For What it's Worth - NBA Playoffs & The Players at Sawgrass

May 9, 2013

A true story from a buddy of mine in Bakersfield, who takes his three-year-old to Lowe’s for a little shopping. They park and get out the car near where someone had spilled a five gallon bucket of white paint all over everywhere. Upon walking by the mess, the youngster asked: “How big was that bird?” That’s why you love kids…well, that and they’re pretty good tax write offs for awhile.

For What it's Worth---Cooling the Heat

May 7, 2013

No Derrick Rose, no Kirk Hinrich, no Luol Deng, no problem for the Chicago Bulls who rip away home court advantage from the Miami Heat and suddenly make things interesting in the NBA East. The Bulls scored the last ten points of the game, Nate Robinson—who’s flourished in the absence of Rose had seven of those ten and became the first player in the last 15 years of the playoffs to have eleven points and six assists in a quarter.

For What it's Worth: Monday Morning Quarterback

May 6, 2013

Who was the New York home who voted for the Knicks Carmelo Anthony as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player? Anthony would have voted for LeBron making him the first unanimous MVP in National Basketball League history. The guy helped spur his team to a 27 game winning streak and the best record in the NBA for goodness sakes—I can’t stand guys who are contrarian just for the sake of being contrary.

For What it's Worth -- Sunday driver

May 5, 2013

Actual settings on my new oven: Self clean, delay start, bake time, set clock, convect/convert, chicken nuggets.  Chicken nuggets?

For What it's Worth-- Sixes Wild

May 3, 2013

I thinks it’s interesting—ironic even that Royce White, who was drafted out of Iowa State by the Houston Rockets but missed the season because of his fear of flying, taunted the Oklahoma City Thunder via Twitter—calling them ‘SHAAAKY BAAABY’ after Wednesday’s loss to Houston.

For What it's Worth: SHOCKING!

May 2, 2013

I’ve always subscribed to the notion that the only bad opinion—is no opinion. Unfortunately, that’s the case with Wichita State Baseball. The Shockers dropped a 1-0 decision in eleven innings at Kansas on Tuesday and we didn’t receive a single call about it yesterday on Sports Daily. Not one angry call complaining about a decision made during the game, not one angry call at a lack of execution, not one angry call about losing to KU. When indifference comes to typify your fan base—you’ve got problems—the Shockers have problems.

For What it's Worth: Storm Warnings

April 30, 2013

The Wichita Thunder has won ten straight games—the last team to beat them? Allen, Texas. The undeniably best teams in the Central Hockey League open their best of seven championship series tonight in Texas---the Thunder are coming off back to back sweeps in the playoffs and haven’t played for a week. Allen won a hard fought seven game set with Missouri at the end of last week. We’ll find out whether the break’s been good for the Thunder, or allowed some rust to form. I think Wichita splits two in Texas and wins the series in six games. They will not be denied after their near miss in last year’s final.

For What it's Worth: On the Learning Curve

April 29, 2013

As some of you know, I’ve embarked on a freelance career. Since January 1 I’ve put myself out there as a play-by-play talent and I’ve been pleased with the results. In the last week I’ve worked the Arkansas spring football game with ESPN’s Jimmy Dykes and called three softball games at top ranked Oklahoma with two-time gold medalist Dr. Dot Richardson.

For What it's Worth: Do You Feel a Draft?

April 25, 2013

Isn’t it just the luck of the Chiefs that they own the top pick in a draft void of that one sure-fire superstar? A year after three potential all-pros were drafted early at quarterback, there may be only one taken in all the first round tomorrow and Geno Smith probably won’t start in his rookie season, let alone go to Hawaii. So, barring something crazy in a trade Kansas City will, most likely, draft an offensive tackle. Hey, you don’t always have to be sexy to be productive.

