I was fortunate to pick up a copy of the book: John Calipari with Dick Weiss and forward by Rick Pitino- at the Westerville library.
Here are a few nuggets I gleaned from the book:
In 1988, when RP, part of UMass's coach search committee, was called and told they had eliminated John Calipari from consideration, he asked them to schedule a special meeting. Rick gave an ardent speech for John Calipari. "They had offered John a $63,000 package. "But", they said, "we don't have $63,000. Would you be willing to kick in $5,000?" So I did.
The book is mainly about Caliparii's coaching days at UMass. He brought them out of the cellar to many wins and into the NCAA semi-final and a close 81-74 loss to Kentucky in 1996.
At the time the book was published, John was head coach for the New Jersey Nets. In the last paragraph of the book, John says:
"When I look back at my career, my definition of success is, did I make a difference? Did I make a difference on this campus? Did I make a difference in people's lives? Are my players better off now than they were when they arrived? Have I prepared them for life? If I can answer yes to those questions, and if I have accomplished those goals, then I've had success."
Of course, John Calipari has since had nine successful seasons at Memphis. We Kentucky fans are hoping he will have that many seasons and more at UK. We hope he will hang more banners. We hope for continued success for Coach Calipari.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Good news for UK Wildcat basketball- Calipari
This is old news by now, but the LCJ has this on John Calipari's hiring by UK:
Calipari hired to hang banners
New UK coach eager to accept challenge
By Brett Dawson • bdawson@courier-journal.com • April 2, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- John Calipari yesterday was placed in charge of the University of Kentucky's basketball future. It didn't take long for him to give a nod to its past.
During his opening statement at his introductory news conference, the Wildcats' new coach mentioned four former UK coaches, four former players and longtime equipment manager Bill Keightley, who died a year ago this week.
And just before he took questions from the media at the Joe Craft Center, Calipari gestured toward the wall where banners hang commemorating the Cats' seven NCAA championships.
"Can you imagine -- they don't put banners up here for anything else except national champions?" he said. "That's why you want to coach here. We want to compete every year and hopefully add to this wall."
Calipari, 50, replaces Billy Gillispie, who was fired last week not only for his 40-27 record after two seasons but for being -- in the words of UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart and university President Lee Todd -- a bad fit for the program.
Gillispie didn't understand the scope of the position, they said. He didn't deal well with the public nature of the job.
The hope at UK is that Calipari -- who was 252-69 in nine seasons at Memphis -- is more suited to the job.
"There's a variety of characteristics I think you've got to have to have to be successful at Kentucky, and he's got a lot of them," Barnhart said. "He's got the courage. He's not afraid of it. He's passionate. I think he's got a very good sense of humor. He has the ability to relate to people. He's a giver and not a taker."
Hiring that mix of characteristics didn't come cheap. Calipari signed an eight-year contract worth $31.65 million, plus possible incentives, over the life of the deal. It is believed to make him college basketball's highest-paid coach, according to UK.
In return, Calipari will be expected to do for college basketball's all-time winningest program what he did for Massachusetts and Memphis: lift it into national championship contention -- and in short order.
(2 of 2)
Calipari took UMass to a Final Four in 1996 -- it was later vacated when the NCAA ruled that star Marcus Camby had accepted benefits from a sports agent -- and built Memphis into a national powerhouse that lost in last season's NCAA title game.
He inherits a UK program that hasn't advanced to the Sweet 16 since 2005 and hasn't been to a Final Four since 1998, when it last won the NCAA championship.
But Calipari sounded yesterday as if he's ready for the challenge. To hear him tell it, he's been preparing for it for more than 17 years.
"This is pretty heady stuff for me," he said. "But this is a dream I had since we brought our (Massachusetts) team down here (to play UK) in 1992. … I couldn't believe the environment. At that point I said, 'I would love to coach there someday.' "
He didn't get the chance two years ago, when UK hired Gillispie to replace Tubby Smith.
Barnhart said yesterday that not pursuing Calipari then was "my mistake."
This time around he targeted Calipari from the start, but he had to make sure he was finding the right fit.
Barnhart said he and Sandy Bell, UK's head of compliance, worked with the NCAA in a thorough examination of Calipari's background, and they came away satisfied.
"Our commitment at the University of Kentucky to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change," Barnhart said. "John's commitment to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change."
