Sports & Recreation audiobooks

Sports Byline: Brittney Griner

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 14 minutes

Abridged: No

WNBA Center Brittney Griner has had an impressive career, including being only the second NCAA basketball player to score 2,000 points and block 500 shots. She played on the USA Women's Olympic Team and the McDonald's All-American Team. She discusses growing up in Houston, being bullied in her younger years and how basketball helped her to move... Read more

Sports Byline: Apolo Ohno

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 21 minutes

Abridged: No

Apolo Ohno is an eight-time medalist in the Winter Olympics and the 2017 champion of the hit TV show Dancing With The Stars. As the face of short-track skating, he became the youngest U.S. national champion at 14 and was the reigning champion 12 times. This Sports Byline Classic from 2016 examines his career. Read more

Sports Byline: Erica Westly

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 14 minutes

Abridged: No

Author Erica Westly’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Slate, the New Republic and many more. She wrote Fastpitch: The Untold History of Softball and Women Who Made the Game, which was a finalist for the 2017 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports. She discusses the rise of women’s softball and the key figures that elevated the game. Read more

Sports Byline: Shirley Babashoff

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 25 minutes

Abridged: No

Shirley Babashoff owns 8 Olympic swimming medals and has a part in 39 national records. Widely regarded as one of the best female swimmers of all time, she received the Olympic Order and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. She discusses her book, Making Waves: My Journey to Winning Olympic Gold and Defeating the East... Read more

Sports Byline: Jim Palmer

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 36 minutes

Abridged: No

Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer played his entire 19-year career with the Baltimore Orioles, winning three World Series championships and three Cy Young Awards. He remains the youngest pitcher to throw a World Series complete game shutout. After retiring, Palmer became an MLB announcer that includes calling World Series games. He talks about... Read more

Sports Byline: Cam Perron

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & Cam Perron

Length: 10 minutes

Abridged: No

In this Sports Byline interview, Ron Barr talks to Cam Perron, who developed an interest in the Negro League baseball players when he was just 12 years old. Perron has since been chronicling his research on the players and the league, and was featured on HBO’s Real Sports. Perron shares stories from the Negro League players he’s become close... Read more

Sports Byline: Pierre Turgeon

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & Pierre Turgeon

Length: 26 minutes

Abridged: No

In this interview, Ron Barr talks to Pierre Turgeon, 19 season NHL center and the 34th player in NHL history to score 500 goals.Turgeon reminisces about growing up 7 hours north of Montreal, learning English, and Canada’s 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships bench-clearing brawl with the Soviet Union. Read more

Sports Byline: Gilbert Black

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & Gilbert Black

Length: 21 minutes

Abridged: No

One of the last living Negro American League players, Gilbert Black of the Indianapolis Clowns talks about growing up in NYC and sneaking into the Polo Grounds to watch baseball games as a child.Black recalls the segregation and discrimination he and other black baseball players faced in the major leagues, including being made to sleep outside... Read more

Sports Byline: Buz McKim

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & Buz McKim

Length: 15 minutes

Abridged: No

Buz McKim, NASCAR Hall of Fame historian, NASCAR sign painter, and author talks about growing up in racing culture and how he ended up designing the paint jobs of two Daytona 500 winners. McKim explains the process of finding interesting pieces for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and some of the exhibits he’s worked on. Read more

Sports Byline: Otis Wilson

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & Otis Wilson

Length: 10 minutes

Abridged: No

All-Pro linebacker Otis Wilson of the Chicago Bears talks about his 9 NFL seasons, 8 with the Chicago Bears, and the successes—and pranks—of the famous 1985 Super Bowl winning Bears team, including the filming of the "Super Bowl Shuffle". Wilson is the author of the autobiography If These Walls Could Talk: Chicago Bears. Read more

Sports Byline: Morten Anderson

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & Morten Andersen

Length: 26 minutes

Abridged: No

Morten Andersen, a Pro Football Hall of Fame place kicker, played for 25 seasons with the Saints, Falcons, Giants, Chiefs and Vikings. He talks about what it takes to be a great athlete over a long period of time.Andersen—who was born in Denmark—tells how he had never kicked a football until age 17 when he came to America as an exchange student... Read more

Sports Byline: Paul Beston

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & Paul Beston

Length: 10 minutes

Abridged: No

Paul Beston, author of The Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring talks about his book and the history of America’s fascination with heavyweight champs.His book focuses on the history of boxing in America through the careers of John L. Sullivan, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Lewis, Rocky Marciano, Mohamad Ali and Mike Tyson;... Read more

