A week or so ago, we had our Bronco Kick-Off week. During one of the staff training sessions they asked about our favorite teams. I thought of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, (although I thought it was the ’73 Dolphins at the time), but I also thought of what I thought was the best “team” that I had ever seen play. And, by team, I mean a group of individuals that played really well together, forming a synergistic effect (the sum greater than the parts), and that would be how I saw the Davidson Wildcats (basketball team) play during the 2008 NCAA Basketball tournament.

Sure they got beat eventually. They had one star, Stephen Curry, and boy could he move and shoot, but it was the way the rest of the team played… SELFLESSLY, that made this TEAM go much further than I’ve ever seen any other team proceed. Normally, the downfall of a one-star team will be the egos of the lesser players. One guy shooting most of the shots, handling the ball most of the time will eventually degrade into the ball not being passed to the star player as much… or sloppy ball in setting up the star player. But, as I recall, that did not happen by the other players on the team. They worked wonderfully together, setting up and passing to Curry over, and over, and over, and over, and over again. And Curry kept getting open, making moves and putting the ball through the hoop. Oh, yeah, and the team kept beating much more talented “groups of players” and advancing in the tournament.

No mistake, Curry scored the most points, but the other selfless team players made it happen.

So, how did it end? This is how I remember it. Who missed the last shot? Was it Curry? No! One of the other selfless players took the last attempt, and failed. The team had given the game their all, and come up short, and their star player didn’t even have to hang his head because he had missed the last shot.

If you want to teach team play, look to the 2008 Davidson Wildcats Basketball Team.

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As I re-read this posting, I recalled the worst group of players, and that would have to be the Carolina basketball team of the 1993-94 North Carolina Tar Heels season.  There were enough good players to make two teams.  There were the seasoned players (Eric Montross), and the very talented younger group (Rasheed Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse).  What happened?  They ended up fighting each other.  Their egos got in the way of “the team”.  Sloppy passing, sloppy shooting, garbage.  The group of players had a lousy season.  But, here is where I blame Dean Smith for failing to orchestrate a winning season.  *He should have created a Blue and a White team, putting the seasoned players on one squad and the young, talented players on the other.  What then?  Put in each color for a set amount of time.  Whichever squad scores the most points, gets bonus playing time.  I’m pretty sure that would have produced a winning season, but it wouldn’t have been a normal Carolina “team”.  It might have even looked like they were running the score up on their opponents, but it wouldn’t have had a thing to do with most of their opponents.  You had Carolina players that hated each other and couldn’t control themselves to become a winning team.

 

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[NOTE 04/13/25]: An in the last day or so I heard that Steph Curry:

 “Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has accepted a role with his alma mater Davidson College as an assistant general manager for the basketball programs, university officials told ESPN.” [end NOTE]

I was playing with the Google Trends widget when I saw the words, “Amber Alert” pop up. Eventually, I clicked on the link and saw that the Amber Alert was tied to some man who had apparently kidnapped a brother and sister out in California. During the evening news I saw more details, but the questions began to appear. Apparently, the abductor had killed a woman (a friend), and abducted her two children a 15 year old daughter and her younger brother. But, the first question came as they reported an unidentified child, dead, in the burning rubble with the woman. I thought, “What makes them think the man kidnapped the brother along with his sister?” Wouldn’t the obvious assumption be that the other dead, child’s body, be the younger brother?

The only image I had of the girl, Hanna Anderson, was the head shot of a smiling, blonde, attractive teen girl. Finally, this morning, I googled and got a bunch more images, but pretty quickly got what I thought will be the gist of this murder/kidnapping story. I think the only question that will remain is, “Did the girl participate willingly.” And, that question might not be answered if the kidnapper and girl are found dead, of an apparent murder/suicide.

