Episode Transcript
Speaker 1- Kelly Walker 00:00:07 Welcome to hustle and pro. This is episode one 50. I'm your host Kelly Walker. And today we have another host with us, but as a guest, you're a guest with me today, which is kind of different for you.
Speaker 2- Sean Bass 00:00:17 And one 50, that's like a landmark episode. I feel honored.
Speaker 1 00:00:22 I, well, it's exciting to have you here. And we took a, I took a field trip from Frisco. We're in Dallas. We're down at Cumulus today. Mm-hmm <affirmative> so, um, I'm excited that you said yes. When I saw you at R rider's media day. Yes. I said, Hey Sean. So I, hold on, didn't get your name out the door. Sean Bass. No, it's okay. I just wanna make sure I clearly introduce you properly. So Sean, on bass, you are the sports director at the ticket. Mm-hmm <affirmative> uh, also an anchor host and Meers ticket
Speaker 2 00:00:47 Guy. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I've I wear a lot of hats up here. In fact, I just had my 21st anniversary three days ago. So I've been with the, what used to be Susquehanna false graph is now Cumulus. So I've spent my twenties and now my thirties at this place. So welcome into the mothership. Awesome.
Speaker 1 00:01:04 Thank you. Thank you for having me and congrats on that many years. Yeah, that's a, that's a lifetime. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:01:09 And radio, that's a good run. Like people are like, man, that's, that's impressive, which it is. Cuz I have friends who have, you know, are probably way more talented than I am that have bounced around market to market. And you just don't have that kind of longevity, a certain station, but it's the only job I've ever really known. Like I got outta college and I was already working at the station for, I think four or five years at that point. And then I became full-time in oh 6 0 7, somewhere in there. And so
Speaker 1 00:01:37 It is the only real job
Speaker 2 00:01:38 You ever had. I had a job recruiting doctors right outta college. Cause I knew did benefits in full-time pay and that just sucked the life force right out of me. And you know, I was already here and I got the call and that was a really easy, easy decision to make. But uh, yeah, the broadcasting industry and especially radio terrestrial radio has changed a lot. Oh yeah. In my, my two decades. And it's uh, maybe we'll get into that today. I don't know. But it's, it's a, it's a different market than when I entered it. Oh sure. When I was
Speaker 1 00:02:07 19. Sure. I mean any, any media in general, just the way that people consume and the way that they listen to you guys and all the different ways people can listen. Right. Has completely changed. Used to just be the one, the dial now. Yeah. It's a little fragmenting.
Speaker 2 00:02:21 Now we have podcasting. Now we have video stuff. Now we have people with smartphones and we've had to adapt and luckily we have such a good listenership. Sure. You know, we're, we're a Dallas brand and we were the first we're the best and we've won four Marons and uh, the show I work on the Meers, they won major market personalities of the year, this past year, the, which was long overdue for the users.
Speaker 1 00:02:43 The Meers, uh, is a great show. I'm it's the best long time P one. So I left Texas tech and came here. It's about been the same amount of time you've worked here, honestly. Yeah. It's a little 20 years. Um, maybe 21. We might, yeah, it might have been the same time. So it's, it's kind of the, the sports talk I know in love. It's the only thing I listen to. Um,
Speaker 2 00:03:04 It's so different. I mean you go to other markets. Oh yeah. It's taking calls. It's, it's different generic national talking points and it just feels like the same everywhere else. And I'm a little surprised and you know, there's the bar stools out there. And if you say, agents have tried to do what we do, but because we've had basically the same crew the whole time, you know, there's that famili familiarity there. And then, you know, we just don't take ourselves all that seriously. And
Speaker 1 00:03:28 It's, it sounds easy. Know it's
Speaker 2 00:03:29 Not it's sky talk and it's changed. I mean, we can't do some of the stuff we used to do because of the, uh, changing attitudes about certain societal topics. And we've had to just adjust, but end of the day, we're just a bunch of dorks having fun.
Speaker 1 00:03:41 It's well, it sounds like it, and it is different. I used to do national ad sales and so I would travel around the country and um, you know, get in a rental car and find radio. And it was always really funny just to hear the, the personalities, which you guys, you know, mock, but it's right on and hear the Homer, just the conversations. And like you said, the call-ins and just how that, it's funny to compare how they're talking about their teams and that, I mean, we, we all do it right. But like, that's why we love and listen, but it is funny and y'all, but y'all do it different. There is, there is a nuance that, that every ticket show has. That is, that is different. That's why we love it. Um, think that we have something in common. I read that you, uh, your dad might have gotten you into loving sports and at least that's why you wanted to come or here or listen here before
Speaker 2 00:04:29 You got here. Yeah, my dad, like, and I listened when this thing went on the air back in 1994, I was in seventh grade and I listened with my dad in the car on the way to school and on the way home, also my buddies, my best friend, Scott, who I've referenced on the air before he started listening a lot. So that just became like what we've listened to on the weekend or mm-hmm <affirmative>, you know, when we're first driving a car, that was, that was a big thing. So right.
Speaker 1 00:04:53 When you get to choose
Speaker 2 00:04:53 Your own. Yeah. It's kind of been the soundtrack of my youth and the fact I get to work here sometimes it's kinda surreal.
Speaker 1 00:04:59 Were you an athlete when you were little
Speaker 2 00:05:01 Played baseball, football, basketball, did all the sports played baseball and football in high school and okay. You know, that's the thing, like people that get into sports media, it's just a bunch of failed athletes or people that thought they were better than they actually were when they were kids. And that, that, that is one thing that people like always criticize. They're like, yeah, you never played. I'm like, well, I played in high school. Sure.
