About six weeks ago I received a letter from my father (he’s a huge supporter of the United States Postal Service!). Included in the mailing was an Associated Press article from an area newspaper profiling Kays Curling, a Scottish company that – the story informed me – is the sole manufacturer of Olympic curling stones. And it’s been the lone provider of the iconic stones since the sport returned as a medal sport to the Winter Olympics in 1998.

Whether it was my dad’s intention or not, I paid the Kays’ website a visit and discovered a contact form. Before I knew it, I had an appointment scheduled with Ricky English, Operations Manager at Kays.

Ricky, with his thick Scottish accent, shares the history of Kays, how it harvests the unique granite (Common Green and Blue Hone) from the nearby uninhabited island, Aisla Craig, in the Firth of Clyde that’s used to craft the stones, and a bit about the production process.

I also learn from Ricky that there are craftsmen working at Kays who have, in fact, handled every curling stone ever used in the Olympic Games. Simply amazing!

It’s a terrific discussion (in my estimation, at least;-) about what it takes to craft these iconic stones for a sport that continues to captivate new fans with each passing Olympic Games.

^{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.

Sparing no expense to bring you – my listeners – the very best audio entertainment, I’ve assembled five of my long-time supporters in a series of mini-Conversations to discuss the best thing they witnessed from the world of sports in 2025, what they’re looking forward to witness in 2026, and/or how they’d improve the sports world for fans.

I present to you the Conversations with Sports Fans Cavalcade of Stars Year End Special.

Of course the term stars is used loosely here but, in my mind, because they’ve been longtime subscribers, listeners, and supporters of my efforts at The Sports Fan Project, they’re all stars in my mind!

The five you’ll hear from during this special episode:

• Mike O’Connell Jr. – I previously had Mike on a pair of times (S:3, E:18 and S:4, E:6) in which we’ve discussed his fandom and his authored works, From Test Scores to Boxscores and The 365 Greatest Movies Ever Made and the Days You Should Watch Them. This time he shares the best thing he saw in 2025 and even gives us a sneak peak in what he has in mind for 2026. You’re able to keep tabs on all of Mike’s work at his website found here.
• Jerry Hill – He’s the original podcast guest (S:1, E:2) who also just happens to be my father and frequent traveling partner during my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events journeys. Jerry shares with us what he’s looking forward to seeing and doing in 2026; some Around the World related and some not.
• Stephen Miller – No, not that Stephen Miller, I’m talking to the one from outside Seattle who previously joined me on S:4, E:20 and was part our quintet of baseball fans who checked out Korean and Japanese baseball. It’s unsurprising that Stephen, the son of Brits, would have an almost singular focus for his 2026 to-see list.
• Geoff Larcom – My long ago sports editor at The Ann Arbor News, Geoff always brings the insight and thought-provoking discussion. Whether it be from S:1, E:16 or this time when he notes a couple of things he’d really like to see in 2026 and why – if they came to pass – each might be good for the sports landscape in their own unique way.
• Dr. Klint Pleasant – Klint, who appeared earlier this year (S:4, E:39) is currently the head men’s basketball coach at Rochester Christian University, a NAIA school in suburban Detroit. As such, he’s uniquely qualified to bring to our conscious some ideas that would improve athletics (college in particular) and, by doing so, make the fan experience much more enjoyable.

As this Conversations Special spans a tick more than two hours, I urge you to enjoy the fun in moderation and pace yourself. Just like you should in a couple of days when we begin counting down to 2026.

And, speaking of 2026, I hope to do more of these special shows – preferably as a panel discussion on a specific topic – each quarter in the coming year. Among the topics I’m bandying about: How sports gambling is impacting the fan experience; the high price of attending major sporting events; public funding for private development (e.g. tax breaks to build new stadiums/arenas); and the NCAA transfer portal, NIL money, and constant coaching carousel.

If any of those topics sound like something you’d like to discuss, kindly let me know at your earliest convenience via hilldouglast@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, as promised, here’s that Cavalcade of Stars End of the Year Special.

Enjoy!

In this bonus episode of Conversations, I speak with North Dakota State University’s Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations and Strategic Revenue, Troy Goergen.

I spoke with Troy in advance of Event No. 31 of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project that took me and my buddy Wayne to Fargo for a NDSU football game in the Fargodome against the University of Northern Iowa.

As I say in the show’s open, I figured this would be the perfect time to schedule my Conversation with Troy for publication because the Bison were ranked No. 1 in the Football Championship Subdivision all year, were the defending FCS National Champions, and had a 16-game winning streak. Plus, NDSU had not lost a home playoff game since 2016.

Who the heck invited Illinois State University Redbirds to the party!?!

They upset the Bison in the FCS Championship’s second round (NDSU’s first game following a first-round bye), 29-28, despite throwing five interceptions.

Still, Troy’s Conversation is one worth listening too as he’s a bit of an anomaly these days, having spent 27 years at North Dakota State, and is able to share historical perspective on the Bison’s rise from NCAA Division II to FCS (formerly I-AA) and the enormous success the football program has sustained at both levels (five Division II National Championships and 10 FCS crowns).

Last night in New York City a college football player was awarded the Heisman Trophy by the Heisman Trophy Trust.

That fella in the sweater pictured above? Yeah, it’s John W. Heisman, the namesake of the award during his final season as coach at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania (1922). The man next to him in the photo is Quakers’ assistant coach, F. Harold Gaston.

In addition to coaching at Penn, Heisman spent time on the sidelines at Oberlin (OH), Buchtel (now Akron), Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Washington & Jefferson, and Rice. He compiled a career record of 186-70-18. He also coached some basketball and baseball along the way and served as an athletic director.

A veritable man for all seasons, it would seem.

The reason his name’s on the Trophy, however, has as much to do with his work in innovating the sport as anything: he’s credited with the hidden ball play, the handoff, double lateral, flea flicker, pulling guards on end runs, and center-to-quarterback direct snap. He also helped popularize the forward pass and is believed to the be the first to have his quarterbacks utilize “hep” or “hike” to start a play.

Oh yeah, after retirement from Rice University in 1927, he became the athletic director at the Downtown Athletic Club until his death after a bout of pneumonia at age 66 in 1936. Two months later, the DAC dedicated an annual award named the Heisman Memorial Trophy. The first winner was Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago.

Heisman had nothing to do with the design of his eponymous trophy. It was designed and crafted following his death by 23-year-old sculptor, Frank Eliscu, whose directive was to create something that was “the embodiment of a muscular footballer driving for yardage.”

Facts About the Heisman Trophy

• Stands 14 inches tall
• Is 14 inches long
• Is 6 inches wide
• Weighs 45 pounds

Heisman Trophy Trivia

Q: Who are the only two Heisman Trophy winners to have played Major League Baseball?

(Submit your answers to hilldouglast@gmail.com. A random draw of correct responses received by Wednesday, December 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET, will be entered to win a small memento gathered during my travels as part of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project.)

Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor Newsalum, 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.