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Items included in this column are things that I have heard, seen or have been reported to me. I cannot vouch for their veracity.

With the NCAA basketball tournament winding down to its last weekend, I found it interesting to find out that since its inception, only two Division I schools that were eligible for the tournament in its first season have never been in it. Those two schools are Northwestern and William and Mary. Prior to this season, there had never been a Final Four with four number one seeds.

The Cal-Tech Beavers (I believe that's California Polytechnic University) have perhaps the worst record of any college basketball team. At one point they went through a 240 game, 21 season conference losing streak.

During the 2004 season, two players on their roster had played on a high school basketball team. Meanwhile, they had eight valedictorians on the team and nearly every player on the team had entered school with a perfect SAT math score.

At one point in the losing streak, they lost a game by more than 110 points. By the 2004 season, they were losing by an average of about 60 points. By the end of the 2006 season, they were losing by an average of nine or 10 points.

They broke one of their losing streaks, a 99 game string, in 1979. When they did, they beat a team coached by current NBA coach Greg Popovich. That win was one of the two they amassed over a 35 year period. A film called Quantum Hoops has been made about the team.

The NBA has been very successful marketing the game outside the United States. Michael Jordan and Shaq sweatshirts, NBA licensed apparel of all kinds and the like can be readily seen worldwide. The game has become huge in Europe.

Eastern European countries like Slovakia have fallen in love with the game. Italy, Spain and Turkey have become hotbeds of the hoops. It's even become a big deal in France.

A book called "Paddy on the Hardwood - A Survey in Irish Hoops" explains that professional players in Ireland are paid $250-$300 per week. Each team is allowed a maximum of two players who don't hold Irish passports.

Russ Bradford, an American who has coached for Big Time collegiate coaches Don Haskins and Lou Henson, is now coaching on the Emerald Isle. He says that most Yankees who play there are either on the way up or on the way down. He also feels that, "In America, basketball, and sports in general, is completely overemphasized."

I can't disagree. It seems completely logical to me that people who play games for a living should be paid for the entertainment they provide for the rest of us. However, like other entertainers (SOME musicians, SOME actors, etc.) SOME athletes make way too much money compared to the average American.

Just think how many more people could afford to take their family to a game (a concert, a whatever) if ticket prices were not so artificially high and the owners were not making money hand over fist.

Don't get me wrong, I believe that extraordinary people should be well compensated for their efforts. But, who among us wouldn't play a game for $200,000 per year. Do you go to a movie or buy a CD based on how much money the actor or artist makes? I believe we'd still enjoy watching sports if the players were well paid, but had more reasonable salaries.

Basketball has really taken off in China, too. No doubt, Yao Ming's success in Houston has had its influence. Some estimates put the number of players in China as high as 300 million. That's right, as many Chinese are playing basketball as there are people, of all descriptions, in the U.S.

Speaking of China

The Chinese are looking for tall , young women (1.68-1.78 meters) with "good figures" (They may not be alone?) who have "clear understanding of the Olympic Spirit."

They must also be "dedicated trainees" willing to learn how to hang medals around the necks of victorious basketball players at the upcoming Olympic Games.

Air pollution in Chinese cities is absolutely horrible. Many wear masks whenever outside. They intend to ban cars in Beijing a month before the start of the Olympics next Summer. They hope that will make China look better to the rest of the world.

Not only cars are being displaced in China. More than 1,000,000 people have been displaced by the Three Gorges Dam project in central China.

You are invited to send interesting, unusual and/or humorous items that could possibly be used in this space. If you choose to do so, please send it to [email protected].

If you prefer, you may send it to

Chisago County Press

Attn: Dave

12631 Lake Blvd.

Lindstrom, Mn 55045

or, you may bring it in to the office.

Sports stuff would be great, but, please do not limit yourselves. Politics, religion, culture (pop or otherwise) are welcomed. Please do not feel offended if your contribution is not included.

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