Time for a Dr. J Statue?

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69MG
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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by 69MG » Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:48 am

Cal is a special person. How many other highly successful head coaches remain connected to the school that gave them their first head coaching job? Cal always talks up UMass when the opportunity presents itself and he's been gone for about 25 years.

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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by SignMan » Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:55 am

^^ that was a very nice event.
Former Senator Scott Brown & family were there, as well.
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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by SignMan » Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:01 am

UMassfan_19 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:55 am
KahunaK wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:40 am Count me less than thrilled with four statues. The Dr. J statue is a must. He is an iconic figure in the sport of basketball- he changed how the game was played (similar to Bobby Orr's impact). Having three more statues lessens the importance of Dr. J's tribute. UMASS has the Leaman Court already and the Camby and Cal have their "numbers" retired. No disrespect to the other three but Dr. J is in a class of his own.

I think the right way to go would have been to have a Dr. J statue in front of the Mullins Center and busts of the other three inside. Then you could add more busts as time goes on including Skinner, Lou Roe and Jim McCoy as well as others.
I expect it to be one big statue not 4 individual statues. Believe the goal is to honor the best 2 eras of Umass basketball with the coach and best player
Great Expectations
"The moral theme of Great Expectations is quite simple: affection, loyalty, and conscience are more important than social advancement, wealth, and class." Quite appropriate.
However...your Expectations are ... simply, incorrect.
The angle of incidence = the angle of reflection: REBOUND!

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Re: Time 'for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by LS71 » Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:03 am

Not Trigger agree 100%. Reminds me of his flying in to be there to escort Rita the night Jack Leaman Court was dedicated!

I was a big fan of Mike Francesa's drive time show on WFAN. I can't say it happened every time he was a guest, but it seemed like whenever I heard Cal on that show, he wound up talking about Jack Leaman and UMass.

Cal-Back in the early 90's, UMass hosted the Bonnies for a men's/women's double header at the Cage. The men's game was on ESPN. I borough my kids and some of their friends. My kids made a poster to try to get n TV. Between the games, Cal was walking across the court towards the locker room. My daughter's friend dared her to ask Cal for his autograph. So off they went with the poster to try to get him to sign it. He could easily have said, go away, I'm busy, but instead he said, you don't want my autograph, come with me. He marched to kids to the locker her room asked them to wait by the door and took the poster into the locker room for the entire team to sign. He was nicer than he had to be to a bunch of kids he didn't know. when nobody was looking. A sign of a mensch! I was fortunate to be able to attend his induction to the HOF nd got a chance to talk to him at the end of the night. I told him that story. He shook my hand and thanked me for doing so.

Julius-I've met him at two HOF inductions. At the 2nd one, Kevin McHale was there as well. I wanted to get his autograph. Kevin had bodyguards to keep fans at a distance. I had to give my program to a bodyguard...he gave it to Kevin to sign and the bodyguard return the signed program to me. On the way back to my table, there's Julius sitting at his. I approached him for an autograph and he pulls out a chair and says, have a seat. He sighed and we shared memories of our time at UMass.

Marcus-We've exchanged hellos a few times over the years but I'll always remember how gracious he was on Marcus Camby night at the Bill. my grandkids and I were the last group...ok 2nd to last, Chris Baldwin and his brother went after us.... to get his autograph and have picture taken with him. He was great with the kids and incredibly patient as family after family posed with him.

As I type this i can't help but think of Coach McLaughlin's post above and his reference to blue collar, hard working people who did things the right way.

Makes me prouder than ever to be a UMass alum! 8)
Last edited by LS71 on Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by MikeUMA » Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:20 am

Why go there when you could go here? http://umasshoops.com/

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SignMan
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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by SignMan » Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:25 am

^ Sincere apologies
The angle of incidence = the angle of reflection: REBOUND!

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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by SignMan » Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:20 am

The angle of incidence = the angle of reflection: REBOUND!

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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by Berkman » Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:20 am

My son,UMass alumni, as many of you know from some of my posts works at the MGM mansion in Vegas. Every so often The good Dr. stays there and he talks with him when he is there. He was just out there a couple of weeks ago and he follows UMass religiously.

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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by UMassfan_19 » Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:13 am

SignMan wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:01 am
UMassfan_19 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:55 am
KahunaK wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:40 am Count me less than thrilled with four statues. The Dr. J statue is a must. He is an iconic figure in the sport of basketball- he changed how the game was played (similar to Bobby Orr's impact). Having three more statues lessens the importance of Dr. J's tribute. UMASS has the Leaman Court already and the Camby and Cal have their "numbers" retired. No disrespect to the other three but Dr. J is in a class of his own.

I think the right way to go would have been to have a Dr. J statue in front of the Mullins Center and busts of the other three inside. Then you could add more busts as time goes on including Skinner, Lou Roe and Jim McCoy as well as others.
I expect it to be one big statue not 4 individual statues. Believe the goal is to honor the best 2 eras of Umass basketball with the coach and best player
Great Expectations
"The moral theme of Great Expectations is quite simple: affection, loyalty, and conscience are more important than social advancement, wealth, and class." Quite appropriate.
However...your Expectations are ... simply, incorrect.
I have zero clue what this means but if you ever seen the Beatles statues in Liverpool that is sort of what I expect

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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by DoctorJ » Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:36 am

The board is a nicer place on days like these when a wish is granted and when good memories of great people are shared. These stories have drowned out Dirty Dan S.

Lot of us got hot under the collar at each other over losing Tre. I hope we continue to rally around this great gift.
Refuse To Lose!!!

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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by SignMan » Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:16 pm

UMassfan_19 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:13 am
SignMan wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:01 am
UMassfan_19 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 7:55 am
I expect it to be one big statue not 4 individual statues. Believe the goal is to honor the best 2 eras of Umass basketball with the coach and best player
Great Expectations
"The moral theme of Great Expectations is quite simple: affection, loyalty, and conscience are more important than social advancement, wealth, and class." Quite appropriate.
However...your Expectations are ... simply, incorrect.
I have zero clue what this means but if you ever seen the Beatles statues in Liverpool that is sort of what I expect
Haven't been in Liverpool since around 1995. Cousins there were good friends of Brian Epstein's parents. To replicate anything close to the Beatles Pier Head masterpiece, sometimes referred to as the Beatles statue, other times as four statues, would likely have blown the budget here big time.
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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by UMass'96 » Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:32 pm

DoctorJ wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:36 am The board is a nicer place on days like these when a wish is granted and when good memories of great people are shared. These stories have drowned out Dirty Dan S.

Lot of us got hot under the collar at each other over losing Tre. I hope we continue to rally around this great gift.
Tre might have gotten his own statue if he met the expectations of his potential and brought UMass back to the final four...
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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Tue Jun 15, 2021 1:21 pm

It is really quite amazing to see all the hate for UMass out there. Astonishing, really.
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by MikeUMA » Tue Jun 15, 2021 2:31 pm

DoctorJ wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:36 am Lot of us got hot under the collar at each other over losing Tre. I hope we continue to rally around this great gift.
Just wait 'til tomorrow, as Jeff Goodman reported that might be Tre decision day.

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Re: Time for a Dr. J Statue?

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Tue Jun 15, 2021 2:37 pm

Yeah, lets bring any of that talk over to the right thread.. no reason to muddy the water of this good statue news here.
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

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