ESPN’s Greenberg: ‘Nothing better than to talk ball’ with basketball junkies
ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg talked with Arkansas coach Eric Musselman among others last week and it’s a welcome break “just talking ball” with college basketball coaches during this shutdown.
Greenberg on Monday was with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft (The Morning Rush) on ESPN Arkansas.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast — games with no fans, Seth Greenberg and more!
Tye & Tommy on what games would be like with no fans, ESPN’s Seth Greenberg joins, and more!
As ‘Last Dance’ finishes Sunday night, quit with the GOAT arguments
As ESPN’s The Last Dance finishes on the mothership Sunday night, maybe all of this ridiculous attempts to come up with the greatest arguments will, too.
There’s no way to determine that.
Tell me which set of rules you’re using to determine the answer and I’ll give you the answer. That answer is based on what the rules were at the time because no matter what kind of self-proclaimed genius anybody is they don’t really know.
While The Last Dance has basically been a min-series on Michael Jordan, we don’t even know how he would have handled some of the decades before him.
Sure, he still would have been a great player but it wouldn’t be for driving into the lane and dunking with his tongue hanging out.
“Not after he landed in the 20th row and no foul was called,” Wilt Chamberlain told me one time in 1986.
Yes, that’s the way the game was played back then.
Ray Felix of the New York Knicks got a little carried away with Bill Russell and was promptly knocked unconscious. Russell was fined $25.
Even the Bad Boy Pistons would have had to step up their game in that day and age. If you got into the lane you paid a price and you better be big enough to pay it.
Russell, by the way, made Jordan look like a cheerleader in terms of leadership and drive to win. He basically ran the Boston Celtics (and Red Auerbach let him).
When the Celtics traded for Don Nelson from the Los Angeles Lakers, he was concerned about the criticism of his lack of rebounding and defense. Russell sat him down at the first practice and told him just do what he does — score points.
“I’ll take care of the rebounds,” Russell told him.
Russell won 11 championships and coached two of the teams that won as a player-coach. His goal was much, much different than Jordan.
In those days they played All-Star games harder than a championship game now. They also couldn’t run from midcourt without taking a dribble to dunk the ball while a couple of opponents stand and observe.
Sorry, that holds zero interest for me.
And it’s also why you can’t determine anything except by era. Here’s the best I saw based on their eras (and some were great in multiple eras)
This is best on what I saw with my eyes. Your opinion may be different.
But there is no way I can pick one as the greatest of all time.
Nobody else can, either, with any guaranteed certainty. It is, quite simply, one of those questions that has multiple answers.
NBA 1960-69
Center: Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers
Power Forward: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics
Small Forward: Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers
Shooting Guard: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals, Milwaukee Bucks
Point Guard: Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics
NBA 1970-79
Center: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers
Power Forward: Elvin Hayes, Houston Rockets, Washington Bullets
Small Forward: Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers
Shooting Guard: John Havlicek, Boston Celtics
Point Guard: Walt Frazier, New York Knicks
NBA 1980-90
Center: Hakeem Olajuwon, Housto Rockets
Power Forward: Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets
Small Forward: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
Shooting Guard: George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs
Point Guard: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
Arkansas’ Sidney Moncrief gets a mention in here as he was arguably the best defensive player in the league during a lot of those seasons.
NBA 1990-99
Center: Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat
Power Forward: Karl Malone, Utah Jazz
Small Forward: Scottie Pippen, Chicago Bulls
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
Point Guard: John Stockton, Utah Jazz
NBA 2000-09
Center: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Power Forward: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat
Small Forward: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Point Guard: Steve Nash, Dallas Mavericks
NBA 2010-19
Center: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors
Forward: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers
Forward: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
Guard: James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets
Guard: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Hogs get another specialist transfer, landing former Michigan punter
Former Michigan punter George Caratan is transferring to play for Arkansas and is the second specialist coming in, joining kicker A.J. Reed from Duke in what is going to be a large group.
Caratan spent two seasons with the Wolverines and never punted in a game. He is expected to be immediately eligible.
