"My" Knicks Are NBA Comeback Kings - And Champions

Around the time I turned 12, a boy named Dave Kirschner joined my Sunday/Hebrew school class. He, like me, was a wise-cracking kid, and we became fast friends. He had moved to Milford from New York, and I got a kick out of his heavy Noo Yawk accent. He also was a big fan of the Knicks, and he turned me into one, too.

That 1972-73 season, the Knicks won their second NBA title in four years. They were fun to watch, with two selfless superstars in Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Willis Reed; three very good supporting players in Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe; and solid role players such as Jerry Lucas, Dean Meminger and Phil Jackson (yes, that Phil Jackson).

I fell so in love with the team that I started keeping scrapbooks on the Knicks. Looking back, it was my first foray into writing, and it wouldn't be a leap to say that my devotion to the scrapbooks I kept on all of my favorite teams would play a role in pushing me toward my eventual, decades-long career.

I remained a big Knicks fan into my college years, even though they became a shadow of their former selves. They had some good seasons, but they never seriously threatened for anything remotely close to another championship. 

After I started writing for the AP, I gave up most of my fan allegiances, including the Knicks. I had sportswriter friends who actually did a decent job of staying reasonably objective despite rooting for certain teams, but I decided early on that wasn't for me. 

So when the Knicks got back to the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999, it really didn't matter to me that they lost both times. Nor did it matter to me that they mostly stunk after the calendar turned to the new millennium.

By the time I left the sportswriting world and moved from Chicago to Charlotte in 2010, I was ready to be a fan again. I naturally chose to root for the local teams: The Panthers fairly quickly became contenders behind Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly before becoming laughingstocks again; the Hornets were lousy for most of my 14 years in North Carolina.

Moving to Seattle in 2024, I traded in the Panthers for the Seahawks ... and I  was rewarded with a Super Bowl championship in my second year here. Lucky me! I also cheer for the Kraken, Storm, and especially the Mariners; it's great to have Major League Baseball in my town again. Unfortunately, we don't have an NBA team, though it looks like the SuperSonics might be reborn as an expansion franchise in the next few years.

As I watched this year's NBA playoffs, I was impressed with the Thunder's talent, depth and defensive toughness, and I was enthralled with the Spurs' young core, especially 7-4 freak Victor Wembanyama.

I seriously considered betting on the Spurs to win the title before the season, as their odds were +6600 (meaning a $100 wager would net bettors $6,600 if the Spurs won it all), but I chickened out. So I was conflicted as I watched San Antonio beat Oklahoma City to advance to the Finals - I liked the team, but I would have felt serious regret if the Spurs went all the way. (Then again, I would have been a screaming-at-the-TV wreck had I made the bet!)

The team I really grew to respect most, though, was New York. 

I followed the Knicks a little bit during the season because one of my favorite Marquette players, Tyler Kolek, was their backup point guard. He had a really nice run for a month or two - even eliciting chants of "Tyler! Kolek!" from the Madison Square Garden faithful. After one of his best games, Knicks star PG Jalen Brunson said: "Thank God for Tyler Kolek!" But Kolek is small, and he's a defensive liability, so the Knicks traded for Jose Alvarado to back up Brunson, and Tyler's playing time went way down. In the playoffs, he got on the court only at the end of blowouts (aka "garbage time"), and he didn't play a single minute in the NBA Finals.

Despite Kolek's severely reduced role, I still really liked watching the Knicks during the postseason, as they reminded me a bit of the team of my youth. Brunson is their stud, their Walt Frazier; he's not the defensive standout Clyde was, but he's tough, he's amazing at finding shots for himself, and he's incredible in the clutch. Their other starters (Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby) are very good, and they have some nice bench pieces, too. They played well together, shared the basketball, seemed to get along great, played tough defense and were well-coached.

Even though I didn't dislike the Spurs, I couldn't help but root for the Knicks in the Finals, and they provided thrilling sports theater - showing why live sports is the only true and only great "reality TV." The Knicks fell behind by double-digits in every game ... and then they rallied every time, winning four of the five. 

In Game 4, they trailed by 29 points (!!!) before storming back, winning on Anunoby's almost miraculous tip-in.

They were behind big again in Game 5 in San Antonio, but again they came back. Brunson was especially awe-inspiring, finishing with 45 points.

Back home in New York, the celebration was wild, as Knicks fans saw it as 53 years of demons being exorcised.

In 1973 ...

