The Messenger by Daniel SilvaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
490 pages that I couldn't read fast enough. (Which is a problem, since I'm not a fast reader.) Just superb. Silva is my latest "favorite" author.
View all my reviews >>
Saturday, December 26, 2009
GREAT, GREAT FICTION!
The Messenger by Daniel SilvaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
490 pages that I couldn't read fast enough. (Which is a problem, since I'm not a fast reader.) Just superb. Silva is my latest "favorite" author.
View all my reviews >>
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Native Tongue by Carl HiaasenMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Feeling generous with the three star rating. Had to trudge through this one although I did laugh out loud several times late in the book. I get a little tired of the same characters and themes with Hiassen. This one wasn't one of his best; or was it me?
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Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
WOW!
My Antonia by Willa CatherMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A magnificent book if I don't say so myself. I just read this again in order to prepare to speak at a Willa Cather event in Lincoln. As a grandson of Anna Pavelka, the heroine of the novel, it is beyond meaningful.
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Saturday, October 3, 2009
Husker Dan Doesn't Understand
Dan McGlynn, aka "Husker Dan" from his HuskerPedia column, indicates he doesn't understand my most memorable play selection during the Husker home sellout streak of 300 games. Here is what he writes:
KP'S MOST MEMORABLE
During the PPV broadcast of the game, sideline reporter, Kent Pavelka, revealed his Top 10 Most Memorable Plays of "The Streak". I agreed with most of them, but putting Gayle Sayers' 99 yard touchdown run of 1963 at the top of his list, left me scratching my head. It's almost sacrilegious (!) to pick an opponent's play as your top choice. Surely, there are many Husker plays more deserving.
And for the record, during Sayers' three years at Kansas, the Jayhawks never beat the Huskers. Oh, and stop calling me Shirley.
I sent the following reply:
Dan,
I read that you don’t understand why I picked the Sayers play as my most memorable during the 300 game sellout streak at Memorial Stadium. First of all, it’s certainly not what I would rank as the best, most exciting, or most important play. It is absolutely not my favorite play. It is my most memorable play. Those are important distinctions.
I was 13 years old and standing ten yards away when I watched Sayers peel off that run back in 1963, Dan. That play and that game, in a way, gave birth to my life-long love affair with Husker football. I had seen plenty of Nebraska games before that day. But that play is one of the first specific and most dramatic memories I have. It’s the most indelible and enduring in terms of years gone by. I guess I really don’t know exactly why. It just is.
In many ways, the seminal events of our lives choose us. We don’t choose them. That my most memorable play in the 300 straight sellouts centers on an NU opponent doesn’t bother me. I wish it didn’t bother you, my friend.
I hope this clears up Husker Dan's concern about my judgement and/or loyalty. These things are quite personal for all of us; including some of Dan's most memorable moments during the streak. Read about some of his at www.huskerpedia.com/huskerdan.
By the way, kudos to Dan for his efforts in supporting U.S. soliders via his organization, Husker Dan's Army.
KP'S MOST MEMORABLE
During the PPV broadcast of the game, sideline reporter, Kent Pavelka, revealed his Top 10 Most Memorable Plays of "The Streak". I agreed with most of them, but putting Gayle Sayers' 99 yard touchdown run of 1963 at the top of his list, left me scratching my head. It's almost sacrilegious (!) to pick an opponent's play as your top choice. Surely, there are many Husker plays more deserving.
And for the record, during Sayers' three years at Kansas, the Jayhawks never beat the Huskers. Oh, and stop calling me Shirley.
I sent the following reply:
Dan,
I read that you don’t understand why I picked the Sayers play as my most memorable during the 300 game sellout streak at Memorial Stadium. First of all, it’s certainly not what I would rank as the best, most exciting, or most important play. It is absolutely not my favorite play. It is my most memorable play. Those are important distinctions.
I was 13 years old and standing ten yards away when I watched Sayers peel off that run back in 1963, Dan. That play and that game, in a way, gave birth to my life-long love affair with Husker football. I had seen plenty of Nebraska games before that day. But that play is one of the first specific and most dramatic memories I have. It’s the most indelible and enduring in terms of years gone by. I guess I really don’t know exactly why. It just is.
In many ways, the seminal events of our lives choose us. We don’t choose them. That my most memorable play in the 300 straight sellouts centers on an NU opponent doesn’t bother me. I wish it didn’t bother you, my friend.
I hope this clears up Husker Dan's concern about my judgement and/or loyalty. These things are quite personal for all of us; including some of Dan's most memorable moments during the streak. Read about some of his at www.huskerpedia.com/huskerdan.
By the way, kudos to Dan for his efforts in supporting U.S. soliders via his organization, Husker Dan's Army.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Husker Dan -- HuskerPedia™
Husker Dan -- HuskerPedia™: "KENT PAVELKA SIGHTING
Recently, I ran into Kent Pavelka, former voice of Cornhusker football. I asked him about the 'BB HOF' tattoo I saw on his arm. He told me it was for his induction into the Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame. He also 'suggested' I pay more attention to Husker basketball.
