I'll Call It Like I See It

by sheila morris

Category: sports

  • SHOW ME YOUR FOURS!!! GO COCKS!!!


    Okay, my daddy always told me, She who tooteth not her own horn, the same shall not be tooteth. Here’s my horn, and I’m tooting it today…

    GAMECOCK MEN AND WOMEN

    BASKETBALL TEAMS 

    IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH MADNESS!!

    GO COCKS!!

    Gamecock basketball fans can’t figure out where to make their Final Four reservations this week – the men are going west to Phoenix and the women to Dallas for the final weekend of March Madness in 2017. Question: How much “madness” can the University of South Carolina stand in one wild, wacky, wonderful basketball year? And the answer is Ding, Ding, Ding the Daily Double – both teams are Regional Road Warriors and Winners.

    As PJ Dozier said at the Welcome Home celebration for the men in Columbia Sunday at the Colonial Life Arena,  Gamecock Fans, Show me your Fours!

    The names Sindarius Thornwell, Notice, Silva, Dozier, A’ja Wilson, Davis, Gray, Cuevas-Moore, Harris, Cliney are household words in the homes of South Carolina fans who revere the round ball and will now take their deserved places in Gamecock basketball lore as they have led their respective teams into the record books for the school and the SEC as well.

    A’ja Wilson – 1st Team All American

    Congratulations to # 22 A’ja Wilson, the junior from Hopkins, South Carolina who was named to the All American 1st Team. The honor couldn’t be more well-deserved because Wilson has been not only the spark plug for the spirit of the team but also the checkered flag- waver to help her team stay focused to cross the finish line of every game this season whether on the bench or on the game floor. This girl has spunk, and I love spunk. You go, girl.

    Last night Pretty and I plus our dogs Spike and Charly who had been rescued from the Doggie Day (and night) Care in New Orleans stayed in Patchatoula, Louisiana off I-10 to see if our women were Final Four bound. And so they are, and so we will continue our love affair with Coach Dawn Staley and her team and turn west toward Texas to make sure we are there to support them in person this final weekend of the season.

    Whatever the scoreboard says in Dallas or in Phoenix, our young women and men are winners and for us personally have provided more than enough entertainment to lift our family from a self-absorbed political pity party we have had since November. For that, we say a huge thank you and good luck in the next games.

    P.S. I couldn’t believe we would leave New Orleans without once hearing When the Saints Go Marching In and Sunday night at the very last possible minute, a wedding party parade outside our hotel had a very loud band playing the song while everyone danced in the streets. Magical moment. Memory Maker, as Granny Selma would have surely said.

    New Orleans version of a wedding party

    Pretty documented it for us

    Say goodbye, New Orleans and Hello, Big D, little a, double l, as.

  • Celebrate Good Times!


    What do weddings have in common with the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball tournament championships?

    Ding, ding, ding – and the answer is The Daily Double or, in the case of the 2017 Lady Gamecocks, The Annual Triple. That’s right, Sports Fans. This year’s Lady Gs are the gifts that keep on giving – over the weekend they won their third straight SEC Tournament Championship much to the delight of 8,000 fans who drove 100 miles north from Columbia to Greenville, South Carolina which was the site of this year’s tournament.

    (By the way, my new best friend ESPN analyst Nell Fortner was in the stands for the final game Sunday afternoon and finally “came out” as a Gamecock fan after the game when she donned an official baseball cap for the SEC Champions. Nell, Yes!)

    A’ja Wilson and Kaela Davis made the All-tournament team and A’ja was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the week to add to her laurels as SEC Player of the Year for the regular season. You know what I love about her? Everything. She plays with grit and gusto, a never-say-quit spirit that inspires her teammates to focus and finish.

    As for the rest of the Lady Gamecocks, you know what I love about them? Everything.

    As for Coach Dawn Staley? How do I love thee – let me count the ways…

    Which brings me to the weddings. Saturday afternoon I skipped the semi-finals of the basketball tournament to attend another event that made my heart sing. Two young lesbians were married in a gorgeous ceremony attended by their biggest “fans,” the family and friends who promised to stand with them as they began their life together.

    The setting was a pastoral one outdoors on a lovely farm at sunset. As the colors in the sky changed from blue to shades of pink and red, the two brides exchanged their personal vows mixed with humor, promises to be faithful and most of all, to love. The smiles on their faces as they turned to walk down the aisle between the rows of white chairs and benches for the guests were, I’m sorry I can’t think of another word, radiant.

    The party afterwards was perfect with tons of food, drinks and be merry to the tune of live music in the farm’s version of a barn which was way too fancy for anything with four hooves. For sure everyone there had two feet – and most of them were dancing. One of my favorite moments was the first dances with the brides and their fathers…

    A wedding and a 3-peat SEC Championship – a beginning and a finish – both the best of times and causes for celebrations.

    Life is good.

     

  • Nell on Wheels? Nell, No!


    sec-2017

    ESPN Analyst Nell Fortner and

    old Lady Gamecock fan

    P.S. Where’s Pretty?

     Big day of basketball Friday at the SEC women’s tournament in Greenville, South Carolina where the Lady Gs collared the Georgia Bulldogs to move on to the semi-finals later today. Go Gamecocks!

