.:::.Stan
Stamenkovic - Tribute.::::::::
......................coming
soon!!!
The most unique and amazing indoor soccer player of all time!!!
..
Stan Stamenkovic 1956 - 1996Tuesday Nov 19, 2002
This Saturday, the Baltimore Blast will host a "Tribute to the 1983-84 MISL Champs" reunion before their regular season game against San Diego. Almost every member of the 1983-84 Blast team that won the league title over St. Louis in five games will be there (and suited up against a team of local talent). But one important cog in that championship machine will be missing -- The Magician, Stan Stamenkovic.
The pudgy, popular and prodigiously talented Yugoslav died January 28, 1996, in a fall at his home in Titovo Uzice, Serbia. He was only 39, and was by far one of the most entertaining athletes ever to play the indoor game.
Baby-faced and chronically overweight, Stamenkovic, especially during his Baltimore days, was hardly shaped like a traditional athlete -- unless your idea of the classically sculpted sporting physique belonged to Babe Ruth. But, like Ruth, he was an artist at his game. Coach Kenny Cooper described him as "a Picasso" with a soccer ball. And few who saw him play would disagree. He obviously enjoyed befuddling defenders with feints and footwork, rolling the ball around his feet then spinning to find an open man with the perfect pass or an opening in the goalmouth for a well-placed toe-poke or backheel. His specialty was working his way out of double- or triple-team situations, and the fact that opposing teams devoted so much manpower to the nearly impossible task of stopping him invariably opened opportunities for his teammates. He had "an incredible talent," remembered former Blast teammate Bobby McAvan. "From a man that didn't look like he could move that well, his footwork was truly magical."
Although he was shy and often insecure in public due to his poor English, Stamenkovic remained a fan favorite throughout his stay in Baltimore. "He was a wonderful man, on and off the field," said McAvan. "Very humble and quite funny and charming in his own way." He was most comfortable as part of the team's "Yugoslavian connection," consisting of himself and close friends Mike Stankovic and Ray Kunovac.
The Memphis Americans enticed Srboljub Stamenkovic away from Yugoslav power Red Star Belgrade in 1981, and gave him a new first name that would flow more easily off Tennessee tongues. He quickly set about rewriting the team record books, including most goals in a season (46), in a game (5) and in a half (4); longest goal scoring streak (14 games) and assist streak (7 games); most assists (47), most points (93), most hat tricks (5) and most game-winning goals (4). This despite being hobbled by a nagging knee injury.
The next season, after he had truly gotten used to the indoor game and had his knee surgically repaired, he did even better, finishing with a career-high 55 goals and 65 assists, trailing the legendary Steve Zungul by only two points for the league scoring title. However, the Americans had little in the way of a supporting cast for their superstar, and finished last in the MISL East at 19-29.
Enter the Blast. After three years of postseason frustration, culminating in a three games-to-two title series loss to San Diego in 1983, owner Bernie Rodin gave Cooper carte blanche to bring in the last piece of the team's championship puzzle -- an impact player who could turn the tide of a game singlehandedly if that's what it took to win. Cooper set his sights on one of three players -- San Diego's Julie Veee, Zungul or Stamenkovic. In the end, he acquired Stamenkovic and his hometown friend and Americans teammate Kunovac in what was then the largest cash - for - player transaction in MISL history, $150,000.
The move was a gamble. While Americans coach Horst Bertl rightly praised Stamenkovic's vision and artistry with the ball, "his weakness is his fitness." A fondness for American fast food, especially pizza, added more than 30 pounds to Stamenkovic's six-foot frame, leaving him at 203 pounds by his arrival in Baltimore. Not only did the added bulk slow him down, it added stress on his already weak knee, which kept him in pain for the remainder of his career. The Blast dealt with his weight and fragility as best they could. "He was the only one on the team that wasn't allowed to cook, for obvious reasons," McAvan laughingly pointed out. And, with the support of his teammates, he was exempted from the team's highly publicized training runs up and down downtown Baltimore's landmark Federal Hill.
