McCord able to be himself in flick
Oct. 22, 1996

CBS golf commentator Gary McCord thought it was a joke at first when he heard director Ron Shelton (Bull Durham) wanted his input on his new film project 'Tin Cup.'

McCord knew Shelton was for real when the director flew to McCord's house in Colorado to discuss the film. McCord gladly signed onto the project when Shelton revealed 'Tin Cup' would be an authentic golf film.

Not only is McCord acting -- sort of, since he plays himself in the flick -- but he also served as the technical director and golf coach for Kevin Costner.

Ten hours before they shot the first scene, McCord said he had to rebuild Kevin's golf swing,. It seems Costner picked up the golf bug during filming, too. Costner went from playing golf once a year to playing national Pro-Am tournaments on a regular basis. His next tournament is the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Jan. 30th.

Also in the movie is Don Johnson (who happens to have a 12-handicap), who made some adjustments to his swing, thanks to McCord.

McCord said he was relieved the movie was well-received at a special screening for PGA Tour players.

Not only did players like 'Tin Cup', but so did several television producers. As a matter of fact, the movie may be turned into a weekly television series.

McCord, however, isn't sitting around waiting for Hollywood to call. Besides his commentating, McCord, co-author of the bestseller, 'Golf for Dummies', is finishing another book that's due out in April.

NFL is Jammin'

Troy Aikman and Ricky Watters are among the NFL superstars teaming up with recording artists to produce two duet albums, "NFL Jams" and "NFL Country".

The concept behind these albums was to pair an athlete with a professional musician. Good idea!.

Along with Aikman, other players featured on 'NFL Country' include Green Bay Packer Brett Favre, the Dallas Cowboys' Herschel Walker, the Vikings' Esera Tuaolo and former Steeler great Terry Bradshaw.

John Anderson, Neal McCoy, Waylon Jennings, and country legend Glen Campbell are some of the music veterans lending their talent.

The 'NFL Jams' athletic talent includes Panthers' favorite Rocket Ismail, Robert Brooks of the Packers, and the New York Giants' Tyrone Wheatley.

Additionally, Wu-Tang Clan members Chef Raekwon and Ghostface, rappers Richie Rich, Mobb Deep, A Tribe Called Quest's Phife, AZ and R&B singers Zhane' and Donell Jones, all provide music muscle to this album.

'NFL Jams' and 'NFL Country' feature all original recordings, most of which were written by the artists and athletes especially for this project.

The albums are slated for a Nov. 26 release on Gridiron/Castle Records. A great stocking stuffer for your favorite sports fan!