The Watergate hearings dominated the news ... gas averaged 39 cents per gallon ... All in the Family was TV's No. 1 show ... the Miami Dolphins completed the NFL's only perfect season ... The Godfather won the Oscar, Secretariat captured the Triple Crown ... Jim Croce died in a plane crash ... Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in The Battle of the Sexes ... NASA launched Skylab ... the Supreme Court, in its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, gave women the right to control their own bodies ... O.J. Simpson ran for 2,000 yards ... and minimum wage was $1.60 per hour.

On May 10, 1973, the Dow stood at 939.34, down 11% from its all-time high (en route to a 45% plunge over a two-year span).

Later that night, Frazier and Reed led the Knicks to the championship.

How long ago was that? Well, I was studying for my Bar Mitzvah. Now I'm on freakin' Medicare!

+++

I was sad to read recently about the passing of former Milwaukee Sentinel sportswriter Cathy Breitenbucher, who died at age 69 after a fight with ovarian cancer.

Roberta, who worked part-time at the Sentinel for a short spell, remembers Cathy as a very kind person, which also is my memory of her. In addition, she was a major player in a scene that has stuck with me for decades ...

In the early-1990s, Milwaukee was being considered for an NHL expansion franchise, and Cathy and I were among the many sportswriters in Chicago to cover an NHL Board of Directors meeting at the tony Drake Hotel downtown. After the meeting, a large group of us had dinner in the Drake's expensive restaurant.

At that time, the Sentinel was Milwaukee's "second" newspaper, competing with the bigger and more profitable Journal. Cathy's tiny travel budget didn't include an outrageously priced dinner, so she drank water and ordered the cheapest thing on the menu. The rest of us, meanwhile, ate and drank like kings and queens on our companies' dimes. When the check came, Gary Olson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press proposed that we just split it evenly, but Cathy objected. Gary said: "Come on, Cathy, you aren't really paying for the food; you're paying for the company." Cathy looked right at Gary and, in a perfect deadpan voice, said: "Well, the company's not that great." The rest of us cracked up, and we agreed that Cathy should only have to pay for the food she ordered.

Milwaukee never did get an NHL team, the Sentinel and Journal eventually merged, and I lost track of Cathy. I came to learn that she co-authored an impactful book on Alzheimer's caregiving.

Cancer has stolen another valuable life. RIP, Cathy.

 ^

I've been picking a sports Turkey of the Year for 28 years now - first as the Chicago sports columnist for the Copley and GateHouse newspaper chains, and later as the keeper of The Baldest Truth. 

There has never been a shortage of losers and lunkheads, gamblers and degenerates, fumblers and spitters, chokers and cheaters from which to choose ... and that was the case again this year.

Before I get to the 2025 Turkey countdown - which, as always, is dedicated to my Copley predecessor and close friend, Gene Seymour - here were my previous choices for this illustrious "honor" ...

• 2024 -- Matt Eberflus
• 2023 -- Pat Fitzgerald
• 2022 -- Tony La Russa
• 2021 -- Aaron Rodgers
• 2020 -- Donald F. Trump
• 2019 -- Antonio Brown
• 2018 -- J.R. Smith
• 2017 -- Kyle Shanahan
• 2016 -- Pat McCrory
• 2015 -- Derrick Rose
• 2014 -- Roger Goodell and Ray Rice
• 2013 -- Alex Rodriguez
• 2012 -- U.S. Ryder Cup Team
• 2011 -- Joe Paterno (and his Penn State enablers)
• 2010 -- Mark McGwire
• 2009 -- Milton Bradley
• 2008 -- Choking Cubbies
• 2007 -- Charlie Weis
• 2006 -- Aramis Ramirez
• 2005 -- Andy MacPhail, Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker
• 2004 -- Sammy Sosa
• 2003 -- Sammy Sosa
• 2002 -- Dick Jauron
• 2001 -- David Wells and Frank Thomas
• 2000 -- Bobby Knight
• 1999 -- Jerry Krause
• 1998 -- Mike McCaskey

You know it's a good year for turkeys when the list of those who didn't make my Final Four is a who's who of turkeydom. This year, that list includes the likes of James Franklin, Mark Sanchez, Jalen Carter, Ja'Marr Chase, Ja Morant, Bill Belichick, Brian Branch, Dan Wilson, Zion Williamson, Lane Kiffin, Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, Dae Dae Hunter, Dyquavian Short, Jamond Vincent, Donovan Sanders, Alvin Stredic, B.J. Freeman, J.J. McCarthy, Sam Darnold, Mike Gundy, U.S. Ryder Cup Team, Andrei Medvedev, and far too many dopes who insisted upon letting go of the football before they crossed the goal line. Dudes: Can you PLEASE wait another 2 seconds to celebrate your touchdowns?!?! 

