I heard Harley Skeeter Swift was inducted into the Tennessee hall of fame yesterday. Can anyone confirm this? And if it's true why does ETSU not mention it? I guess Pittsburghbucs was right...History began with Dave Mullins.

Here is the news release about his induction...


Inductees

TENNESSEE SPORTS HALL OF FAME
ANNOUNCES 2010 CLASS OF INDUCTEES


NASHVILLE, TN., November 12, 2009 ---The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame today announced the names of eleven inductees to be enshrined at its annual banquet on February 19th at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville.

"This year's banquet will feature an outstanding class of athletes," said Wayne McCreight, president of the statewide organization. "We'll have a former NFL great, a NBA standout, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the first African-American professional golfer. I guarantee everyone who loves sports an exciting evening…an evening you'll never forget," McCreight concluded.

The 2010 Inductees are as follows:

E. J. Junior --- A graduate of Maplewood High School in Nashville, Junior played at the University of Alabama for Bear Bryant where he was a two-time All-American. During his career at Alabama, the Tide won two national Championships (1978-79), he was named SEC Player of the Year, and was named an All SEC selection three times.

Following graduation, the St. Louis Cardinals selected Junior as the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 1981 NFL draft. The two-time Pro Bowler went on to a 13-year NFL career where he was regarded as one of the game's outstanding linebackers. He was named to the first ever All Madden team.

Since retiring from the NFL, Junior has impacted many lives. He is an ordained minister, has worked with youth in the Miami area with the NBA's Alonzo Mourning, and he spent time back in the NFL both as a coach and in the front office. He was inducted into the Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame in 2006, and the following year was inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame. He is currently the head football coach for the Central State Marauders in Wilberforce Ohio.

Ted Rhodes (Posthumous) --- Born in Nashville and a graduate of the city's public schools, Rhodes was a trailblazing African-American professional golfer who learned the game during his teenage years caddying at Belle Meade and Richland Country clubs. He practiced the game with other caddies and developed his swing hitting shag balls at Nolensville's Sunset Park, East Nashville's Douglas Park and Watkins Park in north Nashville.

In 1948 he played in the U. S. Open at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles and became recognized as the first African-American professional golfer. Rhodes played primarily on the United Golfers Association tour winning the Championships four years. He also won the Negro National Open title in 1957. By the time the PGA rescinded its Caucasian-only clause in 1961, Rhodes had retired from competitive golf.

Rhodes returned to Nashville in the early 1960s and mentored several black PGA golfers, including Lee Elder and Charlie Sifford. A month after his death at age 55, the Cumberland Golf Course in Nashville was renamed in his honor. He was inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame in 1998, and in 2009 the PGA of America granted him posthumous membership.

John Stanford --- A native of Louisiana, Stanford enrolled in Middle Tennessee State University in the early 1950s and quickly made his mark as one of the outstanding pitchers in the Ohio Valley Conference. Following graduation he spent two seasons with the Washington Senators. Following his professional career, Stanford returned to middle Tennessee where he first coached at Shelbyville Central High School and later at Motlow State Community College earning Coach of the Year honors three consecutive years.

In 1974 he took over the reigns at his alma mater and quickly developed one of the most respected diamond programs in college baseball. His MTSU record of 402-272-4 is second only to his hand-picked successor, Steve Peterson. His teams won four OVC titles and five Southern Division crowns. His teams made repeated trips to the NCAA Tournament and he took multiple coach-of-the-year honors.

After being named Athletic Director at MTSU, Stanford spearheaded the fund-raising efforts to build one of the finest baseball facilities on a college campus. He was also responsible for upgrading the University's golf program and advocated the formation of the women's softball program.

John R. Hall (Lifetime Achievement Inductee) --- Growing up in Knoxville, Hall attended Vanderbilt University where he was co-captain of the 1954 football team and was named Academic All-American. He graduated magna *** laude from Vanderbilt in 1955 with a degree in engineering.

Following military service, Hall spent a short time with Exxon Corporation before joining Ashland Oil as a chemical engineer in 1957. He rose steadily up the corporate ranks and was elected chairman and chief executive officer in 1981. He retired from Ashland in 1997. Hall has served as a trustee for Vanderbilt University since 1987 and served as chairman of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust from 1995-99. He was elected to the Verizon Academic All-American Hall of Fame in 2001.

