Profiles in Sports

For all the personalities that come and go at ESPN, Linda Cohn has been a trusted, well-respected presence for nearly 25 years. Nobody has anchored more SportsCenter shows than her. Her 5,000th time hosting the network’s premiere program came on Feb. 21, 2016 – marking a significant accomplishment for a pioneer in this industry. Her love of sports can’t go unnoticed, especially her devotion to...

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, their Game 7 win in last year’s NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors not only capped a tremendous comeback from being down three-games-to-one, it also culminated a personal triumph for LeBron James –- bringing the city of Cleveland a long-awaited championship after leaving them in heartbreaking fashion just six years prior. NBA writers Brian Windhorst and Dave...

From California to Philadelphia to St. Louis to Kansas City, Dick Vermeil ran the football marathon and came out a winner – most especially so in the form of two Super Bowl appearances and a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. After three decades in coaching – to go along with 14 years in the broadcast booth – Vermeil’s post-retirement life has resulted in a shift in priorities. For so long, his pass...

What makes the NCAA Basketball Tournament so compelling each year are the buzzer beaters and the Cinderellas. Thirty years ago, the 1987 championship game concluded with a late basket from a player who enjoyed his own Cinderella story. Keith Smart scored 17 second-half points against Syracuse – the last two giving the Indiana Hoosiers a 74-73 victory and a fourth national title. Less than two...

During the first half of the 1970s, the Oakland A’s were the most colorful team in baseball – with bright double-knit uniforms, long hair and outlandish personalities. They were also the best team – winning five consecutive division titles and three straight World Series from 1972-74. Author Jason Turbow gives us some great background on a forgotten dynasty with his new book: “Dynasitc, Bombas...

Fearless on the field and feared by his opponents, Easley sported a hard-hitting style en route to claiming five trips to the Pro Bowl, four first-team All-Pro selections, the 1981 Defensive Rookie of the Year and the 1984 Defensive Player of the Year. Yet one of the best safeties of the 1980s had gotten little recognition in regards to the Hall of Fame. That changed on February 4. Nearly thr...

It took ten years and plenty of voters to be convinced otherwise, but Tim Raines made it to the Hall of Fame on his last try on the writer’s ballot. The premiere National League lead-off hitter of the 1980s was a seven-time All-Star with the Montreal Expos, a batting champion in 1986, and credited with 808 stolen bases – the fourth-most in major league history. Many factors were responsible fo...

Going from unknown Red Sox prospect to a well-known face of the Houston Astros franchise, Jeff Bagwell belted 449 home runs over 15 big league seasons and was the unanimous choice for the 1994 National League Most Valuable Player. His selection as a Hall of Famer, however, was not as resounding. In fact, it took seven tries on the writer’s ballot before the first baseman was Cooperstown-bound....

On January 18, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced the election of three players to the National Pastime’s most exclusive and prestigious club. With that, we’ve entrusted the help of longtime broadcasters – each of whom got to respectively witness the primes of these inductees. Leading off is our discussion is with Texas Rangers voice Eric Nadel and his fond memories of Ivan Rodriguez – who p...

The longest and most extensive NFL family tree belongs to Matthews clan – which dates back nearly 70 years. Prominent in this lineage is Bruce Matthews, the versatile and durable Hall of Fame offensive lineman who played 19 seasons with the Tennessee Titans franchise and is the author of a new book, "Inside the NFL’s First Family: My Life of Football, Faith and Fatherhood." A perfect addendum...

Since 1977, the unmistakable baritone voice of Merrill Reese has been on the call for the memorable moments of the Philadelphia Eagles – from the original 'Miracle at the Meadowlands', to the 2010 version featuring DeSean Jackson, as well as the two NFC Championships in between. The NFL’s longest-tenured play-by-play man celebrated his 40th season behind the mic in 2016. And to add to that cel...

By the time Lenny Moore entered the NFL in 1956, pass-catching running backs were few and far between. But by the time he finished his 12-year career, he had broken the mold. Lenny totaled more than 12,000 all-purpose yards for the Baltimore Colts and remains the only player in the history of the game with at least 40 rushing touchdowns and 40 receiving touchdowns while enduring the racial ten...