Here are some links that will keep everyone posted on what Kent's doing these days.
www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=3647227
kentpavelka.blogspot.com/
www.reportunderagedrinking.com
www.kentpavelka.com"
Recently, I ran into Kent Pavelka, former voice of Cornhusker football. I asked him about the 'BB HOF' tattoo I saw on his arm. He told me it was for his induction into the Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame. He also 'suggested' I pay more attention to Husker basketball.
Here are some links that will keep everyone posted on what Kent's doing these days.
www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=3647227
kentpavelka.blogspot.com/
www.reportunderagedrinking.com
www.kentpavelka.com"
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Previewing Big 12 Basketball
(Note: The following was written in June, 2009 for the NU basketball blog)
Think of the 2009-10 Big 12 men’s basketball race as a beauty contest. The winner, runner-up, etc. will be just a little prettier and more talented than those who don’t make the pageant finals. Although they don’t award a 12th place finish in the Miss America contest, I’m sure if they did, we would all agree she’s awfully attractive.
I thought it was hype, all this talk about the Big 12 being the best league in the country this coming winter. Smugly, I thought Yadda Yadda Yadda. This is just the conference trying to promote itself. Trying to secure more national media respect.
But after listening to the coaches summer teleconference, I’m all-over the proposition that the Big 12 will be the best if we’re talking about quality, top to bottom.
Most fans probably won’t buy it. At season’s end, teams in the lower third of the conference standings will have lost a good number of league games. Teams that win just a few can’t be any good, can they? You bet they can. The only thing that means is that the Big 12 will have cannibalized itself. This season, the teams that finish at the bottom won’t be as far behind the leaders as the final standings suggest. They’re all really good. Some just a little better than others. The problem is the company they keep.
Based on how they finished in the standings last year, let’s peek at the possibilities for each team this coming season. We’ll start with those most likely not to succeed, moving up from there. As you’ll note, I think eight teams will be as good as or better than last year.
Colorado won one league game last year. But the Buffs lost 11 conference games by an average of only 4.5 points per game. They took Texas into overtime. Jeff Bzdelik’s team will be better because it will be deeper and stronger inside. JC transfer Marcus Relphorde and incoming frosh Alec Burks (being compared to Richard Roby when he was a freshman) are two of five newcomers who will help. Colorado should be able to finish some games this year that it could not a year ago.
Prediction: Better but in bottom three.
Texas Tech won only three games in the conference last season. But late in the year, the Raiders showed signs of understanding what Pat Knight expects. They beat both A&M and Kansas and nearly won at both Texas and Iowa State. They have seven of their top eight scorers returning. Mike Singletary went off late last season and could be an all-conference type. John Roberson is a nice Big 12 guard. Knight says he’ll be stressing better man-to-man defense this year.
Prediction: Better but in bottom three.
Iowa State has four starters back, including Craig Brackins and Lucca Staiger. Add JC All-American Marquis Gilstrap (who has only one year of eligibility), some key returnees coming off the bench, and two players who sat out last year, and the Cyclones look like a team that could make a significant jump up the league ladder. The main thing for Greg McDermott is that his team will be much more athletic. They’ll also be significantly deeper. Like Colorado, this should allow Iowa State to finish some games that it could not last season.
Prediction: Much better. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth.
Baylor will regroup after losing seniors Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells, Kevin Rogers, and Mamadou Diene. The Bears will build around returnees Tweety Carter, LaceDarius Dunn, and Quincy Acey. The big addition (literally) is Ekpe Udoh, the 6-10 transfer from Michigan who sat out last year. Scott Drew’s teleconference comments hinted that Udoh has some work to do offensively. Baylor’s top recruit is Nolan Dennis who originally signed with Memphis. Baylor is hard to figure for the season ahead. They won only five league games last year but rallied to get into the NIT championship game.
Prediction: Not quite as good. Bottom three finish but with a shot to do better than that.
Nebraska will be inexperienced but considerably bigger and deeper. And the talent appears to be better. While size, numbers, and talent are closer to what is needed, the hurdle will be youth. NU will have eight scholarship players who have never played a D-1 game. But Doc Sadler had bigger issues with his first three teams at NU. He manages to accomplish more with less. No reason to think his fourth team won’t come together as just as well as his other teams have. Under Sadler, it’s about playing harder and, often, smarter than your opponents. Adding more and better talent to that formula should result in improvement this coming season. Seniors Sek Henry and Ryan Anderson need to have their best seasons for NU to make a move up.
Prediction: Better. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward the middle of that group.
Oklahoma State has James Anderson returning. That does more to buoy the Cowboys hopes for 09-10 than anything. Anderson decided late in the summer to delay his NBA aspirations and return to Stillwater for his junior season. Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris are gone and that is hurtful. But Travis Ford pulled in seven highly ranked freshmen recruits, ranked as the 11th best class in the country by Rivals. Post players Teeng Akol and Torin Walker will give the Cowboys needed size. Obi Muonelo returning on the perimeter will be big. The primary question for OSU will be at point guard. Eaton was a huge reason they reached the NCAA Tournament round of 32.
Prediction: Not quite as good. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth.
