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Randy is the
author of three novels, including his latest, The Devil Inside, The
Suspense Thriller.
More about Randy.
His publishing company is looking for short stories for Men in Jocks:
Stories of Athletes and Sports Nuts.
Details here. 'Whoa ... Dude'
By Randy Boyd
Talk about a “whoa … dude” moment -- you know, one of those occasions where you hear something and are so shocked that all you can do is mimic the Great Keanu. The college football season was full of them, but probably none so “whoa … dude-ish” than the guy with two last names finishing first in the Heisman balloting. And there was no better “whoa … dude” moment in the NFL season than Terrell Owens taking pompoms from the Niner cheer girls and doing his own jig. How cool and studly (and confident) do you have to be to do that? Deion Sanders, you’ve just been replaced as the best showman to ever suit up. But not to be out “whoa-dude-ed”, the NBA’s early season has provided plenty of surprises of its own (hoop segue). Here now, a look at just some of the more bizarre, surprising and “whoa … dude” moments in the early going: Most surprising factoid: The NBA has managed to stay out of the “gays in sports” debate on a national media level. No Garrison Hearts, Marshall Faulks or John Rockers here so far. Unfortunately, no Dave Kopays or Esera Tuaolos either. (To a certain Atlanta Hawk: are you listening?) Most surprising game: How stupefying was Dallas’ fourth quarter flameout against the Lakers at Staples Center? The Mavs came out strong from the opening tip, bombing treys like they was lay-ups, stifling Kobe, neutralizing Shaq, giving the city of Sacramento hope. Steve Nash even had the Defensive Hustle of the Year when he poked the ball free, chased it down in the backcourt, dove on the floor and deflected it to his teammate who went in for the easy crib. Dallas led by a gillion early in the fourth. OK, it was only 30. But still. They lost, not so much because Kobe caught fire, but because Dallas lost their minds and forgot how to do things like pass, dribble and shoot. Most Surprising Con Job: This whole Lakers losing record thing is an act. Call it Phil Jackson’s greatest visualization. He actually penned in the loss to Golden State way back in July. The infighting was rehearsed at Burbank studios in September. Tom Hanks wrote a rough draft of this script while lounging in his luxury suite. The third act? The eighth-seeded Lakers rise up and storm through the playoffs like the Miami Hurricanes storming through the Ohio State Buckeye defense in the second half of the upcoming Fiesta Bowl (you heard it here first). Most surprising team: Indiana. All five starters can score over 20 a night. In the same game. They also have an emerging legitimate superstar in Jermaine O’Neal, and Jamaal Tinsley is quietly becoming the next Allen Iverson (on the court, mind you). In traditional Pacer fashion, the team is carving out a niche for themselves with a group of above-average overachievers who may not be on cereal boxes, but are steadfastly becoming the beasts of the East.
Randy's Outsports archive Dec.17, 2002 |
And the Heisman
goes to … the guy who couldn’t beat Wazzou’s Jason Gesser in
the regular season, the guy who looks like Bentley from The
Jeffersons, the guy whose team finished second in its conference,
yet was still ranked in the polls ahead of the two teams that beat
them (Kansas State and the aforementioned Wazzou). 
Most surprising
player: Bostjan Nachbar, Houston. He’s played in a handful
of games, averaging 2 points in them. So why is he on this page?
Because the man is hot with a capital H-O-T. 6’9, 221, 22 years old
from Slovenia. Houston, we have a problem. We need more Nachbar!