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The World of
Sports
Troy Aikman
Dallas Cowboys Quarterback
In nine NFL seasons, Troy Aikman
has developed into one of the games great quarterbacks and is one of only three players in
NFL history to lead his team to three Super Bowl victories. An All-American at UCLA, he is
the 3rd rated passer in NCAA history. His accomplishments off the field are just as
impressive supporting many worthwhile causes throughout the country. In 1992, he
established the Troy Aikman Foundation which benefits children in the Dallas/Fort Forth
Area. Proceeds of his book Things Change benefits the foundation.
Amy Alcott
Professional Golfer
A 13-year veteran of the LPGA Tour, Amy
Alcott is 10th on the all-time career money list having earned over $3 million in prize
money, having recorded 29 career victories including five majors. Her annual charity golf
tournament benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Society has netted over $750,000. In 1980,
she was named the GOLF Magazine Player of the Year. A playing editor with Golf
Digest, she also sits on the advisory board for the Womens Sports Foundation.
Sparky Anderson
Legendary Baseball Manager
As one of the most recognizable and
successful managers baseball has ever had, Sparky Anderson is the third winningest manager
in baseball history. He is the only manager in the history of the sport to win a World
Series in both the American and National Leagues. He guided the Cincinnati Reds to two
titles and the Detroit Tigers to their first championship in 1984. An ambassador for the
sport of baseball, his recently released book They Call Me Sparky, focuses on his
philosophy of life and baseball, sharing great stories along with his values.
Tracy Austin
Former No. 1 Ranked Tennis Player
Tennis prodigy Tracy Austin stormed into
womens tennis in 1977 and set a number of amazing records as the youngest player in
the sport. With 32 singles titles to her credit, she earned over $2 million during her
career. In 1992, at 29 years and 4 months, she became the youngest inductee into the
International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was twice named the AP Female Athlete of the Year
and was named the Womens Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year in 1980. She
currently holds an annual pro/celebrity event for underprivileged children and provides
tennis commentary for USA Network.
Johnny
Bench
Baseball Hall of Famer
Johnny Bench was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January, 1989 with
the third highest percentage of total votes cast and is undoubtedly the
greatest catcher ever. His honors include National League Rookie of the Year
(1968), National League Most Valuable Player (1970 & 1972), World Series
MVP (1976), 14-time All Star, with 10 Gold Gloves. Using a blend of
sincerity, credibility and wit, Johnny Bench can move easily from the world
of sports and entertainment to civic involvement, from culture to business.
He is a symbol of winning through persistence and teamwork.
Len Berman
Sports Broadcaster
For more than 10 years, Len Berman has
served as the weekday sports anchor for WNBC in New York. The winner of four local Emmy
awards, he has also been honored as the New York "Sportscaster of the Year" by
the National Sportscaster and Sportswriter Association. His popular feature, Spanning
the World, which focuses on wild and wacky sports clips is a regular feature segment
on the Today show and Late Night with David Letterman. In 1996, Berman and Spanning
the World were featured on Dick Clark Hosts All-New All-Star TV Censored Mega-
Bloopers.
Rocky Bleier
Former Pittsburgh Steeler
Rocky Bleier, crippled by enemy rifle fire
and grenade wounds in both legs in Vietnam, did the impossible...Not only did he overcome
his injuries, he went on to star with the NFL Champion Pittsburgh Steelers winning four
Super Bowl championships. His ability to inspire effort and commitment from others is
unsurpassed. He is the recipient of the Vince Lombardi "Most Courageous Athlete of
the Decade" award. He employs a dynamic style with real life stories motivating his
audiences to higher levels of achievement.
Dan Byslma
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Dan Byslma, a member of the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim hockey club, achieved his childhood dream of playing in the NHL. It was a dream
cultivated on a small homemade ice rink maintained in his backyard home. In his
recently-published book So Your Son Wants to Play in the NHL, which he co-authored
with his father, Jay they vividly describe their personal journeys and explain their
methods to cope with both accomplishments and failure. The book, along with his
presentation, is a roadmap for success in life, stressing family, education and a strong
work ethic which will open doors wherever they may lead.
