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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk
BOSTON – There are “No Days Off” for WWYI and Digital Sports Desk. Last week, we had our January to June 2023 (Half) Year in Review. This week, we’ll feature July to December 2023, all reminders of what was covered by this Sunday Notes column during the so-so Year of 2023.
Let’s hope for better things to come in 2024.
First, a look at some NBA news generated by the one-and-only Steve Kerr. In case you missed it, take a look/listen on what he said last week after Golden State’s 120-114 Christmas Day loss to the Denver Nuggets, and I’ll comment on the other side.
First, the Golden State head coach has a decent point. It’s fair to state that the NBA – as a whole, and via the league’s Competition Committee and Officiating supervisors and staff – have always molded the NBA rules to return a slight edge to the offense. Yet, the defense always adjusts and catches up.
Look back to major reform, back when the late Commissioner David Stern and then-NBA Senior VP for Basketball Operations Rod Thorn called for a summit to discuss the fact teams had clamped down on the game to limit opponents to 84.3 to 88.9 points per game. Defenders locked down their opponents with stifling, firm hand-checks and made it damn near impossible to cut through the lane without being roughed-up. Thus, there was little movement on offense.
The first meeting resulted in a set of rule changes designed to even the playing court for the 1994-95 season. Hand-checking rules already on the books were more strictly enforced both on the perimeter and in the paint. The NBA also moved the three-point FG line in to a uniform 22 feet all around the arc. Previously, it was 22 feet in the corners but 23.9 around the top of the arc.
Although the three-point FG line was changed in order to help FIBA conform to one set of rules for all of basketball, the shortening of the distance allowed the superior NBA defenders to pack in around the lane but quickly get to the 22-foot line to defend three-point FG attempts. In other words, the move backfired on the NBA, and the rule was soon scrubbed and the line returned to 23.9.
For the entire decade, the NBA examined the game with input from some of the great basketball minds – a few that were actually the cause of the grind-it-down NBA. Pat Riley’s New York Knicks and Mike Fratello’s Cleveland Cavaliers limited possessions and played ultra-physical defense, but they joined in for the betterment of the game. Much of the trend was mirroring the success of Chuck Daly’s championship teams with the Detroit Pistons.
For every inch the league gave the offensive side of the ball, the defensive side always counted and quickly caught-up. Stern was a stickler for following the rules that were ALREADY in the NBA rule book and thus the officials were instructed (and new refs taught) to keep the offense free-flowing and enforce the very rules in the book.
Kerr was making a point of offensive players being smart and knowing how to draw contact and get to the free throw line. Back in the ‘90s, Utah’s Karl Malone was exceptional, and he led the league in free throw attempts eight seasons in a row. Interestingly, the Malones – Karl (9,787) and Moses (9,018) – are one-two in the all-time free throws made column.
Getting to the line to score is nothing new.
During the Christmas Day GS vs Denver game, reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokić scored 26 points and went 18-for-18 from the line. Kerr was insinuating Jokić was a master chef in cooking up reasons the refs should call a shooting foul, and, as noted above, Kerr has a legitimate point. But, then again, Kerr’s best defensive player – Draymond Green – is serving an indefinite suspension for clocking Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkić in the face – earning a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection, then the suspension since it was a repeated violation and a potential harm to fellow players. (We’ve yet to hear why the NBA Players Association doesn’t reprimand Green for potentially injuring fellow union members).
That leaves us with the dilemma the NBA is facing in terms of Kerr’s criticism of the league – via its Competition and Rules Committee and the enforcement of the rules via the officials. Does Kerr’s view have serious enough merit to call for additional rule changes, or are we being cajoled by a head coach witnessing his best offensive players shooting (Steph Curry – 3-for-13) and (Klay Thompson – 3-for-10) an abysmal six-for-23 from three point range while the Warriors were outshot (26-for-32 to 20-for-23) at the stripe.
Play the game: Aging jump shooters vs. the league’s best at drawing fouls with the ability to “B.S” his way to the foul line” (Kerr’s words, not mine). Who is going to get the best result?
One important thing in Kerr’s defense is that he has a track record of integrity, honesty and very direct answers to media questions. He noted the Warriors didn’t play well enough – in “bringing the ‘A’ game vs. the NBA defending champs.”
Give the man credit.
Maybe it’s time for Kerr and current league Basketball Ops guru Joe Dumars to convene yet another summit to legislate some more physical play and defense back into the league?
We can call the new legislative agenda “The Jokić Rules.”
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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: During the past two weeks, WWYI took time to stop and think of the amazing things in our lives that we are truly thankful for as Christmas brings joy to many, but pain and sorrow for some of our dear friends. Let us never forget those lost, this year, last year and the years before. A very special intention for my father, Timothy Francis Lyons (December 22) and his first son, my brother Timothy Francis Lyons III (December 16) and one other, for Mr Albert Nittoly, our loyal neighbor for so many years before he was taken by COVID-19.
