MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: ChitownSpaceForRent on January 10, 2018, 05:54:36 PM
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Just a quick question for McGuire era posters.
Theres an event of Evanston's 50th anniversary of their state championship team with a panel of former players there, but obviously without Lackey.
As someone who was not around for that era of basketball, just wondering what kind of player Lackey was or if you have any stiories on him. Thanks!
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Al called him the Black Swan, others that big strong dude. He was 6'6" of chisled muscle who could rebound with one hand, hit jumpers with almost a line drive arch and clean up around the rim. His expression was fierce determination. He gave ground to no one. We loved him but opponents did not. At the famous South Carolina game in Columbia on National TV, somebody from SC made the mistake giving him a cheap shot and they had to suspend play for awhile. Even Jim Chones got into it.
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The Black Swan scared the opponents so much we won before the game even started .
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Tough, tough, tough.
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Bad ass mean motherfooker with a scowl that would make ya pee down your leg. #45 had it all gonna on, hey?
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Was often seen with the hottest looking blonde on campus!
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His quote after the great fight at South Carolina tells you all you need to know (starting with the premise that he looked like a total bad ass): "i knew I was getting kicked out so i figured I would get my money's worth."
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His quote after the great fight at South Carolina tells you all you need to know (starting with the premise that he looked like a total bad ass): "i knew I was getting kicked out so i figured I would get my money's worth."
here's the SI version-great read!
https://www.si.com/vault/1972/01/17/576301/you-know-me-al-right-frank-and-i-hate-to-do-it
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That 71-72 season was remarkable for many reasons; it may have been the most colorful, entertaining, and talented team in MU history. It was #1 in the country and destined for a national championship run until the ABA stole Jimmy Chones right before the tournament. Even then, they were great. Maurice Lucas was a freshmen I believe, but in those days, he could not play. But wow--we imagined the following year with the two of them, Larry McNeil and the Swan. This team is deserving of its own discussion topic my fellow old-timers.
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Doggy
Agree 100% on the discussion of that team and potential team.
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here's the SI version-great read!
https://www.si.com/vault/1972/01/17/576301/you-know-me-al-right-frank-and-i-hate-to-do-it
Great article, rocket. Thanks for the link.
I like how Al pokes fun of Frank for dressing nice - "Look at the clothes, those handmade shirts." Of course, most coaches dress that way now.
Does anybody know if there was extra punishment handed out to any of the combatants. If that brawl happened today, the suspensions would be fierce and plentiful!
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Nada, nothin?, bupkis. ?cept if ya count dey hada stop beatin? da chit outta each udder wen da band started playin? ?The Star Spangled Banner,? hey?
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That 71-72 season was remarkable for many reasons; it may have been the most colorful, entertaining, and talented team in MU history. It was #1 in the country and destined for a national championship run until the ABA stole Jimmy Chones right before the tournament. Even then, they were great. Maurice Lucas was a freshmen I believe, but in those days, he could not play. But wow--we imagined the following year with the two of them, Larry McNeil and the Swan. This team is deserving of its own discussion topic my fellow old-timers.
I think the core of that team went 49-1 over two years prior to Chones leaving . That was the team that really caught the imagination of the public at large.
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Does anybody know if there was extra punishment handed out to any of the combatants. If that brawl happened today, the suspensions would be fierce and plentiful!
I remember that game like it was yesterday. A nationally televised Sunday afternoon affair.
There was no punishment. Neither team was in a conference.
As to today, the racial overtones that led to the battle would not happen today. Keep in mind the game was in Columbia, SC and the game we played -- street ball -- was not what was played in the south. Today, the refs would never let the game get to the point where we had the animosity that led to such a huge brawl.
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Great article, rocket. Thanks for the link.
I like how Al pokes fun of Frank for dressing nice - "Look at the clothes, those handmade shirts." Of course, most coaches dress that way now.
Does anybody know if there was extra punishment handed out to any of the combatants. If that brawl happened today, the suspensions would be fierce and plentiful!
my pleasure! looking back, what a privilege to have grown up with the legend of al. there are so many stories, people today would think you're bullchitting them and/or over-hyping the stories. i just breathe a sigh and say-ya had to be there man. never realized at the time what an experience we were experiencing
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I dont remember how this was resolved.
In 1972, we were 7th ranked but threatened with a NCAA tourney ineligibility due to a claim Lackey had signed with a pro agent. (See press photo)
Did we resolve this issue?
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I dont remember how this was resolved.
