Monday, June 11, 2007

Howard Porter (from Satch)

Growing up in Philadelphia, college basketball was a big influence on my life. Many Saturday afternoons were spent at The Palestra watching the Big 5 basketball teams battle it out for City Wide Bragging Rights. To this day, they are still some of the greatest memories that I have.

When your older brother becomes a die hard St. Joe Hawks fan, chances are about 99.9% that you will to. I did. And I learned that as a St. Joe Hawks fan you root for two teams; The Hawks and whoever is playing Villanova.

I was only ten years old when Howard Porter finished his career at Villanova. So the fact that his memory is still so strong in my mind lets you know just what a powerful force he was on the basketball court.

A few weeks ago, I saw the headline:

Howard Porter, former Villanova star, dies at 58.

I admit, after Howard Porter left the spotlight of the Big 5, I really didn’t follow much of what he did. Sure, I knew the stories about his minimal time in the NBA and the drug addiction that followed. But it wasn’t till I read the article below the headline that I found out that Howard Porter survived and triumphed over many of life’s hardships and his own missteps.

The SI.online story wrote:

Porter went missing on May 18 after leaving his St. Paul home. He was found without identification, bloodied and beaten in an alley, a day later. Authorities didn't know at the time that the man brought to the hospital as an unknown assault victim was Porter, and he remained hospitalized through his death. Police are still trying to piece together exactly what happened to a man who had his share of problems, but emerged from a drug rehab program in Minnesota in 1989 and turned his life around. They have no suspects and have not made any arrests, and are unaware if the attack had anything to do with his work as a probation officer for Ramsey County. Villanova coach Jay Wright said in a statement released by the school. "Since his playing days ended, he has been an outstanding role model for our current players and coaching staff.''

So … what’s the point? What’s the moral to this? Who knows? I sure don’t. All I know is that I’m saddened by the fact that I guy I never met … and whose actions on the basketball court over 35 years ago probably upset me and my brother … and now he has died. This was a guy who fought his demons, and lived to tell the tale. A guy who ended up trying to make the world a better place, and in the end, may be been killed by the very people he was trying to help. I don't wish revenge on those who killed Howard Porter [Don't get me wrong, I hope they are caught & brought to justice]. Instead, I hope that those men and women that Howard Porter helped, I hope that they live on to help others.

Rest in peace in my friend.

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