Chris Marlowe

A Road Trip To Remember

It’s 1 AM east coast time—the Denver Nuggets have beaten the New York Knicks in double OT 119-114—and I’m on the team plane ready to fly home.   A hard week of work is over for all involved.  The preparation, the anticipation, the expectations are all played out. 

We know we’re getting into Denver late, but nobody cares. The mood on the plane is festive, giddy if you like. For the first time ever, the Denver Nuggets played 4 games in 5 nights on the road, and won all 4!!

Bucks-POW! 76ers-- WHAM! Wizards—BOOM! NY Knicks—SEE’ YA!

The camaraderie on the plane is fantastic. There are coaches chatting about all the big plays, player’s high fiving and the media (our crew from Altitude) contemplating how lucky we all are.   And, what the TV rating might be!

Big Al Harrington walks to his seat and everyone offers congratulations. Al is delighted to find out that they have stocked creamy peanut butter sandwiches on the plane. Usually all they have is the crunchy stuff. Assistant coach Melvin Hunt tells Al, “You keep shooting it the way you have, and we’ll make sure smooth and creamy peanut butter sandwiches are on the plane from now on!”

I walk to the back of the plane and see Nene lounging contentedly in his seat. I wonder if he’s thinking about the two biggest free throws of his career?  The Nuggets were trailing 105-103 in the first OT with 9 seconds to play and he was fouled. At this point Nene was struggling mightily and had missed all four FTs he had taken. With the MSG crowd going crazy Nene stepped to the line. First one; good! Second one; also good!  A key moment for Nene, and certainly a turning point in the match-up.

I’m also very happy for Timofey Mozgov who had his best all around game as a Denver Nugget scoring 16 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and blocking 2 shots. Mozzy is getting better all the time and could be a big factor in the playoffs.

Danilo Gallinari, meanwhile, just looks so cool. He is dressed to the nines and could be mistaken for a European model. Albeit, a very tall Euro model! He played the game of his life against his old team scoring a career high 37, making 18 of 20 free throws and collected 10 rebounds! And he outplayed Carmelo Anthony.

By the way, I did get a chance to say hello to Carmelo. Prior to the game, Melo was chatting with Altitude radioman Jason Kosmicki (@RadioKoz) —I walked over and we shook hands. In the 7½ years he was in Denver, Melo was always cordial. And, he let me be in his Nike “Jumpman” commercial (still on You Tube) so I will always be grateful.

Too sum up the trip…a tough win over the Bucks, an OT thriller at Philly, another nail biter in Washington and then the coup de grace, a double OT win at NY. Four wins in five nights on the road. In the NBA it doesn’t get much better than that.

Well, gotta go now. They’re serving up the ice cream.
Oh good! It’s chocolate!

Nuggets...The First 10 Days

Wow! 6 games in the first 8 days, 5 games in 6 nights, and 3 games in a row! The NBA schedule is going to be a huge challenge to everyone involved.

This Nuggets team is a lot of fun to watch. They are young, hungry and very unselfish. (So much so, that George Karl has already had to tell Ty Lawson to be more selfish).

Speaking of George Karl, this may be the most enjoyable team he has ever coached. It is talented, hard working and coachable.

Danilo Gallinari doesn’t shoot the rock as well as I thought he would. But he’s a much better all around basketball player than I ever imagined.

I love it when the Nuggets score over 100 points and hold the opponent to less than 100. That means great offense and solid defense.

One thing I really like about Andre Miller is his ability to advance the ball up the court quickly. So many point guards have to dribble up and be the one that makes the “assist”. Andre doesn’t care. Who’s ever open up the court gets it—and in a hurry.

One more tidbit about Miller—who would have thought 6 games into the season, that Dre would be leading the Nuggets in 3 point shooting percentage! He’s 40% (4-10) and has equaled the total number of threes he made ALL of last season (4-37).

Kosta Koufos says if you give him the minutes he will get you a double- double. Monday night he played 19 minutes and produced 8 points and 6 rebounds. KK didn’t quite get the DD but was a solid contributor.

So far the experiment of starting Timofey Mozgov at center has produced mixed results. He’s had 2 good games (Dallas and LA 1) and been in foul trouble in all the others.

It seems to me that after re-signing late, Nene and Aaron Afflalo will need a couple of more weeks to get back to full speed.

Finally, it’s great to hear that Wilson Chandler is doing well in China. He was just named the Chinese Basketball Association “Player of the Week” for scoring 44 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in a big win over the Beijing Ducks!

Questions...and Some Answers for Your Denver Nuggets

The NBA season opener is just around the corner for the Denver Nuggets. With that in mind I thought I’d take the time to pose some questions for this year—and try to give some answers too.

