National Retired Basketball Players Association Charity Golf

Charity Golf Tournament from Brookhaven Country Club...Super star professional basketball players are joined by Dallas Cowboys and NFL players to support the Scott Murray Scholarship fund. Interviws and course actoin with these stars.

Episode Transcript

(00:10):
Welcome to Advocacy in Motion. I'myour host, Tommy Finn, and we
are here at Brookhaven Country Club forthe Retired Basketball Players Association Golf Tournament benefiting
the Scott Murray Foundation. And Iwant to say thank you to our presenting
sponsor, Niagara for making this showpossible, as well as all the other
shows we've done throughout the year.If you don't know, Niagara is the

(00:32):
leading manufacturer of water conserving plumbing products. Their new Stealth designed toilets save up
to sixty percent of water, whichmeans up to sixty percent of cost savings.
And that's important for every household,but it's especially important for the nonprofit
affordable housing projects they work with eachyear, including the New Oaks project in

(00:54):
the Oak Cliff district of Dallas.So I want to say thank you to
Niagara for their sponsorship or their continuingsponsorship in the future. Want to echo
your thoughts about Niagara Conservation. They'reone of our sponsors of hit It where
they mow talking golf in Texas.And my short version is, you want
to avoid the water hazards on thecourse, you want to avoid the water

(01:15):
hazards at home by getting the bestin plumbing products through Niagara. Also want
to thank Veritex Bank, the GolfBank of Texas and this a perfect bank,
locally owned bank, strong and itsassets and perfect for personal banking and
small commercial lending. And I wantto thank my two golf courses that are
sponsors, the Tempest Golf Club nearLongview, Texas and Dornack Hills Country Club

(01:40):
in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Google eitherone of them, go to their websites
for special green fee rates. Tommy, this is a special morning. There's
a lot going on Brookhaven Country Clubon a Monday morning. And one of
the big things that's going on inthe reason we're here is that they're having
a golf tournament day for the NationalBasketball Players or Basketball Retired Players Association,

(02:06):
and we have the local chairman isthat's your child day. But it's an
honor to have you on. Andyou got a beautiful morning for your event.
Oh, guys, couldn't be better. Really excited that we're gonna have
a great event. Guy's going tohave a great time today, Tommy.
I knew he was a basketball playerwhen I shook his hand. I thought

(02:27):
I had a pretty good sized hand. But Willie's palmed a few basketballs in
his day. Yes, how haveWell, we're really port. There's so
many great players here today and we'regonna be able to visit with many of
them throughout the day. And we'reglad to have you on us our first
guest. Thank you appreciate it.Tell us a little bit about your association
in the local chapter. Well,the national the National Basketball Association is comprised

(02:50):
of all of the anybody that playedin ABA, NBA, Holham Grove Products
and also the w NBA. Andwe're charitable organization. We're five or one
C three and our mission is toenhance our communities by providing community services and

(03:12):
community advocacy to youth. So that'sprimarily what we that's my focus, uh
with with this organization is to empowerour youth today and try to give them
the skills and the de sessities theyneed to carve a life five for themselves.
That's a great, great cause.Give us an example of how you
help the kids today. Well,basketball is so popular that we use it

(03:38):
as a hook that draws the kidsin. As a matter of fact,
next Saturday at Paston High School overin West Dallas, we're gonna hope we're
gonna we're gonna host a junior NBAclinic that the National is a part of,
and uh, we're gonna hopefully haveat least one hundred youth there that

(04:00):
day, and we're gonna introduce themto some of the formal players that live
in the area and maybe a fewfrom out of town. And our mission
is to just instill in them thatthrough sports, many lessons can be learned,
lifelong lessons that you never forget becauseto be a good athlete, you
have to have a lot of confidencein yourself and you have to have a

(04:24):
lot of tenacity in order to developyourself to become a great athlete. But
beyond that, most of those kidswill not be good athletes. But we
want to use this platform to teachthem about the other things in life that
they have to develop that same tenacityfor, you know, just making a
career for themselves, finding out whothey are. So that's that's our main

(04:47):
goal. That's my main goal aschairman as president of this of the Dallas
Chapter, is to interact with ouryouth. We will have police officers there
that will be interacting with the youth. That's a twofold mission. First of
all, we're teaching the kids thatwe need police and you have to respect
police and if you don't, normallythey have bad consequences as a result.

(05:12):
And and and it enables our youthto become have a different perspective on what
police officers jobs are and what theydo. So that's just a few of
the things that we do. Andof course you accentuate education too, yes,
yea. Even though you play basketball, you want to go to school

(05:32):
and get an education. That ismy main goal. I can't. I
made a decision a couple of yearsago that I don't want to show up
at a gym and throw out somebasketball's. Kids run for two or three
a couple of hours, have alot of fun, have a great time,
and then they leave. But theyleave, we send them out the
same way they came. Because mostof these kids are not ever gonna they're

(05:55):
not even make a high school team, So we use that opportunity to teach
them about life, you know,and some of the things to encourage them
that you know this sports is agreat way to have interactions with one another,
but it's also a great way foryou to meet people and learn how
to navigate life. So that's whatwe try and do. We also have
a magazine use Sports Today and onlinemagazine, and our articles and our stories

(06:19):
are about youth and achieving their dreamsand goals. What would you say to
young people about achieving their dreams,whether it's sports, medicine, education,
the arts, what would you what'syour advice to young people just trying to
find their way? First of all, the first thing we do in our
education workshops that we hold at schoolswith the youth that a particular school will

(06:42):
select for us to interact with.We normally have thirty five or forty kids
in a classroom. We're there allday long, from nine o'clock in the
morning until about four And even thefirst thing we do is we do an
assessment. We have the kids tofill out an assessment that tells them where
their talents are, what they whatthey where their skill set is, and

(07:05):
we go from there. Because mostkids don't know that they don't know what
their skill sets are, and whenthey get with someone else that lead them
in the wrong direction. Then manytimes when you try to bring him back
in, it's too late. Soif a kid knows that he's talented maybe
and you have interpersonal skills, youcan talk, maybe you have another skill

(07:29):
set that you can utilize for therest of your life. But they don't
know that. You know, manykids don't do, not have any clue
of where their skill sets lie.And that's the first thing we do.
And then we go from there withthe workshop teaching them and demonstrating an elevator
speech. You meet somebody and youwant to you want to introduce yourself to

(07:50):
them, maybe just a person thatyou'd like to do an internship with,
and uh, you got you gotfive to ten seconds to introduce yourself and
tell them who you are and whatyou'd like to do, and uh and
and it's just it's amazing how howwell this goes off without you. Well,
that's great. We obviously have aswim beat going on here. We're

(08:11):
just fun. We have a lotof young kids swimming today Brookhaven Country Club.
I just remember doing an article aboutthe first Tea, which is Golf's
version of kind of what you guysare doing. And I remember the titler
was it starts with a handshake,and not only an elevator speech, but
learn how to shake hands with someone. Our kids don't know how to do
that. I know. So theydon't know how to do that, all

(08:33):
right, that's a long start,So you teach them. I remember mister
Triggs at church. Don't give methat wet fish when they don't break somebody's
hand, but get a firm hands. When they're shaking your hand, they're
looking down. We tell them,don't look down when you're shaking someone hand.
Look at them. That's right,Yeah, I tell them. I
become lyric if I'm chacking your handand you're looking down, I don't know

(08:54):
what you're looking at. Right.So it's just a little simple things like
that that gets ask a bunch ofour kids, and it gets them,
you know, they can't operate inthe real world. If somebody wants to
help or get involved, how tomake in touch with you or the organization
and what do you have coming upin the future that people might be able
to get involved with. Well,we're going to have to enhance our social

