Your life list, non-sportswriting version

For an agate guy, not half bad. In fact, I nominate you to rewrite mine.

 

thanks. I'm pretty good at rewrite, I'd be happy to give it a shot.

 

This is an amazing thread. Can't compete with many of these but here's mine in no particular order:

- interviewed David Bowie

- went to Game 3 of Jays-Braves, the first World Series game ever played outside the US. Was interviewed before the game about the upside-down flag flap by a guy from the LA Times but my quote never appeared in the paper.

- same game, told Jim Gray, who was standing in the aisle next to my seat to move because he was in my way. He did.

- although I'm not in the business and have never taken a writing or journalism course (some would say it shows), I've managed to have a story published in an NHL team's game-night program and two - including a cover - in hockey mags. And a few published in my local paper.

- have an unbeliveable terrific and supportive wife and son. He's seven and is 10 times the ball player (and student) his old man ever was. She's way more than I ever deserved, that's for sure.

- have had Johnny Cash's backup band (well, two-thirds of the legendary Tennessee Three, anyway) dedicate a song to me from the stage. It was last Monday night and the song was "The Wreck Of The Old 97".

- briefly played catch backstage with Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats

- have been in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Big news for a guy who won't go in the ocean because he's seen Jaws too many times.

- seen two Orange Bowl games in person, including 1988 when my Miami Hurricanes beat Oklahoma. Have also seen the Vanier Cup, the Canadian university football championship.

- graduated college at 30 (I went when I was 27). Toughest thing i've ever done was going back to school but I'm glad I did it.

 

Most of mine are sports-related, at least up until the point I got married and the important life events began to take place, And some of these will undoubtedly out me to people I've worked with in the biz:

-- Stuck out 19 batters in a Little League all-star game and also scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
-- Batted against Darryl Kile after he broke into the major leagues during a high school winter scout league (struck out); got Mike Simms to ground into a double play, also while I was still in high school and he was in MLB.
-- Finished 3-0 on the team that won the 1991 C.A.B.A. High School World Series.
-- In said World Series, was on team that beat team that included Alex Rodriguez, Todd Helton, Johnny Damon and Danny Kanell in the championship game (I won the semifinal game against team that had Mike Lowell).
-- Was on team that played in the College World Series in 1993 (didn't pitch in either of two games)
-- Played one year of professional baseball
-- Have never touched tobacco in any form, drugs in any form, and have had only one tiny sip of alcohol in the last 25 years
-- Have been married for nine mostly great years, and know that should that run of success continue, I will only have sex with one person in my entire life, which is a good thing
-- Have three great kids, including a Daddy's girl and twin boys who are the biggest blessing and biggest headache, sometimes in the span of five minutes
-- Have been blessed to continue to move up the food chain in this crazy business when I know many people haven't been so fortunate
-- The only states I'm missing are Alaska, Hawaii, the Dakotas, the Carolinas, Louisiana and Georgia. I've also been to Mexico, Canada and the Bahamas. As for the sex question, I believe the count is somewhere in the 12 range, with one foreign country
-- I've seen games in Wrigley, old Comiskey, Tiger Stadium and Fenway, which means I need to get to Yankee Stadium soon. I also finally made it to Cooperstown last summer, which was a thrill.
-- Both my parents and my wife's parents are alive and kicking, which is great for our kids (I never knew my Mom's parents, who died when she was a teenager)

Now, if I can just fulfill my goal of writing a book, I'll be set.

 

What do you mean post-coital?

 

This is a LAUREL?

 

Good Lord.

 

Meeting Rocket Richard when I was 11 or so, just after he retired. And he signed my copy of his biography which I had received the previous Christmas. Still have it on my bookshelf.

It's the only athlete's autograph I have or care to have because when you've got God's, whose else do you need?

 

Yes Lee, a laurel I'm quite proud of, as it is intertwined with my personal beliefs and religious convictions.

It's not for everybody, I know that. But truth is, I think it's much more of a laurel than the people coming on here and bragging about drug use.

 

I now officially hate you.

 

Hey, even as a life-long suffering Leafs fan, there is only one Rocket.