♪ ♪ >> Cathy: I GOT TO TELL YOU, WE WERE SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT OUR "ALMANAC" FRIEND, PIONEERING SPORTS JOURNALIST, LARRY FITZGERALD JUNIOR DIED MONDAY.

THE 71-YEAR-OLD CHICAGO NATIVE SPENT MORE THAN 45 YEARS COVERING MINNESOTA SPORTS WITH LONG STINTS AT THE "MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER" NEWSPAPER AND ON KMOJ RADIO.

FITZGERALD TALKED SPORTS WITH US HERE ON THE "ALMANAC" SET -- AND AT THE STATE FAIR -- FOR NEARLY THREE DECADES.

HE WAS THE FIRST SPORTS JOURNALIST TO COVER A SUPERBOWL THAT HIS SON PLAYED IN.

WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE LARRY JUNIOR JOIN HIS DAD ON THE SET A NUMBER OF TIMES.

HERE'S A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF OUR FAVORITE CONVERSATIONS WITH FITZY THROUGH THE YEARS, INCLUDING HIS FIRST "ALMANAC" APPEARANCE BACK IN 1997 AND ONE OF HIS MOST RECENT, EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN LARRY JUNIOR WAS NAMED TO THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME.

LARRY FITZGERALD COVERS SPORTS FOR THE MINNEAPOLIS SPOKEMAN RECORDER, A HISTORIC BLACK NEWSPAPER.

DO THE TWINS HAVE ANY PLACE TO GO REALLY?

HEADING OUT WHERE?

>> THEY HAVE TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO.

THERE JUST IS NOWHERE TO GO RIGHT NOW.

THIS NEW DAY AND AGE OF SPORTS WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE CORPORATE SUPPORT.

AND FINANCIAL DOLLARS COMING OUT OF OUR TAXPAYERS' POCKETS AND I'VE THEY'VE BEEN WORN DOWN BY IT AND MINNESOTANS ARE SAYING, HEY, WE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT AND THAT IS EDUCATION AND TAKING CARE OF OUR FAMILIES.

>> Cathy: THE VIKINGS, YOU'RE LAUGHING ALREADY, PUT THE VIKINGS ODDS OF WINNING THE SUPER BOWL, AT SIX TO ONE RIGHT NOW.

>> THEY'RE PAPER CHAMPIONS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT?

>> >> Eric: REMEMBER THAT LAST GAME OF THE YEAR.

DIDN'T THE CARDINALS DO SOMETHING TO MUCK UP THE WHOLE THING?

>> THEY DID.

AND I GUESS THE REMATCH WILL BE AUGUST 14TH WHEN LARRY PLAYS HIS FIRST GAME.

THE LYNX HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO GET YOU IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, WITH THEIR TALENT, THE DEPTH OF IT.

SIMONE IS AUGUSTUS IS THE REAL DEAL.

SHE'S ONE OF TWO OR THREE PLAYS IN THE WNBA WHO COULD PLAY IN THE NBA.

SHE'S THAT GOOD.

IF THIS DOESN'T HELP THEM BUILD THEIR TICKET -- THEY'RE THE BEST TEAM IN THIS CITY, PERIOD.

BEST TEAM IN THIS STATE, PERIOD.

IF YOU DON'T BUY TICKETS, YOU'RE CRAZY.

I DON'T MISS ANY MAJOR EVENTS IN MINNESOTA.

YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE 44 SUPER BOWLS.

>> Eric: AND YOU STILL GRACE US WITH YOUR PRESENCE.

>> IT'S A TREAT BEING WITH CATHY AND ERIC, MY LONG TIME FRIENDS AND MAN OF YOU.

THANK YOU.

ONE OF THE REASONS WHY HE STAYED HERE WAS THE SENSE OF LOYALTY.

HE OVED THIS COMMUNITY.

I THINK FOR ME, IT WAS ME JUDGING HIM AGAINST ANOTHER SUPERSTAR, IN THIS CASE KIRBY PUCKETT.

KIRBY MADE HIMSELF AVAILABLE AFTER EVERY GAME, WIN OR LOSE AND HE TOOK THE BULLETS AND THE HE TOOK THE ACCOLADES AS WELL.

JOE MAUER WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

JOE NOT NECESSARILY WOULD BE THE FIRST GUY.

YOU'D GO DOWN TO THE LOCKER ROOM, WAITING FOREVER, BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH KEVIN GARNETT.

EVERYBODY'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT JOE WAS ALWAYS A TREAT TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE WHEN HE TALKED, HE DID TALK.

>> Eric: PEOPLE FORGET YOU WERE NAMED TO THE ALL CHICAGOLAND HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM IN THE SECOND HALF OF 20TH ENTURY.

SO YOU GOT TO GOING FOR YOU.

[ Laughter ] >> YEAH, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS -- IT WAS VERY REWARDING BECAUSE IT WAS FRUSTRATING TIME BEING IN HIGH SCHOOL IN CHICAGO, AND LOSING CHAM PENALSHIPS BUT THAT WAS REALLY ONE OF THE DAYS I'VE NEVER FORGET.

