User:Anders.Warga/sandbox/Morrie Siegel

Morris Siegel (a/k/a Mo or Morrie) was a Washington Post sportswriter and television personality. He advocated for the return of Major League Baseball to Washington, D.C.

Father Hartke, founder of the drama program at Catholic University of America, characterized his voice and him as "made for the stage."

At Emory University in 1933, Siegel was the Scribe of Alpha Epsilon Pi's epsilon chapter.

He and Shirley Povich, who hired him at the Post, are the only two journalists inducted into the RFK stadium hall of stars. Povich became a friend and godfather of Siegel's daughter. Ben Bradlee was also a friend. He was a confidante of Jack Kent Cooke for a time. When Cooke, over lunch at Duke Zeibert's, once said, "if I die..", Siegel interrupted, "Whaddya mean, if?"

Siegel once characterized the weakness of the Washington Redskin's opponents in 1975 by suggesting they should be 6-0 in the first four games. Siegel traveled with the Redskins.

Siegel remarked, vis-a-vis the new Washington Senators that Washington fans knew Calvin Griffith had been a barrier to a decent baseball team.

He wrote Vice President Hubert Humphrey's 1965 speech to the Football Writers Association in Chicago, but complained that Humphrey had left out some of his best lines.

Restauranteur Toots Shor once told his wife, "We’re not interested in what you think, you’re only here because of Morris”. And he said as far as I’m concerned – and [ MacPherson has ] never forgotten the phrase – "All broads are a piece of raisin cake”. After a strong retort, she enjoyed greater respect.

Before Super Bowl III, Siegel told a Las Vegas bookie that Vince Lombardi gave the Joe Namath and the Jets a chance to upset the Baltimore Colts. When he asked whether that would change the line, bookie Martin replied that that would depend on how much Lombardi bet.

When Edward Bennett Williams owned the Baltimore Orioles, he followed every game intently. On one occasion Williams became agitated after Jim Palmer had begun a home game with two consecutive balls. Siegel told his friend, "Hey, Ed. They play 162 of these things."