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Archive for the ‘Motivational Speakers’ Category

VANCOUVER, BC – Apolo Ohno won the bronze medal Saturday in the 1,000-meter short-track speed skating event winning his seventh Winter Olympics medal setting a new American record beating Bonnie Blair who held the record with 6 medals. Ohno now has two gold, two silver and three bronze medals in his three Olympic appearances.

Apolo Anton Ohno wins 7th Olympic medal in Vancouver breaking Bonnie Blairs record.

Ohno, who is already a successful motivational speaker, may very well walk away from Vancouver with millions of dollars worth of new endorsement deals. He already endorses luxury Omega watches, and since his record breaking win in Vancouver Saturday night, other sponsors are sure to follow soon. Alaska Airlines, which is Ohno’s biggest sponsor, painted his image on a Boeing 737. ... Read Full Story

Photo by Chris Helgren / Reuters

Freestyle skier, Hannah Kearney, wins the gold for the United States in Sunday’s competition at the Vancouver Olympics. She claims the honor of being the first American to win the gold. Kearney, who hails from Vermont. won a dramatic victory over Canada’s Jenn Heil.

“I heard the crowd. I heard Jenn’s score, and I knew I’d have to have the run of my life,” she said. “I’m glad she scored a good run because it means more to me to come out on top.”

“I couldn’t even imagine the pressure on Jenn. You could almost feel it. I know Canada hasn’t won a gold medal on their home turf, but I have a feeling they’ll do it these Games,” Kearney said. “But I’m pleased that I could stop that for now.”

... Read Full Story

With the Winter Olympics beginning, it will be interesting to see which American athletes become the darlings of these games. After each Olympics, it seems that a couple of athletes come away with a new-found celebrity that stays with them forever.

When I think of the Winter Olympics, I think of Dorothy Hamill and  Peggy Fleming’s gold medal figure skating performances, speed skater Dan Janzen deciding to race despite his sister’s losing battle with leukemia earlier that day, and the U.S. men’s hockey team led by Mike Eruzione defeating the mighty Russians in 1980 in what is still considered the greatest upset in Olympic history.

So who will become immortalized in American Olympics history? Here are a few Olympians to keep an eye on…

Lindsey Vonn – Vonn, the most successful American woman skier in World Cup history, will be favored in three events – Downhill, Super-G and Combined. She is the first American woman to win back-to-back overall World Cup championships and a Super G Title, and she has also won back-to-back downhill championships.

Lindsey Vonn is this years Olympic medal hopeful for downhill skiing and Super G

Apolo Anton Ohno -  Ohno has a chance to become the most celebrated American speed skater in Olympics history. He’s already won five medals (two gold, one silver, two bronze) and should add to that in Vancouver. He’s currently tied with Olympic legend Eric Heiden for most career medals by an American male. He has been the reigning United States champion since 2001 and has won the men’s national title a total of 12 times.

Already a 5 time Olympic medal winner in speed racing, Ohno is an odds on favorite to win.

Lindsey Jacobellis – Who can forget Jacobellis at the 2006 Winter Games? With a big lead and gold medal in-site, Jacobellis inexplicably fell as she neared the finish line and settled with the sliver. She’s dominated the women’s snowboard cross scene and should get redemption in Vancouver. She was the winner of the 2009 Snowboard Cross World Cup as well as the 2009 Winter X Games.

Lindsey Jacobellis dominates the women’s snowboard cross scene and is favored to win gold.

Steven Holcomb – The U.S. hasn’t won a gold medal in the four-man bobsled since 1948, but that might change this year. Holcomb’s “Night Train” bobsled team comes into Vancouver as the favorites. His team leads the current World Cup standings and are the reigning World Champions.

Steven Holcomb and his “Night Train” bobsled team comes into Vancouver as the favorites.

Rachael Flatt – Flatt won the gold medal at the recently completed U.S. Figure Skating Championships and appears to be peaking at the right time. She had previously won the silver medal at both the 2008 & 2009 Championships and was the 2008 World Junior Champion.

Rachel Flatt is America's favorite to win a medal in figure skating at Vancouver in 2010

If you would like to find out how to hire Olympic athletes for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event,  request Olympic medal winners such as Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, Apolo Anton Ohno, Lindsey Vonn booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top booking agent for Olympic athletes,  sports stars and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380

The NFL announced the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees last weekend and, as always, a couple of names drew the most attention. Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith, two of the greatest players of all-time, headline the list of inductees along with Floyd Little, Dick LeBeau, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson and John Randle.

Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith are Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame 2010.

I’m especially happy for Floyd Little, who was up until this weekend the most deserving running back not in the Hall of Fame. Little was the first running back to win a NFL rushing title on a last-place team. He earned five Pro Bowl berths and was a versatile all-purpose player with more than 12,000 yards.

Floyd Little is Inducted into NFL Hall of Fame along with Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith

I actually have a personal connection to Little. He was the first professional athlete I ever met. He lived next door to my uncle, and one year when my family came out to Denver to go skiing, my uncle took me next door to meet him. This was during the peak of his career and he was larger-than-life to a 10 year old. I remember holding his trophies and getting his autograph. He’s an extremely nice man…. ... Read Full Story

Picabo Street, Olympic Gold Medalist

In part one of my Winter Olympics blog, I profiled Mike Eruzione, the captain of the 1980 U.S. “Miracle On Ice” Hockey Team. In this blog you’ll learn about Picabo Street, one of the greatest American skiers of all-time. The next blog will feature figure skater Dorothy Hamill.

A three-time Olympian, Street joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1989 and earned a silver medal at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in ­the downhill. She made her mark at Olympic history at Negano in 1998 by taking gold in the super G by a mere hundredth of a second.

Street medaled in three World Championships and earned a combined silver in 1993 and super G bronze and downhill gold in 1996. Street became the first American to win a World Cup season title in a speed event after winning six of nine World Cup competitions in 1995. After suffering a leg injury and two years of rehabilitation, Street returned to compete in the 2002  Olympics in Salt Lake City before retiring. With nine career victories, she was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2005.

Since retirement, Street has remained in the public eye. She’s had broadcasting assignments with NBC’s Today Show, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, OLN and the FineLiving Network. In 2003, she hosted a 12 series winter sports show for OLN entitled Picabo Street’s Snow Zone and in 2006, Street was a Special Correspondent to NBC’s Today Show throughout the Turin Winter Games. She’s once again scheduled to work for NBC at the upcoming Winter Games in Vancouver.

As one of the most recognizable Olympians, she has served as spokeswoman for Giro helmets, Bolle eyewear, Park City Mountain Resort, Walk EZ and Bogner of America. She’s also one of the most popular Olympic speakers and stays busy making personal appearances and speaking around the country. Corporations will often hire Street to ski with clients and then deliver a keynote presentation afterwards.

If you would like to find out how to hire Picabo Street for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Picabo Street booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for Olympic speakers,  athlete appearances, sports stars, endorsements and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380.

I know the Winter Olympics aren’t far off when I start receiving inquiries about Olympic speakers. They seem to be especially popular this year because the Olympics will take place in nearby Vancouver, British Columbia. So who are the most popular Winter Olympians? Over the next couple blogs I’ll profile a couple of them – Mike Eruzione, Picabo Street and Dorothy Hamill. First up is Eruzione.

Mike Eruzione, Olympic hero & sports motivational speaker

A graduate of Boston University, Eruzione captained the hockey team his senior year and is among the school’s all-time leading scorers.  Little did he know that what lied ahead would change his life forever.

Entering the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, NY, the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team werent’ considered medal favorites. They were a bunch of college players competing against stronger and faster teams from Europe, including the mighty Russians who had NHL-caliber players on their team and had won every gold medal but one since 1956. How good were the Russians? In exhibitions that year, Soviet club teams had gone 5–3–1 against NHL teams and a year earlier, the Soviet national team had routed the NHL All-Stars 6–0 to win the Challenge Cup.

In what became forever known as the “Miracle On Ice”, the U.S. stunned the Russians, 4-3, in the semifinals and went onto to win the gold medal after defeating Finland, 4-2. The win against the Russians is considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympics history and was named the Greatest Sports Moment of the Century” by Sports Illustrated.

Eruzione was (and still is) the face of that team. Not only did he serve as captain but he also scored the winning goal against the Russians. Ask anyone about their recollection of that historic event  and you’ll likely either get a rendition of Al Michaels’ memorable call “Do You Believe In Miracles” or a mention of Eruzione.

