This is the eulogy given by Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams during the funeral of his wife, Ingrid, yesterday. Ingrid Williams was killed when the car she was driving was hit head-on by an SUV. The driver of the SUV, Susannah Donaldson, was also killed. During this amazing eulogy, Williams asks for prayers for the Donaldson family as well as his own.
All I have to say is that Monty Williams is an amazing man!
Be sure to watch the whole thing. It will be great investment of seven minutes of your life.
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Friday, February 19, 2016
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Go Cavs...but the NBA drives me crazy
Posted this on Facebook this morning (this is a slightly edited form):
The Cavaliers competing in the play-offs and finals has caused me to do something I haven't done in over thirty years: Watch more than just clips of NBA games.
I've actually watched about ten minutes of live action in the past three weeks!
Really happy for Cleveland and for Ohio, of course. That's why I've looked in on the games.
But I love basketball, which is why I don't usually watch the NBA. These recent brief look-ins have reminded me of why. A defender, for example, almost has to set off grenades in the uniforms of an opposition player to draw a foul.
Basketball is supposed to be a non-contact sport.
I can understand occasional hand-checks.
Or brushes and hard stops on pick and rolls.
But not wrapping arms around opposing players.
Not armlocks.
Not barely noted intentional elbows to skulls, resulting in an opposing player's head crashing to the hardwood.
I don't like any of this and hate how, through emulation, it has infected the college game too. But the NCAA is not yet as bad as the Not Basketball Association.
Go, Cavs!
Friday, February 06, 2015
Aaron Craft is Getting Noticed
Aaron Craft, the former Ohio State point guard, seems finally to be getting some of the notice he deserves from the NBA. Toiling in basketball's D-level, he continues to be a great ball handler, an effective thief on defense, and a spark plug who can ignite his teammates. (Glad a high school friend posted this over on Facebook.)
Monday, November 03, 2014
"I believe that we will..."
"I believe that we will win." By now, many will have heard that simple, infectious chant at sporting events.
Evidently, it was taken up by fans of the United States soccer team during its recent World Cup matches.
Youtube shows a lot of college basketball and football fans using it, especially out in Utah, as early as 2010.
But wherever the chant came from, it's cool, especially when it's not part of the official program, simply arising spontaneously from the stands.
The whole phenomenon set me to thinking, though. Every Sunday at our church and, I know, at most churches, there's a time set aside for people to confess their belief in the triune God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some do it with altar calls. My tradition does it with the historic creeds of the Church--the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and sometimes the Athanasian Creed.
But what if, at the point in our services usually designated for us to confess our faith, someone took up a simple chant, believers bobbing up and down in celebration and belief? It might be kind of cool. Can you hear it?
Oh, if you're not sure how the chant should go, here's one example from Utah State four years ago:
Evidently, it was taken up by fans of the United States soccer team during its recent World Cup matches.
Youtube shows a lot of college basketball and football fans using it, especially out in Utah, as early as 2010.
But wherever the chant came from, it's cool, especially when it's not part of the official program, simply arising spontaneously from the stands.
The whole phenomenon set me to thinking, though. Every Sunday at our church and, I know, at most churches, there's a time set aside for people to confess their belief in the triune God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some do it with altar calls. My tradition does it with the historic creeds of the Church--the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and sometimes the Athanasian Creed.
But what if, at the point in our services usually designated for us to confess our faith, someone took up a simple chant, believers bobbing up and down in celebration and belief? It might be kind of cool. Can you hear it?
I believe in Father GodGo ahead, you know you're chanting it silently at your computer right now. Stand up! Do a little aerobic praise. Bob up and down and chant away what you believe! Feel free to post videos of you, your family, your youth group, your basketball team, or whatever on Facebook or Youtube. A lot of people might be encouraged by the sight of Christians showing as much enthusiasm in cheering for God as all of us often do at ball games.
I believe in God the Son
I believe in God the Spirit
I believe the Three-in-One!
I believe in Father God
I believe in God the Son
I believe in God the Spirit
I believe the Three-in-One!