(09:16):
media platform to where we are oraccessible to people that you know, social
media is the way to go thisin this day and time. But we
have a we have a website andmy email address is on there on the
website. I don't think my telephonenumber is, but my email address is,
and they could reach us through that. It's NBRPA Dallas dot R,

(09:39):
NBRPA Dallas dot R, It's Googlethat and will come up and it'll show
you some of the things that we'redoing here locally and how to get in
touch with us. Tell us somethingwe miss Is there something you would like
to say that we haven't asked about, or something that you want people to
know going forward? Well, Iwould like for people to know that I

(10:01):
have a lot of great people thathas surrounded this organization, our organization that
has enabled us to be here today. You know we otherwise I don't I
don't know that I would have hadthe wherewithal to get us here to this
platform today. Tom fire over hismedia team right here. Those are the

(10:24):
guys that I will a lot ofgratitude too. We have a tremendous advisory
board that help us navigate the landscapeof Dallas that I don't have access to,
but they do. So those arethe people that I want to give
a shout out to today. Iwant to ask you all of history.
And we talked a little bit beforeyou came on and we know you played

(10:46):
for Dallas Chaparral, which was anold ABA franchise in Dallas, played at
Moody Calls SAMs in downtown. It'sConvention Center, became the San Antonio Spurs,
all those championships they won. Andyou grew up in Fairfield and played
at University of North Texas. Tellus probably your one or two of your

(11:07):
top memories from playing basketball. Well, let me fast forward to the basketball
career and then to where we aretoday. Beautiful, my greatest and I
was just sharing this with some guysthat's here to play in our tournament,
that came here from Houston, Chicago, DC. My greatest satisfaction today is

(11:35):
just having a relationship with all ofthese guys that I wouldn't know otherwise.
And I've met so many young playersthat I wouldn't know. If it were
not for this organization, I wouldnot know them because we many times all
Star weekend, we have a summerretreat. We all end up in the
same spaces and and that's my greatestjoy, just knowing these guys and meeting

(12:00):
these guys, hearing their stories thatsometimes they amballast. You know, the
stories get thigg It's like the fish, you know, the guy that called
the fish. And so that that'smy greatest uh that's some of my greatest
uh So the friendships, yes,and then having a platform that God gave
me and years ago it's still alignedtoday if you do something with it to

(12:26):
serve others, and that's that's that'smy goal. That's what I do.
Motivates me. That's wonderful. CanI tell my great basketball story real quick?
Sure? I was in line toget on a plane at the National
Airport in Washington and a tall blackman was practicing his golf swing right,
I said, how'd you play today? So? All? Pretty good?

(12:46):
I played in Bobby Mitchell's charity tournament. Okay, great for the Washington Redskins
back into day like yeah, rememberI said, you must be a pro
athlete. He goes, I did, I played basketball? And I said,
really for the who fore he goesto seventy six ers? And I
said with doctor J And he goes, no, no, no, I'm
an older guy. I said,with will and Howard how Grier and he

(13:09):
goes, who do you think you'retalking to? It was how Greer?
Hell Greer. We lost him abouta year ago. Yeah, but what
a great player, a great guy. Yeah, I had that little moment
with him. Yeah, I knowwhat you're talking about. These were right.
The only guy that I ever sawshotes three throws with a jump shot,
right, that's nod insight. Yeah, all right, Well, thank

(13:33):
you so much for being with us, and thank you government and all that
you guys do in the community.Thank you for having really appreciated I appreciate
it. Thank you so much.Thank you. Thank question. Justin Stafford.
You're enjoying the day here at BrookhavenCountry Club playing with Ron Boone and
former ABA player for the Dallas Chaparels. And I understand you made the first

(13:54):
holding one at the Tempest, oneof our sponsors. I did. I
did, beautiful course. It wasexciting to make that first one. Um.
The first thing I said was theMarshall was next to me. Did
I win ten grand? And hesaid, no, that was the previous
part three and such a life.That's right, that's right. But you

(14:15):
have the satisfaction making hold on one. Yeah. What what hole was it
in? What iron? Oh?It was the one over the creek like
number four. No, it wasa long one. I can't remember,
Okay, trying to remember kind ofdownhill over Yeah, yeah, because seven
was the previous twelve. Okay twelve. Yeah, that's the prettiest hole out
there, it is. Yeah,that was fun. She used like a

(14:37):
six iron or something probably, yeah, I think so. Yeah, okay,
and U you can see it goin and yeah it was it was
fun. I think you got togo make a party all right now?
Yeah, thanks for stop. Thisis uh Jimmy King. We're talking to
Jimmy King. He was part ofthe Fab five at Michigan and he's down
here with the Retired Professional Basketball PlayersAssociation. You having some fun today,

(14:58):
having great today. My crew isgreat Toughs Brewery. That's showing me great
beer. But they're also showing mea great swing. So we got a
good balance out here. Now,don't hit me. But I didn't realize
you were such a good dribbler.Well, you know, I have to
stay true to my sport. Youhere, you go. Well, you

(15:20):
know, golf is a really toughgame for the tall man. You knew
that. Well, Well, youknow, I don't want to have any
excuses out here, but thank you. You know, I appreciate that.
But it's it's only the second halso I'm just warming up. I'm just
getting started. Absolutely, it's justa little more to sync up. Well,
well, you know, it's raininga little bit on the sun is
not shining, it's behind the clouds. You know. I'm kind of bummed
about that, but I'm gonna getit together. Sounds good. Thank you

(15:43):
for stopping back. Thank you,Thanks for having lady gentleman. Mister Ron
Boon, former Dallas Chaparral player fromOmaha, Nebraska originally. And uh,
I notice you had a great ironshot in here, and then somebody made
the pup for the birdie. Youdidn't make it, but you were very
close. I got some pretty goodplay have sent this group. I noticed
lucky shot. I think I hadit lined up about one fifteen somewhere in

(16:06):
there, and so I hit mydriver and got it close. Yeah,
well it had it had backspin onthe ball, which always impresses me,
you know. And and also thefact that you went first, and you
look like the a player going first. Maybe I'm wrong, You're not the
player. I'm not the player.We got two guys in this group that
hit it pretty good, but seniorsget the chance to hit from a close

(16:27):
te so hopefully I can start providingsome help for these guys. That's right,
and we're out here. This isthe National Basketball Retired Players Association for
a great call Scott Murray Foundation Scholarship. Um, I guess you guys are
having a good time. Always havea good time. No six things,
the bad day of golf. Butyou know, the Retired Players Association does

(16:49):
a great job of providing, youknow, a lot of doing a lot
of charity work. There's a lotof chapters around the around the you know,
the States, a lot of theNBA cities that do a great job
out there as well. Well.We enjoyed seeing you today and glad we
got a chance to visit. I'mglad you did too. Okay, thanks
man, play good and thank youonce again for one of our sponsors,

(17:11):
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(17:32):
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the community. Welcome back to thisvery special edition of Advocacy in Motion and
with hit It where they mowe talkinggolf in Texas with Pat Wheeler and today

(17:56):
another special guest, mister Scott Murray. Anybody who has any knowledge of sportscasting
or current events in Dallas Fort Wortharea for many years, you'll know our
guests. So welcome Scott. Thankyou for joining us. Delighted to be
here. It's gonna say and aswe're talking, you know and looking up
some things and I've known you foryears and who you are, and we've

(18:18):
spoken before. But there are pagesand pages of all your accolades in the
Sportscaster of the Year seventeen times.I believe so many honors, uh and
things you do. But what wewant to talk about today a little bit
is your association with so many nonprofitorganizations and what you're doing to give back
to the community and fitting that recentlywith Memorial Day and fortunely coming up,

