Published: December 17, 2006 05:58 pm            

Q&A: Randy Schultz

Wilson writer freelances hockey world

Randy Schultz, a college student from Wilson, stepped into the Niagara Gazette offices in 1976 hoping to sell a story about former Cleveland Browns’ great Jimmy Brown. His copy was clean and the story was good, but that’s not what the Gazette sports editor was looking for that day.

The Gazette could use stories about local sports figures, folks from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, he was told. There were lots of sports personalities who were big names in their days. They were aging and might be forgotten. Write about those folks.

Schultz was given a half-dozen leads. The next week, “Seasons in the Sun” was born. In all, Schultz found about 50 personalities and his feature ran for a year. As years went on, the “Seasons in the Sun” became valuable reference points for obituaries.

Since then, Schultz has published 10 books and has written for almost every hockey magazine. His most recent book, delayed for two years because of the NHL blackout, is “Bob Miller’s Tales from the Los Angeles Kings.”

Bob Miller, the Rick Jeanarette of the West Coast, became the voice of the Los Angeles Kings in 1973. His star is on the famous Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame.

Schultz and Miller became acquainted through Pete Weber, former voice of the Buffalo Bisons and Kings color commentator from 1979-81.

Schultz works as a technical assistant at Niagara County Community College and was named a NCCC Distinguised Alumus in 1989.



Question: Where did you grow up?

Answer: On my parents 60-acre farm on Irish Road in Wilson.

•••

Q. When did you get interested in writing?

A. At Thomas Marks Elementary. I wrote some essays on Fire Prevention Week and won a prize.

•••

Q: When did you start writing?

A: Professionally, with the Gazette, the Seasons in the Sun was introduced to the world. From there I continued free lancing.

•••

Q: Why did you lean towards sports?

A: I’ve always loved sports, although I was never an athlete. I had two left feet and I was all thumbs, but I tried.

•••

Q: How were you introduced to the Sabres?

A: I did some work covering the Sabres for WUSJ Radio during the 1974-75 season. I can still remember the first time I went to a Sabres’ practice. Frank Christie greeted me at the door and said, “Who the hell are you?” I told him and he said. “Get about your business.”

Roger Crozier came over, kind of put his arm around me and said, ‘what do you need?’ He said, ‘We’ll help you.’ Roger Crozier guided me around the room and I’ll never forgot him. He was very special to me.

•••

Q: How many publications have you written for?

A. Pete Weber said, “He’s written for hockey publication in North America except Popular Mechanics.”

I’m still working on that, to get a Zamboni feature in. I’ve written for team publications, coast to coast, teams that don’t even exist anymore.

•••

Q. Why a book with Bob Miller?

A. What really inspired me was something that happened before 2002 NHL All-Star game. Bob Miller was wandering the crowd and the camera focuses on Bob Miller. All of a sudden the applause starts the building in the arena. The crescendo builds. Wow! This guy is really recognized.

•••

Q. Is he as good as Rick Jeanarette?

A. Yes he is, in his own way. He’s a much more milder version. Like Rick he’s very equal on how he calls a play. His greatest moment was calling Gretzky’s record-breaking goal when Gretzky broke Gordie Howe’s record. That was a special moment.

If your asking for excitement, no. Bob Miller is not Rick Jeanarette.

•••

Q. Why should I read this book?

A. It has funny stuff and Bob has insight into pretty much all the hockey history, all the great things that have happened and some of the dumb things.

It’s got great stories about the Los Angeles Kings. Bob gives some really great insight into some of the things that have gone on in Kings’ history. While it can be very humorous, it can be very candid.

•••

Q. Miller recounts his favorite memories of No. 99, and Wayne Gretzky is on the cover.

A. While everything looked rosy on the outside, there seemed to be some rumblings on the inside. The Kings weren’t traveling as a team. Gretzky was allowed to travel with a little entourage with the owner in a separate plane. Wayne would go up and bend the owner’s ear, bend the coach’s ear. Maybe some of the other players wondered, who is running the team.”

•••

Q. Why was the book publishing delay?

A. The only problem was the lockout. It was done the September, 2005. This book was finished but I got an e-mail that said, from this day forward all books about hockey have been shelved.





Randy Schultz

n HOME: Wilson

n AGE: 51

n EDUCATION: Wilson Schools, Niagara County Community College, Buffalo State (1977)

n OCCUPATION: Technical assistant at NCCC office of admissions.

n FAMILY: Wife Janet, daughter Karla; son-in-law Scott Adams

n BOOKS: History of New York Knicks for children; Coffee table book on Dominic Hasek; Children’s books on presidents Eisenhauer, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Harding; Legends of the Buffalo Bills; Bob Miller, Tales from the Los Angeles Kings.

n ON SALE ON LINE: Bob Miller’s Tales from the Los Angeles Kings

n COMING UP: War of 1812, when Washington burned, for children.

        

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