I believe in Father God
I believe in God the Son
I believe in God the Spirit
I believe the Three-in-One!
Oh, if you're not sure how the chant should go, here's one example from Utah State four years ago:
Saturday, February 09, 2013
"I told him, 'It's OK to do the right thing.'"
This is such a cool story!
Turner, who is from Chicago, met Pitts through a mutual acquaintance — an assistant coach on Turner’s high-school team — and the friendship grew as both began to realize they shared similar interests and personalities.Evan Turner is da bomb!
“We would text and talk and I came to Ohio and we’d hang out and I saw a little bit of myself in him,” Turner said. “He’s kind of quiet and trying to find his way. The difference is, with the shyness and insecurities, I had a brother, Darius, who made me feel comfortable. Devon didn’t have any siblings. I just tried to lend an ear and lead by example. I told him, ‘It’s OK to do the right thing.’”
Friday, February 08, 2013
Judge for Yourself
Aaron Craft probably didn't get a chance to go to the foul line for Ohio State at the end of the Buckeyes' overtime game against Michigan at Ann Arbor, despite what appears to me to be three fouls committed by two Wolverines against Craft in the span of a few seconds because, just moments before, he wasn't called for what also appeared to be a flagrant foul committed by him.
Was the no-call a make up for that? Who knows? After all, referees may have objective rules to follow and for the most part big college refs are excellent, but many judgments are, inevitably, subjective. I certainly don't envy them having to make quick calls with 15,000 would-be refs in the stands.
But for Buckeye fans like me who saw our team fight in a hostile environment against the #3 team in the country for a chance to tie or win on the last possession of overtime, the end of Tuesday night's game was a little less than satisfying.
Fans, of course, can afford the luxury of looking back and rehashing a loss. But in the rush of a season in America's best college basketball conference, the Big 10, coaches and players can only look back for a few lessons and then move ahead.
I'll let you be the judge of whether a foul should have been called on this play...and then move on.
Go, Buckeyes!
[UPDATE: I really do love the Wolverines' fluorescent yellow sneakers. They are cool! And that's hard for a Buckeye to admit.]
Was the no-call a make up for that? Who knows? After all, referees may have objective rules to follow and for the most part big college refs are excellent, but many judgments are, inevitably, subjective. I certainly don't envy them having to make quick calls with 15,000 would-be refs in the stands.
But for Buckeye fans like me who saw our team fight in a hostile environment against the #3 team in the country for a chance to tie or win on the last possession of overtime, the end of Tuesday night's game was a little less than satisfying.
Fans, of course, can afford the luxury of looking back and rehashing a loss. But in the rush of a season in America's best college basketball conference, the Big 10, coaches and players can only look back for a few lessons and then move ahead.
I'll let you be the judge of whether a foul should have been called on this play...and then move on.
Go, Buckeyes!
[UPDATE: I really do love the Wolverines' fluorescent yellow sneakers. They are cool! And that's hard for a Buckeye to admit.]
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Tough One Ahead for My Buckeyes
Wisconsin, at Madison, will be a formidable obstacle to the Buckeyes' quest for an undefeated season. Go, Buckeyes!
Friday, February 04, 2011
The #1 Ohio State Buckeyes Basketball Team Display Other Skills
Michael Arace has an excellent column about the real soul of this team. Great insights!
Can the Buckeyes remain undefeated? That seems almost impossible in the Big 10 (AKA The B1G), probably the toughest conference in the country this year. But that this is a great team already is clear. And with their unselfishness and obvious personal chemistry, they are also a real joy to watch! Whether in their harrying defense, their willingness to pass the ball to get the best play, or doing Jackson 5 and Miley Cyrus covers, these guys are fun. (I hope that they have just as much fun in the classroom.)
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Geezer Ball? Hopefully, Some Day I'll Play Shirts and Skins Again
The men featured in this article from the Columbus Dispatch, play pick-up games during lunch hours at both the Columbus Athletic Club and the downtown YMCA. Most inspiring is a 76-year old who plays in spite of previous bypass and heart valve surgeries!