The gamble paid off, big time. Everything peaked for Stamenkovic and the Blast in 1983-84. With a potent crop of finishers, including Paul Kitson, Pat Ercoli, Dave MacWilliams and Joey Fink, on the receiving end of his trademark pinpoint passes, Stamenkovic dished off for 63 regular-season goals, and scored another 34 on his own. "People thought he could just score goals, but that's not really true," McAvan said. "He was an incredible set-up man, and also the point for the power play, with staggering results. We were scoring at will, it seemed at times."
The Blast finished the season with a league-best 34-14 record, then blew through the playoffs, sweeping Cleveland and Wichita before taking on the Steamers in the best-of-five finals.
Stamenkovic scored only one goal against St. Louis but, fittingly enough, it was an overtime game-winner on the Steamers' home turf. After the city's championship celebration for the team, fans were treated to the sight of a celebrating Stamenkovic driving around downtown, his tiny red Fiero so crammed with teammates it looked like a circus clown car.
McAvan thinks that the Blast's championship season was the peak year not only for Stamenkovic, but also for the team as a whole. "In some weird sort of way, maybe Stan's teammates inspired him. He was an absolute genius and he certainly took the team to another level but, in a way, maybe the rest of the guys that worked hard for him inspired him to continue with that unbelievable greatness that he had."
As he had in Memphis, Stamenkovic dominated the Blast record book after one season, tying or breaking ten offensive marks. His records included most goals in a half (4), most goals in a quarter (3), most assists for the season (63), most assists in a game (4 - four times), most assists in a half (4 - three times), most assists in a quarter (3 - twice), most consecutive games with an assist (9), most points in a half (5 - twice) and most points in a season (97). He won his first MISL scoring title and second straight assists crown, as was named League and Blast MVP -- as well as All-Star Game MVP, for good measure. He also set a new MISL playoff record with 13 goals and 20 assists (33 points).
Stamenkovic's numbers fell off slightly after the 1984 playoffs, but he remained a potent force in the MISL. He had 39 goals and 52 assists in 1984-85, as the Blast once again finished first in the MISL East but fell in the final series 4-1 to old nemesis San Diego. He tied for fourth in league scoring in 1985-86 with 37 goals and 44 assists, then fell out of the top ten for his final two years in the league.
After the 1987-88 season Stamenkovic went home to Titovo Uzice. A brief comeback attempt in 1994, with the Continental Indoor Soccer League's San Jose Grizzlies, was short-circuited after eight games by a nagging thigh injury. But he is better remembered for his artistry during the MISL's heyday. And he will be well remembered on Saturday night, when the Blast will retire his jersey.
Native name: Serbo Stamenkovic
1983-84
MISL All-Time Regular Season Career Leaders Points
10. 542 - Stan Stamenkovic (Memphis Americans, Baltimore Blast)
7. 311 - Stan Stamenkovic (Memphis Americans, Baltimore Blast)
All-Star Game: Eastern Division defeated Western Division 8-6.
(at St. Louis, MO. Att: 16,312. MVP: Stan Stamenkovic)
Leading Scorers GP G A TP
Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore 46 34 63 97
Most Valuable Player: Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore Blast
MISL Scoring Champion: Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore Blast
All-MISL team:
D - Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore Blast
On the field, however, the league had another successful season. Baltimore's Stan Stamenkovic, rescued from the hell of the moribund Memphis franchise and free of the looming shadows of Zungul and Branko Segota, who were playing in the "other" league, the "Pizza Man" led the league in scoring en route to the MVP award.1984-85
Leading Scorers GP G A TP
Stan Stamenkovic, Baltimore 43 39 52 91
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SEARCH RESULTS for Stan Stamenkovic - Yahoo! Groups
CISL TIDBITS (August 16, 1994)
SAN JOSE- Forward Stan Stamenkovic made his debut against Dallas
on 8/10 and had 2 assists . . . midfielder Kevin
Hundelt is 4th in the CISL with 50 blocks . . . rookie
back-up goalkeeper Dan Madsen has a 5.75 GAA in 8 games
. . . the Grizzlies have killed 80% of all power-plays
at home (3-15)- best home percentage in the CISL.CISL TIDBITS (August 2, 1994)
SAN JOSE- Due to immigration delays, former MISL great Stan Stamenkovic was
unable to play this past weekend, but is expected to see action
this week along with Branislav Lecic and Dragan Novakovic . . .
goalkeeper Dan Madsen joined the Grizzlies, filling in for the
injured Mark Lehnert, and went 1-1 on the weekend.CISL TIDBITS (JULY 26, 1994)
S. JOSE- Former MISL great Stan Stamenkovic (pizza-man) is scheduled to
join the Grizzlies for this Saturday's game VS Pittsburgh . . .
