There’s Still Much to Learn About Muhammad Ali, as Todd Mealy Shows in his New Book

by gordie | Oct 12, 2026 | Boxing, Writing

Few public figures have been chronicled more extensively and elegantly than Muhammad Ali. Whether via short form (like “Lawdy, Lawdy, He’s Great,” an account of the Thrilla in Manila by the late Mark Kram in Sports Illustrated) or long form (like Jonathan Eig’s 2017...

In Praise of Watts (No Services) and the Endless Road to … Somewhere

by gordie | Feb 27, 2026 | College Football, Journalism, Writing

We’re on a road to nowhere Come on inside Takin’ that ride to nowhere We’ll take that ride – The Talking Heads Way back when, somebody was writing about how you get to Penn State. Might have been Bill Conlin. Probably was Bill Conlin. Long before he...

Luke Epplin, Author of a New Moses/Dr. J Book, Continues to Ceaselessly Beat Against the Tide

by gordie | Feb 25, 2026 | NBA, Philadelphia 76ers, Writing

Label Luke Epplin however you please. He’s the dreamer from small-town Illinois who once came to New York City with two suitcases in hand, knowing if he could make it there, yada, yada, yada. He’s also the writer who went from fledgling poet/playwright to struggling...

Taking Stock at Age 67 (!), Plus One: Lamenting Onside Kicks and CDC Stats

by gordie | Dec 27, 2025 | Journalism, Writing

Sunday marks another trip around the sun for me. That will be 68 of ‘em. One more than 67 (!), kids. Feel free to gazz out to your heart’s content. Anyway … Just for the sheer terror of it, I decided to look up the life expectancy for males in our great nation. And...

New Book About the Dunk Hovers Around Dr. J, but Skywalks Elsewhere, Too

by gordie | Dec 23, 2024 | Journalism, NBA, Philadelphia 76ers, Writing

One night in October 2022, I was seated by myself at a table in the large banquet room of a local hotel when I felt someone’s hands around my neck. That was obviously unsettling in the extreme, not only because I had been approached from behind but because of the...

Some New Rules to Govern Sports Media (with Apologies to Bill Maher)

by gordie | Oct 16, 2024 | Journalism, Writing

In the spirit of Bill Maher’s HBO show “Real Time,” here are some new rules that need to be enacted within the sports media world: New Rule No. 1: If coaches and players use their children as human shields, they should be required to always do so, no matter the kids’...