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Anthony Davis is one of the greatest athletes to ever play at USC winning 5 National Championships. That's right... FIVE! Two in football, and three more in baseball. Before there was Bo Knows, there was AD Does.
Davis had a legendary career at SC capped off with wins over UCLA where he ran for 195 yards, followed by his 4 TD's against Notre Dame in the famous Comeback Game that the Trojans won 55-24 and finishing with a win in the Rose Bowl win over Ohio State to secure yet another National Championship. But it was all about the shoes, man. THE SHOES. That's because Davis played those final three games wearing shoes by a little known company out of Oregon by the name of Nike. That's right, AD was one of the first to wear the swoosh before anyone knew what the swoosh was. And when Anthony was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in December of 1974, you could see that shoe running all over the Fighting Irish.
AD talked with us about his relationship with the shoe company and the man who designed a shoe for him over 50 years ago. It was a match made in heaven. Hear the amazing story of how one of college football's all-time greats took a chance on a company nobody had ever heard of and... well, the rest is history...
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The October 28, 1974 issue of Sports Illustrated once again had George Foreman and Muhammad Ali on the cover as their fight from Kinshasa, Zaire, delayed by 6 weeks due to a cut suffered by big George during a sparring session, was now just 2 days away from taking place. The whole world was watching a fight that would start at 3am in Africa and be broadcast across the globe. There may not have been two more well known athletes in the world at this time.
The trash-talking, brash, Ali vs the silent, sullen Foreman. Two contrasting styles both in and out of the ring. Foreman was the overwhelming favorite to dispose of Ali like he had everyone else up to this point in his career. It was a fight that would be a part of both men for the rest of their lives: The Rumble in the Jungle. Boxing was at its zenith and these two gladiators were at the top of their profession. But only one would come out a winner.
And to the shock of most... it was Ali. Foreman pounded and pounded and pounded on Muhammad, but Ali kept moving and famously used the rope-a-dope technique to wear out the ferocious champion. And in the 8th round, big George went down, and lost his title.
But in defeat, Foreman gained so much. And a new man was born. A happy, peaceful, man of God who left the squared circle for 10 years before returning in 1987. And 7 years later, he regained his belt and was once again the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Nobody knows his story or the man better than his daughter Georgetta Foreman. She tells us that the happy, optimistic, entrepreneur is the only version of George Foreman she's ever known. We know him as the Champ or Big George but Georgetta knows him simply as 'Dad'. She tells us that Big George loves Westerns, how the Foreman grill changed his life, and what it was like to grow up with one of the most well-known athletes of the 20th Century.
To hear about a side of this captivating fighter join us as we talk with Georgetta Foreman on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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As the Dodgers get ready to play in the World Series this coming week, we look back at the Series they played in October of 1974 against the Oakland Athletics. It didn't go well for Los Angeles, but that didn't deter a young kid from South Pasadena who fell in love with the Dodgers as a 9-year old and has kept that love affair with the team for half a century. Mark Langill knew from a very young age that he wanted to be around baseball... and the Dodgers in particular. And so he became a sportswriter and covered the team he adored fora few years.
But that wasn't enough for Langill. He wanted to be even closer to the team... a part of it if you will. And that's just what happened. The Dodgers hired him to be their team historian. Never has someone been more perfect for a position. Mark's recollection of Dodgers history is unparalleled. He can tell you about every start Don Drysdale had in August of 1968. He can tell you the date Maury Wills was traded away from the Dodgers. He can tell you what Tommy John's record was in 1974 before his season ended with a surgery that would be named after the Dodgers lefty.
He can tell you more than you'll ever want to know... and he's the first to admit that he crosses that line enthusiastically. But in this case, he'll tell you about that '74 series when Mike Marshall picked off Herb Washington in Gm 2 to help secure the Dodgers lone win of the series.. He'll tell you about the throw Joe Ferguson made to nail Sal Bando at the plate in Game 1. He'll tell you about Tommy Lasorda wearing two different shoes while coaching third base. And he'll tell you how he told his favorite player, Jimmy Wynn, about a grand slam that Wynn hit that Mark never forgot... but the Toy Cannon sure did.
Before there was Wikipedia, there was Mark Langill... and he's way more fun and interesting. It's time for Dodgers Baseball on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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They were the two greatest players in college basketball history, separated by just a couple of years in Westwood. Lew Alcindor was 88-2 with three national titles at UCLA from 1967-69. A couple of years later the Big Red-Head, Bill Walton, arrived on campus and guided the Bruins to two more championships and an 86-4 record. John Wooden's dynasty was literally centered around these two stars.
