SCRAMBLE: When the World Cup ends we can stop pretending to care about soccer

Summary

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Garage Logic – Weekly Scramble

Episode: "SCRAMBLE: When the World Cup ends we can stop pretending to care about soccer"
Date: July 21, 2026
Host: Chris Reuvers
Co-Host: Mike Fratelloni
Podcast Network: Gamut Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

This episode of Garage Logic’s "Weekly Scramble" delivers its signature blend of irreverent humor, Minnesota-centric small-town charm, and grumpy-yet-affectionate takes on sports, pop culture, and broadcasting. Chris Reuvers and Mike Fratelloni kick things off with a hot sports topic—the recently concluded World Cup—and use it as a jumping-off point to riff about American ambivalence toward soccer, recency bias in sports fandom, and the deeper meaning of "pretending to care." The second half highlights golf stories from the 3M Open Pro-Am, encounters with local celebrities and athletes, and a heartfelt critique of modern sports media—especially ESPN’s evolving priorities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Soccer, The World Cup, and the "Great National Exhale"

• Opening Rant (02:10-03:18):
  Chris exclaims that July 20th, 2026, marks "the first day that this entire great nation can stop pretending that they give an S about soccer," poking fun at the temporary surge of interest every four years.
  • Quote [03:18, Chris]:
    “Yesterday was officially the first day that the entire nation...can stop pretending that they give an S about soccer.”
• The Soccer Divide (03:23-04:27):
  Chris and Mike banter about the "frauds among us" and whether Americans genuinely like soccer or just feign enthusiasm during the World Cup.
  Mike defends the beauty of the game, comparing scoreless matches to baseball no-hitters or football shutouts, and jokes about making soccer goals "worth 10" just to make the scorelines more exciting.
  • Quote [04:27, Mike]:
    "You’re watching an art form. One of the big differences in soccer is the goals are only worth one. In football, the goal is worth six. Some are arguing soccer goals should be worth 10…It’s no different!"
• The Lionel Messi & Sports Pedigree Detour (06:01-07:10):
  Mike humorously tries to recall headlines about soccer phenoms like Mbappe and Messi, riffing on Messi’s hormone treatments as a kid (“cheater!”)—drawing parallels with American baseball’s steroid era.
  • Quote [06:20, Mike]:
    "Let me throw a caveat out there… I don’t know anything about soccer. If you played two minutes, you know more than I do.”
• Victory Perspective (05:08-05:55):
  A whimsical aside on how third-place athletes are often happier than runners-up.
  • Quote [05:19, Mike]:
    "Third place is better than second place. 100%. Third place Olympians have the biggest smile. Second place, they're the first loser."
• Messi’s Striker Wisdom (07:10-08:33):
  Mike uses the old "two bulls" parable to compare Messi’s patience on the field to "walking down the hill," reinforcing that strategy and timing trump endless activity.

2. Minnesota Small Town Festival Fun

• Kolachki Days Invite (09:08-11:48):
  Chris tries to recruit Mike to Montgomery, MN’s Kolachki Days for classic cars and Polish pastries, extolling the simple pleasures of small-town fests.
  • Quote [10:01, Chris]:
    "You'll roll in. I’ll buy you your first Kolach. It’s gonna be this weekend. We’re gonna have a ton of fun, huh?"

3. Golf Talk: 3M Open Pro-Am, Adam Thielen & Celebrity Athletes

• Playing with Celebrities (15:30-19:44):
  Mike recounts his experience at the 3M Open’s Pro-Am, playing with Adam Thielen (noting his “plus” handicap) and running into other pro athletes like Rich Gannon. Mike is humble about his own golf skills ("I can barely say it out loud"), and Chris praises Thielen’s groundedness.
  • Quote [17:29, Mike]:
    "He could not have been a cooler, more down-to-earth guy."
• The Fun of Am-Pro Pairings (19:44-21:45):
  Stories about recognizing "retired pros" at the event and the social scene at these tournaments.
  • Quote [21:45, Mike]:
    "But Adam Thielen, if you ever get a chance to meet him…he could just not have been nicer."
• Celebrity Encounters (22:34-25:00):
  Chris recalls running into Rich Gannon at a U2 concert—classic Minnesota “small world” stories.

4. The Changing Landscape of Sports Media

• ESPN Critique & Tom Pelissero Layoffs (29:56-34:54):
  Chris vents about ESPN laying off talented insiders like Tom Pelissero while funneling millions to big personalities like Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith. He reminisces about early days building sports websites and laments the death of old-school journalism.
  • Quote [31:43, Chris]:
    “I don't want to hear any more about why a company needs to pay $60 million a year for the likes of Pat McAfee...he’s obviously taking advantage of a corporate structure that’s allowing him to make $60 million annually.”
  • Quote [33:00, Chris]:
    "I guess the point that makes me mad is…you have to be the screaming idiot of a Stephen A. Smith in order to make it."
  • Quote [34:54, Chris]:
    "...the guy that kind of does it the right way, worked his butt off to create…it bums me out, Michael, to see the way the landscape of everything is changing."
• Audience Targeting & Sports Media Polarization (35:00-36:41):
  They riff on why McAfee and Stephen A. Smith command such attention and pay—Chris derides it as "knuckle-dragging, low hanging fruit.”
  • Quote [35:34, Chris]:
    "It’s the 18 to 35-year-old knuckle dragging, low hanging fruit...that’s what is driving these decisions."
• Modern Entertainers & Viral YouTubers (36:46-37:59):
  Chris gently scoffs at modern YouTube empires like Mr. Beast—lampooning his son's obsession with “whoa, what, oh my god” videos. Mike defends the hustle, while Chris wonders if it's all just professional jealousy.

