Musical Heritage & NFL Dreams (Hour 3)

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Coming to Northeast Wisconsin live from the Civic Media Studios, this is Mino and the Mayor.

And here are your hosts,

John Minow and Jim Schmidt.

Hey, thank you very much.

Welcome back.

Man with a special treat, having Jeannie Bruett, former executive assistant to Ron Wolfe and Ted Thompson in the house.

I could listen to her all day and she's like really nice.

And now we got John Kramer from the press times here.

So little 180 real quick.

Well, I'm just waiting for you to say something stupid.

Wow, would I

do that?

No matter what

time.

I already apologized for making a mess in front of you on my desk.

So Rick if you're not aware I just sit back and wait for him to say stuff and crack jokes Pretty much

our whole companionship has always been like that introduce a very special guest.

I'm so excited about having these two people here You

introduce him you seem to know him better than I do I just met Barb well everyone knows Rick

Tell him

who he

is, what he does, John.

I'll tell you what he does.

Big mouth and the power tool.

Oh my God.

It's

great.

I'm surprised you never ran for office.

Good morning, everybody.

You know what?

Funny you say that, I've been asked and I just don't want anything to do with that.

Everybody loves you, though.

My email address is the mayor of GB.

You and I discussed this years ago.

You did.

Well, you're not going to get the license plate.

He's got that one.

I can get a ticket validated

once in a while.

Good luck with that.

How are

you doing?

Rick.

I'm doing great.

I had a new replacement back in at the end of December, and that's on the comeback trail.

Otherwise, all good.

My kid's doing great.

She's in college.

She's just finishing up her second year in nursing school in Oshkosh and killing it.

Yeah.

So people listening, big mouth in the power tools.

I don't know when you started.

I should know this.

Oh, gosh.

I think we're going into about our 38th year, maybe 39th.

Really?

I had no idea.

We're like the stones without all that wealth baggage.

Well,

yeah.

And just how many shows do you do?

Know you play all over but you do a lot right here.

We do a lot here.

We do we're the darlings of Dorr County Are you play up there a ton at the Alpine and in sister Bay at L. Johnson's Stubber Yeah, oh, yeah, it's it's really

cool.

Is that little bar outside of L. Johnson?

It's awesome And and I would highly suggest the Stockholm cooler, but be careful.

It is

type of beer.

Well, no, it's it's a summer Hummer

with a twist of lingonberry juice on top.

Okay.

With some kind of Swedish vodka.

Yeah, it'll, it'll,

yeah.

You don't need too many of those.

No, two.

I might have to run up

there

just for

that.

Oh, they're fantastic.

They're fantastic.

And we're with Barb Conniff, a longtime friend of mine.

Yes.

Reporter Extraordinary TV circles here.

Oh, you're making me blush.

And in fact, most people are not even old enough to remember.

Really?

I am.

Oh, man, you were one of the hard

chargers.

You were one of the first hard chargers in the local TV business

as a reporter.

You're very kind.

You're very kind.

For the uninitiated, that was like 1987 to 1992.

I don't care when it was.

I just

remember you, man.

You were the person to go to.

And you were fun.

You were my sports guru.

We had a good

time back in those

days.

We did.

Those were the days.

Yeah.

But isn't that something how?

You haven't aged and look at Johnny.

He hasn't aged either.

In fact, there was a gentleman who walked out that I thought was John, because I'm like, certainly he must be gray.

And I said, hi, you're looking younger every year.

And he goes, no, I'm not John.

But I'll take that compliment with me all day long.

And we

have to tackle something else with you.

That's right.

Your former husband who was a dear friend of mine and was one of the first and Ricky you could back this up.

I think I think what heroes did is it really started live music in Green Bay in smaller venues or but it's like but it's not just you know a garage band some kids who want to play in front of people like good really popular bands came to that place and your your husband Pat was legendary.

But once you agree, Barb, that that was huge for the music industry around here?

Yes, you know, over the years, and I've been in Green Bay since 1987 when I came to work at what is now Fox 11, I've seen music scenes ebb and flow, you know.

And at the time that Pat and I met, which was shortly after I moved here, he had a vision of opening a place where he could have local bands come and showcase their talents and entertain.

people, entertain the people.

