Latest / Fightin' Words: The Official Podcast of the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens / Fightin' Words: Episode 2 - Nick Minicucci & Scott Klatzkin

Transcript

Fightin' Words: Episode 2 - Nick Minicucci & Scott Klatzkin · Fightin' Words: The Official Podcast of the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens

0:00
SPEAKER_02: It's time for Fightin' Words, the official podcast of the University of Delaware Fighting Bluehead.
0:06
SPEAKER_01: Here's your host, Ed LaFurge.
0:09
SPEAKER_01: And welcome back into episode two of Fightin' Words.
0:12
SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Ed LaFurge.
0:14
SPEAKER_01: We got a jam-pack episode for you today.
0:16
SPEAKER_01: Really excited to be joined by the starting quarterback.
0:19
SPEAKER_01: He was just named a team captain.
0:20
SPEAKER_01: Nick Minicucci joins us to talk about this season and what he's looking forward to.
0:25
SPEAKER_01: And then you know his voice very well.
0:28
SPEAKER_02: Empty for Minicucci.
0:30
SPEAKER_02: Silver in motion for a third time in a row.
0:32
SPEAKER_02: It's Minicucci and it's done.
0:34
SPEAKER_02: He's done it, beat him.
0:36
SPEAKER_04: It's Minicucci brings it to Delaware.
0:46
SPEAKER_01: He's the voice of the Fighting Blue Hens.
0:48
SPEAKER_01: Going into season number 15.
0:50
SPEAKER_01: Scott Klatskin joins us here on Fightin' Words.
0:53
SPEAKER_01: And with that, let's jump right into it.
0:55
SPEAKER_01: Nick, thanks so much for joining us here on the podcast.
0:57
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thank you so much for having me.
0:59
SPEAKER_01: So, how's camp been going?
1:00
SPEAKER_01: What's it been like?
1:01
SPEAKER_01: And are you ready to get going with uh the start of the season?
1:04
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, camp's been great.
1:06
SPEAKER_00: Uh it was the first time in camp for me that I I got a more reps than I usually have.
1:11
SPEAKER_00: Because I usually been competing.
1:13
SPEAKER_00: And this year we were competing and it was like it was a really, really good competition with all the boys, and honestly, it was just good competition.
1:20
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
1:20
SPEAKER_00: Like everyone's rooting for each other, and it's just it's all love really here.
1:24
SPEAKER_01: The way that you guys cheer each other on when somebody makes a big play, I think, is is one of the most telling things about uh a team.
1:32
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, 100%.
1:33
SPEAKER_00: And it wasn't always like that.
1:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
1:34
SPEAKER_00: Right?
1:35
SPEAKER_00: So it's like how close knit our group is is I mean it's unmatched.
1:39
SPEAKER_00: Like I don't know any other place that has a group that like they we live for each other.
1:43
SPEAKER_00: Like we live for each other's excess.
1:45
SPEAKER_00: And it's just it's it's amazing to see that.
1:48
SPEAKER_01: It really is incredible.
1:49
SPEAKER_01: The the the first thing I want to talk to you about, Nick, is something you said in in an interview we did earlier this year with with Mike Corey, um, and and he asked about you returning to Delaware, and you responded and said, I I don't know why everybody keeps asking me this.
2:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
2:02
SPEAKER_01: There was never a question.
2:03
SPEAKER_01: I was always coming back to Delaware.
2:05
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, what what is what does this place mean to you and and and why is this the place that you want to be?
2:10
SPEAKER_00: I mean, Delaware means everything to me.
2:11
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they gave me a shot.
2:13
SPEAKER_00: Like when no other no other schools in the country really believed in me, and I like I really didn't have many offers coming out of high school.
2:20
SPEAKER_00: And I know I talk about this a lot because it it means something to me because like I've I've been an underdog my whole life.
2:26
SPEAKER_00: And Delaware gave me a shot with a half scholarship, and I I I couldn't thank him enough for that.
2:30
SPEAKER_00: I I knew right when I stepped on this campus is this is where I wanted to be.
2:33
SPEAKER_00: I I fit in here and the system was for me.
2:37
SPEAKER_00: Like everything that Coach Cardi does on offense is is it equals me.
2:43
SPEAKER_00: It's like everything I can do well, I can run the ball, we throw the ball a ton, it's just this place is everything, and the fan base is it means the world to me.
2:50
SPEAKER_00: Can you talk about the relationship you have with Coach Cardi and just how unique that is?
2:54
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean Coach is that's my guy.
2:56
SPEAKER_00: Like I go to him for anything.
2:57
SPEAKER_00: If I got an issue in this, he's the first one to know about it.
3:00
SPEAKER_00: Like I I always tell the boys and everyone on the team, if you got a problem, just go right to the source.
3:05
SPEAKER_00: Coach Cardi's the source.
3:06
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know, I talk to him every day.
3:08
SPEAKER_00: And we it's not always just about football, we talk about life.
3:12
SPEAKER_00: And he's he's a really great motivator for me, and honestly always gives me the best advice, and I love that man, I really do.
3:18
SPEAKER_01: You know, this last year you finished top ten in nearly every passing category nationally, and that's come with some added recognition.
3:25
SPEAKER_01: You're on five national watch lists, you were named, conference USA, preseason offensive player of the year.
3:30
SPEAKER_01: Now I know you're somebody who doesn't put a lot into that that pre-season recognition, but does it give you any m added motivation heading into the season?
3:40
SPEAKER_00: Uh I mean it's cool.
3:41
SPEAKER_00: Right?
3:41
SPEAKER_00: It's cool to see that people are finally people are recognizing me, and and it feels good, but I'm really not that type of guy who looks at that and I feel like I oh I earned that, I deserve that.
3:53
SPEAKER_00: It's like that's preseason.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: I could care about preseason.
3:56
SPEAKER_00: I want all like if there's postseason, that's the stuff that I'm looking for.
3:59
SPEAKER_00: Preseason's just that's outside noise, it's just writing on the wall for me.
4:03
SPEAKER_00: So I I I really look forward to just one day at a time, really.
4:07
SPEAKER_00: Like, how can I attack today and be better today?
4:09
SPEAKER_00: And I don't really care about preseason watch lists and stuff.
4:13
SPEAKER_01: So you were just named a team captain.
4:15
SPEAKER_01: Um congratulations on that.
4:17
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
4:18
SPEAKER_01: What what does that mean to you?
4:19
SPEAKER_01: And and when you hear the word captain, how do you kind of like what do you envision that person being?
4:25
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, this feels amazing to be a captain on this team.
4:28
SPEAKER_01: And you were voted by your teammates, I want to be clear on that.
4:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
4:30
SPEAKER_00: Uh first off, for my teammates to believe in me and vote me as captain feels feels amazing.
4:36
SPEAKER_00: It's like one of the best feelings in the world.
4:38
SPEAKER_00: Uh, I was uh captain only one year in high school, and that that was uh an amazing honor for me, really.
4:43
SPEAKER_00: And here it's just it feels different because it's college and it's Delaware, and everything here is is big time.
4:50
SPEAKER_00: And what who a captain is, it's someone who's gonna do anything they can for the team.
4:55
SPEAKER_00: Who's gonna lay their life on the line on fourth and one and go get a yard?
4:58
SPEAKER_00: And I I feel like all of the captains we have do that.
5:02
SPEAKER_00: Right?
5:02
SPEAKER_00: They're gonna put the team first.
5:03
SPEAKER_00: They don't care about their accolades or what they do, as long as we win and as long as we're doing it the right way.
5:08
SPEAKER_01: Do you know now not only have you and Ryan Cardi both played quarterback at the University of Delaware, but you also both are now captains of the Delaware football team.
5:17
SPEAKER_01: Did you know that?
5:18
SPEAKER_01: I did know that, yes.
5:18
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
5:19
SPEAKER_01: How cool is that to really go back to the relationship that the two of you have?
5:23
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's it's it's really, really cool, right?
5:25
SPEAKER_00: Like Coach Cardi being a captain and I sit in the same room as him every day and talk football.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: It's I can relate to him even more now, if that makes sense.
5:33
SPEAKER_00: So um it's really a great honor, and I I'm really, really blessed.
5:37
SPEAKER_00: I thank God that I I got blessed with this opportunity.
5:40
SPEAKER_01: Well, I wanna I want to end with you here on on a fun one.
5:43
SPEAKER_01: You are somebody who you have a tradition every football season.
5:47
SPEAKER_01: You go and get your hair cut before camp starts.
5:50
SPEAKER_01: Tell us about this tradition and and how long have you been doing it, and kind of why have have you been doing it.
5:55
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, so like I used to be really, really superstitious as a kid.
5:59
SPEAKER_00: I couldn't wear different socks.
6:00
SPEAKER_00: I'd mark my socks after a big game and be like, oh, this was for the right, this was for the left foot.
6:05
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I kind of like phased out of that.
6:08
SPEAKER_00: Like third grade, I started doing this.
6:09
SPEAKER_00: So I've been doing this for a long time.
6:13
SPEAKER_00: 13 years, I'd say.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I don't know, I've just kind of always been something I did.
6:18
SPEAKER_00: Like my dad said it one time, how about you just don't cut your hair during the season?
6:22
SPEAKER_00: Like when I was a kid, I was like, alright.
6:24
SPEAKER_00: And I've just always done it.
6:25
SPEAKER_00: I get one haircut in July, mid-July, and then I don't touch my hair.
6:29
SPEAKER_00: Like my last haircut last year, I didn't get my hair cut.
6:33
SPEAKER_00: I went like seven months without a haircut.
6:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, once the season ends, like when when when do you jump in and and and cut your hair?
6:39
SPEAKER_00: Last year was long.
6:40
SPEAKER_00: I I waited until January 20 something.
6:43
SPEAKER_00: Wow.
6:43
SPEAKER_00: So I got my hair.
6:44
SPEAKER_00: Like my hair was down to my neck.
6:47
SPEAKER_00: Like down here.
6:48
SPEAKER_00: Well, and I feel like in the spring, like you you had it.
6:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, pretty short.
6:51
SPEAKER_01: You were you you were pretty clean cut.
6:53
SPEAKER_00: In the spring, I was I was like, I was okay flow, and then in the in the summer, yeah, my hair was definitely shorter.
6:59
SPEAKER_00: And then I'm not cutting my hair until after the conference championship, after a bowl game.
7:05
SPEAKER_00: So I won't touch my hair for a while.
7:07
SPEAKER_01: Well, that's awesome.
7:07
SPEAKER_01: Well, Nick, thanks so much.
7:08
SPEAKER_01: I know you've got first day of classes today.
7:10
SPEAKER_01: You're heading off to to account, and we want to make sure we get you there on time.
7:13
SPEAKER_01: So thanks for giving us a few minutes here.
7:15
SPEAKER_01: Of course, thank you for having me.
7:16
SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
7:16
SPEAKER_01: That was starting quarterback Nick Minicucci.
7:19
SPEAKER_01: We will be right back with the voice of the Fighting Blue Hens, Scott Klatzkin.
7:23
SPEAKER_02: Delaware football is coming back loaded.
7:25
SPEAKER_02: QB1, Nick Minicucci, Joe Silver, Gavin Moore, and more on the Batman season tickets, partial plans, and single game seats are on sale now.
7:34
SPEAKER_02: Give your tickets at bluehens.com.
7:37
SPEAKER_01: Go ahead.
7:37
SPEAKER_01: All right, we'll welcome you back here into Fightin' Words.
7:40
SPEAKER_01: You've heard his voice on the intro, maybe in the commercial you just heard as well.
7:44
SPEAKER_01: And over your airwaves for the last 15 years, well, 14, going into 15 now, Scott Klatskin, voice of the Fighting Blue Hens, joins us.
7:52
SPEAKER_01: Scott, thanks so much for joining us on the podcast.
7:54
SPEAKER_03: Thank you for having me on.
7:55
SPEAKER_03: I gotta say, like, this is such an amazing podcast.
7:58
SPEAKER_03: The fans love it.
7:59
SPEAKER_03: Uh, episode one was fantastic.
8:01
SPEAKER_03: To get the athletic director, episode one, and then arguably the greatest blue hen of all time, Joe Flacco, to be on the episode.
8:11
SPEAKER_03: You get the conference USA preseason player of the year, Nick Minicucci, to be on the podcast, and then like to just go out in the hallway and see who was walking around to get me on the podcast.
8:19
SPEAKER_03: I mean, it is an honor to be on the show.
8:22
SPEAKER_03: You guys really just gave up though with with getting guests on the show.
8:24
SPEAKER_01: You you you are a blue hen legend.
8:27
SPEAKER_01: I know you're always humble, but you are a legend.
8:29
SPEAKER_01: The fans appreciate you, we appreciate you.
8:31
SPEAKER_01: But I really wanted to have you on to really talk about kind of your journey going into year 15.
8:36
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you've been around a lot of Delaware uh men's basketball, football, you've seen a lot of stuff.
8:42
SPEAKER_01: You're you're a staple in in the fighting blue hen community.
8:46
SPEAKER_01: So who better than than Scott Clanskin to be on the podcast?
8:48
SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm looking forward to talking talking blue hens, uh, as I I always am with you.
