Bill Torgerson

Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast. This week, Anne and I share our top 10 most meaningful athletes. We’re recording on Sun Feb 1, 2025. Here outside of Boone, North Carolina, it’s 15 degrees and we’ve got at least 6 inches of snow. 

Torg’s List of Most Personally Meaningful Athletes:

1. Walter “Sweetness” Payton – running back Chicago Bears 1975 – 1987

• Why? Payton was most responsible for inspiring my front yard games with the neighborhood kids in Logansport, Indiana. I had this little machine that would throw a football and me and another kid would play 1v1 football. 
• Memory: Payton would jump in the air and put one leg out front and another behind. In a time before the tush push, he would jump over both lines into the end zone or for a first down. 
• # 2 all time nfl rushing behind Emmitt Smith and ahead of Frank Gore and Barry Sanders. 
• Detail: he did not celebrate TDs. He handed the ball to the official or to a teammate. 
• Died at 46 of liver disease 
• More than anyone, inspired my front yard football games with the self passing machine. 
• From Wikipedia: The asteroid 85386 Payton, discovered by the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory in 1996, is named in Payton’s memory.

2. Steve Alford – Indiana Hoosiers guard 1983 – 1987

• Why? One of the best players in college basketball in my state when I was a middle school kid. I did things because Alford did: shoot 100 free throws and do push ups for misses. Put a ball on a chair and run cuts to pick up the ball from the chair, and end the workout by hanging the net. 
• Memory: Alford went 7-10 from 3 in the 1987 national title game. That’s the Keith Smart shot game that is part of the montage that closes each episode of our podcast. 
• In 1983 as a high school player, he went 25-25 from the line and scored 57 in a semi state game. 
• Same birthday as me, but six years older. 
• The Feinstein Season on the Brink book. 

3. Larry Bird – 1979 1992 Celtics guard 

• The event of the NCAA title game of Indiana State, where our parents went, vs. Magic Johnson and Michigan State. How excited our parents were. How much dad and his friends talked about the game. 
• Scored 60 points nine days after his teammate Kevin McHale set Celtics record with 56. Hawks players cheering for him during the game. 
• The way he said he checked the newspaper everyday to see what Magic and his team had done. 
• Bird steals the ball in 1987 to beat the Pistons. 
• When he banged his head on the floor in a playoff game against the Pacers and exited. A bird (pigeon) landed on the floor. Later, he came running out of the hallway, returned to the game, and led the Celtics to a game 5 victory. 
• This game was commemorated on my NBA Superstars VHS tape to the Outfield’s song “Winning it All.” 
• The legend of being in the small town park by yourself working on being a basketball player. 

4. Michael Jordan NBA guard 1984-1993

• Larry Bird said he was “god in basketball shoes” when he scored 63 vs. Celtics in playoffs after coming back from a broken foot
• Saw him in person twice: once at Market Square Arena in Indy and once at Chicago Stadium 
• The shoulder shrug hitting 6 threes in finals vs. Portland Trailblazers 
• The wide forearm band. The knee sleeve. How many pairs of Jordan shoes have I owned? How much Jordan gear do I have? 

5. Tiger Woods – Golfer 

• He won the 1997 Masters. 21 years old. First Asian / African to win a major. Won by 12 shots. Lowest score ever at the time. What the heck is going on?!!! 
• Set up a TV in the back yard in Connecticut and watched him win the 2008 US Open with torn ACL and double stress fracture. 
• Also the tragic hero fascination. 
• Probably with Jordan, the athlete I most made plans to clear my schedule and watch. 

6. Caitlin Clark – current WNBA guard 

• Converted me the rest of the way to a person who watches women’s basketball and moves ahead of someone such as Steffi Graff for a female athlete I make plans to watch.  
• Went to see her play in Charlotte against VA Tech when she scored 44 and they beat Tech 80-76. Click here for article. 
• Image of her getting angry and hitting a barrage of long, long threes in opponent’s faces. 

7. Chris Mullin – NBA forward from 1985-2001.

• Started: white guy left handed shooter. “Cool.” But an article about his recovery as an alcoholic and his work ethic turned me on to him. 
• He went on to the Pacers where he played for Larry Bird on a team that went to the NBA Finals. Lost to Lakers. 
• Played at St. John’s where I taught for 11 years. Coached there right after I left. 

