The Bagchucker Podcast

Episode 4: Lyndsay Rowley's Journey, Leadership Insights, and the Joy of the Game

Chris Mason & Hal Gill

Lyndsay Rowley, a key figure in the Nashville Predators' broadcast team, joins us as co-host for this special episode of The Bagchucker Podcast. Lyndsay brings a decade of experience and stories from her journey in the NHL media landscape, including her unforgettable debut hosting the 2017 Stanley Cup finals. Together, we share laughs and heartfelt reflections on the highs and lows of professional hockey broadcasting, exploring the challenges and triumphs we've witnessed within the sport and our personal lives.

We get swept up in the intense emotions that come with being part of monumental sports moments, like the Stanley Cup final, and discuss the surprising leadership dynamics within the NHL. Connor McDavid's unexpected intense locker room presence provides a fascinating case study, challenging perceptions about leadership styles in sports. Lyndsay opens up about her personal journey of resilience, sharing how she moved past challenging times to rediscover her vibrant spirit and build new friendships, offering insights into the strength found in personal growth and professional resilience.

The episode also delivers a delightful mix of humor and wisdom, as we chat about travel preparation, packing strategies, and the art of mixing business with pleasure. From the joy of planning gatherings to the camaraderie found in competitive activities like pickleball and shuffleboard, our stories celebrate the blend of professional dedication and personal enjoyment. We round out the conversation with anecdotes about growing up in a sports-centric environment and the influence of mentorship, illustrating how these experiences shaped our paths in the sports broadcasting industry. Tune in for a lively exchange filled with laughter, life lessons, and the passion that drives us in our careers.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Bag Chucker podcast where we break down life on the road in the NHL.

Speaker 2:

We're your hosts, chris Mason and Hal Gill, aka Mason Skilzy, former NHL players, current broadcasters for the Nashville Predators. Lifelong Bag Chuckers. Dads, brothers and sons We've seen it all from the bus rides to the big leagues.

Speaker 1:

Each week we'll dive into what's going on around the league. We'll give you travel tips, places to go, things to do and stories from years of living out of a suitcase.

Speaker 2:

What do you say, Mace?

Speaker 1:

Lobby in 10. Just chuck your bags and let's go.

Speaker 2:

All right, welcome to Bag Checker, the podcast episode. What do we have? Number four Mace, it's number four. Number four Yep, I'm here. Hal Gill and Chris Mason, hello, and we are so happy to have our first guest and co-host. What do we call her?

Speaker 3:

We've mentioned her a few times, so I think she's part of the family.

Speaker 2:

In the end, she's probably going to take over.

Speaker 3:

She could probably take over the world, but we have to stop that in a way.

Speaker 2:

So we have to control this.

Speaker 5:

But uh, yes, lindsay Rowling but yes, of course, welcome Lindsay Rowling. Lindsay, I'm happy to be here.

Speaker 3:

This is awesome this is a great setup is uh, it's 85 outside right now, but it's probably what about 100 here and here? 115. 115.

Speaker 2:

It's not that bad. Swass factory above it.

Speaker 5:

No, not that bad.

Speaker 3:

Really nice. It's hot. It's hot, really nice, but it's fun. We're trying to do things, not bad.

Speaker 2:

We're excited. We've had episodes Straight up every one of them, so no pressure. No pressure, lindsay, this is on you.

Speaker 3:

No, it's all. It's on you. We're looking for you to save us.

Speaker 2:

For those that don't know, Lindsay is our babysitter with Nashville Predators she's been working on. I babysat Lindsay a couple.

Speaker 5:

I was going to say yeah, to be fair.

Speaker 3:

She's your babysitter.

Speaker 5:

She's all of ours. We all take care of each other.

Speaker 3:

Take care of each other.

Speaker 2:

Yes, that's what. Can I just get a few words? All right, fine, go ahead. Lindsey rally is on the desk babysitting me. Alley sports, the pregame intermissions, a post game, and on the road she has to babysit. Mace does the road pregame intermissions, the postgame, and on the road she has to babysit. Mace Does the road pregame intermissions and whatnot, and she's also the ringside reporter. She's done a plethora of other things. She's well-versed in everything, pretty much, thank you, so we're happy to have her on. I want to congratulate. I want to be the first to congratulate publicly 10 years with the National.

Speaker 2:

Predators going into their 10th season right now Old Old as dirt, no 10 years in the show, 10 years in the National the veteran. The veteran 10 years in the National yeah.

Speaker 3:

How does that feel, though? Lindsay? We were talking about it on one of our podcasts. We've almost broadcasted as half as long as we played professional hockey, but it wasn't as long as you've done well.

Speaker 5:

I mean you were the first. We're in the league 10 more longer than two.

Speaker 3:

I know you were you wouldn't agree with me. We're talking broadcast.

Speaker 5:

Well, yeah, but I think it's a lot harder to play in the league for that long let's be honestcasting for one organization for a decade. Yeah, I'm very fortunate. The organizations kept me around. They let me. My key still works, so that's a good thing.

Speaker 3:

There's rumblings around, that's the GOAT legend. Like with Crispy and Pete Weber, you're getting into that territory.

Speaker 5:

I don't know if I can touch those guys, but I would. I would be honored if I ever did, if I ever did get to that level that would be amazing. I mean gosh. When did the team say yeah, I guess yeah, 98 cheese yeah, this is 25 guys are, I am, I don't know you're just your stride.

Speaker 2:

You're just in your stride, honest. But I have to ask you, you guys, I remember I was going into 2017 season and I came in on an alumni trip and I got to see the preds play and I was surveying everything. You were there. Mace was doing the radio. I believe that's at that time. Yeah, I was doing radio 17, but you were spunking it on TV, I did.

Speaker 3:

I remember watching you guys.

Speaker 2:

2017 Stanley Cup finals. You guys were on the desk together. That was the first time I ever hosted you and Chris.

Speaker 4:

B, that was your first time hosting.

Speaker 5:

It was my first time hosting. I remember the vice president actually the guy who gave me my break, the vice president of what was then Fox Sports. It wasn't Ballet yet. Jeff Gentner was standing there next to the camera. No pressure. But he was being fully supportive. Don't get me wrong.

Speaker 4:

Don't screw it up.

Speaker 5:

No, no, he was like you're going to be fine.

Speaker 2:

You're going to be fine.

Speaker 5:

He joked years later being like you looked so nervous and I was like, but he was like you're gonna be great, and I just remember looking over at Mace, knowing like you hadn't done a lot of TV. I'm running the show, think good. I mean, crispy was there, crispy can talk to anyone, so we had hit. Well, we knew we had him, but I knew like holy cow, like I always like wanted this job of hosting. But who gets their first job hosting when it's a Stanley Cup final show? I was like pinching myself on the same token, like do not screw this up.

Speaker 5:

Like this is your chance never been through the team that's never been to the finals, exactly like, yeah, my dream was always to cover a team in the Stanley Cup finals, but I never thought my first time ever hosting a show would be in the Stanley Cup finals, so it was just. I think. I look back now and I'm like I would love to host it now, having all this experience under my belt Not that I know what I'm doing, cause I'm learning every day.

Speaker 2:

I'm someone and have Chris B and Mays back.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, and have Chris.

Speaker 3:

B. Wait, you know what. You know what's crazy.

Speaker 5:

What Hal Gill?

Speaker 3:

No, I'm just kidding, I didn't realize that and same with you I felt like you'd probably done it for sure. I'm like that made me feel good.

Speaker 5:

Crispy was like you could ask Crispy anything.

Speaker 3:

Well, Crispy had been doing it forever, so it was like Whatever, like he could say anything or nothing. That's amazing. It doesn't matter what he said.

