Episode 349: Let's Talk About It, #HookEm on February signing day, Super Bowl, and A Tribute to Toby Keith and Influence on Football and Music

They say when a legend passes, the world pauses to take note. It's Shawn Clynch here, and today we gather not just to mourn, but to celebrate the remarkable life of Toby Keith, a man whose courage in facing stomach cancer was as inspiring as his music. The realm of college football and the University of Oklahoma, in particular, felt the weight of his loss, with figures like Tony Casillas and Eddie Radosevich sharing stories that remind us of Toby's genuine spirit and unwavering support for sports. As we extend our heartfelt thoughts to his loved ones, we also embrace the shared experience of grief, finding solace in the unity it brings.

Shifting to the fervor of college football, we explore the seismic shifts in National Signing Day's landscape, with Texas now setting their sights on December to lock in their recruits. Coach Sarkisian weighs in, underscoring the search for players drawn to the Longhorns for the institution's holistic excellence. The enigma of the transfer portal receives its due analysis—its opportunity and complexity laying new foundations for the sport. And as Super Bowl week barrels in, my thoughts stray to the electrifying anticipation surrounding Brock Purdy and the quirky allure of Super Bowl prop bets. With a wink to Taylor Swift's subtle NFL influence and a nod to my Cowboys loyalty, we're set for an episode that tackles the poignant and the pulse-quickening in equal measure.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Hi, this is Shawn Clinch, the host of Stories Inside the Mankabe Podcast, and this episode is brought to you by friends at Shoal Creek Saloon, your unofficial home to UT men's and women's basketball. The second and final National Signing Day for college football is literally nothing anymore for programs like Texas. But Coach Sarkeesian had a lot to say, a lot to say and a legend from north of the Red River, an icon in country music. We pay tribute to the great Toby Keith. Let's talk about it, alright. Episode 349 here on Stories Inside the Mankabe.

Speaker 1: 0:59

I am Shawn Clinch, your host right here, and this you should see. The other guy, the twice-a-year fever, bluster herpes, if you'd like to be technical about it, but twice a year, once in early spring and once at the beginning of the football season. It's ridiculous. Anyway, hey, let's talk about it. Stories Inside the Mankabe Podcast, brought to you by these two great businesses right here. We'll begin with the left upper left, shoal Creek Saloon, your unofficial home for Texas men's and women's basketball games, away from the arena At FYI the early the beginnings of the crawfish season.

Speaker 1: 1:40

It has started but due to the drought last year, the harvest are minimal. So they are at Shoal Creek Saloon are receiving shipments of those mud bugs daily and they are putting them in the boil. They're boiling them ASAP, so follow them on Instagram and their Facebook page for the updates. They usually get a shipment mid late morning and you do not want to miss it, because that is some of the best, the best crawfish I have ever had Shoal Creek Saloon, and also on us plumbing and air, where a handshake still means something.

Speaker 1: 2:26

All right, february's signing day it used to be the only national signing day that mattered for college football, but now that there are two signing periods programs like Texas, the Power Five, upper echelon programs the signing period in December is the most important and for February national signing day it's not irrelevant. But most programs like Texas finish out their program either through the portal transfers and their signees in December, and Texas did not sign anybody on this week for February's national signing day. But Coach Sarkeesian, now the defending or well, go to the SEC will not be able to defend his Big 12 championship, but did win the final Big 12 championship that Texas will ever get to compete for. But he had a lot to say about the kind of kid that he tries to recruit, and it begins with the city of Austin.

Speaker 2: 3:28

I want players to want to come to the University of Texas because of all of the right reasons the history and tradition, the campus, Austin Texas, the power of the degree, the quality of players around them, the coaching staff, all those things. If you're not coming for those reasons, you're not going to be happy, it's not going to work out for you and really, quite frankly, any school you choose for not the right reasons, it never works out. And then you look up a year or two from now and they're the same guys that are in the transfer portal.

Speaker 1: 4:02

You know what? That's one of the reasons I really really, really respect and enjoy what Steve Sarkeesian. I love his press conference. He's the same way in person. He's very authentic, very real.

Speaker 1: 4:18

But he's evolving and so many head coaches at this level are all the way trickled down to FCS, even Division II and all the G5 schools which are right below the Power 5, they are constantly having to evolve. It's not just be a head coach CEO, it's evolving, evolving to learn how this portal works, how to better use NIL, how to understand it without using it as your primary recruiting tool, because it's not going to work. Too many kids enter the portal for the wrong reasons. I remember in the Grand Prix when Steve Le занé gave thebecause of thatiance I want to say late December, I think it was early January there were 1500 kids in college football's transfer portal. I mean it's pretty amazing. But he's right, you've got to count you still, the foundation is you got to go to a school that suits your needs as far as city, academics and the coaching staff and teammates, and you know, honestly, I mean I think the portal is a good opportunity. If you're not getting playing time after two years, I think it's a good tool to use to go find where that may be, you know, and if you have a chance to a better opportunity to improve your NFL draft stock somewhere else. If you're that type of guy, all right, it is Super Bowl week, in case you have been under a rock or just don't care or have not been paying attention.

Speaker 1: 6:10

Super Bowl LV I, Super Bowl 58. I think it's going to go down to be one of the best Super Bowls we've seen. We've had some really good ones here up late, but when you look at these games, I really you can go and dig deep. You can and stop saying Brock Purdy's Mr Irrelevant. That story line's got to stop. We all know he was the last pick of the draft at Iowa State by the 49ers and, okay, he is relevant. Brock Purdy is relevant. Now, this will be one of those games to really test him, because you see big players really become legends in the Super Bowl. Obviously, in big games, you step up and become that dude, so to speak.

Speaker 1: 6:53

But as far as the Super Bowl, what is your? I love the prop bets. I really do. I love the prop bets, which are unique. And, by the way, quit it with Taylor Swift. She's done that whole deal with. She and Kelsey had done a lot for NFL and it's good. Come on a minute, it doesn't bother you, it doesn't affect you one bit. Now I don't watch it because of her. I mean, you know my stance, If you know me well, is when the Cowboys lose their seasons over with, I really don't care anymore. I don't care about that. He followed a little bit and that's why the prop bets are so popular with me, because I've seen more Super Bowls than the Dallas Cowboys have ever been a part of or even contended for. And now just that's real talk right there.

Speaker 1: 7:41

So prop bets, let's say who's gonna what colors the Gatorade gonna be on the winning coach and team, who's gonna call the first time out? And I think that's gonna be a same brand, because KC has the veteran, experienced quarterback three, two and one. And then, of course, there's that one with Usher performing at halftime. The money line is plus $550 that Taylor Swift may make an appearance, I think. If I remember my betting terms correctly, for every $100 you bet, I think that's $55 you earn if you get that right I may correct me if I'm wrong plus $550 on the money line, but there's things like that that make this game interesting, and it's a lot of fun. So let me know what you think of your top prop bets and go ahead and tell me who you think is going to win, and how many times. I'll say one how many times are we going to see Taylor Swift in this Super Bowl? I'll put the over under during the game not pre game, but regulation, first quarter kickoff to when it's four zeros or three zeros on the clock. Four zeros, I'll say over under nine times we will see the camera on Taylor.

Speaker 1: 9:17

It's all good, though, and also, if you know me, you know that I have an affection for Oklahoma City. I have affection for the state of Oklahoma, for how they treated me in my, the third TV station. I've worked for the third market. I worked in when I was in sports casting on the local TV side. I worked for the Fox affiliate, and I fell in love with Oklahoma City.

Speaker 1: 9:40

I grew up hating Oklahoma because of the UT OU rivalry, but I fell in love with it, stayed there six years, six great years of my life. Well, one thing that I really learned I had to immerse myself in the culture there, probably more than anybody, because I knew it from the other side of the Red River. I immersed myself, I really put forth the effort, got to know people, and one of which was Toby Keith. Well, we were far from being close. We were good acquaintances, if you will. I didn't have the relationship with him, like a lot of others did, but I will say this that Matthew McConaughey is to Texas, toby Keith is that for OU, times a thousand, meaning he has real relation. Not to say that Matthew does not have real relationships, but Toby really has authentic relationships with the fans, all the coaches. He's a big time fan of OU and he's a big time supporter, loves his community, loves his state.

