Our guest this episode is Philip Hover-Smoot, the founder and chief executive officer of the Atlas Cup, which bills itself as the first professional orbital racing league.

Put another way: space racing.

The Atlas Cup remains in the building phase with a goal of providing racing fans with a uniquely different option in the latter half of 2028.

Philip, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area attending games at Candlestick Park, compares orbital racing to sail racing, only instead of buoys to navigate around, there will be specific points in space.

While there may not be racing on the immediate horizon, there is still plenty going on, and Philip shares loads of insights about what it's like to launch (pun fully intended!) a brand new sports entity.

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Our guest this week is Scott Michaels, a one-time broadcast journalist turned educator.

Michaels is originally from the greater New York City area, attended the University of Michigan for his undergrad work, and then went on a journey all too familiar to those in the broadcasting field. He bounced around from station to station in an effort to climb the ladder to larger media markets. The bouncing stopped in Raleigh, NC, at the NBC affiliate where he eventually became the Durham Bureau Chief.

Twenty-five years ago, a chance meeting at a sandwich shop led to a change in careers, and he became a teacher.

Scott's memories of attending his first major live sporting event are still pretty clear 50 years later. He was at Yankee Stadium for a Red Sox-Yankees game during our nation's bicentennial and remembers the air being thick with smoke (of all kinds!).

A year later, he remembers his dad, who was not a big sports fan, attending Game 6 of the 1977 World Series when Reggie Jackson became "Mr. October" following his three home run night.

Those Yankee Stadium memories also served as a backdrop for Scott and his family on the eve of celebrating his father's life when they attended a Yankees-Guardians' game at the new Yankee Stadium.

Scott also shares how he renounced his New York Jets' fandom in 1996 upon arrival in North Carolina.

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans, please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you can keep these episodes commercial-free.

We're rejoined by Joe Flynn in this Conversation to discuss his updated Fantasy Football for Good Draft Guide.

Joe was previously with us to discuss his capstone project for his executive certificate through George Washington University's College of Business Sports Philanthropy program.

As someone who works in the philanthropic field, Joe focused that initial project on compiling a database of NFL players and the positive work they're doing in their communities.

His Fantasy Football for Good Draft Guide is free and sortable by position, statistics, and cause, allowing fantasy drafters to better align their team with causes that resonate with them.

Joe suggests choosing a player on your fantasy team from his compilation of over 200 in the FFFG Guide and then committing to make a donation of a certain amount per fantasy point scored this season.

As Joe said, "It can be a win-win-win. A win for your fantasy team thanks to the points they're scoring. A win for the player's charitable organization. And a win for those who benefit from your donation."

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans, please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you can keep these episodes commercial-free.

Carolina Sports Live's Joey Ellis joins us in this episode to discuss his life as a sports fan growing up in western Michigan, the moment he knew he wanted to work in sports media, and his journey through several sports markets on his way to Charlotte, NC.

Joey recalls his early childhood traveling across the state with his dad to attend University of Michigan football games. Despite that connection to UM, he ultimately chose to attend Michigan State University thanks in large part to its Communications School.

That's where his love of sports broadcasting blossomed and, ultimately, led him to Bristol, CT, to work at ESPN, to Marquette, MI, to get some anchor work, back to Lansing for a larger market, and, three years ago, to Charlotte, NC, where he's fully immersed in the local sports scene.

If you'd like to get to know Joey a bit better and follow his work, find him on the following social media platforms:

• Twitter/X - @jellis1016
• Instagram - @jellis_1016
• Facebook - Joey Ellis - Queen City News

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans, please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you can keep these episodes commercial-free.

Our guest in this episode is Ben Tolchinsky, an Ohio native who's now transplanted to Georgia.

Ben has long worked in the market research field and, along the way, has lent his expertise to some of the world's largest corporations.

All of which explains why this longtime fan of Cleveland's Browns, Cavaliers, and Guardians recently launched The SportsPulse Poll app (available on both Google Play and the App Store).

The SportsPulse Poll's mission, Ben says, "is to make sure every fan's voice is heard; not just the loudest ones."

The concept is straightforward: Fans who download the app and include the code "PULSE" will have a few questions to answer up front and a handful of static polls. Then, as sports news breaks, major storylines begin to play out, or critical issues materialize, The SportsPulse Poll poses a question or two for fans to answer.

Results are often posted on its X/Twitter account found here.

And, as a happy bonus, participants can earn 10 cents per response and, when balances reach $5, they may be redeemed for gift cards.

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans, please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you can keep these episodes commercial-free.

We're joined in this episode by Mark Yeaton, a sixth-grade teacher from Columbus, IN.

Oh yeah, Mark's also a major fan of cycling!

