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October 2, 2006 - playbyplayonline.net
Vol. Vol. 2, 2, No. No. 15, 15, October October 2, 2, 2006 2006 2 PLAY BY PLAY OCTOBER 2, 2006 �������������������������������������������������� ������������������� ������������������������������������ �� �������������� ���������� ������������������ ���� ��������� �������������� ��������� ���������� ����� ����� ���������� ����� ����� ������������������������������� ����������������������������� �� ��� �������������� ��������� ���������� ����� ����� ������������������������������� ��������������������������� �� ��� ������������������ ����������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������� �������������� ������������ ���������� ����� ����� ����������������������������� ������������������� �� ��� �������������� ����������� ��������� ���������� ����� ����� ������������������������������������������������ �������������������������������������� �� ��� �������������� ����������� ���������� ����� ����� ����������������������������������� 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��������������������������������������������������� � ������� ����������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������� � � ������� �������������������������������������������� � � ������� ��������������������������������������������� � � ������� ��������������������������������������������������������� � � ������� ������������������������������������������������������������������ � ������� ����������������������� �������������������������������������������� � ������� ������������� �������������������������� ���������������������������� � � ������� ���������������������� ������������������������������������������������������ ������� ����������������������� ����������������������������������������������������� ������� ����������������������������� ������������������������������� � ������� ��������������� ���������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������� � ������� 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��������������������������������������� �������������� ����������������� Dave Sarmadi President �������������������������� ��������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ������������������ �������������������������������� ALL PRICES AND DISCOUNTS INCLUDE ALL FACTORY REBATES. 0% FINANCING WITH APPROVED CREDIT. NOT INCLUDED ARE STATE REQUIRED TAX, TITLE, TAGS, AND $298 PROCESSING FEE. SALE ENDS OCTOBER 15, 2006. ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� VEHICLE IMAGES SHOWN ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. THEY MAY DIFFER FROM ACTUAL VEHICLE BEING SOLD. SEE DEALER FOR LIMITED WARRANTY AND ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE DETAILS. OCTOBER 2, 2006 PLAY BY PLAY Playbook Page 16 Opinions Rod Carter ............................................... 4 Mike Stevens ........................................... 5 Bob Teitlebaum ....................................... 6 John A. Montgomery ............................. 7 Christian Moody .................................... 15 Mike Ashley ............................................ 19 Articles Professional wrestler Jimmy Valiant publishes a book ...............10 Avalanche owner Kelvin Bowles turns over the keys ..................12 Tim Anderson’s fascination with the Vikings pays off .................14 From Glenvar to Tech: Dustin Pickle’s dream comes true .........16 John Feldenzer meets Bobby Doerr, a Legend of the Games ....18 Page 8 Extras Question for the Doctor .......3 Natural Health Tip .................5 Play it Safe ..............................7 Playmakers ..............................8 Sports Shorts ...........................8 Ask A Ref ..................................8 Snapshots of the Season ......9 From the Bookshelf .............17 �������������������������� ���������������������� ������������������������������������������������ ���������������������������������� ��������������������������� �������������������������������� �������������������������������������� ��������������������������� ����������������������������� ���������������������������� ��������������������� �������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������� ������������������������ �������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������� �������������������� ��������������� �� Question for the Doctor 3 This month’s question answered by Joseph E. Alhadeff, M.D. I want to try snowboarding this winter, but I don’t want to get hurt. Are there any precautions I should take? Snowboarding is a relatively safe sport as long as you are properly prepared and do not attempt things outside of your ability. Snowboarding is actually easier on the knees than skiing, so many people with problematic knees are turning to snowboards as an alternative to skiing. It is also a more natural match for those with skateboarding or surfi ng experience. Here are a few recommendations to make your experience safer and more enjoyable. • Take a lesson. Especially if you are new to the sport; but even if you haven’t ridden in a while, it often helps to review techniques Dr. Joseph E. prior to starting again. Alhadeff • Make sure your equipment is in good condition. Get your board tuned by a professional. Make sure all of your equipment fits properly and you know how to use it. Th is is particularly important for rental equipment. • Wear a helmet. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends that all snowboarders wear helmets to reduce the risk of serious head injuries. If you do not have one, you can usually rent them at most major ski resorts. The rate of head injuries is higher among snowboarders than skiers, so it is even more important to wear a helmet. • Wear wrist guards. Because of the way you fall on a snowboard, your wrists are at increased risk of injury and wearing wrist guards greatly decreases the risk of serious fractures and sprains of the wrist. • Be careful in terrain parks. It is important to wait your turn and let others know if you have wiped out after a jump. Those above you may not be able to see you on the other side of the jump and may start their run before you have had a chance to get out of the way. • Be realistic about your abilities and ride within them. • Read and follow the resort’s rules and regulations and pay attention to posted signs that may warn of dangerous conditions. • The most serious snowboard injuries are associated with speed and dangerous terrain. If you avoid both, you should be relatively safe. • Most serious injuries occur at the end of the day when you are tired, and the conditions are not as good. Take breaks and don’t do that last run if you are tired. Roanoke Orthopaedic Center �������������� ����������������������� �������������� ���������������������� ����������������������� ������������������������ ���������������������� ���������������������� ����������������������� ������������������������ ������������������������ ���������������������� ����������������������� ����������������������� ����������������� ������������������������� ������������������������ ����������������������� ����������������������� ������������������������ ������������������������� �������������������������� ����������������������� ����������������������� ������������������������� ������������������������ ������������������������� ������������ ���������������������� ���������������������� ����������������������� ������������ ������������������� ���������������������� ����������������������� ����������������� �������������������� �������������������������� ���������������������������� ��������� ����� �������������� ���������������� ����� ������������ ������������ ������������ ������������ ������������ ����������������������������� ������������������� ����������������������� ����������������������������� ������������������� ����������������� ������������������������ ��������������� ����������������� ��������������� 4 PLAY BY PLAY OCTOBER 2, 2006 Living in the age of the sports ‘Wie-con’ IN MY OPINION Players in this Issue Publisher/Editor Graphic Designer Contributors John A. Montgomery Donna Earwood Mike Ashley Robert Blades Regina Brewer Rod Carter Sam Lazzaro Gene Marrano Joyce Montgomery Christian Moody Dan Smith Mike Stevens Bob Teitlebaum Bill Turner P.O. Box 3285, Roanoke, VA 24015 (540) 761-6751 • E-mail: [email protected] www.playbyplayonline.net ©Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. No part of Play by Play may be reproduced by any means or in any form without written permission from the publisher. Play by Play is published every fourth Monday. Deadline for submissions for the October 30 issue is October 16. criticized for her efforts to play in PGA Tour events. She has made no cuts. Critics have complained that allowing Wie to compete in PGA events takes away opportunities for golfers to earn a PGA exemption. But hey...that little Danica is really cute. Just check out the sexy photos on any of the Web sites constructed for the purpose of displaying sexy photos of Danica Patrick. And Michelle Wie...forget about it. Six feet tall, Asian and “hot” in every action photo, shot to show off her feminine form. She is even more alluring in the photos available contracts under her pretty little nose. She could have refused. But then why should women like Patrick and Wie refuse to participate in this fraud? Internet photos D ANICA PATRICK AND MIchelle Wie both participate in professional sports. They are both physically attractive. They both earn more money by Rod than anyone else in their sport. Carter And they are both participants in a cultural fraud that damages their sports, their colleagues, the since. cause of equality for women and, So what’s the problem? We are whether they realize it now or not, capitalists. They are professionals. themselves. Well, the problem is this: Patrick is an IRL or IndyCar Neither of these two new female driver. In 2005, her first year on the sports icons has ever achieved circuit, Patrick earned an estimatanything significant in their proed $10 million in fessions. endorsement s. In her two Readers, please share your That’s more than years on the IRL opinion on this topic at any other IRL circuit Patrick www.playbyplayonline.net driver. This year, has not won a Patrick added a new deal with Mosingle race. Wie has competed in torola that will pay her $21 million 44 professional golf events to date over the next three years. without a win. Acclaim, fame, Wie is a professional golfer. She wealth and accolades have been is 16 years old. Wie’s first two enheaped upon these two and they dorsement deals with Nike and haven’t done anything to earn it. Sony pay an estimated $10 million To make matters worse, they a year. Those two contracts make have both been chosen by our pop Wie the highest-paid female golfer culture to represent the cause of in the world and the third highestequality for women in their repaid female athlete in any sport, spective sports. Patrick already based on endorsement money. She competes on the same circuit with has added more endorsements male drivers. Wie has already been on the “Michelle Wie — Sexy Photos” site. Never mind that many of these photos were shot before Wie was old enough to apply for a driver’s license. Is there anyone naive enough to believe that Patrick