In 1972, we were 7th ranked but threatened with a NCAA tourney ineligibility due to a claim Lackey had signed with a pro agent. (See press photo)
Did we resolve this issue?
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19720314&id=IQ0sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jcgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=941,2621222
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https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19720314&id=IQ0sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jcgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=941,2621222
Thanks
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The SC/MU is cemented in my memory for life. As 4ever stated, the band playing the National Anthem to calm the joint down was a unique happening. It was a remarkable moment in MU ball history.
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Was often seen with the hottest looking blonde on campus!
And rightly so, for he was known as a lumberjack.
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Bad ass mean motherfooker with a scowl that would make ya pee down your leg. #45 had it all gonna on, hey?
To put this into proper perspective, Theo John looks like Pope John XXIII compared to Lackey.
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I remember that game like it was yesterday. A nationally televised Sunday afternoon affair.
There was no punishment. Neither team was in a conference.
As to today, the racial overtones that led to the battle would not happen today. Keep in mind the game was in Columbia, SC and the game we played -- street ball -- was not what was played in the south. Today, the refs would never let the game get to the point where we had the animosity that led to such a huge brawl.
But the core of that South Carolina team was New Yorkers.
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But the core of that South Carolina team was New Yorkers.
And South Carolina stars were Riker and Joyce, was Brian Winters on that team, not sure? Mainly white against black kids. Sort of like Kentucky-MU in 68 against
Rupp, best game I have ever been at, the crowd insane, at the Field House in Madison. There was great disparity between MU and Wisky at the time, The crowd
was totally for MU. Not sure the fans enjoyed the confederate flags flying in the field house.
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DC
The MU-UK game was one for the ages. One of my first real memories of MU ball.
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And South Carolina stars were Riker and Joyce, was Brian Winters on that team, not sure? Mainly white against black kids. Sort of like Kentucky-MU in 68 against
Rupp, best game I have ever been at, the crowd insane, at the Field House in Madison. There was great disparity between MU and Wisky at the time, The crowd
was totally for MU. Not sure the fans enjoyed the confederate flags flying in the field house.
Alex English was on that South Carolina team too right?
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Write on Winters, wrong on English, ai na?
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English was Year later, I think. Winters was my neighbor growing up and loved talking and shooting hoops with him.
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English arrived in 1972.
At the time, Frank McGuire had the NY Catholic League pipeline, along with St. Johns, from both NYC and Long Island.
Winters and Joyce were both from Archbishop Molloy and I believe Riker came from St. Dominics in Oster Bay.
Some serious hoop players from the NY/LI area high school ranks during the 1970s..
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I don't remember which home game it was, but at one point in the game, when the arena crowd was relatively quiet, McGuire yelled "Get in the game Bob or sit on the bench". Wasn't his nickname "The Evil Doctor Blackheart"? Maybe that was someone else. In the Hilltop for 1971, page 112, Jim Chones is quoted as saying "The first time I saw the Dude..with those burns, that stare and those muscles coming out of his T-shirt...I said, Oh my God!"
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Nah man c?mon. Evil wuz Pat Smith. #45 wuz Black Swan, ai na?
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4ever
We have a Dr. Blackheart on here. Would think these guys would know the history.
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Here's a thread topic; Who was the tougher dude between Lackey and Lucas?
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Any cat hoo can hold sum schmuck out da window of McCormick bye his ankles, gets my vote, ai na?
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article from Milwaukee paper
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SXYfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lCgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1476%2C507498
the same day the Bucks snapped the Lakers win streak at 33.
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from the Scoop archives in 2011:
https://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=24008.25
I posted this in that topic from a Jim Chones interview:
Chones' recollection of the fight:
"For starters, the two coaches, Al and Frank McGuire, didn't like each other very much. You know what it is like when two Irish guys don't like each other, they don't hold back. As for the game, we didn't get a call for probably three quarters. They also had a 6-11 left hander who was just the enforcer in the ACC. I think his name was Riker or something. The entire South Carolina team just beat up other teams. Dean Smith even petitioned the league to put an end to it. So they had a huge team. They were very skilled too. There were cheap shots flying during the game like the kind that we would only see on the playground.
I will never forget it. Bob Lackey was on the free throw line and Riker took the ball and threw it at Lackey after he made his first free throw. Immediately after that, Lackey looked at Al and Al didn't move. He was just sitting on the bench with his legs crossed. We all knew what that meant. Lackey picked the ball up and drilled Riker in the face. All of a sudden, there were people all over the floor and the two teams were fighting.
