Since joining the New Orleans Saints in
free agency 14 seasons back, perennial Pro Bowl signal caller and Super Bowl
champion Drew Brees has been known for history making nights, especially in the
comfy confides of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in front of the amazing fans of
“The Big Easy.” Two weeks ago, he rose up another all-time NFL chart.
In leading the NFC South Champion Saints
(12-3) to a 34-7 victory versus the Indianapolis Colts (6-8) on ESPN’s Monday
Night Football on Dec. 16, Brees who was 29 for 30 passing for 307 yards and
four touchdown passes without an interception, surpassed future Hall of Famer
and two-time Super Bowl champion offensive signal caller with the Colts and
Denver Broncos Peyton Manning (539) into sole possession of No. 1 on the
all-time touchdowns thrown list with 540, which has increased to 544 with his
work of 27 for 38 for 279 yards and three touchdown passes in the Saints’ 38-28
win at the Tennessee Titans (8-7) this past Sunday afternoon.
“Listen, it was special. Everything about
the night,” Brees, who finished the night with 541 career touchdown passes said
after the win postgame. “I don’t know how they pick them. Monday night
football. Playing the Colts, right? The team that we won the Super Bowl against
10 years ago. So, the whole Super Bowl XLIV team is back for the 10th
Anniversary and obviously national television, you know, big game and now that
record in the balance as well.”
“Just kind of makes you shake your head,
you know, are you kidding me? Not sure how we got here?”
This is not the first time the 40-year-old
Brees made history on Monday Night Football. Last season, Brees broke Manning’s
passing yards record versus the Washington Redskins as he went 26 for 29
passing with four touchdown passes.
Brees’ 96.7 completion percentage against
the Colts became the highest ever in a single game with a minimum of 20 pass
attempts by a quarterback, completing 22 consecutive passes, which set a
personal record, a streak that was still active entering the tilt at the Titans.
That completion percentage Brees had was
just one-tenth point better than ironically enough the man who replaced Brees
in now Los Angeles Chargers longtime signal caller Philip Rivers, who had the
record at 96.6 done last season. He also
extended his own NFL record for games with at least 25 touchdown passes
registering his 25th. Plus, Brees set another personal record by
going 12 for 12 passing when targeting wideout Michael Thomas.
Brees tied Manning when his 539th
career touchdown pass went to wideout Tre’Quan Smith, a 21-yard passing score
that capped a 10-play, 85-yard drive at the 6:11 mark of the second quarter.
It was believed that Smith caught the
record-breaking score in the final seconds of the first half, but he was called
for offensive pass interference that nullified the touchdown and history, for
the moment.
Brees finished the first half going an
incredible 20 for 21, completing 95.2 percent of his passes, setting the best
completion percentage on a minimum of 20 pass attempts in the opening half the
last 25 seasons.
The record-breaking touchdown reception was
caught by tight end Josh Hill, whose five-yard score capped a 12-lay, 75-yard
drive at the 7:08 mark of the third quarter, where play-by-play announcer Joe
Tessitore call was, “Touchdown pass 540 in the 504!”
The 541st touchdown pass by
Brees went to the Saints swiss army knife on offense in Taysom Hill, who caught
a 28-yard score to cap a three-play, 51-yard drive late in the third quarter.
“Pretty incredible moment,” Brees, who
registered his 12th game throwing at least three touchdown passes on
Monday Night Football, second all-time to Hall of Famer Brett Favre said to
ESPN’s Lisa Salters on the field after the win. “To be able to share something
like this with my team and the “Who Dat?” nation, and everybody in the
Superdome tonight, my family and friends.”
“You don’t really think about these
things, especially when you first enter this league. I can remember as a young
player just trying to become a starter someday maybe. Maybe be able to make a
little bit of an impact and its hard to believe we’re here are 19 years later
having a chance to do some of these things but these special moments are
special because of the people who are on this journey.”
Brees got a chance to celebrate this
historic moment with some of those people who have been on this journey with
him like his offensive teammates and the fans got a rousing ovation from those
in attendance from Saints fans to his wife of 16 years Brittany and their three
sons Baylen, Callen and Bowen and their daughter Rylen and other family
members. He then took a quick lap around the building where his emotions were
very visible and then shared a warm embrace with head coach and offensive play
caller Sean Payton, who have done quite a bit of record breaking and winning,
together, including winning Super Bowl XLIV over the Colts and Manning in what
was dubbed, “The Miracle in Miami” a decade ago as mentioned earlier.
