Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger
Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben talks NFL Draft, Coaching youth sports as a professional athlete and more! Ep 125
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In this episode Ben and Spence talk Ben's perspective on youth sports as a professional athlete and how his career has impacted the way he parents and coaches his kids. They also dive into upcoming NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
FOOTBAHLIN MERCH:
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00:00 Introduction and Show Origins
02:03 Beer Tasting and the 'Ball Horn' Story
04:11 Flying Dog Brewery Artwork and Hunter S. Thompson
07:47 The Influence of Sports Culture and Behavior
11:19 Family Sports Moments: Basketball and Baseball
15:22 Parenting Strategies and Developing Young Athletes
20:52 Upcoming NFL Draft and Team Strategies
35:10 Fan Experience and Draft Week Plans
39:35 Closing Remarks and Future Episodes
Basement Podcast Origins
SPEAKER_02Welcome back to Football with Ben Rothesberger, a podcast where I sit in my basement with my good friend Spence and we talk about whatever.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's that's the actual description on iTunes, I think, ours.
SPEAKER_02We that's the football season is not in right now, so we don't have much to talk about. There the draft is coming up soon, so we can we'll be excited about that because we'll finally have something to talk about outside of just like family and life and things, which we'd like talking about that, but the fans may not always want to talk about that.
SPEAKER_00But without the yeah, it's footballing. Footballing. And without the football, we're just balling.
SPEAKER_02Which we this is which is where this show, how this show originated for any of you newbies. Yeah, is you and I would just sit down here, have a couple drinks and hang out and talk life, whatever, and we're like, we should film this maybe. Do we actually have to we should bring millions of people around the world that are watching this to sit down here with us? Yeah, that's what we're doing.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, and I think like like you said, we've the show has grown substantially since we started as I don't want to say we started it as a joke, because that seems like we didn't care what we were doing. We do care that like what we provide for people is entertaining for them. Um, but it did start as a joke in that the word football is not a real word. You created it. Um, kind of.
SPEAKER_02So there's a yeah, you yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Go ahead. That was a joke. And that and I I think it's funny now that like ESPN has to write the word football in when they talk about what you said. Um that's more of the the inside joke for us. But the football in the it's spelled, people thought it was spelled because of like Pittsburgh, like Pittsburghese. I never even put that through. Me there. That was a happy accident. They're like bull, like football, like um Bill Car. Dan Tan. But it's not Anderson Valley Brewing Company, which is a that's a brewery. We would come down here and sample. I mean, we would just watch games, we'd watch, we watch the Grammys one night. Whatever watching. And we would sample beers, and then one of them was Anderson Valley Brewing Company. That is from Anderson Valley in California. That little valley has its own language, and on the cans, they have a phrase called ball horn and B-A-H-L Hornen, and it just means good drinking. We died laughing because that's sounds hilarious. It's awesome. And then that's when the ball we called those little beer tastings ball. Hey, you're a ball? Yeah, and uh that's where it came from. And I don't know that we've explained that in a while.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So these are like what in the world? People are like, What is very clever. But Spence Spence Spence put the football, well, foot foot and football. He put the foot and football in. Um, but no, put it together because he's creative like that. Uh, and that's that's where the podcast came from. And what episode is this? Do you know? Off top of your head?
SPEAKER_00One twenty 120 something later.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And an award. Hey, look at that. Look at us. This is a YouTube award, 100,000 subscribers, but that's because of you. You fans. We have fans and we have family.
SPEAKER_00That's right. That's right. And speaking of that, uh, it's twofold. One is part of the the genesis of football, and was we would have uh we would sample beers. And obviously, the family, you guys know we do that. We haven't done it in a while. Yeah. Because Evan's been Evan's been MIA.
SPEAKER_02Well, our shows have been a little unusual recently, but just because the simple fact of we don't have a lot of like football to talk about, right? Because it's off season. We always know this is tough, which is also why we come to you guys every other week now. And um, so yeah, we we were just like,
The Beer Tasting Tradition Returns
SPEAKER_02okay, we're gonna have Evan come cook for us and just yeah, not make not Evan Evan's segment. I mean, Evan's got a cookbook and he's doing big things, big time. So it's hard to keep Evan here all the time. So yeah, so we we kind of dialed back on the food. We will pick that back up, obviously, when we get a when we get guests coming in, or if we when the season starts, things like that. And so we've also taken a break from sampling beers a little bit.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, a little bit. But sometimes happy accidents happen, then one gets dropped in your lap, and that's exactly what just happened here. And so this is a this is a beer, as you guys know, the family knows this is a family show. Yes. All right, that kind of rhymed. The family knows that this is a family show. See? Look at this. I'm this is that would be a slam poetry jammer? Um, so um, and one of a family member.
SPEAKER_02Yes, a family member.
SPEAKER_00A family member. Not a fan. No, dropped this in. And the the thing is, the problem with this, first of all, flying dog brewing company, this is where this comes from. Great beers. Artwork's awesome. I think it's like Hunter S. Thompson artwork. Um don't know who that's quote me on that. It's like a I think it's a fear and loathing. Uh, I'll do some research and not sound as dumb as I might be sounding right now. But it's the family show, is what I was my point in saying all that stuff. And the title of this beer is um the title, the name of it is I'm not gonna say it. But if you are a fan of Flying Dog Brewing Company, this is an IPA. You know the name of this beer. Uh, if you've had it, maybe you like it. It's a heavy boy. It's a it's a it's a big beer. Which is why we're gonna sample one today. It's a big beer. I'm gonna sample one beer. It's a big boy, it's a big guy. It's 8.3. How would you describe the name of this beer?
