She Calls It with Tes Sawyer & Clynch

We dive back into a jam-packed spring with Texas hoops honesty, baseball’s perfect start, football conditioning legends, and the joy of office pranks and local community events. Expect candid takes, a few laughs, and clear reasons to circle dates on your calendar.

• spring travel pace and sponsor shoutouts
• Texas men’s basketball inconsistency and accountability
• Sean Miller’s direct pressers and foul trouble
• bubble hopes, OU matchup, and tournament odds
• Longhorn football conditioning and culture under heat
• Texas baseball’s 12–0 start, elite ERA, rising power
• the magic of The Dish and game-day rituals
• remote-office shenanigans and March Madness brackets
• nonprofit spotlights and local sports honors
• Texas women tracking a number one seed

Don’t forget to like and follow each of our social media platforms

Transcript

Back From A Busy Spring

SPEAKER_04 0:21

Hey, it's been a minute. It's been about two weeks since there's been an episode of any store, any content from stores inside the Medicaid. You know, real life, real career, everything just combined for the perfect storm, but we are back. We are back, and the test sawyer, she's gonna call it on a lot of items today. Some that uh you probably have been maybe debating when your work circles at home or anything of that matter, because we're in the springtime, and honestly, springtime just a reminder, it is busier than the football season, in my opinion. I am Sean Flints, the host, producer, content producer, whatever you want to call it, for stories inside the Man K podcast. And you know, before we get this episode rolling, I definitely want to give a shout out to Mercer and spiritdress.com. We're gonna say her name and Spirit Dress a lot. Hi Tess Sawyer. It's this is like a reunion. It feels it feels like well, it has been a month since we've connected on here.

SPEAKER_05 1:44

It has. Thank you. Um I'm I'm very happy to be back.

SPEAKER_04 1:48

I can tell. I can tell. You and I have I know you are in a key leadership position in the corporate world, so time is limited. That's why we do this twice a month, and because to get around both of our schedules, and I and I've starting to realize, even though I've been in the corporate world now, this is year almost seven years, that the beginning of the year is where you do all your conferences and multiple for and travel a lot, and it's no different for you.

SPEAKER_05 2:17

Yeah, spring is very busy, trade show season, all that kind of thing. So really, really busy. But I don't think personally it's as busy for me as football season. Oh intro. Because during football season, it's like it's work and then it's play, play, play, play, play, game every weekend, have to watch a game every weekend, so it's just like nonstop, but I absolutely love it and I would never trade it for the world.

Spring Travel And Sports Pace

SPEAKER_04 2:44

Oh, I love that. You know, football season, it's year-round, really. You know, off season is the season itself. Um, I I've got to ask you something. Uh, the reason why it's not, I know it's hot, and I didn't shout out to Hard Girl Group, and we love them, they're big supporters and sponsors of the podcast. I had to change shirts before we jumped on here, and I'll tell you why. When you're in your nice work clothes, I think I may have ruined one of my favorite banana republic button-ups because I decided to take the trash out. Had something on it, it was all over my sleeve and all right here. And I I I won't go through what all I said, but uh my salt bubbles were quite visible and quite vocal. That's all I well.

SPEAKER_05 3:36

I think you could probably take it to the cleaners. You don't think it's salvageable?

SPEAKER_04 3:39

I I put it in the washing machine, so hopefully try that first. Yeah, because whatever it's it looked like coffee grounds. That's what I'm thinking it was.

SPEAKER_05 3:47

I'll probably come out.

SPEAKER_04 3:49

I was highly pistified. Um before we jump into it, you know, we got to give a shout out to our girl Mercer. Uh, you are obviously your model and her best friend uh for this spirit dress in the man, the promo code MANK. You use it as one word, you get 20% off. Tell us a little bit about this spirit dress line of clothing.

