It has been a year since I published the first issue of this newsletter. Thank you for subscribing, sharing and supporting my work. I have learned so much about content creation and look forward to bringing you even more cool, inspirational, and awesome stories about sports in the USA!
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My Favorite stories of 2021
From my Oct. 31 edition: The Kansas City National Women’s Soccer League is making sports history. It is building the FIRST professional sports stadium constructed for a women’s team. The stadium will seat 11,000 fans at a cost of $70 million.
From my Aug. 22 edition: I have written in past newsletters, the sports card collecting business is super hot right now. The T206 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $6.606 million dollars! His card was in the American Tobacco Company’s cigarette pack, so the “T” in T206 stands for tobacco. They were produced from 1909-1911. Wagner did not give permission to have his likeness used in the card so it was taken off the market. Only 200 or so were printed, making the value go up.
From my Aug. 8 edition:
Here are how my husband’s former track and field athletes did in the Olympics:
Fred Kerley (USA) - Silver Medal in the Men’s 100m
Vernon Norwood (USA) - Gold Medal in the Men’s 4x400m Relay (he ran in the preliminaries)
Sally Kipyego (USA) - 17th in the Women’s Marathon
Natoya Goule (Jamaica) - 8th in the Women’s 800m
Jereem Richards (Trinidad & Tobago) - 8th in the Men’s 200m
Im so proud of them and happy that they made it as far as they did!
There were so many great moments for Team USA but my FAVORITE has to be the Women’s Volleyball Team winning gold! It was Team USA’s FIRST GOLD MEDAL for Indoor Volleyball! And their Coach, Karch Kiraly, battled through cancer while continuing to coach them. He had not shared his diagnosis with the team until AFTER he was healthy again. Coach Kiraly is the only man or woman to win a gold medal in indoor volleyball and beach volleyball as a player as well as a coach.
From my May 2 edition: This story made me cry so beware! Nine year old Leighton Accardo passed away from brain cancer last November. She was the Arizona Coyotes biggest fan. In her honor, they retired #49. She became the first person in NHL history who is not a former player, coach, general manager or broadcaster to be inducted into a team’s ring of honor. If you only read one story in this newsletter, please read this one HERE
From my April 18 edition:
I am an obsessed Dallas Cowboys fan. Many of you have your own team that makes you a fanatic. From time to time, I will highlight some superfans in my newsletter. Today’s superfan is Mike Tag. I “met” Mike on Twitter (@mtag1993) because before each game, he would walk into this supercool room with a ton of Cowboys memorabilia. He does a hype video for #CowboysNation and is always so enthusiastic. I knew he had to be my first superfan in this newsletter.
Here is a recent example of one hype video:
Mike is a Sales Manager for a Distribution Company that services Manufacturing. He and his wife have two kids and live in Tampa Bay, Florida (lucky! He gets to live by the beach!). He has 2 brothers and 1 sister who all love sports.
Here are his answers to several questions I asked him:
1. How did you get to be a Dallas Cowboys fan? Mike’s beautiful daughter did her own interview with her Dad and asked him this question. Also mentioned in this video are his superstitions, how his hype video got started and some explanation about all of his collectibles.
2. When did it morph into the Cowboys room that you have full of Cowboys stuff? I really always collected Dallas Cowboys memorabilia since I could remember. I would write letters to players and coaches every year. I got Tom Landry to send me a signed photo; Troy Aikman when he was a Rookie signed some cards for me as well to name a few. I probably have over 500 Autographed Cards from players over the years.
