Tags
Basketball, Bishop Ford, East 5th Street Park, Holy Cross, Manhattan Beach, New Jersey, St. Saviour's
Throw-Back Thursday is a pretty popular theme on social media. People like to post old school pictures and apply the tag, #TBT. Here at Container Diaries, it’s always “throw-back” day. You know that!
This morning while sipping some hot coffee and reading the newspaper I thought of one of my favorite people of all-time.
It wasn’t often that you shared your thoughts about someone, especially publicly. Unless you didn’t like someone, you made it clear to them.
This guy I am about to write about didn’t live in the neighborhood but he was close. Third street between 7th and 8th avenues to be exact.
St.Saviour’s guy. But we never held that against him. I almost went to Saviour’s. We lived on 10th street.
I am talking about Chris Logan. The guy that everyone called, “Tiffer” played basketball for Bishop Ford. He was 6’8″ and one of the best players I recall watching during the 80’s.
He’s also one of my favorite people of all-time.
This guy is the salt of the earth. I mean it.
They don’t come any better. Matter of fact, they don’t make ’em like this anymore.
Two months ago on my visit back to Brooklyn I had the chance to catch up with Chris.
He has not changed.
He’s the same as he was back in the day.
Awesome!
Sincere.
Funny.
Down-to-earth.
I recall as a teen, the “lost days” as I like to call them I had just finished playing ball at East 5th street park. I must have been 16 or maybe 17? As I was about to exit the park and walk up the hill back to the neighborhood I heard someone shout;
“YO RED, YOU WANT A RIDE?”
I looked over my left shoulder and Chris Logan was getting into his car. I didn’t have my bike at the time so getting a lift up the hill was a welcomed thought. I just finished playing ball and I was dead-tired.
Without hesitating I walked towards the car and hopped in the front seat.
To be able to ride with Chris was an amazing opportunity. I had watched Chris play ball at Ford and now he was playing ball at Holy Cross College.
He was a guy a teenager could look up to; he was the perfect example of how to live your life. Great role model. Older guys don’t do that anymore. It’s a “Me” society now.
Chris Logan played the game the right way.
He lived the right way too.
He cared about people. Still does to this day.
I never heard anyone say anything bad about the guy.
We rode up the hill and Chris stopped the car outside Bishop Ford. We parked on ninth avenue. Keep in mind it was the middle of the summer. School was out. Somehow we got in the locked-down building and went straight to the gym.
I wasn’t sure why we were there. I lived a few blocks away, I felt like leaving and going home to sleep.
Glad I stayed.
As we entered the hot gym Chris threw his car keys down on a plastic chair and like Houdini, he appeared with a basketball. Chris got some shots up while I rebounded and made passes back to him for the next 30 minutes.
After some shooting we went into the weight room and lifted for 30 more minutes.
Chris had just finished playing ball at the park and now he was putting in extra work. It’s what the great players do. They do a little extra. He was a D-1 college basketball player, not satisfied with his current state. He wanted to get better. I’m not sure if kids today subscribe to this theory?
The hour I spent with the guy everyone knows as “Tiffer” was 60 minutes that I treasured for the rest of my life. I never forgot what he did for this low self-esteem teenager. He lifted me up. That’s what the great ones do.
If the world had more Chris Logan’s, it would be a much better place. Especially the game of basketball.
I recall a hot Saturday afternoon right around that time I rode my bike to Manhattan Beach and watched Chris play and his team stayed on the court all day.
The guy was and still is a winner.
Chris has a lovely family and is living in New Jersey. His son looks like he’s going to be some ball player.
-Red
Hoops135@hotmail.com
Joe said:
Red,
I absolutley agree. I met Chris through Carl Manco and he’s the type of guy who would go to bat for you if needed. Not many nicer than Chris and the Logan family.
Red said:
Joe,
Chris is the best…
David walsh said:
Trying to contact Chris, used to work at McFadden on 42nd street haven’t seen him in 30 yrs. DavidWalsh.applicant@gmail .com many thanks david.
Steve said:
Chris is an outstanding human being…Character Hall of Fame.
richie k said:
Tall skinny guy. Blond hair lollll
Red said:
Richie,
Impressive…
Jim Casey said:
Red,
Agree with all you wrote.
I helped recruit Chris for Holy Cross and have kept in touch over the years. He drove way out to Eastern Long Island to speak at my camp years ago. No matter how many times I try, he still only calls me Mr. Casey. When he was at Donny Kent’s event, I also noticed how tall his 12 year old son is, and that he carried a ball into the Church basement.
None better than Chris.
Red said:
Chris would give you the shirt off his back.
He is too kind.
We need more guys like him.
His son will be a good one. And how about that? Carrying his ball with him. Sounds like something I did back in the day.
Still do matter of fact; I have 19 basketballs in my trunk.
LOL
Curly said:
Red,
1st time I met Logan was at a house in East Quogue out in the Hamptons near The Quogue East Pub, 1985ish?, I was in a house with some friends of mine and his who went to Holy Cross with him….There was some other tall guys who had some height in the house, but not Tiffer’s……Amongst many things that occurred that summer, I remember Logie sleeping on a couch in the Living Room numerous late nights that was maybe 5 feet long, his arms-legs-and head were al over the place hanging way past the edges….It was hysterical……Then, it turns out I was working and playing hoops with his boys Daly, Gigs, etc…and knew Danny Leary from Rochester……And as we all know his quality time spent at Ryan McFadden’s in the formative years and now his time at The Plam West it’s always good to see him working all who stop by for quality time with him, even if the service is slow and the beer is warm….. Ha!
Like all good NY’ers, 1 of a kind!
Curly
Connolly said:
Hey, that was my house in the Hamptons along with Bob Moran and a bunch of Holy Cross boys who introduced me to Chris.
Met Chris years earlier at HC on a visit – Good man then also!
As a matter of fact, I even spent a few hours of my bachelor party at McFadden’s with Chris at the tap. Now it’s “a” Bud Light at the Palm, a short brief conversation and a round of golf every so often – It’s always a pleasure to talk with him and he never forgets my wife and kids…
Hats off to the author of this and…
All the best to Chris – his family and his buddies!!!
Connolly
Red said:
Thanks Connolly…
Hope you are well.
Rick Kadlub said:
I worked with Chris at The Brooklyn Public Library probably 1976 great guy…..
Steve said:
Good stuff. Chris has a son, a junior in HS, good ballplayer – tall.