befall me. I’ll never line up a putt and think I’ll make it. Never face a chip without fearing the decal. And yet I’ll continue to play, because I do hit some good shots, especially when I’m on the driving range. I actually hit some great range shots. What the hell is that? I’ve had swing compliments on the range. 'I love your tempo,' a woman once said to me. That’s right—I have good tempo. I’ve had many other range compliments that I won’t bore you with, but, believe me, I’m an eight or a nine on the range. So it’s clearly psychological. I wonder . . . what if I blindfolded myself ? Is it possible?! Have I stumbled upon the Secret? It makes sense. The reason I can’t hit the ball is that I can see it! Tomorrow I’m going to play blindfolded..."
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2011/07/04/110704sh_shouts_david#ixzz1RvDriSV5
I think David describes my comical forays into golf. Like him, I am an absolute failure on the links. Most times, I draw a number of laughs from those who are part of my foursome. It is what I do.
Too this day, I think it should be a city ordinance - wherever I am -- to require notice to the citizens that I am swinging irons at their local country club. So doing David's thing and going "blindfolded," probably will help.
A few years ago, at The Bluffs course in Vermillion, S.D. I am teeing off on the sixth hole when the face shaft breaks away and ends up in a nearby water bed. What? I am just happy that someone didn't get hurt.
Or, another time while on a university athletics outing, I am again teeing off when the club slips from my hand - in my best major league baseball losing my bat impression - and flies about 35 feet, some 10 feet farther than the ball. And, yes, there was a group (volleyball coaches from the University) on a nearby hole looking quizzically at me, with good reason.
Now, I have laughed with others about the great golf stories (some can't be true) that come from experiences on the greens. I will likely share more in the future and as years pass, the embellishment of storytelling will grow. Two-hundred yard drives become 300, a five-foot putt becomes 35-foot, a chip to within 20 feet is actually holed.
So, whether true or not, my golf outings provide a bit of levity for anyone watching. And, yes, I laugh at my own failings out on the course.
All of this laughter is fun. Laughing makes me feel better. Medical researchers and other health brainiacs tell us about the benefits of laughing.
Like this piece from http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm:
"Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use."
The same article notes that a person gets health benefits for 45 minutes or so after a good chuckle or two.
So, whether it is at home or watching a show at a local comedy act or watching 40-somethings try their hand at some sport, there is substantial value in humor.
Every morning, I throw on my khaki shorts, Steelers t-shirt, Detroit Tigers hat and head out for a walk with my English Springer Spaniel Sierra. Out in "her field," Sierra chases after golf balls like she is caddying for Adam Sandler (in "Happy Gilmore"). Soon she is off chase butterflies, rousting birds and just being herself. It is all fun, filled with a laugh, even if no one is out there.
At home, every night Sierra makes me smile at night when she grabs her toy cotton football and then kicks a golf ball around the room. Now, the golf ball often ends underneath furniture. Still, as I am reaching for the ball under the coach or some table, I finding myself laughing.
Pets provide therapeutic value, no doubt. But there are so many releases for us to finding those farcical moments. As we sit around our lawn chairs with burgers on the grill, potato salad mixed with chips on our picnic tables and various beverages in our hands, funny stories fill the air waves.
I see humor in a lot of things - some serious, where I think the only remedy is to laugh, because it is too asinine to comprehend otherwise. Maybe the extrovert in me draws out the openness. Humor begets courtesy I think.
Sometimes, especially in those times (like now) that people struggle with finances and life, we forget the laughter can help people find an escape.
My advice is to take time to enjoy the fun in life and laugh not a little but a lot. The late great Jim Valvano, who was the coach of the national championship North Carolina State Wolfpack (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney03/story?id=1525209) in 1983, said:
"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about, If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimvalvanoespyaward.htm
Jimmy V is gone now, a victim of cancer, but his message resonates. That speech is used by ESPN and other to raise money for cancer, a very worthwhile effort (http://jimmyv.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/ESPNRadiothonSplashPage. Valvano, until the day he died, had a great smile and unique personna. I miss him, as thousands of others do. His infectious attitude is one that made many people laugh a little. We need more Jimmy Vs.
People have always suspected that I have a truly "sad sack" sense of humor. Yes, the Zero (from Beatle Bailey comics) personality is in me. I love Jack Handey's "Deep Thoughts," as strange as some of those passages were on Saturday Night Live and now can be found on the Internet or in humor section of a book store.
Chris Rock is absolutely hilarious and Larry the Cable Guy gets me going. Sitcoms with Kevin James, Will Ferrell in nearly anything, and Adam Sandler in "Billy Madison" or any number of his movies, all move me to laughter, sometimes in such a way that tears follow.
Have any of you laughed so hard that your stomach hurt? I have - and it needs to happen more often. I think of the sitcom, "King of Queens," when "Carrie" is making a cake for a church bake sale and doesn't get it done. So, "Doug" tells her that instead of buying a cake, as she had done before he destroyed it, they coat a couch pillow with chocolate frosting. "Doug" tells "Carrie" not to worry because they will buy the cake. However, at the church sale, they are informed the cakes will be sold through a game of musical chairs, but with cakes. "Doug" and another guy are the final two guys in the game. As the game winds down, the other guy ends up with "Carrie's" cake because Doug is marvelling at a volcano cake spewing caramel instead of focusing on "Carrie's" cake. The guy says: "hey this is a pillow with frosting!"
I swear I am still rolling in the aisles over that scene.
If you find yourself a little grouchy, call a friend (with a sense of humor) and laugh a little. Life is too short - laughing is one of the joys.
Maybe put a little humor in your lives by loggin on to You Tube and find some Ferrell and Sandler clips, such as I did from, "Billy Madison." This clip, which always cracks me up, is when Sandler has to take part in an academic decathlon to try and keep his father's company (which he gives up later). Sandler thinks he nail the questions, until a judge in not so subtle terms, disagrees. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0&playnext=1&list=PL22EB3911FA6730D6
This video and other pieces of humor are good for the soul. If you don't already know, laughing will make your day a little brighter and provide you with more of the positive glass half full perspective.
