"Well?"
Large, soft, expectant brown eyes implored my response. I took my wife's hand and slowly led her to the couch, turned her to face away from me and began to massage her back. She immediately grunted and began to press into my hands. A woman who is six-months pregnant ... you have to know she was needing the back rubbing.
"Well, Claire, it's like this, They were really looking for someone who they felt could get to the recruits, communicate with high school kids, understand where they are at and where they want to go. Someone who has been coaching basketball at a Texas high school was what they were looking for."
I could sense her smiling. I had been coaching basketball at Nacogdoches for seven years now.
"And?"
"And, so, we will be moving to Houston real, real soon."
"And?"
"And, I've been given a two year contract. Pay $93,000 a year."
"Ninety-three....Thomas! That's more than we made combined last year!"
Indeed it was. Claire as an Algebra teacher and I as a basketball coach made under $85,000.
And with a baby on the way....
*
Bobcat High.
That's what the University of Houston had been called when it first entered the Southwest Conference.
Bobcat High responded by going to the Cotton Bowl three times in the first four years of conference membership as the top football team in the conference as well as taking over the conference in basketball in the early 80s, reaching the Final Four in three straight years.
Before the bottom fell out.
Truth be told, the bottom fell out the second trip to the Final Four when Lorenzo Charles stuffed the ball through the basket as time expired and Bobcat High, known as Phi Slamma Jamma, lost to North Carolina State in one of college basketball's greatest upsets of all time. Even though the Bobcats would return to the title game the next year, they were never the same and soon fell into irrelevance in the college basketball world.
I was brought on board to help change that.
*
"It will mean a lot of nights when I'm not home."
"We've been through that, Thomas. You were on long road trips at Nacogdoches."
"Yes, but we didn't have Baby Brown either. You're going to sometimes be mom and dad while I am gone."
Claire turned and looked at me. "Thomas Anthony Brown!"
Uh oh. She just used my full name.
"I will not listen to any more of this! You are going to be a great college basketball coach and you are going to be a great father because you are a great man and that is why I married you! Now, don't argue with me!"
Woman is always right.
"Claire Elizabeth Brown. Have I told you I love you?"
"Yes you have. But, I don't mind if you say it again."
(I'm a new player to this game but am a big fan of sports games and writing stories based on them. Of course, the real-life term was Cougar High but, since the game wanted to call them the Bobcats, I figure why not.
Restoring Bobcat High
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• Page 1 of 1
Restoring Bobcat High
by RobToxin » Fri May 17, 2013 7:31 am
- RobToxin
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by Rizzo » Fri May 17, 2013 7:41 am
If you haven't started your legacy yet and wanted the real names for schools, I suggest downloading Valdarix's Real World Mod. Changes all conference and team names to what they should be. Just a thought. Either way, good luck and I'll be sure to check in here often.
-
Rizzo - Senior Member
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by RobToxin » Mon May 20, 2013 7:35 am
(Thanks for the replies. I'm going to go ahead and stay with the fictitious names as it will give me a little more creative license that way.)
We finished out the school year at Nacogdoches and then there was a going away party thrown for us.
I would bet a year's salary that the boys on the basketball team were sadder to see my wife leave than me. I always teased her that the only reason the basketball players took Algebra was because of the hot teacher they would learn it from.
*
The main campus of the University of Houston is located in southeast Houston, with an official address of 4800 Calhoun Road. The campus spans 667-acre (2.70 km2) and is roughly bisected by Cullen Boulevard—a thoroughfare that has become synonymous with the university.
The athletic department consists of 16 sports and has amassed several notable achievements, including five trips to the Final Four.
It is here where we come together and hold our first ever staff meeting.
And what a group of coaches we have here. Bobcat High indeed.
Of the four of us, only Mike Perdue is above the age of 40. Perdue is our top scout and is 57 years old. 39-year old Andy Warner is our practice coach. And at head coach we have 37-year old Chris Anderson.
