Review: Moses Malone (2025)

By Paul Knepper

Author Paul Knepper has taken on a difficult assignment here. It's not easy to put all of the pieces together in the life and times of Moses Malone.  

The basketball superstar had all sorts of twists and turns in his career. Knepper documents many of them in his book, "Moses Malone." That's a good idea, since most Hall of Famers deserve some sort of biographical treatment ... and Moses wasn't the most forthcoming person in the world with his public. 

Certainly Malone's experiences as a youth explain part of the story. He grew up in single parent home in Petersburg, Virginia, as Moses' father was kicked out of the house by his mother at the age of 2. Mom did a heroic job of making sure that Moses had clothes on his back and food on the table, although the rest of the family joined together to help out too. 

As for Moses, he picked up basketball at the age of 13. By the time he was in high school, Malone had started to become good at the game - in part because he kept growing and growing (his 6-foot-10 eventually height was quite a contrast to his mother's 5-2 frame) and in part because he kept working at it. By junior year, he had led his high school to an undefeated season and a state championship. Malone had placed a note in a Bible that he'd be the best high school player in the country. After that season, he wrote another note that read he'd be the first person ever to jump from high school to the pros. 

The route was difficult everywhere but on the court. There the Petersburg school again went unbeaten, and Malone remained the top college prospect in the nation. That sent a barrel of scouts and coaches chasing after him, some offering "fringe benefits." Maryland eventually won that battle, but it was a short-lived triumph. The American Basketball Association was losing its battle with the more established NBA, and was desperate for players. A pro contract convinced Malone to skip college and join Utah of the pros. 

Malone was raw, of course, but no one outworked him - on the court or off. He was the most determined rebounder in the game, and most of his points came off offensive rebounds. Malone also worked year round to improve his game in all areas. When the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, Moses was thrown into limbo since his second ABA team, St. Louis, didn't enter the combined league. He went to Portland, which wanted to trade him since Bill Walton was already there. Malone was dealt to Buffalo, where problems with the coach and a dispute over playing time led to a quick trade to Houston. 

That's where everything clicked. Malone soon became a dominating force with the Rockets, leading them to the NBA Finals once and winning MVP and All-League honors. No one was anxious to play a somewhere mediocre Houston team, because Moses was capable of stealing a game. When contracts got in the way of that relationahship, Malone jumped to the Philadelphia 76ers. He was the missing link for the Sixers, who won the NBA title in 1982. Moses stayed through 1986, although Philadelphia couldn't duplicate the magic in that era.

We didn't know it yet, but - as Knepper effectively points out - Malone's best days were behind him at 30. Perhaps Moses had just worn himself down. He bounced through several teams with decreasing effectiveness in the years to come. Malone retired in 1995 after 21 years as a pro. He somewhat disappeared from the public eye at that point, serving as an assistant coach in the NBA briefly and playing lots of golf. Malone died at the age of 60 of heart disease. 

The book makes it clear that Malone was much better as a private friend than as a public figure. Moses certainly had a shy side that began as a child. That's not surprising for someone who was so tall, had a voice so deep it was difficult to understand, and some dental problems. Mix all that with the poor background and subpar schools, and some assumed that Malone simply wasn't that bright. But the superficial reading seems to be wrong. Many associates - including business people - say Malone actually was quite sharp on the court and off it. Teammates here recount how Malone often helped them adjust to the NBA game, and stayed friends in retirement - from stars to bench-warmers. 

Malone's biggest problem probably was with personal romantic relationships. He had too many of them, particularly when he was married. Malone also was charged with physical abuse of his wife, and was said to have made threats to her after the divorce. While it's tough to know the complete story from a distance, the episodes leave a very poor impression behind. Malone also had moments of great generosity and other moments of severe frugality. Moses wouldn't be the only basketball player to come out of poor surroundings without terrific money management skills. 

Malone died before getting his version of his life's events down on paper, and he probably wouldn't have been interested in doing so anyway. By definition, then, Malone's story has to be told more or less from the outside looking in. "Moses Malone" does feel a little like there's a hole in the middle of the story, but there's certainly value in finding out more about this basketball star who during the early 1980s was right up there with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in terms of ranking with the NBA's best.  

Four stars

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Review: Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown (2025)

By Bill Madden

One of the pleasures of the journalism business is the chance to talk to some of the veterans of the field about their years in the business. They've been around the block more than a few times, and have encountered a variety of interesting people and gone through all sorts of experiences. 

