Comparing Rolex 24 to Daytona 500
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
What a difference three races make.
Daytona Beach is mainly known for two things.
First, their beaches are off the charts as you can take your vehicles on the beach.
Many years ago, The Daytona 500 took place on the sand until it moved to the Daytona International Speedway (DIS) 65 years ago.
Second, it’s the Racing Capital of the world as NASCAR and IMSA’s offices headquarters are there so as a result, the most prestigious races are held at DIS.
Things get cranked up in January as the Roar Before The 24 takes place and a week later, the Rolex 24 hours follows.
The Rolex 24 Hours is a fascinating race with drivers racing on a street course and driving on the oval. The race is 3.56 miles with a combined oval and an infield road course with 12 turns.
A total of 32 nations, were represented and seven continents to go along with five different race classes.
The notable advantage of the Rolex 24 has over the Racing World is it draws International Interest is timing: NASCAR, Indy Car Series and Formula One haven’t started their seasons.
There were 11 manufacturers from around the world. Of the 234 drivers, there were 82 American, 24 British, 18 Italians, and 11 French.
What’s amazing about this race is that during a massive endurance race, you gauge the manufacturer’s more so so than the drivers in terms of engines and all aspects of the car.
There were 61 entries and 4-5 drivers per car with an average drive time between 4-5 hours per driver. There were five different classifications.
Because of the huge media coverage, we had to take a trolly on the other side of DIS to get to the Media Center, but they were running 24 hours and so it wasn’t a big deal.
The best interview I had at this event was from Graham Goodwin, who is a media guy that has covered 89, 24 Hour Races.
He gave me some helpful pointers to prepare for this event, mentally and physically.
Going to the Rolex 24 Hours was like going to EPCOT Center because it felt like I was in a different country.
Many years ago, The International Race of Champions (IROC) used to have a 24 hour race that saw drivers compete against each other from NASCAR, Indy Cars, and Formula One.
There was a lot more familiarity with the drivers with the two major USA Series competing against each other. Indy Cars and NASCAR was like watching an All-Star Game.
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The Daytona 500 is at totally different situation and it really began with the parking.
There would be no trolley as the parking was so close that it was an easy walk to the Media Center.
There was much less foreign coverage and 42 drivers participated in the field with the lone international driver hailing from Mexico.
If you’re looking for familiarity, there was a ton of that.
Unlike the Rolex 24 where the fans couldn’t track their drivers, no such situation exists in this case.
I’ve attended five races at DIS, two as a fan and I’ve covered three as in My current role with the South Florida Tribune.
I went to one Daytona 500 with My ex wife, who was a Jeff Gordon fan in 1997, and what a day as the Hendricks drivers swept the top three sports.
Gordon won the 39th edition followed by Terry Labonte, and Ricky Craven.
Gordon became the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500 accomplishing this at age 25.
Richard Petty had been the youngest winner at age 26, in 1964.
Gordon’s record was surpassed when Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Race at age 20, in a record that I doubt will ever be broken.
Several years later, I bought a ticket to the Coke Zero 400 that was held around July 4th.
A few weeks ago, it was great to see Richard Petty again as we rekindled memories of an interview with him that I did covering NASCAR Events at the Michigan International Speedway.
The King remembered me and I’m amazed how well he’s connected he is to the sport to the day.
Petty is now partnered with NASCAR legendary driver Jimmie Johnson.
Petty could be classified as “Mr. NASCAR” and legendary Detroit Red Wing, Gordie Howe, is “Mr. Hockey.”
During Saturday’s Media Availability, I enjoyed talking to Rochester Hills, MI native Brad Keselowski as two home town guys had a chance to talk about racing, racing icon, Roger Penske and much more.
The only thing Keselowski’s resume as the elusive Daytona 500 as he has won a championship and races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Keselowski was in this race all day until a late accident forced to have to wait until next year.
Doing an interview with NASCAR Broadcasting icon, from FOX Mike Joy was the icing on the cake in terms of the key media availabilities.
Then there was the race itself, which turned out to be the longest one in Daytona 500 History.
In a race that went into overtime and lasted 212 laps, the winner was Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Former UNC and NBA Basketball Player Brad Daugherty became the first African American Owner to win the Daytona 500 and he did it with a team that has one driver.
What an anti climactic ending to the greatest race that I’ve ever seen.
I watched the majority of the race outside and some of it in the Media Center so I could stay hydrated on a beautiful 78 degree afternoon.
Whether I return to watch another Daytona 500 remains to be seen.
If I don’t, then you can’t do any better than this!
When I put things in perspective, the word “Greatest” sums up my recent experiences at DIS!
The Daytona 75/65 (at the Speedway )turned out to be the “Greatest Race” I’ve ever seen!
Covering the Rolex 24, was the “Greatest Event” I’ve ever covered in my lifetime as I stayed up 30 consecutive hours in my first attempt at 60 years old!
This eclipses the four Super Bowls that I’ve covered because of the endurance/ determination factor to pull this off.
In this story, we’re inserting some videos that you’re going to enjoy.
We want you to feel like you were with us at this event.
One interesting video was with Chas Krall, who is working with Menards and promoting the ARCA Series which is a feeder system in NASCAR. That took place on Saturday.
Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can follow him on Twitter @TribuneSouth.
To see his broadcasts, subscribe to the South Florida Tribune at no charge, as there are a variety of shows that will be informative with timely commentary.
A Joy to Talk with FOX Broadcaster Mike Joy
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
During my time covering motor sports, I generally get a lot of my major stories the day before the race. You can find the newsmakers in the Media Center and in the past, when I had garage access, that’s when these people were more than happy to talk to me.
Covid-19 has changed the garage access, but the Media Center is still where the action is at.
In the past, I had the opportunity to talk to “The King” Richard Petty, former drivers Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Dale Jarrett, along with legendary announcers ABC’s Jack Arute and Ken Squier.
