LARAMIE, Wyo. - After
a breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes at the Ritchie
Center, the Pioneers piled into a bus and took the 2-3 hour trip to
Laramie, Wyo., this morning.
Normally, the team
arrives a day early and settles in, but the coaches decided to mix
things up a little on this trip, and nobody in the travel party
complained too much about sleeping in their own beds instead of a hotel
room in Wyoming.
Of course, it did seem a
little strange when we checked into the hotel a few blocks from the
arena, knowing we were going to check out right before heading back over
for the game.
Senior Rob Lewis walked
into Arena-Auditorium a few minutes ago, looked up at the banners in
the rafters and said, "National champions? Who knew?"
Yes, the Cowboys won the
NCAA title in 1943, when they were led by a 5-foot-10 guard named Kenny
Sailors. Not a lot of people would recognize the name, which is too
bad. In addition to being the College Basketball Player of the Year
twice, an All-American three times and the NCAA Tournament Most
Outstanding Player, Sailors changed the course of basketball.
Sailors is credited with inventing the jump shot.
It seems that while
growing up, Bud Sailors towered about seven inches taller than younger
brother Kenny, so Kenny had to figure out a way to score during games of
one-on-one in the driveway. To Bud's surprise, Kenny leaped and sent a
jump shot flying through the air.
As the Pioneers fire up shots during shoot around, they have Kenny Sailors to thank for making it considerably easier.
About Wyoming: In
addition to Sailors, who played five seasons in the NBA, the basketball
world probably recognizes a few other names in Wyoming history.
NBA All-Star Theo
Ratliff is in his 16th professional season, currently playing for the
Lakers, which by the way is owned by Wyoming grad Jerry Buss.
Denver baseball fans
might remember Art Howe, who served as the Rockies first base and
hitting coach in 1995 when Colorado won the Wild Card, is a former
Cowboy. Another Wyoming alum
Hall of Fame baseball
writer Tracy Ringolsby, who received an honorary doctorate from Wyoming
and is an avid supporter of the Cowboys, was covering the Rockies that
year (and every other since their inception). Most recently, Ringolsby
has been working with our friends at FSN Rocky Mountain, including Jeff
Huson. Guess where he went to college.
Finally, the late
legendary sportscaster Curt Gowdy not only graduated from Wyoming, but
he was a three-year letterwinner in both basketball and tennis.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 6
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 5,166
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 15,409
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 568
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,213
Total Number of Hotels - 4
Total Number of Different Airports - 4
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1
Total Number of Nights Spent in Wyoming - 0
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Portland - 12/11/10
DENVER - Wednesday night's game was a challenge, and St. Mary's proved why the Gaels were a Sweet 16 team in last year's NCAA Tournament.
The team was dragging a little early on Thursday morning until Santa Claus himself made an appearance.
The players and coaches were waiting for their plane at the Oakland Airport. Near the gate, Santa sat posing for photos with travelers of all ages, and a few of the players made jokes about going up and posing with him.
About 15 minutes later, as everyone was still waiting for the flight, Santa approached and insisted that the team join him for a picture. It took a little prodding from some of the guys, but not a whole lot. Even head coach Joe Scott got a smile on his face when Santa asked where the coach was. Scott shrugged and took his place on a stool in front.
Leave it to Santa to make everyone's day just a little brighter.
About Portland: The Pioneers take on another West Coast Conference team on Saturday, when the Portland Pilots come to town. The team is led by Preseason All-WCC selection Jared Stohl, who has 14.7 points per game. The Pilots also are getting a double-double out of Luke Sikma, who father Jack was a seven-time NBA All-Star with the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks.
UP is ranked No. 13 on the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, and the Pilots are 7-3 with losses to Kentucky, Washington State and Washington, two of which are ranked and the other is getting votes in the polls.
Portland has produced a fair number of professional soccer players, notably Kasey Keller and Conor Casey, who was named MLS Cup Most Valuable Player after scoring the game-tying goal for the Colorado Rapids in the championship game.
Other alumni of UP include former Major League journeyman catcher Tom Lampkin, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Nunal Nayyar from "The Big Bang Theory."
The team was dragging a little early on Thursday morning until Santa Claus himself made an appearance.
