Sept. 8, 2009
John Feinstein, an award-winning sportswriter and prolific sports author, will serve as special guest and keynote speaker for the inaugural George Mason's Champions Dinner, presented by Ewing Cole/Gilbane Building Company RAC Design & Construction Team, to be held on Saturday, October 3, at the Recreation and Athletic Complex (RAC) on the campus of George Mason University.
Co-Chaired by Patriot Club Advisory Board members Kathy McKay and Bud Morrissette, the event will celebrate Mason's Champions of the 2008-09 season and will honor alumni athletes, Patriot Club donors, Mason student-athletes and coaches for their contributions to Mason Athletics. A Reception and tours of the Patriots newest facility will begin at 7 p.m. with the dinner and awards program to follow at 8 p.m.
Feinstein, who has written 24 books to date, gained national attention with his 1986 best seller, A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers, which chronicled a year in the life of the Indiana University men's basketball team and its legendary coach, Knight. The book appeared on the New York Times best-seller list, where it was number one for seventeen weeks. The book's chart-topping success was also adapted to film with an ESPN production of a made-for-TV movie of the same title.
Feinstein's other works include the two top best-selling non-fiction sports books in history. In 1995, he published the all-time best seller, A Good Walk Spoiled, a year inside life on the Professional Golf Association Tour as told through 17 players on the PGA Tour. Ranking just behind that in sales is A Season on the Brink. Perhaps one of his most poignant books, Caddy for Life, the Bruce Edwards Story, was released in 2004. In that book Feinstein writes about the life and final days of Tom Watson's caddy, Bruce Edwards, who had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as the deadly Lou Gehrig's disease.
A 1977 graduate of Duke University, Feinstein spent 11 years as a sports and political reporter with The Washington Post. He has also contributed to Sports Illustrated magazine, The National Sports Daily, ESPN, CBS Sports and Golf Digest. He also appears regularly on-air at The Golf Channel and National Public Radio.
Awards Winners to be honored:
Most Outstanding Donor Award - The Beck Family
Patriot Club Service Award - Dr. Frank Pettrone
Gordon Bradley Coach of the Year - Bill Brown
Dr. Frank Pettrone Male Student-Athlete of the Year - Scott Krieger
Dr. Frank Pettrone Female Student-Athlete of the Year - Ryann Hendricks
Aimee Willard Award - Scott Krieger
Tickets to the Champions Dinner are now on sale through the Patriot Club. For more event information contact the Patriot Club at 703-993-4147 or Msturges@gmu.edu.
