Analysts
Co-Host, Fantasy Sports Analyst
Michaels is a La Grande local and Eastern Oregon University grad. He has been involved with the Johnny Ballgame Show since it first aired in July of 2007 and has served as the show’s lead analyst. Michaels has covered the NFL, NBA, MLB and Fantasy Sports throughout his career. His knowledge and understanding of sports has been a tremendous asset to the show. During the program’s first four years, Michaels contributed to each show over the phone line. Now that the show has moved to the eastern Oregon market, he has become the official in-studio co-host in addition to his telephone duties. Michaels has participated in Fantasy Sports for more than twenty years and has won numerous league championships in football, basketball and baseball throughout his career. In 2005, Michaels and Ballgame won ‘League 22′ in the World Championships of Fantasy Football (WCOFF) as co-owners of the Puget Sound Patsies franchise. His fantasy football analysis is on par with anyone in the business. Michaels is from La Grande, OR., and currently makes his home in Pendleton, OR., with his wife and two sons. He works for the state of Oregon.
Favorite Teams: Cincinnati Bengals and Reds, Portland Trailblazers
Favorite Athletes: Reggie Miller, Scott Skiles, Mark Jackson, Curt Warner (Seahawks), James Brooks, Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey, Jr., Jay Buhner, Harold Reynolds, Brandon Roy, Bobby Hurley, Steve Wojciechowski. , Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter
Fish
College Football Analyst
Fish has served has the lead college football analyst since the show’s debut in 2007. He delivers an informative and entertaining brand of analysis that is unmatched by anyone in the business. Fish is an expert on the business side of college football and spends countless hours following each of the eleven FBS conferences. His main area of expertise is Boise State football and has religiously followed the program since the early 1980s. His ability to mix in humor with his analysis has became very popular within the Ballgame community. “Fish” has developed a cult following and has played a fine role in the show’s success. He makes his home in Boise, ID., and is a father of two.
Favorite Teams: Boise State football, Utah Jazz
Favorites Athletes: John Stockton, Karl Malone, Magic Johnson, Ken Griffey, Jr., Ryan Dinwiddie, Ichiro, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Walter Payton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Brock Forsey, Bart Hendricks, Kellen Moore, Kyle Wilson.
Gavin Ashburn
Analyist- College Basketball, NCAA Recruiting
Gavin the “sports geek” Ashburn served as the in-studio co-host of the Johnny Ballgame Show from July 2008 to April 2010 during the show’s best run. He was an instrumental part of the back to back Idaho Press Club awards as the top “Sports Talk Show” in Idaho during 2008 and 2009. After the show moved markets, Ashburn became the lead college hoops analyst along with his recruiting duties. He pays more attention to high school athletes than anyone in the Ballgame community (we make fun of him for it, too). Ashburn follows college basketball with reckless abandon and his monotone delivery adds a nice touch to a radio show filled with loud mouths. Ashburn is from Moscow, ID., and is a University of Idaho grad. He is currently a preschool teacher when not providing the Johnny Ballgame Show with expert analysis.
Favorite Teams: Green Bay Packers, North Carolina Tarheels (Basketball), Washington State Cougars, Seattle Mariners
Favorite Athletes: Brett Favre, Kyle Weaver, Ryan Leaf (college only), Allen Iverson, Ty Lawson, Vince Carter, Frank Thomas, Jason Gesser, Marcus Trufant, Ed Cota, Reggie White, Ichiro, Dustin Ackley,
Nolan Vasan
NFL Draft Analyst, Recruiting Guru
Nolan Vasan and Ballgame created a business relationship in January 2010. Vasan is the creater of www.nfldraftgeek.com and provides Ballgame with the Draft Geek friend he had always dreamed of. Vasan is an absolute expert on the NFL Draft and provides the show with second-to-none analysis. Vasan and nfldraftgeek.com will hopefully maintain a relationship with the Johnny Ballgame Show for years to come. Visit NFL Draft Geek for all your NFL Draft needs (you’re welcome, Nolan). Vasan is from the Detroit area.
Favorite Teams: Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Pistons and Redwings.
Favorite Athletes: Steve Yzerman, Barry Sanders, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Charles Woodson.
