Madness

How would you react if hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky sweated all over your dress pants during a live TV interview? What if heavyweight boxing champion Leon Spinks threatened to harm you if you didn’t dance with his wife? These are just two of the occupational obstacles faced by Mark Hebscher during his checkered career in sports media. From covering Harold Ballard, the cantankerous owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, to helping lead a cultural revolution in sports broadcasting on the late-night program Sportsline, Hebscher tells stories of his 45 years in the business in his new book, Madness: The Rise and Ruin of Sports Media. This is a compelling look at the evolution of sports journalism and how today’s media coverage drastically differs from the days of newspapers and magazines. At the same time, it explores the effect that radio, TV, and later technology has had on sports coverage, and how men like Howard Cosell changed the way sports was reported on. How did Wide World of Sports and Hockey Night in Canada become so ingrained in popular culture? What was it about Sportsline that made it mandatory viewing? Who were the athletes, sportswriters, sportscasters, reporters, and play-by-play announcers that fueled his desire to be a part of the sports media landscape? In the end, Hebscher’s encounters with the Great One, MC Hammer, Youppi!, Doug Flutie, and Doug Gilmour are more than mildly amusing … and his unparalleled knowledge of the sports media universe shines throughout.