There are a couple of events coming up that you might not want to miss, one is chance to play golf with a former NFL player, and the other is a chance to meet the actor who starred in Rookie of the Year.

As a baseball movie fan, I’m looking forward to seeing Thomas Ian Nicholas, who as a young boy played the starring role in the hit movie Rookie of the Year. I mean, after all, I was in a couple of baseball movies myself; I was an extra in The Natural and I played a reporter in Home Run.

Nicholas, now 38 years old, began acting when he was seven years old and appeared in an episode of Who’s the Boss (1988). He was 12 when Rookie of the Year was shot, and the movie hit the theaters in 1993. Nicholas has gone on to appear in dozens of television shows and movies, most notably; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Women, American Pie and Grey’s Anatomy. He has several movies in post-production that will be out in the next several months.

Twenty-five years later, Rookie of the Year has become a classic in the baseball movies category.

The extremely fictionalized plot portrays Henry Rowengartner (Nicholas) as an unskilled Little Leaguer, who dreams of playing in the major leagues. Henry breaks his arm catching a fly ball. When the doctor removes his cast, he discovers Henry’s tendons have healed “a little too tight,” enabling Henry to pitch with incredible force.

While attending a game at Wrigley Field during a Chicago Cubs game, Henry’s friends get a home run ball hit by the visiting team, the Montreal Expos (another reason I like this film). When they give it to Henry to throw back onto the field, he throws the ball so hard that it reaches home plate on the fly. Looking for a miracle to save the club, which is suffering slumping attendance, general manager Larry Fisher signs Henry to a contract, and the story goes from there.

Another thing about this movie that makes it appealing is Tulsa native Gary Busey plays aging pitcher Chet “Rocket” Steadman, who gives Henry some pointers. If you haven’t seen it, the movie is still a good one to watch, with some good life lessons.

Nicholas will be appearing at Wizard World Comic Con Tulsa, at the Cox Business Center, September 7-9. Also scheduled to appear are, The Sons of Anarchy duo of Ron Perlman and Ryan Hurst, and the man that made Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli a household name, Henry Winkler. For information go to; wizardworld.com/comiccon/tulsa.

HAVE DINNER AND GOLF WITH NFL STAR

Oklahoma’s Former NFL Players Association and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are once again sponsoring the Kickoff Classic Celebrity Dinner/Auction and Golf Tournament, Sept. 23 and 24 at a Catoosa casino. The Kickoff Classic raises money for underfunded Oklahoma High School Athletic programs and the FCA. Last year’s event raised $60,000 with $30,000 going directly to Oklahoma high schools in the form of 12 checks for $2,500 each. Fifty former NFL and college football players will attend, which will feature one former NFL player at each dinner table and one former NFL player on each golf team. The Kickoff Classic Dinner/Auction is Sept.23 from 6- 9 p.m. The dinner will feature a silent auction, a short live auction and a Q&A with four former NFL players or coaches.  The Kickoff Classic Celebrity Golf tournament will be Sept. 24 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cherokee Hills golf course, with two flights; a morning tee-time and an afternoon tee-time.

Some former players who will attend are: Jean Barrett and Doug Dubose from the San Francisco 49ers, Steve Largent and Steve August of the Seattle Seahawks, Marcus Dupree and Billy Sims from OU and the Detroit Lions, Tony Davis and Sean Mahon of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Reuben Gant and Kenyatta Wright of the Buffalo Bills, Rick Engles and Steve Zabel of the Philadelphia Eagles, Kenny King of the Los Angeles Raiders, Dave Rader of the New York Giants, Mike Rozier of the Houston Oilers, Paul Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Joe Washington of the Washington Redskins, Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys, Garrett Mills of the Minnesota Vikings, and Derrel Gofourth of the Green Bay Packers.

I’ve played in this event for the past several years and look forward to doing so again this year. It’s always a lot of fun to hang out with these former NFL players and get to know them a little better, plus you can’t beat the opportunity to play golf and support a good cause like FCA. For more information and to register, go to www.fcakickoffclassic.com.