Sports Connections with David Smale: Recent Episodes
Sports Connections / David Smale
Join David Smale, author and sports journalist, as he sits down with fascinating guests that make up the world of sports. For more than 40 years, he has interviewed people in sports and helped to tell their stories. The show brings a fun and intimate look into those sports connections.
Andy Katz is one of college basketball's finest reporters. On this episode of Sports Connections, Andy and David discuss college basketball on a national level. The two talk about their favorite locations in the sport. Andy also goes in-depth on his friendship with former President Barack Obama.
Mark Neely has been a broadcaster for many years, including some of the biggest games in College Football, Major League Baseball and other sports. In this episode of Sports Connections with David Smale, Mark and David look back on their careers and discuss their favorite moments in sports.
Rich Gannon played 18 seasons in the NFL and now he works as an ambassador for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Rich and David discuss how being a leader is important in today's society and how the skills he learned during his time on the gridiron apply to his life today.
Rece Davis is one of the premier broadcasters in the sports industry. In this interview, David talks with Rece about his background, the sports world, and his faith.
If you’re a sports fan—and you wouldn’t be listening to this podcast if you weren’t—and you have a bucket list, you need to add the College World Series to your list. While you’re at it, you might put it at or near the top of that list. Kathryn Morrissey heads up the College World Series of Omaha, Inc., the host committee of college baseball’s biggest event. She’s been part of the event for more than 30 years, and she’s retiring while it’s continuing to gain popularity. Later this week, the 2022 event kicks off. So grab yourself a Zesto and get ready for some great baseball!
Whit Merrifield might be the best-kept secret in Major League baseball today. He’s led the American League in at least one offensive category—many times multiple categories—every full season he’s played. Yet few outside of Kansas City can tell you much about him. He’s one of the leaders of the youthful Kansas City Royals, and he’s very candid about his desire to bring a winner back to the Heartland.
It sounds strange to say that Collin Klien is the face of the Kansas State football program since he’s neither a current player nor the head coach. But there are few who will disagree. Klien played quarterback for the Wildcats from 2009-12. He was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012. He has risen through the coaching ranks to offensive coordinator, and no doubt will be the head coach at some point. He’s even married to former K-State women’s hoops player (and daughter of a K-State all-American linebacker) Shalin Spani.
Roger Espinoza has been with the Sporting Kansas City franchise for so long, he was drafted by the Kansas City Wizards. His time as a player began before Peter Vermes became the manager of the club. Yes, he’s been around for a long time. He’s one of the most popular players on the roster because he always gives every ounce of effort. What you may not know is that Espinoza also has a great sense of humor, which he displays in today’s interview.
John Mangini is like many men his age. He grew up collecting baseball cards. But unlike many of his contemporaries, he still has much of that collection—and a lot more. He now has more than 100,000 cards, plus a museum-worthy assortment of other baseball memorabilia in his collection. The native of the Pittsburgh area has spent a lifetime enjoying the game of baseball through collectibles.
Adam Wainwright recently became the first pitcher older than 40 to pitch seven scoreless innings and allow one hit since 2009. Yeah, he’s still got it. But “Uncle Charlie,” the nickname he earned for his outstanding curveball, is more than just a great competitor; he’s also a great guy. He was the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award winner, given to the MLB player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team. He’s active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Pro Athletes Outreach.
How does it feel to have your name announced at the NFL Draft? Tim Grunhard, who was a second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1990, joins us to talk about how he felt. He also shares what it felt like the first time he walked into Arrowhead Stadium. Grunny helps us analyze the Chiefs draft and how those pieces might fit into the six-time defending AFC West champs!
The Draft is behind us and now NFL teams are filling their rosters with undrafted free agents and cuts from other teams. It wasn’t that long ago that the short-lived Plan B free agency was a part of roster-building, and no one did it better than the Kansas City Chiefs. One of the best examples was Dan Saleaumua, who came to the Chiefs after two years with the Detroit Lions. He had great success with the Chiefs, helping them to a run of playoff appearances. He joins us today to talk about what was attractive to Kansas City.
The new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rule has created a seismic shift in college athletics. Now, student-athletes can make money by using their name or face to promote products and services. It might be the biggest off-field change since colleges started offering athletic scholarships. Curry Sexton, a former K-State receiver, has helped create a collective that helps K-State student-athletes connect with revenue sources, and he joins us to talk about how it might help his alma mater.
When Carl Peterson took the role of Chiefs President/CEO/General Manager, the franchise was in disarray. They had not won a playoff game—they had lost the only two they played in—since winning the Super Bowl almost 20 years before. Worse yet, they were an afterthought in the league and even in their own community. No one wanted to go to Arrowhead Stadium for a Chiefs game. More than 30 years later, the Chiefs are a model NFL franchise and one of the standard-bearers for how to engage a fan base.
Chris Klieman had the unenviable task of following College Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder as the head coach at Kansas State following the 2018 season. Klieman has taken the Wildcats to bowl games in two of his first three seasons, with the crazy season of 2020 as the outlier. He’s established his program as one of the best in the Big 12, one that won’t back down to anybody (the Wildcats are 2-1 against Oklahoma). And he’s done it with his own style and personality.
“USA! USA!” The loud chant reverberates in our minds as American sports fans. Did you know that chant began at the “Miracle on Ice” during the 1980 Olympics? Our guest, Ken Morrow, was part of the USA team that won the game against the Russians, the heavily favored four-time defending Gold Medal winners who defeated the American team 10-3 in an exhibition game days before the Olympics began. But on that perfect night in Lake Placid, N.Y., the Americans won 4-3 in front of a small, but frenzied crowd on their way to the Gold Medal. That memory will never fade, for Morrow, for me or for anybody old enough to remember it happening.
We all have barriers to get through to accomplish things in our lives. But what if you passion carried a built-in obstacle that was impossible to ignore? Bryce Weiler is a sports broadcaster who can’t see the action he’s describing. Blind since birth, Weiler doesn’t let that slow him down, as he “listens” to the game and describes why and how what just happened came about. He’s also taking the attention he’s been receiving to help other people defeat the challenges in their lives. We guarantee you’ll be inspired by this story.
Have you ever played “Can you top this?” with your friends? That’s where you’re comparing who you know, and each person tries to one-up the previous person. Our guest today, Charlie Mechem would win that every time, and he joins us to talk about his upcoming book “Arnie and Jack: Stories of My Long Friendship With Two Remarkable Men, the story of his relationships with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Can you top that?