Speaker 5:

He's the ultimate entertainer. If we're like in a rut or something, we can just be like hey Chris, how about the weather? Like he was going to give us a phenomenal answer, but no, the shows were great. We ended up winning an Emmy for one of those shows. Yeah, it was right there. Yeah, so um, yeah it worked out.

Speaker 3:

You just have this laying around. Yeah, it's in the garage since I unpacked my box and I put all yeah, I have all those too.

Speaker 5:

I think some of them were in boxes.

Speaker 3:

I have this one out. Is that too much? Is that too much? Listen to me.

Speaker 2:

We talked about.

Speaker 3:

We also talked about imposter syndrome. That was probably the most important. No, it was not Like hey you got an Emmy For what it's worth.

Speaker 2:

That's an Emmy. That is an Emmy. Yeah, that is an Emmy for what it's worth. I watched it. You guys were awesome. It was awesome. You had the best setting. Well, that's. Oh, my God, you're on the closet.

Speaker 3:

Exactly the fans. It was crazy, it was crazy. Nashville was on a different level.

Speaker 5:

I remember when we clinched the finals and you cried yeah, I did On TV, yeah, I did on tv. And I was like wow, I actually got emotional you did and I was like that's amazing television. I don't know if this is real or fake, but keep it going, mace. Well, if I could no, I knew it was real, I'm kidding, but like but it was so authentic and it was like I I remember just being like we're gonna do a great shows in the final let's you gotta get into things.

Speaker 3:

That was, uh, you know I talked to skillsy about actually winning the stanley cup and there was guys on that team that I played with that had a chance they just earned their way in stanley cup final a team that was not supposed to do it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's like, when you get caught up in that stuff, I get like, I get into it. So, yeah, it really did it, really like I was in the moment and, like you said, when you're outside in that the plaza, like you guys do now, I'm the special games and playoffs and things like that. You get caught up in that energy and everything like that. It was, uh, that's probably one of my favorite sports memories and I'm putting up there with some of my old, yeah, playing sports memories.

Speaker 5:

That was amazing I want to do it again, though, because because I feel like I was, we were such, I don't know so green to broadcasting that I was so worried about messing up and things like that and the team, like I mean, of course, second time around we're going to be concerned about the team winning, but like I wasn't, I didn't soak it all up as much as I wish I would have, just because I was so concerned about like everything has to be perfect.

Speaker 3:

I can't mess up. You're starting everything. You do a good job because you're the one that, when the lights go on and we're back from commercial, you have to direct everything.

Speaker 1:

So that's a lot of focus and for us, skillsy, we just.

Speaker 3:

Whatever Lindsay asks us, we just answer.

Speaker 2:

I talked about hockey. That's the only thing. That's your job. That's the only thing in the world I know, I know a couple of it.

Speaker 1:

no, yeah, I mean I used to be an analyst for college volleyball.

Speaker 5:

I loved being an analyst it's like I'll just listen well, no, sorry, I'm not afraid to jump, jump ahead, but I also. We were talking about a finals. On the reverse side of that, I, you guys know, last night I hosted an event previewing the episode with philip forrestberg for the amazon prime docu-series. Let's talk about, though the craziest thing to me is the previews I've seen with Connor McDavid, and being in the locker room when he was like dig the F in and he's like losing his mind.

Speaker 5:

Because I've always seen him as like a quiet leader and when I saw that like he's scary, like that was a I feel like I would be I thought he was kind of whining you thought he was whining.

Speaker 3:

No, I liked it.

Speaker 5:

I I thought he was like no no, but I do not take it as like, for example, like I don't see you talked about it. He wants like you don't, see roman yosi as like a super loud vocal, like like until he blows up and like that I that. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Connor's always like that in a locker room.

Speaker 2:

Well, that's the whole Zahn Prime thing, to show you what it's really like.

Speaker 3:

That made me like him more, because obviously he's one of the best players to ever have played the game, and to see that where he is so disappointed when they lost both games in Florida and he's like when one effing game Win one effing game, that whole ice. I was like, oh, Legitimately you can tell the guys are faking it. He wasn't faking it.

Speaker 5:

No, he was pissed. Well, there's pressure on him not only as a team, edmonton, the skill they have him as an individual like Connor McDavid having not move on to Conor the guard everyone's got yeah, it's not leading the league in points, it's not the score of million goals, it's winning the Stanley Cup.

Speaker 3:

He hasn't done that. He's been almost close a couple of them, and that was the closest he's ever been.

Speaker 5:

I wanted that practice.

Speaker 3:

I got a good clip I gotta put out too. You gotta get the fix. You lost. You lost, like to Detroit, and he got to play the same team and he wins.

Speaker 2:

You play the same team when he wins, you think I couldn't want anything more. And then you win it. Now I want it even more. I want that again. You can see that coming out of Connor.

Speaker 5:

You know you said that to me because somebody asked me who do I want to win the Cup? And I said I want Edmonton to win the Cup because if we see him being in the West, if we see him, I don't want to face a cupless Connor McDavid, and you said it does not matter the second time around.

Speaker 4:

You're like he's going to want it just as much and I was like, all right.

Speaker 5:

I'll go screw myself.

Speaker 2:

I normally use a different word there, but I'm trying to be good. You're welcome. Welcome to the podcast. I am. We have to get back to it. It's all about you, Rowley.

Speaker 5:

Sorry.

Speaker 2:

Got off track. You can do all that stuff later. Right now we're trying to dig into who Lindsay Rowley is. Alright, so. We're talking about this Certain line of questioning we have to have. You went from. You're a bad chunk mirror you are.

Speaker 3:

You're the Connor McDavid, except you weren't always Connor McDavid, you had the best offseason.

Speaker 5:

I think it would be like Jekyll and Hyde you went from suck to star.

Speaker 2:

You went from fourth line junior college go get the clock, get off the ice to drop the mitts I did, yeah, and I just want to know are you become, and just so that people know when we get it, that there's oftentimes you beat us to the lobby, which is which is well, you know, like I could beat me, like I don't understand I got hair I got makeup I got outfit change and y'all are so whoa I want to know how it's done.

Speaker 3:

What are you doing? I don't think I am, I don't.

Speaker 2:

I led the league several years in a row. I'm fast. We we have a problem. I do have a problem, but I don't know how you do it. How do you change? How do you do this? First of all, just take us through your evolution of Suck to Start. And how did you become great bag chucker that you are?

Speaker 5:

Well, long story short, I didn't go out as much when I first got in the league.

Speaker 2:

I wasn't as social Liz, you're going to go out with us and you'd say I'm going to order a bucket of sushi and eat it in bed. I don't know if it was a bucket of sushi.

Speaker 5:

No, to be fair, I was, in all honesty, I was in a relationship that was pretty toxic and I didn't. I wasn't very social. It's as simple as that. And then once I kind of was out of that relationship and I started branching out as far as having new and better friendships and things like that and honestly becoming a healthier human in all facets of my life, not just my friendships, but being more social and not just closing myself off all the time.

Speaker 5:

And that wasn't just on the road, I was like that at home too. I wasn't myself. And so a lot of that process of not only becoming a bag chucker but I also got back into discovering who I was and I am a social, fun outgoing human. And during that time in my life when I wasn't going out, I wasn't that human. So, um, that's a little bit of the inside of my personal life, but when I finally got to being a good bag chucker, it's all about organization men are not organized, so that's the problem just I want to before you get into that because I want to ask you about that specifically Mace.

Speaker 2:

I don't know if you know this. Mace was opening up. We're bad turkeys, we're big, dumb animals. Mace opened up. I tried to open up. I tried to open up like a little bit and Mace opened way up.

Speaker 5:

Like you, drink light beer, sometimes, not just IPAs.

Speaker 2:

So I appreciate your honesty in saying that, but I do want to say that's a great growth in your life that you went through. It happens to people Also is it safe to say that bag chucking saved your life? It made you a better person.

