1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: For more than forty years, Johnny Holliday has been the 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: broadcast voice of University of Maryland football and basketball. Few, 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: if any, have seen or heard as much about Terp's 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 1: athletics as Holiday, and that includes the death and legacy 5 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: of Len Bias. Holiday had a rare view of Len's death. 6 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: He has had a front row seat for the struggles, challenges, 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: and triumphs experienced by Maryland athletics that followed. This is 8 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: Davon Grady, executive producer of the podcast series Len Bias 9 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: A Mixed Legacy. In this raw interview with Holiday, he 10 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: offers a unique perspective of the before, during, and after 11 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: of the death of Bias. Holiday is interviewed by me 12 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: and Don Marcus, another producer of the podcast series, Paul, 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: what you remember most about Lenn as a person? A 14 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 1: few people have been in this athletic department as long 15 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: as you have as a broadcaster, You've seen a lot 16 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: of athletes come through. Put his personality as a person 17 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: in perspective compared to other athletes, and then we'll talk 18 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: about his basketball. 19 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: My recollections of Lynn was, what a nice kid. He 20 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 2: was a soft spoken, down to earth as down to 21 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 2: earth as you could be before you became a superstar, 22 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 2: of course. And I remember going to Northwestern High School 23 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 2: to day he signed is a letter of intent to 24 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: come to the University of Maryland, and sitting and talking 25 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 2: with him and realizing that, well, this kid's very shy. 26 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 2: His kid's are very quiet. This kid's not going to 27 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: be a very good interview. He didn't say anything at all. 28 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 2: He was very veryed and what he had to say. Man, 29 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 2: I can understand that when you're a high school senior, 30 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 2: you're not going to be over the top. But in 31 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 2: the four years that I saw him and I watched 32 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: him play and grow, not only as a basketball player, 33 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 2: but as a just as a kid, he just kept 34 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: growing and growing mature wise, maturity wise, and became really 35 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 2: one of the best interviews on the team that I 36 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: recall from those days, always with a smile, always with 37 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 2: a nice word. Hello, mister Holliday. How are you just 38 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 2: the nicest, nicest, sweetest kid when he was grown up. 39 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 2: That's what I remember the most about Lamb. 40 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:47,679 Speaker 1: When you talk about him being one of the best 41 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: interviews during that time, was it because of the way 42 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 1: he respected and interacted with you or some of the 43 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: things that he would say. I think it's. 44 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 2: Probably because he started off not bad, but he wasn't 45 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 2: very good because he didn't say anything. I remember the 46 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 2: first year of the first couple of interviews we did 47 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 2: with him, it was like a lot of yes and 48 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 2: no answers, and even sometimes nodding of his head, and 49 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 2: I would stop the recorder to remindle him that this 50 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 2: is rate you're going to have to talk. They can't 51 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 2: see you nodding your head and big smile. Oh okay, okay. 52 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: And like all young players, when you stick a microphone 53 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: in front of them, they moved back, and I kept 54 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 2: moving in and he'd move back, and I'd move in 55 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: and he'd moved back, and it got to be a he. 56 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 2: As I mentioned, he got to be one of the 57 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: best interviews, and he was guarded in what he had 58 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 2: to say, because you're not going to throw your teammates 59 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 2: under the bus, and you're not going to throw the 60 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: coaches under the bus. But he was always fun to 61 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 2: talk to, always fun to be around. 62 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: Was he more of a Was he a practical joker 63 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: at all time, at any time compared to Whistle's on 64 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: that team. Was he reserved in that way? Was he 65 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: someone who would just get up and want to be 66 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: the center of attention in your mind, or he would 67 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: stay behind and just sort of react. 68 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 2: As far as practical joker is concerned, I wasn't on 69 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 2: the endside with the team, so I don't know. You know, 70 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 2: when you're with your teammates, you're one way. When you're 71 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: with the with the media, you're another way. When you're 72 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 2: with me, the broadcaster for the team, there probably another way. 73 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 2: I probably had better access to him than a lot 74 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 2: of people did because I was with him all the time, 75 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 2: and I think he trusted me and what I had 76 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 2: to say about him and about his teammates, and I 77 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 2: think that opens up the door quite a bit for 78 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 2: a kid to become comfortable with you when he's doing interviews. 79 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 2: But as far as a joker, I don't know about that, 80 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: but I know that he was always accessible. He was 81 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 2: never I don't think he ever turned out an interview 82 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 2: that I asked for, And a lot of times I'd 83 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 2: want to get him on, but I couldn't get him 84 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 2: on every single game, even though he was the guy 85 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 2: on that basketball team, not the freshman year, because he 86 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 2: was the backup when he came into Maryland as a 87 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 2: freshman and did not start. Mark Fothergill was the guy 88 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 2: that started. So but as he continued to get better 89 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 2: and better, everybody wanted to have him on with him 90 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 2: and I couldn't do that to him, and I didn't 91 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 2: want to do it to the rest of the players, 92 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 2: and I wanted the rest of the players to get 93 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 2: equal time along with len Bias. But he was He 94 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 2: was a great interviewer. 95 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 1: Let's talk about him as a basketball player. You saw 96 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 1: him evolve. You had a perspective if you had, I 97 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: imagine you were practices, you were on trips, You saw 98 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: him evolve as a player. What did you see in 99 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 1: practice when you said, Okay, I'm really seeing a difference here. 100 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: What did in games? I'm really seeing a difference here. 101 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: Over the course of his career. Any little stories that 102 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: you saw that really showed flashes of his athletic basketball 103 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: brilliance and as. 104 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 2: He evolved, Well, everybody talks about what a good score 105 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 2: he was, but I think lost in the shuffle was 106 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:08,360 Speaker 2: how athletic he was, what a rebounder he was, and 107 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 2: how even though he would get you fifteen or twenty 108 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 2: points a game, he set everybody else up, and he 109 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: had great passing ability. He had tremendous speed. If you 110 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 2: looked at him, the first word that comes to mind 111 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 2: for Len Bias is chiseled. He was chiseled. I don't 112 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 2: think there was an ounce of fat like myself on 113 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 2: his body. I mean, this guy, this guy was dynamite. 