Sports Spectrum

On the final day of 2008 we take a look back at the Major League Baseball season with a veteran sports writer and columnist for Sports Spectrum magazine, Victor Lee.

Victor talks about some of the top stories in baseball and comments on several of the most memorable moments of the season.

He also talks about the recent retirement of former Braves pitcher, Greg Maddux. What are some of the attributes that made the cerebral Maddux successful?  Is Maddux a first ballot Hall of Famer?   Will his former teammates John Smoltz and Tom Glavine also someday be in the Hall with Maddux?  Victor shares his thoughts.

Wrapping up 2008, we ask Victor who the individual players are that will stick out in his mind? 

It’s an end of the year baseball discussion with Victor Lee on Sports Spectrum Today.

No NFL team has had a better in-season turnaround than the Indianapolis Colts. Normally the Colts are a strong starting team. But this season, they stumbled out of the gate due to injuries to several key players.

But the Colts have won nine in a row and they’re one of the hottest teams in the league heading into the playoffs.

How did they turn things around? How did the coaching staff stay calm early in the season? We find answers in a conversation with Colts assistant head coach, Jim Caldwell. It’s well known that Colts head coach Tony Dungy is a Christian. Many of his staff are Christians also. Jim tells us about the coach’s bible study and talks about how his own faith is maturing.

He also tells us about how he’s learned to turn over his coaching dreams and his career aspirations to the Lord. It’s not easy to do for many coaches who are used to being “in control” of so many situations.

Don’t miss a football visit with the man who coaches Peyton Manning, the quarterback’s coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Jim Caldwell.

It’s the final week of 2008 we take a look back at one of our more memorable interviews from the past year. We hear an interview with future baseball Hall of Famer, John Smoltz of the Atlanta Braves.

John reflects on his 21 year journey in Major League Baseball with the Braves and talks about how his life changed when he became a Christian in the 1990′s.

This is an encouraging and insightful visit with one of baseball’s more successful pitchers. Last year John’s season was cut short due to injury. If he’s unable to play baseball next season he has a list of things he’d like to do next.

It’s a visit to the archives and a conversation with Atlanta Braves pitcher, John Smoltz on Sports Spectrum Today.

The Christmas holiday is a busy time for NBA teams. Yesterday, there were several marquis holiday games played around the league, including the amazing Boston Celtics playing on the road in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

This year’s Celtics team may be better than last year’s world championship team. We talk about it along with some other issues with free lance NBA writer, Darryl Howerton. 

Darryl tells us about the Celtics unsung hero. He also talks about the Cleveland Cavaliers who may be Boston’s biggest challenger in the east. 

Fewer teams are offering major dollars to “superstar” talents—Darryl tells us why it’s a good strategy. He also talks about controversial Knicks guard Stephon Marbury. Even though Marbury is on the Knicks roster the team refuses to play him and he’s become an unwanted commodity. They’ve tried to trade him, but around the NBA there are no takers.

Tip off the weekend with Sports Spectrum Today and a conversation on the NBA.

It’s a pretty exciting time for football in the state of Oklahoma. The Sooners are playing in the national title game on January 8th and Oklahoma quarterback, Sam Bradford recently won the Heisman Trophy.

On this edition of Sports Spectrum Today we talk about the impact Bradford is having with former college football coach, Dave Rader. The impact is more than just football—Bradford has become a champion to our country’s Native Americans as well.

Dave also talks about bowl games and the preparations that go into them and tells us why there are so many upsets. He also gets into some real-life issues that face the nation’s college football coaches.

It’s a football visit with former coach, Dave Rader on Sports Spectrum Today, Merry Christmas

After long, grueling weeks of competition it’s now the off-season for the folks of NASCAR. For a number of race teams this is a time of celebration. But for many more it’s a time of grappling with some real-life issues. Many teams have wrestled with major sponsorship issues and laid off workers.

On this edition of Sports Spectrum Today, we talk about NASCAR with one of our racing analysts, Ron Pegram.

Ron talks about how the troubling economic issues are impacting the sport and the race teams. He also talks about how the lack of off-season testing will impact a lack of parity in the 2009 NASCAR season.

He also tells the story of former driver, Sam Ard, a 1984 winner in the old Busch series. It’s a story of how the racing community has come together to help a fellow driver. Ron also tells the story of 67 year old driver, Morgan Shepherd. Morgan sees racing as a ministry and Ron tells us about Morgan’s latest charity event.

Enjoy a Christmas Eve visit with NASCAR analyst, Ron Pegram, on Sports Spectrum Today.

One of the attributes that make many athletes great, especially in a sport like basketball, football, wrestling or boxing is that they participate with “a chip on their shoulder.” They’re obstinate, competitive, and aggressive—they compete with a sense of anger.

But that same quality that serves them well on the court, the field, the mat, or in the ring, can cause them major real-life problems off the field of play. We see that play out in the sports headlines all too often.

There are many issues that challenge athletes in today’s sports society. On this edition of Sports Spectrum Today, we talk about anger and rage with sports psychologist, Dr. Paul Baard from Fordham University. He also talks about selfishness, the “look at me” attitude that is also pervasive in athletics today.

It’s a serious discussion with sports psychologist, Dr. Paul Baard, on Sports Spectrum Today.

The college football bowl season is underway. On this edition of Sports Spectrum Today, we tell a unique story of a father and son. The father is Brian Norwood, the first year defensive coordinator at Baylor University. His son is Jordan Norwood, is a record-setting wide receiver at Penn State.

Prior to this year, Brian lived with his family in State College and coached at Penn State. This year Jordan stayed in Pennsylvania to finish out his senior year which will conclude on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl. 

Brian and the rest of the family have moved to Waco, Texas and are adjusting to a new town. Brian’s also been making the adjustment to Big 12 football and a new job. What’s it been like for the family to live half a continent from the oldest son? Brian shares his observations and what he’s scene the Lord do in his life and Jordan’s as well.

Brian also comments on the challenges of trying to stop the high powered offenses in the Big 12 South.

Don’t miss this visit with Baylor assistant football coach, Brian Norwood, on Sports Spectrum Today.