Lindsey Vonn, Apolo Ohno Top American Olympic Medal Hopefuls

February 11, 2010 By

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… ... Read More

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Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Floyd Little Inducted Into NFL Hall of Fame

February 10, 2010 By

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.

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.

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 More

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Is Picabo Street The Greatest American Skier Of All-Time?

November 18, 2009 By

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. ... Read More

Filed Under: Athlete Appearances, Gold Medalists, Motivational Speakers, Olympic News, Sports Speakers Tagged With: , ,

Is Mike Eruzione The Most Popular U.S. Winter Olympian?

November 16, 2009 By

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.

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. ... Read More

Filed Under: Athlete Appearances, Hockey News, Motivational Speakers, Sports Speakers Tagged With: , , ,

Why Goose Gossage Is The Perfect Golf Partner

October 26, 2009 By

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. ... Read More

Filed Under: Athlete Appearances, Baseball News, Golf Speakers, Motivational Speakers, Sports Speakers Tagged With:

Are Mike Ditka & Dan Hampton The Two Most Popular 1985-86 Bears?

October 22, 2009 By

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. ... Read More

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Jim Abbott is a Highly Sought After Motivational Speaker

October 20, 2009 By

Jim Abbott, a baseball Icon, is a popular inspirational  &  motivational speaker. He 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. ... Read More

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Drew Pearson A Top NFL Speaker Practices What He Preaches

October 18, 2009 By

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. He 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. ... Read More

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Lisa Leslie Retires From WNBA

October 9, 2009 By

Oct. 9, 2009 – Women’s basketball legend, Lisa Leslie, announced her retirement today from the WNBA, stating she is leaving the sport with no regrets.

It will not be the last time fans will hear about Leslie. The game is too much a part of her.

“Today is my last day of playing professional basketball, but I will stay close to the game because I feel I need to be a part of it.”

“I feel great, because I have no regrets,” Leslie said. ... Read More

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Is Tedy Bruschi Patriots Most Popular Player Ever?

September 21, 2009 By

There aren’t many things that make Bill Belichick cry. But when Tedy Bruschi recently announced his retirement, the robot-like coach was forced to choke back tears.

Ex New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi may be Patriots most popular player.

Said Belichick, “I’ve had the privilege of coaching a lot of great players and leaders in the National Football League, and I’ll just put Tedy up there with all of them and above all of them. There’s no player that I think epitomizes more of what I believe a player should be on the field, off the field, really, in every situation.” ... Read More

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