Eruzione and his team have become American icons. In 2002, Eruzione and his teammates had the honor of lighting the Olympic flame at the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were also inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

Today, Eruzione resides in Massachusetts and serves as Director of Development for Athletics at Boston University. He also stays busy making speaking engagements and personal appearances around the country. His inspirational story of what it takes to be a champion make him one of the sought-after sports speakers in the country.

If you would like to find out how to hire Mike Eruzione for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Mike Eruzione booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for sports stars and celebrities. Call 800.966.1380.

Goose Gossage

Since I spend so much time around athletes, people often ask me about my most memorable experiences. And while I’ve had my share of memories, both good and bad, one that always sticks out involved New York Yankees Hall of Famer Goose Gossage. If you haven’t met Goose, he’s a great guy who loves to have a good time. He’s full of laughs and great stories.

I was playing in a pro-am scramble golf event with Goose in Copper Mountain, Colorado in the late 90’s. The other members in our group were big Yankee fans from New Jersey. One of the members of our fivesome had just purchased a new putter and unfortunately waited until the tournament to try it out. To say this guy was bad is a major understatement. He was the worst putter I’ve ever seen. He just couldn’t figure out how to use it. If he had a 10 foot putt, he would hit it 20 feet past the hole. As the day went on, Goose gave the guy some good-natured ribbing, which everyone was enjoying.

Fast forward to the last hole. We had a 30 foot putt for birdie, which the first four people had missed. Goose was putting last and just before he addressed the ball, the guy with the putter yelled “Hey Goose, if you make this putt, I’ll give you my putter.” You know what happened next.

Goose drilled the putt, walked over to the guy and said “Give me the putter”. The guy didn’t know what to do, so he gave Goose the putter as he promised. With the putter in hand, Goose walked over to the lake and threw the putter as far as he could into the water.

I’ll never forget the sight of the putter traveling end over end towards the middle of the lake and the reaction of the guy. He was in shock. The rest of the fivesome was on the ground laughing.  Without saying a word, Goose walked to his  golf cart and drove off.

At the awards dinner, the story made its way around the room. No one could remember such a funny golf story. Even the guy with the putter said it was worth losing the putter to have  a story to tell for the rest of his life.

Today, Goose is a highly sought-after baseball speaker and travels around the country making personal appearances. He resides in Colorado.

If you would like to find out how to hire Goose Gossage for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Goose Gossage booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for athletes, entertainers, sports speakers and celebrities.

The 1985-86 Chicago Bears are remembered as one of the greatest and most flamboyant NFL teams in history. Who can forget the ‘Super Bowl Shuffle’? It’s cast of characters included quarterback Jim McMahon, Richard Dent, ‘Refrigerator’ Perry and Hall of Famers Mike Ditka, Mike Singletary, Walter Payton and Dan Hampton.

Mike Ditka & Dan Hampton are two of PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent's most popular speakers

PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent Agency books many of the ’85 Bears for speaking engagements, personal appearances and endorsements, but works most closely with Mike Ditka and Dan Hampton.

Ditka seems to get more popular with age. Not only does he have two namesake restaurants in Chicago and one in Pittsburgh, he’s served as a popular pitchman for such companies as Coors and Charles Schwab. PFP negotiated his deal a couple of years ago with Circuit City, where he appeared alongside fellow Hall of Famer John Elway in a series of national print and tv ads.

Ditka was a popular player and even more popular coach for the Bears. In 10 season as head coach, he led the Bears to six NFC Central titles and three trips to the NFC Championship Game. He coached the Bears to the Super Bowl title in 1985-86.

Although not as high-profile on the national stage as Ditka, Hampton has also enjoyed success since his playing career ended. He’s the current host of the syndicated Pro Football Weekly as well as a local Chicago radio show on WSCR 670 The Score. He has served as pitchman for such companies as Chevrolet and Firestone and is currently spokesperson for Illinois Back Institute , a deal negotiated for him by PFP. He’s also a popular motivational speaker and makes personal appearances around the country meeting/greeting guests and signing autographs. In fact, just last week, he gave an uplifting speech at a high school function in the Chicago area.

Hampton spent his entire 12-year career with Chicago and is one of three Bears to play in three different decades. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and was named to the 1980’s All Decade Team. He finished his career ranked third all-time on the Bears for sacks and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.19

Both Ditka and Hampton reside in the Chicago area.

