Fort Wayne Sports History, Blake Sebring, Bauer Communications, 2013, 0989514900, 9780989514903, . What could a Fort Wayne Sports Hall of Fame look like and who would it include? Local athletes have affected almost every level of amateur and professional sport, and many landed in their sports’ halls of fame. This book contains their stories in a calendar format that is easy to search by month and day, or simply enjoy reading cover to cover..

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A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Blake Sebring has covered minor league hockey for 22 seasons, covering more than 1,000 games, and is one of only four men to cover the team full-time for The News-Sentinel. Besides legendary sports editor Bud Gallmeier's 35 years, no one in newspapers has covered the Komets longer. He started working at The News-Sentinel at age 15 and has been living his dream ever since.

In his spare time, Blake enjoys cooking, reading, movies and mentoring prospective journalists and other young people. He has four Godsons and more than 30 extended nieces and nephews he regularly spoils. He also runs the men's group at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and writes a monthly column for the church newsletter.

Since I started my sportswriting career at age 15, I've been fascinated with Fort Wayne's sports history. I remember my dad telling me stories about the Daisies and the Pistons, and the more I talked with people like Hilliard Gates, Carl Bennett, Bud Gallmeier, Don Graham, Len Davis, Phil Olofson, Bob Chase and Ken Ullyot, the more interesting things I found.

Because we have lost so many of those great men, and because we were losing so much history with their passings, I always hoped to write a Fort Wayne-area sports history book. The problem was how to do it in less than 1,000 pages which would would be too expensive. Then the idea came to use a calendar of 366 days (leap year included).

Even I was surprised at some of the events and hall of famers I found, including Jim Thorpe, Jesse Owens, Wilt Chamberlain, Alex Rodriguez, , Tony Gwynn, Dominique Wilkins, Isiah Thomas, Dale Earnhardt, Ted Williams, Bjorn Borg, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Bob Feller, Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Joe Louis, Curt Simmons, Dale Jarrett, Grover Cleveland Alexander and . They all made trips to Fort Wayne during the prime of their careers.

Besides the calendar of events, there are also some interesting lists included in the back of the book such as every time an NBA (post-Fort Wayne Pistons), an NHL or team played in Fort Wayne, the all-time leading scorers in boys and girls high school basketball, the coaching wins leaders in high school boys and girls basketball and football, a list of all-time team and individual state champions from the Fort Wayne area and a few other surprises. Blake Sebring is a veteran journalist with a Midwest metropolitan newspaper. He has consistently been at the top of his profession for over 20 years, collecting more than 20 state writing awards, including: best sports columnist, best deadline reporting and best feature. As a sportswriter, Blake has chronicled IHL hockey, NCAA volleyball and three Olympic Festivals. His blog www.tailingthekomets.com draws more than 60,000 hits per month and is the dominant feature of www.FortWayne.com He averages 500 bylines per year and mentors young journalists, with 15 protégés’ nationally. He is the author of The Lake Effect,Homecoming Game,Tales of the Komets and Legends of the Komets and is co-author of Live from Radio Rinkside: The Bob Chase story, and The Biggest Mistake I Never Made, the autobiography of Olympic gold medal-winning volleyball player Lloy Ball. The Lake Effect is his first novel. You can follow his daily work at www.news-sentinel.com or at www.tailingthekomets.com.

Description: What would a Fort Wayne Sports Hall of Fame look like and who would it include? The author draws on a lifetime of knowledge – and plenty of research – to tell stories of famous sports figures from the Fort Wayne area and of memorable local events which had major influences on national and international sports. Local athletes have affected almost every level of amateur and professional sport, and many landed in their sports' halls of fame. The city itself has impacted the Super Bowl, the , the Sullivan Award, the Olympics, NCAA championships, the French Open, NASCAR, the , the NBA, the PGA, the LPGA, the Indy 500 and the World Cup along with numerous national and world championships. Rod Woodson, Bernard Pollard, DaMarcus Beasley, Lloy Ball, , Eric Wedge, Jarrod Parker, Deshaun Thomas, Cathy Gerring, Tyler Eifert, Anthony Spencer, Jason Baker, Chris Schenkel, DeDee Nathan and Jason Fabini are some of the people who have represented their sport and the city of Fort Wayne.

Description: After two years, Lars Preston and Max Curry hoped their controversial past as football players at Indiana Western University was finally behind them. They'd found a new place to play and a fresh start at UC-Camarillo, a smaller school they'd help build into a Division I-AA powerhouse. But then during the summer before their senior season, IWU's athletic director calls UC-Camarillo asking for help and offering a huge payday. The Sagamores have run into a scheduling problem and suddenly need a fill-in game, and who better to ask than the former heroes who led IWU to a huge upset three years ago? Despite the doubts of Preston and Curry, the Thunderbolts are flying to the Midwest to play the No. 6-ranked Sagamores on their home field. By revisiting their past, all the ultimate underdogs hope for is a fair chance, but is it for revenge or redemption?

