A Million Miles for A Million Mementos

The power of sport is pervasive and timeless. Dating back to the Roman Coliseum in 80 BC sports have played a major role in the development of our society. It was the athletic contests originated by the dynamic Greek and Roman cultures that inspired individuals to reach beyond their limits and strive for excellence.

What makes an athlete immortal? Athletic prowess, of course, personal statistics, continuous excellence… these too, but beyond the sheer power of the performance, lies the individual… the man, the woman, who motivate all of us through extraordinary achievement and maximum effort. Babe Ruth, Mia Hamm, Lance Armstrong, Babe Didrikson, Jackie Joyner Kersey, Muhamad Ali, Jim Thorpe, Michael Jordan, Pele, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, the mere mention of their names conjures up images of greatness.

Sports Immortals is solely devoted to these and other super athletes, whose impact on sports never fades from our view. It is more than just a million sports mementos…more than paper and cloth and wood and leather. Featuring projects that will conjure up the roar of the crowd, the pinnacle of performance and the unmatched rapport between athlete and fan, Sports Immortals is the physical realization of the lifelong quest of one man to honor and enshrine the greatest athletes in sports history…That man is Joel Platt and I recently had the pleasure to spend the day with him.

Joel’s story is one of determination, perseverance and an unwavering willingness to succeed. It all started in 1943 when four-year-old Platt tossed a match into a gas tank of a car resulting in a towering inferno. Bedridden for more than a year after the accident, Platt’s parents provided baseball cards to entertain him during the long months of convalescence. Joel’s favorite card was a 1933 Goudey of Babe Ruth. One night after taking pain medication he had a dream that the Babe came to his bedside and said, “Kid never give up. You can get better and someday become a professional baseball player or build a museum to honor sports greats.” Inspired by his cards and the Babe’s words, Joel set out on a lifelong journey to accomplish these two goals. He became an outstanding shortstop, but his major league aspirations ended when he injured his throwing arm playing shortstop at Duquesne University. However, he has never lost sight of his other ambition and has literally traveled over one million miles to curate over one million mementos. Along the way, he had the unique opportunity of meeting thousands of iconic sports legends and their families listening to their anecdotal tales and learning of their secrets for success. Because of Joel’s passion and enthusiasm, together with his sincere desire to preserve the memories of the most famous athletes, more often than not he has been successful in securing priceless treasures for his museum collection. Platt reflects on some of his favorite encounters:

I visited Patricia Thorpe, Jim Thorpe’s third wife, multiple times over a five year period. She was always cordial, but never would part with any of her husband’s things. Then, out of the blue, in 1970 a telegram arrived at my house, “Come and get Jim’s things, am confined to bed…Patricia Thorpe.” I immediately flew to California and began packing mementos from the person many consider the greatest athlete of all time. Items included Thorpe’s football jersey from the Carlisle Indians, football helmet, cleats, shoulder pads, football pants, commemorative Olympic medal, trophies and his Olympic scrapbook with a congratulatory letter from President Taft.

Of all the athletes I have ever met, to me the greatest was Muhammad Ali. I visited with the champ on five occasions and each was an unbelievable experience. Over the years I acquired several of Ali’s fight worn boxing robes, trunks, shoes, gloves, championship belt, Olympic jacket, and the 14kt gold medal he won at the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament in 1959.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Roberto Clemente was my favorite Pirate player of all time. We became friends and I promised to assist him, prior to his death, in developing a museum at the sports complex Roberto was planning to develop in Puerto Rico. Through my relationship with Clemente and the former vice president of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Joe O’Toole, I was able to secure several of Roberto’s mementos including his rookie bat and a bat from the 1971 World Series, Clemente’s 1968 Pirate uniform and his MVP uniform that he wore in the 1971 World Series, a game used autographed Pirate cap along with numerous autographed baseballs and photos.

During a business trip to Chicago I was able to locate Jesse Owens, winner of 4 gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. I spent a delightful hour with Jesse and his lovely wife talking about his career. Jesse loved my concept of developing an International Sports Hall of Fame and Shrine that would honor the world’s greatest athletes. He went on to present me with a plaque, medals, his trophy when he was named track athlete of the 20th Century and a book from the 1936 Olympics with photos of Berlin and autographs of all of the 1936 Olympic champions.

Mildred “Babe” Zaharias was the greatest all around female athlete of all time. She was a former Olympic and golf champion. I visited with her famous wrestling husband, George Zaharias, shortly after her death in 1956. George presented me with several of Babe’s items, including a 1932 Olympic blanket, an autographed book and an autographed photo. However, the greatest item was a golf club that Bobby Jones used in numerous tournaments and later gave the club to Babe who used it to win several of her own tournaments.

One of my greatest moments ever was meeting Satchel Paige and his wife, Lahoma, in Kansas City. He told me stories about his playing days in the Negro Leagues, the Puerto Rican Leagues and ultimately the Major Leagues. He also told me about his rules for healthy living which included avoiding fried foods and never looking back. Satchel contributed his touring Negro League All Star uniform, his Cleveland Indian uniform, two gloves, several autographed baseballs and his spikes to the Sports Immortals Museum.