Texas A&M will have three starters back. Bryan Davis, Donald Sloan, and Derrick Roland are an awfully nice group of players around which to build. Josh Carter and Chinemelu Elonu are gone. Elonu would have made the Aggies much stronger inside but decided to forgo his last year of college ball and try his luck in the NBA. As usual, A&M did well recruiting. Mark Turgeon picked up a Rivals Top 25 recruiting class, with Ray Turner, Kourtney Roberson, and Khris Middleton the mostly likely contributors as freshmen. A&M will miss Carter and Elonu and their combined 23.6 points per game. Several of the coaches seemed to like A&M a lot in the teleconference.
Prediction: As good. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward the top of that group.
Texas is a probable preseason top five team. If Rick Barnes gets his point guard issues resolved, the Longhorns should deliver on that lofty projection. Florida transfer Jai Lucas is the likely candidate at that spot. Lucas and fellow top 10 recruits Jordan Hamilton and Avery Bradley will give Texas more depth than it has had recently. Veterans back are Dexter Pittman, Damion James, Gary Johnson, Dogus Balbay, and Justin Mason. Besides point guard, the only question about the Longhorns is whether Barnes can play as fast as he wants to with Pittman on the floor. Other coaches in the league should have such problems! Asked about his concerns in the teleconference, Barnes couldn’t name one.
Prediction: Better. Should finish second.
Kansas State also scored a consensus Top 25 recruiting class to go with four returning starters from last season. Frank Martin calls it the best mix of experience and new players he’s had in Manhattan. The starters coming back are Denis Clemente, Luis Colon, Jacob Pullen, and Dominique Sutton. Jamar Samuels is a key bench contributor returning. The new guys include McDonald’s All-American Wally Judge, shooting guard Rodney McGruder, and point guard Nick Russell. Martin says Judge “has great hands and runs like the wind.” Connecticut transfer Curtis Kelly will also be eligible after sitting out last season. Unlike the Michael Beasley and Bill Walker days, Martin says the first year guys won’t feel the pressure to carry the team this season. In fact, they’ll all have significant competition for playing time.
Prediction: Better. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward the middle to top of that group.
Missouri will obviously miss the inside presence of Demarre Carroll and Leo Lyons. Even more so if 6-10 forward recruit Keith DeWitt is definitively deemed ineligible by the NCAA, which was an earlier ruling and is the case as of this writing. Carroll, Lyons, and Matt Lawrence have used up their college eligibility and combined, scored more than 40 points per game. Ouch. J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor returning in the backcourt helps. Second year players Kim English, Marcus Denmon, Keith Ramsey, and Miguel Paul will need to step up. Missouri will be hard pressed to win 12 league games again this year.
Prediction: Not as good. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward middle or bottom of that group.
Oklahoma lost college basketball’s Player of the Year. Not to mention Taylor Griffin, and Austin Johnson. I appreciate the special talents of Willie Warren, Tony Crocker, Keith Gallon, and Tommy Mason-Griffin. But Blake Griffin is gone!
Prediction: Not as good. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward the middle of that group.
Kansas has everybody back but the end of the bench. They add three, five-star recruits. This one is easy!
Prediction: Better. Should win the league.
So there you have it. Bottom to top. Eight Big 12 teams will be as good as or better than last year when the league sent a record nine teams to postseason play. KU and Texas will finish at the top. Colorado, Tech, and Baylor at the bottom. Everybody else somewhere in between.
Just remember when it’s all over in March, some beauty contests are better than others. This one - the Big 12 Conference - will be the best in the nation.
Think of the 2009-10 Big 12 men’s basketball race as a beauty contest. The winner, runner-up, etc. will be just a little prettier and more talented than those who don’t make the pageant finals. Although they don’t award a 12th place finish in the Miss America contest, I’m sure if they did, we would all agree she’s awfully attractive.
I thought it was hype, all this talk about the Big 12 being the best league in the country this coming winter. Smugly, I thought Yadda Yadda Yadda. This is just the conference trying to promote itself. Trying to secure more national media respect.
But after listening to the coaches summer teleconference, I’m all-over the proposition that the Big 12 will be the best if we’re talking about quality, top to bottom.
Most fans probably won’t buy it. At season’s end, teams in the lower third of the conference standings will have lost a good number of league games. Teams that win just a few can’t be any good, can they? You bet they can. The only thing that means is that the Big 12 will have cannibalized itself. This season, the teams that finish at the bottom won’t be as far behind the leaders as the final standings suggest. They’re all really good. Some just a little better than others. The problem is the company they keep.
Based on how they finished in the standings last year, let’s peek at the possibilities for each team this coming season. We’ll start with those most likely not to succeed, moving up from there. As you’ll note, I think eight teams will be as good as or better than last year.
Colorado won one league game last year. But the Buffs lost 11 conference games by an average of only 4.5 points per game. They took Texas into overtime. Jeff Bzdelik’s team will be better because it will be deeper and stronger inside. JC transfer Marcus Relphorde and incoming frosh Alec Burks (being compared to Richard Roby when he was a freshman) are two of five newcomers who will help. Colorado should be able to finish some games this year that it could not a year ago.
