MVP Rollins Wins Outstanding Pro Athlete Award

Jimmy Rollins, National League MVP and the man who led the Phillies' charge to the playoffs, heads the list of honorees who will be on the dais when the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association holds its 104th annual Award Dinner on Monday evening, Jan. 28, 2008.

Rollins will be recognized by the Association as the OUTSTANDING PRO ATHLETE for 2007, following teammate Ryan Howard, who won the award for 2006.

From his pre-season prediction that the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East to his performance in game 162, Rollins personified the phrase "Most Valuable Player."

When he receives his award, he'll be linked with some of the great athletes who have been recognized by the Association since the award was first presented in 1937, including first-winner Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Steve Van Buren, Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax,Wilt Chamberlain, Bobby Orr, Mike Schmidt, Carl Lewis and Muhammad Ali.

While Rollins will receive an individual honor, the Phillies team will also be recognized as the Association's TEAM OF THE YEAR, and manager Charlie Manual will be in attendance to accept that award.

Jimmy Rollins and the Phillies will highlight the award winners, but the final list of honorees will again be a who's who of local and national sports stars for the past year.

The Sports Writers Asssociation Dinner will again be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Route 70 in Cherry Hill.

Tickets cost $75.00, and can be purchased by sending a check made payable to PSWA to Ticket Chairman, 110 Harrogate Dr., Lumberton, NJ 08048. Include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address.

For more information, send e-mail to pswadinner@yahoo.com.

Phillies to be Honored

According to a highly placed source in the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association, the Philadelphia Phillies will be honored as the Team of the Year at the PSWA's 104th annual Awards Dinner on Monday, Jan. 28, 2008.

The Phils made a thrilling late-season run to catch, pass and shock the New York Mets and win the National League East title.

The Mets, the division leaders all year long, held an seemingly insurmountable seven-game lead with just 17 games to play.

But the Phillies, who captured the heart of the regions baseball fans with their grit, personality, confidence and never-say-die demeanor, sprinted past the stunned Metropolitans, clinching the division crown and a playoff berth with a thrilling performance on the last Sunday in September.

Phillies' manager Charlie Manuel will be on hand to accept the award, and we are hopeful that a couple more Phillies may join him on our sizable dais.

Behind the Scenes

The PSWA general membership met tonight, Nov. 13, and, of course, talk centered around plans for our 104th annual Awards Dinner in January.

The various committees reported on efforts to select and invite award winners in our many categories, and the list is already looking pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, we aren't ready to release anything to the public yet - not until the "T's" are crossed and the "I's" are dotted.

As soon as we have something to share, we'll post it right here.

There are some things we can announce, however.

Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas, the voice of the Phillies, will be back as Master of Ceremonies. Harry has been a fixture on the PSWA dais for many years, and his professionalism helps set the tone for the entire evening.

Also, sports comedian Joe Conklin will entertain with his spot-on impersonations. In the sports world, nobody is safe from Conklin's hilarious musings, and his appearance is sure to be one of many memorable moments on January 28.

Just the Facts

What?
The 104th annual Awards Dinner, presented by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. This is the longest continuous sports banquet in the country.

When?
Monday night, Jan. 28, 2008. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the festivities begin at 6:30.

Where?
The Crowne Plaza on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, "just minutes from the bridges."

Is it open to the public?
By all means!

How much?
Tickets are $75; bring your friends and get a table for 12 for $900.

How do I get my tickets?
Send a check made payable to PSWA to Ticket Chairman, 110 Harrogate Dr., Lumberton, NJ 08048. Include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address.

Who is going to be there?
Each year, the PSWA assembles an all-star dais of local talent and hall-of-famers. Almost 50 athletes and coaches are seated at our head table, and many will receive awards and/or speak. We will be selecting and confirming guests in the coming days and weeks, and when we release the news to local media outlets, we will also post them on this blog. Stay tuned.

Tickets are on sale - a letter to sports fans

Dear Sports Fan,

Please leave the date open – Jan. 28, 2008. And plan to join us for the 104th edition of the Philadelphia Sports Writers annual Awards Dinner.

PSWA president Mike DeNardo and his various committees have been working the phones to once again assemble one of the most impressive list of award-winners, honorees, speakers and guests at any sports dinner, anywhere.

The PSWA will honor the best of 2007, both locally and nationally, at the nation’s oldest continuous sports award dinner. As our honorees are selected and confirmed, we will be releasing the news in the local media and also on the brand new PSWA blog, at http://pswatickets.blogspot.com.

If you have attended our dinner in the past, you are well aware that this is one of the top events on the sports calendar.

If you have never been with us, this will be a memorable evening for any sports fan, and one you won’t want to miss.

As usual, the dinner is open to the public. Tickets are $75 apiece or $900 for a table of 12, and can be purchased by sending a check made payable to PSWA to: PSWA Tickets, 110 Harrogate Dr., Lumberton, NJ 08048.

For more information, send e-mail to pswadinner@yahoo.com; visit our web site at www.pswa.org; or for the most up-to-date information available, stop by our blog at http://pswatickets.blogspot.com.

We hope to see you there on Jan. 28.

Thank you,

Ticket Chairman

PS: Congratulations, and thanks, to Don Sanderson!

Woodbury, NJ resident Don Sanderson won two tickets to the PSWA’s 104th Annual Awards Dinner on Jan. 28, 2008. Sanderson completed a brief Customer Satisfaction Survey, and was selected from a pool or more than 50 respondents to win the tickets.

Learn more at the PSWA Ticket blog at http://pswatickets.blogspot.com.

Two Free Tickets for Don Sanderson

At last year's PSWA Dinner, we asked those in attendance to fill out a brief Customer Satisfaction Survey for a chance to win two free tickets to the 104th dinner, on Jan. 28, 2008.

The winner is Don Sanderson, of Woodbury, NJ, who was selected from a pool of about 50 entries. The winning survey was drawn by Shaun Kenney, the impartial son of ticket chairman and past president Robbie Kenney.

Don attended the dinner the past two years, enjoying the view from Table 57, where Jack Scott and the South Jersey Baseball Old-Timers have been a fixture for many years (Current ticket chairman Kenney began handling the seating and sales in 1992, and the Old-Timers were already old timers on the customer list at that time).

Sanderson shared that his fondest PSWA memory was Paul Richardson, the beloved organist for the Philadelphia Phillies for 35 years, until his death in October 2006.

In his survey, Dan noted that he is a big Phillies fan, and also loves college basketball, college football and high school sports.

Enjoy the dinner on Jan. 28, Don. This one's on us.

The Date Has Been Set - Jan. 28, 2008

SPORTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION 104^TH ANNUAL DINNER ON JANUARY 28, 2008

The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association will hold its 104^th annual Award Dinner on Monday evening, January 28, 2008, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill , NJ .

The Association will honor the best of 2007, both locally and nationally, at the nation’s oldest continuous sports award dinner. Among the honorees at the first affair in 1904 were Connie Mack and John L. Sullivan. Last year’s top honoree was the Phillies’ National League MVP Ryan Howard, our Outstanding Pro Athlete, along with West Virginia ’s Steve Slaton (Outstanding Amateur), Rutgers football (Team of the Year) and Native Son Mike Rozier. Also recognized last year were several members of the Philadelphia Stars of the Negro Baseball League, Dr. Dean Richardson, who nursed Barbaro following his serious injury, and the Philadelphia Eagles Youth Partnership (Humanitarian Award). This year’s head table promises to be even more star-studded.

Tickets for the Award Dinner cost $75.00, and can be purchased by contacting Robbie Kenney online at pswadinner@yahoo.com.