And I remember the exact morning the hero's idea was born, there was on the news a story of a fire next to of a bar that was next to 401 South Washington, which was then known as Jocos and was for sale.

So right here basically.

So anyway, he had been looking at that place and then the place next door burned down and he said, now there's parking.

I'm going to start negotiating.

How did it

burn down?

We know nothing.

Truly, it was a coincidence, but that's what got it started.

He went in and with friends over the years, he kept improving it.

You know, he wanted to, at first it didn't have a stage and it had this little false rock wall up front in the bands.

Do you remember that Rick?

Because Ricky was not only big mouth, he's played with some other bins.

What were the other ones in those early

days?

We did a three-piece thing called Los Desperados.

We did the Hooligans.

We did a Sunday after the Packer game thing.

It was kind of a...

Well, we took the name from the new Christie minstrels, but we called ourselves the new crusty nostrils.

I love that.

Yeah.

So,

um, but, uh, but yeah.

So I, I played in, in several different factions over the years and, and that was, uh, the place was amazing.

Pat did a great job.

He knew his business.

He knew music.

He, he, he appreciated it as much as anybody I've ever met.

And, and he was able to pull in.

some pretty talented groups.

I mean, he used to bring in Duke Tomato and the Power Trio from Indianapolis.

You know, fantastic.

So it wasn't just, oh, wow, a downtown Green Bay bar is going to have music.

It's going to bring eclectic music.

Right.

And it was one of the first kind of, like, jazz groups.

That would be a place they could, because most of Green Bay would have been country and western and back in the day

or whatever.

Right.

And

he, or boy, yeah.

But he went on to that limb, didn't he, Barb?

Yeah.

He had a vision for doing blues music.

In fact, when we first met each other, that was kind of what bonded us.

I remember the night we met, it was through People at Chance.

11.

Dave and Tony and Dwayne were celebrating their birthday on April 14th and let's go to this place called Connie's, you know, after we got off work on the evening shift.

Can I just throw out one thing?

I think you're probably missing somebody.

Mark Rebesky?

Was that his birthday too?

No,

but he always wanted me to come

to Connie's all the

time.

That was

their place.

Where are you going, Mark?

Connie's.

Hey, what are you doing there?

Connie's, that was like the hang up in downtown Green Bay.

What was that?

And Pat's brother, Tom Conniff, owned that for those of you tracking current state, it's now the Sardine can over there on South Broadway.

But anyway, they, we all went there and Pat was working with Tom at the time.

And there was all this loud rock and roll.

And I had just moved up from Jackson, Mississippi and had fallen in love with the blues.

So this was back in the day when the music came on little cassettes.

So after

I got a beer.

It was very crowded, very popular.

I said to him, can I come back there and look at some music and make a request?

And he's kind of looking at me like, who are you?

And I'm like, well, I'm short and cute and wanting to hear something else.

And we both like Miller Lite.

So let me come on back there.

Which

if you didn't have, you could be short.

Okay.

But if you didn't have a cute part, no DJ.

Short

balls, Rick.

Thanks for

that.

Okay.

Thank you.

I pulled out a blues tape of like, oh gosh, Robert Cray, I think I pulled out.

I thought, well, this'll be mainstream enough for these people.

And I pulled this out and he goes, you like that?

And I said, yeah, I love all kinds of blues.

And that's when I started learning about his vision and his love of blues music.

So the weekend bands were by and large blues.

There were some rock and roll bands mixed in, most notably Jim Krieger's Normal Adults, remember that?

Yep.

And

his formula was always, ever since I could remember it was Friday would be

pretty much the rock and roll night.

Saturday was the blues.

Sunday, you never knew.

It could be a trio like the heebie-jeebies that had Frosty Zink and Paul Wilmet and Brian Grisel.

They were fantastic.

Paul Wilmet, the baseball player?

Paul Wilmet, the baseball player.

He's a heck of a drummer.

I had no idea.

And guitarist.

He still plays around here now and then.

Really?

Yeah, he's been in Nashville.

He's been up here.

Oh, is he?

I'd love to get him on the show.

He actually played Major League Baseball for a minute.

