"FROM THE MOUTHS OF ATHLETES..."

"I guess I wasn't thinking."

- University of Arizona shortstop K'Lee Arredondo on what she was thinking right before hitting a 2-run home run in the sixth inning of Sunday's NCAA Softball World Series semifinals that propelled the Wildcats to a win over Tennessee. Arizona faces UCLA in a best-of-three finals starting tonight at 8 EST.

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"DUKE COACH VIC BUBAS ON JOHN WOODEN"

There are very few college basketball coaches who can boast that they’ve beaten John Wooden more than once at his own game.

You need a hall-of-fame pedigree and the same Hoosier-state blood coursing through your veins to topple the almighty.

You need to be former Duke University head coach Vic Bubas , who, to put Wooden’s career in perspective, carved out a prestigious hall-of-fame career of his own, despite winning 451 less games than the legendary UCLA coach.

You won’t, however, hear Bubas brag. In fact, one of the fondest memories the former Blue Devil holds dear of Wooden is the time the Bruins beat Duke in the 1964 NCAA Championship game and the lifetime of friendship the game set in motion.

The title was the first of many for Wooden — 10 in 12 years to be exact. Bubas playfully hounded Wooden for a "thank you" every time the two got together.

On June 4, Bubas and the world lost the basketball legend and inspired-humanitarian, who passed away at the age of 99.

Bubas reflects on his friend, colleague and teacher:

Christopher C. Wuensch

Sad news to hear about the passing of Coach Wooden. How close were you to him? You certainly crossed paths back in the day.

Vic Bubas

We played each other five times. The first time we met in the Final Four and in the championship game; that was in ’64. They beat us by like 12 or so, maybe 15, I’ve forgotten the score (UCLA 98, Duke 83,) but that was their first championship. That’s when they started their run.

The following year we entered into a two-year agreement where he agreed to come to Duke for a game. Then we played another game the following night in Charlotte and we were able to win both of those games handily.

The year after that was Kareem’s (Abdul Jabbar) — he was still known as Lew Alcindor back then — first year on the varsity at UCLA. They beat us rather handily both times on their home court.

Off the court, we had a good relationship. I was in several clinics with him, went to banquets and so on. We were pretty good friends. Both of us were from the state of Indiana.

CCW

That was my next question. You’re both Indiana boys, correct?

VB

Yeah. He was legendary way back then. His team ( Martinsville High School ) won the high school championship. He then goes to Purdue and was an All-American. His whole basketball coaching and playing career was nothing but a success. I enjoyed my relationship with him, enjoyed competing against him.

Of course, when he went on his run (10 titles in 12 years,) he made it tough on everybody else. I don’t know if that will ever be accomplished again. That’s kind of unbelievable.

I think the thing that I admired most about John Wooden is the fact that in addition to being a great coach, he was a great person.

He was good for the game . He was a terrific example for the young men that he coached and a good influence on them. I think the coaching profession was very lucky to have somebody who, other than just winning, was as good as John was in everything in his relationship with people, with his players, the whole thing.

We lost a dear friend, but he lived a long and fruitful life. He had a wonderful wife and he always talked about her. There was hardly a time where he wouldn’t refer to her as one of his big inspirations to do well and do the right thing.

CCW

What was he like in person?

VB

The reputation he had was that he was a great teacher. Everybody understood that he was a great coach. He spoke of himself as more of a teacher than as a coach.

CCW

Did he have a different persona on the court than he did away from it?

VB

No, I think he was pretty even. But at the same time, even though he was professorial, if you want to call it that, and they referred to him as the professor at times, he did it the right way. He could get after officials and get after his players, but it was never in a crude way. It was just a way of making sure that everybody stayed motivated without using words that would be embarrassing. He stayed away from all that stuff. He was really a clean example for all of us to follow.

CCW

He was a contemporary of yours, but did you find yourself learning from him?

VB

Oh sure. But by the same token, coaches are always learning from each other. When John would be talking, either at a clinic or a banquet or coaching or whatever, everybody paid close attention because his record was so good and he was so humble. He always gave credit to the players and the people that surrounded him to try to take the emphasis off of himself. He left quite a pattern for the rest of us to try to follow and, of course, for the coaches today.

CCW

Did it seem like back in the ‘60s, his teams were always standing in the way of you winning more titles?

VB

They stood in a lot of people’s way (laughs) when you win as many championships as he did. What was it 10 out of 12 or something like that? Along the way he beat a lot of people. But the game was better as a result of it.

Here’s another thing that people don’t realize. When he was on top for so long, that meant that his preparation had to be exceptionally good. People would really try to beat him.

When you run around with a target on your back and everybody in the world can’t wait to play you because that would be a feather in their hat if they beat him…why that’s quite a burden to carry. He didn’t let his team be overwhelmed by that.

He said he was satisfied with them if they gave him their very best effort. If you give it your best effort, that’s good enough for him.

