TED SOBEL SPORTS AUDIO VAULT: Your Inside Access to TOUCHING GREATNESS

Thanks to your Southern California Chevy dealers, for the 4th straight year I’ll be doing hourly updates on the NCAA basketball tournament on KFWB Newstalk 980 starting at 9:30am until 9:30pm on Thursday and Friday only. They will be 90 second reports at the bottom of each hour so please have your brackets ready and tune in.

I also got to interview UCLA head coach Steve Alford and his Junior guard Norman Powell before the 4th seeded Bruins boarded their bus for San Diego where they’ll take on Tulsa on Friday night.

Steve Alford with Ted Sobel et al:

Norman Powell with Sobel et al:

It’s hard to believe that Jim Fox is now in his 34th year with the Los Angeles Kings organization as a broadcaster after a solid NHL career that still has him in the top 10 of All-time Kings scorers. Jimmy is even a better hockey analyst alongside his TV partner Bob Miller and he was his usual kind self to give me a few minutes before tonight’s game with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jim Fox Legend’s Night at Staples Center (which includes a bobblehead doll that he says might even be few inches taller than the real ‘Foxy’. 🙂 Jim may be the 9th leading scorer in Kings history but he’s the best color analyst they’ve ever had and amongst the elite in any sport.

Jim Fox with Ted Sobel:

Thanks for the memories James and keep up the great work and the following is my pictorial tribute on Foxy’s special night.

The now 7 year old Kentucky bred Game On Dude is usually the heavy betting favorite along with being a big fan favorite at Santa Anita. But in this year’s Big Cap he was the almost forgotten 3rd choice at 7/2 and the old guy reminded them all that he’s still ‘THE Dude’ to reckon with. Jockey Mike Smith broke him right out of the gate on top and then set the very fast pace all the way and cruised to an almost 2 length win over 2nd choice Will Take Charge. Blingo with San Gabriel Valley native Aaron Gryder up finished 3rd another 8 lengths back and ahead of the disappointing 6/5 favorite Mucho Macho Man who had nothing in tank when his hall of fame jock Gary Stevens tried to step on the gas down the lane.

After a missing out on Breeder’s Cup Classic wins in his 3 tries—‘The Dude’ notched his record 3rd Santa Anita Handicap (in it’s 77 year history) and it was the 5th for his Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert who I surprised with the question of how many Big Caps he had won when he entered the post race interview room? After track P.R. Dude Mike Willman made the announcement that it was his 5th, Baffert looked back at me and held up his hand with all 5 digits in the air and winked at me—yep Bob, that’s number 5 and it’s nice to have so many that you don’t even remember them.

After they spoke with the regular media—I got the chance to chat it up with Baffert and one of his champ’s owners and close buddy Bernie Schiappa who mentioned that another co-owner ex-Dodger manager Joe Torre couldn’t be on hand because he had a real job working in the front office of Major League Baseball and currently in Florida.

Bob Baffert and Bernie Schiappa with Ted Sobel:

Game on Dude’s Big Cap win was worth $450,000 which pushed his career earnings to $6,163,893, with 16 wins in 31 starts. Not a bad payday for the ‘ol guy and his classy connections. Enjoy it Dudes!

This is a very sad day for those who ever enjoyed the glory years of Hollywood Park racetrack. It WAS a special Los Angeles sports venue since it was founded in 1938 by who else, but some Hollywood moguls including the original Warner Brothers. But now the final curtain has fallen as the wrecking ball is scheduled shortly to destroy everything on the famed Inglewood grounds except for our memories.

My father Bernie Sobel was the guy who exposed me to the thoroughbred racing game taking me to the track as a little kid. He would come home from work and sometimes turn on the radio to hear the track announcer’s calls for whatever bet he had going or just to follow the ‘Sport of Kings’ in general. Some of the great names I best recall hearing from the beginning just happen to be winners of ‘Hollypark’s’ biggest race of them all, the Hollywood Gold Cup. The legendary Seabiscuit won the inaugural running in 1938 but who can ever forget the likes of Citation, Swaps; Round Table, Ack Ack, Quack, and of course 3-time winner Native Diver. Those were the names that stuck in my mind during my dad’s life which suddenly ended in 1972.