SPEAKER_05 4:11

Yeah, well, I know it's not football season, but it's basketball and baseball. So, and I think a lot of Mercer's uh clothing, as you can see, is absolutely great for the spring and obviously the summer. You can see it's very floral and light, so especially in Texas or other southern regions, you can wear it year-round too. You don't have to wait for a game.

SPEAKER_04 4:33

Um, there is a winter Olympic sport that you keep talking about, and I want to take a piece of video to show you um how people really embraced it at home, including this grandmother that we highlighted on the last episode of The Past Rush with Stevie Lee. A Roomba and a brew.

SPEAKER_05 5:00

A roomba is about the same size, yeah. It is. If you wanted to practice, yes.

SPEAKER_04 5:06

I I don't think it's ever too late to pursue a goal such as that, or you're never too old.

The Shirt Disaster And Cleaners Hope

SPEAKER_05 5:15

Well, and I don't even know if there is like an age limit because it's not like other winter Olympics where you know you're gonna lose your prime. Well, most sports in the Olympics in general, you're gonna lose your prime, but I think you could do that even at an older age and be just as successful as somebody who's young.

SPEAKER_04 5:34

That's it. I I you know I'm I I kind of want to check in and see if my room on the hardwood floor I can bring out uh uh the broom and and and test my skills down the hallway. Um team USA, great job, winter Olympics, hockey, gold medal, beat Canada, and they are highly pistified north of the border.

SPEAKER_03 5:55

That's right. She calls it.

SPEAKER_04 6:00

All right, Tess. Texas Longhorn Men's Basketball. Uh, first year head coach Sean Miller. You said it best in a text. The consistency has been something that's not existed. Um, you know, they are 18 and 12 as they enter the final regular season game later today, being Saturday. They're 18 and 12, 9-8 in the SEC facing OU. What is it from a fan's perspective or from Tess's perspective that's been frustrating about this team? Because there was a time that they did seem they got it together and they had a winning streak in the SEC.

Spirit Dress Spring Styles

SPEAKER_05 6:40

Right. I mean, I think it's the same thing that Coach Miller's frustrated about. Um, I mean, the number one thing is that it doesn't seem like they want to play or they're not trying, which is pro it that's really hard. You know, lack of motivation is kind of showing up, you know, out on the court. Then obviously uh the defense has been the problem, you know, pretty much the entire season. And then just, you know, uh, you know, the phalathon, I'll just call it. So um, you know, so I I I and I really, really like, you know, Coach Miller. I love his interviews, his pressers and everything. And I think he's a really good coach. And um, but man, they gave him a they gave him a really uh hard uh thing to fix. It was pretty broken. So um it's gonna be interesting to see what he comes in and does. I mean, obviously these aren't uh, you know, players. Well, some of them they transferred to play with him, but not people he recruited and things like that. This isn't his team. And um, but I really appreciate um his honesty and his directness and his willingness to, you know, bench starters and not put up with the BS because, you know, he wants people out there that are gonna play. And um, so I think the consistency is is really distributed to those things. And until they correct that, you know, you're really not gonna see, you know, you want to see all winning going up, improving, not this and this and that, you know, and it's just it's just a roller coaster ride right now.

Winter Olympics Curling At Home

SPEAKER_04 8:13

I think if they get the win against Oklahoma, they're they're gonna get an at-large bid regardless of what they do in the SEC tournament. But speaking of your you talked about Sean Miller's press conferences, they have become entertainment because he is so direct. He called out the team uh about two or three three weeks ago, saying, you know, we have an illness, we will foul the shit out of you. He's right, leave your feet. So after this week's loss, I mean they got murdered in Fentville, Arkansas, uh by 20 points, 105.85. Jordan Pope, who is one of their starters, talented basketball player, played four minutes. In four minutes, he got four fouls, and he was asked about Jordan Pope. And to give you an example of what you if you have not seen this interview before or yet, this is what Tess is alluding to, and the entertainment value of a Sean Miller interview.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Uh yeah, I mean, he didn't seem like he really wanted to play, you know. He really didn't participate in tonight's game. So uh certainly you know, when you have a senior who's uh that meaningful to your team and he's not able to play, um it hurts, and uh it certainly hurt us.