would receive all this unearned wealth and attention if she looked like A.J. Foyt with a shirt? What are the odds of a short, stocky Korean-American girl-golfer earning in excess of $10 million a year in endorsements? Is this what women want? Should we return to the days when women were judged and rewarded, not by their achievements, but by their looks and their sexual value? Who is to blame for this? Talent agents, publicists and the popular media virtually manufacture these new-age icons. The public doesn’t call for them. They are packaged and shoved into our collective consciousness through frequent exposure in the media. Wie is a minor. Should her parents tell her to refuse the millions and earn her way in the world? Of course that can only happen if Wie’s parents aren’t deliberately profiting by their daughter’s exploitation. We can’t know if that is happening. Patrick was a grown woman of 23 when the devil’s minions began waving the big The public seems to be inundated with images of Wie (above) and Patrick (left) in provocative poses If making a mockery of the sport they claim to love isn’t enough... if disrespecting the real achievements of their colleagues isn’t enough... if doing direct damage to the cause of equality for women isn’t enough...then here is a reason that anyone in today’s pop culture should understand: They should do it for themselves. We celebrate many things. But the only thing we really respect is achievement. Patrick and Wie could learn this from the experience of Anna Kournikova, a beautiful young tennis prodigy from Russia who was made rich and famous by the same forces described above. In 2003, after eight years on the tour, Kournikova was earning in excess of $15 million a year in endorsements. She had yet to win a singles title in a professional tournament. During an interview at the 2003 U.S. Open, a TV reporter, assuming that Kournikova understood that she had little respect as a tennis professional, asked her an appropriate question: “I’m sure you enjoy all the wealth and attention you’ve received, but do you ever feel any frustration at your results as a tennis player?” I watched as Kournikova’s happy, girlish expression turned to one of deep pain and disbelief. “Of course I do,” she all but pleaded, See CARTER, Page 15 OCTOBER 2, 2006 PLAY BY PLAY Wallace Thompson returns to the fray As the head coach at Salem High School from 1979-’81, Thompson helped develop Jody Sease (77) and Bobby Pickle (20) Thompson played football and ran track at Bridgewater College before graduating in 1960. He spent three years in the Army stationed in Germany, and then after his tour of duty was over he began a career of coaching and educating at Buffalo Gap High School in Augusta County. He was at Gap for three years when he got a call from his old college roommate, Dale Foster, who at the time was an assistant coach on Joyce’s staff at Andrew Lewis. The Wolverines needed an offensive line coach and Thompson was hired. The move from Swoope to Salem, where he suddenly was coaching the likes of Billy Sample, Charlton Webb and Eddie Joyce, Jr., was quite an eye-opener. “That was big-time back then,” he says. “We flew to Hampton to play a high school game one time instead of taking a bus. It was just unbelievable.” So too were the crowds. Thompson remembers crowds of 10,000 filling every nook and cranny of old Municipal Field on Friday nights, especially when hated-rival E.C. Glass came to town. “The fans were stacked up around the infield, hanging off the fences and everywhere else,” he says. Thompson also was the head coach at Salem High School for three years from 1979-’81 when it was still in the Roanoke County system and still had students from the Glenvar community HVHS assistant coach as part of its student body. Wallace Thompson He was two coaches removed from the start of the Willis White era, and like all of the Salem football teams in the late ’70s to early ’80s, his squads struggled — winning just six games and losing 24 in those three years. But in coaching, it’s impossible to measure one’s impact based solely on wins and losses. “We had a kid who played football and ran track for us at Byrd and he didn’t have a whole lot financially,” Highfill says. “Wallace found out about his situation and packed a lunch for him every day, so he would have something to eat, and he did that for the entire school year.” Thompson and his wife, Elaine, have lived in Salem ever since he was hired at Lewis back in 1967, and earlier this year they celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Every Christmas they also celebrate something else — a unique coaching relationship with Highfill and Edwards. “I get my current staff together every Christmas and Wallace, Elaine and J.R. and his wife always come and join us,” Highfill says. “My kids all grew up around those people and we’re just a very close-knit group and Wallace is just an incredible man.” Bill Turner I n a day and age when coaches are giving up the profession and getting out earlier than ever, one man has decided to jump back into the fray at the ripe old age of 69. Wallace Thompson, a coaching fixture in the Roanoke County school system for nearly 30 seasons, ended his 12-year retirement earlier this summer to join the staff at Hidden Valley. He coaches offensive linemen. “I don’t know how the classroom is today, but the kids that play football are about the same,” he says. “I thought it would be different when I came back this time, but they’re a good bunch of kids who are respectful.” Thompson says he only would have considered getting back on the field for current Titans’ head coach J.R. Edwards and maybe one or two other people. Thompson coached Edwards when he was the star quarterback and student body leader at William Byrd in the 1980s. “He was a true leader and all the kids looked up to him the last couple of years he was on the team at Byrd,” says Thompson. “He really takes coaching seriously and probably works at it harder than he should, but he’s just a great guy to work with.” The respect and admiration are mutual. “It’s absolutely a delight to have him out here,” Edwards says. “The line element is such a tough element to coach, but he has been around so long and seen everything in the game that his experience is untouchable.” The fact that Thompson is now serving as an assistant coach under one of his former pupils who isn’t even half his age would seem like an extremely awkward situation, but in fact, Thompson has made a living out of working in this type of environment. He coached under Jeff Highfill for 12 seasons at Byrd more than a decade after he coached Highfill when he played football at Andrew Lewis. “He brought a lot of knowledge to my staff because he had been at Lewis under Coach Eddie Joyce and at Byrd earlier under Don Oakes,” Highfill says. “I know it’s huge for J.R. to have him on staff this season. He’s a guy that many people see as being laidback, but there’s a real fire in him and he can be real intense.” 5 Natural Health Tip of the Month From Dr. Jeffrey Barker, DC, CCSP With its warm sunny days, and crisp cool nights, Fall is a great time of year to start an exercise program. To avoid increased risk of injuries, a proper warm-up and cool-down are essential. Here are some good tips to follow... 1. Warm up by doing some light calisthenics or jogging to get the blood flowing 2. Then do some sport specific stretches 3. Start with a mild exercise routine and slowly increase intensity and duration 4. Do some light jogging or calisthenics to cool down 5. End with some sport-specific stretching to reduce muscle strain/soreness ��������������������� ������������������������� �������������������� ����������������������������� ������������������������������������������ ������������������������������� ������������������� ���������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������� �������������������� ��������� ����������� ������������ 6 PLAY BY PLAY OCTOBER 2, 2006 Health crisis reveals columnist’s support A CATCH THIS GOLDEN DEAL 5.9 % VISA GOLD FIXED TRANSFER RATE APR* Transfer your high interest debt from loans, charge cards or other credit cards and save with a fixed rate until the balance is paid in full. Roanoke•Salem•Vinton | Rocky Mount | Smith Mountain Lake 540-982-8811 540-483-1625 540-721-8864 Christiansburg | Lynchburg | Virginia Beach | Norfolk 540-381-5364 434-237-0871 757-424-9163 757-627-7896 800-666-8811 | www.memberonefcu.com *APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Rate applies to balances transferred by 2/28/07. Offer is subject to credit approval, certain restrictions and is not valid on convenience checks. character that doesn’t sit well with everyone. When Feldenzer informed me that surgery was necessary, Binki asked if he could remove my cynicism along with all the numbers stored in the brain. He declined, saying he’d have to take a lot more than he planned. Feldenzer is an interesting person. In addition to his passion for baseball, he is also an avid fly fisherman and got to know Doerr when they fished on the Rogue River in Oregon where Doerr resides. In fact, within the past 10 days Feldenzer has returned from a trip to visit Doerr. How close are these two? Doerr has allowed Feldenzer to wear his cherished World Series ring, a gift from the Red Sox when the club won the Series in 2004. Doerr has also shared with him a copy of the 1951 letter Ty Cobb wrote him about hitting. The original is in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Photos courtesy of John Feldenzer FTER A MONTH OFF, IT’S good to be back with you in Play by Play. I took time off for a little brain surgery. Some people have always maintained that would be good for me. Thankfully, I can kid about it now thanks to prayers and visits from so many friends. You don’t realize how many friends you have until you come up against a crisis. In that regard, I discovered quickly there are a lot of people wanting to put up with me a little longer. My original idea for this space was to do a column on what to do with Bob McLelland Field now that Victory Stadium is no longer around. In the future, I’ll take on the subject of recalling McLelland, who was one of the key men in my life. My wife, Binki, counted more than 40 visitors pouring through my hospital room during my stay. Finally, I had to hang out a sign saying no more visitors. I was really tired. It was a good tired, though, to know that so many people cared. Some visitors were a surprise as they were people who had not even called about my condition in previous visits to the hospital. If I hadn’t recovered, I couldn’t have written this column, a book review plus a feature on my brain surgeon, John Feldenzer, that explains his relationship with former Boston baseball great Bobby Doerr. I tried writing last month’s column and my left hand wouldn’t work. The effort is still there in my files and it’s awful. When your fingers won’t act as they should, it’s a horrible feeling. Play by Play publisher John Montgomery informed you in the Sept. 4 issue about what was wrong with me — a tumor on the right side of my brain. If it had been on the other side, I might have lost my speech skills; I can’t imagine no longer being able to argue with people, a part of my Dr. John Feldenzer was honored to wear the 2004 World Series