>> Eric: WHAT WAS IT LIKE HEARING THE ANNOUNCEMENT?

>> UNBELIEVABLE TO KNOW THAT YOU RAISE YOUR KIDS.

AND THEY BECOME -- THEY TAKE ON A LIFE OF THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW?

I REMEMBER LARRY TELL ME AND MARCUS THAT THEY WANTED TO PLAY FOOTBALL.

AND I TOLD THEM HOW TOUGH THE GAME WAS.

AND HOW SERIOUS THEY HAD TO BE IF YOU WERE GOING TO BE ABOUT TRYING TO BE A WINNER.

AND BEING A GOOD TEAMMATE.

>> CATHY: JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT LARRY FITZGERALD SENIOR'S LEGACY, CHARLES HALLMAN, SPORTS COLUMNIST AT THE "MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER," WORKED WITH FITZGERALD FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES; AND ERIC NELSON, LONGTIME TWIN CITIES SPORTS REPORTER WHO CO-HOSTED A RADIO SHOW WITH FITZGERALD.

BACK IN THE DAY.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH.

AND REALLY UNDER SAD CIRCUMSTANCES SO THANKS FOR BEING HERE WITH US TONIGHT.

CHARLES, WHAT MADE FITZY SUCH A GOOD REPORTER?

>> HE WANTED TO HEAR THE TRUTH.

AND DIDN'T HESITATE IN ASKING FOR IT.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THEREFORE, IT WASN'T -- WELL, YOU GIVE HIM AN ANSWER AND HE'LL WALK AWAY FROM THAT.

NO, HE'LL FOLLOW THAT UP, FOLLOW IT, FOLLOW UP, AND EVEN AFTER THE INTERVIEW IS OVER, HE'LL FOLLOW IT P AGAIN JUST TO MAKE SURE HE GOT WHAT HE NEEDED TO GET AND HE WAS AGGRESSIVE IN THAT MANNER.

>> Cathy: BUT NOT DISAGREEABLY SO.

I NEVER THOUGHT THAT.

>> NO, NO, IT WAS NEVER SO POW-SY-WOWSY.

HE TALKED ABOUT KIRBY PUCKETT.

THEY HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, BUT IF HE NEEDS TO ASK A TOUGH QUESTION.

HE WILL.

>> Eric: SEVERAL TIMES HE TOLD ME HE PATTERED HIS TECHNIQUE LIKE SID HARTMANN AND I WOULDN'T THINK THOSE TWO WOULD BE AN ODD COUPLE, YOU'D YOU'D SAY?

>> I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.

THEY WERE ALL ABOUT BEING AT EVENTS.

LARRY, A PRESS BOX FIXTURE.

SID, THE SAME THING.

IAND I AS THERE THE NIGHT AT THE METRODOME WHEN THEY HAD HAD A LITTLE DUSTUP WHERE LARRY THREW THE WATER INTO SID'S FACE.

BUT LATER ON, THEY PATCHED IT UP.

AND SUPER BOWL 32 AT SAN DIEGO AT THE PREGAME MATCH.

LARRY AND I WILL THERE.

SID COMES, SID PUTS HIS CHAIR RIGHT BETWEEN US.

SID, I GOT TO WARN US, LARRY'S HERE.

SID GOES, I DON'T CARE.

AND LARRY SHOWS UP.

THEY BROKE BREAD.

LARRY GRABBED HIS ICE WATER AND SID DIDN'T FLINCH.

[ Laughter ] >> Cathy: AND I THINK ALSO, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT LARRY WAS IN PRESS BOXES, THE VIKES, THE WILD, HE WAS EVERYWHERE.

HE HAD ONE HECK OF A WORK ETHIC FOR A JOURNALIST.

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID TO, AND OTHER PEOPLE, THERE ARE VERY FEW OF US BLACK REPORTERS IN THIS TOWN.

IN FACT, THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO OR THREE OF US ARE AT AN ABJ CONVENTION.

SO THEREFORE WE'RE NOTICEABLE.

AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE US.

AND SO WE'LL STAND OUT AMONG THE CROWD, SO TO SPEAK.

BUT BECAUSE HE HAD SUCH A WORK ETHIC, I DON'T COMPARE MINE'S TO LARRY, BUT HE HAD A WORK ETHIC, PEOPLE RESPECTED THAT AND THEY KNEW THAT WE WAS THERE ABOUT BUSINESS AND THE PLAYERS KNEW WE WAS THERE ABOUT BUSINESS AND BECAUSE WE'RE BLACK AND YOU'RE TALKING TO BLACK PLAYERS, THEY HAVE MORE OF A COMFORT LEVEL TO TALK TO US AND WE CAN HEAR WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AND WE WON'T MISREAD THAT.

SAM LACEY HAD WITH JACKIE ROBINSON, THE EARLY BLACK PLAYERS WHO CAME INTO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH PEOPLE LIKE US BECAUSE YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THE FAIR DEAL AS OPPOSED TO TALKING TO OTHERS.

AND THEN WE GET TO KNOW THEM BETTER.