Prediction: Better but in bottom three.
Texas Tech won only three games in the conference last season. But late in the year, the Raiders showed signs of understanding what Pat Knight expects. They beat both A&M and Kansas and nearly won at both Texas and Iowa State. They have seven of their top eight scorers returning. Mike Singletary went off late last season and could be an all-conference type. John Roberson is a nice Big 12 guard. Knight says he’ll be stressing better man-to-man defense this year.
Prediction: Better but in bottom three.
Iowa State has four starters back, including Craig Brackins and Lucca Staiger. Add JC All-American Marquis Gilstrap (who has only one year of eligibility), some key returnees coming off the bench, and two players who sat out last year, and the Cyclones look like a team that could make a significant jump up the league ladder. The main thing for Greg McDermott is that his team will be much more athletic. They’ll also be significantly deeper. Like Colorado, this should allow Iowa State to finish some games that it could not last season.
Prediction: Much better. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth.
Baylor will regroup after losing seniors Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells, Kevin Rogers, and Mamadou Diene. The Bears will build around returnees Tweety Carter, LaceDarius Dunn, and Quincy Acey. The big addition (literally) is Ekpe Udoh, the 6-10 transfer from Michigan who sat out last year. Scott Drew’s teleconference comments hinted that Udoh has some work to do offensively. Baylor’s top recruit is Nolan Dennis who originally signed with Memphis. Baylor is hard to figure for the season ahead. They won only five league games last year but rallied to get into the NIT championship game.
Prediction: Not quite as good. Bottom three finish but with a shot to do better than that.
Nebraska will be inexperienced but considerably bigger and deeper. And the talent appears to be better. While size, numbers, and talent are closer to what is needed, the hurdle will be youth. NU will have eight scholarship players who have never played a D-1 game. But Doc Sadler had bigger issues with his first three teams at NU. He manages to accomplish more with less. No reason to think his fourth team won’t come together as just as well as his other teams have. Under Sadler, it’s about playing harder and, often, smarter than your opponents. Adding more and better talent to that formula should result in improvement this coming season. Seniors Sek Henry and Ryan Anderson need to have their best seasons for NU to make a move up.
Prediction: Better. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward the middle of that group.
Oklahoma State has James Anderson returning. That does more to buoy the Cowboys hopes for 09-10 than anything. Anderson decided late in the summer to delay his NBA aspirations and return to Stillwater for his junior season. Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris are gone and that is hurtful. But Travis Ford pulled in seven highly ranked freshmen recruits, ranked as the 11th best class in the country by Rivals. Post players Teeng Akol and Torin Walker will give the Cowboys needed size. Obi Muonelo returning on the perimeter will be big. The primary question for OSU will be at point guard. Eaton was a huge reason they reached the NCAA Tournament round of 32.
Prediction: Not quite as good. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth.
Texas A&M will have three starters back. Bryan Davis, Donald Sloan, and Derrick Roland are an awfully nice group of players around which to build. Josh Carter and Chinemelu Elonu are gone. Elonu would have made the Aggies much stronger inside but decided to forgo his last year of college ball and try his luck in the NBA. As usual, A&M did well recruiting. Mark Turgeon picked up a Rivals Top 25 recruiting class, with Ray Turner, Kourtney Roberson, and Khris Middleton the mostly likely contributors as freshmen. A&M will miss Carter and Elonu and their combined 23.6 points per game. Several of the coaches seemed to like A&M a lot in the teleconference.
Prediction: As good. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward the top of that group.
Texas is a probable preseason top five team. If Rick Barnes gets his point guard issues resolved, the Longhorns should deliver on that lofty projection. Florida transfer Jai Lucas is the likely candidate at that spot. Lucas and fellow top 10 recruits Jordan Hamilton and Avery Bradley will give Texas more depth than it has had recently. Veterans back are Dexter Pittman, Damion James, Gary Johnson, Dogus Balbay, and Justin Mason. Besides point guard, the only question about the Longhorns is whether Barnes can play as fast as he wants to with Pittman on the floor. Other coaches in the league should have such problems! Asked about his concerns in the teleconference, Barnes couldn’t name one.
Prediction: Better. Should finish second.
Kansas State also scored a consensus Top 25 recruiting class to go with four returning starters from last season. Frank Martin calls it the best mix of experience and new players he’s had in Manhattan. The starters coming back are Denis Clemente, Luis Colon, Jacob Pullen, and Dominique Sutton. Jamar Samuels is a key bench contributor returning. The new guys include McDonald’s All-American Wally Judge, shooting guard Rodney McGruder, and point guard Nick Russell. Martin says Judge “has great hands and runs like the wind.” Connecticut transfer Curtis Kelly will also be eligible after sitting out last season. Unlike the Michael Beasley and Bill Walker days, Martin says the first year guys won’t feel the pressure to carry the team this season. In fact, they’ll all have significant competition for playing time.
Prediction: Better. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward the middle to top of that group.
