Final Four Flashback

The 2009 NCAA Final Four swings into high gear today in Detroit with all four teams having a one hour public practice at Ford Field. For some, this kicks off a weekend in Motown they will long remember, especially if their team wins the title.  For me, it brings back memories of the three NCAA Championship games I broadcast as the Voice of Michigan Basketball.

20 years ago at this time, I was in Seattle as Michigan prepared to take on Illinois in one national semi-final game.  The Wolverines, with interim coach Steve Fisher, were a surprise to be there, and were also facing an Illinois team that had throttled them in the season-ender at Crisler Arena just a couple of weeks earlier.

I wish I could remember every minute of that game, but I don’t.  I do remember as time was running down Terry Mills shooting a long shot from the right corner baseline that clanked off the rim and right into the hands of Sean Higgins who put the rebound into the basket giving the Wolverines victory and a ticket to the National Championship Game.  I also remember interviewing Loy Vaught after the game IN THE SHOWER!  It was probably not one of my more journalistic moments, but I did get his comments.

Monday rolled around for the title game against Seton Hall.  Because we were staying outside of Seattle, the team bus driver said the team should leave early because of the congested traffic that is rush hour in Seattle.  I followed the bus in my rental car as we headed to the Kingdome about 4 hours before tipoff.  Of course we ran into no traffic and got there with a ton of time to kill.

Now here’s the thing.  The NCAA sets absolute rules on when teams can take the court to warm-up, allowing the same allotted time for both.  That meant Michigan couldn’t go out and just shoot some to kill time.  Head coach Steve Fisher told the team to find something to do in the locker-room.  Well, Glen Rice, who had become the MVP of the tournament to this point found his own “something to do.”  He climbed up on the training table..and WENT TO SLEEP!  That’s right, a couple of hours before the biggest game in his life, Glen was sleeping!

Once the game started, Glen was far from asleep.  He wound up with 31 but it was Rumeal Robinson, who hit two free throws in overtime that gave Michigan the 80-79 victory and the National Championship over Seton Hall.

I got back to the team hotel and of course a huge party was underway with boosters in a banquet room. I remember having three adult beverages in hand at once and Steve Fisher coming up to me about 2 in the morning and asking if I wanted to fly back with the team on their plane.  I did, and after about an hour of sleep, I was off to the airport and on the plane.

Landing at Metro Airport, the team plane was met by the media.  We climbed on busses and headed out I-94 to a celebration at Crisler Arena.  That was one of the things I remember most, because the road was lined by fans pulled off to the side and waving signs and cheering as our busses passed.  It was just incredible as was the reception at Crisler.

I sometimes go back and relive that historic run, as no coach has ever won his first six career games as a head coach of a Division I school and won the national title as Steve Fisher did.  If you’d like to remember those moments, here’s a link to a special we put together at WJR Radio back then called the “Dream Team.”

Then in 1992, the Fab Five burst onto the scene.  It was like travelling with the Beatles.  Students at opposing colleges on the road would hang around after games to try and get autographs.  I remember barricades having to be put up at some sites.

Somehow this group did what they shouldn’t have done, make it all the way to the NCAA Championship game as a freshmen starting five.  Unfortunately the run that Juwann Howard had called “Shock the World” ended to a veteran Duke team in that title game in Minneapolis 71-51.

The next year, they were back in the title game, but not without surviving a game with UCLA the Fab Five refused to lose.  Playing at the University of Arizona, Michigan found themselves 19 down to the Bruins in the first half and 13 at halftime.  They clawed and scratched their way back, forcing the game into overtime.  It was there that Jimmy King got a put back that gave the Wolverines the 86-94 win. That allowed them to move on and take on first George Washington and then Temple, both they defeated to reach the Final Four in New Orleans.

At the Superdome, Michigan faced Kentucky in their semi-final game, and I’ve got to say, this game was unbelievable. It was a battle with the Wolverines finally pulling it out in overtime by 3.  That set up a matchup with North Carolina.

That game too went back and forth, but a late run had the Tar Heels in control, before Michigan cut the lead to one.  Then, needing UNC to miss a free throw, it happened, Chris Webber got the rebound.  I have to admit, right then, I KNEW Michigan would win because I had seen it before.  However, we all know what took place.

Chris couldn’t pass the ball, came up court, and called timeout.  Michigan though didn’t have a timeout meaning it was a technical.  I knew it immediately the situation but thought for a second my stat sheet was wrong, it wasn’t, and North Carolina easily won the game.

All I can say is that after the game, it turned into a very long night on Bourbon Street.  Still, I was there for a part of history, but not the kind I really had hoped for.