We have a neighborhood, monthly magazine called City View. I snagged a copy at the Rainbo Restaurant the other day, and had brought it in to my office. At some point, I take a look at the people on the cover for August 2013. I focused on the young woman, and looking at her face, said to myself, “I’ve seen someone that looks like her.” I knew it wasn’t her, but it almost had to be an actress. I just couldn’t place who it was though. This morning, it finally came to me who this reminded me of:

Nadia G

https://www.google.com/search?q=nadia+g&client=firefox-a&hs=vGl&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=xR4BUrSwOJKC9QT0qYH4Cw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=906

Just something about the “cat-like” eyes and the way she was holding her mouth.

One of the President’s first priorities after taking office in 2009 was to bring a government built for the 20th century into the 21st century. Over the last four years, we’ve made great progress to advance this goal, thanks in large part to the integration of new technologies and innovations across the Administration.

This morning, the President held a meeting with his Cabinet and senior officials to lay out his vision for building a better, smarter, faster government over the course of his second term. During the meeting, the President directed Cabinet members and key officials in his Administration to build on the progress made over the first term, and he challenged us to improve government even further.

To help members of the Cabinet and Administration officials find more innovative ways to deliver better results, the Administration recently welcomed a second class of Presidential Innovation Fellows – 43 highly talented and motivated individuals chosen out of more than 2,000 applicants. The first class of 18 Presidential Innovation Fellows worked hand-in-hand with top government innovators to develop solutions that are delivering smart-government solutions to taxpayers at a lower cost.

He was a carpenter, but I knew the man, and he was nothing like Jesus, and for you to have made that analogy, the words must have stuck in your throat.

I always thought that these two songs were tied together. The "Captain of Her Heart: lyrics fit perfectly for Brandi to finally give up waiting for her sea captain. I guess you could read "Freya of the Seven Isles" if you really wanted to put yourself in a melancholy mood.

Brandi, You’re a Fine Girl

The Captain of Her Heart

CREW OF THE GOV SAFFORD.—
Story of the Wreck and the Rescue
of Capt Turpin and his Men Off
Bogue Inlet Bar.

Information was received in the city yesterday morning from Baltimore that the steamer Katahdin had arrived in that port with the crew of the ill-fated steamer Governor Safford aboard of her safe and well. This news was welcomed by every one, for the four mariners from Charleston who formed part of the crew of the Governor Safford were most popular here and for many days since their fate was doubtful, and relatives and friends were much worried.
The Governor Safford sailed from Georgetown on Thursday last with Capt Dick Turpin, of this city, in command, and Capt Fred Adair as mate, and in the engineer department Capt John Smith acted as chief, with his son, Frank Smith, as his assistant. The side-wheel steamer was conveyed by the lumber barge Katahdin, of the Atlantic Coast Lumber Company fleet of a million feet lumber carriers. The Governor Safford was to be towed to Cape Henry by the Katahdin, and then she was to proceed under her own steam to New York, where she had been sold. The Katahdin was bound for Baltimore, and after the rescue of the Safford’s crew she prceeded to her destination, from which place the following report was received from the correspondent of The News and Courier:
Baltimore, Md, July 28 — The steamer Katahdin, Capt Queen, with Capt C. M. Turpin and the crew of the sunken steamer Governor Safford on board, arrived here Sunday from Georgetown, S. C. The Safford went down Friday in rough weather, near Bogue Inlet bar.
Capt Turpin did not abandon the Safford until the water had covered the pumps. The crew rowed to the Katahdin, which was standing by. The Safford went down in seven fathoms of water about four miles from the bar. Her position is latitude 34, 37, longitude 77, 6; but she is not a menace to navigation.
The Governor Safford, which belongs to the Atlantic Coast Lumber Corporation, which also owns the Katahdin, was a side-wheel river steamboat. In tow of the Katahdin, but with her own steam up, she left Georgetown Thursday for New York. The Katahdin was to have had her in tow until Cape Henry was reached, and from there was to have proceeded to New York under her own steam.
About 5 o’clock on the afternoon she sailed the wind shifted to the eastward, the sea began to rise and the weather grew rough. Then the seams at the Safford’s guards started and she began to fill. The pumps were started, but the leaks were too big.
Capt Turpin cast off the tow line, and, conveyed by the Katahdin, ran under the Safford’s own steam.
At 7.30 o’clock the next day the water had risen in the hold to such a depth that the pumps were covered. The water was also on a level with the grate bars. Seeing that further fighting against the increasing leakage was futile, Capt Turpin decided to abandon the ship.
Besides Capt Turpin, the officers and crew of the steamer who were brought to Baltimore on the Katahdin were Mate Fred Adair, Chief Engineer John G. Smith, Assistant Engineer Peter Smith and John Francis, deck hand.
The Governor Safford was built in 1884 at Camden, N. J. and registered 307 tons gross. She was 129.6 feet long, 26 feet beam and 7.5 feet in depth. She had lately been rebuilt.

