College Football | Ginn & Topics

My friend Sam Boghosian, the Lord of the Rings

Posted on February 25, 2020 by ginnandtopics

**Sam Boghosian** posing with one of the two Super Bowl rings he won with the Raiders as the offensive line coach.

I’m always surprised at Sam Boghosian’s patience with me, because I had always been obsessed with his rings.

When we would meet for lunch or early morning coffee, I would eventually ask about the rings, and inquire if he would bring them over. I hope he didn’t think I was more interested in the rings than him.

Sam was that really cool sports figure that I loved to hang around with. People might not know as much about Sam as other sports figures here in the Palm Springs area. But few sports figures are more accomplished as Sam.

In college, Sam played for UCLA and helped the Bruins win their only national championship in football. When you consider how rich their sports history is, I think that makes the football title especially unique.

Sam had also interviewed for the head coaching job at Oklahoma at one point, but then he got a job as the offensive coordinator coach for the expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976.

After his stint in Seattle, Sam went on to join his friend Tom Flores with the Raiders where he was the offensive line coach. There, Sam won two more rings.

So I think I got Sam to bring his rings a few times, sitting in Ruby’s or Mimi’s Cafe. If only the people next to us knew what he was carrying.

Sam Boghosian with his two Super Bowl rings while coaching the offensive line for the Raiders in both Oakland and Los Angeles.

I got to know Sam when I worked at the Desert Sun. I can’t remember the story where we met. I’m pretty sure he was promoting a charity event, because he was always giving in that way.

But Sam was great about helping these events as a volunteer. As a journalist, you deal with a lot of PR professionals, and they stink at dealing with the media. They should have hired a guy like Sam.

I’ve made the transition from writer to handling media relations and marketing. My success with it is really based on how Sam did it. He was friendly, informative and knew how to sell it.

In fact, Sam did it better than people who made a career of it.

And Sam would introduce me to people, some who would become interesting stories. I met Bob Newton, who was on the offensive line during Sam’s time with the Seahawks.

Bob is a man who had battled addiction, overcome it and has been a successful counselor for several clinics in town, including the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage.

Sam Boghosian, myself and Bob Newton after one of our lunches.

And of course, I got to know Tom Flores, the former Raiders coach, through Sam.

It was Sam, who alerted me to the fact that Flores is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, despite the fact he won two Super Bowls as a head coach, one as an assistant coach and another as a backup quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs.

He had pushed for Flores to be inducted, and now I try to do what I can to help Flores. I mean, the Raiders have never won a Super Bowl without Tom Flores. The Raiders are the only Southern California team to win a Super Bowl. And Flores is also the first minority coach in the NFL, let along the first to win a title.

Sadly, Sam won’t be around to see Flores inducted into the Hall of Fame.

On Sunday, Sam has passed away. He had Alzheimer’s and his health had been declining.

It took me a while to pick up that Sam had Alzheimer’s. He would always ask me many times how I was doing. But even before he had the disease, he would ask me multiple times how I was doing because he sincerely cared about me.

I’m not the only one who Sam really cared about. Flores would tell me how Sam would have so many friends around the area. He was a lovable guy.

Sam also seemed like a larger-than-life kind of guy. Although he was only 5-foot-9, he just seemed like he would be tough as nails if you pushed him.

I’m not really how Sam would react in a adverse situation, because I never saw Sam angry. Well, that’s if you don’t count the times when he expressed his frustrations over Flores not being in the Hall of Fame.

I had gone through some tough times. Each time I spoke with Sam, he would want to figure out a way to help me. During those times, I wasn’t sure how I could help myself, so I didn’t know what to ask for.

The last time I spoke with Sam was during the holidays. I wanted to wish him a Merry Christmas. He was repeating himself a few times, but it was always wanting to know how I was doing.

To me, that was the same old Sam.

I’m really going to miss him.

Below is what Sam’s daughter Jody Boghosian Schiltz posted on Facebook.

My daddy, the man that taught me how to love, live and respect has passed away. It’s all fresh and raw. I am grateful for the unconditional love and comfort that he gave me and taught me how to give in return.
My daddy was my hero. ❤️

Sam Boghosian was born in Fresno, CA on December 22, 1931 and passed away in his Indian Wells home on February 23, 2020. With his wife Judy, and daughter Jody by his side.

