Interesting Sporting News Story

[olsingledigit]

Nick's Senior year we were on National TV versus ND. TV had miked Digger Phelps, the then ND coach - bad idea. Nick hard fouled and ND player and Digger's tirade against Nick and the kind of person he was had the Slander attorneys lining up at the door. That for sure soured me on Digger (along with another story for another time) especially because Nick was one of my all time favorites also.

Anyone know where he is today and what he is doing?

[Mr. Neutral]

If I remember correctly, Nick had a job with the City (Cincinnati) and got into trouble for taking care of a ticket. Seemed like much ado about nothing, especially by Chicago standards. That's the last I've heard of him.


http://basketballreference.com/draft/dr ... =1979&lg=N

I'd forgotten that Nick was drafted (#17 in the 7th round) back when the NBA had more than two rounds. At least Nick can say he was in the same draft as Magic Johnson.

This from a Dec. 1977 issue of SI.com-

Speaking of the Boilermakers, their lack of bench strength almost cost them their home opener against Xavier. After Center Joe Barry Carroll (22 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks) fouled out with 5:04 remaining, the Musketeers, 10-17 a year ago, moved to within a basket at 80-78. Perfect free-throw shooting by Guard Jerry Sichting enabled Purdue to hold on for a 90-82 victory, but Coach Fred Schaus got only eight points from six subs—and all of them were scored by one man, freshman Forward Drake Morris. Nick Daniels led the losers with 26 points, 23 of them during Xavier's second-half comeback.

Also, from the Nov. '77 SI.com-

Mississippi dealt Nebraska a 70-67 setback, and Xavier of Ohio pulled off two shockers at the Volunteer Classic. With Nick Daniels scoring 24 points, the Musketeers downed Southern Cal 75-68 in the first round at Knoxville, and then a last-second shot from the corner by Gary Massa gave Xavier a 51-50 victory over Tennessee in the finale in which Daniels, the tournament MVP, had 22 points. The victories gave the Musketeers a 6-2 record. USC beat Niagara 75-63 for third place.

[MarionHall4ever]

Tay Baker and Nick Daniels, huh? In basketball those might qualify as the Alpha and the Omega. It would be tough to find two guys who loved the game that were any more different.

Unfortunately, I moved away from Cincinnati after Nick's freshman season. As I recall, he was all X had that year, but sometimes he was enough all by himself, and he was fun to watch -- as opposed to Tay, of whom it may be said that his haircut was funny, but that was the extent of his entertainment value.

Xavier's opponents back then were coached by the likes of Al McGuire, Dick Vitale, Ray Meyer and --- give the devil his due -- Digger Phelps. We had Tay Baker. Explains a lot.

Speaking of Digger Phelps, I didn't know that he pulled that crap with Nick Daniels, but I remeber that he did the same thing a couple years earlier when Xavier's Gary Dietrich accidentally butted heads with ND's Adrian Dantley, causing Dantley to get a couple stitches. Digger was miked for the game and what he said about Dietrich probably wouldn't have been fair to say about Marvin "Bad News" Barnes. We should have known that he was destined for TV.

[Mr. Neutral]

<<...but I remeber that he did the same thing a couple years earlier when Xavier's Gary Dietrich accidentally butted heads with ND's Adrian Dantley, causing Dantley to get a couple stitches. >>

Dietrich gave one of the funniest explanations I've ever heard about one player (him) causing another player's (Dantley's) injury.

Dietrich said he was guarding AD when AD faked in one direction, but then came back to his original spot. GD said that he himself was so slow that he was still where he was BEFORE Dantley's fake, and so they inadvertently ran into each other. The ND folks, not surprisingly, made it sound like Dietrich had purposely slammed their star.

Dietrich actually was a pretty decent player, but like a lot of our guys in that era, didn't have the athleticism to stay with the better players we faced.

[Peashooter]

The coup de grace of the Xavier/Notre Dame series was during the Bob Staak era when X's John Hanley got into it with ND's All American at the Gardens. Who was it? I'm drawing a blank.