SPEAKER_02I would call it a raging female dog. Oh, that's right. Well, you like this? How do you do this? This is you gotta know this. That's a you gotta know how you do it. Yeah, you can anchor it in. You can anchor it in in case it's hard. I made that. I'm still gonna spill. Maybe. Dude, this actually It fits in there nice, doesn't it? Did you do that on purpose? I mean, just saying.
SPEAKER_00I'm left-handed, so does it work for the right? The right. See, you're free over here. You did it for you. This is a chip.
SPEAKER_02But you can you can anchor in there, and then if it's a really hard to wedge that thing up. So while Spence tries to knife attempts to open this beer with this, is that how you got this beer? You strong arm. I just just just got it just on its back. Yeah. This oh, this is gonna he's gonna have to go up real high. He's gonna poke himself.
SPEAKER_00I that was that was easier than I wanted to.
SPEAKER_02So this beer, as we're as we're talking, we just gave you guys a big intro.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02To um, I also have one of those you guys can't see it, but I have an antler as one of my beer taps back there. That's right. Pretty cool.
SPEAKER_00Hey, he's out here just making making stuff out of the woods.
SPEAKER_02Um, this beer got I I had a delivery uh not long ago. I will not um say the company or anything because I don't want anyone to get in trouble because I don't know if you know what's allowed to happen during deliveries, but this was delivered to me and it was a six-pack of this was handed to me by a gentleman um and basically said oh I can smell it from right here.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it smells great.
SPEAKER_02It does smell good, but I mean I can smell the I can smell it. Um basically said, Hey, um want to say thank you for the football. But he goes, I know you're a fan of the phabir. And I said right away the family member. Because a fan of this show, which we love the fans, there's there's no doubt we have millions of them around the world. The fan has come on here, the fan has seen the Coach Cower episode, has seen the Coach Tom and the TJ Watt, or checking it out every once in a while. Football season, let me peek in, see what happens. Love listening to these guys talk about things. Oh, love, love Chef Evan, da-da-da, right? That's a fan. We love you guys, we appreciate you guys being here every week or every other week, whenever you come. Family has seen every episode. That's right. Family knows the five F's of football. And they know them in order. Yep. Faith, family, food, football, for beer.
SPEAKER_00That's right, that's right.
SPEAKER_02And this guy knew Fabir, and so this one is to you. You know who you are. Um I'm excited to try this, I think. So anyway.
SPEAKER_00No way this is bad.
SPEAKER_02This one is to the family.
SPEAKER_00There you go.
SPEAKER_02Cheers, family.
SPEAKER_00And he's got the technique down, folks. This is a trained professional.
SPEAKER_02Whoa. It's really good.
SPEAKER_00Like, whoa, good, like whoa, good, dangerous whoa. Oh, like you can't 8.3, but it's talking to you like a 5.7, huh?
SPEAKER_02Well, when you let it breathe, you can taste that 8.3.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it'll get you. Yeah, it's in there. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Not gonna do many more of that. I might just do one more, actually. Just so you know, I like to. That's how you gotta you gotta let the first couple through, go through.
SPEAKER_00That's the end of the nighter. You know what I mean? That's a hey, we're at the fire. Feel that back there. Hey, that's strong. Yes. Okay. So I was not completely off on the artwork. All right. So the Flying Dog Brewery is renowned for its iconic edgy beer label artwork created by British illustrator Ralph Steadman since the mid-1990s, known for a gonzo style featuring ink splatter, surreal, and often controversial imagery. Stedman's art is central to the brand's identity. Uh, and he was famous for illustrating Hunter S. Thompson's works has design labels for the brewery in the mid-90s.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So it yeah, the I mean, obviously, outside the name, which it is what it is, we just don't we don't say that word in this house. Um, it's just a like that's the kind of thing it could give you nightmares. Yeah. That dog's scary on there. I mean, Hunter S.
SPEAKER_00Thompson's not a nails. Yeah, scary. So his movies is raging. Yeah, his movies aren't getting adapted by Pixar anytime soon.
SPEAKER_02So um, yeah, that's uh that's a anyway. Thank you for that. Uh what's it flying dog? I I would highly recommend that. I like that beer. I'm sure they have other really good beers. Um, I I'm not gonna drink that whole one right now. You know something you made me think of too when you're talking about Evan
Sushi Cravings And Slippery Mermaid
SPEAKER_02and food? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I'm kind of I do kind of miss Evan. I'm kind of hungry. What's that? And I don't know why. Sometimes it just sounds good, but sushi sounds pretty good to me.
SPEAKER_00Always it sounds good to me.
SPEAKER_02And I do I love we we love us some sushi. Bro, talk about that. We we we'll we'll put some rolls down, some Giri down, some shimi down. Um, and I so I want it just makes me think I just want to give a quick shout out to Reese down at Slippery Mermaid. Hey, that's the guy. Uh Reese is my dude. He always takes care of us when we put that order into food. So thank you, Reese. Anybody's in the area, head down to Swickley, pick up some Slippery Mermaid sushi because Reese will take care of you. So hey.
SPEAKER_00This is that was not even planned, and I'm literally texting in right now for an order tonight.
SPEAKER_02There you go. That's there it is. We're heats.
SPEAKER_00We're not sponsored by this. We don't, yeah, no, we pay for all that sushi gladly.
