WEBVTT - Mike Golic Jr. 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:02.600 This is cut to it with Steve Smith Senior at 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:08.879 production of The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. I'm 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:12.200 Steve Smith Senior and I'm John And this is cut 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:16.840 to it. Good do it? Good do they's getting down 0:00:16.880 --> 0:00:20.520 to do it? Good do it. We asked the questions 0:00:20.640 --> 0:00:23.880 you always want to know, but no one ever asked, 0:00:24.000 --> 0:00:29.600 let's cut to it. You ain't heard am about it, 0:00:29.640 --> 0:00:40.199 then we're about to let you know. It's all. So, Meredith, 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:46.360 congratulations on getting Marattith and I got that wedding glow. 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:55.080 No longer living in sin Thank you so bringing that 0:00:55.160 --> 0:00:59.680 up as well. So, um you are going, so you 0:00:59.800 --> 0:01:03.400 have not you decided to not drop drop the Meredith 0:01:04.120 --> 0:01:07.720 Carter was your was your last name, but technically it 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:12.880 currently still is your last name. And why why, why 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:16.200 why are you keeping Carter? Because I've been Meredith Carter 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:20.720 for thirty six years, so you've been so low. So 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:24.640 no one has got no one has no one has 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:31.280 earned the right to have your hand in marriage until Jimmy, 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:35.360 until Jimmy and so but so after walking down the 0:01:35.520 --> 0:01:38.679 aisle with him and tell him him, I do. You're 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:41.520 saying I do, but not on my last name, not 0:01:41.640 --> 0:01:47.200 all my last name change. Why can't he beat Jimmy Carter? 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:53.760 I mean it was president. Excuse me, wasn't that the president? 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:58.680 Jimmy Carter? On my story? Yeah? Why why are you 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:04.480 shucking and driving for the last name? Huh? Say the truth? 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:07.680 Say the truth? He records, So you don't want to 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:10.200 tell you, you you don't want anybody know. No, I just 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:13.000 got married a week ago. It's also it takes a lot. 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:15.280 It's a lot of effort to change your last name. 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:17.400 By the way, I remember what my wife went through. 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:19.400 It is a lot of paperword. You gotta you gotta 0:02:19.400 --> 0:02:21.560 do a lot. But that's part of the deal when 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:26.440 you get married, right, I think. I mean, there's lots 0:02:26.440 --> 0:02:30.320 of deals. There's Meredith Carter, hyphen Philbin, there's Meredith Philban, 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:33.320 there's Meredith at Carter. Why are you? Why are you? 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:36.520 Shelly Shall, Why don't you want to? So? For me, 0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:38.880 I struggle for a while. I wanted my daughter to 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:42.040 keep I want I want my daughter to keep what 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:45.640 I wanted, and then Angie changed my mind after change 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:47.880 a position on she's saying my position. But I still 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:50.480 sometimes I still want my kids to have a pre 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:54.440 numb Okay, But what was the thought on keeping the 0:02:54.520 --> 0:02:58.120 last name even for your daughter when she child and 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:01.919 and Smith and Smith has Wait, that's why, Like if 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:07.520 she marries some dude name I was gonna say Jimmy, 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:10.960 but I like Jimmy. I don't want to disrespect. Maybe 0:03:10.960 --> 0:03:15.440 me marry something dude name Ricky Johnson, then her name 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:22.680 would be Bailey Johnson. That works that when he goes 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:26.079 in Charlotte and he wants to you know, they say 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:30.640 it's all booked up, Well it's it's Ricky Johnson. Well, Ricky, 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:35.280 we don't. We still don't have anything. Whoa I'm with 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:41.240 Bailey Smith. Oh, Steve Smith starter flex aspect, So it's 0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:43.360 not here's here's it's not the flex. You know. What 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:49.440 it is is the is the glow. It's what being 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:52.400 as Smith is. Like, I I feel like I text 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:57.400 my family Smith gang, like there's there's there's like the 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:03.640 Little Johnson that's a gang. That that's the Fucies. Yeah, yes, 0:04:03.760 --> 0:04:07.279 that's my clan. And I don't want this average Joe 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:10.160 to come in here and let me just say how 0:04:10.200 --> 0:04:12.520 I want to just sunk up the flue bro like 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:16.080 I just want to you know, just kind of you know, 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:20.719 just I just wanted to be something got you so 0:04:20.760 --> 0:04:25.039 all I but I do understand that really minimizes him 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:28.719 and makes him more inefficient or makes him feel lesser 0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:32.000 than And I don't want to do that, m but 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:33.880 I struggle with it. But she is gonna have to 0:04:33.880 --> 0:04:36.800 get that prenum because if if something were to happen 0:04:36.800 --> 0:04:39.440 to me and my wife right now, we will be 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:44.520 dividing up a whole lot of things. And it's not 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:47.520 things that in like monetary, but just memories and stuff 0:04:47.560 --> 0:04:51.520 that we've accumulated for our family. And I don't want 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:54.640 some dude or some chick to just come in and 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:57.760 have a piece of that. And they weren't part of 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:01.919 the bones and the sacrifice of being me for my 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:05.400 family that that started, you know, twenty something years ago. 0:05:06.320 --> 0:05:09.640 So future son in law, you will be in the 0:05:09.680 --> 0:05:16.960 words of Kanye West, we won't prying up. So I 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:19.000 just struggle with a little bit. If I'm being real, 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:23.400 well especially you can't, you can't if it's Ricky Johnson. 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:31.200 Johnson better come in with a flyer. I'm just I'm 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:35.160 just saying, right, So, Meredith, was a decision. You gotta 0:05:35.160 --> 0:05:38.159 make it right now, right now, make a decision on 0:05:38.240 --> 0:05:42.400 a national podcast, Unasural podcast. I think we're probably going 0:05:42.440 --> 0:05:46.479 to become Philbin. You've got to be the Philbin's, you know, 0:05:46.640 --> 0:05:49.360 we got because then if but then if you have 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:52.320 the hyphenated last name, then that means your daughter is 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:55.760 gonna have it. Yeah, and then they're so confused. They're 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:58.880 in kindergarten and they're like, why is my name Luna 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:01.960 Carter Philbin. You know, that's a lot for a kindergartener 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:05.480 to say letters, Oh, that's your you already have the 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:10.360 daughter's name. Huh. No, that's just our dog's name. I thought. 0:06:13.000 --> 0:06:14.960 I was like, wow, that's so cool. No, that's the 0:06:15.000 --> 0:06:20.479 dog's name. Wow. Yeah, you can't have a kindergartener with 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:23.880 a hyphenatian name. That's just so confusing. Yeah, but there 0:06:23.920 --> 0:06:26.000 it is. Well, you had to make your decision. So 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:28.920 but think about it. If you if if your child 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:31.719 you know, obviously this isn't I'm not trying to sound racist, 0:06:31.800 --> 0:06:36.919 but if your child is not black, you gotta black folks. 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:40.800 They go by two different names, like Deuce like the 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:44.440 other day, or nicknames. The nicknames like my son Deuce. 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:46.680 He knows I come to the house and I'm like, hey, dudes, 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:52.360 he's watching TV, you know the Hey Steven, Oh yes, daddy, Yeah, 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:56.880 we are go with nicknames. So your nickname, like even duce, 0:06:56.960 --> 0:06:59.720 like that son's nickname is fat Man. My daughter's nickname 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:03.440 is juice box. But will they go to school with that? 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:06.240 That's a nicknames. Everyone has a family nickname. So now 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:08.279 that he's not gonna put fat man on like his 0:07:08.480 --> 0:07:11.720 uh on on his scan drown. Now when he's doing 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:18.800 the test, I'm gonna even I'm already speaking it into 0:07:18.960 --> 0:07:29.320 existence on the s a T super duper smart. But 0:07:30.000 --> 0:07:37.240 the little bit of jelly on there that had to deduct. So, hey, 0:07:37.320 --> 0:07:41.880 who we got coming up on the Cut to It Podcast. 