Speaker 4:

I almost just passed.

Speaker 5:

For the first time You've also said I'm sorry, I almost just cussed. For the first time You've also said I almost cussed. For the first time on the back.

Speaker 2:

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I had to throw it. But going back to you, yes, bag chugging Going back, I will make you ask when I do want to know Clean the bag chug Because I literally had one out in my bag. It's like I just put it on right now, like we all joked about checking our bag, but like I don't want to wear a suit, I changed. It's not comfortable and I have to.

Speaker 5:

I dress nice on the plane too, so I don't wear what I wear on the plane like we go.

Speaker 3:

Wow, I know what skills is getting. It is like okay, break it down. Then like how do you do the turnaround?

Speaker 2:

like how does it happen so?

Speaker 3:

you don't like I have to wear a suit on the plane. I hate wearing whatever, but we right well, that's why I don't understand how I beat you guys, because like I don't have extras, like that's the thing if I ever.

Speaker 5:

I shouldn't say that if we're on a long trip, I will pack extras if we're on a short trip, like I know what I'm wearing each night, but when I pack, I pack like okay, when I get in, I'm wearing each night, but when I pack, I pack like okay, when I get in, I'm wearing this. When we go out that night, I'm wearing this for that game on our off day, I'll wear this. If I have a comfortable day, if we work out, I'll wear this, like I am a. Very well, I grew up with my mom, so I was always on the road for my. My mom was a college coach.

Speaker 3:

So I went on the story.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, my mom is the best oh gosh, yeah, my mom is the queen of vancouver, but no, um. But I learned all my packing skills from my mom. Love you. Dad can't pack. My dad will pack my dad. We went to my sister's wedding. I just had my sister's wedding this past weekend. One night in a hotel he wore the outfit, the wearing for the, and is carrying the suit and comes out with a suitcase. What's in that suitcase? I said, dad, why do you need a suitcase? He goes, well, I guess I can bring my backpack. I'm like Dad, I love you, but worst packer on the face of the planet. Love it, but we all learned our packing skills from our mom, so I'm very like. Here's the problem.

Speaker 2:

But that's why I don't understand. Let me talk, I know, because you You're not the host anymore.

Speaker 4:

Oh, it's your shame.

Speaker 2:

It's your shame.

Speaker 5:

You are going to soak that up so much until season starts.

Speaker 2:

Eventually you will, but for now. I bring my duffel bag, my clothes, I'm aware, out, I drop my bag, kick my clothes off, put on those other clothes and go. No, you don't yes, I do.

Speaker 5:

You don't go home, you don't take a poop, you don't do those things. Yes, you do you don't make a coffee. Those are private I was gonna say we don't have to open up that much. No, I'm saying there is no way.

Speaker 2:

Do you like to brush your?

Speaker 3:

teeth. Yeah, yeah, no, I don't touch my makeup up.

Speaker 2:

I'm changed.

Speaker 5:

I touch my makeup up, I fluff my hair and I'm out the door. My thing is you guys change and you do one of three things you call home, you poop or you make a coffee. Any of those, I'm gonna beat you. Yeah, I'm gonna beat you if you do any of those three things. That's true that's true and that's what you do. So that's why I beat you. Cut out all three of those and you won't. You won't beat me.

Speaker 2:

No, that's true that's fair enough okay that's fair enough.

Speaker 3:

Well, thanks, I think you explained. Let's stop.

Speaker 2:

No, it is impressive though. It is because we call ourselves bag checkers. We joke about checking our bags and going it is impressive how you turn it around so quick.

Speaker 5:

So that's the thing bag checkers sometimes I beat you, though, because you guys film a video, and that's to be excused because you guys are filming a video yeah, yeah, but still I would say, percentage-wise you're usually the first person that's down to ready to go, and also I don't know anyone that is more prepared. No, Like reservations and stuff.

Speaker 2:

No, I don't care where we go, you know exactly where the hotel is. You know what the lobby bar looks like like I don't like wasting time.

Speaker 3:

No, you don't your location of the place that we're supposed to meet at. This is fact checker this is.

Speaker 2:

We're not talking about backtracker 101 stuff we're in like this is this is a master class.

Speaker 3:

This is a master class.

Speaker 5:

This is a phd but it's a curse and a blessing, because then everyone like on a night when I don't feel like doing it, or something like everybody looks to me and people are like what are we doing? And I'm like oh man, I didn't plan a daytime activity.

Speaker 2:

Take us through your process as far as I'm going to new city. How do I break it down? What are you looking for? What I love trying?

Speaker 5:

new restaurants. First and foremost, love trying new restaurants. First and foremost, love trying new restaurants I look at because I know Mace loves like he's big into the carnivore diet and all that. I know you're coming less into that. But also we all love a good steakhouse and so a lot of times we'll gear towards that, or even an Italian place. A lot of times we'll have, like, the steak option, so I try to look for those and something like the steak option. So I try to look for those and something that, like everybody can appeal to, but something that has like a cool atmosphere.

Speaker 5:

If we're going somewhere that's like a Vancouver, try to find a spot on the water, something like that that we can all enjoy and most of the time while we're there. I would say 80% of the stuff we're talking about is work anyway. So that's why I like that's the number one thing. I like getting us all I know that sounds weird, like we're all together talking about work, because I like it. I'm not just saying that, but it is. That's where we come up with some of our best ideas.

Speaker 5:

Some of our best ideas is we're enjoying each other's time, but we're also and we're having dinner together, but we're also coming up with great ideas or pointing something out for the broadcast the next day or whatever it may be. So it's like business and pleasure all mixed together and so I enjoy and plus, I just you guys know I just love planning stuff, like my stress buster, and you guys both know this during the year I lay in bed and literally Google flights and hotels and things like that, because every summer I take a trip to either Europe or Asia or wherever and I do that. And every year people are astounded by what I pay for these trips, because that's my stress buster is Googling and planning these trips. But I pay for these trips because that's my stress buster is Googling and planning these trips. So it's like I love planning things.

Speaker 2:

I love like rooftop cocktails and hot and you know like good at it, hot spots, things like that, and you've become a victim.

Speaker 4:

I won't say but, no, but I love I do.

Speaker 2:

I've been that person before and I, yeah, I'd have to come up with most of the time I do enjoy doing, and then you get like.

Speaker 3:

I know you get like when we, if you ever plan something, you're like if I plan something or anybody plans something, I'm not saying you or you or you, but you're always like.

Speaker 2:

You want to make sure everyone likes it right so you're always like is it good like, yeah, that's pretty good. I I'm almost 50 years.

Speaker 3:

I don't care anymore. I've gotten better about that.

Speaker 5:

I used to care a lot Like be like, oh gosh, is everybody. But now I've realized our group is so cool that I'm like okay, if everybody doesn.

Speaker 3:

Mace, you picked this spot, this is your area, calgary. Yeah, gotcha.

Speaker 2:

Mace is speaking.

Speaker 3:

Russian. No shuffleboard, no darts. But you guys would be like, Mace, it was good, it was good. But he would say buddy was terrible.

Speaker 2:

You don't just do Russian.

Speaker 5:

You bring a joke, I try Darts and shuffleboard. I try to find that.

Speaker 2:

There's one place I talked about. There's a beer spa.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, a beer spa in Denver.

Speaker 2:

Really want to try that We've got to hit that. Yeah, you also hit back to these yeah.

Speaker 3:

On our off days, some things you always come up with, like I try to find something don't involve alcohol too, but that's tough well pickleball

Speaker 5:

to be honest, pickleball yeah, this year we're gonna try and do more pickleball this year I want to do a lot more. We did a lot. You bought me the racket. I gotta find my racket because I want to go all right okay, but I want to do that a lot more now. I was, I know and I know our coaches like it too, so we can like on and off. They do like a tournament and like get after it.

