Monday, June 04, 2018

Guess What- Another Post About Reading And The Knicks- And This One's Gigantic

2 Chronicles 19-36.
Ezra.
Nehemiah.
Esther.
Job 1-33.
Romans 12-16.
1 Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 1-6.

I hope you've kept up.  That's a lot of reading if you got behind.

So, I invite you to watch this NBA game I've embedded from late 1970.  I was in the 2nd grade when it was played.

It's now on YouTube.  Knicks-Bucks.  A rivalry that would last about 5 years, from 1969, when Lew Alcindor entered the league, to 1974, when Willis Reed retired.

There are several observations I'd like to share after you watch this. 

Warning- It's 2 hours long (and so it seems, is this post). So buckle up!  And quit whining! 

Like you don't have a couple hours to spare...

Or just watch some of it.

But I tell you, it's worth it just to watch the commercials.  What's with the duck doing the news?  And the cars trying to stop on ice, with the last one going in the water? 

When did studded tires get outlawed?

And gotta love the old Colt 45 commercial with the bull- I remember that one.  But I don't remember the one with the falling tree.

And what year did all alcohol ads get outlawed except for beer?  Was after 1970, that's for sure.

I liked the Paper-mate power point pen commercial, and the Gillette ad with Johnny Bench, who had just played in his first World Series (losing to Baltimore).

And the Partridge Family promo was "groovy".

Coke?  It's the real thing.

How many times did we get to see Pat Paulsen and Mobil?  PAT FREAKING PAULSEN!

Really sets the cultural context for this game.  Anyway, on to it...





-I was able to figure out this was a Friday game, because of the mention of the following day's college football games- Notre Dame-USC and Army-Navy.  I am not sure if it was day or night, but I'm guessing day because of the Partridge Family promo.

I didn't know there used to be other college games on the day of Army-Navy.  I wonder when it changed to a showcase game, then only division one game on when it is played?

Anyway, based on this, I was able to deduce it was either late November or early December of 1970.

So, with not too much trouble, I tracked down the date- Friday, November 27, 1970.  The day after Thanksgiving.

-The first thing that struck me about the NBA back then was how fun it was to watch.  As opposed to today's boring version of isolation and one-on-one garbage.

Just watch how the ball moved around the court from teammate to teammate.

And there seemed to be a frenetic energy associated with this, just up and down the court action.

My proposal to make the game today more like it used to be- drop the 24 second clock and institute a 15 second clock.  You'd see a lot more action.

-Check out Phil Jackson.  He got more playing time as he got older.

-Love the organ music played during time outs.  Seemed like a better way to go than the blaring pop music at sporting events nowadays.

Why was the organist playing the University of Illinois song "Illinois Loyalty" near the very end of the 3rd quarter?  Did he not know he was in Milwaukee?

-Speaking of Illinois, Mike Price, my favorite player for U of I the year previously, was drafted by the Knicks after the 1970 season.  I was thrilled.

-Notice the lack of 50,000 replays each time down the court.  This is a much more enjoyable way to watch a game.  I think the game has slowed down the more replays have become part of broadcasts.

-What is that font ABC used for the scores?  I have always loved that!

-I like how there is no streaming across the bottom and no score at all displayed until someone scores.  Just simplicity.  Your attention is strictly on watching the action.  Take note, networks...this is how you broadcast sports.

-I love both teams uniforms and warm-up jackets.

-I remember the Milwaukee Arena.  It was later renamed the MECCA a few years later.  I always got a kick out of that name for their arena.  Never would have happened in the 21st century.

Look how dark the arena is except for the court area.

I like the free throw circle with the small dotted arc.

-Notice the announcements for Monday Night Football.

-Speaking of MNF, Keith Jackson did the play by play in the first season.  In addition to his NBA duties.  He continued to be the main play by play NBA announcer through the '72-'73 season, after which the NBA moved to CBS for the next 17 years.

-I love the tip-off prior to each quarter.  And the other jump balls during the game.  Bring those flamin' things back, NBA.

-What was the deal with the non-shooting fouls leading to one free throw?  If I were coaching, that'd be my strategy- just foul to keep the other team from scoring two points.  What year did that rule get changed?

-Dave DeBusschere had a bad game by his standards- lousy in the first, OK in the second.

-It wasn't Walt Frazier's best game either, although as usual he took over when he needed to, doing some cool Clyde things down the stretch.

-And oh my, was Willis Reed good.  He dominated Alcindor in the first half, and would have in the 2nd if he hadn't gotten tired from playing the whole game. 

So sad his career collapsed in injury the next year, although he was able to make a comeback two years after this season to lead the Knicks to another title.

I always loved Willis' chain and medallion, but have no idea what it is.

Anyway, dang, he was great.  Since I was so small when he played, I really appreciate getting to watch him in his prime like this.

It was so satisfying seeing him reasonably healthy in 1973 to win another championship.

-The Knicks were the only team in 1970-71 that the Bucks did not defeat in head to head match ups.  In fact, the Knicks won 4 out of the 5 games the teams played.

Therefore, the Knicks epic failure to win game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals later that year against Baltimore, a game they should have won and would have won 9 out of 10 times, hurts badly.  Because they would of/should of won another championship this year.

And I blame Bill Bradley for that loss.  He took the shot at the end of that game that he shouldn't have taken. 

I mean...come on, man...Reed and Frazier on that team, and Bill Bradley tries to take the last shot?

It doesn't help his case that he is a liberal Democrat.  So I can blame him for the fact the Knicks didn't win in 1971.

OK, I'm through crying.

-The Knicks beat the Bucks again the next night, this time in NY, 100-99.

- And by the way...Navy whooped Army 11-7 and USC beat #4 Notre Dame 38-28 the following day. 

In case you were wondering.