When it comes to the great sports and entertainment figures of our time, more often than not, we readily remember the home runs, the touchdown passes, the baskets made and other public accomplishments. This is the material that generates talk of greatness about individual athletes. Their statistics roll off our tongues. We know their numbers, but we don't always remember their spoken words. Sure, there have been many athletes who have exhibited the gift of gab - from Yogi Berra's silly quips to Charles Barkley's sometimes-playful, sometimes-controversial rants. But there were other words also spoken; be it after a game, before a practice, in the quiet of the locker room on an off-day or in a setting far away from the playing field. These words may not have appeared in a newspaper or been heard during a television or radio broadcast.These are great lines spoken by some of the greatest performers of our time. And I've taken the liberty to tailor some of them to suit the lessons in life that so many of us still are learning today. Some are the words spoken directly from the most accomplished performers who ever lived. These are quotes from great individuals that have the potential to move you as they moved me.It was a privilege to watch great athletes perform at the highest level of competition. Witnessing the ascension to greatness - from high school standout to college All-American to the professional ranks... from rookies to all-stars, all-stars to champions and champions to Hall of Famers...
About the Author: Sam's career was nothing short of remarkable, not necessarily because of his accomplishments, but because of what he was uniquely privileged enough to witness along the way. From insurance clerk to sports writer, sports writer to comedian . . . and now, author. Sam Adams indeed is a Renaissance Man. At age 24 in 1984, he moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Denver, Colorado, and worked jobs as an insurance clerk. Two years later he walked into the sports department of The Denver Post asking how he could become a sports writer. Biding his time as a part-time correspondent in the high school sports department, he gained experience and showed enough wares to earn a full-time job at The Post in 1992. In 1995, he accepted a job at The Charlotte Observer, but returned to Denver 18 months later to work for the Rocky Mountain News a job he held for 13 years. During his time at the Rocky, he covered two Super Bowls, a Stanley Cup Finals, a World Series and two Olympiads, while earning awards including Print Journalist of the Year from his peers in 2003. Sam began performing comedy in 2001 at age 41. When the Rocky Mountain News closed in 2009, he decided to turn to comedy as a full-time career. That same year, he won at the Great American Comedy Festival. His clean, profanity-free performances have earned him numerous accolades in the corporate industry.