Now, the two former college standouts are on the cover of Sports Illustrated as they are about to face-off for the first time in the NBA, in Dayton, Ohio of all places. The Milwaukee Bucks and 3-time MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar against the Portland Trailblazers and their number one overall pick... Bill Walton. It was as big of a matchup as one could imagine for a preseason game with the center of attention on the two teams prolific centers.
Bob Ryan covered the NBA for the Boston Globe for over 40 years and is known within the industry as a basketball guru. He's seen it all. He's covered it all. And he has the stories to prove it. He joins us for a 3rd time to discuss the dominance of Kareem, how Walton helped Portland become a championship team. How both of them loved music and how his friend Bill went from a shy college kid, to an announcer who "would never shut up."
Ryan and Walton went from a working connection to a relationship built on trust and respect that lasted for the better part of almost 40 years until Bill's untimely death this past May. If you want to talk about the NBA in 1974, there is nobody better to do that with than Bob Ryan... and that's what we do this week on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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They were a dynasty unlike any other. The Oakland A's in 1974 were looking for a 3-peat and the only two things in their way were themselves... and their owner, Charlie Finley. They fought, they battled, and they scrapped amongst themselves mostly before they beat the Dodgers in 5 games to win their 3rd straight World Series and nobody chronicled that team better than author Jason Turbow who wrote the book "Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley's Swingin' A's.
Catfish Hunter is on the cover of the October 7th, 1974 issue of Sports Illustrated after winning 25 games in the regular season for the A's, but that was about the only thing that was regular about that season in Oakland. After winning it all in 1972 & '73 Manager Dick Williams left the team and was replaced by Alvin Dark. And while chaos was always a part of this team, it exploded in '74.
Fights were everywhere. Outfielders Reggie Jackson and Billy North got into it. And on the eve of the Fall Classic, so did Rollie Fingers and John 'Blue Moon Odom'. The team didn't like each other, and they couldn't stand their owner. But they loved winning and that's what they did best.
Turbow goes behind the curtain and tells some of the stories from that crazy time by the Bay. How Jim Hunter came to be known as Catfish, while Vida Blue refused to be called anything other than his God-given name. How Reggie and Joe Rudi were friends to the end and how the enigmatic Finley was his own worst enemy, but still belongs in Cooperstown alongside some of the players he helped get there.
The author of many books, including singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins' memoir "Still Alright", Turbow talks with the guys in the green and gold who fought and bickered with each other but stopped long enough to win 3 straight World Series 50 years ago. It's a great talk about a great team on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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December 31, 1973... The Fighting Irish taking on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl with the National Championship hanging in the balance. Ara Parseghian coaches his Notre Dame kids to a 24-23 upset win over Bear Bryant with Tom Clements leading the way and Frank Allocco on the sidelines, as usual, rooting on the starting QB. That was Allocco's job as the backup quarterback and he did it the way he did everything... with grace and enthusiasm. And after the 1974 season ended, Alloco's patience and work ethic would pay off. He would be the starting QB for Notre Dame.
And then he wasn't. A separated shoulder before the season began ended his senior year. He would never start a game while playing at South Bend. Most would be devastated that the dream they had worked so hard to fulfill only to have it taken away when they were so close to achieving it. But not Frank. He admired greatly his coach Ara Parseghian who would often say, ‘Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents that which under prosperous conditions may have remained dormant.”
Allocco graduated from ND and started a coaches clinic for basketball. Years later, that turned into a high school coaches job in California in Walnut Creek where he won a state championship in 1995. From there, he went to Concord De La Salle High School and won a 2nd state championship there. He would go on to win 600 games faster than any coach in the history of California and ended his 24 year coaching career 2nd all-time in winning percentage and is the only coach to win state titles with 2 different schools.
Now at the University of San Francisco, Allocco is still changing young people lives, just like his coach and mentor Parseghian did at Notre Dame. He relishes his time in South Bend and tells us how he went from 9th on the depth chart to the backup. How he admired the tenacity of another player at Notre Dame just looking for a chance: Rudy Ruettiger. And how a chance meeting with an 86-year old "Angel" changed his life.
50 years ago he was the backup to the man on the cover of the 9/30/74 issue of Sports Illustrated, Tom Clements, but on the Past Our Prime podcast he's the starter and the winner. Give it a listen on any and all podcast formats.
