Scott Adamson, Author at Adamsonmedia.com

Squadron wins again

Another Elam Ending, another happy ending for the Birmingham Squadron.

Landers Nolley II drained a 3-pointer on the last shot of overtime to lift the New Orleans Pelicans’ G League affiliate to a thrilling 130-127 victory over the Windy City Bulls on Sunday with 1,291 fans at Legacy Arena looking on.

**Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.**

Birmingham is now 3-0 all-time in overtime contests, which are played to a target score (Elam Ending) of seven points more than the tally at the end of regulation.

With both the Squadron and the Chicago Bulls’ farm club knotted at 122 after four quarters, Devin Cannady hit a 3-pointer and field goal before Nolley provided the dagger at the end.

“The (Elam Ending) is something fresh and new, and we’re the only league that does it,” Cannady said. “We picked it up from The Basketball Tournament, TBT, and it can be a three-possession game, which I think it was for us.

“It doesn’t extend the game too much, so you’ve got to lock in, and every shot matters. Obviously, we came out on the right side of this tonight.”

Izaiah Brockington led the winners with a game-high 25 points, followed by Nolley and Dereon Seabron with 18 points apiece.

Cannady closed the afternoon of free basketball with 17 points, Jalen Crutcher added 16, two-way player Matt Ryan finished with 14, and Tevian Jones added 11.

Adama Sanogo had the double-double for Windy City with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Onuralp Bitim scored 21 points, Henri Drell and Chris Clemons each hit for 19, Quenton Jackson pumped in 17 and Jalen Harris got 10.

“That was a wild ride,” Birmingham coach T.J. Saint said. “Matt’s leaving us and heading back to the Pelicans, but I appreciate his work ethic. He came in and worked at 100 percent speed and had a great workout. He’s a really good example for our guys to see.

“Matt, Dereon, and Ike Anibogu are all on a minutes restriction. And with Malcolm (Hill) getting called up and Trey (Jemison) getting called up and Kira (Lewis) getting traded … there’s a lot of moving pieces. We did some things tonight I never expected we’d have to do.”

The clash was the only NBA G League game on the schedule, meaning the winner got to move up in the standings.

And once it was done, Birmingham was just a half game out of playoff position.

Ther Squadron joins the Motor City Cruise with a 7-6 record, putting Saint’s charges just behind the Grand Rapids Gold (7-5) for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls (3-9), on the other hand, strengthened their grip on the cellar.

The top six teams in each conference earn a spot in the win-or-go-home playoffs.

Birmingham grabbed a 28-26 lead after a fast-paced first quarter, with Brockington and Crutcher leading the charge with seven points each, and Jones coming off the bench to score five.

The Squadron was four-of-seven from beyond the arc.

Things remained tight in the second as Drell, Bitim and Sanogo stepped up for Windy City with dead-eye shooting, helping the Bulls hold a slight advantage throughout much of the period.

But Birmingham continued its success from long range – Ryan hit back-to-back 3-pointers – and sank timely free throws, leading to a 62-60 edge at halftime.

Ryan led all scorers at the break with 14 points.

For portions of the third quarter, it appeared the goal had a lid on it when the Squadron put up shots; great looks went unrewarded on several trips down the court.

But Cannady went on a scoring binge late in the frame – nailing three 3-pointers in a row – and sparked a Birmingham surge.

After 36 minutes, the Squadron led, 89-86.

It was more of the same in the fourth, with Birmingham leading by five late before falling behind by one, going up by two, and Drell forcing overtime with a putback.

That set the stage for an untimed O.T. period that ended with a Nolley trey – and a Birmingham victory.

“I talk about this being a connected unit, and one of the plays I drew up at the end to attack Sanogo, Galen Robinson – who didn’t even play tonight – came up with it,” Saint said. “He talked to the assistants, the assistants told me, and that was the play Landers scored on.

“That’s a true team. We have a guy who didn’t even play, and still affected the game.”

Moving up again: Hill has been phenomenal for the Squadron, averaging 24.4 points in 11 regular season appearances and pumping in 19.3 points during the Showcase Cup portion of the 2023-24 slate.

His hot-shooting was good enough to earn G League Player of the Week honors but – much more importantly – his consistent play got him a 10-day contract with the Pelicans, which went into effect on Saturday.

The small forward has spent time with the Atlanta Hawks as well as the Chicago Bulls, and has also played internationally.

He joins Jemison as Birmingham’s second call-up this year.

Borrowed clothes: The Bulls made it to Birmingham from Chicago just fine.

Their uniforms?

That was a different story.

The Windy City’s road unis failed to arrive in the Magic City, so the team was forced to wear the Squadron’s practice attire for Sunday’s game. Those unis feature white tops with black numbers and G League branding, and black shorts.

The Bulls are expected to back in their normal threads for Tuesday’s rematch.

OTD in 1948: The Birmingham Vulcans lost to the Montgomery Rebels, 64-53, in a Southern Professional Basketball League game at the National Guard Armory.