CCW

He prided himself as being a teacher, but what made him so successful? Was it the preparation?

VB

First of all, you have to be honest about it. I don’t care which coach you’re talking about. When you’re winning big and, particularly if you’re winning championships, the one thing that you must have is good players — somewhere between good and great.

John had great talent, but, when you have that, then you have to figure ways to work together and reach their potential. He did that marvelously . He emphasized team play versus individual, although he had a lot of individual stars, also. He knew how to blend the talent and he knew how to recruit the good players and I think players enjoyed playing for him and stayed in school.

I think one of the things he didn’t have to face that modern coaches face today is what to do with these players that have the talent to sign professionally after one year of college. If that were the case back then, I think it would have been much more difficult for John to put that kind of run together.

But he was a great coach and he might even do it under present conditions. With everybody trying to catch him, plus the new pro rules, it would be very difficult. But that is to take nothing away from what he did. There is nobody that’s going to approach that kind of thing. There’ll be coaches that win a few championships, but not with the magnitude like he did.

CCW

Do you have a favorite John Wooden story?

VB

I used to always tease him when we’d get together for a banquet or something out in public, where I knew he was in the audience.

The first time I did this he was taken aback a little bit, I said “John you never did thank me.”

He says “for what?”


I said “for launching you on your career. The championship you won against us was your first one. So I really launched you and I’ve never heard you say thank you, yet.”

So we used to laugh about that.

CCW

Did he have a good sense of humor?

VB

Oh yeah. John was a pleasant guy. He was.

CCW

He sounds like an amazing man.

VB

We were lucky to have him in the profession. That’s what you hope for. That’s what you work for and it’s very hard to come by because of the pressures and the temptations that go with the job today.

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"WOODEN SOLDIERS: John Wooden 1910-2010"

John Wooden came as close to Sainthood as one man could without sprouting wings.

Today's selection from the vault celebrates the life of the legendary UCLA basketball coach, who passed away on June 4 at the age of 99.

This selection is from the 2005 article I did for the Explorer Newspapers in Tucson, Ariz., in which the players from a small Christian school in Oro Valley, Ariz., got the opportunity to sit down with the coach.

Turns out, a few hours with Wooden was enough to turn around the team's misfortunes.

"WOODEN SOLDIER: Chance meeting with legendary coach propels Lions"

By Christopher C. Wuensch

02.02.05

Explorer Newspapers

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"PLAY ON, WORDS...LAMAR ODOM or ALARM DOOM?"

WAKE UP CALL

It’s time for the Los Angeles Lakers to wake up in time for the NBA Finals. To do so, they’ll need to rely on Lamar Odom, whose name can be rearranged to spell “Alarm Doom.”









…

As long as we’re rearranging letters, Nomar Garciaparra signed a one-day contract earlier this season with the caveat of retiring as a Boston Red Sox. One of the more unique names in all of sports, we’re lucky Nomar’s father, Ramon, only reversed the spelling of his son’s first name and not his last. I would have quit sports writing before spelling out Ramon Arrapaicrag on a consistent basis.


…

Begin typing “When was the last time the…” into Google and the search engine’s first suggestion is “the New York Jets won a Superbowl?.”

Other championship droughts that Google suggests include the Viking, Cowboys, Saint, Colts and Cubs.

It also spits out the suggestion “the planets aligned?.”

The answer, of course, is same as the last time the Cubs won a World Series.

So what else does Google suggest based on the start of common queries?

A few examples (at least according to my computer settings):

Begin by typing:

Is it illegal for a…man to marry his widow’s sister?

Answer: ‘Till death did we part…


When is it appropriate to…say I love you?

Let’s let www.myfemalesexuality.com handle that one. Instead we’ll jump to Google’s next suggestion:


When is it appropriate to…use a semicolon?

The answers; vary


At what point…does a cell phone become a living thing?

No answer is given, but it sure beats answering the next Google option:


At what point…does a girl become a woman?

Sounds like another question for Myfemalesexuality.com.


How do you play…curling?

Not exactly grammatically correct, but I believe you start by going to the liquor store and buying a six-pack of Labatt Blue.


Who was the first player…to sign with the New England Whalers?

Answer: Larry Pleau; you had to ask?


How many athletes…use steroids?

Answer: None, wink, wink…


…

Speaking of drugs in the sports place, introducing the MLB ALL GANJA TEAM:

Tobi Stoner, P – Mets

Justin Smoak, 1B - Rangers

Jung Bong, P – Braves

B.J. Weed, OF – Angels

Bret Hemphill, C – Angels

Darren Grass, C – Padres

Brandon Puffer, P – Twins

John Danks, P – White Sox

All-Marijuana Team Hall-of-Fame:

Herb Hash, P – Red Sox

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"IT'S NOT JUST AWRIGHT...IT'S DOLEMITE!!!..."

On a good day, I stand 5-foot, maybe…8 inches tall.

