Washington, D.C. – Four individuals whose contributions elevated basketball in distinctive ways and two legendary coaches, one immortalized in a film and one etched into history with two World Cup titles, plus two teams that each won their first-ever championship in 2019 are among those selected for induction into the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame.
The formal induction into the DC Sports Hall of Fame is conducted at Nationals Park prior to a Washington Nationals game. Due to the postponement of Major League Baseball games due to the coronavirus pandemic, the induction ceremony for the 2020 honorees has yet to be scheduled. The 2020 DC Sports Hall of Fame class includes the late sports radio personality Ken Beatrice, the late high school football coach Herman Boone, basketball great Austin Carr, Washington Redskins wide receiver Gary Clark, the late high school basketball coach Bob Dwyer, two-time FIFA World Cup and former United States women’s national soccer team coach Jill Ellis, the late high school and collegiate basketball star and coach Wil Jones, and University of Maryland basketball standout John Lucas. The 2019 WNBA champion Washington Mystics and the 2019 World Series champion Washington Nationals each will be honored as a Team of Distinction. The members of the DC Sports Hall of Fame selection committee are chairman Bobby Goldwater, a Georgetown University Sports Industry Management master’s program faculty member and sports industry consultant; co-chairmen emeritus and veteran D.C. sports executives Charlie Brotman and Andy Ockershausen; former radio and TV reporter/producer Brenda J. Curtis-Heiken; journalist David Elfin; communications executive and adjunct instructor Meredith Geisler; television and radio personality Chick Hernandez; attorney Phil Hochberg; Washington Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner; Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism Director at the University of Maryland George Solomon; basketball executive and former coach Ed Tapscott; attorney Mark Tuohey; radio and television personality and former Washington Redskins tight end Rick “Doc” Walker; baseball commentator and historian Phil Wood; and journalist and Merrill College visiting professor Joe Yasharoff. “The adage, ‘good things come to those who wait,’ is certainly applicable for this year’s outstanding group of honorees, especially since there will be a necessary delay in formally inducting these impressive individuals and championship teams into the DC Sports Hall of Fame,” said Goldwater. “Whenever we are able to do so, it will be our privilege to recognize the extraordinary achievements from the high school, college, and professional levels of sports that have brought indelible memories and indescribable pride to the Nation’s Capital area. In addition, having an opportunity to honor our supportive host organization, the Nationals and the Lerner family ownership, as a Team of Distinction will be a special highlight for all of us on the committee.” Individual nominees for inclusion must have gained prominence in the Washington area through their achievements in sports as an athlete, coach, owner, executive, member of the media, or contributor. A professional, collegiate, or high school team that has made a significant and positive impact in the Greater Washington community through outstanding achievement is eligible to be recognized as a Team of Distinction. The 2020 inductees: KEN BEATRICE: Popular and opinionated sports talk radio personality on WMAL and WTEM for more than two decades. Passed away in 2015. HERMAN BOONE: Coach of T.C. Williams High School who led his team to the 1971 Virginia state football championship. Was portrayed in the film, “Remember the Titans,” by Denzel Washington. Passed away last December. AUSTIN CARR: Widely considered one of the District’s greatest high school basketball players (Macklin High). Was a stellar, high-scoring guard at Notre Dame, was the first overall pick in the 1971 NBA Draft (Cleveland) and had an 11-year NBA career. GARY CLARK: A member of the 70 Greatest Redskins team, the four-time Pro Bowl selection was the deep-threat receiver during an eight-year period when Washington won two Super Bowls and made the playoffs five times. Is in the team’s Ring of Fame and still holds the team rookie receiving record (926 yards in 1985). BOB DWYER: Was a posthumous recipient of the prestigious Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in Coaching High School Basketball by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Perhaps best known for coaching Archbishop Carroll’s nationally ranked boys’ basketball team – the first fully integrated high school basketball team in the Washington-area Catholic League – in the 1950s and for a 55-game winning streak over two seasons from 1958-60. Coached for 26 years at Archbishop Carroll and St. Anselm's School. Passed away in 2007. JILL ELLIS: Was the head coach of the United States Women’s National Team that won soccer’s 2015 and 2019 FIFA World Cup championships. As captain, led the Robinson Secondary School team in Fairfax to the 1984 Virginia state championship and won the under-19 national title with the Braddock Road Bluebelles the same summer. Earned third-team All-America honors as a forward at William & Mary. Was an assistant coach at the University of Maryland for three years. Named FIFA World Women’s Coach of the Year twice. WIL JONES: Born in Washington, was the head coach at the University of the District of Columbia and was a star 5-foot-9 point guard at Dunbar High School and at American University, where he was a college division All-America and had his jersey number retired. Hired the NCAA’s first female assistant basketball coach, Cheryl Roberts, in 1981. Led UDC to the 1982 NCAA Division II national championship. Passed away in 2014. JOHN LUCAS: An All-American at the University of Maryland in basketball and tennis. Was first overall pick in 1976 NBA Draft (Houston) and played 13 years in NBA. Was a three-time first-team All-ACC in basketball. Has run a drug treatment, wellness, and aftercare substance-abuse recovery program for athletes. TEAMS OF DISTINCTION: The 2019 WNBA champion WASHINGTON MYSTICS and 2019 World Series champion WASHINGTON NATIONALS each captured their first-ever league title last year. The names of all DC Sports Hall of Fame inductees are prominently displayed at Nationals Park, the site of the induction ceremony. Information about the DC Sports Hall of Fame, including the honor roll of all inductees, is available on the organization’s website, dcsportshall.com. Contact for Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame: Bobby Goldwater bobbygoldwater@gmail.com 202-330-9270 ![]() By Reese Levin Washington, D.C. – It was a day to remember for the 10 inductees to the 2019 class of the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame, with the Washington Capitals becoming the first “team of distinction” to be honored at the annual ceremony on June 23 at Nationals Park. Nine sports were represented in this year’s class, ranging from soccer