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RIP Curly Neal

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by DanOregon, Mar 26, 2020.

  1. DanielSimpsonDay

    DanielSimpsonDay Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
    He never got enough credit for this win.
     
    sgreenwell likes this.
  2. Inky_Wretch

    Inky_Wretch Well-Known Member

    Damn it! Another childhood icon gone.
     
  3. heyabbott

    heyabbott Well-Known Member

    Amen.

    one of the greats. HOF
     
  4. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    The Trotters lineup developed into the "clown," a "sideman" whose main job was to set up the main funnyman, and a "star" who could pull off spectacular athletic plays, dunks, etc etc. (ie Wilt, Connie Hawkins).

    During much of their "classic period," Curly Neal was the sideman to Meadowlark. Later at various times he stepped into the clown role.
     
  5. Jake from State Farm

    Jake from State Farm Well-Known Member

    Curly worked for the Orlando Magic when they were an expansion team
     
  6. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    A very common theme through many books touching peripherally on the Trotters is that Meadowlark Lemon was personally a complete asshole, about as funny as a hemorrhoid.
     
  7. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Red Klotz often told the story about the one time that the Washington Generals beat the Trotters. He always said at the end of the game, Meadowlark chased him off the court because he was legitimately pissed off.
     
  8. mpcincal

    mpcincal Well-Known Member

    Man, sorry to hear. Very talented guy and one of the reasons I always looked forward to that yearly televised game on WWOS.
    And, to Starman's point, I always thought of Neal as the "designated dribbler," the role that Marques Haynes had before him.
    "Scooby Doo" and the "Gilligan's Island" movie have already been referenced, but don't forget the team's cameo on "The White Shadow." It still kills me the Carver players didn't recognize the Globetrotters right away, especially Neal. I don't think bald black guys were all that common in those days.
     
    OscarMadison likes this.
  9. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Supposedly in the final moments of the game, seeing the score, Klotz frantically threw several passes out of bounds.
    Meadowlark, not believing the game was close enough to worry about, continued to run "reems" (trademark Trotter stunts) which ended with the ball flying out of bounds.
    Several of the lesser profile Generals, who had less of a long term employment situation at stake, and tired of their roles of perpetual punching bags, threw in a couple layups and the Generals stayed ahead.
    So the game ends and the 12,000 game winning streak is over. Meadowlark is screaming at Klotz, " you're in trouble, motherfckcker," blah blah.
    "What was I supposed to do," scrams Klotz."You we're supposed to lose, motherfucker!"
    Klotz screams back, "Shit, if you'd play worth a damn, it wouldn't be so fuckin' hard!"
     
    Baron Scicluna likes this.
  10. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    IIRC they'd play a series against a college all-star squad too. And it seems they would play some preseason games against college teams in the 90s as well.
     
  11. Songbird

    Songbird Well-Known Member

    Staple of my youth. My weekends were that much better when they played on Wide World of Sports.
     
    Liut and OscarMadison like this.
  12. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    In the middle-late 90s they started to play real games against college teams again; not sure if they're still doing that.
     
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