Speaker 1 00:05:21 Played enough to
Speaker 2 00:05:22 Talk about it. Most of our listeners only played in high school too. Yes. So I think there's a relatable factor there.
Speaker 1 00:05:26 Yeah. I mean, you just have to know enough, um, to be able to have opinion and talk about it. Sure. But you cover so much, so, um, you host diamond talk. Yes. Uh, with Ty Walker. I do. And, um, excuse me, I'm guessing you were with Mike Reiner also on that show?
Speaker 2 00:05:43 No, no, no, no, no. Or did you, what happened? Mike and Greg were the original host of diamond talk from like day one of the ticket. And they did that for the better part of a decade. And then they both got tired of having to get done with their show at seven and go to the ballpark and do the whole bit. And I get that because it's a lot, you know, it's a lot. And uh, the station had a great level of success, so they probably feel like they didn't have to do that any longer. So then it was just a, a hodgepodge of different people over the years. Like, uh, Pete Stein, Kevin Scott, mark Friedman, who was our old assistant program director. They all helped things down, but that's like the one thing coming up at the station that I really wanted to do at some point, because I was such a ranger fan.
Speaker 2 00:06:22 I used to listen to diamond, talk to Mike Andreo when I was a kid. Sure. So it's like, that was like a big carrot for me in my younger days, broadcasting here. And I, I got the job when things opened up and I did the show the first year with Mike Baek, former major league pitcher. Who's now out, over at the fan. He gave up the, the Barry bonds, uh, historic home run. Mm-hmm <affirmative> a local guy too. Yeah. Great guy. We're still friends, but he lost his job here. And then that next year, uh, it was David Newberry and myself, who's a former USC kicker who does some weekend stuff here. Mm-hmm, <affirmative> a lot of football stuff, but uh, after a couple years of him working a full-time job and then going after ballpark at night, that became a grind. So then my friend, Ty Walker, and I, I think this is our 11th or 12th year. I, I get a little fuzzy. Wow. I think this is my 14th year of doing the show. Okay. I think this is year 11 with Ty, with Ty. So, so we saw the great, the, the Halon days of the club, because like I started in oh nine, which is when they started. Then they go to a couple weeks, I guess. And now we're in kind of a downswing, but things are hopefully getting better in the next year or two. I don't, I don't really know.
Speaker 1 00:07:25 I like the question as you state that, like,
Speaker 2 00:07:27 It's, it's hard to know. I mean, everybody assumes that and you know, we're both at, uh, Frisco media day and you see those good young prospects and it gets you excited, but a prospect is never a straight arrow they're they, they kind of meander sometimes and they have to go through their own maturation and master every level and there's injuries and you just injuries. You just never know. Yep. You never at least know at, at least the owner spent some money this past year to get people kind of on board
Speaker 1 00:07:50 On the right track or trying
Speaker 2 00:07:52 As we record, I think a three and nine start is sort of dampen everybody's spirits. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:07:56 And I do wanna talk more about that. Like, especially with when we were out there, I wanna talk more, um, about that, that farm system and everything with, with the Rangers. Um, so, but when you talk about diamond talk in the late nights, so you're the morning guy here. Yeah. So you're not doing the leave at seven, go straight to the ballpark bit, but you're coming in early.
Speaker 2 00:08:15 Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's, it's a life adjustment cuz for years and years I was in the midday. So I worked 10 to three. That was perfect. Like I could easily do a postgame show cause I was not only doing the Rangers post game, I was doing mass postgame for like three years. So I was kinda doing a postgame show year round. And it just like was great, you know, that extra income and you know, it fit my lifestyle pretty well. But then I got moved to mornings after rich Phillips left. I became assistant program director and I didn't want to give up my post-game show because I love it. Love it. And so yeah, luckily I have a wife who's it has been an online educator for going on nine years now. Oh wow. So, so she works from home so I can go home and nap during the day that I can wake up and pick up the kids from school and still be a dad. And then that's great when it's a, a Ranger's home game during the weeknight, I have to come back up here or wherever the show's gonna be held and go do that. And it's a lot of times rolling in about 1230 to 1:30 AM, depending on how late the game goes. So that sort of stuff never know
Speaker 1 00:09:11 What you never know what baseball,
Speaker 2 00:09:13 But it, you know, and getting up to 4:00 AM that, that that's a tough turnaround, but like I said, I can sleep at home and you know, I, I do it cause I like it. I mean, it's, it's a nice financial boost too. Sure. But at the same time, I, I, if there's one thing I'm going to give up last here at the station, it's it's, it's
Speaker 1 00:09:30 Okay. As if that wasn't enough, then you also have a podcast that you do too. Yeah. So diamond pod.
Speaker 2 00:09:35 Yeah. Yeah. It's just kind of like a, a cousin of diamond talk because as the club has been really bad over the past five years, and I'll be honest, like our host talk Cowboys, they talk Mavericks. They barely talk stars. Yeah. And when the Rangers aren't good, they're sort of outta sight outta mind too. So I thought, well, what's a way our station can still bring the listeners. You know, some stuff that they're not getting on the air. I thought, well, diamond pod would be a perfect idea. My friend Michael tepid, who blogs for lone star ball.com. We see him at Frisco all the time. He's a wealth of knowledge. And then, uh, Scott Lucas, who writes for the new burger report yep. Who is more plugged into the prospect scene than anybody
Speaker 1 00:10:15 So plugged in and get those day.