Bill Madden is one of those veterans. He's been around the professional ranks for about 55 years, depending on how you count. Madden has been on the baseball beat in New York for 50 of those years. It's time for him to empty out the notebook and search through the memory bank. 

The resulting book is "Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown." It comes across as the chance to have a nice, fun chat with the man himself.

While Madden has covered a variety of teams and sports over the years when necessary, his biggest job has been to follow the comings and goings of the New York Yankees. He arrived on the job at the New York Daily News shortly after George Steinbrenner took over as the team's owner. It's fair to say that there wasn't a boring moment for the first 20 years or so of Madden's work days. 

One never knew what Steinbrenner was liable to do in a given moment. He loved the attention handed out by newspapers, especially when it meant the Yankees were on the back cover of the New York City tabloids. Steinbrenner and Billy Martin attracted publicity like moths to a fly, even if they couldn't figure out how much they needed each other. 

There were other names added to the mix, of course. Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Dave Winfield, Ron Guidry, Rich Gossage, Graig Nettles. As Madden writes, he never had to worry too much about finding some material for a first-edition story - the piece that was designed to be printed in the newspaper before the game itself ended. Madden only had to walk around the clubhouse before a game with a pen, and stories would appear out of the ether. 

Madden used some of those stories in a few books earlier in his carer. It's safe now to tell some of the details attached to the anecdotes. For instance, when Madden was thinking about writing a book on teinbrenner, another Yankees' executive not only gave Madden permission to write it, but helped convince others in the organization to talk to the author freely about George's life. 

Speaking of Steinbrenner, Madden does a good job of recapping the story behind the owner's suspension in the early 1990s. I hadn't followed the details that closely, but Madden makes a very good case that Fay Vincent was quite arrogant during that process. That issue turned out to be one of the nails in the coffin of the Commissioner of Baseball, who was fired soon after that. 

Speaking of surprises, Madden also takes an interesting look here at the memorabilia scandals that hit sports (but mostly baseball) in the 1990s. Bill wrote a column on baseball cards for The Sporting News starting in the 1980s, and he began to explore that entire hobby as the years went by. Turns out corruption was quite rampant in that particular business, as some of the old-time merchandise was less than authentic. 

Madden only has one chapter that's something of a "get off my lawn" moment. It comes at the end, and it's about baseball analytics. You might have guessed that. He's not sold on the movement in that direction, particularly when it wipes the human element out of the game. Perhaps we are overdoing it in some cases, but analytics are simply one tool of many in the toolbox. 

The veteran starts the book with what might have been a better ending. He won the Spink Award for Career Excellence in baseball reporting in 2011, which essentially makes him a member of the Hall of Fame. It's a good launching point for some stories about the greats of the game. For example, Madden went on a car ride to Cooperstown once with Joe DiMaggio. When the Yankee Clipper was asked about Lou Gehrig, DiMaggio said he was a great team ... and added that Gehrig once had an affair with Mae West. Can't say I saw that coming.

"Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown" goes down quickly and smoothly. I zipped through it in a few hours. While Yankee fans probably are the target audience for the book, an interest in the Bronx Bombers isn't exactly a prerequisite for enjoying this. Most baseball fans will enjoy the conversation.

Four stars

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Review: Every Day is Sunday (2025)

By Ken Belson

The on-field world of the National Football League can be engrossing and addicting. It's designed, at least, in theory, to be unpredictable in its results - making the five-month season something of a thrill ride for followers. That's why stadiums are sold out, and why the list of the most popular television broadcasts in a given year are absolutely dominated by NFL games. 

Even so, the off-the-field activities can be fascinating as well - maybe not quite as fascinating as the games, but they have a huge impact on America's favorite sport. The NFL is all about growing the game, which translates to growing the profits for the owners. To be fair, the players also get a share of that money, so they usually aren't upset when revenues go up either. There's plenty of cash to go around. 

The New York Times decided some years ago that the league itself and its dealings were worth covering on their own. Ken Belson picked up that assignment, and he's been on the job since then. It's not like he's had much down time during that span. What's more, he's been taking notes and writing stories about what has gone on over the years. 

Now he's emptied the notebook and dusted off the files in order to write a book on those years, "Every Day is Sunday." It's a solid look back at what's been going on in that span and beyond. 

