Jeff Fannell » Pioneers of the Game

Mar 25

by Jeff Fannell in NBA, Pioneers of the Game, Sports 0 comments tags: NBA, Pioneers of the Game, Women in sports

Pioneers of the Game: Becky Hammon

(Photo Credit: USA Today) Becky Hammon is one of the most decorated players in the history of women’s basketball. Born in Rapid City, South Dakota, she played basketball at Stevens High School, where as a senior she averaged 26 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game on her way to being named South Dakota Player of the Year. Hammon went on to play college ball at Colorado State and distinguished herself as one of the nation’s top scorers. In the 1998-99 season she led the Rams to a 33-3 record and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. That season she was also an All-American and was named WAC Mountain Division Player of the Year, as well as Colorado Sportswoman of the Year. During that season she also surpassed Keith Van Horn as the WAC’s all-time leading scorer. For her career at Colorado State she set University records in points, points per game, field goals, free throws and three pointers made, and assists. Despite her collegiate accomplishments, Hammon went undrafted in the WNBA draft, and subsequently signed with the New York Liberty as a free agent in 1999. She starred for the Liberty through the 2006 season before being […]

Jan 14

by Jeff Fannell in Baseball, MLB, People, Pioneers of the Game, Sports 0 comments tags: Dr. Frank Jobe, Game Changer, Pioneers of the Game, Sports, Sports Medicine, Tommy John, Tommy John Surgery

Pioneers of the Game: Dr. Frank Jobe

He never threw a pitch. He never stole a base. He didn’t hit a single homerun. Yet, Dr. Frank Jobe left a mark on Major League Baseball that will never be erased. In 1974, Dr. Jobe became the first to perform an elbow procedure that has become famously known as “Tommy John surgery.” The procedure, which involves grafting a tendon from the forearm into the elbow to replace a ruptured ligament, has saved the careers of hundreds of Major League players and has allowed scores of other athletes to continue competing on the field of play. The procedure was first performed on pitcher Tommy John, who at the time was a 12-year Major League veteran. Following the groundbreaking surgery, John went on to pitch another 14 more seasons, including three seasons in which he won 20 games – all without ever missing a single day due to a problem with his surgically repaired elbow. Without the surgery, John’s career would have ended in 1974; instead, he retired from the game in 1989 at the age of 46, having won 288 Major League games (including 164 games after the surgery). Tommy John surgery has now become a common procedure that has […]

Nov 14

by Jeff Fannell in Pioneers of the Game, Soccer, Sports 0 comments tags: Black Panther, Eusebio, Futbol, History, Pioneers of the Game, Portuguese, Soccer

Pioneers of the Game: Eusebio

Eusebio da Silva Ferreira stands as the most famous name in Portuguese football (soccer) history. Born in Mozambique, Eusebio was the first world-class striker from the African continent. Known as the “Black Panther,” Eusebio scored more than a goal per game in Portuguese league matches (an incredible 320 goals in 313 matches). As remarkable as that may be, perhaps his greatest work was revealed at football’s premier event, the World Cup. In fact, during the qualifying rounds for the 1966 World Cup, Eusebio scored seven goals. He then went on to top that tremendous achievement by scoring an unprecedented nine goals in six World Cup matches in leading Portugal to a third-place finish. To this day his performance stands as the greatest feat ever in World Cup play. In January 2014, Eusebio passed away at the age 71. Although he is no longer with us, Eusebio yet remains the most celebrated name in the history of Portuguese football.