30 years later franchsise swap begs for answers

By Tim Wendel

NBA Commissioner David Stern knows how quickly a sport can die, how its very integrity can be called into question. One of his first jobs in 1966, as outside counsel for the NBA, was the Connie Hawkins case. A star of the Brooklyn playgrounds, Hawkins associated with a known gambler, and that was enough to have him blacklisted from the league.

At the time, basketball was still recovering from point-shaving scandals that rocked the game in the 1950s. Top players, such as Kentucky All-Americans Ralph Beard and Alex Groza, were bribed by gamblers to make sure their teams didn’t cover the point spread. The City College of New York — the only team to win the NIT and NCAA titles in the same season – was involved and never returned to prominence.

Today, with former referee Tim Donaghy still making waves for fixing NBA games, commissioner Stern likely cannot help but flash-back to those dark days in the 1950s. Stern realizes as well as anybody how fast a sport can fade away.

Thirty years ago, boxing was on top of the world. Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali were household names — national heroes. A Saturday night bout was almost certainly water-cooler talk on Monday morning. Now the sport in which they were once kings has become a shell of its former self.

During that sport’s fall from grace, the public often wondered if the fix was in. Too many times what happened in the ring was manipulated — boxers lost fights on purpose; promoters, judges and referees rigged things to favor one party over another.

The recent news of Donaghy reminds me of another time when I wondered if the fix was really in. If there was much more than met the public eye?

In Buffalo, Home of the Braves, we detail how John Y. Brown swapped the entire franchise with Irving Levin, the owner of the Boston Celtics. One of the architects of that stunning team swap, perhaps the ultimate trade of all time, was David Stern.

Levin headed west with his team, becoming the Lost Angeles Clippers. Brown’s new Celtics, dare we say the old Braves, somehow held the draft right to collegian Larry Bird when the dust settled. Thanks to such an influx of talent, they returned to championship form.

“I was home in Buffalo. Somebody called me from the Braves’ office to tell me the news…,” Randy Smith told me years later. “I was stunned. I couldn’t believe it.”

With that, basketball’s glory days in Buffalo ended.

Jim Kelly reflects on USFL glory days

The genre of extinct professional sports teams was on full display last night on ESPN television. The network’s 30/30 short film series took a long view at the United States Football League. The USFL played a spring schedule of pro football from 1983-85. The sub-plot includes a lengthy interview with former Buffalo Bill Jim Kelly, in the one hour segment entitled: ‘Small Potatoes: Who killed the USFL?’ Directed by filmmaker Mike Tolin, the documentary does an admirable  job demonstrating the impact the upstart league had on professional football history.

It’s easy to forget that Kelly spurned the Bills for the high octane, run and shoot offense of Mouse Davis and the Houston Gamblers, after being selected by Buffalo first round of the 1983 NFL draft. As the USFL MVP in 1984, Kelly set a league record with 5,219 yards passing and 44 TD passes. Kelly talks with pride about his epic game against Steve Young and the Los Angeles Express in 1984. That day Kelly completed 35 of 54 passes for a staggering 574 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The league’s story had some close parallels to the American Basketball Association, with renegade owners, wacky promotions, and innovations (instant replay, two point conversions, salary cap) that eventually made their way into the National Football League.

The heavy turned out to be Donald Trump, who purchased the New Jersey Generals and attempted to position the league by moving to a fall schedule, competing head to head with the NFL. Economics and dissention between Trump and other the other owners led to the league’s ultimate demise, but not without some interesting storylines.

This is the first of the 30/30 films that I’ve been able to sit down and watch, but with directors like Barry Levinson and Spike Lee directing other 30/30 productions, I’m ready for more. Oh, and if they aren’t already in the can, the Buffalo Braves and Randy Smith would be well suited for the 30/30 format. The Braves’ team history has intriguing storylines of its own, yet is unknown to most of the ESPN sports fan audience.

Randy Smith Interview, Part 2

In this second installment of his 2008 interview with author Tim Wendel, Randy Smith talks about his early days with the Braves, and his friendship with another budding star, Bob McAdoo.  Portions of the interview were used in the book “Buffalo, Home of the Braves“.

Randy Smith segment 2

The Randy Smith Interviews

Randy Smith plays against his former teammate Bob McAdoo (left) in 1977

In 2008 Tim Wendel author of Buffalo, Home of the Braves interviewed Randy Smith, who played most of his prolific NBA career with the Braves from 1971-78. Smith passed away earlier this month.

