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While We’re Young (Ideas) – October 24

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Final Wrap on All Things NBA 75

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The “official” NBA75 listing was published by the league this week.

There were nine NBA legends that made the While We’re Young (Ideas) list that DID NOT MAKE the official listing. Obviously, the Denver Nuggets and Kentucky Colonels’ alum, and the ABA overall, made much more of an impression on this reporter than the NBA committee members, as three Nuggets greats and four former ABAers were with us and none with them. Here’s the full list cross-referenced:

While We’re Young (Ideas) had:

  1. Vince Carter
  2. Alex English
  3. Artis Gilmore
  4. Connie Hawkins
  5. Tommy Heinsohn
  6. Dan Issel
  7. Bernard King
  8. David Thompson
  9. Jamaal Wilkes

Looking at it the other way, the NBA 75 had:

  1. Carmelo Anthony
  2. Anthony Davis
  3. Dave DeBusschere
  4. Damien Lillard
  5. Jerry Lucas
  6. Chris Paul
  7. Gary Payton
  8. Dennis Rodman
  9. Dolph Schayes
  10. Bill Sharman

Note: The one person discrepancy lies with the fact the NBA named 76 players.

COACHING TREE: To tie this all in a sweet, 75-year-old bow, two additional aspects of the anniversary team should be examined – Coaching and Play-by-Play broadcasters.

At the NBA@50, only 10 coaches were honored. They were:

  1. Red Auerbach
  2. Chuck Daly
  3. Bill Fitch
  4. Red Holzman
  5. Phil Jackson
  6. John Kundla
  7. Don Nelson
  8. Jack Ramsay
  9. Pat Riley
  10. Lenny Wilkens

Since only 10 coaches were named at year 50, WWYI will add only THREE more to the list above for NBA 75. The opinion here places these two coaches into the hall of glory:

  1. Hubie Brown
  2. Gregg Popovich
  3. Erik Spoelstra

While the great, Sports Emmy award winner in Turner Sports studio anchor Ernie Johnson Jr. was noted as a key contributor to the successes of the NBA in our listing last week. That prompted a final NBA at 75 list of 12 of the league’s Greatest Play-by-Play commentators, a list of artists who brought the games to millions of fans. Here’s one columnist’s opinion of the best of the best in the industry:

  1. Marv Albert
  2. Mike Breen
  3. Jim Durham
  4. Ian Eagle
  5. Marty Glickman
  6. Mike Gorman
  7. Chick Hearn
  8. Al McCoy
  9. Brent Musburger
  10. Johnny Most
  11. Dick Stockton
  12. Joe Tait

There are MANY other deserving (radio and TV) voices of the NBA teams over the years, far too many to mention but Eddie Doucette, Hot Rod Hundley, Bill Schonely, and Bob Wolff are listed with apologies while Bob Costas and Curt Gowdy are to be honored in Baseball. There are also a fair number of NBA team play-by-play commentators who were somewhat exposed by the advent of NBA League Pass (TV and audio) and the amount of complaining about referee calls is second only to the players themselves who seem to whine about every call.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: According to France’s L’Equipe and Spanish EuroPresse, EuroLeague Basketball denied possible creation of “an NBA division in Europe,” although it has admitted a three-way meeting last month with the NBA and the FIBA. The intention of the meetings were, “joining forces to increase the popularity of basketball in Europe,” confirmed related parties attending the meeting. As both the NBA and FIBA ​​have confirmed, executives from the three parties (FIBA, NBA and EuroLeague Basketball) met in Madrid in September. … Spain’s highly regarded sports section in “Marca” ran a front page story with banner headline, “The NBA Lands in Europe,” but EuroLeague Basketball quickly shot down the possibilities.

FIBA (International Basketball Federation) went a bit further with a statement that specified the meeting was only to discuss “the unification of European basketball, divided between the Euroleague, the private professional league, and International Federation competitions such as the Champions League (BCL). The International Federation also said in a statement that monthly meetings would now be held on the subject.

The NBA commented, but kept the discussions close to the vest, stating: “We were recently invited to initiate discussions on how we can work together to develop basketball in Europe. We look forward to participating to further these discussions in the future.”

