Merry Christmas to Paul

R

redmannorth

Moderator
Staff member
2023 $upporter Moderator
As many of you know Paul has not been well for a period of roughly 10 months.
It took many months for a diagnosis to be made and he was moved from 1 hospital to another and had to live at and in close proximity to MD Anderson in Houston for a few months prior to being sent home.
He has been waiting for surgery since May and was recently informed that it may never happen, which is beyond discouraging for him and the family. I can't imagine a life of chemotherapy being either good or comfortable.
The last 15-20 days have been very difficult for Paul who has suffered a few set backs.
While we are all preparing to celebrate the upcoming Christmas Holidays, and some are trying to celebrate Chanukah during these trying times, I ask that you all take a moment out of your busy days and please send a Christmas Card, or a get well card, or whatever positive wishes you may wish to send his way. Please feel free to send multiple different cards to him.
The family has let me know that it would be greatly appreciated by both Paul and them and that it would be a huge boost to his morale which has taken multiple hits throughout 2023.
Red.fans and SJU BBall is super important to Paul and this small gesture would be a great way to show Paul how important he is to each and everyone of us.


Thank you all so much on behalf of Paul and his family.
 
redmannorth said:
As many of you know Paul has not been well for a period of roughly 10 months.
It took many months for a diagnosis to be made and he was moved from 1 hospital to another and had to live at and in close proximity to MD Anderson in Houston for a few months prior to being sent home.
He has been waiting for surgery since May and was recently informed that it may never happen, which is beyond discouraging for him and the family. I can't imagine a life of chemotherapy being either good or comfortable.
The last 15-20 days have been very difficult for Paul who has suffered a few set backs.
While we are all preparing to celebrate the upcoming Christmas Holidays, and some are trying to celebrate Chanukah during these trying times, I ask that you all take a moment out of your busy days and please send a Christmas Card, or a get well card, or whatever positive wishes you may wish to send his way. Please feel free to send multiple different cards to him.
The family has let me know that it would be greatly appreciated by both Paul and them and that it would be a huge boost to his morale which has taken multiple hits throughout 2023.
Red.fans and SJU BBall is super important to Paul and this small gesture would be a great way to show Paul how important he is to each and everyone of us.

Paul Massell
4231 East 85th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma
74137

Thank you all so much on behalf of Paul and his family.
Click to expand...
Will do.

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
 
redmannorth said:
As many of you know Paul has not been well for a period of roughly 10 months.
It took many months for a diagnosis to be made and he was moved from 1 hospital to another and had to live at and in close proximity to MD Anderson in Houston for a few months prior to being sent home.
He has been waiting for surgery since May and was recently informed that it may never happen, which is beyond discouraging for him and the family. I can't imagine a life of chemotherapy being either good or comfortable.
The last 15-20 days have been very difficult for Paul who has suffered a few set backs.
While we are all preparing to celebrate the upcoming Christmas Holidays, and some are trying to celebrate Chanukah during these trying times, I ask that you all take a moment out of your busy days and please send a Christmas Card, or a get well card, or whatever positive wishes you may wish to send his way. Please feel free to send multiple different cards to him.
The family has let me know that it would be greatly appreciated by both Paul and them and that it would be a huge boost to his morale which has taken multiple hits throughout 2023.
Red.fans and SJU BBall is super important to Paul and this small gesture would be a great way to show Paul how important he is to each and everyone of us.

Paul Massell
4231 East 85th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma
74137

Thank you all so much on behalf of Paul and his family.
Click to expand...
🙏🙏🙏🙏
 
redmannorth said:
As many of you know Paul has not been well for a period of roughly 10 months.
It took many months for a diagnosis to be made and he was moved from 1 hospital to another and had to live at and in close proximity to MD Anderson in Houston for a few months prior to being sent home.
He has been waiting for surgery since May and was recently informed that it may never happen, which is beyond discouraging for him and the family. I can't imagine a life of chemotherapy being either good or comfortable.
The last 15-20 days have been very difficult for Paul who has suffered a few set backs.
While we are all preparing to celebrate the upcoming Christmas Holidays, and some are trying to celebrate Chanukah during these trying times, I ask that you all take a moment out of your busy days and please send a Christmas Card, or a get well card, or whatever positive wishes you may wish to send his way. Please feel free to send multiple different cards to him.
The family has let me know that it would be greatly appreciated by both Paul and them and that it would be a huge boost to his morale which has taken multiple hits throughout 2023.
Red.fans and SJU BBall is super important to Paul and this small gesture would be a great way to show Paul how important he is to each and everyone of us.

Paul Massell
4231 East 85th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma
74137

Thank you all so much on behalf of Paul and his family.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this post, North. I was unaware of Paul's circumstances and appreciate the info. I'm incredibly grateful for the community Paul created here. A card is on the way and my thoughts are with him and his family.
 
redmannorth said:
As many of you know Paul has not been well for a period of roughly 10 months.
It took many months for a diagnosis to be made and he was moved from 1 hospital to another and had to live at and in close proximity to MD Anderson in Houston for a few months prior to being sent home.
He has been waiting for surgery since May and was recently informed that it may never happen, which is beyond discouraging for him and the family. I can't imagine a life of chemotherapy being either good or comfortable.
The last 15-20 days have been very difficult for Paul who has suffered a few set backs.
While we are all preparing to celebrate the upcoming Christmas Holidays, and some are trying to celebrate Chanukah during these trying times, I ask that you all take a moment out of your busy days and please send a Christmas Card, or a get well card, or whatever positive wishes you may wish to send his way. Please feel free to send multiple different cards to him.
The family has let me know that it would be greatly appreciated by both Paul and them and that it would be a huge boost to his morale which has taken multiple hits throughout 2023.
Red.fans and SJU BBall is super important to Paul and this small gesture would be a great way to show Paul how important he is to each and everyone of us.

