Listen Now

Super Bowl Producers | Imagine what it would be like to sit in the chair of the producer for a Super Bowl game, responsible for arguably the number one sports broadcast in the world. What is the night like leading up to the game? Do you sleep? Do you have superstitions? What is the moment like when the kickoff is one minute away?Super Bowl ProducersFred Gaudelli and Richie Zyontz have lived those moments, and are scheduled to live them again.On this podcast you will hear them discuss with one another the answers to those questions, the lessons learned in Zyontz’s 40 years producing network sports and Gaudelli’s 31 years producing NFL prime time games, including 15 years of Sunday Night Football.Both producers have learned by watching the other work and both have had the sheer joy and benefit of working closely with John Madden. The Madden stories are priceless and filled with respect and love.Listen to the wondrous moment Madden learned he had been elected to the NFL Hall of Fame and how that was shared in a most unusual setting.These are men who have reached the pinnacle of success in producing television sports. Their rivalry is a shared respect for bringing to audiences the highest quality broadcast of the most watched event in sports.Direct from the source, this is the television Super Bowl story from the men who sit center stage.

If you derive a headache from constantly smiling widely or laughing uncontrollably, you better have a bottle of aspirin at hand for this matchup of coaches.Bill Raftery and P.J. Carlesimo have run the gamut of basketball coaching and broadcasting, from college to the NBA, from regional networks to the Final Four.They were direct coaching rivals from 1976 to 1981 when Carlesimo was the head coach at Wagner College and Raftery was the same at Seton Hall. There were some wild games between the schools, including a New Year’s Eve game that went to double OT, and boy, do these two ever give you some memories about that game.Raftery coached college ball from 1963 to 1981 and then went on to become one of the most popular TV commentators in a college basketball HOF career covering the last 33 years. His infectious laugh and sense of humor shine through in that job and it shines brightly in this podcast.Carlesimo began his coaching career in 1971, most notably putting Seton Hall on the basketball map between 1982-1994, arriving just one year at the Hall after Raftery left.P.J. went on to head coach in the NBA with the Trail Blazers, Warriors, and SuperSonics/Thunder.In between the coaching stints, Carlesimo also joined the ranks of TV analysts with TNT, ESPN, and NBC.The RivalryWhat was the relationship between these two as they coached against one another? Raftery will kick it off with one big smile, “I never liked P.J.,” and off we go!There were the weekly press conferences in New York City and New Jersey that turned into Broadway productions with the likes of Jim Valvano, Lou Carnesecca, and Tom Penders.There were late-night feasts after games the likes of which may not exist today. There were antics and fireworks during the games that both coaches will regale you with.Did priests really ref games? What about that picture of Raftery flying off the bench in midair parallel to the court? An endless needling by these two of one another continues here.Joyful, insightful, unabashed, and unique are just some of the adjectives that describe what you will hear from two of basketball’s most delightful and knowledgeable individuals and coaches.Prepare to smile.

UCLA vs Arizona | NCAA Mens’ Basketball–Rivalries take time to build and this one has had decades.  UCLA and Arizona are two of college basketball’s premier programs. Over the years the race for Pac-12 titles and the right to move to March madness has created high heat when they meet.42 of the last 58 Pac-12 titles have gone to one of these teams. The intensity of their battles only increases.Today we hear the magnitude of that rivalry from two who were in the middle of the spotlight.Don MacLean played at UCLA from 1988 to 1992. They won the Pac-12 championship in the ’91-’92 season. He thrived on the rivalry.Matt Muehlebach played at AZ from 1987 to 1991. His teams never lost a game at home. Ironically, that streak would be broken by UCLA and MacLean.MacLean was a pot-stirrer, especially on the court. Listen to Matt talk about that while Don tells you how that went over with former UCLA coach John Wooden.Matt speaks to what it was like to be on each of these raucous home courts when the two great basketball programs went head to head. He’ll tell you about the “offer the hand and take it back move” made by Don to one of Matt’s teammates.  Enjoy the story of an epic basketball rivalry through the memories of two who helped create it. 

