George Plimpton was my journalistic hero.
Not only could the man turn a phrase like few others, but he also was a trailblazer in the field of participatory journalism.
Plimpton was a spindly 6-foot-4 yet he managed to participate in Detroit Lions’ training camp (the result was Paper Lion), spar three rounds with Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson (Shadow Box), face Major League hitters in an exhibition game (Out of My League), stare down slapshots as a Boston Bruins’ goalie (Open Net), and try his hand as a professional golfer during the 1960s Palmer/Nicklaus hey days (The Bogey Man).
None of these, however, were my introduction to Plimpton. No, that came March 28, 1985, when the week’s Sports Illustrated arrived in the mail and featured a cover story about a New York Mets’ training camp longshot pitcher named Sidd Finch who, despite wearing only a singular hiking boot on the mound, purportedly threw a 168 miles per hour fastball.
A gullible senior in high school, I fell for Plimpton’s prose hook, line, and sinker. A phone call to the biggest baseball fan I knew – my friend Mike – confirmed what I knew to be true; this guy would completely change the game of baseball!
The balloon was burst a day or two later when the April 1 publication date was finally noticed (by me, at least) and the ruse was revealed via several media outlets.
The Finch fabrication aside, this revealed Plimpton to me. Later that summer I enjoyed his 1966 book, Paper Lion, and the idea of participatory journalism began to take hold in me.
I dabbled while at the Eastern Echo (the Eastern Michigan University student paper) when I was invited by a group of professors/EMU employees to a paintball practice in preparation of their trip to a national tournament. Later, while at the Ann Arbor News, I managed to get an invite to the Sandy Sanders’ Summer Pro-Am Basketball League where I played – more like co-existed – on the same Bowen Field House hardwood as NBA draft picks Terry Mills and Lance Blanks (not surprisingly, I was held scoreless). Then, while working at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, in a preview story of the city’s annual International Bonspiel, I curled for the first – and probably last – time of my life.
To be clear, I’m no athlete. Paintball and curling probably lend themselves to my skillset far more than basketball, but if I’m being honest, I was far from a natural at either of those.
What I am, is a fan.
The author has gotten to many venues already, clockwise from upper left, with buddy Tim and Paws at Detroit’s Comerica Park, in the parking lot at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, in the stands at Boston’s Fenway Park, with his father next to Indiana University’s original center court at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, looking over dad’s shoulder at Fort Wayne’s Parkview Field, in the Plaque Gallery in Cooperstown, and in front of the Jackie Robinson statue at Dodger Stadium.
Fandom is one thing that came easily to me thanks to my father. A diehard Chicago Cubs fan, I still recall time in my parents’ bedroom with my dad, tape recorder in hand, stating first names of this beloved Cubbies seeking last names from me. He’d say “Ron” and I’d respond “Santo.” “Billy” was followed by “Williams;” “Fergie” by “Jenkins;” and, of course, “Ernie” by “Banks.”
I recall joining what seemed like the entire state, especially my father down the hall, rooting on the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team during its unbeaten 1975-76 NCAA Championship season.
Shoot, I was even a Fort Wayne Komets’ Kids Club member one season and, so far as I know, neither of my parents were ice skaters – I certainly wasn’t – but getting to see ice hockey (a sport that was foreign to most Hoosier natives) in person was way cool.
And, of course, there was what for many in northern Indiana was a religious experience every autumn Saturday afternoon; Notre Dame University football. Even for a non-Catholic family like ours, seeing Ara Parseghian and Dan Devine work the sidelines for the Fightin’ Irish was a treat. Especially when they won national championships in 1973 and 1977.
Fandom – and an inability to hit a curve ball or improve the use of my left hand on the basketball court – is what led me to first pursue a career in sports writing. It afforded me the opportunity to see many an event from press row. What it so often did not allow for was the opportunity to be a fan. Neutrality is a credo of journalists and I certainly tried to take it seriously.
Family – and a better quality of life for us – is what led me to transition from a career as a sports writer to that of an educator a quarter century ago. It also afforded more opportunities to be a fan (of my children’s competitions, that is).
Now, as I make yet another career transition, from that as an educator to one as a retired educator, I wanted to further explore George Plimpton’s specialty: participatory journalism. What better way to do this, I thought, than by being a fan?
I’ve literally been training for this since the early years of my life!
So, with the recent end of my education career comes the beginning of my retirement quest; to go Around the World in 80 Sporting Events.
I’ve identified 80 iconic sporting events and/or venues that, in my estimation, merit attendance. Will everyone agree? Probably not, but that’s part of the beauty of being a sports fan; debating over which team or player was the best ever helps make the sports fan engine operate.
Like any educator from my era, I’ve developed my SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound):
- S – Events and/or venues have been identified;
- M – My experiences will be chronicled and published for readers/listeners/viewers to enjoy;
- A – As Zig Ziglar told us, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it;”
- R – My family might have something to say about the whole relevancy thing😊;
- T – As I recently celebrated a birthday, my goal is to visit these places by the time I turn 60, which gives me a touch under three years to accomplish the feat.
Beyond having one heck of an experience, my goal with Around the World in 80 Sporting Events is to experience, in-person, these spectacles that I’ve spent a lifetime admiring from the comfort of my living room. More importantly, perhaps, will be the opportunity to share these moments with family and friends who I plan to travel and attend the 80 alongside.
If not literally, I hope you’ll come along for the ride by providing suggestions for side trips, restaurants, watering holes, tips-and-tricks at specific venues, etc. for me and my travel companions. Building a community of sports fans has always been the vision of The Sports Fan Project and that can only occur with your participation. And, if you’re so inclined, I’d love your support by subscribing to the newsletter and podcast (“Conversations with Sports Fans” found on Spotify, Apple, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music) to get updates directly to your inbox; like and follow “The Sports Fan Project” on Facebook; and follow me on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Threads all @Douglas_T_Hill.