Sam Boghosian was a man of many talents.
He graduated from UCLA as an Academic All American and asset to the 1954 National Championship Football team. His success at UCLA set the groundwork for the man he would become. His passion for people and football lead him into coaching with jobs at UCLA, Oregon State University, the Houston Oilers, the Seattle Seahawks, and lastly the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. Sam helped coach the Raiders to two Super Bowl Championships.

Dedicated to cultivating lasting and meaningful connections, Sam lived his life in commitment to excellence and to all those around him that he loved so dearly. It was in his blood to help others and leave an impact on every person he met on his journey. As a member of the Triple X Fraternity and the NFL Alumni Association, he utilized his platform to do just that. He raised money and awareness for countless charities, helped facilitate and organize fundraisers, and was always up for a round of golf in honor of a good cause.
Sam Boghosian was a man of integrity, passion, and dedication.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Judy, and their daughter, Jody Schiltz, son-in-law, Brian, and grandson Braden. He now joins his son, John James Boghosian, who preceded him in death. Sam was a beloved son and brother leaving behind his sister, Joyce, brothers, Marty and Joe, their families, and the families of his siblings that passed before him.

We all love Sam dearly.

On behalf of my father, and in lieu of flowers; please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association as they continue to search for a cure for this debilitating disease. Or please send a monetary donation, in my name, Jody Schiltz, for my mother, Judy Boghosian, who also has Alzheimer’s Disease and needs to be placed in a memory care home. I will be moving Judy to a care facility near my home in Georgia so she can be near my family and receive the care she needs to live the rest of her life with as much dignity as is possible. Thank you for any help you can give, as my parents were not financially prepared for the expenses that are needed for this level of extensive care.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/judy-boghosian-memory-care-fund?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-7a — with Brian Schiltz.

Sam with all three of his championship rings, the two Super Bowl rings with the Raiders and the national championship ring with the UCLA Bruins.

College Football

Heisman winners and prolific arms: the quarterbacks (and a tailback) Norm Chow coached

Gallery | Posted on October 29, 2016 by ginnandtopics

By Leighton Ginn

One of the top offensive minds in the history of college football, Norm Chow made his reputation on building quarterbacks at both Brigham Young and USC, as well as an impressive short stint at North Carolina State.

Chow spent 27 years (1973-99) at BYU. At various times, he was the Cougars’ assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, co-offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, receivers coach, recruiting coordinator and graduate assistant (1973 and 1974).

He coached six of the NCAA’s top 16 career passing efficiency leaders and was involved with squads that hold 11 of the top 30 single season passing yardage totals in NCAA history. He coached in 22 bowls at BYU and was on the staff of the Cougars’ 1984 national championship team. BYU went 244-91-3 during his time in Provo.

He was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1999 by the American Football Foundation and in 1993 by Athlon. He was the 1996 Division I Offensive Coordinator of the Year by American Football Quarterly. In 1996, he was a finalist for the Broyles Award.

CARSON PALMER

Carson Palmer drops back to pass / photo courtesy of USC Athletics

CARSON PALMER: Some people think Palmer was the definitive quarterback of all of Chow’s protege. A highly recruited quarterback, Palmer was considered a underachiever prior to Chow’s arrival.

In two years with Chow, Palmer became one of the top quarterbacks in USC history en route to the Heisman Trophy.

Chow said when he got to USC, the playbook was reduced by 75 percent.

“I think we allowed him to be him,” Chow said. “You need to give your guy a chance to cut loose and play. There’s only so many reads you can make and there’s only so much you can do to that. You just let them play after a while. I think Carson took to that.”

“We always laugh about that because there’s only so many routes you can throw anyways.”

MATT LEINART

NCAA Football - Cal vs. University of Southern California

USC quarterback Matt Leinart drops back to pass during 23-17 victory over Cal at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Pac-10 Conference football game on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2004 / photo courtesy of USC Athletics

MATT LEINART: The heir apparent to Carson Palmer, Leinart beat out Matt Cassel and Brandon Hance for the starting job as a sophomore.

He would led the Trojans to two national titles and won the 2004 Heisman Trophy.