As a lead off, this might surprise some as my favorite Christmas song is Luciano Pavarotti singing “O Holy Night,” … I love the original Spode Christmas Tree place settings. …Memories of three Matchbox cars under the Christmas Tree, a real evergreen complete with lighted village and running HO train set, the greatest machines ever build – Big Bruiser Tow Truck, the Flexible Flyer sled, my neighbor’s Easy Bake Oven, Hula Hoops, Whiffel Balls, the Hess Truck, a 45 rpm RCA Victrola, and tickets to the annual Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden in New York City when St. John’s, Manhattan (Billy Campion) and Fordham (Charlie Yelverton) were all tough outs.
You’ve gotta love meeting interesting people. … People that know that Springsteen’s “The Rising” just might be the saddest song you’ve ever heard but it’s also so inspirational that it ROCKS.
Puppy Fur and Puppy Barks … U2 doing “Walk On,” … Christmas tree lights glowing in a dark living room … Turntables … Artwork of Paris by Constantin Kluge (1912-2003) … Johnny Winter … a well-done cheeseburger … Dowses Beach on East Bay in Osterville … Ditch Plains Beach at Montauk … the Chatham Light established 1808 … Chuck Leavell’s piano on Jessica by the Allman Brothers Band. …. Hello Old Friend by Eric Clapton with backing vocals by Yvonne Elliman … Corner Bistro West Village … the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in the underrated City of Baltimore … the 1,000 acre Vassar College campus in the City of Poughkeepsie, another underrated joint with great restaurants stemming from the nearby Culinary Institute of America Center for Research and Innovation.
Freihofer’s Chocolate Chip Cookies … good news from a Facebook post … Tannoy Speakers … a full tank of gasoline … discovering a new great jukebox … cleaning up on Trivia Night … old Saturday Night Live skits, before it was known as SNL … Ditka and ‘Da Bears … Bears 96, Lions 3 … halftime score … Camelback Inn – Where Time Stands Still (Suite 159) … thick, green grass … seeing it’s Curly and not Shemp when a Three Stooges episode airs … Football weather. … Late afternoon winter sun in Southern California. … Refreshing thunderstorms … Seeing Louie Carnesecca at a St. John’s game. … Bass guitar … Original hot Dunkin Donuts coffee. … The smell of freshly cut grass or freshly painted walls. … Red Tulips. …a new Zildjian 20 inch S Series Medium Ride Cymbal. … the Pressbox at Fenway Park. … the Theme from The Last Waltz. … the patter of dog paws on a hard wood floor. … a good haircut. … St. Patrick’s Day. … Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. … Bruce Hornsby taking a hard turn in the middle of a hit song and it’s a tangent to heaven. … new Subway cars, we call it the T… Coast-to-Cost in First Class. … Late night Baseball on SIRIUS XM.
Frampton Comes Alive. … Earle Bailey on WLIR-FM 92.5. … Plenty of kindling and dry hardwood for the Fireplace. … F Troop re-runs. … The Turntable and listening to an album start to finish. … Christmas Tree smell until January 1st. … The late Christine McVie’s voice. … Replays of the ’69 Baltimore Orioles’ third-baseman, the Human Vacuum Cleaner, Brooks Robinson. … the sound of a golf ball hitting the bottom of the Cup. … See a red door and I want it painted black. … TOMMY’s back on Broadway. … A good clock, a good watch, a good time. … Joining a werewolf drinkin’ a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. His hair was perfect. … toast. … Top 1,000 Countdowns for Rock songs. … The guitar instrumental on ELO’s Fire on High. … Putt Putt golf. … Penny & Max. … Special ❤️ to CMM, VJL and AGL.
THE OLDEST RIVALRIES: College football is coming to a close for the 2023-’24 season. Here’s a quick look at the oldest rivalries in college footy:
- Princeton vs. Yale (1873)
- Harvard vs. Yale (1875)
- Harvard vs. Princeton (1877)
- Harvard vs. Penn (1881)
- Dartmouth vs. Harvard (1882)
- Lafayette vs. Lehigh (1884)
- Amherst vs. Williams (1884)
- Michigan vs. Notre Dame (1887)
- North Carolina vs. Wake Forest (1888)
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OLDEST BOWL GAMES: It’s Bowl Game week(s) and we must salute the Taxslayer, the Pop-Tarts and other fine sponsors. An analysis of the Pop-Tart Bowl said there was $12.1 million in coverage generated for the sponsor. Okay.
- The ROSE BOWL – (Established 1902) but Played Year-after-Year (1916) – (Pasadena)
- ORANGE BOWL – (1935) – (Miami)
- SUGAR BOWL – (1935) – (New Orleans)
- SUN BOWL – (1935) – (El Paso)
- COTTON BOWL – (1937) – (Dallas)
- GATOR BOWL – (1946) – (Jacksonville)
- CITRUS BOWL – (1947) – (Orlando)
- LIBERTY BOWL – (1959) – (Memphis)
- PEACH BOWL – (1968) – (Atlanta)
- FIESTA BOWL – (1971) – (Phoenix/Glendale)
Oh, how we miss the Astro Blue Bonnet Bowl in Houston’s AstroDome!
