The Thrill of Sports

Sunday, December 5, 2021

The Thrill Podcast - Episode 1

The Thrill of Sports · Episode 1 - 2021 Philadelphia Eagles

Our first podcast features a look at this year’s Philadelphia Eagles NFL football team, their last game against the NY Giants, chances of winning the NFC East division and making the playoffs, reasons they struggle, and what they need to do to improve.

Friday, November 26, 2021

The Return of Dickie V - November 23, 2021

This past Tuesday, November 23rd, college basketball analyst Dick Vitale returned to courtside as No.1 Gonzaga played No. 2 UCLA in men’s basketball at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He announced the game along with his co-host, sportscaster Dave O’Brien. Due to the Covid19 pandemic and having two types of cancer, Dick had not been in a gym to announce a game for over a year and a half -- since doing the March 10, 2020 game between Gonzaga and Mount St. Mary’s. Dickie V’s return was very emotional, very welcome by college basketball fans like me, and big sports news, as you can see in the News 4 Today video below.

It started Dick’s 43rd season of announcing men’s basketball games for ESPN. He called the first college basketball game ever broadcast by ESPN, on December 5, 1979, when DePaul defeated Wisconsin, 90-77. Before Tuesday’s game, he thanked everyone who sent him well wishes, and his family, fans, and friends at ESPN for getting him back courtside to do this game. See the video just below. After the game, he tweeted, "It was a night I will always treasure."

Dick had surgeries this past summer to remove melanoma from his body, and then on October 12th, his doctors told him that he had a more serious cancer, bile duct cancer, which would require major surgery and had only about a 30% five year survival rate. He worried that he would not be alive long enough to see his five grandchildren graduate from high school and college. His bile duct surgery was scheduled. Then one evening, Dickie V received a call from his doctors who said that the latest scan indicated that he did not have bile duct cancer, but instead, had lymphoma, which has a 90% cure rate. The doctor told him “Santa Claus came early for you”. Dick requires chemotherapy treatments over the next six months, but doctors said he could safely return courtside and announce games. Dickie V said that returning to announce college basketball games was the perfect medicine for him. He said of his fans, “You have given me a career that has exceeded any dream I’ve ever had”. His late Mom’s words of wisdom, “Don’t ever believe in can’t, Richie”, are his motto in his battle to beat cancer.

Dickie V Salutes the Crowd - Nov. 23, 2021

Over his many years of calling college basketball games, Dick Vitale has risen to national prominence, but did you know that he is from my home state of New Jersey, and grew up there. He graduated from Seton Hall University, yes that Seton Hall, that recently beat #4 Michigan and is now ranked #21. He was a successful NJ high school head coach and won two state championships. Dick was also an assistant basketball coach for two years at Rutgers University, and recruited some of the best players on the 1975-76 Rutgers Final Four team.

The Rutgers head coaching job became available in 1973 while he was there, and even though he was so sure of himself that he said he would coach the team for his assistant coach’s salary for the first year, he was not chosen. He left Rutgers, accepted the head coaching position at the University of Detroit, coached there for four years, and lead Detroit to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 1976-77. He even coached in the NBA as head coach of the Detroit Pistons in 1978-79. After he left the Pistons, he was offered a TV job at the recently created ESPN cable network, and the rest is history.

Dickie V is knowledgeable in college basketball, and his passion for the game shows in his colorful and exciting announcing. He is known for catch phrases such as “Awesome Baby”, “diaper dandy” (freshman star) , “PTP’er” (prime time performer), and “All Windex Performer” (ferocious rebounder), to name a few.

Dickie V has received many honors for his achievements and contributions. He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018. He has also written nine books, including one children’s book.

The V Foundation - Scott Van Pelt and Dick Vitale

Dickie V is on the Board of Directors for The V Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of finding a cure for cancer. It was founded in 1993 by ESPN and Dick’s friend, the late Jim Valvano. The Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Fund has raised over 44 million dollars to fight childhood cancer. Dickie V’s chemo is scheduled to end by next May, and he is optimistic his annual “Dick Vitale Gala” in May 2022 will raise another 6 million for pediatric cancer, which would push his pediatric cancer fund over the 50 million mark. Dick said “I’m hoping and praying I can say to that crowd (at the gala) I’m cancer free”. I’m hoping the same thing.

Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content, recently said these kind words about Dickie V, “Dick Vitale is a one-of-a-kind treasure as a broadcaster and human being. His love for family and tireless passion to help people in need, especially children, truly define his greatness. He is beloved by his ESPN family and has our full support.”

