Inspiring Athletes: "Don't Make Me Cry, Roy"

I spent a delightful weekend reading Roy Firestone's book, "Don't Make Me Cry, Roy - Adventures in Interviewing". Roy is a known sportscaster famous for his poignant personal interviews with over 5,000 sports stars and other celebrities. You might have seen him as himself in the movie "Jerry ...I spent a delightful weekend reading Roy Firestone's book, "Don't Make Me Cry, Roy - Adventures in Interviewing". Roy is a known sportscaster famous for his poignant personal interviews with over 5,000 sports stars and other celebrities. You might have seen him as himself in the movie "Jerry Maguire" where he brings Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character to crocodile tears during a televised interview.

I am not a sports fan. I had no idea what teams were playing in the Superbowl. So, why was I reading Roy's book? Roy has the unprecedented ability to get into and reveal the mindset of his guest and deliver their stories in an honest and humorous tone. What makes these people champions and what makes them often crash and burn in the tabloids is fascinating to me. Roy's book delivers humorous personal anecdotes and touching emotional stories that are 'offered up from the heart, and from the best seat in the house'.

Roy also describes his own personal journey as a sports fan, world-class interviewer, performer and father as he turned his dreams into reality and was inspired by others along the way. Roy discovered that the life of an athlete and his own life paralleled in that it wasn't just about perspiration, it was about inspiration too. He was inspired by those who triumphed over enormous odds in their professional sports careers as well as their personal lives. He learned valuable lessons from those who seemingly had it all and threw it away with inflated egos, unsportsmanlike behavior and bad judgement. Perhaps the most profound stories were the ones where a fallen superstar picked himself up to win the next chapter in his life. Yes, some of our coveted sports giants went from knucklehead jerk status to hero and left a legacy in the inspiration they provided off the field.

Here are a few examples from the book:

Magic Johnson - Went from super basketball star to cast-out tagged with the stigma of A.I.D.S. and then beloved philanthropic entrepreneur. Magic said to Roy, "What A.I.D.S. taught me was to love your dreams more. The biggest thing I dreamed as a kid was I always wanted to be viewed as a businessman, someone who could see something and make it happen. So when I talk about rebuilding inner cities, and people told me there was no money and no money to do it, I said we had to do it, we need to put some pride in this community."

And he did it. He built theaters, franchised stores, restaurants and fitness centers. He built growth where there was none, created jobs where there was none and opened up possibilities for people who had none before. This is Magic's legacy. He continues to fulfill his wildest dreams by discovering the gift in what is viewed as a death sentence for many. Magic is the shining example that dreams can always come true if you believe - believe in your self.

Andre Agassi speaking to the crowd on his 2006 U.S. Open defeat:

"The scoreboard said I lost today but the scoreboard doesn't say what I have found. And over the last 21 years I have found loyalty. You pulled for me on the court and also in life. I've found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed even in my lowest moments. And I've found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams - dreams I could never have reached without you. Over the last 21 years I have found you and I will take you, and the memory of you, with me for the rest of my life. Thank you."

This statement was from that once very public jerk of a trouble maker, a spoiled punk of a kid on and off the court. Tennis may have delivered a fortune to Agassi but the gift that mattered, that influenced his life more than anything else, was the lesson he learned about compassion. Since his 2006 defeat, Agassi's legacy has been his compassion and philanthropic endeavors for underprivileged children.

This is just a small glimpse into the treasure chest of inspiring and heart-wrenching stories told by Roy Firestone, the guy sitting front-row center to the lives, loves and losses of giants on and off the game. The real champions are the ones who scored biggest in life. I encourage you to pick up a copy today at http://www.RoyFirestone.com.

"I believe we have two lives. The life we learn with and the live we live after that." - Glenn Close in the movie "The Natural"