Too Short, Too Slow: A New Doc from John Roach (Hour 1)

On Location, it's the Todd Alba Show.

And now, pursuing truth wherever it may lead, here's your host, Todd Alba.

Across Wisconsin, on the Civic Media Radio Network and streaming worldwide on the Civic Media app,

Good afternoon, everybody.

Todd Albaugh here along with Mr. Aaron Zommers, our producer and engineer.

Welcome in.

It's a TGI Friday, November 7th, 2025.

It is a great day to be Wisconsinite.

Welcome in, everybody.

We are on location today at our great station, WRCE, in beautiful Richland Center.

That's right, the old hometown here in the Driftless.

Good always good to be home zombers.

I mean I love every part of the state loving being the headquartered the world headquarters in Madison where you are at on State Street But always always exciting especially in my favorite time of year and fall to be back out here in Southwest, Wisconsin How are things back at the old home station in Madison Zomers

doing well?

Somebody Megan the I guess I'll just say Travis manager.

Yep

She brought in some cupcakes today because it is not a cons last day at the office before moving so I

did not know this

One of our co-workers here is moving to Minneapolis

Alright, I guess I knew that was a possibility, but I did not know this was it.

I'm always the last to know, Zomers.

Always, always the best man, never the groom.

This is the story of my life.

Although now I just said it on the radio, so.

So you weren't supposed to say anything, but you did anyway.

Congratulations.

I hope the move goes well.

That's all.

Well, we are not a con is a fantastic guy.

We'll certainly miss him around Madison and Civic as well.

So best of all the best to you, not a con.

Really, really wonderful, wonderful guy.

So well, that's news.

What a what a way to start off the show.

I hope we don't lose anybody else by the end.

Well, he still works here.

Just

be remote.

Oh, I see.

I see.

I didn't know.

Welcome to staff meetings over the air Great Debbie along a little bit later on in this program here at 230 one of our longtime friends of this program a Renaissance man I call him a filmmaker as well John Roach is going to be joining us via stream yard here on a Friday afternoon, of course Done all kinds of great film around the Madison area around Wisconsin

And many, many people are familiar with John Roach's work.

He is going to be here talking about his latest work in film.

And it's pretty cool.

It's very cool, actually, because it's going to be featured in the Driflus Film Festival, which is one of the reasons that we came out here to the Driflus today to highlight this region of the state.

I know Pete Schwabba, our friend at Nightlight, has talked about this as well.

I think it's important because and we've been up to northern wisconsin before we've been to western wisconsin I think some of these places that people might think oh you know it's just in the sticks and there's no art and there's no culture I get it I get it if you grew up in a more urban area why you would think that but mineral point for those that don't know which is just a stone's throw from where I'm at here in richland center today has a long history

of artisans and art uh we've vibrant downtown they've done a lot of uh through the wisconsin mainstream project it is the home of a shake rake alley pendarvis uh one of the most uh historical sites in the state of wisconsin and i encourage you if you haven't been to mineral point well the driftless at large but get down there and this weekend they're having their driftless film festival

And it's really a celebration of the arts and of film.

And John Roach's film A Road at Night is going to be featured tomorrow evening in Mineral Point.

So if you live in the WRCE listening area of southwest Wisconsin or maybe WLCX up in the cross, drive over, even Madison.

Heck, if you anywhere across the state, you're listening to the show, if you want a great weekend trip,

Come on down to the Southwest this weekend and for the Driftless Film Festival, John Roach will join us at the bottom of the hour.

Talking about his film, if you're not familiar, he's been on the show before.

Very powerful film, saw it at the Barrymore in Madison during the Wisconsin Film Festival.

Last, well, over the winter, I guess it would be.

It's the documentary of Howard Moore the longtime player and coach of the University of Wisconsin Madison men's basketball team And he and his family were in just a horrific automobile accident They were hit by a drunk driver head-on as he was going over to Michigan to to visit family from Wisconsin And you think well wow that's just 90 minutes of depression No

Yes, it's certainly tough parts of it, but there is a lot of hope in this story and forgiveness.

Very powerful film.

And if you have not seen it, it's one of those films and Zomers, you and I have seen different documentaries from our friends, Sean Hannish and Kelly Call, just a bit outside.

We saw Sean Hannish and Paul Geconi Berry's film.

on the Packers, No Packers, No Life in Waukesha, and these documentaries, Zommerers, Agree or Disagree, one of those experience type of things, where being in a live theater with live folks around you, I think that's part of the experience on this.

Absolutely.

You know, that's something that we always think of in terms of, oh, go to see a big blockbuster on the big screen, but I think watching those other documentaries in a crowd has really taught me that it...

It's not just any one type of movie.

And when it's something about a true emotional personal story, it is a very powerful experience with a group.

Yeah, could not agree more.

And so, John, what you're going to be here, we're going to be talking about the Driftless Film Festival here in the Driftless region of Southwest Wisconsin.

Going to have a Wisconsin fun fact in hour two of what's worse.

Dealing with mobile phones.

How about that summers?

We will answer the age-old question on that and Brandon Ewing Brandon Ewing pinch hitting for his younger brother Brady Ewing who normally joins us every other Friday Brady is Indisposed as they say ie.

He's hunting

Good for him.

I saw him tuning up his bow earlier today Stopped by mom's today and Brady was getting the bow ready and Wish him luck, but no worries because his older brother Brandon who is a high school longtime high school coach here in the Richland Center area and a sports affectionato himself Brandon will be here today right beside me here the old studios of WRCE in Richland Center talking about the impact

of high school sports not only on the driftless region but throughout Wisconsin but I think there's a special connection in my opinion to these rural towns because and not maybe so much Richland Center but just literally over the hill and we've talked about this the Ithaca school district where literally the school is the heart and soul of that community and the connection to public education

and athletics to this part of the state is very special.

And I believe Brandon will also have some thoughts on the announcement here yesterday that coach Luke Fickle of the Wisconsin Badger basketball team is getting another year.

They've already made the decision.

The Badgers take on Washington University of Washington tomorrow at home in the afternoon.

You can hear it right here on WRCE and Richland Center and via the Civic Media app on other stations across the Civic Media Network.

But boy, a lot of people, including me,

Don't necessarily think the fickle should get another year.

We'll find out what Brandon thinks I'm sure he will have thoughts on that that will round out our afternoon here at WRCE in Richland Center So big show today.

Hope you stay with us.

Hope you find it interesting because it's always I know for me Zombers anytime that I can Share a part of the state where I grew up and the specialness of it and in the the culture of it.

I'm very privileged.

I'm very honored

Yeah, and it comes through the passion that you have for it, as well as when you've had other people from where they're from, like when Trigby gets to come with you to go to River Falls, for example.

No, absolutely.

And the other big thing here at Richland Center, of course, is the birthplace of Frank Lloyd Wright, the renowned international architect.

