Sports Connections with David Smale

Episode 144: ”Sister Jean” Schmidt - Divine Intervention

College basketball fans fell in love with “Sister Jean” at the tender age of 98, when her Loyola Ramblers shocked the world by reaching the Final Four in 2018. She’s the face of Loyola basketball when she’s not still working for the university by building relationships with students. She played high school basketball back in the 1930s, and she still knows plenty about the game.

Episode 143: Dan Shulman - Right At Home Behind the Mic

Dan Shulman, like many of us, grew up playing a lot of sports, though he admits that he didn’t play them well. But his skill at capturing the essence of the game makes the games he calls “must watch” television. He’s the primary voice of ESPN’s massive college basketball coverage, and he considers himself fortunate to be able to cover games all across the country inside the best arenas in America. He’s also the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, so he never has a chance to get out of practice of being behind the microphone.

Episode 142: Brian Hanni - Wheels Under His Prayers

Brian Hanni grew up loving sports, but he knew he probably wouldn't compete beyond high school. He set a goal to be a professional broadcaster, and then went to work to make it happen. His boundless energy, whether it's broadcasting Kansas' perennial basketball powerhouse or the Jayhawks' under-performing football team, comes from his love of the game and his gratitude for the opportunity.

Episode 141: Jon Sciambi - In Love with His Job

Jon Sciambi is known throughout the ESPN-inspired sports world as "Boog" because of his strong resemblance to former MLB All Star and MVP John "Boog" Powell. But Sciambi is carving his own path. One of the best college basketball broadcasters in the business, Sciambi is in Kansas City this week to broadcast the Big 12 Championship, and there's no place he'd rather be.

 

Episode 140: Jimmy Dykes - True to His Heart

Jimmy Dykes is at home every time he’s near a basketball court. Whether it was in his days as a player at the University of Arkansas, or his days as a coach throughout the southeast, or for most of the last 30 years as a college basketball analyst for ESPN, he loves his time around the game. But even more, he loves his time around home, and he’s willing to share that message with individuals or groups. His book, The Film Doesn’t Lie, examines how our lives reflect our mindset from the perspective of a coach.

Episode 139: Bill Self - Best in the Business

Bill Self’s teams have won or shared an astonishing 76 percent of their conference titles in his first 25 years as a head coach, which landed him in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. As the head coach at Kansas, he’s won nearly 82 percent of his games, including 80.6 percent of his games in the Big 12, arguably the best conference in college basketball. He’s in his 19th season at Kansas, and his teams have lost just 16 games at home during that time. He’ll likely win or share his 16th conference title this season, meaning he’ll have as many rings as losses. That’s why we call him the best coach in college basketball.

Episode 138: Alec Lemmon - Putting His Money Where His Heart Is

When Alec Lemmon was in grad school at Mid-America Nazarene University, he had a class in which his professor asked the class to ponder what they’d do with their lives if they didn’t have to worry about money. A former national-caliber youth soccer player, Lemmon thought about how he could use his love for “the beautiful game.” He wanted to create a youth soccer experience for kids that focused on more than just soccer skills development and winning at all costs. He founded TOCA FC, a competitive soccer club based on the values of faith, family and futbol. He then took that model to the inner-city and worked with underserved youth. We guarantee you’ll be inspired.

Episode 137: Pat Warren - Fast Development

The sport of NASCAR caught fire in the 1970s and spread beyond its southeastern roots. Tracks popped up around the country in every time zone. Kansas Speedway opened in 2001 and quickly became one of the drivers’ favorite tracks. The development around the speedway includes Children’s Mercy Park and Legends Field, plus acres of retail spots. Pat Warren has led the efforts of the Speedway for nearly a decade, and he joins us to talk about the impact racing has on our community.

Episode 136: Nick Lowery - ‘Nick the Kick’

With the Super Bowl now behind us, we take a look back at one of the all-time great kickers in NFL history. When Nick Lowery retired, he had the most made field goals in NFL history and had the highest percentage of made field goals. He led the league in longest field goal multiple times, and he was probably the best-dressed kicker in the league as well. He joins us today to talk about his kicking career, and his second career as a motivational speaker.

Episode 135: Jeff Lewis - Wrapped Up in the Flag

Do you love the game of football, just not the violence associated with it? Then flag football is for you. The American Flag Football League was founded in 2016 and has taken off quickly. So far, all the competitions have been in tournament formats, but there is movement toward adopting a regular season approach. Jeff Lewis, the founder of the league, joins us to talk about the league, which he expects to be world-wide in a few years.