WEBVTT - The Fifth Hour: Sports with Coleman, Soft Landing 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:05.480 Kaboom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes a 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:09.240 week was enough, think again. He's the last remnants of 0:00:09.280 --> 0:00:12.920 the old Republic, a sole fashion of fairness. He treats 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:15.800 crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as the rich 0:00:15.840 --> 0:00:20.200 pill poppers in the penthouse the Clearinghouse of Hot Takes 0:00:20.280 --> 0:00:24.080 break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with Ben 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:33.320 Maller starts right now in the air everywhere, and welcome 0:00:33.400 --> 0:00:38.240 into the podcast do jo. The Fifth Hour with Ben 0:00:38.320 --> 0:00:43.760 Maller and Danny g Radio Black at it again and 0:00:44.159 --> 0:00:47.120 we thank you for subscribing. And this podcast, if you 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:50.640 don't know by now, a spin off of the Overnight Show, 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:54.480 The Ben Maller Show, and it is only available in 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:58.880 the podcast format. You cannot get this on terrestrial radio. 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:02.840 As we are in the air everywhere thanks to the 0:01:02.960 --> 0:01:07.000 vast power of my heart, the global reach of podcasting, 0:01:07.800 --> 0:01:13.640 and every week, three podcasts the week and eight days 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:16.479 a week, because four hours a night are not enough 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:20.120 on the Overnight and you're going on to listen all 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:23.520 weekend because on Saturday I will tell the story I 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:26.919 have never told before. I did something for the first 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:31.240 time in my life last week and I did not 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:33.240 talk about this on the radio show, so I'll talk 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:37.319 about that tomorrow, but right now, we gotta get down 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:43.520 to business. Because I love radio. You know that it's 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:47.480 my job, it's my my life's passion. And I have 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:50.320 friends all over the country. I have made radio friends 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:52.600 that work at different stations, and one of my good 0:01:52.640 --> 0:01:54.960 friends I talked about them quite a bit on the 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:59.040 radio show anytime I bring up Baltimore is someone I 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:03.360 refer to as Sports with Coleman. His name is Jerry Coleman. 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:06.120 We've had him on the podcast before. I was on 0:02:06.240 --> 0:02:09.240 Jerry's radio show not that long ago. He had done 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:13.440 a night show in Baltimore. And the reason I wanted 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:16.560 to have Jerry on this week is mainly just so 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:18.680 I could talk to him, because we're friends and I 0:02:18.680 --> 0:02:20.600 have an excuse to talk to him on the podcast, 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:22.560 but also the fact that he was part of a 0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:28.520 mass layoff at his radio station and a national radio 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:32.160 layoff at a competing company. Not I heart, but a 0:02:32.280 --> 0:02:35.280 rival of my heart, and Jerry is one of the 0:02:35.280 --> 0:02:38.760 good radio guys. He's done it all. He's a really 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:41.280 a Swiss army knife. We used that term for people 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:44.920 in sports, but in sports broadcasting, and Jerry is the 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:46.400 guy that will do a little bit of this, a 0:02:46.400 --> 0:02:48.520 little bit of that, a little bit of everything. He's 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:51.160 worked all over the clock. He had done a night 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:55.200 show in Baltimore, He's done morning radio in that city. 0:02:55.560 --> 0:02:59.799 He has has been in Baltimore radio for over a decade, 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:03.720 but he's worked over thirty years in the radio business. 0:03:04.200 --> 0:03:06.520 And he got let go. He got the old pink 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:11.560 slip from his radio station last week and he joins 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:15.760 us now and Jerry, we have a saying in the 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:19.240 radio business when you're giving the pink slip, when you're 0:03:19.240 --> 0:03:21.880 giving your walking papers, that you are on the beach. 