February 5, 2026 • 15 mins
Legendary broadcaster Jim Gray joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about Bo Jackson stopping by the set moments earlier, a Bo story, Tom Brady not having a dog in this Super Bowl fight, Sunday’s game, his career moments, and Vegas collection.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (00:02):
Now back to our live coverage from Radio Row in
San Francisco, brought to you by Delta Airlines, by Snow
Call Me Casino and Hotel, by the Evergreen Council on
Problem Gambling People come First Construction Group, and by Toyota
of Kirkland. Here's SOFTI indig.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
All right, boys and girls, we are back here on
Radio Row at Super Bowl sixty. Big thanks to our sponsors,
including Delta Airlines. Our friends at Smakuami Casino got a
big game party obviously happening on Sunday Wednesday. Yesterday's show
is up on the podcast, so check that out right
now at ninety three to.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Three kjar dot com.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
But joining us right now on the radio show one
of the great sports reporters I think of all time.
He's a guy that anytime there's a big event, he
just happens to be there.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's incredible, man.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Jim Gray normally with us at Final Fours, but now
you're with us here.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hey, super guys, good see man, fantastic Now things up
in Seattle.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Very very good.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I love it well. I gotta be honest with you.
I don't get starstruck very often. Man, but Bo Jackson.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Just sat earlier todays.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
I saw you come over and your face lit up
when you saw Boja.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I used to cover him in Elsagundo with the Raiders. Yeah,
and so we did a lot of interviews and he
was just great. But I got a great Bo Jackson
story telling him it was back in the day where
Bow nos, so you know, Bow knows, you know, and
all the great sports that he would do in the
commercials for Nike and everything, and he played the two
sports and everything. So one day after practice in El Segundo,
he said, I want you to come with me, Jim Gray,
(01:30):
and he said, what do we got? And we walked
over and it was one of the practice fields and
everybody had left and there was this big archery target
set up and he had a bow and an arrow,
and Bow was stuttering back then, and he says, what
do you think I could do? And he picked up
a football and he said to the target, and he
(01:51):
had a stand and he said, you think I can
hit the football from fifty yards, seventy five yards, one
hundred yards? And I'm thinking, well, you wouldn't be asking
me if you couldn't. What is it You're trying to ask.
He says, how much do you want to bet me
that I can hit the air pressure hole on a
football from seventy five yards away, fifty yards away, and
(02:12):
one hundred yards away. I said that I'm going to
bet on that. I'm going to bet on and I
don't bet, so we bet ten dollars. He took this
football from fifty yards away. And you see how small
that is. Yep, Well they used to be a little
bigger because it was an official NFL football. Okay, it
was signed by a big Paul Tagilely Boo, And so
Tagli Boo's down here and here's the airhole thing and
(02:33):
he hit it right on the little strip you know,
there's like a lace part of it around around the thing.
And so I still have that football to this day.
I still have this football to this day, and it's
signed bow Nos fifty yards. That's so good.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That is so good.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
When you's amaze think about the greatest athletes of all time,
he's the first name that pops into my mind. But
you've seen all the athletes, you've met, all the greatest
athletes over the.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Last fifty years in sport. Is he top of the list?
In your opinion, Well, he was great. I mean, obviously
he's right, He's right there, you know, you know, I
don't know. It's hard to it's hard to parse this.
Who else would the greatest athlete that I think in
my lifetime? And I'm sure they'll be blowback and pushback
and everybody's got an opinion. I think it's Carl Lewis. Yeah,
(03:25):
because Carl Lewis, think about this, what does every person
on the planet do. Every kid runs and every kid
jumps at some point in your life. Okay, you're running,
just running and you're jumping. Okay, that's it's everything we do.
For four Olympics. For four Olympics, he was either the
fastest man or the person who could jump the furthest
(03:45):
So yeah, that would be my guess.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
That is just a guess, makes total sense. Well, Jim
Gray is with us here. We're going to talk about
the new Hall of Excellence that's opened up in Vegas.