I'm 57 and, as some who read this blog know, I suffered from a heart attack that damaged 40% of my heart last summer. I subsequently received a stent inserted into a heart artery that had been 100% blocked.
My heart function is improving, no doubt because of four major factors: medication that is strengthening the heart and reducing cholesterol (although my HDL, the "bad cholesterol," was never that high); cardiac rehabilitation, which, after I "graduated," has been followed by continued regular exercise; being a stickler for a heart healthy diet; and becoming more regular about daily Bible reading and prayer. God helps me to be both more calm and more deeply certain of His presence, will, and love for me through this latter discipline, incorporating time spent in His Word and in reverent conversation with God.
(A high school classmate of Ann and mine reminded me today that among the most important things in dealing with a heart attack's aftermath is learning "not sweat the mall stuff, and in the end, it's all small stuff." Spending time in God's Word and in humble adoration, confession, supplication, and praise of the God made known to the world in Christ is the best way I know to heed that good advice!)
Earlier today, I enjoyed the routine which the cardiac rehab techs taught me to use at home on those days I don't go to the gym: stretching, life weight-lifting, and a 45-minute walk.
This is all helping me to get stronger.
So, dare I hope that one day, I might be able to regularly enjoy playing pick-up basketball games like the guys in the Dispatch story? I would love that!
And maybe, if I suddenly fall heir to an incredible amount of wackily-disposable income, I could do what a good friend of mine did last year about this time: Play with ex-Big Leaguers at the Cincinnati Reds Fantasy Camp in Arizona. Now, that would be über-cool!
Here's a slide show from The Dispatch of the "geezer" pick-up games: index
I'm 57 and, as some who read this blog know, I suffered from a heart attack that damaged 40% of my heart last summer. I subsequently received a stent inserted into a heart artery that had been 100% blocked.
My heart function is improving, no doubt because of four major factors: medication that is strengthening the heart and reducing cholesterol (although my HDL, the "bad cholesterol," was never that high); cardiac rehabilitation, which, after I "graduated," has been followed by continued regular exercise; being a stickler for a heart healthy diet; and becoming more regular about daily Bible reading and prayer. God helps me to be both more calm and more deeply certain of His presence, will, and love for me through this latter discipline, incorporating time spent in His Word and in reverent conversation with God.
(A high school classmate of Ann and mine reminded me today that among the most important things in dealing with a heart attack's aftermath is learning "not sweat the mall stuff, and in the end, it's all small stuff." Spending time in God's Word and in humble adoration, confession, supplication, and praise of the God made known to the world in Christ is the best way I know to heed that good advice!)
Earlier today, I enjoyed the routine which the cardiac rehab techs taught me to use at home on those days I don't go to the gym: stretching, life weight-lifting, and a 45-minute walk.
This is all helping me to get stronger.
So, dare I hope that one day, I might be able to regularly enjoy playing pick-up basketball games like the guys in the Dispatch story? I would love that!
And maybe, if I suddenly fall heir to an incredible amount of wackily-disposable income, I could do what a good friend of mine did last year about this time: Play with ex-Big Leaguers at the Cincinnati Reds Fantasy Camp in Arizona. Now, that would be über-cool!
Here's a slide show from The Dispatch of the "geezer" pick-up games: index
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thoughts on the Buckeyes Loss to Tennessee Last Night in NCAA Tournament
Of course, I was sad to see the Buckeyes men's basketball season come to an end last night. But Ohio State put up a great fight against Tennessee, who feature imposing front-line players and stifling defense. (See here.) As Buckeye fourth-year junior David Lighty said, the shots just weren't falling.
At least that was the story offensively. Most important of all, probably, was how effectively the Volunteers bottled up Buckeye three-point threat Jon Diebler, who may have had his poorest shooting performance since the Buckeyes' game against Penn State in Columbus back on February 3. (That was a game the Buckeyes won 75-62. But the final score was more lopsided than most of the game had been. The contest was nip and tuck most of the evening. The turnaround moment, ironically, came when Diebler, who had struggled all evening long, hit a three with 1:29 left in the game. But there was no such turnaround moment last night!)