(18:40):
we did some podcasts with the medalof Honey Museum and with the Folds of
Honor group, which gives scholarships tothe children following soldiers. And you did
a couple of documentaries, one withd Day in Normandy and then with Pearl
Harvar. Can you tell us aboutwhat how you're involved with that and what
that meant to you? Well,I never served in the eye. I
came right after the Vietnam War,so there wasn't a lot going on until

(19:03):
the Persian golf and what have you. In the early nineties and and so,
and I was studying to be adoctor, and so I was going
to be a pediatrician. My bestfriend died of leukemia when we were both
in second grade, So I thoughtI was going to find a cure for
childhood cancer. Haven't done so yet, but just have always enjoyed working with
children and with medicine. And mysister is a pediatric oncologist, teaches at

(19:27):
the medical school. She just youknow, she kind of followed in my
footsteps, but she ended up goingthat way, and I ended up going
spending thirty years in television as asports anchor, which I have no regrets
on. But I continued to dothe nonprofit work, especially with children medicine
and the military. Those are probablymy three favorites, and certainly sports,

(19:48):
but those are my probably my threefavorites. And so when I was working
at NBC five, continuing to bethe sports anchor, my son graduated from
Baylor University with a degree in televisionfilm. And he said, Dad,
you're am seeing or speaking at thousandsof events, hundreds every year. Why
don't we have our own television productioncompany and we could do the av and

(20:10):
create the videos and what have youfor these nonprofits or corporations. I said,
that's that's not a bad idea.He said, yeah, he said,
you're not going to be on televisionthe rest of your life. Let's
do that and we could work together. Well, I have a great relationship
with both my son and my daughter. I'm real proud of both of them.
And so I said to my said, well, it's not a bad
idea, let's do it. Sowe created Murray Media World and it's a

(20:30):
television production company, and so weworked together and I wouldn't know how to
turn a camera on, and heis so tech savvy. It's it's you
know, it's crazy. So wedid that, and with all my military
involvement. My dad was in theAir Force, but that really is my
only involvement with the military until wegot involved. But I was asked to

(20:52):
MC a number of these things youmentioned, folds of honor. Uh just
uh, I amc the Veterans DayParade in Dallas, the opening ceremonies for
thirty minutes. It comes before theparade. Um U gosh, I've spoken
just last Monday, I en Greenwood. I did the have MCED there,

(21:12):
you know, uh ceremony, butthey have a Memorial Day for the Golden
Star, gold Star families and inall the other there are lots of veterans
there. U. Back in MarchMCED at the Frontiers of Flight Museum with
I don't know. I think therewere five or six hundred people there.
But that was the third or fiftiethanniversary at the end of the Vietnam War
or America's involved in with the VietnamWar. Was asked MC that and there

(21:34):
were a number of generals and admiralsand what have you. So always have
have just I'm on another board calledTribute to Valor. I am Seed Star
Skyball for American Airlines and what haveyou? For years? Um really had
anything to do with the military.I'm there. So I was asked to
go to Pearl Harbor, I meanNormandy on the seventeenth anniversary. So I

(21:56):
said, can I bring my son? They said, sure, we can't
pay anybody. I said, youdon't have to pay us a dime.
You get us there and will willThey said, well, we've got two
dozen events, going to be ona bus for two weeks, and they're
going to have a you know,a relative or something, a son or
daughter with them just to kind ofwatch over them because they're all in their
nineties now. And I said thatsounds great. Well we did that.

(22:17):
We went off and went to Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and back to France
and just it was the most emotionalthing for their greatest generation. As they
say, even even many of thesons and daughters who were there, goes,
Dad, you never told us thatstory. We never heard that.
They just had never heard anything aboutwhat their dad or mom had done.
So long story short, we didthat. My son shot the whole thing.

(22:37):
I edited it and and or youknow, did the interviews and what
have you, wrote it, putit together and hosted it and we both
went an Emmy. I'd went someat NBC five, but in sports.
But to win an Emmy with myson going to Normandy highlight of my professional
career. Nothing to lever top it. And then we're asked to go to
Pearl Harbor on the seventy fifth anddid the same thing. And so we

(23:00):
just really enjoy enjoy working together.But anything to do with the media on
there. And of course you mentionedChris over at the the Medal of Honor.
Have done some events with him andhim seed some different events, so
know him well. And just anythingto do with the military. I'm there.
I like where You're so blessed thatthat museum is here. Really anybody

(23:23):
gets a chance to go out therethe previous center of watching over the top.
Totally agree, perfect, just justa wonderful job. Totally agree.
Yeah, tell us about your relationshipwith the National Basketball Retired Players Association and
the work that they're doing. Well. I think any anybody that's involved,
I say in one of my speeches, live your life as a go getter,

(23:44):
but share your life as a gogiver. And that's to me what
life should be about. Every singleday. I have two of the most
incredible parents, my mother passed awayjust last year. I lost my dad
to prostate cancer about ten years ago. But I just I just learned from
my parents. You know, youmake a difference in this world. And
I was seven years old when outtrick or treating with my buddy that I

(24:06):
said passed away when we were bothseven and second grade. And we came
back from trick or treating and mymother had two little Maxwell House coffee cans
wrapped this thing around and it saidU n I CEF. I said,
what's that stands for? UNI set? Oh? Okay, so today we're
gonna go out, fellows. Yougot all your candy and all your wonderful
things. Now you're gonna go collectmoney for some boys and girls around the
world that don't have anything. Theydon't have candy, they didn't have food,

(24:27):
they might not have a place tolive, they don't have a mom
and a dad. We're going tohelp them out. That was my first
introduction to philanthropy. And that wasmy parents. They were just like that.
They were involved with the school boardin the United Way with the oh
gosh, the Community Chest that youknow, m Salvation Army, and I
just I just learned at a longyoung age to be involved like that.

(24:48):
So I just I just have alwaysreally enjoyed being being involved. In your
question again, you asked me,well, your involvement with this golf turn
ye having today? Well the NBA, of course I covered the NBA.
So know most of the players thatare involved in certainly the ones from this
area, and and just have incrediblerespect for them. For those that have

(25:10):
decided that they want to give alittle something back. They know what a
great career they had. They mighthave won some some titles they might not
have, they might have been atAll Star, they might not have,
but the bottom line is they wantto make a difference in the lives of
those that need it most. Andso whether it's children or adults, they
just know their folks out there,probably now more than ever that need a
help in hand. And so Ihave great respect for them. And when

(25:30):
they call and say, hey,Scott, we come speak to our group,
or when you come in and seesomething that's a no brainer, I'm
there. Uh it just it's youknow, so that's uh, you know
it just I really enjoy it andhave all the all the respect in the
world for this group. Or youknow, whether it's football, baseball,
basketball, whatever it might be.Military. Just want to follow up.

(25:52):
We had really David so On andhe talked about good Man, you know,
man trying to reach the kids earlyon and let them know what they're
skill are. What about Scott Murray? How did you get into sports broadcasting
or why did you realize this issomething you really want? You know,
It's funny you asked me that question, as I said, I wanted to
be a pediatrician since I was sevenyears old. I'm seventeen years old.

