Episode 353: The Pass Rush with Stevie Lee, March Madness to Austin's Spring Fever: Sports, SXSW, and the Soul of the City

As March Madness sweeps across college basketball fans, my catch-up with Stevie Lee at Horseshoe Bay feels like a perfect three-pointer, blending the thrill of sports with the calm of a Texas spring break. We're drawn into the unpredictable dance of the Texas Longhorns and Houston Cougars, marveling at the defensive artistry shaping powerhouse offenses. Nostalgia hits as we reminisce about the iconic Irwin Center, soon to be replaced, and ponder the future of its grounds as a beacon of healthcare. With SXSW electrifying Austin's streets, we're reminded that spring in the city is a festival of innovation, music, and community, and we're at the heart of it all, sharing tips for soaking in that energy.

Imagine sitting on the sidelines, watching high school football reach new heights of exposure on major networks, and wondering how this changes the game for collegiate sports. This episode dives into the complexities of broadcasting, its ripple effects on athletics, and the unique Texas blend of private versus public school dynamics. Stevie Lee brings insight to the Dallas Cowboys' off-season strategy, discussing the 'what ifs' surrounding potential recruits like Bijan Robinson. It's a conversation that swings from the strategy rooms of high school coaching to the bustling baseball diamonds and softball fields where the Longhorns are chasing glory.

As we wrap things up, we can't help but chuckle at the lighter side of life, from musical gorillas to maintaining respect for the highest office in the land. My pro tip for a Round Rock staycation might just be your ticket to discovering the best-kept secrets north of Austin. So, whether you're here for the sports talk, the SXSW scene, or just a good laugh, there's a chair waiting for you on our lakeside porch. Remember, it's not just about the score at the buzzer; it's about the stories and soul of the city—and that's what we're sharing with you.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

You Well, look at that beautiful mug. That's the Stevie Lee. I am Sean Clench and you know Stevie. You can tell when he's on a vacation it's spring break in Texas and Stevie Lee and his beautiful daughters and lovely better half summer Spring, breaking it up not too far from Austin. But, stevie, it's, it's a great place. We'll elaborate more on it, but just tell the fine folks where you are.

Speaker 2: 1:01

We call this our little staycation man. We try to get the horseshoe Bay once a year, but so spring break well, we had volleyball last weekend what are we getting before? In Waco and week this past weekend in Houston and we got back last night and Made it out to a horseshoe Bay today. It's kind of a staycation. My wife is still working, I'm still working, but you know, in between things we are now hanging out with the kids for spring break, out here.

Speaker 1: 1:32

So that's. It's a lovely place, man. I'm a big fan of horseshoe Bay and you know Lake LBJ, it's a constant level lake. You know it's a lot of good sites. It's also a beautiful place to watch a storm roll in if you're on the upper level of that tower. Yeah, yeah, we got to ask and find out if our buddies at hard-growth roofing if they've ever been out there, if they haven't, they're missing out and yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 2:03

We need to get them out here. We need a company retreat at a horseshoe Bay.

Speaker 1: 2:07

That's a great idea. Yeah, man, billy and coach, and yeah everyone, take the. Take the Friday off. Let's do a three-day weekend in A horseshoe Bay with the hard-growth and beautiful golf courses before we move forward. I mean, and you're gonna see at our break, hard-growth roofing, new ad. But you know that slogan, Everybody says it will. But I think you give Billy a good run for his money.

Speaker 2: 2:35

Hard-growth roofing knows on your roof.

Speaker 1: 2:38

You would definitely do every time and, stevie, it's a you we all know what month it is and if you don't, it's time for this.

Speaker 5: 2:53

First of all, it's March. You know you got to come up with wins around March, you know, and survive in advance. And you know today was a big one for the guys, for us. The program you know my assist game I really loved it. Just talking about my free throws, you know I kind of struggled this year by free throws. The guys be giving me hell because I talked so much about it, but you know, just, you know, getting to the free throw line being confidence there, I say it and I'm superstitious the long horns have flipped the switch to March.

Speaker 2: 3:21

Yeah, they look like exactly right, exactly right. It's March and it's kind of crunch time. Man, you got to come up with some wins in March and To to get a good seed into the big 12 tournament and get a good seed into the NCAA tournament. If we can make that, I think we're making that. What do you think? Oh, they're in there, in there, okay.

Speaker 1: 3:47

All right, all right.

Speaker 2: 3:48

It's just the big 12, so competitive man is. We have so many teams that could be easily.

Speaker 1: 3:54

Yeah, I think Nine, maybe ten big 12 programs will make it into the incident of late tournament. I would say right now, if, if let's just say Right now, let's say Texas gets beat in the first run in the big 12 tournament Kansas City, because they'll meet Kansas State on Wednesday I Say Texas is a nine, possibly eight, they get a win and they beat K state. They, you know, there's a good chance they could work themselves up to a seven, maybe a sixy, but a seven seed for sure. But right now, yeah.

Speaker 1: 4:33

I'd say a seat.

Speaker 2: 4:34

Yeah, and this tough to be. If you want to be, if you're gonna be too low, then you got to play the high teams first, you know so the one, two, threes and four first. But you want to be in the middle of the road, right, just to to get some, get some, some competition mid-level and work your way up man. So hopefully they do well in this big 12 tournament, me. But when the ball is tipped, man, I mean a lot of people, a lot of people want to have predictions and things like that. But, man, when the ball is tipped, anything can happen 100% and anybody can be beaten on any given night.

