Season 5, Episode 37 - Mark Griffiths

Season 5, Episode 37 - Mark Griffiths

Our guest this week, Mark Griffiths, is no stranger to Wrexham AFC [https://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/] soccer fans. He's the voice of the Red Dragons and has been since 1988 when he began commentating calling matches for the local hospital radio station. Through the years, Mark readily admits to having witnessed plenty of - at times - frustrating but almost always mediocre soccer from his home club in northeast Wales. That was until 2020 when the duo of North American actors, Rob Mac [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_McElhenney] and Ryan Reynolds [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Reynolds], fronted an ownership group that purchased a majority share of the club, launched the docuseries "Welcome to Wrexham, [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14674086/]" and saw the club gain promotion three consecutive years from English football's fifth division to its second (aka the EFL Championship [https://www.efl.com/competitions/efl-championship/]) which is where the current season of "Welcome" finds the club battling for an unfathomable fourth consecutive promotion in the June 25 season-finale. During our visit with Mark we learn about his early years of fandom, how he found his way into the broadcast booth (where he was an unpaid volunteer until just a couple of seasons ago), what life has been like since Mac and Reynolds took over as owners, the ongoing World Cup, and what it was like becoming a viral sensation after this call [https://www.instagram.com/reels/DULU6fDDk5k/] of an added time game-winner by Ollie Rathbone [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Rathbone]. We also have a walk-on background appearance by Laszlo the Cat who shows a paper bag who's boss as well as Mark's wife, Emma. You're able to follow Mark on Twitter/X here [https://x.com/m_griffiths92] and BlueSky here [https://bsky.app/profile/finalwhistle.bsky.social]. His "Final Whistle" podcast is found here [https://open.spotify.com/show/4kuO5xPusH1Gy2fgTp5PIK?si=74d3e05cdf024599] among other spots. 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 36 - Ron Teasley Jr. (Father's Day Special)

Our guest in this special Father's Day Conversation is Ron Teasley Jr. Ron joins us to discuss not only his life as a sports fan, but also his life as the son of Ron Teasley Sr. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teaslro01.shtml] and the legacy his father leaves after passing away February 3, 2026, at the age of 99. At the time, the elder Teasley was one of two known surviving members of the Negro Major Leagues [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negro_league_baseball]. His death leaves 101-year-old Bill Greason [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/greasbi01.shtml] as the lone survivor. During our Conversation with Ron Jr. he shares recollections of his athletic life in Detroit with a father who cast a large shadow thanks to his athletic feats, his role as educator and coach in Detroit Public Schools, and work for the Detroit Parks and Recreation Department. Mainly, though, Ron Jr. reflects on the life and legacy of his dad and this first Father's Day without him and how the Ron and Marie Teasley Foundation [https://ronteasley.com/pages/the-ron-and-marie-teasley-foundation] aims to keep the Teasley name known around the Motor City. 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 35 - Scott Crawford

Our guest in this episode is Scott Crawford, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame [https://baseballhalloffame.ca/]'s Director of Operations. Scott's been working at the Canadian Hall, which is located in St. Marys, Ontario, for over 20 years. We share our Conversation with him this week in advance of Saturday's Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2026. This year's Class includes Bill Stoneman [https://baseballhalloffame.ca/hall-of-famer/bill-stoneman/], Devon White [https://baseballhalloffame.ca/hall-of-famer/devon-white/], Jim Baba [https://baseballhalloffame.ca/hall-of-famer/jim-baba/], Kate Psota [https://baseballhalloffame.ca/hall-of-famer/kate-psota-2/], Paul Runge [https://baseballhalloffame.ca/hall-of-famer/paul-runge/], and Stubby Clapp [https://baseballhalloffame.ca/hall-of-famer/stubby-clapp-3/]. In addition to providing the lowdown on this sextet, Scott also shares his sports fan journey, what some of his favorite artifacts at the Hall of Fame are, and some stories about one of the Hall's most famous ambassadors, Fergie Jenkins [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jenkife01.shtml]. 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 34 - Erkki Corpuz

