The Moonlight Graham Show

Episode 128 brings a little class and sophistication to the podcast. On the heels of our discussion about one of the greatest video games we played as kids...and adults, this week brings a discussion of art and American culture. Vincent van Gogh even gets his first (and likely only) Moonlight Graham shout out. Andy Brown is a Brit who has spent the last several years painting baseball parks in Sou...

The Moonlight Graham Show is all about fun and games but this week's episode takes that to an all-new level. For episode 127, Tim joined Iowa Tecmo for a tournament at The Keg Stand to put his Tecmo skills to the test. After some confidence-building warmup games, Tim found out just what he had gotten himself into.  With 1993 Buffalo Bills highlights playing on TV, the scene was set for a day spent...

We've had some incredible wrestlers on the podcast. The Moonlight wrestling crew includes high school, college, World, and Olympic champions. However, it was a small-time tv news reporter that has one of the wildest wrestling stories of them all. Ben Hildebrandt was on an assignment to catch a glimpse of a real-life giant when the lines of fake wrestling and real assault were blurred.  Ben Hildebr...

A six-foot-tall wide receiver is essentially an underdog by definition. But this week's Moonlighter made his name by being willing to do whatever it took to get his on the field. Catching passes, running reverses, special teams, even throwing the ball, Josh Lenz was willing to do it all. Lenz was a Dubuque Hempstead standout who was a fan favorite for the Iowa State Cyclones and ended his pro care...

Episode 124 brings together some of our favorite things in the sports world: obscure sports facts, bragging rights, and an underdog athlete. Reed McManigal, the pride of Mason City, sits down in a multipart interview with Tim to break down Reed's pursuit of a Guinness World Record for the fastest 1-mile run while dribbling a basketball.  Breaking a Guinness World Record is more than just doing som...

Most Moonlighters have chased their dream on the field or court. This week, our Moonlighter chased his dream into the woodshop. Jeremy Mitchell loves baseball and art but it wasn't until a project with a skateboard company that he realized his future. The Mitchell Bat Company was born out of creativity, hard work, and hardwood.   This week Tim connects with Jeremy Mitchell of Nashville, TN to talk...

If wrestling had a hometown, Osage, Iowa would be in contention for that honor. The town of about 3500 has produced two Olympic wrestlers and perhaps the first-family of Iowa wrestling. With 6 state titles, 3 Big Ten Championships, 6 All Americans, a national championship, international success, and an Olympian, it is safe a safe bet that the mantle on the Schwab family fireplace has had to be rei...

Imagine being so good at your sport that you had to go shop around to find some competition. After 3 stellar years playing local competition, Brad Nelson had become such a threat that many opponents wouldn't even pitch to him. After a phenomenal sophomore campaign, Nelson was arguably the best baseball player in Iowa and was treated that way as a junior. It was clear that his baseball career was g...

In this impromptu bonus episode, Tim Flattery interviews the Minnesota Twins' Visiting team Clubhouse manager, Marcus McKenzie. 

Iowa track fans know Shelby's name from her days of burning up the Drake blue oval and high school cross country courses. She was both the Gatorade cross country and track and field athlete of the year in Iowa during her senior year at Sioux City East. After a stellar high school running career, Shelby was heading for warmer weather in Tempe and joining the Sun Devils of Arizona State.  After adju...

Sports were like a playground where Mike could spend his days shooting hoops, running, lifting weights, or whatever else he could get his hands into. Mike grew up running around Fort Dodge, IA playing every sport or spending countless hours at the YMCA. He got an interest in weightlifting in middle school and with an added spark from movies like Rocky IV or Bloodsport, it became a passion . Mike's...

ESPN College GameDay is coming to Ames and that is just throwing gasoline on the fire. There are only about 130 miles between the two campuses and both fanbases have proud tailgating cultures. Students, alums, and fans of all stripes will be rolling into Ames bright and early on Saturday morning.  With as much as our state is known for wrestling or the success our college basketball teams may have...

Growing up in Dubuque County, baseball was more than just a game. Tim and Colin talk about the baseball tradition in Cascade and the ballplayers Rea and his friends looked up to. After a successful high school career, Rea took his only D-I offer and made the trip to the University of Northern Iowa. The fellow UNI Panthers reminisce about their time in the final years of the program and the now lau...

Jason Knutzon spent part of his youth playing golf in Eagle Grove, IA before qualifying for four NCAA Regionals and being named All-Big 12 for Iowa State. After a successful college golf career, Jason worked to earn a PGA tour card by battling on the Web.com Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) and competing in Q School. After fighting to keep his pro card on the Nationwide Tour, Knutzon got his break on th...

This week takes every Moonlight fan inside the ropes for a big-time amateur golf tournament with Moonlighter, and former Hawkeye, Sam Meuret. Sam took Tim under his wing and made him his caddy for a day this summer. Tim and Sam talk strategy, tips, and caddy etiquette as the drove from West Des Moines to the US Amateur qualifier at Shadow Ridge Country Club in Omaha. After four years of playing fo...

Episode 113 brings one of the great Hawkeye guards into the studio, Jeff Horner. Tim and Moonlighter Jack Brownlee sit down with the Mason City product to talk about his time as a Mohawk, Hawkeye, as a pro in Europe, and now walking the sideline as a coach. Jeff has seen a lot on the hardwood and has some great stories to tell. Horner committed to Steve Alford and the Iowa Hawkeyes as a ninth-grad...

How many home runs does it take before a guy knows when he can "pimp a home run" and when you need to try to leg out a double? Apparently, the answer is more than 200 because this week's Moonlighter had to second guess himself even in the last plate appearance of his career. Cody Decker was drafted in the 22nd round in 2009 by the San Diego Padres and played across the US and for Team Israel. His...

In this "emergency" podcast, Tim Flattery, Sean Murphy, and Big Ben Meyer offer their analysis on next year's Yankees vs. White Sox game at the Field of Dreams. 

Episode 110 takes Moonlight Graham into the workshop of Jimmy Lonetti and D&J Glove Repair in Minneapolis. Jimmy and his son Dom started their business as a sort of hobby when they saw the need for repairs in little league. That hobby has turned into a business that brings baseball mitts of all conditions back to life. Tim bought a 1930s glove that looked like it belonged in the trash heap and aft...

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Episode 109 will have you feeling like a spring chicken as Tim sits down with the ultimate under(and older)dog, Jim Morris. Baseball fans will recognize the name right away and so will movie buffs. The 2002 movie The Rookie is based on Morris's return to baseball after a "career-ending" injury and a career change to become a teacher and coach. Dennis...

Season 6 breaks the tape just in time for the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships at Iowa's own track Mecca; Drake Stadium. Mike Mahon sits down with Tim to talk about his career as media coordinator for the Drake Relays and press officer for the Olympic teams in 1992, 1996, and 2004. Mahon shares stories about some of the biggest names in USA track history as well as insights into this week...

Tim sits down with his loyal cohost, Tom Griffin, and Big Ben Meyer to answer all of your mailbag questions. Things get a little loose in the studio this week so buckle up!

Not all Moonlighters start out as underdogs. We have had a lot of athletes on the podcast who have stories about overcoming long odds or being part of a special team. This week's guest was a star in high school and college and then had to find his way into a Major League lineup. Once Casey Blake took a hold of the hot corner in Cleveland, he was an everyday guy in the Majors for the next 9 seasons...

What can you do in 4 minutes? Maybe fire up your Keurig and get your coffee ready before leaving for work or chow down your lunch before heading into the next meeting? Well, this week's Moonlighter is one of only four Iowans who could burn up a track for 1600m in under 4-minutes. Blake Boldon was a successful high school runner from Clarke Community in Osceola who went worked hard every day to rea...

You can always tell when a guy is the best athlete at a small Iowa high school on a football Friday night by looking at the program. The key is to start by looking for the QB. A standout athlete will also have a defensive position. But two other letters, K and P, really show a guy that does it all on the field. When you see something like QB-DB-K-P, you can assume the coach is leaning on his stud....