And there's one building still standing here in Richland Center that he designed and built, the AD German Warehouse.

And there is a group of citizens who have now taken basically a foundation, taken control and ownership of it, are raising money, are restoring, improving, and it's become a new hub, our very own Shallie Pittman.

News director for Civic Media was out here with her husband and went to a Halloween party.

How about that at the old warehouse?

And there's a lot of great things there that are bringing culture, that are bringing people together in this community that you might not expect.

And yes.

Very proud.

I think out here of our agriculture, our ag producers and our farmers, our foresters, the deer hunting, the trout fishing out here is, is fantastic.

There's also this kind of niche industry in Southwest Wisconsin, not just Richland County, but Southwest Wisconsin, Airbnb's now and, and, and bed and breakfast, but Airbnb's are springing up all over and they are in very high demand.

Because I think in these days when when people are kind of feel stuck, maybe in an urban area and lots of traffic or whatnot, the opportunity to go out where there's really no light pollution out here.

You could on a clear night, you could look up and whether it's the beaver moon a couple of nights ago.

By the way, 100 beavers was playing right at the Driftless Film Festival

last night.

Did you go?

I did not.

No.

All right, very

good.

I was mentioning this because the folks up here, Henry Bray and Phil Knee had not heard of hundreds of beavers before.

I think you can see this.

You can see this.

Yes, yes.

So hundreds of beavers was playing on the beaver moon night in mineral point here in the southwest Wisconsin area.

But anyway, it's a beautiful place to come if you want to just see the Milky Way on a clear night and get away from the light pollution.

And so this proliferation now of bed and breakfast in Southwest Wisconsin and Airbnb's give folks the opportunity to breathe some clean air, go on hikes.

There are all kinds of nature trails in Southwest Wisconsin.

There is public land.

And I think that's important.

We've had people on this program from the Knowles Nelson stewardship program.

But when you get out here and you experience it, and it's not just a piece of legislation, but it's a trail where you could go out and see eagles flying.

See, Kyle's going across at a distance.

Don't worry, they're not going to hurt you.

And get out here and just walk around.

UTV trails, ATV trails, bike trails.

So, so very many things to do in Southwest Wisconsin.

And I hope that everybody will take a minute to look it up online, go to the Richland County tourism page, go to there's a whole driftless tourism page.

We're not very far.

Many people have heard of Verroqua, Wisconsin.

Our friends, by the way, in honor of Southwest Wisconsin, I have my wonderful

coffee t-shirt on today.

Wonder state coffee located just up the road, one of the few only solar powered roasteries in the world.

And they put out, they got named the 2025 national roaster of the year.

And so you think really, we're I mean, world renowned coffee is being roasted in Southwest Wisconsin, you better believe it.

And so it's just a very vibrant part of the state.

So really looking forward to more discussions on on that as the afternoon goes on.

Have you been to Southwest Wisconsin before?

That's my question for you today, across the state of Wisconsin.

And if you have, what's your favorite, either community, your favorite spot?

your favorite activity, whatever it is.

Have you been to Southwest Wisconsin?

And if so, what do you love about it?

The Driftless region, 855-752-4842-855-752-4842.

Give us a call or you can also text us on the Civic Media app.

No better time to do so.

Download it today at your Apple and Android device.

Simply go to your app store, type in Civic CIVIC Media.

It'll pop up little CML.

logo, and you can text us on that.

What's your favorite spot of the driftless region in southwest Wisconsin?

855-725-24842.

Back from the driftless after this on the Civic Media Ready

Network.

Welcome back to the title ball show on the Civic Media ready to work.

We're glad to have you along on a TGI Friday afternoon, November 7th.

It is 22 minutes now past the hour of two o'clock.

We are live on location at WRCE in Richland Center, the beautiful driftless region of the state.

Coming up after the farm news of Pam Yankee and Midwest Farm Report at the bottom of the hour, we are going to check in with our Renaissance man.

He is a filmmaker.

Certainly a friend of mine of this show, John Roach is going to be joining us talking about the Driflus Film Festival just down the road from where we are at in Mineral Point and his film.

A Road at Night is going to be showing there at the Driflus Film Festival in Mineral Point tomorrow night.

Gonna talk about that film, gonna talk about the Driflus Film Festival.

And knowing my John Roaches,

I bet he'll have a take on Badger basketball, Badger football as well.

So looking forward to that.

Right now, asking you the question, have you been to the driftless part of Wisconsin, specifically Southwest Wisconsin?

And if so, do you have a favorite part or a favorite activity, a favorite place that you've been?

Dana.

in La Crosse, listing on WLCX up there in the beautiful bluffs of La Crosse.

Dana says, I lived in Spring Green for a few years back in the 1980s.

That was a nice little town.

Well, it certainly is.

Our friend Chris Gheese is from Spring Green, of course, home of the Atoni Award-winning American Players Theater.

If you've never been to APT, American Players Theater, encourage you to get out there.

I think there were a couple of the shows over the fall and winter in the indoor theater.

Of course, they're perhaps better known longer for their outdoor kind of natural amphitheater.

Absolute spectacular was there earlier this year with family and saw a show with Mr. Geesey and his girlfriend.

Lots and lots of fun.

So well done.

I mean, a true professional theater company.

So Spring Green, they have the Big Spring Green Arts Fair, the Wisconsin River, Prem Meats, one of our sponsors here at Civic Media, who does the processing for Joe Thomas's Hall of Fame Beef.

check that out if you haven't done it.

So, so many connections here in in Southwest Wisconsin.

855-752-4842.

855-752-4842.

Let's go to the phone lines and Jim in Brookfield, it's on the phone listening to us on WAUK, Milwaukee and Waukesha.

Jim, thanks for calling.

What have you got for us?

Have you been to Southwest Wisconsin and the Driftless and if so, a favorite memory?

Sure, yes, we've been there.

We actually did a spring road trip a while ago when the kids were in, the two girls were in middle school and early high school.

We went to Potosi, you know, the beer there, the museum and whatnot.

But a favorite location was Gravity Hill.

Okay, just outside Schalberg, right in the heart of the Driftless area.

County U, it's outside the city.

And it is marked on the road.

There's lines marked on the road, but you park there, put your car in neutral.

It's just a quiet country road, not much traffic.

And you park there, put your car in neutral, and it rolls uphill.

You swear your car rolls uphill.

It's obviously an illusion, but you swear.

Uh, you cars rolling uphill gravity hill and county you outside shoalsburg and my two daughters at the time, they're probably like 12 and 15 or something, but they got the biggest kick out of that.

That is a great one.

Not many people know that, but yes, I'm so glad that you, uh, you called in.

I appreciate it.

Thank you so very much, Jim.

It is a big kick down there.

Gravity hill, as he said, just out of show inside of shoalsburg, another great town.

