SportStories - The Podcast
Hello everyone! My name is Nathan Merkel, welcome to SportStories - The Podcast. This Sports catered podcast will discuss different stories that we as humans have experience in, with, and through Sports. Hopefully, providing context to these questions: What makes Sports so special? and How do Sports impact us as humans? I will dive head-first into these questions through critical conversations with a wide variety of guests on the show. With my current background in research and academia, I will be looking to bridge the gap between practicality and research. I truly hope you enjoy the show!
Episodes
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
Hey everyone! I begin this episode by sharing my story through Sport and how it has shaped me. I was born and raised in St. Louis where I grew up playing every sport possible. Even though I found a passion for competing in Sports, I realized that I HATED school and I did not put...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
Coach Darrion Cockrell (better known as DC) was born to a mother who struggled with addiction and a father who passed away at age 4. He bounced in and out of foster care in St. Louis and found himself involved in gang and drug-related activity throughout his youth. Plagued ...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
Are you familiar with the story of Billy Bean? Maybe you've heard of the movie, Money Ball. With the rise of Sports data analytics and statistics, we as consumers have become reliant upon percentages and data-driven analyses. Enter Mr. Neil Schwartz, President of SBRNet (Sp...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
I wonder what athletes go through off the field..? How do they manage their life while also playing at an elite level..? What do they do if they get traded and need to find a new home..?
These are questions that race through my mind when watching sports. Enter, Elissa Grabow: a...
Hi everyone! Welcome to SportStories - The Podcast, my name is Nathan Merkel. Have you ever wondered why people love sports so much? How do people fall in love with teams, brands, and/or athletes so quickly and heavily? What does this do us as humans and how does it change us?
All of these questions will be, slightly, addressed throughout this podcast with the help of a wide variety of guests and topics. We will take a...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
The Paris Paralympics, saw an 70% increase in viewership from 2020 to 2024. In total, over 15 million viewers streamed in for the Paralympics in 2024 and saw an average live-coverage viewership of 160,000. It is evident that the Paralympics is on the rise in terms of popula...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect the opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
With the recent rise in popularity of American collegiate football, organizations have taken note on the importance of proper (sport/s) fan engagement and marketing. I spoke with Allison Kelly, the Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement at the University of Kansas.
We spo...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
Do you think supporting a semi-professional sports team is different than a professional team? Have you ever attended a semi-professional sports game/event? Matt and I talk about the intricacies of semi-professional sporting events and how they are drastically changing the spor...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in an athletes' daily schedule? I have been curious about what collegiate and professional athletes are up to when they're not competing. I am grateful to be welcomed alongside Mary Long, a professional in sports w...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
Has anyone noticed how the landscape of sports media has changed? It went from a casual newspaper/magazine article to a monthly/yearly contract. I spoke with Tyler Hill, a multi-media reporter at WCIA in Champaign, Illinois about the landscape of sports media and how it has cha...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
Hey everyone! I am gratefully joined by Michael Creek, a goalie for FC Tulsa in the United Soccer League.
We dive into topics about life as a professional athlete, the identity struggle that athletes face, the psychology of being a professional athlete, and the state of soccer ...
[Disclaimer: The opinions in this episode are of my own accord and DO NOT reflect opinions of any respective organization or institution.]
Are you a sport fan and wonder what life behind the scenes is like? I spoke with Brian McQueen, an equipment manager for an ECHL team in Maine about his journey through sport, experience working for a professional hockey club, and the current landscape of hockey in North Americ...
Hey everyone! Thank you for joining us for Episode 2, "4th and... Australian?".
I sat down with Hugh Robertson, a recently graduated athlete from the University of Illinois. Hugh competed as the punter for UIUC's football team from 2020-2024. He is originally from Australia and shared his experiences of being an international athlete in the Collegiate Football context.
Here are some key themes of the epi...
This episode will dive into the experiences of my father and I who were season ticket holding St. Louis Rams fans from 1998-2015.
The St. Louis Rams relocated to LA in 2015 and decimated our psychological connection to football, and sport in general.
Are you a fan curious about franchise relocation?
Are you a practitioner wondering what franchise relocation does to your loyal fanbase?
Are you a Sport Management student i...
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