Stories Inside the Man Cave
Stories Inside the Man Cave
Bucking Tradition: How a Cedar Park Athlete Found His Rodeo Calling
Cole Holland's unexpected journey from Cedar Park football player to professional bareback rider showcases his meteoric rise as one of the top rookies on the PRCA circuit despite having no rodeo background.
• Cole transitioned from football to rodeo after watching friend Rocker Steiner compete
• Started bareback riding at Sul Ross University with no previous rodeo experience
• Currently ranks second in the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings
• Recently beat nine-time finalist Oren Larson in Winston-Salem competition
• Describes the mental preparation for bareback riding as "kill or be killed" intensity
• Coming home to compete at Rodeo Austin for the first time as a professional this Sunday at 3pm
• Credits mentors Tristan Hutchings, Layton Berry and Cole Reiner for helping develop his skills
• Father Jason describes Cole's approach as "going all in" on his rodeo dreams
Join us at Rodeo Austin this Sunday at 3pm to watch Cole Holland compete in his hometown rodeo for the first time as a professional.
Please like and follow each of Stories Inside the Man Cave Podcast social media links on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Tik Tok.
This episode of Stories Inside the man Cave podcast is brought to you by our friends and family at Honest Plumbing and Air, and you can get in touch with them pretty quick. Honest Plumbing and Air and you can get in touch with them pretty quick. Just visit that website on the lower left-hand side of your screen honestairconditioningbiz.
Speaker 1:Honest Plumbing and Air, where a handshake still means something.
Speaker 2:You know, a lot of people think about February, March, you think about March Madness, you think about spring training and baseball, but it's also the beginning, or around the beginning, of rodeo season. And here, locally in Austin, texas, the Rodeo Austin has become one of the top 10 destinations on the PRCA circuit and there is one guy who I know you're going to say I'm biased, but he is one of the up and coming rookies in the PRCA rodeo circuit. His name is Cole Holland. We're going to unbundle this whole story because he's going to be back in his hometown competing for the first time. Let's talk about it. All right, as I promised, man, this is going to be a special episode, that being episode 453, because we've only had one other guest that has ties to rodeo. But before we get to that, be sure to follow us on all of our social media platforms, that being Facebook, instagram, twitter, whatever you're calling it these days TikTok and YouTube. And the best thing about YouTube you can're calling it these days TikTok and YouTube, and the best thing about YouTube, you can subscribe to it for free.
Speaker 2:And here they are. And this is you guys are in unique company father-son duo here. Jason Holland on the bottom, he's on a work trip. I don't know about watching spring training games in the Phoenix area. I don't know if you call it a work trip. And there's the guy V Cole Holland. Top right, jason, first off. Is it work? Is it really work following spring?
Speaker 1:training baseball. Well, yeah, it is. You got to take customers and entertain them, right, and you expense all of it. It's work-ish. Yeah, oh yeah. No, there's no doubt about it, it all gets expensed.
Speaker 2:Cole, you and I met, obviously, when you were younger and then when you played football at Cedar Park, and your mom, spring, and your dad, jason. We all grew up together. But did you ever think that you'd be on a podcast with your dad and me talking about something that maybe was a career goal of yours and it's just got to be up there with what you just achieved on the rodeo circuit?
Speaker 3:I mean now, I never thought I'd be on a podcast with you and my dad, you know, talking about rodeo for sure, If you had asked me in high school I probably would have said no. So it's pretty cool to be doing this right now.
Speaker 2:Well, it is, and I you know, before we dive deep into I mean, he is a rookie and he's experiencing a ton of success. I want to show everyone who's watching this episode that he's in bareback riding, which is different from having a it's. It doesn't have a saddle, bareback gives it away. But this is his last ride, which really drew a lot of attention to you being a rookie. This cowboy's number two in the nation for resist dolls. Rookie of the year. Upstairs downtown reeling, rolling, rocking. Somebody make some noise in here.
Speaker 1:Didn't good Josh.
Speaker 2:All right now, correct me if I'm wrong. That was in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Speaker 3:Winston-Salem. Winston-salem that was a couple weeks. That was, I guess, almost probably a month ago now that's insane, that's insane.
