Rich Take On Sports

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Sports & Recreation
**Rich Take On Sports**

Host Richmond Weaver explores the influence and impact of sports through conversations with personalities and luminaries who have been impacted, built, and inspired by the role of sports in their lives as they share their personal stories.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 90: Scott Shapiro | Vice President, Fox Sports Radio Nov 23, 2018

Show notes

Episode 90: Scott Shapiro | Vice President, Fox Sports Radio

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Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: Scott Shapiro
- Still feels amazing to be in Los Angeles working in radio even though it took a leap of faith moving from the east coast with a pregnant wife
- The promise of the opportunity with Fox Sports Radio of working with the brand and the people has been even more than he could have imagined
- Grew up in Minneapolis and loves all Minnesota teams even though they seem to always disappoint
- Knew early on that he wanted to be on the business side of things within radio
- Attended Emory University in Atlanta and eventually took a job with ESPN for a short period of time before moving back to Atlanta to work at 790 The Zone
- Never thought that he would leave Atlanta but ESPN came calling and he spent almost 9-years in Bristol, CT
- Most memorable moment for him was in 2008 after a celebrity softball game in Washington, DC with “Mike & Mike” and being able to meet President Bush while Kenny Chesney played a private concert
- The drama of sports and the intimacy of radio is why so many people still gravitate towards sports talk radio
- Words of Wisdom from Scott Shapiro: “Give it a shot and always keep things in perspective.”

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Scott Shapiro on Twitter: @scottshapiro33

Featured Image Photo Credit: Scott Shapiro

Episode 89: LaChina Robinson | Women’s Basketball Analyst Nov 16, 2018

Show notes

Episode 89: LaChina Robinson | Women’s Basketball Analyst

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Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: LaChina Robinson
- Stories and storytelling have always intrigued her and it’s one of the reasons that she was led to media
- Hard to believe that it’s been 1o years she started in sportscasting
- Mentors in her career even if they didn’t know that they were mentors include: Carolyn Peck, Bernadette (Bernie) McGlade and Robin Roberts has always been an inspiration
- Has always loved watching sports and remembers as a kid watching all sports even figure skating and golf
- Her connection to sports was always the competitiveness as she’s always been a competitive person
- Growing up was tough at times because at the age of 14 she was 6’4″ and she never felt that she “fit in” which caused her to have low self-esteem
- After being pushed into basketball, she would play at Wake Forest University under head coach Charlene Curtis
- Worked within the Georgia Tech women’s basketball program before she started helping with being a color analyst and immediately fell in love with it
- Never really pursued coaching because there was always this feeling of being only responsible for herself and having some freedoms in a sense
- Lives2Inspire is her Instagram handle and her motto which reminds her every day of her purpose
- Words of Wisdom from LaChina Robinson:
  - “Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb because there’s where the fruit is.”
  - “Stand for something or fall for anything.”

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow LaChina Robinson on Twitter: @LaChinaRobinson

To Follow LaChina Robinson on Instagram: @lives2inspire

To Find out more information about LaChina Robinson: LaChina Robinson

Featured Image Photo Credit: LaChina Robinson | Instagram

Episode 88: John O’Donnell | Johnnie-O Clothing Brand Founder Nov 09, 2018

Show notes

Episode 88: John O’Donnell | Johnnie-O Clothing Brand Founder

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Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: John O’Donnell
- Grew up in the midwest with 6 brothers and sisters and still misses the midwest but has fully embraced the California lifestyle
- Introduced to golf at an early age and realized that golf was an avenue for him to compete
- Fell in love with UCLA as a kid after his family moved to California for a couple of years
- Walked-on the UCLA golf team and would move back to the midwest to start a career in tv/radio ad sales
- Eventually worked with the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox before taking an opportunity in Los Angeles with the Golf Channel
- A good friend had a logo concept that John thought would be a great idea as the logo for a preppy west coast clothing brand
- Never wanted to call the brand Johnnie-O but family and friends convinced him that the name was a natural fit and the iconic logo with the surfer dude and paddleboard made the brand complete
- John is still amazed that the company now has 60 employees and the brand is carried in over 1,200 shops but he doesn’t forget the early days of trunk shows in living rooms
- Staying humble in sports has carried over into the development of Johnnie-O and he continues to learn more about the fashion industry and business each day
- Words of Wisdom from John O’Donnell: “Give it a shot and always keep things in perspective.”

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Johnnie-O on Twitter: @johnnieO

To Follow Johnnie-O on Instagram: @johnnieobrand

To Purchase Johnnie-O clothing: Johnnie-O

Featured Image Photo Credit: Johnnie-O | Instagram

Episode 87: Michael T. Pinkey | Combine Performance Founder Nov 02, 2018

Show notes

Episode 87: Michael T. Pinkey | Combine Performance Founder & Performance Specialist

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Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: Michael T. Pinkey
- Has always been a creative thinker and enjoys building things
- Challenging childhood with an absentee father early in his life and didn’t have a whole lot growing up
- Saved up enough money to buy a ticket to Japan with a return flight from England and backed a backpack and left and that trip changed his life
- Began his journey as a golf instructor and golf coach but always felt that his clients were still missing something
- After spending time at IMG Academy he started to see that there was more that could be dedicated to instruction from the performance side
- Founded Combine Golf initially but decided to focus more on the mental side of performance and changed the name to Combine Performance
- Combine Performance doesn’t focus on the traditional cookie-cutter methodology of training but rather focuses solely on the individual and their mental state for each session
- Words of Wisdom from Michael T. Pinkey: “To always search out what the day means to you.”