The Grizzlies will host a 20-year reunion of the 1974 San Jose
Earthquakes on Saturday when they host Pittsburgh. 1974 NASL
leading scorer with the Earthquakes Paul Child is now head coach
of the Pittsburgh Stingers.
Son: Nebojsa Stamenkovicic@rose.lara.on.caJuly 2, 2001
Rampage coach Boro Sucevic said he has reached a two-year contract agreement with 19-year-old Nebojsa Stamenkovic, who has spent the past two seasons with the Red Star Belgrade reserve team.
"He's a big, strong, left-footed kid," Sucevic said of the player, who has been used as a withdrawn forward or attacking midfielder by the Yugoslav club. Stamenkovic was born in Memphis and grew up in Baltimore, and he is the son of former Major Indoor Soccer League star Stan Stamenkovic.July 15, 2001
Alen Soso played a defensive midfield role instead of his usual position as a man marker, and Godoy went 45 minutes as an attacking midfielder before being replaced by newcomer Nebojsa Stamenkovic.
Three of Blast's giants set to be Hall pioneers
Cooper, Stamenkovic, Stankovic to be honored with inductions tonight
Jan. 10, 2004
By Sandra McKee
Sun Staff
Originally published January 10, 2004When Kenny Cooper walks through Baltimore-Washington International Airport, people still call him "Coach" and ask about the team. And though Cooper is now a businessman in Dallas, it is fitting he is still identified with the indoor soccer team that would not even have come to Baltimore if not for him.
Cooper and all-star players Mike Stankovic and the late Stan Stamenkovic will become the first inductees into the Blast Hall of Fame tonight during a ceremony at 1st Mariner Arena.
As Cooper was preparing to travel here for the induction, he recalled his instant rapport with this city and how it happened that the Houston Summit made the move to Baltimore.
"Our owner, Bernie Rodin, had narrowed the choice to Baltimore or Boston and said it was up to me," said Cooper, a native of Blackpool, England.
"I came to Baltimore and was excited from the beginning. It just reminded me of Liverpool. The drive in from the airport was like going to Liverpool. The harbor and the people. It was like home away from home for me. It just took me back in time.
"And once you get to know those people, they're like the salt of the earth. Boston or Baltimore? I never even made the trip to Boston."
Cooper, 59, said his family's best friends are still in Baltimore.
He arrived here in 1980 with his dark suit, red handkerchief and effervescent personality and set out to sweep a city off its feet - a feat he accomplished in the 1980s, when the Blast consistently drew nearly 12,000 fans a game to the Baltimore Arena.
He became the team's first magician, using his talent for inspirational speaking to blend an irresistible mix of talent. He concocted a team that captured the fans' hearts with its blue-collar work ethic.
And it was a team that included such local players as Nick Mangione and Tim Wittman, other Americans such as Dave MacWilliams, Joe Fink, Scott Manning and Keith Van Eron and foreign players such as Stankovic, Stamenkovic and Heinz Wirtz.
"I remember, before I joined the Blast, I was in high school and everywhere I went it was 'Kenny Cooper, Kenny Cooper, Kenny Cooper,' " said Wittman, who is now the Blast's coach.
"He took this sport from zero to packing the stands. Kenny was a professional in the way he handled everything - and there was always a show. And he had all these sayings."
For instance:
* Aggravation outweighs production.
* Dare to be great.
* I want you to leave a piece of yourself on the carpet.
* We've got role models, not parole models.
"I think he carried a Reader's Digest in his back pocket," said Wittman, laughing. "But motivation was his biggest strength as a coach. No one was better."
In the summer of 1983, Cooper brought Stamenkovic - the team's second magician - to town. Stamenkovic immediately promised to make Cooper's prediction of a title in four years come true.
As the Colts packed up and left the city in March 1984, the Blast was heating up. Playing .500 soccer in the first few months, the team finally began to click, ripping off a 17-game winning streak that led to the division, conference and, eventually, MISL titles.