Shoalsburg has some great cheese makers there and the Potosi

You got the Potosi Brewery.

Again, just a wonderful, wonderful part of the of the state.

Appreciate it.

Thank you so much, Jim, in Brookfield.

What's your favorite part of the drift list?

Have you been here before to beautiful Southwest Wisconsin?

Give us your reflections.

855-752-4842-855-752-4842.

We'd love to hear from you and any other comments you'll be going to check this.

We've got Tony watching this on the old YouTube there says I have not been

to the Southwest part of the state, but have been to the best part of the state, the Northwest, lovely waterfalls.

Well, now I appreciate that we've done this show in beautiful Northwest Wisconsin.

And yeah, it is some beautiful things up there as well.

Thank you so

much for the invitation to do the show from your house, Tony.

Right

well, but we'll be

doing that soon no look I mean I obviously I grew up here in the drift list and so it always has a special place But having had the honor and privilege to take this show for almost three years now around nearly every part of the state It's hard to pick which one is the best because

there's so many little unique venues like oh this doesn't happen in place else in Wisconsin or you go to Dorr County and that looks completely different than Northwood which looks very different than the driftless of Southwest which looks different than the shores of like Michigan over by Milwaukee and Racine which looks different than Superior and I think that's where the the great blessings about being a Wisconsinite living this great state is that there there are so many

great opportunities to have those unique experiences.

I want to get to this quick from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

We talked about this yesterday as news broke that the federal courts yesterday afternoon Ordered the Trump administration and Donald Trump to release all of the monies for snap benefits this from Molly Beck in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel She writes hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents received full food benefits overnight after state officials moved to release the funding last night before the Trump administration sought to block the payments according to the Evers administration

More than $104 million in benefits were paid to 337,000 households at midnight, a spokeswoman for Governor Tony Evers said today.

Federal subsidies for meals have become a flash point in the fight between Democrats and Republicans who have been unable to agree on a new bill to fund the federal government, leading to the government shutdown now in day 38.

Should the federal shutdown continue into December,

Wisconsin and other states will again be facing an end to food assistance payments.

Yesterday's release of benefits for recipients of food share, Wisconsin's food assistance program under the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program, is the latest development in the saga that has landed in two federal courts.

Funding for Snap Benefits, known as Foodshare, expire November 1st.

Good on Tony Evers for getting that done right before Trump tried to block it once again.

Don't forget to give to your food banks this weekend as well.

Help out our Wisconsin friends and neighbors.

We'll talk to one of them, John Roach, filmmaker.

Joins us on the other side.

Stay with us right now, Pam Yankee, The Farm

Report.

Welcome back to the Toddled Ball Show live on location at WRCE in Richland Center, the heart of the Driflus, or at least what I like to call my hometown.

I'm a little biased.

I'll admit that.

Uh, 20, uh, make it 35 minutes now past the hour of two o'clock on this Friday, TGIF November 7th, 2025.

Glad to have you along.

John Roach is going to join us in just a moment.

But first of all, uh, finishing up our topic here the last half hour, last segment being that we're in the Driflus, we thought we'd ask, uh,

What's your favorite memory, your favorite place, if you've been here, if you've visited on the line right now, Tom in Jackson.

I'm listening to us on WMDX out of Madison.

Tom, thanks for calling.

If you can make a brief, but what's your favorite place in the Driftless?

Well, I had a chance to go to Taliessen for dinner with my insurance agent, his sons, and some of their friends back in the mid-80s, and now they're real nice friends.

really interesting sitting at the at the chairs they're real low and the table is real low maybe two and a half feet up or something so gave a very different feel really good food that's what I want to mention I

appreciate it and you're lucky you because as you know not many people of the public have actually gotten to eat intelligence and proper uh Frank Floyd writes home in southwest wisconsin his artisan studio there so uh

Congrats on you for having the opportunity.

Thanks for calling in Tom.

Really appreciate you I appreciate your listenership there in Jackson have a great weekend up there in Jackson 36 minutes now past the hour of 2 o'clock our next guest is one of our favorites He is a Renaissance man as I like to call him and a great filmmaker as well his new doc Called a road at night is going to be showing this weekend in the driftless film festival just down the road in middle point from where we are at

And he has a brand new documentary on our old friend and mentor Bo Ryan joining us via StreamYard.

Mr. John Roach.

John, how are you?

Hey, Todd, how are you?

Happy Friday?

Happy Friday.

I'm always better when you're here.

I know I've said this about you before in the air, but for those that might not have heard it, John Roach is the vocal equivalent to sitting down with a smooth bourbon next to a fireplace and

just

relaxing.

That's that's what it is.

I love it.

It's been a while since we've talked to you.

I apologize, but you've been very, very busy.

But otherwise, how are things?

Things are good, Todd.

got back from taking a 28 mile bike ride through the Driftless area out to Belleville and back.

And the first snow is starting to make its way in the front is just moving in here in Madison.

But I've been busy.

The Howard Moore documentary I wrote at night is premiered for the public at the Wisconsin Film Festival this spring.

And the distribution game is a talent unto itself.

And so we're getting some traction at a theatrical run here in Madison and perhaps other markets in Wisconsin sometime in February or March.

There aren't a lot of details that I can share right now, but folks will finally get a chance to see it.

And then...

This evening, I'm driving down to Platteville, to the UW Platteville Performing Arts Center, where we're premiering our latest little homegrown documentary, Too Short, Too Slow, America's Most Unwanted, Excuse Me, Unlikely, Basketball Dynasty, and it's about the...

You're of, you know, 89 to 99 UW-Platteville, where the men's basketball team won four national championships.

And they won it with guys that no one else wanted.

Mostly guys, 80%, 85% of the team came from small towns within, you know, 70 miles driving distance from Platteville, Richland Center, Mineral Point, Dodgeville, Wisconsin Dells, Adams Friendship.

a couple of Milwaukee guys and Chicago guys sprinkled in there.

And it also was pretty much people who saw that saw Hall of Fame coach abhorning in that it was Bo Ryan's first head coaching assignment at the collegiate level.

And he was there for 13 years and what they did in that era in division three, but really.

what division matters not.

It was absolutely remarkable.

The doc is focused more on the athletes of the time and the guys who adapted to the system that Beau created over time at Platteville.

You know, Beau helped back the film and he just, he said, I said, Beau, you know,

You can't back a film about yourself.

It's got to be about the players.

And he totally agreed.

And throughout the documentary process, he said, don't put me in there too much.

But he has an abiding affection for those athletes and for the people of Platteville.

And I might add.

He kind of came to me with the idea and he just said, you know, my Wisconsin teams went to the Final Four twice and they got a lot of love.

They got a lot of attention.

But my Platfield guys want, you know, my Wisconsin guys never won a national championship.