I’ll never forget the last time my father took me to Hollywood Park. It was closing day of the 1972 meet which meant in those days the running of the Grade I Sunset Handicap. He loved a horse named Typecast (who like Secretariat had Princequillo bloodline) in the last feature race we would ever share at ‘the Track of the Lakes and Flowers’. It was the 7th time that Typecast would race at Hollywood that meet which is unthinkable today. And it was also the last time that the Sunset Hcp. would be run at a distance of 2 miles on the ‘lakeside turf course’. Well my dad was all smiles when Typecast was one of only 3 females to ever beat the boys in this race. And while enjoying his winnings he took me for the last time to the old Tracton’s restaurant on La Cienega and Rodeo Road, a regular stomping ground for the racing folk which was always special to me.

Ironically the owner of Typecast, Fletcher Jones was killed in a plane accident later that November which was the same month that my dad died at the much too young age of 55. The next year the Chilean bred and stately Cougar II would win the Sunset Hcp. and then would soon become my favorite horse to ever see race in person (although watching my all-time fave Secretariat was like enjoying Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, or Wayne Gretzky in their primes).

And you talk about irony, I was there to see Cougar win on closing day July 23, 1973. But it was the race just before that Sunset Hcp. which turned into one of Hollywood Park’s most embarrassing moments and of course somehow I was involved (more than I’d like to admit!). I had bet a one way $5 exacta ticket (instead of my usual exact box to save another $5) in the small five-horse field 7th race. I was rooting for a 4-5 finish with the 2/1 shot Knightlander with Don Pierce up, and 7/2 El Extrano with Bill Shoemaker aboard to hopefully finish 2nd. And that’s exactly how they finished, BUT for the only time in California racing history (that I know of) they read the mirrored-image photo finish incorrectly and I got screwed out of a payout that was never to be. As they say, “that’s horse racing!”. {For that complete story which was written several years ago by Daily News writer Kevin Modesti, just google Ted Sobel Hollywood Park and you’ll see it listed.}

I got the chance to chat with Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens after his final ride at Hollywood Park on the day before that last Sunday and he was extremely candid with his feelings on how much the constant declining of the track hurt him deeply.

Gary Stevens with Ted Sobel:

Jay Coen has been the longtime official bugeler of Hollywood Park and it was the first time I had ever met the popular figure at most of our local tracks. It was nice to learn that he was a longtime listener of my station KFWB as you’ll hear at the end of our chat–he worked on our world famous jingle until he got it perfectly! He also gave me and Paul Olden a private tour of his little office that had only one day of existence remaining, and you can see his personal countdown on the wall behind us as he watched the ending of this very special era for him and many others.

Jay Coen with Ted Sobel:

One very important Hollypark attraction that caught my eye and ears from very early on (besides the always pretty Goose Girls) was the greatest race caller of them all. Harry Henson was a voice that if you’ve never heard before…listening to him call a race was Pavarotti-like. The perfect pitch, rhythm, and pacing. Truly a cadence that had me glued to the radio or TV and I would spend hours recording his calls holding my microphone in front of the radio just to hear that golden voice belt out “AND THERE THEY GO”! I still get chills when I hear his calls and I’m posting just a small portion of my unedited cassette’s first several days of what I believe was from the 1974 meet on KIEV Radio in L.A. As a side note, Trevor Denman may’ve surpassed Henson in my mind as the premier race caller in my lifetime, but I grew up with Harry and he’ll remain in a very special place with me forever.

Harry Henson calls on KIEV radio (probably from 1974):

Harry Henson calls part 2 (with some from 1976):

Harry Henson calls 1977 Hollywood Gold Cup followed by his entire one hour interview on KIEV radio’s ‘Inside Horse Racing’ with Barry Irwin from June, 1977:

Hollywood Park re-creation from Jay Richards of ‘Horse & Jockey’ April, 1976 on KTYM radio:

I’ll share a few more experiences and pictures with you here later but for now, I’m posting some pics and some of Harry Henson’s calls for your listening pleasure while you read these words. The most recent pictures were taken by my friend since college Paul Olden, who joined me for the final time at Hollywood Park so we could get some images that will remind us of the good ‘ol days. And our final Hollypark meal together was shared at ‘Whittingham’s Pub’ and oh how nice it would be too see ‘The Bald Eagle’ stroll those grounds one more time in his regal fashion. Or to see him at ‘riders up’ with Bill Shoemaker or Fernando Toro on the turf. Those are memories etched into my brain forever and I remember looking back at the track one last time as we drove away thinking (for the umpteenth time) how did we get to this pitiful stage of horse racing as we once knew it?

