WEBVTT - Joe Buck 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:03.920 You think you know somebody based on a SoundBite or 0:00:03.920 --> 0:00:06.520 what you see with them in a helmet or a 0:00:06.600 --> 0:00:11.039 basketball uniform. And they've all had moments of terror, They've 0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:16.360 all been completely insecure. They've had moments where they were tested. 0:00:16.840 --> 0:00:20.599 They've had sure great moments of triumph, but terrible defeats. 0:00:20.600 --> 0:00:24.439 They all come from parents. Some are parents that are around, 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:27.800 some are not. Some are a rough dad, a nice dad, 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:31.120 or whatever. And then you start building a catalog of 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:32.960 these people who are the best of the best, and 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:40.400 you go, my god, they're just like everybody else. Hi. 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:43.640 I'm Joe Buck and I've done twenty four World Series. 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:47.040 I've done six Super Bowls, I've done five US Opens, 0:00:47.080 --> 0:00:49.720 I've done like one All Star Games. But you know 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:52.840 what I've never done until right now, Off the Beat. 0:00:53.479 --> 0:01:03.320 This is going to be special. Hello everybody, and welcome 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:08.040 back to Off the Beat. I am well one, I'm 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:11.440 excited and too. I'm your host. That makes me your 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:15.600 excited host, Brian baum Gartner, and I gotta say thank 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:20.440 you all for being here today because we're switching things 0:01:20.520 --> 0:01:24.040 up a bit with today's guest. We're going even further 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:27.760 off the beat if you will, as you probably know 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:32.360 by now. I am a big sports fan, and yes 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:35.160 I root for certain teams, and I play a lot 0:01:35.200 --> 0:01:39.400 of golf. But what I truly love about sports is 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:45.560 the camaraderie, the energy, the competition, getting lost in great games. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:48.800 And that is why I am so excited for today's guest, 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:53.920 who might just no sports better than anyone, the legendary 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:58.720 sportscaster Joe Buck. Now, Joe is going to be the 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:03.559 first of several sports guests on the podcast. Don't worry, 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:06.480 this is still an entertainment podcast at the end of 0:02:06.480 --> 0:02:10.480 the day. And by the way, Joe is an entertainer 0:02:10.720 --> 0:02:13.840 because yes he's in sports, and yes he's called some 0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:17.200 of the most iconic games of all time. But don't 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:20.200 get it twisted. Joe's a TV guy, and he has 0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:25.560 to draw in an audience, and because currently his programming 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:30.519 happens to be live, he actually gets the biggest audiences 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:34.800 on television today. And if you've ever heard this man talk, 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:39.200 you you know exactly what I mean. His voice is 0:02:40.000 --> 0:02:44.320 iconic and he has had an insane career from becoming 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:49.360 Fox's youngest regular NFL announcer, to hosting his own shows 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:53.560 to signing on too broadcast now for Monday Night Football 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:58.079 on ESPN. Plus he's a podcaster too, hosting the Crazy, 0:02:58.160 --> 0:03:02.760 Funny and Interesting Dad the Issues podcast with Oliver Hudson. 0:03:02.840 --> 0:03:05.919 And yes that is actually the title. I won't keep 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:10.040 you waiting. I can't wait for you to hear this 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:13.720 man's voice and this man's stories here. He is the 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:23.760 amazing Joe Buck Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:29.560 and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker, cooking it every month, 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:44.240 left over from the nut before. What's up, Joe, Hi, Brian, 0:03:46.400 --> 0:03:49.800 I'm good. I'm really good. Yeah. Well, I mean, you 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:53.160 look professional as you should. You do, you know, I 0:03:53.160 --> 0:03:55.880 don't know about that. I don't know about that, but 0:03:56.200 --> 0:03:58.360 I'm happy to be here. Thank you for doing the 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:00.280 thing on ESPN the other day. That was fun. I 0:04:00.280 --> 0:04:03.040 hope you had fun. I had a great time. Michael 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:08.480 Collins is uh, he's a hood right, He's awesome. Yeah. 