In fact, when I interviewed Squier at the Michigan International Speedway in the 1990’s, a car pulled out and nearly hit me, but thanks to Ken, he told me to watch out and I got out of the way. He said with a smile, you have to watch out for those types of things in this area. I thanked him with a smile and a handshake and we began our conversation.
At Daytona International Speedway a few weeks ago, I had a great seat in the Media Center. I was near the back in a corner and I could spot when someone walked in the door.
When Joy walked in the door, I waited patiently until he became available then we took a photo together and I asked him if we can do an interview. He said he had two in front of me but Mike said he would gladly accommodate me.
The 73-year old, who was born in Chicago, Illinois and is a charter member of the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting panel, and in December 2013, was named sole media representative to the Hall’s exclusive nominating process.
He has numerous other honors as well, but when you think of a voice of NASCAR, Joy is it. He worked at CBS Sports and the Nashville Network from 1983-2000. He started at FOX in 1998 and is currently employed there.
FOX broadcast the Daytona 500 and the first 16 NASCAR Cup races each season, plus two all-star events. Joy anchors NASCAR Cup coverage on FOX owned cable network, FOX Sports 1, formerly Speed.
Joy is an accomplished sports car racer, winning races at Lime Rock, Pocono, Watkins Glen and New Hampshire, and has competed at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
If you’re going to broadcast the sport, it doesn’t hurt that you’re really good at it.
His mentor is Squier and in fact, as our interview concluded, I accidentally mentioned, great talking with you Ken, then mentioned Mike and we both smiled, since Mike had to got to a meeting and I was caught up in the moment. There is no crime when you’re putting him in the class of great announcers as I did with Squier.
During our interview we talked about a lot of topics that you’re going to watch in the video inserted in this story. Just to whet your appetite, we talked about diversity in the sport, women’s participation which included Danica Patrick.
I hope you enjoy watching this as much as I enjoyed producing and doing the actual interview itself.
The video is titled, “Rapid Fire With Mike Joy” as we talked about a lot of topics in a short period of time.
When it comes to motor sports, the drivers, owners, crew chiefs and announcers do a great job promoting and helping grow the sport. They’re phenomenal to work with!
That’s why I enjoy covering this sport when the situation presents itself.
Mike Joy is just the latest broadcaster that I’ve interviewed in over four decades in Sports Media.
The title of this story says it all!
Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can follow him on Twitter @TribuneSouth.
Also, to see his broadcasts, there is no charge to subscribe to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.
Rolex 24 Observations
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
As I look back at successfully covering My first ever Rolex 24 Hours Race at the Daytona International Speedway a couple weeks ago, I had a lot of time to reflect on this experience.
I came to the conclusion that I’m ready to do it again in 2024.
During the past couple of weeks, on all of my broadcasts, I’ve been telling my colleagues that this is the biggest accomplishment I’ve had in 43 years in Sports Media.
While I’ve covered a lot of great events including four Super Bowls, to cover a race for a total of 30 hours including pre and post race press conferences was incredible.
My colleague JB Ellis recently covered Super Bowl 57 and this guy is a diligent worker.
But when he made a lighthearted comment that the Rolex 24 was a one-day event and he put more time over several days, I dared him to cover this event. I told him that the 12 Hours of Sebring prepared me for the Rolex 24 as well as advice from Graham Goodwin, who has covered 89, 24 hours races.
By the end of the conversation, Ellis saw my point and backed off about the demands of both events. I look forward to the day that Ellis takes the Rolex 24 Hours plunge as I pulled this off at 60-years old.
Ellis did congratulate me on doing this. We’ve formed a great partnership with Sideline Sports!
Here are some of the things that standout about an event that will go down as the biggest accomplishment of my life.
*I’ve never been across the Big Pond, but it felt like it as the WI-Fi was taxed and I was unable to complete a podcast because of the International Presence at the Rolex 24. Being here was like going to Epcot Center because of the magnitude of the world wide event that saw the drivers go 3.56 miles combined with the road course and tri-oval.
*There was a lot of Media, Drivers, Engineers all over the world at the Daytona International Speedway.
*There were 61 entries, four drivers per car, 234 total drivers with an average drive time between 4-5 hours per-driver.
*This was a fascinating set-up with drivers racing on the street course and driving on the oval, as well as by victory lane. As I mentioned before, the race is 3.56 miles, with a combined oval and an infield road course with 12 turns.
*A total of 32 nations were represented and seven continents to go along with five different race classes.
*The notable advantage of the Rolex 24 has over the rest of the Racing World Drawing International Interest is timing: NASCAR, Indy Car Series, and Formula One, haven’t started their seasons.
*Talk about international involvement, there were 11 manufacturers from around the world. Of the 234 drivers, there were 82 American, 24 British, 18 Italians, and 11 French.
*The Communications Department was outstanding as it kept bringing in Drivers for interviews and various increments.
*This was a carnival atmosphere, with a lit-up Ferris Wheel.
*You could watch the race on an infield TV with seating.
*There was a Music Band adjacent to the TV.
*Not shortage of concession stands.
*It was interesting seeing diehard fans sleeping at night on the benches and not affected by the loud roar of the engines.
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The Stage is Set, My Photographer Candy Ebling and I are ready to cover the Super Bowl of Motor Sports, THE DAYTONA 500 this weekend.
You can rest assure, there will be no shortage of content in “The Center of Racing.”
Also, check out the videos in this story, including our latest on The Sports Exchange, previewing the Daytona 500.
Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com.
By Subscribing to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel, you’ll have an opportunity to see the various broadcasts.
Rolex 24 Hours Journal
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
Before covering the Rolex 24 Hours at the Daytona International Speedway, it took a lot for me to get to this point staying awake 30 hours if you consider these factors.