For What it's Worth: Creativity Takes a Hit

April 24, 2013

Really? With some of the greatest marketing minds at their beacon call—the best that the BCS Commissioners could come up with for the new college football playoff—was the ‘College Football Playoff’? Are these the same guys who came up with ‘slippery when wet’ or ‘stay behind the fence’ at the tiger exhibit? Bill Hancock, the BCS’s Executive Director and a really good guy, said that they wanted to keep it simple, so they just called it what it is.

For What it's Worth: Idle thoughts of an active mind

April 23, 2013

While others read the latest from the New York Times best sellers list---I’m stuck with ‘Know Your Trash’, a step by step directive on how to prepare your refuse for pickup in Tulsa. I’m not sure I could recommend it, although the chapter on how to properly prepare a dead animal for the trash man was an all-time first.

For What it's Worth: Moving & Shaking

April 22, 2013

Please excuse my inconsistency in blogging last week -- I was moving, which on the scale of desirablitiy falls a couple of spots behind a colonoscopy.

For What It's Worth: Boston, etc.

April 16, 2013

I can’t help but wonder what it takes to push someone to the point where they would wantonly take innocent lives. When an act seems so senseless, how can one possibly rationalize the need for it?

For What it's Worth--Tax Day

April 15, 2013

Is there such a thing as a "Happy Tax Day"?

For What It's Worth: April 13th

April 13, 2013

For What it's Worth-- April 13th -- I'm sure that coaches and players wouldn't agree, but I'm ready for college hoops to start again.  One week's hiatus is enough, even with the grind of the post season-I've found myself going through hoops withdraw.  No, the NBA doesn't quite rise to the level of a fix---yet---although when the playoffs start it's always great theater.

For What It's Worth: Tiger, Rice & The Royals

April 12, 2013

China’s Tianlang Guan shot 73 at the Master’s on Thursday which, in and of itself, isn’t overly impressive—until you learn that Guan is 14 years old. That’s 14 as in popping zits and still finding humor in fart jokes---are you kidding me?

For What It's Worth: Shocker Proud

April 8, 2013

How many Shocker fans do you suppose were made along the way? Think about the attention that Wichita State received over the last three weeks. If you could quantify what the Shockers run to the Final Four was worth, in terms of exposure alone, you’d come away thinking that Wichita State was getting Gregg Marshall at a bargain.

For What it's Worth: Final Four Game Day

April 6, 2013

Wichita State has been counted so far out of tonight’s match up with Louisville, that it’s almost an insult to the teams the Shockers have beaten along the way.

For What It's Worth: Shockers Charting Atlanta

April 4, 2013

My 14-year-old son was very concerned when he learned that Wichita State was on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated. “What about the Sports Illustrated jinx”, he asked with a straight face. I told him that it was a regional cover and that Louisville had a cover in its region, too — he was genuinely relieved.

For What It's Worth: Shockers' uphill battle

April 3, 2013

“I don’t think Cinderella left four glass slippers, she only lost one.”

For What It's Worth: The Shockers' Chances in the Final Four

April 2, 2013

For What it’s Worth---April 2

For What It's Worth: Shox to the Final Four

March 31, 2013

“Give Wichita State the credit. Tremendous, unbelievable basketball team and they’re playing as well as any team that we’ve played this year”.

For What It's Worth: Shockers head to the Elite Eight

March 29, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 29 -- “They just overwhelmed us” -- La Salle coach Dr. John Giannini on Wichita State

For What It's Worth: WSU v. La Salle

March 28, 2013

For What it’s Worth—WSU vs. La Salle -- “I think the reason the NCAA Tournament is so popular is that it’s not so predictable and you get to see people that you don’t always get to see. I think this is what it’s all about” - La Salle Coach Dr. John Giannini on his Sweet 16 matchup with Wichita State

For What It's Worth: Game day for the Shockers

March 28, 2013

For What it’s Worth--- Any time I step on a plane for Southern California I’m always amazed at the wide array of plastic surgery. I’m convinced Californians go to their doctor like the rest of us go to the grocery. That so much of it is bad doesn’t seem to deter them in the slightest, it makes you wonder what they see when they look in the mirror.

