An Encounter with Mike Wallace

A Few Fleeting Moments with the Man Who Never Took No for an Answer

ATLANTA, Georgia --The recent passing of Mike Wallace made me think of my one and only encounter with the legendary reporter and host of 60 Minutes, the CBS News magazine. And yes, in keeping with the theme of this blog, it is a sports story since it involved baseball's Hank Aaron.

It was 1994 and I was handling media relations for Turner Broadcasting System (TBS).  One day after lunch I returned to my office to find a stack of phone messages. It was not unusual to receive 50-60 media calls a day when something big was happening at Turner and although that day was not particularly busy, one message did stand out.  It read “Call Mike Wallace” with a 212 number.

My first thought was “What had Ted done now?” The early ‘90s was one of the best periods of time for TBS chairman Ted Turner, and for the company itself.  Ted was named Time’s Man of the Year, Ted and Jane Fonda were married, the company launched the Cartoon Network, the Braves won their first and only World Series (1995) and CNN was reaping the benefits of its coverage of the Gulf War.

At any given time, though, Ted could say something that would spark controversy. He irked Christians and Jews, said the country should adopt China’s policy of one child per family. He colorized classic MGM films and had some of Hollywood’s top stars go to Washington in a failed effort to stop him—“They’re my movies and I’ll do what I want with them,” said Ted. He spoke at his daughter’s graduation from Georgia State and gave a three word address, “Use sun screen.” It was the same morning he had a cancerous mole removed from his lip.

I think you get the drift. With Ted you never knew what to expect. Fully anticipating that he had again said something which would need explanation (“What Mr. Turner really meant to say was…), I called Wallace back. But much to my surprise, the question was not about Ted. “Gary, we’d like to interview Hank Aaron for 60 Minutes.”

Although the question was met with relief, there was still some cause for concern. First, while it was not about Ted, it was about Hank, whose image and reputation were also important to TBS. Wallace went on to explain that he saw an earlier Sports Illustrated magazine interview with Hank. The interview was the first in which Aaron talked at length about his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record. He detailed how he was constantly harassed, received death threats, how he had to have meals brought back to his room and how he was only happy when he was on the field. It was a story made for 60 Minutes, but Hank decided he wasn’t interested. Meanwhile Mike Wallace wasn’t interested in taking no for an answer, and reminded me again that the story would appear on the nation’s top-rated television program.  We must have talked for three or four minutes, but sensing that I (Hank) was not about to grant the interview, he asked me to keep in touch and let him know if we could “work anything out.” I breathed a sigh of relief. After all, many a PR person had his or her reputation tainted after an encounter with Wallace. To his credit, however, he got the message. Besides, an interview with Hank Aaron was probably not as high on his list as one with a world leader, business tycoon, astronaut, etc.

I never heard from Mike Wallace again, which was a good thing. Hank didn’t do the story then, but may have later on 60 Minutes or another news show. Nonetheless, it was interesting to reminisce about my fleeting encounter with one of broadcasting’s true legends, and man who rarely took no for an answer.

Quick takes…Bo Jackson was at a Braves game touting his bike ride this weekend to raise money for victims of last year’s tornado in Alabama. When asked if there would ever be another two sport superstar like Bo, his answer was simple: No. He said that the competition today is too tough and that anyone who would try it would ride the bench in both sports…If you haven’t looked, the Falcons home schedule includes Denver and Peyton Manning in the season-opener. Also on the home slate are Dallas and the New York Giants…I’m often asked to name the coaches of visiting teams who are easiest to deal with, the best interviews, the nicest people. The two that come to mind first are Doc Rivers, the Celts coach who was in town last night, and Doug Collins, who now leads the 76ers. There are certainly others, but these two are at the top of the list in any sport.

Protestor Arrested as Legendary Boat Race Ends in Disarray

Olympic Planners Express Security Concerns As Rogue Swimmer Halts Action

LONDON, England -- You’ve heard the one about the guy who goes to the fight and a hockey game breaks out? Well, something similar happened here over the weekend, when The Boat Race, a quintessentially English event matching rowers from Oxford and Cambridge, suddenly disintegrated into a political protest and a runaway win for Cambridge.

About halfway through the four mile race, a protestor emerged from the water, square in the path of the oncoming boats.  Olympic champion and assistant umpire Sir Matthew Pinsent raised his red flag, stopping the race as a police boat sped to the scene, siren blaring, to arrest the interloper.

Oxford (foreground) and Cambridge oarsmen battle before protestor interrupts race and causes restart. After Oxford broke an oar, Cambridge won easily to forge ahead  81-77 in the historic 158-year tradition  known simply as The Boat Race. As you can see it was not a Chamber of Commerce type day.

If that wasn’t enough, once the race restarted, the Oxford crew broke an oar allowing Cambridge to gain the easy win. Then at the finish line, Alex Woods, who tended the bow for Oxford, collapsed unconscious. After finally being noticed amid the tumult, Woods was attended to by teammates, and then rushed to a hospital where doctors said he was expected to recover.

The interloper, a “bloke” named Trenton Oldfield, was protesting the elitism symbolized by the race between two of Britain’s top-tier educational institutions. Previous races have been marred by demonstrators carrying signs and placards, but this time Oldfield took the protest to a new level. In fact in a 2,000 word internet post he explained his deep-seated feelings about the privileged class and the growing disparity between the haves and have-nots.

After all was said and done there was no presentation ceremony. The mayor was told “Thanks for stoppin’ by.” And the buzz from the day’s happenings continued well into the night and beyond.

