It was mildly surprising to read that Brandon Reed was returning to Arkansas State to play basketball, which was where he began his career before transferring to Georgia Tech.
The reason it wasn’t a shock is Coach John Brady.
Brady was hurt when Reed decided after his freshman year to transfer, and in Brady style he let it be known. Also in Brady style, it came across as anger but deep down it was just hurt and disappointment.
It didn’t take ASU’s men’s basketball coach long to move on, and Reed finally realized that it was deep disappointment more than Brady just being mad that had led the coach to be a little critical of his former player’s intentions.
Fast forward three years and Reed is on course to graduate from Georgia Tech. While a degree from Arkansas State is something to be proud of, it still doesn’t hold the academic standing as one from Georgia Tech, which is known for producing some of the brightest engineers in the world.
Reed, though, had wanted to be closer to his sick grandmother, and her hometown of Powder Springs Ga., was 21 miles from Atlanta compared to 452 miles from Jonesboro.
After sitting out a year, Reed helped Georgia Tech’s basketball team, but last season his playing time and productivity slipped some, and players want to play.
Reed kept his head up and his behind in class, and because of that he will graduate with a year of eligibility remaining and can play immediately at ASU.
He may have been missed for the past three years, but he very well could be an impact player for the Red Wolves this season.
When Brady signed him out of high school, Reed had basically gone unnoticed by the majority of schools, but Brady recognized his potential and signed him.
Now they are going to be back together for what should be a good year for both.
This is a personal posting about a longtime Arkansas Razorbacks and Dallas Cowboys fan.
My brother-in-law, Frank “Fish” Fisher, went to heaven early Monday morning.
Fish had been suffering for a long time as his heart gave out on him, but he fought hard to make it through Mother’s Day for my sister, to whom he had been married for almost 46 years.
They spent time with my mom Sunday afternoon, with my sister driving them around looking at places that meant a lot to my mom and to Frank.
Later he took a turn for the worse but refused to be admitted to the hospital. He wanted the end to come at home, and my sister, who has been his soul mate for all these years and a dedicated caregiver from start to finish, agreed.
Fish probably knew more people than anyone I ever met. In my 35 years of writing this column, more people than could be counted approached me and asked if Fish was my brother-in-law.
Most had a funny story about him.
He was one of those charming people who lived for today and let tomorrow take care of itself.
If it had wheels on it he could drive it, and that goes from 18-wheelers (he was a retired Teamster) to motorcycles or motor homes.
He could fix them all, too.
Many years ago he went with me to check out a used car. He took one look and said no. I tried to explain that we needed to test drive it, but he walked up to the rear bumper and pushed it up and down a few times, turned and said the car had a bent main frame. He could tell by looking at it.
The only thing he loved doing more than riding the back roads of Arkansas was being on one of its beautiful lakes or the Arkansas River.
Fish will be missed by all of his family and legions of friends and admirers.
Sports, Pages 19 on 05/16/2013