SPEAKER_02Reese is it's funny because I've I've texted him before, like, hey, can I get an order for you know, because my my wife or daughter will like crave it, and when they crave it, it's like it's 5 30. Yeah, sushi sounds good. And I'm like, Yeah, it's like dinner time right now. There is it's Friday night. And I'll be like, Reese, I'm so sorry. He goes, No, it's all good. And he chants, he goes, I'm in Florida, but let me put let me call. I'm like, oh no, don't do that. But anyway, so thank you, Reese.
SPEAKER_00I will say, dude, my so my wife and daughter does they don't eat sushi. Yeah. Um, I'm hoping that shame. I'm so I'm hoping that Ollie, as she gets older, will love it. I don't know what she's like her dad. Yeah, I know. She'll eat sushi. Acts like her dad. But um, Kiyala started eating the the rice around it, and then we'll just leave the center. I'm like, hey, let's start. Um but my my favorite is anytime I come over here, I'm like, hey, you guys, you guys ordering sushi today? You know, just plant the seed. You want to yeah. I know if I can get Ash on board, like we're good. Like, yeah, what are we ordering sushi?
SPEAKER_02I'll never say no to sushi, but she'll definitely lock it in. But you know what? It might grow because Bailey has really grown to like sushi. Yeah. Um, not I mean like shrimp tempora rolls, like anything that's like got to that, and then Bodhi start eating it too. Really? So usually I'll get them two rolls. Bodhi eat half of one, and Bailey eats one and a half.
SPEAKER_00So she asked out that training, yeah. She's working hard.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, lots of sports.
SPEAKER_00Do you remember that? Do you remember that time where we were at that poke bar? And which one when we were down, we were down uh Albany and they had the poke bar. Oh, yeah, yeah. And the guy was like, We were in line, and he's like, Do you guys uh you want some more poke? And we looked at each other like, yeah. Who asked that question?
SPEAKER_02Or just a little more.
SPEAKER_00We'll tell you when to stop. A little more.
SPEAKER_02Keep it going, keep it going. Don't stop there, sir. Sir, don't stop there.
SPEAKER_00I felt bad, but at the same time. And no, I wasn't not.
SPEAKER_02I can fill this bowl up like decently and and and come back once. Yes. Or you can put a little bit in, I'll be up here three, four times.
SPEAKER_00Would you rather have well you see you can do that because like you're 6'5, like people are like, oh, he probably he's gonna eat, right? Big guy. That's big, that's big Ben. I'm a normal sized person, but I eat like a fat kid. Yeah, well, right? It's and I blame the Polynesian genes. Yes, you don't look like the typical Polynesian. No, no, no. I'm the smallest one we got. Uh, I think if you go through Tonga and Samoa, I think I'm ranked as the smallest one. But I'll eat, but I eat. So it's so funny. I'll I'll I'll again I'll get a portion that you're getting, and it's like, uh what's going on? Yeah, you're you're gonna be okay. You want to box there, little guy? That's going to that leg and that leg. You want to find so yeah, that's that's so the I'm glad you tuned in to figure out our eating habits. And now that we got that out of the way, maybe we talk about um uh a little bit something a little bit more important. And
Kids Tournament Drama And Heart Rates
SPEAKER_00like as you said in the intro, we've been coming to you guys what every other week in the offseason, and a lot that's happened in this past week. And I feel like we haven't even catched up. I've gotten maybe like the cliff notes of it. Um you you've been quite busy with with uh family sporting events.
SPEAKER_02Oh, it's every night. Every night, something whether it's a practice or a game. Um, but yes, we've been running around like crazy. And my wife has been so busy writing her paper, she got a 30-page paper due um for a seminary. She's finished up one more month, thank you, Lord. Uh I know she's saying the same thing, so it's not like you know. Uh, but so she's been very busy, so it's been a lot of running around. She's been such an amazing mother that she this is obviously really important for her, but she still takes time to go to the games and support the kids and and whatnot. So yeah, um Bodhi had a basketball tournament this last weekend, and uh it was it was fun to be there. There, their their little team is uh it's a good little team. Um, they play some really good teams, and so it's it's a challenge for them because they don't have a lot of big players on their team. And so, and Bodhi's not a big player, and he's obviously on the team. Uh not obviously he's on the team with uh our good friend Justin Bryan's son Rowan, uh, which I'll tell you a funny story about that, about him this weekend. But they uh yeah, they played in a tournament like the pool play, they went one and one and then got into like the bracket play, and then they got in as like the four seed, they beat the five seed, and then beat the like one, beat the two seed or however it worked, you know, and it's like wow, they're going to the championship game, and it's kind of crazy. But the game before the championship game probably should have lost. They actually had Bodhi do the jump ball, which is hilarious because he and I have a I can show you the video of it. That's awesome. I wish I could show it on here. You guys would be thinking it's hilarious. But he's he's a probably foot shorter than the kid doing the jump ball. So it's kind of like almost like a joke type thing. And so he's just kind of laughing. I guess the Bodhi said the ref was like, all right, little fella, go get it, or something silly, you know. And the kid, the other big kid's just kind of looking at it like, what are we gonna do here? Yeah, and the the ref, I was I told Bodie, like, hey, listen, like, because he had they had some jump ball the day before against a tall kid because the Bodhi is like a is kind of can be tough and plays pretty good defense. So they put him on the big guy for some reason, which I don't understand, but I mean I I do, but I don't. Sure, sure. Um, it's almost like the big kid thinks, like, okay, this little guy's on me, I'm not gonna try as hard, and they end up maybe not trying as hard, but you got to with Bodhi, he's aggressive. He is, and he's tough. I told him, I said, Bo, you remember when you're like anywhere in that little gnat? It's just and you're like, keep swiping it, but it never goes away. That needs to be you on the basketball court. Just be that little annoying little gnat. But anyway, so I think the jump ball's happening, and I think the big kid is like, okay, whatever. The ball gets thrown up, and the big kid goes up and kind of whiffs at it, and then Bodie is right behind him and wins the tip. So it was the greatest thing. Um they get into this game, and the game is is incredibly intense, okay? Like it's back and forth, and and like, you know, and I'm not gonna the refs were it wasn't like okay, the refs were calling it back. It was like fouls. It was it was a good game, it was it was equal both ways, but it was it was crazy. We have like a five-point lead, and all of a sudden they take a one-point lead and just back and forth, back and forth. And at these games, usually I'm very like quiet and stoic. Every once in a while, I'll kind of give Bodhi something, or I'll holler, hustle, or just something a little, but I try to be really quiet. My wife and Benjamin are Harlan's.