114 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 2: And Greg Manning was doing the games with me in 115 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: those days, and he would continually amaze Greg and I 116 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 2: with some of his moves, flying through the lane, coming 117 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 2: off a pick, around the corner of the baseline, stopping 118 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 2: up and firing a three. And he did everything. And 119 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 2: after a game we would say, couple of years, well 120 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 2: this kid is really how could can this kid be? 121 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 2: And that answer, of course was answered by we only 122 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: know what happened in Maryland. We all think about what 123 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 2: could have been with the Boston Celtics for many many years, 124 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: and how he could have turned that franchise around, and 125 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 2: I think we all close our eyes and say, what 126 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 2: you would have been great to watch Lynn Bias and 127 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 2: Michael Jordan go head to head year after year after year. 128 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 2: But I think it was his athleticism, his speed, his gracefulness, 129 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 2: his focus, and you could just see on the guy's face. 130 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: Nothing scaredy. He could handle any kind of a situation. 131 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 2: And I think as he continued to progress up the ladder, 132 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 2: the more confidence he got, and his junior and senior year, 133 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 2: I would imagine it's probably off the meter that he 134 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 2: felt he was maybe the best player in America, and 135 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 2: at that particular point he was on the way to 136 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 2: becoming the best player in the country. 137 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: Did he ever give you the impression that he felt 138 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: he was that good he was? Was his humility taking 139 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: over his Oh no, I think I think it was. 140 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: If it was, it was underscored. I don't think he 141 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: outwardly ever boasted about, Hey, I'm the best, I'm this, 142 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: I'm that he was. He wasn't that kind of a 143 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: kid at all. Let's talk about your perspective calling games. 144 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: You've seen all these games. I mean, it's hard to 145 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: find anyone who can put all this in perspective games 146 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,079 Speaker 1: you've seen of Len compared to other players. Let's let's 147 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,320 Speaker 1: remember h I think it was his senior year against Virginia, 148 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,839 Speaker 1: the Olden Polones situation when uh the crowd at Cole 149 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: he I think either he blocked Olden shot or something 150 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,239 Speaker 1: happened and and the crowds going. One half of Colesfield 151 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,959 Speaker 1: House is saying Len. The other other half of call 152 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: Field has a yelling bias. It's Len biased Len bias. 153 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: Do you remember that incident against Virginia? 154 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 2: Nope? 155 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 3: Okay, how do you remember that? I know I've heard 156 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 3: about it. I know I've been trying to find But 157 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 3: I like the way you describe that, though I have 158 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 3: no recollection. 159 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe Richard. 160 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 2: And Johnny and maybe Johnny, I'm right there with you. 161 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: I don't. 162 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 4: I don't remember it, but these guys are younger, so. 163 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 2: I have no The guy played one hundred and thirty 164 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,839 Speaker 2: one games, I have no recollection of that. 165 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: Well, how about the Carolina game. You were in Dean 166 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: Dome when he had this is his marquee game, when 167 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 1: he had the thirty four points or so and at 168 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: the end of thirty five. Okay, So what try to 169 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: describe that experience living through that and seeing that happen. 170 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: Anything that that you can recall from that time that 171 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: really is that really captures the moment. A lot a 172 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: lot has already been said about it, But is there 173 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:55,959 Speaker 1: anything else do you think you can add to that? 174 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 2: Well, that's the first loss they had Dean Dome for 175 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 2: North Carolina overtime game, thirty five points. He won eleven 176 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 2: of eleven at the line. If I recall, in that 177 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 2: particular game, it was overtime and that was the game. 178 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 2: Even though he had thirty five points in Maryland, won 179 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 2: that game in overtime. That's the that's the famous Kenny 180 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 2: Smith thing with Gatlin bounces the ball. That was the 181 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 2: thing people were talking about. But for him to win 182 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 2: down there against probably in the eyes of so many people, 183 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 2: the best team of the country, North Carolina, Uh, that 184 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 2: was incredible. But he also had a pretty good supporting 185 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 2: cast arounding as well. It wasn't just len bias. If 186 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:44,559 Speaker 2: you shut down one guy, you got to contend with 187 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 2: the other guys, and he had some pretty good players 188 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 2: in that team was pretty good. 189 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: He had a good game that game too. Yeah, he 190 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: had a good get. 191 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 2: A good game that game. Yeah. So, but I remember 192 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 2: in that game the fact that the Carolina fans are funny, 193 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: and I hate to use the word, I'm going to 194 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 2: use the word. They're kind of like front runners. You know, 195 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:07,079 Speaker 2: when things are going well, they're really going good, and 196 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 2: when things aren't going so good, the big hitters sit 197 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 2: down close to the floor, and they got the you know, 198 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 2: the little thing for the glasses and drinks and everything. 199 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,559 Speaker 2: They're big, and they were vacant. They started that. People 200 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 2: started to leave it in a game like that, and 201 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 2: Greg and I said, what are you are you kidding me? 202 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 2: What are they what are they doing? I mean, they're 203 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 2: that's their prerogative to do that. But he silenced a 204 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 2: lot of critics in that particular game. And you know something, 205 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 2: when you talk about Lynn's scoring, I think he only 206 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 2: scored thirty points or more, maybe seven times, six or 207 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 2: seven times in his four years at Maryland. What he 208 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 2: averaged twenty something points a game, But each year it 209 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,199 Speaker 2: went from seven points as a freshman to eleven to seventeen. 210 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 2: It kept on going up and up and up. And 211 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 2: I think that was one of those games that you know, 212 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 2: you sit back and you say, boy, this kid, I 213 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 2: think he had four you won that year the senior 214 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,959 Speaker 2: year against Duke something like that. But it was it 215 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 2: was a game. It's certainly a game to remember, no 216 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 2: question about that. 217 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 1: Is there one game situation that you think stands out 218 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 1: to you in Len's career that he did that you 219 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: sit back and that's lent. Have you ever thought about 220 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 1: that or is there one thing you can pinpoint? 221 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 2: No, The only thing I thought about was every time 222 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:31,199 Speaker 2: I saw him play. It's not that he did something different, 223 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:36,559 Speaker 2: but he did most things consistently. I love the way 224 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 2: he could take off at the top of the key, 225 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 2: at the top of the foul line and just soar 226 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 2: through the air and slam the ball through with one hand. 227 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 2: And he can also as easy as as Don Marcus 228 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 2: could do in his younger days. He could take it 229 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 2: over his head, you know, slam it through. Yeah, I 230 00:12:54,360 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 2: mean the guy. The guy had so much athleticism, and 231 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 2: that's why there was nobody quite like len Bias, even 232 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 2: though Jordan was spectacular. But I think len Bias caught 233 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 2: the eyes and the attention of everybody in the country 234 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 2: because he was so well rounded he was. I don't 235 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 2: think he had any deficiencies at all. He was a 236 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 2: good defensive player as well, But anytime he went flying 237 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 2: through the air, I think that's what caught our eye 238 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 2: to hear this guy looks like he's just you know, 239 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 2: he's like fifteen feet off the floor soaring through the 240 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,319 Speaker 2: air to slam the ball through the net and That's 241 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 2: what impressed me most about him. 242 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: By the way, I think don can do that on 243 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: a seven foot basket correct on today back done. Do 244 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: you consider of all the when you started working with 245 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,959 Speaker 1: Maryland basketball and what you're seventy eight to seventy nine 246 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 1: it was correct? Yeah, do you consider him the best 247 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:57,839 Speaker 1: player you've seen while you've been working Maryland games? 