Stop the Clock

Brad Wurthman, senior associate athletics director for external operations at Virginia Tech, talks about traditions, superstitions and the power of the fan base in his experience at the University of Cincinnati.

Michael Beale, the assistant athletic director for marketing at the University of North Carolina, tells us how losing a game can bring a team together.

Dave Hart, former vice chancellor and director of athletics at the University of Tennessee, talks about the fans at East Carolina University the year of the debut of the celebration penalty. They never gave up on the East Carolina University football team; they have the passion that drives the team.

This one’s all about all the little lessons - the small moments where athletics impacts a person. Allen Greene, director of athletics at Auburn University, tells stories from T-ball at five years old, to working in athletics in the last few years.

Kurt Gulbrand, the senior associate athletics director at the University of Tennessee tells us the story about Elliott Mealer and how the staff at the University of Michigan helped his family through a tragedy.

Ross Bjork, athletics director at the University of Mississippi, tells the story about Akeem Judd, running back from Durham, NC. Throughout all the turmoil in Akeem’s life, the one thing he held onto was football.

This week on Stop the Clock, we hear from Adam Walker, the associate athletic director at the University of Memphis. Walker’s mom battled breast cancer when he was growing up and died his senior year of high school - but it was something that bonded his family. Walker found hope in sports, and learned you've gotta have the passion to achieve great things.

Mark Murphy, president of the Greenbay Packers, talks about basketball coach Jack Bruen during his years at Colgate in the mid 90’s. Jack brought success to the team, but was eventually diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They decided to let him keep coaching and he left his imprint on the team. To the end, he influenced the team - and the athletics program - and “epitomizes the type of character that’s built through athletics.”

In the season finale of Stop The Clock, we hear from, Coach Barry Alvarez, former football coach and current athletic director at the University of Wisconsin, and Warde Manuel, Athletic Director at the University of Michigan. This episode is about coaches, the advice they give and the lasting impact they have on their athletes.

Fans can inspire athletes just as much as athletes inspire fans. Jeff Bain, Athletic Director at Martin Methodist College, recounts how a middle school girl impacted an entire athletics program.

There are so many stories we don't know; every fan in the stands, every athlete on the court and every member of the athletic staff has stories we never hear. SMU's Director of Athletics Rick Hart shares why these moments in athletics matter, even when we don't know it.

What started as a celebration of 100 Years of Carolina Basketball turned into the celebration of a very praiseworthy coach. Michael Beale, the Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing at the University of North Carolina, takes us into the celebration of the humble Dean Smith.

In today's episode, Jamaal Walton, Associate Athletic Director for External Operations at the College of Charleston, establishes the impact sports has on the team both on and off the field. Walton's father helped to shape his view - and that of the community - on building up teammates and providing opportunities for everyone to succeed.

Athletics have the capability to unite fans across the nation, especially in a time of need. Kurt Gulbrand, the Vice Chancellor at the University of Colorado, witnessed a game that brought the nation together after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

The Hamilton Tiger Cats have had a less than stellar record at times, but their seats are have always remained filled. Brad Wurthman is the Associate Director of Athletics, Marketing & Fan Development at the University of Illinois, but started his career with the TiCats. He shares how he learned you don't need great stats to have great fans.

When eventual Heisman Trophy winner, Ricky Williams, rolled into Lincoln, Nebraska on Halloween in 1998 to take on the seventh-ranked Huskers, he had to have known that it was going to be a tough place to get a win. Nebraska had a 47-game home winning streak and it was truly a tough environment for visiting teams to play. But as Chris Plonsky, Director of Women's Athletics at the University of Texas tells us, the Husker fans in Lincoln that day showed them that there truly is no place like Nebraska.

Character is an important part of sports. Athletes learn lessons from coaches and teammates about how to deal with adversity. Kirby Hocutt is the athletic director at Texas Tech University and the Big 12 representative to the College Football Playoff committee and was also a defensive linebaker for Kansas State, where his coaches saw what he could be, and challenged him into being the player he became.

The Buffalo Bill's dynasty began in 1990 with a conference championship and a first-time trip to the Super Bowl. This was the first of four straight Super Bowl losses, and the words "wide right" have enough power to put any Bills fan to shame. Mark Riordan, who is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Texas A&M 12th Man Foundation, grew up a Bills fan and witnessed their win the conference championship. But in this episode, Mark shares the story of the loss that followed.

William Sianis took his pet goat to Game Four of the 1945 World Series. As the legend goes, the stench of Sianis’ goat was bothering the other fans and he was asked to leave Wrigley Field. Outraged, Sianis declared, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” And so began The Curse of the Billy Goat. Leon Costello, Director of Athletics at Montana State University, became all-too-familiar with the curse. But thanks to a Montana State fan and some prodding by his wife, Leon attended Game Five of the World Series and witnessed the end of the curse.

Matt Roberts, the Director of Athletics at the College of Charleston, believes superstition is part of the fabric of sports and that partaking in a little superstition makes it all more fun. In this episode, Matt shares his experience witnessing one of the biggest upsets in sports history at the 2009 Kentucky Derby, and how getting crapped on by a bird turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him.