As a Duke college basketball fan, I’ve heard Dickie V on a gazillion broadcasts over the years. He is one of my favorite college basketball color commentators. Some may think him over the top, but I love his passion and enthusiasm for the game. In my opinion, when it comes to college basketball analysts, Dickie V is an all-time PTP’er! And he’s a genuinely good guy too! I wish him a speedy and complete recovery from his lymphoma, and it would be “Awesome Baby” if he can call college basketball games for many years to come.

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I've included some additional videos and a photo so that you might better get to know Dick Vitale, his public speaking, and his announcing style.

Vegas Golden Knights Jersey - Nov. 23, 2021 Return Game

Nov.23, 2021 Interview with Scott Van Pelt of ESPN's SportsCenter

Examples of Announcing Style - National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Speech

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Speech - Class of 2008

Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Speech - 2018

Friday, November 19, 2021

Steve Somers – Wishing You Well in Retirement

Steve Somers, WFAN’s last original remaining host, retired this past weekend after 34 years with the New York City all sports talk radio station. His last regular night show was last Friday, 11pm-2am, November 12th, and he fully said goodbye, Monday, November 15th with a 90 minute special. He was with WFAN, 660AM & 101.9FM, from its launch in July 1987. Over his career, he had a major impact on New York sports radio.

Though I occasionally listened to Steve Somers in 2019, it wasn’t until the spring and early summer of 2020 that I became a serious listener and sometimes caller. It was during these months, some of the worse for the Covid19 pandemic in the Northeast, that I turned to Steve for solace -- after most of my favorite sports were either cancelled or postponed. Unable to watch my favorite sports on TV, I began listening to the radio more; specifically, to Steve Somers on WFAN sports radio New York. I would listen before I went to bed, and Steve’s quiet voice and sense of humor would make me feel better and help me to relax enough to get a decent night’s sleep. He was more laid back than many sports talk hosts, and he wasn’t a flamer, loudly ranting and trying to pick a fight with his callers. Steve’s show worked well for me because at the end of the day, all I wanted to do was relax.

I called in to Steve’s show many times and was always treated with respect. We spoke about the Knicks, Nets, Rangers, and even the NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks, but we most often spoke about the Yankees hitting and pitching and winning. Steve didn’t always agree with me, like when I suggested the Rangers should get a new coach, but he still was nice to me.

My motivation for calling Steve was that I, one day, would like to be a sports talk radio host and have my own podcast, so I wanted to get on the air. I would call in to Steve's show two or three times a week, and couldn’t always get through if there were too many callers ahead of me. After all the listening and calling, I actually, and regretfully, couldn’t get through to wish Steve well in his retirement. I did wish him Good Luck in his retirement in a Tweet. I’m really going to miss listening and calling in to speak with Steve. He really became like a long distance friend to me, and I am sad that his show is over. Maybe he will do a podcast or be back on WFAN every once in a while. I certainly hope so.

Steve was lovingly known as the Schmoozer and stuck to the original meaning of the word which means to have a warm conversation, to pass the time chatting. He was also known as “Captain Midnight” working until 2 am most of his career at WFAN. Steve is from the West Coast and did TV sports in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles for many years, so it is odd that he became the voice of sports talk radio in New York. He sometimes opened his shows with funny mix-ups of music and audio clips. He was quirky and often spoke with his engineers on the ‘other side of the glass’, and had many catchphrases such as “me here and you there”, “overnight, under the covers”, and “schmoozing S-P-O-R-T-S”. Some of his other quirks were referring to the Mets as the “New York Metropolitans”, the Knicks as the “Knickerbockers”, the NY Islanders as the “Ice Landers”, and the Oakland Athletics as the “Anabolics”. He would open his show with “Good Evening to you and how you be? Steve Somers here, and you there”.

On his last two on-the-air appearances, last Friday and Monday, Steve received tributes from ESPN Monday Night Football voice Steve Levy (who started at WFAN), former WFAN radio stars Mike Francesca and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, and famous comedian, Jerry Seinfeld, who called into Steve’s regular show as “Jerry from Queens”. He also received other tributes. Chris Oliviero, Senior Vice President at Audacy, which owns WFAN, said “He never took his audience for granted. He was a genuine fan of the fans”, and The New York Post called him the soul of WFAN; and WFAN, the sports soundtrack of New York for more than three decades.

Last Day - Steve Somers, Carton, Giannotti

Over his last two shows, Steve thanked his audio engineers, callers, and listeners when he said “thanks for giving me the chance, for giving me a breath, for giving me a life, and giving me a career, right here where I wanted to be, at a brand new radio station with 24 hour sports”.