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:44.760 We've got Mike Golick Jr. The co host of Chennai 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:48.120 and Goldi Jr. On ESPN. He played college football at 0:07:48.120 --> 0:07:51.720 Notre Dame and he's the son of Mike Golic. Mike 0:07:51.760 --> 0:08:00.960 Golick Jr. On the Cut to It Podcast, first segment 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:03.560 is called get iced up. You have no idea what's 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:07.840 coming to Nobody has any ideas. Subtly person knows is 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:10.400 me and it's in my head right now and I'm 0:08:10.440 --> 0:08:14.520 still figuring it out. So first question, since you live 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:19.080 alone and you, uh, you are a self proclaimed proclaimed 0:08:19.160 --> 0:08:25.440 lazy guy. What's your go to a meal? Breakfast and dinner? 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:30.360 Go to breakfast, so I've been trying to lose a 0:08:30.360 --> 0:08:33.200 little weight, so I go egg white omelet with usually 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:36.960 a bowl of oatmeal and some blueberries. Go to dinner 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:41.240 has largely right now been like one or two salmon 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:44.440 filets and then usually like asparagus or maybe I'll cut 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.200 it up put into a salad. So I've been eating 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:49.839 kind of kind of bland lately. That's that's good healthy eating. 0:08:51.400 --> 0:08:54.280 I ain't necessarily saying it's tasty. I'm trying to figure 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:59.959 why are you? Why are you getting ready for football? Sea? 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:03.520 And Bro? You're doing is watching that? See that's the 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:05.840 thing and what I learned. So this will be my 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:08.719 sixth fall at ESPN going through all this, and what 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.400 I realized is as I get ready to travel out 0:09:11.400 --> 0:09:13.640 and go to college games and spend all weekend on 0:09:13.679 --> 0:09:16.680 the couch watching I tend to gain more weight than 0:09:16.720 --> 0:09:18.600 I would like to, especially once I'm out on the 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:21.000 road here. And so I'm trying to I'm trying to 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:23.760 this year break the habit, get into a better routine 0:09:24.040 --> 0:09:26.439 and see if I don't gain like the freshman fifteen 0:09:26.520 --> 0:09:34.040 during football fan based off your statement, favorite airport Minneapolis. 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:38.280 It's the perfect combination of big airport amenities. You've got 0:09:38.320 --> 0:09:41.520 the main concourse, they're about the top golf place that 0:09:41.559 --> 0:09:44.960 you can play, to simulators. Yes, you got the golf 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:48.199 simulator right there, right below that. In non COVID times, 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:51.640 there's also usually one of those on like emotional like 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:56.199 support dogs that they have out there. No more emotional dogs. 0:09:57.160 --> 0:10:00.960 So are you one of those guys that sees a 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:03.920 cute dog and you go and like, oh, I want 0:10:03.960 --> 0:10:07.520 to touch it? You want those guys? Yeah? Oh yeah, 0:10:07.720 --> 0:10:13.600 big time, big time, very well known, walking down like 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:17.880 the beach and seeing random dogs and touching them, going 0:10:18.000 --> 0:10:20.160 up and asking everyone if I can pet the dog, 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:23.320 if your dog wants If someone's dog like looks my 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:26.320 way and approaches me, I consider that honor. And so 0:10:26.400 --> 0:10:28.680 if your dog wants a pet, if your dog wants 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:30.400 to give me a kiss, I'm fine with that too. 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:33.920 So you just let random dogs kiss you, says so 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:37.440 you got dog face lips? Yeah, oh yeah, big time. 0:10:37.640 --> 0:10:42.120 That's why you're single. Yeah, that could play for there's 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:46.000 probably there's probably a few readings because if you do 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:50.800 that with dog probably if you do that with dogs, 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:54.079 know what's happened later when the lights come on at 0:10:54.080 --> 0:11:01.440 the lounge. It's always a different story with so shaving, 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:05.760 are you a razor guy like the you know the 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:11.120 clippers or you use use a razor straight edge. I 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:14.320 do a bit of both, especially because like now, I 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:17.440 shaved my head usually like once a week, and so 0:11:17.679 --> 0:11:21.280 I'll usually take everything down with clippers and then I'll 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:24.959 take the straight straight razor and edge all this up 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:29.480 and then pick this thing close to the skull. Mm hmm. Yeah, 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:34.640 well doesn't have that problem. But I'm a chilet guy myself. 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:38.360 Sometimes I have. I went about three or four weeks 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:41.560 without shaving. You know, COVID is like I'm not going anywhere, 0:11:42.040 --> 0:11:44.600 you know, My longest journey is maybe to the kitchen. 0:11:44.640 --> 0:11:48.960 How was the hairline game? The hairline A was awesome 0:11:49.240 --> 0:11:51.920 from where it started and stopped. That was the struggle 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:57.800 like where is it? Like? Was it here or back? 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:03.120 So three years ago? It was about right here today 0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:08.000 and I got a little bit It's yeah, it's struggle. 0:12:09.320 --> 0:12:12.240 I mean, I'm I'm a handsome ball here guy, so 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:15.520 I think I mean I don't really have a choice. 0:12:16.520 --> 0:12:20.320 I was thinking about growing it back out, but oh yeah, 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:23.160 then I have my Stevie Wonder going. Yeah, I wasna say, 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:25.280 let's let's let's let's not do that. Bro. I love 0:12:25.320 --> 0:12:26.640 you too much for you to go out. I love 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:31.439 Stevie Wonder too. With that brother, some dresses. Somebody got 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:33.560 to left My man's no. I know that's how you 0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:36.840 know he blonde and he ain't got no accountability partner, 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:38.760 because I'm not gonna let you. I'm not letting you 0:12:38.800 --> 0:12:41.080 go out like that. Your hairline is all the way 0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:46.599 back here, and but what's what's the left of it? 0:12:47.679 --> 0:12:50.760 All right? So okay, let's go. Let's let's get into it. 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:53.880 Where are you from and the place you call your hometown? 0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:59.440 Uh so I am, I'd say I'm from Connecticut. So 0:12:59.640 --> 0:13:03.480 my home town is Avon, Connecticut. I was born in 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:06.480 South Jersey. Like we moved around a lot when my 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:08.560 dad was finishing up playing. I was born when he 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.680 was still with the Eagles, and so I moved around 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:13.720 a bunch. But when I was in third grade, Dad 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:17.520 started working with ESPN full time out here in Connecticut, 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:21.280 so we got here. Then I've lived in Connecticut, you know, 0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:23.800 between here and going away for college and other stuff 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:26.160 for the better part of the twenty three years, so Avon, 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:32.400 Connecticut would be the hometown. What is the state flower 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:41.720 for Connecticut? The state flower for Connecticut? For some reason, 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:43.480 I want to say, like the white lotus. I don't 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:46.000 think that's right, but it's what's what came to mind. First. 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:50.800 I have no idea. I just thought i'd randomly ask you, dude, 0:13:51.600 --> 0:13:53.960 I do know the state tree is the white fur. 0:13:55.000 --> 0:14:00.400 I believe I know that random Connectic as about the flower. Yeah, no, 0:14:00.520 --> 0:14:09.480 listen again, this is like radio bullshit patting. I love 0:14:09.520 --> 0:14:12.000 because you know you had a face like, well if 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:15.320 you don't know, why did you asked me? Well, I 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:17.200 just wanted to. I just wanted to throw you off 0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:19.960 a little bit, just because it's sometimes I like to 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:23.520 do that just to see, like, who knows the say flower? 