The Boro Buzz MORE THAN A DEALERSHIP!

🚨 Season 2, Episode 2 of The Boro Buzz is HERE! 🚨

We’re super excited to bring you another great episode featuring Cam & Trent Thomas two incredibly impactful leaders who have helped shape our community through business, sports, and service. You won’t want to miss this conversation!

A huge THANK YOU to our presenting sponsor, Just Keep Swinging, for their continued support of The Boro Buzz and Sports in the Boro! 

If you’re looking for custom apparel, team gear, spirit wear, or baseball and softball equipment for individuals or facilities, Just Keep Swinging has you covered. They’re much more than just baseball and softball—they’re your one-stop shop for all your apparel needs!

📞 Just Keep Swinging: (704) 516-2587

We also want to give a big shoutout to Grass Ninja Pros! They do incredible work and are the team to call if your lawn needs to be brought back to life. Give them a call and let them handle the hard work!

📞 Grass Ninja Pros: (336) 963-2364

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Season two of the Boro Bugs is here, and we're taking things to the next level. What started as a show, highlighting local athletes and sports stories, has grown into something even bigger. This season we're expanding beyond the game. We'll still be bringing you the biggest sports stories, exclusive interviews, and highlights from around Randolph County. But now we're also shining a spotlight on the people, businesses, events, and organizations that makes our community special. From local entrepreneurs and community leaders to nonprofits, festivals, hidden jets, and everything in between. It's making an impact in the borough. We want to tell that story. This isn't just a sports show anymore. It's the Borough Buzz. Your home for everything happening across our community. Season two is bigger, better, and more connected than ever. Stay tuned, because the best stories are just getting started.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Hey, this is Kelly Cole, owner of Just Keep Swinging. We're a proud sponsor of Borough Buzz. Hit us up for all your equipment and sports and apparel needs.

SPEAKER_03 1:04

This episode is sponsored by Just Keep Swinging. From top quality equipment to custom apparel like hats, shirts, and more. They're more than just sporting goods store. They are here to support our athletes and community every step of the way. Whether you're gearing up for game day or looking to wrap your team with fresh merch, just keep swinging has you covered. Give them a follow today. What's up everybody? We're here with season two of the Burrow Buzz. And I don't know what better way to kick it off than a new look, a new vibe, and just as always, the one same thing is bringing back my partner in crime, Scotty Fagler.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

Yeah, J-Rob, I tell you what, first of all, thanks for what you do for this community, man. It's amazing. The new Borough Podcast Studio right here on Sunset, man. It's gonna be live all season long. We've got a lot of great ideas. And listen to all those people out there. J-Robb, Scotty, we're making things happen.

SPEAKER_03 2:04

And speaking of making things happen, it brings me to just keep swinging our sponsor right here. Look at that. Look at that camo hat. I know Cam and Trent are jealous over there of the kind of hat. I like it. He's got the camo Wayne Thomas on. That's a good segue. Let's introduce our guests. We got Mr. Trent and Cam Thomas. How y'all doing? Good.

SPEAKER_04 2:20

How are you doing, buddy?

SPEAKER_03 2:21

Good, man. Thanks for having us. Yeah, dude, you said it's the first time you've done in a while, huh? Either one of y'all? Oh, yeah. I mean, what better way though? Because you know, we all it's all about athletes, but you know, we changed it up. We decided to do community. And I don't know two better people than two guys, one former baseball player, actually two former baseball players, a current coach, two sport coach, and uh a local dealership, in my opinion, the best in the state, but uh I may be a little biased. Um Wayne Thomas Chevrolet, but uh talk a little bit about uh let's talk about your family for people that don't know who the Thomas family is.

SPEAKER_05 2:50

All right, well I'll take it. Um my granddad started uh Pontiac dealership in 1966. Didn't start it, he actually bought it. Um he was working for the Ford store uh across the street, and the story I that I always heard was he walked across the street delivering a part or something, and the owner at the time was was upset about something. He said, I should sell this dang place. And he heard him and he walked up to him and said, Oh, how much you want for it? And that started the conversation, and and then he ended up buying it, went in with uh with a partner at the time, and a couple years later bought him out. But uh 1966, uh the rest is history in 1991. My dad had the opportunity to buy the local Chevrolet store, and he did that, and um been doing it ever since.

SPEAKER_03 3:31

And uh a question for you, you know, growing up, both of you, what is it like seeing your dad build basically his empire of uh the Chevy and then Will Spaniak?

SPEAKER_06 3:40

Oh, it's you know, we're all obviously very proud of uh what my granddad and dad built. Um, like you said, my granddad when he started it, uh he was the oldest of 13 brothers and sisters. So when he he pretty much mortgaged everything that he had to start it, uh and uh my dad was was young at the time, so he came up into the business. Um but seeing what he's built in this community, you know, it it obviously means a lot to us and that we want to keep that tradition going.

SPEAKER_03 4:06

And what's really cool off of that is was there ever a point for either one of you, and Scott, let's just get the next question out of this, but that you're like, this is gonna be my responsibility one day.

SPEAKER_05 4:14

Um Yeah, yeah, no, he he there was never any pressure for us to to do it. Um whatever we wanted to do, he was always supportive, but there came a time that I knew that that's something I wanted to do.

SPEAKER_06 4:26

So um I've always uh been appreciative of the the opportunity to work, you know, I got to work with my granddad at the Pontiac store and to be able to work with my dad and my brother. Uh but one thing that I love about the car industry and what it's done for me with within uh within the family is it's given me the flexibility, as you said, to be able to coach and and get involved in the community uh because that was always something important to me because growing up uh my dad coached both of us. He coached uh a few different uh teams within the uh Parsons Rec. Uh we had a Dan Thomas Pontiac team in the Parsons Rec, Wayne Thomas Chevrolet. Uh so uh local sports has always been real important to my dad.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

Well, I'll say this. I've been blessed to know your grand to know your grandfather and your dad through through baseball, through umpiring. Uh I can't tell you the times that I'd umpiring before I'll your dad was a great guy. He always took time, your granddad did too. I'd see him at ball games, I'd go up and always talk with him. He always thanked me for being the one that got hollered at out there, son. But uh that's the thing about this Asperger community, I think, that's so special where we live is you know, even Aaron Pugh, when Aaron was six or seven, Ronnie was coaching, I umpired Steve and I mean there's been so many great people that took time out to coach their kids when parks and rec baseball was so big, it was one of the biggest things there was. But those days that I did get to speak with your grandfather or your dad, and I still saw your dad down to pancake supper and got to talk to pancake dinner and got to speak with him, son. But it's people like that that have made this community what it is. And again, it's gotta be a special feeling knowing every time you pull into that lot that it's a family-owned thing. Talk about that a little bit. Just being the family part, pulling in and seeing people like me and J-Rod every now and then.

SPEAKER_03 6:22

They see me a little too much sometimes, probably.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

But but just knowing that, hey, this is my family bit, you know, and I got kids now that'll come down too.

