Sports Blog
From time to time I run across a photo that brings me back to an event that I have either covered for television or from an event I raced in. From my humble beginnings in 1984 to the very last telecast I did live in 2007 for NBC in New York, there are some story worthy details surrounding those events. This facet of the site will give me a place to give some real insight to a place in time that either stuck me as significant and even sometimes just amusing.
In so many ways I have found my life experiences both as an athlete and as well in the media representing our community a privilege.
Boston Crash 1987
Several years ago I had stumbled upon a picture from one of the Boston newspapers from perhaps the most dramatic crash in Wheelchair Racing history. In many ways, I liken this event to one of those Nascar crashes that changed the dynamics of our sport in many ways. The crash not only brought about alterations in how we would be allowed to navigate the first mile or so of the Boston course but also how we were perceived athletically. Horrendous as it was it brought to light a certain legitimacy about just how serious and dedicated we were about our desire to win.
1987 marked my 3rd Boston Marathon. Being a kid who grew up as a runner in the northeast this race was hands down the holy grail. Even as time went on and I raced in marathons in many countries, this was still the race that got my blood pumping. Boston was so significant in fact that I’m not sure you could be considered as one of the greatest racers of all time without at least one Boston victory. Spring in Massachusetts could give you a dose of just hellish condition or on occasion a perfect 60 degree day with a tailwind. 87 was flat out hellish. As we started to move toward the start line I can recall that there was a lot of concern about not only the wet roads but also some of the newer chairs and the unproven technology that was soon to be going downhill at more than 30 miles per hour…
Last 5 Posts in this category
Two at the top… / November 2, 2023
Runner Up; Ernst Van Dyk All Hail the King of Boston!Ernst Van Dyk How many of these Sliver Cups from winning the greatest road race in the world does Ernst Van Dyk own you might ask? TEN! That is just insane. Think about this, if he were to live to 100 years old, he would […]
Getting it off my chest / July 25, 2023
Me and my Bro Dave about 1 AM on May 17. Not long after angioplasty and stent surgery. Not sure whether his eyes or mine grew bigger as the Crash Cart entered the room! Merely 16 days earlier giving my induction speech at the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Ceremony. I never felt particularly well […]
Future of the Paralympics remains unclear / July 26, 2021
While somewhat viable the Paralympic Movement has stalled in its ability to gain true mainstream attention and momentum. For a while it started to feel like we almost got there. But the reality is we fell short. It will do little good to cast blame around, however due to certain streams of funding and motivations […]
A day in travel hell / July 9, 2021
Yes, I’m whining A day that will live on in infamy! I think writing this is as cathartic much as it might be semi entertaining, at least to those of us who have many travel miles under our belts. For nearly 2 damn years we have been cooped up in this Covid hell, baking bread, […]
NBC’s Paralympic Trails Telecast / June 28, 2021
A hour and a half of my life I can’t get back Lets face it, we’ve all become accustomed to less at this point. Every time a major network gets a hand into covering disabled sport its likely going to be somewhat cliche and repetitive. I can almost live with that as a notion, however […]
Paralympic Basketball Coach; Frank Burns / June 27, 2021
Making a difference beyond the basketball court A fearless leader who lead the famed Casa Colina Condors to 8 championships, coached the gold medal team in Seoul 1988 and was integral to the Lakeshore Adaptive Sports program. Before the very last day the US team had in Seoul, Korea I had never met Frank Burns. […]
2021 Tokyo Paralympic Coverage / June 24, 2021
Chris Waddell was a Paralympic medalist in both the winter and summer games. He is a well qualified broadcaster, an exceptional role model and yet he will play second second seat to 2 able bodied broadcasters. For so many years NBC has pulled together a broadcast team of qualified disabled athletes who wanted to take […]
The Women of Wheelchair Racing: Profiles / June 18, 2021
DeAnna Sodoma Though often overshadowed by the domination of Jean Driscoll and Louise Sauvage, DeAnna Sodoma was in many ways the 3rd most recognized and accomplished women’s wheelchair racer of the 90s. Her athletic accomplishments were so significant that she captured the attention of Northwest Airlines, landing a lucrative sponsorship that lasted nearly the duration […]
1999 LA Marathon / June 17, 2021
A tribute to race director, Nan Harman There are a few phone numbers that stick out in my mind, to be more precise 4 of them. My household phone growing up in NY, my family phone in Vermont, the roller guys, Doug and Jerry and finally Nan Harman’s. I bet I called that number a […]
The 5000 Meter Crash;1992 Barcelona / June 15, 2021
Story and Photo, Mary Carol Peterson Many of the legends of the era were caught up in one of the most iconic crashes in track chair racing history! So in the Barcelona ’92 Paralympics 5000m men’s final, I was stationed in the “moat” area which is below track level, designated for photographers (I had credentials […]
The Women of Wheelchair Racing / June 14, 2021
Part One; Laying the Groundwork Over nearly the past 2 decades Tatyana Mcfadden has set a standard that has been tough to match and raised the bar extremely high! As I put a wrap on covering some of the most winning and influential men of wheelchair racing a few weeks ago I have reached out […]
Doug and Jerry; Men behind the scene / June 9, 2021
Doug Mays and Jerry Burak–2 men you may have never met who had a significant impact on the sport of Wheechair Racing. If you wheeled on a Roller between 1990 and now, they designed it and produced it. My first thought as I sit down to write this is what a terrible photo of two […]
Seoul Paralympics 1988 / June 3, 2021
By Jeff Adams In 1988, I was only 17 years old when I made my first Paralympic team – selected to compete for Canada in Seoul, Korea. This is a short story about my journey to qualify for the Games, and my experience racing at my first major international competition. Classification System At that time, […]
Paralympics, Seoul 88;part 3 / May 26, 2021
If you have read this far you will know at this point that I am sharing my thoughts on these games are less from an athletic standpoint, and more from an experiential place of being at the games. I saved this shot from the local newspaper as I just thought it was cool. Opening Ceremonies […]
Seoul 88 Paralympics; Part 2 / May 25, 2021
Itaewon; shopping, bars and nightlife To the best of my recollection, the cab ride from the Paralympic compound was about 20 minutes. I think the US Team was one of the first to arrive in Korea. Right off the bat we were taken to a facility where we were given very explicit instructions on how […]