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.080 No one. That's the whole point, just to kind of 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:28.800 just just keep you on your pas and cues. Yeah. 0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:30.360 I know, you know, you know a lot of sports, 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:33.040 but you can care less about the flower in the tree. 0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:36.200 I just throw that out there. Apparently, man, I got 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:40.280 walk into my flower stuff now fer game, you know, 0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:42.960 let's just jump right into it. I'm gonna just say 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:45.400 how I feel about it, and and I'll let you 0:14:45.760 --> 0:14:48.400 kind of go for it for it. But you know, 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:53.560 watching you over the years, you do a fantastic job. Right, 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:59.000 But initially when I first saw you on and understanding 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:04.680 media and how there's only so many seats, but there's 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:09.040 an ump team athletes that want to do this or 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.920 feel they can do it. And I was a little 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:13.680 I felt some type of way at first, you know, 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:17.120 I was like, man, Michael Jr. The only reason he's 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:23.960 on there because of his dad. And yet me being 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:27.520 part of the business now and seeing you may be 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:29.480 on there because you know, you may have gotten your 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:33.560 opportunity because your dad or the last name, but you 0:15:33.600 --> 0:15:35.840 earned your spot. And I just want to tell you, Ma, 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:40.400 I think you do a fantastic job you on on 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:44.920 the radio show, you know, but then just seeing you 0:15:45.000 --> 0:15:51.200 do the games, have so much respect and admire how 0:15:51.320 --> 0:15:55.360 you come across. You come across very well polished. There 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:57.160 are some things you do. I see your dad in 0:15:57.280 --> 0:16:01.200 you as well, right, I see it. Tattoo game is 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:05.760 uh is steady, increasing is getting better. But just seeing 0:16:05.760 --> 0:16:09.440 you grow up under your dad and understanding and now 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:11.160 knowing this business. How you get in is how you 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:13.320 get in, but how you stay is on your own merit. 0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:17.400 And what I love about you know, cut to it 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:19.280 is we just kind of just keep it one hundred. 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:24.320 What has that transition been like for you? Because you 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:28.720 are Mike golicck Jr. That's the name that you were given, 0:16:29.080 --> 0:16:32.880 that was the parents that you were blessed with. But 0:16:32.960 --> 0:16:36.160 some people who are getting into the business or attempting 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:40.240 to get in the business, you know, they they frowned 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:42.080 upon it. They look at you and kind of go, uh, 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:44.960 you know, they say whatever they're gonna say, what has 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:47.160 that been like for you personally? And how have you 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:50.200 overcome that? And just kind of dealing with the with 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:52.720 the shade that comes with it just because of um, 0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:56.800 you know, the opportunities you've been given and taking advantage 0:16:56.840 --> 0:17:03.480 of it and it's and it's sending with that small opportunity. Yeah, 0:17:03.840 --> 0:17:06.200 I think for me, I had a lot of good 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:10.160 practice in that football honestly because the nepotism comments were 0:17:10.320 --> 0:17:12.359 things that I heard even when I was growing up 0:17:12.400 --> 0:17:15.960 trying to play ball. Like you mentioned, what comes with 0:17:16.119 --> 0:17:19.120 dad being who he is. I always said I had 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:21.399 the perfect role model, Like I, I grew up wanting 0:17:21.440 --> 0:17:23.439 to be my dad my entire life. Him and my 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:26.119 mom were you know, unbelievable role models for me and 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:28.840 my siblings, and so I just looked and said, all right, 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:30.760 what were the things that made him him? Football was 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:32.439 one of the things that made him him? So I 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:34.680 gravitated that game, and I was, you know, a heavy set, 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:37.000 aggressive little kids. So it kind of worked out well. 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:39.520 But then you start going on, you start setting goals. 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:40.560 It's like, all right, I want to go to note 0:17:40.640 --> 0:17:42.479 name and playball because that's what my dad didn't That's 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:44.760 the place I grew up loving. And so you get 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:47.520 everyone then saying all right, you're only getting that opportunity 0:17:47.600 --> 0:17:49.719 because of your dad, because of your last name, and 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:54.000 so I know you appreciate this, I mean the best 0:17:54.000 --> 0:17:56.280 part about sports, and that way I always approached it, 0:17:56.400 --> 0:17:59.000 especially as a young player, you know in sports going 0:17:59.040 --> 0:18:02.600 to college or young broadcaster getting into this is I'm 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:05.040 not gonna say much. I'll keep my head down, I'll 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:07.920 let the work speak for itself. I understand I'm gonna 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:09.920 come in with extra sets of eyes on me, and 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:11.920 people feel in some type of way When I came 0:18:11.920 --> 0:18:14.280 into this job, I said, if anyone looked at me 0:18:14.320 --> 0:18:16.000 and said that guy shouldn't be here and this is 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:18.480 BS and I can't stand the kid, I would have 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:21.399 totally understood it. That's why I was not going to 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:24.240 come in and like I was anything other than what 0:18:24.280 --> 0:18:26.120 it was. Someone who was lucky they had the last 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:28.879 name that they did, who loves what I'm getting into, 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:31.600 but also knows all right, I gotta go in and 0:18:31.600 --> 0:18:34.320 work twice as hard. Then I gotta take every opportunity 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:36.159 and show up and show them I am going to 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:38.640 be prepared. I am going to be easy to work 0:18:38.680 --> 0:18:41.920 with here. I'm gonna understand whatever the assignment is, whether 0:18:41.960 --> 0:18:44.600 it's radio, whether it's calling games, whether it's digital, whether 0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:47.239 it's podcast, and say what do I need to do 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:49.359 to be prepared for this, and then knock that out 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:50.800 of the freaking park, same way I had to do 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:53.119 as a player, because I wasn't the most athletically gifted 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:55.360 guy in the world. I wasn't the biggest, strongest guy 0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:58.320 in the world, so I always had to overcompensate in 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:00.600 those other areas. The way I watched film, the way 0:19:00.640 --> 0:19:02.560 I went about taking care of my body and things 0:19:02.600 --> 0:19:05.360 like that, and so I just applied all that same 0:19:05.720 --> 0:19:07.639 stuff I got here. I kept my head down and 0:19:07.640 --> 0:19:10.159 I said, I will take every opportunity related to this 0:19:10.280 --> 0:19:12.560 I can, and I'll just try and show people. I 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:14.399 don't need to tell people a damn thing. I'll try 0:19:14.480 --> 0:19:18.120 and show people that I care about this job. I understand, 0:19:18.200 --> 0:19:20.359 and I want to honor the opportunity that I got 0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:21.879 because I know a lot of people won't get that 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:24.480 and that you know that part. They'll always be a 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:26.240 little bit of guilt about that. But all I can 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:28.359 say is, all right, if this is what I really 0:19:28.400 --> 0:19:30.200 wanted to be doing, and this is something I really 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:32.320 love and want to do, then I can honor the 0:19:32.359 --> 0:19:34.639 opportunity With the way I work, I can honor the 0:19:34.640 --> 0:19:37.280 people who wish they could have had that opportunity and 0:19:37.320 --> 0:19:39.000 at least say, all right, I didn't go to some 0:19:39.160 --> 0:19:41.640 lazy ship who's not gonna do anything on this. I'm 0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:43.720 going to go in here. I'm trying to make sure, 0:19:43.720 --> 0:19:46.040 all right, I keep channeling my energy into these places, 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:48.560 because you know, I'm five years into this, but I 0:19:48.560 --> 0:19:51.080 still feel very much like a rookie, feel very much 0:19:51.119 --> 0:19:54.000 like someone was something to prove, and so I just 0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:56.040 I think that's the only way I've been able to 0:19:56.040 --> 0:19:58.360 come back. And if people still feel some type of way, 0:19:58.480 --> 0:20:00.879 I don't hold that against them. Like I can understand 0:20:01.280 --> 0:20:03.679 if people went the traditional route or had to come 0:20:03.760 --> 0:20:06.280 up another way look at me and see something that 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:09.280 they resent, That's fine. All I can do is show up. 0:20:09.640 --> 0:20:11.840 Know that this is the job I love doing doing, 0:20:12.040 --> 0:20:14.080 No that I think I'm good at it at this point, 0:20:14.200 --> 0:20:16.560 know that I'm going to work my absolute ass off 0:20:16.600 --> 0:20:26.760 to make sure it stays now. I love cut to It, 0:20:26.920 --> 0:20:30.240 and I love it even more when you download us 0:20:30.280 --> 0:20:34.359 and subscribe, and you can follow us on social media too, Smithie, 0:20:34.400 --> 0:20:37.560 where where at that's at? Cut to It on Instagram? 0:20:37.560 --> 0:20:42.600 What about Twitter? At? Cut to It Facebook? Cut to 0:20:42.760 --> 0:20:46.639 It featuring Steve Smith singr? What about online? And you 0:20:46.680 --> 0:20:49.120 can follow us at cut to It podcast dot com 0:20:49.200 --> 0:20:52.439 where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to 0:20:52.480 --> 0:20:55.560 this wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my 0:20:55.600 --> 0:20:59.960 answers questions. Um, yeah, I got all my questions answered. 