248 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 2: I would say it's tough. It's tough to put in 249 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 2: perspective something like that, because Dixon was pretty good, Basquez 250 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:09,239 Speaker 2: was pretty good, Joe Smith was pretty good, Steve Francis 251 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 2: was pretty good, Steve Blake, I mean, Lottie Baxter, all 252 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 2: these guys I hate, like the Dickens to put anybody 253 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 2: and say this is the best I've ever seen, because 254 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 2: I've seen so many of them. But certainly to be 255 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 2: the number three all time score like he is, behind 256 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 2: Dixon and behind Besquez, that says something like that for 257 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 2: him right there. But also if you look at his 258 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 2: other numbers, if the game's played and his rebounding was outstanding, 259 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 2: his free throw shooting was outstanding, there were there weren't 260 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 2: a lot of deficiencies in his game, But I would 261 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 2: have to I'd probably see in the top ten that 262 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 2: I saw play would be Lynn Bias. 263 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, let's let's go to uh, his death and 264 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: the impact on the university. Oh yeah, that's that's a 265 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 1: different topic, different different mood. Uh. You go back to 266 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: the death and immediate aftermath. You actually you sang? Was 267 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: it his memorial service or in the at the funeral 268 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: in the church, which at the chapel at the chapel chapel. Yeah, 269 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: tell me about that experience and how that happened. 270 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 2: Uh. His mom asked me if I could sing at 271 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 2: his funeral, and I said, I don't. I don't. I 272 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 2: don't think I could do that. It'd be too emotional, 273 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: too difficult to do. And missus Baia said, well, you 274 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 2: do theater, and you sing at theater. It's true. Theater 275 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 2: is one thing. Funerals or another thing. And she had 276 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 2: done some research. She knew I'd sang at some other funerals. 277 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 2: And I said, after I thought about it for a while, 278 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 2: I said, you know, this is this, this is quite 279 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 2: an honor to be asked to do something like this 280 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 2: and as emotional as it was going to be, And 281 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 2: it was uh, yeah, I'll try was my response. I'll 282 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 2: try to get through it, And I said, what song 283 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 2: do you want? 284 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 4: Going to sing? 285 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 2: The Lord's Prayer? WHOA not an easy song. It's not 286 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 2: the same as a Broadway musical, you know. It's a 287 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 2: little bit more challenging and difficult. So I'm up in 288 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 2: the chapel, up in the top there with the organist, 289 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 2: and as I sang the song to this very day, 290 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 2: I remember thinking about everything, but what I'm looking at 291 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 2: is a casket being rolled down the aisle with the 292 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 2: family just in such an emotional state, following behind the cast. 293 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 2: And I got through the song, and as I looked down, 294 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 2: missus Bias is walking behind the casket and she goes 295 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 2: and that's when it all went to pieces, and I, 296 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 2: you know, I broke down. I got through the song, 297 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 2: though I did it. I did okay, And then I 298 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 2: thought about it and I said, this is this has 299 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 2: really been I'm honored. I'm humbled that she would even 300 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 2: think to ask me to do something like that. And 301 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 2: when I talked to my wife about it, she said, well, 302 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 2: you know something, why are you hesitanting? I said, well, 303 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 2: I'm just the broadcaster for the team, and she said 304 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 2: to me, you know, but you must you must have 305 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 2: made some kind of a connection with Limbia said, his 306 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 2: mom and his dad and his family. For them to 307 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 2: ask you, I wouldn't beat an eye, go ahead and 308 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 2: do it. And that's that's what convinced me. 309 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: What kind of a connection or a relationship did you 310 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: have with the family, if any, did you get to 311 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: know them pretty. 312 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 2: Well or at that particular time I had. I would 313 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 2: see the mom and dad at a game, and I 314 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 2: would always go over and try to visit with family 315 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 2: members if I could, if I knew where they were sitting, 316 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:51,560 Speaker 2: and always tell them, boy, you've got a great kid. 317 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 2: You have got how proud you must be of your son. 318 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 2: But I did that to all the players moments and 319 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 2: dads and cousins and brothers who would come to the game. 320 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,120 Speaker 2: But I didn't. I didn't really have a deep relationship 321 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 2: with the Bias family at all, probably more after he 322 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:08,560 Speaker 2: died than when he was alive. 323 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,720 Speaker 1: How did that relationship evolve? How close did you get 324 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: and what kind of interaction was there and how did 325 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 1: you did you all help each other through the process? 326 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: Can you talk of any stories there? 327 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 2: I remember missus Bias came to a game and to 328 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:27,959 Speaker 2: expended he said her a couple of years ago, as 329 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 2: a matter of fact, and I found out that she 330 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 2: was there and I hadn't seen her, I hadn't talked 331 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 2: with her in years and years since he passed away. 332 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 2: So I went up in the stands and said, missus 333 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 2: bias and she turned around. She said yeah, she said, Johnny, 334 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:51,399 Speaker 2: how are you? And just speaking to her and knowing 335 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 2: what she had gone through gets you really kind of 336 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 2: on edge of becoming emotionally drained, if you can understand that. 337 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,880 Speaker 2: And here I was talking to her, fighting back to tears, 338 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,359 Speaker 2: knowing what she had gone through, not once but twice, 339 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:11,679 Speaker 2: losing two sons, and thinking, I just can't imagine what 340 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,400 Speaker 2: this woman and her husband have gone through no way. 341 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 2: And what struck me at that point was how positive 342 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:26,719 Speaker 2: she was and how it's okay. You can go one 343 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 2: of two ways. You can collapse and fold it up 344 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 2: and become hibernation and do nothing, but you can take 345 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 2: the situation and try to resolve it and make it 346 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:41,880 Speaker 2: better for young people and let them understand the dangers 347 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:45,199 Speaker 2: of drugs, which she continues to do today. And then 348 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 2: I've seen her a couple of other times. We did 349 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:50,119 Speaker 2: a thing Xfinity Center one night with a bunch of 350 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 2: former players, and with the Keith Booth and with Walt Williams, 351 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 2: and with the Missus Bias talking about Lynn and recalling 352 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 2: stories about Lynn and she it was such a positive 353 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 2: attitude and is making to this very day a major 354 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 2: impact on young and old all around the country on 355 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 2: the dangers of drugs. And I think, as she has 356 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 2: said many many times, Lynn Bias has been gone longer 357 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 2: than he was alive. It'll be what thirty six years 358 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 2: coming up pretty soon that he passed away, and he's 359 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 2: probably bigger now in depth than he was in life. 360 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 1: What do you think drives her frame of mind and 361 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: her mindset to be that way. I know she's a 362 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:40,920 Speaker 1: very spiritual person, and I'm guessing from my perspective that's 363 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,160 Speaker 1: what has a lot to do with it. From your perspective, 364 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: what allows her to be able to be so composed 365 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: and so focused and so driven in that regard. 