(26:14):
I'm a freshman in college and I'mdriving down the road to go to go
to class, go to school.All of a sudden, I hear a
guy on the radio, go,how would you like to make millions of
dollars travel of millions of locations?Me, millions of girls. You two
can be a disc jockey. SoI pulled I pulled right in, and
I said, this is me man, I'd love to be a dis jocket.
So I went in and applied forthe job. Never heard a thing,

(26:34):
Never heard a thing. Two tothree months went by, and all
of a sudden I get a call. When I just walked in the front
door and in the phone rings.I said, hello, mister Murray.
I said, yes, sir,I said, you want me or my
father? No, I think wewant you. And then they explained to
me who they were and I go, oh, my gosh, so I'm
still in the running. And theysaid, well, we had five hundred
and seventeen applications for that job.I said, are you serious and they

(26:56):
said yeah, we've went a littlelist down to a final eighteen. You're
one of the eighteen. We likedthe resume tape that you put together,
but we'd like to have another onedone if you can come down, if
you're still interested. I said,yes, sir, I sure am.
When I went down and ended upgetting the job. So I worked the
all night shift. I worked fromone till six in the morning my freshman
sophomore years in college, and itwas it was incredible. I called myself

(27:18):
Doc Scott the sound Surgeon because Iwas going to be a doctor and I
was spending records and so so DocScott. Well, they put some billboards
up around town said, you know, spend the night or whatever it said
with Doc Scott the Sound Surgeon.I had a picture. I mean I
looked about ten years old and Itwas the general manager at one of the
at the CBS affiliate television station sawit called me, said you ever done

(27:42):
TV commercials? I said, no, sir, we will come out and
we need to talk to you.So my first commercial was hey, mom,
aunt got the new car. Iremember that like it was yesterday.
That's all I said. It's athirty second commercial. That was my only
line. But then he called mein one day and he opened up his
desk drawer and he said, Scott, try this on. I said,
what is Mike said, it's afake mustache. I need to give you
a little age so you don't looklike my baby faced paperboy. You'd be

(28:04):
a great news anchor. You've gotthe voice in the in the look.
And I said, well, I'mhonored, Mike, But I said,
I really don't want to cover bloodand guts. I said, but if
you got a job in sports,played a lot of sports. Memorize the
back of every football, baseball,basketball card I ever had, So I
said, you know that's that's something. He said, you're a good writer.

(28:25):
Well, my degrees in psychology,but I had a minor in biology
and English, so I was apretty good writer. And so I said,
sure, so at any rate,So I went and met the news
director and everything went fine, anduh, and they let me do a
couple of stories and actually put themon the air. And I call my
folks. You know, I'm nineteenyears old, you know, and uh.
And then just before I was goingI was going to go to Duke

(28:47):
because my mother had her family hadall gone to Duke University. I wanted
to go to medical school at Duke. So all of a sudden, one
day I'm sitting in the in thenewsroom, you know, or in the
studio doing the show, and theback phone it's a big phone like this,
but it flashed. It didn't ringin case you happened to be on
the air, starting him. SoI pick it up Scott. Scott said,
Mike, what's the matter. It'sit's it's it's Mike. I said,

(29:08):
yeah, I know, I know. What's the matter. He said,
He said, Jim just fired Eddie. Jim was a news director.
Eddie was the sports anchor. Andthey got into a shouting match or something
in the news room and said,Eddie, year out of here. You
didn't have a news anchor for theI mean a sports anchor for the early
and late lows. So he said, go home and get I've already called
George jam at the radio station.He said, he's got you covered.

(29:30):
Go home and get a suit onand get over here. It was ten
to five on a Friday afternoon.I got an hour to drive anyway,
I tore home and I did thenews and uh and did the early and
late show. And before I wentto med school, they offered me the
job was that here was that wasin Rochester, New York. Wow,
I was going to the University ofRochester. My grandfather had been I'm trying

(29:51):
to think the dean of the medicalschool or whatever he you know he was,
but he was, he was atthe he had some involvement whatever.
He died when my mother it wasnine years old, so I never met
him, but there was a relationshipthere. And so I have a segue
from my next question. When yousaid you listened to the radio. Yeah,
I thought you were gonna say itwas Frank Blieber. You wanted to

(30:12):
be a sportscast. You know what, It's funny you say that Frank was
a dear friend. I knew heprobably would be, and I just wanted
to know, your most your favoriteDallas sports memory, Well, probably the
most, probably the most impactful orthe biggest thing I was ever a part

(30:33):
of is is UH. Me andthe two guys that worked with me,
the my weekend anchor and UH andour photographer, our sports and photographer.
You know, I broke the storyin the sale of the Dallas Cowboys to
Jerry Jones. Wow. And Ihad to call Tech Shram and Tom Landry
about five to ten and February third, February February twenty third, nineteen eighty

(30:55):
nine, I remember like yesterday andI I couldn't get Coach Landry. It
was in the back in the daywhen they had busy signals, and I'm
like, oh gosh, because Iwanted to tell them before I went on
the air, and because I knewthey knew nothing always happening. Wow.
And so we ended inside source andthat's we've been working women for four or
five months and so at any rate, So I went on, you know,

(31:19):
talked to talked, you know,I'm trying to think it was talked
to him, and he said getover here. I did the show.
And then a short time after theythey they you know, said you got
the job, but I called Tomand I couldn't get them. So I
called tex Tex Shram, the generalmanager, and I said tex I said,
Scott Murray, I said, I'veonly got a couple of minutes because

(31:41):
they've got me on at the topof the newscast tonight. I'm not going
to my normal twenty five after thehour for sports. So, yeah,
what's up, Scott, I said, Well, I've got some horrendous news,
and I can't tell you how sorryI am, but I said,
the Cowboys have been sold and thegeneral manager that or the gentleman that's going
to buy the team, is goingto probably take over as general manager and
he's going to replace Tom Landry Umwith somebody we all know. I can't

(32:06):
tell you right now who it is, but he's going to replace him.
It was Jimmy Johnson because earlier thatweek I had said that my my,
you know, my sports reporter andmy photographer down to Miami because I knew
that Jimmy and Jerry were meeting atJimmy's house. So I have pictures of
Jimmy and Jerry in their driveway,and yeah, it was Yeah, it
was a national story. And soit was it was the biggest thing I

(32:29):
was ever a part of. Andso so we broke that story. But
I told Text and he said,Scott, I won't use some of the
words. And he came back atme with but I felt so far and
he said, you know, gotyour head up to you know where,
and uh he said, uh,you know, I just I'm so sorry,
Scott. But I said, I'mso sorry. Text. He said,

(32:49):
Scott, you'll never work in thistown again if you go with this
story. And I said, Iunderstand, Text, I know you don't
know anything about it, but Ijust wanted to tell you before I went
on the air and shared it.And so, uh, so, would
you please call coach and tell himbecause I couldn't get him because of the
night. And then the next morning, six thirty in the morning, I
was at Valley Ranch, the oldhome of the Cowboys, and Coach Landry
was there cleaning out his desk.So the top Jerry Jones gets blamed for

(33:14):
not telling Coach Landry and in textm they had a news conference scheduled a
couple of days later that they weregoing to announce it on Saturday, and
uh, but they did not tellum. You know, they hadn't told
anybody, so, uh so that'swhy. And so when Tom found out,
he just went down to his placeinto Austin. Excuse me, so,

(33:35):
uh yeah, that was that wasa tough one. That was yesterday.
Well it's over thirty years, youknow. Yeah, what a great
story. What don't you got?I see lots of notes there. These
are they're not all your now,tell us a little bit more about the
Scott Murray Foundation and the scholarship fund. Well, we'll let you go,

(33:58):
okay. Well, as I said, I was studying to be a pediatrician.
So anything I can do with kids, that's why I do all the
You know, I've been very fortunateto have been honored with lots of awards
over the years, and I'm reallyhonored by the National Academy of Television,
Arts and Sciences, which is theEmmys. M I was on their board.

