The recent documentary on Michael Jordan was one that I had no problems skipping because I had seen that film before.
Mainly because it almost always ended with Jordan leading North Carolina over Maryland, the Bulls getting by the Cavaliers and I didn't need to see those endings again.
However, one episode covered Jordan's "Shot" that began his dominance over Cleveland and placed the Cavaliers firmly in a group of teams that could have been great but were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Ron Harper claimed that he told Cavaliers coach Lenny Wilkens that he would "take" Jordan defensively on the inbounds pass that led to Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo for the Bulls win, but Wilkens refused Harper's request and placed Ehlo in the defensive position.
Sports Illustrated writes of what Really may have doomed those Cavaliers against those Bulls as SI discusses the story behind Cleveland's trade of Harper to the Clippers for Danny Ferry.
Most of this story has been written in a book that is over twenty-five years old now, but it is essential history to getting to know the Cavaliers of the 70s and 80s.
Cavs from Fitch to Fratello by Joe Menzer and Burt Graeff isn't available on Kindle, but for a Cavalier fan, it is a must for your library.
As for the poster, I had this at one time and I am not sure if it is still around somewhere or not.
The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix writes about the CFL simulation board game "Sports Action" and the cult following that the game continues to have with players even today.
The article talks to Terry Appleby, the creator of the game that sold the game out of his home from 1974-89 before selling his game to another company, who promptly shuttered the game thereafter to eliminate a competitor as well as a man named "Garth" who provides downloads of ratings for players from every season since to keep the game up to date.
The Athletic writes of the one-season record holder in passing yards in B.J. Symons of Texas Tech, who threw for 5,833 yards in 2003 for the Red Raiders.
Symons, who played in 13 games that season, held off Joe Burrow's run last season to keep the passing record, although Burrow did take Symons' total offense record in his 15 game season.
As a Tech fan, I saw many of those games and Symons was the first to prove that in the Mike Leach system that a quarterback with a quick release can thrive as Symons had sat behind Kliff Kingsbury for three seasons in Lubbock before getting his chance to play.
Symons injured his knee midway through the season, which cost him his mobility against the rush and a small drop in his play before finishing tenth in Heisman voting.
Symons would be drafted in the seventh round by Houston and played one year for the Texans before bouncing around various minor leagues.
I am going to add one goodbye to this post as it's the one person that really doesn't fit into the subjects of the two tribute posts in the words as Pepper Rodgers passed away at the age of 88.
The colorful and media-savvy Rodgers was a fun coach to watch and listen, but you wonder how good he was as a coach in college stops at Kansas, UCLA, and Georgia Tech, Rodgers compiled a record of 73-65-3 with only two bowl teams.
To be fair, two of his three UCLA teams would have been bowl teams had the archaic Pac 8 (at the time) rule of only the champion could make the postseason, but still not an outstanding record by any means.
Pepper was much better known to me as the coach of the two seasons of the Memphis Showboats in the USFL and the one year tenure of the Memphis Mad Dogs in the CFL.
Rodgers took the Showboats to an 11-7 record in their second year, won a playoff game over the Denver Gold before losing in Oakland in the league semi-finals.
Rodgers might have been a better personnel man than a coach as many of the Showboat players would move onto NFL careers after the two-year life of the Showboats, including players such as Reggie White and Tim Spencer among others.
Rodgers also was the coach/personnel man that discovered Joe Horn with the CFL Mad Dogs before Horn would become a star with the Chiefs and Saints.
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