Sports Reading: Sports, Stories and Songs

by Kent Koen

Stories, Sports and Songs by Bill Schoening

Jon Madani and I first met in the early 1990s when we worked together at KLBJ-AM Radio in Austin, Texas, for legendary sportscasters Tom Dore, Bill Schoening, Ed Clements, and Phil Miller.  We covered local, regional and national sporting events together, like the Final Four®, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers training camps, and the Southwest Conference.

One of our mentors, Bill Schoening, wrote this book called Stories, Sports and Songs, which chronicles his path from listening to the late By Saam call Philadelphia Phillies games on the radio during his childhood to his career calling games on the biggest stages in college and professional sports.

If you love sports, storytelling, and a little bit of music mixed in, Bill Schoening’s Stories, Sports and Songs is an enjoyable read. Bill, best known as the voice of the San Antonio Spurs, shares a bunch of personal anecdotes from his life behind the mic. What makes the book feel special is how genuine it is. He writes the way he speaks, so it feels like you're just sitting down with him over coffee, listening to him tell stories about the characters and moments he’s encountered throughout his career.

It’s not just about the big games, either. He brings in tales from his early days on small-town radio, plus his love for songwriting, which adds a nice personal touch. You get a real sense of his passion for sports and the joy he finds in the little moments along the way. It’s a light, feel-good read that would make a great gift for any sports fan, especially someone who appreciates the human side of the game.