Crystallizing the Cause

This post originally appeared in the Blotch section of the Fort Worth Weekly's website. To consume it there : https://www.fwweekly.com/2018/02/22/sports-rush-a-crystal-clear-cause/https://www.fwweekly.com/2018/02/22/sports-rush-a-crystal-clear-cause/

Great performers can steal the show without even trying. Billy Crystal did it Monday night.
His opportunity came at the Nancy Lieberman Charities Dream Ball. The event teemed with celebrities from the worlds of sport and entertainment. Hall of Famers like Deion Sanders and Ralph Sampson came. Local media did interviews on the red carpet. ESPN’s Jay Harris hosted.
The show wasn’t about Billy Crystal per se. And the renowned entertainer didn’t make it about him. He made the night in a different way. It wasn’t because of the way he showed his talent. It was because of how he showed his perspective.

We interviewed him before the event began. When I asked him why it was meaningful for him to be there that night, he didn’t talk about being recognized for the work he’s done (Crystal received the Lifetime Achievement Award). He talked about the cause and about how Nancy Lieberman Charities had helped him rebuild a small part of the area where he grew up.

“When I was in a situation where my hometown had been wiped out by Hurricane Sandy, a little town on Long Island called Long Beach, I was looking for a way to raise money” Crystal said. “In a place that had been ripped apart by seawater, they built these two magnificent basketball courts. “
Crystal did another thing that showed his perspective. He fell. This wasn’t a comedy pratfall. He actually tumbled from his chair as he sat at his table. I don’t think he was injured, but nobody would have blamed him if he had left the venue after that. He didn’t. He stayed until the end of the show and entertained the crowd, in part with a running series of jokes about his mishap. A bruised tailbone didn’t result in a bruised ego. He was going to stay and help the nonprofit show the guests an enjoyable evening.

Crystal took photos of the crowd from the stage. He told Jay Harris fantastic stories of his one-man show and his (and Nancy Lieberman’s) friend Muhammad Ali. And he did receive his award from Bo Derek. Though he had the audience riveted, we probably can’t say he stole the show on the stage. That’s because Trailblazer Award winner Sam Moore (a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer from his work with Sam and Dave) gave a superb musical performance and after Bebe Winans introduced Jan Miller for the Inspirational Award, the noted literary agent gave a stirring speech.

But it was off the stage that Crystal’s work stood out the most. When Derek spoke before presenting him his award, she told of a program he sponsored that brings together Israeli and Palestinian actors and directors to peacefully co-produce creative works. It showed the perspective he has on the world – one that he contributed to an event that grossed $1.2 million for charity. For a man who has hosted award programs and walked away from them with hardware, it showed why he was truly a worthy recipient.

Rush Olson has spent more than two decades directing creative efforts for sports teams and broadcasters. He currently creates ad campaigns, television programs, and related creative projects for sports entities through Rush Olson Creative & Sports, Mint Farm Films, and FourNine Productions.


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2017 in Philanthropic Sports Events

This post originally appeared in the Blotch section of the Fort Worth Weekly's website. To consume it there : https://www.fwweekly.com/2017/12/19/sports-rush-sports-events-that-made-a-difference/

At charity events this year, I saw folks throw footballs or hit tennis balls to people. I heard wild stories about ballgames and boxing matches. And I witnessed some moments of generosity and respect worthy of the holiday season.

Regular readers of this blog may know that when I’m not lounging in the palatial Fort Worth Weekly office suite, I do other creative work. A good chunk of it involves adding to the presentation of events, and especially sports-related charitable ones. Read on for some detail on some event-related moments that left an impression.

Nancy Lieberman Charities Dream Ball

February, 2017

photo by Thomas Garza

From a sports content standpoint, it might not get better than this, especially if you’re a boxing fan. At the end of the evening, a roundtable discussion moderated by ESPN SportsCenter anchor Jay Harris featured Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, and Lonnie Ali (Muhammad’s widow) talking about Muhammad Ali’s legacy. We streamed it via Facebook Live and you can watch the panel, plus Lonnie Ali receiving an award, here.

Taste of the Cowboys
May, 2017

photo by Lori Gunter French

This event raises funds for the North Texas Food Bank, and the Dallas Cowboys serve as the face of the event (especially the bearded face of Travis Frederick and his fellow offensive linemen). They held this year’s event at the team’s new practice facility, The Star. It features prominent local chefs serving samples of signature dishes, so the food is a highlight, but the most fun part might involve football.  After the live auction concludes, a bunch of current and former Cowboys players take the stage. The auctioneer requests additional donations to the food bank, and when an audience member raises his or her hand to contribute, a player throws him or her a football. The completion percentage isn’t terribly high, but you do see a few good catches interspersed. It’s a cool spectacle and no doubt drives donations.

Behind the Masque Gala
May, 2017

 

Former Stars goaltender Marty Turco runs a charity called C5 Youth Foundation of Texas, and they do amazing work helping kids from challenging backgrounds navigate their teenage years and get into college. They annually hold a masquerade ball as a fundraiser, and this year the featured entertainment involved an improvisational comedy troupe from the Hideout Theatre.

The comedians managed to lure the easygoing Turco on stage, where they quizzed him about his day, which included hot yoga, picking up spirits for the event, and playing nine holes of golf. They then made up a song about his activities. In the middle of the routine, Turco laughed so hard his chair broke. It couldn’t have been scripted any better.

