From an International Football (Soccer) player to become the NFL's (National Football League) leading scorer = WHO DAT? - (Atlanta Falcons photo)

Asias'S BIG... BANG leads the NFL in scoring BUT... WHO IS HE? - (NFL photo)

Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain exemplified how to play the game without Showtime hot-dogging. The two battled for over a decade during the 60's. Since that time no NBA center could compare to their brute talent - (Library of Congress photo) NR's All-time NBA's GREATEST TEAM

SPORTS NOTES - NFL's LEADING SCORER REVEALED

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

It was a shock to me when I saw an Asian man playing in the NFL (National Football League). I later found that there previously were Asians that were in the league but I DID NOT KNOW THAT! The bottom line is in my catching up to speed with the changes in the league I came across an Asian success story that shocked me after doing the research. That person is the leading scorer in the NFL. Who is he? Read on… - THIS DAY IN THE NBA - NBA's ALL TIME BEST PLAYERS TEAM

Thursday, December 3, 2020

THE BIG... BANG

It was somewhat shocking to see what saw during an NFL game involving the Atlanta Falcons. When it came time for a field goal a man with an Asian appearance trotted out on to the field. The name was announced and it was an Asian name. My attention grew stronger since I had no idea who this person was. Previously I've hear Asian names in the NFL mentioned but it turned out that they were black. Now I was really fascinated.

But before I go on I must explain why this individual was so interesting to me. In the past I was a field segment producer of a NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) radio show. I could choose and do what I wanted within certain guidelines.

Those guidelines were firstly athletic stars with no criminal or bad behavior record. Secondly I had to select those that were good academic all American athletes. Lastly human interest stories were interesting. It was human interest that resonated with this Atlanta Falcons player.

While seeking the perfect profile athletes I came across an Asian player playing for the University of California Northridge team that played the end position. His name was Duc Ngo.

At first I saw him play and he appeared to be the smallest player on the field but extremely quick and fast. He played his position well and as I recall scored a touchdown. But here is what really made him stand out… he was a Vietnam boat person refugee. His parents esxcaped Vietnam what he was less than five years old. He came to America, went to college and played a game that is seldom heard of and not played in Vietnam.

When we met he was a small person about 5'6" to 5'8" tall. He was very intelligent and transparent about his past. The result was it he turned out to be a perfect human interest story.

The point now is I was really interested in who this Atlanta Falcons Asian player was and the research began.

The Falcons player Younghoe Koo was born August 3, 1994 in South Korea. Koo attended sixth grade in the United States after moving to New Jersey to live with his mother, who had gone to the country two years earlier to become a nurse while Koo's father remained in Seoul as a university professor. He played soccer growing up, and won a regional kicking competition. Koo played college football for Georgia Southern. As a senior, he earned all-conference honors in the Sun Belt Conference.

Koo adapted to America. He excelled at playing football for Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He was named team MVP his senior season, contributing on both special teams and defense, where he tallied six interceptions. He then went on to play at Georgia Southern University. While there he won the Lou Groza (kicking) Award.

For those that don't know Groza was the first super star kicker in the NFL and played for the Cleveland Browns. Groza applied his skills prior to the evolution of soccer players utilizing there soccer style kicking skills in the NFL. The Gogolak brothers Pete and Charlie were the first to do so and it changed the NFL's kicking game ever since… BUT HEY... they came from... Hungary, BUT... this guy is Asian!

Koo signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft. He won the starting job over incumbent kicker Josh Lambo following the conclusion of the preseason. Koo became the fourth player in NFL history to have been born in South Korea. Learning this falls into the category of... I DID NOT KNOW THAT.

Koo became a starter for the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Koo's rookie season was a rocky one as he had mixed results. He missed some of his kicks and one was a game winner that failed. The 0-4 Chargers waived him after Week 4, replacing him with 10-year veteran Nick Novak.

Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn stated that he wanted "someone with a little more consistency and experience" than Koo. Lynn added that "I think Koo is going to have a long NFL career ... A lot of rookies get cut early in their career, and they come back and play for a lot of years. ""Koo's a very talented kicker," Novak said. "He's got a live leg and a lot of talent."

Overall with the Chargers, Koo was 3-of-6 on field goals and recorded 8 touchbacks on 14 kickoffs. Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports wrote that the winless Chargers were "using [Koo] as a scapegoat."

After being released four weeks into the season he moved on and stuck to it, quitting was not on the agenda. In 2019, he played for the Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) before joining the Atlanta Falcons.

But that was then and this is now. Koo's kicking prowess has improved. On October 29, 2019, Koo was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. In his Falcons debut, Koo made all four of his field goals (including a 48-yarder) and both of his extra points in a 26-9 upset win over the New Orleans Saints. He was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance.

Now… up to 11 games this season he has missed only once and IS LEADING THE NFL IN SCORING with 109 points. He has missed only one field goal attempt between 40-49 years and has made all six of his 50 yards or more attempts. Over all he has made 29 of 30 field goal attempts.

With the torrid racist attitude that exists in America as a result of President Donald Trump's racist actions and attitude Younghoe Koo is the perfect example of what America should be all about… A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL PEOPLE regardless of RACE, COLOR or CREED.

NBA and NBPA announce Covid-19 test results

NBA players returned to a league-wide testing program over the past week, with testing beginning between Nov. 24-30 depending on the day that a player returned to the team’s market.

Of the 546 players tested for COVID-19 during this initial return-to-market testing phase, 48 have returned positive tests.

Anyone who has returned a confirmed positive test during this initial phase of testing in their team’s market is isolated until they are cleared for leaving isolation under the rules established by the NBA and the Players Association in accordance with CDC guidance.

THIS DAY IN THE NBA

December 3, 1946 Joe Fulks of the Philadelphia Warriors set what was then a league scoring mark with 37 points against the Providence Steamrollers at Philadelphia. Fulks’ 50 field goal attempts (he made 16) were the most by a player during a game in the NBA’s inaugural season and remained the record for the most field goal attempts by a rookie in a game for 13 years.

December 3, 1976 Seattle’s Fred Brown had 10 steals in a 121-112 victory at Philadelphia to tie an NBA record held by Jerry West and Larry Steele. The record would be broken 23 days later by San Antonio’s Larry Kenon, who picked up 11 steals at Kansas City.

December 3, 1990 The Boston Celtics honored long-time announcer Johnny Most by unveiling a banner bearing a microphone on the balcony facade near his old broadcast position. Most retired following the 1989-90 season after calling Celtics games on the radio for 37 years.

December 3, 1993 The Atlanta Hawks beat the Houston Rockets 133-111, ending Houston’s record-tying streak for the best start in NBA history at 15-0. The 15-0 start tied the all-time NBA record set by the Washington Capitols at the start of the 1948-49 season.

NATIONAL RADIO PUBLISHED IN 5 LANGUAGES

National Radio text is published in five languages, Thai, French, Russian, Khmer (Cambodian language) and English, Any of our foreign language material and our Roman Wanderaugh columns is legally available ONLY on our National Radio site. Our sports, entertainment and feature programming has been broadcast on over 1000 radio stations