Speaker 2:

Did you just call it coaching stuff?

Speaker 5:

I mean, I said non-alcohol, but you know there's going to be like a four of beers there Showdown, that kind of thing, absolutely. Absolutely Nick Barnowski, captain plays, doesn't he?

Speaker 3:

oh buddy, all right, benny's got into it.

Speaker 5:

He's still benny. Oh, benny, he's getting into it. Do you know how competitive I am, like when I go?

Speaker 2:

up to. I get so angry that's we have to talk about that. How many times have we had epic battles? Yeah, you and will.

Speaker 5:

Oh, yeah, I just and when I get up to spikes like I'm aiming for you, it's actually darts or shuffleboard or cornhole and cornhole shuffleboard is like who wins? Usually we're just here, me what was the last time you beat me at anything?

Speaker 2:

We're getting video evidence next time by the way, Mason you and Willie beat you every time.

Speaker 4:

That's such a lie. I don't remember a lot of somebody's.

Speaker 2:

So there's another segment, oh man.

Speaker 3:

We'll get video evidence. The last time I remember and I think I was playing at Willyside and you guys were playing on the I'm not saying you've never beat us, but I no, you and I, actually, you and I played together. Oh no, we made it rain at the end. When did we play together? Was it darts? Is that when? Yeah?

Speaker 5:

we played together in dart, is that?

Speaker 4:

when you threw a dart in Skilzy, I wasn't near the what can I say the funniest part was Lindsay goes like this she goes.

Speaker 3:

Oh my God, mace Look.

Speaker 5:

I'm like what? And there was like.

Speaker 3:

I'm like looking at her I'm like what's going on? And she goes look and she points down. It was like Ace Ventura, where he's got a.

Speaker 4:

And there's a dart in his leg.

Speaker 3:

I said oh my God.

Speaker 5:

We had a picture. I don't know where it went, but yeah, I know he threw a dart in my thigh it hurt.

Speaker 2:

All right, moving on We'll get back to that.

Speaker 3:

That's going to be an ongoing story. We'll talk all the competition this season.

Speaker 5:

We should. We need a board. We'll put a board back there For your contentiveness.

Speaker 2:

Let's go into that. Let's take us through your life story, because I get confused sometimes. I hear you telling people volleyball yeah, your mother was a volleyball coach, coached you all the way, for the most part, yeah, and she's the best, yeah, but volleyball. Take us from there, columbus, ohio, seamus.

Speaker 3:

O'Reilly. Which you give me a lot of crap for no.

Speaker 2:

Ohio is a wonderful place.

Speaker 5:

You give me so much crap.

Speaker 2:

Now that Izzy's thought that I know, and he says, columbus is so awesome and you love Columbus in general.

Speaker 5:

That's where I'm from, so you can't give me crap about Ohio and love Columbus.

Speaker 3:

There was one year where he kind of quieted his rhetoric. Yes, it is.

Speaker 5:

Two minutes from Columbus oh my gosh, not my favorite state.

Speaker 2:

What's?

Speaker 5:

a two O-H I don't know, you just said it I know, who just said that I know I didn't even get it, but he was all about it. No, not here, not here. He still has a Buckeye hat, he's got a Buckeye shirt, he's got everything.

Speaker 2:

I do Go back, go back.

Speaker 5:

We have that reported.

Speaker 2:

Okay, take us through your story because it's an interesting. Sometime in New York City Baseball you've done football. You ended up with Harkin, so take us through your whole story.

Speaker 5:

It's kind of long, so I'll try and shorten it as much as I can. Yeah, grab a beer. No. So I grew up in a gym. My mom was a college coach, two sisters, younger sisters, so our daycare was basically whatever was going on at the university. All of our babysitters were other athletes, so it was just like when mom was practicing, you know, a softball player was babysitting us, or a basketball player.

Speaker 2:

What do they call a volleyball rat, like a rink rat, I don't know. I guess You're just saying A gym rat. I guess Gym rat.

Speaker 5:

Gym rat? Yeah, I think we actually. Mom never officially told us, but I think we got a janitor fired once because my sisters and I convinced him to tie rope. You know those little scooters that they had in gyms. We convinced him to tie one of those to the rim of the basketball thing and push us around. I think it bent and we think we got him fired.

Speaker 3:

No way.

Speaker 5:

So whoever you are out there, sir, terribly sorry.

Speaker 1:

She's been a good guy.

Speaker 5:

I don't think it was his first offense, but no, but yeah. No. But my sisters and I, like, we were just constantly in a gym, which, when I grew up and decided I wanted to play volleyball competitively, was great Cause I had a gym and a net I can constantly use and there was always, you know, the serve machines I could use and my mom would always come down and help me on her breaks and things like that. So I did grow up to go on and play at High Point University. I played there for four years and then, ultimately, I High Point's like a country club it's like a Very spoiled.

Speaker 5:

I could have never gone there.

Speaker 2:

It's definitely not the lowest level. It makes a lot of sense it's not the lowest level. That adds up no it was awesome.

Speaker 5:

I loved it. I'm very, very fortunate to have gone there. If I wasn't playing volleyball I wouldn't have been able to go, so very, very lucky to have gone there. And then my coach put me in connection with the Georgia State coach. They have a great business program.

Speaker 5:

Ultimately, I always wanted to work on Wall Street and run with the big dogs and about a week before I was like supposed to like officially commit, you know, sign all the papers, that coach called me. She goes. I'm so sorry. One of my former players who was my number one choice I'm not going to lie to you she wasn't supposed to come and now she's saying she wants to come. I hope you understand I'm so, I just want to be honest with you. And I was like I get it, thank you for being honest.

Speaker 5:

And that same week my mom had a graduate assistant lined up and she found out, her husband found out she was pregnant and she was like I think this is not the best choice for me. And my mom was like we're probably going to kill each other. Do you want to be my graduate assistant? And I was like sure, let's do it. And like all the coaches, all the coaches in the athletic department were kind of like my like aunts and uncles. I swear, and like all the coach, all the coaches in the like athletic department were kind of like my like aunts and uncles. I swear, they swear. The football coach swears up and down. He had nothing to do with it. The gays stay in the dorms. I was on a floor with the football team. I was a graduate assistant volleyball coach on a floor in a dorm with the football team probably running their show.

Speaker 3:

I was like yeah, we thought we were going to be the old elf. I was like you gotta be kidding me.

Speaker 5:

And it was like it was just like they. But they knew because my mom was such like a hard ass for lack of a better term like she. She's just like. Everybody was like kind of like kind of scared of her. She kind of run that, run, ran sorry, the athletic department, so anyway it was fun. Um, we were a little worried about because we're very like, I don't know, type a. We ended up getting along great. Um, she's a scary individual. I've got lots of stories we can tell on different episodes about my mom coaching.

Speaker 5:

She is the best she's, she is so scary I was not there jeff too, jeff's amazing oh man, she caught her team drinking one time and it was ugly.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I love how everybody, you guys include everybody in your family. Oh, yeah, yeah, everybody always feels included.

Speaker 5:

I remember I came in one day to the office and the GA office like we were tucked away in this little like hole just cause you know we were bottom, bottom barrel. And then I come in, the soccer coach goes you're not going to believe this morning.

Speaker 4:

And I was like what?

Speaker 5:

And he goes go ask my ga. And I'm like, so I walk in. And I'm like seth, what happened this morning? Because your mom's scary? I'm like what? And he goes, and he goes. I walk, we walk in. We had a tough loss the night before so I knew my mom was coming in firing. So she comes in and he's like she goes, he goes. I was standing near and where the coffee maker is, the coffee maker wasn't there. And your mom walks up and goes where's the coffee maker staff? And he goes oh, the football coaches took it into their room. And she goes they didn't what.

