Sports Heros
09-29-2016, 11:06 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Sports Heros
Do you have sports heros? I suspect many do. Every kid has superheros and knows that his chances of meeting them are rare. Be they baseball, football, bicycling, hockey, golf, or whatever. Care to share? To see them live is always a great thrill. An even better one is spending some time with them.
For me the sport has always been auto racing. I started going down memory lane trying to think of the drivers I’ve actually met like Moss, Gurney, P. Hill, G. Hill, Fitch, Walters, etc., and that got me to trying to recall what major races I attended and who was racing. I wished I would have kept a record of the major races I attended over the years but since I did not, I must rely on my fading memory. If you never followed racing these names won’t mean a thing to you but they bring back good memories for me.
1960s
During the 1960s I was fortunate to attend some great racing events and see racing legends in their prime. At the 24 Hours of LeMans over a two-year span the USA legends included Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Richie Ginther, Masten Gregory, Briggs Cunningham, Bob Holbert, Augie Pabst, Dick Thompson, Bob Grossman, Walt Hansgen, ‘Lucky’ Casner, ‘Fireball’ Roberts, and Bill Kimberley. The legends from Great Britain included Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Trevor Taylor, Roy Salvadori, Paddy Hopkirk, David Hobbs, Mike Parks, Peter Bolton, Bob Olthoff, and Innes Ireland. Legends from other countries included New Zealand’s Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme; Germany’s Wolfgang von Trips, Hans Herrmann, and Edgar Barth; Belgium’s Oliver Gendebien, Willy Mairesse, and Pierre Noblet; Mexico’s Rodriguez brothers; Sweden’s Jo Bonnier; France’s Maurice Trintignant; Italy’s Lorenzo Bandini.
Returning to the states I attended the Indianapolis 500 time trials for five straight years. Several road racing hero’s were there, some all five years - Jim Clark, Dan Gurney, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Denny Hume, Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory. The American legends over that five year span included A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Roger Ward, Jim McElreath, Dick Rathmann, Troy Ruttman, Roger McCluskey, Eddie Sachs, Lloyd Ruby, Jim Hurtubise, Duane Carter, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Gordon Johncock, Walt Hansgen, Jerry Grant, Jim Hurtubise, Al Unser, Mel Kenyon, Art Pollard, and Wally Dallenbach.
1970s
For two years in the early ‘70s the City of Pontiac brought back street racing with hay bales and snow fencing; several sanctioning bodies shared the same opinion “You’re Nuts”. It was; of course I was there. In year two Warren Tope driving a McLaren CanAm car was killed. Decapitated by an unsafe guardrail setup; racing on public roads was banned by the State.
After a 10-year lapse from Indy I returned to Tom Sneva break the 200 mph barrier, plus I saw Janet Guthrie and Clay Regazzoni.
1980s
When Formula One came to Detroit in the early 80s I saw Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Martin Brundle, John Watson, Didier Pironi, Eddie Cheever, Niki Lauda, and Rene Arnoux.
At an IMSA race I saw Derek Bell, Al Holbert, Doc Bundy, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Brian Redman, Hurley Haywood, Lyn St. James, Howdy Holmes, John Andretti, Bobby Rahal, and even Bruce Jenner.
I attended three Indy 500 races and saw Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan, Michael Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser, Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi, Pancho Carter, Jqcques Villeneuve, Danny Ongais, Arie Luyendyk, Geoff Brabham, Scott Brayton, Chip Ganassi, Garry Bettenhausen, Roberto Guerrero, Dick Simon, Fabrizio Barbazzza, Derek Daly, Eddie Cheever, Kevin Cogan, and Scott Goodyear.
1990s
In the 1990s I enjoyed seeing CART racers Alex Zanardi, Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, Gil de Ferran, Greg Moore, Bryan Herta, Robby Gordon, and Scott Pruett.
I also saw the NASCAR boys like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Buddy Baker, Davey Allison, Ken Schrader, Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Dave Marcis, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Hut Stricklin, Morgan Shepherd, Harry Gant, Alan Kulwicki, Sterling Martin, Dick Trickle, etc.
