Recollections from a great trip to Tennessee Tech this past weekend (the one-point overtime loss not withstanding) for the Men’s Basketball ESPN Bracketbuster game:
*Right out of the gate, the trip started out on an auspicious note as a mix-up left us waiting for a bus that was not going to arrive. Clint Eastwood once uttered the words “Adjust, Acclimate, Overcome” and that’s what everyone did, loading up in cars and heading to the beautiful, new Alexandria International Airport terminal.
*For the record, these road trips are “business trips.” Yes, there are light and fun moments but the schedule – travel, meals, practice, everything – is designed to put the team in a position to win a basketball game. Making arrangements – bus, meal, practice, hotel – takes time and precision. Coach McConathy – and he would credit his staff, especially Coach Mark Slessinger – do a marvelous job in this area.
*The team practiced on Friday morning on the Vanderbilt University auxiliary court. As we exited through the main arena, little did we know that the Commodores would hand top-ranked Florida its first SEC loss the next day.
*Had breakfast with Tennessee Tech AD Mark Wilson. Class guy. It is always good to talk with counterparts about the ups and downs we face as administrators.
*Nice NSU contingent at the game. Trey Gilder’s brother from Atlanta attended and his presence must have been inspirational as Trey had a real nice game. I chuckled as one of Trey’s young nephews tapped me on the shoulder during the game and asked if I was “yelling for Uncle Trey’s team.” I gave him “five” and he reciprocated. Robert and Dot Scott traveled to the game from Natchitoches and were joined by five family members. Former Lady Demon volleyball player Jeanette Baldwin was there. So, too were the familiar encouraging cheers from Connie McConathy, among others, to make the team feel a little bit at home.
*The snow referenced in a previous blog made at least two travelers – Chicago native and current Demon Luke Rogers and yours’ truly, a native Ohioan – feel at home.
*I have always been a big believer in the power of marketing as it relates to wearing NSU apparel. I cannot begin to recount the number of people who, because they saw the team and other travel party members wearing Northwestern State apparel, wanted to know more about the program. Of course, I was quick to tell them that we were the team that beat Iowa last year in the NCAA Tournament and they quickly put two and two together. Can’t measure it but there is undoubtedly value in this type of exposure.
*I wish administrators, faculty, staff, and students alike would have the opportunity to see how well these players represents not just themselves, but the University, during trips of this nature. Whether it is in a restaurant or in an airport, they carry themselves well and often receive admiring glances from onlookers.
*What a game – 17 ties and 20 lead changes. One of the best college basketball games I have ever watched. While the loss indeed stings, the benefits of this game may be beneficial at the SLC Tournament in Houston in early March.
*And last, but not least, the Jermaine Spencer moment of the trip. The gregarious fifth-year senior from New Iberia had the Tennessee Tech cheerleaders, pep band, and student section rolling over the following – as he flew out of bounds after being fouled on a fast break shot attempt, he stumbled through the cheerleaders….trying to keep his balance, he hopped up on a three-foot platform occupied by the pep band……he steadied himself against an eight-foot table, straightened up with a chocolate chip cookie in hand from the cheerleaders stash on the table, took one bite, put the cookie down, hopped down off of the platform, and proceeded to the foul line for two shots (he made the first, still chewing on the cookie!). Laughter erupted from everyone who had a birds-eye view of the impromptu moment from the live-wire guy who is truly one of the leaders of the Demon team.
Here’s to hoping that I get to make another trip with the Demons sometime around mid-March!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Demons in the Snow
Well, it wouldn't be a road trip with NSU if the Demon basketball team didn't find some snow along the way.
In Milwaukee, it was the worst blizzard in two years that shut schools down. Now, in Cookeville, Tennessee, it is several inches of giant snow flakes when we were anticipating just "a light snow shower."
For whatever reason, when the Demons get anywhere out of the Deep South, they find the snow...or the snow finds them.