“It just kind of makes your whole life and
career flash before your eyes because I never thought I would’ve had a chance
to be a part of something like this,” Brees who also holds the NFL record for
passing yards and completion percentage said after the game. “And just looking
at the entire journey., you know 19 years from five years in San Diego (now the
Los Angeles Chargers) to 14 years here. All the incredible teammates and
coaches that I’ve had the chance to play with and for, this team right here, it
was very special and of course our fan base. The ‘Who Dat?’ nation. Everybody
in the dome tonight. Everybody watching tonight. Loved ones, my family, my
kids, both my college roommates-two of my best friends in the world, they were
here.”
Everyone that was present or watching on
their television or mobile device saw a performance to remember by Brees.
To put into context the kind of
performance Brees had against the Colts, according to the NFL’s “Next Gen
Stats,” he threw the ball at least 10 yards down the field 11 times and
completing all 11 of them, setting the record for most passes without an
incompletion.
Brees also completed passes in what are
called tight windows, which is defined as tight passes attempts by a
quarterback to a receiver where a defender is within one yard of the pass
catcher going 7 for 7.
According to “Next Gen Stats,” no
quarterback in the four years of this stat area has completed that many passes
without an incompletion.
If that was not enough, Brees joined Hall
of Famer Sammy Baugh as the only players in NFL history to simultaneously hold
the records for yards passing, passing touchdowns and completion percentage at
the same time.
One person who was very impressed with
those numbers was Brees’ head coach and offensive player caller for the Saints
Sean Payton, who said during his postgame speech in the locker room to his
players while presenting Brees with the game ball, “The 13 years I’ve been
here, he was magnificent tonight. Drew Brees.”
Payton, whose squad on 11-plus games for
the third straight season said to the media during his postgame presser about
his quarterback’s performance, “You know, it’s hard to do. You go back and
evaluate each play and it’s just unusual.”
“He had a hot hand obviously. Guys were
making plays but it’s awfully difficult to do, and I’m trying to think of the
incompletion.”
Payton added with a smile about that one
incomplete pass, “He’ll get a minus on that play. Gotta give one minus, right?”
Another person who was impressed with
Brees setting the all-time touchdown record was fellow future Hall of Fame
signal caller and six-time Super Bowl champion of the New England Patriots Tom
Brady, who tied Manning for No. 2 on the all-time touchdown passing list at 539
with his lone passing score in the Patriots (12-3) 24-17 win versus the Buffalo
Bills (10-5) on Saturday night.
Brady said in a tweet @TomBrady, “Congrats
Drew!! Couldn’t be more deserving. Passing Peyton in anything is an incredible
achievement and your records will be tough to beat! But it’s worth trying.”
Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, who
also has a Super Bowl win on his resume tweeted @DangeRussWilson to Brees,
“LEGEND! @DrewBrees.”
Favre, tweeted @BrettFavre, “Congrats
@drewbrees on an amazing achievement.”
At the end of the Saints Monday night tilt
versus the Colts and what he did on Sunday afternoon in Week 16 at the Titans,
Drew Brees now stands as the all-time leader in passing touchdowns at 544 and
counting, with Tom Brady right behind him at 539, which is tied with Peyton
Manning, with Hall of Famers Brett Favre and Dan Marino right behind at 508 and
420 respectively.
Brees set another record and authored
another memory for all Saints fans in New Orleans, LA and across the country.
He did in front of his family and the people that meant a great deal to him
along this journey.
While Brees has been making his mark on
NFL history, the Saints have won at a high level since he arrived in “The Big
Easy” 14 years ago and are positioning themselves for another serious run at
the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which they captured in South Florida just a decade
ago.
Information, statistics, and quotations
are courtesy of 12/16/19 8 p.m. Monday Night Football game “Indianapolis Colts
versus New Orleans Saints” on ESPN with Joe Tessitore, Anthony “Bogger”
McFarland, and Lisa Salters; 12/16/19 11:15 p.m. edition of ESPN’s
“Sportscenter With Scott Van Pelt;” 12/16/19 www.al.com
story, “Tom Brady Reacts to Drew Brees Breaking Peyton Manning’s Career TD
Passes Mark,” by Mark Heim; https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/2580/drew-brees;
https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameid/401128117;
and https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameid/4001127898.
