[Posted: 7:00 PM ET, Sunday….gotta get ready for “Mad Men.”]
NBA Quiz: Name the six who scored in double figures for the 1977-78 championship Washington Bullets squad. Answer below.
Louisville-Michigan…and other stuff
–Everyone is in agreement…this has been a disappointing tournament. At least on Saturday we had two highly entertaining contests, but certainly not great ones.
Then again, if that jump ball wasn’t called, with the possession arrow in Louisville’s favor with fewer than ten seconds remaining, and Wichita State had been able to go down court and drain a three to tie it, we’d say it was one of the great games of all time, I imagine.
But Wichita State can also only blame itself for blowing a 12-point lead with 13:36 remaining, including a series of five turnovers over a span of 3 minutes, after committing just four in the game’s first 33 minutes. Final score 72-68.
One guy who improved his potential draft standing more than anyone else in Saturday’s two games was the Shockers’ Cleanthony Early. I just hope the junior stays one more season. He has immense potential and could be a lottery pick…but next year.
–On Monday night, Rick Pitino can become the first coach to win an NCAA title at two different schools, it being 17 years since Pitino’s title while coaching at Kentucky, beating Syracuse in the championship game. A win against Michigan would be especially sweet with the Cards in the shadow of the Wildcats and coach John Calipari in past years.
Actually, it’s hard to believe Louisville hasn’t played for the title since 1986.
–Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was rather upset following his team’s 61-56 loss to Michigan when the first question asked him was whether he’d be back next season as head coach.
“Why would you ask that?” Boeheim said, addressing CBSSports.com columnist Gregg Doyel. “I expect it from you. I know you.”
“I’m not going to answer that question unless you ask every coach that question. Are you going to ask John (Beilein) if he’s going to retire or not coming back next year? I’ve never indicated at any time that I’m not coming back next year – ever.”
Doyel made things worse when he pointed out that media members often ask players after games if they are coming back next year.
Boeheim is 69 in November, with Syracuse moving to the ACC, and of course there has been speculation he’d retire. So he replied:
“I don’t mean to be personal on anybody. Anybody that asked that question I would have been upset because, you know, I just think – I don’t know why. Just ‘cause you get old. Because I’m old? I mean, what is it?”
Doyel said, “Honestly, my theory with you is you don’t want to coach in the ACC because of your Big East loyalty.”
Boeheim replied, “I’m sorry, I apologize. It wasn’t you. Anybody that asked that question, I would have been mad.”
Boeheim went on to explain, “There’s more teams that I know in the ACC. I’ve always thought that the two best leagues in the country were the ACC and the Big East over the last 34 years….
“For us to be able to stay on the East Coast, and predominantly all our games are an hour and a half, almost all, and in the Big East, without this crazy expansion, we had to go to Florida, we had to go to Marquette, Notre Dame anyway. So we had long trips. We’ll have the same long trips that we had.”
—Kansas won’t play Wichita State. Neither will Kansas State, despite Gregg Marshall’s efforts to secure a home-and-home series with either, the three being the lone Division I schools in the state.
Kind of reminds me how back when I was at Wake Forest, we used to play Appalachian State in football and basketball, but for years (decades…if I remember right), we have refused to play them, afraid to get embarrassed.
–Follow-up: Pac-12 supervisor of basketball officials, Ed Rush, resigned amid reports he told his referees to target Arizona coach Sean Miller. Rush claimed his comments concerning a technical-foul bounty on Miller were made in jest.
–Rutgers was hoping they could snag Jersey boy Danny Hurley away from Rhode Island to replace Mike Rice, but it seems Hurley is close to signing an extension. CBSSports.com, though, says former UCLA coach Ben Howland may be interested in the Rutgers job, which is kind of intriguing. He certainly has the gravitas.
–An oldie but goodie…the Wall Street Journal quoting from “Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections,” published in 1997 by Hall of Fame coach John Wooden.
“There was a rule against facial hair for players on UCLA basketball teams. One day Bill Walton came to practice after a ten-day break wearing a beard. I asked him, ‘Bill, have you forgotten something?’
