First Tennis Memory: “Watching the Davis Cup final in 1964 in my father’s apartment, Fred Stolle and Dennis Ralston playing their five set match. I got the bug a little for tennis then. Then the real turning point came in June 1965 when my father had moved to London. One day he said, ‘We’re going to Wimbledon.’ I watched Rafael Osuna play Ingo Buding of Germany on a cloudy day. I felt like I was immersed in that match. After that match, every day in the newspaper the first thing I looked for was the tennis agate results. From that point forward I’d go to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open each year. That day with Osuna drew me in completely. Osuna was a beautiful player, very elegant, so smooth and stylish, he made it look easier. He was the right guy to see at the time.”

Last Book Read: “Was the biography of Howard Cosell. A very compelling story.”

Favorite Movies: “I just saw the Clooney film The Descendents, which was excellent. The Apartment with Jack Lemmon. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. I’m leaving out a few.”

First Job: “My first job was with my father who was running a business in London. I did a lot of errands, delivering packages all over London. It was a great way to learn your way around London, taking all the subways. I was 17 or 18.”

Favorite Meal: “Either an excellent hamburger or steak. I’d say steak with baked potato with spinach. I never lost my taste for steak though I don’t eat it as much now.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Coffee. And I don’t drink coffee by the way.”

Greatest Career Moment: “It’s so hard to narrow it down. I would single out…I’d say the two Wimbledon finals of Borg and McEnroe in 1980. And Federer-Nadal in 2008. I was lucky enough to have been there to experience those. Then, I’d have to say, for a lot of reasons, the Sampras win over Agassi for his last major. Knowing what he’d been through and endured the last two years of his career. I thought that was an exhilarating moment to see him do that. So it’s a three-way tie.”

Most Painful Moment: “I think it was the 1984 U.S. Open final when Chris Evert lost to Martina Navratilova for the 13th time in a row. It looked like she was going to win, she won the first set but lost in three. I’d known her for a long time. I thought that was going to be one of her golden moments. She played some great tennis, the crowds were behind her that day. I found that painful.”

Favorite Tournament: “Is Wimbledon. Maybe because it’s the first major I’d went to. The eyes of the world are watching that tournament, even the casual sports fan.”

Funniest Player(s) Encountered: “Nastase was. He could drift from humor to anger very swiftly. He was a multi-faceted character. He was a natural comedian at times, when he was not losing his temper. Obviously, there were a lot of scenes that were not funny. He’d lose emotional control and get nasty. But there were times he was very, very amusing.”

Toughest Competitors: “I think Nadal, to me, is a standout. Without his ferocity, he’d have won maybe four or five Grand Slam tournaments, not ten. He’s shown more resilience to me than anyone else. Pancho Gonzales would lose his temper and play twice as well. He was an incredible competitor. He would impose his will on a match. It was very hard for even players like Rod Laver to play Gonzales – they knew how fearless he was. Sampras learned to dig very deep. The best example was the Corretja match at the U.S. Open. He was in just terrible shape, sick, dehydrated, yet he found a way to win. I don’t think he was given enough credit for his competitiveness, because Pete was more low key compared to Nadal and Gonzales. Chris Evert had the ability to draw on mental fortitude to win matches. She was going to be there until the very end. And she would never lose her cool. Another very tough competitor I thought was Monica Seles. There was an intensity and a fierceness to her that was intimidating to all her rivals, including Graf, at times.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “Rod Laver would be one. I was lucky enough to watch him when I was very young, in 1969, when he won the Grand Slam. Laver was so dazzling, such a shotmaker, so complete. I liked watching Arthur Ashe, he was electrifying, so adventurous, sometimes to his own detriment, especially in his younger days. In his latter days he was much more or a strategist than a flashy shotmaker. His most brilliant strategic performance was winning Wimbedon in 1975 against Connors. I liked watching Sampras, he had the most beautiful serve I’ve ever seen. Who am I leaving out? There’s just so many. I like watching Nadal and Federer, for different reasons. The grace and elegance of Federer. I loved watching Maria Bueno. She was like a ballerina on the court. Goolagong as well. I like watching Serena Williams, when she’s in the best of shape and is competing at her best and fully into it. I like the spunk and spirit she brings to it. The list could be endless.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “I think it was – in 1976 Nastase been disqualified in Palm Springs for bad behavior by Charlie Hare, a great, dignified British chair umpire. Then later in the year Hare was back refereeing a U.S. Open match with Nastase and Hans Pohmann. Again, the worst side of Nastase came out, he spit at photographers, almost got into a fist fight with Pohmann. I wondered why Charlie Hare didn’t disqualify Nastase again, like he had earlier in the year. After the match I went to see Charlie in the office and asked him about it. And he replied, in his British accent, ‘You must understand that what we saw out there today was great human drama. For me to interrupt that would have been the wrong thing to do.’ I had trouble containing my laughter, that was one of my more amusing moments.”

Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: “Baseball. I enjoy a lot of games over the summer. (Mets or Yankees?) Yankees.”

Favorite Tennis Books: “Handful of Summers by Gordon Forbes was a beauty. I loved the Fireside Book Of Tennis. It culled all the great articles from newspapers by Allison Danzig, the British writers, Bud Collins, it covers the spectrum, from the 1920′s to the 70′s. That was a treasure. I still love to go back to it. Joel Drucker’s Jimmy Connors Saved My Life was a great book. And I thought Steve Tignor’s book High Strung (Bjorn Borg-John McEnroe and the Untold Story of Tennis’s Fiercest Rivalry) was beautifully done and the best written tennis book I have ever read. I thought it was excellent.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Dignity. Composure. Earnestness. True to yourself, no pretenses. Decency. Integrity. Humor. Compassion.”

Education: Stetson University

Career Accomplishments: Inducted into the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010; Former Editor World Tennis Magazine; Contributing Editor Tennis Week magazine; Author of “The Greatest Tennis Matches Of The Twentieth Century” and “The Greatest Tennis Matches Of All Time” which will be published in June 2012.

DOB: March 10, 1985 In: Plymouth, Indiana

First Running Memory: “The first memory I have of a competitive running situation was not so great. Actually, I didn’t make it to the race. It was at the Blueberry Festival in Plymouth, Indiana. They have a mile race every year on Labor day. My dad (Marty) drove me to the start line – I didn’t want to do it and I started crying, pulling a tantrum. He ended up not making me run. I hated to run back in the day. So that’s my first memory. Not a good one [smiles].”

Last Book Read: “The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho.”

Running Inspirations: “When I first got into running – my older cousin had run cross country. I loved basketball but as a sixth grader going into junior high, they didn’t offer basketball. So I was like, I might as well do something – cross country – to keep me active. So that’s when I first started doing cross country. I never really liked running that much. I never really had that many role models in running, other than my family.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Pretty boring. I like to play board games, cooking and reading books. I’m really into watching Dexter, the TV show. My female teammates will have Glee nights together. We don’t do things that are super active because we’re always recovering from running or doing things like that.”

Favorite Movies: “I like all the Die Hard movies, the Alien movies. I have two older brothers so I’m more into action movies. Rocky.”

First Job: “For the grounds crew in our school system. I mowed the lawns or weed-whacked, did lines on the fields and all that.”

First Car: “Was my grandmother’s Grand Marquis (beige). Awesome, it had a huge engine. It was a really neat car.”

Current Car: “I have a 2008 Ford Escape (green). My last three vehicles have been green.”

Favorite Meal: “Rice and beans.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Non-discriminatory [laughs]. I like them all.”

Pre-race Feeling: “I used to get really nervous in high school before races. I feel in control these days. So I don’t get that anxious. I just try to take it all in. I get anxious but not nervous, these days. I look forward to commencing the race. On the start line – I think that’s the worst part. But once the gun goes off, it’s a lot better.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Winning the U.S. Championship title this year, outdoors.”

Most Painful Moment: “Falling. Being on the track in Daegu and realizing that the race was still going and I wasn’t a part of it.”

Funny Memory: “Kind of random – two years ago in London, there was an 800 race and Anna Pierce, my teammate, and I shared a lane. And we were trying to come up with something when the camera is on us, we should do something funny. We were gonna do this air punch thing. Then the camera got on us and we were both just so nervous, deer in the headlights, we just stood there. It made us laugh. Like, afterwards, Yeah, we had it all planned out. Didn’t do anything [laughs].”

Strangest Race: “There was one year at NCAA in the final, we started the race and came around the corner. They still had all the hurdles on the track from a previous race which was kind of a shock. That was like the only weird thing that happened.”

