LIKE IT IS

Spurs missed chance to slam door on Heat

It was San Antonio’s to win and the Spurs let the momentum get away from them in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

The Spurs had fought off every challenge until the final minute of the fourth quarter when they let a five-point lead with 28 seconds to play dissolve into a tie, sending the game into overtime.

LeBron James wanted to shoot jumpers - the Heat had only 36 points in the paint to 60 for San Antonio - Chris Bosh was off (again) and Dwyane Wade was missing more than he made.

Perfect recipe for the Spurs to win the game, the championship and become heroes to most of America, which roots for whoever is playing Miami.

Instead, Manu Ginobili had eight turnovers, the Heat almost shut Tony Parker down, holding him to 6 field goals on 23 attempts and Tim Duncan, who had 30 points, seemed tired in the fourth quarter and overtime.

In this series Miami has taken every other game off, but don’t expect that in tonight’s championship game.

It is now Miami’s to win or lose.

The Arkansas Softball Hall of Fame has announced its15th class, which will be honored July 5 at 5 p.m. at Field 10 at the Sherwood Sports Complex.

One of the inductees is Randy Rainwater, host of Drive Time Sports on KABZ-FM, 103.7, but long before his many publicized surgeries, Rainwater was much respected as a player in both church league and the weekend tournament circuit. Rainwater played baseball at UALR during his college days.

Other inductees include Phil “Chicken Man” Boyd, Dennis Fleming, Terry Rood, Don Harris, Rachel Atkinson, Sam McBride, Tanya Ganey and Bob Hughes.

Hughes is probably Arkansas’ most-decorated player ever. Hughes, a former Razorbacks baseball player, is an outfielder for the No. 1 team in the nation, Resmondo.

Corky’s will cater the dinner at 5 p.m. with inductions to follow at 6 p.m.

Paul Vitale, a resident of Little Rock and a nationally known motivational speaker, has been named to the first Leadership Board for the newly formed St. Louis Rams Training Academy.

Vitale’s clients over 20 years as a motivational speaker run the gamut from ESPN to Wal-Mart to Southwest Airlines and numerous other companies and organizations.

He is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas and spent some time as director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau in Hot Springs before moving to Cranford, Johnson, Robinson and Woods.

Vitale, an energetic speaker with excitement, experience and the courage to encourage, then started Vitale Communications. He is also an author.

Displays of real strength and bravery are much more common in life than they are in the world of the perspiring arts.

Life is lived every day; games are played from once a week to a few times a week for a set number of months.

Men who teach their children right from wrong, who demonstrate a strong work ethic, show respect and still draw boundaries are the real role models in our society.

Jim Goff was one of those true role models.

His son Steve is the assistant sports editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and one of the most vital cogs in the machine that deals with deadline pressure every night.

Steve was mowing his parents’ yard Sunday afternoon when his mom, Margaret, came out and told him his dad had passed away.

It was not unexpected; in fact Jim fought to the very end despite a very long illness.

In typical behavior for Steve, he let it be known he’d be back to work as soon as possible after the funeral; that’s the way his dad would have wanted it.

Sports, Pages 19 on 06/20/2013

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