Speaker 1: 5:12

Just to you know, the insta blade tournament. We'll talk a lot about it In the following week or weeks. But the Houston Cougars man, kelvin Samson, he did great. He did a great job at Oklahoma. But you have eight over the last few years. They look like the early 80s. Five slamma jamma Really good ball club number one in the country, big 12 champs in their first year in the big 12 and shed right here from the Austin area, manor, if not the best player in the country. Yeah, your thoughts when you watch Houston.

Speaker 2: 5:56

It's fun to watch there. They. They move around a lot and I think I mean I don't think I know the way they play is they play really hard on the defensive end. Yeah, that turns into offense Soon as somebody is about to get a steal, somebody's releasing, going all the way out to the To their basket and they get an outlet pass. So they're they're very well coached on the defensive end and and just know how to get out and start the fast break.

Speaker 1: 6:25

Well, you see this tweet from former Texas Longhorn basketball coach, tom Penders. He also coached at U of H. He just said I love the University of Houston and Kelvin, samson Go Cougs. And you know Samson and his son, kellen Kellen was, I can't remember he was a walk on it, oh you, when I was up there. Great, it's a good story. And then Kellen actually coached at Stephen F Austin and to get his coaching career started during those good runs they had. But man, um, anything can happen, but I think Houston can win it all. I really do.

Speaker 2: 7:02

Oh, no question. No question If I, texas, can win it all too, I mean when the ball's tipped. But if I can't pick Texas, houston U of H is going to go all the way for me, man.

Speaker 1: 7:17

I like it and here, pretty soon, we're going to be able to fill out our stories inside the Mankave bracket challenge. We had a great response. A great response last year. We had a lot of entries and we had a great prize. I'm still working on that as we speak.

Speaker 1: 7:34

What will the winner of our bracket challenge win to be determined, go to ESPNcom, look for the group stories inside the Mankave bracket challenge and submit your bracket now and then selection Sunday, which is this coming Sunday. You can go ahead and submit your picks. To get in now. It's free, there's no charge and you can have a great opportunity to win a pretty good prize, for it'll probably be three figures worth of something. That's all I can say. Oh, wow, yeah, there you go, stevie, bittersweet. Well, we'll get to the bittersweet part. But the Texas women they're in the Big 12 semifinals as we speak. As we're recording this episode, they're up on K-State right now in the Big 12 semis 38-30. Texas women are playing for a lot because they could earn a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. Coach Schaefer has done a fantastic job with this program, in the face of injuries as well, and they just keep on away and they keep rolling.

Speaker 2: 8:46

Yeah, man, they really do have the next man up mentality. So hopefully they can go far in the Big 12 tournament too, so they can get a good seed in the women's NCAA tournament. But I like watching them too, man. I was watching a podcast, listening to a podcast with Steven Jackson and some of the other guys in the NBA, and I don't know if you saw it, but I wish we had that clip. But he was absolutely correct. They went around the room and said name me five college basketball players men and they were like. Then he said name me five female college basketball players. And they just started rattling off names Angel Rees and Flage and all these other girls and I was in Caitlyn Clark, caitlyn Clark, yeah, and when you think about it, is the women's game getting more popular than the men's game in college right now, and then everyone's going to get excited seeing these girls go on to play in the WNBA and so are we getting some kind of balance of power coming up? That's a question.

Speaker 1: 10:01

No, it's a great question because I've heard this discussed, and more so than maybe ever for the women's game the ratings on the big three or four networks, including ESPN. You're seeing more exposure for the women's game but, just like any sport, this has nothing to do with gender equity. But an individual like Caitlyn Clark and Angel Rees other big time names the marketing they're selling their game really well and what Caitlyn Clark has done at the University of Iowa, it brings more attention and you're seeing the arena's full or more of a crowd. I mean the women's game is in a much better place than it has been in quite some time. In my opinion, women's basketball is more fun to watch. But when you have names and individuals like Caitlyn Clark and you've got polarizing figures like Kim Mulkey and I got to say who went from Baylor to LSU and Dawn Dawn Staley, dawn Staley I mean they had a fight.

Speaker 1: 11:15

They're going to be out five players in the HWA first round game. I've never heard of such.

Speaker 2: 11:22

Right, it's getting really excited on the girls' side. So, man, we always set up extra TVs and try to watch the men's NCAA tournament, but we might start doing some things like that and gathering around the women's NCAA tournament. Man.

Speaker 1: 11:40

Well, when you start picking those brackets. The problem with the women's game that it's improved. There's a lot more programs competing. The problem with the women's NCAA tournament you can almost be near perfect in predicting who will advance.

Speaker 2: 12:00

Yeah, so there's not as much parity in the women's game than there is in the men's game. So I get that because they're very top heavy. You're right, you're absolutely right, but they're improving. So after the first, let's call it eight teams. Then you have a big drop off. After that let's call it eight teams. I guess I can actually call it five teams or six teams, four teams really, but out of respect let's call it eight really really good teams, and then there's some that kind of fall off after that.

