2:00pm | Unlike my stable-mates in the staging-live.lbpost.com corral of insightful citizens, there are times when Dust Plus just has to empty the feed bucket. And when we do that we call it Notes On My Napkin and, lucky you, today is that day.
Now none of the following items carrying any warranty but like the real estate flyers say, “Are deemed to be reliable information.” Let’s start stretching and lifting for the ‘Niner version of Dancing with the Stars featuring of course the lovely and talented sideline stomping basketball coaches Jody Wynn and Dan Monson. The dynamic duo will swap brilliance and barbs around town from 6:00-7:30pm on Wednesdays: September 15 at The Beach Club, near campus; September 22 at Boston’s at the Pike, October 6 at Duke’s Huntington Beach; and October 13 at Legends in Belmont Shore. Lots of raffle prizes will be available including a couple of round trips with your favorite team.
In that late season call-up, ex-Dirtbag Danny Espinosa is hitting a nifty .409 and this weekend should be moved up to leadoff for his Washington Nationals while fightin’ Nyjer Morgan serves a suspension. The Nats play the Marlins next and Florida has two ‘Niner connections, bench coach Brandon Hyde and back-up catcher Brad Davis.
The LBCC football family will have one buck admissions for the Saturday 9/11 1:00pm game against Orange Coast College. There will be a special salute to men and women in uniform. Even better, the Vikings come into the game undefeated after a 20-14 OT victory over Golden West.
Back to baskets, 49er men’s head coach Dan Monson (with major efforts by wife Darci) have a full roster at home and used but one letter of the alphabet. The scholastically-talented kids are a son, MicGuire (10), a daughter, Mollie (8), a son, Maddox (7) and a daughter, McKenna (5). At work Dan’s basketball family is a lot bigger and constantly shifting. Three expected prospects – recruits Khalid Gerard, Shelton Boykin and Jacob Thomas – are were unable to join the team due to academics. Thomas, who insiders say could be the best pure shooter in LBSU history, will sit out this season to get the books in order. The Minnesota prep star will need to pass grades this year in order to be eligible for next season. Gerard and Boykin are not enrolled on campus. Both men’s and women’s teams are in small group practices this month.
Knowing a bit about tailgating and being originally from West Virginia, I loved this web quote from a female fan heading on a road trip with her Marshall U team. She was asked about rules against drinking at the game and posted this response on a Marshall University online forum. “Heck with them. Look, I’m supposed to work 16 hours tonight but I’m calling in sick. I’ll be at the Proctorville Speedway at noon. I’ll be the drunk lady. If you got the room I can ride in the truck bed. My boss is gonna be mad at me!”
I have examined all those dominoes dropping in the large and mid-sized conferences but I don’t like adding Hawaii unless they pick up al the plane fares. My preference is to add San Jose and be done with it!
Lots of Boise State fans around these parts (especially Student Life director Jeff Klaus) and since I was so impressed with Bronco all-purpose star Austin Pettis, an alert reader reminded me that Austin is an Anaheim boy and his uncle is big leaguer Gary Pettis.
Speaking again of college football, eagle-eyed web whiz LBS spotted a campus landmark on the ESPN College Game Day reel, and posted this on a web forum: “It wouldn’t be the first time our students have seen other school’s logos present on our campus so I guess ESPN was looking for a student body that’s used to the sight when determining the shooting location.
“They picked the Engineering building because they wanted a setting that could pass off as any ordinary college campus. The ENG building is just some generic building that no one outside LBS will recognize. Had they chosen the Myd, people would have known that it’s Long Beach State. That’s because sports does more to put a school on a map than Engineering does!”
Our closing quote is the best of the interview with 6-3 ladies basketball prospect freshman Ella Clark. On her family, “Everybody is over 6-foot.. my mum being an ex-Great Britain international and my dad an ex-international coach. Then there’s my brother who plays professionally over in the top league in Spain and who is currently on the Great Britain men’s team. One of my cousins is also here in the U.S. at Houston Baptist and my aunt also played for the England national team.”
And her first days in town, “My mum, dad and grandma came with me. We had a week by the beach before I had to come to school so we mainly just relaxed by the beach as we had no car for a few days. We did venture around Long Beach by bus a few times, visiting local towns, which was easy. Once we got the car, we took a trip to Universal Studios and went to the shops and other stuff.” Ah shopping, like English, the international language.
Last add, what is her game? “Versatile, but predominately a small forward. I’m more of a shooter than a penetrator. I use my length on the defensive end and I love to block shots.” That’ll make any coach want to dance.