Said Marca, “A European NBA with a Western Conference (clubs in Spain, Italy, France, United Kingdom, the Benelux region, Germany, Austria and the northern countries such as Poland or Sweden) and an Eastern Conference (with clubs in Russia, Turkey, Greece, the Baltic States, Israel, Romania etc. “would be fire.”

The speculation of the idea was presuming the entity would run on its own and not interact for in-season games with the NBA in North America. In other words, it would run similar to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) that began this year on the African Continent.

NOTE: See While We’re Young (Ideas) to subscribe for the full notebook, sent every weekend.

Costacos Collection Opens with “Say Hey” Willie Mays Digital Artwork

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SEATTLE – Say Hey, it’s Willie Mays and John Costacos with the very first offering in the new Costacos Collection of Digital Art. The recently introduced collection will feature one of the most respected legends in professional sports, Baseball Hall of Famer Mays. The 90th Birthday Celebration drop will take place Sunday, October 24, as an ode to Willie’s iconic number and two days before the start of the 117th World Series. For the fifth year, the MVP of the Fall Classic will be recognized as the “Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player.”

Willie will be donating all proceeds from the drop to his Say Hey Foundation’s effort to honor the people who gave him a start in life, by establishing a baseball academy for underprivileged youth where he grew up in Alabama, and to restore the historic baseball facilities at Rickwood Field where Willie started his career with the Negro League Birmingham Black Barons.  Mays said, “I’ve never forgotten the people who supported me, taught me, and helped me find my way.  I want every child to have the same chances that I had, and this gives me a way to do that starting in my original hometown.  Rickwood was the first place I ever got to see professional ballplayers, and I want these kids to learn the game and be inspired the way I was.”  Rickwood Field itself serves as a central theme of the drop’s art.

The first drop tells the story of Willie’s path to the majors, from Fairfield Industrial High in Birmingham, to the Negro American League, culminating with his move to the New York Giants with whom he would win the Rookie of the Year Award in 1951. The various edition pieces capture the key themes and statistics of those periods, and the 1/1 hero piece adds to the story with a number of never-before-seen personal documents and images from Willie’s journey – most notably, a copy of Willie’s high school diploma, in which he was assigned a career in “cleaning, dyeing, and pressing.” Willie recalls that all Black kids were assigned trade careers, while white kids “on the other side of the barbed-wire fence” were able to choose their paths and professions. Willie’s journey to becoming one of America’s most beloved sports figures and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom was only possible because of baseball and the people of Fairfield and beyond who helped him chart a different path.  The NFT art piece includes a voiceover in which Willie’s powerful story is told by an iconic voice of sports, Bob Costas, who will join Mays in donating to the baseball academy and Rickwood Field restoration project.

“In the mid-1960s, I learned to read a box score by stealing my dad’s paper to see what magic Willie Mays had done the night before,” said Costacos Collection founder John Costacos. “Yet with all the historic moments in his career, Willie, the humblest GOAT you’ll ever meet, asked us to focus not on his 24 All Star Games, 2 MVP awards, World Series victory in ‘54, his 12 Gold Gloves or 660 home runs – rather, he saw this as a unique opportunity to pay tribute to his roots and earliest days growing up in Fairfield, Alabama. We’re honored to partner with the great Willie Mays and to give fans an opportunity to connect with the legend through one-of-a-kind digital art in support of the Say Hey Foundation.”

HoopHall: Abdul-Jabbar Watch List ’22

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SPRINGFIELD – (Staff Report from Official News Release) The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is celebrating the 2021-22 college basketball season by unveiling the watch list for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award. Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top centers in men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.

“Rounding out the Men’s Starting Five watch list is the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Mr. Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most accomplished and decorated athletes of all time, so it is truly fitting to have his name associated with such a prestigious award. As a strong advocate for education and character, he brings a significant and meaningful perspective when evaluating talent and we truly cherish his involvement.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played for legendary coach and Hall of Famer John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1966-1969. He is a three-time NCAA Champion who earned numerous accolades including three-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, three-time National College Player of the Year and three-time Consensus First-Team All-American (1967-1969). As a professional, Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion, six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 19-time NBA All-Star and the league’s all-time leading scorer. In 2021 The NBA created the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award, which honors players who are making strides in the fight for social justice.