In a minute Mountain. I'll be there in a few months,
hoping to get down there and check it out. By
the way, maybe the Bo Jackson football is going to
be in the Hall.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Of on my telephone and try and show you that picture.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
With Well, let's uh, let's talk about Tom Brady for
a second, okay, because you have carved out an exceptional
relationship with him, I think, both as a professional and
a friend to Tom Brady. You're doing a podcast with him,
right obviously. And he made a comment the other day
that's got a lot of people riled up. He said,
quote in regards to Sunday's game with you, I don't
(04:27):
have a dog in the fight in this one.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Made the best team win end quote.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Now he's getting called out by a lot of people, uh,
including some ex teammates Vince will Fork, Rob Gronkowski calling.
They say it's bull crap. Cook, that's bull crap, Tom
said Vince will Fork. No, no, But will Fork said
that during an interview with ee I. I'm looking to
(04:55):
see about the Gronkowski quote. There's a story here. He
said he probably wants to the quarterback. He's that competitive.
He probably wants to be the guy in the Super
Bowl right now, says Rob Gronkow it's not calling him
out now, but this article makes yah, Yeah, this article
makes it sound like you did.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
But Will Fork did. For sure.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Fans are Patriot fans are mad at him. What would
you say to them about the quote from Tom Brady.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
I think you have to hear the whole context, kay, Okay.
He went on to say that he's very happy for
the new chapter for Patriot fans. He's very happy for
them that they now have been able to rise again
and have the Mike Vrabel new era and a new
chapter with Drake May and all the terrific players who've
had an astounding, terrific season. And he said, that chapter
(05:40):
of my life is now behind me, and it was
a great time in my life. He came there as
the one hundred and ninety ninth pick and he left
as the most revered man in the history.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Of professional football.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So when you put it into context, now, let's broaden
it out a little bit further. Forget the fact that
he works for five. Okay, but you're supposed to be
objective there, But let's put that aside, because that's over.
He's the minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Why
would he care about the outcome of this game if
(06:13):
it wasn't the Raiders. That's a b If we're to
believe Adam Schefter and Ian Rapaport and everybody else who
writes these reports and speaks on television. The offensive coordinator
of the Seattle Seahawks is going to be the guy
on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. If everything works out, who's
gonna come be your head coach? If these reports are accurate?
(06:33):
So you're gonna say, hey, I.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Hope you just.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
You know, with the bed and lose, and then we're
gonna hire you and bring you to Las Vegas. And
isn't so come on? You know, everybody's entitled to their opinion,
But I don't think that for one moment Tom does
not have tremendous gratitude and appreciation and love for what
(07:00):
he accomplished with the folks that he accomplished it with
in that organization. Yeah, and to put it into some
other words or to make it out to be something
that it isn't just doesn't take the full context into consideration.
In my opinion, how much patriots explanation, Okay, how much
I hated it. Way to go, buddy, come on over here.
(07:24):
Let's see how that goes. I was cheering for you,
I was I was against you yesterday, I'm for you today.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
That makes sense.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
He's the part owner of a football team.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
How much Patriot fatigue do you think there is because
of all the greatness of Tom and now here the
Patriots are back in the super Bowl at a twenty
two year old quarterback.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
You know, I'm not sure. I guess there probably is,
because there's still some cities that have never won, and
so you know, you get that built in callous that
you've had enough of it. But they've been away for
seven or eight years, whatever it's been, they've been in
the dol drums. I think maybe we saw that, and
(08:04):
we see it in some of the unfortunate bias in
the Hall of Fame voting, which is, you know, despicable.
If you don't think that Bill Belichick is a first
ballot Hall of Famer, you shouldn't have a ballot. I
understand the process is bad. I understand all of that.
I get all of that. But we all love the
institution of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and it's
(08:24):
been dealt a big blow this week. It'll recover, but
it's been dealt a big blow by doing something like that.
So is that part of that fatigue and bias? Perhaps
that's a hard question to answer because I don't personally
feel it. I like greatness, I like excellence. And if
you're that good and you're that great, you know, nobody
got tired of Muhammad Ali. Anybody get tired of Michael Jordan?
(08:48):
Why should we? Now? These are different individuals. But there's
nothing to be tired about the people who've excelled this year.
