Athletes

What Was The Celtics Secret? Former NBA Great Bob Cousy On The Celtic Mysiqiue

Bill Thompson

He’s been called one of the 50 greatest NBA players ever. Point guard Bob Cousy played for the Boston Celtics for 13 seasons, helping them to six championships.

He was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1957, and was a 13-time All Star. Cousy was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Cousy attributes much of his personal success to the storied franchise he was part of – the “Celtic mystique,” it’s been called.

In fact his 1988 book was called Cousy on The Celtic Mystique. Late that year was when I had the chance to spend a few minutes with this NBA great.

Get your copy of Bob Cousy’s book

In this interview you’ll hear reference to the Miami Heat, which at that time were in the midst of a 0-17 start to their first season in the NBA.

So here now, from 1988, Bob Cousy.

Bob Cousy is 96 now. And he still wears Celtics green as a marketing consultant for the team.

Yankee Legend Mickey Mantle And His Favorite Summer

Bill Thompson

It’s the Yankees and Dodgers in the World Series, for the 12th time in their history. The last time was in 1981.

The 1950s, however, were all Yankees-Dodgers. They met in seven World Series in the ‘50s

The 1956 Series was particularly notable – in Game 5 that year, the Yankees’ Don Larsen pitched a perfect game.

There was a spectacular 8th inning catch that preserved Larsen’s gem – that defensive miracle was turned in by center fielder Mickey Mantle.

Get your copy of Mickey Mantle’s book

That was a great year for Mantle. He won the Triple Crown, leading the American League in homers, RBI, and batting average.

It was such a great time that Mantle titled his 1991 memoir My Favorite Summer. I met this Hall of Fame legend that spring to talk about it.

So here now, from 1991, Mickey Mantle.

Mickey Mantle was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1974. He died in 1995 at age 63.

Olympic Gold Medalist Al Joyner’s Encouragement For Runners

Bill Thompson

The 2024 Olympics begin today in Paris. Who will emerge as the heroes whose names we’ll remember for years?

Forty years ago9 in Los Angeles one such hero was track and field star Al Joyner. He won the gold medal in the triple jump, with a leap of an incredible 56 feet 7 and a half inches.

Joyner later became a renowned track and field coach.

And in 1987, he got another gold, a wedding ring when he married track star and fellow Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith, who became known as FloJo.

Get your copy of FloJo’s book

She wrote a book in 1998. Part of the “Dummies” series of how-to books, call3ed Running For Dummies.Tragically, though FloJo died from an epileptic seizure that fall, and never got to see the finished book.

Just a few months later, al Joyner went on a book tour to promote it. That’s when I met him.

So here now, from 1999, Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner

Al Joyner is now 64.

John McEnroe: ‘You Cannot Be Serious!’

Bill Thompson

As this year’s Wimbledon Championships get underway let’s recall one of the greatest professional tennis players of our time.

John McEnroe won 77 career singles titles, including three at Wimbledon. He also won 77 doubles titles, including five at Wimbledon. He is in fact the only male player to win more than 70 singles and 70 doubles championships.

Photo by Anefo / Croes, R.C.

It was at Wimbledon in 1981 that McEnroe came up with what has become his signature phrase – “You cannot be serious!”

As the years went on, he embraced and adopted the phrase, even calling his 2002 memoir You Cannot Be Serious.

Get your copy of ohn McEnroe’s book

He wrote candidly about his childhood, his career, and his 8-year marriage to actress Tatum O’Neal, which ended in a bitter 1994 divorce.

And we talked about all of those things when I interviewed him about his book. So here now, from 2002, John McEnroe.

John McEnroe is 65 now. He;s a TV commentator, and still plays in – and wins – senior tournaments.

Bill Walton: A Trailblazing Career on the Court and Behind the Mic

Bill Thompson

Hall of Famer Bill Walton was a 14-year NBA veteran. The #1 draft pick in 1974, he spent his early years with the Portland Trail Blazers, then the Clippers, then the Celtics. Nagging foot injuries eventually forced his retirement.

Walton then embarked on a successful career as a broadcaster.

Get your copy of Bill Walton’s book

I met him in 1994 when he wrote a book called Nothing But Net.

So here now, from 1994, just a few months after his induction into the Hall of Fame, Bill Walton.

Bill Walton died of cancer last week. He was 71.

