July 11,1990 The Portland Observer Page 7
i
Portland Observer
THE LOCKER ROOM
Earl "The Pearl" Still Shines
By Ulysses Tucker, Jr.
Earl * ‘The P earl’ ’ Monroe is enjoy
ing life to the fullest these days. In fact,
Monroe has alw ays enjoyed life and
always will. Life is fine in the “ Big
A pple” these days. Actually, he is still
beaming from his
induction into the
Basketball Hall o f
Fame (Springfield,
MA) and his suc
cessful recording
company (Pretty
Pearl Records, Inc.)
‘ ‘ P re tty
Pearl” is an appro
priate nam e for
Monroe’s company
because he was
indeed a pretty site
to watch on the
basketball. From
the day he burst on
to the college scene
at tiny Winston-Sa
lem State College,
W in s to n -S a le m ,
N .C . to b e in g
named Rookie of
Year with the Bal
tim o re
B u lle ts
(1967), M onroe
was in a class by
himself. Spinning
and grinning away
from “ would b e ”
defenders or fad-
ing away for a soft jum per, “ The Pearl”
dribbled his w ay into the hearts o f fans
all over the country.
A four-time NBA All-Star, M onroe
said that he is enjoying his life as a music
producer because he is helping to create
opportunities fo r young people. “ I ’m
very happy w ith the job we have done
with these young kids,” he said. “ W e
try very hard to bring along upcoming
kids and it’s been very successful so far.
We also do m anagem ent.”
In his NBA career, M onroe scored
over 17,000 points and dished out a
shade under 4,000 assists. He was a
member o f the New York K nickerbock
ers NBA title team and played in the
same backcourt with W alt Frazier.
Together, they formed one o f the best
guard com binations in NBA history.
A native o f the Philadelphia ghetto,
Monroe played for the legendary C lar
ence “ Big H ouse” Gaines, the win-
ningest basketball coach in college his
tory. M onroe said that G aines gave him
the chance he needed as a youth and he
still holds G aines close to his h e a rt
“ G aines had a tremendous impact
on m e ," said the
form er four-tim e
college A ll-A m eri
can. “ Being in his
co m p a n y w as a
blessing in itself.
H e’s the guy, who
not only helped me
as a b a sk e tb a ll
player, he taught me
about the highs and
lows in life. Those
things that c a n ’t be
taught in a school
situation. O ne of
the greatest things
he has done is instill
in young players that
you can achieve
w hatever you want
to do as long as you
work hard at it. He
was very good at
coming up with great
sayings. I rem em
ber one that stands
out the most: he
said that ‘opportu
nity at every door
does knock, but it
has n e v e r been
know n to pick a lock.’”
M onroe also said that Gaines in
stilled a sense o f social responsibility in
him and he w ill always find a way to
give back to the com m unity. W hen
questioned about w hether he still gets
excited about basketball, M onroe, an
announcer for ABC Radio and Madison
Square Gardens, says that the excitiement
will never go aw ay. “ I get real excited
som etim es,” he said.
M onroe’s advice to young players
chasing the N BA dream is to have som e
thing to fall back on ju st in case. He
feels that young players can not hear that
advice enough.
“ G et all the education you ca n ,” he
said. O btain som e m arketable skills in
the process o f chasing the pro rainbow
and have an ace in the hole. T here’s
nothing w rong with chasing the dream;
ju st keep it in perspective.”
PIONEER S GEMBALLA
MIRAGE PORSCHE
□ PROVIDES SOUND FOR THE
NEXT FRONTIER
The ultimate in sound and motion
was on display at the W inter Consum er
Electronics Show in the Las Vegas C on
vention Center where Pioneer Electron
ics (USA) Inc. unveiled its $350,000
hand-built G em balla M irage Porsche.
W ith a 2100-watt Pioneer sound system
featuring the most sophisticated car audio
and video equipm ent available, the
Gemballa Mirage represents “ Sound For
The N ext Frontier.”
World renowned West German auto
mobile custom izer, Uwe G em balla,
crafted the M irage on a Porsche 911
Turbo chassis, while pioneer Electron
ics engineered the installation o f the
state-of-the -art audio/video system.
Together the two have created the ulti
mate in speed and sound.
A total o f 24 speakers are driven by
six amplifiers, producing 1050-w attsof
continuous pow er and a maximum o f
2100-watts.
The KPX-990 headunit/controller
contains a cassette player and seven-
band graphic equalizer which allows all
o f its functions to be displayed on the
glove-box m ounted TV M -C6 color
monitor. The TVM -C6 can also display
the picture from a LaserDisc player or
videocassette recorder.
Players, All-Stars, Fans, All-bored
By Aaron Fentress
The best players from the
National league versus the best players
from the American league. Canseco,
Sandberg, Boggs, Straw berry, Dykstra,
Henderson and more.
