BEHIND THE MICROPHONE

My Meeting with Coach Wooden

The date was November 11, 2002. The place, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Marina Del Rey, CA.

 

Then Atlanta Hawks GM Pete Babcock arranged a meeting for the team with Coach John Wooden.

 

The entire traveling party made its way to a small banquet room, and in came Coach Wooden. He sat with us for over an hour. He knew our coach, Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkins very well. (How incredible to have two men in the same room who were selected as Hall of Famers as both players AND coaches.) But for many of us, we were stangers.

 

That did not matter to Coach Wooden. He spoke to us like we were an extension of his UCLA teams, reviewing his Pyramid of Success. He stressed conditioning (physical, mental, moral), skill (do it quickly), and team spirit (be considerate of others on and off the court).

 

Coach spoke of how winning was a by product of all of those characteristics. He stressed how the game was OFF the ball, both offensively and defensively. I was taking notes as fast as I could write.

 

We were all mesmorized. At the end, coach Wooden took the time to autograph each person’s copy of his book, "Wooden. A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court".

 

“For Bob. Best wishes John Wooden.”

 

An unforgettable moment in time that I will take with me forever.

Here's the release about the Emmy's from FOX Sports South

FOX SPORTS SOUTH, SPORTSOUTH

RECEIVE NINE EMMY AWARDS

Original Programming, Studio Programming, Live Event Production

and On-Air Promotions Recognized with Awards

 

FOX Sports South and SportSouth received nine Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Southeast Chapter.  The 2009 NATAS Southeast Regional Emmy Awards, presented June 27 in Atlanta, recognize television excellence in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina. 

 

FOX Sports South and SportSouth received 18 Emmy nominations and won in eight of 11 nominated categories.  For the third consecutive year, the networks won the Sporting Event/Game-Live/Unedited category for production of the Atlanta Hawks’ Game 6 playoff match-up against the Boston Celtics and the University of Georgia’s football game against Central Michigan University.  Also for the third year, FOX Sports South and SportSouth won in the Interview/Discussion category, not a sports-specific award, for In My Own Words: Charles Barkley.  The networks swept the nominations in the Sports-One Time Special category and won for the 60-minute documentary Spotlight: Joe Johnson.  Please see below for a complete list of FOX Sports South and SportSouth Emmy winners.

 

Television and Program Specialty Excellence – Sports One-Time Special

·         Spotlight: Joe Johnson – Steve Becker, Keith Wetzler, Dan Greene, Joe Johnson

 

Televise News and Program Specialty Excellence – Sporting Event/Game-Live/Unedited

·         NBA – Celtics vs. Hawks Playoff Game #6 – Hammond Reynolds, Rohan Backfisch, Jay Hoover, Garry Lehman

·         College Football – Central Michigan @ Georgia – Hammond Reynolds, Craig Ritchie, Joe Vencius, Ric LaCivita

 

Television Programming Excellence – Interview / Discussion

·         In My Own Words: Charles Barkley – Steve Becker, Keith Wetzler, Kevin Allison, Charles Barkley

 

Television Spot Announcements Excellence – Promotion-Program

·         SportSouth Trivia – Jon Johnson, Alix Jones, Phil Olshanski

 

Television Crafts Achievement Excellence – Director-Short Form

·         Braves LIVE Show Open – Adam Hirsch

 

Television Crafts Achievement Excellence – Graphic Arts-Graphics

·         SportSouth Trivia – Jon Johnson

 

Television Crafts Achievement Excellence – On-Camera Talent-Anchor-Sports

·         Jerome Jurenovich

 

Television Crafts Achievement Excellence – Photographer-Sports

·         Dan Greene

 

“To be recognized with 18 Emmy nominations for excellence across so many disciplines of our business – original programming, editing, promotions, graphics, on-air talent and photography – and to earn nine Emmy wins is a tremendous honor and a well-deserved recognition for our entire team,” said Jeff Genthner, senior vice president and general manager of FOX Sports South and SportSouth.  “We are grateful to the Southeast Chapter of NATAS and congratulate the many other Emmy winners for their excellence in television production.”

