"The View from the Cheap Seats": A collection of sports stories you've never heard, that you'll never forget!

By Bernie Fratto

The stories in this book, "The View from the Cheap Seats," have been accumulated since long before I was a credentialed media member. But on June 17, 1994, my life changed, which gave me total access where the average fan never gets to go. It opened up a world of information I never had before.

So, as my guest, you get to join me and take a peak into the world of sports stories, you never knew existed!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098384838

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

On June 17, 1994, my life changed forever . . .

It was the first night I became an officially credentialed media member on behalf of WTKA 1050 am in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Detroit Tigers were hosting the Toronto Blue Jays that evening, but that doesn’t begin to tell the story. As I found my seat in the Press Box, I noticed that media monitors had been installed every few feet so the press could see the broadcast version of the game as well. It was, in fact, the first year they featured that amenity at the Old Tiger Stadium.

But as I looked up, they weren’t showing the game at all. It was a long drawn out, slow motion police pursuit of an infamous White Ford Bronco. That’s right, it was the night that would also change the life of OJ Simpson as well.

All of us were fixated on the screen, watching this surreal event, trying to get our minds around what was happening, and there was no sound on the TV to describe the action!

Then, all of a sudden, David Gascon of the LAPD appeared on the screen. He was the commander-in-charge of media relations for the Los Angeles Police Department. As Commander Gascon began to speak, we knew it was important, but we couldn’t hear him! This video, over the years, has been almost iconic in its broad-based recognition of one the most notorious events in American history, pop culture and certainly in the lexicon of United States jurisprudence.

It wasn’t until I got home about midnight, that I was able to witness those impactful words, OJ Simpson is a fugitive from justice, as the world collectively watched to see what would happen next.

To be sure, to imply that my entree into the world of sports media as a credentialed member was auspicious? Well, that would be a huge understatement!

Fast forward to September 2018. I am now a national on-air radio host for Fox Sports Radio. One of our update anchors and content contributors, David Gascon, is one of my teammates. He has been on my show, Straight Outta Vegas, which I host every Saturday night at 11 pm PST. It can also be heard on Sirius XM Channel 83, iHeartradio and foxsportsradio.com. It’s heard on over 300 affiliates across the nation, and I get great feedback, even from faraway places like Australia and Ireland!

But I digress.

David Gascon? You guessed it. He’s the son of Commander David Gascon, who was the undeniable central figure on the Detroit Tigers Press Box monitor on June 17, 1994.

Ah, the circle of life. This is a true story.

And if you like stories, you’ll love this book!

Late for a plane? Pick up the book and read a story. Stuck in the waiting room for your doctor’s appointment? Pick up this book and read another story.

Stories are important. They connect people to each other. Stories spark communication, imagination and curiosity.

The reason my life changed forever on June 17, 1994, is because I now had a front row seat and a backstage pass to the world of professional and collegiate sports. I’ve covered the World Series, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Stanley Cup Finals, Super Bowl XL in Detroit, the NBA Finals, University of Michigan football and a whole host of sporting events since that seminal night in 1994. So, in effect, I’ve had full access. I have a massive collection of credentials in a box at my home office that numbers in the hundreds. And, each one has a story behind it.

I’ve been privy to the stories that often don’t make it to the mainstream. Stories that humanize professional athletes who are sometimes seen as superhuman, larger-than-life heroes who play on Fields-Of-Dreams.

Trust me; they’re human . . . and in a good way.

People like to collect things like art, baseball cards, autographs, or selfies with famous luminaries.

Me?

I collect conversations! And I’ve remembered all of them. I’ve put them in this book. Even before I became a credentialed media member, I collected stories, but back then, my observations were from afar, you know, like when you’re buried in the cheap seats at a stadium? Yeah, I would buy a ticket in the cheap seats, but by the second inning, I would always sneak down into the box seats. But, still, my observations were from afar.

The first radio show that I ever hosted was one I created, produced and yes, hosted (department of redundancy department!) was entitled The View from the Cheap Seats.

It was on Sunday mornings from 10 am–12 noon on WTKA 1050 am in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which to this day, is still the flagship for Michigan Wolverines football.

And yes, I built quite a following! Hence the title of this book.

So, enjoy the stories! You are officially moving down from the cheap seats to the front row and right into the press box and the locker room!

Let’s go!

FOREWORD

This book is dedicated to Dick Schaap. Hold that thought.

I’m a sucker for a great story. Stories entertain, inform and provoke thought. Everybody likes a great story. And, if as Tip O’Neill once said, They have the added value of being true, that’s even better. Tell someone a fact, and they will learn. Tell someone the truth, and they will believe. But tell someone a great story, and it will live in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

Dick Schaap was undeniably the preeminent journalist of his time, for the better part of 50 years until his passing in 2001. On the next page, you will find my most prized possession. The letter is a missive he wrote about me back in 2000. By then, we’d corresponded in multiple situations over the years. In addition, I used to appear on his radio show, The Sporting Life.

Dick’s favorite sport? That’s easy . . . People!

His favorite team? Well he always told me that he simply rooted for the story. To be sure, Dick Schaap was the consummate storyteller. A prolific writer, Schaap also wrote 34 books. He golfed with presidents, dined with dignitaries and played cards with Wilt Chamberlain. He even lettered in Varsity Lacrosse, while at Cornell, he was a goalie.

Schaap had the distinction of competing against the great Jim Brown while he was at Syracuse. Dick told me he allowed seven goals that day, but in my view, a lesser goalie would’ve allowed seventeen!

Dick Schaap was one of the most respected, beloved and admired journalists in history. As such, The Dick Schaap Award