Mike Max from WCCO on Sports and Life
Posted by Steve Frazier
on Jan 17, 2012
Our speaker on January 17th was Mike Max, from WCCO-TV. He is well-known and respected local sports reporter and is a close personal friend of Sid Hartman. Mike grew up in Gaylord, Minnesota, and now lives in Minneapolis. A graduate of Hamline University, he claims to have played every sport except bullfighting, which he says wasn’t available in Gaylord as he grew up.
He began his talk by telling us that his dad was a life-long Rotarian, and his brother is currently an active member. His parents hosted at least one exchange student.
Mike said that his job is a dream job because he is surrounded by the best people in the field of athletics. To succeed in professional (and amateur) sports, you have to have a positive attitude, and you have to work and practice to be the best on the field. The sports world is filled with interesting people and their stories. His message to us was almost motivational; he used stories about Michael Jordan, Sid Hartman, Tony Dungy, Lou Holtz, Jack Jablonski, and Jesse Ventura to remind us that although we all have handicaps of one sort or another, they can usually be overcome with effort and a positive attitude. Winning players and teams focus on what they can control, and work hard to win.
During the Q & A period, Mike outlined the challenges that Jerry Kill faces in trying to change Gopher football into a winning program, and talked a bit about the Twins. (Story by Tad Shaw and photo by Steve Frazier)