Wooden's Last Laugh

John Wooden has been an inspiration
to young athletes for years. It only
seems fitting that his great-grandson
scored the last basket on the floor
where Wooden coach.

Feel-good stories are all over the sports world. Entirely too often we hear about an athlete beating the odds and making a miraculous comeback after a serious injury or a checkered past.

Then there are things that just make you say, "Wow."

In a blowout against Arizona on Saturday, UCLA's junior walk-on Tyler Trapani caught an airball by Jack Haley Jr. and put it up for an easy layup. Nothing too special about that, right?

Wrong.

Trapani just happens to be the great-grandson of arguably the greatest coach in UCLA basketball history – if not in NCAA history – John Wooden. And that basket? It was the last basket scored on the same floor where Wooden coached, as a new floor will be installed with the new upgrades to Pauley Pavilion.

Over the years, Wooden has inspired so many young men in all aspects of life. His quotes are strewn across high school and college locker rooms across the nation. Those that knew him never uttered anything bad about him – partly because of his character and partly because of the fear a round of wind sprints would follow. He was the classiest of the class, with just enough of an ornery streak to keep you guessing.

Wooden died in June at the age of 99. No doubt he would have loved to see the final season before Pauley closed until September 2012 for renovations, but the clock hit zero on his life before the season started.

Even though he may be gone, Saturday proved that the Ol' Coach is still keeping an eye on the Bruins and the court that bears his name. After the game current UCLA coach Ben Howland got so choked up with emotions, he could barely get through the postgame interviews. Trapani was in awe of what happened.

Meanwhile, Wooden is looking down beaming with pride and showing that grin indicating he is up to no good.

Was it a bad shot by Haley? Maybe. Was it divine intervention? Perhaps. Will it be a story that Trapani and Howland share with their kids and grandkids? Definitely.

After years of inspiring young athletes, Wooden continues to be the master of inspiration even when he's gone. And for this, we say "Thank you, Coach."

Tag 'Em And Bag 'Em

Carmelo Anthony was trade to New York, giving
the Knicks two superstars. Is it time to institute
the franchise tag like in the NFL?

It finally happened.

After weeks of rumors and endless hours of trade talk, Carmelo Anthony was finally dealt to the New York Knicks – making his debut last night at Madison Square Garden against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Upon hearing this, LeBron James came out and said that the power has shifted to the East, with teams like the Knicks and Miami Heat accumulating multiple stars over the last year.

So why did the Denver Nuggets let their rising star and fan-favorite Chauncey Billups go?

The answer is simple economics. Anthony refused to sign a contract extension during the summer, making him a free agent at the end of the season. Knowing that teams like New York and New Jersey were going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the former Syracuse star, Denver's only hope was to trade him and at least get something in return.

But the NBA has to be careful. As bigger markets throw that kind of cash around and pluck stars from mediocre teams, the NBA is following a dangerous road to destruction. And players having more power isn't helping the cause.

It's time to propose a franchise tag, like the one in the NFL. With more negotiations coming up in October, this is the chance for owners of the smaller markets – like Denver – to gain some ground on the big boys.

Players may not like the franchise tag because it keeps them from exploring the market. But while this is true, some of the bigger markets already have that franchise player. The Lakers have Kobe Bryant. Miami has Dwayne Wade, and now James. Even the Clippers have Blake Griffin.

So why not give the smaller markets a chance with tags, while feeding players' egos by making them the face of the franchise.

Look at the NFL and the parity that has developed. Fans fill the stadium week after week because they know each game could be the one that sparks them to a Super Bowl run or the one that dashes the team's playoff hopes. The NBA would be wise in following that protocol for success.

A Young Man's Race

Trevor Bayne celebrates after winning the Daytona 500.

Ten years after NASCAR lost a beloved legend at the very same track, the Daytona 500 showed the world again why it is called the Great American Race.

New pavement allowed cars to go three-wide down the track, turning what was typically a double-lane highway into Los Angeles rush hour on steroids.

The result? Disastrous. And exciting.

A total of 16 caution flags came out – enough to make an insurance agent’s head swell to the size of the Goodyear Blimp. The afore-mentioned legend’s son, Dale Earnhart Jr., wrecked just as he started to make his move in the final laps – thwarting any chance of winning one for Pops.

Nearly every car on the track had a dent or ding, either from running into another car or being hit with debris from a crash.

Then there was Trevor Bayne, a 20-year-old kid who has spent more of his life playing video games than racing cars. A kid who probably saw Mark Martin as more of a grandfather figure, and probably doesn’t remember seeing Dale Earnhart go crashing into the wall, became the youngest ever to win at Daytona.

Maybe it was luck. Maybe the video games helped. Or maybe it was just the mind of a teenager.

Think about it. How often do you see a teen driver whip in and out of traffic with reckless abandon like they’re in the Daytona 500? Usually it’s followed by some horn honking, but in NASCAR, the only horns are the ones carried in by fans.