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:12.000 I I had never really been around him much except 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:16.000 when when he was doing a radio show with Pat Perez, 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:18.520 and Perez was here in St. Louis playing in the 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.560 p g A a few years ago, and they they 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:24.000 all came over to my house and I ended up 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:25.719 hanging with him most of the night, and so when 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:28.679 that whole thing came up, I was like, I gotta 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:30.680 do it with Michael because he can carry it. I mean, 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:34.359 I don't have to really do much. That's awesome. Well, 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:38.680 I want to talk about your new big move and 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:42.440 some of your your notable accomplishments, but I really want 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:48.279 to start back your By the way, it seems like 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:53.520 everyone I've talked to is from Kansas, Missouri. I mean, 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:56.960 I don't know what is in the water down there, Joe, 0:04:57.120 --> 0:05:08.440 but like stone Street and Riggle and Keckner all Rudd, Rudd, Zubakis. Yeah, 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:12.240 I don't I don't know. It's like you think New York, Chicago, 0:05:13.320 --> 0:05:16.200 comedy scene at Chico and now everyone is is from 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:17.960 the middle of the country. So I don't know. I 0:05:17.960 --> 0:05:20.400 don't know what that says. I I don't know what 0:05:20.440 --> 0:05:24.000 that says either. I uh. I first met Paul Rudd 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:27.040 when we were in college. His roommate was my best 0:05:27.040 --> 0:05:29.800 friend from high school. So we all kind of congregated 0:05:29.960 --> 0:05:32.880 at Indiana University, which is where I was. They came 0:05:33.160 --> 0:05:36.200 to visit me and then I returned the favor the 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.680 next year, and so I've known Paul since I was 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:43.000 guys since I was eighteen, and then prior to that, 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:48.640 Jon Hamm. Jon Hamm is another one who was dating 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:53.080 the sister of the previously mentioned best friends. So I've 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:55.960 known this little group of people. And then it becomes 0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:59.120 six degrees of My friend's name is Preston Clark, but 0:05:59.160 --> 0:06:01.360 it's really six to reaves of Rudd and Ham for 0:06:01.520 --> 0:06:04.800 me getting to know Adam Scott and different guys that 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:07.160 that they all interacted with when we were in our 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:10.760 early twenties. So I was the sports guy, they were 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:13.440 the cool guys, and uh, you know, all I was 0:06:13.480 --> 0:06:16.920 good for was getting them tickets to different events, different events, 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:19.839 which actually makes you the most popular guy in the 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:22.960 whole group. Yeah, and for a while and until you know, 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:26.880 Rudd was doing uh you know, god knows what clueless 0:06:27.320 --> 0:06:30.920 object of my affection and uh, and Ham was mad Men. 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:36.880 He was Mr Madman. So my cool factor dwindled. Yeah, well, 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:39.760 I just I just had Mr ham on the podcast, 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:42.800 so we uh we talked a lot about St. Louis. 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:47.400 And now you're originally you're originally from Florida, is that right? 0:06:47.480 --> 0:06:50.400 Or you were born in Florida? Yeah, I was basically 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:54.880 born in like uh in uh cardboard box in Florida 0:06:54.960 --> 0:06:58.839 during spring training because my dad was down in St. 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:03.360 Pete Uh and my mom couldn't travel after spring training 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:06.800 was over, so end of April I popped into the world. 