Sports Across The Board

Learn how Jeff Francouer got the nickname "Frenchy," what he took from his 12 year career in the majors and how he wowed 79 MLB scouts in his audition as a high school player. Hear this candid, close-up interview with Braves broadcaster Jeff Francouer on this epdosde of Sports Across the Board

As president and CEO of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Gary Stokan has his ear to the ground on all that is happening in colege sports. Hear his candid opinions on the lack of leadership in college football, conference realignment and NIL. He also looks at the big Georgia-Orgon and Georgia Tech-Clemson Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games.

This exclusive interview was  recorded at SEC Media Days at the Omni Hotel. The Omni and the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta hosted the event, which is the unofficial opening of the college football season.

Braves broadcaster Brian Jordan is one of the few two sports stars in history. He looks back at his time with the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons, and he talks about teammates Mark McGwire, Deion Sanders, manger Tony LaRussa and coach Jerry Glanville. Jordan also weighs in on baseball’s current world champions.

Many universities are changing conferences in football and basketball. They're looking for a pot of gold with respect to increased funding, improved enrollment, better rivalries, and brand development. But Georgia State professor Stephanie Herbst Lucke, a former collegiate All-American herself, says not so fast. Her study finds that in the long run, spending millions to switch conferences may not be worth it for most schools. 

Al Gold is is a baseball Super Scout and player development director, who signed the likes of Frank Thomas (the Big Hurt),  Kerry Wood and others. He reminisces about his days with the White Sox, Reds, and Mets. He also shares why he thinks today’s game may be in trouble.

Vin Thompson is CEO of the sports marketing agency, MELT. He's one of the nation’s top college sports authorities. He goes across the board, providing his unique insights on the chaos in college sports. He also weighs in on televised sports events as “the ultimate reality show."

Fans are returning to sporting events, and that's also true at the high school level. Thanks to the company GoFan, there's a unique ticketing service that makes going to games easier. GoFan CEO B.J. Pilling explains how the service works, the role of paid sponsors, and how this is only the beginning for the GoFan platform.

Now that an athlete can be paid to endorse products (the NIL rule) what will happen to college sports? And why do fans go gaga over their favorite teams? Host Gary McKillips talks with Emory University marketing professor Mike Lewis on these topics and where Atlanta stands as a major sports city.

If golf is your game, or if you merely watch and enjoy, this episode is for you. Fresh off the Masters, Jim Hart of AP Radio and Sirius/XM looks back at Hideki Matsumaya’s victory at Augusta, and he previews the PGA. He also talks about golf’s popularity, TV ratings, and the sport without Tiger Woods. As an added bonus, Jim goes across the board on a proposed eight-to-twelve team college football playoff.

Terence Moore is national sportswriter, former Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist and TV commentator. He tells host Gary McKillips about his memories covering Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine, the Oakland A’s with Billy Martin, and the Atlanta Braves' Hank Aaron.