“I really disagree with your analysis that ‘Cinderella can’t win’ in the NCAA basketball tourney. I would like to make a rebuttal with one simple statement. Have you ever seen the movie ‘Hoosiers’? That is a true story. As a graduate of Butler University (class of 2001) and a former high school basketball player in Indiana, I’ve seen the magic on the big screen, but also in person. I know Cinderella can win. It is just a matter of time.”
Ben, Littleton
Kiz: Now there’s an inspired soliloquy that would do Gene Hackman proud. But I’m afraid it’s five minutes past closing time for Cinderella basketball heroes, and Barbara Hershey isn’t walking through the tavern door, pal. “Hoosiers” was based on a prep team from 1954. In 2007, winning it all in college basketball has as much to do with money and TV exposure as guts and determination. Maybe that’s sad. But it’s definitely true.
Avs or Av-nots?
“You wrote, ‘The Avs might not be very good, but at least they’re delusional’ (Feb. 23). Would you like some horseradish or Tabasco with that crow? Perhaps a retraction, or better yet an apology, might be in order. Even if they lose every game the rest of the way, everyone who wrote the Avs off was dead wrong.”
Scott, Fort Collins
Kiz: As those select few who have inspected my birth certificate can confirm, “Dead Wrong” is my middle name. How did you know? But, a month ago, I predicted the Avalanche would miss the NHL playoffs for the first time since moving to Colorado. That’s my story. And I’m sticking to it. Wanna bet?
Money ball
“I’m interested in the passing of Bowie Kuhn. When he took over as baseball commissioner, the average annual salary of a pro baseball player was about 3 1/2 times what a public teacher in a baseball town typically earned in a year. The minimum salary for a player in 2007 is $380,000, approximately what the average player was making when Kuhn retired as commissioner. That salary figure for a first-year player is more than I earned in my entire 30-year classroom career, and more than 10 times the starting salary of a typical teacher.”
Ray, Lakewood
Kiz: Ah, c’mon, “Teach.” You must be old school. Who needs to know how to read or write these days? There’s no money in arts or sciences. Mommas, raise your babies to be a late-inning, special-situation, left-handed relief pitcher.
Parting shot
And today’s parting shot is delivered by a man with proud basketball roots in North Dakota, where there were indeed some talented hoopsters, albeit 40 years ago. Not to put any pressure on new Colorado State coach Tim Miles, but this booster is about to compare Miles to the most successful coach working in the NBA today.
“Current NBA coach Phil Jackson, former NBA coaches Bill Fitch and Jimmy Rodgers, plus former Louisiana State coach Dale Brown, all might take exception to your description of North Dakota as the last place to look for a basketball coach.”
Doug, Centennial