(34:19):
I'm off it right now. I'llgo back on next year. But
they surprised me last year, saidwe want to name a scholarship after you,
Scott. So they name the ScottMurray Scholarship in Sports Broadcasting, and
a young gal from from they gaveit away with the Sports Emmys and a
young gal from San Antonio who wantsto be a sideline reporter like she and
her dad used to watch in Sundayafternoon in the NFL games. That's what

(34:40):
she wants to do. So butI had done some stuff like that.
And then the National Football Foundation ofwhich I'm on the board, they said,
Scott, we want to do anaward after you called the Scott Murray
a Community service award. So thisother group of people said we need to
give the scholarship that week read inScott's name, and uh and and so

(35:04):
at any rate. So I said, I said, uh yeah, so
at any rate? So um,I said, what is it? Well,
they created this unsung hero award andannounced and honored me with this thing.
So to answer your question, that'show this all came about. And
they had this scholarship that had beencreated some years ago by a gentleman who
was an attorney here in Dallas,and he said, uh, I'd like

(35:25):
to I'd like to present my scholarshipand put Scott's name on it and give
this scholarship to Scott because he didso much in the community with kids.
Well, needless to say, Iwas most honored. So uh so we
uh last September, we gave awayfourteen scholarships to uh college kids or high
school kids that needed needed a rideto college, need some help. And

(35:46):
you know, they they were withyou know, with parents that didn't have
the wear withal or maybe anybody intheir in their and their generations had not
gone to college. So it's workedout real well and the kids are just
great, and you know, I'mmost honored to be a part of it.
We've got to uh, you know, some great people on the board
and Timmy Newsom, former Dallas Cottboys, one of one of the players that's

(36:07):
on the board, and uh so, uh it's just uh, you know,
it's it's just it's just a lotof fun and I'm most honored to
be a part of the game.But would let you go, I know
you do tons of motivational speakers speaking. How can people get in touch with
you? How can people help thefoundation? How can how can they help?

(36:28):
Well, they can they can findme at uh Scott Murray or I'm
sorry, Scott at Murray Media dotnet. Scott at Murray Media, Murray
is mu r r a y mediadot net. Or they can go to
the scholarship. The scholarship is ScottMurray Scholarship Fund dot org. Rg R

(36:53):
Murray Scholarship Scholarship Fund dot org.Wonderful which certainly appreciate all you do in
the community, fund profits and kids, and thank you for your time.
Oh my gosh, this is ano brainer. Thanks what you're doing here
today. I think it's great.All right, I'm ring to mention.
I love that be a go getterand then a go giver. I love
that. I'll tell you what I'vewritten, a new one that I've just

(37:15):
about memorized. If you've got twoseconds, I can read it. This
is Leadership America is my keynote,Leadership America, creating champions of change through
a culture of civility because people areno longer kind, courteous and respectful to
one another. So how do youget there? Well? I have ten
words, the perfect ten that allstart with letter C. Credibility, continuity,

(37:35):
creativity, consistency, courage, commitment, character, compassion. Not confrontation,
but conversation. And we've lost theability to do that. So I've
written this is my Leadership America creed. It says living, living life is
not about me a purposeful life isall about we sharing together always all that
we see, even though we mightnot always agree. Respectful and kind is

(37:59):
forever key. Truthful and transparent iswhat we should be eradicating the anger and
the hateful debris. Live not ina world where we need referees. Let
us move forward in a place weforesee, diverse and inclusive for both He
and she matters, not religion norrace. Faith is for thee. We
must live in a world that's ourhome of the free. So that's my

(38:21):
creed that I love to create stuffthat rhymes but has meaningful so that kind
of plays off and in the processof writing, to live your life as
a go get or share your lifeas a go giver as as a three
three verse poem one beautiful. Sothat's but you know so, so if
I can come speak to your grewRamsey, I'm always there. Well,
thank you so well, thanks forthe time, appreciate it. Thank you

(38:45):
ladies and gentlemen. This is atournament for the retired basketball player, but
we got a retired football player.Mister Kitty Gantz. You used to play
for the Dallas Cowboys. You're havingsome fun today. I'm having a great
time. A matter of fact,I know him. I got pretty personal
good friends with some of the guysand um Major Jones actually come from Albannia
State, where with the schools there, you go absolutely, now Albany State?

(39:08):
Is that New York Albany, Georgia, Georgia. That's what I was
thinking. Atta know about Albany,George So I do um thankful that they
bringing some football players out to hangout with the basketball players. So what
years did you play for the Cowboysninety ninety four? Okay, and you
played defensive back? Yes, sir, played cornerback, safety, some nickel

(39:30):
linebackers, so I did, sotell me who was the toughest guy you
had to guard or got guard?But what do you call it? Cover
of cover? Yeah? I um. I always try to stay away from
Mike gar Irving and all those guysmy teammates. But if I had to
pick one. In the NFL,I had a rough time with Art monk

(39:52):
Art monk Oh, my gosh,always comes back to Dallas and Marshat Yeah.
Absolutely, yeah. What about JerryRice? Okay, but you know
how to get up under the skin. I really didn't, But I see
Kevin Smith get up under the skinand he couldn't really shake art money.
He was calm, cool, collectiveand went out and did his job.
I love it, I love it. I love it. Now they say

(40:15):
golf is the largest small fraternity.How about for football player? We the
fun part about that reminds us offootball a little bit because we play a
few holes, um, and thenwe get the goal and try to find
the nearest whirlpool a hot tubs,so we get so we relaxed. I

(40:36):
really over I played some of it, but once I started hurting, it
kind of shutt me down. Butit's it's fun. Why I last fantastic?
Now? What what are you doingthese days? My man? I
have my own foundation, Shark twentynine charities, which I advocate on behalf
of women and Men of the MasterViolence lost his sister to it in ninety

(40:59):
to a coward. It shot fourtimes in the back while she hang up
closed in the backyard. So youknow, um, I have a kid
on behalf of that. I've beenthree years since I did it, going
into my fourth year and looking forwardto be bigger and better. How can
people support you on that? Yougot a website? Yes, I do,
Shark twenty nine charities. I'm goingthrough some changes with it, so

(41:23):
the closer to the new year's start, I'll probably have it up and running.
Hopefully I can see you guys againso we can make sure we get
it right. Absolutely. One otherquestions, socause I'm a curious to did
you grow up in Georgia? SoI grew up in Lakeland, Florida.
That then in the middle of Florida, and I, by some chance,
I still think that Jimmy Johnson recruiteda lot of guys while they was in

(41:44):
high school, and then when hebecame in the pros, he went back
and found those guys and and said, yeah, I remember him from high
school because we had so many guysfrom Florida on the team. We had
at least seventeen eighteen guys on team. Very interesting, pretty good line backs
from lake Once. I remember,right, Oh yeah, the same high
school. Here you go about amile apart, oh, ray Lewis,

(42:05):
Ray Lewis, Well, we wantto thank you for stopping. Wish you
Birdie's all the way. Oh wait, I take it. I receive it
because they hadn't failed yet. Thankyou all right, I'll tell you Tommy
we're having some fun here today ifwe're having country club, and I believe

(42:27):
the swim meet is finally concluded,so now we're just seeing all these former
great basketball players and great football players. And that brings us to our next
guest, who, like you andme, is at East Texan kind of
Easter Threeport, a former player inthe NFL. And I think you're the
head of the NFL alumni now Iam, mister Lifford. Probably welcome to

(42:52):
two shows, two podcasts, hitIt where they mold and also Advocacy and
Motion with Tommy Finn. See thatI've never done two shows at the same
Yeah, this is gonna be amazing, Yes it is. We'll tell us
about being here today for the NationalBasketball Players or Retired Players Association event and

(43:12):
how it kind of goes side byside of what you do with the NFL.
Certainly, certainly Willie Davis, Presidentand I have been friends for quite
a long time here in the community, and a few years back I got
chance to play in this golf tournamentover at another golf course, and we
set out after the tournament and lookedat certainly the things we saw, which