In this episode we revisit Season 5's ongoing series: What's it like being a fan of those college's "so-called" non-revenue or Olympic sports? (Listen to previous installments ⁠here⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/239i6JNT0nymeXTvKVzcbG?si=0R6q6cSoRh-s4qPuY65dTA], ⁠here⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ke2LJzXFIvxjQhmy5imtp?si=XpXEzGgDR5yt2dgJzZCCCw], and here [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pNc8a5GwlBCcrLRKY40q9?si=cDc-EG0ARnmPJLSv6PkyVQ].) In this episode we're joined by Erkki Corpuz, a big fan of UCLA's Beach Volleyball Program [https://uclabruins.com/sports/womens-beach-volleyball] that recently won its third NC National Championship [https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/beach-volleyball/nc/2026] in Gulf Shores, AL. Alas, due to his work schedule, Erkki was unable to travel to Gulf Shores for the finale, but he's regularly in attendance at home matches and, in fact, shoots photos of the team for the Bruin Report Online [https://www.on3.com/sites/bruin-report-online/]. Erkki not only shares recollections about his journey to sports fandom (Hint: It began with the Showtime Lakers [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showtime_Lakers]), but he also is kind enough to help bring us up to speed on what collegiate Beach Volleyball is all about and how it differs from what casual fans might see every four years during the Summer Olympics. 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 33 - Conversations' Fourth Birthday Bonanza

As Conversations with Sports Fans celebrates its fourth birthday (here's that first episode from June 9, 2022 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ch4KAuhmXSFbjD864BmHP?si=Sr1ebjHWSqma8lge8Rb7vA]) we decided to get a group of former guests together to talk about being a sports fan in the Year 2026. The results are this episode. Much has changed - as expected - during our lives as fans and our panel spends time reflecting on those changes, the fractured sports media landscape, the escalating cost of being a fan (both at home and in an arena), the ubiquitousness of sports gambling, the emerging popularity of women's sports, and myriad other digressions along the way. The Panelists with Prior Appearance Links * Jerry Hill - S1E2 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Lpjc9wsrAtiasZQByA6lt?si=deaGQU4TTTS1_XO2ow-QcQ], S3E26 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pS64Gy2d3eaJvmiqAXu3Q?si=KPDOCcxZTF-ghFbBly5X5Q], S3E27 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7kYavCdhyTBbBwUExlcUz6?si=9gsY-pCPRR26jiiDlzBSbQ], S3E41 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0eTvlWMMivwldgYxvL76dT?si=F7cUpjC1Qw-jV0qBq7UHxg], S4E8 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OclySrMod5vZWsNBX39Xt?si=p2D0Zf-cQaevmzD8hEATUg], S4E10 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4KRDqMKX1qIM9rtGNkNL3A?si=JgyVMB2VSqqdTlt3yJ6-Eg], S4E36 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5TWuDUk2xOgeiQJp1XiKdf?si=S5HiIUZFQ--dz4wfNopqyw], S4E72 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7BLIaEGwxitDNPzzjuZwLw?si=1Bm0JVlSTDOeF1Xp_sitOw], & S5E24 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uHq4Bhyl6rIH87nQjO7mq?si=3tzzYHdpQZChCJwv22trqw] * Dave Holzman - S1E32 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3SQjhHsofgVc9AI5QQ4PqD?si=j-6xxDaFT_-PuzdR3DGexA] * Stephen Miller - S4E20 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qr0m8AKPfgYcZmG68JRaY?si=pvsPML2aSFyy7t3xSYK0Pg], S4E24 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2j3LDtxUByMfyOvx2RRjA4?si=8xVSS4_oSy6HkNeBSmvNhg], S4E27 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3w4jbaNTnQHEePzmLZsc6w?si=QMUm2o8RS_SNIQg7QQ7x6w], & S4E72 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7BLIaEGwxitDNPzzjuZwLw?si=1Bm0JVlSTDOeF1Xp_sitOw] * Michael O'Connell Jr. - S3E18 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/22QQ4jtXjVWXc1LWmm6bY5?si=snftMUR2RPORue-L30C_7Q], S4E6 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Y83UcBz3OBjKx6BInl6jC?si=EQr0y7-vTpeNISh2EATemQ], & S4E72 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7BLIaEGwxitDNPzzjuZwLw?si=1Bm0JVlSTDOeF1Xp_sitOw] * Tim Parker - S1E3 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/03Y7Sj5K5OamymuN932ecD?si=AnDPw-MqSg-yeoK8Z3HwoA], S3E30 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/43rnIQky3L6LmMRf7NFNQE?si=1laG-NMQRqaOFn0wEg7muQ], S4E24 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2j3LDtxUByMfyOvx2RRjA4?si=8xVSS4_oSy6HkNeBSmvNhg], S4E27 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3w4jbaNTnQHEePzmLZsc6w?si=QMUm2o8RS_SNIQg7QQ7x6w], & S4E53 [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0oZri3OjK8fqzJBS1ScaT9?si=ByMfwcZyRGKimO6hkUbx0Q] 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.