On Saturday, October 26th, the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCACF) presented its 2024 Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame (CAS-HOF) Induction Ceremony and Dinner at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center in downtown Pittsburgh. This banquet celebrated the extraordinary achievements of twelve incredible athletes of Croatian descent who made an indelible mark in the world of sports. The ceremony sold out with 330 dinner guests and family members and friends of the athletes with all the NFCACF delegates in town with another 100 plus Croatian Fraternal Union members.
The weekend began with an evening reception on October 25th at the Croatian Fraternal Union of America (CFU) Headquarters in Pittsburgh with families of the 11 inductees to the Croatian Sports Hall of Fame for food and tambura music performed by Zabova. CFU members gave the inductees and their family members tours of the CFU facility which is truly a living museum and all this exposure to so much Croatian culture and history was appreciated by all.
At the Saturday evening induction ceremony, the eleven inductees and family representatives for those who passed away received their CAS-HOF awards. The fact that at least six of the inductees hailed from Pittsburgh or Western Pennsylvania helped draw such a big crowd. A cocktail reception introduced the attendees to tamburitza music before the banquet and was sponsored by CFU. Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Pjer Simonovic, made a guest appearance and took many photos with the inductees and their families. The Master of Ceremonies for the 2024 event was Emmy award winner and longtime sportscaster, Jerome Jurenovich.
Rudy Tomjanovich
NBA All Star Forward of the Houston Rockets and head coach of Team USA in the 2000 Olympics, Rudy Tomjanovich, received the award and presented his appreciation for being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He expressed his love for the sport and the values that kept him grounded which were taught by his uncle, hard work to achieve success, and Croatian values brought by his Croatian immigrant parents. Rudy also spoke about his Croatian roots and how we came a long way to discovering that his mother side came from a village called Krivi Put located in a forested area near Senj in Lika. From this visit to Senj, he mentioned that he discovered the true love that Croatians have for their family and their heritage.
Ralph Cindrich
Son, Michael Cindrich, accepted the award for his father, Ralph, Pitt and NFL football star and NFL sports agent. Michael spoke about his father’s career in the NFL and his sports representation firm Cindrich & Company and became a nationally recognized and respected NFL agent. He talked about his father’s role in changing the NFL salary structure and how he supported first round pics and his “All Pro” clients. The CAS-HOF shared video clips of Ralph’s various clients who showed their support and congratulations to his induction into the Croatian American Sports Hall of Fame. Michael also expressed his father’s love for his Croatian heritage and even where he attempted to organize an NFL game in Croatia. Michael also shared that his father’s legacy is well defined through his book The NFL Brawler which includes first person accounts of Ralph’s career as an NFL agent.
Kara Grgas-Goucher
Kara Grgas-Goucher with NFCACF Delegate Biljana Abel
Long distance runner, Kara Goucher, proudly received her award and delivered a beautiful and emotional speech about her Croatian heritage about her Croatian motivation to continue her goals to win 3rd place at the New York City Marathon and even her appearances in the Olympics. She talked about her father Mirko Grgas who emigrated from Croatia to the United States and about his tragic death in 1982. Kara shared that he would have been very proud to see his daughter inducted by the Croatian American community. She also attended a public meeting with NFCACF delegates earlier and spoke about her bestselling book The Longest Race and podcast in revealing the doping and abuse scandals in Nike, and more about her notable career as a long-distance runner and proudly shared that she was the first American male or female ever to win a silver medal in world competition in the 10,000 meter race at the World Championships in Japan.
Bill Fralic
Bill Fralic’s Wife Susan with Jerome Jurenovich
University Pittsburgh All American and Atlanta Falcons All Pro lineman, Bill Fralic, was inducted and the award was accepted by his wife Susan. She mentioned more highlights of his career and how much she misses him. Susan shared that she continues to honor his legacy by commitments to community service with several charity organizations.
Tim Grgurich
Legendary coach, Tim Grgurich accepted the award in-person and invited his family members, wife Kathy and two daughters Jennifer and Suzi, and several of his teammates and colleagues. He lit up the room with humor and joy while receiving the award and reflecting on his 56-year basketball coaching career at the NCAA Division for 28 years and NBA for 31more. He gave his family, friends and his former University of Pittsburgh players standing ovations for supporting him along the way. Coach Grgurich was introduced by his NCAA All American player at the University of Pittsburgh, Billy Knight.
