As told by MIKE, aka Mike Raffone. · 2015. 1. 16. · As told by MIKE, aka Mike Raffone. The...
128
Transcript of As told by MIKE, aka Mike Raffone. · 2015. 1. 16. · As told by MIKE, aka Mike Raffone. The...
As told by MIKE, aka Mike Raffone.
The sports world’s ultimate talking head, MIKE shares his all-time favorite 25 choices of what he finds Best About Sports.
Enjoy MIKE’s colorful stories on athletes, teams, equipment, places, mascots and events that comprise his top 25 choices in this FREE book Best About Sports.
MIKE’s author profile can be found on www.theemike.com.
The subject of sports always triggers debate.
Pick a player, celebrate a team or remember a championship moment, regardless of the sport, and I guarantee that a lively discussion will quickly follow.
Animated, verbal altercations about any athlete and team embroil sports fans everywhere and foster what I believe is Best About Sports.
In a relative’s living room, at a neighborhood bar or around the office water cooler, the mere mention of a certain player or team will instantaneously ignite colorful conversation and more than likely ruffle some one’s feathers.
Reference the New York Yankees & impassioned Boston Red Sox fans will appear out of thin air eager to engage in an animated verbal altercation.
Criticize Kobe and Los Angeles Lakers lovers will immediately compare the Black Mamba to MJ as well as list Bryant along with Magic, Wilt, Kareem, Shaq and even Mikan in their long line of NBA titles.
Praise the Pack and surely Steelers, Saints and Patriots faithful will some how seek to metaphorically kick you right in your Cheese Head.
Wear a FC Barcelona jersey in public and you’ll quickly feel the glaring eyes of Manchester United hooligans lurking ominously nearby.
Yes, the subject of sports stirs the embers of lively conversations from yesterday’s nationally televised game as well as from championship games played several seasons ago.
Fans who can’t remember what they ate for lunch have amazing recollection of events on the ice, hardwood, pitch, end zone or home plate from decades back and always seek outlets to share their passion, opinions and angst.
Plus, sports are universal.
Sports transcends religion, cuts through cultural ties, eludes ethnicity, ignores bank account balances and fails to distinguish between sex, weight, age and even familial allegiance. Your team is your team. Not your dad’s, your sister’s or even that of your spouse. Your inalienable right as a sports fan is to root for whomever you want.
Sure, your choice may defy logic, strain family ties, break stereotypes and shatter urban myths, but it’s your choice, never to be forced upon you at any time.
The right to root for your team and your favorite player is buried deep down in your DNA. It’s your privilege and your prerogative in spite of what others think. That’s why this book is so important to me. It’s the culmination of the top 25 things I like, no love, about sports.
My top 25 in Best About Sports includes names and teams, stadiums and sports, plus sights, sounds and smells.
Remember, it’s my book! My opinion. My prerogative. My top 25.
And, if you want to share your favorites with me, then email [email protected].
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
MIKE is a registered trademark.
MIKE and all the artwork in this book are the property ofNew Vision Entertainment LLC, Clearwater, FL
No part of this FREE book may be reproduced without the express written consent of NVE’s Publisher Maura Sweeney.
For permission, contact [email protected]
Throughout this FREE MIKE Sports Comic Book, several names, teams, leagues and events are underlined and highlighted in blue.
As a convenience, you can click on the links and be immediately connected to sports related sites for products that specifically pertain to the athlete, team, play or event referenced in each chapter.
You can find a Fat Head, an EA Sports video game, a Lids hat or a jersey from Champs of your favorite player or team as well as locate sports memorabilia of your favorite sports moment, player or team.
You can also visit one of the league shops from the NFL, MLB and NBA or visit the ESPN Shop for your favorite apparel.
I absolutely love Lou Holtz!
For cryin' out loud - as this charismatic old coaching codger likes to say - I now love Lou Holtz even more after listening to his commentary with co-anchor Mark May during ESPN College Game Day broadcasts.
Lou Holtz's candid college football coverage carries clout! Viewers are immediately smitten by the outspoken purity of this grandfatherly pigskin pundit and television's a-typical talking head.
That’s why he starts my Best About Sports book as the #25 pick.
Who cares if this retired coach sports a face for radio rather than network television? This colorful commentator is welcome in my living room any day of the week.
The former Notre Dame, South Carolina and Minnesota head football coach may mis-pronunciate, inarticulate and mis-syllabicate whenever he opens his mouth, but who the heck cares?
The immensely loveable Lou emanates total trust, prognosticates with passion and purpose, and generates unbridled enthusiasm out of the ESPN Sports Center Studio.
Football fans look quickly past his saucer shaped spectacles, learn to live with his lovable lisp, and humor him for his histrionics and hair-brained hunches - because they, too - absolutely love Lou Holtz!
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
At #24 in my book Best About Sports is another book I penned entirely about undersized athletes. The book allows me to refute a common misperception that “bigger is always better.”
It’s not always true – especially in sports. That’s why I wrote the book specifically touting my all-time favorite Undersized Athletes.
If we used the same logic that “bigger is always better,” then we’d want bigger headaches, bigger holes in our pockets and even bigger cases of jock rash.
Always a fan of the little guy, I can relate to shorter, smaller athletes. These mighty mites were probably overlooked as kids every time teams were picked on the asphalt, soccer pitch or football field. Being spurned when you know you can play becomes a tremendous impetus to improve and play really big - in spite of your shorter stature.
As a little guy, I’ve personally been called a pipsqueak, a squirt and an ankle biter. But, I never allowed those names to squash my drive. They only propelled me.
My book about Undersized Athletes features a collection of stories chronicling my all-time 10 best little tikes whom others may have once overlooked because of their size.
You’ll admire the strength of a pocket-sized weightlifter with Herculean strength and marvel at the speed, quickness and basketball skills of the NBA’s shortest player ever.
You’ll get a kick out of the “dwarfish” size soccer player’s magical skills and respect the brilliant career of an undrafted, undersized slot receiver who’s become a huge NFL star.
You’ll be awed by the dangerous acrobatic move of a barely five foot tall Russian gymnast and smile at the hitting mastery of Major League Baseball’s tiniest player ever.
You’ll enjoy Heisman Trophy success stories of two outstanding, but undersized, college football players who stood only 5’9” tall.
Finally, you’ll applaud the sterling careers of two smallish athletes who’ve dominated their respective sports inside the ropes and outside on the soccer pitch.
The stories in my Undersized Athletes book confirm that you can never measure the heart, will or desire of the vertically challenged - because “bigger is NOT always better.”
Champions come in all sizes, shapes and colors and these Undersized Athletes prove they stand very tall in a class all their own - no matter what size they actually are.
That’s why this book deserves the #24 spot in my newest FREE book Best About Sports.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Without a fleet of blockers in front of them, my top 10 favorite Football Clichés easily rush into the #23 spot in Best About Sports.
These ridiculous and sometimes exaggerated expressions capture the way we like to describe teams, plays and games.
They’re all couched in the language of metaphors and hyperbole, but sports fans easily relate. How funny would it be if these figurative football clichés were actually taken literally!
Check out my coveted top 10 list:
10. The quarterback’s pass was a wounded duck – Much to the dismay of animal rights activists everywhere, this football cliché offers fans a perfect word picture of a quarterback under throwing an open receiver with a wobbly, barely flight ready pass resembling an injured duck.
9. The other team is icing the kicker – It would definitely be a hoot watching a bunch of defenders dipping the other team’s kicker into a frozen pond?
8. The quarterback has a rifle for an arm – Anti-gun lobbyists wouldn’t be too happy about this one. Imagine seeing a player load a rifle or in this case his “arm” as he drops back to pass during a nationally televised game.
7. The quarterback has happy feet – I’d love to see athletically gifted quarterbacks like Johnny Manziel, Michael Vick and RGIII dancing around the pocket while musical notes, rather than pieces of grass and dirt, form a wake behind their feet.
5. The team has shown blanket coverage in the secondary – This would be a sight. Imagine a bunch of large fleece winter blankets strewn over the football field and frustrated wide receivers buried beneath them.
4. The fullback is pushing the pile – Instead of diving head first like a battering ram into a pile of linemen, imagine a 6’2” and 250 lb.
blocking fullback actually pushing a gigantic pile of dirt and stones with helpless defenders atop it into the end zone. Priceless.
3. The running back coughed up the football – What a sight this one would be. Picture a fast and quick running back, crouched down on his hands and knees. A series of retching up-chucks a slimy football onto the grass.
2. The defense flushed the quarterback out of the pocket – I’d love to see a bunch of linebackers and defensive backs handling giant fire hoses pointed at the opposing team’s quarterback. Their objective is met as he’s washed away on his butt farther down the football field.
