ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

I have been very lucky. I knew what I was going to do with my life by the time I was in eighth grade. Before that, I had dreams of becoming a major league athlete, but reality hit hard by the time I was 14. I was average at best, and the idea of getting paid to play had been put to bed before I got into high school.

My mother Gloria was a writer herself and she encouraged me at every turn. One of the things she did was send me letters every day when I went to overnight camp. She included the game story, the box score, and the standings that came in the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger every day. I was a Yankee fan (then—not now) and her diligence allowed me to keep up with my favorite team. As I read Jim Ogle’s account of some very ordinary Yankee teams, I realized he was being paid to watch and chronicle those Yankee teams. That’s how he made his living. And that’s how I would do it.

I got my first real opportunity with a paper called the New Brunswick (N.J.) Home News. Most of the time, I was covering high school events—football, basketball, and baseball—but before the start of the 1981 NFL season, the sports editor held a department meeting. He spelled out the expectations of the paper for a group of young sportswriters. Just as the meeting was about to break up, he added one more thing. “We have to cover the Giants this year,” he said glumly. “Does anybody want to cover the game this Sunday?”

My hand shot up almost uncontrollably. Shockingly, nobody else was interested. I got the press pass and that was the beginning of my career covering pro football. The Giants returned to glory that year, making the playoffs for the first time since 1963. I was there when they won the last game of the season in overtime against the Dallas Cowboys to clinch a playoff spot. It was a long time ago. Lawrence Taylor was a rookie and Bill Parcells was an assistant coach who would smile at and talk to reporters, on occasion.

After putting my career on hold while I pursued my Masters degree in journalism at Northwestern, I got an opportunity to cover the NFL at Pro Football Weekly for 10 years. Publisher Hub Arkush was an excellent boss who ran a great paper. I worked with outstanding writers throughout the country and there was a great in-house staff that included Bob LeGere, Bob Peters, Rick Korch, Neil Warner, Ron Pollack, and the late Joel Buchsbaum.

During my time at Pro Football Weekly I was completely immersed in the game. I was able to talk to many of the great stars and coaches in the game and many of the key decision makers as well. I received personal letters from Wellington Mara and Lamar Hunt, and spoke with coaches such as Chuck Noll, Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, and Bill Belichick. Here’s a funny story about Belichick. He’s not supposed to be of much use to the media, but he once called me at home after midnight to give me an interview.

It was a long time ago and I was married at the time, and I explained to Bill that I was happy that he called, but it was a tad late. When he gave me the option of ending the interview right then and there or continuing, I decided not to let the opportunity pass. I talked to him for 20 minutes.

I have had the opportunity to speak to many of the great stars mentioned in this book throughout the years. After I left Pro Football Weekly, I have continued to write about football for magazines, newspapers and websites and it has been my great joy. I thank the many great media relations people around the league and the players and coaches who have been very generous with their time.

You get into a business like this at a young age because there is something magical about these sports that you love. Most of us start out playing baseball or football at a young age, and only the best survive. To have the chance to cover these individuals has been a dream come true.