College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just 5. In March the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.

The winner of the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Karl Malone Power Forward Award, in addition to the Women’s Starting Five.

Previous winners of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award include two-time winner Luka Garza, Iowa (2020-21), Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (2019), Angel Delgado, Seton Hall (2018), Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga (2017), Jakob Poeltl, Utah (2016) and Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015).

2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates*

Walker Kessler Auburn
Nick Muszynski Belmont
Mark Williams Duke
Colin Castleton Florida
Chet Holmgren Gonzaga
Kofi Cockburn Illinois
David McCormack Kansas
Oscar Tshiebwe Kentucky
Ahsan Asadullah Lipscomb
Qudus Wahab Maryland
Jalen Duren Memphis
Hunter Dickinson Michigan
Armando Bacot North Carolina
Moussa Cisse Oklahoma State
Nate Watson Providence
Zach Edey Purdue
Osun Osunniyi St. Bonaventure
Myles Johnson UCLA
Fardaws Aimaq Utah Valley
Liam Robbins Vanderbilt

Sports Biz: Costacos Goes Digital

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SEATTLE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Award-winning artist John Costacos, who established a genre of sports art with his famed sports personality poster creations, along with co-founder and CEO Justin Moorad and Digital Art Director Mike Campau, unveiled a new blockchain-based digital collectibles company, the Costacos Collection.

The Costacos Collection is partnering with an initial lineup of legendary NFL, MLB, and NBA players and their charitable foundations, including Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, Jim McMahon, Roger Clemens, Will Clark, and others to be announced in the coming weeks. The Costacos Collection – the predecessor of which sold over 30,000,000 posters from 1986-96 – utilizes the blockchain medium to help the world’s greatest athletes capture their most significant moments, tell their most meaningful stories, and create new digital experiences to connect with fan communities. In addition to re-imagining John’s revered poster art, the Costacos Collection is creating new digital art as NFTs, with the tokens serving as the ticket to the company’s upcoming Hall of Fame Metaverse.

The Topps Company will also be a partner of the Collection, drawing on content from its vast historical archives and working with Costacos to create new content with Topps’ current-athlete partners.

CostacosCollection.com will serve as the gateway to the company’s listings as well as post-sale experiences, which will include communities and experiences exclusive to NFT owners. The company plans to fill the gap where Big Tech’s social media has failed: enabling fans to connect with and support their heroes directly. Through community engagement features, museum-style social displays, games, raffles and giveaways, trading and staking based on live and AI-generated sporting events, and the bridging of the digital with physical items and events, the company is pursuing a vision not held back by any one particular partnership or association.

“We believe in the long-term power of the technology,” said CEO Justin Moorad. “With a chain-agnostic approach, we’re able to form partnerships across the ecosystem – from the highest-quality art minted securely on Ethereum, to games built on Solana, to opportunities for proprietary fungible tokens, the Costacos Collection is building technology that positions our athletes at the center of the evolving landscape.”

John Costacos’ posters included imagery, slogans, and nicknames that stuck with players for the rest of their careers, including his first poster, Kenny Easley’s “The Enforcer”, the Oakland A’s “Bash Brothers,” Charles Barkley’s “Get Off My Backboard,” Jerry Rice’s “Goldfingers,” Michael Jordan’s “Space, The Final Frontier,” Joe Montana’s “The Golden Great,” Jim McMahon’s “Mad Mac,” Walter Payton’s “Chicago Vice,” Rickey Henderson’s “Man of Steal,” Troy Aikman’s “Strong Arm of the Law,” and many others with athletes such as Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Ken Griffey Jr., Bo Jackson, John Elway, Karl “Mailman Malone, Dominique Wilkins, and Magic Johnson. In addition to working with legacy athletes, Costacos will create new digital artwork with a growing number of today’s future Hall of Famers, Rookies of the Year, and Heisman-level college athletes.

