Terrible Towel, A Wonderful Legacy

Love you hon ... this story made me think of you & -------. Everything with Autism, the Steelers & the love he has for his son.
Remember the last time the Steelers were in the Superbowl? I'll never forget. I miss you so bad & every day I wish you were here.



Subject: Terrible Towel, A Wonderful Legacy More than 500,000 towels could be sold if the Steelers win the Super Bowl. By JOHN BRANCH Published: January 29, 2009 There is one Steelers fan in Pittsburgh ambivalent about the team’s success. Myron Cope, a longtime Pittsburgh broadcaster, was credited with creating the Terrible Towel in 1975. “It’s actually been really hard for me, with the Steelers going to the Super Bowl,” the 38-year-old Elizabeth Cope said. “Because I have to see the Terrible Towels everywhere. It’s great. But it hurts.” The towels are a swirling reminder of her father, Myron Cope, a longtime Pittsburgh broadcaster credited with creating the Terrible Towel in 1975. Before he died last February at age 79, Elizabeth Cope watched last year’s Super Bowl with him in his hospital room. She draped his coffin with a quilt that a fan had made out of Terrible Towels. But the great part comes=2 0from what each of those towels does for people like Danny Cope, Myron’s son and Elizabeth’s older brother. Myron Cope left behind something far more personal than a legacy of terrycloth, a battle flag for a city and its team. In 1996, he handed over the trademark to the Terrible Towel to the Allegheny Valley School. It is a network of campuses and group homes across Pennsylvania for people with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. It receives almost all the profits from sales of the towels. Danny Cope is o ne of the roughly 900 people the school serves. He has been a resident since 1982, when he was a teenager. He was diagnosed with severe mental retardation when he was 2. He is now 41. “He’s never spoken,” Elizabeth Cope said. “Which is kind of funny, because Dad is known for his voice. It’s almost like the Terrible Towel is Danny’s silent voice.” Hundreds of thousands of the towels — trademarked as “Myron Cope’s the Official Terrible Towel” — are sold every year, for about $7 each. Through the Steelers, who handle the marketing of the towels, the school receives a check every month, usually for tens of thousands of dollars. =0 A A Super Bowl changes everything. The company that produces the towels, McArthur Towel & Sports of Baraboo, Wis., produced 450,000 of them last week, after the Steelers won the A.F.C. championship. The company expects to duplicate that this week before Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, its president, Gregg McArthur, said. A Steelers victory would most likely lead to orders20of at least 500,000 more for a pair of Super Bowl versions of the Terrible Towel, one with the score against the Cardinals, the other declaring the Steelers as six-time Super Bowl champions. Before this season, Allegheny Valley School had received more than $2.5 million from the towels since 1996, said its chief executive officer, Regis Champ. Roughly $1 million of that came during and immediately after the 2005 season, when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. This season is likely to top that. “It’s an incredible help for us,” Champ said. “We’re a nonprofit organization, and our primary funding is through Medicaid. While Medicaid is very good to people with disabilities, it is limited in what it wil l cover.” Champ said that Myron Cope wanted the money to go not for construction projects, but for individual assistance for residents. Recent purchases include high-end specialized wheelchairs and sensory programs that allow severely disabled residents, including quadriplegics, to perform tasks such as turning on lights or music with a movement of their eyes. The money has also been spent on adaptive communication devices, computers that give voice to those who cannot speak. Danny Cop e has one. The checks are usually spent as they are received. “Our needs are daily,” Champ said. Elizabeth Cope receives none of the proceeds from the Terrible Towel. Her father (whose wife, Mildred, died in 1994) transferred the trademark out of gratitude to the school. “He came into my office, and he had a pile of papers,” Champ said. “He threw them down on my desk and said, ‘Regis, I’m giving you the Terrible Towel.’ I said, ‘Myron, I have about 10 of them. I’ll take another one, but ... “He said, ‘No, I’m giving you the rights, and you’ll be able to get all the proceeds from the Terrible Towels.’ I was speechless. I knew that this would be the legacy that outlived Myron.” The idea for the towels came out of a 1975 meeting Cope had at WTAE, th e Steelers’ flagship radio station where he was the voice of the Steelers. Executives wanted a promotional gimmick, something to raise the excitement level during the playoffs. Pittsburgh’s blue-collar fans were not the pompom types. But towels were far more utilitarian, useful for wiping the seats or protecting against the chill. Cope dubbed them Terrible Towels. On air, he encouraged fans to bring gold or black towels to the first playoff game against the Colts. It seemed too gimmicky, until about half the crowd began waving them at the start of the game. The Steelers won their second consecutive Super Bowl, surrounded by a sea of swirling towels. Soon they were trademarked and mass-produced. They have been imitated by other franchises, but usually they are handed out for free, and they feel both unoriginal and uninspired by comparison. Even the N.F.L. could not contain itself; it is selling a white “Trophy Towel” to fans of both the Steelers and the Cardinals. “When I see other towels in other s tadiums, I know they probably have no personal story behind them,” Elizabeth Cope said. She said she has “millions” of them at home, and recently donated some framed originals to a Pittsburgh museum. There is one displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Myron Cope was treasured in Pittsburgh for his enthusiasm, nasally voice and quirky excl amations such as “Yoi!” and “Double yoi!” But he knew he would be most remembered for the towel. And he made sure that it would always be more than just something to cheer the Steelers to victory. When Danny Cope arrived at Allegheny Valley School, Myron Cope told Champ that doctors said he needed 24-hour supervision and would never be able to work. Danny Cope, who is also autistic, now lives in a supervised group home with four others in a Pittsburgh suburb. He shops and goes to sports events. He has a paying job, packaging pretzels and snacks on an assembly line. “Myron said that he was thankful for the life his son had,” Champ said. The connective threads are strong. Many of the Terrible Towels go through a workshop in Chippewa Falls, Wis., similar to the one where Danny Cope works. About 80 employees with severe disabilities help fold, tag and box the shipments, McArthur said. Come Sunday, when the Terrible Towels are swirling around Raymond James Stadium, the y may also be swirling around Danny Cope. His friends like to watch the games, and Cope understands the Terrible Towels mean something exciting is happening. “But as far as the legacy his father left?” Champ said. “No, I’m afraid Danny doesn’t understand that.” GO STEELERS - ONE FOR THE OTHER THUMB!!

As I was lighting a candle for one of our other angels this song was playing on her site. I wondered who it was & found out it is FM Static and the name of the song is called Tonight. Wow, it hits home! And of course, knowing me, I am downloading both of their albums as I type. I love this song honey. It makes me think of you so much. I love you so much & gawd, I miss you!!!



I remember the times we spent together
All those drives, we had a million questions
All about our lives
And when we got to New York everything felt right
I wish you were here with me,
Tonight

I remember the days we spent together,
were not enough, it used to feel like dreaming
Except we always woke up,
Never thought not having you here now
Would hurt so much

Tonight I've fallen and I can't get up
I need your loving hands to come and pick me up
And every night I miss you
I can just look up
And know the stars are
Holding you, holding you, holding you
Tonight

I remember the time you told me
About when you were eight
And all those things you said that night
That just couldn't wait
I remember the car you were last seen in
And the games we would play
All the times we spilled our coffees
And stayed out way too late

I remember the time you sat and told me
About your Jesus, and how not to look back
Even if no one believes us
When it hurts so bad, sometimes
Not having you here

Tonight I've fallen and I can't get up
I need your loving hands to come and pick me up
And every night I miss you
I can just look up
And know the stars are
Holding you, holding you, holding you
Tonight

I say
Tonight I've fallen and I can't get up
I need your loving hands to come and pick me up
And every night I miss you
I can just look up
And know the stars are
Holding you, holding you, holding you
Tonight

The Lessons Of Chuck Noll

Because it's the Superbowl & you're not here (sad), I'm sharing this article with you. Remember the last time we watched a Superbowl together. At mom's w/ ---- & Pittsburgh was playing the Seahawks. Look, it's 3 years later and you aren't here and the Steelers are back in the Superbowl. I wish so bad you were here. I would love to watch them again with you. Honey, I miss you so much & I swear to God I think of you everyday ... all day. Everything makes me think of you. I love you honey, you are so beautiful.