8:52
SPEAKER_01: I appreciate it, Scott.
8:53
SPEAKER_01: So walk us through kind of your journey.
8:55
SPEAKER_01: How'd you get into this line of work and you know uh hel help us kind of peel back the layers a little bit?
9:01
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, my journey with University of Delaware dates back to just my youth.
9:05
SPEAKER_03: Like I I I remember going to games with my dad uh and and going to the field house to watch basketball games and seeing you know Spencer Dunkley and Brian Pearl, and then like I I rushed the floor when they won the America East Tournament uh at the Bob Carpenter Center to celebrate and those teams with Pegis and and Perry and you know watching games uh all throughout my life.
9:28
SPEAKER_03: And so I just it's a big part of me.
9:30
SPEAKER_03: I I went to school here.
9:32
SPEAKER_03: Um and so that's good, that's really where it started.
9:34
SPEAKER_03: Like I wanted to go to a school where I could be a part of the student radio program or the student television program.
9:41
SPEAKER_03: And and I was able to do that for four years at the University of Delhi.
9:45
SPEAKER_03: I had a great program.
9:46
SPEAKER_03: I mean, at the time there was like STN 49, it was called.
9:49
SPEAKER_03: There wasn't any of this cool stuff going on.
9:50
SPEAKER_03: It was like channel 49 in the dorms, and we broadcasted the games at the end.
9:54
SPEAKER_03: It was only in the dorms.
9:55
SPEAKER_03: It was in the dorms.
9:55
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think so.
9:56
SPEAKER_03: Uh it was it was in the dorms, and we did it for television, and I did W V U D on the radio station, and like I got the reps though.
10:05
SPEAKER_03: I probably didn't sound good, but I got the reps.
10:07
SPEAKER_03: So the end of four years, the opportunity that Delaware gave me was to get the reps.
10:12
SPEAKER_03: And so when I graduated from the University of Delaware, um, Mike Corey was the voice of the blue hens, and he's been a great mentor and friend of mine for years.
10:21
SPEAKER_03: And he was like, Well, come work for it was clear channel at the time, now it's iHeartMedia.
10:25
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and I thought I was going in for a broadcast job.
10:29
SPEAKER_03: And so I go in, it's a sales job, and they're asking me, Well, what do you like about sales?
10:33
SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, I don't know if I like sales at all.
10:36
SPEAKER_03: Somehow I got that I got the job still.
10:38
SPEAKER_03: Uh but uh basically, so I I'm I'm there without a broadcast job, and I'm begging program, well, let me do high school games.
10:46
SPEAKER_03: Can I broadcast some high school games?
10:48
SPEAKER_03: They said no.
10:48
SPEAKER_03: I made a PowerPoint presentation.
10:50
SPEAKER_03: Uh well, what if we see how good it would be?
10:53
SPEAKER_03: No, go make some sales.
10:54
SPEAKER_03: And so I was bothering them enough that they gave me like a sales number to hit.
10:58
SPEAKER_03: Well, if you can sell this much sponsorship, we'll let you call a high school game of the week.
11:02
SPEAKER_03: And it was a number they didn't think I would hit, and then I hustled and I hit the number, and they they were forced to put me on the air.
11:08
SPEAKER_03: And that's how it started.
11:09
SPEAKER_03: I took that kind of sales knowledge and I I went to Delaware State University.
11:14
SPEAKER_03: No one was carrying uh the Hornets games, and so I pitched them.
11:18
SPEAKER_03: Uh, they paid us uh to carry their games, and I said I would be the broadcaster, and so whole nother podcast for my time at Delaware State.
11:26
SPEAKER_03: There's some uh stories I could tell there.
11:28
SPEAKER_03: But basically, you know, they would get paid to travel and and and play uh different teams, and so like I called a game with the big house, they forfeited a conference game to play Michigan uh mid-season, so I called a game at Michigan for football.
11:43
SPEAKER_03: Football?
11:44
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, for football.
11:45
SPEAKER_03: Uh I think one road trip was like UCLA, Arizona State, Texas Tech, NC State.
11:50
SPEAKER_03: We just kind of made our way.
11:51
SPEAKER_03: Uh but I'm 20, I'm 22, 23, and I'm getting to do games, and I'm the voice of a team.
11:58
SPEAKER_03: And then um in 2012, I remember I was living in Wilmington.
12:03
SPEAKER_03: I get a call from Mike Corey, and he tells me he's gonna go full-time television doing ESPN, and that uh you know he thinks I should be the the next guy in line.
12:13
SPEAKER_03: And and so uh that's kind of how I got here, and it's been just uh fantastic for me, and and I appreciate uh everybody that helped me along the way and and to to be the voice of the blue hands is is uh a title that I that I carry with great pride.
12:28
SPEAKER_03: Do you do you remember that moment that you got that phone call from Mike?
12:30
SPEAKER_03: I do.
12:31
SPEAKER_03: I remember when I was standing, like I can envision like uh you know Mike calling me on the phone and uh taking the call, and and I'm not sure what it's gonna be about.
12:40
SPEAKER_03: I mean we we talk, we're friends, yeah, and so he's obviously he's been working on this, and he calls me and says, you know, I I got a contract with ESPN for X amount of games because he had been doing television a little bit, missing some games, and he finally got enough to do it full time.
12:55
SPEAKER_03: And uh so he calls me up and he says, and and I and I wasn't new to the Delaware community in terms of the Blue Hens, I've been doing like content um on YouTube or wherever they put it at the time with Jimmy Smith was here, uh, who did a great job with some of that content.
13:11
SPEAKER_03: And so I was hosting some Delaware events at the time, so I wasn't new to the Blue Hens, um, but was was new to the radio program.
13:17
SPEAKER_03: And he he called me up and said, you know, this is what we're gonna do.
13:20
SPEAKER_03: And and you know, if and I am thankful for him, and it's a testament to kind of like being at the right place.
13:26
SPEAKER_03: I knew I wanted to have this job.
13:29
SPEAKER_03: I went to Mike Corey when I was in college, and I said, I you know, I want to sit in your seat eventually, like how can I do that?
13:35
SPEAKER_03: And he was nice enough to help me out.
13:37
SPEAKER_03: Uh, but if they went nationwide search, I probably wasn't the most talented broadcaster at the time.
13:43
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, but I was in the right spot.
13:45
SPEAKER_03: I wanted it, I loved the University of Delaware, and and I think it it's worked out, it's worked out well.
13:50
SPEAKER_03: And so uh I do remember though exactly where I was when he called.
13:53
SPEAKER_03: Where where where were you?
13:54
SPEAKER_03: What were you doing?