“As an athlete of color and an entrepreneur, and as someone with roots in Seattle personally and professionally, nothing exuded cool more than a Costacos poster,” said Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon. “The Costacos Collection will now be able to recapture that cool in digital art, which is going to be fun for all the veteran athletes from all sports who became part of his ‘must have collection’ as well as for a new generation who will be engaging with this unique artwork for the first time. It’s an honor to be part of this unveiling.”

“My relationship with every athlete came from listening to their creative process and thinking of what we, as fans, would want to see, and that process has never really changed over the years,” Costacos said. “The growth of digital technology gives us an exciting chance not just to offer pieces in digital form, but to take them and retell the story with the athlete’s input now 20 years later with additional custom content.”

“John Costacos and his artwork helped expand the reach of the most legendary athletes of a generation to fans who knew us for being in unique artwork sometimes more than what we did on the field,” said Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. “Now being able to revisit that artwork as NFTs will open new doors for fans who can collect the pieces yet again. I know for the LatinX audience that craves connecting with its heroes, this will be a fun and unique experience that should open more opportunities for NFTs as well.”

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Costacos attended the University of Washington and graduated with a degree in Finance, notably with no formal education in graphic design, photography, printing or art. A lifelong sports fan, John and his brother Tock had a fascination with mixing sports and pop culture in a time when the two areas rarely shared a stage. He created T-shirts of his alma mater’s football team titled “Purple Reign,” a reference to the Washington Huskies’ purple colors and Prince’s song “Purple Rain,” and quickly sold out of his initial run of 20,000 T-shirts. That led to a second project when John dreamed up the slogan “Real Men Wear Black” and put it on a T-shirt for LA Raiders fans. That popular design, with no marketing budget, was a massive commercial success. It sold out in very short order and got the brothers an invite to the Raiders headquarters in El Segundo, California, where they met All-Pro defensive back Lester Hayes, who asked them to create “Lester’s Court,” modeled after a reference to “The Judge” nickname Hayes earned while playing at Texas A&M and an allusion to the very popular “The People’s Court” television show. The images were shot in a courthouse with Tock dressed in San Francisco 49ers colors, presenting footballs marked with game dates of Hayes’ interceptions. The Hayes imagery was wildly popular and the pair started to pursue poster-making in full force, beginning with local Seattle Seahawks star Kenny Easley. The Easley poster led to another poster of Chicago Bears sensation Jim McMahon, and the business skyrocketed from there.

Costacos was out of the art and sports world for almost two decades until 2016, when he was commissioned to relaunch his unique point of view for a poster of then-rising star Russell Wilson, to raise money for Wilson’s “Why Not You” Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to education, children’s health and fighting poverty.  The fundraiser for the release of the poster, hosted by ESPN’s Kenny Mayne, netted $435,000, highlighted by the auction of the first two printed posters for $30,000 each. In 2018, Costacos created a poster of New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for Adidas to announce their endorsement deal with him. It was prominently featured on billboards and bus stops across New York City and became a must-have piece for thousands of fans. The interest in the original Costacos pieces has also never waned, as evidenced by UFC President Dana White purchasing 40 original Costacos works in a New York art gallery for over $100,000 alongside Hall of Famer Alex Rodriguez who spent nearly $40,000 himself on a series of posters the last time the original pieces were on public sale a few years ago. These recent instances, along with the encouragement and persuasion of a growing list of elite athletes and collectors, raised the itch for Costacos to get back in the game.  But this time Costacos, ever the pioneer, presents a unique twist to the traditional, combining his rare mix of artistic vision and his penchant for capturing sports figures, into breath-taking, cutting-edge digital form.

Sports Biz: NBA Extends HBCU Support

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NEW YORK –  (Staff Report from Official League News Release) – The NBA will extend and expand its ongoing commitment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with new programs designed to create greater opportunity for students and alumni, encourage economic advancement and further celebrate their rich traditions.  As part of this partnership, the NBA will develop new programs and events focused on the HBCU community – specifically around professional development, career advancement and increased support and awareness for HBCU athletics and institutions.