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Combine Performance on Twitter: @CombineGolf

To Follow Combine Performance on Instagram: @combineperformance

To Learn More Information about Combine Performance: Combine Performance

Featured Image Photo Credit: Richmond Weaver | Rich Take On Sports

Episode 86: Bob Harig | ESPN and ESPN.com Senior Golf Writer Oct 26, 2018

Show notes

Episode 86: Bob Harig | ESPN Senior Golf Writer

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Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: Bob Harig
- Doesn’t have much of an off-season because golf really doesn’t have a long enough break between seasons
- Bob believes that golf needs a longer break to help build anticipation for a new season
- He fell in love first before journalism and after becoming a caddy as a kid he started to find a passion for golf
- Eventually became a caddy at Inverness Golf Club and would earn the Evans Scholarship given annually to a designated caddy which he used at Indiana University
- Bob feels that the movie Caddyshack embodies the true spirit of all caddies
- While at Indiana he knew he wanted to be in print journalism and was fortunate to get a job with the St. Petersburg Times covering all sports
- Today, anyone looking at a career in journalism needs to be well versed in all platforms instead of focusing on one entity
- The key for Bob to gain trust from players on the PGA Tour has been to be present and in-person
- Magical moments covering the game include the 2008 US Open with Tiger Woods winning in a playoff vs Rocco Mediate, Tigers’ first major win in 1997 at The Master’s and Phil Mickelson’s major win in 2013 at The Open
- Words of Wisdom from Bob Harig: “Appreciate what you’re doing and look at it for what it is.”

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Bob Harig on Twitter: @BobHarig

Featured Image Photo Credit: ESPN Media Zone

Episode 85: William McGirt | PGA Tour Pro & Memorial Tournament Champion Oct 19, 2018

Show notes

Episode 85: William McGirt | PGA Tour Pro

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Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: William McGirt
- Has always had this unique ability to remember every shot he’s hit
- Baseball was his first passion even though he started playing golf at an early age
- Stopped playing golf at 8-years old and remembers starting to play golf again on his 15th birthday after his grandfather asked him if he wanted to play
- He would soon be able to beat his grandfather and all of his friends
- Attended Wofford College with coach Dan O’Connell
- Didn’t turn pro until 2004 even though he finished college in 2001
- Finally earned his PGA Tour card in 2010 and would win his first tournament (The Memorial Tournament) in 2016
- Well-documented story of Tiger Woods telling William that he was an idiot after Tiger heard William didn’t look at the leaderboard during tournaments
- He fell in love with the challenge of always trying to improve and knowing that no one has ever mastered the game of golf
- Will miss the upcoming 2018-2019 PGA Tour season due to hip surgery
- He believes that there are so many similarities in golf and life and that you can apply many principles to each other
- Words of Wisdom from William McGirt: “When you’re not practicing someone else is.”

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow William McGirt on Twitter: @WilliamMcGirt

To Follow William McGirt on Instagram: @wmcgirt

To Follow William McGirt on Facebook: William McGirt Golf

To Learn More Information About William McGirt: William McGirt

Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images

Episode 84: Mark Packer | SiriusXM & ESPNU Radio Sports Talk Host Oct 12, 2018

Show notes

Episode 84: Mark Packer | SiriusXM & ESPNU Radio Sports Talk Host

Subscribe on Apple Podcast | Google Play | Stitcher

Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: Mark Packer
- His career in radio doesn’t feel like work and Mark doesn’t view it that he talks on the radio as he values listening more than anything
- The people he’s met, the places that he’s visited, and the relationships that he’s developed are what is so special
- There was some pressure being the son of Billy Packer one of the most well-known college basketball color analysts but it was never truly negative
- Would get to travel with his dad to one game each year but the most memorable was the game with Indiana at North Carolina and the night before the game during dinner with Dean Smith, Al McGuire, and a young broadcaster at the time Bob Costas
- Decided to attend Clemson University after visiting the campus to watch Clemson play North Carolina in football and would be a student as Clemson would win it’s first National Championship in 1981
- Never had any intentions of being on the radio even though he had been involved with tv and radio
- His show on WFNZ 610 The Fan “PrimeTime with the Packman” aired from 1997-2010 and would become the most listened-to sports talk show in the Carolinas
- Very hard for him to pinpoint a favorite interview but some memorable moments include James Brown and his band singing on set, President Jimmy Carter calling into his show to talk about the Atlanta Braves and having Kenny Chesney in studio talking about the Tennessee Vols
- Words of Wisdom from Mark Packer:
  - “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” Henry Ford
  - “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” Will Rogers