1983 Sugar Bowl | Seasons in sports are played to lead up to a moment of finality – the World Series, NBA Finals, etc. College football is no different as teams play for a national championship game and a number 1 ranking to end a season.In January of 1983, that moment was the Sugar Bowl.  Georgia came into the game ranked number 1 and Penn State number 2. While not classified as a national championship game at the time, few doubted that the winner would claim that moniker.  The QuarterbacksTodd Blackledge was the passing quarterback for a high-powered Penn State team that featured the running prowess of Curt Warner. Penn State was a favorite in the game even though ranked number 2.  Todd had a 31-5 mark for his career with the Nittany Lions and did not know when entering that game, that when the day was done, he would be the MVP of the Sugar Bowl.Todd would go on to play in the NFL with KC and Pittsburgh and have a noted career as a television football analyst.At quarterback for Georgia was John Lastinger, who entered that day never having lost a game he started at quarterback from the time he was in high school. John was joined in the backfield by Herschel Walker who did the leg work.John would go on in 1984 to win a Cotton Bowl game and scored the winning touchdown. However, such was not to be John’s fate in 1983.1983 Sugar Bowl Penn State won the game 27-23 and the national number 1 ranking that went with it. The game lived up to its pregame hype as you will hear Todd and John remember the day.There was an opening Penn State drive that both agreed set the stage.There was a penalty non-call in the game they each remember as critical. A little thing it was not, but rarely is it remembered except by those in the game.Many in sports say it is far easier to lose by an overwhelming margin than a tight matchup. In the former, you forget the mistakes-they didn’t matter anyway. In the tight ones, you harken back and think “what if.” You will hear that here.Two QBs in the Louisiana Superdome with a football world watching.Here are their stories of that game.

MLB Closers | “A closer is often considered the best relief pitcher that a club has in its bullpen. Closers are most often deployed for the final inning of a game when a narrow lead — three runs or less — needs to be protected. Closers almost always excel against both right- and left-handed batters and are more often than not capable of striking out batters at high rates.” -MLB GlossarySo you want to be a closer. We have two award-winning MLB closers today, and they say you better want the job or you’ll never excel at it.How do you know who wants it?  Jeff Brantley and Jeff Shaw have seen those who do and those who don’t – they’ll tell you the difference.MLB ClosersBrantley was the NL relief pitcher of the year in 1996 and Shaw took that crown in 1997. Brantley was in the Majors for 14 seasons and Shaw for 12. They were both opponents and teammates during that stretch.  Who did they learn from? How do you maneuver through the middle of a line-up, game on the line, and you need three outs? They’ll describe a unique universe they inhabit when they take to the mound in the 9th inning, a roaring crowd and a game with no room for error.And all that time spent waiting – a couple of bull pen stories will be shared as well.Jeff Shaw and Jeff Brantley take you into the world of the closer – then, now and tomorrow.Enjoy.

NHL Bargaining | GM and the player agent – relationships have redefined the business of sports and will be a major factor in the continuing evolution of the business.George McPhee is the President of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. He has been a major force behind the amazing success of the new franchise that went to the Stanley Cup Finals in its first year. He was recognized as the NHL GM of the Year in 2018.He had previously spent 17 highly successful years as GM of the Washington Capitals after an NHL playing career with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.McPhee has seen the contract negotiation matters from both sides.Andy Scott is a player agent, certified by the NHL in 2008. He works within Octagon Sports, a global sports and entertainment agency, through the Scott Law Group which he helped create.Scott represents, among others, Leon Draisaitl, Kaapo Kakko, Patrik Laine and Mikko Rantanen — all considered among the top players in the NHL.He has traversed what he calls “a minefield of issues” in contract negations for NHL players during the pandemic.NHL bargainingNow you get to hear these two high profile NHL business representatives relate how management and player reps deal with one another and what makes the system work or sinks efforts to reach an agreement.Should players be involved in the negotiations? Why does McPhee say this is a “hard business?” Hear about the late night phone calls from players to agents.Open and frank – that describes what you are about to hear from these two highly influential men who construct NHL bargaining deals. This is about getting a deal done.Enjoy.

2003 ALCS | You dream about it as a kid. Standing in the backyard, bat in hand. You take the swing that launches a ball out of the yard for a game winner. Not just any game winner, but a swing in a major league game in the playoffs of October against THE rival, in the deciding game, in extra innings.  Aaron Boone, now manager of the Yankees, lived that dream in the 2003 American League Championship Series while playing for the Bronx Bombers.Todd Walker hits a solo home run against the New York Yankees in the fourth inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series in Boston, October 13, 2003. REUTERS/Mike Segar JR/GACAs he headed to second base in his home run celebration, he passed a longtime friend, Todd Walker, who was playing for the opposing Red Sox. Walker had a tremendous series against the Yankees, hitting .370 and leading the Sox in runs scored. Now that series was over and the Yankees were moving on to the World Series.The 2003 ALCSThis 2003 series was heated. There was Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez. There was a lengthy bench-clearing brawl. There were managerial decision questions that will be argued about forever.Here is the rivalry-the Red Sox and the Yankees-the 2003 ALCS. Here are two players in that series: Aaron Boone and Todd Walker. These are their stories from one of the most anticipated playoff series in baseball history. A series that lived up to all the hype.

