by Inlander Staff
Dan's the Man--To say that it's Dan Dickau's time in the limelight is a bit of an understatement. The 23-year-old GU point guard has just been named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year and is the subject of a four-page article in the Feb. 25 issue of Sports Illustrated, aptly entitled "A Wonderful Life." Writer Grant Wahl's piece discusses Dickau's chances of making it to the NBA, his life-long fascination with former Bulldog John Stockton, his relationship with girlfriend Heather Nevenner (a third-year dancer with the Portland Trailblazers) and even his strong faith.
The article also mentions "The Dan Dickau Song," an amusing local phenomenon set to the tune of the Commodores' 1977 hit "Brick House." The lyrics ("He's Dan Dick-Owww / He's light and fast and that's a fact...") were penned by Launch Pad's Bill Kalivas with friend Dennis Flynn, who sings the tune, which can be downloaded at www.gozags.fansonly.com. The guys invented the song while watching -- what else? -- a Bulldogs game, and it has come to the attention of not only the local TV and radio stations but also the Associated Press. Dickau reportedly knew about the song from the beginning and gave it his blessing.
Zags fever has reached such a pitch that for the first time ever in the history of the school, the Gonzaga University Bookstore will be open every Saturday from 10 am-2pm through the end of the season, to "accommodate increased demand for Gonzaga items and NCAA tournament merchandise."
Getting Kremed -- The Business Buzz award goes to Krispy Kreme, the dougnuts company that gave away 6,000 donuts at the Feb. 16 Gonzaga game against Pepperdine - all to announce a Wednesday ground-breaking for a Spokane Valley donut shop. KK won't make its trademark dougnuts there, its first Eastern Washington shop, until at least June, according to spokeswoman Lisa Beightler. Oh, and the developer, Gerard Centioli of Chicago, is a '76 Gonzaga business grad.
Catching up with Fabio -- Fabio Mechetti has always made music passionately -- but that seemed especially true Friday night. In the final thunderous repeat of the motto in Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, he compelled bold playing from the brass section as if by force of will. From our eighth-row perspective, the finales of the Tchaikovsky and of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite seemed especially powerful. Our chances to catch Mechetti in action are dwindling, though, because next year (the 2002-03 season) will be his last full year as artistic director here. (He's slated to make only a couple Spokane appearances in 2003-04.) Fabio's intensity continues on through the season-ending Verdi Requiem on
May 10.