The players and coaches were waiting for their plane at the Oakland Airport. Near the gate, Santa sat posing for photos with travelers of all ages, and a few of the players made jokes about going up and posing with him.
About 15 minutes later, as everyone was still waiting for the flight, Santa approached and insisted that the team join him for a picture. It took a little prodding from some of the guys, but not a whole lot. Even head coach Joe Scott got a smile on his face when Santa asked where the coach was. Scott shrugged and took his place on a stool in front.
Leave it to Santa to make everyone's day just a little brighter.
About Portland: The Pioneers take on another West Coast Conference team on Saturday, when the Portland Pilots come to town. The team is led by Preseason All-WCC selection Jared Stohl, who has 14.7 points per game. The Pilots also are getting a double-double out of Luke Sikma, who father Jack was a seven-time NBA All-Star with the Seattle SuperSonics and Milwaukee Bucks.
UP is ranked No. 13 on the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, and the Pilots are 7-3 with losses to Kentucky, Washington State and Washington, two of which are ranked and the other is getting votes in the polls.
Portland has produced a fair number of professional soccer players, notably Kasey Keller and Conor Casey, who was named MLS Cup Most Valuable Player after scoring the game-tying goal for the Colorado Rapids in the championship game.
Other alumni of UP include former Major League journeyman catcher Tom Lampkin, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Nunal Nayyar from "The Big Bang Theory."
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 6
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 5,166
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 15,409
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 413
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,163
Total Number of Hotels - 3
Total Number of Different Airports - 4
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1
Total Number of Team Pictures with Santa - 1
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
St. Mary's - 12/8/10
MORAGA, Calif. - As
we were driving through the drizzling rain in the hills of Northern
California on our way to McKeon Pavilion, the bus ride brought back a
few memories of Spain. Fortunately, despite the winding roads around the
St. Mary's campus, they were all two lanes and the bus could drive
through (non-hairpin) turns without blasting a warning honk.
Even so, Mitch Hyder commented that he was happy to work at Denver and not a place that might cause motion sickness every time he drove to campus, like this one.
St. Mary's is about 30 minutes north and a little bit west of Oakland, and the team bus drove through some of the legendary California freeway traffic on the way to the hotel in Walnut Creek. If that town sounds familiar to Pioneer fans, it's because it's part of junior guard Brian Stafford's introduction.
Stafford grew up on Walnut Creek and still calls it home. During a break last summer, Stafford returned home and played pickup games with St. Mary's players and some other players who live in the surrounding area. Head coach Joe Scott and the rest of the Pioneers are hoping Stafford's familiarity with the court and the rims will translate into success during tonight's game.
It's probably safe to say the 50 or so friends of family that are coming to watch Stafford are hoping the same thing. Junior guard Alex Pickert, who grew up in Carmel, Calif., a great town a couple hours down the coast in the shadows of Pebble Beach Golf Course, rounded up a few tickets for his family and friends, too. Rounding out the Denver connection to the area, assistant coach A.J. Kuhle is from just up the road in Concord, Calif.
Rumor has it that an impressive number of Denver alumni are planning to attend the game, as well, and based on the size of this gym - which lists a capacity of 3,500 but appears much smaller - the percentage of DU fans to Gaels fans might be significant.
For those unable to attend the game in Northern California, the live video stream will be available onPioneer Vision, although it will use St. Mary's commentators.
About St. Mary's: College basketball fans are sure to recognize St. Mary's, which has had some great seasons in recent years, including a run to the Sweet 16 of last year's NCAA Tournament.
Names like Patrick Mills and Omar Samhan became popular, as the Gaels became a major contender of Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference played deep into March. (Side note: The first 2,000 fans tonight will receive an Omar Samhan bobblehead.)
But St. Mary's had some pretty good teams in the past. There's a banner hanging in McKeon Pavilion for the 1958-59 team, which went all the way to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. They lost one game shy of the Final Four to eventual national champion California, who had a player named Dave Stafford on its roster. Yes, that's Brian's grandfather.
Our good friend Brendan Loy, who started a blog about the Denver basketball team called Pioneer Pulse, pointed us Mid-Majority's "State of the Other 25," which ranks the top Mid-Major basketball teams in the nation.
