Cricket legend Basil Butcher given hero’s send-off, as Guyana said final goodbye
‘He became a great cricketer because he was a great human, Basil made me the man I am today’ – Dr Vincent AdamsBy Clifton RossTHE pews at Christ Church were filled to capacity, just as the legendary batsman had filled seats during his playing days for Guyana and the West Indies, as Guyana paid their final respects to the late champion batsman, Basil Butcher. Yesterday morning’s service was mixed with emotions; notably joy and a bit of sadness. However, the sensations created the perfect atmosphere as an outpouring of heartfelt tributes from a number of Butcher’s close relatives, friends and all those who at some point were impacted by the cricket great.Among the notable attendees were Prime Minister (acting) Khemraj Ramjattan, Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) president Fizul Bacchus, former West Indies fast bowler Charlie Griffith, secretary Anand Sanasie, former national player Mark Harper, former Guyana and West Indies off-spinner and head selector Clyde Butts, and Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief selector Roger Harpers.Dr Vincent Adams described Butcher as a legend on and off the field
Former teammate, mentor and friend of the late Basil Butcher, Dr Vincent Adams, during his tribute at Christ Church yesterday. (Carl Croker photo)The feature address was delivered by former teammate and personal friend of Butcher, Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Adams who was the first player from Linden to represent Guyana at the first-class level and he credited his late friend for making him who he is today.“Words don’t do justice, Basil came into ny life when I was 14 and he made me the man I am. It was difficult but rewarding as I got time to reflect on the moments I spent on and off the field as he shaped my life and others around him,” said Adams.Adams recalled jovially one time when he had gotten out for 65 and, returning to the dressing room, was stopped by an incoming Butcher who told him that he does not think he wanted to make a hundred.He said Butcher, whom he referred to as ‘Skipper or Butch’, then calmly suggested that since he did not know how to make a ton, he was going to show him how to get the job done. Then he did. The legendary batsman then proceeded to make a huge century, thus backing up his words.“Basil was able to adjust to life and cricket, as he was also a philosopher. In the Guyana team at 18, my ambition was to play for West Indies but shortly after playing for Guyana, I got into a car accident and he told me to stop walking around moping. He then urged me to get an education, as it will never forsake you even after your cricket career is over”.“Basil then called the University of Guyana (UG) Chancellor and told him about me and how I was ready to start. The next day we went, I enrolled and the rest is history but that shows how everything he did transcended cricket,”.Adams saidSons recall father being a man of principle Clairmont, one of Butcher’s sons credited his father for being a good man off the cricket field. He urged those to embrace his father’s morals which he lived by and to remain strong during this time.Some laughter was introduced when another son Basil Jr, recalled how strict and stubborn Butcher was. He hailed his father for being a philosopher and always telling him ‘How much you put in, you get out’, adding that his father was a man of integrity and firmly against injustice.Roland Butcher hails relative for being a great servant to cricketBarbados-born ex-England, Middlesex and Tasmania batsman, Roland Butcherm said he was humbled to have been related to the cricket legend.Roland, who played 3 Tests for England in the 80s, said he was a bit sad that he had not gotten close to Butcher when he was younger but was grateful for the bond they shared when he got older.Roland added that he will carry on the Butcher Clan legacy and thanked Basil for his contributions to cricket. He was happy to be in Guyana to help celebrate the life of the man who he said was one of the greatest servants internationally, in the Caribbean, Guyana and West Indies.CWI president Ricky Skerritt sends regards via Roger Harper Harper first gave his own tribute then on the behalf of CWI president Skerritt, who was attending a meeting overseas. CWI was saddened by Butcher’s passing and credited him for being the ‘backbone’ of a star-studded West Indies team back in the days when he played alongside the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, the late Sir Conrad Hunte, and the late Sir Frank Worrell.Harper said that it was the consistency of Butcher, who made timely contributions when the flamboyant players failed and was dubbed ‘the glue of the team’, delivering his best performances under pressure.In closing, the CWI head selector extended sincerest condolences to the family, adding that Butcher lived life like how he played cricket.“He was run-out and did not give his wicket away, so let’s celebrate his time and life as we are extremely grateful because West Indies cricket is better because Basil Butcher played it,” ended Harper.Following the service, relatives and friends saw the casket of their fallen hero go through the symbolic bat arch to the hearse. The body was taken to the Good Hope Cremation Site on the East Coast Demerara for the final rites.
