Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
HOUSTON — There are times when Vince Calipari grows so antsy watching son John coach Kentucky, he flips off the TV.
Given a choice, the 78-year-old prefers a seat in the stands. And he has been by his son's side for every step of this postseason, including Saturday's semifinal against Connecticut.
The trip has been therapeutic and bittersweet for the Caliparis. Vince's wife of 54 years, Donna, died of cancer in November.
"It's been a hard road," John Calipari said.
John took little time to mourn, never missing a game. He says he'll do so after the season.
It took some prodding for Calipari to get his father to join him. Vince didn't attend a game during the regular season, opting to spend time at his home in Charlotte, N.C.
Calipari simply wore him down. He encouraged Vince to bond with grandson Bradley and "take his mind off the grief."
Bradley and Vince sit next to each other on the team bus and have adjoining hotel rooms.
This is Vince's second Final Four. He watched in 1996 as John led Massachusetts to the semifinals, where it lost to Kentucky. He skipped Calipari's last trip, in 2008 with Memphis. ("It felt like a business trip.")
He is aware of the lightning rod his son can be. Both Final Four trips were vacated due to NCAA violations, though the coach was not found at fault in either.
"There's a lot been said both ways about John, but he's a good son," Vince said. "He's a good person. He's a good coach, and he tries to help everyone he can."
Upstaged: Fans mobbed Blue 2, Butler's English bulldog mascot, behind CBS's stage at the Final Four, snapping pictures and petting him. Even TV analyst Kenny Smith whipped out his phone to get a picture when Blue 2 joined the crew two hours before game time. Blue 2 got so much attention that also backstage, the nation's player of the year, BYU's Jimmer Fredette, was ignored.
By the way, Blue 2 has a Twitter account with about 5,000 followers and a Facebook page. And about 57,000 checked his Flickr page Friday to see photos of him at the Johnson Space Center, practice and media appearances.
Yanks for 'cats: Since 1949, Kentucky has won seven national titles. After each of the previous six — 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996 and 1998 — the Yankees have won the World Series. After the Wildcats' first title, in 1948, the Indians won the American League and beat the Braves (then in Boston) in the World Series.
Hoping he'll stay: VCU athletic director Norwood Teague said he will discuss a contract extension with coach Shaka Smart after the season: "We're going to get really aggressive with a package for him."
Obituary: Larry Finch, a former player and coach at Memphis, died in Memphis of undisclosed causes. He was 60. Mr. Finch scored 29 in a loss to UCLA in the 1973 title game. Under him from 1986 to 1997, Memphis played in six tournaments and reached the Elite Eight in 1992.