The stars of the show are three different men. One, naturally, is the Commissioner. Roger Goodell by most standards has been effective in that role. He knows that his major goal is to keep the owners' accountants happy, and by all accounts he has done that. The value of NFL franchises has grown tremendously in recent years. Owners were never exactly candidates for financial aid, but lately only the super-super rich needed to apply to join the NFL club as entry fees (the cost of buying the team) has flown past $1 billion and into the mid-10 figures range. We might not be far from going into 11-figures ($10 billion) in the relatively near future. 

There's some good background information here on Goodell, who never has been a particularly warm and fuzzy public figure. There have been some slips along the way, but they haven't forced the league to change course very often. It's good to read something about Goodell's personal story and his overall philosophy regarding the job. 

Coming in just behind Goodell in terms of importance to the book are two owners: Jerry Jones and Bob Kraft. They take different approaches but are still the Biggest Dogs in a room full of them at owners' meetings. The personalities, however, are different. Jones is something of a rebel, always taking care to put the Dallas Cowboys first on his agenda - even if it may not go over well with his partners. Meanwhile, Kraft is more conciliatory. He often tries to bring parties together in the best interest of everyone. That can be thankless, but he's done it well. Both men are in the 80s, and both men have maintained their leadership spots for quite a while. 

Colson dedicates a chapter to most of the big issues that have come up over the years, even going back in time. For example, the NFL's jump to Fox Sports in the 1990s had a seismic effect on the broadcasting landscape, and not just in sports. It proved to be a huge move for Fox as it tried (and succeeded) in becoming the fourth major broadcast network. There are stories about franchise moves, poor player behavior, collective bargaining, the Colin Kaepernick saga (which affected free speech standards and team/player relations), and the continued rise of the Super Bowl as a quasi-national holiday. That's a good list by anyone's standards. 

Closer to home here in Buffalo, it was with some interest that there were a couple of references to Buffalo Bills' owner Terry Pegula along the way. It's interesting to see how Pegula has leaned on Jones for advice and guidance in several league matters since arriving in the Owners' Club. Pegula's predecessor, Ralph Wilson, didn't get along that well with Jones on policy matters involving the league, so the newcomer has flipped the script. At one point, Colson describes Pegula trying to solve a problem involving the league with a proposal at a meeting which was not only wrong, but almost painfully wrong. Terry has never been a particularly good speaker anyway, and it sounds like Pegula's opinion in league affairs has zero sway with anyone else in the league.

"Every Day is Sunday" may not have any great revelations in it about league affairs. Still, for those who haven't been paying attention to what's been going on with the league between Sundays, this is a good course on that subject. Meanwhile, those who do enjoy coverage of the NFL as a whole will find the behind-the-scenes information passed along at times to be quite interesting. Put those two aspects together, and the result is a worthwhile read for most football fans. 

Four stars

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Review: MISL 1980s

By Tim O'Bryhim

The Major Indoor Soccer League and I go way back. 

The Buffalo Stallions of the MISL were formed in 1979. The Buffalo Braves of the NBA had moved to San Diego the previous year, and there was an opening for another sports team to fill some dates in Memorial Auditorium. I had the chance to cover those games right from Day One, and it was a fun five years. I was even involved in the radio broadcasts of the home games for a couple of years. 

Sadly, things fell apart in a relatively short period of time, and the Stallions folded in 1984. It was nice while it lasted. I soon discovered that it's difficult to follow an indoor soccer team when your city doesn't have a franchise, although I kept an eye on the progress of the league as best I could. The MISL hung on in various forms until 1992.

It was with some degree of interest, then, that a suggested book from Amazon.com was something called "MISL 1980s." OK, I was in for that. Now after reading it, I have mixed emotions about it, starting with the idea that it's nice that someone still feels attached enough to the league to self-publish a book about it. 

O'Bryhim had written a book on the Wichita Wings, and also produced a documentary on that team. Having once written a book on the Braves, I know first-hand that such books about defunct teams from decades ago is more of a labor of love than an attempt to earn tons of money. 

Now comes a book from O'bryhim that's a little different than the first one, but there are some similarities. It's a collection of articles about the league in no particular order or format. That's means a particular article is going to be hit or miss in most cases.

For starters, the book is rather Wichita Wings-centric at times. There's not going to be too much drama three. The Wings were remarkably consistent over the years - but they were consistently mediocre. Wichita qualified for the playoffs in 11 of its 13 seasons, and never won a series. (By the way, the Wings moved over to the National Professional Soccer League after the MISL folded ... and went 0 for 8 in the playoffs there.) 

