Ring Observer Boxing by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
DOB: May 16, 1939 In: Winnipeg, Manitoba
First Broadcasting Memory: First behind a microphone as a high school junior, hosting a summer talk-show for teens, sponsored by the Toronto Telegram newspaper, on CFRB Toronto…that led to a summer weekly hour as a disc jockey on CFRB, introducing then-nascent Rhythm ’n Blues records. As a journalism major at Notre Dame, I joined the campus radio station doing sports news/interviews, play-by play of home Notre Dame baseball and basketball.
Inspirations: None in particular since my first goal was to be a print news reporter and I had a job waiting for me at the Toronto Star. But a chance to join CFTO-TV sports department going on the air in 1961 changed my career and life.
Early Career Memory: “I met the artist LeRoy Neiman at a fight at Madison Square Garden in 1970 or ’71. I would have been there doing a report for WPIX, before my move to WNBC and NBC Sports in 1972. What I do I remember is that after a few encounters at various events, I asked LeRoy if I could do a feature piece with him at his studio for the WPIX nightly news show I was on. While our crew was setting up he had started doing a large sketch of me with colored pencils. I didn’t realize he was doing that because I was preparing for my interview with him. When he finished, he showed it to me, learned it was my wedding anniversary, and signed it: “Tim Ryan in my studio on his 10th anniversary.” It has hung on the wall in three different houses — Larchmont, NY, Ketchum, Idaho, Saint Helena CA and now Victoria, British Columbia.”
Favorite Movies: First-rate thrillers and anything with Meryl Streep starring.
Last Book Read: “A Lucky Life Interrupted” by Tom Brokaw.
Greatest Career Moment: Sharing coverage of New York Islanders second of four straight Stanley Cups (1981). And calling live coverage of Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler epic fight (1987).
Most Painful Moment: With the great Gil Clancy, calling the gut-wrenching Ray “Boom-Boom” Mancini vs. Duk-Koo Kim boxing title fight and the ensuing report of Kim’s death (1982 in Las Vegas).
Funny Career Memory: Describing Top Rank boxing promoter Bob Arum tearing off unpaid for ad patches from the trunks on British boxer John Conteh as he was starting round one in a world title fight in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1978 vs WBC Light Heavyweight champion Mate Parlov). The products were not among Top Rank’s sponsors for the telecast.
Embarrassing Career Memory: Giving the wrong call on a key point and not catching my mistake, during an important match at Roland Garros.
Favorite Sports To Broadcast: A four-way tie from among the thirty different sports I covered over a fifty-year career… hockey, NFL football, boxing, alpine ski racing.
Favorite Athletes To Watch: Aaron Rodgers, Bobby Orr, Muhammad Ali, Bode Miller.
Pre-Broadcast Feeling: Anticipation.
First Job: Copyboy at Canadian Press office in Toronto.
First Car: Used 1953 Cadillac.
Most Memorable Broadcast: Live call of spectacular fall by Austrian downhiller Hermann Meier at Nagano Olympics – the first live coverage of an Olympic Downhill race.
People Qualities Most Admired: Honesty, humility, humor.
You can read more of Scoop’s Biofile interviews at www.mrbiofile.com