My Platfield guys won four and they've never gotten the love they deserve and anyone who's been an athlete.

In any sport, I don't care what division you're in.

To be a national champion is a very big deal at any level.

Totally totally agree.

We're talking with filmmaker John Roach talking about two new films He has out the debut of his new doc on the University of Wisconsin Platteville run of national championships too short too slow And of course his great doc powerful doc a road at night Which is going to be showing at the driftless film festival in mineral point tomorrow.

I'm so happy you're making this John I can't wait to see it.

I was of course I'm an alum of UW Platteville was there during these heydays had the honor of working

a color commentary with Kevlar Connor, who is a much, much better broadcaster than I did.

In fact, when we were the radio team down there in the early 90s, said one of these guys knows Platfield basketball like the back of his hand.

We just hope the other one can find the stadium.

That was me, of

course.

Your dulcet tones are in the dark.

We do have some great play-by-play

clips.

I can tell the story now because these days it's not that big of a deal.

But I actually got suspended from the air at Platteville.

I never served time because Kevin went to bat for me because we were up at River Falls.

I'm not sure if Andre Dalton is in the film or not.

One of the great players for Bo.

And Andre was inbounding a ball and he clearly did not step on the line.

And the ref called, he stepped on the line, turned over one of the rare losses for Bo and the pioneers at River Falls.

And I said on the air to Kevin, my broadcast partner, I said, and it was National Condom Week.

I said, Kevin, thank God, it's National Condom Week because we just got screwed.

And did not did not go over well with administration.

And Kevin went to bat for me.

But we're here in Richland Center, of course.

And you mentioned the players, Meryl Brunson, correct me if I'm wrong, not only did he win a national championship, he was on one of those undefeated teams for Plattville as well.

Meryl's in the documentary.

He was a tough get.

He's a very humble guy, but a lot of the former players, you know, thought Meryl was as good a player as anyone in that era and certainly have him on the, you know, starting five all-star team of that era.

But we finally interviewed him and he's a great guy and

was a natural.

And what's remarkable is he didn't get any interest.

Ben Hoffman out of Hartford who went on to coach at Verona for a little while.

There's all these schoolboy athletes who were stars and they didn't get a sniff about a ride to D1 or D2.

And so Bo Ryan could jolt them to come to Platteville.

And here's the really the most compelling thing, Todd.

This was in the 90s.

These guys were division three.

They got no scholarship money.

They got no room and board.

They all worked during the summer to afford to go to Platteville and a.

a great number of the players were serious engineering students because that's one of the disciplines that Platteville leans into.

TJ Van Wee, who is also a wonderful player out of Wisconsin Dells, he drove a Wisconsin Dells dock during the summer and actually did his spiel for us in his thick Wisconsin accent in the dock.

But it stands in stark contrast to the NIL.

atmosphere of that we are experiencing today.

There was a purity of that time and I don't begrudge any athlete for getting paid if the coaches are making millions, the athletes should be paid.

But there was an innocence about it.

These kids, young men played purely for the love of the game and then Bo Ryan over that 13 years created a system that made him one of the most celebrated coaches in

college bat basketball of his time and you know He ended up in the Hall of Fame last year

and deservedly so you bring up a system John Roach and I I'm assuming part of this or somebody talked about this in the film

But that's one of the things I learned.

And I've said this on the air before, other than my own father and maybe my grandfathers, Bo Ryan and Scott Kluge and Dale Schultz are the three most influential males in my life.

And not that I don't want to oversell it.

I mean, it wasn't particularly close to Bo, even though I was covering the team, but just watching him.

And we go anytime we played like an Oshkosh.

He went through Madison.

We always stopped at the same Italian restaurant in Manona.

You go up to River Falls, you're going to stop at the Hardee's in Fenimore.

He always wanted the same bus driver.

And I asked him one time, I said, why did you so meticulous about this?

And he said, well, Todd, it's simple.

If the guys know who the bus driver is going to be, if they know where we're going to stop and eat, they don't have to worry about that stuff.

They know it's there.

and they can focus on the stuff that really matters.

And I thought it's simplistic, but I think it speaks to his success.

Agree or disagree?

Agree.

You know, Steve Jobs, David Lynch, they all wore the same clothes every day because it was one less thing to worry about.

And I think that's, you know, Beau was spot on for that.

You know, I think that

Ritual is important in sports in terms of pregame ritual.

You know what your ritual is at the free throw line and You know if you can Systematize it in a way that you're covering all the things you're that you can control So you're left to focus on what you can't control Completely but your performance can allow for that.

That's pretty brilliant and look

I knew this was gonna be challenging doing the film with Bo, but Bo worries about every little thing.

That's why he was a great coach.

And he did a little bit with the film too.

But he was actually, it was pretty fun working with him.

He's smart, so it was great.

But what was really great was in both of the documentaries, the Howard Moore documentary and the too short, too slow is this.

I got to meet and get to know

the athlete of both of those eras.

And as someone who competed in high school and his father sold sporting goods and was a coach, it was just really interesting to get to know these guys who competed at a high level and were subjected to pressures that most 19 year old guys aren't.

And

they responded well.

And there's also one other thing, Todd, if I may, both of these are noble causes in that the more documentary the revenues go to the Howard Moore trust to provide for his son and his education and his future Jarell.

And then.

the revenues that are generated by too short, too slow, which is going to have a run at the famed Avalon Theater in Platteville.

So the public can see it.

All those proceeds will go to coaches versus cancer.

So there's a feel good aspect to both of the projects.

Well, when can people start going to the Avalon and Platteville to see this?

I

think next week.

We're just finalizing it.

Just pay attention.

But the gentleman who owns it,

Dwayne DeYoung, he said John, I'll run it and I'll donate the money and I'll just make money on the popcorn.

That's amazing.

I hope people go and see it.

We're gonna come back, talk to war with John Roach a little bit more about this film, the Driftville Film Festival.

And knowing my John Roach is, he might have something to say on Badger Football.

We'll check in with him and don't stay and don't go anywhere.

Come on back for a live from Richelon Center with John Roach on the Civic Media.

Ready to work.

Oh, yes.

Come in, brother.

Thomas, give us a lowdown on this.

Oh, you're Mississippi River.

Yeah.

With waters so deep and wide.

I know what

you're talking about, boy.

I know what you're talking about.

Yeah.

My thoughts of you keep rising.

Oh.

Just like an evening tide.

Welcome back to the title ball show on the Civic Media Radio Network here on a Friday afternoon.

It is eight minutes before the hour of three o'clock.

It is the 7th of November, 2025.

Zomber is always on with the music here.

We are in the heart of the Driftless WRCE in Richland Center on location.

Joining us via stream yard or friend and Renaissance man, filmmaker John Roach, talking about two new documentaries, too short, too slow, the story of the University of Wisconsin.

and Platteville men's basketball teams for national championships, of course, a road at night, the powerful.