Caratan is the sixth player to transfer to Arkansas this offseason, joining quarterback Feleipe Franks (Florida), linebacker Levi Draper (Oklahoma), defensive tackle Xavier Kelly (Clemson), defensive back Jerry Jacobs (Arkansas State) and Reed.
All of the transfers are expected to be immediately eligible and play for the Hogs this fall.
The punter’s room now includes former transfer Sam Loy, who transferred from Vanderbilt after moving there from Colorado. Loy handled most of the work last year with a 39.45-yard average (56-2,210 yards).
Also in the group are redshirt-sophomore Reid Bauer and redshirt-sophomore Matthew Phillips.
Jones becomes latest former Razorback to find home, landing in Cincinnati
The latest former Arkansas player to land with a team from the NCAA’s transfer portal is Smackover native Jordan Jones and, like several others, he signed with a team in the American Athletic Conference.
Let’s work ???????? @GoBearcatsFB pic.twitter.com/YSVmRW44nL
— Jordan Jone5???? (@jordan10jones) May 16, 2020
Jones was signed in 2016 by former coach Bret Bielema and redshirted his first year before starting six of 12 games in 2017 and was third on the team with 401 yards.
He never found the field often in the Chad Morris system, sitting out all of 2019 with what we were told was a high ankle sprain that required surgery.
Jones will be immediately eligible with the Bearcats. He joins running back Chase Hayden (East Carolina) and wide receiver T.Q. Jackson (SMU) as Arkansas players heading to the AAC.
By heading to Cincinnati, Jones is reuniting with former Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos, who was hired as the Bearcats’ running backs coach in March.
Jones chose the Hogs over offers from Alabama and Ole Miss.
A youngster’s questions and answers with Arkansas’ Woodhall
Editor’s Note: Eleven-year-old J.D. Olson, the son of HitThatLine.com contributor Nate Olson, sat down with Arkansas track star and double amputee, Hunter Woodhall, as the 2020 indoor season was winding down and the outdoor season was set to begin before the pandemic halted SEC spring sports. J.D. just finished fifth grade at Collegeville Elementary School in Bryant.
By J.D. Olson
Special to HitThatLine.com
Hunter Woodhall’s track accomplishments would be impressive if he had two good legs. He doesn’t. A condition caused Woodhall’s parents to make the decision to amputate his legs when he was 11 months old.
Even though he faced much adversity growing up, he eventually found track and his success helped him to become more accepted by his classmates.
Woodhall, who is from Utah, began to excel on the track in high school. He was ranked No. 20 in the nation in the 400 meters with a top time of 47.32 seconds. He won a bronze medal in the 400 meters and a silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
Syracuse, Utah, mayor Terry Palmer declared Sept. 15, “Hunter Woodhall Day,” and he was named 2016 Male High School Track Athlete of the Year.
He became the first double amputee to earn a Division I scholarship when he signed with the University of Arkansas. He ran six indoor meets as a freshman and recorded a personal best 1:58.04 in the 800-meters.
He ran a best time of 47.42 in the 400-meters and was a bronze medalist in the 4×400-meter relay at the SEC Outdoor Championships.
He was named to the First-Team All-American Team at the NCAA Outdoor Championships after his 4×400-meter relay team finished sixth.
As a sophomore, Woodhall was an All-American during the indoor and outdoor seasons and ran a lifetime best 46.22 in the 400 meters at the SEC Outdoor Championships. He ran a personal best 1:50.68 in the 800 meters during the indoor season.
Woodhall hoped his junior season would be his best yet.
His 4×400 meter relay team took second as the SEC Indoor Championships, and he qualified for the indoor nationals in the 4×400 meters and distance medley relay. The 4×400 team won the event at the Arkansas Invitational and ran the fifth-fastest time in school history and was ranked as the fastest 4×400 team in the nation in February.
The indoor season ended suddenly before the NCAA Indoor Championships, and the outdoor season was canceled before it began due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I learned about Woodhall’s story while following him on the social media app Instagram. He posts many inspirational videos on the app. When someone asked about why he doesn’t have any legs, he told his story, which had millions of likes and views.