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:26.960 But you are literally and figuratively taking that to the 0:03:27.000 --> 0:03:31.040 next level, aren't you, Jerry correct? And as I speak 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:33.560 to you now, I am on the beach, not far 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:37.680 from Sarasta in Longboat Key, Florida, to be exact. So 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:42.120 I literally am and was on the beach today. I 0:03:42.160 --> 0:03:45.360 am grateful in one aspect and that there was some 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:49.000 bloodshed from the company I worked at, and they did 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:53.000 alert me before I went on vacation, so um, in 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:54.840 other words, I would have found out in the middle 0:03:54.880 --> 0:03:57.600 of my vacation had they not told me which I 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:00.160 think you know, it was a more humane way to 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:04.320 approach and this does nothing though Jerry, and I feel 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:08.000 terrible for you, but for my neurosis. And we've known 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:09.880 each other for for a number of years here. But 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:13.720 one of my things is I hate taking vacation because 0:04:13.760 --> 0:04:17.520 when I was an intern in San Diego at the 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:20.200 mighty six ninety in my head, I'm not sure this 0:04:20.279 --> 0:04:23.560 actually happened, but in my head, every time one of 0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:27.080 the hosts took a vacation, they never came back from 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:31.800 vacation and they just they didn't say anything. And so 0:04:31.800 --> 0:04:34.520 so when I found out what happened to you, which 0:04:34.600 --> 0:04:37.159 was a terrible decision in my opinion, by the station 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:40.560 in Baltimore. But when I found that out, I was like, whoa, 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:43.240 this is now. I can never take a vacation again. 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:45.200 I was like, in my head, I'm like, well that's it. 0:04:45.240 --> 0:04:47.799 I can't, I can't go anywhere. But you you handle 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:50.640 it very well. I give you credit, and I'm not 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:54.760 sure how you're enjoying your vacation. Is it? Okay? You've 0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:57.200 been on it for a while as we're talking right now, 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:00.560 and this airing on a Friday, So you've been in 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:06.000 your tropical destination for a while. Are you able to compartmentalized, Jerry, 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:08.919 I am. Uh. Severance had a lot to do with that. 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:12.040 The conversation at a time before leaving, I think had 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:14.080 a lot to do with that. I'm glad I didn't 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:16.240 get a phone call in the middle of this vacation 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:19.159 letting me know what unfortunately happened to a lot of 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:23.160 my colleagues around the country in multiple markets. So when 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:25.440 they did tell me that that it was, they actually 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:27.159 took me off and told me, you know, there's gonna 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:30.919 be more to come on Tuesday, whenever, whatever day it 0:05:31.080 --> 0:05:33.359 was that they did it. And I was like, okay, 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:35.560 thank you for letting me know, and you know, kind 0:05:35.560 --> 0:05:37.560 of when I went in one ear and out the other, 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:40.279 and then I realized, you know, okay, I was tipped 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:44.160 off at a time and they did, you know, in 0:05:44.160 --> 0:05:46.960 a way helped me out. I mean, the fact that 0:05:47.080 --> 0:05:49.720 you know, I found out before I went on vacation, 0:05:50.360 --> 0:05:54.320 um did put a little detriment on the vacation, but 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:58.960 hasn't completely runned it all together because actually, now I'll 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:02.000 extend it because is it's better than knowing I would 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:04.839 say in the middle or then I mean, you get 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:07.480 back and then you get the call and it's like, okay, 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:10.479 I didn't need to come back so soon, So there 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:13.240 is a benefit. I'm trying to be, you know, positive 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:16.720 in that aspect. I've been down this road before, bounce 0:06:16.800 --> 0:06:20.640 back before. We'll see what's down the road in the horizon. 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:23.640 I assume there will be something I always has been. 