A year ago tonight, Homer Drew was in the stands watching his son Scott coach the Baylor Bears to the national championship in Division I men’s basketball. Another son, Bryce, helped get Homer on the national stage 24 years ago during the tournament when he hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to help Valparaiso—coached by Homer—defeat Mississippi in a first-round game. Homer joins us today to talk about basketball…and life.
A generation of basketball fans may only know Charles Barkley only as a wisecracking studio analyst for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and NBA television broadcasts. But the self-deprecating Barkley was one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Shorter than the average power forward at just 6-4, he used strength, quickness and hustle to be selected as one of the 75 Greatest Players in NBA History.
College basketball fans fell in love with “Sister Jean” at the tender age of 98, when her Loyola Ramblers shocked the world by reaching the Final Four in 2018. She’s the face of Loyola basketball when she’s not still working for the university by building relationships with students. She played high school basketball back in the 1930s, and she still knows plenty about the game.
Dan Shulman, like many of us, grew up playing a lot of sports, though he admits that he didn’t play them well. But his skill at capturing the essence of the game makes the games he calls “must watch” television. He’s the primary voice of ESPN’s massive college basketball coverage, and he considers himself fortunate to be able to cover games all across the country inside the best arenas in America. He’s also the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, so he never has a chance to get out of practice of being behind the microphone.
Brian Hanni grew up loving sports, but he knew he probably wouldn't compete beyond high school. He set a goal to be a professional broadcaster, and then went to work to make it happen. His boundless energy, whether it's broadcasting Kansas' perennial basketball powerhouse or the Jayhawks' under-performing football team, comes from his love of the game and his gratitude for the opportunity.
Jon Sciambi is known throughout the ESPN-inspired sports world as "Boog" because of his strong resemblance to former MLB All Star and MVP John "Boog" Powell. But Sciambi is carving his own path. One of the best college basketball broadcasters in the business, Sciambi is in Kansas City this week to broadcast the Big 12 Championship, and there's no place he'd rather be.
Jimmy Dykes is at home every time he’s near a basketball court. Whether it was in his days as a player at the University of Arkansas, or his days as a coach throughout the southeast, or for most of the last 30 years as a college basketball analyst for ESPN, he loves his time around the game. But even more, he loves his time around home, and he’s willing to share that message with individuals or groups. His book, The Film Doesn’t Lie, examines how our lives reflect our mindset from the perspective of a coach.
Bill Self’s teams have won or shared an astonishing 76 percent of their conference titles in his first 25 years as a head coach, which landed him in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. As the head coach at Kansas, he’s won nearly 82 percent of his games, including 80.6 percent of his games in the Big 12, arguably the best conference in college basketball. He’s in his 19th season at Kansas, and his teams have lost just 16 games at home during that time. He’ll likely win or share his 16th conference title this season, meaning he’ll have as many rings as losses. That’s why we call him the best coach in college basketball.
When Alec Lemmon was in grad school at Mid-America Nazarene University, he had a class in which his professor asked the class to ponder what they’d do with their lives if they didn’t have to worry about money. A former national-caliber youth soccer player, Lemmon thought about how he could use his love for “the beautiful game.” He wanted to create a youth soccer experience for kids that focused on more than just soccer skills development and winning at all costs. He founded TOCA FC, a competitive soccer club based on the values of faith, family and futbol. He then took that model to the inner-city and worked with underserved youth. We guarantee you’ll be inspired.
The sport of NASCAR caught fire in the 1970s and spread beyond its southeastern roots. Tracks popped up around the country in every time zone. Kansas Speedway opened in 2001 and quickly became one of the drivers’ favorite tracks. The development around the speedway includes Children’s Mercy Park and Legends Field, plus acres of retail spots. Pat Warren has led the efforts of the Speedway for nearly a decade, and he joins us to talk about the impact racing has on our community.
With the Super Bowl now behind us, we take a look back at one of the all-time great kickers in NFL history. When Nick Lowery retired, he had the most made field goals in NFL history and had the highest percentage of made field goals. He led the league in longest field goal multiple times, and he was probably the best-dressed kicker in the league as well. He joins us today to talk about his kicking career, and his second career as a motivational speaker.
Do you love the game of football, just not the violence associated with it? Then flag football is for you. The American Flag Football League was founded in 2016 and has taken off quickly. So far, all the competitions have been in tournament formats, but there is movement toward adopting a regular season approach. Jeff Lewis, the founder of the league, joins us to talk about the league, which he expects to be world-wide in a few years.
When Kansas City Royals reliever Wade Davis came into the game during the Royals back-to-back World Series seasons, the game was all-but decided. He was part of the team’s back end of the bullpen that shut down opposing offenses. After an injury took out closer Greg Holland, Davis became the closer. He had an ERA under 1.00 over those two seasons. Now retired, Davis and his wife, Katelyn, will focus their full attention on their favorite charity, The Battle Within, which helps former military and first responders deal with PTSD. They join us to talk about their passion for this cause.
If you’re a fan of college basketball, you’ll know the name Seth Greenberg. Greenberg had a long, successful career as a head coach, but he’s become better known through his work on ESPN. He’s part of the College Game Day crew, and he also does studio work during the week. He’s not afraid to voice his opinion, even when he disagrees with the common perception or with his fellow analysts. He joins us to talk about his life in college hoops.
Most people’s perspective of Minor League Baseball probably comes from one of many baseball movies, like “Bull Durham,” “Major League” or “Trouble With the Curve.” But is that what the game is really like at the lower levels of professional baseball? Luke Ritter is entering his third season in the New York Mets organization, and he’s thrilled to be around the game. Yes, there are challenges associated with being a professional ballplayer out of the limelight. But Ritter is excited to be playing the game he loves and getting paid to do it. You’ll love this young man, and maybe you’ll rekindle your love of the game after listening to him.
He’s better known for being the father of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He might even be better known for being the grandfather of Sterling Mahomes. But Pat Mahomes had a 12-year career as an MLB pitcher, where he introduced his oldest son to the world of professional sports. He credits that exposure with helping Patrick adjust to being an NFL star so easily. Pat joins us to talk about his own career, and the integral role he played in getting Patrick ready to be the biggest star in American sports.