The Lessons of Chuck Noll
By Elizabeth Merrill
ESPN.com

LATROBE, Pa. -- There is nothing fancy about where the name went. At least it's spelled right. The words "Chuck Noll Field" hang neatly over a brick press box, two stories above the grass at Saint Vincent College. Noll would be happy about its simplicity. Twenty-three years in one job, and people in Pittsburgh still spell Noll's name with a "K." Maybe he never noticed. Chances are he didn't care.

Sometimes late in the summer, when the newbies arrive at Saint Vincent for the start of practice, coach Bob Colbert will ask them: Who is the guy with the name on the field? If a kid isn't from Allegheny County or points nearby, chances are he'll stare at Colbert with a blank look.

*Chuck Noll is the only NFL coach to win four Super Bowls -- IX, X, XIII and XIV.*

"It's unfortunate," Colbert says, "that he didn't get his due.

"The younger kids, they're not into the history. History is yesterday."

History, at least in these parts, is consistent. Snow falls; Steelers flags flutter in preparation for another Super Bowl; and Chuck Noll, black-and-gold legend, is somewhere far away. He will not give an oral dissertation this week on how these Pittsburgh Steelers remind him of his Steel Curtain defenses in the 1970s. Noll doesn't even watch a whole game of football anymore. It is believed that he talked to Pittsburgh's front office about his thoughts on the Steelers once this season.

"Your team is doing well," he told chairman Dan Rooney.

He won't be on TV, unless it's a grainy old video of one of his unprecedented four Super Bowl titles, won't be mentioned among the all-time NFL coaching greats. His friends will say the snub is borne out of his desire for privacy. Noll didn't put himself out there, didn't parlay his success into a broadcasting career, and hence, the world carried on without him.

Who is Chuck Noll? A generation of football fans doesn't, really, know.

HE'S HARDLY EVER SEEN AROUND SEWICKLEY

The first stop to find Noll is his last known Pennsylvania address, up Highway 65 and along the Ohio River. Sewickley is a maple-lined borough with fewer than 4,000 people, but it's loaded with local celebs. Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby live here, and so do former Steelers legends Franco Harris and Lynn Swann.

Noll's apartment doesn't really compete. It is in a modest three-story building with a rooftop view and a sign planted in the frozen earth that reads, "No trespassing, solicitors or loiterers."

He's not there.

He spends about half the year in Pittsburgh, with his devoted wife, Marianne, who takes his calls. They've been married for roughly two-thirds of their lives. Former players, regardless of their Hall of Fame status, have a tough time getting past Marianne and through to Noll. It makes them wonder about his health.

Marianne says the back problems that might have ultimately helped nudge him to retirement in 1991 have gotten much worse. He gets around with two canes, and doesn't get anywhere very well. His nerves are exposed, and just about any movement is painful. He just turned 77.

They are spending the winter in their second home in Florida, a more comfortable patch roughly two hours away from the site of Super Bowl XLIII. They'll keep the home in Pittsburgh. "Always," says Marianne.

Reached by phone Thursday, Marianne is asked if they'll be in Tampa, and she says no.

"I just don't see how we can," she says. "We will watch it here.

"He did it, and it was wonderful. And now it's [Mike Tomlin's] turn."

HE DOESN'T HAVE A TASTE FOR CHOCOLATE

Life, post-football, could have been more comfortable had he caved once in a while. Maybe if he flashed a few smiles, stopped for a camera, Noll would be rich. Sometime in the mid-1970s, after another Super Bowl, Nestle offered to pay him big bucks to use his photo on a candy bar. It took less than a minute for Noll to say no.

"See if one of the assistants wants to do it," Noll usually said.

Joe Gordon, who served as the Steelers' public relations director under Noll, figures the coach turned down what would amount to maybe a million dollars in endorsements today. He did just one ad in 23 years, for a local bank run by a friend. When Noll saw his face plastered on a billboard for the bank -- an ad that hung near a road that took the team to training camp -- he became annoyed.

"He decided to never do it again," Gordon says. "He's a very private person, and his sole interest was coaching football. He wasn't interested in extraneous stuff. If Chuck had his way, after the game on Sundays he would've just packed his briefcase, taken a shower and gone home without doing any interviews."

HE'S NOT INTO SPEECHES

If you want to know about Noll, you go to "Mean Joe" Greene. He is living in Texas now, but thinks about Noll at least three times a week. An old saying will usually conjure up memories of his coach. "Never make a major decision based solely on money," Noll would tell his players. All money ain't good money.

"I knew no one like him before him and have never met anybody like him since," says former defensive lineman "Mean Joe" Greene, seen here in 1979.

In 1969, when Noll was hired, one of his first moves was to draft the intense-to-a-fault defensive tackle from North Texas State. Greene was dejected when his name was called with the fourth overall pick, because it meant he was headed to a moribund franchise with no hope of winning. He spent the first couple of seasons angry and let his temper get the best of him.

"I didn't buy into it early on," Greene says. "It was hard to believe what he was saying."

But back to the speech … Noll, as a practice, never gave them. He'd tell his players that if he needed to motivate them, they probably deserved to be fired.

But something got to him in late December 1974. The Raiders had just beaten the Dolphins in an AFC divisional playoff game that was far more interesting than Pittsburgh's win against Buffalo. Ken Stabler made a falling throw, and the epic that would later be known as the "Sea of Hands" game was getting far more play. It featured supposedly the best two teams in football. The Super Bowl, to many, seemed like a formality.

Noll gathered his team in that Monday, and, like always, broke down the pluses and minuses of their previous game. Then he launched into a lecture and slammed a chalkboard.

"He said, 'Guys, the people in Oakland think the Super Bowl was played yesterday and the best team was in that game,'" Greene says. "'I want you guys to know the Super Bowl will be played two weeks from now, and the best team in the National Football League is sitting right here.'

"From that moment on, regardless of what went on at the start of the game, I knew the Raiders weren't going to win it. I've never had that feeling before or after that [the other] team had no chance."

HE WAS REALLY PLAN B

Here's a mind-bender: In 1969, the Steelers wanted to go with a coach who was a little more well-known and a little older. That coach was Penn State's Joe Paterno, who turned them down.

HE HAD TICKETS TO THE SYMPHONY

As much as that surprised Pittsburghers, to see their hard-nosed coach listening to classical music, they didn't know half of it. Noll also has an affinity for fine wine, roses, flying and sailing. Anything that Noll was interested in, he eventually became an expert in by studying meticulously. He didn't necessarily like talking about football outside of work. He had far too many other interests.

"He was an unusual guy," says Ed Kiely, a longtime Steelers employee who was an assistant to Art Rooney Sr. "One week he'd be taking lessons for golf, and the next week he'd be learning how to buy a boat and take it down South. He was a man for all seasons."

Every morning, the Steelers coaches gathered in the kitchen at Three Rivers Stadium for coffee. Often times, Kiely and Noll got into arguments about politics. Kiely was a Democrat; Noll, he says, leaned to the right.

"He never got mad," Kiely says. "He would just walk away and go, 'Aw, you don't know what you're talking about.'"

HE PLAYED THE UKULELE

To his players, Noll often seemed detached. He had to be this way, they figured, to protect himself in case he had to cut somebody.

One Christmas in the late 1970s, Swann had some teammates over for a tree-decorating party. They decided to go caroling, and stopped by Dan Rooney's house and a few others along the chain of power. Swann suggested they go to Noll's. His buddies hesitated.

But it was before 11:00 p.m. -- their curfew -- so they knocked on the door and sang to Chuck and Marianne. He invited them in. Noll showed them some pictures he had taken, then grabbed his ukulele and started playing.

It was a side they had never seen before.

"I thought we were breaking the ice," Swann says. "We're getting to the core of this man, this is great. Wonderful. A breakthrough.