Speaker 5:

And she, he said she walked right in and they're in the middle with like powerpoint up and everything, ripped it out of the wall and walked out, didn't say a word and she said he said she plugged it into the wall and he just goes, I love you and she was, and she was like yeah, she just walked away, I'm like, oh my, she made eye contact with the person who did it.

Speaker 3:

Oh my god, the whole coaching staff and just like walked into it and that's just one. But anyway, that's all neither one about you that does that, but my mom is more clarity now I understand she does not take any crap.

Speaker 5:

No, I mean, she was a coach for 28 years, um, so yeah, she's, um, she's awesome. But yeah, we always, whenever we had a really bad loss, my dad because they were empty nesters at the time, I would obviously lived in the dorms we had a really bad loss. I would go home so mom and I could hash it out because we knew neither one of us were going to sleep and my dad would just hide in the back of the house but he would put two bottles of red wine on the front front, like take the dog in the back. So we would walk in and we would each have our own bottle of red wine and we would just sit there and talk about how badly our team played that night.

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, he knows when to hide. He knows when to hide. I don't want to get, I don't want to be part of this I don't want to be in the middle of it. It is what you need.

Speaker 5:

So sorry, yeah, I got off track a little bit. No, no, that was good, that was good, yeah, so I got you, got Bob.

Speaker 2:

Colt telling us. I just we're happy we have no time Well that's good so.

Speaker 4:

I was going into.

Speaker 5:

I was going into my the summer of what, the? It was going to be my final season, the third one, and I got an amazing offer to work for a company in Wall Street in New York and I did three or four months there and then they offered me a massive job. What and?

Speaker 3:

I know this, yeah, and I would I stop you there. I want to ask so, were you on the floor? No, and doing all that?

Speaker 5:

stuff. No, no, no, no, I was in marketing, so it was like I was right off a wall.

Speaker 3:

So I and doing all that stuff? No, no, I was in marketing, so it was like I was right off a wall, so I was like, right, but you're there though yeah, like right next statue of liberty.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, yeah, it was um. I knew you lived in new york, but yeah, it wasn't like the biggest.

Speaker 2:

No, I was doing marketing, to be fair no, I was not like trading or anything like that no, okay, okay no, I know I was, I was doing marketing communication, that's

Speaker 5:

just as important, but no, yeah, it was a. It was awesome. It was everything I thought I ever wanted. And I had the job and I was there like a month and a half and I was like this is not. I love New York, but this is not what I thought I wanted. I miss sports Called my mom. I was like hey, have you replaced me yet? And she was like no, and I was like can I come back? No way, like yeah, so I like just went to my. I knew my boss was awesome. I was like look, I'm so sorry. Like this just isn't what I want. And they were like we understand.

Speaker 2:

Like, thank you. When is she going to grow?

Speaker 5:

up. I didn't pull right and here she comes, so I went back.

Speaker 3:

She's like my wine budget's going to go up. I exactly.

Speaker 5:

Now we got to go through another year of this, this. So it was the end of the summer, right before volleyball season started. I moved back and my um actually it was the quarterback of the football team at the time, who was my age, because he took a victory lap and what was a um had another year of eligibility and he was like hey, I just interned at channel four for a couple months with jared smalley, who's the um news director, or, sorry, sports director. He's awesome, he's so great. And he was like uh, he was like why? He was like you love sports. He was like what's the worst that can come from it? Why don't you just go intern with him? And I was like sure, so it's so funny because I was the oldest intern, I was like 22 by at least four years. Like these interns are like 17, 18, ohio state, so we'd get done with the shift. I'd be like you want to go have a beer and I'm like oh, this wasn't even on your radar.

Speaker 3:

Hey, no, not on your radar not at all, not at all.

Speaker 5:

And I was like I was getting my MBA at the time because I wanted to go into business and like run a man's world, basically and sorry, but I just but no, and then one thing I was supposed to be like a two, three month internship.

Speaker 5:

It turned into a nine month internship. I stayed there after I got done with volleyball and by the end of it I wasn't getting paid but I was helping write newscats. I got to interview Urban Meyer, I was covering the Blue Jackets, I was doing basically everything. And then I got onto LinkedIn and sent. Well, I was very fortunate that Jared, who I started working with, and Matt Barnes, who was the other sports guy, helped me make a resume reel. That was awesome and they would stay late Like they would get done with. They obviously had the 11 o'clock news. They would get done and they would let me re-record the show doing like the script that I helped write. But me do it and they would record it.

Speaker 4:

And put it on a thumb drive.

Speaker 5:

So I yeah so I they would stay late and let me re-record it in the studio and help me make my resume real but like to other people, like that's you, your job, whatever you were doing, that night was done yeah and so you're staying overtime and you're re-recording.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, to help whatever the stories were.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, to help an intern yeah, just record like yeah, and, and not just them. They would ask, like the producer, whoever be, like hey, can you stay five more minutes? So lindsey's gonna re-record the sports like they were awesome.

Speaker 3:

You were doing it till you. You're like I want to do this. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make it, yeah, 100.

Speaker 5:

and because you have to have a resume reel. But I would not have a career without those two guys and everyone who helped me at channel four. They were amazing, that awesome. And so I literally got on LinkedIn, searched the words game coordinator in the NBA, the NHL, nfl, mlb, everywhere. I must have sent out a thousand messages with my resume reel. One got back to me and it was the Charlotte, then Bobcats. They went back to Hornets while I was there and the guy got back to me and he was like hey, we have an opening for the arena host. It's not going to pay anything, but you want to drive down here and audition. So I went to Jared, my mentor, and I was like, look, I'm going to be doing like silly games and stuff. Is this what I want to do? And he was like you do not turn this down, go. And I was like all right. So I went down Is this when you not hanging out with him?

Speaker 2:

but yeah, he was technically my boss I guess because I remember the first time I met him I ended up getting the job.

Speaker 5:

I remember it was my like first night. It was my not a big deal. Well, my first night on the job, I remember I was going like they were like, okay, you're gonna. I ended up getting the job and, um, thank goodness I had um one of my friends from college jeff he was. He was living there, actually working for the charlotte bobcat. The same time he dated one of the girls on the volleyball team. I was good friends with him and he was like hey, I've got a two bedroom If you want to rent it for a couple hundred bucks. Like I was like yes. So it was like, end up working out great.

Speaker 5:

And then I was doing college football for the MAC conference out of Columbus. I was driving back and forth like 14 hours round trip for the first like four months of my career. And then so anyway. So I, um I remember my first hit the my whatever person who was handling my handler was like, hey, we're gonna go up to the third, like, follow me, we're going to this um elevator. And I always said in my career when I first started there's two people who would intimidate me urban meyer because back then it was like he was you know the god of ohio state because my dad is like the biggest ohio state fan ever, edgy and michael jordan I know, and michael jordan.

Speaker 5:

So I'd already interviewed urban meyer, so I was like my and now technically I'm working for him, and so I was like, but I'm like he's such a big dog like I doubt I'll ever see him first day. The elevator doors open. He's standing there with his then girlfriend, soon to be wife, and I just throw up.

Speaker 3:

No way.

Speaker 5:

I mean it was the worst interaction and he was like oh hi, you're the new arena host, we're happy to have you here. Well, I mean, yeah, he had to approve me, he's the owner of the team, and he was like we're happy to have you here. And I went, uh, man, like I did not make any words, and he, I mean, I'm sure he's used to that he's used to people who can't speak Like he's a legend.

Speaker 3:

I get that a lot. And he likes to gamble.

Speaker 5:

And so, but thank God.

Speaker 3:

I'm kidding, though I'm trying to.

Speaker 4:

He is the At Christmas parties he would run the pool table and gamble against the players.

Speaker 5:

It was so cool.

Speaker 3:

That's cool, though. Oh my god that he knew who you were. Oh my god, like that because.

