Jerry's last "Cheap Seats" column
Blog: Virtual Cheaps Seats with Jerry Greene (Archived)
Jerry can now be found on ESPN2
(He usually has a notes blog every Sunday morning called Sunday Brunch that goes up sometime before noon.)See the Orland Sentenial's collection of "Jerry Greene through the years" photos. (If you see anything on this page - don't miss this!)
Jerry Greene
SPORTS COLUMNIST, ORLANDO SENTINEL (Retired)
Note: In its August, 2007 edition the Orlando Magazine selected Jerry as the "Best Sports Columnist in Orlando. Congratulations Jerry!
Jerry's comment: "THANKS
TO RICH VOTERS Somehow the readers of Orlando Magazine selected me "Best
Sports Columnist" of 2007. This is shocking because why would those
rich folks even look at a column called "Cheap Seats"? But note
that Pat Clarke of WESH-Ch. 2 was "Best TV Sportscaster" and Shot
Doctor of 740 The Team was "Best Radio Sports Host." The three
of us have an obvious bond with those readers. We're old." 
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ASSIGNMENT: Inform, entertain and, every once in a while, enlighten. If that fails, grab the check and run. BACKGROUND: Was broke and out of work in 1967 on a beach near Fort Pierce. My three job opportunities were selling shoes, pumping gas or being the second man in a two-man sports department. I wasn't smart enough for the first two but got the third job in a close battle with a guy who had just got out of reform school. The rest, they say, has been history. HEROES: Any person I know who has the strength to survive without sacrificing decency. Mulder and Scully. LOVES: "The X-Files", science fiction, Chinese food, foot rubs, hot chocolate, most other foods, card games,"Buffy the Vampire Slayer", jai-alai, horse racing, old rock 'n' roll, family, friends. BIGGEST HATE: Lines, All lines. And all folks at the front of the line who are not doing everything humanly possible to get out of myway. SECOND BIGGEST HATE: Meatloaf. The food, not the singer IF I WEREN'T A JOURNALIST: First of all, the jury is still out about whether I AM a journalist. But the job I'd really like is being "A Consultant." I like the idea of walking around a factory for a week,then saying: "You should paint everything red. That will be $10,000 please." On a very sad note: Judi, Jerry's wife of 42 years died from complications from cancer at the age of 69 on August 3, 2007. Jerry memorialized her in an article he wrote on his Orlando Sentenal colum it can be found on our Memorial page. |
OrlandoSentinel.com April 15,
2009 Final farewell -- Mr. Cheap Seats decides to take a seat FROM THE CHEAP SEATS Jerry Greene Nude mud wrestling. That's how it began. My first column for the Orlando Sentinel in April 1976 was about the naked young ladies who wrestled in mud at the Club Juana that existed then across the street from the Orlando Jai-Alai Fronton in Casselberry. I remember one thing about those ladies — they all had ear infections. Ew. What I remember about the column is that it was pulled from the newspaper after the first edition. Nobody had told me that shortly before I arrived at the newspaper, the publisher had banned writing anything about the Club Juana. Nice start. Thirty-three years later and I'm cashing in. I can only hope it has been nearly as good for you as it has been for me. Don't know what else to say. About half my life has been spent in Orlando while working for this newspaper. That makes me incredibly fortunate. I have had a job that I've loved in a city that has been a warm (and humid) home for my family. The memories of events are jumbled together. About two dozen Super Bowls, plus some Masters and some Kentucky Derbies and so many UCF games of different kinds. The running feud with the Green Bay Cheeseheads and then the Miami Dol-Fans. And there was that time at Tinker Field when I said I would eat my column if you could fill the park for a minor-league baseball game. It actually didn't taste that bad with some salsa on it. And the people. Coaches and athletes that I don't dare start naming because I wouldn't know how to stop. Men and women working at this newspaper plus local radio and TV. And the radio and TV appearances that have been marvelous fun — even working with Mike Bianchi. Most of all, you. All the folks who have won "Beat Jerry" T-shirts over the years during the "pro picks" competition — and a special shout out to Peggy Cacciabeve's fifth-grade classes at Cheney Elementary that have been proving I am not smarter than fifth-graders. All the folks who have written over the years. You know who you are and you are appreciated. And all the folks who have not written but have been reading — you are the reason I've been here all this time. Most of all, my eternal thanks to the kind folks who responded after the death of my wife, Judi. Your kindness has meant so much. And it was rewarding to know that what I said helped some of you in dealing with the loss of persons you love. And now it's time to go. Will I write something in these pages again? Perhaps. I'm certainly willing if the opportunity should arise. But I've got my children and grandchildren — plus books to read, movies to see and éclairs to eat. Thank you so very much. 1976 — What a year it was If you are younger than 33, you were not even alive when I came to this newspaper. And you probably have to be nearly 45 to have memories of 1976. So I want to give you an idea of what was happening then. • The Tampa Bay Bucs arrived — but waited until the 12th game of 1977 before they figured out how to win. Bill Buchalter covered the Bucs in '76 while I watched the Miami Dolphins stumble through a 6-8 season. But I was with the Bucs in '77, including that glorious 33-14 victory in New Orleans that prompted Saints Coach Hank Stram to say: "We're all ashamed for our people, for our fans, for our organization." He wasn't back in '78. • The Summer Olympics were in Montreal, where 14-year-old gymnast Nadia Comaneci of Romania won our hearts while the Soviet Union won most of the gold. • Biggest TV shows — Happy Days, Charlie's Angels and The Six Million Dollar Man. • President Gerald Ford was going out, President Jimmy Carter was coming in. • Average cost of a new car was $4,557 and gas was 59 cents a gallon — but the average income was $16,095. • Hot songs included "Afternoon Delight," "I Write the Songs" (gag), and the immortal "Disco Duck." • Births included Peyton Manning, Jennifer Capriati, Kevin Garnett and my son Jason (prompting a 2 a.m. drive back from Miami after a Dolphins' game). • Pittsburgh Steelers were defending NFL champs — so what else is new? Last salute to Tebow • Tim Tebow can hit blackjack with one card. • Tim Tebow can kick-start a car. • And I must go because time waits for no man — except Tim Tebow. As far as he knows, Jerry has written his final Cheap Seats but he has a new e-mail address — osogreene@gmail.com — that you are welcome to use. And have a great day, week, month, year and life. Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel |
Last updated: March 23, 2010
