St. Joe’s Phil Martelli is one of the good guys

Memories of these people do not fade easily. Red McCarthy Franny Devine John Rosa Susan Genuardi Fazio John Kunda Joe Greenday Harry Caparo Karen DeGennaro Joe DeSantis Harry Mirabile Mike Giambrone Bud Hansen Harv Hennessey Readers will recognize some but not all of the names. They should know that this rather diverse group has two intense connections.

The first is that they were all my close friends. In some cases, my closest friends.

The second is that they all were delivered the ultimate knockout blow in the battle against cancer.

Some of them didn’t even reach age 50. Others made it to their 70s, but were active and valuable contributors to society – so much so that it seemed as if they were struck down in the prime of their lives.

Their names – and the names of two other very close friends who currently are locked in a lifeand-death battle with cancer – have been on my mind lately. Ever since the 113th Philadelphia Sports Writers Banquet two weeks ago.

A star-studded night, as always, this year’s event had a local connection. St. Joe basketball coach Phil Martelli received the Good Guy award from the sportswriters. Frankly, it was long overdue.

And a large contingent of people from Montgomery County turned out to honor the former Bishop Kenrick High basketball coach. There were a lot of laughs during the prebanquet cocktail hour. As always, the laughs continued when Martelli stepped up to the microphone.

Until his speech turned serious. Dead serious.

Martelli has been the co-chair, along with Temple basketball coach Fran Dunphy, for the Philadelphia chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer. This charity is a cooperative effort between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

All of the six Division I coaches in Philadelphia are involved, but Martelli and Dunphy have been the driving forces locally. Villanova Coach Jay Wright has now extended his efforts to the national level, producing a number of Public Service Announcements that have been airing all year.

The lifeblood of the organization – and the power behind the millions of dollars raised for the fight against cancer – is a series of events. They include the School and Youth Initiative, the Preseason Luncheon, the Golf Classic, the Tip-Off Breakfast and the Basketball Gala.

To find out more, go to www.phillycvc.org.

But, as important as this lifeblood of events is to the organization, the passion of the coaches is even more important. And nobody is more passionate about it than Martelli.

That was evident when he spoke at the Philadelphia Sports Writers banquet.

“I have seen and known cancer up close and it is the ugliest, most vile thing in this world,” said Martelli. “It has been killing people for many years but we are committed to stomping it out.

“We are going to crush cancer in our lifetimes,” Martelli continued. “The research that has been taking place is amazing. History has proven that, whenever the people in this country focus their efforts on a mission, they succeed. Our mission is to get rid of cancer forever and we are going to do it.”

By the end of the speech Martelli was speaking with the same passion and intensity that is usually reserved for a crucial timeout huddle … in a really close game … as time is running out on the game clock.

For many people, time is running out on their life clock. They can draw comfort in the fact that people like Martelli, the other coaches, and the thousands of people who support Coaches vs. Cancer are on their side.

Many basketball battles on Hawk Hill have been won simply because the players had Martelli on their side. Now he is involved in drawing up a game plan for a much more important battle.

In the battle vs. cancer, I like the chances of the side that has Phil Martelli on it.

Tony Leodora is president of TL Golf Services, host of the weekly GolfTalk Live radio show on WNTP 990-AM and host of the Traveling Golfer television show — as well as editor of GolfStyles magazine. He is former sports editor of The Times Herald. Send comments to tlgolfservices@aol.com.