THE ONE AND ONLY DICK VITALE

Achievement Award, and written nine books. But for me, his most important work, what's going to be his everlasting legacy, his relentless efforts to help kids with cancer by raising research, money, raising awareness, and providing love and support for so many families. We cover all this and a lot more in this episode. Dick is in rare storytelling form. I even tell how Mr Vittau played a role in my most embarrassing moment

in a TV student. You now the one and only take town Well, Mr vital my friend of more than thirty five years, thank you for taking time. I'm really looking forward to this, and I hope you are too. I talked about passion, because when I think of you, that's the one word that comes to mind instantly. All the things that you are passionate about that you live your life with great passion, but at the top of the list has to be your passion for your wife,

Lorraine and you guys. As we record this, just celebrated your fiftieth wedding anniversary, the golden anniversary. Man. I mean, everybody asked you, how did you do it? How did you get there? What's your words of wisdom and relationship? You know, one thing you know, Chris, Lorraine has been my best friend. She's been my best friend. She travels with me quite a bit, and she's been my guiding light.

She's my support factor. When I got fired by the Pistons, I promise as down as I've ever been in my life. I was really depressed. A lot of people don't realize, Uh, it's a knock to you. It's a knock saying you're not worth anything and you feel your value is down. And she kept encouraging me, inspiring me. Finally it was her that got me to go out and do a game for Espanngers. I said no to Scotty Conna when

he initially called me. He called me, say hey, Dick when I left these your last game you ever coached against Michigan and we number one in a country. We had a great team that year on twenty one in a row, and it was David Goliath. They wouldn't plays Christie in the regular season. We beat up My first year they were on the schedule, but they had Capital

and Russell. We upset him, and I couldn't get Johny were back on the schedule, and my players would come in all the time screaming at me, coach the number one in the country. We play with those guys and the summer we're as good as they are. Can't we play them? Well? The world came in work for one of my assistants. Where do you see the draw if we get the sweet sixth team we played Michigan. I said, qual a team meeting, and qual a meeting. We put

a thing up on a board. I said, well, you guys a bitch and the moaning complain to how much you want to play Mr Good We'll take a look right here. I know they're gonna be there with Hubbard and Green, are we gonna be there and lead? You played him in Lexington and doing the game Scotty Connell was there and I was in more Chris, I mean, Chris, I'm looking at a thirty seven years old I'm sitting in a gym at practice and I'm look at the stands. I see Kurt Gowdy. I mean, I'm a baseball fanatic.

What the hex kurk kark Downy doing here? Kurt Donny, we're all We're all series, super Bowls, Emmy Award winning to announce it, and next door the Wizard of West with John Wood. I've said, what the heck? So the third guy comes up to me, how going to be Scott and Connell hadn't know him at the time. He said, I'm ahead of NBC. This in our production and we decided to televise your game. Your game is gonna be televised. It's David against Goliath, and John Wood is going to

be the color commentator. Kurt Doddy's gonna do the play by play. Oh my god, I called my team over. Little did I know, Chris, how this change my life? I called the team over and I gave a three minute talk on the definition of greatness and how we utilize it so often, just for everyone, and it's really meaningless, and I'm guilty of that as well. Many announcers are. Maybe you're not, but I know many of us are. But the bottom line is, I said, this defines greatness.

Ten National Championships, Sports Emmys. I'm an audit these guys here, and little did I know we lost a heartbreaker. And suppose me Scotty when he called me up after I got fired on November November. You remember these dates, remember like my uh like my wedding anniversary made only second November eight, nineteen seventy nine. I got this zig so I get fired. The phone rings. You have to remember me, Dick. My name is Scotty Conn. I've just been named ahead

of hiring firing all at ESPN. I like to do our very first big game Wisconsin the pole. I said, what the hell is ESPN? Sounds like a disease, that's true, Chris, I said, sounds look at disease. I mean, you're kidding me. I want to get back where I belong on coaching in college. And that was the end of the conversation. That I sat back and I did what I was doing on a regular basis. As much of Luca Laura General Hospital, I was so depressent around the house and

my wife, so why didn't you take that? Fortunately for me, Chris. He calls me back ten days later and they said, look at me one there, last shot and my wife's screaming. Anybody taking the arrangement of And I took it. And little did I know that speech, because he said to me when we left the arena, he said, when we left the arena, Kirk Gaudy, you guys lost. We lost in the last minute. Was an incredible game we had at one point when I wrote it would be more

Kent at more Kent. Two months later, mar Kent wins the national title. My kids really felt that if we couldn't beat Michigan, we're gonna win the national title. But we're better to market. We beat him on their floor. So anyway, by the line is he's where we left, he said Coach Wooden and Kirk Galley said to me, Scotty, we love that young guy's enthusiasm. His energy is unbelievable. You should think about him and TV I wrote your name down. I wrote it down. I still want the

transaction you got fired. Well, I want to start a new career. That was it, and that's where you know. I've always you know, Chris Parishion. You mentioned Parishion started with me in my home. I lost my eye as a kid, and my mom and dad kept telling me all the time, uneducated parents, I mean fifth grade educated, working factories, but love. I had a dad, a doctor to love, and he kept telling me all the problems. Never Dick Ritchie, Richie wanted a big deal one on it.

You could beat what anybody else can be. You've got such she never said passion. It's always energy, your energy, Richie. They can't hold you back. Well, I think that that's you. You were. You were away ahead of the curve talking about the topic of bullying. So many kids go through you. You knew, you knew it as teasing. It wasn't known as bullying back then. But how many times, as a kid and then later on in life, for various reasons,

were you told you can't do this? Whether it was the I or you're not smart enough, You're not slick enough to do this thing. You're not uh classically good looking enough. I think you're plenty good looking. But you know what I'm saying, how many times in your life were you told you can't do this, but I love you anyway. My wife said worse, I said, classically, no, I mean, but you you bumped up against that, as so many of the athletes and the coaches you covered

over the years. You bumped up against people telling you what you can't do, what the limits are in your life, what you can achieve because of an obstacle that's been put in front of you, man, and that you've lived that from age five, and you've you've kicked its ass. Well, you don't uh. When I was in a little league, so I was a pretty good picture man. I got an order said to me about oh God, a year ago.

I got an article said to me a year or two ago, and in the article, one of my former players on my team said it to me, and it's Richie Vitale just misses little Hall of Fame, which, by the way, I got into some big honor at William Support. But I used to throw hard. I just throw hard. And one game I struck out I think was sixteen out of the eight team matters had a no hit, perfect game, and then a kid at first base the ball rolled through and they gave him a hit. My

uncle's my uncle's were all believing all factory workers. My finally had nine brothers and sisters, my mother and I that come to the little league games, and they loved everything I did at sports because there was sports fanatics. And we must have been went hell of a cheering section. I'm hooked to be de vite healt cheering section for all striking guys. That must have been unbelievable. And they

were michaelcal Franklin Patam in particular. Uncle say they fanatic base offensive when when they rule the hit on the plane, they come running scream to the part. I gotta come little league, I said, calmed down, now we won the game. But you know I pictured a little league and I'd actually hear Chris and like you said, you said while you did your research, obviously, Uh I was I was doing with teasing, teasing, but it hurt, Oh, it hurt. It was my eye used to I don't remember what.