SPEAKER_05 6:30

The trend of our industry is the bigger dealerships are buying more and getting bigger. You know, you have less and less of the family-owned stores around. So it is important, you know, when you're when your name's on the building it means more to you. You know, um seeing a bad review hits you harder because it's your name. And uh so you know, you take it personal, but um but we've we've got big shoes to fill, you know, they've been around a long time, always say that, but uh had a great opportunity and um just working hard at it.

SPEAKER_03 7:00

And your dad, I mean, your dad is I mean and grandpa, they poured into this community in athletics and just and anything really. Talk about you know, seeing that and the value of you know watching adult figure in your life instilling you like how to give back.

SPEAKER_05 7:14

I like to say we we made our dad look like a really good coach because we were that good at that. I like it.

SPEAKER_04 7:21

I like it.

SPEAKER_05 7:22

But but but no, um uh you know, he he was always coaching us. I don't think it was probably middle school before I had a coach that wasn't him, you know, and uh whether it was basketball or baseball. So uh um it it it means a lot to see people giving back and and coaching. I've got friends that are that are coaching, you know, my brother's coaching, so uh um it means a lot to give back to your community, and that's something that we do through the store a lot.

SPEAKER_03 7:49

And what I love is and uh you know, they're talking about how they also played, you know, uh middle school you said was the first time you didn't have your dad as a coach? Probably. Okay, and what you went to names, right? Right. I was speaking of names, no, go names, uh coach right here, you know. Um but playing off of that, you uh you were under uh was it Coach Luck in high school, right?

SPEAKER_05 8:04

Yeah, Coach Luck was my J V coach. Um I played J V for most of the year, got caught up. I was a four-year uh varsity player.

SPEAKER_02 8:11

So uh who was your middle school coach? You remember?

SPEAKER_05 8:14

Middle school had Coach Lacus for seventh grade. Doug Lakis. I don't think I know I don't think I know that. When we were in middle school, you couldn't play as a sixth grader. Yeah. So seventh grade was coach Lacus, and eighth grade was Coach Price. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:25

They don't they don't realize how lucky they have it these days.

SPEAKER_06 8:26

I had Norman Weeks in in middle school.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

Storm and Norman. Yeah, I saw him not long ago. That's crazy. He still looks the same, and you talk about Doug Lakis, went on to coach basketball at high school, and coach Tommy Price. I give him so much credit. He was at NAMS forever and he made baseball and softball happen even when it may have not been the best. He's actually going into Eastern Randolph Hall of Fame this year.

SPEAKER_04 8:49

Is he?

SPEAKER_02 8:50

Yeah, so that's a great honor for him. But playing none of those great coaches.

SPEAKER_05 8:54

Uh and I might add, I was undefeated against Sam's in baseball. Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_02 9:00

I like it, I like it. But uh, you know, doing that, but also your dad still involved at the dealership, some right?

SPEAKER_06 9:08

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Yeah, I mean, so it's gotta feel I know it makes him feel good to come in to see you guys, but it's gotta be special to be able to go in knowing your dad's gonna be there and letting y'all do your thing, but at the same time, if you need that little piece of advice, you go to him. That's gotta be a great thing.

SPEAKER_03 9:24

They didn't even try to take the big office. They let him have his big office still. I didn't know. I told Cam, I was like, Why don't you go for the office? It's gotta be a good one.

SPEAKER_05 9:31

I told my dad a long time ago, this is what I want to do. I said, I can't work as many hours as you. Because, you know, I mean, car business is a lot of hours. He's there from 8 30 to 7 uh most nights. Man. And I was like, you know, I I want to get home and see my daughter before before we have to put her to bed when she was born. So uh that's that's one thing we we we we do different. But yeah, he um he gives us the opportunity to to do it our way.

SPEAKER_03 9:53

That's awesome. Yeah. And uh backtracking uh back to the high school baseball, did you both have luck or was it just you had luck? I think it was just me.

SPEAKER_06 10:00

He had luck. I had Walser.

SPEAKER_03 10:02

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_06 10:03

Well it's Walser. Jerry.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

Jerry Walser. That's right. Jerry coached here. That's right. Great guy.

SPEAKER_05 10:07

And I had Walser for my sophomore year.

SPEAKER_02 10:09

Okay, okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:10

Hold on one second. When you talk, can you start a little bit forward to before me? Just another mic. Yeah, directly. You're good, you're good, you're good right there. Yeah, yeah. Quit slouching. Say it would you chiss? No, I'm sorry. Um, we'll pick back up on that next question. Um, speaking of coach luck, uh, I actually I'm related to him through marriage. And I actually told him the story you told me about. It was uh my niece's one year the other week. Um, and I said, dude, I heard a funny story about you. He's like, What are you talking about? And I I told him the story, and you can tell it better than me about tell our audience about the guy he sent to the bus. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_05 10:41

I probably shouldn't say his name, but he is one of my best friends in the whole world. But freshman, my freshman year, so this was 2002. 2002, we've got a double header at Southwest. And um, you know, kids being kids in the dugout, throwing a tennis ball back at each other. Somebody threw one, hit somebody, the tennis ball rolls out into the field, so the umpire has to call time to get a tennis ball off the field. Well, Coach Luck loses it. And of course he catches the the one who did it second. You don't always catch the first guy. Yeah. He says, I'll I won't say his name, but he yells at him, says, get on the bus. Just go go sit in the bus. So that's probably the third inning of the first game. So game ends, start the second game. We're probably fourth or fifth inning of the second game. And he says, I'll I'll go ahead and say his last name. Hey Rap, go grab a bat. You're gonna you're going in to hit. Looking around and he's not around. He's like, Where's he at? It's like, well, Coach, you sent him to the bus in the first game and never went and got him. He's been sitting there to the bus for three hours. Oh man. Coach Luck. Oh, whenever my buddies get get together, you know, it's it's fun just telling stories. And there's a lot for Coach Luck. That's awesome. You got any stories straight?

SPEAKER_06 12:00

Well, no, touching on Coach Luck, uh you got to coach with them a little bit. But what was cool was I didn't play baseball for him, but when I was at Ashborough, Coach Luck was the cross-country coach. And so I ran cross country one year uh because with baseball, I played baseball and basketball, but uh coach wanted us to do you know extra sports, so I ran cross country one year and I hated running. But I loved Coach Luck, so I'm like, hey, we'll we'll give this a shot. And uh got to uh play for him under cross country or uh yeah, cross country, and then I uh coached with him last year for baseball, his last year coaching baseball when he coached for uh uh Ben's senior year. So it's really cool full full circle to get to uh play for him and then get to coach with him side by side.

SPEAKER_03 12:41

Oh, he's a hoot, man. He uh he is he's a legend, I think.