I mean, I remember watching him play in the major leagues.

Yeah.

So what year was

all this?

Well, heroes opened around 1989.

And then it was interesting because the ascension of the Packers was kind of the ascension of the glory days of heroes.

I want to

talk about the parallel between the music scene has changed.

I want you to answer that.

I'm assuming it has.

And obviously the Packers have changed.

Are we better now with the music here in our community?

I mean, 30 years or 38 years playing.

I mean, how are we doing?

Well, Barb hit on something really kind of on the nose.

It does, it ebbs and flows.

It ebbs and flows all the time.

Right now, I think it's okay.

I think we could do, we could do better.

One of the great things about the heroes place was you knew that any night of the weekend you wanted to go there, you were going to see some of the best music.

that the area offered.

And the talent, the talent well is deep between Door County

and Green Bay and

down the Lakeshore, the

valley.

Yes, it's the talent well is deep.

So he was able to draw from that.

And again, it was the formula of rock and roll Friday, blues on Saturday.

You never knew what you were going to get.

You know how you would

always know when you're leaving the gas

station, you picked up the entertainer.

Well, there's entertainer.

Yes.

We

could use that again too.

So, um, but I think there's, I think it's, I think it's okay, but I think there's definite room for improvement.

And the improvement though, I want

to hear about this.

The venues, you think we should have more, I think there's more opportunities now, Rick.

And I just, like, I'm just the guy that observed it from the outside, but you know, you've got the city deck now, you've got some of these places on Broadway where people can play.

Right.

Um, I don't, the Meyer, I don't know how long it's been here,

but.

Tarleton.

The Tarleton.

Yeah.

The Tarleton, which.

If I could get a quick plug in here, we've got a show coming up on the 30th that was just booked and and we are We also have the heroes reunion coming up this weekend this Sunday from one

another thing as far as like

What I think is cool is so many because every Friday we do a group in here a local band type the herb even acoustic whatever whatever but we devoted to it with Dennis from the glam band it's here and he hosts it and everything like that and and even Dennis says you know sometimes it's just a matter of like stars coming together you can have this really talented person and not have a great career and this talented person and but boy if somebody could figure out how to put that formula together

But it's just it's almost like magical.

Isn't it what it takes to all of a sudden some band being popular

now that you've touched on that?

I think I think a good thing to have more of in this town would be open mics That's because because when I I left music for a long time about 10 years after high school and then got back in because of the open mics

in town

and you could go there

and

you can meet other people and play with other people and notice and like-minded You know people that wanted to be in a rock band people that wanted to be in a blues band though.

That was integral

And you guys sure get

along, you musicians.

I mean, we get people in here and I played with so-and-so and so-and-so and I think that's awesome and you support each other.

It's a good industry.

It's a small tight community and everybody knows what everybody else is doing.

And I think for the most part, we all try to help each other.

If the room breaks open, we try to tell our friends, hey, go talk to these folks and see if you can get in there.

That's great.

And you have to be.

I mean, well, you don't have to be.

Because

there is no strict formula.

You should be.

It

should be that way.

I think that just makes, when you're on stage, it's obvious how much you love your job.

But I think, like you said, you all get along and you have to be, but you want to be.

I mean, you sure are, just get along with everybody.

I've always liked that about you.

It's for the betterment of the

musical community.

It's for the betterment of the local community.

When we

come back, we're going to devote the whole thing to the

What's a proper term

for heroes club reunion heroes club reunion?

I want to say

the heroes reunion, but then I'd be thinking it's all about John Kramer here We're back with more headlines of the press times with Rick from Big Mouth and Barb Kana back after this

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started.

The Heroes Club event coming up this weekend with Barb Conniff, whose husband, Pat, pretty much was so instrumental in really getting quality and... I don't want to say unusual.

What's the word I'm looking for?

Different, green, different.

Unique.

Unique.

Yeah.

Unique.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And music to the area.

He brought the blues to Green

Bay.

He brought

the blues to Green Bay.

He brought the blues to Green Bay.

And it's never

left.

And he did it consistently.

And I think that's, you know, the one thing we see things ebb and flow in the music industry.

There are a lot of places to hear music now, particularly outdoors in the summer, like the city that can so many places.