0:21:00.640 --> 0:21:02.600 That's what I'm here for, a brother, cut to a 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:06.600 Podcast dot Com. Steve, you just nodded your head when 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:09.600 he said he feels like a rookie? Why why do you? 0:21:09.880 --> 0:21:12.520 Why do both of you who have been in this 0:21:12.560 --> 0:21:15.280 media and they realized it five years just my fifth 0:21:15.400 --> 0:21:27.040 year too, So both y'all five year ebone and good singer. Sorry, 0:21:27.040 --> 0:21:29.320 it's it's it's cool, it's cool, it's cool. No, I listen. 0:21:29.359 --> 0:21:30.760 I liked that I was giving your space to keep 0:21:30.760 --> 0:21:35.720 going if you wanted. You don't want that second Stanza producer, 0:21:35.760 --> 0:21:39.600 Brian's just gotta pay for that one, you know, five 0:21:39.680 --> 0:21:42.120 years in for both of y'all, why do you? Why 0:21:42.119 --> 0:21:43.960 do you? Boat? You nodded your head. I mean, Mike, 0:21:44.000 --> 0:21:47.160 you said why I still feel like rookies. Someone's gonna 0:21:47.200 --> 0:21:48.919 hear someone's gonna hear that and say you're a rookie, 0:21:49.000 --> 0:21:55.320 Like not for me. Last year COVID really changed the 0:21:55.440 --> 0:21:59.280 dynamic of things. And now things are opening back up 0:21:59.320 --> 0:22:01.320 and we're going back on the road and starting to 0:22:01.440 --> 0:22:06.399 be starting to have a little bit of consistency. I 0:22:06.440 --> 0:22:09.639 feel like I started all over again, like, oh, I 0:22:09.640 --> 0:22:12.560 gotta get on the airplane again. I gotta study because 0:22:13.440 --> 0:22:17.560 the way things were so condensed last year, all right, 0:22:17.560 --> 0:22:20.919 doing Thursday night from the house, staying up till one 0:22:20.920 --> 0:22:23.600 in the morning, you controlled. There was only so much 0:22:23.600 --> 0:22:26.040 we can talk about because we weren't in the stands. 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:28.679 There weren't fans there, so you couldn't say, man, I 0:22:28.720 --> 0:22:32.280 felt the momentum change. There is no momentum change. You 0:22:32.320 --> 0:22:35.880 can hear people cursing at each other, you know, from 0:22:35.920 --> 0:22:39.200 the TV. So it was so quiet. So now going 0:22:39.240 --> 0:22:43.119 back out there, it's like, oh, oh yeah, I have 0:22:43.240 --> 0:22:46.639 to have a clear back. You know, you can't just 0:22:46.760 --> 0:22:49.320 all those little small things. And then obviously you know, 0:22:49.800 --> 0:22:54.480 bring my mask and um do this stand in line traffic, 0:22:54.960 --> 0:22:59.119 airport traffic security, uh t s A like all of 0:22:59.119 --> 0:23:02.400 those little small things that for the last eighteen months 0:23:02.400 --> 0:23:04.359 we haven't really been dealing with. I mean, you know, 0:23:04.440 --> 0:23:08.080 you hop on airp airplane a little bit. But now 0:23:08.119 --> 0:23:11.040 to go every week there's a new place. Every week, 0:23:11.080 --> 0:23:16.760 there's a new hotel. You're going to be physically interacting 0:23:16.840 --> 0:23:22.800 with someone you forget. And so now I've I feel 0:23:22.800 --> 0:23:29.439 like it's my first year all over again. I gotta restart, relearn, repair, uh, 0:23:30.160 --> 0:23:34.200 build up relationships from people that I haven't been able 0:23:34.240 --> 0:23:37.280 to see in two years or eighteen months, and they're 0:23:37.320 --> 0:23:40.199 not comfortable just you know, spilling their guts about the 0:23:40.240 --> 0:23:42.919 team via text, so you know you gotta kind of 0:23:43.240 --> 0:23:45.600 talk to him face to face. Yeah, I think there's 0:23:45.640 --> 0:23:47.879 a lot of that. We just have like our big 0:23:47.920 --> 0:23:52.640 college football meeting at ESPN and Zoom you had a visoom, Yeah, 0:23:52.880 --> 0:23:55.280 via via zoom like everybody else. So learning how to 0:23:55.320 --> 0:23:57.520 do that at different way. And we had these like 0:23:57.520 --> 0:24:00.240 breakout sessions, and Dusty dvor Checker is a great job 0:24:00.240 --> 0:24:03.240 as an analyst for us, got on and he talked 0:24:03.240 --> 0:24:06.160 about just what Steve was mentioned in there, and he 0:24:06.200 --> 0:24:08.240 brought that up. He goes, it's a new team for 0:24:08.359 --> 0:24:10.000 us again this year, and we get to be around 0:24:10.000 --> 0:24:12.320 each other in person. And so it's not only not 0:24:12.400 --> 0:24:15.159 taking that for granted, but remembering, hey, you can you 0:24:15.160 --> 0:24:16.720 can be a leader the way you go about this, 0:24:16.840 --> 0:24:19.520 make sure you know know everybody on your team, make 0:24:19.560 --> 0:24:22.159 sure you're putting everybody in a position to win. And 0:24:22.400 --> 0:24:24.560 that takes work that we haven't done in the last 0:24:24.640 --> 0:24:28.080 year in that same way. So it's it's equal parts 0:24:28.160 --> 0:24:30.159 that for me and I always say it just because, 0:24:30.240 --> 0:24:33.680 like you know, I did not have a pro career. 0:24:33.720 --> 0:24:35.320 I went to three training camps, I got cut at 0:24:35.359 --> 0:24:37.000 the end of those training camps like it was what 0:24:37.040 --> 0:24:39.040 it was. But I spent three years trying to hammer 0:24:39.119 --> 0:24:40.760 through that door and didn't make it. I was an 0:24:40.840 --> 0:24:43.560 undrafted free agent offensive linement, so the road was always 0:24:43.560 --> 0:24:46.479 going to be tough. And I always still kind of 0:24:46.480 --> 0:24:48.840 feel like the undrafted guy walking into a lot of 0:24:48.880 --> 0:24:51.760 these situations where that's a hard mentality of a right 0:24:51.760 --> 0:24:53.720 I'm gonna show up every day and try and prove 0:24:53.840 --> 0:24:56.000 you why I'm supposed to be here, Like you can 0:24:56.040 --> 0:24:57.800 ask my dad. I always used to joke and like 0:24:58.080 --> 0:25:00.639 he would laugh at it because my dad looks situation 0:25:00.680 --> 0:25:03.440 and sees things were progressing well for me and all 0:25:03.480 --> 0:25:05.639 that stuff. And I said, every day I show up 0:25:05.640 --> 0:25:08.159 in my badge still works that that to win like 0:25:08.359 --> 0:25:10.240 and and the goal is to make sure that happens 0:25:10.240 --> 0:25:12.639 again tomorrow and it you know, it doesn't work like 0:25:12.680 --> 0:25:14.879 that if not, like you know, someone's waiting or the 0:25:14.920 --> 0:25:17.280 Turk's wait could cut me or anything like that. But 0:25:17.720 --> 0:25:19.760 it's just kind of that feeling I can't ever shake, 0:25:19.840 --> 0:25:23.120 at least not at this point. Something you said also too, 0:25:23.920 --> 0:25:26.240 I want you to expound on this. You said you 0:25:26.280 --> 0:25:31.360 feel guilty. Why do you what do you feel guilty about? Well, 0:25:31.480 --> 0:25:33.800 just like you said that, I know that as like 0:25:33.840 --> 0:25:36.960 a general idea and nepotism something that can take opportunities 0:25:37.000 --> 0:25:39.959 from people that are really struggling to get them and 0:25:40.000 --> 0:25:43.119 go about them in the traditional ways. And so maybe 0:25:43.119 --> 0:25:45.480 guilty is not even the right word, but I understand, like, 0:25:45.520 --> 0:25:47.680 all right, there was like there are we talked about 0:25:47.680 --> 0:25:49.800 this all the time, whether it's sports or otherwise, Like 0:25:49.960 --> 0:25:52.239 there's X amount of seats at the table here, and 0:25:52.280 --> 0:25:54.920 so if you're occupying one from someone who's been doing 0:25:54.960 --> 0:25:58.080 this a long time, and and you know, there is 0:25:58.160 --> 0:26:00.320 something that says, all right, I kind of it to 0:26:01.119 --> 0:26:02.960 all of these people, and you hear it all the time, 0:26:03.080 --> 0:26:05.240 like these people that say I've been working all the 0:26:05.280 --> 0:26:07.280 time for this, or I came up through local and 0:26:07.320 --> 0:26:09.639 did this, and so there is a little bit of 0:26:09.720 --> 0:26:11.840 understanding that, all right, there are a lot of people 0:26:11.880 --> 0:26:14.239 that would kill for this opportunity, and so it's just 0:26:14.720 --> 0:26:16.280 it's kind of something that sticks in my head of it, 0:26:16.280 --> 0:26:18.440 all right, I gotta go earn this every day because 0:26:18.560 --> 0:26:20.679 I know I got to jump in front of the 0:26:20.680 --> 0:26:22.919 line a little faster than a lot of people get to. 0:26:23.040 --> 0:26:25.840 And you know that that kind of feeling once you 0:26:25.880 --> 0:26:30.760 just said jumped in front of the line, which means 0:26:30.800 --> 0:26:33.919 you still have to you still have to stand in line. 0:26:34.680 --> 0:26:36.520 Some people don't think you have to stand the line 0:26:36.520 --> 0:26:38.879 at all. Some people think you, oh, you got a 0:26:38.880 --> 0:26:42.280 great opportunity. You just got this opportunity. Like I mean, 0:26:42.400 --> 0:26:44.720 players all the time now, going back to training camps 0:26:44.720 --> 0:26:46.919 and stuff. I had three or four guys over the 0:26:47.000 --> 0:26:50.320 last couple of weeks literally tell me, now, I want 0:26:50.320 --> 0:26:52.680 to do your job, and I want to I want 0:26:52.680 --> 0:26:54.479 to do your job and I want to do this. 0:26:54.560 --> 0:26:55.880 And they ask me, you know, how did you how 0:26:55.880 --> 0:26:59.920 do you start not telling you know, the long slap, 0:27:00.040 --> 0:27:03.520 a short version of doing local radio, then doing Excel, 0:27:04.440 --> 0:27:06.400 you know, working with your dad on Mike and Mike 0:27:06.440 --> 0:27:08.960 while I was playing and they and then after I 0:27:09.000 --> 0:27:12.239 started going through and they kind of look at me, like, man, 0:27:12.359 --> 0:27:14.639 I signed up for this ship. Like so I just 0:27:14.680 --> 0:27:16.359 want to know how you got the job, bro, So 0:27:16.680 --> 0:27:18.720 like this is how I got the job. And so 0:27:18.840 --> 0:27:21.240 that's the back end. I think that everyone doesn't see, 0:27:21.280 --> 0:27:23.440 whether it's in sports, meta or whatever, but you gotta 0:27:23.440 --> 0:27:25.639 put the work in on the back end. Like his 0:27:25.720 --> 0:27:27.639 last name may have gotten him in the door, but 0:27:27.720 --> 0:27:29.600 just like he's saying, he's got to prove himself each 0:27:29.600 --> 0:27:31.920 and every day. If he didn't do that, then he'd 0:27:31.920 --> 0:27:33.560 be just he used to be, just as much as 0:27:33.560 --> 0:27:36.520 out as anyone else. But people don't. People never want 0:27:36.560 --> 0:27:38.480 to see the back end story. They don't want to 0:27:38.480 --> 0:27:42.560 see that Steve Smith is in this position, maybe because 0:27:42.560 --> 0:27:45.080 of Steve Smith the name. But yeah, you were doing 0:27:45.480 --> 0:27:48.320 you were running the board at a local radio station. 0:27:48.720 --> 0:27:51.160 Everyone won't put that same amount of working. Everyone won't 0:27:51.160 --> 0:27:53.520 put in the same amount of work that Mike did 0:27:53.800 --> 0:27:56.240 to keep him there. Yeah, you might have got expedited 0:27:56.280 --> 0:27:59.679 to the front of the line that it happened that 0:27:59.800 --> 0:28:01.919 had pins, but you gotta put the work in on 0:28:01.960 --> 0:28:05.200 the backing here. Yeah. Well, I mean that's the thing too, 0:28:05.320 --> 0:28:08.480 is like it is where you start. Also like when 0:28:08.520 --> 0:28:10.280 I say I jumped to the line. The first job 0:28:10.320 --> 0:28:13.080 I got at ESPN was Sunday mornings nine to one 0:28:13.119 --> 0:28:15.720 Easter in a show called Fantasy Focus, a four hour 0:28:15.840 --> 0:28:19.000 radio show talking fantasy football heading into the one o'clock 0:28:19.040 --> 0:28:23.000 window there I showed I showed it into that once 0:28:23.000 --> 0:28:25.560 a week, and as the year went along, if they 0:28:25.600 --> 0:28:27.920 needed someone else to fill in on any show, where 0:28:29.080 --> 0:28:31.240 I was. I was doing it and it was mainly weekends, 0:28:31.240 --> 0:28:34.240 like they weren't letting me near the weekday line. So 0:28:34.880 --> 0:28:37.399 like they were and I'm blaming them, Like god, if 0:28:37.400 --> 0:28:39.200 I went back and listen to some of those shows now, 0:28:39.280 --> 0:28:42.040 I'm sure they'd be awful. But it was that. It was, 0:28:42.120 --> 0:28:44.800 you know, continuing to do that and then transitioning into 0:28:45.040 --> 0:28:47.640 the four to six am slot before Mike and Mike 0:28:48.160 --> 0:28:50.600 doing that with you know, Robin Lemberg as a partner 0:28:50.640 --> 0:28:52.880 at first, and then doing solo radio from four to 0:28:52.920 --> 0:28:55.280 six in the morning for three and a half years. 