SPEAKER_02 12:44

Let me ask you this being a former player at Ashboro and then being able to put the uniform on still, but coach, that that's gotta bring special meaning. Talk about talk about that, what that meant to you to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_06 12:59

Oh, it it meant uh a whole lot. You know, I played baseball at Ashbury, I never played football, so um getting to go under the Friday night lights on the sideline, you know, that was the first time experiencing that period, which that was really cool. But especially for baseball with me, uh, you know, we got to play, we were lucky enough to play at McCray Park when I was in school, but it was a dirt field. It was it was one of the best fields around, yeah, but it was nothing like it is now. So getting to see the transformation of McCray Park from when I was a player to now uh is really cool. And just to be a part of the uh the tradition at Ashboro, we we were really good um for a lot of years, and we've had some up and downs, and it's been really challenging with the changing of conferences. Um but with Coach May in there right now, uh I I really like the direction that Ashboro baseball's going and Ashborough football with Coach Brown, like it's so exciting to be a part of what's going on in Ashboro right now.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Yeah, I think that's special, and Coach May talking to him the times that I have, he always makes time. And I really appreciate that being a new coach, being new in the community. But uh and and and I'll say it, it it was sad for a few years to see the baseball program at a low. Absolutely. I mean, it's it was sad because growing up umpiring and doing what I did now assign any officials. I always said that saw Asper up, but I like what I'm seeing. I like the enthusiasm that you guys had with the kids. I think kids are buying in and kids are starting to do a little bit more, but I I just think it's a great thing with Coach May.

SPEAKER_06 14:26

Well, that's where it starts. Yeah, the kids have to buy in. And and Coach May, um I I met with him um right after he got the job. Uh, he reached out because he wasn't bringing a staff and you know, had said that he had heard that I was wanting to stay on. I said absolutely. So we met and had lunch, and from the very first conversation I had with him, I just I loved his outlook on the game and his enthusiasm for what he wanted to come in and build. You know, he didn't see Ashboro as a stepping stone.

SPEAKER_04 14:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 14:53

And like you said, from growing up here and playing here, you know, I my aspirations in coaching, you know, I'm I'm a I'm not a teacher, I work a full-time job, get to still be a part of it. You know, at some point, would I like to be a head coach or something? If it if it worked out, great. But I like being at Ashborough. Yeah. I like to be here and and build something and what's going on and be a part of that and be able when my girls get there and they play sports to look back and you know, see see what I was a part of.

SPEAKER_02 15:22

I think that's a special statement he makes. He wants to be a part of it, J.

SPEAKER_03 15:25

Rob. Especially with uh, I hear he had a great uh voice and a little music career in Asheville.

SPEAKER_06 15:30

So you heard wrong. Um can be good with words uh when it comes to the writing, but you definitely do not want to hear me sing.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

Well so we're not getting a song. I was gonna have him sing, but I guess not.

SPEAKER_05 15:43

I wanted him to do our open. I was just hoping maybe we'll have to if he starts singing, I'm leaving.

SPEAKER_06 15:48

I promise you your viewers will go down if you let me sing that.

SPEAKER_03 15:52

Wow, wow. Answer this, and uh, we'll ask this next question. I want to give a shout out to a sponsor you both know, and that's Grass Ninja Pros, Jeff Davis, one of the best in this community and Ram Sewer. Yeah. I mean, just what he's got going. I mean, honestly, I don't know another coach that really invests in the kids like him because he randomly just sponsored this. He just did it because he's like, I want you to keep pushing this and going to where you're going. He didn't have to. I mean, the dude's busy as he all get out of this. But um, I know you guys know him real well over at Wayne Thomas. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:18

Oh, Wayne Thomas and at home, he just uh took out some yellow jackets for us.

SPEAKER_05 16:24

JD, if you're hearing this, hit me up on my patio, man.

SPEAKER_03 16:28

But now my question is who's the better athlete?

SPEAKER_06 16:35

When it comes to baseball, I will give him. He he was definitely um he was always bigger because when he was I hit my gross burp before other people. I'll never forget when he was 13 years old. Uh he played in a U Triple SA World Series out in Tolkien.

SPEAKER_03 16:50

We're recording this, Cam, so whenever he tries to say something else, we'll play this back and then this again. I gotcha.

SPEAKER_06 16:55

I've admitted that before. But uh so he played in the UAASA World Series, and uh all the other teams wanted to see his birth certificate because they had a goatee and they didn't think that he was actually eligible to play.

SPEAKER_05 17:07

Well, one of the teammates knocked on the hotel door, opened it up, and I was shaving. He said, What are you doing? I was like, What is that stuff? And I was like, I gotta do it, man.

SPEAKER_06 17:17

Now I would like to say that I do think he was a better baseball player because he did have an older brother that pushed him and made him better. I didn't have anybody to do that for me.

SPEAKER_05 17:26

I could I could agree. I can remember in the backyard, I don't even know how old we were, but uh Trent's like, hey, come outside and throw me some pitches, throw me some pitches. So I'm like, all right, so I was young. I'll go out there. This is a metal bat. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

Oh geez.

SPEAKER_05 17:41

And I'm probably like 10, 15 feet from him, maybe. I'm like, are you gonna hit me? And he was like, No, I'm gonna pull it. We're good, we're good, we're good. Now, if he'd have thrown it inside like I told him to do. I was not a pitcher, no, no, claimed to be. So I toss him the ball and he hits one straight back and hits me right in the face. Oh, geez. Busts my nose, busts my lip, blood everywhere. So he he runs me in the house. Mom says I come in screaming, screaming, but the only thing I'm screaming is I caught the ball, caught the ball.

SPEAKER_03 18:07

Instead, ball in the glove, blood all over it, man. Did you save the ball? Did you save the ball? So you're he was a basketball player though. You did basketball too, right? Did both of y'all or just uh up until high school. I didn't play high school. So what year did you graduate then?

SPEAKER_06 18:21

Uh I would have graduated in 01 at Ashboro, but graduated in 02 at Greensboro Day.

SPEAKER_03 18:26

Okay. Okay. That's what I was trying to figure out. If you were there when that NAMS little basketball run they made, they had a good good squad for a few years in basketball over there.

SPEAKER_06 18:32

We weren't bad when I was there, but it was right after me when when I think NAMS got really good.

SPEAKER_03 18:36

So that would have been right around your year then, right?

SPEAKER_06 18:38

Like when I was playing, right? I made it good, but well.

SPEAKER_05 18:41

Yeah, we have decent squads. Yeah, we're pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 18:43

Yeah, and uh that's I was just curious because you know it's very rare when you meet fellow NAMS people, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_06 18:49

I had Gillespie for basketball at NAMS.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

Oh wow, okay. So you you weren't yeah, was OG Gary not even there? Was he at CERMS then? What about that? What were we doing? He was at CERMS. He was at CERMS. Okay, but you were there for Gary, right?

SPEAKER_05 19:00

I had I had Lakis, my seventh grade, and I think Price coached eighth grade. I think he just was asked to do it and he did it.

SPEAKER_03 19:07

Oh man, I thought Coach Gary was there. Gary was at South A. He was close to home. He was close. Oh wow, yeah. Okay, okay. Um as we get close to wrapping up this episode, one I just want to talk about an event that's coming up that uh one I like to give Wayne Thomas a shout-out for about the community stuff, but one is every time, is it the Saturday after 9-11, right?