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In 1968 Rocky Bleier was drafted in the 16th round of the NFL, the 417th player selected.
In 1969 Rocky Bleier was drafted again. This time by the Army. Instead of training camp for the Steelers he was in basic training for the United States. A few months later he found himself halfway across the world, with a grenade launcher in his hand when he heard gunfire. He took cover but it was too late... a bullet had struck him in the leg. Despite being wounded, he located where the North Vietnamese soldier was firing from and sent a grenade in his direction. Unfortunately, a grenade was also heading towards him, hitting a soldier square in the back before falling to the ground right at Rocky's legs. An instant later it blew up, badly injuring Bleier.
His time in Vietnam was over and many thought his time in the NFL was over as well. But not Bleier. Despite his doctor's telling him he'd live a "normal life" that didn't include football, Rocky had other plans. And a note from Steelers owner Art Rooney provided all the motivation he would need to get back on the field. It said simply, "Rock – the team’s not doing well. We need you.“
In 1970, Rocky was one of the final cuts for the Steelers but once again the Steelers loyalty to Bleier provided him the strength and will to continue on. Dan Rooney, the Steelers GM decided the team wasn't cutting Bleier but instead was putting him on injured reserve. After another year of training and rehad, Bleier tried out for the Steelers again in 1971.... and made the team. And he made that same Pittsburgh team for 9 more seasons, winning four Super Bowl along the way before retiring after the 1980 season.
It's a story of perseverance and dedication, of duty and honor, of loyalty and resilience. It's the story of Rocky Bleier... and he tells it in great detail this week on the Past Our Prime podcast. Listen and review the show on all formats.
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Joe DeLamielleure will tell you he has lived a charmed life. An All-American at Michigan State he was drafted in the first round by the Buffalo Bills in 1973. In his 13 years in the NFL, he never missed a game due to injury. In fact, he's never once had any kind of surgery in his life. And that rookie season was one to behold. He helped solidify the Bills line and opened up holes for OJ Simpson to run through en route to being the first player ever to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season. The O-line was known as the Electric Company because they would turn on the Juice, otherwise known as OJ.
6-times a Pro Bowler, Joe D. was a member of the NFL's All 70's All-Decade Team, the Bills Wall of Fame and the Browns Ring of Honor and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003. And since his retirement he has worked tirelessly to get older NFL players taken care of financially as well as their health care needs tended to. It's been a struggle but DeLamielleure doesn't back down to a challenge... like when he rode 2,000 miles to Mexico on a bike to raise money for an orphanage south of the US Border... this despite the fact that Joe had never ridden a bike before. That's the kind of man he is... one who values friends, family and faith over money, fame and recognition.
And that's why when the topic of OJ comes up, he doesn't back down from portraying his friend from 50 years ago in a light many of us haven't seen in quite some time. Not that he excuses Simpson for what took place, but Joe knew another side to OJ and still struggles to this day to separate the man he played with and blocked for on a football field with the man who killed two people in Brentwood, CA thirty years ago. It's a powerful talk with a man who tells us about the last time he spoke with Simpson just days before the former Heisman Trophy winner died from cancer this past April. It's a Past Our Prime episode you won't want to miss. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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The 1973 season did not end the way JK McKay and his Trojans teammates had hoped it would. Against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl USC was tied with the Buckeyes, 14-14 at the half. But the guys from Ohio blitzed the Men of Troy in the 2nd half and won handily, 42-21 ending SC's season on a down note. But on January 1, 1975... a chance for redemption.
Down 17-10 late in the 4th against those same Buckeyes, Pat Haden connected with his best friend, JK McKay in the corner of the end zone from 38 years out to cut the lead to 17-16... and after a successful 2-point conversion, SC had a lead they would not relinquish. The 5th ranked Trojans won the Rose Bowl and a few hours later, after a Notre Dame win over Alabama, they were National Champions thanks to the co-MVP's of the game: Haden and McKay.
JK had quite a career playing for his father, John McKay, at USC and then turned that into a career in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... also coached by his legendary father. For a time, he didn't know if he wanted to play for the elder McKay. Heck, for a time, he didn't even know what to call him... Dad or Coach.