The top shutdown cornerbacks in recent NFL history include Richard Sherman, Josh Norman, Derrelle Revis and, going further back, Rod Woodson and Deion Sanders. But during the late 1970s and 1980s, that distinction was bestowed upon Mike Haynes, who earned nine trips to the Pro Bowl, would be named to the NFL’s 75th anniversary all-time team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in...

There were plenty of highs and lows in the life of Ken Stabler, and Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman has chronicled it all in his new book entitled "Snake." Stabler spent most of his NFL career quarterbacking the Oakland Raiders and was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, just over a year after succumbing to cancer at age 69. Noted more for his moments than his stat...

The accomplished author of many acclaimed basketball books has delved into the story of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant with his new book "Showboat." Our discussion ranges from Kobe’s youth in Italy following his father’s professional basketball career, how he evolved during his NBA playing days, the relationships with Phil Jackson and Tex Winter, as well as the spectacular 60-point fina...

New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman has written about such superstars as Walter Payton, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens. Now, he’s tackled another great sports figure with his book on a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback – entitled "Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre." Pearlman discusses – among other topics – Favre’s close connection with his fat...

A key member of the Boston Celtics dynasty during the 1950s and 60s, Heinsohn would win the 1957 Rookie of the year, become a six time All-Star, and was a part of eight championship teams. He’d win two more titles as head coach, and is one of a select few to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. Now, for more than 30 years, he’s been one of...

As a Rules Analyst on Fox Sports’ football broadcasts, Mike Pereira makes sense out of the confusing. The former Vice President of Officiating for the National Football League is marking his seventh season in this role that has transformed sports television. Now, he’s an author of “After Further Review: My Life including the Infamous, Controversial, and Unforgettable Calls that Changed the NFL...

His famous “fall back baby” jumper was instrumental in Dick Barnett becoming a three-time All-American, helping lead Tennessee State to three consecutive NAIA championships, and averaging nearly 16 points per game over 14 NBA seasons. He was a part of five NBA Finals – including both championships for the New York Knicks. After basketball, Barnett obtained a Phd in Education from Fordham, has ...

In basketball history, it's still regarded as "The Greatest Game Ever Played." On June 4, 1976, the fifth game of that year's NBA Finals had it all…and then some. This triple-overtime epic featured countless heroic plays, brilliant execution, controversy, a premature court-storming, as well as a fan-referee fight. Recounting that classic night at Boston Garden, along with the events that led ...

The name ‘Andretti’ is forever synonymous with racing excellence. Mario forged an unmatched legacy that continues to this day. Having won – among countless other accomplishments – the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship, he’s the only man to achieve this remarkable feat. As we reach the 100th edition of the Indy 500, the legendary driver talks about his 19...

By 1975, Muhammad Ali had ascended to world icon status and, arguably, the most recognizable figure of that day. Ali’s magnetism drew the attention of many, including Tim Shanahan. Soon after they first met, this relationship evolved into morning runs together, which then developed into a close friendship that has now spanned more than 40 years and is detailed in his newly-released book, appro...

The Indianapolis 500 can produce spectacular highs and devastating lows – a gamut of emotions that make it one of the best one-day sporting events. For Bobby Rahal, the 1986 edition proved to be his greatest moment in a successful career. With a dramatic pass in the final laps, he earned an emotional victory for his ailing car owner. Rahal would go on to win three CART season championships (1...

No gymnast in U.S. history has had a more decorated career. Shannon Miller came onto the world stage at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where she earned three bronze medals and two silvers. Gold would come four years later in Atlanta, in the form of an individual honor on the balance beam and also as part of an unforgettable group that captured the all-around team competition -- while capturin...

Jackie Robinson’s legacy as a Hall of Fame player and a civil rights pioneer is one that will endure forever. His breaking of the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in April 1947 makes him the most significant figure in the history of our national pastime. But there’s much more to the story, as Ken Burns depicts in his latest work, “Jackie Robinson”, a two-part, four-hour documentary whic...