SPEAKER_05 19:24

It's usually it's always the first Saturday after 9-11 on this year, I think it falls on September 12th.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Okay, tell us about that event, what it is.

SPEAKER_05 19:30

Um something they've started, guys, it's probably been how many years is it?

SPEAKER_06 19:33

This is the 13th year, I think.

SPEAKER_05 19:35

13th or 14th year of the Honoring Our Veterans Cruise In, where uh you can come in, um, register your old car, have a I don't know if it's really a car show because they don't give out prizes, but it's a cruise in. Uh usually there's live music, there's vendors there for food and everything, and everything that is raised goes to local veterans here in town. All the money is spent on the local veterans, it stays here, right here.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

100% I've been after that. It's a special event, and it it brings a lot of people together for a great cause. As you said, the money that's given or whatever, whatever's raised goes to local veterans. Uh my buddy Mike Ingle, you know Mike. I mean, he he goes through all these things.

SPEAKER_03 20:16

He'll be but I'm sure y'all know the OG Mike or Mike Ingle.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Yeah. But uh I'll say this, even with Randolph Sports Central, we'll we'll get make sure we get that out for y'all too. Yeah. Uh to do it because like I said, I've been. I know I saw it and I pulled in there and stopped. I mean, it was it was a great event. And you also see a lot of people that you haven't seen in years. And some beautiful vehicles. See some really cool cars. I mean, really beautiful vehicles, man. So it's a great event.

SPEAKER_06 20:43

It's always been at our dealership, but it's grown so much over the years that this year is the first year we're gonna have it at the new agricultural store. Oh man. Okay. So that's where it'll be.

SPEAKER_03 20:51

I hear you've got a pretty good videographer that might be coming.

SPEAKER_05 20:53

Uh maybe. Yeah, maybe.

SPEAKER_02 20:56

I heard you had to, you know, go down two or three spots to get the one. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 21:01

He's the best. One thing I thought about during all this, just talking about the full circle moment within the community. Um, I had something that happened just recently. One of uh my daughter's close friends, her little brother, just went to Randolph baseball camp with Eric Hall.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

Oh, man. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_06 21:16

And um he knows that I'm the baseball one of the coaches at Ashborough, and so he came over. Uh same camp I've I went to. Yeah, I'm sure you've been to. Oh, yeah. So he came over to the house for a birthday party, and he asked his mom if he could bring his trophy because he wanted to show me his trophy. And uh he came, he was so proud he got camper of the week. Man. And he it got me thinking, and I said, you know what? Let me look at something. And I went upstairs because my mom and dad kept all of our old trophies. She still got all of our stuff there. And I went up and found that it was like twenty three, twenty four years to the day, or actually it was more than that. Uh but Yeah, you're older than you think you are. But I won Camper of the Week at Randolph Baseball Camp. Oh, wow. So and Eric Hall was Was running it then too. Yeah, Cam said he won like five of those every year. He did win the Robinson Grimsley Award. At NAMS. At NAMS.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

I won at Sam's. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you look at, and I'll say this, Eric Hall and I grew up best friends. And we stayed at, we played a little league together, stayed at each other's houses back and forth. We'd do crazy things. Back in the day, his dad whooped me and called my mom and say, I whooped them all. I whooped all the brothers. You know, all Eric Iike and Mike and Rodney and all of us. But Eric has had that camp, I don't know how many years, it's a bunch, but Eric was one of the best baseball players I've ever been around. He was a catcher. Went to UNC in Wilmington after playing high school. Down in Franklinville, when you go through Franklinville, we played on the little part right there below, across from the fire station. And if you hit him on the sidewalk, it's a home run. I mean, it's an automatic home run. Eric used to hit him on the fire station. Hit him on the fire station. And uh he was one of the he went to UNC Wimbledon, had a great career. I mean, he was just a great, great uh player and a great guy. Finally retired. I think he drives some for one of the bus companies, some now. But that baseball camp, he started, he has kept that thing going for so many years, and I just I think that's a great story.

SPEAKER_06 23:16

Yeah, I went to that camp and then I also played for him in Legion Ball. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:20

He was my coach when I played post 45. He just uh I see him from time to time. He and I grew up many, many a night. During the summertime, we I was at his house or he was at mine.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

And he's the one that taught me in to catch. I'll tell this right quick. We were at Little League practice one day and he said, Man, you need to catch. You played every other position. I'm like, dude, I'm not a catcher. So he says, put the stuff on. So I get back behind the plate for three biters. And I stopped and I said, Dude, take this stuff off. I'll never do it again. I mean, I was getting beat to death. I'll never do it again. But I can't. I did say I I've caught before. I've been catcher before. He still laughs about it when he sees me. But uh that's that's a great story. Well, that's the toughest position to play baseball. It's a different breed. I say when I'm broadcasting the game, catchers are a different breed. They're a different breed. And as an umpire for so many years, I appreciate them because they're your best friend. I used to tell them, I'm saying, look, you got the glove, I don't keep that thing off of.

SPEAKER_03 24:15

What uh speaking of the baseball positions, what positions did I even ask you guys to play in high school? Center field. Center field, okay.

SPEAKER_06 24:21

I played center field, also played second base, uh, pitched a little bit, played third. Okay. I played a little bit everywhere. I didn't I did not catch that.

SPEAKER_05 24:29

I did not catch that. Did you ever catch it? And I can't, I will admit he was a much better pitcher than I ever was. So um I I caught some in rec ball. Yeah. Learned pretty quick, and that's not what I like to do. Yeah. So I asked Dad, I said, hey Dad, I want to play outfield.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

You know, guys, let me ask you this question. Looking back on it now, you've you've got to, because I know I was blessed when I played a little league, and then I'm piring up here in the parts and rec. You've got to, when you look back at the coaches and the players that you played against coming up, some of the best ever come through, you gotta feel like it was a blessed time because now we don't have a little league. You gotta feel like you were blessed to come through at that time to play.

SPEAKER_06 25:08

Oh, a hundred percent. I I say it all the time that I wish that we could do something to get the the youth programs going back. Because when when you look at baseball in Ashboro, when we came up, tryouts, there were 50, 60 kids coming out. I mean, you at least there was a couple rounds of cuts. Yeah. Like you you were good and you weren't sure if you were gonna make it.

SPEAKER_02 25:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 25:28

But now there's not many cuts that are made because you don't get the kids to come out because you lose them at such an early age.

SPEAKER_02 25:34

And some schools are not even having JV programs now because they don't have enough in high school to really.