13:55
SPEAKER_03: Do you I was yeah, it was at night, I was in I lived in Trolley Square, and I was just in my uh apartment.
14:00
SPEAKER_03: I had an apartment in up in Trolley Square.
14:02
SPEAKER_03: He called me.
14:02
SPEAKER_03: I remember uh learning the news, and I remember um you know that week the Red Sox were in town, and I remember uh they were playing Baltimore, and I remember telling my dad, like, let's go to I want to go to a uh a ball game with you.
14:17
SPEAKER_03: And yeah, he took off work.
14:18
SPEAKER_03: I remember, you know, he was working, he was like, I called him like on a whim, I was like, let's go to the the Orioles Red Sox game.
14:23
SPEAKER_03: So we went down, we spent the day there together, and like I broke the news to him and my family uh at the ball game, and uh you know, and we went out to dinner, went to Clondite Kate's.
14:32
SPEAKER_03: I thought that would be the place to celebrate.
14:34
SPEAKER_03: Oh the place for the coaches.
14:35
SPEAKER_03: It's a good day for you.
14:36
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so so I do remember, it was a memorable day.
14:38
SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's awesome.
14:39
SPEAKER_01: What what what drives you to be the the the consummate professional that you are?
14:43
SPEAKER_01: Uh well well thank you very much much for for I mean I mean I've I've worked with a ton of people, right?
14:48
SPEAKER_01: I've been doing this this year 14 for me in college athletics, and it's like there's times where you come across people that are just genuinely good human beings and they they do things the right way, and and and that is you to a T.
14:59
SPEAKER_01: So like I I've always wondered, like, you know, I've I've never asked you in conversation, but I thought this was a perfect, perfect opportunity.
15:05
SPEAKER_01: But like, there's gotta be something that like drives you to do things to to the quality that you do.
15:10
SPEAKER_03: Well, thank you.
15:11
SPEAKER_03: I I think it it starts with like when you enjoy your job, when you love your job, when you love what you do, how can I show appreciation for having this job, for being a part of this Delaware community?
15:22
SPEAKER_03: Is like, well, the least I can do is is absolutely try my best and be as prepared as humanly possible that I can be for this community, for this fan base, for this school.
15:33
SPEAKER_03: And you know, it it goes back to I think when I started, and because Mike Corey went from Delaware to ESPN and we've had some broadcasters do the same thing, when I first started, the compliment that I would get would be like, Oh, you're oh you're you're a great young guy.
15:50
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna see you on ESPN someday, or we're gonna see it was like we're you're gonna move to the next thing soon enough, which is a compliment and it's a nice thing to say.
15:58
SPEAKER_03: But I think when I first started, every game was uh a possibility for like a demo tape.
16:05
SPEAKER_03: And it was like, all right, this next this next drive, this next series, this is what I'm gonna put on tape so I can be part of my resume.
16:12
SPEAKER_03: And I think after a few years, I realized like I'm not uh interested necessarily in being a broadcaster, but I'm interested in being the University of Delaware's broadcaster.
16:24
SPEAKER_03: Like I want to be the best blue hen broadcaster I can be, and I think that that's different.
16:29
SPEAKER_03: Like I'm not the best broadcaster in the country, but I feel like I'm the best blue hen broadcaster in the country because I I'm part of this community and I'm part of the fan base, and I and I know the stats, I know the history, I know the coaches, I know the players, and so when I go to work, uh it is uh just a duty that I have, I think, to represent this fan base, this school, this community as best that I can.
16:55
SPEAKER_03: And and like Ernie Johnson said it, and I think it's a great line.
16:58
SPEAKER_03: Like, this is a get-to job.
17:00
SPEAKER_03: Like, I get to broadcast this game, these games.
17:03
SPEAKER_03: I get to broadcast football and basketball for Delaware.
17:06
SPEAKER_03: I never say like I have to go to this game today.
17:09
SPEAKER_03: It's it's it's it's uh it's just how I show appreciation, I guess.
17:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
17:13
SPEAKER_01: Well, it's it's much appreciated.
17:15
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think I speak on behalf of the athletic department, our fan base, our student athletes, everybody.
17:20
SPEAKER_01: You know, what you do is phenomenal and and we appreciate you.
17:22
SPEAKER_01: So but going into your season 15 for football, right?
17:26
SPEAKER_01: Um you know, you've you've you've been a lot of places.
17:29
SPEAKER_01: What are what are kind of some of the top the top moments, I guess, during your fighting blue hen career um that really stand out to you?
17:37
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, there's been there's been a ton uh of great moments.
17:40
SPEAKER_03: The school's uh has a great history, and and uh I've been a part of the last 14 going on the 15 seasons of it.
17:46
SPEAKER_03: I I think some of the memories are tied to moments and games, some are are tied to just the people that you get to meet.
17:53
SPEAKER_03: And I think a lot of my memories are uh with just getting to work with different people.
17:58
SPEAKER_03: Uh it is such an honor every game for me to be able to work with Bill Hartman.
18:02
SPEAKER_03: Sure.
18:02
SPEAKER_03: Now I've been doing this for 15 seasons.
18:04
SPEAKER_03: It'll be my 14th season with Bill doing basketball, and I've had several uh football broadcasters that I've been able to uh work with.
18:11
SPEAKER_03: But like he's you know Bill.
18:13
SPEAKER_03: He he's genuine, he cares, he's the nicest guy.
18:16
SPEAKER_03: Uh he has forgotten more about sports than I'll ever know.
18:20
SPEAKER_03: And to be able to go into a game and just know the quality I'm gonna get from the guy next to me takes the pressure off of me so much.
18:27
SPEAKER_03: And so working with Bill is just the amount of drives that we've had, and and those are kind of the memories, like driving to the game and just having conversations and going out to dinner on the road or whatever it might be, those are great memories as well.
18:39
SPEAKER_03: Uh so part of it is that, and then part of it is there's there's been some legendary games that I've been lucky enough to be a part of.
18:44
SPEAKER_03: You have to remember, like when I first started, the I was probably the losingest broadcaster that this school has ever had for football at least, because we went, I mean, I didn't call a fall playoff victory for my first 10 seasons here.
19:00
SPEAKER_03: Oh wow.
19:00
SPEAKER_03: I I mean I started in 12, which was Casey Keeler's last season, and then we we went on a little bit of a drought uh for football.
19:08
SPEAKER_03: And so uh I think when the team's losing a little bit, and uh, you know, the you're frustrated with the players, you're frustrated with the coach, you're frustrated with the broadcasters, it's not as fun to listen to it's not as fun to listen to me when the team's not not doing well.
19:20
SPEAKER_03: And so so the first 10 years of football, there wasn't a whole lot going on.