Anyhoo, here is the 2025 Final Four:

Mark Andrews

The Baltimore Ravens' tight end might eventually be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If so, it will despite what he did (and didn't do) on Jan. 20, 2025. He already had lost a fumble in the fourth quarter, short-circuiting Baltimore's attempted rally against Buffalo in an AFC playoff game. And he already had dropped a pass that would have kept a drive alive. But then came the real screw-up. After Lamar Jackson connected with Isaiah Lively for a TD to cut Buffalo's lead to 27-25 with 93 seconds left, Andrews was wide open to receive Jackson's 2-point conversion pass. But the ball hit Andrews right in the hands - which, on this day, apparently was the worst place to hit him - and Andrews dropped it. Game over. 

Orion Kerkering

With the bases loaded and two outs in the 11th inning of Game 4 of the NLDS, the Philadelphia Phillies reliever made a great pitch to Los Angeles Dodgers batter Andy Pages, who could only manage a weak, broken-bat tapper back to Kerkering. Great job! But Kerkering bobbled the baseball and panicked. Bad job! Instead of just throwing Pages out at first, he tried an ill-advised throw to the plate; that the ball sailed high and wide was moot - the baserunner would have been safe, anyway. The Dodgers won to advance to the NLCS, and the Phillies' season was over. To his credit, Kerkering spoke to reporters afterward, admitting that "the pressure got to me" and calling his throw "horse(bleep)." I almost didn't include him in this Final Four because of his honesty and his willingness to own up to his mistake ... but it was too big a boo-boo to ignore. I do hope this doesn't end up defining Kerkering's entire career, though.

Brian Daboll

He came in like a whirlwind in 2022, leading the New York Giants to a winning record and playoff berth, but things went nothing but south for Daboll and his team after that. After going 6-11 in 2023 and 3-14 in 2024, the Giants nonetheless retained him as coach ... and the losing continued. His most turkey-ish moment of 2025 came during a game against Philadelphia on Oct. 9, when he followed concussed QB Jaxson Dart into the blue tent to "check" on the player. Daboll later could be seen arguing with the Giants' team physician. The incident was correctly viewed as a coach going against NFL concussion protocol and pressuring the medical staff, and he was fined $100,000. Daboll actually survived that, though. It was the continued losing that cost him his job - the Giants were 2-8 when they canned him on Nov. 10.

And Now ... The 2025 Turkey of the Year ...

CHOKING BLUE JAYS

The 2025 World Series was a classic 7-game showdown between the Toronto Blue Jays and the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Almost every game was tension-filled sports theater, with the Dodgers repeating as champs by winning Game 7 in Toronto in 11 innings.

Kudos to the Dodgers, but they couldn't have done it without an inordinate amount of help from a choking Toronto team that simply refused to win Game 7.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the second inning, had runners on first and second in the fourth, had a runner on third with no outs in the fifth, loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, and had runners on the corners with one out in the 11th. Each and every time, they failed to come through with the hit that almost surely would have delivered them the title. 

Overall, they left 14 men on base, and they went 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Their five best hitters combined to go 0-for-10 with RISP.

With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa took only a tiny lead off third base and was thrown out at the plate on a play so close it had to be reviewed; had he just taken a normal lead, the Blue Jays would be champions. 

Losing by a run in the bottom of the 11th, Toronto had its best clutch hitter at the plate: Alejandro Kirk. A hit - or even a sacrifice fly - would have tied the game. Instead, Kirk grounded into an easy double play. Game over, series over, championship dreams over.

When Jays hitters weren't repeatedly flailing and failing, their pitchers were blowing 3-0 and 4-2 leads. Toronto still led 4-3 with one out in the ninth and closer Jeff Hoffman on the mound, but Hoffman kissed the game goodbye because he couldn't keep renowned slugger Miguel Rojas in the park. Not Ohtani, not Freeman, not Betts, not Muncy ... Miguel Freakin' Rojas!

Throw in a few curious decisions by manager John Schneider, and you had a turkey of a performance in the biggest game of any of the Blue Jays' lives. 

^

Just another day in The Mad Kingdom: Future Republican "leaders" chat about their hatred of Black people, Jews, women and others

In a Telegram chat - HERE - dozens of future Republican leaders referred to Black people as "monkeys" and “the watermelon people,” and they used the N-word hundreds of times. 

