Scully & Wooden For the Kids At the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live!
So as mentioned in my previous blog entry, I spent the night at the Nokia Theater L.A. Live with two sports icons (hell, world icons!): Vin Scully and “The Wizard of Westwood” John Wooden.
Random thoughts regarding the event:
1) John Wooden is 97 freaking years old, and sharper now than I am. I’d give anything to know as much as he has forgotten in his life.
Naturally, both he and Vin—Vin wheeled Wooden around in a wheelchair—got a huge standing ovation as the event started. Wooden was gracious enough to point to Scully, apparently trying to drum up an ovation for Vin as well. What a great sign of respect!
Did I mention that Wooden is 97?
2) Before the event started, I told my sister to watch for a “smattering” of boos directed towards the moderator of today’s event, Los Angeles Times’ writer T.J. Simers.
When he introduced himself, he got a HUGE chorus of boos. That was pretty damn funny! The P.R. director of the Nokia Theater L.A. Live saved his butt, though, explaining that it was pretty much Simers’ idea to arrange the talk. That drew a huge applause, though I sensed some people were giving him a “yeah, whatever” applause 
Personally, I can’t stand T.J. Simers’ column. He comes off as very arrogant, brash, and an all-world jerk (at least Jim Rome conducts great interviews and is funny.) That being said, Simers did an excellent job as moderator, even though I felt that the mood of the room was a bit too light. I almost felt like I was watching a celebrity roast instead of an inspirational chat.
Too many jokes were thrown around, IMO, though the first one Simers cracked—something to the effect of “Let’s bring those two old men out, if they haven’t nodded off already”—was pretty damn funny. Simers picked on Wooden early and often, but the coach was game; he did an excellent job of trading blows with Simers.
Did I mention Wooden is 97?
Between jokes, Simers asked some excellent questions. He asked Scully about Eric Gagne and PEDs—(paraphrasing) “I remember only what I saw on the field”—and he allowed Vin to tell a great story about how he and Jackie Robinson once competed in an ice-skating race. He asked Wooden about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once declaring Wooden’s famous “Pyramid of Success” as “corny,” and asked about Wooden’s secret to long life.
3) Listening to Vin Scully live was just so much more awesome than listening to him on TV or the radio. When Simers asked Scully his first question (I don’t remember it at the moment), Scully immediately gave a typical Scully answer. Rather than a short, simple response, Scully answered the question using the same elegance and prose he has for over 50 years.
Vin Scully is only 80, by the way.
4) There are two moments that stand out from tonight’s show. Wooden’s recount of how he met Nellie (his now deceased wife), how he writes a letter to her on the 21st of every month, and how he still “talks” to her everyday was very touching; my sister remarked that she almost shed a tear. I can’t say that I didn’t either.
(Nell Wooden died in 1985, for the record, and still he’ll write a letter to her every 21st day of each month.)
The other unforgettable moment was not nearly as emotional. When Simers asked Vin if he was going to retire or announce games “until the very end,” most of the crowd screamed “NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Scully gave the perfect non-committal response, saying that he would take things day-to-day. That got a roaring applause.
5) I’m not sure if this made it on the live broadcast—Fox Sports Net Prime Ticket aired the show live—but Bill Walton’s little montage about Wooden teaching him and some other freshmen how to put on their shoes and socks was classic. Minutes later, a kid that survived cancer came out to a huge ovation, and Wooden demonstrated that shoes and socks lecture on him. That must have been a thrill of a lifetime for the kid.
Though I will never forget the hour and a half I spent listening to these two life legends speak, I will also not forget the real reason why this talk was set up in the first place: to raise funds and awareness for those afflicted with cancer. My only regret of the night: I wish I had better seats.
If these two legends ever decide to do another talk, I’m there.
Until next time!