But I worked with you. I don't know if I work glasses when I worked with you, I didn't work contrast initially, and my eye used to drift. My eyes. I could never look you straight in the eye. If I'd be on t V. I'll do this all the time. To turn to try to hide the fact that the eye drifting. So what happened? When I'm picturing a little league I got? I'm don't really hard. I got well as the fathers are olive it, the war fans and the other team screaming out, does he know where he's going?

Look at his eye? Man? I look at his eye? Oh my god. I was like knives. I'd go home after the game and my mother would catch me in my room hysterical as I'm staring at a mirror. I'm looking at my eye. I get emotional thinking about it right now. And I've tried and try and my mother see what, Ritchie, what's the matter? I said? They teased my emotion of it. They teased, and I can't control it.

There's nothing to do. You know. Usually if you're in control of what you do, you could, you could contain it. But I couldn't control it, and just frustrated me. And I thought that all the time, and I tried to hide it with smiles on my face, enthusiasm, energy with people. But down dirt deep, they really kind of kind of my heart. I always thought, when this bulliant thing started a few years ago, I'm gonna share this because it's just ridiculous with people do to people who have no

control of the situation they're dealing with. And fortunately for me, I gotta lucky break. My wife, Lorraine, went to Dr Giles. I always tell him so thankful to him. He's a pot he's a pediatric eye doctor. But he was looking at my daughter's eyes and typical annual evaluation. He saw the name and he said to my wife, So, I'm a big basketball fan, he says, an in relation to Dick Vital and that's my husband. And he said, look, I'm gonna ask you something I said. He talked to

him about correcting that eye. He said, because I know I could do it. Even though I'm a I would make an exception. I don't work up at adults, but I'm very good. I'm he was very you talking about Michael Jordan me and confident guys like that would swack. He said, I'm the best of what I do. Man, He says, I would stricken that eye out for him if he if you're gonna operate under the eye, you better have confidence in the guy doing it. I mean, that's that's my only eye, you know. Here's the deal.

So now I'm home and I said no. And then finally one day at ESPN, and I used this in my speech because he was near. When I got inducted into the Sportscasters Hall of Fame. ESPN had a big table here. Everybody was there, from John wild Hack, Steve Anderson's, all the executives. President Jordan Vot had introduced me um. But I saw Steve in the boot back memories and in my speech and my speech, I said, Steve, I gotta thank you, because it wasn't for Steve. I called

Steve up. Was in charge of all our talent at the time, remote talent. I don't know if he's in charge of you guys in, but he was in charging all the remote guys. And I called him up and I said, Steve, I'm resigning. I've had it because what happened on a Sunday we're in the studio. I believe it was John Saunders. I think it was Jimmy v I don't know. Work in the studio on a Sunday

and look out, we usually asked the reception itself. Anybody called screaming and yelling, and if they screaming, you know, you know we did a a good job. We got somebody fired up, No except one guy. One guy keeps calling up once the President's number wants this. You want you off the ear because you're oh my god. It was like, I can't tell you the fielding Chris, you went back to that bedroom when you're five years old, the same emotions and the same bottom line is. I

was so hurt. So I came home. I quote for Steve until Steve the next day on Monday that I'm resigning, and he said, don't be ridiculous. We didn't hire you. If about your eyes. You've had you for your knowledge and do it, and you please don't. But then I couldn't sleep, and I told my wife. I said I'm gonna go see that doctor. So I went to see him, and he said I could take care of that. I Dick, I swear I could take him, but you have to sign these papers, he said, because there's always a chance

during surgery that's something could go. And I've never lost he said, I've never lost vision in a child's eye in doing surgery in my whole career, and I don't plan on losing vision. However, what I have to tell you, I have to operate and your good eye to fix the bad eye. You had something a pooling the muscle to get Oh my god, and that put me on

the lay totally. I said, right, doctor, I just can't take your chance and my good eye and something happens, and he said, I'm telling So I went home plused and turned about it for about two days. If I they went back to let's do it, and he did it. And he someone to put you in contact or in the thick glasses and changed my life. But the bottom line is the bottom line. People can be mean. People

can be mean. And I said on social media as well, you know, most people are a great ninety city to people, but it's we live in a society. People like to hurt people sometimes and it just it frustrates me. But I go ont of my way when I see somebody struggling physically and I went walking or whatever seen somebody. So when yesterday in a wheelchair walk and it was struggling over a curve and I couldn't wait till I do over and say, okay, help. I don't know I well,

my parents, my parents or my guide in life. I would give anything if my mother a father ever ever saw the home I live in and the things that happened in my life, they're blown away. We had one bathroom growing up as a kid. We had a nice little home. Don't get me wrong. We had a nice little home, and we had so much love, had so much love, and we need more in that Chris, and you heard me when I spoke at my gala, and I mean this so so much. We need more love

in a nation. That room you were there was filled with so much love in that room by people like yourself. The little Holtz Is, the Bruce Arians, all the stars that were gathering, all those kids. You can feel the love people have for them. We have too much hate in our nation. I don't care whether one is black, rich, poor, white, whatever, Muslim, Christian, Jewish. I mean, we gotta all you me. We gotta trying

to put her arm around each other. And if anybody would, if everybody would adopt the philosophy that I grew up with my mother and father and my dinner table. I learned more of my damn dinner table than any class I ever took. I got my master's in thirty because I was preparing for Option B. I always believe in life that you have. Option A was my dream to be a college coach, but option B was more realistic

to be a principal, being administrator after coaching. So I'd go at nights even Trui sandwich in the car of the basketball high school practice. Won't get my master's degree. Mike fritell Overgie out to bottom and I'm in the back of the room, the three of us chasing these dreams. Bottom line is, but I got lucky, You've got option B. And I just feel that it is important in life to be able to do to do the things and away and my mother and flows. So never ever believe

in camp Ridgie. And the second thing, there's always telling me, oh, treat people like you want to be treated. If you treat people like you want to be treated, like God, what a world would have. And I think that's a simple philosophy, and we don't have it right now in this nation. We don't have it. There's so much to get into. I definitely want to circle back to the Gala and the power of that evening and the passion you have and the compassion that you have for the kids.

I want to talk about that. You said a couple of things there though, if people only realize the depth of the hurt they create by some off handed comment, it's done so loosely and so freely and so thoughtless. Sleep And anybody that's that's working to sort of make people aware and end bullying and teasing is doing great work because there is way too much of it in the society. I want to circle back to something else though.