Antisemitism flowed easily among these Young Republicans, with one musing about putting political opponents in gas chambers, and another responding: "I love Hitler." 

In their thousands of posts, they talked about raping their enemies or driving them to suicide, and they lauded Republicans whom they believe support slavery. The chat was filled with hatred for women, Hispanics, LGBTQ people, even disabled people. 

If you're not exactly like them, if you don't share their warped value system, they hate you. 

Most of the participants are not college "kids." Most are 30-somethings and 20-somethings. Many have families. One is a state senator. Many of them are professional people, several of whom have been fired by their employers since the chat was made public.

To repeat, these are future Republican "leaders" - the upstanding young men the party is depending on for the decades ahead. 

The repugnant JD Vance, of course, dismissed the whole episode as bad jokes by dopey "kids" - even though the Mad King's right-hand douchenozzle is roughly the same age as many of them. 

Vance and his boss - a convicted felon and adjudicated sexual assaulter who for more than a decade was best friends with a notorious pedophile - want to curtail free speech by anybody they don't like, but they defend this vile hatred. 

They pretend that 19-year-old college students who peacefully protested genocide in Gaza are "antisemitic," while excusing and defending actual antisemitism expressed by the future leaders of their own party. 

Absolutely shameful. But then again, the hate-filled Mad King, his lying veep and his angry acolytes have no shame.

Hey ... Remember Me?

 Well ... it's been more than a year since I've posted here. Why? 

1. I've been busy living my life.

2. When I've done any public writing, I've done so professionally (in other words, for $$$$).

3. I'm retired and lazy.

I think that about covers it.

Anyhoo, I'm not gonna make any New Year's resolution about posting daily or weekly or monthly (or even annually) to The Baldest Truth. All I'll say is, "We'll see."

But I'm here now, so here goes ...

The Bald Truth

A lot has gone on with my family since I last posted the day before Thanksgiving 2023.

The main happening of note: Robbie and I sold our home in Matthews, NC, and moved to Seattle to be near Katie and her family, who re-re-located to Seattle in August. (The grandkids had spent two years in Charlotte, reeling us in with their damn cuteness.)

Concluding a 6-week drive that included stops to visit friends and family in Wilmington, Hilton Head, Philadelphia, Easton, Detroit, Chicago, Middle Of Nowhere Wisconsin and Jackson Hole, we arrived in Seattle in mid-October. 

We've been living in a furnished rental while we look for our next home. It's been a humbling and somewhat intimidating experience, given the low inventory and the insanely high prices - basic starter homes that need work run $1 million plus. We are open to renting a nice place for a couple/few years, and we might end up doing just that.

I do miss a lot about Charlotte. I miss going to the Beer Temple every Thursday to get together with Gary, Drew, Scott, Tom and whoever else might join our group in any given week. I miss the monthly wild-card-filled poker nights that Bruce ran, and Jake's more serious Hold 'Em games. We miss our best Charlotte "couple friends," Karen and Tom. And of course I miss the weather - it's gray and rainy in Seattle just about every freakin' day. (But I do know from experience that the summers here will be spectacular, so less than 6 gloomy months to go!)

Life is filled with adventures big and small, and I've always felt that change is healthy. We didn't know a soul in Madison when we moved there as newlyweds, nor did we know anybody when we moved to Minneapolis after I got my first full-time sportswriting gig. We had some people in Chicago when we moved there, but we didn't have all that much opportunity to get together with them because we were busy raising our family. And then we knew absolutely nobody when we moved to Charlotte. At each stop, we carved out a fun, fulfilling and friend-filled experience for ourselves, and I have no doubt we'll do the same in Seattle.

It's certainly been great being around Katie, Ben, Owen and Piper. We see them all the time and enjoy the laughs, love and hugs. In just the past couple of weeks, I've gone with Ben to a Kraken game; I've watched the Sounders with Katie and her friends; and we babysat Owen and Piper so that Katie and Ben could go to dinner with Ben's family, who were visiting from out of town.

I also recently took Owen to a high school basketball game. It's obvious that my 4-year-old grandson is a huge basketball fan, based on his answer when I asked him during the drive home what his favorite part of the game was: 

"Getting a pack of Skittles."

The Balder Truth

Speaking of basketball ...

Last winter, I wrapped up the North Carolina portion of my coaching career. It was my 11th season overall, 7th as a middle-school girls head coach and 2nd at Socrates Academy, a charter school for smart kids that was just two miles from our house. 