Over the last sixty years, Joel’s assemblage has grown from cards, autographs, programs and tickets to include actual mementos used by sports greats (uniforms, gloves, bats, balls, hats, etc.) When I asked him if he was “the King of the Collectors,” Platt winked and said I am not a collector, I consider myself a curator.

Currently, sports fans young and old can visit the Sports Immortals Showcase Museum and Merchandise Center in Boca Raton, Florida or online at www.sportsimmortals.com However, due to high security measures, very few individuals have been privileged to experience the over 200 security trunks that house the crown jewels of the Platt collection. Some of the lucky ones include an executive from the Smithsonian Institution who called Sports Immortals “Absolutely the most outstanding single collection on all sports.” Senator Bill Bradley exclaimed “A Great! Great! Great! Great! Sports Collection…now I know how Mel Fisher felt when he discovered the Atocha. NFL Hall of Famer, Franco Harris, calls it “A tribute to one man’s love and dedication to sports.” Josh Evans, Chairman of Leland’s Auction House vehemently called it “The finest sports collection in the world, bar none…” Marv L. said “It is absolutely mind blowing to think that one man has the time to collect these treasures.” Where was the time to eat, sleep and work!

Joel Platt has certainly been a man on a mission. But now he has a copilot, Jim Platt, who joined the team in 2001 after writing the book, Sports Immortals, Stories of Inspiration and Achievement. Together, father and son, have dedicated their lives to the preservation of sports history. What Joel has accomplished would seem to have taken ten lifetimes. Jim is onboard to see that his father’s efforts come to fruition so that future generations, including his seven year old twin boys, Roby and Marc, will remember the accomplishments of the greatest athletes in sports history and be motivated by their heroic tales of achievement.

The Platts’ ambition is to utilize their valuable Sports Immortals content, trademark and concepts, coupled with the latest immersive technology to develop cultural, historical, educational and entertaining projects that will be inspirational to mankind. Joel’s ultimate goal is to make enshrinement as a Sports Immortal be the greatest honor achievable in sports.

Presently, Orlando, Cleveland, Washington D.C. & Chicago are the four major areas under consideration for a Sports Immortals International Hall of Fame Complex, but until a final site is chosen, offers are also being considered from other major locations. Also in the works are a series of traveling exhibitions that would tour major museums and sporting events throughout the world. With their magnitude of content, the Intellectual Property possibilities are endless, but the Platts would certainly like to create a feature film and documentary series on the Sports Immortals and The Joel Platt Story, A Million Miles For A Million Mementos.

Joel Platt is quite a guy and Sports Immortals is quite a collection. I thanked him for the one-of-a-kind experience he gave me and wished him well in his business ventures. I am confident his Sports Immortals goals will come true for how can anyone doubt a man who has spent his entire life never losing sight of his dreams.

Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) announced two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and former Yahoo! President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Mallett will become investors and part owners of the league, which begins play in 2009 with teams based in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. While Nash and Mallett will not operate a team, their investment will fund the ongoing development of WPS and is specifically earmarked for new media ventures and initiatives.

“I am really excited to play a role in bringing professional women’s soccer to North America,” said Nash. “As a father of twin girls, I’m especially pleased to help young women around the world realize that their dreams of being a pro soccer player can indeed come true.”

Nash, a first-round draft pick by the Phoenix Suns in 1996, is well known in the sports world as having dual passions for basketball and soccer. Growing up in Victoria, British Columbia, soccer was in Nash’s blood. His father, John, played professionally in South Africa and his sister, Joann, was the captain of the University of Victoria women’s soccer team, while his brother, Martin, plays professionally for the USL First Division’s Vancouver Whitecaps and also represents the Canadian National Team. Nash, in his own right, was on the Mount Douglas Secondary School soccer team that won the provincial championship, leading him to be named British Columbia’s Most Valuable Player.

Mallett, best known for helping build Yahoo!, from its startup phase into the global franchise it is today, is also a former soccer player, having spent two years in Canada’s National and Olympic soccer team programs as a teenager. Still an avid fan of the game, Mallett serves as an advisor to League Commissioner Tonya Antonucci, who formerly oversaw Yahoo! Sports and served as general manager of Yahoo’s partnership with the FIFA Men’s and Women’s World Cups.

“Steve and Jeff ’s passion for women’s soccer, combined with their overall sports and business acumen, make them ideal ambassadors for the sport and perfect partners for WPS,” said Antonucci. “With just over a year until play begins, we will no doubt keep our newest owners actively involved with a number of events, business initiatives and other announcements”

Mallett is also a principle investor and executive committee member of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants, a role which includes ownership and management of the award winning AT&T Park and part ownership of the San Francisco Bay Area’s regional sports cable television network.

“I believe the opportunity in North America to build a successful professional women’s soccer league that attracts the best players in the world is here and now,” said Mallett.

The mission of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is to be the premier women’s soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women’s professional sports are measured. Play kicks off in the spring of 2009, with WPS teams based in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.