2005 CBA All*Star Game

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

All four Gary all star selections started both halves of the game and Gary players won both the three-point shooting contest and slam-dunk competitions.

Okay! Okay! The home team selections were given special treatment...but David Graves (Gary) won the three-point shooting contest outright. Renaldo Majors (Gary) won the slam-dunk contest after 5-10" Jemeil Rich (Gary) allowed Majors to advance in his place. Rich was holding his own up to that point though.

Lots of SWF, SWM, SBF, SBM, married folks, and kids were in attendance. The SBF who made a mini fuss with me and my buddy at the draft party because someone accidently snapped her picture was in attendance too. Honestly, that night I was trying to get a crowd shot over her head. :oops:

Lots of Cheerleaders were present too. The Storm, Mayhem, and of course the Steelheads brought their dance teams. Hmmmm. Those Storm cheerleaders sure chose interesting placements for their tatoos. :wink:

Lots of merchandise was sold. A lot of money changed hands at the concession stands too...pizza, chicken, fish, pop, and of course beer. The TV raffle was rigged though, I think...I lost. Must have been rigged, right?

Lots of NBA scouts were also in attendance...lots! More than forty were positioned near the court. The ABA scouts didn't arrive on time to see the CBA all star game though. They showed-up in mass at one of the local high schools by mistake instead. Force of habit I guess. :P

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

...Just kidding about the ABA scouts. They didn't show-up in mass at one of the local high schools...at least I don't think they did. There were no ABA scouts in the Genesis Center though. :wink:

[not so fast]

I must admit, that in a league that seems to like to promote their coaches as well as their players, Coach Daleo has not recieved the credit he deserves as being a sucessful coach in this league. In his three seasons as a head coach, he has made the playoffs both previous years, and is on way to making it three straight years. He has also, been all-star coach twice now in three years, and has coached last years playoff team to play a totally different game from the previous year, and both seasons he has had sucess. In addition, this season he has lost his best player (Ronnie Fields) and franchise player to a serious hand injury, and has still manged to guide this team to a current playoff spot.

All he has ever done is win, no matter where he coaches. And if you look at the players he has won with, versus the players other coaches has had, then the only logical conclusion you can come too is he is the best coach in the CBA. There are several players that he has coaches that no one else wanted, until he signed them, got the most out of them, then everyone wanted them. That to me is how you define a great coach. Snap Hunter became a CBA star in Rockford, where he was driven to excel beyond what he was capable. I have yet to see that this season from him.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

The following site contains a few photos from the CBA all*star game:


http://gary-steelheads-fan.tripod.com

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

A few more all*star photos and photos from the Steelheads' 2004 CBA Draft Party:

http://gary-steelheads-fan.tripod.com

[not so fast]

Now lets see, All star coach: WIN! back-to back games in dakota who happens to be in first place: WIN! First place great lakes and Gary back to back:WIN!

Is there any question that Daleo is a winner? These four games were simply outstanding!!

As I always have said, this man will out work any coach in this league!!

I truly think it is time this man gets the credit he justly deserves by all of you! Triple overtime win is just a testament of his ability to get the most out his team, the day after a big emotional win over great lakes.

The steelheads seem to be really going in the wrong direction. But Rockford is certainly seem to be making big steps toward a championship.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

Hmmmm. Now let's see. Gary beat out Rockford for third place last season. This season hasn't been decided yet. I have a feeling it will come down to the final games like last season...just a feeling.

As you already know, Rockford doesn't get as much press as Gary (maybe it has something to do with the Rockford IceHogs). Gary gets press coverage from two major Northwest Indiana newspapers with a weekly full page section in one of the papers. Therefore, you hear (read?) a lot more about Gary. Coach Daleo of Rockford suffers from poor public relations. It's difficult to find much about the accomplishments of the Rockford Lightning outside of the Lightning press releases.

Here's another Rockford public relations side note:

The Rockford Lightning was the only Eastern Conference team to NOT send a dance team to the CBA all*star game in Gary. Michigan even sent their mascot, Chaos. What's up with that?

[not so fast]

ken, is it still going down to the last couple of games? You might want to check the standings.

Coach Daleo has done it again. Even without Ronnie Fields!

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

No, not so fast. It doesn't look like the play-off race is coming down to the last few games. The Steelheads had a total collapse this year. All*star game was the bright spot for Gary.

Funny thing about the Steelheads' season is that my buddy, the same buddy who wouldn't drive me to Rockford because I wouldn't pick him up at the airport, predicted the Steelheads would have a season like this. He's batting 1,000 now. He was third base coach for the Chicago White Sox for five seasons, played many years of major and minor league baseball--but I didn't listen to him (as I often don't). He told me when a sports organization like the Steelheads has turmoil in the front office, then that turmoil usually translates into a poor showing on the field of play. Well, I'm listening now. Let's see what, if any, front office moves the Steelheads make in the upcoming months.

Last year my buddy also predicted that the White Sox would have a 2004 season just as disappointing as the previous five seasons--but that's another story.