"The next morning, we walk in there, and I thought we were going to have a new relationship. He looked at us, and nodded his head. It was like we were never in his home for a second. He never acknowledged it. But that was Chuck."

HE HAD NO FILTER

It has been reported over the years that Noll turned to his players on that first team in 1969 and said they weren't winning because they weren't very good. Noll later disputed that he was that harsh.

But only five survived from that team to play in a Super Bowl for Pittsburgh. Linebacker Andy Russell was one of them. He had done two stints in Pittsburgh, leaving the team for two seasons to serve in the Army. When Noll called him into his office for their first meeting in 1969, it was almost as if Russell was back in Germany.

"I've been watching game film, Russell," Noll told him. "I don't like the way you play.

"You're too aggressive. You're too out of control. You're too impatient, trying to be a hero. I'm going to change the way you play. You're going to be a lot different in your 30s than your 20s."

Russell became a 10-year captain and went to seven Pro Bowls.

HE DIDN'T COIN THE 20-HOUR WORKDAY

Noll wanted complete separation between work and family. He was home at 8:00 p.m. on Monday nights, 10:00 on Tuesday and 7:00 the rest of the week.

"He was so different from most head football coaches during that era," Gordon says. "He was not a workaholic. He did not put in crazy hours. There was no such thing as sleeping in offices."

IF HE HADN'T BECOME A COACH, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A TEACHER

That's what Noll liked to do the most -- get down in a stance and teach. He spent the first 30 minutes of every practice working on tackling and blocking, things many of his players learned in high school. He was the college professor with the 20-page syllabus. Noll made his players study each opponent's tendencies from the past five years.

He had a rare eye for talent, and his 1974 draft class had four future Hall of Famers. But the image many players have is of Noll staying after practice, working with confused rookies who had little chance of making the roster.

"He would teach new draft choices who were All-American guards how to get in a stance," Russell says. "He'd have them start all over. He told me I should move my foot back two inches and maybe an inch wider. He was into an enormous amount of detail.

"In his first year, we won our first game and lost 13 in a row. But he never lost us because he never said things that didn't make any sense. He'd say, 'We will get worse before we get better. Because I'm going to force you to play the right way.'"

AND HIS SON IS JUST LIKE HIM

The closest glimmer of Chuck Noll is buried in a Web site at a private school in Connecticut. Chris Noll is a teacher, and he's hesitant to talk. Like his dad, Chris is very private. He played a year of football in high school, and Chuck rarely went to his games.

"He didn't want it to be about him," Chris says softly. "He wanted it to be about me."

The younger Noll switched to soccer, and coached the team at Miss Porter's for a while before he got too busy.

"What motivated him was the desire to teach, to learn," Chris says. "He was almost depressed after a Super Bowl win because it was over. It was the process that was exciting, that stimulated him."

And when Chris' dad retired in 1991, he never looked back. He threw himself into his other interests, his wine and his books and his sailing. He did fundraising until his back wouldn't allow it.

There have been opportunities to return to football, but, much like the endorsement requests, Noll never really considered them.

"He doesn't watch a whole lot of [football]," Chris says. "He still cares about the Steelers, but that's kind of his past. Once that was done, he moved on."

HE RARELY HUGGED HIS PLAYERS

Or patted them on the back. Greene used to watch him on the sideline when the offense had the ball, and no matter what spectacular play unfolded, the corners of Noll's mouth rarely cracked.

"I remember one time," Greene says, "I was watching him, and John Stallworth made one of these fantastic one-handed catches, and I was looking at him and he was smiling. He wasn't smiling with his mouth; he was smiling with his eyes."

Noll showed up for a game in Pittsburgh early this season, and sat in a luxury box, far away from the crowd and the microphones and the attention. Greene spotted him at halftime and thanked him. For the sayings, the teaching sessions and the one speech.

Had he thought about it for a second, Greene would have just shaken Noll's hand as he said goodbye. Instead, Greene gave him a hug. Nobody noticed. Chances are, they wouldn't care.

"I knew no one like him before him and have never met anybody like him since," Greene says. "There is no hyperbole about him. None at all."

Born: Jan. 5, 1932, in Cleveland, Ohio College: University of Dayton NFL playing career: Cleveland Browns (1953-59, drafted in the 20th round -- 239th overall -- in 1953) Assistant coach: L.A./San Diego Chargers (1960-65); Baltimore Colts (1966-68) Head coach: Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-91) Career record: 209-156-1 Super Bowl champions: 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979 Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1993 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

I Just Miss You So Much

Honey, I really miss you a lot. I really struggled this Christmas, I thought about you endlessly and how I just wanted you next to me so bad. I really have been thinking of you non-stop. This whole world seems turned upside down when you aren't here. I miss having you to come home to. I miss looking forward to your phone call. I miss hearing your voice. I miss your big hugs. I miss your soft kisses. I miss your laugh. I miss cuddling with you. I miss watching movies and TV with you. I miss sending little love emails back and forth. I miss leaving you messages on your phone. I miss the messages you used to leave for me. I miss walking around with you holding your hand. I miss your whiskers. I miss lying next to you. I miss all of us .. ---, ---- ... going to the store, going to the video place ... going anywhere. I miss staying with you while you were at work. I miss waking up to you. I cry still a lot honey because I miss so many things. And every person or couple I see that makes me think of love, also makes me wonder if they're as good as you. I look at all couples and I know that he doesn't treat her as well as you treated me and I look at all couples and I always think that they don't treat each other with enough respect. I look at all couples and I don't see or feel the love emanating from them like it did us. I look how couples interact and they're never as sweet or loving as we were. All this does is reinforce that no one in this whole world will EVER compare to you or be as good as you. Sometimes I want that loving feeling again, but two things stop me. ... guilt and just knowing that there is NO ONE out there as good as you. I really do believe that & sometimes I cry because I see the handwriting on the wall...you were it and I will always be alone. I will be single until I die. Sometimes I'm OK with that because I had the best thing ever at one time and I'm soooo lucky just for that, but then I get sad because I miss that so much and I would have loved to have lived a lifetime with you. I would have loved to grow old with you. Remember when we watched Notebook and both cried and held each other because we both loved each other so much & then we laughed and promised each other we would be that old couple - still madly in love. Sometimes it is overwhelmingly sad that I will never see you again as long as I'm alive and really that's all I want....I just want the chance to be with you again. I want to hurry and be old and get to heaven/purgatory and see you. So often I think of you throughout the day and SO many things make me think of you & right then and there I want to write you or talk to you or call you. Instead I keep this all in & no one knows how much I still love you so and I feel like my life does revolve around you still. This is just the worst thing that's ever happened to me and I sometimes don't know how to handle it. I never want to use this as an excuse for anything & I certainly don't want people to know how much it really effects me still. I don't want pity or "she's still not over it!" I don't want any of that!! I wish everyone knew how hard it was to lose the love of your life and how hard it is to move on and try to live normal again. Seriously, how can I live "normal" again. I want love again, but how? How can I love again, when I compare everyone to you....and they always lose. How can that be normal? Most people just be with someone w/ no strings attached. Not me, I have this baggage now & I don't see how I'll ever be "normal" again. I don't see how people go on & be honest with themselves. Even people in forums that have lost their wife/husband/lover say that person is always with them ... and a lot of them say the next one isn't as good, but they're ok and they just want love. I can't live a lie like that! Ugh, shut up. I feel so guilty writing you about finding someone else when really all I want is you. That's it...just you. I would trade everything in my whole life to be with you again....without a doubt. I have absolutely nothing that means more to me than you. And nothing in this world ever would. If I was getting my degree in Theology and playing in the WNBA, I would still give all that up for you. It makes me sad, but sad in the inside. There is nothing I can do about it & I don't want it to effect my life or personality, so I wake up everyday and it's a new day but everyday I wake up and I dread another FULL day without you. That is the honest to Gods truth. Everyday I wake up already sad..It's not cool and I don't like it, but I don't see how to make it go away. The sadness is just there, it's almost like every time I close my eyes maybe I'll wake up and this will all be a dream. But ya know what, every morning I wake up and I'm still stuck in this life miserable without you. You were my everything. You were my support blanket, you were my love, you were my caring, you were the person who provided every thing I needed to make me smile, to make me be happy, to make me have confidence, you loved me soooo much and believed in me sooo much and you thought I was beautiful and you told me and showed me all the time. I miss that. I mostly still feel those things, but coming from you it meant so much. Now I feel like just a blah person putting in time. No one to come home to & talk about my day, no one to come home to & get a hug, no one for me to give all my love..cuz I have so much. Honey, I loved you more than I've ever loved anything in this whole world. I swear to God I gave you all of my heart & I feel almost certain that because of that, part of it is just gone now. It's gone with you. I know you took it. So I guess that's about it. I just feel so broken and empty without you. Life just isn't the same and it's not getting better & I thought it would with time. I don't know what to do...this waking up and pushing through everyday is getting old. Oh well, I guess if this is the price I have to pay to see you again, I will suffer 'til I die. I love you forever hon!!!!!!!