Speaker 1: 12:46

Well, I mean, we've got programs who were dominant, like Tennessee, who are not as dominant. Let's face it, yukon is not what they once were, but they're still up.

Speaker 2: 12:57

They're still up there. I really wish, just being a Louisiana native, that Louisiana Tech was coming back.

Speaker 2: 13:03

Back in my days in middle school and high school, louisiana Tech, was on fire with those girls back then, man. But now there's nothing coming out of Louisiana Tech. But, yeah, I'm really happy for the female game to be going in the direction that they're going. I think the NCAA and all those coaches and all these conferences need to get together and try to keep that momentum going that gives the girls a real choice and outlet to play here in the US pro style, pro basketball.

Speaker 1: 13:39

And improve the NIL for these women and by the way I got to throw this in here. Stevie Leon Barmore was the coach at La Tech back then and Kim Mulkey, I believe, played for La Tech and during that timeframe another school in East Texas not far from La Tech, stephen F Austin, was pretty stout.

Speaker 2: 14:04

Yes, that's true. Yeah, I remember so. Growing up in that area, I remember some of those big games in those regions like that. So I do remember Stephen F Austin having a squad back then as well. Yeah, you're exactly right.

Speaker 1: 14:21

Two years ago they almost beat Georgia Tech in the first round. They lost by two.

Speaker 2: 14:26

Wow, so they're not what they once were, you had to throw that in there. Huh, you had to throw your Nakadoshis guys in there, right?

Speaker 1: 14:36

Axum baby. Hey, this is the bittersweet I was talking about, stevie. It's bittersweet for people like you and I, but things change and the Irwin Center, the Super Drum, opened in 1977. Man, it had a good run. But look at it now the demolition of it hurts my heart man.

Speaker 4: 14:56

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 14:57

Yeah, I had a lot of events there. Our football bankers were in there Every year. Yeah, they were clear out the floor and put out the tables and in the Of the stage and the late great bill little would emcee the ceremony, you sure word man. So I got big memories over there. My, my nephew, my wife's nephew, graduated high school there. He's no longer with us, but we had his graduation there. All the games I've gone, all the concerts I've gone there. No, you know all the shows that we've seen there. Took my kids to their first circus in that building, you know. So it's a lot that that's happening right there, man, that's, that's tear jerking right there you know, and you can look in the background cranes, the skyline it's.

Speaker 1: 16:00

This picture is somewhat powerful. It should say Evolution and constant change.

Speaker 2: 16:08

Yeah, and this is gonna continue to change, because that drum is making way that. Immediately behind that drum, right there is the hospital system right.

Speaker 2: 16:17

So that drum is making way for more of the UT medical school. So we're gonna have some world-class nurses and doctors and neurosurgeons and things like that Coming out of the University of Texas at Austin now. So all this is gonna be hospital complex and a really good teaching hospital. So it's bittersweet. You're right. You know the drum is going away. We got a new arena so we shouldn't be too bad about mad about it. The new arena is fantastic, but it's also making way for innovation In the medical field.

Speaker 1: 16:55

Yeah, it's all positive. Yeah, it's all positive, and exactly so. Del seat in that UT is a Recently phenomenal work, and where the urban center is now during this demolition is where an MD Anderson Campus will be, that's huge in Austin.

Speaker 2: 17:19

That's gonna be fantastic man for the region and expansion of the hospital and health care in central Texas. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:31

That's it's. It means a lot because you know it's really hard for a lot of people to get to Houston and but have something right here in the center of Texas. That's pretty phenomenal. And you know one thing that doesn't change or evolve is a son, his love for his mama. You.

Speaker 4: 17:59

Really do your thing, oh yeah you're in it.

Speaker 5: 18:01

You know why why, All right let's talk about it. Let's talk about it, talk about your family.

Speaker 4: 18:08

So this, my oldest brother right here Slain smoky, this the middle town BJ baby boy that's me, that's you, that's me, but then the beautiful woman in the middle. Oh, that's mother, that's my undue you can talk to mama.

Speaker 5: 18:24

Do's right to the camera if you want, I.

Speaker 4: 18:27

Love you, mama, that's you.

Speaker 5: 18:30

Have you called her? Have you called her yet?

Speaker 4: 18:32

to talk about the color after this and what are you gonna say?

Speaker 5: 18:35

What do you think she'll say to you?

Speaker 4: 18:36

She's so proud of me, she probably cry. Is that gonna make you cry? Nah, not yet.

Speaker 1: 18:47

Vondre sweat.

Speaker 4: 18:49

Good kid man.

Speaker 1: 18:50

Great kid, great sense of humor and definitely a proud mama's boy.

Speaker 2: 18:54

Yeah, no question, man, he's the baby. Why's the baby? The biggest, big old baby? Yeah, man, man, man, and I'm happy for him performing in the combines. He did put up great numbers to be 366 pounds and moving away moves, you know he's, he's on his way in the next Couple months. So what is it? April, next couple of months? He is. He's changing His whole family's life and dynamic and I'm happy for him. I'm happy to the University of Texas, I'm happy that the University of Texas helped him get to that, you know. I'm happy that Hopefully, he got his degree and he'll be a part of the T Association so he'll be a brother for life, you know. So Just another good kid in the fold, you know.

Speaker 1: 19:53

How can there's? I like to meet someone who does not like him because he is. He is you know what? When? Whenever he decides to call it quits To Vondre house, whenever he decides to call it quits and football, he's gonna have a bright future and whatever he does, no you don't like to Vondre?

Speaker 2: 20:11

is something wrong with you?

Speaker 1: 20:12

It's on that person. That person is looking the mirror and figure out what's wrong with it?

Speaker 1: 20:18

Hey, I got to ask you something. There's some legislation now and I know we already have college football almost every night of the week, beginning on Tuesdays. But this tweet from the Kirk Bowles legendary veteran Austin American statesman writer said you know Fox Network, you know they. They've got contracts now with the major conferences. They're gonna broadcast a Friday night college football game every week this coming season. I mean, high school football in Texas is significant. So let's say, for example, there's a recruit that may want to visit or is being recruited by Whatever college football programs playing on that Friday night. I mean, I know there's gonna not gonna play every Friday night a certain program, but what's your thoughts on this? Do you think it's a big deal or we're making too much?

Speaker 2: 21:18

It's, it's significant, yeah, but like I would love to see what teams didn't have playing on Friday night. You know, you're right, in Texas, man, they're small towns that closed down early to go to the football game, you know, yeah, so that that's um let's. I hope Fox is calling this a test run, because what Fox, what can do is put the high school players on TV instead of football, college football game no, and and they're buying to the whole. You know, we started it. All you know type thing. Like they stay, start out putting just the college or the high school teams on the the big games. Like you know, when the Soto played Plano, you know, or was it Plano? A Big game that the Soto played at the Soto?

Speaker 2: 22:10

but you know, yeah, so you can put those big games on, but you know it's. You know. I guess the money is in college though, so I don't know it's.

Speaker 1: 22:21

You know ESPN does it. They have a high school. I think the only ESPN you, I think you know you got Miami Northwest. You've got a few of those programs from California, bishop Gorman, from Las Vegas, the high school. There's a couple in Arizona they've made it, but I don't know. I, when this first started, I Was kind of against it. But then again, if they're drawing ratings yes, I mean Fox if it doesn't, if it's not, if it doesn't work for them financially and there's not enough eyeballs, they'll change it pretty quick.

Speaker 2: 22:58

Yeah, excuse me, sorry about that that's all good.

Speaker 1: 23:01

Hey, one of your fellow former Longhorn defensive lineman is back in Austin coaching high school football, and Big Malcolm Brown. Is that Dominic Savio High school? It's a private school. There's a. There's a growing amount of Private high school football programs in Central Texas, in particular Austin. Malcolm Brown Big Malcolm, as we called him back then play for Charlie had a pretty good NFL career. He was a dominant defensive lineman. I think he's from Brennan and Savio got a good one because, uh, whether you want to call it recruiting or a magnet, this is only gonna help the private school gangs. You got Phil Dawson at High Park. Yep, high part, yep, it's programs are growing. Stevie, what's your thought on Malcolm? Because he all, apparently he's always wanted to be a high school football coach.

Speaker 2: 24:03

Well, this is just stepping stone right here, man. Um, I Don't know much about the program. I am, when we get off, and gonna research this man and try to reach out to Malcolm, but, um, that's uh, that's pretty cool. If he wants to be a High school football coach, this is a great way to start, and he's starting out at the top of it as a head coach. So that's off to him, man. Good luck for the season and good luck, you know, getting these kids together. Um, I came from a high school program I'm sorry, a high school, a private Christian right high school program in Louisiana.

Speaker 2: 24:43

Yeah, exactly. So back then in Louisiana and this is, I think, what Texas probably need to look into In Texas, you know, public school and private schools they play separate, right, and they have separate championships and things like that. But in Louisiana, when I was coming up, it was all together. The private schools and the public schools played together. I don't know you went out for one state championship, uh, in each, each division, so, or each class, one, two, three, four, five, eight, um, so, you know, for private schools to be a little bit more competitive, I think that they should Be able to play the public schools and be, uh, all it in one. I think, in my opinion. But you, you know what? What do you think?

Speaker 1: 25:29

Well, there are three Uh private schools in Texas, two for sure, one in Houston, one in Dallas.

Speaker 2: 25:35

That's straight.

Speaker 1: 25:36

Jesuit Straight, jesuits, one of them? Uh, that who playing the university interscholastic league, which is the governing body of public school, public school athletic and? Uh, extracurriculars in the state of Texas? Uh, a program like Savio Hyde Park. They would have to play in like A 2a or 3a division in Texas, but if you're in the public school classification they go by enrollment. Yeah, and you know so. It wouldn't be fair for the these programs yet and there's, there's quite a few in fact um, the, the program. There's a program, and I'll get more on this at another time. There's a program here that I, I do the pa announcing, for they're gonna play I think they're season opener, against one of ai's austinis. These public schools, they're gonna play at dkr to open the season. Oh, really talk about a memory They'll never forget.

Speaker 2: 26:41

Oh, no question to open the season. That's good, that's awesome.

Speaker 1: 26:44

I think it's awesome, so that's a big time for Malcolm man. I've always enjoyed him. He had a. You know, I remember the night I was there when he was drafted by, I think, the Patriots. Now he's getting to an opportunity to Live out a dream. Yeah, all right. We're in the offseason and the cowboys trying to Figure out their NFL draft strategy. They're definitely gonna need to run it back now they uh Pollard opted out and titan scooped them up.