You know you you're a giant and what you what you do, and you have been for a long time. Yet there's still that sensitive part that one random idiot who calls the switchboard and chooses to make a point about your eye bothering him. You said it h you alive, and it caused you to lose sleep, and that that hurts me to hear that. But it also look look

what it turned into, Dick. Look what random caller and the hurt of that turned into you making the decision, having the courage to make a decision that you said was life changing. And I think that's something else that is an important lesson to take away, is all the hurt, all the things that you feel if you if you spin it can be viewed as a possible growing experience

and a life changing moment. You were able to do that and find the guts being Maybe maybe if that random idiot doesn't call the switchboard, maybe you don't take that path, or maybe it takes a lot longer to get there. It's I think it's a good lesson for people. I appreciate that so much, and I really, you know, I don't want to make it like people feel sorry. Whatever. I've lived the hell of a life. My life succeeded any dream, you know. I couldn't dream of a better life.

I got the gorgeous wife. I mean my wife I just made you should congratulate me, but you didn't. I just got all of fame, I mean, like fourteen all the face, but I got into Twitter. I got into a new one because I wanted you guys. Nicky Me has been in a lot of all of paps. But now if the looking at his wife, I can tell you this, he's in the overachieving all of fame. And the guy's right, he said, but anybody knows the ring

like you do. She's just saying, she's just saying I was the greatest I do I ever said fifty years ago, fifty years ago, it was unbelieving after she said I don't, I don't, after she said no to you asking her to dance three times. I've heard you tell that that long story, which is very fine. But persistence at ad persistence and confidence and a little swag, a little swag

that you had even back then. Add that to the list of things that's gotten to where you are right now, because that was an important moment right there, Man, no doubt about it. We would get together a bunch of coaches with gianta botto, tell us all those guys we get to. You have to talk about him in North Jersey. We had so many great coaches in North Jersey. I mean, you think about him or Luke Kemp and Lli really messed me. You know, the beat goes on. But anyway

you'll be brown. But that situation where she did reject me. But the third time, man, I took the fast ball. The first time I took the curve ball, and she tried to throw me a slider. But she couldn't get the slider my me because well, the guys bet me, Chris, they met me at the table. You know how, guys are ten guys sitting here and I'm going over to the dance ms this. She showed me a picture by the way, at the fifteenth Universe, I didn't even know

she had. At our big family gathering at this restaurant, my wife pulls out the pitches. She says, you always here. She always she was me Richie. She never called me Dixon. You always here, Richie. She was telling my daughters, your dad always told them about me my pants when he met me. Well, here's the picture. And she hasn't picture with the white boots and the hot pants. I would. She's like twenty three years old. And all I can say is wow. So the bottom line is bottom line

is all the guys. They were ragging on me like you couldn't believe, given high fives that I'm getting rejected. Finally, stuff I rejecting to my second time, I watched him turn out about ten guys asking her to dance. Finding a third time, said I am so piste off, I said, do me a fan of guys throw money up here. I'm not a betting guy. I bet I get her

on the dance for guys broke tens, twenties. I grabbed the money, the juice, I grabbed the one he asked me to bottom and I grabbed the money and I go over and said, look, look, I don't want your name, I don't want anything. I just bet my guys. Just please, I said, let me ask you a question. You look so pretty coming out here tonight. I've been watching to turn down all these guys. What is of dudes that get you excited? And you turned out at least guys asking you to digits. I mean, all I want to

do is dance. Ch I don't want nothing but a dance. She says, you want to dance that badly? I said, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll even give you the money. It's like I said, everybody's gonna price. She didn't take any money about the bottom line is dance. And we've been dancing since then. One day, Yeah, May nineteen seventy one, that's the that's the same month that Amtrak started running its trains that the probe to Mars

was sent. All in the family won the emmy. I did some research, and you guys are married and that what what an eventful month? And and uh again, congrats on the Goldmen anniversary. Now now Terry and share your two daughters, you guys, raised two beautiful daughters who were talented in a lot of ways. And that's the reason

I met you and Nick Volitary Sentence Academy. We were doing features on high school kids and they were talented enough, even if they didn't have a famous father, to get on the show, to go down there, and that's where we that's when we first met. And uh and then little did I know at the time that life was going to take me to work in college basketball. We're gonna work together for fifteen more years. But but thank god your daughters played tennis, or I would never we

never had that meeting. Maybe for a while. Sports has been part of our life with my grandkids, you know, Chris, But you never pressured him, right, you did. You didn't pressure your daughters to play You didn't. You didn't pressure them to play basketball. You don't pressure your grandkids as passionate as you are. You know, some grandparents step into that and they kind of impose their dreams on on

other generations. Well, the only thing I imposed is you do something, do with the best of your ability, pursue it with a passion and ply. It doesn't mean you're always going to succeed a lot of great players out there competing trying to do what you're doing. But as long as you could do every day, my message and a young person I might be checking in on your podcast is try this out. Try this formula out every

day of your life. When the night ends and you go look at the mirror and the night is finished, can you say to yourself, I was better today in pursuit of my goals and dreams that I was yesterday. And if you do that every day, that just adds

up like you can't believe. And you know what, Chris at this week were had some real good restaurants called Cafel Rope here in sarah Sota, and we had the fourteen of us with us, all my family and my son of what Chris's mother was there and Lorrain's brothers and his wife as well, and all my my family, which is five grandkids, son of laws and daughters. I got very emotional, and I'll be honest with you, I

told him. I said, usually I'm not speechless, but I start crying a little bit in terms of you know, you know, at my age now you're thinking about am I gonna see my grandkids graduate college? And when I watch them play tennis, let's go through your mind. And when I told him and I tried to impact them

with make good decisions in your life. There's so many people, I said, I can't comprehend sometimes how people are so driven to be a success and put an hour after hour, whether it be law, whether it be medicine, whether it be athletics, and then rooting all in fine minutes by making bad decisions, unresting violence or whatever, drugs, alcohol abuse, doing it and rooted everything that they worked so hard for.

I said, there's one thing to pray that you guys, and you girls, my granddaughters, well, I said that you make good decisions and don't become one dimensional. Don't become defined just by thinking that tennis tennis is the equalizing the success in life. Get to know when you're in Notre Dame. Get to know when you're at the kids next day, there aren't athletes. There's there gonna go on many of those and be CEOs and major major companies and be super successes. And I got a little emotional

about it. You know, as a as a as a dad, and as a husband and as a father, I've been very blessed to have a situation where have had great job to me, It's a great job in forty some years doing what I love, getting paid to sit at courtside some of the greatest games over the years, meeting some unbelievable people. Um. Then also the fact, you know what I do off the year, I probably made more money off the year than on the year. With speaking

has been great to me. While watched the speakers with over thirty years and booked me all over the place. Commercials over the years have been incredible. Uh. But the bottom and then I have a wief that to come home toon is no you know, there's no tension, There's no She's just such easy person to get along. If I couldn't get along with Lorin, I'm in trouble man.