John Mayasich
Ed Pazo, Excellency Most Reverend Bishop Wiliam Walterscheid, and Ambassador Simunovic with John Mayasich (yellow tie)
Ice Hockey Olympian from the 1956 (silver) and 1960 (gold) with Team USA, John Mayasich received the award and spoke about his career starting at a football scholarship with University of Minnesota and continuing his NCAA hockey career earning a three-time All-American status. John remains the leading scorer of all time at the University of Minnesota. He was honored alongside his family and highlighted so much about his Croatian heritage and growing up in Eveleth, Minnesota within his heartwarming and authentic acceptance speech.
Jim Laslavic
Etna Pennsylvania native and Penn State Linemen, Jim Laslavic, received the award and accompanied by his wife Susan and two children, Hayley and James, who live in Coronado, California. He spoke about his road to success in being selected in the third round in the 1973 NFL draft after his successful years at Penn State. He shared highlights about his work as a sports anchor and reporter which won him several Emmy Awards. Jim spoke eloquently about his Croatian heritage where his father Joseph Michael Laslavic from a village of Laslavici near Karlovac and that his children are members of CFU Lodge 4.
Frank Sinkwich
Known as the “Croatian Comet” and the first foreign born Heisman trophy winner, Frank Sinkwich, was posthumously inducted into the CAS-HOF. His grandson, Frank Sinkwich III, accepted the award and sent a video message out to the attendees as he sat next to his grandfather’s Heisman Trophy. He expressed his gratitude to the CAS-HOF for honoring his grandfather for the induction and spoke about his love for Croatia.
Paul Tomasovich
Paul Tomasovich’s grandson Rick Frost
Also known as “King Kong,” MVP Slow Pitch Softball star Paul Tomasovich received the award posthumously. Rick Frost, his grandson, accepted the award on behalf of the Tomasovich family. Rick shared more details about his grandfather’s career as a legendary amateur softball player and, about the family’s Croatian heritage and with the ancestors coming from Perusic and on the maternal side from Gospic.
Fritzie Zivic
World welterweight champion in 1940-1941, Fritzie Zivic, was inducted in the Hall of fame posthumously and his award accepted by his daughter, Jan Zivic. She talked about his passionate nature and love for his wife Helen and his overall passion for his Croatian heritage. Jan also spoke about her uncles, Pete and Jack, whose family members were present at the banquet along with three of Fritzie’s grandchildren and about Fritzie’s love for his family.
Frank Solich
Ohio and Nebraska University NCAA football coach, Frank Solich, was not able to attend due to another NCAA football event in Ohio that night. He expressed his gratitude to the CAS-HOF in several phone calls over the past month. He looks forward to attending the next induction ceremony in 2026.
George Mikan
Patrick Mikan wearing an NBA All Star custom jacket
Originally inducted in 2022, George Mikan’s son, Patrick, and daughter, Maureen, accepted his award on behalf of the Mikan family. They each spoke about their appreciation and respect of the Croatian culture and thoroughly enjoyed the CFU evening reception on Friday. Patrick was seen wearing a custom NBA All Star 75th Anniversary jacket to George Mikan. He wore it at his father’s Lakers 99 Jersey retirement ceremony on October 30, 2022. The jacket contains interesting patches of a current Los Angeles Lakers logo and a vintage Minnesota Lakers logo on the left arm and his father’s number 99 printed on the right arm. Patrick and Maureen spoke fondly of their father’s NBA career and his love for his Croatian heritage. Maureen had just returned from a trip to Croatia and spoke about her father’s love of Croatia and the culture.
Steve Rukavina with Miro Juric, Kara Grgas Gaucher, her aunt, and Ambassador Pjer Simunovic
The NFCACF announced the formation of the CAS-HOF on October 1, 2019. The Sports HOF committee includes Co-Chair Steve Rukavina, Co-Chair Vedran Nazor, Derek Hohn, Jim Kresnik, Matt Furjanic, Jr., Dino Mattessich and Tom Steich. The mission is to recognize Croatian Americans who have achieved national notoriety for their achievements in sports in the United States and Canada. The selection categories are athletes, coaches, referees, broadcasters, sports management and other contributors to the world of sports. The selection of inductees is initiated by a committee who manages the three-step nomination process. The Pittsburgh 2024 Host Committee was chaired by Matt Furjanic, Jr. who managed the advertising and the induction banquet details.
The NFCACF and CAS-HOF salutes their corporate sponsor PepsiCo for their continued sponsorship and, for the 2024 platinum sponsors, Josip Grgas and Dr. Joseph Cindrich.
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