19:24
SPEAKER_03: There was a game, there was a comeback against Towson, which was a blast.
19:27
SPEAKER_03: I remember that and during that span um when Coach Rocco was here, his first game against Richmond was a double overtime game where they were ranked 11th and and uh Delaware was uh not in the top 25 and came back to win this that one.
19:39
SPEAKER_03: That was a a fun one.
19:41
SPEAKER_03: Um but but I think recently uh to win a bowl game, like that that felt that was big time.
19:46
SPEAKER_03: It was like we have arrived, we are here.
19:48
SPEAKER_03: Same with that UConn game.
19:50
SPEAKER_03: I think that Yukon game, I'm hugging Fritz in the in the booth uh during the game.
19:54
SPEAKER_03: Like, that's a big one.
19:55
SPEAKER_03: Uh for basketball to play in the Antillebag tournament twice is really, really neat.
20:01
SPEAKER_03: Those CAA championships were fantastic.
20:04
SPEAKER_03: There was a game where we beat William and Mary in 2014.
20:09
SPEAKER_03: Press Row goes out.
20:11
SPEAKER_03: No power on Press Row.
20:12
SPEAKER_03: We get knocked off the air.
20:14
SPEAKER_03: No kidding.
20:14
SPEAKER_03: So I'm broadcasting the game and we go dark.
20:18
SPEAKER_03: Delaware's starting to lose their lead, and I'm panicking.
20:21
SPEAKER_03: Like if you if there's footage of the game somewhere, there's me on Press Row calling my producer, trying to figure out what's going on.
20:27
SPEAKER_03: Uh we get back on the air though.
20:29
SPEAKER_03: Jarvis gets it, Jarvis Street gets an N1.
20:31
SPEAKER_03: We we come back and win it.
20:33
SPEAKER_03: They uh they let off Sports Center the next day with my call from that game.
20:39
SPEAKER_03: Uh so that was memorable one.
20:41
SPEAKER_00: And Sports Center continues right now.
20:44
SPEAKER_02: Tonight! The Blue Heads party like it's 1999! Back to the dance table!
20:51
SPEAKER_03: This is Sports Center right.
20:54
SPEAKER_03: Um, but there's there's been so there's been so many.
20:56
SPEAKER_03: Davon Usher had a 42-point game against Charleston um at the Bob Carpenter Center, which was a memorable game, but there's there's been so many, and I've just been lucky to put lend my voice as the the backdrop for a few.
21:10
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
21:11
SPEAKER_01: Tell tell our listeners, I mean, you you've done so many broadcasts, and I don't think people quite understand what goes into getting ready to call a game.
21:19
SPEAKER_01: Tell our listeners kind of your process, what you do to get ready to know the stats, to know the players, to to have all the information that you need to be able to call a game.
21:28
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think this is a good format to like announce to everyone that I have a job.
21:32
SPEAKER_03: I think in the summertime they're like, oh, you ready for this season?
21:35
SPEAKER_03: You've been sitting around uh all summer doing doing nothing.
21:38
SPEAKER_03: So I work for iHeart Media, I do sales, advertising, marketing, and sales thing kind of stuck.
21:43
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
21:44
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
21:45
SPEAKER_03: 20 years later, still at iHeartHeart Media, and uh and so I do have a a nine to five.
21:50
SPEAKER_03: And so a lot some of it is like you know, talking to clients during the week and making sure they have commercials that air in the game and and their sponsorships are all taken care of uh during the week.
21:59
SPEAKER_03: But Yeah, usually, you know, I usually would would base my schedule on Saturdays.
22:03
SPEAKER_03: That's out the window.
22:04
SPEAKER_03: We don't it's not just Saturday.
22:05
SPEAKER_03: With Day C, baby.
22:07
SPEAKER_03: That's right.
22:07
SPEAKER_03: Uh but you know, typically like on a s for a Saturday game, like on a Sunday, I'll sit down and I'll start to make my chart.
22:13
SPEAKER_03: It takes like hours and hours to basically type in all of the players that I think might play in the game, their name, their height, their weight, where they're from, if they transferred, their stats uh this season, their stats last season, any notes that they might have.
22:28
SPEAKER_03: So basically what I'll build is like a big spotting chart, it's called.
22:32
SPEAKER_03: And so it has information on every single player.
22:34
SPEAKER_03: So when John Smith catches the ball, I can find John Smith on the chart and say, you know, that's John Smith, that's his 29th catch of the season.
22:42
SPEAKER_03: And, you know, last season he did X, Y, and Z.
22:45
SPEAKER_03: But I have so you make these charts and it takes hours and hours to build these charts.
22:51
SPEAKER_03: You only need like 20% of what's on the spotting board, but you don't know which 20% you're going to need.
22:57
SPEAKER_03: And so a lot of it is just how prepared are you going to be?
23:01
SPEAKER_03: And so I make these charts.
23:03
SPEAKER_03: I put a lot of time, as you know, hosting this podcast, like you've got to come up with questions.
23:09
SPEAKER_03: And so we have a coach's show every week, and I spend hours kind of building out that coach's show uh in terms of what questions am I going to ask, how is the show going to flow?
23:20
SPEAKER_03: Because if you don't, there's a lot of ums and ahs and transitions aren't as smooth.
23:25
SPEAKER_03: And so I appreciate so much Coach Cardi, uh, Coach Inglesby, the time that they give to me.
23:32
SPEAKER_03: Like they're getting ready for games.
23:34
SPEAKER_03: And so for them to spend some time with me every week and talk to our fans and give us their time.
23:39
SPEAKER_03: I certainly want to be as prepared as I can and make it as easy as I can and as comfortable as I can for them every week.
23:45
SPEAKER_03: So I spend a lot of time on the coach's show.
23:46
SPEAKER_03: The players the same.
23:47
SPEAKER_03: It's very kind of them to come on and give me some of their time every week for our for our fan base.
23:53
SPEAKER_03: And so a lot of it goes into that.
23:55
SPEAKER_03: And then I'll watch some film, I'll watch the team from last week so I can identify players, where they might be, what they're doing.
24:01
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and then you know, usually there's uh either a travel day or Friday is uh it's a home game, then we're just we're checking on equipment and that kind of stuff, and then then it's game time.
24:11
SPEAKER_03: And and just like any player, like practice is hard, like during the week is hard, making the chart is fun.
24:16
SPEAKER_03: Like the game is is where you have fun.
24:17
SPEAKER_03: Like the game's the the fun parts.
24:19
SPEAKER_01: Once you get to Saturday, it's a blast.
24:21
SPEAKER_01: Are there are there certain things that like over the years that like you found yourself being like, oh, I use this information a lot more than maybe some of this information that are kind of the key things that you really kind of try to hone in on as you're building those boards?