Embarrassing Career Memory: “I don’t think so, not yet [laughs]. Hopefully not. I’m sure it will happen someday.”

Favorite Sport Outside Track and Field: “Basketball. I like to play basketball a lot.”

Favorite Place To Compete: “Anywhere in Switzerland. The country itself is very beautiful, like every race I’ve gone to – Lausanne, Lucerne, Zurich are all cities with a lake nearby, or a river. Very scenic. Really good chocolate. I’ve run a few PRs there so that helps.”

Funniest Athletes Encountered: “Alistair Cragg. He’s really funny to be around. I make fun of him because he’s such a schmoozer and I’m really not that social. He makes me laugh, he loves pulling lines on people, whether they catch it or not.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “There’s a lot. This year’s kind of a weird year. Nancy Langat, Maryam Yusuf Jamal, Jenny Barringer (Simpson). All these women are really great competitors. Jenny has a really great kick, that’s something I never expected from her before. I’m starting to pick up on cues from other athletes and knowing their strengths. Jamal is one of those people who will go to the front and push the pace and make you work for a win.”

Favorite Athletes To Watch: “I love watching Usain Bolt. Such a great athlete, has a great attitude, the charisma he brings is really great for sports. And anyone of my teammates. I see how hard they work, so I like to watch them race.”

Childhood Dream: “Initially I wanted to be a bagger at a grocery store. It seemed so cool to scan stuff which I still like to do at the grocery store. I always have to scan my own stuff [smiles] and put it in the bag. Outside of that, athletically, I wanted to be a WNBA player.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty. Sense of humor. I think a lot of times in our sport, people take themselves too seriously. It’s funny, especially before a race, and we’re in the call room, I kinda look around: There’s the people that are very confident and sure of themselves. You can tell they’re relaxed. Composed. And then you see the people who are panicking, rushing to try to put their bib numbers on, their shoes. I think having that kind of confidence in yourself. I don’t know the exact word. But being confident in yourself and putting that in your whole package.”

(This Biofile is in the January issue of Track and Field News, page 44.)

DOB: April 15, 1955 In: New Jersey

Residence: Closter, NJ

Inspirations: Seeing Winslow Homers’ “Gulf Stream” at the Met in NYC.

Last Book Read: Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”

Favorite Movies: Dr. Zhivago, Bridge on the River Kwai, Deer Hunter, Tale of Two Cities.

First Job: Caddy at a Country Club.

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Chip Mint ice cream

Greatest Career Moment: Hasn’t occurred yet. it’s coming.

Most Painful Career Moment: Being rejected from an art organization

Pre-Work Feeling/Mindset: Everyday is exciting and could bring great things.

Funny Memory Of Painting: A horse came up behind me and looked as if it was about to EAT the paint

Favorite Quotation: “The sun never rises or sets without my thanks and praise.” – Homer

Favorite Artists: Antonio Mancini, Sorolla, and too many more to list here…

People Qualities Most Admired: Integrity, courage and conviction.

College: Rutgers University, BS Economics.

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 147

DOB: April 26, 1983 In: Philadelphia, PA

First Boxing Memory: ”It goes back…probably watching Oscar De La Hoya or Mike Tyson when I was little.”

Boxing Inspirations: ”Joe Frazier. I grew up in Joe Frazier’s gym. Marvis Frazier. A lot of guys at Joe Frazier’s gym when I started boxing when I was 15. Showed me how hard to work and what it takes to be champ.”

Nicknames: ”My nickname is Machine Gun, I threw a lot of punches in the amateurs.”

Favorite Movies: ”Braveheart, Apocalypto.”

Last Book Read: ”Had to be The Juicing Bible book. Nutrition.”

First Job: ”Had to be handing out pizza brochures to houses around the neighborhood.”

First Car: ”Buick Century 95 (gold).”

Current Car: ”Ford Edge 2008.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: ”Chocolate.”

Greatest Sports Moment: ”Greatest moment of my career so far…pulling out the win in my first fight with (Jesus) Soto Karass (at Cowboys Stadium in 2010).”

Most Painful Moment: ”Breaking my ankle. Jumpin’ over a tree when running. I had to walk back for a mile.”

Funny Boxing Memory: ”Can’t think of one right now.”

