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An Early Father's Day Gift
Published: 5/30/2007 8:55 AM
Last Modified: 5/30/2007 8:55 AM

Father's Day is coming up soon after the June 4 Iba Awards.
Seth Davis, the Iba Awards master of ceremonies, seems to have already gotten his father, Lanny, the best gift of all. He made his father proud.
Seth is a Sports Illustrated writer and a college basketball analyst for CBS.
Lanny once visited a CBS set after Seth had wrapped up a broadcast.
A member of the support crew -- a make-up lady -- approached Lanny and said something along the lines of "Hello, Mr. Davis. I just wanted you to know that you have the nicest son of any of the people we work with."
Davis thanked her for the kind words. She came back with another salvo. She wanted Lanny to understand that many of the "superstars" she had dealt with barely said hello or knew the names of support staff. On the other hand, Seth calls her by her first name and asks about her family every time they meet.
Lanny was overwhelmed when he heard her story. He took her words as a huge compliment.
Lanny believes all parents can do is teach basic values and then the influence of friends eventually takes over. One of the basic values taught to Lanny by his father was that there is no such thing as an important person or an unimportant person. Everyone is the same, regardless of race or religion. When Seth was a baby, Lanny decided he wanted very much to pass that belief on to Seth.
After the conversation with the make-up gal, Lanny knew it was a matter of mission accomplished.
"I can say Seth is the greatest son any father could have," Lanny said in a telephone interview last week. "He is a terrific friend. He is a severe critic, but he's always constructive. He is a great and loyal son. If you dreamed of the perfect son, I would dream of Seth. That's the honest to goodness truth."
Lanny suspects his words will embarrass his son. He's too proud to care.

Check out my profile of Seth Davis published Wednesday in the World.


Reader Comments 2 Total
Kel (6 years ago)
The greatest thing a man can do is raise a good son or daughter.
Jimmie Tramel (6 years ago)
JC Watts, who will be the Iba Awards keynote speaker, said in his book that you raise a son with your head and a daughter with your heart. I am looking forward to seeing him June 4 so I can ask him to elaborate. Another Watts, Cowboy Bill Watts, wrote in his book that sons are great, but daughters steal a daddy's heart. Interesting, I thought.
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Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

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