Missouri will obviously miss the inside presence of Demarre Carroll and Leo Lyons. Even more so if 6-10 forward recruit Keith DeWitt is definitively deemed ineligible by the NCAA, which was an earlier ruling and is the case as of this writing. Carroll, Lyons, and Matt Lawrence have used up their college eligibility and combined, scored more than 40 points per game. Ouch. J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor returning in the backcourt helps. Second year players Kim English, Marcus Denmon, Keith Ramsey, and Miguel Paul will need to step up. Missouri will be hard pressed to win 12 league games again this year.
Prediction: Not as good. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward middle or bottom of that group.
Oklahoma lost college basketball’s Player of the Year. Not to mention Taylor Griffin, and Austin Johnson. I appreciate the special talents of Willie Warren, Tony Crocker, Keith Gallon, and Tommy Mason-Griffin. But Blake Griffin is gone!
Prediction: Not as good. Could finish anywhere from third to ninth. Probably toward the middle of that group.
Kansas has everybody back but the end of the bench. They add three, five-star recruits. This one is easy!
Prediction: Better. Should win the league.
So there you have it. Bottom to top. Eight Big 12 teams will be as good as or better than last year when the league sent a record nine teams to postseason play. KU and Texas will finish at the top. Colorado, Tech, and Baylor at the bottom. Everybody else somewhere in between.
Just remember when it’s all over in March, some beauty contests are better than others. This one - the Big 12 Conference - will be the best in the nation.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Waking Up To Major Problems For Doc
If the Husker basketball season ahead doesn't go any better than it did in my dream last night, Doc Sadler is in big trouble.
Dreams, of course, are the absolute strangest! They are often the unconscious manifestation of the old saying: "it seemed like a good idea at the time."
In this one, it was perfectly plausible that I would actually be playing in a game for the Big Red instead of broadcasting it on the radio.
Nothing unusual about a 60 year old on the floor with four traditional-aged college teammates. And I was a starter, to boot!
However, in this particular contest, I was struggling. To those of you wondering who might replace A.E. as the object of Doc's frustrations next year, let me introduce myself to you. In one sequence, Doc was so angry with my inability to throw a successful pass, he not only jerked me from the game, but sent me to the opposite side of the court to watch from the stands.
It was there that I was told to sit for the rest of the first half. Plus, I was not allowed to join the team in the locker room at halftime. I was instructed to stay put.
When my teammates came back out, I was invited back to the other side of the court and informed that I would be starting the second half. Problem was, I couldn't find a way to get across the floor. There was no physical access to get there. I tried but couldn't find a way.
I was in a panic. My chances of leading the team in scoring, making All-Big-12, etc. were slipping away. If I could just get back to the team, things would be fine. Doc was not giving up on me. He wanted me back on the floor. He needed me to win the game.
But, alas, I could't find a way from one side of the Devaney center to the other.
Then came the crusher: I woke up.
For me it was a bad dream. For Doc, call it a nightmare.
Dreams, of course, are the absolute strangest! They are often the unconscious manifestation of the old saying: "it seemed like a good idea at the time."
In this one, it was perfectly plausible that I would actually be playing in a game for the Big Red instead of broadcasting it on the radio.
Nothing unusual about a 60 year old on the floor with four traditional-aged college teammates. And I was a starter, to boot!
However, in this particular contest, I was struggling. To those of you wondering who might replace A.E. as the object of Doc's frustrations next year, let me introduce myself to you. In one sequence, Doc was so angry with my inability to throw a successful pass, he not only jerked me from the game, but sent me to the opposite side of the court to watch from the stands.
It was there that I was told to sit for the rest of the first half. Plus, I was not allowed to join the team in the locker room at halftime. I was instructed to stay put.
When my teammates came back out, I was invited back to the other side of the court and informed that I would be starting the second half. Problem was, I couldn't find a way to get across the floor. There was no physical access to get there. I tried but couldn't find a way.
I was in a panic. My chances of leading the team in scoring, making All-Big-12, etc. were slipping away. If I could just get back to the team, things would be fine. Doc was not giving up on me. He wanted me back on the floor. He needed me to win the game.
But, alas, I could't find a way from one side of the Devaney center to the other.
Then came the crusher: I woke up.
For me it was a bad dream. For Doc, call it a nightmare.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Not My Favorite Book
Deception Point by Dan BrownMy review
rating: 2 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this but found it tedious to read at various points. Way too much technical detail about geology, etc. The ending was much faster paced. Very time consuming to read.
View all my reviews.
Friday, May 8, 2009
TOP TEN (20) REASONS NU WILL BE BETTER...OR NOT
KP'S TOP TEN REASONS THE 09-10 NU HOOPS SEASON COULD BE BETTER THAN LAST YEAR:
10. Dagunduro-Harley-Velander
-Ade was an excellent player. Harley and Velander were very nice players. But none of them represent the kind of loss sustained when Aleks Maric left the after the previous season. They'll certainly be missed. But it's not like KU losing Chalmers, Robinson, Rush, etc. the year before. And of course even KU managed fairly well after that group left.
9. Point guard
-Cookie Miller was good offensively in the open floor. Not so much in the half court. He was good defensively stealing the ball but a liability in terms of being shot over and being posted-up. A 5-6 point guard won't take you to the next level.