“He replied, ‘Coach if you mean the beard, I think I should be allowed to wear it. It’s my right.’
“I looked at him and said politely, ‘Bill, I have a great respect for individuals who stand up for those things in which they believe. I really do. And the team is going to miss you.’
“Bill went to the locker room and shaved the beard off before practice began. There were no hard feelings. I wasn’t angry and he wasn’t mad. He understood the choice was between his own desires and the good of the team, and Bill was a team player.
“I think if I had given in to him I would have lost control not of Bill but of his teammates.”
–Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix lists his projected top picks in the June 27 NBA draft.
1. Ben McLemore, SG, Kansas
2. Nerlens Noel, C, Kentucky
3. Anthony Bennett, SF, UNLV
4. Marcus Smart, PG, Oklahoma State
5. Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown
6. Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA
7. Alex Len, C, Maryland
8. Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana
9. Trey Burke, PG, Michigan
10. Cody Zeller, C, Indiana
No Jamaal Franklin in Mannix’ top 14 overall.
–According to the Daily News’ Bob Raissman, Turner may exercise a clause in its contract with CBS that would have TBS airing the Final Four in 2014, which could mean a change in the broadcast team.
As in, Jim Nantz has been doing the Final Four for 28 seasons, the last 23 handling the play-by-play chores, with only two partners during that time…Billy Packer and Clark Kellogg.
Raissman suggests Turner Sports boss David Levy may want to mess with the continuity of having Nantz continue in his role.
I don’t see how anyone can have a problem with Nantz…he’s always done a solid, professional job…both basketball and golf, for that matter.
But we can all agree on one thing…this is the chance to replace Clark Kellogg. Please, no more “going downhill,” “squeezing the orange,” “going after the orange,” “throwing his chicken wing,” “versatility and valuetility,” and “spurtability.”
—Kevin Ware, delivering the Top Ten on Letterman.
‘List of thoughts going through his mind right after he broke his leg.’
10. What was that loud cracking sound?
9. I hope this doesn’t leave a bruise.
8. Hey, look – my tibia!
7. Ouch.
6. Did it go in?
5. Oh, boy…hospital food!
4. Tape it up, coach, I’m staying in.
3. They fired Leno?
2. Heat, then ice, or ice, then heat?
1. At least my bracket’s not busted.
The Rutgers Debacle
On stories like this, the Mike Rice fiasco, for the archives I feel compelled to get down as much as possible. But this one is overwhelming. For starters, Rutgers University, as the Star-Ledger put it on Sunday, is involved in the “most complicated juggling act in its history: the absorption of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the proposed merger of its law schools in Newark and Camden.
“Assemblywoman Celeste Riley, chairwoman of the Assembly higher education committee, calls the disclosures of the past week ‘heartbreaking,’ not just in terms of Rice’s abusive behavior toward his players, but in poor judgment by his superiors, the loss of jobs and the damage to Rutgers’ credibility.
“ ‘It was completely mishandled from the beginning,’ Riley said.”
And so Mike Rice was fired about an hour after I posted Wednesday’s Bar Chat, after the videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players and using various slurs.
Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti had first obtained a copy of the video in late November and after hiring independent investigators to analyze the tape, Pernetti suspended Rice for three games, fined him $50,000 and ordered him to attend anger management classes. University president Barchi signed off on the initial punishment, though he claimed this week he hadn’t seen the video until Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Pernetti said, “I am responsible for the decision to attempt a rehabilitation of Coach Rice. Dismissal and corrective action were debated in December, and I thought it was in the best interest of everyone to rehabilitate, but I was wrong. Moving forward, I will work to regain the trust of the Rutgers community.”
On Friday, Tim Pernetti was forced to resign by President Barchi. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie backed Barchi’s decision, saying in a statement it was “appropriate and necessary given the events of the past six months.”
Pernetti said, “It’s a really sad day for a lot of people, including me and my family. I always have and I always will, no matter what, want what’s best for Rutgers.”