But Heroes was one of those places where not only was there consistency of music, there was consistency of relationships that developed.

Pat might have gotten them in the door because being a native Green Bay person going to Green Bay West, he knew a lot of people.

like the best basketball team Green Bay West ever had.

That's right.

That's right.

So anyway, you know, but it was the people and the camaraderie they formed and the friendliness of the bartenders that keep people coming back.

The heroes club reunion started because of them.

And just to give the plug so we don't forget, it is this Sunday, May 18th at the blue collar bar and grill, which has been a wonderful host.

This is our fourth one.

And they have been absolutely wonderful.

So we just, you know, totally enjoy having that opportunity to be there.

Where's the sad?

South Broadway, 1313, South Broadway.

1313, all right.

Yeah, so near Broadway at nine.

Right, got it.

It's right next to the Cheesesteak Rebellion.

You don't know where that place is.

You're missing it.

Yikes.

Yeah, that place is awesome.

Used to be the Camelot.

Yeah.

Years ago.

Larry McCarron and I used to go there for lunch.

The rock.

And they'd have the first time ever had the...

brought patty burger and then the onion and cheese and then the hamburger patty.

And it's like, I've never had one of these before.

That was always like, that's a legendary place.

So how it came to be was there was a long time regular, you know, it had its afternoon regulars and its evening music people.

And the afternoon regulars would come in after work, watch a Jeopardy or whatever was on TV.

And this one gentleman, Pat Maltby had passed away.

And of course,

Of course, people heard about it and they went to the funeral.

Well, Randy and Pat had stayed in touch with one of the bartenders, Skinny, Skinnyndor and Joan, actually, but they both bartended there.

And Randy was sitting around their house or fire pit or something and said, you know, it was so wonderful seeing all those people again.

It would be great to see them at something other than a funeral.

So Skinny contacted a couple of the other bartenders, Kurt Munchoff and Lynn Hypel, and said, what if we could put together a reunion?

talked to Big Mouth, they were willing to come in on it, found the blue collar, and you know, were willing to come in on that.

So, brought everybody together, asked me would I support this, and I said sure, absolutely, I'll help do some public relations for it, get the word out, and you know, pay for a little advertising to launch it, and we were amazed, hundreds of people showed up

to this

first one, and it was like,

We may be a little older, a little grayer, a little fatter, a little thinner, but the light in our eyes, we're still there.

And it was an opportunity to come together and enjoy the live blues music and the friendships that have been made over these years.

You know that's one of those things to music it kind of like when you have that relationship with some music was that doesn't go away Does it

no no it doesn't because

that's like a serious passion music just does something it really is with

people and once it once it hits you You can't get rid of it.

No, it's it's it's in you

and it's fun even these younger artists we have on here you can just Tell I mean they're not They're not cashing it in

But boy, they love it.

And

they're

just like, you know, they all got a full-time job somewhere else, you know, but they're playing here and playing here.

And

I just think that's great.

What is your daughter doing New York?

She's a doctor.

What would she give her left arm for to do instead of being a doctor?

He knows her.

Yeah, she's entertainment.

She just she just loves.

It's a stage and there's something

about it John

actually John interviewed her here and her answer was a little too quick for me Would

you

rather be a doctor would you rather be on stage right away?

She was on stage But it's just it's in her blood But you know when she came to talk to me about it.

I'm like, what would you what advice would you give your kid?

You know, I mean the theater's top medical school already been paid for I do I won't be surprised I've told Johnny this before that if after

15-20 years.

She you know, she's a great doctor, but boy that theater and that music and she'd be a doctor in recycling

Anyway, yeah, you're right.

What was Pat most proud of when he looked back and that was talking Pat

in the last days.

Do you remember that about my book?

Was it his dad I had on it in my book?

Yes, his dad was a Marine.

Yes.

He was in my book.

I didn't pad about that and

everything.

And down the stretch, and we were good friends.

We always just talk about basketball, but they're all Green Bay West basketball

days

and everything.

But what do you think his legacy is when you look back on what he did?

I think that it is really all about relationships.

Relationships that created the music community to be alive and thriving, particularly around the blues but other genres as well and giving them a place to play.

