Thank you for coming to my website. Here are some articles I wrote within the past few years that I found meaningful. Read them and you'll understand why.  (Updated December 30th, 2009)

1. A recent New York Times story how a legally blind person pretended to see in order to be a roller derby star.

2. Professional wrestling's true living legend Bruno Sammartino, recounts that when he was breaking in, promoters black balled him because he refused to lose matches

3. When Roller Derby developed in 1935, it was a mere endurance contest, but the sport changed to a theatrical side show. Read how Bill Griffiths made the sport fake to the point where people compared it to professional wrestling. In his own words he tells why he changed the game, was it for better or worse?

4. Here are several articles that I wrote about Kobe Bryant over the years.  In some of the articles, Kobe explains why he knew it wasn't a mistake for him to go straight from high school to the NBA. Some "experts" were sure that it was a mistake, and that Kobe would fail. However, he proved them wrong. 

5. Former Major League baseball player Jim Abbott pitched for teams such as New York Yankees and the California Angels, yet he was missing part of his hand. Read Abbot's inspirational story!

6. It was a well kept secret that Smokin' Joe Frazier boxed with a vision problem. Read how he got away with it.

7. Remember Dark Shadows? Meet some of the stars from that horror soap opera as they relive their experiences. This is a show that can't stay dead and buried.

8. Larry Hagman hi-lights his acting career, from I Dream of Jeanie to Dallas, to major roles in movies, his career covers four decades

9. Two teammates battled each other at the Pan AM Games for the Blind. It was a struggle in more ways than one.

10. She loved to jog after work at night, alone in Central Park. In this story, the Central Park Jogger discussed that agonizing night when she was raped. She turned despair into hope and possibility.

11. After Donna McKechnie won the Tony Award for portraying Cassie Ferguson in A Chorus. Line, she developed Rheumatoid Arthritis, yet she was determined not to let that stop her. Read how she triumphed over this auto-immune disease and resumed her Broadway career.  

12. Traditionally, most U.S. Jewish athletes did not play squash, however times are changing. Read "A Jew in the Rackets."

 13. M*A*S*H star William Christopher who portrayed the compassionate Father Mulcahy shares his experiences of raising his Autistic son.

14. Car racing fans know the name Al Unser. To some he's a hero, but a bigger hero is his daughter Cody. Read how she adjusted to paralysis and then launched a foundation to help people with disabilities. 

15. Female college students did not go to Haverford College until 1977. Now, 30 years later, women have definitely enhanced the college's reputation, both academically and athletically. This article covers the early days of women's athletics at Haverford College.

16. Darryl Green was a 24-year-old athlete with his whole life ahead of him. He was also blind. Unfortunately in June 2007, he was tragically killed! Read how this happened.

17. Rick Hoyt was never able to walk or talk. The doctors said he'd be a vegetable, but they were wrong. Read how it sometimes pays not to listen to your doctor.  

18. The Philadelphia Distance Run was one of the first major sports events to take place, several days after 9/11. That year, the event was more than a race, it was about runners and community coming together and showing the terrorists who was boss.

19. Back in 1990, I had the honor to write about the international Paralympic blind team sport called goalball for the New York Times. Read how this fast moving game developed and how it spread throughout the world.

Here are the articles!

The New York Times

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Roller Derby

A Legally Blind Track Star Recalls Joy on Roller Skates

By DAVID BLOCK

Sammy Skobel knew he was fast, and he knew he was tough. But he was also legally blind and he knew his eyesight would prevent him from proving that he could compete against the top college runners of his day. All he wanted was a chance.

In 1945, a 19-year-old Skobel was rejected by the military and three college track programs because of his vision impairment. But he found a chance in Roller Derby, which had provided opportunities to women and minorities since its inception in 1935. Over the course of a 20-year career, Skobel emerged as a star jammer known as Slamming Sammy Skobel.

Not that it was easy. Skobel, whose bout with scarlet fever at age 4 left him with a visual acuity of 20/600, endured discrimination, rejection and heartache along the way.

Skobel had run a mile in 4 minutes 22 seconds when he was in high school in 1945 and received scholarship offers from Michigan, Wisconsin and Drake University. But this was 55 years before Marla Runyan proved that it is not how well you can see but how fast you can run. She represented the United States in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and finished eighth in the 1,500 meter final.

"When these universities found out that I was legally blind, all three of them revoked my scholarship," Skobel, now 79, said by telephone from his home in Mount Prospect, Ill.

With no means to go to college, he looked for work. He finally found a job in a warehouse, loading and unloading trucks, but he was fired less than two months later when his supervisor discovered that he could not read labels.

After another job interview, an employee he knew told him that "as soon as I walked out of the office, the manager threw my application in the trash can."

So, Skobel tried out for the Chicago Pioneer Roller Derby team, telling no one that he could only see shapes and shadows.

"I thought that I could be a Roller Derby skater because there was no ball involved," Skobel said. "All I had to do was not tell anybody that I had trouble seeing."

Roller Derby consists of two teams with two units each - five men, five women - who play against each other for eight 12-minute periods. Men and women skate alternate periods. The two offensive players - the jammers - score by passing opposing skaters, while the three blockers try to stop them.

Skobel was one of five men picked to join the Pioneers, but the general manager changed his mind.

"I remember it so well," Skobel said. "I asked him why he cut me. He said, 'Skobel you're blind as a bat. I saw you reading the release with that magnifying glass. That release was touching the tip of your nose and you want to be a skater? These guys will kill you.'

"I went inside the bathroom stall and cried. Crying was rare, because I tried to have a positive attitude."

A couple months later, Skobel tried out for the Brooklyn Red Devils Roller Derby team and this time he made it.

For the first five years, he was able to keep his disability a secret and he became one of the game's top scorers. Although he was unable to recognize his opponents' faces or read their uniform numbers, he identified his opponents and teammates by the way that they positioned their bodies when they skated.

Then a Brooklyn manager, George Douris, saw Skobel use a magnifying glass to read a newspaper. Douris and the Roller Derby's commissioner, Leo Seltzer, decided to allow him to continue to skate.

"They understood that my bad vision never affected my performance," Skobel said. "If not for the Roller Derby," he added, "I really don't know what I would have done with my life."

Skobel competed until 1965 when Roller Derby was still a sport.

In the 1970's, the game took on the characteristics of professional wrestling and became more like theater. Today, Roller Derby has been revived as an all-women's affair and it has taken its cue from the 70's. There are 18 leagues in the United States Rollergirls Association, with 65 teams in 13 states. The skaters wear miniskirts and fishnet stockings.

"I remember that when I skated, sportswriters were critical of the women skaters so we" - the male skaters - "always stood up for them. I wish these women all the luck in the world."

NEXT ARTICLE

The Evening Bulletin - Weekend Edition

Friday, 7 October - Sunday, 9 October 2005

Page 1 and Page 6

Talk of the Town

Still Ripped At 70, Bruno In Philly To Lead Columbus Day Parade

by David Block

If you watched professional wrestling in the '60s and '70s, you would remember Bruno Sammartino. He was champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation, (WWWF) from 1963-1971, then again from 1973-1977. (The WWWF is now called World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE.)

During Sammartino's wrestling career, he was 270 pounds of solid muscle with cauliflower ears.

Due to his tremendous popularity, he frequently wrestled in front of sold-out crowds at Madison Square Garden, the Philadelphia Spectrum and other arenas across the U.S. and throughout the world.

Sammartino loved the fans. "They always treated me well, no matter where I wrestled," Sammartino said.

Philadelphia was meaningful to him. "I have a lot of fond memories of Philadelphia, wrestling at the Spectrum and the Arena (located at 4530 Market Street). The Philadelphia Fans were wonderful. I also liked going to the Academy of Music for the opera. I'm a big opera fan, and the Academy had some great talent."

Sammartino, 70, still makes trips to Philadelphia. In fact this Columbus Day, at the request of the Sons of Italy, he will be the grand marshal of the Columbus Day Parade.

He recently joined that organization because he was impressed with their charity work. Like many of the members, he is one of Italy's native sons.

Bruno Sammartino was born in Italy October 6, 1935. He has both fond and disturbing childhood memories of growing up in "The Old Country."

On Death’s Doorstep

Bruno Sammartino had a normal childhood living in the town of Pizzoferrato. Unfortunately, after the Partisans ousted Mussolini in 1943, his whole world changed. Germany invaded Italy. "The SS Troops marched through Pizzoferrato and were killing people," Sammartino said. "No one was safe. My family and I fled to the mountains and hid there 14 months."

While hiding, Bruno developed Rheumatic Fever and almost died.

His mother placed leaches on his body. "She thought that they would take away the poisonous blood in my system. She boiled some melting snow and had me inhale the steam. I don't know if what she did worked or not, I know that I was near death, and I survived."

Hello USA

During the Second World War, Bruno's father was in the U.S. The war made it impossible for Bruno's father to remain in touch with anyone in Italy. After the war ended, Bruno's father was reunited with the family.

"My parents decided that it would be best for the family if we moved to America because the economy in Italy was very bad," Bruno said.

In 1949, at age 14, Bruno and his family moved to Pittsburgh, PA because his father had a job there working in the steel mills.

"It was a tough adjustment," said Sammartino. "When I came here, I couldn't speak a word of English. I was also skinny and sickly." He added: "Kids can be cruel. My brother and I got beat up so much." He and his brother joined a local YMCA to learn self-defense. "There I learned how to wrestle. I started lifting weights on a regular basis." He no longer had to deal with bullies. "I became a fanatic with my training. My health improved, the more I saw the change, the more drive I had to train. I trained for many hours at a time."

In 1959 he set a weight lifting record bench pressing 565 pounds.

Professional Wrestling

In 1958, Sammartino won the North American Weight Lifting Championships in Oklahoma City. Afterwards, on a local Pittsburgh TV show, he told the interviewer that he also wrestled. A wrestling promoter who saw the show was impressed with this young man. Without hesitation, he approached Sammartino about breaking into professional wrestling. The young Bruno eagerly accepted this offer. Thus began the long and illustrious wrestling career of Bruno Sammartino.

Sammartino's first two years were frustrating because wrestling promoters booked him in preliminary bouts. "I wasn't getting main events like I wanted," Sammartino said.

In a 1960 Madison Square Garden bout with Haystacks Calhoun (William Dee Calhoun) who allegedly weighed close to 600 pounds, Sammartino thought that he could make a name for himself by lifting up this enormous heavyweight. "No one was ever able to do it," Sammartino said.

When Sammartino lifted up Calhoun, the fans were excited. "I thought that the roof in the Garden was going to pop off," Sammartino said. "For some reason, that feat didn't make a difference as far as promoters doing something more with me."

He finally got his break in Canada after wrestling promoters throughout the United States blackballed him.

Grappling Business

Sammartino hated to lose matches. Worse, he objected to losing because promoters told him to do so.

"I wouldn't cooperate with promoters," Sammartino said. "I told them 'if anybody can really beat me, fine. But that's the only way I'll go down.' I was a real young guy, and I wanted to establish myself. I didn't want to be a preliminary boy, so the promoters took a negative stand against me by black balling me all over the country."

When asked to compare the degree to which the matches were prearranged when he wrestled versus today, Sammartino emphasized that in his day the established wrestlers could get away with refusing to lose. "The wrestlers in my day were independent contractors. There were many territories, so the wrestlers would try to protect them. It wasn't so easy like today, where it's now one league." Today, there are independent professional wrestling leagues in the United States, but they are equated to the minor leagues of baseball. The WWE is the only league where a wrestler can gain recognition.

Sammartino said that now the wrestlers can't get away as easily with disobeying orders to lose because of no alternative territories to wrestle. "In my day if a promoter said, 'tonight you'll lose' the top guys were not about to be brought down a notch. When you lose, you're not in demand, you're not a main event like when you were a winner. When I wrestled, the guys did a lot to maintain their reputation. It's not as simple as people thought. If a promoter told a wrestler that he wanted him to lose to somebody because they wanted to build up the other wrestler, the one (told to lose) could tell that promoter what he could do and move on because he had an established name."

Sammartino's career stalled due to promoter sabotage when he refused to lose matches. Wrestling promoters booked him without his knowledge and then suspended him for being a no-show.

"I wound up wrestling in Canada, because I couldn't get matches in the states."

In Canada Sammartino became the Canadian heavy weight champion from 1961-1963.

To the surprise of the U.S. promoters the fans in the states wanted to see Sammartino wrestle. "Those same promoters who blackballed me were now asking me to come back," said Sammartino. "I said only if they booked me in a championship match."

Bruno The Champion

On May 17, 1963, Sammartino fought his proudest match, defeating Buddy "Nature Boy" Rogers (Herman Rohde) in 48 seconds to become the WWWF champion. "Rogers was one of the great wrestlers of his era, (the 1950s and 1960s)," Sammartino remembered. "That match meant so much to me because that put me at the top. You couldn't achieve a higher goal than winning the title."

Preplanned Matches?

When asked if all his title defense matches were preplanned, Sammartino gave an emphatic no. In discussing the issue of matches being predetermined, Sammartino said: "Whether people want to believe it or not, not all the matches were prearranged. In many cases they were arranged in a way, but not like how media people thought. For example, if I wrestled a guy and we knew that that guy was not that good, I would be asked to carry him for 15 minutes for the sake of the people who bought the tickets to see the match. Just like in boxing, a wrestling match could last seconds, but how many times are you going to have matches that only last seconds where the people are going to keep spending their money? People want to see the excitement, sometimes when I wrestled, there'd be a disqualification, which was easy to do. All you had to do was disobey the referee. If I'm pounding someone in the corner and the referee says break and I don't, I'd get disqualified. Then people would want to see a return match. They want to see this situation come to a conclusion - Who can beat who? If it was the case where you only win and lose with no disqualification or a return match the fans might not have been as eager to buy tickets."

Contrary to popular belief, Sammartino said that professional wrestling is more real than a lot of people think. "We really do get hurt," said Sammartino. "I had my nose broken 11 times, I broke my forearm, my fingers, and my collarbone. I needed back surgery due to getting hurt in the ring. To this day, I have cauliflower ears. I even got my neck broken."

His injuries were getting so unbearable that he told one of the chief promoters Vince McMahon, Sr. that he wanted to bow out as champion.

January 8, 1971 Sammartino lost his title to "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff (Oreal Perras). In truth, "The Russian Bear" was a Canadian.

Second Reign

Bruno Sammartino had no intention of regaining the title. However, Vince McMahon Sr. asked him to become champion again. McMahon promised Sammartino that this title reign would only last a year, so at age 38, Sammartino regained the title. It was December 10, 1973, Madison Square Garden, Sammartino defeated Stan "The Man" Stasiak (George Stipich) and to the fans delight was champion again.

A year went by, then a second one, and Sammartino was getting frustrated. His body had taken its toll.

In April 1976 in Madison Square Garden, Stan Hansen (John Stanley Hansen) broke Sammartino's neck. "He dropped me on my head," said Sammartino.

While Sammartino was recuperating in the hospital, Vince McMahon frequently phoned him - because he wanted to make a return grudge match.

According to Sammartino, McMahon needed to come up with a lot of money to help pay for the fight between Muhammad Ali and the Japanese wrestler, Antonio Anoki. Wrestling and boxing fans on the East Coast had the opportunity to see this match on closed circuit TV, but not too many people were buying tickets. McMahon wanted Sammartino to wrestle Stan Hansen on the same card. Sammartino said that as soon as the wrestling fans learned that they would also see him fight with Hansen in addition to seeing Ali fight Anoki, ticket sales improved immensely. (Closed-circuit TV presaged Pay Per View.)

The wrestling fans may have been ecstatic that Sammartino was going to have a returned grudge match, but his family and doctors were outraged. Today Sammartino admits that he made a stupid decision to wrestle while his neck was healing.

To avoid worsening his neck injury, Sammartino decided to end the match as quickly as possible. As Hansen entered the ring, Sammartino attacked him. "I meant to kick him in the chest, but I accidentally kicked him in the face," said Sammartino. "He was bleeding. When I saw that, I punched him repeatedly until he fell out of the ring and was counted out." Sammartino was worried during the return match that he was going to worsen his neck injury, so when he saw that Hansen was hurt, he capitalized in order to avoid further damage.

Sammartino spent the next few months recovering, refusing to wrestle until he was 100 percent.

"At that point I really got disgusted," said Sammartino. "If I hadn't been champion for so long the second time, maybe I wouldn't have gotten my neck broken."

He refused to continue his reign as champion. On April 30, 1977 in Baltimore, Maryland, Sammartino lost the WWWF title to Superstar Billy Graham (Wayne Coleman).

A New Order

In the early '80s, Vince McMahon, Sr. died and his son Vince McMahon, Jr. became the new owner of the league. He changed the name to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

McMahon asked Sammartino to be a TV commentator.

"I agreed to do it because he promised to give my son (David Sammartino) some breaks. David was just starting out as a wrestler."

However, Bruno disliked how the wrestling industry changed.

"When I came back, I saw a different world than the one that I knew. It seemed like everyone was using steroids. Yes, in my day there might have been a few wrestlers using steroids, but the number of people taking them was very low. Now I saw that drugs were rampant and I was bothered by it. I didn't like the turn wrestling was taking, but I put up with it longer than I wanted to. I worried that if I quit, would David (Sammartino) still get opportunities? Finally, it got to the point, I wanted nothing more to do with that organization or Vince McMahon, Jr."

In the late 80s Bruno Sammartino left the WWF - now the WWE. Not only does he refuse go back in any capacity, he refuses to watch it on TV. He doesn't think about the WWE because he is too focused on exercising. He works out seven days a week. Four days he power walks 6 miles. "It's hard because I had my hip replaced," said Sammartino. On the other three days, he still lifts weights. "I don't lift anything like I used to. The most I bench press now is 250. For me, exercise is so important. As mentioned, I started exercising because I was sickly, then I became healthy. Getting healthy and strong was such a wonderful feeling, I don't ever want to let go of that. The healthier you are, the better your life will be."

Both in and out of the ring and even now, wrestling fans refer to Bruno Sammartino as the living legend. To learn more about Bruno Sammartino, log onto www.brunobrunobruno.com.

The Evening Bulletin Friday, 11 March, 2005

That Seventies Sport

How Roller Derby, A Simple Skating Contest, Evolved Into A Saga Complete With Alligator Pits And Dramatic Storylines

By David Block

Special To The Bulletin

If you endured the 1970s, you remember Roller Derby. It was on WKBS Channel 48 in Philadelphia and it was also televised on WPHL Channel 17. Games were held every week at the Philadelphia Arena, located at 4530 Market Street.