She's a saint. So fifty years of having that in front of me, having a support factor like she is, and then on top of it, getting two girls that I can honest truly, Sarah here Chris, they never gave

me one ounce of trouble ever. Ever while they were in school over Here's for a reason they have been really if anything, and I said it during my speech, and I'll tell you so, I have one critique about Terry and Chris, Sherry and Thomas is this, your life is just too too much centered everything your kids, your kids, and you don't do enough alone about yourselves. I said, you're everything is them, Then you've got to do things

a little bit by yourselves. And said, I know it's easy for me to say that because when I when you guys grew up Terry Sherry, you grew up your mother and I that's all our life was everything. When you guys did your tennis tournament matches, you know, going out and a forget one match. They're gonna play there. They're not see it big tournament in California. This is unbelievable, San Raphael. It's the preliminary to the big national tournament. So all the kids played it to try and get

a little warmed up. New making the transition going to California. Terry and Jerry, they're not seeing they end up meeting in the finals. The now I had to sit there and you gotta make a decision, And fortunately for me, I didn't have to watch the match because I had a speaking engagement ane the thought they were going to go to the finals. I was speaking engagement the next day to Princeton University. So I'm gonna go there to speak at a basketball camp, but not I think about

the NBA at the time. So my wife, I'm conveying back and for my wife, And be honest with you, I would never tell Terry Cherry this, but they could better hear it now. I wanted in the worst way Terry to win, because Terry was two years older, she was in junior. I was recruiting time college coaches all there, the whole net at Sherry beatcher in three sets, in an incredible tie break, a third and the ninth grade of wins. Yeah. So, and it really bothered me because

Tennis magazine, it was a magazine, it was whole. I think tennis magazine, Chris, I don't think gets out anymore. And in that magazine they did like a feature on the kids that went in that tournament. And I wanted so badly for she was a julior going to get recruited. And but anyway, you're you're like you were kind of an early miniature version of Richard Williams. You had these

two talent a daughter. I'm not not they weren't quite Venus and Serena but I mean don't don't go no no no no. But I mean the dynamic no no, the dynamic or sisters competing and what that puts a parent in, like how you wrestle with that stuff. And uh, Richard had a hard time, you know, didn't like when they played each other, and he would he would leave as you did, as you had to leave that day. But that that's a that's a great story. It's not watching even my grandsons. Now, I know what I love.

I'm going right after we do our thing here, I'm going to watch Cornor and Jake work out. I love watching the workouts. I hate watching the matches. So the point getting I've lived a life. That's why I love giving back. I love giving back because I was given so much, much more than I ever dreamt over the thought of my life. And that's why Chris and you

know now I'm obsessed for raising money for kids. I mean, I'm obsessed to the point where I drive people nuts of text messages, pictures are articles because it's so important when I talked to a family and I hear the stories and get to know the kids. He was I mean when we had our press conference the other day when I had my gallup. We have a press collage, you know, usually have five o'clock and all the kids sitting there. With the kids, we bring courageous kids. I

mean kids. Joshua Fisher, young kid, twelve years old and twelve fifty doses of chemotherapy, Western herman four times, brain cats four times. He's in his fourth battle doing fifty two weeks of chemotherapy. And when I talked to the father the mother, the pain you can feel how their voices is unreal. And the kid is such a hockey player, Oh my god, you shouldee him play hockey and not good terrific. So when the father called me about six

months ago, I guess and tunes his voice. I heard his voice, Jared a great guy, super person, young guys, got three kids, and I can tell by his voice what's going on. Heared, So we just got bad news. I said, what's the bad news? And I'm hoping him of crossing my fingers is not what I'm sting to think. I said, what's wrong? He said, Western, he did his quarterly checkup and he's been so good for two years. Cancer or remission. The doctor said to bring too much

come back and they have two options. One they can do surgery, what's very dangerous to do because he's had two surgeries already and it couldn't lead to paralysis. And the second option is you have a choice fifty two weeks of chemo. And he took the fifty two weeks of chemo to show you the toughness of this kid. About two months ago, he's doing chemo and he tells the doctor, I'm playing hockey tonight. Thanks, I gonna play hockey time. You're not gonna be exhausted. I'm gonna play hockey.

Jared calls me up. He says, you're not gonna believe it. He said western and throwing up the car, throwing up on the law. He's inside putting his hockey uniform. Mind right now, do you want to play hockey? Type? And he plays with older kids? You start team now, he's playing like fifteen year old kids. You scored three goals. Was in a paper Big rights to assists. So I mean I had a conversation. I met him and his

parents and we had a conversation about that. After you have mentioned that in the speech at your gala, and uh, you know, we took some pictures and I was. He was very modest, He's very low key about it, and the demeanor that he has is is really impressive. You're right, you you you put the spotlight on so many special kids, and I know that the compassion and the love that you have for for Weston has just duplicated many many

times over the years. There's been so many kids that you've gotten to know them and their families, and it's it's it's a labor of love because and it's authentic because you know their stories, you know their treatment histories, you know their parents stories, and and being able to just salute them and let their parents and those kids stand in front of a crowd that jumps to its feet and it's clapping and cheering and saluting their courage

has an unbelievable impact. That what we'll get a little bit more into the gallo, which by the way, raised what over a six million in one event this year, which is a staggering tump total in his way over forty million now. But but but what is it about pediatric cancer, Dick and and those stories and those kids that has made this, you know, kind of a lifelong passion or a decade long passion for you. What what is it about them and their stories and this disease. Well,

you know, no kids should suffer. It should be all playing like my grandkids. And I always have the fear. I mean, I hear stories just the simple headingche kid named Kyle Peters is a mob works in the courthouse when my smilar works. Kyle came down with a situation, the headache. So what do you do give the mad villa? She said, you give him something eating bad, but then go away. Now you go to the doctor. Just says, oh my god, the m r R. It's gotta tuma.

