In 1974, the Eagles and McDonalds teamed up with Audrey Evans, M.D. and Jimmy Murray to create the world’s first Ronald McDonald House. Many teams in the NFL followed and created Houses in their home cities and the Houses have now spread throughout the world. Jimmy Murray, Leonard Tose and their team – including legendary coach, Dick Vermeil – led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Superbowl. But their lasting legacy will be the partnership which built the first Ronald McDonald House and sparked an idea that keeps growing and brings honor to the NFL, McDonalds, and all who give their hearts, money and time to help children and their families in times of dire need. In “Life is an Audible” we are entertained and taken inside the world of professional sports by a man who is a natural born storyteller. We know that some Irishmen have the “gift of the gab”…one might think that some stories are somewhat “tall” and that the lad’s full of mullarkey … “So, Jimmy, the Pope spots you in a crowd of one million holding up your son, and came over and blessed the boy … then, years later, remembered it when you visited him at his private residence at Castel Gandolfo … you’re sure about this?” A few days later, Jimmy sends you pictures. So when he tells you about running a restaurant in Malibu and hanging out with Peter Lawford and the Hollywood crowd, you have to believe the man. As a recent Villanova grad, heading for his job with the “Atlanta Crackers” (yep, the name’s for real!), he stops by Bill Veeck’s house after writing to ask if he can pick the guy’s brains and the famous baseball owner – who sent in midget Eddie Gaedel to pinch-hit for his Cleveland Indians with the bases loaded in the 9th – of course, says “Sure kid!” to young Jimmy Murray who then spends hours at his house swapping stories like kindred spirits!
Jimmy Murray’s a non-stop storyteller with a heart of gold and the integrity to match – a man raised by solid parents who dropped him at the Augustinian Seminary in Staten Island as a young lad only to have him arrive home after he and his accomplices were thrown out into the cold after shenanigans that left no doubt that the priesthood was not his destiny! Jimmy’s path led to Leonard Tose and the rest is history.