8. Reggie Miller – Indiana Pacers guard 1987 – 2005

• First: I was 17 when his career started so this is a good time for me to see and remember things. 
• I was at the game when he got Knicks guard John Starks to head butt him 
• Admired the guts to take the big shots. The ability to deliver in big games and the idea that he was going to get hot. 
• The 8 points in 9 seconds win at the Garden and interactions with Spike Lee and all the ways Haliburton echoed that last year. 

9. Pat Conroy – point guard, The Citadel from 1963 – 1967 

• Stretching it here as far as knowing him as an athlete but his book The Losing Season and his entire career showed me how a basketball loving guy could make it in English Departments and as a thoughtful writer 
• The writer Richard Ford also did some of the same work for me. Ford wrote for Insider Sports and won the Pulitzer for his novel Independence Day. (as he likes to say, not that Independence Day). 

10. Jack Nicklaus – pro golfer winning US Open in 1962 for his first major. 

• Dad loved him and would sit down to watch him so I did too. I remember him waving his arm up as a long putt went in for his 1986 Masters win. He shot 30 on the back 9 and won. 
• The ‘86 win was 6 years after any of his other wins. He was 46 at the time and so it was a big surprise. 
• I read his book Golf My Way. I remember it had you visualize your shot, and I’ve heard other golfers say it contributed largely to slower play by amateurs who were spending a lot of time trying to visualize their shots. 
• Somebody like Tiger Woods put Nicholas’s record of 18 major tournament wins and didn’t get there (yet?) 

Some other athletes I considered: Steve Kerr, John Wooden, Kevin McHale, John Stockton, Steve Nash, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Russell, Steffi Graff, Serena Williams, Andre Agassi 

Anne’s list of most personally meaningful athletes:

1. Steffi Graf

• Memory: Domination, Late career beating Martina Hing in 1999, Hingis falling apart.
• Detail: SI Cover, 1988 Grand Slam, first time really paid attention

2. Natalia Mishkutenok & Artur Dmitriev

• Memory: 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, miracle after falling, get silver
• Detail: 1982 Unified Team Albertville Olympics. Liebestraum by Liszt

3. Shohei Ohtani

• Memory: 4 HR in NLCS, 10 Ks as pitcher; 40/40 Club
• Detail: 50/50 club 2024 first in history. 9/19/24 6 for 6 w/3 HR, 2 SB, 10 RBIs

4. Peyton Manning

• Memory: SB 2007 v bear
• Detail: Never my fav but over the years have liked him much more, SNL sketch w/playing w/kids

5. Sergei Fedorov

• Memory: Russian 5 in mid 1990s, Larionov, Kozlov, Fetisov, Konstantinov (1997 & 1998 Stanley Cup)
• Detail: July 1990 defected while playing in Goodwill Games in Portland

6. Greg Louganis

• Memory: 1988 Seoul hitting his head and still winning. HIV status.
• Detail: 1984 / 1988 Summer Olympics Gold medalist on springboard and platform. 

7. Tony Gwynn (co/w/ Benito Santiago)

• Memory: 1986/1987, my padres fan years. Just getting hits all over the place.
• Detail: Received college basketball offers, none for baseball. Played both at San Diego State. Died at 54 from cancer/smokeless tobacco

8. Andre Agassi

• Memory: 1992 Wimbledon first grand slam, denim shorts, neon bicycle shorts
• Detail: Book “Open” was great, one of 8 men to have career grand slam, decline and climb back up

9. Mia Hamm (representing entire US team 1996,1999 WC)

• Memory: 1996 Gold medal, first time women’s soccer was in olympics
• Detail: Married to former Boston Red Sox SS Nomar Garciaparrain 2003

10. Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo-Jo)

• Memory: 1988 Olympics, 100 m world record, 3 golds, one legged tights (did she start this?), colorful, long nails 100/200 WR stills stands (although 100 prob wind assisted?)
• Detail: Died age 38 in her sleep during an epileptic seizure

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!

Welcome to the Torg Stories Podcast. Anne and I are recording as we wait for the Hoosiers to take the field in Miami to face off vs. the Miami Hurricanes for the College Football National Championship. Anne, I checked out those Indiana Coach Cignetti cigarette pack themed shirts, and they are pretty cool. 