As of yesterday, they had St. Mary's ranked No. 1, pointing to strong wins against St. John's and Texas Tech. They also pointed out that the Gaels are shooting better than 50 percent and is getting 1.23 points for every shot they take.
What's a Gael?: As shoot around was starting, senior forward Rob Lewis leaned over and asked, "What the heck is a Gael anyway?" A few of us kind of laughed and then realized that we weren't totally sure either. We were pretty sure it was some sort of Irish warrior. So we went to www.smcgaels.com to find out:
"The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which spread from Ireland to Scotland and the Isle of Man. Their language is of the Gaelic (Goidelic) family, a division of Insular Celtic languages. The word in English was adopted in 1810 from Scottish Gaelic Gaidheal (compare Irish Gaedhealg and Old Irish Goídeleg) to designate a Highlander (OED). Gael or Goídeleg was first used as a collective term to describe people from Ireland; it is thought to have come from Welsh Gwyddel (Old Welsh Goídel), originally "raider", now "Irish person". Many people who do not speak Gaelic consider themselves to be 'Gaels' in a broader sense because of their ancestry and heritage."
Where There's Smoke: This morning's shoot around was going great until a shrill fire alarm blasted throughout the gym. Despite the faint smell of smoke, it was a false alarm, and the players and coaches did their best to ignore it. Maybe it will work as a drill to drown out the hostile crowd this evening.
Travel Partners?: As the Pioneers were heading to baggage claim yesterday, the men's basketball team from San Diego State exited their flight a few gates away. The Aztecs will take on Cal tonight in Berkeley.
Happy Birthday: Redshirt freshman forward Blake Foeman is celebrating his 20th birthday today.
Back in the Bay: Denver radio voice Mitch Hyder and I landed at the Oakland airport for the third time in as many Pioneer road trips this season. Although we normally travel with the team, extenuating circumstances forced us to fly through San Francisco coming back from Eugene, Ore., and on our way to Boise, Idaho.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 5
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 4,209
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 14,452
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 351
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,101
Total Number of Hotels - 3
Total Number of Different Airports - 4
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1
Total Number of Fire Alarms Ignored During Practice - 1
Even so, Mitch Hyder commented that he was happy to work at Denver and not a place that might cause motion sickness every time he drove to campus, like this one.
St. Mary's is about 30 minutes north and a little bit west of Oakland, and the team bus drove through some of the legendary California freeway traffic on the way to the hotel in Walnut Creek. If that town sounds familiar to Pioneer fans, it's because it's part of junior guard Brian Stafford's introduction.
Stafford grew up on Walnut Creek and still calls it home. During a break last summer, Stafford returned home and played pickup games with St. Mary's players and some other players who live in the surrounding area. Head coach Joe Scott and the rest of the Pioneers are hoping Stafford's familiarity with the court and the rims will translate into success during tonight's game.
It's probably safe to say the 50 or so friends of family that are coming to watch Stafford are hoping the same thing. Junior guard Alex Pickert, who grew up in Carmel, Calif., a great town a couple hours down the coast in the shadows of Pebble Beach Golf Course, rounded up a few tickets for his family and friends, too. Rounding out the Denver connection to the area, assistant coach A.J. Kuhle is from just up the road in Concord, Calif.
Rumor has it that an impressive number of Denver alumni are planning to attend the game, as well, and based on the size of this gym - which lists a capacity of 3,500 but appears much smaller - the percentage of DU fans to Gaels fans might be significant.
For those unable to attend the game in Northern California, the live video stream will be available onPioneer Vision, although it will use St. Mary's commentators.
About St. Mary's: College basketball fans are sure to recognize St. Mary's, which has had some great seasons in recent years, including a run to the Sweet 16 of last year's NCAA Tournament.
Names like Patrick Mills and Omar Samhan became popular, as the Gaels became a major contender of Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference played deep into March. (Side note: The first 2,000 fans tonight will receive an Omar Samhan bobblehead.)
But St. Mary's had some pretty good teams in the past. There's a banner hanging in McKeon Pavilion for the 1958-59 team, which went all the way to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. They lost one game shy of the Final Four to eventual national champion California, who had a player named Dave Stafford on its roster. Yes, that's Brian's grandfather.
Our good friend Brendan Loy, who started a blog about the Denver basketball team called Pioneer Pulse, pointed us Mid-Majority's "State of the Other 25," which ranks the top Mid-Major basketball teams in the nation.
