By Mel Greenberg
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. _ Roughly on the first anniversary of the Guru's induction as part of the class of 2007 to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the public revelation that the fabled Tennessee-Connecticut rivalry had ended in divorce, the Guru is back on the scene in a dual role, including media coverage, for ceremonies Friday and Saturday night for the next class.
The event will be somewhat different than in recent years. The Friday night festivities with the ball presentations will now be a private affair for inductees, their friends and families, and existing members. Thus, the Guru has an invite any way.
Departing from recent years there, will be no storytelling session afterwards in the Urban Playground on the Hall's ground floor.
The morning breakfast has been dispensed allowing inductees more time to send with friends and family.
The reception and auction Saturday night will be at the Hall and then attendees will be shuttled to the Bijou Theatre located down the street from the Tennessee Theatre, the site of previous inductions.
ESPN broadcasters Debbie Antonelli and Beth Mowins will be the emcees, but, unlike their winter role with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, the electronic duo will not be podcasting.
Since the Guru's arrival late Wednesday afternoon, he headed for the traditional Calhouns' barbecue place with local scribe Dan Flesser, this year's winner of the WBCA media award, and Willbill, our photo ace of a year ago who will be providing some coverage to the blog as well as to the schools of several inductees and to Women's Basketball magazine.
The Guru will have a story for Saturday print sections off Friday's media interviews and will then extend coverage in this space throughout the weekend.
Fleser and the Guru enjoyed Thursday night dinner at Littons, the famed hamburger place that was featured the night of our arrival a year ago.
Saturday's ceremonies, as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the WBHOF, will begin with a parade of inductees by class, meaning the Guru and newly-hired Tennessee assistant Daedra Charles-Furlow will be at the end of the line representing the Class of 2007.
The Guru was able to observe the Hall's updated retrospective film that now includes events that have occurred from the start of the current decade. In what was a quick one-second clip or so, the Guru noticed new Inquirer sports colleague Kate Fagan, in her Colorado uniform,fire a pass to the post.
You can see much more action in a few weeks when, on nights she isn't performing journalism, Ms. Fagan will be playing at Northeast High on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Dept. of Recreation's NCAA Women;'s Summer League. Incidentally, this be the last season the league will be administered by commissioner David Kessler, before he moves on to other venues.
Meanwhile, for those of you looking for other news that has been occurring over the last month:
As noted several days ago, the Temple search remains quiet until next week.
The Guru has heard in the last few hours, but not absolutely confirmed, that former George Washington star and assistant Lisa Cermingnano, now a Vanderbilt aide, is on the interview list for the vacancy created when Joe McKeown moved to Northwestern on Monday.
As a former managing editor of The Inquirer news room used to conclude in her memos to the staff:
More to come.
-- Mel
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