If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Sports has its unbreakable records, right?

Gretzky has a passel of them (51 goals in 39 games, 51-game point-scoring streak, three consecutive 200-point seasons, 2,857 career points....you get the idea).  Joe DiMaggio had his 56-game hitting streak. Cy Young won 511 career games. Ty Cobb hit .367 over the course of his 24-year major league career. Cal Ripken, Jr. played in 2,632 straight games. Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths. Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points per game in 1962 as a member of the Philadelphia Warriors. The Boston Celtics won eight straight NBA titles from 1959-66.  Eric Heiden won every men's speedskating event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.

It gets the mind to wandering, as it is wont to do when one does what one does. In my case, the question becomes what are our unbreakable records?  Are there any? Given that our sports date back the 1920's, one would think so.

So, after some reflection, let's peel back the onion to see what comes up.  For your review, here's a list. Certainly not an end-all, be-all compendum as certainly there are others. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.

There are many others, so just a smattering listed above. A question we had upon compiling this was which one is the most unlikely to be broken.  Ted Nelson's record in the 800m has held up more than 50 years. Brad Henry pinned his opponent in four seconds. Jason Hoppe set a NCAA record when he did not allow a run (earned or otherwise) in 55 straight innings and Butch Meyeraan was perfect when he made 20 of 20 free throws in a game vs. UW-River Falls in 1961.  In order to get past Lori Meyer's career wins mark, a coach would have to average 35.1 victories a season for 30 years.  Well, Lori's still coaching. And winning. Good luck with that.

It's great to be a Maverick!

Pro Hoops - Margenthaler Era

Travis Nelson, now playing professionally in
the Czech Republic with Pardubice, was an
All-American for Minnesota State in 2009-10

The Minnesota State men's basketball teams have averaged more than 21 wins a season and appeared in the NCAA postseason in eight of the last nine years. 

And with the success that our men's basketball program has had under Matt Margenthaler, in which Minnesota State has racked up 254 wins from 2001 through the end of the 2012-13 season, it's no surprise that many student-athletes are getting opportunities to continue playing following their college careers with the Mavericks.

One former Maverick, Jermaine Brown, who played on Margenthaler's first MSU team in 2001-02, just recently retired after six seasons touring with the Harlem Globetrotters. Jamel Staten, who played for Margenthaler from 2003-05, is still at it, having hooped it up in China and now Bahrain. 

Spread out world-wide, several former players have found employment in Europe. There's a couple currently playing in Slovenia and a two others in Luxembourg.  One in Brazil, one in the Dominican Republic, another in Australia and, yes, one in the U.S.

Thought we might take a quick look at where some of these players have ended up after time well spent in Mankato, both retired and current.

Jermaine Brown (2001-03)  Harlem Globetrotters (retired)
Luke Anderson (2002-07) Dnipro (Ukraine), Minn T'Wolves Summer League, D League (retired)
Tony Thomasson (2003-07) Muenchen (Germany) (retired)
Paris Kyles (2005-07) Stalowa (Poland) (retired)
Jamel Staten (2003-05) Beijing Aoshen (China), Monama (Bahrain)
Corey Easley (2005-06) Perry Lakes (Australia)
Atila Santos (2006-08) Palmeiras (Brazil)
Harry Boyce (2008-09) Santiago (Dominican Republic)
Travis Nelson (2008-10) Sentjur (Slovenia), Pardubice (Czech Republic)
Cameron Hodges (2009-11) Red Miners (Luxembourg), Tajifun (Slovenia)
Jefferson Mason (2009-11) Contern (Luxembourg)
Marcus Hill (2007-11) Texas Fuel (ABA)
Jarvis Williams (2012-13) Black Star Mersch (Luxembourg)

Happy Holidays! It's great to be a Maverick.