NBA TV's "Beyond the Paint" will feature John Brisker's story on Friday night at 10PM ET.

Who is John Brisker?

(04-11-2017 02:25 PM)Michigan Rocket Wrote:  Who is John Brisker?

Former 60s Rocket footballer and hoopster who went on to star in the ABA. SPOILER: disappeared in Uganda after going there to look for business opportunities or some such. Played w Mix, Brisker, Babione, Backenstoe on Nichols' first NCAA team.

He was once referred to as the heavyweight champion of the ABA. He played for a while in the NBA. Bill Russell was his coach. They did not get along. Russell would put him in for a few minutes. Brisker would score a ton of points. Russell would then not play him again for a week.

John played a mean tuba and his 1972 Topp's NBA Sonic's Card is part of a Smithsonian American History collection. I've noticed a lot of misinformation regarding John and his time at UT.

John player one season as Tight End on the Toledo football team.

John beat Chuck Norris 5 of 7 arm wrestling.

(04-12-2017 09:53 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  John beat Chuck Norris 5 of 7 arm wrestling.

Hope so. Norris competed at 170 pounds.

(04-11-2017 02:48 PM)Rocket75 Wrote:  He was once referred to as the heavyweight champion of the ABA. He played for a while in the NBA. Bill Russell was his coach. They did not get along. Russell would put him in for a few minutes. Brisker would score a ton of points. Russell would then not play him again for a week.

Didn't he also have problems with Nichols? If I remember correctly, he eventually got kicked off the team in his senior year along with either Bob Miller or Jim (Soapy) Miller or both. Seems like Babione also got on the wrong side of Nichols in his senior year - or he had grade issues, don't recall.

Mix's senior year with Hess, Rudley, Bob Miller, John Brisker, and Larry Smith should have been one heckuva team. I think they ended up barely above .500 and got beat consistently in the MAC (Miami with Gerald Sears/Mike Wren and Ohio had the other Gerald - Gerald McKee along with Craig McDevitt).

(04-12-2017 03:56 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(04-11-2017 02:48 PM)Rocket75 Wrote:  He was once referred to as the heavyweight champion of the ABA. He played for a while in the NBA. Bill Russell was his coach. They did not get along. Russell would put him in for a few minutes. Brisker would score a ton of points. Russell would then not play him again for a week.

Didn't he also have problems with Nichols? If I remember correctly, he eventually got kicked off the team in his senior year along with either Bob Miller or Jim (Soapy) Miller or both. Seems like Babione also got on the wrong side of Nichols in his senior year - or he had grade issues, don't recall.

Mix's senior year with Hess, Rudley, Bob Miller, John Brisker, and Larry Smith should have been one heckuva team. I think they ended up barely above .500 and got beat consistently in the MAC (Miami with Gerald Sears/Mike Wren and Ohio had the other Gerald - Gerald McKee along with Craig McDevitt).

bob miller was suspended and brisker became ineligible. rockets were 13-11 and 5-7 in the mac(5th). big highlight was mix's 47 against butler.
many people talk about brisker's amazing talent, but john was inconsistent, but when brisker was on with those baseline radar line drive jumpers it was amazing. those would be 3 pointers today.

(04-12-2017 04:13 PM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(04-12-2017 03:56 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(04-11-2017 02:48 PM)Rocket75 Wrote:  He was once referred to as the heavyweight champion of the ABA. He played for a while in the NBA. Bill Russell was his coach. They did not get along. Russell would put him in for a few minutes. Brisker would score a ton of points. Russell would then not play him again for a week.

Didn't he also have problems with Nichols? If I remember correctly, he eventually got kicked off the team in his senior year along with either Bob Miller or Jim (Soapy) Miller or both. Seems like Babione also got on the wrong side of Nichols in his senior year - or he had grade issues, don't recall.

Mix's senior year with Hess, Rudley, Bob Miller, John Brisker, and Larry Smith should have been one heckuva team. I think they ended up barely above .500 and got beat consistently in the MAC (Miami with Gerald Sears/Mike Wren and Ohio had the other Gerald - Gerald McKee along with Craig McDevitt).

bob miller was suspended and brisker became ineligible. rockets were 13-11 and 5-7 in the mac(5th). big highlight was mix's 47 against butler.
many people talk about brisker's amazing talent, but john was inconsistent, but when brisker was on with those baseline radar line drive jumpers it was amazing. those would be 3 pointers today.

Correct he flunked out. Bob Miller quit going to class and was kicked off of the team. Jim Miller didn't play a few games because of death threats
Brisker may have been the greatest individual athlete to ever play for the Rockets but as stated above he was extremely inconsitant

(04-12-2017 04:13 PM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(04-12-2017 03:56 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(04-11-2017 02:48 PM)Rocket75 Wrote:  He was once referred to as the heavyweight champion of the ABA. He played for a while in the NBA. Bill Russell was his coach. They did not get along. Russell would put him in for a few minutes. Brisker would score a ton of points. Russell would then not play him again for a week.

