RealGM

I received it yesterday and I've already read the first few chapters. Well worth read.

Thanks for the heads up.

I want to know if he wrote about his ling-time broadcast partner Mike Smith. It seemed like a sour breakup. Smith wasn’t even there for Ralph’s Walk Of Fame induction.

Ralph Lawler: The Highs and Lows of My 40 Years With the Clippers

https://www.newsweek.com/ralph-lawler-clippers-los-angeles-broadcaster-retired-memoir-1758994

Akklaim1 wrote:I want to know if he wrote about his ling-time broadcast partner Mike Smith. It seemed like a sour breakup. Smith wasn’t even there for Ralph’s Walk Of Fame induction.

i always kinda wondered about that

i remember one time, it was either mike smith or ralph talking about how during their car ride together to games (it was like 3 hours or something every time because of where ralph lawler lived? insane lol), ralph at some point said no more talking during the ride because then they'd have nothing to talk about at the game.

at the time that seemed super weird to me, but makes some sense now if they just never really got along. reminds me of the scene in true detective where woody harrelson's character gets so fed up with matthew mcconaughey's character that he says something along the lines of "the car ride is from now on is quiet time and if you have any thoughts you want to speak about just stfu" lol

nickhx2 wrote:

Akklaim1 wrote:I want to know if he wrote about his ling-time broadcast partner Mike Smith. It seemed like a sour breakup. Smith wasn’t even there for Ralph’s Walk Of Fame induction.

i always kinda wondered about that

i remember one time, it was either mike smith or ralph talking about how during their car ride together to games (it was like 3 hours or something every time because of where ralph lawler lived? insane lol), ralph at some point said no more talking during the ride because then they'd have nothing to talk about at the game.

at the time that seemed super weird to me, but makes some sense now if they just never really got along. reminds me of the scene in true detective where woody harrelson's character gets so fed up with matthew mcconaughey's character that he says something along the lines of "the car ride is from now on is quiet time and if you have any thoughts you want to speak about just stfu" lol

I haven't gotten to the Mike Smith era, but Bill Walton in the preface of the book wrote that he and Ralph had the same rule- don't talk until going on air for game days so it seems like they are really excited to interact with each other.

esqtvd wrote:

I called the B/N Grove and they said this event was unfortunately canceled.

Was looking forward to it.

I know he is giving a book talk in SD on Thursday night, but that is too far from me and I'm planning on attending the Pistons-Clippers games that night.

Oh well!

Roscoe Sheed wrote:

esqtvd wrote:

I called the B/N Grove and they said this event was unfortunately canceled.

Was looking forward to it.

I know he is giving a book talk in SD on Thursday night, but that is too far from me and I'm planning on attending the Pistons-Clippers games that night.

Oh well!

via Facebook:

Then back in LA before Clipper-Spurs game Saturday night at Team LA store crypto.com arena at 6pm - Tip off to sign More books. First time back at the arena since retiring in 2019. Hope to see you there!

https://www.facebook.com/RALRetired?__cft__[0]=AZU7CcHDpXshbXGsg859n-smIfRm6cNW0hXb8TRt3tNsMWSgDa2JwEUUTwUrwKbndEfD6-N8cC541G3YUz1B0UIS6wIP2Ke88G96SJ9yFJPGMQ&__tn__=-UC%2CP-R

esqtvd wrote:

Roscoe Sheed wrote:

esqtvd wrote:

I called the B/N Grove and they said this event was unfortunately canceled.

Was looking forward to it.

I know he is giving a book talk in SD on Thursday night, but that is too far from me and I'm planning on attending the Pistons-Clippers games that night.

Oh well!

via Facebook:

Then back in LA before Clipper-Spurs game Saturday night at Team LA store crypto.com arena at 6pm - Tip off to sign More books. First time back at the arena since retiring in 2019. Hope to see you there!

https://www.facebook.com/RALRetired?__cft__[0]=AZU7CcHDpXshbXGsg859n-smIfRm6cNW0hXb8TRt3tNsMWSgDa2JwEUUTwUrwKbndEfD6-N8cC541G3YUz1B0UIS6wIP2Ke88G96SJ9yFJPGMQ&__tn__=-UC%2CP-R

Thanks- perhaps I'll look into that game

Roscoe Sheed wrote:

esqtvd wrote:

Roscoe Sheed wrote:I called the B/N Grove and they said this event was unfortunately canceled.

Was looking forward to it.

I know he is giving a book talk in SD on Thursday night, but that is too far from me and I'm planning on attending the Pistons-Clippers games that night.

Oh well!

via Facebook:

Then back in LA before Clipper-Spurs game Saturday night at Team LA store crypto.com arena at 6pm - Tip off to sign More books. First time back at the arena since retiring in 2019. Hope to see you there!

https://www.facebook.com/RALRetired?__cft__[0]=AZU7CcHDpXshbXGsg859n-smIfRm6cNW0hXb8TRt3tNsMWSgDa2JwEUUTwUrwKbndEfD6-N8cC541G3YUz1B0UIS6wIP2Ke88G96SJ9yFJPGMQ&__tn__=-UC%2CP-R

Thanks- perhaps I'll look into that game

good man, Roscoe
a true Clipper fan

hopefully Ralph will reschedule something in LA for the hardcore like you

I'm gonna guess that it was Walton who canceled and Ralph took the fall for him
Ralph went ahead with the San Diego appearances and is coming to the Crypt tomorrow

It wasn’t so much the autograph I was looking forward to, but the hilarious banter between Lawler and Walton

Here's a crazy anecdote from the Newsweek story:

I was blessed to experience a career that I loved from day one. I got my job at the Clippers when I was 40 years old. The early years in San Diego were joyful as I forged lifelong friendships with coach Gene Shue and future Hall of Fame center Bill Walton. I had my dream job—and then I lost it in 1981, at the age of 43. I was crushed, humbled, and disillusioned when a new radio home for the team decided I was not enough of an impassioned "Homer."

A chance meeting on a sandy beach in Del Mar with team owner Donald Sterling led to my return after a single season. He asked, "Why aren't you broadcasting our games anymore?" So, I was back with mic in hand and feeling great that my career was back on track.

Possibly the one good decision Sterling ever made as owner of the Clippers!

Akklaim1 wrote:I want to know if he wrote about his ling-time broadcast partner Mike Smith. It seemed like a sour breakup. Smith wasn’t even there for Ralph’s Walk Of Fame induction.

I just finished reading the book.

He makes sparing mention of Mike Smith.

He brought up the following topics about him:

1. Olowokandi had to be held back from hitting Smith while boarding the team plane after Smith accidentally bumped into him.

2. The suspension they received in 2009 for perceived insensitive comments about Iranians (linked to jokes regarding Memphis' Iranian player Hamed Haddadi).

3. He kind of insults Smith at the beginning of Chapter 24, when he wrote: "I went from the free-spirited Bill Walton to Michael Smith, which could be compared to going from the Grateful Dead to the Book of Mormon".

I enjoyed the book overall. He provided a full scope of his career and relationships. Worth the read, especially if you are a Clipper fan. He needed a better editor though as there are some errors (for example, he misspelled Milos as Melos and got some years wrong- such as stating that Blake Griffin was on the team when a guy with a knife was on the Staples Center court hours before a game in 2001- I don't remember that incident at all, but it either couldn't have been 2001 or Griffin couldn't have been on the court if it was). Those were just minor errors that didn't detract much from the book.