0:28:55.360 --> 0:29:03.760 Whoa whoa, whoa whoa four to six, that's what I mean. 0:29:04.680 --> 0:29:07.280 Just driving into work and truck drivers listening to me, 0:29:07.360 --> 0:29:09.400 Like my bosses weren't even up listening to me at 0:29:09.400 --> 0:29:11.960 that point. But it was reps every day in front 0:29:12.000 --> 0:29:14.080 of the microphone. It was the most valuable thing that 0:29:14.120 --> 0:29:20.320 I have done so far. And four to six that 0:29:20.360 --> 0:29:23.080 means you got up it. You got up at least 0:29:23.080 --> 0:29:27.640 to something to get ready right, alarm went off at 0:29:27.640 --> 0:29:30.240 two thirty, was out of the house by like two. 0:29:30.600 --> 0:29:34.600 How many times did you hit the snooze though? Oh 0:29:34.760 --> 0:29:38.080 I see, I'm so I'm a neurotic, former offensive lineman. 0:29:38.120 --> 0:29:40.920 I had like six alarms set every morning because I 0:29:40.960 --> 0:29:44.120 was terrified of being late for work. That would wake 0:29:44.240 --> 0:29:45.840 that used to wake me up. I used to do 0:29:45.840 --> 0:29:49.840 is Sunday Show's on that call time was at five. 0:29:50.840 --> 0:29:53.280 Had to be at the at the State, at the 0:29:53.560 --> 0:29:58.800 studio for four four oh five, and then I had 0:29:58.840 --> 0:30:03.360 to snooze question seven. Seven minutes and thirty five seconds 0:30:03.440 --> 0:30:08.000 was my snooze. That seven minutes felt good? Didn't No 0:30:08.840 --> 0:30:13.080 minutes felt that thirty five seconds that was to make 0:30:13.120 --> 0:30:17.160 a break. I'll get up. That's and wake up in 0:30:17.240 --> 0:30:20.800 the shower. The snooze sleep is good. It's risky though 0:30:21.000 --> 0:30:26.320 that set you start to see, Okay, I'm back, I'm back. 0:30:26.920 --> 0:30:29.480 I used to go to sleep scared though have you 0:30:29.520 --> 0:30:33.920 ever went to sleep scared? Oh? So the first time 0:30:33.960 --> 0:30:37.120 I ever, um, I wasn't even filling in, but I 0:30:37.160 --> 0:30:38.880 was getting to come over and do like an hour. 0:30:39.160 --> 0:30:41.560 So this was a couple of years into that where 0:30:42.080 --> 0:30:44.120 they let me come over and fill in like an 0:30:44.120 --> 0:30:46.800 hour portion of Mike and Mikey when it was you know, 0:30:46.800 --> 0:30:48.760 it was still Mike and Mike at that point, I 0:30:48.800 --> 0:30:51.040 slept for forty five minutes that night. I was like, 0:30:51.160 --> 0:30:53.440 I'm gonna get up there and say something dumb. I'm 0:30:53.440 --> 0:30:56.000 gonna cuss on air. They're never gonna let me back here, 0:30:56.080 --> 0:30:59.680 like I was night before a game, nervous and slept 0:30:59.720 --> 0:31:02.720 for five minutes before that, just like could not get 0:31:02.720 --> 0:31:06.080 myself to settle down. That is the worst I've been. 0:31:06.200 --> 0:31:08.640 I've done that too. Were you just kind of like 0:31:09.040 --> 0:31:13.600 or you wake up every hour checking o'clock and yeah, 0:31:13.680 --> 0:31:16.280 and it's and people are like, oh, he looked like 0:31:16.280 --> 0:31:18.680 he was out all night. No, brothers are struggling. He 0:31:21.040 --> 0:31:29.040 in that nine. You sit there sleep story five. Now, 0:31:29.120 --> 0:31:32.200 your heart in your in your shoe. You got an 0:31:32.200 --> 0:31:34.760 alarm set on the phone. You have alarm setting another 0:31:34.760 --> 0:31:37.160 clock in the room. You gotta put one across the room. 0:31:37.240 --> 0:31:39.680 So all those sales, you gotta get up and get 0:31:39.680 --> 0:31:44.120 that one. Or the one time I foolishly did had 0:31:44.160 --> 0:31:50.080 them call me from downstairs. And one time they well 0:31:50.080 --> 0:31:52.600 they called me and I'm in a shower. Damn. They 0:31:52.640 --> 0:31:55.160 almost died trying to get get get to the phone 0:31:55.240 --> 0:31:58.440 because they keep calling. They keep calling. I hit when 0:31:58.480 --> 0:32:01.960 you nack it, Oh no, just listen when you naked 0:32:02.160 --> 0:32:03.920 mean and you don't have socks on. You just got 0:32:03.920 --> 0:32:07.200 bare feet. You hit that water and that you try 0:32:07.240 --> 0:32:13.080 to hit that curve in the bathroom, whoa wait, almost 0:32:13.120 --> 0:32:18.400 an accident. I'm bleeding out. You get that little hydroplane 0:32:19.920 --> 0:32:22.680 that that'll wake you up more than any shower by 0:32:22.720 --> 0:32:25.080 the way to that first time you like almost slip 0:32:25.200 --> 0:32:28.520 on something at like three in the morning, wide away, 0:32:28.720 --> 0:32:34.720 ready to go. The worst thing though, the glass uh 0:32:34.880 --> 0:32:39.720 shower door, walk straight into it. I forgot it was there. 0:32:40.240 --> 0:32:44.560 They reminded you. I thought it was open, she was closed. 0:32:47.800 --> 0:32:53.440 And that's happened to you before I call myself all 0:32:53.520 --> 0:32:57.880 kind of stuff. Yep, that'll that'll wake you up and 0:32:58.000 --> 0:33:01.160 humble you. Yeah, it's nothing like walking into that glass 0:33:01.160 --> 0:33:03.640 door that that you thought was open and it's really 0:33:03.680 --> 0:33:07.680 not and you run smack into it. That this happened 0:33:07.720 --> 0:33:10.520 to the best of us. Play has happened to you? Yeah, 0:33:10.520 --> 0:33:17.080 it happened to me. Work once. It was pretty embarrassing work. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:33:17.160 --> 0:33:22.160 that's that's that's embarrassing. Damn. So what they did they 0:33:22.240 --> 0:33:26.000 nickname me for a couple of days. Nah, there are 0:33:25.960 --> 0:33:27.560 a lot of people. See it's just a few, it's 0:33:27.560 --> 0:33:30.440 only two or three. So I I tested myself off, 0:33:30.520 --> 0:33:32.560 keep it going, keep it moving. How is this set up? 0:33:32.600 --> 0:33:34.520 How did you walk in one of those are like 0:33:34.880 --> 0:33:38.520 glass fishbowl kind of conference rooms and it looks I 0:33:38.560 --> 0:33:41.280 mean it's just you know, straight thin glass, so you 0:33:41.320 --> 0:33:43.000 couldn't tell if it was open and closed, and there 0:33:43.040 --> 0:33:45.400 happened to be you know, it was. It was a 0:33:45.400 --> 0:33:48.480 little bit sun someone's in my eyes. I walked smack 0:33:48.520 --> 0:33:50.760 into it trying to did you walk into it trying 0:33:50.760 --> 0:33:59.800 to go into the meeting leaving? Yeah? It was, it was. 0:33:59.360 --> 0:34:03.480 It's all good. Hopefully it wasn't. Hopefully it wasn't like 0:34:03.520 --> 0:34:13.879 I'm leaving you can actually we're gonna lay you off 0:34:13.920 --> 0:34:18.200 after that. I've been kicked out a bit of homes. 0:34:18.360 --> 0:34:26.480 This what's um? What what has been a process been 0:34:26.520 --> 0:34:30.840 like for you? At ESPN? You know, we see this 0:34:30.920 --> 0:34:33.000 big old you know what they called it the car wash, 0:34:33.120 --> 0:34:38.319 but you see just this big old institution cranking out 0:34:38.520 --> 0:34:42.120 content left and right. You know, there's I've been there 0:34:44.200 --> 0:34:47.440 and they've always you know, I've been there several times 0:34:47.440 --> 0:34:49.520 and they've switched it. You know, it's been it's always 0:34:49.560 --> 0:34:52.319 been a campus, but it's not. It hasn't always been 0:34:52.880 --> 0:34:57.520 the glorious campus that it is today. Yeah, that was 0:34:57.760 --> 0:34:59.600 that was a crazy purpose. I guess. I grew up 0:34:59.640 --> 0:35:01.359 out here. So when I first got here and dad 0:35:01.400 --> 0:35:03.840 was working at the ESPN, it was like three buildings. 0:35:04.080 --> 0:35:06.160 And now it's it is what you just described. It's 0:35:06.239 --> 0:35:09.880 college campus. You've got this huge you know, it used 0:35:09.880 --> 0:35:12.520 to be these big satellite dishes for everything, and now 0:35:12.560 --> 0:35:16.560 it's all gone digital. Like the growth of campus has 0:35:16.560 --> 0:35:19.040 been pretty wild here. And then like you get there 0:35:19.040 --> 0:35:22.320 on the inside, and I don't know, like I remember 0:35:22.360 --> 0:35:24.480 a lot of like the first like you go around 0:35:24.560 --> 0:35:26.880 and you see the inside of the Sports Center studio 0:35:26.960 --> 0:35:28.719 for the first time, and you're looking around at this 0:35:28.800 --> 0:35:31.000 thing like I would sit around in college and watch 0:35:31.080 --> 0:35:34.319 three times back to back during the course of the day, 0:35:34.320 --> 0:35:36.720 and you just kind of have those pitch yourself moments. 0:35:36.719 --> 0:35:40.440 And and I think for me, like getting opportunities to 0:35:40.760 --> 0:35:43.759 work with people that I had been watching as like 0:35:43.840 --> 0:35:46.200 you know, a high school and a college player, and 0:35:46.200 --> 0:35:48.719 and getting a chance to see them up close and 0:35:48.800 --> 0:35:54.759 then really just kind of seeing seeing through them more 0:35:54.800 --> 0:35:56.880 of the stuff that I wanted to do. Like obviously 0:35:56.920 --> 0:35:58.719 I grew up with the you know, the best role 0:35:58.760 --> 0:36:01.520 model for this and my dad and getting to see 0:36:01.520 --> 0:36:03.800 the way he did it up close for two decades 0:36:04.000 --> 0:36:08.560 was invaluable for me. Like getting to see, like, you know, 0:36:08.920 --> 0:36:12.040 Michelle Beatle and Marcelis matt Crew out in Sports Nation 0:36:12.080 --> 0:36:14.040 and the way that they made TV out there. I 0:36:14.080 --> 0:36:15.760 looked at that and said, all right, that's a really 0:36:15.800 --> 0:36:19.400 interesting way they're doing this. What can I take from that? Um, 0:36:19.480 --> 0:36:21.640 Michael Smith and Jamal Hill and they were doing his 0:36:21.719 --> 0:36:24.000 and hers. I was like, okay, you're you're doing a 0:36:24.040 --> 0:36:27.439 show with your friends, taking chances on air, and they're 0:36:27.480 --> 0:36:29.600 giving you the space to do that like they were. 0:36:30.000 --> 0:36:32.680 They were the cool kids table when I got to ESPN, 0:36:33.040 --> 0:36:35.200 like smell and all the stuff that they were doing, 0:36:35.920 --> 0:36:39.000 and I I tell anyone who will listen, I am 0:36:39.120 --> 0:36:41.440 so indebted to them because again you talk about how 0:36:41.440 --> 0:36:45.000 I came into ESPN, I was very self conscious about 0:36:45.080 --> 0:36:47.799 being Mike goli senior son around there and how people 0:36:47.800 --> 0:36:51.759 would perceive me. And Michael and Jamal treated me like 0:36:51.880 --> 0:36:55.919 me and they gave me opportunities on their shows. They 0:36:55.960 --> 0:36:58.279 took me in and treated me like a friend, and 0:36:58.560 --> 0:37:01.920 it settled me down own so much because these people 0:37:02.040 --> 0:37:04.560 that were, you know, at the time, two of the 0:37:04.560 --> 0:37:08.840 most successful people and like unbelievably kind and nice and 0:37:08.920 --> 0:37:11.560 still are even you know, not in our building anymore. 