Hanley was the classic "gunner". drendo74 and I used to refer to him as "Instant Offense." Sometimes it worked, but more often it didn't.

As for X football and getting back on topic, I recall doing fund raising calls for the athletic department during my sophomore year, two years after football was dropped. The most frequent reply was "I'd give -- or give more -- if there was football."

Who can name our Xavier NFL stars?

[muskieman]

Who can name our Xavier NFL stars?


James Kropowski was a member of the original Cincinnati Bengals and my former English teacher in High school, Chester Mutryn played in last 40's, George Gilmartin Steelers 1952, John George Martinkovic, Hamilton born played for the Green Bay Packers and Giants...I delivered his papers, Danny Abramowicz hell of a wide receiver and now author , John Shinners New Orleans and Bengals, I still have the foot locker he had as a senior. .
Art Hauser played in NFL and AFL in the 1950's
Jack Hoffman played for da'bears in the 1950's
Phil Bucklew Cleveland Rams end,
Herb Davis Columbus Tigers.
Steve Junker play for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins.

there are others but one of the old timers who was most important was John Wiethe. He played for the Lions his whole career but was also noted as head of Democratic party of Hamilton county, First basketball coach for UC and former AD for UC.

[Peashooter]

Who can name our Xavier NFL stars?


James Kropowski was a member of the original Cincinnati Bengals and my former English teacher in High school, Chester Mutryn played in last 40's, George Gilmartin Steelers 1952, John George Martinkovic, Hamilton born played for the Green Bay Packers and Giants...I delivered his papers, Danny Abramowicz hell of a wide receiver and now author , John Shinners New Orleans and Bengals, I still have the foot locker he had as a senior. .
Art Hauser played in NFL and AFL in the 1950's
Jack Hoffman played for da'bears in the 1950's
Phil Bucklew Cleveland Rams end,
Herb Davis Columbus Tigers.
Steve Junker play for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins.

there are others but one of the old timers who was most important was John Wiethe. He played for the Lions his whole career but was also noted as head of Democratic party of Hamilton county, First basketball coach for UC and former AD for UC.

Ding, ding, ding, ding -- give that man a bourbon ball -- or three!

[gundun]

How can you not mention the XU 3rd string QB who started 5 or 6 games the following season for Miami?

Hint: His coach loved him and he could punt.

[wkrq59]

Was the kid who's father loved him Ralph Wilson Jr, son of the Miami Dolphins owner Ralph Wilson Sr?
And don't forget one man who played Xavier football before all of us were born, Dan "The Man," Tehan. I think he played from 22-26 with my dad. But one thing I know for sure, he had one of the longest tenures of any NFL referee in the game's history and he certainly was in the NFL. (Check Steve Sabol's NFL Films for one of Dan's exchanges with one of the early coaches. )
Now, as far as Xavier ever having to start up Div. 1 non-scholarship football, NO DAMN IT NO.
I have a very strong connection to Xavier football and will cherish the memories I have that I shared with my dad until the day they pull the sheet over my face. That said, I hope sincerely I never live to see Xavier playing Div.1 non-scholarship football.
The NCAA has been very sure in its Machiavellian manipulations that no non-BCS school will EVER have a chance to compete on a level playing field with the big boys. Boise State being the exception and West Virginia (yeah, I know they're BE) a strong second in Oklahoma's eyes.
Please, Xavier has club football. Leave it be. There are many reasons why Dayton has been in a downward cycle recently, and I can't help but think --even though I'm sure Kissell fudged the figures for the story--that football is to an extent draining the bank.
That said, Xavier has under Sean Miller who harnessed the efforts of his predecessors, risen to an all-time high in national regard for its men's basketball program. The Xavier Nation doesn't need D1 non-scholarship football to continue its growth in basketball.

[gundun]

Actually it was George Wilson and his father was the coach.
The same guy who coached the Lions and the late Bobby Layne to several NFL championships.
BTW, Q, I hope you are back to good health. I enjoy your insights.