SPEAKER_06 25:40

Yeah, last year we had quite a few games where we had varsity games but no J V games because the the schools didn't have them. And um it's you know, one thing I've I've kind of learned with the baseball, at least in this area, and I didn't realize this until I started coaching, but in middle school, boys' soccer is a fall sport, or no, spring sport, excuse me, middle school. So uh with the uh Hispanic population that's growing in Ashboro, these kids that play both sports, well in middle school they have to make a choice.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 26:10

So a lot of them play soccer because that's their first sport, so they're giving up on baseball at that age. Well, then you get to high school and boys soccer is a fall sport, and baseball is a spring sport. So now of a sudden they could play baseball, but they've not played for two years, so they're doing something else. That's a great point. And we're we're losing them at a young age, and I don't know what we've got to do to change that, but it's it's really hurting the sport.

SPEAKER_03 26:30

Because Guildford County follows that rule. I think it's just Randolph that's the only one I know of that does it that way.

SPEAKER_06 26:35

But yeah.

SPEAKER_05 26:35

Yeah, which if that's the case, it's been that way for a long time, too. Because we have some kids that I grew up playing ball with that didn't play in middle school, and then they start playing JV again in high school. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 26:45

Yeah. And see now with us playing Guilford County with everything, it's it's catching up. Yeah, exactly. It's catching up quick.

SPEAKER_03 26:51

So great point. Yeah. And uh all right, I want to go down some questions with the brother dynamic here, all right?

SPEAKER_02 26:57

All right.

SPEAKER_03 26:57

Um, this is what I call these questions. I wrote literally brother dynamic. All right. Um I'm sweating on these questions. Um if I asked your dad which son gave him the most gray hair, who would he say?

unknown 27:07

Me.

SPEAKER_03 27:09

Why?

SPEAKER_06 27:11

Because I taught him how to get away with things.

SPEAKER_05 27:13

That was true. By the time I I was growing up, he'd already done everything that that they weren't surprised if I did it.

SPEAKER_03 27:22

All right. What's one story from growing up that still gets brought up at the family gatherings?

SPEAKER_05 27:27

Hmm. I I already told the one about probably breaking my nose, pitching to him. That that's that's told a lot. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 27:35

Um I mean, I don't know family gatherings, but it gets it's brought up a time or two. I remember one time when I was a kid, um, so we mom and dad lived at the end of Berkeley Lane, and we had you know this house with woods in the back, and I'm standing on in the front yard picking up rocks, and I was just throwing rocks over the house being a kid. Why I wasn't throwing them to the side of the house, don't know. But I'm throwing them over. So, of course, my little brother sees his big brother doing, oh, I want to do what he's doing. So he comes up and grabs a rock and goes to sling it over the house and slings it right through the front door.

SPEAKER_05 28:10

Glass door shatters.

SPEAKER_06 28:12

And and I'm pretty sure I got in trouble for it because he was copying me and I should have a lot of people.

SPEAKER_05 28:16

I should have said it hid, but your mom always finds you when you hide. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. That's great. No, we're we're we're uh just over four years apart. So we never competed against each other. So we never we never played against each other, we're never on the same team or anything.

SPEAKER_06 28:31

Yeah, well, I think we played the was one summer league game or something that we both got to play when I was at Greensboro Day. And I got picked off in first place first time I got on.

SPEAKER_03 28:39

That's weird because it's the same as me. Yeah, I got to play. Me and my brother are the same. So when I was in eighth grade, he was a senior in high school, so we never got a but I remember I finally beat him his freshman year of uh college. Freshman 15 is a real thing, Bryant, so don't kill me. But I beat him one-on-one in basketball, and I was so proud. I was like, finally, I beat him. Like it was but uh, but that's that's hilarious. Um so honestly, you know, trying to get serious here. Um, as your you know, your brothers, how's the relationship changed now, both of you now being leaders in our community here in Randolph County?

SPEAKER_06 29:07

Um honestly, I think, you know, for you know, growing up, we were always really close. And then obviously, when you get to those college years and you're starting to figure out life, you know, I feel like there was a few years where we were both doing our own things, and I mean we always stayed close. We've never been, you know, we've always been a phone call away, we've always picked up the phone for each other. Um always known that if either one of us needed anything, we'd drop, you know, everything we're doing at the drop of a hat. But um I think as we've gotten older, we've gotten closer in the fact that I've got two girls, he's got a daughter, so it's just kind of funny the way the life's kind of worked out that even though we've gone different paths, um, we've always it's kind of come full circle to where we're right back here in the community raising girls, going through the same stuff, and we've always been able to lean on each other with that.

SPEAKER_03 29:54

Girl dad club, man, right here.

SPEAKER_06 29:55

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 29:56

No, and and when you work with your family, you know, it can be a blessing and a curse. Because you know, you can drive each other crazy. We can drive our dad crazy, he can drive us crazy. But the fact you get to see him every day, I mean, there's gonna be a day we look back like, how lucky are we to do that?

SPEAKER_06 30:08

Yeah, I I like to say I think it's good that I'm I'm flexible and I coach because it takes me away from the dealership and I don't get on their nerves as much.

SPEAKER_03 30:17

Well, uh, I gotta notice he got you addicted to whatnot yet. He got me. I got in trouble with the wife. I blame Trent. I said it's Trent Thomas.

SPEAKER_06 30:23

Well, it's funny is I went through my I went through my phase and now I'm not even really messing with whatnot much anymore. Now I'm on this auction.

SPEAKER_03 30:30

Oh yeah. I'm like, ah, but you know, he got me hooked on it. No jokes, guy. I literally walk in there and I'm in there talking and waiting on Cam to come over me. He's like, dude, have you seen this? He's like, he walks me in his office. He's got like 30 golf clubs in there. He's like, yeah, I've won this, I've won this, I just won one right now.

SPEAKER_06 30:45

Yeah, the funny thing is, I think the first time I'm showing it to him, I'm sitting there and I'm like, oh yeah, what? Well, this is how you do it. You know, this is giveaway, and and they'll have these, and oh, they're getting ready to do what. Oh, I just won another butter.

SPEAKER_03 30:54

Like and at that point, I think he was hooked. And now I walk to Cam. Cam's like, what do you do? Win a fourth? You know, he's like, Jonathan, he's got like 20 clubs already, dude. Like every time he gets Wayne Thomas to get a package for him, they're like, oh, whatnot. He keeps a horseshoe with him somewhere. I don't know. Um looking ahead um for the next 10 years. I mean, you recently just got a huge promotion on principal dealer, right? What about six months ago or pushing?

SPEAKER_05 31:18

Last September I became dealer principal, yep.

SPEAKER_03 31:20

And what does that so for you now, both of you guys, you know, your dad's kind of handing over the keys. Um, what is your vision for Wayne Thomas in 10 years?

SPEAKER_05 31:28

Um, well, you know, of course I'd like to grow. You know, you want to keep selling more cars. Um, the more business we can do, the more we can give back to our community, you know. Um but uh I always want to keep it family owned, you know. I think it's being a part of the community is so big. Where I think we might be the only store left that's from Asheboro. The people that are own it are from Asheboro. And um That's huge. That's yeah. But, you know, like I said earlier, the the trend is dealerships are getting a part of corporations, a part of dealer groups. I don't I never want to do that. I always want to be a single point uh family-owned store. So we're just gonna work hard to make that work. And you got the personalities, man, Daniel and I got some personalities, yeah for sure. So we we've been lucky, we've been lucky with employees. We still we uh until I think three, four months ago, we still had three employees that were at Nance Chevrolet before we bought it.