First, I successfully covered the 12-Hours of Sebring at the Sebring Raceway and was getting familiar with endurance racing. I found that this type of racing is more about the manufacturers and the stamina about the drivers. There is so much money involved, and it’s a good way to see the durability of the vehicles.
Finally, I sought advice from Graham Goodwin, who has covered 89 of these 24-hour races.
I was definitely ready for this challenge and decided to write a journal tracking what would be my biggest accomplishment in Sports Media. If there is one thing I would do differently, it was bringing my small digital camera to take unique photos at different times.
In my lifetime, I’ve done a lot of endurance drives across the USA.
I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
1) Arrived in Media Center 11 am
2) Press Conference 11:15 am Hendrick Motorsports -NASCAR Le Mans – Asked Jimmie Johnson – Couple Questions – 1) Accomplished Everything in his Career – 2) Racing in a 24-hour eventually
3) Sports Talk Saturday – Mark Mancini – Bruce Kessinger 11:50 am – WIFI Issues Didn’t finish show
4) Going out for Opening Festivities Start of Race 1:30
5) Back in Media Center 1:55 pm
6) Writing Jimmie Johnson Story 3:25 pm
7) Finished Johnson Story 4:52 pm
8) Quick Walk Outside 5:21 pm- Returned 5:34 pm
9) Dinner 6:33 pm
10) Writing My Graham Goodwin Story 7:15 pm
11) Taking a Nighttime Walk 8:21 pm – 9:15 pm
12) Served us Pizza at 11:00 pm as a late-night snack – New Tradition
13) Candy goes to the car to get some sleep – 12:45 am
14) Posting Stories on Twitter 12:49 pm
15) Took a Walk 1:58 am Returned 2:32 am
16) Back on Twitter 2:47 am
17) Candy sends me a text 2:55 am she can’t sleep
18) Played Work Blocks Game 4:48 am Stopped 5:02 am
19) Went Outside for some fresh air 5:06 am – 5:26 am
20) Back on Twitter 5:42 am
21) Going to get some fresh air 6:36 am – 6:45 am
22) Twitter 8-8:33 am
23) Breakfast with Candy 8:39 am
24) Back on Twitter 9-9:30 am Mainly IMSA
25) Sovenier Shop 10:45 – 10:55 am 2 hats/T-shirt
26) Watch Rest of Race Outside 12:45 pm
27) Victory Lane
28) Media Availability
Mr. Endurance Interviews Mr. Endurance
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
I have to admit that I met my match, not personally, but on the road.
I’ve been driving since I was 16 which amounts to 44 years on the road.
When I passed my driver’s test on my birthday, December 29, 1962, on a blustery winter day in Southfield, MI, my dad never let me hear the end of it in a joking way that I ran a red light after passing the test in Waterford, MI.
I would joke around with him that even though I had that inadvertent mishap, I’ve managed to do well through the years, and he smiled at me.
I recently bought a hat at a Truck Stop called “King of The Road” and for those that know me, I enjoy taking driving trips across the country instead of flying.
I’m not a fan of security checks at the airport, don’t like overspending on rental cars and having to get to the airport at least two hours for a flight. There is always the anxiety that a flight could get cancelled or lost luggage.
Between business and cross-country drives, I’ve driven over four million miles.
My wife gave the name, “Crazy Man” because of the fact that I get stronger as the drive wears on, especially driving at night.
During the night hours, I like to play music and like the fact there is less traffic on the road.
My late mother-in-law was very nervous about my adventures especially knowing I was doing them with her daughter in the car.
She was okay as time wore on.
I couldn’t call my late grandmother Sophie because I was afraid that I would make her sick. But she was glad to see me when I got home because of all the stories I would tell her.
A few years ago, I got my taste of covering endurance racing at Sebring Raceway.
The race is held in March and it’s called the 12-Hours of Sebring which is on a race track that was the site of Hendricks Army Airport.
The course of the track is 3.74 miles that has a lot of holes on the surface which takes a toll on the automobiles.
The man that gave me a good education on endurance racing was Sebring Historian, who handled the Media Credentials, Ken Breslauer.
I met a lot of writers that were pleasant and gave me pointers and by the end of the weekend, I started interviewing drivers.
But there was one person I met that impressed the heck out of me and we became friends.
His name is Graham Goodwin and this 58-year-old is the Editor of Dailysportscar.
He’s been covering endurance races for 21 years.
Graham and I spoke at the Roar Before The 24, which are preliminary races leading up to the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway that took place from January 26-29.
Our interview occurred on “No Limits” that is on the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel. There in no charge to subscribe.
What amazes me about Graham is he’s covered 13 Rolex 24’s and 89 24-Hour Races.
I asked him a lot of questions during the interview that lasted slightly over an hour.
I asked him his routine during a 24 hour race, whether he gets sleep, talked about the various tracks he’s been to and he gave me advice on covering my first 24 hour race.
I even told him that he reminded me of Lou Gehrig (New York Yankees), Cal Ripken Jr. (Baltimore Orioles), and Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings) as iron men in their respective sports.
I have to tell you that this was the fastest one hour interview that I’ve experienced in 43 years during My Sports Media Career.
I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it.
IMSA, which does the endurance racing doesn’t get the notoriety that IndyCar Racing, open wheel or NASCAR gets, but it’s a money machine when you factor that sports car racing at long increments tests tire durability, the engines from manufacturers like Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Cadillac, Porsche and many others.
But if you want to get an education on endurance racing, Graham Goodwin will give it to you.
Covering endurance racing is a far cry from the conventional sports that I’ve dealt with in the past.
But the Rolex 24 has always been a bucket list item and now I can check that off the list.
My hope is to get addicted to this because unlike the regular motor sports events, you track drivers and manufacturers.
Nobody is going to turn their head around non-stop for 12-24 hours especially when you have a combination of daylight and darkness.