How could
anything be more exciting.1 Stop !! I
can't do it. I can't write som ething good
about a baseball gam e that was so boring
mother nature got tired of it and tried to
rain it out. Lets face it. W atching a
grape transform into a raison would
have been more exciting than w atching
baseball's 61st A ll-Star game.
W ith re a s o n s -o -p le n ty
Tuesday night's annual A ll-Star affair
turned into the all-dull game. Unlike the
NBA All-Star gam e baseball's is self
defeating. W hat m akes an A ll-Star
gam e p o tentially ex citin g is the
possibility o f a trem endous offensive
display. But it so w on't happen when 18
o f the best pitchers in baseball are
allow ed to play. It's like allow ing the
NBA to play Zone defense. It lim its the
offensive punch. And every fan likeds
to w itn e ss o ffe n siv e fire w o rk s.
Especially in an A ll-Star game.
By far the m ost entertaining o f
professional sport's A ll-Star gam es is
the NBA's. The players are unrestricted,
allow ed to run wild, shooting, dunking,
passing and entertaining. The most
valuable player in an NBA A ll-Star
8ame could score 20 to 30 points, grab
some rebounds and dish out some
assists. Each team scores between 125
and 150 points. The M VP o f Tuesday
night's A ll-Star gam e got one hit and
"Rough and Tumble" Basketball
Strawberry after trying to run home
after tagging from third on a fly ball to
right field. The only thing MVP, Texas
Ranger's, Julio Franco, actually did was
get his hit when a couple o f players
hapened to be on base. It was the only
scoring in a 2-0 ballgame. Wow!
The M VP o f an exciting
baseball A ll-Star gam e should go three-
for-five, with a double and a homerun.
Knock in four RBI's to lead his team to
a 10-9 victory.
T hat would be
explosive. Instead we get franco as
M VP while the rest o f the All-Star's bat
.147 on nine for 61 hitting. YAW N !
The NBA elim inated the zone
defense from basketball because fans
were becom ing bored with tall guys
simply standing around guarding the
basket.
By making
man-to-man
defenses mandatory, the NBA opened
up the floor allow ing a faster paced
gam e to take place which led to more
scoring. Righ now baseball's All-Star
gam e is trapped in the no-hit zone.
Granted the best offensive
players in baseball are facing those 18
pitchers, but w hat is considered a great
offensive player ? W hen you get a hit
once out of every three chances and a
homerun once every 15 at-bats.
he
chances for a hit or homerun decrease
when you face a fresh pitcher every
inning. W hich brings me to my first
so lu tio n fo r A ll-S ta r b o red o m .
Eliminate the num ber o f pitchers
allowed for each A ll-Star team.
let alone a fresh one every inning.
Hitters sim ply need lime to get used to a
pitcher, to start feeling a groove and
know what kind o f pitches to expect. It's
difficult ot achieve that when you face a
different pitcher every at-bat. Team s
should be allow ed only four pitchers.
Tw o starters and two relievers, with the
top vote receiver required to pilch at
least four innings. The next starter
pitches three while the two relievers are
saved for the final two. The m anager
then must decide w either or not to save
a pitcher incase o f extra innings.
A n o th e r a n n o y in g a sp e c t
about baseball's A ll-Star gam eis the fact
that the starters only play in the first
three or four innings. They are not
present during the seventh, eigth and
ninth innings when the gam e is on the
line. The starters, which are voted for by
the fans, should start the gam e, play
three innings, allow the reserves to play
three then return for the seventh- inning-
stretch. The shouldn't be in the dug-out
chewing Tobacco when the gam e gets
exciting. If it ever did.
It would be unrealistic for me
to hope that baseball officials adopt
some o f my ideas. But if things continue
as they are fans are likely to becom e
miffed.
M aybe someday baseball
officials will actually change the rules
to make the game more exciting. Then
fans can really feel like they are
watching A ll-Star’s. N ot being all-
bored.
Support our Advertisers--
SAY YOU SAW IT IN
THE PORTLAND OBSERVER
Uncle Dave is Really my Uncle Dad
by Ulysses T u c k e r, J r .
Against his better judgem ent.