BRYAN FAUST/Herald photoIf there was any indication of how bad things were going for the men’s basketball team in their 62-55 loss to North Dakota State Saturday, it was written all over the faces of the Badger reserves.Tanner Bronson’s eyes wandered all over the Kohl Center, Kevin Gullikson’s hands covered his face, Morris Cain’s fingernails nervously graced his lips and Greg Stiemsma never took his eyes off the clock on the scoreboard.Things were just not going the Badgers’ way. Shot after shot constantly hit the rim, and in the end the Badgers shot 16-for-72 (22 percent) from the field.”This had to be the worst shooting performance from a team that I have ever been on,” junior Alando Tucker said. “We could not knock down any shots.””I don’t know how to describe it,” Kammron Taylor said. “It was just a terrible shooting day.”The game started off on a high note for the Badgers as they went up by as many as seven points within the first eight minutes of the contest.However, the next 12 minutes saw North Dakota State go on a 26-5 run and Wisconsin shoot 1-for-17, as the half ended with the Badgers down 30-16.The second half started with a little momentum on the UW side as sophomore Brian Butch notched an easy lay-up. Junior Jason Chappell would add a jumper and senior Ray Nixon drained a three-pointer as the Badgers went on a 7-2 run.The Bison quickly responded and brought their lead up to 18 points with seven minutes remaining.”We were coming back. We were starting to get runs, but we were never able to cap it off. … We weren’t taking it possession by possession. We were trying to get it all back in one or two possessions.” Tucker said. “We were missing a lot of the easy shots and I think that got to us. We weren’t forcing too much of anything, but when you miss the easy ones, it starts to wear on you.”As the team continued to miss a few more easy shots, a frustrated Taylor would score the next nine points for the Badgers to bring the score to within nine points.The junior guard would add six more points, bringing the game within four, before he became the first Badger to foul out all season with 15 seconds remaining in the contest.”I didn’t even know I had four fouls before I made that last foul,” Taylor said. “It was very frustrating. I think that was the first time I’ve ever fouled out in my life.”After Taylor took his spot on the bench, the Badgers would not score another point and the game ended in North Dakota State’s first upset of the season.”Today was our day. I’m proud of the kids,” Bison head coach Tim Miles said. “They battled. They weren’t intimidated. This wasn’t an easy environment. Wisconsin’s record shows that this is not an easy thing to do. For an upstart like us to do it, I’m just so proud of our people.””We didn’t shoot it well,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “When the ball doesn’t go in, you can’t explain it all the time. We’ve been over this a lot of times when we’ve shot well and the other team didn’t. It’s always a combination of defense and selection at times.”I think we rushed some of our offense at times, but we had great opportunities to score, and (especially on) those last seven, eight minutes on some pretty close shots.”In the end, Taylor shot 6-for-24 for 19 points, while Tucker went 2-for-18 from the floor and 7-for-9 from the charity stripe.”I shot 2-for-18. I cannot be happy with that at all,” Tucker said. “If we are going to be at the top in the Big Ten, that cannot happen, especially from a guy like me with a lot of experience.”