24:33
SPEAKER_03: Well, I think like you've made my life much easier since you you started working with your like the information I have found that it you needed to take a whole lot more digging when Delaware was in FCS.
24:47
SPEAKER_03: Like there just weren't as many outlets, and you kind of had to find it yourself.
24:50
SPEAKER_03: You really had to grind and okay, when was the last time this happened, or where does he rank here and there?
24:56
SPEAKER_03: The transition to FBS, there's almost like too much information available now.
25:01
SPEAKER_03: There's tons of data, there's tons of articles, there's tons of information.
25:05
SPEAKER_03: I mean, this time of year, trying to find a depth chart for a team was was very difficult.
25:12
SPEAKER_03: And now at the FBS level, it's like, okay, yeah, these are the guys that that are gonna play for this team, and there's team previews written up and there's stats, and you can go places and find this information.
25:21
SPEAKER_03: And so um uh in so many ways moving up to FBS, it just it it feels big time.
25:29
SPEAKER_03: And it because it is and it is it is it's it's in so many different ways from the broadcast booths that we're sitting in uh to the information that's available to uh you know the fan experience, everything.
25:41
SPEAKER_03: It there it it's it's not just oh we're on TV more or oh, we're playing it in conference USA.
25:46
SPEAKER_03: There are so many different people that are affected by this move and this jump, and and that's certainly one that that's made my life easier is like the amount of information that's available.
25:54
SPEAKER_01: I I want to hit on you know first season of FBS football because you got to call a lot of really cool games.
26:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
26:01
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you go out and you play Colorado, is is is it's pretty neat, right?
26:06
SPEAKER_01: The Yukon game, it's kind of like the I always kind of refer to it as like the hey, we're here moment.
26:11
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
26:12
SPEAKER_01: And and and we're here to stay.
26:14
SPEAKER_01: Um Louisiana Tech was incredible, the ball game was incredible.
26:17
SPEAKER_01: Like, what is what has the FBS experience been for Scott's Scott Klatskin so far?
26:22
SPEAKER_01: It's been so neat.
26:23
SPEAKER_03: It it feels like I go back to like it the feel is different.
26:26
SPEAKER_03: It just you walk into the stadium and it just feels different.
26:31
SPEAKER_03: There's an aura, there's a presence of like what you are a part of is different.
26:36
SPEAKER_03: I had no idea what a bowl game felt like.
26:41
SPEAKER_03: And I think it's so important that Delaware went to a bowl game in year one because if they didn't, you know, you you'll have part of the fan base that is like, what's so special about a bowl game?
26:51
SPEAKER_03: You know, what what's well let me tell you, like this we got to experience it.
26:56
SPEAKER_03: It was an experience.
26:57
SPEAKER_03: It was it was an experience.
26:58
SPEAKER_03: It's five days, it's not just one game, you're there and you leave.
27:01
SPEAKER_03: It's five days.
27:02
SPEAKER_03: It's rolling out the red carpet, it's events, it's it's work within the community of the town.
27:07
SPEAKER_03: It's so much.
27:08
SPEAKER_03: Uh and so that was just neat to to be a part of.
27:12
SPEAKER_03: I think one of the things as a broadcaster, like I remember playing Villanova, the last FCS game that we did, and they had me in like a shed on the away side.
27:24
SPEAKER_03: And like part of like when you're broadcasting a game from a shed and it's raining, and like we have to use a towel to like wipe the window that doesn't open.
27:32
SPEAKER_03: It's like I think I'm ready for this jump.
27:36
SPEAKER_03: And like to sit in a place that is well lit and has space.
27:40
SPEAKER_03: We called a game in Hampton at like in like a phone booth, basically, where I'm I'm touching shoulders with Nick Allison Drini, and we're calling the game.
27:47
SPEAKER_03: And so part of it felt just not not a it was hard to to get the job done in a professional manner when when you're when you're given kind of some some areas to broadcast the game from that that aren't professional.
28:02
SPEAKER_03: And so when you go to this level, it's like every place has notes for you, has a place for you to broadcast, has your your setups easy.
28:08
SPEAKER_03: Uh it just it just changes it.
28:10
SPEAKER_03: It's been just uh it's been awesome.
28:12
SPEAKER_03: And the games, I mean, my goodness, it's been incredible.
28:15
SPEAKER_03: The games have been amazing.
28:16
SPEAKER_03: The Yukon game was a blast.
28:17
SPEAKER_03: I mean, Nate Reed game was was fantastic with his game winner.
28:22
SPEAKER_04: Here we go.
28:23
SPEAKER_04: Fantastic finish.
28:24
SPEAKER_04: Week 11, college football final, Delaware, Louisiana Tech.
28:28
SPEAKER_04: Fourth quarter, Delaware down 17-16, fourth and ten.
28:32
SPEAKER_04: Nick Meticucci's pass picked off by Jacob Fields.
28:36
SPEAKER_04: He goes 38.
28:38
SPEAKER_04: Hoskey picks at Louisiana Tech of 24-16.
28:42
SPEAKER_04: 40-30 seconds in score.
28:44
SPEAKER_04: Minucci hits Elijah Sesson for the score.
28:47
SPEAKER_04: Delaware now by two.
28:49
SPEAKER_04: Gotta go for two points.
28:50
SPEAKER_04: Metacucci.
28:51
SPEAKER_04: He can't find Kyrie Du Plesses.
28:54
SPEAKER_04: Bulldogs remain in the lead 24-22.
28:58
SPEAKER_04: Ensuing kickoff, the onside kick is recovered by Jakari Kelly.
29:04
SPEAKER_04: Look at this.
29:06
SPEAKER_04: Oh! Blue heads right back in field goal! College kicker situation.
29:13
SPEAKER_04: Nate Reed from 52.
29:16
SPEAKER_04: Delaware! An improbable comeback!
29:20
SPEAKER_01: The Nate Reed game.
29:21
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that'll go down in the game.
29:22
SPEAKER_03: That might be in history as the Nate Reed game, yeah.
29:25
SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, just I've had so much fun.
29:28
SPEAKER_03: Uh, and then the the fan base too.
29:30
SPEAKER_03: I think there were some skeptics at first.
29:31
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I got a lot of in the offseason, I'm going around and talking with people, and I I think people think that they can say to me, like, it's okay to if anything that's negative, they won't say it to like the coaches or the players or stuff, but they'll they'll tell me something.
29:45
SPEAKER_03: I'm like, I don't want to hear it either.
29:46
SPEAKER_03: I don't want to hear your negativity.
29:48
SPEAKER_03: Um, but I would hear, like, yeah, well, good luck being four and seven, good luck winning three games in FBS.