(43:37):
we had a few NFL players NBAplayers working for the same initiative. So
he and I got together. We'vedone a few things together in the educational
community with kids, and we thinkwe can do a lot more together as
a unit in the NBA Retired Players, NFL Alumni, which it's all the
retired players in our community. Wealso have a lot of ladies that's a

(44:00):
part of our organization, which isthe cheer cheer organization. So we have
about eight hundred, nine hundred formercheerleaders living in our community. That a
part of the NFL alumni as well. We know Robin Donala Tudo, Yes,
I do very well. She's theone they got. She's the one
that got me in the radio tenyears ago. It was very active and

(44:20):
she posts about the NFL Alumni Association, what the sports Angel, what a
great I've known Robin boy. Wedate back to the nineties when she was
a cheerleader with the Eagles and thenshe was the director for the Jacksonville Jazz
Wars and I was the player programcoordinator for the Miami Dolphins at that time.
After I retire, and so wedid a lot together, we still

(44:43):
hopefully still can in this community.I've been here for about twenty one years,
uh six years as the NFL AlumniPresident, and uh, I tell
you what to work with former playersin the community to do to things that
we've done as far as are Iwould probably say our hopes and dreams that

(45:06):
we actually had when we were kids. I just want to be able to
provide the same thing to the kidsthat are watching these young guys do what
we've done for many years. Yeah, Tommy, I think the theme today
has been giving back. And youknow, I KNOWC mentioned they do a
lot for young kids, and alot of it's around education and doctrination,

(45:29):
if you will. In certainly likelearning how to shake hands when we're talking,
actually Willie Davis, look at someonewhen you shake their hand. We
take a lot of that for granted, but a lot of people need to
learn that they really do they reallydo. And then of course that collaboration
skill while we're actually going into school, setting up opportunities for kids to understand
that, Hey, starting at thename grade, you have the opportunity to

(45:51):
continue to work on educational things outsideof the school. You have the ability
to take the ACT tests as manytimes as you want. From nang grade
through high school, so we givethem that ability to do that through their
sources that we have available when wego out to a school, and of
course that collaboration goes in one yearand out the other year when teachers and

(46:15):
educators are telling them that, andthen of course you get someone like a
form of player coming to a schoolto talk to kids about sets act and
of course, and thank goodness tostar tests. It's no longer to get
that out of the way because Ithink kids have more They're struggling with other

(46:37):
things in their lives that basically doesn'tneed to have another obstacle in a way
to force them to actually think aboutsomething else. Yeah, we had distractions,
but it was stuff like crawldead fishingand stuff like that versus the Internet
and all that kind of exactly.I'd be remiss if I didn't talk a

(46:58):
little bit about golf. Tell usabout your golf game. Oh man,
this is this is I started outin nineteen ninety. The first tournament I
played in was done Shoelas coach,done Shoelas Classic, and I'm playing with
the president of Bacardi Rahm, andI'd never played golf before and firsting it
can you play Awa. Yeah,I just started. He's like, oh

(47:20):
crap, this guy. But itturned out that I could actually play.
I could. I can put.I've always been a good putter. I
don't know where it came from.We're talking about that basketball players are being
as good putters because of their touched. I had that touch and I still
have it. So I volunteer onSundays at my home golf course in Fort

(47:44):
Worth, Texas, Rockwood, Rockwood, Rockwood Golf Course. So I'm the
starter there on Sunday, so Iget to play free golf. Wrote a
story about Rockwood when they redid it'sbeautiful job. It is, it is,
and you know what I was justthinking. They mentioned basketball players being
good putter, Lifford said, he'sa good potter. Remember our baseball buds
that were such great puddles? Yeah, ever we played it. I think

(48:07):
we played out here in a tournament, and I was for hockey players out
here good putter, which is amazing. Yes they can. So how well
do you play now? You youshoot in the eighties, nineties or well,
actually, uh my younger days,I was actually laid down to about
a eight handicap. Now I'm oversixty I hit it a little bit more

(48:30):
straighter. So golf Gin's got meregistered, and I think golf Gin's kind
of poking at me. They haveme registered as a four. Wo Wow,
that's outstanding. That's outstanding. NowI have the people. Everybody ahead
and roll your eyes. Um.I have a theory. Were you a

(48:50):
punter. Could you punt a footballin high school? Yes? I could
hit it about forty five. Seeif a person can punt a football,
in my opinion, that can doanything athletic because the rhythm, the coordination,
the timing, all its part.It is. Yeah, tell us
about what's coming up for you guys, as far as initiatives or things you've

(49:12):
got coming up. I'm also I'mon a lot of boards. I'm on
the community board with the four PoliceDepartment. I'm on the advisory board with
the Super Bowl of Caring, whichis labeled NFL Alumni Tackle Hunger. I
basically started that to help focus oncommunity initiatives for kids, and we look

(49:39):
at I've gone in a lot ofhigh schools around the state of Texas and
around the country, and I noticedthat there's very few food pantris on campus.
The food banks are great, butif you have a food pantry at
local schools where local families can actuallyaccess those products without having to go outside

(50:01):
of their community, it grows tocommunity and it betthers to community. So
I think working with the super Bowlof Carings actually open my eyes to how
many of our kids and their familiesare suffering from nutritional situations where they're not

(50:21):
getting the food. They can't affordit, or they just don't have the
resources to leave their community to getit from a food bank or another facility
like a pantry, and that shouldbe in their community less than five to
ten miles away, which sometimes isa struggle for someone that doesn't have access

(50:42):
to transportation, may not be ableto afford to public transportation to get them
they're riding the city buses are likein certain areas the Soda Arlington, there's
no city buses, there's no publictransportation, So that's a struggle for a
lot of those people in those museto get the resources they need when they
are available. At the set foodbanks of food pantries, super Bowl of

(51:07):
Caring, we're trying to build outand build relationships with most of with all
of the schools around the country,so we can actually show them how big
of an asset they are when theyallow us to come into their schools and
take a look and see if there'sability to put a food pantry in their
schools. It's an easy concept,but it's a big struggle to get it

(51:32):
collaborated throughout the process to the headof the departments that we need to speak
to bureaucracy. If you will,Tommy, what is it you like to
always ask? Yeah. We alsopublish a magazine called Use Sports Today,
a digital magazine, and our articlesare about achieving goals for young people.

(51:52):
And what would you say to youngpeople coming up, whether their goals or
anything, sports, education, music, what's your advice to a young person
about following their dreams? Well,this is a dream part of it that
you follow in regards to like mylife, I actually had so many dreams.
I dreamed of opportunities that were available. The sports were great, There's

(52:17):
other things I wanted to do aswell. So that part the humanitarian initiative
that are part of my life fora long time, and that sports dream,
regardless of what it was. Iplayed every sport and I wanted to
be great at them all and Iwanted to actually succeed in all of them.