Pernetti had the backing of athletes and influential boosters, but more than 50 Rutgers faculty members signed a petition calling for his dismissal. Pernetti also intimated Barchi knew exactly what had happened in December, or this is his best defense.
Pernetti added in his letter of resignation, “As you know, my first instincts when I saw the videotape of Coach Rice’s behavior was to fire him immediately. However, Rutgers decided to follow a process involving university lawyers, human resources professionals, and outside counsel.
“Following review of the independent investigative report, the consensus was that university policy would not justify dismissal. I have admitted my role in, and regret for, that decision, and wish that I had the opportunity to go back and override it for the sake of everyone involved.”
Barchi, in a Friday press conference, said, “I don’t recall any statement to me that his first instinct was to fire him.”
Then later on Friday, Rutgers released the findings of the special investigation it commissioned before suspending Rice last December, which includes this passage:
“In sum, we believe there is sufficient evidence to find that certain actions of Coach Rice did ‘cross the line’ of permissible conduct and that such actions constituted harassment or intimidation within Rutgers’ Policy. …Furthermore, due to the intensity with which Coach Rice engaged in some of the misconduct, we believe that…Pernetti could reasonably determine that Coach Rice’s actions tended to embarrass and bring shame or disgrace to Rutgers in violation of Coach Rice’s employment contract with Rutgers.”
“Perfect. So Pernetti’s take is he wanted to fire Rice but wasn’t allowed to. His tweedy boss, Barchi, insists he had no idea of the extent of Rice’s sociopathic behavior until a few days ago. Except their own report now shouts to the sky that both of these perspectives were abject falsehoods (at best) or bald-faced lies (at worst).
“It’s remarkable, really. Pernetti wanted to take the righteous route out of office, but if he were really on the side of the angels he would have insisted on doing what he allegedly said he would do back in December. But either because of hubris or professional cowardice, he did neither – even when the investigation revealed he could.”
John P. Lacey, an outside lawyer who prepared the 50-page report for the university last December, made clear that Rutgers officials were aware that Rice’s outbursts “were not isolated” and that he had a fierce temper, used homophobic and misogynistic slurs, kicked his players and threw basketballs at them.
But it also described Mr. Rice as “passionate, energetic and demanding” and concluded that his behavior constituted “permissible training.”
His methods, the report said, “while sometimes unorthodox, politically incorrect, or very aggressive, were within the bounds of proper conduct and training methods,” the report said.
“There are no good guys in this story. The ‘whistle-blower,’ Eric Murdock, a former Providence College star, was motivated – let’s be honest here – by revenge. Pernetti had fired him, and he was seeking a termination payment of $950,000. The video was his cudgel to get that money. I am told that the FBI has been on the Rutgers campus in recent days, investigating the circumstances.” Of course it was extortion.
Rice was 44-51 at Rutgers, including 16-38 in the Big East (15-16, 5-13 this season).
“(As) appalling as Rice’s actions were, the initial response by the Scarlet Knights also was pathetic…
“Too often, the first instinct of some university officials is to protect their schools’ interests rather than doing what’s morally – and usually clearly – right when crises occur. When faced with potentially embarrassing situations, many decision-makers seem to first try to handle things as easily as possible for themselves. Minimize negative scrutiny, the thinking goes, in an effort to protect the brand.
“The most sickening example of the-program-above-all-else mentality is of course the Penn State scandal. The most powerful people in Happy Valley could have done much more to protect the victims there.
“Success in football and basketball can greatly enhance a university’s overall image. Appearances in high-profile bowl games and the NCAA basketball tournament provide a financial windfall for some schools. When it comes to attracting donors and new students, nothing brings ‘em in like winning.
“What’s happening at Rutgers now, however, has brought the type of attention that only damages credibility. And with Rutgers being the state university of New Jersey, the people who run the state have every right to demand answers about the mistakes that were made.”
It’s easy to forget with all the uproar, especially if you aren’t from the state, that it was in 2010 that Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi took his own life after a roommate used a webcam to watch him kissing another man. So you can understand why the Rice scandal goes beyond just basketball for many in the Rutgers community because of Rice’s use of homophobic slurs.