366 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 2: I think, deep down inside it's probably like any mother 367 00:20:54,480 --> 00:21:01,360 Speaker 2: who's lost his son cocaine intoxication of doing Bias's death, 368 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 2: and any parent who's lost a child wants to help 369 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 2: other parents and make sure they don't go through the 370 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,959 Speaker 2: same thing that she's gone through and if you can 371 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 2: help save one kid, then you've really done your job. 372 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 2: And I think she's driven by his memory number one, 373 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 2: and then she's driven by the fact that how dangerous 374 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 2: drugs can be. And I think that's why she does 375 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 2: what she does. I did an interview with her, I 376 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,679 Speaker 2: don't know, maybe a couple six weeks ago, and I 377 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 2: didn't want to touch on certain things for fear it 378 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 2: to bring up it'd be too emotional for her. But 379 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 2: I asked her, I said, when was the last time 380 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 2: you saw them? And she said the last time I 381 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 2: saw him was before he went up to New York 382 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 2: to be drafted by the Boston Cellics the seventeenth of June, 383 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 2: and her husband James went with him. She did not 384 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 2: go to New York and they came back, and then 385 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 2: he went to another event in New York the next 386 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 2: day and she didn't go with him, and she said, 387 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,880 Speaker 2: the next time I saw him, he was lying dead 388 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 2: on a slab at Leland Memorial Hospital. And that'll get 389 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 2: your attention real quick a comment like that, and I 390 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 2: did ask her. I said, why do you continue to 391 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 2: do what you're doing? And I think her answer was, 392 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 2: wouldn't you and I probably would. I probably would do 393 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 2: exactly the same thing she's doing to spread the dangers 394 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 2: of kids trying drugs. And I think the thing that 395 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 2: she points out, as good an athlete as he was, 396 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 2: as dynamic a player, as charismatic as he was, as 397 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 2: well rounded, as chiseled as he was, it's still a 398 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 2: human being. And you make a mistake, and he did, 399 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 2: and it cost him his life. So matter no matter 400 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,479 Speaker 2: what the stature of a person may be, a young person, 401 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,639 Speaker 2: don't think that you know you're indestructible, which a lot 402 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 2: of kids feel today. Oh I can do this. I'm 403 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,159 Speaker 2: going to get away with that. It's not going to 404 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 2: get me. Blah blah blah. I've been doing this for 405 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 2: a long One spend of the dice and it comes 406 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 2: up the wrong numbers. Oh you're gone. And that's what 407 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 2: happened to my son. I thought that was a great explanation. 408 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: And the impact of his death on the University Ethtic 409 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: Department start with that. What you saw We write about 410 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,560 Speaker 1: a lot in the book, how it affected Dick dol Lefty, 411 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: Bobby Ross. The restructuring of the program is so much there. 412 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,440 Speaker 1: What did you see? Give us your impressions, how you 413 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: saw it, Avove, what was most impactful, if you can 414 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: put that all in perspective. 415 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 2: I was doing sports in WMAO and I got to 416 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 2: call a little after seven o'clock from a guy who says, 417 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:01,160 Speaker 2: I'm at legal in the More hospital. They just brought 418 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 2: a Len Bias in. We think he suffered a heart attack. 419 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 2: He said, what at twenty two years old a heart attack? 420 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:10,920 Speaker 2: So my boss said, get in the car, go out 421 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 2: to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, I 422 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 2: got a call Len Bias has died. Go to Maryland. 423 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 2: The thing to this very day that strikes me is 424 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,480 Speaker 2: when I walked in the hallway at Colefield House, down 425 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:31,119 Speaker 2: the hallway and saw the faces of Dick Doe and 426 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 2: Lefty Drizsel and Chancellor John Slaughter. It was it was 427 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 2: like zombies walking expressionless, pale. You could almost hear a 428 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 2: pin drop, with people just in total shock that this 429 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 2: cannot be happening. And the end result it cost a 430 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:03,439 Speaker 2: lot of people their jobs. Lefty, Tick Doe, Chancellor. It 431 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 2: was very, very tough and for many many years, more 432 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 2: years than it should have been, they were always under 433 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 2: a microscope of Lynn Bias's death. Casting a shadow of 434 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 2: the University of Maryland. We're down at wake Forest getting 435 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:19,439 Speaker 2: ready to play a game, and Gary and I got 436 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:23,159 Speaker 2: to do the interview pregame interview, and I'm sitting there 437 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 2: William going to cross the way? Is the ESPN people. 438 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 2: They're doing the tees for the telecast. In the tees 439 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 2: they start off by saying, well, tonight, it's Maryland at 440 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 2: wake Forest, Marylands still trying to bounce back from that 441 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 2: tragic death of Now this is years after Gary said 442 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 2: hold on a second, got up and went all the 443 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:51,920 Speaker 2: way across. It's hey, guys, let's change that intro. We're 444 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 2: not bouncing. We have bounced back. Okay, that's nineteen eighty six. 445 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 2: This is whatever it was, nineteen ninety eight or two thousand, whatever, 446 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 2: Let's get on. He was living and justifiably saw the 447 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 2: visions have left you at the press conference announcing after 448 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 2: they gave him the token job of being an assistant 449 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 2: athletic director or whatever it was that they gave him 450 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 2: for what the amount of time he sent after len 451 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,880 Speaker 2: Bias died, and to see him walking out of cole 452 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 2: Fieldhouse with his arms around his wife and daughters, and 453 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 2: that was that was a sad moment to see right 454 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 2: there and then going to Lefty's house and talking with 455 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 2: him and realizing that a coach can't police a person, 456 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,639 Speaker 2: a player twenty four hours a day. You can't be 457 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 2: with him twenty four hours a day. Yet he was 458 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 2: the scapegoat along with the athletic director of the president. 459 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:54,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think Johnny, it comes down a lot to 460 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: lend Len was a twenty two year old young adult. 