Steve, if you should read this blog, I want to wish you a Happy and Healthy retirement! I will sorely miss your sports knowledge, humor, and quirkiness. And of course, I will miss listening to and speaking with you. You have made getting through the pandemic a little easier for me. I hope you will be doing a podcast, or maybe guest appearances on WFAN, so I can hear you once again. Best Wishes, from your over-the-air friend!

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Please view and listen to the videos and audio clips below to better know Steve Somers and his WFAN radio show. For other audio clips from Steve's last shows with guests Mike Francesa, Bernie Williams, Steve Levy, Jerry Seinfeld, Sweeny Murti, Ian Eagle, Chris Russo, and Howie Rose go to the WFAN Website and scroll down.

Steve Somers says Goodbye - Nov. 15, 2021

LINK: Twitter Video - Break Room Dedication - Last Day, Nov. 15

LINK: Last Night Show, Nov.12, 2021 - Opening Monologue (0:42-16:57)(Audio Only)

Opening October 22, 2015 - Mets to World Series (Audio only - 9:22)

Opening January 4, 2016 - Jets Lose to Bills (Audio only - 10:36)

Friday, November 12, 2021

Eric LeGrand - An Inspiring Life

Last month on October 8th, Eric LeGrand was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame, Class of 2020 – the induction being delayed a year because of the Covid19 pandemic. Then on November 4 in Bedminster, NJ, Eric returned to public speaking as his “A Night with Eric LeGrand” raised more than $72,000 for Team LeGrand, his charity that raises money to cure paralysis and improve the life of those with spinal cord injuries.

These two recent events brought me back to October 2010 when I started following Eric, even before he set up his @EricLeGrand52 Twitter account. You see, I was there at MetLife Stadium that fateful October 16^th when Eric suffered his life changing injury. I was only 15 years old then and it was my first trip to MetLife Stadium. My Dad had driven me there to see the Rutgers vs. Army football game. Eric suffered his devastating injury on a kickoff in the fourth quarter of that game. We were seated at the opposite end of the stadium, so we couldn’t clearly see what happened on the play. We did know it was serious, because play was halted and Eric was taken off the field on a stretcher. We drove home, not knowing how serious. We would later find out that, at the age of 20, Eric suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.

Doctors thought that Eric would be on a ventilator for the rest of his life, would never eat solid food, and would never walk again. They were wrong on the first two, and Eric hopes to prove them wrong on the third, and someday walk again. In the 11 years since, with a lot of hard work and perseverance, Eric has exceeded his doctor’s expectations and accomplished remarkable things. His Mom, his faith, and his support team were very important in his recovery. Not only can Eric breathe on his own and enjoy eating solid food, but through a rigorous rehabilitation program, Eric regained movement in his shoulders and improved his health.

Eric resumed his studies at Rutgers in the Spring of 2011, and graduated with a degree in labor relations in 2014. He started Team LeGrand in September 2013, and has raised over 2 million dollars for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which helps those paralyzed with spinal cord injuries. Eric has become an author, a sports analyst for Rutgers football radio broadcasts, a motivational speaker, an entrepreneur, and an advocate for the paralysis community.

He has also received numerous awards and honors. Eric was on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he received the “Best Moment of 2011” Award for his return in a wheelchair to lead the Rutgers football team on the field in a snowstorm, no less. On October 29, 2012, he was honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY awards that year. On September 14, 2013, Eric’s No. 52 football jersey was retired at the Rutgers-Eastern Michigan game. It is still the only number retired in the 151-year history of Rutgers football. In 2017, Eric, a longtime wrestling fan, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, receiving the Warrior Award.

In addition, more recently, Eric started his clothing brand, Shop Fifty Two, in 2019, and created his own coffee brand, LeGrand Coffee House, online in January 2021. The brick and mortar location will open this December in Eric’s hometown of Woodbridge, NJ. Eric is very active in social media and his Twitter account, @EricLeGrand52, has over 170,000 followers.

Eric’s motto is “bELieve” (the EL his intials), and he believes anything is possible. Eric believes it is not, if he will walk again, but when.

Eric recently said “I am on a mission to help as many people as I can”. Since that fateful day in October 2010, when he was severely injured and when I stared following him, Eric has helped me and countless others over the years, by his truly inspirational life and uplifting personality.

His life has been a source of inspiration, hope, and perseverance for not only those with spinal cord injuries, but also to more fortunate millions around the world. Eric has inspired me, because it is truly remarkable that someone thrown into such dire circumstances, could rise above them to accomplish so much, and be such a tremendous help to others. Eric LeGrand has touched my life and the lives of millions around the world by his inspirational example.

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Below are some additional photos and videos about Eric so that you might get to know him better and be inspired by him. For more information visit Eric's website: ericlegrand52.com.