The “hype and the hypocrisy” of sports will come under the microscope Thursday, Oct. 1, as a popular National Public Radio commentator visits the Lorenzo Cultural Center at Macomb Community College as part of the More Than a Game: How Sports Shape Culture program series.
Frank Deford, a weekly commentator on NPR’s popular morning edition (heard on 91.7 FM WUOM and 101.9 FM WDET in southeast Michigan), will provide his perspective – along with personal anecdotes – on the positives and negatives of sports today. His 7 p.m. presentation is preceded by a special Meet & Greet opportunity beginning at 5:30 p.m. Deford’s presentation is sponsored by Michigan Public Radio.
Deford is the author of 15 books on sports, a senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated and a regular correspondent on the HBO show RealSports with Bryant Gumbel. Deford has been elected to the Hall of Fame of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters, was named six times by his peers as the U.S. Sportswriter of the Year and was awarded Magazine Writer of the Year twice by the Washington Journalism Review.
“From astronaut John Glenn, who opened the inaugural program, Science and Space Exploration: Imaging the Future, at the Lorenzo Cultural Center in 2006, to women’s rights pioneer Gloria Steinem who spoke here last spring as part of our look back at the 1960s, we are committed to bringing the most relevant, interesting speakers to our programs,” said Geary Maiuri, dean of Community & Student Enrichment at Macomb. “Deford is widely recognized as one of America’s great sports commentators, and we are pleased to be able to bring him to the Lorenzo Cultural Center to share with us his observations on the state of sports today.”
Deford’s appearance is the second of four special presentations in a Speakers Series. Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo opened the series with a Sept. 17 presentation. Detroit Lions Hall of Famer Lem Barney will visit Oct. 15, and Detroit Pistons President Joe Dumars concludes the series with an Oct. 29 presentation.
Tickets for the Speakers Series presentations are $15 or $5 for students/seniors/military. The Speakers Series presentations all begin at 7 p.m. Tickets to the presentation and a 5:30-6:30 p.m. wine reception with the speaker are $30. To purchase Speakers Series tickets, call 586.286.2222 or visit www.lorenzoculturalcenter.com.
The More Than a Game exhibit at the Lorenzo Center features memorabilia from area sports teams, including the Tigers, Red Wings, Lions and Pistons, as well as popular college, minor league and youth programs. Videos featuring memorable moments in local sports history will be airing throughout the run of the program, Sept. 16-Nov. 22. A special exhibit, on loan from the Women Sports Foundation, will highlight women athletes.
The Lorenzo Cultural Center is located on Macomb Community College’s Center Campus, Garfield & M-59, Clinton Township. The center is open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday; and 1-4 p.m. Sundays. Additional information on the cultural center and on the More Than a Game program series is available at www.lorenzoculturalcenter.com.
Media contact:
Dan Heaton
586.445.7271
heatond@macomb.edu