Speaker 2:So you're the leader right now of the resist all rookie race.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry to correct you, but I'm second. One of the rookies won the short round in San Antonio, so I'm second right now. Well, rookies won the short round in San Antonio, so I'm second right now.
Speaker 2:Well, still, that's pretty good. And that ride that we just saw. There's a gentleman named Oren Larson, nine-time finalist, correct that? You beat out on that competition in Winston-Salem?
Speaker 3:Yes, sir, I did.
Speaker 2:So, Jason. I've got gotta ask you, as a parent, um the pride and everything you've watched both of your sons and your daughter achieve everything that they wanted to to date so far. But to see this happening, I mean to cole for a parent. I mean, can you put it into words right now of what it all? What's all you experienced and witnessed?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, coming where he came from, right, I mean, you know he didn't really grow up with a rodeo background, right, I mean, my dad rode bareback horses. But you know, he grew up, you know, playing sports, played basketball as a young kid and then transitioned and kind of just focused on football. That was his deal and that's what he loved, that was his passion. But when he decided to hang up his cleats on the football field he said, you know, I'm going to ride bareback horses and he'll tell the story. But, man, it's pretty cool to.
Speaker 1:You know, I guess it's kind of a holland deal, but we, we kind of go all in on things, right, and he did that. So and you know, I'll let him talk about it. But yeah, man, it's fun to watch, it's, it's pretty cool. You know, mom gets a little nerve wracked and gets, uh, gets worked up a little bit. But man, it's, it's, it's, it's a cool deal to watch him have passion for something, um, that he loves to do. You know, for as long as he can do it, he doesn't have to get a job and this pays his way and he can go have fun. By all means, go live that dream, cole playing off of that.
Speaker 2:You know, I know you kind of have that in your Holland DNA. You're going all in, as your dad said, on anything you do. But this passion for rodeo, when did it start? Was it watching your grandfather, or when did you decide? You know what? This is something I'm going to invest in.
Speaker 3:You know, I had only seen pictures. I knew he had rode bucking horses and rodeoed back in the day. You know, obviously no videos back then, no videos back then. But you know, I kind of started watching it more, as you know my, you know Rocker Steiner.
Speaker 3:You know he's one of my, he was one of my good friends and I was watching him and I, you know, kind of stopped loving football and I, you know, still wanted to compete at something in college and my cousin was going to Sol Ross and I was like you know what? I'm going to ride bareback horses. And then I just kind of got it in the works from there and I told Dad and he was just like all right, and then bought all the stuff I needed and got some good guys to help me out and show me the correct way to do things and I got on my first horse in Alpine, texas, at Sol Ross, and from there I fell inpine Texas at Sol Ross and from there, you know, I fell in love and I love it. I love it. I wouldn't rather do anything else, would not rather do anything else.
Speaker 2:Well, it's amazing to hear I mean to hear everyone's story, especially when you experience success so quickly. This is a little dated article from that ride.
Speaker 3:It's definitely been sorry to interrupt.
Speaker 2:Oh, no, no, go ahead.
Speaker 3:It's definitely been. You know, it took me about three and a half years, four years, to kind of figure it out, and I still don't have it all figured out.
Speaker 2:And you never will.
Speaker 3:No sir, no sir, it can always get better.
Speaker 2:I love that mentality. I mean when you think about this. I mean, jason, I got to ask you the way he talks because we all know we've seen people have success early in whatever they do, whether it be sports, career, whatnot and there's a sense of arrogance. But Cole's humble man Is that something that? Is that how you raised him, or is that just how he's always been?
Speaker 1:You know, as a parent you always want to try to raise. You know your kids to be the best they can and you know, have manners. And you know he. You know I tell people this all the time Cole's a great kid, like he is. You meet him, he is a super kid. Now he's got some. He's got a lot of fight in him too, you know. I mean he, you know it's there but it needs to be poked out. But when he is going to do what he's going to do, especially riding bareback horses, you know the mentality changes real quick, you know. But yeah, no, he's got some fight in him. That's for darn sure it's maybe too much.
