Just like you, I have been blessed to have sports in my life. For that, I thank my father, who brought me to almost every sporting event he attended, introducing me to baseball, football and basketball at a young age.
My five greatest sports moments are archived and chilled inside my head. Many of these memories are from growing up in Pittsburgh, never thinking I would be a sports radio host.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers winning their first Super Bowl;
2. Meeting Roberto Clemente when I was 12 years old and shaking his hand (I didn’t wash it for months);
3. 1980 USA Olympic hockey team upsetting the USSR and Finland to win the seemingly impossible gold medal.
4. The “Immaculate Reception” in 1972 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders;
5. As a second-grader at Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic School, feeling the impact of the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the Yankees.
Over the years, I have been to a World Series, Super Bowl and NBA Finals. I’ve seen some pretty incredible performances over thousands of games and seen many of the Greatest of All Time, or GOATs, do their thing:
Basketball players: Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar;
College fight songs: “On Wisconsin,” Michigan’s “Hail to the Victors” and Notre Dame’s “Victory March”;
NFL running backs: Barry Sanders, Tony Dorsett, Franco Harris, Earl Campbell and Walter Payton;
Overachiever QBs: Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Phil Simms, Drew Brees, Fran Tarkenton and Johnny Unitas;
Pure shooters: Pete Maravich, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Ray Allen, Larry Bird, JJ Redick, and Jerry West;
Dunkers: Julius (Dr. J) Erving, Darryl Dawkins, Darrell Griffith, David Thompson and Clyde Drexler;
Pure hitters: Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Pete Rose, Ken Griffey Jr. and Rod Carew;
Coaches (NBA): Phil Jackson, Chuck Daly, Pat Riley, Red Auerbach, Steve Kerr, Red Holzman and Lenny Wilkens;
Baseball cities: New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago;
Football cities: Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Dallas, San Francisco and Buffalo;
Basketball cities: New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland;
Rude jerks: Barry Bonds, Marshall Faulk, Ahmad Rashad, Cris Carter and Dan Marino;
Coaches (college hoops): Jerry Tarkanian, Al McGuire, Coach K, John Wooden and Dean Smith;
Favorite Clippers: Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant, World B Free, Michael Brooks, Tom Chambers and Terry Cummings;
Favorite Chargers: Willie Buchanon, Pete Shaw, Louie Kelcher, Fred Dean, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson;
RIP: Joe Beauchamp (Chargers) and Michael Brooks (Clippers);
Women athletes: Jackie Joyner, Hope Solo, Billie Jean King, Sue Bird, Dawn Staley and a few more;
Steel tough: LeBron James, Jack Lambert, Charles Oakley, Maurice Lucas, Rick Mahorn and Dick Butkus;
International: Drazen Petrovic, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginóbili and Yao Ming;
Owners: Rooney family, Dr. Jerry Buss, Eddie DeBartolo, Ray Kroc and Clint Murchison;
Uniforms: Steelers, Rams, 49ers, Raiders, Packers and Saints;
Broadcasters: Bob Prince, Dick Enberg, Al Michaels, Vin Scully, Chick Hearn, Don Meredith and Howard Cosell;
And to the greatest sports fan ever — my DAD!
Join us at 9 a.m. Saturday on The Mightier 1090 AM ESPN Radio
