As Charley would say, "you can call a cab, or make that two cabs," for this Tuesday at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie.
It turns out that it was not a good night for the Four Rivers District Boys Scouts to honor Glen Burnie's Charley Eckman as Good Scout of the Year.
Eckman has not been feeling well lately, and conflicts with other events that evening have necessitated a rescheduling of the Eckman Night for Jan. 10 at Michael's.
The longtime broadcaster and former NBA coach and referee is to be honored for his community service and humanitarian deeds over the past 50 years.
Dinner chairman Joanne Murphy has lined up a cavalcade of personalities for the event, including Wes Unseld, Boog Powell, John Steadman, Vince Bagli, Michael Olesker and Richard Sher.
Tickets purchased for Tuesday will be honored. There are some still available at $50 for adults and $15 for those under age 18. For ticket information, call Murphy at (410) 766-4656 (days) or (410) 987-9859 (nights); District Executive Director Dave Timmons (410) 553-9329 or Michael's (410) 768-7901.
Michael's also will be the venue for the return of pro boxing. Josh Hall has decided to try it again despite a lack of interest. Hall and his Round One Promotions will present an arena-style show (boxing and concessions) on Jan. 26 featuring left-handers Bobby Haarhoff (4-0) and Alfonzo Davis (7-1).
Questions without answers
Why do schools bother to schedule boys basketball games at 7 p.m. when they are preceded by girls games?
Girls games seem to go on forever and not much has changed this year. Case in point: The Glen Burnie at Broadneck boys game Wednesday was set for 7 p.m., but didn't start until 7:46 p.m. because the girls game took an eternity to play after starting at 5:15 p.m.
Maybe the gender equity idea of playing the girls as the second game of a doubleheader is not so bad after all, because that way both games would start on time.
We're all for gender equity, but some go too far, such as the attorney who called our sports department recently to complain about an All-County boys team being on the top of the page and the girls team on the bottom. He said, "You know we have a serious problem with gender equity in this county."
It sounds to me like he has a serious problem, and such thinking does not help the gender equity cause.
* The open tournament concept for all sports, except for football, was expected to be approved at yesterday's State Board of Control meeting. Why shouldn't we reward the losers as the open tournament idea does? Isn't that upholding the virtues of competitive spirit?
* How many of you have noticed some of the new basketball rules added this season?
First, any coach personally assessed two technical fouls will be ejected. It took three fouls on the bench in the past to send the coach to the showers.
No celebrating foul shots will be allowed, nor will huddles on the free-throw line. Referees will issue a warning on the first offense and a technical thereafter.
Game officials also have been asked not to tolerate taunting.
And overtime periods have gone from three minutes to four minutes.
* You know about Severna Park resident and Cardinal Gibbons grad Steve Wojciechowski, the Baltimore Sun 1993-94 Male Athlete of the Year, playing at Duke, but did you know Old Mill grad Todd Singleton is on the Blue Devils' practice team?
* Can you believe that South River coach Kenny Dunn is returning to the Annapolis Cap City Classic during Christmas week with his Seahawks for the first time since 1983?
The last time Dunn coached in the Cap City event, he was asked to leave after receiving three technicals and the headline in one local paper read, "Three Strikes, You'e Dunn."
From the notebook
Broadneck High is looking for two more teams for its Bruin Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 4. Call assistant athletic director Tim McMullen at (410) 757-1300.
Also, call McMullen for tickets to the Fuel Fund Classic in which the Bruins' boys basketball team will play top-ranked Lake Clifton of Baltimore at 1 p.m. Saturday at UMBC. Tickets are $6 when purchased at Broadneck, but $10 at the gate.
* Chesapeake girls basketball coach Dennis Thiele needs a team for the Cougars Christmas Tournament. Call (410) 255-9600 or athletic director Al Grau at (410) 437-3218.
* The Anne Arundel Umpires School starts Jan. 22 at Severn Elementary School. For information, call Dave Ferris at (410) 987-2320.