Clarkson profiled for Final Four
April 18, 2013
Local Denver media, 9news, profiles Rich Clarkson and his run of the Final Fours. He shares some of the most epic Final Four moments and more below. Take a look.
How Clarkson got his start
March 25, 2013
As the 75th Final Four approaches and everyone’s brackets start to wither and die, we will see who will make it to The Big Dance in Atlanta this year.
Clarkson will be photographing his 59th Final Four this year and all because of a start he made back in 1950′s with Wilt Chamberlain.
Take a look below to hear how he got his first published photograph in Sports Illustrated.
History of the Final Four: White vs. Black
March 18, 2013
As the 75th anniversary of the NCAA Final Four approaches, we take a look back into history through the eyes of long-time Final Four photographer, Rich Clarkson.
A turning point for the evolution of the sport of basketball was the Civil Rights Movement. Clarkson documented an All-White team losing to an All-Black starting lineup for the first time — the story was later told through the motion picture ‘Glory Road’.
Watch the video below to hear his story:
March Madness game changed history
March 15, 2013
It’s called the “Game of Change” and for good reason.
The 1963 game with Mississippi State vs. Loyola Chicago is one of the most memorable sporting events in the civil rights movement. It served as a vehicle to challenge racial segregation in athletics helping to forever change college basketball and advance civil rights in this country.
Mississippi State’s team had to overcome unwritten laws that prohibited them from playing integrated teams. The team snuck out of town in darkness before the Governor could order them to not leave.
The Loyola Chicago team, which featured four African-American starters, eventually went on the win the National Championship.
Rich Clarkson was there to document and photograph it all — his pictures are showcased in the video along with some players from that game.
Check it out here on Yahoo Sports!
Clarkson Final Four
March 8, 2013
March Madness this year will mark the 75th anniversary of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships — the Final Four. The individual who had attended, and covered with cameras, more Final Fours than anyone else is our boss Rich Clarkson.
Rich’s work is chronicled in a story and 12 pages of pictures in Sports Illustrated which is on newsstands now.
Sports Illustrated writer Lars Anderson tells of Rich’s first basketball championship while a freshman at the University of Kansas. His portrait of newly-arrived basketball star Wilt Chamberlain was his first published photograph in Sports Illustrated and led to the first of many assignments that spans 59 years.
Rich will be courtside April 6-8 for this year’s Final Four — his 59th tournament.
Along the way, Rich has become friends with many of the nation’s basketball coaches ranging from Dr. Forrest C. “Phog” Allen, the Kansas coach when he attended KU, to Bob Knight, John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith and Ted Owens.
Another accomplishment on a list that never seems to end. Below is a link to the SI article, it is worth getting out and buying a copy!
We are all very proud to have been a part of a handful of them!