If you need information for booking Mike Ditka or Dan Hamilton as your next speaker or for an appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Mike Ditka or Dan Hamilton booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a sports speakers bureau and top booking agent for sports stars, professional athletes, entertainers and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380

Jim Abbott Baseball Icon, is a popular inspirational & motivational speaker

Jim Abbott was the underdog growing up. He was born with only one hand but had aspirations of reaching the Major Leagues.

As a youngster, he would spend hours bouncing the ball off a wall to practice fielding and throwing. He showed enough promise in high school to be drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays but chose instead to attend the University of Michigan. He led the Wolverines to Big Ten titles in his freshmen and junior years and had a career record of 26-8. He went on to win the prestigious Golden Spikes Award, presented annually to the outstanding college baseball player in the United States.

As a member of Team USA in 1987, Abbott became the first American pitcher in 25 years to beat a Cuban team on Cuban soil enroute to winning the silver medal in the Pan-American Games. In 1988, Abbott participated in the Summer Olympics and led the U.S. to its first-ever gold medal after pitching a complete game seven hitter in a 5-3 victory over Japan.

After the Olympics, Abbott reached his dream of playing in the Majors. He enjoyed a 10-year career with primarily the California Angels and New York Yankees. His most famous moment occurred when he threw a no-hitter for the Yankees in 1993.

As a result of Abbott beating the odds and achieving success, he received numerous awards, including…

• March of Dimes Athlete of the Year (twice)
• Academy Awards of Sports, Courage Award
• 1991 Victory Award recipient at the Kennedy Center Washington D.C.
• Freedom Forum’s Free Spirit Award

Today, Abbott is a highly sought-after motivational speaker and one of the most popular baseball speakers along with Jim Morris, Bill Buckner & Goose Gossage. From corporate sales meetings to charity fundraisers to baseball banquets, Abbott travels the country delivering his message of ADAPT: Overcoming Adversity. ADAPT is an acronym for Adjustability, Determination, Accountability, Perseverance and Trust. He resides in Southern California and spends part of his summers in his home state of Michigan.

If you would like to find out how to hire Jim Abbott for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Jim Abbott booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a  top sports speakers bureau &  celebrity booking agent for athlete appearances,   sports stars,  entertainers and celebrities.

When companies and organizations contact me about booking football speakers but have a limited budget, there are any number of people I can recommend, including Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Dan Hampton and Roger Craig. Another person at the top of the list is former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson. I always tell my clients that Drew delivers a lot of bang for the buck. Not only is he polished and well-spoken, he’s also a very successful businessman who practices what he preaches.

Drew Pearson is a top motivational sports speaker who delivers

Pearson, signed by the Cowboys as a free agent out of Tulsa in 1973, became one of the most dominating wide receivers of his era and, along with Hall of Famer Roger Staubach, helped lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowl appearances and a victory in Super Bowl XII in 1978. He was a three-time All Pro, All-NFL in 1975 and second team All-NFC in 1978. Pearson led the NFC in pass receptions with 58 in 1976 and was the Cowboys’ offensive captain in 1977, 1978, 1982 and 1983. For his achievements, he was named one of the Top 20 All-Time Wide Receivers and was selected to the NFL 1970’s All-Decade Team.

Upon retirement, Pearson started his second career as a businessman. Today, he is Chairman of the Board of Drew Pearson Marketing, Inc., which is involved with the manufacturing and national distribution of officially licensed sports headwear for adults, women and children and also the distribution of licensed headwear and apparel internationally.

Pearson helped grow the company into one of the largest owned minority businesses in the United States and has received numerous awards and accolades as a result, including…

• 1999, Sporting Goods Representative of the Year – Rainbow Coalition
• 1999, Minority Vendor of the Year – K-Mart
• 1997, Minority Vendor of the Year – JC Penney
• 1994, 2nd fastest growing business in Dallas/Fort Worth/Fort Worth CEO Institute
• 1994, 20th largest black owned business in the US – Black Enterprise
• 1994, Company of the Year – Black Enterprise
• 1993, 15th largest black owned business in the US – Black Enterprise
• 1992, 40th largest black owned business in the US – Black Enterprise

In addition to his business and broadcast duties, Pearson travels the country as a motivational speaker to corporations, non-profits and football organizations. He also makes personal appearances where he meet/greets guests, signs autographs and poses for photos. He lives outside of Dallas.

If you would like to find out how to hire Drew Pearson, speaker  for an appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Drew Pearson booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for American Idols, entertainers, sports stars and celebrities.