Cook: Robinson's hard play legendary
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WASHINGTON -- Pitt's Nasir Robinson offered no apologies Thursday for nearly putting the best athlete in the building out of the NCAA tournament. It was a good, hard basketball play, he insisted. There was no intent to injure.
"I wouldn't expect anything less than all out from that kid," Pitt radio broadcaster Dick Groat opined. "He plays hard. All of these kids play hard. They'll drive you crazy with their mistakes at times, but it's never because of a lack of effort."
A homer behind the microphone? Well, yeah. Groat doesn't hide from the fact that he's an unabashed Pitt fan and was thrilled that the Panthers took their first step toward the Final Four by taking care of business against a badly overmatched UNC Asheville team, 74-51. But that doesn't mean his analysis wasn't spot-on in this instance. He's the guy Robinson nearly took out of the tournament when Robinson dived for a loose ball along press row midway through the second half. He sent Groat flying backward and his glasses flying into the second or third row of seats.
And, yes, Groat was the best athlete Thursday in the Verizon Center.
In his day, Groat was better than any player on any team here.
I have to smile every time I see Groat walk into an arena and take his seat next to broadcast partner Bill Hillgrove. Many fans just see an old man. They don't know that he is one of the best athletes to come out of Western Pennsylvania.
Groat made his way from Swissvale High School to Duke more than 60 years ago and had a fabulous basketball career. He was a two-time All-American. His No. 10 jersey became the first retired jersey to hang in Cameron Indoor Stadium in 1952. Later, he was good enough to play one season in the NBA with the Fort Wayne Pistons and would have had a longer career if not for military service.
You might have heard Groat also excelled in baseball as a shortstop. Playing for the Pirates, he won the batting championship and was the National League MVP in 1960, the year they beat the New York Yankees in Game 7 on a home run by someone named Mazeroski.
You might say that Robinson nearly took out a legend.
"Ah, I've taken harder charges than that -- many times," Groat said.
It was easy for everybody to laugh about the collision after Groat was helped up and reunited with his glasses. It took a moment for him to regroup, but he quickly waved that he was OK. A roar from the Pitt fans went up when he was shown smiling -- in some embarrassment, I might add -- on the arena scoreboard.
First Published March 18, 2011 12:00 am