SPEAKER_03 32:27

They retired though, right? That's pretty much what it was. One retired.

SPEAKER_05 32:29

One one just retired, so we still have two employees that was with the Chevrolet store before my dad got it.

SPEAKER_02 32:34

Yeah, that would be the question I'd have because I know some of the people that work there. A great staff. It's gotta feel good knowing that because they have to care to do what they do. Anytime you got a a great business and and you're you're prospering and you're doing this and a big leader in the community, it's cause people care. But knowing some of the people that work for y'all, that's gotta be a good feeling knowing because every day's not good. There's some, I'm sure there's some bad days as part of life. But knowing that that staff you got is gonna be there for you no matter what, that's that's that's huge.

SPEAKER_05 33:07

Yep. And um, you know, we there's a there's a true family feel at our store. Um I've gone to a lot of employees' weddings, uh, kids' birthdays, and all that stuff, and and the same, you know, they invited to ours. Um it's just it's it's just a real family feel.

SPEAKER_06 33:23

Uh and touching on even the sports connection and giving back um, you know, Lane Poole played at Southwest. Uh his dad works for us. Lane uh has done some work at the dealership during summer. We've had uh a couple of diaspora guys come and do some work. So, you know, Price Kid? Price game, he washed cars, something good. Um yeah, no, the the family dynamic is big and and just kind of circling back on the the brother thing and the future of the business. Growing up in the business, we've seen a lot of family dealers that have multiple kids. And sometimes you see that kind of if you want to call it a power struggle or you know, who's gonna take over, who won't, and there's never been that with us. One thing early on, you know, I told dad, he's always been the one that's had the drive and the business mindset that he was geared for this. I said, I never want it to be uh an issue for you. We're always gonna work great together. And with us having our girls, like he said, dad's always supported us in what we're doing. The future, you know, I think we both just want to keep the business in a position that if our girls want to go into it, that they can be the next generation. And if if that's not what they want to do, then the car business can provide for them for whatever it is that they're passionate about and that they're gonna get into and and you know, for the next generation.

SPEAKER_03 34:36

I'll be honest with you. Uh there'll be good saleswomen because I see they got grandpa uh Mr. Thomas already wrapped around the finger. When I come visit, you know, I always see them in the office, in the chair, doing what they want. I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_05 34:48

They did something we couldn't we could never do.

SPEAKER_06 34:51

That's for sure. I tell them all the time that they got a different Bim and pop than we had growing up. There's something about grandparents that when when grandbabies come around, it's like there's some transformation and they are not the same that they were when we were.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

Well, let me say that because I've got uh 10 grandkids now, and you're exactly right. My son, my oldest son, just him and his wife just had their first and first day, the day after he he was born down in Fayetteville. I'm in the hospital and I'm holding him for the first time and and talking to him. And my son said, Theodore, his name's we call him Teddy. He says, You better remember that voice. That's the one voice you want to remember, but there's nothing like grandkids, and you're exactly right. I got two in college now, and J. Rob Battelia is when they call, I go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:39

And that's just part of it. And that's what's kind of unique too, because I've seen, like, because you know, full circle, it's about the community, but it's the family vibe, and your family is from because you said your mom was the first graduation class of ER, Easter Randolph. That's right, yep. So everywhere in your blood is Randolph County.

SPEAKER_06 35:54

Oh, yeah. Uh and Todd, who was the principal at Eastern Randolph for years, you know, that's our uncle. So you know, we we've got Easter Randolph ties there too. I don't know. Don't say that out loud now. Don't say that out loud. Don't admit it much, but you know.

SPEAKER_03 36:05

You know, we got A Larlow coming up on the next episode. I'll bet you be careful.

SPEAKER_05 36:08

Hey, hey, even when my cousin Zeb was playing, I I'd pull for Ashboro over here. I I wish him all the best. And we tell him that to his face.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

Yeah, Coach Todd was my, I told y'all earlier he was my science teacher. He'll always be Coach Todd to my He There was never a dull moment in his class, I can tell you. And I still get to eat um breakfast with him a lot, see him a lot. But uh that's pretty cool to know that. I'll make sure I tell him when I see him next.

SPEAKER_03 36:36

And uh as we wrap up, we go before we do my favorite section of every episode, you know what it is, the quick hitters. I love my quick hitters. He's gonna start thinking of ears. I gotta Is there any coaches? Let's go back to sports world. You know, this this new season we started, uh Scott and I really put our heads together and we're like, you know, how can we make it to another level? Um we're bringing fourth and one, W O N. Um we're bringing that out weekly coaches show for football. Sports in the borough is just gonna have a generic podcast, and we decided to turn the borough buzz into not just athletes who are impactful in this community, but people like you two, um, real estate agents, whoever, just good people in this community that we want to spotlight. Um, full circle, is there anybody in your life you want to thank that's made an impact besides your family in this community?

SPEAKER_06 37:16

Well, I mean, honestly, you've actually already touched on them, but getting to c coach in this community, one of the reasons that I think I always wanted to coach is because I was lucky enough to have so many good coaches over my career as a player. Um and you touched on the pews.

SPEAKER_04 37:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 37:31

I was lucky enough I played for Steve, Doug, and Ronnie. And uh I've known Ronnie, uh all three of those guys my entire life. And uh, you know, they taught me a lot of of what I do in coaching. Um it came directly from them. So uh I I definitely appreciate what they've done in the community, what they continue to do. Yeah because I mean like I said, getting to coach at Ashbury, I get to play coach at McCray Park and and what they've done to keep that keep that up and everything. It's just it's really awesome.

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 38:00

Uh for me, uh I'd probably say coach luck. Yeah um I stayed in touch with him my whole life after high school, really. Uh I went to a Carolina Duke game with him. Uh don't get excited in Carolina fans, so you may remember that. Yeah. But yeah, uh, you know, Coach Luck, he he'd expect you to do everything right. And if you didn't, he'd let you know. But um I know after my uh after my sophomore year when Coach Walser left, there's a lot I was just trying to get Coach Luck to move up and be that varsity coach because he uh he's pretty special.

SPEAKER_02 38:34

Yeah. He likes that first bass box when he was coached. He loves that first base box. He'd always called me too, he'd say, because he knew I was over an umpire. It was funny. I hate for my phone to ring about 4 15 every afternoon because I'm like, what's going on? And I'd see Steve Luck pop up and he'd say, I got umpires today, Don. I said, Coach, don't do that to me. You're killing me. Yes, you got an umpire. I said, Why? It was just funny. I've been at the ballpark. I said, Okay, you're good, but great guy, great guy.

