Marvin Webster dead

[BYH]

I remember him from the first Knicks teams I watched. RIP.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/30112700/

 

[Small Town Guy]

The Human Eraser, damn.

And man, how simple were SI covers back then?

 

[Webster]

Once upon a time in the early '80s, there were two freshmen big men on a JV high school team in Brooklyn. One was gangly, but had a great shooting touch. The other couldn't shoot a lick, but could block everything in sight. The coach, a huge Knicks fan, nicknamed the other guy Mr.Bill and called yours truly Webster.

RIP Marvin.

 

[BYH]

I wondered if you were named after him.

 

[Small Town Guy]

I figured he was a good speller.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

In 1980 I was covering a women's pro basketball team that was visiting Madison Square Garden to play the New York Stars. The security guard didn't like my out-of-town press pass and was giving me a hard time, and then one of the players I covered wandered in and said to the guard, "It's OK, he's with us." Guard looks at her and says, "Yeah? And who the **** are you?" Anyway, eventually he lets us in, and down the hall we can spot a large man walking toward us. The woman grips my arm. "Holy ****," she says. "It's ... it's ... The Human Eraser!" Like he's Spider Man or something. I'm never going to forget that. He was injured at the time and was just visiting. Marvin smiled and waved and went on his way. RIP.

 

[Killick]

As bad as I feel for Webster's family, I feel much, much worse for Frank. Covering pro women's hoops in 1980? Oh, duuuuuuuude. No, dude!

 

[Batman]

As bad as I feel for Webster's family, I feel much, much worse for Frank. Covering pro women's hoops in 1980? Oh, duuuuuuuude. No, dude!

It's like finding out your mother was in a porno to pay her way through college.

 

[BYH]

I can't believe a security guard hassled people anywhere, never mind a women's basketball game in 1980. That's so Yankee Stadium circa 2009.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

As bad as I feel for Webster's family, I feel much, much worse for Frank. Covering pro women's hoops in 1980? Oh, duuuuuuuude. No, dude!

Really, it was a fun job. I was younger (20) than any of the players and they treated me great. It's the only beat I ever had, including preps, in which the players seemed happy to see reporters. That spoiled me a bit, and by the time I started covering men's pro sports, I couldn't believe how badly the writers were treated.

 

[finishthehat]

The Human Eraser, damn.

And man, how simple were SI covers back then?

I think the answer to the cover question was "No," but I enjoyed watching him try at MSG.

 

[ArnoldBabar]

I think it says a lot about both my insensitivity and my obsession with "Midnight Run" that my first reaction was "Marvin! Marvin! Look out!"

 

[shockey]

marvin had the worst hands and ball skills i've ever seen on a big-time basketball player but could be a force defensively. a good guy who was always kind to me as a young dude on the knicks/nets beat in '82-83. rip, marvin.

 

[RossLT]

I think it says a lot about both my insensitivity and my obsession with "Midnight Run" that my first reaction was "Marvin! Marvin! Look out!"

I think it says a lot that my first reaction was "Man, I just shot Marvin in the face."

I thought of the dude who plays for the Blazers, but then realized his name is Martell Webster.

RIP Marvin.

 

[93Devil]

WWOR brought this big lug into my living room almost every night when I was young.

Those were some some fun games to watch.

Albert, Beard...

 

[ArnoldBabar]

I think it says a lot about both my insensitivity and my obsession with "Midnight Run" that my first reaction was "Marvin! Marvin! Look out!"

I think it says a lot that my first reaction was "Man, I just shot Marvin in the face."

"This appears to be a fairly domesticated household. I assume you have cleaners and cleansers, that sort of thing?"

 

[write then drink]

And man, how simple were SI covers back then?

must have been a long time ago ... they spelled Webster's name right

 

[93Devil]

Jesus, he died in bathtub while living in a hotel.

RIP

It makes me really sad seeing this happen to people who were once on top of the world.

 

[broadway joe]

marvin had the worst hands and ball skills i've ever seen on a big-time basketball player

Clearly you never saw, or have blocked from your memory, the stone-like Chris Dudley.

RIP, Marvin. The Knicks could certainly use a big man with your defensive skills these days.

 

[Bubbler]

As bad as I feel for Webster's family, I feel much, much worse for Frank. Covering pro women's hoops in 1980? Oh, duuuuuuuude. No, dude!

Really, it was a fun job. I was younger (20) than any of the players and they treated me great. It's the only beat I ever had, including preps, in which the players seemed happy to see reporters. That spoiled me a bit, and by the time I started covering men's pro sports, I couldn't believe how badly the writers were treated.

Did you see the Milwaukee Does?