KenOTR73 wrote:

Well, Michigan State starts four freshmen. I wonder if Izzo ever pointed that out after a loss? Something tells me, NO. Don't think any of them are one and dones either. BTW, hats off to Gene Steratore from western Pa. one of the referees. Gene reffed tons of Dukes games back in the day. We used to yell at him to give us a break on foul calls. He definitely was not a homer. Gene also is an NFL ref and has done super bowls.

That's his son, not the guy that reffed Dukes games. Villanova fans will tell you he had worse eyesight than Ray Charles. Michigan St guys may not be one and dones, but they're all 4 and 4.5 star players.
 

duq81 wrote:

KenOTR73 wrote:

Well, Michigan State starts four freshmen. I wonder if Izzo ever pointed that out after a loss? Something tells me, NO. Don't think any of them are one and dones either. BTW, hats off to Gene Steratore from western Pa. one of the referees. Gene reffed tons of Dukes games back in the day. We used to yell at him to give us a break on foul calls. He definitely was not a homer. Gene also is an NFL ref and has done super bowls.

That's his son, not the guy that reffed Dukes games. Villanova fans will tell you he had worse eyesight than Ray Charles. Michigan St guys may not be one and dones, but they're all 4 and 4.5 star players.
 

This Gene did ref our games also. I know him and talked to him a couple of times at the Palumbo. He told me once that Ron was still angry with him over a call during one of our games with Pitt. 

WashPaRick wrote:

duq81 wrote:

KenOTR73 wrote:

Well, Michigan State starts four freshmen. I wonder if Izzo ever pointed that out after a loss? Something tells me, NO. Don't think any of them are one and dones either. BTW, hats off to Gene Steratore from western Pa. one of the referees. Gene reffed tons of Dukes games back in the day. We used to yell at him to give us a break on foul calls. He definitely was not a homer. Gene also is an NFL ref and has done super bowls.

That's his son, not the guy that reffed Dukes games. Villanova fans will tell you he had worse eyesight than Ray Charles. Michigan St guys may not be one and dones, but they're all 4 and 4.5 star players.
 

This Gene did ref our games also. I know him and talked to him a couple of times at the Palumbo. He told me once that Ron was still angry with him over a call during one of our games with Pitt. 

I thought that was the case. Decades kind of meld together after you hit 60. With respect to Michigan State though, my point was that a really good coach would not use age as an excuse the way our ex did.
 

I have vague memories of John Cigna doing the radio for our games. Is that possible?

Cigna was color man for Dukes on WJAS 1970-73. Left WJAS in 73 to be talk show host evenings on KDKA

Phildog wrote:

stew wrote:

Cigna was color man for Dukes on WJAS 1970-73. Left WJAS in 73 to be talk show host evenings on KDKA

 
A kid worked for me, Ross Morgan, and Cigna lived next door to him in Shaler Twp. And John gave us the best comp tickets at the arena. Once Dick Enburgh crawled over us to interview Maryland Guard John Lucas mother at half time. She called him "Luke " the whole game, which she yelled in my then young ear as she was behind us.

We fought bravely against Lefty Drisell's Terapins that night but came out on the wrong side, I think Maryland was ranked about 18th at that time.

Cigna did a fair job, he was WJAS Sports guy and his wife shopped in the store I managed. Nice people.

That was back when we were always a winning program.......

February 21, 1973. 81-71. Terps were ranked 8th, not 18th.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=djft3U1LymYC&dat=19730222&printsec=frontpage&hl=en  
Go to the sports section for the story. Game drew over 12,000.

Last edited by duq81 (3/22/2017 8:22 pm)