The Ol' Coach Sez

by Gus Moorhead

By the Ol' Coach
with the help of his wife

SPORTS TRIVIA: Who is the winningest left-handed pitcher in major league history and for what three major league teams did he play?

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH LARRY BROWN? According to reports in the newspapers and on TV sportscasts Larry Brown's days with the Detroit Pistons are numbered. It sounds as if there might be a buyout of his contract, which still has three years to go and is worth more than $20 million.

His agent has acknowledged that the sides negotiated again last Monday, but he says no settlement has been reached. "Larry's not quitting," Glass said. "He wants to be the Pistons' coach on October 3, but supposedly the Pistons have already talked to Flip Saunders, former Minnesota coach, so that doesn't seem to be a possibility."

Glass also said that "health-wise, emotionally, and spiritually, Larry wants to coach." More negotiations were expected before the Pistons announce what actually is going to happen.

One thing is certain: In his days of coaching, Brown has had lots of different jobs. Among the teams he's coached are UCLA, Kansas, the San Antonio Spurs, the Indiana Pacers, and the Philadelphia '76ers ­ to name a few.

However, according to the Ol' Coach, Brown is an excellent coach who gets the most out of his players. He may be a "prima donna" and hard to get along with now and then, but he's been a successful coach who has won his share of championships throughout his career.

Brown's team won the NBA in 2004 and lost in the finals in 2005 ­ not too shabby a record, but there was talk even during this year's final games that it might be Brown's last season with the Pistons. For one thing, Brown has had several health problems during the season and missed 17 games because of a hip replacement and the first of his two surgeries for a bladder problem.

Then when the season was over he had the second surgery for the same problem.

Right now his future is uncertain; it's anyone's guess what the Pistons will do and how the whole situation will be resolved.

ARMSTRONG CLOSE TO WINNING HIS SEVENTH:
Because he is such an all-around good guy, we all hope to see Lance Armstrong capture his seventh straight Tour de France title. Last Tuesday was his final day in the mountains and today (Thursday's) run was 105 miles of mostly flat land. Friday will be the next-to-last road stage of 95.4 miles, and Saturday, Stage 20, is a distance of 34.5 miles as an individual time trial.

Sunday is Stage 21, Corbeil-Essonnes to Paris, Champs-Elysees ­ a distance of 89.8 miles and usually considered the ceremonial stage.

The Indianapolis Star describes Armstrong's motivation not only to win the title, but also to win the hearts of the French people. Over the years this has been increasingly difficult, especially now with the uneasy relationship the two countries have.

France has not always treated him kindly, probably because of his dominance of the race. Certain incidents have taken place that showed their hostility; yet Armstrong doesn't hold a grudge and really is trying to win them over. "My objective is to win the hearts of the French fans," he said. "I can't say enough good things about France. I genuinely love this country, the culture, the history."

HOOSIER CYCLIST/CANCER SURVIVOR WINS TRIP: Indianapolis cyclist Cindi Hart, a breast cancer survivor, had the opportunity to travel to Paris as part of a one-hour "Lance's Army" special that is scheduled to air in September on the Discovery Travel Channel.

She notes that when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she drew inspiration from Lance Armstrong, another cancer survivor. "Last summer when I was going through chemotherapy and my hair was falling out and I was sick, being able to see Lance ride and win his sixth Tour de France on TV made me want to turn cartwheels in my living room," Hart told Star reporter Matthew Glenesk.

The Discovery Channel learned of Hart's situation through a news release from the IU School of Medicine, in which her surgeon Robert Goulet, Jr. said, "Cindi Hart is to breast cancer what Lance Armstrong is to testicular cancer."

A cyclist in her own right, Cindi won a track cycling gold medal in statewide competition just two days after her second round of chemotherapy last summer. Three days after her third round, she captained the winning team of a 17-mile time trial in Ohio.

Hart left on Tuesday with her husband of 15 years - Ken Hart - and their 10-year-old daughter Madison. They will be on hand Sunday when Armstrong nears the finish line at Champs-Elysees to shout words of encouragement: "Come on, Lance! You beat cancer; you can beat them."

Interesting to note, Lance Armstrong was treated for testicular cancer at the IU Cancer Center in 1996. Cindi Hart's oncologist Kathy Miller told her, "We fixed Lance; we'll fix you."

PERSONAL CHAT: In my years with the American Cancer Society, I have had the opportunity to meet Dr. Robert Goulet on several occasions. He is an outstanding breast cancer surgeon and has always been available for speeches, discussions, and information on the latest in breast cancer research as well as breast reconstruction. He has made two or three appearances in the Batesville area.

We are also fortunate in Indiana to have Dr. Larry Einhorn, who has developed methods of dealing with testicular cancer that have proven successful over the past decade. He has worked through the IU Cancer Center and was probably the reason Lance Armstrong came to Indiana for his cancer treatment.

A couple of years ago when the American Cancer Society volunteers and staff went to Washington, D.C. for "Celebration on the Hill," I also had the privilege of seeing "up close and kind-of-personal" Lance Armstrong and his team. He spoke briefly about his experience with cancer and the research that enabled him to recover and continue his biking career. Times like this make me so glad to be a volunteer.

ANSWER TO SPORTS TRIVIA: Hall of Famer Warren Spahn is the winningest left-handed pitcher in major league history with 363 victories including 13 seasons with 20 or more wins, two no-hitters, and a Cy Young Award in 1957. During his 21 years, he played with the Braves, the Mets, and the Giants and led the National League in victories eight times, ERA three times, shutouts and strikeouts four times, and complete games on nine occasions.