5. More Broadcasting Layoffs and Sports Media Trends

• Ryan Clark's On-Air Firing (37:59-39:36):
  They discuss the peculiarities and cruelties of on-air terminations in ESPN’s talent purge, highlighting the difference in coverage and treatment for personalities whose niche is more controversial.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Post-World Cup “Relief”
  “[Monday] is the first day that this entire great nation can stop pretending that they give an S about soccer.” — Chris [03:18]
• On Scoreless Soccer
  “A game with no scoring and no shots is no different than a football game that goes 14–0…those happen on occasion.” — Mike [08:07]
• On Third Place Joy
  “Third place Olympians have the biggest smile…second place, they’re the first loser.” — Mike [05:19]
• On Messi’s Patience
  “That’s what Lionel Messi is. He’s patiently waiting and then he’s gonna get every player because that guy scores.” — Mike [07:37]
• On Sports Media Economics
  “I don't want to hear any more about why a company needs to pay $60 million a year for the likes of Pat McAfee…” — Chris [31:43]
• On Audience Priorities
  “It’s the 18 to 35-year-old knuckle-dragging, low hanging fruit that is what is driving these decisions. And that's what bothers me.” — Chris [35:34]
• On Viral Content
  “Maybe we should just look in the camera, go ‘whoa, whoa, what? Oh my god, look at that.’ That’s all the show is.” — Chris [37:54]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:10 | Chris’ “America stops pretending to love soccer” rant | | 04:27 | Mike’s scoring discussion, comparing soccer to other sports | | 06:20 | Riffing on Messi, Mbappé, and soccer stardom | | 09:08 | Kolachki Days invite and Minnesota small towns | | 15:30 | The 3M Open Pro-Am, playing with Adam Thielen, and athlete stories | | 22:34 | Rich Gannon concert story | | 29:56 | ESPN layoffs, Pat McAfee, and the rise of personality-driven media | | 33:00 | Frustration with the sports media business model | | 37:59 | Ryan Clark’s firing and further layoff discussion |

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Tone & Language

• Conversational and irreverent
• Deeply “Minnesota”—laden with small-town anecdotes (“felt good about America for 10–12 minutes”)
• Affectionately cranky, especially toward modern trends and sports-cultural changes
• Frequent gentle teasing, self-deprecating humor, and jabs at each other

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Summary Takeaway

If you love sports, local festivals, inside-Minnesota banter, with a side of curmudgeonry about how the media and fandom have changed (and not always for the better), this Scramble episode is a perfect slice of Garage Logic.
Chris and Mike riff on everything from “soccer pretending” and why classic small-town fests matter, to golf’s genteel traditions and the shifting sands of sports broadcasting in the age of Big Personalities and YouTube empires. Beneath the sarcasm and satire, there’s a genuine concern for what’s authentic—and a love for impromptu storytelling with a cold beer in hand.

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Transcript

[A]

As technology becomes more complex, cyber reality dominates the culture and AI becomes an endless, anxious discussion. Simple, old human storytelling becomes all the more precious. And that's what you'll find on the Mishki Podcast. In the end, we're all just people. Folks with our brilliance and our absurdities and stories about people.

[B]

Well, they never get old. The Mishke Podcast Wherever you get your podcasts,

[C]

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[A]

this is the weekly Scramble, a place where we chat about life over a cold one or two.

[B]

It's time to belly up to the

[A]

pod with Mike Fratelloni and your host, Chris Reivers.

[B]

That's right, it's time for the weekly Scramble podcast. My name is Chris Reivers. With me as always. Oops, I should turn that down a little bit. His name is Mike Fratelloni. Hello, Michael.

[A]

How you doing, Reivers?

[B]

I'm doing fantastic. And there are so many things I want to get to. So many topics, so many, so little time. Okay, but we're going to start in the world of sports. Now. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Ladies and gentlemen, before you touch that radio dial, I'm not going to go knee deep into the Twins bullpen. No, no, no, no.

[A]

Not going to talk about what we're doing. I'm talking about my sons playing baseball.

[B]

I'm not going to talk about my sons playing baseball. Even though I'm finally in that stage of life where both seasons are over with. We've already transitioned to football starting yesterday. That's not where. Where I'm starting is. Do you know how spectacular yesterday is? Yesterday was Monday, July 20th.

[A]

Yeah, I do. It was pretty nice.

[B]

It's one of the greatest days of the entire calendar year in Fact, I would argue it's one of the great days, probably for the next five years. And you might be asking Chris Reivers, why would Monday, July 20, 2026 be one of the greatest days on the year as it related to sports?

[A]

Yeah. Wow.

[B]

I'm here to answer that for you, Michael, and for everyone else, because yesterday was officially the first day that the entire nation, all amongst us, roaming, celebrating 250 years of independence. Yesterday, Monday, July 20th of 2026, is the first day that this entire great nation can stop pretending that they give an S about soccer.

[A]

Oh, come on now, come on. We like soccer.

[B]

The frauds that roam amongst us. And by the way, I am not suggesting that there isn't genuine passion for the people that watched Spain battle Argentina for the World cup championship in which Argentina didn't have a bleep and shot on goal. And you might be asking, well, that clearly says that you watched. Watch the game. No, I would rather. I would have rather dipped my head into a porta potty, lit it on fire.