Although Roller Derby is linked in the popular imagination to the days of disco and feathered hair, it's actually much older than that. Roller Derby began in 1935 when Leo Seltzer, a dance-marathon promoter, decided to create a roller-skating endurance test. But instead of being an individual competition, it was a couples event, with pairs competing to see who could skate the most times around a Chicago roller rink. The contest went on for days, and the total laps skated equated the distance from Chicago to Los Angeles.

From those origins, Roller Derby developed into a worldwide sport with sold-out stadiums full of fans. Jim Croce even wrote a song about it: Roller Derby Queen: "Well she might be nasty, she might be fat / But I never met a person who would tell her that. / She's my big blonde bomber, my heavy-handed Hackensack mama...."

The Rules

A Roller Derby team consists of ten players; five men and five women. There are eight 10-minute periods, four of them skated by women, the other four by men. Two of the five skaters on the team are "jammers," who are the only ones who can score points, by passing skaters from the other team. The two jammers wear striped helmets, the two blockers wear solid-colored ones, while the pivot wears solid black.

Blockers prevent jammers from scoring.

"The original idea for the pivot," said Erwin Miller, former Philadelphia Warriors skater, "was to have your best ‘all-round skater’ break late from the pack, thus becoming a third jammer."

Adding Theatrics

In 1959, Bill Griffiths of California, who worked in advertising and promotions, became interested in Roller Derby as a result of one of his clients’ desire to be one of the game’s sponsors. Griffiths who had a theatrical background as a tap dancer under the pseudonym of Little Sunshine Billy, believed that the sport could be better promoted if he spiced it up. He developed an offshoot of Roller Derby -- Roller Games -- where opposing teams and skaters feuded in a way that presaged the modern world of professional wrestling. Storylines became part of the game. Referees were urged to look the other way when fights broke out between skaters.

Another way to lure fans to the game was creating the "match race" at half time. When two opposing skaters feuded, their fictional antipathy was intense, so at half time, they'd have a "match race," an anything-and-everything-goes street-fight-on-wheels.

There were different types of match races. The standard was five laps of anything and everything goes. More intense was the no-time-limit match race, where the loser had to be down for 30 seconds in order for it to end. The Indian Death Match Race occurred when the combatants were tied to each other, forcing them to brawl.

Finally, there was an "Oriental Suicide" match race, where the ring's handrails were removed. To win, you had to throw your opponent off the track.

The match races, unlike the games, were never televised - the better to get more people to attend the events. During the televised games, the skaters who were going to have match races at upcoming events screamed and assaulted each other during halftime interviews. Referees usually tried to break the staged fights up.

As Roller Game announcers offered their play-by-play commentary, they frequently reminded the fans of the upcoming match race violence.

"I wanted to spice up my product to make it more interesting and appealing to the paying customer," says Griffiths. "I wasn't that attracted to the old Roller Derby. It couldn't do anything for me or any of my clients."

By 1961, Roller Games became a permanent fixture in Los Angeles. Jerry Seltzer, Leo's son who was a Roller Derby commissioner, moved the franchise from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Many Roller Derby skaters from Los Angeles were unable to pick up and move to San Francisco, so they joined Griffiths's Roller Games.

Televised games showcased the permanent home team, the Los Angeles Thunderbirds - a team Griffiths created in 1959 and that still exists today. The Los Angeles Thunderbirds on the West Coast metaphorically wore the white hats and the visiting teams wore the black ones.

In Philadelphia

In October 1967, Bill Griffiths and his partner Jerry Hill, moved the Honolulu Warrior team to Philadelphia.

"Philadelphia was one of the key points for the original Roller Derby said Griffiths. "If Philadelphia was good enough for Roller Derby, then it would be good enough for Roller Games."

According to Miller, Elmer Anderson, the voice of the Philadelphia Warriors, pushed for a team to be brought to Philadelphia. Anderson was the manager of the Philadelphia Panthers in 1949 and remembered that the game was popular in the City of Brotherly Love.

"The first night we skated at the Philadelphia Arena there were 50 fans," said Miller. "The next night that figure doubled. It kept doubling and doubling until we sold out every game." Miller remembered that the Arena had 7,000 to 7,500 seats.

Although Roller Games and Roller Derby drew large crowds at Madison Square Garden and the Spectrum, the promoters made sure that games were skated in small towns throughout the country, from Hamburg to Bethlehem to Pottsville to Scranton.

"I once asked Jerry Hill why we skated in these small towns where we hardly made any money," said Miller, "and Jerry told me that money wasn't the most important thing. Our job was to build fan bases. We had to come to the people. That way, someone from Hamburg wouldn't have had to travel to Philly only to find the game sold-out... One of my best memories as a skater, was skating in Hamburg. The windows were way up high next to the ceiling. While the women were skating, I look up and I see a lot of people looking at the game through the windows - they were on top of a grave yard, standing on tombstones to see the game."

One thing Miller disliked about skating for visiting teams was that he and his teammates were discouraged from interacting with the fans. Before most Roller Games, the home team signed autographs for about a half hour while the villainous visiting team merely skated their warm-up laps as the house announcer encouraged the audience to boo them.

Rough Times

By the 1970s, both Roller Derby and Roller Games popularity began to dwindle.

In December 1973, Roller Derby's popularity was at a low, therefore Jerry Seltzer terminated his Roller Derby league, forcing many of his skaters to flock to Roller Games. His move took a lot of skaters by surprise.

Miller remembers: "In December 1973, there was a gas shortage and energy crisis. That's the standard answer often given to why Roller Derby folded that year, but that wasn't the key factor. Roller Derby and Roller Games never changed with the times. The last time money was spent to improve Roller Derby was the early 1950s."

When Roller Derby folded, it appeared that Roller Games, on the other hand, was permanently planted. The Roller Game movie Kansas City Bomber (1972), starring Raquel Welch, held the interest of a lot of non-fans, according to Griffiths. Being involved with creating the movie was a happy time for Griffiths. Many of his top skaters were given the chance to perform for movie audiences.

Co-star Helena Kallianiotes won a Golden Globe nomination for portraying a bitter alcoholic teammate and rival of Raquel Welch. (Another note worthy presence was a young Jodie Foster who portrayed Raquel Welch's daughter.)

Kansas City Bomber and the concentration of all the talented Roller Derby and Roller Game skaters in Griffiths's league made it appear that the sport would remain intact. Ron Robinson, son of the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson, skated for the Los Angeles Thunderbirds in 1974. Griffiths never knew why Ron Robinson chose not to follow in his father's footsteps. "I never asked him because it was none of my business," Griffiths said. Miller remembered Robinson as a good clean skater, who never gave cheap shots. "Ronny belonged in this business," said Miller. "He fit in so well with everyone. I don't know why, but he never liked to talk about his father."

And 1974 was a momentous year for the Philadelphia Warrior team as they won the Gold Cup in the World Series in Madison Square Garden against the New York Chiefs.

Winning the championships was not the only factor that brought great turnouts to the Philadelphia Arena and Spectrum that year. The infamous Roller Game bad guy Dave Pound lent a hand.

In 1973, the promoters developed a story line where Dave Pound portrayed the Warriors temporary general manager. In the script, he made the Warrior team miserable while managing to get thousands of fans to despise him.

"Dave was a pleasant person," said Griffiths. "I regretted it very much when he passed away (in May 2002). The bad guy was part of Dave's make up. It wasn't that he himself was personally so mean, it's just that he came off stronger than he actually was. Dave Pound enjoyed the role of villain."

So intense was the drama around the game, Erwin Miller remembers, Dave Pound needed bodyguards in Philadelphia.

"It's a shame that the fans never realized that Dave was one of the most beloved skaters in the business," said Miller. "There wasn't one skater who disliked him." In other seasons, Dave Pound was given similar scripts, including persecuting the Los Angeles Thunderbirds.

While professional wrestling story lines increased its popularity, Roller Games often suffered as a result of their scripts.

"In professional wrestling, storylines are expected," said Miller. "Wrestlers do these outlandish things, but it's expected of them. The professional wrestling promoters admit that it's entertainment. Roller Games became a cheap imitation of professional wrestling. When you show a cheap imitation of something, who's going to want to watch it?"

And so it was that 1975 marked the end of Roller Games in Philadelphia. The game was temporarily revived here in 1976 and 1981, but neither revival lasted more than five months.

In the ‘80s, the Los Angeles Thunderbirds had some high points, such as competing every week for several years on ESPN. In 1989 and 1990 Bill Griffiths and Motown were involved with launching Roller Games on 142 TV stations throughout the USA. This Roller Game version got too out of hand even for Griffiths. He especially disliked that an alligator pit was placed on the track.

"I forbade the producers from having any type of an alligator inside the confines of the arena whenever our skaters were there," said Griffiths. "I considered it very dangerous. One point they wanted to have our skaters being pushed into the alligator pit. Motown went too far."

Rollerjam

In 1998, TNN created Rollerjam. It was intended to herald new era of Roller Derby, but Rollerjam folded two years later.

Miller was one of the Rollerjam trainers. As the sport progressed it became "wrestling on wheels" as he phrased it.

Bill Griffiths also disliked Rollerjam: "The women were too pretty and the men were too ugly!"

Endurance Sport

Today Griffiths, Miller and Gallagher are trying to establish leagues of their own. "I hope to be able to bring back the old Roller Games, the way it was originally," said Griffiths. His league will have the Los Angeles Thunderbirds. According to Griffiths, "without the Thunderbirds, it isn't Roller Games."

Miller is in Florida developing a league, Rollersport. Should investors come through, Miller's league would be clean skating, no fights, no theatrics, no black hats or white hats; just a straight game. He has many of the Rollerjam skaters interested in playing for him. All of his skaters will use inline skates instead of old-fashioned quads.

Gallagher is developing an all-girls' league in California, where his intention is to make the league complete real to the point where it could no longer be compared to professional wrestling.

And there will be no alligator pit.

David Block is a writer and documentary filmmaker based in Ardmore.

Main Line Times - Sports Section

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Kobe still attached to Lower Merion

By David Block

ARDMORE - When Kobe Bryant played his first NBA game a decade ago (Jan. 28, 1997), scoring 13 points and dishing out five assists, there were still people who thought it was a mistake for him to go straight from Lower Merion High School to the pros.

However, Bryant who was 18, knew that they would shut up in the long run, and he was right.

Last Monday, in an exclusive interview with the Main Line Times, Bryant said his proudest basketball accomplishment has been winning three NBA championships.

"That was most memorable - it's being the best team in the world at that time," said Bryant. "We rallied together and played off of one another. To be able to achieve such a lofty goal, winning three championships, was I extremely special for me."

Another was receiving the 2002 NBA All-Star Game MVP award.

"It felt good to be part of that tradition," said Bryant.

Bryant is equally proud of his Lower Merion accomplishments, such as being part of the Aces' 1996 squad that won the PIAA Class AAAA state championship.

Returns to LM

Bryant tries to return to Lower Merion every summer. "I miss the community," said Bryant. "I miss my teachers and my friends. I really don't have a chance to see them too often, so every time we [the Lakers] come to Philadelphia to play the 76ers, I always look in the crowd to see if I see some of my old friends."

He likes returning to Lower Merion because the people he knew here don't treat him any differently.

"That's what I love about coming home," said Bryant. "I'm still Kobe, the same Kobe that went to Bala Cynwyd, then Lower Merion. There's no difference at all.

"A lot of kids after high school go off to college, but for me it was high school then straight to work. High school for me was my college."

Local clinic

When Kobe returned to Lower Merion High School last July for the Kobe Clinic, sponsored by Nike, his intention was to give the next generation of basketball players some of the knowledge that he gained throughout his career.

"I set up stations, where there were a myriad of coaches - I walked around from station to station, and I gave the kids tips and advice," said Bryant, who ran a similar clinic in Los Angeles last summer.

Bryant hopes to run another clinic next summer at Lower Merion, but it depends on his schedule, which will be hectic because he will try out for the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team in Las Vegas.

That will take up a chunk of the summer as well as training camp for the [Lakers]," said Bryant.

Even though his schedule is always full, he tries to keep up with Lower Merion boys' basketball head coach Gregg Downer, especially during the Aces' season.

"He keeps me updated on how the season's progressing," said Bryant.

Last year, before the Aces won the final game to capture the PIAA Class AAAA state title, Bryant spoke to the team.

"I gave them words of encouragement," said Bryant. "I still feel like I'm part of the Lower Merion tradition. I have that sense of pride of going to Lower Merion."

When not on the basketball court, Bryant spends time with his wife, Vanessa and his two daughters, Natalia Diamante, age 4, and nine-month old Gianna Maria-Onore.

"Natalia just learned how to ride a bike, so I'm teaching her how to pop a wheelie," said Bryant. "She also plays soccer and basketball. She's a good dribbler."

Main Line Times         Thursday 31 January 2002

Lower Merion retires Kobe Bryant's No. 33

By: Bruce Adams and David Block

Kobe Bryant, who went directly from Lower Merion High School to NBA stardom, had his LM jersey number 33 retired Saturday night at a special ceremony held at the school.

Ardmore - Los Angeles Laker star Kobe Bryant, who went directly from Lower Merion High School to the NBA in 1996, was honored by the Aces at a special ceremony Saturday night. In front of a nostalgia-filled Lower Merion gymnasium holding 1,500 attendees, the Aces retired Bryant's number, 33. Before Bryant entered the filled-to-capacity Lower Merion gym, an unannounced guest - the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal - walked into the gym and was greeted by an explosion of cheers. O'Neal, followed by Laker teammates Rick Fox, Mark Madsen, Devean George, Samaki Walker and Brian Walker, settled into third-row seats assembled on the gymnasium floor.

About 100 athletes from the Lower Merion School District led the procession introducing Bryant, with 9-year-old Rachel Newell and 11-year-old Alec Weiss dribbling basketballs at the head of the procession. LM students Monica Sciaky and Casey Alexander sang the National Anthem.

Many members of the 1996 Lower Merion PIAA Class AAAA state championship boys' basketball team were present Saturday night. When center Brendan Pettit was introduced by L.M. school superintendent David Magill, O'Neal stood up, and Magill pointed to him and jokingly said, "Mr. O'Neal, I know your superintendent," and the crowd roared.

Kobe said, "It's always good to come home. Usually, I visit high school whenever we [the Lakers] play the Sixers. I walk by the gym, see if everything smells the same. In the hallway, before the start of [Lower

Merion] games, that's when we used to pump each other up in the huddle, I used to take in the scent [in the hall] and it would always get me going.

"I had a good time here. It was a very enjoyable time for me. Many of you went on to college, went on to a university, I didn't, so Lower Merion is the closest thing to (an alma mater) for me.  Lower Merion will always be a part of me, will always be in my heart.

"When I was (at Lower Merion), Ridley used to be the (Central League) champion. Ridley used to win every year. Then we finally kicked their butt, and now we're on a nice little roll (five of the last six Central League titles), and I'm happy to see that.

"My fondest [high school basketball] memory was playing in the Palestra against Chester, a team nobody thought we could beat. We wound up winning the game [on the way to the state title]. We had a slogan my senior year: 'Refuse to lose.'"

Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer, who has coached the Aces for a dozen years, started the ball rolling on a Bryant retirement ceremony last October.  Downer talked to L.M. schools superintendent David Magill about it, who thought it was a good idea, and in turn they spoke to L.M. athletic director Tom McGovern and L.M. principal Jack Maher. Originally, the ceremony was planned for either Jan. 26 or the NBA all-star weekend in Philadelphia Feb. 8-10. Downer's apartment - a short distance from Lower Merion High School - is filled with mementos and pictures from

Bryant's years with the Aces. During Kobe's freshman year (Downer's third), the Aces were 6-18. But in the next three seasons they went 77-14, including 31-3 in 1996, the season the Aces won the PIAA Class AAAA state championship.

"Kobe was the best high school player I have ever seen," Downer told the audience Saturday. "He's the hardest-working, most dedicated athlete I have ever been associated with - someone who never took a single short cut. He's a gentleman, a class act, a person who always made time for children. He accommodated the many demands placed on him with dignity, grace and kindness.

"Ten years ago, Kobe was a six-foot, skinny eighth-grader at Bala Cynwyd Middle School, constantly dribbling through the streets of Wynnewood. Kobe and his ball were absolutely inseparable. He would dribble through the streets, and imitate his childhood idol, Magic Johnson.

"When I met Kobe at that time I was astounded by his charm, his savvy and his single-minded sense of direction. His work ethic at Lower Merion was legendary - 6 a.m. workouts; weight-training sessions; one-on-one workouts with Sixers' players; and at the age of 15, his first one-on-one victory against his father, 'Jellybean' Joe Bryant; four years of never losing one sprint in practice; an absolute intolerance of mediocrity.

"After practice, I'd rebound for him and he would have to make 10 shots in a row from various places on the court. It didn't matter if it took a half hour, an hour or longer, Kobe wasn't leaving until the task was done. He would come to school at 6 a.m. to practice, even if it was a snow day. I feel honored to have a small fingerprint on Kobe's development."

Jermaine Griffin, who was co-captain of the 1996 L.M. squad, added to the lighthearted tone of the evening when he said, "I'm glad I had the privilege of playing with Kobe. You all know he's a great dribbler, great

shooter, he can grab rebounds, but the thing I like most about him were his passing abilities. Three guys would commit to him, I'd stay on the block, he'd dribble through two people, and I'd wave my hands and say, 'Kobe, I'm open,' and he'd make his shot.

"The next time he came down, there were four people on him, he went through two of them, went over another, and I'd stay on the block and say, 'Kobe, I'm open,' and he would jump over and dunk on the [fourth] kid."

Griffin added, "There's things that you might not see (written) about Kobe that I've seen in practice, and that a lot of his teammates now might see in practice - if I could sum it up in one word, it would be determination.

He had a relentless attitude. He just felt like there was nothing he couldn't do.

"I remember when we were sophomores at his house watching the Chicago Bulls on TV, and Kobe would say, 'If Michael Jordan was on me I'd do this and I'd do that.' Four years later, what he said he would do, he did."

