June 2, 2010 | 8:43 am

Sound the Sofar

Posted by Jeremy Fine

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Tekiyah. Tru-ah. Shevarim. Tekiyah Gedolah. We hear those sounds during the High Holidays when the shofar sounds. The kids stand on chairs to see an older man standing on the bimah blowing everything he has into a large ram’s horn.

But the next time the Jews celebrate with a shofar blowing with be with future rabbi and current boxing star Yuri Foreman walking down to the ring at Yankee Stadium. “Welcome to Yankel Stadium,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “We are very fortunate to have Israel’s No. 1 entertainer Yoni Dror of Tel Aviv attending the fight to sound the shofar immediately prior to Yuri’s ring walk. Yoni was thrilled when we asked him and we were even happier he accepted. Yoni is beyond compare when it comes to sounding the shofar. It will be a very dramatic beginning to a very symbolic event.”

The Irish have bagpipes and now the Jews have the shofar.

Foreman who is 28-0 will face probably his toughest competition yet in Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto who is a former three time world champion. This will be the inaugural fight at the new Yankee Stadium.

So let the shofar sound and Foreman come out on top.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
- Jeremy Fine

May 30, 2010 | 1:03 am

Interview with Israeli Basketball Legend Tal Brody

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Before there was Omri Casspi there was a man by the name of Tal Brody. Brody was a sensational player for my Alma Mater, The University of Illinois. Brody was drafted into the NBA but a trans-formative experience at the Maccabi games changed his future and Israeli basketball forever. He lead Israeli to its first European title and Israeli basketball has been on the map ever since. TGR had the fortune to speak with Brody during my last few days in Israel. What better way to leave this amazing country and experience than with an interview for arguably the greatest Israeli basketball player ever.

INTERVIEW:

1) You played at the University of Illinois, how was that experience and do you still follow the team?
I follow the Illini. About 10 years ago I was invited back because I was elected I Man of the Year. At first I thought they had the wrong guy. Once I reached campus I remembered how cold Champaign can get. But it was very nice. They were playing Wisconsin and I got to be the honorary coach for the day and sat next to Lou Henson. I really enjoyed it.

Playing there was great too. We had good teams. I replaced Jerry Calangelo who graduated. I was a sophomore at the time. Back then freshman were not allowed to play varsity. We were ranked #3 in the nation. We won the holiday festival in New York where we beat Adolph Rupp’s team. Unfortunately, we were knocked out of the tournament by Bowling Green. We were also the first team ever to play in Assembly Hall.

2) What was it like getting drafted to the NBA?
At the time getting drafted 12th out of 65 was a big deal. Jerry Sloan went in like the 4th round because there were only 9 teams. Unfortunately, the Baltimore Bullets were loaded with guards. After rookie camp everything was fine. I was asked to play in the Maccabi games and I needed to get the Bullets’ permission. They let me go and once I got there everything changed. Growing up in Trenton, Israel opened up my eyes. I fell in love with the culture and every day life. Israel gave me a challenge to take Israeli basketball to the next level. NBA players were not getting paid all too much in those. It was not until David Stern took over that there were huge contracts. So my decision wasn’t a financial thing. It was the challenge that brought me to Israel. I told the Bullets that if I did not receive a no-cut contract I would be staying in Israel. So I came and even got a masters degree. It was a bigger challenge to help a country rather than one team.

3) What was it like winning the European Championship?
It was a dream come true. It was the reason I came to Israel, to take Israeli basketball to the next level. It meant a lot to the country. We got passed the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds and had to play in Spain where we lost by 32 the first time around. This time we won by 32. Moshe Dayan started attending comes. It was a big deal. After my second year I got drafted to the US Army. After that I became a new citizen of Israel. Soon thereafter Mark Spitz and I participated in the Maccabi games. We won the gold in basketball.

4) How do you feel about what Omri Casspi has accomplished?
I think he has been the first Israeli to really achieve a success in the NBA. Doing what he did as a rookie, brought so much honor to Israeli basketball. I was at the NBA All Star game in Dallasand sat in a box. I saw him play in the rookie game and it was truly amazing. He did a great job and I felt proud of him especially in his first year. It was fantastic for world Jewry. At the game in New York they played Hatikva. Everywhere he goes fans have been coming out and cheering him on.

5) Any other Israelis to watch out for?
It is hard to say at this point. Young players should come along. Our players are all over Europe. Also the Israeli league is good and producing better players. Our biggest problem is that we do not have an abundance of tall players.