Army vs Navy – it is the “nation’s football game.” At the end of each football season, there unfolds a pageantry that began in 1890..The OathEach player took the same oath that brought him to this game. Each has a mission far beyond football. When arriving at a military academy, each person takes one of these oaths:United States Military Academy Oath of Allegiance (ARMY)I, (Name), do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and bear true allegiance to the National Government; that I will maintain and defend the sovereignty of the United States, paramount to any and all allegiance, sovereignty, or fealty I may owe to any State or Country whatsoever; and that I will at all times obey the legal orders of my superior officers, and the UniformCode of Military Justice.United States Naval Academy Oath of Office (NAVY)HAVING BEEN APPOINTED A MIDSHIPMAN IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY, DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT YOU WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC; THAT YOU WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME; THAT YOU TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION; AND THAT YOU WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE ON WHICH YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER, SO HELP YOU GOD.Not exactly a common oath one must take to play football somewhere. For this game, those sworn to the same mission are rivals for one glorious late Fall afternoon.The Army-Navy football game has been played annually since 1930. It has involved players who went on to sports careers as well as military service:  Glenn Davis, Roger Staubach, Pete Dawkins, Napoleon McCallum, Doc Blanchard, and so many more.Army vs Navy – The GameKeegan Wetzel played for Navy and in his senior year was selected as a 1st Team All Independent linebacker. He played in the 2012 game that saw Navy beat Army for the 11thconsecutive time.Across the line from him for that game was Army quarterback Trent Steelman.  Steelman is the only modern era Army QB to start every game in his four years at West Point.  He holds the Army career record for TDs and is second all-time in career yards.  It was a game decided in the final minutes when Navy took the lead and held on as Army saw a final drive end on a turnover.Steelman and Wetzel could not know this game would lead to a relationship that endures.What was the intensity playing in those Army vs Navy games? How did playing in those games shape the lives of the players involved? What are the memories of Wetzel and Steelman about facing each other?Listen to the depth of feeling from these two as they answer those questions and breathe individual life into the rigors and honor of playing football at the academies.  Rivals? Army vs Navy and THE GAME, as good as it gets. Enjoy.

NHL | Both were teammates and rivals of Wayne Gretzky. Both played on each coast. Both played with one of the Original Six in the NHL: the New York Rangers. Both helped grow the game of hockey in the west with the Los Angeles Kings.The NHL PlayersLuc Robitaille retired from the NHL as the highest scoring left wing in the league’s history. He was voted as one of the top hundred greatest players in the history of the NHL.His name is on the Stanley Cup as a player with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and twice as a member of the Kings’ front office. He was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.Luc is now the President of the Kings after having played in their jersey for 14 of his 19 years in the NHL.Tony Granato was an all-rookie selection with the Rangers in 1989 when he set the Rangers’ rookie record for goals with 36. He played in the NHL from 1988-2001 with the Rangers, Kings and Sharks.Tony went on to be an assistant coach with Pittsburgh, Detroit and Colorado before becoming the Avalanche head coach. He is now in his 5th season as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, the home of his college hockey career.Luc and Tony have long known one another on ice sheets across North America as rivals, teammates and friends. Here they take you through their intertwined careers: five as teammates and nine as rivals. They also share their experiences playing for an Original Six team and describe hockey’s growth out west as led by #99, “The Great One”, Wayne Gretzky.Let’s drop the puck!