For What It's Worth: March 26th

March 26, 2013

For What it’s Worth—March 26 -- There’s just a moment to breathe and do some laundry before the craziness of the Sweet 16.

Bruce Haertl: Shox to the Sweet Sixteen

March 24, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 24 -- "At the end of the day it’s just basketball. We were better than them for forty minutes, it doesn’t mean we’re better for 365 days of the year. You only have to be better for forty minutes and we were tonight."

For What it's Worth: March 23

March 23, 2013

Steve Kerr, TNT analyst on the NCAA Tournament:   “Everyone’s Beatable”.

For What It's Worth: Shockers Advance

March 22, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 22 -- Best line of the week—so far—a good friend who admitted, during a ‘blonde moment’, that she recently sucked in her stomach while stepping on to the scales.

For What it's Worth: March 20th

March 21, 2013

Of course the baseball game that I was doing last night went 15 innings finishing just shy of midnight before a 6 a.m. flight, it's either Murphy's Law or March Madness.

For What It's Worth: March 18th

March 18, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 18 -- Was it a bigger deal that yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day, or Selection Sunday?

For What it's Worth: March 15th

March 15, 2013

I actually like KU’s Adidas uniforms they’re wearing at the Big 12 Tournament, I’m not sure I want to see them every day.   I know I don’t want to see Notre Dame’s ever again; I wouldn’t use them to line my cat litter.

For What It's Worth: Arch Madness March 10

March 10, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 10 -- “We’ve never won in St. Louis, I would think there’s a little sentimentality on our side too.”

For What it's Worth: Arch Madness March 9th

March 9, 2013

“Everyone’s been saying that we’re completely healthy since Carl got back, but we still had our starting two guard and small forward on the sideline.  We haven’t been healthy since the eighth game of the season.”

For What It's Worth: Arch Madness - March 8th

March 8, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 8 -- Another reason to like Wichita State hoops Coach Gregg Marshall, for me anyway-- I walk into his press conference yesterday afternoon with my 14 year old son and he stops in mid-answer to say hello to him---from the podium. It made Jake’s day.

For What It's Worth: March 7th

March 7, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 7 -- Wichita State hasn’t won a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament since 1985, when Tulsa and West Texas State were still in the Valley.

For What It's Worth: March 6th

March 6, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 6 -- I wish that the Kansas State High School Activities Association had a little more imagination with them, but I still love the State Basketball Tournaments.

For What It's Worth: March 5th

March 5, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 5 -- If Denver’s Rahim Moore doesn’t miss-time his jump in the final 0:30 seconds of regulation in their playoff with the Raven’s Joe Flacco is just another quarterback cashing a good check. Instead, Jacoby Jones reels in a 71 yard prayer, the Ravens force overtime and Flacco goes on to have one of the greatest post-seasons in NFL history. Timing is everything.

For What It's Worth: March 4th

March 4, 2013

For What it’s Worth -- March 4 -- It costs $32,000 a year to go to Creighton; one would think they could be a little more creative than the—‘I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore’ blast to start their pre-game feature. Is there a more tired cliché?

For What It's Worth: March 1

March 1, 2013

For What it’s Worth---March 1 -- Here’s hoping that ‘Harlem Shake’ has run its course and that we can get on to whatever will be trendy next week.

For What It's Worth: February 28th

February 28, 2013

For What it’s Worth---February 28 -- They filed out in silence, not sure of what they’d just seen, but positive that they didn’t want to see it anymore.

For What It's Worth: February 27

February 27, 2013

For What it’s Worth---February 27 -- How ecstatic are parents across the region that school is back in session, probably just a few more than the kids who’re going back… although I do have one child who’s tired of shoveling snow.

