Do you have a friend who's not that into sports, but who still likes to be an informed person? Then you need to give him or her Len Berman's The Greatest Moments in Sports
. The book is being promoted for children and young adults, and I'm certain that they will enjoy the stories, glossy photographs and the accompanying CD that contains the live broadcast audio of some of these moments. But I have tons of adult friends, some of them skating friends, who are like me -- not that much into baseball, basketball, football, hockey, etc. unless it's the playoffs -- but who has a real appreciation of The Athlete. And who is also interested in knowing about the athlete's, or team's, accomplishments in context of the particular sport's history. At least that's what I'm interested in and why I found the book so engaging.
Len is an Emmy award-winning veteran sportscaster and I used to watch him for decades on my local NBC news station. I was never a sports person and would turn to a different channel on other stations when the sports guy came on talking about this homerun, this touchdown, this trade, so seriously delivered. But I actually tuned in to Len because for some reason, maybe it's the way he told it, it wasn't tedious and he invited us to his world with a wink and a smile. He has a way of telling a story and maybe that was his gift
Len chose Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps as the opening chapter of The Greatest Moments in Sports. He then goes through the '69 Miracle Mets (and after reading that chapter, that was a miracle), covers Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky, soccer player Brandi Chastain and many others, and ends with what he considers to be the greatest moment in sports. With the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics just around the corner, I couldn't pass up the chance to ask Len about his experience covering two Winter Olympics -- 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah and 2006 in Torino, Italy.
What is the hardest part about covering the Olympics as a journalist?
LB: You can only be one place at once. If the big story is breaking at figure skating, and you're at luge you 
better hope that a colleague is covering for you. The logistics can be tricky. Buses to venues, and then lines as you have to go through security. Having said that, there's something special being there in person. But if you're expected to cover the entire scope of the games, you just have to hope you're at the right place at the right time.
Although figure skating did not make it into the book, if you had to choose, what is the standout moment in your mind in the world of figure skating, other than the Nancy-Tonya scandal?
LB: Personally for me, I loved the Sarah Hughes story. As her opposition kept tripping up in Salt Lake in 2002, my producer and I were saying to each other, "Wow, maybe she has a chance for a medal." Then it became, "Can she actually win this thing?" That scene with her coach Robin Wagner when she found out she had won the gold medal is priceless. Of course I'm a little biased -- I have gotten to know her family. They are tremendous people.
Of all the sports covered in your book, baseball, swimming, hockey, tennis, golf, boxing, soccer, etc. what would you say is different about the crowds at these different events?
LB: Now that's a great question which I've never been asked before. Clearly crowds are very different. Super Bowl crowds are more corporate, less rowdy. The cost of tickets/transportation has a lot to do with that. The most passionate are probably soccer crowds (other than America). The singing (and unfortunately at times) the drinking is non-stop. Tennis and swimming are clearly more civil than boxing and hockey crowds. And you never go to a figure skating event and hear anyone yell... "throw the bum out!"
Don't forget to sign up for Len's daily top 5 sports moments on his website Len Berman's That's Sports where he brings you his daily dose of sports news. Don't worry - It's fun, informative and not intimidating, and most of all, funny!