to lacrosse to horse racing. Among the inductees were University of Maryland men’s soccer coach Sasho Cirovski and women’s lacrosse coach Cathy Reese – both of whom won national championships this past academic year. Other individuals honored included former Washington Redskins defensive lineman Charles Mann, retired Washington Post horse racing columnist Andrew Beyer, Olympic swimming gold medalist Tom Dolan, former basketball star and NBA executive Danny Ferry, former D.C. United executive and team founder Kevin Payne, late Washington Redskins coach Ray Flaherty, late D.C. tennis coach and player Allie Ritzenberg and retired football and baseball star Tom Brown. “This is an incredible source of pride for a college soccer coach to be inducted in such a rich sports history dominated by so many great professional teams and other university sports,” said Cirovski, who won his third NCAA championship in 2018. To be eligible for the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame, nominees must have gained prominence in the Washington area through their achievements in sports, whether as an athlete, coach, owner, executive or member of the media. A professional, college or high school team that has made a significant and positive impact in the community through outstanding achievement will be eligible to be recognized as a team of distinction. The inductees were chosen by a 13-member committee, headed by chairman Bobby Goldwater, a Georgetown University Sports Industry Management master’s program faculty member and sports industry consultant. New inductee Ferry joins his father Bob as the first father-son duo in the Hall. Ferry was an All-American basketball player at DeMatha and Duke before beginning his 14-year NBA playing career. Like his father, the former general manager of the Washington Bullets, Danny Ferry has served as an NBA executive, including stints with New Orleans, Atlanta, Cleveland and San Antonio. Ferry said he is delighted to join his father in the Hall because he knew how proud he was when his father was inducted. Two individuals were inducted posthumously. Flaherty, the first head coach of the Washington Redskins, led them to their first two NFL championships and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ritzenberg, who died in 2018 at the age of 100, was a star tennis player at the University of Maryland, but he is best known for teaching the game to countless players in the area and retiring as the top 85-year-old tennis player in the world. Brown, another honoree with a University of Maryland connection, played both football and baseball for the Terrapins and then went on to play both sports professionally with the Washington Senators and Green Bay Packers. Yet another Terps legend to earn a place in the Hall of Fame, Reese has led the women’s lacrosse to 10 consecutive final four appearances and been a part of 12 national championships as a coach and player. “It’s a huge honor and to listen to all of the different people around and just find out more about their stories and background is really cool,” Reese said. “I think big picture, it’s great that we’re celebrating women’s sports in our area and celebrating just lacrosse in general. It’s a big deal and it’s nice to be recognized on this platform.” Payne, who was instrumental in starting D.C United, was the team’s first CEO. He was happy to reflect on the connections he has made over the years in the D.C. community. “We really created the fan culture in soccer in the United States at D.C. United, and I’m very proud of that,” he said. “We’ve had some success. We won a bunch of championships. I’m equally proud of that. But mostly what I think about when I look back on those years was the relationships that I developed with people.” Beyer helped create the Beyer Speed Figure, an industry standard system that rates the performances of thoroughbred horses for the Daily Racing Form. “There’s a lot of other things in racing that are more on a national than on a Washington level,” Beyer said. “To get recognized in my town is terrific.” Dolan grew up in Arlington and went on to win gold medals in the 400-meter men’s individual medley at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. He now coaches young swimmers in Virginia. The Capitals were represented at the induction by owner Ted Leonsis and his son Zach, a vice president of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Ted Leonsis, who is in the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame as an owner, noted in accepting the honor for the Capitals that the team received incredible support from throughout the area during its Stanley Cup run in 2018. “I’m here to thank everyone for accepting and falling in love with the Washington Capitals,” he said. “My dream was always to make a team that was as good as the fan base… I hope we can win more championships because there was nothing that brought this community closer together and made us feel like we’re all in it together than that Stanley Cup parade.” Washington, D.C. – A two-time Olympic gold medalist, a national high school and college basketball player of the year, two current University of Maryland coaches who have led teams to multiple NCAA titles, a coach and a player who led the Washington Redskins to championships in different eras and, for the first time, an area team have been selected for induction into the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame. The 11 honorees will be inducted in a special ceremony on Sunday, June 23 at Nationals Park prior to the 1:35 p.m. game between the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.
The 2017-18 Washington Capitals, last year’s National Hockey League Stanley Cup champions, have been named the DC Sports Hall of Fame’s first-ever Team of Distinction. The 2019 DC Sports Hall of Fame class includes Washington Post horse racing columnist Andrew Beyer, Montgomery Blair High School three-sport standout and former National Football League and Major League Baseball player Tom Brown, Maryland men’s soccer coach Sasho Cirovski, Olympic swimming champion Tom Dolan, DeMatha High School and Duke University basketball star Danny Ferry, the late Redskins coach Ray Flaherty, Redskins Pro Bowl defensive end Charles Mann, longtime DC United executive Kevin Payne, Maryland women’s lacrosse coach Cathy Reese, and the late tennis instructor and player Allie Ritzenberg. The members of the DC Sports Hall of Fame selection committee are chairman Bobby Goldwater, a Georgetown University Sports Industry Management master’s program faculty member and sports industry consultant; co- chairmen emeritus and veteran D.C. sports executives Charlie Brotman and Andy Ockershausen; former radio and TV reporter/producer Brenda J. Curtis-Heiken; journalist David Elfin; television and radio personality Chick Hernandez; attorney Phil Hochberg; Washington Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner; Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism Director at the University of Maryland George Solomon; attorney Mark Tuohey; radio and television personality and