Dunk tank

Hooray!!!
Candace Parker dunked for the second game in a row on Tuesday. I'm so happy for Candace and her mystery man Steven Bridges.
I'll be even happier when these dunks aren't treated as such a big deal. Parker has been dunking since high school. Just because she does it with a funny colored ball doesn't all of a sudden make it the top play on Sportscenter.
It's quite an athletic feat, especially for a woman. But, the WNBA isn't making itself look any more credible by treating these dunks like man's first steps on the moon.
I'm not saying they should be ignored or downplayed. But the announcer's screaming as if he just saw Bigfoot has to freakin' stop. It's embarrassing to a league that has so much more to offer these days.
I've only seen a few of Parker's games but these last two dunks wouldn't even make my top five list of her most impressive plays. I watched her swoop to the hoop with the ball in one hand like Dr. J while at Tennessee. It was a play far prettier and more athletic than any dunk.
And, no I can't dunk. Never could dunk. Almost broke my wrist trying to dunk but I never threw one down on a 10-foot goal.
I'm definitely not hatin' on Candace Parker. Keep on dunkin' girlfriend. The more you dunk, the less surprised announcers will be to see it. Then, maybe we can get back to the basketball game.

Shooters shoot

Shooters shoot.
In my hundred or so years of covering high school girls basketball, that’s been one thing I’ve noticed. I was discussing this topic with a coach recently.
The coach, who has won a lot more games than I have, has a philosophy of passing the ball a certain number of times before a team takes an outside shot.
This can be a winning philosophy for certain teams. My disagreement with the coach wasn’t whether this was the correct philosophy for his team. My point was that this style of play could possibly hurt a shooter’s confidence.
Shooters shoot.
Shooters don’t count the number of passes.
I’ve never seen a shooter that had a lot of thoughts going on in their head before they took a shot. One of my favorite quotes comes from former Olympian Ruthie Bolton, who was asked what she thought about before taking one of her patented long-range shots.
“Nothing goes through my mind, if I can see the basket, I’m gonna let loose of it,” she said.
Every successful shooter has that same thought process. They don’t worry about what will happen if they miss. They don’t worry about how many offensive rebounders they have. They don’t worry about floor balance.
Shooters shoot.
When shooters catch the ball, the first thing on their mind is, am I open? If they’re open, they take the shot.
I’ve watched a bunch of coaches and how they deal with their shooters. I’ve seen some of the best and none of them ever jumped on a player for missing a shot.
Shooters shoot.
They don’t worry about missing. They have to have confidence in themselves. As important, they have to feel like their coach and teammates have confidence in them, too.
One of my favorites coaches is Gary Don Smith. Every year at Union, he had at least one designated shooter. He never introduced them as a guard or forward, they were his shooter.
I don’t know if Smith was responsible for teaching these girls how to shoot. But I know his attitude towards them allowed them the confidence to let it fly. I heard him yell at girls for not shooting but he never discouraged his shooter from taking the shot.
He might put ‘em on the bench if they weren’t hitting. But, as long as they were on the floor, as long as they were open, the green light was on.
Shooters have to have that green light. If you have to think about taking a shot before you take it, you’re probably going to miss it. If you’re not sure if you’re supposed to shoot the ball, you probably shouldn’t shoot it. If your coach and teammates don’t have confidence that you can nail that wide-open 20-footer, you shouldn’t take it.
Shooters don’t think about it. Shooters don’t worry about it. Shooters don’t wonder about it. Shooters shoot.
I don’t care how pretty a person’s shot is, if they don’t take the shot, they’re not a shooter.

I want blackberries

On the front page of the News-Times last week, a gentleman was in El Dorado selling blackberries. My colleague Kev Moye' talked about how good they looked and how he wished he had some.
This sparked memories of my childhood in Jersey, Arkansas. We lived on a dirt road and I remember vividly wild blackberries all along the roadside. They were everywhere. That's when I learned the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.
I also remember a strawberry patch behind our house. There was a peach tree right up the road and muscadine vines as far as the eye could see. My dad had hogs and behind the hog pen, there were plums, big juicy red and yellow plums as sweet as you can imagine.
My dad also raised watermelons and cantalopes.
It's hard to believe all the fruits we had at our disposal right outside our house. How did grocery stores stay in business back then?
My mom would send me to the garden for potatoes, peas, greens. We had peppers - red ones, green ones and yellow ones. There were also great big onions and, of course, tomatoes, which we raised for the market.
I think about those days often, especially today when I spent 50 dollars at the gas station. Fifty freakin' dollars for gas?
Man, it's no wonder this new generation of kids is so messed up.