Steve Kontos paced the Vulcans with 16 points, while Shag Hawkins added 12.

Montgomery’s Al Grenert was high scorer with 20 points and two other Rebels reached double figures in the victory.

OTD in 1992: The Birmingham Bandits of the Continental Basketball Association fell to the Oklahoma City Calvary, 105-101, in front of 3,111 fans at the Myriad Arena.

Although Skeeter Henry had 26 points for Birmingham, the hosts got a 24-point outing from Steve Burtt while Dave Popson registered the double-double (23 points, 13 rebounds).

OTD in 2023: The Squadron defeated the Maine Celtics, 113-106, with 2,417 fans looking on at the Portland Exhibition Center.

Dereon Seabron led the charge with 27 points, followed by James Kelly (20), Feron Hunt (18), Javonte Smart (13) and Jordan Swing (11).

Kelly also pulled down 10 rebounds for the double-double.

Next up: The Squadron and Bulls complete their two-game set on Tuesday at Legacy Arena. Game time is 7 p.m.

Catching Beaver fever

OK, so let’s talk about the Alabama Beavers, shall we?

I realize those of us who are spring pro football enthusiasts are focused on the debut of the United Football League March 30, and there’ll be plenty of time to write more about the USFL/XFL blended family in weeks to come.

Rest assured, I will.

But, as someone whose ears always perk up when I hear “professional football” and “Alabama” share the same sentence, I have to weigh in on the franchise in the fledgling International Football Alliance.

In case you didn’t know, the IFA is a circuit that aims to feature both Mexican and American clubs, and plans to start play in 2025.

The proposed 10-team lineup for the inaugural season consists of the Beavers, Cancun Sharks, Dallas Pioneros, Gulf Coast Tarpons, Las Vegas Kings, Portland (nickname pending), Rebelión Tarahumara, Tampa Bay Tornadoes, Tequileros de Jalisco, and another locale that has yet to be announced.

As is the case with flying cars, calorie-free cheesecake and a real-world Batman, I like the concept. They’ve even taken a page from the Canadian Football League in that there are roster ratios. For example, each IFA team can have no more than 20 American players, while the balance (53 players in all, 40 activated on game day) must be international (Mexican, European, etc.).

Money-wise, the IFA website states that salaries would be determined by each team but the league standard is $400 per game, per player, and $1,500 per game for quarterbacks.

Based on a 10-game season, that’s $4,000 for a non-QB while a signal caller would pull down $15,000 at the minimum.

Apologies for getting off-topic … just wanted to provide some background.

Anyway, the first mystery yet to be solved is where the team will play its home games.

I would assume Huntsville and Montgomery are the top candidates.

Why?

Because they are, in order, the first and second largest cities in the state. The Beavers are holding tryouts in Mobile on March 3, but the last line of the news release says the team will not be based out of the Port City.

I’ll take the Beavers at their word, while also reserving the right to view it as a misdirection play. We’ll have to see, I guess.

Of course, before I found out there would be tryouts in south Alabama, I looked to the source of all knowledge – Wikipedia – in an effort to find out which city, town or region in the state has the most beavers.

Actually, beavers can be found in all 67 counties, proving the animals are, indeed, busy.

That means any city could be in the running. Hang around somewhere in Alabama long enough, and you’re bound to run into a beaver.

As for Birmingham, it’s a highly unlikely locale. With the modern Stallions entering their third year, the Magic City appears set for spring football.

That club isn’t exactly shattering attendance records, so I can’t imagine The Ham supporting two clubs playing in the same offseason.

Still … the Stallions lease Protective Stadium, so Legion Field would be open. Something to think about if you like thinking about such things.

At any rate, let’s get back to the main point.

Why would you make “Beavers” your team’s sobriquet?

When I hear the nick, I think of the Oregon State Beavers and the Montreal Beavers (a franchise in the original United Football League which, incidently, was coached by Birmingham Vulcans boss Marvin Bass).

No place in Alabama prompts me to say to myself, “You know what … if a sports franchise is ever located here, they should be called the Beavers.”

In my mind, there are many better names for the team. When I think of Huntsville, I think of rockets. When I think of Montgomery, I think of a woman named Rhonda I met while visiting there several years ago.

She was nice and smelled of patchouli.

I doubt the name “Alabama Rhondas” would resonate with any fan other than me. “Alabama Rockets,” or “Alabama Capitals” might, though.

But look – just because the team is called the Beavers doesn’t mean I won’t support them.

I will.

As you might know, the 1995 Birmingham Barracudas were near and dear to my heart and I still miss having a CFL team in my backyard. I bought hats, T-shirts and all manner of memorabilia even though I thought (and still think) Barracudas was a terrible nickname to give a team located in central Alabama.

However, since there’s already a Beavers logo (a vicious brown critter with orange teeth and black trim) and team officials have settled on the name, I’m going to make the best of it.

“Dam them, Beavers … DAM THEM!” as well as “Pelt them, Beavers, PELT THEM!” would be cool cheers. Stallions fans yell, “Giddy Up!” whenever Birmingham makes a first down, and Beaver faithful could do something similar, like, “Slap that tail!” or “Dig it!”