So, as the Final Four starts in Detroit, I say to all those involved, enjoy every minute.  Document it if you can with your cell phone camera or video camera.  Realize you are privileged to be involved in what most will never have a chance to do.  I’m thankful for the three “Shining Moments” in my career and I cherish them as hopefully everyone this weekend will too.

Looking for good news in a doom and gloom world

Good news?  It’s a commodity in short supply these days. Everywhere one turns there only seems to be doom and gloom.

Unemployment rising, home foreclosures growing, wages going down, businesses on the verge of collapse.  It’s enough to have one to roll up into a fetal position and hide under the bed.  Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s not a Disney World moment!

I’ve been what I like to call “under employed” for over a year now.  I’ve survived to this point with various freelance opportunities primarily in the motorsports world, which I know well.  However as the monetary crisis grows, that work declines.

Like many that are in similar situations, I keep evaluating what I know, what I can do, and what I need to learn to expand my possibilities of at least paying the bills.  It is from that last area where I find optimism but not completely for me.

You see, the optimism I’m finding is being generated by the young people I’ve been meeting as I network.  The “Millennials” aren’t beaten down by the economy.  They have a can-do and will-do spirit.  They are creating new businesses, new thinking, and a completely new approach to life and work in general.

Being a “glass is half empty” type of guy, I sometimes just chalk up all their enthusiasm to being young and naive, and probably that has some validity.  I just look back to when I was say, oh, 24, and realize just how un-worldly and unknowing of “real life” I was.  (No mortgage, no car payments, and no college tuition to be paid for the kids!)

That said, no one can deny that they are marching forward, fearless in what they believe and most importantly, knowing what they can achieve. I find that invigorating and in many ways helps keep me focused on my own quest to morph myself into the new world reality.

So if you want to get out of the doom and gloom mindset, just look around you.  Open your eyes and your mind and see that the youth of America aren’t the slackers and self-absorbed persons they are so often portrayed by the media.  They are the future and they are building it now.

Voices of Detroit on the move!

 

  If you’ve been waiting for another edition of Voices of Detroit, never fear!  We moved locations and forgot to tell everyone here.  (I’m old okay, just had the 129th birthday!)

The new permanent home of Voices of Detroit is www.VoicesofDetroit.com.  There’s a recent new show there now and coming this next week will be a discussion with the ladies you see in the picture to the left.  (The two ugly guys are myself in the sweater and my partner in crime Dave Benjamin.)

Make sure to go to www.VoicesofDetroit.com to also stay on top of special happenings that will be taking place around our recording sessions with the program.  Let’s just say that coming up, we are going to allow people to whine…minus the H.

Thanks for listening to our program and make sure you tell everyone about it!  We hope to continue to grow it and get the good news out that business is alive and well and growing in Detroit!

 

Voices of Detroit Show #2 1-29-09

Voices of Detroit with Larry Henry and David Benjamin hit the road for this week’s program.  Thanks to @BiggbyBob, Biggby Coffee’s new location on Evergreen in Southfield, Michigan played host for our second installment.

Larry and David chatted with Kim Knapp, a business coach with The Droste Group and Maureen Francis of SKBK Sotheby’s International Realty.

   Listen to Voices of Detroit Show #2  1-29-09

                                   (Click on link above)

 Kim Knapp

Kim comes from a crisis management background, and today coaches executives for The Droste Group on innovative ideas to manage and grow their companies in our changing economy. The Droste Group is an international coaching organization.

Kim coaches executive leadership to individuals, groups, and organizations.  Her clients are experiencing extraordinary results using their seminars, workshops, and a variety of coaching products.  Kim can be reached at kknapp@drostegroup.com.

Maureen Francis

Maureen Francis, and her husband, Dmitry Koublitsky, have been connecting home buyers and sellers in Oakland county for over seven years.  With multiple web pages and blogs, this high tech team offers sellers outstanding exposure on the internet.

Outstanding knowledge of the market, strong negotiating skills and high client satisfaction ratings make Dmitry and Maureen an excellent choice for your next move.  Visit them on the web at Oakland County Homes or MIOaklandCounty Real Estate Blog.

Voices of Detroit In-depth conversations with entrepreneurs and community leaders who are leading the renaissance of Detroit

Snappy title for this post isn’t it?  It actually is the description of a new podcast series that David Benjamin of the Sales Matrix and myself came up with while drinking coffee one day.

Our goal is to hold personal conversations with persons who are moving the Detroit area forward.  We hope to learn what they are doing, how they are doing it, and most importantly the why.  It also is a great chance to expose the many up and coming entrepreneurs to other like minds (my apologies to the Like Mind people around the world) that reside in our area and grow the community even more.

