City Journal Article

The Schwartz Factor: Donny Marshall

The new C's color man educates Jason Schwartz on the difference between Tommy Points and the Marshall Plan.

By Jason Schwartz

While at UConn you played on some really good teams alongside Donyell Marshall. Having two names that similar on a roster I think is a circumstance unequaled in sports, except last year when the Celtics had Tony Allen, Ray Allen, and Allan Ray. What do you make of that? Uh, coincidence. Donyell and I played with it a little bit. We'd tell people we were brothers. How crazy is that? People think, Oh, your parents named you the same name.

Now that you're filling in on the road for Tommy Heinsohn, how liberal can we expect you to be in doling out the Tommy Points? No, no, that's not me. The Tommy Points are Tommy Points and the Marshall Plan in the studio is the Marshall Plan. 

So you guys get possessive about that stuff? [Laughs.] Yeah, you know I let [analyst] Mike Gorman give out the Tommy Points when Tommy's not there. They're like a married couple going on 29 years, I think now 30 years.

I have to ask: Do you think Mike looks a little bit like KFC's Colonel Sanders? Oh no. Absolutely not. You don't think so? The little goatee…? No. You know, it's funny because Mike did my games when I was in college. I remember Mike when he had brown hair. He's never been a figure like Colonel Sanders.

Celtics fans will want to know if you think that the NBA referees have an agenda against the Celtics or are simply incompetent, or, like Tommy, think it's both. I think neither. I mean, that's Tommy's thing and he jokes about it, we joke about it.

You don't drink or smoke. No.

So now that your job is to go on NBA road trips, what's left for you to do? I work out a ton. If we go to nice places, I bring the golf clubs with me. And you know, there are a lot of good restaurants where we travel.

Oh. Because I had this vision in my head of you and Mike Gorman wearing pajamas and eating popcorn, watching old movies in the hotel room. Hey, you and these visions, man. We got to watch those.

Originally published in Boston magazine, December 2008
 

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