McGinnis
- Thread starter Vince1973
- Start date
Greg Doyle...First he's a everyday flip flopper on his views.
Now giving etiquette advice on X of all places....
Now giving etiquette advice on X of all places....
I have no idea who Greg Doyle is but I agree with the ugliness and lack of morals of the media.
Sorry to hear this and hope he recovers. He deservedly is an Indiana basketball legend.
without permission, I think even the Vecsey post above shares too much detail. I liked how Woody handled Coach Knights situation and just said he's in a tough time and asked for prayers for he and his family.
Big Mac was in my class at IU...'73. I'm still upset I had to work at Arby's the night he scored 53 in the IN-KY basketball game. It was on radio in the back room with very fuzzy reception, just audible enough to know it was a special night. He's always been a good ambassador for both IU and the Pacers. Maybe the smoking finally caught up with him, the damage done.
I think that may have been the event that convinced his father that he wasn’t a failure wasting his time playing bball. A Neil Young reference in post about Big George-class.
i remember seeing a picture of him in the indy star in the locker room after a pacer game smoking a cigarette. he told a reporter he didn't lift weights because he might get too strong.
George and other players would sometimes smoke at practice, too, while on the sideline. Can you imagine putting a lit cigarette down between running wind sprints? My buddy and I actually walked into their locker room after a game at the Coliseum and saw players smoking and drinking beer. They toted around a service cart filled with cold-cut sandwiches and longneck Blatz, made available to players, coaches and local reporters. It was common for them to then go to Neto’s Bar, along with Slick, who was a big drinker. Leonard and his wife lived in Carmel and could often be found saddled up to the bar at Ben’s Island, back in the day when it was a glorified farming community ready to explode. My high school classmate’s dad owned the place.
Ironically, there is Gregg Doyle trying to be the first to chastise others for trying to be first in reporting news of George’s grave condition. Welcome to social media, Gregg, where everyone craves the inside scoop.
He’s just mad he didn’t break it first. Him and DD make a great pair.
I heard stories of Pacer halftimes where the trainer would have multiple pre lit cigarettes between his fingers waiting for the players to get in the locker room.
Neto’s was in the Meadows development east of the fair grounds. Dave Robison joined the Pacers around 1975. Did Neto’s become Robo’s? I have vague memory of Robo’s becoming the go to place after games. Does anyone here remember this?
And I forgot to mention the trainer had already iced those Blatz beers cold, ready to go. In today's world, if one tried to enter the Pacer's locker room after a game, their night would be spent in shackles.
Neto's on the north side of 38th St. was a convenient haunt of the Pacers after a game. I used go to the 64-lane Meadow's Bowl and Marie's there had great pizza. I'm not sure about Robo's but it sounds vaguely familiar. When the late 70's came around, the whole area went downhill. They turned a large apartment complex there into one of the first government housing projects near there, attracting a seedier element of human nature. White flight ensued shortly thereafter and well, you know the rest of the story.
53 points and I think 30 rebounds. That's as dominant as can be.
I recall that was after a couple players for the Kentucky all star team stating he was "overrated" or something lol. I recall him being at Menards in Evansville 12-13 years ago when they were opening the store going in there and meeting him. He had the hugest hands. If he had come back one more year, him, Downing and Joby Wright could have hung #3 then. I really believe so.
Watching Big Mac dominate in the state championships and in the Indiana-Ky series is what made me pay attention to IU basketball after he committed. May have saved me from being a Purdue fan, since I also had watched Rick Mount play in HS and was briefly infatuated with him. My Dad told me that IU was better than Purdue though. Thanks Dad (RIP)!
The game was played in Louisville. The IN All-stars won in Indy the week before, yet one of the KY players made the comment about McGinnis not being as good as he thought he was going to be, or wasn't sure what all the hoopla was about...something like that. George later said he took the comments personally. It wasn't long after that performance the term "man-child" was often used in description of George's talent.
If George's dad hadn't died in a tragic high-rise construction accident the summer before his freshman year, I think George would have been around for both Knight's and AH's inaugural season. Today, it remains one of the frustrating "what-might-have-been's" in IU history. Likewise, what a shame it was McGinnis, Downey, et al. had to sit out their first season, playing intramural ball.
Yes, Joe Voshkuhl of the Kentucky All-Stars made the remark to the press. McGinnis played so hard he tore up one of his shoes.
In that era the nutritional aspect of pro athletes was not emphasized much at all. Lots of Pacers players smoked cigarettes, drank beer, and ate fast food in the locker room. George in particular was a smoker and a total junk food junky. I suspect that such habits are why his play declined somewhat rapidly in his 30s. Today's nutrition emphasis extends player's peaks a lot more and of course the salaries incentivize that
my former step father said George used to bet people that he could eat one of everything on a menu. Not all the sides, etc... but 1 of every entree. This was when he was with the Pacers.
1969 IHSAA Champs
Does anyone else remember when Downing had a jump ball at the free throw line and actually just tipped it in instead of tipping to a teammate? That team was crazy good.
Does anyone else remember when Downing had a jump ball at the free throw line and actually just tipped it in instead of tipping to a teammate? That team was crazy good.
Interesting that George wore 44 sometimes, 45 other times in high school, then 35 at IU, then 30 in the ABA and NBA. Must not have mattered much to him to stick to one number.
Met George when my daughter was rehabbing her knee after ACL surgery at Dr Alfelds clinic . He had had shoulder surgery, and was rehabbing his shoulder . Being a big Hoosier fan I walked over and struck up a conversation. I Told him I was there with my daughter , and that she had injured her knee playing basketball . After his set he walked over and talked to my daughter, asked her about where she played , her team , and position she played . I had told her who he was , and she was really impressed that he took time to talk to us . He then went back and did some more rehab , but the best part was when he finished his next set he came back and talked to us some more . He encouraged my daughter to work hard on her rehab , so she could get better , and get back to the game . He is a great ambassador of the game , and how he took time to talk to me and encourage my daughter made me a lifetime fan .
The greatest iu player ever! Probably the most talented in any sport.
Sounds like he is a great guy my 1st memories of him were from his ABA days, haven't seen anyone shoot a 1 handed jumper since. seems like towards the end of his career in the NBA he was labeled as someone with attitude problems, IS that correct or am I misremembering.
I don't recall that. He was involved with some sort of lawsuit against the league (like anti-collusion) so it wouldn't surprise me at all if he got labeled that way by the league.
Apparently he is really critical and it's basically a matter of time. Someone jumped the gun and misinterpreted that news.
Now, after that story, I have to give up my 54-year resentment toward him for beating my hometown Marion Giants by 1 point in the state HS final four. I guess it's time.
Go with God, Big George.
It was in the Meadows complex. I worked there one summer & one of my strongest memories was when Neto showed up in a Porsche 914, which was not designed for 6-9 people. It wasn’t quite a clown car exit, but close.