No blood, no foul

After two days, El Dorado's Girls Basketball Camp has gone well. For the most part, it's been on time with all of the participating schools gaining valuable court time for their players.

Of course, this is just one man's perspective. If you ask the officials, who are pocketing a handsome 10 bucks per game, perhaps the camp hasn't been so great.

I put a photo in the News-Times on Wednesday with the tagline, "No blood, no foul." The referees wanted an explanation as soon as I walked into the gym.

Hey, what do you want me to say? They're not calling a lot of stuff. I'm not complaining. It's a summer camp. It's not supposed to be a free throw contest.

It's been a little rough at times but, for the most part, I haven't seen play get out of hand too bad. That hasn't stopped the coaches from voicing their disapproval.

On Tuesday, the team from Ouachita (La.) threatened to leave because of the officiating. On Wednesday, Smackover coach Marsha Cowling got into a heated discussion with the refs which ended with the pregnant Cowling screaming at the top of her lungs, "DON'T DISRESPECT ME!"

Cowling met with the officials after that particular game and any hurt feelings were soothed. But, the coach was about as angry as one can get in the heat of the moment.

Perhaps it wasn't all that bad at El Dorado, however. Randall Miller, assistant boys coach at El Dorado, was given a technical foul at the team camp in Texarkana on Wednesday.

Miller told me the story of how the young "referee" got in his face and asked him if he was a real coach. Miller said he asked the guy if he was a real ref. The technical foul followed.

It was an all-around good day for Miller, who was issued a speeding ticket, while driving the bus to Texarkana. Miller says he was going 61 in a 55.

Man, I won't be complaining about my day, today.

Anyway, there's one more day to the camp in El Dorado. Hopefully, Cowling, did I mention she's pregnant, won't slug anybody. Just in case, I'm going to stay out of her way myself.

I'll be back

I ventured into the El Dorado gym Monday afternoon for a quick visit with Coach Smith. After talking about his camp for a few minutes, I walked onto the court in search of a basketball.
It's been a long time since I shot a basketball. Actually, it's been a long time since I've done any sort of activity that doesn't involve a remote control or a video controller.
I picked up a basketball and bounced it once. The damn thing ricocheted off the floor and hit me square in the mouth.
Since when did they start putting so much air in those basketballs?
When I finally got control of the ball, I turned my attention to the rim. To my surprise, I could barely see it. Everything was fuzzy and blurry. I closed one of my eyes to try and get a clearer picture.
I could've closed both and had a better shot at it. My first attempt from about 12 feet was woefully short. My shot was so bad, I'm surprised it didn't miss the floor.
I would eventually make a shot or two but I must admit, I never thought I would be so bad. I actually started looking around to see if anyone was watching. I think I saw a kid looking down from one of the windows near the football coaches' office.
At this point, I was too tired to even be embarrassed.
I will get in better shape than I am right now. I'm not going to say that I couldn't be in any worse shape because I know that's not true. But, it's ridiculous that I've let myself get to this point.