For What It's Worth: February 26th

February 26, 2013

I wonder how many people in Manhattan were calling a charge of Elijah Johnson's last drive of regulation last night at Iowa State.

For What It's Worth: February 24th

February 24, 2013

I’m going to miss the BracketBusters.  Up until the last couple of years I’d really come to wonder what immediate benefit Wichita State got from this game.  Yes, it helped in their scheduling, but through the first seven years rarely did it seem to have the desired effect, not that it didn’t foster some interesting bedfellows.

For What It's Worth: February 22nd

February 22, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 22 -- And to think—there was a time that I loved snow. Like many, I spent way too much time yesterday digging out of Antarctica. Fortunately, I was able to enlist the help of my just turned 14 year old son. Perspective is a funny thing, I saw it as a bonding moment—ok, there was nothing momentary about it—but a little father and son time can never hurt. He, on the other hand, surely saw it as penance for something he’d done to his sister. Oh well, the driveway got cleared.

For What It's Worth: February 21st

February 21, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 21 -- Do coaches even have plays to try and get a game winning shot with? All you ever see in college hoops anymore is, usually, a guard holding the ball until about 0:09 seconds are left. Then he usually works off a high screen to try to get a look going to the basket. I get the idea—if you don’t make the shot—maybe you force the foul. Maybe it’s just the games I’m watching, but it rarely seems to work.

For What it's Worth: February 20

February 20, 2013

I will never understand how a division one athlete-- who's good enough to have his college education paid for-- can commit a foul on three-point point shot.  Especially in a game when you lead by seven points with 0:37 seconds left.  Fortunately, Cleanthony Early hit two late free throws to seal the deal at Indiana State.

For What It's Worth: February 19

February 19, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 19 -- Last night my ten year old daughter asked for a kiss goodnight as I tucked her in last night. Always charmed when she seeks me out, I melted at the opportunity to share a tender moment with my sweet youngest child—who, after smacking me on the lips said, rather disappointedly, “I thought you would have some chapstick on”. Ah, those special moments in the Haertl household.

For What It's Worth: February 18th

February 18, 2013

For What it’s Worth--- on this February 18 - Wichita State went 7:30 without a point at Illinois State-- they endured a 17-nothing run and were outscored by 17 at the line and still won a basketball game. Go figure.

For What It's Worth: February 17th

February 18, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 17 -- Former Shocker Coach Mark Turgeon’s Maryland Terrapins beat #2 Duke as the Blue Devils miss a shot at the buzzer, just an hour before former WSU and Turgeon assistant Tad Boyle (Colorado) losses one at gun to Arizona State.

For What It's Worth: February 15th

February 15, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 15

For What It's Worth: February 16th

February 15, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 16

For What It's Worth: February 14th

February 14, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 14 -- Valentine’s Day observation from my ten-year-old daughter thumbing through the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition; “the swimsuits are all too small”.

For What It's Worth: February 13th

February 13, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 13 -- ESPN has to be pleased with its self-promoted ‘rivalry week’. Between KU-KSU and Michigan State-Michigan it’s produced 21 and 23 point blowouts, I can’t wait for tomorrow.

For What It's Worth: February 12th

February 12, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 12 -- The Phog has lifted---now all of my KU friends who were worried about this game, can act like they knew it all along.

For What It's Worth: February 11th

February 11, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 11 -- It’s hard to call it a rivalry when one team’s beaten the other in 45 of their last 48 meetings.

For What It's Worth - February 9th

February 9, 2013

For What It's Worth- February 10th

February 9, 2013

For What It's Worth: February 8th

February 8, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this February 8 -- For the fifth straight week the nation’s top team has lost, begging the question—is there a top team in the country?

For What it's Worth: February 7

February 7, 2013

Maybe the Kansas Legislature should rethink this bill they’re trying to introduce---after the last two nights does anyone really want to see KU and Wichita State play?

