The sports and entertainment world lost a couple of my favorites yesterday.

Joe Garagiola played major league baseball for 9 years but would make his mark after his playing days were over on television. Garagiola, who died Wednesday at the age of 90 spent 30 years with NBC beginning in the early 60’s.

Long before you could watch just about every game on TV there was the game of the week on Saturday with Garagiola, Curt Gowdy, Tony Kubek and later Dick Enberg.  He would go on to co-host the “Today Show” on NBC and had a long career in the broadcast booth.  I got to spend some time with him several years ago when he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame and he was simply charming and a real gentleman. Plus he picked up the bar tab.

The show lasted only three years but “The White Shadow” lives on in re-runs that can still be seen today.  It was set in a predominantly black inner-city Los Angeles high school as a recently-retired white NBA player becomes the head coach of the school’s basketball team.  Ken Howard was perfectly cast as coach Ken Reeves. .Howard was 6’6 and at the time of the series in his mid-30s.

 

Joe Garagiola
Joe Garagiola (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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I loved the way he dealt with the characters in the show: Coolidge, Thorpe, Salami, and Hollywood.  It was a bit groundbreaking because it addressed racial and ethnic issues often overlooked by TV.  Howard, who won both Tony & Emmy Awards in his career, died yesterday at age 71.  So long to “The White Shadow.”

Plenty of points, little if any defense, a year’s worth of dunks and tons of smiles…that sums up last night’s Shore Basketball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games at the Pine Belt Arena.  Nearly five dozen players represented their high schools for a final time and a good time was had by all.  Earning MVP honors were Sean Barksdale of Lakewood in the boy’s game and Tatum Evans of Marlboro in the girl’s contest but the biggest cheers were reserved for Ranney freshman Scottie Lewis who wowed the crowd in winning the inaugural I’m Possible Training Slam Dunk Contest.

Our Shore Sports Network helped present the game with a big assist from the U.S. Army and special thanks to Coaches Association President Mike Puorro of Barnegat for all his hard-work to make the night a success.  Highlights of the dunk contest and games are available at shoresportsnetowrk.com

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