[ The News and Courier – July 29, 1908  — Charleston, SC ]

Steamer Gov. Safford "Heading to Pawley’s Island" SC
http://cdm15077.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p163901coll004/id/59/rec/2

http://cdm15077.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p163901coll004/id/590/rec/3

http://cdm15077.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p163901coll004/id/909/rec/7

http://cdm15077.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p163901coll004/id/546/rec/10
No side paddlewheel?

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?detr:1:./temp/~ammem_138f::displayType=1:m856sd=det:m856sf=4a26936:@@@det

John H. Dialogue Shipyard
Camden, NJ

USRC Colfax was built at the Dialogue Shipyard in 1871. I don’t recall the year, but the Colfax was lengthened and refurbished at Pusey, Jones & Co. in Wilmington, DE some years later. The Colfax was in the 1988 Marine Parade in Wilmington, NC. There is a good picture of the Colfax at the Pusey, Jones & Co. wharf.

The Governor Safford was built by Dialogue but apparently, her machinery was built by Pusey, Jones & Company. There is a good image of the Gov. Safford at the Pusey, Jones & Co. wharf.
http://www.dvrbs.com/People/CamdenPeople-JohnHDialogue.htm

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http://dspace.nelson.usf.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10806/135/Schnur_James_Springing_into_Action.pdf?sequence=1
…The arrival of the railroad in upper Pinellas led to the demise of Tarpon’s most
notable steamboats.
The larger Governor Safford departed for service as a ferryboat in New York and
South Carolina before sinking in 1908; …

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Georgetown, SC newspaper article reporting Gov. Safford sinking.
http://www.gcdigital.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/GTNP02/id/1501/rec/2

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Gov. Safford used for Sunday School trip up Hudson River past West Point
http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/agnes-e-kirkwood/church-and-sunday-school-work-in-yonkers-its-origin-and-progress-kri/page-36-church-and-sunday-school-work-in-yonkers-its-origin-and-progress-kri.shtml

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http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/george-m-from-old-catalog-barbour/florida-for-tourists-invalids-and-settlers-bra/page-22-florida-for-tourists-invalids-and-settlers-bra.shtml

Press communications announce, for the season 1884 ’85, as
follows:

"A steamboat line will start running this autumn from Cedar
Keys — that of the Gulf Steamship Company, caUing at the principal
shallow harbors along the coast between Cedar Keys and Tampa.
Their steamer, the Governor SafFord, a thirty-thousand-dollar boat,
now being built by the Pusey & Jones Company, of Wilmington,
Delaware, will have finst-class accommodation for passengers. She

308 FLORIDA.

will be one hundred and thirty-two feet from stem to stern and her
draught only three and a half feet.

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Hagley Museum Digital Images (Pusey, Jones & Co.)

Governor Safford image

http://digital.hagley.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p268001coll9/id/59/rec/12

Apparently, the machinery was what was built by Pusey & Jones, and the wooden superstructure in NJ.

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Foundered off Bogue Inlet, NC on July 24, 1908. Coming from Georgetown, SC to NY.

This was just a couple of miles from the family farm where I grew up near Swansboro, NC, but I never heard of the Governor Safford by name.

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http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/148797

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I think the South Carolina Maritime Museum in Georgetown, SC has a model of the Governor Safford, and images of it’s time in Winyah Bay.

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