Total Sports Recall – The Return

It is my hope that down the road this show can go live at times and then have a guest call in feature or a chat function where listeners’ comments can be heard on the show. For those familiar with this show and past episodes I was fortunate enough to have as a guest interview the likes of Terry Hanratty, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who was part of their 1970s Super Bowl winning teams.

Another Super Bowl champion player for the Steelers was Craig Colquitt who came on for an episode with Total Sports Recall. The first African American to play professional basketball in Poland Kent Washington was a guest on this show. Writer Michael MacCambridge who wrote the book “The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America” came onto the show to talk about his outstanding book.

For those familiar with Pittsburgh sports, several standout athletes were interviewed here. Listeners can always submit suggestions or a topic you would like to hear about by simply emailing the show at [email protected]. For those who have not listened to the show or know anything about me, a little background of myself and why I’m such a huge sports fan is something I’ll explain.

Having been born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this is the reason for the subline on my logo, “With a Pittsburgh twist.” My very first sports memory came in 1971 when I was 12 years old. Like it was yesterday, I can still see myself coming up on my father who was watching television and, on the set, he was witnessing the 1971 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles. The next vision remains in my memory to this day.

Roberto Clemente stepped to the plate and smacked a home run that helped the Pirates win that seventh game of the series and send the city of Pittsburgh into a frenzy as they celebrated their fourth World Series title. Immediately, the “great one” Roberto Clemente became by boyhood hero. My neighbor took me downtown to enjoy the frenzy.

One year later, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had never made the playoffs, a team that had been in existence since 1933, made the postseason bolstered by a young rookie named Franco Harris. Harris would become a hero in December when in the first playoff game against the Oakland Raiders, Harris picked up a deflected ball on a pass from Terry Bradshaw and ran to the end zone as the Steelers defeated Oakland 13-7. That single play has become one of the greatest plays in NFL history and propelled the Steelers into the AFC championship game that they would eventually lose to the undefeated Miami Dolphins.

A few weeks after the elation of the Steelers having a great season and set to play in the AFC title game, tragedy struck on December 31, 1972. I can still recall hearing the news from a family member the morning of January 1, 1973, when I was told Roberto Clemente, my idol, was killed in a plane crash as he was attempting to get supplies to survivors of an earthquake in Nicaragua.

To this day, it still seems surreal that the great one is gone. The death of Roberto shook then entire city of Pittsburgh and Pirates fans everywhere. It was a momentous loss to baseball, his home state of Puerto Rico, and humanity. There may never have been a finer athlete slash human beings in all sports.

With that said, I’ve been an avid sports fan since. Baseball was my first favorite and then came football which would overtake my interest in my sports favorites but then I began to latch onto other sports. Boxing became a huge favorite of mine and I watched tons of boxing matches and followed Mike Tyson’s career closely.

I found myself watching some golf but more so when the Tiger Woods era began as I was mesmerized by his skills. At one time I was following pro tennis, and I’ve seen my share of both college and the NBA and have memories from all the aforementioned sports. The Penguins began winning Stanley Cups in hockey and while not as big a hockey fan I do lightly follow that sport.

With Bruno Sammartino putting Pittsburgh on the map in pro wrestling, as a youth it was not possible in Pittsburgh to not pay attention to Sammartino and what he was doing in pro wrestling. Of course, in the ‘Burgh we had “studio wrestling” every Saturday featuring guys like George “The Animal” Steele, among others.

The UFC would eventually come along and as a big Bruce Lee fan growing up something that remains, I began watching mixed martial arts and quickly became hooked on that sport.

On a personal basis, I graduated from North Hills High School in Pittsburgh and then Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with a degree in communications and a minor in journalism. My original goal was first to be a physical education teacher and then I decided broadcasting was the path I wanted to take. That did not pan out, and I ended up in the United States Coast Guard as a radioman.

Since getting an honorable discharge from the military, I’ve enjoyed a 38-year career in the corporate environment currently working for a financial company in Jacksonville, Florida. So, my broadcasting career now resides with this podcast. I am also a professional writer with my articles appearing on the site “Abstract Sports” as well as writing for fellow Sports History Network member, Bob Swick and his quarterly magazine “Gridiron Greats. “

You can read my articles on my portfolio page found at www.clippings.me/totalsportsrecall.
This podcast will have a new episode twice a month that will be posted on or about the 15th of each month and another around the last day of each month. I’m open to comments and suggestions which can be sent to me by email at this show’s official email address which is [email protected].

Until the next podcast, this is your host Harv Aronson wishing everyone well and I hope you will tune in for my next podcast which will be posted at the end of this month. Until then, enjoy your month of January!