Duke, The Hockey Dog

By
Kevin Walsh
on March 9th, 2010 | | No Comments
Duke, John O'Donnell's Best Friend
Duke, John O’Donnell’s Best Friend

This is another one of those you don’t know who you’re going to bump into at work stories.  The other day in a previous blog, it was Legendary Boxing Promoter Don King.  I about crashed into Mr. Hair in the Comcast Sportsnet lunchroom.  The King greeted me as an honored guest.  He had taken over my joint and made it his castle.  

Today a king of another kind greeted me on his turf.  There was doubt about whose castle it was.  Duke, the Burmese Mountain Dog, greeted me at Harvard University.  I was there to interview Hockey Coach Ted Donato.  I walked into the arena hallway that led to the locker room and there was Duke, blocking my path, tail wagging.  What a good sport he was.  He was not about to let me pass without some love.  So I gave him a good head rub, scratched behind his ears, patted him on the side, and off I went to find Ted. 

On the way out I found Duke with his owner, Assistant Manager of Equipment Operations John O’Donnell.  John commanded Duke to sit and strike a pose.  There he is above in his good looks and obedience glory.  He said Duke comes to work with him every day and pretty much has the run of the place–locker room, weight room, coaches’ offices, basically wherever he feels like going.  “Oh yeah, the players come to see Duke before they see me,” he says.

Harvard may be The Crimson, but Duke is a heckuva mascot too.  Before leaving I gave Duke a couple more pats and scratches.  Then he plopped down on the floor and took a snooze.  What a life!      

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Hair Raising Experience at Work

By
Kevin Walsh
on March 4th, 2010 | | No Comments

Sometimes you just never know who you’re going to bump into at work.  It’s another one of the cool things about the coolest job in the world.  I walked into our lunchroom and there was a tall man dressed like the American flag with hair as tall as a small child.  It was Don King, the legendary boxing promoter.  King at one time was bigger than the boxers themselves.

Don King, Legendary Boxing Promoter

Don King, Legendary Boxing Promoter

King held court around the lunchroom, in the lobby, the newsroom, pretty much everywhere.  He was at Comcast Sportsnet to promote HBO fights taking place at Mohegan Sun.  He shook hands and took picture like a champ.  “You git it?” he asked me after I snapped one with my cell phone. 

 ”Hold on, hold on.” I told him after the first one came out blurry. 

 I took another.  “You git it?” he asked again while flashing a blinding smile.

Well not really, but this is as good as I could do.  My camera phone stinks.

“Mr. King your chariot awaits,” one of his handlers said as his big car pulled up to take him away. 

And just like that he was gone.  After watching him pull out of the parking lot I went to the bathroom, did my business, and as I was washing my hands I noticed hair in the sink.  I’m pretty sure it was Don King’s, based on the color and texture.  He left more than smiles and people talking about his big hair and rhino-studded, red, white and blue groovy shoes.  He left a part of himself, his calling card, right there in the sink!

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Catch of a Lifetime: College Football Player a Bone Marrow Match for Infant

By
Kevin Walsh
on November 30th, 2009 | | Comments (3)
Matt Szczur, Villanova Wide Receiver

Matt Szczur, Villanova Wide Receiver

Sometimes it’s best to just let others tell their story in their own words.  Here’s the set up.  Villanova University Wide Receiver Matt Szczur, a South Jersey native, got a call that he was a bone marrow match for a one-year-old girl with leukemia.  He will go to transplant for the little girl right around Christmas.  Watch the joy in his face.  This is what I’ve been telling people about for years and wrote about in The Marrow in Me–the impact of getting that magical phone call.   My pal and colleague Ron Burke of Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia picks it up from here:
Andy Talley, Villanova Head Football Coach

Andy Talley, Villanova Head Football Coach

Now here’s the back end of the story.  Last spring I had breakfast with Villanova Football Coach Andy Talley at Minellas Diner in Wayne, PA;  just down the street from the University.  As he picked through his western omelette and I spread cream cheese on my toasted bagel I asked him, “Coach why bone marrow?  Is there a family connection to leukemia or blood cancer?”

“No, I was just watching TV late one night years ago and I saw this story about the need for bone marrow donors and I thought, hey I can do that.  I have 100 players I can register,” he said.

So what started in 1993 with Talley’s 100 or so players and friends has grown into a revolution.  With the National Marrow Donor Program’s help Coach Talley has started the Get in the Game and Save a Life Program which has registered more than 11,500 people.  Twenty six other college football programs across America are copying the Coach’s plan.

“You know Coach this’ll be your legacy,” I told him as he grabbed the breakfast check.

“Well we’ll see,” he said with a smile.

And we’ll all be watching, hoping and praying Matt Szczur’s gift of life saves the life of the little girl.

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