Once again, as has been true of every year he's been a collegiate head coach, Thad Matta did a masterful job this season. With a short bench, the Buckeyes made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Matta has proven year after year that he is more than a great recruiter; he's a guy who can mold a winning game plan around varied personnel. As an Ohio State grad and lifelong Ohio State basketball fan, I feel that the university is as fortunate to have Matta at the helm of men's basketball as it is to have Jim Tressel coaching football!
I would love to see national player-of-the-year Evan Turner return next year. But I doubt that it will happen.
And who could blame Turner for going to the NBA? The injury he sustained earlier this season--breaking several bones in his back--demonstrates how vulnerable to injury an athlete can be. A few inches difference in the impact point of that injury and Turner might have been far more seriously injured. At least in the NBA, Turner will be paid for taking such risks and be able to afford any long-term care afterward. The risks are simply too great to expect him to come back with the Buckeyes for his senior year.
But, WOW! Turner has certainly added another great chapter to the annals of Ohio State basketball history.
Next year, with two of the top high school recruits in the country and a terrific returning cast of characters, Ohio State's basketball team will be outstanding once again. A Big 10 championship and a deep run into the NCAA tournament are clearly possible.
I'm excited!
At least that was the story offensively. Most important of all, probably, was how effectively the Volunteers bottled up Buckeye three-point threat Jon Diebler, who may have had his poorest shooting performance since the Buckeyes' game against Penn State in Columbus back on February 3. (That was a game the Buckeyes won 75-62. But the final score was more lopsided than most of the game had been. The contest was nip and tuck most of the evening. The turnaround moment, ironically, came when Diebler, who had struggled all evening long, hit a three with 1:29 left in the game. But there was no such turnaround moment last night!)
Once again, as has been true of every year he's been a collegiate head coach, Thad Matta did a masterful job this season. With a short bench, the Buckeyes made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Matta has proven year after year that he is more than a great recruiter; he's a guy who can mold a winning game plan around varied personnel. As an Ohio State grad and lifelong Ohio State basketball fan, I feel that the university is as fortunate to have Matta at the helm of men's basketball as it is to have Jim Tressel coaching football!
I would love to see national player-of-the-year Evan Turner return next year. But I doubt that it will happen.
And who could blame Turner for going to the NBA? The injury he sustained earlier this season--breaking several bones in his back--demonstrates how vulnerable to injury an athlete can be. A few inches difference in the impact point of that injury and Turner might have been far more seriously injured. At least in the NBA, Turner will be paid for taking such risks and be able to afford any long-term care afterward. The risks are simply too great to expect him to come back with the Buckeyes for his senior year.
But, WOW! Turner has certainly added another great chapter to the annals of Ohio State basketball history.
Next year, with two of the top high school recruits in the country and a terrific returning cast of characters, Ohio State's basketball team will be outstanding once again. A Big 10 championship and a deep run into the NCAA tournament are clearly possible.
I'm excited!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Aaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!
For me, Ohio State men's basketball is an even bigger deal than Ohio State football, which may come as a surprise for regular readers here who now how much I like the football Buckeyes.
But watching this year's men's team has proven to be an adventure every game. A team with a lot of great players, particularly Evan Turner, P.J. Hill, and John Diebler, Ohio State never figured out how to play with the kind of consistency needed to pass the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes lost to the Siena Saints in double overtime on Friday night.
Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhh!
But congratulations to the Big Ten and the Ohio teams that have so far advanced in the torunament...including even (you didn't read that I said this), Michigan.
But watching this year's men's team has proven to be an adventure every game. A team with a lot of great players, particularly Evan Turner, P.J. Hill, and John Diebler, Ohio State never figured out how to play with the kind of consistency needed to pass the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes lost to the Siena Saints in double overtime on Friday night.
Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhh!
But congratulations to the Big Ten and the Ohio teams that have so far advanced in the torunament...including even (you didn't read that I said this), Michigan.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Identity Crisis
Columbus Dispatch sports columnist Rob Oller has it right, I think. Whatever their identity, I hope that the OSU men's basketball team has a good run in the Big Ten tournament.
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