Painted Ponies

Your mom sent this to your email address. I don't know if she did it on accident or if she meant to do it. One of the horses here reminds me of the paintings we bought her from Lynn Bean (above), so I ordered her that horse for her birthday. I hope she didn't buy it! I won't tell her I saw this email, just that I googled Lynn Bean images and this horse came up, so I ordered it. I don't know if she knows that I check your email??? If she doesn't it will amaze her that she sent this email to you and a month later I'm buying her one of these horses. I hope it makes her happy. We both miss you so much .... no one understands, I feel like only me & her only know each others heartache. I love you hon & I'll always look after your mom, dad & kids. I wish you were here. I love you!!

Please light a candle in memory of my son, xxxxxxxxxxx at www.-------------.memory-of.com

----- Original Message -----

From: --------------

To:

Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 3:20 PM

Subject: 13th Series of Painted Ponies are on the trail to Betsy's

Hello Bonnie , The New 13th Series of Ponies are heading this way. I wanted you all to know. Yes, they are 1E/numbers. Click Earth Angels to ride over to see them all. Thank you for your interest in our Painted Ponies! Set of 8 price $255.00 (includes shipping to continental US.) We appreciate your business. This time we have included shipping in our price for the set of all 8 new ponies. IF you live on the West Coast or nearby, I will refund the shipping not needed. Please be careful of vendors selling ponies at low prices and over -charging you for shipping. Pre-Orders. . . For those of you wonderful folks who have Pre-Ordered, I will emailed you a note or send a PayPal invoice. If you'd like to order using your credit card, call me during the day. Welcome New Pony Friends: Hi to you new folks. This is a short version of my monthly newsletter so you know the ponies are almost here. Feel free to order or email and ask questions. Contact Betsy email: betsybauer1@comcast.net or phone: 559-645-4111 Pacific Time

Forward email This email was sent to paullus01@centurytel.net by betsybauer1@comcast.net. Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. Email Marketing by Betsy's Painted Ponies & Equine Gifts | 35160 Avenue 13 1/2 | Madera | CA | 93636

The Road To Damascus

The man was walking along the road to Damascus. He recalled his lost love and his soul was in grief. “Pity on those who know love,” he thought. “They will never be happy, with the fear of losing the one they love.”

At that moment he heard a nightingale sing.

- Why do you act like that? - the man asked the nightingale. - Don’t you see that my beloved, who lived your song so much, is no longer here by my side?

- I sing because I am happy - answered the nightingale.

- Haven’t you ever lost someone? - the man insisted.

- Many times - answered the nightingale. - But my love remains all the same.

And the man went on his way feeling more hopeful.

Words for a Lifetime: A Tribute to Coach

by Swen Nater

Enumclaw, Washington (Ed Note: Swen Nater played on two national championship teams for John Wooden at UCLA, never losing a game. Although used primarily as a back-up to Bill Walton in college, Nater became the #1 draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs. There he promptly earned ABA Rookie of the Year honors. Swen went on to play 12 years in professional basketball. He still holds the NBA record for most defensive rebounds in one half (18) and the Milwaukee Bucks record for most rebounds in one game 33. He has written several books and hundreds of poems. Here are two of those poems, along with his introductions.) Beyond the Basketball was inspired by Coach Wooden's interest in me as a person. Whenever we speak, he always asks about me, my wife, and children first. He remembers their problems and always asks for updates. When I played for him, he didn't seem that interested. That's probably because the "status differentiation" was important for teaching effectiveness. Since I've been an adult, we have had more personal dialogue. It's during those times I realized the confines of Pauley Pavilion was his classroom for basketball but, because he cared, he loved me far beyond those walls. From left to right: Swen Nater, Coach Wooden and Bill Walton. Beyond The Basketball Swen Nater Beyond the grand Pavilion, Where Bruin banners span, Beyond the accolades, I learned To be a champion man. Far beyond material, Or book on any shelf, Beyond the break, the pass or play, I learned about myself. Beyond the fundamentals, Or how to work the task, Beyond the "how," I learned the "why" And learned to think and ask. Beyond the Bruin uniform, Beyond the Blue and Gold, I gained a pride in who I am, That lasts until I'm old. And far beyond instruction, Beyond the hardwood class, Beyond the game and all the tests, Beyond the fail or pass, The Teacher loved me, so he coached Beyond gymnasium wall. I thank my God, The Teacher taught, Beyond the basketball Yonder is Coach Wooden's favorite serious poem. Once, when we were discussing life in the Hereafter, he told me he was once afraid of dying because he feared he would not see his wife Nellie again. However, at some point he became at peace, knowing he would see her in Heaven. I was inspired to put his tranquility into rhyme and rhythm. Yonder Once I was afraid of dying, Terrified of ever-lying, Petrified of leaving family, home and friends. Thoughts of absence from my dear ones, Drew a melancholy tear once, And a lonely, dreadful fear of when life ends. But those days are long behind me; Fear of leaving does not bind me, And departure does not host a single care. Peace does comfort as I ponder, A reunion in the Yonder, With my dearest who are waiting over there.

My Journey With The Master Teacher and Coach

More of the same. I just have so much respect for this man as a teacher, coach, human being & his love for his deceased wife. I want all aspects of my life to be like his. I love you so, so much honey!!!

My Journey with the Master Teacher and Coach

A recount of a weekend with John Wooden at the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction in Kansas City, Mo.

Feb. 13, 2007

My Journey with the Master Teacher and Coach

Reprinted with permission from Bruin Blue
By Bill Bennett

(From Nov. 19-21, it was my honor and privilege to accompany the legendary UCLA men's basketball coach John Wooden to his induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City. Also on the trip were Coach Wooden's daughter, Nancy (Nan), and Craig Impelman. Impelman has been married to Nan's daughter, Christy, since 1984 and they have two of Coach Wooden's great grandchildren (sons - John, 20, a basketball player at Occidental College and Kyle, 14, a freshman at Ocean View HS in Huntington Beach). Impelman was a Bruin men's basketball assistant under three different UCLA head coaches - Gene Bartow (1976-77), Gary Cunningham (1977-79) and Larry Farmer (1981-84). During the trip, Impelman took nearly 100 pictures and those images can be viewed by e-mailing him at cimpelman@earthlink.net with an e-mail title of "Hall of Fame Photos").

Just the Facts

"College Basketball Experience"
The National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC) is the sponsor of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and the weekend was entitled the "College Basketball Experience". On Sunday (Nov. 19) was the press conference, reception and induction ceremony. Coach Wooden joined a phenomenal inaugural class -

-Dean Smith, college basketball's all-time second-winningest coach (879 wins) at North Carolina, who directed the Tar Heels to two NCAA Championships (1993/1982). He also led NC to 11 Final Fours and 13 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championships. While a player at Kansas, the Jayhawks won the NCAA title in 1952.

Along with John Wooden, Dean Smith, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, and Dr. James Naismith comprised the inaugural induction class for the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

- Bill Russell, led the University of San Francisco to consecutive NCAA Championships in 1955 and '56 and was the National Player of the Year in 1956. The 6-10 center's rebounding and shot blocking skills established a defensive mentality that remains a focal part of championship basketball at every level. In the NBA with the Boston Celtics, he was a member of 11 NBA Championship teams in 13 seasons.

