FIRST-HAND PETE NEWELL MEMORIES……
A NOTE TO BRUCE JENKINS OF THE SF CHRONICLE
Geoff: “What is life, but a mastery of fundamental things?” That is
so beautifully said. Thanks for writing. And by the way, I tapped
into Pete’s oral history, at the library, in my book research. Best
– Bruce Jenkins
—–Original Message—–
From: geoff smith [mailto:smithgs@queensu.ca]
Sent: Mon 11/17/2008 6:25 PM
To: Jenkins, Bruce
Cc:
Subject: Pete Newell
Hi Bruce: Having read your book, I know you a little at least. I
went to Cal Berkeley in 1959 ostensibly to play basketball for Pete
Newell. Earlier that year the Bears had won the NCAA, 71-70, and as
a senior hoopster at San Mateo High School, I wished with all my
heart to get into Berkeley. I had the chance to go to Colorado on a
scholarship, but when somehow I got an ‘A-’ in my last Chemistry
class I got into Cal, later I learned, through something called the
two percent rule. I did not last as a player. I made the freshman
team, went through the first six weeks of practice, including the
dreaded run up Strawberry Canyon, and was one of three Smiths that
year (Dick and Jim the others). I was also in a frat at Cal, best
not mentioned by name, which did nothing for my academic
achievement. So by midterms, I realized that I was not getting
things done in class that I should be, and went to Pete’s home to
talk about it. He was not there, but his wife, Flo, sat me down and
listened for a good hour, ending with the conclusion that basketball
was great but doing well in school was far more important. That
message stuck, and I left Berkeley altogether in the winter term
1961, transferring to UCSB where I played for former Newell
assistant, Art Gallon. We played the same kind of ball, methodical,
defense-oriented, and guileful (guile was a quality that Pete had, in
abundance). I never forgot Pete and Rene Herrerias’s emphasis upon
fundamentals, especially footwork, which made average players better
than average, and patience, which made average players dangerous
players. Pete won many games that he should not have won because of
these two things, and the fundamentals of defense proved the one
thing I took away with me, as a player, and later a coach and
professor. For what is life, but a mastery of fundamental things?
For many years I told my students in history and sport sociology
about the dip step and how important is was in the scheme of the
cosmos. People thought I was crazy but soon learned that there was
method here. For it is the foundation that provides a crucial
ingredient of any and all success that we achieve, no matter the
field of endeavour. I knew Pete and Florence as campers at the Lair
of the Golden Bear as well, habituees of a group of campers that
denoted themselves as members of “Eddie’s Place”. My uncle, Bob
Tuck, was one of the ringleaders of the group, which played a lot of
cribbage and poker, and hacked a nine-hole golf course out of the
mountainside at Camp Blue in the mid-1950s. When I was a teen in
those years, and watched Cal basketball on snowy TV reception, with
Bud Foster (I think) doing the play by play, I could hardly believe
that the very handsome and yes — calm — man who coached the Bears
was the nice guy I met in Pinecrest. Yes, Pete Newell left a lot of
friends, many lessons, and a legacy that speaks for itself. Thanks
for reading this far, and I appreciate what you have done for Pete in
the years since he left coaching. I note also that my brother, Jon,
now of Novato, did the lion’s share of organizing and administering
the oral history project on Pete overseen by the Bancroft Library.
Your readers would be interested in revisiting that tome.
best wishes,
Geoff