What a collection of baby faces.
"First of all, we need to improve our school's prestige."
There was no doubt the Bobcats prestige had fallen since those days of Phi Slamma Jamma. Thirty years had nearly gone by since that dunk had sunk the Bobcats in their best ever chance to with the MNA Tournament. One still wondered what would have happened, how different things would be, if Houston had won that game.
"To do so, we have to have a winning record. That is a must. No questions asked."
We all nodded. Losing teams don't increase prestige. That was for sure.
"Especially in conference play. We need to finish at least in the top half in the USC."
Since the demise of the SWC, the Houston Cougars had joined the US Conference. Finishing in the top half of the conference was especially achievable. The US Conference had recently consisted of Memphis and then everybody else. Aiming for second place was even attainable.
"And, finally, qualifing for the MNA Tournament."
The Men's National Association Tournament was the end goal for everybody. That is where you wanted to be if you were a men's college basketball team. March Madness.
"These are the goals we have set for this season. Winning will meet them all."
*
BBQ.
A Texas man is not a Texas man if he does not know how to BBQ. You might as well be from a God-forsaken place like California, New York, or, even worse, Oklahoma.
The new neighbors were gracious and hospitable, like most Texans are known to be and, on the 4th of July, we all gathered and cooked.
BBQ.
The neighbors represented the problem that Bobcat High would be facing in returning to the glory days of Phi Slamma Jamma. Orange hats. Orange shirts. Huge white letter T's. No red. No H's.
These were Texas fans. Some were even Texas grads. They were all about their Steers. As was a majority of the city of Houston. In fact, the University of Houston played second fiddle in their own city when it came to radio broadcast rights as stations tried to pick up the Bobcats only after the Steer had been chosen. Thankfully, ESPN's new Burnt Orange Network had exclusive rights to the Steers and left the door open for us to get more local broadcasting. I was of the opinion that the Burnt Orange Network was a bad idea and would end up costing the University of Texas exposure to future recruits who would not be able to get that special, and more expensive, cable package. Meaning, I was a huge fan of the Burnt Orange Network and was pleased as punch that the Steers had gone that direction.
The second issue we would be facing would be that of the sport itself. In Texas, football is king. Football is so important that basketball doesn't even qualify as a Jack in the deck of Texas sports cards. Most fans prefer baseball to basketball in this state. Even with the NBA team making the playoffs and the MLB team being the worst team in all the major leagues, baseball was still talked about more on the radio than basketball. Not to mention how the NFL was on its second franchise in Houston and that team was already more popular than a Rockets' team that had once won back-to-back NBA Championships.
The sports scene in Houston. Summarized by one 4th of July BBQ bash.
This is what I had to try to sell to recruits.
This was going to be a tough one.
We finished out the school year at Nacogdoches and then there was a going away party thrown for us.
I would bet a year's salary that the boys on the basketball team were sadder to see my wife leave than me. I always teased her that the only reason the basketball players took Algebra was because of the hot teacher they would learn it from.
*
The main campus of the University of Houston is located in southeast Houston, with an official address of 4800 Calhoun Road. The campus spans 667-acre (2.70 km2) and is roughly bisected by Cullen Boulevard—a thoroughfare that has become synonymous with the university.
The athletic department consists of 16 sports and has amassed several notable achievements, including five trips to the Final Four.
It is here where we come together and hold our first ever staff meeting.
And what a group of coaches we have here. Bobcat High indeed.
Of the four of us, only Mike Perdue is above the age of 40. Perdue is our top scout and is 57 years old. 39-year old Andy Warner is our practice coach. And at head coach we have 37-year old Chris Anderson.
What a collection of baby faces.
"First of all, we need to improve our school's prestige."
There was no doubt the Bobcats prestige had fallen since those days of Phi Slamma Jamma. Thirty years had nearly gone by since that dunk had sunk the Bobcats in their best ever chance to with the MNA Tournament. One still wondered what would have happened, how different things would be, if Houston had won that game.
