Random Sports Reference

Larry and Magic at the 1979 NCAA men's basketball championship game held at the University of Utah. With March Madness approaching, it's never a bad idea to reflect one of the most seminal moments in the history of an incredible sporting event.  The NCAA Tournament is a thing of beauty, even when it's overrun by commercialism. But back in 1979 it was definitely something different than it is now. In a word, it was "purer" back then. It was more about the basketball than brackets, corporate sponsorship and the sleaziness of the NCAA.  Looking back on the 1979 tournament with modern hindsight, which of course included Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans and Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores in the championship game, it's almost impossible to overstate what that singular event did for not only the NCAA Tournament, but indeed the game of basketball as a whole.  Michigan State wound up winning the game 75-64 inside the University of Utah's Specia...

  The great Julius Winfield Erving II better known as Dr. J. The man could get up. Wishing a happy 74th birthday to the great Julius Erving, better known by one of the coolest nicknames in sports history: Dr. J.  But did you know his full name? As a kid, he was one of my all-time favorite athletes. His Sports Illustrated poster (remember those?) adorned a wall in my bedroom. We even share the same birthday. However, I never knew the man's full name until just now, when I Googled him for a little information for this post.  Julius Winfield Erving II.  Man, I thought the moniker "Dr. J" was cool. But the 6-foot-7 small forward's full name is straight up awesome! JWE2? The name is actually hugely fitting for Dr. J, who was known to be a class act during his legendary career. Since retiring in 1987, Erving has been a visible representative of his longtime NBA team, the Philadelphia 76ers, and he remains one of the NBA's elder statesmen. Dr. J was a 16-time All-Star, a...