Saturday, March 3, 2012

525

Amtrak engine 525 is a big, powerful machine. Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( 1936-1999)was one too. He was 7 feet 1 inch and weighed 275 pounds. In the National Basketball Association, he was one incredible scoring machine too. Fifty years ago last night, my friend Billy and I were shooting baskets into a short, makeshift basketball hoop at a nearby backyard and listening to a Celtic broadcast with Johnny Most at the microphone, when we heard about an amazing feat. 'Wilt the Stilt' Chamberlain, the Big Dipper, had scored 100 points against the New York Knickerbockers. That 1961-62 season he averaged 50.4 points per game in the NBA. That night the game was not televised. There was no video tape to help document his 36 baskets and 28 foul shots. Just a meager 4,000 screaming Philadelphia Warriors' fans in Hershey, PA were there to witness history in the making. He was the Man! A man who changed the NBA forever that night. And nope Jack, I'm not even going to mention the over 20,000 women he supposedly bedded. I told you he was the 'man'.


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16 comments:

  1. SharonMarch 3, 2012 at 8:47 AM

    I just heard a tribute to Wilt chamberlain on my local NPR station earlier this week. I'm glad I got to see him play many years ago.

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  2. Cezar and LéiaMarch 3, 2012 at 8:50 AM

    Very interesting comparison about the machines...
    God bless you!
    Cezar

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  3. KateMarch 3, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    Sounds like two prodigious "machines."

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  4. Folkways Note BookMarch 3, 2012 at 10:08 AM

    That 100 point game is somewhere in my memory bank. Nice photo shot -- barbara

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  5. Sharon CreechMarch 3, 2012 at 10:58 AM

    I hope you leave your brain to science so that someone can probe the connections you make (like train engine to Wilt Chamberlain) :)

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  6. Yogi♪♪♪March 3, 2012 at 11:00 AM

    I loved Wilt. I loved the epic battles between him and Bill Russell. I think that it was the golden age of the NBA.

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  7. PerthDailyPhotoMarch 3, 2012 at 11:18 AM

    7ft 1inch, that's just nuts! Come to think of it that's probably exactly what the 20,000 women he bedded said Birdman haha!

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  8. HalcyonMarch 3, 2012 at 4:42 PM

    I love trains. But I'm a little worried about taking the Via rail in Canada. They have a poor safety record. There was just a big derailment outside Toronto last week where quite a f people died. :(

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  9. LowellMarch 3, 2012 at 5:58 PM

    That's the engine that could. I met Wilt Chamberlain once...coming out of a restaurant in Boca Raton, Florida. I looked up at him and damn near broke my neck!

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  10. john bainMarch 3, 2012 at 7:34 PM

    That man had some stamina!

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  11. Bob CroweMarch 3, 2012 at 10:17 PM

    Well, both of your topics have power but only Wilt had grace (and I absolutely do not intend that to be a pun). I've heard about that game. The closest I've seen to such an event was my high school playing a weekday afternoon game at Power Memorial on NY's west side. Power was lead by one Lew Alcindor. We were leading at the half and lost the game by only 3. A near miracle.

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  12. RandyMarch 3, 2012 at 11:53 PM

    I passed one of these today while I was on the southbound train to Albuquerque.

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  13. AnonymousMarch 4, 2012 at 6:17 AM

    I remember Wilt the Stilt from days gone by. He was a biggy in the basketball world.

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  14. AnonymousMarch 4, 2012 at 10:42 AM

    Love that shot!

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  15. JackMarch 4, 2012 at 5:16 PM

    Johnny Most! What a voice! And, what an unbiased, objective analyst. (Hey, I'm a Celtics guy.)

    Wilt and Bill Russell was the match-up for its time, like Larry and Magic later. I remember the 100 points night.

    And, no, I'm not going to take the bait and comment on the ladies. This is the internet and people will find my comment forever.

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  16. KathyMarch 9, 2012 at 8:34 PM

    Please forgive me for not knowing Wilt the Stilt is no longer with us!

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