Let’s go through big picture NFL Playoffs First. Anne, I’m looking for a 20 second or less reaction to me reading each score, and then you can pick which game you want to talk about first: 

1. Broncos beat the Bills 33-30. Lose their quarterback on one of the last plays of the game. They will host the Patriots for the AFC Championship. 
2. The Seahawks beat the 49ers 41-6. Seahawks Sam Darnold gets over last year’s end of season collapse. The 49ers were injured and battered. They will host the Rams next week for the NFC Championship. 
3. The Patriots beat the Texans 28-16 in a slushy turned snowy game where Texans quarterback CJ Stroud had 4 interceptions. The Patriots will travel to Denver to take on the Broncos for the AFC Championship. 
4. The Rams won a back and forth overtime thriller vs the Bears in very cold and snowy weather. Final score 20-17. Bears Quarterback Caleb Williams made an incredible throw to send the game into overtime. 

Anne, I’ve got a couple of notes on each game. Where would you like to start? 

Bills at Broncos: 

1. The interception late in the game. Both players possess in overtime on a catch, go to the ground, and the Broncos guy ends up with it. What did you think? 
2. How about the two pass interception calls? 
3. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle on one of the last plays. 
4. Bills fired their coach the next day. 

49ers at Seattle: 

1. The opening kicks was run back by Seattle for a TD.

The game was essentially over before many fans had even sat down. Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown just 13 seconds into the game. It was the longest postseason kick return in Seahawks history and only the fourth time since 2000 a playoff game opened with a kick-return TD.

2. Kenneth Walker III’s Historic Night

Walker was “demoralizing” (his own words) for the 49ers’ defense. He finished with 116 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns, tying the legendary Shaun Alexander’s 2004 franchise record for most touchdowns in a single playoff game.

3. The “Dark Side” Defense

The Seattle defense, nicknamed the “Dark Side” this season, was suffocating. They forced three turnovers (an Ernest Jones IV interception and two fumbles) and held Brock Purdy to just 140 passing yards. Even more impressive: the 49ers failed to reach the end zone once, settling for two field goals.

• Key Stat: The Seahawks also had four fourth-down stops, which Mike Macdonald treated like extra turnovers.

4. Sam Darnold’s Redemption

Despite playing with an oblique injury that had him listed as questionable, Sam Darnold earned his first career playoff win. While he only threw for 124 yards, he was efficient and mistake-free.

5. The “12s” and the Seismic Activity

Lumen Field was so loud during Shaheed’s opening return and the defensive stands that the stadium registered actual seismic activity on local seismograms. This was the first home playoff game with a full crowd in Seattle since the 2016 season.

Texans at Pats: 

1. On 4th down with just over 9 mins to go, Pats go for it on 4th down from the 30 and score a TD.
2. What is guiding you on that as a coach? Play you like, advantage you like, how you think the game will go 
3. Penalty takes away a Texan TD that becomes a FG. 
4. Is Drake Maye not a cold slushy guy? He is from NC after all. 
5. He played better as the game went along. 
6. Texans quarterback Stroud working on what could be one of the worst playoff games in history. 
7. Stroud caused me to think of the Panthers Delhomme. The Panthers were the No. 2 seed and heavily favored at home, but Delhomme finished the night with 6 total turnovers.
8. Aikman said Stroud was “Throwing and hoping.” 
9. Snow! The snow can be fun but maybe indoor and warm weather games are overall more exciting? 

Rams at Bears: 

1. Why didn’t we get more of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams running? 
2. 7 wins when trailing in the 4th quarter. 
3. This postseason has had more 4th quarter lead changes than any NFL postseason. 
4. Even though I bet on the Bears, I did feel like, Eat it Ben Johnson. 

For the NFL Conference Championship Games, who do you like vs. the spread? 

1. Pats 4.5 point favorites over the Broncos in Denver. 
2. Seahawks 2.5 point favorites over the Seahawks in Seattle. 
3. I don’t bet on college sports, but for what it is worth, the Indiana Hoosiers are 7.5 point favorites tonight against the Miami Hurricanes. 

Check the Torg Stories Bracket challenge here to see who is in the lead for the $50 Amazon Gift Card Anne will supply. We will need the winner to get in touch with us here: William.Torgerson@gmail.com. 

Thanks for listening to this edition of the Torg Stories Podcast!