At least it does for me.
Some of my friends may think I imbibe in nitrous oxide a bit too much. Folks, that is who I am. I like the funny side of things.
Every week I pick up the New Yorker at Barnes and Noble for the cartoons. OK, I read the articles, too, like Larry David's humorous piece, "Fore."
"I’ll never be good. It’s just not something I’m suited for. That’s O.K. I’m good at other things. What those are I have no idea. But I’m sure there are some. Flossing and dish washing come to mind. Getting people I can’t stand to like me is another. But golf ? No. I will never stand over the ball without considering the disaster about to befall me. I’ll never line up a putt and think I’ll make it. Never face a chip without fearing the decal. And yet I’ll continue to play, because I do hit some good shots, especially when I’m on the driving range. I actually hit some great range shots. What the hell is that? I’ve had swing compliments on the range. 'I love your tempo,' a woman once said to me. That’s right—I have good tempo. I’ve had many other range compliments that I won’t bore you with, but, believe me, I’m an eight or a nine on the range. So it’s clearly psychological. I wonder . . . what if I blindfolded myself ? Is it possible?! Have I stumbled upon the Secret? It makes sense. The reason I can’t hit the ball is that I can see it! Tomorrow I’m going to play blindfolded..."
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2011/07/04/110704sh_shouts_david#ixzz1RvDriSV5
I think David describes my comical forays into golf. Like him, I am an absolute failure on the links. Most times, I draw a number of laughs from those who are part of my foursome. It is what I do.
Too this day, I think it should be a city ordinance - wherever I am -- to require notice to the citizens that I am swinging irons at their local country club. So doing David's thing and going "blindfolded," probably will help.
A few years ago, at The Bluffs course in Vermillion, S.D. I am teeing off on the sixth hole when the face shaft breaks away and ends up in a nearby water bed. What? I am just happy that someone didn't get hurt.
Or, another time while on a university athletics outing, I am again teeing off when the club slips from my hand - in my best major league baseball losing my bat impression - and flies about 35 feet, some 10 feet farther than the ball. And, yes, there was a group (volleyball coaches from the University) on a nearby hole looking quizzically at me, with good reason.
Now, I have laughed with others about the great golf stories (some can't be true) that come from experiences on the greens. I will likely share more in the future and as years pass, the embellishment of storytelling will grow. Two-hundred yard drives become 300, a five-foot putt becomes 35-foot, a chip to within 20 feet is actually holed.
So, whether true or not, my golf outings provide a bit of levity for anyone watching. And, yes, I laugh at my own failings out on the course.
All of this laughter is fun. Laughing makes me feel better. Medical researchers and other health brainiacs tell us about the benefits of laughing.
Like this piece from http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm:
"Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use."
The same article notes that a person gets health benefits for 45 minutes or so after a good chuckle or two.
So, whether it is at home or watching a show at a local comedy act or watching 40-somethings try their hand at some sport, there is substantial value in humor.
Every morning, I throw on my khaki shorts, Steelers t-shirt, Detroit Tigers hat and head out for a walk with my English Springer Spaniel Sierra. Out in "her field," Sierra chases after golf balls like she is caddying for Adam Sandler (in "Happy Gilmore"). Soon she is off chase butterflies, rousting birds and just being herself. It is all fun, filled with a laugh, even if no one is out there.
At home, every night Sierra makes me smile at night when she grabs her toy cotton football and then kicks a golf ball around the room. Now, the golf ball often ends underneath furniture. Still, as I am reaching for the ball under the coach or some table, I finding myself laughing.
Pets provide therapeutic value, no doubt. But there are so many releases for us to finding those farcical moments. As we sit around our lawn chairs with burgers on the grill, potato salad mixed with chips on our picnic tables and various beverages in our hands, funny stories fill the air waves.
I see humor in a lot of things - some serious, where I think the only remedy is to laugh, because it is too asinine to comprehend otherwise. Maybe the extrovert in me draws out the openness. Humor begets courtesy I think.
Sometimes, especially in those times (like now) that people struggle with finances and life, we forget the laughter can help people find an escape.
My advice is to take time to enjoy the fun in life and laugh not a little but a lot. The late great Jim Valvano, who was the coach of the national championship North Carolina State Wolfpack (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney03/story?id=1525209) in 1983, said:
"To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about, If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jimvalvanoespyaward.htm
Jimmy V is gone now, a victim of cancer, but his message resonates. That speech is used by ESPN and other to raise money for cancer, a very worthwhile effort (http://jimmyv.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/ESPNRadiothonSplashPage. Valvano, until the day he died, had a great smile and unique personna. I miss him, as thousands of others do. His infectious attitude is one that made many people laugh a little. We need more Jimmy Vs.
People have always suspected that I have a truly "sad sack" sense of humor. Yes, the Zero (from Beatle Bailey comics) personality is in me. I love Jack Handey's "Deep Thoughts," as strange as some of those passages were on Saturday Night Live and now can be found on the Internet or in humor section of a book store.
Chris Rock is absolutely hilarious and Larry the Cable Guy gets me going. Sitcoms with Kevin James, Will Ferrell in nearly anything, and Adam Sandler in "Billy Madison" or any number of his movies, all move me to laughter, sometimes in such a way that tears follow.
Have any of you laughed so hard that your stomach hurt? I have - and it needs to happen more often. I think of the sitcom, "King of Queens," when "Carrie" is making a cake for a church bake sale and doesn't get it done. So, "Doug" tells her that instead of buying a cake, as she had done before he destroyed it, they coat a couch pillow with chocolate frosting. "Doug" tells "Carrie" not to worry because they will buy the cake. However, at the church sale, they are informed the cakes will be sold through a game of musical chairs, but with cakes. "Doug" and another guy are the final two guys in the game. As the game winds down, the other guy ends up with "Carrie's" cake because Doug is marvelling at a volcano cake spewing caramel instead of focusing on "Carrie's" cake. The guy says: "hey this is a pillow with frosting!"
