Conversations with Sports Fans

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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 Central Michigan University [https://cmuchippewas.com/sports/football]. A professional football player in three European nations (Germany, Finland, and Italy), Eddie also shares what that experience was like and what it was like later reading about what was, essentially, his life in author John Grisham [https://jgrisham.com/]'s novel Playing for Pizza [https://jgrisham.com/playing-for-pizza]. Today, Eddie is still a sports fan, albeit for a sport he knew little about before his oldest daughter started playing: volleyball. He lets us in on what it's like being a girl dad and a spectator these for his daughters. * Reminder - This is the last week to enter to win an author-signed copy of We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball [https://www.michaelclair.com/] by S:5, E:29 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vcLNMeAhEi1qM9mnyKewZ?si=959nPTIBQNegFQx_BFIePg] guest, Michael Clair. All you need to do to enter is email Conversations’ host, Doug Hill, at ⁠hilldouglast@gmail.com⁠ [hilldouglast@gmail.com] by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, May 22, 2026, and you’re in the drawing. If you’re a member of the ⁠$80 for 80 Circle of Champions⁠ [https://thesportsfanproject.com/support-the-sports-fan-project-get-exclusive-benefits-and-recognition/our-80-for-80-circle-of-champions/] and enter, your entries will be tripled! If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans please consider supporting our work ⁠here⁠ [https://thesportsfanproject.com/support-the-sports-fan-project-get-exclusive-benefits-and-recognition/]. For as little as 99 center a month, generous supporters such as you are able to keep these episodes coming commercial and sponsor free.

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 European World Baseball Classic Qualifier for MLB.com in Germany back in 2022. During our time together, Michael shares his sports fan journey from that first trip to Fenway Park to all about the deep dive he took on the Czech Team that resulted in his debut book, We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball: How the Czech’s Amateur Underdogs Became World Baseball Classic Heroes [https://www.michaelclair.com/]. The Czech team, it should be noted, is comprised almost entirely of part-time ballplayers who hold down day jobs while playing baseball nights and weekends. Today, Michael is the senior manager of storytelling and special projects at MLB.com, specializing in international baseball and the World Baseball Classic. His newsletter is aptly entitled International Beat [https://www.mlb.com/news/baseball-champions-league-shows-global-language-of-baseball]. Terrific news for you, the listeners, we have an author-signed copy of We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball to give away to one lucky entrant. All you need to do to enter is email Conversations’ host, Doug Hill, at hilldouglast@gmail.com [hilldouglast@gmail.com] by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, May 22, 2026, and you’re in the drawing. If you’re a member of the $80 for 80 Circle of Champions [https://thesportsfanproject.com/support-the-sports-fan-project-get-exclusive-benefits-and-recognition/our-80-for-80-circle-of-champions/] and enter, your entries will be tripled! If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans please consider supporting our work here [https://thesportsfanproject.com/support-the-sports-fan-project-get-exclusive-benefits-and-recognition/]. For as little as 99 center a month, generous supporters such as you are able to keep these episodes coming commercial and sponsor free.

Season 5, Episode 28 - Chris Ullman

Our guest this week is 4-time international whistling champion [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Whistlers_Convention#], 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 international competitions on four occasions and he’s also performed the “Star-SpangledBanner” [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2YBri7AtI94?t=3&feature=share] prior to more than a half-dozen major sporting events, including Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals’ MLB games; Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards in the NBA; and the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team in historic Cameron Indoor Stadium.  And, not trying to bury the lead here, on about 15 minutesnotice Chris also completed a command performance in the White House’s Oval Office for then-President George W. Bush [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush] and Vice President Dick Cheney [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney].  He shares stories about all of it and even provides us with aparting USA 250th birthday gift by performing “Yankee Doodle.”  You’re able to learn more about Chris on his website https://chrisullman.com/ [https://chrisullman.com/], where you can request a free whistled birthday greeting or order his 2017 memoir Find Your Whistle: Simple Gifts Touch Hearts and Change Lives [https://chrisullman.com/buy-book/]. You’re also able to find Chris on his Instagram account (@chrisullman [https://www.instagram.com/chrisullman/]).  His TEDx MidAtlantic talk Chris references is found at this link [https://youtu.be/cVp7zjWL57U]. If you're enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans please consider supporting our work ⁠here⁠ [https://thesportsfanproject.com/support-the-sports-fan-project-get-exclusive-benefits-and-recognition/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you are able to keep these episodes coming commercial and sponsor free.

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 [https://www.261fearless.org/], a global non-profit Edith founded in 2015 along with Kathrine Switzer [https://kathrineswitzer.com/], the first woman to officially complete the Boston Marathon in 1967. (Note: Kathrine's bib number that year was 261 and serves as the foundation's inspiration.) In addition to learning about Edith's journey from fan of Alpine skiing to that as a nationally ranked swimmer in her native Austria, we also learn what 261 Fearless is all about, that is to "inspire, motivate and educate women to step up and become leaders to support women of all backgrounds to run and lead healthy, fearless and empowered lives." Edith shares how 261 Fearless accomplishes this by providing the necessary training and coaching for women to step into leadership roles in their local chapters to, in turn, help their members improve their physical and mental health through running. If you're enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans please consider supporting our work here [https://thesportsfanproject.com/support-the-sports-fan-project-get-exclusive-benefits-and-recognition/]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you are able to keep these episodes coming commercial and sponsor free.

Season 5, Episode 26 - Brian Fowler

Our guest in this episode of Conversations is 2-timeGuinness World Record Holder, Brian Fowler [https://allinautumnwind.com/]. Brian, who you can find on social media at the handle of @allinautumnwind [https://www.instagram.com/allinautumnwind/], is a devout Las Vegas (or Los Angeles or Oakland) Raiders’ fan who grew up in California’s central valley community of Porterville. Following the death of his mother he began traveling toRaiders’ road games and recording those travels on a vlog (video log) and then, prior to the 2025 season, decided to take his passionate fandom to a new level in establishing two new world records: * Fastest time to see a game in all 32 NFL stadiums (note that because two Los Angeles teams share SoFi Stadium and two New York teams share MetLife Stadium he needed to see two games in each). He completed this journey on November 30, 2025 in a time of 72 days, 20 hours, and 56 minutes. * Most NFL games attended in one regular season. He made it to 56 games which obliterated the previous mark of 33. During our Conversation, Brian shares how it all started,from Dodgers’ games as a youngster to falling in love with the Marcus Allen-led Raiders to his decision to pursue the world records to what it was like seeing a minimum of three NFL games a week for an entire season. Oh, yeah, that social media handle @allinautumnwind? It’s areference to a 1974 NFL Films piece “The Autumn Wind” about the Raiders authored by Steve Sabol [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Sabol]. Check it out here [https://youtu.be/Rh6E4Cks1W4] and enjoy the tones of narrator John Facenda [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Facenda]. If you're enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here [https://thesportsfanproject.com/support-the-sports-fan-project-get-exclusive-benefits-and-recognition/]. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you are able to keep these episodes coming commercial and sponsor free.