(52:38):
Unfortunately, for me, there werethree that I was really good at,
so I followed those sports. Andfor kids that are following sports,
not only the sport, but theeducational part. The people that are actually
supporting you. The teachers, thecoaches. Man, if I didn't have
that, I wouldn't be sitting here. If I didn't have the teachers supporting

(53:02):
me, to coaches supporting me,the parks and recreation coaches, police officers
that were coaches in my community.Guys, there were dads that basically had
few extra hours to spend with usin our community at the parks and recreations
to support us. That's how Ifeel kids are actually missing. They're missing

(53:27):
out on that parks and recreational systemthat we had as kids when we're growing
up. That's right. Well,you know golf. We try to do
that through the first tea organization organizations. Usually you asked about how people can
respond, absolutely yes, tell ushow people get in touch with you,
how they can help. Players AssociationNFL Alumni die to work, click on

(53:52):
the Dallas chapter. You'll find me. You'll find me by email. You'll
find my phone number. You'll findour corporate office phone number. If you
can't get in touch with me throughmy email, which is impossible not to
get in touch with me. Icheck my email every day. NFL alumni
Lifford Hobbiley Lifford dot Hobbily at NFLalumni dot org. I check at twenty

(54:12):
four seven. Very good and justreal quickly. You three sports that you
were good at? Football? Kay, I'd say four. Basketball. Great
athlete played basketball in high school.Probably could have had a couple of D
two offers to play basketball in college. Baseball I had could have had an

(54:34):
offer. I actually felt like Icould. I could play at the D
one level. I tried to walkon at LSU, but my head football
coach at the time was like,no, you're not. And I ran
track so at LSU, but thatbooth. Garland was a track coach back
then and also a Bird High Schoolalumni, so he watched me in high

(54:57):
school run track, and I justknow I just in football was a wide
receiver. I was a quarterback inhigh quarterback. So coming out of high
school at brands Patrick, Yeah,so coming out of high school in Treeport
Bird High School, I was recruitedas a quarterback to LSU. There you
go with bow Ryan, who actuallyunfortunately died in the plane crash that Stuart

(55:22):
I signed my letter of intent thatnight before we left. All right,
well, thank you so much forjoining us and tell us it's a pledge
about that and being here and allyou guys are doing in the community and
doing with the tournament here today inthe Scholarship Foundations. We love it and
I enjoy it and can't wait todo it again. Thank you so much.
All right day, thank you.I'll tell you what. It's an

(55:46):
honor and a pleasure for me totalk to a fellow SMU Mustang, mister
Ira Terrell played basketball for the Poniesand then in the NBA, and we're
out here for this retired players tournament. And how how you're having fun today?
How you doing today? Are well? Until you all brought that camera
up there, we had burdened everything. So I don't know, I don't

(56:07):
I don't want to blame anybody,but we just bo get one. But
we're having a good time. Ialways do, meeting new friends and you
know, just not getting too frustratedwhen you hit the ball out of boutance.
I understand how you took a pagefrom my playbook. I'm the greatest
excuse maker in the world. Sowe drove up and kind of bothered you
all a little bit. That's thethat's the that's my excuse, and that's

(56:28):
what I'm gonna use. Uh No, it's it's it's fun out here.
It's overcast, it's not too hotyet. And you'd like to say you
like meeting people, and you'd liketo do it for right, for the
for the good cause. Now anotherexcuse, something real good at it.
This is a hard game for thetall man. Well your thoughts on that
sometime. But I have tall friendsthat can hit it a long way.

(56:52):
I mean two Tall Jones is outhere. He hits the ball pretty well.
Billy Joe Dupree, he's like sixfour six five, he hits it
well. But this is a game. You have to practice, and you
have to work with someone that knowswhat they're doing. And if they don't
know what they're doing, they can'thelp you. So and I thought I
could come out here because I wasan athlete and play this game. No,

(57:12):
absolutely not. And I don't throwclubs. I just realize, you
know, I'm just not a golfer, but I do. I've had some
great shots in my life. Right. Well, you know they say that
golf is the world's largest small fraternity. I guess you fellow athletes feel the
same way basketball or football. Well, they didn't invite me. I just
kind of made myself. I've justmade myself part of the frat. You

(57:34):
know. I came out here andsaid I wanted to play, So I
started playing, and I'm gonna getmy clubs and I'm gonna get the clothes
and everything. No, that doesn'tdoesn't happen. But when I play with
my buddies, it's such a funfellowship. But when you hit that really
good shot, that's why you keepcoming back. Exactly. We want to
thank you for stopping by and absolutelythe rest of the way in at least
maybe a couple of eagles, becauseI'm gonna start moving up to those le

(57:58):
bronze. Since I'm over six five, I can move up. That's a
good strategy. Thank you again,Thank you. Okay, Well we're here
with old number eighty nine, BillyJoe Dupree all world tied in for Dallas
Cowboys, and Billy Joe, you'rea pretty good golfer. I know that.
Well, actually I'm a fair golfer. Just play well enough to make
sure I keep enough pay souls inmy pocket. That's exactly right. And

(58:20):
if I remember right, you gotthat little patented fade with the driver that
just works fine golf courses like this, it's ideal for it. It is.
Tell me about playing an event likethis, retired basketball players, well
for for it events. There wasa terrible type event that I support some
of the some of the elements oflife and living that people may not players

(58:44):
or may not have it for andthen give us an opportunity to produce fund
so help fill some of those gapsfor them. And we're actually going through
some similar deals in the NFL wherefor retired players to kind of sit making
sure they got enough access to enoughhealth and information so they can try to

(59:05):
stay as health as possible. Absolutely, and also I know there's a lot
of outreach to the young people intheir education and just time to get them
on the right track. Yesterday,and that's that's the biggest, bigg one
of the biggest aspects of it.Approaches. You got to get a chance
to kind of pass wisdom and orword its depends on how they receive it,
but they gonna use and use lateron in life or as they go

(59:29):
through life. It's always good tosee you look like you could play right
now, all right, you putenough zeros behind at one, I'll find
Well, we're going to see youhit this tea ball. But I want
to wish you nothing but birdies therest way in right, that's what we're
looking for. Okay, thank you, thank you. All right. We
are having a great time here atthe National Basketball Retired Players Association golf tournament

(59:51):
benefiting the Scott Murray Scholarship Foundation.And I'm Tommy fanhosts of Advocacy in Motion,
and this is a joint podcast withmy partner here at Pat Wheeler,
who is the host of Hit It, where they mowe talking golf in Texas.
It's your basic two for today.That's is we're having to fund.
And our guest today is Scott Rochelle. Scott is the president of the Basketball

(01:00:16):
Association. Yes, right, andso we're certainly happy to hear have you
here with us today. And Iknow this goes back to nineteen ninety two,
I believe was the foundation by acouple of people. You might know,
Oscar Roberts and Dave Share Dave beingso tell us a little bit about
the foundation today in your role andgoing forward. All right, we can't

(01:00:37):
forget Archie Clark as one of ourfounders as well. Okay, he was
kind of the spearhead of a lotof what we're doing today. But association
started as advocacy group for retire players. There were issues with pensions, healthcare,
a lot of things that we havetoday that we don't want to take
for granted. But those players cametogether to make sure that retire players were

(01:00:58):
represented, had the transition services,and we're able to remain in the game
of basketball even though they weren't onthe court. Ninety two is a growth
period for the NBA, you know, obviously with you know, Michael,
the Jordan era and all the thingsthat he brought to the table making it
a global game. This association wasstarted to keep us in that game,
to keep us relevant, to keepus going, you know. And today

(01:01:20):
twenty twenty three, it's worked outpretty well. I mean, we're over
thirty years old. We have healthcarefor all of our players who played three
years lifetime healthcare. Pensions are thebest in pro sports, and quite frankly,
we have almost two thou former playersin our universe right now who are
a part of our family, whichis really what it's about. It's creating
a family, a community where playerswho know where they belong. They've transitioned

(01:01:44):
out of basketball, but they're notout of the NBA, they're not out
on their own. There's still aplace for them. Everyone's been a part
of a locker room, right andso this is what we do today,
is what we do. Bring playerstogether, bring good people together, support
a good cause. And you know, at the end of the day,
the association in the community benefit.You know, part of your mission is

(01:02:04):
to have a polositive impact on thecommunity. Players. Tell us about some
of those programs and what you guysare doing in the community. Well,
it really starts with our chapter program. You know, today we're here with
the Dallas Chapter, very strong runby Willie Davis, but twelve, having
twelve chapter cities where players are bootson the ground. Obviously, we're doing
a lot of work in the schoolsystem. We're doing youth basketball clinics.