Paul Massell
4231 East 85th Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma
74137

Thank you all so much on behalf of Paul and his family.
Click to expand...
Card will be in the mail as soon as I get back to NC. Paul and this site are the best. So sorry to hear what he and his family are going through.
 
I do not believe people know or appreciate just how much work and his own money Paul has put into this site over the past 30+/- years.

Here is my story. Thirty or so years ago when the internet was becoming mainstream I would regularly talk StJohn’s basketball on the telephone with “Tom in Simsbury” (later known as “Tom in Salem”). If I recall correctly, Tom was on an AOL group chat with a guy named “Paul”. Tom told me that Paul was going to start a StJohn’s basketball message board. At this time there were not many basketball message boards. I recall joking that there would not be much action on Paul’s new site. I was wrong. Redmen.com was an instant success far exceeding the number of posts either of us imagined which success has continued through the not so good and disappointing times of StJohn’s basketball.

During the 30+/- years the site has existed Paul has put up with a lot of crap which has included personal threats against him by one or more crazed fans. He adopted the site as a labor of love leading him to put in countless hours of his own time programming and refining the site.

Paul received offers from Rivals and others to turn the site into a “pay” site and join their network which would have produced revenue to defray his operating costs and perhaps provide him with a profit. I recommended to Paul that he explore the affiliation with Rivals to recoup his expenses but because he wanted the site to remain free he never pursued any commercial affiliations.

With his health failing Paul could no longer do all of the site maintenance himself so last year, for the first time Paul made a post on this site asking for voluntary contributions. Many regulars contributed, some did not.

Over the 30 years Redmen.com/ now RedFan has become more than just a basketball site. Redmen has formed lasting friendships. It has been a comforting source in disappointing StJohn’s basketball times and provided encouragement in other times. I shutter to think if Paul had not started or sustained this site, or if this site ceases to exist.

So please honor my friend Aubie’s request and mail a note to Paul thanking him for the time and money he has invested in creating and sustaining RedFan.

Also if possible please hit the donor tab above and make whatever contribution you are able to make to assist Paul and his family in sustaining this site.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas. Happy Chanukah. Happy Kwanzaa. Seasons Greetings.

​

​

 
In many ways I know Paul better than I know most of the rest of you. We've had some very intimate conversations about our families over the years. For part of his life he grew up where I did in Queens, and for me it binds us a bit.

Paul is an incredibly devout and prayerful Catholic, yet does not wear his faith on his sleeve here. He is very much an intellectual, especially on subjects of Catholic doctrine and Scripture. If you debate him, you'd better be prepared because he is razor sharp.

He's been a really thoughtful and caring person when I've shared with him the trials of being a good dad. I treasure those chats with him.

His wife, Kay, is just a wonderful person. She has been so positive, so faithful in the times we've chatted. They've had their share of trauma in their lives, yet remain great, giving people. I remember when fires raged through their Santa Rosa neighborhood and on here we offered to help, Paul advised us to instead send donations to Catholic Charities.

Paul is fighting an uphill battle, and I pray for him and his family daily.

Redmen.com and red.fans literally transformed my relationship with other fans from non-existent to a sizable army of good men and often their wives too. Thank you Paul.

I've met a few of Paul's kids, and i think his mom or mother-in-law and sister or sister-in-law, but never Paul. I pray that Paul is well enough soon to change that.

I've had a few go-arounds with Paul, which I hope he never took personally. I could have, but knowing him to the core as a great man, would not allow myself to.

God bless you always Paul. Get well soon!
 
Beasts of the East said:
In many ways I know Paul better than I know most of the rest of you. We've had some very intimate conversations about our families over the years. For part of his life he grew up where I did in Queens, and for me it binds us a bit.

Paul is an incredibly devout and prayerful Catholic, yet does not wear his faith on his sleeve here. He is very much an intellectual, especially on subjects of Catholic doctrine and Scripture. If you debate him, you'd better be prepared because he is razor sharp.

He's been a really thoughtful and caring person when I've shared with him the trials of being a good dad. I treasure those chats with him.

His wife, Kay, is just a wonderful person. She has been so positive, so faithful in the times we've chatted. They've had their share of trauma in their lives, yet remain great, giving people. I remember when fires raged through their Santa Rosa neighborhood and on here we offered to help, Paul advised us to instead send donations to Catholic Charities.

Paul is fighting an uphill battle, and I pray for him and his family daily.

Redmen.com and red.fans literally transformed my relationship with other fans from non-existent to a sizable army of good men and often their wives too. Thank you Paul.

I've met a few of Paul's kids, and i think his mom or mother-in-law and sister or sister-in-law, but never Paul. I pray that Paul is well enough soon to change that.

I've had a few go-arounds with Paul, which I hope he never took personally. I could have, but knowing him to the core as a great man, would not allow myself to.

God bless you always Paul. Get well soon!
Click to expand...
Very well said. It echoes my heartfelt feelings.
 
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