Our top seven players from the previous season graduated, and this time we had a bunch of 6th-graders who were eager but mostly not experienced enough to compete against the many talented and older teams in our league. Although the final result was only my second sub-.500 record as a head coach (and first since my very first season), we still had a lot of fun ... and it again was wonderful having Katie as my assistant coach.

I got to Seattle too late to consider coaching here this season, and I haven't decided yet if I'll do so next year. I enjoy working with kids and I love the challenge of building a team, but it's also a solid 3-4 month commitment. And now that Robbie and I are both retired, I'm not sure I'm ready to give up that chunk of time. We'll see what's going through my head when the time to make a decision draws near.

A more successful basketball story for the 2023-24 season was written by my Marquette Golden Eagles. Coached by Shaka Smart and led by Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, Marquette played inspired basketball all season and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in a decade. 

I got to several games, including road contests against Butler and Xavier, as well as the first two NCAA Tournament games. MU was 6-0 with me in attendance - I guess I should have gone to the NCAA Regional game we lost in Dallas, dammit! As Steve Martin used to say (back when he was funny): "I blame myself."

We have a real good team again this season, with PG Kam Jones playing like an All-American and getting excellent support from several others. I'm planning to go to three games with my friends in late January. There's also a pretty active Marquette Club in Seattle, and Robbie, Katie and I went to a game-watching event to see the takedown of the always-evil Wisconsin Rodents.

Personally, the best thing about Marquette's resurgence has been the way my old MU buddies like Chodz, Jim and John have really gotten into the team. We have text chains going during every game, we've gotten together to go to numerous games, and it's just been a lot of fun. So thanks to Shaka and the guys! Sports brings people together - one of many reasons I love them.

THE BALDEST TRUTH

Unfortunately, I spent pretty much all of 2024 dealing with serious back problems. At first, it was general soreness in the mid-back to upper-back area that kept me from doing activities I enjoy. But things got worse, and in May an MRI showed that I had a compression fracture. The pain had gotten unbearable and it took a long time for me to be able to do even mundane tasks like tie my shoes or shave.

We ended up having to cancel a scheduled trip to Europe, missing our niece's wedding (Congrats, Caroline and Daniel!), as well as a Rhine River cruise. Total bummer.

While dealing with my injury, I ended up putting extra stress on my lower back and neck, and those became problem areas, too. Making matters even worse, I got the run-around from my health-insurance company and couldn't receive the physical therapy I desperately needed.

Finally, after moving to Seattle, I decided to pay out of pocket for a highly regarded physical therapist - who also happens to be my first cousin's son-in-law, Phil - and I'm doing a lot better now. I've still got a ways to go to be able to do the real fun stuff (such as golfing, or picking up a grandkid), but at least I'm mostly able to function.

I'm looking forward to getting back to full strength in 2025. And it will happen!

Bits & Pieces

• Just because we're in the Pacific Northwest now, it doesn't mean we'll be traveling less to Chicago, where Ben, Sammi, Jack, Logan and Noah live - and where we still have many friends from our 16 years in that great city. We already have a trip scheduled for early 2025 and another tentatively planned for the spring. Our hearts will always lead us to Chicago over and over and over again.
• We lived in the Charlotte area for 14+ years, and in our house on Hickory Lake Lane for most of that time. It was the longest I had lived in any house as an adult - easily beating our 10 years at Bell Ave. in Chicago. The only abode in which I resided longer was 59 Wheeler Avenue in my hometown of Milford, CT - the only house I knew until I went away to college.
• I'm still writing investing articles, but I'm now doing so for a subscription service on the Seeking Alpha site. After years of writing for a free site, I didn't love switching to a situation in which folks have to pay to read my stuff, but that's the most common model in this day and age. And the money I get for writing still buys my beer (and, hopefully soon, my golf) - and that ain't nothing.
• Sadly, Robbie and I lost our best friend of 13 1/2 years in August, when Simmie died. She was a loyal, loving and funny pup, and we still talk about her often.
• I just realized I didn't announce my Sports Turkey of the Year for 2024, but my choice shouldn't surprise anybody who follows the NFL (or to any of my Chicago friends). It's obviously former Bears coach Matt Eberflus, who oversaw a dysfunctional, easily distracted, fundamentally weak crew of losers. I was tempted to pick one of those losers - Tyrique Stevenson, the pathetic fool who was busy taunting the crowd while Washington was in the process of launching its winning Hail Mary play. But even that screw-up ultimately belongs on Eberflus, who built a culture of pathetic foolishness. 
• It was pretty easy becoming a Seattle Seahawks fan after my long run cheering for the Carolina Panthers. It's not as if I was born and raised a Panthers fan, and I simply want to pull for the team where I live. Unfortunately, the Seahawks have been mostly frustrating in my first season rooting for them. I've even accidentally referred to them as the Panthers a few times - and that's no compliment! 2015, when the Panthers went to the Super Bowl behind Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly and a cocky cast of characters, will forever be one of my most fun seasons as a sports fan.
• I'm rooting for a Bills-Lions Super Bowl so that one of those teams' long-suffering fan bases can enjoy the ultimate feeling.