During their time together, Chow was impressed with how cerebral Leinart was. He remembers during practice how Leinart would call out head coach Pete Carroll’s defensive alignments.

For Chow, he doesn’t understand how Leinart’s success didn’t continue in the NFL.

“That was one of the real mysteries for me, why he’s not in the league. He’s good enough and he’s smart enough,” Chow said. “He was also cerebral as heck. He didn’t have a great arm and maybe that got him in trouble. But he was very accurate and had great anticipations.

“I swore that he would not only take a team to the national championship, but he would also take a team to the Super Bowl. I don’t know what happened.”

TY DETMER

TY DETMER: A case of don’t judge a book by its cover.

Detmer didn’t have the physical tools of a prototypical quarterback, which was evident when they were in the locker room before a game at Colorado State.

“I was next to him and he took his shirt off. ‘Holy geez, we got to play a game with this guy who was 175-pounds dripping wet,'” Chow remembered. “But 400 yards later, we put the balls away and went home with the W.”

Chow said Detmer had a father as a coach and his understanding of the game was ahead of others. The only other player who had a mind like Detmer was Jim McMahon.

Detmer was the first player to win a Heisman Trophy for Chow, so many people wanted to take credit for recruiting Detmer.

Chow said it was a what, not a who, that attracted Detmer to BYU.

Detmer was going on recruiting trips to Colorado, Utah and then Los Angeles. In between the trip from Utah to Los Angeles, Detmer paid a visit to the Provo River, which was well-known for its fly fishing.

Once Detmer went fishing, he decided he would go to BYU.

Today, Detmer is following in Chow’s footsteps as the offensive coordinator at BYU.

“I text him after ball games,” Chow said. “To see some of the things he does is fascinating. He’s a tremendously gifted mind in the game of football.”

REGGIE BUSH

USC tailback Reggie Bush breaks loose against Virginia Tech as coach Pete Carroll looks on. The Trojans won 24-13 / Photo courtesy of USC Athletics

REGGIE BUSH: One of the most gifted offensive players Chow ever worked with, Bush gave his offense a dimension he never enjoyed before.

“He was ahead of his time in college,” Chow said. “He was so good and so quick.”

Bush won his Heisman Trophy the year after Chow had left to become the offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans.

Chow said Bush was another receiver for his offense because of his good hands and the mismatches he created.

Notre Dame learned the hard way, as Chow retold a story he heard from Matt Leinart.

“We were playing Notre Dame and the weak-side linebacker said, ‘I got 5, I got 5,'” Chow said. “Matt Leinart said, ‘Bull (expletive) you got 5.’ He checked off a play for Reggie and he goes 70 yards for a touchdown.”

JIM MCMAHON

JIM MCMAHON: Chow was the receivers coach at the time at BYU, but recruited McMahon, who sometimes served as another offensive coordinator.

As the staff would prepare the game plans each week, McMahon would come into the office after watching tape and suggest plays.

“Coach bought in, I bought in,” Chow said. “When he went to the Bears, he did the same thing and (coach Mike) Ditka got pissed at him.”

Chow pointed out that much of what McMahon called worked.

During his time at BYU, McMahon was generally quiet. After games, he would leave Provo for his home in Roy, about 40 miles away.

So when McMahon became the “punky QB” with the Bears, it was counter to how Chow knew him.

“I remember when he came into town for a game,” Chow said. “I asked him, ‘Jim, why do you act so crazy?’ He said, ‘Coach, the crazier I act, the more money I make.'”

STEVE YOUNG

STEVE YOUNG: While Young had a great career at BYU, where he was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and broke 13 NCAA records, he wasn’t the kind of quarterback he would become with the San Francisco 49ers.

“When he was recruited to BYU, it was strictly as an athlete,” Chow said. “I wish we could take more credit for him.”

Chow said Young benefitted from a sure-handed tight end, Gordon Hudson, a former basketball player with a knack for getting open.

“I remember we used to tell him, ‘This is your first read. Look for Gordon, that was No. 2. No. 3, run,'” Chow said laughing. “That’s what we told him and he had a tremendous career because of that. We laughed about that all the time.”

