Parsing The WAC: Saying goodby to Pete Newell

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Saying goodby to Pete Newell

The basketball world is a little less today as one of its classiest individuals has died. Pete Newell Sr. passed on yesterday, someone who gave and gave and gave to the sport he loved. He was a person who apparently never engendered harsh feelings or words from anyone and also was one of the few beings on this earth that Bobby Knight listened to and respected.

We have our very own personal Pete Newell anecdote. Many years ago and being a teen-age Laker fan (who could resist the tandem of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor?), we sent a note to Newell who was then the general manager of the Lakers. Despite not knowing what we didn't know, we offered some suggestions to Newell on how to better his team. Rather than line his pet bird cage or litter box at home with our recommendations (well, maybe he actually did so), Newell wrote a note back and offered thanks. Try that nowadays and you'll be participating in a 2008 version of Waiting For Godot.

And to set the record straight, Newell the college coach was the original towel chewer.

Kudos to someone who left the world better by his presence.

Above is a Ray Barbour photo of Pete Newell Senior and Pete Newell Junior. The latter coached boys basketball at Santa Cruz High for a number of years before his retirement.

2 comments:

Conor said...: Pete's passing is very sad to hear. He was a great man and a legend of the sport. George Irvine wrote another great, very personal, tribute on Basketball.org that is also worth the read.; November 18, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Patrick H said...: conor is right on.

I was also a Laker fan back in the day with Jerry West my all time favorite player. I don't much watch the NBA anymore. College basketball is still the game I played growing up. NBA basketball has become something different. I stopped following the NBA after Kobe drove Shaq into exile, but I was already teetering on the brink. That just pushed me off the edge.; November 18, 2008 at 3:42 PM

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craw’s corner

08/25/2011: Want to also thank Kevin, who writes what I consider to be next to my blog, (just kidding), the best college basketball blog in the country and trust me, I read them all, http://parsingthewac.blogspot.com, it is always fresh and always important info, plus Kevin has often referenced my blog and it is not forgotten and greatly appreciated. Too many bloggers think their you know what does not stink and are not willing to recognize other people. So thank you Kevin and keep up the awesome work.

A Closer Look at Latech Hoops>

02/25/2009: Nevada paper rates WAC players: "Once again I must give credit where it is due – I pulled these articles off of Parsing the WAC,...an almost daily updated blog run by Kevin McCarthy. It is the authority on all things WAC men’s basketball. If there is a feature or game story put out about one of the schools in the league he will have a link to it (and a corresponding editorial comment). It is one of the first places I go on the Internet each day. We are very lucky to have a fan in this a midmajor league willing to put the time and energy in bring all this great information to all of us. Thanks Kevin."

Silver and Blue Sports

02/17/09 12:24 AM: re: Tyrone Hanson...Stuck in Seattle said: "Hey, Nevada Proud. Chris Murrey snatched up your Hanson scoop without so much as a hat tip, but Parsing the WAC has put your name up in lights...Kevin McCarthy...Parsing the WAC...he was probably the one guy awake in the “Ethics of Journalism” class...or maybe he decided to skip class the day the “There is no ethics in Jouranalism” lecture was given...either way he’s a credible guy."
02/17/09 1:49 AM: "Kevin M. is a good buddy of mine, and a class act all the way. I’m really proud of him for doing the things he’s done, because SJSU has been real hard to work with from a media standpoint despite what his recruiting coverage work could offer the hoops program."

02/12/09 10:58 AM: In the WAC, defense is king: "Kevin McCarthy has an insightful look at team defense in the WAC over at Parsing the WAC, and conference results so far are playing out his prediction: the team that gets the most stops, gets the most wins...Taking a game-by-game look at the Vandals’ conference season proves Kevin’s point. In all four of Idaho’s WAC wins, the team held opponents under .400 shooting."

The Bulldog Bounce

02/06/09 10:26 PM: High praise for incoming hoops recruits..."Ran across some nice nuggets of info on the Parsing the WAC blog, which I must say is a very active and informative one. Kevin McCarthy talks Fresno State quite a bit in it, which is cool with me...So let’s get to the point...McCarthy talked ’Dogs recruiting with Carl Foster, who’s been around a few of the soon-to-be Fresno State players, and he had some pretty impressive things to say."

11/04/08 1:10PM: "Parsing the WAC is a great blog for news on West Coast Hoops. Thanks to Kevin McCarthy, who does a fine job there himself. If you are a fan of a WAC school or just want to keep up with players with local interest like Adrian Oliver at SJS, the Seattle kids at Nevada, or NW schools like BSU and Idaho, this is the place to be."

BleedCrimson.net

12/05/08: The Daily Aggie: "The weekly check-ins are co-authored by us and Kevin McCarthy from the outstanding WAC blog Parsing The WAC."

Reno Gazette Journal

11/01/08: LOUISIANA TECH UPDATE: "Kevin McCarthy over at Parsing the WAC, an excellent source of WAC basketball news, was contacted by somebody familiar with the recent departure of four Louisiana Tech basketball players (which we touched on last week). For those who don't know, Drew Washington, Dwayne Lathan, Orrim Tims and Brandon Mims were dismissed after meeting with coach Kerry Rupp two weeks ago. Lathan said he was blindsided by the decision. McCarthy’s source, who remained anonymous, said there was more to the story than met the eye."