Uncategorized – Page 68 – From Way Downtown

Bruised But Unbowed

In March 1971, the Baltimore Bullets and Philadelphia 76ers met in the first round of the NBA playoffs. It would be the start of Earl Monroe’s final playoff run in Baltimore. It also would go down in NBA history as one of the league’s more-grueling playoff jousts. Not quite in the category of the Knicks-Heat clashes of the 1990s—but close. Having recently published the book Shake and Bake with NBA great Archie Clark, I have a clip file of the series from the Baltimore Morning Sun, Baltimore Evening Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. I’ve pulled the best quotes from their playoff stories, without traditional attribution, and rolled them into a “super stories” for each game of the series. It’s my way of bringing this classic series back to life as vividly as print journalism allows, 50 years hence. Yesterday, we took a plunge into Game 1. Today, the coverage picks up with Games 2 and 3.

The Sick, The Lame, and The Swollen

In March 1971, the Baltimore Bullets and Philadelphia 76ers met in the first round of the NBA playoffs. It would be the start of Earl Monroe’s final playoff run in Baltimore. It also would go down in NBA history as one of the league’s more-grueling playoff jousts. Not quite in the category of the Knicks-Heat clashes of the 1990s—but close. Having recently published the book Shake and Bake with NBA great Archie Clark, I have a clip file of the series from the Baltimore Morning Sun, Baltimore Evening Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Beloved bylines such as: Alan Goldstein, Seymour Smith, Bob Maisel, Mark Heisler, Alan Richman (yes, the food critic), Bill Tanton, Mike Janofsky, and Jack Kiser.

The Magnificent Monroe

[Below is text drafted for the book Shake and Bake. It didn’t make the final cut over concerns about the length of the book. Too bad. This vignette shares a truly fun-and-intimate moment between superstar and fans that would be unimaginable in today’s NBA. Enjoy!] . . . The next day brought the 76ers aContinue reading “The Magnificent Monroe”

The Special Miracles of Earl Monroe

You can take in this show on almost any winter night in any one of 17 cities. From a seat that may range in price from $3.50 to $8.00, you watch a man with gimpy, arthritic knees dribble a basketball slowly upcourt. His name is Earl Monroe and he moves awkwardly, his perspiring face gleamingContinue reading “The Special Miracles of Earl Monroe”

Thank You, Aunt Ruby

Archie Clark saw the brake lights flash red in front of him and tapped his brake pedal. Traffic on the Pasadena Freeway stiffened for an instant and then sailed onward. Along the roadside, thirty-foot palm trees rustled exotically overhead. In the distance, Archie glimpsed row upon concrete row of single-level stucco homes and backyards landscaped with citrus trees and swimming pools. Mass-produced, middle-class haciendas to celebrate sun, surf, and the good life. Archie had heard that without a car to ply the city’s vast freeway system, the California Dream and its perpetual state of motion ground to an unpleasant halt. Thank goodness for his trusty Olds Ninety Eight. The thing ran like a top.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right. You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click theContinue reading “Introduce Yourself (Example Post)”