0:37:11.560 --> 0:37:15.560 But just the fact that those people like reached reached 0:37:15.560 --> 0:37:18.000 out and made me feel at home really kind of 0:37:18.040 --> 0:37:20.000 helped start to settle me in. It's like, all right, 0:37:20.520 --> 0:37:23.080 you can start to be your own person here. You're 0:37:23.080 --> 0:37:25.799 gonna be able to find an identity here. Let me 0:37:25.840 --> 0:37:29.120 ask you without mentioning names. There you're talking about so 0:37:29.120 --> 0:37:33.360 many people that I knew who your last name, we were, 0:37:33.800 --> 0:37:36.279 and they just allowed you to be yourself and they 0:37:36.320 --> 0:37:41.279 looked past that without naming names and just really just 0:37:41.320 --> 0:37:43.640 talking about talking about the others, the ugly side of 0:37:43.640 --> 0:37:46.600 the business, what you experience and how you retreat it 0:37:46.719 --> 0:37:50.840 because of your name and and this isn't about you know, 0:37:51.000 --> 0:37:52.920 you out in people any of that stuff, but just 0:37:53.000 --> 0:37:57.880 kind of giving the audience understanding of what you see 0:37:57.920 --> 0:38:00.919 the final product. Just like a football game you see 0:38:00.960 --> 0:38:05.120 on Sunday or Thursday night or Monday night, you're you know, 0:38:05.200 --> 0:38:08.080 the shows you're on. There's so much that goes on 0:38:08.239 --> 0:38:11.600 behind the scenes that people think one of your fad 0:38:11.719 --> 0:38:15.839 lines that you don't have your own personality you don't 0:38:15.880 --> 0:38:18.239 really know what you're talking about. I just go through 0:38:18.239 --> 0:38:20.960 that business aspect of it that no one really sees 0:38:21.040 --> 0:38:24.440 that you you don't really reveal on social media because 0:38:25.600 --> 0:38:30.719 nobody really wants to see the ugliness of of business, right, Like, 0:38:30.880 --> 0:38:33.719 this is a horrible analogy, but I'll say it. You know, 0:38:34.760 --> 0:38:37.799 loved me and a wife loved and everybody here who's 0:38:37.840 --> 0:38:43.000 a parent love making the kids. But there are some days, 0:38:43.360 --> 0:38:47.040 depending on what illness they have, what time of day 0:38:47.080 --> 0:38:49.040 it is, or hot early it is in the morning, 0:38:50.160 --> 0:38:53.399 and you're like, God, bless him, right, you know, whether 0:38:53.400 --> 0:38:56.359 it's a poopy diaper or somebody's throwing up at one 0:38:56.400 --> 0:38:58.960 in the morning, you have sleep, like just all that 0:38:59.000 --> 0:39:06.399 stuff that was just a teenagers that was a go yeah. 0:39:06.480 --> 0:39:08.799 But you know, so tell us about that part of it. 0:39:10.040 --> 0:39:13.120 The thing that we get hit with the most, especially ESPN, 0:39:13.280 --> 0:39:15.920 is people act like, well, they tell you what to 0:39:15.960 --> 0:39:18.120 talk about, or they tell you you can't have an 0:39:18.160 --> 0:39:21.640 opinion on X, Y or Z. Especially you know a 0:39:21.680 --> 0:39:23.600 lot of times that's with subjects that come up and 0:39:23.680 --> 0:39:25.760 have to do with you know, the intersection of racing, 0:39:25.800 --> 0:39:27.960 sports and what's going on in politics. When they connect 0:39:28.000 --> 0:39:31.600 with sports and stuff like that was like feedback is 0:39:31.680 --> 0:39:36.840 so hard to come by in general. Good, Yeah, you 0:39:36.960 --> 0:39:40.480 gotta seek people out and ask people that you trust 0:39:40.480 --> 0:39:42.319 and like have them do it because everyone's got their 0:39:42.320 --> 0:39:45.080 own jobs, they're worried about their stuff, and with how 0:39:45.080 --> 0:39:47.080 hard that is to come by, I'm always like, guys, 0:39:47.080 --> 0:39:49.120 they're they're not going to take the time to come 0:39:49.160 --> 0:39:51.799 down to dictate every little thing I'm going to say 0:39:51.800 --> 0:39:54.640 on Eric here, Like that is not how it works. 0:39:54.640 --> 0:39:56.920 And so because I'm always that always ticks me off 0:39:56.960 --> 0:39:59.640 because it's like, listen, you can sit here and blame 0:39:59.719 --> 0:40:01.600 the SPN and say they told you to say this, 0:40:01.880 --> 0:40:04.840 or you can realize that I got this opinion, and 0:40:04.880 --> 0:40:06.759 then you've got to just have this conversation with be. 0:40:06.880 --> 0:40:09.240 You don't have the out of blaming it on somebody else, 0:40:09.440 --> 0:40:11.000 and then Washington is the way You're gonna have to 0:40:11.000 --> 0:40:13.520 sit here and have this out with me. So that's 0:40:13.560 --> 0:40:15.399 that's the most bothersome thing because we put a lot 0:40:15.400 --> 0:40:17.080 of work into that. Like when I get done with 0:40:17.120 --> 0:40:18.759 you guys, I'm gonna go to our one o'clock show 0:40:18.800 --> 0:40:21.520 meeting and we're gonna bat around ideas there and try 0:40:21.600 --> 0:40:23.840 and figure out first off, what do we think anyone's 0:40:23.840 --> 0:40:26.120 gonna be interesting in? What do we feel strongly enough 0:40:26.160 --> 0:40:29.279 about here? How can we make it interesting because for 0:40:29.400 --> 0:40:32.040 our time slot, and this was part of feeling like 0:40:32.040 --> 0:40:34.959 a rookie this past year was I went from doing 0:40:35.000 --> 0:40:36.960 the morning show with Dad and Trade for the last 0:40:37.239 --> 0:40:39.879 two and a half years, tending out doing afternoon Drive 0:40:39.960 --> 0:40:42.279 from four to seven. And by the time you get 0:40:42.280 --> 0:40:45.520 to us, you know, unless news breaks, you've heard these 0:40:45.520 --> 0:40:49.680 stories two, three or four times. You've heard about ten 0:40:49.760 --> 0:40:54.520 different networks, ten different personalities, ten different voices. You got 0:40:54.560 --> 0:40:59.880 the yellows, the screamers, the mumblers, to whisper. You just 0:41:00.080 --> 0:41:03.279 have everything and people don't even realize that everything you're 0:41:03.320 --> 0:41:05.240 going through from four to six, you gotta have two 0:41:05.520 --> 0:41:10.480 two and a half hours of content and then if 0:41:10.560 --> 0:41:15.120 something crazy breaks, you have to form your opinion about 0:41:15.160 --> 0:41:20.239 that immediately. That was the most interesting part about this 0:41:20.320 --> 0:41:22.759 year was learning how to do that. Like you talk 0:41:22.840 --> 0:41:26.040 about something new. We had been on the air for 0:41:26.120 --> 0:41:29.959 maybe a month, me and and we had a whole 0:41:30.000 --> 0:41:32.080 show ready to go again. Like so we start at 0:41:32.120 --> 0:41:34.560 one o'clock and we start putting the show together. From there, 0:41:34.640 --> 0:41:39.400 we're constantly in contact with our producers and trying to 0:41:39.440 --> 0:41:41.120 make sure we give them stuff early enough so that 0:41:41.160 --> 0:41:43.160 the TV side of things, because we're on Plus, can 0:41:43.160 --> 0:41:47.200 have this queue up. And so then it is three 0:41:47.280 --> 0:41:50.600 fifty six, and all of a sudden, it's hey, um, 0:41:50.719 --> 0:41:52.800 the Milwaukee Bucks aren't going out in the court in 0:41:52.840 --> 0:41:58.120 the bubble, and hey, the rest of the NBA they're 0:41:58.120 --> 0:42:00.440 all not going out tonight either because of what we're 0:42:00.480 --> 0:42:03.080 on in Milwaukee and the you know, the violence and 0:42:03.080 --> 0:42:07.560 the violence by police officers and going on in the country. Then, 0:42:08.480 --> 0:42:12.480 and so we had to scrap the entire show and 0:42:12.520 --> 0:42:14.959 then immediately go into all right, we gotta get guests 0:42:15.000 --> 0:42:16.359 that are going to be able to tell us what's 0:42:16.400 --> 0:42:19.200 going on inside the NBA bubble, who are people in there? 0:42:19.440 --> 0:42:21.920 And then oh, by the way, try and navigate you know, 0:42:22.360 --> 0:42:25.120 you know, we were extremely fortunate at that point is 0:42:25.120 --> 0:42:27.480 a current w NBA player, she's playing with Sparks still 0:42:27.600 --> 0:42:29.279 her sister. You know, she wasn't in the bubble because 0:42:29.280 --> 0:42:31.880 she was dealing with coming back from injury. But her 0:42:31.920 --> 0:42:33.520 sister is the president of the w n B A 0:42:33.600 --> 0:42:36.200 p A. And so we immediately had to do, Steve, 0:42:36.239 --> 0:42:37.839 what you guys. You know what we always hear about 0:42:37.840 --> 0:42:40.920 as former players is take people inside what's going on 0:42:41.000 --> 0:42:43.120 that locker room and in that space. It wasn't only 0:42:43.800 --> 0:42:47.560 take people inside what they're dealing with as a players 0:42:47.600 --> 0:42:51.440 association and leagues trying to go through and navigate this 0:42:51.600 --> 0:42:55.600 incredibly complex developing situation, but also then for Tone, I 0:42:55.640 --> 0:42:57.279 was like, you're a you're a black woman in this 0:42:57.320 --> 0:42:59.560 country having to watch all this stuff play out right now, 0:42:59.760 --> 0:43:02.800 And we had to have those conversations that we hadn't 0:43:02.800 --> 0:43:04.919 had together yet off air, that we hadn't had time 0:43:04.960 --> 0:43:06.839 to plan for. We had to have them on air 0:43:06.960 --> 0:43:11.680 pretty candidly. Good, do it, good, do it? Then get 0:43:11.719 --> 0:43:16.160 down to do it good? Hey, Gerard, why did you 0:43:16.200 --> 0:43:18.520 get that T shirt? You mean this thing? Oh yes, 0:43:18.880 --> 0:43:20.839 I got it from cut to a podcast dot com 0:43:20.880 --> 0:43:24.000 where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to our guys 0:43:24.040 --> 0:43:25.839 at seven or four shot. But yeah, you can go on, 0:43:26.200 --> 0:43:28.520 buy you a T shirt, subscribe to us wherever you 0:43:28.560 --> 0:43:35.359 listen to podcasts. How does a guy who primarily you know, 0:43:35.480 --> 0:43:38.000 dad played in the NFL. You know you had your 0:43:38.000 --> 0:43:44.440 standard NFL um You're in New Jersey in Connecticut, you know, 0:43:44.840 --> 0:43:48.200 I mean you have no idea what it's like to 0:43:48.440 --> 0:43:51.760 go through with any of the people were going through 0:43:52.040 --> 0:43:54.600 or the stands that they were taking, And how do 0:43:54.760 --> 0:43:59.840 you talk about a subject that you have no damn 0:43:59.840 --> 0:44:05.960 idea about? Mostly by listening. Like I grew up in like, 0:44:06.280 --> 0:44:09.279 I grew up in an incredibly like homogeneous like my 0:44:09.360 --> 0:44:12.120 town was basically all white name I didn't want to 0:44:12.800 --> 0:44:15.640 so I just let you say, I appreciate that. Yeah, 0:44:16.800 --> 0:44:19.239 I went to I mean, I mean basically in all 0:44:19.239 --> 0:44:21.800 white middle school. My high school was a little different. 