Meanwhile, one can only imagine what was going through Bayne’s mind in the final moments. His phone was probably ringing off the hook with text messages and Facebook notifications congratulating him on his win. His body was probably craving a pizza after four hours of racing. That new-car smell? Gone, replaced by what can only be described as a high school locker room after a football game.

But somehow he kept his cool and showed the world what makes driving in circles at Daytona so exciting – its anybody’s race.

So the next time you see the pizza guy zipping through your neighborhood or come across a teen driver going 90-plus on the interstate, don’t blast your horn. Instead, relax and know that someday that person that just cut you off is training to win the Daytona 500. 

Who Wants To Be Number 1?

Texas showed it couldn't handle being No. 1 after a loss to Nebraska.

What a wild week it has been for the top teams in college basketball.

After holding on to the No. 1 ranking for a majority of the season with an undefeated record, Ohio State's loss to Wisconsin has opened the door for teams to vie for the top spot.

That open door has turned into more of a revolving door as of late.

Kansas claimed the skinny number when the polls came out on Monday. Apparently someone forgot to tell the Jayhawks they still have to play the games, because they forgot to show up against in-state rival Kansas State that same day.

It looked like the top billing was going to stay in the Big 12 with Texas – a team that handed Kansas its first loss of the season. Instead, the Longhorns dropped a close one at Nebraska despite several opportunities to come back against the Cornhuskers.

Pittsburgh also had a chance to ascend the rankings once again. Although the Panthers play in arguably the best conference in the nation, St. John's got the best of them. For the Johnnies, that's two top-tier teams to fall at Madison Square Garden – Duke being the other one. If St. John's draws another highly-ranked team in the Big East Tournament, we could see another upset with the partisan Garden crowd.

Duke may get the nod this week, but let's not forget about San Diego State. The Aztecs have only one loss on the season, and that was to current No. 7 BYU. While their conference may not be as brutal as the Big East, it's time to give the folks in southern California a little love.

WOMEN, TOO?

It isn't just the guys who lost a No.1 this week. The Baylor women dropped a shocking game to Texas Tech – a team that has been flirting with the AP Top 25 for all season.

But unlike the men, the top ranking for the women is pretty much an open-and-shut case. Geno Auriemma and Connecticut should be a consensus No. 1, after seeing their 90-game winning streak snapped by Stanford earlier in the season.

A Man's Worth

No deal was reach with Albert Pujols, 

effectively making the Cardinal slugger 

a free agent after the 2011 season.

The deadline has passed.

Cardinal fans across the country collectively held their breath, hoping the nine-time All-Star and three-time National League MVP would reach a deal, keeping him in Cardinal red for the rest of his playing days.

Instead, it looks as if Pujols will be testing the market after the 2011 season. Low-ball offers from Cardinals management were swatted away like fastballs by Pujols in what has been a month-long struggle between the two sides.

Pujols asked for a 10-year, $300 million contract – which would have made him the highest paid player in baseball. Now all fans can do is shake their heads and wonder what will happen next.
Keeping inflation in mind, if Stan Musial or Bob Gibson would have asked for a contract that size, would the Cardinals hesitate to come up with an offer? Of course not.

So why now? Why Pujols?

Understandably, Pujols is on the downhill side of his career. He has been plagued by injuries in the past and will likely suffer even more as he ages. But you can't argue with the stats.

Pound for pound, Pujols is one of the purest hitters the game has ever seen. He's a shoe-in for Cooperstown once his playing days are over, and his numbers could rival Ted Williams and Pete Rose by the time it's all said and done.

It's time to pay the man his worth.

Pujols will make $16 million this season – a relatively low figure considering he has been the face of the franchise for the last 10 years. In comparison, Alex Rodriguez is making $27.5 million in his fourth year of a 10-year contract. Both players have similar numbers since 2001 according to this article on ESPN.com.

Our grandfathers got to watch Stan the Man play in one uniform throughout his career. Our fathers got to see Gibson hurl from the mound in St. Louis throughout his career. Why can't our generation enjoy watching Albert blast bombs into Big Mac Land for the rest of his career?

Come on, John Mozeliak and the DeWitt family. Give the man his just pay and keep him in St. Louis – or risk losing a large portion of your fan base. St. Louis fans are smart, and with a new ballpark it might be hard to fill those seats if the Cardinals lose one of the most beloved players in the team's history.

Hello, World!

As a former sports editor of the Marshfield Mail in Marshfield, Missouri, I came to love writing columns on various sporting events – both locally and nationally.

Now that I have moved back to Columbia, Missouri, I no longer have the opportunity to write those columns. So without further ado, I give you a look into the alternative world of sports from my point of view.

Some of the columns will deal with national issues, others will be more localized. There may be some columns that make you laugh, while others may tug at your heart. But one thing is certain, the writing will generally be solid and the opinions will be entirely my own.