Former teammates from the 1995-96 championship squad in attendance were Griffin; Phil Mellet, now a senior at Penn State; Robbie Schwartz, a University of Pittsburgh graduate; Pettit, a senior at Wesleyan University; Emory Dabney, currently at University of Pittsburgh; and Cary Walker, currently serving in the U. S. Army. Omar Hatcher, currently playing Division I basketball, was a member of the 1995-96 squad who was not able to attend. Kobe's parents, Joe and Pam, were at the ceremony and maintain a residence in Lower Merion. Kobe's wife Vanessa also was at the celebration.

L.M. athletic director Tom McGovern said, "Kobe was a good school citizen and a good scholar. In a sense, this [night] is as much a tribute to his parents Pam and Joe as it is to Kobe." McGovern said, "In the spring of '92, coach Downer came to me and said, 'At the Bala Cynwyd Middle School is the best basketball player I've ever seen and I think he might even turn pro.' I looked at Downer and wondered where he was coming from, could he be serious?

"The school was 100 years old and at the time (in '92) only won four state championships. So to pick out an eighth-grader who was going to be that good, I wondered was he a nephew or a son I didn't know Gregg had? It turned out that that kid was Kobe Bryant.

"Back in '92 we didn't think of Kobe Bryant, as Kobe Bryant, we thought of Kobe Bryant as Jellybean Joe Bryant's son. Now, 10 years later we look at Joe and say, 'That's Kobe Bryant's dad.'" McGovern recalled that people came as far away as New England and North Carolina to watch Kobe play: "The demand to see Kobe play was so great that ticket lines were incredibly long. We had to move the ticket sales out of the athletic office because the office was in an academic area and the long lines were disrupting hallway traffic. "By his senior year it wasn't unusual to have to turn a few hundred people away at the door, causing traffic problems on Montgomery Ave and giving the Lower Merion police headaches."

Magill said, "We even had a Kobe mailbox [at Lower Merion High School] to handle fan mail."

Jeanne Mastriano, one of Kobe's English teachers at Lower Merion, said, "In his senior year, Kobe's speaking arts project was to develop an original story, and then to deliver that story to a group of four-year-olds. Kobe did a story about a boy who had dirty laundry that piled up until it turned alive and became a monster.

"The kids he was telling the story to came up to his knees, and the kids were backing off. Seeing their reaction, he immediately dropped to the floor, looked at them, reached out his arms, and said, 'Come here.'

"And the kids mobbed him, and they weren't even basketball fans. They loved Kobe. Why? Because he was enjoying himself, he loved what he was doing. As a teacher, I find that quiet joy, that playfulness, that delight [in a student] is a rare thing. He loved basketball as a kid in Italy, dribbling himself to sleep. It was all he wrote about [in class] as a sophomore."

Jill Govberg, president of the L.M. board of school directors presented Bryant with a watch donated by Govberg Jewelers of Bala Cynwyd and Breitling USA. The watch was inscribed, "To Kobe, # 33, Always an Ace, L.M.H.S."

Bryant also was presented with a Lower Merion shirt and hat, and a peace-and-unity pin.

At the end of the ceremony, a brief question-and-answer period followed.

L.M. basketball star Sarah Lowe asked Kobe, "What did you take from Lower Merion in order to excel in life and basketball?"

Kobe responded, "A work ethic. Coach Downer always kept me after practice, and we always worked on our game together {Both] he and my parents instilled [good] values in me, to work hard toward your dream - I think you know a little bit about that, you've been kicking butt here - I've heard about you, I've heard you've got a mad game."

Later Kobe was asked how he handled Sixer fan hostility during last year's NBA finals, and he responded, "You just concentrate on the fact that it's just like any other road game. Even though you're coming home and playing in Philadelphia you just focus on the fact that those boos are like playing in any arena.

"I didn't avoid the hostility [during last year's NBA finals in Philadelphia]. I just knew it was there and let them did all the booing, hooting and hollering that they wanted. It didn't even bother me. I was excited to be home, but I didn't make too much of a big deal about that because I had a job to do and that was to win the NBA championship."

Kobe also gave some advice for high school basketball players trying to follow in his footsteps of going from high school straight to the NBA: "You've got to follow your heart. It doesn't matter if you're ready or not, but it's a matter of, are you willing to do what it takes? If you come into the NBA and you're ready, great. You still have a lot of work to do. But if you come into the NBA and you're not ready, you've got twice as much work to do.

"For me, it came easy because I was willing to accept the fact that I might not do so well [at the beginning] so I did what I needed to do to succeed."

©Main Line Times 2002

Kobe reflects on his Lower Merion days

By: David Block, Sportswriter            August 17, 2000

"There's a lot of things I miss about the (Lower Merion) area...(On the Main Line) I could ride around peacefully, go out to eat peacefully." -

Kobe Bryant

LOS ANGELES, CA - Former Lower Merion High School basketball star Kobe Bryant, who was a key figure in the Los Angeles Lakers' recent NBA championship, said last week he often gets nostalgic for the Main Line.

"There's a lot of things I miss about the area," said Bryant. "I miss the high school - a lot of my high school buddies went to college. We still have a lot of memories. I keep up with them...(On the Main Line) I could ride around peacefully, go out to eat peacefully...I still go back to the high school sometimes."

Yet, it has been two summers since Bryant returned to the Main Line. When asked if he could enjoy the same privacy in Los Angeles, he gave an emphatic "no."

"Out here, it's crazy," he said. "You can't go anywhere, you take it in stride. It's part of the territory...Nothing you can do."

When Lower Merion basketball coach Gregg Downer visited Bryant during the NBA finals, he saw that his former superstar had the Lower Merion basketball state championship medal hanging on the foot of his bed.

Although Bryant had come so far as a basketball player, he explained that the Lower Merion medal meant so much to him.

"It was an important year of my life," said Bryant. "People said, 'you're not going to be able to win.' The odds were against us. It was like us against the world. We were able to do it. We conquered a huge challenge

that year."

Downer explained that the first sparks were set in Bryant's junior year when the Aces were eliminated in the playoffs. Afterwards, Bryant said to his team that he was going to miss the seniors next year, but there was "no way" Lower Merion would lose next season.

Bryant, who began playing basketball at age three, grew up with the game - his father is former NBA star Joe Bryant. But it wasn't his father who developed Kobe's passion for the game - that came from within the younger Bryant.

"He (my father) just gave me the option to play all kinds of sports, but I enjoyed basketball the most," said Kobe.

The younger Bryant often played one on one basketball as a youngster, which he said fueled his competitive juices.

"It was 'Mano a Mano.' That definitely enhanced my competitive drive," said Bryant.

By age 13, Kobe knew that he could one day play in the NBA. He experience some turning points along the way. He was finally able to beat his two older sisters, Sharia and Shaya, whom he regarded as excellent

Basketball players, and he could also beat his father. However, Bryant attributed his conviction to how he felt inside.

"It was more the attitude...It just felt like I was the best player, it felt like I had the most moves," said Bryant.

In the summer of 1995, a couple of months before Bryant's senior year at Lower Merion, he was given the opportunity to work out with the 76ers. The daughter of 76ers coach John Lucas was going to Lower Merion and she told her father about Kobe.

"He (Lucas) knew my father so he invited me to come down and play with (the 76ers)," said Kobe. ``I really didn't think about who I was playing against. I knew they were NBA players but (to me) it was just a chance

to prove to them that I was a good basketball player."

In that session, the 76ers coaching staff taught Bryant some skills which he still uses today.

Comparing the 76ers workouts to those of Lower Merion, Kobe said the latter were tougher:  "With the 76ers, it was just five on five scrimmages, but

At Lower Merion, we ran those suicide drills."

When Bryant decided to go to the NBA and skip college, it became a big topic of discussion in the Delaware Valley. The fact that so many people were discussing Bryant's decision had little if any effect on him.

"I didn't really care (about it)," said Bryant. "The doubters bothered me a little bit, but I figured in the long run, I'd prove them wrong anyway...They'd shut up in the long run."

Downer said, "A lot of these talk shows were saying that Kobe made a bad decision (in) going to the NBA and that he wasn't going to make it, but none of those naysayers saw how excellent Kobe was. I worked with Kobe every day. He'd come in two hours before school started, even on snow days when the school would open late, just to practice. One of my assistant coaches got in the face of the WIP (Radio) talk show hosts who was criticizing Kobe and asked, 'How many times did you actually see Kobe play?' and the answer was 'just once.' These doubters didn't know what they

were talking about."

Among Bryant's high school accomplishments was breaking Wilt Chamberlain's 40 year old southeastern Pennsylvania high school scoring record of 2,359 points, with 2,883.

A week before Bryant's debut NBA season of 1996-97, he broke his hand and had to miss a few weeks of action. In his first NBA game (Jan. 28, 1997) he scored 13 points and five assists.

Bryant was Slam Dunk champion and rookie all-star MVP in 1997, then became the youngest player to start an all-star game in 1998 when he was selected as a member of the Western Conference squad. Other  honors Bryant has received include being named the 1999-2000 NBA All-Interview second team and being selected to the 1999/2000 NBA All-Defensive first team.

When Phil Jackson took over as the Lakers' coach this past season, basketball fans noticed the rapport between Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.

"Everyone knew (O'Neal) and I could work well together," said Bryant. "It was just a matter of time. People need to realize that Shaq and I never really played together before. My first year, we didn't play that much. The second year, I was still coming off the bench. The third year was the half season (due to the NBA strike), so this season was the first time we

(really) played together. Phil Jackson brought our playing to another level. He was a sharp coach."

In game two of the NBA finals against the Indiana Pacers, Bryant sprained his ankle with 3:26 left in the first quarter. He missed the remainder of the game.

Even though it was difficult for him to walk, Bryant said that he was determined to play anyway, even if his ankle remained sprained.

In game four of the NBA finals, O'Neal fouled out and Bryant greatly contributed to the Lakers' overtime win against Indiana, 120-118, netting 28 points.

After the game, O'Neal referred to Bryant as 'the little big brother' because although Bryant is only 6-feet-7, he scored some big baskets.

In game six of the finals, the Lakers clinched the championship with a 116-111 win. One memorable Bryant play was when Kobe made a great pass to

O'Neal, who scored with two defenders draped all over him.

Winning an NBA championship might satisfy some players, but Bryant wants more.

The last time Kobe was on the Main Line was two summers ago. "It was great being back," said Bryant. "I got to ride around peacefully, I went back to the high school, and I could go out and eat peacefully. Out here (in Los Angeles), you can't go anywhere. It's crazy. You take it (in) stride. It comes with the territory."

Bryant is involved with the record label, "Heads High Entertainment," which was launched a few months ago.

"There's a lot of young talent out there that needs to be discovered, that needs to be heard," said Bryant. "It was an opportunity for me to help them so they can do something well for themselves."

Bryant said he likes being a role model, but emphasizes that role models are not perfect: "The idea of a role model is if you do make a mistake people can look at you as an example and not make the same mistake."

Copyright: Main Line Times, August 2000

***********

Main Line Times interview ~ Kobe Bryant

By: David Block, Sportswriter           August 17, 2000

Former Ace says he still misses Lower Merion, Main Line

(Editor's note: The following is a verbatim account of Main Line Times sportswriter David Block's interview with former Lower Merion basketball star Kobe Bryant last week.)

Main Line Times: How old were you when you when you developed your passion for basketball?

Kobe: Three years old.

MLT: To what degree did your father inspire you to develop this passion?

Kobe: He didn't at all. He just gave me the option to play all kinds of sports. But I enjoyed basketball the most.

MLT: I remember once hearing you say that you always used to play many people one-on-one. Did playing one-one-one enhance your competitiveness?

Kobe: I think so. Because it was mano a mano. It definitely helped enhance it.

MLT: What happened at age 13, that made you realize that you could hold your own against anybody? Did you realize this after you beat your sisters and father?

Kobe: Around the same time. It was more the attitude. It just felt like I was the best player, it felt like I had the most moves.

MLT: Was it in your senior year you began working out with the 76ers?

Kobe: In the summer of '95 (going into my senior year).

MLT: How did it feel being in high school and to have such an honor?

Kobe: It was cool. I didn't look at it as an honor. I just looked at it as basketball, really. I really didn't think about who I was playing against.  I knew they were NBA basketball players but that was it, it was just a chance to prove to them that I was a good basketball player.

MLT: How did you get the chance to practice with the 76ers?

Kobe: The (76ers) coach, John Lucas, had a daughter who went to Lower Merion and she told her father about me. Her father was curious, he knew my father (NBA veteran Joe Bryant), so he invited me to come down and play with them.

MLT: What did Joey Carbone (then assistant trainer for the 76ers) do to help you improve?

Kobe: He improved my game tremendously...high jump rebounds, weights, everything physical about my game.

MLT: What was a practice with the 76ers like compared to high school practices?

Kobe: Working with the 76ers was a lot easier because all we did was scrimmage, playing five on five, but in high school, we ran these suicide drills.

MLT: Did you learn anything from the 76ers that you brought back to Lower Merion?

Kobe: Some skills Lucas taught me, I still keep with me today.

MLT: Gregg Downer (Kobe's coach at Lower Merion) said that each high school year, you got better and better. What did you do to improve?

Kobe: High school was about improving my (all-around) game. The more you play, the better you get.

MLT: Gregg Downer was saying that you still carry your high school state championship medal, that he saw it at the foot of your bed. Why is it still meaningful to you?

Kobe: That was a major part of my life. People said `you're not going to be able to win.' You know about Lower Merion. The odds were against us. It was like us against the world. We were able to do it. We conquered a huge challenge that year.

MLT: What was your proudest moment playing for Lower Merion?

Kobe: Winning the state championship.

MLT: Downer was saying that you set the initial spark for Lower Merion to win the state championship at the end of your junior year when your team lost in the playoffs. Can you elaborate?

Kobe: I made up my mind we were going to win the state championship the next year and there was nothing anybody could say or do about it.

MLT: How did it feel that hundreds of people made your decision of going to the NBA instead of college as a big topic of conversation?

Kobe: I didn't care, it didn't matter, the doubters bothered me a little but, but I figured in the long run, I'd prove them wrong anyway.

MLT: How did you deal with the criticism the talk shows gave you after you made your decision to go to the NBA instead of college?

Kobe: Same way, they'd shut up in the long run.

MLT: Describe how you felt playing your first NBA game.

Kobe: I felt very calm. I was anxious to go out and play because I broke my hand before the season. I couldn't play for a period of time.

MLT: Did you score in that first game? (Jan. 28, 1997, against Dallas)

Kobe: I had 13 points and five assists. I felt relaxed.

MLT: Does your hand ever bother you now and then?

Kobe: Absolutely not.

MLT: Describe your working relationship with Shaquille O'Neal when you first joined the Lakers, and what did (current coach) Phil Jackson do to change it?

Kobe: He (Jackson) brought it to the level; He was a sharp coach, much sharper coach. Everyone knew we (Shaq and Kobe) could work well together.  It was just a matter of time. People need to realize that Shaq and I never really played together before. My first year, we didn't play that much; the second year, I was still coming off the bench; third year was the half-season (due to the NBA strike), so this season was the first time we played together.

MLT: And you two just had a connection and picked up on each other's moves?

Kobe: That was it.

MLT: Who started calling you the ``little big brother?''

Kobe: Shaq did. That's because I took big shots. It was after game four (of the NBA finals, after Bryant scored 28 points in a 120 118 overtime win against the Indiana Pacers).

MLT: How did you like being called that?

Kobe: It was cool.

MLT: When you got injured in game two of the finals, were you worried you'd miss the rest of the finals?

Kobe: Oh, no. I was going to play anyway. Even with the ankle problem. I've had other injuries, but nothing was as bad as the ankle sprain.

MLT: Were you able to walk on it before getting back into action?

Kobe: A little bit, gingerly.

MLT: How did it feel, winning an NBA title at so young an age?

Kobe: It feels good, like I can now go get some more.

MLT: So, this is only the beginning for you?

Kobe: Absolutely.

MLT: What was your reason for getting involved with the launch of a recording company?

Kobe: There's a lot of young talent out there that needs to be discovered, that needs to be heard. It was an opportunity for me to help them so they can do something well for themselves. (The label is called Heads High.)

MLT: Will you have a CD under your name?

Kobe: Maybe.

MLT: What is your involvement with this basketball league in Italy?

Kobe: I'm involved with a part-time owner of a basketball league.

MLT: Is it because you spent time in Italy when you were younger? (Kobe lived in Italy when his father played in a league over there.)

Kobe: Yeah, that had something to do with it.

MLT: How fluent is your Italian?

Kobe: It's still pretty sharp.

MLT: Do you see yourself as a role model for younger kids?

Kobe: Some regards, yes.

MLT: How does it feel?

Kobe: It feels great. I think a lot of people have the idea confused and mixed up believing role models have to be perfect all the time. That's not the case. The idea of a role model is if you do make a mistake people can look at you as an example and not make the same mistake.

MLT: While playing for the Lakers, are there times you think of the Main Line?

Kobe: Oh, sure. I miss the high school, a lot of my high school buddies went to college. We still have a lot of memories.

MLT: Do you still keep up with them?

Kobe: Absolutely.

MLT: When was the last time you were on the Main Line?

Kobe: A couple (of) summers ago.

MLT: When you came back, was it easy for you to be left alone?

Kobe: Yeah, it was cool, it was pretty good. I was able to ride around peacefully, go out to eat peacefully. I still go back to the high school sometimes.

MLT: Were you able to be left in peace after winning the championships?

Kobe: (laughs) No, out here it's crazy. You can't go anywhere.

MLT: How do you handle it?

Kobe: You take it in stride. It comes with the territory.

Disabled Dealer Magazine Mid-Atlantic Region April 2004

The Winner's Circle

Profile of Baseball Pitcher Jim Abbott

By David Block

By anyone's standards, Jim Abbott had an impressive amateur and professional baseball career.

He was the first American pitcher in 25 years to beat Cuba on Cuban soil.

 He led the 1988 US Olympic team to gold, which was a first for the US.

Unlike thousands who try but fail to make it to the Major Leagues, Abbott was a first round draft choice. 

In addition to these impressive accomplishments, he also was the first

Major League pitcher born with no fingers on his right hand. Though some

may have considered it a handicap, Abbott never did.

"I was very lucky," said Abbott "to be born with a lot of strengths." This attitude gave him confidence to play baseball. "I started playing baseball

when I was 5 or 6 because I loved the game," said Abbott. "Looking back on it, I probably used sports to fit in. That made me get involved with other kids, be a part of recess. It was my way of introducing myself."

With help from his father, Jim Abbott figured out a unique way to pitch and catch the ball, which he has never altered from the time he was a child.