In a country that adamantly promotes equal opportunity employment, one of its most popular revenue-building sources seems to advocate quite the opposite.No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Texas in the BCS National Championship game sure does sound like one heck of a matchup. Two teams that have been ranked in the top five all season will finally match up in what was a somewhat expected turnout in the BCS title game.But as Heisman candidates Colt McCoy and Mark Ingram face off in Pasadena, a few teams will obviously be left out of what could, or perhaps should have been their opportunity to win a national title.Thanks to what has become one of the most debated topics in college sports, teams like Texas Christian, Boise State and Cincinnati won’t even get a chance to play for a national championship.And it’s not like past years where there have been two, maybe three clear-cut favorites. This year, all of those teams are undefeated, and all of them could make a case that they belong in the BCS title game.Most voters chose Texas because of its status in what is normally one of the NCAA’s best conferences, the Big 12, but this year, that isn’t really the case.Including Texas, the Big 12 has only three ranked teams, two of which are not in the top 20. In the conference title game, it wasn’t like last year when Oklahoma blew out Missouri, but rather a defensive battle between the supposed No. 3 team in the country and overmatched Nebraska.Oh, and Texas won on a game-winning field goal, which was made possible by a controversial and questionable call.Nevertheless, the Longhorns are undefeated, but Texas’ r?sum? isn’t exactly overwhelmingly more impressive than its unbeaten counterparts.Cincinnati finished the season undefeated, having beaten Oregon State (near Pac-10 championship and Rose Bowl bid) and Pittsburgh on the road, both of which are strong wins against opponents that finished in the top 20.Boise State began the season with a crushing victory over Oregon (remember LeGarrette Blount’s punch?) and a thorough thumping of the rest of their WAC opponents.And perhaps the most snubbed of all teams, TCU demolished ranked teams Brigham Young and Utah and also won a tough road game in Clemson, which just missed out on an Orange Bowl berth.So what has Texas done? Well, aside from the Longhorns near meltdown against Nebraska, it has beaten two other ranked teams in the conference, with a laughable nonconference schedule.Now I’m not one to say whether Texas deserves to play in the national championship. For all I know, the Longhorns could be the No. 2 team in the country — it’s fairly obvious Alabama deserves the No. 1 ranking.But the most disturbing part about this season in particular is that debate is clearly a possibility, but we all knew exactly what the outcome would be.Now to sound like a broken record, it’s about time the FBS institute a playoff system. Seriously, this is just getting ridiculous.We’ve heard arguments about the season being too long, the tournament field being too big or too small, and the issue of what teams to actually include in a playoff. Frankly, these over-exaggerated qualms completely miss the point of what the grind of a college football season is all about.I’m sure Alabama would love to play Florida again. I’m sure Florida would love another shot at the national championship. But more importantly, a playoff would simply give the teams like TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati the opportunity to play with the nation’s best.In another season, an argument could be made for the opposite. But the “why would you give a non-BCS school the opportunity to play a powerhouse” question doesn’t come up this year because Texas by no means outperformed those unbeatens from other conferences.The playoff is needed for a season like this. When the line isn’t clear about what team is better and there are simply too many options to pass up.Yes, Alabama deserves to be in the national championship game, but why can’t the Tide beat a couple mid-majors to prove that fact? Why does Texas get a free pass while other teams arguably had better seasons than the Longhorns?That just doesn’t make sense.The FBS should take a lesson from the rest of the NCAA and institute a tournament, even if it’s only eight teams, to determine the national champion.Voters love to hate on the underdog, but as we’ve seen in George Mason in 2006, Davidson in 2008, and even our own Wisconsin Badgers in 2000, the underdog is what creates the drama and excitement of a tournament.But would TCU beating Texas really be an upset? According to the voters, it would. But thanks to the BCS, it’s simply something we will never know.Jonah is a junior majoring in journalism and Hebrew and Semitic studies. Is the BCS a fair system? Should the NCAA institute some sort of playoff into the FBS? Send your thoughts to jbraun@badgerherald.com.