I mean, they've won the most games in the National
Football League, they've played one more, They've played one more
than than the Seattle has because they didn't qualify for
the buye. So yeah, what's to be upset about of
a team that's that's doing well. If you don't like him,
(09:09):
you better look at yourself, Jim, I.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Guess Jim Gray with us and Jim before we talk
about what you're doing in Vegas. I didn't want to
ask you before you go because we started off by
talking about bo Jackson, and I really, sincerely love how
much you enjoyed seeing him. The way your face lit up,
it shows that there's, after all these years in his business,
still a fane in you right that appreciates, Yes, phenomenal have.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
You have you ever? Is there a moment?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
I mean, the decision obviously is one that a lot
of people talk about that you were a part of
with Lebron. Is there anything in your life that you've
done anybody you've met where you really felt like, Wow,
I am a part of this.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I remember being at the I think.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
A lot of times.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yeah, like the De la Hoya Mosley fight.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
I was down there and I saw Muhammad Ali and
I just have to stop and look at him. I
kind of felt that way when Bo sat down to
be totally honest with you, what about you?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
I feel like that a lot. I feel like that
a lot. I knew Muhammad Ali is the first interview
I ever did. I have to do a lot of
his fights, a lot of interviews with him. He let
me do his last interview on television. And the day,
the evening that he lit the torch in Atlanta, you know,
still brings me chills. The day I saw President Bush
throughout the first pitch after nine to eleven wasn't a
(10:25):
sporting event, it was at a sporting event gives me chills.
So I see these things all the time, and it
reminds you just how lucky we all are. Did we
get to see this, whether it's on television or whether
it's in person, and whether we get to know them
and have a personal relationship. You know, it's just a
fortunate existence. Thinking about Bo Jackson. The last time I
saw Bo Jackson was at the Miami Super Bowl and
(10:48):
I went to visit Don Shula and his wife, Mary
Ann Shula, and I was with Howard Dunnaroff, he's our
director of the museum, the Hall of Excellence. He was
with Westwood One, and we went over to interview Tom
for the pregame show because he was staying at Indian Creek.
Went to lunch with Don Shula that day, and the
table sitting right behind us was Bo Jackson. And Bo
(11:08):
had never met Bo had never met Don Shula. Wow,
And he came over to the table and there was
the little boy in him, the greatest coach numerically three
hundred and forty seven victories. And Bo Jackson got out
of his table to come see an elderly at the time,
Don Shula, and it was a wonderful moment. So I
(11:30):
think we all have this that's in us, from the
last guy who was sitting in this chair before me,
love it all the way up to somebody as great
as Bo.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Well, Jim, we appreciate you joining us, and we have
this Tom Brady family and Jim and fran Gray Collection
Hall of Excellence coming to Vegas.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Tell us what this is all about. We opened in
July at the Fountain Blue Hotel. They've been a great partner.
They built a great museum for us. Jeffrey Sofer, the
owner of the hotel, and Maurice Wooden, the president of
the hotel, and so inside the Fountain Blue on a
second level, and we have three hundred and twenty five
of the greatest sports artifacts in the history of the world.
You name it, it is in here. Love it, It's in
(12:09):
this museum. And the Morgan Friedman. We have the Lombardi Trophy,
which will be on display for everybody who comes to
the Fountain Blue. You can take a picture with it.
To watch the big game. Morgan Freeman walks you through
the tour, a thirty two minute tour the Voice of God,
and then we give everybody an iPhone when you come
in and you can push on any of the three
hundred and twenty selected artifacts. So when you push on
(12:31):
the artifact of Jerry West's gold medal from nineteen sixty,
you will hear Marv Albert describe what it is the
artifact and you will then see Jerry West making a
basket awesome. So on every single artifact, and they have
the great voices of the games. Bob Costas for basketball,
Jim Nantz for golf, Oprah Winfrey for entertainment, Andres Kanter
(12:54):
for soccer, Mike Emrick for hockey, Mary Carillo for tennis,
and if I'd forgotten somebody myself for boxing, and Tom
for football.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Love it, halloexcellence dot org.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
I would like to donate those headphones, by the way,
because those headphones were worn by Jim Gray and Bo Jackson.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Okay, so put those in your museum.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I would represent a form of excellence that we wouldn't
be able to display at this time. But we appreciate
your contribution.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Excellence.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Dot org is the website looking forward, right, How are
we to getting down there?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
And come on down you guys are fun. I'll know
I love it. Can I say one other things?
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (13:31):
I was a ball boy for the Seattle SuperSonics. What
year for Lenny Wilkins, Marvin Webster and Paul Silas. I
was a ball boy for the Denver Rockets and the
Denver Nuggets and Marvin Webster, Willie Wise, Wow, Paul Silas
got traded to the Sonics for their first championship run
against Washington. Lenny Wilkins let me be a ball boy
for those guys for the playoffs. That was back in
(13:52):
nineteen seventy seven. In nineteen seventy eight, I was just
a young boy, and I never forgot how great Lenny
treated me. And Marvin Webster and Paul Silas now friends.
Fortunately they've all passed away and we missed them all. Dude, Well,
you know what, I have a I have a very
soft spot in my heart for Seattle good and for
all the people up there, because it was a great time.
Help us get our team back. I want your team back.
(14:13):
I never wanted your team to lose leave. I thought
that what Clay Bennett did that was tragic. And uh,
you know, I'm sorry that they've had to suffer now
watching the Oklahoma City group win. But I hope the
team comes back. I hope there's somebody there that will
fix up a good arena. And and it's a great
city and it's a great place for basketball, and and
(14:33):
I came back there all those years later to broadcast
when they played in ninety six with Sean Kemp and
that team lost to the lost of the Bulls. But
it's it's a great basketball city. It's a great city
a period and had a lot of great memories there
no doubt.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Jim, You're the man.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Thank you, See you soon in Vegas, all right, Thank you.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
Jim Bray with us on the radio show Hall of Excellence.
Dot org is the website. We got a lot more
to get to, including I think Luke Wilson gonna join
us at the top of the hour, former Seahawk tight end,
and from the super Bowl right here on ninety three
three kJ RFM.
The Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (00:02):
Now back to our live coverage from Radio Row in
San Francisco, brought to you by Delta Airlines, by Snow
Call Me Casino and Hotel, by the Evergreen Council on
Problem Gambling People come First Construction Group, and by Toyota
of Kirkland. Here's SOFTI indig.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
All right, boys and girls, we are back here on
Radio Row at Super Bowl sixty. Big thanks to our sponsors,
including Delta Airlines. Our friends at Smakuami Casino got a
big game party obviously happening on Sunday Wednesday. Yesterday's show
is up on the podcast, so check that out right
now at ninety three to.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Three kjar dot com.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
But joining us right now on the radio show one
of the great sports reporters I think of all time.
He's a guy that anytime there's a big event, he
just happens to be there.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It's incredible, man.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Jim Gray normally with us at Final Fours, but now
you're with us here.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hey, super guys, good see man, fantastic Now things up
in Seattle.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Very very good.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I love it well. I gotta be honest with you.
I don't get starstruck very often. Man, but Bo Jackson.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Just sat earlier todays.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
I saw you come over and your face lit up
when you saw Boja.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I used to cover him in Elsagundo with the Raiders. Yeah,
and so we did a lot of interviews and he
was just great. But I got a great Bo Jackson
story telling him it was back in the day where
Bow nos, so you know, Bow knows, you know, and
all the great sports that he would do in the
commercials for Nike and everything, and he played the two
sports and everything. So one day after practice in El Segundo,
he said, I want you to come with me, Jim Gray,
(01:30):
and he said, what do we got? And we walked
over and it was one of the practice fields and
everybody had left and there was this big archery target
set up and he had a bow and an arrow,
and Bow was stuttering back then, and he says, what
do you think I could do? And he picked up
a football and he said to the target, and he
(01:51):
had a stand and he said, you think I can
hit the football from fifty yards, seventy five yards, one
hundred yards? And I'm thinking, well, you wouldn't be asking
me if you couldn't. What is it You're trying to ask.
