Conversations with Sports Fans

We're excited to be joined in this episode by Phil Pritchard who is better known to most folks as The Keeper of the Cup (in fact, that's his Twitter handle ). As a Vice-President of the Resource Center and Curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, ON, one of Phil's many responsibilities is to accompany the Stanley Cup on many of its global journeys. During our Conversation with Ph...

We made inquiries to Taylor Swift's camp for her to join us in advance of Sunday's big event, but alas ... fear not! We have the next best thing with Dr. Edward Hirt , the Director of Pedagogy at Indiana University's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. He's also the Director of IU's HirtLab . Much of Dr. Hirt's interest focuses on the hows and whys of sports fan...

We're joined in this episode by Hedy Eischeid, a retired Wisconsin educator who now lives and works in the Anchorage, AK, area. During our time with Hedy we learn how she became a sports fan (think heredity), her love of all things Super Bowl, what it's like to attend games at Green Bay's historic Lambeau Field as well as what it's like to have an ownership stake in her favorite NF...

We're excited to be joined in this episode by a name that's synonymous with basketball in the city of Detroit: Sam Washington Jr. During our time with Sam he shares many a tale from his time working side-by-side with his father ( Sam Sr. ) at St. Cecilia's aka "The Saint" located at Livernois and Stearns on the city's west side. The Saint served as the crucible Detroit ba...

We're joined in this episode by David McEllis, one half of the the podcasting duo (along with Matt Kuzma) who bring the world the abundantly entertaining show: 1988 Topps . McEllis and Kuzma do deep dives on one of the 792 cards from the 1988 Topps Baseball Card Set. You're able to find the show on Facebook (1988 Topps Podcast), Twitter (@Topps1988), and Instagram (@1988ToppsPodcast). Duri...

We're joined this week by Dennis Harp , a native of tiny Wolcottville, IN, a small college basketball player at Dawson (MT) Community College and Marty (SD) College, and the 1-time youngest NCAA Division I head coach at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX. Today, Dennis is the Executive Director of the Dawson College Foundation . During our discussion he retraces his fandom from his youth...

In this bonus episode we're joined by a husband and wife from the greater Seattle area: Frank Piwowar and Pam Kruse. Frank's a Michigan native who, somewhat inexplicably, is a University of Michigan Wolverine fan though he's a graduate of Michigan State University. (He shares how it came to be:-) Pam's a lifelong Washington resident and a product of Western Washington University wh...

We're finishing up a 2-week break from work and also are regularly scheduled Thursday podcast drops. Today, host Doug Hill, takes a look back at a handful of his favorites from Season 2 and asks our listeners to provide any suggestions for future guests by emailing him at hilldouglast@gmail.com Links to previous episodes referenced by Doug: Season 2, Episode 22 - Doc Emrick Season 2, Episode 1...

We are delighted to be joined in this episode by fans of each of the four schools competing in this year's NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Playoffs. We engage in an enjoyable and civil discussion with our four panelists about their earliest memories of being a fan of their schools, what gameday is like in Ann Arbor, Austin, Seattle, and Tuscaloosa, the current state of college football, and, of...

In this special holiday season episode, we're joined by Father Ron Victor , pastor at St. Isidore Church in Macomb, MI. Fr. Ron reflects on that day in 1962 when he became a Norm Cash fan, how he became a Michigan State Spartans' fan, the importance of sports during his 17 years in the seminary, recollections of the 1957 Detroit Lions' NFL Championship , and how he was in the building...

In this episode we're joined by educator and sports fan Todd Bloch who lived a life of assimilation as the child of a cardiologist whos family did a fair amount of moving. Todd spent time during his formative years in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Quincy, IL, and Kent, CT. Todd was a fan of the Atlanta Braves thanks in part because his father's office at Grady Memorial Hospital overlooked Fulton Cou...

Kevin Beers, the voice of the Oakland (MI) University Golden Grizzlies, joins us in this episode. Kevin has been the O'rena's public address announcer since 2004. His roots in the Detroit-area - and fandom of the home teams - goes back even further. A graduate of Walled Lake Central HS, Kevin recalls early trips to Detroit's Tiger Stadium with his father to Kevin's favorite Tiger,...

We're joined in this episode by Connor Ryan, a twentysomething from suburban Detroit who played quite a lot of hockey growing up. Unsurprisingly, then, we learn that one of his earliest memories of being a sports fan involve the Detroit Red Wings-Pittsburgh Penguins 2009 Stanley Cup Final Game 7 (won by Pittsburgh, 2-1) at a block party at his friend's house. We also hear tell of a chance...

In this episode we're joined by Mark Shirk, a former political science professor who's an avid baseball fan. You're able to find Mark on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, "Exploring Baseball History" under the handle of @bballhist where he regularly posts baseball content. During our time with Mark we learn about his contrarian nature as a youngster, choosing to supp...

In this episode we're joined by Ron Teasley, one of three surviving members of baseball's Negro Major Leagues. At 96-years-old, Teasley is easily our most seasoned guest and we're incredibly grateful for his gift of time, recollections, and insights into a very different era of athletics and being a sports fan. Some useful links that are referenced during our time with Teasley: Teasley...

We're joined this week by Canadian transplant Brent Savidant. The son of a Canadian Air Force member, Brent and his family spent time in various remote outposts throughout Canada and even several years on a NATO base in the Netherlands. It was during this stint overseas that Brent has his first core sports memory: The 1974 World Cup Final between the Netherlands and host West Germany. Dutch st...

We're joined this week by a pair of notable sports fans. One is highly acclaimed sports photographer Jean Fruth. The other is the former President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum , Jeff Idelson. Together, the pair have founded Grassroots Baseball , a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to promoting and enhancing the game of baseball, especially at the amateur levels. The organizati...

In this episode we're joined by longtime Seattle-area resident Tom Steury who shares tales of the Mariners, SuperSonics, and Seahawks where he's been a season-ticket holder for years which makes him a bonafide 12th Man . Tom also reminsces about his early life growing up in Berne, IN, huddling around an uncle's TV to watch tiny Milan defeat Muncie Central, 32-30, (the inspiration for t...

We're joined in this episode by Alex Parker, a Fairbanks, AK, native who grew to love sports early on thanks to his father, Tim ( S:1, E:3 ). At first, it was exposure to local hockey teams such as the University of Alaska Nanooks and the NAHL's Fairbanks Ice Dogs . Later, he was exposed to the beautiful game at the 2010 and 2014 Men's World Cups. After matriculating to Denver Universi...

We're joined in this episode by Steve Nagengast, a retired CPA from the Grand Rapids, MI, area who is, shall we say, a big Detroit Tigers' baseball fan. How big you ask? Well, big enough to have amassed a collection of over 1,200 autographed baseballs of - primarily - Detroit Tigers. Among some of the more unique items: Allan Travers who pitched one game for the Detroit Tigers during the 1...

We're joined today by John Pakledinaz a now-retired educator and union leader from Farwell, MI, who previously appeared in S:1, E:12 (Little League Baseball World Series Special). In this episode, John gets the full "Conversations" treatment. We learn about going to Detroit Tigers' games with his Teamsters' member father who parked at the union hall on Trumbull Avenue and wal...

We're joined in this episode by Andy Appleby, founder and owner of the 4-team United Shore Professional Baseball League in Utica, MI. Andy has spent a lifetime working in the sports business, beginning out of Springfield (MA) College with the Detroit Pistons before ultimately founding General Sports Worldwide. It was through this enterprise that he wound up becoming chairman and owner of the D...

In this episode we're joined by Fran Scislowicz, a 47-year coach in southeastern Michigan, including his forthcoming 37th season in the dugout of the Rochester Adams Highlanders' softball team. For his work on the diamond, Scislowicz was a 2011 inductee in the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. A native of metro-Detroit, Fran's able to trace his fando...

Today's guest is Ashley Bettas-Alcala, an educator and union leader in San Bernardino, CA, who is a third-generation Pullman, WA, native. This means we dive deep into Washington State University talk during this episode. The conversation ranges from Cougars' quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe , Ryan Leaf , and Gardner Minshew to football coaches Babe Hollingberry , Dennis Erickson , Mike Price , an...

This week's conversation with Rich Maison begins normally enough. He shares how his fascination with sports began with a long-ago Detroit Tiger and Pittsburgh Pirate first baseman, Jason Thompson . Nicknamed "Rooftop" during his Detroit days for a pair of prodigious shots in 1977 that he deposited on top of Tiger Stadium, he captivated young Rich in his childhood home. (No footage of...