Talking to my cousin Jonathan about his Dallas Mavericks — he’s lived in the Dallas area all his life — he was positive the Mavs would come away with Game’s 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals and sweep the Miami Heat.
We discussed the series during Game 2, an easy victory for the Mavs in Dallas. Of course, I had to disagree and pick the Heat in seven games, however, I’d much rather see Dallas win its first title.
But maybe the better story is Pat Riley going out on top and Dwayne Wade emerging as the face of the NBA. The Michael Jordan comparisons ESPN throws at us are premature. “Shorty,” as Stuart Scott dubbed him, has the skill and the will to get the Heat to its first title. I’m not sure Dallas’ leader Dirk Nowitzki has the competitive fire that Wade does.
And Wade answered the Jordan comparison well.
“There is only one Michael Jordan,” he said.
Jordan bought part ownership in the Charlotte Bobcats yesterday. That doesn’t get me all that excited.
How boring is the post-game analyst tandem of Paul Silas and B.J. Armstrong for ESPN? Let TNT broadcast the finals. The team of Magic Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley is much better.
MJ was asked by SLAM Magazine what the starting five of his era would be. Jordan gave the nod to Magic at the point, but couldn’t decide between Scottie and Larry Bird at the small forward. No bias there. Then Jordan names James Worthy his power forward, saying “Charles [Barkley] is going to be mad, but I’m a Carolina guy.”
Despite the fact he never won a title, I give that nod to Karl Malone and can’t argue with Hakeem Olajuwon as Jordan’s center.
The Mailman, who is working as a scout for the Utah Jazz, has hinted that he may be interested in joining the coaching ranks. I’d hire him. The only men I fear more than Karl Malone are Chuck Norris and Jack Bauer.
Norris (Walker Texas Ranger) supports the Mavs I’m sure, but the Mavs better figure out a way to lock up Dwayne Wade or the Heat will win it.
I I I
n Cubs note — WGN has begun to broadcast less and less Cubs games over the years. Maybe they should just quit altogether.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the Cubs aren’t having success when games are on WGN. Since April 23, they are 0-17 in WGN games. For the season they’re 4-21 on WGN, 15-12 on Comcast SportsNet, 2-1 on WCIU, 1-2 on Fox and 1-0 on ESPN.
I’d like to thank Cubs announcers Bob Brenly and Len Kasper for reading my email and mentioning the death of my grandmother on the air last Wednesday. Eunice Denton was 86 years old and one of the traits she passed on to me was my ability to suffer through every disappointing season the Cubs have.
She had 10 children, 35 grandchildren and 71 great grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren. She spent many springs in Mesa, Ariz., often going to a few spring training games. She made at least one bus trip every season to Wrigley Field and I made a couple of those with her.
Craig Pearson can be reached by phone at (812) 231-4356 or by email at craig.pearson@tribstar.com.
Given to Fly
June 17, 2006
Chuck Norris is not a concern, but Mavs have to stop Wade
- Given to Fly
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GIVEN TO FLY: Come to expect new standards of excellence
Records are definitely meant to be broken; athletes today are faster and stronger than those in the past in many endeavors in athletics.
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GIVEN TO FLY: ISU women have solid recruiting class
The caliber of athletes that the Indiana State women’s basketball coaching staff is bringing in is on an upswing.
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GIVEN TO FLY: Major leaguers John, Dorsett meet up at tonight’s game
Terre Haute’s only two big leaguers of the last 50 years — Tommy John and Brian Dorsett — will catch up with one another today.
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FOOT NOTES: Valley natives perform well on national stage
Several Wabash Valley natives continue to shine on the national track and field scene.
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'Til It's Over: Sycamores ‘in a good place,’ but searching for more in MVC
Can Teri Moren lift Indiana State, last year’s seventh-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference, to one of the league’s contenders in her first year on campus?
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'Til It's Over: Two sets of identical twins should keep North Central baseball a contender
The last high school baseball team standing in the Wabash Valley was the North Central, the Thunderbirds falling short 4-3 in the Class A Semistate on Saturday just one game shy of Victory Field.
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'Til It's Over: Jarvis, Anderson confident Olney, hard work leads to Division I dream
Olney, Ill., population 8,000-plus and known for its population of white squirrels, might not be the dream destination for high school basketball players in Indiana.
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'Til It's Over: Robinson 7-footer more focused in postseason; 6-foot Jones keeps producing
Robinson 7-footer Meyers Leonard is not going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA some day, but his odds of reaching the league are pretty solid if his game continues to evolve as it has during high school.
- 'Til It's Over: ‘Stepping stone’ game points Sycamores in right direction Whether the win comes against a top-25 team or a conference pushover, ending a four-game losing streak is always a relief.