What types of items do you have in the Cowboys room? My room isn't big enough to hold all my stuff so periodically I will swap stuff out to change the look of the room. I am actually in the process of doing that now. Some Key Pieces I currently have:
* Emmitt Smith - Signed 16x20 / Signed Mini Helmet with him and Tony Dorsett / Signed Mini Helmet with just him / A couple of 8 x 10 signed pictures
* Michael Irvin - Signed Canvas collage
* Troy Aikman signed College Jersey / Signed Mini Helmet with Roger Staubach on it too
* Authentic Full Size Helmet of Dak Prescott with ROTY inscription
* Authentic Full Size Helmet of Ezekiel Elliott
* Signed Footballs of - Tony Romo, Jason Witten , Sean Lee, Michael Irvin, Tony Dorsett, Demarcus Lawrence & Percy Howard
* Signed Jerseys of - Tony Romo , Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Bob Lilly
* Texas Stadium Chairs with Seat Number #8 & #12
* Mini Helmets - I have about 20 different helmets signed - Bob Lilly, Drew Pearson, Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith, Randy White, Terrence Newman, LeeRoy Jordan to name a few
* Signed 16x20 Photos - I have one of all the living Super Bowl MVP's for the Cowboys, also Jason Witten, Tony Dorsett, Demarcus Ware, Bob Lilly
* Signed 11x14 of the Cowboys Great Wall - Zach Martin, Travis Frederick and Tyron Smith
* Signed 8x10 Photos - I probably have over 100 signed Pictures - Tom Landry is probably one of my favorites, but I also like the collage pictures I have of several players
* Signed Gloves of Demarcus Lawrence - He gave them to me after seeing my video after our big win against the Saints in 2018
* Danbury Mint Figures of: 1977 Cowboys Team, Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Tony Romo & Dak Prescott
What are your 3 favorites items in the Cave? 1977 Cowboys Team Statue, Tony Dorsett Signed Mini Helmet, Emmitt Smith signed 16x20
Why are these 3 your favorites? Its really hard to pick the top ones because they are all special and really there is a story about almost everything that's in my collection, but I named 3 per your request. The 1977 Team is special because I got that from my parents for Christmas when I was a kid; what's amazing is after over 30 years and moving several times in my life, its never been broken or gotten a scratch on it LOL..
The Tony Dorsett helmet is special because he was really the first Cowboys player I met in person and he signed that helmet. I have had it for over 30 years and its still in perfect shape.
The 16x20 Emmitt Smith is special because its the photo of when he broke Walter Payton's Rushing Record. Its just a really cool picture and one of those moments where you know where you were when he broke the record.
Favorite moment during a Cowboys game? Wow, I have been to so many games it's really hard to pick just one, but I have one that sticks out now. My friend and I went to see the Cowboys vs Eagles in Texas Stadium. He was an Eagles fan and they were beating us pretty much for the entire game, so in the last few minutes the Cowboys came back to take the lead and the Eagles then drove down the field for a Game Winning chip shot FG. Our former kicker was on their team lining up for the kick and then bobbled the snap and we won the game. The stadium was electric and made for a great walk back to the car. My friend was silent the whole way back!
Favorite player and why? All Time would be Emmitt Smith with Tony Dorsett being a very close 2nd. #22 is still my number of choice. My wife and I got married on the 22nd :) (more explanation about that in the YouTube video above)
Thank you to Mike for graciously agreeing to this interview in my newsletter!
If YOU know of any superfans like Mike, please email me at historybeene@gmail.com - I would love to highlight other superfans of any sports teams in future issues!
Trending stories
Deion “Primetime” Sanders (arguably the best cornerback in NFL history), now the Head Coach at Jackson State, an HBCU in Mississippi, made quite a splash last week in recruiting when he signed the TOP RANKED high school football player in the nation! Travis Hunter of Collins Hill High School in Georgia was the #1 High School prospect.
Here are some of the best sports photos of 2021 from ESPN:
Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors surpassed Ray Allen’s 3 point record last week. Allen and another 3 point superstar Reggie Miller, gave Curry a jersey with the number 2974, the number of shots he made to break the record.
"I can't explain it. And I played with and against Ray, played against Reggie, I know how great shooters those guys were. But to know my son's going to leave the game being the best -- he already is the best shooter ever to play, and have that record, it's unbelievable." Dell Curry, Steph’s Dad
QB Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw three game-tying or lead-changing touchdowns in the fourth quarter or later of a game.
Christian Pulisic, my favorite soccer player, was named U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year for the 3rd time. He was the first American man to play in and win the UEFA Champions League final (playing for Chelsea FC). He also scored the winning goal for Team USA in two different games against Mexico.
Kristin Hayden became the first Black woman to win a US National Diving Title. She and her partner Quinn Henninger, won the mixed synchronized 3-meter title.
I love crazy stats - like this one! LOL!
Jim Harbaugh will donate his $500,000 bonus he earned after the Michigan football team defeated Ohio State to get the Big Ten East title. The money will go to workers in the athletic department that saw their salaries cut due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Thank you for reading this newsletter! Happy New Year!