This was SportsCenter is presented by Gusto. When's the last time payroll was the easy part of your week? With Gusto, it can be. Gusto is the all-in-one platform designed to take the hassle out of managing your team, from payroll and compliance to hiring, onboarding, and more. With Gusto, you can get back two full days each month with all the time you've saved.
Try Gusto today at gusto.com slash TWSC and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash TWSC. One more time, gusto.com slash TWSC. Welcome to the latest edition of This Was Sports Center, where I stroll down memory lane with a good old friend of mine from back in the Sports Center day. And hopefully, you enjoy the stroll down memory lane as well.
This is episode four of a six-episode first season of This Was Sports Center. Hopefully, you've already enjoyed the chats I've had with Dan Patrick at his spot. Connecticut and Chris Sperman at the Super Bowl this past year in San Francisco. My chat with Mike Greenberg, episode three, check that out. I did that.
From his GetUp studios in New York City. This is the first This Was Sports Center episode that we've recorded in the Rich Eisen Show studios in Los Angeles, California, which means it's a home game. For my next guest, episode number four, with the person who's done more sports centers than any other human being on planet Earth. My friend Linda Cohn is here on the program. What's up, LC?
What an intro, Rich.
So good to be here. Look at us. Look how far we've come. And speaking of which, Rich, I am so honored with this nice series that you're doing, but you do it from your home. Right here.
Right here. We're uncomfortable. You didn't have to schlep anywhere to get to me. I did a mini schlep. You did the schlepping.
All I've done is schlep for this show so far.
So I appreciate the non-schlep edition. You know, that's what I live for, to schlep for you. Thank you. And as if this. Initial exchange doesn't already underline.
I have no idea where this interview is going. Normally, I like to have an idea, a roadmap of where it's going. And plus, it's only fitting that we're here in the studio here because it's the first time that I'm able to share this with a guest of this was Sports Center, the only Emmy I've ever won. For Sports Center in 1996. What a year that is.
We won this together. Together. You know?
So it's the first time I can bust this out on this. You know, I gotta look for mine. Mine might be in storage. You know how LA is. You know, we all can't live at Anchions.
I have a smaller venue where I live. Yeah. Not all the Emmys fit. You're packing stuff up? It's packing stuff up, but no, but seriously, I'm just so glad you remember that amazing year, 1996.
Yeah. Ah. That was a good time. Yeah, that was a good time. And we were good at our job.
We were. I loved. When I first showed up there, I will share this. Please do.
So I showed up from Reading, California. That was where my small market TV job was. Age 26, sent a tape to a headhunter thinking, what's the big deal? It's just first-class postage. Maybe someone will see it in a larger market, medium market, whatever.
Had no idea ESPN was the one who saw it and was going to hire me. And I showed up on my first day of work in March of 1996. Um, actually, it was February 96 when I first showed up there, and there were more people in the newsroom than there were in this entire small market operation that I was part of. Yeah, and it was just chock full of people who I was watching on television. And one of the first people I saw was you.
That's like, that's Linda Cohn. And what did I say? I don't recall. But I'm sure it was a lovely exchange, but the bottom line is like you were, you know, you were already there for four years. Four years, exactly.
And so, like, just seeing all sorts of faces of people who I was watching on Sports Center, now I'm a colleague of theirs, it just was blowing me away. Yeah, and you know, when you think about 1996 and winning this Emmy, That would make you like Our rookie of the year. You know what? It's interesting that you bring this up. Yeah.
Because this is a bone that I have to pick with the late Rudy Martzky that he put out there in USA Today. His rookie of the year of 1996. Uh was actually Chris McHenry. Oh. She showed up at the same year.
She stole it away from me. She took my I had no first of all, I had no idea there was such a thing. Did she win it, Emmy? I don't think she must have somewhere something in storage, probably. But I have it here.
In our Rich Hawson show Green Room. Should have been co-rookie of the year. You know what? Rudy was just, Rudy, what am I going to do? What are you going to do?
May he rest in peace. What are you? Yeah, may he rest in peace. But I still have a bone to pick with him.
So let's start with this one, Ryan.
Okay, good. When did you first show up? How did you get to ESP? Yeah, great story. You know.
Nothing was given to me on a platter, like you. You went to Reading, California. Um I was a bit older than you. Was 1992, July 1st, 1992. Yes.
That's my first day. How did I get there?
Well, even though I grew up in New York, I worked seven days a week doing radio. I thought my. My world, my future was radio because no one really ever gave me a chance on TV. Then I started volunteering to do local Long Island cable TV, doing things like this, anything to get. A VHS tape together.
VHS tape. VHS people, the younger watchers and listeners, that was what we did. We didn't have YouTube and anything like this to show off how good we could be, or at least the potential for what.
So I made a VHS tape and I sent it out everywhere. And Seattle came calling for me a year later after I sent out the VHS tape. And that was really my big break before this ESPN.
So Cairo TV, Seattle, Washington, that was. 15th largest market.
So I went from working seven days a week doing radio and volunteering for cable, little cable TV on Long Island. To getting the Seattle job as a sportscaster and a sports reporter. In order for baseball to become a success here in Seattle, improvements have to be made here at the Kingdom. It's a hot issue right now in local politics and one of equal concern to the M's new ownership. And it was a blessing in disguise, and I tell young people this when I talk, because.
first few months of my job in Seattle, ESPN came calling Al Jaffe. Al Jaffe. And his name is getting mentioned quite a bit in this series. Yeah, because he was.
Well, I mean, he's the talent guy who found all of us. That's correct. That's correct. So he wanted to hire me, and they flew me to Bristol. But then um People close to me said to me, We just moved out.
to Seattle to get this job. Why are we going to move all the way back east for this job? And I'm like It was the best move I ever did by not taking that ESPN job a few months into the Seattle opportunity. Why is that? Simple.
I got better at my job in Seattle. I really did. I honed my skills in Seattle. Plus, I slowed down my life, Rich. I had my first child.
I had Sammy. My daughter was born in Seattle. Correct. See whether you were sleepless. That's true.
I was. I was the first. Were you sleepless there for the movie? Can someone crack staff? Can somebody look up when Sleepless in Seattle was?
I wonder who was more sleepless in Seattle first: Meg Ryan or Linda Cohen? Yes. 93. 93. You beat everyone sleeplessly to the movie.
Right. I was the first. So, so when you were there, you were covering the Seahawks. Seahawks?
Sonics. My first live shot was with the Sonics and the Seahawks, Mariners, Michael Cage, Gary Payton. Look at you. The glove must have been really there at the show. The rain name.
Yes, he was there.
Okay. And so, my fun mariner story with my good friend Ken Griffey Jr. Is he your good friend? Yes, believe it or not, he had forgotten he was my good friend in the Seattle story. Did you remind him?
I did later when he went on the phone and apologized to me. People just look it up. Yes, you don't know about that story with Ken Griffey Jr. What? Oh, so many classic ESPN stories.
This is what the show is for. That's what we should really get back to. But so the great Ken Griffey Jr. story in Seattle was, I was pregnant with Sammy, and I was still doing my job covering the Mariners. And he rubbed my tummy when you could do that and not get in trouble.
You know, people welcome that. And I did. What did I know? Ken Criffe Jr. is rubbing my tummy, talking to my, you know, he's the kid.
Yes. He's the kid with rubbing the kid, talking the kid. That's it. Yeah. How great is that?
He's a kid in the embryo. There you go. I might have been like five, six months pregnant and, you know, rubbing the tummy talking. More than an embryo. All right, here we go.
More than that.
Okay, so.