    Nell Fortner, who has coached at every level of women’s basketball including the 2000 Olympic Gold Medal team and is now a commentator for ESPN, had a birthday without a cake but with tons of fanfare!

    What’s not to love about Nell?

    Happy Birthday, Nell – you’re the best – be sure to talk nice about the Gamecocks!!

    P.S. P. S. Thanks mucho to the gay boys basketball buddies who multi-tasked as driver, food provider, and official photographer. Where was Pretty?

  • A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever


    University of South Carolina Lady Gamecock Kaela Davis (#3) stole the basketball from a Vandy guard and dribbled it hard down the court toward her goal as the Vandy player tried desperately to retrieve that ball from her. Gamecock teammate Allisha Gray (#10), who always has a nose for the basketball, ran full speed parallel to Davis on the other side of the Vandy guard. The trio barreled toward the goal at an amazing speed as Kaela leaped toward the backboard apparently for a difficult lay-up when all of a sudden KD made a no-look bounce pass to Gray who caught the basketball and effortlessly made the lay-up for the two-point score.

    Man, oh man. Pretty and I were sitting with our Gay Boys Basketball Buddies in our regular seats at Colonial Life Arena which are directly above and slightly to the right of the goalpost – just in the perfect position to see the three women thundering down the court and cheer the beautiful pass from Davis to Gray as the ball swished into the net. It was a Harlem Globetrotters moment.

    My words don’t do it justice, but to me, as Granny Selma used to say when she was in her right mind, that pass was a thing of beauty. Whoa, Nellie.

    Davis and Gray are both junior transfers from different schools playing their first year in the Gamecock uniforms and figuring out how to maximize their play together is no small task for Head Coach Dawn Staley, but last night’s efforts against Vanderbilt showed a maturity and presence for the whole team that was fun to watch.

    001 For every game this season, my personal heroes have been our big girls who endure heavy blows to their bodies during the games but still have a smile for the fans whether they win or lose.

    001

    #41 Alaina Coates

    002

    #22 A’ja Wilson

    Alaina and A’ja are two fierce competitors who strike terror in the hearts of their opponents when they control the rebounding and scoring in the paint. They don’t mess around, sisters and brothers. You better have on your Big Girl uniforms when you come to play against them because they will be your worst basketball nightmare if you aren’t prepared.

    The good news is we won last night – the bad news is we are getting to the end of the regular season play, and Pretty and I are wondering what we will do without the Lady Gamecocks in our everyday lives. Sigh.

    Let’s hope our post-season play goes all the way to the Final Four in Dallas this year – now that would be a memory-maker!

    (My thanks to the USC Gamecock Basketball Gameday for the unauthorized use of their pictures.)

     And thanks to our Best Candy Maker friend Dick Hubbard for another thing of beauty this week…yummy…creamy fudge…mouth-watering…Happy Belated Valentine’s Day to all our cyberspace amigos!

    dick-hubbards-fudge

  • GRAND SLAM GREATS!


    It’s a wrap. The first tennis Grand Slam of the 2017 season is officially in the books, and the hits just keep on rolling.

    022

    The Williams Sisters share a private chat…

    while waiting to collect the spoils

    that belong only to the victors

    017

    Serena wins her 23rd. major and the big cup,

    but Venus didn’t lose in this tournament

    I am awarding Venus and Serena Williams The Red Man’s Memorial Paw Snaps and Twirls – the highest honor possible for two American women who personify persistence and perseverance to be the very best in their sport and in so doing, prove repeatedly that they are both the images of true champions. Their love of family speaks volumes about their character, and their love of playing tennis is a gift we can all appreciate and be grateful for.

    You rock, girls – keep going. Records are made to be broken.

    And then came the men’s final with Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer. Another gut-wrenching five-set match for the ages. As Australian commentator Darren Cahill said, “It’s a privilege to be able to be here and watch this amazing final.” I felt the same way sitting in the bleacher seats at Casa de Canterbury – how lucky am I to see these two passionate competitors one more time in a major final. Hooray for great tennis!

    Roger won his 18th. Grand Slam which increases his lead over Nadal and Sampras who are tied at 14. Roger was once again the Swiss Magician as he worked his magical aces and unusually magical backhands.

    australian-open-2017-mens-final

    Relief and Reflect – savor the moment

    will this be the last?

    Thirty-five used to be ancient for a professional tennis player, but Roger Federer defies the norm and continues to prepare to play at the championship level even after a six-month sabbatical from the tour to recover from a knee injury. This year the tennis gods were aligned to give him a great ride in the Australian Open, and I enjoyed celebrating with him and his team early this a.m. when he won.

    I am also awarding Roger Federer The Red Man’s Memorial Paw Snaps and Twirls Award for performance above and beyond the realm of mere mortals as he vanquished the little yellow ball and his own fears in a clash of wills as much as skills.

    008

    Lordy, lordy.  Charly and I are exhausted from our live coverage of the Australian Open. We left the comfort of our king-sized bed every morning at 3:00 a.m. to go downstairs to indulge my passion for watching the matches as they were happening a world and many time zones away. Viva Australia – whatever day it is for you – I can never keep up, but I love you and my Australian followers mucho.

    charly-and-me-on-bed-3

     Onward to the French Open in the spring.