-Oscar Robertson, the "Big O" was named "Player of the Century" by the NABC. The 6-5 guard led the University of Cincinnati to the NCAA Championship game in 1959 and 1960. He was the first collegiate player to lead the NCAA in scoring for three consecutive years and the first player to be named National Player of the Year three times. In then played 14 seasons in the NBA with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks and was a 12-time NBA All-Star.

-Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of the game of basketball, he established the original 13 rules in a YMCA gymnasium in Springfield, MA back in 1891. Naismith, who spent his final 41 years as a professor at Kansas and who was the Jayhawks' first basketball coach, was represented by his grandson, Ian.

Competing Halls of Fame
There is also the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. Naismith (1959), Smith (1982), Russell (1964), Robertson (1979) and Coach Wooden (1960 as a player/1972 as a coach, the first to be selected as both a player and coach) are all in the Naismith Hall of Fame. There are an additional 147 members in the Naismith Hall of Fame, with roots in college basketball, and they are automatically inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Wooden, Smith, Russell, Robertson and Naismith were selected to represent the Founding Class at the inaugural Induction Celebration. The remaining Founding Class members will be officially inducted over a period of years at the annual induction ceremony in Kansas City.

Kansas City, MO
Why is the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City, MO? The NABC's home office is there. It was founded in 1927 by Phog Allen, the legendary Kansas head coach and a student of Naismith. The NABC has nearly 5000 members. The city has also hosted 10 Final Fours and more NCAA Tournament games than any other site in the nation.

Coach Wooden's and UCLA's basketball history intertwines with the area. For Coach Wooden, it goes back to his days at Indiana State and the NAIA Tournament in 1946 and '47 that was hosted in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium. And in 1964, Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium once again was the site of Coach Wooden's and UCLA's first NCAA Championship, beating Duke 98-83. The State of Kansas is also the home to three great Bruins - Fred Slaughter (Topeka, KS HS), the starting center on UCLA's 1964 NCAA title team; Lucius Allen (Wyandotte HS/Kansas City, KS), the All-American guard who played on two (1967/1968) of Coach Wooden's National Championship teams and Earl Watson (Washington HS/Kansas City, KS), the only Bruin in history to start every game of his career (129, 1998-2001).

The site of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame will be the new 18,500 seat Sprint Center, which opens in fall 2007 in downtown Kansas City, MO. In the Center will be a 41,500 interactive square foot testament to the sport of men's college basketball.

There is also a basketball tournament associated with the "College Basketball Experience". Duke, Marquette, Texas Tech and Stanford hosted two-game tournaments, with the winners traveling to Kansas City and playing in Municipal Auditorium. Duke, Marquette and Texas Tech all advanced with Air Force winning the Stanford regional. On Monday (Nov. 20) in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium, Duke defeated Air Force 71-56 and Marquette beat Texas Tech 87-72. On Tuesday (Nov. 21), Marquette defeated Duke 73-62 to win the championship and Air Force beat Texas Tech 67-53 to take third-place.

UCLA will be a regional host next season in the "College Basketball Experience," along with Missouri, Maryland and Michigan State. The four advancing teams will play in the new Sprint Center next November.

Daily Diary

Sunday, Nov. 19

Leaving for Kansas City
You get very spoiled traveling with Coach Wooden. There's the town car that picks him up at his condo in Encino and drives him to the Raytheon private terminal in Van Nuys. There, the private jet is waiting, and in less than three hours, you arrive in Kansas City, where a limousine is waiting to take us to the Kansas City Hyatt Regency.

VIP Reception
Coach Wooden and his daughter are in adjoining rooms on the 15th floor, where I head to escort them to the private reception on the 40th floor of the hotel. Upon entering Coach Wooden's room, there sits Lee Hunt, with his wife, Elizabeth. Hunt was a Bruin assistant under Gene Bartow, the first UCLA head coach after Coach Wooden's retirement in 1975. Hunt ended his career as the head basketball coach and athletic director at Missouri-Kansas City.

When the Hunts depart, Impelman and I escort the Wooden's to the 40th floor. Walking into the reception, there sit Smith, Russell and Robertson, joined by Coach Wooden. As people gather around the four Hall of Famers, everyone is frantically taking pictures.

Press Conference/Public Reception
From the reception, we head down to the adjoining Crown Center Exhibit Hall for the press conference and induction ceremony. Although this is a celebration for the history of college basketball, it could just as well be a highlight reel for UCLA basketball. Present in the Exhibit Hall for the press conference are -

• Coach Wooden, who guided the Bruins to a record 10 NCAA Championships, including seven consecutive from 1967-73 and who led UCLA to a record 88-game overall winning streak and a 38 -game NCAA Tournament winning streak.
• Larry Brown, UCLA's head coach from 1979-81 who led the Bruins to the 1980 NCAA Championship game. He's the only coach in history to win an NBA Title (Detroit Pistons/2004) and an NCAA Championship (Kansas/1988). Brown was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2002. He is there to present his former coach, Dean Smith.
• Denny Crum, a UCLA letterman (1958-59) under Coach Wooden, he was also a Bruin assistant (1959-60/1968-71) under Coach Wooden and was on the UCLA varsity staff for three NCAA Championship Bruin runs (1969-71). After his UCLA days, Crum was the head coach at Louisville for 30 seasons, leading the Cardinals to two NCAA Championships (1980/1986) and six Final Fours. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1994. Crum traveled to Kansas City to accompany Coach Wooden to all of Sunday's events.
• Bill Walton, the Bruin star center led UCLA to two NCAA titles (1972-73) and was a three-time National Player of the Year (1972-74). He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1993.

Also present is my good friend and ESPN college basketball analyst Steve Lavin. He and I go back to 1991 when he first arrived at UCLA as an assistant coach. During his Bruin head coaching days (1996-2003), I was his basketball sports information director. Lavin is here to moderate the press conference and speak at the induction ceremony.

Following the press conference, at the public reception, Coach Wooden stayed seated at the dais signing a steady steam of autographs. The Air Force basketball team is also there, in their military uniform, roaming the Exhibit Hall, taking their picture with every basketball luminary in the place.

Induction Ceremony
It is a first class, elite event from start to finish.

CBS analyst Billy Packer is the Master of Ceremonies. There are speeches from - Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski; a prerecorded video presentation by ESPN's Dick Vitale; Tom Jernstedt, NCAA Executive Vice President; Kansas City's mayor Kay Barnes and Jim Haney, the executive director of the NABC.

"This is a big night for college basketball," Haney said. "It captures more than 100 years of history and lays the groundwork for the future of it."

Brown presents his college coach, Dean Smith. During his presentation, he looks out into the audience at Coach Wooden and says, "I always felt kind of uncomfortable being introduced as the UCLA head coach, because we all know there is only one UCLA head coach and that's John Wooden (acknowledging and pointing to where Coach Wooden is sitting in the crowd)."

Texas Tech's Bobby Knight, who this season bypassed Smith to become college basketball's all-time winningest coach, inducts Bill Russell and describes him as the "all-time MVP."

In his speech, Russell says it was the "highest honor he ever had in basketball." He commends coaches Smith and Wooden for their work and efforts during the civil rights movement. Coach Smith participated in sit-ins in North Carolina in the 1960s and Russell says Coach Wooden was the only head coach who played more than one Black player on the West Coast.

Lavin then steps up to introduce Bill Walton, who is to present Coach Wooden. In his remarks, Lavin says "the brightest lights in the history of college basketball are here tonight." When talking about Coach Wooden, he says, "The most valuable aspect of coaching at UCLA for 12 years was, without a doubt, the opportunity to learn from a master teacher. Through his character, compassion and coaching, John Wooden has been a source of inspiration for his family, his players and his friends.

"One of Coach's favorite sayings is - `The most powerful form of teaching is leading by example.' "And at 96 years young," Lavin says, "he is still a living example of that truth. Coach is still teaching us all through his example."