1. The defense just buried the quarterback – As players from both teams stand somberly around the gravesite holding shovels, can you imagine a group of big, burly defensive linemen lowering a casket with the opposing team’s quarterback in it?
Write me at [email protected] if you have a few favorite Football Cliches for my list.
You might see your picks in my sequel on what’s Best About Sports.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
The following list of my top 10 favorite Baseball Clichés is a grand slam. That’s why it bats its way into the #22 spot in my book Best About Sports.
Like the previous chapter on favorite Football Clichés, this list captures the ridiculous, inventive and, at times, exaggerated way we report on America’s favorite pastime. Like the see-saw baseball game depicted in this chapter’s comic.
Basebal l fans instantly get these sayings. They’re spoken in the familiar lingo of metaphors and hyperboles that all sports fans understand.
Here’s my top 10 list: 10. Stranded three ducks on a pond – What a sight it would be to actually watch three mallards quacking away on the bases in frustration as a batter takes a third called strike to end the inning.
9. The batter hit a frozen rope – It would be pretty neat to see an icicle encrusted 350’ long rope extend from the batter’s box all the way out to the left field wall.
8. The pitcher handcuffed the batter – Too bad we’ll never actually witness a pitcher leave the mound with a set of cuffs in his hand and head toward home plate to shackle the batter.
7. The infielders are throwing the ball around the horn – It would be a literal blast to see four infielders sitting around the pitcher’s mound, playfully tossing a baseball around a giant trumpet?
6. The outfielder got on his horse to chase down the fly ball – This would never happen, but it would be hysterical to see a centerfielder catch a long fly ball with his glove in one hand, while his other hand holds the reins of the horse he’s riding?
5. The pitcher took something off the ball – One day, I’d love to see this: a pitcher standing on the mound after a pitch holding a frayed baseball cover in his throwing hand.
4. The batter reached for the fences – How ridiculous a sight this would be watching a batter at home plate extend his arms like a transformer robot and actually touch the right field wall.
3. This team is manufacturing runs – Just imagine a team turning its dugout into a manufacturing plant’s assembly line.
2. It’s a pitcher’s duel – Duels don’t happen anymore, but it would be a blast to witness two saber wielding pitchers squaring off around the pitcher’s mound.
1. The base runner got caught napping – The word picture associated with this comic probably says it all. It’s a great way to end this featured list on favorite Baseball Cliches.
Write me at [email protected] if you have a few favorite basketball clichés for my list.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
A slam dunk at #21 in Best About Sports is my top 10 list of favorite Basketball Clichés.
It would be crazy if the metaphoric ways we describe the game of basketball, whether in the NBA or at the NCAA level, actually came true.
Somehow these clichés have smoothly transitioned into our popular sports psyche.
10. The guard has a really hot hand – Imagine the refs having to call the fire marshal to extinguish the hot hands of the shooting guards.
9. The big guys are camping in the lane – What a hoot it would be to watch a bunch of near 7-foot guys setting up a tent inside the free throw line.
8. The other team is burying 3’s – Kinda like the quarterback in chapter #23, it would be funny to witness sharp shooting guards using shovels to dig big holes outside the three point arc - literally burying their 3’s.
7. The other team is raining 3’s – The sports comic at the beginning of this chapter featuring basketball players under their umbrellas perfectly brings this cliché to life.
6. The game clock is our biggest enemy – When your team is far behind and time is perilously ticking down, the clock seems to snarl and hiss - as if it were a real living, breathing enemy.
5. There’s a lid on the basket – This metaphor would be a riot if fans could actually observe poor shooting players with tools attempting to pry an actual lid off the basketball rim.
4. The big guy owns the paint – Like chiseled muscle heads standing outside a night club, imagine some very tall, muscular player standing under the basket protecting the large cans of paint he just purchased.
3. The losing team can’t throw the ball in the ocean – How pathetic a sight this would be to witness an entire dismayed basketball team
standing on the beach. They’re helplessly shooting basketballs at the water beneath their feet, but the wind immediately blows their shots back into their hands.
2. The star player is carrying his team on his shoulders – Gotta have broad shoulders to do this one. The comic paints a pretty word picture of what’s happening here.
1. The team got invited to the Big Dance – In this throwback comic, every NCAA basketball team still plans all year to don bow ties and tuxedos to travel to March Madness’ annual Big Dance.
Let me know at [email protected] if you have a few favorite basketball clichés for my list of favorite Basketball Cliches.
You might see your picks in my sequel on what’s Best About Sports.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
His love of baseball is evident. His enthusiasm for baseball history is infectious. But, his personal collection of autographed baseballs is nothing less than extraordinary and it’s #20 in my book Best About Sports. Dennis Schrader's signed baseball collection, once housed in the spare bedroom of his Odessa, FL home, is now internationally recognized. Schrader's collection may not include the infamous Boston Red Sox's Bill Buckner booted ball during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series recently for sale on eBay for a cool $1 million. However, it does comprise the most comprehensive and coveted collection of autographed baseballs on the planet. In 2011, London-based Guinness World Records certified that Schrader's Little Cooperstown, with a whopping 4,400 signed baseballs, officially ranks as the largest. The collector’s Little Cooperstown success has been decades long in the making. The immensely likable Schrader started collecting baseballs in 1956 as a kid in Largo, FL. Yankee legend Mickey Mantle signed his first ball during Spring Training. Schrader’s passion for the sport and preoccupation with baseball memorabilia, especially the autographed kind, quickly tuned into a lifelong obsession and one that other lovers of baseball can now enjoy. Schrader declares, "There isn't any big name who has ever played the game whose signature I don't have on a ball." A bold proclamation, but Schrader’s collection is corroborated by over 3,000 certificates of authenticity, scores of photographs and videos, and several testimonial letters that include the Mayor of St. Petersburg, FL and an ethics professor from the University of South Florida. When interviewed, Schrader reflected how kids always ask to see his Jeter, A-Rod, Pujols and Longoria stuff. But Schrader smiles broadly in recalling how dads and grandfathers go nuts over his plastic encased Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio memorabilia.
Schrader's beloved DiMaggio ball even boasts the signature of the Yankee Clipper's bride of nine months, the iconic Marilyn Monroe. Despite generational differences, one name in Schrader’s collection emerges as baseball fans’ undisputed favorite. According to this collector, kids, fathers and grand dads alike are wowed by the nine baseballs signed by legendary Babe Ruth. This micro collection is housed with his other 4,000+ autographed balls in a 150 square foot bedroom, wisely protected with fortress type door and security system. Schrader's obsession has emerged as a baseball lover's gift-wrapped Christmas present. In addition to featuring the Who's Who of Hall of Famers in his Little Cooperstown, Schrader's baseball cache also includes autographed balls from the Negro League as well as the famed all-female League of their Own. In addition, it boasts a Sadaharu Oh’s autograph with a prominently penned 868, his career home run total, proudly placed beside it. Not to be outdone, Schrader holds what is arguably one of baseball’s most coveted prizes: a Shoeless Joe Jackson. Legend has it that the disgraced Black Sox player rarely signed his name due to personal embarrassment of his poor penmanship. Schrader's boundless collection of baseball keepsakes may be amazing, but his personal story is equally compelling. The 65-year-old cancer survivor’s Little Cooperstown is a culmination of a 55 year commitment to collecting that has proven far more cumbersome and arduous than originally envisioned. Schrader has spent years scouring the internet, phoning prospective sellers, attending countless sports memorabilia shows and forking over a personal fortune for, at times, someone's barely legible John Hancock on an old piece of raw hide. Yet is seems all these personal adventures, travels and events have only stoked the embers of Schrader's personal passion for baseball. Dennis Schrader, thanks for your persistence. Thanks for your commitment. Thanks for faithfully demonstrating your loyalty and love for a game whose roots date back to 1836. You’ve preserved for the rest of us a unique and unifying piece of what’s great about American history in Little Cooperstown. Now, Mr. Schrader, I suggest you make one final addition to your collection. Go out, buy a baseball and sign it yourself. . . .
“Dennis Schrader, Owner of Little Cooperstown, largest collection of autographed baseballs in the world.”
#20 in my book Best About Sports. MIKE – aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Tough athletes play hard and talk just as tough.
My favorite tough talking athletes are legends Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, Larry Bird and Babe Ruth.
These iconic athletes used their own smattering of smack to gain a psychological edge over opponents. Their brash babble gave them an athletic advantage over rivals and added to their lore as tough, confident competitors.
Because these Hall of Famers backed up their bark, I've included Trash Talk in the #19 spot in Best About Sports. Like the hodgepodge of litter that fills public garbage dumpsters, Trash Talk in sports is equally as diverse.