Speaker 2:Sometimes you can too much sometimes he played defensive back at Cedar Park. It's just the ferocity and it's to bring the hit and bring the wood, as they say. You mentioned it. So Jason and I grew up with the Steiners and they're a big rodeo family, several generations world champions. You mentioned Rocker and he's one of the younger Steiner and he's you know. It's just like not overnight success, but when you have something like that in your DNA, you're exposed to how to be successful. Other than the Steiners, is there anyone that influenced you in anything bareback riding, slash rodeo?
Speaker 3:uh, you know, um, definitely my, my grandpa, um, but um, I know the people that first helped me out when I started. Um, there's a name uh tristan hutchings and uh layton berry and uh cole reiner.
Speaker 3:They all they all, they all helped me out a lot and kind of you know. And then I look up to you, up to all the old bareback riders now that I've started rodeoing Casey Field and everyone that has rode before me. I watch a bunch of people Definitely look up to even guys going right now, people in the top 15, just how they ride and you know how they carry themselves and um, yeah, for sure, jason, I gotta ask you this.
Speaker 2:You, uh, you had posted or maybe it was spring uh, cole's mother that, and your wife, of course, jason, but uh, you were interviewed on the set. I think think of the Cowboy Channel and just most people. It's just natural. It's natural to be uncomfortable in front of the camera. I mean, you see, cole, right now I'm uncomfortable.
Speaker 3:Don't worry, don't let it show you I get nervous, I'm nervous.
Speaker 2:But Jason, he looked like I'm serious. Like you know, I've seen hundreds or interviewed hundreds of people, and when you do it on live television, that's a different animal. And Cole handled that like a champion when he was on the Cowboy Channel. Yeah he did he did a good job.
Speaker 1:I was proud of him. You know you always worry about things like that, right? What's going through my head? Hey, what did I just say? I don't even remember what I said. It's cool to watch him on things like that, Get a little love for having success. That's the cool thing. That's the cool thing, you know. And he is. He's a humble dude. I mean, don't get me wrong, he can talk a little shit. I mean there ain't no doubt about that. I mean he's pretty good at it, I wonder who I get it from.
Speaker 3:He learned that from me, but he is.
Speaker 1:He's a humble dude and you know he gives everybody credit. You know it's that bareback riding world. All you know it's a that, that bareback riding world, it's a. It's a world where they all, they're all pulling for each other you know, hopefully you're going to beat them right.
Speaker 3:That's your goal, but you know they're all helping each other and pulling for each other out there. Yeah, yeah, definitely. We're all behind the chutes cheering for our friends and it's not like me against them, it's me against the man. I want everybody else to have a fair shot and I want to beat everybody at their best. As many times as you beat them, they'll probably beat you.
Speaker 2:I got to ask you this and you see the slug right there, bareback riding. Mindset Is it before a football game. You're in the locker room, game day, each hour, each minute, before kickoff and before you run out of the locker room. If you're not nervous then you're doing it wrong. But then that adrenaline takes over and then your, your pupils, are dilated and you're ready to go out there and hit the other team and make a statement. How is the mindset different playing football? Because you have been competing in rodeo, as you mentioned, at Sol Ross in West Texas and Alpine to now one of the top rookies. What's that mindset like when you're getting into the shoot?
Speaker 3:What's going through Cole's mind at that time? It's almost hard. You've got to take yourself to a place where it's like when you crawl into a chute, you better mean it. None of the horse you get on it's never going to be an off day. You've got to go into mentally, like you know, kill or be killed Like. Let's like kind of get mean, you know, and when this thing hits you in the back I better set my feet pretty dang hard or else it's not going to go. You know not going to go.
Speaker 2:good, jason, you see you're in the stands like you were watching football on the sidelines of what night? You see, you're in the stands like you were watching football on the sidelines and whatnot. But can you tell his persona changes by his mannerisms when he's ready to go?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah, I mean he goes from. You know that phone's been gone for an hour and he goes from when he's taped up and they're pulling that rigging and, yeah, he's zoned up, he's in a zone, so that's uh, you know that's it. You know it's not something I can't imagine. Heck, I, you know it's like I tell people where do you get that? Where do you get that? Right in there back? I wouldn't have done it right now like that. You know I'm happy for him's doing great, but I wouldn't have done that, you know. So, but yeah, you can tell, I mean it's. You know it goes from here to here. Yeah, behind the, you know, behind the bucking shoes.
