At the time, the entirety of the facility was housed in a, well, house. It was during an era of fundraising and expansion which is now – I’ve been told by this week’s guest – complete.
Scott Crawford is the current Canadian Baseball Hall’s Director of Operations and has been working there for more than 20 years.
My discussion with Scott is wide-ranging and we discuss everything from his love of sports as a child, falling hard for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays when they entered MLB back in 1977, and the history of the Hall of Fame itself (it dates back to 1982.
Scott’s also kind enough to provide us some background on the Hall’s Class of 2026 that will be inducted this Saturday in St. Marys. The most recognizable name from the class of six is, undoubtedly, Devon White who made one of the greatest catches in Blue Jays’ history when he robbed Atlanta Braves’ slugger David Justice of extra bases during Game 3 the 1992 World Series. Check out the video here.
I also put Scott on the spot near the end of our time together when I ask him to share his favorite artifacts housed at the Museum.
This week the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off with a pair of Group A matches on Thursday in Mexico. Over the next 39 days another 102 matches will be contested across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, as the three nations serve as a tri-hosts of the event.
The last time a nation in North America hosted FIFA’s quadrennial futbol-a-palooza, it was 1994 and the USA played solo host.
The final was contested in the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA, before nearly 95,000 fans who turned out on July 17, 1994, to watch Brazil and Italy do battle.
It was mostly a defensive struggle as the teams’ played to a scoreless tie through 90 minutes of regulation, added injury time, and 30 minutes of extra time.
That set the stage for Penalty Kicks to decide the game’s world championship and it came down to the fifth and final Italian kick, after Brazil had three of its first four and Italy had only scored twice in four chances.
The immediate aftermath of Italian Roberto Baggio’s missed penalty kick at the conclusion of the 1994 FIFA World Cup in Pasadena, CA’s, famed Rose Bowl Stadium. Brazilian goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel rejoices at his country’s victory, pointing his gloved fingers skyward. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport)
Reigning FIFA World Player of the Year, Roberto Baggio, a 27-year-old Italian midfielder who played professionally for Juventus, had the fate of Italy on his foot against Brazilian goalkeeper, Claudio Taffarel, who – ironically – played professionally for Italian club Reggiana.
Baggio’s right-footed boot sailed high over the crossbar and sent the Brazilian team and its faithful into a frenzy as it secured its fourth World Cup. The nation added a fifth eight years later during the Korea/Japan-hosted 2002 World Cup.
Footage from Baggio’s errant penalty kick via ESPN’s coverage of the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final at the Rose Bowl Stadium.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
The UCLA Beach Volleyball team on Senior Day at Mapes Beach. (Photo by Erkki Corpuz)
One of my goals for Season 5 of Conversations with Sports Fans was to feature fans of Olympic and/or so-called non-revenue sports. It was a goal born out of earnest interest to discover how and why some become fans of college athletics that don’t receive nearly the media coverage or notoreity as their siblings on football fields and basketball courts.
I’ve been a bit perplexed as to why it’s been challenging for college media and communications’ staff to put me in contact with such fans (or even respond to my inquiries, for that matter). Neither was the case for UCLA’s Beach Volleyball program.
The Bruins won their third NC Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, AL, in early May when they defeated top-ranked Stanford, 3-0. I was delighted to hear back from UCLA media contact Liza David almost as soon as I’d contacted her. She suggested Erkki Corpuz as the fan to speak with.
Erkki grew up a UCLA fan in Oxnard and ultimately attended the Westwood campus for business school. That’s when he began attending football and basketball games. It was not until he was eventually hired at the business school and finding himself on campus regularly, that he began attending some non-revenue sports. Chief among those was traditional volleyball.
When the athletic department decided to elevate Beach Volleyball from club to varsity status, Erkki and other volleyball fans were invited to the beach in hopes of creating an initial fan base.
In his case, it worked.
Erkki’s been a regular on the sand to watch the Bruins ever since.
In this episode, Erkki shares not only his journey as a sports fan from Oxnard to UCLA’s campus, but also some background on what college Beach Volleyball is (and isn’t) and how it differs from what most casual fans see every four years during the Summer Olympic Games.
My Conversation with UCLA Beach Volleyball fan, Erkki Corpuz.