For What It's Worth: February 6th

February 6, 2013

For What it’s Worth on this February 6 -- The last time the Shockers had lost three straight games was four years ago in Gregg Marshall’s second season.

For What It's Worth: February 5th

February 6, 2013

For What It's Worth---on February 5 -- I’m wondering who's going to step forward for the Shockers tonight at Southern Illinois. Who's the guy that's going to be accountable and say 'this isn't happening on my watch'.

For What It's Worth: February 4th

February 4, 2013

For What it’s Worth---On February 4--- The Ravens short circuit the Superdome and Forty-niners. What a weird game, don’t ever tell me that football isn’t a game of momentum. You never know what can spark it or end it---last night it was a power outage.

For What It's Worth: February 1st

February 1, 2013

For What it’s Worth on February 1 -- Bill Snyder signs a new five-year deal that will keep him coaching at Kansas State until the age of 78. That’s a sentence that wouldn’t have been believed four years ago.

For What It's Worth: January 31st

January 31, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on this last day of January -- What does it say about us as a culture when Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis denies using deer-antler spray—a product with banned substances in the NFL---and the next day its sales are eight times higher than normal?

For What It's Worth: January 30th

January 30, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on January 30 -- Does Wichita State deserve a mulligan, or does their alleged performance against Indiana State shed some unflattering light on their deficiencies?

For what it's worth: January 29th

January 29, 2013

For What it’s Worth---on January 29-- I love it when people start splitting hairs about how you’re winning. My argument is always--- well, yeah at least there’s enough wins to split hairs about.

For What It's Worth: January 28th

January 28, 2013

For What it’s Worth on this January 28 -- Thirteen teams in front of Wichita State lost seventeen times last week, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of bump they get in the national polls today. My guess is that they’ll come in at #15—the Shocks have two good RPI tests this week at home with Indiana State(55) on Tuesday and on the road with UNI(96) Saturday.

For What It's Worth: January 25th

January 25, 2013

For What it’s Worth on this January 25 --- Repeating history?  Gregg Marshall hasn’t dominated the Missouri Valley Conference in the same way that he did the Big South…yet. Marshall won six conference titles in nine seasons at Winthrop, he’s only won once in five tries in Valley—but take away his first two seasons for rebuilding and an impressive picture takes form. In the last three seasons the Shockers have won the MVC once and finished second twice. Throw in their conference leading start this year and WSU has won nine more games than their nearest pursuer.

For What It's Worth: January 23rd

January 23, 2013

For What it’s Worth on this January 23rd --- The more things change, the more they stay the same. KU went on the road and beat K-State last night in an offensively challenged affair ---or was it defensively charged?

For What It's Worth: January 22nd

January 22, 2013

For What it’s Worth—on this January 22 -- Why do belt sizes not correspond to the waist size of the pant that they are to be used with? Why are the buttons on a woman’s blouse on the left, when on a man’s shirt they are on the right? Why do I know that?

For What It's Worth: January 21st

January 21, 2013

For What it’s Worth—on this January 21 --- It’s rare that a game lives up to its hype and I’m not sure that Wichita State-Creighton did. There were numerous flaws in each team, but the atmosphere more than made up for it. For the two plus hours it took to play forty minutes, the din in Charles Koch Arena was deafening. It was an amazing afternoon.

For What It's Worth: January 19th

January 19, 2013

For What it’s Worth-- on this January 19

For What It's Worth: January 17th

January 17, 2013

For What it’s Worth on this January 17th--- Lost in the mind-numbing 22 turnovers at Evansville was the fact that Wichita State was coming off their two highest point totals allowed this season. So, it must have been good for Gregg Marshall to see his team lockdown Illinois State for 20 first half points last night. Carl Hall’s first action in a month was productive; the senior played 23 minutes pulling ten rebounds, he missed his only two shots and appears to have a ways to go offensively with that still sore right thumb—but his presence provided a boost and the loudest ovation of the night.

