Charlotte’s own Sports Illustrated storyteller
Plus: Top news of the week — Charlotte's new police chief, Charlotte FC 1 game away from playoff elimination, new animal shelter, early voting on the rise, food pantries under pressure
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Larry Keith reflects on legends, lessons and a lifetime behind the bylines — from his Charlotte roots to the glory days of Sports Illustrated and back again
by Ken Garfield
It’s been a wonderful life for Larry Keith, starting with his wife, Carolyn, and their four kids and eight grandkids. He graduated from South Mecklenburg High School and UNC Chapel Hill and found his professional home as a writer, editor and consultant at Sports Illustrated for 33 years.
This was back when SI was king, with 3.2 million subscribers. In 2019, he returned to Charlotte, where he is now enjoying retirement.
Keith wrote 19 cover stories and witnessed such epic events as Billie Jean King beating Bobby Riggs in tennis’ Battle of the Sexes, Kirk Gibson’s legendary home run (and limp around the bases) in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, and the Dream Team’s gold medal triumph in the 1992 Olympics.
Keith, 78, recalls it all in his new memoir, “Touch ’Em All: My Life and Career at Sports Illustrated” (available through online booksellers). In this Q&A, Keith covers everything from his Charlotte sportswriting heroes to ticking off Larry Bird.
As an editor for the 1984 SI Swimsuit issue, Keith had the chance to meet some of the models, including Kathy Ireland. (Photos contributed by Larry Keith)
Q. Your first byline was at J. Mason Smith Junior High School in Charlotte. What did you write about?
Baseball. I wrote the headline: “Splendor In The Grass: The Story Of The Rams’ Baseball Season.”
Q. What has Charlotte meant in your life and career?
I’ve always been proud of the Queen City, not least because it provided the chance to start my journalism journey at The Charlotte News (which quit publishing in 1985). Although its circulation was smaller than The Observer’s, it had a rich writing heritage, especially in the sports department, where Sandy Grady, Furman Bisher and Bob Quincy preceded my arrival and Ron Green, Max Muhleman and Bill Ballenger became my colleagues. All were legends.
The city offered the Charlotte Hornets (minor league baseball) at Griffith Park, the Charlotte Checkers (hockey) at the Coliseum (now Bojangles Coliseum) and high school football at Memorial Stadium. I loved it all.
Q. Best athlete you ever covered in terms of talent and niceness?
Magic Johnson. His height (6 feet 9 inches) and ball-handling aplomb made him unstoppable as a point guard. He always had that smile. For a cover story when he was at Michigan State, I took Magic and his girlfriend (and now wife), Cookie, to dinner.
Q. Worst athlete, at least for niceness?
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton wouldn’t share insights with me (or other reporters). He was neither nice nor quotable beyond “I don’t talk to the press.” Terrific slider, though.
Q. Most enthralling sports event you covered?
On January 19, 1974, I sat courtside for one of the greatest comebacks ever, as Notre Dame scored 12 straight points in the final 3:22 to beat UCLA 71-70 and end the longest winning streak (88 games) in men’s college basketball. It incited mass hysteria in the Notre Dame Athletic & Convocation Center.
Q. You wrote 19 SI cover stories. Your favorite?
Maybe the one on Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda. Hanging with him for a week in Los Angeles exposed me to a whole different lifestyle and an array of show biz celebrities. My favorite was the comedian Jonathan Winters, who arrived late to a Beverly Hills dinner party and was immediately surrounded by an adoring crowd of fellow theatricals.
Q. What did you do to make Larry Bird mad when he was starring at Indiana State?
Because he was reluctant to open up to me, I called his mother. Moms and wives are journalistic gold in these awkward situations. Her willingness to talk allowed me to write this lead to my 1978 story: “The small southern Indiana community of French Lick has been a mite upset recently. According to Mrs. Georgia Bird, who works part-time at Flick’s Restaurant downtown and ought to know, ‘Everybody is moaning and groaning’ because her son Larry, who plays up the road in Terre Haute, is not leading the country in scoring.”
After hearing from her that we had conversed, Bird’s feathers were ruffled (pun intended). “You shouldn’t have called my mother,” he said stonily. Later in life, he could be quite open and clever.
Q. Most embarrassing moment on the job?
Late in the 1978 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates told me their trainer was the “world’s strongest man” and would prove it by lifting me and two others off the ground simultaneously.
It was a ruse. Instead, I was immobilized on the locker room floor between two players, Dave Parker and Bill Robinson, whose combined height and weight was 12 feet 7 inches, 420 pounds. Uh-oh.
At that moment, the rest of the team covered me with shaving cream. I’d been snookered.
Talk about starting early: Larry Keith was 13 months old when he met boxing legend Jack Dempsey (“The Manassa Mauler”) at a wedding.
Q. One word that captures these icons. Dean Smith?
Genius.
Q. Pete Rose?
Exposed.
Q. Ever write about rasslin’ legend Ric Flair?
No. But Carolyn and I live on the Charlotte cul-de-sac where he used to live. Wooooooooo!
Freelance writer/editor Ken Garfield is a frequent contributor to The Ledger. Reach him at garfieldken3129@gmail.com.
