By coincidence, this particular tiny show on earth that consists entirely of me talking about sports on NPR is also folding its tent flaps this May of 2017. Yes, this is my swansong, my farewell, my last hurrah. Adieu, adios, arrivederci, auf wiedersehen. Frank Deford Read Quote
I have survived so long because I’ve been blessed with talented and gracious colleagues and with a top brass who let me choose my topics every week and then allowed me to express opinions that were not always popular. Well, someone had to stand up to the yackety-yak soccer cult. Frank Deford Read Quote
It’s still the tradition for various football powerhouses to pay guarantees to schools with cream-puff teams to come on over to our place and submit to massacre. Frank Deford Read Quote
As it happens, Cumberland was on the verge of bankruptcy and had to give up football. But the villainous Heisman made it play a game that had been scheduled when Cumberland still had a team, or Heisman threatened to demand a $3,000 forfeiture fee that could well have put the school out of existence. Frank Deford Read Quote
The Masters is not greedy. You wanna buy a Masters souvenir logo shirt? Sure, let’s go over to the nearest Ralph Lauren boutique. Oops, you can only purchase Masters memorabilia at the Masters, this one week of the year. Frank Deford Read Quote
Hard as it is to believe, there were three magazines fighting over me. ‘Newsweek’ wanted to keep me, ‘ESPN The Magazine’ was coming into existence and wanted me, and ‘SI’ wanted to bring me back. Isn’t that amazing? I had a choice, like a free agent. Frank Deford Read Quote
I think the best thing I’ve written is a story called ‘The Boxer and the Blonde.’ It’s a piece about Billy Conn, the white would-be heavyweight champion of the world, who lived in Pittsburgh. Frank Deford Read Quote
Remember when John Roberts was seeking confirmation of the Supreme Court, and he said judges should be just like umpires, just calling balls and strikes? Well, turnabout is fair play. What baseball needs behind the plate are umpires like those judges who are called strict constructionists, which means you follow subtle law to the letter. Frank Deford Read Quote
Thank you for listening. Thank you for abiding me. And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, I bid you goodbye and take my leave. Frank Deford Read Quote