Speaker 2 00:10:17 And luckily we've become friends over the years. We were podcasting at a different place over at vocal doing a Rangers, uh, Rangers on deck, I think. But then we decided to not work for vocal anymore because some of their programming choices didn't sit well with us. And we decided, Hey, I have this, you know, loud microphone at this, this major station. And we now have a podcast feed, which we're trying to build up a little bit. So a
Speaker 1 00:10:40 Notice that feeds into the tickets. Yeah. Podcast
Speaker 2 00:10:42 List. Yeah. And that that's at the agreement. We, we run everything through the station. It's a way we can promote our product. It's a way we can promote diamond talk. And it's just a, it's just a it's it's built in audience too. Right? You don't have to like start from scratch and worry about getting like couple hundred downloads. You can have thousands of downloads ready to go because we have such a big base of listeners here. I thought, I thought it was a
Speaker 1 00:11:01 No brainer. No, it is. It is a no brainer. Um, as people get into podcasting, that is the hardest thing. When you are not known mm-hmm <affirmative>, you don't have a built-in audience. It is like every one person.
Speaker 2 00:11:13 And there's so many good podcasts out there that die on the vine because after a while you look, look up and go, man, is this worth? It is no, no matter what content we're saying, you know, no matter how good or bad it is, if it's not finding an audience that, that depresses you
Speaker 1 00:11:27 The most. I know some of my best shows. I'm like why aren't more people seeing
Speaker 2 00:11:31 <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:11:31 Right. But then at the same time, because I'm local, I stick with Frisco mostly, you know, the same time. It's really cool. When somebody comes up to me and says, oh, Hey, that episode you just did on. So, and so that was great or whatever. Um, like we tailgate for FC Dallas a lot and I do a lot of soccer coverage. And so when, you know, my tailgate guy buddies come up and wanna talk about an episode or if I had a player or coach on or something, it's really, it really does make me feel good that like there are people listening that I'm not related to.
Speaker 2 00:11:57 And I like the more people are getting into soccer. And I know that, you know, they've been in Frisco for a long time now. Yes. But you know, not, not many people really latched onto the Dallas burn when they were the cotton ball. Right. You know, the soccer fan has been paying attention to MLS and FC Dallas for a number of years. But I feel like now that there's a regular place to see them on TV. Yeah. You know, the ESPN plus coverage definitely helps. Yeah. So I feel like it's and you know, having all the talent there too, it's starting to, it's finally starting to penetrate the market some yeah. I mean, we're not gonna spend any segments talking FC Dallas on our station, but we have our friends, the kick around. Well, yeah. Peter and Andy, they do a fantastic job at every Saturday for two hours. And they're sort of a, but when there's one stop
Speaker 1 00:12:36 Shop, when there's big stuff, like the hard line will have Dan hunt or Clark come, you know, call in. I mean, there're every now and then there's a moment mm-hmm, <affirmative> where there's soccer coverage. And my husband works from our upstairs other corner of the house and he'll call holler at me. Kelly. They're about to do some dirt, but talk soccer to make sure that I'm, that's, I'm live. Um, whenever you guys do
Speaker 2 00:12:56 Soccer, it's, we're coming up on a world couple year too. Yeah. There's so there'll be a little bit more on the same,
Speaker 1 00:12:59 But the talent right now, it is at a high level, especially with all the call up for national team play. Um, even just this week at the younger level of national team, we've got ton more call up. I mean, it's like, we're, it's really starting this farm system feel with the USL league. Yeah. So it's like one lower than our, our first team in Frisco. It's really starting
Speaker 2 00:13:21 To, it's a ton of young talent over the years. I mean, it's, this is nothing new, but
Speaker 1 00:13:25 Yeah, but it's bigger. It's more right now. So there is like this vibe and we're winning home games, which means now, uh, I've had season tickets and almost the same spot for 10 years. And there are new soccer fans now at every game, right. Sitting around us that like it's their first ever pro soccer game.
Speaker 2 00:13:43 And I know a lot of people are like, oh man, Austin's atmosphere is better. And I think it is. But the fact that that's happening down there that might engage more people up here in north Texas to go, Hey, we could have something like that too, because for years it, it was just Dallas and Houston and no offense to those, those teams, the atmosphere is that those stadiums, aren't what you get up in the Northwest. Right. Or at other spots in the MLS. So,
Speaker 1 00:14:04 But yes, the, the other Texas rival has helped. Mm. Um, and I think it's made more people just competitive, you know, more Texas teams to talk about and try to beat. So, um, and then I also wanted to talk about speaking of like doing this podcast, um, when I was researching you, um, we have some mutual connections that have also been hustle in progress. So Greg Tepper,
Speaker 2 00:14:25 Oh, te he's the best
Speaker 1 00:14:26 Big personality.
Speaker 2 00:14:28 Oh my God.
Speaker 1 00:14:29 I remember he talking about him. He told a really funny like, um, cliff Kingsbury football story. Yeah. Because I went to college with cliff. And so, yeah. So he's a big, he's a big fun guy to talk to.
Speaker 2 00:14:39 Yeah. He's I mean, and the fact that he's just created his own lane, so, well, I mean, Texas high school football is such a universal thing. Mm-hmm <affirmative> but to make that his own and put his brand on the already, you know, historic brand of Dave Campbells is right. Is so great. And he he's been a friend for 15 years now and he's one of the, just most genuine sweet guys you'll ever run, run across
Speaker 1 00:15:02 And same with Chris Makoski. Oh, so you probably know that family, like, I love to talk, I've had him on a few times because just learning about his, like the family line of, you know, working with the Rangers. Right. And like, it's just it's so it runs
Speaker 2 00:15:14 Deep, doesn't
Speaker 1 00:15:15 It, it runs deep and all the cool stuff he's gotten to do with baseball from growing up in baseball is really cool. And so I like seeing him, I mean, he's doing, he's covering a lot of different things. I saw him at the ballpark at Frisco, um, the Frisco classic. We covered that together and he, well, he was in the a press box. I was just covering for press conferences and
Speaker 2 00:15:33 Stuff. He was on a lot of Southland stuff during football season and yeah. He's
Speaker 1 00:15:36 All over the place. Yeah. He's all over the place. And then, um, Gina Miller. Oh, what's your connection there? Did you guys ever work in the same?