If you’ve been a sports fan in the Kansas City area at any point in the last 30-plus years, you know who Blair Kerkhoff. He’s been a columnist for The Kansas City Star since 1989, and he has covered local and national colleges, the Chiefs and Royals, Kansas City’s World Cup bid, and everything else the editors at The Star have thrown his way. He’s talented, but about as easy-going as you’ll find. Blair is in our prayers, as he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called hairy cell leukemia after we recorded this interview. We’re pulling for our friend.
Running a baseball franchise in a small market has been a challenge for a long time. You not only have the discrepancy of money available because of smaller than average local television contracts, it’s harder to make your franchise an attractive landing spot for free agents. Dayton Moore built the AL champion Royals in 2014 and World Series champions in 2015, the first small-revenue team to reach back-to-back World Series since the Oakland A’s from 1988-1990. As genuine and nice as they come, Dayton joins us to talk about the challenges and rewards of operating in a small market.
When Stephone Paige set the NFL record with 309 receiving yards in 1985, he did it on only eight catches. He’s one of three receivers to catch passes for more than 300 yards in a single game, but he’s the only one to do it on fewer than 14 catches. But Paige had an outstanding career that is over-shadowed by his record-breaking day. He joins us to talk about that game, what he’s been doing since retiring from the NFL, and what it’s like to be a Chiefs fan in the heart of Raiders country (hint: it’s pretty good right now).
If you turn on a sporting event and hear, “Hello, friends,” in a silky-smooth voice, you know it’s a big event, because Jim Nantz is there. Whether it’s with Tony Romo and Bonnie Bernstein for an NFL match-up, Grant Hill and Bill Raftery for a college hoops classic, or Nick Faldo and a cadre of analysts for a PGA tour weekend, Nantz transitions from one event to the next. Nantz has been with CBS since his college days at Houston in the early 1980s, and he’s “comfort food” for every sports fans’ appetite.
Joe Kennedy never sought the limelight, but it found him. A high school football coach, he knelt in prayer after every game, something the local school district didn’t like. Even though he was exercising his First Amendment right to free speech and freedom of religion, the district requested that he stop, and then fired him for continuing. His fight is likely to go all the way to the Supreme Court as a test case for the individual rights of public figures. He joins us to talk about the motivation for fighting for those rights.
What’s your impression of a NASCAR crewman? Jorden Paige probably doesn’t fit it, but he soon might. The jackman for the No. 23 car, driven by Bubba Wallace, Paige didn’t grow up following the sport, and his sport of choice was football. He worked his way through a NASCAR internship and quickly fell in love with the job of jackman. The agility and athleticism required to rush the quarterback from the defensive end position comes in handy when you jump the wall, jack up a 3,300-pound car with two quick pumps and throw a tire on the car, and then run around the car and do it again—all in 13 seconds. Listen in and find out how Jorden can become a future face of the sport.
The NASCAR season is now complete, but “Silly Season” is well underway. Matt DiBenedetto just completed a two-year contract driving the iconic No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing, and he’s looking for a new team. He wants a team with a similar “family” approach as the Wood Brothers. He joins us to talk about how the racing community is one big family. They might “duke it out” going 190 miles per hour on the track, but that doesn’t keep them from caring deeply about each other off the track.
College baseball has no better champion than College Baseball Hall of Fame coach Ron Polk. The “Father of Southeastern Conference Baseball” compiled a 1373-702-2 record, making him the ninth winningest baseball coach in Division I history. He has fought for the cause of more scholarships in college baseball for years, and he has no plans to quit now. Join us to hear what makes Ron Polk the legend that he is.
Dennis Dodd has been covering college sports for more than 40 years. He was there back in the “good ol’ days” when the only thing that mattered was who defeated whom. He was there for the original conference realignment 10 years ago, and he was there for the recent shakeups. And knowing Dennis for most of those 40 years, I can guarantee that he’ll be there for the next round of changes. He joins us today to talk about what’s happened and what he expects to happen next.
Jacie Hoyt learned how to win at an early age, as her mother is one of the all-time winningest basketball coaches in Kansas high school history. Jacie played for her mom, then played at Wichita State. She now heads the women’s basketball program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she took the team to its first ever conference regular-season title in 2019-20. She just signed a contract extension, so Kansas City will be her home for many more years. She joins us to talk about where she sees her program going in the coming years.
Danny Duffy will forever be a part of Kansas City Royals lore with his contributions to the 2014 American League champions and 2015 World Series champions. The Southern California native became a Kansas Citian, to the point where, when rumors swirled that he might be traded one off-season, said, “Bury me a Royal.” He stayed with the franchise several more years before finally being traded at the 2021 trade deadline. But wherever his career takes him from here, he says that Kansas City will always hold a special place in his heart. The feeling is mutual.
Chase Coffman grew up with a famous father, as his dad was a former pro football player who eventually became a member of the Packers Hall of Fame. Paul never forced Chase or his brothers to pursue football, but he was there for guidance and inspiration as they all chose to do so. Chase became a three-time all-state performer and consensus All-American as a senior at Missouri. They both played tight end in college and in the pros, but the similarities don’t stop there. They both have a fondness for each other that comes through loud and clear as they join Sports Connections.
There’s no question that Mike Matheny hit the ground running as a Major League Baseball manager. With no managerial experience, Matheny led the St. Louis Cardinals to the postseason in each of his first four seasons at the helm, including three straight National League Central titles. But after starting the 2018 season at 47-46—he never had a losing season in seven seasons—he was fired. Much of the criticism was his handling of the clubhouse culture and lack of acceptance of analytics. But two seasons into his Royals tenure, Matheny has fully embraced the role of analytics in the game, and his players love him. He joins us to talk about how he’s changed.
The term “hero” is thrown around so loosely. Anyone who can throw a ball, run fast or jump high is called a hero. But how do you define a real hero in this sports-crazed world? How about someone who volunteers to join the military before graduating from high school, knowing that combat is almost guaranteed? How about someone who leads men many years his senior into said battles, many times putting himself in harm’s way? How about someone who spends more than 20 years in service to his country and becomes one of the most-decorated soldiers in American Army history? Today, we’ll find out about one such hero from author Rob Lofthouse, who wrote a book about a man who fit all those descriptions.
Dick Vermeil said he always hoped his career was good enough to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he didn’t know if it would happen. So when he got a call this fall telling him that he had been selected by the coaches committee, he was taken back. He believes there are several other coaches who belong in the Hall before him, but he’ll gladly accept the honor once the whole committee votes him in—a foregone conclusion. He was one of the most entertaining coaches in NFL history and his team always entertained. You’ll be entertained by our conversation.
