DICK SCHAAP (1934-2001)

The thirty-third and final book written by journalistic icon Dick Schaap was titled Flashing Before My Eyes: Dick Schaap as told to Dick Schaap. For a man who revolutionized the Sports Biography world with his as told to autobiographies, this could not have been more fitting.

Schaap departed this world on December 21, 2001, after suffering complications relating to his hip replacement surgery. He has left behind a legacy that will be realized and admired by legions of fans for generations to come.

Dick Schaap accomplished everything someone in the media profession possibly could. He worked in newspapers, magazines, television, and radio, and even found time to author and/or edit thirty-three books about subjects ranging from Robert F. Kennedy to the Green Bay Packers to drug addiction to Bo Jackson to AIDS. One would rightfully say that his career was maximized to its fullest.

Schaap began his news-writing career as a high school student on Long Island. He reported sporting events for the Nassau Daily Star where his boss was soon-to-be lifelong friend and co-worker, Jimmy Breslin; Breslin, a legend in and of himself, today writes for Long Island's Newsday.

After high school, Schaap attended nearby Cornell University and then went on to Columbia where he attended their Graduate School of Journalism. Once finished with his studies, he joined the staff of Newsweek. From there, he jumped to the now-defunct New York Herald-Tribune where he would once again work with his friend Breslin.

Deciding he needed a change of pace, Schaap entered the television medium in 1971 when he went to work for NBC Studios. As a news-reporter/correspondent, Schaap frequently appeared on the NBC Nightly News and The Today Show. While working for NBC, Schaap did double duty as the editor of the long-running Sport Magazine. This was one of his true loves, and when Sport Magazine was shut down, he lamented its loss tremendously.

In 1980, Schaap switched network affiliates and joined ABC. While he worked for ABC, Schaap saw tremendous success. He won two prestigious Emmy Awards for his work on ABCs 20/20 where he did an investigative story on comedic legend Sid Caesars drug and alcohol addiction and one on Olympian Tom Waddells battle with AIDS. Incidentally, Schaap entered the project on Waddell without any emotional attachment to him. However, he was so moved by Waddell and his courageousness that he grew to love him and even wrote his autobiography with him.

While at ABC, Schaap was also assigned the job of Theatre Critic. It was as a result of this that Schaap would proudly proclaim to all who would listen that he was the only person in the media who voted for both the Tony Awards and the Heisman Trophy Award.

In 1989, Schaap began a long-running stint as host of ESPNs The Sports Reporters. He held this job until his death. It was as a result of this job that Schaap pole-vaulted to the top of all sports journalists. This show, now being hosted by the very able John Saunders, has columnists like Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News and Tony Kornheiser of the Washington Post discussing the pressing sports issues of the week. For any sports fan, this show is a true staple in their television diet; one that would not have been had it not been originally hosted by the beloved Dick Schaap.

It was only a matter of time that Schaap entered radio. When ESPN radio began to take off, Schaap hosted a show titled The Sporting Life. This was another must-listen on Sunday mornings. Then, it was back to the magazine industry once again where he contributed to ESPN: The Magazine and was the sports editor for the weekly magazine Parade This truly made Schaap what he would always describe himself as - a workaholic.

Despite the timeline just presented, one that would seem to be more than any one individual could handle alone, Schaap found time to write some books. Thirty-three of them to be exact. As previously mentioned, he wrote about such topics as drug addiction, AIDS, Robert F. Kennedy (an extremely close friend), and the Green Bay Packers (his passion). He even wrote about the Son of Sam Murders in his book .44. He wrote the top at-the-time best-selling sports autobiography, Instant Replay, with Green Bay Packer Jerry Kramer, a collaboration that would lead to yet another lifelong friendship and three more books on the Packers. He then eclipsed his own record setting margins of sports autobiographies with multitalented Bo Jackson and his autobiography Bo Knows Bo. He tackled other topics such as George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, Reggie Jackson, the Hall of Fame baseball star, Nick Bollotieri, the Tennis genius, and the Olympics. No subject was off limits to Schaap, and not matter what he wrote, it was guaranteed to be good.

Schaap exited this world with what is widely believed to be more friends and acquaintances than any Head of State in the last 50 years. He seemed to know everybody, and if he did not know you, he knew someone who knew you, this according to friend Mike Lupica in his stirring tribute to Schaap on The Sports Reporters. His friends ranged from Muhammed Ali to Wilt Chamberlain to Jim Brown to Lenny Bruce to Malcolm X. He even became close friends with Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca, after they provided Schaap with what he would call his most hated moment in all of sports - Thomsons game-winning home run to give the New York Giants the National League pennant in 1954 over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Schaap could truly become friends with anyone.

When all was said and done, his autobiography contained over 500 names of notable people he knew and knew well. Guaranteed it was thousands more - but who could fit that many into a book of 250+ pages?

The booth at Raos, an exclusive and difficult to get a seat in restaurant in New York City that hosted Dick Schaap every Monday evening at 7:30 p.m., sits empty now. Whoever does end up with it, however, will never be able to compare to the great, affable, easygoing, and simply wonderful Dick Schaap. After I read his autobiography, I wrote him a letter thanking him for writing such a wonderful piece of history. He responded with gracious thanks, and I will cherish the photo he sent - the one from the cover of his book that had none other than Muhammed Ali on his right and Billy Crystal on his left. Truly a treasure from a treasure.