Our first attempt at putting together our podcast took place January 22nd and focused on social media.  Not so much what social media is, but how we use it, how it effects us, and how it could possibly help in the renaissance of Detroit.

Our conversation quartet consisted of Shauna Nicholson of BizNet, Brian Eyster of Essential Strategies, David Benjamin from The Sales Matrix, and myself, Larry Henry of Two Floors Down Productions.

*Shauna Nicholson*, Marketing Manager, Biznet Internet Solutions

snicholson@biznetis.net

Working exclusively in online marketing strategy, Shauna is known for her insight on social media marketing, Shauna is a resource for metro-Detroit businesses who want to leverage the most powerful online tools available. By
transcending the social media hype and pairing reality-based business and marketing strategy to the tools, she positions clients to effectively secure measurable ROI.

 
Brian Eyster – Essential Strategies founder

brian@essentialstrategies.net

Brian Eyster has been called a “financial contrarian” based on the success of his non-traditional approach to wealth development, honed through years in the financial services industry. It’s a title he wears proudly, knowing
that his financial planning strategies and coaching process build clarity, focus, and client confidence. Brian also plays an active part in training other financial professionals to develop a client educational format in their own practices, and is frequently requested as a speaker on wealth development strategies. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

David Benjamin, Recruiting Manager, The SalesMatrix

dbenjamin@thesalesmatrix.com

With the recent downsizing going on in just about every industry, more and more professionals seek guidance in their job transition.  David has consistently been a valuable resource for professionals seeking career opportunities placing well over 100 highly qualified candidates to clients in a variety of industries.  David is a strong advocate of using social media platforms to market his business and recruit for his clients.

America’s business incubator:The Coffee Shop!

After extensive research and literally thousands of cups of coffee consumed, I have come to the cold hard fact that America’s new wave of entrepreneurs and businesses is being born at coffee shops all across America.

Go to any Starbucks, Caribou Coffe, Biggby Coffee, Panera Bread (more than coffee shop but still fits the category), Coffee Beanery, or whatever your coffee mecca of choice is and look around.

What you’ll see are people, usually on laptops, working away, holding small business meetings, and in general doing the work that at one time would have only been done in an office setting.

Deals are being made.  Proposals are being written.  New ideas are being discussed. Companies are being born.

Isn’t it amazing for a 2 dollar cup of coffee (pure regular java guy here)  America is unleashing its collective greatness and drive to create and succeed. Those efforts could turnout to be the saviour of our economy in tough economic times. 

So the next time you stop in for that cup of Joe, latte, or whatever your favorite beverage is at your coffee shop, take a good look around the room.  You’ll be witnessing American business on the move!

Believe the “Government” can save you at your own peril!

I shake my head all the time at the number of people that think  “Government” at any level is their saviour.  The all benevolent, all knowing, and all powerful “Government” can right all wrongs, can make a cloudy day bright, and can make our lives an episode of the Brady Brunch. 

I have no idea why this prevalent belief is not only alive but growing among the U.S. population.

Can someone tell me one thing the U.S. government, or any government really does well other than take our hard earned money to spend on what they deem is “good for us?”  Show me one program that does exactly what it was designed to do and at the cost its budget called for! Here’s a prime example of this.

On February 17th, just four weeks from now, all over-the-air television signals in the United States are set to go from analog to digital.  That means that older television sets won’t receive anything but snow on them unless they get converter boxes.  Since the U.S. government is the one mandating this change, they’ve been running a program for about a year that allows the public to request $40 vouchers to pay for those converter boxes. Now here’s the rub.

People who have waited until the last minute to get those vouchers or just realized they need the converter boxes are being put on a waiting list because the U.S. government didn’t allot enough money to fund the program for everyone that needed it.  The problem is now so pressing it seems that President-elect Barack Obama is calling for a delay in the conversion to digital TV!  (Read more)

Here is a simple government program.  Public asks for a voucher, voucher is sent to the public requesting said voucher, voucher is used for digital conversion box, and all is right in the world.  However it is not working!  If something as simple as this can’t be done correctly by the “government” who in their right mind thinks the “government” is going to wave its magic wand while spending a trillion dollars to “save” the U.S. economy is going to work any better? 

I now know why the word “Hope” was used so much during the last Presidential campaign since we all had better “hope” that somehow our “government” will suddenly be blessed with wisdom from above.  I’m not holding my breath.

Is the American Spirit dead?

That’s the question I have to ask myself as the current recession, depression, financial crisis, or whatever you want to call it continues.  The reason I ask that are headlines like these from the January 6, 2009 Detroit Free Press and Detroit News.

