Sports

Sportswriter Mark Bowden. He covered the Philadelphia Eagles for "The Philadelphia Inquirer" for three seasons, and now has a book about the team, "Bringing the Heat." It follows the team through the 1992 season, after their coach was fired and after the death of their star defensive lineman, Jerome Brown.

Sports doctor Rob Huizenga, team doctor to the Los Angeles Raiders for seven years. He is a past president of the National Football League Physicians' Association and has written for "Sports Illustrated" and other publications. His book about his time in the NFL is "'You're Okay, It's Just a Bruise': A Doctor's Sideline Secrets About Pro Football's Most Outrageous Team."

Writer Darcy Frey, a contributing editor to "Harper's" and "The New York Times Magazine," spent a year at the Abraham Lincoln High School on Coney Island. He followed four young, African American basketball players trying to make it out of the ghetto and into a Division I school. "The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams" is his record of what happened to the dreams of these young men.

Former Philadelphia 76ers' forward Julius Erving. When he retired in 1987, he was one of the highest scorers in professional basketball. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Erving has written the foreword to "The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, Second Edition."

From the new movie documentary "Hoop Dreams," young basketball player Arthur Agee and film director Steve James. The movie traces the lives of Agee and his friend William Gates for five years as they try to follow their dreams of rising from inner city Chicago to play in the NBA. James is the director, producer and co-editor of the film.

The former Cardinal was a record-breaking baseball player in the 1960's, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. He's just written his autobiography, which explores his rise from the Omaha projects to the major leagues, and being an early black ballplayer. The book is called "Stranger to the Game."

Lucas was the number one draft pick for the NBA in 1976, before his career went downhill as a result of drug use. He conquered his addiction and started a recovery program for other drug-addicted athletes. He coached the San Antonio Spurs to the playoffs twice, and is now the head coach, general manager, and vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers. Lucas has just written a memoir, called "Winning a Day at a Time."

In light of a potential players' strike, economist Allen Sanderson joins Fresh Air to talk about the financial aspects of the MLB.

Commentator Dagoberto Gilb reflects on how poverty in his Spanish-speaking community and a string unreliable coaches affected the morale and success of his son's Little League team.

Karolyi coached Nadia Comaneci in the 1976 Olympics, where she was the first person to score perfect tens in Olympic history. Karolyi and writer Nancy Ann Richardson have collaborated on a biography of his life, called "Feel No Fear." The book tells of Karolyi's defection from Romania to the U.S., and how he brought the American gymnasts Mary Lou Retton and Kim Zmeskal into the public eye.