90 Days Until Pitchers & Catcher’s Report – by Roy Firestone, Multi Timed Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Baseball season is over, and that fact alone makes me somewhat wistful. When the baseball season ends, I am always reminded of my old friend, Bart Giamatti who was a frequent visitor to my “Up Close” show. Besides being President of the National League, and later Commissioner of baseball, Bart was a poet. I think my favorite poem of his fits my mood exactly the day after the baseball season ended. Bart wrote: “It breaks…

The Boss Turns 75 – by Roy Firestone, Multi time Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Bruce Springsteen celebrated his 75th birthday last month. And heres what he says about growing old. “Age. Age brings perspective. And the fine clarity one gets at midnight…on the tracks…looking into the lights of an oncoming train. It dawns on you rather quickly. Theres only so much time left. Only so many star filled nights….snowfalls…brisk fall afternoons…rainy midsummer days. So how you conduct yourself…and do your work..matters. How you treat your friends, your family, your…

Time for Tua to Walk Away – Roy Firestone, Multi Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

I don’t know Tua Tagovailoa. I’ve never met him. By all accounts he is a very fine young man. He’s also, at age 26, so young and gifted he might be able to play football for another decade or so. That’s if he stayed healthy. I’m not in the business of telling people what they should do in their life. But if it were me, and had suffered those concussions, I know what I’d do.…

MISSING THE MICK – By Roy Firestone, Multi time Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Mickey Mantle died 29 years ago this week. The fact that it has been 29 years is mind boggling to me, and maybe to you too. Mickey was easily one of the most beloved baseball players of his generation, and among the greatest players of all time. He was deeply flawed. He was an alcoholic, a womaniser, had health issues that couldn’t keep him on the field. But Mickey seemed to be almost a mythic…

FOR PETE’S SAKE – by Roy Firestone, Multi times Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

To me, the smartest, wisest, most thoughtful, and most articulate voice in American politics is the most “unelectable”, at least where the country is now. He’s Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford. In 2007, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree with first-class honours in philosophy, politics, and economics after studying at Pembroke College, Oxford. He’s also Harvard educated. He speaks eight…

OLIVER TWIST by Roy Firestone Multi-Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

I love John Oliver. I think his show, “Last Week, Tonight”is one of the most entertaining, informative, and often drop dead funny shows on TV. His show goes deep into some of the most complicated subjects .He is fearless and acerbic and pointed, and Oliver says things that almost no one who reports the news would say or reflect on. John Oliver earns 1 million dollars per episode for his show on HBO. But yesterday,…

The Beauty of a Ballpark – by Multi Emmy Winning Journalist, Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

There’s something about a ballpark. Any ballpark. Anywhere. Baseball ballparks are mostly outdoors, and if you’re lucky and you are there to witness it…theres a beauty you can see and feel in your surroundings. It’s in the sunset. It reaches into your soul. You don’t get the same wonder in football stadiums or arenas. This is sunset at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, perhaps the game’s most beautiful ballpark. The glory of a sunset kissing…

It Happened on August 1, 1972
By Roy Firestone
Multi-Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Here’s a funny and true story that references humility and accomplishment – and the fact that even when you finally do something really ‘great’ someone, somewhere, is doing better than you. This is a story that I tell in my live show. It involves three-time All-star Nate Colbert. All-star Nate was enjoying the game of his life. Colbert’s best day in the majors was August 1, 1972, when he hit five home runs – matching…

The Courage to Continue
By Roy Firestone
Multi Emmy Award-Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Ravens and Lions fans are hurting. They were so close to seeing their teams win title games and vault into the Super Bowl. But they didn’t. Maybe it was a fumbled football, a dropped pass, a missed tackle, or in the case of the Lions two gambles that didn’t pay off. But those teams failed. It’s of little solace, but if you haven’t failed you will never succeed. Because you haven’t tried. I want to…

Dolly Parton: A Life Well Lived
By Roy Firestone
Multi Time Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

I think we need to focus more on great people than scoundrels. We have a lot more great people in life than miserable ones. Character, generosity, and kindness are traits far more impressive to me than affluence, celebrity, and social standing. Dolly Parton recently turned 78 years old. Here’s a person I have never met, but every person I have ever known who knows her says she is a superb human being…and you can pretty…

THE PERENNIAL
By Roy Firestone
Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

He’ll be 82 years old on his next birthday. He once performed for a crowd of 185,000 in Rio . He drew three crowds that size that week. At the time, those were the largest live audiences in the history of live performances. His voice is virtually shot from the hundreds, maybe thousands, of performances and studio time. But people don’t care that he doesn’t sound like he used to. And more importantly, HE doesn’t…

BUCK… The Wisest, Kindest and Gentlest Soul
By Roy Firestone | Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

With all the hate and division and violence in this world, I wanted to share the story of a man who saw and lived through all kinds of discrimination and injustice but decided to live a life of gratitude and love. I’ve been fortunate to have met so many unforgettable people in sports in my career. I knew… Ali. Wilt. Ted Williams. Billie Jean King. Arthur Ashe. Charles Barkley. So many people. They were large…

GAGA ABOUT THE LADY
By Roy Firestone
Multi Emmy Award-Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

When they asked Steve Martin what it takes to break through in the entertainment business, he said it’s not about agents, contacts, or luck…it’s about, as he put it, “being SO good at what you do, that they can’t ignore you.” With that in mind, I give you the story of Stefani Germanotta. For years, this classically trained pianist and singer played in dumps, strip bars, and sleazy clubs. As a young kid…she idolized Judy…

Lukas & Willie Nelson: The Tradition Endures
by Roy Firestone Multi Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Willie Nelson is now 90 years-old and still touring. He’s had the most remarkable life.   For nearly 70 years in show business, Willie has written great songs and sung them well. He has entertained millions of people and has sold equally as many records. In addition, he’s been an activist and an outspoken figure for Farm Aid and numerous other charities.   You would think with his tour schedule, which could have hundreds of…

The Development of an Iconic Filmmaker
By Roy Firestone
Emmy Award-Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Steve was a lonely kid. He was ridiculed, bullied, and mocked, mostly because he was Jewish. He had few close friends, but he found relief from the sadness when he became obsessed with the movies. It helped him escape the pain of his parents’ divorce – and the wonder of making films was an escape to him, as it was for many lonely, hurting kids. And so, Steve made little movies using a Bell and…

“Goliath”…the Story of the Great Wilt Chamberlain
By Roy Firestone
Multi Emmy Award Winning Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Beginning next weekend and for the following three weekends, I will be one of the lead voices with recollections, stories, and interviews in a fascinating series about, easily, the most fascinating man who ever strode a basketball court. It’s called “Goliath”, and I am heavily featured in the 3-part documentary that tells the story of the most compelling athlete in basketball history…and yes, that includes Michael Jordan. What makes this series so groundbreaking, and I…

The Beatles Meet Elvis
By Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

It happened nearly 58 years ago. One of the most significant meetings between the greatest forces in pop music history – meeting for one historic night . The date was August 27th, 1965, and the Beatles were on “fumes”. That is, they were dead tired, exhausted really. They had been touring almost non-stop, done hundreds of interviews, filmed two full length movies, and were asked to turn out three new albums a year. It was…

THE GOLDEN AGE OF LATE NIGHT HAS COME & GONE
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Jimmy Fallon’s late-night audience is now about 2 million. When he began his show, it was an audience of 11 million. But he’s not alone. All late-night talk show’s audiences are down considerably and there are many reasons. Too many shows, too many clips of its best moments can be seen online….streaming…and frankly, boredom. Look, I’m a political person and I loved great political humor when it was beginning. But every night, every SINGLE night…

Remembering Don Rickles
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

(Ed. Note:  Frank Pace – The Mook – produced Don Rickles series, DADDY DEAREST. Frank didn’t write this blog, but he could have.) ,Don Rickles has been gone for exactly 6 years. He made it to the age of 90, and for about 65 of those years, Don Rickles made people laugh…and laugh hard. Not all people found Don funny, and that’s fine. If he wasn’t your cup of tea, or if he made you…

The Ultimate Irishman
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

With Saint Patrick’s Day behind us, I’m reminded of all the great Irish actors, singers, inventors, scientists, and politicians. But I’d rather take this opportunity to mention my favorite Irish quipster, playwright, and author. Oscar Fingal O’Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London’s most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. You may know his popular name…. Oscar Wilde. He lived…

Dr. J Turns 73…And Remembers
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

If you merge the league stats of the NBA and ABA, which the NBA is considering for the record books, Julius Winfield Erving Jr. would easily rank in the Top 5 greatest players in pro basketball history. After all, in his five ABA seasons, Erving won three scoring titles. He also won three Most Valuable Player awards and two championships. During his 11-year NBA career, Erving was an All-Star each season, the MVP in 1981,…

FACE TO FACE
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

It could be 1959 or 60. Possibly, 1961. They could be 17, 18 years old, still wearing leather. It could be the beginning of Hamburg, when they performed long, exhausting sets in sleazy strip bars. Still, this is one of the earliest photos of Paul and John singing and writing a song, just the way you see it. See, in the early years, Paul and John, with left and right-handed guitars, made it easy for…

Brady’s Last Pass?
by Roy Firestone,
Emmy Award Winning Sports Journalist

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Did Tom Brady just throw his last pass? Only he will tell us…and only he should. 10 Super Bowl performances. 7 wins. 5 Super Bowl MVPs. 3 League MVPs. 15 Pro Bowls. Record for most regular season starts and wins. Most passes. Most completions. Most TD’s. Oldest player to ever win MVP (40 years old). He’s the only player to beat all 32 NFL teams. He’s the best…ever. Nothing to prove. Nothing to come back…

Drink a Toast to Innocence
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

I’m a very sentimental person. Always have been. Always will be. New Year’s Eve is often a wistful time, not a raucous time for me. I can’t wait for a better year next year, but aside from the song “Auld Lang Syne”, which is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song, we have very few, if any, memorable New Year’s Eve songs. But…