Speaker 5:

But thank god, he got off. And the best part of the handle I can't think of her name and she got the doors closed and she goes. You handled that well. I'm like, yeah, the next time I got an elevator with him I was like mr jordan, I'm really sorry. The first time we met I was like, growing up, you've just been one of my favorite athletes and he was like no problem, happy to have you here, and like that's all we and then I don't think we ever

Speaker 3:

spoke again.

Speaker 5:

But like I was, just like so humiliated, I was like oh my gosh, there's nothing originally.

Speaker 2:

You can say to Michael no, by the way, there's nothing, yeah, but Like hey, I really appreciate.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I've heard that a million times.

Speaker 2:

I'm the ultimate competitor of all time. Yeah, but he's a human being though too, I know. Yeah, you can't say anything original. Yeah, there's nothing you can say. That's profound, right. Well, you could.

Speaker 5:

Really good story.

Speaker 1:

One of my favorites. You're all right?

Speaker 5:

Hey, I followed your career, oh my god that makes me like sweat thinking about some research, that's him.

Speaker 3:

Oh my god we need to do, we need to get in that, because the feeling you're talking about I had that. One person in my life that I ever had that feeling, it was wayne gretzky I was just gonna say it wasn't wayne gretzky, people that knew him and that said, oh, he's the best, the best guy, wait till you meet him. Blah, blah, blah. It didn't matter. Like I was actually nervous, like I was.

Speaker 5:

Oh, I would be so nervous it was.

Speaker 3:

We have to, I don't want to. I'd be interested to see if you've ever had that feeling, mary.

Speaker 4:

One person. Okay, okay, mary.

Speaker 3:

I want to him too. I saw him actually. Did you form words when you met?

Speaker 4:

him they weren't what I planned on, because I'll tell the story later.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, no, because he was. I was, I knew I was going to be seeing him and I had something for him because you brought him a gift? Yeah, because it was uh, aren't you cute? Yeah, but it was. This is why we need to get in the story, oh my God. And then I'm like, I got it. I got a Wayne Gretzky I'm going for, for a practice, for an alumni game at St Louis, when they did the outdoor game and he walks into the room and he's going like I'm picking Wayne Gretzky Like the best.

Speaker 5:

That's the way I would be If I saw him.

Speaker 3:

Nickname is the great one. I'm the Red Deer, alberta, it's Calgary Flames you know Edmonton Oilers like that's like you don't have to say it, like everyone knows. Yeah, exactly, he's the best. Did you pee your?

Speaker 3:

pants well, no, I think. Well, it could have been sunrise. You pooped your pants. No, it could have almost, though, if I didn't. Yeah. But he's like he walks in and he starts like ripping guys, like left and right. He's like stop. He's like oh, like chaser, chaser's there. He's like ripping everybody and he's like I'm like holy shit, I love that.

Speaker 2:

Did he rip you one of the boys? No, he didn't know me but guess what?

Speaker 3:

my stall right beside wayne gretzky job one of the boys well, we'll get into that another we'll get into.

Speaker 4:

That's another. That's another one.

Speaker 5:

Okay, I want to hear last story and I, I like I like him even more now that I, yeah, I really I've always wanted to meet him because he was coming and he came in.

Speaker 3:

He did the skate. We all got there different times. We're trying to work. No, no, it plays anymore. Yeah, this is like 2019, whatever, and uh, but he's coming off and he starts like chirping everybody. I'm like, oh shit. I'm like wayne gretzky is fine he's like he's like a sarcastic and everything. Yeah, you wouldn't get.

Speaker 5:

I was like well now, because you see him, that's the first time I've seen him on cnc, but then you wouldn't have known, yeah no, I wouldn't.

Speaker 3:

but even though a lot of teammates I have told me there's a great guys, I just like one of us. I'm like, no, there's no way, that's awesome and I just I'd watch him so much and that was the first time I ever think I had a reaction to somebody. Wow, which is crazy.

Speaker 2:

Mary O'Meal was like you see him on the ice and he's just glorious. He's just like he's way bigger than you ever think he was from watching on TV. And then he's just like, he's just casual, and then he's nasty on the ice. But then, off the ice, he walks into a room. There is not a woman, I don't care, married, single, 10 years old, 70-year-old. Every woman turns and is like oh, my.

Speaker 2:

God, he's so handsome. Every guy turns, 10 to 70. It doesn't matter who, Every boy man turns and goes. He's in charge. That guy's in charge. That's the guy.

Speaker 3:

He just walked in. Men want to be here.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, men want to be with him, yeah.

Speaker 3:

That's him, that's him and what's his name. And then he proceeds to go around and I don't know how he does it.

Speaker 2:

He goes around to everyone at the party, introduces himself and calls them by name.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, he's already done his research, he knows everyone's name. I can confirm that.

Speaker 5:

I can confirm that.

Speaker 2:

I'm like my family is like hey, how hey I am. Are these your children? Is this Isabel? I'm like Wow, hello Mary Fulham, you know something about me. Wow, mero, get away.

Speaker 3:

This is not my wife.

Speaker 2:

This is not my wife. Get away from her. That's the kind of guy he is. He's just a pal. Yeah, and he blew me away, but he cares.

Speaker 1:

Well, we have to have an episode of all the disappointment.

Speaker 4:

Because I know.

Speaker 2:

Lindsay has one disappointment. Oh yeah, I wish no, because I know I could have one disappointment. Oh, yeah.

Speaker 4:

I thought about that last night and I couldn't sleep.

Speaker 5:

No.

Speaker 4:

I don't.

Speaker 2:

We're not doing it. Did they keep you up? Yes, I thought about it last night and I couldn't sleep.

Speaker 5:

I am so humiliated from that interaction. I do. I do have anxiety, yeah, and that just.

Speaker 2:

Should we talk about it now? No I don't want to talk about it. That's a full minute. That is like a lot to watch on the story. No, no, even say who it is. I won't say who. No, I don't want. You were in vancouver. You were sitting at a sushi restaurant where there was an older gentleman at the bar I get so humiliating.

Speaker 5:

I will never approach anyone ever again, and Lindsay went over to appreciate him and tell him how much she loves his work.

Speaker 3:

I grew up watching as an actor Just does nothing to say, hey, I appreciate what you do.

Speaker 2:

I don't want to say his name because, no, we have to.

Speaker 5:

How are we going to do? An episode now You're doing the whole.

Speaker 3:

Just say who it is, we'll tell the whole story. I don't remember. You're telling the whole story.

Speaker 5:

You're already telling the whole story. How are we going to do another episode? We're going to do a whole episode on that, yeah, let's do the whole episode.

Speaker 3:

We'll do the episode on this thing and we'll explain every part.

Speaker 2:

What was his name? Again, I forget.

Speaker 5:

Are we going to tease it, or are we going to say it.

Speaker 3:

He's a.

Speaker 2:

British. We'll talk about it later.

Speaker 3:

We'll talk about it. I wish he had a video, though that's the thing. You guys didn't video it I don't.

Speaker 5:

I have nightmares about it.

Speaker 3:

I don't need an actual video I would have laughed so hard it was horrible.

Speaker 5:

It was a horrible experience. You actually felt bad. I look like an idiot. I can't even watch because I feel so bad about it.

Speaker 3:

And he's got a good Christmas. He's got beautiful blue eyes.

Speaker 5:

Oh yeah, Can we change this up?

Speaker 3:

Okay, let's change this up. Thanks, Al.

Speaker 2:

Anyway, I worked in.

Speaker 5:

Charlotte. I worked in Charlotte. After I worked in Charlotte. Are we still going?

Speaker 2:

down that road. Let me we're wrapping up.

Speaker 3:

Wrap it up. I think we're good, we'll get into it Again, making it short.