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.600 It could be a presumption, but already, you know, I 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:31.839 received you know, correspondence from different people in different industries 0:06:31.880 --> 0:06:35.800 and not necessarily radio about different possible avenues. So we 0:06:35.880 --> 0:06:39.080 will see where that leads. But I was caught by 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:42.120 a surprise, and you know, in fact, they never give 0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:44.159 you your last show on the radio, and I almost 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:47.080 really had that on on my last day on which 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:50.200 was a Thursday, and was let go via zoom on 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:53.520 a Friday. And I had a feeling that morning that 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:55.840 that was the case, and I probably had a feeling 0:06:55.880 --> 0:06:58.599 that Thursday night when I did my last show that 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:01.280 that was the case. But I wasn't gonna do anything 0:07:01.279 --> 0:07:04.560 to bern any bridges or rip anyone like that and 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:06.479 go out in a ball of flames because I do 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.160 want to work again. So I just took the high 0:07:09.200 --> 0:07:12.840 road and and did that be a social media and uh, 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:14.800 let it go from there, because I think that's the 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:17.800 best way to go about it. Uh, no grudges. I 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.360 think I've been you know, I don't think it was right, 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:22.960 Uh in terms of what I brought to the table, 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:26.640 and in terms of sen only hosting, but covering teams, 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:30.640 doing sports updates. Um, there was just a variety of 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:33.600 things that I did for the radio station over well 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:36.560 over a decade, more close to thirteen years, just over 0:07:36.680 --> 0:07:40.480 twelve that you know, I thought sometimes were overrooked. And 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:43.559 maybe this will be a blessing in disguise, we will see. 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:45.600 But what a treat it was to be able to 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:50.040 host your own show in your hometown, choose the guest list, 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:54.720 have complete show control, excuse me of the as you say, 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:58.720 sports talk, real estate, and really not have any micromanaging. 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:01.240 And that was the case until the Yam you know. 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.440 I mean I've heard from all sorts of people within 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:06.840 the company reminding me was not performance or rating to 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:11.080 relate it, and it certainly wasn't. It was an unfortunate 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:13.840 aspect of the business and where it is at times 0:08:13.920 --> 0:08:16.720 right now. Yeah, it's the business is not in a 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:19.560 good place. We'll get to that. Well, we're getting into 0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:21.760 it now, but we'll talk more about it. So you 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:24.400 had a premonition, you had a feeling that the end 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:27.840 was near, and I had something similarly. The only way 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:31.360 you get a final show is if it's leaked in 0:08:31.440 --> 0:08:36.280 the New York Post or you're retiring, right, I was 0:08:36.360 --> 0:08:39.360 on the air years ago. For those that maybe haven't 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:42.240 heard the story before that listened to this podcast, but 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:45.280 Jerry knows the story. So back in oh nine there 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:49.600 was a presidential election result, well the election was an 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:53.320 OH eight, but the result was announced in oh nine 0:08:53.760 --> 0:08:56.880 or the the the changing of the guard, changing of 0:08:56.920 --> 0:09:00.480 the president happened in oh nine. It is, I believe, 0:09:00.559 --> 0:09:05.520 the second term of Barack Obama. But at that time, 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:09.640 the day before, I remember exactly the date. It was 0:09:09.679 --> 0:09:12.280 the day before. I think January twenty one is the 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:17.400 date they change presidents. I believe it's sometimes, yeah, sometime 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:21.880 in January, and uh yeah. Politically, we don't try to 0:09:21.880 --> 0:09:23.720 avoid politics now on the podcast. We used to talk 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:27.120 about politics, but I I was respected, I still respect 0:09:27.200 --> 0:09:31.280 the presidency, and I always