Do you remember Doe Moe?

A longtime ABA staple as a power forward/center, Moe served as the Sixers head coach for part of the 1992-93 season. Moe signed a five-year contract with the Sixers to help bring his run-and-gun style he employed in Denver to Philadelphia.

Well, Moe’s style didn’t stick, as the Sixers slipped to an abysmal 19-37 record after their first 56 games. Moe was fired on March 6, 1993 and replaced with Fred Carter. He wasn’t much better, as the team finished with an overall 26-56 mark. Moe’s stay is often viewed as one of the worst coaching jobs in Philly sports history.

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column - reminiscing about sports and pop culture from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and sometimes before and beyond - I’ll look back at the Sixers coaches through the years, as well as some basketball-related items and trivia.

Nasty Nineties ... It wasn’t a good decade of Sixers basketball for their players and coaches in the 90s.

Carter worked his way through the following season, and followed the previous poor year with a lopsided 26-57 slate. “Mad Dog” was an intense player for the team, but he couldn’t generate the same level as a coach. These were the days of Clarence Weatherspoon, Jeff Hornacek, and Orlando Woolridge (remember them?)

He was followed by the equally putrid John Lucas (42-122, one time regarded as a rising coach), and Johnny Davis (22-60) - both names who slipped between the cracks.

Larry Brown was the lone bright spot when he posted a 255-205 mark from 1998-2003. And don’t forget Jimmy Lynam, who had a decent run from 1988-92 with a 178-150 record.

The Kid Had It ... The most successful Sixers head coach was Billy Cunningham, who guided the team to the 1983 championship and had a 454-196 record during his tenure (1977-85). Cunningham always gets overlooked.

Golden Oldies ... I was too young at the time, but Al Cervi and Alex Hannum should be considered the Sixers gold standard. Cervi guided the team (Syracuse Nationals then) from 1949-59 and had a 326-241 slate, and Hannum had a 257-145 record from 1961-68 (Hannum coached three years with Syracuse, went to San Francisco for two years, and then returned for two years).

Cervi had Dolph Schayes and Red Kerr, while Hannum had Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Hal Greer, Wali Jones, and a young Cunningham to lead them to the 1967 championship.

Don’t forget Jack Ramsey, who led the team from 1969-72 before he eventually left for Portland. By the way, Schayes coached the team from 1963-66 (129-111).

Those We Should Forget ... No one will forget the 9-73 team in 1972-73. But who were the coaches? They were Roy Rubin and Kevin Loughery.

Remember the duo of Randy Ayers and Chris Ford, who combined for a record of 33-49 in 2003-04, and Eddie Jordan, who was 27-55 in 2010?

Where Do They Stand? ... Some familiar coaches in Sixers lore were Maurice “Mo” Cheeks, Doug Collins, and Gene Shue.

Cheeks had a four-year run with an overall 122-147 record, Collins was 110-120 from 2010-13, and Shue was 157-177 from 1973-78.

How about Brett Brown, who was 221-334 on a lengthy stay from 2013-20?

One coach who also slips through the cracks is Jim O’Brien, who was 43-39 in 2004-05. He had a 10-game improvement, but was questionably fired to make room for Cheeks.

Are you a Doc Rivers fan? He was 154-82 during his recent three-year stay, but he couldn’t get the team through the playoffs.

Phillies’ Phodder ... Each week, I’ll offer a Phillis trivia question to test your knowledge. Please don’t look up the answer, but give it your best shot. Here you go.

In keeping with the basketball theme, what former 1970s reliever and spot starter spent two seasons in the NBA? Answer below.

Another Classic Game ... In the 1960s, Eagle Toys marketed their “National Basketball Game,” which was very comparable to any tabletop hockey game.

Plastic players could be slid down onto a long rod under the board that was controlled by the players. Each player could shoot a small basketball from holes on the court toward plastic baskets that were supported by large backboards on either side of the court.

It is hard to find, and a current going rate is over $100 on eBay.

The Owl Without A Vowel ... On the local front, Palmerton native Bill Mlkvy – “the Temple Owl without a vowel” – scored a then NCAA record 73 points in Temple’s 99-69 victory over Wilkes on March 3, 1951.

Mlkvy scored 1,421 points in his Palmerton career, and he scored 1,539 points at Temple. He played one season for the Philadelphia Warriors.

His brother, Bob, scored 1,925 points for the Blue Bombers, and he passed away in 2016.

We wish the 93-year-old Bill Mlkvy well.