They say that baseball is a game of failure, where even the best fail seven out of 10 times. How about a sport where only one of 40 competitors is successful? Welcome to the world of auto racing, specifically NASCAR. The public persona of a race car driver is a tough, self-sufficient dude, focused only on winning the next weekend’s race. But that’s not necessarily true. Drivers, crew members, team owners and everyone involved in the sport have lives away from the track, including family issues and questions about their own mortality like every other human being. Billy Mauldin leads Motor Racing Outreach, an organization solely intent on helping those people cope with the pressures of life in sports’ most-difficult arena for achieving success.
Michael McDowell is a 20-year veteran race-car driver who has been competing in some aspect of racing for 33 of his 36 years on Earth. But he pushed himself to the top of racing with his career at the 2021 Daytona 500, the Super Bowl of racing. He became the eighth driver in NASCAR history to win his first race at the circuit’s biggest race. But that win didn’t change him. He joins us to talk about what keeps him focused and humble as he seeks to build on that career-changing victory.
Steve DeBerg spent more than 20 years around professional football. Not bad for an undrafted free agent who didn’t think he would ever play in the NFL. He laid the groundwork for three future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, always with an Alfred E. Newman “What, Me Worry?” approach. He joins us to talk about some of his favorite memories with the eight different teams he played for, including shattering his finger in a game and coming back to play later in the game.
Frank White grew up in the shadows of Kansas City’s old Municipal Stadium, the original home of the Royals. An outstanding athlete at KC’s Lincoln Prep, he was on the construction crew of the Royals’ new stadium in the Truman Sports Complex. He also was an integral part of the growth of the Royals from an expansion team in 1969 to World Series champions in 1985. He is one of 180 Major League Baseball players to spend at least 10 years in the game and play for just one club, as he spent his entire 18-year career with the Royals.
Dick Kaegel began his career as a sportswriter while he was still a senior in high school in Belleville, Ill. After getting his degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, he worked at three different newspapers, covering his first World Series in 1964. He was the editor-in-chief of The Sporting News from 1979-85. He went back to “beat writing,” where he stayed until his retirement at the end of the 2014 season. One of the most respected baseball writers around, he joins us to talk about his illustrious career.
Anyone who has watched baseball on a national telecast knows about Tom Verducci, the sideline reporter for Fox Sports’ baseball coverage. He’s been immersed in the sport since his youth, and he’s made a successful career of writing and talking about The National Pastime, from his days at Newsday through Sports Illustrated and even in the booth with Fox. He joins us to talk about his love for the game, and some special memories of being at the Field of Dreams game.
We’ve all heard the expression, usually in derision, “that New York media.” It implies a mean-spirited group of journalists trying to get an inside scoop in the crowded world of New York sports. While some of the public impression may be true, most of it is merely a factor of the sheer numbers of media covering the multiple sporting events in the largest city in America. Erik Boland has been covering the New York Yankees for more than a dozen years, and he’s experienced it from the inside. He joins us to talk about the fact and fiction of his profession in “the city that never sleeps.”
Fran Fraschilla was a successful basketball coach at the NCAA Division I level. But in his early 40s, with two pre-teen boys, he made a career move and he's never looked back. He decided to join ESPN as a broadcaster and analyst, and he's approaching 20 years with the network. He loves what he's doing. He's stayed involved with the game he's loved since he was a teenager, but he still gets to focus on his family first! He joins us to talk about priorities and the great game of college basketball.
Curt Nelson grew up in Oklahoma, but the Kansas City Royals were always his favorite team. He liked other sports, but baseball was his favorite, and he followed the team fervently. He cried, as a 12-year-old in 1980 when the Royals lost in six games in the World Series. He cried (tears of joy) when they won the 1985 World Series. He’s been the director of the Royals Hall of Fame since a formal structure was opened, and he’s a walking encyclopedia of Royals history. He reminds all of us that what is a current event today will be tomorrow’s history.
Bill James has changed the game of baseball, though his work is better known than he is. Analytics are as much a part of baseball as peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Launch angles, spin rates, wins above replacement and defensive shifts have made how the game is played and viewed totally different from the game you fell in love with as a kid. He joins us to talk about the good—and bad—results of his impact on the game.
Robert Streb has rarely been at the top of the leader board at the end of a professional golf event, winning twice on the PGA Tour and six times overall in his 13-year professional career. But he’s carved out a very handsome living. He also understands, and is willing to discuss, how hard it is to make the PGA Tour and stay there. His two career PGA wins came eight years apart, and he knows that hard work will pay off.
Who is the only Heisman Trophy winner to play in the Final Four? Who is the only player to win a World Series and an NBA championship? These are just a couple of the questions Howie Schwab has been asked by total strangers on the street after he became famous for being a sports trivia expert on ESPN’s “Stump the Schwab.” He won 80 percent of the contests during the four-year run of the show, and he’s not afraid to talk about the 16 times he didn’t come out on top.
Doug Tucker came to Kansas City to be the lead sports writer for the Associated Press just when the Kansas City Royals were getting good. He not only covered their first World Series appearance in 1980 but their first World Championship five years later. He also covered their two most recent World Series appearances, including the 2015 World Series championship. He also covered national championships and near-misses for area college sports teams and a pretty successful run for the Kansas City Chiefs.
There’s an old expression that says if you find a job where you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. If that’s true, Tom Shieber hasn’t had to work since 1998 when he joined the staff at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. The native of St. Louis who became a fan of the Cardinals at an early age in spite of the fact that his parents and siblings weren’t baseball fans, Shieber leads the department that “tells the stories” of America’s pastime.
When Vitaly Valui was a young man in recently liberated Belarus, he roamed the streets looking for money and picking fights. But his connection with visiting missionaries, who used sports to connect with local youth, helped Valui change his life. For the past three decades, he has used sports to reach the young people of his country with a better way of life. And he’s been very successful at it, winning international competitions as the Belarussian national rugby coach.
When Joe Lunardi joined us for our first episode in January, we were all giddy that the NCAA tournament appeared to be returning. With our 100th episode, there’s a dark cloud hanging over all of college athletics. College football—actually the money associated with college football—is changing everything we know and love about rivalries and traditions of college sports. Joe joins us to talk about his predictions of what’s to come. And there’s a surprise at the end!