That story caused Ellen DeGeneres to invite him on her daytime talk show. Ellen then surprised Woodhall with a $20,000 check to use for his expenses to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, which have now been postponed.
I had a chance to sit down with Woodhall during the indoor season. We talked about his childhood, signing with the Hogs, going on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and more.
Q: Were you bullied growing up because of your legs?
A: Yeah, I went through a lot of bullying. I was home schooled until I was in the fifth grade. My parents started a business, and they didn’t have time to home school me anymore, and I went to public school. I went through a lot of bullying in fifth grade and into sixth grade as well. It wasn’t until I got to junior high where I found some friends who really treated me like I should have been. I had some friends who really cared about me.
Q: Did you play any other sports growing up?
A: I played all kinds of sports. Both of my brothers played sports, and I just wanted to follow in their footsteps. I started with T-ball, and then soccer and I played basketball and wrestled. I obviously ran track and played football. Basically, anything I could try out I did. I wanted to do what my brothers were doing.
Q: Was there a time you wanted to quit or doubted yourself?
A: Absolutely. There’s been so many times in my life, especially in sports, where things have gotten really hard, and I’ve questioned if it’s the right thing to be doing or not. When you get past those points and fight through that and come out the other side, you come out a better person and better athlete. I think it’s our hard times and our failures, which really define who we are.
Q: How did you first get into track? Was it a hobby at first, or was it something you were really focused on from the beginning?
A: That’s a good question. I started running 5Ks and things with my family – fun runs over the holidays and things like that. Like I said, I went through a lot of bullying, and when I got to junior high, the few friends I did have, were on the track team. So, I started running track because I felt comfortable on the team and felt comfortable being around my friends. That’s actually what got me running.
Q: Was there anyone who impacted your life like a coach or family member?
A: My family, obviously, had a huge impact on where I am today and everything I have been through but also, specifically my dad was always a really big influence in my life. There’s a number of different people in my life who showed they believed in me. A lot of times, they believed in me more than I believed in myself probably. A big reason I am where I am today is because of the people I have had in my life.
Q: What has been your main motivation?
A: There have been a lot of people behind me, but one of the biggest motivators for me is I have just been scared to let those people down. Not just one specific person but everyone who has taken the time to say they believed in me or defend me or something like that. The moment I give up or stop chasing my dreams is when I let them down. To know they believe in me and want me to succeed – I have to do whatever I can to prove them right.
Q: What was your initial reaction when you found out you had an offer from Arkansas?
A: Excited I would say. My recruiting process was extremely difficult. I had really hard time getting colleges to recruit me just because I was missing my legs. It had always been a dream of mine to compete in a conference such as the SEC. Just to be able to have that moment and share it, not only with my family, but also the people that have supported me to this point. That was a big deal in my life and real emotional.
Q: What was one of the most important tools you used to become an athlete?
A: I would say discipline is the biggest one. Discipline is such an overarching topic, and it can be applied to so many parts of your life. It always flows over to different parts. For example, when you are disciplined in the classroom, you are probably going to be even more disciplined when it comes to your sport or the chores you are doing or all of those things. When you can be disciplined in all aspects of your life, they all coincide. It’s hard to put a little bit of effort into one thing and think you are going to be all in and 110 percent in another thing.
Q: When you first came to Arkansas what were your thoughts when you struggled a little bit individually?
A: My freshman year was really difficult for me. I wasn’t used to the training, and I wasn’t used to how fast everyone was running in the NCAA, so it was really hard for me to adjust. It was one of those times I talked about earlier when you go through a hard time or hardship, and you have to reevaluate and keep pushing on. It was a lesson for me that I can’t take anything for granted, and if you want to compete at the highest level, or you want to be at the highest level, in anything you are doing it is going to take some work.
Q: What was it like being on The Ellen show and knowing hundreds of thousands of people were watching?
A: It was so cool. I think it was amazing to be around someone who has such a positive outlook on life and puts so much love back into the world. Just to be able to use my story and what I have been through to impact somebody else’s life, that’s what it is all about. That’s very special.