Speaker 2 00:15:43 I've just known Gina face at the same time through the media for like, I don't know the whole time I've been doing media stuff and she's just a blast. She is. She is. And now she's of course at FC Alice. Yes. If she went to what LA for like a couple years after 11, I wanna say 11 and 21. Then she went to LA. Now she's back with FC Dallas. So, yep. It's good to have a friendly face back in the, the media scene.
Speaker 1 00:16:02 Yeah. She's great. She's very gracious when I started this show and was like, didn't know, I still don't think I know, but I know more, uh, she was one of my first. Yeah. She's so nice. She's like, I'm sure she did not have time, but she's like, yeah, let's just go sit my office and we'll record. And of course she's amazing. She could have just done the whole thing by herself. Been great. Um, and then we have a lot of rough writers, staff overlap too. I've had, oh yeah. I've had Victor on. And then the previous Andy, the previous GM and then, um, even one of the, the Vicky, the lady who a front desk, when you walk in, of
Speaker 2 00:16:33 Course,
Speaker 1 00:16:34 Absolutely. She came on because her and her husband have like a ballpark bucket list visiting, visiting all the ballparks that they, yeah. So a lot of rough rider
Speaker 2 00:16:42 I'll have to, uh, bother her about that. Next time I go out, which is probably Saturday. Cause we get another Jack lighter star. So
Speaker 1 00:16:48 Yes, I will be there tonight. Actually. I'm gonna miss the Jack lighter start. Okay. I do wanna talk about Jack lighter before we go that route though, I'm gonna stop for a quick break. We're gonna hear from one of our sponsors and we'll be right back with more from Sean Bass. And we'll talk a little bit of Jack lighter and maybe some Mavs talk. Also, we'll be right back.
Speaker 3 00:17:09 I wanna tell you guys about beyond studios. I'm going there for Pilates right now and I love it. And I want you guys to try it out. You can actually try your first class for free when you use my code hustle and pro that's hustle. Amper sign Amper sand pro and you'll get your first class for free. So you can check it out at either their beyond studios location in west Frisco on fourth army or the beyond 500, which is at Lebanon and legacy. And that's more of a cardio workout. So head to the beyond studios.com to find out more,
Speaker 1 00:17:45 Welcome back to hustle and pro uh, we are back with Sean Bass. And before the break we were talking about Jack lighter and the rough rider. So I do wanna talk to you more about that. That's that's where I saw you last was at media day. And you know, we all got group interviews that day, but the ticket guys. Yeah. Get to pull, pull him over to do the one on one, which is awesome. I
Speaker 2 00:18:04 Literally sent Zach Bigley an email and he said, yes, it's not like we did any special. We didn't paint anybody.
Speaker 1 00:18:09 Well, they are special though. Yeah. Um, I I'll get one on ones throughout the season, but for media day. Yeah, you guys, the big dogs get to talk to him the longest, which is fine. But, um, I kind of just wanted your thoughts from, from that one on one and just everything. We've only seen him a little bit so far, but yeah. But yeah. What, what did you take away?
Speaker 2 00:18:25 My takeaway was this guy is just turned 20 too, like a couple days ago. And he, he acts like a big leaguer of like a decade, you know, he's real subtle. I mean, having a dad be outlier whos on lb network. So, and also Vanderbilt, which gets a lot more media attention than most college programs. Yeah. Big spotlight. Obviously he's gonna be a little bit more polished, but it was, and it wasn't like a J jerk type vibe, but you could tell that he's business, you can tell that he's an alpha male athlete. You can tell that he knows he's good. Right. But there's not like this era of like pretentiousness or he's not condescending.
Speaker 1 00:19:03 It doesn't bother you.
Speaker 2 00:19:04 He just has a vibe kind of like Tom Brady in a way just has a vibe of, yes, I'm great. I'm still a nice, I'll answer your question, but you can tell that this is a business trip for him. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and he doesn't plan on making roots in Frisco very long because I'm guessing if thing, if he stays healthy, he's probably in round rock maybe by the end of this year. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:19:24 I was. I wondered what you or
Speaker 2 00:19:25 Arlington depending, but I, I don't really want, I don't really want him to be in Arlington this year.
Speaker 1 00:19:29 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I want him to, to develop and get this level a little bit
Speaker 2 00:19:34 Longer. I mean, Cole win is in AAA. I think he's a candidate to be before him. Mm-hmm <affirmative> obviously AJ Alex's throwing the ball well for the express he's on the 40 man. So that makes a lot of sense. Coming auto just got called up as gonna pitch tonight. Yeah. Yeah. So there's dudes that have been in the system that are a little further along, I guess, should
Speaker 1 00:19:51 Be in line ahead of him.
Speaker 2 00:19:52 Now. I don't know if they're they're talented as he is, right. Because there's nobody as talented in the system right now than, than young Jack lives.