It has been a good two weeks for New York football
Giants as they have won their last two games following a nine-game losing
streak. They were led to victory on Sunday behind their signal caller of the
future, but the past two weeks they were led to victory the week before by the
guy who led them to two Super Bowl wins as in possibly his final home game as
the starting quarterback.
As he took the field for possible the
final time at MetLife Stadium, two-time Super Bowl champion of the NFL’s New
York Giants Eli Manning was all smiles in what likely was the final start in
front of Giants’ nation.
This final start had some good moments and
it had some moments where moving on with the future in rookie signal caller
Daniel Jones, who was out because of an ankle injury is likely to happen fully next
season.
Manning, a two-time Super Bowl MVP in perhaps
his final game in front of the home fans was 20 for 28 passing for 283 yards
and two touchdowns and three interceptions as leading the Giants (4-11) to a 36-20 win versus the
Miami Dolphins (4-11) in Week 15 on Dec. 15, snapping a franchise record-tying
nine-game losing streak as they outscored the visitors 29-10 in the second half.
The 38-year-old older father of four,
brother of future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and son of Hall of Famer, who
played a majority of his career with the New Orleans Saints Elisha Archibald “Archie”
Manning III and Olivia Manning received a standing ovation from the over 72,000
in attendance, who had signs that read, “Thank you Eli NY 10,” before the
opening offensive possession and another as head coach Pat Shurmur substituted
him for backup Alex Tanney with under two minutes left.
The 2016 Walter Payton Man of the Year
recipient, whose overall record in his career is 117-117 received hugs from his
teammates on the sidelines when he was substituted as he was serenaded with
chants of “Eli Manning.”
He met his wife of 11 years Abby, who he
has known since their days at the University of Mississippi, three daughters
Ava, Lucy, Caroline, and son Charles in the stadium tunnel as he walked off the
field for more hugs and pictures.
“Obviously, the support of the fans and
their ovation and their chanting my name form the first half until the end, I
appreciate that,” Manning said during his postgame presser. “I appreciate that
always and my teammates coming up to me. It was a special day, a special win,
and you know, one I’ll remember.”
Considering how this season went for
Manning and the Giants, this day meant the world to him and Giants’ nation.
Manning lost the starting quarterback job
to Jones just three games into this season and got another chance because he
sprained his right ankle.
In his first game since Week 2, Manning was
15 for 30 for 203 yards and two touchdowns, both to rookie wide receiver Darius
Slayton as the Giants had a 17-3 lead intermission. But were outscored 20-0 in
the second half as they lost in overtime at the Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) 23-17
in Week 14.
Things were not looking good early on
against the Dolphins as Manning did have three interceptions as mentioned in
the game. The much-criticized Giants’ defense though did not break as two of
those giveaways by Manning only resulted in field goals by Dolphins place
kicker Jason Sanders.
Also, Manning as he has shown throughout
his 234 career starts that he can get over those interceptions and he did in
the second half as “Big Blue” put together three touchdown drives in their
first five possessions of the second 30 minutes and thanks to the play of “Big
Blue’s” much-criticized defense this season, and the running of second-year
halfback Saquon Barkley who had 143 total yards, 112 of those yards rushing and
two touchdowns as the Giants blew the game open in the 2nd half
outscoring the Dolphins 29-10, which included a five-yard scoring pass to Slayton
to cap a six-play, 70-yard scoring drive to open the second 30 minutes.
Veteran wideout Golden Tate, who caught a
51-yard score from Manning in the second quarter that cut the Giants then
deficit to 10-7 said that Manning after the game refused to have the focus on
him after the game keeping the focus on the win and its importance. Barkley had
no problem after the game giving the one of the best players to ever play for
the Giants his just due.
“If that is the last game and that’s the
way we send Eli off, that’s the way we all planned and envisioned in doing it,”
Barkley, who surpassed 100 yards rushing since Week 2 said after the win. “I
wanted to go out there, play my tail off and I know those guys wanted to do the
same, all for 10. He’s meant so much to this city, this franchise, organization
for such a very long time.”