“Vintage racing” throughout the 1990s was my main interest. Watching sports cars and sports racers from the 1960s on tracks like Road America, Mosport, and the Glen was the best! Events like 30th Can-Am reunion or the Glen’s 50th anniversary.
2000s
I made it to my first SCCA runoffs and was thrilled to see Kent Prather win G Production in his MGA; his third national title in the car and he would win three more.
I attended three Formula One races at Indianapolis and saw Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, Juan Montoya, Rubens Barrichello, Coulthard, Button, Trulli, Fisichella, Raikkonen, Alonso, Verstappen, Sato, McNish, Webber, and Massa.
At an IRL race I saw Tomas Scheckter, Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish, Scott Sharp, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Rice, Robbie Buhl, and Buddy Lazier. I attended a couple IndyCar races and saw Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Oriol Servia, Danica Patrick, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Graham Rahal, Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Justin Wilson, and Dan Wheldon.
2010s
MG car club activates dominated my schedule in this decade. I have not attended any major races and just a couple vintage races. I helped to setup the course at Put-in-Bay to enable vintage racing and celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Collier Cup at the Glen.
Who are your sports heros? Who have you seen or met?
For me the sport has always been auto racing. I started going down memory lane trying to think of the drivers I’ve actually met like Moss, Gurney, P. Hill, G. Hill, Fitch, Walters, etc., and that got me to trying to recall what major races I attended and who was racing. I wished I would have kept a record of the major races I attended over the years but since I did not, I must rely on my fading memory. If you never followed racing these names won’t mean a thing to you but they bring back good memories for me.
1960s
During the 1960s I was fortunate to attend some great racing events and see racing legends in their prime. At the 24 Hours of LeMans over a two-year span the USA legends included Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Richie Ginther, Masten Gregory, Briggs Cunningham, Bob Holbert, Augie Pabst, Dick Thompson, Bob Grossman, Walt Hansgen, ‘Lucky’ Casner, ‘Fireball’ Roberts, and Bill Kimberley. The legends from Great Britain included Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Trevor Taylor, Roy Salvadori, Paddy Hopkirk, David Hobbs, Mike Parks, Peter Bolton, Bob Olthoff, and Innes Ireland. Legends from other countries included New Zealand’s Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme; Germany’s Wolfgang von Trips, Hans Herrmann, and Edgar Barth; Belgium’s Oliver Gendebien, Willy Mairesse, and Pierre Noblet; Mexico’s Rodriguez brothers; Sweden’s Jo Bonnier; France’s Maurice Trintignant; Italy’s Lorenzo Bandini.
Returning to the states I attended the Indianapolis 500 time trials for five straight years. Several road racing hero’s were there, some all five years - Jim Clark, Dan Gurney, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Denny Hume, Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory. The American legends over that five year span included A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Roger Ward, Jim McElreath, Dick Rathmann, Troy Ruttman, Roger McCluskey, Eddie Sachs, Lloyd Ruby, Jim Hurtubise, Duane Carter, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Gordon Johncock, Walt Hansgen, Jerry Grant, Jim Hurtubise, Al Unser, Mel Kenyon, Art Pollard, and Wally Dallenbach.
1970s
For two years in the early ‘70s the City of Pontiac brought back street racing with hay bales and snow fencing; several sanctioning bodies shared the same opinion “You’re Nuts”. It was; of course I was there. In year two Warren Tope driving a McLaren CanAm car was killed. Decapitated by an unsafe guardrail setup; racing on public roads was banned by the State.
After a 10-year lapse from Indy I returned to Tom Sneva break the 200 mph barrier, plus I saw Janet Guthrie and Clay Regazzoni.
1980s
When Formula One came to Detroit in the early 80s I saw Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet, Keke Rosberg, Nigel Mansell, Martin Brundle, John Watson, Didier Pironi, Eddie Cheever, Niki Lauda, and Rene Arnoux.
At an IMSA race I saw Derek Bell, Al Holbert, Doc Bundy, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Brian Redman, Hurley Haywood, Lyn St. James, Howdy Holmes, John Andretti, Bobby Rahal, and even Bruce Jenner.
I attended three Indy 500 races and saw Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan, Michael Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser, Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi, Pancho Carter, Jqcques Villeneuve, Danny Ongais, Arie Luyendyk, Geoff Brabham, Scott Brayton, Chip Ganassi, Garry Bettenhausen, Roberto Guerrero, Dick Simon, Fabrizio Barbazzza, Derek Daly, Eddie Cheever, Kevin Cogan, and Scott Goodyear.
1990s
In the 1990s I enjoyed seeing CART racers Alex Zanardi, Jimmy Vasser, Paul Tracy, Gil de Ferran, Greg Moore, Bryan Herta, Robby Gordon, and Scott Pruett.
I also saw the NASCAR boys like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Buddy Baker, Davey Allison, Ken Schrader, Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Dave Marcis, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Hut Stricklin, Morgan Shepherd, Harry Gant, Alan Kulwicki, Sterling Martin, Dick Trickle, etc.
“Vintage racing” throughout the 1990s was my main interest. Watching sports cars and sports racers from the 1960s on tracks like Road America, Mosport, and the Glen was the best! Events like 30th Can-Am reunion or the Glen’s 50th anniversary.
2000s
I made it to my first SCCA runoffs and was thrilled to see Kent Prather win G Production in his MGA; his third national title in the car and he would win three more.
I attended three Formula One races at Indianapolis and saw Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, Juan Montoya, Rubens Barrichello, Coulthard, Button, Trulli, Fisichella, Raikkonen, Alonso, Verstappen, Sato, McNish, Webber, and Massa.
At an IRL race I saw Tomas Scheckter, Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish, Scott Sharp, Sarah Fisher, Buddy Rice, Robbie Buhl, and Buddy Lazier. I attended a couple IndyCar races and saw Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Oriol Servia, Danica Patrick, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Graham Rahal, Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti, Justin Wilson, and Dan Wheldon.
2010s
MG car club activates dominated my schedule in this decade. I have not attended any major races and just a couple vintage races. I helped to setup the course at Put-in-Bay to enable vintage racing and celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Collier Cup at the Glen.
Who are your sports heros? Who have you seen or met?
09-29-2016, 12:39 PM
#3
Jim Kelly. Record Superbowl loser but cancer winner. Hated the thought of moving to Buffalo when he was drafted by the Bills. But the town embraced the kid from PA and he eventually returned the feeling. He still lives in Buffalo along with some of his old team mates and loves the area and its people. One of the toughest guys to ever play the position, he was the original "plays QB like with a linebacker mentality" signal callers. Right up there with Kelly in my book are "Thermal" Thomas and Bruce Smith. Super Bowl after Super Bowl these guys kept getting knocked down but year after year they got back up and won the AFC.
I was once a big OJ fan but we know how that turned out.
I was once a big OJ fan but we know how that turned out.
09-29-2016, 05:59 PM
#4
Mark Donohue was my favorite race car driver. I thought he could do anything and win any race he was in. His death hit me hard. It took me a very long time to start watching racing again after he died. How can you watch a sport, I asked myself, when your hero got killed.
Gil Hodges was my favorite baseball player. Even though the prime of his career was mostly over before I understood anything about the game, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Brooklyn was my home town. He was big, and strong and fearless and the team leader. I grew up hearing all about the legend of the "Boys of Summer" and my favorite was Gil. Later on, when I was in high school, Gil lived across Bedford Avenue directly across the street from the front door of James Madison High School. In the morning he'd step out on his front porch and wave to us as we started our school day. When he died, the line of people waiting to pay their respects stretched around the block three times. Everybody in Brooklyn loved Gil, myself included. An aside to this is that Gil Hodges is the only one of the "Boys of Summer" who isn't in the Hall of Fame. It's time that changed.
