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

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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 in our great station W R C E in beautiful Richland center.

That's right.

The old hometown here in the driftless.

Good always good to be home Zommer's I mean I love every part of the state love and be in the headquarters 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 Zommer's

doing well?

Somebody Megan the I guess I'll just say office 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.

So

all right 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

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 a day or 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 uh vibrant downtown they've done a lot of uh through the wisconsin main street 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.

A 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 Zommerers, 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 Gikoni 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'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 could not agree more and so John Roach is gonna be here.

We're gonna be talking about the driftless film festival here in the driftless region of Southwest, Wisconsin gonna 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

i.e.

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 Zomers 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 and 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 has become a new hub, our very own Shaly 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

summers.

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.

You

can see this.

You can see this.

It's evangelized.

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 kiles 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 Veroque.

Wisconsin our friends by the way in honor of Southwest Wisconsin I have my Wonder State 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.

What's your 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 could 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.

pop-up little CM logo and you can text us on that.

What's your favorite spot of the Driftless region in Southwest Wisconsin?

855-7524842, back from the Driftless after

this on the Civic Media Radio.

pursuing truth wherever it may lead and having fun doing it.

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. Geese 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 W. A. U. K. 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 Schollsburg, 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.

You cars rolling uphill gravity hill and county you outside Schultzburg 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 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 Schultzburg another great town Schultzburg has some great cheese makers there and then but toast

Yeah, the Potosia 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 Driftless?

Have you been here before to beautiful Southwest Wisconsin?

Give us your reflections.

855-752-4842-855-7524842.

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.

It 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, no, I appreciate that we've done this show in beautiful Northwest, Wisconsin.

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

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

Right.

Well, we'll be

doing that.

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 Dora County and that looks completely different the north woods which looks very different than the driftless of Southwest which looks different than the shores of Lake Michigan over by Milwaukee and Racine which looks different than superior and I think that's where they the great blessings about being a Wisconsinite living in 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 of

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.

funny for staff 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, in the Farm Report.

Welcome back to the Taliban show live on location in W R C E in Richland Center, the heart of the driftless or at least where I like to call my hometown.

I'm a little biased.

I'll admit that 20 make it 35 minutes now past the hour of two o'clock on this Friday.

T G I F November 7th, 2025.

Glad to have you along.

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

But first of all, finishing up our topic here last half hour last segment being that we're in the driftless.

We thought we'd ask 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 Taliesin for dinner with my insurance agent, his sons and some of their friends back in the mid 80s.

Now it's a real nice happen.

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 it 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 italians and proper uh frank floyd writes home in southwest wisconsin his artisan studio there so uh

Congrats on you for having that 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 two 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, Bill 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 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.

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, you know, premiered for the public at the Wisconsin Film Festival this spring.

And the distribution game is, you know, 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.

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 bet on 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 a 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 Bo created over time at Platteville.

Bo helped back the film.

And he just, he said, I said, Bo, 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 kevin o'connor who is a much much better broadcaster than i did fact that we were the radio team down there uh... in the early nineties said one of these guys knows plattville basketball like the back of his hand we just hope the other one can find the stadium that was me of course so uh...

your dulcet your dulcet tones are in the dark

so we

do have some great play-by-play clips

uh... but worst though 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 I did not did not go over well with administration.

And Kevin went to bat for me.

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

And you mentioned the players, Merrill 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.

It stands in stark contrast to the NIL atmosphere that we are experiencing today.

There was a purity at 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 were the three most influential males in my life.

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

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

And we go anytime he 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 Hardys 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.

their, 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 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 it was what was really great was in both of the documentaries, the Howard Moore documentary and 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 of 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 Avalon and Platteville to see this?

I

think next week.

We're

just finalizing it.

Just pay attention.

the gentleman who owns it, um, Dwayne de Young, 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 going to come back, talk to war with John Roach a little bit more about this film, the Driftville's film festival.

And, uh, no, it might, John Roach is, he might have something to say on Badger football.

We'll check in with him.

Don't stay, don't go anywhere.

Come on back.

We're live from Richells Center with John Roach on the Cinemedian.

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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 zombers always on with the music here We are in the heart of the drift list WRCE in Richland Center on location the 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 Platteville men's basketball

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 it, 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 up.

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, if 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, they're 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, and if you're not that main

street in in mineral point is just

shake reg alley.

Yeah, 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 with a driftless film festival eight o'clock tomorrow a road at night in beautiful mineral point, Wisconsin and get down to Platteville to the Avalon theater for too short too slow.

I know you won't be disappointed on John or out of time but we'll have you back again to

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.

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