Tate echoed those same sentiments saying
after the game, “He’s has been doing it for a long, long, long time and knows
how to keep his emotions in check.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. He went back in
and got that standing ovation he got. I think we all got chocked up. I would
not be surprised if you guys got chocked up. What he has achieved and done for
this organization is special and will go in the history book for the rest of
time.”
As great as Manning was on the gridiron in
his career for the Giants and the Mara and Tisch family, he was just as exceptional
off of it.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August
2005, Eli and Peyton assisted in the delivery of 30,000 pounds of supplies,
that included water, baby formula and pillows to the people of New Orleans, LA.
Eli after taking a tour of the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Blair
E. Baston Hospital for Children undertook a campaign of five years starting in
2007 to raise $2.5 million to construct “The Eli Manning Children’s Clinic” at
the hospital.
In 2009, Eli, Peyton and their father
Archie co-authored a children’s book entitled “Family Huddle,” that described
through text and photos how the three played young boys.
For the past 11 years, Manning has hosted “Guiding
Eyes for the Blind’s” Golf Classic, the oldest and largest charity gold event
in Westchester County, NY that brings in money for the nonprofit guide dog
school that serves the blind and visually impaired across the globe and for
children on the autism spectrum.
That professionalism was on full display on
Sunday as Manning gave way to a fully healthy Jones, who was back as the
starter going and had the best game of his rookie season going 28 for 42
passing for 352 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in helping the
Giants to a 41-35 overtime win at the Washington Redskins (3-12), their second
in a row. Barkley was also sensational with 276 total yards from scrimmage, 189
of those rushing and two total touchdowns.
The last two weeks have been very special
and important for the New York Football Giants, who have had a very rough
season. They had a chance to pay respect to their past with Eli Manning
starting the last two games in place of an injured Daniel Jones and we saw good
and then the bad in the loss at the Eagles in Week 14. He got off to a rough
start last week versus the Dolphins in his what was likely was going to be his
final start in front of the home folks but finished with a flourish and got the
send off he earned and deserved.
Then the Giants got a chance to hand the
keys of the franchise back to their present and future in Jones, who led them
to their second straight win at the Redskins.
This has been a tough season for the
Giants and there will be some major changes this offseason and headed into the
future. That said they at least know they for 16 years had the right guy
leading them both on the field and off in Eli Manning and who they hope can
lead them back to glory in Jones and Saquon Barkley, beginning with their
season finale versus the Eagles and then the start of the 2020 season.
“You know, I’ve tried not to get too
emotional, just because we still have a couple of football games left,” Manning
said. “You know, I’ll still be back in the stadium. I don’t know if I’ll play
that day, but I know I’ll get to run out one more time at least.”
“If it is the last one playing here where
I’m starting and getting a win, you know, try to enjoy it and take it in for a
moment.”
Information, statistics, and quotations
courtesy of 2/6/19 www.yourtango.com
story “Who Is Eli Manning’s Wife? New Details About Abby Manning-And Their 4th
Baby!” by Amy Lamare; 12/15/19 11:30 p.m. edition of WNBC-TV’s “New 4 NY at 11,”
with Adam Kuperstein, Gilma Avalos, Matt Brickman with weather and Bruce Beck
with Sports; 12/16/19 12:05 a.m. edition of WNBC’s “Sports Final,” with Bruce
Beck; https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameid/boxscore/recap/401128060;
https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/recap?gameid=401128013;
https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore?gameid=401127937;
and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_Manning#Other_ventures.
At the conclusion of last week, the
National Basketball Association (NBA) Family said goodbye to the first general
manager in the history of Charlotte Hornets and the inventor of an annual event
that has taken place at NBA All-Star Weekend that began in the American
Basketball Association (ABA) in 1976 and then in the NBA in 1984.
Carl Scheer, the first general manager of
the Charlotte Hornets and the inventor of the slam-dunk contest, an annual
event on Saturday night during All-Star Weekend for over three decades passed
on Friday, one day short of his 83rd birthday from complications
related to his dementia. He was 82 years old. He is survived by his wife of six
decades Marsha, and their children, son Bob, his longtime business partner, and
their daughter Lauren.