SPEAKER_04 9:32

No way around it. And uh he has shown Pope will probably go off for 20 plus against Oklahoma. What's your confidence level now for this basketball team? Are they in? Do you think they they they rebound, no pun intended, and go on a little win streak, maybe get a win or two in the conference tournament?

SPEAKER_05 9:55

That's what I hope for. I really do. Um, but I just you know, it's every time you think they're kind of coming back, oh, we beat AM or something like that. Okay, that was a good win. All right, we're back. Then it's just like you they get knocked back down. I really hope they do. I really hope they get the bed to the, you know, get in the tournament and do and do well. And I would love to beat OU. That's always fun, you know. Um, but you know, I can't, I can't put all my eggs in that basket, you know, because uh it would not surprise me if if they don't do that. Um, just because they just seem so just they're just all over the place and just not together, and it's just not, it's not really a well-meshed team. And I'm sure that's what he's frustrated about. So I hope for the best, but unfortunately, I expect the world.

SPEAKER_03 10:49

That is fair.

Team USA Highlights

SPEAKER_04 10:51

Okay, she calls it football, college football offseason for the Longhorns. Great transfer portal season, in my opinion. You agreed, but I think we know with Tori Becton, the strength and conditioning coach, things are very intense in winter conditioning. Um, Anthony Hill, who has opted uh for the NFL draft, he was invited, one of the seven Longhorns who participated in the NFL combine in Indy, Indianapolis, uh, had this to say in an interview about not having to participate in that intense off-season workouts led by Tori Becton.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

Uh, everything's hard when it's 140 degrees outside. So those those moments are tough, and I'm glad that's in my past. I don't gotta do that, none of that no more. So them sevens the long horn shuttles. I'm looking at their Instagram, I'm seeing what they're doing right now, and I'm like, yeah, I'm yeah, I'm done with that stuff. I ain't I ain't got that in my future no more.

Texas Men’s Basketball Inconsistency

SPEAKER_05 11:57

It's it's gravy, it's gravy days for Emily now.

SPEAKER_04 12:02

You would think the NFL might be harder.

SPEAKER_05 12:05

You would think, but I mean, I don't know. I mean, it sounds pretty brutal. I went to one of their uh women's uh football clinics and they were doing, you know, trying to, I don't think they treated us any anywhere near what they do to the guys, but I mean, I was about to stroke out, and um so I I feel for him and I've seen what they're what he's talking about on Instagram. Like they're not they're not messing around, and we all know the heat here in Austin, Texas can be brutal. So you combo that with that type of intensive workout, I'm sure he's glad to be like that is in my past.

SPEAKER_04 12:41

Well, you know, voluntary is a word used loosely, especially in the summer. That's right. Voluntary means mandatory. Tess Texas baseball 12 and oh. That is the program's best start since uh 2005, and just FYI, they won a national championship in Omaha that year. I want to show you something that has really stood out to me. Now, their pitching staff through 12 games uh is has to be one of the tops in the country. Uh 1.71 earn run average. That that's they've clearly uh upgraded their pitching staff. Um, but this is something that stands out to me. The thing that chicks dig often.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

Those power numbers have power, little treble. Carson Tenney a fighting horn these days. We'll touch them all. Touch them all.

SPEAKER_04 14:05

Texas, as a team, through the first 12, have said hate to see you go by 17 times. Carson Tenney and the maybe one of the best mullets in college baseball, Aiden Robbins, four home runs each.

SPEAKER_05 14:23

Yeah, I mean, I think I I know that's that's so exciting. I know you're beyond excited. I know what a big fan you are and how important it is to you. And and I guess uh the worst thing I can say is that I haven't gone to a game yet this year.

SPEAKER_04 14:37

I haven't been because of my schedule.