Relationships among people that formed.

Some of the people who worked there, they went on to go to nursing school or become teachers or get other employment

at

other places that continued to give them livelihood and they were very popular wherever they went.

because of what they gave and received from that experience.

And I think that was what he was most proud of.

Love it.

And your industry just supporting each other.

And I just hope the community understands.

What a gift we have with people like you to bring it here and you work hard on stage.

But we're very fortunate.

If there's a lot to do here, you got to look sometimes, but man, we've got some great entertainment here.

And I'm glad, as nice to hear you say, Rick, that you think the talent pool is pretty deep here.

It always has been, I think, for as long as I can remember.

I mean, way before I started to get into it.

Yeah, hey Rick.

What's that other event you got coming up with the Tarleton?

Okay, well we have a special guest

got one minute my brother Okay, we just booked us at the Tarleton.

It's Friday May 30th.

We're bringing a Woody Mankowski

everybody's

everybody's favorite

Woody

Mankowski the guy whose place I took in Big Mouth yeah Woody's coming back for this show and We are going to parade out a new member of the band and she is wonderful.

Her name

is

Kelsey Denay

Uh, she's got a BFA from Stevens Point.

She moved out to New York right after, and she's been on Broadway stages.

She's been in Les Mis, nine to five.

Wow.

Showboat.

Do you need a vibra- I can't think of the name.

Do you need a vibra- a vibra slap player?

Cause- I've got one.

When I was playing

at Jimmy C's, I had one of those and it broke and I threw it into the river.

Barcon is so great seeing you.

Thank

you.

May 18th in the afternoon.

Blue Collar Bar and Grill.

Come see us.

Anyone welcome?

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Now back to Mino and the Mayor.

Here's John Mino and Jim Schmidt.

Hey, thank you very much.

Man, what a great lineup, Todd.

That sure was fun.

Intern boy.

Everybody that put it all together intern boy.

Yeah

Some people call him Ryan who does I didn't

know

that was this name um Great guess so Jocelyn Flores from rise and grind the brand new coffee shop right next to us here at 401 North Washington Street in downtown Green Bay a Jeannie Brouette former executive assistant to the general manager of the Green Bay Packers is so sweet She's like the sweetest lady.

You can see

why they

kept

her.

Yeah,

I kept her around just

I

almost I almost wish it was like tell her whatever you know TV for some of these idiots that would call and start swearing it's oh man this is the producer you know this is the person you're right to write

yep yep exactly just have to be like oh you can't talk like that but yeah I John I'm sure you would have handled it very similar

much but I would have been nicer than Jeannie

I'm sorry for your concern, sir.

Get over it right now.

What's your address?

Yeah, M. Sleep,

yeah,

okay.

No, I understand.

I'm so sorry.

I'm gonna do everything I can, and then I'm gonna write down your phone number so I can call you at 3.30 in the morning for the rest of your bleepin' life.

Every day, morning, noon, and night.

Finish the story.

Other than

that.

She was great.

John Kramer, headlines, press times with Rick from Big Mouth and the Heroes Club event coming up.

Barb Conniff, Sunday at the Old Hero.

Well, no, not at the Old Heroes.

But it's in honor of the old heroes.

There you go, exactly.

On

Broadway, but it's,

yes.

We just got a text in from Dennis Peters who says, uh, good morning, friends.

What a beautiful day.

Mom's got 12 more blankets.

Oh, good.

So, Dennis,

thank you.

Big mouth.

Awesome.

We can

use those for our veterans.

We got another special guest coming up.

We do.

Is he there?

Yeah.

Oh, man.

I'm

sorry.

Oh,

man, we can't keep a bulldog waiting.

Mitchell.

How's it going?

Good, buddy.

Mitchell Van Boren, who just came back from Cleveland from rookie mini camp.

What is going on?

How was your experience in the National Football League?

Yeah, it was pretty cool.

Hopefully just the beginning of a long journey.

But yeah, it was a great experience.

Something new that a lot of people get to do.

So I was very honored and grateful for the opportunity.

I just want to say one quick thing, because I thought about you when I saw this.

