976-1313

Sports Phone set out to change the way scores and breaking news were consumed, and in turn ended up setting the tone for the up-to-the-second updates we take for granted today. Found among those who called the service home are some of the most well-known broadcasters, reporters, public address announcers, and other prominent media figures - as well as several who've been successful in Hollywood and the music industry. A veritable breeding ground for these now-polished professionals,...
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Sports Phone set out to change the way scores and breaking news were consumed, and in turn ended up setting the tone for the up-to-the-second updates we take for granted today. Found among those who called the service home are some of the most well-known broadcasters, reporters, public address announcers, and other prominent media figures - as well as several who've been successful in Hollywood and the music industry. A veritable breeding ground for these now-polished professionals, the dial-up platform that once handled 50 million calls in a year churned out talent at a level likely not seen before or since.Brought to you by sports media veterans Howie Karpin and Scott Orgera, 976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground features never-before-told tales of triumph and tragedy, a mix of hilarity, inspiration, and regret from the broadcasting hopefuls and sports junkies that comprised the brains and voices behind the pioneering operation. If you were assembling an All-Star team of media personnel, you'd only have to look as far as Sports Phone's ranks to fill out your roster.As colorful as that cast of characters was, those who dialed 976-1313 regularly had their own yarns to spin. They form a tapestry of hardcore fans, award-winning actors, well-known comedians, impulsive gamblers, Broadway singers, and infamous mobsters, each with captivating stories told within these pages.With 75 years of collective experience between them, Karpin and Orgera interviewed more than a hundred people en route to creating what is a must-read. Much of what we see and hear today was started by Sports Phone, and this tome covers untapped historical territory from every angle, beginning with a compelling foreword written by revered broadcaster Kenny Albert. Also included is the 1978-79 Boston College point-shaving scandal and the record-setting Lufthansa heist, the latter of which was immortalized in Martin Scorsese's blockbuster film, Goodfellas. At the center of the scheme to fix games were infamous mobsters Henry Hill (portrayed by Ray Liotta) and Jimmy "the Gent" Burke (Robert De Niro), as were a slew of calls to Sports Phone placed by multiple defendants.