461 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: He made a bad decision and left. He took a 462 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:02,159 Speaker 1: lot of brunt Lefty's standard comment and I understand that 463 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:04,360 Speaker 1: you can't watch these guys twenty four hours a day. 464 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,239 Speaker 1: You can say this, They're going to make mistakes. So 465 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: I understand what you're saying that. I remember I saw 466 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: I went to I don't know why. I forgot why 467 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: I was there, but I went to visit Lefty when 468 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 1: he was in that position. It's just an ad and 469 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: we're walking through the concourse of Colefield House, and you 470 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,199 Speaker 1: know when we Lefty would walk around. He walks with 471 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:24,440 Speaker 1: a confident strut and. 472 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 2: He's John Wayne, John Wayne, Yeah, John Wayne. Oh. 473 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 1: He was walking. He was walking slowly, his shoulders were 474 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 1: slumped a little bit. I mean it was a different 475 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,680 Speaker 1: man as you saw Lefty after that. Did you see 476 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:44,920 Speaker 1: that evolution from him? He came out of it, obviously? 477 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:46,880 Speaker 1: Did you see that evolution of him? 478 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 4: I did? 479 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: I did. 480 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 2: I remember going to his house and we did an 481 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 2: interview at his house after he had press for the 482 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 2: press conference, and how he had you know, he was 483 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 2: always full of energy, no energy, and I just felt 484 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 2: so bad for him for what he had gone through. 485 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 2: And he I think he understood that. He felt the 486 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 2: same way. He knew that I felt for him. And 487 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,400 Speaker 2: he always said he said that day, he said as 488 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 2: much as a year ago. Another interview I did a 489 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 2: coach about Leonard, Leonard as he always called him. Leonard 490 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 2: was like a son to me, like a sun to me. 491 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 2: And I think I think today probably very few days 492 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 2: go by they didn't. He didn't think about len bias 493 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:37,120 Speaker 2: and what could have been. 494 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have a couple more questions about his legacy 495 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: than I'll open it up to Don and Rich. Uh. 496 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 1: How did did the way the athletic department reacted uh 497 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 1: to Len's death and the university? Did that affect how 498 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: you could do your job at all? Did it affect 499 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 1: how anything? 500 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 2: I don't I don't think so. 501 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: I felt. 502 00:28:57,520 --> 00:28:59,959 Speaker 2: I felt as bad as anybody. I can't even remember 503 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 2: what the next broadcast would have been. It would have 504 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 2: been football in September because he passed away in June, 505 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 2: or the first basketball game we did. But I would 506 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 2: imagine it was like everybody else, very emotional, very emotional, 507 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 2: and hard to believe something like that could have happened. 508 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 2: And I think the worst thing of always seeing the 509 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 2: people that affected, who threw no fault of their own 510 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 2: this took place. Uh, they weren't there at two o'clock 511 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 2: in the morning, at three o'clock in the morning, whatever, 512 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 2: this thing took place, and they took the brunt of it, 513 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 2: which is unfortunate. But Maryland has moved on, thank goodness, 514 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 2: and they've you know, Lynn will go on the Hall 515 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:44,160 Speaker 2: of Fame and Left. He's in the Hall of fame 516 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 2: and and deservedly so. 517 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 1: Speaking of the Hall of fame, why do you think 518 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: it took so long for him to get into the 519 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: hall of fame in Maryland? 520 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 2: For coach z l No for left for Lynn, For Lynn, 521 00:29:58,560 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 2: I don't know what. I don't know what the voter 522 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 2: think about, to be honest with you, I mean his 523 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 2: numbers spoke for themselves. I would probably think that what 524 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,719 Speaker 2: happened the way that he passed away had something to 525 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 2: do with it, although I don't know it didn't. I 526 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 2: don't think anybody, you know, maybe Marcus would know more 527 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 2: about that than I do. 528 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: Well. I talked to some of the board members, if 529 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: from a who were involved in that decision over the years, 530 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 1: and their reason was there voting members of the m 531 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: club on the board for that committee, who were uncomfortable 532 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: still for so many years, how lens death affected the university. 533 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 1: So that was and there, and there was a clause 534 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:40,360 Speaker 1: in the in the UH the criteria if you have 535 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: caused any disrepute to the university, disrepute you could be 536 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 1: it could affect your nominations. 537 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 2: So they were young out, they could be shut out. 538 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 2: Yeah sure, sure, well that's you know, that's their prerogative 539 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 2: to do something like that. But how long are you 540 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 2: going to abide by something like that? Do you eventually 541 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 2: have to move on? Are you're going to be stuck 542 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 2: in time and stuck back in nineteen eighty six and 543 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 2: not make any changes that maybe on a positive nature. 544 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 2: So I think finally when they realized okay, the Statute 545 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 2: of limitations is up, the years have passed. Maybe it's 546 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 2: a new group of people on that board now, which 547 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 2: I would imagine there is, and they see things totally 548 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 2: different than the old school guys did, and they're no 549 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 2: longer making decisions. And that's why I think he could 550 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 2: be in the Hall of Fame. 551 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:38,600 Speaker 1: Do you remember when you first started hearing that he 552 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: was going to be inducted in when he was inducted 553 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: in twenty fourteen, I do not know. Okay, let's talk 554 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: about Bob Wade. You saw it was a tough, tough 555 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: experience for Bob, tough for the plans. 556 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. 557 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: What are your recollections of Bob Wade being there, how 558 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 1: the program had to try to adjust to him, and 559 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:02,080 Speaker 1: how it affected the program his tenure there. 560 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:07,800 Speaker 2: Well, Coach Wade and I never had any problems. Well, 561 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 2: we did have one problem. We did have one. Remember 562 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,240 Speaker 2: one time, and I guess it was North Carolina or 563 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 2: North Carolina State. He asked Greg Manning and I to 564 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 2: come in the locker room. We want to talk to us. 565 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 2: So we went in there and Coach says, somebody told 566 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 2: me that you said on the radio such and such 567 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 2: and such and such, and I said, yeah, yeah, see 568 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 2: exactly what we said. I think it was to deal 569 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 2: with something like free throws. That Maryland had missed maybe 570 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 2: nine of twelve free throws and they lost by two, 571 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 2: and we said, had they made the free throws, that 572 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 2: they probably won this game. So Greg pipes up and 573 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 2: Greg says, you know, coach, this is early in the seat. 574 00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 2: We're on your side. Okay, we're on your side, and 575 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 2: we're not going to hammer you. We're not going to 576 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 2: take shots at you. But we do a pretty honest broadcast. 