Q. What about the Nuggets who signed to play in China this season?

A. Kenyon Martin and JR Smith were unrestricted free agents when they signed with Chinese teams. When they return, they will be free to sign with any NBA team including Denver.  Wilson Chandler meanwhile is a restricted free agent—thus the Nuggets retain his rights and can match any offer that comes his way.

Q. How will Ty Lawson and Andre Miller “share” the point guard position?

A. George Karl has said that Ty will be the starter and that Andre Miller will come off the bench.  Sounds good unless you’re Andre Miller.  Consider: if Ty plays 35 minutes each night that leaves only 13 for Andre at the point.  Karl could play Ty and Andre together in the backcourt, but you wonder if that small backcourt could get it done defensively.  I predict point guard play time will be a tricky issue for the Mile High Crew.

Q. My daughter Grace thinks Danilo Gallinari is “the bomb”.  Can “the bomb” develop into a shooting star?

A. I believe there’s a good chance he can.  At 6’10” he can really shoot, has an underrated handle, makes free throws, and is a willing defender.  I’d be surprised if Gallo doesn’t become the Nuggets go to guy, and leads the team in scoring.

Q. Can Nene, at 29, take the next step up and become an NBA All-Star?

A. I say yes.  The move to power forward gives the Brazilian big man a chance.  If he can be more aggressive, make his free throws, and forget about the refs, Nene will be an All-Star in 2011/2012.

Q. What do you think of the “new and improved” Al Harrington?

A. Al has a chance to have a great year. He’s healthy (bad foot last season), is in terrific shape (just 8% body fat) and has been shooting the lights out in practice.

Q. Can Russian center Timofey Mozgov become the next Arvydas Sabonis (the greatest Russian center of all time)?

A. Probably not. However I do think that Mozgov can be a very good NBA center. I say that if “Timo” plays starters minutes (35) he can put up similar numbers to the Grizzlies Marc Gasol—which would be 11 points and 7 rebounds a game.

Q. Who will be the backup center for Mozgov?

A. This could be a battle royal.  Chris “Birdman” Andersen has the inside track.  If Bird is healthy he can be very effective in that reserve role.  However, don’t sleep on 7’1” Kosta Koufos.  Kosta is young and athletic (a 34 inch vertical), and has an array of terrific post moves.  He had 24 points and 8 rebounds in the recent scrimmage and George likes his attitude a lot.

Q. Who is going to be on the wing for the Nuggets?

A. Great news…Arron Afflalo is back in the fold. And more than likely he will start.  Former Blazer Rudy Fernandez (20 points and 10 assists in the scrimmage) will assume and embrace JR Smiths’ old 6^th man role. And newcomer Corey Brewer will see minutes too.

Q. Will any of the rookies play much?

A. Maybe.  Kenneth Faried, alias "Manimal," will get the first call.  He has been impressive in practice and has the one skill that always transfers from college to the NBA—rebounding.  Jordan Hamilton is talented, but will have a tough time finding minutes on this deep Nuggets team.

Q. Finally, will Scott Hastings’ “Arkansas math” improve this season?

A. Probably not.  You can lead a giant dog to water, but you can’t teach him new tricks.

Tim Tebow Inspiration

“In a real crisis, like say if an asteroid is about to hit the planet, I want Tim Tebow as my leader!”

When I read that line (LOL) by Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post, I was reminded of how much my father, actor Hugh Marlowe, loved a great quote.

So while the NBA is still gearing up, I thought I would pass along some inspirational quotes I believe would earn the Tim Tebow seal of approval.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” - John Quincy Adams

“You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.” - Wayne Gretzky

“The best way out is always through.” - Robert Frost

“Believe with all your heart that you will do what you were made to do.”
 - Orison Swett Marden

 “They can because they think they can.”  - Virgil

“Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” - Vince Lombardi

“They surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed.” - R. Sheridan

“Dreams are the touchstones of our character.”  - Henry David Thoreau

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” - Babe Ruth

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” - Albert Einstein

Finally, a quote from Yogi Berra for the less uninspired among us (think ESPN’s Merril Hoge): 

“If you don’t know where you are going you will end up somewhere else.”

That’s it for now—next week let’s hope we’re talking about NBA Basketball.

Alert: Marlowe Goes on the DL!

Last Friday, I broke my left hand playing basketball at the Greenwood Athletic Club. The doctor tells me that I will be in my cast for 4 weeks.

That’s the bad news.

The good news, however, is that I won all three games I played that day, made every shot but one, and drilled the game winner in the finale to dispatch the super team of “Big Mike”, Chris “the animal” Eide, Shawn “the lunging lefty”, and Dan, aka  “the Commissioner”.