Further, Barnhart said, he believes he found a coach who "understands the demands of the job and the expectations of our fans and supporters."
Calipari addressed those demands and expectations yesterday, both with humor and with a more serious tone.
Asked about the second-guessing that's sure to come with the job, he joked, "Do they question coaches here?"
But he added that he and his wife, Ellen, will be involved in the community and that "there will be no bigger cheerleader for this place than me."
Calipari also sounded keenly aware that being the right fit means winning, early and often. Still he cautioned that fans shouldn't expect miracles.
The Cats' two best players -- sophomore Patrick Patterson and junior Jodie Meeks -- are candidates to enter the NBA draft, and though Calipari is a standout recruiter who could bring impact players with him immediately, UK already has more eligible players for next season, including three 2009 recruits signed under Gillispie, than it has available scholarships.
"I'm a regular guy, folks," Calipari said. "I do not walk on water. I do not have a magic wand. I'm day-to-day. I told Dr. Todd and Mitch, 'If you want something to happen in a year, do not hire me.' That's not how I do things. But when we get it right, you notice we're No. 1 in the country, we're No. 1 seeds (in the NCAA Tournament), we're playing in Final Fours -- when you get it right."
Brett Dawson can be reached at (859) 523-0706.
Calipari hired to hang banners
New UK coach eager to accept challenge
By Brett Dawson • bdawson@courier-journal.com • April 2, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- John Calipari yesterday was placed in charge of the University of Kentucky's basketball future. It didn't take long for him to give a nod to its past.
During his opening statement at his introductory news conference, the Wildcats' new coach mentioned four former UK coaches, four former players and longtime equipment manager Bill Keightley, who died a year ago this week.
And just before he took questions from the media at the Joe Craft Center, Calipari gestured toward the wall where banners hang commemorating the Cats' seven NCAA championships.
"Can you imagine -- they don't put banners up here for anything else except national champions?" he said. "That's why you want to coach here. We want to compete every year and hopefully add to this wall."
Calipari, 50, replaces Billy Gillispie, who was fired last week not only for his 40-27 record after two seasons but for being -- in the words of UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart and university President Lee Todd -- a bad fit for the program.
Gillispie didn't understand the scope of the position, they said. He didn't deal well with the public nature of the job.
The hope at UK is that Calipari -- who was 252-69 in nine seasons at Memphis -- is more suited to the job.
"There's a variety of characteristics I think you've got to have to have to be successful at Kentucky, and he's got a lot of them," Barnhart said. "He's got the courage. He's not afraid of it. He's passionate. I think he's got a very good sense of humor. He has the ability to relate to people. He's a giver and not a taker."
Hiring that mix of characteristics didn't come cheap. Calipari signed an eight-year contract worth $31.65 million, plus possible incentives, over the life of the deal. It is believed to make him college basketball's highest-paid coach, according to UK.
In return, Calipari will be expected to do for college basketball's all-time winningest program what he did for Massachusetts and Memphis: lift it into national championship contention -- and in short order.
(2 of 2)
Calipari took UMass to a Final Four in 1996 -- it was later vacated when the NCAA ruled that star Marcus Camby had accepted benefits from a sports agent -- and built Memphis into a national powerhouse that lost in last season's NCAA title game.
He inherits a UK program that hasn't advanced to the Sweet 16 since 2005 and hasn't been to a Final Four since 1998, when it last won the NCAA championship.
But Calipari sounded yesterday as if he's ready for the challenge. To hear him tell it, he's been preparing for it for more than 17 years.
"This is pretty heady stuff for me," he said. "But this is a dream I had since we brought our (Massachusetts) team down here (to play UK) in 1992. … I couldn't believe the environment. At that point I said, 'I would love to coach there someday.' "
He didn't get the chance two years ago, when UK hired Gillispie to replace Tubby Smith.
Barnhart said yesterday that not pursuing Calipari then was "my mistake."
This time around he targeted Calipari from the start, but he had to make sure he was finding the right fit.
Barnhart said he and Sandy Bell, UK's head of compliance, worked with the NCAA in a thorough examination of Calipari's background, and they came away satisfied.
"Our commitment at the University of Kentucky to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change," Barnhart said. "John's commitment to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change."
Further, Barnhart said, he believes he found a coach who "understands the demands of the job and the expectations of our fans and supporters."
Calipari addressed those demands and expectations yesterday, both with humor and with a more serious tone.