The NBA is committed to supporting the growth of the next generation of leaders from the Black community.  HBCUs – which produce 20 percent of the country’s Black college graduates but only account for three percent of all colleges in the United States – have historically been under-resourced, averaging one-eighth the size of endowments of historically white colleges and universities.  The NBA’s programming will advance educational, career and economic opportunities in collaboration with HBCU networks, and will focus on three areas:

New Fellowship Program for Career Development:

  • Starting in 2022, the NBA and its teams will offer a new paid fellowship program for undergraduate and graduate students.  The program, which will be led by the NBA Foundation, will offer HBCU students the opportunity to gain real-life insights and professional experience around the business and operations of basketball.  The students will work in positions at the league office and NBA and WNBA teams, and be matched with a league or team employee mentor as part of their experience.  Applications for the program will open on Careers.NBA.com in the coming months.

NBA HBCU Classic:

  • Building off the success of NBA All-Star 2021, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will once again highlight the HBCU community during NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.
  • The celebrations will be highlighted by a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) matchup between Howard University and Morgan State University men’s basketball teams.  The game will be played at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland on February 19, 2022 and will be broadcast live.
  • During NBA All-Star, more than $1 million will be contributed in support to the HBCU community through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and academic institutions.  Additionally, HBCUs will be showcased through unique content, storytelling and special performances.

Additional Programs:

  • The NBA, G League and Basketball Africa League will leverage their pre-Draft combines and showcase events for HBCU players, coaches and athletic trainers.  These engagements will increase exposure and opportunities to pursue professional basketball careers.
  • The league will expand the NBA’s targeted referee development strategy to leverage existing programs and focus on identification, training and educational opportunities for HBCU students and alumni in the officiating pipeline.
  • The NBA 2K League will host events with HBCU networks to introduce students to careers in gaming and esports, creating pathways for students to pursue careers in the growing industry.
  • HBCU alumni and Black entrepreneurs will partner with the league as part of the NBA’s commitment to onboarding more minority-owned businesses as league licensees.
  • The NBA will air special alternate game telecasts this season featuring interactive enhancements on League Pass and will work with HBCU schools to provide special experiences around those select games.

These new efforts will bolster the league’s support of HBCUs and their students through additional scholarship programs, business case competitions, mentorship, networking and internship opportunities with partners, teams, the NBA Foundation and other members of the NBA family.  Former NBA Commissioner, the late David Stern, served as a founding member of the TMCF Board of Directors for more than 30 years.

HoopHall: Karl Malone Award Watch List

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SPRINGFIELD – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is celebrating the start of the 2021-22 College Basketball season by unveiling is annual Top 20 watchlist for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Named after Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of20 candidates.

“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to annually recognize the best student-athletes in the collegiate game with positional awards bearing the names of some of the greatest players of all time,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEOof the Basketball Hall of Fame. “To be named to the watchlist of the Naismith Starting Five is a great honor and I know our Hall of Famers sincerely enjoy the opportunity to watch these players compete. We thank Mr. Malone for his unwavering support over the years and the unique perspective he brings to ultimately selecting a winner.”

Karl Malone attended Louisiana Tech University due to its close proximity to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana. Heled the Bulldogs to a Sweet 16 appearance and earned All-Southland honors in his three seasons while averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Malone achieved great success during his 19 seasons in the NBA as a 14-time NBAAll-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), 11-time All-NBA First Team player (1989-99) and a member of the NBA’s 50th AnniversaryAll-Time Team. He also won two Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996).

College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just 5. In March the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.

Previous winners of the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award include Drew Timme, Gonzaga (2021), Obi Toppin, Dayton (2020), Zion Williamson, Duke (2019), Deandre Ayton, Arizona (2018), Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017), Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016) and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015).

2022 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award Candidates*

Azoulas Tubelis Arizona
Jabari Smith Auburn
David Roddy Colorado St.
Paolo Banchero Duke
Drew Timme Gonzaga
Trayce Jackson-Davis Indiana
Kenneth Lofton Jr. Louisiana Tech
Eli Scott Loyola Marymount
Darius Days LSU
Donta Scott Maryland
DeAndre Williams Memphis
Dawson Garcia North Carolina
EJ Liddell Ohio State
Quincy Guerrier Oregon
Trevion Williams Purdue
John Fulkerson Tennessee
Tre Mitchell Texas
Isaiah Mobley USC
Jayden Gardner Virginia
Keve Aluma Virginia Tech

The Sun Came Up Again for Astros

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Just as Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker predicted, the sun came up for the Houston Astros on Tuesday morning and it set in time for Game 4 of their American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox at Jam-packed Fenway Park. After the 12-3 throttling the ‘Stros took at the hands of the Sox on Monday, all signs pointed towards another Boston victory.

