Once A Star #1
The first of two hour-long programs profiling former professional athletes. The show focuses on these athletes’ lives after retiring from sports, with archival footage sprinkled throughout. We get an in-depth look at these personalities, while also indirectly getting a sense of the difference between professional sports of the 50s, 60s, and 70s versus today: virtually all of the athletes work for a living. This program features “no-hit” Chicago Cub pitcher Kenny Holtzman; Cy Young Award winner Steve Stone; first African American in the NBA, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton; TV wrestling pioneer “Dick the Bruiser” (Afflis); all-time NFL scoring leader, kicker and quarterback George Blanda; bowling champ Carmen Salvino; Casey Stengel speaking “Stengelese;” Clown Prince of Baseball, Max Patkin; and one-season phenomenon, pitcher Mark “The Bird” Fidrych.