Strategic brilliance and job-well-done leadership aren’t normally attributed to high school basketball coaches whose kids lose 32-minute games by 60 points.
But it happened.
And kids who lose by 60 generally don’t feel they’ve just had a ton of fun — fun and educational, Mr. Wizard! — plus something to always smile about and someday tell their kids about.
But it happened.
The 1982-83 Catskills region Fallsburg High girls’ team holds the school record for best record, 19-3.
But it was in one of those losses, by far its worst loss — you know the kind: an adult-directed slaughter designed to humiliate the already badly beaten — when the Fallsburg girls did something devilishly special.
We will let Mel Feldman, 79 and retired as both a Fallsburg H.S. physical education teacher and girls’ coach tell it:
“We were playing a team that became that year’s Class C New York State champs. They were very good, tall and talented. Our tallest starter was 5-8.
“During the first half they maintained their full-court press and kept in all their starters. They ran up the score. They were up at the half by about 40.
“In the locker room I told the girls that no one deserves to be humiliated like that in any ball game.
“So I told them that in the second half, if they came out with their starters and were still playing a full-court press, we were to score two layups into their basket.
“If beating us by as many points as possible was that important to their coach, the least we could do was help him out.”
What did his players think of his plan?
“They loved it. Not everyone did. I was criticized by some, praised by others. But the girls understood. They were eager to be the one to score for the other team. They had fun with it.”
So the second half began and Fallsburg again was faced by starters in a full-court press. And Fallsburg, in a 60-point loss, scored twice on uncontested layups — into the wrong basket.
One can imagine what went through the winning team’s minds. Should they try to block the shots taken by the opposition — at the wrong basket? Then there was the official scorer: How would that box score turn out?
“I was told that their coach said he couldn’t understand why I would do what I did. But I think he understood.
“The next time we played them, we again lost by a lot, but things were different — no attempt to run it up or press all game, and he played his subs a lot. From no sportsmanship to total sportsmanship.”
In other words, no words. Feldman didn’t have to tell the other coach what he thought of his fish-in-a-barrel approach, he showed him.
“That’s how he is,” said daughter Marci Feldman-Ronik. “He never gets angry. He doesn’t have to. You know what he’s thinking.”
“I think it ended well for everyone,” Coach Feldman said. “I hope so. Maybe it made a good impression on both teams’ kids.”
And who knows, perhaps on their kids, as well.
Kristaps Porzingis a contributor to broken fast break
As highly paid professionals, these Knicks are fascinating. Ever sit at a blackjack table and watch a guy split 10s, go bust on both hands, then do it again?
Monday at home against Toronto, the crowd grew excited as the Knicks, minutes before down 18, were making a move. They trailed, 96-84, 7:26 left, when a long rebound gave them a 3-on-2 break.
Kristaps Porzingis, by far the tallest man on the court at the time — most any time — was among those Knicks out front when he came to a sudden stop — outside the 3-point arc — then gestured for the ball. Good grief!
With the 3-on-2 voluntarily abandoned, the ball wound up with Langston Galloway, who began the fast break. He then missed a 3-pointer. And with Porzingis far from the basket, the uncontested rebound became Toronto’s, which went the other way and scored.
In the Knicks’ next possession, Porzingis missed a 3-pointer from the right corner.
Toronto again easily rebounded and scored, to lead 100-84. Say good night, Gracie.
On MSG, all Mike Breen and Walt Frazier could muster was that both Galloway and Porzingis “had good looks” at the basket.
Really? As if Frazier ever led a fast break that ended with teammates slamming on their brakes 25 feet from the basket. Is there a team that executes the give-and-stop better than these Knicks?
Porzingis, the 7-foot-3 shooting guard, finished with two rebounds in 33 minutes.
In Wednesday’s loss at Indiana, he totaled two rebounds in 36 minutes. He has two rebounds — not one an offensive board — in each of the Knicks’ past three games.
Fascinating.
Don’t question a miracle
What would we do without sideline reporters?
Tuesday on ESPN’s SEC Network, the first half of Vanderbilt-Florida ended with what seemed impossible:
Vandy’s Josh Henderson heaved a what-the-heck, four-fifths of the court, virtual line drive that — no way! — went in!
The next moment, Kaylee Hartung stood with Vandy coach Kevin Stallings, who, with a crooked grin, said, “I just drew up that play!”
But Hartung, who either didn’t know or care what he was talking about — or what we just had seen — gave him the yeah, yeah, whatever. She instead went with her apparently rehearsed question:
“What has allowed [Vandy center] Damian Jones’ productivity?” Nurse!
Though this only will be Vin Scully’s 67th season in the Dodgers’ booth, he is taking early retirement, calling it quits after this one. The Dodgers are scheduled to finish the regular season Oct. 2 at the Giants, so here is the plan:
MLB Network does whatever it takes to ensure Scully’s final telecast is seen and heard in full. We’re counting on ya!
How can you tell Bobby Knight no longer works for ESPN? Tuesday’s “SportsCenter” dipped back into its verboten-until-further-notice Bobby Knight Goes Nuts Action Reel, specifically his cross-court chair-throw on its 31st anniversary.
Good to see Yoenis Cespedes, at 30, isn’t spending his money on expensive, silly things like pimped-out, three-wheeled sand buggies. How long before we read he is broke?
It doesn’t end. The NHL may pitch its outdoor games as “great family fun,” but tickets to last Sunday’s Blackhawks-Wild in the University of Minnesota’s football stadium were attached to stay-home prices, $110 to $450.
Seems just a matter of time before Patriots’ public party animal Rob Gronkowski issues a statement apologizing “to those I may have offended.”