May 11, 2023 • 10 mins
Sports fans are a dedicated bunch. Home or away, rain, hail or shine, they'll do anything for their favourite team. But some can take their fandom too far, and others go on to become just as iconic as the players on the field.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
It's Game one of the nineteen ninety three NBA Finals,
Chicago Bulls versus Phoenix Suns. The Bulls are at the
height of their powers and they're going for their third
championship in a row.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
The Sons have had a.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Dominant season, but overcoming the Bulls and their star player,
Michael Jordan that's going to take something special. Fortunately, they've
got a secret weapon something, or rather some one to
throw Jordan off his game. Look, it's not cheating, but
I don't know if it's honorable. Hey, welcome to the
(00:48):
ballroom where we celebrate the winners, losers, and the weird
stuff between.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I'm Tony Armstrong and this one is all about the fans.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Three enthusiasts who took their sports fans them to the extreme.
Basketball fan Robin Thicket is as loyal as they come.
He went to every Washington Bullets home game for twelve years,
(01:20):
and in that time he was always in the same seat,
right behind the opposition bench. Any team knows the pressure
of facing an opposing crowd, but contending with Robin that's
a whole different thing Entirely. Even though he was just
one voice and a noisy crowd, he earned a reputation
for being one of the most irritating and disruptive fans
(01:41):
in the NBA. Robin had a knack of getting under
the skin of players with relentless taunting. It's probably not
surprising that he has a way with words. Though Robin's
day job was a defense attorney checks out his antics
(02:03):
earned him the title of the league's most notorious heckler.
Mostly he was ignored, but sometimes players and coaches snapped.
Robin had water dumped on him and even had shoes
chucked at him, but that didn't stop him from shouting insults.
For him, no one was off limits, not even the
greatest of all time, Michael Jordan. Robin Ficker made many enemies,
(02:34):
but one man on the court thought he was all right.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Phoenix Sons legend Charles Barkley.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
See Barkley cottoned on to how much Robin annoyed other
players and was like, I'm going to give this guy
a job annoying Michael Jordan so much that he bungles
the game. The Sons were set to play the Chicago
Bulls led by mj in the upcoming finals. Barkley paid
Robin to fly to Arizona for game one of the series,
(03:02):
courtside seats behind the players bench included.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Robin came prepared.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
He chose to hit Michael Jordan about his much publicized
gambling habit, saying things like, Hey.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Michael, how much did you bet on the game? He
even brought props.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
At one point, he brought out playing cards to wave
in Jordan's face.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Did it work well?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
No, Robin was kicked out from the arena before the
first quarter had even ended. The Balls went on to
win the game and the championship for Robin Ficker. It
turned out the NBA had had enough. The following season,
the league introduced a new regulation dubbed the Figger Rule.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
It forbids fans.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
From abusing players and coaches, and anyone who breaks it
is booted from the arena. Robin's favorite team, the Washington Bullets,
they was sick of him too. When the team moved
to a new stadium in nineteen ninety seven, they stopped
Robin from purchasing season tickets anywhere close to the court.
In response, he decided to abandon his team and boycott
(04:11):
their games altogether. From the basketball arenas of the USA
to the cricket ovals of Australia, This next story centers
around a beloved sports fanatic of our very own. The
Sydney Cricket Ground is one of Australia's most iconic stadiums,
(04:34):
but one of its more unique features is a bronze
statue nestled among the seats in the front row of
the grandstand. Monuments to sporting legends are commonly found outside
the grounds, but this particular statue it's.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
A little different.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
In the early twentieth century, before cricket matches were full
of rowdy fans, they were quiet, much like a tennis match,
so much so that if a member of the crowd
was to raise their voice, their words would easily carry
to the players in the middle of the oval. And
Stephen Gascoyne was the sword of cricket fan who loved
to make himself heard. Affectionately known as Yaba, his witty
(05:11):
one liners would echo around the scg.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
He'd shout, bowl the bastard a grand piano, see if
he can play that.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
No matter the situation, Yaba always had something to say.
For money, Yaba sold rabbits, but for fun he'd take
up his favorite spot on the grass with his lunch
and a bottle of beer and enjoy the cricket. You see,
Yaba loved the game. He was deeply passionate and knowledgeable
(05:41):
about the game. He never drank too much, and his
heckles were always in good fun. In fact, the players
quite enjoyed his comedic remarks leave those flies alone, that
your only friends here, He'd cry. I wish you were
a statue and I have a pigeon. If only Yaba
knew how that particular taunt would come back to haunt him,
(06:04):
Yaba's reputation grew among visiting teams at the SCG. Tales
of his playful jibs spread from Sydney to London, and
soon Yaba was featuring in advertising campaigns for the Ashes series.
