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Brian Butch's Bio: Nicknamed "Polar Bear" Wisconsin's Brian Butch plans to play professional basketball for as long as he possibly can. Since graduating from Wisconsin in 2008 the 7-foot center has played overseas in China, Germany, Greece as well as back home in the NBA summer league. He chronicles his adventures for us below. |
I've been a little busy ...
| Feb 5 2010, 2:17 PM | Topic: Basketball plans |
| What what a couple of days it has been. We played four games in six days. And two of them were on the road. Our first game was a shootout and here are the stats for your review. It really was an up and down game as you can tell. The one thing about Boise that I think will be stuck in my head forever is an Applebee's there. We were put in a hotel very close to the airport so you would think that there would be a lot of choices of restaurants. Wrong again. All there was was one Applebee's. We went there a lot. Needless to say I don't want to see an Applebee's for awhile. Our second game was on Versus it was pretty cool to have a game on national TV when you are in the minors. It's rare that let he average fan can be flipping through the channels and have a chance to see you. So that was a nice treat for our second game in Boise. After that game it was up and at it early we had a 6 a.m. flight back to Bakersfield for a nice day off. The next day we had a film session and practice and then it was time to get ready for two more games in two games. Our first game against L.A. was a great game and we ended up winning on a game-winning shot and a defensive stop it. It was a great win for us. The next night was the same thing but we came up short. We had the ball last and just needed a score to get the victory but we just couldn't find a way to get it done. Here is some game footage as well. Our next game is Saturday and then we head off to Bismarck, North Dakota for another two-game road trip and then it is the All-Star Break. |
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Coaches vs. Cancer
| Feb 1 2010, 1:34 PM | Topic: Basketball plans |
| As I sat and watched some college basketball this past weekend, I noticed all the coaches and teams that took action in the fight against cancer. I think it's a pretty cool thing how all of the coaches and players can create so much awareness just by wearing tennis shoes or wearing pink jerseys or shoes. Small things can matter. I had to watch my my mother go through a battle with cancer and I view the disease differently than I did before. And I really do appreciate what is being accomplished and the awareness that is being raised. Personally, I thought it was really cool to see Illinois wearing the pink uniforms. Sure, it can seem for many of the players like a chance to wear a new jersey and some pink shoes, but to people that have been affected by cancer, it means a lot more. At least it did for me. The first thing I did when I saw Illinois wearing the pink uniforms? I called my mom. I sat back and realized how lucky I am to have my mom's cancer be in remission. Unfortunately, some people aren't as fortunate and they lose friends and loved ones. But see, that's why this gesture means so much to so many people. Their battles are being recognized. It might just be a pink jersey or pink shoes, but to many of us it means that hopefully one day we cure this disease. |
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Called for traveling
| Feb 1 2010, 10:43 AM | Topic: Basketball plans |
There's another thing that I have taken for granted in the D-league so far. Up to this point we have not had a delay with all our traveling. And that's a suprise since we travel to some smaller cities.  But there's a first time for everything. Recently, we had a three-hour delay in California on our way to Idaho. There was one positive: It gave us time to go visit Venice Beach just north of the airport. This wasn't my first visit to Venice Beach but that place never fails to amaze me. First, the beach is so beautiful. I could just sit there and relax all day. But what Venice Beach is known for is "people watching." Venice has a lot of characters and it's a great place to just go and waste time. You see people in Speedos, you see people working out at the outdoor gym, you see people peddling their music. Think of just about anything and it's probably going on there. When we finally did get on the plane we had a couple of issues - not exactly the most comforting feeling. First, it was a propeller plane. Those always make me a little jumpy. Then the pilot told us that we had a problem since the the left engine would not start. Yes, see, that to me would fall under the category of "problem." Let me tell you how comfortable that made me feel.  The worst part? After 20 minutes she came back on and said we hopefully have fixed the problem."Hopefully." Yes, I, too, was hopeful. At least I didn't see a mechanic board the plane with a tool box and duck tape. If I had seen that, I would have had no problem grabbing my bag and walking to Boise. Soon after that, we got in the air and got to Boise with no more delays. I guess it beats the bus. And, yes, it beats walking, too. |
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East Coast, West Coast ...
| Jan 28 2010, 11:35 AM | Topic: Basketball plans |
| Since I've been in Bakersfield for a couple of days straight, there's one thing that I have had a hard time getting used to. What time do my TV shows come on? It's silly but crazy. As a Midwesterner, I got very used to having the best of both worlds. I can catch the early East Coast games and it doesn't get too late, and if I am in the mood to catch a West Coast game and stay up late I can. But this West Coast time zone is throwing me for a loop. The college and NBA games that start at 7 ET start at 4 out here. That's just weird to me. Even weirder, when it's only 8 at night and "SportsCenter" or "The Big Ten Tonight" shows come on my Slingbox. I am just so used to it being so much later it just is a real crazy feeling. We've had a few arguments in my apartment over what time shows like "American Idol" and "Survivor" come on. My one roommate said that they have to come on at one time all across the US. I had to disagree because how would the people on the West Coast be able to watch these shows. If they work past five 5 o'clock and the show starts at 8 ET, there would be no way to watch it. So as I was flipping through the channels tonight, sure enough - I saw "American Idol" was on at eight o'clock on the West Coast time. Problem solved. Just call me Mr. TV. And I know what you're thinking. The life of a professional athlete can't be that tough if this is one of your biggest problems. In this case, your right. Now throw me the clicker ... |
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Let's recap some recent games
| Jan 26 2010, 11:44 AM | Topic: Basketball plans | |
| As you guys have heard the trips can be adventurous, and Albuquerque was a great city to visit. But here's an odd experience: On the way to the airport it started to snow. Don't know why but I always figured New Mexico as being warm all of the time. Lesson learned. Let's recap of the past three games we played. The first game we played in Albuquerque had a unique flavor to it as we were warming up. The Albuquerque Thunderbirds had live music playing from a couple of musicians. That was a first for me. Here is the box score. Sorry, no soundtrack available. After a day of practice and lifting we played the Thunderbirds again. The one nice thing about playing a team so quickly again is that you already know what their strengths. So you make adjustments. Here's the box score. Once we got a nice win, we flew out the next day. First stop upon landing: The gas station. No, not for dinner. I bought a few bags of ice for another ice bath. It was a tough game and hard battle but we ended up coming up short. Hopefully we will get things turned around here. We've been in so many close games but haven't finished well. Here's another box score. Oh and here's a little video treat! It's is some game footage on YouTube. And by the way, that is me leading the fast break at the :39 mark. Haha! The D-League actually has a nice little YouTube page if you're looking for more clips. We are in Bakersfield for the next couple of days and then it is off to Boise again for back to back games against the Idaho Stampede. Here's Thunderbird's gym and our guys shooting around during our shoot around.  |
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