Showing results by narrator "Ron Barr" in All Categories

Mike Freeman is an NFL writer who has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and many more. Freeman currently writes for Bleacher Report and has written multiple books, including biographies of Bobby Bowden and Jim Brown. In this Sports Byline interview, he discusses his book Snake: The Legendary Life of Ken Stabler and how the NFL has changed over the years.

Andy Zlotnick is a baseball fan who was struck in the eye by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium. During a rainy game, umbrellas limited visibility, and Zlotnick couldn’t see the ball. After sustaining a major eye injury, he met with a Yankees executive to discuss his medical bills and the umbrella policy at Yankees Stadium. He claims he was refuted. In this interview, Zlotnick tells his story and talks about his fight for policy changes.

Tommy Heinsohn is Boston Celtics’ royalty as a player, coach, and broadcaster. He has the distinction of being part of all 17 of the Celtics’ championships, including eight as a player and two as a coach. He’s a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, and his #15 jersey is retired. He does color commentary for the Celtics TV coverage. He discusses his college career, NBA draft changes, and his career as a coach, player,and commentator.

Three-time NL manager of the year Dusty Baker played 19 years in the major leagues and most recently managed the Washington Nationals to an NL East Championship. In this interview, Baker talks about managing in the majors and his book, Kiss the Sky: My Weekend in Monterey for the Greatest Rock Concert Ever.

John Amaechi is a retired NBA basketball player and the first former NBA player to publicly come out. Amaechi is regarded as "one of the world's most high-profile gay athletes”. Since his playing career, Amaechi has broadcast NBA games in England and owns a consulting company. Amaechi discusses his journey from the UK to high school in Toledo, Ohio, coming out, and his basketball career.

WNBA President Lisa Borders is a former vice president of global community affairs at The Coca-Cola Company and was president of the Atlanta City Council. In this Sports Byline, she discusses how the WNBA operates as a business and her experiences in the game.

WNBA Center Brittney Griner has had an impressive career, including being only the second NCAA basketball player to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots. She played on the USA Women's Olympic Team and the McDonald's All-American Team. She discusses growing up in Houston, being bullied in her younger years, and how basketball helped her to move past it.

Tony Granato played 13 seasons in the NHL, including a trip to the Stanley Cup while with the Los Angeles Kings. After his playing career, Granato coached the Colorado Avalanche. He’s now the head coach at the University of Wisconsin. In this interview, he discusses his return to college hockey and the changes to the college game in recent years.

Author Erica Westly’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Slate, the New Republic and many more. She wrote Fastpitch: The Untold History of Softball and Women Who Made the Game, which was a finalist for the 2017 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports. She discusses the rise of women’s softball and the key figures that elevated the game.

Hall of Famer Lynn Swann won four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was selected to two Pro Bowls. Swann also served as the chairperson of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Swann returned to his alma mater, USC, and became the athletic director. Swann discusses his career with the Steelers, what drew him to USC, and what has changed since he returned.

Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer played his entire 19-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, winning three World Series championships and three Cy Young Awards. He remains the youngest pitcher to throw a World Series complete game shutout. After retiring, Palmer became an MLB announcer that includes calling World Series games. He talks about his lengthy playing career and his book, Nine Innings to Success: A Hall of Famer's Approach to Achieving Excellence.

College Football Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier is the only person to win both the Heisman Trophy and the NCAA FBS Championship as a coach. Spurrier played for nearly a decade in the NFL before returning to college football, where he became the winningest head coach at both Florida and the South Carolina. He talks about his book, Head Ball Coach: My Life in Football, Doing it Differently - and Winning, his playing career, and his road to becoming a head coach.

Terry Porter played 17 years in the NBA, including 10 years for the Portland Trailblazers. Porter earned two all-star selections and had his #30 retired by the Trailblazers. The former first-round pick is now the head basketball coach at the University of Portland. Porter talks about growing up in Milwaukee, playing for Dick Bennett, and his NBA career.

In this Sports Byline Classic interview from 2016, Andre Ward talks about the mental aspect of boxing and his career highlights, including bringing home a gold medal in 2004 and subsequent WBA Super and WBC Super Middleweight title accolades.

Let Me Tell You a Story: A Lifetime in the Game is a book that John Feinstein co-wrote with legendary basketball coach Red Auerbach. In the book, they cover Red's life in detail as well as his coaching career highlights.

Orel discusses his book, Between the Lines: Nine Principles to Live By, his childhood, and all aspects of his Major League Baseball career.

Leigh Montville discusses writing his book, Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero, his meetings with Williams, and Williams' career.

Renowned athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee talks about her journey from the poverty of East St. Louis to international fame and accomplishment. Her book, A Kind of Grace: The Autobiography of the World's Greatest Female Athlete, is a marvelous tale of courage and conviction, which she movingly relates with passion, humor, honesty, and, of course, grace.

Yogi Berra comments on his book, When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Just Take It!, a collection of his famous witticisms. The baseball legend also talks about growing up in St. Louis and his baseball career.