Sports Connections with David Smale

Episode 54: Don Smale - It's in His Blood

Don Smale, the cousin of our host, David Smale, grew up around the sport of bowling. His parents bowled in leagues when he was a child, and he and his brother immersed themselves in the game. Don bowled collegiately but then recognized that he didn’t have the talent to be on the pro tour. He decided to stay involved in the sport, which once was the most popular participation sport in America. He joins us to talk about the past, present and future of the well-loved sport.

Episode 53: Ryan Lefebvre - Highs and Lows (Part 2 of 2)

Ryan Lefebvre grew up around the sport of baseball. His father was a former Major League player before Ryan was old enough to notice. But Jim Lefebvre later became a coach and a manager and Ryan followed along. An excellent college baseball player, Ryan had a cup of coffee in professional baseball—maybe more of a shot of espresso—but he has carved out a niche as one of the best play-by-play men in the game. He fought a personal battle with depression through much of his career, before finally recognizing that being more open about it helped in his recovery. His two-part interview focuses on both stories.

Episode 52: Ryan Lefebvre - Highs and Lows (Part 1 of 2)

Ryan Lefebvre grew up around the sport of baseball. His father was a former Major League player before Ryan was old enough to notice. But Jim Lefebvre later became a coach and a manager and Ryan followed along. An excellent college baseball player, Ryan had a cup of coffee in professional baseball—maybe more of a shot of espresso—but he has carved out a niche as one of the best play-by-play men in the game. He fought a personal battle with depression through much of his career, before finally recognizing that being more open about it helped in his recovery. His two-part interview focuses on both stories.

Episode 51: Sarah Thomas - Trailblazer

Sarah Thomas didn’t grow up wanting to be an official. Being raised in an athletic family led her to be a competitive athlete. But when her playing days were over, she still wanted to be involved in high-level sports. That led to her pursuing a career as an official, starting small before eventually landing on the NFL stage. This past February, she became the first female to officiate in a Super Bowl. She has a great perspective about it, including having a good sense of humor.

Episode 50: Tim Grunhard - The Newest Member of the Chiefs Ring of Honor

Tim Grunhard was an anchor of the Chiefs offensive line for the decade of the 1990s. But more than 20 years after he snapped the last football through his legs, he remains a favorite of Chiefs fans and football fans in general in Kansas City. With the announcement on Saturday that he is going in the Chiefs Ring of Honor, his bubbly personality and self-deprecating humor make him everybody’s buddy. He joins us to talk about many of his experiences of playing football for the Chiefs Kingdom.

Episode 49: Neil Smith - Sackman

The running buddy for Chiefs all-time great Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith achieved stardom on his own as well. The fierce defensive end who usually lined up on the opposite side of the defense as Thomas, Smith stands as the third leading tackler in franchise history, even though he only played nine seasons in Kansas City. The Chiefs gave up a lot to move up one spot to grab him in the 1988 NFL Draft, and it was well worth it.

Episode 48: Jan Stenerud - Getting His Kicks

Jan Stenerud’s first love was ski jumping, a skill he honed in his native Norway. But when he was told that he could get a college scholarship, and even get paid, just for kicking an oblong ball through the goal posts, he was all in. He did it better than anybody, becoming the first pure kicker enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was one of eight players on the Chiefs Super Bowl IV team to eventually end up in Canton.

Episode 47: Bobby Bell - Jack of All Trades, Master of…All of Them

Bobby Bell was the first of 18 Chiefs players to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, going in as part of the class of 1983. A sideline-to-sideline linebacker with great speed and strength, he also could throw a spiral more than 80 yards. He was the best pure athlete the Chiefs have ever had, and maybe one of the best in pro football history. His infectious laugh will brighten your day, as he retells some of his favorite days in the NFL.

Episode 46: Lin Elliott - Time for Healing

Lin Elliott is vilified by an entire region for choosing a bad day to have a bad game. The second-most successful kicker in Kansas City Chiefs history, Elliott missed three field goals in a three-point playoff loss. But he has never been afraid to accept the blame, even though there were plenty of other players who shared the blame. Chiefs fans should put their animosity away, because Elliott is a gracious and humble person you’ll come to admire.

Episode 45: Kenny Harrison - A ‘Hop, Skip and a Jump’ to Greatness

Kenny Harrison is one of the best athletes you probably haven’t heard of. He was a 16-time Big 8 champion and a 13-time All-American jumper at Kansas State. He won major international championships, including the 1996 Olympic gold medal in the triple jump. But he never let success get in the way of his pursuit of greatness.