John Hall has devoted much of his time repaying the debt he feels for Vanderbilt and has dedicated himself to improving education both regionally and nationally.

Dale Ellis --- A two-time All-American at the University of Tennessee, Dale Ellis led the Volunteers to the NCAA tournament each of his four years while playing in Knoxville. He was twice named SEC Player of the Year and was named to the SEC Team of the 1980s. Upon graduation, Ellis left UT as the all-time leader in season field goal percentage at .654 and a career field goal percentage of .595. He was selected as a member of the University of Tennessee Basketball All-Century Team and ranks sixth on Tennessee's all-time scoring chart.

He was selected ninth overall in the '83 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavricks where he played until being traded to the Seattle Supersonics in '86. Ellis was voted the league's Most Improved Player his first season with the Sonics. He was named to the NBA All-Star team in1988-89.

Ellis is third all-time in three-point shots made with 1,719 and 12th all-time in three-point field goal percentage. He still holds the NBA record for most minutes played in a single game, when he scored 53 points in 69 minutes.

Charlie Coffey --- A native of Shelbyville, Tenn., Charley Coffey was recruited to play for General Robert R. Neyland at the University of Tennessee. During his career at Tennessee he was a three-year letterman, was elected team captain his senior year, and maintained the highest grade point average of any member of the Volunteer football team throughout his four-year college career.

Following graduation, Coffee began his coaching career at Hialeah High School in Miami, Florida. Additional coaching stops included Southeastern Louisiana State University, George Washington University and then back to his alma mater coaching for Doug Dickey. His next move was to the University of Arkansas where he coached for Frank Boyles. After five seasons at Arkansas, Coffey was hired as head football coach at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg.

During his time at Virginia Tech, Coach Coffey installed a wide-open offense which resulted in attendance at Tech games increasing to record numbers. After retiring from the coaching ranks, Coffey entered the trucking business and founded the Nationwide Express Trucking Company in Shelbyville.

Lin Dunn --- A graduate of the University of Tennessee-Martin, Lin Dunn is regarded as one of the most successful women's basketball coaches in the business. Beginning her coaching career at Austin Peay State University in 1970, Coach Dunn went on to compile a remarkable 25-year record that includes a .635 winning percentage at four schools (447-257). She left three of those schools-Purdue, Miami and Austin Peay-as the winningest coach in program history.

Coach Dunn is best known as the architect of the Purdue women's basketball program, guiding the Boilmakers for nine seasons and collecting three Big Ten Conferences titles. She led Purdue to seven NCAA tournaments, four Sweet Sixteen's and a trip to the Final Four in 1994.

Dunn's first assignment in professional basketball came when she took over the reins of the ABL's Portland Power. The following year she won the Western Conference Championship and was named the ABL Coach of the Year. She is currently the coach of the WNBA Indiana Fever.

Rocky Felker --- This Jackson, Tennessee native was a five-sport letterman earning All-Sate honors in football at Brownsville High School under the tutelage of his father, Edwin "Babe" Felker, a long-time coach at the school.

In 1970 Felker signed a football scholarship with Mississippi State University and developed into the Bulldogs starting quarterback for three consecutive seasons. In '74 Felker led MSU to a 9-3 overall record, leading the SEC in total offense and directing the Bulldogs to a win over North Carolina in the Sun Bowl. He was named the Nashville Banner SEC Player of the Year and the Birmingham Post-Herald Outstanding Senior Player for his stellar final season.

In 1986 Felker was named head football coach at Mississippi State, making him the youngest collegiate head coach in the country. That year he became the first MSU head football coach to post a winning record in his initial season since the legendary Darrell Royal in 1954. Coach Felker later held coaching positions at the University of Tulsa and with the Arkansas Razorbacks. In 2002 he returned to Mississippi State, where he currently serves as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.

Bill Dupes --- As a standout high school player at Sweetwater High School and Tennessee Military Academy, Bill Dupes was offered a scholarship to attend Tennessee Tech University, where the three-year starter was elected team captain his senior year, was named All-Ohio Valley Conference and Honorable Mention Little All-American.

Dupes began his coaching career at Tech serving as an assistant helping the Eagles to a Tangerine Bowl victory and winning two Ohio Valley Championships. In 1963 he took over an Austin Peay program that had not had a winning season for more than a decade. In his second season at the helm, he led the Governors to an 8-1-1 record, earning unanimous selection as OVC Coach of the Year. During his tenure at APSU, he had 23 players earn first-team All-OVC honors in addition to four being selected first-team Little All-American.

