From: Dave Aronowitz
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2013 1:47 PMTo: Dresie, Lee
Now, this is really the end
STORRS, Conn. -- Wes Bialosuknia, who averaged 28 points a
game for Connecticut in the 1966-67 season to set a school record, has died. He
was 68.
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For all of you who wondered who Wes Bialosuknia was, now you know. Dave Arononowitz is/was a college teammate at Haverford (and all-around good guy even though he wore purple Cons at times) with an amazing memory. When I moved to Connecticut at 12 years old, a guy in the neighborhood tried to impress me my telling me that his cousin was Wes Bialosuknia. My blank look in response was probably the same as yours when you got Dave’s email on Monday.
I had the same blank look last night at the Laker game. Music Attorney to the Stars Peter Paterno
invited super-son Pablo and me to the Laker – Clipper game last night. During the first quarter, one Laker guy in a
Laker jersey passed to another Laker guy in a Laker jersey, who dunked. While there was much celebration in Staples
Center, there was probably as much confusion.
Who was the guy who dunked? For
the first time in decades (if ever), a Laker guy scored in a game and I had no idea
who he was. We later figured out he was a fine fellow named Xavier Henry,
Kansas U grad, who was on the Pelicans last year (formerly the Hornets).
And Xavier (number 7 for your future reference) was three
times as famous and familiar as another guy in a Laker jersey named Shawnee
Williams – who started at power forward.
Where did Shawnee play last year?
Good question. The answer, as far
as I can figure out: Nowhere in the NBA. And he is now starting for “my team”. And there is another guy named Johnson who I
wouldn’t recognize if he was sitting in my office. This guy named Johnson was also out there
wearing a Laker jersey. One guy I did
recognize is Chris Kaman. Probably a
perfectly nice guy, certainly a competent if uninteresting basketball player –
and now is he another guy wearing the uniform of “my team”. Finally, a guy named Nick Young, who shot
every time he touched it, just as he did for the 76ers last year, and USC, when
he played there. He, too, is now on “my
team”.
All this makes me think of Jerry Seinfeld’s line:
"Loyalty to any one sports team is pretty hard to
justify, because the players are always changing; the team could move to
another city. You're actually rooting for the clothes when you get right down
to it."
So, while I was at the game, and happy the Clippers lost (no
band-wagon fan am I), it was rather surreal. My favorite Laker Pau played only
24 minutes. Former Laker Jordan Farmer
returned and played well – but did so playing with the aforementioned No. 7,
Shawnee, some guy named Johnson, who cares about him Kaman, and ex-Trojan bad
shot taker Nick Young. It was hard for
me to root for the guys wearing this color laundry just because in years past
Laker players I really knew and cared about wore that same laundry. It felt like watching a March Madness game
where some team like Vermont is upsetting some basketball power like
Syracuse. Yes, I want Vermont to win,
but I am not invested in them like a real fan.
Although when Vermont did beat Syracuse, that was cool. Here
is 1 minute 20 second highlight:
I think I figured out the problem. Normally, when your team picks up a new
player or two, they are playing with 3 or 4 other guys who you have rooted for
in the past. You root for the new guy to
support “your” players, and the new guys magically become your guys too. With this Laker team, No. 7 is passing the
ball to Kaman, who passes it to some guy named Johnson, who dribbles twice,
fakes it to Shawnee, and then passes it to ex-Trojan Nick Young. Who shoots it, of course. I don’t care about any of those 5 guys!
Knowing this was coming about, I resolved this summer to see
if I could transfer loyalty to a team with guys I like. The Warriors.
Steph Curry went to Davidson, where he hung out with the son
of Haverford College roommate and soccer legend Phil Zipin – Phil’s son says
Steph is a good guy. He is also a great
shooter, like I dream of being. So
that’s one. Laker announcer and former Laker
player Michael Thompson’s son is the other guard, also seems like a good
guy. Also a great shooter. That’s two.
Andrew Bogut is from Australia, and we have 2 great friends from
Australia. And he is a great
passer. That is three. Iguadola is a great defender, team player,
seems like a real good guy. That’s
four. Harrison Barnes, now back as 6th
man, went to North Carolina, who I normally don’t like, but Tar Heel legend Bob
Bennett is one of the best people in the world.
So that helps. I really liked
Warrior great Rick Barry growing up. And
former Claremont player and All-American Chris Greene is a Warrior fan from way
back. That is enough for me. Warriors all the way, baby!
Lakers play Warriors tonight. I have no idea who I will be rooting for once
the game begins.
==========================================
Welcome back to the fake blog. Normally, the fake blog is
only for the playoffs. But since the
Lakers will now likely go 1 – 81, they might not make the playoffs. (Before
last night, I would have said 0 – 82.) .
At least my Spurs and Warriors probably will. Consider this a very-pre-playoff blog
By the way, someone much smarter than me put all of last
season’s stuff on a real blog. I should
figure out how to do that someday. Here
it is:
http://leesfakeblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/it-may-always-be-known-simply-as-game.html
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