COME WALK WITH ME

by Ralph Hubbell ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 1975

A potpourri of reminiscences by a man whose Western New York sportscasting career spans 40 years. Ever since his first job as a radio announcer, Hubbell's creed has always been: ""If you can't say something good about a man, don't even mention his name."" Some quick shuffling-off-to-Buffalo autobiographical notes are followed by a brief historical survey of the various franchises there. As is the case with most teams, the resurgence on the part of the Bills (football), Sabres (hockey) and Braves (basketball) is seen as the doing of crafty general managers and maturing draft choices. The bulk of this quasi-inspirational, decidedly sentimental work is an assortment of mini-portraits and character sketches -- whether of quarterback-turned-congressman lack Kemp, the Sabres' late Tim Horton, Yankee skipper Joe McCarthy, a reflective Jim Thorpe, and even a few relative unknowns. By signaling the courage of a Ben Hogan, the quiet dignity of a Sugar Ray Robinson, or the hungry desire of a Joe Lewis (""he was every man, and he was basically America""), the author succeeds in linking his sports heroes to a ponderous spiritual and patriotic ideal. It's in this context that a chapter on children and a tribute to Secretariat seem singularly out of place. An anecdotal collection which demonstrates the importance of being more than merely earnest and complimentary.

Pub Date: March 18, 1975

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Prentice-Hall

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1975

Categories: NONFICTION