Conversations’ guest, Mark Hebscher, discusses his new book, “Madness,” as well as his life as a sports fan on this episode.
Part of the enjoyment I derive from the 240 or so of these Conversations I’ve had to date is getting to know many different sports fans from all of the world.
Last week, for example, I spoke with Nikhil Kulkarni– an India native living in Australia – about cricket and a pair of west Michigan small college athletic directors about their big rivalary basketball game (Dr. Jim Timmer Jr. and Tim Schoonveld).
This week, I’m heading north of the border to Canada where I’ll introduce you to Mark Hebscher, Torontonian who spent nearly half a century working the sports media business. He called upon his many and various experiences to author the book, Madness: The Rise and Ruin of Sports Media.
When I asked a Canadian acquaintance of mine if he was familiar with Mark, his response was immediate: “You mean, Hebsy!?! All Canadians know Hebsy!”
For the majority of my adult life I’ve resided across the border from Canada and I hadn’t heard of Hebsy.
That said, I’m delighted to share this episode with you. Mark was the co-anchor of Canada’s Global Television Network‘s late-night sports show, Sportsline. Mark’s a character in the best-possible way: funny, unfiltered, opinionated. We only get a sampling of this – of course – on Conversations, but it’s easy to project what a wildly entertaining his on-air personality was.
I’m delighted to offer a signed copy of “Madness” via a random drawing from among the entrants who email me (hilldouglast@gmail.com) their name by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 8.
In the meantime, if you’d like to enjoy some more Hebsy, he writes (when he feels like it;-) on Substack as “Hebsy on Sports” which you’re able to subscribe to free of charge at this link.
In the NFC, West Division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks, square off in the Pacific Northwest where Seattle’s vaunted 12s will, no doubt be a factor (game time, 6:30 p.m. EST).
Meanwhile, in the AFC, the New England Patriots visit the Denver Broncos in what will be the team’s third all-time meeting in the AFC Championship. Like this one, each of the previous two have been played in Denver’s mile high elevation (game time, 3 p.m. EST).
The Broncos won each of the previous two meetings (26-16 on January 19, 2014, and 20-18 on January 24, 2016) with a certain Hall of Fame quarterback (and current pitchman for various products!) named Peyton Manning leading the way.
That will, decidedly, not be the case this year, as the Broncos’ will be led into their – potentially – penultimate game of the season by Jarrett Stidham, a sixth year pro with a total of 20 games played and just four starts (the last coming in 2023).
This week’s #FanTeaser image was captured immediately following the Broncos’ 2016 victory over the Patriots when Manning and Tom Brady were visiting near midfield.
New England’s Tom Brady and Denver’s Peyton Manning talk following Denver’s 20-18 AFC Championship victory in Denver on January 24, 2016. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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.
Yes, came his answer as a proud Hope alum. He then began to regale me with data about how competitive the rivalry is (Hope currently leads the all-time series 111-105), how the New York Times featured the game over a decade ago while the New York Knicks were struggling, mightily. ESPN’s given it some publicity (see this 2007 story) and even ranked it as the fourth best college basketball rivalry in the country behind only Duke-North Carolina, UConn-Tennessee women, and Kentucky-Louisville.
Known simply as The Rivalry, the game’s been played since the 1920-21 season and, entering the first meeting this season, the teams are separated by one point all time. Yes, just one point separates the cumulative scoring for the two schools through 216 all-time games (Calvin leads it 14,637 to 14,636).
Later tonight I’ll be in the stands at Hope’s DeVos Fieldhouse thanks to a ticket Todd helped secure.
But before attending the game, I decided it’d be a good idea to learn a bit more about The Rivalry. The two schools’ athletic directors – Dr. Jim Timmer Jr. from Calvin and Tim Schoonveld from Hope – were kind enough to join me on this special bonus episode of Conversations with Sports Fans to discuss the schools, their history, and, of course, The Rivalry.
Dr. Jim Timmer Jr. and Tim Schoonveld discuss the Calvin-Hope rivalry.
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.
My Summer of Cricket author Nikhil Kulkarni joins me this week on Conversations with Sports Fans.
Confession Time: I know very (very!) little about the sport of cricket.
And I suspect many of my listeners are not unlike me
Having said that, we are – most-assuredly – in the minority. There’s an estimated 2.5 billion (yes, that’s billion with a B) cricket fans worldwide, making it the second most followed sport on the planet. It trails soccer by an estimated 1 billion.
Side Note: You might be interested in seeing the Top 10 and where your favorite sport resides (or doesn’t) as of this 2024 report.
Especially after I asked Google to give me the definition of a cricket tragic: “an extremely passionate, almost obsessive fan of cricket, someone whose life revolves around the sport, experiencing deep emotional highs with wins and devastating lows with losses, often sacrificing other things for the game and knowing every detail, from stats to folklore.”