6) What are you doing these days?
I am in the 3rd stage of life. I sold my business and began working for the country. I am doing this on my own until something official comes out. I lecture the world about whats going on in Israel and on holidays. I search for friends abroad. Also, I help Children of Risk with Natan Sharansky. Basically I talks about using technology and reach out to friends all over the world. I hope that college age Jews and even non-Jews are not getting their information from anti-Israel proporganda. I am trying to combat that. I post on Youtube,  Canadian TV, etc. Here is a segment you should check out by Dr. Jaques Gautier who argues that Jerusalem is 100% legalized for Israel. I have asked the Israel project to validate it. http://ctstv.com/ontario/player.php?ctsvidID=17133&show=On

I have also helped and continue to help 100,000 boys and girls play basketball everyday. Its a program called the Spirit of Israel where I am the chairman. It is in Hertzaliyah. It won a European prize for helping children.

7) Most importantly where is your favorite falafel stand?
This little place in Hertzaliyah on Sokolv. When I played for Maccabi there was another place near the old basketball court called Shuk Bazalel but I am not sure if it is still there.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For More On Jewish Sports Check Out WWW.THEGREATRABBINO.COM

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May 27, 2010 | 1:27 am

Where’s Theo Epstein?

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Recently Yahoo ran an article about Theo Epstein. Not about his Red Sox rather about his weird disguise at a recent Pearl Jam concert. Epstein was spotted at the concert sporting a fake mustache (picture shown is from Yahoo.com).

This is not the first time Epstein has done this. “At any rate, as this old Sports Illustrated article notes, Epstein has attempted to go incognito at Pearl Jam concerts before. In 2006, he attended a show ‘wearing a fake mullet wig, glasses, a blue hat and a hooded sweatshirt so that he wouldn’t be recognized.’ Epstein then revealed his identity to the crowd after joining the band onstage to play Neil Young’s ‘Rockin’ In The Free World.’”

Not sure why Epstein feels compelled to hide himself only to reveal himself to the large crowd on stage. Maybe he is trying to blend in and doesn’t want to deal with random annoying Red Sawx or even heckling Yankee fans. Regardless, I thought it was funny and odd so I am posting it. Next time you are at a concert look around to see if you can find Mark Cuban with a fu man chu orLarry Brown with mutton chops.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For More in the World of Jewish Sports Check Out WWW.THEGREATRABBINO.COM

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May 24, 2010 | 11:46 pm

What Ever Happened To…Jerry Krause?

Posted by Jeremy Fine

I love the game whatever happened to…

Think about it. Whatever happened to…Chris Shelton? Whatever happened to…Bob Hamelin? ...Dana Barros? ...Austin Croshere?

I know all of those players are “1-hit wonders.” But seriously, what happened to those guys. I think there is one man who people say, at least in Chicago, whatever happened to…the most. That man is Jerry Krause.

Jerry Krause was responsible for putting together 6 championship Bulls teams before dismantling the dynasty. Many people blame Krause for Jordan’s departure and the Bulls’ failure to be a serious threat since. But give credit where credit is due. The man was a visionary when it comes to talent evaluation. Krause drafted Scottie Pippen, Wes Unseld, Earl Monroe, Jerry Sloan, and Elton Brand. He surrounded Michael Jordan with Horace Grant, B.J. Armstrong, and John Paxson. He later traded Will Perdue for Dennis Rodman. He knew talent.

But before Krause was picking Hall of Famers for the Bulls he was a baseball mind. He worked for the Chicago White Sox helping acquire Ozzie Guillen, Greg Walker, Kenny Williams, Ed Farmer, Greg Luzinski, and who could ever forget Tom Seaver.

Once Jordan left the Bulls and his Baby Bulls began to quickly crumble (Wow Ron Mercer and Corey Benjamin did not live up to the hype)  Krause left Chicago. He found himself back in the baseball world. He began scouting, what he does best, for the Cleveland Indians, Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners White Sox and the New York Yankees and Mets. But now Krause is back home in Chicago. The White Sox recently named Krause the Director of International Scouting. Krause will be in charge of restructuring the way the White Sox scout and head up recruitment in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

It is good to see Krause back home. Hopefully he can help bring 5 more White Sox rings to the city of Chicago.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For More In Jewish Sports Check Out WWW.THEGREATRABBINO.COM

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May 23, 2010 | 7:17 am

Lebron James’ Jewish Dilemma

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Unless you are a Celtic or Laker’s fan right now you couldn’t care less about the playoffs. I mean I guess there is a little bit of hope left in Phoenix, but really can anyone stop Kobe and Gasol. Seriously, the NBA should have vetoed the Gasol trade, arguably the most lopsided trade ever. Even though I love watching Kobe I couldn’t care less about the playoffs. And like most of you sitting at home I am just waiting for the finals to end so we can start the offseason.

The offseason has not even begun yet and there are crazy Lebron James websites, owners running their mouths, and Sportscenter and radio outlets everywhere are going crazy for whats about to unfold. The anticipation is almost as intense as tonight’s LOST finale.