 

The Emmy goes to...

A great night for FOX Sports South/SportSouth last night at the NATAS Southeast Regional Emmy Awards. FSS walked away with a grand total of 10 Emmy Awards!

It was a thrill for yours truly two be nominated for two Emmy's in the same category--in two different sports. Our college football broadcast, Central Michigan at Georgia, and our NBA telecast, Boston at Atlanta in Game Six of the playoffs last year EACH won last night for Outstanding Achievement: Television News and Program Specialty Excellence; Sporting Event/Game-Live/Unedited.

It was a thrill to join Executive Producer Hammond Reynolds and Co-ordinating Producer Rohan Backfisch on stage to accept the dual Emmy's.

On the SEC football game, it was a pleasure to work with one of the game's top analysts in Dave Rowe, plus our great production team of producer Joe Vencius and director Ric LaCivita.

My Hawks team also won for the second year in a row with a telecast from that thrilling Hawks-Celtics seven-game series from 2008. Kudos to Steve Smith, producer Jay Hoover and director Gary Lehman.

More pictures and stories to come!

Congratulations to all of the nominees and Emmy award recipients.

Tyler and the NBA

His basketball pedigree is unquestioned.

So is his work ethic, his drive, skill, determination, will to win, and he’s blessed with a motor that will not quit.

So why isn’t North Carolina’s reigning National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough NOT considered a slam dunk top-tier lottery pick in this summer’s NBA Draft?

It’s a question that has dogged the Tar Heels big man for the past two seasons.

The argument goes, ‘great college player, but might not make it as a pro’.

I put that question to the Hawks’ assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel Dave Pendergraft.

“He’ll (Hansbrough) be taken later than he should, only because so many people have focused on his deficiencies rather than what he can do,” Dave told me. “But, Bob, he can play. I can see him playing 10-12 years in the league and being a starter at least half of those years.”

“Tyler may never be an NBA all-star, but he is one of the few players in this draft that could immediately make a bad team better.”

I’ve had the pleasure of broadcasting Hansbrough’s games through his career and have marveled at his incredible energy. How that will play out over an 82-game NBA grind is certainly open to conjecture.

I always felt like I was watching the next Dave Cowens when I see Hansbrough play.

“I don’t like to compare eras, but, yea, I can see the comparisons to Dave,” Pendergraft added. “I think he’ll be a little more like Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao, but with a better offensive game.”

While we were on the subject of his college scouting, I asked Dave which players have caught his eye.

“I really like Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga’s 6-2 senior guard). He’s hasn’t been mentioned a lot yet, but he’ll be in the lottery.  I also like Evan Turner a lot (Ohio State’s 6-7 two-guard, who dropped 28 on Notre Dame in a 67-62 Buckeye win in December). Those two names will be moving up on everyone’s draft board.”

Nothing better than talking hoops with my man Dave!

PHOTO: mrtarheel.com

New Oklahoma City Nickname

News Item:

The Oklahoman today reported that the NBA has filed trademarks for six team nicknames in Oklahoma City - Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Thunder and Wind.

Sources there believe the strongest candidate is still "Thunder." The NBA is admitting nothing.

I hope they choose the Wind.

I can see the headlines now:

HAWKS BREAK WIND, 100-109.

One Long Day

The Hawks are back home this week after a grueling five-game, Western Conference swing.
How grueling?
Here’s how the Hawks spent last Friday and Saturday:
10:30pm PT: After a thrilling win against the Golden State Warriors, the Hawks begin loading the busses for the short trip to the Oakland airport, and their awaiting flight to Salt Lake City for Saturday’s game with the Utah Jazz. Halfway thru the TSA screening at Oracle Arena, the traveling party learns it is spending the night in San Francisco, as the aircraft the Hawks are using is unable to land in Utah because of weather problems.
12:00am PT: The Hawks make it back to their hotel in San Francisco and check back in.
“8:15 BUS!” we are told.