Bob Costas
NBC Sportscaster
Emmy-Award winning NBC Sportscaster, Bob
Costas has brought the Olympics, the World Series, the NBA championships and the Super
Bowl to life in living rooms throughout the country. Since joining NBC in 1980, he has
become one of their most valuable assets utilizing his wit and eloquent style tempered
with his humorous insights to provide insightful commentary. He currently contributes
segments to a variety of News programs including the Bob Costas Interview on Dateline
NBC and Today. From 1988 to 1994, he hosted his own late-night interview
program on NBC, Later with Bob Costas.
Dave
Dravecky
Former San Francisco Giant
Millions know Dave Dravecky as the ball player who came back to play in
the majors after undergoing surgery for cancer in his pitching arm. His
award-winning first book, Comeback, told of that miraculous
recovery. Then Dravecky was tested again. Recurring cancer led to the
drastic amputation. His latest book, When You Can't Come Back,
depicts the trauma and triumphs of a great American family. It is written
for everyone who suffers seemingly insurmountable misfortunes providing
hope for those in the midst of adversity.
Pat
Haden
Sports Broadcaster/Venture Capitalist Attorney
Pat Haden joined Turner Sports in 1990 as analyst for TNT's coverage of
NFL games. A six-year veteran of the NFL, he played with the Los Angeles
Rams from 1976-81. He quarterbacked the University of Southern California
to three Rose Bowl appearances and two national championships. He
graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from USC in 1975. In 1978 he
was named a Rhodes Scholar and studied philosophy, politics and economics
at Oxford University. Currently, he is a partner in the Los Angeles
venture capital firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden.
Magic Johnson
Former NBA Superstar
Earvin "Magic" Johnson is an
impressive man. He lights up the room with his smile and people gravitate toward his
dynamic personality. He is admired for his many unparalleled basketball achievements.
Magic has proved that there is life after professional basketball. In fact, life yields
even greater rewards in business and philanthropic endeavors. Those who have followed his
accomplishments have seen that this man has a purpose in life, a legacy and an enthusiasm
for living to share with those around him.
Jim Lampley
Sportscaster
Two-time Emmy award winning broadcaster,
producer, writer, Jim Lampley brings his unique life interests and experiences to the
world of sports in a crisp and distinctive style. A veteran sportscaster with 24 years of
experience, he has covered nearly every major sporting event on television. In 1988, he
joined HBO to announce the cable networks World Championship Boxing and to cover
Wimbledon. During his 12 years with ABC, he also hosted Wide World of Sports.
Mike
Lupica
Sports Columnist
NY Daily News
Tough. Opinionated.
Passionate. Wise. Award-winning New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica
delivers his spin on sports several times a week. A veteran of the New York
sports scene, "The Lip" pulls no punches in his stories, shows no
mercy for the characters of the game -- whether it's basketball, baseball,
hockey, football or tennis. And though he may not always be the most popular
guy in the locker room or the front office, his readers, even when they
disagree with him, remain true-blue.
Gary
McCord
Golf Analyst
A calm sea does not make a good sailor. This ancient proverb describes
Gary McCord’s approach to his job as a golf commentator. Over the years,
he has been referred to as irreverent, witty, approachable, colorful,
delightfully different, and is one of those few players to successfully make
the transition from the course to the microphone. McCord is also an author.
He recently released a second edition of the best-selling instructional book
Golf for Dummies. Gary also penned Just a Range Ball in a Box of
Titleists a collection of essays and stories from his life on and off
the Tour.
Bill
Macatee
CBS Sports Broadcaster
Bill Macatee joined CBS Sports
in 1995 as studio host of the CBS Television Network's golf coverage.
He now plays a major role as an announcer not only for CBS Sports'
golf coverage, including the Masters, but also for the U.S. Open Tennis
Championships, the NFL and a variety of CBS SPORTS Spectacular events,
including skiing and the ATP Tennis Tour. Macatee served as the weekend
daytime co-host of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games on CBS, as well as
play-by-play announcer for college basketball. He also serves as host
for USA Network's golf coverage, as well as play-by-play for the U.S.
Open, the French Open and selected sports specials.
Joe
Morgan
Baseball Hall of Famer
Elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1990, Joe Morgan is arguably
the best second baseman ever. He was the unsung team member that made
Cincinnati's Big Red machine the best team of the 1970's. He played
in four World Series and was a winner in three. In his twenty-two
seasons, Morgan displayed a rare blend of intelligence, speed and
power. His accomplishments include being named NL Rookie of the Year
in 1965, NL MVP in 1975 and 1976, 10 time All-Star Selection and he
won five Gold Gloves. Joe is a dynamic motivational and inspirational
speaker, who is able to assist businesses and organizations in many
ways.
