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FrontPage305

By Walter Villa, Andre C. Fernandez and Manny Navarro

Miami based sports writer Walter Villa (former Miami Herald editor, freelance writer for ESPN, D1-Baseball) shares his views and stories on things he finds interesting. Plus, interviews with athletes, coaches and other sportswriters who have covered sports in South Florida and nationally. Twitter: @QuePasa305 (Questions); @FrontPage305 (Links)
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St. Thomas University Bobcast - Oct. 21, 2020

FrontPage305Oct 21, 2020

00:00
38:36
April 20, 2021 - FIU basketball coach Jeremy Ballard, Bally Sports' Jessica Blaylock

April 20, 2021 - FIU basketball coach Jeremy Ballard, Bally Sports' Jessica Blaylock

Host Walter Villa brings on a special guest from the high school ranks to share her story and then welcomes FIU basketball coach Jeremy Ballard to talk about race relations and Bally Sports TV's Jessica Blaylock to discuss Florida Panthers hockey and Marlins baseball. It's riveting. April 20, 2021.  

Apr 20, 202159:00
April 6, 2021 - College baseball, football, N.Y. Jets and Miami Hurricanes

April 6, 2021 - College baseball, football, N.Y. Jets and Miami Hurricanes

Host Walter Villa welcomes two guests from D1 Baseball including editor Aaron Fitt, Champagnat football coach Hector Clavijo and sports writers Corey Long (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Manny Navarro (The Athletic) to talk New York Jets and Hurricanes spring football. April 6, 2021. 

Apr 17, 202154:50
March 23, 2021 - Panthers, FSU baseball, Miami crime

March 23, 2021 - Panthers, FSU baseball, Miami crime

Host Walter Villa interviews Craig Minervini on the Florida Panthers, a Miami Herald crime reporter and FSU baseball star Mat Nelson. 

Mar 26, 202159:53
March 2, 2021 - Marlins prospect Griffin Conine, high school basketball, baseball in Australia

March 2, 2021 - Marlins prospect Griffin Conine, high school basketball, baseball in Australia

Host Walter Villa interviews Marlins prospect Griffin Conine, discusses the story of the year in high school basketball in South Florida and talks baseball in Australia. March 2, 2021

Mar 03, 202156:22
Jan. 26, 2021 - Manny Navarro joins Walter Villa

Jan. 26, 2021 - Manny Navarro joins Walter Villa

Recorded Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. 

Feb 03, 202148:51
Episode 24 - Josh White, Jacob Shaw and what chicken McNuggets mean to hip people

Episode 24 - Josh White, Jacob Shaw and what chicken McNuggets mean to hip people

Miami-area journalists Walter Villa and Andre C. Fernandez talk sports. Jan. 19, 2021. 

Jan 19, 202156:14
Jan. 5, 2021 - Manny Navarro reunites with the boys

Jan. 5, 2021 - Manny Navarro reunites with the boys

The Athletic's Manny Navarro rejoins hosts Walter Villa and Andre C. Fernandez to talk Miami Hurricanes football, weight loss and more. St. Thomas University president David Armstrong joins the guys to talk about his beloved Cleveland Browns making the playoffs and Frankie Ruiz, a 10-time state championship winning running coach from Miami Belen shares insights. 60 minutes. Jan. 5, 2020

Jan 06, 202149:40
Episode 23 - Bill Daley, Chris Caputo and Lindsay Holder

Episode 23 - Bill Daley, Chris Caputo and Lindsay Holder

Walter Villa and Andre C. Fernandez interview High School Sports Writer Bill Daley, Miami Hurricanes basketball assistant coach Chris Caputo and nutritionist Lindsay Holder. Dec. 15, 2020. 60 minutes.

Dec 15, 202058:21
Episode 22 - 'Crootin

Episode 22 - 'Crootin

Hosts Walter Villa and Andre C. Fernandez talk to former NFL player E.J. Biggers, Florida State beat writer Antwan Staley and local recruiting guru Larry Blustein of WQAM. Dec. 8, 2020. 58 minutes.

Dec 08, 202058:55
Episode 21 - Women can kick

Episode 21 - Women can kick

Walter Villa and Andre Fernandez talk to a local high school kicker and talk Canes, Heat, Marlins, Dolphins and much more. Dec. 1, 2020. 