(01:02:24):
We're also doing youth basketball not justinstruction, but life skills. We have
a national program to feed our kidsin the communities, and so we're doing
our Feeding our Food program around theholidays, reading programs in the schools,
and that's just from the national standpoint. The chapters also have their own individual

(01:02:45):
programs, but on a national scale, we do a program called the Full
Court Press prep for Success. Imaginetwenty cities across the country where we take
five former players in a room orin a gym full of a hundred kids
who've never had the opportunity to bearound former NBA players, give them basketball
instruction, life skills, and justa really great day of enrichment with them.

(01:03:07):
So we're doing that across twenty citiesand we do it in partnership with
the Junior MBA. It's been goingon for about ten years now and it
really is one of our most rewardingprograms in the educational space. You know
that you mentioned Dave de Busher earlierin the Dave de Busher Scholarship program that
provides scholarships to the children and grandchildrenof our members. Those have an external
scholarship that supports children, children,young people who are attending HBCUs across the

(01:03:31):
country. So one our third yearof that program very proud of it.
You know, we do a nicejob of raising funds and really galvanizing our
community. This is the way ofgiving back to the community and making sure
that the money that we're bringing indoesn't just go towards the transition of players,
but our community as well, becausethat's so important to us. Absolutely.
You know you mentioned Morehouse College inAtlanta, where you played some basketball.

(01:03:53):
How did you get involved with thisparticular organization? You know, it's
funny. I went to law schoolto practice, hopefully to be a sports
agent, and that was a dreamthat was really deferred. Right, It's
very difficult to get into the sportin the sports world. In sports business.
I practiced law for about seven yearsand I started picking up clients where

(01:04:14):
I could in sports and trying todo some of the work, mainly for
retired football players. I started offin the NFLPA, had an agent's license
to and work there, but throughhappenstance, we're able to meet the new
CEO of this company at the timeand just pitched him on the work we're
doing, the work I wanted todo, and I started as outside legal
counsel and twenty eleven twenty thirteen,I was general counsel of this company.

(01:04:36):
In twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen Ibecame CEO. So it's been a great
ten year stretch. I've loved everyday of it, and it really is
it's rewarding to work with people.You know, you practice law and you
work for corporations and it's kind ofyou know, there's a distance here.
This is people oriented, and soit's really fun to have the players we
represent here today, people I've knownfor ten years, worked with helped,

(01:04:59):
you know, stay engaged and youknow, to see us a grow the
two thousand members. And we've donesomething right in the last ten years.
It seems to me, Tommy thatyou know, we've been talking about giving
back and not only is it theybenefit from pension and medical care, but
also a purpose right they invest backinto the young people. Absolutely. I
think it was Lifford probably They saidthey can hear a lot of good things

(01:05:21):
from their teachers, but when apro athlete comes in absolutely tells them.
For whatever reason, it registers.You know, basketball is the hook.
Yeah, we have young people allacross the country we engage, but we
use basketball as a hook to gettheir attention. To keep them engaged,
to get them to come out onSaturday morning. Why are you coming out
on Saturday morning? We might wantto play basketball. Or while you're here,
you're also going to learn about life. You're gonna learn about life lessons.

(01:05:45):
You're gonna learn about work ethic,all the different things that everyone wants
to give young people. Right,they listen all the time. No,
you tied to basketball. You tiedto the people who've played the game at
the highest level, who are heroesto them, but they don't have normal
access to it works beautifully you inthe organization. You also at one time
served as vice president of Partnerships andCorporate Relations. Yes. Fundraising, Yes,

(01:06:10):
that's a great term for fundraising,absolutely, and I know it's a
delicate balance between fulfilling your mission andthen raising the funds to make that possible.
How do you maintain that balance andwhat is your focus going full of
there? You know, here's thebeauty of it. The National Office,
based in Chicago has a staff ofeight to ten, but we also have
our twelve chapters and so our goalto National Office is to we raise dollars

(01:06:34):
and we support our mission our operations, but using the chapters as the real
vehicle for the community piece of itreally is the most important. So we
fund the chapters at a certain level, but they also raise their own money.
But that division of labor and thatthat partnership really works beautifully for us,
because we don't want the chapters tohave to go out and raise a

(01:06:54):
whole bunch of money for themselves.We'll provide them that funding. We want
you to raise money for your community, and we'll go out raise money for
our transition programs, our educational programs, the health and wellness program. We
have a health screening program where wedo a full work up on our players
six times a year in different partsof the country. Cost money, but
that's on us to do. Theplayers don't need to worry about that.

(01:07:15):
And so today the Dallas chapter doingtheir golf outing, they're going to raise
money for their local charity. Theydon't need to worry about the other piece
of it. We take that on. But you're right, it is a
delicate balance. And you know,quite frankly, what we've learned is that
our players appreciate programming. You know, all they really want to do at
the end of the day is havea place to call home and be able
to come together. We learned thatduring the pandemic when we couldn't have our

(01:07:39):
live events and players continue to askus questions about, hey, can we
can we just get on a zoomcall. As we set up a weekly
zoom call us. All you neededto do was to give them the space
to be amongst each other, tohave their community. And so when you
talk about raising dollars, a lotof the dollars were raising right now is
going back into player wellness and health, but also going back right back down
to the chapters to make sure theycan do the job that they're doing as

(01:08:00):
well. We've covered some ground stuff, but tell us what we've missed.
What would you like the audience toknow that we haven't asked you, that
you aren't to know about the association, or maybe some things you have going
forward with the association. Well,I mentioned the health, health and wellness
piece of it. That's really areal focus of ours. We have an
aging membership. When I first gotinvolved, our average agent is about sixty

(01:08:24):
five. It's gone down to aboutfifty five because we've been very you know,
aggressive and getting younger players out,players who leave the game who may
not need all the services beneath acommunity, but health and wellness has been
something across the board they they're goingto continue to need and so working we
started the program with the NBPA wherewe do the health screening program for players

(01:08:45):
at the NBA All Star Weekend SummerLeague, and then we choose cities like
Houston, Atlanta, We do Dallasas well, where we come in and
we give players a full hour longwork up EKG, echoed cardiogram, stress
test, all the blood working things, and we're going to continue to grow.
We're continue to build on that.We have new partnerships coming down the
pipeline that will help us make surethat players are keep keep taking care of

(01:09:09):
their bodies give themselves healthy, becausewhen you go from being an athlete to
not being an athlete, there arethings you need to continue to do,
the things you need to monitor,and things that you won't have as a
part of the team. You don'thave a trainer or a doctor at your
disposal anymore. So we're trying toclose that gap for them. So that's
really important for us to take thefunding that we're raising right now and put

(01:09:29):
it into the health of wellness ofour players. Education is very important for
us. You know, we're doinga lot of the work in the scholarship
space, and we want to continueto build that we're supporting students through their
college education. College education has gotexpensive. You know when I was in
school, I think I graduated collegeabout twenty years ago, and cost is
triple to quadruple. And you know, it wasn't cheap back then. So

(01:09:51):
what we need to do is makesure that we're putting real dollars into programs.
You know, they're ways to supportstudents, and there's ways to support
students. Um you can't just givea thousand dollars here and there anymore.
You really have to put real moneyinto it. So we're really working hard
to raise those dollars and make surethe students wore with our programs have adequate
funding and support. All right,very good, Well, we certainly appreciate

(01:10:13):
your time. We absolutely appreciate beinghere and invited here, and then we'll
share the stories here at this greatgolf tournament, and so good luck out
on the course. I'm hit itand as Pat would say, hit anywhere
there we go. We're golf alot more pleasure. Thank you so much.
Thank you all right, all right, I appreciate it.