Martina
Navratilova
Winningest Professional Tennis Player
Martina Navratilova has always been known
as one of the more interesting sports stars. An accomplished athlete, she changed the look
and style of womens tennis and her 162 career titles is more than any other woman or
man in tennis history. On and off the court, she is known for her outspoken social
activism on behalf of a number of causes in which she strongly believes and for her
charitable work which includes organizations benefiting children, AIDS, the environment,
gay rights, animal welfare and womens issues.
Jim Nantz
Host, The NFL Today on CBS
Jim Nantz, who has covered virtually every
sport for CBS since joining the network in 1985, serves as anchor of The NFL Today.
His extensive credits include serving as primetime host of CBS Sports coverage of
the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan; anchor of CBS golf coverage and lead
play-by-play announcer for college basketball, including the Final Four and Championship
games. In addition to his other assignments, he has handled the play-by-play duties at the
U.S. Open Tennis Championships and co-hosted the U.S. Olympic Festival and the Pan
American Games.
Pat OBrien
Co-Host Access Hollywood
Acclaimed sportscaster Pat OBrien has
taken to the entertainment side of the business as the co-host of Access Hollywood.
The Emmy-award winning OBrien is perhaps best known for his illustrious sports
broadcasting career with CBS which included covering such prestigious events as two Winter
Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Finals and the NCAA Final Four
tournaments. He recently finished writing his first book Talking Sports, A BS-ers
Guide, which is the ultimate guide for talking about sports when you know next to
nothing but want everyone else to think you do.
Keith Olbermann
Anchor, Fox Sports Net
After a successful stint launching
MSNBCs The Big Show with Keith Olbermann in 1997, Keith Olbermann goes back
to his sports roots as anchor of Fox Sports News. Regarded by many to be Americas
premier sports personalities, he has excelled in a variety of roles including news anchor,
show host, interviewer, commentator and essayist. In addition, he has served as
host/reporter for NBC Sports covering the World Series and the Super Bowl. In 1995, he won
a Cable Ace Award for Best Sportscaster, while an anchor on ESPNs Sports Center. An
accomplished writer, he co-authored The Big Show.
Peter
Oosterhuis
Golf Analyst
Peter Oosterhuis, CBS golf analyst and Sr. PGA Tour player, got his
start in broadcasting with Sky Sports in Great Britain, analyzing
PGA Tour events from a London studio. He also worked for the venerable
BBC at the 1996 and 1997 Open Championships. For three years beginning
in 1995, Peter was the lead analyst for The Golf Channel coverage
of the PGA European Tour, reporting from almost 90 events! Prior to
his telecasting career, Peter was one of the leading players in Great
Britain and Europe and stood atop the PGA European Tour Order of Merit
for 4 consecutive seasons, 1971 to 1974.
Jim
Palmer
Baseball Hall of Famer
People say hes one of the greatest pitchers of all time. The
press have called him "the perfect gentleman." Jim Palmers
magic rubs off on products and people alike. His appeal stems from
a consistency of character and candor thats all too rare in
professional sports today. The only American League Hall of Fame Pitcher
to win the Cy Young Award three times, he was elected to the 1990
Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. After retiring
from the Orioles in 1984, he went on to build a successful broadcasting
career with ABC, ESPN and HTS.
Pat Riley
Head Coach Miami Heat
Pat Riley, the "Coach of the
80s" led the Los Angeles Lakers to four World Championships. Probably the most
celebrated basketball coach in the world, "Riles" brought Showtime to the
Lakers, made the Knicks look like a winner and is now working his magic in Miami. One of
the most sought-after motivational speakers world-wide, his philosophy is based upon
winning, leadership, mastery, change and personal growth as well as understanding and
controlling the shifting dynamics of a team. His books Showtime and The Winner
Within have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller Lists.
Gale Sayers
Pride, poise, leadership, loyalty and
dedication are all Hall of Fame traits exhibited by Gale Sayers, the original
"Magic" man of professional sports. As a running back with the Chicago Bears, he
made football history and touched the lives of millions. The youngest player ever to be
inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he made history scoring a record six
touchdowns in one game. Today, a successful entrepreneur, he is also known for his
inspiring book I Am Third, which describes his philosophy of life: "The Lord
is first, my family and friends are second, and I am third."