He returned to high school coaching in 1976, first at TMI and later his prep alma mater, Sweetwater, where he led his team to a state title in 1993. He retired from coaching in 1998, ending a 44-year career.

Norman "Turkey" Stearnes (Posthumous) --- Born in Nashville, Turkey Stearnes began his baseball career pitching for Pearl High School. He dropped out of school following his father's death to help support his family. Later he continued his career playing for the Knoxville Giants and Nashville White Sox before a standout career in the Negro Leagues.

Stearnes batted over .400 in two seasons, hit .300 or more in 14 of 19 seasons and had a lifetime batting average of .344. He led the Negro League in home runs six times and was a four time Negro League All-Star. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Stearnes ended his active career in 1940 with the Kansas City Monarchs. In honor of his stellar playing days with the former Detroit Stars of the Negro Leagues, a plaque in Stearnes' honor is on display outside the center field gate at the Tigers' home field Comerica Park.

In 2000 Norman "Turkey" Stearnes was awarded the highest honor in baseball when he was inducted posthumously into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. "Turkey' Stearnes therefore became the first native born Tennessee player inducted into this most Prestigious Hall.


Harley "Skeeter" Swift --- Growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, Skeeter Swift began his basketball career at George Washington High School. He was All-State his junior and senior years and was named a High School All-American his senior year. Highly recruited out of high school, Swift accepted a scholarship at East Tennessee State University where he played from 1966-69. During his career, he was a three-time All Ohio Valley Conference selection and was named the Player of the Year in '68. His junior year he led ETSU into the NCAA field of 32, where they upset fifth ranked Florida State. He ranks sixth on the Bucs career points list with 1,367, and ranks third in points per game for a career with 17.9 average.

Swift went on to become a standout in professional basketball playing five seasons in the ABA for the New Orleans Bucks, where he was selected to the 1969-70 All Rookie Team. During his professional career he scored over 3,000 points and today ranks as one of the top ten free-throw shooters in the American Basketball Association, now the National Basketball Association.

After his playing days, he coached the Elizabethton High School Cyclones and the prestigious high school power, Oak Hill Academy, where he won a national private school championship.

Nice story on Skeeter....



By HARRY COVERT

They call him the "Sultan of Swish" in Tennessee.

Growing up they called him "Skeeter."

Today, he's the "Legend" of Alexandria, Va.

He's earned the titles.

Harley "Skeeter" Swift grew up on the streets of Alexandria. At about 10, before he had a two-wheel bicycle, he pulled a little red wagon up and down Washington, King and especially Lee Streets, a little tyke going from "pillar to post." He always had a basketball.

Skeeter Swift's remarkable career is being recalled in a biography I'm writing. It's called, "Skeeter: The Legend of Alexandria." I've researched his life extensively, interviewed many of his high school friends and companions, who today are leaders of the community. We've prepared a 15-chapter book.

I've known Skeeter for many years. He is a living legend of his hometown, in Tennessee, his adopted state, and throughout high school, collegiate and professional sports circles. His story is a remarkable one.

Swift fell in love with basketball as a mere boy. He literally dribbled the ball everywhere he walked in Old Town. The remarkable thing is his basketball prowess began on a cobblestone alley. Every day for three and four hours "I'd dribble, dribble and dribble on cobblestone."

The alley still stands today next to the Burke and Herbert Bank building on Fairfax Street. It's called Swift Alley.

It's not named for Skeeter, even though it should be. In fact it's named after his parents, who at the time operated a popular bar, which Skeeter describes as a saloon.

Today, at 62, Skeeter Swift has had a stellar athletic career as a player and as an outstanding high school and collegiate coach. He lives in Kingsport, Tenn. He still has family residing in Alexandria.

"Rain or shine, I'd just practice and practice," Swift recalls. "I learned what to expect from the ball when I tried to dribble on a cobblestone. Then I'd dribble as I pulled my wagon. I loved basketball."

A few years later, Skeeter received a bicycle as a Christmas present. He was a familiar sight around Old Town, this growing hulking boy with the ball in the basket. He wiled away his days, all year around and in all kinds of weather, at the Lee Street playground, shooting and dribbling.