Speaker 2: 27:24

I don't even know what to say about this man now. They had a chance to to get the best running back that they could have gotten For the next, for the, for the prior five years in front, probably the next five years, and bijan Robinson. They courted him, they had him around the facilities, they met all the, he met all the coaches, and then draft day comes and Atlanta picks them up when the cowboys could have gotten them, and now you lose the running back that you were just banking on. And now you, you stuck with your pants down, you know. So, yeah, it's not about you know, sometimes, as a GM man, and I'm starting to think that that we need to pull, they need to pull the GM responsibilities away from the Jones family.

Speaker 2: 28:22

I've been saying it, give it to somebody else. But it's not always about right now, it's about the future as well. You know, looking ahead, you had someone that was going to carry you for a long way and I don't think that, you know, trading up to get Bijon last year was going to be too expensive for them. But even if it was, you was going to have a generational running back, like you had in Emmett Smith, you had in Tony Dorsett, ezekiel Elliott you had in. I had another name on, tim Matum, but you could have Bijon Robinson in those names, you know. So it's now you know, hopefully. I mean, who's the best running back coming out of college right now?

Speaker 1: 29:20

John Brooks. The rumors are, I know Jonathan Brooks, good human being, pride of Hallisville, Texas. You know he he's recovering from a torn ACL. The rumor is the Cowboys are seriously looking at him.

Speaker 2: 29:40

I get that and I'm happy for Jonathan Brooks and hopefully he he rehabs it, comes back, you know, even better than before. I just think that the and this is the crazy part about it this is not out of the blue. The Cowboys knew that Tony was coming up on a contract year, you know. And why not go ahead and draft the young new hotness, you know? And then, you know, let Tony hit the market and and Tony, you know, and Tony Tony's a little longer than the two two. So that would have been a great strategy. No one would have barked at that strategy. Now everyone is barking at this strategy.

Speaker 1: 30:25

Productivity slipping. He's still kind of on the front end of that career. He's approaching the middle. He just his productivity this past season dropped, but that's also partly.

Speaker 2: 30:37

Now wait, I'm going to push back on you on that. He? Um, in a normal person's, in a normal NFL players career, this is the front end. You're right. Running backs get beat up a little bit more, a lot more than any other player on the field. So they have a short shelf life in my opinion. Well, you're not wrong. Yeah, they have a shorter shelf life than anybody else in the league. It goes a quarterback, then offensive linemen, then, you know, defensive linemen, then linebackers, and then the running backs are dead last on shelf life. You know what I mean. So for me, you know, a running back is going to be really, really, really good for four years, for and Tony's coming up on four or, if it, or is it five now.

Speaker 3: 31:27

Thanks so yeah, four.

Speaker 2: 31:30

So you know they should have seen the writing on a wall and going ahead and getting a B John Robinson, now B John. The way B John run, he runs hard too, but um, I think he's nimble enough to be shifty that he can add another year, year and a half, two years to his um, his shelf life.

Speaker 1: 31:49

Well, he's still on the rookie contract. Pollard, I think. Listen, I'm, I'm. I've been a big Tony Pollard guy. I loved him, but he's not your number one guy. He's a change of pace. He's a guy that will get a lot of carries in a game, but he shouldn't be your number one, right?

Speaker 3: 32:08

Right.

Speaker 1: 32:09

Player don't even be wrong, but complete mismanagement by the Joneses again.

Speaker 2: 32:14

Right, and now the Joneses don't have a number one at all.

Speaker 1: 32:18

No not at all, but it's none of this surprises us at all. Yeah, this may 10th hit of the season for Galvan is going to leave the ballpark. Three run blast for the Longhorn D H off Zane Eddie and the Longhorns are piling it on the Red Reef. So that makes me smile. You do got a permanent smile.

Speaker 1: 32:50

So in the farewell tour of the big 12 conference it's become a common thing, texas waving by to Wreckham Tech and putting putting beat downs on them. Football baseball on Friday night beat them 22 to six and love it, and this is a pretty good Texas tech team. Texas did get beat on Saturday and then pulled out the gritty win on Sunday to take two with three in the big 12 opener. But here's the big deal about this, stevie. This Texas team can hit. They proven it. They still got to figure out who their pitchers are and I've said this. But I'm not going to criticize them like so many people are right now. I just can't, because I know how baseball works and I know how David Pierce's teams work. Pitching and the entire lineup do not develop fully until mid-April.

Speaker 1: 33:50

Yeah they did find another pitcher, I think number five, six, jersey number five, six dude's got a little attitude. He's got some nasty stuff on that mound. They're getting closer but the pitching staff is still a little rocky.

Speaker 2: 34:08

Yeah, I haven't watched a whole game yet this year. I've been so busy man. And but uh, yeah, but I'm going to take your word for it, man. But you're right, no pitching. Pitching starts to settle in a little bit later in the season. So I'm looking to see what the second half of the season is going to look like.

