EVANSVILLE – For Don Mattingly, it was a tough question: what's your favorite sport?

"Well, my favorite is basketball," the 11-year-old said. "No, wait – baseball. But I like football, too."

The fact football came in third was a little astonishing, considering the Evansville kid was about to be flown to San Francisco to play it. It was December of 1972, and Mattingly had just won regional punt, pass and kick competitions in Evansville, Princeton, Indianapolis and Chicago – the final victory earning him a spot in the national semifinals.

One million kids vied for the crown when the competition began. Now the sixth-grader at St. Theresa was one of 156 left nationwide.

"Many kids were nervous and messed up," he told the Evansville Courier about the Chicago showdown, which took place in fr

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