And with that, folks, I'm out. No promises about when I'll post again to TBT, but I will someday! 

Happy New Year, everybody, and may 2025 be filled with love and laughter and compassion and peace.

 

 

Gobble, gobble ... Time Again for the Sports Turkey of the Year

 ^

I've been picking a sports Turkey of the Year for 26 autumns -- first as the Chicago sports columnist for the Copley and GateHouse newspaper chains, and later as the keeper of The Baldest Truth -- and there's never a shortage of candidates.

That's the case again this year, as there were plenty of losers and lunkheads and dopes and mopes to go around.

Before I get to the 2023 Turkey countdown, here were my selections over the first quarter century for this illustrious "honor" ...

• 2022 -- Tony La Russa
• 2021 -- Aaron Rodgers
• 2020 -- Donald F. Trump
• 2019 -- Antonio Brown
• 2018 -- J.R. Smith
• 2017 -- Kyle Shanahan
• 2016 -- Pat McCrory
• 2015 -- Derrick Rose
• 2014 -- Roger Goodell and Ray Rice
• 2013 -- Alex Rodriguez
• 2012 -- U.S. Ryder Cup Team
• 2011 -- Joe Paterno (and his Penn State enablers)
• 2010 -- Mark McGwire
• 2009 -- Milton Bradley
• 2008 -- Choking Cubbies
• 2007 -- Charlie Weis
• 2006 -- Aramis Ramirez
• 2005 -- Andy MacPhail, Jim Hendry and Dusty Baker
• 2004 -- Sammy Sosa
• 2003 -- Sammy Sosa
• 2002 -- Dick Jauron
• 2001 -- David Wells and Frank Thomas
• 2000 -- Bobby Knight
• 1999 -- Jerry Krause
• 1998 -- Mike McCaskey

After sifting through a list that included the likes of Ja Morant, Bill Belichick, Dillon Brooks, Jarred Kelenic, Jaden McDaniels, Miles Bridges, Kyrie Irving, Glen Kuiper, Sean Payton, Frank Reich, Brandon Staley, Connor Stalions, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Matt Eberflus, James Harden, Josh McDaniels, Tony DeAngelo, Draymond Green and plenty of others ... here is the 2023 Final Four:

Alphonzo Tuputala

No, you're not wrong ... the proper reaction is, "Who?" So let me explain.

Tuputala is a linebacker for the University of Washington. On Nov. 11 against Utah, he intercepted a deflected pass and raced down the right sideline for an apparent pick-6.

All good so far, right? Well, about 2 yards before he reached the goal line -- somehow thinking he was already in the end zone -- he just dropped the football. 

As Washington players mobbed Tuputala in the end zone, congratulating him for what everyone thought was a touchdown, an alert Utah player dived on the football.

That ended the celebration pretty quickly. 

Something like this occurs a couple times every season. I'm always baffled why athletes can't wait two more strides to celebrate, but I'm kind of glad it happens because it's always good for a laugh.

Mario Cristobal

All the Miami coach had to do was instruct his quarterback to take a knee, and the Hurricanes would have beaten Georgia Tech on Oct. 7. But instead, for whatever reason, he called a running play, the tailback fumbled, Georgia Tech recovered, and four plays later the Ramblin' Wreck used a long TD pass to wreck what had been an unbeaten Miami season.

"What we did at the end was a wrong decision," Cristobal said.

Jeez ... ya think?

Turns out, it wasn't even the first time Cristobal had made that kind of boneheaded decision. But it was the first time he got burned by that turkey of a call.

It's all part of him being on the hot seat with an 11-12 record in two seasons at The U.

Grant Williams

Then with the Celtics, Williams trash-talked Miami's Jimmy Butler after hitting a 3 to give Boston a 9-point lead midway through the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. The two got in each other's faces and had to be separated. 

The extra-motivated Butler promptly went on a scoring binge, almost all against Williams, in leading the Heat to a comeback victory - a key game in Miami's series upset of the heavily favored Celtics.