He says, how much do you want to bet me
that I can hit the air pressure hole on a
football from seventy five yards away, fifty yards away, and
(02:12):
one hundred yards away. I said that I'm going to
bet on that. I'm going to bet on and I
don't bet, so we bet ten dollars. He took this
football from fifty yards away. And you see how small
that is. Yep, Well they used to be a little
bigger because it was an official NFL football. Okay, it
was signed by a big Paul Tagilely Boo, And so
Tagli Boo's down here and here's the airhole thing and
(02:33):
he hit it right on the little strip you know,
there's like a lace part of it around around the thing.
And so I still have that football to this day.
I still have this football to this day, and it's
signed bow Nos fifty yards. That's so good.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That is so good.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
When you's amaze think about the greatest athletes of all time,
he's the first name that pops into my mind. But
you've seen all the athletes, you've met, all the greatest
athletes over the.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Last fifty years in sport. Is he top of the list?
In your opinion, Well, he was great. I mean, obviously
he's right, He's right there, you know, you know, I
don't know. It's hard to it's hard to parse this.
Who else would the greatest athlete that I think in
my lifetime? And I'm sure they'll be blowback and pushback
and everybody's got an opinion. I think it's Carl Lewis. Yeah,
(03:25):
because Carl Lewis, think about this, what does every person
on the planet do. Every kid runs and every kid
jumps at some point in your life. Okay, you're running,
just running and you're jumping. Okay, that's it's everything we do.
For four Olympics. For four Olympics, he was either the
fastest man or the person who could jump the furthest
(03:45):
So yeah, that would be my guess.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
That is just a guess, makes total sense. Well, Jim
Gray is with us here. We're going to talk about
the new Hall of Excellence that's opened up in Vegas.
In a minute Mountain. I'll be there in a few months,
hoping to get down there and check it out. By
the way, maybe the Bo Jackson football is going to
be in the Hall.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Of on my telephone and try and show you that picture.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
With Well, let's uh, let's talk about Tom Brady for
a second, okay, because you have carved out an exceptional
relationship with him, I think, both as a professional and
a friend to Tom Brady. You're doing a podcast with him,
right obviously. And he made a comment the other day
that's got a lot of people riled up. He said,
quote in regards to Sunday's game with you, I don't
(04:27):
have a dog in the fight in this one.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Made the best team win end quote.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
Now he's getting called out by a lot of people, uh,
including some ex teammates Vince will Fork, Rob Gronkowski calling.
They say it's bull crap. Cook, that's bull crap, Tom
said Vince will Fork. No, no, But will Fork said
that during an interview with ee I. I'm looking to
(04:55):
see about the Gronkowski quote. There's a story here. He
said he probably wants to the quarterback. He's that competitive.
He probably wants to be the guy in the Super
Bowl right now, says Rob Gronkow it's not calling him
out now, but this article makes yah, Yeah, this article
makes it sound like you did.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
But Will Fork did. For sure.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Fans are Patriot fans are mad at him. What would
you say to them about the quote from Tom Brady.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
I think you have to hear the whole context, kay, Okay.
He went on to say that he's very happy for
the new chapter for Patriot fans. He's very happy for
them that they now have been able to rise again
and have the Mike Vrabel new era and a new
chapter with Drake May and all the terrific players who've
had an astounding, terrific season. And he said, that chapter
(05:40):
of my life is now behind me, and it was
a great time in my life. He came there as
the one hundred and ninety ninth pick and he left
as the most revered man in the history.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Of professional football.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
So when you put it into context, now, let's broaden
it out a little bit further. Forget the fact that
he works for five. Okay, but you're supposed to be
objective there, But let's put that aside, because that's over.
He's the minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Why
would he care about the outcome of this game if
(06:13):
it wasn't the Raiders. That's a b If we're to
believe Adam Schefter and Ian Rapaport and everybody else who
writes these reports and speaks on television. The offensive coordinator
of the Seattle Seahawks is going to be the guy
on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. If everything works out, who's
gonna come be your head coach? If these reports are accurate?