From prideful proclamations to inventive insults and from timely taunts to endless yakking, Trash Talk has emerged as an acceptable and expected element in sports.
The jabbering of junk can be found in any sport and at any level. Yet, this verbal sparring is most entertaining when uttered by multi-millionaire athletes behaving like 11-year-olds squabbling and squawking in the schoolyard.
The childish chatter of athletes like Chad Ochocinco, Dwight Howard and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is as wasteful as the garbage they speak.
But, take MJ, Ali, Bird, Broadway Joe, Babe and a few others. These retired superstars' bold slams backed up their bark with bite. They performed their best when under pressure. Their silver tongues buttoned down Trash Talk into a category all of its own.
That's why Trash Talk is #19 in Best About Sports.
MIKE - aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Attending a big game, in any sport, exposes us to a smorgasbord of sights. Big games don’t merely satisfy our visual appetites because we also eagerly drink in the alluring sounds that add to the experience.
Like the expertly arranged sounds of a college marching band, in the #18 spot of Best About Sports is my list of the top 20 sounds in sports. Here are my favorites:
20. Swish of the net in basketball – This is not only a beautiful sight. The sudden rippling sound that accompanies the dancing basketball net also indicates that a sweet stroking shooter has just buried a jumper.
19. Eruption of the home team crowd – A home court or home field advantage is never more evident than when diehard fans erupt in boisterous applause. This thunderous din is a welcome sound whenever a touchdown in football, a basket in basketball or goal in hockey gives the locals a lead.
18. British soccer announcer Ian Darke expressions – Few Americans know of this silky smooth British broadcaster. However, Ian Darke’s 2010 World Cup coverage for ESPN showcased an unparalleled skill that expertly, efficiently and poetically broadcasts soccer on the sports world’s highest level.
17. Crack of the bat in baseball – The crack of the bat is undeniably one of the most beautiful sounds in all of sports. Whenever fans hear this sound, especially at an MLB game, they turn in unison to see where the ball is headed. 16. Tee shot off a Big Bertha driver in golf – With an impact as potent as the name implies, the punctuating sound of a great tee shot is familiar to all golfers. After-shocks of its reverberating sound seem like they can be heard miles away from the course. 15. National Anthem at Super Bowl – This melody always gives me goose bumps. Listening to this ballad makes me, and so many others, proud to be an American.
14. Crushing hit in football – The powerful collision of shoulders pads and helmets may sound like a car wreck (ouch!). But, no one can deny that the palpable sound nearly always leads to a replay and makes an ESPN Sports Center Top 10. 13. Starter's gun in any sport – Whether in the pool or on the track, the bang of the starter’s pistol clearly signals that the action has officially begun. Sounds of deafening cheers, plus a fair amount of nail biting, are sure to follow. 12. Shushing sound a hockey player makes when he stops suddenly and sprays ice shavings off his skates – No need to elaborate about the obvious here. The description speaks for itself.
11. Singing at an English Premier League game – Even when performed by drunken, unruly and off-key hooligans, this is a wonderful British soccer tradition. Despite its popularity overseas, I can’t imagine Cheese Heads in Green Bay, Hogs in DC, Terrible Towel fans in Pittsburgh or any other NFL team fans adopting this uniquely British tradition in their American football cities anytime soon. 10. Gentlemen, start your engines! – You’d be lying to say you never used this legendary Indianapolis 500 starter’s saying before backing out of your garage. What speed crazed sports fan can’t relate to this famous expression? 9. Knock out punch in boxing – Ouch! It’s an immediately identifiable sound that always comes with a listener’s personalized grimace. We don’t like it, but at the same time we all somehow love it! 8. Pop of the catcher's mitt – You can hear and almost feel this beautiful baseball sound and see the little puff of smoke wafting out of the catcher’s mitt, even if your seat is the most distant from the plate in Pigeon Heaven in a packed 50,000 fan stadium. 7. Silence when watching an ESPN college basketball game with announcer Dickie V – Dick Vitale is totally passionate about NCAA college basketball. However, his incessant screaming, Pollyanna platitudes and corny expressions often leave us overwhelmed and wanting to mute the game. 6. Puck clanging off the post in hockey – This distinctive sound is nearly always accompanied by a hush. Fans in the arena know that the scoring of a goal was just missed.
5. Marching bands at a NCAA BCS Game – Who doesn’t love the classic sounds of powerful college bands blasting tubas, clarinets, trumpets, xylophones and drums as they march in unison across an 80,000 seat stadium’s football field? 4. "Gooooooooooooooooooooooooal!" – We’ve all burst out in unison with this celebration. We’ve also borrowed this infectious expression while scoring our own goal in a rec game or even playing fuseball at a local bar. 3. Hammond B3 organ – The epic sounds of the Hammond B3 organ at a hockey, baseball or basketball game is nothing short of a religious experience. Every sports fan relate to hearing a Hammond B3 pipe out Take Me Out to the Ball Game at an MLB game or pound the ivories with an energetic tune to get the crowd revved up. 2. Hockey horn – This is the perfect sound for a rough and tumble sport. The deafening blow of the famed hockey horn sounds like a cruise ship is ready to dock in your living room. 1. ESPN's da da dunt, da da dunt – Without doubt this is the siren song of sports that’s guaranteed, when heard, to interrupt dinner or any conversation anytime and anywhere. This is such a universally sports sound that it had to cap off my chapter for Top Sounds in Sports.
Write me at [email protected] if you have a few favorite sounds of your own for my list.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
In Chapter 18, I wrote about the best things we love to hear whenever we attend a big game in person.
In this chapter, my list of top 20 sights in sports effortlessly and efficiently finds its way into what’s Best About Sports.
Here’s my list:
20. Lighting the flame in the Olympic stadium – Gotta love the awesome tradition of the tireless journey of the Olympic torch. After an arduous trip of being passed from torch bearer to torch bearer across many continents, the flame finally lights the bowl prominently positioned in the Olympic Stadium and officially marks the beginning of the games.
19. Capacity crowds – Cheering fans all clad in team colors and packing out a 100,000+ seat stadium or filling a rickety old high school gym is always a wonderful sight. 18. Not having to see these guys in uniform anymore – In spite of their skill and athletic excellence when they played, I love NOT having to see the likes of Brett Favre, Terrell Owens, Manny Ramirez, Jose Canseco and Chad Ochocinco in uniform anymore. It’s very doubtful anyone would disagree. 17. Flyovers at big games – USA fighter jets buzzing a capacity filled stadium immediately after hearing the National Anthem may now be a thing of the past. But, what a thrill it was to witness these flyovers in person. 16. Expertly groomed field for baseball game – I love gorgeously manicured grounds! Think of all the suburbanites who would give anything to have their front lawns look as pristine and expertly mowed as your favorite baseball infield or outfield at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park. 15. Crunching hit on the boards in hockey – This bone rattling play on the ice looks like a train wreck coming right at you if you’re seated anywhere near the glass in the rink.
14. Soccer goal celebrations – You may have to wait endlessly for them during a nil – nil match, but inventive and exuberant post goal parties on the field are always worth the wait. 13. Dimming the lights for introductions – Gotta love the darkening of arenas, anticipating the choreographed starting line-up introductions accompanied by strobe lights, pulsating music and maybe even smoke and pyrotechnics. 12. 4th and inches in a tied 4th quarter game – If you’re watching at home, this sight will force you to put down the chips, place conversations on hold and move to the edge of your seat. If you’re watching from the bleachers, this sight will always bring you to your feet. 11. 5-4-3 double play in baseball – In spite of the brief moments it takes to complete this complex task, turning a double play in baseball is a smooth, quick and efficient sight made to look extraordinarily easy. It immediately excites one set of fans, while totally deflating another.
10. Marching bands – We all love to watch perfectly aligned students wearing swanky costumes and plumed hats while they march in unison. This sight reaches a whole new level as gleaming tubas, clarinets, trumpets, xylophones and drums complete this beautifully choreographed picture. 9. Punt return in football for TD – Sports fans love watching this for two reasons. One is to anticipate a thrilling return and the second is to witness the possible figurative decapitation of the punt returner that will be replayed endlessly on ESPN Sports Center. 8. Championship celebrations – Balloons, bear hugs and falling confetti are accompanied by grateful thanks, bumbled (yet easily forgiven) comments, champagne baths, tears of joy, proud boasts and the raising of expensive trophies. The entire spectacle makes staying up past midnight worth the wait - at least if you live on the East Coast. 7. Technology like the FOX box, yellow 1st down line and ESPN scrolling squeeze box at bottom of the screen – How did sports fans ever survive without them in the days before our multi-media, multi-tasking world?