liked watching the the ceremony 0:09:31.360 --> 0:09:33.640 from d C and so I it was the night 0:09:33.640 --> 0:09:36.360 before and I was planning on watching the ceremony we 0:09:36.360 --> 0:09:40.840 were doing the show, and there was a headline of 0:09:40.840 --> 0:09:43.080 a bulletin that came. This is the early day as 0:09:43.080 --> 0:09:45.760 of Twitter, but there was a story from the New 0:09:45.880 --> 0:09:49.520 York Post that there were going to be mass uh 0:09:49.840 --> 0:09:55.280 mash mass casualties, layoffs whatever at the company that I 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:58.280 was working for, that they were going to be announced 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:00.920 like the next day, right. So I somebody had sent 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:04.280 me the story actually via a text message, and one 0:10:04.320 --> 0:10:07.319 of my friends in the business, and I was right 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:10.960 before the show was about to start, and and so 0:10:11.160 --> 0:10:14.440 I I, of course, being the schmuck that I am, 0:10:14.559 --> 0:10:17.400 I sent the story. I forwarded it onto everyone else 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:20.520 that was working on the show. And uh. And then 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:24.960 about about ten fifteen minutes in the show, I get 0:10:24.960 --> 0:10:28.280 an email from one of the bosses. Now, no one 0:10:28.440 --> 0:10:31.720 ever emails me. And now you know, Jerry, you did nights. 0:10:31.800 --> 0:10:34.880 You know you don't. You do not get contacted after 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:39.760 work hours like nine to five. That's a red flag 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:42.480 if you do get contact. Yeah. Yeah, So I'm in 0:10:42.559 --> 0:10:45.360 my head, I'm connecting the dots here. I'm like, okay, uh, 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:47.560 let's see, I got somebody sent me a story from 0:10:47.600 --> 0:10:49.880 The New York Post saying the company I work for 0:10:50.000 --> 0:10:53.199 is gonna lay off and get rid of all these people. Uh. 0:10:53.240 --> 0:10:55.760 And then ten minutes fifteen minutes later, I get an 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:59.680 email from my boss saying there's a mandatory meeting the 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:04.120 next morning that I have to be at. And I said, well, 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:06.320 you know, I'm not that bright, but I think I 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:08.760 can connect the pieces here. I think we've got something. 0:11:09.240 --> 0:11:13.960 And my my producer was losing his mind. He's like, 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:16.480 oh my god, I'm gonna be He'd never been fired before, 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:19.600 the never lost a job. He actually ended up running. 0:11:19.640 --> 0:11:23.400 He's an assistant program director at a radio station. Now 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:27.319 they had we had an intern that had just started. 0:11:27.320 --> 0:11:31.320 He relocated. Kid from Boston had relocated, moved to l 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:34.480 It was his first night working on my show. And 0:11:34.640 --> 0:11:39.560 oh goodness, he got he got he got. Kid moved 0:11:39.559 --> 0:11:42.320 all the way to l A for one night. Yeah. So, like, 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.240 what happened to your team? Jar? Are they still there? 0:11:45.280 --> 0:11:47.960 Are they? Have you talked to your your producer? I know? 0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:51.120 Oh yeah, no, well yeah, I mean yeah yeah. They 0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:55.920 all survived. And producers that I worked with over the years, 0:11:56.040 --> 0:11:58.120 and people that I helped out that such some very 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:01.720 nice things on social d on you know, some of 0:12:01.720 --> 0:12:04.079 the things I passed along to him over the years. 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:08.160 But the premonition came from the fact that my boss 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:12.080 was also going on vacation and this person was like, no, 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:15.280 I really would like to meet with you on Friday 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:18.760 morning before we go away on vacation. I just think 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:20.840 it's important we talked before you go away. And I 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:24.599 had requested a meeting um weeks ago and left it 0:12:24.640 --> 0:12:27.600 alone and didn't even follow up with it. And this 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:32.679 was titled a catchup meeting, just catching up, and I 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:35.120 swear to God, within thirty seconds I was I was 0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:38.520 done of within the zoom meeting and I said, wow, 0:12:38.559 --> 0:12:40.120 I you know, I thought you would do something like 0:12:40.160 --> 0:12:43.320 this face to face. And the person indicated something that 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:47.040 actually rang true, you know, and I'll give him. They 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:48.640 said they didn't want to waste my