Marvin "Bad News" Barnes passed away after a long and often "spirited"life at the age of 62.
Barnes led Providence to the 1973 Final Four and then signed a large contract with the Spirits (get the pun) of St.Louis of the ABA,where he won Rookie of the Year,averaged 24 points a game and lifted the Spirits to one of the greatest upsets in ABA playoff history over the New York Nets and a fellow named Julius Erving.
Barnes had the postup game at 6'9 to succeed,but yet was one of the forerunners of today's power forwards with enough speed and athleticism to run the floor.
Barnes had led Providence to a double digit lead over Memphis State in the NCAA semis before a injury to Barnes ended his evening and allowed a comeback that ended the Friars season before a possible meeting against Bill Walton and UCLA in the finals.
Barnes was a high pick in the ABA dispersal draft by Detroit,but the player in the ABA never transferred to the NBA,playing with the Pistons,Celtics,Buffalo Braves and the Braves successors-the San Diego (now Los Angeles Clippers) and Barnes became better known for off court trangressions than what he did on the floor.
The Marvin Barnes stories are those of legend and for more on Barnes and the ABA,I could not recommend more Terry Pluto's oral history of the ABA-Loose Balls which is a fun read for not only basketball fans,but even the non-sports fan....
The reigning Peregrine Falcon queen of the Terminal Tower in Cleveland ended in a death last week as SW was found dead after apparently losing her "spot" to a deposed falcon that lost her home to the demolition of the Inner Belt Bridge.
SW had raised 38 chicks through her 12 year term at the top of the Tower with three different mates and had battled through various injuries.
The speedy falcon is able to do well in large cities with the abundance of spaces to nest and the small birds to feast on allow plenty of food as well.
Former Ohio congressman James Traficant passed away at the age of 73 after the tractor he was driving turned over and fell on him after some heart conditions while driving.
The eccentric Representative had been known for his crazy hairstyle (later revealed to be a toupee'),his rambling speeches on the floor of Congress and his using of the Star Trek phrase "Beam me up" at the conclusion of his speeches.
As entertaining as his speeches were and his populist rants often hit home,Traficant wasn't always warm and fuzzy as he was expelled from Congress and convicted of racketeering,bribery and fraud.
The former Pitt quarterback that was teammates with Mike Ditka would attempt a political comeback after seven years in prison,but would only receive ten percent of the vote in an try for his old seat in Washington.
Hardball Times hammers one out of the park with an article on small town baseball in the minors in Elizabethton TN, with the Elizabethton Twins and their consistent success in the Appalachian League.
The story talks about the development of players through the years,small town baseball and famous players that have been through town.
The Twins only have one rookie league (as do the Braves) and as a result those two teams are generally the bullies of the league....
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