Meadowlark Lemon: Beyond the Court to the Pulpit

Bill Thompson

For 22 years he was known as the “Clown Prince” of the Harlem Globetrotters. But for basketball Hall of Famer Meadowlark Lemon, there was a larger, much larger, purpose for his life.

When I met him in 1987, Lemon was eager to talk about not just basketball, but about God.

Just a year before our interview, Lemon was ordained a Christian minister. And proud as he was of his on-court accomplishments, Meadowlark Lemon had much bigger things on his mind.

Also, be aware that my very first question to him, as you are about to hear, was worded in such a way that his response was worded in the third person. I should emphasize that is not the way he normally talked about himself, but was simply answering the question the way I had framed it.

So here now, from 1987, Meadowlark Lemon.

Meadowlark Lemon died in 2015. He was 83.

You may also like these episodes:


Wilt Chamberlain

Walt Frazier

Buy Books / Media from Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, Now I’ve Heard Everything earns from qualifying purchases.

Super Bowl 21 Hero Leonard Marshall Reflects on the Giants’ Disastrous 1987 Season

Bill Thompson

This Sunday the San Francisco 49ers will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas This will be the Chiefs’ fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years. But big success one year doesn’t necessarily mean the next year will be just as great.

The New York Giants dominated the NFC in 1986, and they won Super Bowl 21 over the Denver Broncos in January 1987.

But the Giants began the 1987 season 0-5, and finished with a 6-9 record, missing the playoffs for the first time in four years.

A key player for the Giants at that time was defensive lineman Leonard Marshall. He had written a book in the offseason, called The End of the Line. I had the chance to talk with him about the book In early December just two days after the Giants lost an embarrassing game to the Washington Redskins. New York had a 16-0 lead at halftime, and lost.

but Marshall was in a surprisingly pleasant mood that day as we talked. So here now,
from 1987, Leonard Marshall.

Leonard Marshall retired at the end of the 1994 season. He’s 62 now and is involved in various business ventures.

You may also like these episodes:


Doug Williams

Terry Bradshaw

Buy Books / Media from Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, Now I’ve Heard Everything earns from qualifying purchases.

The Many Talents of Alex Karras: Athlete, Actor, Author

Bill Thompson

Alex karras was a star on the field for the Detroit Lions in the 1960s.

And then he tackled a new career challenge: acting. One of his most iconic roles was in 1974’s “Blazing Saddles.” He was, of course, Mongo.

And when I spoke with him about it, he almost sounded surprised at his own success as a writer.

Later Alex karras starred in the ABC sitcom “Webster,” and along the way he also joined the Monday Night Football broadcast crew. And that’s kind of where he got the idea for his 1991 novel called Tuesday Night Football.

So here now from 1991 Alex karras

Alex karras died in 2012. He was 77.

You may also like these episodes:


Dick Butkus

Bart Starr

Buy Books / Media from Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, Now I’ve Heard Everything earns from qualifying purchases.

Conrad Dobler

Bill Thompson

The NFL’s regular season begins tomorrow. By next February we’ll have another Super Bowl champion, And another year’s worth of memorable plays and thrilling endings.

But for today, let’s hit rewind and go back to an interview I did in 1988, with a 10-year NFL veteran, three-time Pro Bowl player, known for his alleged underhanded tactics on the field.

During his six years with the Cardinals, two with the Saints, and two with the Bills, his opponents often referred to Conrad Dobler as a “dirty” player.

So in 1988, when Dobler wrote his memoir, what do you think he called it? Its title is They Call Me Dirty.

So here now, from 1988, Conrad Dobler.

Conrad Dobler died last February. He was 72.

You may also like these episodes:

Dick Butkus
Sam Huff

Buy Books / Media from Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, Now I’ve Heard Everything earns from qualifying purchases.

Tracy Austin

Bill Thompson
Photo by Robbie Mendelson

To this day, no woman has ever done what Tracy Austin did at the US Open.

Austin won the US Open women’s singles title in 1979, when she was just 16, making her the youngest ever to win that title.

During her professional career, Austin won 30 tennis titles.

But by age 21, her career was all but ended by a series of injuries. That led to speculationand rumor about what was really going on with Tracy Austin.

In 1992 she set out to put those rumors to rest, and tell her story in her own words. Her book was called Beyond Center Court. And that’s when I met her.

So here now, from 1992, Tracy Austin.

Tracy Austin is 60 now. She works as a metwork TV tennis commentator.

You may also like these episodes:

Andrea Jaeger
Mary Lou Retton

Buy Books / Media from Amazon