577 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 2: Sure everybody knows that we're the Maryland broadcasters. We want 578 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:13,720 Speaker 2: Maryland to win every single game, but if the other 579 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 2: team is doing well, you can't ignore that. I'd be 580 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 2: the same. And Marcus is doing the story. You gotta 581 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:23,960 Speaker 2: write what you got, what you're seeing, or out you 582 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 2: lose any time kind of credibil and coach, Oh no, no, no, 583 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,400 Speaker 2: I'm just I said, well, I think Greg got that 584 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 2: jumped in and said, you know, if we want to 585 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 2: bury you, we're going to bury you, coach. Okay, but 586 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:35,840 Speaker 2: we're not going to do that. From that point on, 587 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 2: we had no problems whatsoever. He was as cooperative, he 588 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 2: was as nice and I would love to see him 589 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 2: come back to a game sometime. He still hasn't come 590 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:50,200 Speaker 2: back to watch any games. And I was in Baltimore 591 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 2: for an event a few years ago and he was 592 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 2: in the audience and we got to talk afterwards and said, 593 00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:59,480 Speaker 2: why don't you come to a game? No, you know, 594 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 2: I don't. I said, Coach, you're gone many many you're 595 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 2: going back in the eighties. This is twenty eighteen nineteen. 596 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:09,359 Speaker 2: Come to a game. They would love to say. He's 597 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 2: an icon in Baltimore still to this very day. And boy, 598 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:16,279 Speaker 2: he could coach at Dunbar too. He could coach. I 599 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 2: remember one of the best wins he ever had was 600 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:21,400 Speaker 2: down in Atlanta. It must have been the ACC tournament 601 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:25,400 Speaker 2: when he went to the hospital after the game and 602 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 2: they kept him over at night and beat They won 603 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,520 Speaker 2: that game. They came back to win that game. He 604 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,319 Speaker 2: didn't have a he didn't have a lot of good 605 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:36,239 Speaker 2: teams outside of the Lynn Bias team and Lynn senior year, 606 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 2: but he could coach. I think Coach was a little 607 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:44,799 Speaker 2: bit leary of the media a little bit, and so 608 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 2: I sat down with him one day and I said, 609 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 2: you can either take this for what it's worth or 610 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 2: you can forget it, coach. But I said, the media 611 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,359 Speaker 2: guys are here to do the job, do the best 612 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,760 Speaker 2: job they can. And if they take if they write 613 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 2: something that's going to be hurtful to you, that's their prerogative. 614 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 2: But they're being honest in their job. It's a very 615 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 2: tough job to do, and if you've got a problem 616 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 2: with a guy, then you got to work it out 617 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 2: because they can. They can make you and they can 618 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:23,839 Speaker 2: break you the written line, the spoken word. So you're 619 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:25,279 Speaker 2: going to have to learn how to get along with 620 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 2: the media. It's a big this is a big time program. 621 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:32,279 Speaker 2: It's not done by high school anymore. And uh, so 622 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 2: I gave him a list of guys. I said, here's 623 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 2: here's the guys that I like. Here's the guys I 624 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,799 Speaker 2: know you can trust. There's a couple of guys that 625 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:44,719 Speaker 2: I'm not really crazy about, but that's that's my prerogative, right. 626 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 2: Marcus was not in that group, of course, he was 627 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 2: in the other group. And uh and he said, oh really, 628 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:56,879 Speaker 2: I said, yeah, so you like you like these fifteen guys, 629 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 2: I said, I like all these guys and they're good, 630 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 2: They're really good. Okay, now, whether I helped his relationship 631 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:07,759 Speaker 2: with the media. I have no idea, but I think 632 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 2: I got the point across. You got to cooperate with him, 633 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:11,160 Speaker 2: and he did. 634 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 1: He did. Don shaking his head though. 635 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 2: Well maybe the Marcus he didn't cooperate. I can't wait 636 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 2: to hear Don's story about this. 637 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 1: I'll get let him commitment. I'm gonna address something Sue Tyler. 638 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:32,560 Speaker 1: Remember Sue Tyler, the cistin ad at Maryland, a longtime 639 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,680 Speaker 1: coach Maryland for many years. She gave us some good 640 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 1: insight here. She said, Bob, almost from the initial day 641 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:44,320 Speaker 1: he would show up, go into his office, and many, 642 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 1: many in the Ethnic department reached out to try to 643 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 1: help him, and he really didn't respond well to that. 644 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: He tried to do it on his own, and he 645 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 1: wouldn't sort of come out of his shell. Did you 646 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:55,360 Speaker 1: see that I did not? 647 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:56,960 Speaker 2: No, I did, I did. 648 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 1: I did not. 649 00:36:57,560 --> 00:36:59,840 Speaker 2: I'm not out there every day, so I don't know 650 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,480 Speaker 2: what goes on every day. But but as I said 651 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:06,279 Speaker 2: with me, after that first encounter where someone told him, 652 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 2: and I said, hey, I don't like to hear that 653 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 2: someone told you. Uh, you know, when you're listening to 654 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:16,880 Speaker 2: a broadcast or reading a story. Uh, you know, sometimes 655 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,839 Speaker 2: what you're reading and hearing isn't exactly what you heard 656 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:24,320 Speaker 2: or read. And so I convinced him. I said, we're 657 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 2: on your side, believe me. And I think from that 658 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,360 Speaker 2: point on we had a good relationship. And I hope 659 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:32,560 Speaker 2: that you know, someday soon you'll come to a game 660 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 2: at Maryland And I said, coach, when you walk in 661 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:38,319 Speaker 2: that when you walk in that building, uh, there's going 662 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:39,759 Speaker 2: to be a lot of people that are happy to 663 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,120 Speaker 2: see you come back. You know, you were in you 664 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 2: were in a very tough situation to take over for 665 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:49,760 Speaker 2: coach Brizelle and then not having a lot of success 666 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 2: winning games, and you know, and then Gary came in 667 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:55,720 Speaker 2: and picked it up and went on with it, and 668 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:56,760 Speaker 2: the rest is history. 669 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:00,480 Speaker 1: I'll open it up to rich and don don you 670 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:03,279 Speaker 1: want to start with some or no? 671 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 4: I mean, uh no, he he he he. He didn't 672 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,720 Speaker 4: trust not only the meeting, he didn't trust anybody really, 673 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 4: aside from I used to remember Woody Williams, his assistant coach. 674 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:20,600 Speaker 2: Well what what he was the guy that told him right? 675 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:22,800 Speaker 4: So I I used to call Woody. I used to 676 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:28,399 Speaker 4: call him Schultze from Hogan's heroes because I asked him 677 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 4: what he what he you know, what was going on? 678 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 4: And basically his answer was I know nothing. So so anyway, 679 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 4: but but but by the way, the game you referred 680 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 4: to when they beat NC State in the in the tournament, 681 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 4: that was the last game and he got and he 682 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,799 Speaker 4: went to the hospital. That was the last game he 683 00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:51,000 Speaker 4: ever coached at Maryland. Because that's right after I got fired, 684 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:54,680 Speaker 4: and I remember talking to Tony Massenberg thought, oh, here 685 00:38:54,719 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 4: we go again. You know, somebody they thought he was 686 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,160 Speaker 4: going to die of a heart attack. That they was 687 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,719 Speaker 4: a blood press. Ye blood you know, blood pressure went 688 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 4: up too high. The the when when Maryland went through 689 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,040 Speaker 4: this again with Jordan McNair a couple of years ago, 690 00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 4: when when the football player Jordan McNair died, how much 691 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,560 Speaker 4: did it bring back memories of what they went through 692 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:23,960 Speaker 4: with bias or it was biased? His death completely different 693 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,000 Speaker 4: on a different level because of. 694 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,880 Speaker 2: I think, completely different on they're on a football field, 695 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:33,000 Speaker 2: a lot of people are around, a lot of trainers, 696 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,480 Speaker 2: a lot of advisors, a lot of strength and conditioning people. 