Not normal folks

The TV networks are starting to promote the upcoming summer Olympics. One of the commercials features the dramatic vault by gymnast Kerri Strug, who completed her final vault in Atlanta on a sprained ankle.
I remember watching that event. I taped it and I still have it somewhere on one of my hundred or so unmarked VHS tapes.
It was an amazing feat or courage. Stuff like that is why professional athletes make so much money. They do things that normal folks can't or won't do.
I remember watching El Dorado athlete Carlos Meeks in high school. A great football and basketball player, Carlos won the decathlon as a senior and might be the best athlete I've had the priviledge to cover. One of my highlights was at the Oil Belt Track Meet. Carlos was one of the best quartermilers in the state. He ran the event at the Oil Belt and pulled up lame with a hamstring injury at the first curve.
With everyone in the stadium yelling for him to get off the track, I watched as Carlos hobbled, holding his leg all the way around the track, finishing fourth in the race.
Normal folks don't do that.
Then again, Carlos was also a football player. You expect that out of a football player.
But, how many times have you seen a girl do what Strug did. Girls aren't raised to do those types of things. When girls get injured, they listen to their parents, coaches or doctors and they sit down.
It made me think. How many girls have I covered who could've possibly done what Strug did?
Not only does it take incredible toughness and competitive spirit, there's also just a ting of insanity involved as well. Most girls are too smart to risk their careers.
The first area girl that immediately sprang to my mind was Union's Mary Beth Gilmore. Gilmore sprained her ankle in the district tournament, then never missed a game as the Lady Cyclones kept playing, all the way to the state finals.
I remember sitting at PC next to the Union bench at the regionals. A referee ran past Coach Gary Don Smith telling the coach he needed to get Gilmore out of the game because she was in so much pain. Smith told me afterwards, she would never have come out of the game.
Gilmore pretty much ended her own career by playing on that ankle. Ankle surgery caused her to miss her freshman season at SAU and, during the year she sat out, she found other interests and never played again.
She was a true warrior, though.
Another girl with that quality was also a Lady Cyclone named Heather Adams. As a senior, she injured her wrist. It was the same injury NBA star Chris Mullen had on his non-shooting hand that forced him to miss a season. Adams' injury was on her shooting hand. The doctor tried to put the arm in a cast for six months. She said I've got a game next week.
Adams played the entire season, even after injuring her back over the Christmas break. Everytime she caught the ball, she would wince in pain. After road games, I'd see her laying on her stomach in the bleachers because her back was hurting. But, she played every big game for Union and led her team to state.
My final example would be Smackover's Jamika Tatum, who played her senior basketball season with a torn ACL. Nope, I didn't know it was possible, either.
Tatum injured her knee and, although she was told her career was over, she couldn't watch her teammates play without her. She hobbled on one leg that season and, although she wasn't even a shadow of her healthy self, the Lady Bucks were still better when she was on the court.
None of the three girls I mentioned did the smart thing. All are hard-headed, stubborn, bull-headed and competitive to borderline insane levels.
If they were my children, I'd have a difficult time dealing with them. From a reporter's perspective, it was a priviledge covering them.

Let's go camping

Dadgum, just one more day. I go back into the office on Monday after a quick seven days vacation. I did exactly what I planned, nothing. I played Xbox college football, led William & Mary and Elon to national championships.
I've got another week's vacation that I'll have to take before the end of July. Maybe I'll actually do something that week.
Anyway, El Dorado hosts its basketball team camp this week. I'm looking forward to seeing how that turns out. Every year I have the same dilemma of how to cover a basketball camp. I'd like to put something in the newspaper about the kids who are busting their butts during the summer. But, no matter what happens, no matter who beats who, it's still just a camp. It doesn't mean anything as far as the regular season is concerned.
So, you can't cover the games as if they counted. It's really just practice, although scores will be kept.
I'm sure we'll figure out something.
I'm also looking forward to seeing some new wrinkles from the area coaches. I know PC coach Mark Young and Clancie Laymon and El Dorado's Corey Smith, Henry Harrell and Valerie Turner all attended the coaches clinic in Tunica a few weeks ago.
Both Young and Smith raved about the event. Hopefully, they'll unveil a couple new plays that I haven't seen this week.
It should be a fun few days.

Get in the gym

I don't know what Strong's Marandalynn Parker is doing right now, but I hope she's working on her basketball game. Parker started as a freshman at OBU last year but Coach Garry Crowder vowed to bring in better players next year.
Crowder announced Thursday that Beulah Osueke signed a National Letter of Intent with the Lady Tigers.
Osueke, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward from Sugar Land, Texas, played at Clements High School and averaged 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game. She was named to the Houston Top 20 Team by the Houston Elite Basketball Club and is a two-time all-district selection.
“We’re very fortunate to have Beulah sign with us,” Crowder said. “She is a big-time player and she will come in and contribute immediately.”
I've never seen Osueke play but, let's see, 5-foot-10 guard/forward?
Hmmm.
Marandalynn, if you're reading this, turn the computer off and get into the gym, pronto.

Is she the best?