When pitching, Abbott rests the glove on the stump of his right arm. After throwing the ball, he flips the glove onto his left.

While growing up, Abbott also batted. "I hit very similar to everybody else," said Abbott who explained although missing five fingers he still uses the palm. "I just grip my two hands together sort of overlapping my right hand with my left hand at the end of the bat, using the nub of the bat as a little bit of a wedge. That's how I swing my golf clubs."

Abbott had clear goals for his future. When he graduated from high school in 1985, he turned down the offer of playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Instead, Abbott chose to accept a full scholarship to pitch for the University of Michigan. "It was a life long dream for me to go to the University of Michigan." Abbott knew that he could gain valuable experience if he pitched first in college. Although the Toronto Blue Jays made him a fairly serious offer, he was a 36th round draft choice. When Abbott finished his junior year at college, he was a first round draft choice for the California Angels. "It remains a goal of mine to finish college," said Abbott.

Abbott's first college win, which was against the University of North

Carolina, was pivotal because he stopped an opposing player from taking advantage of his disability. "The runner on third base tried to steal home in the time it would take me to switch my glove on and off, but that didn't work. I still got him out."

In 1987, when Abbott competed in the Pan AM games in Cuba, beating them on their own soil for the first time in 25 years, the fans and onlookers were impressed.

"Cuba was regarded as the best amateur team in the world at that point," said Abbott. "This was before their players started to make their way over to the United States. So they had a lot of players (in '87) that were bona fide Major League prospects. They were much older than we were. We were the underdogs... The Cuban team tried to intimidate us. They held their stretching exercises in the middle of our batting practices, right in the middle of center field. They showed up just a little bit late, making these grand entrances. Fidel Castro would also show up.

Abbott said that many Cubans were shocked to see him pitch. "Every time I played catch even before the game, people stood up, started cheering and whistling. It became a bit of a spectacle every time I went on the field."

Because he was the winning pitcher against Cuba, a lot of Cubans were surprised. He learned that the Cuban government prohibited their citizens with disabilities from playing baseball. "It made me feel good to be an example of what can happen if given a chance."

The following year at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Abbott pitched against Japan in the finals and won 5 to 3 giving the US a first time Olympic gold medal in baseball. "To win a gold medal, represent your country, that's something you never forget."

The following year, Jim Abbott was drafted to the California Angels. He accomplished one of his life long goals to be a Major League pitcher.

Although Abbott could bat, he never had to worry about it because the

American League always used a designated pinch hitter to substitute for pitchers.

Statistically, 1991 was Abbott's best year pitching with 18 wins and 11 losses.

"I felt I pitched better in '92, even though I lost 15 games." His '92 pitching record was 7 and 15. "It comes down to how many runs your team scores, too. One of the more difficult lessons I learned as a pitcher that year was a lot of times the results weren't necessarily within your control."

In '93, Abbott was traded to the New York Yankees. The only no hitter

Abbott pitched was September 4, 1993 where he beat the Cleveland Indians 4 to 0. Abbott felt redeemed. "Five days earlier, Cleveland demolished me."

Abbott spent the '97 baseball season in the Minor Leagues due to his pitching slump.

"I learned some valuable lessons in the Minor Leagues," said Abbott. "I got a chance to see how hard it was for some people to make it to the Major Leagues."

He also learned that a lot of Minor League players - including him - had to make a great effort to block out disparagement. "You have to remember the people who do believe you can do it (advance to the Major Leagues)."

Abbott returned to the Major Leagues in '98, pitching for the Chicago White Sox. He won his first game with Chicago, beating his former team, the New York Yankees.

In 1999, Abbott's final year as a Major League baseball player, he was

traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, a National League team. He now had to bat. He got two hits, one of them was a run batted in (RBI). Jim Abbott's overall pitching record was 87 and 108.

Throughout Abbott's baseball career, he often refused to talk to the media.

"A lot of people wanted to interview me. So much attention was focused on how I played. I wanted to set an example, if I was going to be a role model for people who face challenges in life, I wanted to try to be the best pitcher I could. I didn't want to be a spokesperson. I didn't want to stand on any platforms. That wasn't who I was. I was a baseball player. I felt I needed to focus everything I had on being that, and that way I could best serve the people who might find some lessons in my playing."

Currently, Abbott gives inspirational talks to large groups. He also spends time with his family, particularly his two daughters.

Abbott's advice for people with disabilities who encounter numerous struggles: "I would say don't ever give up on yourself. It's important to

never give up on the gifts you have been given, no matter how small or

large they are. Don't give too much of yourself away. Sometimes I wanted so much to fit in. I wanted so much not to be different, that I tried to accommodate other peoples' perceptions of me and now I try to encourage people to be who they are, no matter what their circumstances are. Don't give yourself away, don't fit somebody else's idea of what might be possible in your life. Be who you are. Take advantage of the things you want to do with your life."

The Winner's Circle

An Interview with Smokin’ Joe Frazier

The Former Heavy Weight Boxing Champion Discusses his Illustrious Career with David Block

As Smoking' Joe Frazier and I shake hands, I am almost stunned that his grip is tighter than most people half his age. I spontaneously feel his solid rock-hard biceps and am in awe that this powerhouse is a 59-year-old diabetic.

As my interview with him begins and as we relax, I ask him to make a fist. First, he makes a fist with his right hand and then his left. Both fists are hard. As I hold his left fist, I see that his left arm is cocked, ready to throw one of those lethal left hooks that made him famous.

That left hook knocked Muhammad Ali to the canvas the first time they fought, Monday, March 8, 1971, in Madison Square Garden. That left hook helped Frazier win the fight, which made him the first person to ever defeat Muhammad Ali. That left hook helped him secure an impressive boxing record of 32 wins (27 of which were knock outs), 4 losses and one draw. Frazier’s left hook is one reason he dominated the boxing ring as heavy weight champion from 1970 to 1973. That left hook earned him a gold medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. That bone crunching left hook led to all those successes, plus many others - and now that fist rests in my hand for nearly 30 memorable seconds.

Afterwards, the interview resumes. Between my questions and his answers we make small talk. He sees that I am nervously taking notes, while intermittently glancing at my mini tape recorder to make sure that it is recording. Strength and power become the subject of our small talk, and he asks me to give him another firm handshake, so I oblige. Then, surprised by my temerity, I ask him to play a game of "mercy," where we lock hands and try to bend each other's fingers back. We call it a draw after a minute, yet I know he could have beaten me easily. He was being nice.

Yes, Joe Frazier is a nice guy, but he was never that way in the ring. There he was all business. His goals were to win, and to be world champion. Frazier defined these goals as 'getting the job done'.

At age 8, Frazier decided that he was going to box. While his family was watching boxing on TV, one of his uncles said Joe Frazier 'was going to be another Joe Louis’. The 8-year-old Frazier loved that idea and he was convinced that he could make that happen. That became 'his mission in life' as the cliche goes. Regardless of whether his uncle was serious, regardless of whether his family thought he could box, the young Frazier decided at that point that he was going to be the world heavyweight boxing champion.

Being a Black youngster in Beaufort, South Carolina in the 1950s certainly had its disadvantages for the ambitious Frazier. There, the law forbade him to set foot in gyms and playgrounds. But the resourceful Frazier put together his own punching bag. He hung it on a tree in his yard and hit it an hour a day, every day.

A few months later, the young Frazier permanently injured his left arm in an accident he had with a hog that his parents kept.

"I had a problem with the hog," said Frazier. "Mama warned me, more times than one, to stay away from it. It was vicious." Yet one day, Frazier wanted to have some fun, so he hit it with a stick unaware that the pigpen gate was still open.

"The hog chased me and I fell and hit my elbow on a brick," said Frazier. The accident left his arm permanently bent.

As a boxer, Frazier used this accident to his advantage in developing his lethal left hook. "I'd compensate off the hook and the bent left arm, on the basis, most guys who have to throw a left hook, have to bend it first or right after a jab," said Frazier. "You have to step with the shot to make sure it hooks after a jab. I didn't have to bend my arm, so I'd just hook him." In short, Frazier had the advantage because he never had to waste time bending his arm because it was already in position to throw hook shots.

Frazier adjusted to this permanent injury by following the example of his ‘big strong daddy,’ Rubin Frazier. Rubin’s arm had been shot off. "Dad was always a strong guy, so he compensated," said Frazier. "He never complained. It was something he had to live with, so he made the best of it."

One problem Frazier dealt with in the beginning of his boxing career was getting people to believe in him enough to be his sponsors. He was just under six feet tall, which is small for a heavyweight.

"Throughout my whole dog gone Amateur career, people wouldn't stop to look at me," said Frazier. He said they made the mistake of not realizing that: "Size doesn't make a man powerful, it's his heart and his ability. Look at Rocky Marciano - God bless him - and Joe Louis - God bless him - they were small guys but they got the job done." One way Frazier handled this frustration was remembering what his parents taught him. Frazier explained: "I knew I had the good Lord on my side. Mom and Dad taught me about Jesus. I prayed to him all the time. It helped me get the job done."

Frazier preferred fighting bigger boxers because that enabled him to get close to them to deliver his left hook. One of his toughest opponents was the Argentinean, Oscar Bonavena, who was about Frazier's height. Although Frazier won his two fights against Bonavena, (Wednesday, September 21, 1966 and Tuesday, December 10, 1968) "getting the job done" was difficult.

"Oscar was a short guy," said Frazier. "He slugged like I did. He had shoulders like Mac trucks." It was difficult for Frazier to get close to him. In fact the first time they fought, Bonavena knocked him to the canvas twice in the first round.

Ironically, after Frazier won Olympic gold in '64, finding sponsorship was just as difficult as ever.

Frazier briefly strayed from the subject of sponsorship to emphasize that winning Olympic Gold was one of his proudest boxing moments. "That was a great feeling," said Frazier. "I was the only boxer who won a gold medal for the United States (in '64)." Originally, Frazier was an Olympic alternate to Buster Mathis who had beaten him out for the Olympic spot, but due to personal problems, Frazier went in his place. One of Frazier's most vindicating moments as a pro was Monday, March 4th, 1968, when he fought Mathis and knocked him out in the 11th round.

Shortly after the Olympics, Frazier turned pro, and the Reverend William Gray helped him get sponsorship. Frazier is still grateful to Gray. Frazier is also grateful to his first trainer, Yank Durham, whom he regarded as a second father. "Yank believed in me," said Frazier.

Frazier's problems with his size and finding sponsorship paled in comparison to boxing with a cataract in his left eye. He realized that he had it after the '64 Olympics, but refused to let that stop him. Frazier developed a strategy for boxing with the cataract. He hit his opponent with his left hand while covering his left eye with his right hand. Then he would strike his opponent with his right hand while his left hand covered his bad eye.

Before each fight, boxers had their vision tested by reading eye charts. The normal procedure was for boxers to cover the left eye with the left hand, and read the chart. Then they covered the right eye with the right hand and read the chart again.

Frazier’s strategy was to cover his bad left eye with his left hand and read the chart with his good right eye. When the doctor asked him to read with the other eye, he quickly switched hands, using his right hand to cover his bad left eye once again. With his bad eye still covered, he appeared to be reading the chart with the other eye.

Frazier said that he was fortunate to be friends with two 2 ophthalmologists, Dr. Myron Yanoff and Dr. Katowitz. "They helped guard my secret," said Frazier. "They gave me eye drops that widened the pupils." Frazier knew that if his secret ever leaked out, his boxing career would be over. "I have no problem if people know now, I'm not fighting any more," said Frazier.

In the late ‘60s, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Muhammad Ali, was stripped of the title because he refused to go to Vietnam. On Monday, February 16, 1970, Frazier and Jimmy Ellis met in the finals of a tournament where the winner would be crowned champion. Frazier knocked out Ellis in the fifth round, becoming the undisputed World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

In discussing the first time he fought Ali, Monday March 8, 1971, Frazier said: "Muhammad was going around running his mouth. He had a program of saying (Frazier cleared his throat and imitated Ali) 'Joe Frazier you're going to fall in 9! That round is mine! You're going to fall in 6 because I ain't playing no tricks!' The point about it was not to let those words come true with me anyway. He got on the ropes, I smacked him off the ropes. He was trying to play that rope- a- dope. He was covering up that body keeping from getting smacked out there." (Ali’s "rope-a-dope" was a ploy to exhaust his opponents. Ali leaned against the ropes, covered up his body and face and let his opponents punch him until they got tired. That ploy was unsuccessful with Frazier.) After the victory, Frazier's 10-year-old son Marvis, wrote the poem Smokin' Joe printed in his autobiography:

"Fly like a butterfly,

Sting like a bee,

Joe Frazier is the only one,

Who can beat Muhammad Ali."

On Monday Jan. 22, 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, George Foreman knocked out Frazier in the second round to become the new heavyweight boxing champion. It was his first loss as a professional. Frazier thought that he would be able to handle Foremen like he did his other big opponents. Foreman was a lot stronger so unlike the other big boxers, Foreman was able to push Frazier away from him, thus preventing Frazier getting in close range to deliver his lethal left hook.

Frazier lost his next two matches to Ali, Monday January 28, 1974 and Wednesday October 1, 1975. Frazier also lost a rematch to Foreman on Tuesday, June 15, 1976.

Some sports announcers have commented that during Ali’s last fight with Frazier, "The Thrilla in Manila," Frazier's devastating blows did take their toll on the victorious Ali. They reported Ali’s remark that the fight was so brutal, it made him feel as though he was going to die.

Even after Frazier lost the heavyweight title, he still won some great fights. One momentous victory for Frazier was winning a return match against Jerry Quarry, Monday June 17, 1974. On and off from '68 to '74, Quarry was the number one ranked heavyweight boxer in the world. The first time Frazier and Quarry fought, Monday, June 23, 1969, Frazier beat him in 7 rounds. In the return match 5 years later, Frazier gave him a worse beating. By the fifth round he severely bloodied Quarry and the referee was forced to stop the fight.

Because Frazier lost the title and lost the second fight to Ali, some people assumed that he was washed up. They assumed that he would also lose the return match to Quarry. They were wrong - the victorious Frazier proved that his career was far from over.

Passing The Torch

At the "Thrilla in Manila" the 15-year-old Marvis was the water boy in his father’s corner. After the fight, he decided to box, so he could bring the championship back into the Frazier family. Joe Frazier was unhappy with Marvis’ decision to follow in his footsteps. Marvis said: "The more he tried to discourage me, the more I wanted to prove to him that this is what I wanted to do. He said 'why do you want to fight? Be a doctor, a lawyer, anything but a fighter. Do something else.'"

In his autobiography, Smokin’ Joe, Joe Frazier said that he boxed for a living so that his family could live a comfortable life and Marvis wouldn’t have to become a fighter.

As a professional boxer, Marvis Frazier won 19 fights and lost 2. His losses were to Larry Holmes for the world heavyweight championship. His other loss was to then-unknown boxer, Iron Mike Tyson. "When I fought Tyson, he was the underdog," said Marvis. "That was his first national televised bout." Tyson knocked him out about 30 seconds into the first round.

One of Marvis' proudest wins was defeating James Broad. As amateurs, Broad beat Marvis out of a 1980 Olympic spot and would have represented the USA in Moscow. (The USA boycotted those games.) Another memorable fight for Marvis was beating James "Bone Crusher" Smith. During the 5th round, Smith broke Marvis' jaw. After the round Marvis’ cousin tried to convince him to stop the fight. Marvis remembered: "I said, 'You're not stopping nothing! I'm kicking this guy's tail!'"

Recently, Joe Frazier's daughter, Jacqueline fought Muhammad Ali's daughter but lost. Describing his sister’s four championship belts, Marvis said, "She has brought some championships back to the Frazier family."

Even though Joe Frazier and Marvis are retired from the ring, they can be found training boxers at the Joe Frazier Gym in North Philadelphia. At the gym, the Frazier family helps children.

"We counsel kids," said Marvis. "We talk with them about problems. Our door is open to them, we help them with homework, we give advice. We are like a boys club, a girls club, a big brother and a big sister. We treat the children as if they were our own. Every child has potential, no matter what background they have."

When Smokin' Joe is not at the gym, he is often engaged in one of his favorite pastimes, singing with his band, White Smoke. "I love to sing," said Frazier. He concluded the interview by singing a tune.

For more information log onto www.joefraziergym.com or call 215 221 5303.

Copyright 2003 David Y. Block

Disabled Dealer Magazine - Mid-Atlantic Region November 2003

The Winner's Circle

Dark Shadows: The Stars, their Careers, and the Fans

By David Block

Vampires, witches, grave robbers, murderers, evil plots, and revenge - just a normal day in Collinsport. From June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971, Dark Shadows, the first horror soap opera, aired on ABC. To this day Dark Shadows fans remember racing home to watch the spooky daytime soap. Who could forget Vampire Barnabas Collins, (Jonathan Frid), the evil witch Angelique, (Lara Parker), and the Ghost/Werewolf Quentin Collins, (David Selby)?

"When Dark Shadows went off the air, nobody thought that there would be festivals 30 years later," said Lara Parker. She and the other actors were surprised that the show was syndicated in 1975, and later broadcast on the SCI-Fl Channel in 1992, where it is still televised today. "There are more Dark Shadows fans now than when it was on ABC," said Parker.

One loquacious fan, Charles Ellis of Staten Island, New York, has been attending Dark Shadows festivals, and other related events, since 1984. He began watching Dark Shadows re-runs in the '80s. "I fell in love with that show," said Ellis. A lot of fans, and Dark Shadows stars, regard Ellis as a Dark Shadows historian. Quite often when a fan asks the actors questions about the show, they'd say, "I don't remember. Ask Charles."

There are thousands of Dark Shadows fans from all walks of life from all over the world that make the annual pilgrimage to the festival. Whether disabled or able bodied, the loyal fans manage the trek.

Although all fans are welcome, special consideration is shown to fans with disabilities. Those with disabilities never have to wait in the 3 hour-long autograph line to meet the stars. Instead they are immediately brought to the front of the line. It's been a 20-year Dark Shadows Festival tradition. "We bring handicapped people up front because it's common courtesy," said Dark Shadows Festival Director Jim Pierson. As a result, the Dark Shadow stars have gotten to know many people with disabilities.

Many of the Dark Shadow stars have had exciting careers after the show. The Winner's Circle is proud to highlight some of their accomplishments, as well as the determination and independence of some of the fans, and how on occasion their lives came together.