Chow said Young became a great quarterback in the pros due to his time in the USFL and then being the backup to Joe Montana. When Young took over the 49ers, he was the NFL MVP in 1992 and 94, and the Super Bowl MVP after throwing six touchdown passes to beat the San Diego Chargers in 1995.

“He was a very gifted athlete who was as bright as the day is long,” Chow said.

PHILIP RIVERS

PHILIP RIVERS: Chow only had one season with the future San Diego Chargers star, his freshman season at North Carolina State.

Rivers graduated high school early, so Chow got to work with him during spring football to better prepare him for his freshman season. Chow joked that he needed that time to get used to Rivers’ Southern drawl.

“I told him, ‘You know Philip, I don’t understand a word your saying, and you don’t understand pidgin. We’re going to get along fine,'” Chow joked. “He was 6-foot-4 with an odd throwing motion, but bright, bright, bright.

“He makes things happen. Even as a first-year player, he was in charge. You knew he was in charge.”

Chow would leave for the USC offensive coordinator job, but said that one season was really enjoyable.

“I’ve said this many times, that was the funnest year I’ve had in coaching, coaching Philip Rivers,” Chow said. “He just made the game fun.”

VINCE YOUNG

VINCE YOUNG: While the Tennessee Titans had success with Vince Young early in his career, Chow said he saw the former Texas Longhorns star struggling with his transition.

“He just wasn’t ready for all the stuff that came with being an NFL quarterback,” Chow said. “He got by on his athleticism, and that was eventually going to get him into trouble because when you get to that level, everyone is as athletic as you are.”

Kerry Collins was the backup quarterback, and Chow said he had hoped Young would follow his lead, in terms of putting in the work needed.

Chow said on Tuesdays, players were off while the coaches were putting together the game plan for the week.

“Kerry Collins had a fax machine at home,” Chow said. “At 5 or 6 p.m., he starts calling me. ‘Coach, send me what you got, send me what you got.’ Wednesday morning was the installation of the offense and Kerry wanted to know what was going on.

“I encouraged (Young) a lot to come into the office on Tuesdays, but he wasn’t ready for that real serious studying.”

But Chow said he could tell that Young had other issues that were weighing in on him. When Young came to the facility, he would have his head down.

“I said, ‘Vince, with all these people after you, what you should do it go to your loved ones. They care about you,'” Chow said. “He looked at me, ‘Coach, those were the worst ones.’

“It wore on him.”

Despite all the issues, Young was the NFL offensive rookie of the year and a Pro Bowler in 2006, and the Titans reached the playoffs the next season.

ROBBIE BOSCO

ROBBIE BOSCO: He was the right quarterback at the right time for BYU and Chow, as he helped lead the Cougars to the 1984 national title.

“Robbie Bosco is a little different guy. He was a tough guy, but he was also thin,” Chow said. “What made Robbie was there was a lot of players around him that made him look good.”

While Bosco didn’t have the kind of arm of some of the other Hall of Famers, his career was no less impressive as he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in 1984 and 85.

MATT CASSEL

Matt Cassel attempts a pass against Arizona State/ photo courtesy of USC Athletics

MATT CASSEL: While at USC, fans didn’t see much of Matt Cassel, as he was backup to both Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

It was a frustrating time for Cassel, who thought he would be the heir apparent after Palmer left.

“He wanted a chance and he deserved a chance,” Chow said. “But with Leinart playing the way he did, it was hard. There was only one ball.”

Chow said he respected that Cassel never transferred and even played tight end to help the team. He also knew he was very capable quarterback for the next level.

When Chow left for the Tennessee Titans, he made arrangements to sign Cassel as a free agent.

“All of the sudden, in the seventh round, someone comes down to the office and said, ‘someone already took your boy,'” Chow said. “The Patriots had gone out to the Pro Day. The receivers needed someone to throw to them and Matt volunteered. He made such an impression that the Patriots took him in the last round.

“That’s who Matt Cassel was. He was good enough, but he got caught in a tough situation.”

In 2008, Cassel stepped in as the starter for the Patriots after Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury and led the team to an 11-5 record.

MARC WILSON

MARC WILSON: In 1979, Wilson was a first-time All American, the first for BYU. By the next year, he was the backup to Jim McMahon.