Year 1 saw me attend 18 Events across three continents. In Year 2, I doubled my annual output to 36 Events and added a continent (South America!). I stand at 54 Events with No. 55 (2026 FIFA World Cup) rapidly approaching.
With, essentially, one year remaining before my self-imposed 60th birthday deadline to hit 80, I’m feeling confident 80 will happen. That said, some significant questions remain: Will the Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles be one of those or will it price itself off my list? Will Grapefruit League action happen next year or will the likely work stoppage in Major League Baseball leave me looking for a substitute? Who will be participating in the 2027 NHL Stanley Cup Finals? Because, you do realize, witnessing the Stanley Cup presented and skated is what Event No. 80 must be?
This is the annual point during this journey when I consciously – and very publicly – take a moment to acknowledge that none of this is possible without the support of my wife, Carol, daughter, Helena, and son, Jake. Not to mention Joe the Financial Guy (who chooses to remain anonymous) and all the names listed below who’ve provided support along the way. If you’d like to join the list of supporters feel free to send me an email (hilldouglast@gmail.com) or visit the Support The Sports Fan Project or the $80 for 80 Circle of Champions pages.
Thank you again and here’s to 26 – soon to be 25 – more to go!
Our podcast, Conversations with Sports Fans, turns four today.
On June 9, 2022, when I first published a Conversation, it was just me, discussing in concept what I had in mind for this podcast.
At the time I had no idea what the future had in store. Would anyone whose last name wasn’t Hill listen? Would it last one more episode? One more month? A year, perhaps?
Well, Conversations with Sports Fans turns 4-years-old today, and while that birthday likely means it’s fully toilet trained, it means little else except for the fact that I’ve been blessed beyond belief to have published 268 of these with close to 250 different guests. It’s been listened to more than 10,000 times now which, I suppose, means more than just Hills are tuning in:-)
It also still brings me joy, which is probably the biggest reason I keep doing the show.
No matter the number of listeners or likes or comments, Conversations has always been about taking me to my happy place once a week; talking about being a sports fan.
So today, I celebrate with a gift for you (that’s really probably more for me) in the form of a bonus episode featuring a panel of five past guests who discuss what it’s like being a sports fan in the Year 2026. Regular listeners will recognize most of the names, if not the voices!
We touch on everything from the ever-splintering media landscape to the high cost of being a fan to the proliferation of sports gambling to continuing rise of women’s sports. And, as you might expect with six folks on one call at the same time, there are a few digressions:-)
Oh yeah, we also talk about the 2026 FIFA World Cup because Stephen Miller is one of our guests and, well, there might not be a bigger fan of the World Cup coming to North America than Stephen!
Further Reading – Interestingly, this piece from yahoo!sports was published a few days after recording. It’s both timely and illuminating.
(Editor’s Note: As we close in on the fourth anniversary of the launch of Conversations with Sports Fans [June 9th] we’re counting down the top four most-listened-to episodes in the show’s history. This is the most-listened-to episode.)
I’ve known Paula Herbart for the better part of 15 years at this point and am pleased to call her and her husband, Kenneth, friends.
We both ascended to leadership roles within our local teachers’ unions at about the same time and began interacting in the same circles within our region, state, and national levels. As we were both natives to Detroit’s eastern suburbs a natural bond was formed.
When I’d invited her to join me on Conversations it was, sort of, as a courtesy. By the time she was a guest, I’d already had several of our mutual work colleagues on the show and it was a bit of a running joke as to whether I’d ever get around to inviting her. And when I did (calling her bluff, I suppose) she said yes (calling mine, I guess) and the result is what was published February 23, 2023.
Unsurprisingly, it’s an enjoyable Conversation featuring longtime friends chatting about life and how the best part of sports and sports spectating is the camaraderie they can create. That was certainly the case for Paula who, while not an avid fan of any particular sport, enjoys the opportunities to be with people who share a common interest. Sports, she also acknowledges, allow us to connect across generations especially within our families.
Haven’t listened to Paula Herbart’s episode yet? Check it out below.
Similar episodes to Paula Herbart:
Season 1, Episode 19 Helena Hill – To call my daughter, Helena, a sports fan would be a bit of a stretch. She’s not pouring over daily results and updating her fantasy teams on the nightly. What she is, however, is a fan of big events and being where the action is. She joined me on this episode to celebrate National Daughters’ Day and we had a terrific chat about sports, memories of her childhood, and pop culture.