Chris Pennock - Actor

One of Chris Pennock's characters on Dark Shadows was Gabriel Collins, a bitter man confined to a wheelchair. (Every time a character was killed, Dan Curtis, Dark Shadows' Executive Producer, had the actor portray a different one.) Portraying Gabriel did not make Pennock think about the capabilities and limitations of people in wheelchairs. Gabriel could walk, but pretended to be helpless in order to kill people without suspicion. "Gabriel was a thoroughly despicable character," said Pennock.

The viewers also thought that Gabriel was confined to a wheelchair until his father, Daniel Collins, (Louis Edmonds) called him a weakling and coward. Gabriel dramatically rose from his wheelchair and committed patricide. "I like playing bad guys," said Pennock. "They're more interesting and colorful."

After Dark Shadows, Pennock portrayed Dr. Justin Marler from 1990 to 1991 on the popular daytime soap opera, Guiding Light. His character had a daughter who was confined to a wheelchair. It was this role that made Pennock more aware of the realities of being disabled.

"There was a whole story line on paralysis," said Pennock. "On Guiding Light, my daughter was always looking up at people, so we got her a special wheelchair that would raise up and she'd be at eye level with people. That experience taught me that when you're in a wheelchair, you're sort of the center of all the attention. It's a powerful dramatic device. It's like all eyes are on you."

Pennock's acting accomplishments include television roles on Melrose Place, Guiding Light, and General Hospital, and movie roles in California Suite, Running Woman, and Frances. Pennock said that working with Jessica Lange in Frances (1982) brought out the best in him.

He is currently playing George in Edward Albee's disturbing play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf for the actor's studio in Los Angeles.

From '95 to'97 Pennock worked with emotionally disturbed boys in New York. Pennock explains: "I've always wanted to work with mentally ill people because I was afflicted with severe depression much of my life. I mainly took the boys to the wilderness; we climbed all the local mountains, we rock climbed, did desert hiking, and back at the school I taught a very spirited acting class. I was also a dorm parent." Pennock resigned in '97 because the job "burnt him out."

In 2000, Pennock was a guide runner at the New York City Marathon, for this visually impaired author. Afterwards, he told a Sci-fi Channel producer that he never before had a friend with any kind of a handicap. He found the experience enlightening.

Frank Zanca - Fan

Frank Zanca, a totally blind Manhattan resident, has attended Dark Shadows events since 1989. "Blind people have to travel, just like sighted people," said Zanca. "I love Dark Shadows, especially the blood and gore. The festivals are great. I enjoy the camaraderie with the fans and I enjoy talking to the stars."

Marie Wallace - Actress

On Dark Shadows, Marie Wallace learned about vulnerability, mental illness and anguish when she portrayed Jenny Collins.

Jenny kept her true identity as a Gypsy a secret in order to marry Quentin Collins (David Selby). Although Quentin was unaware of her Gypsy heritage, he still left her for his brother's wife. To avoid a public scandal, the Collins family took Jenny's two babies away from her, thus causing her to suffer a nervous breakdown. The Collins showed their compassion by holding her captive in the tower room.

"I became very close to Jenny," said Wallace. "She was so vulnerable. I loved her very much. Playing her character made me more sensitive to people who suffered nervous breakdowns."

Portraying Jenny prepared Wallace to perform off-Broadway in Barflies where she played a lonely woman. "Barflies is about a woman past her prime," said Wallace. "She was vulnerable. She didn't know how to meet people. She was a lost soul. I really felt for the character."

Presently, Wallace is a professional photographer. She made a connection with a Dark Shadows fan that purchased one of her pictures.

Fern Newdow - Fan

Fern Newdow who has Cerebral Palsy and a hearing impairment has always been a Marie Wallace (Dark Shadows star) fan.

"Fern came to one of my photography exhibits and bought one of my pictures," said Wallace.

As a special favor, Wallace personally delivered the huge photo to Fern Newdow's office. Wallace knew that Newdow would have had a hard time doing it herself. "When Marie delivered the picture, I felt very special," said Newdow.

Newdow works in the actuarial department of a New York insurance company. The idea of not being self-sufficient is inconceivable. Despite her disabilities, her parents taught her to be independent from an early age because they knew that her life would have challenges. They believed that she should face her challenges head on.

Next month will continue with an interview with David Selby.

Disabled Dealer Magazine - Mid-Atlantic Region December 2003

The Winner's Circle

Dark Shadows: The Stars, their Careers, and the Fans

By David Block

David Selby - Actor

When David Selby first premiered on Dark Shadows in 1969, he portrayed Quentin Collins, a ghost who terrorized the children living at the great house of Collinwood. For the first couple months, Selby did not speak. His sole purpose, as Quentin's ghost was to make the Collinwood inhabitants utterly miserable.

"Not speaking for the first 2 months, made me a little concerned," said Selby. "I sometimes thought, 'Oh goodness, once they hear me speak it will be like the old silent movie days. They'll hear my voice and say you're not the right actor.' When I finally had a line to say, it worked out fine. Now as I think about it, not speaking for a couple months was a wonderful way to build suspense for Quentin. Every time he came on the screen, a specific tune always played. If your eyes were closed and heard the tune, you knew that the ghost of Quentin Collins was there. I was delighted to have had my own theme song."

A lot of Dark Shadows fans adopted Quentin as their favorite character after he was cursed as a ware-wolf. The ratings skyrocketed.

In the summer of 2000, Selby performed in the one-man show, "St. Nicholas, A Vampire Story," by Conor McPherson on the Hartford Stage. The transition from one vampire story to another was easy. "That play was a lot of fun," said Selby.

After Dark Shadows went off the air, Selby appeared in Falcon Crest, where he played Richard Channing, a newspaper publisher. "Falcon Crest had a lot of intrigue," said Selby. "It was a serialized version of a family in the wine country of Northern California, above San Francisco."

In the mid '90s, Selby wrote a powerful play, Lincoln and James, which was performed in Washington, DC, at the Lincoln Theatre.

"I always admired Lincoln... Lincoln took some important steps in getting rid of a vile institution (slavery). He was willing to learn while he was president. Men like Frederick Douglas were great teachers for him. When I was in Washington, DC, I read about this man who worked at the Lincoln Memorial. His job was to take care of the Lincoln statue. That's what prompted me to write the play. It's about James (an African American Vietnam veteran) who comes to terms with his faith." In the play, Lincoln, (performed by David Selby) comes to life. He and James give each other badly needed encouragement. "We've now turned Lincoln and James into a screen play which we are now getting out there." said Selby.

Selby also appeared in "The Mighty Ducks 3" where he portrayed Dean Buckley, head master of a prep school. Buckley was the Mighty Ducks' hockey team's fair weather supporter. In the beginning of the film, they had just won a world championship, so Buckley enthusiastically gave them full scholarships. However, when they encountered obstacles, he abortively tried to revoke them. Yet when the Ducks finally won an impressive 1 to 0 victory over the school varsity hockey team, Buckley quacked his enthusiasm along with the rest of the spectators.

"I loved playing that character," said Selby. "At the time, my daughter had a crush on Emilio Estevez (the star of all three Mighty Ducks movies) so she kept saying, 'Dad, you have to be in this film.' I would have auditioned anyway."

Selby, upon reflecting on his work on Dark Shadows, recently began to appreciate how many fans with disabilities managed to make it to the festival year and after, regardless of the personal struggles that they faced. He became aware of these difficulties when his wife was on crutches for six month.

"My wife was laid up," said Selby. "She was on crutches. She had to walk down and up steps. It was very difficult. We got a small taste of what someone with a disability has to go through every day... One always has to be aware of conditions. It's important for the ADA to make sure bathrooms are accessible, especially when you have to hobble around on crutches."

Patty Schnell - Fan

Patty Schnell of Indianapolis, Indiana has Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy. This is a disease where the muscles in her hands and feet and eyes atrophy. "It's hard to blink," said Schnell. She said it is also hard to smile.

She traveled to the 2003 Dark Shadows Festival in Brooklyn NY with her able bodied roommate, Monica Kiesel. While traveling to the festival, Schnell had a couple bad falls due to her difficulty walking. She fell on the airplane as she tried to walk to her seat. The other time was when the cab driver tried to help her stand up.

"People don't understand that if Patty is in a standing position, it doesn't mean that she is firmly planted," said Kiesel. She said after the cab driver stood Patty up and let go she fell immediately. "The worst mistake I ever made was to clean the house. I realized that Patty needed to hold onto something to move across the room, because the house was clean, there was now nothing on the floor for her to grab."

Kiesel concluded that Patty Schnell, despite adversity, has maintained a great sense of humor.

Disabled Dealer Magazine - Mid-Atlantic Region January 2004

The Winner's Circle

Dark Shadows: The Stars, their Careers, and the Fans

By David Block

Kathryn Leigh Scott - Actress

Growing up in Minnesota, Kathryn Leigh Scott always wanted to be an actress. "It's the same reason anyone wants to do anything, fly an airplane, become a farmer, fireman. I loved performing," said Scott. Scott received a scholarship to attend the Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1962, however, she still needed money to live on. Scott, like so many actors, took a job outside her field to support her love of performing. Her first job was working in Bloomingdale's Customer Service department. Later, she landed a more exciting, better paying job working as a Bunny waitress at the recently established Playboy Club.

"That was a very good bread and butter job," said Scott. Her work schedule was flexible enough so it would not interfere with school or auditions.

"I had some great memories of getting to know the women I worked with," said Scott. "They came from all over the world to pursue careers as models, dancers, and actresses. I enjoyed serving famous people like Woody Allen. I used to see Johnny Carson at the club. There was this excitement that you were in one of the most trendy places in New York. It was where everything happened."

In 1966, Scott was hired to be on a brand new soap opera, Dark Shadows. She portrayed Maggie Evans, a waitress at the Collinsport Inn. "The fact that I worked as a waitress at the Playboy Club helped me play a waitress on Dark Shadows," said Scott.

Scott took her mother's advice and kept her job at the club, due to the uncertainty of how Dark Shadows would fare. After a month, two women customers asked her what Maggie Evans was doing working at the Playboy Club. "I knew it was time to quit," said Scott. Being recognized assured her that Dark Shadows was going to be a success.

Although she hung up her Bunny ears and tail, and finished her role as Maggie, she had no idea that several decades later, she would be so widely remembered for both. Fans wait in line for hours for her autograph, and she has written a book titled The Bunny Years, which enlightened readers to the numerous benefits she and other Playboy Bunnies experienced by working at Playboy Clubs.

Scott made a name for herself on Dark Shadows, and after she left the show, she continued to entertain her fans, guest starring in Star Trek the Next Generation, Police Squad the TV series, and Chandlertown. Her fondest memories were working with George C. Scott in the television movie, Last Days of Patton.

In 1986, Scott launched her publishing company Pomegranate Press LTD. "I wrote My Scrap Book Memories of Dark Shadows," said Scott. "I knew how to reach Dark Shadows fans. I wanted that book to be on the shelves for a long time, so I did not go to a New York publishing company, I decided to start my own company." Her company has published 40 books.

The Bunny Years, (1998) one of her most noteworthy books, took 5 years to write. "I wrote The Bunny Years because I wanted to give voice to all of the women who worked as Bunnies whose stories hadn't been told," said Scott. "The only one who wrote anything was Gloria Steinem who was in Bunny training with me. Her view was sour. It was an inaccurate portrait of these women."

Gloria Steinem went through Bunny training with Kathryn Leigh Scott. After several days, Steinem, who posed as Bunny Marie quit. She then wrote the article, "A Bunny's Tale" for Show Magazine. Many of the Bunnies that read the piece felt betrayed and offended.

Scott wrote in The Bunny Years that Steinem's article portrayed virtually all the Bunnies as hapless, malleable victims, and claimed that she, Gloria, working as a Bunny, felt less honest than a hooker she passed on the street.

Scott's book showed that the Playboy Bunnies worked in a safer environment than waitresses in other establishments. Key holders (Playboy Club members) were forbidden to touch the Bunnies. Dating the Bunnies was not allowed, and flirting was frowned upon. Prior to the Playboy Clubs, women had very few opportunities to earn a substantial income. Working at the Playboy Clubs, enabled them to start careers, pay their own college tuition, bankroll their own businesses, and get off to a better financial start in their lives.

Among the people interviewed in Scott's book were actresses. Lauren Hutton and Susan Sullivan. (Sullivan recently starred in ABC's Dharma and Greg and co-starred as the mother of the bride in My Best Friend's Wedding with Julia Roberts.)

Scott also interviewed a former nun who resigned and became a Playboy Bunny. The book showed how the Bunnies in Playboy clubs unionized and successfully fought for better treatment. Scott also touched on how the Playboy Clubs in the south initially refused to hire African American women.

According to Scott, Playboy Bunnies broke barriers, and led the way for women to feel empowered in the work place.

After her book was published, the Arts and Entertainment Network produced a documentary based on The Bunny Years and Scott worked as Co-Executive Producer.

David Kringstad - Kathryn Leigh Scott's brother

David Kringstad lost his vision at age 35. Yet, he refused to let his blindness disrupt his life. "I like change as well as challenges," said Kringstad. "Perhaps that's why it was easy for me to make the transition. I've never subscribed to the philosophy that the world owes me everything because of all the injustices done to me through my perceptions. I was also told that the word "can't" doesn't exist any Native American languages."

After losing his vision, he still managed to work with tools. "When I lost my sight I really thought I would have to give up the wood shop work. Then a friend coaxed me into trying something simple. I made a gumball machine.

It has a wood base with a simple slide in it. My first one was done completely with hand tools and as I gained confidence, I graduated slowly to the power tools. All of my tools are common tools that one would buy at the local home center/hardware type stores."

After losing his vision, Kringstad needed to order a computer with speech output at work. "My supervisor balked at the cost of the speech accommodation. My reply was that it cost the same as a monitor and that I didn't need the monitor. She reminded me that the technicians as well as others would need to work on my machine. I told her that it seems that the monitor is the accommodation - not the speech output device. We tend to focus on the difference in a person but not the uniqueness. As an example, we can all sign our names but the signatures are different. That's because we all have a unique way of laying the ink down on the paper. To that end, I feel I can do anything, but I just need to figure out a unique way to do it."

He continued to do electrical wiring: "No matter what you do as long as you respect yourself and what you're doing, it will be safe. As for the wire, it's true the neutral wire is slightly larger than the others. I still need assistance when working with multicolored wires, however, I was also trained in electrical and electronics prior to my sight loss. I was a member of the IBEW at one time. Most important, I wouldn't recommend anyone trying it without training and supervision."

Even before Kathryn Leigh Scott's brother lost his sight, she was quite sensitive to people with disabilities. Her sister had a terrible accident at birth due to the doctor's negligence. Consequently, she suffers from severe retardation.

"My sister is uneducable," said Scott. "She lives in a group home in Minneapolis. She works. It's extraordinary because she is severely disabled."

When Scott began her publishing company, she needed people to collate and stuff envelopes. "I brought my job to a disability agency. Some of the people didn't have arms. They collated with their toes. No matter how disabled you are, there is still something you can do."

Disabled Dealer Magazine - Mid-Atlantic Region February 2004

The Winner's Circle

Dark Shadows: The Stars, their Careers, and the Fans

By David Block

This is the last installment of the Dark Shadows fans & stars interviews. For more information, about Dark Shadows, you can check out various web sites on the Internet, and you can watch its reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel.

Terry Crawford - Actress

One of Crawford's most insensitive characters on Dark Shadows was Edith Collins. While thinking that her husband Gabriel (Chris Pennock) was unable to walk, she constantly disparaged him. One of her biggest interests was philandering. After being insulted one time to many, Gabriel rose from his wheelchair and killed her.

In real life, Crawford is nothing like Edith Collins. In 1997, Crawford and Dark Shadows fan, Deborah Kreuter started Young Media Partners an organization that helps to support young people who have skills in journalism, graphic art, video, photography, and writing. "It's for young people who want to use those skills to create positive change in their communities," said Crawford. "Their focus is to report on positive things that are happening in the world, not the horror and the violence... Deborah and I met at one of the Dark Shadows festivals. She was doing this project through the United Nations where she was helping people get to Geneva, Switzerland regarding some guidelines in dealing with peoples with disabilities around the world. The UN was being presented to by people who really had a concern for the lives and the rights of people with disabilities. They wanted other countries to have guidelines that were similar to the ADA. Deborah and I created a documentary video on the whole process of activists' focus on this and using the media to help foster the rights of people with disabilities. When we were doing that, young people were involved. Not only were they happy to have someone hear what they had to say, they wanted to use their skills to help create positive change in the world. We've been doing projects since then."

Cheri Sutton - Fan

Cheri Sutton of North Carolina is totally blind, and is not afraid to travel alone. "I've been to nine Dark Shadows festivals," said Sutton. "I travel with a guide dog and a cane."

When she travels, she gets assistance from the airlines, Amtrak, and the hotel personnel. She has never had a problem with being cheated.

"If the cab driver doesn't take you where you want to go, they can get into trouble. I've never had trouble with cab drivers. Maybe it's that I always have a big dog with me. The skycap and red cap get a cab for me. The driver knows that someone else is looking out for me so it wouldn't be in their best interest to start trouble."

Sutton has worked as an itinerant teacher for 20 years for the Rowan County schools. She visits visually impaired and blind children who attend public schools in that district to assist them with their schoolwork.

Roger Davis - Actor

At the 1998 Dark Shadows Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, Roger Davis sat on the stage with Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker. He said that unlike them, he did not find his voice on Dark Shadows. He was still sorting out all the rough edges of acting. "I really found my voice when I was on (the TV western) Alias Smith and Jones," said Davis. "It felt like that show was written for me."

Whether Davis' Dark Shadows characters were good or bad, they were sometimes unnecessarily angry. "I didn't need to be that angry. It was a goofy dumb choice. A lot of young actors make that mistake. As I matured (as an actor) I toned down."

Throughout the Dark Shadows series, Davis' characters became more colorful. He went from being a compassionate jailer, to a vampire, then to an artist whose portraits came to life. He was finally a vengeful ghost.

In 1990, Davis started Packing Crate Classics, due to his affinity for designing shirts. For more information call 1-800-692-8962, or write to: Packing Crate Classics, 1247 Lincoln BLVD Suite 102, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Shirts are $25.00.