Next up is Walton's 22-minute tribute to Coach Wooden. It is serious, it is comedy, it is opinionated - it is Bill Walton at his best. Some of his comments include-

• "To play for John Wooden was the greatest thrill of my life. They were the most challenging, demanding things I've done in my life".
• "We never started a day with Coach Wooden looking at us and saying - What do you men want to do today?"
• "Coach Wooden never speaks of himself, he never draws attention to anything he's ever done."
• "In four years, Wooden taught us everything we'd ever need to know. Not about basketball, about life."
• "Wait a minute Coach, if basketball isn't about size and strength, how come Shaq's got all the money, Kareem's got all the records and Wilt had 20,000 girl friends?"

Walton then introduces Coach Wooden - "It is now my deepest honor to present the most positive, the most upbeat, the most constructive person I have ever known - John Wooden, a man who never looks back and who's always about what's next."

Coach Wooden then comes to the stage and looking at Walton, jokingly says, "Now you all know what I had to put up with all those years."

He says it's nice for him to come back to Kansas City. Coach Wooden reminisces about the Bruins' first NCAA title in 1964 at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium.

He then talks about his two teams from Indiana State that had a chance to play in the NAIA Tournament, hosted by Kansas City. In 1947, Wooden refused to bring his Sycamore squad because the NAIA did not allow African-Americans in the event and Indiana State had a Black player (Clarence Walker) on its roster. In 1948, Wooden again refused to bring Indiana State to Kansas City. But before the tournament started, the NAIA allowed African-Americans to play (according the Kansas City Star sportswriter Blair Kerkhoff, 1948 was an Olympic year and the NAIA team champion had a spot in the Olympic Trials tournament. The Olympic Committee threatened to pull the invitation if African-Americans were not allowed to play in the NAIA Tournament). The NAACP, Indiana State's university president and Walker's parents also urged Coach Wooden to take his team to Kansas City. While there, the Sycamores stayed at the Muehlebach Hotel and Walker housed with a local minister.

"I'm pleased whenever I think of that NAIA Tournament," Coach Wooden says. "I think that was a big moment in our sports history. A few years later, an All-Black team (Tennessee State) won that tournament. Maybe we opened the door a little bit."

Coach Wooden goes on to say he is proud to have been selected into the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and is "so grateful to those that love this wonderful game."

He ends his acceptance with a poem, entitled God's Hall of Fame -

God's Hall of Fame
This crowd on Earth, they soon forget, the heroes of the past.
They cheer like mad, until you fall and that's how long you last.

But God, He never does forget, and in his Hall of Fame, inscribed up there beyond the stars, engraved you'll find your name.

I'll tell you friends I wouldn't trade, my name however small - inscribed up there beyond the stars in that celestial hall.

For any famous name on earth or glory that they share - I'd rather be an unknown here and have my name up There.
Author Unknown

After Coach Wooden's poem recital, you could hear a pin drop as the tears flowed.

Monday, Nov. 20

NABC Interview
That morning in the Hyatt Regency, Coach Wooden sits for more than an hour for an interview that can be viewed once the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame opens next season at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

The interview spans his entire life, from his upbringing in rural Indiana, to his college days at Purdue, through his UCLA head coaching years.

-Coach Wooden will always say one of the great influences in his life was his father, Joshua Hugh Wooden. He talks about the philosophies his father handed down to him: "Two Sets of Threes" -

1. Never lie.
2. Never cheat.
3. Never steal

1. Don't whine
2. Don't complain
3. Don't make excuses

On the day Coach Wooden graduated from elementary school in Centerton IN, he received from his father a two-dollar bill (which Coach Wooden would give to his own son Jim) and a 3 x 5 card. Written on one side of that card was a verse by the Rev. Henry Van Dyke and on the opposite side, Joshua's personal Seven Point Creed (Coach Wooden still carries a copy of the Creed with him) -

1. Be true to yourself.
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Help others.
4. Drink deeply from good books, including the Good Book.
5. Make friendship a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Four things a man must learn to do
If he would make his life more true:
To think without confusion clearly,
To love his fellow-man sincerely,
To act from honest motives purely,
To trust in God and Heaven securely.
Henry Van Dyke

-As a player at Purdue, Wooden's coach, Ward "Piggy" Lambert, influenced much of Coach Wooden's basketball philosophy. He says Lambert's teachings contributed to the three middle building blocks, the heart of Coach Wooden's "Pyramid of Success" - Condition, Skill and Team Spirit. As an All-American guard at Purdue from 1930-32, Coach Wooden led the Boilermakers to Big 10 titles and the 1932 National Championship.

-Every year, in the first meeting with his Bruin teams, Coach Wooden would emphasize - Be on time, Never criticize a teammate and No profanity.

-He talks about his retirement decision in San Diego on March 29, 1975, following UCLA's 75-74 (OT) NCAA semi-final victory over Louisville, coached by his great friend Denny Crum. "I remember having to go to the media room and I didn't want to go. I had never felt that way before. I said to myself, if you feel this way, it's time to go." Coach Wooden then went to his lockerroom and told the Bruins -

From the book "Wooden", co-authored by Steve Jamison, here's Coach Wooden's lockerroom speech after the win over Louisville. "I'm so proud of you, this was a great game. I don't know what's going to happen in the Championship game against Kentucky, although I think we'll be all right. But I want you fellows to know now that regardless of how things turn out, I've never had a team of whom I've been more proud than you young men. And that's important to me because you are the last team I will ever coach."

In the NCAA Championship game, UCLA defeated Kentucky 92-85 giving Coach Wooden and the Bruin program their 10th national championship.

-Coach Wooden tells a story about speaking at a CostCo gathering several years ago, arranged by Swen Nater. Nater played for Coach Wooden on UCLA's 1972/1973 NCAA Championship teams and is an executive with CostCo. During the session, someone asked Coach Wooden if he was afraid of dying.

"That is a strange question to ask a man in his 90s," said Wooden laughing. He then recited the following poem, written by Nater.

Yonder
Once I was afraid of dying, terrified of ever lying.
Petrified of leaving family, home and friends.
Thoughts of absence from my dear ones, brought a melancholy tear once and a dreadful thought of when life ends.

But those days are long behind me, fear of leaving does not bind me and departure doesn't hold a single care.
Peace does comfort as I ponder, a reunion in the Yonder, with my dearest one who is waiting for me there.
Swen Nater

Basketball Game in Municipal Auditorium
Municipal Auditorium is quite the historic site for college basketball, hosting nine NCAA men's basketball Final Fours between 1950 and 1964, including three of the first four.

There is a VIP reception at Municipal before the games. Sitting there with Coach Wooden, Nan and Craig, a family asks if they can have their picture taken with the Coach. Of course he agrees, but the family's husband is perturbed because his friend, who was to take the picture, was nowhere to be found. Craig then jumps up and happily volunteers to take the portrait - it is a great shot, Coach Wooden with that beaming family. Everywhere we go, everyone wants a photo with Coach.

From the reception, we walk Coach Wooden into the arena and everyone stands and applauds. His front row seat is behind the ESPN broadcast desk. Coach Wooden sits next to Smith, Russell, Robertson and their families. Vitale, who is the ESPN color analyst for the games, turns around and spends a few minutes with all the honorees.

We watch all of the Duke-Air Force game and most of the Marquette-Texas Tech contest. Early in the second half of the Marquette-Texas Tech game, the Hall of Fame inductees are introduced at center court. Back in his seat, Coach Wooden notes that he was most impressed with Marquette's athleticism and aggressiveness.

As we walk out, sitting down from us in the front row is Kansas City Royals great George Brett and long-time sports broadcaster Roger Twibell. Wooden stops to shake hands as everyone around are again giving him a standing ovation.

Tuesday, Nov. 21

Coming Home
On the way back to Van Nuys, because of head winds, we make a scheduled stop in Farmington, NM to refuel. Throughout the trip home, Coach Wooden is telling stories about . . .