Since I figured out Sebring twice, there will be a huge gratification of me when I’m doing this.
I’m definitely doing a journal and taking in all of the media availability’s available to me.
In the meantime, Graham Goodwin has been a good tutor, has traveled all over the world doing these events, but I feel good that I’ve demonstrated enough endurance in traveling all over the USA. I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve hit all 50 States.
But it’s real cool that Mr. Endurance got to Interview Mr. Endurance at the “World Center Of Racing” (Daytona International Speedway).
Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter @TribuneSouth.
Also, once again, Subscribe to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel to see all of Scott’s broadcasts.
Pure Ley The Best
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
In late June, I attended The National Sports Media Association (NSMA) Awards Banquet and Seminar in Winston Salem, NC.
I met a lot of great people during the course of those few days.
But there was one that stood out.
He’s an individual that represents everything that I stand for when I think of great media colleagues.
He was an original sports anchor in 1979 at ESPN when the network was a pioneer in becoming a specialized programming entity.
His name is Bob Ley.
Our paths crossed when Ley was inducted into the NSMA Hall of Fame Monday, June 24th.
I met Ley the night before in the banquet hall of BB&T Field, the home of Wake Forest University Football.
Bob and I spoke for 15 minutes before dinner.
I told him how much I respected his professionalism on the air.
He’s an old school person that never sensationalized and believed in getting the facts right.
He’s a person of high integrity that was great with every assignment he had.
Whether it was Sports Center, Outside The Lines, E-60, etc…, he delivered with professional poise.
We talked about the changes in this industry compared to when we began many years ago.
Bob has adapted to the changes as his network has grown from being a small one to the mega empire it’s become.
Back in 1979, podcasts and digital technology wasn’t imaginable.
I told Bob that I only watch a few shows at ESPN and that I get turned off by the loud debate shows, and I repeat loud ones, that some of their on-air talent demonstrates.
I mentioned to him that you don’t have to mention any of the names that I’m talking about. I’ll do it for you.
I told him the only shows I watch are those that I can learn from to not only make myself better, but to enhance the projects I’m working on.
We saw eye to eye on many things but I told him “that the day I stop learning will be the day I stop breathing.” He definitely agreed with me and felt the same way.
I told him that he should enjoy the ride at ESPN for however long it may be, just like I’m doing.
We never know when it will end.
We’ll collect the stories and memories to relate to others.
On this night, the 64-year old Ley and the 56-year old Morganroth would shake hands, exchange hugs and take a memorable photo.
NCAA legend Bucky Waters introduced us.
The following night, I congratulated him again and he thanked me. I told him, “thank-you for making me a better professional.”
Thirty-six hours later, Ley announced his retirement from ESPN.
He decided that his NSMA Hall Of Fame Honor was his way of going out on top.
We happened to be at DeMara’s Pizza Restaurant near Georgetown, SC.
Candy and I actually watched a special edition of Outside The Lines with Ley and Jeremy Schaap in the restuarant.
For some reason, I wasn’t surprised by this announcement because of our time together.
For me to share this photo on Facebook for friends to see was special.
Although Ley’s iconic career at ESPN is over, I see him spending more time with his family and eventually moving into a professor’s role to mentor the next generation.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see him get a call from another major network.
In my mind, his timing was perfect.
On that Monday Night, he had three ESPN colleagues to see his incredible honor.
His induction speech was excellent and emotional.
Who knows if our paths will ever cross again.
But the memories with Ley this weekend were Pure Ley The Best!
Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.
He’s the Founder and CEO of The South Florida Tribune.
Blind Broadcaster, Bryce Weiler’s Story
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
One of the things I like about owning an online publication is it’s great to add the Podcast/Broadcast Division to compliment the written material.
I’m finding out that having audio and visual aspects separates us from a lot of the newspapers by offering more to our followers.
Nowadays, the attention span of individuals varies immensely.
Whether they’re at home or driving to work, they can read, watch and listen to podcasts.
I get lots of request from individuals who want to share their stories but I am very selective of those that I want to proceed with.
It’s difficult to turn people down and I can’t cover every event in person.
We do provide a platform for business to invest money into airtime and build their online profile which enhances their credibility that in turn improves their SEO Rating on Google.
Everyone has an opportunity to become a columnist provided that the story is clean and stays away from politics or religion.
But as we work towards providing a balance between sports and non-sports content, this is what is making our platform grow.
On October 5, 2021, a Facebook Friend, Bryce Weiler contacted me and told me he was a disability consultant for the Baltimore Orioles. He also told me that he’s blind and has done broadcasting for numerous organizations.
He’s been a color analyst for 150 games.
Once I evaluated his information, I felt this would be a very inspiring broadcast.
As we approach Thanksgiving, this is a time when these stories become more magnified and even have more meaning.
On November 17, 2021, this simulcast show became a reality.
It took 24:11 to complete and we hope you enjoy the audio and visual component.
Weiler listed some of the most prominent places he worked.
1. University of Evansville, Athletics.
2. New Britain Bees, Minor League Baseball, Atlantic League.
3. Akron Rubber Ducks, AA Cleveland Guardians.
4. Evansville Otters, Frontier League (Independent Minor League Baseball).
5. Western Illinois Sports.
6. University of Texas San Antonio, Men’s Basketball as a Color Commentator.
Bryce has a lot of great stories during the show and demonstrated to me that despite having a disability, and working as a disability consultant, this is a reminder to all of us that no matter how tough life can get, there are other individuals that also have to work harder to overcome their adversities.
Here at the South Florida Tribune, we are content hunters!
One of my early mentors, Andy Liscano taught me to always be different when we worked together in South Florida in the 1980’s.
Who knows if Andy will ever see this post or video. In December, I’ll turn 59 and his message has resonated loud and clear through 40 years in the Media!