[A]

Really?

[B]

As opposed to watching that soccer. I, again, I watched it all. I don't. You did not.

[A]

I 100% did. Watched every little bit of it. Every last second of it.

[C]

Why?

[A]

Well, one thing that you're missing out on is even though they didn't score at all, have you never watched a baseball game where they didn't score? Have you never watched a football game where a shutout happens, where they're just. The other team doesn't get a field goal, doesn't get anything? You've. You've seen that happen before, right?

[B]

A no hitter. Okay, I get it. But you're watching an art form.

[A]

Okay. Watching an art form. Okay, okay, let me explain something. One of the big differences in soccer is the goals are only worth one. In football, the goal is worth six. They just give it more numbers. So some are arguing that they should make soccer goals worth 10 because then it could be 20 to 10 and people would be like, oh, it was 20 to 10. That was unbelievable. It's no different.

[B]

And like a three point line. So if he kicks it from whatever way out there. Okay, that'd be.

[A]

It was a masterful game. Boring as hell. It was boring. The game before that for third place, the England game, which, by the way,

[B]

I'm sure those guys were super amped to play in the third place game.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, third place is better than. You know what? Third place is better than second place. 100%.

[B]

You've got to be out of your mind.

[A]

Are you Kidding me. Have you ever seen the images of third place Olympians compared to second place Olympians? Third place Olympians have the biggest smile on their faces. Second place, they're the first loser. They are withdrawn and sad. You've never seen those pitchers. Third place is elated to be standing. All right, up on the.

[B]

Diaz having just, you know, dealt with youth sports. Okay, I get that argument. Because you're leaving the tournament or you're leaving, whatever it is, said competition on a high note with a victory. Okay, I get that. I do get that.

[A]

These players. Mbappe, do you know who that is?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Starts with an M and then a bape afterwards.

[C]

Right, Right.

[A]

He plays someplace in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia or something. He had a billion dollar, if I'm not mistaken, a billion dollar contract. Reverse. Like a billion dollars with a B. Like with a B. Wow. He's one of the highest paid athletes in the world. You got Lionel Messi, cheater. Because he took growth hormones when he was like 10 because he was so short. So I call him the cheater, Right?

[B]

Like I said, if.

[A]

Yeah, they. So he signed with a. Okay, let me throw a caveat out there, all right? I don't know anything about soccer. Anything. So if you've played soccer for two minutes and watched four games, you know more than I do. But they signed Lionel Messi at, like 10 years old. Some really weird thing. He was on the development team at, like 10 years old, but then they started pumping him with all these hormones to grow a little taller. Yes. And I thought, so Sammy Sosa, he did the same thing. Right? McGuire did the same thing. They were just a little older, so they were cheaters. And so was Lionel Messi really taking performance enhancing drugs as a young youth? So he could. Instead of being 5 1, he could be 5 4, 55 or whatever he is.

[D]

Have you.

[A]

Did you watch him play? I know he doesn't look like he's doing anything.

[B]

I can answer your question.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

No, I did not.

[A]

I heard Joe Suchroy from the. Your other podcast, Garagelogic, talk about how 67% of the time, Messi was just walking. Right.

[B]

And he was ready to pounce.

[A]

But he was ready to pounce. That's the difference. He's not supposed to run back and forth. He's a striker. He scores goals. Okay. You've heard the story about the two bulls standing up on top of the hill.

[B]

On the hill that. I was gonna get you this bone. Done.

[A]

Two bulls standing up on the top of the hill. And they look down and they see all these cows?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And the one cow says, why don't we run down there and sleep with one of them? And the older bull says, why don't we walk down and sleep with all of them? That's what Lionel Messi is. He's patiently waiting. And then he's gonna get every player because that guy scores. He scores. He didn't do it that day. He didn't do it. But a game with no scoring and no shots is no different than a football game that goes 14 to nothing, seven to nothing. Those happen on occasion. Not a lot, but on occasion.

[B]

I would just like to know, have it known for the record, that you were the first person that has used that joke in my life, because I

[A]

heard you've never heard that joke before.

[B]

No, no, no.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

You're the first person in my life to tell that joke, which I've heard since I was about five that has provided such an amount of elegance to it, or it's.

[A]

I tied it to a professional athlete.

[B]

The young bull says, why don't we run down there and bleep one of those cows? And then the old bull says, why don't we just walk down and bleep them all?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I did it with Messi just walking down like, I don't need to run all the time. I can walk down and I own all these guys. And they know he does.

[B]

And shout out to Grandpa Katavi, God rest your soul. And mom, if you're listening to the show on replay, or, Sorry, if you're listening to the podcast here in the future, Grandpa so did not tell me that joke when I was 7.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And that you're, like, 100% never said.

[A]

Is she the one that makes Klotch, whatever they call it?

[B]

My grandma? Yes, absolutely.

[D]

That's.

[A]

Am I saying it right?

[B]

Look at you.

[A]

I'm learning something. Hey, by the way, Polish.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. Czechoslovakia.

[A]

Czechoslovakia. Same thing.

[B]

Are you ready? By the way, I never in a million years thought this was going to be Polish days. Coming up. Kolachki days.

[A]

What day?

[B]

This weekend. July 24th through the 24th.

[A]

Where are you going?

[B]

What are you. Are you coming down to Montgomery? No, you. Oh, my God.