- recruiting some of his star players

Gail Goodrich - "I was recruiting him as an underclassman and sitting in the gym one night, I was talking about how I thought Gail would continue to grow, how I already liked his basketball talents and thought he was a very good player. I got a tap on my shoulder and the gentleman behind me asked, "Do you really feel that way about Gail?" When I turned around, I realized it was Gail's father (Gail P. Goodrich), who had been a USC basketball letterman (1937-39). I told his Dad that I certainly did feel that way about Gail's talents. That chance meeting with Gail's Dad certainly got our recruiting of Gail off to a positive start."

Michael Warren -"His high school coach (Jim Powers) at South Bend Central played for me at both South Bend Central and Indiana State. And Coach Powers' assistant coach at South Bend, Walter Kindy, was also my assistant when I was the head coach at South Bend Central."

Bill Walton - "Denny Crum went to one of Bill's games and came back to tell me that he thought Bill was one of the finest players to ever come out of southern California and one of the best high school players he had ever seen. I remember telling Denny, "Now let's not get too carried away, historically the San Diego area hasn't produced a lot of great players." Denny said I had to come see Bill play. So we went together one night to watch Bill and after the game, Denny turned to me and said, "So what did you think Coach," and I looked at Denny and said, "Well, he is pretty good isn't he?"

- memories of Kansas City
"It was Easter Sunday, the day after we won our first NCAA title in 1964. Nellie (Coach Wooden's wife) and I were waiting outside the Muehlebach Hotel for a taxi. A bird overhead hit me right here on the top of my head."

At Sunday's press conference, Coach Wooden told J. A. Adande of the Los Angeles Times - "I felt, well, we just won the National Championship, don't let it go to your head. I think the Good Lord was letting me know, don't get carried away."

- quotations from Abraham Lincoln
"Things turnout the best for those who make the best of the way things turnout."
"It's better to trust and be disappointed once in awhile, than to mistrust and be miserable all the time."
"There is nothing stronger than gentleness."

Looking Back
While in Kansas City, Coach Wooden was handing out autographed 4 x 5 cards. On the card was the illustration of an owl in a tree and a poem about listening and learning. Throughout the trip, and having the privilege and honor of listening and learning from Coach Wooden and all the college basketball greats that were in Kansas City, I understood the lesson of the owl.

A wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he heard, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Now wasn't he a wise old bird?
Author Unknown

"Listen if you want to be heard."
John Wooden

L.A. In Woodens Words

I just wanted to share this with you because I admire John Wooden so much. The love he has for Nellie reminds me of how we felt about each other. Now that she has passed and how he honors her is how I feel about you. Love you forever - cya when I get there hon!


ONE LEGEND TO ANOTHER
Former UCLA coach John Wooden, sitting in the same Encino condominium he’s lived in since 1972, moved to L.A. in 1948 with his wife, Nell. “We lived in the same apartment complex as Vin Scully. We were neighbors for a little while. He moved on to a larger, nicer place. Vin is absolutely, unquestionably the greatest sports announcer of all time. I’ve listened to him for years.”
By Sam Farmer, Times Staff Writer
March 30, 2006
EVEN though most people call him Coach, John Wooden prefers to think of himself as a teacher, and not just one who taught hundreds of UCLA basketball players during his 28 seasons coaching the Bruins. His Pyramid of Success, a diagram of core values, has helped shape the lives of thousands.

Wooden, 95, who won a record 10 national championships at UCLA and is widely considered the greatest coach in the history of college basketball, is largely unaffected by his success. He still lives in the modest Encino condominium he has called home since 1972. The place is stacked floor to ceiling with plaques, honorary degrees, photos, letters, poems, books ... and, of course, basketballs.

"Bill Dwyre once wrote that I was thrown into the limelight, into a place I never wanted to be," he said, referring to The Times' sports editor. "I'd be pleased if that were true. Regardless of how it might appear to others, I'm not comfortable there."

Wooden spent a morning with The Times recently and talked about his old-school values, his lesser-known love of baseball, the soft spot in his heart for Pauley Pavilion, and his view of the Los Angeles sports landscape over more than half a century.

I keep an old newspaper clipping folded in my wallet. It's from the time I was offered the manager's job of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Joe Brown was general manager at the time, and he's the one who made the offer.

It's ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. But I still keep the clipping just for fun.

"If I should take you up on this," I said, "who do you think they'd fire first, you or me? If I were the owner, I'd fire you first for hiring me. Then I'd fire me."

But I still keep the clipping. Baseball, not basketball, was my first love. In the almost 60 years I've been in Los Angeles, I've seen a lot of great baseball. Although I pull for all the local sports teams — the Lakers, Clippers, Angels — I've always been partial to the Dodgers.

When my wife, Nell, and I moved to Los Angeles in 1948, we lived in the same apartment complex as Vin Scully. We were neighbors for a little while. He moved on to a larger, nicer place. Vin is absolutely, unquestionably the greatest sports announcer of all time. I've listened to him for years. He's remarkable. He can do any sport, but in baseball, no one's close.

Why do I love baseball so? Baseball is thinking all the time. Every pitch is different. Every position is different. Every situation is different. There's the outs, who's coming up next, who you have in the bullpen. People say it's slow, but it's a thinking game.

The athletes who I've had the most respect for over the years are all outstanding thinkers: Sandy Koufax, Lewis Alcindor, Bill Walton, John Stockton, David Robinson. In the USC football I've seen lately, I like the way Matt Leinart thinks.

I was always a Dodger fan. I went to a lot of games and got to know most of the players. I was in their dressing room a lot. I had met Walter Alston, the manager, and knew him before I came to UCLA in 1948. They had a couple players from Indiana, my home state, Gil Hodges and Carl Erskine, and I knew them. I knew Don Drysdale, and I knew Sandy.

If I had a favorite Dodger, it was Sandy Koufax. He was modest and unassuming, and he left at the height of his career when he could have played longer. He had enough strength to walk away and not stay too long as some do.

I first got to know him when he went to the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship. He's a big basketball fan. I sat with him a few years ago at a Final Four in Indianapolis. We weren't there together, but it just so happened that we were seated very close together. He's a shy type of person. We just greeted each other. We'd met before, of course.

A lot of Dodger memories have stayed with me over the years. I'll never forget the night they honored Roy Campanella. The Coliseum was full, and they had candles that lighted up the night. It was sort of eerie.

Before Dodger Stadium was built, the team played at the Coliseum. I remember Wally Moon, who was left-handed, hitting a little pop fly to left and it would be a two-base hit. And then Duke Snider would hit one twice as far into center field and it would be caught for an out. I remember Duke hurting his arm trying to throw a ball out of the Coliseum.

People have asked how my life might have turned out had I pursued baseball instead of basketball. I don't like to look back. According to others, though, I had some ability in baseball as a youngster. I was a shortstop and I had a great arm, at least that's what people told me. But I got to my freshman year in college and I turned into a fastball and got hit on the shoulder. I went from having a great arm to no arm at all. That ended my baseball.

In recent years, I've enjoyed following the Angels too. I'm very fond of Mike Scioscia, and I've been invited up to the owner's box to sit with Arte Moreno. I'm very impressed with him. When the Autrys owned the team, I sat with them on occasion.

I enjoy watching baseball far more than watching professional basketball. I've followed the Lakers. I've known a number of them. I went to a lot more games in the early years. I've gotten to a point where I don't care much for the NBA. I think it's become too much about the individual, too much one-on-one, too much showmanship.

I didn't like that Showtime business. I don't like showmanship. For example, as great a ballplayer as he was, and there's no question about his greatness as a player, Magic Johnson was not my type of player. I'll take John Stockton. That's the type I love. I'll take Jerry West. I'll take Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, David Robinson. Those are the ones who appeal to me.

One of our players at UCLA a few years ago intercepted one at center court and he was all alone, nobody within 25 feet of him. He jumped up, and instead of just laying the ball in the basket, he turned a complete 360 and threw it back down over his head through the basket hard. The fans were stomping and roaring. Somebody tapped me on the shoulder and asked, "What'd you think of that, Coach?"