former Washington Redskins tight end Rick “Doc” Walker; baseball commentator and historian Phil Wood; and journalist and Merrill College visiting professor Joe Yasharoff. “This year’s 10 individual inductees are extraordinary examples of excellence from the Nation’s Capital and represent an impressive range of eight different sports and accomplishments on the high school, college, and professional levels,” said Goldwater. “In addition to inducting them, the DC Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to introduce a new designation for recognition, Team of Distinction, and to recognize the 2018 Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals as the first to be honored. We look forward to adding these deserving names to the DC Sports Hall of Fame honor roll at the induction ceremony at Nationals Park on June 23. Our committee is deeply appreciative for the ongoing support of Mark Lerner and the Washington Nationals.” Individual nominees for inclusion must have gained prominence in the Washington area through their achievements in sports as an athlete, coach, owner, executive, member of the media, or contributor. A professional, collegiate, or high school team that has made a significant and positive impact in the Greater Washington community through outstanding achievement will be eligible to be recognized as a Team of Distinction. The 2019 inductees: ANDREW BEYER: Covered horse racing for The Washington Post for four decades ... created the Beyer Speed Figure, a system for rating the performances of thoroughbred racehorses which became an industry standard using a comparison of records combining a set of variables that change day-to-day ... his career included stints at The Post and the defunct Washington Daily News and Washington Star, as well as writing several books on handicapping. TOM BROWN: A three-sport star (football, basketball, baseball) at Montgomery Blair High School ... the Silver Spring native played both baseball and football at the University of Maryland ... a professional athlete in two sports, first with Major League Baseball’s Washington Senators in 1963, followed by a six-year National Football League career with the Green Bay Packers, winning three NFL titles including two Super Bowls, and the Washington Redskins. SASHO CIROVSKI: Winningest coach in the history of University of Maryland men’s soccer ... has led the Terps to three NCAA national championships including in 2018, plus 24 postseason appearances including nine in the College Cup, three Big Ten Tournament and two Big Ten regular season titles, six Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament and four ACC regular season crowns, and 25 consecutive winning seasons over 26 years. TOM DOLAN: Arlington native won the 1996 and 2000 Olympic gold medals in the 400-meter individual medley, an event in which he also held the world record, an Olympic silver medal in the 200 IM, 14 national titles, and eight NCAA titles with the University of Michigan, leading the Wolverines to the 1995 team championship ... Yorktown High School graduate started and operates a swimming school in Dulles. DANNY FERRY: Maryland native has been a basketball star at every level ... national player of the year at DeMatha Catholic High School and at Duke University, where he was an All-America as a senior and led the Blue Devils to three Final Four appearances ... had a 14-year playing career in the NBA, mostly with the Cleveland Cavaliers, before becoming a successful executive with several teams in the league ... will join his father, former Bullets GM Bob, as a DC Sports Hall of Fame inductee. RAY FLAHERTY (1903-1994): First head coach of the Washington Redskins, leading the team to its first two NFL championships ... innovator who introduced the screen pass and two-platoon offense ... compiled a superb 49-17-3 record over six seasons ... inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. CHARLES MANN: A two-time NFL Super Bowl champion, three-time NFC champion, and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end during his 11 seasons with the Washington Redskins ... still stands third in team history with 82 sacks ... ranked by profootballreference.com as the team’s 10th-best player since 1960. KEVIN PAYNE: Passionate and influential soccer executive who was instrumental in establishing DC United in Major League Soccer and in the Washington sports market ... As the organization’s first president, led team to three MLS Cup championships in the league’s first four years and four overall, a CONCACAF Champions Cup, the U.S. Open Cup twice, and the Supporters’ Shield four times. CATHY REESE: A standout athlete, assistant coach, and three-time national coach of the year with the University of Maryland’s women’s lacrosse program ... has been part of 11 national championships ... in 13 years as the head coach, has led the Terps to four NCAA titles, 10 consecutive Final Four appearances, and 19 conference championships including four straight Big Ten titles. ALLIE RITZENBERG (1918-2018): A fixture of Washington’s tennis community for more than eight decades ... a local and global instructor and a coach to generations of students at St. Albans School and at Georgetown University ... a District high school doubles champion and a star at the University of Maryland, losing only four times in his college career ... a competitive senior player who won more than a dozen international championships and retired as the top-ranked 85-year-old player in the world. The names of DC Sports Hall of Fame inductees are prominently displayed at Nationals Park, the site of the annual induction ceremony. Information about the DC Sports Hall of Fame, including the honor roll of all inductees, is available on the organization’s website, dcsportshall.com. Contact for Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame: Bobby Goldwater bobbygoldwater@gmail.com (202) 330-9270 ![]() From left to right: Dr. Lonise Bias (accepting on behalf of Len Bias) , Capitals winger Peter Bondra, Wizards broadcaster Steve Buckhantz, NBA All-Star Grant Hill. DC United striker Jaime Moreno, Hall of Fame selection committee member Phil Wood, Capitals marketing staffer Lew Strudler (accepting on behalf of David Poile), retired tennis star Eleni Rossides, Maryland basketball star Walt Williams, sports statistician Marty Aranoff, Hall of Fame co-chair Charlie Brotman, Hall of Fame co-chair Andy Ockershausen, and Nationals vice chairman Mark Lerner. (Photo courtesy of the Washington Nationals Baseball Club.) By Wes Brown
Induction Day for the Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame is always special – but this year (Sunday, May 6) was truly remarkable for basketball fans. Reston native Grant Hill, and Prince George’s County products Walt Williams and the late Len Bias – both University of Maryland Hall of Famers, were enshrined at Nationals Park along with super statistician Marty Aronoff and Steve Buckhantz, “the voice” of the Washington Wizards. Also inducted were retired tennis star Eleni Rossides, former DC United superstar Jaime Moreno and the late former Washington Senator standout Charles Solomon “Buddy” Myer, whose plaque was accepted by Nationals commentator Phil Wood. They were inducted alongside a pair of integral Washington Capitals franchise members, winger Peter Bondra, who holds the franchise records in power play goals (137), game-winning goals (73), short-handed goals (32) and hat tricks (19), and former Capitals General Manager David Poile, who drafted Bondra and is credited with helping to save the Washington Capitals. Lew Strudler of the Washington Capitals marketing staff accepted Poile’s award, as Poile was occupied with his Nashville Predators in the NHL Playoffs. While this class touched many sports, it spoke loudest about the history of basketball in the Washington, D.C. area. Williams and Bias (accepted by his mother, Dr. Lonise Bias) represented the University of Maryland. Hill was an all-American at Duke and played 19 years in the NBA, making seven all-star teams. He will be inducted this year into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Hill is now a successful broadcaster. Williams also had a lengthy NBA career after a sensational four years in College Park. Bias died of a cocaine overdose in 1986 after a brilliant college career at Maryland. Aronoff, who was one of six area natives inducted, reflected on his honor. “I used to take the street car down to Griffith Stadium (to watch the Washington Senators in 1951). As a native Washingtonian, now being inducted into the Washington Sports Hall of Fame is one of the great, great honors of my life.” Dr. Bias represented her late son Len Bias by saying; “My family and I are here to accept the award, and we are absolutely thrilled. Some people are saying ‘Oh it took so long,’ but good things come to those who wait.” Bondra and Moreno both shared the fact that they were imported to the Washington, D.C. area, but the city is entrenched in their hearts. “As a guy coming with no English 28 years ago, to being right here is unbelievable,” said Bondra. Moreno would continue that sentiment by saying “It is an honor for me to be here with so many athletes and people that I admire. It’s also an unbelievable feeling because I’m not actually from America, but this is my second country and I am happy to be here.” Despite spending his college years at Duke University and playing against his hometown Terrapins, Hill noted that this is truly home. “D.C. takes great pride in its teams and is a great sports town. Growing up here inspired me to want to be in sports. To be here with some folks that I know and people that I have admired for years is truly a great honor.” Buckhantz shared a similar sentiment about establishing his broadcasting career in his hometown. “My job is a blessing because of what I do and get to do, but the bigger issue for me is being able to work and collaborate with all the folks in this room. Working in this great city, great sports town and great broadcasting town is that when you get an honor like this bestowed upon you, (it) makes those who care very much for you so proud. And to me, that’s the biggest thing that I take out of this day.” Rossides, a graduate of Sidwell Friends, showed her love for Washington by sharing a story from her college teammates, who said; “The first day she stepped foot at Stanford, we knew she was going back to Washington.” Once her playing career was over, Rossides return home to grow the popularity of tennis, by helping establish the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, which she said was “really, really important” to her. “I love being here and I am proud to share this with everyone here.” Williams also noted the importance of this day for Washington, D.C. basketball. “There’s just so many great players that have come from this area. It’s normally a handful of guys that come from different places, but for us here, it’s nothing to get to the highest level. To be recognized at such a level here is such an honor, I can’t even describe it in words.” Williams took a moment to reflect back on Bias as well, saying “ With all due respect, it’s way too late, Dr. Bias. Len Bias should have been here. I’m glad they did delay it, so I have a chance to go in with him.” Washington, D.C. – Six area natives, including basketball greats Len Bias, Grant Hill and Walt Williams, a Washington Capitals record-setting player and franchise-saving executive and perhaps the greatest players at their respective positions for DC United and the Washington Senators have been selected for induction into the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame. The 10 honorees will be inducted in a special ceremony on Sunday, May 6 at Nationals Park prior to the 1:35 p.m. game between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.
The 2018 DC Sports Hall of Fame class includes longtime sports statistician Marty Aronoff, late University of Maryland basketball star Bias, Capitals scoring great Peter Bondra, popular broadcaster Steve Buckhantz, South Lakes High School-Duke University-NBA luminary Hill, legendary DC United striker Jaime Moreno, excellent hitting Senators second baseman Buddy Myer, former Capitals General Manager David Poile, former Washington Tennis and Education Foundation Executive Director Eleni Rossides, and Maryland basketball standout Williams. “This year’s outstanding group of inductees consists of extraordinary individuals who have achieved excellence in sports here in the Nation’s Capital and includes six who come from this area,” said DC Sports Hall of Fame committee chairman Bobby Goldwater. “It will be a privilege to add these 10 names to the Sports Hall of Fame honor roll on May 6 at the induction ceremony at Nationals Park. The committee is grateful once again for the generous and enthusiastic support of Mark Lerner and the Washington Nationals.” The DC Sports Hall of Fame selection committee includes co-chairmen emeritus and veteran D.C. sports executives Charlie Brotman and Andy Ockershausen, former radio and TV reporter/producer Brenda J. Curtis-Heiken, journalist David Elfin, Georgetown University Sports Industry Management master’s program faculty member and sports industry consultant Bobby Goldwater, NBC Sports Washington anchor/commentator Chick Hernandez, attorney Phil Hochberg, Washington Nationals vice chairman and principal owner Mark D. Lerner, Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism Director at the University of Maryland George Solomon, attorney Mark Tuohey, radio and television personality and former Washington Redskins tight end Rick “Doc” Walker, baseball commentator and historian Phil Wood and former Comcast SportsNet managing editor and Merrill College visiting professor Joe Yasharoff. Nominees for inclusion must have gained prominence in the Washington area through their achievements in sports as an athlete, coach, owner, executive, member of the media or contributor. The 2018 inductees: MARTY ARONOFF: A longtime District resident and the nation’s guru for sports statistics, Aronoff has worked for over 40 years with the best broadcasters in sports including Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League