BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
My brother Lonny once told me that Tampa is one of my hometowns. My younger sibling hit a bullseye with this comment!
During the weekend of April 3-6, it was an opportunity to go back to the past and work in the present.
Thanks to my co-host on Sports Wrap, Leo Haggerty, I asked him if he could find a way to get me in touch with Tampa lady’s legendary High School and College player Jackie Eisenhauer.
At a USF Women’s Basketball Event on Campus, Haggerty bumped into Eisenhauer and he told her that I was interested in bringing her on the Motor City Mad Mouth Show when I returned to Tampa.
Eisenhauer gave Leo her phone number and we did the show at George Steinbrenner High School on Friday, April 4th. It was great catching up with the former Gaither High School guard that averaged 18 points-per-game and was also an excellent point guard, who was worth about five assists per game. All Jackie did was make her teams much better!
At the time, I was in charge of the girls basketball beat for the Tampa Tribune and went to games all over Hillsborough County. As time progressed, and I saw Jackie play, I continued to cover more of her games that ultimately saw her get a scholarship at the University of South Florida.
During our interview, we talked about the good old days when she played in High School. I didn’t see her play in college because I relocated back to Detroit.
We also talked about the changes in today’s change in women’s sports and how big the NCAA Women’s Final Four has become. It’s now a feeder system to the WNBA.
Moreover, we also talked about what she’s doing now.
Thanks to Jackie, it was great seeing longtime baseball coach John Crumbley as we also spent time reminiscing.
If you’re a fan of women’s sports, I encourage you to watch this entire interview.
Jackie told me off camera that she’s a fan of the newest basketball league, Unrivaled which recently signed U-Conn Basketball Star Paige Beuckers will present more opportunities for ladies to make even more money.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Leo Haggerty and I work with Ralph Williams on Saturday Mornings from 9-10 AM on Sports Wrap on RW Productions and also is on a pair of South Florida Tribune Platforms. I’m the Executive producer of this show.
In Addition to his wealth of business knowledge as an entrepreneur, at the age of 70, Haggerty reminds me of the “Energizer Bunny” where he keeps going and going!
Anytime we get a chance we get to work together, we do it.
Leo and I seized the opportunity of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Final Four as we did “The Motor City Mad Mouth Show” at the Black Rock Bar and Grill in Tampa, Florida.
We had quite a show and had Owner Craig Piccard on as a guest. He watched the entire show then became part of our three-team crew.
When we do shows in Tampa, Black Rock will be the location as we’ll have a live show and a studio audience when we do our next telecast.
This interview is also inside this story and if you want to learn about Tampa Sports from two knowledgeable men that have deep ties to the area, here is your ticket.
If you’re not knowledgeable about Tampa Sports, no big deal. We talk about everything.
I also gave Leo a signed copy of “Lessons From The Microphone” and I have no doubt he’ll do his best to talk about the book. He also wants to be in the next one which I will be working on this year.
But when you connect the dots between Jackie and Leo, the one thing I talk about heavily in my book is relationships.
The real hero of this story is USF Associate Athletic Director Brian Siegrist.
If it wasn’t for Brian coordinating the Women’s Final Four, we don’t make the trip to Tampa in April to not only do these two shows, but covering the event itself.
By approving us, Brian made me feel comfortable and gave me everything I needed to get a lot accomplished.
Now I have a vested interest in Women’s Sports, and as a result, I was paying more attention to the WNBA Draft.
Scott Morganroth can be reached at [email protected]. You can reach him on X @TribuneSouth. To see his broadcasts, there is no charge to subscribe to South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.
His book “Lessons From The Microphone” can be purchased at Amazon/Kindle and Barnes & Noble.