[A]

I got the three. I'm open. Have you been watching golf?

[B]

I want to get to that in a second.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

But I'm going to tell you right

[A]

now, where is this and where.

[B]

I'm going to give you a homework assignment because you love classic cars. I love you love you. Love the old school car. Roll in. They're having it this. I'll text you the date exactly. Montgomery.

[A]

Montgomery, Minnesota.

[B]

You gotta come down now. There's a little bit.

[A]

JCPenney.

[B]

There's a little bit.

[A]

See what I did there? Montgomery?

[B]

Okay, I don't know where that is.

[A]

That wasn't that bad.

[B]

It's a little bit south of New Prig.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

So you can roll in with one of your cars. You pick whatever one you want, okay? You'll roll in. I'll buy you your first Kolach.

[A]

Oh, that sound.

[B]

You know what? And it's gonna be this weekend. We're gonna have a ton of fun, huh? Yeah. Am I convincing you?

[C]

A little bit.

[A]

It sounds really intriguing. It's supposed to be hot, though.

[B]

It's July. Guess what? It is in July. It's hot.

[A]

Is there air conditioning anywhere?

[B]

I'm gonna tell you right now. I'm gonna give you a homework assignment, okay? And you have the only way.

[A]

Montgomery, Minnesota.

[B]

Well, not. Not only that. You are going. Okay. Frat pack. Yeah, we have. What was the thing they used to do on Funniest Home Videos? Assignment America.

[A]

Oh, yes.

[B]

That's what we should start doing with the frat pack.

[A]

That would be really cool.

[B]

Assignment America. Or we should say assignment frat pack. We're gonna convince Michael to go to a small town Minnesota festival. Before, let's say. Cause some of them happen after Labor Day. Before October 1st. Cause I know some of the town festivals happen after. I know you're busy with kids moving out to college.

[A]

You think I wouldn't love it? I would love it. I love that stuff.

[B]

I know you do.

[A]

That kind of stuff.

[B]

What happened last summer when you came to the Jordan Mini Mall? You absolutely loved it.

[A]

I wanted to buy a house in Jord. I never wanted to go there at all, but I wanted to buy a house in Georgia. Like, I want to have a house real close. I was going to get an apartment over one of the bars. Right in the back of the parking lot.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So I could just look outside, watch it happen. Feel good about America for 10 to 12 minutes.

[B]

And your boy was up grilling burgers all Saturday last weekend. Just this last Saturday.

[A]

Really?

[B]

I was. That was my duty.

[A]

You get, like, appearances for that now. You're not charging for that.

[B]

You do get. You do get a free. Free burger. The chef.

[A]

Well, the one you accidentally dropped on the floor. You're like, oh, that was my.

[B]

That one's mine.

[A]

I'm eating that.

[B]

I'm telling you right now, though. Kolotchki days. And I will Be there. So if you're there, give me a shout out. And I know we're gonna transition here in a minute.

[A]

I think this is the best stuff I've ever heard.

[B]

I think you would love it. And I think if you did the. I think the car show is either Thursday or Friday. I can't remember, but I'll for sure send it to you.

[A]

Okay. My Minnesota is how far south from here?

[B]

Yeah, 45 minutes.

[A]

Oh, that's nothing.

[B]

It's nothing.

[A]

Nothing.

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

All right. Let's talk about our friends. Speaking of small town, let's talk about Cohasset, Minnesota and our friends at Masters Maples and mastersmaples. Dot. My mother, we went down there for dinner. She did like, remember the bull bites they have at the state fair fair? So my parents get their own beef processed and she did the savory seasoning for Masters Maples with steak Bites. I said, okay, this needs to become a thing. They were so spectacular. We had those a couple of nights ago. Oh my God, they were amazing, Michael. Amazing.

[A]

It is strange, I'm not much of a syrup person in the morning. Like, I don't have pancakes very often. The other day I did have pancakes and I used some Master's maple. It is like game changingly different. I'm used to the chick, the old what's her name?

[B]

The crap that we don't mention.

[A]

But it has no. That's just sugar.

[B]

There's no flavor to it.

[A]

And I think my taste buds thought that's what it was supposed to taste like. When you taste real maple syrup, it's like totally night and day different.

[B]

It's a slice of heaven is what it is.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Wow, this is really good.

[B]

So mastersmaples.com that's where you can place your order. Get all of their products at all of the Fratelloni's hardware and garden stores locations. But it's our buddy Ben. And you know what? Sign up for their newsletter. It's really cool actually. And Ben does a really good job of providing all sorts of grilling recipes and whatnot at the end of each individual newsletter. And it's completely free by the way, but you gotta sign up for [e-mail] but like I mentioned, go into Fratelloni's hardware and garden stores. It doesn't matter what you're looking for. The 100% pure Minnesota made maple syrup, the maple Sugar, that's also 100% pure. And also the sweet and savory seasonings and rubs. Ladies and gentlemen, it's grilling season and you are not going to go wrong the sweet on wings right now. Oh my goodness. We also did that a couple of days ago on the boys. Absolutely love that. But place your order [e-mail] and you too can taste the difference. The weekly scramble. We will be right back.

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[B]

So it always sneaks up on me. And you were just mentioning to me before the show started that you had the opportunity to golf in the pro. Is it the pro?

[A]

Am I one of the pro ams

[B]

yesterday for the 3M Open? And it always sneaks up on me because I know. Does it always follow the Open?