I swear I am still rolling in the aisles over that scene.
If you find yourself a little grouchy, call a friend (with a sense of humor) and laugh a little. Life is too short - laughing is one of the joys.
Maybe put a little humor in your lives by loggin on to You Tube and find some Ferrell and Sandler clips, such as I did from, "Billy Madison." This clip, which always cracks me up, is when Sandler has to take part in an academic decathlon to try and keep his father's company (which he gives up later). Sandler thinks he nail the questions, until a judge in not so subtle terms, disagrees. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfYJsQAhl0&playnext=1&list=PL22EB3911FA6730D6
This video and other pieces of humor are good for the soul. If you don't already know, laughing will make your day a little brighter and provide you with more of the positive glass half full perspective.
At least it does for me.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Pride of the Prairie Series – Barry, Anderson and Leahy Connected to Glory
(Note - this blog is the first in a "Pride of the Prairie" series, that will feature all-time greats from South Dakota and the Midwest).
For writers, finding a few gems of knowledge, particularly new jewels that have been hidden for some time, is like a kid enjoying a twist ice cream cone on a hot Sunday afternoon. You get excited and imbibe in a treat that is refreshing but leaves you wanting more.
Recently, I found out that the legendary University of Southern California baseball and basketball coach Justin "Sam" Barry was born in Aberdeen, S.D. After reading about his life, I learned that he along with George "Sparky" Anderson of Bridgewater, S.D., and Frank Leahy of Winner, S.D., had connections including being born or growing up as youth in South Dakota.
Barry, along with Cincinnati and Detroit baseball manager Anderson, and Notre Dame coaching legend Leahy had careers that left an imprint on the national sports scene. All three men have been inducted into prestigious national Halls of Fame. And, interestingly, both Anderson and Leahy have direct connections to Barry.
After the death of legendary USC football coach Howard Jones in 1941, Barry was named head coach of the Trojans for football, baseball and basketball, a rarity. Barry had served as Jones’ top assistant for years and had come to the Los Angeles campus because of Jones, who coached with him at Iowa.
Jones left Iowa in 1923 after directing the Hawkeyes to a co-championship of the Big Ten, which wasn't again accomplished until 1956. He went to Trinity College (later became Duke University) for a year before he was hired in 1925 at USC. When USC’s basketball job opened in 1929, Jones recommended his friend and former colleague. Barry took the job and also was named head baseball skipper.
Over the next 12 plus years, both men experienced significant success, as Barry also served as a football assistant to Jones. USC won three national titles in football, seven PAC-10 conference titles and five Rose Bowls. USC's baseball (5) and basketball (3) teams, coached by Barry, won a combined eight conference championships.
The USC football team, which was mourning Jones’ death, didn’t recover in 1941, falling to a 2-6-1 record with Barry at the helm. Yet, Barry led the team to a pair of impressive performances, including knocking off Oregon State, who would go to the Rose Bowl that season. In the season opener, Barry, in his first game as USC football coach, directed the Trojans to a 13-7 win as USC scored the winning TD with 13 seconds to play.
Later in the year, Barry directed his troops to a near upset of fourth-ranked Notre Dame at South Bend, where the Irish were led by first-year coach Frank Leahy, who finished 8-0-1. For Leahy it was the start of a remarkable career. Barry would serve as USC's coach just two more games before leaving the campus to serve in the U.S. Navy in 1942. Barry's final game as head coach was a 7-7 tie with city rival UCLA in the 1941 season finale.
So, there it was a Winner kid (Leahy) and an Aberdeen boy (Barry) matching coaching strategy as their teams butted head on the biggest of stages. Leahy's Irish won a close encounter, 20-18, before more than 54,000 in attendance.
An interesting sidebar about that 1941 game is that both Barry and Leahy were first-year coaches. In the long rivalry of USC-ND, it wasn’t until Brian Kelly of Notre Dame and Lane Kiffin of USC met in 2010, that another pair of first year coaches faced off in one of America's most famed rivalries.
Also during that time, Barry became acquainted with Sparky Anderson, who served as the bat boy for the USC baseball team in the early 1940s.
All three men had famed careers and biographies worth noting. Here is a look back at the careers of the three men, all who unfortunately have passed on, but are prime examples of the "Pride of the Prairie."
George "Sparky" Anderson
When Anderson was inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, he was able to say hello to a lot of old friends. "Sparky" often mentioned his Bridgewater, S.D., roots during his long association in major league baseball.
He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 World Series championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues. His 2,194 career wins are the sixth most for a manager in Major League history. Named the American League Manager of the Year in 1984 and 1987, Anderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
When he was just eight years old, Anderson moved with his family to Los Angeles. Later he was a batboy for the USC Trojans and attended Susan Miller Dorsey H.S. After graduation, he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1953, Interestingly, he was on the 1951 team that won a national American Legion baseball championship, held at Briggs Stadium (Tiger Stadium) in Detroit.
After several years in the minor leagues, Anderson was given his chance to start with the Philadelphia Phillies as their second basemen in 1958. He hit just .218 and was back in the minor leagues. Following four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International league, owner Jack Kent Cooke, who later would own the Los Angeles Lakers, encouraged Anderson to seek a career in managing and offered the Leafs job to him in 1964 when Anderson was 30.
During this period, he had pennant winners four straight seasons, including 1965 with the Rock Hill Cardinals of the Western Carolinas League, 1966 with the St. Petersburg Cardinals of the Florida State League, 1967 with the Modesto Reds of the California League and 1968 with the Asheville Tourists of the Southern League.
In the 1966 season, Sparky’s team lost to Miami, 4-3, in 29 innings, which remains the longest baseball game played by innings without being interrupted.