Mainly all of this because of LEBRON JAMES.

And as the Lebron James storyline becomes more intense I realized that this is a huge issue for the Jews. Cities, man, and values divided all over one the Lebron James Saga. Where should James go?

Well, most news outlets have the two major players for James’s services, outside of Cleveland, to be New York (Knicks) and Chicago (Bulls). So let us begin there.

New York. What is more Jewish than New York? Seriously, they sell out the Garden for Maccabi Tel Aviv, imagine if King James came to town. If James took his game to NYC you know it’ll be about 10 minutes before Rabbi Shmuely took him under his wing. And if the Messiah were to come and need to stop somewhere before Jerusalem, don’t you think it’d be in NYC? Maybe a Crumbs Cupcake perhaps? James is as good as they come and New York is as Jewish as they come. Knick’s jersey sales would sky rocket both in NYC and in Israel.  If James chooses NY he will be making a lot of Jews happy.

Then there is Chicago, which is another heavily populated Jewish city. But forget about that. The Bulls are owned by Jerry Reinsdorf. The Jewish owner won six titles with Michael Jordan in the drivers seat. If James came to Chicago he would make Reinsdorf a happy man. James could be like Isaac to Jordan’s Abraham. Also, Chicago as a city pulling hard for James. Check out sendlebrontochicago.com.

Another Jewish owner recently got into the mix and made headlines. Dallas Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban said on CNNMoney.com that “anybody” would be interested in Lebron James. He went on to mention a possible sign-and-trade deal with the Cavaliers. Cuban was later fined $100,000 for his comments because he was considered to have “tampered” with the free agency pool. But Cuban isn’t the only one in Dallas trying to lore James to the great state of Texas. Check out lebrontothemavs.com.

Another site could be Miami. I acutally do not want to discuss this possibility because the idea of Dwyane Wade and James playing together scares me.

But James could very well stay in Cleveland. How is that Jewish? Well, James has eaten at the Kosher Subway in the JCC (that is a joke). But really Judaism has a principle of Shalom Bayit (Peace in the Home). If James left Cleveland there would be a lot of tears shed and many people upset. Maybe James would want to make his extended family of Ohio happy for a long long time.

I left out the Clippers and the Nets…well….because….they are the Clippers and the Nets. It would be exciting for LA to have Kobe and Lebron share a building. But they are the Clippers, so doesn’t seem likely. And I am not sure if anyone else paid attention to the NBA this year but why would James want to leave Jamison and Mo Williams to play with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez? Maybe if the Nets landed John Wall, but that seems unlikely.

New York. Chicago. Dallas. Miami. Cleveland. L.A. N.J. Those are the rumored destinations. Where does TGR think he will end up. Well, in my heart of hearts I want to say Chicago. With James and DRose running the United Center for the next 10 years I think it would be safe to say there would be a few more rings to add to Reinsdorf’s collection (6 Bulls, 1 White Sox). But honestly I think he is staying in Cleveland. Why leave? He is already bigger than life. The King of a city. What else could a man want? Maybe a Crumbs Cupcakes.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For More Jewish in Sports check out WWW.THEGREATRABBINO.COM

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May 19, 2010 | 11:45 pm

Wayne Odesnik Gets a 2 Year Ban

Posted by Jeremy Fine

The Great Rabbino doesn’t cover too much Tennis. We did post an interview with Paul Goldstein, but really we have not done too much. The reality is while there are a bunch of good Jewish players, rarely do they make headlines. Shahar Pe’er occasionally is in the news and Andy Ram has been a successful doubles player. But this time its Wayne Odesnik made the headlines.

Who you ask? Odesnik is currently ranked 111th in the world and hasn’t reached higher than 77th. He has played in 6 majors. His biggest wins came against Ivan Ljubicic in 2007 and in 2009 he beat Igor Kunitsyn. Nothing too substantial and he has never really been in the spotlight until now.

Odesnik recently received a two year ban from the International Tennis Federation because of importing Human Growth Hormones from Australia. Two months ago he pleaded guilty to the charges. Odesnik denied allegations of ever using HGH and has never tested positive for the substance. The ITF said, “Mr. Odesnik did not in fact obtain or apply for a therapeutic use exemption ... prior to obtaining it,” the ITF said in a statement. “Accordingly, Mr. Odesnik’s possession of the human growth hormone is an anti-doping rule violation.”

While this might not be a major blow to the tennis world, it is certainly a blow to the Jewish tennis world. Odesnik officially began his suspension on December 29th 2009. The story has just recently gone public. For more on Odesnik’s situation check out www.cbssports.com/tennis/story/13411923/american-odesnik-gets-twoyear-ban-for-doping?tag=globalNav.tennis;headlines.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For More On Jewish Sports Check Out WWW.THEGREATRABBINO.COM

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May 17, 2010 | 4:01 am

Coaches Wanted?