Speaker 2:You can see it. Look at this. This is old school. I knew you were going to pull that one up, I still haven't grown any hair. I don't know what that expression is on my face. We'll start with you, jason. What would you caption this?
Speaker 1:That's hilarious. What is that? Seven on seven, I would probably catch it, captain. That is god. I think he's thinking. What's he about to ask me, and what should I say?
Speaker 2:what should I say question or just tell me what I'm supposed to say.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think. I think he, and if I remember correctly, you asked him about vacation and he chose like his favorite spot to go and it was like Port Aransas or the beach, or something he didn't even broaden his horizon on that deal?
Speaker 3:Yeah, not even like a nice one. I said Port Aransas. I was so nervous, I'll tell you that that's what I had to get A kid that is very, very terrified right there, Like he was so nervous, wasn't ready for that at all, Didn't know the news was going to be at 7-on-7 that day. I'll tell you that.
Speaker 2:Can you remove the mic away from me please? Yeah, look at my jersey. It's all ripped too.
Speaker 3:I couldn't even tell you, I was so nervous. They're like why should a team recruit Cole Holland? And I was like I don't know, I couldn't even tell you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, who doesn't want a 5'8", 165-pound kid?
Speaker 2:Yeah All right, this is fun. These have been fun. I mean we're on episode 453. I want to say there have been over 200-plus man Cave stories and I can't name a favorite because they've all been phenomenal. No pressure, I guess, since both of you are here together. Uh, is there a rodeo bareback riding man cave story behind the scenes that maybe you guys share this? Just as amusing now when you talk about it as it was when it happened.
Speaker 3:I know of I mean, it wasn't funny. Dad was freaking mad at me. To you know, dad was mad at me, but, um, it was my first. It was. I've been riding bareback horses a year and a half and mom and dad got me these awesome spurs made um for for Christmas and uh, and I was going to the uh, cedar Park Rodeo that weekend. Well, we had been to Lampasas two weeks before. This was the first time that anybody that I knew was really going to get to watch me. We get back there, I start unpacking my stuff, start getting ready. Where are my boots at? I couldn't find my boots and they have my spurs on there.
Speaker 3:I'm like, oh, maybe they're at home I called dad and I said dad, I, I, I think I left my boots at the house, boots and spurs at the house, or they're not in my bag, and he, you know, he cussed me a little bit, hauled butt all the way you know home. Back home it was probably 30 minutes from the house Hauled butt home and then got back you know they weren't there and he was pissed at me. I ended up having to borrow somebody's boots. Their boots were like freaking four sizes too big on me.
Speaker 3:Just a grade A shit show really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, these boots. Looked like he was wearing water skis.
Speaker 3:I mean, yeah, it was pretty bad I forget.
Speaker 1:He left him behind the chutes and land passes two weeks before and they never turned back up oh, someone's got a nice pair of boots and someone's got a nice pair of spurs.
Speaker 2:I can tell you, I bet spring. I would love to see her thought bubble talking about that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she wasn't thrilled with it. I can tell you that. I'm going to tell you I was pissed. Let's hear what you had to say. Nah, we let a couple of curse words fly off already. You don't want to hear that conversation, no, it?
Speaker 3:was bad, it was bad, it was bad.
Speaker 1:I'm going to tell you what I just did in the airport. I got dressed in the dark and I put one left shoe on and they kind of look the same. I put a left shoe on and a right shoe and they're like black with kind of like white bottom dress shoes, and they were totally different dress shoes. I get to security and take them off and I'm like, oh my god, what am I doing? And I checked my bag. Uh, because I brought golf clubs out here, I checked my bag. I had to wear those damn things on the on the airplane the whole time. I could not get to my bag quick enough to change shoes. I just felt like everybody was staring at my feet I met.
