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I had a great time recently in Canton, Ohio, where I gave a speech. My friend Mike Toney and I had a lot of fun for four days. They had us going everywhere.
North Canton Hoover High put it on, and they beat powerhouse Massillon in football the day I left. There were 18,000 people in the stands.
I once saw Massillon’s athletic facilities and they were as nice as any college you’ll ever see. Unbelievable. They have so many practice fields. The only one better in that area is Ohio State.
I’ve seen some of UNLV’s basketball games, lately, and I think (coach) Lon Kruger is feeling his way right now. He sure has a lot of talent. I never had that many players. I never wanted that many players.
Every guy on his team is a player, so that might take you longer. You have to give them all a shot. I always went into the season knowing who my top eight or nine players would be.
DeShawn Mitchell has looked absolutely super. That kid who transferred from UCLA, Chace Stanback … I couldn’t believe they didn’t have room for him at UCLA.
He’s a big-time player and I can’t wait to see him next season. Fans will have to be patient. But I believe Lon will have a very good team.
No slow starts really stick out in my career. I always thought every year was tight, except for 1991. We were so good. That season, 1990-91, was the only time I’d go to the arena and know we’d win.
Every other season, I was a nervous wreck. But in ’90-91, I was relaxed. But I didn’t want to be relaxed. The team always reflects the personality of its coach.
I wanted to get fired up, so the team wouldn’t sense it. But it was so good. I’d say to ‘Grg’ (assistant coach Tim Grgurich), “can we be this good?” He’d say, “Coach, I think we are.” We were so good.
When I saw the guys after that golf deal a few weeks ago, it was great. We were at a country club having dinner, and I sat at a table with David Butler, Moses Scurry and Larry Johnson. It was wonderful.
Larry went to get my food. I didn’t have to walk up and get my food. It was a great group of guys. Greg Anthony was there. It was fabulous. Stacey Cvijanovich and Travis Bice were there.
That was the first time I had seen Butler since he left Vegas. He didn’t come back for a long time.
He was bitter for a long time. He was in that hot-tub photo, with Anderson Hunt, Moses Scurry and Richard “The Fixer” Perry, and David didn’t even know the guy.
(Perry) was a friend of Moses. David was upset about that and he hadn’t been back to Vegas in a long time.
Does Moses regret that? He’s just such a good person. God, he’s a good guy. He signed autographs once at the Stardust and everyone absolutely loved him. He talked and laughed with everyone, and he signed everything.
A great guy.
One year, we played at Louisville. The NCAA was always on top of us, trying to find stuff, make guys ineligible. We shut off the phones in their hotel rooms so nobody could call out.
Moses went down to the lobby to talk on a pay phone. I walked by and he said, Coach, talk to my mother! She was on the line and was so happy. She thanked me for bringing Moses to Vegas.
She said, “You don’t know how much he loves you, coach! Do me a favor and keep him there all summer. We don’t want him home.” What? I said, why?
She said the neighborhood would bring him to his knees. Everone he grew up with was either in prison, killed or on drugs. She said, “I don’t want him back in this environment.”
Can you believe some of the problems those kids faced? We have no way of relating to that. The streets will bring you to your knees.
I absolutely love Moses. I hear from him every holiday and on my birthday.
Moses and Anderson told me that picture was taken before I ever knew who Perry was. He said he was Sam Perry and that he was in the commodities business in New York.
We didn’t know who he was. I didn’t. Moses said as a young kid Perry would buy him shoes and bring groceries to the family. I don’t blame Moses. Nothing wrong with that.
Moses said Perry talked to him about getting his grades up and doing what’s right. A writer in Dallas came up with that Richard “The Fixer” Perry stuff. I told guys to stay away.
Yeah, that was absolutely unfortunate.
Thanks coach. Too bad the LVRJ blew that picture into everyone's mind. They may have increased circulation for themselves but they also ruined the program and stripped the community of much of it's pride in the process. I will never forgive them for that
Rob Meich, can you hold somebody's feet to the fire at UNLV and UNR and get an explanation why the basketball game is NOT on TV this weekend?
You would think it would be the AD's job, or at least the Chancellor or the Regents job to make sure that fans in Southern Nevada get to watch the game!!
I know fans in both cities have had this problem with football and basketball where fans of the traveling team do not get to see the team play in their market for awhile now.
This should not be a problem. EVERYONE should be able to see both football and basketball games on TV whether played in Reno or LV.
They sure should, newyork... that does stink. I'll look into it and hopefully get you an answer or two. But know this. We'll have blanket coverage of that game. Full bore. Our own photographs. Two video units. Three writers. B-l-a-n-k-e-t. Be sure to look here for everything you'll need to know about that game.
thanks
Doesn't help that they're competing with de la hoya Pacquiao either.
Thanks for the follow up. Sun's coverage has been fantastic lately, so I am looking forward to it, but still, as diehard Rebel fans, we want to watch the games live on TV just like we used to be able to do before the Mountain West made the dumb decision to leave ESPN for CBS College Sports Network.
There's no excuse not to televise these big 'rivalry' games live in BOTH cities!
Good call NewYorkrebel! The writing here kicks butt. I love the new LVSUN.com!
great stuff guys.. wonder if you could get coach to talk about his relationship with bayno... get his thoughts why grgurich didnt work out as the head coach.