Lilly column: The best, the worst - It's Phil Jackson!

By CHRIS LILLY Chronicle Guest Columnist

As it is two days before Christmas, and since the odds are against me getting anything but Burger King gift cards for my family and friends, I guess I'll be generous and hand out some year-end local sports awards.

Biggest Success

In a year that saw mixed success across the board in local high school and college athletics, it was nice to see success in a sport at which I am violently horrible: Running. Outside of finessing my way out of simple misdemeanors in my formative years, I never really took a shining to running.

Maybe that's why I'm so in awe of people that actually volunteer to run.

The nationally ranked Bozeman High School girls cross country team so handily beat their opponents, many teams are just finishing like, right now. Apparently, in this sport you put on short shorts and run for an extended period of time.

These girls did this so well that they were ranked third in the Northwest region.

Awesome job girls. Someone's got to run.

Biggest Disappointment

Many said that my inability to dunk on even an eight-foot rim yet again this year would easily win, but then the Bobcat football team lost to Northern Colorado.

UNC just moved up from NCAA Division II a few years back. Even today this sorry program would likely get shut out in a game with local Lion's Club youth football under100 pound kids if the children got a good night's sleep.

Still, UNC found a way to take out the Bobcats that day, a loss that dogged them the rest of the season. They lost two out of their last three remaining games and missed the playoffs.

Local Hero Award

Tanyon Bissell, wide receiver and place-holder for the Boise State Broncos, threw a touchdown pass in a victory over Nevada in the highest-scoring college game ever.

To add to this heroism, this Bozeman High graduate was a member of the now-legendary BSU-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game. You know - the game-winning Boise State Statue-of-Liberty-Hook-and-Ladder-OT-winner-followed-by marriage proposal?

And to think, BSU once played in the Big Sky Conference.

Wanderer Award

With the loss of the Valley Ice Garden, the Icedogs are now reduced to begging for table scraps at the Haynes Pavilion while scrounging for some proper home ice facilities.

The Icedogs have managed to put together a great campaign this year despite the setback. Still, going from skating in the posh Valley Ice Garden to the Fairgrounds is like moving Bobcat Basketball from Brick Breeden to the playground at Longfellow Elementary.

Seriously, let's get them a new arena.

Class Act Award

In a landslide, first-year Bobcat football coach Rob Ash wins. Stepping into the shattered remains of a once-proud football program and leading the 'Cats to a winning inaugural season in the new Ash era was, in a word, Ash-tounding.

(Well, sure I could have thought of a better word).

Ash's "buck stops here" coaching approach and refusal to blame players in the media was refreshing. His coaching was patient and smart, and he genuinely seems like a pretty swell dude.

Can't wait for next year. Let's focus some on field goals though, huh?

The Sting of Phil Jackson's Scorn Lifetime Achievement Award

So I'm lifting weights at a Denver hotel exercise room a few weeks back, and in walks all 17 feet, 5 inches of basketball royalty: Phil Jackson.

I was surprised to see he had a cane - recent hip surgery - but what stood out was his rather sharp facial features. I mean his face was actually sharp - it looked like he goes to a jaw line sharpener to chisel his features twice monthly.

Upon seeing him, I deduced that the Lakers were playing the Nuggets that night. Instead of playing it cool and saying, "I really respect what your triangle offense has done for the game," I get all smitten like Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, my hands clam up and I proceed to spit out the most pathetic conversational starter ever.

"So, uh, hello Mr. Jackson, umm ... you guys playing the Lakers tonight?"

Nice one Chris.

How could the Lakers play themselves? Schmuck. He sort of scoffs and chuckles as he corrects me and says the Lakers are playing the Nuggets, but I've lost my shot at credibility.

I then creepily offer to spot him on the bench press but he does the right thing and ignores me. Good for him.

So, to review, this one goes to me.

High Jinks and High Crimes Infamy Award

It took nearly half the members of the UM defense to botch a home invasion in this failed caper allegedly involving up to five current and former Grizzly football players.

However, investigators seemed to have overlooked a major detail in the case. To me, there's no doubt this ordeal involved that meddling two-time champ and all-time chump Grizzly mascot, Monte.

The getaway connection, perhaps?

I wonder, can Monte win the Capitol One Mascot Challenge wearing prison orange?

Chris Lilly is a freelance writer from Bozeman.