Saturday, 7:30am. The players and staff, bleary eyed, start lugging a week’s worth of luggage back out of the hotel to the busses.
8:15am. We leave San Francisco for the Oakland Airport.
9:30am PT We depart. “How long is the flight?” “An Hour 20”. That’s good news. Oops. Forgot that we lose an hour going to the Mountain Time Zone.
12:00Noon MT. On the ground, safely, in Salt Lake. As we are ready to pull away from the plane, the first bus dies. That’s the one with the players and coaches.
Here comes Mike Woodson. “DOUBLE UP!” he bellows, so now we must make room for another 25 people and their belongings.
12:30pm MT We finally leave the airport for the hotel, less than seven hours before tipoff.
Mid-afternoon MT: The players and coaches head to a breakfast meeting to talk about tonight’s opponent, the Utah Jazz, winners of 13-straight home games and tied with Dallas for the best home record in the NBA.
5:00pm MT The first bus leaves for the arena. Followed by the second bus. The only problem is, the second bus is empty. It is not supposed to leave until 5:15. This comes as a surprise to those of us who are taking the second bus.
5:25pm MT The second bus returns, but cannot leave because Joe Johnson’s luggage cannot be located.
5:45pm MT Now all of the Hawks are at the arena, just 75 minutes prior to tip.
7:45pm MT Things are not going well for the visitors. Only 28 points on the board with 1:20 left before halftime.
7:50pm MT A dramatic change of fortune! Mike Bibby and Josh Smith combine for four three’s in the final 1:17 of the second quarter and the Hawks are back in the ball game!
9:45pm MT In the end, Utah just overpowers an Atlanta team that understandably ran out of gas. Except for Josh Smith and Mike Bibby. Smith goes for 30 and Bibby, playing on a severely bruised right heel, continues to show that, when healthy, he will be a huge addition to the Hawks.
11:15pm MT Back on the plane, headed to San Antonio. A long flight, and we lose another hour going to Central Time.
3:00am CT At the hotel in San Antonio, and ready to hit the sack. With the team dog tired, Woody has canceled practice for Sunday. Now the Hawks have a day to rest and recharge and prepare for the World Champion San Antonio Spurs.
The Hawks knew this was going to be a rough trip when the schedule came out. It proved to be all of that. Now the fight is on for the Eastern Conference playoffs. Philips Arena never looked so good.

Getting to the Point

You’re going to have to stay up late this week, but it will be worth it.

The Hawks embark on a five-game Western swing starting Tuesday night in LA against the Lakers.

That game will be your first opportunity to see Mike Bibby running the show for the Hawks.

Atlanta was able to secure the services of Bibby, not Cleveland, and the Hawks fortunes have taken a dramatic turn for the better.

The five-for-one swap, announced last weekend, shook up the Eastern playoff race. The Hawks hit the break having lost four in a row, including just an awful overtime loss in Charlotte.

Atlanta has dropped to seven games under .500, and had lost their enthusiasm for the game. There were a lot of long faces and dejected looks when the club disbanded for the all-star break.

But as the team reconvenes in Los Angeles Monday, there is a new spirit. One of hope that only a quality point guard could bring to this team at this time.

But let’s be clear about this---Bibby has to be given time to achieve quality results. This five-game Western trip would be daunting to the best teams in the league. And for Bibby, he’ll have only one practice with his new mates under his belt before the trip begins.

We also are not sure of the extent of the knee injury suffered by Josh Childress in the Detroit game last week. Chills was to be checked again early Monday morning before the team departed for the West Coast.

With a new roster, a new rotation must be worked out. Guys like Salim Stoudamire and Solomon Jones would probably find themselves playing new-found minutes. The team certainly cannot afford any injuries to the top seven.

But this much is clear: the Hawks are relevant again this season. They have a chance to recapture the positive buzz that surrounded the club after its big home wins in November and its great run of success in December.

As for Bibby, the Hawks are getting the proven point guard that the fans have been clamoring for, really, since Mookie Blalock left.