Dec 04, 202057:35
St. Thomas University Bobcast - Nov. 24, 2020

St. Thomas University Bobcast - Nov. 24, 2020

Walter Villa (Miami Herald) and Manny Navarro (The Athletic) wrap up the 2020 football season with coach Bill Rychel, running back Robert Armes and quarterback Tyler Thomas. The Bobcats ended the season with three consecutive victories. Armes is the first 1,000 yard rusher in STU program history and was named the Mid-South Conference Sun Division Player of the Week for the second time in his career. Thomas took over at quarterback at mid-season for STU and combined for 11 touchdowns in five starts. Thomas averaged 129.3 yards-per-game, 10 passing touchdowns and had a rating of 116.1, while throwing for 776-yards. 28 minutes.

Nov 27, 202027:04
St. Thomas University Bobcast - Nov. 18, 2020

St. Thomas University Bobcast - Nov. 18, 2020

Walter Villa (The Miami Herald) and Manny Navarro (The Athletic) talk to football coach Bill Rychel about his team's come-from-behind 27-20 overtime victory over Warner University including a standout performance by freshman Sydney Porter, the National Defensive Player of the Week. Then they turn the focus to baseball and outfielder Gus Guerra, who shares his story about rescuing his dog Chance. Coach Jorge Perez discusses the state of the baseball program, which is ranked No. 4 nationally. 34 minutes.

Nov 19, 202033:36
Episode 20 - Hoops, gold medals and Fins talk

Episode 20 - Hoops, gold medals and Fins talk

Walter Villa, Andre Fernandez and Santos Perez talk about the NBA Draft with Miami Heat beat writer Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Plus, an Olympic gold medalist Lyndsay Shoop joins the program to discuss weight loss. Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. 

Nov 17, 202059:44
St. Thomas University Bobcast - Nov. 11, 2020

St. Thomas University Bobcast - Nov. 11, 2020

We catch up with football coach Bill Rychel before St. Thomas' second annual homecoming game Saturday against Warner University at 2 p.m. He gives us his grade for his 2-3 team to this point and discusses the challenges in recruiting during the pandemic. We then chat with volleyball coach Whitney Battoe, who in her first season as coach has led STU to its first winning season since 2017. St. Thomas begins the Sun Conference Tournament with a quarterfinals matchup on Friday against Warner University. We also speak with sophomore Kyleigh Beecham, who currently leads the Sun Conference in assists (482) and ranks 19th nationally. 29 minutes.

Nov 11, 202028:25
St. Thomas University Bobcast - Nov. 5, 2020

St. Thomas University Bobcast - Nov. 5, 2020

Bobcats head football coach and athletic director Bill Rychel joined us to recap last Saturday's 24-13 win Ave Maria and swimming and diving coach Keith Coghlan joined us to discuss the latest with his program. 30 minutes. Recorded Nov. 4, 2020. 

Nov 05, 202029:58
St. Thomas University Bobcast - Oct. 28, 2020

St. Thomas University Bobcast - Oct. 28, 2020

Host Walter Villa (Miami Herald) catches up with St. Thomas University men's basketball coach DP Harris and Kayla Slovenec, who is a graduate assistant coach and just the third woman in the nation this year who is coaching men’s hoops. Walter then chats with women's basketball coach Candace Walker, whose team opened the season with a win over Johnson University. 30 minutes.
Oct 29, 202030:29
Episode 19 - Tua's debut, World Series and Canes roundtable

Episode 19 - Tua's debut, World Series and Canes roundtable

Walter Villa and Andre C. Fernandez talk to Saturday Down South columnist Connor O'Gara about former Alabama and current Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, breakdown the World Series and then talk to Manny Navarro (The Athletic) and David Furones (Sun-Sentinel) about the Miami Hurricanes at the midseason point. 58 minutes. Oct. 27, 2020

Oct 28, 202056:36
St. Thomas University Bobcast - Oct. 21, 2020

St. Thomas University Bobcast - Oct. 21, 2020

We catch up with current LSU and former St. Thomas University baseball coach Paul Mainieri and current Bobcats baseball coach Jorge Perez to talk about their trip to Cuba with Team USA, Paul's history at St. Thomas University and growing up in Miami and how they've tried to manage their respective teams through COVID-19 pandemic. 38 minutes. 

Oct 21, 202038:36
Episode 18 - It's finally Tua time!

Episode 18 - It's finally Tua time!