But in the end, he followed his dad to SC and enjoyed a few years in the NFL with him as well and now, 50 years after being named an MVP of the Rose Bowl, a stadium he grew up in, he joins us on the Past Our Prime podcast to talk about his days as a Trojan and what they meant to his entire family including his forever quote-able father; how his dad straightened him out in 8th grade and had him pick between a Catholic High School or a military institution; and how he and USC QB Pat Haden became friends 50+ years ago and remain so today, and what JK does every so often to remind Pat about a certain connection they had.
It's a really fun chat with a really fun guy. Fight On with JK on the Past Our Prime podcast
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There may not have been a more famous person in sports entertainment in the 70's than Evel Knievel. His motorcycle jumps were legendary... both the successful ones and the not so successful ones. And in the summer of '74, Evel was on the cover of Sports Illustrated about to trade in his bike for a rocket ship... the Sky-Cycle... so that he could jump the Snake River. It too was not successful, but the attempt just increased Knievel's status with his fans... especially young boys.
One of those boys was a kid growing up in the South by the name of Bubba Blackwell, who, like millions of others, idolized Knievel. But Bubba wasn't like millions of others... No, he was one in a million. And when it came to making jumps on a motorcycle, Bubba was second to none. And that includes his friend, Evel Knievel. Bubba would go on to break many of the icon's records and is best known for breaking Evel Knievel's jump record for buses using a Harley-Davidson XR-750 flat-track racing motorcycle.
But when your job title is daredevil, Bubba would be the first to tell you that means sometimes you're going to bite off more than you can chew and that was the case on the 4th of July, 2001 in Del Mar, CA. Blackwell's attempt to jump 22 cars ended in a spectacular crash that almost killed the showman. Bubba went into a coma and broke 19 bones but survived... got healthy... and continued to test the limits.
Now 57 years old, the fearless rider looks back on a career that saw him eclipse his idol's record jumps, talks about his greatest shows, and his worst moments, and how he got to know one of the most famous persons in the world: Evel Knievel...
It's a life like no other we've ever spoken with: Bubba Blackwell on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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John Kinsella did it all in a pool. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City he won a silver medal at the age of 16... 16!!!
And he followed that up in Munich in 1972 by taking gold and helping set a World Record in the 4 x 200 freestyle... Kinsella started that race, and Mark Spitz ended it.
But a pool just wasn't big enough for Kinsella... and he took to the open waters... and marathon swimming... something he raced in 26 times, and never lost culminating in his 9 hour and 9 minute swim across the English Channel in 1979. This was a man driven to be the best distance swimmer in the world, and he proved it time and time again.
The winner of the 1970 Sullivan Award for the best amateur athlete in the land, Kinsella looks back on a career that started in his teens and took him all over the world and back. He talks about how Montezuma's Revenge almost cost him in '68 and the terror of being in the Olympic Village during the '72 Games in Munich when 11 Israeli athletes were killed by terrorists... how the Games almost didn't go on and what the Village was like after that horrible siege... and how his friend and teammate Spitz almost backed out of his attempt at a 7th Gold in '72.
Over 50 years later, Kinsella recollects on a life of swimming... and the ebbs and flows of a life determined one stroke at a time. Join us for a great talk with a great guy and a phenomenal athlete that you may not remember, but won't soon forget... John Kinsella on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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The 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal will always be remembered for the perfection of Nadia Comaneci; the golden smile from Sugar Ray Leonard; the perseverance of Bruce Jenner in the decathlon; the grace of hurdler extraordinaire Edwin Moses; and the youthful exuberance of 17-year old diver Jennifer Chandler in the 3M springboard.
Two years earlier, Jenni was a 15-year old kid getting ready for those games and featured in article by Sports Illustrated. She was spending the summer with her family on their farm in a small town in Alabama... her two parents and her two sisters driving everywhere for competitions that were prepping Jenni for a shot at Gold.
That hard work, determination, and sacrifice from the teenager and her "Gold Medal Driver" mother put the young girl in a position to make the U.S. diving team and once she did that, her coach, Carlos de Cubas, had her ready to reach her potential when it mattered most.
50 years after that precocious 15-year old was featured in SI we talk with the Gold Medalist about how that moment shaped the rest of her life... what it was like to be a part of the Opening Ceremonies... how hearing the National Anthem still moves her to tears and how she looks back on a time in her life when for one brief moment... she was the best in the world...
Jennifer Chandler, the last U.S. woman to win Olympic Gold in the 3M diving event, is engaging, thoughtful and grateful for what diving did for her and she shares her story on the Past Our Prime podcast. Listen and review us wherever you get your podcasts.