and college football and basketball. He has been a statistician for the Washington Wizards franchise since 1979. A graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in D.C., Aronoff began in the industry on Bullets telecasts before becoming a sports producer at Channel 9 in Washington. LEN BIAS (1963-1986): One of the all-time great basketball players in University of Maryland and ACC history, Bias set 15 school records and is still the third-leading scorer in school history. A two-time ACC Player of the Year, he led the Terps to four NCAA tournaments and the 1984 ACC championship. He was chosen second overall in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics just before his untimely death at 22 years old. PETER BONDRA: One of the Washington Capitals’ all-time greats, Bondra led the team to numerous playoff appearances, including the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. Over the course of 14 years with the Capitals, Bondra racked up 472 goals as well as holding team records in power play goals (137), game-winning goals (73), short-handed goals (32) and hat tricks (19). A five-time NHL All-Star and two-time goal-scoring champion, Bondra is one of 45 players who scored 500 career goals. STEVE BUCKHANTZ: A staple in Washington sports broadcasting, Buckhantz has been the television play-by-play announcer of the Washington Wizards for the past 21 years, was a sports anchor for Channel 5 and was the Navy football voice for seven years. In his 33 years in D.C., he has memorably added the terms “dagger,” “backbreaker” and “not possible” into the local sports lexicon. Buckhantz was elected into the NATAS Silver Circle in 2011 and, for 18 years, has been the spokesperson for the Steve Buckhantz/St. Jude Celebrity Golf Tournament benefiting Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. GRANT HILL: A Reston native, Hill starred in basketball at South Lakes High School, and then at Duke University where he was a two-time NCAA champion, the 1994 ACC Player of the Year and two-time All-American. He went on to a successful career in the NBA, including six seasons for Detroit averaging 21.6 points per game, being a co-Rookie of the Year and becoming a seven-time NBA All-Star. He also was a member of the United States Olympic gold medal-winning team in 1996. Hill is now a television commentator and a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks. JAIME MORENO: A premier striker for DC United, Moreno is considered one of the greatest players in Major League Soccer history. He is one of only two MLS athletes with 100 goals and 100 assists and scored the fourth-most goals in league history. A four-time MLS Cup champion with United, Moreno was the MLS Cup MVP in 1997 and was named to the MLS Best XI five times. He retired as the league’s all-time leading scorer. CHARLES SOLOMON “BUDDY” MYER (1904-1974): A member of the Washington Senators in 16 seasons from 1925 to 1941, Myer finished his career with 2,131 hits and a .303 career batting average, with eight seasons hitting above .300 with the Senators including leading the American League with a .349 average in 1935. The left-handed hitting second baseman was twice named an All-Star and helped lead the Senators to the 1933 AL pennant. DAVID POILE: Poile’s 15-year tenure as General Manager of the Washington Capitals transformed the team from also-rans to contenders. His strategic trades, shrewd draft picks and strong leadership saved the franchise from relocating, and renewed Washington-area fans’ interest in hockey. He led the Capitals to the first playoff appearance in their ninth season and to the postseason for 14 consecutive years. Poile currently is the GM of the Nashville Predators, and is the winningest general manager in NHL history. ELENI ROSSIDES: A District native and a graduate of Sidwell Friends, Rossides brought honor to her hometown as an NCAA tennis champion at Stanford University and as a professional singles player who was ranked among the world’s top 200 women. She also played a critical role in bringing her sport to the city as the Executive Director of the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation. During her 13-year tenure at WTEF, she extended the organization’s outreach to nearly twice as many children in the area and was honored with the 2009 EXCEL Leadership Award recognizing outstanding nonprofit leadership. WALT WILLIAMS: A native of Temple Hills, Williams was widely credited with saving the University of Maryland men’s basketball program, deciding to stay when the school was placed on NCAA probation. During his senior year, he averaged a school record 26.8 points per game, scored 20 or more points in 19 straight games and broke Bias’s senior scoring record. He was selected seventh overall by Sacramento in the 1992 NBA Draft and went on to play in the league for 11 years. In honor of his father, Williams established a $125,000 fund at Maryland benefiting minority students. The names of DC Sports Hall of Fame inductees are prominently displayed at Nationals Park, the site of the annual induction ceremony. Information about the DC Sports Hall of Fame, including the honor roll of all inductees, is available at the organization’s website, dcsportshall.com. Contact for Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame: Bobby Goldwater bobbygoldwater@gmail.com (202) 330-9270 Contact for Washington Nationals: Christopher Browne christopher.browne@nationals.com (202) 640-7702 By Phil Hochberg Bob Wolff died last week at his home in South Nyack, NY, having worked right up to the very end of his 77-year career as a sportscaster and his 96-year lifetime as a gentleman. Guinness lists his career as the longest ever for a sportscaster. Inducted into the Washington Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, he was localy noted primarily for his years a s the radio and television play-by-play announcer for the Senators from 1947 through 1960. Bob left with the Senators to go to Minneapolis for the 1961 season, but then joined NBC full time where he was its lead sports announcer for years. He did the radio play-by-play of two of the greatest games in sports history: Don Larsen’s 1956 World series perfect game and the first sudden death NFL Championship game, where the Colts beat the Giants in 1958. Bob also was the only man to do championship games in the NBA and the NHL. He spent the rest of his career in New York with Madison Square Garden and Cablevision, writing and announcing “think pieces” until the very end. I last saw Bob, a member of baseball and basketball’s Halls of Fame (Broadcasting wings) this past February when my son Jeff and I visited him and his wife Jane at their home in South Nyack. I had known him for nearly 60 years and had promised to visit him when in New YOrk. When I was a junior at Wilson High School in Washington, my friend Dick Heller— who later went on to a newspaper career in D.C.