manute bol

I suppose those who start out highest have the farthest to fall. Manute Bol, the 7’7″ Sudan man who remains the tallest player in the history of the NBA, was an endearing freak show during his career. (Woody Allen: “Manute Bol is so skinny, to save money on road trips they just fax him from city to city.”)
But once his career ended, he ended up in the middle of Sudan’s civil war (read that last link if you read no others here), held prisoner by government forces. Last year, he managed to escape to Egypt, and finally a few months ago made it back to the U.S.. It’s an amazing story.
I suppose that’s why it’s so unspeakably sad to see Manute Bol, former millionaire, noble Dinka tribesman, freak of nature, reduced to Celebrity Boxing II to raise cash.