SPEAKER_00They take a little different approach, they have a different approach.
SPEAKER_02They're they're very aggressive sometimes to the point where I have to like have to like grab, like, sweetie, like she'll be yes, make me yell at the raffs. What is that? Like, just all the people in this gym, I think. Yeah, I was like, um, what like so? There's times that she always wonders why I choose to sit away from everybody else sometimes. But anyway, I love her, love, love it. But but Benjamin's doing the same thing, like you can see the similarities between those two. And Bailey, she's unbelievable because during this game, she's doing her homework because she knows the week, like she's like the type that like we're going to be at basketball tournaments like all weekend or these games, and so I need to get my homework done. So you don't want to be her when she's doing her homework, but watching the game. It gets to the end of this game, the last like two minutes to go, and she's like, I can't do my homework anymore. I'm too nervous. And so we're like, okay, you can put it down, right? So she puts it down, and now and she's just she's just sitting there nervous, like, you know, not saying much. My wife is is like going nuts, and Benjamin's like freaking out, and you know, it's like make a play here, make and and so I was like just very curious because they're going nuts. I like looked at my watch, my Apple Watch, and I was like, wonder what my heart rate is right now. Just because I'm like, Oh, you playing it cool though? You're just you're still. Yeah, I'm not doing it. Just watch. I mean, I'm I'm like excited, I'm excited, of course. It's my son, and like it's a good game. And you love sport. Anytime you love sports, I don't care. It could be any sport. If it's you've got a good game, you should always be like as a competitor, you're like right, right. I looked at my pulp, my heart rate, and it was like 62, 63. And I was like looking at Nashville, she goes, What is wrong with you? I'm like, what? She goes, I'm like like 95. Benjamin was like a 130 and something, and I'm like, Well, that's probably why I did what I did. Exactly. Um, you know, but anyway, uh, it was just it was funny. We had a good laugh at it because she was just like, How are you so calm right now? I'm like, Well, you've got enough going for all of us, right?
SPEAKER_00For real. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, but it was it was great. They ended up winning it. Bodhi, um, he was in the game at the end with like five seconds left. We were up by one, and there was like a we're on defense, and so they have them on like their big their biggest player. And I'm like, oh man, please don't. As a dad, you're like, okay, I I walk this line of like okay, almost everything in like in in life and in sports or whatever, can be a lesson. Good, bad, and different, right? So if you make the game winning shot, great. But I I always think that sometimes the negative can can do more for you, right? Because it can you can build character now, it can also make you go in the tank, so it can hurt you in a way too. But I'm like, okay, this big kid, he's guarding this big kid. If this big kid scores the game winning bucket, I'm gonna feel awful for him. He's gonna learn, but as a dad, it breaks my heart because I know he's gonna be torn up. Yeah, so I'm like, please don't let this kid score. This kid's a foot taller than him. I'm like, please don't let don't let him score this bucket on Bodhi. Because he and he's he carries so much heart and passion in his sports for his teammates. Yeah, like he would feel like he let everybody down. Sure. And so the ball gets entered, the ball gets in play, and the kids dribble, and they go to make a pass, and Bodhi gets his hand, just gets it, just tips the ball, and it and it it tips the ball away from the hoop enough that their player gets it with like no time, like one second left, or yeah, a couple seconds left. And then Bodhi tips it, their player kind of gets it, but bobbles it. Our player gets it, Bodhi's run down the floor, they throw it down, Bodhi, like, and he just dribbles out the clock, and it's like thank God. And so it was a but it was a great win because they beat this really good team they probably shouldn't have beat. Um, and it was it was it was it was pretty fun. So, anyway, I was I just thought it was funny that like the the heart rate and everything. Oh my gosh, dude, that's hilarious! Look, I'll just show you the video. You don't see the whole video, but look at the height, look at the difference. Yeah, just so you can show people. He's at the kid's shoulders. Yeah, that's that's a foot, that's a clear foot. I mean, the the height different is not. That's a clear foot over.
SPEAKER_00I would say send it to me, we put it on there, but there's other people's kids on there. So yeah, I'm not gonna do that.
SPEAKER_02We're voting about it. So um, anyway, and so then the the story goes on. I'll I'll finish this last part of the story. They get to the championship game, and they're playing this team that they had already played earlier. And this time, and the first time they played was a very close game. This time, this team just they couldn't miss. I again never gonna blame officiating, but I think the officials weren't they didn't call a very good game. Sure. The other team was much bigger and much more physical than us, and it was like, holy cow! What do you want us to do? Yeah, there's not only so much we can do here. And so, but the the moral of the story is the kids, our kids fought the whole game and and kept it within probably 10. I mean, it was fine. But the best part of it was um our good friend, a good um family member of the show, Justin Bryan, who who, if you watch the show, you know Justin, uh, the guy that can't make the black and dance.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's how I know him.
