Comments for Buffalo Nation

Comment on The Last Interview: Randy Smith by Georgianna Ruby Smith Perry

Georgianna Ruby Smith Perry — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:32:04 +0000

I personally have not had the privilidge to read or listen to any of the interviews or statements given by MR. SMITH although i have recently scanned the web sight,. I count it a privilidge and an honor that Mr.Wendel thought enough of my brother to take the time to sit with him and reminisce about the life, and the legacy of such players as Randy, Bob, and ernie….as well as orhers, however in my opinion, my BIG brother will always be my #1 fan. Thank you Mr. Wendel and perhaps others who might have helped in publishing this book as i am purchasing a copy as a memorial and a keepsake in honor of my only brother…RANDY THE ( IRON MAN) SMITH… I am still struggling with the sudden death of such a wonderful brother whom i loved soooo much. Thank you GOD for giving us 60 years of love, joy and happiness with a wonderful BIG brother… thanks to the NBA and to Mr. Jack Ramsey for choosing my brother to become of BUFFALO’S most valued players. God plucked a beautiful flower….RIP brother…I love you….Your sister RUBY.

Comment on Retail Outlets for “Buffalo, Home of the Braves” by Questioning loyalty to Bills leads nowhere « Buffalo Nation

Questioning loyalty to Bills leads nowhere « Buffalo Nation — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:52:26 +0000

[...] Book Update: Buffalo, Home of the Braves is now on sale at seven independent book stores in the Buffalo area including the Buffalo and Western New York Historical Society Museum [...]

Comment on Remembering Randy by The Evolution and Legacy of Randy Smith, Buffalo's Brave | Sports Then and Now

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:19:18 +0000

[...] On the Wendels’ blog “Buffalo Nation”, they commented on Smith’s passing with these words: [...]

Comment on The Last Interview: Randy Smith by Tim Wendel

Tim Wendel — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:27:13 +0000

In listening to the interviews with Randy again, I found it striking how he wanted to make sure I got things right, had the timeline down. Certainly I’d done my homework going in, read the clips about the team, etc. But Randy knew so much of it was a jumble. Deep down I think he realized he had become the historian of the team, the guy who was there the longest, so it was up to him to set the record straight. That’s what he did.

Comment on Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan on new Braves book by Tim Wendel

Tim Wendel — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:02:29 +0000

Sheri:
You’re right about Irv Levin. What I find remarkable about the whole Braves-Celtics franchise swap is that the old-new Celtics hung on to Larry Bird’s rights, too. Talk about stacking the deck.
Tim

Comment on Remembering Randy by hugh duckwall

hugh duckwall — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:32:02 +0000

Randy Smith was the greatest athlete i ever competed against. As a long, triple, and high jumper at Fredonia State in the early 1970’s I got to have a ringside seat for some of Randy’s performances. he was the first seven foot high jumper I had ever seen, mush less competed against. As that accomplishment has become passe, for even high school students now, nobody else was doing that then, outside of the olympic-quality athletes. Rsandy was only about two inches tallet than i, sytanding at 6′4 or so, but he was a world of ability different. As I remember him as Buff State’s best athlete, in a sport whjich he really didn’t like, he anchored their 4×1 relay, ran the 100, high jumped, long jumped, and triple jumped. He was a Man among boys !

Comment on Where have you gone Randy Smith? by Jim

Jim — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:40:29 +0000

Just heard the tragic news. The greatest 7th round draft choice of all time died of an aparent heart attack while exercising. randy was 60 years old. Tragic loss to the family and Buffalo fans.

Comment on Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan on new Braves book by Sheri

Sheri — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:59:09 +0000

I look forward to getting my hands on one of your books. I’m writing in because I stumbled across your site and read all the old posts, and I wanted to clear up what I thought appeared to be confusion about the franchise swap. I have always felt the NBA (and pro ball in general) in the 1970’s has always gotten short shrift as a forgotten decade, and it shouldn’t. It first should be understood that John Y. Brown needed no “Buffalo doesn’t support us” excuses to do what he did; he had a history of self-serving, bottom-line behavior when it came to destroying pro franchises. See the ABA Kentucky Colonels, the franchise Brown just dismantled rather than move or sell. It all began when he sold Kentucky legend Dan Issel in a contract dump immediately after they won the championship and then couldn’t seem to figure out why he became a pariah in his own state afterward. He only bought them as a toy for his wife to fool with anyway. A couple of things you said in previous posts suggested you thought John Y. Brown moved the Braves/Clippers to San Diego; he didn’t, Irv Levin did. The franchise swap was just a way to acquire a third pro franchise to destroy on the cheap because Celtics owner Irv Levin was desperate. Levin had been hammered in Boston –he was booed unmercifully on national TV at John Havlicek’s retirement ceremony–because Red Auerbach had let it be known that some odd moves that caused the Celtics’ team chemistry to fall apart had been due to cost-cutting moves by Levin, who did not understand how to build a team. Levin wanted to get out of town and go back to San Diego (where he was a mogul) but the NBA Board of Governors was not about to let him move the Celtics there. The swap enabled Brown to acquire another toy to leave out in the rain and Levin to escape tar and feathers. He thought he he’d fleeced Levin but wound up with a much worse them than he thought, because he certainly didn’t know how to build a better team than Auerbach could! Auerbach had rebuilt a pretty good team and wound up overnight with players who could not play together (Dave Cowens and Bob McAdoo together on the floor for every game? Too much alike). The Clippers were actually better despite not having McAdoo–and if Elgin Baylor could coach, their record would have been even better yet. It was Auerbach who managed, very adroitly, to get John Y. Brown ridden out of town on a rail just ahead of the pitchforks and swords. Brown liked to wheel and deal, and Red KNEW what he had in 2nd-round junior-eligible draft pick Larry Bird before anybody had seen Bird on a national level. He was afraid he might lose Bird. Imagine if Brown had traded that draft pick in the franchise swap instead of the first pick, Freeman Williams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment on Going Home, Again by Joe Niland

Joe Niland — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:22:14 +0000

Don’t know if you came across in your research the AAU team that my father coached vs. the Soviets in 1971. Dr. J , Darnell Hillman, Stan Love and they kept Randy Smith on the team. That is where he really started to blossom as a prospect. Played 3 or 4 games, the team practiced at ECC and no one besides the experts new who Dr. J was. I remember my Dad saying, ” if we could get that Erving kid we could the braves really going. But I think he is going to sign with the Squires( Va. ABA).” Dr. J missed a dunk in one of the games and the Soviets won. That Soviet Team won the 1972 Olympics.

Comment on Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan on new Braves book by cwendel

cwendel — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:34:10 +0000

Aaron,
I picked up the books from the printer yesterday in Michigan and just arrived in Buffalo with them. Distirbution begins today. Local orders can be picked up tomorrow (Saturday May 30th) at our book release event at New Era Cap Co., or still mailed out if you can’t make the event.