Sept. 17
I was saddened to see Patrick Ewing retire. It just shows how time has flown by.

Ewing was one of my favorites on the college scene at Georgetown. I had the pleasure of covering him several times when he was with the Hoyas. I first interviewed him at the McDonald's All-America game when he was a senior at Rindge and Latin High School in Cambridge, Mass.

Ewing was a fierce defensive standout, an unbelievable shot blocker and a dominator in the lane.

Why was Ewing one of my favorite players? The one common denominator to greatness is the ability to play hard every night. Ewing was a warrior from the time he trained under Mike Jarvis in high school, through his Georgetown days, and on to the pros. With John Thompson and the Hoyas, he won a national championship in 1984 before being shocked by Villanova in the title game in '85.

He was a fierce defensive standout, an unbelievable shot blocker and a dominator in the lane. He set the tone for Georgetown, which later had other standout centers like Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning. There was great pride in putting on that Georgetown uniform.

Thompson did a great job handling Ewing, seeing him mature during his four years of college. What made it special was Ewing walking down the aisle, receiving his diploma.

	Ewing

One aspect of Ewing's character that has always impressed me is the way he's handled himself in a genuine, professional way. Whenever Ewing laced up his sneakers, his coaches and teammates knew they would get the maximum out of his ability. He poured every ounce of energy into each performance. I know he doesn't have that championship ring from the pros, but to me, he will always be a C-H-A-M-P.

There is no doubt that he was a big-time performer. Think about his resumé: NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in '84, NBA Rookie of the Year in '86, 13 straight seasons averaging 20-plus points per game, member of two Olympic gold-medal champions ('84, '92), and a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time team.

Patrick Ewing, after 17 years in the NBA, has called it a career. Where has the time gone?