Speaker 1 00:19:58 But part of that will play itself out with the Rangers, how their season's going too. Yeah, not that, I mean, it's, I hate talking about like records this early and there's such a, there's so many, there's so much baseball to play, but part of that, you know, the management team we'll have to weigh like is our season our, like what, what kind of season? At some point,
Speaker 2 00:20:17 I think if they were like some point in the summer messing around and trying to get a wild card spot Uhhuh, then maybe like, you know what, let's bring him up for a handful of starts. Right. But I don't think there's any illusions about what this thing is. I think John Daniels, Chris young, they've all been very, mostly trying transparent about the expectations this year. I mean, in an interview they say, oh, we don't have expectations. That means you're not gonna be very good. If you thought you were gonna be good, like say
Speaker 1 00:20:41 We're playoff
Speaker 2 00:20:41 Team, we need to, it's not,
Speaker 1 00:20:42 We need to pin in or we need
Speaker 2 00:20:43 Something. The bullpen is trash. And I hate that. Cuz it's making game stuff to watch. Yeah. I think the offense on given nights will be, you know, like you saw last night in Seattle, they were able to race a five, nothing deficit. They have dudes like Garver and Simeon and uh, Seager and even a, a Brad Miller veteran type that makes it look more like a major league lineup than we've seen in the past few years. So that makes it a more watchable product. It every night that makes our postgame show a lot easier to do. Yeah. You know, there's
Speaker 1 00:21:10 Stuff at the place talking
Speaker 2 00:21:11 About was just so bad because you knew if they get down by two or three runs, that was it
Speaker 1 00:21:15 Not coming back from that? No, not at all, but when the bullpens not good, then it's rough because then all those runs are for nothing.
Speaker 2 00:21:21 Right. Right. And that's what it's been a lot so far this season. I mean, I think I predicted 76 wins in the morning news and I felt like I was being like super ho horrific,
Speaker 1 00:21:31 Really
Speaker 2 00:21:32 Picking that low and Lova number. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:21:34 So maybe then lighter will simmer and double or AAA all season or sum 'em to next year. And then we'll see 'em when it's time when the right time to really like slot 'em in there and make, we
Speaker 2 00:21:46 Throw the fast ball as we know mm. Slider and curve mm-hmm <affirmative> and he could probably just throw those three pitches and be fine. But he talked to us during media day about how he doesn't feel completely at home with his change up. Maybe that's something he can work on. Yeah. You know, I, I, I know he wants to tighten up his slider a little bit, getting more, uh, I guess, horizontal movement on it. So there's gonna be outings where he probably doesn't look a as dominant as he could because people need to remember when they're watching a minor league start sometimes the, the pitcher and catcher go, okay, this is what we're gonna work on today. Let's
Speaker 1 00:22:16 Try it. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:22:17 We're not worried about winning. We're just gonna worry about this. Like Cole win the other night, he threw 13 right on right. Changeups, which is super rare for most pitchers. But he, he didn't throw his hardly at all. Like he did the game prior cuz he was working on
Speaker 1 00:22:31 Stuff, working specifically
Speaker 2 00:22:32 On that, that, but the fact that he's getting to that point where he doesn't need to go out and try to impress every game that gives you a signal that maybe he's close to being ready. Yeah. So I could see Cole win being in the rotation in July, August or
Speaker 1 00:22:43 Summer. Mm-hmm <affirmative> good. That's good. All right. With his well, um, I was gonna with all the time that you spend at global field mm-hmm <affirmative> I know you're not always out there. No.
Speaker 2 00:22:53 I mean a lot, lot of nights we do the show in studio. Yeah. But I live in Mansfield. Right. And I'm like 10 minutes away. Yeah. So I can go out and see, like I went to see Otani a few times this past week because, because you can't, you gotta go see Otani right.
Speaker 1 00:23:05 So do you love the ballpark? Uh,
Speaker 2 00:23:08 No love, love. I love the old ballpark.
Speaker 1 00:23:11 I don't, I love
Speaker 2 00:23:11 The old ballpark. Uh, I think aesthetically the new one is very sterile. Mm-hmm <affirmative> it has a very, it's like you're walking into a giant Nebraska furniture mark. I mean, look when it's 105 out. It's great. It's great. Sure. But I don't like the synthetic turf. It doesn't have a lot of character yet. I'm sure that'll develop over the years. I
Speaker 1 00:23:29 Reremember. And
Speaker 2 00:23:31 The hardest part is looking through the window and seeing your old girlfriend over there still who's looking at you still, who you still absolutely love and still looks great and thought
Speaker 1 00:23:38 Out being played in
Speaker 2 00:23:39 There and high school football and things like that. It's yeah. And rugby now I think is going on there. Oh,
Speaker 1 00:23:44 Awfully anything. I mean
Speaker 2 00:23:45 I saw an XFL game there and to see like next the left field wall be wiped out for stands. Yeah. And there's no more dugouts. It just, it makes you like, like get angry inside just to see your old, beautiful place where so many memories were forged as a kid. I know
Speaker 1 00:23:59 Now
Speaker 2 00:24:00 It's ruined forever.
Speaker 1 00:24:01 It is. It's weird. And it's yeah, it is sad. So I wondered, I had never heard you talk about,
Speaker 2 00:24:07 But air conditioning.
Speaker 1 00:24:08 Yes. That's
Speaker 2 00:24:09 Good. Start times. No rain. Out's fine. Yes.
