Friday, February 27, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 7
Coach-turned-announcer relishing relaxed lifestyle
The Associated Press
MIAMI — Even a Hall of Fame basketball coach needs an occasional timeout. When Jack Ramsay wants to relax, he rises with the sun at his condo and walks across the street to the Gulf of Mexico.
"I swim parallel with the beach," he said. "In the early morning, the gulf is like a big lake. The dolphins are out, and it's great."
Aside from dolphins, Ramsay also hangs out with Bulls, Hawks, Bucks and Timberwolves. At 73, the man known as Dr. Jack is a medical marvel — a respected NBA
broadcaster who is also a fitness freak and globe-trotting clinic instructor.
When not following the Heat, Ramsay
"The only old thing about Jack is his age." said Eric Reid, Ramsey's partner on Miami Heat telecasts. 'His energy level is extraordinary.'
announces games for ESPN Radio, offers commentary on ESPN's SportsCenter and writes for the Internet and a magazine in Japan. He is popular with fans and widely praised for his stylish, informed analysis. Referees, players and even Miami coach Pat Riley seek his opinion.
"He definitely has a lot to offer, and probably has forgotten more about the game than I know," Riley said. "Jack is one of the monuments of this profession. He has incredible respect throughout the league and all the basketball world."
Ramsay is thriving nine years after retiring as a coach. His 864 victories in 21 seasons rank sixth in NBA history, and he won the championship in 1977 with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Reducing stress levels
He also lost 783 times
He also lost 183 times.
"Broadcasting is a lot of fun, and
"Broadcasting is a lot of fun, and it's not as much stress. When you're coaching, a loss is like you've just had some of your blood extracted."
Jack Ramsay
NBA broadcaster
it's not as much stress," he said. "When you're coaching, a loss is like you've just had some of your blood extracted. I would walk the streets after a loss when I was coaching."
Now, Ramsay roots for the Heat but doesn't take a defeat personally. He simply climbs in his car for the two-hour drive across the highway known as Alligator Alley to his home in Naples, Fla. It's a ride he makes several dozen times a year.
"They ought to rename Alligator Alley the Ramsay Run." Reed said.
The trip is part of a demanding regimen for Ramsay. When he's not working, he runs up to four miles and swims up to a mile nearly every day, and he lifts weights several times a week. The former Navy frogman is trim, muscular and seemingly inexhaustible.
"I would feel very uncomfortable if I didn't do something almost every day," he said.
In the summer he competes in triathlons — a one-mile swim, 25-mile bike ride and 10-kilometer run
—and still has energy left for teaching. Ramsay, who earned a doctorate in education at Penn, has conducted coaching clinics in Australia, Japan, Israel, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Yugoslavia, Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
Guiding the referees
Ramsay is a basketball ambas
sador — and an occasional arbiter.
Referees sometimes look to Ramsay for help. It happened recently in the final minute of a close game between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz, when play stopped while the officials debated whether a shot by John Stockton had hit the rim.
As the teams argued about whether the Jazz should be called for a 24-second violation, Ramsay — broadcasting for ESPN Radio — described the replay for his audience. Utah's Karl Malone overheard Ramsay and ran to the officials.
"Hey, ask Dr. Jack!" Malone shouted. "He says the ball hit the rim, and he doesn't lie!"
Referee Steve Javie looked at Ramsay, who gestured that the ball had indeed ticked the rim. Javie awarded possession to Utah, which made Bulls coach Phil Jackson livid — especially when the Jazz won.
"The players and Phil Jackson made a big thing out of it," Ramsay said. "Phil walked by and said, 'Did you volunteer information that the ball hit the rim?' I said, 'Phil, the referee looked at me with a question in his eye.' Phil said, 'That's not right. That's not right.'
"Officials often come up to me after a play is over, knowing I have the TV monitor. I don't want to be the guy, but if they ask me, I'll tell them what I think."
Calling the shots
The market for Ramsay's opinion keeps growing with his celebrity. Many players know him not as a Hall of Fame coach, but as an announcer. They love his signature call — a deep growl when he describes a dunk as a "slammer."
Ramsay has agreed to two more years with ESPN, but he wants to broadcast only home games for the Heat next season. That would allow him to spend more time with his wife and five children.
"I just have too much to do," he said. "My ESPN involvement keeps increasing, and I don't have enough hours in the day."
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