Kerry Melville and Ted Williams history

I just looking up debates of graphite rackets to wood as well as reading this book by Jackie MacMullan When the Game Was Ours about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird from the 80's. They both have the same feel and attitude in some ways. The Archie Bunker theme song rings in my head except that it is Lionel as Magic Johnson. Now, Jackie is not a racist or a bigot but she covers up for Larry. However, she uses Magic as foil compared to athletes with issues and shortcomings concerning the American worth ethic who happens to be black. Yes, the book is about Bird and Magic and you don't want to antagonize them. Now, Jackie is a great writer but like many idealistic writers, they aren't people smart like Mary Garber. Bird and Magic got her by the .....

She does mention about Larry's idol being Kareem. However, Jackie point out about Kareem's mood swings, not wanting to signing autographs, or talk to the media. No mention from Larry. She will talk about the drugs and how Larry avoided. Larry didn't know about Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. Bring up a quote from Paul Westphal about 65 percent of the NBA used coke during his player career and the players from the 1980 All-Star team who used it. Yet, no mention about Bird's teammate, Pete Maravich and the rumors. He seemed to know Pete. Didn't he learn to pass like him. Finally, the 1985 Chelsea bar fight before the Conference finals? Jackie says something about Larry hurting his hand it in a softball game before his rookie season. Larry talks about Cedric Maxwell being out of shape when signing the big contract costing the Celtics, the 1985 NBA title. No mention of Nick Harris.

She will talk about Magic being a role model but she will mention his shortcoming concerning being a punk to Michael Cooper when he kept fouling him to get ready for the Celtics, Jud Heathcote berating him, the press talking about his lack of an outside shot, Terry Harlow beating him in one-on-one in high school, and being punked as "Tragic" Johnson in the 1984 Finals. His sex life but she justifies it as being young and stupid. But he gets redeemed with Elizabeth Glaser of all folks. Likewise, he signed a little kid's autograph when Kareem rejected that kid's offer in front of his father. Now, that kid is a big time attorney and his father is a CEO that Magic was soliciting for his company. Sign those autographs.

However with Larry, he is perfect with no redeeming flaws but accepted ones like Ted Williams's stubbornness until his Mexican ancestry was revealed. Now, .400 is just .400. Ted didn't play defense, wasn't a great family man, or a champion even though he flew fighter jets in WW II and Korea. I wonder if that is going to happen to Larry Bird? Melungeon ancestry or Native American ancestry? Will we find out the truth about Corrie Bird, that he was the worst one-on-one defender, or the woman who was suing Bird and the patrons from Chelsea's? Was it "professional mutiny" from other Celtics except for Larry and Quinn Buckner that got Bill Fitch fired?

Kerry Melville Reid (right). Like Graf?

Kevin McHale is Croatian. Quinn Buckner was "supposedly" with Bird at Chelsea's and got cut the next year. As for Cedric Maxwell, he did play for Fitch in Houston for two years. Good writing by Jackie but she got suckered big time. It happens to me all the time and to a lot of idealistic fans. Now, could Kerry Melville won all those slams, if she had a graphite racket instead of wooden one? She did like to run-around her forehand like Steffi Graf did?