Celebs at Reed tournament quite charitable in their conversation

FROM KEITH GROLLER

One of the main reasons I like covering high school and local college sports is because I have little tolerance for the pros when it comes to postgame comments.

A few guys are great, but many, if not a majority, say nothing of importance and make it as difficult as possible for you to hear them say nothing. If they can belittle you or make you feel like you're not as meaningful to society as they are, they will.

But when guys retire and get away from the game, they often seem to change their view of the press. Maybe they miss the attention, maybe they just have more time on their hands, maybe they just become kinder and gentler, but lots of guys become better human beings when they are out of the limelight.

I don't know if the celebrity golfers currently in the Lehigh Valley for the Andre Reed tournament have changed because I didn't cover them when they were playing, but all six or seven that I talked to on Sunday at the Hyatt Place hotel in Bethlehem were very gracious in their comments and very happy to say something on behalf of their host Andre Reed.

Eric Dickerson (shown at the lower right in a Harry Fisher Morning Call photo that showed off his spiffy shorts), James Lofton and Sterling Sharpe were all cordial enough, but I especially enjoyed talking with Philadelphia product and former Loyola-Marymount and NBA player Bo Kimble. We all remember him from the Hank Gathers tragedy and how respectfully he honored his friend in the aftermath of that most difficult situation.



Kimble is a class act. He may live in L.A. now, but he's still a Philly kind of guy, and seemed genuinely happy to be back in the Philadelphia region.

"Andre and I may be from different sports, but I told him that I have watched him on TV over the years and saw him achieve so many great things through the years and there's a mutual respect there," Kimble said. "I have great respect for him, great respect for the cause and oh, how dare you throw golf in there, too. I mean this is just great.

"I learned so much from Sonny Hill in Philadelphia about giving back. Sonny has been giving back for his entire life. Hank was like that, and so am I. I have a foundation, too, and I respect so much what Andre is doing. It was a piece of cake to come back here for Andre, especially since this is my home state."

Kimble talked about his legacy and how his and Hank's are interlocked forever.

"I've been to 40 countries and all over the wold and people know all about us," Kimble said. "They know his stats, they know my stats. They know where we're from. They know our entire lives. It's the most humbling experience to know that we are still being respected and remembered for what we did on and off the court. I'm proud to be Bo, Hank's friend, and our legacy still continues."

I asked him if he still keeps Philly in his heart.

"Hey, I'm not Kobe," he said. "Actually, everything I've accomplished in my basketball career was a result of my experiences of growing up in Philly. The tough, hard-nosed, physical play I learned from playing in Philly allowed me to take my game around the world."

I asked him about the Eagles and he said he still roots for them. He didn't like the McNabb trade, but thinks the team should give Michael Vick a chance to show what he can do. He talked about coaches sometimes exerting too much control on players, and implied that his career was altered by coaches who didn't let him play his game.

Kimble was just a great interview, very forthcoming, very open, very thoughtful. Rather than turning me into a dentist pulling teeth, he genuinely enjoyed talking about his life, where he's been and where he's going.

My experience talking to all these guys went better than expected, but Kimble really impressed me, and made me wish that I had had the chance to cover him when he was playing in the NBA.

If you see him today at Lehigh CC for the tournament, my guess is that he'll treat you with the same respect he treated me.

KEITH GROLLER

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