Saturday, January 31, 2009

Bits and Pieces

by: Frank Carpano

+It doesn’t get much better than last Wednesday night for local college basketball fans. The University of Rhode Island’s win over Temple and Providence College’s win over 15th nationally ranked Syracuse gave local fans something to fell good about in a state where their seems to be very little good news lately.

+I have never seen as many PC students at a Friar basketball game as their were for Wednesday’s game against Syraucse. Apparently Coach Keno Davis had a meeting witht he student body and encouraged them to support the team. Whatever he said worked. The student sections extended up to areas usually reserved for regular paying customers. It helped created an incredible atmosphere at the Dunkin Donuts Center. Hopefully it was not a one shot deal.

+Did anyone really think that Jason Varitek was going to pass on the Red Sox offer. I know that the way we presented the story added to the faux drama. But really, where else was he going to go? Threats that he was going to retire, in my mind, were a joke. Because how many athletes have you seen leave money on the table?

+Which brings me to Manny Ramirez. This is a fine example of what goes around, comes around. Manny quit on the Red Sox last season, forcing them to deal him to the Dodgers. He forced them to throw out the final 2 years of his contract. His thinking was he could do better than the 20 million dollars per year he was scheduled to get. Now, there is no interest for Manny. His behavior has perhaps finally caught up with him.

+I cannot for the life of me understand why Joe Torre wrote a book slamming the Yankees. I don’t know Torre beyond the couple of times I have interviewed him, but my impression of him is that of a good guy who has alot of class and dignity. So why wirte this book? He can’t need the money. It does nothing to enhance his image? If anything, it takes away from it? Perhaps he’s not the guy who we came to like and respect as the bench leader of the Red Sox arch rivals. Maybe he felt he needed to set the record straight, to settle a score. But, in my mind, instead of going down in history as an even tempered classy guy who helped mesh players with unbelievable ability and egos to match into a world championship baseball team, Torre now will be remembered as another employee who left Geroge Steinbrenner’s employment as a bitter person.

+I’m trying to get excited about Super Bowl 43. Really, I am. But the Steelers and Cardinals just don’t do it for me. Watch it go down as one of the greatest games in the history of the Super Bowl. Cardinals by 3. Enjoy.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Movie Time

By: Frank Carpano

I am getting caught up on my movie viewing. Since it’s awards season, I want to see all the movies that have been nominated to personally handicap their chances.

Since I am a sports guy (movies being a second love), I thought I’d tell you about The Wrestler. Mickey Roarke’s comeback movie could become a classic. It gives you a realistic look at the world of professional wrestling. Not so much the Vince McMahon world of the sport, but the smaller shows.

Roarke plays an over the hill pro wrestler who had a lot of success in his younger days. Now he’s holding on for the money and the cheers. It reminded me of the movie “Everybody’s All-American”, another movie about an athlete who stayed in the game too long. Dennis Quaid was the star in that one.

That brings me to my favorite sports movies of all time.

On that list, in no particular order are:

Rocky (1)
Field of Dreams
Slapshot
Caddyshack
Bull Durham
A league of their Own
Jerry Maguire
Rudy

Admitedly there are some wimpy movies in that list. But, hey, that’s me.

Feel free to email me your list

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Great performances

by: Frank Carpano

Time to note a couple of great local performances over the past week.

On Sunday, Jimmy Baron became the University of Rhode Island’s all-time 3 point shot leader. As good as Jimmy is, I can’t help but think that there were some who believed when he arrived at URI 4 years ago that he was there because he was the coach’s son. As wrought with obstacles that may be for both player and coach, it couldn’t have worked out better for all involved.

Whether you’re coaching a little league team or a division one college basketball program, coaching your kid is tough. You don’t want to show favorites but then again you don’t want to hold the kid back unnecessarily. Jim Baron, the coach was lucky. His kid is a star. And nobody could argue he was getting too much playing time.

Prior to the season, I sat next to Jim Baron, the coach, at a local college basketball dinner. I told him how lucky he was, as a dad, to be able to watch every minute of his son’s extrordinary college basketball career. If Jimmy had gone to school anywhere else, his dad would probably never have had a chance to see him play in-person. My comment brought a smile to Baron’s face. There are certain perks to the coach’s job that you can’t put a dollar figure on. I dare say there Coach Baron places that perk on top of the list.

On Saturday, PC’s Jeff Xavier went down in a heap after driving to the hoop in the second half of the Friars game against Marquette. It was obvious from the time he hit the floor that he was in terrible pain. And after several minutes of medical attention he rose to his feet only to collapse again in pain.
He had been poked in the right eye. It swelled completely shut, requiring a trip to the hospital. Apparently a defender’s finger poked Jeff in the eye and tore the eyelid. 3 stitches closed the cut.

On Sunday Xavier, who had been released from the hospital couldn’t move his eye from side to side and felt dizzy every time he stood up. That night on the Providence College Coach’s Show with Keno Davis, the head coach of the Friars said Xavier would not play the next night against Cincinnati

Every hour Sunday, Xavier’s fiance put a medicated drop in Xavier’s eye. She also kept ice on it. Even as Xavier slept, his Fiance put drops in the eye every hour.
When Jeff awoke on Monday morning, he thought a miracle had taken place. The swelling had gone down, he could move his eye. He phoned one of the PC training staff and told him to find him a pair of goggles, he was going to play that night.

Xavier got his goggles and the green light from his doctors. 2 hours prior to game time, Xavier was practicing his shot at the Dunkin Donuts Center.
Fittingly he hit the friars first shot of the game. I don’t think you can underestimate the impact that has on a team. 48 hours earlier, this kid was in terrible pain, blinded in one eye and his season very much in question. Nobody would have blamed him if he sat out the Cincinnati game. He explained after the Cincy game that it’s his senior year, too few opportunities remain for him in a PC uniform, and he didn’t want to miss a single one

Good for Jimmy, good for Jeff and good for us to have two great kids who we can marvel at this local college basketball season