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:11.640 But I'm I'm a Floridian by birth only. And then 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:14.440 I came to St. Louis six minutes later and I've 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:18.680 been here ever since. Right, your family For those of 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:25.200 you who don't know Jack Buck, the other legendary sportscaster, 0:07:25.720 --> 0:07:31.480 your dad, but you I understand it wasn't necessarily he 0:07:32.520 --> 0:07:35.120 that brought you into your current profession, even though you 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:39.960 literally followed in his footsteps. Is that right? Yeah? No, definitely, 0:07:40.080 --> 0:07:43.400 I know where you're going with that. My dad, for 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:47.480 sure is the main reason why I am who I am, 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:49.760 I do what I do. I fell in love with 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:53.440 broadcasting and sports because of him, because you know, he 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:58.080 and I were best friends. He traveled constantly, but always 0:07:58.080 --> 0:07:59.720 took me with him. I think I was in every 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:02.920 now League city by the time I was twelve. Um, 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:05.360 I was in Vegas and on my own while he 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:08.240 rolled crabs all night and I was playing Donkey Kong 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:12.680 on whatever. Twenty dollar Billy handed me and checking myself 0:08:12.720 --> 0:08:15.000 back into the room and eating room service while he 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:17.080 was up all night trying to trying to make a 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:19.840 little money. But my mom was the one that that 0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:23.400 kind of pushed it forward when Fox dropped out of 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:25.880 the sky and they got the rights to cover the 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:30.120 NFC and bought those rights, uh for an exorbitant price 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:34.080 back they took CBS out of the game. And I 0:08:34.120 --> 0:08:37.480 remember at the time, I was hosting a radio show 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.400 in St. Louis, and I was in my early twenties, 0:08:40.440 --> 0:08:43.280 and I thought, this is a travesty. I mean, my god, 0:08:43.440 --> 0:08:46.480 we're gonna have you know, Joan Rivers and Bart Simpson 0:08:46.559 --> 0:08:50.280 doing the games and uh. And I was, you know, 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:55.080 just apoplectic about it. And then shortly thereafter, my mom said, well, 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:59.600 I gave your video tape to Patty Goren, her husband. 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:03.880 It is running Fox Sports, and they want to fly 0:09:03.960 --> 0:09:06.720 you out for an audition. So that that is something 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:09.520 my dad would have never done. He would have never 0:09:09.640 --> 0:09:14.200 been the one to push me on anyone anybody, but 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:17.360 my mom, you know, was that person. Thank god. So 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:20.960 I got flown out there during the spring of and 0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:24.080 I was twenty four at that time. And I was 0:09:24.120 --> 0:09:26.720 doing a game. I'd never done football in my life, 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:30.480 and I was practicing for my audition with my dad 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:33.120 doing color for me while we sat in his living room, 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:35.040 and then I flew out to l A did the 0:09:35.040 --> 0:09:37.599 game off a TV in a studio and they basically 0:09:37.679 --> 0:09:40.600 like slug Worth and Willy Wonka came walking into me 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:43.719 after the audition was over and said, you better get 0:09:43.760 --> 0:09:48.040 an agent because we're gonna be hiring you. Uh and uh, 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:51.040 you did well. So it was often running after that. 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:54.480 So I yeah, without my mom pushing that, I would 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.320 have never even known about the auditions. And my dad, 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:01.160 chrisec wasn't going to do that, right, you know. I 0:10:02.080 --> 0:10:06.040 read your your mom. She was an actress and a 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:10.240 singer and an entertainer as well. Do you feel like 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:16.120 there is any part of your style that is different 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:20.920 from your dad because of your mom's influence early on? Yeah, 0:10:20.960 --> 0:10:22.839 I think so. I think my mom was actually a 0:10:22.880 --> 0:10:25.440 really good influence on my dad. But my mom was 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:28.360 my dad's second wife, and by the time my mom 0:10:28.480 --> 0:10:32.080 came into his life, his career, unbeknownst to either one 0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:35.160 of them, was about to take off. Because Harry Carey 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:37.160 the long you know, everybody now knows him as a 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:39.320 longtime voice of