Just two seasons back, Mike averaged a career-high 21.1 PPG. He holds the Kings franchise record for consecutive free throws made (51) in the 02-03 season.

He is one of 61 players in NBA history to amass 10,000 points and 4,000 assists in a career.

Bibby was selected by Vancouver with the second overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft. He went to the Kings in June of 2001 (with Brent Price for Jason Williams and Nick Anderson.)

Bibby is in a Hawks uniform. And the stakes have been raised accordingly. We have what we wanted Hawks fans: a legit point-guard, a real shot at the playoffs, and for the first time since Philips Arena opened the anticipation of meaningful games in March and April.

Hey, the Hawks are now must see TV!

Never, Ever

It was incredibly exciting. A double-overtime thriller at the Smith Center. Yet, when the finally horn sounded, we all said the same thing.

They will never win in Chapel Hill.

The Clemson Tigers blew a game Sunday night that confirms the above statement. Clemson held a 11-point lead with less than four minutes remaining and still managed to lose in Chapel Hill for the 53^{rd consecutive time without victory.}

All you needed to see was the body language. North Carolina knew it would win. Clemson knew it would not. It was only a matter of time. And when Clemson could not get off a game-winning shot in the final seconds of regulation, the feeling going into each overtime was not that Carolina would win, but by how many.

Add the fact that Clemson is also the worst free throw shooting team in the country (1-7???) it’s a wonder they were able to build such a tremendous advantage on the road.

I, for one, was hoping the streak would end.

I don’t like long streaks like this, losing streaks and games played streaks. They seem to take on a life of their own, and what does it really mean, anyway? These kids that played their hearts out for Clemson Sunday night had nothing to do with all those losses. Yet, they carried the weight of history with them.

Many a night, I broadcast the Clemson at UNC game, and it seemed that every game ended the same, with Carolina winning by an average score of 83-58! If memory serves, I called five Clemson at UNC games in the streak.

I hereby put in to call next year’s game!

You have to be impressed with the way Duke has been playing. A great win over Carolina on the road, followed by a string second half in taking care of Boston College, the Devils now have the inside track to home court advantage in the NCAA Tournament. No the games won’t be played at Cameron Indoor, but for Duke to get games in Raleigh and Charlotte would be plenty of advantage for Duke….Maryland is coming on strong. When James Gist plays like a superstar, the Terps emerge as a elite-team….why would I not be surprised to see Bobby Knight take over at LSU soon?....I’ll tell you another team that is coming on strong: Kentucky. They could be the sleeper come SEC Tournament time.

The Hawks hit the all-star break this week, staring at a Western Conference trip that will be as tough as any in recent years. At Lakers, Sacramento, Golden State, Utah and San Antonio is a rugged five-games-in-seven-days stretch. But even if the Hawks lose all five, they’ll still be in a position to clinch a playoff berth in the East with a month and a half to play. The way its going, 10-games under .500 will be good enough to make the playoffs in the East. And look at what is happening in the West. Potentially, a 50-win team could miss the playoffs.

Kobe or LeBron?

This week, the NBA’s top two marquee attractions will play Philips

Arena.

You can decide for yourself who is better. Kobe or LeBron?

Wednesday night, the Lakers make their annual visit. Bryant has been sensational this season, leading a rejuvenated Laker attack.

Bryant is averaging 28.4 per game this season. Since Philips Arena opened, Kobe has led the Lakers to five wins here in six decisions.

He’s averaging 30.2 PPG here in his career, with a high game of 37 here in ’05.

Over the years, the Hawks have managed to keep it close with LA, only to see Kobe take over at the end of games to seal the deal for the Lakers.

Friday night, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be here.

Of course, we see LBJ a little more often, but his impact is just as big as Kobe’s.

LeBron scored 31 here, with 10 boards and six assists but the Hawks prevailed, 90-81, in January. Joe Johnson had 29 in that one.