Nate Johnson
Sports Video Game Analyst
Nate Johnson is by far the most committed, dedicated and addicted “cyber athlete” the Johnny Ballgame Show has ever seen. He has made John Madden Football and NCAA Football video games his “life’s work”. Johnson is able to provide the show with perfect breakdowns to all sports video games. He is an avid online player and is as experienced as any “cyber athlete” in the world. Be sure to see his video game grades of Madden and NCAA Football upon their releases each summer. He has a personal relationship with former University of Washington football coach Don James, and also serves as a Husky football analyst for the show when needed. Johnson is from Bellevue, WA., and makes his home in Copalis Beach, WA., where he lives with his wife and two sons. He is a Landscape Architect when he’s not playing video games.
Favorite Teams: Washington Husky football.
Favorite Athletes: Steve Emtman, Mark Brunell, Marques Tuiasosopo, Jake Locker, Beno Bryant, Dana Hall, Mario Bailey, Nate Robinson, anyone who can DUNK!
Matt Wilmot
Legal Analyst
Wilmot is an attorney for a very large law firm in Portland, OR. He gives the Johnny Ballgame Show his legal analysis when an athlete or sports figure runs afoul with the law. Wilmot breaks down the significance of the crime and gives Ballgame listeners an inside scoop of what may transpire legally. Wilmot played football whilte attending Willamette University for his undergrad and Law degrees. He is from Renton, WA., makes his home in Portland, OR., with his wife and son.
Favorite Teams: Portland Trailblazers, Willamette University, Oregon State Football and Baseball, Washington Husky football
Matt Childers
Hockey Analyst
The Johnny Ballgame Show rarely, if ever, discusses hockey. However, when it does Childers is the guy. A hockey nut, Childers rambles off NHL players the way most Americans do with football, baseball and basketball. Childers makes limited appearances on the program but delivers with the best of them when he does. Childers is a graduate from the University of Idaho where he served as a Video Coordinator for the Vandals football team for many years. He is from Alaska but deep down wishes he was Canadian (which explains his love for hockey). All in all he’s a great listen.
Favorite Teams: Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, you get the point…
Favorite Athletes: Anyone who skates.
Kris Patrick
Boxing/MMA Analyst
The Johnny Ballgame Show loves a big fight! When Boxing or MMA has big events going on, Kris Patrick appears on the show. Patrick’s love for Boxing dates back to the early 1980′s. He has a successful history of gambling on big boxing matches and studies the sport extremely well. His analysis is both informative and entertaining. He has been to big boxing venues in the past to see fighters such as Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya fight in person. Tune into the Johnny Ballgame Show before any big fight to hear Kris’ wonderful analysis. Patrick lives in La Grande, OR., and has one son, who he named after his favorite former ballplayer.
Favorite Teams: New York Yankees, Portland Trailblazers, anyone he has money on.
Favorite Athletes: Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, Joe Louis, Don Mattingly, Mickey Mantle, Andy Pettitte, Paul O’Neil, Bernie Williams, George Steinbrenner, Thomas ‘the Hitman’ Hearns.
11 Responses to “Analysts”
Great cast of characters, Ballgame. u and Kevin are La Grande’s version of Mike and Mike, yup i said it. This show is the best thing to happen to La Grande since the under-pass that was built to avoid having to wait for those darn trains! I listen everyday
-T Dubb
Thanks, man! Call in any time.
Wow, your hockey analyst looks like a real bad-ass!
I think that makes me the fat mike…
Good work, nice website keep up the good work.
I am extremely happy to find this blog.Thank you for having the page! Im sure that it will become very popular. NFL is my life and its sunday
Well what can I say? great post and I completely agree with you on all points and I am thinking about adding a link on my blog to your blog post because its that good.
Wow that was extremely insightful, you truly are a life saver! I will have to tell my intellectually inclined friends about this.
Wow that is an very helpful article . I like your style of writing. Maybe you should write more articles of these type. By the way, sorry for my bad english
Did most all football fans watch the Broncos vs. Jets this weekend? Incredible, I believe Kyle Orton and the Orange Crush are back on top!
Hi! I just found your great site with Bing and i love it!