The disciplinary status of the high school basketball phenom seems the only topic being discussed in town these days. And it isn't just a hot topic here. Hoppy Kercheval has devoted significant portions of his MetroNews show to the goings-on, and ESPN radio announces at the top of each hour the latest update.
Hell, even local Uber-Con Tom Roten is defending Mayo on his morning radio show.
I understand that the local high school team is ranked as the best in the country. And, I agree that the dramatic events at the game against Capital High a few days ago are newsworthy.
I guess I' m just tired of the hoopla.
In typical backlash fashion, these days I'm sort of rooting for the other team. I loved the psychological chess match that occurred a few weeks ago when South Charleston (WV) High refused to allow their game with Mayo's Huntington High team to be moved to the Charleston Civic Center, giving up a huge payday for the mental edge of a crowded home gym. And I loved the aggressive way Capital High went at the Highlander Dream Team. Toe to toe, without giving an inch.
That's the way I roll, baby. That's why they call me The Film Geek!
Ahem...
It is the way I like to see basketball played, though. Good psychological sparring mixed with tough, no-nonsense physical play. That's because guys like me have to play that way...We make up for having few athletic skills with hard elbows, dogged-determination and good old fashioned rules-bending.
In 1980-something our high school basketball team went up against an Oak Hill (WV) basketball team that produced two Division I players, both over 6'8 inches tall. We were outmatched, and knew it. That's why I walked up to Tom "Speedy" Jones at the jump circle before the start of the game and said:
"Speedy, there's no dunking in tonight's game. If you dunk, I have to cut your legs out from under you. I just want you to know that in advance."
We shook hands, and about a minute into the game he did this:
While he was concentrating on slamming the ball-- really hard-- through the hoop, I was working to position myself under his legs. Sure, it was dirty. But I warned him in advance. After he fell hard to the floor, I helped him up.
"Sorry, Speedy, but I have to do that. Every time you dunk. Be expecting it."
Even though Speedy didn't try to dunk anymore in that game, his Red Devils team beat our team pretty handily. In the end, it didn't really matter that I'd prevented the guy from dunking on me more than once.
Except to me, that is.
I hope this Highlander team enjoys this unusually exciting high school ride, and that many of those players enjoy their soon-to-come college basketball experiences. And I hope OJ Mayo enjoys the NBA--'cause he will get there--and all the shiny things that come with that exciting lifestyle.
Just know that a few years from now it will be equally important for dozens of soon-to-be fat guys across West Virginia to start a story with:
"One time, when I was guarding the post, OJ Mayo came driving down the lane..."
13 comments:
That reminds me of when my cousin Eddie guarded Sedale Threat in the WV Conference Tournament.
Cousin Eddie fouled out of the game in less than 6 minutes.
:)
I think I saw that game, Jim! I was a big Threat fan at the time. He would travel to Summersville with the Tech guys and play summer league ball, and once he attended a basketball camp I worked.
Where, most likley, I taught kids how to cut the legs out from guys taller and more talented than they.
I kid...
Amen on the South Charleston thing! I was so happy that somebody stood up to the hype/money machine.
Very clever, you basketball types, how you slow down a star player. Too bad you can't do that (as well) in football. From the band stands, I watched Randy Moss run roughshod over my high school team (GW) more than once. Of course, everybody did in those years, so it wasn't all that different.
This might be your greatest post ever. It made me visualize myself as an old fat guy talking to my grandkids: "One time when I was reading The Film Geeks blog....." :)
Hey Jackie, thanks! We former athletes might have put on more than a few pounds, but we still have our stories, man. Our stories, some terrific wings and cold beer!
You gonna tell the Mark Cline story from AAU next post? Didn't you step on his feet to keep him from dunking? :)
Ah, the Mark Cline story. Well, one time, during AAU ball...
Waittaminute!! You're making fun of me.
Too bad. It's a good story.
And I did step on his feet, but not to keep him from dunking. It was to keep him from jumping for rebounds. Sure, coaches teach that new fangled "boxing out" method of rebounding--and I'm sure it works!--but it isn't 100% effective. But if you step in the feet of a guy who is trying to rebound, he can't jump 100% of the time.
Well, after last night's game in Lexington, some kids in Kentucky are gonna have great basketball stories like Film Geek's to tell. . . .
I'm stunned.
I watched the game on MyZTV, and it was a terrific game. Scott County never trailed, at least from when I began watching mid-way through the first quarter.
I've been waiting for a game where HH's talent would not be the determining factor in the game, and where coaching would come up big. In this game, HH's coach was out-coached. Sure, HH's team might have been distracted, and I'm sure they were tired from travels. But, they would have won with more sound coaching last night.
Since you played the coach card first:
I have been to one HHS game and watched two on TV. I get the feeling that the coach isn't listened to much by the starters. As a result, he doesn't seem to say much during the game.
He must be the luckiest coach in the land. To have such a team just materialize like this in a public high school is unreal. I am sure he is an adequate coach, but who wouldn't get complacent about game prep with these guys on your team?
Can you imagine a coaching job with less stress (at least when they're playing WV teams)? I swear I think I saw him asleep on the bench in the first quarter of the Capital game.
Stanton: That particular coach has a bit of a rep in town for not being a very good bench coach. I was hoping this season would change that. You are right, though, this must be a very stressful season for any one, regardless of how great a coach they might be.
Hey Film Geek, Who are you? I'm the other guy that went D-1 and I remember think that picture is actually the one where you pushed him and he missed. I'm sure we played AAU against each other as well. Even though I played at Oak Hill, I played for the KVC All Stars with Herbie Brooks, Mark Cline, Jamie Phillips and Ron Gaiter.
Mark Peterson
Hi Mark: Great to hear from you! That picture is the only one I could find for the story, and I'm not sure it's the same game. But it is him dunking over a friend of mine. I sent you a personal email to your address. Please, keep in touch. I'd love to hear how things are going in NYC
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