Asked about the second-guessing that's sure to come with the job, he joked, "Do they question coaches here?"
But he added that he and his wife, Ellen, will be involved in the community and that "there will be no bigger cheerleader for this place than me."
Calipari also sounded keenly aware that being the right fit means winning, early and often. Still he cautioned that fans shouldn't expect miracles.
The Cats' two best players -- sophomore Patrick Patterson and junior Jodie Meeks -- are candidates to enter the NBA draft, and though Calipari is a standout recruiter who could bring impact players with him immediately, UK already has more eligible players for next season, including three 2009 recruits signed under Gillispie, than it has available scholarships.
"I'm a regular guy, folks," Calipari said. "I do not walk on water. I do not have a magic wand. I'm day-to-day. I told Dr. Todd and Mitch, 'If you want something to happen in a year, do not hire me.' That's not how I do things. But when we get it right, you notice we're No. 1 in the country, we're No. 1 seeds (in the NCAA Tournament), we're playing in Final Fours -- when you get it right."
Brett Dawson can be reached at (859) 523-0706.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Stream logic From www.wildcatnation.net post
They say you forget your troubles in a stream, but that's not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not such a big deal anymore.- Butch Adams
I am a Kentucky basketball fan from Ohio. The Butch Adams quote was by a UK poster "My Blue Heaven" this morning on www.wildcatnation.net. Obviously, I relate.
I don't know who Butch Adams is and when I hit Google with his name, I get many items. Nonetheless, I canoed and rafted and loved my time on streams, both wild and mild. I once read that a great therapy for nerves is to lie on the bottom of a boat and let the sound of the waves on the bottom of the boat soothe.
There is a wonderful calming by the sound or sight of flowing water and the various home fountains suggest so.
I am a Kentucky basketball fan from Ohio. The Butch Adams quote was by a UK poster "My Blue Heaven" this morning on www.wildcatnation.net. Obviously, I relate.
I don't know who Butch Adams is and when I hit Google with his name, I get many items. Nonetheless, I canoed and rafted and loved my time on streams, both wild and mild. I once read that a great therapy for nerves is to lie on the bottom of a boat and let the sound of the waves on the bottom of the boat soothe.
There is a wonderful calming by the sound or sight of flowing water and the various home fountains suggest so.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The greatest teaching lessons Clay Vice and Sharon
Friend Clay Vice and sister Sharon are dear friends. Each sent me this which I had read some time ago on e-mail. Great teachers give outstanding lessons from their hearts and their knowledge and skills.
-------Original Message------
Too Busy for a Friend....
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.
Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter... The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in
Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.
'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many ti mes. T he teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.'
Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.'
'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'
That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again..
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.
So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
And One Way To Accomplish This Is: Forward this message on. If you do not send it, you will have, once again passed up the wonderful opportunity to do something nice and beautiful.
If you've received this, it is because someone cares for you and it means there is probably at least someone for whom you care.
If you're 'too busy' to take those few minutes right now to forward this message on, would this be the VERY first time you didn't do that little thing that would make a difference in your relationships?
The more people that you send this to, the better you'll be at reaching out to those you care about.
Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.
YOU ARE MY FRIENDS.
-------Original Message------
Too Busy for a Friend....
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.
Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.
It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter... The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in
Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature.
The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. 'Were you Mark's math teacher?' he asked. She nodded: 'yes.' Then he said: 'Mark talked about you a lot.'
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.
'We want to show you something,' his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket 'They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.'
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many ti mes. T he teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
'Thank you so much for doing that,' Mark's mother said. 'As you can see, Mark treasured it.'
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, 'I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.'
Chuck's wife said, 'Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.'
'I have mine too,' Marilyn said. 'It's in my diary'
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. 'I carry this with me at all times,' Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: 'I think we all saved our lists'
That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again..
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.
So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
And One Way To Accomplish This Is: Forward this message on. If you do not send it, you will have, once again passed up the wonderful opportunity to do something nice and beautiful.
If you've received this, it is because someone cares for you and it means there is probably at least someone for whom you care.
If you're 'too busy' to take those few minutes right now to forward this message on, would this be the VERY first time you didn't do that little thing that would make a difference in your relationships?
The more people that you send this to, the better you'll be at reaching out to those you care about.
Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.