"I developed a dead-eye, jump-shooting all over the court. Nobody could beat me. I could shoot the ball." He honed his skills so well he turned it to an advantage by "earning extra money" from young basketball players from all over northern Virginia, Greater Washington and in Prince George's County. "They all wanted to test me. I always won." As someone said, "it ain't braggin' if you can do it."

As a teenager he grew to 6-feet-3. He could play basketball better than most. He was not the big center on the team but a guard - a 200-plus pound guard and he could shoot.

Without question, Skeeter put George Washington High School, now a Middle School, on the sports map of Virginia and Greater Washington. He was highly recruited by Virginia colleges. He chose East Tennessee State University because of a full scholarship. "I wasn't a very good student then, but I learned," he says.

And learn he did. Skeeter could dribble and shoot and "showoff. I had to be a showman." He was not only a great player but an outstanding entertainer. "I had to be at East Tennessee. For the first time in the school's history, we filled the gym with fans."

Skeeter didn't let the fans down. He became a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference player at East Tennessee State and the Player of the Year in 1968. He was elected to the ETSU Hall of Fame in 1982. When he was first recruited by ETSU, the coach thought he was a football player because of his size.

He's in many Halls of Fame and has been honored by numerous groups in Virginia, including the Alexandria Sports Club.

Many old-time Alexandrians still remember the 1965 high school football game when he drop kicked a field goal and George Washington High School defeated Annandale. Few people had ever seen a "drop kicked" field goal, which is still legal today. Most recall his legendary performances on the basketball court at Tulloch Memorial Gym of George Washington High School in the early 1960s.

Skeeter Swift put East Tennessee State University on the national map with his basketball playing days. He went on to become a star in professional basketball where he scored over 3,000 points in his career and today ranks as one of the top 10 free-throw shooters in the American Basketball Association, now the National Basketball Association.

He has been an outstanding coach, teacher and speaker. As a coach at Oak Hill Academy, he won a national championship.

So the state of Tennessee honors him. Alexandria, Virginia pays tribute....ETSU is silent.



DEFEND THIS

I assume you didn't come to the Upstate game. He was brought to center court at half time and was awarded a plaque.

Hell no I didn't go.


Funny, that they didn't write a story on it for the website.

I'm still pissed that they wouldn't even mention Mike Smith when we won NFL coach of the year, but they will right about former golfers who play in PGA tournaments.

(02-26-2010 02:02 PM)ETSUfan1 Wrote:  I'm still pissed that they wouldn't even mention Mike Smith when we won NFL coach of the year, but they will right about former golfers who play in PGA tournaments.

The situation with Coach Mike Smith and the way it was handled was the most telling of all. That should require an immediate house cleaning of administration and the athletic department. I had co-workers ask me to explain that and I still cannot.

Quick... we have a FT emergency. In ETSU history we have several geniuses at this. Obviously Mister and I just learned that Skeeter is one of the best in NBA history at making freebies.

"today ranks as one of the top 10 free-throw shooters in the American Basketball Association, now the National Basketball Association."

We could get both of them to come in and teach before the ASun tournament. If they did, I bet we shoot 90%!

How would you recommend he improve free throw shooting?

Aim at the box behind the rim? Shooting technique?

Truthfully, I'm not sure how much he could help in the short term.

Also, is it accurate to say the ABA is the NBA? Do we say the AAFC is now the NFL because of the Browns and 49ers and arguably the Colts?

Skeeter's philosophy about free throws, at least 20 or so years ago, was that they are the easiest shot in the game. He liked to talk about how it was the only time during the game that you could take a shot without the threat of a defender. He felt that you should take your time, relax and knock down the shot. Fairly simple philosophy on some level but one that obviously worked for him.

That's great.

But for that to work here, they'd have to transplant Swift's brain into one of the current players.

Which I'm not against. STANTON- WHAT THE HELL DID YOU PUT ALL THAT MONEY INTO THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT FOR?

It was great to see Skeeter and the members of the 1968 team honored at the last home game.. great to see all the articles about them in the area papers.. sad to find out that 2 members of that great team have passed away.. they were great guys, and I still get to visit with some of them from time to time...

I've always said the '68 team is not remembered enough by the locals.

In case you overlooked it.....