Do You Have An Embarrassing Boxing Memory: ”Not that I know.”

Favorite Boxers To Watch: ”Nonito Donaire. Seems like he stays in very good shape. His power is unbelievable at the weight that he fights. His reflexes and quickness are very good.”

Favorite Sport Outside Boxing: ”I like basketball and football about the same.”

Which Fight Were You At Your Best: ”My sharpest performance had to be – I forget the guy’s name. My first fight when I fought in Las Vegas (KO 1 Gilbert Guevara in 2007).”

Strangest Fight: ”I got my hand caught on the rope one time. And got an eight-count from it. As an amateur.”

Toughest Opponent: ”Had to be Soto Karass. Just wouldn’t stop coming.”

People Qualities Most Admired: ”Honesty. Humbleness. Loyalty.”

Ht: 6-foot Wt: 212 pounds



DOB: Dec. 8, 1989 In: London, Ont.



First Hockey Memory: “I remember I was really, really young. I loved the game of hockey, but I wasn’t very good. I remember looking up at the clock – I wasn’t a good skater – and looking up at the clock, kinda wanting to get off the ice. Just because I couldn’t keep up with the other guys. (How old were you?) Probably three. I started playing when I was really young, with the late birthday, so I was three years old.”



Hockey Inspiration: “You know, I don’t really know how I got into hockey. As a young kid, I guess my parents – I just picked up a stick and was playing in the basement all the time. And no one in my family had previously played, so, just watching it on TV. And the other kids in the neighborhood playing was kinda how I picked it up.”



Nickname: “I’ve had ‘Doughnut’ before, ‘Dewey’ and obviously ‘Doughts.’”



Last Book Read: “Oh, that’s a tough one…last book would have been wherever Grade 12 was. So maybe three years ago and I have no idea what it was called.”

First Job: “Paperboy, some fliers in my hometown in London, Ontario.”



Current Car: “Range Rover and Mercedes CLS63.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Definitely winning the gold medal (2010 Olympics).”



Most Painful Moment: “Probably being defeated in the playoffs last year was probably one of the most painful moments just because we thought we had the team to beat that team and we didn’t come through.”



Most Memorable Goal: “My first ever goal in the NHL (vs. Colorado in 2008) was probably my most memorable. A goal I’ll never forget. I remember like it was yesterday.”



Favorite Sweater: “I like the Blackhawks uniforms a lot. I think they’re really nice.”

Favorite Arena To Play: “Probably Montreal.”



Closest Hockey Friends: “I developed a lot of friends in junior, stuff like that. But definitely Wayne Simmonds, he was my roommate for two years, now he got traded. Definitely my best buddy in hockey.”



Funniest Players Encountered: “We’ve got some funny ones on our team. Matt Green is funny. I’m trying to think who else…I’ll just say Matt Green.”



Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Sidney Crosby probably. Zach Parise. He competes really hard.”



Embarrassing Hockey Memory: “I remember when I was really young coming out for the starting lineup kinda thing – barely able to skate out to the blueline. I guess you could throw that out there.”



Favorite Sport Outside Hockey: “Soccer.”



People Qualities Most Admired: “Just have a lot of fun, honesty, trust. And just straight shooters.”

Early Career Memory: “I’m a sports reporter so it’s always nice and fun to be working and watching sports and also be a part of my job. To me, it’s been exciting to be able to see live, firsthand, which I love, sports. And I think the best memory is that, to be there, watching things that I used to watch on TV, now I’m watching them live and it’s great.”

Last Book Read: “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.”

Favorite Movie: “I like Pretty Woman [laughs].”

First Job: “I worked at a medical office, In California.”

Current Car: “I have an Xterra Nissan (black).”

Favorite Meal: “Mexican food, I think enchiladas and pozole.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “I love them all, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate.”

Childhood Dream: “I always said that I want to be a stewardess because I want to travel around the world.”

Greatest Career Moment: “Probably being at the World Series games and the Super Bowl when the Giants beat the New England Patriots. Being there live was like, Wow, you’re here. It’s something that’s not going to happen too often.”

Most Painful Career Moment: “I think it was an issue with my boss. When I did a story and he said we were late, he was trying to be upset with me, saying that story is not going to air. For me, it was very frustrating because, You’re not just hurting me, you’re hurting the news show. One of those sad moments I ended up crying. (What was the story about?) Opening day, baseball.”