ring that belongs to Bobby Doerr Feldenzer also owns a homemade DVD of Doerr and Ted Williams discussing the art of hitting. He lent it to me in the hospital and I played it on a portable DVD player. Being the baseball fan that I am, I considered it great just to see Doerr and Williams talking informally about hitting. Because of copyright laws, though, the sad part is this will never be seen by the general public because it can’t be donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame without permission from the guy who made the DVD. The one problem between Feldenzer and me arose because my surgery came the day before the start of the Yankees-Red Sox series that New York swept in August. Whenever he came into the room, I warned him not to look at the television. You never want to upset your surgeon. Feldenzer is quite a baseball fan. He attended the Avalanche’s home playoff game on Sept. 6 and the next day agreed with me that Salem would not return home. My cynicism is catching. In truth, both of us saw the reality of the situation. Kinston ended up sweeping the Avalanche series and then did the same thing to Fredrick to win the Mills Cup championship. This brings up another point. Everyone expressed disappointment that Salem attracted only 2,966 fans for its home playoff game. Let’s examine this issue more closely. Only one other Carolina League playoff game came near this figure. Wilmington drew 2,037 fans for its one home game. When Kinston and Frederick met for the championship, the three games attracted a total of just over 2,200 fans. Frederick’s two playoff contests came up with a total attendance of 3,274. Anyone still feel that Salem’s numbers were not good? Remember, it was a school night. ANOTHER OBSERVATION: After a couple of weeks, I’m convinced that the new college rules calling for the clock to start once the ball is ready for play won’t be around next season. The rule has caught most coaches off guard; never has poor clock management been such a huge issue. By starting the clock once a kickoff is in the air and keeping it running (except for an out-of-bounds play) speeds up the game. Face it; college contests were lasting four hours-plus when overtime was a factor. Great comebacks are now much more unlikely as the clock keeps rolling. Coaches must save their timeouts for the last three minutes of each half. The first team to call a timeout is immediately at a huge disadvantage. Coaches hate the rule; I imagine most of them are busy trying to change the rule back. OCTOBER 2, 2006 PLAY BY PLAY UVa football brings back Couric memories W ATCHING THE UNIVERsity of Virginia football team flounder during the month of September — losing three of its first four games resoundingly — brings back memories of my days as a student there. The Wahoos posted an 8-351 record during my four years (1974-77), losing by such atrocious scores as 61-10 (against East Carolina), 66-21 (Wake Forest) and 6224 (Maryland). Many of the Cavalier victories were by the thinnest of margins; four came by a single point and one win was a 12-10 “thrashing” of Wake. As a sports reporter and later sports editor for the student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, I grew weary of creating new ways to describe inept play. A friend of my dad’s came up with an answer: “Just write one story and change the numbers.” In spite of the dreary football seasons, my experience with the CD was memorable. The men’s basketball team, for example, won its first — and only — ACC basketball title in the spring of 1976. I had the pleasure of working side-by-side with journalists of the first order. Mike Vitez, a close CD friend and now a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, won a Pulitzer Prize several years ago with the Philadelphia Inquirer. George Rodrigue, the 1977-’78 editor-in-chief of the CD, has won two. Another promising reporter, Katie Couric, has done OK in her own right. (She has moved into broadcasting.) Rodrigue was the one who introduced Katie at a CD staff meeting, touting her potential. He was always an impeccable 7 Play it Safe... A message from On-Site Sports Medicine Services Who’s Taking Care of Your Kids? T judge of talent, a trait I remembered when I thought about running for managing editor — an elected position — my senior year. He gently but firmly told me that he thought another student was better suited for the job. I respected him enough to accept that assessment. I had an eye on Katie early, and not just her reportorial skills. She was voted “Earth Mama” at the CD cocktail party in the fall of ’75, a most-coveted award, even though its meaning was rather nebulous. By the second semester of 1975’76, I mustered the courage to ask Katie to go to a basketball game. On Feb. 4, UVa was to play Maryland, a team ranked fifth in the country. “You won’t be able to get tickets to that,” she smiled, providing the challenge I needed. A few days later I called her, tickets in hand. She graciously declined. Difficult to fathom, I know, but she didn’t want to go. The scarce ticket excuse must have been the first thing that came to mind. She has always been a quick thinker. Remembering that you never know where your next story idea might originate, I drew upon the value of the ticket in my lead when I penned the CD preview for that particular game, (I omitted the gory details.) I admired Katie from a short distance for the rest of my CD career. Like George Rodrigue, I sensed she’d do well. She hasn’t disapp oi nt e d me since. he U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 3.5 million sports-related injuries receive treatment annually in children less than 15 years old. One half of all sports injuries in children are preventable. Whether it’s cheerleading or soccer, a certified athletic trainer can help reduce and treat injuries in physically active people. Certified athletic trainers (ATCs) are unique health care providers who specialize in preventing, recognizing, managing and rehabilitating injuries that result from physical activity. As part of a complete health care team, the certified athletic trainer works under the direction of a licensed physician and with coaches, and parents to provide the best possible care for the injured athlete. Athletic trainers hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited program. They must also pass a national certification exam and are licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine. Athletic training is recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession. The AMA and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends certified athletic trainers in every high school and sports team to keep America’s youth safe and healthy. In a recent study by the NATA, teams without a certified athletic trainer had a 63% re-injury rate and teams with an ATC had a 3% re-injury rate. As a parent you put your trust in the coaches and the sports program to ensure the safety of your child. Teams should have the same commitment to safety and injury prevention that you do at home. If your team does not have an athletic trainer, ask the athletic director or coach: Who is taking care of the kids during practice or games? Who’s taking care of your kids during practice and games? Teams without a certified athletic trainer had a 63% re-injury rate and teams with a certified athletic trainer had a 3% re-injury rate. Our certified athletic trainers work with you to prevent injuries and keep athletes participating safely in sports. On-Site Sports Medicine provides top-quality services at competitive costs. We are happy to provide detailed cost information based on your specific needs. Please contact Roanoke, Virginia us for more 1-800-472-0646 information. [email protected] Tournament and Game Coverage Available PLAY Makers 8 PLAY BY PLAY T Charlie Moir he Salem resident, Virginia Tech’s alltime winningest men’s basketball coach, will be inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame at a dinner in Blacksburg on Nov. 10. From 1976-’87, Moir compiled a record of 213-119 at Tech, guiding the Hokies to four NCAA Tournament berths and four NIT bids during his tenure. In 1983, Tech upset No. 1-ranked Memphis State. Prior to coaching at Tech, Moir was head coach at Roanoke College and Tulane. In 1972, Moir led Roanoke to the NCAA College Division championship. Moir already belongs to the Roanoke College and the Virginia state sports halls of fame. Playmakers is sponsored by Professional Therapies of Roanoke OCTOBER 2, 2006 Sports Shorts Berry named to Ferrum Hall of Fame Longtime Roanoke resident Tom Berry is one of six inductees entering the Ferrum College Alumni Sports Hall of Fame this fall. Berry lettered in three sports at Ferrum Junior College in the late 1950s, as a two-way tackle in football, a guard in basketball and a catcher in baseball. He was a member of the first-ever football team in 1955 and was co-captain and MVP of the baseball team in ’57. Berry went on to play semi-pro baseball for eight years and coach American Legion baseball for 14 years. In 2004, he was selected as a member of the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame. Berry officiated high school basketball for 38 seasons, as well as high school football for 20 years and college basketball for 20 years, working three NCAA Tournaments. Berry was employed by Shenandoah Life Insurance Company from 1961-’89. Ferrum’s other inductees this Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Speech/Language Pathology For Adults and Children Dizziness Risk of Falling Balance Problems Hall of Fame golf The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum will hold a celebrity golf tournament at Hanging Rock Golf Club on Thursday, Oct. 5. Featured participants include former Roanoke College and Virginia Tech basketball coach Charlie Moir; former Virginia Tech basketball and NBA star Dell Curry; current Tech basketball coach Seth Greenberg; prominent area golfers Keith Decker, Chip Sullivan and Mark Fry; VMI basketball coach Dugger Baucom and VMI athletic director Donnie White. The entry fee is $150 for an individual or $500 for a four-person team. For more information, contact Eddie Webb, VSHF president at (757) 393-8031. Ask A Ref Professional Therapies, Inc. A Certified Rehab Agency We accept Medicare, Medicaid, and most other Health Insurance Companies year include Daniel Danko (football, class of ’69); Donna Doonan (women’s basketball coach from 1977-2005); Larry Duty (football, ’62); Keith Gary (football, ’78); and Frederick Stovall (football and baseball, ’90). In an effort to inform fans of the finer points of the rules of the games, Play by Play regularly features “Ask A Ref,” a chance for fans to ask a question about specific sports rules, preferably those related to high school or the NCAA. Questions can be sent to [email protected] We presented this month’s question to veteran high school referee Christian Moody, a contributing editor to Play by Play. Q. See Pam Yates, PT, who specializes in Vestibular Rehab, at our 1421 Third Street, Roanoke office. 