On November 28, 2020, My mother passed away.
One of the big lessons she taught me was to be open-minded.
Shila Morganroth and Andy Liscano truly will always be appreciated because of their amazing words of wisdom.
I hope you check out the South Florida Tribune and take a peak of what shows we have and in 2021 as I make the bold decision to scale back sports reporting to search for other human interest stories, that you’re going to see in 2022.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to search for these incredible human interest stories so we can find more Bryce Weiler’s.
Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter @TribuneSouth.
To see his broadcasts, Subscribe to South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel at No Charge.
Field Of Dreams
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
If you build it, they will come!
Indeed, these are the legendary words that make Field of Dreams one of the greatest movies of all-time!
This finally became a reality for Candy Ebling and I on Halloween Weekend as the 2021 World Series was winding down.
There was no fitting ending to baseball season then to take the trip to Dyersville, Iowa., and take this off our bucket list.
The road to Dyersville took an interesting twist as I had aspirations of covering the Michigan vs Michigan State game in East Lansing on Saturday, October 30, but do to high demand, I was turned down.
I told Ebling that I’ve never been happier for a turn down because I knew The Field of Dreams Movie Site was on the bucket list and this was the perfect time to go.
The Fall Classic was going on and the weather was sunny in the 50’s on a beautiful Autumn Day.
We decided to go to watch the football game in Racine, WI and then made the trek to Iowa around 3:30 PM local time. We arrived in Dyersville at 6:30 PM and decided to check out the movie site in the evening before we found a hotel and ate dinner.
What a great decision that turned out to be as we saw the field lit up and there was a wedding taking place. Ebling seized the opportunity and took some great night-time photos.
But the real fun began on Halloween when the Field of Dreams Movie Site was open.
We gave a donation as there is no fee, and got out of the car and security directed us to tour guide Craig Purcell.
I introduced myself to Craig and told him that I’m the owner of the South Florida Tribune. I asked him if he wanted to do a video to talk about the movie site. I also asked him where he thought would be a good place to do a Facebook Live.
He quickly contacted his supervisor Roman Weinberg and introduced us. I told Roman what my game plan was by doing two videos, a Facebook Live and following it up with a story. By then end of our conversation, Roman was on board with what we wanted to do and we went to work.
We did the Facebook Live in the Outfield then did a pair of videos in the Farmhouse and the Back Office.
We had two different perspectives of the experiences as you’re going to see viewing those videos.
During the summer, the Field of Dreams Movie Site got a bigger boost as the New York Yankees faced the Chicago White Sox on a separate field. From different vantage points you can see a glimpse of the field plus the lights.
The game was such a success that MLB will have another one as the Chicago Cubs square off against the Cincinnati Reds next summer.
I heard from different people that Chicago White Sox Hall of Farmer that Frank Thomas will be investing time and money to create activities which will be disclosed at a later date.
During this post, I’m not going into too much detail of the videos and Facebook Live because I want you to see them and draw your own conclusions.
This place is definitely a must see for not only baseball fans but everyone in general!
What I will say is that after the experience, I told Ebling that I will take her to Cooperstown, NY., so she can go to the Baseball Hall Of Fame!
I’ve been to these hallowed grounds in upstate New York a couple times and not only have I bought valuable memorabilia, but a lifetime of memories in a town that’s all baseball.
Baseball has put Dyersville, Iowa on the map and like Cooperstown, it’s small town intimate setting is truly tremendous.
What’s great about the Field of Dreams Movie Site is the fact that it’s only three hours away from Wisconsin where I have a lot of family and a few friends. This drive is a cakewalk for me especially since I live in Florida and my average drive to go to a major city is around three hours.
This could be a short little day trip getaway or a night trip, and you can rest assure I’ll find more creative ideas for videos.
Who knows, if the Baseball Gods have their way, I’ll cover an MLB Game.
But I’m not holding my breath on that because if it’s meant to happen, then it will.
Otherwise, I’m more than content to hang out in my new favorite Iowa town and converse with the locals.
The final piece of business we did in downtown Dyersville was we spent about 45 minutes and checked out a small museum that told the Field of Dreams Story. It was the best $5.00 per person we spent. We did it after our visit to the field and the information was extremely valuable!
The background and history of Field of Dreams reinforced what we saw and allowed us to fully comprehend what we just experienced.
We truly hope that you not only enjoy this story, but the Facebook Live and two videos because when it’s all said and done, like us, you’re going to be hooked!
We are and I’m glad that the domino’s dropped in our direction as we replaced a football game with something much better!
Going to the Field of Dreams Movie Site wasn’t a matter of if, but when!
On Halloween Weekend during the World Series, we took care of the when! This is truly a Baseball Mecca!
I do want to take the time to thank the folks at the Field of Dreams Movie Site for all of their hospitality especially Craig and Roman. For a guy that’s made his existence as a writer and a broadcaster, I’ll be talking about this experience nonstop!
To summarize, best of all, when you come to Dyersville, Iowa and see the Field of Dreams Movie Site, you definitely want to watch the movie again!
Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can follow him on Twitter @TribuneSouth.
You can see all of his broadcasts by subscribing to The South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel for free.
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Sparring With The Real Rocky
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING
The South Florida Region has always been kind to me when it comes to Boxing.
When I lived here from 1982-84, I worked for The Hallandale Digest and we covered Boxing hard when the situations presented themselves.
Interviewing and writing stories on the late Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard were unquestionably thrills of a lifetime.
I became friends with Ali and Leonard’s Trainer, the late great Angelo Dundee, who taught me a lot about Boxing. The only thing Dundee didn’t do was train me and be my corner man in a fight.
The old Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, FL., used to host events and I met prominent Judge Eva Shain. She became the first woman to judge a Heavyweight Championship bout. Shain was one of the judges at the fight between Ali and Ernie Shavers in 1977 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
I wrote a story on former Boxing Referee Joey Curtis at the Diplomat Hotel.
