I know the weather’s important, but so are the NBA playoffs in my house.
I was watching the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon on Channel 13, WSET. The Cavaliers had fallen way behind, but cut the lead to six points and it was a good game. Then the bad weather news came.
The Channel 13 weather guy took over the broadcast, putting the Cavs’ game in a little box in the corner with no sound. I have a big TV, and I still could barely see the game, especially when they went to the angle that showed the entire half court. And I couldn’t listen to it, because they cut off the sound to the game so the weather guy could talk.
Now I know the weather is important, and a dangerous storm was near. However, would the viewers be any less served if they ran the warning across the bottom of the screen, like they do with school closings? They could put a big notice on the TV that if you want more information on the coming storm to go to the WSET site on your computer or phone.
Here’s the thing. There are 50 places where you can get weather, including the weather station, many, many websites and every local television station on the dial, or what they used to call “the dial.” There was one place where I could watch the basketball game, WSET Channel 13.
I know weather is a big deal here, and that’s probably a good thing. When I go to visit my dad in Pennsylvania we get the Philadelphia TV news and just about every day they lead with a shooting. Here in Roanoke the lead story is, “we thought it might rain but it didn’t.”
I guess that’s the better place to live, but we should be able to watch the NBA playoffs as well.
HAL GREER
I was sad to see the death of NBA Hall of Famer Hal Greer the other day. When I was growing up, he was my favorite basketball player.
I’m old now and I can remember things some of you can’t. When I was a little boy I can remember when Wilt Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia Warriors. Then they left down for San Francisco and took Wilt with them.
A couple years later the Syracuse Nationals moved from upstate New York to Philadelphia and became the 76ers. They had a lightning fast guard with a deadly jump shot named Hal Greer, and he instantly became my favorite player. I would practice shooting a jump shot like he did, and grew up loving the 76ers.
Wilt returned to Philadelphia and led the 76ers to an NBA title in 1967, ending the reign of the arch-rival Boston Celtics. I loved watching Wilt, but Greer was the one I idolized.
It’s somewhat ironic that the Sixers are becoming good again just as Greer is leaving this world for the big court in the sky. He was instrumental in my learning to love this game and I’m sure many of my contemporaries feel the same way.
DEATH TO CATCHERS
I’ve been in a fantasy baseball league with friends for well over 30 years, and I never seem to have a good catcher. It’s a tradition around my house.
Several years ago I chose Buster Posey early in the draft, who was the highest rated catcher on the board. Shortly thereafter he was involved in a horrific collision at the plate and lost for the season.
Two years ago I selected a young Cubs phenom named Kyle Schwarber as my catcher. He was going to split time in the outfield and behind the plate that year, and on the day after our draft he tore up his knee in an outfield accident and didn’t return until October.
This year, I selected Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, one of the top hitting catchers in the American League. The MLB Network was on the TV where we had the draft, and not half an hour after I chose Perez a crawl came across the bottom of the screen that announced he was going on the disabled list with a knee injury, suffered while he slipped carrying luggage into the hotel after returning from spring training.
My catchers are now Evan Gattis, hitting .184 with no home runs for Houston, and Austin Barnes, who has six total bases in 20 at bats through Monday for the Dodgers.
But there’s hope. Perez is currently doing a rehab assignment in the minors and he homered on Sunday. Probably just a matter of time before he’s hurt again.
1978 MAROONS
I had a wonderful time hanging out with the 1978 NCAA Division II&III lacrosse champion Roanoke College team last weekend as the college observed Alumni Weekend. It was the 40th anniversary of RC’s championship, which was topped off by a 14-13 win over Hobart in upstate New York.
I covered the game for the STR and had many friends on that team, as I was only a few years out of Roanoke College myself. Even now, 40 years later, it’s one of my fondest memories working for the paper.
Most of the players from that team were on hand last weekend, as well as former coach Paul Griffin, his assistants, and team manager Greg Gallion, who is now a history teacher and baseball coach at Andrew Lewis Middle School. There was a dinner in the Cregger Center Saturday night where film of the ’78 game was enjoyed by all, along with remarks by players from that team.
There were close to 40 players on that team and all are still alive and well, which is remarkable. It’s a very tight-knit bunch, who still get together for golf outings and parties and to celebrate weddings of their children. A special group indeed.
Bob Rotanz, who stayed here in Salem, scored the winning goal in the ‘78 championship game and Salem’s Joe Dishaw was also on the team as a midfielder. They now own Mac & Bob’s Restaurant in Salem, and that’s where the team gathers to party when they’re in town.
RC athletic director Scott Allison was on that team, and he scored the tying goal late in the game, setting up the winner. If Scott had scored the winner maybe those players would be gathering at “Scotty’s Place” to party and ordering “Claire Zones.”
Funny how things work out.