So I always loved him for that. You know, I was like, oh, what he's such a naturalist, such a great kid.
So, what's the apology about?
So, many years later, I forgot what year, at ESPN, it might have been the early 2000s.
Okay. Ken Griffey Jr. did one of those, I don't know what he was promoting, some maybe baseball cards, something. He was retired. He was recently retired.
I used to cover this guy when I worked in Seattle before coming to ESPN.
So pleased to be joined by 13-time Major League Baseball All-Star, Ken Griffey Jr. And he did, what do they call those things? You know, you're with junket? You're with celebrities. You know, they do, they do the celebrity junket.
Yeah, yeah, sure. Yeah, and I'm, okay.
So I was up, we had him on live, you know, and it was, it was me interviewing him. And apparently he didn't I was so excited to see him. How you doing, Ken? Hey, how are you? Great.
And he didn't like my questions. There was something he wanted. He wanted to be anywhere else than talking on Sports Center to Linda Cohn. Growing up, you had a big baseball card collection. Did you have a favorite?
Yeah, one, my bad. Your your dad, of course. Besides your dad, I I you know, where there's uh somebody else Yeah. Yes. And it was very rude.
No way. And I was shocked. I kept my composure, but we ended the interview very quickly and moved on. And then it became an early internet sensation. where he actually Wanted to find my phone number and apologize to me.
He didn't know why. He says, I don't know. He goes, I had, it was a long day. I'm sorry I acted this way. But this is a lesson for all of us.
And I'd like to hear. What's the lesson, Linda? I'd like to hear, maybe you've learned lessons along the way.
Well, I've learned, you know, not to be rude to people whose belly I've rubbed before. I guess that's the moral of the story. I still don't know what I don't know, but the lesson I learned is many lessons. Yes. You can't put people up on pedestals, you know, because they're human, just like you.
I don't think that was the number one lesson I learned, but that was the first thing that just came into my head. I'll tell you one of the first lessons I learned as a sports center anchor involving the Seattle Sonics. How about me weaving, connecting dots here? That's what you. I'm a professional dot connector.
I've always been that, certainly with you. Yes. So. I wanted to get out of Bristol. The minute I got there.
I remembered that. We talked about it. The minute I got there, I was excited. This is wonderful. But after a while, I'm a 26, 27-year-old guy.
Nothing to do. Also doing these late-night sports centers, having no idea who the hell's out there watching. No social life. Zero. I couldn't go.
I wasn't going anywhere. I wasn't doing anything. Why did you think you weren't going anywhere? Oh, physically going anywhere. Moving anywhere.
Because in your career, rocketing. But I also did, but I didn't know really at the time just how much. Who was seeing me? I'm doing a show at two in the morning. I'm driving home at 3:30 in the morning, 4 in the morning.
If I'm lucky, I'm sleeping throughout the day like a bat. Like a bum. You know, exactly. I'm waking up at 11 o'clock at midnight. I still have a white noise machine.
next to my bet is a mid man in his mid fifties 'cause I first got it at ESPN because the old lady who lived above me upstairs decided to vacuum her carpets at six in the morning. And I'm just one hour asleep after finally winding down from Sports Center.
So I had to get a white noise, but she likes to get it. This is my life as a 26, 27-year-old guy. And I'm thinking this, I'm in a dream job, but I don't have no idea who the hell's watching me. Yeah. So, I just wanted to get out and about.
I wanted to go and do something.
So, about a year in, I finally got my first assignment for NBA Two Night. Woof. You remember the Two Night?
Okay. I think that was Fred Carter would come on and point at the screen, right? Hello, everyone, and welcome to the NBA Tonight, along with the coach Fred Carter. I'm Andre Aldrich. Every night on NBA Two Night, like he'd point at the screen with Fred Carter.
And so I did, they sent me to the old Boston Garden. Yes, to cover the at the time surging soon-to-be 60-win Seattle Sonics. I remember. The Sonics now halfway home, head to New York, Sunday night against the New York Knicks with winnable games in Charlotte and Minnesota towards the end of the week. Reporting from Boston for the NBA tonight.
This is Rich Eyes. They were killing it. They were. They were great. George Carl's the coach, and pretty much everybody you just mentioned.
That's right.
So I remember going there, I remember sitting in my seat underneath the basket. True story.
Next to had no idea. Longtime Boston Celtic scout. Al Lewis, the grandpa from Munsters. No, how did you look? I did not.
Like Grandpa Munster without the makeup. Again, the young viewers, the young listeners, Google. Dude, it's Linda. I'm telling you, I couldn't believe it. I'm like, what is the grandpa from the Munsters doing next to me?
He was apparently like an old friend of Red Arbach, loved basketball. He was a scout for the Celtics. I had no idea. That's who I spent my first ESPN road assignment with.
Next to Grandpa Al Lewis. Let me ask you something. You brought up the Munsters. Was he very embracing that you were a big fan? He had no idea who the hell I was.
Here I wanted to get out and about, and I'm sitting next to the grandpa from the Munsters underneath a basket. There's the parquet floor. It was weird. But I remember going into the locker room after the game. And um One by one, after they eviscerated the Celtics, I mean they destroyed them.
One by one, the Sonics came into the locker room. looking miserable. angry Like they had just lost by as many, many points. And they would all like scowl at me. And I thought to myself, oh shit.
What? Did I say anything about any of these guys from my sports center desk mount, where I was, again, Living in my own world, saying whatever the hell I wanted to say, a joke. Right. And no one said anything. No one would say, hey, for people who don't know, they're not going to call Rich into their office.
At least I don't know. No, they didn't.
Okay, and say, Rich, stop doing that. Like, Olbermann was the only one telling me to tone it down. I'm serious. I'm telling you. He was the one you're joking too much.
You shouldn't be joking as much. Was he worried that you were stealing the limelight from him? No, no, no. Actually, what it was is we shared an agent. And he actually took a liking to me from the very beginning and was trying his best, and only the way that he could communicate.
which was with tough love. And he would basically tell me to tone it down. And I, I, I I didn't really listen, to be honest with you. You were 26. I heard it.
You were very young. You were watching it. I heard it, but I didn't listen. But he was 100% right about toning it down, pulling it back, less is more, do less, do an entire show where you think it's boring, and then do an entire week like that.
So when you do joke, it'll pop out. It'll stand out. At any rate, long story short, I thought to myself. Did I say anything about these guys? Like at first, finally getting out and about.
made me realize what I was saying from the set actually is being heard by maybe these guys. Had no idea if that's what it was, why they or they didn't know who the hell I was, but it scared the daylights out of me. And I remember driving driving back to Bristol. I thought to myself, Oh, so so you still at that point did not know? No.
You did not Want to ask them, nope, okay. I didn't like it. Do you hate me? What are you supposed to say, right? I don't know.
Is it something I said? Is it something I said? Yes, but I was still like 27. I'd still know them from Adam personally. I was scared to do it, too.
Okay. And it was a life lesson for me that I'm like driving back to Bristol. Because there's no courtesy car. Yeah. So I drive back to Bristol.
I thought to myself, I will never say something on the air. that I wouldn't say to the athlete, To their face. I hated that feeling. I I I was m I was Scared down to my socks. Let me ask you something.
You brought up Keith Holgerman. Yes. This guy ripped athletes on the air.
So here's KO's giving you advice about how to act. How to let your comic talents shine through. Yet he was a guy that was always making fun of the athlete, doing highlights. I'm just telling you the advice that he gave me, and the advice that he gave me was: pull it back, tone it down, and And he was right about that. But I'll never forget that feeling driving back to Connecticut.