8. Depth
-Assuming the jucos all contribute, NU could come at opponents in waves. Ten deep or better realistically. Better numbers than last year.
7. Size
-There will be some.
6. Sek Henry
-As a senior, this will be his team. Expect leadership qualities not seen before. Plus, he has more help than in his first three years and won't have to do as many things. Should help him focus on his role and what he does best.
5. Ryan Anderson
-See Sek Henry notes above.
4. Toney McCray
-If it all comes together for him, he could be special. We all know that. He's that talented.
3. Juco transfers & Bear Jones
-All three Jucos and Jones were recruited for specific abilities where NU was limited last season. They'll give NU size at point (Jeter), a physical power forward (Hankins), a Dagunduro type wing (Holley), and a guard who can stroke it from the perimeter (Jones).
2. Niemann/Diaz
-I can't wait! Niemann looked to be on Maric's level in some respects the first time I saw him. Diaz is really unique. He can play out on the floor and shoot it. He has skills many bigs do not have. I have visions of them together on the floor that make me salivate.
1. Doc
-Eight wins with last years bunch says it all!
KP'S TOP TEN REASONS THE 09-10 NU HOOPS SEASON COULD BE WORSE THAN LAST YEAR:
10. Dagunduro-Harley-Velander
-These guys scored 30 points per game as a group. It's no slam dunk to replace that much offense. Not to mention the intensity and grit with which they played the game. They were true leaders.
9. Point guard
-Cookie Miller's liabilities notwithstanding, he made things happen. (Or didn't in the case of the UMBC game last year.) Things will look very different at point guard. Bigger isn't automatically better. Will NU turn opponents over as much from that position? Who will push the tempo?
8. Depth
-This team may be ten deep or better (even with a redshirt or two) but it can be hard to play that many in a regular rotation. Will some of the ten accept limited minutes? Deep benches can produce unhappy players. Will NU have great chemistry as it did last year?
7. Size
-While good size and length is certainly a positive, how does it impact style, ability to guard smaller teams, etc.? Can a much larger NU team play with the same controlled frenzy that served it so well last year?
6. Sek Henry
-For NU to get to the next level this coming season, Sek Henry needs to take his game to the next level. What have we seen to indicate this is a probability?
5. Ryan Anderson
-See Sek Henry notes above.
4. Tony McCray
-see Sek Henry notes above.
3. Neimann/Diaz
-They are first year players. First year players, more often than not, aren't huge difference makers. (Remember the debate on whether Diaz should have played late last year? That experience would be helpful going into 09-10.)
2. Juco transfers & Bear Jones
-see Neimann/Diaz notes above.
1. Doc
-Even if NU is improved, the Big 12 will be too. Perhaps exponentially. Winning eight conference games in 09-10 will be more difficult than last year. Doc can't control the quality of the other teams in the league.
For the record, I'm betting on the first set of ten above!
10. Dagunduro-Harley-Velander
-Ade was an excellent player. Harley and Velander were very nice players. But none of them represent the kind of loss sustained when Aleks Maric left the after the previous season. They'll certainly be missed. But it's not like KU losing Chalmers, Robinson, Rush, etc. the year before. And of course even KU managed fairly well after that group left.
9. Point guard
-Cookie Miller was good offensively in the open floor. Not so much in the half court. He was good defensively stealing the ball but a liability in terms of being shot over and being posted-up. A 5-6 point guard won't take you to the next level.
8. Depth
-Assuming the jucos all contribute, NU could come at opponents in waves. Ten deep or better realistically. Better numbers than last year.
7. Size
-There will be some.
6. Sek Henry
-As a senior, this will be his team. Expect leadership qualities not seen before. Plus, he has more help than in his first three years and won't have to do as many things. Should help him focus on his role and what he does best.
5. Ryan Anderson
-See Sek Henry notes above.
4. Toney McCray
-If it all comes together for him, he could be special. We all know that. He's that talented.
3. Juco transfers & Bear Jones
-All three Jucos and Jones were recruited for specific abilities where NU was limited last season. They'll give NU size at point (Jeter), a physical power forward (Hankins), a Dagunduro type wing (Holley), and a guard who can stroke it from the perimeter (Jones).
2. Niemann/Diaz
-I can't wait! Niemann looked to be on Maric's level in some respects the first time I saw him. Diaz is really unique. He can play out on the floor and shoot it. He has skills many bigs do not have. I have visions of them together on the floor that make me salivate.
1. Doc
-Eight wins with last years bunch says it all!
KP'S TOP TEN REASONS THE 09-10 NU HOOPS SEASON COULD BE WORSE THAN LAST YEAR:
10. Dagunduro-Harley-Velander
-These guys scored 30 points per game as a group. It's no slam dunk to replace that much offense. Not to mention the intensity and grit with which they played the game. They were true leaders.
9. Point guard
-Cookie Miller's liabilities notwithstanding, he made things happen. (Or didn't in the case of the UMBC game last year.) Things will look very different at point guard. Bigger isn't automatically better. Will NU turn opponents over as much from that position? Who will push the tempo?