Season 2, Episode 23 Mothers’ Day Special – My son, Jake, has had the same core group of buddies since middle school. Naturally, those moms all became acquaintances who’ve enjoyed plenty of time together. For this special episode, I gathered those mom’s around my kitchen table to talk about their lives as sports fans (in some cases) and fans of their sons (in all cases).
Paula and I discussed a lot during our Conversation even some sports:-)
Our podcast, Conversations with Sports Fans, is about to celebrate its fourth birthday so we figured let’s go back to when Conversations was still a rumor. What’s happening here?
On the Sunday leading into that initial Conversation, then-36-year-old Spaniard Rafael Nadal won his record 14th French Open men’s single’s title in straight sets over 23-year-old Norwegian Casper Ruud, 6-3, 6-3, 6-0.
Norway’s Casper Ruud, left, congratulates Spain’s Rafael Nadal following the pair’s 2022 French Open Men’s Singles Championship, won by Nadal 6-3, 6-3, 6-0. (Photo by Agence France-Presse)
Not only did Nadal continue to flex his dominance on the famed red clay of Roland-Garros, it also marked his 22nd all-time Grand Slam Championship which was then the record. Novak Djokovic equalled the mark early in 2023 at the Australian Open before breaking Nadal’s record in Paris that summer. Djokovic added the U.S. Open in September of 2023 and now owns the record with 24 Grand Slam Championships.
Nadal paid one more visit to Roland-Garros in 2024 (he had to withdraw in 2023 due to injury) and was defeated in the opening round by German Alexander Zverev.
With that Nadal left Paris with an all-time Roland-Garros record of 112-4.
Truly, mind-boggling dominance in the venue.
Here is match point from Rafael Nadal’s 14th and final French Open Championship from this week in 2022.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
Some might say The Basketball Mavens wrote the book on March madness.
(Editor’s Note: As we close in on the fourth anniversary of the launch of Conversations with Sports Fans [June 9th] we’re counting down the top four most-listened-to episodes in the show’s history. This is the second most-listened-to episode.)
During the early days of hosting Conversations with Sports Fans I did most of the inviting for guests to join me. It was a rare occasion when a potential guest would reach out to me inquiring about appearing.
Such was the case in the late winter of 2024 when I received an email from an address that began “thebasketballmavens.” I’m not saying my Spam Filter flagged it, but I was certainly a little suspicious when I clicked the <Read> button.
Within, I found a lovely email from a fella named James Wikman aka “Wik” who was the spokesperson for a trio of friends who collectively were known as “The Basketball Mavens.” The Mavens, it turns out, have been attending NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games together for close to 40 years. And by attending I mean attending!
The norm for Wikman, John Ries (aka “J.R.”) and Tom Bowen (aka “Opie”) was to attend all first weekend games in two host sites. That meant they’d scope out the Round of 64 sites that were close enough to easily travel between on Thursday and Friday and they’d do just that, ping-ponging back and fourth to watch a total of 12 games from Thursday-Sunday. They’d then head to a Regional site to see all three games there for the Rounds of 16 and 8 before attending the Final Four annually for three more games.
That’s 18 games each spring if you lost count.
Wash, rinse, and repeat every year! Around the time we initially spoke they’d recently topped 500 total tournament games witnessed. They’re now into the 600s and even wrote a book about their experiences.
Haven’t listened to The Basketball Mavens’ episode yet? Check it out below.
Similar episodes to The Basketball Mavens:
Season 2, Episode 14 Craig Caswell – Like The Mavens, Caswell is a college basketball junkie. His fix, it turns out, was to try and see every NCAA Division I Men’s program play in person. It took him 12 years, but he accomplished just that in February 2023 when he saw Lehigh play at American, to conclude his quest to see all 373 (at the time) Division I programs in person.
Season 5, Episode 26 Brian Fowler – A longtime fan of the Raiders (Oakland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas), Fowler set out to eclipse two Guiness World Records prior to the 2025 NFL Season. Most regular-season games attended and fastest to see a game in all 32 NFL stadiums. He accomplished both and then made the rounds during the Playoffs and the Super Bowl. A year filled with gridiron travel excitement.
The Basketball Mavens’ Conversation from middle of the madness back in 2024.