Championship-level coaches will tell you that staying at that level often is harder than getting there. But when getting there means taking an 0-11 team and turning them into a 15-0 national champion in five seasons, getting there is pretty spectacular. That’s what Mel Tjeerdsma did at Division II Northwest Missouri State. The year after winning the school’s first national title, the Bearcats backed it up with another title, a four-overtime contest that stands as one of the greatest college football games in history. He then won another national title a few years later before turning it over to a former player and assistant who won three more titles. Listen to Coach Tjeerdsma tell us how he did it.
Jeff Montgomery is the Kansas City Royals’ all-time leader in saves, but he’s just as comfortable behind the mic as he was on the mound. He never possessed overwhelming “stuff,” but he recorded 304 saves by outsmarting the opposition. He now is part of the Royals’ pre- and post-game broadcast crew, as well as providing pitching insights during the game for the play-by-play crew. His second passion is golf, and we managed to keep him off the course long enough for a fun look at baseball from a pitcher’s perspective.
Daniel Wawrzyniak has been in the same general role for more than 30 years, but the 50-year-old former competitive basketball player still feels like a kid. As one of the directors of sports camps for Proem Ministries in Poland, Wawrzyniak uses sports to cross all kinds of barriers, bring people of different cultures, nations and economic circles together to compete and find the similarities in all of us.
Callum Williams has been broadcasting soccer professionally in Europe and North America since he was barely out of his teens. His enthusiastic delivery makes him a fan favorite for whatever club for whom he’s calling their matches. A native of Birmingham (England, not Alabama), his love for “football” came at an early age when he rooted on his beloved Aston Villa. He’s now the “voice of Minnesota United FC” in MLS, and he joins us to talk about “the beautiful game.”
We all grew up tossing a Frisbee around the backyard or the park. It probably didn’t take long for a competition to break out if your family or friends are like ours. For the past 10 years, that has been taken to the next level with the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL). Steve Hall, a former Ultimate competitor is the commissioner, and he is taking the league to new heights with expansion in the near future. He joins us to talk all things “disc.”
Johnny Russell is not an intimidating-looking athlete. But get him on the soccer pitch and he becomes almost unstoppable. Whether he’s scoring goals with his powerful left foot or setting up teammates for better scoring chances, Russell has become a crowd favorite with Sporting Kansas City. The native of Glasgow, Scotland, Russell is a joy to talk with, because he’ll tell you—in his delightful Scottish brogue—what’s on his mind, not just some rehearsed “coach speak.” He came to the U.S. in 2018 to play for Sporting, because he wanted to venture away from Europe to see what else is out there. After listening to this interview, you’ll be glad he did.
Ariel Torres took up karate as a young child because his parents were looking to channel his energy. A highly active 6-year-old boy, he was a perfect candidate to learn the discipline required in this martial art. Ariel was born in Cuba, but he is now a proud American, and with karate making its debut in the Olympics this year—actually, he will be competing beginning tomorrow—Ariel joins us to talk about the excitement of being part of the introduction of the sport on the world’s biggest sports stage.
John Wathan bristles—if only in jest—when people say he was “fast…for a catcher” in his 10-year MLB career. He stole 105 bases in his career at a 75-percent clip, including a major-league record for catchers of 36 steals in one season. He was part of seven postseason appearances by the Royals between 1976 and 1985, and he jokes that he “carried” George Brett, Hal McRae and Frank White for all those seasons.
When the US Men’s National Team lost to Trinidad and Tobago in the final qualifying match for the 2018 World Cup, it set the sport back in America. A run of nearly 30 years of reaching the World Cup came to a crashing end and began the transformation to a youthful and more athletic roster. The USMNT is preparing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup with a lot of confidence because of young stars like Jackson Yueill of the San Jose Earthquakes. Jackson joins “Sports Connections” to talk about the future of soccer in America, including his prediction for how close the US is to competing for the World Cup title.
It’s one of Yogi Berra’s best-known quotes. He said, “Ninety percent of (baseball) is half mental.” He wasn’t a sabremetrician who had devised a formula that says that 45 to 55 percent of the game relies on the mental aspect of the game. He was just being Yogi. But it’s pretty obvious that what he was trying to say is true. The further you get up the ladder in baseball, the more important being able to focus, to redirect negative thoughts and to channel an inner calm, the more successful you’ll be. Every major leaguer has talent, but the truly great ones know how to use their talent. Jeff Miner joins “Sports Connections” to talk about how he can help athletes at all levels train their minds to be successful.
Alexi Lalas burst onto the American soccer scene with flowing red hair and a beard as part of the US Men’s National (Soccer) Team for the 1994 World Cup, hosted on American soil. As we approach the 2022 World Cup, and especially the U.S.’s next opportunity to host (2026), Lalas is a voice of experience and expertise as the lead analyst for Fox Sports’ coverage of men’s soccer. He had an outstanding career as a player and a general manager, and now he’s shining as a commentator.
Ron “Papa Jack” Jackson spent 10 years on a variety of Major League Baseball teams. Everywhere he went he was a favorite teammate. His bubbly personality and competitiveness made him the guy you wanted on your team, and he even had friends on the opposition, long before that was common in baseball. He joins “Sports Connections” to talk about life as a big leaguer.
Aly Trost was hired by a local sports radio station to help with social media and marketing. But her knowledge of and enthusiasm for sports has propelled her to a couple of prominent roles with the local soccer teams. She’s still helping the station in the areas for which she was hired, but her legion of fans proves this was more than a good hire. She joins “Sports Connections” to talk about her love for soccer and how that bubbles over into everything she does.
Wherever Fred Lynn went in sports, success seemed to follow him. He was a multi-sport athlete in high school. He attended the University of Southern California, where he played baseball, and the Trojans won national championships all three years he was there. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and made his debut a little more than a year after he was drafted. His first full season (1975), he became the first player in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year and his league's MVP in the same season. Injuries were the only thing that slowed him down. He's a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame and the College Baseball Hall of Fame. He joins us to talk about his great career.
Chuck Swirsky has spent the last 40-plus years in and around the world of sports. He began collecting audio clips to be aired the next morning. He became a pioneer in the world of sports talk radio. For more than 20 years he’s been the play-by-play voice of two different NBA teams. Grab some “salami and cheese” and pull up a chair, as he joins us to talk about his passion for the NBA game.
Janelle Paulson grew up on a farm in rural South Dakota, but she couldn’t wait to get off the farm and see the rest of the world. As a fitness instructor, she relies on much of what she learned on the farm: hard work, planning and keeping with the plan, and teamwork, in her own training and with the clients she helps. She joins us to talk about how you can take the girl away from the farm, but you can’t really take the farm out of the girl.
Gianluca Busio, who made his USMNT debut last night, is the son of an Italian immigrant. He learned to love soccer at a young age. It has always been his dream to play in Europe. When he signed with Sporting Kansas City at age 15, he became the youngest player to sign an MLS contract in more than a decade. He rose through the Sporting system to be the star of the senior team, and he’s being pursued by multiple teams in Europe. Soon, he’ll be living his dream, but he won’t forget the city that embraced him and helped him find his dream.
Meghan Fardelmann’s father played college football and eventually college hockey at West Point. When his military career took him and his family to the Midwest, he didn’t leave the love for hockey behind. Meghan had to travel around the area to find competition, often against boys her age. She ended up playing collegiately at Boston College, where she was an integral part of the Eagles first run to the Women’s Frozen Four. She joins us to talk about her hockey career.
John Burgman fell in love with climbing when he was in college, and it has become an obsession. Now that competition climbing is set to make its Olympic debut later this month, he’s among the thousands of enthusiasts who is excited to share the world’s stage. John joins us to talk about the nuances of the sport and to give those of us unfamiliar with how—and why—people race up 50-foot walls a glimpse into why this sport is growing among the youth of today.
Brian McRae had big shoes to fill when he was drafted in the first round of the 1985 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, the team his father, Hal, helped lead to the World Series title later that season. But when he debuted in the 1990 season, he had his sights set on proving he belonged and not just because his name was McRae. When his father took over as manager early in the 1991 season, he became the fourth manager to manage his son in the big leagues. Brian joins “Sports Connections” to talk about playing for his dad and making a name for himself in the process.
Dani Welniak grew up in Texas, where football is a religion. But for girls, the roles generally were confined to cheerleader or kicker. But Dani didn’t want to limit herself. So she tried out—and made—the local team in women’s pro football. She was an outstanding receiver and running back, and has the jewelry to prove it. She joins us to talk about her playing career.
Allison Mayfield grew up playing all different sports. She thought she might even play college basketball. But she fell in love with volleyball and decided to pursue that when some of her coaches pointed out that she had the ability to play at the next level. She played professionally around the globe before beginning her coaching career. She joins us to talk about a harrowing story of escaping Peru before the borders closed due to Covid.
Tim Melia took a different path to get to the highest level of soccer in the U.S., but once he arrived he has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. His specialty is stopping penalty kicks. Worldwide, the average save percentage among goalkeepers on PKs is around 17 percent, while Melia has stopped better than 40 percent. He joins us to talk about how preparation has helped him achieve such an outstanding statistics, and he’ll talk about the song Sporting KC fans sing about him.
Jim Eisenreich was a rising star with the Minnesota Twins in the early 1980s when an affliction he had dealt with since childhood became too much to bear. He took two full seasons away from the game he loved to learn to deal with the effects of Tourette syndrome. After he figured that out, he came back and played 12 more seasons. Now his foundation helps kids who suffer with Tourette’s lead normal lives by providing resources to the families and the educational system. He joins us to talk about his journey that inspired so many people.
Mike Swanson never played an inning of professional baseball, but he’s played a big role in how generations of fans have come to love and appreciate the game. He grew up around sports, with his mother working for the Kansas City Athletics and later the Chiefs. Preparing for his first year of college, he interned with the Royals and fell in love with the behind-the-scenes aspect of the game. He’s highly competitive—just try approaching him in the press box when things aren’t going well for the team—but his love for the game shines through. He joins us to talk about many of his favorite memories of 43 years in the game.
To say that former Kansas City Royals pitcher Dennis Leonard was a competitive athlete is an understatement. How competitive was he? One time when a “camper” at the Royals Fantasy Camp got a hit off him during one of the games, and then bragged about it from first base, that player wore one in the back the next time he came up. Leonard remembers fondly the rivalry with the New York Yankees that saw George Brett and Graig Nettles exchanged blows during a game and neither one got thrown out of the game. He joins us to talk about “the good ol’ days.”
Vahe Gregorian comes from a family with a rich tradition in education, led by his father, Vartan, who helped lead two different Ivy League schools and eventually restored the New York Public Library from shambles to honor. Vartan recently passed and Vahe joins us to talk about his both his mother and father instilled in him and his brothers that they didn’t really care what they did professionally, as long as they did it to the best of their ability.
Brian Cooper’s story is not unlike a lot of former athletes. He was disgruntled about how his playing career ended, and he made some bad choices as a result. Heavily overweight, he was impacted when his younger brother told him he was afraid that Brian was going to die if he didn’t get things turned around. He set out to lose weight—nearly 140 pounds in all—and took up bodybuilding as a motivating goal. He now helps others—bodybuilders and average folks—learn about nutrition, training and overall fitness.
Steve McCrath got to play college soccer for his father—legendary coach Cliff McCrath. While saying he was not the type of player he would recruit today, because of a lack of maturity, he relishes the years he spent playing and coaching for his dad. He’s now the highly successful coach at Barry University, where he won the 2018 national championship, joining his father as a championship coach, one of only two father-son combinations in that lofty group. He joins us to talk about being the “coach’s kid.”
Cliff McCrath had his sights set on playing for his hometown Detroit Redwings in the late 1950s. But a challenge from a college roommate drew him to the soccer field, where he started in the first game he ever saw four days later. His career has spanned more than 60 years, impacting countless coaches and players across the country and around the world. He joins us to chat about his life’s journey in his own unique way.
When the Oral Roberts University basketball team knocked off No. 2 seed Ohio State in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, most of the world was shocked. But not head coach Paul Mills. When the Golden Eagles followed that up with a victory over No. 7 seed Florida, the world was shocked again. Not Mills. Mills has instilled confidence and belief in the system to his players, and the results have been impressive. The former assistant under Scott Drew at Baylor joins us to talk about how faith—in a system and in God—can have profound impact.
Daniel Salloi was one of the up-and-coming stars of MLS following the 2018 season, when he led Sporting Kansas City in goals. But rough 2019 and 2020 seasons, when he scored just one goal had folks wondering what was wrong. He has responded so far in 2021, returning to the same confident, aggressive style of play that has him finding the back of the net with regularity and has Sporting near the top of the Western Conference table. He joins us to talk about the importance of playing with confidence.
Dima Rachkovskiy had a promising career ahead of him as a youth in basketball crazy Ukraine. But some bad experiences with coaches—some of whom coached through negative reinforcement and others who didn’t seem to care about the individual at all—he lost the joy of playing the sport. Through an experience at a basketball camp in nearby Poland, he found the love again, and now he helps coaches in his homeland discover a new way to pour into their athletes.
Seth Davis isn’t quite sure what he’d be doing if he weren’t writing about—and talking on television about—college basketball. The son of an attorney and a 1992 graduate of Duke University, he’s probably smart enough to excel at anything he chose. But he says he didn’t enjoy applying himself to prospects outside of sports. After trying his hand at other sports and other levels, he’s made his living covering the great game of college basketball.
Oregon State head coach Wayne Tinkle said even he was a little surprised about the success his team had in the recent NCAA tournament. Being on the “left coast,” Pac-12 hoops doesn’t get the credit the conference’s coaches believe they deserve, but did anyone expect the success the conference enjoyed in 2021, when five teams (the fifth highest total of bids) had the most wins (13) and the highest winning percentage (.772). Four of the five teams made the Sweet 16, and three made the Elite 8, including Tinkle’s Beavers.
Bob Huggins is well-known (inside the world of college basketball) as a guy with a great sense of humor. He just hides it from the outside world to well. The former player and current coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers reached 900 career wins during the 2021 NCAA tournament. He joins “Sports Connections” to talk about things like “playing 5-on-8” in some conference games, analyzing the basketball talent of certain sportswriters and what he thinks about not being in the Hall of Fame yet (even though he deserves it).
Sherri Coale didn’t take the typical path to becoming the head women’s basketball coach at Oklahoma. She was a very successful high school basketball coach and was named the head coach at Oklahoma without any stops in between. She credits the fact that she coached in Norman, where OU is located, so the decision-makers could see her success up close. But doing things the right way is what attracted the university to her. She joins “Sports Connections” to talk about her unique journey.
Kenny Mossman spent much of his career in intercollegiate athletics in behind-the-scenes jobs at schools with smaller athletics budgets. He always wondered what it would be like to be at a school that cared as much about sports as he did. So he joined the staff at Oklahoma 20 years ago. He has been promoted multiple times, but when pressed about his resume he says that he has a lot of people working for him who make him look good. He’s one of the most respected administrators in all of college athletics.
Lon Kruger has held the head coaching job at six different NCAA Division I schools, taking five of them to the NCAA tournament and two of them to the Final Four, plus two stops in the NBA. At practically every stop, Kruger was brought in to clean up a mess left behind by his predecessor. A very humble man, Kruger is proud of the fact that he’s known as a coach with integrity. He joins “Sports Connections” to talk about his long coaching career.
Mike “Doc” Emrick grew up in rural Indiana liking basketball like every other kid. He loved a lot of sports. In fact, he originally wanted to be a baseball broadcaster…until he went to his first hockey game in Fort Wayne. That began a lifetime pursuit of announcing hockey, locally, nationally and internationally. He’s been the primary voice of hockey for every major sports network, and his ability to keep the viewer informed of all the action in the fast-paced sport better than anyone else in the business. Doc joins us to talk about the places and events he’s seen in nearly 50 years behind the mic.
Dottie Pepper was introduced to sports at an early age as the daughter of a Major League Baseball player. She was introduced to golf by her grandmother and quickly became successful. After her successful playing career ended too soon because of injuries, she grabbed a microphone and began an equally successful career in broadcasting. If there’s a golf tournament on CBS, she’s likely to be one of the on-course announcers telling you how her group is approaching the next shot. She joins us to talk about her career, and how describing the action feeds her competitive drive.
Dan Wood was not unlike a lot of freshmen in college. A collegiate golfer, he wanted to be a “big fish in a big pond.” But he quickly recognized the “big pond” wasn’t good for his long-term goals, and he transferred to Southern Wesleyan University, where he was introduced to the National Christian College Athletic Association. It began a nearly 40-year journey that has seen him spend the last 21 years as the executive director of the organization. He joins us to talk about how the NCCAA differs from the other two national collegiate athletic organizations.
Justin Adams was a tight end for the University of Colorado Buffaloes, but he knew he wouldn’t get a chance to play professional football. So he figured out a way to stay in the game as a writer, and a broadcaster, and as a television sportscaster. Working in his native Denver, Justin has carved quite a career in many aspects of sports media, but he never forgot his roots. He joins us to talk about how his upbringing has served him in his multiple roles.
Jimmy Conrad wasn’t the can’t miss kid when he got out of college, but his work-ethic and love of the sport allowed him to have a 13-year MLS career and earn 27 caps with the United States Men’s National Team. He was a four-time MLS Best XI and was the 2005 MLS Defender of the Year. He’s now a widely respected soccer analyst. He joins us to talk about his love of soccer that came from his grandfather.
Rex Hudler spent 21 years of his adult life as a professional baseball player. He spent 10 years primarily in the minors before finally catching on in 1988 with the Montreal Expos. He also squeezed a year of pro ball in Japan in the middle of his MLB career, where he says he learned “to calm down.” Hudler earned the nickname “WonderDog” from ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman because of the way he played. He joins us to talk about how he has carried that same approach into the broadcast booth for another 20 years.
Don Smale, the cousin of our host, David Smale, grew up around the sport of bowling. His parents bowled in leagues when he was a child, and he and his brother immersed themselves in the game. Don bowled collegiately but then recognized that he didn’t have the talent to be on the pro tour. He decided to stay involved in the sport, which once was the most popular participation sport in America. He joins us to talk about the past, present and future of the well-loved sport.
Ryan Lefebvre grew up around the sport of baseball. His father was a former Major League player before Ryan was old enough to notice. But Jim Lefebvre later became a coach and a manager and Ryan followed along. An excellent college baseball player, Ryan had a cup of coffee in professional baseball—maybe more of a shot of espresso—but he has carved out a niche as one of the best play-by-play men in the game. He fought a personal battle with depression through much of his career, before finally recognizing that being more open about it helped in his recovery. His two-part interview focuses on both stories.
Ryan Lefebvre grew up around the sport of baseball. His father was a former Major League player before Ryan was old enough to notice. But Jim Lefebvre later became a coach and a manager and Ryan followed along. An excellent college baseball player, Ryan had a cup of coffee in professional baseball—maybe more of a shot of espresso—but he has carved out a niche as one of the best play-by-play men in the game. He fought a personal battle with depression through much of his career, before finally recognizing that being more open about it helped in his recovery. His two-part interview focuses on both stories.
Sarah Thomas didn’t grow up wanting to be an official. Being raised in an athletic family led her to be a competitive athlete. But when her playing days were over, she still wanted to be involved in high-level sports. That led to her pursuing a career as an official, starting small before eventually landing on the NFL stage. This past February, she became the first female to officiate in a Super Bowl. She has a great perspective about it, including having a good sense of humor.
Tim Grunhard was an anchor of the Chiefs offensive line for the decade of the 1990s. But more than 20 years after he snapped the last football through his legs, he remains a favorite of Chiefs fans and football fans in general in Kansas City. With the announcement on Saturday that he is going in the Chiefs Ring of Honor, his bubbly personality and self-deprecating humor make him everybody’s buddy. He joins us to talk about many of his experiences of playing football for the Chiefs Kingdom.
The running buddy for Chiefs all-time great Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith achieved stardom on his own as well. The fierce defensive end who usually lined up on the opposite side of the defense as Thomas, Smith stands as the third leading tackler in franchise history, even though he only played nine seasons in Kansas City. The Chiefs gave up a lot to move up one spot to grab him in the 1988 NFL Draft, and it was well worth it.
Jan Stenerud’s first love was ski jumping, a skill he honed in his native Norway. But when he was told that he could get a college scholarship, and even get paid, just for kicking an oblong ball through the goal posts, he was all in. He did it better than anybody, becoming the first pure kicker enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was one of eight players on the Chiefs Super Bowl IV team to eventually end up in Canton.
Bobby Bell was the first of 18 Chiefs players to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, going in as part of the class of 1983. A sideline-to-sideline linebacker with great speed and strength, he also could throw a spiral more than 80 yards. He was the best pure athlete the Chiefs have ever had, and maybe one of the best in pro football history. His infectious laugh will brighten your day, as he retells some of his favorite days in the NFL.
Lin Elliott is vilified by an entire region for choosing a bad day to have a bad game. The second-most successful kicker in Kansas City Chiefs history, Elliott missed three field goals in a three-point playoff loss. But he has never been afraid to accept the blame, even though there were plenty of other players who shared the blame. Chiefs fans should put their animosity away, because Elliott is a gracious and humble person you’ll come to admire.
Kenny Harrison is one of the best athletes you probably haven’t heard of. He was a 16-time Big 8 champion and a 13-time All-American jumper at Kansas State. He won major international championships, including the 1996 Olympic gold medal in the triple jump. But he never let success get in the way of his pursuit of greatness.
Andy Lopez never applied for a job in his life. After graduating from UCLA, where he was an All-American baseball player, he kept being asked to take new coaching positions, beginning as a high school volunteer coach and working his way through the college ranks. At each stop, he over-achieved others’ expectations. He won the national championship at Pepperdine—the only team championship in school history—and at Arizona 20 years apart.
Jimmy Nielsen went out a winner. When Real Salt Lake’s Lovel Palmer’s shot hit the cross bar above Nielsen’s head, he and his Sporting Kansas City teammates claimed the franchise’s second MLS Cup and the city’s first championship of any kind in nearly 30 years. Nielsen retired after that match. While most athletes will tell you that they tune out the crowd and the elements, Nielsen admits the crowd kept him motivated in the coldest MLS Cup final in history.
Sports is the universal barrier breaker. Sports can cross racial barriers, socio-economic barriers, political barriers and national barriers. Roll a ball onto a field and a game will break out. Many organizations use sports to reach target groups. Kansas City’s Community for Coaches is a great example. Ryan Krzykowski, director of CFC, joins Sports Connections to talk about the organization that reminds coaches why they got involved in coaching and helps them restore the joy of coaching.
Alan Hendricks, and his brother Randy, formed Hendricks Sports Management nearly 50 years ago. They actually got their start representing pro football players, but switched to baseball early on. They have helped many of the game’s great stars set records for contracts, but it’s not just about the money. They will only take players who let them guide their future, knowing full well the number of athletes who squander their wealth. Alan joins “Sports Connections” to talk about how they have been considered among the “White Hats” in the business for years.
Verne Lundquist has been in broadcasting for well over 60 years covering a wide variety of sports, all with his silky, smooth delivery. He was there for Christian Laettner’s shot to beat Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional Final. He was there for Jack Nicklaus’ magical putt to all-but clinch the 1986 Masters. And he’s been there for so many others. Verne joins Sports Connections to talk about many of the iconic moments his calls have chronicled, and what it’s like to be perched above the 16th green in this weekend’s Master’s.
Sam Mellinger is on a very long list of well-known sportswriters who have toiled their craft with The Kansas City Star. Sam has been with The Star for almost all of his award-winning career, starting by covering high school sports all the way to becoming one of the best columnists in print journalism. Sam joins Sports Connections to talk about how he keeps the job simple, and how he’s just living the dream he had early in life.
Ron Blomberg never wanted to be known as strictly a designated hitter. As a first-round draft pick by the New York Yankees, he envisioned himself as another in the long run of Yankee greats. But an injury in Spring Training in 1973 gave him the opportunity to be the very first player in MLB history to step to the plate as a DH. Ron joins “Sports Connections” to talk about his playing days in the “Bronx Zoo,” his love of teammate Thurman Munson and the fact that he will always be the answer to one of the great sports trivia questions.
Bill Raftery was a pretty good college coach, but he found his niche when he moved over a few chairs to the broadcast position. His catchy expressions and enthusiasm make him a fan favorite. With tonight’s championship game, people will listen to hear who has “onions” and who gets called for the “nickel-dimer.” Bill joins “Sports Connections” to talk about his years in basketball, including being the best player in the country in high school.
America’s most-respected—and yet most hated—college basketball officials takes it all in stride. A man who has officiated 24 NCAA tournaments, he doesn’t get too amped up in a big-game situation. And he doesn’t let the criticism of fans who feel like his calls have cost their team a victory get him upset. He even refers to his roofing business as “the rooferees.” John joins “Sports Connections” to talk about the intricacies of officiating and what keeps him sane when everybody in the building thinks he’s crazy.