2017-Sep-09
Good Afternoon All,
Flood, Deacon Frank [MC1954]
2017-Mar-26
Matt Centrowitz’s Memoir Gets Behind The Scenes With Olympics, Oregon, Pre
Mar 24, 2017
Johanna Gretschel
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The Matthew Centrowitz of popular imagination is not only the first U.S. man to win the 1500m Olympic gold since 1908 but also a super-human badass who gives us the theatrics we want from a great American sports hero. He won an NCAA title while making a throat-slit gesture at the camera. He’s probably flirted with your girlfriend on Twitter. He even got a fan to tattoo a likeness of his face on the fan’s shoulder. (It was actually the fan’s idea, and Centro told him he didn’t have to do it. But he did anyway. Still.)
To understand the story of the man, we have to take a step back and examine the story of his father, who was the first Matt Centrowitz to earn All-American honors at the University of Oregon, make two Olympic teams, and set the American record for 5K (OK, he’s still the only Centrowitz to do that). The elder Centrowitz–who says that at home, he’s “Matt” and his son is “Matthew”–recently published a book that every self-respecting track fan should read called “Like Father, Like Son: My Story on Running, Coaching and Parenting.” (It’s worth noting that the younger Centrowitz has the quote “Like father like son” tattooed across his chest.)
The memoir, co-written by Nathan Williams and Chris Kwiatkowski, who is Centro Jr.’s former teammate at Oregon and Centro Sr.’s assistant coach at American University, begins and ends with a personal account of watching Matthew race the Rio Olympic Games 1500m final. In between, it details his own atypical journey through life and running. And it was always meant to be that way; he says in an interview that you can watch below that this book is three years in the making and has been an idea in his head for the past 10 years. He just lucked out that his son’s Olympic final gave him a nice conclusion.
So, who is the man that produced America’s top middle distance talent?
Centrowitz was born and raised in the Bronx to an Irish mother and Jewish father in the tumultuous 1960s. His dad gambled. His parents split up, and a junior high-aged Centrowitz turned to the streets, where he spent his days drinking and smoking instead of sitting behind a desk in school. Eventually, his mother moved her kids out to Queens, where Centrowitz discovered the sport that would change his life.
He attended two different high schools, Andrew Jackson High and Power Memorial High, and gained two different mentors, coach Milt Blatt and Brother John Beilen. They helped Centrowitz not only find his gift but also tap into his desire to compete. He would set the still-standing New York state high school mile record of 4:02.7, matriculate at Manhattan College under the tutelage of Frank Gagliano and Fred Dwyer, and transfer to the University of Oregon, where he gained a lifelong friend and mentor in Bill Dellinger and encountered Steve Prefontaine, who had by then graduated from college but was still a rock star-like presence in Tracktown, USA.
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Donald Costello commented on MNEWS: Matt Centrowitz connection to Alma Mater
2017-Mar-26 http://www.flotrack.org/article/53741-matt-centrowitz-s-memoir-gets-behind-the-scenes-with-olympics-oregon-pre#.WNgT …
Have no idea what this has to do with Jasper Jottings!
“He would set the still-standing New York state high school mile record of 4:02.7, matriculate at Manhattan College under the tutelage of Frank Gagliano and Fred Dwyer, and transfer to the University of Oregon …”
[JR: I thought this was an interesting connection.]
Costello, Donald (MC1954)
# – # – # – # – # 2017-Mar-27 @ 09:44
Donald Costello commented on MNEWS: Matt Centrowitz connection to Alma Mater
2017-Mar-26 http://www.flotrack.org/article/53741-matt-centrowitz-s-memoir-gets-behind-the-scenes-with-olympics-oregon-pre#.WNgT …
Have no idea what this has to do with Jasper Jottings!
2017-Feb-12
Dear John,
A fellow JASPER, Bill Tighe ’54 sent me the link to
the site below:
http://soyosunset.yuku.com/topic/3829#.WJ8YVaLavv8
The 44 Club was where many of us spent Saturday
nights as well as after Basketball Games. A pitcher was $1.25
in those days! We went there so often, that John the
Waiter came to our wedding.
When Jack Grogan,’53 RIP and I were drafted, this is
where our going away party was held. I am sure that many
JASPERS will fondly remember the place.
Best,
Mike
McEneney, Mike (MC1953)
[JR: Thanks, Mike. Much appreciated.]
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Tighe, Bill [MC1954]
Grogan, Jack [MC1953 RIP]
McEneney, Mike (MC1953)
[JR: Pitchers of soda, of course. Great site for memories. If I can be political for a moment, I note at the end that after it was knocked down for “urban renewal” the Gooferment found they didn’t have any money to build. Laugh! Typical. What injineer starts a project without the wherewithall to finish it. Argh! Sad to lose your “favoritest places”. I feel the same way about the old Red Garter in the Village near Gertie’s Folks City. Great times; in not so great places. Laugh! The Red Garter was a “health code violation” by any standard. Laugh!]