— happened to mention me that he had done some “go-fer” work for Bob, but that he no longer wanted t o do it. He suggested I call Bob and ask if I could step into Dick’s shoes. Bob lived almost around the corner, right off Linnean Avenue near Rock Creek Park and I walked over to his house and went to the ball game with him. For the next year, I used to go to games with him, doing whatever he needed, including spotting for him. A testament to his approach to broadcasting, he always had someone by his side, listening to his broadcast, correcting him when necessary and passing him notes. When the writers from the Washington Daily News, the ones he usually used and paid $10 to do it, werent’ available, I filled in. You can imagine what this was like for a 16-year-old kid. For me, that lasted a year until Bob— no fool he— hired Shirley Povich’s son Maury to work for him in 1958. Memories? Too many. I helped script is 6 p.m. sportscast on WWDC. I was with Bob when he interviewed a “government employee” at one game, Vice President Richard Nixon. And I was there when he did many of his “Dugout Chatter” interviews, including a famous one with a generally disinterested Ted Williams. And I sat in the dugout only a couple of feet away from Ty Cobb as he was being questioned by the press. (Why didn’t I have the presence of mind to get a ball autographed by Cobb?) Bob and I maintained the association and the friendship as the years passed. I helped him get an assignment from the National Hockey League and I had continuing contact with his younger son, Rick, on behalf of a client of mine. Seven years ago, I proposed to the Nationals that they honor Bob by having him throw out the first pitch in a game. Stan Kasten, then President of the Nationals, did me one better, by producing a video of Bob’s career, honoring him before the game, and naming the Radio-TV booth for him. That led to an inquiry from the Library of Congress about Bob’s collection of tapes and discs of interviews that he had done in his 70-plus year career, which in turn led to Bob and his family asking me to handle the Library negotiations and the tax and personal estate issues which were involves. Those negotiations went on for a year, finally culminating in a 2013 ceremony at the Library and a huge article about the Bob Wolff Collection going to the Library of Congress on the front page of The New York Times Sports Section. Bob’s last trip to D.C. was for a Smithsonian appearance in September 2014 that I moterated with about 150 baseball fans, listening to him reminisce. The first inquiry from the audience asked Bob if he thought the final pitch to Dale Mitchell in Larsen’s World Series perfect game was actually outside (some fans never forget!). When I graduated from Wilson in January 1598, Bob and Jane gave me a stadium blanket as a gift; I still have it along with many fond recollections. Phil Hochberg, a Washington, D.C., attorney, is a member of the selection committee of the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame. ![]() By Alex Holt July 9, 2017 was a day to remember for nine Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame inductees at Nationals Park. Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Katie Ledecky (represented by her family), retired NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and nationally renowned sports columnist and radio-television commentator Tony Kornheiser were inducted into the club. Joining them were University of Maryland basketball icons Tom McMillen, Juan Dixon and Brenda Frese, local broadcasting luminaries Glenn Harris and Ron Weber. Retired Washington Redskins defensive back and kick returner Mike Nelms rounded out the nine-member class honored before the Washington Nationals’ game against the Atlanta Braves. Ledecky was unable to attend the ceremony, as she was training for the FINA World Championships in Budapest later in July. Instead, her brother Michael represented the Bethesda native and accepted on behalf of the Ledecky family. “It’s such an honor to represent Katie. The D.C. area means so much to us,” said Michael Ledecky. “We both grew up in this area our whole lives and watched and interacted with a lot of the honorees here today -- and on that big poster (wall) outside Nationals Park (with the names of previous inductees) as well.” Weber, who called the Washington Capitals’ games from the franchise’s inception in 1974 to his retirement in 1997, was grateful but also “a little surprised” to receive the call for induction into the Hall. “Twenty years into retirement, I thought I was sort of forgotten. I understood that; I wasn’t bitter,” said Weber. “But to be selected-- what an honor.” Nelms said he was humbled to be recognized by the Hall -- so far out from his retirement. “It was a surprise and an honor to receive something so late after having retired 80 years ago,” joked Nelms, who actually retired in 1984. “I say it’s not really for me, it’s for the guys (on special teams) because special teams don’t really get a lot of attention.” It was also University of Maryland Day at Nationals Park and the Terrapins were represented in this year’s class. Dixon, who helped the Terrapins win their only national title in men’s basketball as a player in 2002, and Frese, who coached the Terrapins to a national championship in 2006, had to miss the ceremony due to prior commitments. But McMillen was on hand to represent the university. McMillen said that basketball wasn’t nearly as popular in Washington or for that matter, in College Park, when he arrived at the University of Maryland in 1970. “With coach (Lefty) Driesell’s leadership, it became really ascendant so it was fun kind of getting something off the ground,” McMillen said. “I think the greatness of a program is that it can continue to grow and continue to build a tradition. I think that was one of the fun reasons why I came to Maryland in the first place, to kind of get something like that started.” Kornheiser said induction into the Hall was particularly meaningful for him because recognition wasn’t as common for him as some of the other inductees. “Maybe there are a lot of people here who’ve been in a lot of Halls of Fame, I’m not one of those,” Kornheiser said. “It’s very pleasant to have anyone to just say, ‘look at what you’ve done and we’re just going to thank you for it.’ It’s really nice.” Long before Tagliabue became commissioner of the NFL, he was captain of the men’s basketball team at Georgetown University, where the career rebounds record he’d set would later be broken by Patrick Ewing. So he was particularly pleased to receive a Washington, D.C.