8. Depth
-This team may be ten deep or better (even with a redshirt or two) but it can be hard to play that many in a regular rotation. Will some of the ten accept limited minutes? Deep benches can produce unhappy players. Will NU have great chemistry as it did last year?
7. Size
-While good size and length is certainly a positive, how does it impact style, ability to guard smaller teams, etc.? Can a much larger NU team play with the same controlled frenzy that served it so well last year?
6. Sek Henry
-For NU to get to the next level this coming season, Sek Henry needs to take his game to the next level. What have we seen to indicate this is a probability?
5. Ryan Anderson
-See Sek Henry notes above.
4. Tony McCray
-see Sek Henry notes above.
3. Neimann/Diaz
-They are first year players. First year players, more often than not, aren't huge difference makers. (Remember the debate on whether Diaz should have played late last year? That experience would be helpful going into 09-10.)
2. Juco transfers & Bear Jones
-see Neimann/Diaz notes above.
1. Doc
-Even if NU is improved, the Big 12 will be too. Perhaps exponentially. Winning eight conference games in 09-10 will be more difficult than last year. Doc can't control the quality of the other teams in the league.
For the record, I'm betting on the first set of ten above!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A VERY IMPORTANT PASS COMPLETION
Marlin Briscoe ran onto the field with his Denver Broncos trailing the Boston Patriots by 10 points. It was September 29, 1968. The game was in the fourth quarter. He would call a 22-yard slant pass over the middle. He felt the pressure.
Briscoe, who was trying to become the first black starting quarterback in the NFL, said he had had to complete that first ball. He needed to do so not only for himself but, as it turned out, for others to come. If he hadn't, a more noble version of American history would not be written for a long, long time.
So Briscoe dropped back from under center and fired right on the money to his receiver. Then came another completion. And then another.
Those pass plays ensured that Briscoe stayed on the field and that he was called on to start at quarterback in subsequent games that season. And because of all that, he paved the way for his successors.
Four African American quarterbacks were drafted the following season.
Had it not been for the outcome of those vital snaps, the history of the NFL would have remained static with the names of white-only quarterbacks well beyond 1968. But Briscoe made good on those plays, and the kid who grew up in South Omaha and played his college ball at the Omaha University, made it possible for other black quarterbacks to get a shot in the NFL.
All of that didn't depend so much on Briscoe's entire season in 1968. The much finer point is there wouldn't have been a season if those first plays had gone wrong. Marlin Briscoe's passes that day gave berth to an important racial sea change in the NFL. The Broncos lost to the Patriots but Briscoe started the next game against Cincinnati.
The irony of Marlin Briscoe's story and contribution is that while it is so very much about race, Briscoe says he never considered himself to be a "black" quarterback. Others surely did. Those were race-charged days following the civil rights act of 1964. But Briscoe says his skin color was never a factor in being given the opportunity to play quarterback in Omaha. Briscoe was a quarterback from his childhood days through his career at South High and Omaha University.
Briscoe, who spoke recently at Metropolitan Community College, and who was a guest on my "Metro & More" TV show, told viewers it "would easily have been ten more years for other black quarterbacks to get a chance in the NFL," had he not done well in that game.
Consider the contribution of serendipty and good karma in all of this:
What if the Denver media had not been watching Briscoe closely in fall camp and saw that he was capable? What if reporters hadn't made a lot of noise about Briscoe getting a chance?
What if Lou Saban hadn't had the guts to play a black quarterback? If Denver had been coached by somebody else?
What if that first pass had been off the mark, or dropped?
All of those things came together to advance American professional football and social concience because of Briscoe's talent and being in the right place at the right time. It is an example of how life usually works, or doesn't work, for all of us. Too often we dismiss the element of blind luck and the good favor of others in the fortune we find in life. Too often we attribute the good stuff that happens to us to our own effort and talent. But way more gifted people fail to reach lofty ambition and achievement even though they have tried hard and are gifted. Usually it is simply because things just didn't line-up quite right.
So this was an opportunity capitalized on by a black quarterback from Omaha. A slant over the middle. A very important pass completion.
Briscoe, who's life will be the subject of a movie currently being planned, went on to start six games for the Bronocs in 1968. It was his only year to play quarterback in professional football. He later, of course, wound up being an all-pro receiver with the Buffalo Bills.
The TV interview provided several other tidbits about the reality of being black in the NFL back-in-the-day. Briscoe noted that blacks also did not start at middle linebacker or at center. Something about not being able to "think, throw, and lead" if you were an African American. Those were so called thinking positions.
And if you are old enough to remember the NFL in 1968, you probably never saw Marlin Briscoe play quarterback on TV. Marlin claims that wasn't by accident. League officials and TV executives didn't go there. The Broncos weren't on the tube because of the obvious.
Marlin Briscoe is one of Omaha's most important racial stories. His accompishments are important. The city and state of Nebraska are remiss for, so far, not having officially honored his contributions.
The movie being planned, with the help of Omaha favorite-son John Beasley, is the stuff of a potential block-buster: Marlin "The Magician" Briscoe. Yet Omaha seems mostly disinterested and oblivious to the story.
