Willard Scott, naked people, Paul McCartney, The Weather Channel, an obscure long-snapper, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all-night typing. You have your Super Bowl memories. I have mine. I went to six Super Bowls, enough to have nice memories and to remind me that the circus can get old. These VI days, I’ll recall each of … Continue reading My Super Bowl memories: Paul McCartney, as seen from row HH
Author: Mark McCarter
Mark McCarter is a long-time newspaper reporter and columnist and four-time Alabama Sportswriter of the Year. He's the author of four books, including "Pandamonium," about the return of pro baseball to north Alabama, "Baseball in Huntsville," and the namesake of this site, "Never a Bad Game."
McCarter has worked for newspapers in Chattanooga, Anniston and Huntsville, and lives now in Huntsville with his wife Patricia. His work has also appeared in Sports Illustrated, Fortune, The Sporting News, Sport, USA Today, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and a variety of other publications. He is currently assistant athletic director for external operations at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
A member of sports Halls of Fame in Chattanooga and Huntsville, he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 2022 and named one of the "50 Legends" of the organization. He was also honored with the Mel Allen Award for contributions to sports in the state by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Mark covered the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 10 NCAA Final Fours, 13 Daytona 500s, four BCS national championship games, five Super Bowls, three World Series, more than 20 bowl games, The Masters, the Kentucky Derby, a heavyweight championship fight and a national political convention and a space shuttle launch.
His most memorable event, though, was the annual Buff Bowl, a flag football game at a Tampa nudist camp on the day before a Super Bowl.
And, to answer your question, no, he was not.
My Super Bowl memories: The solemn 9/11 tribute and the introduction to Tom Brady
Willard Scott, naked people, Paul McCartney, The Weather Channel, an obscure long-snapper, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all-night typing. You have your Super Bowl memories. I have mine. I went to six Super Bowls, enough to have nice memories and to remind me that the circus can get old. These VI days, I’ll recall each of … Continue reading My Super Bowl memories: The solemn 9/11 tribute and the introduction to Tom Brady
My Super Bowl memories: It’s the naked truth
Willard Scott, naked people, Paul McCartney, The Weather Channel, an obscure long-snapper, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all-night typing. You have your Super Bowl memories. I have mine. I went to six Super Bowls, enough to have nice memories and to remind me that the circus can get old. These VI days, I’ll recall each of … Continue reading My Super Bowl memories: It’s the naked truth
My Super Bowl memories: Bundle up, Make-a-Wish … and wishing the game ended differently
Willard Scott, naked people, Paul McCartney, The Weather Channel, an obscure long-snapper, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all-night typing. You have your Super Bowl memories. I have mine. I went to six Super Bowls, enough to have nice memories and to remind me that the circus can get old. These VI days, I’ll recall each of … Continue reading My Super Bowl memories: Bundle up, Make-a-Wish … and wishing the game ended differently
My Super Bowl memories: Miami’s nice, and the job’s a snap
Willard Scott, naked people, Paul McCartney, The Weather Channel, an obscure long-snapper, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all-night typing. You have your Super Bowl memories. I have mine. I went to six Super Bowls, enough to have nice memories and to remind me that the circus can get old. These VI days, I’ll recall each of … Continue reading My Super Bowl memories: Miami’s nice, and the job’s a snap
My Super Bowl memories: Hanging out with Willard Scott
Willard Scott, naked people, Paul McCartney, The Weather Channel, an obscure long-snapper, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all-night typing. You have your Super Bowl memories. I have mine. I went to six Super Bowls, enough to have nice memories and to remind me that the circus can get old. These VI days, I’ll recall each of … Continue reading My Super Bowl memories: Hanging out with Willard Scott
The magnificent Hank Aaron, and the night I covered history
I realize there aren't a lot of us who are still typing who were in Atlanta Stadium on April 8, 1974, the night Hank Aaron hit his historic 715th home run. Covering that game remains a highlight of my career. First of all, I remember the traffic. The worst I ever encountered going to a … Continue reading The magnificent Hank Aaron, and the night I covered history
Farewell to a favorite, as Philip Rivers goes into retirement
I want to see him on television. I’ve said all along the guy would be golden, and now the national critics are even noticing. He’d be a terrific game analyst, a fresh voice for NFL booths that are begging for a fresh voice. Maybe even better, on one of those Sunday morning studio shows, where … Continue reading Farewell to a favorite, as Philip Rivers goes into retirement
The best editor a writer could ever have
AL.com asked me to write this column after the death of my former editor and great friend Joe Distelheim. This, from December 30, 2020. For whatever outrageous reason, Joe Distelheim agreed it was a good idea to send me and a laptop to the Dominican Republic. I would write a series about baseball and how … Continue reading The best editor a writer could ever have
Book excerpt: The magical four-homer night of George Kalafatis
“Never a Bad Game,” which chronicled the first 50 years of the Southern League, has been updated and re-released. (Ordering information below). Over the coming weeks, I’ll present excerpts from 10 of my favorites of the 50 stories told in the book. Fran Kalafatis was in Montgomery in March 2012, doing advocacy work on behalf … Continue reading Book excerpt: The magical four-homer night of George Kalafatis
Never a Bad Game 