2023: HALF YEAR IN REVIEW – Part Two (July to December)
July
2
- Harrison Ford Tribute
- Media in the Arts, Religion, Sports and Investigative Journalism
- Professional Women’s Ice Hockey Future
- SlamBall
9
- FTX cryptocurrency collapse and sports
- USA Basketball Named 2023 USA World Cup team
- Nikki McCray-Penson RIP
- Middle East new influence on global sport
- NBA In-Season Tournament announcement
16
- The Open
- AI on The Open (Oops)
- Gambling on the Special Olympics
- USA Under-19 Women’s team – Kiki Rice
- SlamBall Takes Shape for ESPN
23
- Maureen Madill at The Open
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- The New York Times folds Sports Section
- NHL Players Assn (Marty Walsh) on the Winter Olympics
30
- Congress on Name, Image, Likeness
- Messi and Mbappe
- UMass coaching money tree
- NBA Basketball w/o Borders
August
6
- NFL and the Sunday Ticket
- FIBA World Cup
- Tubby Smith on the Transfer Portal
- Demise of Pac-12 Conference
13
- Pac-12 – Tournament of Posers
- HBO HARD KNOCKS
- NFL Team Valuations
- PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs
20
- PGA Tour – No Boston Stop
- Fallout on NIL and Collectives
- USA Basketball Showcase tour
- SlamBall Championship
27
- Springsteen at Gillette Stadium
- College Football ’23 Kick-off
- Patriots Tough Start? (0-7) or (1-6) – How about (2-10)
September
3
- College vs Pro Football Towns
- Ten Best Colleges for Sports
- The Un-Retirement Commercial
- Sports Biz: Amy Latimer Promotion
10
- Cable TV history lesson
- The NFL Players You Wished You’d Drafted
- USA Basketball World Cup Upended by Germany
- Jimmy Buffett Memorial
17
- Load Management in the NBA
- 8.040 Days Since Sept. 11, 2001
- Boston College and the Red Bandana – For Welles
- Boston Bruins @ 100
- NLL Lacrosse Entry Draft
- Bruni
24
- Ryder Cup Golf
- Baseball Season Turns in to Football Season
- The Worst Fans in the NFL
- First Sighting: Travis Kelce Meets Taylor Swift
- RIP: Dennis D’Agostino
October
1st
- More on the 2023 Ryder Cup
- Solutions for the USA Ryder Cup team prep
- WNBA Finals
- Stones, The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen Released Songs on Same Day
8
- No High Payroll Teams Left in MLB Postseason
- World 3×3
- NWSL (Women’s Pro Soccer) Valuations
- The Great Rivalries in College Football
- Health in the USA
- BIG EAST Predictions
15
- Britney Griner/WNBA
- College Basketball Blue Ribbon
- Top 25 Predictions for CBB in ’23-24
- ESPN’s Top 10 NBA Players (Active)
22
- Dog Days of the NFL Season
- Bill Belichick-Gate (Watch) Begins
- Most Marketable Athletes
- Sports Motion Pictures to Come
- The Sphere
29
- Improbable MLB World Series
- NBA In-Season Tourney Spots
- NBA Franchise Valuations
- NBA on TNT
- LPGA to Boston in 2024
November
5
- RIP Coach Bobby Knight
- Top NBA Team Salaries
- More Really Bad Investments
12
- Boston Common Golf
- NHL and NBA Global Games
- TL Sports Entrepreneur Podcast
- Bill Hancock to Retire
19
- Pardon My Take: Charissa Thompson
- Ben Bradlee
- The Fall of Milan Lucic
- TGL / Boston Common Golf: One Year Delay
27 – Thanksgiving Edition
- Giving Thanks When Due
- Pan Mass Challenge – Cancer Research
- Mighty Max Joins the Family
- World Basketball Day Approaching
December
3
- Aaron Rodgers
- The Fall of Sports Illustrated
- NFL Power or Parity Ratings
- MLB’s 2024 Look-Ahead
10
- Army vs Navy Game (New England Style)
- Bucket Lists for Sporting Events
- Dodgers Land Ohtani
- College Gameday
- Imagine
17
- Dodgers Have Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the Crosshairs
- Need for MLB Salary Cap system
- Draymond Green Indefinite Suspension
- Get Well Soon: Kareem
24
- Special Christmas Column
- 2023: Year in Review (Jan to June)
31
- Special Year End Column
- 2023: Year in Review (July to Dec 31)
- Special Thanks
PARTING WORDS and a TRIBUTE: Popular comedian of the ‘60s and ‘70s Tommy Smothers passed away December 26th. Tommy, together with his younger brother, Dick, formed one of the great TV comedy acts and earned a primetime show from 1965 to 1966 and then their “Comedy Hour” with more free-wheeling creative control on CBS in 1967. After the TV show was cancelled, the Smothers Brothers continued a successful comedy career, but in ‘67. Tommy bought a vineyard in Sonoma County, California which he kept through 2023 when he was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Here’s a classic scene from The Tonight Show, starring Johnny Carson.
While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly Sunday Sports Notebook and news column written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips.
TL’s Sunday Sports Notes is brought to you by Digital Sports Desk.
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