Q: Have people ever said anything about your artificial legs being an advantage in your running?
A: Yeah, I get that a lot, and usually … It happens the faster I run the more people are complaining. That is just one of those things where when things start happening in the public eye and people start watching, there’s always going to be people saying negative things. I think in my mind, we are not going to focus on the people that are being negative because that is going to take away from the people who are supporting us – right? It makes more sense to put all of our effort and attention into people that are supporting us and saying kind things.
Q: What is a piece of advice you want to give to other kids and athletes who are dealing with disabilities?
A: I think not even for disabilities, but everyone – it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, success is something you decide to do. If you have a dream, there is nothing that separates you from the person sitting next to you in class or the person on TV. We are all humans, right? The thing that makes you successful is how much do you want it, and how much do you want to work? And are you going to make sacrifices for that? So, just chase your dreams regardless of who you are and where you are.
Having college campuses open doesn’t rule out classes still being online
It was Missouri athletics director Jim Sterk who pointed out the glaring omission most people have made in trying to guess whether there will be college football starting in the summer.
“Campus, if it’s operational, we can have sports,” Sterk said in a teleconference Thursday. “Classes are a different matter. If a school is online, it doesn’t necessarily prevent athletic events from happening.”
Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg read it basically the same way I did which is why the SEC vote coming up next week will probably provide some kind of advancement for sports beginning June 1.
“If there’s a closed campus schools probably aren’t going to be able to host games whether that’s football or any other fall sport,” he said Friday afternoon with Derek Ruscin and Zach Arns (Ruscin & Zach) on ESPN Arkansas. “If instruction is online but campus is open, we can probably still do that.”
“I’m convinced the college football season is going to be held in some shape or form,” Bromberg said. “I don’t know necessarily if all 130 FBS teams will be playing.”
Now I’ve been saying that since all this started. The reason is very simple because nobody can afford to let it fail.
“There’s going to be a college football season because we know just how much football subsidizes every other program,” he said.
Some smaller schools have already started cutting non-revenue programs. It will probably wreak havoc on the pre-built schedules and may actually get the SEC to each team playing nine conference games (a move Alabama’s Nick Saban has pushed for a couple of years) and more regional non-conference games.
The financial landscape is going to change and the biggest effects from this shutdown is going to be felt more a couple of years down the road.
For smaller programs the money is going to get tight.
Pro sports are inching their way back to playing games. Major league baseball is planning a start around July 4. NBA players are pushing to get things rolling there for some kind of season.
Even the NFL has opened their buildings for the first time in awhile beginning this coming week.
Like a lot of other things, it’s about the money.
“That’s only going to build,” Bromberg said.
To follow the NASCAR model of compartmentalizing things, college football would have to limit players to position groups which won’t be much of an issue until August when you have to start getting the team together.
It will depend on what happens with the coronavirus. There is no way to have a consistent test that produces results fast enough to really be accurate for more than a few minutes.
Take the test, it shows negative, walk outside and, in theory anyway, that person could become positive. That’s one of the handful of problems with contagious viruses. Short of being in a bubble there’s no way to avoid it.
It’s why NASCAR is not doing the testing at the track. It’s almost impossible to accomplish and the numbers are starting to show being outside or in open environments is safer than staying inside.
“I don’t know how it gets in August,” Bromberg said. “At the same time, as we have learned, our whole world could be completely different in six weeks.”
And, yes, the whole issue has falling into the quagmire of politics where common sense and good judgement don’t collied very often.
“It’s another part of the conversation we keep having over and over again,” Bromberg said.
And it’s politics that will provide a margin of error that might be pretty small.
“If you screw up that one shot, you’re second chance is not going to be nearly as good as the first one,” he said.
That’s why patience is going to be the most valuable thing for fans right now.
It’s required when you’re trying to hit a moving target.
McGee on return of live sports this weekend with NASCAR
ESPN’s Ryan McGee, who covers NASCAR and college football, talked Friday afternoon with Derek Ruscin and Zach Arns (Ruscin & Zach) on ESPN Arkansas about the drastic changes for Sunday’s race in Darlington.