YOU ARE MY FRIENDS.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Deloris Salyers e-mail Just checking in by the NBB
Deloris and my Jeanie are car-hopping buddies (about 10-12 years old with a spanking) from New Boston.
Thanks for the goodie, Deloris!
Subject: Fw: Just Me Checking In
A minister passing through his church
In the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
And see who had come to pray.
Just then the back door opened,
A man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw
The man hadn't shaved in a while.
His shirt was kinda shabby
And his coat was worn and frayed,
The man knelt, he bowed his head;
Then rose and walked away.
In the days that followed,
Each noon time came this chap,
Each time he knelt just for a moment,
A lunch pail in his lap.
Well, the minister's suspicions grew,
With robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him,
'What are you doing here?'
The old man said, he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.
'I stay only moments, see,
Because the factory is so far away;
As I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kinda what I say:
'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY.'
The minister feeling foolish,
Told Jim, that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
To come and pray just anytime
Time to go, Jim smiled, said 'Thanks.'
He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar,
He'd never done it before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
And met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart,
He repeated old Jim's prayer:
'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY...
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY.'
Past noon one day, the minister noticed
That old Jim hadn't come.
As more days passed without Jim,
He began to worry some.
At the factory, he asked about him,
Learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried,
But he'd given them a thrill.
The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious.
Changed people, were his reward.
The head nurse couldn't understand
Why Jim was so glad,
When no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor he had.
The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurse's concern:
No friends came to show they cared.
He had nowhere to turn.
Looking surprised, old Jim spoke
Up and with a winsome smile;
'the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,
That he's in here all the while
Everyday at noon He's here,
A dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:
'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY.'
If this blesses you, pass it on. Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
And Angels watch over you.
Please pass this page on to your friends & loved ones. If you aren't ashamed. Jesus said,
' If you are ashamed of me,' I will be ashamed
Of you before my Father..'
So this is me ... Just Checking In
Thanks for the goodie, Deloris!
Subject: Fw: Just Me Checking In
A minister passing through his church
In the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
And see who had come to pray.
Just then the back door opened,
A man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw
The man hadn't shaved in a while.
His shirt was kinda shabby
And his coat was worn and frayed,
The man knelt, he bowed his head;
Then rose and walked away.
In the days that followed,
Each noon time came this chap,
Each time he knelt just for a moment,
A lunch pail in his lap.
Well, the minister's suspicions grew,
With robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him,
'What are you doing here?'
The old man said, he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.
'I stay only moments, see,
Because the factory is so far away;
As I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kinda what I say:
'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY.'
The minister feeling foolish,
Told Jim, that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
To come and pray just anytime
Time to go, Jim smiled, said 'Thanks.'
He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar,
He'd never done it before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
And met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart,
He repeated old Jim's prayer:
'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHERS FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY...
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY.'
Past noon one day, the minister noticed
That old Jim hadn't come.
As more days passed without Jim,
He began to worry some.
At the factory, he asked about him,
Learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried,
But he'd given them a thrill.
The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious.
Changed people, were his reward.
The head nurse couldn't understand
Why Jim was so glad,
When no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor he had.
The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurse's concern:
No friends came to show they cared.
He had nowhere to turn.
Looking surprised, old Jim spoke
Up and with a winsome smile;
'the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,
That he's in here all the while
Everyday at noon He's here,
A dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:
'I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY.'
If this blesses you, pass it on. Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart
May God hold you in the palm of His hand
And Angels watch over you.
Please pass this page on to your friends & loved ones. If you aren't ashamed. Jesus said,
' If you are ashamed of me,' I will be ashamed
Of you before my Father..'
So this is me ... Just Checking In
Portsmouth- Al Oliver-MLB
I picked up a copy of George F. Will's book "Bunts" (1998) from the Westerville library stacks and found this on Al Oliver. Mr. Will is a syndicated columnist whose writings appear in 480 newspapers. Will loves baseball and used to broadcast Chicago Cubs games.