Rutgers Professor Emeritus Lionel Tiger / Wall Street Journal
“It’s astonishing that – after the example of the Joe Paterno and Penn State avoidance of fierce and immediate sanctions on the reprehensible Jerry Sandusky – any athletic director would consider for a moment a course in etiquette as a remedy for behavior that is patently nauseating.
“Was he simply channeling a coaching predecessor such as Indiana’s loutish Bobby Knight? Had he watched ‘Patton’ too many times, or misunderstood kung fu as a kind of saintly philosophy? In a country lately transfixed with bullying in baby cribs, Facebook and the schoolyard, how could any sensible adult not be aware that hurling a basketball at the head of a local college student and calling him a ‘[bleeping] fairy’ and worse jeopardizes a career?”
Wally Judge, a junior on the Rutgers basketball team, said the following:
“You can’t let those individual moments define what he was. In my past two years, me being an older guy and being under other coaches, I have grown from the moment I stepped through these doors, not only as a player but also as a person because of how he treated me….
“Mike was almost like a big brother. He would get on the floor with us and go through drills with us. He made it fun.”
Sophomore forward Austin Johnson echoed his teammate’s sentiments.
“He did a lot for us off the court, academically, socially. I have to say I enjoyed my time, even if it was an emotional rollercoaster. I feel if people had a chance to see the other portions of practice, or had been at practice, their judgment would not be as severe.”
Well, you just know after all that has happened the past week that the Big Ten is just thrilled it added Rutgers.
Pernetti, by the way, will be paid more than $1.2 million in return for his resignation. Mike Rice is entitled to receive a little over $1 million.
“Meanwhile, Rutgers filled its vacancy by hiring Robert Morris’ Mike Rice, who to say the least is rather excitable. I don’t think this will work out either.”
As Ronald Reagan would have said….not bad, not bad at all.
Ball Bits
—Mets 4-2…Yankees 2-4….heh heh…
[Doing a few innings on Sunday in the Mets’ broadcasting booth was Ralph Kiner, now 90! It’s always amazing to think that Ralph started with the team in their first season, 1962.]
Stephen Strasburg…5.1 IP…6 ER (Reds win 6-3)
R.A. Dickey…4.2…7 (Red Sox 13-0)
David Price…5.0…8 (Indians 13-0)
Cole Hamels…5.2…8 (Royals 9-8)
–After three games, Shu alerted me to the fact that the Houston Astros had struck out 43 times. Well, it’s now six games and the 1-5 Astros, headed for an historically bad season, have now fanned 74 times [13, 15, 15, 13, 4, 14].
And the next nine games for the ‘Stros are on the road…3-game stands at Seattle, Los Angeles and Oakland. They could easily be 1-14 or 2-13 when they next get back home.
–The Mets’ Jon Niese has 22 straight starts going at least six innings, the longest current streak of any hurler in baseball.
–There is absolutely no word on when shortstop Derek Jeter may return. Remember when it was a foregone conclusion that Jeter, with 3,304 career hits, was a serious threat to become only the third in major league history to reach 4,000? Remember when Alex Rodriguez was a lock to pass Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds? A-Rod is at 647 home runs, 108 shy of Aaron. Do you think he’ll even hit another 50?
With Jeter, on Saturday, he fielded grounders hit directly at him and hit off a tee. His surgically repaired ankle has not responded nearly as well as the shortstop himself thought it would when spring training started. Maybe he returns in May. Maybe not.
–A 1909-11 T206 card of Honus Wagner sold for $2.1 million at auction, Saturday, as part of Goldin Auctions’ showcase. Other notable items included a copy of Alex Rodriguez’s 2009 World Series ring ($50,398) and a signed Derek Jeter 2001 World Series game-used bat ($37,486).
There are anywhere from 50 to 100 T206 Wagner cards out there. This particular one is known as the “Jumbo” card for being slightly larger than the others and there is no controversy over it, as opposed to the issues surrounding the card Wayne Gretzky once purchased, with hobby icon Bill Maestro being accused of trimming the card’s edges decades ago to improve the condition and add value.