Anderson was named third base coach for the San Diego Padres during 1969 when the expansion Padres began its tenure in the National League. A year later he was named to the California Angeles staff by Lefty Phillips. However, he didn’t go to Anaheim. Soon after being hired, Cincinnati General Manager Bob Howsam, who had hired him as a minor league manager in the St. Louis and Cincinnati farm systems, offered Sparky the chance to take over for Dave Bristol as the Reds head man.
He began his first major league managing job on Oct. 8, 1969, amidst negative commentary such as “Sparky who?”
Undaunted, Anderson directed Cincinnati to the 1970 pennant, winning 102 regular season games. During that season, the Reds would be given the moniker, “The Big Red Machine,” even as they lost the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles in five games.
The Reds won the pennant again in 1972 although they fell to Oakland in the World Series. In 1973, Sparky’s Reds won a divisional title and then finished second in 1974 (to the Dodgers). In 1975, baseball was awakened to the power of the "Big Red Machine,"which won the division and had a major league best-108 wins. In one of the most dramatic and still talked about World Series, the Reds edged the Boston Red Sox in seven games. The Reds won the World Series again in 1976 after winning 102 regular season games. And, Yankee haters will love this -- the Reds swept the Yankees in the 1976 World Series.
Cincinnati was dominating in the playoffs those two seasons, going 14-3, including winning the final eight postseason games in succession. In fact, in Anderson's three World Series championship runs, his teams had a combined 21-4 record.
Anderson followers know that he was given the nickname, “Captain Hook,” for his impatience with starting pitchers in Cincinnati where he relied on ace relief pitchers Will McEnaney and Rawly Eastwick. And, it should be noted that his impatience with starting pitchers didn't change in Detroit, even with the likes of Jack Morris, Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox. With league MVP Willie Hernandez (32 converted save opportunities), "Captain Hook" continued to rely on his bullpen.
The Reds G.M. Dick Wagner fired Anderson in November of 1978 after the Reds had consecutive second place finishes. Anderson, who didn’t warm to management in Detroit or Cincinnati, refused to fire his coaching staff and the Reds replaced him with John McNamara.
Clearly, Anderson had one of the most dynamic personalities in the game and the Detroit Tigers needed some spark. In June 1979, they hired "Sparky" to take over its young and talented, if undisciplined, team. He promptly predicted that the Tigers would have a pennant winner in five years.
The Tigers immediately finished above .500 in each of Sparky’s first three seasons. In 1983, Detroit won 92 games and finished second to Baltimore.
A year later, Sparky’s prognostications held true.
The Tigers opened the season with a major league record 35-5 mark, breezing to a franchise record for wins with 104 (58 losses). It was at Detroit that Sparky became the first manager to win 100 games with two different teams.
Detroit swept Kansas City in the league championship series and rolled past San Diego, his former employers, in five games to capture the 1984 World Series crown.
After third place finishes in 1985 and 1986, the Tigers had the majors’ best record in 1987, holding off Toronto in a race to the finish. Anderson, who in 1986 had become the first manager to win 600 games in both the American and National leagues, saw his Tigers upset by upstart Minnesota, who would defeat St. Louis in a classic World Series. The title was the Twins' first since 1924 when it was the Washington Senators.
The Tigers finished second to Boston in 1988 (by one game), and then, in 1989 lost 103 games. Detroit rebounded in 1991, finishing second behind Toronto.
Anderson retired in 1995, likely due to his indifference with the Tigers management. After a stint in TV as a color analyst, Sparky was inducted into Cooperstown in 2000 and he wore the Cincinnati cap in honor of Howsam, who gave him his first managerial opportunity.
Five years later, Cincinnati inducted Sparky into their Hall of Fame and retired his #10. The Tigers had a day honoring Anderson in 2000 but it wasn't until June 26, 2011 that Detroit retired his #11. A flag with his name now flies at Comerica and the Tigers are wearing the #11 on their jersey sleeves this season. Still, the long wait by Detroit leaves a stain on the organization, especially since Anderson died in 2010.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101104&content_id=15996288
Frank Leahy
Leahy, who died 28 years ago on June 21, 1973, grew up in Winner, S.D., after moving to South Dakota with his family from O'Neill, Neb. He starred in football, basketball and baseball at Winner until he moved to Omaha as a senior. Leahy played tackle on Knute Rockne's last three Notre Dame teams from 1928-30.
After graduating from Notre Dame in 1931, he hooked on as a line coach at Michigan State, where “Sleepy” Jim Crowley was head coach. Crowley was one of the famed “Four Horsemen” at Notre Dame in the early 1920s. The Irish legendary backfield, the “Four Horsemen,” came from a New York Herald Tribune column by noted journalist Grantland Rice, after the Irish, who finished #1 and unbeaten, defeated Army in 1924. In his column, Rice compared Crowley and his mates to the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." The other members of that famed group included Elmer Layden, Don Miller and Harry Stuhldrehler.
It was at Michigan State where Leahy was on the sidelines for the Spartans when they defeated University of South Dakota, 20-6, in the eighth game of the 1932 season. That Coyotes team included Coyote Hall of Famers Dan Lennon (Lennon Relays and longtime Coyotes track coach) of Vermillion, S.D., and Cletus Clinker of Mobridge, S.D. On the USD coaching staff was longtime Coyote basketball coach and Athletic Director Carl B. "Rube" Hoy.
Leahy was later the line coach at Fordham, where the "Seven Blocks of Granite,” bulldozed opponents under head coach Crowley guidance. The Fordham teams were 12-1-3 in 1936 and 1937 and included Vince Lombardi, long before his famous career with the Green Bay Packers. The other "Blocks of Granite,"were Leo Paquin, John Druze, NFL Hall of Famer Alex Wojciechowicz, Ed Franco, Al Babartsky and Natty Pierce.
In 1939 Leahy took over the Irish head coaching duties from his fellow "Horsemen" mate, Layden.