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In 1973 the Dodgers had an 8 1/2 game lead in the Cincinnati Reds before the Big Red Machine hunted them down and won the division. So in the offseason, the Dodgers acquired Jimmy Wynn... and relief pitcher Mike Marshall... and they both made quite the difference... The Toy Cannon provided a big bat in the middle of the lineup and Marshall was sensational out of the pen.
Pitching in a MLB record 106 games including 13 in a row at one point, the relief pitcher was on the cover of the 8/12/74 issue of Sports Illustrated because of a season that would see him notch 208 1/3 innings pitched while winning 15 and saving another 21 en route to the Cy Young Award, and helping the Dodgers capture the NL West crown over Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and the Reds.
And while the Reds had a surplus of stars, so did the Dodgers... with a pitching staff of Don Sutton, Tommy John, Andy Messersmith and Marshall and an infield of Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes and Steve Garvey that would play together for a record 8 1/2 seasons. Cey would make his first of 6 All-Star teams in 1974 and manned the hot corner for the Dodgers until leaving for Chicago after the 1982 season but not before amassing the 2nd most HR's in L.A. Dodgers history with 228.
The Penguin talks about being a part of the most successful infield in baseball history, why the Reds are in the Hall of Fame and he and his Dodger teammates are not, what it was like to go up against his boyhood idol, Willie Mays and much more when he joins us for a candid conversation on the Past Our Prime podcast. If you enjoyed baseball in the 70's, you'll enjoy this chat with a player that embodies everything there was about the National League and baseball back in 1974.
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It was the summer of '74 and the WFL was looking to compete with the NFL... only one problem... the NFL was on strike. And 6 weeks into the work stoppage the owners not only weren't interested in the players demands... neither were a bunch of the players as well. They were in need of some leadership and the great Hall of Fame Tight End and first NFLPA President John Mackey was ready to turn the control over to his teammate and friend Bill Curry. The only problem was... Bill didn't want the job.
A 2-time Pro-Bowl Center and 3-time NFL Champion including Super Bowl I and V wins, Curry has a football resume that is 2nd to none. But that summer 50 years ago was a stressful time for him as the owners refused to negotiate, the players were not united, and the union was in shambles. But the cool handedness of Curry settled things, and while the players returned to the field without a deal, the foundation was set for the players to finally get a piece of the action... and then some.
Curry talks about his time in Green Bay and his relationship with Vince Lombardi and his wife, Marie and how a death bed conversation with his coach changed his life. He went on to be a coach himself at Georgia Tech, Alabama and Kentucky and then capped off a football career as an analyst at ESPN.
He's a thoughtful, kind and wise man who has seen it all and done it all. Now at age 81, Coach Curry looks back on a life well lived... the highs, the lows... the good, the not-so-good... the wins... and the losses. We talk about it all starting with the strike of 1974 on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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The numbers are staggering... Over 6 decades of work... 300+ covers... and countless stories that go with each one of them. Walter Iooss is the most prolific photographer Sports Illustrated has ever had. There is a reason it's not called Sports Literature, but Sports Illustrated... and that's because of the shooters like Iooss who captured a generation of sports idols with their photos. A time when the only way to see Willie Mays, Elgin Baylor, Lee Trevino, Joe Namath and so many more was through the weekly magazine and the photos provided by men like Walter Iooss.
Starting as a teenager, Walter 's love for sports was equally matched with his passion for photography. After sending in a few photos from a NY Giants football game he and his father attended to an editor at SI he was given an assignment... he was so young, his dad had to drive him to it. And from there, a career like none other in the field of Sports Photography was born.
From The Catch to Broadway Joe at Super Bowl III, Iooss had a habit of being in the right place at the right time and made a career out of it. Oh... and did we mention his numerous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoots? Ever heard of Christie, or Tyra, or Elle or Paulina? A generation of super models helped made famous because they were in front of the lens of a Walter Iooss camera.
What's his best shot? Who did he laugh at with the most? How did he get the Swimsuit gig and much more as we talk with the man that helped put SI on the map --- Walter Iooss...
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Jim Kaat pitched in the big leagues for 25 seasons, debuting in 1959 and hanging 'em up in 1983. He holds the distinction of the longest time in between World Series appearances first appearing in the Fall Classic in 1965 when his Twins took on the Dodgers with Kaat matching up 3 times against Sandy Koufax. 17 years later, as a member of the Cardinals, Jim was on the winning side of things as St. Louis defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982. The 24 years it took for Kaat to finally win a championship is a record for all professional team sports and a testament to his longevity and determination...