[A]

It always follows the Open, which is a little weird because people are flying back from Europe. It's a long way to get back. That makes you think if you have a chance to win on Sunday and you need to be here like today or tomorrow, right? You gotta.

[B]

That's a grind.

[A]

It's a grind like you're just. There's no Days off in professional golf.

[B]

So were you the celebrity or were you the. Were you the pro or were you the am?

[A]

I didn't know. Right. When they invited me, I thought, I'm

[B]

going to toot your horn.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're a very good golfer. That's why I'm asking.

[A]

No, no, that's not true.

[B]

Yes, you are.

[A]

I played. So. My handicap used to be under 10. Now it's above 15. I'm a 16.9. I can barely say it out loud.

[B]

Will you do me a favor?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Will you please explain to me what

[A]

it means I'm not very good means at a 16.9.

[B]

What does the number mean?

[A]

16.9 means I. I basically need one given stroke to me every hole if I wanted to play par, right? For every hole, they're like, mike, we're gonna give you a stroke.

[B]

Because if you're five under, that means like if you're.

[A]

If you're five, that means you'd only get five strokes on a total round of 18.

[B]

On an 18 to get you to 72.

[A]

If you're plus. Right. Some of the guys I was playing with were plus, meaning if they played me, they'd have to give me strokes.

[B]

What would a. What would the rung of a professional golfer be in terms of a handicap?

[A]

Best professional golfers, they say, are plus tens, maybe plus 11s.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But they play hard courses. If they came and played public courses, they'd be plus 15s. Plus 16.

[B]

Gotcha.

[A]

Okay. But they play the hardest of hard courses, right? So I played with one. Mr. Adam Thielen.

[B]

Oh, nice.

[A]

He ended up being the pro in art. I thought it was him or me. He was the one who. The pro is Reavers. Can I say something?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, I've seen Adam Thielen around, right? He's a sharp looking guy.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

He could not have been a cooler more down to earth.

[B]

I believe that one of the nicest guys around right here. Look at. Look at what I'm wearing.

[A]

You got a little Mankato football shirt. I mean, by the way, that I

[B]

stole from my college roommate. By the way, that I still have been wearing for 30 years. But go ahead.

[A]

So he's a plus handicap, right? He's not quite a plus one.

[B]

So.

[A]

Meaning he. He should normally score par on every round he plays, that kid. So it was a shamble. Do you know what a shamble is? It's everyone tees off, and then you go to the best drive, and then you tee. You hit from his ball in for the rest of the night.

[B]

Is that just a best ball?

[A]

Well, that's usually a scramble where everyone just plays the best ball. But a shamble is you play your own ball after the first tee shot. So I hit the ball.

[B]

Gotcha.

[A]

260. 275. Right.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

If I hit it well, 275, oftentimes I hit it far left, far right. I mean, I'm just. I lose it. Well, one little Adam Thielen likes to hit the ball. 310, 315, 345. On some holes, if it's catching, right? I'm like. That makes the game of golf so different. When It's a par four, 426 yarder and you're coming in from 100 yards instead of my 180 yards or whatever it is. And so I am. Again, I'm a 16 handicap, but I have some skills at some things. I used to be better. So every blue moon, I pull it out of the hat. Well, from Adam's tee shots in, I was on fire. I mean, if it was 100 yards out, I was making my next putt. I mean, it was unbelievable.

[B]

No kidding.

[A]

We were like 23 under, and I was a big chunk of those. Those points. I mean, a big chunk. It was. It felt really good. I probably lost like six or seven balls because I was driving it into the weeds because I was trying to hit as hard as I could to be anywhere close to where those guys would be. Right. Every guy who played. That's so cool. A plus two handicap. Then we had Thielen at a plus a quarter. He's plus 2.2.5.

[B]

Correct me if I'm wrong, I believe I have heard his game. Like, he's borderline going to be a chance to be a decent amateur. If not, maybe. I don't know.

[A]

Yeah, no, he's a really. He's a very, very good player, and he takes the sport very seriously. You know, athletes are just different.

[B]

Yeah, right, right.

[A]

They're just different. They're wider. Everything is competitive and everything means something to them, and they try harder. He's coaching and stuff. And I did. So I was in the cart with a guy named Larry, right? He's a 3M guy. And he invited me, and he's just the nicest guy in the world, right? And I looked at him. I looked at him, and then I looked at Adam. I'm like, wow. It's almost like he's a professional athlete, right? And because 3M is so generous to these athletes, they get really good playing Former athletes as these celebrities for this tournament. And it's funny, you could just see the pro athletes and some of them are 65 years old, right? But you could just point them. There's one, there's. You might not recognize. Recognize him. I'll give you a really great example. I'm standing in line to get a beer and a woman comes up to me and says, hey, my daughter's a big fan of Find it at frats, right? That social media thing that we're doing. I said, oh, my God, thanks. I give her this gift card. Give her daughter a gift card. It was super, super cool. Guy behind me says, oh, who are you? I said, I'm Mike Fradaloni from Fratelloni. Got one right in my neighborhood. You're great. I said, oh, what are you doing? He goes, I was a former NFL quarterback. And I said, oh, who? And he says, I'm Rich Gannon. And for some reason, I pictured Rich Gannon. I pictured rich Gannon at 33 years old. Oh, my God, right? And Rich is not. Rich is a great looking guy. He looked like an athlete. I knew he was an athlete. He's tall and strong. But he's 60, right? Or 60 something, right? And I thought, oh, he's an adult man now, right? He's not a young punk guy playing football. He's an adult like that. Plays golf with me, right?