Speaker 3:I met dad at the airport flying back from Tampa or flying back from Arcadia. But I flew out of Tampa and he gives me the keys because he dropped the car off for me and he's like, look at my shoes. And I was like what? And I was pretty tired. And I looked at him and I was like, oh my gosh. He's like yeah, and I can't change them because my shoes are in my bag. I was like, yeah, you're not going to be an idiot until you get to Arizona.
Speaker 2:Personal shout out to Jason Holland and the hat he's wearing For those who are from Austin. If you're not from Austin, you probably have no idea what this is, but the late great Rooster Andrews had a good run of sporting goods stores and that's the logo. And I'm trying to find the logo and I'm trying to find it and I'm trying to get jason to give me a some uh lead so how I can purchase two or three of them I'll, uh, I'll, I'll track his grandson down, see if we can get yourself man that would be did you, did?
Speaker 3:I know you both have the same haircut. How'd you guys do your hair this morning?
Speaker 2:Wow, here we go.
Speaker 1:You got jokes, see, I told you he's humble and nice kid, but now you've got jokes.
Speaker 2:I've got a few short and curlies.
Speaker 1:You don't know what we save on shampoo annually.
Speaker 2:It is a body wash? Yeah, we just use straight body wash hey.
Speaker 2:so we're gonna take a quick break, but on the other side, uh, cole's coming home. I mean, he's home right now but he's gonna do something that maybe he didn't, he never envisioned and to ride and compete at home and just like ozzy os, mama, I'm coming home. We'll see you another Saturday's break. The Saxton name resonates in Austin. Jim's late father, james Saxton, is a Longhorn legend, a Heisman finalist while playing for Darryl K Royal, and Jimmy is a UT football legacy from Westlake. He has been insuring Austin for decades. He and his staff will give you old school hospitality when servicing your insurance needs. The Bully is a cozy Austin original bar and grill that feels like home. Boulevard Bar and Grill, nestled into this Northwest Hills strip mall, recently celebrated two decades. The drink prices are like going back to 2004. It's where familiar faces gather and everyone knows your name. The Bully family are also friends of the stories inside the man Cave podcast Boulevard Bar and Grill on Far West Boulevard in Northwest Austin. Jason knows a little bit about the bully.
Speaker 3:How do I have been there? We met you there one time. Oh, that's right. Oh, the Boulevard. Yeah, it's the day after Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2:That's right, that's right. And I'll tell you what you will never be dehydrated at the bully.
Speaker 3:No, you will be. You will be the next morning.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll catch up with you the next morning man.
Speaker 3:For sure he had to drink a couple waters.
Speaker 2:Oh, a lot more than water. He had some pickle juice.
Speaker 1:Those hammies.
Speaker 2:I didn't know you could cramp in many places when you're hungover, when you get older, so Rodeo.
Speaker 2:Austin, as a lot of people who know about rodeo have now said that they agree, and they have all said that Rodeo Austin has become one of the top 10 stops on the PRCA tour as the money, the purse, has increased, it's fun Two weeks or the entire month of March, for the most part, concerts, everything and Cole Growing up. How often did you go to Rodeo Austin for the rodeo, and I know most people go for the concerts. But did you ever envision yourself because you're about to make that vision a reality this weekend- uh, competing at it no I mean we went, we went a lot.
Speaker 3:We'd watch the rodeo, uh, when I was like when I was a kid, but and then we watched the concert and stuff. But you know, I didn't really picture myself being at the rodeo when I was younger because, you know, I I just played, I played sports, I played football and I didn't really, you know, went as much into it.
Speaker 1:I always thought it was pretty cool.
Speaker 3:But you know I, you know I, I lived in Cedar Park and really didn't have you know kind of avenue to do it and also I really loved football.
Speaker 3:Like that's what I wanted to do. If you'd asked me when I was a kid, I'd be like, yeah, I'm gonna play at the University of Texas wearing my Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley stuff around, and I wouldn't. I was a huge football guy and I still am. If I'm not rodeoing and the Texas game comes on, you know where Colt will be. It will be watching the Texas game. You can ask any of my buddies. You're going to watch the game. Yeah, I'll be right here. If you all want to go do something, I'm going to watch the game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll be right here If y'all want to go do something. I'm going to watch the game. Jason, we talked about being proud, proud and prideful, but it's going to be a new meaning when you go out there. You and I have been out there for Barbecue, Austin, some concerts, We've seen the rodeo, but for you in spring it's going to be a little different, and your family oh yeah, you know you.