And you might not think it at first, but uplifting and hopeful story of Howard Moore.

And for me, I came away with a John Roach with just the power of forgiveness and the power of one man.

to be so gracious and compassionate and put his own struggles, which none of us would ever want anyone to go through, and still be inspiring to others.

And I left, yes, a little heavy, but also enormously hopeful.

It's a remarkable tale.

Howard and Jen, remarkable people.

It was you know, I had 12 years of Catholic education, but my relationship with Our holy mother the church isn't what it was when I was a young man For all sorts of reasons But I was so moved by the faith that the Moore family has and Howard And I was envious of their faith and ordinarily in a doc, you know Todd you wouldn't deal with religion, you know, it doesn't it's something you

frankly, try to avoid.

It was unavoidable in this documentary.

And I was happy with the way we handled it.

It was legitimate exploration of how they were handling the issue and the perspective they offered.

But the reaction to the film has been really gratifying.

I'm just eager to get it out.

in front of people, because there is a greater good component to this as well.

Independent of helping the more family, there is a message here, and it's not just a drunk driving message, but it's a message that no matter how good you have it, things can change in a blink.

Through no fault of your own, the beautiful life you have can be rent asunder.

The roof can fall in on you.

And more than one person who saw the film said they got on the phone and called their family or loved ones, that it made you appreciate, they made them appreciate what they have.

And I will say that George Hamill, who was the executive producer of the film, when we were first talking about it, we were both dads, we have children, we have grandchildren.

And he said, John, their but for the grace of God, go us.

The Moors were completely innocent.

They were just going to visit her mother in Detroit, and a drunk driver driving the wrong way on what was an interstate highway, and they were coming around a bend.

Everything had to go wrong for that family.

And then the other thing, if I may, the response of Howard's teammates just is so powerful.

They came from all over the world to that hospital room within 24 hours of the accident.

And there is this camaraderie and brotherly love that exists in sports and other endeavors, you know, if you're in the school play or in the marching band, but there's this sense of community and that you've been through, you know, the crucible where you're, you just have bonds that last forever.

And his teammates responded so powerfully, it's really truly moving.

It certainly is I've seen it.

I and I hope people go if they haven't seen it to mineral point tomorrow tomorrow evening No tickets are still available last I checked because it's one of those experience films John in my opinion I mean some domers said this earlier.

You think oh a big blockbuster is fun I think this is powerful to sit next to people and go through the emotion and the roller coaster It's you know fun is the right word but it's powerful.

It's an experience film

Well, you know, the other thing is there are parts that are just difficult to watch.

But as I've told everyone, not every first of all, life doesn't always have a happy ending.

You know, a documentary of nothing else has to be truthful and deal with the reality of the story.

It's it's not fiction.

It's it's what is the real story.

And your exercise in the documentary is one of discovery.

of finding what is the essence of the story.

And look, the Titanic didn't have a happy ending and neither did Schindler's List.

I mean, there are all sorts of films that don't have, you know, everyone dancing happily off screen.

And, you know, it's adult fare.

It's a

tough topic.

But I will also say there is that triumph of the human spirit that does, you know, does show up in the film that is

It's alternately difficult and inspiring.

I would concur wholeheartedly with that.

Please, everyone, get to Mineral Point tomorrow evening.

Eight o'clock.

Is that right, John?

Eight o'clock.

We're

thrilled

to be there.

And by the way, if you're coming from Madison, Mineral Point is one of the cooler towns in the state.

Yeah, if you're not that main

street in mineral point is just

shake rag alley.

Yeah, up and down.

Right.

Right.

It's great stuff.

And make it look if you don't live in the southwest, make a trip of it this weekend.

All kinds of Arabian bees and hotels and stay in a take in this film of the driftless film festival eight o'clock tomorrow, a road at night in beautiful mineral point, Wisconsin and get down to Platteville, the Avalon theater for too short, too slow.

I know you won't be disappointed.

John or out of time, but we'll have you back again.

talk about Badger football because that's a whole other bottle of wine, as they say.

Yes, it is.

Have a good weekend.

Thank you, John.

Give everybody a flat fill.

My best safe travels.

And we'll talk to you soon.

Thank you so much.

John Roach, a great filmmaker and great person as well.

We appreciate his time here on the show.

Come on back for our two Wisconsin Fun Fact, What's Worse and Brandon Ewing speaking of sports.

He'll give us his opinion and more on Wisconsin football and what's it like to be a high school coach here in Southwest Wisconsin.

All that more, we're live on location from WRCE and Richland Center on the Civic Media Ready Network.

On location, it's the Todd Alba Show.

And now, pursuing truth wherever it may lead, here's your host, Todd Alba.

Across Wisconsin on the Civic Media Radio Network.

and streaming worldwide on the Civic Media app.

Good afternoon everybody.

Along with Mr. Aaron Zommers, our producer and engineer, it is Friday, TGIF November 7th, 2025.

It is a great day to be in Wisconsinite.

Welcome everybody to hour number two of the big program here.

Six minutes past the hour of three o'clock.

We are live from WRCE in Richland Center.

Beautiful.

heart of the driftless area.

I am here.

Aaron Zomers is back at the home station, the world headquarters of Civic Media at the intersection of State and Fairchild, downtown Madison.

Zomers, now we got the weather report there from John Roach, who was out on that big bike ride.

John Roach, there's a guy that could do it all.

He makes great documentaries.

He can make great commercials.

He's a marketer.

He's a Renaissance guy.

He knows sports and he bikes whatever it was, 13 miles.

And he said there was snow.

It was spitting snow, as they say, in Western Dane County.

Give us the 411 of the weather in downtown Madison.

Well, I'll pull up the Sam Davison street cam, especially relevant because Sam Davison was here today.

Really?

Civic media employee long time left to go work on teaching.

and be a camp counselor.

Dom Lee, the normal producer for Madison's John and Gordy show, was out sick today.

Oh, Sam

filled in.

Out

sick?

All

right.

So Sam was back for a rare appearance.

Very good.

That's great.

Now, Dom.

Downtown

Madison is pretty

chill.

It's downtown Madison is pretty, although there were more people out than maybe normal this time of the afternoon.

Lots of people, anticipation for the Wisconsin Badger football game.

perhaps we'll see.

Now Dom, Dom's been on the show before, when you were out sick, did Dom, is he suffering hairballs?

Because he went as Garfield the cat for Halloween, is he suffering from hairball problems?

I did not ask.

I don't want to violate HIPAA or anything like that.

I'm sure.

Well, best, I hope Dom is feeling a

little wet and hairy in here.

So I mean, you infer from that what you will.

All right.

Well, Dom, I hope you feel very better soon.

And great Sam is filling in as well.

Appreciate that update there.

Yeah.

And I can tell you here in the Southwest in Richland Center, cloudy, cloudy skies.