Speaker 1: 10:48

So, just to give you an idea, I want to say it was 2010. So, wayman Tisdale, ou men's basketball legend, billy Tuzz, the late Billy Tuzz recruited him to play for OU. Wayman was phenomenal, phenomenal, found the jazz musician In 2009,. He passed away and I was working there at Fox 25 and we had to go do a story about it because it just sent shockwaves. It was his big smile, was so radiant. Wayman Tisdale is a significant figure in Oklahoma and he and Toby were close. Toby was so close with OU coaches, fans, coaches from all sports, toby from more Oklahoma, which is in between Norman 35, then more than Oklahoma City. There's a big water tower and more. It says home with Toby Key.

Speaker 1: 11:50

Well, fast forward. I think it was May of 2009 when Wayman Tisdale passed away. Fast forward to February 6th of 2010, half time of OU men's basketball game against Texas. I think that's our perspective as we Spiritznavtes are getting closer to that moment. So the Toby wrote a song called Crying for Me and he performed it at half time at the Lloyd Noble Center. It was so beautifully written and Toby wore an honor of Wayman in the number 23 jersey that Wayman wore for OU in honor and I think Blake Griffin was on the team. He wore 23 at the time and each of Wayman Tisdale's jazz band members wore each of the jerseys in which Wayman Tisdale wore in the NBA. It was a beautiful sight and this is kind of a long clip, but this is an edited clip. It's just kind of our tribute to Toby Keith that day 14 years ago.

Speaker 3: 13:22

And this is a clip from the way that Wayman Tisdale wore in the NBA oh, bear, upside down, left handed backwards bass guitar. I'll see you on the other side. Superstar, I'm gonna miss that smile. I'm gonna miss you, my friend. No, it hurts to wait and it up, I do it all again. So I play it sweet in heaven, cause that's right where you want to be, and I cry because I feel so sorry for you. I'm crying for me.

Speaker 1: 14:16

Simply beautiful. That was 14 years ago, almost to the date that Toby Keith passed away earlier this week. I'll be one of thousands, maybe millions, that say this, but we send our condolences to Toby Keith and his family and to the OU community in all the state of Oklahoma. What a tremendous loss. We witnessed some big losses and I know it's a cycle of life. I get it, but it's still hard and he fought a good battle of stomach cancer. It's hard to watch that. It's hard to watch that.

Speaker 1: 14:58

I think we all have ties to cancer in some form or fashion and this is a thing. This is what really moved me and we all, from fans to the good. This is the beauty of social media all the outpouring of love that people show for people who have passed away. I think it's beautiful. There were so many, so many people from UT, from taxes they threw. Everybody forgets the rivalry because this is amazing.

Speaker 1: 15:29

Just a good human being here, beginning with look, tony Kassius. These all have OU ties. Tony Kassius, the former OU and Dallas Cowboy defensive line, great, paying tribute to Toby Keith, big dog daddy. Eddie Rodasvich, just a talented digital media talent is a friend of mine showing the picture that they did at OU men's basketball at Lloyd Noble Center, the spot where he sat next to OUAD Joe Castigliano. Every game Toby OU hat his guitar and the red solo cup for red solo cup the song. And then we've got Patty Gasso, the multi national champion, championship winning head coach. Toby supported them all and, of course, skip Johnson, the former pitching coach for Augie Gerito, now the head coach at Oklahoma, took the Sooners to a college world series, I think two seasons ago. See, toby had a relationship with each of these people and man, big dog, daddy. Rest in peace To each, to him and God. We think of you and the family, I think right now more than ever. I think we all know in situations like this it's always good to talk about it.

Speaker 3: 17:11

Thank you.