SJEarthquakes.com: Congratulations Danger on being inducting into the Earthquakes Hall of Fame! What does it mean to be the newest member of this decorated club Hall of Fame?
CD: “It’s a tremendous honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I feel like it’s a reflection on my time with the club since 1981 both on the field and supporting the club off the field and doing my current role as the TV analyst. I’ve always felt connected with the club even back in the the early days in the North American Soccer League. I’ve always had friends in the area. Neil and John Smillie were with me up in Portland and they always said ‘You’re going to love it up there.’ We played some crazy games down there and I love the area. Milan Mandaric bought me at the end of 1981 and it was a no brainer at that time to play with the club. I’ve always felt it’s an area that embraces the game. They’re very knowledgable and passionate fans. For me to be apart of the Quakes family for so long is just great.”
SJEQ: Take us through the moment when you found out you’d be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
CD: “Danielle [Slaton] and I do this tactical breakdown every week this season, so I thought nothing of it when the cameras were rolling. I was just told that we were going to shoot it down on the field. Of course, I knew there was the potential of a Hall of Fame announcement at some point for some person with the club, but I had no idea it was me. We went down there to shoot that and Danielle tells me to turn around and there’s this pretty large red picture of me up there and it was very, very cool. You know I’m a talker, and for one of the few times in my life and career, I was speechless.”
SJEQ: Take us back to San Jose in the 70’s and 80’s. What was it like to play at Spartan Stadium against and with the Quakes?
CD: “I remember the first time when I was with the Portland Timbers in 1975. I came down here here to Spartan Stadium early in the season and it was a beautiful, 70 degree day. The place was packed and it was buzzing. It was small and the fans were right on top of you. Krazy George brought a bengal tiger onto the field to kick the game off. There was three red cards in the game. The Timbers team needed a police escort to get out of the stadium and I thought to myself, ‘This place is great!’ It was. The way the fans here embrace the game. It was a special time back then. San Jose was a relative small city at the time. We didn’t have the 49ers or Sharks, so we were the only ticket in town and it was treated as such. Everybody tailgated before the game and everybody partied after the game. On the field, there was some special times as well. I thought the early players - and there were so many of them in the Hall of Fame including Paul Child and Johnny Moore - these are the people who really set the platform for the game in the area and the success the team’s having at Avaya Stadium."
SJEQ: Since joining the club in the early 80’s, what would you say is your most memorable moment?
CD: "In 1983, the team that went unbeaten here at home and in my opinion should’ve won the NASL championship. It was a special time because we had some special players like the late Stan Terlecki from Poland, Steve Zungul, the Lord of All Indoors - he could play outdoor as well. Leo Cuellar, the Mexican National Team captain. That was the best team I actually played on. We sold out every game because the team was so dynamic and had the ability to role over teams. I loved playing with those teams."
SJEQ: You went from a storied career on the pitch to a long career in the booth. Tell us about your adjustment from cleats to a headset?
CD: "At the end of the day, I’ve always managed to stay in the game and that’s my number one passion. Even when there wasn’t a professional team in the area, I was still involved. I got involved in coaching locally and worked with the academy systems in the area. On the broadcast side, I was asked to work alongside Hal Ramey, Ted Ramey’s father. I did TV, then radio and now back to TV broadcast again. It’s not so much about the role I play, it’s just great being connected with the club."
SJEQ: What will it be like for you on May 5 to hear your name called and to be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame?
CD: "There’s going to be this tremendous sense of pride. I’m also going to feel honored and humbled. There are so many great players and people in that Hall of Fame, some of which aren’t with us anymore. I know there’s a good group of alumni coming out that day with me as well and that makes me feel special because a lot of these players are still my friends. I think it’s also a reflection of how fans here in San Jose have accepted me and supported me both on and off the field. From my time of playing at Spartan Stadium to broadcasting at Buck Shaw, Stanford and even here at Avaya, til this day - still living in this area for 30 plus years - I still have people come up to me from younger kids who know me from TV and the older fans who remember me from my playing days and they want to come and say hi. I love it. I love the fact that they support me and I think it’s an opportunity for me to thank the fans."
