Sports Legends of the Carolinas

Oct 30 2024 71 ep. 42 mins 5

Sports Legends of the Carolinas Podcast artwork

Over nearly 30 years at The Charlotte Observer, columnist Scott Fowler has built an unparalleled rolodex of hardwood heroes, gridiron greats, hall-of-fame coaches, and sports media luminaries throughout the region. Now, thanks to access fans won’t get anywhere else, Fowler sits down with icons from the area — including Muggsy Bogues, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jay Bilas, and more — to hear the unfiltered, untold stories of their journeys to becoming Sports Legends of the Carolinas.

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Heather O'Reilly

Oct 30 2024 48 mins

A three-time Olympic gold medalist, Heather O’Reilly was also one of the all-time greats at one of the all-time greatest dynasties in college sports -- the UNC women’s soccer team. O’Reilly helped lead UNC to two NCAA championships, in 2003 and 2006. She was already a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team while in school at Chapel Hill and played on that squad for 14 yea

Rick Hendrick

Oct 10 2024 41 mins

NASCAR hall of famer Rick Hendrick is an ultra-successful businessman in the automotive world. But what he’s known for in sports circles is a NASCAR dynasty that is celebrating its 40th year in existence of 2024 and ranks as the winningest team in Cup Series history. Hendrick’s 14 Cup series season titles have come with five different drivers: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Terry

Jim Nantz

Sep 25 2024 44 mins

Jim Nantz is one of the most famous sports broadcasters in America. Since being hired by CBS Sports in 1985 at age 26, he’s become a 5-time national sportscaster of the year and has provided the play-by-play soundtrack for many of the most iconic moments in sports. Nantz has called multiple Super Bowls, Final Fours and the Masters. The Nantz family also has deep roots in North Ca

Mack Brown

Aug 21 2024 41 mins

As the oldest head coach in college football’s top division, UNC’s Mack Brown now anticipates the question about when he’s going to retire long before recruits or their parents pose it. “It gets asked before they say hello now,” Brown said. Brown will turn 73 on Aug. 27th, two days before the Tar Heels’ 2024 season opener at Minnesota. Now that Alabama’s Nick Saban h

Julius Peppers

Jul 24 2024 39 mins

Julius Peppers, a fearsome pass-rushing defensive end, was one of the greatest Carolina Panther players ever. We caught up with Peppers at his home in Coral Gables, Fla., where he lives with his wife and children. He is preparing for a big weekend -- on Aug. 3rd, Peppers will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was elected in his first year of eligibility after 17 to

Cullen Jones

Jul 17 2024 32 mins

It’s almost time for the Summer Olympics to take over the sports world, as it does every four years. The opening ceremonies are July 26th in Paris. And so for the first time in the three seasons of “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” we went poolside to have a a candid conversation with Olympic swimmer and two-time gold medalist Cullen Jones. Formerly a star college swimmer at

Jerry Moore

Jun 26 2024 55 mins

In North Carolina’s mountains, a football coach named Jerry Moore led Appalachian State to new heights two decades ago. Now 84, Moore coached the Mountaineers from 1989-2012 and built a dynasty in Boone, N.C. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, he directed the Mountaineers all the way to the top of the mountain, winning three straight national titles at the FCS level. Those were the first th

Stan Smith

Jun 05 2024 54 mins

Long before he became one of the biggest names in footwear, Stan Smith dazzled on the tennis court. Smith, 77, is a tennis hall of famer who won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the early 1970s and was once ranked as the world’s No. 1 tennis player. He grew up in California but has lived for more than 50 years in Hilton Head, S.C., where he remains very active in the community

Jimmie Johnson

May 22 2024 34 mins

Jimmie Johnson is, without question, one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. Three drivers rank at the very top of the all-time NASCAR Cup series champion standings, each with seven season titles apiece. They are Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Johnson. Of those three legends, Johnson is the only one who won five titles consecutively, from 2006-2010. He was inducted i

REBROADCAST: Muggsy Bogues

May 15 2024 47 mins

Muggsy Bogues remains the shortest player ever to play in the NBA, at 5-foot-3. Bogues stayed in the league for 14 years, most notably as the point guard for the exciting Charlotte Hornets teams of the 1990s that also starred Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Dell Curry. At age 57, he still lives in the Charlotte area today. We sat down in Bogues’ home, inside a memorabilia room