Sports and Torts: Frank Gifford

We talk with the Giants Legend about his years at USC, playing in the Greatest Game ever played, his Monday Night Football boothmates, and son Cody following in his footsteps.

Sports and Torts: Yanina Beccaria

Yanina once kept her cools as a former member of the Chicago Blackhawks Ice Crew. But now she\'s heating things up down in the Dominican Republic on the NBC dating/reality series Love in the Wild. She takes us behind the scenes on the show.

Yanina Beccaria

Former \"Ice Girl\" for the Chicago Blackhawks, Yanina Beccaria is sassy and competitive, and she\'s not afraid to show it. Beccaria knows she\'s attractive and loves to flirt, but she\'s also willing to get rough-and-tumble. She used to play football until she tore her ACL. Even though she enjoys being single and having fun, she\'s feeling pressure to get married and start a family.

She remains an avid fan of the Blackhawks hockey team and considers a game, beer and nachos the ideal first date. Beccaria also co-owns a boutique nightclub in Chicago where she spends most of her weekends.

She attended the Illinois Institute of Art and currently works as an advertising account executive.

Love in the Wild

Frank Gifford

Gifford played for the Giants from 1952-64, although he voluntarily retired in 1961 season due to a serious injury suffered the previous season.

He was known as one of the most versatile backs in NFL history. Gifford was the first pick in the draft by the Giants in 1952 after an All-America career at Southern California.

He totaled 9,862 combined yards during his career. Gifford’s record includes 3,609 yards rushing, 367 receptions and 484 points.

He was named to the Pro Bowl as a defensive back in 1953 and as an offensive back the following year - a first in NFL annals. Gifford played in seven Pro Bowls during his career and was named All-NFL four times and NFL Player of the Year in 1956. He holds the Giants team record with 78 touchdowns, and formerly held the marks for highest average gain (500 attempts) rushing (4.30) and most receiving yards (5,434).

A real triple-threat in his halfback heyday, Gifford threw 14 touchdown passes in 60 attempts on the halfback option. He retired after the 1960 season and then decided to return in 1962 at a new position, flanker. The Giants reached the NFL Championship game five times during his career, including 1956, when they won the world championship. Gifford was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on July 30, 1977. After his playing days ended, Gifford became a commentator mainly for NFL games on CBS. His big break came in 1971 when he replaced Keith Jackson as play-by-play announcer on ABC\'s Monday Night Football, joining Howard Cosell and Don Meredith, and would continue on as a commentator until 1997, amid controversy regarding an affair he had with airline stewardess Suzen Johnson. In 1998, he was given a reduced role on the pregame show. After that, Gifford left Monday Night Football. Gifford also served as a reporter and commentator on other ABC programs, such as their coverage of the Olympic Games, skiing, and golf, and has guest hosted Good Morning America on occasion. He met his wife Kathie Lee while filling in as GMA host. In 1995, he was given the Pete Rozelle Award by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his NFL television work. He also announced Evel Knievel\'s jumps for ABC\'s Wide World of Sports in the 1970s, including when Knievel failed to clear 13 buses at Wembley Stadium in 1975.

Frank\'s Hall of Fame profile