Davis has seen many Dark Shadows fans with disabilities. "I've seen some fans with mental disabilities and my heart went out to them," said Davis. "I can't imagine what their lives must be like. I know people who are blind or deaf or in a wheelchair can have successful lives. I do try to look at everyone the same way. At Dark Shadows events, whether someone is disabled or not, I'm proud to have them as fans, I'm proud to have anybody as fans, I'm lucky to have anybody as fans."

Christiana - Fan

Christiana, who is confined to a wheelchair, and currently living in Great Britain, says missing a Dark Shadows event is not an option. The Dark Shadows events and watching the series at home on video have reduced her chronic state of depression, which came about after she became paralyzed. Although in the past, the depression usually subsided after a few months, her emotional state has changed since being diagnosed to have a brain tumor. "I don't know if I'm going to live," said Christiana. Regardless, nothing keeps her from traveling across the ocean to Dark Shadows events.

John Karlen - Actor

Of all of the Dark Shadows characters John Karlen played, his favorite was Willie Loomis. Willie Loomis thought that when a Collins family member died, their jewels were buried with them. He found a coffin in the secret room of the Collins family mausoleum. He unchained the coffin thinking that he was going to become extremely wealthy. When he opened the coffin, Vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) who had been chained there for nearly 200 years emerged. He made Willie his slave - and then he terrorized Collinsport.

When Barnabas first came on Dark Shadows in the spring of 1967, the ratings were plummeting. Willie's greed, coupled with Barnabas' grand entrance and his insatiable appetite for blood made Dark Shadows one of the most popular shows on TV.

After Dark Shadows, Karlen continued to have a successful acting career. His proudest acting accomplishment was in 1986 when he won an Emmy as best supporting actor for his regular role of Harvey Lacey in the TV series, Cagney & Lacey. "That was my moment," said Karlen. "I'm now retired. I take life easy. Maybe one day I can do another Broadway play."

The termination of Dark Shadows in April 1971 was its first step toward immortality. No one imagined that in 1975 people would see its re-runs. No one imagined that in 1983, the Dark Shadows Festival would begin. No one imagined that in 1991, there would be a revival series, The New Dark Shadows. No one imagined that in 1992, the Sci-Fi channel would broadcast all the Dark Shadows re-runs. No one imagined that all 1,225 episodes would become available through MPI Home video in 1995.

As time passes, one can easily assume that programs like Dark Shadows would become a distant memory; ultimately, easy to forget, but as the years pass its popularity increases. The stars remark with amazement that the fans are getting younger and each year they see so many new faces at the festivals. Each year more children attend in droves. The fans' enthusiasm has kept the show's spirit alive.

At the 1997 Dark Shadows Festival in New York City, Roger Davis said that perhaps 20 years later when all the Dark Shadows stars die, there could be a new generation of fans. Davis said: "Some of you might actually be sitting up here on stage in our spots, answering questions from a new group of fans. They'll want to know what it was like meeting the Dark Shadows cast."

Disabled Dealer Magazine  May 2006

The Winner's Circle

By David Block

Larry Hagman's acting career spans over four decades. He's portrayed memorable characters such as Captain/Major Anthony Nelson in I Dream of Jeanie (1965-1970) and John Ross 'J.R.' Ewing in Dallas, (1978-1991). In addition, Hagman played major roles in well-known movies like Fail-Safe (1964), Nixon (1995) and Primary Colors (1998). "I've always been passionate about acting," said Hagman. He is equally passionate about being a Spokesperson for the Transplant Games since 1996.

He was born Larry Martin Hageman, September 21, 1931 in Fort Worth, TX. His father Ben was a district attorney, while his mother, Mary Martin was a well- known Broadway star.

"Initially, I wanted to be a cowboy," said Hagman. "So, when I was 15, I went to live with my father for a while in Texas. I was expecting to see horses, and I was expecting the work to be exciting, but I was wrong on both counts. Instead, I dug a lot of ditches and mended a lot of fences, bailed hay, I found out that physical labor was damn hard, plus the pay was lousy. I said that there must be a better way of making a living, so I called mother, told her that I'd like to try acting - it seemed easier, she said 'fine', then the rest was history."

Contrary to a lot of his fans' belief, performing in South Pacific in his mother's cast was not his first acting part. "I was in 60 musicals before I joined my mother's production," said Hagman.

While performing in South Pacific in 1952, Hagman, who spent five years in military school, was drafted into the Air Force. This did not impede his acting career, on the contrary, when he later starred in I Dream of Jeanie as the astronaut Captain/Major Anthony Nelson, he had no trouble making his character believable because of his military experience.

"By the time that I was in I Dream of Jeanie, I already understood what it took to be successful in the military. I knew that that required a lot of dedication, so I was able to make Major Nelson fully committed to his profession."

In 1964, one year before I Dream of Jeanie aired, Hagman landed a part as Buck the interpreter in Fail-Safe. Of all the movies that he appeared in, he said that Fail-Safe was his favorite. "It was my first big movie," said Hagman, then 33. "Fail-Safe was a great comment on its time because many people were concerned with the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union."

After Fail-Safe, Hagman starred in I Dream of Jeanie, and when asked to share his happiest memory, Hagman answered: "Getting the job. I was broke, so I badly needed the part. I was confident that I was going to get it because I spent hours rehearsing for the audition."

The series' premise, Astronaut Anthony Nelson finds Jeanie (Barbara Eden) in a bottle. Because he opened it, he becomes her master. A lot of the show's hilarity stems from her jealousy of other women.

In 1978, Hagman became one of the most watched television actors in the business as he portrayed John Ross 'J.R.' Ewing in the weekly nighttime soap opera Dallas. Unlike the lovable and moral Major Nelson, J.R. was a shrewd, nasty, cunning businessman, where one of his favorite hobbies was philandering.

"I loved being J.R," said Hagman. "He was one of those characters that everyone loved to hate."

Among the show's high points was the 1980 saga, 'Who Shot J.R.?'

After Dallas, Hagman continued with his acting career. In 1995, he was in Oliver Stone's movie, Nixon, where his character Jack Jones - a conservative Texas millionaire - gets people to finance Nixon's campaign.  When Hagman's scenes were shot, he had a tough time remembering his lines. "It was two weeks before I had my liver transplant," said Hagman. "I wasn't in pain, but when you have a liver ailment, you're brain cells aren't connecting well, so I had to work extremely hard on the set to remember my lines."

Three years later when Hagman was in Primary Colors with John Travolta, memorizing his lines was no longer a problem.

"John's a great actor, and I enjoyed working with him," said Hagman. "I'm particularly looking forward to seeing him portray J.R. (in the up coming movie Dallas)."

Although pleased with the casting directors choice of giving the J.R. role to Travolta, the same cannot be said over the possibility that the movie might be shot in another city. "That's a mistake," said Hagman. "You can't duplicate Dallas. Maybe the producers might save money if they shoot the movie somewhere else, but making it in Dallas will help give the film authenticity…This decision is out of my hands."

To this day, Hagman still acts. Later this summer, he will perform on stage in Love Letters with Barbara Eden.

In addition, Hagman is preparing to attend the 2006 National Transplant Games, which takes place this June 16-21 in Louisville, Kentucky. "I'll definitely be there, the first two or three days," said Hagman. "I'll give out awards and I'll ask people to show their scars, it's our badge of courage." He's attended the Transplant Games, which take place every other year, as a spokesperson.

Hagman concluded that ever since his liver transplant he urges people to donate their organs. When people refuse, he asks them if they'd accept an organ if it would save their lives? "No one ever said no," said Hagman.

To learn more about Larry Hagman, you can order his book, Hello Darlin' online. For more information about the Transplant Games, log onto www.transplantgames.org.

 Pan-Am judo for the Blind

UD's Watson wins bronze in Brazil

By David Block Special to The NEWS

Two days ago (Monday), Andre Watson of Upper Darby and Scott Jones of Little Rock, Ark. left their mark in judo at the Pan American Games for the Blind in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Jones won a silver medal in the 90-kilogram weight class and Watson took a bronze in the same category. Ninety kilograms is close to 190 pounds.

In professional sports, many athletes place greater focus on the all mighty dollar than on the pure love of competing. However, athletes with disabilities are another story. They're grateful to be given a chance to compete.

In Sao Paulo, several thousand blind and visually impaired athletes cheered and proudly held their countries' flags on opening day Sept. 4 as the Games for the Blind got underway with opening ceremonies. The Games end Saturday. Eleven countries, including numerous South and Central American countries and the United States, came to compete. None of these athletes will leave the games holding a financial contract, nor will they make the headlines like Olympians.

But none of this matters to them. They have a greater richness; an appreciation of being given the chance to compete in order to show the world their capabilities.

Jones and Watson, the two USA judo athletes, had other things in common besides fighting in the same weight category. They entered the tournament as underdogs. Jones only competed a couple times internationally and finished poorly; Watson never before competed at the international level.

For both Jones and Watson, mentally, their toughest match was when they had to fight each other. The reason had nothing to do with the USA Blind Athletes' judo coach Raul Tamayo deciding not to help either of them during their match.

As Jones put it, "I didn't like going against my teammate." Jones, with more experience than Watson, has helped him improve. "This was one time I couldn't help Andre," said Jones, who won because of experience. However Jones admitted that pound for pound, Watson is stronger. "Andre is a perfect specimen. He's a lot stronger than me. The beauty of judo is that you can easily win if you're weaker than your opponent. It all comes down to experience, balance, leverage and technique."

Watson described his match against Jones as "a mental challenge." Watson added, "He's a great guy, but I really wanted to beat him."

Another thing both Watson had Jones have in common: Judo has been a great way for them to let out their aggression in coping with the frustration of going blind.

Watson, 28, lost all his vision by age 11 due to a series of detached retinas. Jones, 31, is steadily losing his vision because of serious retina problems. "I know that I'm going to be totally blind one of these days," Jones said. "It's been a tough adjustment."

One way Watson adjusted to losing his vision was having the experience of being able to see perfectly. "I knew what it was like to be treated normally, so I resented being treated any differently," Watson said. "My family suddenly tried to protect me, but I wasn't going to allow that. I was a stubborn child."

 Disabled Dealer Magazine  June 2006

The Winner's Circle

Central Park Jogger Turns Despair and Misery into Hope and Possibility

By David Block

April 19th has been a date some people celebrate as a day of hope and for

others, it's a day of infamy.

On April 19th, 1775, British troops and the Massachusetts Militia butted

heads, thus beginning the American Revolution.

On April 19th, 1943, the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto heroically fought back

against the Nazis.

Exactly 50 years later - April 19th, 1993 in Waco, Texas, the FBI burned the

Davidians' compound, killing many of them, including their leader David

Koresh (formerly known as Vernon Howell).

Two years later, April 19th, 1995 terrorists bombed the Alfred P. Murrah

Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

And for the Central Park jogger, Trisha Meili, April 19th, tragedy and hope

resulted from a horrific experience that changed her life forever because

on that date in 1989, she was raped, and assaulted while casually jogging

through Central Park. However, Meili miraculously recovered and is now an

inspiration to others.

When asked to describe that day, she said: "I have no recollection of that

night after 5:PM and that's the result of my head injury. I don't remember

leaving work, or going running."

That day started out low-keyed. She remembered that a fellow Wall Street

colleague planned on visiting her at her apartment 10:PM that night to look

at her stereo, so she had to finish her usual Central Park jog in time to

meet him.

She had no memory of running that night or of her abduction.

"I remember waking up in a hospital bed," said Meili. "I was told that I

was in a deep coma for 12 days. One of the first things I remember was that

my ex-boyfriend was at the foot of my bed next to a nurse. I was asking a

nurse questions, but he kept answering, so I yelled, 'shut up, Ken! I'm

talking to her.' He said that that was the first time that I began to sound

like me again."

Soon after coming out of her coma, Meili went for rehabilitation at Gaylord

Hospital in Wallingford Connecticut. "I couldn't walk, I had trouble

talking, I couldn't even feed myself, so I had to learn to do all those

things again," said Meili.

While staying at Gaylord, she ran with some members of the Achilles Track

Club, which caters to people with disabilities. From seeing some members in

wheelchairs and others with Spina Bifida, she realized that if they could

run in spite of their disabilities, she could, too.

"After I left Gaylord, (in the fall of 1989) I went back to New York. One

of the first things I did was run in Central Park again because it was part

of my healing process, it was me saying, 'whoever did this to me, couldn't

stop me from moving forward with my life, they couldn't stop me from doing

what I wanted to do."

Her first run there was quite memorable because she saw the memorial that

was set up in her honor. "I was moved. There were flowers and so many

messages from people wishing me well…From all around the world, I got

cards, letters, people were praying for me. It fueled my sense of

determination to want to get better."

She continued to run at Central Park, but never again at night by herself.

Because she viewed her recovery as a gift, she decided to give back, so she

continued to volunteer with Achilles; today, she's their chairperson.

In addition, three years ago when her book, “I am the Central Park Jogger: A

Story of Hope and Possibility” was published, she was one of the driving

forces behind creating the Hope and Possibility 5-mile race in Central

Park. "The race celebrates what we can do, and the power of the human

spirit," said Meili.

The current race director, Mary Bryant, Achilles' Vice-President, shares

Meili's sentiments. Bryan said, "The race is for people to focus on their

strengths, not their disabilities."

The race is open to able bodied and people with disabilities.

This year the race will take place August 6th. For further information log

onto www.achillestrackclub.org.

To order Meili's book, log onto www.centralparkjogger.org.

 Disabled Dealer Magazine   November 2006

THE WINNER’S CIRCLE

Donna McKechnie: Her Career and her victory over Rheumatoid Arthritis

By David Block

Anyone can get Rheumatoid Arthritis, and the Tony Award winning star of Broadway's A Chorus Line, Donna McKechnie can attest to that. McKechnie who danced in additional Broadway shows such as Promises, Promises and Company, was diagnosed with this auto-immune disease in 1978. Her fear of never dancing again was eclipsed by the likelihood of becoming paralyzed for life. Her doctors told her that that was inevitable. But McKechnie refused to accept their diagnosis, so she found a different doctor, Dr. Sam Getlen, who put her on a special diet, which helped cure her.

Her recovery from Rheumatoid Arthritis was not the first time that she overcame a difficult challenge. Before starting, her senior year in high school, she ran away from her home in Detroit, Michigan, to join a New York City dance troupe. But when the job ended, she decided to stay in the Big Apple, so she had to fend for herself. She pounded the pavement and auditioned as a dancer, singer and actress. Outside of these professions, her job choices were limited because she had not earned her high school diploma.

"Running away before graduating high school is not something I'd recommend to anyone," said McKechnie. "That was my particular journey", and it was a tough one. Yet no matter how hard it got, McKechnie never got discouraged.

Her perseverance paid off. In 1961, she was cast as a dancer in the Broadway musical, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and that opened other doors for her. Among her accomplishments that decade included being a dancer in the 1965 movie, Billie, starring Patty Duke. Around the same time, she danced regularly on the NBC TV variety show, Hullabaloo.

"Being on Hullabaloo gave me great exposure," said McKechnie. "A lot of talented people were on the show like Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) and the Rolling Stones. We had the top sound of the day."

Being seen on national television was not the only . way that Hullabaloo enhanced McKechnie's career. On the show, she befriended Michael Bennett, who conceived, choreographed and directed A Chorus Line.

That decade, McKechnie learned to turn setbacks into victories. For example, in 1969, she was cast in the movie, Tell Me That You Love Me Junie Moon (premiered 1970), that starred Liza Minnelli. McKechnie was uncomfortable because her character divorced her husband because he was confined to a wheelchair. Not her character, but McKechnie herself hated to tell him that she could not handle his disability.

"It was difficult for me to say these things to him because in real life, he really was confined to a wheelchair," said McKechnie. "He wasn't an actor. The director hired him to make the movie look realistic ...I felt uncomfortable rejecting him because he was a sweet man. I didn't want to hurt his feelings." She never told the man how she felt because he was happy to be in a movie.

Without explanation, the hire-ups axed McKechnie's character from the movie. At the same time, her boyfriend Ken Howard, who later starred in the CBS TV series, The White Shadow (1978-1981) broke up with her.

Losing a part in a movie and a boyfriend simultaneously made her miserable, yet her despair worked to her advantage. Immediately after Howard dumped her, Dan Curtis, Executive Producer of the ABC daytime horror-soap-opera Dark Shadows gave her an audition. He was looking for someone to portray Amanda Harris, a portrait transformed into a person.

"I was upset when I auditioned for the part," said McKechnie. "Dan had me read an emotional scene where Amanda had to cry. I was ready to cry anyway, so that was easy."

After Curtis saw her cry without difficulty, he hired her on the spot.

"That's a wonderful thing about theatre," said McKechnie. "You can take difficult times from your personal life and be creative. It's also therapeutic."

Throughout her career, McKechnie used that approach. In the fall of 1997, she portrayed a convincing Paula in the Goodbye Girl at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, because like McKechnie, Paula had boyfriends broke up with her. "Although I never had a child (like Paula), I was very similar to her. There was a lot of Paula in me, so I related to her."

The Turning Point

Throughout the '60s and early ''70s, she continued to be a successful dancer/actress and singer. Yet in 1975, she catapulted to stardom by portraying Cassie Ferguson in A Chorus. Line.

A Chorus Line originated as a production of the New York Shakespeare Festival and opened at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre on April 16, 1975. Because of the show's instant success, it then opened at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway, July 25, 1975.

McKechnie said that performing on opening night always made her nervous, except when A Chorus Line hit Broadway.

"We all knew that we were in a successful show already," said McKechnie. "It did very well at the Shakespeare Festival. Opening Night (on Broadway) was more of a celebration than an opening night. That night I remember being on stage, and I remember the audience loving it."

The following year when Richard Burton presented her with the Tony Award at the Shubert Theatre, April 18, 1976 she repeated to herself as she walked onto the stage that this was -not a dream.

"Winning the Tony Award was a big surprise," said McKechnie. "I wasn't prepared with a speech ...I was star-struck being in Richard Burton's presence." And when he told her that she deserved her award, she was almost speechless. "I was always shy around the big movie stars," said McKechnie.

There Can't Be Good Without Bad

By 1976, Donna McKechnie's life seemed perfect. Winning the Tony Award, continuing to perform in A Chorus Line, coupled with marrying Michael Bennett (December 4th, 1976) made it appear that she was 'on top of the world', as the adage goes, but before she knew it, her life went downhill.

