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Off The Subject (But Not Really) Tony Dungy Retires

Posted: 13 Jan 2009 03:05 AM CST

The Titans, Panthers, Giants and Chargers lost over the weekend. The rest of the NFL lost Monday.

That's because Tony Dungy, one of the best coaches and finest men in the business, decided to step away from football.

"We just felt this was the right time," Dungy said at a news conference in Indianapolis. "Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live."

In my 23 years covering the NFL, no one has been more universally respected and well-liked than Dungy. No one coached, won and lost with more grace. I've come across ball boys with more ego.

Dan Pompei E-mail | Recent columns

He did things for the right reasons. He always had time for everybody. In a profession in which Jon "Yeah, that's the ticket" Lovitz probably would thrive, Dungy couldn't even put a spin on something, let alone lie. He is as true blue as the family dog.

What Dungy proved is that Leo Durocher didn't know what he was talking about. This nice guy still would have mattered even if he had finished last.

But Dungy won more games (139-69 record) than all but 18 coaches in NFL history. He also became the first coach to make the playoffs for 10 straight years and the only African-American to win a Super Bowl.

Dungy, who interviewed for four head-coaching jobs before finally being hired by the Bucs in 1996, really has not been credited for his impact on the game. Because he is reserved, it's been easy to write him off as soft and to overlook his considerable contributions.

Dungy changed the game in the 1990s, popularizing the defensive scheme he learned as a safety with the great Steelers teams in the late 1970s. He tweaked it to reflect changes in the game, and it became the Tampa-2.

They say Dungy never won anything until he had Peyton Manning, which is true. It's also true Manning never won anything until he had Dungy. With the two of them working in concert, the Colts have had a chance to win the Super Bowl as consistently as any team in football over the last seven seasons.

Dungy also led the Bucs to the brink of a Super Bowl before being replaced by Jon Gruden.

Subsequently, other teams wanted a piece of Dungy, and they kept hiring his assistants. Lovie Smith is a proud Dungy disciple, and he summed up the way a lot of people were feeling with this statement Monday:

"I'm happy for Tony and his family but sad for our league because we are losing one of the all-time great coaches. He is one of the modern-day pioneers of our game. His résumé includes achievements no other NFL head coach has accomplished, which I'm sure will lead to a spot in the Hall of Fame. And as great of a coach as he is, he's an even better person.

"I owe Tony a lot. I would not be in my position today if it wasn't for him providing me with an opportunity and mentorship. I learned a tremendous amount of football in my time with Tony in Tampa and made a friend for life. I'm proud to be a member of his coaching tree."

Mike Tomlin, who will try to lead the Steelers to the AFC championship Sunday, got his first NFL job from Dungy. Herm Edwards coached under him. Dungy brought Rod Marinelli to the NFL. If the Rams or Lions are smart enough to hire Leslie Frazier as a head coach, they'll find that Frazier, who worked for Dungy in Indianapolis, is the closest thing to him in the NFL.

Jim Caldwell put himself in position to succeed Dungy by learning from him. He was Dungy's quarterbacks coach in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, and now he is the Colts' head coach.

At 53, Dungy is too young to retire. And he really isn't retiring. He's moving on to more important things.

Certainly, Dungy was profoundly affected by the suicide of his 18-year-old son, James, in 2005. But even without that tragedy, Dungy never was destined to coach until he was Joe Paterno's age.

He has talked about walking away for five years.

He will spend more time with his family, work with a prison ministry, mentor teenagers and young adults and help fathers realize their responsibilities. He knows he has a powerful forum as a successful former NFL coach.

So you and I and the NFL might have lost Monday. But the rest of the world won.

Lil Wayne Donates $50,000 For Renovation On Hometown Basketball Court

Posted: 13 Jan 2009 02:29 AM CST

Rap star Lil' Wayne returned to New Orleans over the weekend to celebrate the re-opening of a renowned basketball court.

Weezy F. Baby made an appearance Sunday (January 11) at Hollygrove's upgraded Harrell Park.

Lil' Wayne helped open the park this afternoon after he donated $50,000 towards its renovation. Wayne says he grew up playing basketball at the park and he wanted to help kids in his old neighborhood. (ABC WGNO News 26)

He also donated $200,000 to the city through his One Family Foundation restore the park's community center.

"The word for today and the word forever is kids," Lil' Wayne said. "That's what it's for. It's for the kids. I played for this park, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make sure y'all play for this park." (WWLTV Louisiana News)

Weezy's One Family Foundation focuses on improving the the lives of inner city kids.

The One Family Foundation empowers urban youth by engaging them in opportunities to cultivate their talents and skills, educating them to become productive and economically self-sufficient, and motivating them to dream beyond their circumstances. (One Family Foundation)

25th Anniversary For Dunkadelic Era 1984-2009

Posted: 13 Jan 2009 02:20 AM CST

The basketball and hip-hop culture fusion born in 1984 is known now as The "Dunkadelic-Era" In America, 1984-Present. The "Dunkadelic-Era" will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary during the year 2009 (1984-2009). The "Dunkadelic-Era" is the first and only sport-and-music defined time period in American history. The 5 following events in 1984 led to the birth of The "Dunkadelic-Era".

1. The NBA first introduced the Slam Dunk Contest to All-Star Weekend on January 28, 1984. Larry Nance defeated Dr. J to win the Slam Dunk Championship.

2. David Stern was announced as the 4th NBA Commisioner on February 1, 1984.

3. Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons formed Def Jam Records in March 1984. Def Jam remains the #1 hip-hop label in the industry. Kurtis Blow the hip-hop pioneer releases the hit rap song 'Basketball' from the Ego Trip album.

4. The Fresh Fest was the first major hip-hop concert tour featuring Kurtis Blow, RUN-DMC, Whodini, Newcleus, and the Fat Boys. The tour had 27 stops earning more than 3.5 million dollars.

5. Michael Jordan was selected by the Chicago Bulls with 3rd pick of the 1984 NBA Draft on June 19, 1984. Jordan would sign with Nike and produce the "Air Jordan" sneakers that would later become symbols of fashion within the hip-hop culture.

Bonus Events:

John Thompson the Hall-of-Fame coach would become the first African-American Division 1 college basketball coach to win an NCAA Championship. He led the Georgetown Hoyas with star center Patrick Ewing over the Houston Cougars 84-75 on April 2, 1984.

NBA current stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Nate Robinson, Brandon Roy, and Deron Williams were all born in 1984. Carmelo is the new-face of the Jordan Brand, and LeBron wears the #23 just as Jordan. Andre Iguodala the hi-flyin' forward of the Philadelphia 76ers was born the same day of the first NBA Slam Dunk Contest January 28, 1984.

Happy 25th Anniversary to The "Dunkadelic-Era" In America, 1984-2009