Focus
WILL - Focus - April 26, 2013
This hour on Focus, we talk with two health and wellness icons. For the first half of this episode of Focus, host Jim Meadows talks with New York Times Personal Health columnist Jane Brody. Then, in the second half, he talks with Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to register for a bib number in the Boston Marathon. She’s this weekend’s guest legend runner for the Illinois Marathon.
Jane Brody is known for her writing on health, wellness and end of life preparation and care. Her Personal Health column in the New York Times is syndicated across the country and new every Tuesday. For the first half of this hour on Focus, Jim Meadows talks with Brody about her writing and career. She’ll be speaking at the UIUC Monday, April 29.
During the second half of this hour, Jim talks with Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to register for and run the Boston Marathon with a bib number. She’ll be in Champaign-Urbana for the Illinois Marathon. We’ll talk with her about her relationship with marathoning, the recent tragedy in Boston, and the famous photo of the 1967 Boston Marathon Race Commissioner trying to drag her from the race course.
WILL - Focus - April 19, 2013
Do you remember the SNL skit with Pat? Do you remember a time when women were banned from running most major marathons? Find out more about what’s coming up next week on Focus and join our conversation.
Coming up next week on Focus, we’ll talk with former SNL cast member and author Julia Sweeney, local New York Times Bestselling author Jean Thompson and Marketplace Morning Report’s Jeremy Hobson, among many others.
Tuesday, we’re recording an interview with Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to register for a bib number to run the Boston Marathon. Have something you want to ask her? Email us at will-talk@illinois.edu
WILL - Focus - April 01, 2013
Do you know the first president to throw an MLB opening day pitch? Did you know in 1907, there was an epic snowball fight at an opening day game in New York that determined the outcome? Starting today, Major League Baseball is officially in season, and this hour on Focus, we talked with John Thorn, the official historian of the MLB and Donald Spivey, who has spent his career studying Satchel Paige.
In 1974 on opening day at Comiskey Park in Chicago, several naked fans rushed the field, disrupting the game and starting a riot in the stands; in 1907, the Phillies won a game against the New Your Giants because fans threw enough snowballs onto the field to force a forfeiture. Crazier things have happened.
This hour on Focus, John Thorn, Official Historian for Major League Baseball, joins guest host Jeff Bossert to talk about baseball history. We’ll talk about what Thorn does as MLB historian and what makes opening day so iconic in American culture. Then, during the second half of the hour, Donald Spivey, a UIUC grad and a Professor of History at the University of Miami joins us to talk about pitching legend Satchel Paige. Spivey will be giving a lecture at Eastern Illinois University this evening about Paige and his legacy. Find more information here.
Do you love opening day? Why? Who are you rooting for this season? Join our conversation! Post in the comments section below or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter @Focus580.
WILL - Focus - March 29, 2013
Do you love MLB Opening Day? Who’re you rooting for this season? Does the idea of drone technology scare you or excite you? Find out more about what’s coming up next week on Focus and join our conversation.
Next week on Focus, we'll talk with the official historian for Major League Baseball and an Urbana man working with unmanned aerial technology for both journalistic purposes and to inspire high school students to study math and science. We'll also address the unmet need for homeless services in the area and talk about the growing disconnect between law schools and law firms in Illionis and why it matters.
WILL - Focus - January 18, 2013 ~
Recently the Baseball Hall of Fame announced it will induct no one for the first time in more than a decade, a move many view as a statement against the use of steroids in professional sports. In addition, cyclist Lance Armstrong is now admitting to using performance enhancing drugs.
WILL - Focus - October 25, 2012 ~
Michael LeRoy, Professor, School of Labor & Employment Relations and College of Law, UIUC
Host: Craig Cohen
The National Hockey League is currently deep in a labor dispute that has led to the cancellation of some games, and could threaten the entire season. This fall, football fans were up in arms as the National Football League used replacement referees that botched a number of calls while the league negotiated a new contract with the regular refs. Last year, the NBA played a shortened season following a protracted dispute between the players and owners.
Why so much labor/management strife in professional sports, where the players are often millionaires and the owners billionaires, and everyone seems to be making money hand over fist? Who loses in these disputes? Do they reflect attitudes towards labor and management in society at large, or is this just a case of the very rich versus the super-rich? And, ultimately, why should we care?
We’ll discuss recent labor disputes in professional sports, and what, if anything, they tell us about today’s society, with Michael LeRoy, Professor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations and the College of Law at the University of Illinois.
WILL - Focus - July 11, 2012 ~
Ronald A. Smith, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sports History, Penn State University
Host: David Inge
Intercollegiate athletics began in the U.S. in the 1850s, but it wasn’t long before people were talking about the need for reform. Penn State historian Ronald Smith says the story of big-time athletic reform is generally one of failure, in large part, because it ignores the one group that has a direct interest in reform--the faculty. We’ll go to the archives for a conversation with Ronald Smith, author of "Pay for Play," a book that explores the history of college athletic reform.
This is a repeat broadcast from Monday, February 06, 2012, 10 am
WILL - Focus - July 09, 2012 ~
Doug Glanville, Former Pro Athlete with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers 1996-2004; "Heading Home" Columnist with The New York Times; ESPN Baseball Analyst
Host: Jeff Bossert
In his 2010 book, the former outfielder provides a human side of baseball, discussing issues many fans may not think of, among them: leaving family when it’s time for spring training, being traded, prolonged losing streaks, suffering through an injury, and dealing with different player personalities in the clubhouse.
This is a repeat broadcast from Friday, July 29, 2011, 11 am
WILL - Focus - July 09, 2012 ~
We’ll explore the life and times of one of baseball’s most eccentric personalities, Bill Veeck. Many will remember him for all of the wacky things he did to get people to the ball park. But this one-time owner of the Chicago White Sox had a serious impact on the game, introducing innovations we now take for granted. He was also an early advocate for the inclusion of black players. Our guest will be Paul Dickson, author of the new biography "Bill Veeck: Baseball’s Greatest Maverick."
This is a repeat broadcast from Friday, May 11, 2012, 10 am
WILL - Focus - February 28, 2012 ~
With Ash-har Quraishi (Emmy Award-Winning Television Journalist, Writer, Photographer and Filmmaker), and , and Basma Babar-Quraishi (Award-Winning, long-form, documentary, and breaking news Producer)
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