time, had me 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:51.319 drive all the way with gas prices lay there right now, 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:53.880 I appreachd drive all the way in just to tell 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:57.520 you you're terminated. So it was all done via zoom now, 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:00.680 and the human resources person was all line as well 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:04.560 and bing bang boom, and it was over. Well that 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:08.640 is nice because they made us all drive in one 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:12.040 Karen Kay, who you know who I worked with for 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:16.240 a while. KK. I love KK because KK, you know 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:20.400 season professional radio woman. She also knew we were getting 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:23.560 uh we were getting pole axed that day and she said, 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:27.720 I'm not driving in. I'm not driving to get told 0:13:27.800 --> 0:13:31.040 I'm not working there anymore. And she didn't do it, 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:33.520 and uh, I still I love the fact that she 0:13:33.920 --> 0:13:39.079 repelled at that at that particular moment. Well, the cool 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:41.839 thing now and I didn't have this the last time 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:44.520 I got Uh, I got whacked in the businesses that 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:46.920 with social media now and I was gonna say, well, 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:49.080 send a message to your listeners. But you can keep 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:52.000 track of a lot of your fans, your a via Twitter, 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:54.840 which is another social media which has gotta be great 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.920 that you know, whenever you get your next gig, wherever 0:13:58.000 --> 0:14:01.280 it is, whatever platform it happens to be, you can 0:14:01.480 --> 0:14:04.640 let people know. And for so long in our business, 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:07.839 as you referenced, when you get let go, you don't 0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:10.680 get to say goodbye. They don't allow you to to 0:14:10.760 --> 0:14:14.400 have a final opportunity in in radio to say goodbye 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:16.760 to your to your listeners. And so you at least 0:14:16.800 --> 0:14:19.120 have a chance to connect with a lot of people 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:21.720 via social media, as you said, people were reaching out 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:24.440 to you. So that's gotta be nice that, you know, 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:26.800 six months down the line, a year down line, whatever 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:29.680 it is, you get your next job, hopefully sooner after 0:14:29.720 --> 0:14:32.960 your seference runs out. Whenever that is, uh, you can 0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:35.560 bring the bring the band back together, right, You've got 0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:39.440 that going for you. That is definitely possible. And if 0:14:39.440 --> 0:14:41.760 I were to go to the podcast route, I don't 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:44.080 know if that would interfere with some of the terms 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:46.720 of the sefferance, so that could be something that I do. 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:49.400 I'm not just gonna do it for the heck of it, 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:51.160 just like you don't do it for the heck of it. 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:53.680 I mean, we all like to here are voices and 0:14:53.720 --> 0:14:56.520 all that. Frankly, after thirty two years on the radio 0:14:57.080 --> 0:15:00.320 and you know, worrying about your next job, after using 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:03.720 your previous job, I decided, you know, I'm going to 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:06.480 keep pursuing. I'm not giving up, but I'm also not 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:09.920 going to jump right back in at the first thing 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:14.080 that's thrown my way. I'm going to enjoy some time off, regroup, 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:18.040 hopefully have something by the time football season goes, because 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:20.720 it's the very important time and that that was the 0:15:20.760 --> 0:15:23.760 downside is you know, I've been out covering the Ravens 0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:26.160 and I have to tell you, you know, the Oils 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:28.920 have been nice in terms of some of the responses 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:33.000 I've gotten, But Man of Baltimore Ravens a team that 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:34.720 I know you'd like to pick on at times. And 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:37.760 I have taken so many shots at this team, yet 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:41.240 they have rhino skin, as you like to say. Because 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:45.640 I've heard from so many people in that organization, very 0:15:45.720 --> 0:15:49.840 high up, even you know, the PR department. Um, they 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.560 still have invited me to come out to their practices, 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:56.520 games and all that. Frankly, I appreciate that, but I 0:15:56.640 --> 0:15:59.640 told them I'm probably gonna be reluctant in doing that. 