Today’s supporting sponsor is Dye Culik, a corporate and litigation law firm based in Charlotte, NC representing businesses and franchises in NC, SC, MA, and MI.
🇺🇸 Need to study up on Tuesday’s election? Check out these resources
Early voting ends today (Saturday) at 3 p.m., and Election Day is Tuesday. On the ballot: city and town mayor and council races, school board and the big transportation referendum.
➡️ Candidate info: Check out TheElectionHub.org for detailed and readable info on every candidate on the ballot in Mecklenburg (plus candidates in Gastonia, Mount Holly and Belmont).
➡️ Referendum info: Our latest issue of Transit Time, produced with WFAE, looks closer at the transportation tax referendum.
🎧 You might also enjoy a few short podcasts to get the info you need:
The case *for* Mecklenburg’s transportation referendum (with opinion article)
The case *against* Mecklenburg’s transportation referendum (with opinion article)
This week in Charlotte: New police chief, early voting surges, food pantries gear up, new animal shelter on the way, CMS adopts AI policy
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Politics
Early voting surge: Through Thursday, the number of early voters in Mecklenburg is up 60% compared with the same period in the last municipal elections in 2023. Experts believe the transit/transportation referendum is fueling the surge, and several school board and City Council races are also on the ballot.
Transit tax campaign pulls in $1.7M from big business: (Ledger 🔒) The pro–sales tax group backing Mecklenburg’s transit plan has raised $1.7 million so far, with major support from Atrium Health, HNTB Corporation, and real estate and construction firms.
City backs revival of historic Excelsior Club: (WFAE) The Charlotte City Council unanimously approved $1.5M to help redevelop the iconic west Charlotte venue. Combined with county funds, $3M in public money will support plans for a new restaurant, museum and community space on the site.
Local news
New police chief: (CMPD on X) The city of Charlotte named Estella Patterson, the former police chief in Raleigh, as Charlotte’s new police chief. Patterson started her career with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police and will be Charlotte’s first woman to lead the department. She’ll replace Johnny Jennings, who previously announced his retirement.
Food pantries brace for SNAP shutdown fallout: (Ledger 🔒) With federal food aid at risk amid the government funding standoff, Mecklenburg nonprofits warn they can’t absorb the loss of benefits for roughly 140,000 county residents. A federal judge late Friday ordered the federal government to continue to pay the benefits, but disruptions to the aid still seem likely, the New York Times reported.
Charlotte planning new $30M animal adoption center: (Ledger) The city has begun early work on a second shelter on South Tryon Street that would add about 130 kennels to ease overcrowding and reduce euthanasia at the existing, decades-old facility near the airport.
Education
CMS AI policy: (WFAE) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools approved a new policy that encourages classroom use of artificial intelligence while requiring responsible use, transparency, data protection and creation of an AI Review Committee to oversee approved technologies and training.
Business
Developer eyes next phase near NoDa: (Ledger Real Estate Whispers 🔒)With The Pass coming to life by the Sugar Creek light-rail station, Flywheel Group is now rezoning nearby parcels for future mixed-use projects that could bring hundreds of homes, new retail and a section of the Cross Charlotte Trail.
Housing still out of reach for many: (Axios Charlotte) A new UNC Charlotte report shows the region has added more homes than households, but prices continue to climb, with a median home now costing about $444,000 and requiring an income of roughly $146,000. Researchers warn that construction is slowing and demand keeps rising, meaning affordability isn’t likely to improve anytime soon.
Sports
Charlotte FC in the playoffs: (Fútbol Friday) Charlotte FC lost its opening playoff game and needs a win today in New York to keep its season alive.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
New $30M animal shelter. Plus: Toppman reviews ‘Murder on the Orient Express’; Early voting up 51%; Pumpkin wall lit; Cease-and-desist letters sent to school board candidates; Butterfly species named after Iryna Zarutska
Wednesday (🔒)
Charlotte’s helping hands are stretched thin. Plus: Food pantries brace for surge as food-assistance benefits expire; Elizabeth Pumpkin Wall falls; Adding up cost of new animal shelter; I-277 pedestrian bridge; CMS adopts AI policy
Friday (🔒)
Finding peace in clearing the clutter. Plus: Charlotte Douglas hasn’t yet seen major air traffic controller-related delays; What’s next for undeveloped NoDa site; Hottest Halloween costume this year; Toppman reviews ‘Fall Works’
Ways of Life (🔒)
In memoriam: Damon Bidencope, a croquet champion and pioneer. Also remembered: Owner of company that built the movie theater at Park Road Shopping Center and the Cameron Brown Building; longtime teacher; clerk and lawyer during desegregation
What to know about the transformation tax referendum: An overview + details of the plan for buses, roads, rail ... and how it would be paid for
All aboard ‘Orient Express’ at Theatre Charlotte: ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ runs through Nov. 9 at Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road.
What’s next for big undeveloped NoDa site? Plus: County weighing land-banking policy; New-to-Charlotte restaurant heading to Legacy Union?; Behind the Pacific Life deal
Fútbol Friday
Q&A with Charlotte FC star Idan Tokolomati: Shy but standout 21-year-old Israeli striker breaks silence in responses for Futbol Friday.
Playoff time: Examining the fallout from Tuesday’s playoff loss, and looking ahead to today’s game against New York City FC.
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