the Cubs, but prior to that, he 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:42.800 was the Cardinals announcer. He got fired at the end 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:45.600 of the sixties. And I was born in sixty nine, 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:47.679 and that's kind of when my dad ascended to the 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:50.960 number one spot with the Cardinals. And my mom, you know, 0:10:51.120 --> 0:10:54.360 being somebody that was comfortable walking out on a stage 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:57.720 and singing and dancing. I mean she auditioned for a 0:10:57.880 --> 0:11:01.960 Burrows back in the day on Broadway. And that's Jim 0:11:02.000 --> 0:11:04.760 Burrow's dad for those of you who don't know. And 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:07.760 Jim Burrow is one of the most you know, accomplished 0:11:07.800 --> 0:11:12.160 producers in the history of television. Uh so, yeah, I 0:11:12.520 --> 0:11:16.960 think she was. She was very aware of how to 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:21.040 entertain a crowd, and I think she she helped my 0:11:21.160 --> 0:11:23.400 dad with a lot of the speaking engagements he did 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:26.120 and as you guys would say in your business, punching 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:28.559 up a script or a speech that he would put 0:11:28.600 --> 0:11:32.000 together and make it more fun and more funnier. And 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:34.840 and so I saw that, and I think I pull 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:38.160 as much from my mom as I do my dad. 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:42.360 I I you know, the style is a bit different, 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:45.280 you know, I didn't smoke for sixty years. So I 0:11:45.679 --> 0:11:48.719 don't sound like this. How my dad got me up 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:51.160 for school in the morning, Get up, buck come on, 0:11:51.320 --> 0:11:55.599 get get your ass out of bed. And uh I 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:59.400 I didn't. I don't have that, but but I think 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:02.040 there's some similarities in the style. I try to have 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:05.720 fun as much as you can in today's world. Um, 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:09.080 and he was all about that. My dad was was 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:13.720 kind of an off the cuff, funny, good grounded dude 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:17.040 that just treated everybody nicely. So I I get I 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:20.160 get plenty from both, trust me. I was very lucky. Yeah, 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:22.800 So I I mean, I'm going a little bit out 0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:26.280 of order here, but I've never told you this, you know. 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:31.360 So I'm a little bit young for al Michael's right, 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:34.480 And and do you believe in miracles? And like I 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:37.640 I was, I was alive at that time in nineteen eighty, 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:43.479 but that wasn't for me. The most iconic and heartbreaking 0:12:43.559 --> 0:12:48.120 call that I remember a sportscaster delivering and specifically to 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:52.040 me into my heart and ripping it out, was your dad, 0:12:52.160 --> 0:12:56.640 Jack buck In. I grew up in Atlanta, and I 0:12:56.679 --> 0:13:00.600 would say today the greatest world series is in the 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:03.839 history of world series that I've ever seen, or read 0:13:04.000 --> 0:13:06.640 or know about as a huge baseball fan, the Atlanta 0:13:06.640 --> 0:13:12.320 Braves against the Minnesota Twins, and that home run in 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:18.080 Game six, and your dad's gravelly voice filled with the 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:24.080 emotion that that gravelly voice could give him saying and 0:13:24.240 --> 0:13:28.720 will see you tomorrow night. And I had it on 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:32.600 VHS tape because I was as sure the Braves were 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:35.000 gonna win that game, you know, it was like that 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:38.679 was that was gonna be my VHS tape and I 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:43.040 have watched that and and the director whoever, I don't 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:44.760 know if it was going I don't know who it was. 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:48.959 But cutting to Charlie lee Brand's face and him walking 0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:51.680 off as stoically as possible, and then halfway to the 0:13:51.760 --> 0:13:57.280 dugout wiping and the silence that your dad gave amazing, 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:00.520 I mean truly, like even as even though it ripped 0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:02.880 my heart out, I knew that that was like something 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:06.760 special that I saw. And so cutting way ahead, we're 0:14:06.800 --> 0:14:10.560 skipping way ahead, But Inven you gave a nod to 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:15.600 your dad in in the World Series in Texas and St. 