As of yesterday, they had St. Mary's ranked No. 1, pointing to strong wins against St. John's and Texas Tech. They also pointed out that the Gaels are shooting better than 50 percent and is getting 1.23 points for every shot they take.
What's a Gael?: As shoot around was starting, senior forward Rob Lewis leaned over and asked, "What the heck is a Gael anyway?" A few of us kind of laughed and then realized that we weren't totally sure either. We were pretty sure it was some sort of Irish warrior. So we went to www.smcgaels.com to find out:
"The Gaels are an ethno-linguistic group which spread from Ireland to Scotland and the Isle of Man. Their language is of the Gaelic (Goidelic) family, a division of Insular Celtic languages. The word in English was adopted in 1810 from Scottish Gaelic Gaidheal (compare Irish Gaedhealg and Old Irish Goídeleg) to designate a Highlander (OED). Gael or Goídeleg was first used as a collective term to describe people from Ireland; it is thought to have come from Welsh Gwyddel (Old Welsh Goídel), originally "raider", now "Irish person". Many people who do not speak Gaelic consider themselves to be 'Gaels' in a broader sense because of their ancestry and heritage."
Where There's Smoke: This morning's shoot around was going great until a shrill fire alarm blasted throughout the gym. Despite the faint smell of smoke, it was a false alarm, and the players and coaches did their best to ignore it. Maybe it will work as a drill to drown out the hostile crowd this evening.
Travel Partners?: As the Pioneers were heading to baggage claim yesterday, the men's basketball team from San Diego State exited their flight a few gates away. The Aztecs will take on Cal tonight in Berkeley.
Happy Birthday: Redshirt freshman forward Blake Foeman is celebrating his 20th birthday today.
Back in the Bay: Denver radio voice Mitch Hyder and I landed at the Oakland airport for the third time in as many Pioneer road trips this season. Although we normally travel with the team, extenuating circumstances forced us to fly through San Francisco coming back from Eugene, Ore., and on our way to Boise, Idaho.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 5
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 4,209
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 14,452
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 351
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 2,101
Total Number of Hotels - 3
Total Number of Different Airports - 4
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1
Total Number of Fire Alarms Ignored During Practice - 1
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Boise State - 11/27/10
BOISE, Idaho - It's a snowy day in Idaho, which of course is no real surprise to anyone.
Of course, the cloud cover seems appropriate, based on this town's disappointment at the Boise State football team's loss at Nevada last night.
The Pioneers are hoping to extend the Broncos fans' disappointment to the hardwood tonight at Taco Bell Arena.
Like many schools, Boise State built most of their athletic venues in a close proximity to one another. Unlike most schools, though, the Broncos put their complex near the corner of University and Denver streets. Hopefully, that's a good omen on Saturday night.
While Boise State may be better known for the blue turf in its football stadium, Taco Bell Arena has some of its own lore.
Taco Bell Arena has hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament seven times. You might remember a few of those games, although if you're a Big 12 fan you may not want to:
A Sort of Homecoming: DU trainer extraordinaire Pat Hoxsey has returned to his roots this weekend. Hoxsey grew up in nearby Payette, Idaho, and graduated from Boise State in 1991.
Hoxsey, who has helped keep the Pioneers healthy for the past 15 years, enjoyed leftovers from Thanksgiving with his parents, sister and niece.
For a guy who has spent the past 15 Thanksgiving weekends with his basketball family, Hoxsey was thankful that fortuitous scheduling meant he could spend some time this weekend with his family.
Granted, the football score might have made the night a little less festive.
Famous Broncos: In addition to Hoxsey, Boise State is the alma mater to a few more people you may have heard of, including Coby Karl, who is both third on the Broncos' all-time scoring list and the son of Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl; Earl Boen, who has been in everything from Spiderman to Terminator to the World of Warcraft video game; and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dave Wilcox, who also happened to be roommates with Gary Hoxsey, Pat's father.
Since We're in Boise, Seems Like We Should Mention Football: Yes, the Boise State football team is once again flirting with the top of the polls, and the blue turf of the football field is just steps from Taco Bell Arena.