“The Hornets organization mourns the loss
of Carl Scheer,” the team said in a statement on Friday. “As our first
president and general manager, he built the franchise from the ground up and
laid the foundation for our city’s love affair with the Hornets. Carl was a
true pioneer whose innovative ideas such as the slam dunk contest changed the
NBA. His contributions to professional basketball in the state of North
Carolina are unmatched, having led not only the Hornets but also the ABA’s
Carolina Cougars, and his knowledge and love of the game will be missed.”
“Our thoughts and our prayers are with his
wife Marsha, son Bob, daughter Lauren and his entire family.”
Mr. Scheer’s family said that as his
dementia caused him to become more forgetful and harder to get around, the
Hornets continued to keep him employed for more months in early part of this
decade until he was unable to work at all.
“I was his son, and then I became his
business partner, and then his caregiver,” Bob, whose Vice President of
Development at the McColl Center in uptown Charlotte said of his father. “So,
it was sort of a full-circle thing.”
As his dementia took an even crueler tool
on what was considered one of the sharpest minds on the business side of pro
sports, Scheer sometimes believed he still ran the Hornets.
At the Sardis Oaks nursing facility in
Charlotte, NC, where Scheer lived out the final years of his life, he convened
fellow patients around a table to discuss potential trades.
Due to his dad’s long, slow decline the
past few years from the dementia, Scheer’s son Bob had plenty of time to work
on what he will say at his father’s memorial service at Temple Beth El in
Charlotte, NC on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at 5101 Providence Road.
Mr. Scheer and his son even had
discussions on the first joke that would be told at the service-it is
“Carl-approved,” Bob said.
Mr. Scheer, who was known for changing the
attendance figures for home games of the teams he directed (outside of the
Hornets, who always sold out). Scheer liked to see the official attendance
number first on a piece of paper. He would then cross that number out and write
down a higher number before it was made public.
“So, at his funeral, I’m going to say, “I
heard there was going to be a couple of hundred people here. That’s awesome,”
Bob said. “My Dad would like to announce an attendance of 17,443.”
Along with being one of the main authors
of the Hornets inaugural season in 1988-89, which many longtime fans still get
nostalgic about, Mr. Scheer in his over five decades in pro sports served as
director of two minor-league hockey teams in the Carolinas—the Charlotte
Checkers and the Greenville (South Carolina) Growl, while also being the GM of
the aforementioned ABA’s Carolina Cougars, while also shepherding the
construction of a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Greenville, SC.
Scheer though will forever be remembered
one of the primary authors that brought pro basketball to the “Queen City.”
In the expansion draft of 1988, Scheer
chose unknown shooting guard Dell Curry, who would go on to become the team’s
all-time leading scorer in franchise history, and that decision meant that
two-time Kia MVP of the three-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors would
spend his formative years in Charlotte, along with his siblings in current
Dallas Mavericks’ guard Seth Curry and his sister Sydell Curry-Lee.
There were a few occasions that the elder
Curry was involved in trade rumors but it was Scheer that made it clear that
Curry was untouchable, which the current television color analyst for the
Hornets for FOX Sports Southeast is grateful for to this day.
“Carl’s the reason I’m doing this
interview. He brought me to Charlotte. And I was involved in so many trade
scenarios. He’s the guy that kept me in Charlotte. So, I owe Carl a lot, and I
always kept in touch with him when I left,” Curry said recently to The
Charlotte Observer.
“Sorry to see his health deteriorate like
it is but will always be a friend. I will always be indebted to Carl because
obviously it changed my life coming here to Charlotte. If I hadn’t gone to
Charlotte, who knows what would have happened? Where I would’ve been?”
“Obviously, my kids might have been raised
somewhere else but what better place than to do it here in Charlotte. It was
close to my family. Close to my wife’s (Sona) family. So, I will forever be
indebted to Carl for bringing me here and absolutely changing my life.”
Curry was one of many lives Mr. Scheer,
who was an attorney by trade changed for the better. He was a man that was
known for being a gentleman that loved Hershey’s chocolate bars and other
sweets and his ability to listen to others.
Scheer ran the basketball and business
operations for each team he directed as GM, something that is impossible for
just one in today’s era of professional sports to do.
“My greatest fear is that somehow or
another we’ll not be able to sustain great enthusiasm for the NBA in
Charlotte.”
