Props to Arash Markazi for calling it like it is

In Arash Markazi's SI.com Game 4 report card, he calls out Stan Van Gundy for sitting Rafer Alston for more than a quarter, coming off a 20-point performace in the Orlando Magic's Game 3 win.

Replacing Alston (the former Fresno State standout under Jerry Tarkanian) in the lineup, Jameer Nelson gave up an uncontested 3 to Derek Fisher that sent a game the Magic should have won into overtime. Smooth move Stan.

Skip to my stardom

"Skip to My Lou" skipped to his NBA Finals stardom last night in the Orglando Magic's four-point win over the L.A. Lakers.

After Rafer Alston was forced to sit the bench half of each of the first two games (both losses), Stan Van Gundy finally decided to leave Alston on the floor, and sit Jameer Nelson. Coming off a labrum injury, Nelson returned for the Finals and played almost as many minutes as Alston, the guy who led the Magic to its playoff run.

The result was lots of missed shots by the two point guards in the first couple games, and a lack of productivity. But Alston, the former Fresno State point guard, was more aggressive with the ball Tuesday night, finishing with 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting as the Magic set a new NBA Finals record with 62.5% shooting.

Catching up with Chris Herren

Were you one of those kids -- like me -- who instantly became Chris Herren's biggest fan as soon as he hit the Selland Arena court in a Fresno State jersey? We saw how he constantly played his guts out. How he looked at every Fresno State fan in the arena as close family. How he looked at Jerry Tarkanian as a father figure. And how he was flat-out one of the best Bulldogs of all-time.

Then we saw that November 1997 press conference, when a teary-eyed and vulnerable Herren sat next to a choked-up Tark with video cameras rolling and newspapers photographers clicking away. Herren admitted he had a substance-abuse problem and was going to a rehab facility in the middle of the season.

But, for Fresno State fans at the time, it wasn't like the normal hoops-player-does-bad-things-off-the-court story. People felt for Herren -- he was just so darn likeable. He was an underdog with the potential to be a millionaire NBA star, but also the potential to lose to his addictions.

And now, while all that NBA potential is gone, I have a feeling there are a whole lot of 'Dogs fans still rooting for Herren. And despite what this Boston Globe story says about Herren not having many friends left, my guess is he's underestimating the Red Wave.

Hardwood "glory days"

There's been lots of chatter on the streets (and airwaves) today about Matt James' column in this morning's Fresno Bee. Most seemed to have loved the column -- which is odd in itself because fans never like newspaper reporters.

Makes sense why people liked the column. It was well-written. It was an interesting topic. 'Dogs hoops news is long overdue. And it argued why the Steve Cleveland regime is a success, despite coming off the Fresno State program's worst record in more than two decades. I liked the column too.

But there were two nuggets in there -- two nuggets -- that nearly ruined it for me. Here's one:

"Selland Arena was a better venue for college basketball. Still is. No doubt about it."

Not true. Selland was a great college basketball atmosphere, but it was also home to the Bulldogs during their glory days (more on this later). If Save Mart Center was filled to capacity with fans practically begging to see super-talented teams and had students entering a lottery just to buy season tickets, it would be significantly louder and tougher for visitors to win in than Selland (think about it, 16,000 people vs. 10,000). Essentially, we're talking about taking most of the same Selland fans who earned a reputation for being the Red Wave and adding 6,000 people to it. Louder. More imposing. When Fresno State has its next serious threat on the hardwood, and fans fill the stands, the Save Mart Center will be an unreal venue.

Now on to this "glory days" issue. The column says there never were any:

"Let's be perfectly clear. There were no glory days. They never happened. Since 1982, the Bulldogs have two conference titles. Since 1984, they've been to one NCAA Tournament. One."

James explained that he didn't count one of Jerry Tarkanian's NCAA appearances because it was given an asterisk in the record books due to NCAA violations. But saying there were no glory days is wild. What do you call Fresno State basketball being a national story all season long during the Tark era? A good column would be comparing how many regional and national TV appearances the 'Dogs had under Tark and how many they have had under Cleveland. Another good column idea would be to research all the ranked and traditionally strong teams Tark scheduled and won against. To me -- when a program is mentioned in all the preseason mags and on TV by prognosticators as a threat to go to the Final Four, when guys are going to the NBA (some as lottery picks), when high school All-Americans are anxious to visit Fresno State, when the Bulldogs have a legit shot to win against ANY team in the nation -- those are glory days. In a way, that's what Fresno State's football program is right now -- one that can beat any other team on a given day and has proven it.

Wow, this blog's getting long enough, so I'll spare the fact that the Boyd Grant era could be defined as another set of "glory days." A NCAA tournament final 16 appearance, and a 1983 NIT championship in Madison Square Garden (when the NCAA tourney was smaller and the NIT was much tougher) that led to a parade rivaled only by last year's national championship in baseball.

In memory of Dan Brown

It was a tough weekend to be a Bulldog. For lots of people. And that's because, seemingly, Dan Brown touched so very many in his 12 years in Fresno, and one can only assume everywhere he's been before.