(06:33):
So you're gonna say, hey, I.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Hope you just.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
You know, with the bed and lose, and then we're
gonna hire you and bring you to Las Vegas. And
isn't so come on? You know, everybody's entitled to their opinion,
But I don't think that for one moment Tom does
not have tremendous gratitude and appreciation and love for what
(07:00):
he accomplished with the folks that he accomplished it with
in that organization. Yeah, and to put it into some
other words or to make it out to be something
that it isn't just doesn't take the full context into consideration.
In my opinion, how much patriots explanation, Okay, how much
I hated it. Way to go, buddy, come on over here.
(07:24):
Let's see how that goes. I was cheering for you,
I was I was against you yesterday, I'm for you today.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
That makes sense.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
He's the part owner of a football team.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
How much Patriot fatigue do you think there is because
of all the greatness of Tom and now here the
Patriots are back in the super Bowl at a twenty
two year old quarterback.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
You know, I'm not sure. I guess there probably is,
because there's still some cities that have never won, and
so you know, you get that built in callous that
you've had enough of it. But they've been away for
seven or eight years, whatever it's been, they've been in
the dol drums. I think maybe we saw that, and
(08:04):
we see it in some of the unfortunate bias in
the Hall of Fame voting, which is, you know, despicable.
If you don't think that Bill Belichick is a first
ballot Hall of Famer, you shouldn't have a ballot. I
understand the process is bad. I understand all of that.
I get all of that. But we all love the
institution of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and it's
(08:24):
been dealt a big blow this week. It'll recover, but
it's been dealt a big blow by doing something like that.
So is that part of that fatigue and bias? Perhaps
that's a hard question to answer because I don't personally
feel it. I like greatness, I like excellence. And if
you're that good and you're that great, you know, nobody
got tired of Muhammad Ali. Anybody get tired of Michael Jordan?
(08:48):
Why should we? Now? These are different individuals. But there's
nothing to be tired about the people who've excelled this year.
I mean, they've won the most games in the National
Football League, they've played one more, They've played one more
than than the Seattle has because they didn't qualify for
the buye. So yeah, what's to be upset about of
a team that's that's doing well. If you don't like him,
(09:09):
you better look at yourself, Jim, I.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Guess Jim Gray with us and Jim before we talk
about what you're doing in Vegas. I didn't want to
ask you before you go because we started off by
talking about bo Jackson, and I really, sincerely love how
much you enjoyed seeing him. The way your face lit up,
it shows that there's, after all these years in his business,
still a fane in you right that appreciates, Yes, phenomenal have.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
You have you ever? Is there a moment?
Speaker 4 (09:36):
I mean, the decision obviously is one that a lot
of people talk about that you were a part of
with Lebron. Is there anything in your life that you've
done anybody you've met where you really felt like, Wow,
I am a part of this.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
I remember being at the I think.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
A lot of times.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yeah, like the De la Hoya Mosley fight.
Speaker 4 (09:53):
I was down there and I saw Muhammad Ali and
I just have to stop and look at him. I
kind of felt that way when Bo sat down to
be totally honest with you, what about you?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
I feel like that a lot. I feel like that
a lot. I knew Muhammad Ali is the first interview
I ever did. I have to do a lot of
his fights, a lot of interviews with him. He let
me do his last interview on television. And the day,
the evening that he lit the torch in Atlanta, you know,
still brings me chills. The day I saw President Bush
throughout the first pitch after nine to eleven wasn't a
(10:25):
sporting event, it was at a sporting event gives me chills.
So I see these things all the time, and it
reminds you just how lucky we all are. Did we
get to see this, whether it's on television or whether
it's in person, and whether we get to know them
and have a personal relationship. You know, it's just a
fortunate existence. Thinking about Bo Jackson. The last time I
saw Bo Jackson was at the Miami Super Bowl and
(10:48):
I went to visit Don Shula and his wife, Mary
Ann Shula, and I was with Howard Dunnaroff, he's our
director of the museum, the Hall of Excellence. He was
with Westwood One, and we went over to interview Tom
for the pregame show because he was staying at Indian Creek.