Either way, this collection of mostly Louisiana kids have become snow veterans. So if some wayward snow shower should hit Louisiana (probably in March with the way our weather goes) don't expect the Demon basketballers to be wide-eyed...they've seen it all before.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Scenes from the BracketBusters trail
Blips not on the FAA radar but noticed on the Demons' journey to Smoky Mountain country for Saturday night's game at Tennessee Tech...
... Thanks to NSU Alumni Association board member Jimmy Williams and some hard-working Delta employees, the team avoided missing its flight from Alexandria even though a new charter bus company never showed up to take the team to the airport.
With the bus already 10 minutes late for our 3:45 departure Friday and word coming that the bus wouldn't be in town anytime soon, the team split into seven cars and headed south. There was a time, before 9/11, that a late airport arrival wasn't such a big deal, but those days are gone.
Williams, who is the economic development director for the England Airpark which oversees the beautiful new terminal at Alexandria, was able to pave the way for a quick transition for the team when we arrived about 45 minutes before departure. Thanks, Jimmy!
... We had a super stewardess on the Delta commuter flight from Alexandria to Atlanta. Her welcome enthusiasm made everybody smile. She also led a cheer for the Demons as the flight taxied toward our terminal at Hartsfield Airport.
... On the plane from Atlanta to Nashville, Centenary president Dr. Ken Schwab, who said hello ... and on both the flight to Atlanta and to Nashville, and in fact all season long, it's been fun and fascinating to see people recognize the NSU logo and express excitement at being around the team that had the big first-round NCAA Tournament win last year.
....While waiting on our bags in the Nashville airport, coach Mike McConathy noticed a taller fellow who he said looked a lot like former Demon guard Alann Polk. He was right. There's a strong resemblence, if you discount the broad shoulders, between Alann (who lives in Dallas with his wife Angela, the former SLC Women's Basketball Player of the Year for NSU) and retired NFL star Eddie George.
Always outgoing Jermaine Spencer approached George, who said he was picking up his son. Spencer, by the way, was wearing a T-shirt that read "SportsCenter, No. 6 Plays of the Day" ... to the amusement of his teammates and coaches. Michael McConathy has one, too.
... The team practiced this morning at Vanderbilt in a gymnasium, not their unique arena. Discussing that iconic college basketball venue last night, Coach McConathy told me he likes the idea of relocating the benches at Prather Coliseum along the baseline as they are at Vandy's arena. Hmmm, more prime seating courtside, more fun, more revenue? ....
...Now we're in Cookeville, and the team is relaxing before a 8 p.m. shootaround at the Eblen Center tonight. The drive over from Nashville took about 80 minutes and carried us into the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. It is beautiful country on a crisp, picture-perfect February afternoon. We may wake up with a blanket of snow, they say. We'll let you know!
... Thanks to NSU Alumni Association board member Jimmy Williams and some hard-working Delta employees, the team avoided missing its flight from Alexandria even though a new charter bus company never showed up to take the team to the airport.
With the bus already 10 minutes late for our 3:45 departure Friday and word coming that the bus wouldn't be in town anytime soon, the team split into seven cars and headed south. There was a time, before 9/11, that a late airport arrival wasn't such a big deal, but those days are gone.
Williams, who is the economic development director for the England Airpark which oversees the beautiful new terminal at Alexandria, was able to pave the way for a quick transition for the team when we arrived about 45 minutes before departure. Thanks, Jimmy!
... We had a super stewardess on the Delta commuter flight from Alexandria to Atlanta. Her welcome enthusiasm made everybody smile. She also led a cheer for the Demons as the flight taxied toward our terminal at Hartsfield Airport.
... On the plane from Atlanta to Nashville, Centenary president Dr. Ken Schwab, who said hello ... and on both the flight to Atlanta and to Nashville, and in fact all season long, it's been fun and fascinating to see people recognize the NSU logo and express excitement at being around the team that had the big first-round NCAA Tournament win last year.