Where I'm like, that was miserable. What a miserable, what a first of all, weird fever dream to be sitting next to the grandpa from months ago. Oh, that you had me at that. You know what I mean? And then, and then going into that old school locker room.
Just being blown away by actually being in the old Boston Garden and then having that happen. That freaked me out. It totally freaked me out. Yeah. And you know, like Rich, you're, you know, and you brought up the whole comic thing.
And I always tell this to people, and I'm saying it again because when I first met you, I thought you were the funniest man I've ever met. And I always thought that you should be a stand-up comic. I would pay money to see Rich Eisen on stage as a stand-up comic. I know, but I mean, what was great is that. You know, I did it in college.
Yeah. See, that's right. And I think you told me that. And that's why I wasn't surprised. Yes.
Because that's just as much as I enjoy, you know, live music, because those are the things I do. I go to concerts. I love it. You know, I'm like a teenager, you know, when I go to concerts. And, you know, I love seeing stand-up comedians.
My new favorite is Matt Reif. And Matt, if you're watching or listening, I love you. I'm going to see you in Billings, Montana. I'll be in the fifth row. And Rich says he's going to have you on and I'll be waiting for you.
Yes. Okay. And I mean that in a very, you know, G-rated way. You know, I could be your mother.
So. But back to your career as a standard comic. No, not my career.
Okay, but you know, I know. But you could have been that. And this worked out great, too.
Well, that's what I loved about Sports Center, certainly back in our day with the EMAs and when we were there for the so-called golden age, is that it was. about Infotainment. It was about informing. It was about entertaining. It was about you having your style.
Yeah. Charles Barkley, he's not retiring. The Sugar A Leonard of the NBA is staying and he's playing. After a 90-minute meeting today with league officials, Barkley was advised to, shall we say, make lifestyle adjustments.
So incidents like throwing a person through a window, no matter who is at fault, does not happen again. Me having my style. Boom, we're on the same scent together. Coming up on the show, Miller time means downtime. And also, youth was served at the Liptons as long as the iced tea wasn't from Long Island.
But we're going to start off with the place with the Island Green, the TPC. Yeah, golf first. Seeing how that smashes together, you know, me with Stewart and Dan with Keith, and you worked with... Absolutely. Everyone.
Hey, glad you're with us. We were getting a bit lonely. That's Rhys Davis. I'm Linda Cohn. Along with Linda Cohn, I'm Steve Levy.
Teamed with John Anderson, and I am Linda Cohn. Along with Linda Cohn, I'm Gary Miller. With Linda Cohn, I'm Dan Patrick. Kenny Mann here, along with Linda Cohn. Alongside Linda Cohn, I am Stuart Scott.
That is Rich Eisen, and I'm Linda Cohn. Right, and I'm glad you brought that up. And full disclosure, I was a little jealous because I always wanted a regular co-anchor because I thought that's what made you and Stuart great. Nice outfit. Who's your tailor?
You know, Dan and Keith, great. Wait till you get a load of what Jason Kidd did tonight against the Spurs. We could do not. Because it's like playing tennis when you have the same doubles partner. You know where to be.
when to be. Same with co-anchoring Sports Center. You know when to pause, when to laugh. When to create The yin and the yang, all of it. And although I've worked with so many great people, and you're right, I think not only have I done the most sports centers, Obviously, I work with the most many different people, many different callings, the most ever.
I don't know where they would keep early on in my career. I started counting, and then I stopped because it was like, God, give me a headache. I used to count too. That's right.
I stopped around 1,000. Yeah, right. But you had 5,000. But I was counting the co-anchors I work with, the different co-anchors.
So not 5,000. What number were you? I stopped at 32, meaning I couldn't take it anymore. It just went on and on and on. But.
In a way, that made me a better sports center anchor. Because I had to, everything you said, I had to kind of adjust to my partner's, let them be them. But when people ask me who is your favorite to work with, It's coming. You're in the mix. Definitely say it.
You're in my top three for me. My bad at you. Because you always let me be me. And for me, it really wasn't. I had a few catchphrases, but I felt I was compelled and forced to do it because people like you, people like Keith, people like Dan.
You guys made it work so well. It was so natural. And of course, the late, great Stuart Scott made it great. But I felt for me, my secret and my longevity at Sports Center was because I'm a fan first. Sure, it can get better than this for the Mets and the Braves, like a matchup in the NLCS, but being separated by just one game in the East and playing six times in the next 10 days doesn't, shall we say, stink.
Question is: who wants to finish in first place more? A Braves team overachieving through injuries, gunning for an A-straight division title, or the Mets desperate to gain respect, having lost 10 of their last 11 at Turner Field. And I felt that if I had something pre-rehearsed in my mind, it wasn't original, it wasn't authentic, it wasn't Linda, it wasn't me. I'm like reacting to what I see. Oh, once is not enough for Chipper Jones.
He goes deep from the left-hand side and now the right-hand side. Just like the viewer at home is reacting to that highlighter that what they see for the very first time, that's what I am and that's what I wanted to be. I wanted to be like the fan sitting at home watching. And can relate to me. The Boston Red Sox have won the Pedro Martinez bidding derby.
The Cy Young Award winner will go from cost-conscious Montreal to Beantown for minor league pitcher Carl Pavano and two other players to be named later. When Martinez got word of that, he said tonight he would not sign a long-term contract with Boston. Said Martinez's agent, we indicated to Exfo's GM Jim Beatty there are certain clubs he wanted to go to. And certain clubs he did not want to go to. Because that's what I was.
And that's what I tried to do. I never knew what was coming out of my mouth, sort of like this interview right now. No, nobody. You know what I mean? That's how I was.
And that's what people, when they say over the years, they go, Linda, that's what we like about you because you are like one of us. We begin with a trade in the NBA because I know that's what you're waiting for. Trades were supposed to be made in the NBA. And we begin with one that we all expected. Lottie Divatz goes from the Lakers to the Hornets in exchange for the draft rights of high school standout Kobe Bryant.
This trade opens the doors and frees up more bucks for the Lakers push to get Shaquille O'Neal out of Orlando and into a Laker uniform. Yeah, and that's why I love doing shows with you, too. I will never forget the night. I think you know where I'm going to go on this. Maybe.
Well, I mean, it's an unforgettable night.
Okay. Oh, yeah. Where we were doing, I believe, an 11 o'clock Eastern Sports Center together. And we get a call that you need to get down to the set probably, what is it, around 10 o'clock, 9:30, early. Early.
Because. There was an absolute melee breaking out in Madison Square Garden because Andrew Galata kept low-blowing Riddick Bow, and everybody started hitting the shit out of one another in a melee and cops jumping into the ring, in a boxing ring. Madison Square Garden, our homeland. I mean, this was like right. You're from Long Island.
You love boxing. You're from Staten Island. And you always love boxing. No, I didn't love boxing. Boxing was the only thing.
You learned to love it. I did learn to love it because, again, it was the only gig that they would give me to get the hell out of Bristol and get on the road. You were smart. Good business. Charlie Steiner tapped out of doing it.
And and and and the one thing I was so upset about is when I first did my first assignment, they're like, Yeah, you don't have to wear a tuxedo. And I'm like, Actually, I wanted to. Yeah, like I was fun about it. Yeah, that does lead to another story involving you, but but but I'll put a pin in that for the moment. I'll never forget the two of us, we looked at each other in the newsroom after we immediately got into our on-air clothes.
Because we, you don't walk around in your on-air clothes, you don't walk around with a full face and makeup, no, certainly not when you're like an hour or two hours removed from getting on the air. You know what I mean? And so we looked at each other and we're like. This is freaking out of control. I have no idea what we're about to do.