Speaker 5:

I do joke that my career is based on a lie with people because I saw Jeff Genthrough where I mentioned earlier on the podcast sitting rinkside at a game. I knew he oversaw the Preds as well as the Charlotte team. So I went up to him and asked him if I could talk to him about my future with Fox Sports and that I loved hockey. I went up to him and asked him if I could talk to him about my future with Fox Sports and that I loved hockey, and he said I should reach out to Randy Stevens. I waited a week, emailed Randy said I was going to be visiting a friend in Atlanta for a week and I would love to buy him coffee. It was a total lie, praying he didn't say an early time. Sure enough, he said like 8, 830 on a Wednesday. I woke up at three o'clock in the morning in Charlotte, drove down to Atlanta, took a 15-minute meeting telling him the Preds have never hired a girl. I love hockey.

Speaker 4:

I want to be the first one.

Speaker 2:

Wait wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. So he thought you were local.

Speaker 5:

No, he thought I was visiting a friend in Atlanta for a week. So I was going to be there a week.

Speaker 3:

And I wasn't so any day. He said she's like she was going to drive down that day. That's like next level, because the team was on the road. That's next level, like yeah, that's impressive.

Speaker 4:

That is, that is so it was even it got even worse. Okay, sorry we did the meeting.

Speaker 5:

I just like I was impressed by that. No, so we did the meeting and at the end of the meeting he was like to Charlotte and I don't know if he knows that story to this day. But like two months later I went and did, I was doing minor league baseball at a Pomona, new York, living in a dorm, and I got the call and they were like hey, do you want to come down and audition? I drove 11 and a half hours from Pomona, new York, to Nashville, stayed the night, did the audition, stayed the night, drove back and then two weeks later was walking through doing my pregame for baseball and got the call from Bob Cole and it was like the biggest weight off my shoulder.

Speaker 2:

Love it. So Bob Cole. Words to the Preds. Yes, We've brought him to the 74. He's our boss.

Speaker 3:

And he's responsible for all of our careers.

Speaker 5:

Yes, he is yeah, like yeah. He's a visionary.

Speaker 3:

We all wouldn't be here without Bob Cole. No, we all wouldn't be here without Bob Cole. That's the truth and it's unbelievable. It's crazy.

Speaker 2:

Bob Cole makes the world everybody wears many hats cheers to Bob.

Speaker 3:

Cheers to Bob, but cheers to Lindsay and Babs 10 years ago. I feel like you wouldn't do the night you're putting all these options. I was driving everywhere.

Speaker 5:

I did drive. When I got the job I had to drive a U-Haul from Charlotte up to New York, down to Columbus and then to get all my stuff. Oh yeah.

Speaker 3:

Other girls? Yeah, people weren't doing that.

Speaker 5:

Thank goodness I had supportive parents but, like other other people were doing that to try to get a job. Yeah, it was like there was no, like I was eating SpaghettiOs.

Speaker 3:

I didn't have to do that, I got. I have to tell you I we have to get in.

Speaker 2:

That's another episode is how I got my job from Bob Cole. Yeah, I'll get it.

Speaker 5:

Oh gosh, that's a good story. Yeah, we got to do your guys.

Speaker 2:

It's. I know this part Go ahead. Thanks, pat, that sealed the deal. So we have to dig into this because, since you've been with the. Preds and since I've been with the Preds, I get it Sorry.

Speaker 3:

I don't even know what to do with this. It was Lindsay you got to get one.

Speaker 4:

eventually I was just trying to.

Speaker 5:

You'll get one eventually, yeah.

Speaker 2:

I was kind of thinking of you getting me one she got me one well, we got it, we got a show on that.

Speaker 2:

I was thanking her while you're the team will help us out this year so, lindsey, I know he flip over stones you don't leave anyone, you're gonna hit it all that's right yeah, you try, and so the amazing thing I found about working with you for last year, you know, on the desk and before that is you constantly have young women around you, young professionals trying to get find their way. Yeah, so I know you pay it forward. So I want you to talk about that, because I know you talked about the people that helped you along the way. I think it's impressive. You take the time, yeah, and it's not just. I'm not talking about once or twice, I'm talking about like every other game. There's someone coming over like, hey, I'm at tennessee and I'm and you do it all the time. Yeah, I'm trying to be the next lindsey rally.

Speaker 2:

So it's. How cool, is that?

Speaker 5:

though, by the way. No, it's awesome, it's very cool. It's very humble self-made woman yeah, it's very believer in this I am.

Speaker 2:

You spoke at pie boy just recently I did. Giving back and bringing everyone around.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, I always tell girls, like whether they message me or they email me or contact me in any way, if I don't respond, it's genuinely because I did not see it. I will always make a point to respond. Maybe it might not be right away. Tell girls if I have not responded, please follow up, because I always am open to any or young guys too, because there's a lot of guys getting into the industry as well.

Speaker 2:

I did yeah.

Speaker 5:

One of the guys got a job at a minor league hockey team. Congratulations to him. I'm always all about the younger generation and paying it forward, because I had a lot of people get me to where I am mentors, um, back at channel four, and then even the girl who was the former blue jacket sideline who met with me, and I'm always willing, whether it's to just a phone call, a zoom, a text, a message, um, or if you can come shadow me at a game, um, whatever it may be, because a lot of people help me, and I know some people don't necessarily always want to do that because it's a fear of, oh, are they going to take my job, or whatever it may be, but it's like you know, at some point I'm not going to do this forever.

Speaker 4:

And I want like.

Speaker 2:

Why are?

Speaker 5:

you and I yeah, Okay, that's another episode. No, but I but no. I I hope, like I look back to when I started 10 years ago and there wasn't as many women in hockey as there is now. So my hope is, 10 years from now, there's even more women in hockey, and and not just not to discriminate against younger males.

Speaker 2:

No, stop it. You know what I mean. I, I know equal opportunity.

Speaker 5:

Any young gentleman can reach out to me as well. You're more than welcome to shadow as well. I think it's awesome, thank you. She's the back checker. I see this episode 100%.

Speaker 3:

It's a good story Time and time again, you're supportive.

Speaker 2:

I try, you show many people and you just pay for it. Thank you for what you have. I find that one of your. You do a lot of stupid things.

Speaker 3:

I'm losing it Well it seems like you're going to rub off on me. You do a lot of stupid things.

Speaker 5:

Well, it seems like you're going to rub off on me. I've been hanging around you for like eight years. That's my part of it.

Speaker 3:

Can I give my other part of the report?

Speaker 5:

My part is you actually keep him in check. Our commercial breaks are brutal.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you're going to say one thing and it's harsh. You can't even talk like this on the podcast. No, you'll say one thing and you're like hell, Sit back. Except it's not that word.

Speaker 4:

It's not that word that he goes like this and you never see how he's like.

Speaker 3:

Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2:

No, there's a certain line are.

Speaker 3:

But she's fiery Because she's professional, she's emotional, yeah, she does it all the time.

Speaker 2:

I love that, and my favorite thing is after a year of work.

Speaker 5:

We've been together. It's been a long time. Bart said it's been eight years.

Speaker 2:

It's been eight years, eight years I've been here.

Speaker 5:

Jeez Harold, I've been nine. Holy mo, decade, though, I've been nine, nine.

Speaker 3:

Holy smoke.

Speaker 2:

What Decade though.

Speaker 3:

Totally smoke. She's the director.

Speaker 5:

She's the captain, I'm always Eight, nine, ten, that's.

Speaker 3:

Willie, was Willie here, oh sorry.

Speaker 5:

Willie was doing radio longer than me, so broadcast-wise he's more, but TV-wise Was he officially in Preds.

Speaker 2:

I think he was Preds, but I can't wait to get.

Speaker 5:

Willie on yeah Willie, broadcast-wise. He's longer than me. Can we talk about our crew for?

Speaker 2:

a second.