Momentum be damned.

The pundits’ predictions for three straight for the Red Sox at Fenway were plentiful. Yet, experience and past results showed that one game does not a series make. Best-of-seven playoff series often have pendulum-like sways and they play with the minds of the media, the fans but not the teams and players.

Case in point:

  • Game 1: The Houston Astros won, 5-4, at home and took control of the series
  • Game 2: The Boston Red Sox won, 9-5, at Houston and escaped Texas with home field advantage in their pockets.
  • Game 3: The Red Sox lambaste the Astros, 12-3, to go up 2-1 in the series and gain control and all momentum.
  • Game 4: The Astros strike back, 9-2 at Fenway, making the series a best-of-three with Houston regaining home field ad.

Game 5 is late this afternoon at Fenway Park where the bright setting sun will cast shadows on the field, and make right fielders cringe upon every fly ball hit towards the Pru. If you ask the old Oakland Raiders of the NFL, you’ll also be reminded that the Autumn Wind is a Pirate. We’ll just have to see as Mother Nature has been kind to MLB as October 20’s weather forecast could easily be for September 1st.

Houston will send Framber Valdez out to the mound while Boston will stake its season with Chris Sale pitching the pivotal fifth game of the ALCS. Sox fans yearn for the days of yesteryear when Sale was an automatic “W,” and 10 strike-outs were the norm. Instead, we’ll see if Sale can bounce back from two subpar postseason outings, each coming after he’s battled an inflamed elbow, Tommy John surgery (March 30, 2020) and a slow return as the 2020 and 2021 MLB seasons marched on while the world battled COVID-19.

Sale’s last outing was Game 1 of the ALCS in Houston. He gave up five hits and an earned run but only pitched 2.2 innings. His first start of the MLB Postseason was Game 2 of the AL Divisional Series vs. Tampa Bay when he allowed five earned runs on four hits and lasted just one inning.

Not great.

Sale and Valdez matched-up in Game 1 of this series and Valdez wasn’t much better, allowing three runs (two earned.thank-you Jose Altuve), six hits with three walks in 2.2 innings pitched. In that series opener, each team utilized eight pitchers in another four hour epic.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora remains quite confident he’ll see a batter version of his one-time ace.

“He’ll be fine,” said Cora after Tuesday night’s Boston loss. “The way he threw the ball at the end of that outing in Houston, it was good. The way he worked in between starts, it was good. He will be ready.”

What did veteran and perfect prognosticator Baker think?

“This (series) is enjoying baseball as if you are a child,” said the Astros manager as if he were reading scrips for the motion picture, Field of Dreams.  “You know, this is one of the great things about baseball. When you’re dead in the water and things aren’t going good, and then all of a sudden, ‘boom, boom, boom,’ and you’ve got seven runs. That’s what they’ve been doing to us this whole series, and we’re capable of doing that as well.”

Baker is an amazing and respected baseball man who boils it down, knew the sun would rise once again for his ‘Stros, and that his team is close and getting closer by the game and the series.

Game 5s are a better prognosticator than Baker, however. This afternoon marks the seventh ALCS to be tied at 2-2 since the best-of-7 format began in 1985. Since then, six of the clubs that won Game 5 went on to win the pennant (all except the 2017 Yankees vs. these Houston Astros).

In other words, expect one hell of a Game 5 and to the winner … a ticket to the World Series awaits.

 

HoopHall: Dr. J Award Watch List

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SPRINGFIELD – (Staff Report from Official New Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is tipping off its interaction with the 2021-22 college basketball season by unveiling its watch list for the 2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. Named after Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 16-year professional basketball player Julius Erving, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.