Often mentioned as the NBA's best team during the regular season, the Celtics were denied a trip to the Finals by the Heat, Butler and, well, Grant Williams.

And Now ... The 2023 Turkey of the Year ...

PAT FITZGERALD

It's hard to believe that hazing still takes place on college campuses at all, let alone within major athletic programs.

But sadly, there was a long, tawdry culture of hazing within the Northwestern program under coach Pat Fitzgerald.

He of course denied that he knew anything about it, but evidence uncovered in an investigation suggested otherwise. And his denials were laughable on their face, anyway.

College coaches are ultra-controlling people -- by design and by necessity -- and they know everything going on within their programs. Indeed, it's part of the recruiting pitch they give to athletes and, especially, to athletes' parents: "I am in charge, and I will take care of your son."

Pat Fitzgerald failed that mission completely -- athletes were sexually abused and emotionally assaulted under his watch -- and last summer he was deservedly fired.

It marked an abrupt end to what had mostly been a feel-good story: Chicago-area kid becomes an All-American linebacker for a Northwestern team that finally makes the Rose Bowl after decades of futility, eventually takes charge of the program, and becomes the school's winningest coach ever.

Thing is, even the football part of it hadn't elicited many good feelings in recent years. Northwestern went 14-31 in Fitzgerald's final four seasons, including three last-place campaigns in which the team went 1-8 in the Big Ten. Even before the hazing allegations, Northwestern football had returned to being completely irrelevant.

Nationally, people only paid attention to the program again when scandal broke out ... and Fitzgerald was the face of it.

^

40 Years of Fun with My Fabulous Robbie

 ^

Time really has flown, because I've been lucky enough to have 40 years of marital fun with the sweetest, funniest, most beautiful woman in the world!

It all started back on Aug. 6, 1983, when Robbie and I said our vows at Illinois Beach State Park.

And it's still going strong - our great day was capped off with the Randalls taking us out to celebrate #40.

In between, well, let's let the photos do most of the talking ...

Life wouldn't have been nearly as fun if not for the joys of our lives, Katie and Ben.

And now, thanks to Ben (and Sammi) and Katie (and Ben R), we've got four more joys of our lives: Jack, Logan, Owen and Piper (and a 5th on the way) ...

Not to mention man's (and woman's) best friends: Chelsea, Bosco, Shadow ... and, for the last 12 1/2 years, Simmie.

And here comes lots and lots more fun!

Marquette Fun!

Chicago Skyline Fun!

Golf Fun!

Grand Canyon Fun!

Hawaii Fun!

Mexico Fun!

Rockin' Fun with Roger Clyne!

California Fun!

Carolina Panthers Fun!

New Orleans Fun!

Leon's Frozen Custard Fun!

We've been a couple of lucky people to have had the 40 years we've had together ... and believe me, I know I'm the luckiest of the lucky!

Wishing tons of future fun to our family and friends. And, yes, another 40 years of it to us! 

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Bet This Bracket & Get Filthy Rich! (Or something like that)

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Well, here's my bracket. I told y'all which team I was picking, so at least those 6 lines shouldn't be a surprise!

Enjoy the tournament, everybody!

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We Are Marquette ... And We're Not Done Yet! (Also - wrapping up my first season coaching the Socrates Owls)

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What a time to be a Marquette alum and basketball fan!

My Golden Warrior Eagles -- picked to finish in 9th place by Big East coaches in the preseason poll -- instead rolled to the first outright Big East title since we joined the conference in 2005. We were 17-3, two full games clear of the field.

And then, as if to prove to remaining doubters that we're for real, my guys went to Madison Square Garden and swept 3 games to win our first Big East Tournament title.

As if the on-court success wasn't enough, what's been great about this season's team is the way we've won.

Marquette plays an entertaining, ever-moving, high-octane offense, fueled by point guard Tyler Kolek -- the Big East Player of the Year and the conference tournament Most Outstanding Player -- and Oso Ighodaro, our slick passing "point center."

Throw in Kam Jones' 3-point shooting, O-Max Prosper's frenetic energy, Stevie Mitchell's incredible defense and 6th man David Joplin's instant offense, and you have an exciting, winning formula.

One of the great things about the team is that we can overwhelm opponents with our offense (as Marquette did to Xavier in the Big East championship game), but our defense is good enough that we can grind out close victories against tough teams (as we did against UConn in the semifinals).