Despite my limited stature, I’ve always believed I was a big man ensconced in a little man’s frame. Instead of short, bleach-white and cumbersome, I’ve always dreamed of being long, tall, old-school and afro-strong on the basketball court.

Call me Napoleon Dolemite.

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"STRANDED AT SECOND BASE..."

“Culling the thoughts that occur when you’re standing around waiting for something to happen”

In February, we received the disheartening news that Frisbee inventor Walter Frederick Morrison had flung his final disc, passing away at the age of 90.

Now more bad news has rattled the world of novelty outdoor fun.

George P. Nissen took a figurative jump toward the heavens on April 7 and never returned to Earth. The creator of the modern-day trampoline was 93. Nissen's invention transformed sports as we know it, from flying mascots at halftime shows to the Olympics - where it's a summer event. That's more than baseball can boast.

In death, Nissen and Morrison join what's got to be a rocking outdoor barbeque in the sky.

Preceding them in the afterlife was George Hansburg. The inventor of the pogo stick was 87 when he died in 1975.

Also up there is David N. Mullany, who was 81 when he passed away in 1990, but not before introducing the Wiffleball to backyards across the world.

One thing these men had in common - besides keeping generations of kids flustered when these inventions got stuck in trees - was their advanced age. That can't be a coincidence, rather a testament to staying active, regardless of the ridiculousness of how you do it.

If that theory is true, then Reyn Guyer, 75, has some time left to play outside before God calls him in for supper.

Guyer, a Hasbro toy hall of fame inductee, invented the Nerf football and the awkward living room-classic 'Twister. Here's hoping he can still contort his body.

...


When you hear the names Kerri Strug and Robert Fischer mentioned in the same breath with the word 'wedding' and 'nuptials,' the first thought is: 'wow, their kids will be some kind of super cerebral athletes.

And while that certainly might be the case one day, it won't be due to the marriage of gymnastics' and chess' most recognizable icons respectively - especially considering that bishop-brainiac Bobby Fischer died two years ago.

The Tuscon-born Strug, a 1996 Olympic gold medalist, married Robert Fischer III on Sunday at Skyline Country Club.

Fischer is a lawyer for Lamar Smith - the Republican Texas congressman and not the former Carolina Panters' running back, whom once held the record for most carries (40 for 209 yards) in an NFL postseason game. The football playing Smith could have also used Fischer's services, having wracked up two costly DUI arrests during his career.


...


It's been a bad month for those with long and cumbersome names.

A week after the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull snarled international travel, several other big names (literally) made dubious headlines stateside.

Chris Jakubauskus' debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates was a painful and forgettable one. The right-hander took a Lance Berkman line drive to the forehead in the first inning of Saturday's game against the Houston Astros and landed on the disabled list with a concussion and a face contusion.

The bad news continued to pile up this week for those whose names have consonants where vowels should be and vice-versa.

On Sunday, a swollen leg forced Kentucky Derby favorite Eskendereya from racing in the 136th installment of the fastest two-minutes in all of sports. So much for being healthy as a horse.

April was a tough month for those with elongated names - unlike March, which saw former Wildcat tight-end Brandon Manumaleuna sign a five-year contract with the Chicago Bears.


...


Speaking of Texas politicos and wounded animals (insert you own pun here), Eskendereya should consider himself lucky that he's only got a swollen leg.

Texas Governor Rick Perry admitted this week to shooting and killing a devious coyote that was eyeing him and his dog up on a morning jog.

According to the Associated Press: the governor was not required to file a report for discharging a weapon, said Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Tela Mange.

There's no word, yet, but we have to assume that Mange got the approval to talk to the press from her boss Sally Scabies.


...

And then, of course, in the Sunshine State...a Punta Gorda, Fla., man has published a book about his torrid, nine-month love affair with a dolphin.

The most shocking revelation to come from this tragically named book "Wet Goddess: Recollections of a Dolphin Lover" is that bestiality is legal in Florida.

I could make this stuff up, but it wouldn't be as funny...trust me, I've tried.


...


Back to expired desert dogs, "Still In Progress At Press Time..." would like to extend an apology to the fans of the Phoenix Coyotes.

On Monday, we published a story about hockey superstitions with the focus on diehard Coyotes' fan Kyle Canfield. The Tucsonan was growing his playoff beard in the name of the charity Beard-A-Thon.com. A day later, the Detroit Red Wings ended the Coyotes' season and surely sent Canfield scrambling for a Schick.

Canfield raised $10 since we published his plight, upping his total earned toward various youth charities to $170. Way to go, Kyle. Sorry if we jinxed your boys.

The same first-round jinx befell Steve Penny and the New Jersey Devils, whom "Still In Progress..." also endorsed.

It's not too late to donate to their causes. Visit Beard-A-Thon.

READ A NEW "STRANDED AT SECOND BASE..." EVERY THURSDAY BY VISITING TUCSONCITIZEN.COM

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