NBA Fever…catch it!!!
–In an interview for “60 Minutes,” Houston Rockets, and former Knicks, guard Jeremy Lin says he was not offered a scholarship to a major college because he is Asian.
Lin, of course, ended up at Harvard, rather than hometown Stanford after Lin led his high school to a state title. He also claims he was undrafted because of his ethnicity.
–The Knicks had a celebration on Friday night to honor the 1972-73 championship squad, which reminds us fans we haven’t won since…a rather long, 40-year drought.
And it was a great scene. Phil Jackson returned, as did Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Jerry Lucas, Harthorne Wingo, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Henry Bibby and Willis Reed.
Jerry Lucas said, “This is a family that never had a divorce. There aren’t too many of those around. We still love each other and care for each other.”
It was a different time, that’s for sure. The Knicks roomed together, two each in six rooms on the same floor of hotels. It’s pretty easy to become close that way.
“We talked the game, we went into a town for a day and ate together, talked about everything,” remembered Monroe. “Bill (Bradley) talked politics.”
Bradley commented, “Thank God we didn’t have the three-point line,” even though Lucas and Dave DeBusschere had great range. “It would have messed up our game. Back then, basketball was played with finesse, with your feet. Now it’s about three-pointers and upper-body strength.”
Walt Frazier adds, “Guys might have looked to veer behind the line on a 3-on-1, like they do now.”
Phil Jackson said of the reunion, “There’s a bond that was between the players, and I think we don’t have a whole lot of them left, to tell you the truth.”
Reunions, he meant, which are more precious with the passing of the years. For the 72-73 Knicks, that means departed friends; DeBusschere, Coach Red Holzman, the assistant Dick McGuire and the trainer Danny Whalen.
It was also special for Jackson in another way. After leaving the Knicks, he went on to become the villain while coaching the Bulls and Lakers, and he loved tweaking the Knicks when he was on the opposing bench.
But on Friday, there wasn’t a single boo when Phil Jackson was introduced. For that night, he was once again a New Yorker.
One more item on this Knicks title team. Richard Sandomir of the New York Times pointed out that Game 5 of the 1973 NBA Finals, May 10, 1973, was broadcast by ABC at 7:30 p.m. local, in Los Angeles, which was of course a 10:30 start time here in New York, for those of us who complain about late starting times today.
The thing is the video of the game seemed to vanish right after the Knicks wrapped up the 102-93 victory for the title. It became the “holy grail,” like with Game 7 of the 1960 World Series until Bing Crosby’s family uncovered a copy three years ago.
“(There) was a glitch: the game had been recorded, somewhere in the New York area, in the little-known Cartrivision format – which preceded VHS and Betamax – and only a Cartrivision system could play its 6 ½-by-7 ¼-inch tapes.”
Cartrivision’s home video recorders were introduced around 1972, but the company, Cartridge Television, filed for bankruptcy in July 1973.
A 16-year-old boy in Ohio, Tim Thompson, bought one out of liquidation. Maurice Schechter was another who would buy some later on, and eventually the two hooked up as they tried to figure out to play tapes on them.
It’s a long story, but Schechter eventually figured out how to restore Game 5. MSG will televise a special, “Lost and Found: The ’73 Knicks Championship Tape,” on April 14 from 7 to 8 p.m., which will be followed by a rebroadcast of the game from 8 to 11 p.m.
Suffice it to say, the broadcast itself is archaic. To know the score, you needed announcer Keith Jackson to tell you.
And here’s something I forgot. At halftime, Geoff Petrie and Barry Clemens played in the finals of the NBA one-on-one championship, a taped feature called by Marv Albert. I remember those.
Lastly, in the actual game on Friday night, the Knicks won their 11th straight, 101-83 over the Bucks, as Carmelo Anthony scored 41, thus making it three straight with 40+ (50, 40, 41), tying Bernard King for the team record of three straight 40+ efforts.
But wait…there’s more! On Sunday, the Knicks not only won their 12th straight, 125-120 over the Thunder (56-21) in OKC, with Melo ringing up 36, but it is the Knicks’ first 50-win season (50-26) since 2000!