This is my kind of guest!
Just over a year ago, Nikhil attended three of the five test matches in the bilateral India-Australia Border-Gavaskar Trophy matches in the Australian cities of Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Following his nearly 3 weeks immersed in national cricket competition, he set out to write the memoir-esque book noted above, My Summer of Cricket.
Understandably Nikhil and I discuss cricket – and he’s exceedingly patient with me! – but we also discuss the life of a passionate (e.g. tragic) sports fan and the communal nature of being one which is universal no matter the sport your fandom fancies.
Nikhil Kulkarni is this week’s guest on Conversations.
Is this photo of my friend Rob and I suitable for framing? Some might say it is.
The last time I saw a Detroit Lions’ home football game was November 28, 1996.
The Lions hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in their annual Thanksgiving Day Game at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Chiefs, led by a pair of Marcus Allen touchdowns (his 111th and 112th of his career which passed Walter Payton for the NFL record), won the game, 28-24.
I remember this game because it was my friend Rob’s bachelor party and a bunch of fellas attended in advance of his wedding the next evening.
It only seemed like deja vu because our other friend, Mike, did the whole Lions’ Thanksgiving-Day-game-bachelor-party-thing the year prior when the Lions bested the Minnesota Vikings, 44-38.
In the years since – also known, largely, as the “Dark Ages for Detroit Lions’ Football” – I did my viewing of the hometown professional football team from the comfort of my living room sofa or a few select road games where I either met friends or checked some stadiums off my list: Once in Green Bay’s Lambeau Field for a 28-6 Lions’ loss; once in Denver for a 20-16 Lions’ loss; once in Arizona for a 17-10 Lions’ loss; and, mercifully, once in Dallas for a 47-9 Lions’ win.
That said, when it came time to determine which 80 would be on my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events list you could have bet the house that a Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day Game was going to be on it.
Securing Tickets
Thankfully, this was a home game for me. Sleep in my own bed. Drive in my own car.
Lions’ tickets, however, are not what they once were e.g. abundant and cheap.
With the move 23 seasons ago from the cavernous Silverdome (capacity 80,311) downtown to the relatively cozy confines of Ford Field (65,000) and a team that suddenly – and rather miraculously – learned how to be competitive in the NFL, Lions’ tickets have been H-O-T. For an occasion such as Thanksgiving Day with division rival Green Bay coming to town, these were some in-demand tickets.
Luckily, I knew a guy;-)
My friend Rob (and not the one whose bachelor party was in the Silverdome 29 years ago) is a long-standing Lions’ season-ticket holder and when I shared my vision for the Around the World project he seemed all-too-willing to support the effort and sell me one of his tickets at face value. His only request was that he be my wingman a couple days later for the Michigan-Ohio State game at Michigan Stadium (more on that event next time).
Sold!
No hotel expense, free parking at a downtown casino, face-value ticket cost … this event was trending toward an under budget experience.
Joining the Parade
The Mother Goose float, a staple in America’s Thanksgiving Parade, since 1924 heads toward me on Woodward Avenue.
While there may be nooks and crannies around the city of Detroit that afford free parking for major events, there is only one has free parking 24/7 365 days a year: The MGM Grand Detroit Parking Garage.
While it’s not located right next to the city’s major venues (Ford Field, Comerica Park, and Little Caesars Arena), it’s close enough that it’s not a taxing walk to get to any of the above and, as they say, the price is right.
I met Rob, his wife, Jaime, daughter, Cameron, and brother, Justin, in the garage and we began the nearly one mile walk to Ford Field.
When it came time to cross Woodward Avenue – Detroit’s main street – we had to dodge floats from America’s Thanksgiving Parade to get from one side to the other. So, for a moment, I guess I was in the parade.
Paying Homage to Barry
Me and Barry (with a Robert Porcher and Wayne Fontes photo bomb) outside Ford Field. (Photo by Rob Byrd)
I dare say Detroit’s Hall of Fame running back, Barry Sanders, has never purchased a beverage – adult or otherwise – in this region since he abruptly walked away from the game on the eve of training camp in 1999.
If any Lions’ player is statue worthy, it’d be Barry.
And, finally, the Lions’ did the right thing in September 2023 when they unveiled a Sanders’ statue in front of Ford Field.
Having never been to a Lions’ game at Ford Field and no event there since the statue was dedicated, I’d not seen it.
Consider it seen and homage paid.
First-time for a Ford Field Lions’ Game
Clockwise from upper left, a showcase devoted to current Lions’ edge, Aidan Hutchinson, is found in the Detroit Lion Archives area; the Christmas trip was up and resplendent in Honolulu Blue and Silver decor; this Jahmyr Gibbs mural is see along a concourse; the entrance into the Archives area; the former Ford Field message board ring is now along the concourse; items from Lem Barney, left, and Yale Lary are found in the Archives area; the 2nd Level Concourse was poppin’ over an hour before kickoff.