There are articles of various lengths that contain long interviews with players and coaches, and reviews of events in league history. The problem here is that the stories covers a lot of names and games that simply aren't going to be recognized by even casual fans of the league. It's not easy to make games from the 1980s interesting to an audience in the 2020s. I found myself skimming through some of the material. 

My favorite chapter in the book probably was "The Death of the MISL: A Postmortem." Several people, from fans to owners, chip in with thoughts on why the league didn't fully catch on and last longer. It's impressive how many different reasons come up - to playing at the wrong time of the year, to a union that asked for too much, to the rise of outdoor soccer and the growth of the NBA and NHL, to bad ownership, and to the lack of a national television contract. To some degree, all of those points have some truth to them. 

"MISL 1980s" is a book written by and for enthusiasts for indoor soccer, and their analysis sometimes is over the top. A good history of the league still might be fun to write, and it wouldn't have to be 20 volumes as O'Bryhim writes in this book. This isn't it, but it still might strike a chord with the good people of Wichita who are still keeping the faith in the Wings all these years later. 

Three stars

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Review: Fight Night 1939

By Joseph Monninger

Count me as among the relatively few around today who not only know something about Tony Galento, but had the chance to meet him. 

"Two-Ton Tony" (more on that in a moment) popped up a sports banquet in Elmira, New York, on a winter night in the late 1960s. As I recall, he told a few stories and signed a few autographs - in other words, a night of relatively easy money. I think I got his autograph that night. Galento came with his calling card - he was one of the few boxers who knocked Joe Louis down during Joe's championship run. Unhappily for Tony, Joe got off the canvas rather quickly and dispatched the challenger in short order.While continued excellence in anything is preferred, a one-time flash of greatness can last a lifetime in the right setting. 

It also can produce a book, which is in turn can be quite entertaining if the subject has a good backstory. "Fight Night 1939" is that book, and author Joseph Monninger has come up with an fun if relatively brief look at Galento and his brief brush with immortality. 

Galento was the son of immigrants and grew up in Orange, New Jersey. He dropped out of school at a young age, and picked up some odd jobs in his teens. The small but wide young man had more than his share of fights and brawls along the way, and he was pretty good at it. Tony also had a variety of jobs at that time, including one as an iceman. One time, after he started boxing, he was a little late for a bout. When asked why, he said he had two more tons of ice to deliver before he could leave. Thus, "Two Ton Tony" was born - although he wasn't exactly slim either. 

Galento wasn't stylish when he was in the ring. In other words, he was no Sugar Ray Robinson. Some of his fights degraded into wrestling matches at best and brawls at worst. But Tony could throw a punch and he could take a punch, and that made him a contender in the heavyweight condition. A 10-match winning streak earned him a shot at Louis, who remains one of the great champions in the sport's history and who was at the peak of his powers in 1939. Galento was a clear underdog, but one rule in boxing is that someone who can hit an opponent hard has a "punchers' chance" of winning against anyone.

Galento surprised everyone by staggering Louis with a punch in the first round, which led to him winning the road on the officials' scoring cards. If the population of Orange was thrilled by that development, it was ecstatic when Galento tagged Louis with a sharp left hook that sent the champ to the floor. There was barely enough time to consider the possibilities before Louis got up. By the fourth round, Galento was out of gas and the fight was stopped in favor of Louis. But the champ knew he had been in a fight, and the challenger had made a name for himself.  

Galento fought a while longer, losing to a couple of contenders, before World War II essentially ended his career. He kept his bar in Orange, did some wrestling and a little movie work (Hollywood always like a tough guy), and certainly told a million people about how he knocked Louis down. Tony died in 1979. 

Most of the book serves as a biography about Galento, which leaves Louis in the rare position (for him) or playing the role of a supporting character. And that's OK; there are other places to go to read about Louis and his impact on America - which was enormous.  

The book has a couple of areas that feel a little bit odd. Monninger didn't have a great deal of available research material, since Galento died in 1979. There are several moments when it felt like the author was expanding his descriptions of scenes in order to fill out the manuscript. At least he's a good enough writer to pull it off reasonably effectively.   

Meanwhile, the book was first published in 2006 under a different title. It's hard to know from a distance prompted the re-release of a book that came out 19 years ago. I missed that one, but at least I'm caught up on the story now.  

There don't seem to be many characters like Galento out there these days, and that's too bad. "Fight Night 1939" fills us in on Two Ton's story, and reading it is a pleasant way to find out about an interesting character from boxing's past.

Four stars

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