6. Home run robbing catch – The sight of an athletic outfielder climbing a 12 foot fence to extract a baseball out of mid air that’s about to leave the ball park is both heart stopping and priceless. 5. Perfectly executed screen play in football – With a simple flick from the quarterback and several pulling 300 lb. linemen, successful screen passes will always make the sports highlight reels on ESPN Sports Centers’ plays of the day. 4. Perfectly executed pick and roll in basketball – Especially if they’re run as effortlessly and efficiently as those we see executed by John Stockton and Karl Malone highlights, no basketball fan would want to miss this sight. 3. Perfectly executed squeeze play in baseball – Even when you instinctively know this risky and lightning quick play is coming, it always seems to catch everyone by surprise. 2. Alley oop pass – There’s a reason why the beautiful and exciting sight of high flying flushes off precise alley oop passes always make ESPN Sports Centers’ plays of the day. They’re poetry in motion. 1. March Madness upset – Skipping work on a Thursday afternoon to watch a Cinderella #15 seed upset a heavily favored #2 seed is exactly why we all readily embrace the spring sickness known as March Madness. Kids of any age will find every excuse under the sun to play hooky from work, school and family commitment.
Contact me at [email protected] if you have a few favorite sights of your own for my list.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
In addition to unwavering nerve and exceptional skill, golfers also grumble that prayers, fasting and even divine intervention are needed to master these three holes. They’re located at Augusta National Golf Club, home of the PGA Masters Tournament, one of golf’s top four major events, since 1934.
Recognized as both the toughest and most revered sequence of holes in golf, Augusta National’s second shot on the 11th, all of the 12th and the tee shot on the 13th combine to form the game of golf’s most venerated Amen Corner.
It chips its way onto my list in the #16 spot of Best About Sports.
Six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus called the par three, 155 yard 12th hole the toughest short hole in golf. Plus, the unpredictable swirling winds, Rae’s Creek and the overall length of the par four 505 yard 11th hole and par five 510 yard 13th hole contribute to the enormous difficulty of this gorgeous piece of golfing real estate.
In a 1958 Sports Illustrated article, golf writer Herman Warren Wind coined the name of this signature stretch of tough play. He wanted to create a catchy nickname for this glorious combination of beautifully designed, yet extremely challenging holes. Much like baseball’s Hot Corner and football’s Coffin Corner, golf’s Amen Corner was born.
When founded by golfing great Bobby Jones in 1933, all of the course’s holes were named after Georgia’s local shrubs and trees like Azalea on the 13th, Golden Bell on the12th and White Dogwood on the 11th. Professional golfers who have succumbed to these harrowing holes of Amen Corner have ironically renamed them more appropriate plant names like Poison Ivy, Hemlock Dropwort and Venus Fly Trap.
Since 1958 the aura of Amen Corner has intensified. Golf’s most alluring, yet tormenting three hole challenge has historically decided the outcome of the Masters. Golfing legends like Byron Nelson in 1937, Sam Snead in 1949 and Arnold Palmer in 1958 all played heavenly through this troublesome stretch of Augusta. Each golfer arose to wear the iconic Green Jacket given to the Masters Tournament champion.
Though beloved, admired and perhaps even cursed by professional golfers, this prized piece of Augusta National Golf Club known as Amen Corner remains the holiest three holes in golf. Amen.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
In all of sports, this 10' by 4' glass enclosed structure stands alone as a unique piece of real estate.
That's why it checks into the #15 spot in Best About Sports.
Hockey is the only sport that boasts a physical cell of sorts with a wooden door and reinforced plexi-glass walls. This is where players are temporarily banished from the ice for their bratty behavior, like tripping, slashing, cross checking and excessively rough play.
Rugby, handball, field hockey, lacrosse and water polo may refer to their physical places of time out punishment as penalty boxes.
However, only the sport of hockey's Penalty Box resembles an aquarium that could conceivably house your favorite fish. In hockey's unique temporary accommodation, punished players serve out their penalties like little kids in a kindergarten time-out.
Sitting strategically at center ice between the red and blue lines, hockey's small, isolated glass wall enclosure is visible to everyone in the arena.
Fans instantly know who's been naughty simply by checking out who's in hockey's "sin bin." Otherwise, they can read the arena's score board where a player's violation is cited and their penance time is actually counted down.
Depending on the violation, visitors can spend anywhere from two to five minutes in the Penalty Box, often looking like caged sharks caught in a miniature aquarium fish tank.
Too bad the NFL, MLB, NBA or FIFA doesn't construct similar structures for their respective sports.
Being a spectator would be a lot more interesting watching players serve time in an actual time-out. Pass interference, fouling a three point shooter, booting a baseball or committing a hand ball violation would all qualify as reasons for “doing time.”
The lives of umpires, officials, referees and judges could be a lot easier if other sports, like hockey, adopted the physical Penalty Box.
MIKE - aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
No other team sport celebrates an unparalleled combination of individual creativity and athletic excellence like NBA basketball.
Signature shots and moves, developed, honed and made famous by accomplished NBA basketball players, memorialize their impact on the sport. They leave a lasting legacy of fun, excitement and enviable skill for basketball fans to enjoy.
This collection of shots swishes into the #14 spot in Best About Sports.
In this chapter, I’ve focused on what I believe are the basketball’s 10 greatest signature shots and moves. They’re all instantly identifiable because they were birthed by perennial All-Stars and NBA Hall of Famers.
These highly skilled athletes transformed the pro game into a fast-paced, high-flying and super-entertaining sport.
Here’s my list:
10. Cross-over Dribble – Initially admired when Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy crossed over opponents in the 1950s, this signature move soon catapulted to an entirely new level. Tim Hardaway shaked and baked his way past would-be defenders in the 1980s. Then, Allen Iverson froze and flummoxed opposing guards in the 1990s. Now, Kyrie Irving carries on the “ankle breaking” tradition of the cross-over move as a modern day NBA star.
9. Pick ‘n Roll – The standard for the pick and roll has been, and will probably always be, John Stockton and Karl Malone. Better than any other combo in the history of the sport, these two NBA Hall of Famers effortlessly, efficiently and successfully executed the pick and roll in all their years together in Utah.
8. Tear Drop – Many shorter guards have tried this soft shot close to the basket while longer, athletic shot blockers have attempted to swat it away. However, speedy NBA All-Star Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs has perfected his gentle flick of the basketball. It descends from
its highest point of release like a tear gently dropping from an eye and tickles the twine as it passes through the cylinder.
7. Step Back Jumper – Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Reggie Miller, formerly of the Indiana Pacers, are to be praised for the picture perfect form of their step-back jumpers. However, no one in NBA history shot it as often and on the biggest stages of the NBA Playoffs as 3-time NBA MVP and 3-time NBA Champion Larry Bird.
6. Fade Away Jumper – Only one NBA player should come to mind when referencing the best fade away jumper of all time - and that’s Michael Jordan. MJ perfected this un-guardable shot which he used brilliantly in winning six NBA titles during an illustrious career that will never fade away.
5. Windmill Dunk – The windmill dunk was only one of an assortment of exciting, gravity-defying flushes popularized by one of the greatest NBA leapers of all-time, Dominique Wilkins. This former Atlanta Hawks all-star’s dunking ability was so prolific that his dunks and overall athletic play led to Wilkins’ clever nickname The Human Highlight Reel.
4. Sky Hook – The NBA's greatest scorer ever birthed the nickname of this shot by perfecting an unstoppable move. Kareem Abdul Jabbar of the LA Lakers effortlessly released the ball high over helpless defenders who appeared glued to the hardwood, unable to block his shot attempt. ESPN boldly called the sky hook the deadliest shot the NBA has ever seen. #33 could unleash his un-guardable shot whenever, wherever, however and on whomever he faced on basketball courts across America.
3. Finger Roll - One of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, George Gervin, or The Ice Man’s brilliant stroke and dizzying array of shots made him impossible to guard. At 6’7” Gervin was too long for shorter guards to cover as he easily shot over them. At 185 lbs. Gervin was also too quick and athletic for taller players to guard. Gervin easily drove by bigger opponents and finished his drives with a stop-on-a-dime pull-up jumper, a fluid reverse lay-up or his famous finger-roll signature shot from just about anywhere in the lane.
2. No Look Pass – This patented pass play will always be associated with the over-sized point guard known as Magic. At 6’9”, Earvin Magic Johnson’s brilliant court vision, athleticism and exceptional ball-handling ability made him one of the most prolific passers in NBA history. Skilled at running the fast break for the fast-paced LA Lakers
Showtime attack, Magic’s no look passes regularly found fellow NBA All-Stars as they finished the Showtime break before celebrity fans in the old Forum with a dunk or easy lay-up.