Speaker 1: 34:28

Not going to say anything, but I think people are going to be surprised. They're going to be competitive, especially when you can hit the way they are. But Texas has always been known, for over a hundred years, for pitching and defense about this hook them softballs Number one. The country OU is not. Finally, ou has had a stronghold on the college softball. They won a lot of national championship. Yeah, and Texas is number one. You know still got a long year, but I like this team man. They're fun to watch.

Speaker 2: 34:58

Yeah, Uh, again, I haven't watched much of it, but, uh, I see the highlights and they are fun, fun to watch. And what's what I do see is the girls are out there having fun. Oh yeah, If they're having fun, everybody's having fun, you know, and you're winning. So I think that's pretty neat and I'm looking forward to seeing how far they can go, uh in, the, uh in the tournament as well.

Speaker 1: 35:21

Well, it's surprised me if they're back in the women's college real series in Oklahoma City would be cool to have OU in Texas. Yeah, they saw again for the national championship. There was a list and that's the most random list I've ever seen the best college towns in Texas. Um, according to Texas football, uh Instagram and Twitter, I don't uh the top five. I got it right at number five and we'll check that out too severely underrated college town.

Speaker 5: 35:53

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 35:54

Mark, I can kind of see it. College station depends what you're looking for. Lovebook, I can see it, denton is boring, hunt Vegas is not that great, but Georgetown, texas, for Southwestern You're gonna put Stephenville, abilene and Waco. I know Austin's changed, but do you not consider Austin a college town anymore?

Speaker 2: 36:20

That's a really good question, man. It is to me still, but there are a lot of other industries here now, man, when I got here, it was government in the University of Texas. Right Now it's Tesla, and Dale was here, but Dale just made a big splash in Round Rock, but now it's, like I said, tesla as Apple, as Facebook, as TikTok, and all these other companies and tech companies that are here now. Is this? Is it a? It's a college town, man? They don't know what they're talking about, but I mean Georgetown. You know, I live on the border of Georgetown.

Speaker 2: 37:00

Georgetown's a great city. Georgetown's a great city, you're right. But when I do think about it, when I do think about it, my wife and I, we go out to the city post. That's a restaurant in downtown Georgetown. That picture is actually downtown Georgetown. That's the courthouse. That's the courthouse, yeah. And so right around the courthouse are a bunch of nice Austin-based restaurants that are moving up to Georgetown and there are a lot of kids that go up there.

Speaker 2: 37:29

Yeah, so I don't know if it should be high, as high as 7. But it is actually a nice little campus over there. My daughter had a volleyball tournament there and we went to their gym and they have an indoor swim facility, diving and swim facility over there. They had a nice arena for basketball. It's a small college but it's not a communal college. Those kids are living on that campus over there. That's private right 2,000, 70s, I think.

Speaker 2: 38:01

Yeah, exactly. So if I was making this list, I wouldn't have put it on my list, but now that it's on a list, I think I should have put it. I would have overlooked it, but you're exactly right. I like it, though.

Speaker 1: 38:15

I like it. Abilene has three private schools. But, I'm not going to consider it. Abilene's boring as hell.

Speaker 2: 38:25

And then I went to Huntsville on a college field trip to the prison over there and that was scary. I don't know if I would ever call Huntsville a college town. That's a prison town. That's what that is.

Speaker 1: 38:43

You see, Stan Houston's colors are the same color of the uniforms inmates wear.

Speaker 2: 38:49

Inmate orange.

Speaker 1: 38:50

yes, You're right Inmate, orange Nakadotsha's, though severely underrated. And, by the way, Georgetown coming up at the end of April, one of the best three-day festivals, the Red Poppy Festival.

Speaker 2: 39:03

Poppy's Festival man? Yes, yeah, we go and walk around over there too for the Poppy's Festival. They're starting to get some good acts up there on that stage too now. You know mostly small town local acts. I think isn't Ludacris coming, huh? Yes, I don't know if it's for that festival. I do for sure know Ludacris is coming to Georgetown for a concert man.

Speaker 1: 39:29

Woo, yeah, let's figure this out. Man, we saw him at Longhorn City Limits.

Speaker 2: 39:35

Yeah, we did. I guess he likes Texas man.

Speaker 1: 39:39

He does, he does I like it. Hey, there's a random question I have for you. You ever thought about how twerking started? Maybe the genesis of it?

Speaker 2: 39:48

Well, I never thought about it because I think I already knew man Twerking comes from the Caribbean islands. Man Does it yeah.

Speaker 5: 39:59

Yeah, it's a.

Speaker 2: 39:59

Caribbean thing.

Speaker 1: 40:16

Thoughts, thoughts. Once she was working, that girl, gorilla, was working.

Speaker 2: 40:21

Yeah, man, I feel like she got some headphones on listening to Uncle Luke man Down from Miami man, so that's good. Maybe it did start in the animal kingdom, you know.

Speaker 1: 40:37

A lot of things started in the animal kingdom and we have. We got to give credit to where it's due, because we all evolved. I think perhaps, if you believe in evolution, there's a good chance. We all I don't know. That's a long discussion, but that Gorilla was getting after it. She found her mate, and she's like I'm going to twerk it for you, baby, come on, come on, come on.

Speaker 3: 41:03

Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on Come on, come on, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 41:08

Hey, stevie Lee, I missed this, didn't you know Hard Grove Roofing and the production company out of Shreveport? They do a phenomenal job with making memorable commercials promotions. This one was just as good as the one you and I were a part of. And, stevie man, it's the rise of the kicker.