He recently completed a ⁠Tour de France⁠-inspired charity ride that featured a Grand Depart each morning from his driveway on a different route totaling about 100 miles each day. In all, he logged nearly 2,100 miles on what he dubbed the Tour de IDES (⁠International Disaster Emergency Services,⁠ the Noblesville, IN, organization he partnered with to raise funds for the Haitian charity, Milk for Mothers).

During our Conversation, we learned about Mark's deep love of cycling and how he's participated in the 160-plus-mile ⁠Ride Across Indiana⁠ (RAIN) multiple times, ridden across the United States once before, and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, all for causes near and dear to his heart.

Shoot, Mark even recounts the time during his younger years when he was pulled over by police on his bicycle after recreating ⁠this wonderful scene⁠ from the 1979 film, ⁠"Breaking Away,"⁠ when ⁠Dennis Christopher⁠'s character drafts behind a speeding semi-truck.

There's still time to support the Tour de IDES. You're able to do so by directing your browser to the ⁠IDES Donation Portal⁠ and then selecting the "Ride for IDES - Mark Yeaton" option from the drop-down menu.

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans, please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you can keep these episodes commercial-free.

We're joined in this episode by Jeff Kutschman, a middle school a longtime middle school social studies teacher and coach who lives, works, and grew up in suburban Detroit.

Jeff shares recollection of spending a fair amount of time in the Palace of Auburn Hills, where he and his friends would take advantage of cheap (or free!) tickets to such events as the Detroit Vipers (IHL) and Detroit Neon (CISL) to get their fill of affordable live sports spectating.

He also takes us along on his coaching journey, which began with middle school high jumpers and then moved to ninth-grade basketball before ultimately answering his phone with his children at the Detroit Zoo and saying yes to a junior varsity girls golf coaching job. Never mind that he had no experience coaching golf. A few years later, the varsity job opened, and six Oakland County Championships, five Regional Championships, one State Runner-up, and and back-to-back Rochester Adams Highlanders State Championships later, it's the sport he's enjoyed the most success with.

During our Conversation, Jeff shares insights into his coaching philosophy and how it's been formed by both his experiences with his coaches as well as the many athletes he's led through the years.

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans, please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you can keep these episodes commercial-free.

Longtime listeners to Conversations might recall Stephen Miller, a guest with a distinct passion for all things soccer, especially the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the fact that it was being contested in North America.

Well, we figured the only fitting way to put a bow on this latest installment of the beautiful game's quadrennial world championship was to invite Stephen back to share his thoughts.

And, in true Stephen fashion, he goes above and beyond by recording a pair of his own brief Conversations with guests at his final World Cup Watch Party in his Bellevue, WA, home.

So, by all means, listen to Stephen's thoughts, but make sure you stay to hear from his friends Dean Falvey and Dani Neal.

Check out Stephen's previous episodes here (S:4, E:20), here (S:4, E:72), and here (S:5, E:33).

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans, please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you can keep these episodes commercial-free.

We're joined in this episode by Rob LaCommare, a sports fan almost from the beginning. A Detroit-area native, Rob grew up a fan of the Detroit Tigers and the Michigan Wolverines. He wound up attending Michigan State University, which rocked his world ... a little ... and has been living in the Columbus, OH, area for over 20 years, which rocked his world ... a lot!

He shares what it's been like living behind enemy lines for all these years, as well as what working in a profession that's afforded plenty of travel and, with it, opportunities to visit sports palaces far and wide.

During our Conversation, Rob shares recollections from all of it, including a latter-day love: Pickleball (both playing and spectating).

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans, please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 cents a month, generous supporters such as you can keep these episodes commercial-free.

We're joined in this Conversation by Michigan State University professor, Dr. Trey Rogers. Dr. Rogers is a professor within MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and has been since 1988.

Along the way, he's fostered a love of turf to countless students and, by the way, has headed up teams of grass geeks who have been responsible for the turf on 17 FIFA World Cup pitches (e.g. fields) including all 16 that have been used for the 2026 tournament throughout North America.

Dr. Rogers earned his first World Cup cap, so to speak, in 1994 when his group from MSU developed a strategy to grow grass - and keep it viable - for four World Cup matches played indoors at the Pontiac Silverdome.

This time around Dr. Rogers and fellow Spartans joined forces with one his former students, Dr. John Sorochan and his team from the University of Tennessee to create fields befitting soccer's grandest event.

Learn about the history, the process, and the technological advances during our time with Dr. Rogers in this Conversation.

If you’re enjoying Conversations with Sports Fans please consider supporting our work ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. For as little as 99 center a month, generous supporters such as you are able to keep these episodes coming commercial and sponsor free.