Because we were getting, like, I think we had like police on phone lines and trying to figure out what the hell it's, because it was. It was an all-on, full-on. Massive emergency of law enforcement that went to Madison Square Garden that night. But first, the Riddick Bo Andrew Galataba Bout Madison Square Garden, an outrageous finish. I still can't believe it.
A crazy and scary night. And I'm glad you brought this up because we can talk about how things have changed with doing live television, especially a show like Sports Center. Because when we did it and the golden era, you know, no internet. Right. No other place.
to see. These things, these events, the breaking news. The video All of it.
So we were flying blind. What was supposed to be a routine bout for Riddick Bow, facing an unbeaten Polish native named Andrew Galata at Madison Square Garden?
Well, it wasn't routine at all. It turned out to be a bizarre and scary night at the fights. The fight reached the seventh round, which was remarkable enough. Then, following a third low blow by Galata to Riddick Bow, which disqualified Galata, then everything broke out.
Somebody out of Bow's corner rushed out and went right after Andrew Galata. Then, fights broke out in the ring. Fights broke out outside the ring. We're talking about hundreds of people involved. Again, this was in Madison Square Garden.
We're still looking for security to step in here. Among those carried off on a stretcher was Galata's trainer, Lou Duva. And I'm not saying, oh, to pat ourselves on the back. Oh, aren't we great broadcasters? Blah, blah, blah.
No. But that's why we loved it so much. Because We knew the people that were watching They weren't watching anything else. They turned to us for the information.
Someone from Bose Corner rushed out and went after Galada, and then they would see Lou Duva right in the middle of all that. Lou Duva. And there goes Lou Duva down, being stepped on. One bystander said he was clutching his heart. We don't know about his health condition right now.
All we know is that he was carried off on a stretcher, but his head was moving. Of course, we will be keeping you up to date on the strange and very frightening incident that took place at Madison Square Garden. And I don't know about you, but I had many, many situations like that where it happened to be on the air. When stuff happen. Yeah.
When you just fly by the seat of your pants, where your producer in your ear is telling you one thing, and you're talking at the same time and looking at the video the viewers are seeing, you're also doing interviews. All right, we just got so-and-so on the air, and you're basically doing a live interview on the phone. Yeah, on the phone. On the phone. And It is such, you know, we're not athletes, at least in our, in real life.
But It is the equivalent, I believe. of being on a biggest of stages. And having that adrenaline rush. And walking off that set, Saying you did the best you could and you did your job. Yeah.
When we did the show, like, um, Sports Center was basically assumed of the viewer we we assumed of the viewer right that they either had Not seen. the highlight or the game of the highlight we were about to deliver. Of course, though. They didn't potentially know the result either. If they did know the result and had seen the game, they'd only seen potentially the highlights of it once before or not at all.
That was what we assumed of the viewer, which is why we sat down and crafted a lead-in that would basically set the stage for the highlight we're about to deliver. And then we would potentially also know the way they highlight we're about to deliver the result. And we would lay an Easter egg in the on-camera where they put the, you know, the graphic over your shoulder. And, you know, and Kilbourne, who's going to be doing, you know, this show later on this season, he would throw, you know, like William Shatner over his shoulder and just do sorts of crazy stuff. Right, right, right.
And then we would be able to have fun with each other for that. You jump in my highlight. I would jump in yours. Stuart Scott would jump in my highlight way more often than I jumped in his, you know, and then we would be having that yin and yang. But that's the real part about it, that folks at home would watch us go through this process for them, with them together.
Yeah. There was a connection in that. Connection is the key. That I think we, we love, I loved it. I know you did.
We loved it. Fed off it. Fed office. Yes. 100%.
And it's funny you brought up these nuances, the technical achievements and accomplishments and the way the business as a whole moved through the years. And I've told this story before, but it's classic. Involves our colleague Scott Van Pelt. And he probably doesn't even remember. And by the way, just real quick, he's kind of on a nightly basis doing the stuff that we're talking about right now.
Still. Yeah. Yeah. I know. Keeping the flame going in there.
Yes. And, you know, he's in a great spot. Yes. I'm telling you, I'm killed for his stage right now. It's lovely.
But Scott Van Pelt. Moment I remember, we used to have these talent meetings. Do you remember that back in the day where the bosses would get us all together and we'd work all hours, right? But we'd have to. You know, head into Bristol, Connecticut.
Even if we worked the late show and get home till 3:30, we're having a talent meeting at 9:45 a.m. We expect all of you to be there in person. Yeah, yeah, right.
So we'd show up.
So I remember the bosses were there all in the front of the room, big conference room. And There was breaking news that From now on, and it was interesting what you said moments ago: how we used to craft our on-camera lead-ins and crafting. Is the right word because our writing was very important. What is it about the Bills that have brought out the worst and one of the best, Dan Marino? Buffalo has the distinction of being the only AFC East team to own a winning record against the Dolphins passing great.
Lifetime, Marino was 11 and 18 against the Bills, including 2-3 on Monday night. If Marino, and perhaps more important, the running game could motor, Miami would move into a tie for first.
So this was the meeting when they told us that from now on, there's going to be a little ticker at the bottom of the screen that tells the viewer who won the game before we the anchor that crafts our lead ins That builds up the suspense that prepares the viewer to what they're about to see from this highlight, which we were all so very proud of because we were storytellers. That our bosses were going to take all that away from us by running the score at the crazy story. And so was I. And I remember Scott stood up. And he eloquently.
Basically, I said what I was thinking and said to them, Well, what are we writing it for? What are we doing this for? And there was a lot of pushback. Did they listen to us? No, absolutely not.
Well, I remember I went. Norby Williamson was the guy who ran, you know. Mark Rose was there. I remember him. He's still there, but Norby's long since gone because McAfee took care of him.
Yep. And, you know, what ended up happening was I went into Norby's office and I'm like, is there any way? That we could make sure that the bottom line ticker doesn't reveal the lead-in. And I knew that was a non-starter for me even to bring it up because, you know, you would change the rundown based on timing. If the previous segment went too long, highlights in the next segment would get cut because to save time, because it's still only a 60-minute show.
So there was no way to technologically. line things up so as you're rev you know setting something up Yeah. As a storytelling gesture, as a professional, as what a sports center anchor was known to do, that there was no way to make sure that the score wasn't revealed across your stomach. Yes, you know, as you're delivering it, I understood that. And it was a total non-starter, and he just kind of like, you know, shooed me out of his office in a professional way.
But, you know, but that was the beginning of how everything changed. Correct. And I remember the reason why they wanted the bottom line ticker is because it was probably around 2001, 2002. Yeah. Because it was 9-11.
9-11, you know, a bottom-line ticker went on the bottom line on CNN for the first time. The bottom line ticker news had it first. And then, and then we had it, you know, for October, you know, of September of 2001. And once we got back on the air, remember, oh, Stuart and I did, did, did the. First.
Oh, that's interesting. 11 o'clock show. That's interesting. Bob Lee did the first six Eastern. I think Robin was with him.
And, you know, Stuart and I did the first 11 o'clock one. I believe on September 12th. Yeah. So, at any rate, long story short, I remember all of that, but things changed, you know? I mean, and then the phones.
I know we sound Stating ourselves. But it's the truth, though. Like, that is the way that Sports Center could be delivered, and the way that we started expecting a viewer to know. It just had to change. Yeah.
And we had to change with the times as well. But I remember those meetings too. Those were wild. Those were wild. But it was because we all had different agendas as honored people.