[B]

A quick shout out to him. Cause he used to come on the show weekly with Royce and myself. Cause we would have. Every Tuesday we'd have an NFL related guest. And Rich was. I mean, he's great. This is going to give a shout out to a Sirius XM show. His football show is amazing.

[A]

Is it?

[B]

During the season, he. Nobody can break down the quarterback position and just the game in general, like him. I think he's one of the most. And I'm not saying that because he's one of us. He married a Minnesota girl and he still lives here. I'm not saying it because. I'm saying because he's really good at dissecting a game.

[A]

Well, he was really humble. He didn't say to me. And he wasn't going to say, I'm Rich Gannon. He didn't do that at all. He said, I'm a former NFL player. That's why I got invited here. You know, he kind of did that. But it was funny. As you're walking around and there was probably, what is that, 36 celebrity athletes there. You could be John Randall. I mean, you could just pick them out. They Just are different looking breeds. But Adam Thielen, if you ever get a chance to meet him, if he's doing a signing or if he's out someplace, go meet him. Because he could just not have been nicer. And I want to thank 3M for inviting me out because I was little crestfallen that I wasn't the celebrity. I'm not. I mean, whatever, right? That they didn't say, hey, Mike, you're in cart number one. You get to go play with these people. But it was awfully nice having a real celebrity like Adam Thielen, obviously. I think people do. People know I'm joking about me, Okay? I wanted to make sure they knew that.

[B]

Can I share you my quick Rich Gannon story?

[A]

Yeah. Do you have a Rich Gannon story?

[B]

I do. Well, this is before I worked here. It was in between my two radio stints. I was working for a large health club chain that rhymes with fitness. That rhymes with rife Time.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

I don't even. Honestly, I don't know. A couple of years ago, I ran into a buddy of mine that still works there, and he's a daily listener of GL on our show. He's like, why don't you just say you worked at Lifetime? None of us care. We actually all think it's cool that you went on to be a radio celebrity.

[A]

People love Lifetime.

[B]

And I did. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. In fact, maybe one day I'll be back there again. I have no idea.

[A]

At least to work out.

[B]

Exactly. Anyway, so I had a job there in which Rich and his beautiful wife would come work out. We were in the Southwest Metro, the club that I worked at, and Jess and I went to the U2 concert. This would be, I'm gonna say, 05. 2004. 2005. No. Whenever U2 had that big lemon. No, they had a series of shows. We saw them twice or saw them in Minneapolis. Not the U.S. bank show. It was at Target Center. And then we also saw them in Chicago at United center because we have friends that live down there.

[A]

Or Lemon or discotheque.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The big lemon that had sparkles all over it. Okay.

[B]

That's the one band I've seen, I think, at least six times. So I don't remember what show it was in any event. So I got great seats. Jess and I are standing there, and all of a sudden I feel a tap on my shoulder. And I turn around, he's like. He's like, Chris. I go, oh, my God, it's Rich Cannon and his wife and he said, how are you? And she says, well, who's that?

[D]

Who's that?

[C]

Who's that?

[B]

And I said, well, that's Rich Gannon. He and his wife, and forgive me, I forget his wife's name, she's a wonderful woman. I said, well, this is Rich Gannon and his wife, and they work out at Lifetime and blah, blah, blah, blah. And we hung out. It was super cool. It was as if we were friends. Even though it's a two second conversation when he checks in, hey, how you doing? How's everything going? Blah, blah, blah.

[A]

He was sitting behind you?

[B]

Yeah, well, I'm sorry. Next to me.

[A]

Because I was like, if he was behind you, I would have. If I were Rich Gannon, I say, how the hell. How the hell did he get in front of me? Get this guy out of here.

[B]

Times were good back then.

[A]

Times are good back then. Vertigo Tour.

[B]

Vertigo, thank you. That's exactly the tour that I marked

[A]

on the vertigo tour in 2004.

[B]

But. But super good, dude. So that's why I'm super glad that you were able to run in him,

[A]

because he was cool. People I were playing with, with cool. This is kind of a big deal. I don't know if everyone appreciates what a big deal having this tournament in the Twin Cities is. Oh, yeah, we're gonna get some of the top players in the world, like the, you know, 60 of the top

[B]

100 people back out.

[A]

Yeah, people back out. Right. And it's simple. Fact is, it's a long run. It's a lot. But we have the number one player in the world here. It's gonna be a big deal. Right?

[B]

So I heard a great line, and I'm not gonna steal it. I'm gonna give. No, I'm gonna give the proper credit because I love the show too much. I'm a huge fan of the Dan Patrick show. And Dan Patrick, I believe it was last week, had Mike Tirico on his show. And Mike, of course, about as big a name as it comes in broadcasting. And he's done everything. He does the NFL for NBC. He does the NBA. He. And he did the golf. He did the British Open.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

And he had one of the greatest lines because of how. And it wasn't, I guess he wasn't necessarily mocking how pretentious the Brits are about the fact that they created the grand old game of golf. But he said. He basically said, you know, Dan, I've been covering golf so long that it used to be called the British Open and now it's just called the Open, you know, basically mocking the fact that they removed British. So he goes, dan, I've been covering this game so long that it used to be called the British Open and now it's just called the Open. And soon it will just be called the. And I thought I laughed because I love just how stuffy some elements of golf can be. That line made me laugh out loud. I thought it was so great.