982-2208 Need therapy? Call the Professionals, in Daleville or one of our other convenient locations! Roanoke 982-2208 Vinton 343-0466 Rocky Mount 484-1456 Moneta 297-7867 Hardy 721-4199 Christiansburg 382-1492 Sandlot game. Two players are trading insults. When the play starts, the defensive end says something very rude to the offensive end. The ref flags it. The offensive end chases after the defensive end as play is going the other way. He hits him from behind and drives him into the ground. The ref flags that, too. Shouldn’t those both be unsportsmanlike penalties and cancel each other? The ref said they didn’t and the offense ended up running the play over. — T.S., Roanoke County A. No, those do not cancel. Here’s why: The action by the offensive player was contact, therefore it’s a personal foul, not unsportsmanlike conduct. It’s a live ball foul, like holding or clipping or most other fouls. So if accepted, the yardage would be marked off and the down is replayed. The unsportsmanlike conduct foul on the defensive end for his colorful misuse of the English language is not considered a live ball foul, even though it occurred when the ball was live. It’s administered from the end of the play as if it happened after the play was over. So I could see where proper enforcement would have backed the offense up 15 yards and kept the same down, then enforcement of the unsportsmanlike foul would have put the ball back in the same place with the same down. Seems odd, but it’s correct. OCTOBER 2, 2006 9 PLAY BY PLAY Snapshots of the season Regina Brewer Miller Scholarships Longtime William Fleming High School administrator, teacher and coach George Miller (above, third from left) poses with 2005-’06 scholarship recipients (from left): E.J. Webb, Jessica Jones, Emily Wilson, Mike Harvey and Robert Glover. Dan Smith Bridgewater-Ferrum Local high school football talent shone in the Division III match-up played at Ferrum on Sept. 16. Former William Byrd High School quarterback Jeff Highfill, Jr. (13, above right) completes a pass for Bridgewater to Brandon Copeland (above left); in the picture to the right, Bridgewater’s Desmond Jalloh (2, Cave Spring) chases Ferrum runner Jacob Hawkins (11, Floyd County). Bridgewater prevailed in overtime, 30-27. Billy Miles Tribute The longtime Andrew Lewis, Salem and Franklin County coach (left) was honored at a retirement party on Sept. 17. The dais included a star-studded array of speakers — including former Lewis head coach Eddie Joyce (yellow shirt) and former Salem head coach Willis White (right of Joyce). From 1960-2003, Joyce and White brought a slew of wins and state titles to Salem. Miles was an assistant coach for both of them. Bill Turner Skins Game Nutrition Camp New Fitness bodybuilding and nutrition instructor Lisa Hamm (front center) poses with certificate-winners (clockwise, starting from front left): Michelle Wallace, Kristi Thomas, Rolphine Zales, Sarah Bidwell and Betty Bidwell. (New Fitness closed in late summer, shortly after this picture was taken.) Sports Club Bill Turner Former Hidden Valley High School principal David Blevins (center) proudly displays the trophy honoring the Titans for accumulating the most playoff points among Group AA schools throughout the state last year. Blevins is pictured with Roanoke County School Board member Drew Barrineau (left) and new HVHS principal Rhonda Stegall. Gene Marrano Wachovia Cup Charlotte Bobcats’ basketball broadcaster Steve Martin (right) entertained the club at the Salem Civic Center on Sept. 18; the next speaker will be former NFL player Alex Hawkins on Oct. 16. Four top area golfers (from left, Keith Decker, Matt Chandler, Chip Sullivan and Mark Fry) competed in the $15,000 Atlantic Credit & Finance Skins Game played at Roanoke Country Club on Sept. 11. Chandler won 10 skins, Decker 5, Fry 2, and Sullivan 1. They kept half of their earnings; the other half went to the Roanoke Boys’ and Girls’ clubs. Regina Brewer 10 PLAY BY PLAY OCTOBER 2, 2006 PERSONALITIES ‘Wrestling’ warrior Valiant tells all by Gene Marrano Gene Marrano A SK JIMMY “THE BOOGIE Man” Valiant if professional wrestling is a sport instead of entertainment or an exhibition and the Shawsville resident ticks off a long list of broken bones, deep bruises and other maladies suffered in the ring over a four-decade career. “It’s the toughest thing I ever did,” says the former high school football player. “If I pick you up and body slam you, is that for real? You bet.” Now retired, the 64-year-old Valiant continues to run his Boogie’s Wrestling Camp for wannabes and the plain curious at his home. The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Famer has also told all in a new book titled Woo Mercy Daddy! Welcome to My World, The Jimmy Valiant Story. A Tennessee native raised mostly in Indiana, Valiant wrote it along with his wife of 15 years, Miss Angel, a retired physical therapist who first spotted him at a Wal-Mart grand opening in Pu- first encounter, when her daughter wanted to take a picture with the man also known as “Handsome Jimmy.” The two struck up a conversation and when Valiant found she was single, “He asked me if I wanted to get married.” After some persistence, Valiant got her phone number and four months later they indeed were married and living in Shawsville. “She is such an inspiration — a true angel,” says Valiant, insisting the pair has never had a cross word. “It worked out real well for the Boogie Woogie Man.” Jimmy Valiant and his wife, Miss Angel, met “Woo Mercy Daddy!” at a Wal-Mart grand opening in Pulaski. Now, was Valiant’s signature they have co-authored a tell-all book cry in the ring and on television interviews during a career that included some 10,000 laski. The pair seems to be a tagmatches and four million road team made in heaven. miles, accurate figures accord“Jimmy was in there signing auing to his count. In the 1960s and tographs,” recalls Angel of their ’70s, he was billed as “Handsome Jimmy Valiant” and one of the bad guys, with “blond hair, struttin’ around, doing my thing.” Later on he became the “Boogie Woogie Man,” growing a beard and reinventing himself in the public eye. His new book recounts his career highlights, fighting on various rungs of the pro wrestling ladder, including matches with legends like Bruno Sammartino many years ago. Valiant writes in Woo Mercy Daddy! that he influenced such wrestlers as Diamond Dallas Page and future Minnesota governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura. “I was there when Ric Flair [and] Hulk Hogan started. I helped train them. They were at home watching me on TV.” Not a big-boned man, the 6’3” Valiant, now a vegetarian, had to force-feed himself a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs and six sandwiches for lunch every day to reach his prime wrestling weight of 240 lbs. or so. He’s back below 200 now and See VALIANT, Page 13 ��������������������� ���������������������������������� ��������������������������� ���������������� ������������������������������������������� ��������������������� ������������������������ ������������� ������������� �������������� ����������� �������������������� ���������������������� OCTOBER 2, 2006 PLAY BY PLAY 11 12 PLAY BY PLAY Movin’ on: Bowles passes the torch N OT ALL OF THE “I’S” HAVE been dotted yet. Not all of the “t’s” have been crossed. But barring something unforeseen, Kelvin Bowles will soon be out of the minor league baseball ownership business. The Franklin County resident has been at the helm of what is now called the Salem Avalanche since 1986, but earlier this summer he believed the time was right to move on, selling the club to a group of Atlanta-area investors. Both minor league and major league baseball have to approve the sale before Bowles, 67, heads to a retirement that will include some scouting work for the Boston Red Sox and a future undefined role as goodwill ambassador of sorts for the Avalanche. Bowles insists he won’t be a business consultant unless asked by Hardball Capital partners Jason Freier and Chris Schoen. In the meantime, Bowles, whose son, Brian, will continue to work in the Avs’ front office, walks away with a nifty profit and a bushelfull of memories from his 21 seasons as an owner, a run that ended with one of the few half-season pennants the franchise ever captured. “I’m happy that we won but certainly a little disappointed,” he says of the short postseason run. Bowles thought the Kinston Indians club that vanquished Salem in the playoffs was “loaded up” with talent and would have been difficult to beat in any case. Bowles, who says, “baseball has been my life,” was a full-time scout for the Montreal Expos and still owned cable television operations when he began reading that the Salem team in the Carolina League could be moved to Charleston, W.Va. or somewhere else. “The two owners from New York really wanted to get out,” he says. “I just thought I would take a stab at it. I kind of did it as a hobby.” During Bowles’ ownership ten- Thanks to our sponsors for making our event a winner! Title Sponsor: Outback Steakhouse. Gold Sponsors: Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, Fleet Feet Sports, Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Life Fitness, Play by Play. Silver Sponsors: Pepsi Bottling Group, The Redwoods Group, Robertson Marketing Group. Bronze Sponsors: Carilion Health System, Cytomax, East Coasters Cycling & Fitness, Mariners Landing/East Lake Real Estate, Tudor’s Biscuit World of VA, WSLS Newschannel 10. Donor: Brandon Animal Hospital of Roanoke. Salem until this past season. “It was a long dry spell.” Stan Cliburn was another favorite manager. Bowles also remembers several players, some that “didn’t do much here” but moved on to fame and fortune elsewhere. Detroit Tigers pitcher and threatto-cameramen-everywhere Kenny Rogers came through town, as did Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, slugger Moises Alou, Oakland catcher Jason Kendall John A. Montgomery by Gene Marrano OCTOBER 2, 2006 Kelvin Bowles was all smiles (above) when he announced the team’s sale in July; more serious watching a game with league president John Hopkins ure, the franchise has been a Single A affiliate for the Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and, currently, the Houston Astros. Over the years, managers such as Steve Demeter have stood out. “He was a great baseball guy and easy to get along with,” says Bowles of his 1987 skipper. Jay Ward came in the next year and won a first-half pennant — something that didn’t happen again in and a current group of Colorado Rockies that include stars-in-themaking like Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe. “We didn’t have very good clubs here at the time,” Bowles notes of an eight-year agreement with Colorado that ended in 2003, “but a lot of individual players are in the big See BOWLES Page 13 OCTOBER 2, 2006 Bowles From Page 12 13 PLAY BY PLAY Valiant franchise; Major League Baseball paid all travel expenses and took care of the umpires as well. That “slowly changed around” to where each minor league teams pays a ticket tax and the umps as well, in addition to sharing road trip expenses. That’s one big reason minor league teams have sought to maximize revenue in recent years with new ballparks and steppedup merchandising efforts. Bowles admits he couldn’t afford to buy a club at the much higher asking prices of today. Bowles is pleased to see that the new owners will retain most of the current staff and calls the group led by Carolina League Executive of the Year John Katz the best he had