Okay, Steven Bridges, to answer your question, no, I wasn't surprised at Candace Parker's WNBA debut. I don't have the numbers in front of me but Parker scored something like 34 points with double-figure rebounds and eight or nine assists in a win over Diana Taurasi and Phoenix.
There's no doubt, Parker is that good. She's not going to put up those numbers every night but she is, arguably, one of the best players in the world and has been for the past year or so.
I watched Parker, while still a college player, compete on the USA team during the World Championships. Although Lisa Leslie wasn't there, Parker was the best player on a team that included Taurasi.
Taurasi is a great offensive player but she's not the total package that Parker is. Parker, at 6-5, is the closest thing to a five-position player at the professional level. She's already seen some action at point guard this season.
I say she's arguably the best player in the world because, unless I'm mistaken, Australia is still in the world and Lauren Jackson is still a player. Jackson was Parker before Parker.
When she was 19, Jackson outplayed Lisa Leslie in the Sydney Olympics. During the game, the two got into a fierce confrontation with Jackson ripping out Leslie's hair extension. The duo have not been friends since and have one of the most heated rivalries in all of women's sports.
I still can't believe Leslie actually named her baby girl Lauren, although she insists the name has nothing to do with her arch rival.
For those of you not familiar with international women's basketball, which I assume is all of you, Australia is a threat to beat the U.S. behind Jackson and Penny Taylor. In my opinion, Jackson is the best offensive player in the world because of her 3-point shooting and her ability to score in the paint at 6-foot-5.
I would love to see Parker and Jackson square off in a one-on-one contest. I don't know who would win but I might actually pay to watch it.
I'm still going to leave Leslie's name in the discussion of best female player in the world. She's still at that level, which was shown when the U.S. team lost without her.
Another player in the discussion is Russia's Maria Stepanova. The 6-foot-8 center was the big reason Russia beat the United States in the world championships. She is the most intimidating defensive presence in the world along with being a skilled offensive weapon.
When the Olympics begin, the women's basketball competition will have my attention. Russia, with Becky Hammon, is in the three-team fight for the gold. You can't forget about Brazil with Janeth Arcain, Spain with Amaya Valdemaro and China, who has a solid team led by sharp shooter Sui FeiFei.
Is Parker the best player in the WNBA? Is she the best in the world? I think she could be in a few years. The fact that she's in the discussion at this point, tells you how good she really is.
If you're a basketball fan, you need to find a way to watch the women's basketball event at the upcoming Olympics.

We know she's great

The WNBA season has just tipped off and I'm already sick of the way the league is promoting Candace Parker. She's a great talent but, my God, does she have to be in every commercial?
The WNBA wants a superstar in its league sooooo bad that it routinely embarrasses itself with its overhype.
This was done with Rebecca Lobo, who was one of the faces of the league even though she was never even close to being the best player on her team. They did it with Sue Bird, who is so over-rated it's not even funny.
Diana Taurasi was supposed to be the woman who would put the league on the sports map. Taurasi would get the TV ratings up. Taurasi would bring fans to the game.
Didn't happen.
Now, it's Candace Parker, who is the best player to ever come into the league. Perhaps Parker is the player the WNBA has been waiting on. Perhaps she's the player that will bring in the casual sports fan, that has been ignoring the league.
Perhaps.
But, not if the league insists on shoving her down our throats.
I'm so sick of these WNBA promos. Every year, they get more and more hokey. If the league would let the play speak for itself, it would be much less of a joke.
The play in the WNBA has gotten to the point where it can stand on its own. There is no need for gimmicks or stupid catch phrases. The players are good. The games are competitive. The brand of basketball is entertaining.
There is still work to be done. The officiating has not caught up with the level of athletes on the court. It's a difficult job but still, the officiating in the WNBA is substandard for a professional, televised sport.
Also, the TV broadcasters on the games are amateurish. They bring nothing to the audience that couldn't be ascertained with the mute button on. In fact, you'd get more information with the sound down because you wouldn't waste time screaming at the announcers.
Other than that, the WNBA is as good as its ever been. Give Candace Parker credit for bringing a few new audience members to the league. She is a great player, who, when she's on, is very fun to watch.
I don't need the WNBA to tell me that. I can see that on my own.

Rubbing shoulders with the greats

I got a call Sunday from Elizabeth "Lizzie Babee" Wells, who was in Little Rock at her snooty, uber wealthy golf club.
Liz was all excited to tell me about her encounter Sunday with Super Bowl quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning, who were apparently guests at the club.
Of course, Liz talked to both athletes and got their autographs.
"Eli is really shy," she said. "They are both really nice."
Liz, who also has somewhat of a friendship with Tiger Woods, has come a long way from her childhood in Hampton.
I've been on this earth more than 40 years and the most famous person I've met is probably Karl Malone. Hell, who in Union County hasn't met Karl Malone?
This girl hasn't turned 19 and she's already had extended conversations with some of the best athletes in the world, including all of the best golfers in the world. Did I mention she worked Augusta during the Masters? She washed Tiger's balls.
Stop it.
Anyway, thanks Lizzie Babee for telling me about your great experience. There's no telling who you'll become best friends with when you get to Dallas this fall and start playing golf for Southern Methodist University.
Although I'm a little envious right now, if you can introduce me to a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, I think we can call it even.