SPEAKER_02Um, most that's how most people know him. The Irishman that can't make the black and dance.
SPEAKER_00Um, it's like a skinny Samoan. It's a kid.
SPEAKER_02His son, Rowan, is on the team. Great little athlete. Him and bo um Bodie are like thickest thieves, best friends. They're both like pretty close. Like, they're just the they're the Nats. They're the Nats on the team. So anyway, Rowan is at a baseball tournament in the morning, so he can't make any of the games. But because we make the championship game, they can drive like 40 minutes to try and get there to support, maybe play. Rowan shows up with like five minutes to go in the game, and basically he's the he saw like the eye black kind of on his eyes, that's been rubbed off. And I'm the gym is very small, and so we're sitting um kind of close to the court. There's not a lot of people there, obviously. And Rowan gets in the game with like a minute to go or something, they sub him in, and he gets the ball, and they're right in front of us at the hoop, and he gets the ball and he passes it, you know, with 30 seconds left or something. And he's still standing 10 feet from me, and I'm sitting next to Justin, and I'm like, Rowan, if you get that ball, you better shoot it right away. Like while ball game's playing, you know? He kind of looks at me, and so the ball comes back to him with like 10 seconds left, and he's got a little bit of space, and as soon as it came out, I'm like, shoot it! Like doing everything that parents shouldn't do. But I was like, Who cares? Like, we're losing. He just got there, and he fires a three right in front of us and makes it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, my bad.
SPEAKER_02And it was the most, it was just it was amazing. You can see, I mean, and he was so. Excited, and I was like, we were all excited for him. You know, it was like we lost, but it was cool that he he didn't take one shot all day, came right from baseball, pitched, did all the stuff in nine inning baseball, probably, and did all the stuff, and it showed like his smile and the excitement that he had. It was it was perfect. I mean, it showed truly that like he is like an athlete like his mom. I mean, he gets the athleticism from his mom. But it was it was just really cool to see him make that shot at the last minute. So it was fun. So it was a great, a great tournament.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, man. You've been you've been uh I feel like it's every it's every day you guys got something going on.
SPEAKER_02We got a golf tournament this weekend, Beta's got a volleyball tournament, Bodhi has no basketball, thank goodness.
SPEAKER_00So as a as a competitor, as a former professional athlete, but an athlete your entire life, is that something that when you're in the rhythm of the family now, like developing their own love for certain sports, you know, obviously jamming with golf. It's like it went from like, oh, we we got him into golf to like, oh, he's he's a golfer and he is now progressing in his craft, not trying stuff out so much. So much so that you guys have actually probably taken him out of other sports, and like, let's focus on this thing. You clearly have a knack for it.
SPEAKER_02He does that in basketball, those are his two sports. And he actually, him
Coaching Mindset And Emotional Control
SPEAKER_02and Bodie have been playing a lot of basketball recently. Like during basketball season, all he wanted to do was golf, and now it's golf season. He's like, I mean, he's still playing a lot of golf, but he's like shooting baskets all the time.
SPEAKER_00So funny, dude.
SPEAKER_02Now he also like has lowered our like figured out how to lower the hoop and dunk something all the time, right? Yeah, who doesn't? I'll tell him I should do that too. But I still do that.
SPEAKER_00I'm a grown man.
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, so it is. It's kind of at that point where we we always say, like, okay, do you want to be the he's 13 and he's playing in golf tournaments and he's you know finishing right around 10, somewhere in there. Yeah. It's like great. And I know people are like, wouldn't you wanted to finish first? I'm like, no, it's okay. You don't want to be the best. I tell him, I you don't want to be the best 13-year-old in the world. You want to be the best 19, 20, 21-year-old in the world. You know, you want to be going to college and then maybe trying to, you know, this is the 90th playing of the masters and Benjamin's 13. And his goal now is to play in the 100th. He'd be 23, like just potentially out of college. It'd be a it's a big stretch, but it's it's a cool goal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so, you know, we just we just let them we try not to be too serious with sports because I think people can get really serious and then they parents end up living through their kids. Sure. I think I was lucky because I made it and I didn't have to live through them. But we just want to give them the best opportunity so they can enjoy and have fun. Like Bailey's finishing up volleyball, which she really, really loves. And we had to talk with her last night. You know, she had worked so hard. She's playing on a um, she just turned 12 and she's on a um 12 or 13 volleyball. I forgot what the volleyball team is, but she was a young one and she's wanted to be this the starting setter. And at the beginning of the season, she was kind of like her and another girl were playing, and the other girl was probably gonna start. And Bailey was bummed by that. And we said, Well, there's only one thing you can do is to just work. Yeah, it's the only option is work or quit. And so she worked her butt off. I mean, she was every day annoyingly so that there were volleyballs flying around her house, and she was constantly doing stuff and getting up in the morning working out, just she she busted her butt to make it happen. And then she ended up being, you know, I her and the other setter, they they rotate a lot, but she's kind of the one of the main setters, yeah. And playing a lot, and when crunch time playing a lot and being one of the uh best servers on the team, and so recently I just haven't seen her doing quite as much. And I said, Hey, remember when you when you got it, we said don't let this don't don't settle now. And so we just had and but she again she's 12.
SPEAKER_00Sure.
