Al McGuire has passed away this morning. There are
guys who leave the basketball world every so often and it's just immediately
obvious that there's a huge loss. McGuire was a highly unique man who
was a bundle of paradoxes - a street tough New Yorker who loved taking a
motorcycle through open spaces, a basketball coach who disdained x's and o's,
but most importantly a wonderful man and a basketball legend. It hurt to
hear of his decline, and it hurts worse to hear of his loss. All best
wishes to the McGuire family in their time of sorrow.
Who can ever forget his national championship, the seashells
and balloons, and the insistence that he walk away at the very height of his
success? Al McGuire is irreplaceable.  We've had a few kicks in the
stomach in recent years - Len Bias, Jim Valvano, Hank Gathers, others. This
one affects us more than anyone except Valvano. Here's hoping ESPN replays the
1977 title game, and that CBS does some sort of fitting tribute this
weekend. A mere mention is insignificant, because Al McGuire was
royalty.