When Ross Greenberg, President of HBO Sports, called up producer/editor George Roy with the bright idea of an hour documentary on the most incredible dynasty in the history of sports – UCLA’s run of 10 national basketball championships in 12 years – surely Mr. Roy was both tempted and nervous.

The task was both a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and seemingly impossible. Just to make things interesting, Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Roy figured that the story would be even more remarkable if told within the complex context of the tumultuous social upheaval of the1960s and 1970s.

Could it be done honestly about the times, the tensions, and the unbelievably great teams that set records that will never be broken? Was there a way to communicate the unique teamwork that was the fabric of this artistic tapestry woven together by John Wooden, the greatest coach of all time, at any level, in any sport?

Read this review of the upcoming HBO special The UCLA Dynasty exclusively at HOFMAG.com.

It’s that time of year again. Time for Roger Clemens to posture, pose and speculate as to whether he will pitch again this year. Is it only me, or is this act growing old. No one really cares if you pitch or where you pitch. You will pitch with whomever feeds your massive ego the most. The Yankees? He can reunite with his BFF Andy Petitte, Zzzzzzzzzzzz. The Red Sox? Putting him with Schilling would make Boston the self absorption capitol of the world. The Astros? Surely he would mandate that his son be added to the Major League Roster so that they could play a game together. My money is on the Astros. It’s the most self serving of the options. Get over yourself Rocket.

It’s also PBS fundraising time of the year. Time for those great PBS music specials, with the interminable intermissions. A great endorsement for TiVo. There is a great special running now, The Rockabilly Legends: They Called It Rockabilly Long Before They Called It Rock And Roll. If you get a chance check it out. Great footage and interviews with Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, The Burnettes and many more. And while your at it, support your local PBS station.

HBO has a new documentary coming up in the next week on the History of UCLA Basketball. With the Bruins making another March Madness run deep into the tournament, a look back to the great days of Coach Wooden, Kareem, and Bill Walton couldn’t be more timely.

Speaking of HBO, did you catch the live George Lopez Stand- Up HBO comedy Special Americas’s Mexican? Not only did Lopez go live, he used a lot of material he had never performed in public before. That takes balls, and Lopez has them galore. It was up there with Eddie Murphy Raw and Richard Pryor Live At Long Beach as stand-up comedy classics.

Looking forward to Sunday’s results show for Grease, You’re The One That I Want. If I was casting the show it’d be Max over strutting Austin. Laura gets my call for Sandy. Speaking of Sandy’s. How sad a life has Sandra Dee had. She could have been an icon. Instead she’s a reculse. Another sad testiment to the price of fame. Sandy Bullock’s new movie Premonition is pretty interesting. Certainly worth a trip to the movies.

Last word comes from Jay Thomas who laments the state of Republican Presidential Candidates. “Republicans get to chose between Rudy Guliani who has had three wives, and the Mormon Mitt Romney who will have three first ladies.”

There is perhaps no more fabled roadway in America than US Highway 66. Better known as Route 66, it was immortalized in print by John Steinbeck in his classic depression era novel The Grapes Of Wrath. Nat King Cole sang its praises in Bobby Troup’s hit tune Route 66. Marty Milner and George Maharis secured its place in American folklore as the stars of the CBS television series, Route 66, from 1960-1964.

Popular culture may have helped turn US Highway 66 into Historic Route 66, but Route 66 did play an important role in 20th Century America. US Highway 66 was the most direct passageway from Chicago to Los Angeles – the “road to opportunity,” as Steinbeck called it. It opened in 1926, and by World War II, the highway was the lifeline between east and west coast military outposts. From 1941-1945 the US government invested nearly $75 billion in capital projects throughout California underwriting new industries and creating scores of jobs.

Read more of An Encounter with Route 66 - and Elvis at HOFMAG.com.

With all the unpredictability in the NCAA Tournament, only one thing is certain each year: Cinderella is always the star of the show. Last season, George Mason shocked the college basketball world by cheating midnight to dance all the way to the Final Four.

The Patriots also proved that every Cinderella team has an individual in particular who captivates the nation’s attention by willing his team to victory.

It could be a player looking like the boy next door or a tattooed giant from a trailer park. Some have catchy nicknames. Others triumph over personal tragedy. And every so often, it isn’t even a player, but rather a coach.

No matter what the case, these are the Top 10 Cinderella Men, whose names and games we will never forget.

Who are the Top 10 NCAA Hoop Cinderella Men?

Thomas Carlyle said the history of the world is but the biography of great men. Every game has its greats. Jordan, Chamberlain; Gretzky, Howe; Ruth, Aaron; Tiger and Jack. Some say these players are bigger than the game itself. Others take solace in the fact that they elevated the game, setting the bar for generations to come. These players made history and broke records. Individually, they pushed the game beyond what anyone thought possible.

Any way you deal it, the history of poker is a biography of Doyle Brunson.

Read this Doyle Brunson story at HOFMAG.com

It’s Super Bowl weekend in Sin City. The town is abuzz. Beautiful women are everywhere my head turns. Guys gawk, down drinks and place bets on everything from coin flips to Rex Grossman’s fumbles and bumbles. Indianapolis Colts rooters and Chicago Bears fans just like me are in full force. And my mind is miles away from my beloved Bears. The booze, the blackjack and beauties must wait, as well.

It’s Super Saturday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s annual day-before-the-big-game pay-per-view. It’s UFC 67: All or Nothing at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. It’s the first time I’ll be watching the UFC –not from the confines of my couch but live and in living color.

Read this Ultimate Fighting Championship story at HOFMAG.com

Ask anyone to offer a Top Ten of the Most Influential People in Sports History, and the question is bound to generate hours of conversation and controversy. First of all, let’s define influential. For our purposes, we defined influential as the impact someone’s legacy has on our history, popular culture and the way sports interacts with our everyday lives.

We set no limits. The list could include athletes, broadcasters, journalists, owners, agents, lawyers, anyone. The list could include Secretariat or Steve Bartman for Cub fans who wish to extend the agony.

Our poll went out to the Senior Staff of HOFMAG.com. Thirteen of the most decorated journalists in the United States participated, including Robert Lipsyte, Lesley Visser, Robert Creamer, Juan Williams, Jim Huber, Larry Felser, Ann Ligouri, Charley Steiner, Joe Mc Donnell and Armen Keteyian.

Find out Who’s #1 at HOFMAG.com

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