Tua Tagovailoa has been named the Dolphins new starting quarterback. The guys talk about that and Andre's accurate World Series prediction of the Dodgers-Rays. Walter Villa and Andre Fernandez do their first show without the great Manny Navarro -- and yet still call Manny in the second segment to talk Canes. 60 minutes. Oct. 20, 2020

Oct 20, 202056:45
St. Thomas University Bobcast - Oct. 14, 2020

St. Thomas University Bobcast - Oct. 14, 2020

We chat with wrestling coach Jake Patacsil, a former All-American at Purdue and St. Thomas Aquinas High school grad in Fort Lauderdale, about getting the school's new program off the ground. Jesus Perez, the team's first signee who wrestles in the 197-pound weight class, talks to us about his path from Hialeah Gardens to minus-30 degree temperatures for college wrestling and then his trip back home to help start STU's new program. Plus, media relations coordinator Jonathan Leatherman stops by to share his insights on the other programs at STU and how they are doing during this football bye week. 36 minutes. Oct. 14, 2020.  

Oct 14, 202036:08
Episode 17 - When will it be Tua time?

Episode 17 - When will it be Tua time?

The guys discuss the Miami Dolphins' 43-17 win at San Francisco and wonder when Miami's rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will finally get a shot to play. Also, what should we make of the Hurricanes' 42-17 loss at No. 1 Clemson and Manny Diaz saying his team has to stop thinking arrogantly when it comes to competing with the rest of the ACC. Plus, do the Heat need to pair Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo up with another superstar? 58 minutes. Oct. 13, 2020.

Oct 13, 202057:54
Interview with Jerry DiPaola, Pittsburgh TribLive.com sports writer

Interview with Jerry DiPaola, Pittsburgh TribLive.com sports writer

DiPaola previews Saturday's game between the Pittsburgh Panthers (3-2) and Miami Hurricanes (3-1) at Hard Rock Stadium and tells us why Walter Villa is a great guy. Oct. 12, 2020. 50 minutes.

Oct 13, 202047:38
St. Thomas University Sports Show - Oct. 7, 2020

St. Thomas University Sports Show - Oct. 7, 2020

Football coach Bill Rychel joins the show to talk about his team's 38-6 win over Warner University last Saturday and how the Bobcats played well in all three phases. School president David Armstrong then joins the program to discuss his long-term vision for the school and athletic programs as well as who he is rooting for in this year's NBA Finals. 39 minutes.

Oct 07, 202039:09
Episode 16 - Where does Jimmy Butler's Game 3 performance rank all-time in Miami sports history?

Episode 16 - Where does Jimmy Butler's Game 3 performance rank all-time in Miami sports history?

We preview the Marlins-Braves series in the National League Division Series, talk Canes-Clemson and dig into the Heat's run to the NBA Finals and whether or not Jimmy Butler's Game 3 performance ranks second all-time among individual performances by an athlete in Miami sports history. 60 minutes.

Oct 06, 202059:15
St. Thomas University Sports Show - Sept. 29, 2020

St. Thomas University Sports Show - Sept. 29, 2020

We catch up with football coach Bill Rychel to talk about his team's 42-10 loss to Keiser, the No. 9-ranked NAIA team in the nation. We also chat with women's volleyball coach Whitney Battoe, a 24-year-old STU grad, and the reigning Sun Conference Attacker of the Week Arianna Bolinger. 25 minutes.
Sep 29, 202025:45
Episode 15 - Are our eyes deceiving us?

Episode 15 - Are our eyes deceiving us?

The Miami Heat reached the NBA Finals, the Miami Marlins are in the playoffs and the Miami Hurricanes are ranked in the top 10. Which of these teams is really good or a product of the COVID-19 pandemic's affect on the sports world? We debate and preview Marlins-Cubs, Heat-Lakers and Miami's game at No. 1 Clemson on Oct. 10. 

Sep 29, 202056:21
St. Thomas University Sports Show - Sept. 23, 2020

St. Thomas University Sports Show - Sept. 23, 2020

The guys talk to St. Thomas University football coach Bill Rychel about the second-year NAIA football program following its Week 1 loss to Southeastern University. We also talk to center Joey Suarez about his return from injury and linebacker Donnell Bennett, the son of former Miami Hurricanes and NFL running back Donnell Bennett Jr. 30 minutes.
Sep 23, 202030:06
Episode 14 - Is Jose Borregales the new Chuck Norris?

Episode 14 - Is Jose Borregales the new Chuck Norris?

The guys talk Miami Hurricanes football including kicker Jose Borregales' claim he can make a field goal from 70 yards out. Plus, they delve into the Marlins' playoff hopes, what the Heat has to do to win a championship, and why Manny has a shady looking body bag behind him. 50 minutes. Recorded Sept. 22, 2020.