"To do so, we have to have a winning record. That is a must. No questions asked."
We all nodded. Losing teams don't increase prestige. That was for sure.
"Especially in conference play. We need to finish at least in the top half in the USC."
Since the demise of the SWC, the Houston Cougars had joined the US Conference. Finishing in the top half of the conference was especially achievable. The US Conference had recently consisted of Memphis and then everybody else. Aiming for second place was even attainable.
"And, finally, qualifing for the MNA Tournament."
The Men's National Association Tournament was the end goal for everybody. That is where you wanted to be if you were a men's college basketball team. March Madness.
"These are the goals we have set for this season. Winning will meet them all."
*
BBQ.
A Texas man is not a Texas man if he does not know how to BBQ. You might as well be from a God-forsaken place like California, New York, or, even worse, Oklahoma.
The new neighbors were gracious and hospitable, like most Texans are known to be and, on the 4th of July, we all gathered and cooked.
BBQ.
The neighbors represented the problem that Bobcat High would be facing in returning to the glory days of Phi Slamma Jamma. Orange hats. Orange shirts. Huge white letter T's. No red. No H's.
These were Texas fans. Some were even Texas grads. They were all about their Steers. As was a majority of the city of Houston. In fact, the University of Houston played second fiddle in their own city when it came to radio broadcast rights as stations tried to pick up the Bobcats only after the Steer had been chosen. Thankfully, ESPN's new Burnt Orange Network had exclusive rights to the Steers and left the door open for us to get more local broadcasting. I was of the opinion that the Burnt Orange Network was a bad idea and would end up costing the University of Texas exposure to future recruits who would not be able to get that special, and more expensive, cable package. Meaning, I was a huge fan of the Burnt Orange Network and was pleased as punch that the Steers had gone that direction.
The second issue we would be facing would be that of the sport itself. In Texas, football is king. Football is so important that basketball doesn't even qualify as a Jack in the deck of Texas sports cards. Most fans prefer baseball to basketball in this state. Even with the NBA team making the playoffs and the MLB team being the worst team in all the major leagues, baseball was still talked about more on the radio than basketball. Not to mention how the NFL was on its second franchise in Houston and that team was already more popular than a Rockets' team that had once won back-to-back NBA Championships.
The sports scene in Houston. Summarized by one 4th of July BBQ bash.
This is what I had to try to sell to recruits.
This was going to be a tough one.
- RobToxin
- Junior Member
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 3:31 pm
by RobToxin » Tue May 21, 2013 7:23 am
I kissed my wife goodbye and then boarded the plane. If she hadn't been pregnant, I would have found a way to take her with me. One of these days, I will bring here with me to this place.
What place?
Las Vegas!
What other job could one have that would actually pay you to go to Las Vegas. How could someone possibly turn that down? Well, okay, well there is the fact that I will be spending most of my time in Vegas looking at 17-year old boys. That does take away a little bit of the exotic from this trip.
I was attending the Las Vegas Revue, the Western Regional Basketball Camp scouting players from Hawaii to Arkansas. I noticed that no players from Texas were there.
"Woah, look at that kid shoot."
"Nice move in the paint."
"Play your position! Don't get drawn out of the lane!"
"Where is he from? Idaho? Really. Best player out here!"
He was actually from Clark Fork, Idaho. LaRyan Wessel. A shooting guard. He was named the Camp MVP. Could I possibly manage to get him to come to Houston? If the Durham's and North Carolina's went after him, would he even open an e-mail from me? It would be worth the chance to take. That's why I was there. To find some recruits to take a chance on bringing to Houston.
Then it was home for the Houston Classic. Whatever happened to the days when I had the summer off? Dan Kinzer, from Forney, was the camp MVP. I needed to be sure and get a shot at that kid. 2.1 GPA? He could be an academic problem though. Michael Wilcox was a standout too and his 3.5 GPA looks much better.
