Scholastic Roundup: A call Arthur Solomon never expected

April 15, 2022 Andy Furman

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Arthur Solomon got his start as a sportswriter in junior high school with the

Winthrop Owl — at Brooklyn’s Winthrop Junior High School. He recently got his biggest surprise after writing a piece for Sports Broadcast Journal.

“Personally,” he wrote, “my favorite (announcer) growing up in New York was Marty Glickman, a name that many of today’s sports fans probably never heard of, but very well known in the trade as one of the best ever.” Solomon worked with Glickman for eight years on The Schaefer Circle of Sports TV series. “He treated everyone with kindness and consideration, in addition to

delivering top-notch play-by-play commentary,” he said. But the surprise for Solomon came when he wrote that Bob Costas was the Ed Murrow of his day. “Costas is set apart from other TV sports commentators because he is not afraid to speak his mind,” he wrote.

During an interview on CNN’s January 23rd Reliable Sources program, Costas said, in part, “But the IOC deserves all of the disdain and disgust that comes their way for going back to China yet again. They were in Beijing in 2008. They will go to Sochi in 2014. They’re shameless about this stuff.”

Businessman and sports broadcaster, Arthur Solomon. Photo courtesy of Brown Alumni Magazine

Solomon added: Costas also acknowledged what everyone involved in sports knows but attempts to hide: Any network that broadcasts big sports events is simultaneously in a quasi-journalistic position at best. Ah, the surprise – of course. Apparently, Costas read Solomon’s praise – he followed it up with a thank- you phone call.

“I was shocked,” Solomon acknowledged, “but it shows the kind of person he is.”

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Arthur Solomon, a former journalist – he wrote for the Brooklyn Eagle – was a senior/VP counselor at Burson-Marsteller, and was responsible for restructuring, managing and playing key roles in some of the most significant national and international sports and non-sports programs.

He also traveled internationally as a media advisor to high-ranking government officials. He now is a frequent contributor to public relations publications, consults on public relations projects and is on the Seoul Peace Prize nominating committee. And he also takes complimentary phone calls from Bob Costas.

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Joe Browne, who ended a 50-year career at the National Football League

office in 2016, as the longest serving employee at the NFL has been identified for an Award of Excellence. The St. Francis College grad joined the NFL office in 1965 as a college

intern. The former U.S. Marine later held several front office positions under Commissioner Pete Rozelle. In April 1970, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue promoted Browne to vice-president – the first person in league history with that title. In 1995, he was promoted again, to senior vice-president, and in 2002 was named Executive Vice-President of Communications and Government Affairs.

This is the second time in recent years the Pro Football Hall of Fame has honored Browne who was named recipient of the prestigious 2016 Ralph Hay Pioneer Award for long and meritorious service upon his retirement earlier that year.

“I am humbled by being named a member of the Inaugural Class of the Award of Excellence along with my four colleagues and friends,” Browne said in a prepared statement. “I was fortunate to have many mentors during my career starting with the late Commissioner Pete Rozelle. Owners such as Wellington Mara, Leon Hess and Alex Spanos also were tremendous

positive influences on me. They often supported me, but also weren’t hesitant to correct me when needed.”

The names of the award winners will be placed on display inside a designated area of the Hall of Fame Museum. Award recipients will be invited to the 2022 Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls and will be recognized in Canton, Ohio this August at an event to be determined.

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Former Los Angeles Dodgers great Tommy Davis throws out a ceremonial pitch before an exhibition spring training baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Glendale, Ariz. Davis, a two-time National League batting champion who won three World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, died Sunday night, April 3, 2022, in Phoenix, the Dodgers announced Monday. He was 83. AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File

Ike Pollack, a member of Lafayette High’s 1966 basketball team – he was a co-captain of that division championship club – remembers the late Dodger star – Tommy Davis who recently passed.

“The Dodgers returned to New York for a Memorial Day doubleheader when Tommy was in his prime – at the Polo Grounds,” he wrote. “It was May 30, 1962.

“I went with my neighborhood friends to celebrate Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Charlie Neal – they were all playing for the Mets at that time – and were in the twilight of their careers.”

Pollack remembers Maury Wills on second, Willie Davis on first and Tommy Davis coming to bat. “The place,” he writes, “was a complete sellout.”

Tommy hit a rocket line drive toward left field. The Dodger speedsters on base committed. Elio Chacon leaped up to snare the ball, fired to Neal covering second and Neal fired to Hodges neatly doing the split to complete the triple play.

“The crowd went wild. The loudest roar I’ve ever heard in my life,” Pollack wrote. And that’s his recollection of the late Tommy Davis.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected] Twitter: @AndyFurmanFSR