1. Dream Shake - Hakeem Olajuwon used a string of spins, fakes and twists that became known as the Dream Shake. Hakeem’s unstoppable move resulted in either an unguarded fade away jump shot or a fast, explosive move to the basket. "Un-guardable," claimed rival big man and two-time NBA champion David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs when referencing Olajuwon.
Olajuwon credits the great footwork he learned as a youth playing soccer in Nigeria. This childhood skill added to the amazing success of his Dream Shake move during his decorated 18 year NBA career.
No other sport like basketball has given rise to such incredible individuality in a team sport. That why these signature shots deserve to be included in Best About Sports.
Email me at [email protected] if there’s a signature shot or move that you feel should be on this list too.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Standing 13.5” tall and weighing in at a hefty 25 lbs., the Heisman Trophy is unquestionably the most prestigious award in all of college sports. The bronze trophy easily stiff-arms all other potential choices to be the #13 pick in Best About Sports.
Every December since 1935, the Heisman Trust in New York City awards the beautiful bronze trophy to the nation’s most outstanding football player whose college play represents excellence and integrity.
Votes from 870 sports journalists, geographically located in six sections across the United States, plus previous Heisman Trophy winners and one collective vote from ESPN sports fans, are submitted to the Deloitte accounting firm where the ballots are tabulated and governed by the Heisman Trust.
Since 2005 the annual winner has been selected at the Best Buy Theater in the New York Hilton in Times Square, New York City, before a national television audience on ESPN.
Quarterbacks and running backs have dominated the Heisman selection process over the years. No primary defensive player has ever won the coveted trophy, although Michigan’s multi-talented Charles Woodson won the prize in 1997 as a game-changing defensive back, kick returner and punt returner.
Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III, both exciting, dual threat quarterbacks, have been the most recent recipients of the venerated award.
Current NFL stars Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers QB), Mark Ingram, Jr. (New Orleans Saints RB) and Sam Bradford (St. Louis Rams QB) received the honor in 2010, 2009 and 2008 respectively.
Ohio State University’s Archie Griffin is the only two time winner (1974 and 1975) of the Heisman Trophy. Florida’s Tim Tebow became the first sophomore winner back in 2007, and in 2012 Manziel emerged as the first freshman.
In addition, Ohio State and Notre Dame have witnessed seven winners each from their universities, while USC is the only NCAA school to have
its Heisman winner, Reggie Bush in 2005, vacated for accepting improper benefits. Despite its rich football history, Alabama’s only Heisman winner has been Ingram.
What originally began as a great idea by former Auburn, Clemson and UPenn Coach John W. Heisman in 1935 has transformed into college athletics’ most celebrated acknowledgement.
Heisman winners form college football’s most famous and well-respected fraternity. These players will always be recognized for their extraordinary accomplishment.
Just like the famed Heisman Trophy pose, every college football player would stiff-arm and side-step all would-be competitors to carry home college football’s most prestigious annual award.
That’s why the Heisman ranks as my #13 pick in Best About Sports.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Attending a big game is always exciting.
Feeling the excitement of the action or experiencing the pulsating pressure only steps away from the court, field, pitch or ice are definitely reasons to celebrate.
Professional sports teams and big-time college athletic programs are rapidly evolving into modern day versions of the famed Barnum and Bailey Circus. These pro teams and college programs eagerly compete for sports fans’ entertainment dollars.
Lots of time, talent, creativity and money are invested to ensure fans at the big game enjoy the experience and feel compelled to return to these modern sports world’s big top known as arenas and stadiums.
This chapter highlights my top choices for In-game Entertainment.
Although entertainment styles may vary by venue and sport, similar fun and exciting elements seem to be used in stadiums and arenas across the globe.
This collection of In-game Entertainment jumps into my #12 spot of what’s Best About Sports.
10. The nutty, crazy and zany - In addition to perky cheerleaders, I love all the other nutty, crazy, zany, creative things sports fans do at games to support their teams. That means jugglers, dancers, twirlers, tuba players, shirtless guys with painted faces in frigid weather, streamer shakers and the holders of big head cardboard signs.
9. The food – That means all-you-can-eat $1 hot dogs or famous taco nights where only a few bucks can buy you a hefty meal at a park or an arena. You can chow down all you want without ever having to do the dishes!
8. The tee shirt canon – Who can resist the excitement of watching an arena employee standing at courtside holding a mini rocket launcher to propel a $2 tee shirt about a mile away into the upper deck? And, what fan doesn’t love seeing guys in the upper deck risk their lives
leaning over the rail to catch that free shirt that might not even fit. But who really cares?
7. Any inventive trick involving dogs – I’m a dog lover, and I absolutely love watching the amazing things our four legged friends can do. So, whether it’s a Frisbee catching dog on a basketball court, or a dog pulling a miniature wagon with a monkey in it on a football field, sports fans are always root for rover!
6. Team mascots and more – In-game promotions involving team mascots are always fun and bring out the best in local sentiment. If you’ve never been to Nationals Park in Washington, DC, you’ve the patriotic thrills of cheering for Tom (Jefferson), Abe (Lincoln), Teddy (Roosevelt) and George (Washington) in the Presidential Races.
Another one of my regional stadium favorites is the famous sausage races held at Miller Park in Milwaukee. It’s here that fans can cheer for their favorite Italian sausage, German bratwurst, Polish kielbasa or American hot dog. Everyone has fun backing their favorite racing wiener, I mean, winner. 5. Dunking gorillas – Sure they use a trampoline, but these fearless, acrobatic little guys clad in monkey suits always seem to wow the crowds by rapidly dunking basketballs in inconceivable ways.
4. The kiss cam –This roving lens always captures both tender moments and awkward interludes and blasts them across the big screen. Sports fans either are madly in love or in desperate need of counseling can relate to the startled looks of couples whose candid moments just got caught on the kiss cam.
3. Indoor pyrotechnics – The inflammatory dangers this form of in-game entertainment has been banned from just about every arena I’m aware of. But, few can argue that fireworks, smoke and lightning strobes in an arena during a big game is anything short of fabulous.
2. The Hammond B3 organ – You’ll never find organ music on my iPod’s playlist, but listening to the beats belted out by a Hammond B3 will always give me a rise during a big name. Sports fans will agree that a Hammond’s piping sound is beautiful music to our ears as well as our sports souls.
1. Jumbotrons – If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found yourself in a trance during games gazing up at the Jumbotron in the
arena or stadium instead of watching the actual game you already paid $75 to see in person. In-game entertainment on Jumbotrons is just that good!
Email me at [email protected] if there’s an In-game Entertainment favorite of yours that you feel should be on this list too.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
The student section at Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium has every right to go crazy. These college kids get to cheer on top national recruiting classes each year as well as the most successful head coach in college basketball history,
The energetic and creative students, cleverly named Cameron Crazies, have helped provide a huge home-court advantage for the Duke Blue Devils during the school’s games in Durham, NC. It’s no surprise these rabid fans are #11 in Best About Sports. Since joining the program in 1980, Coach Mike Krzyzewski has developed the Duke Basketball program into one of the nation’s elite.
Coach K has led the Blue Devils to four NCAA Titles in 1991, 1992, 2001, and 2010, while coaching scores of future NBA players. Coach K attributes the Duke Basketball program’s success not only to the five star recruits who have played for him. But, the noisy Cameron Crazies who have rooted for his squad at Cameron Indoor have made it a nearly impossible place for opposing teams to play and win. Before students enter Cameron Indoor Stadium, they gather in the makeshift city of Krzyzewski-ville outside of the arena. There, clever chants are made up before the games begin inside the stadium.
During the late fall and winter many Cameron Crazies brave the harsh weather. They pitch tents to secure tickets to sold-out games against in-state ACC rivals such as University of North Carolina, Wake Forest and NC State.
Covered in blue body paint or dressed in funny outfits, Cameron Crazies fill the lower bowl of the stadium. With their creative chants, intimidating tactics and constant jumping, the student section creates an awesome atmosphere for the Blue Devils basketball team just inches away from the hardwood and the visiting team.
Whether you’re a Duke Blue Devil fan or you’re not the least bit crazy, it’s not too difficult to draw the conclusion that these Cameron Crazies are the best fans in college basketball!
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Few things fuel the fire for barstool banter like the subject of extraordinary feats in sports.
Regardless of the sport, sports fans of every age and background have sparred with relatives, friends and colleagues about their unforgettable individual performances and favorite classic games.
When it comes to Epic Sports Performances, all sports fans wish they could have been there.
Whether sitting in a front row seat or standing in the upper deck, they would have loved to witness the memorable achievements of now legendary athletes who, for one glorious night, were truly “unconscious” or literally had “stepped into that magical zone.”
Holding firmly to the #10 spot in Best About Sports is my personal collection of Epic Sports Performance s .