Plus, we had some visits from guys. I liked their GPA but they weren't the best of players in the world. Charlie Hahn was a power forward who just was very terrible rebounder. I liked how well Terrell Turner could pass the ball. Definitely what you would want from a point guard. He just lacked athleticism. And, Joey Moore was a much better passer than scorer, which could be good for a small forward. They were all graded a B overall. Which is a good start for us.
Finally, I was off to the Chicago Prep. The travelling and camps were exhausting by this point. At least, the one in Houston had gotten me home with the wife at night. On the other hand, I got the chance to mingle with some other recruiting coaches around the country and learn some tips and tricks.
*
I took the three young basketball players trhough the Houston Sports Center, their eyes wide at the spectacle before them. We do have excellent facilites here.Pictures of the famous Phi Slamma Jamma team. If only their was a National Championship Trophy to show them with that team picture. Oh what could have been.
The three are Todd Burks, Ben Spruel and Brett Woodward. Woodward is the best player so far to visit. I'm not confident we can land him. He wants to visit other schools. Spruel and Burks are more receptive to us but I'm not sure if they will be recruited later or not.
We have two point guards, a small forward and a power forward who will be graduating, Woodward is a point guard and someone I am looking at going after harder to make sure he comes to Houston.
*
My next stop was the Memphis Hoop Summit. It was not only a chance to see some more players but also a good opportunity to check out the facilites of our top conference rival. Memphis is the team to beat in the US Conference and I got to see what they had to offer. From there to New York for the Big Apple Showcase and then back home to take more recruits for their visits to our campus.
My life was a whirlwind of travel and recruiting visits and, just when it seemed I got a chance to breathe ....
"THOMAS! Ohhh ohhh .... we have to go now!"
Oh boy......
What place?
Las Vegas!
What other job could one have that would actually pay you to go to Las Vegas. How could someone possibly turn that down? Well, okay, well there is the fact that I will be spending most of my time in Vegas looking at 17-year old boys. That does take away a little bit of the exotic from this trip.
I was attending the Las Vegas Revue, the Western Regional Basketball Camp scouting players from Hawaii to Arkansas. I noticed that no players from Texas were there.
"Woah, look at that kid shoot."
"Nice move in the paint."
"Play your position! Don't get drawn out of the lane!"
"Where is he from? Idaho? Really. Best player out here!"
He was actually from Clark Fork, Idaho. LaRyan Wessel. A shooting guard. He was named the Camp MVP. Could I possibly manage to get him to come to Houston? If the Durham's and North Carolina's went after him, would he even open an e-mail from me? It would be worth the chance to take. That's why I was there. To find some recruits to take a chance on bringing to Houston.
Then it was home for the Houston Classic. Whatever happened to the days when I had the summer off? Dan Kinzer, from Forney, was the camp MVP. I needed to be sure and get a shot at that kid. 2.1 GPA? He could be an academic problem though. Michael Wilcox was a standout too and his 3.5 GPA looks much better.
Plus, we had some visits from guys. I liked their GPA but they weren't the best of players in the world. Charlie Hahn was a power forward who just was very terrible rebounder. I liked how well Terrell Turner could pass the ball. Definitely what you would want from a point guard. He just lacked athleticism. And, Joey Moore was a much better passer than scorer, which could be good for a small forward. They were all graded a B overall. Which is a good start for us.
Finally, I was off to the Chicago Prep. The travelling and camps were exhausting by this point. At least, the one in Houston had gotten me home with the wife at night. On the other hand, I got the chance to mingle with some other recruiting coaches around the country and learn some tips and tricks.
*
I took the three young basketball players trhough the Houston Sports Center, their eyes wide at the spectacle before them. We do have excellent facilites here.Pictures of the famous Phi Slamma Jamma team. If only their was a National Championship Trophy to show them with that team picture. Oh what could have been.
