Mailman from the heart

I see that Hall of Famer Karl Malone will join Admiral Mike Mullen and Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” as part of this year’s USO entertainment tour.

On one hand, Malone’s involvement with the USO elicited a yawn from me. He liked to play soldier and cop since he was a kid. During the 1998 NBA Finals he rode shotgun with an Illinois state trooper.

At the same time, it’s apparently a real respect he has for those in uniform. You don’t go overseas just because someone says it’s be good p.r.

That’s the thing about Malone: He has his causes, but he puts his money where his mouth is. He talks about supporting soldiers, and then does it. He once donated a pair of trained police dogs to a parish in Louisiana. He advocates caring for needy or disabled children and he does so by showing up at hospitals for visits and paying medical bills. He arrived in person, with trucks and backhoes, to clean up the Hurricane Katrina mess.

Malone could be pouty and petulant, because he wore his feelings on his sleeve. But a lot of his favorite causes were more than just talk.

Some might not like Malone’s affinity for guns, or the fact he went to L.A. to finish his career. But there’s no faking the real emotion that apparently will send Malone on this year’s USO Tour. Is/was Malone a good guy or a goof-ball?