Several professional sports teams have some sort of fan-involved gimmick to open each game, so I’d suggest selecting a ticket holder to fling a hatchet – known as the Beaver Cleaver – at a target featuring the opposing team’s logo.

Sadly, only the ancient among us would get that reference, so maybe that’s not a great marketing tool in the mid-2020s.

All kidding aside, I wish the IFA and Beavers luck because they’ll certainly need every bit they can conjure. With the UFL now the center of the spring football universe, there is little room for challengers. The graveyard of failed sports startups is a large one.

But dark horses do win races, so I’ll give them a chance.

And if they do actually make it to the playing field in 2025, I promise to buy a hat and T-shirt – and fully embrace “Beaver Fever.”

Commander Shake

Lenny looked out the window of his Level 73 unit and stared at the thousands of people gathered below. The funeral of Commander Shake was being broadcast live across the globe, and many in Pewter City chose to watch on the giant, 3D image replicator in the city’s center.

Commander Shake – the moniker this alien superhero had been given many years earlier – was dead. Whether it was due to a battle with the Lepidosaurians, a reptilian race of extraterrestrial assassins, or absorption of radiation from the many nuclear missiles he had exploded in space to prevent catastrophe, no one knew.

His lifeless body had been delivered to the amphitheater at Pewter City by his AI hovercraft, with instructions on how the funeral would be performed provided by a bright orange, cueball-sized orb that followed the Commander like a dragonfly.

Lenny remembered when he encountered the alien 20 years earlier. A strong line of tornadoes was headed for the heart of Pewter City, and Commander Shake was able to divert them into the clouds – causing them to disappear into harmless puffs of air.

As the danger passed and he floated down toward the spectators on the ground, Commander Shake liked to greet people and shake their hands – hence his name. A humanoid creature who never explained who he was or where he came from, he wore a suit that looked to be composed of azure-colored steel. His eyes glowed yellow and his lips – thin and black – would appear only when he spoke.

And as Lenny – a “street stray” as unhoused kids like him were called – stood in awe, the planet’s prime protector walked toward him, kneeled down, and extended his right hand.

Lenny shook it, and saw sparks of electricity crackling up Commander Shake’s arm.

Lenny recalls feeling a slight shock when he clasped hands with his hero, but was too mesmerized to pay it much mind. What stood out more than anything, though, was what the Commander said to him:

“You’ll make me proud someday.”

It was a bittersweet memory on a very sad day, and the days would surely become sadder.

And soon.

Without a guardian, what would become of Earth?

There was already chatter that the Lepidosaurians were preparing for another invasion, and this time there would be no Commander Shake to stop them. Plus, new threats were popping up everywhere, waiting patiently to attack an undefended planet.

As for Lenny, well, the thrill he felt when Commander Shake spoke him long ago had faded into shame and embarrassment.

There was so much chaos in his brain he could never stick with any job – or relationship – and his favorite form of self-medication came from a distillery.

That’s why he was in Level 73 housing, which was basically sleeping quarters that came with two boxed meals per day. He was called upon by officials from the Conglomerate of Nations only when odd jobs were required, and he feared that no jobs would be required after the Lepidosaurians were done.

Dignitaries gathered to speak words of praise about the Commander. When they completed their eulogies, his coffin was placed in the hovercraft, which now acted as a rocket.

Silently, the craft shot toward the heavens, and just as it began to fade from sight it exploded in a spray of light and color.

While the pyrotechnics were pleasing to the eye, most of those watching the event couldn’t help but think this was the end – not just the end of Commander Shake, but the end of the world.

Lenny – whose neck was starting to ache – had stared at the craft from the time it launched to the time it disintegrated, and there was nothing left to see.

Except …

As looked out over the horizon, he could see projectiles coming toward Pewter City. They weren’t the Lepidosaurians – that much he could tell – but he feared they were a vanguard of some other malevolent force coming in hot to take advantage of Commander Shake’s demise.

As he squinted to make them out, the buzzer to his unit sounded, prompting him to go to the door.

Surely he wasn’t being called into work with an attack imminent.

As he waved his hand to open the portal, he was greeted by an orange orb fluttering at eye level.

On the floor was a small box.

“Greetings, Lenny,” said a voice coming from the sphere. “Please place your right hand on the box.”

Lenny didn’t know if this was the same orb that always accompanied Commander Shake, but it looked identical. And while he had no idea what was in the box, he didn’t hesitate to follow instructions.

The moment he made contact, sparks of electricity crackled up his arm and the box opened. In it was an azure suit.

“The planet is in danger, Lenny. Commander Shake shook your hand for a reason, just as he shook the hands of all those who are now converging on Pewter City for a reason.”

Lenny turned to spy an army of “commanders” outside of Level 73.

He smiled.

“So,” he asked the orb. “What do I do now?”

“You suit up. Commander Shake said you’d make him proud someday. This is that day.”