When I went home from the gym on Friday, I knew my hand was probably broken. But since it was the weekend, I decided to wait and see if the swelling and pain would subside.

Amazingly, the discomfort did go away late Sunday afternoon! Right after halftime, when I found out Tim Tebow was going in for Kyle Orton to play quarterback for the Denver Broncos. For the next hour and a half I was pain free while #15 rallied the cause.

Interestingly, the last time I broke my hand was in high school playing basketball. My brother Jeff was covering me and intentionally kicked me to prevent me from shooting a jump shot. That hit cracked a bone in my right (shooting) hand and put me out for a month.

Right now, I’m in the process of learning what I can or cannot do with a cast on my left hand. 

I CAN use the keyboard on my computer! That’s good.

However, opening a jar of pickles was problematic. I gripped the jar with my right hand but didn’t have the grip or strength to twist with my left. Luckily, my daughter Grace came to the rescue. 

I can get my clothes on and off—but putting on a dress shirt, coat a tie will be a huge challenge. I wonder if my partner Scott Hastings is OK with shorts and a tee shirt for out next Altitude appearance?

Well, as you may have guessed by now, I’m not really on the disabled list.

I will continue to call football play by play for the Big Sky Conference, appear on the Summit All Sports Edition, and be ready to broadcast Colorado Rapids playoff soccer and Big Sky Conference basketball.

Bottom line: I will play hurt for the good of the Altitude team.

And in four weeks the cast will come off. Hopefully then, I will be able to “cast off”-- my jumper-- once again.

What's Marlowe up to these days?

Every day someone comes up to me and asks what’s going on with the NBA labor situation? I give them my standard answer “ the two sides are negotiating and I hope they reach a fair settlement soon”.

The next question I invariably get is, “what are you working on now?

I tell them “a little bit of everything”!

Recently I was out in Manhattan Beach California announcing Pro Beach Volleyball. With the London Olympics less than a year away, it was fun to get back in the game I grew up on.  In the next month I will call three more beach tournaments, two in Miami, and the season finale in Hermosa Beach California.

Prior to hitting the beach, I worked 7 Colorado Rapids soccer games and had a ball. I hope “the Burgundy” will stay hot and go all the way to the MLS Championship.

Did I tell you that I just got my college football schedule?

That’s right—4 Big Sky Conference games featuring the likes of Northern Colorado, Weber State and Eastern Washington. Scott Hastings will be my color man—can’t wait to hear Hasty get on those football officials!

I also have one high school football assignment—and it’s a beauty—Longmont and Loveland—a battle royal in prime time.

Finally, in addition to my TV assignments, I’ve found time to be a volunteer assistant volleyball coach at Arapahoe High School. My daughter Grace is a setter there and I hope by the end of the season we have won state and she is still talking to me!

 

GOAAAAAAAAL!

As you may know, I’m announcing a number of Colorado Rapids soccer matches this summer and so far it’s been a blast!  Case in point:

Kosuke Kimura’s 65-yard scoring bomb in the Rapid’s 2-2 draw with New England!

I’ve called a wide variety of sports during my play-by-play career at both the professional and collegiate level; including basketball, football, soccer and volleyball.  Calling indoor and beach volleyball matches in six consecutive Summer Olympics is another highlight! It’s an exciting profession and once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, these skills can translate to a variety of “sports”.  Would you believe Acapulco cliff-diving, show horse-jumping and the World Series of Poker?  Yes, I’ve announced them all! 

Calling soccer is somewhat like calling basketball. The players are athletic.  They move interchangeably up and down the pitch or court and when the action is fast paced, both sports are very exciting.

The cornerstone of any broadcast, including soccer, is player identification and name pronunciation. Identify the players correctly, and say their names right, and you are halfway home.

Each team in MLS starts 11 players and has 7 more in reserve. My San Diego State math says that’s a total of 36 eligible players to keep track of, including keepers. Add to that a passel of international players with tricky, poly-syllabic names and you see the challenge.

Writing out the names phonetically and practicing pronunciations out loud is the first step to calling a clean match. Example: Rajko Lekic = Rye-co Leck-itch! Meanwhile, I study team rosters, the player bios and their positions on the pitch. I also read print articles for additional background and entertaining stories.

Another crucial step is watching at least 2 different match DVDs of the opposing team. I note the positioning of the players, what they actually look like (bald guys are a big help!), and the characteristics of that particular team.

The second most important element in announcing soccer is using the appropriate lingo. In the “worlds game”, you play on the “pitch”, not on a field. Fans are referred to as “supporters”, a shutout is a “clean sheet”, and if someone kicks the ball through your legs into the goal, it’s a “nutmeg” not cinnamon!