During home games, which he watched from
the players’ tunnel because he was way too antsy to sit down because he was in
constant motion. Sometimes Mr. Scheer wound himself so tightly in the curtain
that separated the tunnel from the court that he would need extrication
assistance.
According to Bob, he would see his dad so
involved in the game from screaming at the referees to marching out with
Marilynn Bowler, one of Scheer’s most trusted lieutenants with the Hornets to
the visiting team’s sideline during halftime and watch the halftime show. Mr.
Scheer was so obsessed with the halftime show because it was part of the
evening’s festivities and the entire entertainment experience.
“Carl made us all realize that nobody owed
us anything,” said Bowler. “Instead we owed all those people sitting in those
seats. And he used to say all the time: ‘Win or lose, when people walk out,
what I want them to say that they had the greatest time and that they will be
back.”
As much as he wanted to see those in
attendance to attend home games of the team’s he was in charge of be
entertained he wanted his team to win just as much.
When his team’s lost, his wife and their
children would go to bed and leave a carton of Rocky Road ice cream to thaw on
the kitchen table, with a spoon right alongside it. Mr. Scheer would come home
and console himself with the ice cream, where he would at times eat an entire
half-gallon of it.
He would then go on a seven-mile jog the
next day to burn off the calories from that half-gallon of ice cream.
“Anyone talking to Carl thought they were
the most important person in the world,” Hornets public relations director in
the early stages Harold Kaufman said. “He made you feel good about yourself. He
motivated through positive reinforcement. You just didn’t want to let him
down.”
After the Hornets inaugural season though,
selling out almost every game in a 24,000-seat arena Scheer and the Hornets’
original owner George Shinn had a financial falling out, where he did not get a
multi-year guaranteed deal as Shinn had a rule then he only guaranteed
contracts to his players, even though he broke that rule several times later on
his career.
Scheer ultimately left the Hornets in 1990
to become the general manager of the Denver Nuggets for the second time, being
offered a five-year guaranteed contract.
Scheer and Shinn eventually did make up
and Shinn ultimately hired Scheer to do consulting work in New Orleans, LA.
The one thing both men take great pride in
is the Hornets’ streak of 364 consecutive sellouts at the no-longer 23,698-seat
Charlotte Coliseum, a streak that started in the team’s first season 32 years
ago.
“A lot of the things that were done right,
I got credit for them,” Shinn said back then. “But I’ll admit most of them
weren’t my idea…Once I got the team, it was all Carl.”
During his time as the GM of the Nuggets
during their time in the ABA, Scheer signed Hall of Famer David Thompson, who
starred for the North Carolina State Wolfpack to a five-year contract,
outbidding the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks for his services. He also signed Monte Towe,
Thompson’s friend, and point guard at N.C. State.
Thompson and fellow Hall of Famers in
Julius “Dr. J.” Erving of the New York Nets; Artis Gilmore of the Kentucky
Colonels; and George Gervin, and his teammate Larry Kenon of the San Antonio
Spurs participated in the first-ever Slam Dunk Contest, that was held at
halftime of the 1976 ABA All-Star Game on Jan. 27, 1976 at the now demolished
McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, CO. Erving won that contest.
The original contest, which was conceived
by Scheer with help from a few other staffers, where Erving, Gilmore, Gervin,
Thompson, and Kenon competed for $1,200.
Thompson guarded Erving for much of the
first half of the All-Star exhibition and then had to go against him in the
finals of the dunk contest. Thompson completed a 360-degree dunk that was so
unknown at that time, the public address announcer called it a, “twist-around
slam dunk” twice.
Erving won the contest when he took off
from the foul line on his final attempt-a move that the great Michael Jordan
copied in the 1988 Contest in Chicago, IL after the NBA adopted the popular ABA
attraction in 1984 and has grown in popularity ever since.
“Carl was a marketing genius,” Thompson
said, “and he was great at making everyone feel special.”
“When I went out to Denver for the first
time, he wined and dined me-gave me a real red-carpet treatment. When I went to
see the Hawks, it wasn’t like that. I met them at a McDonald’s. The money was
about the same in both places, but Carl had a way of making you feel wanted.”
Jordan, the Hornets owner today and Fred
Whitefield, the Hornets’ current president brought Mr. Scheer back for a second
stint with the Hornets to help them reach out to the community after the
organization’s tumultuous years under former owner Bob Johnson.