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Mark Packer on Twitter: @MarkPacker

Featured Image Photo Credit: Mark Packer via Twitter

Episode 83: Austin Ernst | LPGA Tour Pro and NCAA Champion Oct 05, 2018

Show notes

Episode 83: Austin Ernst | LPGA Tour Pro & NCAA Champion

Subscribe on Apple Podcast | Google Play | Stitcher

Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: Austin Ernst
- Loves college football and picked LSU over Georgia and Alabama to play golf at because Clemson did not have a team at the time
- Won the NCAA Individual Championship as a freshman while carding her first ever hole-in-one
- She grew up around the game as her brother Drew played junior golf and her dad Mark is a golf pro at Cross Creek Plantation in Seneca, SC
- One of her favorite memories growing up is getting autographs at the Masters which made her realize how she wanted to play golf when she grew up
- Her competitive spirit and love for the game of golf helped fuel her drive and she always wants to compete for something while playing
- Becoming an NCAA Champion gave her the confidence that she could play on the LPGA Tour and hearing words of encouragement from Melissa Reid and Anna Nordqvist increased that confidence
- Her brother became her caddie during her rookie year on the LPGA Tour
- One of her passions is to use her platform for bigger things and has started a charity golf event to help raise money for Safe Harbor which provides services for victims of domestic violence
- Words of Wisdom from Austin Ernst: “Do not conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Austin Ernst on Twitter: @AustinErnst92

To Follow Austin Ernst on Instagram: @austinernst92

Featured Image Photo Credit: Thomas J. Russo | USA TODAY Sports

Episode 82: Bruce Gradkowski | 11-Year NFL Veteran Quarterback Sep 28, 2018

Show notes

Episode 82: Bruce Gradkowski | 11-Year NFL Veteran Quarterback

Subscribe on Apple Podcast | Google Play | Stitcher

Rich Take On Sports

Show Notes:

Rich Spotlight: Bruce Gradkowski
- Juggling many things in life right now with podcasting, broadcasting, being an entrepreneur, and husband and father to 3 kids
- Decided to retire after sitting in meetings and felt the desire to play wasn’t there once you start factoring in injuries and business opportunities were starting to materialize
- Always enjoyed broadcasting and is enjoying being on 93.7 The Fan and NFL Radio on SiriusXM
- Grew up a Dan Marino fan but was a Penn State football fan instead of Pittsburgh Panthers
- Was never recruited by Pittsburgh and the University of Toledo just felt like home even though he had committed to Eastern Kentucky
- He was also offered to play basketball at the University of Richmond by John Beilein
- One of his favorite memories at Toledo was a sophomore when Toledo beat Pittsburgh 35-31
- Watching his younger brother Gino Gradkowski have success in college and make it to the NFL has been a big thrill in his life especially seeing him win a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens because his brother feels that Bruce impacted his life
- Misses the locker room and the camaraderie from teammates now that he’s retired
- Believes that Ben Roethlisberger is the best QB that he’s been around but possibly the best QB that we’ll see if Aaron Rodgers
- Words of Wisdom from Bruce Gradkowski: “Pursue what you’re passionate about.”

Social Media:

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Twitter: @richtakesports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Twitter: @richmondweaver

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Instagram: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Richmond Weaver on Instagram: @richmondweaver93

To Follow Rich Take On Sports on Facebook: @richtakeonsports

To Follow Bruce Gradkowski on Twitter: @bgradkowski5

To Follow Bruce Gradkowski on Instagram: @bgrad05

To Learn More About Bruce Gradkowski: Bruce Gradkowski

Featured Image Photo Credit: Gradkowski’s

Episode 81: Stewart Cink | PGA Tour Pro and 2009 “The Open” Champion Sep 21, 2018

Show notes

Episode 81: Stewart Cink | PGA Tour Pro and 2009 “The Open” Champion

Rich Spotlight: Stewart Cink
Great honor to be named to Alabama Sports Hall of Fame even though he never set out to have that as a goal
First memories of sports was actually seeing pictures of himself as a toddler with a golf club
Loved playing soccer but his passion was golf once he was old enough to play at the municipal course in his hometown
Three school choices for playing golf in college were Stanford, Auburn, and Georgia Tech but felt that Georgia Tech was the best fit for him
Life changing event for him occurred as a Sophomore at Georgia Tech when he found out that he would be a father
He and Lisa got married and his golf game rose to new levels due to the intense focus on time management of being a husband, father, student, and golf athlete
Turned pro in 1995 and for his very first pro event he missed his flight to the event
Became a PGA Tour professional in 1997 winning Rookie of the Year
Defeated Tom Watson in 2009 The Open Championship to become a Major Champion but almost didn’t make it to the first hole of the playoff because of a minor accident in a golf cart carrying him to the playoff hole
Words of Wisdom from Stewart Cink: “Don’t wait for the opportunity to do something when you’ve got the opportunity now.”

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