But we're Denver. And for 50 years, we've been doing just fine without football. In fact, Wednesday was the 50th anniversary of DU's final football game. On Nov. 24, 1960, the Pioneers beat Colorado State 21-12 at Hilltop Stadium in front of a crowd of 6,927. DU announced a few months later that they would be dropping football.
Thanks to our friend (and season ticket holder) Steve Fisher in the Penrose Library for that tidbit.
Exactly how well has Denver done without football? For the past three years, Denver has won the NCAA Division I-AAA (schools that don't have football) Director's Cup, which is awarded to the top athletic department based on the success of its teams in all NCAA sports.
Happy Birthday: We would like to send a very happy birthday out to redshirt sophomore Trevor Noonan, who turns 21 years old today.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 3
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 2,603
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 12,846
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 156
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 1,907
Total Number of Hotels - 2
Total Number of Different Airports - 3
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1
Total Number of Trips the Radio Voice and SID Have Flown Through San Francisco While the Team Flew Direct - 2
Of course, the cloud cover seems appropriate, based on this town's disappointment at the Boise State football team's loss at Nevada last night.
The Pioneers are hoping to extend the Broncos fans' disappointment to the hardwood tonight at Taco Bell Arena.
Like many schools, Boise State built most of their athletic venues in a close proximity to one another. Unlike most schools, though, the Broncos put their complex near the corner of University and Denver streets. Hopefully, that's a good omen on Saturday night.While Boise State may be better known for the blue turf in its football stadium, Taco Bell Arena has some of its own lore.
Taco Bell Arena has hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament seven times. You might remember a few of those games, although if you're a Big 12 fan you may not want to:
- In 1995, UCLA's Tyus Edney went coast-to-coast in 4.8 seconds for a layup at the buzzer that that knocked off Missouri en route to the Bruins' NCAA title.
- In 2001, 15th-seeded Hampton upset No. 2 seed Iowa State
A Sort of Homecoming: DU trainer extraordinaire Pat Hoxsey has returned to his roots this weekend. Hoxsey grew up in nearby Payette, Idaho, and graduated from Boise State in 1991.
Hoxsey, who has helped keep the Pioneers healthy for the past 15 years, enjoyed leftovers from Thanksgiving with his parents, sister and niece.
For a guy who has spent the past 15 Thanksgiving weekends with his basketball family, Hoxsey was thankful that fortuitous scheduling meant he could spend some time this weekend with his family.
Granted, the football score might have made the night a little less festive.
Famous Broncos: In addition to Hoxsey, Boise State is the alma mater to a few more people you may have heard of, including Coby Karl, who is both third on the Broncos' all-time scoring list and the son of Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl; Earl Boen, who has been in everything from Spiderman to Terminator to the World of Warcraft video game; and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dave Wilcox, who also happened to be roommates with Gary Hoxsey, Pat's father.
Since We're in Boise, Seems Like We Should Mention Football: Yes, the Boise State football team is once again flirting with the top of the polls, and the blue turf of the football field is just steps from Taco Bell Arena.
But we're Denver. And for 50 years, we've been doing just fine without football. In fact, Wednesday was the 50th anniversary of DU's final football game. On Nov. 24, 1960, the Pioneers beat Colorado State 21-12 at Hilltop Stadium in front of a crowd of 6,927. DU announced a few months later that they would be dropping football.
Thanks to our friend (and season ticket holder) Steve Fisher in the Penrose Library for that tidbit.
Exactly how well has Denver done without football? For the past three years, Denver has won the NCAA Division I-AAA (schools that don't have football) Director's Cup, which is awarded to the top athletic department based on the success of its teams in all NCAA sports.
Happy Birthday: We would like to send a very happy birthday out to redshirt sophomore Trevor Noonan, who turns 21 years old today.
Yearly travel totals:
Total Flights, regular season only - 3
Total Mileage by Air, regular season only - 2,603
Total Mileage by Air, including Spain - 12,846
Total Mileage by Bus, regular season only - 156
Total Mileage by Bus, including Spain - 1,907
Total Number of Hotels - 2
Total Number of Different Airports - 3
Total Number of Airline Delays - 0
Total Number of Cancelled Flights - 0
Total Number of Bags Lost This Year - 1
Total Number of Trips the Radio Voice and SID Have Flown Through San Francisco While the Team Flew Direct - 2
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Alcorn State - 11/23/10
DENVER - The campus is quieter than usual. Finals are over for the quarter, and most of the students have headed home until January.