SPEAKER_05 14:39

Yeah, and I feel terrible. So if anything, um I call it, Sean, that we should we should look at our little schedules and look at the games and just pick a day and go out there and at least watch these guys because they they seem like you know a hell of a lot of fun to watch in person. And I love going to the dish. So um I'd love to go see them, see them out there. So we need to we need to do that.

SPEAKER_04 15:07

You you get your man friend, and uh, I know somebody your man friend and I know somebody who loves the dish too. So hopefully we can lure them into the that would be great.

SPEAKER_05 15:19

No, I don't have to lure, I just tell be there, be there you're here now, be there, yeah. Yeah, the dish, dish fog.

SPEAKER_04 15:27

I don't care what anybody says, it's one of the jewels of college baseball, and the Yeti yard. Now they have one in right now. So cool.

Coaching Candor And Foul Trouble

SPEAKER_05 15:35

Oh, I didn't know that. Okay, so I haven't been back since they okay, cool, cool. Yeah, no, it is such an awesome place. I highly recommend it. It I mean, I love a day afternoon game, that's kind of my favorite. Yeah, but uh you know, a night game is always fun too. It just kind of depends. I mean, it's that time of year, like you said, it's spring, so weather's really nice, and sitting out there watching a ball game on a night, you know, Friday night or a Saturday night or even a day on a Sunday or a Saturday. I mean, it's the best, it's the best. It's so funny.

SPEAKER_04 16:06

Get you a long charred dog to put it in your mouth or my mouth, yeah. Every bun's mouth, just eat it. That's it.

SPEAKER_05 16:11

Eat delicious hot dogs. Oh, and by the way, it's uh at the end of the game, whatever hot dogs they don't sell, they give them out for free.

SPEAKER_03 16:17

I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_05 16:19

Insider tip.

SPEAKER_03 16:20

Insider.

SPEAKER_05 16:21

Yeah, after the game. I tried to put as many wieners in my mouth as I could after the game, but it was that is the quote of the year of 2026.

SPEAKER_04 16:32

You almost had me tongue tie on that one. Girl's best friend, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 16:40

The the dish pot dogs are great.

SPEAKER_04 16:44

She calls it. All right, last but definitely not least, office shenanigans. We've all been a part of it. I I think the term office is used loosely now because of what COVID did. Um, I am my own manager, so to speak. I'm going places, I don't have a true office except right here where I do the podcast. Um, I saw a video that inspired me to bring up this topic. I thought it was absolutely hilarious. It involved a balloon deflating and people trying to catch it.

SPEAKER_03 17:36

What's that?

SPEAKER_05 17:43

Actually, it looks really challenging.

SPEAKER_04 17:44

It looks a lot of fun, a lot of rug burn on the knees.

SPEAKER_05 17:48

Yeah, I've never tried to do that. Yeah, that rub look that rug looked pretty pretty rust.

SPEAKER_04 17:52

Brutal. It looked brutal. It looked like all the carpet that reminds me of the four TV stations I work for and the nasty carpet that we had in each of those places.

SPEAKER_05 18:04

It does look a little TV station-y, but very DNA.

Tournament Hopes And Realism

SPEAKER_04 18:09

A lot of DNA on those carpets.

SPEAKER_05 18:11

Really?

SPEAKER_04 18:12

Oh well, that's just an assumption. A lot of bacteria.

SPEAKER_05 18:17

That's a good guy.

SPEAKER_04 18:20

Well, have you participated in any office shenanigans when you reported to an office on a consistent basis?

SPEAKER_05 18:28

Um, gosh. Yes. I mean, I think there's many times where like a boss would go out of town and we would leave weird shit all over their office and do stuff like that. I mean, that those days are kind of gone. You can't really get away with things like that. But I did see a video recently where uh all of the um employees were on a virtual call with their CEO slash boss, and they all decided to drink out of something really weird until she noticed. So, like one dude is like drinking out of a blender, and one girl has a straw out of a game detergent box, and another girl's just taking a big bowl and just weird, you know, not like your normal, like and it was really funny because they're all just sitting there drinking out of shit, and she's just la la la talking about all the stuff they need to get done. I think it's really funny if you want to look that way.

