WHITE SHADOW, THE: NO BLOOD, NO FOUL (TV)

Summary

One in this series of dramas about Ken Reeves, a former professional basketball player who begins a new life as the basketball coach of Carver High, an inner-city high school in Los Angeles.

The team throws a surprise party for Salami to celebrate his 18th birthday. The next day, he gets into a fight with another student who cuts in front of him in the lunch line. He is brought into Sibyl’s office, where she upbraids him for his behavior and believes that he enjoys fighting; he seems to agree because he is in his own estimation “good at it.” Sibyl speaks to Coach Reeves, hoping to find some way to calm Salami down. During practice Coach Reeves attempts to advise the players on how to deal with the opposing team of their next game; they are known for their highly aggressive playstyle. He instructs them to “take the charge” in order to force fouls on the opposing team. During the game, the team becomes frustrated with the full-contact nature of the opposing team and Coach Reeves attempts to placate them. During the game, Salami and an opposing player shove each other repeatedly, culminating in an on-court fistfight between the two of them.

The next day, Coach Reeves accompanies Salami as he is questioned by a police detective in Sibyl’s office. He tells him about the fight, reasoning that he was angered by the opposing player’s treatment of Thorpe on the court. Sibyl complains that Coach Reeves did not speak to Salami like he promised that he would, but Coach Reeves believes the incident is being taken out of proportion and that fighting is inevitable in basketball. Sibyl reveals that Greg, one of the boys that Salami punched, has been hospitalized; he did not start the fighting and was simply in Salami’s vicinity at the time, which could result in litigation of the school by Greg’s family. The team seems to be proud of Salami for standing up for them, but Coach Reeves tells them about Greg’s condition and says he is going to visit him, inviting them to come along as well. Everyone declines, but Coach Reeves orders Salami to accompany him. At the hospital they find Greg and are greeted coldly by his mother. She says that Greg may require reconstructive surgery on his broken jaw, and Greg angrily yells at Salami to leave him alone. Greg’s father arrives and also tells them to leave. That night, the police arrive at Salami’s house and place him under arrest under an assault charge.

Salami is processed by the police and his bail is set at $1,500. He attempts to make a phone call but receives no answer. He is then placed in a police holding cell, and later Coach Reeves and Nick arrive to pick him up. Coach Reeves feels responsible for Salami’s predicament, as he advised Salami during the game to be confrontational with the other time. At his arraignment hearing, Salami, accompanied by his father, pleads not guilty to the assault charge, and a date is set for a preliminary hearing. Coach Reeves visits Greg’s father, trying to convince him to drop the suit. However, Greg’s father refuses, incensed that Salami is allowed to be free while Greg is in the hospital; he believes that even with surgery Greg, an exemplary basketball player, will never be able to play again and thus will not be able to go to college. Coach Reeves counters that going after Salami will not change what happened to Greg, but Greg’s father tells him that he wants Salami to go to jail for what he’s done. Salami and his father confer with their court-appointed lawyer, who says that the prosecution is getting the charge upgraded to a felony. She believes that the case will go to trial after the preliminary hearing.

The day before the hearing, Salami speaks to Coach Reeves, admitting that he is scared that he will be imprisoned. Coach Reeves believes he will be fine, as he believes the injury to Greg was an “accident.” Salami says he was frightened at seeing Greg in the hospital, recounting the incident and wondering aloud if his motive of self-defense is nothing but a rationalization. Coach Reeves visits Greg in the hospital and challenges him to have the kind of “strength” to resume playing basketball after he recovers. Greg claims that he has the “heart” to do it, but does not change his mind about pressing charges against Salami. During the preliminary hearing Coach Reeves takes the stand and is asked about Salami’s history of fighting, although he insists that the entire team has gotten into fights at one time or another and tries to take blame for what happened to Greg. Salami is questioned by both sides; he states that he hit Greg out of self-defense but admits that Greg did not actually threaten or hit him before he struck. Greg is called to the stand and Salami’s lawyer gets him to admit that he has been in fights before, including one where he struck first for fear of being hit. She calls his motives in the fight into question and gets him to admit that he intended to strike Salami. In light of this, the judge dismisses the case. Commercials deleted.

Details

• NETWORK: CBS
• DATE: 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:48:49
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:66886
• GENRE: Drama
• SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; TV - Drama
• SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1979-1981
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Bruce Paltrow … Executive Producer, Created by
• John Masius … Coordinating Producer
• Mark Tinker … Producer
• Scott Brazil … Associate Producer
• Thomas Carter … Director
• Joshua Brand … Writer
• Mike Post … Music by
• Pete Carpenter (See also: Peter Carpenter) … Music by
• Ken Howard … Cast, Ken Reeves
• Joan Pringle … Cast, Sybil Buchanan
• Kevin Hooks … Cast, Morris Thorpe
• Byron Stewart … Cast, Warren Coolidge
• Timothy Van Patten … Cast, Mario "Salami" Pettrino
• Larry Flash Jenkins … Cast, Wardell Stone
• John Mengatti … Cast, Nick Vitaglia
• Wolfe Perry … Cast, Teddy Rutherford
• Stoney Jackson … Cast, Jesse B. Mitchell
• John Laughlin … Cast, Paddy Falahey
• Art Holliday … Cast, Eddie Franklin
• Lee Chamberlin … Cast, Defense Attorney
• Randy Brooks … Cast, Greg Alder
• Robert Costanzo … Cast, Mr. Pettrino
• Lawrence Cook … Cast, Mr. Alder
• Gamy L. Taylor … Cast, Mrs. Taylor
• Dana Gladstone … Cast, Detective
• Robert Phalen … Cast, District Attorney
• Eric Laneuville … Cast, Student
• Paul Larson … Cast, Judge
• Howard George … Cast, Detective
• Wallace McCleskey … Cast, Policeman
• Don Cervantes … Cast, Student
• Juney Smith … Cast, Student
• Sam Ingraffia … Cast, Bailiff
• Judy Sardo … Cast, Nurse
• James Spillane … Cast, Basketball
• Chris Forbes … Cast, Sandy