ACC College Basketball | Would you really ask a college basketball player to throw up during a game if things were going bad, just to change the momentum? What do you do when the water main breaks on campus when there is a big game to be played that day? How about when the opposing coach has a suggestion of what to do and uses the water break as a rallying cry for his own team?Fictional questions? Well, no, they are part of what you are going to hear on this edition of The Sports Rivals.The CoachesGary Williams is a Hall Of Fame college hoops coach who coached at American University, Boston College, Ohio State and at his alma mater, Maryland. It was with the Terps that he won the 2002 NCAA Championship and where he spent 22 years on the bench in the conference which many consider to the best in college basketball year in and year out, the ACC.Seth Greenberg spent 34 years as a college coach, including 2003-2012 at Virginia Tech as a Gary Williams coaching rival in the ACC. He came through Long Beach Stateand the University of South Florida on his way to Virginia Tech. He would face Williams’ teams between 2003-2011.ACC College BasketballVirginia Tech was a late arrival to ACC College Basketball and Gary Williams was not all that excited about adding to the league, especially when Tech started winning games in the conference. He’ll tell you how the Tech addition just made the season that much tougher.  These two outstanding coaches give you an inside peak into the ACC and what it was like to face the best college teams in the country on a nightly basis.  They will take you through their own rivalry that is a history of intense games, overtimes and an “I can beat you” attitude that came from both coaches. Neither missed the opportunity to find a way to inspire their team by using actions or words coming from the other side. This was a rivalry of “whatever it takes.”Seth will take you through the impact Williams had on his coaching decisions in putting the Virginia Tech program together. Williams will tell you his thoughts as he prepared to take on a Greenberg team.  From two ends of the court, here is a coaching rivalry that had vivid games, great memories and the creation of a relationship of respect in the college coaching ranks

Arizona vs Stanford | When it comes to rivalries, those involved in college sports are often the most inspired.Richard Jefferson and Casey Jacobsen were (and still are) part of such a rivalry. Arizona vs Stanford | The PlayersJefferson played college hoops at the University of Arizona from 1998-2001 under the late Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson. Jacobsen played at Stanford from 1999-2001, for another Hall of Fame coach, Mike Montgomery.For those years they played against each other, both teams were among the elite in the nation, battling to get to the Final Four and to win a National Championship.Richard and Casey will let you in on their meeting at a Michael Jordan basketball camp and on how they might have been teammates in college but for Jacobsen’s final college decision. In addition, they discuss their feelings regarding their coaches and how each coach’s approach was so markedly different, yet effective.Jacobsen and Jefferson went on to extended professional basketball careers and careers in the broadcast booth. Through all of the years the memories of their college experiences ring fresh.Here now is the inside look at a rivalry on the hardwood from two who helped write its history.  

For the love of the game |The legend of golf, Ben Hogan, once said, “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.” Our guests today have taken time to smell the roses and their walk down the fairway has been filled with life: a life in sports where each day was to be treasured.The Major LeaguersSteve Lyons spent nine seasons in MLB, playing for four teams in an 852-game career. He played every position, doing so once in the same game. He said, “I was never a great athlete or a great hitter. I was never supposed to make it to the big leagues.” He did and made the most of every moment.Rex Hudler played 14 seasons in the majors for six teams. His 774 games played required the grit and no quit attitude just as was true for Lyons.For the Love of the GameThere is a sheer joy that radiates from Hudler and Lyons as they relate their experiences as rivals and survivors in the majors. Around the game, one is known as “Psycho” and the other as “Bug Eater.” They earned the monikers and will tell you why.They were referred to as “utility players.” What did that mean then and now to each of them?There is much to smile about here, and much to admire.They would both move on to share their joy of the game as broadcasters, but first they shared that joy with teammates and fans while in uniform. Here is their story.

Placekickers | They both could kick a ball, but it was round, not oval. Before their careers were over, it was the oval football they kicked that made all the difference.What a treat to listen to two of the NFL’s all-time great placekickers relate the unlikely roads they both took to become legends in the game.The PlacekickersJan Stenerud was on the field for the Chiefs, Packers and Vikings during a career that covered 1967-1985. He is the first pure placekicker to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Along with a Super Bowl win with the Chiefs and 4 Pro Bowls, he also transformed the placekicking game for all of football.All of this coming almost by accident to a man who came from Norway to Montana State on a ski jumping scholarship.Rolf Benirschke was a placekicker for the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He retired as the all-time leader in points for the Chargers, an NFL Man of the Year Award winner and a fan of Stenerud.Listen to his story of the inadvertent chance to kick a football that leads to his time in the NFL.They watched each other kick, they learned from each other and they competed at the highest level with a talent that brought with it real sport’s pressure.Two exuberant men, two unlikely careers, and two joyful stories told in their own words.