Curtis will always be remembered as a referee for taking a Boxer’s safety first.
On December 10, 1982, he was chosen to referee the World Boxing Association’s World Championship Fight between Champion Mike Weaver and Challenger Michael Dokes.
Dokes came out relentlessly early in the fight and hammered Weaver often. Curtis controversially stopped the fight in 63 seconds into the first round.
When we talked, Curtis told me that the Nevada Athletic Commission told him to be mindful of the condition of the fighters after the November 18, 1982 death of Korean Duk Koo Kim as a result of a fight with Ray Mancini in Las Vegas on November 13.
Another friend of mine is old Boxing Historian, Hank Kaplan. I met Kaplan when I was covering events that he was promoting through Pugilistic Promotions. These fights would take place at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Kaplan and I would go out to eat often and we once talked about an idea of seeing whether it would be feasible to have a Boxing Match at Gulfstream Race Course (Home of The Florida Derby) since I knew President Doug Donn real well. Nothing came of that.
Now it’s time to speed up the clock to the Fall of 2016.
I happened to be on Facebook and there was a link on My Timeline for an event to be held at Lauderdale By The Sea City Hall.
One of the promoters behind it was Lisa Bartolo.
Former Heavyweight Boxer Chuck Wepner was going to sign autographs and answer questions.
For those of you that don’t know Wepner, 78, Chuck fought Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali on March 24, 1975. The fight nearly lasted 15 rounds. Wepner was knocked out with 19 seconds left in the 15th round.
The contest was held in the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio.
Wepner’s incredible effort as a heavy underdog to Ali was the inspiration for The Rocky Series.
Wepner, 6-5, would amass 51 fights, had a 35-17-2 record with 17 knockouts.
Wepner’s main nickname is “The Real Rocky” and we had a chance to talk about many things in this Exclusive Q&A Interview.
The reason why I’ve decided to post the interview now is there is a new movie made on Wepner that is being released on May 5, 2017 titled “The Bleeder” also known as “Chuck.”
Q: Describe what it was like to fight Muhammad Ali and be able to nearly go the 15 round distance?
A: It was the greatest fight of my life getting a shot at the title. It took 12 years and I finally got the shot, and I went 15 rounds to go at Muhammad Ali. I had the champ down and they made the movie Rocky about me. A lot of things turned out good for me.
Q: When you were fighting Ali, do you feel that he ever underestimated you going into this particular fight since you were a prohibitive underdog knowing you lost in a mere 15 seconds?
A: I definitely feel Ali underestimated me. He took the fight thinking it would be an easy one. This fight turned out to be one of the longest fights of his career.
Q: I know that your fulltime job was a liquor salesman. What was it like to be without a trainer for much of your career until the Ali Fight?
A: It was hard. I would run in the morning, then shower, go to work all day, then go to the gym at night. It was pretty tough, but those are the things you face when you don’t have any money backing you up.
Q: Did Promoter Don King get you a trainer for the Ali fight?
A: Don King took me on as a promoter at the end of my career, and he got me a guy by the name of Billy Prezent. He was a part-time cornerman . Billy helped me a lot. He gave me the attention I never got in the other fights in my career.
Q: I notice you were using “The Rabbit Punch” against Ali. How effective was it? Where did the punch come from?
A: I was tall and I seemed to be always punching down on guys. Guys would duck in and I would really hit them. Even though it was an illegal punch, it worked for me because it used to wear guys down, and that’s what I tried to do with Ali.
I try to get them out of his rhythm and make him go to war with me. I tried to get him to punch himself out. It worked to a certain extent. That was my signature punch.
A Rabbit Punch is only illegal only it it’s on the back of the neck. In that fight, the punches were on the side of the face and neck which a lot of those punches their were legal. You try to throw the punches and when you throw them, the guy keeps ducking and they’re close to the body, and it’s legal.
Q: Let’s talk about your boxing style. Did you ever view yourself as a brawler or a finesse fighter?
A: I was a brawler. I was a brawler that was a tough guy who could take a punch to wear guys down. I was just a brawler, that’s all.
Q: Would you say that you were able to get that Ali fight because he was looking for someone white?
A: That’s exactly what it was. He was looking for a white guy to fight for the title. I was the only Top 10 guy in the world. That’s why I got the shot.
Q: After Ali’s death on June 3, 2016, I heard you were giving a lot of interviews. Is that true?
A: Yes. When “The Greatest” was gone, I gave hundreds and hundreds. I also gave 34 on the phone and seven on national television totaling 41.
Q: What was your proudest accomplishment in your boxing career?
A: My highlights include winning the NABA World Title in 1972, and going 15 rounds with Ali.
Q: One of the many things I respect about you Chuck was you never dodged a fighter. Do you take pride in that?
A: Yes. In my era, it wasn’t my style. I couldn’t dodge anybody. I started late. I won the New York and East Coast Nationals at 25-years old. So I took on anybody that wanted to fight me, I would fight them.
Q: What fighter did you fear the most?
A: I didn’t fear anybody. The toughest fighter I faced was Sonny Liston. I went 10 rounds with Liston and it was a brawl. I got banged up pretty good.
Q: Give me your observations about the Muhammad Ali vs George Forman fight that was held on October 29, 1974?
A: I didn’t think Ali could beat Foreman and I was going to be fighting Foreman for the title after that fight. But low and behold, the great Muhammad Ali pulled it out of the bag and knocked him out in the eighth round. He outsmarted Foreman with “The Rope-A-Dope.”
Q: One thing Ali told me when I interviewed him back in 1982 was he wore Foreman out and George had no gas in the tank. He boxed very patiently. Does that make sense?