Tom Seaver. Boy could he pitch. When the Dodgers left Brooklyn, we got the Mets, and in the early days they were terrible. And then along came Tom Seaver. All of a sudden we had someone to look up to and admire. And it occurred to us that maybe the Mets could win a game someday. He helped us to forget that the bastardly Dodgers had deserted our beloved Brooklyn, and help to give us a real team to root for.
Joe Namath. I was never much of a football fan but that he had the nerve to guarantee a victory against the invincible Baltimore Colts was all we needed to hear. The arrogance and cockiness was something that we admired. And the fact that he delivered on his guarantee was enough for us to idolize him.
Katarina Witt. Her combination of skill, grace and just plain sexiness was awe inspiring. That a person could skate that well and look that good was amazing. I loved watching her in those Olympic games.
Muhammad Ali. I didn't much care about his boxing (although I loved when he beat Sonny Liston) but I so admired that he stood up for what he believed in. I always thought that he was an excellent boxer, but he became one of my heroes when sacrificed his title for his beliefs.
Billie Jean King. Stood up for women, equal rights and equal pay. I always admired her convictions and strength. And, she was a pretty good tennis player too.
Gil Hodges was my favorite baseball player. Even though the prime of his career was mostly over before I understood anything about the game, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Brooklyn was my home town. He was big, and strong and fearless and the team leader. I grew up hearing all about the legend of the "Boys of Summer" and my favorite was Gil. Later on, when I was in high school, Gil lived across Bedford Avenue directly across the street from the front door of James Madison High School. In the morning he'd step out on his front porch and wave to us as we started our school day. When he died, the line of people waiting to pay their respects stretched around the block three times. Everybody in Brooklyn loved Gil, myself included. An aside to this is that Gil Hodges is the only one of the "Boys of Summer" who isn't in the Hall of Fame. It's time that changed.
Tom Seaver. Boy could he pitch. When the Dodgers left Brooklyn, we got the Mets, and in the early days they were terrible. And then along came Tom Seaver. All of a sudden we had someone to look up to and admire. And it occurred to us that maybe the Mets could win a game someday. He helped us to forget that the bastardly Dodgers had deserted our beloved Brooklyn, and help to give us a real team to root for.
Joe Namath. I was never much of a football fan but that he had the nerve to guarantee a victory against the invincible Baltimore Colts was all we needed to hear. The arrogance and cockiness was something that we admired. And the fact that he delivered on his guarantee was enough for us to idolize him.
Katarina Witt. Her combination of skill, grace and just plain sexiness was awe inspiring. That a person could skate that well and look that good was amazing. I loved watching her in those Olympic games.
Muhammad Ali. I didn't much care about his boxing (although I loved when he beat Sonny Liston) but I so admired that he stood up for what he believed in. I always thought that he was an excellent boxer, but he became one of my heroes when sacrificed his title for his beliefs.
Billie Jean King. Stood up for women, equal rights and equal pay. I always admired her convictions and strength. And, she was a pretty good tennis player too.
09-29-2016, 08:24 PM
#5
Thread Starter
How strange. If you go back and look at my decades you will see there's not much in the 1970s. Like you, Mark Donohue in that decade was my 'hands on' favorite driver. When he died in 1975, I stopped following racing! True story. It came right after me being very near the City of Pontiac tragedy I mentioned that happen the same year. I completely walk away from the sport for a couple years, till a buddy talked me in to going to Indy with him.
09-30-2016, 06:56 AM
#7
Registered User
Yea,heard of him,I think,he used to play for the Maple Leafs....
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09-30-2016, 08:20 AM
#8
Rogie Vachon! 
09-30-2016, 08:40 AM
#9
Growing up in Northern NY, I was a Yankee fan; Mantle, Maris, and Berra, were my favorites. I never had the opportunity to see any of these players other than on TV. I was once on a flight with Bill Russell and I sat behind Gordie Howe at a Whaler's game.
09-30-2016, 09:43 AM
#10
I forgot to mention Jackie Stewart. He became a hero of mine when he stood up to the establishment in racing and demanded more safety for the drivers. I could never understand why nobody did this before in a sport with such a deadly reputation, but I'm really glad Jackie stood his ground.