–Meanwhile, on Saturday night, the 1977-78 championship Bullets held their 35th reunion; the only NBA title in Bullets/Wizards franchise history. But now you have to name the players.
–The Lakers’ Dwight Howard is shooting a career-worst .486 from the free throw line this season (thru Friday’s contest), which would be the fifth-worst in Lakers history for players with more than 150 attempts in a season.
Shaquille O’Neal made only 48.4% in 1996-97, and Elmore Smith hit just 48.5% in 1974-75.
Wilt holds the two worst marks…42.2% in 1971-72 and 44.6% in 1968-69. [Wilt was .511 for his career.]
No sports fan should be in the least bit surprised over this week’s revelations, courtesy of Sports Illustrated’s Selena Roberts, who quotes multiple former football players accusing the school and Tigers coaches of an assortment of transgressions.
Former Tiger Mike McNeil, one of four players arrested and charged with armed robbery in March 2011, says he spoke to a “counselor with the athletic department” and subsequently had a grade in a computer science class changed from an F to a C. Former Auburn defensive tackle Mike Blanc also spoke of grade changes, saying the school “found a way” for nine players who the team had been told would be ineligible for the 2011 BCS Championship Game – including eventual MVP Michael Dyer – to play in the game.
Another, former wideout Darvin Adams, told Roberts coaches had offered him “several thousand dollars” to return for his senior season rather than declare for the draft.
Neither the school or Gene Chizik, the Tigers’ coach from 2009-2012, has responded to the report.
It’s up to the players, however, to report their issues to the NCAA, or the NCAA may easily choose to ignore the claims, as it has in the past when it came to allegations surrounding that 2010 national championship team.
Separately, ESPN The Magazine conducted a six-month investigation that revealed at least a dozen members of the 2010 squad tested positive for synthetic marijuana, known popularly as “spice,” and the university decided to keep the results secret. One of those testing positive was running back Michael Dyer. One former player, tight-end Dakota Mosley, failed seven consecutive drug tests but was never punished.
Athletic Director Jay Jacobs told ESPN that synthetic marijuana was not “part of the school’s official drug-testing policy and therefore not something coaches could punish students for using.”
Auburn altered its policy to include synthetic marijuana in August 2011.
NFL Bits and Pieces
“Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo said as many as four players could conceivably come out at the same time (and announce they are gay) in order to share the backlash.
“ ‘I think it will happen sooner than you think,’ Ayanbadejo told The Baltimore Sun on Friday. ‘We’re in talks with a handful of players who are considering it. There are up to four players being talked to right now and they’re trying to be organized so they can come out on the same day together….
“Of course, there would be a backlash. If they could share the backlash, it would be more positive. It’s cool. It’s exciting. We’re in talks with a few guys who are considering it.”
Ayanbadejo first suspected the Ravens cut him, after the Super Bowl win, because he is an advocate for marriage equality and gay rights. But then he reversed course and said the Ravens had supported his activism and efforts with the LGBT community.
–With the recent trades of quarterbacks Carson Palmer to Arizona, Matt Flynn to Oakland, and Alex Smith to San Francisco, and with all three expected to start for their new clubs, the Wall Street Journal’s Eric Edholm had an interesting twist.
Since 1994, there have been 25 trades involving quarterbacks who started at least eight games for their new team the following season. Only two led their new teams to the postseason in the first year – Brad Johnson (1999 Redskins) and Steve McNair (2006 Ravens).
Some were successful later, such as Matt Hasselbeck, who went on to win five postseason games with the Seahawks, but they struggled in the first season.
–Kind of funny that one day after kicker Jason Hanson retired from the Detroit Lions at age 84, they signed former All-Pro David Akers, who had been released by San Francisco. I’m guessing Detroit made a good move.
–The Atlanta Falcons signed linebacker Brian Banks, the man exonerated in the California rape case in which he was falsely accused. Banks, now 27, will participate in Atlanta’s offseason workouts and will apparently be given a full shot at training camp.
