I had the real pleasure and thrill of meeting and spending time with Dr. Henry Heimlich before Thursday night's Xavier-Cincinnati game.

Some people might wonder who Dr. Heimlich is. In 1974, he created the famous Heimlich maneuver, the procedure that helps choking victims.

It was important for me because I think back to what happened last summer. I was in St. Petersburg, Fla., getting ready to watch a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game. During dinner that night, a piece of melon got lodged in my throat. Believe me, it was a scary time for my wife and me.

Fortunately, John King of the St. Petersburg Fire and Safety Division was present. He performed the Heimlich procedure, and the piece of melon popped out.

People don't realize how important it is to understand Dr. Heimlich's concept. It has saved many lives, including my own.

I could see Dr. Heimlich is a proud man, and I wanted to thank him for coming up with that method. It made a difference to me, and many others.

As it turned out, the doctor saw a big-time game, a great rivalry. Xavier beat Cincinnati for the fourth time in five years in an unbelievable city showdown. It was great to see such emotion as two teams really went after it.

Talk about a sense of pride. There were banners flying high, representing alumni groups. The newspapers do an incredible job covering the game, breaking down strengths and weaknesses of the teams.

There is great energy and enthusiasm. This was the second straight year I've called the game, and it has been special. Brad Nessler and I had loads of fun calling the game from courtside.

It was a tough loss for Bob Huggins' team. Kenny Satterfield had a solid game, but in the end, free throws were a factor and David West came through big-time. Lloyd Price was all over the court defensively. Xavier will definitely be a contender all year in the Atlantic 10.