It's got a tuma. And to show that money works. Chris and I think I may have mentioned that at my gala. If I didn't, I know the youngster mentioned that at my house when he spoke. He's in college now, Kyle, he was twelve years old this time, playing Little League baseball and something. I've known him that many years. But at my house we have a post yala. For a lot of people don't understand. We have a post People

donate big money to join. People like you who came people's celebrities joined in with them in a casual dress kind of atmosphere. You and I closed the house party. Thought about one in the boarding stories about USP had stories stories. We'll get to that later. We go back to the stories were great. But anyway, Kyle's mother about three years ago, the galla ends and she comes over to me and she says, I want to talk to

you in the rain and everybody's leaving the gala. We have a great successful jalla and she cuts to an up and then she says, I want to thank you for saving my son's life. I said, I saved your son's of life. I was anybody's life A doctor and a she's don't. When Kyle went to All Children's Hospital with his brain cancer, they said the research granted that was given in memory of Peyton Right who lost her life. That's got me really going the neighbor of mind and

went to her funeral six years old. Just crushed me. Or live in American dream Patrick and Holly, nice home, nice job, and all of a sudden, child, it's cancer changes in your life. I watched that girl get blind, I watched that girl get paralyzed, and then I watched her lose her life and went to the funeral. But she said the research grant that you raised dollars for. They said that research brant for brain cancer Save Kyle, and Kyle is cancer free, has been for the last

seven eight years. He's now in college at Central Florida. I mean stories like that just I mean, I can't describe what I felt like when I left that. I mean, no, I I think that's the thing too, is that I know how you feel. You feel exhausted and dream because you put so much energy into it. You incredibly generous person in many ways, but especially in that But I

think you need to know. Maybe you hear this, but I'll tell you as someone that's been there and was very honored to be to be given an award there a few years ago. Believe me, because cancer has touched my life and touched everybody's life, really far too many lives. But people like me Dick leave that room and I know that the number is staggering, and the dollars do

go to real work. But beyond that, you leave people inspired to go out and want to do more, and want to care more and want to be more generous, better people. And that has an effect when they see the example you set and you see the power of that evening and the effect that it has in their kids and their families. I walk out of there, they could you know Ship, Yeah, I write a check, but I want to do more. I want to care more. So thank you for the gift of being inspirational in

that way that that is gonna be. It already is a wonderful legacy of the event. It's what's done there, but it's how it makes people feel when they go out of that room and out into the world. Well, I appreciate that, Chris, I really do you know. I remember you Jimmy V. One time I will never forget and really got me going. I mean, I can talk a whole day about this stuff, and I don't want to do that for people. But Jimmy V. I went at the hotel, of course from ESPN, getting ready to

go work on a Monday, and I'm having dinner. He went up to his role, and all of a sudden, about twenty minutes later, the girl of the receptions from his over and she's h jim Valvanolson, can you please come up to his room? He said, to appreciate very much going. So I go up to his room and I'll never forget this as long as I live. He's in Shurance and he's crying, punching the Jim. Mean, what's going on? What's he said? Take your worst tooth thick to run through your body. I feel that every day.

And I knew that he had turned down request by dot Is to do morphine to try and kill the pain, the pain, because he believed in his mind I had taken it. These proof f's here and there. I'm thinking that morphine that means I'm done. I'm finished, and I'm not finished. I'm gonna be one of those people gonna beat this. They said, like Tempest be what he had, Well, I'm gonna be one of those. And he just fought and fought and went through that pain. And we sat

there and talked him, Man, I'm be honest with you. Uh, my last conversation, I can stimulate you said, where do I get inspired? My last conversation with him was right after I introduced him, after the SPS first SPS and Uh, it was unbelieving. He got h the Author Ash Award, the first recipient of it. I was introduced by Dustin Hoffman and he talked about Arthur Ash that he brought me up to introduce Jimmy. I thought, Jimmy, what's gonna

just say? Thank you? Sit down? Because if you saw him that night before and the day of the sp he would never believe he could get up there and give that speed. He was out of it so much. So I badly begged him the night before to make sure he came because what happened. I went over with Joe where the car going over, and I just thought it's gonna be another event. When I went to rehearsal the night before, I was blown away with what they were gonna do and all this. So I called his

house up and you know, his wife's typical. Pam said, uh, he's in a room just down and you know, please get him on the phone. So you got on the phone. I said, Jimmy to mar is gonna be special man? He said there, he's very low key, you know, I mean, hard to believe this guy can get up there and give that speech. He says, you think I'm worried about Dick, worried about getting some words or whatever. He says, I'm gonna see my little girl Frederick Grammar school. I'm not

gonna go walk my daughter down the island. Man, I mean, he's got me in tears and he's got me you know, it's come on, Jimmy, you gotta tough enough, you gotta you know, you gotta be here. Mike Sachowski and his wife flew with Jimmy. And in fact, if people go to my Facebook, on my Facebook, they're gonna facebook the real dick my twel We opened it up with there's a thing victory V for victory, and it's all about

Mike and I sharing. We're writing a letter. We write a letter about the night before the night before the SPS, and it's all about how Mike's talking about in a plane, Jimmy's throwing up like Crazzy and the plane in the back he he and Mickey flew him up, flew up, togetting them and if you remember, we had to carry him on the stage before what a lot of people didn't know this before that really a couple hours before or hour whatever it was before, I knew he would

the way he felt. So I was trying to grab someone's system there. It was putting on the event to me be bring the microphone to him sitting down, so he sees me talking, what are you doing? Is I'll try to make it easy for you, man, Dick, Dick, I didn't come of it. Just get me up on that stage. Please just get me up. And in this video I'm talking talking about that's on my Facebook. Mike and I write on our arms because we're just get me up on the stage. And he got him up there.

I thank you. I stood here for the whole time. I would have never stood there for five minutes. I would have I sat that if I was given us. It was the most electrifying moment. I can't thank ESPN enough for allowing this to happen. And I'm gonna work as hard as I can, you know, for cancer research and hopefully we'll be maybe we'll have some cures and

some breakthroughs. And i'd like to think I'm gonna fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the author asked recipient, I want to give it next year. I know I've gotta go. I've gotta go, and I got one last thing. I said it before and I'm gonna say it again. Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are gonna carry on forever. I

thank you, and God bless you all. So I pulled him up the next day, twelve hours later, after he electrifies the nation with that speech, I called up maybe around noontime for eight in the morning. Flight from back to the home, I got home against twelve one o'clock whatever it was. My answer machine was loaded with coaches caller who A lot of them maybe didn't think Jimmy was that ill, you know, and and they swart at

speech and they were blown away. So I called the tell a great job he did, and how that was my last conversation. I hope, bam. She said, is phonus off the hook? He's not talking to anyone? He talked about one. He took one phone call the president of the United States. That's the only coll we tooked. And I said, well, I'm not the president, but I want to get on the phone. Get up on the phone. She's she's in his room. He's been crying, he's been I said, Pam, please get him on her phone. So

she get him off. You know, you could barely hear him. Christmas a guy that was lictrified laugh and people go, you know there's this album. During the conversation, Yeah, it's over, man, he's over, Jimmy, don't talk like that. You can't quit, you can't give up. No more speeches that, no more. It's done. I said, I love you man, I can choke them. I love you, Jimmy. Jimmy. He said, you gotta keep fighting, to keep fighting. And it just was my last conversation. And he died right at and died

shortly after that. Went to the funeral. But think about his legacy. Had jid Dicky had everything he had left and and found some what he didn't think he had put into that speech. And you said electrifying, and it is a message that lives forever. It's it's words that have inspired millions of people that live forever. It's inspired other generations who now come to find that speech and don't even know what he did back coaching career. They

found that and that's a that's an incredible backstory. A lot of that stuff I didn't know about what it took to get him on the stage and what it took within him to stand there and deliver that message that will live forever. And I'm not surprised that it that it It took everything that he had left at that point. I mean, the ending is obviously brutally sad.