That longevity and determination along with 283 wins helped Jim get inducted into the Hall of Fame. That and one baseball glove that he used for most of his career. That's right, Jim played for 25 years in the Major Leagues and won 16 Gold Gloves all with the same piece of leather. If it works, it works. And for Kaat, it worked. And when his playing days were over... he found new work... as an Emmy-Award winning baseball analyst... a job he held for close to 40 years!
What was it like to go up against Koufax in his prime? Why are pitchers being injured at such an alarming rate? Why is his friend of 60+ years, Tommy John, not in Cooperstown and what was it like to finally become a World Series champion in his 24th season in the Big Leagues? Kaat played for 1/4 of a century and he has the stories to prove it. An interesting chat with an interesting man on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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Curry Kirkpatrick covered tennis and college hoops for almost 30 years at Sports Illustrated so it's not a shock that the two athletes who became good friends to him were a tennis star and a college basketball icon... Curry tells us how Chris Evert and Bill Walton crossed that line from subjects of articles to objects of affection and how Walton's recent passing hit him hard.
Listen in and go behind the lines as Curry goes from professional to personal on two of America's all-time beloved figures on the Past Our Prime podcast bonus edition.
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In 1974, royalty showed up at Wimbledon. American royalty. The King and Queen of Wimbledon were 21-year old Jimmy Connors and his fiance, 19-year old Chris Evert. Both arrived at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ranked #1 in the world, and both would leave as Wimbledon champions...
Sports Illustrated's Curry Kirkpatrick covered them both for most of their careers and gives great insight to what they were like off the court... Connors, the rambunctious, emotional male and Chrissy, the Ice Princess... a power couple in the world of tennis.
A few months later, the engagement was over, but for one crazy England summer, they were the talk of the sports world. Go back 50 years when two of America's all-time greats took Great Britain by storm... How different was Chrissy away from the court? Once she broke up with Jimmy, who was next for Miss Evert? And how she and Martina Navratilova turned one of the sports greatest rivalry's into a lifelong friendship. Curry knows cause he was there asking the questions and writing the stories in that summer of '74.... and 50-years later, he can recall them like it was yesterday... a great talk with a great talker, Curry Kirkpatrick... on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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Mike Neel was heading in the wrong direction as a teenager. When it came time to make a decision on which path to take, he got on a bike, and road off to a life of adventure and success. From the Sierras to the Summer Olympics, to Paris and Italy, cycling took him all over the world.
Being on a bike saved Mike's life... and almost cost him his life as well. Listen to a bonus interview on the Past Our Prime podcast as this Hall of Fame Cyclist takes us on a journey of ups and downs that 50 years of riding and coaching and mentoring could provide. From battling hypothermia in the Alps to pedestrians in Carson City, it's a tale of survival and passion that Mike found in a bike store in Berkeley, CA a long, long time ago.
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Henry Lawrence grew up in the deep south... and in the late 60's, that was a tough place to be. When he wasn't playing football, he was in the fields with his family, picking whatever crop was coming in to put food on the table. His parents were hard-working folks doing back-breaking work.
In Henry's junior year, his all black high school was going to integrate with the all-white high school. A tough time was made even tougher for the 17-year old football star... but he persevered and received a football scholarship to Florida A & M. And while at times he felt like quitting, he didn't, and 4 years later, Al Davis and John Madden had drafted young Henry in the first round of the 1974 NFL Draft. Both men had huge impacts on Henry's life, Madden in particular. They bonded from the day they met and had a deep affection for each other that lasted until the day Henry sang at his coach's funeral.
Henry played 13 years in the NFL... all with the Raiders. Once a Raider...Always a Raider.
A 2-time Pro-Bowl tackle and 3-time Super Bowl Champion, Henry Lawrence embodies what it is to wear the Silver and Black.
Pride and Poise. A Commitment to Excellence. Just Win Baby.
The first thing Henry did after being drafted was to set up a scholarship fund for future Florida A & M players. Giving back is just something that the Lawrence family always did, even when they had nothing to give. Where did that sense of giving come from? What was his relationship like with Al Davis? How did Henry overcome racism in the 60's in the Deep South? What was the most memorable play of his career? Hint: It's one of the most famous plays in Super Bowl history.
It's a great conversation with an all-time Raiders great... Henry Lawrence on the Past Our Prime podcast.
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