697 00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:41,040 Speaker 2: Uh So that was a whole different story compared with Lynn, 698 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:44,720 Speaker 2: who is just with his circle of friends at two 699 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:49,799 Speaker 2: thirty in the morning. Totally different, I think and feel 700 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 2: very tragic. 701 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:56,319 Speaker 4: Yeah, And talking about Lefty, do you do you think 702 00:39:56,520 --> 00:40:02,320 Speaker 4: of all the people at Maryland, Dick Dull, doctor Slaughter, 703 00:40:03,719 --> 00:40:07,080 Speaker 4: the people who lost their jobs because of the legacy 704 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:11,520 Speaker 4: that left he already had. Do you think that it 705 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:21,400 Speaker 4: impacted him his career and his reputation more than anybody. 706 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:24,879 Speaker 2: I'm not sure. Don I know that when he went 707 00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:31,160 Speaker 2: to Georgia went to James Madison and the funny story 708 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,319 Speaker 2: about him coaching at James Madison when they were doing 709 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:37,000 Speaker 2: television games. He asked if I could do the game 710 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:41,040 Speaker 2: and I said, sure, I can do the game home 711 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 2: team Sports. I think we're doing the games, and how 712 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:48,360 Speaker 2: about can you get Greg to be the analyst? And 713 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:52,680 Speaker 2: I said, yeah, so Greg and I did. I think 714 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 2: we did eight games and they won all eight games 715 00:40:56,920 --> 00:40:59,880 Speaker 2: at James Madison. And then the first game that the 716 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,480 Speaker 2: that they lost with Greg and I do in the game, 717 00:41:02,719 --> 00:41:04,879 Speaker 2: that was the last game we did, and he had 718 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:08,360 Speaker 2: somebody else. And then he winds up at Georgia State 719 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:12,600 Speaker 2: and Greg Manny is his boss. Now come full circle, 720 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 2: you coach the guy. Now you're you know you're answering 721 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:20,280 Speaker 2: the guy. Uh. I know how much he loved Maryland, 722 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:24,279 Speaker 2: but but I think he rebounded nicely, had a couple 723 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:27,600 Speaker 2: of good coaching jobs. But I tell you, we were 724 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 2: in UH in Atlanta for the tournament and he's coaching 725 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 2: at Georgia State. And I see him up in the 726 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,799 Speaker 2: stands and if I hadn't talked to coach since he left, 727 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:42,840 Speaker 2: since he left James Madison, and so I sent a 728 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:44,520 Speaker 2: young guy up there to ask him to come on 729 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:48,920 Speaker 2: at halftime with us. And the kid comes back and 730 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:53,560 Speaker 2: he said, Coach says, no, after what Maryland did to him, 731 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:55,040 Speaker 2: he's not going to come on half time. 732 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:55,319 Speaker 1: No. 733 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:58,319 Speaker 2: I said, okay, did you did you tell him? Go 734 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:03,839 Speaker 2: back and tell him it's for Johnny. I'll so you're enough. 735 00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:08,080 Speaker 2: He showed up and it was I wish I'd saved 736 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:10,239 Speaker 2: that interview. If I can only dig that thing up. 737 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:14,960 Speaker 2: It was emotional, it was nice. He didn't he didn't 738 00:42:16,200 --> 00:42:19,480 Speaker 2: have any shots in Maryland and takety she shot out 739 00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 2: of him. It was just a good interview and how 740 00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 2: much people, how happy people were to see him coaching 741 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:28,600 Speaker 2: again at Georgia State. And then we tend to find 742 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:30,320 Speaker 2: out we're going to, you know, in the same tournament 743 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:33,560 Speaker 2: bracket with Georgia State out and where Spokane or somewhere 744 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:34,360 Speaker 2: like that. I don't. 745 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:43,560 Speaker 4: Boise, I think, no, I'm yeah, I'm good. Uh, let's 746 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 4: go ahead. And by the way, it's six feet six 747 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:50,160 Speaker 4: feet baskets, I could not seven. 748 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:52,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, forward and backward, yeah. 749 00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:53,280 Speaker 1: And not backward. 750 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 5: But just well, you know you've got time. Yeah, you 751 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:01,040 Speaker 5: keep working at it. One after another, A day of 752 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:04,239 Speaker 5: great interview, you asked, and Johnny, I appreciate your answer 753 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:07,480 Speaker 5: where it started off about Lambying a good kid. You know, 754 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:09,480 Speaker 5: That's one of the things I wanted to ask you about, 755 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:12,000 Speaker 5: was just, you know, your impression of him as a 756 00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 5: person more so than as a player. And I think 757 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:18,040 Speaker 5: he answered that. But if there's anything you might have 758 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,760 Speaker 5: left or that comes back after about him as a person, 759 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:22,920 Speaker 5: I'd love to hear that. 760 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:29,400 Speaker 2: I think rich the first, when I first heard about 761 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:34,359 Speaker 2: the hospitalization, the heart attack, and then day by day 762 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:36,759 Speaker 2: things would start coming out, I found it very hard 763 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:40,319 Speaker 2: to believe that he would do something like that, very 764 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:43,520 Speaker 2: hard to believe because he struck me as not being 765 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:49,359 Speaker 2: the type because of his potential in the NBA, he 766 00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:51,880 Speaker 2: was a basketball player, he was always in good shape. 767 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:56,120 Speaker 2: I couldn't imagine someone like him even taking a chance, 768 00:43:56,719 --> 00:43:59,760 Speaker 2: but he did. And that was the thing that struck 769 00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:03,719 Speaker 2: me out him because I never ever saw him in 770 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:07,960 Speaker 2: the light of doing something like that in that particular 771 00:44:08,040 --> 00:44:10,359 Speaker 2: situation two o'clock in the morning. I would have never 772 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:13,840 Speaker 2: imagined that, because in my mind he was just a 773 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:20,840 Speaker 2: great college student athlete and who had a magnificent future, 774 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:27,560 Speaker 2: wonderful personality, nice, kind, congenial and to this very day 775 00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:30,799 Speaker 2: I shake my head saying what could have been if 776 00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:33,080 Speaker 2: he would have if he hadn't done that. 777 00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:38,240 Speaker 5: I agree one hundred percent with that perspective. I felt 778 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:41,400 Speaker 5: exactly the same from him being around him as a 779 00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:45,320 Speaker 5: student reporter and then working at Channel seven and covering 780 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:48,560 Speaker 5: the team doing the Left for Gazelle Show and being 781 00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:50,720 Speaker 5: part of that, being part. 782 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:53,439 Speaker 2: Of the work Channel seven. Let's let's make that clear. 783 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:56,520 Speaker 5: Well, her Zog's not on right now, so I'll go 784 00:44:56,600 --> 00:45:00,600 Speaker 5: with it. You're my new agent. But you know that 785 00:45:00,719 --> 00:45:04,640 Speaker 5: perspective of him as a young man who did grow up. 786 00:45:04,760 --> 00:45:08,040 Speaker 5: I remember as a freshman, you know, not so much 787 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:12,319 Speaker 5: the point average versus you know, he was chiseled, but 788 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:15,520 Speaker 5: not to the degree that you are or familiar with, 789 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:19,680 Speaker 5: or that he became, right, I mean, he really did 790 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:24,040 Speaker 5: become this as one of our former interviews previous interviews 791 00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:27,880 Speaker 5: said he was unguardable in practice. 792 00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:34,560 Speaker 2: Unguardable in a practice. Yeah, that's a pretty good description. Yeah, yeah, yeah, unguarded. 