Man who Fame forgot. Hardly an original sentiment, but too often appropriate.

Joe Dan Gold was buried Saturday near his home town Benton in Marshall County. An internet obituary intended to highlight his 68 years was well-intentioned but too shallow by 94 feet at least. Not mentioned – Gold’s one shining moment 48 years ago. One that must have stirred our best angels to song.

With last week’s telecast of The Civil War for context, says here Gold’s shining moment would have been seized upon by documentarian Ken Burns and recast as historic and socially significant. Burns would have handed David McCullough an eloquent script, put music behind the narrative, and made Gold famous.

Man who Fame forgot. No hall of fame shrine for Joe Dan Gold north of Mississippi State U.. And certainly no place in Kentucky’s athletics hall of fame.

Gold was a Kentucky small townie who earned a Southeastern Conference basketball scholarship that did not bear University of Kentucky on it.

In three seasons under coach Babe McCarthy, Gold helped State to three SEC championships, 65 wins in 78 games including wins over Kentucky in 1962 and ‘63.

He averaged a sturdy 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds and captained a State’s first ever NCAA Tournament in 1963; Achieved Academic All-SEC; Coached Mississippi State five seasons; Became an educator.

And, there was that other thing in East Lansing Michigan.

I never met Joe Dan Gold. A principle thing – always keep heroes at a distance.

His distinctive name, being a native Kentuckian who played hoops well enough to earn a college scholarship, coach and teach, were admirable.

But Gold is a hero of mine more because of that other thing. The hand shake.

March 15, 1963 in East Lansing, Joe Dan Gold and his team defied a hateful law in Mississippi set by men in high office that forbade white athletes to compete against blacks. Gold went further, shook hands with Loyola of Chicago’s Jerry Harkness at center court. It was a moment.

“… that was the beginning of the end of segregation (in college basketball).” Harkness would say later.

One shining moment transcended ignorance tied to skin color. Two college kids made a symbol, a hand shake that ironically enough is emblazoned on Kentucky’s state flag.

The shining moment shared by Gold and Harkness made the long, rough road to a better America one pot hole less troublesome.

“They were more of a winner than we were,” Harkness said of Mississippi State’s team after Loyola won the game. “It took a long time for me to realize all that they went through. Today, I think that game was bigger than (us) winning the national championship.” Happened in Louisville.

It was certainly bigger, more compelling than three years later, Kentucky and Texas Western.

In 2008 Joe Dan Gold visited Harkness at home. “… we shook hands and nodded at one another (like first time),” Harkness told a reporter. “I wish I could describe the warmth, the shared feeling.”

Hearing of Gold’s death last week, Harkness said, “I’d say we became close friends. We intended to get together again and now we won’t. I’ll always regret that. We didn’t learn enough about each other.”

But we learned this: one shining moment in East Lansing, Michigan on March 15, 1963, meant something to a nation.

Man who Fame forgot, Joe Dan Gold … rest in peace.

STOVALL’S DRUM

Coach Kerry Stovall has done it again. Took a life pause the other day, listened to his own drum, marched to its cadence and, while at the pinnacle of his profession, resigned as coach.

To put family ahead of all else should not be thought extraordinary, but coaching has become so all consuming and nourishes personal ambition at the expense of all else.

Stovall guided Christian County to the state title last month, Anthony Hickey to Mr. Basketball and a D-I college scholarship, then resigned for three best reasons I can think of – his wife of 25 years, 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son.

“It’s time to have a little dad time,” 48-year-old Stovall told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Realizing the parade passes by but once, Stovall intends to watch his son play basketball and his daughter perform on the swim team.

NEWS & VIEWS

NEWS. All-staters Chane Behanan at Bowling Green, Vinny Zollo and Robbie Stenzel of Clark County said no last week to trying out for the Kentucky all-star team.

VIEW. Behanan and Zollo being transplants from Ohio apparently harbor no special loyalty to Kentucky in the summer series with Indiana. But Stenzel declining to try out for the team, is a disappointment.

Across the Ohio River, Hoosier high schoolers still think it an honor to try out and represent Indiana. Little wonder the Hoosier high school basketball dominates the summer series with Kentucky to a point the long time series may be ended.

NEWS. After nine years away, John Pelphrey returns to Billy Donovan’s staff at Florida with all or a goodly portion of $1.8 million owed him by Arkansas.

VIEW. Arkansas fans will regret not supporting Pelphrey. The man who turns 43 in July, may be the proverbial cat always landing on its feet. Almost certainly the Paintsville native will be a college head coach again.

And so it goes.

Sports In Kentucky appears in community newspapers across Kentucky. You can reach Bob Watkins at Sprtsinky@aol.com