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Okay, that's it.
Don't lecture me about who or what John Wooden was.
I went to USC (the natural rival of UCLA). Not only that, I was actually a student at USC when Wooden was still coaching. (I'm really old, man.)
I hated UCLA. Rooted against them every one of those championships. I was hoping Jacksonville with Artis Gilmore and Pembrook Burrows III would beat thenm in the NCAA Finals. Nope.
I wsa hoping Larry Kenon and Memphis State would beat them. But no.
I do not have much in common with John Wooden.
He's a Bruin, I'm a Trojan.
He's a devout believer, not me.
He thought that a structured set of beliefs could provide all answers. I disagree with that that kind of thinking (to put it mildly).
Kareem Jabbar (a Muslim) did not like the fact that Wooden referred to his team as a "group of fine Christian young men." (Nor did one or two Jewish players.)
Wooden had dress and hair codes (much to the chagrin of Bill Walton).
Wooden was actually pretty narrow-minded by today's standards.
But all those guys (when they settled down) really appreciated the man. (Can you honestly say the same of Derrick Rose and Calipari?)
And, yes, I know who Sam Gilbert was. He was my ace in the hole every time I debated college basketball with my Bruin friends.
But when push came to shove, I think Wooden really cared about his players and taught them a good bit more than basketball (and, trust me, the cynical part of me has a hard time saying that).
For example, the fabulously successful John Wooden lived in a modest apartment from the time he was coach at UCLA until the end.
The most money he ever made, as I recall, was about $12,000 a year. And, even factoring in inflation, he could have made a lot more.
And finally, timing is everything --let's pay some respect to a Bruin that even a Trojan could appreciate and maybe even revere.
