Guru’s Gowdy Award Countdown - I: Getting Organized and Temple Klein Student Award Winner Lindsey Moppert to Serve as Guru’s Executive Producer/Director of Multimedia Operations

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

Greetings all. 

 

Having completed writing the bios of recently retired ESPN executive Carol Stiff, winner of the John Bunn lifetime achievement award from the trustees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and of 2021 inductee Lauren Jackson for the printed program for the ceremonial weekend, Friday, Sept. 10 at the Mohegan Sun near New London, Conn., and the next day moving to the home city of Springfield, Mass., Sept. 11, the time has come as we are inside the two-month marker to start getting organized on the other side of the fence for the Guru’s acceptance of the Gowdy media award for print.

 

But first, for the massive react when the award became public, thank you, and to the many of you who have crossed paths, equal thank you.

 

The Gowdy and Bunn honors will be part of the reunion/awards dinner Friday at which time the inductees get their jackets and the associate awards are given.

 

Earlier in the day, the press conference for the 15 inductees will occur at Mohegan.

 

NBA Entertainment will produce the intros ahead of all the speeches. All is to be televised but as of this writing it is unknown what will be live. 

 

There will also be at least one big local event here in Philly at a date to be determined.

 

Later this week or early next an update on what different things will occur will be offered to get an idea on who among you has interest to be up there and who down here. 

The dinner has a big sticker shock as you can learn on the Hall’s website, hoophall.com, but we will be working on fundraising for those that would like to be there and the other option is to come just for the early arrival hangout Thursday and the after-dinner Friday once we know those plans.

Please note, this is being written expecting that covid restrictions in place for the delayed Class of 20 inductions in may will be looser, but seeing the ongoing news things can change.

 

But for the reason main attraction for this first post, is your Guru is starting today with a major appointment to help see this through.

 

Over the years we have had a fair share of cheerleaders leading to the numerous previous honors culminating with the Gowdy.

 

But it is rare for one to be an actual cheerleader – in fact talented enough to be a captain of the Temple squad (the Guru’s alma mater) that won a gold medal last spring at the national competition at Disney in Florida. 

 

However, that is only a part of her life. 

 

Senior Lindsey Moppert is also a broadcast major looking for sports as a goal at the Klein Media and Communications School where on the same day she won in Florida shortly later she became the first to win two first place citations for the same entry in the annual student competitions.

 

She’s also been interning this summer for Drexel women’s basketball broadcaster Ari Bluestein’s Sports Fan Base Network doing among other things sideline interviews on coverage of the Brotherly Love Pro-Am Summer League,  which streams for free on Youtube, but whose championship airs live tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 8:15 p.m. following the celebrity game also airing at 7:15 p.m.

 

Because the Guru needs a better website or someone who knows how to integrate photos better for a more pleasing layout, for now, a Lindsey headshot is at the bottom of this report.

 

How did our paths cross?

 

Well when you see who is stalking you on Linkdn with profile views and connection requests and you have ideas for some other projects in the women’s hoops world you tend to check them out.

 

Looking at some reels, the wow factor was immediate and several colleagues in the broadcast agreed when some of her reels were shared for opinions.

So you throw a dart in this case thinking no way she’ll be available but take the shot.

 

Surprisingly interest was returned and there may be a few others coming aboard for the regular activities as well as the Gowdy drill.

 

You can check Lindsey’s work out at that Linkdn site or on facebook, though some of you may have already sampled through the Guru’s sharing,

 

But beyond that initial thinking, knowing that the video at Mohegan will be short and knowing many of you would want to be involved being interviewed, the plan is to create a more extensive work for the local events.

 

Therefore it is a thrill to say Lindsey has agreed to be executive producer/director for multi-media operations involving his Gowdy presentation among other events and perhaps there might be a second Guru career personal retrospective production also created.

 

So those of you who want to appear either by camera taped where she can visit or by sending a short series of answers to questions or being interviewed on zoom, just email me for now poll416@gmail.com and simply say “gowdy video” in the subject so we can start to get organized and keep your responses all in one place.

 

Furthermore Lindsey and her mom Jill will be joining the Guru in Knoxville next month for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductions to do a feature on the weekend but also it will be a chance to grab those of you who will be down there.

 

So if that is so, please indicate.

 

Also those of you down at the Jersey Shore, Lindsey waitresses at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House on 21^st Street in Ocean City, N.J. if you want to pop in for a dining visit.

 

—    Much more to come — 

 Lindsey Moppert