29:54
SPEAKER_03: And then uh the fact that they had success right away, it was just like, yes.
29:58
SPEAKER_01: It was it was it was great.
29:59
SPEAKER_01: Well I think that translates and and like the data is there.
30:02
SPEAKER_01: Like we have a thousand new season ticket holders for football this year.
30:05
SPEAKER_01: Isn't that great?
30:06
SPEAKER_01: And like that correlates, right?
30:08
SPEAKER_01: The the the success that we had, the the atmosphere, the fun games that we had are translating to people, and people are are are realizing it.
30:15
SPEAKER_01: So um, but like our teams, right?
30:17
SPEAKER_01: Like so you travel with our teams, right?
30:19
SPEAKER_01: Football, we charter the you know the team and the and the travel party, right?
30:22
SPEAKER_01: Like you're on the plane with us.
30:24
SPEAKER_01: Basketball, you're usually on the same flights or buses as as uh the staff and and and the student athletes.
30:30
SPEAKER_01: So you you've been a lot of places.
30:32
SPEAKER_01: What are some of the favorite places that you've you've come across in your your your time doing this?
30:36
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's part of the perk.
30:38
SPEAKER_03: Uh part of uh the perks that you get with with this gig is that I get to go to places that I've I I would have never otherwise been or go to.
30:45
SPEAKER_03: I I think of like some playoff games.
30:47
SPEAKER_03: Like I'm not going to South Dakota for any other reason or North Dakota.
30:50
SPEAKER_03: We play North Dakota State, Montana.
30:52
SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, those are places I've got to see the the country a little bit, which is which is really neat.
30:58
SPEAKER_03: I I think it used to be when I first started was like, all right, where can I go out and have a good time and like what's a cool place?
31:05
SPEAKER_03: Like I think we've Charleston's always a nice town for to go to.
31:08
SPEAKER_03: Now it's more around um can I bring my family along maybe?
31:12
SPEAKER_03: Like can I make this a memory for for the rest of my gang?
31:15
SPEAKER_03: Uh my son Ryan, my daughter Natalie, my wife Laura.
31:18
SPEAKER_03: Uh, you know, I think Ryan's a big two hand fan.
31:21
SPEAKER_03: Big blue hand fan.
31:22
SPEAKER_03: He's at all the all the games.
31:23
SPEAKER_03: Um so uh you know if I can bring them along, so going up to Northeastern when was big because we're we're Celtics fans, and uh Peel are turning the the channel now.
31:35
SPEAKER_03: But uh Celtics helped out the uh the Sixers, so our friend I think our fans will be alright with it.
31:40
SPEAKER_03: Different podcasts.
31:41
SPEAKER_03: Uh but so when we played Northeastern, go up there.
31:43
SPEAKER_03: I've got to take him to a Celtics game.
31:45
SPEAKER_03: Uh you know, he sat next to me in the booth.
31:46
SPEAKER_03: He's like a great picture of uh my son and I.
31:48
SPEAKER_03: Like that's a memory uh that that I have.
31:51
SPEAKER_03: I don't necessarily remember that game, but I remember that that trip.
31:54
SPEAKER_03: And so you make some memories off of those uh playing the Bahamas.
31:58
SPEAKER_03: I mean, that was pretty awesome, wasn't it?
32:00
SPEAKER_03: Ryan's asking me, like, when are we gonna go to the Bahamas next?
32:02
SPEAKER_03: I'm like, uh never, uh unless you know ask Coach Inglesby.
32:06
SPEAKER_03: Like, I don't know.
32:06
SPEAKER_03: Like, that was a once-in-a-lifetime.
32:09
SPEAKER_03: There is a Puerto Rico bowl.
32:10
SPEAKER_03: There we there we go.
32:11
SPEAKER_03: Yes.
32:12
SPEAKER_01: And it's a it's a conference affiliation with Conference USA, so uh putting it out there.
32:16
SPEAKER_03: That's right.
32:16
SPEAKER_03: So our vacations are based on how well the team does, I guess.
32:20
SPEAKER_03: We played, and when I was a student, when I was a sophomore in college, we played in the San Juan shootout speaking to Puerto Rico.
32:24
SPEAKER_03: So I got to go to Puerto Rico for uh for a basketball tournament there.
32:28
SPEAKER_03: But uh yeah, it's just just uh so many places.
32:31
SPEAKER_03: And now in Conference USA, what's neat about Conference USA, one of the neat things is like we are learning and getting to go to new places.
32:39
SPEAKER_03: Like, yeah, the travel is more, um, but there's only so many times that you could you know drive to William and Mary.
32:45
SPEAKER_03: Right.
32:45
SPEAKER_03: Uh and so it so it is neat to see these new stadiums, they uh these nice facilities throughout the conference and and go to some new spots.
32:53
SPEAKER_03: So I thought last year uh was a breath of fresh air.
32:56
SPEAKER_03: It's a lot of travel, but you got to see some new places.
32:58
SPEAKER_03: I really enjoyed uh learning and and going to the places in Commerce USA as well.
33:02
SPEAKER_01: Now I'm surprised you you didn't mention a trip down to Cameron Indoor.
33:05
SPEAKER_01: That's right, that's right.
33:06
SPEAKER_01: I guess so.
33:07
SPEAKER_03: That's the 15 years.
33:08
SPEAKER_03: You you you forget.
33:09
SPEAKER_03: But uh but yeah, my my first geez, like my first month as a broadcaster for the team uh in 2012, the 1213 season for basketball, was uh a win at Virginia.
33:21
SPEAKER_03: That's a pretty historic win for the program.
33:24
SPEAKER_03: Then two games at Madison Square Garden.
33:27
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
33:27
SPEAKER_03: And then uh we played Temple at Leocora Center and then at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
33:32
SPEAKER_03: Uh so that was like my first month as the broadcaster of the team.
33:35
SPEAKER_03: So it's a pretty good schedule there.
33:36
SPEAKER_03: We played a couple years back as well.
33:38
SPEAKER_03: Uh and I'm I'm uh growing up was a big Duke fan.
33:41
SPEAKER_03: But but even that ties into Delaware too.
33:43
SPEAKER_03: Like my favorite player was Grant Hill growing up, uh great player at Duke, and like I got to meet Grant Hill at Mike Bray Basketball campaign at the Bob Carpenter Center.
33:54
SPEAKER_03: Remember my dad taking me and like we're gonna you're gonna meet your your hero today, like as a nine, ten-year-old.
33:58
SPEAKER_03: And so, like a lot of my memories just throughout life, it all comes back uh to this school and and this building, and and that's why it's such an honor for me, it's such a privilege for me to get to do what I get to do.