# – # – # – # – # 2017-Feb-12 @ 11:53
2016-Aug-09
| Author | Donald Costello |
|---|
| In Response To | COMMENT: Toner, Mike (MC1972) |
|---|---|
| Submitted on | 2016/08/09 at 11:58 am |
| Comment |
Sorry Mike that is not what I was taught by the FSC at Manhattan or by any Church Doctrine issued by the Church. In our courses at Manhattan we used “Moral Guidance” by Healey and abortion and same sex marriage was not kosher. We studied the Principle of double effect and that didn’t apply either. We were also taught to hate the sin and love the sinner. We were taught that to commit a mortal sin three things were required: 1) Serious Matter 2) Sufficient Reflection and 3) Full consent of the will. I at least believe we agree that abortion is a serious matter. I also believe that there are many oppressed, badly treated women, who simply didn’t have the energy for sufficient reflection and/or full consent of the will. In any event it is not for me to judge such situations. That is God’s job. It does not help that you tell others what you think without evidence that you have the qualifications in Moral Guidance etc. to give an opinion worth addressing. It is as bad as going out on the web and finding tidbits of data and then giving cardiologic opinion about a heart condition. So the bottom lime Mike,” me boyo” is my advice for you is to take two humility pills a day for a week and all will be OK. If I haven’t stated the Theologically accepted rules of the church convict me and I’ll go back to the books and study some more. If you don’t mind I will however grieve for the 60,000,000 aborted babies that our nation has seen since the Roe wade decision and almost of many very hurt mothers and fathers. I sure hope that God does not feel mocked by our actions and get sick of us. |
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Costello, Donald (MC1954)
Toner, Mike (MC1972)
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Toner, Mike (MC1972)
2016-Jul-18
Author: Costello, Donald (MC1954)
In Response To: ENDNOTE Catholic-bashing sitcom The Real O’Neals
Submitted on: 2016/07/16 at 8:05 pm
Comment: You betcha John letter to Disney off to them tonight!
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[JR: That’s two. What about the rest of us?]
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2016-Jul-14
| Author | Donald Costello |
|---|---|
| In Response To | COMMENT: Toner, Mike (MC1972) responds to Costello, Donald (MC1954) |
| Submitted on | 2016/07/12 at 4:05 pm |
| Comment |
That’s what old Jaspers like…a good argument. In 1853 when Manhattan was born and in 1954 when I finished 27 credits of Religion and Philosophy and in 1972 when you graduated, Manhattan and the Catholic Church preached, taught and theologized that Abortion and Gay Marriage and in fact Gay practice was wrong. All the sins we commit hurt the Mystical Body of Christ and that includes the young children therein. So we leave the mystic and come to the dinner table of one of my older family members who has a gay marriage couple at the dinner table; and so a young grandchild says “what do you mean they are married?”. Now you know how this rough and tumble old Jasper would answer that. And the old Homosexual couple who teach say to the young boy who feels guilty about masturbating “it’s a choice” . Or that old SOB advertising agency takes after Bob Dole and puts up a sexy lady to sell Viagra during the six PM news. I could go on to pederasty but you can pick up the thread. There are a significant number of laymen and women, addicted to various forms of illicit sex to the point where it is another problem area to add to the list most of us see but don’t want to confront. I thank God for Brother Alban of Mary, Brother Luke, Brother Benignus all of whom were part of a group of men who gave us good meat to chew on whose taste has lasted all these years and whose principles say to Manhattan Men , sinners all, of yesterday and today “Abortion and Same Sex Marriage and wrong “ but hate the sin and love the sinner. |
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Costello, Donald (MC1954)
# – # – # – # – # 2016-Jul-14 @ 12:04
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GoJaspers sports news
I have NOT received any gagged governmental information requests
COMMENT: Tighe, Don (MC1954) asks about the Greenleaf
2017-Jun-05
RE: 2013 Greenleaf pic
Is the Greenleaf gone ??
I was one if the early customers.
Don Tighe, ‘54B
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[JR: I was a Customer too, but not early. Usually after class. Trying to douse the “flames of ignorance”. I think it’s been gone for a long time. So have many of the other watering holes. Alma Mater didn’t like them; nor the “near occasion of sin” that they presented. And drunken Jaspers generated a lot of flack for the PR folks. From what I seen over the years, it’s not a problem going away anytime soon. Maybe when all “drugs” including alcohol are “unregulated”, then the allure of all of them will be wiped away. And, parent can teach there children “responsibility”. Probably not in my lifetime, but I can hope. Besides what will an out of work drug dealer do?]
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