A: Yes. I was at Ali’s 70th birthday in 2012, and he said the things just as you have said. He wore me out and he hit me then the next thing I know, I look up, and I’m on the floor and he’s standing over me. How did this happen? I didn’t beat the count. I actually got up at nine but was stumbling, and the referee waived off the fight. It was a great fight. Ali proved his greatness that night.
Q: When you were fighting in your prime, matches used to go 15 rounds. It seemed like to me that fighters took more punishment, plus they were fighting more often. What do you remember about that?
A: There were a lot of better heavyweights. I was ranked in The Top 10 in the world 42 straight months. Nowadays, the heavyweight division is terrible.
Q: Let’s talk about Sylvester Stallone and The Rocky Series. If I heard you correctly, The Rocky Series netted $4 Billion?
A: It was actually $4.4 Billion as of 2014 nationally. It‘s all over the world. It’s more popular in Japan and in Europe than it is in the USA. You know how popular it is here. I get about 10 calls a month saying Chuck, Rocky is on. I’ve seen it 10 times, have watched it 10 times, and I’m not going to watch it again.
I think Sylvester Stallone is a great action actor, and he makes a lot of great movies. He’s done a lot for me in the past and he’s doing a lot for me now. He’s one of the co-producers of My Movie, “The Bleeder.”
Q: Chuck, I’m going to let you have the floor. Let’s talk about the legalities of The Rocky Series and how it pertains to your life story. What’s your relationship like with Stallone?
A: He made the movie. I’m deeply honored that I was the inspiration. As a matter of fact, in Rocky 2, he wrote a part into the movie, a boxer named Ching Webner, his best sparring partner. I read the part, but didn’t do well. I didn’t get the part. But that’s alright. I’m not an actor. And Sylvester Stallone has done a lot for me.
There was never any sour grapes from me as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t think there is from him either. Things seem to be alright.
Q: Would you say you’ve made out well financially over this?
A: I have made money throughout the years. Best of all, a lot of people call me “Champ” Rocky.
During the course of our conversation, it seemed that Wepner is at peace with himself.
Here is a guy that is called “Champ” because of his connection to The Rocky Series.
As aforementioned, Stallone wanted him to read the part again for Rocky 2 to be his “Chief Sparring Partner.”
While it wasn’t good enough to get in the movie, that never mattered to Wepner.
He also told me that he likes UFC/MMA because it’s exciting and he hopes those fighters make good money like boxers.
But when you break down Chuck Wepner as a whole, this is a guy that almost went the distance with Ali.
He made a mere $100,000 for the fight, but amazes me in many ways.
Once upon a time, he couldn’t afford a trainer in his boxing career.
But meanwhile, while many fighters have passed away due to head trauma as a result of excessive blows to the head, including Ali, when we met, Wepner was in Fantastic Shape!
What will Wepner’s legacy be over time?
1. Will it be for the courageous fight with Muhammad Ali?
2. Will it be that he was “The Real Rocky?”
There are no wrong answers here and a good way to describe Wepner is he was a “Blue Collar Brawler.”
For myself, I will say it was a thrill of a lifetime for me to spar and interview “The Real Rocky.” I can’t count how many times that I’ve watched the Rocky Series.
But I’ll say this, I’ve had many great interviews in my 38 years in Sports Media, and this one will rank amongst the best!
Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.southfloridatribune.com.
Exclusive Interview With Muhammad Ali Jr
BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING
There are many namesakes that have attempted to follow in the footsteps of their legendary fathers.
Some have made it and others had difficulties due to the pressure of enormous expectations.
Pete Rose Jr., Tony Gwynn Jr., and Roberto Clemente Jr., were unable to sniff their fathers Hall Of Fame accomplishments.
Time will tell if Barry Sanders Jr., and Keyshawn Johnson Jr., will have the same success as their fathers on the gridiron.
Meanwhile, Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., and Dale Earnhardt Jr., made their fathers proud and have created a legacy of their own.
Ken Norton Jr. decided to not pursue Boxing and has had a stellar NFL career as a player and a coach.
I know there are many other individuals that I’ve probably overlooked.
On May 19, 2017, I met another namesake and this one is a GIANT!
My friend Lisa Bartolo threw a birthday party for Muhammad Ali Jr. at Camuso’s Lounge in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Lisa represents “JD & Lisa Entertainment” and we’ve worked together on past projects including our most recent one, “The Real Rocky” also known as Chuck Wepner.
I had an opportunity to meet Khalilah Camacho-Ali, the mother of Ali Jr. She’s a nice woman that has an amazing sense of humor. In the photo she’s on the far right.
Ali Jr. turned 45 and he’s been in the news recently by being detained at two airports because of his Muslim Religion.
I will not address nor elaborate on the extent of President Donald Trumps travel ban on Muslim’s although Ali Jr. was inconvenienced by this ordeal.
Since this story is sports, we’ll leave it on a Sports Media Platform.
The entire focus on Ali Jr., will be sports based as we look at the Life and Times of the son of his legendary father, Muhammad Ali, also known as “The Greatest Of All Time.”
As I got to know Ali Jr., I showed him a photo of myself and his iconic father which was taken when I wrote a story on “The Greatest Of All Time” at Allen Park Gym in North Miami Beach, FL., in 1982. As you’ll see in this photo with Ali Sr., I definitely didn’t need Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers diet.
In this photo, I was 19-years old and weighed 120 pounds and there was no sign of any gray hair.
But it was neat to speak with Ali Jr., and share stories that I had with his iconic father.
It was fun to watch Ali Jr. as he admired my photo and we got to know one-another then proceeded to take photos together.
I’ve been interviewing high profiled people for years and I have to admit that Ali Jr., was one of the most colorful individuals I’ve met.
In this Exclusive Interview, we’ll look at the Life and Times of Muhammad Ali Jr.
Q: I followed your dad’s career and his trainer Angelo Dundee was a good friend of mine. Did you ever consider a career in Boxing?