The Fresno State defensive coordinator, at 50 years old, died on Friday. And to hear former players such as Marcus Riley today on ESPN 1430 and Jason Shirley, Alan Goodwin and Ahijah Lane in The Fresno Bee talk of Brown, one really gets a sense of what kind of guy he was. What kind of mentor he was. The type of coach he was.

Brown leaves behind his wife and six children, including Fresno State linebacker Eric Brown, who saw extensive special teams action in 2007, and incoming high-profile linebacker Travis Brown. The Fresno community will miss Dan Brown a great deal. And I think the Bulldog Bounce speaks for all Red Wavers by wishing the Brown family all our best. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

We leave you with the words of Jack Fertig, the former Fresno State director of basketball operations under Jerry Tarkanian. A recent Fertig blog captured a bit more of Brown's personality from one master of whit to another.

Ely Elaborates...and so does a 'Dog fan

Talking with Melvin Ely over his college years, I never got the sense he'd be on the cutting edge of the blogosphere. But after reading his first two attempts on the New Orleans Hornet's site, I sent an e-mail to some pals calling it "the greatest blog of all-time."

OK, OK, I might have used a smidgen of hyperbole there, but there is no doubt the Ely Elaborates blog is filled with greatness. For any of you who grew up admiring Ely on the court for Jerry Tarkanian and Fresno State, took your own children or grandchildren to see Big Mel or have ever spoken with the guy, you'll understand why Ely doing anything is great.

To this day I remember what I consider the greatest single game in Fresno State hoops history -- Ely's 32 points, 16 rebounds and 9 blocks against Tulsa. This from the same dude who won two straight WAC Player of the Year honors while riding a bicycle around campus because he didn't have a car. Travel the nation and find another future NBA lottery pick who does that...I won't hold my breath.

Fresno State hoops faithful Brian Archer commented on the latest Ely blog, and he couldn't be more right when he said:

"I am a big fan of yours, all the way back to your playing days at Fresno State.
You are my all-time favorite b-ball player, college and pro. Still waiting for
them to retire your number!!! I don't know what is taking them so long. That
will be a great day. You represented us so well and we really appreciate that. I
know the rest of the Bulldog fans feel the same way."

Fun fact: Big Mel wrote that he named two of his five pet snakes Mel and Lil' Mel...well tack one more on the list my friend, my cat Melvin says hello.

A must-read thread on BarkBoard.com

"I am a Bulldog, WE are Fresno State!"

That's the slogan of the new 'Dogs T-shirt, but what happens when someone says we're not allowed to refer to Fresno State as "we"...?

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=164&f=1687#s=164&f=1687&t=2032954

Here's my opinion, as posted on BarkBoard.com:

It's even on the back of the school's new T-shirts. That's absurd to tell someone not to refer to Fresno State as "we." I can see saying that about a NFL or NBA team, but it makes perfect sense to say "we" talking about our college team.

Why? Because:
--WE go to games and cheer tell our voices are gone to make the type of impact that helps the team win.
--WE have an emotional buy-in to everything that happens with Fresno State; a win makes us ecstatic, a loss takes us time to get over.
--WE donate money and time to contribute to Fresno State, through the Bulldog Foundation and other things.
--WE promote the university to our friends, our families and strangers.
--WE recruit new fans, exposing new people to the family known as the Red Wave whenever we can.
--WE, as a community, have banded together to ensure Fresno State is capable of competing at a national level. Without us, Jim Sweeney, Pat Hill, Jerry Tarkanian, Bob Bennett, Boyd Grant, Margie Wright and Dennis DeLiddo could never have accomplished as much as they have.

Just like the good 'ol days (for a split second)...

That's how I felt last night, using the depths of my voice, yelling from the belly up and out, cheering with all my heart. Waving my arms in and upwards motion while jumping up and down, trying to get the rest of the Save Mart Center crowd on its feet and screaming just as loud.

And then BOOM! Just like that, the Red Wave gushed its passion toward the hardwood and it felt just as feversish and edge-of-your-seat intense as in the Tark and Boyd Grant days at Selland Arena.

But before I had a chance to say, "Look what I did, the crowd's going nuts!" I realized it wasn't me at all. It was Bryan Harvey. He hit two straight 3s to bring the 'Dogs within six points of recently No. 24 St. Mary's (seriously, I'm not joking, the Gaels were in the top 25).

I miss those days, where I got just as pumped for Fresno State b-ball as I did for football. What changed? Do all the sanctions and scandals and off-the-court nonsense have fans too busy trying to spit the bad taste out of their mouths to come back out and support the team?

I think so. And I think it's time we got behind Steve Cleveland and made Fresno State one of the toughest campuses for opposing teams to visit again. Save Mart Center is capable of being far louder than Selland Arena ever was. So here's the challenge -- just show up. Grey hairs with season tickets, rich people with luxury suites, diehards in the upper deck, and most of all STUDENTS! Let's all come together and chant in unison nonstop. Make it near impossible for opposing teams to concentrate. The b-ball team will be good again very soon -- trust Coach Cleve. And you'll be able to say you were there in the stands all along contributing.