Whitfield said that Scheer helped to lead
an initiative by the Hornets that donated $250,000 to Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools nine years ago to keep middle school sports than have the district go
to “pay-to-play” participation fees.
“He had sat in my seat before,” Whitfield
said in reference to Scheer’s years in management of the Hornets, “and he
became a great friend and supporter for me. Almost like a father figure. He was
such a cheerleader for our organization.”
Curry concurred those same feeling saying,
“I thought it was great he came back to the organization what he did.”
On Friday, the Charlotte Hornets lost a
very important figure in their history. A man who cared about everyone that
worked in the organization from people he worked alongside in the front office
to the players and coaches of the team to the fans. To Carl Scheer being part
of a sporting was something special and that it was something that those in
attendance should enjoy to the point that you wanted and looked forward to
attending again.
He for sure did that with helping to
create a contest that has become a major part of All-Star Saturday night at NBA
All-Star Weekend for over three-and-a-half decades with the Slam-Dunk contest. He
also played a major role in bringing the All-Star Game twice to Charlotte, NC
in 1991 and in 2019.
Along the way, he brought a positive vibe
that made everyone he came into contact with feel better and be better.
“Charlotte owes Carl Scheer a debt of
gratitude,” former NBA Commissioner Emeritus (1984-2014) David Stern, Scheer’s
friend for more than four decades to The Charlotte Observer Feb. 2019.
“The All-Star Weekend coming up there is very exciting. Carl Scheer provided a
lot of reasons why a weekend like this can be in Charlotte at all.”
Information and quotations are courtesy of
12/14/19 NBATV news crawl; 02/18/19 www.charlotteobserver.com
story, “Dementia Is Stealing Carl Scheer’s Memories, But not His All-Star
Basketball Legacy” and 12/14/19 www.charlotteobserver.com
story, “Carl Scheer, First GM of Charlotte Hornets and Slam -Dunk Contest
Inventor, Dies at 82,” by Scott Fowler; 12/15/19 www.nba.com
story, “Carl Scheer, First GM of Charlotte Hornets, Dies at 82;” https:en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slam_Dunk_Contest.
Last season, the Toronto Raptors took a
major gamble in acquiring a former Finals MVP from the San Antonio Spurs in
hopes he could lead them to their first championship in franchise history. He
did just that but decided to move on in free agency going home and signing with
L.A.’s other basketball team. On Wednesday night he returned to city to play
against the team he led to that first title and received a very warm reception.
Then a game happened and said players current team won against his former one.
Before tip-off of the Los Angeles Clippers
at the Toronto Raptors before a national television audience Wednesday night on
ESPN, which the Clippers (20-8) won over the Raptors (17-8) 112-92, last season
Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who led the Raptors to their first championship last
June when they took down the five-time defending champion Golden State Warriors
in six games received his 640 diamond-studded championship ring and the Canadian faithful that
packed Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario Canada gave him a well deserved
standing ovation before the game.
That love and respect began when Leonard,
who had had 23 points, six assists, five rebounds and two block shots in the
win took the floor for pregame warmups as many fans in the building rocked his
No. 2 jersey from last season and his Clippers No. 2 jersey this season.
That respect stems from the fact that
Leonard as mentioned led the Raptors to a 16-8 mark in the 2019 Playoffs
resulting in their first title in their 25-year history behind averages of 30
points and nine rebounds.
More than anything, Leonard the Raptors
organization the validation that they have been seeking for nearly a decade.
What can get lost in Leonard’s journey is
how hard it was to reach the top again. This is a man that did the unthinkable
and wanted out from the Spurs, one of the best run organizations not just in
the NBA but in the four major North American sports (NHL, NFL, MLB) because of
how they handled the three-time All-Stars and now two-time Finals MVP’s quad
injury that kept him out all but nine games in 2017-18.
He was traded to the Raptors, a new
organization in a new city very foreign to the California native. Leonard not
only came to the Raptors and delivered but he put not just the Raptors but all
of Canada on the map as they became the first pro sports team outside the
United States to win a pro sports title since the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays.
That is why when he took the court, he was
greeted with a rousing applause of those in attendance in the arena. The
organization after the introduction of the Clippers starters, the Raptors did a
video tribute of Leonard’s stellar play last regular season and his epic run in
the 2019 postseason and the championship parade, where over two million people
attended that followed.