We should all hope somehow Banks makes it, at least to the practice squad, because his story is such a great (and tragic) one. Banks served more than five years in prison following a conviction a decade ago on rape and kidnapping charges, until the woman finally recanted and offered to help Banks clear his name.
Banks was a star in high school and had verbally committed to USC when he was arrested.
–Scotland’s Martin Laird fired a spectacular final round 63 to capture the Valero Texas Open, his third PGA Tour title which earned him a spot in The Masters’ field this week.
But equally special was Rory McIlroy’s second-place finish that sends him to Augusta with a world of confidence after struggling since last fall. Special kudos to his caddie, J.P. Fitzgerald, who last week convinced Rory to add the Valero event so that he could continue working out the kinks in his game (with his new equipment). And give Rory credit for listening.
–With 8 matches to go in the Premier League season, Manchester United is 15 points ahead of rival Manchester City, so it’s a lock for Man U, but nonetheless a television alert. On Monday afternoon, ESPN has the last match between the two at 2:30 PM ET.
–We note the passing of long-time film critic, Roger Ebert, who succumbed to his long struggle with cancer. He was 70.
In 1975, Ebert became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for his Chicago Sun-Times reviews. His columns were syndicated to more than 200 newspapers in the United States and abroad.
The collaboration with Gene Siskel began in 1975 as well. Ebert was asked to appear on WTTW, the public broadcasting station in Chicago, as co-host of a new movie-review program. But Ebert was taken aback when told his partner would be Gene Siskel of the rival Chicago Tribune.
Ebert said ‘no.’ Siskel said he initially had zero desire to team up with “the most hated guy in my life.”
But it obviously worked, and the show evolved into “Sneak Previews,” which went national when PBS began syndicating it in 1978. It ended up attracting more viewers than any other entertainment series in the history of public television.
Ebert – who said he saw 500 films a year – was once asked what movie he thought was shown over and over again in heaven and he said “Citizen Kane.” [Douglas Martin / New York Times]
–According to sources, probably Mike Francesa himself, sports radio’s “Pope” has signed a new contract with WFAN that is paying him $5 million per year.
And, according to the New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman, Francesa is kicking his competition’s butt.
No doubt, many of us enjoy listening to the guy, in small pieces, because he is such a buffoon and blowhard.
–According to the New York Post’s Page Six, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora was pushed out over “personal issues.” As in Jon Bon Jovi and the rest of the band were sick of Sambora’s partying ways. One insider told the paper, “(Sambora) drinks constantly and has a stream of Hollywood bimbos around all the time.” Bon Jovi wants to keep the current tour free of booze and drugs. [No bimbos are hanging around the offices of Bar Chat…but we do have booze.]
Top 3 songs for the week 4/5/86: #1 “Rock Me Amadeus” (Falco…you’ve gotta be kidding me…) #2 “R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. (A Salute To 60’s Rock)” (John Cougar Mellencamp) #3 “Kiss” (Prince and the Revolution…thank god he was around)…and…#4 “Secret Lovers” (Atlantic Starr…just shoot me…) #5 “These Dreams” (Heart) #6 “What You Need” (INXS…where is my sword?…) #7 “Manic Monday” (Bangles….geezuz, this song sucked…) #8 “Let’s Go All The Way” (Sly Fox…shoot it…it’s rabid…) #9 “Addicted To Love” (Robert Palmer…my man….but he died way too soon…) #10 “Nikita” (Elton John…will be following Supreme Court’s decision when it’s released in June, not that there is anything wrong with that…)
NBA Quiz Answer: Washington Bullets, 1977-78…double figures: Elvin Hayes, 19.7; Bob Dandridge, 19.3; Mitch Kupchak, 15.9; Kevin Grevey, 15.5; Phil Chenier, 14.1; Tom Henderson, 11.4…plus, Larry Wright, 9.2; Charles Johnson, 8.3; Wes Unseld, 7.6 (and 11.9 rebounds per game, plus 4 assists).
And our EXCLUSIVE projections on yearend stats in baseball!!! Will Baltimore’s Chris Davis drive in 380 runs? Will Josh Hamilton hit .100?!