They had the cameras on shooter sanders when he walked in and he picked up his like swag bag And he was I mean this is a guy, you know, it's good.

Oh, this is kind of cool There's something about that first experience those first moments of breathing National Football League air which you were a part of this past weekend Just give me that thing for this kid from Pestigo walk into an NFL locker room and having equipment just for you in that locker

Yeah, I mean it's something that you look forward to like your entire life So definitely they had to take a step back and take all in and just enjoy the moment

That's just for our listeners who maybe didn't listen when you were here last time and you're a Pestigal kid You went to Marquette transferred over to St.

Norbert multiple

all-american at Marquette right

up.

Yes in track and now you were picked up by Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns, that's

Very, very excited.

We're so hopeful when you were here and you're like, I don't know what's going to happen.

I don't know where I'm going to be that night and everything.

And now we heard that night that

all worked out.

So congrats to you.

I mean, tell me what you're thinking right now.

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I got invited to a trial for the Rook community camp.

It went pretty good.

So now I'm just waiting to see if they want to sign me or if something else is going to happen.

What did you think of the level of competition?

Because, you know, you obviously, St.

Norbert, you dominated there, but in that league, but when you were out amongst these other guys from, you know, the Ohio States or the, you know, Notre Dame's or the whomever's, what was it like?

How did you judge yourself amongst them?

Yeah, I mean, it's definitely cool playing with those guys here, you know, compete for national championships at division one.

But at the end of the day, once you put your helmet and pads on, you know, it's football and I believe my athletic abilities and I think

I stack up pretty good and I can definitely hold my own in that in that scenario.

Did they tie you in the 40 when you were

there at camp?

No, it was just like just more like practices and stuff, but we weren't like testing that kind of stuff.

Okay.

Now let me ask you this.

When you terminology wise, I mean, that is, I mean, I've had like some really great, great athletes and they open up that playbook or whatever and it's like, wow.

You know, this is the hardest class I've ever had.

What was it like just learning some of the things that, you know, when they diagram the plays?

Yes, definitely.

I think that's probably the most difficult thing.

I mean, obviously in the NFL, they don't want to be your bodies up too bad in practice.

So I think it was probably harder mentally and physically over the weekend.

But, you know, if you just put your head down, you grind it out and you, and you figure out how to make it, make it work for you.

It's, it's not too bad at the end of the day.

Mitchell, so was it

all?

the athletic side or did they kind of get into your head a little bit with some of these tests and interviews and is this going to fit in our locker room or that kind of thing?

It was more just like a normal three, four days of practice.

So just how they kind of usually run their set.

How did those quarterbacks throw a football?

Yeah, they're pretty good.

So it's going to be exciting to watch what they do throughout the year with all the QBs that have been rostered.

Yeah, they've got they've got a pretty good arm on them.

It's pretty amazing when you get around guys like that.

I mean, the different levels every time you go up, there's a little bit of a there's two things.

There's kind of like you where it's like, OK, I'm I'm pro size.

I'm pro speed.

You know, maybe I hadn't played at level and you kind of compare yourselves and and sometimes guys like, hey, this is OK.

I can't, you know, I'm not I can, you know, I'm not embarrassing myself with whatever.

But sometimes it is that mental part that separates guys, isn't it?

Yeah, definitely a definitely mental thing.

I think you got to have the right head space and you know, some guys, you know, don't always don't always get down.

I mean, some guys are just there to enjoy the moment.

Some think that they go and compete.

So he's got to figure out which lane you're in.

We're with

Mitchell VanVoren, former St.

Norbert Marquette University and Pestigal Bulldog, who just came back from a rookie symposium with the Cleveland Browns.

So what is

next, Mitchell?

How does this work from here on out?

Yeah, I think just waiting to see if if a team calls me up for training camp or Or the next step for that.

I mean they they said they really liked me and I actually their expectations and I'll explain I mean, they're pretty deep at tight end So we'll see if they end up signing me or if another team reaches out But kind of just waiting to make sure I'm ready for that next next opportunity.

Oh, you let us know I think you're gonna make it I just I think you got the right attitude that that's for sure and you know, like you said you

You all performed what they thought you were going to do.

So I got the height, the weight and the speed.

All right.