For What It's Worth: January 16th

January 16, 2013

The Shocks host Illinois State ~ The 'Cats are at TCU ~ and bumming at my favorite team

For What It's Worth: January 15th

January 15, 2013

For What it’s Worth on this cold January 15th--- Thirteen baskets-- fourteen turnovers, that’s a telling stat for Baylor. Need another? Kansas blocked as many shots as BU made in the 61-44 blowout on Big Monday. Senior center Jeff Withey ‘only’ had three of his team’s 13 blocks, but just his presence makes Kansas a better defensive club. When you have a 7’0” shot blocker behind you, it allows perimeter defenders to take more chances. The best case scenario is creating turnovers, but even if a guy gets by someone outside they still have Withey to deal with. When Kansas is focused, as they clearly were last night, they can do things like holding a team that scores 80 a game to 44 points on 23 percent shooting. What a pleasure to see.

For What It's Worth: January 14th

January 14, 2013

For What It’s Worth on this January 14th--- We can talk all we want about the loss of three starters at Wichita State and marvel at the incredible job players have done stepping up in their absence, but that had little to do with their loss at Evansville on Sunday. You can’t turn the ball over 22 times and win. What’s worse is that you can’t have ten of those miscues from your two senior guards. Yes, the Shockers have done an incredible job in the absence of Carl Hall, Ron Baker and Evan Wessel, but even without them they should have won at Evansville.

For What It's Worth: January 13th

January 13, 2013

The next time I come to Evansville I’m going to drive.  The three worst flights I’ve ever taken in the Missouri Valley Conference have been in to and out of Evansville.  I’m not sure how I’ve wronged this city, but we are clearly not in sync.

For What It's Worth: January 11th

January 11, 2013

For What it’s Worth on this January 11---  Can you imagine how many steroid users there are in the NFL Hall of Fame?  But it’s the sanctity of the Baseball Hall that seems to move us.

For What It's Worth: January 10th

January 10, 2013

For What it’s Worth on January 10th -- Wichita State and Kansas squeak by in games I thought both would dominate. Shows how much I know.

Bruce's Blog - January 9

January 9, 2013

For What it’s Worth on this January 9— The Missouri Valley Conference was expected to be a four horse race, but Illinois State is an early candidate for the glue factory. Picked second behind Creighton, the Redbirds looked the part going 9-3 in the non-conference. This was a team that had taken Louisville to the final shot and won a road game at Dayton. Now they’re nudging Drake and Southern Illinois to make room in the MVC cellar. Weird.

Bruce's Blog: January 7

January 9, 2013

For What it’s Worth on January 7 -- Ben McLemore gets the highlights, but Jeff Withey should be getting the high fives from KU fans.   The senior center is averaging  14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks a game.  Those are numbers, should they continue, that will garner him All-American consideration.  His 11 rebounds and 9 blocks had everything to do with Kansas’ narrow win over Temple on Sunday.  And what about a double-double from Kevin Young? Talk about a secret weapon, the guy might start showing up on opposing team’s scouting reports.  You have to love what Bill Self gets out of his team, I’ve said before—few teams improve as much during the season as Kansas.

Bruce's Blog - January 8

January 9, 2013

For What it's Worth on January 7th -- ...Not much for Notre Dame, which was hopelessly outclassed against Alabama in the BCS Championship game. It’s too bad the Oregon wasn’t on call for the second half. I blame Navy, Stanford and Pittsburgh-- all of which had legitimate shots to beat the Irish during the regular season and thus spare us from last night’s carnage. The ending of the college football season continues to be the most unsatisfying thing in all of competition. Please, name me any other sport where the regular season is so much better than its post. I appreciate the tradition of the bowl system and hope that it can be incorporated into the playoff scheduled to start in 2014. But college football is forgettable after December 1st. There were 35 bowl games this season; I bet you can’t name five decent games—heck, three.