Scribbles for today:
- I don’t like attending events where there is sure to be a crowd, but one exception was yesterday’s unveiling of Chick Hearn‘s statue in the courtyard of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ home court, the Staples Center.
- I still remember when Chick died in the summer of 2002; it was one of the few times when the death of a public figure had me on the verge of tears.
- One of the great inevitabilities of losing someone like Chick is, as with all all-time greats (Chick will never lose his place amongst the greatest play-by-play sports broadcasters on radio or television, no matter what sport we’re talking about – and Chick actually broadcast in many sporting events, which highlighted his versatility), there will never be anyone like him.
- It just kills me that a chump like Joel Meyers is the Lakers’ TV play-by-play guy. It is an incomprehensible, unforgivable situation given Meyers’ ineptitude, pretentiousness, and degree of inadequacy compared to the (admittedly impossible-to-achieve) standards Chick established.
- At least the youthful, yet thoroughly accomplished, Spero Dedes is in the radio play-by-play seat. Spero must replace that insufferable Meyers someday. (The sooner this happens, the better.)
I wasn’t there, but per the numerous reports of the event that I’ve read, Magic Johnson and Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss were conspicuous (to me) for their absence for the unveiling of Chick’s statue. I can somewhat understand why Dr. Buss wasn’t there (he’s in his mid-70s, and it was raining during the ceremonies), but Magic’s absence is more glaring. When Chick was alive, Magic was clearly one of his favorites, and you can just tell whenever he talked about Magic that in some ways Chick loved Earvin Johnson the man as much as he did Magic Johnson the Laker great. For Magic to not have been there seems a little off-putting to me, to be perfectly honest.
Joe-Pinions: Scribbles and Sketches 