Speaker 3: 41:30

We'll see you on the other side of this break Today is going to be an exciting day at the Hard Grove office as we bring in a local celebrity. Welcome to kicking phenom Bert Alburn, conference champion of the Texas Longhorn football team, all conference kicker. He's going to be our new spokesman. Bert's the best kicker in the conference. He plays for the Texas Longhorn. As you can see, you know Bert's f***ing awesome. Hey, stevie Boo, you're really replacing me with a kicker. No, no, not at all man. Hey guys, who wants a picture with Stevie? Anyone? Stevie almost won a Big 12 championship. Hard Grove Roofing Know who's on your roof.

Speaker 1: 42:30

At the State of the Union address. You know Margie Marjorie Green-Taylor, outspoken on the right wearing her MAGA hat, maga would have had, I don't know how to say it properly.

Speaker 2: 42:41

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 42:42

Go Biden humor it. And he gave that old grandpa look to the granddaughter.

Speaker 3: 42:46

Whoa.

Speaker 1: 42:48

Did you see that?

Speaker 2: 42:49

Yeah, I saw that man. You know it's okay for you know the political beliefs and things like that. On the side of the other, it's really fine. What I don't like is the disrespect of the house. Right, when I was in college, I remember when George W Bush was speaking at a podium and someone threw a shoe at him, right, yeah, you remember that, right, and people on the left was laughing at that, you know, and I was like you know what? That's not funny? That's disrespect to the office, right. And then now, when you fast forward to these days, right now, and there's someone on the left as the president and someone's screaming at them from their seat while they're doing a state of the union, state of our union, meaning unite right, disrespecting and yelling the office. I don't care who's in that spot, if they're a Democrat, republican or independent. That spot is very, very sacred, yeah, or should be, should be, and you have to respect the seat, no matter who's in it. You have to respect it, right, you have to respect Donald Trump in it.

Speaker 2: 44:07

If this is what the country wants, you have to respect that. If this is what the country wants, you have to respect that. So, um, she can wear whatever she wants. That's fine, and that was funny the way Biden looked at her. But just don't be disrespectful to the seat. I don't care about the man in the seat, it's the seat that you have to, you know. So that was that part was not funny, her yelling that from her seat during the set in the union, but Walking up to him and doing all her antics. They can get pretty funny, man. I saw an interview with a Lady that stopped her in the hall in Britain from from England.

Speaker 2: 44:53

Yeah, yeah, exactly she. She's a fiery man. She can, she can fire him up, but Just, just, just, just let's. Let's try to respect the seat man. Just try to respect the, the office of the president of the United States, not the person. Whatever you feel about the person, feel about the person when that person is in that seat. That is the seat you know.

Speaker 1: 45:16

So that is the seat. And yeah, the interview you're talking about was funny and this is kind of a summary of it. I think it was a reporter from a Network in Great Britain, after all this and about the conspiracy theories that those with Trump present, and then they evolve to what about Jewish lasers? And she and Marjorie Green Taylor said something to the effect of no, how about you talk about Jewish? She was and how about this? You can f-right off. Wow, american politics is, yeah, man comedy show.

Speaker 2: 45:54

Yeah, and it used to be, and I want to get too far in it, but it used to be some decency there, man.

Speaker 1: 46:01

We gotta get back to that.

Speaker 2: 46:02

Yeah, like, like they're on a campaign trail. If someone was to Say a bad word, it was like oh he, that's, that's he not, cannot use that language. But now politicians are cursing left and right and it's just, I don't know, man, and I mean I got a potty mouth too. So, but we all do.

Speaker 1: 46:25

But you know my president. So oh, you know, stevie may have a potty mouth sometimes, but he also has a good working knowledge. That tips for those Visiting the Austin Texas area. Atx pro tip. What do you got, steve?

Speaker 2: 46:48

Well, I told you a little bit earlier, I'm gonna stick with where I am right now. I'm right here when you want to do yeah, when you want to do a staycation, man, for me, I am north of Austin, in Round Rock, that's where we live, north of Austin, and it was an hour and seven minutes to get out here, man, and if I wish, I could show you Outside my hotel room. We're overlooking the pool. Um, it's, it's very, very nice. Let me see if I can.

Speaker 1: 47:21

I bet you can.

Speaker 2: 47:27

Yeah, horseshoe Bay baby, you can kind of see, yeah, there it is, that's one pool there. And then you go down to Lake LBJ and there's they have beaches down there Lake. Well, like man-made beaches, lake LBJ is a rock bottom lake so it's very clean, um, boating. So we booked a boat and a jet ski take the kids out on Wednesday. So you know, it's so much you can do here and you got stand-up paddle boards and and all this stuff that you can rent Lit put put golf. So tonight we're gonna go play put put with the kids and it's a real grass put put. It's not that turf and stuff like that, you know. And um, and then they have, you know, this Crazy explosion of pickleball. So they have pickleball. You go just rent a paddle and play pickleball. It's a bunch of families out here for spring break right now it was. It's pretty packed out here and it's kind of like the hidden jewel. And so the other pro tip is Horseshoe Bay is where the Texas billionaires go and play. Yeah, the real estate on this lake out here is who freaking crazy man I mean you talking is nothing to see Small fixer-uppers at two, two point five million dollars, all the way up to ten million dollar homes. If you're out here at the pool, you just look up and about every five minutes you see Lear Jacks flying in and out. Oh yeah, the airport over here. So it's a hidden jewel that the Texas billionaires come and play and they renamed it.