- 'Til It's Over: Indianapolis ISU recruit rolling along in senior season As Indiana State recruit Anna Munn approached Christmas with the Decatur Central basketball team, the senior guard didn’t seem to need much of a wishlist.
- 'Til It's Over: Magic’s still there for '79 Sycamores For the former Indiana State players who visited the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in late November, the weekend was a chance to relive memories with teammates and see Larry Bird’s career with the Sycamores celebrated again.
- CRAIG PEARSON: North has strong history in cross country state finals Vigo County is home to just four IHSAA state championships in team sports. Most recently, Terre Haute South won girls titles in basketball (2002) and tennis (2001).
- 'Till It's Over: It’s been rough year but no need to break up Cubs' core Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry is only in the first year of a three-year contract, and aren’t back-to-back division championships enough to keep him around despite this year’s season filled with bad luck?
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'Til It's Over: Hansbrough, Hibbert give Pacers glimpse of future
You might have heard of the Indiana Pacers’ 2009 first-round draft pick. He was on the television once in a while during his four-year career at North Carolina.
- 'Til It's Over: Bertoli, Moore put on show in abundance of events “Anthony and Erica” may not have the marketing capability of “Dan and Dave,” but neither of Indiana State’s outstanding multi-event participants had let-down performances this weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
- ‘Walking wounded’: ISU seniors return to provide spark All three ISU seniors will graduate in May, and all three will be in uniform today as Indiana State battles Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.
- Given to Fly: Northview standout runner Thacker coming to ISU Doc Brown told an old-timer in a saloon in “Back to the Future III” that despite having automobiles in the future people run for recreation.
- Given to Fly: Schilli’s Rodman-like performance aids ISU With Indiana State’s women’s basketball team ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in field-goal percentage (36.5), the Sycamores need as many shot attempts as possible to maintain their standing on top of the league.
- Given to Fly: A classic in every sense of the word What tournament director and co-founder Gary Fears had in mind when creating the tournament came to fruition Tuesday. Marshall, with an enrollment of 438 students, became the smallest school to win the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic in the ninth season of the tourney.
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Given to Fly: ISU women should build confidence off strong outing
Indiana State did not pull off the monumental upset Saturday against No. 23 Kansas State, but the Wildcats are —aside from Connecticut in 2005 — the best team the Sycamores have played in the Jim Wiedie era.
- Given to Fly: ISU women's hoops team slides onto commercial radio Coach Jim Wiedie expects the Indiana State women’s basketball team to have a bit of a retro feel this season, meaning the Sycamores have the potential to get back to creating havoc with their full-court press.
- Given to Fly: ISU vets hope to prove pundits wrong Indiana State’s only two seniors were surprised to see they were picked ahead of just three Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball teams Tuesday morning.
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Footnotes: In first marathon, former Sycamore comes out a winner
Indiana State graduate Dani Prince made her debut in the event with a victory in the Columbus Marathon on Sunday.
Prince’s goal was a time under 2 hours and 50 minutes, and she ran a 2:48.56. -
Given To Fly: ISU volleyball turning things around
It was an extremely busy weekend for Indiana State athletics this weekend.
- Footnotes: Here’s hoping perfect weather is still around for Nationals in November The weather made for a perfect fall afternoon Saturday at LaVern Gibson Championship Course. For what it’s worth, the Farmer’s Almanac calls for more sunny conditions from Nov. 20-24, with the NCAA Championships falling on the 24th this year.
- Terre Haute natives cherish memories of ‘House that Ruth Built’ Yankee Stadium was packed as usual on Easter Sunday in 1979. George Steinbrenner’s Yankees were one loss away from being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to start the season. That was no way for the two-time defending World Series champions to perform, so the boss had a conversation with his new veteran left-handed starting pitcher prior to the game.
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Footnotes: Oregon men and women have strangehold on preseason NCAA cross countryrankings
The Oregon men and women were almost both unanimous picks as the No. 1 teams in the nation in the preseason cross country national rankings released recently.
- Given to Fly: Bronze medalist has strong ISU ties One of the remarkable American medalists of this 2008 Olympics thus far also provided one of the most sparkling stories in the brief history of the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course here in Terre Haute.
- Former ISU QB gets back to Amarillo This week, Indiana State signed its most highly-touted football prospect in years, and former quarterback Julian Reese is ripping it up for the Amarillo Dusters of Arena2.
- Indiana State track sending strong group to NCAA regional Three sophomore women and three senior men lead a large Indiana State contingent of track and field athletes into the NCAA Mideast Regional this weekend at Fayetteville, Ark.
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