Sad day indeed.
Let me second Mr. Grant's words and add a few of my
own.
The year that Marquette won the NCAA Basketball
Championship was 1977, at the Omni in Atlanta. No, I'm not looking this
up, its in my messed up little head. This is my very first sports memory
of any kind, I was a few weeks short of being 3 years old. My father is a
Marquette alum, former player and diehard Warriors fan (now Golden
Eagles?). Anyway, upon the sound of the final buzzer, my Dad was jumping
in cheering so much that he head his head on the ceiling and KO'd himself for a
few minutes.
The star at UNC that year was Phil Ford, point
guard and longtime Dean Smith assistant coach. Walter Davis was there, as
well. The tourney M.O.P. (Most Outstanding Player) was Marquette's Butch
Lee, who got off to a good start as a rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but
later suffered a knee injury that today would probably be manageable, but in
1978 left a player never the same. Believe that the semi-finalists that
year were UNLV and UNC-Charlotte, a cinderella led by Cedric "Cornbread"
Maxwell.
That was Marquette's last trip to the Final Four,
and Al McGuire's last game. He was the best color man on the tube, in my
opinion. I met him after a game in 1983, they lost to DePaul, I got his
autograph and a photo with their star at the time, Doc Rivers, believe Rick
Majerus was the coach then.
Grote
adiRP/MMRD
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 5:35
PM
Subject: t-and-f: Death of a
Sportsman
Netters:
I was saeened a
few minutes ago to head of the death of Al McGuire, who, while best known for
his basketball exploits as player, coach and commentator, had a onetime
connectionm with our sport, of which more later.
I will always
remember McGuire for two incidents that occurred during Marquette's upset win
over North Carolina at the NCAA chamapionships (1976, I believe).
The firest
occurred when the issue was very much in doubnt., The star of North Carolina
(can't recall the name, but it wasn't you know who---he came along a few years
later)--drove in for a shot and went tumbling into the stands. Marquette got
the ball and was hurrying it down the coyurt for an apparent five on four
possession when McGuire signalled from the bench to slow the play
down.
The NorthCarolina
ace extricated himself from the fans, hurried back up the court and play
continued, five on five.
The second was at
the game's end. With seconds to go and vbictory assured this tough (and he was
tough) guy from Brooklyn broke down in tears, burying his head in his hands.
later he said that all he could think of was "all those CYO games, all those
tiny gyms back in Brooklyn." This was a man who n=[knew where he came from and
loved every minute of it.
A lighter story
or two from his broadcasting days. Once, he was going a game at Georgetown
(against Missouri, I think). For some reason, this Sunday TV special was being
played at the Hoyas' Mc Donogh gym rather than the larger arena (pre-Landover)
where it would normally have been scheduled. McGuire commented "This is like
playing Georgetown in a confessional box."
Again during the
early days of the 1980 presidential campaign, he was doing a game, perhaps
back at marquette, and there was a sign in the stands "McGuire for
Presiodent." His rejoinder was (remember this was when Jimmy Carter was
President with a brother who got a lot of ink) "I've got abrother who would
make Billy Carter look lile a monk."
Finally, the
track connection. It was not well known that in his HS days, Al had been a
successfull cross-country runner. He took advanatage of that to earn big bucks
for a Milwaukee charity. There was a road race and McGuire got a lot of
well-hipped Milwaukee business men to put up money for each second (or minute)
he could run the course under a certain time. He evidently had kept in good
shape, but be beat the time with plenty to spare.
A real sportsman
and he will be missed.
Ed Grant
PS:
Of course, everyone who answered my earlier trvia question---ad I am flattered
at the number of responses---was absolutely correct. It could have been no one
but Skeets.
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