-related honor. “Being recognized in your hometown is a unique thing and D.C. is basically my hometown,” said Tagliabue. “I came here in 1958 as a freshman at Georgetown on a basketball scholarship and I’ve been here basically ever since then. That’s 60 years -- so you get recognition not just from family but from friends and neighbors that you’ve been living with for 60 years. It’s special.” By Alex Holt The Washington D.C. Sports Hall of Fame induction, July 9, at Nationals Park, will recognize nine honorees well-known to sports fans, including former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Olympic champion swimmer Katie Ledecky and Pardon-The-Interruption co-host Tony Kornheiser. Others to be honored are former Maryland basketball stars Juan Dixon and Tom McMillen, Maryland Women’s Basketball Coach Brenda Frese, retired Washington Redskin Mike Nelms and retired broadcasters Glenn Harris and Ron Weber. For sure, all the honorees this year will remember the moment, as do many of the previous inductees. Those past inductees have come from sports as varied as field hockey and football, disciplines as different as agents and executives, and almost every single branch of media. And each honoree -- with some identity to Washington, D.C. and its suburbs -- is linked not just by their accomplishments but by the recognition of the rarefied company. Take Bob Molloy, for example. Over the course of 47 years coaching high school football at Good Counsel, Springbrook, Sherwood and Walt Whitman, Milloy’s teams won a Maryland record 405 games and eight state public school championships. Yet the thing that stood out most to Milloy, who retired at the end of the 2017 school year, when he was inducted into the Hall in 2016 was the quality of his fellow inductees. “It was the thrill of a lifetime for me to have my name associated with the greatest professional athletes, college athletes, coaches and reporters that are in that hall of fame”, Milloy said. “I never expected it, I’m very proud to be in it and it was really a thrill.” Morgan Wootten’s certainly no stranger to halls of fame, currently standing as one of only three high school coaches ever to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Yet the coach who turned Hyattsville-based DeMatha Catholic High School into a nationally recognized basketball powerhouse seemed equally proud to be honored by his fellow local legends in 2011. “You name the sport, we got it here in Washington and it’s not only the capital of the country, it’s like the sports capital of the country too,” Wootten said. “So it was certainly a great honor to have my name mentioned along with so many outstanding coaches and players and so on that were inducted.” Wootten’s sentiment is also echoed by another coaching legend, Lefty Driesell, whose success at the University of Maryland has earned him widespread recognition. “Every Hall of Fame I’m in means a lot to me. And Washington, D.C.’s the capital of the United States so that makes it even more important”, said Driesell, who helped put Maryland on the map nationally in college basketball during his time at College Park. “It (his induction) was a great honor.” The Hall honored another University of Maryland mainstay, Terrapins field hockey coach, Missy Meharg, in 2016. In Meharg’s 29 years at Maryland, the Terrapins have made the NCAA tournament 27 times and won over 500 games and seven national titles. But when Meharg entered the Hall, she was awestruck. “What a complete honor to walk with the D.C. region’s best of the best in sports”, said Meharg. “Looking at the wall of outrageous past honorees while being escorted onto the field at Nationals Park felt like “Field of Dreams” and “Game Day” all at once. Johnny Holliday has called over 1,200 different University of Maryland football and basketball games since 1979 and served as the Washington Nationals’ studio host since 2008. But when he got the call from the Hall in 2014, he could hardly believe it. “I was absolutely blown away and somewhat shocked that I would be selected to be put amongst some of the great names in Washington sports,” Holliday said. “It really humbles you to see your name with any of the people on the wall at Nationals Park. I was absolutely thrilled beyond words and caught completely off guard.” Last year’s induction ceremony honored the late Hymie and Phil Perlo – D.C. sports legends of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Aviva Perlo, Hymie’s niece and Phil’s daughter, remembers the moment in 2016. “The induction of the Perlo brothers marks the awesome legacy, honor and responsibility that it means to be a Perlo.” One of the reasons so many of the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame’s inductees are so humbled by their induction, according to Hall chairman Bobby Goldwater, is because the D.C. area has such a rich sports history. “There’s a great sports history and tradition in the nation’s capital”, said Goldwater. “And I think it’s very clear that anyone who has had any kind of connection to sports in this area has been affected by being here.” By Alex Holt
The Washington D.C. Sports Hall of Fame induction, July 9, at Nationals Park, will recognize nine honorees well-known to sports fans, including former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Olympic champion swimmer Katie Ledecky and Pardon-The-Interruption co-host Tony Kornheiser. Others to be honored are former Maryland basketball stars Juan Dixon and Tom McMillen, Maryland Women’s Basketball Coach Brenda Frese, retired Washington Redskin Mike Nelms and retired broadcasters Glenn Harris and Ron Weber. For sure, all the honorees this year will remember the moment, as do many of the previous inductees. Those past inductees have come from sports as varied as field hockey and football, disciplines as different as agents and executives, and almost every single branch of media. And each honoree -- with some identity to Washington, D.C. and its suburbs -- is linked not just by their accomplishments but by the recognition of the rarefied company. Take Bob Molloy, for example. Over the course of 47 years coaching high school football at Good Counsel, Springbrook, Sherwood and Walt Whitman, Milloy’s teams won a Maryland record 405 games and eight state public school championships. Yet the thing that stood out most to Milloy, who retired at the end of the 2017 school year, when he was inducted into the Hall in 2016 was the quality of his fellow inductees. “It was the thrill of a lifetime for me to have my name associated with the greatest professional athletes, college athletes, coaches and reporters that are in that hall of fame,” Milloy said. “I never expected it, I’m very proud to be in it and it was really a thrill.” Morgan Wootten’s certainly no stranger to halls of fame, currently standing as one of only three high school coaches ever to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Yet the coach who turned Hyattsville-based DeMatha Catholic High School into a nationally recognized basketball powerhouse seemed equally proud to be honored by his fellow local legends in 2011. “You name the sport, we got it here in Washington and it’s not only the capital of the country, it’s like the sports capital of the country too,” Wootten said. “So it was certainly a great honor to have my name mentioned along with so many outstanding coaches and players and so on that were inducted.” Wootten’s sentiment is also echoed by another coaching legend, Lefty Driesell, whose success at the University of Maryland has earned him widespread recognition. “Every Hall of Fame I’m in means a lot to me. And Washington, D.C.’s the capital of the United States so that makes it even more important,” said Driesell, who helped put Maryland on the map nationally