That I've lasted is one of my greatest accomplishments. Maybe my greatest.

What kept me going through all the years? More than anything, the love of and respect for competition. That's what it comes down to for me. That's why I do this.

My schedule has slowed a little. I've cut back on some of my assignments. But I still have the enthusiasm for the sports world that I had 38 years ago.

All the cameras shifted from the players to me.

It turns out that life in the kitchen is very similar to life on a team. Sports and kitchens are about teams. I found my alternate team sport in the kitchen.

To have six years of professional football under my belt already is really something.

I tried out for my basketball team every year and I never made it. You had to buy the shoes before you knew if you were on the team because it took a few weeks for them to ship. I bought the shoes every year, never once made the team, had a ton of high school basketball shoes.

It's a wonderful feeling to be a bridge to the past and to unite generations. The sport of baseball does that, and I am just a part of it.