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Every offseason there is what sports fans call a coaching carousel. It mainly happens in college sports when a team did well and a better college program snatches away their coach. In the NBA teams usually look for one of four categories; coach with experience, coach who was a former player/leader on the court, an assistant coach, or a successful college coach.

The Jewish coach that has the most experience is Larry Brown. While he currently has a job with the Charlotte Bobcats and his former phenom Michael Jordan, there are rumors circulating that Brown has interest of heading back to the Philadelphia 76ers. A few weeks back Brown said that Charlotte would be his last stop, but it seems a potential Iverson-less 76er team is intriguing. While Brown has denied the rumors, the 76ers seem to be interested. To read more check out http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/21324739?tag=comBlogEntryListCnt;entry21324739.

Another coach of Jewish interest is Lawrence Frank. Frank most recently coached the New Jersey Nets but was fired mid-season after a horrendous start. The New Orleans Hornets had Frank in for an interview last week. The Hornets have a long list of candidates but Frank seems to have as much a chance as anybody. The Nets did have a horrible season but the team he had to work with was pathetic to watch all season long, with or without Frank as their leader. With the Hornets he would inherit a solid foundation with All Stars Chris Paul and David West. Read more at www.cbssports.com/nba/story/13378527/hornets-add-to-list-of-candidates-interview-frank-williams?tag=headlines;headlines.

The last coach to watch out for is Bruce Pearl. Yes, Bruce Pearl. While he won’t be joining the professional ranks (I don’t believe so), there is rumor that John Callipari might be headed to coach in the NBA either in Chicago or New Jersey. Callipari has repeatedly denied these rumors, but I am not sure he is such a trustworthy guy in situations where money is involved. If Callipari was to jump back into the NBA, Pearl would probably become the number candidate for the Kentucky job. After an Elite Eight appearance Pearl seems to be a likely candidate. Pearl was heavily rumored to be heading to Kentucky a few years back, but said to have never wanted to leave Tennessee. But if the price was right you never know what might happen.

This summer the world will be watching Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and others. But do not forget about the (Jewish) guys who coach them.

And Let Us Say…Amen.
-Jeremy Fine
For More Information On Jews and Sports Check Out WWW.THEGREATRABBINO.COM

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May 13, 2010 | 10:35 pm

LPGA Golfer Blasberg Found Dead at 25

Posted by Jeremy Fine

Before Monday few people outside of the LPGA tour knew of Erica Blasberg. It is sad that it took such an unfortunate event to learn about her story. Blasberg was a successful collegiate golfer. She has been a professional golfer since 2004. Monday, Blasberg was found dead at her home in Henderson Nevada at the young age of 25.

Blasberg was a professional golfer on the LPGA tour. Before Blasberg turned pro she attended Arizona University where she was ranked #1 in the country as freshman. Soon after her sophomore year she decided to take her game to the next level. She turned pro in 2004 and quickly won the Laconia Savings Bank Golf Classic. By 2005 she was on the circuit but did not experience too much success. Early on she struggled to make cuts and rarely finished near the top. From 2006 -2008 she finished near the bottom on the annual money lists. In 2009 she attempted to put her professional life back on track, but never really got started. In 2010 her playing opportunities were limited. She did play in one tournament, the Tres Marias Championship in Mexico, where she finished 44th.

Her connection to Judaism was not particularly strong. Recently, a fan asked on her website about her connection to Judaism. She responded by saying she was Christian, Catholic, and Jewish but not particularly religious. She has also been seen in pictures wearing a Cross. Currently, her website www.EricaBlasberg.com is down out of respect for Blasberg’s memory. Her webpage reads, “Out of respect for the Blasberg family and due to the overwhelming inquiries relating to Erica’s untimely and tragic death, EricaBlasberg.com is currently offline until further notice. A memorial service for Erica Blasberg will be held on May 19th at 11:00am at Eagle Glen Golf Club in Corona (CA). The service is open to the public. Those who wish to send flowers can deliver arrangements to the Eagle Glen Golf Club and cards and letters can be sent for the Blasberg family to REP 1 Sports Group or can be emailed to chase@rep1sports.com. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time.”

Her father, Mel, found Erica’s body and immediately called 9-1-1. He thought originally that it was suicide but then recanted his statement. There is currently an ongoing investigation into the Blasberg case. Erica Blasberg seemed to be a wonderful human being who never gave up on her dream. We wish her family our condolences and may her memory be for a blessing.

And Let Us Say…Amen.

For More Information on Jews in Sports please check out www.TheGreatRabbino.com.

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