Went to lunch with Don Shula that day, and the
table sitting right behind us was Bo Jackson. And Bo
(11:08):
had never met Bo had never met Don Shula. Wow,
And he came over to the table and there was
the little boy in him, the greatest coach numerically three
hundred and forty seven victories. And Bo Jackson got out
of his table to come see an elderly at the time,
Don Shula, and it was a wonderful moment. So I
(11:30):
think we all have this that's in us, from the
last guy who was sitting in this chair before me,
love it all the way up to somebody as great
as Bo.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
Well, Jim, we appreciate you joining us, and we have
this Tom Brady family and Jim and fran Gray Collection
Hall of Excellence coming to Vegas.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Tell us what this is all about. We opened in
July at the Fountain Blue Hotel. They've been a great partner.
They built a great museum for us. Jeffrey Sofer, the
owner of the hotel, and Maurice Wooden, the president of
the hotel, and so inside the Fountain Blue on a
second level, and we have three hundred and twenty five
of the greatest sports artifacts in the history of the world.
You name it, it is in here. Love it, It's in
(12:09):
this museum. And the Morgan Friedman. We have the Lombardi Trophy,
which will be on display for everybody who comes to
the Fountain Blue. You can take a picture with it.
To watch the big game. Morgan Freeman walks you through
the tour, a thirty two minute tour the Voice of God,
and then we give everybody an iPhone when you come
in and you can push on any of the three
hundred and twenty selected artifacts. So when you push on
(12:31):
the artifact of Jerry West's gold medal from nineteen sixty,
you will hear Marv Albert describe what it is the
artifact and you will then see Jerry West making a
basket awesome. So on every single artifact, and they have
the great voices of the games. Bob Costas for basketball,
Jim Nantz for golf, Oprah Winfrey for entertainment, Andres Kanter
(12:54):
for soccer, Mike Emrick for hockey, Mary Carillo for tennis,
and if I'd forgotten somebody myself for boxing, and Tom
for football.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Love it, halloexcellence dot org.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
I would like to donate those headphones, by the way,
because those headphones were worn by Jim Gray and Bo Jackson.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Okay, so put those in your museum.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
I would represent a form of excellence that we wouldn't
be able to display at this time. But we appreciate
your contribution.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Excellence.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Dot org is the website looking forward, right, How are
we to getting down there?
Speaker 2 (13:26):
And come on down you guys are fun. I'll know
I love it. Can I say one other things?
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (13:31):
I was a ball boy for the Seattle SuperSonics. What
year for Lenny Wilkins, Marvin Webster and Paul Silas. I
was a ball boy for the Denver Rockets and the
Denver Nuggets and Marvin Webster, Willie Wise, Wow, Paul Silas
got traded to the Sonics for their first championship run
against Washington. Lenny Wilkins let me be a ball boy
for those guys for the playoffs. That was back in
(13:52):
nineteen seventy seven. In nineteen seventy eight, I was just
a young boy, and I never forgot how great Lenny
treated me. And Marvin Webster and Paul Silas now friends.
Fortunately they've all passed away and we missed them all. Dude, Well,
you know what, I have a I have a very
soft spot in my heart for Seattle good and for
all the people up there, because it was a great time.
Help us get our team back. I want your team back.
(14:13):
I never wanted your team to lose leave. I thought
that what Clay Bennett did that was tragic. And uh,
you know, I'm sorry that they've had to suffer now
watching the Oklahoma City group win. But I hope the
team comes back. I hope there's somebody there that will
fix up a good arena. And and it's a great
city and it's a great place for basketball, and and
(14:33):
I came back there all those years later to broadcast
when they played in ninety six with Sean Kemp and
that team lost to the lost of the Bulls. But
it's it's a great basketball city. It's a great city
a period and had a lot of great memories there
no doubt.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Jim, You're the man.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Thank you, See you soon in Vegas, all right, Thank you.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
Jim Bray with us on the radio show Hall of Excellence.
Dot org is the website. We got a lot more
to get to, including I think Luke Wilson gonna join
us at the top of the hour, former Seahawk tight end,
and from the super Bowl right here on ninety three
three kJ RFM.
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