The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight That Changed Basketball Forever

Rating:
Summary: Pedestrian Summation
Review: As other online reviewers have noted, "The Punch" is comprehensive, but suffers from a serious lack of editing. The same phrases and even sentences are repeated in the book 4 or 5 times. It's as if Feinstein believes that his readers are so stupid that they need to be told the same thing over and over again -- or that his publisher asked him to pad this book to its 350-page length.

Also curious is Feinstein's repeated referrals to basketball as it was in the late 1970s vs. 2001-2002 when he wrote the book. I assume that the primary audience for the book are people like me -- sports fans of 40-plus who remember the Punch when it happened. We also know what the NBA was like pre-Magic, pre-Bird, pre-Jordan. So don't belabor the point.

Still, the book has done us all a nice service by summing up the events leading up to and post-dating the Punch. And it does a very nice job of giving a more rounded perspective than Kermit Washington has portrayed for the past 20 years. Kevin Kunnert in particular must be pleased.



Rating:
Summary: The long term impact of a moment few will ever forget
Review: I remember when the "punch" happened. At the time it was fortunate that our modern media was not in place, because we would have been subject to replays for weeks on end. Even so, what I felt as a young person seeing the impact of the blow, and more importantly, what I felt towards Kermit Washington, stuck with me all these years and came back as I opened and started reading this book.

This book details the lives of the two people; both before and after the event itself. One of the more powerful elements of the story is how fast life can change. Kermit Washington is a man that should be admired for his work ethic, his tenacity in overcoming a tough childhood, and his charity work throughout the world. Unlike many of the NBA players today who get involved in drugs, crime, and are some of the most self-centered people imaginable, Kermit is none of those things. Despite this fact, he also appears to be a bitter man who cannot get beyond the effects of these events. The book explores the fact that Kermit Washington is far more than a man defined by this one moment.

Throughout the book I saw myself as one of those who viewed this man in a negative light for nearly 30 years and realized that I represent what Kermit Washington cannot let go of. That the book has the purpose and result of illuminating that life is not always what it seems makes it a remarkable gift.

The other side of the story depicts the saga of Rudy Tomjanovich. The scars of the damage go well beyond the physical features of Rudy, although he has gone on to much success in his career as a player and a coach. It was fascinating to read about the reactions of his teammates, and how close to death Rudy came.

One valid criticism of this book is the editing. The content is excellent, and the author has provided some great insights into an event that took place nearly three decades ago. However, the story does take a bit of work to get through at times because of the way the editing results in what seems to be a lack of continuity in how the information is depicted. One often gets the feeling that they are reading the same thing over and over.

Overall, if you also experienced this event I would recommend this book despite some of the editing opportunities. If you, like me, have had a view of these two people as a result of the "punch", then a full view of the people involved is invaluable. I changed my long held opinions as a result of reading this book. The story is compelling and well worth the effort.


Rating:
Summary: Promises the world, delivers squat
Review: If you are reading this, then you already know what the book is about, so there is no need for me to describe "The Punch" and who was involved. Unfortunately, the author does not share this belief and not only wants to tell you, but insists on telling you over and over again in mind-numbing repetition.
The reason for this is clear to me: this is not really a book. It is a long magazine article masquerading as a book. Some judicious editing would have shown exactly that. But the publishers would have had to issue the book at less than one-half its length which surely would have impeded sales. It is now a respectable length thanks to the author's need to describe the personalties of both men and the surrounding cast too many times. Nevertheless and despite my carping, it is a strangely compelling story and one that most sports enthusiasts may find interesting. Give it a try if the subject interests you, but don't have high expectations.

Rating:
Summary: Misses his own point
Review: In the introduction, Feinstein tells us how compelling he found this subject and how he pursued Tomjanovich and Washington rather than writing a book on golf. Then he inexplicably rushes through the book without apparent editing or proofreading. As many of the other reviewers point out, the repetition is extremely distracting. Of course, Feinstein's work never really qualifies as fine literature, but he's usually a very good sports journalist. This plainly is not his best work, which is too bad because he was right -- there was an interesting story here.
Regarding that story, the author's presentation was reasonable but could have been more comprehensive. In particular, he presents the punch and it's aftermath as an unfortunate incident -- almost an accident. Although he mentions in passing that Tomjanovich came close to dying, he never explores just what that would have meant, both to Washington and to professional sports. Instead, he recounts both players' careers and alternates between sympathetic and pathetic portrayals of Washington. He seems to want us to choose sides and then tells us that there are no sides.
As for Washington, it's unfortunate that this one event has overshadowed all of the good things that he has done inside and outside of basketball. But I have to agree with John Lucas that Washington has never owned up and taken responsibility for his actions. He refers to events using the passive voice. He childishly blames someone else for starting the fight. Heck, Tomjanovich takes more responsibility for what happened than Washington does. And if we use the measure that bad people are people who do bad things, for one moment at least Kermit Washington was a bad person.