While the Oxford Cambridge race, now 158 years old with Cambridge holding a 81-77 lead, will undoubtedly live on, the implications for what went on this week reach beyond the race itself.

Construction continues on London's Olympic Stadium. All will be in readiness for the July Opening Ceremonies.

London is the site of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which are scheduled to start in just a few months. While the facilities are shaping up nicely, there remains the ever-present concern about security. And what happened on the Thames this week didn’t make London Olympic Organizing Committee (LOCOG) officials feel any better. Yes, there will be 25,000 police and military personnel watching over the Games, but as we know from Atlanta and now from The Boat Race, it’s almost impossible to stop a renegade who is intent on causing trouble.

Quick Take…While in London, we (my son, Brian, an Executive MBA student at Oxford was with me) also toured the 2012 London Olympic venues. Although we did not take an organized tour (they are free and available if you book far enough in advance), we were able to eavesdrop on several of the professional guides and go to an observation deck designed to provide an optimal view of all the construction. There are many extraordinary and unique structures such as the stingray-shaped Aquatics Center, and the Velodrome, called the Pringle because of its resemblance to the crispy snack. The big, but rather ordinary Olympic Stadium will seat 80,000 . The centerpiece of the construction is what is known as the Orbit (below), a spiraling tower that will serve as an observation center. As we listened in on the guide, we heard him mention the Atlanta Games and some of the lessons learned. He said the athlete’s village will be much closer to the venues than in Atlanta. As will the press center, which is immediately behind the stadium and is geared to accommodate 20,000 journalists. London will be the only city to have hosted the Games three times (1908 and 1948 were the other two).  And with construction nearing completion and excitement building among the populous, this one will likely be its best ever. The Games run from July 27-August 12.

The Orbit, part of the legacy of London's 2012 Olympic Games

Hoping First Impressions are Lasting Impressions

Spring Training Glimpse of Braves Gives Reason for Optimism

ATLANTA, Georgia— Here’s hoping what the Braves showed during my visit to Orlando is what we’ll see throughout the 2012 season. The Braves defeated Steven Strasburg and the Washington Nationals on a day when just about everything went right for Atlanta. Chipper Jones played well at third. Dan Uggla hit a double and home run, Jason Heyward had his first hit, a home run no-less, and Julio Teheran looked ready for a starting role.

That was back on March 14, the first day of a two day visit to Florida that included seeing three games and five teams in two days. The other teams were the Tigers, who faced the Mets in Lakeland and the Yankees, who played Washington in Vierra.

Champion Stadium -Braves Spring Training Home

As for the Braves some things have changed since mid-March. Teharan’s performance deteriorated and he was assigned to Triple A Gwinnett. Juan Francisco was acquired from Cincinnati. A third-baseman, Francisco is expected to back-up Chipper, who since our visit, had surgery for a torn meniscus. The Francisco trade, which sent pitching prospect J.J. Hoover to the Reds, will allow Martin Prado to concentrate on left field, thus keeping him at his favorite position.

Tyler Pastornicky, who made a late run in spring training, will start at shortstop instead of Andrelton Simmons, who was also re-assigned.

With Prado in left, a solid Michael Bourne in center and a hopefully revitalized Jason Heyward in left, the outfield looks promising. If Francisco and Pastornicky both deliver, the infield will also be strong with a solid right side featuring Uggla and NL Rookie of the Year runner up Freddie Freeman. Freddie was runner-up to Braves closer Craig Kimbrell, who should come back as strong as ever. In fact the bullpen could even be stronger with Johnny Venters still there and Chris Medlen available for middle relief. The perennial All-Star Brian McCann, with the more than capable back-up David Ross, gives the Braves the best catching in the league. Starting pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson have both come on strong after injuries. If Tim Hudson’s rehab from a herniated disc continues to progress he may be ready within the month.

Here’s the rub with the Braves. They did not have enough hitting last year and that must improve. Also, while the Braves may be able to duplicate their 89 wins of 2011, Philadelphia is still better and Washington and Miami have improved. Everything has to break right or Sports Illustrated’s prediction of a fourth place finish is not too far-fetched. However, if March 14 is a precursor of the way things could look throughout 2012, the Braves should have a very interesting year.

Quick Takes...Sports lost one its most colorful figures last week when Bert Sugar died of cardiac arrest while also quietly waging a battle against cancer. Bert was never without story. I had run into him many times over the years and in 2010 interviewed him for the American Sportscasters Association website

The inimitable Bert Sugar

www.americansportscastersonline.com/bertsugaronsportscasting.html. He was, as usual, at his best. The author of more than 80 books, Bert told several stories during the course of that hour-long interview, including one about how he put down Howard Cosell, the boastful broadcaster, who was telling Sugar "there are fewer great broadcasters than you think." Said Bert, "There is one less than you think, Howard." Bert also spoke of Bill Stern, another legendary and controversial broadcaster, who didn’t always pay attention to what was happening on the field. According to Sugar, Stern called the wrong player on a touchdown run in the Army-Notre Dame game and had to fake a lateral to another player at the five yard line. Another broadcaster, Clem McCarthy, had a similar problem calling the wrong winner of the Kentucky Derby. Stern, quipped, "Too bad you can’t lateral a horse, Clem." Such was small sample of Bert being Bert. A fedora and a cigar were considered his trademarks. But his real trademarks were his sense of humor, his gift for spinning a yarn, his giving nature and his ability to make everyone around him feel better. What a legacy!