But we were all like loving our jobs very much. We love the community. of it. You know, I remember when you first left. And I remember what you said And I said, I'm going to tell you.
Good thing you had me on. I'm so curious where this is where you're about to go with this. Yeah, because I said, Well, how's it going? Like, you're not here anymore and everything. And And he's like, you know what I miss the most?
You said, you know what I miss the most? This meaning This campus, this camaraderie, my colleagues that. It was about We were the only game in town. And This stuff is in everywhere. What we had Yeah.
Grass isn't always greener. I'm happy, you would say I'm happy, but I. I miss. This.
Well, I did miss, you know, again, having started NFL Network and I was a single anchor show and whatever. Yeah. I and plus, you know, I was only on an 10, 11 million homes, ESPN in over 100 million. There's nothing, nothing compares to the platform of ESPN at the end of the day, even today, with different viewership habits and anything like that.
So it was an adjustment for me. You know, but you miss the people. I miss the people. Yeah, you absolutely. Again, so.
Rich Eisen here for Gusto. Right now everyone's trying to run leaner. Tighter budgets, smaller teams, higher expectations. The last thing you have time to waste on is manual payroll or chasing down an HR form. Gusto is how small business owners get time back when every hour counts.
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You know, the the other boxing story that I did. I did start to cover because I did go into Norby's office. I'm like, I would like a beat. I want a sport. Right.
Like the NFL wasn't happening unless like 10 people quit on the spot. Or you had pictures on somebody. Exactly. It was never going to happen in a million years. I did get baseball as a sport.
Which you love. Which I love today because ESPN Radio got the. Acquired the rights of Major League Baseball while I, you know, when I just first started.
So I did the studio for ESPN Radio's coverage of Major League Baseball. Big deal. It was massive. And I loved doing it. But I still wasn't doing anything for Sports Center.
So Charlie Steiner, because he was starting to call games for ESPN Radio and all games for ESPN Baseball. He said they took him off the boxing beat and they put me on it. And I didn't know a damn thing about boxing. I didn't care about it, but it was taking me to Las Vegas. It was giving me something to do.
And so. One of the first events I covered. One of the first events I covered. Was Holafield Moore II.
Okay. A rematch between Holafield and Michael Moore. And I went there, and it was me, Al Bernstein, John Saracino. Yeah. I am joined right now by Al Bernstein and John Saracino of USA Today.
Gentlemen, you're each going to have keys to victory. I will start with you and Evander Holofield. What does he have to do to win tonight? And they wanted a piece for the Sunday Morning Sports Center. And I decided to the piece I wanted to do was not on the fight, not on the boxing.
It was so you, but it was I wanted to sample the Las Vegas show scene and give a little flavor of what the boxing week was. I'm Rich Eisen. You know what? We here at ESPN, we've been here all week.
Now, what's it like covering such a huge, heavyweight championship title fight in such a huge, glitzy place like Las Vegas, Nevada? And so, I told you my idea. Yes. Now, again, this is the camaraderie that you miss, right? Like when you're not there anymore.
So I went up to you and I'm like, this is my idea of going. And you were like, this is a frigging great idea. You need to do it. You should do it. And I'm going to do it.
And so I told you the people that I was. already in advance of this shoot, getting commitments to that I could show up with a camera and interview them for the piece. And I looked at who was performing in Las Vegas at the time and one of them Was my first love. David Cassidy. David Cassidy.
My first love as a 12-year-old, David Cassidy. David Cassidy was performing live. David Cassidy. Hmm. I think that Moore will give him some trouble because he's traditionally had some problems with Selpaws.
But I think the bottom line is that Holyfield will win. And you are like. Can I possibly get an autograph for you? Right, back when we, you know, autographs were kind of a thing. But it's just for sure.
And I'm like, I'll ask for you, David Cassidy. You work for ESPN. I think you should know already that one of your future colleagues, Linda Cohn, is such a big fan of yours that she used to have pictures of you on her wall. You're kidding. No.
I got to tell you something. What? I'm a huge fan of Owen's. I didn't want to put you in a bad position, but this is my first time. Yes, which was brilliant.
Was to get you. to autograph your headshot. And sign it to him and put it on his mirror of his dressing room as if he's looking at you every night. This is my window wall. And she sent me some great stuff, and including this one, which is my favorite.
David, You can always reach me at Echo Valley26809. Oh. It was priceless. And I did that. You did.
And it was like the highlight of the piece. Linda, I've been calling that number, but it's disconnected. Could you send me the new phone number?
So I went around asking, you know, like the piece started with me and Saraceno and Bernstein at the pool. And then I got the ESPN to rent me a red convertible to drive around town. I had the Blue Man group in it. I had David Cassidy with your photograph up there. And he said something.
Like, I remember him saying something to Linda of you. Yes. Which was funny. Incredible. And I loved it.
And you thought of it. And I thought of it. And I put it together. And I did a live shot for Sunday Morning Sports Center. And I got up, asked crack of Dawn to do it because it was like four in the morning, got to be live for six in the morning Pacific for the 9 a.m.
Sports Center. And I led into the piece. And I'm like, you know, hey, stay tuned for later on. You know, well. We'll talk about the fight.
And we throw back, and Jack Edwards, who is hosting it, goes, thanks, Rich. Look forward to the fight. That's at 11:30 p.m. during Sports Center tonight.
Now back to the studio. We're looking forward to the fight. Like that. And I'm thinking to myself, what? I'm like, what's up with that?
You know?
But there, and again, it's a lot of people. I blocked them out. Listen, no, no, but there are some people. At ES Penn, certainly at the time, that were a little bit more hard-bitten or journalistically focused. Or jealous.
I don't. That one I don't know. He had a better position than me, and I'll tell this story too. Do you know my Jack Edwards get trying to take off days off story? No, but I think the world needs to hear it.
This is why I have this. was Sports Center. This is why I'm I created doing this. And then remind me to tell the people another memorable original idea by you. This is how we're this is how we're putting this thing.
Yeah. So And this is interesting as well for you to, as you said earlier in our chat, that you didn't have a so-called. Um, TV sports center partner that was dedicated to you and you to that person, right? It was very briefly. I do have a picture with John Anderson, if that counts.
Okay, so so again, that just so you were right.
So you would open up the way we learned our schedule back in the day. Yes, yes, is the schedule would be placed in the computer. Yes. And it would be for like April's schedule would be released in March, but sometimes not till like March 30th. Yeah, but you guys, you and Stuart and we didn't know what days sometimes.
Really? Because I would think, oh, why do you even bother looking? No, you're going to be. As a matter of fact, Stuart and I learned that we became a team by just opening up the schedule week after week after week. And seeing that we were doing the show together, no one told you and said, Oh, hey, we got a great idea.
You two would be great together. Never. Oh, that's breaking. During a commercial break of our early years of working together on Sports Center, Stuart looked at me and goes, Are we a team? And I'm like, I think so.
I'm like, has anybody told you? And he goes, no. And he goes, anybody told you? I'm like, no, I'm just seeing that we're doing it together a lot. Like, that's the way we learned we were 18.
Yeah. Um, but at any rate, that's interesting.
So, there was a whole process about getting a day off, yes, you know, and and you know, needing to ask in advance, yes. Or rolling the dice and hope that you got something called a Bristol Day, which was a day that you would just be asked to come in. Touch base, say hello, have someone see you. Catch up on some work. Yeah, well, that was the way that we would handle it.
Have somebody see you and hell out. The idea was that you're going to work at your desk and you're going to catch up on work and you're going to be there in case somebody calls in sick and you're the backup for that night's understudy. You could not leave town on a Bristol day. No, you had to be in Bristol. You had to show up.