Sep 22, 202055:26
Interview - Judy Sanchez, wife of former Marlins All-Star first baseman

Interview - Judy Sanchez, wife of former Marlins All-Star first baseman

We caught up with our friend Judy Sanchez, a former freelance writer for the Miami Herald, All-County softball and basketball star at Southwest High and mother of three. She's the wife of former Marlins All-Star first baseman Gaby Sanchez and shares what it is like to be the wife of a major leaguer behind the scenes. 51 minutes.

Sep 19, 202050:54
Episode 13 - Why the Marlins are going to win the World Series

Episode 13 - Why the Marlins are going to win the World Series

The guys discuss the greatest rotation ever assembled, preview the Eastern Conference Finals and discuss Hurricanes football. 56 minutes. Recorded Sept. 15, 2020. 

Sep 17, 202053:26
Interview - Patrick Surtain, former Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl cornerback

Interview - Patrick Surtain, former Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl cornerback

The guys catch up with Surtain, who is the head coach at Plantation American Heritage School, to talk about Miami Hurricanes recruiting, defensive tackle Nesta Silvera, his son Patrick Jr., who is a star cornerback at Alabama, the Miami Dolphins 2020 season and his relationship with Miami Hurricanes cornerback coach Mike Rumph. Recorded Sept. 10, 2020. 

Sep 10, 202019:21
Episode 12 - Football is back!

Episode 12 - Football is back!

We preview the Miami Hurricanes' season opener against UAB on Thursday, examine the NFL 53-man rosters and talk about where the Hurricanes stand with UF, FSU and the other state schools and then raise the question: Is Giannis Antetokounmpo even a top 5 player in the NBA? Plus, Marlins playoff talk! 60 minutes. 

Sep 09, 202056:41
Episode 11 - Playoff Jimmy & shopping for bikinis with Serena & Venus
Sep 01, 202053:38
Interview: Dolphins beat writer Josh Tolentino (The Athletic)

Interview: Dolphins beat writer Josh Tolentino (The Athletic)

The Miami Dolphins are less than two weeks away from their season opener and we've got The Athletic's Josh Tolentino on to talk about what's been going on in camp -- while trying to make sure he doesn't get in trouble for it. We also hear about that time Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes embarrassed Josh on the basketball court. 47 minutes. 

Sep 01, 202049:44
Interview: Santos Perez, Hall of Fame boxing writer

Interview: Santos Perez, Hall of Fame boxing writer

We catch up with Miami-based sports writer Santos Perez to talk boxing, baseball, Walter Villa's free croqueta tactics and more. 45 minutes. 

Aug 27, 202044:43
Episode 10 - Just a bunch of punk-ass white boys

Episode 10 - Just a bunch of punk-ass white boys

The guys discuss the incident involving Montrezl Harrell and Luka Doncic over the weekend, the debut of Marlins top prospect Sixto Sanchez and more. Recorded at noon Aug. 25, 2020 on SiriusXM radio.

Aug 25, 202059:10
Interview: Jonathan Rodriguez, Puerto Rican basketball star

Interview: Jonathan Rodriguez, Puerto Rican basketball star

The guys catch up with Jonathan Rodriguez, who had a stellar high school career at Calusa Prep in Miami, where he led the team to a state championship in 2005 and then played at Campbell University. Rodriguez has spent the last few years playing professionally overseas and talks about the NBA playoffs, the life of a professional basketball player and what it was like to play against OJ Mayo and Kevin Durant. 26 minutes.

Aug 21, 202026:25
Episode 9 - Can you feel the Heat?

Episode 9 - Can you feel the Heat?

The guys recap the Hurricanes' first scrimmage of the fall, preview the Miami Heat-Indiana Pacers series with longtime Spanish radio voice Jose Paneda and get their Behind Las Cortinas segment from Miami Herald Sports editor Alex Mena. 

Aug 21, 202057:59
Interview: Alex Mena, Miami Herald Sports Editor

Interview: Alex Mena, Miami Herald Sports Editor

We caught up with Miami Herald Sports Editor Alex Mena, who like Manny and Andre started working for the newspaper when he was very young and worked his way up the chain to the leader of the department. Mena, a Hialeah-Miami Lakes and FIU graduate, was born in Nicaragua and share his inspiring story of how he made an important decision to leave his post working at Subway to get into the newspaper business. 

Aug 18, 202019:00
Interview: Walter Alvarez, father of Marlins rookie Eddy Alvarez
Aug 17, 202016:30
Episode 8 - We didn't start the fire

Episode 8 - We didn't start the fire

The guys talk about the scheduling mess facing college football, the good start on the field the Marlins have gotten off to in 2020 and then talk to George Richards about what went wrong with the Panthers this season and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald about the Miami Heat's upcoming off-season decisions with free agents. Recorded on SlamMiami SeriusXM Channel 145 at noon on Aug. 11, 2020. 