Uncle D a v e -th a t’s Uncle
Uncle Dave took a small plane ride to
David Lee Tucker—epitom izes the role
M ount Saint Helens (in a 5 seat Cesna)
of a family m em ber during times of
and for a change, I provided him with a
trouble or need. A fter my father died
first. He loves big planes, but 1 had to
when I was age thirteen. Uncle Dave
do some serious talk
served as that fa
ing
to get him up in
ther figure so
the
air. Thanks to
m any young
some
help from Dave
B lack m ales
Lewis
(Lewis A via
lack and need to
tion
of
Hillsboro),
Jr.,
day. He is my
who
served
as
psy
father’s younger
'ÆÙC ‘77Æ (jOOV ON£S
chologist and pilot in
brother.
a fun way, my uncle
Throughout
You've just about given up!
had a good flight. He
my life, Uncle
You're tried of the whole dating scene;
was impressed with
Dave has always
night clubs, bars, social lounges.
the natural beauty o f
been supportive
Oregon
and the m ag
and there iwth
All the prospects just were not
nitude of the vol
e n c o u rg e m e n t
David Lee Tucker with pilot
c a n o ’s
stre n g th .
or a pat on the
David Lewis, Jr.
wha*t you were looking for in a permanent relationship.
Later the sam e day,
ack. Sometines,
we took a drive down
a hard kick in
We understand how you feel. The African American Singles
to the Oregon C oast and made stops in
the butt would have been more appro
Network Dateletter is what you need. It offers a unique opportu
Seaside and M anzanita, where we had
priate considering my decadent behav
dinner at N ina’s famous Italian R estau
ior as a juvenile. I will spare you the d e
nity to meet qualified, pre-screened singles who are eager to meet
rant. W e also visited the U. o f Portland
tails. During those times o f confusion
you as well.
(where I graduated), attended several
or when I “ tightroped” on the edge of
cook-outs
on the Fourth o f July, and I
good
and
evil,
Uncle
Dave
was
always
The Dateletter also provides:
gave him a tour o f the K ATU-TV 2 stu
there to push me further aw ay from the
- Intriguing articles on dating, loving and relationship success.
Playground basketball at Its "rough and tumble" best came evil streets o f W ashington, D.C.
dios.
- Notice of cultural and social events where the possibility of meeting alive at Venice Beach in Los Angelas for the first national ‘Coca-Cola
In many ways, it was great to
W hen I reflect on my relation
Coup de Hoop”3-on-3 basketball tournament. Regional playground ship with Uncle Dave, I think about all
other African American singles are greatest
sit down and talk with my uncle about
things that happened in the past. W e
- Detailed info, on singles who are interested in a long term, meaning champion male and female 3-on-3 teams from Atlanta, New York, the times he helped to build my self
Chicago, Los Angeles, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Jon Stanley (left) of esteem and confidence. He has also
talked about my father, fam ily inci
ful relationship.
Hawaii won the "Coca-Cola Coup de Hoop" 1990 Slam Dunk contest provided several “ firsts” in my life.
dents that caused my great confusion as
- Privacy is assured!
and a $5,000 prize for his athletic showmanship. Presenting the Uncle Dave purchased my first pair of
a youth, future plans for both o f us, and
championship trophy Is Ed Washington, (right) vice president, Coca- football cleats, my first big apple hat,
a host o f other topics. W ithout a doubt.
Uncle Dave said he will be visiting
my first pair o f Converse (Chuck Tay-
A confidential way to select only those individuals who are most Cola Enterprises. (Photo by Arnold Turner)
Oregon
on a regular basis. He prefers
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lors)
tennis
shoes,
my
first
stereo
to
compatible with the type of person you wish to spend time with.
the trees over concrete.
4 take to college, my first plane ticket to
By the way, there’s som ething
t college, my first cam era (35m m ), and
So come on! Send in the coupon below. It may be the best thing
else that Uncle Dave likes about O re
•I he was the first one to attend my youth
To order, write or call:
you've ever done!
gon. He like the fresh salm on that is
4 basketball games.
1
Recently, Uncle Dave became
such a staple in most diets o f O reg o n i
Please send me more information and a membership packet. I don't want to
ans. In D.C., folks are paying alm ost
} my first uncle to visit me out here in
let this unique opportunity past me by. I have enclosed $2.00 for shipping and
African American Singles Netw ork } Portland, Oregon. A skycap for Ameri-
eight dollars for a one-pound can and
handling.
after mentioning to my grandm other
t
can
Airlines
at
W
ashinton
National
P. O. Box 1 25 1 4
(Connie B. Tucker), how I cat it fresh
i Airport (where he has worked for twenty-
Name:
Portland, OR 97212
on a regular basis, he volunteered to
4 eight of the forty-eight years h e ’s been
Address:
com e get some. He took a cooler full
living), Uncle Dave finally stopped talk-
(503) 293-7979
City/State/Zip:____
! ing about visiting and decided to see
back.
Male
Female
Uncle Dad, thanks for the
1 w hat I m eant by “ G od’s C ountry” . He
I certify that I'm 21 years of age or older, single, and African American.
memories!
| was very impressed with Oregon.
Signature:________ _______ ___________________________________
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The Portland Observer is the Official
Newspaper of the African-American Festival
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