Most of the student-athletes are still around, of course, which means the Ritchie Center remains busy. There's always a sigh of relief when everyone can concentrate on getting better on the court without the pressures of exams and essays hanging over them.
The Pioneers are looking to turn things around tomorrow night, when Alcorn State comes to town.
Since it's the night before Thanksgiving, the Pioneers also are giving fans the opportunity to put off cooking for one more day.
You can get a "One Price" ticket for $15 which includes all the concessions you care to eat. The only exclusions are alcohol, bottled drinks and prepackaged candy. Call it an appetizer for Thanksgiving Day. Regular priced tickets are still available, starting at $9.
About Alcorn State: Located southwest of Jackson, Miss., near the Louisiana border, Alcorn State was founded in 1871 and named after James L. Alcorn, who was the governor of Mississippi at the time. Alcorn's most notable alum is Steve McNair, the late quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. However, Alcorn State has also produced Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers; Jesse Smith, who was better known as Justice on American Gladiators; and Michael Clarke Duncan, an actor perhaps best known for starring alongside Tom Hanks in the Green Mile.
Happy Birthday and Thanksgiving: Assistant coach Jon Jordan is celebrating his birthday on Thursday. We would like to send our best wishes and say happy birthday to Coach J.
A Look Ahead: Drew Cannon of BasketballProspectus.com wrote a column on Nov. 12, predicting what college basketball team had the best chance of going undefeated. His answer is surprising. And it's on the Denver schedule:
Trivia question: What team has the highest probability of an undefeated season according to the current kenpom.com projections? Duke? Second place. Ohio State? Kansas State? Gonzaga? Memphis? All wrong. At 1.14 percent, the most likely team to win every game they play before tournament season is Utah State.
The Aggies roll into Magness Arena on Dec. 1, right before Utah State travels to Georgetown. You can get $5 off your ticket to the DU/USU game by showing any Colorado mountain Ski Pass at the Ritchie Center Ticket Office.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
North Dakota State - 11/14/10
EUGENE, Ore. - After last night's game, the team returned to the hotel for a late night dinner of chicken sandwiches and French fries.
The eating schedule on game days are strange enough, but it's amplified with night games. Yesterday's breakfast was at 10 a.m., pregame (lunch) was at 4 p.m. and dinner was at about 11 p.m. This morning's breakfast was at 8:30 a.m., and pregame will be right after shootaround at about 11:30 a.m., since today's game is at 3:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. MT).
Speaking of food, the restaurant across the street from the hotel has a sign advertising Tapas night on Wednesdays. After the team's trip to Spain this summer, that sign seemed somehow appropriate.
Delta Tau Chi: We've held off on mentioning this, as we spread the blog about Eugene out to three blogs. Call it saving the best for last.
While walking around this campus, dozens of landmarks jump out. Yes, the University of Oregon was the filming location of one of the most iconic films in history. That's right. Animal House.
The Delta Tau Chi house, or the building used in the film, was torn down in 1986. According to one source, at the time of filming the building served as a halfway house for convicts.
It seems like everywhere you turn on this campus brings back memories of another scene in the movie, and more than a couple lines from the movie have been uttered during the trip. The following video is Mitch Hyder's best imitation of John Belushi's character, John Blutarsky, sneaking into Dean Wormer's office. The Oregon president at the time allowed the crew to use his actual office for the filming.
The Fish Bowl Cafeteria was nearby, but Hyder refrained from imitating a zit or starting a food fight.
Finally, because we like to bring everything in the blog back to focusing on Denver, we leave you with this bit. According to the most accurate source available, Wikipedia, the first screening of Animal House occurred in the Mile High City.
About North Dakota State: NDSU is located in Fargo, N.D. The team turned NCAA Division I a few years ago and became the first team in history to reach the NCAA Tournament in its first year eligible. Current Colorado State head coach Tim Miles held the same position at NDSU.
Famous Bison include former defensive back Tyrone Braxton, who won a pair of Super Bowls with a certain football team in Denver, and Bob Backlund, who beat "Superstar" Billy Graham to win the World Wrestling Federation's heavyweight championship.
