Fill the bucket
In Monday’s Oklahoman, several sports staffers made known our bucket lists.
You know, the sports-type things we’d like to see before we kick the bucket.
My list – which included a visit to John Wooden’s apartment, a trip to see the British Open at St. Andrews and an Army-Navy football game – generated an interesting e-mail from John MacDonald in Edmond. Here’s what he had to say:
At one time I worked for a large bank in Los Angeles. One of my associates was George Fenneman, best known as announcer/straight man for Groucho Marx. George was head of P.R. for us and knew John Wooden and his wife, Nell. I needed some gifts for a convention, and Coach Wooden agreed to autograph and make entries in the fly leaf of his book, “They Call Me Coach,” for me. The Coach’s wife was ill with cancer at the time. We met Wooden at his condo. I had a list of 125 names, hence 125 books needed signing. In spite of the pressure Nell’s illness was for him, he signed that many books plus added a personal note using the individual names I’d supplied. What a gracious man. The tag is… I forgot to have him sign a book for me.
As an 8-year-old, I lived with my grandmother for a couple years in Scotland. Her brother, my grand uncle, Alec MacDonald, was a golf club maker there and made me, not a cut down set, but an original set of hickory shafted clubs (including a mashie-niblick and a jigger) to match my size. As a school kid, I wore laced ankle-high shoes, knickers, vest, tie and jacket, and wore a cap. The “Auld Course,” was a fife (county) owned course golf with free play for kids up to age 12. In school dress, we’d high ourselves to the course and play, carrying our sticks in a small canvas bag. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I paid attention the the fact that every time I crossed over swilcan burn and the stone bridge, its history actually dated to Roman times. The adjacent Jubilee course is more fun to play, easier.
I was a class mate of Wayne Hardin at College of the Pacific (now university) at Stockton, Calif. He later became assistant, then head coach at Annapolis. I made a couple A&N games while it was still played at Philadelphia and believe me it is a football experience like no other. The USC/Notre Dame rivalry of the 1930’s came close but not to compare with the Cadets and Middies en masse.
I hope you get to fill your bucket list. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience three of those on your list.
And for that, John, I am jealous!
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