Speaker 1:You know we grew up on one of that rodeo, right, you know. And you know you never know what, what direction life's going to take you, right? So, but here we are. So sunday at three, you know he, he gets to riding his first rodeo, austin, you know rodeo, which is, you know, kind of cool. You know it'd be be fun to, you know, have a bunch of friends and family come watch him. And you know, hopefully we draw good.
Speaker 2:If we draw good, cole can handle the rest cole, when, when your dad says, for those who may not understand draw good, does that mean the horse you ride? Correct, draw good, does that mean the horse you ride.
Speaker 3:Correct, draw. Good horse, yes sir.
Speaker 2:What do you? I'm not trying to hype it up more than it should be, but it is special To you. It's just another rodeo, right?
Speaker 3:I might be a little bit more nervous because all the people that are coming to watch me and I don't want to get bucked off like a fat girl. I might be a little bit more nervous because all the people that are coming to watch me and I don't want to get bucked off like a fat girl.
Speaker 2:So uh, so uh, I might be a little bit more nervous, but other than that, you know it's just business as usual. I love that mindset. So Sunday 3 pm we used to call it the old LUDEC Arena. I guess it still is that. It's just east of Austin, rodeo, austin, it's a big deal. Carnival concerts.
Speaker 3:It's fun.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of fun and you get to see Cole Holland first time of his professional rodeo career as a rookie getting to compete in Austin. I'm assuming tickets you go to the Rodeo Austin website or, if you have Jason Holland's number, Next time for tickets.
Speaker 1:Hey, you know what's funny? You know, the funny thing is is, you know, cole gets a companion pass and PRCA, they're not good about giving tickets to everybody, giving tickets away, right, we've got to buy them. I get asked that a lot and I was like no, we buy them just like you do.
Speaker 2:Glad you said that, because there's always people looking for freebies for anything?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, If they're giving it away, I want it, but we've got to pay for these. Hey Ben, tell me something good.
Speaker 2:Jason Cole, one thing you know, we all know there's a lot of people complaining about everything and anything in the world. It's almost laughable because everyone thinks everything is just not positive. But we'll start with you, cole, the rodeo rookie sensation. Tell me something good, inspiring or positive that you want to get off your chest or tell the masses. You know.
Speaker 3:I'm not very good at this type of stuff, but you know just, I don't really know. See, you got me again, like you did in high school.
Speaker 2:This is like seven on seven. I have no idea what to say.
Speaker 3:But you know, be positive, have fun, and if you got a dream, chase it. So that's what I got to say. Jay, tell me something good, have fun, and if you got a dream, chase it. So that's, that's what I got to say.
Speaker 2:Jay, tell me something good, my brother.
Speaker 1:Man I honestly like inspiring is is is your kids, you know. I mean all of them kind of inspire me to get better. But Cole story is inspiring. He what he didn't rodeo, but he knew he wanted to do it. So he tried to achieve and be the best he can and he's proven the naysayers three or four years ago that he's here to stay and he's here to win and he works his ass off doing it. So it's pretty inspiring to me. It should be for a lot of people. I mean he didn't grow up like a lot of rodeo cowboys. They grew up in that world, just like he was in the football world. And then he decided one day, hell, that looks fun, I want to go see if I can ride a bareback horse. And you know it was pretty trying early but he figured it out, you know. So yeah, that's pretty inspiring.
Speaker 2:I love it and respect that. So Sol Ross is a quote-unquote cowboy school. You go there. I mean they have NCAA athletics. But, cole, there's some big names that have come out of Sol Ross right that are on the PRCA.
Speaker 3:Right now.
Speaker 2:Or just historically, or even right now, I mean for right now.
Speaker 3:you know my buddy, tristan Hutchins. He made the finals a couple times in the bull riding and he's had a lot of success. And Kai Hamilton, he's a world champion. He went to Sul Ross my freshman year and then back then, you know, I couldn't really tell you he went to Sul Ross, I couldn't really tell you who went? To Soar. I mean, I think like Tough and Tough.