0:44:21.800 --> 0:44:24.120 I went to a Catholic high school right in the 0:44:24.160 --> 0:44:26.600 town where I actually live in now, and that was 0:44:26.640 --> 0:44:28.920 a lot more diverse group of people. So there I 0:44:28.920 --> 0:44:32.080 started to meeting with backgrounds that were way dissimilar from 0:44:32.080 --> 0:44:34.520 my own. And then the same thing happens. I'm in 0:44:34.520 --> 0:44:36.880 a college football locker room here, So now I'm around 0:44:36.880 --> 0:44:38.400 a lot of people that don't look like me and 0:44:38.440 --> 0:44:40.840 don't come from where I came from. And I was 0:44:40.880 --> 0:44:42.840 fortunate that I had friends that would sit down and 0:44:42.840 --> 0:44:44.960 talk with me about this stuff. And I just made 0:44:44.960 --> 0:44:46.480 the decision that I'm going to shut the hell up 0:44:46.480 --> 0:44:49.120 and listen to stuff that I don't know about, and 0:44:49.160 --> 0:44:54.560 so before I got to Yeah, it's just it became 0:44:54.600 --> 0:44:56.839 that where I was fortunate, I had friends that took 0:44:56.880 --> 0:44:59.479 the time to explain to me what they were going through, 0:44:59.760 --> 0:45:02.719 and I just tried to stop and listen along the way. 0:45:02.800 --> 0:45:05.200 And and when people push back on that, when people 0:45:05.239 --> 0:45:07.520 that look like me push back on some of those things, 0:45:08.040 --> 0:45:10.759 I try and see if I can't be you know 0:45:10.880 --> 0:45:13.319 someone who says, all right, well, have you considered this 0:45:13.400 --> 0:45:16.719 perspective that this group of people have offered up here? 0:45:16.960 --> 0:45:19.720 Have you thought about it from the way that they're 0:45:19.880 --> 0:45:22.439 dealing with and having to go through these things, even 0:45:22.440 --> 0:45:24.120 if the perspective is at your own, Because for a 0:45:24.120 --> 0:45:26.840 lot of people, they don't have the luxury of the 0:45:26.880 --> 0:45:29.600 experience I've had where they've got to sit and not 0:45:29.680 --> 0:45:32.840 only like sit and talk with you know, black brown 0:45:32.880 --> 0:45:35.239 people from all different backgrounds, but then like god, in 0:45:35.239 --> 0:45:37.880 a football locker room, you go through hell together. So like, 0:45:38.360 --> 0:45:40.840 I love so many things about this person in the 0:45:40.880 --> 0:45:43.399 way they handle themselves here. That's why I always get 0:45:43.440 --> 0:45:45.520 hung up when people try and like act like folks 0:45:45.520 --> 0:45:48.320 are lying about this stuff. I was like, you, you 0:45:49.239 --> 0:45:51.719 love and go through so much and respect so much 0:45:51.800 --> 0:45:53.919 about who this person is to you in this locker 0:45:54.000 --> 0:45:56.120 room and your experiences with them, and all of a 0:45:56.120 --> 0:45:58.640 sudden you assume that on this one thing that's so 0:45:58.800 --> 0:46:00.919 near and dear to them, they're gonna I knew about that. 0:46:02.120 --> 0:46:04.560 It just doesn't make sense. I mean, you you brought 0:46:04.640 --> 0:46:07.760 up I think, just a remarkable answer and just listening, 0:46:07.840 --> 0:46:09.719 especially in the day and age on social media where 0:46:09.760 --> 0:46:12.920 everyone wants to respond and not a lot of people 0:46:13.440 --> 0:46:15.319 say that they want to listen, and you are very 0:46:15.360 --> 0:46:18.040 active on social media. Everyone seems to love it, they 0:46:18.080 --> 0:46:20.279 hate it. What do you love about social media? And 0:46:20.280 --> 0:46:25.319 then what do you hate about social media? Umof what 0:46:25.400 --> 0:46:29.160 do I love is that it can expose you to 0:46:29.280 --> 0:46:31.920 a lot of different ideas, Like it's still I think 0:46:31.920 --> 0:46:34.959 in the best form a gateway to like longer form 0:46:35.000 --> 0:46:37.640 comment Like I really enjoy following writers that I liked 0:46:37.719 --> 0:46:40.640 on there, people that are content creators and other mediums. There, 0:46:40.640 --> 0:46:44.120 people that bring opinions again from you know, backgrounds and 0:46:44.200 --> 0:46:45.840 areas that I haven't been a part of, and you 0:46:45.880 --> 0:46:48.040 can get exposed to a lot of that just by 0:46:48.080 --> 0:46:50.120 the way the algorithm works there, and you know, you 0:46:50.160 --> 0:46:51.920 get to interact with fans like I think in this 0:46:52.000 --> 0:46:54.960 job especially, we're always looking for ways to try and 0:46:55.000 --> 0:46:57.600 figure out what fans are talking about or what the 0:46:57.640 --> 0:47:01.040 conversation looks like, and so that's a pretty unique window 0:47:01.080 --> 0:47:04.319 into that. The thing that I hate about it is 0:47:04.360 --> 0:47:07.240 any time it actually takes away from living life away 0:47:07.239 --> 0:47:09.160 from the screen, like I've tried to make like a 0:47:09.200 --> 0:47:13.600 really big habit, especially now because I mean hell, most 0:47:13.600 --> 0:47:15.880 of my close friends are spread all over the country, 0:47:16.040 --> 0:47:18.000 so when I get a chance to see them, especially 0:47:18.040 --> 0:47:21.440 post pandemic, that time is precious. Those moments are limited. 0:47:21.480 --> 0:47:24.000 My family is the same way now, so you know, 0:47:24.040 --> 0:47:26.160 it's almost a running joke in my family where if 0:47:26.200 --> 0:47:29.120 I'm visiting someone and that include my family, you usually 0:47:29.160 --> 0:47:30.919 won't hear from me for that couple of days because 0:47:30.920 --> 0:47:32.720 I'm trying to keep the phone stuffed in my pocket. 0:47:32.800 --> 0:47:34.640 I'm trying to stay off social as much as i 0:47:34.680 --> 0:47:37.560 can and make sure that, like, the main thing is 0:47:37.560 --> 0:47:39.960 still the main thing. So when it gets it, when 0:47:39.960 --> 0:47:41.920 it gets in the way of the real life interactions, 0:47:41.960 --> 0:47:47.600 that's when it becomes bad for me. I hate, Yeah, 0:47:48.239 --> 0:47:55.440 what what do I I just dislike I just dislike 0:47:55.840 --> 0:48:03.160 you have There's really no gray anymore. It's either you 0:48:03.200 --> 0:48:08.279 know it's black or white, right, It's literally yes or no, 0:48:08.880 --> 0:48:13.359 love or hate. There's there's no in between. There's no like, Man, 0:48:13.400 --> 0:48:16.920 I can see your perspective. It's just like you're you're dumb, 0:48:17.040 --> 0:48:20.280 You're this, you're that. You don't know anything that was great. 0:48:21.160 --> 0:48:27.480 It's never any like happy medium of Hey, um, you 0:48:27.480 --> 0:48:29.040 know I was. I was doing a couple of weeks ago. 0:48:29.000 --> 0:48:32.640 I was doing the Colts and Panthers game, and unfortunately, 0:48:32.640 --> 0:48:36.279 when the players got hurt, right, and I just said, man, 0:48:36.400 --> 0:48:39.279 way looks way hit. I know I'm not supposed to 0:48:39.680 --> 0:48:41.400 say it, but it looks like in the way his 0:48:41.520 --> 0:48:45.680 responding looks like you towards a c L. Someonne's on there. Um, 0:48:46.000 --> 0:48:50.560 the team showed me the guy. Literally, you're barely an analyst. 0:48:51.120 --> 0:48:57.680 Don't start trying to say whether guy's hurt or not. Unfortunately, 0:48:57.760 --> 0:48:59.759 guy's hurt. So I was kind of right, and I 0:49:00.000 --> 0:49:03.279 so wanted our team to respond back to him like, hey, dumbass, 0:49:03.920 --> 0:49:05.759 I kind of know what I'm talking about, right. My 0:49:05.880 --> 0:49:08.800 job is the as a receiver. I looked at body movement, 0:49:09.600 --> 0:49:14.520 right or the other thing. Everybody came on got on 0:49:14.640 --> 0:49:19.840 me so much, and I've been saving this one? Is 0:49:19.840 --> 0:49:24.920 it what I take right now? You know? You remember 0:49:26.320 --> 0:49:33.719 when the Arizona Cardinals drafted Kyler Murray? Remember that? And 0:49:33.880 --> 0:49:36.719 I was on the show. And the next day Josh 0:49:37.400 --> 0:49:44.360 Rosen goes head and he unfollows the Arizona Cardinals, and 0:49:44.400 --> 0:49:46.760 I went in on him like, man, this kid blah 0:49:46.800 --> 0:49:49.960 blah blah blah blah, and I got so and everybody 0:49:50.000 --> 0:49:54.919 steve your dirt bag, you're this, you're that. Four years later, 0:49:54.960 --> 0:49:59.279 now that brother is parking Actually no, he got a 0:49:59.320 --> 0:50:02.120 lot of money, not play, so he's not parking any cars. 0:50:03.719 --> 0:50:06.920 But it's just like everybody was on me, how dare 0:50:07.000 --> 0:50:11.160 you this and that? Now four years later? Mm hmm. 0:50:12.840 --> 0:50:19.280 Handsome boy genius was correct. But I guess no box 0:50:19.320 --> 0:50:26.600 of cookies. No one's sending me any flowers, congratulated me. Nothing. 0:50:27.640 --> 0:50:31.920 Cleo didn't see me anything saying that I foresaw. She 0:50:32.080 --> 0:50:43.080 was called me now for your free I called me now, yes, yes, 0:50:47.520 --> 0:50:54.040 when you want your reading. Carl Smitty smitty psychic, smitty 0:50:54.360 --> 0:51:02.200 psychic Now in make I'm a lot longer, but he'd 0:51:02.239 --> 0:51:06.920 tell you it's gonna come. Yeah. And and so so 0:51:06.960 --> 0:51:09.960 many people just have so many bad things to say, 0:51:10.200 --> 0:51:12.680 and I was four years later and now all those 0:51:12.880 --> 0:51:16.960 mamma jammers, it's been four years. Been four years. It's 0:51:16.960 --> 0:51:20.880 been four years, bro, what four teams or four years? 0:51:21.760 --> 0:51:24.319 And it is amazing too. People will always come out 0:51:24.320 --> 0:51:26.520 of the woodwork years later to remind you when you're wrong. 0:51:28.600 --> 0:51:34.719 When I'm right. Nope, So let me roll this thing 0:51:34.840 --> 0:51:40.279 back up and take it off the table. Now. I'm 0:51:40.280 --> 0:51:43.920 glad I was here when you're dusted it off. He 0:51:44.239 --> 0:51:48.520 started laying all that I thought you would never ask. 0:51:52.360 --> 0:51:56.080 Mike Golick Jr. What makes you tick? Man? Who are 0:51:56.120 --> 0:51:59.520 you outside of all the sports stuff and your dad 0:51:59.640 --> 0:52:04.719 just you know, just removed the junior Who who are you? Um? 0:52:04.800 --> 0:52:06.680 When I when we see you the next time on 0:52:06.760 --> 0:52:09.960 television here and you talk about college football and doing 0:52:09.960 --> 0:52:13.560 the games that you do an excellent job on who 0:52:13.640 --> 0:52:15.839 who are you? Who? Who is the who's the man 0:52:16.000 --> 0:52:18.799 that that that everybody knows who his father is, but 0:52:18.880 --> 0:52:22.319 not necessarily have a great understanding who who you are 0:52:22.480 --> 0:52:26.799 independently outside of your family family name. Yeah, yeah, I 0:52:26.880 --> 0:52:29.480 think for me, my my goal is to always be 0:52:29.520 --> 0:52:33.839 a great teammate, like whatever whatever part of life that is. 0:52:33.920 --> 0:52:38.160 So if you see me on you know, a TV 0:52:38.280 --> 0:52:41.920 or radio program or doing a game, and or you 0:52:41.960 --> 0:52:44.200 work with me in one of those. My goal is 0:52:44.239 --> 0:52:48.360 to hopefully always come out of that leaving the impression 0:52:48.440 --> 0:52:51.359 that all right, I was gonna do whatever I could 0:52:51.440 --> 0:52:54.000 to make sure that everyone there succeeded, because like, we 0:52:54.040 --> 0:52:55.920 all got a job, Like we've got different titles and 0:52:55.960 --> 0:52:57.759 all these things, but we're all here to put a 0:52:57.800 --> 0:53:00.560 show on here, and I want to make sure that 0:53:00.640 --> 0:53:04.560 everyone's getting what they need to succeed. And you know 0:53:04.680 --> 0:53:07.160 that for me goes off the field too. Like I said, 0:53:07.200 --> 0:53:09.920 I got, you know, family that all lives in different spots. 0:53:10.000 --> 0:53:11.799 Now I have my close friends who all live in 0:53:11.840 --> 0:53:14.759 different spots. Now they all have young kids, some of 0:53:14.760 --> 0:53:16.960 whom I'm god parent too. But for the rest of them, 0:53:16.960 --> 0:53:19.160 I uncle Mike you. So I want to be there 0:53:19.640 --> 0:53:21.640 for all of those people. I want to make sure 0:53:22.480 --> 0:53:24.799 that you know, the people that take I take care 0:53:24.800 --> 0:53:27.279 of the people that take care of me. And so 0:53:27.440 --> 0:53:29.680 however that looks, whether it being there in person to 0:53:29.719 --> 0:53:32.919 support them, whether it's a phone call or anything like that. 0:53:33.040 --> 0:53:35.440 Like I I like to think that no matter what 0:53:35.440 --> 0:53:37.480 I'm doing, I'm always trying to go out of my 0:53:37.520 --> 0:53:39.480 way to be a good teammate. And that's not a 0:53:39.520 --> 0:53:41.279 thing that's you know, for me to say. I don't 0:53:41.320 --> 0:53:43.960 know whether I'm getting a passing grade on that or not, 0:53:44.120 --> 0:53:47.200 but that's usually the intention I'm trying to walk into 0:53:47.200 --> 0:53:49.560 the situation with, which is all right, you know what, 0:53:49.640 --> 0:53:51.799 I had a unique experience in the way that I've 0:53:51.840 --> 0:53:54.960 gone through my life here, I have an opportunity to 0:53:55.000 --> 0:53:57.520 be able to share that with people, and in the 0:53:57.560 --> 0:54:00.360 process of that, I just always want to make sure, 0:54:00.000 --> 0:54:02.279 all right, I am fortunate in a lot of ways. 0:54:02.320 --> 0:54:03.759 And I mean that's, you know, outside of just the 0:54:03.760 --> 0:54:07.080 opportunity to again, I grew up not wanting for much 0:54:07.120 --> 0:54:08.960 like I grew up with, you know, with a good 0:54:09.000 --> 0:54:11.319 life that my parents made for me here. And so 0:54:11.320 --> 0:54:12.920 it's like, all right, you started off at a certain 0:54:12.960 --> 0:54:15.440 spot on the ladder here, can you not only go higher, 0:54:15.440 --> 0:54:17.400 but can you try and bring people with? Can you 0:54:17.440 --> 0:54:21.080 try and make sure that you're getting opportunities where it's possible? 