793 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:37,279 Speaker 2: I'd say that. Well, I think look at some of 794 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,279 Speaker 2: the games he had. He was unguardable when he was 795 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:40,319 Speaker 2: playing at games too. 796 00:45:43,239 --> 00:45:45,440 Speaker 5: Jordan, you alluded to that just a bit. If we 797 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:50,560 Speaker 5: could think about what you did see between them as rivals, 798 00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:53,880 Speaker 5: and then let's just imagine for a minute if it 799 00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:56,239 Speaker 5: had all worked out with the Celtics, what you could 800 00:45:56,280 --> 00:46:00,600 Speaker 5: imagine it would have been in the NBA, well. 801 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:04,839 Speaker 2: The Jordan and Bias games, even though Michael left early 802 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:09,719 Speaker 2: to go to the NBA. I think if you take 803 00:46:09,719 --> 00:46:16,239 Speaker 2: a look at the box scores, they were maybe Len 804 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:19,319 Speaker 2: Bias had better numbers in most of the games than 805 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:23,279 Speaker 2: than Jordan did. I mean, I can't swear for that, 806 00:46:23,320 --> 00:46:25,000 Speaker 2: because I haven't got all the box scores in front 807 00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:30,200 Speaker 2: of me. Uh. I think probably Jordan did things in 808 00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:34,719 Speaker 2: a more spectacular fashion with the windmill stuff and the 809 00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:37,560 Speaker 2: flying through the air. But but Lin was Linn was 810 00:46:37,600 --> 00:46:39,919 Speaker 2: getting there. He was he was making his own mark 811 00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:43,080 Speaker 2: and and he was getting to the exact level that 812 00:46:43,160 --> 00:46:45,800 Speaker 2: Jordan would have would have was at at that particular point. 813 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:49,800 Speaker 2: And then when the Celtics drafted him, I'm thinking, Wow, 814 00:46:50,719 --> 00:46:55,440 Speaker 2: this is going to be championship after championship after championship. 815 00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:59,319 Speaker 2: And it reminded me a little bit of when when 816 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:02,759 Speaker 2: Rick Barry went in the NBA with the San Francisco Warriors, 817 00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:07,560 Speaker 2: became the MVP Rookie of the Year in his first year, 818 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:11,000 Speaker 2: MVP of the All Star Game, scoring thirty five points 819 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:13,239 Speaker 2: to thirty six points in the All Star Game. It 820 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:16,960 Speaker 2: brought back visions of Brick and I'm seeing lend Bias 821 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:20,880 Speaker 2: possibly doing the same thing. That will never know what 822 00:47:21,239 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 2: he could have done, but it would it. It would 823 00:47:23,640 --> 00:47:27,799 Speaker 2: have made the Boston Celtics franchise as dominant as they were, 824 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:30,640 Speaker 2: even more so as the years went on and on. 825 00:47:31,800 --> 00:47:35,480 Speaker 5: You've worked with two people that are tied to lend 826 00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:39,840 Speaker 5: Bias in different ways, Greg Manning. Obviously, do you have 827 00:47:39,880 --> 00:47:43,480 Speaker 5: any recollections of talking about Len or or anything from 828 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:46,239 Speaker 5: Greg's point of view as you were joined at the 829 00:47:46,280 --> 00:47:47,520 Speaker 5: hip for all those years. 830 00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:52,200 Speaker 2: Uh, you know, Greg would be a good interview for 831 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:54,000 Speaker 2: you guys to do, because he can tell you from 832 00:47:54,040 --> 00:47:57,359 Speaker 2: this perspective what he saw. I think the thing that 833 00:47:57,400 --> 00:48:02,400 Speaker 2: we both saw was just how grace he was, how 834 00:48:03,080 --> 00:48:06,840 Speaker 2: he just did things so effortlessly. When he was running 835 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:08,799 Speaker 2: up and down the court, it looked like he was 836 00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:12,480 Speaker 2: hardly putting anything into it. When he was rebounding and 837 00:48:12,520 --> 00:48:15,279 Speaker 2: getting the ball out and streaking down the floor and 838 00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:18,640 Speaker 2: getting the hide pass alley oop and slamming it through 839 00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:21,160 Speaker 2: with one hand, if he was pulling up and taking 840 00:48:21,200 --> 00:48:25,560 Speaker 2: a jumper, it was just we're watching a human highlight 841 00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:28,600 Speaker 2: film here with this guy, night after night after night. 842 00:48:29,400 --> 00:48:31,160 Speaker 2: And that's the thing that sticks I think with me 843 00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:34,400 Speaker 2: the most about how he impressed me with his overall 844 00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:39,800 Speaker 2: skill to do everything well, not well, everything above average 845 00:48:40,200 --> 00:48:41,440 Speaker 2: as a basketball player. 846 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:46,200 Speaker 5: Now you're partnered with the Wizard as we talk about 847 00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:51,080 Speaker 5: the university, right, moving through right, what happened with Land 848 00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:55,080 Speaker 5: and then then reinvigorating itself, And how do you see 849 00:48:55,120 --> 00:48:59,040 Speaker 5: the credit to Walt Williams his perspective. He grew up, 850 00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:02,640 Speaker 5: he loved Land, he rooted for Land right, he wanted 851 00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:06,640 Speaker 5: to stay at home, and he clearly had an understanding 852 00:49:06,640 --> 00:49:10,200 Speaker 5: even as a young man about to some degree the 853 00:49:10,239 --> 00:49:12,880 Speaker 5: importance of what he was doing and eventually what he 854 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:15,359 Speaker 5: has done well. 855 00:49:15,360 --> 00:49:17,520 Speaker 2: As Gary Williams has said over and over again, he 856 00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:21,800 Speaker 2: saved the program. He could have very easily transferred somewhere else. 857 00:49:22,239 --> 00:49:27,560 Speaker 2: The schools on probation. He grew up Crossland High School, 858 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:31,600 Speaker 2: always wanted to come to Maryland. He idolized Len Biased, 859 00:49:31,640 --> 00:49:35,160 Speaker 2: as did so many other young players coming up, and 860 00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:38,960 Speaker 2: he decides to stick it out at Maryland. And people 861 00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:41,200 Speaker 2: may have forgotten the fact he never went to the 862 00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:45,839 Speaker 2: NCAA tournament because Maryland was on probation, so he could 863 00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:50,120 Speaker 2: never gain whatever. All these other guys and Lynn went 864 00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:53,000 Speaker 2: to the NCAA tournament four times and twice to the 865 00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:57,759 Speaker 2: sweet sixteen when he played. So what Walt did for 866 00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:01,680 Speaker 2: this program is, and I agree with Gary Williams, well, 867 00:50:01,680 --> 00:50:08,200 Speaker 2: he saved it. And he became a revered player at Maryland, 868 00:50:08,239 --> 00:50:12,160 Speaker 2: one of the all time greats. And as much as 869 00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:15,360 Speaker 2: Greg and I love watching Len Bias play and what 870 00:50:15,560 --> 00:50:19,040 Speaker 2: Lynn could do as an individual, Lynn Bias never had 871 00:50:19,080 --> 00:50:21,799 Speaker 2: the streak that Walt Williams had with those seven consecutive, 872 00:50:21,800 --> 00:50:24,919 Speaker 2: eight consecutive games. It was a seven or eight down 873 00:50:25,320 --> 00:50:29,480 Speaker 2: on one of the two where he scored thirty points 874 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:34,680 Speaker 2: or more. Yeah, thirty points or more. And that's that's 875 00:50:34,760 --> 00:50:38,560 Speaker 2: pretty tough to nobody's done that sense. Nobody scored that 876 00:50:38,600 --> 00:50:42,880 Speaker 2: many points in those consecutive games. Like Walt Williams. He 877 00:50:43,080 --> 00:50:45,520 Speaker 2: was the same kind He is the same kind of personal. 878 00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:51,120 Speaker 2: Lynn was, big smile, wonderful personality, willing to do anything 879 00:50:51,239 --> 00:50:55,399 Speaker 2: for anybody at any time, and to this very day 880 00:50:56,120 --> 00:50:58,360 Speaker 2: deserves to have that forty two up there in the 881 00:50:58,440 --> 00:50:59,840 Speaker 2: raptors at expe thirty. 882 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:03,640 Speaker 5: Center, Johnny, as any good producer would know, you mentioned 883 00:51:03,680 --> 00:51:05,960 Speaker 5: an hour, and we're coming up on an hour. So 884 00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:08,080 Speaker 5: I'll ask you what I think is the last question, 885 00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:10,840 Speaker 5: and that is when you look up in the rafters, 886 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:12,960 Speaker 5: which I know you from time to time do, and 887 00:51:13,000 --> 00:51:16,200 Speaker 5: you see all those greats hanging up, but more often 888 00:51:16,239 --> 00:51:20,480 Speaker 5: you see jerseys of an end bias, probably more than 889 00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:22,799 Speaker 5: any other athlete that's ever played at the University of 890 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:26,799 Speaker 5: Maryland that comes back through. What does that invoke in 891 00:51:26,840 --> 00:51:30,400 Speaker 5: you when you see not only the great recognition above, 892 00:51:30,560 --> 00:51:34,239 Speaker 5: but also that continually surrounds, whether it be Walt or 893 00:51:34,320 --> 00:51:38,080 Speaker 5: other young people or even fans that are still there today. 894 00:51:39,160 --> 00:51:42,120 Speaker 2: I think it shows that basketball fans appreciate what a 895 00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:46,160 Speaker 2: guy's done for a school. And I think even though 896 00:51:46,200 --> 00:51:48,319 Speaker 2: the years have gone by in nineteen eighty six when 897 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:50,960 Speaker 2: he passed away, and they continue to roll by a 898 00:51:51,080 --> 00:51:56,080 Speaker 2: year after year, his greatness will never be forgotten. What 899 00:51:56,200 --> 00:51:58,919 Speaker 2: he did from Maryland's basketball program put him on the map, 900 00:51:58,960 --> 00:52:03,799 Speaker 2: gave them national recognition, and I think people appreciate that. 901 00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:06,080 Speaker 2: And it's a whole new ballgame now, a whole new 902 00:52:06,120 --> 00:52:09,880 Speaker 2: generation of fans. I've got grandkids that never hurd len 903 00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:12,839 Speaker 2: Bias and then they go to YouTube and watch video 904 00:52:12,960 --> 00:52:17,680 Speaker 2: highlights and they say, ooh, he was pretty good. I say, yeah, 905 00:52:17,880 --> 00:52:20,760 Speaker 2: a little better than pretty good. Well, he could jump, 906 00:52:21,160 --> 00:52:23,280 Speaker 2: he could shoot, he could score, he could run. 907 00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:23,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. 908 00:52:24,480 --> 00:52:27,480 Speaker 2: And I think that's the best tribute to him is 909 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:31,240 Speaker 2: to see people walking around at games at other events 910 00:52:31,239 --> 00:52:34,000 Speaker 2: with number thirty four and Bias in the back of 911 00:52:34,040 --> 00:52:37,319 Speaker 2: their jersey. 912 00:52:37,560 --> 00:52:41,799 Speaker 6: Len Bias A Mixed Legacy. The interviews was produced by 913 00:52:41,880 --> 00:52:47,160 Speaker 6: Daveon Grady and Don Marcus. He had it all from 914 00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:50,480 Speaker 6: quick and he was so Len Bias A Mixed Legacy 915 00:52:51,680 --> 00:52:55,359 Speaker 6: is distributed by the eight Side Network for Greatness and Loss. 916 00:52:55,360 --> 00:52:57,759 Speaker 1: So, let you know, the ball of a memories, Remember me. 917 00:52:57,840 --> 00:52:58,879 Speaker 2: I hope they do the game