Speaker 3:

Our crew is awesome. Yeah, let's finish up. We have the best crew in the NHL and people that don't know us For a team Say oh my God, you guys are the best crew.

Speaker 5:

They do. Can we just say Because we're a family? We started with the best crew did you and I came in with terry trist. Yeah, oh my god, are legendary, yeah, and they're so welcoming too, although, crispy, the first thing he ever said to me when he met me, he said the first thing I'm gonna tell you. He didn't even say hello. My name is terry critt. He said darling. The first thing I'm gonna tell you is that bless your heart does not mean bless your heart so first he ever told me when he saw me well, he's giving you a volleyball.

Speaker 2:

I know and.

Speaker 5:

I was like I walked away being like does he like me or not Like?

Speaker 2:

there's some reason. I got a lot of that as a massive. I got a lot of blood in my heart, so I can appreciate it. I wish someone told me.

Speaker 5:

It was the first thing he said to me. It's endearing.

Speaker 3:

It's a nice thing, p Weber, we both nicest human ever the nicest human encyclopedia he's I've never met anybody like him. No, his brain works differently than anyone, the most generous guy like we all get like during the season, and you know doing all these things every single Christmas since I've worked here yes, I've got an Amazon gift yes, it's the cleanest thing.

Speaker 5:

He's the or Starbucks so cute he.

Speaker 3:

Or Starbucks, so cute the best, claudia. What are you doing? Because he knows how much I love coffee. I've got three kids. I'm like I'm a kid.

Speaker 5:

I know, I know During COVID, when we used to have to come test every morning, he would bring it, because I used to bring Charlie for him, because he loves my dog. Charlie, he loves animals he loves animals, so every time I would bring in the backseat and he would bring a special treat for him every game day to give to. Charlie.

Speaker 3:

He's got the first one. He's one of a kind. You know what the brand is. He's so sweet.

Speaker 2:

I find Predators. Predators would be like, hey, can you go do this event, cook yeah.

Speaker 4:

I'm like okay, what am I doing?

Speaker 2:

Just go energy, go energy, because they're used to dealing they're used to.

Speaker 5:

Terry, yeah, who can entertain anyone who like walk into a room and immediately there's a circle. They're entertained, yeah, but they love telling stories.

Speaker 2:

They like telling stories, yeah you know everyone's all in, yeah, and I'm like, I'm not like.

Speaker 5:

I'm not like that either.

Speaker 3:

It's crazy like what's it?

Speaker 5:

called introvert.

Speaker 2:

This is always another episode yeah, I'm a hybrid this is another one.

Speaker 3:

So we're dealing with legends yes, of energy some of the best that can just like captivate a room, and they raised that.

Speaker 2:

They did for sure, and they couldn't have picked two better guys by the way, they have a bar named captivated room and they raised that. They did For sure.

Speaker 3:

And they couldn't have picked two better guys by the way. Great guys.

Speaker 5:

They have a bar named after them.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, exactly. So, now we got, we're trying to figure out.

Speaker 3:

We try to find out who we are. It's been a journey. Willie Donick, is he not the nicest person?

Speaker 5:

And the purest love for sports. I've ever seen Like he is an absolute sports nerd oh yeah, but it's like the purest love for any sport on all sports.

Speaker 3:

Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, not just hockey, baseball, football like any sport, all sports.

Speaker 5:

Absolutely yeah. Not just hockey, baseball, football, like any sport he has, just like this pure love for it.

Speaker 3:

But then, when it comes to the Preds, he's like he's all in. We're riding wins and losses. We're riding like the current trends. Jacob Underwood is one of our crew. He does the well. Actually he's the graphics guy, but he's analytics yeah, he knows. So he does like two in one so many things but it's like they care so much at a different level, on a different level, because you and I are like we're player mentality, so I'm like and I just say willie is one of the sneakiest bad judges, oh my god he was how about the videos?

Speaker 3:

We're going to start doing it.

Speaker 2:

He doesn't, he's quiet, he's like yeah, he's cool, he's like a savage, he's a savage.

Speaker 3:

Mm-hmm, but in a good way.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we got to get Willie on, but if we're like, of course, yeah, if we're going to play.

Speaker 5:

I'm in, especially if it's something competitive. Yeah, Like me I'll race for a beer, but him if it's something competitive he's going to be the first in the lobby, not me.

Speaker 3:

He's like I'm never going to check. Yeah, yeah, I know.

Speaker 2:

How many?

Speaker 3:

people can say that Bo.

Speaker 2:

Jackson yeah.

Speaker 3:

Don't say there's no one no, not anymore.

Speaker 5:

You can't do it anymore. Well, not that he. Bo Jackson. Yeah, don't say there's no one, anyone. Willie Donick was no, not anymore.

Speaker 4:

Like you can't do it anymore. Well, I guess Smalls is maybe Anymore. You're an idiot.

Speaker 5:

I was going to say, you're either drunk or tired, so that means it's about time to wrap.

Speaker 3:

This is the story of my life? No, but we'll get into all this.

Speaker 2:

This is great stuff, guys, by the way.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we have a lot of stories. If you haven't figured it out, we're going to get into all of them.

Speaker 2:

Can we please just move on Working with Maxlers?

Speaker 3:

Oh, Maxlers.

Speaker 5:

Oh, love Maxi.

Speaker 2:

We work with Jay Moore. Who's doing it?

Speaker 3:

Jay Moore's a pure job Western Hockey League guy Fred's alumni, an original alumni, he's an.

Speaker 2:

OG Predator and back again. This is Kara.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 5:

Love Kara.

Speaker 2:

She's my favorite human.

Speaker 3:

I love Kara.

Speaker 5:

She is the best. I'm still trying to convince her to live with me we have to talk, we're gonna have to get her.

Speaker 3:

I'm trying to get her to live with me, because every year she rents

Speaker 5:

an apartment oh, and she's got remy her daughter and he's probably so organized I'm so organized, I am how about?

Speaker 2:

this is the other thing we have to talk about all of our routines during the day.

Speaker 3:

Lindsay a game day I am very recommended, guaranteed she's getting something ordered to the desk and oh yeah sometimes on a game day on the road.

Speaker 5:

Every time I've got something ordered and is waiting at the desk when I get back and I do that sometimes.

Speaker 3:

He wants to go for lunch, yeah it's always chipotle or a poke bowl. Yeah, every road game day you got to dive into that stuff, though you got to dive into, like what the rationale is behind, unless I maybe had one too many espresso martini, then it's a fat kid day.

Speaker 5:

But that's my fat kid voice.

Speaker 4:

Is that Sunday?

Speaker 3:

When we're in Buffalo on Sunday.

Speaker 4:

I love Big Macs.

Speaker 2:

I love Big Macs and water. All right, that's an hour and a half zone.

Speaker 5:

Thanks for having me, guys.

Speaker 2:

That's you for coming on that was actually really good.

Speaker 3:

I think I was prior to the last one.

Speaker 5:

Oh, my voice. Go on, we'll see, we'll rate it.

Speaker 3:

Review like Give feedback. That's the most important thing. We want the feedback, because we want to talk about what you want to hear.

Speaker 2:

Should we bring Lindsay Riley back on?

Speaker 4:

She's going to be.

Speaker 3:

She's going to be a consistent co-host. We're just going to Don't hurt her.

Speaker 4:

You can hurt her feelings.

Speaker 5:

I guess, yeah, be honest, you can't hurt my feelings.

Speaker 2:

They're going to be like can you kick Silzy off?

Speaker 3:

No, they won't, they might kick me off. You can't hurt their feelings.

Speaker 2:

No.

Speaker 3:

But you can try.

Speaker 2:

Honesty is the best part Like it, don't like it. Don't like it, let us know in your face and thanks for listening. Thanks for listening and also don't forget to podcast an episode.

Speaker 5:

Cheers, cheers.