In the middle of the fight, Danny Traylor looks at me and was probably thinking, He looks pretty skinny, I'll go after him. I actually got the guy pretty good. I popped him right in the chin actually. Soon after that, a security guard from the arena peeled me off of him. This guard opened his jacket and pulled out a gun on me and then, I knew the fight was over. But we whipped the (junk) out of them. The fans kept calling us racial names because we were mostly black and they didn't have any black players. That was the times, you know? Through all of this, Al was still sitting on the bench with his legs crossed. Al finally got up and took all of us off of the floor and into the locker room. They already had all of our things packed in our bags and instead of staying over night, they told us we were getting out of South Carolina as soon as we could. It was incredible
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Any video of this dust up???
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Here's a thread topic; Who was the tougher dude between Lackey and Lucas?
Lackey.
Not even close.
Lackey probably was my favorite Warrior of all time.
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here's the SI version-great read!
https://www.si.com/vault/1972/01/17/576301/you-know-me-al-right-frank-and-i-hate-to-do-it
The ghost of Damon Runyon was still alive in 1972.
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Winters was my neighbor growing up and loved talking and shooting hoops with him.
Winters was on the Bucks during my time at Marquette. He kind of was a taller version of Rowsey - never met a shot he didn't like, absolutely no conscience.
He took more than 100 threes some years - seems quaint now, but that was a lot back then. I remember him pulling up for a 3 a few times on fastbreaks, which was hardly ever done then.
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MU82
I forgot about Winters pulling up on a breakaway and taking a three. He definitely was a shooter. He would have looked awfully good in a Warrior uniform.
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The McGuires babysat for Brian Winters (roughly same age as Allie) back when they were still in Rockaway.
I think Al was surprised(?) when Winters choose to go south rather than (as Winters believed) come to Marquette and sit behind Allie.
This also was the debut of the new blue jerseys with the horizontal side stripes
A few memories from a Carolina view:
https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/gamecocks-vs-marquette-ncaa-matchup-rekindles-memories-of-super-s/article_29c58084-09d8-11e7-bd48-f3c4af54c465.html
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Lackey.
Not even close.
Lackey probably was my favorite Warrior of all time.
Don't know, any one willing to take on Darryl Dawkins one on one is #1 one in my book AKA "The Enforcer"
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The old Suburban League was a great pipeline to MU before it disbanded. Lackey (Evanston), Jay (Waukegan), Doc (Proviso) and Marcus Washington (Lyons LaGrange).
Well after the conference break up, Crean went hard after Shumpert (OP) and Lottich (New Trier), but I think Todd Townsend (New Trier...interesting story with Lottich) may have been the last player from those legacy schools at MUBB. I could be wrong.
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The old Suburban League was a great pipeline to MU before it disbanded. Lackey (Evanston), Jay (Waukegan), Doc (Proviso) and Marcus Washington (Lyons LaGrange).
Well after the conference break up, Crean went hard after Shumpert (OP) and Lottich (New Trier), but I think Todd Townsend (New Trier...interesting story with Lottich) may have been the last player from those legacy schools at MUBB. I could be wrong.
Todd Townsend going to New Trier may be one of the most surprising things I've heard in a while.
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MU82
I forgot about Winters pulling up on a breakaway and taking a three. He definitely was a shooter. He would have looked awfully good in a Warrior uniform.
Classic form on his shot as well. Exactly how you would want to teach it.
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He was so much better than Allie.
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Lackey.
Not even close.
Lackey probably was my favorite Warrior of all time.
Agree on the not even close place.
But the toughest Warrior ever was Maurice Lucas, not Bob Lackey. In addition to being tougher, Mo was also a much better player.
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Agree on the not even close place.
But the toughest Warrior ever was Maurice Lucas, not Bob Lackey. In addition to being tougher, Mo was also a much better player.
Lucas may have been tougher as a pro. But bruise by bruise as a collegian, I?d put my money on Lackey. He was one very tough hombre.
If Lucas was as tough as Lackey in college, we would have won it all in 1974.
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Don't know, any one willing to take on Darryl Dawkins one on one is #1 one in my book AKA "The Enforcer"
aka "CHOCOLATE THUNDER" eyn'er?
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He was so much better than Allie.
a little bit different games-allie was a true point guard, brian was a shootahh
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https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19720314&id=IQ0sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jcgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=941,2621222
The most amazing thing about that article is that Villanova got only $76,000 for finishing runner up in the 1971 tournament.
I suspect the increase in money from the tournament since then slightly outpaces the inflation rate...
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If Lucas was as tough as Lackey in college, we would have won it all in 1974.