While I’d never seen a Lions’ game in Ford Field, I had been in the venue, previously. Once for a concert (U2), twice for a high school marching band competitions, once for what was then the Motor City Bowl, and once for a facility tour.
So before we visited our seats, Rob took me for a walk around the venue which, as you might imagine, was festooned in Honolulu Blue and Silver for the occasion.
Along the way Rob pointed out how the facility repurposed the old message board ribbon that used to ring the stadium. It now serves as a live scoreboard for both the Lions and other games along some of the concourses. We were able to see the giant Christmas tree that was fully decorated near one of the entrances and was a hot spot for folks to get pictures and, nearby, we took a moment to hear from the Honolulu Boom, the Lions’ drum line which was performing in the area. Finally, we moved through the 2nd Level Concourse that featured a large open-air space between the seating and the old Hudson Warehouse which was a major piece of the original design of the facility. It included theBlitz (a dining spot that’s also open for lunch weekdays) as well as a DJ spinning tunes and plenty of spots get a cooling beverage, sit, and visit.
Additionally, the concourses featured plenty of large murals of current Lions’ players and a special area known as the Detroit Lions Archives, which serves as a repository of team artifacts, past and present.
Settling In
My view of Ford Field for Thanksgiving Day.
Rob’s seats were positioned in the corner of the endzone to the upper right of the Lions’ logo as you watch games on television.
It was a terrific spot to see the action … all of the action.
Players emerged from the tunnel directly opposite from where we sat, we were facing the Lions’ sidelines (the Packers, while closer, had their backs to us), and we had a great view of the video board.
All-in-all, no complaints with the place. Sightlines seem fabulous from what appears to be every seat in the house and the upper levels don’t rise to the heights (and distance from the field) that some other stadiums do. And the acoustics, as I’ll mention in a moment, aren’t too shabby either.
The Game
From left, the field during “The Star-Spangled Banner;” saw this fella at the concession stand; the Packers’ scrimmage from deep in Lions’ territory late in the first half; the home fans adhered to the scoreboard operator’s request when the Lions were on offense.
As you might imagine, for it being a holiday and all, fans were in a festive mood on the way into Ford Field. Myriad holiday-themed outfits being donned, plenty of Honolulu Blue and Silver, but also no shortage of the Green and Gold from the visitors from the west.
The Lions, a team that a season ago went 15-2 and then washed out in the Divisional round of the NFC playoffs, were up and down to the moment. Having not won consecutive games in seven weeks. They were 7-4, coming of an outlandish overtime victory over the New York Giants, and in the midst of a 3-game homestand.
A win against Green Bay would catapult the Lions over the Packers and keep them in the hunt for the NFC North title.
Well, we all now know how this went:-(
Detroit’s star receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, was injured during Detroit’s first offensive series, did not return and, consequently, the Lions’ offense took a while to find itself. Meanwhile, Green Bay jumped to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Playing without two offensive line starters as well, and facing Green Bay with early-September acquistion Michah Parsons fully integrated, Lions quarterback Jared Goff seemed rushed most of the day.
Detroit failed on a pair of fourth down conversions during the second half and that fairly well doomed it to not having quite enough oomph to get the victory. Even so, had the defense managed to stop Green Bay on a 4th-and-3 with just under two minutes left in the game there would have been an opportunity to tie it in the waning minutes. Jordan Love found Dontayvion Wicks for 16 yards to put the game on ice, 31-24.
A Halftime Highlight!
My view of the Jack White halftime performance on Thanksgiving Day.
Metro Detroit was abuzz much of the preceding two weeks after it was announced that Detroit native and hip-hop legend, Eminem, would be helping produce the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day halftime show.
What would he have in store for fans and television audiences this year? Would he be performing?
My friend Rob shared with me on the way to the game that he and his daughter were going to be part of the halftime show, selected among the group of a few hundred fans who rushed the stage on the field as the peformance was set to begin. They even had a rehearsal of sorts earlier in the week to work on positioning and choreography. (Nothing, it seems, is left to chance!)
For those who are fans (which I am one), White did not disappoint. He started with a scorching rendition of “That’s How I’m Feeling,” moved into “Hello Operator,” and then welcomed Eminem to the stage – to the delight of the crowd – who sampled “Till I Collapse.”
And was there any doubt how White would finish this peformance? His stadium anthem which is played the world over at sporting events big and small, “Seven Nation Army,” closed out his time in front of his home town.
Later, when Rob and Cameron made it back to their seats, we queried on whether they knew Eminem would be appearing. Either they’re gifted liars or like the rest of us were unaware until he popped up onstage.
