Sunday, February 21, 2010

I inadvertently came across a post/comment by one Bob Knuppel.  He was responding to someone else's post about Swede on a website that discusses various novels...in this case "American Pastoral".

Bob Knuppel's father, Herman Knuppel, was the great 6'8" center, and Swede's teammate, on Panzer College's dominant, record breaking (44 straight victories, which at the time was an all-time collegiate record) basketball team.  Like Swede, Herman went on to play professional basketball in a league that was a precursor to the NBA.

In his post, Bob said that his father received plenty of acclaim for his basketball ability.  But Herman always talked about Swede Masin, and that he was easily the star of the team. He said his father claimed Swede was by far the best all around athlete he'd ever known, and added that besides being competitive, was also gracious.  He also remarked that it was interesting how well they got along...the German and the Jew.

I love the accolades I've been hearing about my father since I wrote "SWEDE".  They just keep on coming.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Another Contemporary Reaches Out

Yesterday I heard from yet another contemporary of Swede.  He was two years behind my father, and he was very emotional on the phone as he remembered the big guy, despite the fact they were not close friends.  He was particularly saddened by the last chapter, which describes my sadness and frustration of being 3000 miles away as Alzheimer's Disease was taking it's toll on Swede.

Coincidentally, this man related that he lived downstairs from "Iron Mike" Purzycki, South Side High's super athlete and my father's direct competitor whom I highlight in the book.  Iron Mike and Swede would become good friends later in life.

One of the things this gentleman said was that my father's "name was so famous!".  It seems every person I talk to about Swede introduces another superlative to describe him.  And nothing would make him more uncomfortable than to hear people talk about him that way!