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:20.320 Louis giving that same call. Um this was planned obviously 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:23.040 or was this just in the back of the recesses 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:25.480 of your mind. It was in the back of my 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:28.240 mind because prior to the game, it was almost twenty 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:31.840 years from that that night that my dad said it 0:14:32.080 --> 0:14:37.160 and you were crying on your couch and and somebody 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:41.160 had said, uh, because my dad did that game with 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:45.200 Tim McCarver. And now I'm sitting next to Tim McCarver 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:48.960 twenty years later, almost to the day, and somebody said, 0:14:48.960 --> 0:14:51.560 you know, twenty years ago, was that uh, that Kirby 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:54.680 Pucket home run that that forced game seven? And here 0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:57.520 we are about to start Game six. And I was like, oh, yeah, okay, 0:14:57.520 --> 0:14:59.640 and you know, getting ready and whatever. So I think 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:03.320 that landed the seed. But you don't know what's That's 0:15:03.320 --> 0:15:05.120 the beauty and the fun of what I do is 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.640 you don't know what's coming down the street at you 0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:10.520 at any time, and inning starts or they kick off 0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:13.880 or whatever it is, so you're ready for really anything 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:16.560 that comes your way. And that game was so I mean, 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:19.080 I know, this is way down into the weeds. But 0:15:19.160 --> 0:15:22.040 the Cardinals were down three games to two, They were 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:24.120 down in the game, they were down to the last 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:26.920 strike twice. They tied it twice, and then in the 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:29.920 eleventh inning. David Freeze, who's a kid from St. Louis, 0:15:29.960 --> 0:15:32.280 hits the home run to center to force Game seven. 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:35.080 And then that popped out of the back of my mind, 0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:38.280 out of my mouth, which is we'll see you tomorrow night, 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:43.320 which was I don't know. On one hand, it was 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:46.640 appropriate because there was gonna be a Game seven the 0:15:46.680 --> 0:15:49.440 next night. On the other hand, maybe itself serving. I 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:51.280 think I was thinking to him, who would have been 0:15:51.280 --> 0:15:54.240 sitting one booth over to me watching the Cardinals, the 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:57.840 team he loved, and this kid, David Freeze become the 0:15:57.920 --> 0:16:01.960 hero uh to force that Game seven. And so you know, 0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:06.480 I I retired being a Jackbuck cover band after that night. 0:16:06.560 --> 0:16:09.400 I was like, that's it. I've I've done some other things, 0:16:09.720 --> 0:16:11.800 I've said some things that he said in the past. 0:16:12.520 --> 0:16:15.400 It's time for me to branch out into my own, uh, 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:19.400 into my own territory. So I'm not playing I'm not 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:22.680 playing his hits. I'm gonna start making my own uh 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:26.120 in these moments. But for for that one time, yeah, 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:28.440 And and it was at the end of a crazy year, 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:32.080 Brian I. I I had been through a vocal cord paralysis. 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:35.280 I got hair plugs at the beginning, and I talked 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:37.440 about all this in my book, which I'm not promoting 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:42.000 because you can't find it anywhere. Uh. I got hair plugs, 0:16:42.080 --> 0:16:45.640 got intubated. The tube that they put down my throat 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:48.320 sat on the nerve that fired my left vocal cord, 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:50.880 and the whole year I sounded like this. I had 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:53.160 one one vocal cord that was working in one that 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:56.640 was laying there paralyzed. And that was about the time 0:16:56.680 --> 0:17:00.760 my voice started to kind of come back. And that 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:03.800 World series, each game it got a little bit better. 