Leahy coached the Irish in 1939-40, 1941-43 and 1946-53, compiling a mark of 107-13-9, or an .864 winning percentage, which still ranks second best in NCAA DI football annals. He trails only his mentor and coach Knute Rockne.
A member of two Notre Dame national title teams as a player in 1929 and 1930, Leahy and was head coach for four Irish squads in 1943, 1946, 1947, and 1949. Leahy also served as the athletic director at Notre Dame from 1947 until 1949. Leahy led Notre Dame to six unbeaten seasons and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1970.
Leahy, who served in the Navy beginning in 1944 and reached a rank of lieutenant, returned to South Bend in 1946. He led the Irish to another national title that season after playing Earl Blaik's Army team to a scoreless tie in Yankee Stadium. The game called one of the "Games of the Century" was a battle of defenses, despite the presence of four Heisman Trophy winners (past, current, future) - including Army's "Touchdown Twins" of Doc Blanchard (1945) and Glenn Davis (1946); and the Irish's Johnny Lujack (1947) and Leon Hart (1949). It is the only time in history four Heisman winners played in the same collegiate game.
The Irish won national titles again in 1947 and 1949. A 14-14 tie against Southern California in 1948 prevented perhaps what would have been three straight national crowns for Leahy's Irish.
In 1953, Leahy's last season in South Bend, the Irish finished with a 9-0-1 mark. The one blemish was a 14-14 with Iowa, which cost the team another national crown and Leahy respect. It was alleged that his Irish players "faked" injury to prevent the clock from winding down. Twice, the Irish scored (late in the first half and late in the second half) after players "faked" injury to stop the clock with Notre Dame out of timeouts.
Leahy resigned in 1954 due to health issues.
During his Leahy coached four Heisman Trophy winners including Angelo Bertelli in 1943, Johnny Lujack in 1947, Leon Hart in 1949, Johnny Lattner in 1953. He also recruited Paul Hornung, who won the Heisman in 1956 before becoming an all-time great with the Green Bay Backers.
Leahy, who called his players "lads," was as old school as he gets. His tough-nosed style of football didn't value field goals. He said "Notre Dame didn't kick field goals, Notre Dame was too tough to kick field goals." It is a philosophy that cost his team in the 1946 Army game when the Irish moved the ball inside the Cadets' four-yard line. They turned the ball over on downs.
Leahy's final foray into football was serving as the AFL's Los Angeles Chargers' general manager in 1960.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DroTXCHt81M
Justin "Sam" Barry
Barry is considered one of the greatest coaches in collegiate sports history. He played a major role in the development of the basketball and baseball programs at The University of Southern California. He is just one of three coaches ever to have led a men's basketball team to the Final Four and lead a baseball team to the College World Series.
Originally of Aberdeen, his family moved to Wisconsin at a young age. He was a standout in basketball, baseball and football at Madison, Wisc., after which he competed at Lawrence College and earned a degree at the University of Wisconsin. He served a short stint as coach at Madison High and then became A.D. for little known Knox College in Illinois from 1918-22.
Barry led the Hawkeyes' basketball team to Big 10 co-championships in 1923 and 1926 – the first two conference titles in team history.
At USC, Barry's Trojan basketball teams enjoyed remarkable success, including PAC 10 titles in 1930, 1935 and 1940. His 1940 team was considered the best team in the nation and later would be be selected as the 1940 national champions (by the Helms Foundation) despite its failure to win the NCAA tournament, which was in its infancy stages. While today's "Big Dance" includes 68 teams and is one of the most watched events in sports, the NCAA tournament began as an eight-team tournament in 1939. In 1940, USC lost to Kansas when the son of Phog Allen made a basket in the closing seconds of the game played at Kansas City.
His baseball teams were more successful with conference titles in 1930, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and World Series berths in both 1948 and 1949.
Barry was also a valued part of the USC football teams which claimed national championships in 1931, 1932 and 1939, as well as seven PAC-10 titles and five Rose Bowl victories. Barry served as Jones' top assistant and was likely the team's defensive coordinator, although assistants did not have titles tied to their duties.
USC football had a 25-game win streak from 1931 to 1933, with the 1938 team finishing undefeated after vanquishing Duke, 7-3, in the 1939 Rose Bowl. Duke had held all of its opponents scoreless that season.
In 1942, Barry joined the Navy to do his part in World War II. While in the Navy, he took control of physical and military training for Navy personnel in the South Pacific. As a result of his effort, he was the recipient of a Naval Commendation honor from Secretary of Navy James Forrestal.
Upon fulfilling his Naval services in 1945, Barry returned to take over USD basketball and baseball and serving as an assistant for head football coach Joe Cravath. He directed USC to the 1948 College World Series where they defeated Yale and captain and future president George Bush for the title. USC returned to the CWS in 1949 but lost twice to Wake Forest by scores of 2-1.
Barry died on Sept. 23, 1950 while scouting for the USC football team at the University of California.
It was fitting that at the Trojan’s next home game – against Iowa -- Barry was honored for his 18 seasons as a USC assistant football coach (1929-40, 1945-50) and his long run as a head baseball and basketball coach. It should be noted that the Aberdeen native had four consensus All-American basketball players in Jerry Nemer, Lee Guttero, Ralph Vaughn and Bill Sharman.
One of Barry's remarkable legacies is the number of players who became great coaches. They included Sharman, who directed the Lakers to the 1972 NBA title, Alex Hannum (coached the 1966 Philadelphia 76ers and 1958 St. Louis Hawks to NBA titles), Tex Winter, Jack Gardner, Forrest Twogood and Bob Boyd in basketball, and perhaps the greatest college baseball coach ever, Rod Dedeaux.
It was Barry who suggested that USC hire Rod Dedeaux (12 College Baseball World Series titles - most ever) when he entered the Navy in 1942. The two men later co-coached USC during runs to the College World Series.
