{"id":11080,"date":"2017-05-03T09:13:27","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T09:13:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/2017\/05\/03\/deford-says-thanks-for-a-good-game-drops-mic\/"},"modified":"2017-05-03T09:13:27","modified_gmt":"2017-05-03T09:13:27","slug":"deford-says-thanks-for-a-good-game-drops-mic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/deford-says-thanks-for-a-good-game-drops-mic\/","title":{"rendered":"Deford Says Thanks For A Good Game, Drops Mic"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Frank Deford<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n President Barack Obama laughs with Frank Deford as he awards him the 2012 National Humanities Medal for transforming how we think about sports, during a ceremony in the East Room of White House on July 10, 2013.<\/p>\n

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Carolyn Kaster\/AP<\/p>\n

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Carolyn Kaster\/AP<\/p>\n

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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages!<\/p>\n

I always wanted to use that in a commentary, that wonderful circus introduction ballyhooed by the splendid ringmaster, but I could just never find the ideal spot.<\/p>\n

Of course, had I, there would’ve been some people who’d say that a circus doesn’t belong in with sports. But, hey, just because there’s clowns around doesn’t disqualify certain daredevils from being certified athletes \u00ad\u00ad\u2014 equestrians, tightrope walkers and those who fly through the air with the greatest of ease.<\/p>\n

That’s why I was so upset to learn that the grandest big top ever \u2014 Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey \u2014 was going out of business later this month. The Greatest Show on Earth \u2014 and it probably was exactly that once upon a time.<\/p>\n

Well, by coincidence, this<\/em> particular tiny show on earth that consists entirely of me talking about sports on NPR is also folding its tent flaps this May of 2017. Yes, this is my swansong, my farewell, my last hurrah. Adieu, adios, arrividerci, auf widersehn.<\/p>\n