976-1313

How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground

Scott Orgera, Howie Karpin, Kenny Albert

$69.95 $59.50

Hardback

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English

Press Pass Chronicles
17 April 2024

Radio; Gambling: theories & methods; Sports & outdoor recreation

"Sports Phone set out to change the way scores and breaking news were consumed, and in turn ended up setting the tone for the up-to-the-second updates we take for granted today. Found among those who called the service home are some of the most well-known broadcasters, reporters, public address announcers, and other prominent media figures - as well as several who've been successful in Hollywood and the music industry. A veritable breeding ground for these now-polished professionals, the dial-up platform that once handled 50 million calls in a year churned out talent at a level likely not seen before or since.

Brought to you by media veterans Scott Orgera and Sports Phone alum Howie Karpin, 976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground features never-before-told tales of triumph and tragedy, a mix of hilarity, inspiration, and regret from the broadcasting hopefuls and sports junkies that comprised the brains and voices behind the pioneering operation. If you were assembling an All-Star team of media personnel, you'd only have to look as far as Sports Phone's ranks.

As colorful as that cast of characters was, those who dialed 976-1313 regularly had their own yarns to spin. They form a tapestry of hardcore fans, award-winning actors, well-known comedians, impulsive gamblers, Broadway singers, and infamous mobsters, each with captivating stories told within these pages.

With 75 years of collective experience between them, Orgera and Karpin interviewed more than a hundred people en route to creating what is a must-read.

The esteemed list of interviewees includes Rich Ackerman, Joe Benigno, Steve Cangialosi, Chris Carrino, Ricky Cobb (Super 70s Sports), Gary Cohen, Linda Cohn, Ed Coleman, Chuck Cooperstein, Mark Cuban, Jack Curry, Gordon Damer, Frank ""The Tank"" Fleming, Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm), John Giannone, Don La Greca, Bill James, Brian Kilmeade, Denis McNamara, Sweeny Murti, Daniel Okrent (the founder of fantasy sports), Eddie Olczyk, Pat O'Keefe, Bob Papa, Howie Rose, Christopher ""Mad Dog"" Russo, Peter Schwartz, Dave Sims, Charlie Slowes, Leigh Steinberg (the real-life Jerry Maguire), Jeffrey Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff), Mike ""King Wally"" Walczewski, Suzyn Waldman, and many more.

Much of what we see and hear today was started by Sports Phone, and this tome covers untapped historical territory from every angle, kicked off with a compelling foreword written by revered broadcaster Kenny Albert.

Featured between its covers are anecdotes involving Muhammad Ali, The Beatles, David Bowie, Joe Carter, Howard Cosell, Roger Daltrey, Joey Diaz, Roberto Duran, Julius Erving, Joe Frazier, Wayne Gretzky, Marvin Hagler, Hulk Hogan, Keith Hernandez, Brett Hull, Reggie Jackson, Mick Jagger, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tommy Lasorda, Ronnie Lott, Billy Martin, Bob McAdoo, Burgess Meredith, Thurman Munson, Phil Rizzuto, Pete Rose, Bruno Sammartino, Bo Schembechler, Iron Sheik, Will Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Vanna White, and several others.

Also included is a chapter on the 1978-79 Boston College point-shaving scandal and the record-setting Lufthansa heist, the latter of which was immortalized in Martin Scorsese's blockbuster film, Goodfellas. At the center of the scheme to fix games were infamous mobsters Henry Hill (portrayed by Ray Liotta in the movie) and Jimmy ""The Gent"" Burke (Robert De Niro), as were a slew of calls to Sports Phone placed by multiple defendants. Behind-the-scenes insight from former federal prosecutor Ed McDonald (who played himself in one of the film's most iconic scenes) and ex-FBI Special Agent Ed Guevara (who arrested Hill) is provided, as are the actual phone records from the BC trial.

Visit 9761313.com for more."

By: Scott Orgera, Howie Karpin
Foreword by: Kenny Albert
Imprint: Press Pass Chronicles
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 27mm
Weight: 830g
ISBN: 9798989974214
Pages: 498
Publication Date: 17 April 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Scott Orgera is a sportswriter and statistician with three decades of experience under his belt. He has covered thousands of MLB and NFL games and events during that time. His reporting has extended to Division I college sports, professional soccer, the NBA, and the NHL. Orgera's bylines include the Associated Press, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, Forbes, and The Hardball Times, among others. He has also contributed to several editions of Baseball Prospectus's bestselling books, serving as an associate editor, proofreader, and writer. Formerly a highly rated reporter for STATS for 25 seasons and an MLB.com datacaster, Scott is a Baseball Writers' Association of America member, managing social media for their New York chapter. He graduated summa cum laude in Analytics from Purdue University. Beyond sports, Orgera has authored over 1,500 computing and technology articles for Lifewire (formerly About.com), co-written the children's book Mikey and the Magic Medicine, and has over a quarter-century of experience in software development, quality assurance, and technical writing for multiple Fortune 100 companies. Howie Karpin has worked in sports media for the past 45 years. Howie is a sports update anchor at SiriusXM and is an accredited Major League Baseball official scorer in New York. He has worked on numerous radio stations as an anchor and reporter and has authored or co-authored 14 books. Howie is a columnist for nysportsday.com and is a contributor to Baseball Digest. He lives with his wife, Kathy, in Riverdale, New York. They have two married sons, Danny and his wife, Emmy, and Jake and his wife, Anita, and granddaughter Maddy. Howie worked at Sports Phone from 1980 to 1992.