Yep. That's what the idea was. But as you point out, just like say hi and get out and go hit the golf course or something, you know, or do something. Right. Or really roll the dice and leave town.
Now, that was a provocative act. But at any rate, there was a whole process. And the person who I believe was in charge of scheduling is somebody named Julie Paradise. That's who it was.
So I showed up as a 26-year-old. Fresh from Reading, California. Right. And the first person I met was Julie Paradise for the scheduling process. A name that should be another vocation for her.
Right. So she sat me down and told me the way this works with a schedule. There's something called Bristol Days. You're going to learn your schedule. You're going to see what show you're doing.
And she showed me how to log into the computer to see it. And I had the temerity, the balls, to basically say to her, listen. I know I'm just new here, but I didn't know I was getting this job. This has been a dream moment for me. I didn't know I was getting this job.
I have already. Paid for a vacation with my buddies from college and high school to go to Amsterdam later this summer. The tickets are not refundable. I've already got the hotels. I know I'm asking for vacation time two months into getting my dream job, but can I have that week off?
And she said, let me check, but I think that shouldn't be a problem. But I need to see who's already off that week because this is another thing that I'm telling you. that For your time off. You can ask for it, but if somebody with more tenure than you asks for the same time, like if you had asked for the day. You would get them off before me because you have more tenure.
More tenure, yeah. I was saying longer than you. Longer than me.
So she looked at it. She's like, the week's clear. You can have it. I'm like, because I mean, I didn't have a pot to piss in. I'm not going to blow away these tickets.
No. You know, so. Then comes the Jewish holidays. Uh-oh.
So I So I ask. For the Jewish holidays off. And I start thinking: all right, shit, I'm not gonna get it over Linda. I'm not going to get over Steve Levy. You know, like I'm starting to go to the bottom of the page.
He was there before you were the obvious Jews with tenure. Right. Karl Ravich, was he? I didn't even practicing. I don't know.
I wouldn't know. I wouldn't know. Okay. So I was told, okay. Yeah.
I was told this is a great story. I was told I couldn't have one of the holidays off because you asked for it off. And Jack Edwards had asked for it off. And I'm identified. Jack Edwards.
That's the way I said it. And Julie Paradise said Jack is engaged or just married to a producer who works there, who is Jewish.
Okay. So I'm like, wait a minute. Not on the peck. I'm like, I understand he's got. I literally said this to Julie.
I understand he's been here longer than me. But I've been a Jew longer than he Uh oh. I have tenure as a Jew. Yeah. Oh.
Yada, yada, yada. I work the hot hot baby. Yeah. It didn't work. It didn't work.
Did she crack a smile? I don't even think she does. Oh, my. I don't even think she did. I'm like, I've been waiting, I have more tenure in Judaism than him.
Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's a great story. This was Sports Center. 100%.
I don't know how he could top that. I don't know. It's so funny, man. But you said you had a story that you had to do. Oh, yeah.
So, one of the greatest original ideas, I mean, nothing can top, you know, David Cassidy having my headshot picture on his makeup room on the net. I'm thrilled that I got to do that. Right. And then he knew who I was. Yeah.
That's the other thing. He really did. And that's another thing we can talk to after I. I think I called you to say, guess what? Yeah.
He definitely did call me. I called you to say he knew you were. I know. And you know, when you heard that back in the day, I mean, you know, it's not about us being. Conceited, we weren't conceited.
We really were grateful every day to be in doing our dream job.
Okay, we were fans first.
So, yeah, when we found out that when someone that we admired knew who we were, and a lot of times it was not someone in sports, it was someone like us outside of sports. Sports, yeah, but again, you. You don't put people on pedestals, you know, you'll be disappointed half the time. But when they're like celebrities and different people in acting or music, you know, like when Jay-Z knew who the hell I was, I mean, that was like, oh my god. Do you know what I mean?
Rich Eisen here for Gusto. Look, the economy is a lot right now, and if you're a small business owner, you probably feel it. You can't control interest rates or tariffs, but you can control how efficiently your business operates. Automating payroll and HR with gusto is one of the fastest ways to cut friction and focus on what actually moves the needle. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses.
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Try Gusto today at gusto.com slash TWSC and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com/slash TWSC. One more time, gusto.com slash TWSC. I think you know the story. I wrote about it in my book Cone Head years ago, but it's a classic Norby Williamson called into the office kind of thing.
You didn't think you did anything wrong. In fact, you thought you did something clever.
Well, you know, there was that time where I talked about catchphrases earlier where, you know, sometimes people that weren't known for it, like myself, you know, you felt pressure to think of some. Right. So I remember it was Mike Piazza. Mike Piazza was still a Met. Yeah.
He was a Met. And, you know, the Mets were my favorite team. You, Mr. Yankee, I get that. All right.
Whatever. Yeah, whatever. You're Met Ranger. Yeah, Met Ranger off the off the, yeah, but I am NYX. Yeah.
Yeah. So that's a good thing, right? Knock on wood and wherever that is. Right. But yeah.
So Norby calls me in the office after Sports Center. Yeah, it was the next morning. And what I was doing over highlights, the pressure of trying to think of a catchphrase. And I had bounced this off a friend of mine who lived in North Carolina. She did graphics.
She was in the business. And I said, you know, I have an idea for a catchphrase. When a guy is up at bat, And he hits a home run because you are so great with home run calls, you know? Hits a home run. I think I have an idea for a home run call and a catchphrase of our highlight.
So, um, like, Whether it's Mark McGuire, Mike Piazza, Barry Bonds, as soon as they on the highlight hit a ball that obviously was going to be a home run, I would say, Mike Piazza. Master Batter. Oh yeah! Oh. Yeah.
Nobody, nobody, your graphics friend didn't think. No, you didn't. My graphics friend Susie didn't think. She thought, that's so clever. I think that's so subtle enough that you can get away with that and it will be remembered in a funny way.
And because I said it's so dry.
Well, it didn't take long. As I said, it only it was an open and shut case. It was a Broadway show that opened one show and closed the same time because Norby Williamson called me in and he goes, What made you think? that that was a good idea. Woo!
And I said, oh, okay. I thought it would be kind of funny.
Well, Don't ever do that again. And that was the end of the conversation. The only time, one of the only times, I think, that Norby called me into the office to say, well, I did, you know, don't say that again. Right. Um or just like, come on, you're you know, you're killing me.
Come on. Exactly. You're killing me. He's a fun guy. You know, so.
Was after the Broncos won up one of their two championships with Elway and the whole thing.
Okay. So 97, 97. Yeah. Yeah. So Pat Bolan was in the was in a convertible.
in the parade. With the Lombardi trophy.
Okay. And his spouse, who was, shall we say, blonde. Yes. And you know, maybe a decade or two younger. Younger.
you know, somewhere in that neighborhood. I don't know. I don't, but um I decided over the highlight of the parade say there's Pat Bolan. with his trophy. 'Kay.
That's great. And Norby calls me in because apparently some of our colleagues caught it. Didn't like it. What? Went to call 2149, which was his extension.
Extension. What? And I got a Rich Eisen, you know, 2149 call, and I called him and come in the office, and he said, What's up? And I'm like, well, Listen, I I understand some colleagues might be upset. But what did I say that's factually incorrect?
The Lombardi trophy. What's in his hand? Yes. The trophy. There's Pat Bolan with his trophy.
And just loved it. And he goes, you know, just you're killing me, you know, just like.
So that is, that's a classic. Yeah. That's again, clever, original, subtle. Just get it in there. And again, throw it in and get out.
