Sports

With better weather on the way, racing fans in this area are beginning to plan for the upcoming Kentucky Speedway season. Lee Hay, an avid NASCAR fan, happily welcomes in Mark Simendinger, the general manager of the Kentucky Speedway, to preview the 2013 race weekends and especially this year’s third running of the Quaker State 400 on Saturday, June 29.

Taking a new approach to positively impact the lives of some of Cincinnati’s at-risk youth, Neal Tew has opened the T Squash Center and implemented Queen City Squash, a scholastic squash league that will teach not just the sport, but sportsmanship, teamwork, responsibility and more. Neal Tew is in The Front Row with Betsy Ross to discuss his new eastside facility and their opening events on Saturday, March 16.

One of the truly great events the Cincinnati area hosts every year is the Western & Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason. This year’s event will happen August 10 -18, and the real backbone of this successful tournament is the army of volunteers who help visitors, players and sponsors enjoy being at a world-class tennis tournament. Mary O’Connor, the volunteer coordinator for the Open, joins Robyn Carey-Allgeyer with all the information about how to volunteer, positions available, and the perks that come with the job.

It’s March and that can only mean one thing: the college basketball March Madness tournament is near. But around here, University of Kentucky fans keep the madness going year round for their Wildcats. If you’re not sure you have the encyclopedic knowledge of UK basketball you would like, author Ryan Clark is here to help. He (along with co-writer Joe Cox) has written 100 Things Wildcats Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and he’s in The Front Row with Betsy Ross. He’ll be appearing at Joseph Beth Booksellers in Crestview Hills on Thursday, March 14 for a talk and signing event.

It’s almost time for more bouts, pivots, jammers and blockers. The Cincinnati Rollergirls, stars of the flat track roller derby world, kick off their 2013 home season on March 23 at the historic Cincinnati Gardens. The Front Row with Betsy Ross welcomes in a couple of the Rollergirls to preview the upcoming season, talk a bit about the team and the sport, and how their fan base has grown over the years.

WVXU Reporter Mark Heyne interviews Eleanor Kluszewski, wife of one of the greatest Cincinnati Reds ever, first baseman Ted Kluszewski, for the special program Saluting Big Klu.

The occasional warm days we’ve had are glimpses into the spring and summer ahead, and the many hours of golf that will be played here and throughout the region. Jan Tellestrom, the golf pro emeritus from the magnificent French Lick Resort in Indiana, is in The Front Row with Betsy Ross to talk about the courses at the resort, the famed architects who designed them, and the LPGA Legends Tournament the resort will be hosting later this year.

It’s growing very close to the serious running season, and there’s a new run on the horizon that’s part of a newly dubbed Christian Moerlein Beer Series and part of the ever-growing Flying Pig Marathon events. The new Bockfest 5K will be part of the annual Over the Rhine beer festival. Iris Simpson Bush from the Flying Pig Marathon is in The Front Row with Betsy Ross to talk about all three stages of the Beer Series, some additions to the Flying Pig, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles for people of all ages.

The Cincinnati Reds and University of Cincinnati Baseball program announced a unique business partnership Friday night. Learn more about it today from Brian Cleary, the head coach of the U.C. Bearcats baseball team when he's  in The Front Row with Betsy Ross.

Sports Reporting
Pumped Up Reds and Their Fans Deflate
Reporter: Ann Thompson

Feature 1:
Reds Players Talk About Playoff Pressure

Feature 2:
Waiting to Clinch

News Documentary
Cincinnati Baseball: Waite Hoyt
Reporter:  Lee Hay and Mark Heyne

More information about the special can be found here:

The exciting news last week was that Cincinnati will host the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. How do events like these get awarded to cities and what does it mean for the local economy? Linda Antus, president of the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network is in The Front Row with Betsy Ross to talk about the impact of big events and sports tourism.

The last week or so has been a PR nightmare for two big names in sports: Lance Armstrong and Manti Te’o. How these situations have been handled thus far is the topic in The Front Row with Betsy Ross. Betsy’s business partner at Game Day Communications, Jackie Reau, is in the studio to discuss what’s been done well and how both athletes have struggled with their admissions.