Funny Career Memory: “Probably walking on the field, on a baseball field. And all the sudden my shoe got stuck and I couldn’t do a step over. So I’m just gonna wait for the players to come this way [laughs]. I can’t walk over. (Where?) Yankee Stadium.”

Favorite Sports To Cover: “Being Mexican I love soccer. I think the top three are soccer, baseball and boxing.”

Favorite Interview Subjects: “You know what? I think it’s always nice to interview people like Mariano Rivera, like people that you could learn from. Like they are just so nice on the field and also off the field. Like great people. It’s so nice to interview people who are so down to earth.”

Favorite Sports TV Reporters: “You know, I watch them all. I watch them all. I think it’s amazing how so many people have been in this business for such a long time. They have like a library of memories. And I always like to watch and try to learn something.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty. And when they’re fun. They make you laugh.”

Education: University of Texas at Austin B.S. in Communications; NYU Master’s Degree in Early Childhood/Special Education.

DOB: September 14, 1984 In: Austin, Texas

First Pageant Memory: “I started my first pageant when I was 16. I didn’t make cheerleader and I didn’t make the dance team. My sister’s good friend the former Miss Georgia, she was like, Amber, you’re in speech and debate, you like to dress up, you should do pageants. I had no idea what to expect. I just smiled a lot and was myself and I got first runner-up which is pretty good. It was Miss Teen Austin.”

Last Book Read: “It had to be for school. I went to NYU and I just graduated with my Master’s. The truth is I skilled all the books because I was so busy. So I never really fully read a book which is sad. I like to read. I have a short attention span. I like to read newspapers. I’m not really good with reading a whole book.”

Favorite Movies: “The old movies, well not too old. I like the classics like Forrest Gump.”

First Job: “I’ve always been a nanny/babysitter since I was 14.”

First Car: “My dad used to restore old cars. He asked me when I was young if I wanted a ‘66 Mustang that he had restored. I remember at the time I was like, No way! I want a new car. So I’m still kicking myself in the butt for that because I would have loved that ‘66 red Mustang. But first car was a turquoise Ford Ranger truck With tool box.”

Current Car: “I don’t drive. And I love it. I live in New York and I could walk everywhere or take the subway, it’s so much easier.”

Favorite Meal: “Spaghetti, marinara, red wine, lots of parmesan sauce.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate. The richer the better.”

Greatest Miss New York Moment: “Being in the Pride Parade on a float this year. I was on a float right after the passed the Marriage Bill. It was amazing.”

Most Painful Moment: “Probably when they didn’t call my name for top eight for Miss USA [laughs].”

Funny Memory: “So many. I have so many funny memories. I’m a pre-school teacher. For the summer I had a class full of pre-school boys. And the little boy, he grabbed my hand, he opened my hand and he pinched my palm with his finger. I didn’t know what he was doing. He put a booger in the middle of my hand. And I looked at my hand, Oh, thank you Ryan. Thanks for the booger [laughs].”

Embarrassing Memory: “I don’t get embarrassed too easily.”

Childhood Dream: “Honestly, I wanted to be a professional figure skater. I thought they were so beautiful on the ice. But I’m definitely not that coordinated or athletic. I just love watching the figure skaters, the pageantry, the costumes, the music, so dramatic. I loved it.”

Last Vacation: “Oh, Florida, with my family. It was awesome. My sister’s brother-in-law has a yacht, so we took it to West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale. And we appreciated it because I didn’t grow up with a yacht. So it was amazing. I felt like a rock star.”

Personal Hero: “My mom. Ida Mae. She has been a school bus driver for 38 years in Texas. She’s like the happiest woman you’ll ever meet. She’s super funny, jolly, always optimistic and upbeat. And she’s so selfless and everyone loves her. I mean, she’s just a hero to everyone. Amazing.”

Favorite Quotation: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” –Eleanor Roosevelt.

Favorite Artists: “So many. I just saw Coldplay in Austin. Art – I don’t have just one artist. I have pieces that I love. I don’t know, it just depends on my mood too.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Hardworking, humble and intelligent.”

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 215

DOB: March 19, 1973 In: New York City

Early Handball Memory: “Was playing in Thompson Square Park with kids at junior high school. I remember just hitting the ball around and having fun playing with the girls (age 14).”