[A]

Why do you say golf is stuffy?

[B]

Why? Oh, fine.

[A]

It's not stuffy.

[B]

You are such a fraud.

[A]

They just want a little bit of decorum. They just want rules.

[B]

He moved to leaf.

[A]

They. They just want. They just want guys to tuck in their shirts. They just want guys to not wear their hats inside the clubhouse.

[B]

I love this part, too. Oh, yeah. I just saw Rory McElroy kick a twig and I think it misplaces ball. I gotta go by reverse. They can call in violations watching it on tv.

[A]

Name another sport where the vast majority of the players would call the penalty on themselves. Except for guys like Patrick Reed. He would cheat because I think he's a cheater.

[B]

I love the fact that they. Is it Bryson?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I love the fact that they followed him around for like 16 straight hours to find out if Quigg was moved or not or whatever.

[A]

And I shouldn't have done what he did. He knew what he was doing.

[B]

But I also love the fact that Rory McElroy, the most outrageous thing that was said was I'm not fond of him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And the golf world went nuts. He's not fond of him. Like, that's a controversial.

[A]

Do that, though, because you're going to spend and the next 30 weeks a year with him. Over the next 10 years, you're going to see Bryson DeChambeau for a lot. You're going to see more than your wife.

[B]

I don't think either one of them really gives a damn. Yeah.

[A]

I don't know. It is a gentleman sport played by gentlemen. The best thing you could do. Note to people who have daughters that are young, get them playing golf. It's a sport you can play with them.

[B]

That's not what I thought you were going to say.

[A]

You can get them playing your entire life with them. Luckily, you could go into old age and your kids could play with you. If you're a player in old age. Right. Corporately, if they make it to corporate America, they get huge advantages if they can play golf. Huge advantages. Not that men would not get advantages, but if you're a great stick and you're a 28 year old girl, guess who's going to corporate outings and playing golf?

[D]

True.

[B]

That's very true.

[A]

Would you rather sit at a booth and say, our company sells windows and

[B]

I would be willing to take on that challenge with Paige Spiranac right on my side.

[A]

You would love that, you weirdo.

[B]

So let's talk about our friends at harmony spirits and harmonyspirits.net Paige, can I get you another rum, vodka, whiskey or a house. Whatever you want. New car, Whatever you need, I got you, Paige. Harmonyspirits.net, that's where you go online right now to purchase Harmony spirits online. Yeah. Did you know you could buy Harmony spirits online? That's right. You can buy Harmony spirits online right now by clicking the buy online [e-mail] and you know what? A quick shout out to everybody that's been stopping in at the tasting room. We've had such a beautiful stretch of weather these last couple of weeks.

[C]

Weeks.

[B]

And it's been fantastic to see all those photos pop up on social media, including the frat pack, by the way. You people are freaking awesome.

[C]

They are great.

[B]

And it's pretty cool. So stop in and say hi to Larry and Damon and the entire Harmony Spirits crew. And you know what? Check out that rotating menu of craft cocktails at the tasting room. But please do me a favor. Go into your local liquor store and ask for the Harmony brand by name. That is truly how they are going to continue to increase their brand. Harmonyspirits.net Please do me a favor. Let Larry, let Damon, let the entire Harmony Spirits crew know that you heard about them right here on the weekly scramble podcast. And we. We will be right back. Not that I want to get a little heavy. I'm not talking about walls. I'm not talking about politics. I'm not talking about any of that crap.

[A]

You talk murder?

[B]

No. One of the things that I wanted to get to, and this is something that I want to see, how I want to phrase this. For a lot of years, I get a little frustrated with how certain corporate entities in the broadcast world tend to run their operation. This is not me throwing stones at anybo particular. But you and I were just talking about how great. And I'm not sucking up to anybody here in this building. But I've always had a genuine appreciation for the way the Hubbard Broadcasting family takes care of their business because I've been here for almost 20 years and I love it here. And other entities, though, have to make certain decisions based upon the corporate structure, the bottom line, viewership clicks, all that stuff. I fully get get and completely understand how everything works. I'm not an idiot. But I gotta tell you, I saw some news a couple hours ago that really made me mad and I'm gonna tell you why. So espn, I saw this story. An affiliate that we used to have ties with back in the radio days.

[A]

Don't we still? Are we not ESPN?

[B]

Well, AM 1500 is a. I should rephrase that. ESPN, it is an affiliate for ESPN National Program.

[A]

There you go.

[B]

So this isn't me. Okay, here's what I'm getting at. I don't want to hear any more about why a company needs to pay $60 million a year for the likes of Pat McAfee. And I get why you do?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The dude bro mantra lifestyle of I want to be at a WWE event or I want to watch a guy chug beers at college game day. He's obviously taking advantage of a corporate structure that's allowing him to make $60 million annually.

[A]

Free market, baby.

[B]

But. And I've seen this on social media, so I'm not breaking any news and I'm not. I saw that our guy, Tom Pelissero was going to lose his job.

[A]

Really?

[B]

And I'm here to tell you. I'm here to tell you why that is so wrong. I've known Tom for 20 some years. When he and I and Jeremy Sinan who works, we were all lackeys. We were all interns. We were all dot com nerds in the very infancy of kfan.com and it was clear right away that we all had a passion about sports. Jeremy was very knowledgeable about the technical aspect of how to run and operate a website. Tom was very good at creating a story and knowing how to interview guys and scoop sources. I was there for entertainment.

[A]

You passed the buttons. Yeah, Right.