His name was cemented into cricket history, and eventually.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
His likeness too.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
In two thousand and eight, a bronze statue was erected
in the stands of the SCG, depicting Yaba in his
typical pose, a hand raised to his mouth, shouting one
of his iconic remarks. On match days, fans sitting next
to the statue have been known to hold up their
umbrellas to protect Yaba from the sun and the rain,
and maybe from the pigeons too. Sports fans are a
(06:51):
dedicated bunch. Some folks will go to great links in
support of their chosen team. But this next door, he
might just take the cake to Jim Becker, the Green
Bay Packers are everything. For more than fifty years, he
rarely missed a home game through rain, hail, and snow.
Jim was there. We ll lose season after season. To
(07:15):
call him devoted is an understatement, but it's not just
his attendance record that makes Jim Becker a true fanatic.
The NFL's Green Bay Packers are unique in American sports.
The football team is largely owned by its fans. The
weightlist for season tickets is so long that some people
could live to one hundred and never receive them. So
(07:37):
if you have season tickets, hold on them. If you
give them up, you name goes straight down to the
bottom of the waitlist. And as a huge Packers fan,
Jim Becker was determined to never let this happen to him.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
But as a father of eleven kids, money was tight.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
He needed an additional stream of income to help pay
for his season tickets.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
His solution selling his own blood.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
That's right, A few times a year, Jim would roll
up his sleeve and give blood to pocket the cash
fifteen bucks a pint. He didn't think much of it
as long as he got to see his beloved packers play,
but a routine health checkup changed his whole perspective. Jim's
doctor told him that his blood contained high levels of iron.
(08:23):
After looking into his family history, Jim learned that his
father had died from hemochromatosis. It's a genetic condition that
causes too much iron to stay in the blood. Jim
had inherited the condition, and if it was left untreated
for too long, his life would be at serious risk.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
He's the kicker. He'd been unknowingly treating himself for years.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
It turns out the only way to manage the condition
is through blood letting, which helps to remove the excess iron.
Of course, Jim was no stranger to the process. By
the time he'd been diagnosed, he'd sold a total of
one hundred and forty five pints of his own blood
after years of giving blood to help cover the cost
of his packers tickets. The ritual had undoubtedly saved his life.
(09:13):
The Green Bay Packers have a special way of honoring
the most passionate among them the Fans Hall of Fame.
In twenty ten, Jim Becker was inducted as recognition for
the unwavering support and utmost dedication he showed to his team.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Thanks for listening to the pool room. I'm Tony Armstrong
and this has been an iHeart production. Catch you next time.
For more weird and wonderful stories from the world of sports,
Say up.
It's Game one of the nineteen ninety three NBA Finals,
Chicago Bulls versus Phoenix Suns. The Bulls are at the
height of their powers and they're going for their third
championship in a row.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
The Sons have had a.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Dominant season, but overcoming the Bulls and their star player,
Michael Jordan that's going to take something special. Fortunately, they've
got a secret weapon something, or rather some one to
throw Jordan off his game. Look, it's not cheating, but
I don't know if it's honorable. Hey, welcome to the
(00:48):
ballroom where we celebrate the winners, losers, and the weird
stuff between.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I'm Tony Armstrong and this one is all about the fans.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Three enthusiasts who took their sports fans them to the extreme.
Basketball fan Robin Thicket is as loyal as they come.
He went to every Washington Bullets home game for twelve years,
(01:20):
and in that time he was always in the same seat,
right behind the opposition bench. Any team knows the pressure
of facing an opposing crowd, but contending with Robin that's
a whole different thing Entirely. Even though he was just
one voice and a noisy crowd, he earned a reputation
for being one of the most irritating and disruptive fans
(01:41):
in the NBA. Robin had a knack of getting under
the skin of players with relentless taunting. It's probably not
surprising that he has a way with words. Though Robin's
day job was a defense attorney checks out his antics
(02:03):
earned him the title of the league's most notorious heckler.
Mostly he was ignored, but sometimes players and coaches snapped.
Robin had water dumped on him and even had shoes
chucked at him, but that didn't stop him from shouting insults.
For him, no one was off limits, not even the
greatest of all time, Michael Jordan. Robin Ficker made many enemies,
(02:34):
but one man on the court thought he was all right.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Phoenix Sons legend Charles Barkley.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
See Barkley cottoned on to how much Robin annoyed other
players and was like, I'm going to give this guy
a job annoying Michael Jordan so much that he bungles
the game. The Sons were set to play the Chicago
Bulls led by mj in the upcoming finals. Barkley paid
Robin to fly to Arizona for game one of the series,
(03:02):
courtside seats behind the players bench included.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Robin came prepared.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
He chose to hit Michael Jordan about his much publicized
gambling habit, saying things like, Hey.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Michael, how much did you bet on the game? He
even brought props.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
At one point, he brought out playing cards to wave
in Jordan's face.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Did it work well?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
No, Robin was kicked out from the arena before the
first quarter had even ended. The Balls went on to
win the game and the championship for Robin Ficker. It
turned out the NBA had had enough. The following season,
the league introduced a new regulation dubbed the Figger Rule.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
It forbids fans.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
From abusing players and coaches, and anyone who breaks it
is booted from the arena. Robin's favorite team, the Washington Bullets,
they was sick of him too. When the team moved
to a new stadium in nineteen ninety seven, they stopped
Robin from purchasing season tickets anywhere close to the court.
