A while back I reviewed Bill Reynolds' outstanding Fall River Dreams: A Team's Quest For Glory - A Town's Search For Its Soul. At the time I wrote the following about Chris Herren:
I'm one of those people that watch a movie for the second or third time and still hopes that bad things won't happen. For example every time I watch Tommy Boy I don't want Big Tom Callahan to die. Never mind how important that it to the plot. Similarly every time I read FRD I hope that Chris Herren will miraculously choose not to attend Boston College. Alas he followed in his brother Michael's footsteps and stayed close to home. And much like Michael before him things did not work out at BC. From there on I followed Herren from afar as stories popped up from time to time. Jerry Tarkanian recruited Chris Herren. Chris Herren is battling drugs and point shaving accusations. Chris Herren is finding redemption at Fresno State. Chris Herren is with the Celtics. Chris Herren is out of the NBA. Chris Herren crashed his car into a Dunkin Donuts drive-through. Chris Herren is playing basketball in Iran of all places, albeit briefly. For someone who followed Herren's career like I did it is fascinating to read about where it all began. And Reynolds does a great job providing a profile of Herren. It is one of the many reasons that FRD is such a great read.
Unfortunately Herren is still struggling. It's a bad sign that I had to double check the date on his most recent mishap because it was so similar to a previous incident. Meanwhile, I had mixed feelings about even posting this, as Herren struggled coping with fame's highs and lows throughout Fall River Dreams. At the same time he is a danger to both himself and others when he drives a car in that way. Where does he go from here?
[Green Bandwagon Update: Chris Herren's older brother Michael is now a sports talk radio personality. The older Herren is looking to help his brother.]