....While waiting on our bags in the Nashville airport, coach Mike McConathy noticed a taller fellow who he said looked a lot like former Demon guard Alann Polk. He was right. There's a strong resemblence, if you discount the broad shoulders, between Alann (who lives in Dallas with his wife Angela, the former SLC Women's Basketball Player of the Year for NSU) and retired NFL star Eddie George.
Always outgoing Jermaine Spencer approached George, who said he was picking up his son. Spencer, by the way, was wearing a T-shirt that read "SportsCenter, No. 6 Plays of the Day" ... to the amusement of his teammates and coaches. Michael McConathy has one, too.
... The team practiced this morning at Vanderbilt in a gymnasium, not their unique arena. Discussing that iconic college basketball venue last night, Coach McConathy told me he likes the idea of relocating the benches at Prather Coliseum along the baseline as they are at Vandy's arena. Hmmm, more prime seating courtside, more fun, more revenue? ....
...Now we're in Cookeville, and the team is relaxing before a 8 p.m. shootaround at the Eblen Center tonight. The drive over from Nashville took about 80 minutes and carried us into the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. It is beautiful country on a crisp, picture-perfect February afternoon. We may wake up with a blanket of snow, they say. We'll let you know!
You're sworn to silence
By reading this, you agree not to tell anybody you know in Providence, R.I., until after this weekend.
Jeffrey O'Brien, a young soldier stationed at Fort Polk, is home in New England to propose to his girlfriend. She has no idea. Her parents have given the green light. He and his girlfriend have known each other for nine years, so there's a great foundation.
Jeff was in the next seat on the Delta flight Thursday evening from Alexandria to Atlanta, as I was with the Demon basketball team flying to Nashville on the way to Saturday night's game at Tennessee Tech.
Jeff graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2002. He's a little nervous about the proposal. He bought the ring on his own. That takes courage. He has that in spades.
Jeff is back home in the USA after a tour in Afghanistan. In June, he's heading to Iraq -- based on our conversation, without reservations and with a lot of pride.
He is a big URI Rams fan and is hoping they can make the NCAA Tournament. He was disappointed he missed last year's March Madness because he was stationed in an isolated region of Afghanistan, literally sleeping on the ground, without any telephone or internet connection for many weeks at a time. He said he was surprised to be involved in so many firefights. He said the diversion of resources to Iraq has allowed the Taliban to provide some significant resistance in Afghanistan.
He got a kick out of talking college hoops and being on the plane with the Demons. I can guarantee you, I got a thrill out of sitting next to him and I told him that we all appreciated him and his brothers in arms.
And I wished him good luck this weekend. That, he appreciated, too!
Jeffrey O'Brien, a young soldier stationed at Fort Polk, is home in New England to propose to his girlfriend. She has no idea. Her parents have given the green light. He and his girlfriend have known each other for nine years, so there's a great foundation.
Jeff was in the next seat on the Delta flight Thursday evening from Alexandria to Atlanta, as I was with the Demon basketball team flying to Nashville on the way to Saturday night's game at Tennessee Tech.
Jeff graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2002. He's a little nervous about the proposal. He bought the ring on his own. That takes courage. He has that in spades.
Jeff is back home in the USA after a tour in Afghanistan. In June, he's heading to Iraq -- based on our conversation, without reservations and with a lot of pride.
He is a big URI Rams fan and is hoping they can make the NCAA Tournament. He was disappointed he missed last year's March Madness because he was stationed in an isolated region of Afghanistan, literally sleeping on the ground, without any telephone or internet connection for many weeks at a time. He said he was surprised to be involved in so many firefights. He said the diversion of resources to Iraq has allowed the Taliban to provide some significant resistance in Afghanistan.
He got a kick out of talking college hoops and being on the plane with the Demons. I can guarantee you, I got a thrill out of sitting next to him and I told him that we all appreciated him and his brothers in arms.
And I wished him good luck this weekend. That, he appreciated, too!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Some different McConathy Magic....
This little bit of thievery and sweet dish definitely do not remind us of the elder Mike McConathy, who was a bit more known for shooting, rather than defense and passing. However, it is number six on the SportsCenter Top Ten plays of the day.
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