The Free Press headline said “Obama’s plan holds promise for Michigan” and the News “Recovery rests on stimulus.”  You can find similar headlines and stories in every newspaper and on every television newscast.

My question, when did Americans become so dependent on someone else saving them?  When did the answer become “government” to every problem we have.  What happened to “WE THE PEOPLE?”

For the life of me I can’t fathom why John Q. Public thinks the people that have screwed this country up can now suddenly come up with “The Answer?”  (Apologies to the real “The Answer” Allen Iverson.)

Does anyone in their right mind think the people that are in Washington, D.C. getting paid over 100K a year to spend our money are any smarter than we are?  Do you think they are somehow so caring and passionate that they can divine a program or law that with the waving of a magic wand make it all better?  From my experience, it’s government that usually makes things worse.

All those in government think about is how to spend our money to help the poor schmucks that didn’t have the intelligence to become politicians or government workers.  Do you realize that the #1 employer in the United States is GOVERNMENT!  Put all those that receive a paycheck from any level of government together and you’ll find that an entity that creates nothing spends most of the  money earned in the United States!

I realize times are tough, believe me I do.  I’ve been what I like to call “under-employed” since February of 2008.  I haven’t been without a full time job since I was in college, but I am now. Yes it’s scary.  Yes I ask myself many times how am I going to pay the bills.  However, I never ask the question “When is the government going to save me?”

I’ve been networking, learning, reading, talking and finding a way on my own to make a living and hopefully thrive.  I try and use all the resources that are available to me to put together a plan and use the talents I have to move forward.  I also work with others that helps enhance my effort  and theirs with new opportunities.

That to me is the American Spirit that use to be what drove this country.  We were the “Can Do!” people.  Nothing could stop us.  We got knocked down, we got up, dusted ourselves off, and worked even harder than before because that’s what Americans did!  I just wonder when did we lose that spirit?

Have we become so use to getting everything we want without working for it that we expect handouts all the time? (Mom and Dad did you ever not give your son or daughter that iPod or cell phone or PS3 they wanted because they didn’t earn it?)

Sure it’s a lot easier to turn to the government and say “Save me” and many see nothing wrong with that.  Just remember for the government to give you something they have to take it from someone else. The “government” has no money because they don’t produce anything.  However, Americans do produce something, in fact they produce every bit of wealth that has made America great! 

It’s time for all of us to return to the true American Spirit, grab our bootstraps, stare adversity right in the eye and tell the world “We are Americans!” and we will come back even stronger thanks to our own spirit and ingenuity not the kindness and largess of the government.

Crossing the journalistic line

Rob Parker-Detroit News columnist

Crossing the journalistic line.

That’s what Detroit News sports columnist and ESPN contributor Rob Parker did Sunday when querying embattled Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli on the team’s latest loss and the embarassing performance of the defense. 

Parker wasn’t satisfied with pressing Marinelli for an answers to several questions on the game and the performance under defensive coordinator Joe Barry, who happens to be Marineli’s son-in-law.  The line was crossed when Parked asked Marinelli if he thought his daughter should have married a better defensive coordinator and to their credit, the crew on Fox NFL Sunday called him out. (Watch video of Rob Parker questioning Rod Marinelli.)

As you heard if you listened to the clip, Marinelli bit his tongue at the time.  But 24 hours later on Monday, he did react, and did so as any father I think would.  (Detroit News Story)

There is no question Rob Parker crossed the line.  Criticizing a coach or player about their play is legitimate.  Bringing family into the equation is not.

For Rob Parker, stirring up controversy is nothing new and one has to wonder if it is planned to help increase his national stature and lead to possibly more appearances and work on ESPN.

Apology for false claims against MSU football player

Wikipedia-Rob Parker Controversies

The sad thing is that many in the Detroit community are cheering Rob Parker today for his questioning of Rod Marinelli and snicker at the questions concerning Marinelli’s daughter. 

I’m not sure what they want Marinelli to say!  Should he say “we suck,” “we’re the worst team in the history of the NFL,” “I am the worst coach in the history of the NFL and I resign now?

Rod Marinelli is not a stupid man.  He knows the NFL is a performance business and that he and his staff have one more week in their current jobs before being shown the door.  However, he refuses to throw his team or his coaches under the bus.  For that, I applaud him.  He’s shown character where others would be trying to find a way to cover their backside and blame everyone but themselves.  Marinelli has never done that.

Unfortunately, Rob Parker couldn’t follow that example of following the high road and went for the cheap laugh or dare we say it, the “YouTube Moment” with his question about Marinelli’s daughter.  Parker has gotten his national attention (just Google Parker’s name) but not for being an outstanding journalist.   Hopefully he is being honest when he says he apologizes (read apology in Detroit News) for asking the question. You be the judge. I say Parker got exactly what he wanted..to be in the spotlight, journalism be damned.