Aug 13, 202058:34
Interview: Chris Perkins, local sports writer

Interview: Chris Perkins, local sports writer

The guys catch up with longtime local journalist Chris Perkins to talk about his Texas roots, covering the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat and Hurricanes football and get a good Behind Las Cortinas story about Eddie Jones. 40 minutes. 

Aug 11, 202038:31
Interview: Shane Larkin, former Miami Hurricanes basketball star

Interview: Shane Larkin, former Miami Hurricanes basketball star

Manny Navarro (The Athletic) and Walter Villa catch-up with former ACC Player of the Year and Miami Hurricane Shane Larkin, who has become a star in Europe. Larkin, 27, was the Turkish League Finals MVP in 2019 after leading Anadolu Efes to the championship. He talks about becoming a Turkish citizen, growing up with a Hall of Fame baseball player for a father, his battle with obsessive compulsive disorder and what might be next for him including a venture back to the NBA. 36 minutes.

Aug 08, 202038:38
Episode 7: We're Live!

Episode 7: We're Live!

We hosted our first live podcast on SiriusXM Channel 145 Slam Miami and talked Marlins, Heat and shared some of the highlights from our weekly interviews including FIU coach Butch Davis. 54 minutes. 

Aug 04, 202056:24
Interview: FIU coach Butch Davis

Interview: FIU coach Butch Davis

Manny Navarro (The Athletic) and Walter Villa catch up with FIU football coach Butch Davis to talk about the Panthers' win over the Miami Hurricanes in 2019 and how it is still helping the program today. We also get into why Butch is so good at evaluating talent, what he learned from Jimmy Johnson and what FIU hopes to accomplish this season with a new quarterback. Plus, did you know Butch was a kicker in college? We didn't either. 25 minutes. 

Aug 04, 202026:13
Interview: Ruthie Polinsky, NBC6 Sports Anchor

Interview: Ruthie Polinsky, NBC6 Sports Anchor

The guys caught up with new local NBC6 Sports Anchor Ruthie Polinsky who started in March right in the middle of the pandemic and only got to cover one Miami Heat game. Polinsky, who was raised in St. Louis and is a Michigan grad, covered the New England Patriots for three years when she worked in Providence and has some good Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Bill Belichick stories to share. We also got her to dish on her favorite shows, why she's listening to Taylor Swift and her guilty pleasure. 53 minutes.

Jul 31, 202052:55
Interview: Miami Suns coaches on Sylvia Fowles

Interview: Miami Suns coaches on Sylvia Fowles

We catch up with longtime Miami High girls' basketball coach Sam Baumgarten Jr. and Miami Suns AAU program director Miguel Diaz to talk about Miami native Sylvia Fowles becoming the WNBA's all-time leader in rebounds and all of her great accomplishments. Fowles was a standout at Miami Edison High and Gulliver Prep and once kicked Manny Navarro's butt in a 1-on-1 game. We also talk about the three local starts playing in the WNBA including former Miami Hurricane Beatrice Mompremier. 42 minutes.

Jul 30, 202041:39
Interview: Baseball America's Matt Eddy on Marlins prospects

Interview: Baseball America's Matt Eddy on Marlins prospects

Baseball America's co-executive editor Matt Eddy joins to guys to talk about the Marlins farm system, which could get put to use here soon because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and some of the best baseball prospects to come out of South Florida. 25 minutes.  

Jul 30, 202026:00
Episode 6: Did the Marlins just screw this up for everybody?

Episode 6: Did the Marlins just screw this up for everybody?

The guys tackle the big story involving the Marlins and COVID-19, high school sports and if Miami-Dade high schools would be better off breaking off from the FHSAA and share Florida Panthers beat writer George Richards' funny Behind Las Cortinas story. 60 minutes.

Jul 28, 202059:13
Interview: Mark Schusterman, FHSAA Board of Directors and co-Athletic Director at Riviera Prep

Interview: Mark Schusterman, FHSAA Board of Directors and co-Athletic Director at Riviera Prep

The guys caught up with Mark Schusterman, the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame coach who now serves on the board of directors of the FHSAA and has votes on major decisions including the sports calendar and how school athletic programs are adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Schusterman played a role in the FHSAA's decision to delay the start of the sports calendar to August 24 after the organization initially voted to maintain its start time of July 27. Schusterman discussed what the FHSAA is doing and what it might do moving forward when it comes to dealing with the pandemic. 

Jul 27, 202026:08