SPEAKER_02And so it just you just gotta remind them and refresh. And so I think um she has a big drive to do it, and you just have to know as a parent, I think the proper push.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, I think we talked, I don't know if you talked on the show, but I know we talked about it. It was last year that my son was like, I kept telling him, like, I don't want to push you, I want you to do it. I don't want to seem like that dad that is like push and he's you know cried in his bed one night. He's like, Dad, I want you to push me. I want you to make me do it on dates I don't want to do it, and maybe give me more. It's like, all right. And so, but he had to make that decision on his own. Sure. And so that's what we did, and that's what he's doing, and all of them are kind of doing that. Now, Bodhi's, you know, bouncing around different sports, and Bailey's finishing volleyball and getting into softball. Uh, so it's it's it's fun. We just try and be there for him and give him every opportunity we can.
SPEAKER_00How because both you and Ash are athletes. Ash was a college athlete. Um, obviously you've had the career that you've had at the pro level. How big a like how big of an impact do you think you having the career you've had has made on the perspective that you have in parenting or even coaching? Because you've done some coaching of like um, I don't know what double A, you know, the kids. Yeah, yeah. Like, because you're sitting there, like, okay, talking about parents living through their kids. I think you see that a lot, especially in youth sports nowadays. Now it was, it was it was there when I was playing, like I did baseball for nine years or whatever. Um, but I I would never got into like the travel to any of that kind of stuff. I think my my parents found out quick and were like, yeah, he's built like a reader, maybe not. Um, but it I think it's an interesting conversation about um professional athlete parents doing it, people who've kind of had not only knows what it takes, but also have had a run to where like you're probably freed up a little bit more than maybe a parent who like got cut short because of injury or didn't make the league but was serious in college. Like, how big of an impact do you think that like having the career you've had has had you to free up in how you raise your kids in sports?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think it's good and bad, honestly, because I mean I think about um uh like a lot of these sports now require um not require beneficial to do AAU travel. Right. When I was growing up, I didn't do any of that stuff. Like we just played in-house, they did a little bit of stuff, but it wasn't we weren't traveling around the doing these big teams and stuff like that. And nowadays it feels like you're only getting looks if you do that, like no one's coming to high schools to watch anymore, like it's all about these tournaments and AAU leagues and things like that. And so part of me is like, well, if you're good enough, you don't need that. But I know the exposure is a big deal, and so that is necessary sometimes. Um so I I don't know, and I think sometimes too having a professional athlete as a parent is tricky because then the kids feel the pressure, sure, or it's pressures put on them. You know, when kids see their last name on the back of a jersey, sometimes the other opponent, the the other kids are like, Oh, that's like, oh, there's your dad, but then the other one's like, Well, I'm gonna beat you because of who you are. Sure. And we tell them all the time, like, listen, you're gonna run into fans, you're gonna run into other players that are going to be potentially dirty, potentially nasty to you, talking trash, like just all kinds of stuff. And that's just it's just the unfortunate name of having a not having a last name of Smith. Yeah, you know, and so not there's anything wrong with Smiths, but that's just much more common than Robinson. You blend in a little bit more, yeah. Um, so anyway, I you know, I think there's pros and cons to it. I think it the genes will help, I think, at some point. And I think having the ability to to get them in with, you know, I Bodie and Rowan went and worked with Neil Walker this offseason, you know, for a couple sessions of baseball probably helps.
SPEAKER_00That probably helps. Yeah, to have those connections.
SPEAKER_02Maybe they went and did some set or you stuff down in Texas. I mean, to have those connections and be able to do things is definitely a benefit as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I think too, it's always interesting because I feel like as par as a parent now, and I'm thinking back on when my parents were getting into my brother, got kind of more serious with baseball than I did. It's you know, they they weren't, you know, my stepdad did some stuff, but they didn't know like, hey, what do you need to develop to get to the next level? And I think having that experience, even Ash in college, you know, like when you're at a collegiate level, like you're you've you've you're doing, you're on the right track. And I think by that time, you know what to be looking for at 13. Well, I'll say this too, Spence.
SPEAKER_02Uh where I try and and and help the kids is my kids specifically, is up here. This to me, what's between the ears will separate someone going to the next level or or by next level, I say to to college, being a good high school, going to college. And then the more it's here, the better chance you have going there. Obviously, being a physical, having the physical tools is always a big deal, too. Sure. But I have I've I've told my kids many times, I guarantee you there was a better armed quarterback out there. There is probably a better basketball player than Michael Jordan. Pick a pick a player at every sport. There's probably someone out there that was a better all-around athlete at their sport than them that didn't either make it for that didn't make it, that no one knew about for whatever reason, right? Didn't have it between the ears, got in trouble, didn't have the great, whatever it is, right? There's a chance. Now maybe that's a stretch, maybe not Michael Michael Jordan, but maybe. But there's there's there's someone out there that didn't have it here. Maybe couldn't handle the pressure, maybe couldn't control their emotions. Sure. Something that we're working with Benjamin right now, and controlling emotions, like you can't ride a roller coaster when you're playing. You need to be here. And have that 65 heart rate, bro.
SPEAKER_00That's right.