I mean, and I don't know how smart you have to be to go through Marquette and St.

Norbert, but you got that past your education.

Right.

There you go.

Well,

this is cool, Mitchell.

Hey, let me ask you another question though.

Media wise, I don't think you guys were bombarded with media at either place in your playing days.

But you know, obviously the Cleveland Browns all of a sudden under a big spotlight.

What was it like media wise there?

Yeah, I mean at practices there were a lot of guys up there like filming everything and breaking it all down But I think the more of the top draft picks where the guy's getting a lot of media questions So it wasn't too bad for for me

Now you're talking about you know the Browns what they like, but it's not even just so much the Browns.

It's getting tape

Getting tape getting tape so other clubs can look at you.

That's such an important aspect as well Isn't it's almost like every every route you run is like an audition tape.

Yeah

Yeah, exactly.

I mean every every scout and every GM talks along the league So, you know, just gotta make sure that every time you do get an opportunity that you're putting your best foot forward and You're showing everyone what you can do

because you never know how many opportunities a person will get in life.

Yeah

How many people are down there for that for this what'd you call it rookie camp a rookie

camp?

Yeah, yeah, I think there was like 45 of us down there between drafted signed and trial guys

Did you with the coaches was it you know they they treat you okay?

Was it just like you're just another rookie come in with a number and we're just gonna or were they fairly personable?

Yeah, they're pretty personal.

I mean they treated us all the same, you know, obviously the drafted and signed guys they had a little bit

Other things to do like they had some some media stuff to do but you know at the end of the day they treated us all like family and it was a pretty cool opportunity They give you any swag to take home?

Yeah, we got to keep all of our like shirts and shorts and stuff like that.

That's that's cool.

Oh, that's cool Did he did they show you around the city rock and roll Hall of Fame?

Bags or anything like that.

You just want to get rid of her.

I don't just throw it out there.

Yeah Caps.

I know we were in the facility from like six and

like 8 p.m.

every night, so we didn't get to go around the city too much.

I guess not.

Wow.

That's a long day.

Haven't done that in a while.

Holy cow.

So what do you do now, work out why it's staying in shape?

Because again, you got to be whenever that phone rings or something, it might be, hey, get on a plane and come here or what do you do now, Mitchell?

What's the next few weeks?

What do they look like for you?

Yeah, probably just keep doing the same routine that I was doing, you know, obviously.

I try to remember the playbook as much as I can and just keep working on the things that they taught me and stuff like that so I can be ready when that call comes.

Do they give you the playbook to take home or is that very, hey, turn in your playbooks, nobody's taking anything out of the facility?

Yeah, we had to turn that stuff all in, but you know, I learned it pretty well over the three, three, four days there.

So I think I got a good chunk of it up in my head.

Oh, that's phenomenal.

That is.

Any communication we are you calling anybody saying hey look, you know, is anything I can do or do you just is it just silence until you get a call?

Yeah, my my reasons my agents reaching out to people so just why do do his job and then see what happens

Well, you know the thing is so too as far as we're talking about being ready at least nowadays I mean I'll tell you what I remember young guys back, you know in the late 80s or whatever and guys would get cut or something and but they would stay here

Cause at least they'd have a home base.

Okay.

But they would be over at like Southwestern or Ashwabin on high school, trying to use their weight rooms or use their high school tracks.

I mean, nowadays at least there are such amazing facilities where somebody like you can stay in, you know, top peak performance level.

So that's gotta be kind of cool.

How Mitchell?

Yeah, definitely.

And I have a good, good relationship with St Norbert's.

I've been using their facilities last couple, last couple months.

So it's kind of nice that.

We still have that connection after this process.

We're with Mitchell VanVoren from St.

Norbert, who just came back from rookie camp at the Cleveland Browns.

And those are some pretty nice facilities at St.

Norbert.

Yeah, they're pretty top one for

Division III.

I saw a thing on Facebook.

You and Shooter Sanders are wearing the exact same diamond necklace.

Is that true?

That might have been A.I.

or something.

That had to be kind of cool.

Those are seeing him walk around, huh?

Yeah.

I mean, definitely it's a cool experience.

You know, you see everyone on TV and then you go and you're playing the same, same team as them.

