Sports Connections with David Smale

Episode 24: Joe Posnanski - Just Your ‘Average Joe’

One of the best-loved sportswriters in America, Joe Posnanski has achieved success just by being himself. He’s not afraid to make fun of himself, or to bring real-life situations with which his readers can relate into the world of sports. Joe has covered multiple national and international events in the US, but he’s so down to earth that you feel like you’ve known him for years, even if you’ve never had the chance to meet him. Joe is unique. While most of the rest of us have favorite players like Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente, Joe’s favorite player is Duane Kuiper. Joe joins “Sports Connections” to talk about all things sports. We guarantee you’ll laugh multiple times.

Episode 23: Dave LaRoche - LaStory Behind the Famous Pitch

Dave LaRoche had a decent career in Major League Baseball, going 65–58, with 819 strikeouts in 1,0491⁄3 innings pitched, and a career 3.53 ERA. But he is best-known for a pitch he used sparingly, a 28-mph curveball he called “LaLob.” It resembled a slow-pitch softball pitch and it confounded hitters gearing up for pitches more than three times faster. The most famous “LaLob” came against Milwaukee Brewers slugger Gorman Thomas, who spun a complete 360 after missing strike three. LaRoche joins “Sports Connections” to talk about that pitch, his entire baseball career and raising three sons who also played professional baseball.

Episode 22: Bill Hancock - Putting His ‘Bill Hancock’ on Events to Make Them Official

Bill Hancock appears on your television screen far more than you realize, unless you’re one of the fortunate people who has the privilege of knowing him. When the cameras show the College Football Playoff committee in their meetings, Bill is there. When the winning coaches and their teams appear on the stage after the CFP games, Bill is there. Before he took the role as the executive director of the College Football Playoff, he had a similar role—and similar exposure—with the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. One of the nicest guys in sports, Bill joins “Sports Connections” to talk about his charmed life, but in his typical humble manner.

Episode 21: Wyatt Thompson - Genuine Fan

Wyatt Thompson is not unlike many people who fill his role for colleges and universities around the country. As the play-by-play voice for the school’s athletic teams, he’s expected to be the teams’ biggest fan while maintaining fairness. It’s a delicate balance, but Wyatt pulls it off beautifully. He follows a long line of successful broadcasters at Kansas State, and he has won the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year Award four years in a row, and six times in his 19 years in the role. He’s as nice away from the court or field as he is enthusiastic in action. He joins “Sports Connections” to give us some insight about his love for his Wildcats and the role he fills.

Episode 20: Peter Vermes - Kansas City's "Own"

Peter Vermes came to Kansas City for the final three years of his long playing career in 2000 as a member of the Kansas City Wizards, helping the club win the 2000 MLS Cup. Once a high-scoring forward, he switched to defense because his pro team needed someone with his skills and knowledge in that role. He was just as good in that role, and was named the MLS Defender of the Year in 2000. When the career of the native of southern New Jersey ended, he stuck around. He became the club’s manager and technical director in 2009, and he’s now the longest-tenured manager/head coach in MLS. As manager of Sporting Kansas City, he’s won one MLS Cup and three US Open Cups. He joins “Sports Connections” to talk about his coaching success and his love for his adopted hometown.

Episode 19: Gordon Docking - Life's Lessons Taught in a Unique Way

It’s not uncommon for people to say that life lessons can be learned through sports. Things like teamwork, determination, perseverance and tenacity can be learned through competition. For Gordon Docking, a former Division I athlete and later a sports anchor at several local news stations, those lessons came from observing his son with Down Syndrome. Docking wrote a book called, Blake and Me: The Life Lessons I’ve Learned From the Best Teacher I Ever Had. Blake showed Gordon how to celebrate small victories, how to stop practicing and just start playing, and how to see the good in both sides of a competition. He joins “Sports Connections” to share those lessons and many others.

Episode 18: Jay Bilas - The Experts' Expert

Jay Bilas is one of America’s premier experts on college basketball. The former Duke forward and assistant coach has spent the last 25 years telling viewers his strong opinions, including what’s right and what’s wrong with college basketball. A brilliant communicator, he’s passionate about student-athlete’s rights. He also can tell you the most minute detail about pretty much any college basketball program or player in America. A long-time friend, he joins “Sports Connections” with his usual candor and sense of humor.

Episode 17: Mark Brandmeyer - Connecting the Past to the Future

Sometimes rebranding happens to kick-start a marketing effort. Sometimes rebranding happens to draw needed attention to a struggling business. Then there's the story of the Kansas City Monarchs. The Kansas City T-Bones Minor League Baseball team announced recently that they would change their name to the "Monarchs," the appropriately named "royalty" franchise of the Negro Leagues, which celebrates its 101st birthday tomorrow. Owner Mark Brandmeyer worked with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for months to make the switch, to pay homage to the storied history of Kansas City's first championship team. The Monarchs will generate interest in and revenue for the Museum, including having a traveling NLBM Museum at all home and many road games. Brandmeyer joins “Sports Connections” to talk about the long-term partnership with one of Kansas City's most important businesses.

Episode 16: Bob Kendrick - Carrying a Banner with Dignity and Purpose

The Negro National League became an official entity 101 years ago tomorrow (Feb. 13). For the past 26 years, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum has commemorated the efforts of the men and women who brought baseball to an underserved segment of our society. Giving Black players a chance to play the game they loved, when Major League Baseball prohibited them just because of the color of their skin, created one of the largest minority-owned businesses of the era. An ambassador for the Negro Leagues, and baseball in general, NLBM President Bob Kendrick has hosted former presidents and dignitaries from around the world at the Museum over the past 10 years. He joins “Sports Connections” to talk about the recent, long-overdue news that Major League Baseball would recognize Negro Leagues stats as official.

Episode 15: George Toma - The Man of Sod

For the 55th consecutive time, the field for last night’s Super Bowl was prepared by George Toma—the Nitty Gritty Dirt Man, the Marquis de Sod. Toma was selected by then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to prepare the field for the first AFL-NFL Championship Game (the game wasn’t called the Super Bowl until the third version) after seeing the field at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium in the mid-1960s. Toma has been at every Super Bowl since then, including Super Bowl LV yesterday, five days after his 92nd birthday. He joins “Sports Connections” today to talk about his approach to field management…and then some.