 

 

A big shoe falls as 2009 Detroit Grand Prix cancelled!

Shock.  That’s the only word to describe what I felt when WXYZ TV in Detroit Thursday evening announced that the 2009 Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle was being cancelled. Not believing what I heard, I checked with my main Indy guy Robin Miller, who confirmed it, and moments later, a story appeared on-line at the Detroit Free Press.

Two years ago, Roger Penske brought back racing to Detroit and Belle Isle by spending at least 7 million dollars of his own money to turn what was a joke of a race facility into a crown jewel.  Fans came flocking back.  Both years Saturday and Sunday were sold out, but now the economy has done in even The Captain.

I’ve been proud to be part of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix the last two years as the lead track announcer.  I was proud of what the facility on Belle Isle had become, world class.  I was proud that Detroit was able to shine worldwide on television with visuals that rivaled Formula One in Monaco.  Now, that is all gone.

This decision had to be one of the toughest that Roger Penske may ever have had to make. 

Roger has become the biggest cheerleader for beleagured Detroit that there is.  From first being the Chairman for Superbowl XL that through his leadership had even Detroit bashing media types singing the praises of Motown by the end of their stay here, to spending his own money with no hope of ever getting any back on the Detroit Grand Prix, Roger Penske has done his all for his adopted home.

Roger Penske doesn’t fail, or if he does, he makes sure it doesn’t happen again..  The only time I can remember of failure was at Indianapolis when his cars shocked the world by not qualifying for the 1995 Indy 500.  He didn’t get a chance to overcome that failure until 2001 thanks to the CART/IRL split and only had his cars finish 1-2 in his return to the Brickyard.  I’m hoping history repeats itself and in 2010 Roger Penske triumphantly announces the return of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.  Until then, thanks Roger for not giving up on Detroit.  We won’t give up on you or the Grand Prix.

STATEMENT FROM ROGER PENSKE

DETROIT BELLE ISLE GRAND PRIX POSTPONED FOR 2009 

DETROIT, Mich. (December 19, 2008) – Officials for the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix announced today that the 2009 event will be postponed due to the difficult economic conditions prevalent in southeast Michigan and across the nation. 

“The economic environment that our region, state and country faces, both today and in 2009, is difficult,” said Roger Penske, Chairman of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. “It is unfortunate that we must postpone the 2009 Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix as sponsorship opportunities and support has proven to be very challenging for the event in the near term.” 

The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix has brought tremendous benefit to Belle Isle Park and to the region since the event returned world-class auto racing back to the Motor City for the first time in more than six years in 2007. Both the 2007 and 2008 races established themselves as one of Detroit’s most popular summertime events, featuring both the American Le Mans Series and the IndyCar Series. 

Over $7 million in infrastructure improvements have been made to Belle Isle since the return of the Grand Prix, including the paving of roadways, repairing or replacing damaged lighting and drainage, landscaping, the renovation of the Belle Isle Casino and Scott Fountain and the installation of pedestrian bridges, children’s playgrounds and irrigation systems on the island.  

According to a joint study conducted this year by the event and the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau (DMCVB), the Grand Prix generated over $55.2 million in economic impact for metropolitan Detroit in 2008 and another $12.8 million in direct spending throughout Detroit and its surrounding tri-county area. 

This year’s study by the DMCVB also revealed the Grand Prix helped attract thousands of visitors to the area as 28% of event attendees came to Detroit from outside the tri-county region and 52% of those visitors came from outside the state of Michigan. 

“I want to thank all of the fans that have supported the 2007 and 2008 Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix events,” said Bud Denker, Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Event Chairman.  “Over 100,000 people attended each of the past two Grand Prix races and we are hopeful we can extend the excitement of world-class racing on Belle Isle in the future. We also want to thank the City of Detroit, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the City of Windsor for their partnerships. The Grand Prix would not have been possible without the support of more than 50 corporations including Bridgestone/Firestone, Bosch, Comerica Bank, General Motors, Meijer, Caesars Windsor, Charter One Bank, Pepsi, MGM Grand Detroit and many others. Finally, the over 1,000 Grand Prix volunteers were the best ambassadors of any race in North America and we say thanks to them. If the economic conditions improve, we hope to be able to bring the event back to Detroit in the summer of 2010.” 

The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix is a 501(c)3, non-profit corporation and a subsidiary of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. 

Further information on the future of the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will be announced in 2009 and will be found at the event’s official web site, www.detroitgp.com.