The K.P. Wee Podcast: Recent Episodes
K. P. Wee
The K.P. Wee Podcast is a podcast about sports by a teacher/writer just looking to inspire, with guests from various sports backgrounds sharing stories and perspectives. The goal is to inspire and share amazing tips, reflections, and stories about sports.
Ron LeFlore's life is one of the most improbable arcs in American sports. Before he became an MLB All‑Star and one of the most electric base stealers of the 1970s, he was serving time in a Michigan prison—where he played his first organized baseball game.
In this episode, author Adam Henig joins host K.P. Wee to discuss his new biography, Baseball's Outcast The Story of Ron LeFlore, the first full modern account of LeFlore's rise, fall, and complicated legacy. Henig talks about LeFlore's childhood, Detroit, the prison system, Billy Martin's unlikely discovery, and the parts of LeFlore's story that have been forgotten or misunderstood.
Get the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Baseballs-Outcast-Story-Ron-LeFlore/dp/1538194953
Adam Henig's website: https://www.adamhenig.com/
Guest: Kirk McKnight, author of The Voices of Hockey and The Voices of Baseball
In this episode, we dive deep into the legacy of sports broadcasting with author Kirk McKnight, whose work captures the voices that shape how we remember the game. From Vin Scully's humility to the generational shift in storytelling, this conversation explores what makes a great call unforgettable—and why broadcasters are often the soul of a franchise.
Highlights: * The emotional story behind Vin Scully's phone call—and the 30 minutes that changed Kurt's life * How younger broadcasters balance reverence for legends with their own voice * The myth of preparation: why the best calls are often unscripted * Regional loyalty, Homerism, and learning to appreciate rival voices * Behind-the-scenes rituals and habits that define broadcast rhythm
Featured Books: * The Voices of Hockey: Broadcasters Reflect on the Fastest Game on Earth (Updated Audible edition) * The Voices of Baseball: The Game's Greatest Broadcasters Reflect on America's Pastime
Connect with Kirk: * Instagram: @TheVoicesOfBaseball * Facebook: Kirk McKnight * Available on Audible and major book retailers
The guest in this episode is a powerful new voice in both storytelling and sports culture—Nick Peck. He’s the author of "Only Way Out," a gripping debut novel that follows Jaylen Pierre, a teenager who finds purpose on the football field while navigating brutal challenges at home. The book draws from Nick’s own raw experiences growing up, and it’s been called one of the best reads of the year by ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
With 20,000 loyal followers on Instagram, Nick has built a community around honest conversations about resilience, mental health, and how young athletes can find hope and identity in sports.
If you’ve ever wondered how fiction can change lives—or how mentorship can pull someone out of the fire—this episode is for you.
Follow Nick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickpeckauthor/
Nick's website: https://www.nickpeckauthor.com/
The guest for this episode isn’t just a mental performance coach—he’s a mindset architect for elite athletes, business leaders, and anyone chasing that next level.
Gary Chupik is the founder of Elite Mindset, the brain behind the GamePlan for Life and the Elite Mindset Assessment, and one of the most sought-after performance strategists in the world. Chupik has coached clients from the NFL to Major Leauge Baseball to figure skating, the FBI to Fortune 500s, and brings a rare blend of neuroscience, leadership psychology, and lived wisdom to everything he does.
What makes Chupik different? He doesn’t pitch theories—he’s the experiment himself. If it doesn’t work in real life, Chupik doesn’t teach it.
Chupik and host K.P. Wee dive into the sharp end of high performance: how to stop overthinking, why positivity alone doesn’t cut it, and the two real ways to build lasting confidence.
Follow Gary Chupik on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elitemindset/
Check out Elite Mindset Nation: https://www.elitemindsetnation.com/
Take the Mental Performance Assessment for free (enter ELITE100): https://www.elitemindsetassessment.com/
In this episode, author and baseball historian Dan Schlossberg joins K.P. Wee to talk about his massive new release, "The New Baseball Bible." They dive into baseball’s forgotten legends, strange superstitions, the history of the game, and even take shots at modern rules like the “zombie runner.” Dan explains how he curated 500 pages of content, the challenge of staying fair when writing about controversial figures, and which baseball tradition he’d bring back in a heartbeat. From Rogers Hornsby to Ichiro, this one’s packed with names, nuance, and no-nonsense baseball talk.
Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683584864?&tag=skyhorsepub-20
In this episode, host K.P. Wee is joined by Dr. Paul Semendinger—a passionate educator, historian, and storyteller whose work bridges the worlds of literature, baseball, and inspiration.
A former principal and now a professor, Dr. Semendinger is also the editor-in-chief of the Yankees blog Start Spreading the News, co-author of Yankees legend Roy White’s autobiography From Compton to the Bronx, and author of the acclaimed book The Least Among Them. In this deeply researched and compelling work, he shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked players who wore the Yankees uniform—giving them the recognition they deserve.
Tune in as Dr. Semendinger and K.P. dive into the stories behind The Least Among Them, discuss the human side of baseball history, and reflect on the importance of preserving the stories of players who might otherwise be forgotten.
Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/-/he/Least-Among-Them-Players-Moments/dp/195112216X
Check out Dr. Semendinger here: https://www.startspreadingthenews.blog/
and https://drpaulsem.com/
Check out Dr. Semendinger's publisher here: https://www.apbooks.net/
Dr. Semendinger can be followed on Twitter too: https://x.com/nyy_report
https://x.com/DrPaulRSem
Today's guest on The K.P. Wee Podcast is Mark Connor, a boxing trainer, writer, and native of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Mark's journey has taken him from the boxing ring to the world of poetry and storytelling, and through powerful experiences of faith, family, and personal transformation. His debut book, It's About Time (Millions of Copies Sold for Dad), is a deeply personal blend of memoir and poetry, touching on themes of love, grief, heritage, and the search for meaning. The book earned the 2024 Bloomsday Literary Award from the Irish Network Minnesota, and it's a testament to his resilience, reflection, and reverence for the people and places that shaped him.
Check out his website and pick up his book today: https://boxersandwritersmagazine.com/books/
Brad Englert, founder of Brad Englert Advisory and author of Spheres of Influence: How to Create and Nurture Authentic Business Relationships, joins K.P. on the podcast to discuss his book.
Among the topics are the following:
- the first conversation Brad believes everyone should have with a new boss—and why it matters
- the importance of managing expectations and what saying “whoa” sounds like in a real conversation
- what to do when you find yourself stuck in a dynamic where a peer seems to have more influence over the boss
- how to go about understanding your customers’ goals if they do not articulate them clearly
- what any leader could be doing to build a safe and respectful work environment
Spheres of Influence: How to Create and Nurture Authentic Business Relationships, published by Fast Company Press, is an Amazon bestseller in three key business categories. This book is a must-read for emerging leaders looking to develop the skill of building effective, enduring business relationships — both within and outside their organizations.
Connect with Brad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradenglert/
Get in touch with Brad: https://bradenglert.com/podcast
Vancouver Canadians (MiLB) broadcast and media relations assistant Chris Georges chats with K.P. about how he got into broadcasting and shares tips with students on how to "get into the game."
Marshall Garvey stops by for a second conversation on The K.P. Wee Podcast about his upcoming book, Interstate '85: The Royals, The Cardinals, and the Show-Me World Series, which is scheduled to be released in late March.
Marshall chats about the book, including some interesting tidbits that he learned from the players he interviewed about the Dodgers-Cardinals NLCS, the Blue Jays-Royals ALCS, and the World Series showdown between St. Louis and Kansas City. It's a must-read for all baseball and sports fans!
Marshall Garvey, who has written or co-written three books, joins the podcast to discuss his first one, The Hidden History of Sacramento Baseball.
Marshall discusses some of the highlights of that first book, as well as his writing journey and his next two books.
Check out his books on Amazon:
- The Hidden History of Sacramento Baseball 2. Ellwood's Odyssey 3. Interstate '85 (To be released Spring 2025)
New Jersey-based sports journalist Brett Hawn stops by to talk about his Mets and Jets in this episode.
Michael Unger (UDeck1990 on X) joins this episode to discuss the recent player cards he posted, a list which includes Chris James, Carlos Baerga, Sandy Alomar Jr., Cecil Fielder, Bill Gullickson, Matt Young, and Mark Gardner. Michael has reached the end of the 800-card set of the 1990 Upper Deck series, and is looking forward to his next card project.
Stan Markotich and K.P. Wee talk about the lessons that K.P., who does play-by-play announcing for the Greater Vancouver (Richmond) Canadians minor hockey U15, U17, and U18 clubs, has learned from the hockey broadcast booth over the past six months.
K.P. is announcing nine games over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend from October 11-13, 2024, at the Richmond Olympic Oval for the BC Elite Hockey League.
Are you a certifiable Sports Dork? If so, then you’re in for a treat with this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast. Featuring Paul Hembekides – or “Hembo,” as he’s known around ESPN – the stats, history, and data points are coming fast and furious. A content guru whose research nuggets are showcased regularly on the ESPN morning show “Get Up!”, Hembo is giving us a peak into the new book he has written with his ESPN radio co-host Mike (#Greeny) Greenberg: "Got Your Answers: The 100 Greatest Sports Arguments – Settled."
Join K.P. and his co-host, Stan Markotich, in this conversation with Hembo, as they discuss some of the fascinating lists in the book.
(Also, check out Hembo's other book with Greenberg: "Got Your Number: The Greatest Sports Legends and the Numbers They Own.")
It’s back to school time! Stan Markotich returns to the podcast, joining K.P.—both with backgrounds in education—to discuss the current state of the education system.
Eric Vickrey chats with K.P. Wee and co-host Stan Markotich on The K.P. Wee Podcast, discussing his book Season of Shattered Dreams: Postwar Baseball, the Spokane Indians, and a Tragic Bus Crash That Changed Everything. This book came out in 2024, published by Rowman & Littlefield.
To offer context for Eric's book, on June 24, 1946, a bus transporting the Spokane Indians baseball team fell into a deep ravine in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state, leading to the deaths of nine players. This incident stands as the deadliest accident in the history of American professional sports. In Season of Shattered Dreams, Eric examines the events leading up to, during, and following the tragic accident. He explores the often-neglected effects of World War II's conclusion on both major and minor leagues, which were now filled with players returning from military service. The Spokane Indians were affected as well, with several top prospects and former major leaguers joining the team that season. The stories of three Spokane players—Vic Picetti, Ben Geraghty, and Jack Lohrke—highlight the impact of the war on their lives, the challenges of minor-league careers, and the profound effects of the devastating crash.
Purchase Eric Vickrey's book "Season of Shattered Dreams: Postwar Baseball, the Spokane Indians, and a Tragic Bus Crash That Changed Everything" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Season-Shattered-Dreams-Baseball-Everything/dp/1538190729/
Also, check out "Runnin' Redbirds: The World Champion 1982 St. Louis Cardinals" (McFarland, 2023) on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Runnin-Redbirds-World-Champion-Cardinals/dp/1476693641/
Jerry Izenberg, a long-time journalist who has covered multiple sports including baseball, football, and boxing, joins Episode No. 99 of The K.P. Wee Podcast to discuss his book, Larry Doby in Black and White: The Story of a Baseball Pioneer, which is a biography of Larry Doby, the first African-American player in American League history.
Jerry chats with K.P. and co-host Stan Markotich about this compelling read, along with many stories from the book, which was published by Sports Publishing, including his decades-long friendship with Doby.
Buy Larry Doby in Black and White: The Story of a Baseball Pioneer on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Larry-Doby-Story-Baseball-Pioneer/dp/1683584805
Aaron Fischman joins this episode to discuss his book, A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back, which is a biography of former Major League Baseball pitcher Tony Barnette.
Aaron chats with K.P. and co-host Stan Markotich about this compelling read, which comes highly recommended. The book, published by Sports Publishing, chronicles Barnette's journey of perseverance and determination in pursuit of his dreams.
Buy A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Gaijin-Chasing-Dream-Japan/dp/1683584775/
Here is Aaron’s website to keep in touch with his latest happenings: https://www.aaronfischman.com/
In this episode, Randy Louis Cox joins the show to talk about his book, 715 at 50: The Night Henry Aaron Changed Baseball and the World Forever.
This book celebrates the night that Aaron broke Babe Ruth's all-time home run record on April 8, 1974, featuring 44 photos taken by Cox that night and much, much more.
Stan Markotich, formerly a news director at CJIV Radio, joins the podcast today to continue the discussion on the complex subject of sports betting.
K.P. shares a story about how a game from Week 3 of the 2020 NFL season between Baltimore and Kansas City irritated him (partly because the over/under line changed suddenly), and he and Stan discuss how the sports betting landscape affects sports fans' habits.
K.P. also mentions the availability of other sports that can be wagered on, such as esports, as well as live betting in virtually every sport.
Stan Markotich, a former CJIV Radio news director, joins the podcast today to delve into the intricate topic of sports betting.
Both K.P. and Stan share their thoughts on what has emerged as a widespread occurrence within today's sports fan community: betting on sports. The latter also recalls a past incident that convinced him to abstain entirely from anything related to betting thereafter.
Journalist and author Dan Schlossberg joins this episode to discuss his new book Home Run King: The Remarkable Record of Hank Aaron (Sports Publishing, May 2024).
Schlossberg, currently an editor with the IBWAA, has authored or co-authored 41 books since 1974, and his latest Hank Aaron book was released earlier this month to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Aaron’s breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record.
Schlossberg’s latest book can be picked up here.
To catch up with Schlossberg’s latest happenings, check out his website https://danschlossberg.net/. He also co-hosts and produces the weekly show “Travel Itch Radio.”
Pete Steinberg, a leadership consultant based in Boulder, Colorado, joins this episode and discusses his new book, Leadership Shock: Using Authenticity to Navigate the Hidden Dangers of Career Success (Advantage Books; April 16, 2024).
A former Olympic rugby coach, Pete is currently the president of the business consulting firm Innovative Thought. He has extensive experience consulting with top Fortune 200 and Fortune 500 professionals, having done so for more than two decades.
Some of the topics and ideas from the book include the Authentic Leadership Model as well as the Shotgun Approach, both of which Pete discusses in this episode.
To get in touch with Pete, contact him through his website: https://www.petesteinberg.com/
Brett Hawn, the host of the Totally Goated podcast and a New York Mets fan, stops by to discuss the latest happenings in baseball two weeks into the 2024 season. The topics of discussion include the Mets (of course!), the new MLB/Fanatics jerseys, the rise in the number of injuries to pitchers, and betting on sports.
Stan Markotich, a former CJIV Radio news director, joins the podcast today to discuss the complex issue of sports betting.
Some key issues raised by Stan include the following: Why are fans allowed to wager on sports while athletes aren't able to -- and wouldn't sports betting itself ruin sports?
Keith O'Brien joins this episode to discuss his new book Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball.
Keith, who grew up in Cincinnati and currently lives in New Hampshire, discusses why he wrote the book and what he hopes readers get out of it. He also shares the process of his writing and some tidbits of what surprised him during his research for this book.
To get a copy of Keith's book, click here.
Follow Keith on X: https://twitter.com/KeithOB
Keith's website: https://keithob.com/
Guest host Stan Markotich and regular host K.P. Wee discuss the topic of how ready students are, based on their observations as educators, to face their next step upon graduation.
K.P. shares many observations from his own experiences, some of which raise Stan's eyebrows in this thought-provoking discussion.
Michael Unger (UDeck1990 on X) joins this episode to discuss the recent player cards he posted, a list which includes Lee Smith, Tom Brunansky, Storm Davis, Mark Davis, Glenn Braggs, and Jim Gott.
K.P. shares some obscure trivia about Gott, brings up the broken-bat at-bats that Braggs was known for, discusses memories about the other players (including TSN showing a graphic about all the "Davises" in baseball in 1993), and talks about the 1990 Reds as well as Mike Witt's $8 million, 3-year contract with the Yankees.
Guest host Stan Markotich and regular host K.P. Wee explore the idea of whether today's high school seniors, based on their observations as educators, are ready for college or university.
Stan Markotich, a former news director at CJIV Radio, stops by to guest host this episode as he and K.P. discuss sports broadcasting. K.P. talks about his experience being a hockey play-by-play broadcaster for the Greater Vancouver Canadians, a minor hockey team based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
It's October, and it's time for postseason baseball chatter with guest Brett Hawn! K.P. laments the fact that there are too many playoff teams, which results in the top two seeds in each league having to sit around for five days prior to getting their first taste of the postseason. K.P. also gets Brett's thoughts on "mistakes" made by managers and teams during the 2023 postseason. Are the Arizona Diamondbacks that good, or is their postseason success due to mistakes made by the Brewers and Dodgers? Who does Brett see going all the way in 2023?
Guest Host Stan Markotich joins this episode to discuss sports myths and mythology.
About Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
Follow Stan @LinkedIn
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger.
Todd Denault, who has authored four hockey books, makes a return appearance on the podcast to discuss his latest writing project. A life-long Montreal Canadiens fan, Todd is currently working on a book about the famed "Kid Line" of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the 1930s featuring Charlie Conacher, Harvey "Busher" Jackson and Joe Primeau.
Todd also discusses his thoughts on Jacques Plante, the subject of his first book.
To learn more about Todd and his books, check him out at https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=todd+denault
Twitter: https://twitter.com/todddenault @ToddDenault
Here is a list of his books:
-Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey
-The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey
-A Season in Time: Super Mario, Killer, St. Patrick, the Great One, and the Unforgettable 1992-93 NHL Season
-Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games
In Part II of back-to-back episodes about all things customer service, Guest host Stan Markotich and podcast namesake K.P. Wee swap thoughts on what so many of us are experiencing in our everyday lives as consumers. Is the standard acceptable and, even if it isn’t, is that something we have any power to change? K.P. recalls his experiences as a frontlines customer service rep, including some pretty astonishing (and contradictory) training messages that you won’t want to miss. You’ll remember these customer management “tips” the next time you call one of those 1-800 numbers with a problem to report! The co-hosts bring humor to their practical (somewhat bleak) take on how things have evolved and our expectations as a buying audience have been reset. Could it be that our hands are tied? If complaining about shoddy customer service means you’re hurting someone’s feelings or whining about so-called “first world” problems, then is the only alternative to accept it and move on? We shall see how long people are willing to put up with food deliveries full of leaky containers, empty store shelves and phone reps who are trained to shine us on – and avoid giving a refund at all costs. Learn what your cohosts think on this fun, if sobering, look at the world of customer service!
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger.
KEY TOPICS:
- Fans Revolt! How a recently rain-delayed Cubs game demonstrates the power of sports “customers” to voice their displeasure with poor customer service:
- Twitter outrage at Fox Television’s programming choices.
- Complaints about Cubs communications’ failure to direct viewers an outlet where they could view the game when it finally took place.
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Lack of social media or scoreboard updates for those at Wrigley Field awaiting news on the status of the game.
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Customer Service Supply Chain: Stan reflects on how honoring (and understanding the concept of) demand plays a key role in delivering loyalty and consumer satisfaction.
- Training is Key: Based on personal experience, K.P. reflects on what he was taught about customer service and how the system fails. A couple of gems:
- Always treat customer interactions as a negotiation.
-
Be genuine to the people you work with, but it’s okay to be aloof or uncaring towards customers because they’re only temporarily passing through.
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The “Tragic” Words Customer Service Trainees are Taught Not to Say:
- Hold on.
- Hang on.
- Just a second.
- Let me pull you up.
- Have to ...
- That’s against company policy.
- The truth is …
- To be honest …
- I’ll try.
- Hopefully …
- She’s not here right now. (As opposed to she’ll be back at 3p.)
-
Calm down.
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Calling Out Customer Service Contradictions:
- Reps are taught to be both authentic and also to blow off customers.
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Reps are taught to be respectful and empathetic to customer complaints while also being told to treat customers as children to be managed.
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More From K.P.’s Training Notebook Full of Mixed Messages:
- Don’t cut anyone off.
- Don’t be robotic.
- Be friendly.
- Don’t try to impress.
- Don’t talk about yourself.
- Show that you’re relaxed and open to chat.
- Ask open-ended questions.
- Don’t use the usual conversational icebreakers.
- No more than three pauses or instances of dead air in the first five minutes.
- Don’t interrogate.
- See how they open up.
- Know a little about everything so you know what to say.
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Don’t control the conversation.
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Getting to the Truth: Is the real goal of customer service just to move things off the shelves? About the role of manipulation in inducing and managing demand.
- What It Means: If a customer service rep. isn’t saying anything it may be because they don’t want to agree with a complaint or open up the possibility of a demand for a refund.
- Two-Way Street: How K.P. negotiated the politics during his stint as a rep. and the ways in which it was a model of customer service within customer service.
- Lessons on “The Dodger Way” from Bill Shumard, former CEO of Special Olympics:
- Return every phone call within 60 minutes.
- Return every piece of mail within 24 business hours.
- When you make a mistake, own it.
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Treat everybody – nobody who they are – with the respect they deserve.
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Era of Accountability: About the shift away from work cultures that emphasized taking responsibility and advancing good will towards today’s commodified indifference.
- Good Will: A thing of the past and casualty of a dismissive customer service culture?
- Not a Good Look: Stan shares his negative impression as a customer when he recently stopped to pick up a few things at a store with pervasively empty shelves.
- Parting Thought: Why it’s tough to be a squeaky wheel when it comes to customer service – and whether there’s anything we can do about it!?
KEY QUOTES:
- “You can make the case that the (Cubs) fans who were at the ballpark were let down in terms of customer service … because they weren’t notified as to when the game was actually going to start.” (K.P.)
- “Customer service in that instance? Nonexistent! … We’re heading completely in the wrong direction when it comes to good customer service.” (Stan)
- “Basically (customer service) emphasizes listening or letting the other person talk or vent or release emotion and responding with empathy. Don’t be a robot.” (K.P.)
- “We’re heading towards the idea the consumer or the client or the person coming into your shop has no free will and no agency. In other words, you’re using customer service as a way of manipulating.” (Stan)
- “I think we’re living now in a universe where if you make a mistake, blame somebody else. Or say it’s not my fault. Or question the person who pointed out the error.” (Stan)
- “I remember the negative experiences a lot more than any positive experiences. I don’t know if you’re always trying to find fault with or blame other people … but I just remember those unpleasant experiences.” (K.P.)
- “Things basically have to get to the point where reforming is not really possible and … an alternative eventually presents itself. But the old or current way just has to literally implode.” (Stan)
- “I think eventually things will change but sadly and unfortunately … in the short term I don’t think things will get better.” (Stan)
Further Resources/Relevant Links:
- Learn more about bet365, the online sports and casino betting website.
- Here's an article about why strong customer service is a worthwhile investment.
- More about Bill Shumard’s thoughts on “The Dodger Way” in K.P.’s book, "So You Want to Work in Sports: Advice and Insights from Respected Sports Industry Leaders."
About Guest Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
Follow Our Guest: Stan @LinkedIn
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
In this episode, Brett Hawn from Totally Goated podcast joins the show to discuss the latest happenings in Major League Baseball, including Brett's New York Mets. There is also some chatter about the NBA's New York Knicks and why K.P. is a fan of Julius Randle.
Follow Brett on Twitter @brett_hawn, and check out his NFL coverage on the Jaguar Report and the ToroTimes.
In this first of a K.P. Wee Podcast two-parter, Guest Host Stan Markotich invites K.P. to join him in an unvarnished look at the state of customer service today – from the customer’s point of view.
Avid sports fans may keep buying tickets even when their teams disappoint, but can big business employ sloppy practices and still expect that same kind of blind brand loyalty? For many of us, today’s shoddy standards and neglectful customer service are just a fact of life; part of our consumer landscape. But this conversation asks: Does it have to be that way? Do we patrons deserve (and can we demand) better?
There are systemic factors that have conditioned us to expect late or no-show technicians, disengaged retail clerks or food deliveries that arrive either cold or late – or not at all. As K.P. underscores, most service workers are doing their best and often feel undermined on the job. It’s understandable at many service workers feel squeezed, angry, or tempted to express their individuality on TikTok. The question is whether we – as a society – will continue to say okay to impersonal, unprofessional, even hostile treatment.
“We have as a whole accepted this kind of lack of service that we are receiving and that’s unfortunate,” says K.P., who attributes some of the deterioration to pandemic dislocations and outsourcing gaps. Together with Stan, he sees a definitive trend but there’s still hope. Why? Because at some point people might develop a nostalgic yearning for reliable, kind, personalized service.
“Maybe the only way (current customer service standards) are going to change is if eventually somebody offers something in the way of a counter-programming,” says Stan. Maybe it’s time to study the kinds of total fan experiences (and player personalities) that foster diehard loyalty because (with thanks to the theme song from "Cheers") nothing compels repeat business and customer satisfaction more than that special feeling of being “where everybody knows your name – and they’re always glad you came!”
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger.