Plugging for Pete ... Iowa women’s standout Caitlin Clark recently became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, passing Pete Maravich.

But “Pistol Pete” should still be recognized in some fashion. His mark of 3,667 points (44.2 point per game average) was accomplished in just 83 games as opposed to Clark’s 3,685 in 130 games. If Maravich had the three-point line - adopted in 1986 - no one may have caught him.

Locally, there is La Salle’s Lionel Simmons, who is sixth at 3,717, and the Sixers’ and Bradley’s Hersey Hawkins, who is 12th with 3,008 points.

Going down memory lane, how about Portland State’s Freeman Williams, who is fourth with 3,249 points. Williams was the Celtics’ top pick in 1978.

Williams was then involved in one of the NBA’s blockbuster 70s trades as he was sent along with Kevin Kunnert, Kermit Washington, Sidney Wicks and Freeman to the San Diego Clippers for “Tiny” Archibald, Marvin Barnes, Billy Knight, a 1981 2nd round draft pick (Danny Ainge) and a 1983 second round draft pick (Rod Foster).

How many of those names do you recall?

Wrestling Wrap ... Every week, I’ll look back at some of the former WWF stars from our heyday. This time around, I’ll look at a former hoopster who made his mark in the WWE and the WWF Hall of Fame.

In 1983, Mark Calaway joined the basketball team at Waltrip High School in Houston, Texas, and then landed at Texas Wesleyan. His 6-10, 300-pound frame made him nearly unstoppable, as he received an offer to play in France. Instead, Calaway decided to take his talents to pro wrestling.

Who was he? The Undertaker, who left the sport in 2020.

On The Screen ... Over the years, there have been a number of basketball movies and a handful of TV shows.

One of my favorite show from the 1970s was “The White Shadow,” which starred Ken Howard as a white high school coach in a New York City school. It was a groundbreaking show and a good one.

One classic one was the 1986 film “Hoosiers,” which starred Gene Hackman as a former college coach who became an Indiana high school coach.

One you may have forgotten about was Disney’s “The Absent-Minded Professor,” which was a 1961 basketball-related movie that involved flying rubber that helped a college basketball team to victory as a subplot of the film.

If you have any, let me know.

Readers Write ... On Baseballers and Brawlers

Hi Jeff!

The list goes on and on with “unforgettable and forgettable” Phillies. Does anybody remember pitchers Joe Cowley, Freddy Garcia, Mike Grace, and Tyler Green? Don’t forget Rick Schu (3B) and Danny Tartabull (OF), and Ted Savage (OF).

The WWWF used to stage wrestling shows in the “Little Palestra” gym at William Allen High School in Allentown. Local personality Joe McHugh was the ring announcer. Wee Willie Webber, not to be confused with the TV host, was usually the referee. He had “difficulty” in observing the “bad guy” reaching into his trunks for something. Manager Wild Red Berry would usually interfere in a match using his sawed-off cane. Preliminary wrestlers Johnny Rodz and Vincente Pometti were perennial losers.

I soon discovered that the non-English speaking Manchurian Gorilla Monsoon suddenly became Robert Marella, an Ithica College graduate, who lived with his wife and family in Willingboro, New Jersey. Those were the “good old days!”

Richard Ochs

Walnutport

Hey Jeff,

I liked to watch when Antonio Rocca wrestled Edouard Carpentier. EC was my favorite. It’s a shame that he died suddenly. Rocca visited his family in Maryland and was declared fit as a fiddle. He passed away two or three days later.

Take care, Joe Balitza

Thanks, Richard and Joe. I appreciate your comments.

Phillies Trivia Answer ... Ron Reed averaged 7.5 and 6.5 points in his two seasons with the Detroit Pistons. The 6-6 forward was a third-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 1965 draft. He played from 1965-1967. Reed had a 30-point game, as well as a 20-rebound game.

Do any of you remember him playing for the Fightin’ Irish?

Memory Lane ... Each week, I will look back at a former player, coach, manager, or media personality from our yesterday.

Do you remember former Sixers coach and player Matt Guokas? He coached the Sixers for three seasons from 1985-88 and produced a 119-88 overall record. Guokas also coached four seasons in Orlando and produced an overall mark of 111-217.

As a player, he spent five of his 12 years with the Sixers, averaging 4.7 points and 5.8 for his career. Guokas also was a broadcaster for NBC Sports and the NBA.

Feedback ... Your comments, thoughts, and ideas are welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com