Since writing my book, I planned to return to some of the stops along my TV journey including Texas and Oklahoma. A mini-bucket list! Recently, I was in Dallas for a conference and extended my trip north to Oklahoma. In Oklahoma City, I was the guest on The News On 9’s Sunday Morning newscast with Tammy Payne. Tammy and I met at my first TV job in Wichita Falls, TX back in 1986! I went through my video archives and put together a montage of some of our on-air appearances. What a hoot! Permed hair and shoulder pads — it was the 80s. To sit there on her set some 25 years later… talking about my experiences in sports and the book… was not only fun, but a real sense of pride; knowing our hard work and passion took us where we wanted to go, and for me, even places I had no idea I’d go… namely the world of sports. Thank you Tammy for your friendship and professionalism. To watch, go to www.newson9.com, click on Feb. 10 OR try this link! (Read on for more on the Tulsa stop.)
More Texas fun!
Tuesday was all about Tulsa Time! My friend and former colleague at KOTV, Terry Hood, interviewed me to get the word about my return and book signing at Steve’s Sundry that afternoon. I so enjoyed seeing several of my co-workers from my three years in Tulsa. Again, the archives tell quite the story — and certainly remind me of all the hard news stories I covered and the challenges of working in heat and cold, along with the serious nature of my beats including Education, City Hall and crime. What a contrast to my eventual world of Major League Baseball and the National Football League, but I am so grateful for those years. Big Al Jerkens and Coach Pat Jones hosted me on The Sports Animal Tulsa talking about One on One, Ted Williams, Tony Gwynn and more. As for the TV evolution? Here is a little montage of my work in Tulsa 1988-1991.