Each week, I try to add a few new soccer terms to my call. In this way, I continually build my on-air vocabulary and keep the call interesting. Nothing is more annoying than hearing an announcer use the same term over and over again and again!

Finally, when you announce any sport, including soccer, you should have a good handle on the rules. Some soccer rules are basic: there are two 45 minute halves and you can’t play the ball with your hands. Some are quirky: there are no timeouts, and at the end of each half, “stoppage” time is added (usually 2-4 minutes) to make up for delays and injuries. And some are pretty easy: a yellow card is a caution and a red card means you are ejected for the remainder of the match.

While I’ve been aware of the red card ejection for decades, the rule was ingrained in my mind when my then 9 year old daughter Grace received a red card and was ejected from a Littleton Rec match for throwing grass at another girl!  To this day, Grace says the girl tripped her from behind and deserved it!

All-in-all, my foray into the world of Colorado Rapids Soccer and MLS has been very rewarding.  I especially appreciate working with analyst Marcello Balboa (terrific knowledge and insight, funny, and GREAT hair.) The Rapids coaches, staff and players are always helpful and cooperative.  Supporters attending home matches at Dicks Sporting Goods Park love the facility and our Altitude production crew does a bang up job bringing the action to viewers at home.

Last year the Colorado Rapids won the MLS Championship Cup. Here’s hoping we’ll see another championship run this fall!

The Marlowe Vacation...

We were all set to go on a really cool European vacation when reality set in…it costs way too much!  So instead of ordering baguettes and walking along the Seine, my wife Laurie and I gathered up the kids and headed for our old stomping grounds, Del Mar, California.

These days, whenever we vacation in SD, we stay at the posh beachside resort…L’Auberge, which my wife describes as “very Shee Shee -- La La.” Shee Shee, I found out, means very luxurious, and La La means you’ll be broke by the end of your fabulous vacation.

First up, our friends the Salmons came to visit. Steve is a longtime friend and fellow gold medalist on the 1984 Olympic Volleyball team. His wife Cathy is one of Laurie’s best friends, and their 3 kids are like peas to carrots with our girls.

Hanging at the pool and bodysurfing in the Pacific presented the perfect opportunity to unveil my new wardrobe of O’Neill, Volcom and Lucky Brand.  Having lost a bunch of weight, 20 pounds to be exact, I can now fit into my “skinny jeans”, a pair of 1984 Levi’s with solid gold studs we got for winning the Olympics in Los Angeles.

My wardrobe isn’t the only thing that’s shifted into the 21st century this summer. In the past I have listened exclusively to sports and political talk, but I’ve recently rediscovered music thanks to my iPod Nano, a Christmas gift from the girls. Artic Monkeys, Pitbull, Gorillaz, Neil Young, the Kooks and My Chemical Romance. I now rock!

One of the highlights of our trip was a dinner adventure at Bill Walton’s house. Bill, the former NBA great and announcer, is another wonderful friend, and one of the most gracious and knowledgeable people I know.

He lives in a canyon retreat, filled with Grateful Dead memorabilia, more drums than they had along the Mohawk, four black labs, and a teepee in the backyard.

Needless to say, it’s a large teepee.

Dinner was sensational and topics of conversation included Harry Potter, the NBA, the Tour de France, ESPN, Keith Olberman, Richard Nixon, the legendary John Wooden, the importance of speaking Spanish, and singer Emmy Lou Harris, and the virtues of allowing your hair to gray naturally.

Another great day was our “surfing safari adventure” with former SDSU teammate Duncan MacFarland. We met Dunc up in North County and proceeded to trek to a local surfing spot known as Dragon’s Beach!

It was there that Duncan took my daughters, Mac and Grace out to “surf the line”.

While they were at it, I decided to see if I could re-capture the halcyon surfing days of my youth. You see, when I was at SDSU, I lived on the beach and went surfing a lot. I figured I might be able to pick it right back up and impress the fam.

Well, I was lucky I didn’t drown. An old rib injury made it painful to lie on the board. Paddling with a reconstructed shoulder was problematic.  And finally, getting to my feet was a nightmare. Falling off, however, was easy! Bottom line: Mickey Dora I was not. 

Our final dinner in Del Mar was a hoot. We met up with Bob Ctvrtlik and his wife Cozette. They had just returned from Monaco where they attended the wedding of his buddy “Al”, AKA The Prince of Monaco.

According to Bob, food is very expensive in that tiny kingdom…especially fish. The special at one restaurant, a whole fish presented live at the dinner table, cost $1200! No word on the cost of chips.

The vacation ended not with a bang, but a whimper. Next time you fly,  punch the service desk attendant for me.