And I said, "I'd have had him out of there before he hit the floor."


The better talent you have with which to work, the more difficult it is as a coach. The greater they are as players, for the most part, the more inclined they are to try to do it alone. As a teacher-coach, I was blessed with two of the greatest players who ever played who were completely unselfish and team-oriented: Lewis Alcindor and Bill Walton. It was obvious in practice and in games. Sure, they liked to score. But that was never first in their mind at all. "Me" was never first in them. It was always "we." That's pretty wonderful.

One of Phil Jackson's strengths as a coach is his ability to get players to accept their roles. That's one of his greatest assets. That's not easy to do. He had a little trouble with that a few years ago with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, but for the most part he's done a very good job of that.

Kobe is gradually growing up. He's made some mistakes, some horrible mistakes. He's extremely talented. You can give Jerry West the credit for seeing the possibilities early on and making the trade to get him. He's lived up to what Jerry thought he was, and maybe even better. Talent-wise, he's just amazing.

The box office depends on individuals. There aren't too many people in the Laker organization who are unhappy that he gets the attention that he does. They want somebody who gets attention, even if not all of it is good. I think he made some mistakes. We're all imperfect. Mother Teresa said that forgiveness sets you free.

As for Shaquille, I think he's always going to be a kid. As great as he is, I don't like him saying, "Everybody knows who the MVE is — the Most Valuable Ever." That's really childish in many ways. I wouldn't pick him over a number of other centers if I had a team of my own. But at the same time, I think he's the most valuable player in the game.

In my career as a teacher and coach at UCLA, the most valuable recruit we ever lost was Paul Westphal. He's the one who got away. He attended all my basketball camps, and I was sure he was going to come to UCLA. He changed his mind at the very last moment and went to USC. Paul has said that because we were doing very well at that time, he thought it would be better to help somebody else get in that spot and knock us off rather than just coming to UCLA and help us continue.

I've seen a lot of basketball players, and Paul Westphal is the only one who from what I saw was truly ambidextrous. I've had a lot of them who were pretty good with the off-hand. But you could tell whether they were left-handed or right-handed. With Paul, I believe that he could have shot with either hand and it would have looked exactly the same.

USC has had more than its share of great players and coaches over the years. I had tremendous respect for Rod Dedeaux, the legendary baseball coach, and I was very sad about his recent passing. We were friends.

And then there was John McKay. He had a great sense of humor. When I think about him, I think about the time I was in the airport and someone came up to me and said "You're John McKay."

And I said. "No."

"I know you," he said.

"No," I said, "you're wrong."

And he said, "If you want to go incognito that's all right with me. But I know who you are."

So I just said, "OK, you got me."

John and I were about the same height and had similar complexion. Maybe our noses were somewhat similar. I wouldn't say we looked alike, but I can see how someone might confuse us.

I think Matt Leinart — and, for that matter, Reggie Bush — will be an excellent NFL player. Leinart is very bright. I like his attitude, and I like the way he's conducted himself. He's a thinking quarterback. He doesn't have the physical qualities of some of the others, but he has other things that are extremely important. He's got what it takes above the shoulders, and that's the important thing.

For so long, people have looked at Los Angeles as a USC football and UCLA basketball town. Maybe one day that will change. Something I hope never changes, or at least doesn't change for a long while, is Pauley Pavilion. I think it's great the way it is. I'm responsible for the main floor not being in the center. Because when it was built, I wanted a full-sized freshman court that went perpendicular to the main court. I had them put in a curtain that could drop down and separate the courts. Our freshmen could practice at the same time as the varsity. The freshmen started a little later, and they could come over in their last half-hour on the main court and I could be with them.

You may notice that the scoreboard's not over the center of the main court, and there's much more room between the bleachers on one end than the other. So they'll move that, and they'll add some more seats. I can understand why they're doing that.


I'm also responsible for the room on the sides. You may notice there's more room on the sidelines at Pauley than at most any other arena. When I came, I wanted the visiting dressing rooms to be exactly the same as the varsity. I've gone to places where the visiting dressing room is horrible, whereas the home team's is very luxurious. I didn't want that. I didn't want either one of them to be luxurious, and I wanted them both the same. Now that's changed completely. They're not the same anymore. I wouldn't have approved of that.

Pauley Pavilion was the greatest thing to ever happen to me at UCLA. I hate the thought they were considering tearing it down. But they've decided now they're not going to tear it down. I'm glad about that. They say the restrooms should be updated. I haven't been in them, so I don't know. But that's OK. They were talking about luxury boxes and whatnot. I don't know about that.

For 17 years I was accustomed to mopping and sweeping the floor before practice. Practicing with gymnastics on one side and wrestling at the end. My players told me that occasionally on the trampolines at one end there would be coeds in leotards up there. I didn't notice it, of course, but my players did.

Sports have changed, and I understand that. It's big business now. More than ever, athletes are living in a fishbowl. I was never a supporter of allowing reporters in the locker room after games. But I understood it. My very last year of teaching, the NCAA tournament committee passed a rule that you had to permit the press in the locker room. My feeling was, if they think it's that important and it should be done, I'll do it. Did I approve of it? No. But I understood, and I didn't complain.

But when the chairman of the tournament committee said, "That'll take care of Wooden," then that hurt. Because I had been in that Final Four a few times, and I don't think anyone from the media or the tournament committee could say that I ever did anything but be accommodating. I knew coaches who didn't come to the meetings they were supposed to and various things. But I always did. I didn't send assistants or somebody else to represent me. I was always as cooperative as I could be.

Did that play a role in my decision to retire when I did? Well, you can't be sure about your subconscious. But was that hovering in the back of my head somewhere? I don't know. I can't say it was or wasn't. I had no idea from the outset that I would be retiring so quickly. I expected to teach two more years, no more than three. But then just like that I decided this is the time. After we had beaten Louisville in the semifinal game, as I was walking off the floor, I just decided now's the time to get out.

That's when I went to the dressing room and congratulated my players. I told them it was a wonderful game, a close game in which both teams played well. I just told my players, "It's a wonderful game. I'm very proud of you. Regardless of how we do Monday night against Kentucky, I want you young men to know that I've never had a team that has given me more satisfaction. You haven't caused me trouble on or off the floor at any time this year. I'm very proud of you. And that's a very nice thing to say about the last team that you'll ever teach."

They were all stunned. Nobody knew. I didn't even know it myself until a few seconds before I did it. I just decided like that.

Then I went to the press, and I thought eventually someone's going to bring up a question about retirement. And they did. I said the same thing I said to my players.

Some people said, "Well, I knew he was going to do it."

I didn't even know. Maybe they knew more about it than I did.

Although I've never regretted walking away from coaching when I did, the one thing I've missed is practices. I love to teach. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski had me talk to his team a few years ago before the Final Four. I miss that. Lute Olson has brought me down to Arizona to talk to his team and watch practice. I love that.

A couple of years ago, I spoke at an event for Costco, where one of my former players, Swen Nater, is an executive. Swen is also a poet, and a beautiful person inside and out. Someone asked me, "Coach, are you afraid of death?" It was quite a question to ask a 93-year-old man.

I said I'm not afraid of it. I'm not going to intentionally try to hurry it up. But I've been blessed with a wonderful place to live, where in an hour or two I can be at the ocean, in the mountains, in the desert. I can be at any sort of sporting event, a play, a movie. My family, my children, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren are all within an hour or two of me. I've really been blessed. And I said, "Out yonder, I'll be with Nellie again." That's all I said.

So a couple days later I got a poem from Swen called "Yonder," and it refers to my wife, whom I lost in 1985. It reads:

Once I was afraid of dying,

Terrified of ever lying,

Petrified of leaving family, home and friends.

Thoughts of absence from my dear ones

Brought a melancholy tear once,

And a dreadful, dreadful fear of when life ends.

But those days are long behind me,

Fear of leaving does not bind me,

And departure does not hold a single care.

Peace does comfort as I ponder

A reunion in the yonder

With my dearest one who's waiting for me there.