The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Duke’s Allen needs to clean up his act
Duke’s Grayson Allen was suspended after tripping a player in a game earlier this week. Register columnist Chip Malafronte says Allen needs to stop before someone gets hurt.
The boy spent much of the holiday season pondering the inner workings of the North Pole, then peppering me for answers. Here’s the transcript of an actual exchange, which occurred during a toy-making scene on a TV Christmas special.
Boy: “How can elves make, say, a Monopoly set exactly like the one you buy at the store?”
Me: “They’re all highlyskilled laborers.”
Boy: “But what about copyright infringement?” Long pause. Me: “Want some hot cocoa?”
For a solid month I’ve been evading questions like Rick Pitino before an NCAA investigation. Santa remains on solid ground, for the time being. Not sure I have the stomach to make it through another interrogation next year. Considering the increasingly skeptical inquiries it seems likely I won’t have to do it again, which kind of stinks. If not, it’s been one a heck of an enjoyable run for the fat man in red.
• Sometimes, even the best college coach has to play the role of disciplinarian. Take Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.
You may have heard his star player, Grayson Allen, has been quite naughty at play time. It seems Grayson likes to kick and trip the other boys. Coach K asked Grayson to think about what it might feel like if one of his friends hurt him. Grayson cried and said he was sorry. Still, coach put him in time out to be sure he knows that sort of behavior isn’t OK.
We hope Grayson understands Coach K isn’t trying to be mean. But he’s a big boy now and big boys don’t act that way. Besides, no one said the life of a Division I college basketball player would be easy. Even for a Duke All-American.
• It’s been universally reported that Allen intentionally tripped an opponent for the third time since February, leading to an indefinite suspension. It’s actually the fourth such incident for Allen. In March, he tripped Yale’s Makai Mason in an NCAA tournament game.
When compared to this week’s blatant leg swing against an Elon player, Allen’s trip against Yale was relatively discreet. He slyly stuck his foot out as Mason drove past, sending the Bulldogs’ star guard sprawling to the floor. Allen actually leg swept Mason’s feet from underneath a second time in that game.
It’s the hallmark of a dirty player, and needs to stop before someone gets hurt.
• One of my Christmas Eve traditions is leaving the house at 7 a.m. to pick up a few dozen pastries at one of New Haven’s many fine Italian bakeries. Even that early, the lines are always out the door and down the street. This year, we stood in the rain for close to 45 minutes. I’d have done push-ups if they’d asked. Because nothing complements the seven fishes better than a nice sfogliatella.
• Is it unfair to say Eli Manning might be the Giants’ weak link? He’s not having an awful season, but is woefully inconsistent and continues to make bad decisions that cost his team victories. And it sure looked like his arm strength was lacking in Thursday’s loss at Philadelphia.
• Early indications look good for Killingworth’s Jeff Bagwell finally getting the call to the Baseball Hall of Fame on the seventh attempt. A website that tracks voters who’ve made their ballots public shows Bagwell polling at 92 percent, well above the 75 percent needed for induction. Of course, only about 100 of an estimated 435 voters have announced their selections. Still, it’s a strong sign for Bagwell, a Xavier-Middletown graduate who played for New Haven’s Dan Gooley at the University of Hartford.
• Joan Baez is among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s latest class. Makes sense. I mean, forget Ozzy Osbourne, LL Cool J or the J. Geils Band. Everyone knows it’s not a real party until Joan Baez and her folk guitar gets cranked on the stereo.
• Bernard Hopkins looked like he hadn’t trained at all prior to the final bout of his storied career, when the 51-year old was knocked clean out of the ring by Joe Smith. It was a sad ending to one of the greatest boxing champions the sport’s ever seen.
• I met Hopkins at an informal press luncheon about 10 years ago at Mohegan Sun. Someone asked him a question and he proceeded to talk for nearly 90 minutes. It was a remarkable exhibition of verbal stamina. He talked while they served the soup. He talked as we ate our entrées. He talked through dessert and coffee.
And he was still going when I quietly packed up and slipped out the door. That sounds awful, I know. But trust me, it wasn’t a big deal. By that point he’d become white noise. Everyone was either in conversation with someone else or already cleared the room. Driving home, I chuckled at visions of the weary restaurant staff sweeping up and stacking chairs hours later while BHop continued his monologue.
The man truly is one of a kind.
• We’re big fans of John Holt, a casualty of WFSB Channel 3’s decision to cut back on sports coverage in the new year. John is a pro’s pro; a true television journalist with a special talent for feature stories. He elevated the Connecticut sports scene, and it’s Channel 3’s loss. We look forward to seeing him at his next gig.
• Here’s to a safe and speedy recovery for threetime New Haven Open champion Petra Kvitova. She underwent extensive surgery on her hand this week after fending off a knife-wielding intruder at her Czech Republic home. She intends to return to tennis in six months. We hope to see her back here in August.
• Anyone else always confuse Clay Buchholz and Bronson Arroyo? They should form a band simply to prove they aren’t the same person.
• A couple of college football stars, LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, chose to sit out their bowl games to prepare for the upcoming NFL draft. That sort of thing would never happen at Alabama. Nick Saban doesn’t sign his player’s paychecks until bowl season is finished.
• To you and your family, I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah.