Arizona Sports’ 2014 ‘Mama’s Boy Week’
May 5, 2014, 3:07 PM | Updated: May 10, 2014, 12:14 am
Mother’s Day is this Sunday.
Without mom, none of us would be here. At Arizona Sports we want to make sure we are giving moms the appreciation they deserve.
A few of our hosts tell you why they are a “Mama’s Boy” and down below we tell you what some of the athletes in Phoenix said about their moms.
It’s all part of Arizona Sports’ “Mama’s Boy Week” presented by Banner MD Anderson Making Cancer History Center.
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver:
Q: Why do you love your mom?
My mother was such an integral part of my life growing up.
She not only was a mother, but a mentor. She was always leading the way in terms of philanthropically endeavors and I remember her taking us to a lot of different events and kind of indoctrinating us in all the efforts she was making in our community. It’s something that has lasted a lifetime with me and it’s something that I continue do and it’s because of her leading the way and setting an example.
I miss her dearly, but I know she’s with me every single day.
Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher:
Q: What makes your mother so special?
A: I wouldn’t be where I am without her. Dealing with me growing up as a kid and having three boys isn’t always the easiest thing. She was always there for us and she tried her best to do everything she could for us. Now, where I am today, I hope to repay that back and hopefully make things easier for her.
Q: Any specific story where it shows what she means to you?
A: Our family is really close. We are always with our mom, whether it is hanging out with our friends or anything like that. Our friends are always asking ‘where is your mom?’ because they like to hang out with her and because she likes to have a good time. She’s a fun time and always tries to make sure we’re safe and overprotected like every mother does.
Q: Are you a mama’s boy?
A: Yeah, for sure.
Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks First Baseman:
Q: Why do you love your mom?
A: First off, most people’s moms are there all the time taking care of you, raising you and teaching you a lot of values. No matter what you do right or wrong, they always have your back, which I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but from an early age your mom is there teaching you everything you need to know.
Q: What has your mom done or continued to do for you?
A: I think the love and support that most people’s moms are giving them is something that people will always remember. Like I said earlier, you can make a mistake and even though you may be in the wrong, they are still going to love you and take care of you and there are not a lot of people who, regardless of what you do, will love you like that.
Q: Do you have a specific example from your mom?
A: Too many. (Laughs) We make mistakes every day, especially when you are growing up in high school and junior high and are trying to mature. We make plenty of mistakes and your mom is there to steer you in the right direction as best they can.
Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns Forward:
Q: What does your mom mean to you?
A: She means the world to me. She’s my best friend and she’s done everything and more. Her commitment to us [he and his twin brother Marcus] meant more than anything.
Q: Any specific things that your mom did that you are thankful for?
A: She worked two or three jobs sometimes to put food on the table. As a single parent, doing what she could for us like having a great Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter meant the most to us when we were kids. She was always there for us and hard on us and it made me the man I am now.
Brad Ziegler, Arizona Diamondbacks Relief Pitcher:
Q: Why do you love your mom?
A: My dad will tell you that my mom is my biggest fan. She watches every game or if she doesn’t watch she’s checking on her phone. She’s always texting me after I’m done and probably yelling at the umpire from home when she’s watching.
When I was younger, they sacrificed a lot to get me to games for traveling teams. We could barely afford for me to be on most of those teams. Then to make it to all the games and go on the cross-country trips that the team was a part of, it helped me improve as a pitcher and as a baseball player in general.
A lot of the sacrifices they made back then are the reason I’m here today.
Q: Is she your harshest critic as well as your biggest fan?
A: No, but whenever I have a rough outing she’s always got advice.
She’s learned my mechanics pretty well and she’ll be like, ‘it looks like your arm is a lot higher or you aren’t bending over as much as you were in your last outing.’
She’s always trying, whether she’s right or not, I’ll go look at the video and often times she’s right. Her and my dad will talk it over and he’s pretty knowledgeable about it, too. They are always 100 percent supportive no matter what.
Chris Owings, Arizona Diamondbacks Shortstop:
Q: Anything that comes to mind that your mom has done for you career wise?
A: She’s helped my baseball career ever since I was little, taking us to practice or traveling to tournaments. I don’t think her or my grandma ever missed one of my high school baseball games. They are two special women in my life and they have been there supporting me and will continue to support me.
Q: What sets your mom a part from others?
A: She has always been there for me through all the ups and downs. She’s been a great mom to me, whether it’s shooting me a text after a game or sending a good morning text or whatever it may be. It’s always nice when she gets a chance to come out here. Hopefully I’ll get some cleats and stuff to give her for Mother’s Day.
Q: Is that’s a good Mother’s Day present?
A: Yeah, I gave her some last year and I’ll have to figure out something else to get her for Mother’s Day in itself.
Herm Edwards, Former NFL head coach:
Q: What Mom story can you share with us?
A: My mom was a German war brat, straight out of Stuttgart, Germany. So we come to America, obviously my father was a military man. And growing up I was an athlete and I played in junior high school. All of a sudden I got ready to go to high school. Now when I went to high school, you didn’t play tackle football until you started 10th (grade). It was 10, 11 and 12. And so my mom, she understood soccer but she didn’t really understand football, had no idea what football was about.
And so I told her one day Mom, you have to sign this paper so I can play football. She said ‘Oh no, you can’t play football. You’ll get hurt playing football. No, no.’ The coach actually had to come to my house, convince my mom to let me play football.
So she signed off on it, and lo and behold 20 years later or other words, I tell you, you can’t get her away from a television anymore watching football. It’s unbelievable.
Darren Urban, AZCardinals.com writer:
Q: What is your favorite mom story?
A: I just remember my dad and the job he had when I was growing up, he worked a ton overseas. He’d be gone six to eight weeks at a time, come home for a couple weeks and be gone another six to eight weeks. So my mom was basically a single mom raising four of us a lot of the time.
I just remember, in terms of sports, she was at every game. My dad didn’t get a chance to go to a lot of games that I played growing up, but my mom was there at all of them.
And that extended. I got into college and I stopped playing and I started coaching some youth basketball. I didn’t have any kids — I was in college myself — and she was still going to those games, and she just kept that all the way til now.
I’ve got kids of my own that I coach and she still comes to all of the games. When you guys talked about what is your mom story and I’m thinking sports, that’s what I think of. I think she’s there all the time, she’s been there all those years, and I love her for it.
Kirk Gibson, Diamondbacks manager:
Q: Any special mom story you want to share?
A: My mom’s like the sweetest lady in the world, and she still loves me.
One time, I was probably in about seventh grade, we were down in Florida visiting my grandma and my mom and I were getting into a little confrontation and I was disrespectful. She went to tune me up a little bit, give me the right hand, a little slap to the face, and I grabbed her.
She said ‘My, you’ve certainly grown up, haven’t you dear?’ I said yep, so she said ‘go ahead and just get into the car there.’ So I turned around to get into the backseat and I get her size eight very far up my rear end with her on top of me saying ‘Don’t you ever disrespect a woman for the rest of your life.’
Lesson well learned. She’s very sweet, very supportive. Loves her family. Her mother lived to 102 so I think she’ll make it that far as well.”
Bertrand Berry, former Arizona Cardinal:
Q: What do you want everyone to know about Mama Berry?
A: Mama Berry was always there for me. She was a teacher. I have a scholarship in my foundation in her honor because she really stepped up when nobody else did. She was there every single practice, every single game. No matter what I was doing she was always there in support.
She loved. She was a teacher for 32 years and she’s constantly teaching. She still thinks she has to teach me a few things.
I just love her to death. I love my mom and nobody could ever tell me anything bad about my mom because I will fight for that lady. I just love her to pieces.
There’s nobody more special to me, other than my wife. My wife is number one but my mom is definitely 1-A, if you will. Nobody better not ever say anything about my mom or they’ve got a problem on their hands.
Deone Bucannon, Arizona Cardinals Safety:
Q: Any special mom story you want to share?
A: My mom is something special. She’s been through so much with me, I love her so much. Words can’t explain how much I love my mom. Honestly, the things that she had to do to cater around my football schedule and make things happen for me and raise me as a man is priceless and unexplainable.
I couldn’t ask for a better mom. Everyone thinks that they have the best mom in the world, but I wholeheartedly think i have the most awesome, best, most supportive mom in the world.
To moms everywhere, I thank you for the sacrifices and things you do for your sons.