Happy Birthday: It's a little early, but just so we don't forget, we'd like to send a happy birthday out to sophomore Chase Hallam, who turns 20 on Wednesday.
Missed Opportunity: Devoted reader and Buffalo Bills fan Dan W. from Denver points out that I missed a couple famous alumni from this weekend's opponents. Former Duck Jarious Byrd led the NFL in interceptions last season, and former Bison Phil Hansen was a second round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. Not sure how I missed them. My sincerest apologies.
The eating schedule on game days are strange enough, but it's amplified with night games. Yesterday's breakfast was at 10 a.m., pregame (lunch) was at 4 p.m. and dinner was at about 11 p.m. This morning's breakfast was at 8:30 a.m., and pregame will be right after shootaround at about 11:30 a.m., since today's game is at 3:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. MT).
Speaking of food, the restaurant across the street from the hotel has a sign advertising Tapas night on Wednesdays. After the team's trip to Spain this summer, that sign seemed somehow appropriate.
Delta Tau Chi: We've held off on mentioning this, as we spread the blog about Eugene out to three blogs. Call it saving the best for last.
While walking around this campus, dozens of landmarks jump out. Yes, the University of Oregon was the filming location of one of the most iconic films in history. That's right. Animal House.
The Delta Tau Chi house, or the building used in the film, was torn down in 1986. According to one source, at the time of filming the building served as a halfway house for convicts.
It seems like everywhere you turn on this campus brings back memories of another scene in the movie, and more than a couple lines from the movie have been uttered during the trip. The following video is Mitch Hyder's best imitation of John Belushi's character, John Blutarsky, sneaking into Dean Wormer's office. The Oregon president at the time allowed the crew to use his actual office for the filming.
The Fish Bowl Cafeteria was nearby, but Hyder refrained from imitating a zit or starting a food fight.
Finally, because we like to bring everything in the blog back to focusing on Denver, we leave you with this bit. According to the most accurate source available, Wikipedia, the first screening of Animal House occurred in the Mile High City.
About North Dakota State: NDSU is located in Fargo, N.D. The team turned NCAA Division I a few years ago and became the first team in history to reach the NCAA Tournament in its first year eligible. Current Colorado State head coach Tim Miles held the same position at NDSU.
Famous Bison include former defensive back Tyrone Braxton, who won a pair of Super Bowls with a certain football team in Denver, and Bob Backlund, who beat "Superstar" Billy Graham to win the World Wrestling Federation's heavyweight championship.
Happy Birthday: It's a little early, but just so we don't forget, we'd like to send a happy birthday out to sophomore Chase Hallam, who turns 20 on Wednesday.
Missed Opportunity: Devoted reader and Buffalo Bills fan Dan W. from Denver points out that I missed a couple famous alumni from this weekend's opponents. Former Duck Jarious Byrd led the NFL in interceptions last season, and former Bison Phil Hansen was a second round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. Not sure how I missed them. My sincerest apologies.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Oregon - 11/13/10
EUGENE, Ore. - Tough
loss last night, but the guys are ready and back at Mac Court for
shootaround, which is later than usual today because the Oregon women's
team had an afternoon game.
After the game last night, the team took in about ¾ of the Ducks game against North Dakota State (the Bison took Oregon to overtime, but the Ducks ultimately won by five points in the waning moments.)
The players had a nice dinner at the hotel before calling it a night. This morning, the team gathered for breakfast around 10 a.m., followed by a brief team meeting to discuss tonight's game.
Tonight's game has a late start (8:30 p.m., local time - 9:30 p.m. MT), which conveniently will allow Oregon fans to watch their football team take on Cal before coming down to The Pit.
Did you know?: Two college mascots were created by Walt Disney (the man, not the company): Oregon's Duck and Denver's former mascot Boone. In 1947, the Oregon athletic director struck a deal with Disney to use Donald Duck as the school's mascot, adopting the cartoon character originally created in 1934. Disney actually created Boone for the University of Denver in 1968.
About Oregon: This school may best be known for a company that spawned from a head coach who made running shoes with the help of a waffle iron and one of his former runners.
That coach was Bill Bowerman, the Oregon legend who played basketball, football and ran track for the Ducks prior to taking over as the track coach and leading the team to four national championships.