The finality always stabs you in the gut. But to think about what what he left the world and what he will be remembered for is more of those twenty five minutes that even even running around on the court after NCY State beat Houston in a national championship, it's that. It's that moment on that stage. You know, Chris, think

about this over a quarter. I'm proud to be on the board of directors and my dollars I raised for the found There's all pediatrics, but the the foundation itself has raised for every form of cancer, Wenna be loved, process, the coal of breast cancer, whatever. Over two hundred and sixty million dollars. That's a quote of a billion. So think about Jimmy's life, think about the legacy, the impact

of that. Winning that national title obviously made this a scenario where his message became bigger and bigger because his personality was known by many people in the sports world. But the impact it's had on so many lives. I mean, to me, isn't that what life is? If you can leave this world and knowing that you've impact people forever. That's what Jimmy V did and did it in a way that was just I will never forget standing there.

Listen to that speech. In fact that my gallup. I always tell people and every time I do a speech there there's three things that are gonna happen in this mood tonight that Jimmy used to always proclaim with vital to live in a full day. You can be moved to thought. You're gonna be moved to laughter, and you're can be moved to tears. It's gonna happen. And that whom that happened, There no doubt about it. Every gal I have is people thought, it's laughter, and then there's tears,

and there's tears. But you know, so proud to be able to you celebrity who in a way to be able to get entree. See what what I have going for me now is I'm able to get entree. Would keep people who could donate. I just need more. I need more athletes and more entertainers and work people out there to come forward, come forward and realize Christ there's only four cents out of every dollar goes for funding for kids. That's when people donate for Cancer for Research. Pet.

Actually there's fourth cents of that dot dollar. That's a shocking statue. You repeat that every year, that that four cents goes to Cancer for Kids research out of out of a hundred cents. Why why that makes that? Makes no sense? But it's you're you're slowly making people aware of that and perhaps changing it and doing doing some phenomenal work. Hope to do it. Anyway, I don't want to.

I want to talk about listening you you mentioned, you mentioned the tears, the laughter when I work with you guys. When I when I was in the studio with you and and uh Jim Balvano, those were for me some of the greatest memories. I mean, it was so much fun as a host. I didn't have to work for you hard because you guys each were brilliant communicators. You had your own dynamic on the set with each other. Yeah, you always come me the Junior Varsity. That's okay, I

I could. I was. I was able to step up as a j V host and work with two giants and that was a blast. And you know we've talked to the other night you mentioned you mentioned closing the closing your backyard down till one o'clock in the morning after your gala, telling old stories about some of the behind the scenes stuff at ESPN. But I find never seen it. People come up and say, oh, I like you when when you by tower together. But you know, we watched and we were never sure like that these

guys like each other. Were they friends because we would throw you the friendly jabs. You you would call me the j V on the air, by the way, that's all right, and I would I would give you the business and you know, and you I never gave you the credit for getting a bracket pick right that you wanted. But but I think it was interesting. People thought like, I don't know, maybe they don't get themlong, maybe maybe there's a problem there. But I thought that was just

good TV. They were the key key people guessing that way, get a spark going, you know. Well, you know, I'll tell you we had so much fun there, there's no question about it. Uh. Really, you have a great gift. You a lot to get your people to really respond and get them really as a host. As a great

gift you zess and you did a great job. And that's certainly with college game that you were off the charts what you did with their But now you went to the big leagues and you got there as doing that play by player in the game in a week and you ocur do a tremendous job together. And uh, really, I'm very proud to say that I've watched you growth. We are we aren't today, that's right, kind I'm gonna

stop you right there at all. I get uncomfortable people start paying compliments here, but I you know how I feel about you. I think that Yeah, I will say I told the story, and I'll tell it quickly here the shortened version. But my lowest point is a broadcaster because I don't raise my voice. I don't really get angry. Uh in a studio or on a set, I try to be composed because people look to the host role

as as kind of the point guard. Right, You're supposed to be in control, keep your cool, and if you're not, everybody kind of feeds off that. It can get sideways. But I had bronchitis one time one of our March Madness weekends, and we had Dale Brown x LSU coaching there Diggers over here to my left, they had a little friction. They didn't have a great relationships, and I we gotta deal with that. You're over there doing your thing. I don't have to worry about you. But but these

shows are free formed. There's no script, there's barely a format. So segment by segment you're figuring out what you're gonna talk about as you're in a commercial break for the next five minutes, and it involves listening to a producer a little earpiece, and it's chaos in the studio. Dale doesn't know what he's doing. He's new to it. He's trying to diggers over here. His mind's going everywhere, and

there are you. And every commercial break you're having seventeen conversations because you get an unbelievable ability to do seventeen things at once and then still still somehow put your mind on the job when the red light goes on. That's been one of your secrets, I think. But as a host, I'm like, what is he saying? What are we doing? What? What region? What games? What highlights? What's

the comment? I don't know what we're doing? And commercial break after commercial break, like no one else in the sets paying attention but me, And then as we're counting down into the segment. Out of the break five four, you would turn to me, what are we doing? What are we doing? And I would like have two seconds to take But it never matter. You always got through it quickly. But I'm being I had a fever of a hundred and two. I had no business being on

the set. I should have been getting a treatment in a clinic. But you try to soldier through and get get on with the job. Finally, after about an hour of this kind of show, we're in a mirtial break and the producer's freendth I was laughing when Billy Graff was a producer of this show. He's still a great friend. He's still involved with with your galut. We were laughing the other day and and finally, finally I snapped. I

was completely unprofessional. I lost my cool and I turned to you in a commercial I said, m F would you shut that f up? And then and then you said you looked at me like shocked, because I that was I tried never to be that person. I tried to keep my cool, but you didn't make me do it. But I lost it and I was a low point, and that's on me. And you jump up. You grabbed a little lave of their microphone which is on your tie. You take it off. You got one foot off the set.

You're out. You've tapped out. I've I've I've made I've gotten vitesail off the air, which has been impossible to do for their year. But then you come to your senses. The guy's counting down three to you, sit down, put the mic on. You shoot me a look. You give me like the Malocchio it's called right back in the neighborhood with the Eva. But then you go through like no nobody would know anything. You you nailed the segment.

