Women's Hoops Guru

By Mel Greenberg

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- It's a busy day ahead for the Guru, who will be signing autographs, giving media interviews, appearing for the ball presentations with Andrea Lloyd Curry, Pam Kelly-Flowers, Bridget Gordon, Daedra Charles-Fuller, and Georgia coach Andy Landers, and then enduring the annual storytelling session as the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame weekend inductions activities get under way.

So that our readers don't assume Thursday was a complete party day-and-night, Jonathan has posted the team guru's work at a party hosted by Hall of Fame Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Acacia and Erin will probably produce some of their reporting-photo work from Thursday's boat ride at former Inquirer sports editor Jay Searcy's house.

What follows are shots taken by Willam Ewart at Pat's party, enabling extended members of the Guru's associates and family to enjoy the weekend from afar.

Also, some of the Guru's delegation, including some guests who are here for several inductees, will include Atlantic Ten commissioner Linda Bruno, Temple sports information director (not actual title) Larry Dougherty, Mike Tuberosa of Temple, and James Wagner of Holy Family. Longtime-friend Steve Tucker, who does the Guru's taxes among else, joined us last night at Coach Summitt's house, much to my pleasure.

Incidentally, a special thank you to Michael Panzer of the Inquirer library from the hall folks for researching and sending the giant reprint pages containing Guru stories that will decorate the event on Friday night.

The official Inquirer contingent, beginning Friday, will include sports editor Jim Jenks, reporting colleague Claire Smith, department administrator (not her title) Maureen Meehan and her husband, Bryan, who started as an editorial assistant as the same day as the Guru on what newsroom chief Bill Marimow like to refer as "9-9-69"

Also, Karen Kase, assistant public relations director for the WNBA, was reported as a recent arrival.

Now on to the photo spread:

As soon as we arrived we hooked up with WBHOF basketball relations director Karen Tucker (on left) and Gloria Ray, who heads the hall from her role at the Knoxville Sports Corporation. Way back in the early days, Gloria was the women's athletic director at Tennessee.

Then it was time to get together with Tennessee beat reporter Dan Fleser (on left), the Guru's local "Boswell" of the Knoxville News Sentinel and its deputy sports editor Phil Kaplan.

And another "reunion" shot with former Inquirer sports editory Jay Searcy, who is retired down here, and whose idea the poll really was. Incidentally, on Thursday he got another taste of preparedness when Erin's experience as a rower and Acacia's brute strength served to reel us into the dock in a heavy breeze after the boat ride.

The Guru's family arrived at the nearby airport and quickly joined the festivities. Left to right are brother-in-law Perry Swartz, younger niece Allison, a graduate of Maryland a year ago, older niece Neena who teaches Spanish at Upper Merion High in King of Prussia, and sister Annette, who teaches computers at Colonial, I believe, in the Plymouth Whitemarsh school district.

Neena and Allison get nourished for their roles as the Guru's escorts to the podium in Saturday night's induction ceremony at the Historic Tennessee Theatre. As previously announced, Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer, also a multi-Hall of Famer, will escort the Guru into the Theatre and down the grand staircase as part of the "red carpet" arrival.

And for those who were wondering, Temple coach Dawn Staley, who, besides being employed in his alma mater, represents a wide array of Guru involvement over the years, was in the original mix but many previously-committed engagements forced her to hold off until the Philadelphia Party.

Next we have two shots of the Guru family with our hostess at her pool house.

And the other picture.

Finally, two shots of the Guru's team at work interviewing Summitt. Unfortunately, Erin's back was to the camera here, but you have Acacia and in the bottom picture, Jonathan was hard at work shooting video, which you can link to from his posting below.

And the last one, and the Guru hopes he was able to get this looking ok, since the rest of the team is still sound asleep. Also, because no foreign players are involved this year, which usually involves a translator for remarks to English, Acacia has volunteered to translate the Guru's remarks into Italian and Neena, likewise into Spanish.

Wags at the paper inquired as to who will translate them into English, something required at times in the newsroom in the past.

-- Mel