The runner was Phil Knight. Bowerman invented waffle soled running shoes and with the marketing prowess of Knight helped found Nike. In fact, Oregon is sometimes called Nike University.
Another one of Bowerman's runners at Oregon also worked briefly for Nike. However, Steve Prefontaine is better known as arguably the best American distance runner of all time. Prior to his tragic death at the age of 24 in 1975, Pre set 15 American records at every race distance between two miles and 10,000 meters. You can't go anywhere in Eugene without seeing references to Pre.
Anyone interested in learning more about running in Eugene can check out "Track Town USA," a coffee table book filled with photographs and essays that was published by our friends over at Rich Clarkson and Associates, the official photographers of University of Denver Athletics. The book hits the shelves this Monday.
Today, fans know the Ducks as the top rated football team in the nation. But Oregon has a rich tradition on the basketball court. In fact, the team won the very first NCAA men's basketball championship in 1939. The gigantic banner is hard to miss, hanging high above one of the baskets. It may be bigger than the American flag on the opposite end of the arena.
Like many colleges, including Denver, Oregon celebrates all its teams with display cases filled with pictures and memorabilia. As we walked by the basketball display, we had to take a second look. One of the photos was taken the last time Denver played here in 1999.
Welcome Pioneer Fans: A good number of Denver supporters made the trip to Eugene, including the families of Alex Pickert, Chase and Travis Hallam, Brian Stafford and assistant coach A.J. Kuhle, as well as Joe Scott's father, Bob, and avid DU fan John Kirby, who also is a favorite caller to the Joe Scott Radio Show every Monday night.
After the game last night, the team took in about ¾ of the Ducks game against North Dakota State (the Bison took Oregon to overtime, but the Ducks ultimately won by five points in the waning moments.)
The players had a nice dinner at the hotel before calling it a night. This morning, the team gathered for breakfast around 10 a.m., followed by a brief team meeting to discuss tonight's game.
Tonight's game has a late start (8:30 p.m., local time - 9:30 p.m. MT), which conveniently will allow Oregon fans to watch their football team take on Cal before coming down to The Pit.
Did you know?: Two college mascots were created by Walt Disney (the man, not the company): Oregon's Duck and Denver's former mascot Boone. In 1947, the Oregon athletic director struck a deal with Disney to use Donald Duck as the school's mascot, adopting the cartoon character originally created in 1934. Disney actually created Boone for the University of Denver in 1968.
About Oregon: This school may best be known for a company that spawned from a head coach who made running shoes with the help of a waffle iron and one of his former runners.
That coach was Bill Bowerman, the Oregon legend who played basketball, football and ran track for the Ducks prior to taking over as the track coach and leading the team to four national championships.
The runner was Phil Knight. Bowerman invented waffle soled running shoes and with the marketing prowess of Knight helped found Nike. In fact, Oregon is sometimes called Nike University.
Another one of Bowerman's runners at Oregon also worked briefly for Nike. However, Steve Prefontaine is better known as arguably the best American distance runner of all time. Prior to his tragic death at the age of 24 in 1975, Pre set 15 American records at every race distance between two miles and 10,000 meters. You can't go anywhere in Eugene without seeing references to Pre.
Anyone interested in learning more about running in Eugene can check out "Track Town USA," a coffee table book filled with photographs and essays that was published by our friends over at Rich Clarkson and Associates, the official photographers of University of Denver Athletics. The book hits the shelves this Monday.
Today, fans know the Ducks as the top rated football team in the nation. But Oregon has a rich tradition on the basketball court. In fact, the team won the very first NCAA men's basketball championship in 1939. The gigantic banner is hard to miss, hanging high above one of the baskets. It may be bigger than the American flag on the opposite end of the arena.
Like many colleges, including Denver, Oregon celebrates all its teams with display cases filled with pictures and memorabilia. As we walked by the basketball display, we had to take a second look. One of the photos was taken the last time Denver played here in 1999.
Welcome Pioneer Fans: A good number of Denver supporters made the trip to Eugene, including the families of Alex Pickert, Chase and Travis Hallam, Brian Stafford and assistant coach A.J. Kuhle, as well as Joe Scott's father, Bob, and avid DU fan John Kirby, who also is a favorite caller to the Joe Scott Radio Show every Monday night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)