In this first segment, Smith describes his determination in making the team’s roster after being selected as a courtesy pick out of Buffalo State by the Braves in 1971. Randy Smith Interviewed in 2008

Next week: Randy Smith talks about his second season with the Braves, and how the arrival of Jack Ramsay and Bob McAdoo changed his career forever.

Retail Outlets for “Buffalo, Home of the Braves”

Buffalo, Home of the Braves is available  online and at the following Buffalo area retail outlets:

• B is for Books, E. Quaker Street, Orchard Park
• Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society, Buffalo
• Talking Leaves Elmwood Ave., Main St. Amherst
• UB Bookstore North Campus off of Audubon Road
• The Book Corner Main Street, Niagara Falls
  • Dog Ear Books (South Buffalo)
  • The Book Nook (Dunkirk/Fredonia)
  • Lift Bridge Book Shop (Brockport/Rochester)

Remembering Randy

by Tim Wendel

Some players only see the world through a prism of their own statistics and accomplishments. Others have no choice but to be a part of team – to be a spokesman for something larger than themselves.

            That’s how it was with Randy Smith, who died unexpectedly last night of a heart attack. He was the spokesman for the old Buffalo Braves. He not only realized that but came to embrace that role.

            “Sometimes I felt like I was the last of the Mohicans,” Smith told me during the writing of Buffalo, Home of the Braves. “But I was the guy who was there pretty much from the beginning to the end. I guess you could say I became the institutional memory of that team.”

            Nobody loved the Braves and nobody loved Buffalo more than Smith. After starring as a soccer player at Buffalo State, the basketball Braves drafted him in the seventh round of 1971 draft. After working on his jump shot and then thrilling fans with his two-handed slam dunks in the preseason, he surprisingly made the NBA team. From there he continued to raise his game until he became an All-Star. Randy came off the bench to score 27 points in the 1978 NBA All-Star Game (the Braves’ last year in Buffalo) and took home the MVP award. He played 12 seasons in the NBA – a record 906 games – and never missed a game.

            After his playing days were more, Randy eventually became the executive host at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. Sometimes when I’d call, trying to sort out something for the book, he couldn’t talk right away. “Got some big clients in town,” he’d say. “Try me back.”

            But when the high-rollers had gone home, Randy liked nothing more than to talk about the Braves and the old days with Dr. Jack Ramsay, Ernie D. and his good friend Bob McAdoo.

            “He was the one who remembered all of our stories,” McAdoo says. “He was the best of the Braves.”

Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan on new Braves book

Buffalo News sportswriter had a great column on the Braves’ anthology: “Buffalo, Home of the Braves” this morning. He spoke with Tim yesterday, and was it was nice to have the column published before next week’s book signing and Jerry’s well deserved Florida vacation.

We heard from a lot of Braves’ fans today, many transplanted to other parts of the country but still with a strong affinity to Western New York and the Buffalo Braves, just like us. At day’s end we’re ending up as the number two sports story, what’s #1? The west wall of the Aud that came crumbling down as its demolition winds down.

The book “Buffalo, Home of the Braves” is close to completion. On Saturday, May 30, 2009, a book release celebration event will be held in Buffalo.

From 11 AM – 1 PM that day, author Tim Wendel will be available for the signing of purchased copies of the book in the Community Room of the New Era Cap Company, located at 160 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.

“Buffalo, Home of the Braves” can also be purchased online prior to the celebration event from SunBear Press.

Respect, Recollection for Braves Hard to Find

 

 

Ironman Randy Smith

 

 

Bob McAdoo was featured today in a great piece by Harvey Araton in the New York Times about redemption and keeping one’s ego in check to get that second chance. The comparison of McAdoo getting his opportunity to win a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers was made to Stephon Marbury, as he enters a crossroad in his career.

 

A few months ago we tagged the Braves on with the title: “The team that time forgot”. So it came as no surprise, that there was no mention in today’s article of the Buffalo Braves, the team that gave McAdoo his first chance in the NBA, where he won three scoring titles as the league’s MVP in the mid 1970’s.

 

There was a similar tone several years ago when AC Green broke Randy Smith’s NBA record for the most consecutive games played. There was barely a mention of Smith, or the team he played the vast majority of his games for. Time has seemed to erase the Braves from the present day media’s memories. Perhaps a history lesson is in order.