SPEAKER_02That's 65 heart rate. You have to keep that that that more level. So I think to me, that's the part that I'm trying to instill in them is the emotional side of it, the um being a good leader, being a good encourager, things like that, way more than, hey, let's go work on the technique of your now. We still work on that stuff. Sure, sure. But I think there's so much more to um to being a great athlete in greatest sports than just the physical tools.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I think at for youth sports, that's probably more significant. You know what I mean? Because I I would imagine that at every level, you as you're as bodies are developing, you're growing strength at in youth sports, every level in youth sports. Like you, you're we're all kind of doing the training and whatnot. Now you might be born with parents who are, you know, six five and you know, naturally athletic, for sure. The genes are there. But I think about the things that can translate off the field or off the court, it's like, dude, if you can, if you can learn how to control your emotions and pressure, that's gonna work in a boardroom, that's gonna work in a classroom, that's gonna work like and so and and so when it shows up on the field, you're like, oh, I've been getting reps, and that's a character thing, man. Right.
SPEAKER_02Well, and and how many times, and and the other thing that I I always say you can't you can't coach heart, right? How many times have I said on this show, I'll take a guy with more heart and less talent than more talent and less heart.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_02And that's that's another it's just like, hey, you gotta have heart, you have a passion for this. And and I think it's hard too because our kids are watching sports a lot, right? We're watching even golf where it's supposed to be a gentleman's sport, and it's everyone behaving people are slamming clubs, they're just hitting, they're throwing, they're doing things. Yeah, and Benjamin watches it, and then you you see him emulate that on the course of it. And I'm like, no, but now you're not doing that. Right. Let alone that I'm talking about golf, a sport that you're not supposed to even, you know, it's so straight laced, but um, you know, let alone football, basketball, all the other stuff, or guys are what is it, Bo Jackson took a bat like over his head or his knee. I mean, you know, whatever. But there, there's there's like those are the things that that I think the kids see and they they are like, oh, well, that guy did it. And I'm not saying I'll I probably did it too. But those are the things I'm trying to work on with with the kids, is like just because you see the pros do it doesn't mean you need to do it. Yeah, you know, yeah, man.
SPEAKER_00It's and I think the the whole internet um oh, what's the word? What's the the just the explosion of golf specifically? With I feel like you, you know, the the influence is no longer just the people on the PGA. You saw that with Live, but then all the all the stuff that's happening on it's it's changed the culture of the game, a lot of culture of the sports. You've seen that in college with NIL and all that kind of stuff. So I think to get people at that level um instilling that, especially with your credibility, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02Because like I had my my stinging kids today were I'm staying kids, my my boys, my boys were shooting bastards before school today, and they're like, um, you know, three, and they would do like some sort of all these like three and three and all these different guys. And Bodhi's like, Dad, if I hit a three and I do, if I do, is it Jalen Brunson does something? I don't know, does something. Yeah, or he said, if I do the Steph Curry, yeah, he goes, What will you do? I said, I'll come on the court and rip you off the court. He goes, Really? I'm like, yes. And you're like, you but yeah, you know Steph. What's I know? I was with Steph and we talked about doing that thing, but no, we're not doing that. Don't you do it? But so it just all goes back to that. I mean, the same sort of stuff. Like, just keep it here, keep it here.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's a third point. When you're the greatest three-point shooter of all time, you can do whatever you want. No doubt. Right. No doubt. When you got when you uh have three air balls before you made it, but you're not night night anybody. Yeah, right. So anyway, okay. That's hilarious. All right, well, let's do this, man. Let's talk a
Draft Week Plans And Guests
SPEAKER_00uh let's dive into uh a little bit of football here. I know there's not much that we have to talk about. Uh, but the draft is coming. Um just going to be fun. It is gonna be fun, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so crazy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I want to just touch on um, you know, any any draft plans. Okay. Just, you know, I I know we've talked about doing something for the draft. I um I don't wanna I don't wanna show your hand here a little too much, but well, I'm I mean, I'm kind of excited.
SPEAKER_02I'm excited because there's gonna be a bunch of old teammates coming into town. So it'll be fun to to maybe see some of them, hang out with them. I have been in contacts with a few guys, so I'm excited. Uh won't name any names here today, but I'm excited for next week. I think we may be able to have a few guests uh on the show. So maybe we'll try and film a few of them next week with some guys that are coming in town. I think there'll be a I have at least two confirmed, but I still will not name them here. I'm gonna reach out to one or two other guys and see if they want to come join us. Nice. So it could be fun to get some guests on here. And now the interesting thing is because we'll do that, we'll have to space them out. So um it's like they're gonna be like pre-draft and then we talk about the draft or post-draft, but we're we'll I'm hoping that the next uh few episodes that we release will have some guests on them. Yeah, have Evan back and this, that, and the other. So that'll be fun. Uh obviously for the draft, do everything we can to stay as far away from that place as possible. I heard that they're like no cars allowed, golf carts only.
SPEAKER_00Like when you get down, they have I mean it makes sense. Yeah, for those of you guys visiting Pittsburgh for the draft, if you don't know where it's at, um it's it's all separated by rivers. Yeah. So like when you're yeah, I I had somebody reach out to me from the organization, like, hey, you're gonna be down here. I'm like, no, I'm not going to be. I think if you are going down, good for you. You probably have a a plan. I don't have a plan. Do I look like a guy that came up with a plan? I don't have a plan. I'm not going in there, you know, shooting from the hip, and I don't want to get stuck down there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I may be going down there, but not because I necessarily like want a you know, I don't know how to best.
SPEAKER_00You're not gonna be like hanging out. No, you know what I mean. You're gonna go with it. If I go on here, yeah. You're you're gonna do what you need to do and then right out. I do think, though, when I think about fan experience, awesome fan experience, I would imagine that they're doing. It's gonna be it will be unique to have fans of every other team there. Yeah. Because I'm thinking like Pittsburgh, I mean, football city. Yeah, and they are and it's been with this long drought, bro. Show up. Yeah, we've been saying on this show, like we we have been waiting for some football. And this is gonna be the biggest, you know, event at this time of year in in football. So to be able to give the fans that and just kind of go down there and see, you know, just kind of feel like you're starting the year again um and not have to watch it on TV if they if you don't want to is awesome. Um, but yeah, I just I get nervous around big crowds, which is ironic because I've worked in performance.