SPEAKER_04 19:23

How long into it did she notice?

SPEAKER_05 19:25

I mean, it was like five minutes.

SPEAKER_04 19:27

What'd she say?

SPEAKER_05 19:29

She was like, why are y'all drinking out of all these weird things? It was just really funny. It was really funny. I mean, I haven't really played any big jokes. I mean, lately. I don't know. Maybe I need to come up with something in the office and do something funny, but um, yeah, I mean, right now, the only the only thing I'm concerned about at the office right now is getting my March Madness uh bracket yeah, started because it's really fun to do with your with your coworkers. We have really good time doing that every year, and because we don't do a ton of things like that, but like the March Madness bracket, everybody gets into it, everybody has their schools that they like. So I'm gonna get that cracking Monday. Come come Monday.

SPEAKER_04 20:11

Bracket come Monday. You know, Jimmy Buffett had a song Come Monday.

SPEAKER_05 20:16

I know he did. I know I can't start the bracket yet, but I'm gonna I'm gonna start collecting my participants, right? You know what I mean?

Longhorn Football Conditioning Stories

SPEAKER_04 20:24

Yep, yeah. No, that's fun. You know, I all the places that, especially when I was in the media, uh like K View, uh, Stacey Slayton and I would uh it was like a we had these games to break the monotony of editing and writing, and then and get we would do something, and we'd get so fired up there'd be chess bumps and they'd bring it out to the newsroom, and you know, what half the newsroom would participate. There was a lot of uh whiffle ball games, so to speak.

SPEAKER_05 20:54

Fun.

SPEAKER_04 20:55

Um, yeah, and yeah, there were there were some other things that we participated in as well to other places. Oklahoma City, that was a fun group. All right, before we wrap it up and eliminate the uh office shenanigans banner, uh springtime is also a great, great season and it's traditional with fundraising dinners for nonprofit organizations. Uh, these are two that uh we partner with and I'm on the board for Under Baloo Skies Golf and Party. Uh it is in May. And the Greater Austin Sports Foundation, uh, the big event on April 29th, I believe. But visit both the websites, Under Baloo Skies. It benefits ALS of Texas. Um, we're gonna honor a lot of people, and we always honor one family or uh uh current ALS patient, and the golf event at Forest Creek in Round Rock earlier that morning. Greater Austin Sports Foundation. It is at the Junior League of Austin off of 360 in Spicewood Springs near Great Hills. Uh A great event in which we uh nominate. Uh, we're gonna have 12 male and female high school uh uh Hall of Honor nominees, and then we have four or five from the community, which have been uh had a profound impact on sports in the Austin area, and it is something that uh I I think is a phenomenal for our city, our area, and we're we're gonna see if you follow all the social media for Greater Austin Sports Foundation, we're about to surprise the nominees in high school to surprise them and reveal to them that they are a nominee and they and their and their ADs and coaches can attend. We want more people to get involved and and make this a much bigger thing. Women, we forgot to talk about the Texas women. Uh, more than likely, they will be a number one of the four number one seeds in the women's NCAA tournament. Two weeks from now, we'll be talking about that. That's when we're we're getting close.

SPEAKER_05 23:02

I'm excited.

SPEAKER_04 23:03

Selection Sunday is almost here. Tess Sawyer, have an amazing weekend. You do a good job on calling things on the world of Tess Sawyer and opinions.

SPEAKER_05 23:13

It's one thing I have is opinions. So uh, yeah, you too, Sean. You have a good weekend too.

Heat, Workouts, And “Voluntary”

SPEAKER_04 23:19

Hey, take care. All of you guys have a great weekend, and don't forget to like and follow each of our social media platforms. Until next time, I'm Sean Clinch, and that is the Tess Sawyer.