0:17:04.359 --> 0:17:07.240 And so by the time Game six rolled around, you 0:17:07.280 --> 0:17:09.240 know I've been through. I was going through a divorce, 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:12.640 I was on antidepressants. I thought my career was over 0:17:12.680 --> 0:17:14.840 because I wasn't gonna be able to broadcast or even 0:17:15.160 --> 0:17:18.840 order a coffee and allowed Starbucks, and and that that 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:23.439 moment happened, and it forced a Game seven. Uh. It 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:25.720 allowed me to win an Emmy that year in the 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:27.719 worst year, not of my career, in the worst year 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:30.400 of anybody's career. I sounded like I was dying every 0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:33.280 time I was doing a game. But yeah, that that 0:17:33.400 --> 0:17:38.080 was a year that was a complete Uh. I don't 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:41.200 know what we can or can't say on this, but 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:43.480 it was a ship show, so you can you can 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:46.440 block that out, but I it was. It was crazy. 0:17:46.560 --> 0:17:49.080 So I'm proud of that moment at the end of 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:53.280 a really hard year. Yeah, you know, it's I think 0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:56.600 this is fun. Maybe it's maybe it's just fun for me, 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:58.800 but I'm you know, sitting here talking to you and 0:17:58.840 --> 0:18:01.840 thinking about you and and your experience and you being 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:04.919 there in the booth that night watching that game. And 0:18:04.960 --> 0:18:08.440 I'll tell you, we have a number of people who 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:10.480 worked on the Office who are from St. Louis and 0:18:10.480 --> 0:18:14.600 we're a big Cardinals fans. Phillis Smith, Jenna Fisher. I 0:18:14.600 --> 0:18:17.960 think I'm forgetting somebody right now. And so we were 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:22.399 shooting at that moment, my least favorite episode to shoot 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:24.800 in the history of the Office. We were in a 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:29.199 pool for twelve to fourteen hours a day, and I 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:32.359 was I was explained after complaining after like six hours 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:36.439 that you could get hypothermia if you're in just a 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:39.320 regular temperature pool for that many hours. So they had 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:42.560 heated it to like degrees. Being in a pool for 0:18:42.640 --> 0:18:45.560 nine degrees is not that much fun for like fifteen minutes, 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:48.720 and it was like all day long, and we're shooting late, 0:18:48.800 --> 0:18:53.000 we're running late. Everybody's wed and angry. But we had 0:18:53.200 --> 0:18:56.080 the radio, so I didn't hear your call. But we 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:59.199 are following that game and crazy, and we'd be on 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:02.199 set and here people yelling in the background, and we 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:06.159 were fully following that game. Now, as someone not from St. Louis, 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:12.160 I was rooting for Texas, but I just transparently I 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:14.240 was not rooting for St. Louis. But so there was 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:16.520 some back and forth and I don't know, maybe some 0:19:16.560 --> 0:19:18.119 money changed hands at the end of that night. I 0:19:18.160 --> 0:19:22.159 don't remember exactly, but it was It's funny just to 0:19:22.240 --> 0:19:24.400 hear that. And of course I had, you know, as 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:26.480 a big sports fan and baseball fan, I had taken 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:28.800 it at home and then heard that call, and then 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:32.000 it brought back everything from the nineties, and well, it's 0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:34.920 funny you're making me think of Uh. First of all, 0:19:34.920 --> 0:19:38.440 Ellie Kemper is the Ellie Kemper. Thank you, Yes, there 0:19:38.480 --> 0:19:41.720 you go. And so I was with a friend. I 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:44.399 mean not to name drop, but I why not. I 0:19:44.440 --> 0:19:48.479 haven't stopped yet. Uh, Billy Bob Thornton, I was. I 0:19:48.520 --> 0:19:52.200 was with him at the filming of a movie did 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:53.720 with a friend of mine another friend of mine as 0:19:53.760 --> 0:19:55.760 a reason why I was there. Jason Patrick's called the 0:19:55.760 --> 0:20:01.520 Alamo and uh, he's inside. They're like Billy Bob or 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:04.200 whatever his character's name was, I don't know who he played. 