We will ask our next next guest when he gets here at the bottom of the hour, Brandon Ewing.

How the weather is as he's, here's the type of guy that Brandon Ewing is.

He texted me.

He says, I'm coming into the station here.

Do you need anything from Quick Trip?

Now, how about that?

You're a guest that also offers to get a Quick Trip.

And I said, no, I'm good right now because I'll belch if I eat much of the air.

So I have my red solo cup of water.

And I'm just fine.

Thank you very much.

It

is.

I believe

you.

I know.

I know.

But I wish it weren't but but it is water.

Yeah Many thanks to John Roach for being here in our number two as we said Brandon Union will join us at the bottom.

He is a high school Coach gonna talk about what athletics means to

kids in this part of the state, rural kids in general.

I mean, I think there are some similarities to all kids, but maybe there are some unique things that it means to kids here in southwest Wisconsin.

And of course, Brandon, the older brother of our regular contributor, Brady Ewing, two-time Big Ten champion, spent three years in the NFL.

And let me tell you,

Brandon doesn't need anybody to help him with takes on Wisconsin football and the NFL.

So we'll, we'll get a clip from Chris McIntosh, the athletic director at Wisconsin, announcing that Luke Fickle is getting another year.

He'll be here another year.

at Wisconsin.

We'll talk to Brandon about that and much more.

Always great when a Ewing brother stops by.

The the Ewing bros in general are great people so we'll have one here sitting at the table with me here in just a few minutes.

But right now 10 minutes past the hour of three o'clock.

Time once again for another Wisconsin fun

fact.

All right.

Yes.

Time is the Wisconsin ballot.

Sherry Sarasen.

Time now for the Wisconsin fun fact.

Listen up.

On November 7th, 1863, the fifth Wisconsin infantry fought in the second battle of Rappanack.

What is it?

Summers?

Rappahannock.

Thank you.

Rappahannock station in Virginia.

The battle was, quote, a complete and glorious victory, unquote, for the North.

It was as humiliating for the South as glorious for the North.

Colonel Walter H. Taylor, a Confederate of Confederate General Lee's staff called it, quote, the saddest chapter in the history of this army, unquote, the result of, quote, miserable, miserable management, unquote.

So yeah.

Colonel Taylor could have just as easily been referring to the 2024 Democratic presidential campaign And that's how we play Wisconsin a fun fact All right very good, uh, well this is great Zommer's we're here in the old hometown.

Do you have any big plans for this weekend by the way?

Well, yeah, I was thinking about going back to Manitowoc, visiting the family a little bit.

I still might do that.

But also, I haven't seen John Roach's movie A Road at Night yet, and that would be the perfect opportunity tomorrow.

I've also never been to Mineral Point, so.

Get yourself to Mineral Point.

Yeah, it's really, really a cool little town, Mineral Point.

And the film, yes, it's heavy and much of it, powerful, but very, very powerful.

And there is, I think Roach hit it exactly right, as he always does.

It makes you look internally and say, I need to appreciate every day that I have with the people that I love.

So I'm going to encourage you to go see it.

I'm going to be spending a little time here in the RC.

And I'm going to try to get some reading in Zombers.

I don't get enough reading in these days.

But boy, howdy, I stopped by a bookstore here on the way out yesterday and Kenny Chesney's.

New, I'll call it autobiographer memoir, Heart Life Music.

There it is right now.

Heart Life Music in bookstores now.

And I can't, I'm a big Kenny Chesney fan and he talks about growing up in rural Tennessee.

You

know, some similarities to rural Wisconsin and how he followed his dreams.

So I'm going to try to get a little reading in and you know, I'm sure mom has a chore list.

We'll get to that as well.

So just hanging out

here.

My main question about that.

Are you weakly allowed to open that book outside of a beach?

Well, that's the right there.

I asked Luke Mathers.

I said, don't you think we we want to do the show from a from a Virgin Island beach to make it authentic to talk about this?

I got shot down.

The answer was no.

No, no, you don't have to do.

But I tried.

You know, you give it your all.

Yeah, I try.

I try.

All right, girls, try this 13 past the hour of three o'clock time once again for what's worse.

Let's go.

time

once again for what's worse nothing of way no prize money involved but is your chance to have your voice heard on all 10 news talk sports stations across the state of Wisconsin glad to have you along as Mike Lucas the great sports writer says timely timely indeed the iPhone 17 is out and setting record sales but

Google pixel pixel dust Google whatever it's called phone Android phone.

It's also making big sales.

So the question today We've never done this one.

I'll be very interested to see what's worse iPhone or Android iPhone or Android 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 I think this is fantastic

Because people have feelings about which it's kind of like I guess sports teams a little bit maybe a little bit

the other things

people have good

I've always been into technology since I was very young and I was you know Mac versus PC or iPhone versus Android is always something or Xbox versus PlayStation like

any of

those tech companies against each other

It's always very interesting.

And over the years, it would go back and forth like crazy.

But now they're closer than they've ever been in terms of quality.

Like if you want to use an iPhone or an Android, for the most part, I don't know if you can go wrong now.

But there are still a lot of key things that people do have strong feelings about.

What's worse, iPhone or Android phones, 855, 752, wait, wait.

is it is it correct to say android phone or do you just say android

android phones correct i mean people normally just say android but it's not oh really yeah because i want to hear

android i think a c-3 p-o well he's just a droid not an android just a droid yeah eight five five seven five two four eight four two eight five five seven five two four eight four two what's worse iphone or android

Give us give us a call.

I can also Let us know on the YouTube channel the civic media YouTube channel on Facebook at the Todd all ball show or civic media or also on X Twitter on civic media as well or text us on the civic media app You can download it at your Apple or Android phone for free today Go to your app store type in civic CIVC media.

It'll pop up takes less than a minute.

It's what gale king of CBS

at least for now calls a deal the civic media app what's worse apple or iphone or android now this is the fact the texts are coming in fast and furious and this is very interesting to me uh on tim jake a tim on wiss and ash gosh has iphone just iphone is worse aj listen to us on wmdx in madison

iPhone with an exclamation point is worse.

All right.

AJ in Madison on MDX says you have to like change your whole life when you get an iPhone to watch the computer, etc.

All right, that's that's a good point.

That's a good point.

Let's go to the phone lines 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 Scott listening in in Appleton via W ISS and Oshkosh Scott iPhone or Android what's worse?

It's those iPhone people that also did not know how to run their vcrs And

what?

And they're toasters for that matter

So you're saying you're saying those most these iPhones are completely technology stupid

You can be

honest, I don't care

You know the people that didn't know how to do the VCRs, right?

I may

have been one of them

at one

point

Ask yourself this did the people that didn't know how to operate their vcrs.

Would they be good with an iPhone today?

