Sports Then and Now

Bob Rosburg

In recognition of the upcoming PGA Championship, the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week is the golfer who 50 years ago claimed his only major championship by winning the PGA Championship at the Minneapolis Golf Club.

To generations of golf fans, Bob Rosburg is best known for his more than 30 years as a golf commentator for ABC. He is credited with pioneering the now common practice of roaming the course to report the action.

However, Rosburg was even better at playing golf than he was reporting on it.
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Rafer Johnson

In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Summer Olympics, we are honoring as the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week the person who received the prestigious honor of lighting the Olympic Flame at the opening ceremonies of those games.

Because success in the decathlon requires high-level performances in 10 significantly different events, decathlon champions have traditionally been considered to be the best athletes in the world. Few have ever been better than Rafer Johnson.

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Catfish Hunter

In recognition of just how infrequent it is for a pitcher to throw a perfect game, the Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Week is a hurler who in 1968 became the first American League pitcher in 46 years to experience perfection.

Jim “Catfish” Hunter was already a two-time All-Star when he threw his perfect game for the Oakland A’s against the Minnesota Twins. However, that performance served as the springboard to his emergence as one of the top pitchers of his era. Read the rest of this entry →

Willie McCovey

Each week Sports Then and Now will recognize a Vintage Athlete of the Week. The purpose of this weekly post will be to celebrate and re-visit the accomplishments of notable athletes from past generations.

In honor of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, our first Athlete of the Week is a baseball great who was the hero of the Midsummer Classic 40 years ago.

Despite his immense stature (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), Willie McCovey was often overshadowed by more flamboyant teammates. He truly epitomized the concept of speaking softly and carrying a big stick as McCovey blasted 521 home runs during his 22-year major league career.

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