0:54:21.200 --> 0:54:25.759 So let me ask you this there is it is 0:54:26.280 --> 0:54:28.319 so what you've experienced as a kid, Is it a 0:54:28.360 --> 0:54:36.719 step up now you're adult or step down? Um? I 0:54:36.760 --> 0:54:39.400 think that's honestly still TBD right, like I'm at a 0:54:39.440 --> 0:54:42.359 good place for work. Lighting in the back will say 0:54:42.360 --> 0:54:45.480 it's a step down. Yeah, well listen, if we're talking 0:54:45.520 --> 0:54:49.560 about just the house, it's my mom and dad got 0:54:49.640 --> 0:54:54.000 nicer house. They got plural I have. I have this one, 0:54:54.160 --> 0:54:57.080 so it's a step down from there. I was just 0:54:57.239 --> 0:54:59.319 at their house in the South End here and coming back, 0:54:59.360 --> 0:55:02.239 I just like look around for a second life. Shit, 0:55:02.280 --> 0:55:07.240 all right, we still not worked. But honestly, that part's 0:55:07.239 --> 0:55:09.440 cool too, because like I got but like Kyle Rudolph 0:55:09.440 --> 0:55:11.080 a place for the giants with one of my roommates 0:55:11.120 --> 0:55:16.160 in college daughter, and um, you know, like I was 0:55:16.239 --> 0:55:18.880 just at Kyle's house two weeks ago in Minnesota and 0:55:18.920 --> 0:55:22.120 it is this like gorgeous, beautiful, huge home on the 0:55:22.160 --> 0:55:24.439 lake out there, and it's like not one of those 0:55:24.480 --> 0:55:27.520 things where it's like ever a jealousy thing, but it's 0:55:27.520 --> 0:55:30.080 a motivator to see the people around you accomplishing at 0:55:30.080 --> 0:55:32.560 a high level. Like everyone always talks about, you know, 0:55:32.640 --> 0:55:35.040 the circle you keep and you being a reflection of that. 0:55:35.120 --> 0:55:37.319 Like I always look around and like take a lot 0:55:37.320 --> 0:55:39.480 of pride in the fact that my friends are doing 0:55:39.520 --> 0:55:42.520 well as parents, you know, whatever their respective careers have 0:55:42.600 --> 0:55:45.160 been and stuff like that, and so, uh, it's at 0:55:45.160 --> 0:55:47.600 the same with my parents, Like, god, how how much 0:55:47.600 --> 0:55:50.200 prouder could you be of two parents than my mom 0:55:50.239 --> 0:55:52.839 and dad? And what my dad's accomplished, and you know what, 0:55:52.880 --> 0:55:55.279 my mom has helped him with so much behind the 0:55:55.320 --> 0:55:58.640 scenes that no one sees the thankless jobs that she's 0:55:58.680 --> 0:56:01.560 done along the way. And so yeah, it's it's it's 0:56:01.560 --> 0:56:03.200 one of those things where I don't know where I 0:56:03.239 --> 0:56:05.279 am on that. That's that's part of the story is 0:56:05.280 --> 0:56:07.520 still getting written. But I know I came in with 0:56:07.560 --> 0:56:09.480 a great opportunity and a little bit ahead of that, 0:56:09.600 --> 0:56:12.399 and I have, you know, kind of taken moments here. 0:56:12.440 --> 0:56:14.080 They're like my moment every year where I kind of 0:56:14.120 --> 0:56:16.960 sit back and like, you know, reflect on everything, is 0:56:16.960 --> 0:56:19.360 always the National Championship in college football. It was a 0:56:19.400 --> 0:56:21.520 game that I was fortunate enough to play him as player. 0:56:21.560 --> 0:56:23.319 I've gotten to cover it every year i've been here 0:56:23.320 --> 0:56:25.759 at ESPN, and so you just get there and it's like, 0:56:25.760 --> 0:56:28.320 all right, like, you know, how how have I changed 0:56:28.360 --> 0:56:30.879 in the last year since we were here last year? 0:56:31.320 --> 0:56:33.440 What have we gone what have I gone through? Or 0:56:33.480 --> 0:56:36.200 you know, what's what's improved? What have we accomplished here? 0:56:36.239 --> 0:56:38.120 And then you know, where do we go from there? 0:56:38.160 --> 0:56:39.839 So that's that's kind of the coolest spot to do 0:56:39.880 --> 0:56:41.960 that every year. And then where we're sitting right now, 0:56:42.520 --> 0:56:44.480 a lot of work to get done, but still feeling 0:56:44.520 --> 0:56:46.640 feeling pretty good about where we're at. Certainly proud of 0:56:46.680 --> 0:56:48.239 a lot of the stuff. The stuff I've put on 0:56:48.280 --> 0:56:51.759 tape so far, what you put on tape is excellent. Man, 0:56:51.760 --> 0:56:53.880 I'm gonna just tell you how I listened to you. 0:56:53.960 --> 0:56:59.560 I'll watch you. There's a limited number of seats at 0:56:59.840 --> 0:57:04.600 s being at NFL network, at Fox. You are just 0:57:04.640 --> 0:57:07.400 like me. We're grateful for our seats, but we also 0:57:08.080 --> 0:57:10.120 we don't get up every day. Said, man, you know 0:57:10.239 --> 0:57:12.839 I need to be grateful you. You're grind and you're 0:57:12.880 --> 0:57:16.160 willing to study. Says that you know you can't come 0:57:16.160 --> 0:57:20.240 to work not knowing your job. If you don't know 0:57:20.320 --> 0:57:26.480 your job, over time, you will get exposed. Oh god, yeah. Yeah. 0:57:26.720 --> 0:57:29.240 But it's also one of those things where you haven't 0:57:29.400 --> 0:57:31.600 rest on your laws. You haven't been like, Man, I'm 0:57:31.640 --> 0:57:34.160 Michael let Junior, So I just come and I'll have 0:57:34.320 --> 0:57:38.400 as do it. You I've seen and watch and I'm 0:57:38.440 --> 0:57:41.800 just man, it's pretty cool. Bro. No, I appreciate that 0:57:41.880 --> 0:57:44.640 I'm listen and you mentioned that last name. I could 0:57:44.720 --> 0:57:47.240 not be prouder, Like there is of all the things 0:57:47.240 --> 0:57:49.240 and that I can promise I've always said the last 0:57:49.320 --> 0:57:51.640 name has been a blessing. Like you always do ask 0:57:51.840 --> 0:57:54.360 what the you know, what the drawbacks have been to 0:57:54.440 --> 0:57:56.840 being I was like, man, if they're there, they're so 0:57:56.960 --> 0:57:59.400 small in comparison to what the benefits have been. Like 0:57:59.720 --> 0:58:01.840 I'm know what a good marriage is supposed to look like. 0:58:01.880 --> 0:58:03.480 I know the way people love each other and how 0:58:03.520 --> 0:58:05.360 they're supposed to treat each other it looks like, and 0:58:05.360 --> 0:58:07.960 how you're supposed to treat other people, let alone all 0:58:08.000 --> 0:58:10.680 the work stuff. That's been great. So now that's uh, 0:58:10.800 --> 0:58:12.960 the last the last name is something I definitely try 0:58:12.960 --> 0:58:14.560 and make sure I go out there and honor because 0:58:14.680 --> 0:58:16.520 a lot of people know it. Like that's been the 0:58:16.560 --> 0:58:18.400 cool part. Man. I got to share my family with 0:58:18.480 --> 0:58:20.680 a lot of other people, like through that show. It 0:58:20.760 --> 0:58:23.440 was a family show, So they got to meet the 0:58:23.480 --> 0:58:25.320 people that I see all the time and see a 0:58:25.360 --> 0:58:27.640 little bit of what makes them tick and see why 0:58:28.200 --> 0:58:30.720 I'm so proud of them. We asked you that this. 0:58:31.800 --> 0:58:37.360 If you can change your name, what name would it be? 0:58:38.520 --> 0:58:46.320 Your first name? Oh, oh man, thought about that. Mine 0:58:46.360 --> 0:58:55.720 was Bishop Bishr. That called me bish Take that and 0:58:55.800 --> 0:58:59.560 make as many jokes as you want. His was his 0:58:59.680 --> 0:59:02.680 was if from Back to the Future. Back to the future. 0:59:03.400 --> 0:59:08.320 So I would say this. I always feel like I'd 0:59:08.360 --> 0:59:12.440 make a decent Bubba. I feel like I got a 0:59:12.440 --> 0:59:16.320 lot of Bubba tendencies. But this is so hit the 0:59:16.400 --> 0:59:21.000 racial profile right there. But I'm gonna bounce. I'm gonna 0:59:21.040 --> 0:59:24.240 balance the scales for you here because the other name 0:59:24.280 --> 0:59:26.240 that I'd have waiting in the wings is Darius. So 0:59:26.280 --> 0:59:29.360 when I was growing up, when I was growing up, 0:59:29.400 --> 0:59:37.560 and Darius Jr. Daris is a black name. Yes, when 0:59:37.560 --> 0:59:40.600 I was growing up, I grew up. I grew up Catholic, 0:59:41.200 --> 0:59:42.840 And so when you grew up Catholic, you go through 0:59:43.000 --> 0:59:45.200 one of the sacraments is confirmation, where you basically is 0:59:45.200 --> 0:59:47.760 an adult, stand up and say I confirm these beliefs 0:59:47.760 --> 0:59:50.800 and all that stuff, and you pick a confirmation then 0:59:51.480 --> 0:59:53.600 and at the time, like I grew up a huge 0:59:53.680 --> 0:59:57.480 Notre Dame football fan, and so at the time, one 0:59:57.480 --> 0:59:59.320 of the great players on there Dame team was there 0:59:59.360 --> 1:00:01.400 running back, dar Us Walker, and I thought, man, that'd 1:00:01.440 --> 1:00:03.720 be cool as hell. That was my confirmation name, and 1:00:03.760 --> 1:00:05.720 so I went, it's got to be correlated to a saint. 1:00:05.760 --> 1:00:07.640 So I found a saint and made it made sense. 1:00:07.920 --> 1:00:11.240 But my like confirmed name in the Catholic Church is 1:00:11.280 --> 1:00:15.080 Michael Lewis Darius gold Jr. I was trying to figure 1:00:15.080 --> 1:00:19.120 out how that Catholic tie was gonna get us to Darius. 1:00:19.240 --> 1:00:24.640 I never heard, brother, I never heard. I ain't never 1:00:24.760 --> 1:00:32.640 heard the Catholic tied to a black man. Right, But 1:00:32.760 --> 1:00:38.800 you made a work, brother. I appreciate Hey, appreciate your time. Man. 1:00:38.880 --> 1:00:45.960 All right, Darius, see you later, Darius. Alright, bitch, you 1:00:46.000 --> 1:00:51.360 are a unique person. You are well worth it, you 1:00:51.400 --> 1:00:56.200 are competent, and most of all, your lovable. I'm Steve 1:00:56.240 --> 1:00:58.959 Smith Senior. I'm Gerard Little John and this is cut 1:00:58.960 --> 1:01:05.520 to It. Cut to It with Steve Smith Senior. That 1:01:05.720 --> 1:01:10.120 is Me is a production of Cut to It, LLC, 1:01:10.520 --> 1:01:14.600 Balto Creative Media, The Black Effect, and I Heart Radio. 1:01:14.840 --> 1:01:18.120 For more podcast from I Heart Radio, visit the I 1:01:18.240 --> 1:01:22.200 Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to 1:01:22.280 --> 1:01:27.120 your favorite shows from Cut to It. Executive producer Steve 1:01:27.200 --> 1:01:31.480 Smith SINGR co host Gerard Little John, talent and booking 1:01:31.520 --> 1:01:36.320 manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley Robinson and John 1:01:36.400 --> 1:01:40.000 Show from Balto Creative Media. Cut to It is produced 1:01:40.000 --> 1:01:44.600 by Brian Baltaschevitch and Meredith Carter, with production assistance by 1:01:44.600 --> 1:01:49.760 Alex Lebrek Production Coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme music by Alex Johnson, 1:01:49.920 --> 1:01:54.880 lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton. You ain't heard about it, 1:01:55.000 --> 1:02:03.840 then we're about to let you know. It's so cass