SPEAKER_03 39:00

All right, it's time for my favorite thing, the one-hitters. All right. And you just answer them and don't even think, just answer them. What's your walk-up at that song? If you had to go right now, pick a song. Well, now you get to, right here, right here on the Borough Buzz.

SPEAKER_05 39:14

Uh probably the uh the song Chipper Jones came up too. I love that. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 39:20

I don't know if I know that song.

SPEAKER_05 39:22

I can't think of the name of it, but Chipper Jones song.

SPEAKER_06 39:25

Yeah, yeah, we'll call it Chipper. Um I don't know. For me, it would probably be some uh old school Stapleton back when he was with the Jhomson brothers. I don't I don't know which song, but it would probably be something Johnson Brothers.

SPEAKER_02 39:38

Okay. What you got? Favorite car. Oh, that's again. Being in the car dealership, favorite car.

SPEAKER_05 39:44

1969 split window Corvette. That didn't take long for that answer. Wow. I like it. Wow. Uh trust thinking.

SPEAKER_06 39:51

That's a tough question in the car business. Because you get to see so many awesome cars. Um, you know, I I would normally go with something classic, but I'm since he went with a classic, I'm gonna- I I screwed up.

SPEAKER_05 40:04

1963. It's not 69, I'm sorry. Okay. 1963. Let's get it right.

SPEAKER_06 40:08

Well, I'd say since he went old school, I'm actually gonna split switch it up. And one of the most impressive vehicles that I've driven in a long time uh is the new Chevrolet EV Silverado. As far as from a driving standpoint, okay, that's one of the most fun vehicles ever.

SPEAKER_03 40:23

I saw you come and get it and take it to the beach. Is that how much fun it was? Didn't you go to the beach in it?

SPEAKER_06 40:26

Uh no, I didn't get it to get to the beach, but I got to drive it for a few days around town. And it's it's Daniel let you do that?

SPEAKER_03 40:32

Because he had a hold of the keys on that.

SPEAKER_06 40:34

Oh, he's got the hold of that. I think he's trying to get uh Ashley to let him get one.

SPEAKER_05 40:41

A very close second place would be the 69 Camaro. Okay. Okay. See, I had a Camaro. I love Camaro.

SPEAKER_03 40:46

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Um favorite sport? Baseball. See, I thought you were gonna say football, man. Throw it there, the kicker.

SPEAKER_06 40:53

I mean, uh I love football, don't get me wrong, but baseball was always my heart and soul growing up. It's you know. Um but I love football. I've I've I've found a a new love for football too from the coaching side of things. Uh, you know, like I said, working with the kickers. Yeah. Uh because that's something, you know, I did I wasn't a kicker growing up. That's not something uh a fun fact, I'm probably the only nine-toed kicking coach in the state of North Carolina. Oh, wow. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_05 41:17

So uh go ahead and tell your story. The one time you touched the football playing football.

SPEAKER_06 41:22

Okay. Um I will say I so I did play uh in middle school, and in middle school, uh back then we we ran the ball. I mean, it was just ground and pound.

SPEAKER_03 41:31

Wishbone, just get in there and go.

SPEAKER_06 41:33

Oh, yeah. Uh Coach Needham uh was coaching, and I think we I think we passed the ball three times all year. And none of those three passes were to me. I was receiving. So my job all year was just to block. Um but last game of the year we were playing uh at uh Liberty and um there were Grace Chapel, Liberty, and uh uh the I don't remember who it was, but somebody, the position that they were they were the first blocker, the last blocker before the returners, um, they were working something, so they put me in that position. So I was the last one to block before the returner got the ball, and so my job was just to block down the sideline. And they said, Well, this team sometimes tries onside kicks. If it comes to you, you just take it down the sideline. Well, sure enough, they go for an onside kick, and the ball bounces up to me, and I look up, and I don't know if you guys know Tyler Clapp. He's umpired now. Well, Tyler, he was like Kane and went through his gross spurt early and I looked up and Tyler Clapp's coming at me, and my mom to this day says that's the fastest she's ever seen me run. I took the ball 65 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. And I do still have the video to prove I like it. The top 4K, but you know I like it.

SPEAKER_05 42:40

And he never was touched the ball after that.

SPEAKER_02 42:44

Tyler was a he was a big boy back in the day.

SPEAKER_03 42:47

He was big. Man, that's awesome. But I mean, anything else you got before I wrap up my last question?

SPEAKER_02 42:52

Since you said they're Tar Hill fans, let's let's get them. Favorite Carolina, doesn't matter what sport. Oh, any sport?

SPEAKER_05 43:00

Um Vince Carter. Okay. Yeah. Good answer.

SPEAKER_03 43:03

I like that.

SPEAKER_05 43:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:04

Jerry Stackhouse.

SPEAKER_03 43:05

Okay. And the other good one. They say baseball, but then they go basketball. Look.

SPEAKER_06 43:11

So we got a good story about Jerry. So the reason, Jerry, for me, is when I was a kid, it's a lot different now. Now, if you go to a Carolina game, you want to get autographs after the game. Sometimes it's hard to get FaceTime of the players. Um back then, there was a ton of the players would come out of every game. And so you'd have 30, 40 people, you know, if it was a big crowd, 50-60, but it wasn't a lot.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

Mr. R used to take us down that way all the time.

SPEAKER_06 43:34

And so uh we were we're there for a game one one evening, and uh dad pointed out we're waiting for the players, and he said, You see that guy over there? He said, He's a recruit. He said, pay attention to him because he's he's gonna be one of the greats. And so being a kid, you know, I walked over to talk to him and I said, You know, hey, my dad said you're gonna play basketball here, and we got to talking, and like it was Jerry Stack House. Yeah. Um he liked fishing. We talked about fishing. I told him my uncle had a pond and you know he had to come fishing. With us sometime and just kind of is. And uh so you fast forward the next year, and he's a freshman phenom and having a good season. And there was a game where he had, I don't know how many he had put up, but after the game, he's coming out and they've got security kind of surrounding them because the crowds are growing and people and uh they're keeping people off of him. And he looked up and pointed, and they pulled me in with him with security and got to walk with him out. Man. And he asked me how my dad was doing and if I'd been fishing, remembered that, and it was just that stuck with me to where it's like, doesn't matter what he ever does, Jerry Stackhouse.

SPEAKER_03 44:32

You'll you'll that's the one you carried to your grave, man. That's great. You'll laugh at that story. Your story is better than mine.

SPEAKER_05 44:37

Well, that he didn't mention they left me in the crowd.

unknown 44:39

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 44:41

Dude, I went so the same thing happened, and uh I remember uh Mr. R, Bill Robinson shout out. Um he said, Oh, dude, one heck of a guy, man. Well, I uh that dude is I remember he used to have to stretch. We would stop and he would like stretch on the side of the and we were just like so embarrassed, we're like in middle school, but um, he was such a good dude. He would take us to all these games, and he always told me sometimes they'll sneak out. He said, So just look around, and here comes Sean May going around the corner, and I chased him down. It was like, you know, that team that won that natty that year and uh with Felton and all that crew Williams. But I I went up to him and I didn't realize he was trying to he was flirting with two girls. He was trying to, he was getting SPV, and I didn't know they were getting in his car, and I totally got in the way of that. You could tell he was quickly trying to get rid of this little kid.