Speaker 1 00:24:11 All that's great. But, and that's, and that's good for the future in getting players who wanna be here and all that. I get all that. And
Speaker 2 00:24:18 Fans, I think if you pay people, they'll come no
Speaker 1 00:24:20 Matter. Sure. But I'm one of those fans playing a parking lot. I've watched baseball and been a player on my life. And like part of what I like about being at the ballpark is being out in the heat and funny being
Speaker 2 00:24:30 Gross. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:24:31 Like that's part of like summer baseball is it's all right with me. And then I'm used to it in the opposite in the winter with cold FC, Dallas games is like layering up. Right. Bringing your, what it's all about all your gloves and all your blankets and being uncomfortable and like, but
Speaker 2 00:24:44 That's why the soccer
Speaker 1 00:24:45 Youre playing in the winter, you're probably in playoffs and it's great. Like it, that's all kind of part of the fan experience for me. Like mm-hmm <affirmative> I don't need the air conditioning. I know. So I was, you
Speaker 2 00:24:56 Put concerts in there. Mm-hmm <affirmative> we have lady Gaga coming in August, which my wife wants to go to. Oh, I'm sure she'll be great. And the owners have capitalized with that property with hotel and Texas live and yeah, it's great. The value of their franchise has gone up exponentially and they ROED Arlington into paying half of it. So that's the business, I guess, way to go. Bob and Neil and Ray, you know, you did a good job there, I guess. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:25:19 And you know, I'm from
Speaker 2 00:25:20 Rich people stay rich
Speaker 1 00:25:21 And remember I'm in Frisco. So I get that with being at, um, I can see this are from my mm-hmm <affirmative> house. So <laugh>, that's just how it goes. Sometimes the business parts takes over. Um, okay. I wanna wrap up with hockey MAs. Sure. So as we record this, we just finished game three mm-hmm <affirmative> and it was a big, it's been a big week, a big few nights. Yeah. Um,
Speaker 2 00:25:44 For those that can see it too, it's even better. Don't
Speaker 1 00:25:46 Even like, it's, it's a big, it's a big problem in my
Speaker 2 00:25:50 Household or you are,
Speaker 1 00:25:52 We don't
Speaker 2 00:25:52 Have, we have YouTube TV. What do you guys have?
Speaker 1 00:25:55 We have at and T, which is direct TV, which it's a whole, it could, I could tell, tell this whole story, take up two of my episodes, but we tried to upgrade to get the right channel to get. And my husband was on the phone for like an hour and a half to on Monday so we could watch Monday game and it ended up, we did not get to see it. We had to listen to it. So now we're listening to it or finding friends and all this. It's just been a nightmare.
Speaker 2 00:26:21 I've gotta way, I've gotta way for you to watch it. I'll tell you off. Okay. Yes. Awesome. May not be totally legal, but well,
Speaker 1 00:26:26 I already have to works for tomorrow because we have Dallas at two and then as soon as that's done, it'll, they'll be tipping off and we are already like, okay, we have to lock in our plan now. So
Speaker 2 00:26:36 Well tomorrow's T and T. Oh good. Yeah. So you're good tomorrow. Super. I know. It's it's just maddening. It's 20, 22 and we're dealing with this.
Speaker 1 00:26:45 I know it's yeah. I can't the whole, the whole thing anyways, for those who did get to see it. Yes. I live by, I watched like while we're listening to it, I'm also watching Twitter just to sort of see like feeling like I'm a little bit more involved. Um,
Speaker 2 00:26:58 It's like the sports bar Twitter.
Speaker 1 00:27:00 It is it's, it's kind of helps me get through game, but um, but it's been really exciting lately. And, and then the whole like Luca angle with is he gonna play is now it's been really entertaining listening to the shift in conversation every morning with you guys or throughout the whole day with the ticket. Right. But the whole man, we hope he's healthy enough to play. And then, and then now it's do we really need him to
Speaker 2 00:27:23 Play? Feels like found money. It's like, well, heck do
Speaker 1 00:27:26 We need to push it? Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:27:27 Yeah. Like keep him healthy. Not he's gonna have to get back at some point. Well sure. And if he's healthy enough to play Saturday. Great, great. I mean maybe not playing 45 minutes mm-hmm <affirmative> but mm-hmm <affirmative> I'm sure. You know, look he's, he's a competitor. They've probably had to hold him back from doing a lot of like workout stuff and practice things and sure. When he's ready, he is a top 10, five player in the league, so that's gonna make a difference and you've already won two games with that I'm which is nuts. I know. Which
Speaker 1 00:27:54 Is so great though. But like, do you, do you feel like having him sidelined is exactly what like the, the rest of these guys, his need, like to be able to step up, like it's
Speaker 2 00:28:07 Not mean they played so many games without him in the regular season. I think they, they knew they could, but they, they didn't do it in playoff atmospheres and to win on the road in salt lake city where they had lost 11th street. Huge. Yeah. Is a confidence boost. And to know that Jalen Brunson has that in him. And he can like dip into that as he, you know, went to the locker room like last night by getting yeah. A cheap shot in his back by Roy O'Neil and to come back and like still be the guy, it makes you feel like, wow, okay. Maybe Dallas has another star that they can lean on when you know, your Alpha's not, you know, either completely healthy or playing his best, best brand of basketball.
Speaker 1 00:28:42 But I love it. I think it it's tempered everybody fear of, oh my gosh. If Luca can't play. Yeah. Like at least now we've seen recently, you know, on this momentum swing, we've seen the other guys be able to step up and, and know that it's okay. Well,
Speaker 2 00:28:55 When you make 43 pointers in two games, right. I mean that's, I mean, honestly, that's what it is. Sure. They're making their open shots and they didn't make 'em in game one. Yeah. It's not like Utah's good defensively. I mean, they have go bear, but perimeter wise they can be, they can be torched. And we've seen that for two games now and it makes you feel like, okay, like a decade or 11 years since they've been out of round one, like their last series win was the NBA finals in 2011. So no, I had, it's
Speaker 1 00:29:20 Been a long time, Kyle. I remember it like it was yesterday. I had a baby in a onesie on the ground watching it and yeah, he's 11 and a half.