In 1977, she hurt her back and had to leave A Chorus Line. At the same time, she and Michael Bennett divorced. Then in 1978, she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

As her condition worsened, her fear of never dancing again seemed trivial: "I was no longer worried, will I dance? I was worried if I would survive, how I'd live, what I'd do if I can't walk. I was determined to do everything I could to change that idea. I wasn't thinking initially, 'how to get back on Broadway, how to keep dancing.' That was my intent, but when I was in that much pain, and was that disabled, I thought, 'I can't live like this. I have to kill myself.' But suicide goes against my nature, so that broke me down. I was thinking, 'this is the worst moment of my life. Now I have to find a way to live.' That was a big awakening."

After specialists told her that there was nothing that they could do for her, a friend took her to see the 95-year-old Dr. Sam Getlen, who only saw patients from l0PM to 5AM. "That's when your body slows down," said McKechnie. She said that doctors who practice Eastern medicine such as Dr. Getlen make better assessments of patients' problems and ways to help them at night when their body system slows down.

He put her on a strict diet, which ultimately cured her. (You can learn about her diet by reading her 2006 memoir, Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life.)

By 1983, she was dancing again, and three years later, she resumed portraying Cassie in a Chorus Line, still running on Broadway.

While she had Rheumatoid Arthritis, she didn't tell her show business associates: "In show business, if you're known to have a disease, an ailment, or any medical problem, people tend to avoid you. Some of it has to do with people not wanting to face reality.

It has to do with insurance; they don't want to put millions of dollars into a production if you won't complete the job. These fears continue today."

She said that having Rheumatoid Arthritis made her quite sensitive to people with disabilities: "You can't go through something like that and not feel compassion for other people. It's beyond a humbling experience because you realize how much you take for granted. I could never appreciate before the struggles people have. I was used to struggles before, but in my own way, not getting a part, not having money, losing a boyfriend." She added that she realized the minuteness of those struggles when she found it almost impossible to walk to the bathroom.

And Now

The revival of A Chorus Line will open on Broadway this .October. Donna McKechnie is back in the news, not because of the revival, rather her memoir; Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life (co-authored by Greg Lawrence) got published this past summer. To learn more about Donna McKechnie, you can either order this book through her web site at www.donnamckechnie.com or on Amazon. On her web site, she recommends to people with Rheumatoid Arthritis specific books that can help them recover.

 The Jewish Week 03/16/2007

A Jew In The Racquets

By David Block/Philadelphia

Now that there’s a Jewish NASCAR driver, perhaps it comes as no surprise that a Jewish teen is cracking the once exclusively WASP-y provinces of squash.

Just as Springfield, N.J., native Joe Denning, 19, is the first Jew in a generation to break into the Southern culture of stock-car racing, Danny Greenberg is venturing where few Jews before him have gone.

Greenberg, now 15, who practices often at the Cynwyd Club in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., was the No. 2 squash player in the country in the “boys under-15” class last year. Now, Greenberg, ranked No. 5 in the “boys under-17” grouping, is a likely choice for the Maccabi Pan American Games in December in Argentina.

“Squash isn’t a popular sport among Jewish athletes in this country,” said Fred Cohen, who is responsible for selecting the U.S. Jewish athletes for the Games. “When we have a tryout, we don’t have large quantities like we do in tennis, golf or soccer.”

“It’s surprising and it’s not surprising,” says Jeff Gurock, a Yeshiva University professor and expert on Jews and sports, of a top-ranked Jewish teen in squash. “You’ve got to remember that Jews have been inside these clubs for years now,” though Gurock did stress that handball is seen as more of a Jewish game than squash.

Cohen, who lives in Illinois, learned about Greenberg, who attends Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pa., by word of mouth. “Because so few Jews play squash, they seem to know each other,” he said. When Cohen checked him out, he was impressed by Greenberg’s national rankings.

“I love to play,” said Greenberg, who started playing at age 10 because he was tired of soccer.

Greenberg’s high school coach, Shane Coleman, has seen him improve tremendously this year. “Danny is one of the only kids I’ve met that practices on his own time,” not just during proscribed practices, Coleman said.

“I can be seen a lot at the Cynwyd Club practicing,” said Greenberg who finished as the No. 1 player on his team for a second straight year. “If there’s no one there for me to play, I’ll practice alone.”

Several decades ago, Jews were not allowed in the Cynwyd Club. Greenberg said that he hasn’t experienced anti-Semitism there, but his father has.

“What I experienced was a subtle version of anti-Semitism,” said Steve Greenberg. When he tried to join the club five years ago, he says, the club’s president quipped: “’Listen, after you get the five references, we want you to come in and get interviewed by the committee, you know, just to make sure you don’t have horns.’ I couldn’t believe it,” Greenberg said.

“So I said to Danny, ‘The only reason I’m joining this club is so you can play squash.’ To this day, I have nothing to do with the club socially. The day Danny graduates high school is the day that Ruth and I quit that club.”

For Danny Greenberg, playing among non-Jews is no big deal. “A lot of the people there know I’m Jewish, but we never talk about religion.”

This season Greenberg is playing well. He won the “boys 19-and-under” age category at a local tournament at Germantown Cricket Club near Philadelphia. He finished second at Harvard University’s Frank Millet Junior Tournament in the boys under-17 category. And two weeks ago he finished sixth in the U.S. Junior Closed Championships in the boys under-17 division in Baltimore.

Disabled Dealer Magazine    May 2007

William Christopher Actor & Author: From M*A*S*H to Mixed Blessings

The Winner’s Circle

By David Block

M*A*S*H Star William Christopher Recalls Raising his Autistic Son

Since the huge success of M*A*S*H during the ‘70s and early ‘80s, and now in syndication, the name William Christopher has become synonymous with the character he portrayed; the compassionate Father Francis John Patrick Mulcahy. However, Christopher's acting career spans over five decades. Since the ‘50s, he has appeared on stage, in motion pictures and on many TV series such as The Andy Griffiths Show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C, The Love Boat, Good Times and Murder She Wrote.

Christopher's own warm-hearted nature came through in many of his roles. His generosity of spirit and optimistic nature was put to the test in 1968 when he and his wife, Barbara had an autistic son, Ned. In William Christopher style, he rose to the occasion and immediately created a loving and positive environment.

"There are autistic people who seem to be brilliant, but some of their symptoms might make it hard for them to utilize their potential," said William Christopher. "Other people who have autism might be less advantaged where some people would mistakenly think of them as retarded. That mistake has not bothered me because people with retardation can do positive things, too. You shouldn't give up on anybody, disabled or not because everyone has strengths and positive things going for them. People with severe retardation can triumph at something, reach a certain level of potential, and find something positive."

Christopher said that when Ned was born, fewer people understood Autism than they do today.

"Autism was first identified in the ‘40s," said Christopher, "but it wasn't well understood. Since the ‘40s there's been a gradual awareness on the public's part. Recently, we find that a lot more kids are being diagnosed as autis-tic. There are two ways of looking at it: Some people think we're more aware of it, so they look more carefully for the symptoms, while others think that a lot more peo-ple are being born with Autism than before, but none of these people can explain why."

In 1972, four years after Ned's birth, William Christopher was cast as Father Mulcahy. This was a blessing for his family.

"Being on M*A*S*H made it easier to raise Ned because I was making a living in a way I never could before. It was the first time that I became a regular on a series. M*A*S*H kept getting renewed year after year, that gave Barbara and I financial security and peace of mind. As for working on a series, that was just six months out of the year, so I was able to spend a lot of extra time with Ned. I had more time than most parents who work everyday. For some of them, it's hard to give a lot of attention to their children, especially those with special needs."

Christopher said that Ned rarely saw him portray Father Mulcahy. "Ned doesn't like to watch TV, but I never thought that there's anything wrong with that because a lot of fully able-bodied people don't like to watch TV either."

In discussing Father Mulcahy, Christopher said that people found the character convincing: "There's a lot of Father Mulcahy in me. The writers continued to create lines and scenes best suited for Father Mulcahy. They did a good job."

In the last M*A*S*H episode, Father Mulcahy unexpectedly lost a lot of his hearing.

"Introducing the deafness was an interesting thing," said Christopher. "I wasn't given enough warning that that was going to happen." There wasn't time for him to research deafness, yet he said that that had no effect on him being believable because Father Mulcahy had no preparation either. "I thought Father Mulcahy would continue to be deaf in its short lived sequel, After M*A*S*H, but the writers wanted the character to get all of his hearing back, so on the first episode, he had a miraculous operation. "I felt cheated because it would have been interesting to explore what it would be like to continue pretending to be deaf."

When After M*A*S*H ended, William and Barbara Christopher wrote the book, Mixed Blessings, which focused on their experiences of raising Ned.

Christopher concluded the interview with advice to parents apprehensive about raising autistic children: "Understand that if it's a stress on your emotions, don't worry because you can get over it. Realize your child needs you, so be an advocate. Don't give up on them."

He also found organizations such as the Autism Society of America beneficial because doctors, scientists and other parents of autistic children offered invaluable support.

For more information on the Autism Society of America, log onto www.autism-society.org, and to order Mixed Blessings go to Amazon.com

 Disabled Dealer Magazine      April 2007      The Winner’s Circle

Cody Unser First Step Foundation Makes Huge Differences

By David Block

When Cody Unser woke up February 5, 1999, she was in a good mood because she was going to play point guard in the next basketball scrimmage for the first time. "When my coach said, ‘Cody, you get to play point guard this time', I was real excited," said Unser of New Mexico who was 12 at the time.

At her after school basketball practice, she suddenly couldn't catch her breath. "It was hard to breathe. Then in a matter of minutes, I got a really bad headache. I couldn't get air. It was such a terrifying feeling when You can't breathe. I didn't know what was happening. They laid me down in the locker room. My legs were completely numb. I thought it (the numbness) was because I was upset and hysterical."

After a hospital trip, she was brought home that day.

"I thought the next morning I'd wake up and I was going to be fine, I was going to get to play in the scrimmage; and kick some butt, but when I woke up still couldn't walk. I still couldn't urinate. So my doctor came to the house and she put me in the bathtub. She ran the water to see if I could pee in the tub, but couldn't feel the water on my legs. That's when it totally hit me, that there was something really wrong.”

Unser went back to the hospital for tests, and the doctors discovered that she had Transverse Myelitis, a spinal cord disease where the myelin sheath, which protects the nerve fibers, erodes.

After spending a couple months in the hospital, she then went for rehab. She was excited at rehab: "Because I thought they'd teach me how to walk again. Everything was going to be great and I'd get back to my normal life," but she was wrong. Instead they taught her how to do things from a wheelchair such as getting dressed and going from the bed to the wheelchair. "That's when I started asking a bunch of questions: Why did this happen to me? Will people like me? Will boys like me now that I'm in a wheelchair? I first thought, ‘who's going to like a girl in wheelchair?' That terrified me. I felt helpless and lonely." Yet, she learned how to be independent.

On the surface, it seemed as if Unser were better of than the other children at the hospital, because the fraternal racing society inundated her with get-well gifts due to the fact that her father Al Unser, Jr. and grandfather, Al Unser, Sr. were champion race car drivers.

"That bothered me that I got all these presents from people I didn't know, just because my last name was Unser. I didn't do anything, so I gave all my toys and all my stuffed animals to the other kids in the hospital." Even before she became paralyzed, she was uncomfortable with total strangers giving her presents, just for having a famous father. "For some reason, that always made me feel guilty."

When Unser came home, she realized that she had learned a valuable lesson: "Growing up, I was so privileged because of who my dad was. I never knew what it was like to want something and not be able to get it." She and her mother Shelley launched the Cody Unser First Step Foundation in 2000. Its objectives include creating awareness of Transverse Myelitis, raising research funds to find a cure, and to improve the quality of life for people who have spinal cord-related paralysis.

Another one of its projects has been to join forces with the New Mexico Scuba Center to enable paraplegics to scuba dive in the Cayman Islands. This stemmed from passion to scuba-dive.

"We scuba-dive like able bodied people, except more goes into how you're weighted down because your legs float up," said Unser. "We use webbed gloves that propel us through the water." She pointed out that it is a challenge getting on and off the boat, however these minor inconveniences pale in comparison to the joy of being on an equal footing with fully able bodied people. "Like them, I'm down there under water. It's such a free feeling to be out of my chair."

Unser's passions don't stop there; she's a tireless advocate for stem-cell research. She explained: "It's the only thing out there that would help me walk again. My doctor showed me that a paralyzed rat was walking after it got steroids. I want to be that rat. I want to walk again. A lot of people in America are misinformed about the ethic issue of stem cell research. The scientists want to use cells that would otherwise be thrown away. It's crazy to question the morality of it when we've been throwing away fertilized eggs. It's frustrating for over a hundred million Americans suffering from not just paralysis but from any disease. Stem cell research is the way of the future. It's to the federal government's benefit to fund this research because they'd have more control over it, more of a say on how the safety regulations should be. They'd get to be part of something that would become historical."

A lot of politicians know her stance, including President George W. Bush, whom she met a month before 9/11 while he was in New Mexico visiting politicians. Unser who was 14 at the time, wanted to thank him for considering getting behind stem cell research. "Even though his initial decision about stemcell research wasn't the one I wanted, I wanted to thank him for considering it. I told him it was important to me because I wanted to walk again."

When she met the president, his secret service failed to notice that she had a camera on her lap. "He laughed about it, he picked it up out of my lap and threw it to one of his security people to take a picture. He was standing up, so I grabbed him and pulled him down to my level for the picture. I grabbed him like a daughter would grab her dad."

Unser is currently a sophomore at the University of Redlands. She created her own major of bridging the gap between scientists and politicians.

Even though Unser is busy with her foundation and with school, she still manages to have fun. One of her hobbies is driving fast, and she can do that with special hand controls. She said that she's like her father in that she "has the need for speed."

"The police have pulled me over about 15 times," said Unser. "They give me an attitude at first because they see a teenager driving fast. But once they see my driver's license and that my last name is Unser, they laugh and tell me to keep this to the race track." Having the name Unser has dissuaded many police officers from giving her speeding tickets, but she knows that this luck can only go so far, as the old adage goes.

To learn more about the Cody Unser First Step Foundation, log onto www.codysfirststep.org

Don't miss Cody Unser in the RediAuto Track Challenge, an autocross racing event for the disabled community, April 12, 2007, at the Southern California Irwindale Speedway at 500 Speedway Drive from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The RediAuto Track Challenge leads off the 33rd Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 13-15, 2007, in downtown Long Beach, CA,

The RediAuto Charity Auction, also April 12, will be held to raise money for charitable and non-profit organizations including Disabled American Veterans, Children's Education Fund, New Horizons, Wounded Warrior Project, Disabled Sports USA, United Spinal Association, among others. Sponsored and hosted by The FrameOff Foundation, the auction will feature automotive related and celebrity donated items. Persons interested in supporting the auction, participating, or donating items should contact Bart at (408) 608-7060 or foundation@frameoff.com

Current sponsors include the United Spinal Association, the Wounded Warrior Project, Disabled Dealer, Mobility Driven, Disabled Sports U.S.A., The FrameOff Foundation, Red Bull, Budweiser, and Ford Motor Company.

For more information on RediAuto Sport or sponsorship opportunities, please log on to www.rediau-tosport.com or call (888) 651-8378.

 Main Line Times Thursday June 7, 2007

Wendy Smith, the first female AD at Haverford College, reflects on growing women's sports legacy at the school

By: David Block

Haverford - On July 1, Wendy Smith will be the first female athletic director of Haverford College.

"I'm excited about the opportunity," said Smith, who never thought about how it felt to be the first woman to take the reins as the college's AD. "I've just been focusing on the job itself."

Smith is currently the college's Acting Director of Athletics. In addition, she is the head coach of the women's soccer team, a position that she will relinquish in July.

A 1987 Haverford College graduate, Smith has worked in the school's sports administration since 1990, where she was Facilities Manager and Assistant Athletic Director.

Because she's quite familiar with the Fords' athletic program, taking on the job of AD should not be too challenging.

"More significant than my promotion is the legacy that [Ford] women athletes created," said Smith.

Last Saturday at Haverford College, Ford female athletes - past and present - had a special reunion, celebrating women's athletics at the school.

The fall of 1977 was the first time that women students attended Haverford College; only three of the 18 female students who transferred to Haverford that fall chose to be athletes, so they competed for Bryn Mawr College.

In the fall of 1980, female freshmen were admitted, and soon afterward women's athletics at Haverford College blossomed.

"I remember women started playing sports at Haverford in 1979," said Ann Koger, the head coach of the Haverford women's tennis team since the squad's formation in 1981.

That year, she also was the head coach of the Haverford women's volleyball team.

"Some of the women's teams were larger in the early days because women had less sports to compete in," said Koger. "Now the rosters aren't as big because they have 22 sports to choose from. I remember when 24 women went out for tennis. Now the average number is 12."

Vicki Mazurczyk Carlin, who played on Haverford College's first women's tennis team in 1981, remembered the difficulty in drumming up interest.

"As a freshman, I remember the women were asked what sports they wanted to play, and most of them chose field hockey and lacrosse," said Carlin. "I was pushing for tennis - we finally got enough people to form a team."

When Jenny Kehne Lipman enrolled at Haverford as a freshman in 1980, she played on the Fords' skeletal basketball team.

"It was fun playing basketball, even though we only won one game my first year," said Lipman. "We only had eight or nine people on the team, so we didn't put a lot of emphasis on winning. We were trying to get a team together."

She also remembers playing on the wooden floor of the college's fieldhouse while breathing in the dirt from the indoor track.

Another memory was never having enough players to scrimmage five-on-five at basketball practices - they had to get men to practice with them.

In the early days of women's athletics at Haverford, no one was cut from teams; in fact, women with no experience could join. Lipman remembered that some of her teammates never played basketball before.

"The goal was to get women to have an athletic experience at Haverford," said Linda McConnell, who was head coach of the Haverford women's basketball team in the early 1980s as well as assistant coach of the women's lacrosse and field hockey teams.

McConnell, now athletic director at Friends' Central School, remembered that Wendy Smith was one of the lacrosse players that she coached.

"Wendy joined the team never having played lacrosse before and she went on to become All-American," said McConnell. "Lacrosse is easy to adapt to; if you can throw, catch and cradle, then you can play."

Smith said, "I never played lacrosse in high school because we didn't have a girls' team. We didn't even have soccer until my senior year, so before I played soccer, I ran track and played volleyball."

Smith was never upset that her high school had fewer sports teams for girls than for boys.

"I just played whatever sports were available," she said.