Barry was innovative who was partly responsible for eliminating the center jump after free throws in basketball, which sped up the game. He was also responsible for creating the center line and 10-second rule. Barry also invented the triangle offense which Winter and University of North Dakota alum Phil Jackson turned into great success with the NBA championship teams in Chicago and Los Angeles.
One final note on Barry, he established a 40-game winning streak in men's basketball against UCLA – pre-John Wooden – from 1932-42 and in 1946. It is longest winning streak by any coach against a single opponent in the history of college basketball. In 1966, he became a member of the charter class of inductees to the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and in 1978, he was elected to membership in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was among the 2007 class of inductees to the USC Athletic Hall of Fame.
For writers, finding a few gems of knowledge, particularly new jewels that have been hidden for some time, is like a kid enjoying a twist ice cream cone on a hot Sunday afternoon. You get excited and imbibe in a treat that is refreshing but leaves you wanting more.
Recently, I found out that the legendary University of Southern California baseball and basketball coach Justin "Sam" Barry was born in Aberdeen, S.D. After reading about his life, I learned that he along with George "Sparky" Anderson of Bridgewater, S.D., and Frank Leahy of Winner, S.D., had connections including being born or growing up as youth in South Dakota.
Barry, along with Cincinnati and Detroit baseball manager Anderson, and Notre Dame coaching legend Leahy had careers that left an imprint on the national sports scene. All three men have been inducted into prestigious national Halls of Fame. And, interestingly, both Anderson and Leahy have direct connections to Barry.
After the death of legendary USC football coach Howard Jones in 1941, Barry was named head coach of the Trojans for football, baseball and basketball, a rarity. Barry had served as Jones’ top assistant for years and had come to the Los Angeles campus because of Jones, who coached with him at Iowa.
Jones left Iowa in 1923 after directing the Hawkeyes to a co-championship of the Big Ten, which wasn't again accomplished until 1956. He went to Trinity College (later became Duke University) for a year before he was hired in 1925 at USC. When USC’s basketball job opened in 1929, Jones recommended his friend and former colleague. Barry took the job and also was named head baseball skipper.
Over the next 12 plus years, both men experienced significant success, as Barry also served as a football assistant to Jones. USC won three national titles in football, seven PAC-10 conference titles and five Rose Bowls. USC's baseball (5) and basketball (3) teams, coached by Barry, won a combined eight conference championships.
The USC football team, which was mourning Jones’ death, didn’t recover in 1941, falling to a 2-6-1 record with Barry at the helm. Yet, Barry led the team to a pair of impressive performances, including knocking off Oregon State, who would go to the Rose Bowl that season. In the season opener, Barry, in his first game as USC football coach, directed the Trojans to a 13-7 win as USC scored the winning TD with 13 seconds to play.
Later in the year, Barry directed his troops to a near upset of fourth-ranked Notre Dame at South Bend, where the Irish were led by first-year coach Frank Leahy, who finished 8-0-1. For Leahy it was the start of a remarkable career. Barry would serve as USC's coach just two more games before leaving the campus to serve in the U.S. Navy in 1942. Barry's final game as head coach was a 7-7 tie with city rival UCLA in the 1941 season finale.
So, there it was a Winner kid (Leahy) and an Aberdeen boy (Barry) matching coaching strategy as their teams butted head on the biggest of stages. Leahy's Irish won a close encounter, 20-18, before more than 54,000 in attendance.
An interesting sidebar about that 1941 game is that both Barry and Leahy were first-year coaches. In the long rivalry of USC-ND, it wasn’t until Brian Kelly of Notre Dame and Lane Kiffin of USC met in 2010, that another pair of first year coaches faced off in one of America's most famed rivalries.
Also during that time, Barry became acquainted with Sparky Anderson, who served as the bat boy for the USC baseball team in the early 1940s.
All three men had famed careers and biographies worth noting. Here is a look back at the careers of the three men, all who unfortunately have passed on, but are prime examples of the "Pride of the Prairie."
George "Sparky" Anderson
When Anderson was inducted into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, he was able to say hello to a lot of old friends. "Sparky" often mentioned his Bridgewater, S.D., roots during his long association in major league baseball.
He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 World Series championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues. His 2,194 career wins are the sixth most for a manager in Major League history. Named the American League Manager of the Year in 1984 and 1987, Anderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
When he was just eight years old, Anderson moved with his family to Los Angeles. Later he was a batboy for the USC Trojans and attended Susan Miller Dorsey H.S. After graduation, he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1953, Interestingly, he was on the 1951 team that won a national American Legion baseball championship, held at Briggs Stadium (Tiger Stadium) in Detroit.
After several years in the minor leagues, Anderson was given his chance to start with the Philadelphia Phillies as their second basemen in 1958. He hit just .218 and was back in the minor leagues. Following four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International league, owner Jack Kent Cooke, who later would own the Los Angeles Lakers, encouraged Anderson to seek a career in managing and offered the Leafs job to him in 1964 when Anderson was 30.
During this period, he had pennant winners four straight seasons, including 1965 with the Rock Hill Cardinals of the Western Carolinas League, 1966 with the St. Petersburg Cardinals of the Florida State League, 1967 with the Modesto Reds of the California League and 1968 with the Asheville Tourists of the Southern League.
In the 1966 season, Sparky’s team lost to Miami, 4-3, in 29 innings, which remains the longest baseball game played by innings without being interrupted.
Anderson was named third base coach for the San Diego Padres during 1969 when the expansion Padres began its tenure in the National League. A year later he was named to the California Angeles staff by Lefty Phillips. However, he didn’t go to Anaheim. Soon after being hired, Cincinnati General Manager Bob Howsam, who had hired him as a minor league manager in the St. Louis and Cincinnati farm systems, offered Sparky the chance to take over for Dave Bristol as the Reds head man.
He began his first major league managing job on Oct. 8, 1969, amidst negative commentary such as “Sparky who?”