Rob, who stood stage right, said he did notice a bit of commotion to his left before Eminem ran up on the stage and only later realized that it was likely a hoodied singer and his people the getting rapper into position to surprise everyone.
The beginning of Jack White’s stadium anthem, “Seven Nation Army.”
Postscript
As I write these reflections in mid-January, nearly two months following my visit to Ford Field, we now know how the Lions’ season finished. They never did win consecutive games again and limped to the finish line (quite literally) with a 9-8 record and finished in the basement of the NFC North.
I’ll take the glass is half full approach on the topic. With injuries to the secondary and the offensive line stacking up like salmon who finished their swim upstream to spawn, it was not – in my opinion – a team built for a deep playoff run. I’ll take the fourth place schedule in 2026 as well as a slightly earlier draft slot.
I’ll also take some fond memories of my first home Lions’ experience in nearly 30 years.
The hour was getting late, but the fans hung in until the bitter end (for both this game and the season). (Photo by Jaime Byrd)
Combined, the two players in this photo from their college days have played 33 NBA seasons, scored over 34,000 points, and won five NBA Championships. Who are they?
There’s a lot of basketball skill in this week’s #FanTeaser.
Patty Mills, then of Saint Mary’s (CA), and Stephen Curry, then of Davidson, met just once during their college days. It was during the second round of the 2009 NIT on the campus of Saint Mary’s in Moraga, CA. (Photographer Unknown)
Mills, a native of Canberra, Australia, was a standout lead guard for the Gaels in what was his second and final season on the Moraga, CA, campus. He averaged 18.4 points and 3.7 assists per game for Saint Mary’s, which burst out to an 18-1 record and a national ranking of No. 22, before the Aussie broke his shooting hand and missed a half-dozen games.
Curry, who finished that season as the nation’s leading scorer (28.6 points per game), had burst on the scene a year earlier when he led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8, beating seventh-seeded Gonzaga (92-76), second-seeded Georgetown (74-70), and third-seeded Wisconsin (73-56), before falling to top-seeded and eventual NCAA Champion, Kansas (59-57).
The matchup in Moraga was a pre-cursor to 16 years worth of NBA battles between the two. Curry’s been a Golden State Warrior all 17 seasons while Mills spent all but three of his 16 NBA seasons in the Western Conference.
It was such a huge game that special t-shirts were produced to commemorate the event, which sold out in under 30 minutes. Saint Mary’s wound up winning the game, 80-68, with Mills leading the way. He scored 23 points and handed out 10 assists. Curry, meanwhile, was held to 26 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
How big was the Mills-Curry Matchup in Moraga back in 2009? T-shirts were produced for the game. (Photo by Karl Mondon/San Jose Mercury News)
The two went on to more acclaim as NBA players.
As noted previously, Curry’s spent all 17 of his NBA seasons in, ironically enough, the Bay Area playing for Golden State, where he’s won four NBA titles, a pair of league MVP awards, and has stretched the limits of what’s considered an “in range shot” for most.
For his part, Mills won a NBA title during the 2013-14 season for the San Antonio Spurs, where he was an extension of Coach Gregg Popovich off the bench as starting point guard Tony Parker‘s primary backup.
For more reading on the Curry-Mills matchup from 2009, check out this San Jose Mercury News article at this link.
Stephen Curry’s highlight reel from the 2008 NCAA Tournament is, simply, awesome!
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.
Combined, the two players in this photo from their college days have played 33 NBA seasons, scored over 34,000 points, and won five NBA Championships. Who are they?
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 cover of Conversations’ guest, Al Pickett’s, sixth published book.
The last time I spoke with Al Pickett, the voice of so many sports in Abilene, TX, I was sitting in the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame – of which Al is the Chair – in the Mall of Abilene to learn about what makes Texas football, West Texas football in particular, so special.
In today’s episode, we give Al the full Conversations with Sports Fans treatment and discuss everything from his early years in Kansas to his moves to Arkansas and, ultimately, Texas.
We also dive into his sixth published book, It Must Be a Big Game: 50 Years of Covering Sports, that aims to take readers on a stroll through memorable moments of Al’s life in the pressbox or sideline. In addition to vignettes of those memorable moments, Al also provides readers with 1-paragraph biographies of all 251 inductees of the Big Country Athletic Hall.
I’m also happy to report that Al’s provided me with a signed copy of It Must Be a Big Game and I’d love to give it away. Simply email me at hilldouglast@gmail.com with your name and email contact by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 25. I’ll conduct a random drawing of those entered and get it out to the winner post-haste.
Alternatively, if you’d like a personalized signed copy from Al, himself, you’re able to contact him at this email address – apickettc@sbcglobal.net – to set that up. Here’s hoping you support an independent author:-)