You're doing your sual thing. But every time that you're not talking and I'm not talking and Dale's going on or Diggers going on, you're looking at me. I go, oh, no, we're gonna have to have a reckoning. We're gonna have to have a come to Jesus about this next conversial break. And we did, and we sorted out, and I loved you for the fact that you don't have a glass jaw man. I mean you can. It's essential for people

to really enjoy working with somebody. Yes, yes, be sensitive, but but be able to take a punch and come back, and by god, you we we calmed down and by the end of it, it's hugs and kisses and yes, I love this guy. I got really mad at him once, but that was that was a wild situation. But you you you just kind of you kept going like nothing had happened. Hey, let me just say this, if university, my wife has said a help a lot worse what you said to me. You know, what are you kidding me?

If I would have if I would have a guy that holds the grudge, I'd have been gone a long time ago. But the bottom line is, you know you love people. I love me. I know you well. I mean, we got a great relationship. People be shocked, and I really have such respect for you. As it was in that room and we went to bed that night, my wife said, man, you just feel like I could see and Joyce sitting there with Cristal all night talk and I was like, I can blow all day to guy.

It was the guy that's the stories talking about every notch, just basketball, Tennant's based on life, talking to it and it's just fun. It's just lots of fun. You're a very inquisitive mind. We talked real estate, talked investments. I missed you, man. I do miss work with you. I I did fifteen years and I love college basketball and you're infectious enthusiasm for your passion for it was a big reason why I got into it before I even got to ESPN or covered it. I really missed those

days and I looked back with immense fondness. iBOT working with you guys and those it was it was a blast. It was It was fun and in a different way than football is or tennis is. It was just it was such so much about the personalities, just being around you guys. Right now, Chris, I've been very blessed the last five years. I've done the semi final and championship games on ESPN International. That's all over the world, not

here in the States. I sleep with CBS as the as the Rights may do a good job Jim Nanson Company. But you know, I've learned in life. You know, people say to me, don't you ever miss that? You never ever like we're at a network that had the whole tournament. I don't miss any of that stuff. I to me, do I miss you know? I'd love to have here. I'd love to be a good looking guy. I love to have that big body. Sexy people go a while for me, even though I think I'm a very sexy

guy at eight. Anyway, it modified you can't have everything you want. You can't have everything, so you take what you have and you do the best of what you can. And I think all of us, all of us that have talked about over the years, guys that yourself, myself, like Tarikos, and we go on the list is unbelievable. We've been able to do things we love. And to me, there's nothing greater. My father worked. He pressed coats in a factory in effect, from seven in the morning. I'll

never forget this has inspired me. Seven in the morning to four thirty five o'clock, press coats, white tee shirt, sweat like pitt brought me to hear to the end of my junior here and I changed my life my end of my junior He kept me Richie Rinchie. Go to college and you don't want to do what I do. You gotta brain go to college. I don't go to college, omen and film. I was gonna buy a car, a three year payments, go out and get a job like

all my uncles and cousins did, and family did. Bottom line is I watched what he did then they come home. I learned more at my dinner table than any class I ever took. I learned about love, I learned about diversity. I learned about tough times. I watched my dad come home on Friday and night said, put X number of dollars on the table from my mother. I was for food, X numbers for the insurance man. Come pick up this insurance, and then X number of dollars. Every Friday night, every Friday,

I'm gonna close with this. Chris gonna get hold them. And every fighting night we would take us out to dinner for pizza. So when I had my dream, I was chasing this crazy dream to be a college coach. And all of a sudden, Howard Garfinkle just got into Hall of Fame as a contributor. Howard Garfinkel, I didn't really know at that time, came to hear me speak

at a bank. We're closing up my high school winning to state championships in a row, and he was there and after the event he said to me, are you going You're in a hurry us Now we're gonna go to a diner. Was a camel Wing diner when he strut from Jersey. Is still there. It's a twenty four hour diner. I used to go to her all the time. They got a big kick. I was there a year ago the rain taking a little memory lane. Where at

Todt High School. While we were at Coach High School, at Totton Elementary School, and then the diner, it was always every day don to diner. So whenym I go to the diner and Garf says to me, you belong in college. I said, well, that's nice to you to say, but I've got more rejections and the Dino Harvard gives out. I've written I don't know how many. And I was realistic, Chris. I wasn't writing Kentucky and Duke. I was writing the schools or Columbia schools. I thought, can I be a

graduate assist on twenty nine years old? I'm doing anything man to state championships. In high school, I ran camps, I ran clinics. I started at twenty three doing that because I just want a chance, an opportunity. I couldn't get one. So he said, I'm gonna get your college job. He said, I, I mean talk conversation every day with college coaches about players coming to my five star camp. Well,

you belong in college, calls me back. Thought's just I thought it was just another conversation we stayed talking about like you and I talked about two in the morning after the bag but they died his own eating eggs and saw us in all the stuff you shouldn't do by lay, I don't do that now, but I'm sitting there. The rain was with me at the time, and uh, we leave and I figured that's probably the last thing. Hear um all the thing. Calls me up about a week later, he's done. Look up to you if you

want to do it. So Rutgers University as a new head coach Dick Lloyd. I talked to him about you soldier big time to him. However, he's already interviewed six guys, already been in six and he's ready to make his decisions. Like on a Tuesday Thursday, he said, he's ready to make a decision. However, if you want to go down to morrow and be interviewed, he said, based on my relationship, he'll interview you. But the chances of slim so I told him, if he interviews you, he's gonna hire you.

So I said, I'll go to the head with that. I got gonna lose the first interview I ever did in my life. So I go there Chris, and I told this story that the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Dick was there, Howard was there, and I told him as I was an honor day here because Niko. He had a kick out of this his interviewing me. And after about an hour and a half, two hours interview, and he says, are you in the hearty? I said not really. He said, well, come over me. I want

to give me my wife and family. So now my head is race, What would you want me to be his wife and family unless he's interested in me, really interested. So I leave there after me in his family, and I come home and I give my wife a big high five. I said, I keep believe this. I said, I really think he liked me. However, I'm not going to get the job. But it was a great feeling sharing my insights and what I could do recruiting what

state university. All of this, and five minutes later after I did at the phone rings, he says, I just want to make sure you got home. Er, I gave you enough time. Honously, You're home, okay, I said, I am. I said, thank you so much for the interview. He said, Dick, Dick Howard's right. I want to hire you right now, Chris. I burst in tears. I said, you serious, said, well, hright right now. So I grabbed my wife and give him high five, and I said, we are going to

go celebrate. We're gonna go where my father and mother used to take me all the time, and I understand it still exists, new owners. Obviously, Barcelona's pizza place. We'd go tore have pizza Friday night as a family. It was a big throw for them to take us out, assistant brother and I. So anyway, I go there with my wife and as only a wife could do, to ruin the party, ruin my feelings. She says to me,