Handball Heroes/Inspirations: “Mostly all the top players when I watched them play – they inspired me to want to be a top player – Angel Marquez, Buddy Gant, Joe Durso, legends in the game, Albert Appuzzi, Al Torres.”

Nicknames: “I have two – Rookie – which is ironic because I was Rookie of the Year. And my second is The Machine. Because I’m very consistent, I don’t miss and I’m great under pressure. It’s almost like playing against a machine, someone was saying when they were playing against me.”

Last Book Read: “Was Donald Trump, Rich Man Poor Man.”

Favorite Movies: “Terminator, sci-fi movies, anything to do with sci-fi, I love it.”

First Job: “On the books legitimately, was Off Track Betting. I worked for the city for ten years.”

First Car: “Was a Grand Am.”

Current Car: “I’m not currently driving.”

Favorite Meal: “Spaghetti and meatballs.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Would be chocolate.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “It’s like a nervousness, an edge on you. I’m thinking and focusing on beating my competition.”

Greatest Career Moment: “Becoming the #1 player in the game. That happened in Queens, Peak Pyramid when I won the singles against the top eight players. It was going back 20 years.”

Most Painful Moment: “Would be injury, a loss due to injury. Torn meniscus in the beginning of the year in Arizona. Arizona singles tournament $4,000 WPHA. But you get over those when you have so much years in the game, when you’ve done so much. So it’s all relative.”

Favorite Tournament: “Is King of the Courts, it’s a singles tournament where all the top players get together and finally have to play against each other. So there’s no running or hiding. It’s all in, all out. One man standing. That’s held in Liberty Park in Queens.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “I can’t narrow it down to the toughest competitor. Because any given day, any competitor can be the toughest competitor. You never know when one is gonna come out with the animality and just destroy you [laughs].”

Funniest Player Encountered: “Joe Durso. He’s pretty much a character. He’s the Howard Stern of the game.”

Funny Handball Memory: “Oh I have many funny memories. These guys were arguing about losing against me. And they were like, ‘It’s your fault, it’s my fault.’ And I calmed them down by saying, ‘It’s not your fault, it’s my fault. I caused this by punishing you guys [smiles].’”

Strangest Match: “I played a guy one hand with a chair in my hand. My weak hand, off hand, with a chair in my hand. And I beat him. It was a wagering match but it was more about the hype of the game. It was a great game. I barely pulled it out. It turned out that the chair was much heavier after the fifth point. It felt like a 50-pound dumbbell. We were trying to handicap to make the game as even as possible. And it actually was an even game which made it a great game. Because it could have went either way.”

Which Match(es) Were You At Your Best: “There were so many times where I played tight ship. I was winning King of the Courts where I was zipping players, meaning I was taking top players – supposedly on my level – and leaving them on zero.”

Favorite Sport Outside Handball: “Would be probably tennis.”

Favorite Tennis Players To Watch: “I like John McEnroe. I liked Venus Williams. All the top players in the game. They’re very intense, very aggressive, they’re complete professionals. I like the whole professionalism of tennis.”

Ever Been To U.S. Open: “I was there a couple of times. I was actually training in tennis. But my coach couldn’t continue to teach me. I was actually coming along pretty well. I’m pretty decent. If I would have started tennis as opposed to handball, you’d be interviewing me in the Tennis Open as the #1 player [smiles].”

Why Do You Love Playing Handball: “Well, handball is great exercise. It’s fun. And I’ve excelled at it. And it’s just you and the wall and hand-eye coordination. When you have complete control of your body and obstacles – when you can achieve that in any fashion, it’s a great feeling.”

Childhood Dream: “I actually didn’t have any aspirations to be a star or anything. I basically just wanted to be set. Like, well off. I’m kind of a roamer. Free-willed person.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Basically I want to see high integrity and high morals. It just brings out the best in people. Positive brings greatness.”

Residence: “Harlem now. I grew up in the Lower East Side, Alphabet City.”

Current Occupation: “I’m a car salesman and handyman. I sell used cars at High Line Motors in Queens 134th and Liberty.”

Career Accomplishments: Winner of 2008 USHA National Big Ball Championship; Two-time USHA Big Blue National Champion; Two-time Sky Bounce Champion; Four-time King of the Court Champion; 2001 Semifinalist and Doubles Champion at USHA Nationals; Winner of 2001 ICHA Mayor’s Cup in singles.

