The Punch By : John Feinstein Speed Dating Activity

1. The PunchBy : John Feinstein Speed Dating Activity Tyler Stayer 3rd period Henson 10/26/11

2. Quick summary • The Punch by John Feinstein explores the lives of two men who were involved in a life changing incident. • These two men, Rudy Tomjanovich and Kermit Washington life’s changed forever after the this incident known as the punch. • Feinstein investigates their lives before the punch and also the aftermath for both men of this life changing incident. • This investigation shows that this one incident does not define who these men are as people.

3. Section 1 : Before the Incident - Rudy • Called the “shoemakers son,” Rudy Tomjanovich as a “child grew up watching his dad shining shoes in the small store across the street from his house.” (Feinstein 124) • In the picture to the right it shows that Rudy grew up in a blue collar area and was taught at an early age that success only came with hard work. Rudy’s father drank excessively causing Rudy to want to get out of Detroit and into the world. This desire to get out led him to work hard to become a basketball player.

4. Section 1 : Before the Incident - Rudy • When Rudy went to High School he was put on the jv1 basketball team. That summer the coach told him he would not make Varsity the next year. Rudy set to prove him wrong, playing basketball almost 24/7 at the park near his house. The next fall not only did Rudy make Varsity but quickly became the star player. Rudy’s dedication to success on the court and in the classroom led to a scholarship from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After 4 successful years at Michigan, Rudy was drafted by the Houston Rockets where he would have a long successful career both playing and coaching.

5. Section 2 : Before the Incident - Kermit • “Kermit’s childhood consisted of verbal and physical abuse that led to him and his brother moving in with their great grandmother.” (Feinstein 110) • After experiencing abuse throughout his childhood, Kermit supported the stopping of child abuse with donations and ceminars.

6. Section 2 : Before the Incident - Kermit • Kermit Washington’s early memories are not fond ones. When he was 4 years old his parents got into a huge fight that lend to screaming and blood. Kermit and his older brother Eric moved to his great grandmothers house. When his father got remarried, Kermit and his brother went to live with his father. Kermit went to a high school that was dominated by two gangs that fought and on occasion killed each other. Just like Rudy this motivated Kermit to get out of this town and into the world of basketball. After succeeding through high school and college at American, Kermit was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers.

7. Section 3 : THE PUNCH • “Rudy saw his teammate Kunnert and ran back down court to help him. The next thing he remembers is thinking the scoreboard had landed on his head.” • This picture is used to show the adrenaline and rashness of the infamous Punch. This very image would effect both of these lives forever.

8. Section 3 : The Punch • In a regular season game between the Los Angeles Lakes and the Houston Rockets a skirmish broke out on the court. Emotions were at a high when Rudy Tomjanovich ran across the court to aid his teammates. Kermit Washington, a member of the Rockets threw a punch that would come to haunt him for the rest of his life. On the receiving end of the punch was Tomjanovich, this punch would end up costing him his career as a basketball player.

9. Section 4 : Aftermath “After the Punch Washington was treated terribly and could not find his calling after basketball.” (Feinstein 314) Even though Tomjanovich was never able to play in the NBA again, he continued his love for basketball by coaching the Rockets to a championship in 1994. Unlike Tomjanovich, Kermit Washington did not experience any kind of success after the Punch.

10. Section 4 : Aftermath • After the punch Kermit went into seclusion and made terrible life decisions that would ruin the life of him and his family. Kermit cheated on his wife with his yoga instructor leading to a divorce and separation from his children. Kermit would go on to marry this yoga instructor and live a life with regrets. After Rudy retired from the head coaching job of the Rockets he retired with his wife Sophie. Unfortunately Rudy’s accomplishments would always be overshadowed one tragic incident.

11. Section 5 : Brothers • “…because of this one incident both Rudy and Kermit would be connected to each other forever.” (Feinstein 341) • Years after the two are shown here, sharing their life stories and how this one incident changed their lives for the better and the worse. Though all the anger that Rudy felt toward Kermit he understood that for Kermit’s life after was harder than his own.

12. Section 5 : Brothers • The two men now talk frequently on the phone and occasionally in person. They share the stress of being a basketball player and the memory of what happened one cold night in December. The two did not talk until 20 years after the incident but discovered through their versions of the story that Kermit Washington is not a bad man, but a man that made a mistake due to adrenaline and lack of experience. Without the Punch who knows whether or not Tomjanovich would have become one of the greatest coaches ever.