 

Who do you Root for? Part 2

By Tim Wendel

Kevin Collins, a good friend of Buffalo, Home of the Braves, has come up with an intriguing answer to my question about what current NBA team to root for? Kevin reminds me that in light of the bizarre franchise swap of 1978, “the old Braves are the new Celtics and the old Celtics are the Clippers.”

So does that mean we can revel in winning last year’s title? Probably not. I don’t any parade preparing to head down Main Street. Still, I like the idea of the Braves living on as a championship club. Perhaps that’s what has always bothered me about the Braves’ institutional memory and storied history simply being passed off on the woebegone Clippers.

At their best the Braves had plenty of personality and top-flight talent. Already I can hear the mantra in my head – McAdoo, Ramsay, Ernie D., Randy, etc., etc., etc. As we all know, with a bit of luck and another wide body under the boards (where for art thou, Moses Malone?) the Braves could have been champions in their own right, in their own time.

Going Home, Again

by Chris Wendel

We often hear how today’s society doesn’t encourage one on one conversations and interpersonal relationships. I write this knowing well that I’m communicating this message via the internet to a community of people that I don’t live near and I seldom see in person. Such are the perils of marketing a book when both the editor and author live 500 miles away from the Western New York.

Last night was a chance to see the market for the book up close and in person. The event was the Lockport Rotary Club’s “Tip Off ” Dinner, a fund raiser for the local YMCA featuring the head basketball coaches from Niagara, Canisius, and the University of Buffalo, along with the headline speaker John Beilein, who now coaches the University of Michigan. The lessons learned from a warm and receptive crowd were that Niagara County is a place where one can feel grounded and sports related memories are slow to wain.

There is an interesting symmetry returning to the roots of where the long journey begins. Beilein’s storied career began when he coached middle school in nearby Newfane, New York more than 30 years ago. During his accomplished career he methodically moved up from coaching high school to community college to Division 2 to national prominence at West Virginia, and now Michigan. More impressive than his 554-322 college record is that during his remarkable coaching tenure he has never been an assistant coach.

Beilein was most interesting when he recalled his days growing up in rural Niagara County in the 1960’s. He told the story of convincing his dad to buy his first pair of Chuck Taylor Converse high top shoes from Chuck Kenney at Niagara Sporting Goods and the opportunity to play “big time” 7th grade basketball at league at the Lockport YMCA. Beilein describing the experience of a rural farm kid entering the “mecca” of the Lockport Y was funny to hear. Yet many in the audience could relate to the vivid details of his first basketball experiences.

That attention to detail was also evident when Reggie Witherspoon the University of Buffalo coach spoke and described playing under Beilein in the 70’s for Erie County Community College. While a younger Witherspoon tried to recount particular games, Beilein could instantly remember recall opponents and individuals.

OK, so you are probably wondering how the Braves fit into all of this. Thanks to the help of my Dad we were able to set up a small table at the event with postcards and posters with book pages of Chapter One of the book.

From a demographic perspective this was definitely the right group; mostly male, many over 40, with an intense interest in basketball. There was a core group that emerged that was on fire with the book concept. Just like Beilein they could recount particular games, players, and circumstances 30 years later. Some were season ticket holders and one actually work on press row for the Braves. We had plenty of feedback and no one questioned the introductory prepublication press of $79

I sought out Witherspoon who I understood has a strong connection to the Braves. Having also grown up in the area, he emphasized his strong sense of pride for the Braves team and their significant role in Buffalo sports history. It’s no surprise that Witherspoon has been a proponent of recognizing Braves players like Bob McAdoo and Randy Smith with a banner or retired numbers that could some day be raised for all to see at HSBC Arena.

One cannot forget to mention John Murphy, the emcee for last night’s event. John has a strong appreciation for our book project and is someone who has the unique ability to reduce the degrees of separation in a large room of people from six to about two. His graciousness, humor, and quick wit made last night’s event all come together.

I left the event realizing that Niagara County still has a strong sense of community. Growing up I thought Western New York was a place that was too slow to change, so at the age of 18 I left and seldom looked back. Years later I embrace the area for retaining its character and for having people like Beilein and Witherspoon, and Murphy who accomplish great things without forgetting where they came from.