Speaker 1:Hedeman, I think a lot of those guys all went to Soar Tough.
Speaker 3:Hedeman and Cody Lambert. Maybe I don't want to say anything wrong. I don't want to be wrong about anything, but I think that's who went there. There's definitely a lot of people back then that went to Soar that had a lot of success rodeoing, pro rodeoing too.
Speaker 2:It's a beautiful place, alpine, texas. They have a beautiful. I love their baseball stadium, coconut Field. Yeah, pretty special. We know what time of year it is and we've got a little something. This is in its second year of existence. Year it is and, uh, we've got a little something. This is in its second year of existence. All right, the bracket challenge, cbssportscom, or your cbs sports app. Last year we had 56 entries, and so the round rock express. Uh, dirty martin's place, of course, soul Creek Saloon. They all have prizes and if you go there to CBS Sports, look for the stories inside the man Cave Bracket Challenge. The password is all one word man Cave 2025. And make sure you have your email address because the winner last year.
Speaker 2:I was unable to get in touch with him, so he did not get his tickets to the Express game or the free food or the great food from both Shoal Creek Saloon and Dirty's, which is very unfortunate, very unfortunate. Are you guys? Is it too early for me to ask y'all who you guys are picking to win it all? I'm not going to ask Final Four on the men's side, but I have no idea right now.
Speaker 3:Personally, I have watched one basketball game this year, so I have no idea, but I'm just going to go with Alabama.
Speaker 1:No, actually.
Speaker 3:Texas Tech.
Speaker 1:That's possible. I'm going to start with. I'm going to tell you who's not going to win Texas. We suck. I'm going to tell you that they're not good.
Speaker 3:They beat Vanderbilt Any basketball players watching this, which maybe they are. You need to pick it up. You need to be better, Be better.
Speaker 2:Be better.
Speaker 1:I'll go with Duke, that's the easy one.
Speaker 2:Why? Not there's a. I'm not saying people are sleeping on, duke, but you really. They've been on a little slide, they've been consistent, but they just don't have that cachet, that swagger, like they used to. They're still.
Speaker 1:Duke Losing Coach K probably stung them a little bit right 100%.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm going to go with, Cole man. I think Texas Tech really does have a shot.
Speaker 1:Houston's pretty good again, aren't they?
Speaker 2:They are amazing Tech's better than Houston I think Really, huh.
Speaker 1:Well, you've watched a little more basketball one game than me. One game. I tried to watch Texas. I tried to watch Texas one week and got some out. I turned it off. I'm going to wait until next year.
Speaker 2:Hey, they're 18-14. While we're recording this episode, they beat Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament opener. They got to play A&M on Thursday.
Speaker 1:Wait, so they won today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they won.
Speaker 1:We play A&M.
Speaker 3:I'll watch that, just because I can't stand. A&m. I hope we beat them by a million.
Speaker 2:Texas had to come back from like 24 to beat them here in Austin.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that scares me.
Speaker 2:We're probably going to get ran out the gym to be honest, if they beat A&M with 19 wins, they could get in Really Maybe.
Speaker 3:I think we have to win the tournament, don't we? Because I saw a thing that was like win and get in versus Oklahoma last week.
Speaker 2:At large yeah. We did not win thing that was like win and get in versus Oklahoma last week. We did not win. I thought going in they've got to get three SEC tourney wins to be on the bubble.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you just need two more. Man. It's a fun time of year March Madness rodeo season. I'm excited for the Holland family, jason Spring and Cole, your little brother and your sister. Man, this is big for you guys. This weekend's going to be a blast. Probably you'll be talking about this for the rest of your life, or am I exaggerating, cole?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it'll always be a good memory, my first Austin rodeo with my whole family there, great support system, friends, girlfriend there it'll be awesome.
Speaker 2:I'm excited. Gentlemen. Man, I appreciate this, I know we'll see each other pretty soon and Cole really proud of you and I appreciate you both.
Speaker 3:I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:And both taking the time for this. This is fun. Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having us on 100%. Hey, and whenever you get a chance to talk about a young rodeo star from the Austin, Texas area, you know what it's always good to talk about it.