ever worked with. “I appreciate his peers in the Carolina League recognizing this,” said Bowles about Katz, in a release after the award was announced recently. The franchise leagues [now]. I follow them in the box scores.” One notable exception to his team’s performances under the Colorado regime: after sneaking in as a wild card, the 2001 Salem club did win the Carolina League title — on a memorable day, Sept. 10, 2001. Bowles didn’t think it would be 18 years between regular-season pennants, but understands the balance between on-the-field success and developing players in the low minors. “Naturally, you want to win,” he does add. Speaking of winning, one of his thrills in professional baseball was earning a World Series ring while scouting for the Florida Marlins in 1997, when that former expansion club won it all. “I see so many guys in baseball that were never in the right place at the right time and I just feel fortunate to have been with the Marlins in ’97,” Bowles says. The Astros gave him a National League championship ring from 2005, something Bowles wore proudly this year at the ballpark. Bowles (right) particpated in a press conHe salutes the current Mar- ference announcing the new stadium in ’94 lins and other low payroll came within a whisker of topping clubs for staying in pennant races its year-old attendance record as long as they did, a testament in (250,000 in 2005) despite losing a part to good scouting. handful of dates to rain. Bowles He also cites the city of Salem had talked to other potential ownfor stepping up to the plate to build ership groups but felt they were Salem Memorial Baseball Stadipoised to make numerous front ofum, knowing that without doing fice changes, something he wantso, the franchise would have been ed to avoid. forced to move by Major League He’s not exactly riding off to his Baseball from a facility not up to Franklin County home or Smith standards that were revised in the Mountain Lake farm for good, eiearly ’90s. ther: “I’m not going anywhere,” “It was a costly thing but [thensays Bowles. “The new owners Mayor] Jim Taliaferro was the want me to be around.” driving force behind it. He’s why He will still attend the winter we have that nice stadium there.” baseball meetings to see longtime A smooth working relationship friends but likes not having to call with Salem, which owns the ballin every day to the office. “I can go park, is “one of the tough parts fishing if I want to.” His wife, Jane, about getting out,” says Bowles. questioned him several months On the other hand, a growing ago about selling the team; he told number of costly rules and regulaher to assume all of the headaches tions being sent down constantly instead if she wanted him to hang from MLB has grown wearisome; on to it. Mingling with fans, the he likens it in part to his 27 years warm relationship with Salem ofin cable TV and regulations in that ficials and getting to know young industry. At some point, he says, players on their way up have all “You just don’t want to handle been highlights over the past 20those.” plus years. Case in point: when Bowles Alas, it was time to pass the became an owner he was paid torch: “I can’t own it forever.” $11,000 a year to help operate the From Page 10 the same size as in high school. “How many men can say that?” he asks with a wide smile. Valiant says wrestling was a more serious business years ago than the made-for-Hollywood shows staged today by promoters like Vince McMahon, Jr., where everyone draws cheers at times. “In the ’60s and ’70s, when I walked out they actually hated me. It was good against evil,” he says. Valiant was burned with cigarettes, jabbed by umbrellas, spat upon and doused with beer on his way to the ring from backstage; he was cut and his car often vandalized by irate fans who didn’t cotton to Handsome Jimmy. Long stretches on the road often kept Valiant away from his kids; he remembers wrestling nine times a week in some cases and even twice a day. Valiant says that between them, he and Angel have “close to a dozen” children. His brother, “Luscious Johnny,” was his tag-team partner in the 1970s and currently works in New York as an actor on such television shows as The Sopranos. Jimmy and Johnny were WWF tag-team champions in 1974 for Vince McMahon, Sr. Valiant recognized the power he had to bring people out of their seats, “just like a preacher,” based on what he did in the ring. In the days before cable TV saturation, he was a Madison Square Garden headliner and graced the covers of many wrestling magazines. “Everyone knew who Handsome Jimmy Valiant was,” he says. “I was world famous.” Being in the right place at the right time, living near Midwest wrestling hubs Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit helped get Valiant’s career off the ground, aided by mentors Vern Gagne, The Sheik, Dick the Bruiser, et al. “They took me under their wings and schooled me,” Valiant says. Trips through Southwest Virginia in the 1980s when he wrestled in stops such as Roanoke, Salem and Christiansburg whetted his appetite for the Blue Ridge Mountains and Valiant finally settled in Shawsville after connecting with Angel. “I fell in love with her [then]. I was already in love with Virginia,” he explains. Angel often accompanied her husband on the road. The excitement she felt from the crowds that came to see the Boogie Man overcame weariness from all that traveling. She didn’t fret too much when Jimmy appeared to be losing in the ring. “I had enough confidence in his ability to be OK,” she says. At Boogie’s Wrestling Camp, opened 15 years ago, Valiant has a chance to keep living his dream through others during sessions he holds every Sunday afternoon. There is also a wrestling Hall of Fame on site. There’s plenty of what he calls “dirt” in Woo Mercy Daddy! but Valiant says it’s directed mostly at him, not at others — and he has known all of the legendary wrestlers over the past 50 years. “If I can help one human being… then my life and this book are not in vain,” he says. With that, the Boogie Man lets out one more loud “Oh, Yeah!” and walks off with his Miss Angel as a very contented man. Go to jimmyvaliant.com for more information on the camp and his book. FURNITURE FOR EVERY ROOM IN YOUR HOME Proudly Supports High School Sports 1945 VALLEY VIEW BLVD. IN THE GRAND PAVILION MALL Valley View Mall (540) 563-2070 Open: Mon.-Fr. 10-9 Sat.10-6, Sun. 12-5 Across from Tanglewood (540) 774-7004 Open: Mon.-Fr. 10-9 Sat. 10-6, Sun. 12-5 ROANOKE www.grandhomefurnishings.com STORES IN VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE AND WEST VIRGINIA 14 PLAY BY PLAY VICARIOUS VIKING Roanoker makes NFL connection by Mike Ashley L IKE MOST SPORTS FANS, Tim Anderson is a victim of his childhood. His earliest football memories are of watching a Minnesota Vikings’ exhibition game in 1968 — they shut out the Baltimore Colts, he recalls — and he was hooked. “I think I had just seen that Kirk Douglas movie, The Vikings,” Anderson laughs. “Who knows why, but I started following them.” And 38 years later, Anderson is still following the Purple Gang. Only this Roanoke resident has a little more payoff than most Viking devotees, the capper coming a couple of years ago when he got down on the field and met his boyhood hero, Minnesota running back Dave Osborn, No. 41 in the program and No. 1 in Anderson’s heart from way back when. And that opportunity came thanks to a chance meeting with another Viking hero of yore, tight end Joe Senser, who currently does color on the Viking radio network. Senser was the Minnesota tight end from 1979-’84, or if you’re hard core pro-purple, between Stu Voight’s retirement and the emergence of Steve Jordan. In the 1981 season, he caught 79 passes. Anderson knows all about Senser’s career now, but he couldn’t come up with much when he met him two years ago in Houston. Unbeknownst to Anderson, who travels to a couple of Viking games each year, Anderson was staying in the team’s hotel prior to a meeting with the Texans. “I was taking advantage of the continental breakfast and a gentleman walked in, sat down beside me and we started talking,” Anderson says. “We were talking about the game that day and I didn’t even know who he was until he said he did radio and I asked him his name.” It was about that time Anderson noticed security guards barricading the hallway that was fast-filling with purple-clad people wearing horned helmets, long blonde braids and brandishing swords and shields. Of course, none of them had struck up a new friendship with a former player like Anderson had just done. “He said he had to go but I had told him I was coming to Minne- sota for a game later that season, and he told me to stay in touch,” says Anderson. “We exchanged information and we did stay in touch.” The easy-going Anderson was probably a pleasant change for Senser. Former NFL players probably don’t meet that many fans who aren’t after something. “He’s from Pennsylvania and I’m from Virginia so we had some geography in common,” Anderson says. “He said he had traveled in this part of the country and really liked it. He was blown away that I was all the way out there in Texas to see a Vikings game. We talked for about 30 minutes.” Later that season, Anderson showed up for the New York Giants game in Minneapolis, and Senser had him out to his restaurant twice and hooked him up with a field pass that allowed him to meet his boyhood heroes, players from the ’60s and ’70s like Osborn, linebacker Wally Hilgenberg, and rugged fullback Bill Brown, the Vikings’ Viking. “That was a thrill,” says Anderson. “I got all their autographs and took pictures and got to talk to them because Joe got me down on the field before the game.” It was a quite a payoff for a fan who suffered through all four Super Bowl losses with his team in the ’70s. Anderson saw his first live Vikings game in the late ’70s, going to Baltimore with his father. A friend in Tampa used to coerce Anderson to visit him with Minnesota-Tampa Bay tickets in the 1980s. He has also caught Viking games in Washington, Charlotte and Pittsburgh over the years. Anderson was at the famous Randy Moss walk-off game in Washington a couple of years ago, and he was at the Carolina game last season when Daunte Culpepper was hurt, two seminal games that changed his team’s direction. He was there in Washington again this year at the season-opener when his Vikings beat the Redskins in overtime. Not bad for a guy that grew up in Stewartsville, just east of Vinton. “I make an effort if I can,” smiles Anderson, who had lived in Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, Centreville and Lynchburg before returning to the Roanoke Valley in 1998 to serve as food and bever- OCTOBER 2, 2006 Tim Anderson (center) met Minnesota Viking legends Mick Tinglehoff (left) and Dave Osborn in 2004 Photo courtesy of Tim Anderson age manager at the Roanoke Civic Center. He has worked in the food service industry for 26 years, the last 22 in management. “I’m the guy you complain to about the concession prices,” he again smiles. “Of course if people traveled more and saw the prices other places, they probably wouldn’t complain as much.” Despite that occasional griping, the civic center job had a major perk for the sports fan in Anderson, particularly the chance to watch hockey, one of his