In response, he decided to abandon his team and boycott
(04:11):
their games altogether. From the basketball arenas of the USA
to the cricket ovals of Australia, This next story centers
around a beloved sports fanatic of our very own. The
Sydney Cricket Ground is one of Australia's most iconic stadiums,
(04:34):
but one of its more unique features is a bronze
statue nestled among the seats in the front row of
the grandstand. Monuments to sporting legends are commonly found outside
the grounds, but this particular statue it's.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
A little different.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
In the early twentieth century, before cricket matches were full
of rowdy fans, they were quiet, much like a tennis match,
so much so that if a member of the crowd
was to raise their voice, their words would easily carry
to the players in the middle of the oval. And
Stephen Gascoyne was the sword of cricket fan who loved
to make himself heard. Affectionately known as Yaba, his witty
(05:11):
one liners would echo around the scg.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
He'd shout, bowl the bastard a grand piano, see if
he can play that.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
No matter the situation, Yaba always had something to say.
For money, Yaba sold rabbits, but for fun he'd take
up his favorite spot on the grass with his lunch
and a bottle of beer and enjoy the cricket. You see,
Yaba loved the game. He was deeply passionate and knowledgeable
(05:41):
about the game. He never drank too much, and his
heckles were always in good fun. In fact, the players
quite enjoyed his comedic remarks leave those flies alone, that
your only friends here, He'd cry. I wish you were
a statue and I have a pigeon. If only Yaba
knew how that particular taunt would come back to haunt him,
(06:04):
Yaba's reputation grew among visiting teams at the SCG. Tales
of his playful jibs spread from Sydney to London, and
soon Yaba was featuring in advertising campaigns for the Ashes series.
His name was cemented into cricket history, and eventually.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
His likeness too.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
In two thousand and eight, a bronze statue was erected
in the stands of the SCG, depicting Yaba in his
typical pose, a hand raised to his mouth, shouting one
of his iconic remarks. On match days, fans sitting next
to the statue have been known to hold up their
umbrellas to protect Yaba from the sun and the rain,
and maybe from the pigeons too. Sports fans are a
(06:51):
dedicated bunch. Some folks will go to great links in
support of their chosen team. But this next door, he
might just take the cake to Jim Becker, the Green
Bay Packers are everything. For more than fifty years, he
rarely missed a home game through rain, hail, and snow.
Jim was there. We ll lose season after season. To
(07:15):
call him devoted is an understatement, but it's not just
his attendance record that makes Jim Becker a true fanatic.
The NFL's Green Bay Packers are unique in American sports.
The football team is largely owned by its fans. The
weightlist for season tickets is so long that some people
could live to one hundred and never receive them. So
(07:37):
if you have season tickets, hold on them. If you
give them up, you name goes straight down to the
bottom of the waitlist. And as a huge Packers fan,
Jim Becker was determined to never let this happen to him.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
But as a father of eleven kids, money was tight.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
He needed an additional stream of income to help pay
for his season tickets.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
His solution selling his own blood.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
That's right, A few times a year, Jim would roll
up his sleeve and give blood to pocket the cash
fifteen bucks a pint. He didn't think much of it
as long as he got to see his beloved packers play,
but a routine health checkup changed his whole perspective. Jim's
doctor told him that his blood contained high levels of iron.
(08:23):
After looking into his family history, Jim learned that his
father had died from hemochromatosis. It's a genetic condition that
causes too much iron to stay in the blood. Jim
had inherited the condition, and if it was left untreated
for too long, his life would be at serious risk.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
He's the kicker. He'd been unknowingly treating himself for years.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
It turns out the only way to manage the condition
is through blood letting, which helps to remove the excess iron.
Of course, Jim was no stranger to the process. By
the time he'd been diagnosed, he'd sold a total of
one hundred and forty five pints of his own blood
after years of giving blood to help cover the cost
of his packers tickets. The ritual had undoubtedly saved his life.
(09:13):
The Green Bay Packers have a special way of honoring
the most passionate among them the Fans Hall of Fame.
In twenty ten, Jim Becker was inducted as recognition for
the unwavering support and utmost dedication he showed to his team.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Thanks for listening to the pool room. I'm Tony Armstrong
and this has been an iHeart production. Catch you next time.
For more weird and wonderful stories from the world of sports,
Say up.
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