“He had a kind of checkered little career because of McMahon,” said Chow, who was the receivers coach at the time. “I don’t think he was really pleased with the way BYU handled him. They didn’t handle him wrong because McMahon was there. I think later in life, he realized what was happening.

“We still stay in touch, and we’ve done so for a while.”

Wilson had a good run in the NFL, as he was part of the Raiders’ Super Bowl championship teams in 1980 and 84.

Wilson was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame after breaking nine NCAA passing records.

Jay Dobyns on going from football to working undercover for the ATF

Posted on October 19, 2016 by ginnandtopics

By Leighton Ginn

On a fall afternoon, Jay Dobyns talks about his college football career and his undercover work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as if there was no difference in both jobs.

The way Dobyns sees it, both job comes down to a willingness to put yourself in danger for the common good.

But outsiders looking in might have trouble seeing the commonality of the two job because of the degrees of danger Dobyns faced.

At the University of Arizona in the mid-80s, Dobyns was a possession receiver who routinely went over the middle to catch big third-down passes to keep drives alive, despite being laid out in front of bone-crushing linebackers.

All Sports Tucson.com listed Dobyns as the No. 1 offensive player in its list titled, “Top 10 badasses in Arizona Wildcats football in Pac 10/12 era.”

All Sports Tucson’s “Badass” list

Former Arizona coach Larry Smith said of Dobyns in a 1984 Arizona Daily Star article, “every Saturday a kid who barely weighs 170 pounds dripping wet goes over the middle for us. I know this Jay is a tough, reckless, S.O.B. After games, he looks like he’s been run over by a train. I personally think he enjoys taking the defenses’ best shot just so he can get up and laugh at them.”

Dobyns’ attitude served him well when he entered the next phase of his life after his playing career. And the danger he faced was amped up.

For 27 years, Dobyns went after this country’s most violent criminals while working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). For two years, Dobyns infiltrated the Hells Angels’ motorcycle gang. His work became the material for his 2009 New York Times bestselling book, “No Angel.”

To purchase Dobyns’ book “No Angel” on Amazon

“I think my career as a receiver and my career as an undercover agent are identical. There’s really no difference,” Dobyns said. “You have the fear in place, and then what is your reaction to it. Are you courageous? Are you not courageous? Will you go over the middle, focus on the football and make the catch? Will you go face-to-face with a murderer or a rapist or someone you know who is capable of killing you? It’s the same but different.”

While going up the middle, Dobyns could suffer a concussion from a high hit, or injure his knees on low hits. And during Dobyns’ days, he would face the likes of All-American linebackers like Mike Singletary at Baylor and Ron Rivera of Cal.

That was where the jeopardy ends.

After Dobyns’ work was revealed after his two-years with the Hells Angels, he’s faced death threats to himself and some unspeakable threats to his wife and two kids. There were contracts out on his life from the Hells Angels and the Aryan Brotherhood to name a few.

At one point, Dobyns’ home was burned down while his family were there. Luckily, Dobyns’ family escaped with just inhalation injuries.

For Dobyns, he was always willing to do what was best for the common good.

“It’s more of a willingness. I think for me, that was what I was best at. I don’t know if I was ever that good of a receiver or if I ever was that good of an undercover operator. But I was willing. I was willing to try,” Dobyns said. “I had one prayer as an undercover operator. It was, ‘God, please put me in the path of the most vile, despicable, violent predator that you can find out there and let me see if there’s something I can do about that. Let me see if I can make an impact.’ It goes back to willingness. I don’t know if I was going to be successful, I didn’t even know if I would be good at it. But I was willing to try.”

“I had one prayer as an undercover operator. It was, ‘God, please put me in the path of the most vile, despicable, violent predator that you can find out there and let me see if there’s something I can do about that. Let me see if I can make an impact.’” — Jay Dobyns

ARIZONA CAREER

Dobyns grew up in Tucson, Ariz., and became a star receiver at Sahuaro High School. Although Dobyns was a thin receiver that lacked breakaway speed, he had sure hands and was willing to go over the middle. In the modern game, he would essentially be a 170-pound tight end, but taking similarly devastating hits.

At first, Dobyns passed on his hometown Arizona to sign with Arkansas after a sales pitch from coach Lou Holtz.

