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Chapter 1: Who is Ben Graham and what is his significance in the NFL?
Whiteley on SCN. They got whitewashed in the first half and for much of the third quarter. Seattle kept sustaining what they do best. They're a team that believes in one player at a time, all collectively working together towards the same mission, and they took advantage of the Patriots. They got five yards here and six yards there.
They got in position to get ahead, to get the field goals, and then they sustained it in the second half when they backed up a little bit and then took advantage of the mistakes that were ultimately going to come from a desperate New England team.
The beautiful, gravelly voice of Larry Fitzgerald Sr. On this station, we've broadcast nine Super Bowls. Larry has been with us for eight of those. We've learned in the past few hours that he's passed away in Minnesota, aged 71. The best way to describe Larry to you is to think of him as Minnesota's Mike Sheehan. and the love and affection that he garnered in NFL circles.
He had a dedicated seat at each Super Bowl, and once we started to travel, he gave up that seat to come and sit with us in the broadcast booth and provide his knowledge and insights, storytelling, and his emotion. His emotion was always raw at the end of the national anthem. What a privilege to have known him, and what a loss to feel this morning, Larry Fitzgerald Sr. passing away. So...
We're a trio, Ben Graham, and we're now down a good man.
He was a beautiful man. I first met him in 2008 playing at the Cardinals with his son, Larry Jr. So it was almost full circle when I came on board with the SEN Super Bowl broadcast and to see Larry Fitzgerald Sr. in his element. He's a true pioneer, a doyen of sports broadcasting over 40 years across multiple sports. But he is iconic in Minnesota. He'll be greatly missed.
Reached out to Larry Fitzgerald Jr. this morning just to pass on our love, Australia's love for Larry Sr. He was just a beautiful man and he will be. That's all he meant.
He was a big presence, both literally and figuratively. When we had our lunches on a Friday and we would have Super Bowl MVPs and current day players, there was a difference from the modern generation to Larry and they would come and sit with him. So his place and his generosity of spirit, but the reverence from the current day players towards him was unmissable.
So well respected. And he'd ask questions of them that the Australian audience wouldn't even think of asking because he wanted to know. But that... Those relationships that he built over a long period of time, and this is outside of him being Larry Fitzgerald Jr. 's dad. Yes. He was way more than that.
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Chapter 2: What impact did Larry Fitzgerald have on Minnesota football?
And his first wife, Carol, passed away in 2003, and he set up the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund. So it was even outside of sport and his son that he contributed in a big way to the sports industry.
Yeah.
So almost 50 years in the Minnesota sports scene from 1978, 45 years as a columnist from the Minnesota spokesman recorder. There are tributes being paid everywhere, including the Vikings themselves. He was perennial with the Vikings. And as it turns out, Larry Jr. was inducted into the Hall of Fame in this Super Bowl week. And we got to see him on the Friday. Larry Jr.
came up to our broadcast booth to be with Larry Sr. during our call for a period of time. And the pride and emotion is, we spoke to him on air, but Larry Sr. could barely express his pride in his son without breaking down as he What a beautiful thing for us all to experience together.
It was, to know that that was his last Super Bowl and he's been involved in close to 35 over the journey was, it brought a tear to my eye because, I mean, I played with Larry for four years and the fact that he brought his dad up and then to see that connection and you call reverence of all the other international broadcast booths, not only with Larry Sr., but Larry Jr., they're together.
It's a, as I said, it's, it's, he did go to a lot of Larry Fitzgerald Jr. 's games and it is with sadness that he'll miss the hall of fame event in a couple of months. Uh, but the fact that he was announced during Superbowl week, that, that is one of Larry Fitzgerald Sr. 's proudest moments.
And he was there to share it with us. And Larry senior had his own ring, didn't he? Is the Minnesota Vikings. No, the Arizona Cardinals. We should. Struck a ring for Larry senior at it. So it's the same ring you've got. Yes.
Yes, and he wears it proudly, and so he should. He was so proud of not only Larry Jr., but Marcus, his second son, who announced the news on social media this morning. But it is with sadness that we get the news, and our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Fitzgerald and Minnesota community.
Yes, I'll read what the Fitzgerald family shared. It's with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr., a devoted father, husband, grandfather, and a true pioneer in the Minnesota broadcasting community. He spent his life pouring into the people and the city he loved so much.
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Chapter 3: How did Larry Fitzgerald Sr. contribute to sports broadcasting?
It's in LA. They're all in. Myles Garrett. Now, they had to trade out Jared Verse and a first rounder next year, a second rounder the year after, and a third rounder the year after that. So it's a big haul that the Browns will receive. But this is... Matt Stafford's potentially last year. They've brought in Trent McDuffie and Jalen Watson as cornerbacks, ex-chiefs, to strengthen their defence.
But this is huge. He's a man mountain. And we're going to get to see him, Gerard, at the MCG in September in... His first game in Rams colors. It's a, for those that don't know, he is a future hall of famer, first ballot hall of famer. He is a game wrecker and he's going to do some amazing things for the Rams this year. And they've firmed a Superbowl favorites already. Right. So that's very cool.
That's very cool that the starting point is going to be at the MCG. Oh yes, it is. Awesome. Ben, thank you for coming in. No worries, Gerard. Really appreciate it. Ben Graham with us in the studio.