Speaker 2 00:29:27 Oh
Speaker 1 00:29:28 My gosh. Now, so, and he's still watching him. He's well,
Speaker 2 00:29:31 He's never known the Maverick to be like great. You know? No,
Speaker 1 00:29:33 He's never known really any, I mean, he's never seen right after he was born was when the Rangers we went to the Rangers. Um, oh, what was it? ALCS game or whatever. I don't remember now. Um,
Speaker 2 00:29:46 It's Detroit.
Speaker 1 00:29:47 Um, no, it must have been a different game cuz it was the Aero strikeout.
Speaker 2 00:29:52 Oh that was game six of 2010.
Speaker 1 00:29:53 Okay. 2010. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz he was born 2010 fall. So, but anyways, he's never lived through it to remember yet my,
Speaker 2 00:30:00 My kids 11 and seven, like Zoe was a baby when they were going to the world series and when the Mavs were, you know, winning a title, but really, I mean, I've tried to take them to go see Dirk when he was playing and I've taken them to ranger games and stuff and oh yeah. Just but they've always thought well they're yeah, dad's always kind of in a bad mood cause they're not very good.
Speaker 1 00:30:21 And I'm amazed at Jack is still into the Cowboys as much as he is. We are um,
Speaker 2 00:30:26 I mean the propaganda machine is working. Oh for sure. I mean, that's all that means
Speaker 1 00:30:30 In cowboy bill, you know, like he, like we're at the star all the time and, and you know, our kids go to Frisco schools and they, they play there and it's, and like we see, we see Zeke sitting at the stoplight, they next to us, you know, like he's, he's in it. So we kind of like, he's totally into it
Speaker 2 00:30:47 And branding works,
Speaker 1 00:30:48 But, and branding works and he just, he loves,
Speaker 2 00:30:50 He they're the best at
Speaker 1 00:30:50 It. Eats it all up. Even though he's never seen him do a thing mm-hmm <affirmative> but that's okay. That's what sports is. That's that's what kids loving sports is are
Speaker 2 00:30:57 Three decades here. Like it's, it's nothing new around here. Yeah. That's just another generation coming up being holy disappointed by Dallas Cowboys football.
Speaker 1 00:31:04 Yeah. And then he'll go through all the things that I remember all those times when you do get, you waited and you waited like my childhood was my dad, you know, watching and teaching me Rangers games and taking us to Rangers games. I'm from Waco. So we would drive up and that was like our report card celebration, big stuff. And so like waiting for the big moments. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And so I remember the big moments because I, it took so long to get there. Right. Um, and then like, I remember where I was when the stars went, I was in college. I remember the bar I was at. Like, I just, you know, like you, you, so they'll, my kids will get our kids will all get those moments one day, one day. It always comes back around.
Speaker 2 00:31:41 Yeah. Hopefully. I mean, but hopefully they're engaged you and, and, and care like maybe we did because that's the thing with baseball too. And I'm not baseball is dying guy. I think baseball is actually very profitable and doing fine, but you do worry that maybe the younger generation doesn't quite latch onto it like we did. And that's something like, I'm trying to like figure out with my daughters. Not that I'm trying to like make them baseball fan hands, but they're around it so much. I think they're naturally going to interested at a certain age, really start to click with it my 11 year. Old's not quite there. My seven year old is she's mad. There's no more play area. Like they had at the old ballpark.
Speaker 1 00:32:16 Yeah. The playgrounds
Speaker 2 00:32:17 That's like a, that's like a big deal
Speaker 1 00:32:18 For seven is when I got really got into it like softball. And so I
Speaker 2 00:32:21 Really started league is what got me attached. Our kids don't play little league. They play soccer, they're into music and performance and things, but they
Speaker 1 00:32:28 Like that they can start. It's not too late. Yeah, no, there's plenty of time. But, and I, I agree that it's not gone or dying because I I've been in the double a baseball and, um, world and have a lot of friends that play AAA and majors. And like, there is a group of boys out there that's really into baseball and their parents are really into there's
Speaker 2 00:32:47 And there's always gonna be that sector of society. And I think that people that ignore that fact are, they're not seeing the whole picture. Right.
Speaker 1 00:32:54 It's it's, it's not dead at the younger age, which is, I mean, these there's players coming up, you know,
Speaker 2 00:32:59 And there's a literally complex near our house on Saturday mornings. I I'm pretty sure baseball's still very alive and well with all those families.
Speaker 1 00:33:06 Oh yeah, for sure. And as much travel baseball as my friends do, mm-hmm, <affirmative>, they're gone at a baseball tournament every weekend.
Speaker 2 00:33:11 That was my, that was my youth
Speaker 1 00:33:12 And it's good. And these kids are really good. I know. Yeah. And so, you know, that's, that's how it all evolves and I'll be moving up in farm system and they'll be out there. So yeah. It's not, it's not dwindling anytime soon. I don't think. Yeah, it's changing maybe, but, and I don't know if some of the rule changes are good or bad for it. I have opinions on that.
Speaker 2 00:33:31 I think, I think they should try. I mean, don't just like say, ah, people will come around, like you need to do things to make it better. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and that's every north American sport has done that. Baseball's always slow. And uh, yeah. I have some, some reservations about some of the things that are being proposed too, but it is what it is.
Speaker 1 00:33:49 Yeah. And then you get used to it and then you forget the old ways. Sometimes
Speaker 2 00:33:52 I don't like the zombie runner extra ins. I can't get past that. Yeah. That's, that's, that's a bridge too far
Speaker 1 00:33:57 That might not stick. I mean, that might, that the catch
Speaker 2 00:33:59 Supposed to go away next year. It was supposed to go away this year, like two days before the season. They're like, we're not stop runners back. Yeah. Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 00:34:06 One day that won't be a thing I bet. But, um, yes. Okay. Well, thank you. Yeah, I took
Speaker 2 00:34:12 Probably, I probably didn't really like, I
Speaker 1 00:34:13 Know I'm sorry. I
Speaker 2 00:34:14 Too much too much with no, no. I just feel like I've rambled.
