In this special bonus episode, host Doug Hill was recently interviewed by friend of Conversations, Fred Inniger, on Inniger's weekly sports talk show, "The Hawk Sports Talk," from WAWK 95.5 FM in Kendallville, IN.

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It took the better part of a year to get schedules to jibe, but we're happy to have Pat Schutte (he of the Fan Teaser inspiration at The Sports Fan Project) join us in this episode.

Pat takes us on his personal fandom journey through stick & ball to boarded to wheeled and even hoofed sports.

We learn quite a bit about Motocross, Supercross, Super Motocross, Moto GP, Road America, and Supermoto.

Not to mention baseball, skateboarding, snowboarding, equestrian, and even lacrosse.

Plus, Pat recalls a significant injury he sustained on a snowboard back in 1992 that left him convalescing in a wheelchair for several weeks.

It's a wonderful opportunity to eavesdrop on a pair of old friends catching up about all things sport.

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In this episode we're joined by Jimmie James, a retired executive from Exxon Mobil, who upon retiring set out on a quest to the play the 100 greatest courses in the United States (as determined by Golf Digest) in one year. (⁠Here's the 2023 rankings.⁠)

Not only did Jimmie accomplish the feat, he chronicled the accomplishment in his memoir, ⁠Playing from the Rough: A Personal Journey Through America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses⁠.

Jimmie's story is more than just about playing a lot of golf, however. Born into poverty in East Texas, his is a story about perseverance and overcoming the odds.

He shares recollections about his life, his experiences with golf, and so much more during this Conversation. We learn of Jimmie's connection to the first Super Bowl, what the Houston Astrodome was like, and what he was thinking driving down Magnolia Lane on his way to play 18 holes at the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club.

Find Jimmie's blog about each of his 100 rounds ⁠here⁠.

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Host Doug Hill provides some reflections from Event No. 9 of his Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project; the Xfinity 500 NASCAR Race at Martinsville Speedway.

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Our guests in this special episode are Sarah Hodges and Kelly Rowland from the Martinsville-Henry County (VA) Economic Development Corporation.

We're speaking to Sarah and Kelly in advance of Event No. 9 of ⁠Around the World in 80 Sportings Events⁠, the ⁠Xfinity 500 NASCAR Semifinal Race⁠ at historic Martinsville Speedway.

During our time with Sarah and Kelly we get a good overview on what this part of the Commonwealth has to offer. You'll find the following links helpful:

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We're joined in this episode by Fr. Burke Masters from St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Hinsdale, IL. In addition to his responsibilities at St. Isaac's, Fr. Burke also serves as the nearby Chicago Cubs' Catholic Chaplain.

Fr. Burke's work with the Cubs is, shall we say, on brand for him. A highly recruited high school baseball player out of Joliet, IL, Fr. Burke wound up in Starkville, MS, playing four seasons at Mississippi State University's legendary Coach Ron Polk. Fr. Burke even blasted a grand slam homer during the Regional Final Series against top-ranked Florida State University in 1990 to help the Bulldogs qualify for the Men's College World Series.

He's chronicled his path from baseball player to the priesthood in his autobiography, A Grand Slam for God: A Journey from Baseball Star to Catholic Priest. You're able to find much of Fr. Burke's latter-day works on his blog and his YouTube Channel.

In this episode we're joined by Colin Prater, a high school science teacher and golf coach from Colorado Springs, CO.

Also an avid sports fan, those reasons alone are enough to engage in a Conversation, but wait until you check out the past six months Colin's enjoyed:

Suffice to say, we cover quite a lot of territory and even find a bit time to talk Denver Broncos Super Bowls.

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Del Reid, one of the co-founders of the #BillsMafia movement joins us in this episode.

Along the way we discover a bit about Del's early years as a sports fan, how the #BillsMafia came to be, and how its grown in the 13-plus years since.

We also learn about the philanthropic arm of the Bills Mafia and how Del's enterprise, 26 Shirts, plays a role in that arena.

Links:

Host Doug Hill is joined in this bonus episode by friends Rob Byrd (previously hear on S:1, E:5) and Macker Wilson, both of whom joined him for a portion of Event No. 8 of Around the World in 80 Sporting Events: the Texas Football Trifecta.

Doug recently attended a Friday Night Lights game in Odessa's historic Ratliff Stadium (Permian 50, Odessa 26), Saturday afternoon's Red River Rivalry (Texas 34, Oklahoma 3), and Sunday's Lions-Cowboys game (Detroit 47, Dallas 9).

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We've taken the show on the road for this episode, all the way to Abilene, TX, where we're joined by Al Pickett, Chairman of the Big Country (TX) Athletic Hall of Fame.

In addition to his role with the Hall, Al has served in various media capacities during the past 50 years covering high school and college athletics. He's the former sports editor of the Abilene Reporter-News and is currently the play-by-play voice of Hardin-Simmons University's football and basketball teams. And if his voice sounds comfortable talking that's thanks to his 20 years hosting "Let's Talk Sports" a daily call-in sports show.

Al's also authored or co-authored five books focusing primarily on Texas football:

Who better then to discuss host Doug Hill's current trip to Texas for Event 8 of Around the World in 80 Sporting Events (the Texas Football Trifecta: Friday Night Lights, the Red River Showdown, and Lions-Cowboys).