It's very, again, getting back to stand-up comic, you could have been one. And like, really, like, that's very SNL-ish, just like other skits. And I was, you know, but truth is my total defense there. Like, I was talking about it some party cover. What are you referring to?
Right. I could have just thrown it on. Yeah, what are you looking at? That's right.
I'm looking at that beautiful. Shire. Yeah. That shows you he's one.
So which he's winning. Yeah, so which brings me to, you know, and now you can't say a damn thing, you know, about anything, anywhere. And for other reasons. Be careful. But when you brought up the age difference, I think of Bill Belichick and George.
Oh, my goodness. I mean, what could you have done for that? What could the clever lines that you had been holding? Don't touch it. Yeah.
Don't even go there. That's the whole idea. Could you imagine any of this what's going on? I'm Annie Blake. Oh man, before I let you go, this has been so much fun.
It's been fun so far. You know, Do you have a good Stuart Scott? memory. You got one for me because I love bringing him up as much as I possibly can. Your husband at the time was Stewart.
You would always refer to. Stuart Scott, you'd say to me, He's your stew, I have my stew, your stew. That's right.
The spelling was different. Stewing was different. Yeah, the spelling doesn't. But you're like, I got my stew, you have your stew. Because Stuart would always refer to me as his TV wife.
Yes. You got a feeling about that? That was. You know what? It was.
It was so obviously his world. Yes. Sammy Sosa. 33 home runs in the last 72 games. Sammy, Booyah!
And we were thrilled to be a part of it. You know what? And there were times doing highlights with him where he would interrupt me a lot. Susie. you know I had a front row seat because we were just friends at the time.
But I, you know, now my lovely wife of 23 years and counting. I would shoot, you know. I would say he's constantly jumping in on my highlights, you know, and I'm trying to do something. I would never do that to him. Right.
But it was just, he was just so effusive. Like, it was not. Like, I'm in charge here. This is my show. He was just a child, you know, he was a kid with a childlike.
enthusiasm to be the accessible. Give me the chest bow. I'm touching you on television again. Hey there, welcome to Sports Center back in the house with Stuart Scott. I'm Rich Arsenal.
No chest bump, I don't do the show. Start the show. You know, I miss him. Yeah. So I try to bring up.
him anytime you probably did that Hundreds of shows with him. Not only that, I just love that you bring him up because I think about him often and I know. It's gone 11 years ago. I mean, I know it's. It's unbelievable.
And does Ray have the Eagles back on the right road? But first, take us to Salt Lake Stewart. Aye, aye, Linda. Warp speed, we will beam it up. I think about the what world, what he would say in certain things that have come up in our world in the past 11 years.
Doesn't that happen to you? Caleb Williams from the Bears, Belichick taking over North Carolina football. Right. I need to hear from Stuart. You know, Wembanyama, what's going on with LeBron at age 41?
How would he do this highlight? No doubt. You know, regarding whoever, whatever. Me too. That's what's amazing because he was part of our family, our TV family, right?
Ahead, St. Patrick stands on his head and a big-time college hoop showdown. And the Los Angeles Lakers would try and score more than the 18 points the Minneapolis Lakers scored back in 1950. They do it, but not by much. Stick around.
My fun story is: so I was looking enough after a few years at ESPN. When did you get an office? Stuart had an office. I got an office. I know.
I was one of the last. I never got, I don't think I ever got one.
Okay, I bring that up. That's all right.
Okay, not to, you know, I've got one now. You have a big one. It's fine. You have much more now. But so I had an office.
And when Stuart would come, his Stuart was on the other side of the building, the same floor. Mine was on the opposite side. When Stuart would visit me, whatever, before a show, we would talk about something or whatever. That's what was so great about him. He could have just picked up the phone before phones.
We had phones in our office. Yes. You know, and call me, but he would come over. Yeah. You know?
And so. For some reason, one time he knocks on the door, opens the door, and I don't know what he tripped on, but he actually fell into my office. And I go, you okay, Stu? And he's like, oh, yeah. He goes, but you know what this means?
I go, what?
Well, this means every time I knock on the door and open the door and come into your office, I'm gonna have to fall. What he said? Yes. So literally. Tell me he did that every time.
Every time. Come on. True story.
Every time. He would come into my office, he would fall on purpose, and he kept that promise. Remember, his background was theater. That's right.
Okay. If Stuart did not become what he became, legendary, okay. He would be on screen and stage. I truly believe that. Just cuss, man.
Just cuss like a sailor. That's in now. They can bleep it out later. You gotta say that's a b. Cool.
He did theater in school. He was so good at it. And that is why on stage, he owned the stage on Sports Center, whatever stage it was, whether if he was emceeing something or whether he was, you know, in front of a camera, whatever it was. Hi, I'm Stuart Scott. Button.
But anyway, that's like one of my favorite Stuart Scott stories that. It was just so much fun. And then also, I just remember him always snacking and eating little crackers. He would never get weight. Never.
Never gave weight. He looks great. And he'd work out. And then also, I remember early American Idol. We both watched American Idol.
And we, you know, at work, we'd have to watch it because he didn't have DVRs or anything. Right. We'd have to watch it. Right. You know, and you had mentioned you're going to have Kilbourne on.
You know, I always remember Kilbourne. Uh Watching David Letterman. He wasn't watching sports at night. Tracks. He watched David Letterman.
Yeah, because he became obvious that it was so very transparent. You know, type of thing.
So, Stuart definitely, there was Denzel in him. There was this great actor in a movie. He could do anything, he could do Shakespeare. Chosen one, huh? I never knew that he would fall in your office.
Fall into my office. And he said on the spot, I'm going to have to do this now every time. And then committed to it. Committed to it. Because he goes, if I stop.
What would that mean? I'd be a liar. I told you I was going to do it. Yeah, true story. Wow.
Just one of the things that's what I love about sharing that. Oh, gosh. My pleasure. I'm glad you asked. Because it really freaks me out that people like, again, my.
My kids, now 17, 15, and 12. Last December, Susie and I showed them the 30 for 30. Oh, so they don't know him. Yeah. They don't know him.
He's been gone for half their lives. And then he was also at the point of his life too, when he would come out here. He didn't reach out to Susan and I. I mean, he was enjoying his life best he could. And then obviously he got sick.
Yes. They didn't know him. Yeah. And it's just like, this is. Mm-hmm.
This is our way of letting them know.
Somebody who is, you know, you were at my wedding. Yes. Stuart was at my wedding. You know, it's a, you know, it's in. My daughter Sammy remembers.
She's 34 now, right?
So she remembers Stuart Scott, remembers how nights he. He was to her. You know, Dan's just turned 30. A few months ago, back, so a little bit, but remember, my kids didn't know. No, they didn't know at all.
And I'm like, you should know who this guy is. And then, of course, I show up on there and I have hair and they had a fun time. And they're like, who's this? I know that. You know, and there's a photograph at the wedding because, you know, Stuart was the person who was always seeing that I wanted to be more friendly.
More than friends with Susie, you had a front row seat to that too. Yes. You know, and then Susie, you know, didn't want to, didn't want to just stay friends. Right. He would always play us to the middle.
Yes. And so on the day of our actual wedding, you know, there's a photograph of him holding my hand looking at the ring. Yeah. And, oh, there it is. Look at that.
This, there's a photograph right here. Awesome. And you can see the look on his face is like, you know, I told you. Love. But the other look is: we did this.
You know what I mean? Like, we did it. I get it. I get it. You know?
Yeah. Like, this is it. Like, I knew all along this was the plan. And he was, he was the major, he was the director of that screenplay.
