Sports Spectrum Podcast

BONUS EPISODE   Liam Hendriks is a pitcher with the Oakland Athletics. In 2019, Hendriks had a career season that saw him selected to his first MLB All-Star Game. He finished the season with 124 strikeouts in 85 innings, 25 saves and an ERA of 1.80 in 75 games.    He holds the distinction of being the first Australian-born player to ever start an MLB postseason game. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 6, 2011, with the Twins, and then pitched in Toronto and Kansas City before arriving in Oakland in 2016.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk with Hendriks about the pandemic, his preparation during this quarantine time, his All-Star Game experience, handling success during the 2019 season, and how God and his wife helped keep him humble.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 499   Joshua Gagnon is the founding and lead pastor of Next Level Church in New Hampshire. It is recognized as one of the fastest growing churches in America. Josh is also the author of his new book, "It's Not Over: Leaving Behind Disappointment and Learning to Dream Again."    On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Josh about his new book, how pain can be a leader's constant companion, why the Gospel is still relevant in 2020 and how he's helped lead a growing church in the least churched area of the United States in the Northeast.   * Interview recorded prior to coronavirus outbreak.

Episode 498 Each day in the afternoon, Dallas, Texas listens to the voice of Bob Sturm on Sports Radio 1310 the Ticket. He's also a part of Troy Aikman's research team each week during the NFL season for FOX Sports broadcasts.    Bob is a staff writer covering the Cowboys for The Athletic Dallas. He has covered the team for the last 22 seasons and has written about the Cowboys for The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine and Fox Sports Southwest. He was also the author of the book “This Year is Different - The Story of How the 2011 Dallas Mavericks Won It All."   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Bob about being on air during a pandemic, where his faith took shape, his awesome adoption story and what he's learned about being a believer and working in the secular work space as a sports talk show host.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

BONUS EPISODE   Today on the podcast, we feature a conversation with Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and NFL tight end Benjamin Watson. Swinney's wife Cathleen and Watson's wife Kirsten also join the conversation as part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' Huddle Up series.    To watch this entire conversation, visit YouTube.com/FCAVideo.   For more stories of sports and faith, visit http://SportsSpectrum.com.   To learn more about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, check out http://fca.org    To learn about the great work being done with the Nations of Coaches, check them out here. 

Episode 497   Paul Tesori is a former All-American at the University of Florida, a PGA TOUR Professional, and caddie to Vijay Singh. He is currently a coach and caddie to 2012 US Open champion and 2018 PLAYERS champion, Webb Simpson.   He and his wife Michelle have co-founded the Tesori Family Foundation, who's initiative is to give back to those in need. Their mission is to achieve great things through God by lending a helping hand, providing hope and healing hearts for children.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Paul about his role as a caddie to Webb Simpson, having a boss that is 13 years younger than him, his struggle with idolatry and how his faith was tested when he suffered a broken marriage, had an affair and became a workaholic. Paul's got a great story of faith and redemption.   For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 496   Dior Ginyard is the NFLPA's Senior Player Manager where he connects players to programs facilitating professional development off the field.    His key initiatives is working on player development programs for current players, helping NFL rookies with their on-boarding process as they adapt to the pro game, and advocating for players to figure out opportunities away from the field.    On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Dior about his role with the NFLPA. He also shares his faith story and how an injury in a high school football game and emergency surgery in December 2006 led to a downward spiral that culminated with him spending time in prison until a Bible Study and a certain book he read changed his purpose forever.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Today we bring back a conversation recorded in October of 2019 with Ravi Zacharias, an evangelist, teacher, preacher, author and founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.    Ravi passed away today, May 19, 2020 at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer. He was a true hero of the faith and impacted the lives millions of people around the world.   

Episode 495   Mike Bomgardner is a former Duke football player. A four-sport letterman in high school, Bomgardner's Haddon Heights, N.J., team won two state championships and he received multiple scholarship offers from schools such as Penn State, Notre Dame and Syracuse. During his time at Duke, Bomgardner served as a co-captain in 1974 and was voted "Most Inspirational Teammate" that same season.   Today, Bomgardner is in a different kind of battle away from the football field, as he was diagnosed with colon cancer in April 2016. He went through multiple rounds of cancer, but in January 2019 he discovered his cancer had returned and was given a terminal diagnosis.   On March 22, 2020, Bomgardner's trials continued, as he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to the hospital for multiple days.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Bomgardner about his football journey, but more so focus on how the Lord has worked through him during his battle with cancer, contracting coronavirus, sharing his story,

Episode 494   Howard Johnson played 14 seasons of Major League Baseball from 1982 to 1995. He was selected in the first round of the 1979 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers (12th overall) and made his MLB debut three years later, on April 14, 1982. He would play three seasons in Detroit and was a member of the 1984 Tigers team that won the World Series.   In the offseason of 1984, he was traded to the Mets and would spend the next nine seasons in New York. His time with the Mets saw him make two All-Star teams, become a three-time member of the 30/30 club (30 HR, 30 Stolen Bases) and win a World Series in 1986.   After stints in Colorado and Chicago, Johnson retired following the 1995 season and went into coaching. He was the hitting coach of the Mets from 2007-2011 and in 2019, served as the hitting coach for the AAA Nashville Sounds.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Howard Johnson about his time with the Mets, winning World Series titles in 1984 and 1986, the influence Gary Carter had on his faith,

BONUS EPISODE   Matthew West is one of the most recognized voices in Christian music. He is a five-time GRAMMY® nominee, a multiple ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year winner and a 2018 Dove Award Songwriter of the Year (Artist) recipient.    His latest album "Brand New" released in February 2020. He has co-hosted the K-LOVE Fan Awards five times and has more than 130 songwriting credits to his name, including cuts by Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Mandisa, Danny Gokey and others, along with back-to-back No. 1 songs by Casting Crowns including their recent single, “Nobody,” which West is featured.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Matthew West about "Quarantine Life" and how much he's missing baseball right now. We also talk about the 1998 Chicago sports scene, his new album and Matthew also performs his latest single "Walking Miracles" on today's show.  For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum   Matthew West Social Media T

Episode 493   Daniel Mogg is the Chief Creative Officer of West2East Empire. The production company is a brand management and strategic storytelling company based in Seattle and founded by Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.   Mogg joined Wilson at West2East back in 2017. Prior to that, he worked for multiple years with NBC Sports, where he covered Sunday Night Football, the 2016 Summer Olympics, Stanley Cup Finals, Kentucky Derby and multiple Super Bowls. Mogg is the recipient of four Emmy awards. Mogg got his career started working with Tony Dungy's All-Pro Dad ministry in Tampa.    On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Daniel Mogg about his crazy journey from working with Tony Dungy, to covering the Super Bowl for NBC, to working with the quarterback of his favorite childhood team. Daniel shares what makes Russell Wilson a great leader, how his faith has fueled Daniel's journey and why prayer is a vital part to his everyday life.    * Interview recorded prior to coronavirus outbreak.   For more stories of spo

BONUS EPISODE   Boston Celtics forward Semi Ojeleye joins us to share how he's coping with the pandemic, how faith in Jesus has sustained him, why he hasn't watched the Michael Jordan documentary yet and what he's hoping will happen with the return of the NBA.   For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 492   Cat Osterman is one of the most decorated softball players ever. She was a standout pitcher in college at the University of Texas where she ended her college career with records in wins, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP and innings pitched.  She still owns the NCAA Division One record for perfect games and is top-10 in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and no-hitters.    As a member of the Longhorns softball team, Osterman was named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year all four years she played and is a 2-time ESPY Award winning for the top collegiate female athlete (2005, 2006).   In 2004, she led USA Softball to an Olympic Gold Medal, teaming with the likes of Jennie Finch to lead America to victory. In 2008, she helped Team USA to a Silver Medal and in 2012, was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.   In 2018, she un-retired from softball to make one more push for a Gold Medal with Team USA at the Summer Olympics, now expected to be played in 2021.    On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Cat about unretirin

BONUS EPISODE   Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles and 2-time Super Bowl champion Chris Maragos join the show to talk about their new podcast "The Mission of Truth" and why they wanted to venture into doing their own show. We also talk about faith, football, their unique relationship and why the wives are the real heroes.    You can subscribe to Nick and Chris' "Mission of Truth" podcast here.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 491   Jeff Scott is the head football coach with South Florida, having been named to the position in December of 2019.  He spent the previous 11 years as an assistant coach with Clemson, where he was a part of 5 straight College Football Playoff appearances and two national championships (2016, 2018).   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jeff Scott about his new role with South Florida, how he's coaching amidst a pandemic, the lessons he's learned during Covid-19, his journey of faith and the impact Coach Dabo Swinney had on Jeff's walk with Christ.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website - http://SportsSpectrum.com. 

ESPN Football Analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky returns to Sports Spectrum to share his thoughts on covering football during the pandemic, the importance of living your faith out with others, having an impact on his kids' lives and how to handle Twitter bullies properly.   For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com. 

Episode 490   Jon Ackerman is the managing editor for Sports Spectrum, in charge of the organization’s magazine and website. He joined the team in 2017 after more than 14 years in sports media. He covered six Olympics for NBCOlympics.com, and has also worked as a writer and editor for NBC Sports, Universal Sports, Back9Network and more.   After giving his life to the Lord at age 25 in a small church in Stamford, Connecticut, Ackerman saw God work in his career and life in ways that only He can. And it prepared him and his wife, Shannon, for trials that only God could help them endure.   After having a healthy baby girl, the Ackermans became pregnant again nearly a year and a half later. But at a 13-week ultrasound appointment, they were told, “Your baby is incompatible with life.” Though they couldn’t completely comprehend the implications of that statement at the time, their world was rocked. In March 2016, they met their son and after a few breaths on his mother’s chest, he went to be with the Lord. The cou

Episode 489   * Interview recorded prior to coronavirus outbreak.   Lorenzo Alexander played 13 NFL seasons with the Redskins, Cardinals, Raiders, and Bills. He played his college football California University but went undrafted coming into the league in 2005. His NFL career saw him play through 2019 before retiring after this past season.   On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Lorenzo about the decision to retire, how he's grown in his faith during his time in Buffalo, the pain that he would experience each week as an NFL linebacker, how the death of Sean Taylor impacted Lorenzo to begin his journey with Christ and why it is the best decision he's ever made.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 488   Anthony Tolliver is a professional basketball player in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies. He came to the NBA as an undrafted free agent out of Creighton and signed with the San Antonio Spurs in 2008. Since then he has played for eleven different franchises in his 12 seasons and played in 711 career NBA games.    On the podcast today, we talk to Anthony about his crazy 2019-2020 NBA season, the pandemic putting a halt to sports, staying in shape, trusting in Christ during this uncertain time, and his favorite Kobe Bryant memory.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website http://SportsSpectrum.com 

BONUS EPISODE   Jake Reed is a pro baseball pitcher in the Minnesota Twins organization. Janie Reed is Jake's wife and a member of the USA Olympic Softball team.    On this episode of the podcast, we talk to Jake and Janie about the pivot that they have had to make during the coronavirus outbreak. Jake shares what that moment was like being in spring training with the Twins, having to pause his baseball journey and how God has shown himself to him during this time. Janie shares what that new preparation looks like for her readying for Tokyo and the now 2021 Summer Olympics.    For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com.