0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:06.800 We need down the top of the walk here at 0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:09.159 the album and he's like, okay, but he's talking to 0:20:09.200 --> 0:20:12.120 me inside because you can't see they're shooting all from 0:20:12.160 --> 0:20:14.840 the outside, and he's talking to me about the Cardinals bullpen. 0:20:14.880 --> 0:20:18.800 He's a die hard Cardinals fan, and he's like, I mean, god, 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:21.199 we need a left hander. The Cardinals do not have 0:20:21.280 --> 0:20:23.000 a left hander. And like hole, He's like, hold on 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:25.560 a second. He walks up, walks up and down. They're 0:20:25.600 --> 0:20:27.840 like cut. He walks back down. I mean, if they 0:20:27.880 --> 0:20:29.960 can just get a left hander, they're gonna It's like 0:20:30.000 --> 0:20:34.960 there's like nothing even happened, and they're shooting this multibillion 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:37.720 dollar movie and all he's caring about is talking about 0:20:37.760 --> 0:20:40.920 the Cardinals bullpen with me on the inside of the Alumo. 0:20:41.000 --> 0:20:44.160 It's funny how life goes on in and around these 0:20:44.200 --> 0:20:48.360 productions and and all people see is you know, post edit, 0:20:48.480 --> 0:21:11.280 when when everything's all tightened up right, you became the 0:21:11.359 --> 0:21:17.320 youngest person to announce regular NFL games on TV? Did 0:21:17.320 --> 0:21:20.439 that bring any stress for you? Was that? Was that 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:22.119 a part of it? But it did? I mean you 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:25.600 had so much experience just being around your dad, as 0:21:25.640 --> 0:21:29.040 you said, yeah, but it did you know, I don't 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:32.760 know that that would have happened. And the answer to 0:21:32.800 --> 0:21:37.480 your question, if it happened in it would be harrowing. 0:21:37.720 --> 0:21:43.040 It would be, you know, blindfolded on the roller coaster 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:47.760 in the dark at Disney World. Because it's in today's 0:21:47.800 --> 0:21:51.280 world with social media, especially when you're doing sports and 0:21:51.400 --> 0:21:55.680 everybody is so emotionally invested in it, it's a tough 0:21:55.760 --> 0:21:58.800 go and for anybody to start at that time, I was. 0:21:58.920 --> 0:22:02.240 I just turned twenty five. I'd never done an NFL 0:22:02.320 --> 0:22:04.240 game in my life. I had done a couple of 0:22:04.280 --> 0:22:08.159 practice games. And I'm standing at Soldier Field on opening Day. 0:22:08.280 --> 0:22:11.120 They're playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and I'm standing next 0:22:11.119 --> 0:22:16.000 to Tim Green, who the year prior was playing and 0:22:16.000 --> 0:22:18.240 and not only had he never broadcast football, he never 0:22:18.240 --> 0:22:21.679 broadcast anything at least that broadcasts some stuff. And he 0:22:21.760 --> 0:22:23.560 and I are looking at each other like, what in 0:22:23.600 --> 0:22:25.920 the hell are we doing here? They're about to kick 0:22:25.960 --> 0:22:30.439 off the Chicago Bears at home and and we're the 0:22:30.440 --> 0:22:33.480 guys standing here about to call this thing. And you 0:22:33.480 --> 0:22:38.160 know this is so if if you were to roll 0:22:38.280 --> 0:22:41.320 the clock forward with social media and all that, I 0:22:41.359 --> 0:22:44.160 don't know that that we would have been able to 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:48.639 survive what would have been I think baptism by fire. 0:22:48.760 --> 0:22:52.800 I think it's changed that part of my business has 0:22:52.920 --> 0:22:56.280 changed a lot. Like if if somebody's gonna follow you 0:22:56.640 --> 0:23:01.359 on Instagram or Twitter or whatever, generally they're gonna be 0:23:01.520 --> 0:23:04.080 a fan of yours and all your great work that 0:23:04.200 --> 0:23:08.399 you've done for me. I'm sitting there as Switzerland, and 0:23:08.440 --> 0:23:11.560 so when people hear me do a baseball game in October, 0:23:12.040 --> 0:23:16.120 they're comparing me to their hometown announcer that all year 0:23:16.160 --> 0:23:19.280 long has been freaking out for when their team hits 0:23:19.280 --> 0:23:22.439 a home run and almost sad on the air when 0:23:22.480 --> 0:23:24.800 the other team hits a home run home run. Well, 0:23:24.800 --> 0:23:27.640 now I show up. The stakes are at their highest, 0:23:28.080 --> 0:23:30.720 and I'm screaming in Yellen for that guy's team, but 0:23:30.800 --> 0:23:33.199 I'm also screaming in Yellen for the other team. And 0:23:33.280 --> 0:23:35.919 all year long, you know, it's just it's weird to 0:23:36.040 --> 0:23:39.960 the to the senses for fans because they're like, why 0:23:40.080 --> 0:23:42.520 is he yelling and screaming for that other team? I 0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:46.360 hate this guy. He hates my team. And so it's 0:23:46.440 --> 0:23:50.120 it's a long winded way of saying on Twitter, if 0:23:50.240 --> 0:23:51.880 if I want to go there, I have to bring 0:23:51.960 --> 0:23:54.480 a snorkel to go in there and wade through all 0:23:54.520 --> 0:23:58.000 that stuff. And and for you know, the twenty five 0:23:58.080 --> 0:24:01.639 year old may Thank god social media wasn't around. I 0:24:02.119 --> 0:24:06.000