Quote:"A fourth street was named for Harley “Skeeter” Swift, who played guard for the ETSU basketball team and went on to five seasons in the American Basketball Association as a member of the New Orleans Buccaneers, Memphis Pros, Pittsburgh Condors, Dallas Chaparrals and San Antonio Spurs."

campus street named for Swift, but we don't know where it is

Another one of Trey's great connect-all-the-dots articles:

Lots of background on Skeeter

Good to know Jack Maxey is still with us. Haven't heard anything about him in many years...

Pics of Swift with Maxey, Walker, others, at the luncheon Wednesday:

Skeeter's fete

Scroll down about 1/3 the way on that page.

Skeeter in action, for those of you who maybe haven't seen any of that:

Skeeter lights it up in Brooks Gym

The article tonight is reminiscent of another one Trey wrote that appeared two years and two weeks ago:


Sweet 16 field reminiscent of 1968 Bucs

Published March 25, 2011
By Trey Williams - Press Sports Writer

This year’s Sweet 16 looked familiar to the East Tennessee State players who played on East Tennessee State’s Sweet 16 team in the 1967-68 season. Madison Brooks’ Buccaneers, led by trash-talking showboat Harley “Skeeter” Swift, beat Dave Cowens-led Florida State to get to the Sweet 16.

ETSU then lost 79-72 to Ohio State in Lexington, Kentucky, where the Buckeyes went on to upset Adolph Rupp’s Wildcats on their home floor to get to the Final Four. ETSU finished the season with a loss to Marquette in a consolation round that has long since been scrapped.

Following are excerpts from the forthcoming “Skeeter: Harley Swift’s Buzzer-Beating, Trash-Talking March through Madness.”

ETSU’s first-ever NCAA Tournament opponent liked to run and gun, and after seeing Skeeter Swift fire an early blank from long range against Florida State, ETSU center Ernie Sims was concerned Swift might get caught up in the matchup and start launching from everywhere. Hugh Durham’s Seminoles (19-7) averaged better than 91 points per game thanks primarily to Cowens, a strong, athletic 6-foot-8 sophomore who went on to win an MVP in the NBA. Cowens’ Seminoles lit up the scoreboard in victories against Miami (122-93), Richmond (114-91) and East Carolina (110-100), and they scored 100 or more in seven other wins, including a 130-100 defeat of LSU despite 43 points from Pete Maravich. So when Swift pulled up to let his first one fly from way out at Kent State University, Sims might have wondered if Swift was shooting for a “Pistol Pete” performance.

ETSU guard Richard Arnold: “Whenever Florida State had the ball the first time, they ran a play for Cowens … and Cowens just knocked the bottom out of about a 20-foot jump-shot. Then we came down, and I think Skeeter got the ball and just shot it — I mean literally just shot it — and I don’t think he drew iron. And the crowd got on him.”

ETSU forward Leroy Fisher: “Skeeter came flying down the floor on a fast break and took a jump shot from about two feet ahead of the key and missed the whole goal. I was in the lane. So I was going back down as fast as I could and I passed Skeeter and Ernie at midcourt, and Ernie had his finger in Skeeter’s chest and was ripping him up for taking that shot.”

ETSU forward Mike Kretzer: “Ernie told Skeeter ‘You better watch what you’re doing.’ The only ones who could control Skeeter were Ernie and Richard Arnold. I’ll tell you right now Brooks couldn’t control him. But Ernie and Richard could calm him down and talk to him. Ernie’d say ‘Skeeter, what are you doing?’”

As it turned out, the message Sims received in the early going — from assistant coach Don Eddy — proved to be more pivotal than the message he sent.

Arnold: “We come back down the court after that (Swift shot), Florida State runs exactly the same play again … and Ernie’s late and Cowens fakes a jump-shot and Ernie lunges for it and Cowens goes right down the lane. Of course you couldn’t dunk in those days, but even his elbow was above the rim and he just dropped it in. I mean we’re down (4-0) in a hurry. So Coach Eddy — not Coach Brooks — jumps up and calls timeout. He was as mad as you can possibly imagine … and Coach Eddy went right at Ernie — I was sitting next to Ernie is the reason I remember it — with veins bulging out of his face right up in Ernie’s face and said ‘Ernie, if you don’t stop that young man, he’s gonna embarrass all of us.’ And we go back out on the court, and at some point later on in the game Florida State tried to run a play in which Cowens, instead of coming to the top of the key, cut across the lane … and Ernie stepped in front of him as he started across that lane and, I mean, just dropped him. I mean he just put an arm and shoulder in his chest and put him on his butt. And after that, I think Cowens might’ve gotten seven or eight points, but he was not a factor in the game. Ernie took him out of it completely. That was the key to that whole game. The rest of it was window dressing.”

