By Bill Paterson
bpaterson@sacbee.com
Woodcreek boys basketball coach Burnel Pinkerton would love to have the problem of his senior center Mike Kurtz.
If the 6-foot-11, 190-pound Kurtz doesn't eat about 4,000 calories a day, he'll lose weight.
"It's a challenge putting on weight," said Kurtz, who will play on scholarship at UC Davis next season. "Because of pure genetics and all the practices and activities, I'd probably have to consume 5,000 to 6,000 calories a day to gain weight."
So while Kurtz can pretty much eat whatever he wants whenever he wants, the 51-year-old Pinkerton gains weight just looking at a celery stick.
He said some friends kidded him after seeing pictures of Pinkerton celebrating with his Woodcreek players after they beat Oakmont in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship game March 6 at Arco Arena.
In some of the photos, Pinkerton's pronounced belly is showing.
"I've gotten a lot of crap about it," the affable Pinkerton said. "Some of the comments I heard, 'Why don't you get a longer shirt.'"
Pinkerton admits to be a little sensitive about his bulk. He is a bachelor who doesn't eat right to begin with, especially during basketball season.
He's also been hobbling about on two bad knees, the result of his playing days at the College of the Redwoods. These days he can't get up and down the court, even in slow motion.
Pinkerton has had five surgeries on his right knee and three on his left.
He is scheduled to have another surgery on his left knee on Tuesday, although he says he'll cancel if the Timberwolves reach the CIF state finals. Fourth-seeded Woodcreek (28-5) is playing second-seeded St. Francis (29-3) in the Northern California D-II championship 4 p.m. Saturday at Arco Arena.
"I need to have it done," Pinkerton said. "I'm starting to get to the point where I can't feel my quad in my left leg, and I lose feeling in my arm. My knees hurt all the time.
"I can't stand for long periods of time. Sometimes I have to tell the guys in practice that it's not that I don't care, but I have to sit down."
