Sports Connections with David Smale

Episode 34: Joel Goldberg - Headliner on the Sidelines

Joel Goldberg has his own following in Kansas City. He’s the host of the Kansas City Royals’ pre- and post-game shows on Fox Sports Kansas City, as well as the guy who tells the side stories during the game. He’s been working in sports for three decades, and he has found his home in Kansas City. Joel joins Sports Connections to talk about his relationship with the various broadcasters he’s worked with, and the role of the “sideline reporter” in baseball.

Episode 33: Clark Kellogg - Grace and Class with a Smile

Clark Kellogg is one of the most recognizable voices and faces in college basketball broadcasting. The former Ohio State All-American, Clark transitioned seamlessly from a productive but injury-shortened playing career to the broadcast booth, doing both college and pro basketball games. Clark joins Sports Connections to talk about some of his famous catchphrases and his favorite memories of being around the game for the past four decades.

Episode 32: Ann Meyers Drysdale - A Lifetime of Firsts

A quick scan of Ann Meyers-Drysdale’s resume reveals a series of firsts, from being the first female four-year scholarship recipient at UCLA to being the first woman to sign an NBA contract and many others. She is well-known beyond her playing career and has spent nearly three decades broadcasting college basketball and WNBA games. She’s also served in leadership roles with NBA and WNBA teams. The widow of Baseball Hall-of-Famer Don Drysdale, Ann joins Sports Connections to talk about growing up in an athletic family that never settled for anything but maximum effort.

Episode 31: Joanne McCallie - A New Set of Goals

Joanne McCallie was the first Division I head women’s basketball coach to win a conference title in four different conferences and the first to be named conference coach of the year in four different conferences. She stepped down as the head coach at Duke following the 2019-20 season to focus on writing a book on her battle with a bipolar diagnosis. Coach P joins “Sports Connections” to talk about her roles in college basketball, and how she hopes her book will help others struggling with the same issue.

Episode 30: Dave Pasch - Seeing the Bright Side of Sports

Dave Pasch is one of the most talented play-by-play voices at ESPN, handling both college basketball and NBA duties. He’s also the radio voice of the Arizona Cardinals. Like so many others at ESPN, he’s a graduate of Syracuse, where he developed the talent to let the color man be the focus of the broadcast, including such colorful partners as Bill Walton. Dave joins “Sports Connections” to talk about the adventure of broadcasting games with Walton, and many other fun stories from his career.

Episode 29: Tracy Ringolsby - A Baseball Standard

Tracy Ringolsby has been covering Major League Baseball longer than 10 current Major League teams have existed. He’s the preeminent writer in all of baseball. But he’s just as comfortable on his sprawling ranch in Wyoming as he is in a press box. A Cowboy, literally and figuratively, the University of Wyoming grad was introduced to baseball by fellow Wyoming native Curt Gowdy, whose Red Sox calls were broadcast throughout the state. Tracy joins “Sports Connections” to talk about life on the ranch (though he says that 200 acres is too small to be called a ranch in Wyoming) and his love for the National Pastime.

Episode 28: Brandon Martin - An Up-and-Comer

Can you “go places” and stay where you are, at the same time? University of Missouri-Kansas City athletics director Dr. Brandon Martin is going places. He is considered one of the rising stars in college athletics. But he’s not looking at the Kansas City job as a stepping stone. He’s setting up roots at the university, and he’s taking the UMKC program to new heights quickly. Brandon joins “Sports Connections” to talk about the advantages of being at a university in the heart of a thriving city, and his goals for the Kangaroos’ program.

Episode 27: Bob Herzog - Newspaper Ink in His Blood

Bob Herzog has spent his entire adult life in the newspaper industry. He spent most of that time in various roles at Newsday, one of the nation’s largest newspapers. Bob is a lifelong baseball fan and bleeds Yankees pinstripes. But he also recognizes the advantages the team has simply existing in the nation’s largest media market. Bob joins “Sports Connections” to talk about the past, present and future of the newspaper industry, as well as his opinions on the fairness of Major League Baseball.

Episode 26: Tom Waggoner - Celebrating Kansas City’s Leadership

Kansas City has a lot to brag about, including the best Bar-B-Que in the world. But another strength of Kansas City is its leadership in sports architecture. A vast majority of sports stadiums and arenas in America were designed by Kansas City-area firms. Tom Waggoner is putting together a book on how KC gained its status. Tom joins “Sports Connections” to talk about that history, and what it means for people looking for reasons to brag about this great city.

Episode 25: Kevin Harlan - The ‘Voice of America’

Kevin Harlan is one of the most talented—and most versatile—broadcasters in America. He can go from calling a Super Bowl on the radio to calling an NBA game on television to calling a college game on either medium to doing an interview on local radio, without skipping a beat. He works with Hall of Famers from either sport. And his calls of fans and animals running on the field often are the highlights of the game. Kevin joins “Sports Connections” to talk about his background and his tireless work in making sportsfans days more fulfilling.