But yeah, like I said earlier, I mean, I mean, everyone's just a person at the end of the day.

So it's, once you put the helmet and pads on, you just help their playing football.

So are you just going to stay in shape?

You're going to work, you're finishing school.

What's going on on your, your personal side there?

Yeah, probably just keep trying to work out.

Maybe I'll do a little bit of work in the meantime to get some extra cash.

But yeah, just make sure I'm in shape for that call.

Well, it's got to be something.

I mean, for a kid growing up in Pestigo, to all of a sudden, having come from an NFL camp and doing whatever, and I know you weren't drafted, which was kind of a dream.

Doesn't matter.

You still got that phone call and somebody said, hey, we think you've got they don't bring in guidance,

you

know, whatever, whatever they bring in guys that have a chance to play in the national football league because they got eight million other guys they could bring in just for camp guys.

So I think no matter what happens, Mitchell, I think that is a huge, huge achievement that you have right now to sock away in your bank.

Yeah, thank you.

I appreciate it.

Yeah, that's definitely something that not a lot of people get to say they did.

Definitely grateful and just just keep being thankful for the opportunities I've been

given the last couple, last couple months.

And how much credit do you give to Mark Houston from Bellensports, Minnesota, about 90%?

Uh, probably 99.

Yeah, you can

see.

All right, we'll tell

him he's on tomorrow

or Friday.

Absolutely.

Hey, Mitchell Van Varen, congratulations, buddy.

Keep us posted, Mitchell.

This is exciting stuff.

Absolutely.

Please keep us posted.

We're 1 million percent in your corner.

It's gonna be just fun watching the whole process, whatever happens, no matter what.

It's still very cool for somebody local like this to have that opportunity.

So all the respect in the world for you, my friend.

Thank you.

I appreciate you guys having me back on.

You got it, buddy.

I'll see you at what's our little hamburger place in Marinette.

Make you lose.

Absolutely.

See you there.

OK,

buddy.

Take care.

Mitchell VanVoren.

Good for him.

Great having him on.

Back after this.

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Yesterday afternoon was about as nice of a day as we could possibly ask for in the state of Wisconsin, wasn't it?

That was working.

I was an

outside.

Oh, man.

Just walking around downtown.

Got actually really humid for a while,

which actually

kind of felt good.

It's just been so I feel like I'm thawing out.

Quite a bit of fog this morning.

And I think we'll be seeing that the next couple of days because of that humidity.

But

burning off then with the sunshine coming up.

Sure doesn't

look like rain, but it's supposed to rain like at noon, right?

Noon one, two,

three.

possible.

Thursday, they're talking about possible nasty stuff coming through, aren't they?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Like overnight type kind of that hail and high winds and all that kind

of central Wisconsin, especially.

Yeah.

Wausau, Wisconsin.

They've been hit lately.

Yeah.

I don't care what it is.

I don't care if it's a tornado or a snow storm or what they just seem to get hit.

Yeah, they do.

They do.

We seem more protected on this area.

We're in this bubble, man.

We've

been here for a couple of years.

I mean, you see that.

You see the color.

And it's like, right?

It kind of like comes across and then goes 45 degrees up towards Door County.

Yeah.

And I think people who escaped, I was going to talk to Ben and Deanna about that today.

People who escaped the winters in Wisconsin get another house.

I don't know if that's as necessary now because the winters aren't that bad here.

Not like.

But I will say that.

No, I'm not saying they're that bad.

It's

twice easier snowblower.

I understand that, but they're still long.

It's still cold.

It's still.

Your car's cold.

It's cold.

I'm tired of cold, kind of, to be honest.

I'm tired of cold for that long of a time.

Right.

But does that warrant buying another house?

No, it does

not.

So you take a trip or go somewhere, go camp.

Yeah, I don't know.

I just.

But I will say this.

Going away from that.

Even if it did, I wouldn't have enough money to buy another house.

Radio people don't buy other houses.

No.

Right, Todd?

That's correct.

That trailer in Mississippi I was talking about.

Yeah.

Possible.

Well, it's kind of looking at like a little camper or something.

I'd like to get back.

I could live in a camper.

There's