Speaker 2: 49:09

You, the lake used to be called Granite Shoals Lake. Right, and they renamed it after Lyndon Bings Johnson. They'll Lake LBJ, one because you know he's from this area, but two, when he was president, this was his like camp Maverick. He would come out here and hang out. His girls would be out on the lake, out here, and the Secret Service Helicopters will be you know I hovering over them, watching over them and things like that, while they play on the lake. So this is where they vacation.

Speaker 2: 49:40

And we talked about the, the highs office of the land, the highest person, the highest office of the land back then was Lyndon Bings Johnson and he would come to this area To relax, to get out of Washington DC. That's. That's how cool this place is right now and it's kind of like a, the best-kept secret, but it's, the secret is out, it's just, oh, it's a. The real estate is a booming out here. Like I said this airport is? Has Lear Jax coming in and out, dropping people off, picking people up? The cars are fantastic out here. I mean it's. This is the Beverly Hills of Central Texas.

Speaker 1: 50:21

Sure, I got a ton of retired coaches big name coaches are out there as well. Yeah, stevie, tick-tock it in the man cave. You know you think of pit bull man. Never thought I'd see the day of pit bull would be fearful of a feline.

Speaker 3: 50:42

You don't have to be scared of the kitty. Come on, it's okay. It's just a kitty, kitty.

Speaker 1: 50:56

Sometimes, when you're out dating you may you may have heard that too. Don't? It's just don't be scared of the kitty, kitty. You probably right, but that people was really scared of this, this cat man, like those human, like eyes, is yes.

Speaker 4: 51:19

Was he doing?

Speaker 2: 51:25

Yeah, for sure I Good stuff hey, man tell me something good.

Speaker 1: 51:37

No, stevie, this time here we you and I've talked about a lot March all the way through April, perhaps the greatest time of year to relax in Austin. And you know You're at horseshoe Bay, your spring, breaking with your girls and your wife's summer. But what else? Is there any other layer you can add? To tell some some, all these beautiful people watching or listening, that's something good.

Speaker 2: 52:01

Something good in the central Texas area, man, is spring break, and spring break fell on South by Southwest in Austin. The hustle and muscle in Austin right now is Phenomenal, is crazy. You got Harry and Megan Merkel in town. You got all these radio personalities and pocket big, big-time podcasters in town. You got some shows. I'm I was actually wanting to see Gary Clark Jr Emos on the east side on Wednesday, but I'll be out here in horseshoe Bay so I won't go and so you can catch some really good shows right now, man. So Austin is man we said it earlier in the show is awesome, a college town. I Think it is still is a college town with a lot more stuff to do, man. So you know something good about Austin is is always gonna be something to do. You can come out to Lake LBJ like we're doing right now, but you can stay also stay in central Austin and enjoy the festivities of South by Southwest. You don't even need a badge just to be in the hustle and bustle. Everything, man, mm-hmm no one time.

Speaker 2: 53:11

I took my girls out. We didn't have a badge and they they're like what's south by southwest? And I was like, hmm, hold my beer and I show you. So I took them, took them downtown and we we walked past the Paramount Theater and they were doing a movie premiere. So they got to see actors Do the the walk, the the red carpet walk and take pictures and like that, by just being outside, you know. So it's a beautiful week. We might get a little rain on Thursday, but this Monday, tuesday, wednesday, go and enjoy yeah, it's gonna be great weather, great time, it's not too hot out here yet and enjoy yourselves, man, and go find some good music to get into. Austin is a world-class city and I and I'm lucky enough to just watch it grow you watch the growth as a kid man, but, yeah, I got here in 2000, so I've been here for 24 years now seeing it grow and grow, and grow, and I'm excited to see what the next 24, you know, has.

Speaker 1: 54:13

So I was born in 73, didn't leave Austin till 93 and. So Austin was like a slow, steady growth. I mean it was growing. I left. So when I was a preteen, I think the population was 300, something, thousand, all right, and when I left to go to when I was 20 or 93, it was 465,000. Oh, Wow so it was growing. Yeah, we're over a city, over a million. Yeah that's significant growth and you know, and I'll say this even though I've been anti voting certain people in and the Austin politics political scene- it's still great hey yeah.

Speaker 1: 54:58

It's a great time of year to be in this and being Austin, and you know the South by Southwest is two weeks long. First week is presentations, some posims, movie premieres, whatnot? Second weeks all music, and that's made for people like us.

Speaker 1: 55:14

Yeah, stevie go, go, enjoy your spring break, great show man and hug on your girls. For me and summer and and for the hard-grilled family and for this report, og, over here to my right, big Stevie Lee and the OG man cave boys that being hardball hars, big Mike and coach mo. What do we tell him, stevie?

Speaker 3: 55:37

Yeah, you see the drip and fit it up in my car in the giddy up.

Speaker 5: 55:41

Yeah, you see the drip and fit it up. I'm in my car in the giddy up, yeah.