Before there was Pardon the Interruption, Around the Horn, and a slew of other similar programs, there was the Sportswriters on TV.
The Chicago-based program featured sports guys sitting around a table talking about sports. Thanks to cable and the quirkiness of the panel, it soon developed a cult following around the country.
Bill Jauss, one of the panelist, died Wednesday. In his obit, there was this quote from him: “I think that is what started all of these (sports) discussion shows that are so prevalent now. It was a pioneering thing at the time, although we didn’t realize it.”
Say thanks Kornheiser, Wilbon and the rest. Here are a couple clips:
There’s nothing like the pressure of the Ryder Cup. Especially during the singles on Sunday.
Nobody succumbed to that pressure worse than Mark Calcavecchia. Up 4 with 4 holes to play against Colin Montgomerie during the 1991 Ryder Cup, Calc, the winner of the 1989 British Open, choked–big time. His shank off the tee at 17 ranks among the worst shots in golf history.
Watching it again, you can still feel his pain 21 years later.
Sergio Garcia returns to Medinah Country Club next week for the Ryder Cup.
It is fitting that he qualified for the European team because Medinah was the scene of his most famous shot. During the 1999 PGA Championship, the 19-year old found his ball up against a tree on the 16th hole.
He closed his eyes and….
By the way, Garcia won’t find the tree for his return trip to Medinah. It died a few years ago. However, the memories remain.
In tribute to the great Steve Sabol, here are some classic works by NFL Films.
The first video is The History of Pro Football from 1983. Note the simplicity of the opening image: A football resting on the tee framed by blowing snow. Pretty much summarizes the brilliance of Sabol and NFL Films.
The Super 70s. When NFL Films, behind Sabol, transformed how the game was viewed.
A tribute to Vince Lombardi. John Facenda:
“Lombardi. A certain magic still lingers in the very name. It speaks of duels in the snow and cold November mud.”
Still gives me chills.
And here’s a clip from the NFL Game of the Week in 1977. Prior to ESPN, this is how we saw the NFL from Tuesday through Saturday.
Forty-two years ago, the idea of playing a NFL game in prime time was thought of as crazy. CBS and NBC passed, creating an opening for ABC.
Here’s the promo for the new series, heralding the “newly combined NFL and AFL National Football League.”
Here’s Howard Cosell interviewing Johnny Unitas prior to a Baltimore-Minnesota game in 1971. Check out Unitas’ expression during Cosell’s introduction.
And here’s Howard with his signature halftime highlights from week 11 in 1971.
Ah, the wonders of Youtube. Who knew that the great Vin Scully once hosted a game show?
This is a clip from a 1970 show on NBC that aired in “living color.” Scully showed his sports connection by noting Pat Harrington was “a good golfer.” Again, who knew Schneider could play golf?
And Scully still radiated cool, even as a game show host. Walking on to the stage with an excited dog, he said, “A dog in search of fire hydrant.”
Here’s something for those of you suffering from Olympics withdrawal: The weightlifting portion of The Superstars from 1973.
If you recall, Superstars was a competition pitting athletes from different sports in various events. This clip features Joe Frazier, Bob Seagren, Jean-Claude Killy, and bowler Jim Stefanich.
Jim McKay, bless him, calls the event with a certain degree of gravity. But looking back at it now, it all seems rather comical. Poor Stefanich. He had no chance at 140 pounds.
As I wrote yesterday, Bob Ryan is hanging them up as a sports columnist for the Boston Globe after the Olympics.
I found an old clip of Ryan on The Sports Reporters from 1990. Also appearing on the show was Howard Cosell and Bill Conlin. And it was hosted by the great Dick Schaap.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t embed the video, but here’s the link. Well worth a click.
The show opens with a terrific discussion on people who had impact on their careers and in the media in general. Ryan recalls how he was greatly influenced by Jim Murray.
Conlin talks about Dick Young, the legendary New York sportswriter who had an infamous feud with Cosell.
Cosell, who was very bitter at that point in his life, goes off on Red Smith. He also calls Schaap “Dickie.”
Updated: Jeremy just sent me the 13-minute version of his story on Bobby Fishcher. It details the relationship his father had the brilliant, but troubled chess legend. Schaap won an Emmy for the piece.
Earlier this week, I did an interview with Jeremy Schaap. Not surprisingly, two of his most memorable encounters were discussed: His 2000 interview with Bob Knight shortly after he was fired from Indiana; and an epic run-in with Bobby Fischer during a 2005 press conference in Iceland. Schaap eventually walked out on Fischer, but not before basically saying he was nuts, which he was (exchange comes at 2:30 mark of video).
“People ask me about Fischer and Knight all the time,” Schaap said. “At least once a week, I hear about Knight. Probably every other week, I hear about Fischer.”
Schaap was lauded for not letting Knight control his interview. It included this unforgettable exchange:
Schaap: Bob, we came here to do an interview. I’m asking you questions.
Knight: Well, then let me finish the answer. Is that OK, Jeremy, is that fair enough? Have I interrupted your questions yet?
Schaap: Yes.
Knight: No, I haven’t. You’ve interrupted my answers with your questions and then I’ve tried to get back. So let me finish.
Schaap: Please continue.
Knight: You’ve got a long way to go to be as good as your dad. You better keep that in mind.
Schaap: I appreciate that. What’s next? What do you do this year?
Now that Knight works at ESPN, I asked Schaap if he’s ever run into the former coach.
“I’ve run into him a couple of times, but he has not acknowledged that I’m there,” Schaap said. “Now it’s possible, he didn’t notice. I tend to think he is choosing to look the other way.”
