At dinner, ESPN announced more people in its Top 25 college basketball players of all time.

Indiana Jon's choice of Larry Bird won't get the #1 slot. He came in at #9. Wilt Chamberlain was #10. Michael Jordan was around #15.

I'm thinking the top 5 will likely have some combo of Alcindor, Walton, and Robertson in it.

I wonder what their criteria was for that honor.

290 Non-Firefox users, well, copy and paste is good enough for them.

Thanks, Andrew. I feel a lot better knowing that. :-)

My favorite question from the chat was "I always see you visiting kids at hospitals and things. Do you enjoy going out into the community and bringing a little joy to these kids?"

Ethier would have said he didn't care about them, that the only thing in his life that brought him joy was sitting prostrate in an unlit room, listening to Sarah Mclaughlin.

David Wells waiting in the wings

>> But Wells has told Clifton that he feels much stronger than he did last season, because he feels like his body has adjusted better to the radical changes he made in his diet after being diagnosed with diabetes. <<

http://tinyurl.com/2d7pf9

Hope is the thing with feathers
That David Wells did eat
And sings the tune -- of chin music,
And never shall be beat,

And sweetest in the park is heard
And sore must be the bum
Of the dude that Wells knocks down
With pitches on the thumb,

I've heard it in the strangest parks,
From here to Milwaukee,
Yet David Wells' extremity
Ate the crumb from me.

1. Lew Alcindor
2. Bill Walton
3. Bill Bradley (has anyone mentioned him?)
4. Bill Russell
5. Oscar Robertson

If you take an all-time team of players with the first name of "Bill" you'd do okay.

If there were ever 8 better college or pro players better than Bird, I sure would like to see them.

At least Christian Laettner didn't rate above Larry Bird. I may have had to fly to Bristol and restore order.

>> Furcal admitted to glancing over his shoulder between pitches to make sure he knew where Repko was <<

http://tinyurl.com/3593h2

I still have my doubts as to whether many of those 8 could take a non-competitive basketball program, with the great Bill Hodges coaching, and no other player I can even name even though they played less than an hour from my house, and lead them to an undefeated regular season and only one loss altogether.

Jason Repko's feeling fine, thanks

>> Repko said he entered camp prepared to hit because of the Time Right Batting Systems created by his father, Ed Repko Jr., which simulates real-time pitching speeds.

Ed made a chart detailing how far a pitcher should stand from home plate to re-create pitches of certain velocities based on how hard he could throw accurately. Because Jason wanted to face pitches from 88 to 95 miles per hour, his father, who throws 52 miles per hour, stood 29 to 32 feet away. <<

http://tinyurl.com/2dqde3

Alcindor, Walton, Bradley, Russell, Robertson and Maravich are almost certainly on the list above Bird. That leaves two more.

I'm thinking... David Thompson has to be there, that's seven.

Thinking... Jerry West!

Done!

http://tinyurl.com/2qj4yj

So, what's the best basketball school that doesn't have one of the 25 players? Kentucky? Indiana (unless you count Bird for them)?

I guess Indiana's top candidate would be Scott May or Isiah. Kentucky's would be, what, Dan Issel? Alex Groza?

Ethier dismissed the importance of making a quick impression on a new manager and staff. He wants to start, and he believes he has shown he's a Major Leaguer with two productive seasons (.295 career average, .821 OBS), but he also can count.

what is OBS? :)

So far, no players from UCLA, Kentucky, or Indiana.

Jon is casting the lone vote for Hank Lusetti.

Or possibly Todd Lichti.

30 - Both!

But I won't campaign for Rich Kelley.

27,24 he can count, which seems to be more than the OBS guys can do.

And the latter wasn't short.

Randy Smith was also a San Diego Clipper!

Weren't Adrian Dantley and the aforementioned Ernie D (25 ) both ROYs for Buffalo?

Jon, if you are too busy, perhaps you could get Scott from the Baltimore Sun to write the piece? Make sure you have Gus edit it though!

19 Diamond Leung (see Jon's link) says that Repko's dad want to patent his idea. Not to be too snarky, but can you patent basic physics formulas? Also, what he is simulating is reaction time, but his 52 MPH throw has only 57% of the momentum of a 90 MPH fastball, so it should feel different when hitting it. Mr. Repko might have better success inventing a gadget with a radar in it: set the distance, throw the ball, it displays the equivalent MPH from 60' 6".