Status at the time: Seattle Mariners shortstop.

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 195 (now he’s 230)

DOB: July 27, 1975 In: New York, NY

Childhood Heroes: “Cal Ripken. Ozzie Smith – just like magic. Dale Murphy.”

Nicknames: “Big Dog, Junior Jr.”

Early Baseball Memory: “I gave up baseball in eighth grade. Thought I was better at basketball and football. I’m glad I came back…Winning the Pony League championship in San Francisco for the Miami team (age 11). (How did you do?) I did all right. I wasn’t a big part of the team hitting-wise but I was a good defensive player. I really enjoyed it. That was awesome. For three months we traveled all over the U.S. And we finally made it to the pinnacle. And we won.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Weightlifting, fishing, golf, play basketball.”

Favorite Movies: “Scarface, Goodfellas.”

Favorite TV Shows: “Silver Spoons. Ricky Schroeder. I liked him. Kind of funny. How I grew up a little bit, without the money. I liked his family. And Martin.”

First Job: “Summer camp with Rich Hoffman Baseball School (age 15).”

First Car: “1972 four-door Chrysler (white). Old, Lincoln type. Gave me character [laughs].”

Favorite Meal: “Chicken, fettuccine alfredo, with fruit punch.”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Lucky Charms.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate chip.”

Pre-Game Feeling: “Nervous and excited at the same time. (Visualize?) I visualize all the time – going 4-for-4, making nice plays and all that. Doesn’t always go that way [smiles].”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Being invited to the All-Star Game (‘96). Stepping on the field, my first at-bat.”

Most Painful Moment: “Being demoted five times to the minor leagues (in ‘95). A real hard time…crying, hard times, felt terrible.”

Closest Baseball Friends: “I have four of them, is that all right? (Of course.) Derek Jeter, Alex Gonzalez, Jeffrey Hammonds and Jose Canseco.”

Funniest Player Encountered: “Ken Griffey Jr.. He’s always got something funny to say, always cracking on someone.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Chipper Jones. He played against us one year in the Florida State finals with a broken hand. And he pitched real well, something like a two-hitter. Alex Fernandez. Roberto Alomar. Jay Buhner. Randy Johnson.”

Interesting Fact: “How I take as much pride as being a good person off the field as on the field. Meaning…I don’t revolve my whole life around baseball.”

Last Halloween Costume: “Batman.”

Favorite Vacation Spot(s): “Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, California, New York.”

Favorite Athletes To Watch: “Michael Jordan. Dan Marino. Ken Griffey Jr. Barry Bonds. Chris Evert. Fred Couples – I got the chance to meet him at the Buick Open when we were in Detroit. Gabriela Sabatini. Anfernee Hardaway. Sugar Ray Leonard. Isiah Thomas.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I like honesty. And I like considerate people.”

DOB: July 1, 1941 In: Montreal

Nicknames: “Blackie. Noireau – it’s Blackie in French. Because my hair was pitch black. When I came up here my brother’s nickname was Rock, so he named me Rocky, because I was injured quite a lot. They got me to go into the corners, so because of my perseverance they called me Rocky.”

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “My favorite is golf actually, in the summer. I picked up golf when I was 15-16, coming home from junior hockey. I enjoyed emulating the same motion (as a slap shot) and I was good at it and I enjoyed the game. It was a beautiful pastime.”

Favorite Movies: “I’m a big Jack Nicholson fan. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. I enjoyed that probably the most.”

Hockey Inspirations: “Growing up in Montreal my main man was ‘Boom Boom’ Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens. The reason is, his uncle used to hang out with my father at his blacksmith shop. And he kept telling me how his nephew ‘Boom Boom’ could really slap the puck and the reason they nicknamed him ‘Boom Boom’ was because of his slapshot. He was playing the point and he scored 50 goals for the Canadiens, where it was unheard of. And even won the scoring title when he beat Rocket Richard (he won the title twice). And of course my other favorite player was Jean Beliveau. And then at the age of 16 Jean Ratelle and I went to Guelph, Ontario. Andy Bathgate, star of the New York Rangers, played in Guelph. He left his legacy there as one of the best juniors, so I started emulating him. And then I got to meet him and play with him on the Rangers for three years. And I also got to play against him – he played for Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s one of my favorite people.”