Here’s my top 10 list:
10. In 1998, Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs struck out an amazing 20 Houston Astros batters. Only 20 years-old at the time, Wood totally dominated the Astros in what many consider the greatest MLB game ever pitched. Wood walked no batters and allowed only one infield hit.
9. In 1993, Darryl Sittler of the Toronto Maple Leafs accumulated 10 points in a game against the Boston Bruins. Sittler scored six goals on 10 shots while assisting on four others. It was a feat that no other NHL player has yet to duplicate.
8. In 1993, little known Mark Whiten of the St. Louis Cardinals tied two Major League Baseball records in the second game of a doubleheader versus the Cincinnati Reds.
In MLB history, 15 players have hit four homers in a game. Only one had driven in 12 runs in a game. However, no one in MLB history
managed what Whiten did on his magical night by hitting hit four dingers and driving in 12 runners in the same game.
7. In 2010, John Isner made epic sports history in both endurance and performance. He recorded an astonishing 113 aces in his seemingly endless (11 hours and 5 minutes in length) first round Wimbledon match against Nicolas Mahut.
6. In 1956, while playing against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Don Larsen of the NY Yankees pitched the only perfect game ever in a World Series Game. Larsen’s remarkable performance enabled the Yanks to win Game 5 and, subsequently, the World Series in which he was also named MVP.
5. In 1951, Norm Van Brocklin of the then Los Angeles Rams set an NFL record by passing for an incomprehensible 554 yards. With NFL record books showing 11 quarterbacks passing for more than 500 yards in a game, not even Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Montana, Drew Brees or Peyton Manning have yet come close to surpassing Van Brocklin’s record.
4. In 1990, the late Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs recorded an amazing 7 sacks in one game against the Seattle Seahawks. By today’s NFL standards recording 7 sacks in a season will probably secure a defensive player a pretty sweet contract extension. Imagine accomplishing that in a single game.
3. In 2007, Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings set an NFL record by rushing for an incredible 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers. A rookie at the time, Peterson ran for a staggering 253 yards in the second half of the game. A truly epic performance.
2. In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain of the then Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points in a sparsely attended NBA game against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Like Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak; Wayne Gretzky’s 9 NHL MVP Trophies; Usain Bolt’s back-to-back gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics; Lionel Messi’s 91 total goals in all competitions in 2012; and Derrick Thomas’ 7 sacks in a game; Wilt’s historic night is a sports milestone which will never be broken.
1. In 2008, USA swimmer Michael Phelps’ performance in the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China stands as arguably the greatest
personal achievement in all of sports. The most honored Olympian ever with 22 total Olympic medals, Phelps collected 8 gold medals in Beijing, 5 of which were in individual races. Now that’s epic!
Email me at [email protected] if you’d like to share your choice for Epic Sports Performances.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
A childhood friend in St. Louis, MO originally named baseball great Lawrence Peter Berra Yogi. He said Berra looked like an Eastern Indian snake charmer.
Later, during his career in Major League Baseball as both player and manager, New York Yankees great Yogi Berra regularly charmed American baseball fans.
The 15-time Major League Baseball all-star's performance on the baseball field has always marveled baseball fans. From his rookie season in 1949 until today, more than forty years after his retirement, baseball fans love Yogi.
Inducted into Cooperstown in 1972, Berra may be the game's greatest catcher. A member of baseball's All-Century Team, Berra racked up career totals of 385 home runs, 1,430 runs batted in and a .285 batting average.
A three-time American League Most Valuable Player, Yogi Berra also won thirteen World Series Championships with the NY Yankees. Between 1947 and 1978, he won eleven as a player and two as a coach.
One of baseball's most colorful and irritating trash talkers, Berra was also equally famous for his funny expressions. Yogi butchered the English language by misusing similar sounding words. He also said some things that didn’t really make sense.
Berra’s expressions or Yogi-isms like, "it ain't over 'til it's over,” “a nickle ain't worth a dime anymore,” “ I really didn't say everything I said," and “baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical,” made him one of the sport’s most endearing players.
That’s why his expressions form a category all their own.
Guarding the plate in the #9 spot in Best About Sports is my personal collection of this former New York Yankees catcher’s famous Yogi-isms.
Berra coined some of the funniest and head scratching sports quotes of all-time, leading many sports fans to question if he ever really said all that was attributed to him.
“Pair up in threes.”
“The other team could make trouble for us if they win.”
It’s déjà vu all over again.” (said after Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris batted consecutive home runs again)
If you come to a fork in a road, take it.”
“I usually take a two hour nap from one to four.”
If people don’t want to come to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?”
“You can observe a lot by watching.”
“Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t go to yours.”
One of Berra’s most memorable Yogi-isms, "the future ain't what it used to be," is partially correct.
Because, when fans look back on #8's career, Yogi Berra's remarkable playing past and playful nature may never be duplicated by any future Major Leaguer. That’s why Berra’s colorful expressions slide into the #9 spot in my book Best About Sports.
MIKE - aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
"Sports have the power to change the world."
1993 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and former South African President Nelson Mandela uttered these words that many have lauded as the most poignant sports quote ever.
But the famous quote, intended to hold up the virtues of sports as an agent for moral integrity and positive social change, has come under attack here in America. Unfortunately, reports of sordid behavior from star athletes, sports icons, trusted coaches and storied institutions have sullied the public's perception. They’ve caused many to mutter that athletes also possess the power to change the world.....for the worse.
However, this chapter won’t dwell on negative sports news. Instead, it highlights another book I wrote that focuses on my all-time favorite Overcoming Sports Stories.
The book aligns nicely with Nelson Mandela’s famous quote and earns the #8 slot here in Best About Sports.
Overcoming Sports Stories shares how underdogs overcame obstacles to emerge victorious.
In it, you’ll read about a guard who couldn’t shoot straight, but then became one of the best long-range sharpshooters in NBA history. You’ll admire how a troubled, incarcerated teen transformed his life while in prison and became a world boxing champion and successful businessman.
You’ll learn about how a woefully bad NFL team overcame the franchise’s history of ineptitude. And, you’ll also read about a very light hitting MLB team that defied statistical improbability. Both overcame and won world championships in their respective sports.
You’ll appreciate the untold pressure of a son who chose to follow the footsteps of an iconic father in the very same sport.
Also, you’ll become familiar with the inspiring stories of a swimmer, an impaired pitcher and an NBA Hall of Fame basketball player. These famous athletes either overcame allergies, physical deformity or life threatening disease and social stigma to emerge as legends in their respective sports.
Finally, you’ll be inspired by the remarkable personal struggles of my top picks. One rose above racial animosity to become one of the most influential athletes ever. The other defeated cancer and returned to his sport and ultimately bought the professional sports franchise which drafted him and employed him his entire career. Sadly, negative sports news can sometimes dampen a sports fan’s belief in the inspiring words of Nelson Mandela that sports have the power to change the world. So, in keeping with Mandela’s social ideal, welcome to the good news stories that I chronicle in my all-time 10 best Overcoming Sports Stories – which comes in at #8 in Best About Sports.
May the overcoming sports stories in this book be the spark that helps inspire and change the world for good. MIKE – aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Nicknames are especially defining in sports, and there’s certainly no shortage of them.
300+ NCAA Division I and hundreds of Division II and III athletic programs all have their own nickname and mascot.
Clever nicknames and mascots capture the essence of a team and they also personify a school’s history, geography, tradition or playing style or, in this case, its religious affiliation.
This unique group of divinely inspired college sports nicknames flies in to the #7 spot in Best About Sports. This spiritually themed assortment of nicknames covers everything from spirits in the sky to demonic entities of the underworld.
Perhaps the greatest singular spiritual college nickname of all-time belongs to the University of Illinois’ legendary Galloping Ghost, a phantom-like figure on the football field.
ESPN selected Red Grange as its greatest football player ever because of his incredible speed and ghostly elusiveness in the open field. Would-be tacklers nearly always missed when attempting to tackle this vaporous tailback known as the Galloping Ghost.
In addition to Red Grange, college sports boast a much broader collection of team oriented spiritual nicknames, covering the gamut from heavenly emissaries to dastardly hellions from the underworld.
The Friars (Dominican order of Catholic priests) from Providence College, the Battlin’ Bishops (honored leaders in the United Methodist Church) from Ohio Wesleyan University and the Dons (esteemed nobles in church hierarchy) from the University of San Francisco serve as both ambassadors of their faiths and noble nicknames for their respective schools.
Spiritual protectors also figure prominently in my collection. The Maccabees (Old Testament Jewish rebels) from Yeshiva University, the
Griffins (Biblical winged lions) from Canisius College, the Threshers (Old Testament temple laborers) from Bethel College and the Crusaders from Holy Cross College and Valparaiso University all preside vigilantly over their respective campuses.
The spiritual references don’t stop at the campus gates.
The Quakers from the University of Pennsylvania, the Fighting Saints from St. Lawrence University and the Angels from Meredith College add to the spiritual collegiate atmosphere, making proud biblical scholars and church historians alike.
Because we’re talking college sports here, godly emissaries and fighters for their faith need to be particularly strong every time they suit up for their college or university.
These spiritual mascots do figurative battle against more than just fleshly competitors. As the Bible suggests, they war against principalities with equally strong and talented teams sporting different kinds of spiritual nicknames.
The university landscape is littered not merely with heavenly representation, but with demonic entities that challenge their authority.
For example, demons and devils of every color, size and shape line up on the other side of the ball against righteous Friars, Dons, Bishops, Crusaders and Saints.
In addition, demons of the underworld try their talons against one another. Blue Devils from both Duke University and DePaul University may be the most famous nicknamed scoundrels in college sports.
However, scores of other imps and villains ply their devilish trade in college sports.
Sun Devils from Arizona State University, Dust Devils from Texas A & M International, Sea Devils from Cape Fear College, Red Devils from Dickinson College and Devils and Devilettes from Mississippi Valley State University wreak their havoc on the hardwood, track, football field and baseball diamond.
Regardless of your religious beliefs, you’ve got to love the diversity of spiritual nicknames that pervade the landscape of college sports.
That’s why as a group, they rank as my #7 pick in Best About Sports.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Driving this clunky ice resurfacing vehicle would satisfy nearly every hockey fan's fantasy.
Who hasn't yearned to climb behind the wheel of this giant tractor and take charge on the ice.
Perhaps the baddest maintenance vehicle in all of sports, whose top speed runs at just a mere 9 miles per hour, the Zamboni cruises in at #6 in Best About Sports.
The boxy Zamboni tractor scrapes, collects, washes, resurfaces and smooths the ice for hockey games and skating competitions.
In addition, tThe monster machine sprays and then squeegees 140 degree water and transforms once rutted and scarred ice into a shimmering surface that mirrors polished glass.
Founded by Frank J. Zamboni in Southern California in 1949, the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine has become the standard throughout arenas around the world.
Approximately 200 custom made machines, at a price of $75,000 each, are manufactured each year.
The Zamboni’s iconic fame has extended beyond the boards of the hockey rinks it resurfaces. In the classic sitcom Cheers, Carla's husband Eddie supposedly got run over by a Zamboni.
And, in a Peanuts comic strip, a fictional miniature Zamboni once cleaned the ice in a birdbath for Snoopi's pal Woodstock
This heavy duty "bad to the boni" machine is dear to all who have watched it perfectly restore chunks and grooves in previously pock marked ice.
All the while these same hockey fans were dreaming they were ones behind the wheel of the Zamboni chugging down the ice at a speed most people walk...backward.
MIKE - aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Throughout history singers, politicians, philosophers and spiritual leaders so impacted the societies of their day that a single name signaled their fame.
These single named icons were instantly known by a reference to their first or last name because a full name became unnecessary.
Down through the ages, spiritual leaders like Jesus and Mohammad never required a last name. Neither did famous philosophers like Plato and Aristotle or a pacifist like Gandhi.
Similarly, political dictators like Stalin and Hitler never needed a first name since last names were all we needed to identify them with the atrocities they committed.
Modern day entertainers reach the pinnacle of success when only one name is necessary for fans to equate them with their signature talent.
For example, hardly anyone can recite their last names, but everyone knows that Shakira can make you dance and Sinbad and Seinfeld can make you laugh.
And when it comes to Elvis, Madonna, Beyonce or Bono, all we need is one name to instantaneously identify these entertainers and belt out a few bars of one of their musical hits.
The world of sports is no different. As you can see from the comic that starts this chapter, I’ve even written a book about famous Single Named Athletes.
A simple name, whether first or last, constitutes celebrity and signals to sports fans everywhere that an athlete has arrived.
Mention his or her single name and someone, somewhere will start to rattle off statistics, count off career highlights and recall favorite all-time performances of the lone named individual.
For example, say Serena or Marta, and talk of women’s tennis and soccer will surface.
Or, reference last names Tebow and Bolt, and fans will more than likely break out into a Lighting Bolt pose or a Tebowing stance.
Conversely, sports fans know that Sweetness is not a candy bar, Magic is not a trick, Babe’s not a cute girl, Bird’s not an winged or feathered creature and Kobe’s not Japanese beef.
So, you don’t need to audible like Peyton or get locked in a double-choke hold by Hulk to enjoy this book.
We all know that like the previous athletes mentioned, there is only one Shaq, LeBron, Kareem, Wilt, Yogi, Messi, Tiger and Pele and there stories and comics can be found in this book for sports fans of all ages.
And, that why the topic of single named athletes makes into the #5 spot in Best About Sports.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
As I stated in the book’s intro, sports is a universal phenomena.
Sports transcends religion, cuts through cultural ties, eludes ethnicity, ignores bank accounts and fails to distinguish between sex, weight, age and even familial bonds.
Your favorite team is your favorite team - not your dad’s, your sister’s or even that of your spouse. Your inalienable right as a sports fan is to root for whomever you want.
Sure, your choice may defy logic, strain family ties, break stereotypes and shatter urban myths. But it’s still your choice, one that should never be forced upon you at any time.
The right to root for your team and your favorite player is buried deep down in your DNA. It’s your privilege, your prerogative in spite of what others think or say.
Not only is it your right to choose your favorite team, but I propose it’s also a God-given sports right to cheer against another team.
It’s healthy and even cathartic to vent your sports fan frustration toward bitter rivals who have beat up on your boys too often in the past or carry themselves in a far too confident manner. Articulating your angst by deciding “Anybody, but…” is what’s Best About Sports.
For example, it’s OK if the continued, unabated success of college programs like Duke and Kentucky basketball or Alabama and USC football ruffle your feathers.
It’s understandable if the 27 World Series Championships that NY Yankees fans routinely bring up in baseball conversation makes your blood start to boil.
It’s alright if the preponderance of championship banners hanging over the courts at Staples Center in Los Angeles or TD Bank North Garden in Boston cause you to grind your teeth.
It’s a part of the game when storied soccer teams like Manchester United, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid spend boat loads of cash to
consistently attract the top talent in the world and make you want to scream as your local club wallows in mediocrity.
Hey, maybe the original America’s Team (the Dallas Cowboys), the wanna-be America’s Team (the New England Patriots) or the most likely choice from Titletown for what should be America’s Team (the Green Bay Packers) give you indigestion at the sound of their names.
No worries, man! Just ease up. Flip on ESPN Sports Center and relax.
It’s OK to blow off some steam. Remember that you’re just fine. Allow that cup of angst to spill over as much and as long as you want.
Remember, it’s your Constitutional sports right to root for - or against - any team from any town at anytime. That’s why this chapter belongs in Best About Sports.
In my house, the sports motto has always been, “Anybody but…”
Write me at [email protected] and tell me yours.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
I’m absolutely crazy about clever nicknames! Who isn’t?
I grew up with Tiny - ironically the biggest kid in class.
I sought help on my math home work from Digits - who was great with numbers.
I could never muster the courage to kiss Cali, short for Caliente, the hottest girl in school.
And, I refused to allow Booger, for obvious reasons, to ever touch me.
Clever, unique nicknames say so much about people. They capture the essence of a person, a moment, a movement or even a city.
Nicknames can defy logic or make no sense at all, except when placed in context. For example, no one ever really saw the former Soviet Union’s feared Iron Curtain and no one I know actually heard the sound of the original Big Bang. But, we all understand what the names mean.
Reference places like Little Havana, The Big Easy or The Windy City and our mental GPS coordinates are set. Mention the Brits, Aussies and Yanks, and different English accents come to mind.
Here in the United States, Americans reference former presidents by numbers like 42 and 44 or by initials like F.D.R., J.F.K. and L.B.J. If Presidents misbehave, they’re assigned cheeky monikers like Tricky Dicky and Slick Willie, and everyone knows who and what we’re talking about.
In the world of entertainment, pop icons like Madonna and Gaga will more than likely get your groove on, while other curious cultural luminaries like Snooki and Snoop might turn it right off.
Nicknames are especially defining in sports. There’s no shortage of them. I penned an entire book on my top 25 all-time nicknames in sports. That’s why the topic of nicknames takes the #3 spot in my book Best About Sports.
In the book I spotlight the storied careers of a Helicopter and a Thorpedo and cater to food fans with unique sports connections to chocolate, spices and cheese.
