PSWA Dinner

When you think of former Major League Baseball star Rick Monday, what comes to mind? If you're like most of us, it's the time he ripped an American Flag away from two "young men" intent on lighting the flag on fire. Those of us old enough to remember it may be stunned to learn that it happened on April 25, 1976! With the Fourth of July fast approaching, and the unique connection between baseball, the national past time, and the nation, we offer this video ... Read More

It was 1991, and the United States had just sent our troops into Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm. The NHL was holding its All-Star game in Chicago, but the country's collective mind was on our military men and women and the events in the Persian Gulf. Anyone who watched the National Anthem on TV that day - let alone in person - would surely never forget the outpouring on patriotism and support for our soldiers. In honor of the Fourth of July, the ... Read More

Take a visit to Arlington, Texas, and Rangers Ballpark. A reporter from Channel 5, NBC's local affiliate in the Lone Star State, visits the park, and tries his hand at shagging some BP home runs on Greens Hill in centerfield. The only rule: You gotta wait until the ball hits the turf! Kind of makes me want to take in some batting practice at the Bank. Read More

In July, 2007, the Phillies were playing in Denver when strong winds from an impending storm interrupted their game with the Rockies. The situation on the ground quickly became dangerous, with the tarp blowing up and endangering the grounds crew. Phillies players responded to the crisis, rushing on to the field to help anyway they could. And the Rockies' fans, as shown in this video, appreciated the above-and-beyond effort. Read More

Some are already pegging him as the next Babe Ruth! But since Bryce Harper is only 16 years old, that tag is a bit premature. Harper, however, is getting this kind of attention and notoriety because he swings one heck of a big stick. As a sophomore, he led Nevada scholastic players with a .570 batting average, and in a home run derby competition he slammed an aluminum bat-aided 502-foot blast. The Las Vegas High School catcher won the International Power Showcase High School Home Run ... Read More

John Mayberry Jr. made his major league debut Saturday, filling the DH role for the Phillies in the new Yankee Stadium. Mayberry's father, a former Big League star himself, was on hand to see Junior belt a three-run homer to give the Phillies a lead that they would eventually cough up when Brad Lidge was roughed up for three ninth-inning runs. In his third at-bat of the game, Mayberry Jr. again raised eyebrows when he chipped a soft liner into right field and hustled ... Read More

Mike Tyson, perhaps the most polarizing athlete of our lifetime. One of the most powerful punchers to prowl the squared circle, the most dominant boxer of his time, and a man with more social and legal problems than KO's. Now, he resurfaces in a new movie, opening in theaters on Friday, June 5. We're not sure if the movie can live up to the trailers ... but this brief scene ... well ... The first version is short and sweet ... The second video is longer, ... Read More

The baseball world was already on to the sky's-the-limit potential of right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State. The junior was the only college player on the United States baseball team's roster and he struck out 23 batters in one game this year for the Aztecs. Oh, and he also throws the ball at 103 miles per hour. To put the final exclamation point on his college career, Strasburg pitched a no-hitter against Air Force, striking out 17 along the way. That kind of talent ... Read More

Sports comic Joe Conklin has been a fixture on the dais of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association's annual Awards Dinner for many years. When Conklin performs at the PSWA awards dinner, he's sure to leave the crowd and our honored guests - most of them, anyway - in stitches. His spot-on impersonations of local sports figures has made Conklin an all-star in his own right. If the Philly sports writers can't get Eagles coach Andy Reid to come to our dinner, Conklin's impression of Big ... Read More

The Philadelphia 76ers stumbled out of the NBA playoffs in disappointing fashion, falling to the Orlando Magic in six games. The loss ended the year suddenly and soundly, but earlier in the series, there were some memorable moments for the Sixers. First was the clutch jump shot by Andre Iguodala that capped a thrilling 18-point comeback and lift Philly to a 100-98 victory in Game 1. In Game 3, it was the last-second heroics of Thadeous Young, who muscled his way to a game-winning layup ... Read More