Bo Schembechler
Former University of Michigan Head Football Coach
A legendary collegiate football coach,
Glenn "Bo" Schembechler is the winningest coach in the history of the University
of Michigan with one of the greatest records in all of collegiate athletics having never
had a losing season. He has also enjoyed success in the broadcast booth at ABC sports and
at the helm of the Detroit Tigers as their 12th president from 1990-92. His recent book Michigan
Memories: Inside Bo Schembechler's Football Scrapbook is a compilation of his favorite
football memories in this extraordinary colorful book.
Don Shula
Former Miami Dolphins Head Football Coach
The winningest coach in the history of the
NFL, Don Shula is a class act both on and off the field. His storied 33-year NFL head
coaching career ended in 1995, after spending 26 seasons with the Miami Dolphins, where he
earned two Super Bowl titles. In 1995, he co-authored with Ken Blanchard Everyones
a Coach, a highly-acclaimed book that outlines the application of their managerial
philosophies for business and personal success. Active is civic and charitable causes he
has been awarded numerous honors over the years.
Mike Singletary
Former Chicago Bear
Since his retirement from professional
football, Mike Singletary has been a regular on the Fortune 500 company lecture circuit.
As a motivational speaker, hes known for dynamic talks on leadership, teamwork and
corporate diversity. His unique experience comes from his tenure as the captain of the
NFLs Chicago Bears. In his position, he had a gift for bringing different facets of
the organization together. He worked with upper and middle management and the players,
helping each to understand the others perspectives, appreciate their differences and
work together to benefit the organization.
Ken
Venturi
Golf Analyst
Ken Venturi, the 2000 Presidents Cup Captain, was forced to retire from the
PGA Tour at the age of 33 due to severe carpal tunnel syndrome. He found a
new career as a golf analyst for CBS Sports. Ken has been singled out by Golf
Digest as the Nation’s top golf commentator. Ken has written
instructional articles and books. He built on his early success by winning
the 1964 U.S. Open in dramatic fashion, battling heat exhaustion on the 36
hole final day at Congressional Country Club to pull out the victory. Ken
enjoys attending several corporate outings every year, allowing him to pass
on his extensive knowledge about the game of golf.
Peter
Vidmar – Gymnastics
Peter Vidmar
became the premier male gymnast for the United States at the 1984
Olympic Games in Los Angeles. As USA team captain, he led his teammates
to their stunning gold medal victory over the People’s Republic of
China. Peter went on to win the silver medal in the All-Around competition,
making him the only American male ever to do so. With a perfect score
of 10.0, he also captured the gold medal on the pommel horse. A member
of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, Peter is the highest-scoring American
male gymnast in Olympic history. Today, he has become well known as
a motivator of America’s top corporations and associations by blending
his thoughts, humor and anecdotes with a live performance on the pommel
horse demonstrating ROV (Risk, Opportunity and Virtuosity). His high-energy
and sense of drama produce standing ovations time and time again.
Perhaps that’s why Successful Meeting magazine has listed him as one
of the top 10 speakers in the country.
Bill
Walsh
General Manager San Francisco 49ers
Bill Walsh is one of the greatest coaches in the history of professional
football and one of the most respected and admired leaders in our society
today. After 10 seasons as President, General Manager and Head Coach of the
San Francisco 49ers and five seasons as the Head Coach at Stanford
University, Bill Walsh stands alone among his peers for his accomplishments
on the field and his character off the field. He has just completed a book
titled "Finding The Winning Edge." He is a consultant to the NFL,
a corporate speaker whose topics include leadership, management and
teamwork.
Steve Young
Former San Francisco 49er
The great-great-great
grandson of Brigham Young, Steve Young retired from pro football in 2000
as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Earned NFL MVP honors
in both 1992 and ’94, in addition to being named SUPER BOWL XXIX MVP en
route to the championship in 1994. A graduate of BYU, in 1983, he finished
as a Consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up to Nebraska's
Mike Rozier. In 1993, he founded the Forever Young Foundation, a
non-profit organization which focuses on the development, security,
strength and education of children benefiting Bay Area and Utah
youth-oriented charities.
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