In his career, James has averaged 30.1 in eight career games in Atlanta, with the Cavaliers winning six of them. In fact, that January win by Atlanta ended a six-game Cleveland winning streak here.

So far this season, LeBron is averaging 30.1 PPG. His high-game this season is 51, and has turned in four triple-doubles.

So, do you have your tickets? Wednesday and Friday look to be pretty special nights for basketball in the ATL!

Unbelievable Super Bowl! For the first time in recent memory, the game was better—much better—than the commercials! Hey, the Giants deserved it. They outplayed the Patriots. It’s a Super Bowl that will go down as one of the greatest sporting events of the last 25 years.

Duke and North Carolina Wednesday night in Chapel Hill…Duke is good, not great. Look for the Tar Heels to win this one, setting up the rematch in Durham that will tilt toward the home team. Clearly, the best two teams in the ACC. Hot right now—the Maryland Terrapins. A gritty victory Saturday at Georgia Tech keeps a positive roll going for the men of Gary Williams…

Tennessee held off Mississippi State last Saturday night and now owns the outright lead in the SEC East. The Vols quality depth makes them the SEC’s best. That game with #1 Memphis later in the month should be tremendous.

The Road Warrior

NOTES FROM THE ROAD

Greetings, Dear Readers! This is your old buddy, Bob, coming to you from the Hawks charter.
We’re winging it from Portland to Phoenix as I pen this.
The best way to describe the mood of the team is stunned. Just hours ago, the Hawks blew a 19-point lead and a game they controlled, to the Portland Trail Blazers, 94-93.
Atlanta led by six with a little over two minutes left.
But then Brandon Roy took over.
Roy penetrated the Hawks ‘D’ for three straight lay-ups, and then nailed a free throw with 2.3 seconds left for the winning margin.
This was a game the Hawks controlled until they very end. They had a double-digit lead most of the night, only to hand it to the Blazers down the stretch.
Portland’s Travis Outlaw broke the Hawks hearts on MLK Day at Philips with his game-winning jumper at :00.9. Sunday, it was Brandon Roy.
It was clearly the most bitter defeat of the season.

The Hawks will be home Saturday to face Jason Kidd and the Nets. That kicks off a four-game home stand that will see Kobe and LeBron come to town next Wednesday and Friday…..obviously, we all missed out on the NHL All-Star festivities. But what we saw looked great. The hockey world got to see what we know—that Philips Arena is a world class sports and entertainment facility. From the looks of it, the game had to have been fun—8-7 East….now lets get the Thrashers back going again, and win the Southeast Division…Washington is hot, though, and Carolina wants back in. The second half promises to be exciting….it’s amazing how little the folks out West care about the SEC and the ACC. What is wrong with them???....Saturday night, I get to call a big SEC showdown in Starkville, as Tennessee rolls into town to face West-leading Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are 5-0 in the league. Rick Stansbury has got ‘em rollin’ again…Jamont Gordon and Chris Lofton should be a great matchup. Check it out on FSN South….A solid road win for Georgia Tech at Virginia in OT Sunday. Jackets are starting to turn things around….Congrats to 3D, Dennis Scott and Rachel on the birth of their daughter last week. Dizzle said  she came out shootin’ threes…you’ll know Thursday, but I think Joe Johnson has an outside shot at the Eastern Conference all-star team. Looks like it may come down to Joe and Antawn Jamison for the final spot in the East. It is time to expand the rosters. They’ve been at 12 dating back to when there were 14 teams. We now have 30. It will be strange not having Shaq at the all-star game. First one the big fella has missed…Patriots again? Hard to pick against ‘em. Think of the times in which we live: we are witnessing the greatest golfer ever (Tiger), the greatest tennis player ever (Federer) and maybe the best quarterback ever (Brady). One more Super Bowl might just cement his legacy. Pats 24 Giants 21. I don’t have a rooting interest, but I hope Eli Manning plays well. Just to shut up the critics. He’s done an amazing job. No picks in the playoffs? Outstanding. Hope it’s a good game and we have some good commercials to watch!