Brad Cesmat
You ever wish you could reach out to your high school coach?
Last summer Mike Williams was on my mind. Without him giving me the keys to the gym at Escondido high school, who knows what direction life would’ve taken me.
Coach Williams passed away over the weekend. I wish I would’ve followed through on trying to track him down. As I’m sure many of you know, life gets in the way.
Coach knew that we were struggling to make ends meat at home. No dad around, so I was holding a job at a movie theater while going to school and playing basketball. He pulled me out of class one day and handed over a stack of letters from colleges. “You’re going to need a box for these”.
He was tough. He kicked me out of a couple of practices. Some players loved playing for him, some did not.Typical high school stuff.
He sat me down once and asked if I could quit the job and focus on basketball. When high school ended, I offered to scout games for him. Injuries had taken their toll and the college letters just went into a box. I dug some of them out today, while trying to find a photo of Coach.
I spoke with a media friend in San Diego on Monday about Coach Williams. The hometown newspaper lost the sports achieves when they were acquired. There’s no definitive win-loss record for Coach Williams.
If you had a Coach Williams in your life, a gentle nudge to take the time and drop the note. I didn’t. Regret is a terrible feeling…
Had ALOT of feedback on last week’s Kenny Dillingham interview. Most of the notes that came my way were about this part of the segment with the first year head football coach.
I took it as a first time head coach having a lot on his plate. Some took it as Arizona State isn’t doing enough to help him. I simply asked the question. Don’t look at me for answers, I merely make suggestions…
Another new low for those who ripped Monty Williams going out the door. His wife was diagnosed with breast cancer during the playoffs. This might be hard for some to understand, but there’s more to life than sports…
My sports360 teammate Claudia Collins, is now hiking for two. Baby on the way in December and she’s in the final stages of producing a documentary on former Valley high school quarterback Dane Christensen, who spent the last two years on a church mission in South Africa. Scratchy zooms over the last twenty four months between the two will result in solid storytelling. Jordan Hamm is going to take part in this doc with a couple of angles too(we call that a tease in the business). Documentary drops August 1st…
If you missed Jordy’s terrific Terrell Suggs two-part documentary in January. We’re pushing it back out in the next couple of weeks…
Loved Jon Rahm on stage at the U.S. Open Tuesday. “I’m in a high state of privilege in this world. I can do what I want. I can do what I love for a living. I have a blast every single day even though I get made on the course everyone once in a while. When I start with that point of view, I can only by thankful what’s going on. If things change, things change. I’ll have to adapt to the situation. At the end of the day. I’m extremely privileged”…
Mike Hazen front runner for MLB Executive of the Year! Give me a team that has done more with less payroll? Yes, a long ways to go, but if this keeps up, the trophy room will need some extra space…
Binged The Diplomat on Netflix over the weekend. Well worth it…
What’s wrong with sports? When Zach Buchanan gets cut by The Athletic. Another super-talented writer who’s a line item in a downsize. Very unfortunate. Someone snatch him up, quick!…
I’m calling the coming Ja Morant suspension by the NBA will be announced either this Friday afternoon at 4pm EST or Monday morning at 7am EST. I’m sure the NFL will counter with something like who’s wearing throwback jerseys in October…
Speaking of our hometown hero’s on the gridiron, What is the early over/under on Cowboy fans vs Cardinals fans in Glendale on September 24th. I’ve got 70-30 Dallas…
