Question of the Week

Richard, Cincinnati, OH
Subj: Buckeyes Basketball
Is it true that Hall of Famer John Havlicek tried out for the Cleveland Browns after leaving Ohio State?

That’s correct, Richard. Hondo first started popping up on the NFL’s radar in high school when he was an all-state quarterback. Although he elected not to play on the gridiron in college teams still kept tabs on his physical development and he was drafted by both the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Browns in 1962. The idea of starring in two separate sports clearly appealed to him and he reported to the Browns training camp that summer where he was groomed as a lanky wide receiver. Unfortunately, the team was already loaded at his position and Havlicek was cut just before the first game of the season. He later called the incident the most crushing disappointment of his otherwise distinguished athletic career. On the positive side, the demotion made Havlicek work even harder at basketball and he went onto become a 13-time NBA All-Star and a nine-time world champion before hanging up his sneakers in 1978.

Question of the Week

Debra, Lanham, MD
Subj: Cheerleaders
Does every time in the NFL have cheerleaders and if not, which teams don't?

Superb question Debra. Sadly there are seven misguided teams in the NFL that do not employ cheerleaders. They include the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets and the New York Giants. In the case of the New York Giants, team officials have resisted hiring cheerleaders in order to make fans focus on the game itself. As for Pittsburgh, I’m going to have to assume the team couldn’t find 25 attractive women within the city limits. At any rate, you can rest assured that I’m presently lobbying my congressman to see what he can do to end this sad travesty.