Description: When he was a high school senior, Lloy Ball disappointed most people in his small Northeast Indiana community by turning down a chance to play basketball for Bobby Knight at Indiana University. Intead, Ball chose to play volleyball for his father at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. Though many people still tell him they thought he made a mistake by not going to IU, Ball won a gold medal in his fourth Olympics at age 36 in 2008. This is the story of how he got there, the places he has seen and the people he has met along the way.

Description: "For 56 years, Bob Chase has been an institution as the voice of the Fort Wayne Komets, one of the premier franchises in minor league hockey. Thousands of children over five decades have hidden under the covers listening to Chase describe the action throughout the Midwest as they drift off to sleep listening to their heroes. It's possible no one else in America has introduced more people to the sport. He's also been a key voice for WOWO, 1190-AM. During his amazing career, Chase has interviewed superstar athletes, political figures and the elite of American entertainment, including Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. A devoted husband, father and grandfather, this is his story.

Description: Over 55 seasons, the Fort Wayne Komets have been one of the greatest franchises in North American minor league sports. Throughout their existence, this hockey franchise has experienced uncounted unique stories dealing with players, teams, fans and other characters, such as: *The coach who said winning was better than sex *The fan favorite who was traded for two dryers *The player who rode his horse to practice *The player who earned more than $1 million in the minors *The equipment manager who saved the season *The player who wrote a poem to the fans *The best friends who fought each other *The reason Wayne Gretzky came to wear No. 99 *The player who got a kiss during a game *The final fate of Brett Hull's Stanley Cup puck *The Tom Petty song that helped in a championship *The opposing team that needed an exorcism These stories and many more are inside Tales of the Komets.

"Book No. 7, ``Fort Wayne Sports History'' hits Monday at www.amauth.com and www.blakesebring.com for e-books or orders for paperbacks. Longest book I'...more Book No. 7, ``Fort Wayne Sports History'' hits Monday at www.amauth.com and www.blakesebring.com for e-books or orders for paperbacks. Longest book I've ever attempted at 450 pages.(less) "

Part of the reason behind writing the book ``Fort Wayne Sports History'' is because I hoped to spark debates like ``Who was the most famous athlete ever to play in Fort Wayne?'' Who would you pick from among Jim Thorpe, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Wilt Chamberlain, Jack Nicklaus, Bill Russell or Gordie Howe?

That's not a bad list, and neither is the one for our three finalists for which was the most significant sporting event in Fort Wayne history. After Rod Woodson's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Komets sweep of the 1993 International Hockey League playoffs won in earlier rounds of voting, the final preliminary round of voting took place last week.

The NBA's formation in Carl Bennett's living room ran away with the voting with 59 percent. Lloy Ball winning an Olympic Gold Medal in men's volleyball was second with 17 percent followed by the TinCaps winning the Midwest League title during their first season in Parkview Field with 12 percent. Babe Ruth and the visiting in 1927 received 8 percent of the vote and Bill Wambsganss pulling off an unassisted triple play in the World Series drew 3 percent.

During his 17-year NFL career, the Snider graduate played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders as a cornerback, safety and kick returner. He's the only player in NFL history to be named to the Pro Bowl at three positions. In fact, he was an 11-time Pro Bowl selection. He's also one of only four players to play in three Super Bowls with three different teams.

This team's records will stand forever, a perfect 12-0 during the playoffs. Only two other teams - the 1988 Hershey Bears of the and the 1984 - ever won 12 straight playoff games. No team in any playoffs anywhere has given up only 18 goals in 12 games. Pokey Reddick stopped 95 percent of the shots against him in the playoffs, allowing only 1.49 goals against per game.

These selections are excerpted from the book ``Fort Wayne Sports History'' which is available at www.amauth.com or at www.blakesebring.com. It is also on sale in the Fort Wayne Newspapers lobby, The History Center, Fort Wayne Country Club's tennis facility, Wildwood Racquet Club and McMillen Park, Shoaff Park and Foster Park golf courses, the Fort Wayne Visitors Center, Komet Kuarters, Golden Oldies, The Sport Spot and The Bookmark.

For or final round of preliminary voting, the contestants are Lloy Ball wins Olympic Gold Medal in men's volleyball, Bill Wambsganss pulls off an unassisted triple play in the World Series, the TinCaps win the Midwest League title in their first year in Parkview Field, Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees visit Fort Wayne and the NBA is formed during a meeting in Carl Bennett's living room.

Through the first five weeks, we've highlighted the 1953 NBA All-Star Game, Sharon Wichman winning an Olympic gold medal, Lashanda Harper winning 11 high school state titles, Rod Woodson being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and today we feature the Kekiongas playing the first game in what became the . http://edufb.net/555.pdf http://edufb.net/1207.pdf http://edufb.net/1274.pdf http://edufb.net/560.pdf http://edufb.net/1287.pdf http://edufb.net/1757.pdf http://edufb.net/89.pdf http://edufb.net/1990.pdf http://edufb.net/689.pdf http://edufb.net/1427.pdf http://edufb.net/515.pdf http://edufb.net/1195.pdf http://edufb.net/1787.pdf http://edufb.net/1375.pdf http://edufb.net/1931.pdf http://edufb.net/206.pdf http://edufb.net/203.pdf http://edufb.net/193.pdf http://edufb.net/27.pdf