In 1986, the Haverford College women's lacrosse team, which included Smith, won the MAC title and qualified for the NCAA tourney.

Deborah Gallagher, who coached women's lacrosse at Haverford from 1986 to 1991, remembered the girls' enthusiasm.

"It was easy to motivate the girls because they wanted to make an impact on women's sports," said Gallagher. "It was great how the older players took the younger ones under their wings."

Deb Freedman, who played on Haverford College's 1986 varsity lacrosse team as a freshman, was a starter with one other freshman and 10 seniors.

"I felt like a kid in a candy shop, playing with older people who were better than me," said Freedman. "Even though we were Division III, we were just as good as Division I teams. I loved our cheer: 'Kill, kill, hate, hate, murder, murder, mutilate!'"

The early women's soccer teams at Haverford also displayed enthusiasm.

Chris Eaton, who attended Haverford College in 1983 as a freshman and played with Bryn Mawr College's soccer team her first year, said, "We wanted our own soccer team at Haverford. We had enough people and we were so determined."

In the fall of 1984, Haverford College established a women's soccer team, but Eaton and her teammates still weren't satisfied.

"We played on the Class of 1922 Field," said Eaton, "not the Walton Field like the men's soccer team did, and we weren't happy about that. Walton was a bigger field and it was in a more central location. We finally got a chance to play on Walton and we won. We played on Walton ever since."

Eaton remembered that in the early 1980s at Haverford, it was common for the athletes to play two or three sports a year.

"Now the students just play one sport because they now compete at a higher level," said Eaton. "It's more intense."

Women's field hockey at Haverford also had a tough start.

"I remember how we used to practice in the beginning," said Penny Hinckley, the first coach of the women's field hockey team. "There were 13 of us starting out in field hockey. The teams were the goalie and me, against the 11 other players."

Before Hinckley coached at Haverford, she coached basketball at Princeton, while also working as Princeton's coordinator of women's sports.

She said that when women freshmen first attended Princeton in the fall of 1970, the male students were less accepting than the men students at Haverford College, who welcomed the change.

"In 1970, when I was coaching women's basketball, the male players tried to take over the court and interfere with our practices," said Hinckley. "They stopped after I screamed at them. That never happened at Haverford. The men were always respectful of the women."

One of Hinckley's first field hockey players, Lydia Martin, who came in the fall of 1981 concurred.

"Because this was a Quaker school, the guys were very respectful," said Martin. "It was easy for Haverford to go co-ed. Some of the women at Bryn Mawr College weren't happy because they came to Bryn Mawr thinking that Haverford would be their 'brother school.'"

Martin said, "We had a weak field hockey team in the beginning. There were a lot of beginners. Nobody was cut from the team. It didn't matter how good you were or how bad you played, everyone was welcomed."

Otto Gonzalez, who enrolled at Haverford College in 1983 and joined the men's soccer team, said that women definitely belonged there.

"You never would have guessed that Haverford College had only recently gone co-ed," said Gonzalez. "It seemed as though women had been there a long time."

The Bulletin Friday, June 15, 2007

Family, Friends Mourn Tragic Death of Local Blind Goalball Athlete

By David Block

Mourners gathered at the Zion Baptist Church on Wednesday to pay their last respects to Darryl Devon Green, 24, of Kensington, who died in a hit-and-run accident on June 3 in St. Augustine, Fla.

Philadelphia - Mourners gathered at the Zion Baptist Church on Wednesday to pay their last respects to Darryl Devon Green, 24, of Kensington, who died in a hit-and-run accident on June 3 in St. Augustine, Fla.

Green was a call-taker for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and a member of the Pennsylvania Venom, a Philadelphia-area goalball team.

Green's death sparked a lot of media attention in Philadelphia and in St. Augustine because he was totally blind due to Glaucoma.

"The media has paid more attention to his blindness than to his abilities," said his father, Isaac Green of Bridgeton, N.J. "Yes, my son was blind, but there was a lot more to him than that. He had a great heart, he was a great person. He's been portrayed as a challenged child, but he was an independent, grown man."

Green's Passing

The weekend of June 1-3, Green and his goalball teammates competed in the 2007 United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) Goalball National Championships in St. Augustine at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. His team finished second overall, losing to Michigan in the final match.

Goalball is an international team sport played by the blind and visually impaired. Two teams of three players (right wing, center and left wing) square off for two 10-minute periods. A player rolls the goalball, a partially deflated rubber ball with bells inside, to the other team's net. The players dive onto the ground, block the goalball and have 10 seconds to roll the goalball back to the other team. The game is played indoors on a volleyball-size court with two fully-sighted referees who are licensed with the International Blind Sports Association. All players, blind and partially sighted, must wear opaque eyeshades, which puts everyone on an equal footing.

After the tournament ended, Green returned to his hotel to use the bathroom and then headed out to meet some goalball players, according to his teammate, John Mulhern. Green walked out of the hotel alone and tried to get directions from another goalball player on his cell phone on where they were. Unfortunately, he was unaware that the hotel driveway merged into the highway because there was no step-down curb. As soon as he inadvertently stepped onto the highway, a driver ran him over. It was 1:15 a.m.

"If the hotel driveway had a curb, Darryl wouldn't have ended up on the highway," Mulhern said.

On his Web site, Mulhern expressed his annoyance with the outrage leveled against his team for allowing a totally blind person to travel alone because blindness does not mean helplessness.

"Darryl was very independent," Mulhern said.

Mark Lucas, Executive Director of USABA said, "A hit and run accident can kill anyone. Some of my daughter's (fully-sighted) friends were killed several years ago while crossing the street."

His Last Goalball Tournament

Lucas remembered that Green played some outstanding goalball games that fateful weekend in Florida.

"One game in particular really stands out," said Lucas. "Darryl's team was losing to the Utah Explosion, 7-1. Last year, Utah won the National Goalball Championships. Trailing behind last year's champions did not intimidate Darryl or his teammates. Darryl's team came roaring back to win, 8-7. The enthusiasm from the Pennsylvania team was incredible. Even when down, 7-1, the players knew that they had a chance to win, and part of the reason was Darryl's presence on the court. He and his teammates always played with passion and never gave up, whether it's the first tick of the clock or the last. He had the same enthusiastic attitude toward life as he had playing goalball."

Teammates

At Green's funeral service, Mulhern announced that his team will dedicate its next season to him and will retire his No. 4 jersey.

Green's teammates fondly remembered his contribution to winning the 2003 National Goalball Championships at Cabrini College. They nicknamed him "Rattler" because of the way he slithered around other players.

"I remember when he first started playing goalball about 10 years ago," said his teammate/goalball coach, Greg Gontaryk. "We had a good relationship. He always listened to what I said. He tried to help out the other guys on the team. I enjoyed my time with him."

Gontaryk found the unexpected death shocking: "I was the first to be told that he had died. The trip back to Philadelphia was difficult because we came down to Florida with five guys and went home with four. I swear that at the airport I heard Darryl's voice. Maybe it was because I was so used to hearing him. We were a very close team."

The Arrest

On June 6, three days after Green's demise, the St. Augustine Police arrested 26-year-old Semaj M. Massey of Jacksonville, Fla., for allegedly running over Green and then fleeing the scene of the accident.

Sgt. Barry Fox of the St. Augustine police department said police found a 1998 white Ford SV registered to Massey a few blocks from the scene of the accident. Police matched debris from the damaged car to that found at the crash scene, Fox said.

Memorial Fund

A memorial fund has been set up to help defray funeral-related expenses. Donations can be mailed to: Darryl Green Memorial Fund, C/O Citizens Bank, 323 Old York Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046.

Green is survived by his father, Isaac Darryl Green, III of Bridgeton, N.J.; his mother, Lorraine Marie Campbell of Philadelphia; his sister, Angell Carolyn Moffitt of Woodbine, N.J.; and two brothers, Isaac Darius Green of Newport News, Va.; and Caleb Darion Jones of Wildwood, N.J.

Protected Tomorrows Summer 2007

Team Hoyt Proves to be Powerful Role Models

By David Block

When Rick Hoyt was born in 1962, he was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, and that incident left him unable to walk or talk.

The doctors advised Rick’s parents, Dick and Judy Hoyt, to institutionalize him because they thought that he would be a vegetable. However, the Hoyts thought that was terrible advice, and discarded it altogether. They soon realized that the doctors were dead wrong!

"When Rick got his eyes opened, they were following mine and my wife’s," said Dick Hoyt, in a recent phone interview. "He was looking at us. His eyes were unbelievable. If you talked or made noises, he reacted. He paid attention."

They decided to treat Rick just like their fully able-bodied children. For example, when Rick’s brothers played hockey in the neighborhood, Rick was included. Hoyt remembered: "We took him on the ice in his wheelchair and we’d push him around. We put a hockey stick on his chair. We used to skate around with him, so he could use the puck and not play goalie all the time."

According to Rick’s father, the neighborhood children included Rick in a lot of activities. "They treated him like everyone else because they saw that we did."

His parents were also as strict with him as they were with their other children.

"A lot of families spoil their disabled children," said Hoyt. "We never did. We were hard and firm with Rick like we were with our other kids. One time we were in a restaurant and Rick was acting up, so I told him that if he didn’t stop, I’d put him in the van by himself. He kept acting up, so I put him in the van and went back in the restaurant. He couldn’t believe I did that. We never let him get away with anything."

The Hoyts had high expectations of Rick and saw no reason why he shouldn’t go to public school. However, the area school district administrators objected. Hoyt said: "They told us ‘he doesn’t understand, he won’t be able to learn.’ So we took him to Tufts University (in 1973) and met some engineers. They said the same thing, so we told them to tell Rick a joke. They did and Rick cracked up laughing. They said ‘maybe there is something there. If you raise five thousand dollars, we’ll build a communicating device for Rick.’ We raised the money."

The Tuft engineers built an interactive computer that allowed Rick to write out his thoughts using the slight head-movements that he could manage. A cursor would move across a screen filled with rows of letters, and when the cursor highlighted a letter that Rick wanted, he would click a switch with the side of his head.

Rick’s first words were not ‘hi Mom, hi Dad, Thank you, I love you’. They were ‘Go Bruins!’ It turned out that Rick was a big Boston Bruin (ice hockey) fan, just like his brothers.

By 1975, the public school administrators saw that Rick could communicate and comprehend everything, so they finally admitted him.

Two years later, Rick made an unselfish gesture, which would ultimately enhance his quality of life.

An area lacrosse athlete was badly injured, so Rick’s local community organized a five-mile run to defray the medical costs. Rick told his overweight, out of shape father that he wanted to participate, and asked him to push him in the wheelchair. His father obliged.

Rick’s desire to help someone in need, a person far less disabled than himself, didn’t surprise his father. "We raised Rick to think of other people."

After they finished the race, Rick wrote on his computer that it was the first time it felt as if his disability had disappeared.

"He can’t use his arms or legs, then to say his disability disappears, that’s powerful," said Hoyt.

Rick and his father entered a series of road races, and never felt discouraged. Even in the beginning - when they knew the race directors, the other runners and the wheelchair entrants didn’t want them competing - they pressed on. "They all snubbed us," said Hoyt, "but that didn’t matter. Every time we raced, Rick had a huge smile on his face, his arms were up in the air, he was so happy. He called himself free-bird, because he never felt so free before."

Eventually, the officials and all the race entrants warmed up to the Hoyt Team.

"They could see that Rick had quite a personality and a great sense of humor."

The only people who objected were able-bodied people who had relatives with disabilities. "They used to call me and send me letters asking, ‘what are you doing dragging your disabled son through all these races? You’re looking for glory for yourself!’ They didn’t realize that Rick was dragging his father through all these races. I did these races because Rick wanted to. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been out there."

Dick Hoyt said that thanks to Rick, he became incredibly fit. Dick’s good conditioning helped him survive a heart attack four years ago. "The doctors told me that if I were out of shape, I’d be a goner. Rick saved my life."

For over 25 years, Team Hoyt have competed in over 940 events, including a couple dozen Boston Marathons. In addition, they also competed in the Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii.

No matter what events they compete in, fellow athletes tell them that they’ve been a true inspiration.

"As long as Rick and I keep having fun, we’re going to keep at it," Dick Hoyt concluded.

For more information about Team Hoyt, log on to www.teamhoyt.com.

Runner’s World Daily Magazine

Monday September 17, 2001

Ndereba sets Philadelphia Half-Marathon record

By David Block

If the destruction of the Trade Center and the Pentagon had not occurred last week, the most noteworthy fact of the 24th running of the Philadelphia Distance Run would have been that Catherine Ndereba had bettered Joan Benoit Samuelson's long-standing course record of 1:08:34, which she set back in 1984. However, Ndereba's new course record of 1:08:30 cannot be compared to the fact that the Philadelphia Distance Run even took place.

After last Tuesday's tragedies, the Distance Run Race Director Mark Stewart wondered if the race should take place. Although he has gotten much enjoyment in his 14 years as race director, he said that the race was very insignificant compared to what happened.

Immediately after the explosions, Stewart was numb. An hour later he was forced to evacuate the huge Philadelphia-based building where he worked, and much of the city of Philadelphia was shut down. "I was not thinking about the Distance Run," said Stewart.

When Stewart returned to work the next day, he got at least 50 e-mails from runners, insisting that the race take place.

"Some of the e-mails said, 'It's a bad time. We need this race so we can come together,'" said Stewart. "Other e-mails said, 'If you cancel the race, the terrorists win.'         

The runners really pushed for this race to happen, but there was the question of whether we would be able to get police and medics on the course." Stewart thought that      Philadelphia police officials and medics might have to go to New York, but they were not needed. Wednesday night, less than 48 hours after the destruction, Stewart was informed by the city of Philadelphia that police and medics would be at the Distance Run.

"That was when the race committee and I decided to have the race," said Stewart.

Before the race started, over 7000 runners sang "God Bless America" as their way of acknowledging the tragedy. Moreover, it was their way of paying respect to two New York runners who were registered to compete, but were in the World Trade Center when the planes crashed into it, and are still missing.

"This race is different from football and baseball," said Stewart. "It's not people cheering over who catches the ball, it's about people participating, doing it for themselves. These runners are competing against each other, but there is a great camaraderie in the sport. People were here because they felt a need to reconnect with people, and get away from their TVs."

Bill Fleischman, a sports writer for the Daily News climbed into the press truck with the other reporters before the race and made small talk about there being no football and baseball this weekend. "The Distance Run might actually be our lead story, can you believe that?" said Fleischman.

When the race began, Ndereba felt confident that she could win, but was uncertain if she would break the course record. "I was thinking about the victims and I wanted to run for them," said Ndereba. However,      Ndereba knew that she could beat the 17-year-old record after seeing her ten mile split of 52:23. "I've been chasing the course for years," said Ndereba, who also won here in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Her time of 1:08:30 was also the fastest woman's half-marathon ever run in the U.S., edging the previous all-comer's record of 1:08:32 set by Ingrid Kristiansen at the 1989 New Bedford Half-Marathon.

Another major record fell when 40-year-old Ramilya Burangulova of Russia set a world masters record of 1:11:41. Nicole Leveque of France had the previous record of 1:11:54,      although Leveque also ran 1:11:35 on a non-record quality point-to-point course. Swedish master Evy Palm also was credited with a 1:11:18 on a course of unknown accuracy.

In the men's field yesterday, Ronald Mogaka won with a 1:01:25 clocking. In the beginning of the race, John Kagwe was in the lead, but eventually faded to fifth as Simon Kasimili moved up to second. Kenyan men filled the top eight places.

The New York Times Monday June 11, 1990

Sport for Good Listeners: Goalba

By DAVID BLOCK

Published: June 11, 1990

WHAT team sport requires quickness, strength, mental toughness, agility, concentration, and blindfolds? Are you stumped? The sport is called goalball and it is played worldwide by the blind and visually impaired.

WHAT team sport requires quickness, strength, mental toughness, agility, concentration, and blindfolds? Are you stumped? The sport is called goalball and it is played worldwide by the blind and visually impaired.

The United States men's goalball team and women's team began competition with 15 other countries on Saturday in the 1990 world goalball championships at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. These championships have been held every four years since 1978.

Goalball is played by two teams. There are six people on a goalball team, with three players from each team allowed on the court at a time. The goalball positions are center, right wing and left wing. Players guard their positions, but throw themselves in front of the ball when it is rolled into their defensive zones.

Goalball is played indoors on a rectangular court, usually a gymnasium floor. The goalball court is approximately the length of a basketball court, about 18 meters, and 9 meters wide.

Two teams square off for two seven-minute periods in which they try to score by rolling the goalball into the other team's net, which is 30 feet wide and 4.3 feet high. The goalball is similar to a basketball except that a goalball has bells inside. It is rolled like a bowling ball, although it does not have holes.

Once the ball is rolled, the defense blocks the ball, with either their hands or feet. They can also kneel, stand or dive sideways onto the ground and use their bodies as shields to stop the lightning-fast shots. The defense then becomes the offense and has eight seconds to try to score.

When two good teams play, the final scores are usually pretty low, perhaps 3-2 or 2-0.

It sounds simple, but it's not. Every goalball player on the court, blind, sighted or partly sighted, must wear eyeshades. So listening becomes crucial.

''The blindfolds make it so sighted people can play with the blind on an equal footing,'' explained Roel Moberts of the Netherlands, the goalball chairman of the International Blind Sports Association.

Much of the court, particularly the positions where the players stand, is marked with sash cord, which enables them to tell if they are in their positions. Spectators must be silent when the ball is rolled, but can cheer when the players make saves and score goals.

There are two goalball referees, a timekeeper and two scorekeepers who officiate a game. Referees must be fully sighted and must be licensed with I.B.S.A. in order to officiate.

When goalball first developed after World War II, it was not meant to be a competitive game, but rather was a way of rehabilitating the German soldiers who lost their vision in the war.

Goalball did not formally become a competitive game among the blind until 1976, when it was played at the Olympic games for disabled athletes in Toronto.

In 1976 goalball was introduced in the United States. To keep goalball at a competitive level, the international association set up the goalball championships in 1978. The United States men's team has never brought home the gold, but the women's team won in 1982 and 1986. Goalball is played by about 1,500 people in 35 countries.

To find out if there is a goalball club in your area, contact your state agency for the blind. If there are no goalball clubs in your area or if the agency does not know what goalball is, then write to Steve Kearney at P.O. Box 309, Muskogee, Okla. 74401. Write to Kearney if you wish to purchase a g