Stamenkovic was not your typical soccer player. In a game of thin and swift athletes, he was a hefty, relatively stationary player who did not bother to hide the fact that he smoked and loved pizza.
He arrived here a meaty 225 to 230 pounds with a contract that would reward him for weight loss. A bit under 6 feet, he promised to get down to 190.
Dancing feet
And though he roped the team's youngest member, Wittman, into buying him six-packs of beer on some road trips, he did eventually - with the help of everyone on the team - make the desired weight.
But Stamenkovic, at any weight, had a gift. He had feet that danced.
"I remember, I was about 10 years old and I went to my first or second indoor game in Phoenix with a friend and his parents," said the Blast's current goalie, Scott Hileman.
"I remember my friend's parents telling me we were going to see 'the best player you'll ever see. He does everything with the bottom of his feet.' I remember being amazed."
It was as if Stamenkovic had an invisible string connecting his foot with the ball. He could roll it - seemingly in any direction - at full speed, rubbing the soft sole of his shoe over the top of the ball, almost like a caress, and never lose control.
"No one could stop him," said Wittman, who scored a lot of goals by running and positioning himself for a pass from Stamenkovic.
"I don't know if it was his size, his ballhandling or his vision. I do know he'd always find you, and I was happy to let him do it."
Stamenkovic was a strong man, able to hold his position in front of the goal or at the far post until he found Wittman or another teammate to receive the perfect pass.
"He was known as 'The Magician' because of the way he could also hide the ball," said Cooper. "Almost like a football quarterback faking the handoff and then going the other way. He could roll the ball behind him or sideways, so opposing players couldn't see it, and back-heel it at top speed.
"My directive to our players was simple. When Stan is on the floor, always be prepared to receive the ball, because he will find you."
Cooper said Stamenkovic, who died at 39 in January of 1996 after suffering a severe head injury in a fall at his home in Titova Uzice, Serbia, could not explain what he did any more than Pele could explain his great talent.
"It came from instinct and impulse and an incredible passion and intensity," said Cooper. "In fact, that whole team was emotional. They'd cry after a regular-season loss. I think a lot of teams today could learn from that."
And anchoring the defense was Stankovic, who believed the ball belonged to him and his team. If someone took it away, Stankovic would retrieve it. If that meant stepping on or running over an opposing player, he did it. Gladly.
And Stankovic had an elbow that sometimes seemed to have been sharpened to a point. He'd lift that elbow to create space in which to work.
"My job was not to score goals, but to cover the best players - the Prekis, Segotas, Zunguls and Julie Veees," Stankovic said. "And I was very happy to do it.
Ray Lewis example
"You look at basketball, when [Michael] Jordan played and now Kobe Bryant, the best forwards. They're always among the first five defenders in the league. Why is that? Because they have determination. They want the ball. You have to win the ball back.
"If you really want to win, you have to play well defensively. Sometimes it is challenging other players that is the most fun. That's how I always saw it. Look how the Ravens' Ray Lewis plays defense. He's a leader."
Stankovic, 47, has made his home here and runs the Mike Stankovic Pro Soccer Academy for children. He arrived in Baltimore before Stamenkovic and suggested his friend to Cooper as the possible missing piece of the Blast's puzzle.
The two looked nothing alike. Stankovic tall and angular. Stamenkovic of medium height and round body. But fans sometimes had trouble keeping their names straight. But as Wittman said the other day, "What difference did it make?"
They were the same in their hearts - fierce competitors who grew up in Yugoslavia learning to play together.
"Stan and I had a great understanding," said Stankovic. "Stan was a great point man, and I had the booming long shot and a great anticipation of where he would put the ball. And at night, we'd stay up all night after a game because he'd want to review every play. He loved the game."
Cooper, recalling his former players, noted Stankovic, who ranks third in points on the original Blast roster, was more than an enforcer.
"He was a physical presence, yes," Cooper said. "But he also had a tremendous shot in both feet and was a very good team player.
"And like Timmy [Wittman], he played almost every position. Guys like that, they usually don't get the credit. Without Mike and Stan, I'd never have worn a championship ring."
Tonight, three of the greatest figures in Blast history will be honored and get the credit they deserve. And, no doubt, as Cooper used to be so fond of saying, they will leave a piece of themselves on the carpet..