“With the new season on the horizon, we could not be more excited to watch the stars of the collegiate game take the floor and do what they do best,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We encourage fans to support their favorite players by participating in the Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies. These prestigious awards are not possible without the support of the fans, Dell Technologies, our knowledgeable selection committee, and the Hall of Famers they represent.”

Julius Erving attended the University of Massachusetts and averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, making him one of only six NCAA men’s basketball players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. After two seasons, Erving made the jump to the American Basketball Association and was the league’s most recognizable player when it merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976. During his professional career, Erving won three championships, four most valuable player awards and three scoring titles. In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just 5. In March the five finalists will be presented to Mr. Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.

Previous winners of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award include Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), Saddiq Bey, Villanova (2020), Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (2019), Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), Denzel Valentine, Michigan State (2016) and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015).

2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award Candidates*

Marcus Bagley Arizona St.
Matthew Mayer Baylor
Kendall Brown Baylor
Jabari Walker Colorado
Hyunjung Lee Davidson
AJ Griffin Duke
Matthew Cleveland Florida State
Jalen Wilson Kansas
Lucas Williamson Loyola-Chicago
Emoni Bates Memphis
Caleb Houstan Michigan
Justice Sueing Ohio State
Ron Harper Jr. Rutgers
Julian Champagnie St. John’s
Harrison Ingram Stanford
Timmy Allen Texas
Kevin Obanor Texas Tech
Jaime Jaquez Jr. UCLA
Patrick Baldwin Jr. UW-Milwaukee
Jermaine Samuels Villanova

Red Sox Making an October Statement

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – If it’s possible to make a statement in an October Major League Baseball game, the Boston Red Sox did so Monday night with a 12-3 demolition of the Houston Astros. The Boston victory in Game 3 of their American League Championship Series (ALCS), complete with three towering home runs came while while the Red Sox pitching staff limited the potent Houston offense to five scattered hits. The win gave Boston a 2-1 series lead.

In nearly all of professional sports, a combination of losing home field advantage in Game 2 and then getting throttled by nine in Game 3 would be such devastation that the losing team would fold up the tents and make vacation plans for Cancun for October 26-to-November 3.

But, not so for baseball. Not so for the Houston Astros.

The Astros are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the ALCS, splitting the previous four championship series, 2-2, and winning the World Series in 2017. To say they’ve been battle tested is an understatement. In the 2020 ALCS, the ‘Stros dropped the first three games to the Tampa Bay Rays only to become the second team in MLB history to fight back to play a Game 7. The Rays advanced but lost to the LA Dodgers, 4-2, in the 2020 World Series.

In Game 2 of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals, the Astros dropped the first two games of the series at home with Game 2 a 12-3 shellacking (sound familiar?) That statement game by the Washington Nationals resulted in the Nationals returning home and proceeding to drop three straight to the Astros in a World Series where no team won on their home field.

When the Astros won their World Championship in 2017, they endured a devastating 6-2 loss in Game 4, allowing five runs to the LA Dodgers in the top of the 9th inning but bounced back to take an incredible 13-12 extra inning Game 5 win. After Justin Verlander and the Astros lost Game 6 in LA, Houston rebounded to take Game 7 with a 5-1 win. That series victory was tainted when Sports Illustrated revealed a pitch-tipping controversy a month after the series concluded.

Big-time victories don’t seem to carry over in Major League Baseball. when Nick Pivetta and Zack Greinke warm-up for Game 4 tonight, the canvas will be clean and Boston’s 12-3 Monday night win will be a distant memory for an Astros lineup that can crank it just as hard as the Red Sox did in Game 3.

In the pivotal game, Boston lived by the long-ball. In the bottom of the 2nd inning with the score already 2-0 Red Sox, newly acquired 1B Kyle Schwarber stepped-up to the plate with the bases loaded after a costly error by Houston All-Star 2B Jose Altuve. Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy misfired three times, twice with his four seam fastball and once with a change-up to take the count to 3-0 versus the dangerous, Fenway-loving bat of Schwarber.

Despite the 3-0 count and pressure mounting on the 26-year old Urquidy, pitching in his second season in the majors, Boston Manager Alex Coro gave his slugger the “green light” and Schwarber delivered with a 430-foot blast of a Grand Slam to right field to make the score 6-0, Boston.