LOL. Luke took us to the championship game. Lackey couldn't get us past the S16.
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If Lucas was as tough as Lackey in college, we would have won it all in 1974.
Losing the 74 championship game was not about lack of toughness by Luke. It was about McGuire getting two technicals.
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Luke went for 21 and 13 and played great. Not tough enough is just a ludicrous statement.
The two technicals hurt, but 5ft 5 Monte Towe killed them also.
RIP Luke....
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Losing the 74 championship game was not about lack of toughness by Luke. It was about McGuire getting two technicals.
If Marquette doesn't win in 77, do those two technicals change the perception of Al at all?
I'd assume not since Marquette was the best team of that decade not named UCLA, but not winning a NC during that era would have been tough to swallow I imagine.
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Losing the 74 championship game was not about lack of toughness by Luke. It was about McGuire getting two technicals.
Yep, those where the main reason Marquette lost.
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Yep, those where the main reason Marquette lost.
Those and the fact that NC State (who had beaten UCLA and Bill Walton in the semis) was an awesome team playing what was virtually a home game. Even without Al's Ts we more than likely would have lost.
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I agree, Lenny. Let's not forget the contributions of 7"4" Tom Burleson or the dynamic David Thompson of NCS, who was the DWade of his time. And yes, it was a home game for them with homer calls.
Back to 71-72 season, with Chones not leaving before the end of the season, that was the best team in the country and, in my view, the best ever MU team until...it is not too far away Warrior/Eagle Nation. In Wojo we trust.
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MU did not lose to NC State due to Al's T's. They were a better team and playing at home, for most part. We probably lose to them 7-8 out of ten under those conditions. While I was pissed at Al when it happened, it little outcome of the game IMO.
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MU did not lose to NC State due to Al's T's. They were a better team and playing at home, for most part. We probably lose to them 7-8 out of ten under those conditions. While I was pissed at Al when it happened, it little outcome of the game IMO.
Goose - agree that NC State (Thompson, Burleson, Towe, Stoddard, etc.,) was better and beats us (at home) 7-8 times out of 10. Thought we played them tough that night, though, and had better than a puncher's chance. Still unlikely we win, but the Ts made it impossible.
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Lenny
I loved Al's temper, but was livid at him that night. You might be right on having a fighter's chance. No doubt the T's were not a help.
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Losing the 74 championship game was not about lack of toughness by Luke. It was about McGuire getting two technicals.
I agree with the former. I merely pointed out that Lackey was tougher. If Luke was as tough as Lackey, everyone from NC State would be deceased.
Al said he lost the game, but I don't think so. As much as I was heartbroken by the loss, David Thompson was something special. Someone in a past post described him as the Michael Jordan of his era. Too bad drugs did him in.
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Lenny
I loved Al's temper, but was livid at him that night. You might be right on having a fighter's chance. No doubt the T's were not a help.
That same temper hurt us in the IU game in 76
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The ?76 team was very, very good but IU was better.
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I agree with the former. I merely pointed out that Lackey was tougher. If Luke was as tough as Lackey, everyone from NC State would be deceased.
Al said he lost the game, but I don't think so. As much as I was heartbroken by the loss, David Thompson was something special. Someone in a past post described him as the Michael Jordan of his era. Too bad drugs did him in.
David Thompson ( along with Dr. J)in many respects was the creator of the modern high flying style of basketball. We played hard in that game, but they had a better overall team. NC State beat UCLA and Bill Walton which showed how tough they were.
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The ?76 team was very, very good but IU was better. Al did not close the gap by any means,
That '76 IU team was one of the greatest of all time - maybe the greatest. Our team was also great, right up there with our 70-71 and 71-72 (pre Chones departure) teams. If the tourney was seeded we play the Hoosiers in the championship game - and it's much more entertaining than Indiana's rout of Michigan.
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I agree with the former. I merely pointed out that Lackey was tougher. If Luke was as tough as Lackey, everyone from NC State would be deceased.
Al said he lost the game, but I don't think so. As much as I was heartbroken by the loss, David Thompson was something special. Someone in a past post described him as the Michael Jordan of his era. Too bad drugs did him in.
That would have be me. He was MJ's idol. Even these many years later, he is still the greatest jumper I have ever seen. Dr. Dunkenstein and MJ were close.
It wasn't only the vertical, it was the explosiveness as well.
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Todd Townsend going to New Trier may be one of the most surprising things I've heard in a while.
He lived with Lottich and his dad after they found out Todd was on his own.