 Talk of the Town
July, 2017

photo by Carrie Adams

Maybe the most poignant moment of my year came at the Talk of the Town event. I’ve written in detail about why, but the quick holiday summary involves a Skype appearance by Dallas Stars announcer Dave Strader. Strader’s fight against cancer had prevented him from being physically present at the event, but he wanted to participate. So he joined his counterparts from the Mavericks, Rangers, and Cowboys electronically and it lit up the room, especially the table full of his Stars co-workers.

The lead-up to the event was fun, too, with a series of promotional videos starring the likes of Eric Nadel, Brad Sham, John Rhadigan, Chuck Cooperstein, and Cooperstein’s co-star from Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, Micah Pinson.

Nancy Lieberman Charities Celebrity Golf Classic
September, 2017

image by Dave French

One reason golfers play this tournament is the opportunity to rub elbows and trade foot wedges with notables from the worlds of sports and entertainment. It was nice seeing the likes of Seth Curry, Tony Casillas, Jose Guzman, and others show up to the support the charity, but one of the highlights was talking to comic actor Burton Gilliam near the 10th tee. My work that day involved shooting video, and we got to talking about camera technology. When he first got into the business, there was no digital technology allowing you to see what you had just shot as soon as you’ve done it. One shot movies on actual film, and you didn’t know what you had until it had been developed. Burton told me they once had to completely reshoot a scene when he was making Paper Moon because of something they hadn’t seen the previous day. It gives one an appreciation for all the scenes moviemakers did get right back in the day.
The main reason this one made the list though, is the scene at the end of this video. You’ll note Mr. Gilliam still has his acting chops.

Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic
September, 2017

image by Dave French

Dirk and Jessica Nowitzki have put on a celebrity tennis event the last two falls at the SMU tennis center. The tennis was a lot of fun, with a mix of world-class players like Donald Young and celebs from other professions like Owen Wilson and J.J. Barea. The evening before, they hold an exclusive VIP dinner and a silent auction. My personal favorite moment came when a video we had edited elicited tears from some audience members, but the best overall moment came during the silent auction that followed. As bids rose for various package, celebrities started stepping up. Former Dallas Star Mike Modano offered to fly in for a dinner package that already included Dirk, and other celebs joined. There were a number of cool gestures made and a lot of generous bids made it a six-figure night for the children’s causes helped by the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation.

Those are just a few highlights of the year in sports charity events, and I could name many more great moments and events (and I do feel guilty for not mentioning every single event I worked or attended in 2017 – they were all fantastic). Sport can be a force in doing good things, and a lot of people contributed a lot of time, energy, and money to improving people’s lives this year. Here’s to more of that in 2018.



Rush Olson has spent two decades directing creative efforts for sports teams and broadcasters. He currently creates ad campaigns, television programs, and related creative projects for sports entities through Rush Olson Creative & Sports, Mint Farm Films, and FourNine Productions.

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Linkedin.com/company/rush-olson-creative-&-sports
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Pat and Emmitt Smith Show Some Heart

This post originally appeared in the Blotch section of the Fort Worth Weekly's website. To consume it there : https://www.fwweekly.com/2017/11/29/sports-rush-emmitt-and-pat-smiths-pitch/

High-profile athletes can help deserving causes in more ways than one. They can use their celebrity status and the platform sports provides to bring attention to a need or to generate revenue for charities. They can also get involved on a personal level contributing time, personal funds, or expertise.

Since his playing days ended, Emmitt Smith and his wife, Pat, have used their Pat and Emmitt Smith Charities organization to assist children in all the above ways. Tuesday night at Dallas’ House of Blues, the Heart of Dallas Fast Pitch event, presented by Lagardère Plus, recognized the Smiths for their work with a Community Excellence Award.

In this video interview, conducted red-carpet style at the event, Pat explains a bit about what their family’s charity does, and Emmitt provides a football player’s perspective. The latter seemed especially relevant since the $15,000 Pat and Emmitt Smith Charities received, as well as monies distributed to half dozen other nonprofits, come in large part from the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl. That college football game, to be contested December 26 at the Cotton Bowl stadium between representatives of the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences, designates money for local causes and the Heart of Dallas Young Professionals organization disburses it annually at this event.

 

You notice Emmitt at the beginning and end of the interview pantomiming his own “pitch,” and the event got its name because six North Texas child-focused nonprofits must make a sales pitch about their missions. A panel of judges divides up available money among the groups, with the best presentations receiving the largest percentages. Tuesday’s finalists, culled from dozens of submissions, were Bryan’s House, Dallas CASA, Jubilee Park and Community Center, Rainbow Days, Rise Adaptive Sports, and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. All received at some funds, and no one took home less than $5,000.

 

During the event, the Smiths had an on-stage discussion with emcee Corby Davidson. The Hardline co-host asked them a little about football and a lot about charities. The subject of Emmitt’s fashion sense came up, too, with Pat labelling his formerly subpar selections as “BP” (“Before Pat”) and Emmitt designating them “BM” (“Before Money”). Mostly, the audience found out about how the couple uses both celebrity status and their laid-back but focused personalities to direct attention and funds toward endeavors they feel improve children’s lives.


Rush Olson has spent two decades directing creative efforts for sports teams and broadcasters. He currently creates ad campaigns, television programs, and related creative projects for sports entities through Rush Olson Creative & Sports, Mint Farm Films, and FourNine Productions.



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