O’Donnell: Grant Hill to NBC recalls a night he called Tim Weigel
THERE WAS NOTHING INEVITABLE about Grant Hill signing on with the growing roster that will broadcast NBA games on NBC Universal next season.
But he will.
The extraordinarily likable fellow already has quite a bit on his plate, including a role as managing director of USA Basketball — the organization that chooses the U.S. Olympics men's squad.
He also works from a base with TNT to call NCAA games. That association will continue and peaks every April when he, Bill Raftery and Ian Eagle handle the men's Final Four for either Turner or CBS.
Beyond that, Hill has ownership stakes in the Atlanta Hawks (NBA), the Baltimore Orioles (MLB), Orlando City SC (MLS) and the Orlando Pride (NWSL).
HIS ENERGY, CHARM AND ENTERPRISE are no surprises. The late Tim Weigel found that out one night at his desk in the sports department of Chicago's WBBM-Channel 2.
As a senior at Yale in 1966, Weigel was an undersized starting fullback alongside sophomore stars Calvin Hill — Grant's father and a future Dallas Cowboy RB — and QB Brian Dowling, later to be immortalized as “B.D.” in the “Doonesbury” comic strip of rabid Yalie Garry Trudeau.
By his time at Channel 2, Weigel had transferred some allegiance — and influence — to the sports programs of Northwestern.
ON THIS PARTICULAR EVENING, the Wildcats were hunting to replace ill-fated men's coach Ricky Byrdsong.
Weigel's desk phone rang. He answered. A soft, ambient voice said, “Mr. Weigel, this is Grant Hill.”
Yeah, right, Weigel thought, wondering who could be doing such a good Grant Hill impersonation? At the time Hill was in ascent as a Detroit Piston during an 18-year NBA career that would help place him in the Naismith Hall.
“First off, my dad says hello,” Hill said. “So does my mom. We all hope you're well. I'm trying to help get something done and my father suggested I call you.”
HILL WAS TRYING TO GET TOMMY AMAKER hired as head coach at NU. Amaker then was an assistant at Duke.
Amaker and Johnny Dawkins had teamed to form Mike Krzyzewski's first great backcourt for the Blue Devils. Amaker was also a factor in Hill's decision to play there.
Weigel began to take notes and phone numbers. He told Hill his influence at Northwestern was being overstated but — who knows?
“I made up a reason to call Grant back after the 10 o'clock (news),” Weigel later recalled. “I really wanted to be sure no one was pulling a great prank.”
No one was.
IN THE END, NU ADMINISTRATORS decided they wanted a head coach with Division-I experience. That eliminated Amaker, despite his high-horning from the Hill-Weigel bandwagon.
They picked fiery Kevin O'Neill, who didn't do much to upgrade Wildcats basketball. But he became a regular mate of Weigel on the nocturnal Streeterville-North Clark Street-East Rogers Park dawn patrol.
Months later, Amaker began a four-year run at Seton Hall. He followed that with six campaigns at Michigan (2001-07) and then settled in at Harvard, where he's set to start Season 19 this fall.
ALL PROVING THAT GRANT HILL could blend basketball instincts, loyalty and the suggestion of nicely timed lean-in even way back when.
Now he'll add Peacock maneuverings next winter as NBC joins Amazon Prime Video and incumbent ABC/ESPN to frame fresh NBA narratives.
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THE SUDDEN RETIREMENT OF D. WAYNE LUKAS and his entrance into hospice care this week brought a full field of laudatory reaction around thoroughbred racing.
As recently as three years ago, the masterful Lukas — age 89 — would have drawn more mixed reactions. By his own admission, he could grate.
But his triumphs are beyond dispute. The former high school basketball coach won 15 Triple Crown races — including four Kentucky Derbies — along with 20 Breeders' Cup victories.
He was cutting edge from 1980 forward in terms of jet-age horse transport, regional training bases and kill-'em-with-numbers training methods.
Wealthy patrons can enable those sorts of stretch runs to success.
BUT NONE COULD MATCH THE YOUNGER LUKAS for self-promotion. On the most golden backstretches, that's the name of the game, and DWL excelled.
The first hint that he could be the start of something big came during Derby Week 1985. The brilliant Bill Nack wrote a long feature for Sports Illustrated that Lukas couldn't have bought. It was titled “While the Rest of the World Sleeps … ''.
And the finish-line star of D. Wayne Lukas was suddenly risen above the feed-bin masses.
That knack in itself was his sort of pragmatic, capitalist genius.
Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.