Probably if they didn't know how to operate a vcr then yes, they're probably good with iPhone Yeah, right.

I would think so

Alright Scott, thanks for calling up there.

I have a great weekend in Appleton.

Thanks for listening.

I appreciate it 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2 Let's go to Julie in Madison listening on WM DX Julie iPhone or Android.

What's worse?

I've had both and Android is worse

and I

know how to use my VCR I had a beta and I had a regular VCR and I didn't know how to resolve it.

Definitely like iPhone better.

Yes

Did you ever have one of those big, what do they call them, the discs?

They looked like 33 vinyl, but they were a video.

Do you remember those?

Laser disc?

No, I'm going to age myself here and tell you I remember 8 tracks.

So I'm done.

I

remember 8 tracks

too.

No, I remember eight tracks, but we were never, we were never wealthy enough to have one of those big video discs.

But I always thought they were very cool.

All right, Julie, thank you.

Thanks for listening.

Have a great weekend in Madison.

Come on back.

We'll take more calls.

What's worse, iPhone or Android, we'll discuss on the other side and coming up shortly, Brandon Ewing, live from the RCE in Richland Center.

Why is it that the Badgers are keeping Luke Vickle?

We'll discuss and take your phone calls as well.

Join us after this.

My heart is breaking and I wanna cry.

I ain't got no iPhone.

I got no apps have to play outside.

I ain't got no

Welcome back to the title of our show live on location at WRCE in Richland Center where it is now 22 past the hour of three o'clock We are right smack dab in the middle of another version of what's worse I knew this one people would have feelings what it's very simple.

What's worse iPhone or Android?

855-752-4842.

855-752-4842.

And sliding in, just like the weekend update on SNL, a little early to give us his opinion here.

Brandon Ewing.

Brandon, how are you, my friend?

I'm doing really well.

How are you, Todd?

Great now that you're here.

You texted me as you were coming into the studio.

By the way, what a guy.

What a mentions, they say, offering quick trip.

Yeah.

But I'm good.

Because otherwise, I'll belch on the air.

Well, there's a lot of things that we could go into

there, but I just got water in my in my red solo.

But I didn't text you.

It's like, yes.

There are that many Android users out there.

I think there are.

There are.

So you're an iPhone guy,

too.

Yeah, I'm an iPhone guy.

Very good.

855-752-4842.

855-752-4842.

Mike, just down the road in Spring Green.

Listen to us right here on WRCE in the Driftless.

Mike.

Android or iPhone what's worse?

Oh iPhone is definitely worse.

It's I'm a tech kind of guy and it's just it's Disgustingly difficult to use with that Apple ID and all the junkie have to subscribe you for music I use my Android like a it's got a huge hard drive.

I just loaded up with mp3s

And I

don't have to pay a fee for them.

I can just have them

and I don't have to get confused.

I know people with iPhones that can never get in there because they don't know their Apple IDs and it's just... I think it's too complicated.

It's just too, too complicated.

I think...

Go ahead.

I was just gonna say I can plug it into my PC and it just pops up like another drive.

Like a, like a Geekstick or, you know, a flash drive.

And

I think you're you're on to something here Mike because my buddy Kurt Kohler from spring green as well now down to the beautiful city of Monroe, Wisconsin Green County He is much smarter than me.

He is a scientist

and he

is a tech guy and he is he swears by the Android So I think your people who really are into tech and understand things I think love the Android.

I I might keep it simple,

baby

have a better camera that you know because they break that up

pretty

much and I've seen results of that that's that's impressive but I don't know if it's worth all the other stuff yeah

I get it.

I appreciate it.

Thanks for calling.

It might have a wonderful weekend down there.

A beautiful spring green in the driftless where we are doing our show from today here in the driftless in Richland Center to be RCE back to the phone lines 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2.

I love it when I get to say this.

Mona in Madison.

Mona.

Thanks for calling iPhone or Android.

What's worse?

This is my kind of question.

iPhone is worse.

I have an Android.

My husband has an iPhone.

His phone is always getting messed up.

And it's not intuitive, but he doesn't know what to do with it and I can't figure it out.

I love it.

I love the passion.

I love it.

Have a great weekend in Madison there, Mona.

Thank you.

Yep.

855-752-4842.

Pardon me.

Let's go down to the UK.

Walkie Shaw, Milwaukee.

Greg and Walkie Shaw.

Thanks for calling Greg iPhone or Android.

What's worse?

Todd, Android's worse, and I have a little bit of an educational moment here.

Although Android may have voice to text features, iPhone was the first one to build voice to text into their phone in voiceover.

So, yes, I'm a little bit, you know, a little bit...

You know thinking I'm superior with my iPhone, but I'm a little bit of an iPhone knob Todd and Brandon, but all right, but I think iPhone significantly better and Yeah, so thank you guys

Appreciate it, Greg.

Thank you very much, Greg.

You're welcome, Sean, to be AUK.

Appreciate you calling in.

Brandon, people are very

passionate.

I tell you what, who would have thought this would have been this polarizing?

Go

ahead,

Zommerz.

You asked earlier how many Android users are actually out there.

Data from the last year, October 2024 to October 2025, says that iOS has about 58% of the market share and Android has just under 42.

All right.

Yeah, so there are more iPhones, but there are a lot of people who use Android.

They're very passionate people.

They very are.

I mean, I just can't believe how I mean, is Siri your best friend?

I'm asking.

I mean, I do ask Siri a lot of things.

Yeah, so do

I. Let's see here.

Len in Madison on the MDX says Apple iPhone fails the kiss principle.

Keep it simple, stupid.

See, for me, it's just the opposite.

I find iPhone simple more.

I can't

even say it.

It's

simpler than Android.

Go ahead.

They mark it on that.

But then over time, they change things just to change them.

iPhone you're saying?

Not that all tech companies don't do this.

But I've noticed it on iPhone where they change things just to change them, and then it's not labeled very well.

All right.

Eric in Madison on MDX says, iPhone is worse on price point.

Some apps on Android.

the same internet for a quarter of the price.

All right, very good.

What else we hear?

We have a Jill in Madison on WMDX.

Android is worse.

My 89 year old mother-in-law had one and kept messing it up and needing tech assistance, which my husband and I had difficulty providing because we have iPhones.

We finally gave up and added her to our plan and got her an iPhone, which she uses much more successfully.

All right, AJ and Madison on MDX says I've been wanting one, uh, oh, because of the camera, uh, an iPhone.

All right, I get it.

Oh, our very old Luke Mathers, uh, calling.

Now he avoided the question yesterday on eggs because we know he's anti-eggite.

He doesn't like eggs, you understand?

Are you an egg person?

I am an egg person.

See, I love eggs.

But hey, to each their own, but Luke Mathers, our very own Luke Mathers, he's grinding his gears over androids.

He says, Android is worse.

Yeah, well, I mean,

it's... I agree with

him on that.