The three are Todd Burks, Ben Spruel and Brett Woodward. Woodward is the best player so far to visit. I'm not confident we can land him. He wants to visit other schools. Spruel and Burks are more receptive to us but I'm not sure if they will be recruited later or not.
We have two point guards, a small forward and a power forward who will be graduating, Woodward is a point guard and someone I am looking at going after harder to make sure he comes to Houston.
*
My next stop was the Memphis Hoop Summit. It was not only a chance to see some more players but also a good opportunity to check out the facilites of our top conference rival. Memphis is the team to beat in the US Conference and I got to see what they had to offer. From there to New York for the Big Apple Showcase and then back home to take more recruits for their visits to our campus.
My life was a whirlwind of travel and recruiting visits and, just when it seemed I got a chance to breathe ....
"THOMAS! Ohhh ohhh .... we have to go now!"
Oh boy......
- RobToxin
- Junior Member
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 3:31 pm
by RobToxin » Wed May 22, 2013 9:49 am
Thanks for the comment, Rizzo. One of the things of the in-depth story is that it allows me to play slower and learn the game,
*
Celeste McKenzie Brown came into the world at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and such a bundle of joy she was.
At 2 am.
When she was hungry.
And needed changing.
Whilst my lovely wife slept soundly and reminded me that she had to stay home while I went to Vegas so I was obligated to get out of bed and take care of that precious angel we had brought forth into our household.
Well, it was August so at least I wasn't trying to coach a basketball game that afternoon.
I held my little baby as I bottle fed her and just imagined the day I could look some young man in the eye and say, "yes, this is my gun collection. Now, you are sure you can get Celeste home by 11, son?"
*
The rest of the time I devoted to taking players on visits to the campus. One by one they stopped by and we all made sure they enjoyed their visits. Recruited the cheerleaders to give each of them a warm welcome and we would get together and watch some game film while munching on some pizza.
Some days I was a little more tired than others. Some of the kids laughed when I told them I was a new dad.
"You gonna let her date a jock, coach?"
"Are you kidding me? I know how we think!"
"Hey, coach, is your wife hot?"
"Boy, she'd burn the skin right off you."
"Dayammmmm!"
"She's smart, too. She'll be teaching Algebra next year. She's taking this year off to be with the baby."
"You married a smart woman? How do you coaches always marry smart women? All my girlfriends are as dumb as bricks."
"Kind of like your jump shot!"
"Ohhhh buuurrn!"
Three scholarships to give away and I had to choose which of these bozos to offer them to.
*
Celeste McKenzie Brown came into the world at 8 pounds, 4 ounces and such a bundle of joy she was.
At 2 am.
When she was hungry.
And needed changing.
Whilst my lovely wife slept soundly and reminded me that she had to stay home while I went to Vegas so I was obligated to get out of bed and take care of that precious angel we had brought forth into our household.
Well, it was August so at least I wasn't trying to coach a basketball game that afternoon.
I held my little baby as I bottle fed her and just imagined the day I could look some young man in the eye and say, "yes, this is my gun collection. Now, you are sure you can get Celeste home by 11, son?"
*
The rest of the time I devoted to taking players on visits to the campus. One by one they stopped by and we all made sure they enjoyed their visits. Recruited the cheerleaders to give each of them a warm welcome and we would get together and watch some game film while munching on some pizza.
Some days I was a little more tired than others. Some of the kids laughed when I told them I was a new dad.
"You gonna let her date a jock, coach?"
"Are you kidding me? I know how we think!"
"Hey, coach, is your wife hot?"
"Boy, she'd burn the skin right off you."
"Dayammmmm!"
"She's smart, too. She'll be teaching Algebra next year. She's taking this year off to be with the baby."
"You married a smart woman? How do you coaches always marry smart women? All my girlfriends are as dumb as bricks."
"Kind of like your jump shot!"
"Ohhhh buuurrn!"
Three scholarships to give away and I had to choose which of these bozos to offer them to.
- RobToxin
- Junior Member
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Thu May 16, 2013 3:31 pm
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