The Buccaneers started fast, built the lead to as much as 17 points (68-51) and cruised to a 79-69 victory in front of an overflow crowd at Kent State University.

Cowens finished with 11 points and four rebounds. Sims doubled Cowens’ rebound total, best exemplifying ETSU’s supremacy on the boards (49-31).

Kretzer: “That was the ballgame. I tell you, Ernie just beat the (expletive) out of Cowens. Oh yeah, it got nasty. … Nobody messed with Ernie. He would’ve knocked Cowens right on his (expletive). I mean Cowens got 11 points — are you kidding me? — one of the top fifty players of all time.”

Swift finished 7 for 23 from the field, but did pile up a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Kretzer: “There were games when Skeeter missed a lot of shots, but he still got to the foul line a lot. Not just anybody can create his own shot and get to the foul line. And Skeeter didn’t miss many foul shots.”

Indeed, Swift was 18-for-18 at the foul line in three NCAA Tournament games.

Fisher: “When we flew back in after beating Florida State up at Kent State — we landed at Tri-Cities on an old Piedmont — and there were thousands of people at the airport. We looked out and were like ‘What’s going on out there?’ And they were there for us. I kid you not, we didn’t even know. It was incredible. We had a police escort and all that. You would’ve thought we’d won the national championship. When we got over to campus the campus was just packed. We had a thing set up in front of Brooks Gym where we all got to talk.”

In the loss to Ohio State, Swift scored 21 points and made all seven free throw attempts, but says he missed many makeable shots while going 7 of 21 from the field.

Swift: “If I’d just played pretty good against Ohio State we would’ve won. Kretzer played well. Ohio State had the three big men (Bill Hosket, Steve Howell, Dave Sorenson) … but their guards didn’t do a (expletive) thing for me. There were plenty of better backcourts in the OVC. I just didn’t perform up to my capability. Butterflies? Hell no there weren’t any butterflies. It just didn’t happen against Ohio State.”

Fisher: “I missed shots — wide-open shots. All of us pretty much agreed — I never talked to Skeeter about it — that the rims in Kentucky’s Memorial Gym, it seemed to us, were real tight and kind of up in the front.”

Arnold: “I was told years later by Mike Pratt, who played at Kentucky, that Rupp kept them that way. … I said ‘Those were the worst goals I ever shot on in my life. I never could get sighted on them.’ And Pratt laughed and said something like ‘Adolph did that. He tipped those rims up just enough and they came out every night and tightened those things so they would be tight as a drum.’ I said ‘Why?’ And he said ‘Well, because we practiced on them, and we were not big, and he wanted long rebounds. And secondly, we all shot those bank shots, and tipping it up a little made it easier for those bank shots to stay in the goal.’”

Brawny Marquette guard George Thompson, who played two seasons with Swift in the ABA for the Pittsburgh Condors, said Al McGuire had them measure the rims at Kentucky. ETSU player Gary Martin said McGuire already had Swift measured before the Bucs-Marquette game.

Martin: George Thompson was built like (ETSU’s) Kenny Hamilton. He was big. He roughed Skeeter up. I sneaked underneath and heard Al McGuire talking to his team and he said ‘They’ve got one player, Hotshot Swift. Rough him up George and he’ll lose it — he’ll get mad.’ That was pretty much what he said, and that’s exactly what happened.”

Swift: “Nobody wanted to play that (expletive) game. … Who knows what we might’ve done if I’d played good against Ohio State. Ernie dealt with Cowens; he could’ve dealt with (Dan) Issel.”

Players say Brooks inexplicably removed Kretzer from the Ohio State game for the final 6-7 minutes, which left Eddy irritated and Kretzer irate. Kretzer had made 10 of 15 shots in a 23-point, nine-rebound performance.

Kretzer: “Brooks took me out of the game — I’d scored 10 points in a row — with seven minutes to go and he never put me back in. And Don Eddy was going crazy on him. I don’t know why Brooks did it. I don’t know if he just lost his head or what, but I never got back in the game. … I was tired, but I thought I was coming out for a break for a minute or two. And Brooks never put me back in the game. To this day I couldn’t tell you why. Don Eddy was going crazy saying ‘Get him back in the game.’”