in college basketball during his time at College Park. “It (his induction) was a great honor.” The Hall honored another University of Maryland mainstay, Terrapins field hockey coach, Missy Meharg, in 2016. In Meharg’s 29 years at Maryland, the Terrapins have made the NCAA tournament 27 times and won over 500 games and seven national titles. But when Meharg entered the Hall, she was awestruck. “What a complete honor to walk with the D.C. region’s best of the best in sports,” said Meharg. “Looking at the wall of outrageous past honorees while being escorted onto the field at Nationals Park felt like “Field of Dreams” and “Game Day” all at once. Johnny Holliday has called over 1,200 different University of Maryland football and basketball games since 1979 and served as the Washington Nationals’ studio host since 2008. But when he got the call from the Hall in 2014, he could hardly believe it. “I was absolutely blown away and somewhat shocked that I would be selected to be put amongst some of the great names in Washington sports,” Holliday said. “It really humbles you to see your name with any of the people on the wall at Nationals Park. I was absolutely thrilled beyond words and caught completely off guard.” Last year’s induction ceremony honored the late Hymie and Phil Perlo – D.C. sports legends of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Aviva Perlo, Hymie’s niece and Phil’s daughter, remembers the moment in 2016. “The induction of the Perlo brothers marks the awesome legacy, honor and responsibility that it means to be a Perlo.” One of the reasons so many of the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame’s inductees are so humbled by their induction, according to Hall chairman Bobby Goldwater, is because the D.C. area has such a rich sports history. “There’s a great sports history and tradition in the nation’s capital,” said Goldwater. “And I think it’s very clear that anyone who has had any kind of connection to sports in this area has been affected by being here.” By Phil Wood As an 8-year-old baseball fan in Washington, DC, I was cognizant of the fact that the Senators never seemed to be playing in the World Series. The New York Yankees were the American League’s juggernaut in the 1950’s, winning all but two pennants. The Senators seemed to exist merely to provide competition for the other 7 AL teams 22 times every season. Still, despite all of the hoopla that surrounded the Bronx Bombers and their superstar centerfielder Mickey Mantle, we took great pride in the slugging exploits of our own, Roy Sievers. Roy, who passed away April 3 at his home in suburban St. Louis at the age of 90, was a genuine All-American power hitter. After arriving in Washington in a trade the Baltimore Orioles may still be regretting - Sievers for outfielder Gil Coan, straight up - Roy spent six full seasons at Griffith Stadium, 1954-59. In the prime of his career, between the ages of 27 and 32, Sievers averaged 30 home runs and 96 RBI every 154 games. He batted .267 during that period of time (also his career batting average), and averaged 72 walks and only 68 strikeouts per season. In today’s market, he’d be a $15-20 million a year player. Oh yes, the Senators during those years had an average annual W-L record of 59-95. The very first autograph I ever got on a baseball was Roy Sievers. It was June 21, 1959, and my dad and I went to Griffith Stadium for a Sunday doubleheader against Detroit. I had a brand new ball and my dad said to bring it along in case the opportunity for an autograph came along. Once inside after the gates opened - my dad really liked to watch batting practice - I noticed a lot of other boys close to my age were standing along the railing to one side of the Senators’ dugout. Dad suggested I join them with my ball and pen. Just as I got there, Sievers bounded out of the dugout, came right over and starting signing whatever was handed to him. He took my ball, signed it, and handed it back. A minute later Pedro Ramos - who was starting the second game - came out and did the same thing. Suddenly I had my first two autographs. Others signed the ball later, but Sievers is still the lone signature on the sweet spot. Washington swept Detroit that day, and Roy homered in the nightcap. My heart was broken when the Nats traded Roy to the White Sox two weeks before the 1960 home opener. In return they received catcher Earl Battey, first baseman Don Mincher, and $150,000. My dad figured it was the cash that made the difference, but it seemed odd to see Roy in a Chicago uniform when the Pale Hose came to town. I kept up with Roy’s career thereafter when the Sox sent him to Philadelphia in 1962, and was surprised when the Phils sold him to the expansion Senators in mid-July of 1964. He was joining another bad ballclub, but that aspect almost didn’t matter. Roy mainly pinch hit for manager Gil Hodges, and his first hit in a home game was August 18, a month after he'd been acquired. It turned out to be a milestone. Batting for pitcher Alan Koch, leading off the bottom of the eighth inning, he homered off of his old Senators’ teammate Camilo Pascual. It was Washington’s only run that evening in a 6-1 loss to Minnesota. It was also the 315th home run of Roy’s career, and last one he’d hit in Washington. He hit three more long balls that year, with his final career dinger coming at Fenway Park on the season’s last day in another pinch hitting appearance. It was my good fortune to get to know Roy over the last 30 or so years of his life. He came through town several times for card shows, and we’d sit and chat. When the Orioles were moving from Memorial Stadium to Camden Yards the Orioles asked me to go through their old player personnel files and use my own judgement to determine which ones they should keep. They were not interested in the files of players who never actually wore an Orioles uniform, so when I came across Sievers’ St. Louis Browns file, I asked them to let me send it to Roy. I did, and a couple of weeks later I received a note from Roy. He said he and his wife had spent an evening going through the file at the dining room table. “We laughed, we cried, it was wonderful,” he said adding “I didn’t remember how bad my handwriting was back then.” Roy Sievers never “big leagued” anybody in his life. He was unfailingly kind to anyone who remembered his playing days, and had no shortage of stories about almost player he played with or against. He was a player of distinction on some second division teams in Washington that sometimes had very little else to offer their fans. Roy was the cornerstone of the Washington offense, a reason to go to the ballpark. He never got to play a postseason game, but he had no regrets. He often said getting traded to the Nats was the best thing that happened to him during his career. It was certainly one of the best trades the Griffith family ever made, and local fans of a certain age are eternally grateful he passed this way. Phil Wood, a member of the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame nominating committee, is a commentator for WJFK (106.7) and MASN-TV. |