Well done. No question about it. Yep. That's him in a nutshell. All right, I lied.
One more thing.
Okay, what do you think? There's this photograph that gets popped on social media all the time. And I don't know what it was for. I don't know if you remember it as well. Um, it's it's a I guess it was um a PR shoot or something, yeah.
It must have been, and they called it the golden era, that's what they called it. I think the headline was when we when we did it, they weren't calling it that in the social media world was calling it, but this is you remember this picture. I don't even remember. Maybe I was just blacking out that I was actually asked to be included in this, but I do love that the same graphics that's right. Is behind that, and is that look at that?
Was that pretty cool? Is that big show Bob up there involved? That's big show Bob Stevens right there next to the leaves and next to the rookie of the year. Chris McKendry. Look at Tarico.
Oh, look at Tarico. Rhys Davis. Reese Davis. Larry Beal, who I did my first sports center with. Aloha means.
Aloha means goodbye. And of course, the Gary Miller, who was just Gary Miller and I next to meet. Yeah, next to Stu. Yeah. So Gary Miller next to Dan.
And Is that we can't say his nickname next to Gary Miller in the corner. Who, me? That's me. That's you? That's me on the top left there.
I can't even recognize you. Who did you think I was? Brett Haber. No, it's not Habes. Oh, yeah.
You're talking about. I'll say it. It's fuckstick because that's what he called a cameraman once. That's what this show is about, is talking about that. Maybe we'll get Habes on this show.
Oh, my God. He'd be great. But no, but can we show the picture again? Because I can't get enough of this for sure.
So, Gary and I did the class, we mentioned in classic sports centers that you and Stewart did. Yeah. Uh Gary and I happened to be on the air. Doing the 11 o'clock sports center. During The OJ Bronco.
Yes. You were on with who? Gary Miller. We will be here to at least 1230 Eastern time tonight to keep you covered on this late-breaking and ever-changing story. We'll take you through step by step to one of the more bizarre murder stories ever.
O.J. Simpson, a pro football Hall of Famer, earlier in the evening, a suicidal fugitive, is now under arrest and in police custody. And we never got to speak. We were just told show up on the set because the Bronco arrived. Yeah.
It started happening before 11 Eastern.
So we weren't, you know, it was earlier in the, but just in case. We want you on the set. And all Gary and I did was sit there and watch our monitors and watch ABC News. Bronco Run. If I'm not mistaken, that was on during the Knicks playoff game.
That's right.
It was the NBA Finals against Houston. That's right.
Heading into game five of the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks were in guarded condition. In their case, that's good. Their guards, Derek Harper and Jon Starks, combined for 41 points in New York's Game 4 victory. The Knicks also had their way with Houston on the boards on the line tonight in New York in Edge and a 3-2 lead in the series. And it was also, because 30 for 30 did a great 1994 that day, June, and it was the day of the Rangers parade, which I could not go to because I had to do sports center that day.
And you were probably just about that. And now you're sitting on the set. Wordlessly watching the OS. Like, you don't need me. Out of here.
You know where I was? Where were you? Graduating from Northwestern Medill School of Journalism. I graduated that day and I went to a lunch with some of my fellow graduates and our parents in Chicago, Illinois, and I was in a sports bar. And they were showing these The high-speed chase or low-speed chase.
Yes. And a larger square, a rectangle. And then the lower part of the rectangle was the NYX. Rockets game that Marv was calling. And I just remember the whole bar would had their their their jaws on the floor watching OJ go crazy.
Yeah. And just because I I don't know what. Takes me over in my brain sometimes. I just screamed out. That was a flagrant foul.
And people are looking at me like, what's your malfunction, man? I'm like, that's a Nick fan. You're a stand-up cock. I just couldn't resist it. That was so funny.
And I'll never forget. Because the sound was up. Yeah. And the bar was dead quiet. And then they finally threw back to.
Um the game and Marv At the mic, the great Marv Albert was like, so we will keep an eye on what is happening. And so, but he said something like this in Southern California. Yeah. And we'll go back to it as conditions warrant. Pause.
Amazing. Here in the third quarter, like, ha ha. Like he somehow turned the page to battle play-by-play.
So you were on the set. I was on the same with Gary. You're graduating college. I was on the side with Gary.
So yeah, it's only, you know, we're only two, I'm only two years into ESPN, you know, because I got there in July 92.
So yeah, and I was there with Gary, and we're just, I'll always remember Gary leaning over like this next to me, and we were just like this, looking at our monitor was in the room. That's all we did. That's all we did was watch the Bronco ride. Yeah. Holy I know.
And I was two years away. And that was a big step in me being just only. Wow, that was a good idea. Yeah, and I think it was June 19th, 1994. If you had tapped me on the shoulder and said, you were going to be on Sports Center in less than two years from that moment, graduating from College.
When you were saying, that's a flagrant thing. I know. Being a total asshole. But wow. Yeah.
That's crazy. And all right, last one. Who'd you do your first Sports Center with? Chris Myers. Hi, and how are you?
I'm with Linda Cohen. Chris Myers, glad you could make it for the show. We want to welcome Linda to Sports Center here. She comes to us by way of Seattle and New York before that. Nice of Larry Loretta, too, to light up a cigar on your behalf.
Well, Chris, you know, I don't smoke, but thanks anyway. And we'll show you Larry's fine round at the Senior Open in a moment. But first, let's talk some baseball. You were there. He was there.
You're there. Love Chris Myers. Chris Myers was your first sports? Yes. Oh, it was great.
It was a Saturday night, 2 a.m. Eastern. With Chris Myers. Yeah, I'm here, you're there.
Well, the fact that Babe Ruth started his career as a top left-handed pitcher is not worthy of a did you know. But then that doesn't stop. Stop us from digging now. Did you know that 78 years ago on July 11th, Babe Ruth made his big league debut with the Red Sox? He beat Cleveland 4-3, but he was lifted, yeah, for a pinch hitter in the seventh.
A pinch hitter for Babe Ruth. Duffy Lewis singled for the babe and later scored the winning run.
So I guess it all worked out. That's oh, so good. He always told me I'd be on the good boat. What does that mean? That means, like, if you're out at sea and you're lost at sea, and there were two boats.
I'd be on the one that would be rescued with him. John? Was he drunk? I'm not sure. You're on the good boat.
I took it as a compliment, Rick. You know, he was there before me. You know. And he used to say, you're no good. Oh, that's right.
You, you, you're no good. Like, that'd be his, that would be for a strikeout or something. Yeah. You, you're no good. Yeah.
I remember that.
So good. It was so good. You didn't pass listen. Oh, so are you, Rich? I mean, this is a blast.
I could go on for hours. This is our Emmy right here. What a great way to. Start this show off here in this studio right here. I love that.
Thank you, Linda Cohen. Oh, gosh, my pleasure, Rich. Continued success. Thank you. I appreciate it.
And your next chapter, I still would come to one of your stand-up comedies. If I ever do that again, Susie would never let me do that. Oh, we'll talk to Susie. I did that once after knowing her, after I was on Sports Center in New York City. I was terrible.
I was terrible because I couldn't. I was out of practice and I was also, you know, I couldn't. But you know what's great about you? I was working for Disney at that time. Yes, you can't be you.
Your stages here allow the sarcasm. I'm happy to be.
So I love it. It does. It's perfectly Linda Cohn, everybody. Our final two episodes coming up on This Was Sports Center. Chris Fowler will be here and then Craig Kilbourne in that version.
Love it. Thanks for being here. My pleasure. And thanks for watching the latest episode of This Was Sports Center.