Originally recorded on April 21, 2020 |1988 NLCS The 1988 NLCS was a tumultuous series between the LA Dodgers and NY Mets. It went 7 games in the rain, sleet and hail and featured the likes of KIRK GIBSON, STEVE SAX, DOC GOODEN AND GARY CARTER. This series also pitted the to be 1988 Cy Young Award winner, NLCS MVP and […] The post 1988 NLCS | Dodgers vs Mets | Ep 10 appeared first on the Sports Rivals podcast.

1984 College World Series | In all of baseball, the College World Series, which began in 1947, is one of the pinnacle events for the sport.  Only eight Division 1 teams survive a grueling playoff process to make it to Omaha to crown a national champion.The PlayersJose Mota and Louie Medina made that journey in 1984, among a star-studded cast of players from around the country.  Mota played for Cal State Fullerton and would leave Omaha as part of a national championship team.Louie Medina played for Arizona State, a highly favored team, with the likes of Barry Bondsand Oddibe McDowell as teammates.1984 College World Series | The Semi Final Match UpThese two players faced each other in a semifinal game that saw Cal State Fullerton eliminate Arizona State 6-1. Fullerton would then go on to beat Texas for the title. What was the experience for Mota and Medina in Omaha? How did Cal State Fullerton prepare itself in a tournament where they were not favored to win? There were two different mental states for these teams entering the semifinal game and Mota and Medina lay that out for you.Both players would go on to play professional baseball and stay involved in the game after their playing days: Mota in the broadcast booth and Medina in the front office of the KC Royals. Both are forever conscious of the impact that 1984 College World Series had on their lives and they share those feelings here. The game may have been played in 1984, but the memories are vivid and emotionally charged. 

London Marathon | One minute you are strangers on the streets of London and the next you are united in sports forever and friends for a lifetime.That is what happened for American Dick Beardsley and Norwegian Inge Simonsen at the 1981 London Marathon.These two marathoners had never met when the gun went off to start the first ever London Marathon. They ran together near the head of the pack for miles, neither able to gain distance on the other.In the final stages of the race, a moment in sports’ history began when Beardsley turned to Simonsen and asked, “should we go in together.”Not knowing if Simonsen had agreed to that, they raced on, stride for stride, towards the finish line where the answer became apparent. Hand in hand, they crossed the finish line as co-winners of London’s first marathon.Never before, and most likely never again, will a marathon finish this way.Here are Dick and Inge with the story of that race, in their own words. Why would two such competitive athletes who had trained so hard to win the marathon agree to do this while running the race?What effect did this race have on their lives? Would they do it differently in hindsight?Listen and enjoy.

“The Greatest Race Ever Run.” “Iron War.”Those are two of the descriptions of the 1989 Ironman World Championship, a race that changed the face of Ironman Triathlons from being not only an endurance test, but also a true race.The men who created this historical moment are Dave Scott and Mark Allen.  1989 Ironman World ChampionshipThese two triathletes entered the 1989 event well aware of one another’s abilities, but could not possibly have foreseen that this race would pit them literally side by side for over 8 hours.  On this podcast, Dave and Mark share with each other and you the physical strains, the mental emotions and the mind-boggling journey of two rivals through a triathlon that made history.  It would be 15 subsequent years before the two could talk with one another about this race. If you think the competitiveness dissipates with time, listen closely.This is the story of two of the world’s finest athletes ever, in a race you could not script. Most importantly, this is their story as personally related by the two who ARE the story and the rivals.  

Ah, the joy of it all, listening to this conversation between two of MLB’s most renowned HOF pitchers, former rivals and good friends: Jim Palmer and Dennis Eckersley. These two-faced one another in opposing uniforms between 1975 and 1984. Both would enter Baseball’s Hall of Fame and the competitiveness that got them there can be […] The post HOF Pitchers | Palmer vs Eckersley | Ep 20 appeared first on the Sports Rivals podcast...

Breaking records and boundaries has been the lifelong work of today’s guests, Olympic diving legends Cynthia Potter and Micki King. One of the ironies in sports is that athletes often compete against one another for a lifetime, yet during that time they become teammates on occasions such as the Olympics. Cynthia and Micki are two […] The post Olympic Diving | Potter vs King | Ep 19 appeared first on the Sports Rivals podcast.

OSU vs Oregon | Some team rivalries go to the soul of players and fans.  They are the rivalries that have not only stood the test of time but also made even more intense with times’ passage. Such is the basketball rivalry between Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. OSU vs Oregon Rivalry […] The post OSU vs Oregon | NCAA Basketball | Ep 18 appeared first on the Sports Rivals podcast.