Rating:
Summary: Misses his own point
Review: In the introduction, Feinstein tells us how compelling he found this subject and how he pursued Tomjanovich and Washington rather than writing a book on golf. Then he inexplicably rushes through the book without apparent editing or proofreading. As many of the other reviewers point out, the repetition is extremely distracting. Of course, Feinstein's work never really qualifies as fine literature, but he's usually a very good sports journalist. This plainly is not his best work, which is too bad because he was right -- there was an interesting story here.
Regarding that story, the author's presentation was reasonable but could have been more comprehensive. In particular, he presents the punch and it's aftermath as an unfortunate incident -- almost an accident. Although he mentions in passing that Tomjanovich came close to dying, he never explores just what that would have meant, both to Washington and to professional sports. Instead, he recounts both players' careers and alternates between sympathetic and pathetic portrayals of Washington. He seems to want us to choose sides and then tells us that there are no sides.
As for Washington, it's unfortunate that this one event has overshadowed all of the good things that he has done inside and outside of basketball. But I have to agree with John Lucas that Washington has never owned up and taken responsibility for his actions. He refers to events using the passive voice. He childishly blames someone else for starting the fight. Heck, Tomjanovich takes more responsibility for what happened than Washington does. And if we use the measure that bad people are people who do bad things, for one moment at least Kermit Washington was a bad person.

Rating:
Summary: Deja View all over again
Review: Like so many other reviewers, I concur with their repeated assaults on the repetitiveness of this book. I tend to read several books at a time, never having a problem picking up where I left off. However, with this book, I kept feeling that I was reading backwards with the rehashing of events and personalities time after time. A good story, yes, but a difficult read.

Rating:
Summary: Deja View all over again
Review: Like so many other reviewers, I concur with their repeated assaults on the repetitiveness of this book. I tend to read several books at a time, never having a problem picking up where I left off. However, with this book, I kept feeling that I was reading backwards with the rehashing of events and personalities time after time. A good story, yes, but a difficult read.

Rating:
Summary: Redundant as All Get Out
Review: The first 40 pages of "The Punch" will have you racing to the next page- It's a great opener to a great story about the most infamous fight in basketball history. Feinstein has a great oportunity to tell the story of Rudy Tomjonavich and Kermit Washington before and after the punch, and for the most part, the book is fairly interesting. The problem is that he describes the incident and the immediate effects brilliantly in the first 40 pages, so for the next 250 pages there is a strong redundancy. At times I was amazed that I was reading the exact same paragraphs I had already read previously in the book. The book would be exceptional if the author had the trust in the reader to know that they would remember the events of the books beginning and thus cut all the re-telling. Still- I enjoyed this book because it shed a lot of insight not just into these two players lives, but also the NBA and basketball as a sport. It is definatly worth the read but be prepared to skim-

Rating:
Summary: Redundant as All Get Out
Review: The first 40 pages of "The Punch" will have you racing to the next page- It's a great opener to a great story about the most infamous fight in basketball history. Feinstein has a great oportunity to tell the story of Rudy Tomjonavich and Kermit Washington before and after the punch, and for the most part, the book is fairly interesting. The problem is that he describes the incident and the immediate effects brilliantly in the first 40 pages, so for the next 250 pages there is a strong redundancy. At times I was amazed that I was reading the exact same paragraphs I had already read previously in the book. The book would be exceptional if the author had the trust in the reader to know that they would remember the events of the books beginning and thus cut all the re-telling. Still- I enjoyed this book because it shed a lot of insight not just into these two players lives, but also the NBA and basketball as a sport. It is definatly worth the read but be prepared to skim-

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Topic, Though Often Repeats Itself
Review: This book has a fascinating topic, and Feinstein has a talent for research and storytelling. However, I feel he did not edit the book as well as he could have. He repeats himself several times throughout the narrative.
The book is about the punch that Rudy Tomjanovich received by Kermit Washington back in 1977, that has haunted them ever since. Feinstein interviews those involved to find out what really happened.
Though often times redundant, this book is a great read, as well as a quick read. I recommend it.