He had to run to practice at the Coliseum. He told me to have some lunch and that we'd talk when he returned.

"You will not believe some of the stuff going on here," he said.

The Philadelphia Daily News had sent me to write a story about Daly, the former head coach at the University of Pennsylvania before becoming an assistant coach with Billy Cunningham's 76ers.

Daly was 51, no kid. Having interviewed for more than a few NBA head coaching jobs, Daly had made up his mind that he'd take the next open job.

Just his luck, it was the woeful Cavaliers . The deal was for three years and $480,000, but it was obvious early that Daly and Stepien were not long for each other. Stepien had Daly come one night to a lingerie show the owner was emceeing downtown. A lingerie show?

"It was the Competitor's Club," said former Plain Dealer Cavaliers' writer Burt Graeff, who co-wrote "From Fitch to Fratello." Stepien made Daly wait until he was finished with his officiating duties."

Graeff recounted the exchange in the book he did with co-author Joe Menzer.

Stepien to Daly: "Why don't you quit?"

Daly: "No, why don't you fire me?"

"Stepien ended up buying Daly a drink." Graeff said. "He told Daly, 'This is a lot like [the movie] 'Patton.' "

Daly lost 17 of his first 19 games. The calls from Stepien came every morning, starting at 7 a.m. Daly, the kind of guy who didn't get to bed until 3 a.m., stopped answering the phone.

Daly spent 92 nights at the Holiday Inn, not that he was counting.

"I knew every way in and out of that building," Daly remembered. "I didn't want anyone to know when I was coming or going. They might ask me something about the team. And I didn't want to or couldn't explain what was happening."

One thing that happened was that Stepien inadvertently set up Daly for future success in Detroit by deciding to do a deal with the Pistons without Daly's consent just before the 1982 trade deadline. In that deal, the Cavs traded Bill Laimbeer and Kenny Carr for Phil Hubbard, Paul Mokeski and two draft picks.

Daly won two titles in Detroit. He was the good guy behind the Bad Boys. Critics believe he compromised his principles and allowed his team to conduct legalized assault on the opposition. Daly said it was the only way that team could win. He later became the first coach to win an NBA title and Olympic gold, that with the 1992 Dream Team.

I worked in Detroit briefly for the National Sports Daily when Daly was head coach there. I had more appreciation for how he handled players, giving them room and getting their best in return, whether it was the unhinged Dennis Rodman or petulant Isiah Thomas or quiet Joe Dumars.

"It's a players' league. They allow you to coach them or they don't," Daly once said. "Once they stop allowing you to coach, you're on your way out."

Daly got it in some of the same ways that Mike Brown gets it.

All 16 coaches in these playoffs wore a Chuck Daly lapel pin after Daly was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

He died Saturday in Jupiter, Fla., at age 78.

Manny's missteps

Manny Ramirez suspended 50 games.

Ramirez used a female fertility drug sometimes associated with athletes trying to boost testosterone at the end of a steroid cycle.

Ramirez says it was prescribed by his doctor and that he didn't know he'd run afoul of baseball's anti-doping program.

If anyone could pass this off as more dumb than devious, it might be a guy who has perfectly crafted an image as a harmless airhead. But even given that, innocence is a hard sell for Ramirez. Teams preach to players about knowing what they're putting into their bodies.

The four burning questions that have arrived in e-mail form and through Cleveland.com reader comments are as follows:

Was this a case of . . .

1.) Manny being Manny?

2.) Manny being Barry?

3.) Manny being Mary?

4.) Or Manny being Octo-mom?

Sounds good

Attention, Cavaliers fans.

ESPN asks the question: "Will he stay or will he go?"

The subject of an "Outside the Lines" report says the following:

"I'm comfortable with being in Cleveland. I'm excited about it. I'm loving the direction we're [going] in and I'm loving the teammates I have and the organization. So if that's any indication of me leaving, then somebody must be looking out the wrong box."

Hint: It's not about Darnell Jackson.

Olympic coverup

They might want to try to become part of "Festivus" at the Costanza house first.

There is allegedly global support to introduce pole dancing as a test sport in the 2012 London Olympics.

Pole fitness is probably the more accurate description since competitors are fully clad.

Supporters claim the pole workout "takes grace, fluidity and strength" as opposed to what I thought it took: stilettos, Tina Turner's "Private Dancer" and change for a $20.

He said what? (The Wedgespeak Files)

Part II of reader Gary Greben's Wedgespeak entry from last week:

"In a pregame TV interview one day, [Wedge] said, 'you know' 130 times during the 10-minute interview . . . averaging one every 4.6 seconds. . . . Quite a few 'you knows,' you know?"

Those numbers are hard to believe, but maybe that was intentional, Gary. Try playing that interview backwards. My guess is you'll hear, "Jhonny's bat is dead."

You said it (The Indians Edition)

"Bud: Scenario: Tribe is leading, 6-4, in the eighth inning. The opposition is at bat and the Indians have gone to a setup man.

"Question: Does Kerry Wood even bother warming up?" - Wayne

No, he immediately removes his spikes and - in preparation for the long inning ahead - settles in to solve a "Super Evil" Sudoku.

*

"Bud: I believe Eric Wedge once said the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results. After another spring training led to another dismal April, is this proof that Wedge is going insane?" - T Wagner

Maybe, but the ultimate proof will be when he moves Cliff Lee to the bullpen.

*

"Hey, Bud: If Indians manager Eric Wedge gets canned, will you accept Wedgespeak fan contributions after the firing date?" - Doug

No, a separate contest will begin immediately. It will be called "Shapirospeak."

*

"Bud: If Manny Ramirez is suspended from [Major League Baseball], does this mean he can play with the Indians for 50 games?"-Mike.

Mike, yours is the third entry in the May "You Said It" contest. Winners get T-shirts from the "Mental Floss" collection.

To reach Bud Shaw: bshaw@plaind.com, 216-999-5639

Previous columns online: cleveland.com/columns