KEY TOPICS:
- Customer Service Nightmare: K.P. shares his recent experience with an internet service provider repeatedly disregarding his schedule, wasting his time, inaccurately tracking and billing – and miscommunicating at every step along the way!
- Stan Relates! Crazy tales of negligent customer service are all too common!
- Is There a Root Cause?
- Cost-cutting measures?
- Subcontracting rather than hiring full-time employees?
- Brands that don’t invest in the actual infrastructure required?
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Workers who are just biding time and don’t feel invested in the job?
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Tip, Please!? About the pitfalls of ordering food for delivery – especially if you’re trying to coordinate the timing with a break from work! Late. Lost. Even cancelled!
- Who’s to Blame? How outsourced systems are prone to over-complicate the basic communications and processes necessary to get the job done.
- TikTok Nation: About K.P.’s theory that some poor performers are intentionally rebelling as a way to seem original, individual, or worthy of social media attention.
- Team Play: How the prevalence of outsourced employee functions can undermine the quality of products, services and their delivery – whether in the context of a sports operation, a retail chain, or restaurant franchise.
- Time for a Closer Look? Why it would make sense to examine customer service operations across a range of companies to see which are benefiting from subcontracting various functions, especially outward facing interactions!
- The Human Side: K.P. acknowledges the challenges large and small that delivery people face (including a fender-bender that recently delayed his meal delivery).
- Other Examples of Poor Service:
- Drivers who offer no hello, instead chatting with a friend on the phone.
- Clerks who look away and refuse to engage or provide direction.
- Workers who react to questions with hostility.
-
Anyone who fails to smile and act with baseline courtesy.
-
RIP Small-Town Charm? K.P. and Stan muse on the way Main Street mom-and-pop shops have given way to far more impersonal chain outlets.
- Pandemic Cracks: How the lockdown accelerated business breakdowns and exposed workplace-related issues.
- What’s the Big Deal? Well, there are many reasons to miss the levels of service (and civility) we knew as a society in the past!
- What Can We Do? Just as fans continue to support sports teams, even when they disappoint, customers are likely to continue supporting businesses – even when their customer service disappoints. The norms tell us: Stop whining and move on!
- Everything That’s Old is Eventually New Again? At some point (we can hope) the outdated notion of personalized customer service will become the new big thing!
- Hockey As Metaphor: Part of what drew Stan to professional hockey was the holistic connection between not only high-level performance but articulate, personable players – who communicated hustle, passion, and a commitment to the fans.
KEY QUOTES:
- “(Poor service) is becoming so common that we think we should just accept it as a way of life … We’ve accepted it as a normal thing.” (K.P.)
- “There’s a whole generation growing up who are being conditioned to expect this kind of horrific service – not only accept it but believe it’s good or cutting-edge service when very often it’s lousy.” (Stan)
- “I’m guessing that sometimes employees in the service industry just want to do something different and not follow the rules of customer service ... They want to put themselves on TikTok and show off that they have their own individualism.” (K.P.)
- “If you’ve got multiple choke points where everybody or somebody is a disgruntled employee then the issues and problems are magnified.” (Stan)
- “Our expectations are that certain minimal standards will be met … but certain models may actually be driving customers in the opposite direction.” (Stan)
- “We’ve created systems that are so poorly conceived that even when, we try to fix the problem in order to maintain the system, it will just make it worse.” (Stan)
- “You don’t get that ‘everybody knows your name’ kind of thing ... Times have changed and not for the better.” (K.P.)
- “It seems that our society has accepted this level of mediocre service … We have as a whole accepted this kind of lack of service that we are receiving and that’s unfortunate.” (K.P.)
- “People try to brainwash to just accept it and move on … People say, ‘You’ve got your internet, you’ve got your food, you’ve got everything. Just stop whining!’ That’s what we’ve been trained to tell each other.” (K.P.)
- “Maybe the only way things are going to change is if eventually somebody offers something in the way of a counter-programming … a way of doing something that’s so old that it looks new to the current generation!” (Stan)
About Guest Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
Follow Our Guest: Stan @LinkedIn
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
Today's episode includes mention of pitchers Jim Abbott, Jeff Russell, Bob Milacki, and Jack McDowell. K.P. mentions a couple of unpleasant memories with Russell (including a quote given to the press about the city of Boston) and a funny story about McDowell from the 1995 ALDS, while Michael shares his research on some fascinating tidbits related to these players. He even mentions some memories concerning Mark McGwire and hockey star Stephane Richer.
Are you a certifiable Sports Dork? If so, then you’re in for a treat with this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast. Featuring Paul Hembekides – or “Hembo,” as he’s known around ESPN – the stats, history, and data points are coming fast and furious. A content guru whose research nuggets are showcased regularly on the ESPN morning show “Get Up!”, Hembo is giving us a peak into the new book he has written with his ESPN radio co-host Mike (#Greeny) Greenberg: "Got Your Number: The Greatest Sports Legends and the Numbers They Own."
Join K.P. and his special guest host, sports business consultant Jason Takefman, for a nonstop tour of the sports world’s most significant numbers from 1 to 100 – who owns which, why and from what arena? You’ll learn how working in the industry changes your fandom (which it definitely does, but not necessarily for the worse) and the “excruciating” decisions Hembo and Greeny had to work through in making tough calls sure to stir controversy. Consider numbers like #7 or #4 or #21 and the overlap in how they’ve defined careers across professional sports and teams. It’s all up for debate! Sports dorkery doesn’t get much purer than this – or more fun!
Ready to see where your favorite numbers shake out? Click here to learn more about and purchase Hembo’s new book, "Got Your Number: The Greatest Sports Legends and the Numbers They Own."
And visit this link if you would like to check out The K.P. Wee Podcast archives and listen to previous episodes.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger.
KEY TOPICS:
- Making It Happen: Hembo recalls how his co-author Mike “Greeny” Greenberg lit the fire (and the two easily netted a publisher) for their joint effort, "Got Your Number: The Greatest Sports Legends and the Numbers They Own."
- Hembo’s Favorite Thing About the Book: There are 100 chapters but only 56 are occupied by an athlete’s jersey because the authors also pegged numbers that represent records (like Wilt Chamberlain’s 100), years (like ‘72 for the Dolphins) as well as rivalries, car numbers and an important distance (a legendary marathon winner).
- Keeping It Honest: While researching the book, Hembo stayed focused on compiling an objective historical record that was unbiased towards his personal favorites.
- In Pursuit of Joy: Why Hembo feels it’s important to keep sports in perspective as what they are – something meant to be savored and enjoyed!
- On the Job Learning: Being immersed in the world of sports has actually prompted Hembo to take the whole thing less – not more – seriously. He sees it for what it is!
- The Greatest Thing Ever: How watching the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins bat a magical homerun took Hembo back to the “guttural glee” of childhood.
- Never Quite the Same: For all the dopamine rush of his experience working in sports, there is an undeniable change in Hembo’s relationship to fandom. Not better or worse. Just different.
- The Numbers Game: About weighing (and debating) who got to own which numbers (like #21, #4, #11) in which sports and why.
- Navigating the Publishing Process: The level of granularity and density of information in Hembo’s work insulates him against too much tampering on the part of copy editors.
- Favorite Chapters:
-
- For Jason, Chapter 8: Because it was so wrong! Cal Ripken Jr. owns that number! (There’s a backstory as to how the authors settled on Kobe Bryant.)
- For K.P., Chapter 26: Because it was a non-jersey-related choice that felt refreshing, surprising and interesting!
- For Hembo: Chapter 56: Stands out because it was the most excruciating, choosing between Joe DiMaggio and Lawrence Taylor. “It makes the book so fun!”
- Check out Hembo’s book, which is brand new this spring, at this link. Perfect for the sports nerd in your life!
KEY QUOTES:
- “I really made my bones in this business as a researcher, as a numbers guy, as a stats and information person.” (Hembo)
- “It’s not just an athlete owning a number in terms of a jersey number. There’s also seasons in there, number of sports championships and titles.” (K.P.)
- “To me sports is very intimate … People’s fandom is very different. I’m a believer in the integrity and sanctity of people’s fandom.” (Jason)
- “Sports are meant to be a joy and they serve no other purpose … Ultimately sports don’t really matter. Sports are trivial and if you can’t enjoy (them), then what’s the point?” (Hembo)
- “Sports are a great place to work but just know that – if you do – your fandom is going to change. It doesn’t necessarily mean your fandom is going to suffer, but it does mean that your fandom is going to change.” (Hembo)
- “You’re in the Sports Dork Society … and I 100% believe in you. I am also a Sports Dork and appreciate the work and thought that goes into (your research).” (Jason)
About Our Guest Co-Host:
Jason Takefman provides consulting services in the areas of Sports Management, Representation, Sponsorship and Advisement. His expertise includes TV/Media Contract Investment, Negotiation, & Management; Event Marketing; Local, National, and Global Media Buying; Acquisition; Ticket Sales & Ops; and Community Relations. Jason also invests in and advises small start-ups focused on developing tech platforms for customer service and sports.
Follow Our Co-Host:
LINKEDIN | TWITTER
About Our Guest:
Paul is a content producer at ESPN for the morning show “Get Up!” as well as a co-host on ESPN’s #Greeny radio program. Previously an athletic communications assistant at La Salle University, where he obtained a Master of Arts in education, Paul was also a sports information intern at his alma mater, Cedarville University. Most recently he has co-authored (with Mike Greenberg) "Got Your Number: The Greatest Sports Legends and the Numbers They Own."
Follow Our Guest:
LINKEDIN | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
For Episode 77, it's a "best of" episode with a replay of a recent conversation between K.P. and guest host Stan Markotich in which the former shares tales of caution in the workplace that exemplify a lack of respect. Also included are thoughts from LA Dodger historian Mark Langill about being respectful to people around you. Finally, a story about NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is shared by Ted Sobel, LA radio's longest tenured sports reporter.
If you're interested in Ted Sobel's book Touching Greatness: Tales from the Front Row with Heroes and Legends, you can find it here: https://coacheschoice.com/touching-greatness/ or here: https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Greatness-Ted-Sobel/dp/1606795430
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
This time, the names Zane Smith, Kal Daniels, Kenny Rogers, Dave Stieb, Steve Finley, Todd Zeile, and Joey Cora are mentioned.
K.P. references two old quotes attributed to Darryl Strawberry (Michael's childhood baseball hero), with the Straw Man trashing Smith (an opponent) and Daniels (a teammate in Los Angeles). Michael brings up the story about how Cora almost never made it to the major leagues and the football-tossing routine of the Texas Rangers in the 1980s and 1990s, and K.P. brings up three infamous moments in Zeile's career (the 1996 ALCS, the 2000 World Series, and a late-season game from 1997).
In this episode, New Zealand-based performance mindset coach Steven Cockram re-joins the podcast for a follow-up with co-host Stan Markotich and regular host K.P. Wee.
SUMMARY: Whatever we do in life, mindset matters! And that’s why it’s the focus of Steve Cockram’s highly successful practice. As a performance coach, he helps clients stretch, grow and reach ambitious goals – both as athletes and as humans. Host K.P. Wee and his special co-host, Stan Markotich, invite their guest to share insights gleaned over his years as a high-level rugby player and trusted AthleticMindset advisor to top competitors across the gamut of sports.
Based in New Zealand and part of the fitness industry since the age of 17, Steve incorporates sports psychology to help clients uncover blocks often rooted in past relationships and personal history. Working on a perceptual and empathetic level, he coaxes athletes into deeper motivation by helping them to understand motivations, challenges and barriers like Impostor Syndrome or performance anxiety. You’ll learn about the overlap between the mindsets and behaviors of aspiring athletes and burgeoning authors (more than you might imagine) and discover how Steve builds trust (and favorable outcomes) through transparency, communication and a willingness to change course when necessary. Join us to find out what zone you’re in – Comfort, Fear or Growth – and why uncovering your core beliefs (especially those that do not serve) can make all the difference when it comes to overcoming setbacks and averting disappointment out on the playing field and everywhere else in life!
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- Steve introduces himself and explains what distinguishes his work as a mindset coach focused on relationships and personal history as a tool for athletic transformation.
- Different sports attract different types of personalities, but triggers for things like Impostor Syndrome and performance anxiety are universal.
- About the three zones in which Steve works:
-
- Comfort Zone.
- Fear Zone.
- Growth Zone.
- Two components of averting failures and overcoming setbacks:
-
- Bring a growth mindset (drive, desire, dedication and discipline) to the examination of mistakes.
- Manage expectations to enable clarity, flexibility and a reset.
- A closer look at divergent athletic styles: Coaches are in a unique position to understand the goals, motivations and psychology that individual players bring to their sports.
- Sometimes expectations align, and sometimes they don’t. And that’s okay! Steve recalls an example of an athlete with whom his style of performance coaching was not a fit.
- Part of Steve’s success is his transparency right out of the gate with clients in terms of his approach, style and the program’s interactive, personal elements.
- How common vocabulary deepens client communication and worksheet reflections.
- The elements that Steve emphasizes in building trust and accountability include:
-
- Honesty.
- Sharing.
- Empathy.
- Openness.
- Vulnerable.
- The Root of Impostor Syndrome: Steve believes it the result of going through a process multiple times in which you feel you’ve fallen short or failed to achieve. The result for many is feelings of:
-
- Pain.
- Isolation.
- Self-doubt.
- Exclusion from community.
- Steve’s prescription for overcoming Impostor Syndrome: Consistently demonstrate to yourself a base-level ability to perform in an environment where you don’t feel comfortable and, over time, deep feelings of competency and self-empowerment will naturally follow.
- Writers Are No Different: Like athletes, those who pursue the written word experience setbacks and self-doubt on the way to honing their craft and reaching for the peaks.
- Loner Athletes: Steve asks probing questions to open up a conversation about how family ties (or lack thereof) impact development and can be processed to advantage.
- Fundamental Elements of Steve’s Program:
-
- What is your “why”?
- What does your support network look like?
- What roles and responsibilities define your life?
- How can we create a program individualized to your identity and goals?
- About how Steve uses personalization to help athletes separate their identity as an athlete in training/competition from other roles (such as partner or parent) in life.
- What it looks like to nurture talent, opening up an entire set of possibilities (and growth) for people both personally and professionally, as athletes and as students.
- Changing Course: Steve is a big fan of pushing boundaries and resetting when necessary to accommodate limits and achieve overall goals.
- Why Steve’s commitment to being iterative and flexible inspires understanding and trust in clients – getting them the results they want and deserve!
KEY QUOTES:
- “For me as a mindset coach, it’s about being a transformational coach rather than a transactional coach.” (Steve)
- “You treat (athletes) as individuals in terms of what it is they want to achieve; their No. 1 aim by being on that team. What is it they’re wanting to bring?” (Steve)
- “An integral part of my service is that all my core values shine through all the time. And the minute they don’t, there’s something wrong.” (Steve)
- “Mastering Impostor Syndrome is a process. There is no quick fix. It’s not just a click your fingers and it’s done. And that’s all to do with fear of failure.” (Steve)
- “You see that mentality or mindset of Impostor Syndrome everywhere. You see people essentially turning themselves into actors instead of academics or writers.” (Stan)
- “Students preparing for Advance Placement exams feel nervous. They’re turning in these essays that they know will determine their future in terms of getting into a good university or college. So they get nervous … even if they’re top students!” (K.P.)
- “Every time I nearly put my foot over the threshold, I will consciously bring it back. And where (athletes) weren’t necessarily wanting to open up with certain information, they give it to me because they start to understand what process I’m following.” (Steve)
- “I always check myself after three or four sessions on the same topic just to make sure I’m in the right space to get the best information to help (clients).” (Steve)
ABOUT STEVE: Steve’s passion for coaching, training, and educating originates from his enjoyment and satisfaction in helping clients & athletes to achieve their specific goals, whilst making positive and sustainable changes to their performance, health & psychology. Working with a number of professional athletes across different sporting fields through specialized rehabilitation, nutritional and pre/post competition programs, Steve has been on a progressive journey that has enabled him to work with some amazing industry professionals.
FOLLOW STEVE:
Website: @AthleticMindset
ABOUT STAN:
About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
It’s one of those things we were all supposed to have learned in kindergarten, right? When it comes to R-E-S-P-E-C-T, we should strive to treat others as we would like to be treated! While the concept seems basic, this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast explores the many ways in which fundamental decency is often lacking in our workplaces and society at large. Guest Host Stan Markotich invites K.P. Wee, author and educator, to share on-the-job experiences that capture the negative impacts of treating others unfairly … or worse! Sharing recollections of former colleagues who demonstrated bad form, K.P. and Stan weigh in with life lessons and perspectives you won’t soon forget!
With vivid examples of co-workers and even bosses who disrespect others by making everything all about themselves, this episode highlights red flags to be on the lookout for (both on the job and in life generally). A lack of kindness, integrity and equality can turn workplaces toxic, but there are simple measures that can be implemented to build not only a healthy workplace culture but a strong sense of community. It starts with setting an honorable tone – preferably at the top – that makes treating one another with respect a baseline value and expectation. You’ll never hear Aretha Franklin’s anthem again without thinking back on these colorful insights! And definitely stay tuned for a future episode that will dive deeper into the topic of motivation – something that, much like respect, has to be cultivated and earned.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- A quick update on K.P., play-by-play hockey and otherwise keeping busy with teaching students the do’s and don’ts of life!
- A Baseline Definition of Respect: Treating everyone equally and fairly!
- Tales of caution that exemplify a lack of respect:
-
-
1 – K.P. and Jane Doe: Don’t Be a User!
-
- About a colleague who solicited help and then went cold once she’d gotten what she wanted in the way of support.
- Ignoring is a hallmark of disrespect.
- Passive-Aggressive behaviors communicate disrespect with a snub.
-
2 – Esprit de Corps: When Colleagues or Bosses are All About Themselves!
-
- About people who aren’t willing to contribute to a group dynamic unless they personally benefit.
- About people who demonstrate contempt (rather than professionalism) on their way out the door.
- About people who exploit the skills and good will of others without reciprocity.
- About people who ask for favors – while also giving a kick in the pants when you’re heading out the door.
-
- Tips for Employers Who Want to Communicate Respect:
-
- Be up-front and clear about setting expectations.
- Don’t bait-and-switch.
- Don’t lie and manipulate!
- Don’t say one thing and do another!
- Walk the Walk: Emphasize respect over mere consideration!
- Send a message and set an example of respect and inclusion from the top.
- Create a strong culture built on mutual respect.
- K.P. recalls how Dodger Team Historian Mark Langill defined respect on this episode of the K.P. Wee Podcast. It doesn’t matter who you are dealing with, you treat them with kindness and courteousness – whatever level of the organization they inhabit.
- Does motivation correlate with respect? If you’re not self-motivated, then you’re most likely contributing to an un-reciprocal (and toxic ) environment.
- Stay tuned for a future episode in which K.P. will share observations from the broadcaster’s point of view about motivation and how in itself can be a form of respect!
KEY QUOTES:
- “What respect boils down to is trying to be helpful and kind to others – and you would think that they would reciprocate.” (K.P.)
- “If you’re kind to others and they don’t reciprocate, that’s where the issue begins.” (K.P.)
- “When I leave my door open it’s symbolic. It’s to say that my door is always open and anyone can come in and talk to me about anything.” (K.P.)
- “No one owes us anything. You just have to treat people with respect. Simple. Most people learned it in kindergarten.” (K.P.)
- “When someone alters behavior for seemingly no reason, my suspicion is that there might have been an agenda at work or … motivations apart from basic workplace etiquette.” (Stan)
- “Most employers know that when employers pull this kind of (disrespectful) stuff … Just be up-front!” (Stan)
- “With respect you build community and a team and one of the biggest ways to demonstrate a lack of respect is to say one thing and do another.” (Stan)
- “A lack of respect could come from a lack of motivation and I’ve seen that in cases with students or peers.” (K.P.)
About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
Stan @LinkedIn
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
Players mentioned in this episode include several Hall of Famers (Jack Morris, Fred McGriff, Harold Baines) and long-forgotten players (Rafael Ramirez, Rod Nichols, Gene Harris, Wally Whitehurst).
K.P. Wee, author and podcast host, is back on the receiving end of questions when guest host (and former News Director at CJIV Radio) Stan Markotich invites his good friend to drill down on that all-important workplace relationship with … the boss! If you’ve been there, you know it’s the worst: Reporting to a leader who doesn’t understand how to set a tone that fosters mutual respect, excellence, and job satisfaction in the workplace. Based on personal experiences, this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast shines a spotlight on exactly what to be on the look-out for when you’re taking on a new job, from red flags to sticky situations. You’ll come away with great tips for how to navigate toxic office leaders – or, better yet, how to avoid them altogether!
One by one, Stan and K.P. look back on lessons learned through the years – mostly about what NOT to do as a boss. Ripped from the headlines of their own career journeys, they share recollections of managers who demonstrated either a lack of professionalism and ethics or, in some instances, just a total absence of mature judgment. Your co-hosts have been there and done that, so you don’t have to! Tune in to find out about things to bear in mind as you go through the interview process and how to spot a gold-standard boss: Someone who understands that leadership is about bringing out the best in the whole team as well as each individual by supporting growth, collaboration, and a productive, harmonious experience on the job. “A leader and a boss has to lead by example,” says K.P., “whether it’s in sports or in the workplace with ordinary people like you and me!”
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- K.P. kicks off the episode with a reflection on what it means to lead by example – whether a championship-winning quarterback or a mid-level customer service manager.
- Boss School #1: K.P. shares an anecdote about a customer service manager who failed to communicate the value of having a team ethic that transcends departmental politics.
- Boss School #2: Don’t shoot the messenger! When K.P. delivered a message from his GM to his immediate supervisor, it did not go well. Overreaction and passive-aggressive responses are not a credit to any leader.
- Boss School #3: How long was that lunch break? When a manager takes the whole team out for lunches of nearly two hours, is that modeling respect for workplace rules?
- Boss School #4: Stan shares a boss’s very different, outcomes-based approach to taking time off based on whether projects are getting done, done well, and done on time!
- Boss School #5: Only Yes-People Need Apply. K.P. recalls a manager who couldn’t graciously accept copy edits that undeniably improved content and grammar.
- Boss School #6: Picking favorites undermines morale, communicates immaturity, and can unnecessarily pits team members against each other.
- Boss School #7: Don’t Lie! K.P. calls out a manager who provided “original” training content that was in fact lifted from the internet – then denied it. Be shady, lose respect!
- Boss School #8: Would a Pro Behave this Way? Pranking team members, invading social media, buddying up, lack of boundaries … These are not good looks for a leader.
- Boss School #9: Stan and K.P. muse on the way skills and a healthy, collaborative environment erode when leaders don’t know how to bring the whole team into play.
- Boss School #10: Stan shares the good, the bad, and … how first impressions can be misleading. A straight-talking supervisor may be more abrupt, but you know where you stand. As opposed to a disingenuous “Mr. Nice Guy” who may lack accountability.
- Boss School #11: K.P. offers some signs to be on the lookout for when it comes to assessing the qualities of a boss:
-
- Is there a level of professionalism? Fun is fun, here and there. But the overall ethic should communicate a level of seriousness about the work.
- Is the workplace atmosphere supportive?
- Does the environment make you aspire to learn, grow, and be better?
- Is the emphasis on skills over being pals?
- Red Flag #1: An interview process skewed towards personal questions. There’s a line beyond which the emphasis has strayed too far from career goals and qualifications.
- Red Flag #2: A manager who demeans people for being satisfied and happy to be at the company where they’re employed.
- Red Flag #3: If there’s a lot of churn among personnel, is it by design? It might be a business strategy to avoid giving promotions, raises or paying severance.
- Gold Star #1: Leaders who look for ways to incent talented team members and compensate for company limitations.
- Gold Star #2: Leaders who support talented team members’ growth and development in ways that will help them build and extend their careers.
- Parting Thought: Problems with a boss could be your fault. But it also might have nothing whatsoever to do with you! So be alert and look for signs to know the difference.
KEY QUOTES:
-
“A leader and a boss has to lead by example, whether it’s in sports or in the workplace with ordinary people like you and me!”
-
“Sometimes being a boss or a leader is debatable. People might look at things in a different way.” (K.P.)
-
“When you’re in a position of authority – a manager or a boss – you’re setting a tone through example. You may not intend to lead by example, but you are.” (Stan)
-
“Terrible bosses expect you to agree with everything that they say.” (K.P.)
-
“That person you think of as a great boss may not work out in reality as a great boss and the other person might over time demonstrate genuine leadership skills!” (Stan)
-
“If you’re starting out you want to show that you’re enthusiastic about contributing to the company, but there’s a difference between being enthusiastic and willing to learn and show your skills and demonstrate your abilities and just being a funny guy and too casual.” (K.P.)
-
“Trying to help an employee develop his or her skills and improve in order to perhaps have better opportunities down the road, that would be a great boss!” (K.P.)
-
“Be aware … Be on the alert, because sometimes it’s not you, it is the boss.” (Stan)
About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
Stan @LinkedIn
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
In this episode, New Zealand-based performance mindset coach Steven Cockram joins the podcast to discuss his transition from a former rugby player to where he is today. The founder of Athletic Mindset Ltd., Steve helps athletes, coaches, parents, and organizations to empower themselves through sport and achieve enhanced performance levels consistently.
For more, check out https://stevecockram.coach
and https://www.athleticmindset.nz
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
Players mentioned in this episode include several Hall of Famers (Dennis Eckersley, Bert Blyleven, and Edgar Martinez), long-forgotten players (Matt Winters, Charles Hudson, and Frank Williams), and also solid long-time relievers (Mike Henneman and Ricky Horton).
Among the topics being discussed:
Michael tells the story of the friendship between Eckersley and pop rock singer-songwriter Richard Marx.
Michael also talks about the minor-league journey of Matt Winters—and wonders why he never truly got a shot in the majors—along with the connection between right-handed pitchers Mike Henneman and Frank Williams, while K.P. focuses on Henneman’s failures with the 1996 Texas Rangers.
Regarding Henneman’s story, Michael references an article written by Ryan Fagan.
K.P. mentions Edgar Martinez’s lack of 200-hit seasons (with a career-high of 182 in 1995) and the fact the long-time Seattle DH ended up with “only” 2,247 career hits. There’s also the fact that Martinez struggled in postseason play after his memorable 1995 ALDS heroics vs. the Yankees.
K.P. also shares a story about how an Associated Press reporter’s wrong information about Charles Hudson ended up in his Tom Candiotti biography, A Life of Knuckleballs. Lesson learned: always, always, always fact check.
K.P. even brings up a player on the 1991 Blue Jays who struck out 107 times but hit no homers, the first player since 1906 to go homerless while striking out 100 times in a season.
How many walks did Dennis Eckersley allow in postseason play after walking Mike Davis ahead of Kirk Gibson’s famous 1988 World Series homer? K.P. shares the answer to that trivia question.
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
Players mentioned in this episode include several Hall of Famers (Dennis Eckersley, Bert Blyleven, and Edgar Martinez), long-forgotten players (Matt Winters, Charles Hudson, and Frank Williams), and also solid long-time relievers (Mike Henneman and Ricky Horton).
Among the topics being discussed:
Michael tells the story of the friendship between Eckersley and pop rock singer-songwriter Richard Marx.
Michael also talks about the minor-league journey of Matt Winters—and wonders why he never truly got a shot in the majors—along with the connection between right-handed pitchers Mike Henneman and Frank Williams, while K.P. focuses on Henneman’s failures with the 1996 Texas Rangers.
Regarding Henneman’s story, Michael references an article written by Ryan Fagan.
K.P. mentions Edgar Martinez’s lack of 200-hit seasons (with a career-high of 182 in 1995) and the fact the long-time Seattle DH ended up with “only” 2,247 career hits. There’s also the fact that Martinez struggled in postseason play after his memorable 1995 ALDS heroics vs. the Yankees.
K.P. also shares a story about how an Associated Press reporter’s wrong information about Charles Hudson ended up in his Tom Candiotti biography, A Life of Knuckleballs. Lesson learned: always, always, always fact check.
K.P. even brings up a player on the 1991 Blue Jays who struck out 107 times but hit no homers, the first player since 1906 to go homerless while striking out 100 times in a season.
How many walks did Dennis Eckersley allow in postseason play after walking Mike Davis ahead of Kirk Gibson’s famous 1988 World Series homer? K.P. shares the answer to that trivia question.
You’re in for a double-header treat – featuring both literary and golf themes – and a fascinating triple-threat conversation on this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast. Ten-time PGA title holder John Mahaffey is sharing with Guest Host Stan Markotich and K.P. Wee everything from the story of his introduction to Ben Hogan, the legendary mentor who shaped his career, to the diligent approach he takes when writing books. The discussion also covers how to make important life transitions, what it took for John to emerge from a dark passage and which key traits are critical to success in writing, golf and life!
John shares updates on his latest projects and the backstory on his thriller, "Shafted" and nonfiction work, "Hogan's Boy: A Journey in Golf." You’ll enjoy hearing why he’s “having a blast” and experiencing catharsis by entertaining fans in a whole new arena! As long as he can go and has fresh ideas for his McCall Family series, John will keep on writing! The show wraps up with life lessons applicable across all kinds of circumstances: Take responsibility. You’re going to win more than you lose. Just keep at it and don’t give up. You’ll take away from this lively chat all kinds of wisdom about excellence – athletically, artistically and personally!
To learn more about John Mahaffey and his books, visit this this website.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- An intro to golf great John Mahaffey and his storied 10-time PGA-winning career!
- All About Transitions: John shares thoughts about his journey from a small-town kid in Texas who loved sports of all kinds (including a special love of basketball) to focusing exclusively on upping his golf game, paving the way to a University of Houston scholarship and NCAA championships.
- Winning and Losing: John leveraged nightmare tournament failures as stepping stones to stronger performances down the road. His take: You either learn from setbacks and improve – or flounder.
- The story of John’s first encounter with Ben Hogan (whom he knew from the classic book, “Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf”) and how the legendary player became the mentor who introduced John to the pro tour.
- How Ben didn’t so much teach specific golf skills as provide a big-picture strategic and tactical vision of the overall game – the central ideas and concepts, such as knowing how to play – rather than muscle – a course.
- About John’s approach to writing "Shafted," his thriller based on observations about life on the road with his fellow golfers on the tour. And the Bob Seger songs that helped inspire it, including (all available at this link):
-
- Like a Rock
- Shame on the Moon
- Turning the Page
- Still the Same
- Against the Wind
- Hollywood Nights
- About the influence that South African author Wilbur Smith had on John’s development as a writer.
- John shares a dark passage in his life during which he was hobbled by drinking and divorce – until a close friend intervened on May 16, 2000, at 10 a.m. He hasn’t had a drink since, which changed his whole life.
- Starting a New Chapter: John makes the transition into golf commentating and then into his longer-term commitment to writing novels (including the series he has in the works).
- The role of creativity and flexibility in the art of writing – and in life!
- John reflects on the biggest evolutions in golf, owing both to new technologies and the trend towards starting kids in competition early.
- About the fraternity John experienced playing through three generations of memorable pros who were both colleagues and friends.
- Changes in the way golf is played today versus in John’s era, including the difference between a team culture and “owning your own swing.” Bottom Line: The most talented players will emerge no matter the fads or circumstances.
- Key Advice: Expectations are great. Anticipation is a killer. Don’t get ahead of yourself!
- How to Maintain Confidence: Keep on practicing, keep on playing, keep on competing.
- In sport and in life: Not everyone is going to like you or be supportive. And that’s okay!
- Having had double hip replacement surgeries, John’s golfing days are behind him. But he’s living the memories and keeping them vivid through his writing process.
-
John shares his writing routine, whose hallmark is about eight hours a day of hard work and discipline, one chapter after the other. The result? Four+ books in three years!
-
Recommended Reading: John’s favorite authors include: Wilbur Smith, Lee Child and Mark Greaney.
-
K.P. touches on some of the challenges associated with fiction writing – and strategies for breaking through stumbling blocks (like shadowing authors and emulating their daily routines).
- About Your Book’s Final Pages: John believes the climax is a great opportunity to tease readers and pique their interest in the next installment of your series.
- Research (including lots provided by his wife) is a key element informing John’s works and grounding their realism.
- Why John feels golf history isn’t a topic in his writing wheelhouse – but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t weave lots of first-person experiences with the greats into his fiction!
- Stan offers thoughts about K.P.’s narrative writing style – a combination of voice, point of view, suspense and character. See for yourself by checking out his books here!
KEY QUOTES:
-
“Things were starting to snowball in the direction where I was going to play professional golf. That’s what I really wanted to do – and that’s how the early transition happened.” (John)
-
“(Tournament losses) are stepping stones to actually make you a better player … Either you learn from it or your career’s over!” (John)
-
“(Ben Hogan) didn’t teach me how to hit shots. He taught me how to play golf; how to manage myself around a golf course.” (John)
-
“I was an only child so I invented a lot of imaginary characters that I played with.” (John)
-
“My books are about karma. Now there’s good karma and there’s bad karma – people get what they deserve!” (John)
-
“In all my transitions … there are two things very much in common: Creativity and Flexibility.” (John)
-
“I went into golf because I wanted to paint a picture … I didn’t want to be one-dimensional. I wanted to be able to play every shot and not be confronted with something coming down the last hole that I wasn’t able to do.” (John)
-
“(Championship-level play) is about what you have in your heart and what you have in your mind and how you’re able to manage yourself and control your emotions.” (John)
-
“Everybody knows that you lose more times than you can win … but for professional athletes when they’re in competition they expect they are going to win and give it their all. They think they are the best.” (K.P.)
-
“I want my books to be fun for people to read. I want them to not be able to figure out the ending until they get there. I want the characters to pay the price – whether it’s good or bad – and have some interesting stuff in-between.” (John)
-
“I love the kind of fiction that actually buries a not all-too-deeply buried truth, but it’s inaccessible for a lot of people.” (Stan)
-
“Whether it’s a golf swing or a scenario in one of your novels, everything is related to a life lesson; to the karma, the good and the bad. Taking responsibility.” (Stan)
-
“One thing that’s going to stay with me is that life lesson: You’re going to lose more than you’re going to win. But ultimately – and ironically, maybe – that is the real key to winning – the key to being a true winner.” (Stan)
RELEVANT LINKS:
- "Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf."
- By John Mahaffey:
-
- "Shafted."
- "Hogan's Boy: A Journey in Golf."
-
Bob Seger songs that inspire John's novels.
- Books by South African author Wilbur Smith.
- Books (Reacher) by Lee Child.
- Books by Mark Greaney ("The Gray Man")
JOHN MAHAFFEY BIO: Known today as a prolific author, John Mahaffey was born in Kerrville, Texas, and attended the University of Houston, where he was a two-time All-American. John was a member of two NCAA national championship teams and the individual NCAA champion in 1970, a feat he accomplished one week after he tied for low amateur in the US Open at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. He graduated from U of H with a psychology degree in 1970 and turned pro in 1971. Mahaffey is a ten-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the PGA Championship and the Players. In 1978, John won the individual title in the World Cup and partnered with Andy North to win the team competition at Princeville on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The following year he partnered with Hale Irwin to win the World Cup for the US in Athens, Greece, and was a member of the victorious 1979 Ryder Cup team.
FOLLOW JOHN MAHAFFEY: Website | Books | LinkedIn
About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
Follow Stan @LinkedIn
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
You’re in for a double-header treat – featuring both literary and golf themes – and a fascinating triple-threat conversation on this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast. Ten-time PGA title holder John Mahaffey is sharing with Guest Host Stan Markotich and K.P. Wee everything from the story of his introduction to Ben Hogan, the legendary mentor who shaped his career, to the diligent approach he takes when writing books. The discussion also covers how to make important life transitions, what it took for John to emerge from a dark passage and which key traits are critical to success in writing, golf and life!
John shares updates on his latest projects and the backstory on his thriller, "Shafted" and nonfiction work, "Hogan's Boy: A Journey in Golf." You’ll enjoy hearing why he’s “having a blast” and experiencing catharsis by entertaining fans in a whole new arena! As long as he can go and has fresh ideas for his McCall Family series, John will keep on writing! The show wraps up with life lessons applicable across all kinds of circumstances: Take responsibility. You’re going to win more than you lose. Just keep at it and don’t give up. You’ll take away from this lively chat all kinds of wisdom about excellence – athletically, artistically and personally!
To learn more about John Mahaffey and his books, visit this this website.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- An intro to golf great John Mahaffey and his storied 10-time PGA-winning career!
- All About Transitions: John shares thoughts about his journey from a small-town kid in Texas who loved sports of all kinds (including a special love of basketball) to focusing exclusively on upping his golf game, paving the way to a University of Houston scholarship and NCAA championships.
- Winning and Losing: John leveraged nightmare tournament failures as stepping stones to stronger performances down the road. His take: You either learn from setbacks and improve – or flounder.
- The story of John’s first encounter with Ben Hogan (whom he knew from the classic book, “Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf”) and how the legendary player became the mentor who introduced John to the pro tour.
- How Ben didn’t so much teach specific golf skills as provide a big-picture strategic and tactical vision of the overall game – the central ideas and concepts, such as knowing how to play – rather than muscle – a course.
- About John’s approach to writing "Shafted," his thriller based on observations about life on the road with his fellow golfers on the tour. And the Bob Seger songs that helped inspire it, including (all available at this link):
-
- Like a Rock
- Shame on the Moon
- Turning the Page
- Still the Same
- Against the Wind
- Hollywood Nights
- About the influence that South African author Wilbur Smith had on John’s development as a writer.
- John shares a dark passage in his life during which he was hobbled by drinking and divorce – until a close friend intervened on May 16, 2000, at 10 a.m. He hasn’t had a drink since, which changed his whole life.
- Starting a New Chapter: John makes the transition into golf commentating and then into his longer-term commitment to writing novels (including the series he has in the works).
- The role of creativity and flexibility in the art of writing – and in life!
- John reflects on the biggest evolutions in golf, owing both to new technologies and the trend towards starting kids in competition early.
- About the fraternity John experienced playing through three generations of memorable pros who were both colleagues and friends.
- Changes in the way golf is played today versus in John’s era, including the difference between a team culture and “owning your own swing.” Bottom Line: The most talented players will emerge no matter the fads or circumstances.
- Key Advice: Expectations are great. Anticipation is a killer. Don’t get ahead of yourself!
- How to Maintain Confidence: Keep on practicing, keep on playing, keep on competing.
- In sport and in life: Not everyone is going to like you or be supportive. And that’s okay!
- Having had double hip replacement surgeries, John’s golfing days are behind him. But he’s living the memories and keeping them vivid through his writing process.
-
John shares his writing routine, whose hallmark is about eight hours a day of hard work and discipline, one chapter after the other. The result? Four+ books in three years!
-
Recommended Reading: John’s favorite authors include: Wilbur Smith, Lee Child and Mark Greaney.
-
K.P. touches on some of the challenges associated with fiction writing – and strategies for breaking through stumbling blocks (like shadowing authors and emulating their daily routines).
- About Your Book’s Final Pages: John believes the climax is a great opportunity to tease readers and pique their interest in the next installment of your series.
- Research (including lots provided by his wife) is a key element informing John’s works and grounding their realism.
- Why John feels golf history isn’t a topic in his writing wheelhouse – but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t weave lots of first-person experiences with the greats into his fiction!
- Stan offers thoughts about K.P.’s narrative writing style – a combination of voice, point of view, suspense and character. See for yourself by checking out his books here!
KEY QUOTES:
-
“Things were starting to snowball in the direction where I was going to play professional golf. That’s what I really wanted to do – and that’s how the early transition happened.” (John)
-
“(Tournament losses) are stepping stones to actually make you a better player … Either you learn from it or your career’s over!” (John)
-
“(Ben Hogan) didn’t teach me how to hit shots. He taught me how to play golf; how to manage myself around a golf course.” (John)
-
“I was an only child so I invented a lot of imaginary characters that I played with.” (John)
-
“My books are about karma. Now there’s good karma and there’s bad karma – people get what they deserve!” (John)
-
“In all my transitions … there are two things very much in common: Creativity and Flexibility.” (John)
-
“I went into golf because I wanted to paint a picture … I didn’t want to be one-dimensional. I wanted to be able to play every shot and not be confronted with something coming down the last hole that I wasn’t able to do.” (John)
-
“(Championship-level play) is about what you have in your heart and what you have in your mind and how you’re able to manage yourself and control your emotions.” (John)
-
“Everybody knows that you lose more times than you can win … but for professional athletes when they’re in competition they expect they are going to win and give it their all. They think they are the best.” (K.P.)
-
“I want my books to be fun for people to read. I want them to not be able to figure out the ending until they get there. I want the characters to pay the price – whether it’s good or bad – and have some interesting stuff in-between.” (John)
-
“I love the kind of fiction that actually buries a not all-too-deeply buried truth, but it’s inaccessible for a lot of people.” (Stan)
-
“Whether it’s a golf swing or a scenario in one of your novels, everything is related to a life lesson; to the karma, the good and the bad. Taking responsibility.” (Stan)
-
“One thing that’s going to stay with me is that life lesson: You’re going to lose more than you’re going to win. But ultimately – and ironically, maybe – that is the real key to winning – the key to being a true winner.” (Stan)
RELEVANT LINKS:
- "Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf."
- By John Mahaffey:
-
- "Shafted."
- "Hogan's Boy: A Journey in Golf."
-
Bob Seger songs that inspire John's novels.
- Books by South African author Wilbur Smith.
- Books (Reacher) by Lee Child.
- Books by Mark Greaney ("The Gray Man")
JOHN MAHAFFEY BIO: Known today as a prolific author, John Mahaffey was born in Kerrville, Texas, and attended the University of Houston, where he was a two-time All-American. John was a member of two NCAA national championship teams and the individual NCAA champion in 1970, a feat he accomplished one week after he tied for low amateur in the US Open at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. He graduated from U of H with a psychology degree in 1970 and turned pro in 1971. Mahaffey is a ten-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the PGA Championship and the Players. In 1978, John won the individual title in the World Cup and partnered with Andy North to win the team competition at Princeville on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The following year he partnered with Hale Irwin to win the World Cup for the US in Athens, Greece, and was a member of the victorious 1979 Ryder Cup team.
FOLLOW JOHN MAHAFFEY: Website | Books | LinkedIn
About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
Follow Stan @LinkedIn
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
Jason Takefman joins the podcast this week to discuss his thoughts on what constitutes a sports rivalry, sharing his recollections of the Boston Bruins-Montreal Canadiens battles over the years as well as Roger Clemens in the playoffs against the Oakland A’s. He also talks about why he agrees with Major League Baseball’s new scheduling format of having every team play each other in the same season for the first time beginning in 2023.
Meanwhile, K.P. brings up his Bruins-Canadiens book The End of the Montreal Jinx and shares some thoughts about reviews left by readers for other sports authors’ books on Amazon. Specifically, K.P. mentions the use of photographs in books, the lack of cooperation by potential interview subjects, and publishers’ strict word-count limits.
Finally, Jason and K.P. rehash the 2003 American League Championship Series, with the latter blaming Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra for Boston’s series loss.
For a copy of K.P.'s The End of the Montreal Jinx, click here.
For a copy of the book by hockey author Todd Denault referenced in the episode, A Season in Time, click here.
Jason Takefman joins the podcast this week to discuss his thoughts on what constitutes a sports rivalry, sharing his recollections of the Boston Bruins-Montreal Canadiens battles over the years as well as Roger Clemens in the playoffs against the Oakland A’s. He also talks about why he agrees with Major League Baseball’s new scheduling format of having every team play each other in the same season for the first time beginning in 2023.
Meanwhile, K.P. brings up his Bruins-Canadiens book The End of the Montreal Jinx and shares some thoughts about reviews left by readers for other sports authors’ books on Amazon. Specifically, K.P. mentions the use of photographs in books, the lack of cooperation by potential interview subjects, and publishers’ strict word-count limits.
Finally, Jason and K.P. rehash the 2003 American League Championship Series, with the latter blaming Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra for Boston’s series loss.
For a copy of K.P.'s The End of the Montreal Jinx, click here.
For a copy of the book by hockey author Todd Denault referenced in the episode, A Season in Time, click here.
Brett Hawn of Totally Goated Podcast joins this episode to chat Major League Baseball. Topics include the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, and Padres. Brett also shares his thoughts on the Mets’ decision to not pitch Jacob deGrom against the Yankees in the two-game Subway Series (which was swept by the Bronx Bombers), as well as Aaron Judge’s home-run exploits and the new MLB scheduling format for 2023 (in which all 30 teams will play one another in a season for the first time in major-league history).
Check out Brett's Totally Goated Podcast: https://anchor.fm/totallygoated/
Brett Hawn of Totally Goated Podcast joins this episode to chat Major League Baseball. Topics include the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, and Padres. Brett also shares his thoughts on the Mets’ decision to not pitch Jacob deGrom against the Yankees in the two-game Subway Series (which was swept by the Bronx Bombers), as well as Aaron Judge’s home-run exploits and the new MLB scheduling format for 2023 (in which all 30 teams will play one another in a season for the first time in major-league history).
Check out Brett's Totally Goated Podcast: https://anchor.fm/totallygoated/
Guest Host: Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio
Guest: K.P. Wee, Author and Podcast Host
SUMMARY: When looking for a job, remember that it’s about a lot more than the title or description of responsibilities. On this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast, Guest Host Stan Markotich is prompting all kinds of reflections on the role our workplace cultures play, not only in our ability to succeed but also in defining our quality of life. Will you be going into a space that is safe, supportive and (ideally) fun? Or will it be lonely, toxic and ego-driven? Based on his personal experience in the realm of teaching, K.P. Wee shares red flags that are worth paying attention to, including whether your interview process (professional and courteous?) and the atmosphere (collegial and positive?). He and Stan have all kinds of practical tips and thoughts to bear in mind for jobseekers who are new to the market and eager to avoid some of the rookie mistakes so many of us frequently make! You’ll hear about frontlines experiences of inappropriate break room behaviors, competitive (and unhelpful) colleagues as well as a big misunderstanding early on in his career that left K.P. panicked – followed by a sigh of relief and a laugh! Whatever line of work we choose to pursue, there are certain inevitable forks in the road that most all of us will encounter. Our outcomes are ultimately a lot likelier to be favorable if we’re armed with the humor, clarity and framework for problem-solving that this lively discussion provides! Stay tuned for future chats in which Stan and K.P. will take up important topics such as how to cope with discrimination and manage through incompetent leadership.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- About K.P.’s teaching perspective and the value in commiserating/sharing notes with others interested in the topic of workplace experience.
- K.P. explains why athletic coaching has never felt like the right fit for him, despite the fact that he has a depth of knowledge on the topic.
- Sports psychology is a great avenue for sharing expertise but further advanced studies would be necessary to master skills such as analytics or scouting techniques.
- Why wins, losses and championships are big – but not the defining element when it comes to cultivating team cultures and legendary achievement in the big picture.
- About red flags when it comes to workplace cultures:
-
- Does the interviewer exhibit professionalism (preparation, timeliness, courtesy)?
- Does the environment foster inappropriate or demeaning comments/interactions?
- Are anger and raised voices part of the way people interact?
- Are racist, sexist or otherwise derogatory “jokes” commonly accepted?
- Workplaces can vary tremendously based on the vibe – as K.P. and Stan have both noted in different circumstances. One school’s insensitive jokes can be taken as camaraderie while another’s limited socializing might simply be a function of scheduling.
- Reflecting on differing teaching cultures: Stan appreciates that there are times he needs to be mono-focused on his students, but he also finds it helpful to work in a collegial atmosphere where he feels free to bounce questions like:
-
- Are student changing in any ways?
- Do they respond to different kinds of lessons in different ways?
- What strategies might there be for reaching a student who is failing?
- Different types of workplace environments produce (and require) differing dynamics – ranging from running jokes to studious silence.
- K.P. summarizes the overall ethic he most values in a healthy workplace culture: It supports learning, development and mutual growth. He also shares examples of what it looks like to experience the opposite of this kind of positive approach!
- The best teachers are willing to evolve and adapt. They’re also inclined to share notes, teaching techniques and encouragement through whatever challenges.
- Stan Offers Sports as Metaphor: Teaching is not like a competitive individual athletic pursuit, but rather a forum for coaching and mentoring. It’s not about being on the court or field scoring points. You are enabling team members to reach the top of their game.
- Back to the Future: Stan shares a colorful anecdote about how a substitute teaching experience reaffirmed that know-it-all teachers aren’t necessarily the most effective!
- You’ve accepted a new job whose workplace environment is not what you expected. Perhaps it’s toxic or alienating or sloppy. What to do now? K.P. offers advice:
-
- Talk to someone in authority. Perhaps they are out of the loop or not conversational with the staff dynamic.
- If you find that management principles simply don’t align with your own, it may mean that remaining on the job will require tolerance and adjustment because making cultural change (or changing people) is extremely unlikely.
- If it’s an environment in which finding any joy is impossible, it may be imperative that you reconsider the job and go elsewhere.
- Stan echoes K.P.’s advice: If you find yourself in an unhappy work situation, discuss it with someone in charge, monitor for the possibility of change, then decide whether an accommodation is tenable or it’s time to move on.
- The episode wraps up with a memorable story of K.P.’s very first teaching job – which he mistakenly thought he got under sketchy circumstances. Hilarity ensues!
- Stan closes the loop with a reflection that builds on K.P.’s point: The best workplace environments are open, communicative and collaborative.
- Two areas for future exploration: Discrimination (as separate from the hiring process) and what it’s like to work for chronically incompetent owners or managers.
KEY QUOTES:
- “If you realize that somebody else can do a better job than you can, then focus on what you’re more passionate and have more knowledge about.” (K.P.)
- “It takes a lot to get to the top. There can only be one champion and, of course, injuries happen, contract disputes happen. You don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.” (K.P.)
- “If someone is willing to brag about something that is negative or toxic in one workplace, I’m pretty sure the odds would be high that they’d be bragging about similar things in other workplaces.” (Stan)
- “I do like the idea of having a dynamic and exchanging ideas and that can lead to having fun with your colleagues as well, but there are times when the lesson plan calls for needing assignments and needing to really focus on my students and not be distracted by conversation. So ideally I like a balance.” (Stan)
- “I’m not a robot. I’m a person, a human being. I always want to learn new things. If you feel like it’s time to stop learning I think you’re basically retiring or waiting for death.” (K.P.)
- “Some teachers believe that as teachers we compete in the way that individual athletes compete against each other and I don’t see any value in making that connection to sports.” (Stan)
- “It’s teamwork amongst the teachers to be on the same page, getting students to do their best; to get the most out of students.” (K.P.)
- “You cannot change people if they are unwilling, so if it’s a big enough problem and you’re uncomfortable, you have to make a decision … If it’s not something that drives you or makes you happy, then you might want to consider looking elsewhere.” (K.P.)
About Guest Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
Stan @LinkedIn
About K.P. Wee: K.P. is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
Host: K.P. Wee
Guest: Rich Burk, Play-by-Play Broadcaster
SUMMARY: Sometimes nice guys finish first – as is the case with Rich Burk, one of the busiest and nicest sportscasters around. On this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast the veteran play-by-play announcer (ESPN, Pac12 Networks and NBC’s Olympic coverage) is sharing insider tips for anyone who aspires to his success. In addition to having called more than 2,000 baseball games for major and minor league teams, Rich has also covered football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, diving, and wrestling. The one common thread? Prep. Prep. Prep. Rich spends as many as eight hours painstakingly compiling stats and other background related to each and every player (for both teams) going into a series. He does a similar amount of homework before conducting interviews, which is what makes him so nimble and able to elicit great conversation. You’ll also learn why young sportscasters need to read, read, read—and why silence from the broadcast booth can be a gift. The show wraps with some colorful career highlights and parting thoughts for anyone who feels shy about seeking out a mentor. “Most people in this industry have been helped by mentors,” says Rich, “and those same people are almost always happy to help younger people trying to break in.” So don’t be afraid to reach out!
Interested in checking out Rich’s perennially popular Baseball Scorebook Model? It’s available online here.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- Rich shares thoughts on the trajectory of his play-by-play career, including the priority he put on protecting stability and quality of life with his family in Oregon.
- Public speaking has always been in Rich’s comfort zone largely because he starts with the assumption that people like him. Makes it easy to relax in front of the microphone!
- Some of Rich’s earliest training was as a college student sent out by his baseball coaches to speak on their behalf at various service clubs in Southern California.
- Pro Tip: Be yourself and trust that everyone will like you.
- Not everyone comes out of the gate with a fully formed on-air persona. It took Rich time to cultivate his play-by-play style.
- Rich developed his baseball scorebooks to help him keep track of details while juggling other stadium roles early in his career. It was a great lesson in multi-tasking!
- Rich put together his Baseball Scorebook Model in 2007 and it has sold steadily ever since. The format provides room for flexibility. He counts broadcasters among his fans!
- Pro Tip: Be prepared! People assume Rich has everything memorized but in fact he is just very organized. It takes a considerable investment of time, but he always has at his fingertips copious notes/player facts (for his team and the teams they face), including:
-
- Number of games played
- Batting average
- Double, triples, home runs, and RBIs
- Stolen bases and stolen base attempts
- Trends – notable activity out on the field
- Basic Bios: Height, weight, hometown, college career, and other fun facts.
- Inputting data prior to a series can take Rich as many as eight hours! Updates are quicker.
- Pro Tip: Be prepared with background material, but always remember: It’s about what’s going on down on the field. The art is in knowing how much to use and when to use it.
- Letting things breathe: Rich believes the age of social media has conditioned broadcasters to “blather on and on and on.” He’s a fan of the old school approach, knowing when to let the crowd to tell the story.
- About the time Rich’s old friend, golf sportscaster Peter Jacobsen, set him up to shadow broadcast legend Vince Scully. He spent two days watching the master do his thing! And took away two bits of advice: Be yourself (which he took) and Don’t listen to other broadcasters (which he opted to ignore – he has studied other people’s on-air styles).
- Pro Tip: Read! Vince Scully once told Rich (who wholeheartedly agrees) that aspiring broadcasters should devour written material in order to build facility with language.
- Pro Tip: When conducting an interview, do your homework, know your subject and have in mind a general map (keep it flexible!) of where you’d like to go.
- Pro Tip: Listen to cues from your interviewee. Sometimes an unanticipated twist in the conversation will come up. You’ve got to be ready to go with it!
- Listener Question: About Ron Tonkin, the late car dealership owner in Portland for whom the 4,500 spectator baseball park was named in 2014.
- Rich reflects on his most memorable broadcasts:
-
- 1997 Portland Rockies league championship.
- 2014, 2015, and 2019 championships for the Hillsboro Hops.
- A memorable game-ending (and ultimately career-ending) grand slam by Tagg Bozied taught Rich a critical lesson: Always, always keep your eye on the field!
- An all-out fight between Portland Beavers and Las Vegas 51s fans at an away game – a crazy scene in which once again Tagg Bozied figured.
- Closing Thoughts for Aspiring Broadcasters: Seek and reach out to as many mentors as possible. They were young once and remember what it feels like trying to break into the business!
KEY QUOTES:
- “I was able to work my way up the ladder without having to move. Luckiest guy in the world!” (Rich)
- “You can always assume that people are going to like you. And the other piece of advice I’d give is: Be yourself.” (Rich)
- “You’ve done your homework! Well done, K.P. I appreciate that!” (Rich)
- “It’s probably a total of three hours of work – more at the beginning of a series – because when we face a new team I have to input all that information … The art of it is knowing what to use and when.”
- “I find myself sometimes with all this information but I have to know when not to use it because the game is the focus. If it’s a tie game late in the game I don’t want to be giving too much bio information. I don’t want to look away from the field.” (Rich)
- “It’s a lost art just to let the crowd tell the story.” (Rich)
- “Have a general map of where you want the interview to go, but at the same time be flexible on your feet so if the interviewee says something compelling you want to go down that path.” (Rich)
- “Most people in this industry have been helped by mentors; have been helped along the way by a lot of people. And those same people are almost always happy to help younger people trying to break in.” (Rich)
RICH BURK’S BIO: Rich Burk is a versatile sportscaster who serves as a play-by-play announcer for Pac-12 Networks. He has called football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, swimming and diving, and wrestling for the Pac-12 Networks in addition to calling games for Fox Sports Net NW, ROOT Sports, and ESPN2. Additionally, Burk has called many games on radio, from historic venues such as Pauley Pavilion, Madison Square Garden, and Cameron Indoor Stadium. On several occasions he has had fill-in stints in Major League Baseball, including time with the San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos, and Toronto Blue Jays. His professional baseball resume of nearly 2000 games includes calling four no-hitters and two perfect games. He currently lives outside of Portland in Hillsboro, Oregon, where he coaches youth baseball and during recent summers has called play-by-play for the Hillsboro Hops, a minor-league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also has two children with his wife of over 24 years.
FOLLOW RICH: WEBSITE | TWITTER | EMAIL | RICH BURK'S BASEBALL SCOREBOOK
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
Host: K.P. Wee
Guest: Rich Burk, Play-by-Play Broadcaster
SUMMARY: Sometimes nice guys finish first – as is the case with Rich Burk, one of the busiest and nicest sportscasters around. On this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast the veteran play-by-play announcer (ESPN, Pac12 Networks and NBC’s Olympic coverage) is sharing insider tips for anyone who aspires to his success. In addition to having called more than 2,000 baseball games for major and minor league teams, Rich has also covered football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, diving, and wrestling. The one common thread? Prep. Prep. Prep. Rich spends as many as eight hours painstakingly compiling stats and other background related to each and every player (for both teams) going into a series. He does a similar amount of homework before conducting interviews, which is what makes him so nimble and able to elicit great conversation. You’ll also learn why young sportscasters need to read, read, read—and why silence from the broadcast booth can be a gift. The show wraps with some colorful career highlights and parting thoughts for anyone who feels shy about seeking out a mentor. “Most people in this industry have been helped by mentors,” says Rich, “and those same people are almost always happy to help younger people trying to break in.” So don’t be afraid to reach out!
Interested in checking out Rich’s perennially popular Baseball Scorebook Model? It’s available online here.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- Rich shares thoughts on the trajectory of his play-by-play career, including the priority he put on protecting stability and quality of life with his family in Oregon.
- Public speaking has always been in Rich’s comfort zone largely because he starts with the assumption that people like him. Makes it easy to relax in front of the microphone!
- Some of Rich’s earliest training was as a college student sent out by his baseball coaches to speak on their behalf at various service clubs in Southern California.
- Pro Tip: Be yourself and trust that everyone will like you.
- Not everyone comes out of the gate with a fully formed on-air persona. It took Rich time to cultivate his play-by-play style.
- Rich developed his baseball scorebooks to help him keep track of details while juggling other stadium roles early in his career. It was a great lesson in multi-tasking!
- Rich put together his Baseball Scorebook Model in 2007 and it has sold steadily ever since. The format provides room for flexibility. He counts broadcasters among his fans!
- Pro Tip: Be prepared! People assume Rich has everything memorized but in fact he is just very organized. It takes a considerable investment of time, but he always has at his fingertips copious notes/player facts (for his team and the teams they face), including:
-
- Number of games played
- Batting average
- Double, triples, home runs, and RBIs
- Stolen bases and stolen base attempts
- Trends – notable activity out on the field
- Basic Bios: Height, weight, hometown, college career, and other fun facts.
- Inputting data prior to a series can take Rich as many as eight hours! Updates are quicker.
- Pro Tip: Be prepared with background material, but always remember: It’s about what’s going on down on the field. The art is in knowing how much to use and when to use it.
- Letting things breathe: Rich believes the age of social media has conditioned broadcasters to “blather on and on and on.” He’s a fan of the old school approach, knowing when to let the crowd to tell the story.
- About the time Rich’s old friend, golf sportscaster Peter Jacobsen, set him up to shadow broadcast legend Vince Scully. He spent two days watching the master do his thing! And took away two bits of advice: Be yourself (which he took) and Don’t listen to other broadcasters (which he opted to ignore – he has studied other people’s on-air styles).
- Pro Tip: Read! Vince Scully once told Rich (who wholeheartedly agrees) that aspiring broadcasters should devour written material in order to build facility with language.
- Pro Tip: When conducting an interview, do your homework, know your subject and have in mind a general map (keep it flexible!) of where you’d like to go.
- Pro Tip: Listen to cues from your interviewee. Sometimes an unanticipated twist in the conversation will come up. You’ve got to be ready to go with it!
- Listener Question: About Ron Tonkin, the late car dealership owner in Portland for whom the 4,500 spectator baseball park was named in 2014.
- Rich reflects on his most memorable broadcasts:
-
- 1997 Portland Rockies league championship.
- 2014, 2015, and 2019 championships for the Hillsboro Hops.
- A memorable game-ending (and ultimately career-ending) grand slam by Tagg Bozied taught Rich a critical lesson: Always, always keep your eye on the field!
- An all-out fight between Portland Beavers and Las Vegas 51s fans at an away game – a crazy scene in which once again Tagg Bozied figured.
- Closing Thoughts for Aspiring Broadcasters: Seek and reach out to as many mentors as possible. They were young once and remember what it feels like trying to break into the business!
KEY QUOTES:
- “I was able to work my way up the ladder without having to move. Luckiest guy in the world!” (Rich)
- “You can always assume that people are going to like you. And the other piece of advice I’d give is: Be yourself.” (Rich)
- “You’ve done your homework! Well done, K.P. I appreciate that!” (Rich)
- “It’s probably a total of three hours of work – more at the beginning of a series – because when we face a new team I have to input all that information … The art of it is knowing what to use and when.”
- “I find myself sometimes with all this information but I have to know when not to use it because the game is the focus. If it’s a tie game late in the game I don’t want to be giving too much bio information. I don’t want to look away from the field.” (Rich)
- “It’s a lost art just to let the crowd tell the story.” (Rich)
- “Have a general map of where you want the interview to go, but at the same time be flexible on your feet so if the interviewee says something compelling you want to go down that path.” (Rich)
- “Most people in this industry have been helped by mentors; have been helped along the way by a lot of people. And those same people are almost always happy to help younger people trying to break in.” (Rich)
RICH BURK’S BIO: Rich Burk is a versatile sportscaster who serves as a play-by-play announcer for Pac-12 Networks. He has called football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, swimming and diving, and wrestling for the Pac-12 Networks in addition to calling games for Fox Sports Net NW, ROOT Sports, and ESPN2. Additionally, Burk has called many games on radio, from historic venues such as Pauley Pavilion, Madison Square Garden, and Cameron Indoor Stadium. On several occasions he has had fill-in stints in Major League Baseball, including time with the San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos, and Toronto Blue Jays. His professional baseball resume of nearly 2000 games includes calling four no-hitters and two perfect games. He currently lives outside of Portland in Hillsboro, Oregon, where he coaches youth baseball and during recent summers has called play-by-play for the Hillsboro Hops, a minor-league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also has two children with his wife of over 24 years.
FOLLOW RICH: WEBSITE | TWITTER | EMAIL | RICH BURK'S BASEBALL SCOREBOOK
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about regularly as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
Players from the 1990 card set discussed in this episode include Greg Briley, Mark Portugal, Tim Teufel, Ivan Calderon, Donn Pall, Rob Ducey, Steve Lake (and his pet parrot), Rob Murphy (and his laptop), Rick Rhoden, Kirk McCaskill, Chip Hale, and Steve “Bye Bye” Balboni. Two other former players not in the 1990 Upper Deck card set, Glenn Burke and Rodney McCray, are also mentioned.
The conversation, though, doesn’t center on baseball stats, as Michael shares quite a few fascinating non-baseball tidbits associated with each of these former players (or their names and/or nicknames), many of which he came across in his research in his amazing quest to tweet about all 800 cards from the 1990 Upper Deck set.
K.P. also shares a story involving Calderon and Pall, and he also remembers (foolishly) thinking Portugal was never going to lose another major-league game when the right-hander won 12 straight decisions to end the 1993 season.
When the name Glenn Burke comes up, Michael recommends the YA novel A High Five for Glenn Burke, written by Phil Bildner.
Check out A High Five for Glenn Burke, written by Phil Bildner: https://www.amazon.com/High-Five-Glenn-Burke/dp/0374312737
New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman joins this episode to talk sportswriting.
A former Sports Illustrated senior writer (as well as a former ESPN.com columnist and staff writer for Newsday and the [Nashville] Tennessean), Jeff is the New York Times best-selling author of 10 books, including his newest one about Bo Jackson, titled The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson, which comes out in October 2022.
In this conversation, Jeff discusses why his favorite word is “serendipity,” his dream of becoming a sportswriter growing up, his book writing process, what he worries about when he’s writing books, and how he believes members of the sports media shouldn’t be rooting for teams, among other topics. Jeff also reminisces about his first story with Sports Illustrated—and the time when he grew tired of sports and left SI.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffpearlman
Website: https://jeffpearlman.com/
Two Writers Singing Yang Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-writers-slinging-yang/id1252080948?mt=2
The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Folk-Hero-Life-Jackson/dp/0358437679
In this episode, Vancouver (Canada)-based sports business consultant Jason Takefman chats Major League Baseball, including the Yankees, Mets, Tony La Russa, Joe Maddon, Tim Anderson, and other topics related to the sport. Takefman also talks about fandom in sports and there is even some reference made about the 1993 Montreal Canadiens in the context of how the Stanley Cup is one of the most difficult trophies to win in sports. At the end of the discussion, K.P. shares why, as a sports author, he does not enjoy seeing records being broken.
This episode features parts of two separate interviews with J.P. Hoornstra, who covers Major League Baseball as a sportswriter for the Southern California New Group, as part of K.P.'s research for the book So You Want to Work in Sports (which is expected to be released in September 2022).
One of these interviews was recorded during the 2020 baseball off-season.
J.P. has covered Los Angeles Dodgers baseball since 2012 and is the author of the 2015 book The 50 Greatest Dodger Games of All Time. He even hosts a weekly Dodger podcast on the Bleav Network titled "Bleav in Dodgers."
Topics include:
- J.P.'s thoughts about the current state of the newspaper industry
- His words of wisdom for students interested in being a sportswriter
- The process of writing and publishing articles, along with covering a breaking news event vs. covering an actual baseball game
- J.P.'s approach when dealing with athletes who refuse to cooperate
Much, much more of J.P.'s Hoornstra's insights into what it's like being a sports writer can be found in K.P.'s book So You Want to Work in Sports, which is aimed for students interested in working in sports-related jobs and is expected to be released in September 2022.
Guest Host: Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio
A Very Special Episode: How to Get Hired!
Guest: K.P. Wee, Author and Podcast Host
SUMMARY:
You’re in the process of nailing down a promising job and feeling excited with good reason, but there can still be red flags and bumps in the road worth noting. This episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast welcomes back Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio, who along with K.P. shares anecdotes and advice about shady hiring situations. You’ll learn about real-life scenarios from which these two veterans of the workforce have learned lessons – some of which they recognized immediately and others that they figured out after the fact.
Whatever mistakes they’ve made, K.P. and Stan are sharing their hard-earned experience so that you can avoid some common pitfalls and know when to speak up. They offer practical tips and scenarios for which any job candidate should be prepared. There can be ethical dilemmas, mis-representations, even exploitation. This podcast is all about giving listeners the tools to ensure a fair deal and healthy workplace situation. The pair are touching on areas that require some defensive strategy and wariness, but getting hired of course mostly has many upsides and positives, which they plan to highlight in a future episode. So stay tuned and, in the meanwhile, work on being at the top of your game in the current employee-friendly economy!
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (1:00) Stan introduces himself and the episode’s special focus: How to Get Hired!
- (2:00) K.P. joins in to kick off the conversation by sharing an instructional anecdote from an interview he went through a few years back.
- (3:25) Tip #1: Try always to show up a little early for interviews.
- (5:48) Tip #2: If you’re being mistreated in an interview, don’t be afraid to speak up on your own behalf.
- (9:39) K.P. reflects on the discriminatory nature of his interaction with an interviewer who was in fact herself Asian (as is K.P.). Needless to say, it was unprofessional and distasteful.
- (11:09) Stan weighs in with thoughts about the fact that bad interview experiences can go both ways, leaving either side of the desk stuck navigating as best as possible.
- (12:18) Stan shares two pieces of basic advice for interviewers:
-
- Never slam the competition.
- Never be late for an interview.
- (17:40) Tip #3: Don’t badmouth your employer or any other organization.
- (18:09) About K.P.’s growing involvement with the local sports community, including his contributions writing weekly recaps for a team in the BC Major Midget League. In a total breach of journalism ethics, K.P. had to call out a local reporter who plagiarized his work. The response was unsatisfactory.
- (26:50) Tip #4: Be impeccable with your etiquette around communications and follow-up.
- (30:52) K.P. shares a story from a research job some years back that demonstrates the potential for lack of transparency and manipulation around compensation. Be alert!
- (34:14) When an interviewer asks about the salary your current or former employee has paid, do you lie to inflate it? This is a tactic common in an employer’s market. Not great, but a reality not worthy of compromising your integrity.
- (37:09) If demand for employees is high, you’re far less likely to be asked about your current salary because the market for talented hires is tight and competitive.
- (37:48) Training new hires, K.P. found himself in a quandary after he discovered a delta between what an employee thought he should be paid and what in fact he would be paid. Should K.P. reveal the truth? Is it his role or responsibility?
- (41:47) Stan takes a look at the apparent bait-and-switch on salary requirements that K.P. witnessed from the employer perspective. What was this employee’s true value?
- (46:54) Requiring full transparency from employers about compensation and related issues is your right, as Stan points out based on a personal experience.
- (48:11) What do you do when you show up for a job, as Stan did once in a short-term opportunity, and the terms have suddenly been changed to broaden the scope of work required? It’s not okay to alter a job description after the salary or contract has been negotiated.
- (50:30) Tip #5: Beware mission creep. Employers should not be allowed to exploit you by demanding additional work without additional compensation.
- (51:11) Tip #6: Beware toxic environments. When a boss started bad-mouthing the friend who had helped K.P. get a job, he was done. He wanted no part of it.
KEY QUOTES:
- (9:11) “When you walk into an interview, if you feel that you are being mistreated or insulted you should stand up for yourself.” (K.P.)
- (13:00) “If an interviewer is late for an interview, that’s generally a signal that the person has already lined up a candidate and what’s happening is just going through the motions.” (Stan)
- (29:40) “Getting hired does mean in many cases that there will be a reality that involves issues of ethics and ethical considerations.” (Stan)
- (36:42) “People in charge may want to take advantage of you if you have certain skills. That’s how the game works (sometimes).” (K.P.)
- (47:44) “My position (if compensation is unclear) would be, ‘Until you can tell me, I won’t be doing anything.’ ” (Stan)
- (52:45) “In life it’s never one way. It’s never all great. It’s never all bad. And you’ve got to be aware of both sides.” (Stan)
About Guest Host Stan Markotich:
Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
Highlights from this episode:
- (2:44): Michael shares the story of former baseball manager Rene Lachemann being pranked by pitcher Larry “Mr. Jello” Andersen in 1982 when the two were with the Mariners.
- (6:07): K.P. relives the story about Rene Lachemann cursing out Tom Candiotti during spring training in 1984 with the Brewers—for throwing the knuckleball. The irony? Lachemann went on to be the manager of the first-year expansion Florida Marlins in 1993, and the Marlins’ Opening Day starter was none other than Charlie Hough, a knuckleballer.
- (13:17): Michael talks about the evolution of the teams that he followed and why, going from the Mets to the Dodgers (a team he used to dislike) to the Blue Jays to the Yankees. He reminisces on his two favorite “biggest comebacks” in baseball, one with the 1986 Mets and the other with the 1992 Blue Jays. He mentions why he had conflicting emotions about the comeback with the Mets.
- (18:17): K.P. explains why he thinks Terry Pendleton (who played for Rene Lachemann in 1995 and whose card Michael recently tweeted) wasn’t “unlucky” to have gone 0-for-5 in five World Series appearances as a player (1985, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996), pointing out sometimes “it’s a player’s own doing” (and bringing up Chris Paul and the 2022 Phoenix Suns, who were blown out in Game Seven of their second-round series vs. Dallas). With regard to Pendleton, K.P. refers specifically to key at-bats in the 1992 World Series against Toronto (vs. Tom Henke in Game Two and David Cone in Game Six) and the 1996 Fall Classic vs. the Yankees (vs. Jimmy Key in Game Six). During this part, K.P. also wonders how Atlanta pitcher Pete Smith could bunt foul for strike three in 1992 Game Six even though this (bunting) was something that pitchers always worked on during spring training!
- (28:39): Michael mentions Darryl Strawberry and how he became conflicted when the Straw Man joined the Yankees (since Michael started out as a Mets fan).
- (30:01): Michael talks about his time being a writer for a sports/NHL betting site in 2011 and how the riots in downtown Vancouver (the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot) made him stop writing about sports and dedicate his life to science communication.
- (32:11): K.P. talks about his love for the Boston Bruins and the disappointments along the way. He also admits being happy that the Bruins beat the Canucks in 2011 (even though K.P. lives in Vancouver).
- (35:35): Michael talks about his love for the Edmonton Oilers and how he felt as a kid when Wayne Gretzky was traded—before steering the conversation back to baseball and discussing Reds star Joey Votto.
- (38:28): And in response to Michael’s comments about Strawberry’s changing teams, K.P. brings up Ray Bourque going from the Boston Bruins to the Colorado Avalanche and what he thought about goalies Ron Tugnutt (signing with Columbus instead of returning to Pittsburgh) and Ed Belfour (signing with Dallas instead of returning to San Jose).
- (39:30): Finally, after all the hockey chatter, K.P. switches back to baseball, saying he believes that the rules concerning rookie statuses in baseball and hockey (hockey again) need to be changed to how the NFL does it: a player’s first year (regardless of how many games he appeared in) should be counted as his rookie year, and that’s it. K.P. brings up Todd Worrell, whose card Michael posted recently on Twitter. Worrell was on the mound in the 1985 World Series for the Cardinals, trying to close out a championship in Game Six—before being named the 1986 NL Rookie of the Year the following year. K.P. also brings up hockey’s Ed Belfour (4-12-3 in 23 regular-season games in 1988-89 and played in the 1990 playoffs before winning the Calder Trophy in 1990-91) and Ken Dryden (who was the 1971 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP before winning the Rookie of the Year award the next season). He mentions the NFL rookie rule—which made Tom Brady (2001) and Kurt Warner (1999) not classified as rookies even though they were in their first years as starters in 2001 and 1999, respectively.
- (42:30): Michael mentions how he doesn’t think a rookie card should be the most valuable card for an athlete. He discusses how voters viewed closers and looks back at the 1986 NL rookie class, rattling off the names of prominent first-year players from that year.
- (46:45): K.P. brings up Pittsburgh’s winning a game despite going hitless against Cincinnati from the day before, which leads to a discussion about Kevin Gross’s 1992 no-hitter vs. the Giants. Michael shares an old story about Gross.
- (49:12): K.P. talks about seeing the Carlos Quintana card that Michael had tweeted (and talking about how he cared about Quintana or Joe Hesketh or Greg Harris or Jeff Reardon because they were all Red Sox players), which leads into a discussion about Michael’s favorite baseball cards just based on the cards themselves: 1983 Topps Mike Norris and 1984 Topps Scott McGregor. Michael also shares his thoughts on Quintana.
And if you’re interested in learning more about two of the online reference sites Michael regularly consults, visit the Society for American Baseball Research or the Baseball Reference website.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
Totally Goated Podcast host Brett Hawn, a Rutgers University (New Jersey) journalism student and a huge New York Mets and Jets fan, makes a return to The K.P. Wee Podcast for some sports chatter. In this episode, Brett shares his thoughts on the Jets' selections in the 2022 NFL draft and the Mets' combined no-hitter from April 29, 2022. The two sports fans also discuss some of the more dubious and controversial decisions up to this point in the current baseball season as well as Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers.
Check out Brett's Totally Goated Podcast: https://anchor.fm/totallygoated/
The greatest coaches are also teachers. And vice versa. That’s the bottom line coming out of this fascinating conversation between K.P. Wee and his guest host Stan Markotich on this special episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast. The two veteran educators, authors and friends share thoughts on a range of topics, from K.P.’s latest book project to the gifts and challenges of being a mentor to the mixed messages some young people are receiving today.
You’ll hear about the front-lines experiences that K.P., who has worked in education for more than a decade, has had with coaching young people in pursuit of their dreams. He and Stan note some of the trendlines they’ve observed when it comes to preparedness to meet the wider world. Do students understand the necessary etiquette and protocols for securing a successful interview? Are they being confused by social media and other messages that blur the lines between collaboration and plagiarism, or negativity and discipline?
Above all else, what comes through in this freewheeling exchange is the passion K.P. and Stan share for bringing the best performances out of students – whether in the classroom, on the playing field or in a professional context. K.P. and Stan bring every creative skill available to their motivational tool kits and we get front-row seats to their thoughts on when, whether and how to deploy a whole spectrum of strategies.
Would you like to pre-order "So You Want to Work in Sports: Advice and Insights from Respected Sports Industry Leaders," by K.P. Wee? Just click here.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (2:20): About K.P.’s latest projects (finishing up a final edit on his new book, "So You Want to Work in Sports") and wish lists looking into the future (lots of dream titles and research to do, but that other thing called a “day job” also requires attention).
- (4:54): A little more about "So You Want to Work in Sports: Advice and Insights from Respected Sports Industry Leaders" and its target audience, typically young people who aspire to work in a front-office or extra-athletic capacity of some sort within a sports organization. It provides insights and advice from people whose experience ranges from marketing to broadcasting to the life of a mascot.
- (11:05): K.P. shares his perspectives on teaching and how his work in the classroom has an important mentoring element not dissimilar from that played by coaches on the field.
- (12:60): Student Report Cards: K.P. shares that some of the professionals he speaks with in the industry today find young people who come in for interviews frequently under-prepared or unfamiliar with basic etiquette and protocols.
- (14:39): Stan echoes that he also has noticed changes in students – many of whom are not well-grounded in the basics of courteous behavior in a professional setting.
- (17:40): Having good communications skills is a fundamental grounding that many young people today lack – including grammar, spelling, clarity and punctuality of replies.
- (18:45): The ethical angle: Stan provides a vivid example featuring a student who blew an important interview by demonstrating a lack of self-awareness and respect.
- (21:35): About K.P.’s experience with some students who come in for career coaching only to dismiss advice as to how they might perform optimally on a given screening.
- (25:00): About generalized messages from executives on LinkedIn, urging young people to reframe cheating or plagiarism as “collaboration” skills that are necessary and important. It blurs important ethical lines and standards.
- (26:52): K.P. deconstructs how certain messages given by “heroes” can land in unintended, confusing even harmful ways. (For example, a pro football player who tells elementary school kids not to listen to their teachers because a teacher once predicted his failure.)
- (29:30): About the many shades of coaching – sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce – and why modulating different philosophies best serves development. To be clear: K.P. and Stan aren’t talking about abusive behavior. But there are times when choice words and tone can be highly effective.
- (31:28): There is a difference between yelling to humiliate and yelling in a very deliberate challenge to a student or player not giving their maximum effort – to their own detriment.
- (35:40): The incredible rewards that K.P. and Stan experience when they hear years later from mentees thanking them for advice, processes or perspectives that they now recognize as highly meaningful and impactful in their lives.
- (40:00): Stressing content over details (such as precise historical dates) often resonates deeply with students, who feel freed up to get the big-picture lessons and really absorb the context of what they’re learning in a more meaningful way that transfers to all of life.
- (43:05): K.P. sums up the big-picture goal that he – and all committed teachers and coaches – hold for young people: They want the lessons they teach to shape lives for the better, far beyond the classroom or playing field.
KEY QUOTES:
-
(8:52): “Things change over time … There’s new technology and systems and things people do, whether in broadcasting or the front-office or with analytics.” (K.P.)
-
(16:24): “(Students) might be able to write code, but maybe they’re forgetting how to have the interpersonal skill required to work within a team environment.” (K.P.)
-
(24:25): “There are a lot of (students) who will not do even the minimum to take themselves down a path that could guarantee a lot of success. They just opt to do it their way and have told me so very directly.” (Stan)
-
(27:30): “We should not let negative people influence us, but not to the extent that some of these experts and athletes are telling people what to do and not to do.” (K.P.)
-
(28:10): “Once you accept certain values (or lack thereof) you run certain risks and the damage (to society) may be irreparable at least for a generation or so.” (Stan)
-
(32:50): “I’m a product of many environments in which lots of yelling took place … (but) it was always done in a way that reinforced in my mind that I was not doing what my teachers or coaches knew I could do.” (Stan)
- (42:18): “The greatest coaches are also teachers and I think that’s really come out in our talk today. It goes the other way, too: The really great teachers are also great coaches.” (Stan)
About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast – which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
In this episode, the names Albert Belle, Cal Ripken Jr., Fernando Valenzuela, Gary Gaetti, Kent Hrbek, Jose Lind, Dave Smith, among others, are brought up.
Totally Goated Podcast host Brett Hawn, a Rutgers University (New Jersey) journalism student and a huge New York Mets fan, makes a return to The K.P. Wee Podcast for some Major League Baseball chatter. In this episode, recorded on the evening of MLB's Opening Night 2022 on April 7, the two baseball fans discuss what to expect for the new season, with Brett sharing his thoughts on all things Mets and K.P. briefly giving his opinions on the two L.A. teams. They also share a chuckle over a certain NBA team's late-season collapse in the 2021-22 basketball campaign.
Check out Brett's Totally Goated Podcast: https://anchor.fm/totallygoated/
In this episode, K.P. catches up with Vancouver Canadians (MiLB) play-by-play announcer Tyler Zickel to chat about his start in the broadcasting industry, his most memorable announcing moments, and his preparation for the upcoming minor-league baseball season. He also shares some tips for those interested in the profession.
The 2022 season will be Zickel's eighth in baseball. The San Diego native began his journey with the High-A Lake Elsinore (California) Storm before spending three years calling the action for the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats from 2017 to 2019. The 2020 minor-league season was cancelled because of COVID-19, and the Canadians came calling for Zickel prior to the start of the 2021 season.
The one-time second baseman from Whittier College in Los Angeles will be calling Canadians ballgames from Vancouver for the first time in 2022, even though he's in his second season with the organization. The Canadians played their home games in Hillsboro, Oregon, during the 2021 season because of extended border closures preventing the team to return to Vancouver.
A note about some of the dates mentioned in the conversation: The Canadians’ 2022 season is expected to begin on Friday, April 8, when the club is scheduled to play a three-game series in Spokane, Washington, against the Spokane Indians, followed by a six-game set in Pasco, Washington, against the Tri-City Dust Devils. The Canadians’ home opener at historic Nat Bailey Stadium is slated for Tuesday, April 19, against the Eugene (Oregon) Emeralds.
The home schedule is subject to COVID-19 restrictions in British Columbia, Canada, but for now the April 19th date will mark baseball’s return to Nat Bailey Stadium 963 days after the last game was played at the ballpark on August 30, 2019.
If you’re a fan of Michael Unger’s 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn’t get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast – which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta. Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.
In this episode, K.P. invites Michael to highlight fascinating nuggets about some of the players he has featured and the progress he’s making – now halfway through the 800-card set. Among the stories they swap are memorable national championship and World Series appearances plus fun facts about trades and backstories on players like Felix Fernin, Larry Andersen, Lloyd McClendon, Rick Cerone, Jeff Blauser, Craig Lefferts, and many, many more. The histories of some players are vivid and jump to mind instantly and then there are others whose unsung or meandering paths are equally compelling.
If you’d like to jog your memory or pick up some new bits of sports trivia, then join these two educators, Vancouverites, and sports and stats enthusiasts. You’ll quickly understand why so many serious baseball card collectors look forward daily to the fascinating profiles Michael posts. Join the #UpperDeck1990 community at either udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
And if you’re interested in learning more about two of the online reference sites Michael regularly consults, visit the Society for American Baseball Research or the Baseball Reference website.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (2:10): Michael revisits the story of how he became widely known among baseball card collectors by the handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.
- (03:57): The fun of “aha” moments: Sometimes Michael posts about a card that unleashes a whole montage of memories, like recently when he posted about Dennis Martinez, who had a perfect game playing for the Montreal Expos against the Dodgers. He was also a key team member with the Baltimore Orioles until a struggle with alcohol took his career off-track. It’s a rich narrative and memorable come-back career!
- (07:42): Why Michael has a special fondness for the Montreal Expos logo, with its French flair and associations.
- (10:25): Old disappointments – and grudges – can die hard among sports loyalists. Michael has mostly positive memories, like when the Mets won the World Series in 1986. But he was a young fan and less invested than he was a couple of years later, when the arguably stronger Mets inexplicably went down to the Dodgers in 1988 NLCS. That was a heartbreaker that’s still fresh today!
- (12:50): Felix “The Cat” Fermin has been somewhat lost to history, but Michael recently posted about him and what’s considered possibly one of the worst trades in baseball history. The Cleveland Indians traded Fermin to the Mariners for Omar Vizquel, which in hindsight was short-sighted and puzzling. By the mid-1990s, with an additional new shortstop named Alex Rodriguez, the Mariners started shopping Fermin around and nearly triggered a cascade of personnel swaps that could have changed the course of multiple teams, and perhaps the future of up-and-coming Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter.
- (19:50): Cleveland Connections: K.P. asks about both Rick Cerone (card #405) and Larry Andersen. Both were with the Indians at various junctures in their careers.
- (21:00): Michael shares tidbits (including some play-by-play World Series history) about Rick Cerone as well as Rich Gedman, both of whom at some point replaced iconic Yankees and Red Sox catchers, respectively. Don’t miss the anecdote about how (when the hot 1980s actress/model Bo Derek was unavailable, Rick Cerone became the unlikely spokesmodel for Ten Jeans and a country singer whose fundraiser for earthquake relief in Italy turned into a bit of a fiasco.
- (27:15): K.P. recalls the 1992 Expos, who had two 38-year-old pitchers (Rick Cerone and Gary Carter). Michael explains the push-and-pull somewhat unique to the catcher position, which makes physical demands best suited to younger players but experiential wisdom usually only possessed by older players.
- (29:15): K.P. highlights that Rick Cerone was also part of Blue Jays history at a memorable opening day under snowy conditions in which he was the starting catcher at the team’s inaugural game.
- (30:23): All about two-time all-star Jeff Blauser’s successful stint with the Atlanta Braves. Michael has noticed that shortstops seem to be “over-valued a bit” in the 1990 Upper Deck, but Blauser was indeed a stand-out for his power hitting.
- (32:53): What happened once Jeff Blauser got to the Chicago Cubs – where he tanked for his last two seasons in the majors before retirement.
- (33:42): K.P. chimes in with thoughts about the 1992 Atlanta Braves when they faced the Toronto Blue Jays, losing four one-run games. How many RBIs did Jeff Blauser have in that series? Yep. Zero. He was among a few underperforming Braves hitters – any one of whom could have changed the outcome of that series.
- (37:42): About Andre Thomas, who in 1988-89 was the main shortstop (along with Jeff Blauser) for the Braves and hit 13 home runs “which back then for a shortstop was a pretty good amount,” says Michael. They were offered Barry Bonds and turned it down; then had a handshake deal that fell apart at the last minute when the Pittsburgh Pirates GM refused to let Bonds go.
- (39:53): The story of Greg Maddux, who fully expected to sign with the Yankees but wasn’t ultimately invited because of back-office disarray that created an opening for Atlanta to make an offer, which Maddux immediately accepted.
- (41:43): K.P. (who wrote this book about Barry Bonds) recalls the 1992 Pittsburgh-Atlanta trade that didn’t come to pass and musings from would-be Braves teammates about the impact the player could have had.
(43:00): Recalling the 1992 NLCS series that pitted fields of left-handed and right-handed players in ways that invite speculation! - (46:38): Lloyd McClendon is among the players Michael has enjoyed writing about recently – including an anecdote about how the player first acquired the nickname “Legendary Lloyd” back in his Little League days in Gary, Indiana. His was the first all-black team ever to make the Little League World Series and McClendon had only five at-bats – all of which were home runs (when the other teams didn’t intentionally walk him).
- (49:45): Larry Andersen was the only player on both the 1983 and 1993 Phillies teams but wasn’t quite such a figure of esteem in Boston, where his run with the Red Sox was less auspicious. These were pre-wild card days, when the dynamics were different both with regard to trades and in the bullpen come July and August.
- (52:54): Craig Lefferts was a closer for the San Diego Padres in 1991 (in the same bullpen as Larry Andersen, who by then had been traded by Boston). Then in 1992 Randy Myers was brought in as a closer and moved Lefferts – then in his mid-30s – into the starting rotation, where he stepped up.
- (54:08): Michael’s tidbits about Craig Lefferts, a versatile player who still holds the record for number of Padres games pitched in a season (83 games in 1986). He’s also the last pitcher to hit a walk-off home run, which he did in 1986. Side note: K.P. wrote and asked him for an interview when he was a pitching coach for the Oakland A’s minor-league affiliate in Vancouver but never heard back. “I don’t hold that against him,” jokes K.P.
- (56:10): K.P. and Michael wrap by agreeing to meet up again as the 1990 Upper Deck project progresses to share more tidbits, nuggets and remembrances of seasons – and players – past!
KEY QUOTES:
-
(11:28): “When the Dodgers beat the Mets in the NLCS, that was probably my most heartbreaking moment in baseball. For anyone from the ’88 Dodgers team, that sticks in the craw a bit.” (Michael)
-
(28:04): “The thing with catchers is you need to have a veteran presence because they’re calling the game for the pitcher … It’s also the most grueling position out there. So it’s a tradeoff. You want a younger body in there, but you also want to have some experience as well.” (Michael)
-
(50:31): “Fans forget that in (the 1980s and 1990s) you had to win your division to make the playoffs. There was no wild card.” (K.P.)
-
(53:23): “(Craig Lefferts in his mid-30s) did pretty well as a starter (for the San Diego Padres) and it just blows me away that you can go from being a closer to a starter that late in your career.” (K.P.)
-
(54:40): “I notice how much celebrations have changed. Now in sports when something happens – especially something rare or momentous … It doesn’t matter what player you are, if you hit a home run, all the players are out there throwing water, ripping off your jersey.” (Michael)
Michael Unger’s Bio:
In addition to his #upperdeck1990 and #udeck1990 social media following, Michael is also a fan favorite at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver, where he organizes programs across cultural and scientific disciplines. He’s a fixture at Nerd Nite Vancouver, a bar lecture series that offers an alternative to traditional learning environments, and he manages SCI-CATs (a team of science communicators that have created open source teaching modules that span a range of science communication topics). Michael is most passionate about finding new ways to connect with audiences, sharing the diversity of humanity looking into the cosmos with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the universe and our place in it.
Follow Michael Unger @Twitter or @Insta
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
This episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast features an author whose last name immediately calls up a colorful baseball dynasty like no other. In her book, "Finley Ball: How Two Baseball Outsiders Turned the Oakland A's into a Dynasty and Changed the Game Forever," Nancy Finley traces the team’s journey from perennial loser in Kansas City to World Championship glory days built on strategies and stunts deployed by her father Carl and his cousin Charlie Finley, the franchise’s larger-than-life owner.
Nancy shares front-seat recollections about Oakland’s unique path to powerhouse heights in the 1970s and the characters who shaped – and transformed – the sport of baseball. Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Vida Blue are just a few of the legendary names that captured the nation’s attention and cemented the Finley family’s winning legacy.
Lovingly and diligently researched, this book – the first of what will ultimately be two volumes – tells the story of how Charlie Finley bought the Kansas City A’s franchise in 1960, when he was an insurance businessman and pro sports outsider. With a showman’s instincts, Charlie brought in his cousin Carl as a hands-on, savvy right-hand man. Together they moved the team from Kansas City to Oakland, pioneering a unique approach to recruiting talent that ultimately netted three straight World Series victories in 1972, 1973 and 1974.
Nancy shares with K.P. details about the collaboration between cousins, her early memories of team life and her hopes that one day both Charlie Finley and her dad, the lesser-known but no-less-pivotal Carl will find their rightful places at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
Click here to purchase either a print or audible version of “Finley Ball: How Two Baseball Outsiders Turned the Oakland A’s into a Dynasty and Changed the Game Forever.” You can also learn much more about the legendary Oakland Athletics at Nancy’s fascinating archival website:
www.oaklandathleticshistory.com.
Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
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(1:00): K.P. introduces Nancy Finley, niece of legendary Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley.
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(3:28): The show starts off with background on Nancy’s father Carl, a lesser known but still pivotal figure in the history of the Oakland A’s. She shares anecdotes about the relationship between the Finley cousins, whose styles and career paths were a study in contrasts.
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(07:29): About how and when Charlie established the A’s in California, where he also had a professional hockey team – a short-lived venture that Carl was not onboard with helping to manage!
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(10:45): Nancy recounts the first time that she heard Reggie Jackson and Vida Blue were joining the A’s, back in 1971, a foundational move for what would become a dynasty.
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(11:47): K.P. asks Nancy for her thoughts about a quote from Catfish Hunter, who credited Charlie with being a sports visionary, if also known as a micro-manager.
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(15:40): Nancy shares the story behind what drove her to write "Finley Ball: How Two Baseball Outsiders Turned the Oakland A's into a Dynasty and Changed the Game Forever." (Hint: The record needed to be set straight, thanks to internet misinformation.)
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(17:30): Winnowing down her book was a challenge for Nancy, who ultimately had to cut it by 40 percent. She did copious, diligent research and learned many things she never knew – too much to include it all in a single volume. Stay tuned for Part II!
-
(19:35): Nancy offers a peek into where she’s heading with the second part of the Athletics’ history and path to dynasty.
- (20:53): K.P. footnotes Nancy’s reference to Mike Andrews, whose errors in a World Series game were perceived as costing him his job. Nancy fleshes out the backstory.
- (22:00): Growing up with the A’s: Nancy could write an entire book dedicated solely to her experiences attending World Series games, including two Game 7s. She was also instrumental in helping out with ticket sales and allotments.
- (26:11): Nancy recalls unsettling times in the mid-1970s, when Charlie was targeted for kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army (the radical underground group that kidnapped Patty Hearst). Fortunately, his peripatetic lifestyle kept him out of reach!
- (26:50): About Alvin Dark, a former professional shortstop who managed Oakland in the mid-1970s (among many other teams over the years).
- (28:00): About perceptions of the A’s as an underdog team and other thoughts on play-off and World Series showings.
- (29:37): Nancy recollects the special relationship between her father and Billy Martin, offering a glimpse into his personality and unique managerial style. Charlie was very hands-off, which Nancy believes was due to Carl’s firm advice.
- (31:40): The story of how MC Hammer – or Stanley Burrell, as he was known locally in his hometown – came to perform at the Oakland Coliseum at the suggestion of Nancy’s dad, who made it happen.
- (35:10): Nancy’s father kept her low-visibility during the height of the A’s dynasty because kidnapping threats were regularly called into the front office.
- (35:50): About gimmicks, brainstorms and other Charlie Finley innovations.
- (38:55): What Nancy would like readers to take away from “Finley Ball”: Fans need to keep perspective, even when their teams are losing. Also, it all depends neither solely on stats nor instincts; it should be a mixture of both.
- (41:00): Nancy shares some history about the Kansas City Athletics’ multiple trades to the Yankees in the 1950s.
- (43:05): About the audio version of Nancy’s book, which is available along with the hardcover book here. She’s also reachable via email through the website https://oaklandathleticshistory.com.
- (45:05): K.P. observes that Carl deserves a spot in the Athletics Hall of Fame, right alongside Charlie, the cousin whose fortunes and storied team Carl was so instrumental in shaping.
KEY QUOTES:
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(04:55): “Charlie bounced all ideas off of Dad. He was on the phone with Dad every morning, early … They would talk about ideas.”
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(12:40): “Charlie could just watch a game and know who should be playing what. Yes, people say he micro-managed but at the same time, if you own a team, you want it to win.”
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(16:40): “I just feel that if you don’t step up and want respect for your family, people will just continue piling it on.”
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(18:50): “I don’t like name calling. If you’re going to say someone is something, then you’ve got to prove it.”
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(25:32): “We had to pay for World Series tickets because it’s not like being an owner. It comes out of the Major League.”
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(36:45): “I heard someone say that (the A’s) ‘inflicted’ things on people.”
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(39:58): “Things need to stay in perspective. Fans need to know that a team is trying its best to win and that that’s the goal they all have.”
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(44:35): “Dad needs to be inducted (into the Baseball Hall of Fame). Charlie will be, but I want to make sure that dad gets in there too.”
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.
In this episode, the tables are turned when Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio, takes over the microphone again to interview our host. Together, they discuss the art of sportswriting.
What happens when you have two super-knowledgeable sports super-fans on one show? Magic! This episode of the K.P. Wee Podcast features the host and his guest swapping stories and stats at a fast and furious rate. Michael Unger, best known to baseball card collectors through the social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta, shares the story of how he turned a set of 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards that were gathering dust into a subject of daily fascination for collectors everywhere. Early in 2020, he started posting a daily meditation on each of the cards contained in the collection just for the fun of it, but quickly found a universe of followers eager to join the conversation. Michael’s daily social media posts quickly evolved into a community and it was through this online sports ecosystem that K.P. and Michael connected. It turned out that, in addition to sharing a passion for sports and interest in players like John Cangelosi, they were also fellow Canadians enjoying life in Vancouver.
The show features some context for Michael’s #UpperDeck1990 project, including his personal motivation and some of the characteristics that distinguished these cards from Topps or any other brand in circulation. Known to many as the go-to company for hockey cards, Upper Deck was granted a license in 1989 by Major League Baseball and quickly set a new standard for premium cards with improved photography, design, card stock quality. The company’s 1990 set also included the industry's first randomly inserted personally autographed and numbered cards of sports superstars.
There has been a real renaissance of interest in collecting and trading, which Michael attributes to a mix of interest in pandemic pastimes, new marketing initiatives that have generated fresh new designs and the fact that a generation of 1990s kids have now reached an age where they have a little disposable income to invest in sentimental collectibles. K.P. also elicits a great story about how Upper Deck rode a big wave on the back of Ken Griffey Jr.
Towards the end of the episode, K.P. yields the mic so that Michael can ask a few questions of his own. Their fun conversation reveals not only a little of K.P.’s life story but also what it was about sports that captured his imagination as a somewhat shy young immigrant from Singapore. He never could have imagined that his interest in following players and teams would one day result in personally coming to know and write about some of his favorites. Enjoy this upbeat conversation between two men who share a lot in common. They are both educators, Vancouverites, sports and stats enthusiasts, and members of the #UpperDeck1990 community that Michael has built to the delight of so many fellow baseball card collectors!
To learn more about two of the online reference sites Michael likes to consult, visit the Society for American Baseball Research or the Baseball Reference website.
You can hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast here.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong:
Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (3:15): K.P. introduces Michael, aka #udeck1990 or upperdeck1990, a fellow sports fan-turned-friend via social media and a shared passion for all things baseball.
- (5:59): Why baseball cards and why the Upper Deck brand in particular? In January 2020, Michael was feeling down and looking for a way to get out of his own head.
- (11:05): The physical cards themselves, in addition to a limited number of Twitter characters, have formed the scaffolding for Michael to do a deep dive on one player, one card, one day at a time. He has been working his way through the entire set of some 800, finding endless stories behind the stats.
- (13:38): Baseball cards have reignited for Michael, who has started collecting/trading them again. He has found not only a meaningful, engrossing pastime but also camaraderie within the online community that has grown up around his Upper Deck project.
- (14:55): Many kids of Michael’s era were excited by the monetary value in baseball cards, but at this point the bigger draw is a simple love for the community on Facebook, Insta and Twitter. There’s a real buzz these days around collecting cards -- perhaps because of confluence of generational stage of life, pandemic and some exciting new initiatives like the Topps Project70 remix of new designs by well-known artists.
- (16:38): Exactly how big is the universe of card enthusiasts? Michael says it’s hard to quantify because of the multiple audience streams, some on social media and others not. Just one group on Facebook has 11,000 members, for example.
- (19:15): Michael returns to what it was that drew him to Upper Deck. Where production values had historically been pretty basic, they were among the early adopters of full-color, high-quality photographs. He gravitates to the clean design and quality.
- (21:06): Upper Deck caught a big break with their first release -- putting all their stock into a rookie by the name of Ken Griffey Jr. Many believe that one card was revolutionary. Upper Deck cards were a little bit more expensive and a little rarer to find and everyone wanted that 1989 Griffey. It’s still one of the iconic cards in the industry.
- (24:05): The One: K.P. asks Michael to describe his absolute favorite card ever and gets a reflection on why it is that fans gravitate to particular players (in Michael’s case, Darryl Strawberry, a fellow tall/thin guy). Like old friends, our life ups and downs can correspond or sometimes intersect with the fortunes of the players we follow. Today Michael has nearly 200 unique Darryl Strawberry cards, but is still looking for the Holy Grail: 1983 Topps trading card.
- (30:15): The beauty of sports as a diversion from the workaday world – something that both Michael and K.P. appreciate at the end of a long day. Going onto Twitter helped Michael step away from science education and engage in other universes of interest, including baseball cards and beyond. Social media enables all kinds of conversation and cross-cultural learning that he finds exciting and educational.
- (33:33): John Cangelosi became the unlikely connector between Michael and K.P., who has written a book about the player, "John Cangelosi: The Improbable Baseball Journey of the Undersized Kid from Nowhere to World Series Champion." The two found each other through Twitter and learned that they were neighbors.
- (34:35): Michael turns the microphone on K.P., throwing out some interview questions of his own. The two discuss K.P.’s roots in Singapore and how his experience as a shy kid assimilating into a new Canadian life in part fostered a fascination with sports.
- (38:55): K.P. shares memories of the year baseball became his passion (even if he got started mainly because it was fun to root for the contrarian, glass-half-empty teams). It was through sports that a young K.P. cemented schoolyard friendships.
- (42:21): Michael asks K.P. how it was that he made the leap from ardent fan to author. As a kid, he felt most comfortable inside his mind, so writing down thoughts came naturally as a forum for exploring his interest. From there, K.P. developed into an author through initiative and hard work. (Click here to learn more about KP's books.)
- (43:44): K.P. shares the story of how he became preoccupied with Tom Candiotti, whom he perceived as a scapegoat who nonetheless kept showing up and getting the job done. Inspired by his indefatigability, K.P. reached out to Candiotti as a fan and ultimately in 2010 wrote "Tom Candiotti: A Life of Knuckleballs."
- (53:41): One for a trivia buff! Michael asks what’s the name of the one pro baseball player who comes alphabetically between Cangelosi and Candiotti? K.P. is officially stumped. The answer? John Caneira. (Learn more about Caneira and all things baseball at Baseball Reference website.)
- (55:43): K.P. and Michael wrap up with a promise to team up again and share more stats, stories, fun – and their shared passion for all things sports and life!
KEY QUOTES:
- (11:34): “I can go on the internet and find out any information I want now, but back in the 80s and 90s you couldn’t. Baseball cards were really these nuggets of information to learn about all the players.”
- (13:05): “Lo and behold, I’ve developed friendships online because of this and that’s really something surprising. I didn’t think that was going to happen. And I’ve also gotten into collecting cards again!”
- (20:30): “(Upper Deck) put a lot of production into the quality of the cards and a lot of thought into the quality of the photographs.”
- (25:27): “When I started going to high school life started to change. It wasn’t cool to collect cards anymore. There were other factors at play and life started to change a lot. All of a sudden baseball cards were just for kids; not for me anymore.”
- (32:26): “We forget sometimes that we’re so close to the United States, which is such a big country with so many different pockets and little areas. It’s hard to clump people together and put labels on them, so I find it fun to have (online community) conversations.”
- (42:31): “When I was younger I was shy and didn’t like to talk. I probably could communicate better by writing down my thoughts … And sports is not a topic where you’re going to convince somebody by just telling them something.” (K.P.)
Michael Unger’s Bio:
In addition to his #upperdeck1990 and #udeck1990 social media following, Michael is also a fan favorite at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver, where he organizes programs across cultural and scientific disciplines. He’s a fixture at Nerd Nite Vancouver, a bar lecture series that offers an alternative to traditional learning environments, and he manages SCI-CATs (a team of science communicators that have created open source teaching modules that span a range of science communication topics). Michael is most passionate about finding new ways to connect with audiences, sharing the diversity of humanity looking into the cosmos with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the universe and our place in it.
Follow Michael Unger @Twitter or @Insta
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast: https://kpwee.libsyn.com
It's World Series time, and to mark the occasion, Stan Markotich makes a return in this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast to take over the mic and interviews our host. The former News Director at CJIV Radio leads a discussion about K.P.'s 2021 book, The Case for Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame: The Untold and Forgotten Stories of Baseball's Home Run King. Together, Stan and K.P. rehash some tidbits and anecdotes from the book.
In this episode, sports consultant Jason Takefman chats with K.P. about baseball, in particular the definition of a "successful" season in sports, whether the 2021 Red Sox season was a success, and final thoughts on the 2021 Dodgers-Giants NL Division Series. K.P. also explains why he feels the Diamondbacks are a model franchise and wonders why nobody focuses on the positives the Astros are contributing to the game (with respect to the way the organization takes care of its minor-league players, something pundits are ignoring).
In a conversation recorded in late June 2021, L.A. Dodger team historian Mark Langill (the first ever team historian hired by a Major League Baseball club) stops by to chat about how he got his start in the sports industry, offering tips for young people interested in a job in sports. He also discusses some forgotten Dodger pitchers from the Brooklyn days to the modern era.
KEY QUOTES:
- “I think the most important thing is to be able to smile and to be able to have a sense of humor. Don’t take yourself so seriously.”
- “You never know down the road who you may meet. Never discount whatever connections you may have down the road.”
- “There’s nothing greater than to be able to say I GET to go to work—instead of I HAVE to go to work.”
- “Try to be as nice as you can to people, in all walks of life. That’s the best thing that you can do. Because, if you’re working for a baseball team, you should approach your job exactly the same way if you’re in fifth place riding a 10-game losing streak or you’re on the 1927 Yankees because your job shouldn’t change based on the team, the attendance, the weather, [or] anything like that.”
- “Don’t say that you can’t do anything, because if you say you can—and you say you can’t—chances are you’re right. So, right off the bat, get that negative stuff out of your head. Don’t let people say that you can’t do something. Follow that inner voice. Find somebody that’s of interest to you, and just ask them questions. You don’t have to make it like a job interview. Just say, ‘Hey, if you’ve got a couple minutes, I just want to ask you about how you go about your day.’”
Ted Sobel joins this episode to discuss his book Touching Greatness: Tales from the Front Row with Heroes and Legends, a personal lifetime scrapbook of stories of an incredible life of rubbing shoulders with over 750 Hall of Famers in sports, music, and show business. The book can be found here: https://coacheschoice.com/touching-greatness/
or here: https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Greatness-Ted-Sobel/dp/1606795430
Los Angeles radio’s longest-tenured sports reporter, Sobel covers virtually every sport out there and, this month, began his 17th season of being the studio host for Sport USA Radio Network’s NFL Sunday doubleheader broadcasts. Today, he joins host K.P. Wee and shares stories about some of the biggest legends in sports—from Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux to Aaron Rodgers and Shaquille O'Neal.
You can pick up Touching Greatness: Takes from the Front Row with Heroes and Legends from the publisher’s website: coacheschoice.com or Amazon.com.
Coaches Choice link: https://coacheschoice.com/touching-greatness/
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Touching-Greatness-Ted-Sobel/dp/1606795430
In this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast, the tables are turned when Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio, takes over the microphone to interview our host. Together, they discuss two of K.P.'s baseball books: Tom Candiotti: A Life of Knuckleballs and John Cangelosi: The Improbable Baseball Journey of the Undersized Kid from Nowhere to World Series Champion.
Brett Hawn, host of the Totally Goated Podcast and a journalism student at Rutgers University (New Jersey), makes a return to The K.P. Wee Podcast for another special edition of "This Week in Baseball History" with a Mets flavor. A huge Mets fan, Brett responds to follow-up questions regarding each piece of history nugget, discussing marathon games, the Mets' recent back-to-back extra-inning losses to the L.A. Dodgers, Tom Seaver's major-league record of 10 straight strikeouts being equalled twice in 2021, R.A. Dickey's Mets record scoreless innings streak from 2012, Brett's favorite obscure Mets record, and overrated Yankees. It's just two sports fans discussing sports.
In this episode, another "This Week in Baseball History" edition, IBWAA Podcast co-host Jason Takefman stops by to share his thoughts on baseball memories in connection with topics from the week of August 16th of past seasons. Topics include myths in sports and great/poor managerial/coaching performances in sports.
Brett Hawn, host of the Totally Goated Podcast and a journalism student at Rutgers University (New Jersey), joins this episode for a special edition of “This Week in Baseball History” with a Mets flavor. A huge Mets/Jets fan, Brett responds to follow-up questions regarding each piece of history nugget, discussing Bartolo Colon’s folk-hero status in Queens, Brett’s favorite ‘surprising stat’ and Jets superstitions, his least favorite teams and fanbases, the coach he hates the most, some painful Mets/Jets memories, some random sports coincidences, and other Mets/Jets topics. It’s just two sports fans discussing sports.
In this episode (recorded on Friday, July 30, 2021, an hour before Major League Baseball's trade deadline), a special "This Week in Baseball History" edition, C's Plus Baseball writer Niall O'Donohoe stops by to share his thoughts on baseball memories in connection with topics from the week of August 2nd of past seasons.
It's just two sports fans having fun talking sports. Topics include managers receiving too much credit or blame for players' performances, Niall's all-time pitchers list including that of his Blue Jays, two of K.P.'s all-time sports "myths," K.P.'s "worst champions ever," rookies and players making an impact early but then disappearing, and Niall's take on a possible mercy rule in baseball.
Follow Niall O'Donohoe/C's Plus Baseball:
Website: https://csplusbaseball.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/csplusbaseball
Tune in to this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast to learn about the Sports Business 2.0 revolution and meet the online learning pioneer at the center of it. Dr. Lynn Lashbrook founded Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW) three decades ago as a forum for experienced professionals in the business of sports management to mentor students aspiring to build a career of their own. At a time when dial-up Internet was still the standard in most homes, SMWW was offering live online classes accessible to the world. For decades, Dr. Lashbrook has recognized this technology as a transformational tool but Covid-19 has finally driven it into the mainstream. The mantra? “Go global, or go home!”
Not only does SMWW make learning about the business of sports more open and interactive, it also extends opportunities to would-be sports management professionals around the world. With 35 online sports business courses, sports career conferences, a graduate degree program, and valuable alumni network, Dr. Lashbrook is helping individuals achieve their dream of working in sports not just in Northern America but in countries across Africa, Eurasia and South America. He is fostering a global conversation among students and professionals – one that supports the export of sports across borders and preconceived notions of all kinds.
With a long history as a successful agent himself, Dr. Lashbrook shares with K.P. both hard-won wisdom and an unquenchable enthusiasm for diversifying, democratizing and growing sports year over year. He sees and feels this burgeoning energy in his online forums, building on inspiration he has taken from uniquely successful mentors such as Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Phil Knight of Nike, and Lamar Hunt, a founder of the American Football League and Major League Soccer.
The SMWW toolbox offers students a lifetime membership that promises exponential growth. With its ever-widening network of connections and live conference event opportunities, students across different cultures and sports learn from one another. They are encouraged to interact, trade notes, dialogue online and interact via informational interviews with professionals across the spectrum of sports management training and skills.
SMWW’s online learning program is growing by leaps and bounds not only because pandemic has accelerated the embrace of video communication but also because it makes education affordable and opens the field globally to sports enthusiasts who want to turn their passion into a profitable profession.
Enjoy this lively conversation in which K.P. learns about Dr. Lashbrook’s original vision and entrepreneurial journey, the types of student best suited to SMWW (Hint: anyone with a genuine love of sports) and the potential of unleashing a sports fan base of 8 billion people worldwide. No letterman jacket is required to tap into this huge trend and become a part of the SMWW network – the LinkedIn for people building a career in sports!
You can hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast here.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (04:03): Dr. Lashbrook explains how he has put together a stable of rock stars – teachers from across sports disciplines who share their real-world managerial experience through a range of 35+ SMWW online courses.
- (05:48): For decades Dr. Lashbrook has been offering weekly online chats for current and former students, an outgrowth of his love for the Socratic method. It’s all about keeping a dialogue – and the learning and growing -- alive in a global classroom across163 countries.
- (09:10): A bit about how SMWW has grown and evolved over its many decades in existence, from early Internet to post-Covid-19.
- (11:27): The opportunities to be had in the global conversation that is sports.
- (12:13): Dr. Lashbrook touches on the potential sports have to advance diversity, democratize opportunity and support global outreach.
- (15:33): Sports business needs are the same across the world, which is what Dr. Lashbrook recognized early when he put a priority on cultivating a global footprint across countries at all stages of development with regard to professional sports.
- (18:57): The role of live, in-person conferences (often linked to important draft and other sports events). Dr. Lashbrook believes SMWW has a vital role to play in providing students direct access. Plans are set for getting back on the road to facilitate these events as Covid-19 restrictions ease.
- (21:34): How and why Dr. Lashbrook designed informational interviewing and shadowing of professionals into his SMWW curriculum.
- (24:10): Why informational interviews and the legitimacy conferred by the SMWW credential are what Dr. Lashbrook calls his “secret sauce.”
- (25:00): Having a letterman jacket in your closet is no longer a prerequisite for going into professional sports management. Business acumen and other skills/talents can be equally important.
- (28:03): Himself a successful agent, Dr. Lashbrook shares thoughts on what it takes, SMWW’s model for mentoring a growing network of well-trained agents and what hurdles to expect in pursuing this sports specialty.
- (33:33): K.P. elicits from Dr. Lashbrook, with his demonstrably visionary track record, thoughts about where the field of sports management is heading and what elements will shape SMWW’s model over decades to come.
- (37:08): What types of traits and circumstances constitute the ideal SMWW student and what ultimately sets them up for success. (Answer: Anyone with the commitment!)
- (40:30): Dr. Lashbrook’s passion for helping people who love sports work in the arena professionally. SMWW is all about helping students connect with real jobs and fulfilling lives.
- (41:52): What lies ahead for sports? Globalization of all types of sports across borders and across affinity groups. The landscape is changing dramatically and opening up with cross-pollination of all types of sports.
KEY QUOTES:
- (04:31): “The lightbulb went off that the experts might not have the educational doctorate that we require, such as me with kinesiology, but we realized that there were people out there who wanted to teach and give back.”
- (07:52): “I’ve always said books are outdated when they’re printed. SMWW never becomes outdated because next week’s curriculum is happening as we speak.”
- (09:59): “When Covid hit, the whole world joined online overnight.”
- (10:58): “You must have an educated society to have a free society and you must really have sports, which is synonymous to peace, if you look at the original Olympics and how they started.”
- (12:59): “We’re into a magical formula and I don’t think anything stops us from getting bigger and better. Our contribution back is the growth of sports business around the world.”
- (14:46): “An entrepreneur has to believe in something so passionately that no one can talk you out of it.”
- (18:07): “There’s no walls to our target and it’s a worldwide target. Sports and access to education are a universal language.”
- (20:02): “(Live conferences) complement our business model and are icing on the cake, adding so much to the course.”
- (23:57): “The informational interview is what I call our secret sauce.”
- (26:21): “So many people from all walks of life that never played the game are running sports. It’s a catalyst for the diversity explosion.”
- (31:01): “We think we’re in a major seismic change of opportunity in the agent world and the nice thing (is) you don’t have to quit your day job to try it out.”
- (33:40): “I’ve always been in love with the Internet and the potential for what online education can do around the world with name, image, and likeness as well as other avenues.”
- (35:12): “I want somebody to have the same adrenaline in a classroom that you have when you go to a game or the ice to watch.”
- (39:52): “The better the audience, the better the class. The better the engagement, the more value you get.”
- (40:29): “I think anybody who loves sport should be able to make money in sport.”
- (41:14): “We can’t guarantee a job, but what a great opportunity to test the waters (and find out) if there’s a way to monetize your passion!”
- (43:55): “As the tide rises, the boats are raised in sports. I think the sky is the limit.”
- (45:10): “If I can keep growing and listening to the cultures and challenges, I think we can come up with solutions to accelerate the business of sports.”
Dr. Lynn Lashbrook Bio: Dr. Lynn Lashbrook has been working and teaching in Sports Management for over 40 years and has demonstrated a lifelong passion for growing dynamic sports programs, and he also continues to work as an NFL agent and has personally represented over 100 NFL clients including first rounders.
Currently, Dr. Lashbrook is President of Sports Management Worldwide, first ever online sports management school with a mission to educate future sports business executives. SMWW trains and mentors thousands of students every year for sports business careers, including athletes, agents and sports industry leaders. Sports Management Worldwide, under Dr. Lashbrook’s guidance, offers a global sports faculty including former General Managers, Scouts, Coaches and well-known sports executives. Offering sport specific skills via online training, SMWW boasts over 5,000 alumni from over 140 countries. SMWW offers cutting edge sports career courses that complement college courses. This includes the Sports Management Worldwide Agency, an international full-service sports agency with over 200 Agent Advisors worldwide representing hundreds of professional athletes.
Follow Dr. Lashbrook: SMWW Website: www.smww.com (newsletter, access to career counselors)
SMWW Agency Website: www.smwwagency.com
Dr. Lashbrook’s Email: Lynn@SMWW.com
Dr. Lashbrook @LinkedIn
Dr. Lashbrook @LinkedIn
Dr. Lashbrook @Wikipedia
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast: https://kpwee.libsyn.com
Niall O’Donohoe of C’s Plus Baseball, a blog about the MiLB Vancouver Canadians, joins the podcast in this episode to discuss baseball, including how he motivates himself to cover the C’s on a daily basis. Niall, who’s also the public address announcer for the Canadians’ home games at Nat Bailey Stadium, even discusses how he prepares for his P.A. announcing duties with the High-A West League club as well as his passion for the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Lions.
Follow Niall O’Donohoe/C’s Plus Baseball:
Website: https://csplusbaseball.ca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/csplusbaseball
Jason Takefman of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) joins this episode to discuss no-hitters, negativity as well as overreactions by fans and media members, Jacob deGrom, and other topics.
Key Topics:
- (01:50): K.P. brings up hitless games which aren’t recognized as official no-hitters, revisiting the hitless starts by Andy Hawkins (1990), Mark Gardner (1991), and Madison Bumgarner (2021).
- (04:45): K.P. reminds Jason about the “official definition” of a no-hitter while being open to a revised definition being created down the road.
- (10:40): Jason brings up Mike Morgan, the opposing pitcher in the 1991 Dennis Martinez perfect game, which leads to the discussion of the 2001 Diamondbacks.
- (15:30): The 1993 Canadiens vs. Wayne Gretzky matchup is revisited, and K.P. mentions how the idea for his 1993 Canadiens book was hatched.
- (19:00): K.P. talks about the negativity by fans, bringing up social media comments by naysayers about the Phoenix Suns’ run to the NBA Finals.
- (23:00): K.P. and Jason discuss the 2021 Canadiens’ playoff series vs. Vegas.
- (25:20): Montreal’s 1986 and 1993 teams are compared to the 1989 Habs.
- (26:50): Jason compares the Habs to the Yankees’ power teams as well as the less successful franchises in sports.
- (29:00): K.P. laments the fact that Tom Candiotti is being unfairly blamed for the 1991 ALCS loss and reminds Jason that Candiotti lost a close race to Roger Clemens for that year’s ERA title, which leads to a discussion about Clemens.
- (34:00): The 2000 ALCS is revisited and more Yankees chatter comes up, with Jason discussing the “winning DNA” by elite teams.
- (40:30): K.P. talks about overreactions and hyperbole by fans and media members.
- (41:39): Jacob deGrom is mentioned, along with a particular national baseball writer’s recent use of the word “ignorance,” directed at anyone who discredits deGrom’s success.
- (43:00): Jason uses a quarterback analogy to make a point about the impracticality of comparing eras and the hyperbole surrounding the 2021 Dodgers at the start of the season (with an L.A. writer’s claim that they were going to be better than the 1927 Yankees and the 1975-76 Big Red Machine).
- (45:55): K.P. argues why deGrom cannot be part of the 2021 National League MVP conversation.
- (47:00) K.P. reminds Jason there are no such things as “big enough” leads.
- (49:00) K.P. explains it’s too premature for the deGrom ERA watch (the context being his chasing the 1.12 ERA mark set by Bob Gibson in 1968).
- (51:45) Jeff Reardon is mentioned; K.P. laments the fact he’s blamed for the Braves’ 1992 World Series loss, bringing up the fact people have forgotten first baseman Sid Bream’s zero RBIs in both the 1991 and 1992 World Series.
- (56:10): K.P. brings up a cool no-hitter anecdote.
Chris King, play-by-play broadcaster of MiLB’s Tri-City Dust Devils, makes a second appearance on the podcast. In an episode originally recorded on Friday, June 11, King discusses the changes seen in the High A West League (formerly the Northwest League) and answers questions sent in by listeners near the end of the conversation.
Note: Coincidentally, this conversation happened just hours before Giants outfielder (and former Tri-City Dust Devil) Mike Tauchman robbed Washington’s Juan Soto of a home run, and K.P. specifically mentions Tauchman because of an earlier conversation with King, who’d shared a cool anecdote about the Giants outfielder in Episode 5.
In today’s episode, host K.P. Wee (author of the 2018 book The 1988 Dodgers: Reliving the Championship Season) talks about Dave Anderson and Brian Holton, a pair of unsung heroes—and forgotten contributors—on the 1988 L.A. Dodgers.
Holton went 7-3 with a sparkling 1.70 ERA for the 1988 world champions, including a 6-4 victory against the Cincinnati Reds 33 years ago this week on June 25, 1988. One of his other victories in 1988 came against the powerful New York Mets—making him the only Dodger pitcher to record a victory over the NL East champs during the regular season.
Anderson, meanwhile, filled in admirably at shortstop over a two-month stretch and helped the Dodgers reach first place—and hang on to top spot in the NL West. Of course, when a contending ballclub loses its starting shortstop (which the Dodgers did in 1988 when everyday shortstop Alfredo Griffin was sidelined after being hit in the hand by a Dwight Gooden fastball), it often means disaster—the 1987 Toronto Blue Jays and 1995 California Angels are brought up as examples—but Anderson’s play ensured that disaster didn’t strike in L.A. that season.
In this episode of The K.P. Wee podcast, you’ll hear from Dr. Chelsea Heyward, a sports industry professional. She works as an advisor with the Players Coalition and is also a branding and digital media manager. As if that wasn’t already enough, she is also a research associate at Morehouse College where she teaches Sports, Culture, and Power.
After a bachelor’s in psychology at Long Beach State, Chelsea wasn’t sure what to do when she graduated. When she heard about the masters degree in sports management, she stayed at Long Beach to enroll in the program. That’s where it all started. After her masters, Chelsea went on to USC to get her doctorate in Organizational Change in Leadership. Her interested in athletes’ involvement in social activism increased and she wrote her dissertation on improving the effectiveness of athlete activism. Since then, she has been involved in the sports industry in many ways and on many levels, including her teaching at Morehouse as well as her role at LaChica Sports with Angela LaChica.
Chelsea offers lots of insight about how she stays organized, what motivates her to work, and how she stays creative and curious. Plus, she offers valuable advice to high school students and young college students on how to become an open-minded learner and get their foot in the door with the sports industry.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong:
Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
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(2:09) – Introduction to Chelsea and how she got to where she is today
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(7:14) – How Chelsea balances her schedule in the day-to-day
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(8:38) – What motivates Chelsea to keep going every day?
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(9:50) – Chelsea explains branding and her person-centered approach
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(11:05) – Staying creative and being a lifelong learner
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(13:14) – Chelsea’s advice for high schoolers and freshmen in college
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(15:42) – Being a sports fan while working in sports
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(18:29) – The pandemic’s positive impact on Chelsea’s work
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(20:34) – Advice from Chelsea on a student’s path to do work in the field
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(23:54) – Finding a professional mentor
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(27:45) – Chelsea’s guiding north: liberation of oppressed people
KEY QUOTES:
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(5:22) “Beyond wearing a T-shirt or tweeting about an issue, how can we change the system surrounding a problem?”
-
(8:30) “It’s almost underestimated about how important the people you work with are because they’re shaping your worldview for 70% of your week.”
-
(10:42) “When I look at branding – either branding a business or a company or an initiative – is trying to look at it from a person’s perspective. So, if this initiative were a person, what would it look like?”
-
(12:32) “Creativity comes about through mixing ideas that haven’t been mixed before.”
-
(14:02) “You should listen to listen, not listen to respond.”
-
(16:31) “It’s about treating the athletes like people but also understanding what their schedule and their world looks like.”
-
(18:42) “It’s [the pandemic] actually greatly increased my own personal impact I think because it’s increased access.”
-
(21:05) “In sports management you understand the business side of sports, so you understand all that goes into it which becomes really important for understand how things work.”
-
(24:42) “I think it’s getting to know as many people as you can as deeply as you can.”
-
(26:37) “For young people seeking out mentors, finding someone that doesn’t tell you what to think but gives you a framework of how you should think becomes really important.”
-
(27:27) “There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution but if people know themselves well enough, they can figure out what path forward best works for them.”
-
(28:14) “Everything that I do goes into liberation of people, whether it’s socioeconomically, mentally, physically.”
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast: https://kpwee.libsyn.com
In this episode, K.P. Wee looks at some knuckleballing feats and stories for the week of May 31 of past years. Included are Jeff Reardon’s first victory in 1993 after the former all-time saves king added a knuckler to his repertoire (May 31, 1993), the Niekro brothers’ record-setting 530th combined win in the big leagues (June 1, 1987), and R.A. Dickey’s shutout against St. Louis in 2012 (June 2, 2012), which began a dominant month of knuckleball pitching, one which saw him pitch back-to-back one-hitters with 10+ strikeouts that June.
Also mentioned are the outstanding gems of Joe Niekro (June 4, 1987), Tim Wakefield (June 4, 1995), and Eddie Fisher (June 4, 1965). (Note: In the podcast, the date of Wakefield’s 10-inning outing was erroneously stated as 1985; of course, it was actually 1995.)
Bonus: Not mentioned in the podcast, but also on June 4, 1953, Hoyt Wilhelm smacked his first career triple (in his 50th big-league at-bat) to break a 3-3 seventh-inning tie against Cincinnati. He got the pitching win in that game with three shutout innings in relief, when the New York Giants scored seven more runs in the eighth for an 11-3 victory. He would never hit another triple. Of course, Wilhelm had also homered in his first major-league at-bat a year earlier—and never hit another.
The music is by The Roger Chong Quartet, titled “Playing With the Duke,” which can be found in their 2016 album “Funkalicious.”
In this week's episode of the podcasat, K.P. sits down with Jason Takefman, a sports consultant and long-time sports executive in Minor League Baseball, the NHL, and the UFC. Jason is also the co-host of the podcast, “Baseball Writers: The IBWAA Podcast.”
In this episode, Jason turns the tables on our host and takes over the show to discuss K.P.’s new book on baseball’s career home run leader, Barry Bonds, and why it’s high time the MLB legend receives his well-deserved place in the Hall of Fame.
You can pick up K.P.’s new book, The Case for Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame, on Amazon.
To connect with Jason Takefman, follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-takefman-executive-mba-5156a42a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonbtakefman (@JasonBTakefman)
Baseball Writers: IBWAA Podcast https://twitter.com/ibwaapodcast
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
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[01:54] Why K.P Wee wrote The Case for Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame
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[07:33] Is Barry Bonds a victim of PEDs or of his surly public persona?
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[13:17] Is there a world where Barry would have been voted into the Hall of Fame?
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[21:15] Will players vote Barry into the Hall of Fame in 2024, and will he even show up?
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[27:43] If gambling was legalized 25 years ago, would this conversation be different?
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[31:42] Barry’s close friends in MLB
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[36:34] What Barry’s managers have said about him
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[38:44] How Barry’s legacy will look in 25 years
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[41:12] Would Barry’s story have turned out differently if he played for Boston or New York for his entire career, or at least for a bulk of his career?
Key Quotes by K.P. and Jason:
- “Barry Bonds was one of the first people who truly didn’t care. Everyone talks about not caring what others say or brushing off the haters. But he actually lived it. [...] He was not a very well-liked person because he didn’t suck up to the group of people who could frame a story. He didn’t care that much.” ~Jason
- “You can’t give one person or body of people that much power, whether it’s media, players, or managers. You can’t because they get drunk with power. [...] If Major League Baseball divests its power for the voting, I think they would have a lot more real participation in the Hall of Fame.” ~Jason
- “We have to remember that the Hall of Fame is not a shrine but a museum. You can’t not have the greatest home run hitter in the history of the game not be a member of your sports museum.” ~K.P.
This episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast features something a little different – a look at the business of sports through the prism of digital design. K.P. welcomes Sydney Noland, who has been the Seattle Seahawks’ in-house digital designer since 2019. Her journey, which started somewhat accidentally, has offered Sydney access to colleagues she enjoys, a sport she has come to love and artistic challenges that make every day an opportunity for growth.
An Indiana native, Sydney initially moved to Seattle because it was where the Navy had based her husband. She was a recent graduate of Ball State in search of design experience of any kind. She applied for dozens of internship positions, but the Seahawks were the only potential employer to offer her an opportunity. She has since gone from football neophyte to an integral part of a pro franchise, learning all the ins and outs of the sport along the way!
Not only has Sydney helped establish the Seahawks’ online presence with her contributions to print media and digital platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, she has also worked on app development and created templates that empower other members of the Seahawks team to contribute digitally. Learn about what it’s like to be on a professional sports team’s digital media team, including some practical career advice and tips for managing potential bumps along the way.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong:
Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (02:00) – Intro to Sydney and a bit about her background.
- (05:00) – The existence of “sports design” as an actual industry niche was all new to Sydney, who fell into it through luck and circumstance.
- (05:50) – What a digital designer’s day-to-day looks like, especially in the context of promoting a sports team.
- (07:28) – When it comes to planning digital campaigns and content, Sydney draws inspiration mostly from her own imagination.
- (08:31) – The off-season affords a little bit of a break, but Sydney’s calendar is still busy year-round with new projects to plan and execute all the time.
- (10:45) – Sydney delineates some of the differences between various aspects of digital design within different media contexts.
- (11:49) – The fun and less fun elements of being a digital designer. It tilts heavily towards the fun!
- (13:52) – Where Sydney was when she first heard that pandemic was threatening to force a lockdown, shut down offices and put a pause on all professional sports.
- (16:28) – How the transition to working remotely has impacted Sydney and others on the Seahawks team used to a lot of face-to-face social interactions.
- (17:45) – How Sydney balances work and family as well as structuring her time on the job at home.
- (19:00) – How Sydney’s Bachelor of Fine Arts supported her career ambitions and what inspired her to pursue graphic design.
- (20:27) – How resilience played a crucial role in Sydney’s dream. She was initially rejected by Ball State’s art department but persevered!
- (21:56) – College provided the basics, but actually entering the real-world practice of digital design required some hands-on learning along the way. Participating in Ball State’s “Digital Corps” was a critical piece, along with internships Sydney lined up over her college years.
-
(24:10) – Marketing tips for aspiring digital designers who want to raise their profile and cultivate their brand:
- Establish a personal website featuring your portfolio.
- Showcase work at online platforms like Behance.net.
- Network with other sports designers.
- Post frequently on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media websites.
-
(26:12) – Finding a mentor starts with reaching out. You never know which young creative will be generous with their time.
- (27:43) – How Sydney initially found out about the possibility of work with the Seattle Seahawks via Glassdoor. She followed up by researching the team online and staying open to learning about something entirely new.
- (29:05) – A few final thoughts from Sydney for aspiring digital designers – especially those with an interest in the sports sector.
KEY QUOTES:
- (04:40) – “I never had a thought about football – barely knew anything about football – compared to now!”
- (06:41) – “Nowadays we’re even more into the digital realm because of COVID and pulling back on print, realizing how valuable these digital spaces are.”
- (09:44) – “People always ask, ‘What are you doing in the off-season?’ And the answer is A LOT!”
- (11:50) – “The most fun part about my job is just seeing a big campaign come together as expected and looking great.”
- (12:02) – “I love the creativity that goes into my job and that my co-workers are so trusting of my abilities … We’re always trying to do something new, something different.”
- (15:30) – “(Pandemic) was a wild time for all of us, trying to figure out how everything was going to work, which we eventually did. It was just a crazy time.”
- (17:00) – “I’ve gotten closer to my boss and other co-workers from the pandemic because we’re messaging each other more … making time for each other. I’ve gotten used to it, but it was weird at first.”
- (20:15) – “I’ve always just loved art and been very passionate about it.”
- (21:13) – “To anyone listening out there: Failure does not mean it’s the end!”
- (26:17) – “If you find someone you’re inspired by and they’re willing to be a mentor, talk with you, answer questions and give you feedback from time to time, I’d say just reaching out is the first step.”
- (29:10) – “My biggest piece of advice is, ’Don’t accept that failure is the end of the road.’ Sometimes you’re just being turned in a different direction for the moment and there’s something better up ahead than what you had planned.”
Follow Sydney:
Website: https://sydneynoland.com
Online portfolio website: https://www.behance.net
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast: https://kpwee.libsyn.com
This episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast features a young woman who has launched a sports media career that includes a podcast featured in 36 countries. And she hasn’t even graduated college yet! Aggie Dent, a senior at New York University studying Sports Management and minoring in Studio Art, shares her pandemic experience with developing global relationships and exploring new media platforms. In a far-ranging interview recorded two days before Major League Baseball's 2021 Opening Day, K.P. asks Aggie to share thoughts on everything from the overlapping beauties art and sports share to marketing and communications internships at Formula E and FC Bayern Munich to how the Alabama native picks her favorite sports teams.
Aggie explains how her podcast, Adventures with Aggie, got started and the ways in which it has evolved over its inaugural year. She focuses on sharing the stories of athletes and sporting professionals of all sports and backgrounds. K.P. solicits lots of helpful advice for young people who would like to pursue careers in the sports industry, especially within the realm of podcasting and sports branding and management. They round out their conversation with thoughts on staying open to opportunities in life. “Take a leap of faith” is advice commonly given to those launching a career. But Aggie embraces a different philosophy: “Take a baby step!” That’s where her journey started and she plans to keep advancing her goals by putting one foot in front of the other and staying curious, open and excited all along the way.
You can find “Adventures with Aggie” here.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
-
(02:55): What NY sports teams Aggie, an Alabama native, cheers on.
-
(04:34): How sports and art overlap in Aggie’s view. She loves the fact that the two complement each other and uses various media to communicate the technique and beauty present in both.
-
(06:54): The Adventures with Aggie podcast – how it has evolved and where she hopes to take it in the future.
-
(08:30): Pending topics that Aggie will be featuring in upcoming podcasts.
-
(09:15): What got Aggie started on her podcast? Quarantine boredom, at first! Then, increasingly, genuine curiosity and the excitement in hearing stories.
-
(11:58): Aggie’s advice of aspiring podcasters.
-
- First off, you never know until you try!
-
- Then keep at it. In her case, she organically grew to find listeners in 36 countries!
-
- Have fun with it!
-
(14:35): Formula E and how Aggie got involved with electric car racing.
- (15:53): Aggie’s role at NYU’s Sports Business Society (for professional networking and community service events).
- (17:28): A few ideas for would-be incoming students at NYU. How to get the most out of the experience:
-
- Reach out and solicit support/mentoring from older students.
- Pursue and utilize internship, volunteer and other opportunities.
- (19:40): How Aggie connected with overseas sports teams and what those working relationships look like in the day-to-day (or 24-hour day when it comes to her remote, global relationships).
- (22:34): Aggie ponders what has been most rewarding about her podcast and other experiences thus far in her career:
-
- Meeting a huge array of athletes with amazing stories.
- Creating community with all the fascinating guests she has met.
- Experiencing the trust others put in her as a host.
- (20:20): What it’s like when emotions – positive or negative – come up in a podcast interview. Some have difficulty sharing their struggles, but they appreciate the platform and opportunity to tell their own stories.
- (27:06): Aggie’s best advice to young people aspiring to whatever career:
-
- Stay open and try anything and everything. (Aggie never imagined as a freshman that she’d be speaking to strangers on Zoom as a senior).
- It’s okay not to know exactly what you want to do.
- Internships are a great way to test many different types of careers.
- (28:58): Where to find the Adventures with Aggie podcast and new episodes as they come out.
KEY QUOTES:
- (04:44): “Sports in itself is art. You can’t look at a Hail Mary in football and not say that’s a work of art.”
- (07:39): “I wanted to dive deeper into storytelling.”
- (07:49): “I’m focused on delivering the stories of athletes off the field and how their sport has defined what they have done with their lives.”
- (08:30): “We have lots of different content for the rest of the year about lots of different sports.”
- (11:00): “Curiosity pushes the show a lot.”
- (12:10): “When I was starting out I didn’t really mean to start a podcast … then people wanted more of your content.”
- (13:26): “I enjoy every single one of my episodes. Maybe it’s because I have that curiosity, that I want to know more but I love it!”
- (17:00): “Being able to speak with all these people from all around the world has been a really cool experience.”
- (20:02): “If we weren’t remote right now I wouldn’t be working for these incredible teams across the world.”
- (21:16): “I record at all hours of the day because my guests are from all over the world. So I’ll wake up at 5am to record because that’s when somebody can do it.”
- (22:00): “It’s amazing to see the international sports world come together during these virtual times and how it allows for all of these different experiences.”
- (23:38): “Knowing that people trust me enough to share their stories and what has happened in their life … is so rewarding. And some of them are my friends now.”
- (25:45): “I tell every single guest: I’m not trying to ask you hard questions. That’s not the point of the show. The point of the show is to deliver your story in the way that you want to.”
- (28:05): “I didn’t know (as a college freshman) what I wanted to do and that’s okay. You don’t have to know what you want to do. Once you’ve tried all the things you think you want to try, then you can know what you want to do.”
- (28:18): “‘Try everything’ is the most vital piece of advice – advice that I also received as a freshman.”
Follow Aggie:
Website: www.adventureswithaggie.com
Formula E Racing: https://www.fiaformulae.com
About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast: https://kpwee.libsyn.com
In this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast, the tables are turned when Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio, takes over the microphone to interview our host. Together, they explore all the various professional incarnations that have defined K.P.’s career: sports writer, educator and author of multiple works of sports and narrative fiction. There are lots of amazing anecdotes and stories to share along the way.
It’s a conversation that runs the gamut from the early impulse (to help others) that drove and continues to drive K.P.’s career interests to managing interviews with irascible sports subjects to advice for young people who aspire to work in sports, most especially for those who are interested in becoming an author and building a body of work similar to K.P.’s own. Anyone can do it, the author and podcast host asserts, with dedication, patience, determination, preparation and – most of all – passion!
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (01:49): How K.P.’s core values drove his professional interests.
- (02:58): K.P.’s career as an educator included corporate and teacher training while at the same time his gift for writing started to emerge.
- (04:00): How K.P.’s first efforts as an author came to pass, starting out as a hobby and progressing from there.
- (04:17): About the first book K.P. authored, a biography of baseball player Tom Candiotti and other ideas that flowed from there.
- (06:15): How K.P. created a bridge from his work in commercial and educational contexts to becoming an accomplished author with a special focus on sports.
- (07:25): Although not himself a professional athlete, K.P. relies on facts, records and historical stats to establish credibility and a sound foundation for his books.
- (09:32): The types of interactions K.P. has had with the athletes he has profiled and how he prompts them to recollect and share their stories.
- (12:48): Various methods K.P. has used to contact prospective subjects:
- Via media relations representatives who can help secure interviews or permission to interact with players and other team members.
- Old-school letters to retirees and others without PR organizations.
- DM-ing on LinkedIn, Twitter or other social media platforms.
- (15:09): K.P. doesn’t parlay his work in media relations for the Vancouver Canadians when he pitches prospective book subjects, instead sharing his resume and the track records of books he has previously authored.
- (17:05): Helpful insights that K.P. has adopted as a result of his work in media relations (for the Vancouver Candians) and how they are useful in communicating his professionalism and neutrality.
- (19:00): The publishing status update on K.P.’s book about Barry Bonds.
- (21:24): How K.P. has navigated awkward situations in which he’s needed to approach a coach or player who might have had either a bad day or doesn’t want to dredge up a particular memory.
- Gilbert Dionne on Marty McSorley’s illegal stick in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals.
- Oilers Goalie Bill Ranford thoughts on Jimmy Carson’s trade.
- One unnamed player lit into K.P. because he didn’t like a particular (innocuous) question.
- (30:26): Does K.P. consider himself more of an oral historian or biographer?
- (32:45): A lot of the stories K.P. tells are written to inspire young people to be tenacious, resilient or just to dream big.
- (35:00): How K.P. got started writing about sports figures and what it takes to break into publishing and other sports-related careers:
- Passion is key.
- Think about purchasing some basic equipment.
- Do your research and get knowledgeable about various media (YouTube is a great resource).
- Plan to invest considerable time.
- Look up publishers who have issued the kinds of books you’d like to write, locate editors’ contact information and send out a pitch. You’ve got nothing to lose.
- Learn about your prospective subjects and then reach out in a professional, serious manner.
- (39:40): Above all, people who aspire to a career in sports just need to get started.
KEY QUOTES:
- (02:34): “Different people communicate effectively in different ways. I was one of those communicators who did better as a writer.”
- (02:54): “From a young age I knew that I wanted to help others and one way of doing that was to become a teacher or instructor.”
- (06:37): “Sports fans often have their own opinions and think they’re right.”
- (08:12): “Even though I have not been an athlete or sports journalist … I am happy and proud that I’ve been able to do the research and deliver stories that are accurate to the fans.”
- (10:21): “I’m not there to push the player to get that next touchdown or goal or drive in that next run. I’m there to get them to recollect that special game, that best moment on the playing field.”
- (14:16): “Even though I’m not an athlete professionally or amateur-wise, I have worked for the Vancouver Canadians minor league baseball team … (but) I keep that separate from what I do with my writing.”
- (18:15): “I’m not a fan who is there to get an autograph. I’m here to get your story and to portray you in a positive light, not to slam you.”
- (28:10): “Sometimes you may ask a question that you think is fair game … and need to cut the interview short. You just find another way to tell the story.”
- (29:40): “You can report the facts, but that doesn’t give you the story.” (Stan)
- (31:22): “Helping people is not just teaching them things but also writing stories that can inspire.”
- (32:52): “A lot of these stories are fascinating because of the athletes or coaches themselves.”
- (35:33): “You have to devote a lot of time to do a good job at (writing). You can’t be half-way and expect to really do a great job.”
- (36:00): “You do this kind of thing (writing books) because it’s a passion … and understanding that, you just go out and do it!”
- (39:18): “Above all understand that rejection will come. You just have to be able to deal with (it).”
- (39:33): “Be persistent, but don’t be a pest. Don’t be annoying! If someone doesn’t want to be interview you have to respect that.”
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast: https://kpwee.libsyn.com
In this episode of the K.P. Wee podcast, it’s all about navigating the football industry’s backroom staffing. In a conversation recorded in March 2021, Neil Stratton, founder of the Inside the League (ITL), offers valuable perspectives and advice for prospects, parents, coaches, administrators and agents. His blog, podcast, website and the many features his Inside the League website offers are critical tools for anyone who aspires to build a career in the college or pro football industry. Neil pioneered the concept of an online trade journal and has also served as an advisor to schools from the Big 10, ACC, WAC, Conference USA and Pac 10.
It wouldn’t be covering the whole story, however, if Neil didn’t share his early pre-Internet days and the various starts and stops he weathered along the road to success for his multi-faceted Inside the League franchise. K.P. and Neil also tackle the evolution of scouting and the changes in philosophy that have arisen since the Moneyball concept emerged, along with a new breed of owners who tend to run their NFL teams like they run their businesses. There is, Neil says, much more of an emphasis today on basing decisions on math and downsizing the role of scouting departments. It’s hard to say whether that trend holds in a post-pandemic world.
The episode wraps up with advice for aspiring football professionals of all types and it comes down to one thing: Put yourself out there. The industry is sought-after and (at least has the appearance of being) glamorous, so don’t expect anyone to send you an invitation. Find a way to contribute – volunteering or doing menial work – and find a mentor to start building your network from there!
Neil’s excellent book, Scout Speak: Thinking and Talking about Being an NFL Evaluator, is available here. It offers insider perspectives and advice from legends in the field that you won’t want to miss.
If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger
KEY TOPICS:
- (01:34): How Inside the League came about, its roots and modest start in the transition between print- and Internet-based publishing
- (03:22): It was agents, financial advisers and wealth managers at All-Star games who initially encouraged Neil to start a publication focused on them, which he did in 2002. It was a slow start.
- (04:13) The summer of 2007, Neil went to work for the Hula Bowl. It was going to be a turning point but the game was cancelled and the wheels fell off. Neil was disgusted, until (with a nudge from his wife) Neil adopted a new subscription model and relaunched Inside the League.
- (06:31): It was a leap of faith for his new subscribers, who had no Twitter or other social media platforms giving them a peak behind the wall. But people came and Neil never looked back, having now added a podcast, a blog, newsletter, partnering and a number of other unique tools.
- (08:26): How an exam program for aspiring agents came into being and what ITL’s testing/prep does to prepare people for the career.
- (11:20): Neil’s expertise with scouting and the pervasive impacts of pandemic in terms of connecting people within and aspiring to the industry. ITL responded with professional development tools online featuring top figures who have shared their knowledge and experience.
- (13:37): All about Neil’s book Scout Speak (now also available on audio) and who the book is targeted to serve. It provides insider information as well as stories culled from recordings made at events over the years, including interviews with more than 30 former and current general managers, scouts and other players in the industry.
- (16:20): Scouting isn’t the “fantasy football” dream that many people might think. Neil gets into the nitty-gritty of what life looks like for those who pursue a scouting career.
- (17:18): Neil explains how ITL 1.0 was strictly about agents. ITL 2.0, which has expanded its focus on scouting. ITL 3.0 tackles the college personnel community and integrating it with the agent and scouting industries.
- (18:00): Passion and sacrifice are inevitable in this industry. The pay is small, the hours are long. You’re up against deadlines, often lonely and unwelcome at the school you’re visiting.
- (20:42): The dynamic between coaches and owners has evolved to where it’s hard to tell the players from the scouts, who are very often young ex-players who are in shape but don’t perhaps have as many contacts or as much experience.
- (23:10): The ways in which scouting has changed over Neil’s 20 years in the industry and where it’s heading in a post-pandemic world where priorities and contacts may bear more or less importance.
- (24:10) K.P. summarizes recent history in terms of distinguishing information gatherers versus talent evaluators.
- (24:27): How analytics have changed scouting standards and approaches – as well as the differing ways people interpret what quantitative data means.
- (27:25): Neil offers words of advice (and concrete tactics) for young professionals who aspire to get access, network and find their way onto the first rung in this highly competitive industry.
- (31:00): Neil’s advice to aspiring football professionals: Volunteer at stadiums, find a camp that a player is putting on, do whatever you can to build relationships. (Posting comments on Twitter is not enough …)
- (32:30): The XFL’s and CFL’s future and what synergies may be out there – as well as opportunities for people looking for a place to put their skills to work and make important connections and access opportunities.
KEY QUOTES:
- (03:52) “(ITL got started) right when sports business news was something people were talking about, something new, and the idea of sports business management degrees was new … Money was being plowed into the industry.”
- (04:02): “I thought it would be a wild success and everyone would want to know more about the industry but it wasn’t that at all.”
- (06:10): “The idea in ’08 of using a credit card on the internet was still kind of a new idea, something people were nervous about and reluctant about so I had those things I was working against.”
- (07:50): “From the initial idea, just trying to track and inform agents, we’ve expanded to work with agents, scouts, marketing people, financial advisers, wealth managers, people across this industry.
- (10:40): “I believe in the win-win. I believe I can help you get better and pass the (agents’) exam and live your dream. All you gotta do is help me by supporting what we do. Our niche is to help people progress through the industry.”
- (13:14): “We’ve been excited about how we’ve made it easy for people to become part of the industry they aspire to and get the questions only certain people can answer. Making the learning curve shorter is our whole goal.”
- (15:30): “The idea at first was to write a book for people interested in scouting but as it has evolved a lot of my friends in the industry have picked it up and purchased it.”
- (16:19): “Your rank-and-file fan thinks scouting is like fantasy football times a million. Well, it’s not quite that. It’s more drudgery, driving late nights and getting up early, sitting in a scouting room all day and talking to people who may not want to give you what you seek.”
- (16:56): “Scouts don’t have as much power as maybe people think they do. They aren’t out calling the shots.”
- (18:21): “You’re certainly not getting rich. It’s an industry where you’ve certainly got to pay your dues and work your way up. The salaries are better than they used to be. There are some approaching $100,000 but that’s certainly not the standard. You’re usually going to start out at $40,000 or $50,000.”
- (19:40): “There is a camaraderie and fraternity to it that appeals to a lot of people, but that’s such a small part of it … that you better be coming into it with a passion for the game because it’s not as glamorous as you think.”
- (22:25): “In the old days you had spirited arguments amongst scouts because these guys had coached, they had played in many cases; they knew what teams were looking for. They were used to teams doing a certain thing. They were cut from a different cloth.
- (24:48): “The difficulty with analytics is you ask two different people and they have a different answer on what analytics really is.”
- (26:12): “I think there’s a certain mix of traditional scouting and analytics that’s most effective. The problem is no one really know exactly what that mix is.”
- (30:40): “If you want to work in football you’ve got to be very intentional about looking for opportunities to go meet people, to go work for people, to prove yourself to people and if you aren’t doing that … your chances aren’t very good.”
- (31:14): “Football is one of the most network-based industries out there and if you don’t go out and meet people – and more importantly have a mentor or champion who will go to bat for you and help you find opportunities – it’s almost impossible to break in.”
- (33:52): “There are hundreds of people who want to do this kind of work and you’ve got to be the one to go in and do the things that other people don’t want to do. That’s how you stand out and apart from everybody else.”
Follow Neil Stratton/ITL:
Website: http://www.insidetheleague.com
Blog: www.succeedinfootball.com
Podcast: The Draft Brawl Podcast
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.
Follow K.P. Wee:
K.P. @Twitter
Additional episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast: https://kpwee.libsyn.com
This episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast features author, speaker, and former athlete Bo-Dean Sanders. In the ’80s, Bo-Dean transferred from Cheyney University (the oldest HBCU in the U.S.) to Villanova to play on a majority-white football team. His book, Race Against … Against Race: My Journey of Diversity and Inclusion Through Sports, debuted in late 2020.
During the conversation, Bo-Dean shares a lot about his time facing racism in sports in the ’80s. He begins by talking about his early relationship with football and how he wasn’t exposed to diverse teams until at least his teen years. He thanks his upbringing for giving him the ability to empathize with the integrated teams he would eventually play for—especially at Villanova. He encourages listeners to embrace the fact that they can overcome any challenge thrown their way.
Bo-Dean also shares a story about the time he met Charles Barkley and the impact that had on his football career and his life as a whole.
Toward the end of the episode, Bo-Dean digs into the motivation behind writing his book, Race Against … Against Race: My Journey of Diversity and Inclusion Through Sports. He provides strategies for allies of those trying to advance the cause of racial equality, many of which are outlined in the book. He also applauds the work of current activists athletes who are continuing to move the ball forward, as he says, while acknowledging that athletes in the U.S. have “always done this work.” He is thankful for the opportunity to be a spokesman of sorts for racial equality and works to build up the communities of those who are still disenfranchised around the country.
KEY TOPICS:
- (01:15) Bo-Dean shares a bit about his background.
- (02:00) Bo-Dean’s relationship with Howie Long.
- (10:30) Why Bo-Dean was able to resist bad temptations while in school.
- (14:30) You can overcome your obstacles.
- (15:00) Advice to young athletes.
- (17:20) Bo-Dean’s favorite coach: Tom Landry.
- (22:00) The time he met Charles Barkley playing college football.
- (35:50) Bo-Dean recounts how he didn’t encounter diversity until he’d grown up.
- (36:40) The philosophy of Bo-Dean’s book, Race Against … Against Race.
- (39:30) Comments on today’s activist athletes.
- (43:00) Some final thoughts from Bo-Dean about race allyship.
- (46:00) Bo-Dean weighs in on the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2020 season.
KEY QUOTES:
- (04:20) “As I would travel around, and ideas and memories came into my head [for the book], I would write them down on paper and throw them in the backseat of my SUV, and over time, I had a whole bunch of paper in the back of my SUV!”
- (10:00) “Just because I was accepted into Cheyney University as a student did not mean I was automatically given a position on the team: I had to earn my position on the team.”
- (14:00) “I had to adjust and I had to grow, and I was able to do that through the years thanks to good teachers, teammates and a solid foundation.”
- (16:00) “If you want to move to the next level, whatever the next level is, you still need to do your homework.”
- (19:20) “Tom Landry was a leader, and he got a lot of respect across the league.”
- (19:45) “Terry Hoage was the first player I saw on TV and thought I wanted to play that position.”
- (31:50) “Just because I’ve never had a white teammate doesn’t mean I can’t treat them with the same level of respect as my black teammates.”
- (37:30) “If you’re on a diverse team, athletes have those conversations that are centered around race.”
- (41:15) “Athletes have always played a role in moving the ball forward progressively and in the right direction for race relations.”
To listen to additional episodes, please visit The K.P. Wee Podcast.
About Bo-Dean (from his website):
A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Bo-Dean and his siblings were raised by their single mother. He developed his values by attending his grandmother’s Baptist church. His love of sports began while watching college football on Saturdays and NFL games on Sundays. Bo-Dean began his college football career in 1984 as a walk-on at Cheyney University, the oldest Historically Black College-University (HBCU) in America. He transferred to Villanova University to continue his college football career after Villanova, which had previously dropped football after the 1980 season, reinstated it in 1984. Bo-Dean acclimated to the majority white team and in 1989, earned his varsity ring and jacket.
To learn more about Bo-Dean and his book, Race Against … Against Race: My Journey of Diversity and Inclusion Through Sports, check him out at www.bo-deansanders.com
Twitter: @BoDeanSanders42
Email: info@bo-deansanders.com
About K.P. Wee:
K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department.
Follow K.P. Wee:
Website: www.kpwee.com
Email: kp.wee.is@gmail.com
The greatest mascot of all-time, the Famous Chicken makes an appearance on the podcast as Ted Giannoulas relives some of the most memorable moments of his career with host K.P. Wee. Originally known as the KGB Chicken and the San Diego Chicken, Ted began entertaining fans at Padres baseball games in the 1970s—while dressed in a huge yellow chicken costume. With his clever comedy routines and antics, he revolutionized in-game entertainment and revitalized attendance in San Diego, leading to other teams introducing their own mascots to entertain fans.
In this episode, we bring you Part 2 of the two-part conversation with Ted, who has also entertained at other sporting events and concerts, and has made appearances at trade shows, conventions, and parades, too. Please enjoy!
In March 1974—47 years ago this month—Ted Giannoulas was hired by KGB-FM Radio in San Diego to wear a yellow chicken costume as part of a promotion to distribute Easter eggs to children at the San Diego Zoo. Shortly after, Ted began appearing at Padres baseball games—and the rest was sports mascot history. Now known as the Famous Chicken and the greatest mascot of all-time, Ted Giannoulas makes an appearance on the podcast to relieve some of the most memorable moments of his career with host K.P. Wee. Here is Part 1 of a two-part series with the Famous Chicken. Please enjoy!
Today’s episode features part of a conversation with former NHL goaltender Bill Ranford, who recalls his heroic 1990 Stanley Cup playoff run with the Edmonton Oilers. It’s part of a longer chat with the winner of the 1990 Conn Smythe Trophy (as playoff MVP), which was recorded in February 2021 and will be featured in a new book that I’m writing.
Currently the goaltending coach of the Los Angeles Kings, Ranford (who was traded 33 years ago this week on March 8, 1988, from the Bruins to the Oilers) played 15 seasons in the NHL with Boston, Edmonton, Washington, Tampa Bay, and Detroit. His playing career also included a 1991 Canada Cup and a gold medal at the 1994 World Championships.
*If you enjoyed the music featured on the podcast, please check out Roger Chong (Twitter: @chongroger). The piece is titled "Taking It in Strides."
In this episode, a special “This Week in Baseball History” edition, sports consultant Jason Takefman joins host K.P. Wee to reminisce about baseball news and sports memories from the week of March 1st from past years. It’s just two sports fans having fun talking sports. Topics include pranks, the importance of team chemistry in sports, and athletes “hanging on” too long.
Takefman—a long-time sports executive in Minor League Baseball, the NHL, and the UFC—also co-hosts the weekly podcast, “Baseball Writers: The IBWAA Podcast.”
To connect with Jason Takefman, follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-takefman-executive-mba-5156a42a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonbtakefman (@JasonBTakefman)
Baseball Writers: IBWAA Podcast https://twitter.com/ibwaapodcast
Happy February birthday to Stephan Lebeau, who joins this episode to reflect on his National Hockey League career. The former Montreal Canadiens center went from being undrafted to scoring 31 goals in 1992-93 and winning a Stanley Cup with the Habs in 1993. Thirty years ago this month (February 20, 1991), Stephan also played on the same line with his brother Patrick Lebeau for the Habs. He shares some of those amazing memories with listeners in this episode.
For the book which Stephan referenced at the end (“The 1993 Canadiens: Seven Magical Weeks, Unlikely Heroes and Canada’s Last Stanley Cup Champions,” written by host K.P. Wee), check out:
https://www.amazon.com/1993-Canadiens-Magical-Unlikely-Champions/dp/1626015465
Former Los Angeles Dodgers team photographer Richard Kee joins the podcast for the second time, and reminisces about Tommy Lasorda, Jay Johnstone, and Don Sutton. He also discusses some of the more interesting photos in his collection and the stories behind them, including one featuring Dusty Baker and another on "Blue Monday" in the 1981 National League Championship Series.
Richard’s work can be found on ultimategamefaces.com.
Milwaukee Brewers radio play-by-play broadcaster Jeff Levering, who also does college hoops on FS1 and the Big Ten Network along with college football games on FOX, discusses his career on the mic and shares memories about his journey to get to where he is today.
The 2020 National Sports Media Association Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year, Jeff also talks about some of the advice he has learned from some of the best in the business, and shares tips to students and others on what it takes to "get into the game."
Follow Jeff on Twitter: @JLevering4 (https://twitter.com/jlevering4)
In this episode, a “This Week in Sports History” edition, sports consultant Jason Takefman joins host K.P. Wee to reminisce about sports news and memories from the week of January 4th from past years. It’s just two sports fans having fun talking sports. Topics include most impactful trades made by the teams they rooted for, favourite “most unbreakable records,” and favourite stories about baseball Hall of Fame legends who passed away in 2020.
Takefman—a long-time sports executive in Minor League Baseball, the NHL, and the UFC—also co-hosts the weekly podcast, “Baseball Writers: The IBWAA Podcast.”
To connect with Jason Takefman, follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-takefman-executive-mba-5156a42a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonbtakefman (@JasonBTakefman)
Baseball Writers: IBWAA Podcast https://twitter.com/ibwaapodcast
If you enjoyed the podcast intro music, "The Wonder of Stevie" by jazz guitarist and musician Roger Chong, please follow Roger on Twitter/Instagram: @chongroger
In this episode, Greg Savoie of “Pucking Funny” podcast stops by to talk about his amazing show dedicated to hockey and other sports, on which hockey is “discussed in a light and fun way.” Born and raised in Montreal but now residing just outside of Sydney, Greg talks about what it’s like following hockey in Australia. He also discusses what got him started with “Pucking Funny” podcast and also the special “Women in Hockey” series which he’s running in December 2020.
“Pucking Funny,” which features guests from hockey and other sports, can be heard wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Please subscribe, like, and leave a review!
To connect with Greg Savoie, follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gregoire.savoie (Full name: Gregoire Savoie)
Instagram: @puckingfunnypod
In this episode, Montreal-based sports consultant Jason Takefman, also of “Baseball Writers: The IBWAA Podcast,” makes his return to the podcast and discusses his thoughts on the Cleveland Indians’ intention to change their team nickname and the Negro Leagues’ being reclassified as a major league. The main part of the discussion, though, is a debate about the Baseball Hall of Fame and the candidacies of former Atlanta Braves center fielder Andruw Jones and others, with Takefman attempting to convince K.P. Wee about Jones, in particular.
Takefman is also a long-time sports executive in Minor League Baseball, the NHL, and the UFC.
To connect with Jason Takefman, follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-takefman-executive-mba-5156a42a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonbtakefman (@JasonBTakefman)
Baseball Writers: IBWAA Podcast https://twitter.com/ibwaapodcast
In this episode, journalist Adrian Brijbassi, editor/founder of Vacay.ca and VacayNetwork.com, joins K.P. Wee for some NFL talk.
Formerly a sportswriter and editor with New York Newsday and the Toronto Star, Brijbassi shares his thoughts about the latest happenings with the 2020 NFL season.
Now a travel journalist, he also shares some information about Trippzy, a free-to-download travel trivia app that is expected to be launched in January 2021.
To learn more about Vacay.ca, the leading source of Canadian travel and the original publisher of the “Top 50 Restaurants in Canada List,” check out https://vacay.ca Independently owned and produced by award-winning Canadian journalists and travel experts, Vacay.ca provides authoritative information about the best places to see, sleep, and eat in Canada.
Follow Adrian Brijbassi on Twitter @AdrianBrijbassi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianbrijbassi/
Vacay.ca: https://vacay.ca/
VacayNetwork.com: https://www.vacaynetwork.com/
In this episode, a special “This Week in Baseball History” edition, Montreal-based sports consultant Jason Takefman joins host K.P. Wee to reminisce about baseball news and sports memories from the week of December 1 from past years. It’s just two sports fans having fun talking sports.
Takefman—a long-time sports executive in Minor League Baseball, the NHL, and the UFC—also co-hosts the weekly podcast, “Baseball Writers: The IBWAA Podcast.”
To connect with Jason Takefman, follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-takefman-executive-mba-5156a42a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonbtakefman (@JasonBTakefman)
Baseball Writers: IBWAA Podcast https://twitter.com/ibwaapodcast
In the second part of the two-part interview with Todd Denault, the hockey historian shares his memories of the 1992-93 Stanley Cup playoffs and his third book, A Season in Time, which chronicles that unforgettable 1992-93 NHL season.
Todd explains why that particular book is the most "personal" for him, and also discusses how his first book—Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey—opened quite some doors for him.
To learn more about Todd and his books, check him out at https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=todd+denault
Twitter: https://twitter.com/todddenault @ToddDenault
Here is a list of his books:
-Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey
-The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey
-A Season in Time: Super Mario, Killer, St. Patrick, the Great One, and the Unforgettable 1992-93 NHL Season
-Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games
In an interview recorded in the first week of October 2020, former Major League Baseball infielder Darrel Chaney, a member of the 1975 World Series champion “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati Reds, joins the podcast and reminisces on some of the highlights in his 11-year career.
To learn more about and to support Darrel's fundraising efforts with United Way of White County, Georgia, please visit http://unitedwaywhitecounty.org/
To pick up Darrel’s biography, Welcome to the Big Leagues (co-written with Dan Hettinger), please visit http://welcometothebigleagues.org/
The next annual Darrel Chaney Invitational golf tournament has been scheduled for April 19 and 20, 2021.
“Like” United Way of White County on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/United-Way-of-White-County-117743751618807/
United Way of White County, Georgia: http://unitedwaywhitecounty.org/
Darrel’s book, Welcome to the Big Leagues: http://welcometothebigleagues.org/
In Part 1 of the interview, hockey historian and writer Todd Denault—who has authored four books—chats hockey, research, interviews with former players, and writing. A life-long Montreal Canadiens fan, Todd discusses his 2010 biography on legendary goaltender Jacques Plante and how that project originally came about. Now an established writer, Todd also shares the story on how he, despite being a first-time author at the time, was able to secure interviews with many of the Montreal legends and other big names in the sport.
To learn more about Todd and his books, check him out at https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=todd+denault
Twitter: https://twitter.com/todddenault @ToddDenault
Here is a list of his books:
-Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey
-The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey
-A Season in Time: Super Mario, Killer, St. Patrick, the Great One, and the Unforgettable 1992-93 NHL Season
-Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games
Also: For more information about Debbie Antonelli and her son Frankie’s fundraiser for Special Olympics referenced at the end of the episode, please visit 24hoursnbn.com. Please help Debbie and Frankie (who is a multi-sport, multi gold-winning, Special Olympic athlete) in their efforts—your support can be a game-changer for these athletes!
If you enjoyed the podcast intro music, please follow Roger Chong on Twitter/Instagram: @chongroger
In a conversation recorded in the final week of the 2020 Major League Baseball regular season, Montreal-based sports consultant Jason Takefman discusses baseball in Canada—including his take on the 1994 Expos, the sport in Montreal in general, and the idea that the Blue Jays are “Canada’s Team.”
Takefman also shares his thoughts on some of the happenings from the current season, from "big-market" teams in the postseason to the expanded playoff format to other changes such as the universal DH.
Takefman—a long-time sports executive in Minor League Baseball, the NHL, and the UFC—even chats about his background in the sports industry as well as the weekly podcast which he co-hosts, “Baseball Writers: The IBWAA Podcast.”
To connect with Jason Takefman, follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-takefman-executive-mba-5156a42a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonbtakefman (@JasonBTakefman)
Baseball Writers: IBWAA Podcast https://twitter.com/ibwaapodcast
Greg Allen Harris, generally known as Greg A. Harris during his 15-year Major League Baseball career (as there was another right-hander named Greg Wade Harris during the same era), stops by in this episode as this week marks the 25th anniversary of his historic feat of pitching with both hands in a big-league game.
On September 28, 1995, Greg A. pitched both right-handed and left-handed for the Montreal Expos against the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the first pitcher to use both hands to pitch in a major-league game since 1893, or 102 years earlier.
In today’s episode, Greg A. talks about what he’s been up to recently and also shares a cool story about glove and sporting goods companies during his time in the big leagues. A natural right-handed pitcher for the Expos, Mets, Padres, Reds, Rangers, Phillies, Red Sox, and Yankees over his lengthy career, Greg A. recounts reaching the 1984 postseason with San Diego, pitching with both hands in the September 1995 game with Montreal against Cincinnati, and being a key member of the pitching staffs in Texas and Boston.
For more information: https://tinyurl.com/GregAHarrisInterview
Former San Francisco Giants outfielder Dustan Mohr chats about Barry Bonds as, this week, we celebrate the 16th anniversary of the Major League Baseball home-run king’s 700th career home run—which came on September 17, 2004.
Mohr, who played parts of seven seasons in the major leagues (including one season in San Francisco in 2004), shares his thoughts and some cool stories about being a teammate with Bonds. The right-handed hitting outfielder, who debuted in the big leagues in 2001, also played with Minnesota, Colorado, Boston, and Tampa Bay.
Barry Turbow, National Sales Manager for the L.A. Lakers and Dodgers Television Networks, joins this episode to share what media sales is all about.
Barry, who began his career at Petry Television and whose resume includes two-plus decades' worth of experience in the local, regional, and national advertising markets along with stints at ABC and FOX in regional sports marketing capacities, also discusses his career path to get to where he is today.
Connect with Barry on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/barryturbow / Follow Barry on Twitter: @BarryTurbow https://twitter.com/BarryTurbow
For more information about Debbie Antonelli and her son Frankie’s fundraiser for Special Olympics referenced at the end of the episode, please visit 24hoursnbn.com. Please help Debbie and Frankie (who is a multi-sport, multi gold-winning, Special Olympic athlete) in their efforts—your support can be a game-changer for these athletes!
If you enjoyed the podcast intro music, please follow Roger Chong on Twitter/Instagram: @chongroger
In an interview recorded in late August 2020, ESPN/CBS basketball analyst Debbie Antonelli discusses her career on the mic, including how she prepares for a broadcast and her 4B’s. Debbie, a college basketball and WNBA analyst, also talks about her fundraiser for Special Olympics in May 2021 and how you can support!
For more information about Debbie and her son Frankie’s fundraiser for Special Olympics, please visit 24hoursnbn.com.
Please help Debbie and Frankie (who is a multi-sport, multi gold-winning, Special Olympic athlete) in their efforts—your support can be a game-changer for these athletes!
Follow Debbie on Twitter @debbieantonelli
In an interview recorded in August 2020, former Los Angeles Dodger General Manager Fred Claire shares memories about his Dodger days and offers advice to students and young people getting into sports. He also speaks about mentoring and discusses his new book with Tim Madigan (which was released in July 2020) titled “Extra Innings: Fred Claire’s Journey to City of Hope and Finding a World Championship Team.”
Follow Fred Claire on Twitter @Fred_Claire / Connect with Fred on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/fred-claire-1605a01
For more information about the book “Extra Innings,” please visit https://www.tinyurl.com/FredClaireExtraInnings
If you enjoyed the intro music, please follow Roger Chong on Twitter/Instagram: @chongroger
Former Los Angeles Dodger batboy Ben Hwang, currently the CEO of Northern California-based biotech company Profusa, discusses his time in baseball and shares the lessons that he learned while in the Dodger organization.
Hwang, at one point, was even part of a group which made a bid to purchase the Dodgers, and he also discusses how the lessons learned in baseball are applicable to his current field in biotech.
For more information about Profusa, please check out the company's website: https://profusa.com/
If you enjoyed the intro music, please follow Roger Chong on Twitter/Instagram: @chongrong
For the book referenced in the podcast, Tim Madigan and Fred Claire’s “Extra Innings,” please visit https://www.tinyurl.com/FredClaireExtraInnings
In an interview recorded in July 2020, play-by-play broadcaster Chris King, who calls the action for men's basketball at the University of Idaho and also announces Minor League Baseball games for the Northwest League's Tri-City Dust Devils, discusses how he got his start in the sports media industry.
Chris also shares advice to students and others on how to “get into the game,” recounts the thrill of calling no-hitters, and talks about long bus rides in Minor League Baseball.
If you enjoyed the intro music, please follow Roger Chong on Twitter/Instagram: @chongrong
For the book referenced in the podcast, Tim Madigan and Fred Claire’s “Extra Innings,” please visit https://www.tinyurl.com/FredClaireExtraInnings
In an interview recorded in late July 2020, California League President Charlie Blaney discusses how he got his start in baseball and offers advice to students and others on how to “get into the game.”
California League website: https://www.milb.com/california Twitter: @CalLeague1
If you enjoyed the intro music, please follow Roger Chong on Twitter/Instagram: @chongroger
For the book referenced in the podcast, Tim Madigan and Fred Claire’s “Extra Innings,” please visit https://www.tinyurl.com/FredClaireExtraInnings
In an interview recorded earlier in the summer of 2020, former MLB catcher Don Slaught discusses, among other things, RightView Pro (now V1 Sports), a company he started which offers video analysis systems for baseball and softball, licensed by MLB, the MLB Players' Association, and the National Pro Fastpitch. He also mentions OnBase University, a company he operates with the goal of educating coaches in baseball and softball in order to help their players reach their potential.
The conversation with Slaught, the former MLB catcher who enjoyed a 16-year big-league career, is part of a longer chat which will be featured in a chapter of a new book that I'm writing.
For more information, check out RightView Pro: https://www.rightviewpro.com/
V1 Sports: https://v1sports.com/coaches/v1-pro-baseball/
OnBase University: http://www.onbaseu.com/
If you enjoyed the podcast intro music, please follow Roger Chong on Twitter/Instagram: @chongroger
For the book referenced in the podcast, Tim Madigan and Fred Claire’s “Extra Innings,” please visit https://www.tinyurl.com/FredClaireExtraInnings
In an interview recorded on the opening weekend of the pandemic-abbreviated 2020 Major League Baseball season, former LA Dodger official team photographer Richard Kee discusses how he got his start working for one of the most storied franchises in the game and offers advice to students and others on how to “get into the game.”
Check out Richard’s websites: richardkee.com ultimategamefaces.com
If you enjoyed the intro music, please follow Roger Chong on Twitter/Instagram: @chongroger
For the book referenced in the podcast, Tim Madigan and Fred Claire’s “Extra Innings,” please visit https://www.tinyurl.com/FredClaireExtraInnings
Today's first episode includes part of a conversation with former MLB star and two-time World Series champion Howard Johnson. It's part of a longer chat with the 1991 NL home-run and RBI champion, which will be featured in a chapter of a new book that I'm writing.
Follow Howard Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/20Hojo (@20Hojo)
If you liked the intro music, follow Roger Chong (Twitter: @chongroger)
For Fred Claire's (Twitter: @Fred_Claire) new book: Extra Innings, visit https://tinyurl.com/FredClaireExtraInnings