Tamir Goodman Resurfaces
More evidence that being a childhood star causes damage comes from Gelf Magazine in a piece tracking down Tamir Goodman. The former high school hoops phenom/media darling from Pikesville, Md., never really had a chance to live up to the expectations created by all those newspaper, TV, and radio pieces produced during his junior year at Talmudical Academy of Baltimore.
All these years later, he uses his own Web site to blame his failures on the the administrations of the Talmudical Academy and the University of Maryland (which backed out of a scholarship offer made to the then-11th-grader when it realized he really wasn't very good), and Towson Coach Michael Hunt (a Crank Yankers favorite, no doubt), whom Goodman accuses of verbal and physical abuse and "criminal behavior." After flopping at Towson, Goodman fled to Israel, and is now playing in the second division of the Israeli Premier League. He makes it clear he's still in the game only to serve God and country. There's no hint that he might not be as talented as well-wishers wanted him to be.
I first saw Goodman play in January 1999 just before his story broke out of Pikesville's tight-knit Orthodox community. The home game, against a talentless team from Antioch Christian, was played at the academy's tiny home court, which was housed not in a gym but in something called the Multi-Purpose Room, in front of hundreds of Orthodox youngsters and parents who acted as if it could have been their first sporting experience. The Christians prevailed, but while Goodman signed autographs after the final buzzer, his coach bragged that there was no bigger talent in the area, and his father told me that Goodman felt like he was playing basketball not for love of the game but "for the Jewish people."
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With all due respect to the paper/website this article appears in, I find it semi-hilarious that a two bit hack of a writer who never made it anywhere past a mediocre free paper, slings mud at someone who actually had the guts to step out and attempt to accomplish something.
I also laugh at all those who claim to be"first on the story" when they were nothing but bandwagon wannabes. The January game McKenna refers to, took place well after that story went national and he knows better. However, being that he works at a paper no one reads, no one will ever question his facts.
I first saw Goodman play in January 1999 just before his story broke out of Pikesville’s tight-knit Orthodox community.
False-the story broke long before you got there. Are we to believe that you, who has been working at this paper for over seven years minimum (some career explosion yourself, Dave) found Goodman and was onto his "scam" from the outset? Wow what a great reporter you are-finding a Jew in the backwoods before anyone else....nice try. I guess that overstatement explains why you still work there, huh?
The home game, against a talentless team from Antioch Christian,
which sent FOUR players onto Division Three/NAIA schools-yeah you can sure call 'em...
was played at the academy’s tiny home court, which was housed not in a gym but in something called the Multi-Purpose Room, in front of hundreds of Orthodox youngsters and parents who acted as if it could have been their first sporting experience.
Nice touch. When are the " cagy, and slick references" going to appear-in your next piece about sheltered Orthodox?
The Christians prevailed, but while Goodman signed autographs after the final buzzer, his coach bragged that there was no bigger talent in the area
Revisionist history. The coach said he was as good as Keith Jennifer and Tay Johnson, but needed work to be Mo Hatton-he only said that in most every interview-except yours of course because you found him....
Best part about all your hack work Dave, is that it hasn't gotten any better over the years-just more wiseguyish and obscure-thank heavens for that. Dave, you epitomize the old adage basketball coaches always throw around about bad writers-Those who can't and never could, telling those who can, how they should.
I would have thought after all the years at this paper your work would have gotten better, but lucky for us, it still reeks of jealousy and envy from a life void of any meaningful activity or thought. The best news is, I don't have to waste any money on fish wrap. "Hey honey, McKenna's piece is here...get the fish...."
Laughable.
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