Golf’s greatest player on golf’s grandest stage is sure to create a memorable occasion. But the final round of the 1986 Masters took it a step further. That’s because Jack Nicklaus, at age 46 and thought to be finished as a serious contender, once more reached back and displayed the talents that made him a legend – winning a sixth green jacket and 18th major thanks to a back nine performance n...

In the 1985 NCAA Championship, David prevailed over Goliath. Georgetown appeared invincible – seemingly on its way to a second straight national title. But that didn’t faze the underdogs from Villanova, a Big East rival who had endured two close losses to the Hoyas during the regular season. Using familiarity, and by connecting on an amazing 79 percent of their field goal attempts, the eighth...

Through their supremacy on the field and their escapades off of it, the 1986 New York Mets remain one of the Big Apple’s most memorable teams – not to mention one of the best. With an entertainment value worthy of the Broadway stage, much has been written about that season itself – as well the aftermath – in the three decades since the dramatic seven-game World Series triumph over the Boston R...

It’s one of the true rarities in team sports: perfection. For men’s college basketball, the last group to achieve this feat was Indiana University – 40 years ago. The starting guard and co-captain of that revered 1976 squad recalls the close calls encountered on the road to 32-0, how the team of the previous season was equally – if not more – capable of also going unbeaten, as well as the Hoos...

When the final buzzer sounded on the 1966 NCAA Championship between Texas Western and Kentucky little did anyone in attendance at Cole Field House in College Park, Md know the impact of the Miners’ 72-65 victory. Don Haskins’ team – and its five African-American starters – beat Adolph Rupp’s top-ranked Wildcats – and their five white starters – in a game that did more than simply alter the cou...

No defense in NFL history ever enjoyed more sustained greatness than Pittsburgh’s famed “Steel Curtain.” This group played a major role in the Steelers winning four Super Bowls over a six-year span and featured four eventual Hall of Famers. Among this collection of stars was Ham, the premiere outside linebacker of the 1970s. His quickness and intelligence would help him reach eight Pro Bowls, ...

The St. Louis Cardinals have set the standard that all other MLB clubs aspire to match. Over the past 16 seasons, they have reached the postseason 12 times, won four NL pennants and two World Series. And thanks to a farm system that is as deep as any other, they don’t seem to be letting up any time soon. Megdal discusses his newest book, “The Cardinals Way”, and how a franchise has managed to...

His is a football life that has taken him to some of the sport's premier locations – from Green Bay to Baltimore to Tuscaloosa. He’s played for a trio of Hall of Fame coaches and was a starter in three of the first five Super Bowls – including the two that were most responsible for laying the groundwork of what we now know as America’s biggest sporting event. Photo courtesy of billcurry.netAud...

The former Dodgers general manager talks about how his background in journalism led to him starting out as a public relations executive, the critical moves that helped win the 1988 World Series, a trade he still regrets, and how the blockbuster deal that moved Mike Piazza out of Los Angeles in 1998 – a move made behind his back – led to dismissal after 30 years with the organization. Photo cou...

The nationally-recognized writer is back for a second straight year on the show to discuss all things Hall of Fame – including the recent voting results, the legacies of Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza, as well as a preview of what’s to come for 2017. Audio courtesy of MLB Network, “The Dan Patrick Show”/Premiere Radio Networks, ABC Sports, MLB.com, and NBC Sports Photo courtesy of The Associ...

Joe Jackson, Lefty Williams, Happy Felsch, Buck Weaver, Swede Risberg, Chick Gandil, Eddie Cicotte, Fred McMullin. Eight names forever linked in baseball infamy. They, of course, are the members of the Chicago White Sox who received lifetime banishment from baseball for conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series against Cincinnati. While the dark cloud that hovered over the sport would eventua...

The excitement of the first five games of the 1975 World Series was nothing compared to what took place over the final two. On October 21, Fenway Park played host to arguably the greatest game in World Series history – a four hour, 12-inning classic that ended with Carlton Fisk’s unforgettable home run to keep the Red Sox alive. Game 6 is forever an all-timer, but the deciding Game 7 was also...

It wasn’t just one of the best-played World Series of all-time; it probably was the most impactful. Millions around the country were witness to a true Fall classic 40 years ago – a showdown between two talent-laden clubs that was taken to its limit. Providing first-hand accounts from this series are: -Fred Lynn, Red Sox center fielder as well as the ’75 AL Rookie of the Year and MVP -Tony P...