Eddy left after the season to become head coach at Eastern Illinois for 12 years before going to Texas-San Antonio, where George Gervin steered his brother Derrick so he could play for Eddy.

Eddy: “I just remember Kretzer had a really good game and then he disappeared. But I don’t remember me cajoling Coach Brooks to put him in or anything like that. I mean I would’ve; it was simply logical.”

Eddy wasn’t surprised Swift blamed himself for losing the Ohio State game in what was a relatively productive performance.

Eddy: “Skeeter was self-centered; that’s absolutely true. But that was also the key to his success. He wouldn’t have been near the player he was if he’d had a real team attitude, because his whole thing was about himself. And that focus allowed him to drive himself and raise himself above most of the other players he came up against. So while we would consider being a real egotist a negative in basketball, I think in his case it proved to be a big asset for him, because it was his driving nature to succeed above all else. And he could lead his teammates out if it was necessary. He wanted to get it done whether they were involved or not. Some of the games he actually took it upon himself and just willed the wins.”

Swift was the OVC Player of the Year in 1968 and first-team All-OVC all three varsity seasons in an era when the league was integrated and the SEC and ACC were segregated.

Western Kentucky’s Clem Haskins played against Swift before being taken by the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick of the 1967 NBA Draft. Swift says when he was a sophomore and Haskins was a senior Swift introduced himself with “My name’s Skeeter. You’re in for a hell of a night.”

Haskins: “Well, Skeeter talked a lot of bull crap. I don’t remember that, to be honest with you. He probably did say it, but I couldn’t verify that. … Skeeter was a very, very good player. He was one of the few guys that could do some things with the ball — one of the first white players I played against that could do things with the basketball. I’m talking about he could make it come to him. He was phenomenal. For a big, ole heavy guy with a body like his you wouldn’t expect him to be able to do some of the things he could do as far as shooting it and scoring and handling the basketball and making plays. I was truly, truly impressed with him. He was really ahead of his time.”

Swift scored 41 points to set a Diddle Arena record at Western Kentucky, scored a team-high 20 points in a win at No. 9 Duke, drop-kicked a field goal for a victory in high school, averaged more than 11 points per game in a five-year ABA career, got fired by Jerry Falwell at Liberty and guided Oak Hill Academy to a 61-1 record during a two-season stretch (1979-81) — and his life off the court was just as interesting.

----------------------

Also, here's a pic of Swift grabbing a rebound in the Ohio St. game. That looks a lot like Kretzer's head towards the right edge of the pic.

Swift vs. Ohio St. in '68

And here is a 14-second clip (poor quality) of Swift at Richmond in '69:

short video of Swift

Interesting. You criticize me for getting fired for circumstances you have no clue about, brag to the board that you have never been fired, but seemingly praise Skeeter for being fired by Jerry Falwell.

No further comment needed.

(04-09-2013 09:45 AM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Interesting. You criticize me for getting fired for circumstances you have no clue about, brag to the board that you have never been fired, but seemingly praise Skeeter for being praised by Jerry Falwell.

No further comment needed.

and where did he supposedly do this? he posted links and a section of a book. Just you making crap up again, per usual.

(04-09-2013 09:49 AM)RodShaw2 Wrote:  

(04-09-2013 09:45 AM)PittsburghBucs Wrote:  Interesting. You criticize me for getting fired for circumstances you have no clue about, brag to the board that you have never been fired, but seemingly praise Skeeter for being praised by Jerry Falwell.

No further comment needed.

and where did he supposedly do this? he posted links and a section of a book. Just you making crap up again, per usual.

Exactly. Please direct me to where I even *hinted* at such a thing. Please.
I think "further comment" is indeed called for. You've got some 'splainin' to do, Lucy.

Not to mention, hey, I didn't "criticize" you - just pointing out that often a pattern indicates something deeper than mere circumstances is at work. Still, even that's not criticism.

Drove down from Danville, Va and watched Skeeter lead the Bucs over Duke that night in Durham. He put on a clinic for the stunned crowd at Cameron. And, funny thing -- the North Carolina newspapers gave the game minimum coverage the next day. But, the Bucs did put a nice whipping on the Blue Devils that evening.