My father-in-law is long-time Bay Area sports writer Art Spander. In 1999 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- for his writing, not playing ability. Last Wednesday Art added another special honor to his resume. He was one of 14 recipients of the inaugural Masters Major Achievement Award presented Wednesday morning at Augusta National.
One of the better perks of being married to his daughter Debbie is getting to tag along for such occasions.
The 14 honorees included a who's who of great golf writers and broadcasters:
Horace Billings, Furman Bisher, John Derr, Dan Foster, Ron Green Sr., Dan Jenkins (The funniest sportswriter ever), Kaye Kessler, David Kindred, Hubert Mizell, Dave Moffit, Edwin Pope, Nick Seitz, Art Spander, and Al Wester.
The funniest moment of the ceremony came from long-time Sporting News writer Dave Kindred who remembered the cramped writing areas of yesteryear being a far cry from today's mega-media center.
Said Kindred, "If you can write in a Quonset hut during a rainstorm on a typewriter sitting next to Art Spander, you can write in anything."
Here is the text of the presentation:
CRAIG HEATLEY: Art Spander, ladies and gentlemen. A popular dynamo among the press and players, art made the cross-country trip to Augusta 41 years ago and has not slowed down since. Stints with the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, and now at the Oakland Tribune, have made him a friendly fixture in golf. With his voice and opinion in print and on the air, Art's knowledge and respect for the game is evident. A long-time friend of Jack Nicklaus, it was Jack's win in 1986 that still stands out in his memory.
Art, we are delighted to honor you today.
ART SPANDER: Well, thank you. As everybody said or at least implied, it is we, the writers, and announcers who should be thanking Augusta. One, for the tournament. I thank Billy Payne and the administration and everybody else for making the writers always feel wanted here.
As Dave Kindred more than implied, I talk a bit. (Laughter) so I won't talk too long up here. Just two things I remember. I showed up here, I was the first writer west of Dan Jenkins. You'll notice everybody else is from the east or Texas. And, "oh, you're coming" and I would wear my badge, with your name and little badge and people would say, "Oh, you're a long way from home"; Yes, I am.
The other thing is, there used to be a golf writer at New York times, some of you knew him, Lincoln Warden, a crusty old guy, and I was like 27 years old, and he would say, "Hey, kid, go down and see if Arnold Palmer is coming in." And I wonder what Lincoln would think now seeing this.
The ceremony is online at Masters.org.
Highlights
1) Beginning: Billy Payne's intro of the Masters Major Achievement Award and his description of the carved wood plaques (at about the 3 minute-marker)
2) 23:30 marker Dave Kindred invoking Art for laughs
3) 37:00 marker Augusta National member Craig Heatley presenting Art
Billy Payne, Augusta National chairman, and Craig Heatley, chairman of the media committee, and the entire Augusta National membership and staff could not have been nicer and more gracious. Plus we got to spend a few days walking around the greatest golf course in the world.