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:01.520 If I'm not working, I don't see a reason to 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:05.200 be out there. But I appreciate the invite, being able 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:07.760 to be around the team and all that, But after 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:10.600 thirty some years, I just want to make it as 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:12.640 part of a job and not just go out there 0:16:12.680 --> 0:16:15.080 and you know, play grab bass as you say, and 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:17.480 you know, just be around the players and the coach 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:19.200 and hear what they have to say. I can do 0:16:19.240 --> 0:16:21.840 that from a distance too, So yeah, probably not going 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:25.080 to do that again until I'm actually gainfully employed. But 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:28.520 very classy of them to do that, and the Orioles 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:30.720 are honoring my credential as well. I just kind of hurt, 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:33.880 not as much as as the Ravens, but that just 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:36.280 maybe a set of circumstances where the team has been 0:16:36.320 --> 0:16:38.560 on the road. But I do appreciate. You know, you 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:40.400 got a chance, like you to be able to work 0:16:40.480 --> 0:16:43.600 in your home town where you were raised. You know, 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:46.520 that's that's a dream come true. Yeah, no, it's great. 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:49.080 And I do give the Ravens credit, even though I 0:16:49.080 --> 0:16:52.280 will continue to bash them that they uh, they at 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:55.320 least handle things the right ways, as I have tried 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:57.640 to say to people who I know. For example, I 0:16:57.720 --> 0:16:59.440 ripped the Lakers all the time, and the Lakers have 0:16:59.480 --> 0:17:01.720 been still allow me out there if I want to go. 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:04.800 I don't go as much anymore, uh, just because I 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:07.000 don't know anybody in the in the the Beat report. 0:17:07.040 --> 0:17:09.199 I used to know all the Beat reporters back in 0:17:09.200 --> 0:17:10.959 the day, and everyone used to go out there, and 0:17:11.480 --> 0:17:13.640 I go out there and it's I don't know anybody 0:17:14.119 --> 0:17:16.280 as far you know, just about I have. There's only 0:17:16.280 --> 0:17:18.200 a few people I know. But the Lakers been okay. 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:22.320 But that's the thing, Jerry, like these teams, we play 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:26.399 a role as the critic in the upper balcony and 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:29.320 they're the ones that are rolling in money. And it's 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:32.320 it's a nice marriage though it's okay. It's you don't 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:36.240 have to be confrontational. And there's a lot of places 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:41.040 and we know teams, Jerry that have have spat Louis 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:45.560 at guys. Uh, the the Angels a great example, the Angel. 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:47.919 You talk about the Angels, and I would say the 0:17:47.960 --> 0:17:52.800 equivalent of that is the NFL t down that that's 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:56.760 the closest of Baltimore. It can be very spiteful as well. Yeah, 0:17:56.960 --> 0:18:00.200 so that's good to hear about the the Raven. Are 0:18:00.200 --> 0:18:03.000 we gonna be able to continue to spar about Lamar Jackson. 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:06.159 We've had a few text conversations, we've talked on the phone. 