I entertain with recollections about basketball’s Human Highlight Reel and baseball’s Wizard of Oz.
In addition, I delve into size differences and contrast a Big Unit in baseball with a Pocket Hercules in Olympic weightlifting.
I appeal to those “spiritual” sports fans among you by recalling the prowess of the Minister of Defense.
And, I write about our favorite appliances like a refrigerator, a vacuum cleaner and a microwave.
Plus, I cover some not-so-well-behaved basketball players as well as hockey’s undisputed Great One, whose unfathomable resume on the ice trumps all other great ones in all other sports.
Remember, these are my top 25 all-time nicknames in sports. Enjoy them. The book about nicknames belongs at #3 in Best About Sports.
Yes, it’s my list with my opinions and my personal picks.
If you disagree and want to share your favorite nickname in sports, then email me at [email protected].
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Only a few years ago one of the most identifiable single named athletes in the world also ranked on most sports fans' lists as the most reviled. I've put LeBron in my #2 spot in Best About Sports.
Before celebrating his first NBA Championship with the Miami Heat in 2012, LeBron may have been the most polarizing athlete on the planet. James' decision to announce his plan on ESPN to leave the shores of Cleveland's Lake Erie for the sun drenched beaches of Miami back fired badly on this supremely gifted athlete.
Since then, LeBron has worked as diligently on his game as he has on restoring his reputation. Since relocating to South Florida, this basketball king has certainly earned his ring. Away from the hardwood, he's also served as a clean cut, law abiding, family oriented role model. In addition, this 2003 first overall pick in the NBA Draft has learned how to deal with the intense media scrutiny that has accompanied his global celebrity.
On the basketball court, King James has reigned supreme wherever he's laced up his basketball sneakers. LeBron made a quick and fluid transition from acclaimed high school basketball prodigy to budding NBA superstar when awarded the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Today, he represents the new generation of multi-talented NBA athlete. At 6'8" and 250 lbs. James can play all five positions on the floor. However, in James' case, an unrivaled athleticism, basketball skill, court vision and indomitable spirit have equipped him to emerge as the NBA's best overall player.
LeBron has consistently improved all facets of his game as a Cavalier and more recently as a member of the Heat. A nine time NBA All-Star and four time NBA Most Valuable Player, James has become the face of the NBA, and rightfully so.
LeBron's basketball success has also afforded him boundless opportunities away from the court, where he's also thrived. A popular corporate spokesman for brands like Samsung, Gatorade, Sprite, Nike and McDonalds, James has also performed admirably as host for the ESPY Awards and Saturday Night Live.
Perhaps this king's crowning achievement came late in 2012. Sports Illustrated anointed him as its Sportsman of the Year, arguably the most prestigious honor in all of sports. James was unquestionably a slam dunk to receive this coveted award.
The 2012 NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP not only captained his team (Miami Heat) to an NBA title, but he also led the USA Olympic Basketball Team to a gold medal finish in London. Amazingly, James' 2012 success occurred only a year after he helped the same USA team to a FIBA World Basketball Championship in Turkey in July 2010.
Now part owner of FC Liverpool in the vaunted English Premier League, James has invested in numerous business endeavors. LeBron is expected to flourish outside the lines as much as he has within them.
Many business minded sports fans speculate that James will become the sports world's first ever $ Billion athlete. A Billion dollars is one royal bounty fit for this king known simply, and singly, as LeBron.
MIKE - aka Mike Raffone - thee ultimate talking head on sports!
March Madness, the “indescribably wonderful illness” that attacks college basketball fans every spring and renders them powerless, easily claims the top spot in Best About Sports.
Far worse than any cold, virus or flu, this early spring sickness devours energy and cripples logical thinking. It even steals away any thought of living a normal existence for the next 30 days of your life.
Yes, the wonderful craziness that CBS Sports calls March Madness for its NCAA College Basketball Tournament coverage is arguably the most popular event in all of sports.
March Madness appears every year at the same time and strikes millions of college basketball fans. It then disappears around midnight every first Monday in April. With its vice like grip, March Madness runs uncontrollably through your veins. Symptoms like sleep loss, emotion instability and erratic behavior immediately overtake victims.
Those struck with this famous sickness find themselves mumbling scores, stats, pre-game analysis and RPI ratings. They debate conference strength of schedule and boldly predicting regional brackets.
Like zombies, victims of March Madness barely get through mid-March and into early April without nibbling on nails and suffering some sort of indigestion. They never part with their remotes. They divide their time between watching ESPN on their big LCD TV screens, ESPN.com on smaller LCDs on WiFi notebooks and ESPN Mobile on even tinier LCD screens on pocket-sized iPhones.
Forget about regular or normal relationships too. Those struck by March Madness usually communicate most with others sharing the same physical condition. Sweating profusely and fidgeting incessantly, they text and mumble phrases like Sweet 16; another Cinderella advances; buzzer beater; raining 3’s; diaper dandies, shooting out the lights; and double overtime barn burner.
Wow! What a sickness!
Bring it on and slay me every March. Give me a double dose and don’t ever try to cure me. Please don’t stop the Madness. Don’t ever stop March Madness.
I just love this disease, and probably like you, I don’t ever want to be cured of it.
Without doubt March Madness easily claims the #1 spot in Best About Sports.
MIKE – aka Mike Raffone – thee ultimate talking head on sports!
Thanks for downloading this FREE book.
I wish to extend my appreciation to these companies who have chosen to partner with us and make their products available to our readers.
Fathead
Lids / Hat World
Sports Memorabilia
EA Sports
ESPN Shop
MLB Shop
NBA Store
NFL Shop
Also, if you have clicked on any of the highlighted links above or elsewhere in this book and purchased products from the related sports sites, then thanks because we earn a small commission on each sale.
Meet the MIKE Makers, Jim and Maura Sweeney, as well as the other contributors to this exciting sports property.
Jim Sweeney – Author
Born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, Jim grew up with a passion for sports and fun. Participating in baseball, basketball, swimming, soccer and street hockey, Jim wound up playing basketball at Boston College where he captained the Eagles from 1977 – 1980 and received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the nation’s top NCAA basketball under six feet tall.
After a 20-year-career in sales, Jim closed the computer agency he founded to pursue a fun career in sports entertainment. Jim developed MIKE as an alter-ego sports personality and has penned 20+ books under the MIKE name for both kids as well as adults.
Jim also blogs regularly on national sports sites under the MIKE name and has developed dozens of MIKE Minute monologues for radio.
Now in his fifties and living on the West Coast of Florida, Jim continues to play basketball regularly and always finds time for fun. Jim is a World Masters Basketball Champion as well as a seven time USA Masters Basketball Champion in the 45+, 50+ and 55+ age groups.
For more on Jim - http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdsweeney
Maura Sweeney – Publisher
A three-time best selling publisher of Inky Winky Spider pre-school books, Maura is an author, video blogger and a founder of The State of Happiness Talk Radio Show in Florida.
Maura became the driving force in encouraging her husband out of a highly successful business and into the pursuit of his dream – to create MIKE into the sports world’s ultimate talking head.
Maura is MIKE’s co-creator and publisher.
For more on Maura – http://www.maura4u.com
Primary Illustrator - Alex Salsberg
Cartoonist Alex Salsberg is the man behind Poke Gravy Studios in Boston. An ardent New England Patriots fan, Alex has created animation and illustration for many clients including Nickelodeon and National Lampoon.
Alex has drawn the cover and most of the artwork in the book. His work can be seen at www.PokeGravy.com
The Other Illustrators Kevin Riley – Kevin Riley’s animations appear on Jumbotrons for the Tampa Bay Bucs, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals and Orlando Magic. The Emmy Award winner’s work has also been featured on Nickelodeon, Noggin, Cartoon Network and Discovery Kids TV. Kevin resides in Tampa, Florida where he is founder of Riley Animation.
Richard Betancourt - Richard Betancourt studied drawing and painting at La Academia de San Carlos in Mexico and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Illustration from Art Center College. Residing in his home state of California, Richard started Milkbar Comics, an independent monthly comic.
Kaley Sweeney - Editor
As editor, Kaley infuses youthful enthusiasm and insight into the MIKE’s Sports Comic Book series. At 21 years old, Kaley holds a Bachelor’s in Journalism from Boston University and is pursuing her Master’s at Harvard University.
Kaley is co-founder of Empowered Voices, raising awareness for women in developing countries.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kaleysweeney
The MIKE sports property is expected to be seen and heard on television, the web, radio and Jumbotrons.
Special thanks to these MIKE contributors :
Kevin Riley – Animator
Greg Stauffer – Studio Production
Dave Rittenhouse – Studio Production
Amy O’Hara-Cusick – Legal