To thank the fans for their support during
last season, Leonard and New Balance took out a billboard in downtown Toronto
ahead of Wednesday night’s contest that read, “Thank you Toronto.”
Leonard, who was 8 for 14 from the field
on the night making two made threes and going 5 for 5 from the free throw line
in the win on Wednesday night added when asked about the billboard said, “The
fans were amazing last year. They rolled with us through the ups-and-downs. We
were down ever series. They stuck through it with us. They brought great energy
to every game and helped us. So, to them I say thank you.”
Following the Clippers intros, Leonard’s
former teammates, along with head coach Nick Nurse and his assistant coaches
and members of the Raptors front office like team president Masai Ujiri
gathered in a circle at center court where Leonard walked over and embraced
each player before All-Star lead guard Kyle Lowry presented him with his
diamond-studded championship ring as the crowd chanted “MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!”
“He helped this franchise do amazing
things and he got his ring,” Lowry, who had just six points on 1 for 8
shooting, including 0 for 7 from three-point range in the Raptors third
straight home loss said.
During that moment, Leonard after taking
the moment in raised his arms and waved to the crowd.
“As far as winning a championship, you
know, it pretty much comes full circle now,” Leonard said postgame. “Being able
to get the ring, you know, see what the hard work came from. But it’s more than
that. It’s just a journey, but you know, for me as far as playing, you know,
for the city that chapter been kind of closed once I came over with the Clippers.”
“But still love the city, you know? Those
guys on the team, the players, the coaching staff. Still got love for them and
wish them the best.”
When Leonard, who scored a then season-low
12 points on 1 for 11 shooting in the Clippers 98-88 win versus the Raptors in
L.A. in the first meeting on Nov. 11 received the ring on all the way before
the game but spent more time with it afterward saying, “I sat in the locker
room with it for a bit, just admiring it and just remembering all the memories
and all the hard work that went into it.”
That hard work, focus, and dedication
Leonard brought to the Raptors last season he has brought over to the Clippers
and it was on full display on this night as the Clippers outscored the Raptors
85-60 the final three quarters, leading by as many as 24 points.
The Clippers outrebounded the Raptors
50-47, to improve to 14-0 this season when they outrebound their opponent. They
held the Raptors to 35.2 percent shooting on the night, including a
season-worst 8 for 36 (22.2 percent) from three-point range, and forced 18
turnovers to square their road record at 6-6 and improve to 3-1 on their
six-game road trip.
Last season, the Toronto Raptors took a
major gamble in acquiring Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs in hopes he
could bring them a title without the guarantee that he would re-sign with them
regardless of last season’s results.
Leonard led the Raptors to the top of the
NBA mountain, and then left in free agency to return home to California and
signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
He returned to Toronto on Wednesday night
and received his championship ring and warm pleasantries from the players, front
office personnel of the Raptors that he led to the top of the NBA mountain as
well as Raptors fans and all Canadians from superfan and entertainer Drake to
those watch him at Scotiabank Arena last season and on television.
Leonard has talked openly about the number
of Canadians who have come up to him that reside in Southern California from
places like Calgary, British Columbia, Victoria, and Saskatchewan Canada to say
thank you.
While the Raptors and their fans suffered
a loss Wednesday night to a former player and his new team, they did get a
chance to say thank you to Leonard, who in his one season in Canada made a
lasting impact that will be remembered for a long time.
“It meant a lot,” Clippers head coach
Glenn “Doc” Rivers said of the warm reception Leonard got from the Raptors
faithful. “Some players just don’t let you in but I can tell you that ovation,
to him, was very heartfelt. There’s no question about that.”
Information, statistics, and quotations are
courtesy of https://www.nba.com/games/20191211/LACTOR#/recap/boxscore/matchup;
12/11/19 7 p.m. ESPN’s “NBA Courtside” and “Los Angeles Clippers versus Toronto
Raptors,” presented by State Farm with Mark Jones, Doris Burke, Richard
Jefferson, and Jorge Sedano; 12/12/19 12 a.m. edition ESPN’s “Sportscenter,”
with Scott Van Pelt; and 12/12/19 1:30 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Matt Winer
and Dennis Scott.