SPEAKER_02But you're kind of separate yourself when you're up on stage, is different than being in the middle of a crowd. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So we'll see. I think it'll be interesting. I'm obviously we'll there's a lot of mock drafts out there. A lot of people are. I mean, I've seen everything from quarterback to edge rusher, receiver, lineman. I mean, it's been a lot going on. And so again, who knows? We'll we'll see. We'll we'll definitely, like I said, do a couple, we'll do a show next week. Hopefully, have a guest on for the for that one, and then we'll obviously then we'll do a show. Uh, we'll figure out what our next release, but our next release probably after that would be post-draft talking about our draft picks, yeah. Uh, and go from there. So we're we're excited about the next few episodes to to bring you guys something. I I do because we don't have much to talk about, we don't have any Aaron Rodgers news, we don't have any, you know, not much is going on. I would like what's that? OTAs haven't started yet, has it? No. I think I think so.
SPEAKER_00And they were in the building doing something.
SPEAKER_02See, there we go. See, man. You've been out, you've been out of it too long, kids for uh I will I do want to end the show with a an I I do have a new thought, um, a new prediction for what the Steelers should do.
The Ridiculous Trade Proposal
SPEAKER_02In the draft, in the draft specifically.
SPEAKER_00Oh, geez. Breaking news.
SPEAKER_02Yes. And so again, just a thought, but if it if it happens, you heard it here first. Okay. Um, I think the Steelers are going to make a trade with their first overall pick. Is that right? I do. The 21st pick will go to the Oakland Raiders. Nope, they're not Oakland anymore. The Las Vegas, so old I am. The Las Vegas Raiders. They're gonna okay. They're gonna trade with the Raiders. Okay. They're gonna swap 21 and one. Yeah, that what that's we're gonna go up to the number one pick. Okay, so how are you doing that?
SPEAKER_00That's expensive.
SPEAKER_02It is expensive. We are going to give them all of our picks, all 12 picks. Okay. We're gonna go number one, so we're gonna go 12 for one trade. Okay. We're gonna get Fernando. Because again, we don't know what Aaron's gonna do. And even if he Aaron comes, even if Aaron comes back, one year of mentoring. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Great, got a future quarterback. Uh we're gonna give all 12 picks. We may hold one back like this for fun. Is that still worth it? Can give all 12 picks. We are going to give them. We're going to give Tom Brady a round of golf at Oakmont with Chuck Nettles. Oh, that's that's worth it. He gets to play in um Jeff Dyer's Valley Brook member guest. Okay. They get three cases a month for three years of icy light. Oh, yeah. I mean, this is a sweet deal. Three pierogi sandwiches. I mean, three uh permanies, three permani sandwiches.
SPEAKER_00No pierogi on it.
SPEAKER_02Cases of pierogies. Cases. Mrs. T's cases of pierogies. Okay. Jeez. Brendan Conley's getting to do the CPA work for the Raiders for a year. You know that's gonna be clean books over there. And last but not least, probably the most valuable thing are gonna be three glass vials.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_02One, two, three. Each one dipped in one of our rivers.
SPEAKER_00Whoa.
SPEAKER_02Just saying, you heard it here first.
SPEAKER_00Whoa, you can get different two. This is crazy. This is I mean, there it is. Book it. I don't I mean, we should get the first for a couple years with that, bro. Book it. You can't, I mean, you can't just get you can't let the Allegheny water leave the city. Tom.
SPEAKER_02I think like legally it's that's that's that's Valley Brook and Oakmont with Chuck and Jeff. Just saying.
SPEAKER_00I mean, that's Brendan doing your CPA work for the first overall, yeah. I think that national championship MVP. Yeah, I mean everything. Heisman, got it all. Jeez, man. I don't know if the Steelers ever had a Heisman Canada here. I don't know. Family will let us know. Steelers ever had a Heisman. I think that's a good trade, ma'am. All 12 picks.
SPEAKER_02Maybe 11. Let's keep it. This is just for kicks and giggles. Yeah, see if we can't get a I don't even know what you would get. I don't even know what we need. What what do we let's just whatever get a safety in the fourth round? Um anyway. Um yeah, okay. That'll make break breaking news. ESPN run with it.
SPEAKER_00Couple of permanent Permanentis, couple of pierogies, couple icy lights, and then the maybe even a free ride, maybe even uh a free ride for Tom Brady on the incline.
SPEAKER_02Just saying. Anyway, a Yinzer after
Thanks Family And Sign-Off
SPEAKER_02that. Football and family, thank you for joining us. Uh, we appreciate you guys as always being here. Hopefully, next week we have some football. Well, we will have football to talk about. It will be pre-draft, but we will have a plan on having a guest in here for you guys. Uh so thank you again for your time. Thank you for your loyalty, thank you for um your hearts, man. You give it to us and we will try and give it back to you. We don't do this for our own good, we don't do this for any production companies, for any networks, for any companies. We do this for y'all. And we're sorry, we don't have football to talk about, and you gotta hear us ramble about different things. But hopefully you enjoy the show. We love doing it for you guys because that's really why we do it. So um appreciate y'all. We'll see you guys uh next week. See ya.