by the way, what are you getting paid? I said, well, I'm making right now, twelve thousan in a year with my master's summer camp, with my job teaching. I said, this gotta be college twenty five thousand, I would imagine. So I don't even know. I never asked him. So no iPhones I run the pay phone. I call him it on the pay phone, A said, Dick, Dick, it's not gonna change my mind. What have I'm I'm just curious what am I getting paid? So what are you

making now? As I make about twelve thou He said, it's great, You're only gonna take your cup for a thousand dollars. It's going to come back to Lorraine. I said, patience, pride, patience. I'm taking the job no matter what. And you know, Chris, when they gave me my first set of recruits, there were players like you, players like Steve Anderson's, Mike Tariko's. Who we're gonna be? Who are gonna be? Uh? I want to be Kentucky. They thought I was crazy. I want to be Kentucky. I want to be I want

to be Caroline's and Dukes. They said, Dick, be real. I'd be real. I said, understand this, and this is a message for anybody listening. If you think you're mediocre, you're gonna be mediocre. If you think you're special as a white can't we as a state university. I can't convince two kids from Jersey, New York or Philadelphia to a year that's eight players. I can't convince two a year to come to Rutgers to play at Madison Square Garden.

You're crazy. So I'm going after the best player. I said in a country Listen, you're a nuts man, Bill Sellers, Thomason Jefferson High School. Check the record books out, check who holds the all time records and score. Check who led them to the final four. In seventies six, you had to shy interverted Robert Montgomery night and the last undefeated team Indiana. You had Michigan with Harvard and Green and Johnny All, you had you c l A and then you had a school call Rutgers and those kids

were unreal. That open doors for me to get the university troite job. And again I was told, can't you can't get fans in here race Riots a couple of years prior, nobody would come out. They'll good to go back to the urban suburban area. And I said, you're crazy. If you give people a product and you give them something to get excited about, I plan on doing that. We're gonna get people. And we sold out. We had twenty one in a row. So again I can't step in part of my life. The biggest mistake I ever

made career wise, though, Chris was. I ran to a situation I didn't give it as wat as I should have. Jimmy V told me you belong in college. He said, you're gonna go from the University of Detroit, Like I went from my owner the NC state to a big time college. Don't think about the NBA. Well, when they offered me the job, Mr Davidson, you know I was. I mean, I'm teaching sixth grade in nineteen seventy, coach in high school seven years later, I mean loft of

the job as the head coach of the Pistons. Six figures a year, new cars, uh wellkn expensive account, the whole bit, I mean, unbelievable. I couldn't believe it. So I took the job thinking that I could change things. Well, you know what the n B a right now, you could coach And that was my doubt. For the owner treated me like wild. He was so good to me because he kept saying all the time, Dick, you want to get it done in a year or two. We know it's five years. You gotta be patient. I said,

I can't. I can't take this beat. I could coach on blue in the face. I can't beat Koreeman a Lakers, and I can't beat Dr J Moses and the Sixes. I mean, it's not happening, and and it just and then what happened to me even made a tougher other. Forget this, you get a great story out here. Bob was at my gallo when you're. Lanier stayed at my

house and all that, and we talked about memories. We're playing the Lakers and were getting ripped Jimbars having a field day inside and Lanier taps me on the shoulder. He's sitting in his beautiful thousand dollars of that time, it's expensive thousand dollars. Soon he's got knee prod knee surgery. Next to him in a beautiful suit is my power forward out for the year. With a blood clot. John Shoemate going to day. So I got Shoemate and Linear is next to the assistant countries. Lania taps me on

the shoulders. I figured out our problem. Look, Jape, we have no inside game. I turned us this no ship. You're sitting here and Shoemate and to tell him we have mom inside came. Give me a right and that got me fired. And Lorraine kept telling me. You can't keep telling me owner that you can't win in it. Finally, November eight nineties seventy nine, pulls up to my house, limousine the range that I'm going around the block until

the limousine leaves prepared. You're getting fired this year, out of your mind, getting fire at four and I think six at the time, something like the four to eight four and six. I said, no way, twelve games, we broke records last year. Ten minutes was my first year here. No way, geez, you're getting fired. And Bill Davidson was a low key guys you can have gonna be brilliant man came in. He says, Dick, I hate to do this, said do so he made a coaching change. Coaching change.

I was some dumb father. I said, what does that mean? Well, A, you're fired. Bottom line is, but I don't want to lose you. I want to make you exactive vice president. Give me some title that as I'm not interested, Mr Davidson. I'm going on my own. If I can't be doing what I want to do, I'm gonna go. I'm a old and you know I cried I'm a very emotional I cried, I was. My buddy labeled me in New Jersey a boy, a ball of dream. He's always said

to me, Richie. Stacey Saragana said, Richie, you're a boy, a ball and a dream. And I was, and it was taken from me. It was such a learning experience, Chris, because Lorreen said to me, you know all those people you think of friends, they were so shits. There are social friends. You're in your hand. I'm calling people up. I bought with friends, not getting returned phone calls, couldn't get interest in this. Nobody would give me a right time and day that nobody cared anymore about. You know,

your one state championships. You went to Rutgers into a school that never had a great player like that, going nobody I wanted to talk about the Troit I only wanted to talk about, Gee, you didn't get it done with the Pistons. You didn't get it done, or really I never gave myself enough time to get it done. But the bottom line is it turned out to be the best thing of my life because have I stayed in Chris. I had one thing in me that will never change, never change that would have lead me to

my death. Early I could handle losing, losing even when I was in. It took me to get over losing, even losing the game that people said, oh you your favorite. I always believe when I went on the floor that night, they're always gonna have answers to win that game. And when that didn't happen, I was visible to be around. I don't think there be any fifty universe. I'll say that right now. I really don't believe it because I

just couldn't handle losing. Well. You found your path in life man, and and and I've said this before, but thank you for your passion, your inspiration, your generosity, thank you for what you've done for me. Thank you for taking time here. You went into overtime, but I appreciate that, and you delivered and and bless you, Dick. I love you and and and thanks to you. Just you just keep doing what you're doing for as long as you want to do it, because a lot of people are inspired,

not just me. That was so much fun for me. Dick was generous with his time. In fact, we've went into overtime. I don't know if you caught it at one point he said, Chris, I gotta go, but I'll leave you with this that. About nine minutes later, he finally wrapped it up. It's beautiful. I am so grateful for the almost thirty five year friendship with Dick and his wife Lorraine. It's been really inspiring and fulfilling for me to be a small part of his team to

raise money for pediatric cancer. If you're able to join his team, I'd urge you to go to Dick bytal dot com. That site has some inspiring content. It's sort of a hub for all of his fundraising efforts. That also some very good sports content on there, so please help if you can Dick by tal dot com. I hope you enjoyed the episode. As always, I'm very grateful for my co executive producer Jennifer Dempster and the editing

skills of Jason white Kelt that helps us out. If you can rate, review the podcast and leave feedback on my Instagram at Chris Fowler, talk to you soon.