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:10.399 We've sure. I mean everything, I think everything I've said 0:18:10.440 --> 0:18:16.280 and predicted is currently still true as we're speaking right now. 0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:20.240 I do not anticipate a contract coming. The guy is 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:23.880 gonna make twenty three million dollars this year, and that's 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:26.840 more he's made in any year in his entire life. 0:18:27.160 --> 0:18:30.160 If you were to say that then, uh, he would 0:18:30.160 --> 0:18:31.919 be set for life if you were to invest it 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:33.960 the right way. But this is a guy that doesn't 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:37.240 have an agent, plays in a town in Baltimore. We're 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:40.199 the most popular player on the team right now, is 0:18:40.280 --> 0:18:43.200 the kicker. I can't think of any other NFL market 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:46.800 where that's the case with Justin Tucker has all the endorsements, 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:50.560 he has a new contract. Um, he's already being called 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:53.560 the goat, which I'm always uncomfortable with calling a player 0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:56.720 the greatest of all time, except maybe Tom Brady while 0:18:56.760 --> 0:19:01.040 they're still playing. But Lamar is us gonna go out 0:19:01.080 --> 0:19:03.560 and I think play football and gamble on himself, and 0:19:03.640 --> 0:19:06.439 he better hope he doesn't get hurt because it'll be 0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:10.200 the most expensive injury in NFL history. And again, doesn't 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:13.680 have any deals in terms of endorsements or anything outside 0:19:13.680 --> 0:19:17.560 of just playing football, because either he's stubborn or his 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:21.159 mother's stubborn, or they're stubborn together. But not having an 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:25.000 age and continues sir that what's it like being around Lamar? 0:19:25.240 --> 0:19:28.639 You've covered a few quarterbacks in your time in in radio. 0:19:29.480 --> 0:19:33.960 What's the day to day like with Lamar Jackson? And well, 0:19:34.040 --> 0:19:36.520 some people think he has like this magical touch you 0:19:36.520 --> 0:19:39.240 know about him, and he's not a funny personality and everything. 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:42.239 I wouldn't say he's great in terms of getting a 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:45.560 lot of content because when you do listen to him talk, 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:49.400 it's just very brief answers. But I mean just being 0:19:49.440 --> 0:19:52.760 around him in terms of personality. Likes to crack jokes, 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:55.919 you know, and also makes you realize how old you 0:19:56.000 --> 0:19:59.240 are been because he's in his young twenties, and you know, 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:02.199 he reads the stuff he posts on social media, but 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:04.639 it's very hard to relate to him as someone who's 0:20:04.680 --> 0:20:07.119 almost twice his age, if not a little bit further 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:10.560 than that. So that's the difference between a lot of 0:20:10.600 --> 0:20:13.320 today's athletes and and the way I look at things, 0:20:13.400 --> 0:20:16.639 it's like a totally different generation. Some of the stuff 0:20:16.680 --> 0:20:20.160 they post on social media, you know, is either above 0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:23.240 my pay grade or I just you know, it's a 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:29.400 parallel universe, and the generation levide. At what point did 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:32.440 that happen for you? It happens for everyone a little differently. 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:34.920 But I I know from my time and I did 0:20:34.920 --> 0:20:37.240 the same job that you had early on. We were 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:40.800 both radio stringers, radio reporters, so we were in locker 0:20:40.880 --> 0:20:46.040 rooms quite often doing our thing. And and I'm trying 0:20:46.040 --> 0:20:49.280 to like, at what point when guys started retiring that 0:20:49.359 --> 0:20:52.000 I was around like every day. That was the first sign. 0:20:52.560 --> 0:20:56.920 But then when you saw players kids get to the 0:20:56.920 --> 0:20:59.320 big leagues, I was like, wait a minute, what what 0:20:59.480 --> 0:21:03.199 is going on here? And that happened. You know, obviously 0:21:03.200 --> 0:21:05.680 it takes twenty years or whatever, but at that point, 0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:08.639 I'm like, wow, this is well, there's prime, there's prime 0:21:08.680 --> 0:21:12.119 examples everywhere. It's funny you mention that because Orlando Brown Jr. 0:21:12.160 --> 0:21:15.199 I covered SEUs his father when he was with the 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:17.879 Ravens after he had left the Browns. He made all 0:21:17.920 --> 0:21:19.719 that money if you get hit the eye by the 0:21:19.720 --> 0:21:22.800 penalty flag and all that he was. He was a 0:21:22.840 --> 0:21:25.600 wild character. And then his son comes to the Ravens 0:21:25.640 --> 0:21:28.280 and is there for a cup of coffee before wanting 0:21:28.280 --> 0:21:31.199 more money trying to play left tackle. I mean you 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:33.800 mentioned Vladimir or Guerrero Senior. I was just talking with 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:36.640 someone today about he was the worst ball hitter I've 0:21:36.680 --> 0:21:39.439 ever seen, and you know, now his kids playing and 0:21:39.480 --> 0:21:41.399 making more money than he is. So yeah, it does 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:43.679 make you feel kind of old. But also when you 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:46.640