From ‘The Diver’ to Zenyatta, from ‘The Shoe’ to Stevens…I’ve had some incredible racing memories at Hollywood Park that will never leave my body. If only my dad were here to see this final day. Actually, maybe it’s better that he never did. It’s a major disappointment to anyone who’d ever walked the grounds and I can’t help but think if some of the late notables such as Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, and Cary Grant were still around, it likely never would’ve gotten to this point? But it’s too late now and I can almost feel those wrecking balls myself. Or as Henson might’ve called it when the horses left the starting gate running right toward the stands…”AND HERE THEY COME”! So it’s goodbye Hollywood Park forever. But OH how those words are such a waste, a feeling similar as to when they had to put the great filly Ruffian down. Empty and helpless!

Thank God we still have the two greatest race places on earth in So-Cal, Santa Anita and Del Mar. And may Trevor Denman’s voice eternally call them as he sees ’em.

This is great timing with the Olympics now behind us and the NHL playoff stretch run just ahead…I’m back to share my newly found 1980 Team USA ‘Miracle on Ice’ coaches interviews from when I announced 2 of their 61 pre-Olympic tournament games (just 2 weeks before the Lake Placid Olympic Games) while broadcasting all University of Wisconsin hockey games on WIBA Radio in Madison that season. Can you imagine an Olympic team NOW playing 61 games just to prep for their run to win a medal?

The Badgers under legendary coach Bob Johnson had lost 2 of his best players to the Olympic squad and his rival coach from Minnesota Herb Brooks. ‘Badger’ Bob’s son Mark and defenseman Bob Suter were both keys to the Olympians success while making it a tough year in Madison due to their talent-depleted roster.

Team USA beat the Badgers twice, the first game an easy 6-2 win in Minneapolis followed by a 4-2 score at the old Dane County Coliseum in Madison with Mark Johnson unable to play in front of his hometown because of injury. Fortunately for the Americans, Johnson healed up in time for the real games in Lake Placid and the rest is incredible history.

I’m posting my interviews with all 3 coaches who were involved just as I recorded them 34 years ago this month. And when you hear some of my questions, please remember that we were involved in many political issues which were affecting the Olympic movement at the time including the Iran hostage crisis.

As for Team USA’s head coach Herb Brooks, I was told at the time that he could be very ornery with the media (especially with the new kid on the block ‘ME’, who’s working for his rival Wisconsin broadcast team). So I must admit that I was a little intimidated by his presence. Although as our 6 minute chat continued it was obvious that he couldn’t have been more gracious with his time, and I wished that I would’ve asked a few more questions (certainly more directly pertaining to his team which would go on to produce the greatest upset in sports). During this time they were totally under the radar and nobody expected them to medal…let alone go on to beat the mighty Russians and then Finland for the gold. But it was a magical time that will never be forgotten. And it was a true pleasure to be a minute part of it.

Ted Sobel with Herb Brooks who told me ‘We’re an underdog, but a good underdog!”:

Ted Sobel with Team USA assistant coach Craig Patrick:

Ted Sobel with Badgers head coach Bob Johnson:

And I found some of my play by play of the first game at the Met Center in Minneapolis with partner Mike Lucas, which includes much of the 2nd period with Wisconsin stunning Team USA early on tied at 1-1. But then reality set in.. and it’s fun to hear those familiar names again wearing red, white, and blue who just a few weeks later would shock the world:

The New York Yankees are in town to face the Dodgers for only the third time during a regular season schedule but that’s not what is memorable in these franchises’ great history. They’ve face each other 4 other much more important times since the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn and they both won 2 World Series including the first one that I ever attended…the 1963 sweep of the Bronx Bombers.

It was a ‘Bronx Zoo’ literally before tonight’s 2-game series opener. The Dodgers heads of security told me this was the most amount of guests allowed on the field before a game that they could remember maybe as many as 400 and that doesn’t include the extra media members who were on hand.

All of that was fine with me as it didn’t affect my job to get some of the top names from the past to give me their favorite Dodgers-Yankees memories.
And there certainly were plenty of them starting with the eldest Dodger in the house, now 86 years young Don Newcombe who told me a story about facing Joe DiMaggio that I had never heard…

Don Newcombe:

Maury Wills who was a part of the Dodgers sweep of the mighty Yankees in 1963 and Maury recalled a special moment with Koufax vs. Mantle:

Ron Cey who was beaned by Goose Gossage in the 1981 Series recalls other special personal moments including his first time playing in the old Yankee Stadium:

Steve Garvey had several great memories of seeing the Yankees but his first was as a Dodgers batboy in Vero Beach:

And last but not least, ‘Mr. October’ Reggie Jackson who earned that nickname hitting 3 homers in game 6 of the 1977 World Series to help his Yanks beat the Dodgers in that series. But I learned something new as Reggie told me he was close to becoming a Dodger before ever signing with the Yankees: