Episodes
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Season 5, Episode 59 - Todd Eagle
Alabama photojournalist Todd Eagle from Birmingham's WVTM's Channel 13 is our guest in this episode of Conversations. A native, Todd grew up on a steady diet of the region's professional sports teams, notably the Red Wings and Lions. A family move to Hilton Head, SC, introduced him to the South,...
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Season 5, Episode 58 - Brad Schlossman
In this episode, we're joined Grand Forks (ND) Herald sportswriter Brad Schlossman. Since 2005, Brad has been the go-to source for college hockey in North Dakota and the surrounding area. A native of Fargo, Brad traces his sports fandom roots to the grandstands at Fargo South High School with his...
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Season 5, Episode 57 - Audrey Feldman
As the United States moves toward its midterm elections, it seems an appropriate time to have Audrey Feldman join Conversations and discuss the recent research she and her colleagues at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government completed earlier this year. The title of the working paper...
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Season 5, Episode 56 - Gardy Banks (aka @dudelovesfood)
Georgia's Gardy Banks loves himself some food. So much so, in fact, that he's built a social media following as @dudelovesfood, and during the 2025 NFL season, Gardy made a visit to all 30 NFL venues to sample their offerings. He admits to returning from an uber-busy Fall of 2025 a touch heavier,...
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Season 5, Episode 55 - Nick Lionas
Our guest this episode is Nick Lionas, the Director of Miracle League Programs and Community Engagement for the Easterseals of Michigan's Macomb-Oakland Regional Center (MORC). The Miracle League is an adaptive sports and recreation program that provides children and adults with physical and...
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Season 5, Episode 54 - Paul Shaheen
In this episode, we're joined by Paul Shaheen, a freelance hockey contributor based in the Chicago area. Paul's work appears occasionally on Sirius/XM's NHL Network Radio; on "The Drive with Jack Ebling," a radio show based in Lansing, MI; CHQR 770 AM in Calgary, Alberta; and TSN Radio 690 AM in...
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Season 5, Episode 53 - Gary White
As Major League Baseball's post-season ramps up, we're joined by one of the original Australian Baseball League's all-time greats, Gary White. The ABL season begins in mid-November, which likely means Gary's suburban Sydney Diamond One Baseball & Softball shop is bustling these days. That...
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Season 5, Episode 52 - Erik "The Peanut Guy" Mertens
As baseball's regular season comes to a close this weekend, it seemed an appropriate time to talk to someone who knows a thing or two about visiting ballparks. Erik Mertens aka "The Peanut Guy," has been a member of the Tri-City Dust Devils' staff since their introduction 25 years ago. Somewhere...
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Season 5, Episode 51 - James Rowlands
In this episode, we're joined by a professional world traveler (seriously, he's a commercial pilot!) and fan of major events, James Rowlands, who shares how a resident of Leeds, England, just recently watched a game in his 30th MLB ballpark. (He was even featured by MLB.com!) Oh yeah, he also...
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Season 5, Episode 50 - Dr. Aaron Mansfield
We're joined in this episode by Dr. Aaron Mansfield, associate professor of sports management at Merrimack College. A native of the Buffalo, NY, area, Aaron is unsurprisingly a big fan of the Bills and Sabres. We spend a fair amount of time learning about his early years of fandom and how the…
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Season 5, Episode 49 - Danny Funt
Our guest in this episode is writer and editor Danny Funt. Earlier in 2026, Danny's debut book-length work was published. Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling builds on Funt's years of work exploring The Washington Post and The New Yorker. In addition to sharing...
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Season 5, Episode 48 - Philip Hover-Smoot
Our guest this episode is Philip Hover-Smoot, the founder and chief executive officer of the Atlas Cup, which bills itself as the first professional orbital racing league. Put another way: space racing. The Atlas Cup remains in the building phase with a goal of providing racing fans with a…
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Season 5, Episode 47 - Scott Michaels
Our guest this week is Scott Michaels, a one-time broadcast journalist turned educator. Michaels is originally from the greater New York City area, attended the University of Michigan for his undergrad work, and then went on a journey all too familiar to those in the broadcasting field. He…
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Season 5, Episode 46 - Joe Flynn
We're rejoined by Joe Flynn in this Conversation to discuss his updated Fantasy Football for Good Draft Guide. Joe was previously with us to discuss his capstone project for his executive certificate through George Washington University's College of Business Sports Philanthropy program. As…
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Season 5, Episode 45 - Joey Ellis
Carolina Sports Live's Joey Ellis joins us in this episode to discuss his life as a sports fan growing up in western Michigan, the moment he knew he wanted to work in sports media, and his journey through several sports markets on his way to Charlotte, NC. Joey recalls his early childhood…
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Season 5, Episode 44 - Ben Tolchinsky
Our guest in this episode is Ben Tolchinsky, an Ohio native who's now transplanted to Georgia. Ben has long worked in the market research field and, along the way, has lent his expertise to some of the world's largest corporations. All of which explains why this longtime fan of Cleveland's…
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Season 5, Episode 43 - Mark Yeaton
We're joined in this episode by Mark Yeaton, a sixth-grade teacher from Columbus, IN. Oh yeah, Mark's also a major fan of cycling! He recently completed a Tour de France-inspired charity ride that featured a Grand Depart each morning from his driveway on a different route totaling about 100…
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Season 5, Episode 42 - Jeff Kutschman
We're joined in this episode by Jeff Kutschman, a middle school a longtime middle school social studies teacher and coach who lives, works, and grew up in suburban Detroit. Jeff shares recollection of spending a fair amount of time in the Palace of Auburn Hills, where he and his friends would…
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Season 5, Episode 41 - 2026 World Cup Special
Longtime listeners to Conversations might recall Stephen Miller, a guest with a distinct passion for all things soccer, especially the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the fact that it was being contested in North America. Well, we figured the only fitting way to put a bow on this latest installment of…
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Season 5, Episode 40 - Rob LaCommare
We're joined in this episode by Rob LaCommare, a sports fan almost from the beginning. A Detroit-area native, Rob grew up a fan of the Detroit Tigers and the Michigan Wolverines. He wound up attending Michigan State University, which rocked his world ... a little ... and has been living in the...
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Season 5, Episode 39 - Dr. Trey Rogers
We're joined in this Conversation by Michigan State University professor, Dr. Trey Rogers. Dr. Rogers is a professor within MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and has been since 1988. Along the way, he's fostered a love of turf to countless students and, by the way, has headed up...
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Season 5, Episode 38 - Jared Harman
In this episode we're joined by British Columbia's, Jared Harman. Jared is the CEO and Co-Founder of The One Group Agency, a full-service marketing firm based in Vancouver. A lifelong Canucks' fan, Jared's nearly always been connected with sports. Whether it be as an athlete himself ("I grew up…
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Season 5, Episode 37 - Mark Griffiths
Our guest this week, Mark Griffiths, is no stranger to Wrexham AFC soccer fans. He's the voice of the Red Dragons and has been since 1988 when he began commentating calling matches for the local hospital radio station. Through the years, Mark readily admits to having witnessed plenty of - at…
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Season 5, Episode 36 - Ron Teasley Jr. (Father's Day Special)
Our guest in this special Father's Day Conversation is Ron Teasley Jr. Ron joins us to discuss not only his life as a sports fan, but also his life as the son of Ron Teasley Sr. and the legacy his father leaves after passing away February 3, 2026, at the age of 99. At the time, the elder Teasley...
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Season 5, Episode 35 - Scott Crawford
Our guest in this episode is Scott Crawford, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's Director of Operations. Scott's been working at the Canadian Hall, which is located in St. Marys, Ontario, for over 20 years. We share our Conversation with him this week in advance of Saturday's Induction Ceremony...
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Season 5, Episode 34 - Erkki Corpuz
In this episode we revisit Season 5's ongoing series: What's it like being a fan of those college's "so-called" non-revenue or Olympic sports? (Listen to previous installments here, here, and here.) In this episode we're joined by Erkki Corpuz, a big fan of UCLA's Beach Volleyball Program…
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Season 5, Episode 33 - Conversations' Fourth Birthday Bonanza
As Conversations with Sports Fans celebrates its fourth birthday (here's that first episode from June 9, 2022) we decided to get a group of former guests together to talk about being a sports fan in the Year 2026. The results are this episode. Much has changed - as expected - during our lives as...
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Season 5, Episode 32 - Kim Fox
Our guest in this episode is Pittsburgh-area artist Kim Fox. Sports fans may not be readily familiar with Kim's name, but they are most-assuredly familiar with some of her recent artistic creations. Kim was commissioned by the NFL to create the logos of all 32 of its teams that adorned the…
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Season 5, Episode 31 - Mark Armour
Our guest in this episode, Mark Armour, will likely need no introduction to discerning baseball fans. A native New Englander who's now retired in the Pacific Northwest, Mark vividly recalls becoming consumed by baseball during his adolescent years, incessantly reading everything he could get his...
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Season 5, Episode 30 - Eddie Hillery
Our guest this week, Eddie Hillery, takes us on his sports fan journey from rooting for the Grant Hill-led Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills (MI) to discovering his own athletic prowess. First as a 3-sport prep athlete at Rochester (MI) High School and then as a 4-year linebacker at...
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Season 5, Episode 29 - Michael Clair
Our guest this episode is baseball writer and recently published author, Michael Clair. A native New Englander, Michael was born a Boston fan by geographic proximity but he became a fan of the Czech Republic National Team by choice after encountering it for the first time while covering a…
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Season 5, Episode 28 - Chris Ullman
Our guest this week is 4-time international whistling champion, Chris Ullman. Chris is a communications professional, author, inspirationalspeaker, and mentor by day, but by night – or, who are we kidding, pretty much any time – Chris is also a whistler. As noted previously, he’s won…
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Season 5, Episode 27 - Edith Zuschmann
We're joined in this episode by Edith Zuschmann, the co-founder, president, and chief executive officer of 261 Fearless, a global non-profit Edith founded in 2015 along with Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially complete the Boston Marathon in 1967. (Note: Kathrine's bib number that…
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Season 5, Episode 26 - Brian Fowler
Our guest in this episode of Conversations is 2-timeGuinness World Record Holder, Brian Fowler. Brian, who you can find on social media at the handle of @allinautumnwind, is a devout Las Vegas (or Los Angeles or Oakland) Raiders’ fan who grew up in California’s central valley community of...
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Season 5, Episode 25 - Melanie Thomas
In this episode we revisit Season 5's ongoing series: What's it like being a fan of those college "so-called" non-revenue or Olympic sports? (Listen to previous installments here and here.) This time we head into the swimming pool with 15-time NCAA All-American, 2-time University of Virginia MVP,...
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Season 5, Episode 24 - The Masters Experience (a Reflection)
Fresh off their experience at Augusta National Golf Club Wednesday of Masters' Week, host Doug Hill and his father, Jerry, provide a brief overview of what those magical hours were like (Spoiler: They didn't suck) as part of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project. If you're enjoying...
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Season 5, Episode 23 - Joe Flynn
We're joined in this episode by Joe Flynn. A sports fan whose interests span the entirety of the United States. A product of New England, Joe still remembers his first Boston Red Sox game back when he was a fourth grader, but also remembers getting hooked on the Madden NFL video game and fell in...
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Season 5, Episode 22 - Conversations Live at AZ Sports Cards
We took the show on the road for a remote recording from Phoenix's AZ Sports Cards during a recent visit to the "Valley of the Sun" as part of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project. Owner John Gola and his team at AZ Sports Cards were kind enough to let us set up shop for a couple...
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Season 5, Episode 21 - University of Washington Men's Soccer Fans the Patchins and Marty Rood
(Note: This is another in an ongoing series focusing on fans of the so-called college non-revenue generating sports. The first was with Perry Nigro [S:5, E:7] a Northwestern Women's Field Hockey fan.) In this episode we cover the spectrum of the 2025 National Champion University of Washington…
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Season 5, Episode 20 - Joe Grezlik
As the PGA Tour's Players Championship is now in the rearview and Spring begins to, well, spring, across the Midwest United States, we felt it was an appropriate time to have Joe Grezlik join us. Joe has been an avid golfer and fan nearly as far back as he can remember. During our time together…
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Season 5, Episode 19 - Doug Levy
Our guest this week is 1-time sports writer turned government affairs consultant, Doug Levy, who saw his first book published in early 2025; Hero Redefined: Profiles of Olympic Athletes Under the Radar. A Long Island native, Levy moved with his family to the Pacific Northwest as a youngster and…
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Season 5, Episode 18 - Puerto Rico World Baseball Classic Reflections
In this special, bite-sized Conversation, host Doug Hill and his Around the World in 80 Sporting Events travel mate for Event No. 47, Justin Byrd, offer some instant reflections from their time in San Juan, Puerto Rico, watching three games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium as part of the 2026 World...
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Season 5, Episode 17 - Jee-ho Yoo
We're delighted to be rejoined by Jee-ho Yoo, an English-language sports writer at Korea's Yonhap News Agency. Fresh off three weeks in northern Italy covering the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Jee-ho now finds himself in Tokyo for Pool C play of the World Baseball Classic where he'll be...
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Season 5, Episode 16 - Paul Schlossman
A visual artist from the Fargo, ND, area, Paul Schlossman joins this episode of Conversations to discuss his sports fandom, his "Seinfeld" fandom, and his unique artistry. Growing up a few hours from the nearest major league city (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Paul's entree into sports fandom was North...
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Season 5, Episode 15 - Ricky English from Kays Curling
In this special episode, we're pleased to be joined by Ricky English, operations' manager at Kays Curling in Ayreshire, Scotland. Kays is the only provider of curling stones for the Milano-Cortina Olympics. Further, Kays has owned this distinction since curling was reintroduced as a medal sport…
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Season 5, Episode 14 - Shamit Desai
We're joined in Conversation in this episode by Shamit Desai, a native of India who's also lived in the Houston, Detroit, London, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC, areas. Currently back in India, Shamit's an active cricket player (he's a bowler) so we naturally chat him up about cricket attempting…
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Season 5, Episode 13 - Milano Reflections
In this special bonus episode, listen in as host Doug Hill and his traveling mates, Carol, Tim, and Tracey, share their thoughts about the past week in Milano as part of the 2026 Winter Olympics which is Event No. 42 of Doug's Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project. The quartet also sums…
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Season 5, Episode 12 - Susan Schwartz (Mother of U.S. Cross-Country Skier Kendall Kramer)
We're joined in this bonus Conversation by Susan Schwartz, a Fairbanks, AK, resident and mother of of first-time Olympian, Kendall Kramer. Kendall was a dual sport standout at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, achieving All-America Status eight times in her four years competing in both...
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Season 5, Episode 11 - Richard Dalley
We continue our seasonal theme in this episode featuring Richard Dalley, former Olympic ice dancer and current Chair of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Richard and partner, Carol Fox, found the podium for seven consecutive years at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships from 1977-84. The…
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Season 5, Episode 10 - Cortina Reflections
The traveling party along for the ride in Italy with host Doug Hill for Event No. 42 of his Around the World in 80 Sporting Events Project reflect on their time spent in Cortina d'Ampezzo for a pair of events during the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Doug's wife, Carol, his friend Tim, and...
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A podcast for sports fans by a sports fan all about being a sports fan.
Hosted by
Doug Hill
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