It has taken Shaka Smart only two years to create a culture of passion, accountability, leadership and excellence. He's been the most welcome addition to the Marquette basketball scene in decades.

I have mostly been appreciating Marquette from afar, watching every game on TV, participating in online fan chat-rooms and getting in text chains with fellow alums -- not to mention with my kids, Ben and Katie, who grew up knowing they had better root for MU.

But thankfully, near the end of the season, I finally made it to a couple of games. 

Robbie, Ben and I were joined in Milwaukee by Marquette buddies John, Tom and Jim for our home victory over DePaul on Feb. 25.

And then Tom and I made the drive to Indianapolis for the Feb. 28 win at Butler that clinched the Big East regular-season title.

I'm the worst at taking selfies -- obviously -- so I'm glad I also got a pic of the scoreboard with the final score.

It's all been so incredibly fun, and I'm enjoying the interactions with fellow Marquette fans who are re-energized by Shaka & The Gang.

And, as Shaka said after MU crushed Xavier: 

"And we're not done yet!"

Spoiler Alert: My NCAA Tournament bracket will feature Marquette on the "champions" line ... and it's not just a fan crossing his fingers and wishing for the impossible. It really can happen.

As my grandson Jack says: "We Are Marquette!"

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Meanwhile, in other hoops news ...

A few weeks ago, I wrapped up my first season as coach of the middle school girls basketball team at Socrates Academy.

I love the 11 kids I had the honor to coach. Probably the hardest-working group I've ever had, and that's saying something because I've been fortunate to coach several teams that left it all on the court.

Our Owls were 7-7 and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament. It's not the stuff of which legends are made, but considering that the program hadn't won a single game in at least 2 years, it was a pretty nice season.

The girls played with energy and enthusiasm, got along great with each other, wanted to be coached, and improved markedly throughout the season. It truly was a pleasure to have worked with them.

Making the experience all the more special was the fact that Katie was my assistant. It not only was wonderful to coach alongside my daughter for personal reasons, but she also was fantastic with the girls and brought great knowledge and experience to the team.

Most of the players are 8th-graders, and when they graduate in a few months they'll be taking 97% of our offense with them. So hopefully we'll have some newcomers who can hoop a little bit.

Maybe I can get Shaka Smart to do a little recruiting for me!

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Nadel-A-Thon in N.C. ... And a New Gig for Coach Mike

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Dec. 21 was the first day of winter, and we got an early blast of frigid weather in North Carolina. But we were fortunate that we had something to warm our hearts -- a first-ever Charlotte visit from our grand-twins Logan and Jack.

Here they are with Ruthie, their "cousin" hound.

LoJack (and their parents Sammi and Ben) spent much of their vacay with their Aunt Katie, Uncle Ben and cousins Owen and Piper (and the aforementioned Ruthie), who live just a few minutes away from Grandma and Grandpa.

Here are the four cousins (from left - Owen, Piper, Jack, Logan) at an indoor water park. You know how difficult it is to get four kids ages 3 and under to smile and look at the camera at the same time?!?!

We also had fun at the Carolina Raptor Center, looking at hawks, eagles, owls and other birds of prey. Here are the three boys in a small cabin on the site.

And "Lady in Red" Piper, all warm and happy!

After going for a "ride" with Grandma and Grandpa ...

... artist Logan proudly displayed his renowned work, "Portrait of Grandma." The resemblance is uncanny!

One afternoon, Robbie and I and our offspring even got to sneak away for an hour sans kiddos.

Katie and her family moved to Charlotte from Seattle in September, and it's been fantastic having them here. "Fantastic" also is a great word to describe the visit from the Chicago Nadels. Come back soon, y'all -- warmer weather next time, we promise!!

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The few birds of prey we saw at the Raptor Center aren't the only Owls in my life these days.

After a two-year Covid hiatus, I'm coaching middle-school girls basketball again. My latest assignment is at Socrates Academy, a highly regarded public charter school only a few minutes from my house.

Hoo are we? The Owls, the mighty, mighty Owls!

We played 4 games before the holiday break. That we won 3 of them is great, because I'm told that there hadn't been a whole lot of winning 'round these parts. More importantly, though -- and I mean it -- is that these kids work so hard, they are so coachable, and they want to improve so much. 

And they have improved a ton in just the time we've been together so far. They're a real likeable group, too, and they support each other and the coaches so well. 

Coach Katie -- yep, Payton Prep's all-time 3-point shooter is my assistant -- and I are very grateful that we get to work with them. And we're excited about what the rest of the season will bring when school resumes in January.

Go Owls!

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