Sports Byline: Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr, Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton

Length: 10 minutes

Abridged: No

In this episode of Sports Byline, Ron Barr talks to the directors of the film Battle of the Sexes, a film based on the historic tennis match of 1973 between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, starring Steve Carell and Emma Stone.Directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton discuss the technical difficulties of making a great sports movie and the... Read more

Sports Byline: Erik Malinowski

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & Erik Malinowski

Length: 26 minutes

Abridged: No

Erik Malinowski, author of the insightful book about how the Golden State Warriors utilize technology and analytics in basketball, Betaball: How Silicon Valley and Science Built One of the Greatest Basketball Teams in History, talks about what it takes to compete in the modern NBA. Read more

Sports Byline: David West

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr & David West

Length: 21 minutes

Abridged: No

David West—a power forward who played 15 years in the NBA with the Warriors, Spurs, Pacers and the Hornets/Pelicans, and won an NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors—talks about his influential coach, playing college ball for Xavier, and the two instrumental coaches he’s played for in the NBA, Gregg Popovich of the Spurs and Steve Kerr... Read more

Sports Byline: Andy Zlotnick

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 10 minutes

Abridged: No

Andy Zlotnick is a baseball fan who was struck in the eye by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium. During a rainy game, umbrellas limited visibility, and Zlotnick couldn’t see the ball. After sustaining a major eye injury, he met with a Yankees executive to discuss his medical bills and the umbrella policy at Yankees Stadium. He claims he was refuted.... Read more

Sports Byline: Shaun Alexander

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 36 minutes

Abridged: No

2005 NFL MVP Shaun Alexander played 9 years in the NFL including 8 with the Seahawks. He set the single-season NFL rushing record with 27 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times in his career and was named to the 2000’s All-Decade Team. In this interview, he discusses his upbringing in Florence, Kentucky, his college career at... Read more

Sports Byline: John Amaechi

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 36 minutes

Abridged: No

John Amaechi is a retired NBA basketball player and the first former NBA player to publicly come out. Amaechi is regarded as "one of the world's most high-profile gay athletes.” Since his playing career, Amaechi has broadcast NBA games in England and owns a consulting company. Amaechi discusses his journey from the UK to high school in Toledo,... Read more

Sports Byline: Lisa Borders

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 10 minutes

Abridged: No

WNBA President Lisa Borders is a former vice president of global community affairs at The Coca Cola Company and was president of the Atlanta City Council. In this Sports Byline, she discusses how the WNBA operates as a business and her experiences in the game. Read more

Sports Byline: Max Lane

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 14 minutes

Abridged: No

Max Lane played 7 seasons as an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots. A 6th round draft pick, Lane made the Patriots’ All 1990’s team. He talks about his time at the Naval Academy and his playing career in New England. Read more

Sports Byline: Dusty Baker

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 14 minutes

Abridged: No

3-time NL manager of the year Dusty Baker played 19 years in the major leagues and most recently managed the Washington Nationals to an NL East Championship. In this interview, Baker talks about managing in the majors and his book, Kiss the Sky: My Weekend in Monterey for the Greatest Rock Concert Ever. Read more

Sports Byline: Jeff Gordon

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 21 minutes

Abridged: No

4-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon drove for 23 seasons. Considered one of the best drivers of all time, Gordon is third all-time with 93 wins in his career. In this interview, he discusses how he got into racing, his career and his book Jeff Gordon: His Dream, Drive & Destiny. Read more

Sports Byline: Curt Menefee

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 21 minutes

Abridged: No

Curt Menefee is the host of FOX NFL Sunday. He began calling NFL games in the late 90’s and before that hosted a show on Texas Sports Radio. Menefee also offered commentary for boxing and MMA. He discusses his broadcast journey and his book Losing Isn't Everything: The Untold Stories and Hidden Lessons Behind the Toughest Losses in Sports History. Read more

Sports Byline: Eric Lindros

By: Ron Barr

Narrated by: Ron Barr

Length: 25 minutes

Abridged: No

Eric Lindros played 13 seasons in the NHL, where he was a Hart Memorial Trophy winner and a 7-time all-star. Lindros is a member of the 2016 Hockey Hall of Fame class and his #88 jersey is retired by the Philadelphia Flyers. Lindros discusses his NHL career and how the game style is different today. Read more