SPEAKER_05 45:25

I bet he remembers you. Yeah, yeah, he does.

SPEAKER_02 45:28

Oh man, you got anything else we wrap up? This is great. Appreciate you guys coming on top. I appreciate what y'all do for the community. Yes, it's so special uh, as I said, to hear people that come on and have grown up and share the stories, but also a great family here in this community that's been known forever and will be known forever for what they do to help this community be better.

SPEAKER_05 45:50

Well, let's let's give a shout out to the community also, because without their support, you know, absolutely we wouldn't be here.

SPEAKER_03 45:56

So um it's it's a good place to grow up. Is is there any uh people listening in the uh let's go let's go commercialize here for a second. You got any specials coming up that they can uh hear about right here? So I'm gonna be running to get them in the door. I needed zero for sixty silverados, didn't you?

SPEAKER_05 46:13

Yeah, I can't remember what's still at because I don't want to say the real thing. Zero sixty silverados, right? But I don't know when this is coming about. It could be it might be off by the time.

SPEAKER_03 46:19

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, just we'll find C because then you can find out. As a surprise, just tell them say, hey, Jay from the borough and uh Scotty from Randy Sports Central sent you, and uh I'm sure Cam will hook you up, or Daniel or Trent. Um and if you go see Daniel, don't tell him I sent you. He might get me for uh seeing that. But uh my last final question, I promise. Your bat your dad built the foundation, and I wrote this down last night. I was sitting there on the sofa and I was like, what's a good question to wrap this episode with with two people who I've known got to know really well the last year, and I appreciate y'all become friends to me, honestly. Um but uh as you're you know, like I said, your dad's built this foundation, now you're carrying it forward years from now. What's the next generation looks back? Um what do you hope they'll say about Wayne Thomas?

SPEAKER_05 46:59

About my dad. Yeah, you all y'all, the the family, the Thomas are like just that we're honest people, you know, that we can just get up every morning and work hard to try to do the best we can. Um I know growing up, you know, you always hear comments about used car salesmen and all that stuff, but I I honestly never see that at our store, you know. We always tell anybody we hire the the the first thing that can get you fired the quickest is lying to anybody. Yeah. I mean, even if they the customer's not gonna want to want to hear what you say, he's gotta say it. You know, you just you gotta be up front and honest with people. And people respect that. But uh probably just a place that's easy to do business with. You come in, you feel welcome, um, and that you're just treated right.

SPEAKER_06 47:46

Because that's something that was really important to my granddad. He he always wanted not just the employees but the customers to feel like they were part of the family. And uh that's something that my dad, I think, has carried on real well, and that's something that I that I know is important to both of us.

SPEAKER_03 48:00

And that's one thing I noticed, you know, as you know, being part being, you know, blessed to be a part of this build with you guys doing the media stuff. Um, I see so many regular people in there just coming to hang out. Like not just to get Scott, like not to get the car worked on. They already had an old change, they're just coming hang out. Because I remember Danny and I were doing that funny tricycle video in the parking lot, and some guy, what even there, he's just hanging out, comes out there and he's like, I've been coming here a lot. It's the first time I've ever seen something like this. And I'll have to play the video right here on this, but uh, but it's just I mean, it's just a good family thing. I mean, I take my vehicles there now, and uh, I'm hoping my wife will let me go get a uh Silverado, but you know, EV. Start working on that. Yeah, yeah. Listen to that, baby here.

SPEAKER_05 48:38

Um, but uh shout out to Jonathan too. He's he's he's doing a lot of work for us, and he he gets us out of our comfort zone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I see, I see the video. So he's got me doing I've done some stuff that I never saw myself doing. This being one of them.

SPEAKER_03 48:53

Yeah. I usually like to be behind the scenes. Yeah. I told him to start their own podcast. They won't believe me. I told him, I said, look, we got the gear.

SPEAKER_06 48:59

Oh, Daniel's Daniel's on me about it.

SPEAKER_03 49:01

I told him, I said, let's do it. I said, just talk about whatever. Just we'll book Wayne Thomas up everywhere.

SPEAKER_05 49:05

I can't tell a lot about it. You would have to put a disclaimer on who can watch this.

SPEAKER_03 49:09

So I'm gonna tell them this video. Uh, the next video, I have it right here. So when I go to Wayne Thomas, I'm telling them right now on camera. So look, if they say I can't do it, sorry, everybody's listening. Um, we're gonna do a we listen but we don't judge video. You seen those? Where all your dealers, all your co all your workers are gonna be behind you and they're gonna say, we listen but we don't judge. And they're gonna say something they've done that you're gonna never knew about, and then they gotta say at the end before you say, We listen but we don't judge. It's all tick type.

SPEAKER_02 49:36

Let me know when you do that because my boys Lamont Lowry and uh D Carl. Oh yeah. My boy D. I got I gotta be there for that, but I want to hear I want to see the smile. You both of them have big smiles.

SPEAKER_03 49:47

I want to see the smile on their face. You won't believe because I've already heard a little bit, and it's kind of like they say I'm just sitting here going, yeah, especially during COVID. The stuff that I probably during COVID uh.

SPEAKER_02 49:56

So Lowry and Carl, I'm coming to see that, to see that video.

SPEAKER_03 49:59

All right, look, we're doing it. The next video. We gotta have fun out. I'm down, let's do it. Well, thank you to uh seriously for coming on the first uh episode of season two. I don't know a better way to kick it off. And uh season two is gonna be even not season two, but episode two is gonna be even better. We got Aiden Laterlow, and as a coach on the football team, you know that's gonna be exciting.

SPEAKER_06 50:15

Absolutely. Aiden's a great kid and uh loved to get a chance to coach him over the last couple years, and uh he's got big things ahead of him.

SPEAKER_03 50:22

Oh man, I'm telling you, it's gonna be last time I did a video with him, it just shot up. I mean, everyone loved it, liked it, shared it. It might still to this day be one of the most viewed videos I've ever done on sports in the borough, so make sure you guys check it out after yours. And uh actually he might be here any second now, so maybe you can hang out and watch us film this episode. But we want to thank everybody for tuning in to The Borough Buzz, J Robb here with Scotty Fagler. And uh until next time, and uh, I think we gotta add something that Steve that you sign off with because I love it. What uh good old Steve O started saying I want to add in here to give because we're gonna get him on this show. Well, it's a tribute to Larry Reed.

SPEAKER_02 50:54

I'm sure y'all knew Larry. Uh one of his favorite things was just saying. So we always end our broadcast with just saying. I just think it's a special thing because I know Larry looks down on us, but he was, and I know y'all guys know, he was that guy in this community. He was that guy. So let's just end it by saying just saying.

SPEAKER_03 51:17

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