>> Eric: LARRY BENEFITED FROM HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH COACH GREEN, IS THAT FAIR?

DENNIS GREEN?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I REMEMBER WHEN DENNY GOT HIRED IN 1992.

AND IT DIDN'T GO OVER WELL WITH CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA.

CHARLES KNOWS THAT.

AND DENNY IMMEDIATELY TOOK A LIKING TO LARRY BECAUSE LARRY SHOWED HIM THE RESPECT.

HE WAS ONLY THE SECOND AFRICAN-AMERICAN HEAD COACH IN NFL HISTORY.

'92, IT TOOK THAT LONG.

AND SO THEY BUILT A FRIENDSHIP, AND THEN DENNY DRAFTS LARRY FITZGERALD JUNIOR TO THE CARDINALS.

AND DENNY ALLOWED MARCUS AND LARRY JUNIOR TO BECOME BALL BOYS.

AND WE HAD WARREN MOON ON OUR RADIO SHOW THE OTHER DAY, AND I SAID, YOU'RE A TRAILBLAZER, WARREN, BECAUSE IT TOOK FIVE YEARS FOR THE NFL TO LLOW WARREN TO PLAY.

HE HAD TO GO TO CANADA.

WHEN HE GOT TO MINNESOTA IS LARRY WENT UP TO HIM, INTRODUCED HIMSELF AND HE RETRODUCED HIMSELF AND HE REALODUCED HIMSELF AND HE REALIZUCED HIMSELF AND HE REALIZEDED HIMSELF AND HE REALIZED L HIMSELF AND HE REALIZED LARIMSELF AND HE REALIZED LARRYSELF AND HE REALIZED LARRY ILF AND HE REALIZED LARRY IS AND HE REALIZED LARRY IS AAND HE REALIZED LARRY IS AAND HE TRAILBLAZER.

HE BROKE A LOT OF GROUND HERE IN MINNEAPOLIS, ST.

PAUL.

EXPWHRASES EXPWHRA >> Cathy: IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME, IT'S VERY RARE WHEN YOU FIND A PERSON IN THE MEDIA WHO WAS AS VERSE TILE AS FITZY WAS.

NEWSPAPER, RADIO, TV, PODCASTS, AND HE DID ALL IT.

YOU'RE VERY RARELY GOOD AT ALL OF THEM.

BUT HE WAS.

>> HE WAS.

AND I THINK HIS STRENGTH WAS HIS VOICE.

AND HOW HE TALKED.

>> Eric: YES.

>> I THINK THAT WAS HIS STRENGTH.

AND SO THEREFORE THAT OVERRODE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS.

MAYBE THERE WAS SOME SHORTCOMINGS SOMEWHERE IN OTHERS.

I KNOW WE USED TO JOKE ABOUT WRITING A LOT.

HE ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS A BETTER WRITER THAN HE WAS, AND I WAS.

[ Laughter ] BUT I ALWAYS TALKED TO HIM ABOUT DOING SOME THINGS AND HE WOULD SAY, YOU'RE A BETTER JOURNALISTS.

WE WOULD HAVE OUR RUNNING BATTLES TALKING ABOUT THAT.

BUT I THINK BECAUSE HE HAD THAT VOICE AND THE VOICE OF AUTHORITY, IT WASN'T JUST A VOICE THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WASN'T A SHY VOICE.

SO HE TALKED, HE TALKED.

AND PEOPLE COULD HEAR THAT AND COULD SEE AND LEARN FROM WHAT HE HAS TO SAY AND KNOW WHAT WHAT THEY'RE HEARING FROM HIM WOULD THE TRUTH.

YOU KNOW?

>> Cathy: I ASKED YOU ABOUT WHAT MADE HIM SUCH A GOOD REPORTER, BUT WHAT MADE HIM SUCH A SPECIAL HUMAN?

>> WELL, HE AND HIS LAIF WIFE LE CAROL WERE FABULOUS PARENTS.

I THINK THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES.

HIS SECOND WIFE, SHARI, AN EXCELLENT PERSON.

WHAT I NOTICED WITH LARRY, BECAUSE I S INTRODUCE IS A BECAUSE I S INTRODUCE ISED HIM O A LOT OF MY FRIENDS.

HE SIZED PEOPLE UP.

HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE- CO WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE- COULANTED TO MAKE SURE HE- COULD TED TO MAKE SURE HE- COULD TRD TO MAKE SURE HE- COULD TRUSTO MAKE SURE HE- COULD TRUST MAKE SURE HE- COULD TRUST THAKE SURE HE- COULD TRUST THEME SURE HE- COULD TRUST THEM, SURE HE- COULD TRUST THEM, NDRE HE- COULD TRUST THEM, ND O HE- COULD TRUST THEM, ND ONCE- THEY FIGURED OUT, THIS PERSON'S OKAY, HE LET THEM INTO HIS INNER CIRCLE AND IT WAS GOOD AS GOLD.

I WAS FROM CALIFORNIA.

HE WAS FROM CHICAGO.

WE WOULD JOKE ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.

>> Eric: YOU GUYS GAVE A FITTING SEND