Didn't he also have problems with Nichols? If I remember correctly, he eventually got kicked off the team in his senior year along with either Bob Miller or Jim (Soapy) Miller or both. Seems like Babione also got on the wrong side of Nichols in his senior year - or he had grade issues, don't recall.

Mix's senior year with Hess, Rudley, Bob Miller, John Brisker, and Larry Smith should have been one heckuva team. I think they ended up barely above .500 and got beat consistently in the MAC (Miami with Gerald Sears/Mike Wren and Ohio had the other Gerald - Gerald McKee along with Craig McDevitt).

bob miller was suspended and brisker became ineligible. rockets were 13-11 and 5-7 in the mac(5th). big highlight was mix's 47 against butler.
many people talk about brisker's amazing talent, but john was inconsistent, but when brisker was on with those baseline radar line drive jumpers it was amazing. those would be 3 pointers today.

LOL - I was in about 7th grade when Brisker played and we used to go out in the driveway and practice shooting those line drive shots that seemed like they were never more than 11 feet at their apex.

Favorite name for a player was Willie Babione. That was at a time when most of the time you could only listen to the games on the radio - except when Orris Tabner used to announce TU-BG games on TV. Because most of my association with TU basketball was from the radio, I used to imagine Donnie White hitting shots from half court and thinking that Willie Babione was black - only because I associated the name Willie with Mays and McCovey.

Willie Babione was from Fremont OH...not sure if it was Ross or St. Joseph HS...That was a great team but postings are correct...not the greatest outcome
for that group.

(04-13-2017 08:33 AM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(04-12-2017 04:13 PM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  

(04-12-2017 03:56 PM)MotoRocket Wrote:  

(04-11-2017 02:48 PM)Rocket75 Wrote:  He was once referred to as the heavyweight champion of the ABA. He played for a while in the NBA. Bill Russell was his coach. They did not get along. Russell would put him in for a few minutes. Brisker would score a ton of points. Russell would then not play him again for a week.

Didn't he also have problems with Nichols? If I remember correctly, he eventually got kicked off the team in his senior year along with either Bob Miller or Jim (Soapy) Miller or both. Seems like Babione also got on the wrong side of Nichols in his senior year - or he had grade issues, don't recall.

Mix's senior year with Hess, Rudley, Bob Miller, John Brisker, and Larry Smith should have been one heckuva team. I think they ended up barely above .500 and got beat consistently in the MAC (Miami with Gerald Sears/Mike Wren and Ohio had the other Gerald - Gerald McKee along with Craig McDevitt).

bob miller was suspended and brisker became ineligible. rockets were 13-11 and 5-7 in the mac(5th). big highlight was mix's 47 against butler.
many people talk about brisker's amazing talent, but john was inconsistent, but when brisker was on with those baseline radar line drive jumpers it was amazing. those would be 3 pointers today.

LOL - I was in about 7th grade when Brisker played and we used to go out in the driveway and practice shooting those line drive shots that seemed like they were never more than 11 feet at their apex.

Favorite name for a player was Willie Babione. That was at a time when most of the time you could only listen to the games on the radio - except when Orris Tabner used to announce TU-BG games on TV. Because most of my association with TU basketball was from the radio, I used to imagine Donnie White hitting shots from half court and thinking that Willie Babione was black - only because I associated the name Willie with Mays and McCovey.

wdho channel 24 carried some of the toledo games. there was also saturday's mac game of the week that got regional coverage. the toledo -bgsux games sponsored by food town on wtol, were slickly produced considering the time period and the market size.

also willie horton and the band "wet willie".

I think Babione was my teacher for a bit, or student teacher. So was Jim Cox. Bob Frick: swung a mean paddle.

(04-13-2017 10:50 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  I think Babione was my teacher for a bit, or student teacher. So was Jim Cox. Bob Frick: swung a mean paddle.

Babione did some substitute teaching in 1971 he did a week as a phys ed teacher at Waite

(04-13-2017 06:25 PM)rocketpaul Wrote:  

(04-13-2017 10:50 AM)eastisbest Wrote:  I think Babione was my teacher for a bit, or student teacher. So was Jim Cox. Bob Frick: swung a mean paddle.

Babione did some substitute teaching in 1971 he did a week as a phys ed teacher at Waite

Repp and Hodak were doing some student teaching a few years later.

(04-13-2017 09:48 AM)rocket 51 Wrote:  Willie Babione was from Fremont OH...not sure if it was Ross or St. Joseph HS...That was a great team but postings are correct...not the greatest outcome
for that group.

It was St. Joes. I saw his brother play for St. Joe's against Cardinal Stritch. Looked a lot like his brother, but not the same level of talent. Was still a pretty good HS player.

BTW - Willie Babione also passed away quite awhile ago - 2002. I just looked it up before hitting "post reply" and apparently he drowned in a pond at a golf course where he was scavenging for golf balls. Article said he was epileptic and had frequent seizures - indicating that may have been the cause of his drowning. Also said he was suspended during his senior year for cutting classes ( I remember that) and played 2 years with the New Jersey Red's - a team that was the "stooge" for the Harlem Globetrotters. He apparently just missed out on being drafted by the Chicago Bulls.