Undaunted, Anderson directed Cincinnati to the 1970 pennant, winning 102 regular season games. During that season, the Reds would be given the moniker, “The Big Red Machine,” even as they lost the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles in five games.
The Reds won the pennant again in 1972 although they fell to Oakland in the World Series. In 1973, Sparky’s Reds won a divisional title and then finished second in 1974 (to the Dodgers). In 1975, baseball was awakened to the power of the "Big Red Machine,"which won the division and had a major league best-108 wins. In one of the most dramatic and still talked about World Series, the Reds edged the Boston Red Sox in seven games. The Reds won the World Series again in 1976 after winning 102 regular season games. And, Yankee haters will love this -- the Reds swept the Yankees in the 1976 World Series.
Cincinnati was dominating in the playoffs those two seasons, going 14-3, including winning the final eight postseason games in succession. In fact, in Anderson's three World Series championship runs, his teams had a combined 21-4 record.
Anderson followers know that he was given the nickname, “Captain Hook,” for his impatience with starting pitchers in Cincinnati where he relied on ace relief pitchers Will McEnaney and Rawly Eastwick. And, it should be noted that his impatience with starting pitchers didn't change in Detroit, even with the likes of Jack Morris, Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox. With league MVP Willie Hernandez (32 converted save opportunities), "Captain Hook" continued to rely on his bullpen.
The Reds G.M. Dick Wagner fired Anderson in November of 1978 after the Reds had consecutive second place finishes. Anderson, who didn’t warm to management in Detroit or Cincinnati, refused to fire his coaching staff and the Reds replaced him with John McNamara.
Clearly, Anderson had one of the most dynamic personalities in the game and the Detroit Tigers needed some spark. In June 1979, they hired "Sparky" to take over its young and talented, if undisciplined, team. He promptly predicted that the Tigers would have a pennant winner in five years.
The Tigers immediately finished above .500 in each of Sparky’s first three seasons. In 1983, Detroit won 92 games and finished second to Baltimore.
A year later, Sparky’s prognostications held true.
The Tigers opened the season with a major league record 35-5 mark, breezing to a franchise record for wins with 104 (58 losses). It was at Detroit that Sparky became the first manager to win 100 games with two different teams.
Detroit swept Kansas City in the league championship series and rolled past San Diego, his former employers, in five games to capture the 1984 World Series crown.
After third place finishes in 1985 and 1986, the Tigers had the majors’ best record in 1987, holding off Toronto in a race to the finish. Anderson, who in 1986 had become the first manager to win 600 games in both the American and National leagues, saw his Tigers upset by upstart Minnesota, who would defeat St. Louis in a classic World Series. The title was the Twins' first since 1924 when it was the Washington Senators.
The Tigers finished second to Boston in 1988 (by one game), and then, in 1989 lost 103 games. Detroit rebounded in 1991, finishing second behind Toronto.
Anderson retired in 1995, likely due to his indifference with the Tigers management. After a stint in TV as a color analyst, Sparky was inducted into Cooperstown in 2000 and he wore the Cincinnati cap in honor of Howsam, who gave him his first managerial opportunity.
Five years later, Cincinnati inducted Sparky into their Hall of Fame and retired his #10. The Tigers had a day honoring Anderson in 2000 but it wasn't until June 26, 2011 that Detroit retired his #11. A flag with his name now flies at Comerica and the Tigers are wearing the #11 on their jersey sleeves this season. Still, the long wait by Detroit leaves a stain on the organization, especially since Anderson died in 2010.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101104&content_id=15996288
Frank Leahy
Leahy, who died 28 years ago on June 21, 1973, grew up in Winner, S.D., after moving to South Dakota with his family from O'Neill, Neb. He starred in football, basketball and baseball at Winner until he moved to Omaha as a senior. Leahy played tackle on Knute Rockne's last three Notre Dame teams from 1928-30.
After graduating from Notre Dame in 1931, he hooked on as a line coach at Michigan State, where “Sleepy” Jim Crowley was head coach. Crowley was one of the famed “Four Horsemen” at Notre Dame in the early 1920s. The Irish legendary backfield, the “Four Horsemen,” came from a New York Herald Tribune column by noted journalist Grantland Rice, after the Irish, who finished #1 and unbeaten, defeated Army in 1924. In his column, Rice compared Crowley and his mates to the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." The other members of that famed group included Elmer Layden, Don Miller and Harry Stuhldrehler.
It was at Michigan State where Leahy was on the sidelines for the Spartans when they defeated University of South Dakota, 20-6, in the eighth game of the 1932 season. That Coyotes team included Coyote Hall of Famers Dan Lennon (Lennon Relays and longtime Coyotes track coach) of Vermillion, S.D., and Cletus Clinker of Mobridge, S.D. On the USD coaching staff was longtime Coyote basketball coach and Athletic Director Carl B. "Rube" Hoy.
Leahy was later the line coach at Fordham, where the "Seven Blocks of Granite,” bulldozed opponents under head coach Crowley guidance. The Fordham teams were 12-1-3 in 1936 and 1937 and included Vince Lombardi, long before his famous career with the Green Bay Packers. The other "Blocks of Granite,"were Leo Paquin, John Druze, NFL Hall of Famer Alex Wojciechowicz, Ed Franco, Al Babartsky and Natty Pierce.
In 1939 Leahy took over the Irish head coaching duties from his fellow "Horsemen" mate, Layden.
Leahy coached the Irish in 1939-40, 1941-43 and 1946-53, compiling a mark of 107-13-9, or an .864 winning percentage, which still ranks second best in NCAA DI football annals. He trails only his mentor and coach Knute Rockne.
A member of two Notre Dame national title teams as a player in 1929 and 1930, Leahy and was head coach for four Irish squads in 1943, 1946, 1947, and 1949. Leahy also served as the athletic director at Notre Dame from 1947 until 1949. Leahy led Notre Dame to six unbeaten seasons and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1970.