Insurance runs were supplied by Sox 2B Christian Arroyo who hit a 399-foot, two-run homer in the bottom of the 3rd inning to elevate the Sox lead to 9-0 and J.D. Martinez’ 395-foot, two run dinger over Fenway’s Green Monster left field wall to put the Red Sox ahead 11-3 in the 6th. Two innings later, Raphael Devers placed an exclamation point on the Sox statement when he took Ryne Stanek for a 372-foot blast, crushing a 96 mph fastball over the Monster.

Not to be lost in the offensive barrage, Boston starter Eduardo “E-Rod” Rodriguez pitched for six innings, allowing only five hits, three runs while striking out seven. He was backed-up by scoreless innings tossed by each of Hansel Robles, Martin Perez and Hirokazu Sawamura.

“We’re playing good baseball, I think, all around, running the bases well, playing good defense, pitching well,” said Coro after the 12-3, Game 3 win. “Offensively this is the best we’ve been the whole season, and they’re locked in right now. The preparation – it’s a lot better right now. The communication is a lot better. Like I said, now it’s not about 30 homers or 100 RBIs. Now it’s about winning four games, and they’re doing everything possible in that batter’s box to grind at-bats and to put good at-bats, and they’re doing that.”

All that said, the scores will be wiped clean, by hand, on Fenway’s ancient scoreboard when the first pitch of Game 4 is thrown at 8:08pm (ET) tonight.

Houston Manager, the great Dusty Baker said it best, “They count as one (win). We come back and win tomorrow, the season — the series is even. I mean, you don’t like it. I’m not very happy about it, but you got to flush this one because you can’t bring this one or the last one back until tomorrow. And so, like I said, you don’t like it tonight, but the sun is going to come up in the morning.”

HoopHall: Jerry West Award Watch List

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SPRINGFIELD – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is tipping-off the 2021-22 college basketball season with its annual watch list of players for the 2022 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. Named after Class of 1980 Hall of Famer and 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Valuable Player Jerry West, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top shooting guards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.

“As we enter our eighth year of the Naismith Starting Five, we’re excited as ever to watch some of the best collegiate student-athletes in the country compete at a very high level,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized on a preseason watch list. Each of the young men nominated for this honor has undoubtedly worked extremely hard to be in this position and should feel an immense sense of pride in their achievements. That being said, a player can be added to the watch list at any point in the season, so Mr. West and our committee are eager to evaluate talent as we return to on-court action in the coming weeks.”

West attended West Virginia University and averaged 24.8 points and 13.3 rebounds per game in his three varsity seasons. He led his team to the NCAA Championship game in 1959 and was named a consensus All-American in 1959 and 1960. In the summer of 1960, he was co-captain of the U.S. men’s basketball team and won an Olympic gold medal. As a professional player, West played 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers making the All-NBA First Team 10 times. West won an NBA championship in 1972 and was named the NBA Finals MVP in 1969 despite his team not winning the championship. In 1996, he was named a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just 5. In March the five finalists will be presented to Mr. West and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where a winner will be selected.

Previous winners of the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Chris Duarte, Oregon (2021), Myles Powell, Seton Hall (2020), RJ Barrett, Duke (2019), Carsen Edwards, Purdue (2018), Malik Monk, Kentucky (2017), Buddy Hield, Oklahoma (2016) and D’Angelo Russell, Ohio State (2015).

2022 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Candidates*

Jaden Shackelford Alabama
Bennedict Mathurin Arizona
Adam Flagler Baylor
Hunter Sallis Gonzaga
Ochai Agbaji Kansas
Kellan Grady Kentucky
Taevion Kinsey Marshall
Eric Ayala Maryland
Landers Nolley Memphis
Isaiah Wong Miami
Eli Brooks Michigan
De’Vion Harmon Oregon
Jaden Ivey Purdue
Matt Bradley San Diego St.
Jared Rhoden Seton Hall
Buddy Boeheim Syracuse
Andrew Jones Texas
Terrence Shannon Jr. Texas Tech
Johnny Juzang UCLA
Justin Moore Villanova