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Greg Brown, RIP
It has been a tough eight months for fans of University of New Mexico basketball, with the deaths of Gary Colson, Ruben Douglas, Drew Gordon and now Greg Brown. The passing of Brown, at 51 years old from a car accident, hit me particularly hard. The 5-foot, 7-inch guard out of Albuquerque High was the best Lobo basketball player I had ever covered, and one of the most popular to ever wear the Cherry and Silver.
Brown led UNM to a WAC Championship, was the league’s Player of the Year and was named the nation’s best player under 6 feet. Brown was tenacious on the court and friendly off it.
A true inspiration. Check out the children’s book Greg’s mother wrote about him, “The Littlest Point Guard.”
Jalin Holland
There has been plenty of chatter about the decision by Jalin Holland to leave Los Lunas High School and pursue his education and hoop dreams at Dream City Christian Academy in Arizona.
While some feelings may have been hurt by the departure, this is the new norm for elite basketball prospects. I certainly don’t know Holland well, but he has always been respectful and accommodating.
With continued hard work and a little luck, Holland has a chance to shine a positive light on Valencia County when fans elsewhere someday may ask, “Where is he from?”
Belen golf
It’s a sweep for Belen, with Rylee Salome and Grady Cox selected as Metro Golfers of the Year by the Albuquerque Journal.
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Salome, who took the honor for a second year in a row, enters her senior season at BHS with three 4A state girls’ titles. Cox is a two-time 4A boys state champion, finishing fourth this year. The Infinity High School graduate signed with Austin Peay University.
Keep in mind Salome and Cox were chosen ahead of golfers from mostly larger metro schools. Also deserving of kudos is Eagles coach Donald Marquez.
Quick, change the channel
Recently, I almost broke my promise to you, but I manned up just in time.
The U.S. Open Golf Championship was must-see television with Rory McIlroy collapsing down the stretch and Scottie Scheffler sealing the victory in dramatic fashion. I committed about a year ago to not watch professional men’s golf until the PGA and LIV Tour, backed by Saudi Arabia, quit ripping the game apart. Promise kept, at least until the British Open.
Screen time or shopping time?
Who doesn’t miss the old days at Target, Sears or a half dozen other department stores when a crowd would gather around the televisions in the electronics department and watch live football games during the fall while the family shopped?
Pull up a lounge chair. Now, those TVs spew out boring advertisements and promotions on a pre-produced loop. Admittedly, the change is understandable. Nobody shops if the Cowboys-Eagles game is on.
Caitlin Clark and the WNBA
Last year in this column, I mentioned that the WNBA is worth watching. The comment was well before Caitlin Clark took over our consciousness.
Now, the league is dominating the airwaves with debates about Clark and her nemesis Angel Reese, cheap shots, pettiness, charter flights, salaries and Olympic snubs.
WNBA, welcome to the big time. Oh, and the basketball is really worth watching now.
French Revolution
When did France become the center of the basketball universe? The No. 1 picks in the last two NBA Drafts were French, with other fellow-countrymen high picks.
Has the rest of the world caught up or passed the U.S.?
Does the size of your trophy case matter too much?
Not many people will agree with me on this, but when there is talk about Hall of Fame candidates or the Greatest of All-Time (GOAT) in any sport, the number of championships an athlete has won is overemphasized.
Great players on bad teams can easily be ignored. As an example (the names and situations are fictional): Billy Bobb dominates for a decade as a right tackle for, say, the Arizona Cardinals, but his team stinks and gets little publicity. Meanwhile, Mikey McFly is a so-so linebacker for the beloved Dallas Cowboys. Which of the two is likely to be named to more Pro Bowls, get to the Hall of Fame and have a long career in broadcasting? Yep, it’s McFly. A player isn’t necessarily great just because they are on a successful or popular team.
As for the GOAT, the number of championships won must be a consideration, but not the ultimate factor.
Think of poor Wilt Chamberlain, who holds or shares 72 NBA records but only has two measly titles. Wilt the Stilt is never in the conversation for the best ever. Unfair.
Plus, back in the day, athletes were stuck with one team unless they were traded. No free agency. Find a player on your favorite team who doesn’t get his or her due.