And there's nothing worse than you've got, and honestly, it's probably more your group of people.

Yes, I agree with that.

If your whole crew is iPhones.

Here's the winning text of the day.

From Green Bay, Wisconsin, Brian in Green Bay on MDX says, I'm texting in on my Blackberry.

All right, we'll find out what Zomers and I think of this and to chat with Brandon on the other side.

Luke Fickle, does he deserve another year?

He's getting one.

Stay tuned.

Farm News is next.

I'm a loser.

I'm a loser.

And I'm not what I appear to be.

Of all the love I have won or have lost.

Welcome back to the Taliban's show

live on location for Friday, November 7th, 2025, 35 minutes out past the hour three o'clock for your live location here in the old hometown of Richland Center.

Aaron Zawmer is our producer and engineer back home at the World Headquarters in Madison.

Zawers, now this is not about our next guest, right?

You weren't playing that song about Brandon.

Right, I wanted to make sure that wasn't misconstrued, so I told

them.

Thank you for

clarifying.

It's about Luke Fickle.

Yeah about Luke fickle about Luke fickle.

All right.

Very good Zomers.

We appreciate that.

Uh, welcome back everybody.

Uh, every other week we have, uh, Brady Ewing usually joining us, uh, two type big 10 champion spent three years in the NFL, but this week and I love this about Brady on the sky.

Honest is the day as long as it's Todd.

I'm going bow hunting.

I'm going to pee in the woods.

And I said, well, like most men, they just disappear.

And so, you know, but no, here we have his older brother, Brandon Ewing, who has been on the show, a great basketball coach here in Southwest Wisconsin, currently a youth basketball coach here in Richland Center and a sports affectionato all around.

Great guy, Brandon.

How are

you?

I'm doing really well.

Thank you for having me again.

It's always a pleasure.

We always have a lot of fun.

Yeah, we have a great time.

And honestly, it's

Brady texted me right before I came on and there's a picture of him and his son, Bram.

They're in the tree stand, Brahms smiling at her ear, and Brady goes, good

luck.

You're going to be great.

And your parents, Brady's parents, and my mom live about a house apart.

So as I was on the way to the studio, Brady's pulling into your parents' house, and he's got the bow out now.

Did you ever bow hunt?

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Really?

So I never, I have the arbitrary to pull it back.

But as you know, and our listeners know, to be a good bow hunter, you got to be able to hold it.

for like eight minutes until you get your shot.

And I just, I was never really

good at that.

And you know what?

I don't have that patience for that anymore.

So, you know, my hunting has really tapered down.

I tell Brady every year, it's like, okay, I think this is year I'm gonna get back into it.

And it's just, you know, every year it's the same thing, right?

You make excuses.

That's right,

you

do.

I'm fair weather.

We're going to find out whether he's a fair weather Badger fan in just a minute.

But no, I mean, it's a great time of year bull hunting.

And so hope Brady and Brahma have a good luck out there.

And a good time will be had by all.

And this is the advantage of having multiple Ewing bros when one bro can't be here.

The other bro fills

in.

And as the great Phil Neal always says, you know, I'm the backup right field all star.

And there's a lot of truth to that.

It's like, I'm always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

No, well, I feel that feeling all too well.

Uh, all right, let's start here, uh, right away, uh, Brandon, of course, Brady played for the Badgers.

We were, we all got together and your family is very nice to invite my sister and I to your tailgate when Brady was the honorary captain this year of one of their two wins so far on the season.

So, you know, you know, the Badger athletics, particularly Badger football very well.

Let's play this cut first of all.

This is Athletic Director Chris McIntosh in a post talking to, I believe, ESPN or a reporter for ESPN yesterday announcing the extension or at least the survival of Luke Fickle.

Here is Chris McIntosh.

We learned today that you've made a commitment to bringing Luke Fickle back as football coach beyond this season.

Why do you believe this is the right decision?

Yeah, you know.

It's my job.

It's my role to position our program to be successful into the future.

Coach Vickle has had my confidence throughout the season.

We've had many, many conversations about how this season and some of the challenges that we've faced have gone.

But as I look forward to 26 and beyond, I think it's just important to note that my confidence in him hasn't waned at all.

Coach Vickle is the same coach that he was when I hired him.

I have the same belief in what he brings to Wisconsin.

His ability to win, his proven winner, his ability to develop talent, his understanding of the Big Ten.

He's essentially born and raised in the Big Ten.

His appreciation for physical football, which aligns with Wisconsin.

But I think as importantly, his plan and his vision for the future, and maybe most importantly, the fire that he has to be able to execute on it.

And so for all those reasons, I thought it was important to share today that this is the direction that our program is going and that we're confident and optimistic about our future.

Athletic director Chris McIntosh of the University of Wisconsin talking to the fact that he is told Luke Fickle.

He has made the decision that despite only having two wins this season, both non-conference, that he is bringing Luke Fickle back for another season.

And thank you, Zommerz, for the correction.

That was not ESPN.

That was an interview on Badger Connect.

Thank you very much talking to Badger Connect there.

Thanks, Zommerz, for keeping me on the straight and narrow there.

Brandon Ewing, thoughts?

So, Max, really going to die on that fickle sword, huh?

It appears.

I mean, geez, Louise, a couple of things that I took away, right?

He talked about vision.

He talked about the fire.

Okay.

Is that anything that we've seen, Todd?

I haven't.

No.

I mean, look at, we talked in the past about apathy.

Okay.

You're seeing apathy play out real time.

Okay.

The article that was released, and I think you were going to discuss it in a little bit, like the millions of dollars of revenue that's been lost because of empty stands.

If that doesn't change something, then I guess we've got bigger issues.

Well, what I find both interesting and if I take all my emotion out of it, but also just as a Badger fan, just desperately sad, you know very well where this program was before Barry Alvarez.

And then, you know, by and large, it's been maintained.

And when Chris McIntosh

fired Paul Christ, who had been to the Rose Bowl three years before.

And he said, we have to put ourselves in a position to win championships.

And look, I know there were things about saying that, that Christ was letting the recruiting go down or what have you.

Maybe he wasn't adjusting to NIL, but we are three years into this now.

And we are looking at the worst back to back seasons from Wisconsin football in 50 years.

Todd, we're not going to win a big 10 game.

No, we're not.

I agree.

And, and, and, you know, Brady's the optimum.

I am the realist and we're not going to win a big 10 game.

And if, if that doesn't make a change, then there's going to be change of coming.

Well, and you look at, you look at, look at Penn State paying James Franklin $50 million to go away after he loses three games.

You look at LSU paying Brian Kelly.

Well, they're arguing in the court right now, 55 million plus and they fired the athletic director who did it.

Here is my take.

you tell me what I mean is I believe that Wisconsin can't afford to fire Luke Vickle

in the

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