favorites, regularly. He’s hoping, like many local fans, it comes back downtown someday soon. Anderson grew up watching sports in the Roanoke Civic Center, and has a pilfered NBC Sports banner from the 1976 Southern Conference Basketball Tournament to prove it. He has seen local semi-pro sports teams come and go, mostly go, during his tenure back in town. “I think this community is rabid about high school sports, and people really want to support those kids,” he says. “That’s more important to them. People around here would rather stay home and watch on their big-screen TV, rather than come out and fight traffic and all that. Not to pick on the Dazzle, but people stay home and watch Carolina and Duke instead of coming out to watch pro basketball locally. It’s a tough sell sometimes.” Anderson, who used to go to Salem Pirate games with his father, Ralph, thinks the Salem Avalanche are kind of “grandfathered” in as a local tradition because they’ve been around so long. It’s still not an easy sell, even to the most loyal of local fans. “I’ll tell you how tough it is,” he laughs. “I remember going to Salem Pirates games in the early ’70s, and the summer that tickets went from a buck to a buck-fifty, I thought (my dad) was going to turn around and leave.” Anderson saw a lot of games of all kinds with his father, locally and afar, before Ralph passed away in 2005. Tim’s love for sports probably came in his dad’s DNA, although he says he picked up games to avoid work back home on the farm. Anderson starred in baseball and basketball at Staunton River High, and even played on one of Radford University’s last junior varsity basketball teams in the early ’80s, playing on a team with a lot of local flavor. Tony Hardy (William Byrd), Michael Mundy (William Fleming) and Tommy Little (Blacksburg) were also on that squad. “I started out just trying to prove to myself I could make it at the college level, and then when I did, I was shocked,” Anderson says. “And then all I wanted to do was finish the season. It was the most grueling conditioning and pain I’ve ever been through in my life.” Anderson enjoyed intramural sports more, especially flag football where his team was distinguishable because his teammates hung a certain NBC Sports banner out a third-floor dorm window overlooking the field every time they played. His football, softball and basketball teams in college were good but never came away with a championship, something a long-suffering Viking fan can identify with. Of course, as Anderson will now tell you, being a lifelong fan can have other perks, too. OCTOBER 2, 2006 PLAY BY PLAY Let’s wave good-bye to outdated rituals Doesn’t it occur to the NCAA that teams take names intended to be used as honor? No one calls themselves a nickname designed to bring derision. To take it one step further, should I, as a person of Scottish descent, petition the NCAA to make Radford University change its name from the Highlanders? Could I be offended that a tartan kilt is worn by its caricature? Wouldn’t it be ridiculous if I did? As long as I’m raking the NCAA over the coals, I’d like to mention one more of its rules that makes no sense. If an athlete’s image is used in a commercial enterprise, even without the athlete’s knowledge or consent, the NCAA will strip the athlete of eligibility. Case in point: a recent book about college football has a cover picture taken at the USC-Notre Dame game last season. Because Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush have no more college eligibility, their numbers are still in the picture. But all of the Irish players who did not complete their eligibility last season have their numbers removed from the picture, lest they be ineligible because their image is on a book being sold by a third party for profit. A photo pass for a Virginia Tech game (and presumably other universities) comes with three pages of regulations about the use of the photos. Essentially they can be used for news purposes only. Any image of a Tech athlete belongs to Tech and cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes or in any way to make a profit. These rules are not to allow Tech to prevent people from making money, they’re to prevent people from unintentionally costing an athlete eligibility. When the University of Kentucky won a basketball national championship about 10 years ago, the Lexington Herald had a front-page photo of two seniors hugging in celebration. The newspaper decided to have Tshirts made with a reproduction of that front page, but someone from the NCAA noticed that in the background of the photo was a player who was so out of focus it was very difficult to tell who it was. The NCAA figured out who it was and told the Herald that if that T-shirt was sold, the player would forfeit his eligibility. Is that fair? I think not. Those are my four things that need to go the way of the dodo bird. If you have others, e-mail them to [email protected]. Play by Play will compile the suggestions. Carter From Page 4 the “Wie-Con Artists” steal this important training ground from us, just to sell a few more widgets. “it’s what I do!” At the end of 2003, after 122 attempts without winning a single, singles Just say ‘No’ title, Kournikova reDon’t read the stotired. ries. Change the chanSo, are we to have nel when newscasttrue, female icons of ers promulgate their sport or “Wie-Cons”? media blitzes. Don’t We, not “Wie,” are buy their sponsors’ responsible for turnproducts and services. ing back this fraud. They’ll get your mesWe have to ignore the sage — after a suffiefforts of talent agents, cient level of frequenpublicists and the mecy is achieved. Anna Kournikova dia to manipulate our (Rod Carter is a freeperceptions. Sports lance writer and freare one place where we send our quent contributor to Play by Play. children to learn the value of He lives in Salem where he also achievement. We can’t afford to let works as a martial arts instructor.) Internet photo T HINGS CHANGE. STYLES change. Fads come and go. At various times in human history, people have been known to wear powdered wigs, broad belts, straw hats, tight jeans and beehive hairdos. All of these things went out of style, thankfully, and society moved on to other annoying habits, like reality television. There are, however, a few things that entered the scene in sports and have remained, for reasons unknown, far past their expected lifetimes. It’s time to retire a few rituals to a realm of nostalgia where we can, in our old age, remember them like we remember the days we pulled tube socks up to our knees with absolutely no intention of running onto a soccer field. First thing that has to go: the Wave The Wave was invented in Seattle in 1978. Seattle had not even spawned Starbucks or grunge music in 1978. The Wave was needed because the Seahawks were still new and pretty bad, and the only other thing in Seattle was nearly constant rain. The Wave was unique, it rattled opponents and, visually, it looked cool. You know the story: Others picked it up. Within a year the Wave was circling arenas of all sizes in various sports. It was a fad of epic proportions. Everybody loved it, except quarterbacks trying to call an audible when the Wave was at their end of stadiums. But now, nearly 30 years later, it’s played. Next time you see two or three morons stand up and try to start that thing, remind them that we should do things a little differently in the 21st century. Second thing that needs to go: the Gatorade bath This is nearly as old as the Wave. It started with the New York Giants in 1986 and was, I have to say, entertaining. Seeing Bill Parcells get doused with cold Gatorade was funny, but to think that no one has come up with a better way to celebrate a win in the last 20 years is somewhat depressing. And why is it that no coach ever seems to have any idea it’s coming? A team has a 20- point lead in a huge game, but the dumping of the unused sports beverage is always a complete surprise. At some point a coach needs to have an assistant assigned to the task of making sure he doesn’t become a high-electrolyte Popsicle. Third thing that must go: tearing down goal posts This has sort of taken care of itself because goal posts now are built with hinges and can be lowered. Still, some stadiums have the old style posts where it takes 45 drunken students to amass enough weight to bring them down. When they fall, someone is getting hurt. Is it worth it? This is sort of a self-indictment because I’ve been on a field or two after an emotional win, although I’ve never wanted to climb a goal post or be under one when it comes down. I guess I never saw the point in property destruction as a form of revelry. If a WVU fan wants to explain how torching a sofa is a proper celebration, I’d love to hear it. Fourth thing that must go, ASAP: the overzealous, politicallycorrect branch of the NCAA The NCAA serves a purpose; it’s to enforce rules barring big-time alums from paying players and recruits. The idea that the NCAA needs to enforce some non-existent mandate to make collegiate sports as PC as possible is ludicrous. How are the feathers on William & Mary’s logo hostile to Native Americans, whereas the feathers on Florida State’s helmets — attached to spears — are not? And in possibly the most indefensible ruling, two teams are being targeted for being named after specific tribes — the Utes and the Fighting Illini — even though they are the teams of the state universities located in states named after those exact same tribes. Where does the NCAA think the names of Utah and Illinois came from? 15 Log on and tells us what you think about this issue. Go to www.playbyplayonline.net and select “What Do You Think?” Then tell us what you think is right. We’ll publish your opinions in a later issue. 