In this episode we're joined by former Ann Arbor News' colleague Karl Bates for a rollicking conversation about his life as pseudo-sports fan who's managed to witness some pretty cool events. Along the way, Karl shares how he came to be at the Los Angeles Forum for Games 3 and 4 of the 1989 NBA Championship and, in so doing, witnessed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's final NBA game. Oh, in a classic burying the lead moment, Bates also ran into his middle school lunch lady in the bowels of the Forum wait until you learn who that was! He's also made a trip to Green Bay's Lambeau Field for the Packers-Lions game each of the past 20 years and, quite likely, witnessed Aaron Rodgers' final Packers' game in January.
A staff member at Duke University in Durham, NC, Bates also discusses the Cameron Indoor Stadium experience and juxstaposes it with that of the Dean Dome in nearby Chapel Hill. He's also spent time in Chicago and Ann Arbor and reminisces about skipping work to attend afternoon games at Wrigley Field pre-light towers as well as being in the Big House for Colorado's 1994 Hail Mary victory over Michigan.
Finally, as the uncle of Evan Bates, he discusses what it's like to witness world class figure skating in person, including that of his nephew and ice dancing partner, Madison Chock. See that duo's recent Four Continents Championships gold-medal-clinching free dance here.
(Note: Referenced a few times in this episode is former Ann Arbor News' sports editor Geoff Larcom who was our guest in Season 1, Episode 16.)
