Jerry Rice likes dreamleaguer underdogs?

[No idea how we get these and what a football great might have anything to do with our dreamleague basketball world, but who knows, maybe there's a connection? This is probably more appropriate for Bay Area dreamleaguers...]

We just got this email from Banyan Productions, which is probably most famous for its Trading Spaces TV show (a show my wife loves)...

Jerry Rice is shooting an exciting new TV show and wants to film his first episode right here in his adopted hometown of San Francisco! Jerry is looking for dreamers...those who may be a bit down on their luck but who aim high. The "dreamers" can be people, families, teams, businesses or community organizations. With his dream team and inspirational wisdom, Jerry wants to help you turn the tables, overcome the obstacles and achieve the success you once thought impossible...Does one of your teams hold a large losing streak and could they benefit from some mentoring by one of sport's greatest legends?

I guess dreamleague itself might qualify. I'm sure A-Mac's 0-11 squad this past season, a team named "What Would Wat Do?", after Wat Misaka, would qualify. We'll inquire and update you on what happens, assuming something interesting does happen...

__________

Wat the Ute, not Yuta!!!

While looking for some blogs about whether or not people think the Golden State Warriors are, at this rate, going to get into the NBA playoffs (I personally don't think so -- to finish, say, 4 games above .500 and if they keep going barely above the Mendoza line on the road at .250 or so, they would have to finish 16-3 in their final 19 home games and there are at least 4 elite teams left to play at home), I ran across this post at The City blog:

"Notable players on [Warriors draft pick Patrick O'Bryant's NBDL Bakersfield Jam team] are Syracuse PG Gerry McNamara and Yuta Tabuse — the first Japanese player to play in the NBA."

Well, we know from A-Mac's history lesson about Wataru "Wat" Misaka, former Utah Ute national champion and New York Knickerbocker, that that's not true!...

Read the rest of the story

__________

Wat's in a Name?

A little history lesson from A-Mac...

At last Sunday's game, one of the refs looked at my jersey and asked me about the gold lettering emblazoned upon the back that reads "What Would Wat Do?" I figure that was the sign for me to roll out an explanation of my team's name for my next blog entry. In essence, the name is a tribute to the first Asian American to play in the NBA, Wataru "Wat" Misaka.

Read the rest of the story (UPDATED 1/16/2007 AND 1/15/2007)

Also, check out the online oral history project about Japanese American basketball leagues in Chicago during the 1940s and 50s.

__________