16 PLAY BY PLAY OCTOBER 2, 2006 COLLEGE FOOTBALL Strong faith helps Pickle realize dream A SK DUSTIN PICKLE FOR his formula on making dreams come true. Simple: Work very hard. Pray. Live the right way. Pray. Work hard some more. Yes, dreams can come true. But while a few souls have their dreams come true by the luck of chance in a lottery or other random occurrence, Pickle was never one to let things slide and hope A member of Tech’s vaunted punt-blocking team, Dustin Pickle for the best. Besides, he knew that (35) came close to achieving his goal against Duke (right) merely wishing would never get Duke. — typical size for a Divihim where he wanted to go, but His dream was to be a member sion I baseball player, but working might. of the team and run into the stadihardly the measurements Where Pickle wanted to go was um — something he did not get to of most football players. through a simple concrete cordo last year when he was a memBut Tech coaches heard ridor, about six feet wide and 150 ber of the scout team, but never from Magenbauer about feet long. Specifically, he wanted to dressed for a game. Pickle’s work ethic, his tenacity, walk through that tunnel and out Big-time recruits come with exhis speed and his willingness to the other side as a member of the pectations. Walk-ons come with do whatever the team needs. Virginia Tech football team, rushdreams. Just getting on the field is Pickle might have been a star for ing into Lane Stadium on game often a major accomplishment. a Division III team, but a starring day, while 66,000 people roar with Not bad for a kid with no scholrole wasn’t his personal goal. delight and anticipation. arship offers to play football out of “I don’t play to stand out,” Pickle On Sept. 2, Pickle lived his high school. says. “I play to be a part of it. Whatdream. He ran out of the tunnel After three years as a starter for ever I can do to help my team.” and into the stadium and felt the Glenvar, Pickle wanted to test himA solid student, Pickle got acrush he had been dreaming about self with a higher level of football cepted into Tech’s building consince he was a child, sitting on the competition. He wanted to see if struction program, his career path aluminum bleachers in that same he could compete on the next levof choice because he plans to enstadium, watching earlier incarel, so he transferred to Salem for ter the family business; his father nations of that same team, with his senior year. The decision was owns Mike Pickle Contracting, the same VT logos on the sides of easy considering Inc. those same maroon the fact Pickle was “Once I got in I knew I was gohelmets. reunited with Steing to try out,” Pickle says. Still, it’s Pickle lived his phen Magenbauer, much easier to be an invited walkdream, but the best Pickle’s coach as a on than a guy who shows up in the part is no one has freshman at Glenfield house hoping to borrow pads to wake him up just var who had just and a helmet. yet. He will continue been hired to sucMagenbauer’s persistence — to live that dream as ceed Willis White not to mention his good name and long as he is a memat Salem. reputation within Tech’s coachber of the Tech footPickle played ing circle — convinced the Hokie ball team and, Lord both ways as a decoaches to invite Pickle to try out willing, healthy. As fensive back and in 2005. No promises, no offers, no Pickle is a sophoreceiver for Salem, guarantees. Just a tryout — a time more now, that looks which won a state and a place when they would be to be a minimum of title that year. Still, looking for him. two more full seano scholarships Once he was in, Pickle made a sons, maybe more, were in the offering. name for himself. Not all that hard considering he has a Salem won the state in with the surname of Pickle, but red-shirt year avail- 2004, Pickle’s senior year Division III was an option, but there was that dream his position coach, Jim Cavanaable. — not just to be a Tech football ugh, dubbed him “Pick.” Why not? “The Lord blessed me,” says player, but to be a Tech student, to Playing the whip linebacker posiPickle, a devout Christian who earn a degree from the university tion could lend itself to scoring a makes no secret of his strong he had always loved, the only unipick here or there. But Pick wasn’t faith. versity he could ever see himself long for Cavanaugh’s band of Only now the dream has attending. bone-crunchers. The Hokies were changed. Now the dream is to Pickle prayed and worked. He stacked at linebacker, but needed make those 66,000 fans jump to lifted weights and ran on the track depth at tailback. From his days at their feet when he blocks a punt. team at Salem. He’s just under six Glenvar, Pick knew how to carry Pickle is a member of Tech’s vauntfeet tall and weighs close to 200 lbs. the football. ed punt-blocking team and he only because he’s added muscle “After spring ball, Coach [Frank] nearly got one in a game against Christian Moody by Christian Moody Beamer and Coach [Billy] Hite invited me to come to camp,” Pickle says, meaning he got to start practice with the team in early August. It was a positive development. “Coach Hite told me they wanted me on the field.” Special teams are his ticket to playing time for now. And that’s no small feat at Tech, where head coach Beamer happens to personally coach the special teams. The Hokies made a name for themselves by emphasizing special teams, using the best athletes on those plays. To make that roster is saying something. What’s more, as a running back, Pickle is part of associate head coach Hite’s stable of athletes perennially known as the “Stallions.” He fits in well, thanks in part to his faith. “Every Thursday at practice the running backs get together and pray. Whoever led the prayer last year graduated, so when we were getting together [starting tailback Brandon] Ore was saying, ‘Who’s going to pray?’ Then he said, ‘We’ll get Pickle. He’ll pray.’ That means a lot to me that they would look to me to lead the prayer for the Lord.” Pickle does not pray to help the Hokies win. He does not think God cares who wins a football game. Pickle knows what will happen is what’s in God’s will, and his prayers ask for help in doing God’s will, in glorifying God and in living the life Christ wants him to live. He’s not ashamed to say it. He was brought up by Mike and Sandra Pickle to be devout, love his family — he has two older brothers — and live for the Lord. “I guess we can take some credit for it,” says Mike Pickle, humbly accepting credit — along with Sandra, of course — for raising three fine young men who know how to make their dreams come true. OCTOBER 2, 2006 From the Bookshelf PLAY BY PLAY off-the-beaten-path perspective, as in this case. I mean who wants to read a book about two old baseball players taking a road trip to say good-bye to a former teammate who is dying? The two are Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio, going from Boston to Florida to visit Ted Williams, shortly before his 2002 death. Another teammate, Bobby Doerr, would certainly have joined them on the trip had he not been taking care of his critically ill wife in Oregon. These were the four who made Boston such a great team in the 1940s and ’50s. Sadly, none of the players ever won a World Series. (Doerr, Pesky and DiMaggio were all given honorary rings when the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, ending an 86-year drought.) Halberstam weaves the lives of these players together in extraordinary fashion. An interesting sidenote is that Pesky and DiMaggio stopped in Roanoke on their way to Florida. Mark Berman, a sportswriter for The Roanoke Times and a big Red Sox fan, bemoans the fact that he wasn’t aware they were in town. He says that had he known, he would have loved to have done a story on Pesky and DiMaggio’s trip, which might have removed some of the luster of this book. Elsewhere in this issue, you will read how this book inspired Roanoke neurosurgeon John Feldenzer to cultivate a friendship with Doerr. Williams and Doerr both belong to the Baseball Hall of Fame, an honor that has eluded Pesky and DiMaggio — although both are probably deserving. Feldenzer says Doerr has told him that one of the big reasons he made it was because he played second base, a position where hitting home runs isn’t considered to be a prerequisite for celebrity status. (Doerr hit 223 career homers over 14 seasons.) Halberstam tells a story in this book that any baseball fan will love to read. Most of these players’ achievements occurred more than 50 years ago, but Halberstam brings them vividly to life. Williams is arguably the greatest hitter in baseball history. He liked to think so, even if Joe DiMaggio, Dom’s brother, was convinced that this title belonged to him. The competition between Williams and Joe DiMaggio was intense for more than a decade, when their performances dominated the game’s headlines. In fact, Williams was the last player to hit .400 in a single season, .406 in 1941. Almost as if to show Williams up, Joe DiMaggio recorded his famous 56-game hitting streak the same year, diverting some of the attention from Williams’ feat. Neither performance is likely to be accomplished again. win this year,” Cobb added. “Much luck and success to you personally.” Feldenzer has a copy of the letter from Doerr, who donated the original to the Hall of Fame. Doerr estimates that on the open market the letter would fetch $75,000. The letter has a postscript that reads: “I think you should know this, as a grand guy has passed on, Eddie Collins (also a second baseman like Doerr, who was the Red Sox general manager when Doerr signed in 1936). “He had seen you and Williams. He wrote and asked me to see you both but only wanted to know what I saw. I wrote him, I saw you boys play several times, so Bobby, I also scouted you and wrote Eddie what has come true, that I saw what I thought was a very fi ne second baseman and could not possibly miss when you came up, [I] have followed you in the box scores since.” (Collins played 25 seasons, recorded more than 3,300 hits, had a career average of .333 and entered the hall of fame in 1939, three years after the inaugural class that included Cobb.) Even today, many consider Cobb to be the game’s best all-around player ever. What makes his letter even more meaningful is that Cobb was never known for praising other players. Doerr’s fascination with autographed bats started in 1948 when Doerr received a Babe Ruth model bat and asked the Bambino to autograph it for the bat rack, shortly before Ruth died. So Doerr has kept some fast company: he owns autographed bats by Ruth and Cobb, and was very close with Williams. Any discussion of the greatest position players in the history of the game would put those three in the top five. Doerr fi rst saw Williams play in 1936 when they played for the San Diego team in the Pacific Coast League. “That fi rst tryout, I knew he’d be good, but not as good as he turned out,” says Doerr, who like Williams, turned 18 during that season. One more note writes a perfect fi nish to this story. Feldenzer compares being a neurosurgeon to being a skilled athlete. “Going through neurosurgical training is like training as an athlete,” he says. “You work with a team of neurosurgeons. Some are older, some are younger. There’s a uniform [green scrubs]. You have to train and have the mental aspect in your head. “Only 120 resident neurosurgeons in the country graduate each year. It’s very selective. There’s a lot of long training and a lot of fall-off along the way. It’s like going through the minor leagues. A lot of guys don’t make it to the show [the major leagues]. They’re good, they work hard, and they just don’t make it.” It looks like Feldenzer has made it in more fields than one. Halberstam’s passion illuminates Red Sox by Bob Teitlebaum “The Teammates: A Portrait of Friendship,” by David Halberstam. Hyperion. 