Why is there not a Marlin Briscoe street, park, football field, or something else appropriate named after him?
Why does Omaha largely ignore him and what he did? Could the color of his skin, after all these years, still be the issue?
(Watch Cox Channel 18 in Omaha for the Marlin Briscoe episode of "Metro & More")
Briscoe, who was trying to become the first black starting quarterback in the NFL, said he had had to complete that first ball. He needed to do so not only for himself but, as it turned out, for others to come. If he hadn't, a more noble version of American history would not be written for a long, long time.
So Briscoe dropped back from under center and fired right on the money to his receiver. Then came another completion. And then another.
Those pass plays ensured that Briscoe stayed on the field and that he was called on to start at quarterback in subsequent games that season. And because of all that, he paved the way for his successors.
Four African American quarterbacks were drafted the following season.
Had it not been for the outcome of those vital snaps, the history of the NFL would have remained static with the names of white-only quarterbacks well beyond 1968. But Briscoe made good on those plays, and the kid who grew up in South Omaha and played his college ball at the Omaha University, made it possible for other black quarterbacks to get a shot in the NFL.
All of that didn't depend so much on Briscoe's entire season in 1968. The much finer point is there wouldn't have been a season if those first plays had gone wrong. Marlin Briscoe's passes that day gave berth to an important racial sea change in the NFL. The Broncos lost to the Patriots but Briscoe started the next game against Cincinnati.
The irony of Marlin Briscoe's story and contribution is that while it is so very much about race, Briscoe says he never considered himself to be a "black" quarterback. Others surely did. Those were race-charged days following the civil rights act of 1964. But Briscoe says his skin color was never a factor in being given the opportunity to play quarterback in Omaha. Briscoe was a quarterback from his childhood days through his career at South High and Omaha University.
Briscoe, who spoke recently at Metropolitan Community College, and who was a guest on my "Metro & More" TV show, told viewers it "would easily have been ten more years for other black quarterbacks to get a chance in the NFL," had he not done well in that game.
Consider the contribution of serendipty and good karma in all of this:
What if the Denver media had not been watching Briscoe closely in fall camp and saw that he was capable? What if reporters hadn't made a lot of noise about Briscoe getting a chance?
What if Lou Saban hadn't had the guts to play a black quarterback? If Denver had been coached by somebody else?
What if that first pass had been off the mark, or dropped?
All of those things came together to advance American professional football and social concience because of Briscoe's talent and being in the right place at the right time. It is an example of how life usually works, or doesn't work, for all of us. Too often we dismiss the element of blind luck and the good favor of others in the fortune we find in life. Too often we attribute the good stuff that happens to us to our own effort and talent. But way more gifted people fail to reach lofty ambition and achievement even though they have tried hard and are gifted. Usually it is simply because things just didn't line-up quite right.
So this was an opportunity capitalized on by a black quarterback from Omaha. A slant over the middle. A very important pass completion.
Briscoe, who's life will be the subject of a movie currently being planned, went on to start six games for the Bronocs in 1968. It was his only year to play quarterback in professional football. He later, of course, wound up being an all-pro receiver with the Buffalo Bills.
The TV interview provided several other tidbits about the reality of being black in the NFL back-in-the-day. Briscoe noted that blacks also did not start at middle linebacker or at center. Something about not being able to "think, throw, and lead" if you were an African American. Those were so called thinking positions.
And if you are old enough to remember the NFL in 1968, you probably never saw Marlin Briscoe play quarterback on TV. Marlin claims that wasn't by accident. League officials and TV executives didn't go there. The Broncos weren't on the tube because of the obvious.
Marlin Briscoe is one of Omaha's most important racial stories. His accompishments are important. The city and state of Nebraska are remiss for, so far, not having officially honored his contributions.
The movie being planned, with the help of Omaha favorite-son John Beasley, is the stuff of a potential block-buster: Marlin "The Magician" Briscoe. Yet Omaha seems mostly disinterested and oblivious to the story.
Why is there not a Marlin Briscoe street, park, football field, or something else appropriate named after him?
Why does Omaha largely ignore him and what he did? Could the color of his skin, after all these years, still be the issue?
(Watch Cox Channel 18 in Omaha for the Marlin Briscoe episode of "Metro & More")
Sunday, May 3, 2009
GOOD READ
Nothing to Lose by Lee ChildMy review
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Child is one of my favorites. Really great book. A tad bit of overkill in the descriptions of the characters movements getting in and out of the "compound" and Despair Colorado. (That was the critical and cryptic part. Read it and you'll understand!)
Other than that, this book is close to riveting. I love Jack Reacher. He's a 21st century cowboy: forever independent, fearless and always does the next right thing. Plus, in the end, he always leaves the girl!
I'll be picking up everything written by Lee Child until he disappoints me.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Kent Pavelka & Associates is launching a media campaign to combat the problem of underage drinking in Nebraska. 1-866-MUST-B-21 (Nebraska) features a new website, radio commercials, and a Facebook cause. The initiative is sponsored by the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety. We hope you'll support the effort.
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