Leahy, who served in the Navy beginning in 1944 and reached a rank of lieutenant, returned to South Bend in 1946. He led the Irish to another national title that season after playing Earl Blaik's Army team to a scoreless tie in Yankee Stadium. The game called one of the "Games of the Century" was a battle of defenses, despite the presence of four Heisman Trophy winners (past, current, future) - including Army's "Touchdown Twins" of Doc Blanchard (1945) and Glenn Davis (1946); and the Irish's Johnny Lujack (1947) and Leon Hart (1949). It is the only time in history four Heisman winners played in the same collegiate game.
The Irish won national titles again in 1947 and 1949. A 14-14 tie against Southern California in 1948 prevented perhaps what would have been three straight national crowns for Leahy's Irish.
In 1953, Leahy's last season in South Bend, the Irish finished with a 9-0-1 mark. The one blemish was a 14-14 with Iowa, which cost the team another national crown and Leahy respect. It was alleged that his Irish players "faked" injury to prevent the clock from winding down. Twice, the Irish scored (late in the first half and late in the second half) after players "faked" injury to stop the clock with Notre Dame out of timeouts.
Leahy resigned in 1954 due to health issues.
During his Leahy coached four Heisman Trophy winners including Angelo Bertelli in 1943, Johnny Lujack in 1947, Leon Hart in 1949, Johnny Lattner in 1953. He also recruited Paul Hornung, who won the Heisman in 1956 before becoming an all-time great with the Green Bay Backers.
Leahy, who called his players "lads," was as old school as he gets. His tough-nosed style of football didn't value field goals. He said "Notre Dame didn't kick field goals, Notre Dame was too tough to kick field goals." It is a philosophy that cost his team in the 1946 Army game when the Irish moved the ball inside the Cadets' four-yard line. They turned the ball over on downs.
Leahy's final foray into football was serving as the AFL's Los Angeles Chargers' general manager in 1960.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DroTXCHt81M
Justin "Sam" Barry
Barry is considered one of the greatest coaches in collegiate sports history. He played a major role in the development of the basketball and baseball programs at The University of Southern California. He is just one of three coaches ever to have led a men's basketball team to the Final Four and lead a baseball team to the College World Series.
Originally of Aberdeen, his family moved to Wisconsin at a young age. He was a standout in basketball, baseball and football at Madison, Wisc., after which he competed at Lawrence College and earned a degree at the University of Wisconsin. He served a short stint as coach at Madison High and then became A.D. for little known Knox College in Illinois from 1918-22.
Barry led the Hawkeyes' basketball team to Big 10 co-championships in 1923 and 1926 – the first two conference titles in team history.
At USC, Barry's Trojan basketball teams enjoyed remarkable success, including PAC 10 titles in 1930, 1935 and 1940. His 1940 team was considered the best team in the nation and later would be be selected as the 1940 national champions (by the Helms Foundation) despite its failure to win the NCAA tournament, which was in its infancy stages. While today's "Big Dance" includes 68 teams and is one of the most watched events in sports, the NCAA tournament began as an eight-team tournament in 1939. In 1940, USC lost to Kansas when the son of Phog Allen made a basket in the closing seconds of the game played at Kansas City.
His baseball teams were more successful with conference titles in 1930, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and World Series berths in both 1948 and 1949.
Barry was also a valued part of the USC football teams which claimed national championships in 1931, 1932 and 1939, as well as seven PAC-10 titles and five Rose Bowl victories. Barry served as Jones' top assistant and was likely the team's defensive coordinator, although assistants did not have titles tied to their duties.
USC football had a 25-game win streak from 1931 to 1933, with the 1938 team finishing undefeated after vanquishing Duke, 7-3, in the 1939 Rose Bowl. Duke had held all of its opponents scoreless that season.
In 1942, Barry joined the Navy to do his part in World War II. While in the Navy, he took control of physical and military training for Navy personnel in the South Pacific. As a result of his effort, he was the recipient of a Naval Commendation honor from Secretary of Navy James Forrestal.
Upon fulfilling his Naval services in 1945, Barry returned to take over USD basketball and baseball and serving as an assistant for head football coach Joe Cravath. He directed USC to the 1948 College World Series where they defeated Yale and captain and future president George Bush for the title. USC returned to the CWS in 1949 but lost twice to Wake Forest by scores of 2-1.
Barry died on Sept. 23, 1950 while scouting for the USC football team at the University of California.
It was fitting that at the Trojan’s next home game – against Iowa -- Barry was honored for his 18 seasons as a USC assistant football coach (1929-40, 1945-50) and his long run as a head baseball and basketball coach. It should be noted that the Aberdeen native had four consensus All-American basketball players in Jerry Nemer, Lee Guttero, Ralph Vaughn and Bill Sharman.
One of Barry's remarkable legacies is the number of players who became great coaches. They included Sharman, who directed the Lakers to the 1972 NBA title, Alex Hannum (coached the 1966 Philadelphia 76ers and 1958 St. Louis Hawks to NBA titles), Tex Winter, Jack Gardner, Forrest Twogood and Bob Boyd in basketball, and perhaps the greatest college baseball coach ever, Rod Dedeaux.
It was Barry who suggested that USC hire Rod Dedeaux (12 College Baseball World Series titles - most ever) when he entered the Navy in 1942. The two men later co-coached USC during runs to the College World Series.
Barry was innovative who was partly responsible for eliminating the center jump after free throws in basketball, which sped up the game. He was also responsible for creating the center line and 10-second rule. Barry also invented the triangle offense which Winter and University of North Dakota alum Phil Jackson turned into great success with the NBA championship teams in Chicago and Los Angeles.
One final note on Barry, he established a 40-game winning streak in men's basketball against UCLA – pre-John Wooden – from 1932-42 and in 1946. It is longest winning streak by any coach against a single opponent in the history of college basketball. In 1966, he became a member of the charter class of inductees to the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and in 1978, he was elected to membership in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was among the 2007 class of inductees to the USC Athletic Hall of Fame.
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