217 pp. $15.61 (new on amazon.com, more in a bookstore). Sometimes you are puttering around at a local bookstore with a gift card and you find just the right book to finish spending what’s left on the card. In this case, The Teammates, which was published in 2003, was the right book. Author David Halberstam is one of America’s best writers on many subjects. Sports seem to be his love, however, and his sports books often reflect an Legends From Page 18 never make it. Doerr says it could be a violation of copyright laws even if he donated his copy because the man who shot the fi lm wanted money for it to be used in a television production about Williams. One item that has made it into the Hall of Fame is a letter Doerr has from Ty Cobb after Doerr requested Cobb to autograph one of his bats in 1951, Doerr’s last season before retirement. “My wife’s granddad [Frank Terpin] made a bat rack with glass doors to display bats,” Doerr remembers. “The factory sent me half-a-dozen bats. One was a Cobb model.” Doerr was thrilled when Cobb agreed to autograph it. Cobb sent a two-page letter back along with the bat saying how honored he was by the request. Cobb said the bat Doerr sent him seemed to be lighter than the ones he used, even though circumference (from the trademark to the end) was the same as the ones he used. “I tried to get away from a top-heavy bat, I figured [with] more balance, I could control [my] swing with more accuracy,” Cobb explained in the letter. “I feel you boys really should 17 18 PLAY BY PLAY OCTOBER 2, 2006 LEGENDS OF THE GAMES Direct line to the game’s all-time greats to uncover the story had begun when Tom Ripp had expressed interest in writing an article for The American Fly Fisher magazine. The project lost momentum and stalled however, until Feldenzer stepped forward and independently contacted the magazine. Aided by Ripp’s initial research, Feldenzer produced a detailed article that was published last fall in The American Fly Fisher. by Bob Teitlebaum Courtesy of John Feldenzer I N MANY WAYS, ROANOKE neurosurgeon John Feldenzer reminds me of the chief character Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams. Voices tell Legends of Kinsella to the Games build a field Twenty-fifth in a Series in Iowa and his dad, plus old-time baseball players whom his father watched during their careers, would come back to life. Feldenzer has built no fields, but his interest in fly fishing allowed him to meet Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr and two other ex-Boston greats, Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky. “Those guys were my dad’s heroes,” says Feldenzer. “Bobby Doerr retired from baseball before I was born, and I’m 51 years old.” A couple of years ago, Feldenzer picked up a copy of David Halberstam’s book The Teammates, reviewed on the previous page of this issue. It tells about the closeness of Doerr, Pesky, DiMaggio and Ted Williams, who led Boston’s team during the 1940s and early ’50s when they feverishly battled the New York Yankees. Feldenzer has met and talked to three of these famous baseball players, “but Williams was gone before I met Doerr,” says Feldenzer. Williams died in 2002. The Roanoke doctor’s connection with Doerr started after Feldenzer purchased a fishing rod named after Doerr. Feldenzer’s curiosity got the best of him and because of this a close friendship started. “I wanted to know how a baseball player got a rod named after him,” says Feldenzer. About 15 years earlier, an effort given some of the most prized Bobby Doerr memorabilia that any private collector could want, from autographed baseball cards to pictures with Feldenzer trying on Doerr’s 2004 World Series championship ring (see page 6). “That’s as close as I’ll ever get to a World Series ring,” Feldenzer jokes. Another great souvenir is a DVD, shot by an amateur videographer, of Doerr and Williams standing by the Rogue River in Oregon talking about hitting. Williams is using his typically salty language, his voice rising and falling to make a point to Doerr as the two discuss hitting. According to Doerr, who also was interviewed for this article, Williams would often ask him what pitch he had hit for a particular home run. “I’d say I don’t know. Right at the time, you have to think about it and then you know a few seconds later. Ted would say, ‘How dumb can you be?’” For Williams, not Sharing avid interests in fly fishing and baseball, Bobby Doerr (left), 88, and John knowing what a Feldenzer, 51, have put aside their age difference and the fact they live miles apart pitcher had thrown was a huge sin beFeldenzer knew exactly what Fla. The two men caught 10-15 cause the Red Sox’ outfielder had he was writing about as he has bass each in two days in 2005. Doa photographic memory of just been a passionate fly fisherman err landed the biggest one, a 14about every pitch used against throughout the Blue Ridge Region pounder. Both were using protohim. Williams’ memory, his vision for almost 20 years. Feldenzer also type Doerr rods. and his hand-eye coordination played baseball at Middlebury Sharing avid interests in fly propelled him to become arguably College in Vermont where, like fishing and baseball, Doerr and the game’s greatest hitter. Doerr, he was a second baseman. Feldenzer have put aside their age That DVD, which should be in Doerr was well-pleased with the difference of nearly 40 years. the Hall of Fame, will probably article and wanted to show his apOne significant aspect of the preciation. Soon thereafter, Doerr story is that Feldenzer has been See LEGENDS, Page 17 ����������� presented Feldenzer with an autographed graphite fly rod followed by “HOF 86” (the year Doerr was inducted into baseball’s house of immortals). Doerr also presented similar rods to some other famous baseball fans — George W. Bush, Jeb Bush and George H.W. Bush. Thus began Feldenzer’s close relationship with Doerr, who invited him to fish in Williams’ private compound near Vero Beach, ���������������������������� ����������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������ ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� OCTOBER 2, 2006 19 PLAY BY PLAY ‘Be Like Mike’ always had special meaning Y OU DON’T KNOW WHEN it’s going to happen. You can be assured that it will happen if it hasn’t already. by Mike There comes a point when you’re Ashley just not cool anymore. I’m in my mid-40s now and I’m not sure when it happened to me. Maybe it was when I just couldn’t listen to pop radio anymore. Or maybe when MTV stopped playing music and it took me a year or so to realize it. My wife and daughter tell me it was probably when I went out in shorts and a shirt that didn’t match while wearing socks and slipping into some sandals to take the dog out. (Hey, I was taking the dog out, not going on a job interview. And it was dusk, and who except other neighborhood wives and daughters would even chart such things? All the men out watering the sidewalk or pretending to do yard work just give me a knowing nod.) To my credit, I do refuse to wear dark socks with shorts — hey, those were the guys in the outfield we tried to hit toward in church league softball. Suffice to say, I am not a slave to fashion, though as the men’s world of everyday dress becomes more and more casual, it has moved more and more in line with my preferred habits. And that brings us to shoes. And all because I read with great interest about Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear and their partnership with Stephon Marbury. First let me backpedal. Being a guy with this inherent vested interest in sports, I personally trace my fall from the hip — not my fall on my hip (that apparently comes a few more years down the road) — to my lack of desire to keep up with the latest in sports footwear. Somewhere about 15 years ago or so, I made a conscious decision not to spend $100 for basketball shoes. It wasn’t a tough decision. I love basketball but remember how ugly basketball shoes got in the late ’80s, early ’90s? Yuk. Of course, basketball shorts were getting so long they almost covered the shoes, so it didn’t even matter. I always liked my shoes as plain as I could get them and that meant every time I went to Foot Locker, those guys who work there were calling a foul on me. I guess in basketball-official parlance, you’d call it a “bland check,” not a hand check. Fortunately, in my capacity as a publicity shill for Radford University sports teams, some of the fine coaches there kept me in good shoes. And I learned to make them last, employing the system that many of my male friends understand. I call it “the Rotation.” You got your nice basketball shoes for use indoors on the hardwood. You have another pair for use outside on the asphalt courts. You probably have another pair of low-tops for formal occasions, to wear out and about with your significant other or just when out on the town. There’s a pair just below that, a little older, more worn and likely SIDELINES ����������������� ������������������� ������������������ ������������ ������������� ������������������������������ more comfortable, considered to be in vogue when appearances out and about aren’t so important. And lastly, there’s that oldest pair in the collection — the ones you mow in. They have the light green tint all around the bottom, the equivalent of a Purple Heart for well-worn shoes. Men know this system and relish the practicality and efficiency. Women, I have come to find — despite their intimate connection with piles and piles and pile and piles of shoes — simply don’t get it. My wife grinds her teeth whenever I speak of “the Rotation.” On those rare occasions when sales opportunity meets basic need (uh, a bargain at the store and me with holes in the soles), I buy a new pair, throw out the oldest ones and each pair moves back a spot in the rotation. I would think that would appease her but she points to it as evidence of my obsessive/compulsive disorder. I told her for 867th time the other night at 9:38 that I am not obsessive/ compulsive. And that brings us back to “Starbury,” the man out to save the basketball shoe industry in the Knick of time. Marbury’s “Starbury One” shoes are retailing for $14.98. Hey, even I would pay that. And I see they have some plain white ones and some plain black ones. They’re supposed to be as good as the $150 Air Jordans, but then again Marbury used to claim he was as good as Air Jordan, too. I’m done belittling Marbury. He’s endorsing a whole line of products in that price range — the shoes, $10 T-shirts, jerseys and sweat shirts. I hope it works but I’m terribly afraid little gym-rats in the Starbury gear may be socially slammed on. Kind of like when you had the Sears Le Tigre shirt and everybody else was sporting the Alligators of Izod Lacoste. If Starburys do catch on, I can finally afford to be cool again. It’s been a long strange trip for me and quality tennis/basketball shoes. I started, like so many of us, in the Pic-Way 2-pairs-for-$5 shoes with athletic skills worthy of such kicks. By high school, when my height caught up to my weight (if that happened today, I would be around 7-foot-9), I had moved on to buying my own shoes. The weapon of choice was Nike, when being Like Mike just meant being myself. The first time I showed off a pair to my mom, she thought they were customized “Mike” shoes, until she looked more closely. I wore the canvas high-tops for hoops and loved the white cloth low-tops with the Carolina Blue “Swish” just like John McEnroe wore, for nearly every other occasion. I went through at least two pairs of those a year for about six or seven years until they stopped making them. I always begged Nike to bring them back. But they Just Wouldn’t Do It. Lately, I just search the bargain bins for my tennis/basketball shoes — as my athletic skillz, again, are only worthy of bargain shoes. Well, that is until I read about Starburys. I’m going to get me a pair, because such economy in product should be rewarded by our purchase approval. I hope Marbury makes a mint off us and goes out and buys an oil company, and then uses the same marketing technique. �������������� ������������������ ���������������������� ���������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������� ������������������������������������� 20 PLAY BY PLAY OCTOBER 2, 2006