A: I considered a career but it wasn’t boxing. When I was little, I told my father that I was going to be a Dentist. He said ‘ Why do you want to be a Dentist?’ I said because I can knock the teeth out instead of pull them out. That’s what a kid would say.
I was just a kid, so what I did I know. I was just being me. I don’t want to be a Dentist anymore. I actually want to become the President of The United States and make the world a better place.
Q: Muhammad, what’s it like for you to bear a name of such an iconic figure as your dad?
A: Sometimes it’s really good because I get what I want. But sometimes it’s really bad because people expect so much from you. Why don’t you Box like your father?
It’s not me. I don’t have the heart to hit anybody. If he hit me, I wouldn’t hit you back. That’s the type of person I am. So it’s hard. It’s really hard.
Q: What type of relationship did you have with your father? As I understand, you were estranged from him for a number of years?
A: I was estranged from him for a number of years because of his wife. His wife stopped him from seeing his own blood brother. Me and my father’s relationship was like a brother-to-brother relationship because we would talk about anything until she got in the picture. Then it was kind of hard to talk to him. I’m referring to his last wife Lonnie.
She made it where at times where I would see my father and I was hurting because I didn’t have any money. I asked him for some money and he give it to me. But you know since he was married to her, I went to ask for money, she would pull me aside, and told me ‘don’t ask your father for money.’
I said, who the hell are you to tell me not to ask my father for money? You’re not even a relation except by marriage. You’re not family. You have no right to tell me not to ask my father for money.
That’s like me coming to you asking and telling you, don’t ask your father for money. I have no place in that. You’re not my mother and no relation to me except but being his wife.
She had no children, just an adopted child. That all simply makes you the mother of a child. Legally it does because it’s on paper, but biologically, no. So birth right, no.
I’m the only really be gotten son. I don’t care if there is an adopted child or whatever. He’s not the blood son of him. If he was the half son then maybe he’s a blood son. But if you’re not born of a woman and a man, then you’re an orphan.
Q: Muhammad, I know when you have a father that’s legendary, he’s on the road a lot, and in many instances children of athletes are neglected especially since they have absentee fathers. I read that you were bullied by boys who wanted to prove that they can beat you up being a champion’s son.
How difficult was that for you?
A: It really wasn’t difficult because guys that pick on me wanted to see if you’re like my father. Are you scared of me? I told them that I’m not scared of nobody but God. He hit me in the nose and made my nose swell up. After that, I was cool. We became friends. I stood for what I believed in. I’m afraid of God, not afraid of you. I’m not afraid of any man.
Q: But don’t you feel at times though that normally when you’re related to someone like your dad that guys would want to take a shot at you just to boost their ego or anything?
A: Who are you to show when you are no pro? You aren’t standing for it. I mean sometimes you have to throw down just to get respect. Some people take an ass whipping to get respect. I mean you have to do something to stand your ground to get that respect and that’s what I did. I got beat up and hurt for it but no pain and no gain, right?
Q: No conversation with an Ali would be complete without talking about your dad’s epic and historic victory over George Foreman in 1975 where he regained The World Heavyweight Championship with an impressive eighth round knockout. I know you were very young. What were your thoughts about this fight?
A: Well I saw it as my father was in the early stages of Parkinson’s Disease and it was actually bothering him. The footwork wasn’t going so good.
He took a weakness and I don’t know who else could do this but him. He took a weakness and turned it into an asset. He invented The Rope-A-Dope because he was cutting the ring off the way he boxed. He cut the ring off.
So I have to do something to stop him, something to make him tired. So I played with him a little bit. I needed to get the ropes stretched so he could punch himself out. Is that all you got? He hit like a sissy. Is that all you got? He tried to make him mad. He punched and gave it all he got. After he gave it all he got, My father said ‘George is that all you got’ and that messed him up.
I talked to George about the fight and asked George how did you feel after that fight? He said man, I couldn’t sleep for a whole year after fighting your father. I said wow!
Q: During the course of your dad’s career, do you think that was your favorite fight compared to the many other ones he had?
A: Yes, because when George Foreman went to Zaire, he had a Belgium Dog-German Shepherd, and to the people of Zaire, that was a Police Dog to them. So they didn’t like George Foreman because he had that type of dog. So they rooted for My Father.
My father represented unity, peace and freedom. George Foreman with that dog represented The Police. So they really didn’t like George Foreman. The crowd chanted Ali, boom by yeah, George Foreman, Ali kill him.
Q: Were there any other fights that stood out in your dad’s career such as the great trilogy with Joe Frazier, plus the rivalry with Ken Norton Sr.?
A: My father fought Joe Frazier (In The Thrillla In Manila, Phillipines) and both of them were almost ready for the hospital after that fight. They both beat each other up big time.
Q: One of the newest fads going on right now is Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). What are your thoughts about MMA?
A: I’m not really into that. I mean I like it, but it’s not my cup of tea.
Q: Finally, Muhammad, nowadays I hear you do a lot of Public Speaking. What do you talk about?
A: I talk about respect for all people, all life matters, not just black life. But there is always features on the TV with black people killing each other. You never see anybody else doing the same thing. Black life matters is not to be racial, it’s because all life matters.
It’s gotten to the point where black people are killing each other. Then you have cops killing black people. It really doesn’t make any sense. The violence needs to stop. Whether the cops do it or we do it, it needs to stop.
After the interview, I have to admit that during the course of our interview that having spoken to Muhammad Ali Sr. and Muhammad Ali Jr. that they are indeed two different people.
But one thing remains the same with both. They’re not afraid to speak their minds and are fortunate enough to utilize their platforms quite well.
Nevertheless, how often does an individual get an opportunity to speak with an icon then several years later speak with his namesake?
All in all both were totally rewarding experiences on much different levels.
Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.southfloridatribune.com..