NSMA Honors Earl Monroe - Billy Packer, John X. Miller, Bob Ryan Also Speaking

For those interested, the National Sports Media Association is hosting the 2nd Ann Spencer Sports Connector Award (The Annie, honoring Earl "The Pearl" Monroe next Friday, April 26th at Forsyth Country Club.

In 1966-67, his senior season at Winston-Salem State, Monroe averaged 41.5 ppg, and led the team to the NCAA college division national title. Because of Pearl, the Rams moved their home games from their on-campus gym to the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum. And because of that, a more diverse crowd attended WSSU games in larger numbers – a true community connection through sports, in the days when Winston was still largely segregated.

Former Winston-Salem Journal managing editor John X. Miller of ESPN’s TheUndefeated.com will keynote. Billy Packer, Bob Ryan, and of course, Earl Monroe will also be speaking.

Details on tickets and tables here.

RJ sent an email to Bob Ryan right after Skip died after he had been on the Sports Reporters. They had a segment about how bad college sports had gotten.

RJ told him if he hadn't been so dumb and lazy he could have done a nice piece on a good guy.

His punkass return email to RJ had the infamous (to our board) line,"there are no VIRGINS in college basketball."

After a couple more emails, RJ got him to walk some of that back. They were ALL posted the board.

Also remember RJ versus PTI, when they went off on Taron being a thug, RJ sent so many emails to them that they were lazy idiots and that they had slandeered a good. On the next show Kornheiser and Wilbon took about a minute to BITCH about it on theshow. Unlike Ryan conceding that RJ was right, they punked out didn't correct their actions, and it became the PRIMARY reason they stopped their show.

I could see Bob Ryan being a tad prickly personality.

Send me and I'll ask Ryan about virgins in basketball...

A) The dinner is all about Earl Monroe. Bob Ryan is just one of the speakers.

B) Bob's personality is not at all prickly. If you're into sports -- or music, or theater, or movies -- he is great to talk to. He is genuinely interested in people.