Speaker 1 00:34:16 My episodes are short, but um, how long do you talk on diamond pod?
Speaker 2 00:34:21 We usually do an hour. Yeah. So yeah.
Speaker 1 00:34:23 You know, I've always had him short
Speaker 2 00:34:25 And I work with Michael tepid and he, like, you can let ask him one thing and he'll go for an hour.
Speaker 1 00:34:30 So yeah. I had an hour episode recently it was Del Harris because, oh, he just likes to keep going
Speaker 2 00:34:35 All Famor Del Harris.
Speaker 1 00:34:36 Yeah. And I could have sat there. I mean, he just wants to tell stories from 40 years ago and like, they're great, so, right, right. How can you not? Um, but most of the mine are pretty short. The publisher that, that I was with when I originally started this, we want, they wanted like short episodes and just more digestible. And, and I just sort of always kept that, kept that going even no,
Speaker 2 00:34:58 Been online. Like we try to keep our podcast under an hour cuz when you look on your phone yeah. When it down S or you're thinking, oh, this is not in triple digits, so right. I can easily consume
Speaker 1 00:35:06 This. Yeah. When they're longer than 30, then I know I can't get through it in like one workout or one drive session or whatever. So it breaks it up, which is fine. I don't mind. Sometimes it gives, it takes me several days to get through longer ones. But that means they're good if I'm still, you know, coming back to 'em for sure. Try number three to get through it. Like that's fine. But yeah, mine are short. So I know, I know there's plenty more we could have gotten into mm-hmm <affirmative> but I appreciate that you, first of all, let me in yeah. Um, and said yes. And, uh, you're done with your shifts, so you're probably ready to start your weekend and get outta here. So
Speaker 2 00:35:39 Kind of, but I mean, I'm, I'm happy to do this. I mean, this is, this is really cool. Well, it's
Speaker 1 00:35:43 Very kind
Speaker 2 00:35:43 Of like what you're doing is giving a platform to a lot of people that are known, like mark fall oils of the world, Dale Harris, but also, you know, you know, student athletes and just people around the community, which a lot of times we don't shine enough, live on those people.
Speaker 1 00:35:57 Student athletes are some of my favorites because I obviously don't know the kids going into it. And they're so impressive. Many of them are so impressive. They know,
Speaker 2 00:36:06 I think people write off kids too quickly. They think, oh, these, these young idiots, they don't know what they're doing, but then you actually talk to them. It's like, wow, the future might be in a decent place. Right. If we just trust the fact that these it's at brains and we'll use them
Speaker 1 00:36:18 Properly well, and I don't know if I told you this in Frisco, but I work with high school athletes, uh, have a part-time job. That's with them. There's gosh, we have 70 coaches. They're all high school athletes and they train little kids and they're amazing. The parents will text me immediately after a private lesson. And they're like, oh, so and so is so good. Great. I can't believe the skill level that they got us to. And they're so prepared and they're so nice. And I mean, we train them to like, you know, look the parent in the eye, look the kid in the eye, like talk and how to wrap up and do it. But they're we just don't give them enough teenagers. We don't give them enough credit for what they can actually do.
Speaker 2 00:36:54 And now that I'm in my forties, you know, with girls, that will be teenager. Yeah. Before I want sure you start to realize, wow, maybe some of these kids are, are on something. Maybe they, they, they actually know what they're doing. They do. We shouldn't just like immediately think, oh, the younger generation humbug, you know,
Speaker 1 00:37:11 No. Right. I agree. Not do that. And they're gonna be the ones taking care of us. Yes. Yeah. And the business. And
Speaker 2 00:37:15 Hopefully they'll take care of society too. Right. Which is a bit, you know, there's a lot of warning signs and red flags out there on a number of topics. And it just feels like that if we actually listen to them and have them lead policy, social issues, that's
Speaker 1 00:37:30 The thing,
Speaker 2 00:37:30 They're their communities that it, we're probably gonna be in a better place,
Speaker 1 00:37:33 But they're in their paying attention. I've had kids that, um, um, they're the president of, you know, the economic club or the environmental club or, um, one of my girls was a college softball player and you know, her study was faith and social justice and the combination of the two. And it's like, that's amazing that, and then she went on to get her math, like she's now getting her masters, but it's like,
Speaker 2 00:37:55 And our generation was watching BS and Butthead in the nineties, which this is what
Speaker 1 00:37:58 They are wanting to fix and think about and solve. And
Speaker 2 00:38:01 Because it's up in their face because we have so many outlets to see the news and consume media that they don't always like what they see. And they're actually doing something about, which is like
Speaker 1 00:38:11 Hearting,
Speaker 2 00:38:12 It's heartening.
Speaker 1 00:38:12 Yes, it is heartening. And it's heartening. Well,
Speaker 2 00:38:15 So you're doing great work with what you're doing by putting a spotlight on those young people. Thank you for
Speaker 1 00:38:18 That. Thank you. That's nice of you. So thanks for your time. Yeah,
Speaker 2 00:38:22 Absolutely. Any time.
Speaker 1 00:38:23 And thank you guys for watching or listening to this episode of hustle and pro. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you haven't already and follow us on Instagram at hustle underscore and underscore pro I'll put it on the screen
Speaker 4 00:38:36 And we will see you next episode.