Mr. Will describes this for Jon Miller who has been the radio voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers:
"In one game the broadcaster became bored by a pitcher's making a series of throws to first base to hold on the runner, Bump Wills. So the broadcaster began browsing through his sheets of statistics pertinent to the batter, Al Oliver. Suddenly the roar of the crowd brought the broadcaster back to the action, and he saw a runner breaking for second, rounding second and heading for third. On one of the throw-overs the pitcher had thrown the ball past the first basemen, down the right field line, and Wills was headed for third. But the broadcaster had assumed Oliver had put the ball in play, and said: Oliver rips the ball down the right field line, the ball caroms off the fence, Oliver rounds second and cruises into third with a stand-up triple. And now the next batter is"--- Here the broadcaster glanced down at the man standing next to the batter's box--- "Al Oliver."
Mr. Will describes this for Jon Miller who has been the radio voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers:
"In one game the broadcaster became bored by a pitcher's making a series of throws to first base to hold on the runner, Bump Wills. So the broadcaster began browsing through his sheets of statistics pertinent to the batter, Al Oliver. Suddenly the roar of the crowd brought the broadcaster back to the action, and he saw a runner breaking for second, rounding second and heading for third. On one of the throw-overs the pitcher had thrown the ball past the first basemen, down the right field line, and Wills was headed for third. But the broadcaster had assumed Oliver had put the ball in play, and said: Oliver rips the ball down the right field line, the ball caroms off the fence, Oliver rounds second and cruises into third with a stand-up triple. And now the next batter is"--- Here the broadcaster glanced down at the man standing next to the batter's box--- "Al Oliver."
Friday, April 3, 2009
If I were the devil e-mail John Massey
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Massey"
>
> IF I WERE THE DEVIL........by Paul Harvey
>
> If I were the devil, I would gain control of the most powerful
> nation in the world; I would delude their minds into thinking that they
> had come from man's effort, instead of God's blessings; I would promote
> an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way
> around; I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their
> state revenue; I would convince people that character is not an issue
> when it comes to leadership; I would make it legal to kill unborn
> babies; I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and
> invent machines to make it convenient; I would cheapen human life as
> much as possible so that the life of animals is valued more than human
> beings; I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of
> His name was grounds for a lawsuit; I would come up with drugs that
> sedate the mind and target the young, and I would get sports heroes to
> advertise them; I would get control of the media, so that every night I
> could pollute the mind of every family member with my agenda; I would
> attack the family, the backbone of any nation. I would make divorce
> acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles, so does
> the nation; I would compel people to express their most depraved
> fantasies on canvas and movie screens, and call it art; I would convince
> the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their lifestyles
> should be accepted; I would convince the people that right and wrong are
> determined by a few who call themselves authorities and refer to their
> agenda as politically correct; I would persuade people that the church
> is irrelevant and out of date, and the Bible is for the naive; I would
> dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not
> important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional; Hmmm... I
> guess if I were the devil, I'd leave things pretty much the way they
> are. Good day.
>
>
> John & Yvette Massey
> 1988 Marblecliff Crossing Court, Columbus, Ohio 43204-4966.
> Telephone: 614-486-7102; E-mail: .
>
>
>
>
>
From: "John Massey"
>
> IF I WERE THE DEVIL........by Paul Harvey
>
> If I were the devil, I would gain control of the most powerful
> nation in the world; I would delude their minds into thinking that they
> had come from man's effort, instead of God's blessings; I would promote
> an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way
> around; I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their
> state revenue; I would convince people that character is not an issue
> when it comes to leadership; I would make it legal to kill unborn
> babies; I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and
> invent machines to make it convenient; I would cheapen human life as
> much as possible so that the life of animals is valued more than human
> beings; I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of
> His name was grounds for a lawsuit; I would come up with drugs that
> sedate the mind and target the young, and I would get sports heroes to
> advertise them; I would get control of the media, so that every night I
> could pollute the mind of every family member with my agenda; I would
> attack the family, the backbone of any nation. I would make divorce
> acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles, so does
> the nation; I would compel people to express their most depraved
> fantasies on canvas and movie screens, and call it art; I would convince
> the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their lifestyles
> should be accepted; I would convince the people that right and wrong are
> determined by a few who call themselves authorities and refer to their
> agenda as politically correct; I would persuade people that the church
> is irrelevant and out of date, and the Bible is for the naive; I would
> dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not
> important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional; Hmmm... I
> guess if I were the devil, I'd leave things pretty much the way they
> are. Good day.
>
>
> John & Yvette Massey
> 1988 Marblecliff Crossing Court, Columbus, Ohio 43204-4966.
> Telephone: 614-486-7102; E-mail: .
>
>
>
>
>
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