34:10
SPEAKER_01: How how special is it that you get to have some of those moments with with Ryan, right?
34:15
SPEAKER_01: Like, I know we we've talked a number of times of how he's he loves certain players and he's excited to see those players and meet those players.
34:21
SPEAKER_01: Like you get to kind of just like you met your hero at the University of Delaware out of Mike Bray basketball camp, Ryan gets to do that too.
34:29
SPEAKER_01: It it's the best.
34:30
SPEAKER_03: It's the best feeling in the world.
34:32
SPEAKER_03: I mean, I he's why I do what I do, and and like for him to be able to go to the games or uh meet some of the players and and think like, hey, dad's job is cool.
34:44
SPEAKER_03: Right.
34:44
SPEAKER_03: Um like out of everybody, like he's uh he's who I'm trying to impress.
34:49
SPEAKER_03: You know what I mean?
34:49
SPEAKER_03: And and so uh he loves basketball, he loves sports, he loves going to the games.
34:54
SPEAKER_03: He was at summer camp uh here uh over the summer, and like Jair Davis walked in and and he he told me all about it.
35:00
SPEAKER_03: He ran right up, he lit up to it.
35:02
SPEAKER_03: And so like these are guys that he gets to grow up with.
35:05
SPEAKER_03: Um you know, he's asking me about Nick Minicucci, and and you know, when do I get to meet him?
35:10
SPEAKER_03: And you know, just like for him to get some of the same type of memories that I have going to games with my dad, like that's just nothing beats it.
35:18
SPEAKER_03: Nothing beats it at all.
35:20
SPEAKER_03: And so uh it's it's he he's so special.
35:24
SPEAKER_03: My whole family is is so supportive of me.
35:27
SPEAKER_03: Like my dad listens, if I have zero listeners, I know I have at least one.
35:31
SPEAKER_03: Like my dad listens to every game.
35:33
SPEAKER_03: I call him on the way home from every coach's show.
35:35
SPEAKER_03: We have a great chat, like that's important to me too.
35:38
SPEAKER_03: Like, family's so important to me, and uh, they've been so supportive, and to get to share in this with them is just uh just fantastic.
35:44
SPEAKER_01: Well that's awesome.
35:45
SPEAKER_01: Well, as we wrap up, I've got one more for you.
35:47
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
35:48
SPEAKER_01: I want to talk about over the the time that you've been at the University of Delaware, if you had to put a Mount Rushmore together of fighting blue hens, uh, they could be from any sport, who would your four be?
36:01
SPEAKER_03: Okay.
36:02
SPEAKER_03: So when I'm let's we'll do it when I'm broadcasting, right?
36:05
SPEAKER_03: You're gonna set me up in trouble, they're gonna be like, well, Scott didn't put Rich Gannon or Mike Pegis on the thing.
36:10
SPEAKER_03: Your tenure at the University of Delaware.
36:12
SPEAKER_03: So to tw so I I'll I'll cheat a little bit because when I was a student, my first student radio football game, uh Joe Flacco played in that game.
36:20
SPEAKER_03: So I'm gonna cheat a little bit and I'll I'll do Joe Flacco.
36:23
SPEAKER_03: Um I think when I when I first started, uh maybe I'll cheat twice and say uh because we carry women's basketball games on on our our network, on our Blue Hens Radio network, and I've done a couple of women's games.
36:37
SPEAKER_03: I think you know the timeline I started in 12, I believe her last year was 2013.
36:42
SPEAKER_03: So Ilena Del Don, I think, just went to the basketball hall of fame.
36:45
SPEAKER_03: We've got a shot of you uh interviewing Elena.
36:48
SPEAKER_03: There you go, good.
36:49
SPEAKER_03: Uh I I think you you can't have any uh Mount Rushmore without the maybe those two overall, but certainly within my timeline.
36:56
SPEAKER_03: And then uh when you go back 15 years or so, I'll tell you what, uh I mean if if Nick throws uh has another season like he had last year, like it's a whole easier conversation and we're putting we're putting Nick up there.
37:08
SPEAKER_03: Uh basketball-wise, Devon Sadler is a name that that that pops up.
37:13
SPEAKER_03: All-time leading scorer for Delaware.
37:15
SPEAKER_03: I don't think just the way that college sports is, at least right now, like his record's gonna stand for a long time because there aren't four-year guys anymore.
37:25
SPEAKER_03: There just aren't guys that are gonna come here, win rookie of the year, and then score 2,000 points over the course of four years.
37:32
SPEAKER_03: And that's any school.
37:33
SPEAKER_03: Like you're either gonna go to the NBA or you're gonna transfer.
37:36
SPEAKER_03: And and so I think it's very special to have a player like him uh be a part of the first CIA championship, play in the Unsubly tournament, set the school record.
37:45
SPEAKER_03: So Devon Sadler is one for me.
37:47
SPEAKER_03: And then I was I I I always think about this question and like, do I go to football, to basketball?
37:53
SPEAKER_03: Like again, we go back to the I had a 10-year drought of like maybe football wasn't going so well.
37:58
SPEAKER_03: Thank you, Ryan Cardi, for making my life a lot easier uh and exciting calling these games.
38:04
SPEAKER_03: So I think you know, Nick's a another season away from from maybe being on that.
38:08
SPEAKER_03: Uh but I thought of uh during my tenure, he was a one and done at Delaware at least, uh, but he's Delaware's only NBA player, and that's Nate Darling.
38:17
SPEAKER_03: And so he came in, I don't think I've ever seen a guy shoot it like Nate.
38:20
SPEAKER_03: And so for him to uh come to Delaware, be the University of Delaware's first end player to play in an NBA game, uh, I think uh that that would be my four for you know dating back the last 14 years or so.
38:31
SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
38:32
SPEAKER_01: Well, Scott, thanks so much for taking some time out of your busy day, your nine to five, plus your prep for football next week uh and joining us here on Fighting Words.
38:40
SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for having me.
38:41
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was a pleasure.
38:42
SPEAKER_01: Well, that's gonna do it for episode two here of Fighting Words.
38:46
SPEAKER_01: We we heard from Nick Minicucci, we heard from Scott Klatskin, a lot to be excited for.
38:51
SPEAKER_01: Uh and we play a football game in a little over a week.
38:54
SPEAKER_01: So we thank you all for tuning in.
38:55
SPEAKER_01: As always, find us on YouTube and wherever you find your podcast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: We have Scott here, of course, have to uh plug iHeart.
39:04
SPEAKER_01: Um so be sure to go ahead and subscribe and follow on those platforms, and we'll see you again here in a few weeks.
39:10
SPEAKER_01: As always, I'm Ed LaFurge.
39:12
SPEAKER_01: We'll catch you next time.