The story of Frank Tanana's major league career can be divided into two acts. He quickly rose to stardom with the California Angels as a strikeout pitcher – fanning as many as 269 in 1975. But a shoulder injury in 1979 necessitated a wholesale alteration to his throwing style. Tanana eventually regained a winning form, compiling 240 victories – the most notable of which occurred on the final ...

The 56-game hitting streak for Joe DiMaggio. Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games played. Cy Young’s 511 victories. All are baseball records which will never be surpassed. Bob Wolff also holds an unbreakable record. Covering everything from the National Football League to the Westminster Dog Show, Wolff has been on the air since 1939. The baseball-related feats of this 1995 Hall of Fame induc...

In a career that covered 24 seasons and four decades, Rick Dempsey possessed endearing qualities as both a durable catcher and a unique personality. Our lineup of topics discussed with Rick includes: -His relationship with his Orioles Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver -How the World Series loss in 1979 to the Pittsburgh Pirates was motivation to winning it all in 1983 against the Philadelphia ...

The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, as he put it, were a team of destiny. Dick Groat, the National League’s Most Valuable Player that season, was one of many key contributors who led the Bucs to their first title in 35 years – culminating in the unforgettable Game 7 bottom-of-the-ninth home run off the bat of Bill Mazeroski. An MVP and two World Series rings are feats not many major leaguers get to e...

The 1986 Mets didn’t just dominate the major league competition. They ruled New York City in a way that hasn’t been matched since. Filmmaker Heather Quinlan is in the late stages of developing a documentary on this team that won 108 games with brash and bravado and would go on to capture the World Series over the Boston Red Sox with a remarkable comeback spirit. For more on the project, inclu...

The list of accomplishments in the storied life of Lawrence Peter Berra is just about as long as the many endearing and humorous quotes that will forever make him the indelible Yogi. But there could very well be one more honor headed his way in the near future. Thanks to a petition initiated by the board members of his learning museum in New Jersey and signed by thousands of admiring fans, thi...

There was plenty to talk about with the veteran of 15 big league seasons and 176 wins – from his college days at St. John’s to the grand stage of the World Series to coaching some of the top young arms of the New York Mets’ minor league system – and “Sweet Music” was happy to oblige. Among the topics discussed with Frank Viola: -His role in what many consider to be the greatest game in college...

The Hall of Fame Induction ceremony isn’t just a special time for those honored. It’s a focal point of the baseball calendar – when the sport has its eyes on Cooperstown and when many fans of the game make the trek to the tiny village in upstate New York. But, in fact, the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum is a year-long attraction for the history buffs of our national pastime. President ...

Having earned plaudits as one of baseball's best and most respected journalists, Tom Verducci embarks on his second turn as an All-Star Game color analyst for FOX. Here's a lineup of some of the topics discussed: -The 1970 All-Star Game, which also took place in Cincinnati, and showcased the competitiveness of Pete Rose -Memories of watching the Midsummer Classic as a youngster, covering it a...

One of the stars who powered the Big Red Machine, Tony Perez' standout years in Cincinnati earned him a ticket to the Hall of Fame. In total, he played 23 seasons with the Reds, Red Sox, Expos and Phillies. Among the topics discussed: -How those who have recently made the daunting journey from Cuba to the United States relate to his transition in 1960 at age 17. -His critical home run in the ...

From the high of being an All-Star starting pitcher to the low of homelessness, J.R. Richard has experienced both extremes. By 1980, he had established himself as the most intimidating pitcher in the game – coming off of two consecutive 300-plus strikeout seasons and helping lead the Houston Astros into pennant contention. But in late July, the 30-year-old suffered a major stroke, and would n...

In a straight-laced sport such as baseball, Bill Lee – better known as “Spaceman” – was a distinctive personality. Through 14 big league seasons and 119 victories, he was as crafty on the mound as he was opinionated off of it. But Lee has defied age by pitching competitively into his late 60s. So, even though he may have left the majors in 1982, Bill Lee has really never left baseball. It on...