“I fell in love with Lou Holtz for all the right reasons,” Dobyns said. “I got out there and realized that I wouldn’t be successful or thrive in a run-based offense. So I ended up coming back to Arizona, which had a more dynamic pass offense. You had a dynamic, open mentality on the West Coast than you did in the (Southwest) Conference at that time.”

The Wildcats team was full of talent, including future NFL stars, like the Denver Broncos’ Vance Johnson and Ricky Hundley, as well as Chuck Cecil.

Arizona was a team on probation from earlier transgression, but the Wildcats reached some of the program’s largest highs while Dobyns played. Among the milestones was a victory over Notre Dame in South Bend, the start of an undefeated streak against rival Arizona State that spanned nine years, beating John Elway’s Stanford team, No. 3 UCLA and earning a No. 3 national ranking, which was the best in Arizona’s history at the time. In Dobyns’ final two years, he was an All-Pac-10 honorable mention receiver.

“It was a blessing for me to come back home and play for coach Smith and play for my hometown fans,” Dobyns said.

A TRANSFORMATION

After graduating, Dobyns went to the NFL combines, where he worked out with Jerry Rice and Andre Reed. It only took 10 minutes for Dobyns to realize he wasn’t ready for that level.

Dobyns did play a season for the USFL’s Arizona Outlaws with Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams and former UCLA quarterback and coach Rick Neuheisel.

Dobyns also had a workout with the Chicago Bears, but coach Mike Ditka said he was 10 years too late.

When Dobyns accepted his career was over, he needed to thing about what to do next.

One thing that influenced Dobyns was the hit television series, “Miami Vice,” where he decided to try a life undercover.

“I thought, ‘man, I might not be a good enough football player to play in the league, but I could be Sonny Crockett,’” Dobyns said about actor Don Johnson’s character in “Miami Vice.” “’I can wear silk suits and drive around South Beach in a Lamborghini. I can do that. I can be that guy.’”

Four days into the job, Dobyns was shot in the back, and the bullet went through his lungs and out through his chest.

Dobyns survived the near death experience more invigorated to work for ATF and would become an undercover cop.

Dobyns would work 27 years for the ATF, and his undercover work would draw comparisons to Joseph D. Pistone, the real life agent the movie “Donnie Brasco” is based on.

But his work was never as glamorous as what was portrayed on “Miami Vice.”

“The silk suits in reality are cutoff camos, a wife beater and flip flops,” Dobyns said. “The Lamborghini is a 1982 Malibu with the doors frozen closed for my government car. And South Beach was a trailer park. My drug kingpins were guys sitting at a bar that didn’t have two nickels to rub together to buy their next beer.

“So the glamour and sexiness that’s portrayed of the undercover profession by Hollywood and television is very much unlike the truth.”

To go undercover, Dobyns also did an overhaul of his personal appearance. While playing for Arizona, he had floppy blonde hair and looked like a surfer.

“I think my image on the team and in the community was the cold milk and Oreos guy,” Dobyns said. “I so wanted to be Nick Nolte in “North Dallas Forty.” I wanted to have the long, blonde hair and I was the possession, control receiver and I loved that. I loved the Fred Biletnikoff, Steve Largent world that sacrificed themselves and gave of themselves for the greater good.

“That look was too soft for the world I entered. It was too sissy. You are dealing with really hard, violent men who have their PhD’s in intimidation. So I had to stop being cute, and get dirty and nasty so I could keep up and be accepted.”

“You are dealing with really hard, violent men who have their PhD’s in intimidation. So I had to stop being cute, and get dirty and nasty so I could keep up and be accepted.” — Jay Dobyns

While Dobyns’ work with the Hells Angels was the highest profile he worked on, there were other cases of note during Dobyns’ career.

On a fall afternoon, Dobyns recounts another case in his career for the television series “Deep Undercover.” Dobyns and his partner was busting a suspect who was purchasing enough C4 explosives to blow up three Las Vegas casinos. Dobyns points out the C4 was in the room as the other agents busted in to arrest the suspect.

The case was in the wake of the Timothy McVeigh bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.

Today, Dobyns life has slowed down. He coaches high school football and follows his son, who is playing college football.

With Dobyns’ success in the ATF and his best-selling book, he’s frequently doing public speaking and media interviews. Recently, he did an in-depth interview with Pac-12 Network’s Mike Yam for his iTunes podcast “Give Me A Sense.”