First Job: “Worked with my dad shoveling horse manure in the garage for 25 cents a week. My first real paying job. I was an altar boy for five cents a mass. I got to save my money, put it in the bank, and bought me my first pair of skates. It took me probably from six years to probably 12 years old when I first accumulated $14.00 with all the five cents to buy me my first pair of skates. But it was a good pair.”

Favorite Meal: “My whole career my pre-game meal was a steak, baked potato and string beans.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Vanilla. Very boring. But I usually dress it up real good with hot fudge, butterscotch, caramel.”

Embarrassing Hockey Memory: “Embarrassing stuff is like when you’re trying to control your anger out there. And I put my whole team in the hole one time. I got a penalty that I didn’t deserve. I sort of tried to throw my stick on the side, pretending to hit it against the boards. And it got caught in my glove and went into the stands. It was one of my best sticks. And I’m begging to get it back. Guy said, ‘Yeah, right.’ So not only did I get a penalty, I lost my stick. (This happened in) Boston, in the playoffs. I was very upset and embarrassed, too. It was in 1972, when we played in the final. That’s why it’s so vivid. We were playing for the Stanley Cup.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “As a player, probably when we defeated Russia in 1972. Team Canada had been challenged by the Russians for the first time as professionals. Confrontation – four games in Canada, four games in Moscow. And it got voted the Sporting Event of the Century. So we happen to win in Moscow. The series had been tied 3-3, one tie. We won the eighth game. That’s probably my Stanley Cup in my career. And in Canada, when we came back, all the people there, we had some reception. And people, some 30 years later haven’t forgot. We were introduced in the Hall of Fame as a team – in the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Hall of Fame. So it’s wonderful.”

Most Painful Moment: “Oh boy, my career took a bad turn when I was 19. I stepped on a piece of debris on the ice and cracked my fourth vertebrae and was paralyzed for two months. A possibly career-ending injury. Took me to the Mayo Clinic and performed a spinal fusion. (It happened in) Guelph with one game left in junior. I was scheduled to come up with the New York Rangers. It was really traumatic, psychologically. I didn’t skate for eight months. I was pretty positive the whole time, but there was doubt that I’d ever skate again.”

Favorite Uniforms: “New York Rangers. I was really upset after playing many years when (GM John) Ferguson had changed the uniform to the square (shield logo). I was upset. So Fred Shero brought it back.”

Closest Hockey Friends: “I admired and became almost like a brother to Brad Park. He came in maybe six years after me. And I became his mentor. He showed me a lot of dedication and leadership. I was the godfather to his first child. And to this day we’re still friends.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “One of my favorite one-liners was Pete Stemkowski. We’re still friends and I see him a lot. He always comes up with one-liners. I like to wear new suits an awful lot. Every time he sees me with a new suit, ‘Geez Rock, nice suit. Who shines it for you?’ That type of humor. He’s wonderful.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “I classify two types of individuals: played the game hard and hit clean; then there were the Gordie Howes of the world, who when you weren’t looking, you’d receive an elbow on the side of the head or a butt-end in the ribs. I never appreciated the tactics of cheap shots. There was a lot of guys in the league who got away with stuff and I didn’t respect that. There were some clean hitters, guys like Tim Horton, Leo Boivin. The guys who you knew were going to hit you, but you took it. You were upset, you were hurt, but you say: ‘Well at least it wasn’t cheap. I should have kept my head up or something.’ There were some good hitters.”

Funny Hockey Memory: “Yeah, there are a million stories. All the players – we all had our little idiosyncrasies and jokes and practical jokes. And everybody was playing tricks like sending guys on a date with a girl who doesn’t show up. Calling for wake-up calls. Putting soda machines in front of doors so guys couldn’t come out. There were a number of things that we could write books about. But we choose not to (smiles).”

Favorite Players To Watch: “There are a number of stars today. I enjoyed watching Mario Lemieux. My days of course, I hope I didn’t watch him too much – Bobby Orr. We could probably have done better against them if I wasn’t so mystified by him. Wayne Gretzky was a tremendous playmaker. I enjoy finesse – like Yvan Cournoyer was incredible. Dymanic. Jumpin’. Burst of speed. Very admirable.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I’ve surrounded myself with people who are generous and take care of other people and support the different charities of New York.”