Improving the qualities of the individual players in the Black Stars squad is the top priority of Black Stars head coach, Charles Kwablan Akonnor.Speaking on Citi TV‘s pidgin sports show Football Made in Ghana, Akonnor said his main focus as head coach was to improve each player he calls into his squad as that will enable the Black Stars to improve collectively as well.“I’m looking forward to improving individual players and improve the team as a result.” he said.“[Once] the team improves, it affects their play. That is my goal. So every time I am thinking about who can fit into certain positions and how we can play. Overall I just want to improve the team.” He believes that it is imperative that players keep their focus as that is the only way they’ll be able to attain and maintain success.“Football requires concentration. We could be joking an hour prior to the game but after that, you need to concentrate on the game.”Akonnor was named the new coach of the men’s senior national team in January replacing Kwesi Appiah whose contract had expired.He named his first squad ahead of AFCON 2021 qualifying matches against Sudan in March but those fixtures were cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.However, the coach is still keeping in touch with his players while trying to keep himself engaged as well.“I’ve been trying to stay in touch with the [Black Stars] players while they are at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We usually chat via video calls. I also read lots of books to keep myself ready,” he said.
The Yankees are reportedly hoping to add at least one starter before the July 31 deadline. They’ve also been linked to Trevor Bauer, Madison Bumgarner, Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, Robbie Ray and Mike Minor.”I think we’ve entered this process at the deadline with a pretty good feel of what we’d like to do, what we’re willing to pay for it, and also having the built-in discipline of walking away if we don’t find the right matches under those circumstances,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters last week.The Phillies have reportedly been “in contact” with every team that has a starter available. The Reds seem like they’ll have plenty of options if they decide to move Tanner Roark.The Yankees, Braves, Phillies and Athletics, among others, are all interested in the 32-year-old starter, according to a report from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Roark is scheduled to pitch for Cincinnati against the Pirates on Tuesday. As of this moment, Tanner Roark is still starting tonight vs. Pirates. Has drawn interest from Yankees, Braves, A’s, Phillies, etc.— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 30, 2019Roark holds a 6-6 record with a 3.95 ERA in 20 starts for the Reds so far in 2019. He has struck out 106 and walked 34 in 107 innings on the mound.Roark spent his first six MLB seasons with the Nationals before he was traded to Cincinnati in December in exchange for Tanner Rainey. Related News Yankees trade rumors: Gleyber Torres ‘off limits’ in discussions for starter “We have to recognize where we are, and we have to make moves that are appropriate,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said last week, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “We’re going to continue to push. We’re going to continue to try. … (But), for this team to get where we want to go, the core players on this roster need to perform well. And that’s true of any team. Teams that do well have their core players perform well. We have the talent on the field to do that.”The Braves are looking to added pitching, as well. The Athletics already acquired Jake Diekman from the Royals earlier this month. Yankees trade rumors: New York ‘willing to consider’ moving Clint Frazier, Miguel Andujar for starter Yankees ‘working all angles’ ahead of trade deadline, Brian Cashman says
Young basketball national team player Jusuf Nurkić will spend the remainder of the season playing for Croatian ”Zadar”, where he will reside for a half year team borrowing. This is the decision of the coach of ”Cedevita” Aleksandar Petrović, with the hope that Nurkić will have more space to play basketball. Nurkić will perform for the first time for this team next weekend, when the team of ”Zadar” will welcome the team ”Krka” from Novo Mesto.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has admitted to failure in managing the recent scope of the Ebola outbreak and falling short of providing a quick and suitable response to countries affected by the disease.A broad range of factors including mismanagement, bureaucracy, underfunding, poor communication and incompetent healthcare staff are to blame for failing to stop the spread of the mortal disease, WHO said in a draft internal document which was leaked out on Friday October 17, 2014.The Internal Document was quoted as saying, “Nearly everyone involved in the outbreak response failed to see some fairly plain writing on the wall.”According to the report, the WHO experts failed to realize that the traditional approaches to disease containment wound be of no substantial effect in Africa, which has for long been beset with a weak health system.Also, Dr. Peter Piot, the Ebola virus co-discoverer, lashed out at the WHO for responding too slowly to the epidemic which has so far claimed the lives of nearly 4,493 people all around the world, while more people have been infected.Questioning the performance of the agency, Dr. Piot said, “Five months passed and more than 1,000 people lost their lives before WHO finally declared the deadly epidemic an international health emergency.”Earlier this week, the World Health Organization announced that Ebola’s infection rate was likely to exceed 10,000 new cases per week in the next two months, adding that the epidemic’s mortality rate had reached 70 percent.Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding.The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can be also spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses. There is currently no known cure for Ebola.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
“Defense was key for us tonight,” Campbell Hall coach Terry Kelly said. “Most teams aren’t used to our up-tempo style.” Holiday’s brother, Justin, scored 14 points in the third quarter, including the final fourpoints to give Campbell Hall an insurmountable 62-24 lead heading into the fourth quarter. “They were as good as we thought they’d be,” Oak Park Ed Chevalier said. “They play at a higher level.” Justin Holiday, bound for Washington, finished with 20points, six rebounds, sixassists and four steals and Ford added 16 points and five assists. “If we play our game, get out and push the action, there’s no one that can stop us,” Jrue Holiday said. Maddox, a senior who committed to Princeton, finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Hillard added eight points. sean.ceglinsky@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! “Shoot, I saw Jrue coming and I got of his way, so I don’t know why Hillard didn’t move,” Vikings junior Dallas Rutherford said. Campbell Hall (28-1) was in control from the outset as Holiday scored 10 consecutive points during a three-minute stretch to help the Vikings take a 16-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Kareem Maddox scored ninepoints in the first quarter for Oak Park (23-7) but struggled thereafter, managing just one field goal in the second quarter, and that basket didn’t come until there was 10 seconds remaining in the half. In the meantime, the Vikings took over. Robert Ford scored eight consecutive points to extend the lead to 27-13 with 4:14 left before intermission, and a pair of Holiday 3-pointers gave Campbell Hall a 37-15 lead at halftime. The 6-foot-4 junior hustled down the floor in transition, went up strong to the hoop and threw down a left-handed dunk over Bobby Hillard before shooting a defiant glare toward the Eagles fans in the bleachers while pounding his chest. Holiday exited the game for good seconds later and finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, sixassists and four steals for the top-seeded Vikings of North Hollywood, which advanced to Saturday’s championship game against La Canada. 
It wasn’t as if the Campbell Hall boys’ basketball needed a lift during the fourth quarter of its 74-36 win in Tuesday’s Southern Section Div. III-AA semifinal game against Oak Park at Crespi High of Encino. But, despite the Vikings holding a 37-point lead and less than seven minutes remaining on the clock, Jrue Holiday provided a memorable highlight, anyway. 
“It’s possible to move the huge aircraft carrier, but it’s tough to change course,” said Bob Stern, director of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. “And it takes a long time with a concerted effort to work with the superintendent, the board and the union.” Nobody denies that the ratio of administrators to teachers is higher now than it was six years ago at the 708,000-student district. The Bureau of State Audits found nonschool positions grew 12 percent from 1999 to 2005, with most added to the division overseeing a $19.2 billion building program. Salaries and benefits for support-services employees increased 44 percent in the same period, even as salaries and benefits for school-services workers rose just 26 percent. Los Angeles Unified’s bloated bureaucracy, long decried by the mayor and teachers’ union, has now become a key issue for the district’s new superintendent and a hot-button topic in the school board race. Superintendent David Brewer III has vowed to cut inefficiencies at the Los Angeles Unified School District after a scathing audit found the nation’s second-largest district is disorganized, lacks financial controls and suffers from a “pervasive” lack of accountability. With just a week before the election, school board candidates Jon Lauritzen and Tamar Galatzan have waded into the debate on how to pare the massive bureaucracy. By all accounts, any changes face challenges – including navigating a range of competing and powerful interests. But LAUSD General Counsel Kevin Reed said many nonschool positions are paid for with capital funds that cannot be used to pay for teachers. And he said increased costs reflect growth in facilities, information technology, school police, inspector general and other departments. Emphasis on schools Still, efforts to change the situation are complicated. Four years ago, when LAUSD was divided into local districts, Lauritzen fought to reduce their number from 11 to four. But after lengthy negotiations he was able to cut only three districts. “The board member has to try to accomplish the possible, and the leader in that is the superintendent,” said Lauritzen Chief of Staff Ed Burke. “Although the goal is to cut the bureaucracy, implementing it becomes very difficult because you have to convince other board members and the superintendent to put it in effect.” Lauritzen believes schools should be given more autonomy to reduce the need for districtwide staff, Burke said. “The emphasis should be on the schools to make sure they have the resources, and not create more people downtown to help the schools,” he said. Galatzan says schools should have more control of their own funds and said she would ask City Controller Laura Chick to oversee an audit of all contracts, the downtown administration and all nonschool staff. To ensure Valley schools are getting their fair share, Galatzan advocates performance contracts for local district superintendents and senior staff downtown. She also said many management functions can be consolidated. “Tamar is part of a reform slate, and it means you’re going to go in fighting the bureaucracy from Day One,” said Galatzan campaign manager Mike Trujillo. “You now have a board going in seven different directions.” 10 percent staff cut Deputy Mayor Ray Cortines, education adviser to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, said the recently released audit is an important step in identifying how to streamline the district. The audit said superintendents of the eight local districts within the LAUSD had not been given the authority, responsibility and resources to accomplish their goals. It also noted a lack of benchmarks to measure program effectiveness and no consequences for noncompliance with administrative directives. Cortines said he believes the district can cut at least 10 percent of its central staff and redirect the savings to schools. Cortines also said the mayor would like to encourage the superintendent to eliminate nonessential positions that don’t serve the classrooms and schools and don’t provide local services. “I think the superintendent has taken the first right step, and now we have to see what he does with it,” Cortines said. “He is going to have to make some tough decisions. If local district office personnel don’t have the authority and the responsibility, eliminate them and save millions.” Brewer said he will seek to empower local district superintendents and move people out of the central office. Positions will be cut, but details won’t be available until the second phase of the audit is completed. That phase, which will cost more than $1 million, is expected to be completed early this fall and focus on instruction, operation and finance. If the audit finds programs aren’t working, Brewer said he’ll eliminate them. “I don’t believe in setting arbitrary targets. It could be less (than 10 percent); it could be more,” Brewer said of possible cuts. “What drives that decision is analysis. “We will find out how much we can save, and when you look at the overall budget, and not only in central, we may be able to find savings throughout the system.” `Tough, tough battle’ Brewer is expected to unveil some immediate changes in June when he releases a five-year strategic plan. He also already has announced plans to appoint a transformation team – including a chief academic officer and chief professional learning officer – to restructure business operations and develop a comprehensive instructional plan. But Stern, with the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, said Brewer has a difficult road ahead. “It’s always tough changing the bureaucracy. I wish him luck but it’s a tough, tough battle to do it,” he said. “People hate change, but change is important.” That change could come if Galatzan and mayoral-backed candidate Ed Vladovic prevail in the May 15 election, giving Villaraigosa majority support on the school board. Philanthropist billionaire Eli Broad, who has contributed more than $25,000 to the campaigns, including Galatzan’s, said reform can come with board members who support the mayor’s agenda. “I think it’ll be helpful to get four members on the school board that are prepared to work with the mayor on education reform,” he said. But the real question will be how a reform slate will translate into consistent, strong action to break up the bureaucracy, said Michael Kirst, a professor of education and business administration at Stanford University. “Assuming the (audit) is true, some kind of drastic overhaul of the bureaucracy is desirable,” Kirst said. naush.boghossian @dailynews.com (818) 713-3722 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
Comhghairdeas le Neil Mac Aoidh a piocadh le imirt na “Aussie Rules”, Ádh mór duit!Comhghairdeas le Gleann Suilí a bhain an Craobh Sinsear.Bhí lá mór peil ag Bord na nÓg Dé Sathairn, bhí scaifte thíos as Co. Muineachán don lá.GAA: NÓTAÍ CLG GAOTH DOBHAIR, was last modified: October 11th, 2011 by BrendaShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:NÓTAÍ CLG GAOTH DOBHAIR