Go to Give Me A Sense. Jay Dobyns’ interview is Episode 24

But Dobyns’ life still has a hint of danger. During his interview with Yam, Dobyns said he still lives in the house that burned down. Dobyns also pointed out with Yam that he doesn’t have the kind of witness protection that criminals like former mob underboss Sammy “The Bull” Gravano has.

“There’s active contracts out there that are still floating around in the criminal sphere,” Dobyns said. “But who wants to fill it? I don’t hide, I don’t go into situations I shouldn’t be in. I don’t want a problem. I’ll avoid a problem. I’ll walk away from a problem, I’ll run away from a problem to avoid it.

“Don’t corner me, because if you corner me, we’re going to have a problem. You know what, if you hurt me, we’re all going to get hurt. You want to come get me, we’re all going to the hospital. That’s my mentality. But I don’t want that. To be honest, I think they’ve become bored with me.”

For more on Jay Dobyns

Remembering Pete Carroll’s first game as USC head coach

Posted on September 2, 2015 by ginnandtopics

USC coach Pete Carroll holds BCS Championship trophy after 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2005.

Mediocre NFL coach taking over USC? This looked like the makings of a big mistake.

Well, that was one of my thoughts when Pete Carroll was named the new USC head coach prior to the 2001 season. As head coach of the New England Patriots and New York Jets, Carroll’s record was average at best.

And the USC fans were vicious.

He was unwanted, and after his first game, Carroll probably didn’t endear himself to the USC faithful.

Carroll won his first game, a 21-10 victory over San Jose State. During the post-game press conference, the USC band was playing, as is their tradition.

In the middle the press conference, Carroll goes something like, “Jiminy cricket, does that band ever stop.” A few of us reporters chuckled as Carroll was annoyed. A few of the USC staff and I assume boosters began to sit up a little straighter, not amused by the comments.

Things didn’t go well for USC as it lost five of the next six games. Looking back, it was surprising as USC had stars such as Carson Palmer and Troy Polamalu.

One of those victories came over Arizona State. And the situation was similar. Post-game press conference, Pete was at the podium and the band was playing.

Then Pete blurted out, “I really love that band.”

This time, the whole room chuckled.

Michael Kim’s still a pioneering force in sports journalism

Posted on August 20, 2015 by ginnandtopics

Michael Kim (right) listens during a Sports Task Force event at the Asian American Journalist Association convention in San Francisco. Kim is joined by ESPN’s New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets writer Ohm Youngmisuk.

I like to think of Michael Kim as the journalist for impatient sports fans.

Many people know Kim from his days at ESPN. He actually got his start with the network in 1996 with the launch of ESPN News. Before the internet and instantaneous results on your phone or PC, ESPN News was a 24-hour service that fans could check in at anytime to get up to date on the latest results.

Kim went on to anchor SportsCenter as well as filled in for “Outside The Lines” and “First Take,” among other things.

Last year, Kim made the surprise move of leaving the “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” when he took a job with 120 Sports, which provides on-demand sports highlights and analysis in two-minute video segments.

And all videos are to fit into two minutes, hence the reason for the 120 names referring to the total seconds.

It’s an innovative app, voted among the best by ITunes and continues to grow.

Below is my interview with Kim during the Asian American Journalist Association convention. Kim, as well as myself, are involved with the Sports Task Force.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/70914929

I’ve grown to really like 120 Sports. While ESPN is my main source for sports news, it can get tedious waiting through the deflategate stories to get to highlights I want to see. With 120 Sports, I can find the highlights and thoughtful analysis from a very impressive team of experts. They do provide some fresh perspectives if you are looking for something different from ESPN’s crew.

This is a venture with Sports Illustrated and several of the major sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and several college conferences.

Check it out when you get a chance.

http://www.120sports.com/video

Also, for those of you who will have interest in the AAJA Sports Task Force, we have two sites.

The Facebook page has stories posted from the various AAJA journalists covering a wide array of sports.

https://www.facebook.com/AAJASportsJournalists?ref=bookmarks

And if you want to learn more about the organization, the link to the AAJA Sports Task Force is below.

http://sportstaskforce.com/