[B]

And I want to give a shout out to Frank Todick too. It was us four that were there way back in the day. I'm talking 25, six years ago. And so when I saw that news about Tom, I was.

[A]

I didn't hear that.

[B]

I was a little bit sad. I was a lot of pissed off.

[A]

Really.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

Very angry because I know the kind of work that that guy puts in to not only being knowledgeable but. But to be great on the air. I did a show with Tom for a couple years. In fact, his departure is what led us to having the beer show. Because Tom and I used to do 6 to 8pm together after the ride with Royce on the legendary AM 1500. And I loved working with him because he really showed me what it was gonna take to be a true NFL insider. And I thought, holy f, I can't work that hard. I got a towel ball game today. I gotta work for Sushere. But I guess the part that makes me mad is not only that. And I guess I'm not even here to rip espn. It bums me out, Michael, to see the way that the landscape of everything is changing. And what I mean when I say that is I was trying to explain to my dad why watching a Twins game in 2026 is so complicated. And it's because, well, these outlets need revenue streams in order to supplement what it's gonna cost them to put a game on the air. And it was as if I was trying to speak Greek to a year old. He just, it wasn't comprehending. And that's the part. And I get it, I get it. It's all, is it a slide scale? Is that how it works? Sliding scale? It all is going to change and it will always change. You know, what is in 2026 isn't going to be what it is in 2027. So I get all of that. I guess the point that I'm trying to make is it really bums me out that you have to be the screaming idiot of a Stephen A. Smith in order to make it. And then that the top line scale is gonna make exponentially more money than even the secondary scale. And the third scale, you're lucky to have a gig. Sure, that's the part that really, really bothers me.

[A]

But those are personalities reverse. And they've carved their niche.

[B]

But why are they personalities and why are they getting paid that amount of money?

[A]

I get it. Because they found the niche. They're getting paid what they deserve to make because they're bringing in the audience, the Mom. Take Pat McAfee off the Pat McAfee Show. Everyone else on that show could make $4 a show because no one cares about them. They only care about Pat McAfee.

[B]

Right, and why do they care about Pat McAfee?

[A]

Because he built this brand. He did something special.

[B]

To what audience though?

[A]

To the sports watching audience, 25, 18

[B]

to 35 year old guys, the knuckle dragging society. That's who's tuning into 18 to 35

[A]

year old males is what it is.

[B]

Well, but I guess that I think you're, I think we're agreeing even though we don't sound like we're.

[A]

I mean, they're not knuckle draggers. They're just guys that like Sports.

[B]

It's the 18 to 35 year old knuckle dragging, low hanging fruit that is what is driving these decisions. And that's what bothers me. It's not the, and I don't want to say educated sports fan, but again, I got Nothing against Pat McAfee for making any money. I don't like his show and I don't, I don't get it, but I get. I know he has an audience. That's what bothers me. It's the same argument I will make about why the rise in popularity of UFC drives me insane. Because we are becoming dumber and dumber by the second. That's what bothers me about all this. Mortal Kombat or Stephen A Going and I have never been a fan. And the one interaction I ever had with him when the super bowl was here in 2018, I was praying he was. Well, I should probably not say what I was about to say. Thank God I stopped myself. He's just not a. He's not a guy. He's an entitled douche and I couldn't stand being around him. But the point is, in your humble opinion. In my humble opinion, the point I guess I'm trying to make is that's what drives me nuts is the guy that kind of does it the right way worked his butt off to create sort. And again, Tom will land on his feet. He will find a gig somewhere doing something.

[A]

McAfee tried. He was working. He was a professional football player.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

He worked hard to get where he is, bro.

[B]

Dude.

[D]

What?

[B]

And I was doing this because my

[A]

son, I get it. I hate the fact that he doesn't wear shirts with sleeves on them.

[B]

My youngest son likes the show Mr. Beast.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

And it exactly illustrates everything I have just said in the last eight minutes or whatever it's been. Because he hates it when I make fun of him. He's like, how come you don't like Mr. Beast? I said, hey, would you like to hear we'll be driving in the car, right? I said, Leland, my 11 year old son said, do you want to hear the latest episode of Mr. Beast? And he'll go, oh God, here comes dad's speech. I said, no, no, no. I actually have it here on my phone and I'll pretend to push a button on my phone. I go, are you ready to hear the latest episode of Mr. Beast? He's like, yeah. I go, all right, I'm gonna put on my headphones because I'M gonna pretend to play a video game.

[A]

Whoa.

[B]

No, come on. Don't go in there. What? What's going on? Oh, my God. I'm gonna die. Here I go. There. How about I just put that on loop for 18 minutes? That's the latest episode of Mr. Beast.

[A]

I think he's better than that. So. Yeah, it's got truth. Mr.

[B]

Beast again.

[A]

Again.

[B]

He's built an empire.

[A]

He's built an empire.

[B]

Maybe it's professional jealousy. Maybe. You know what? Maybe that's what we just need to do.

[A]

That's what it is.

[B]

Maybe we should just look in the camera.

[D]

Go. Oh, whoa. What?

[B]

Oh, my God. Look at that.

[A]

You do that actually pretty damn well.

[B]

That's all the show is.

[A]

Yeah, that's. Maybe that might be something you could really maximize. What do you think about Ryan Clark getting fired? Did you see that? In the middle of his show, he gets a text message on the polar

[B]

opposite scale of how I view Tom. And again, I have a personal relationship

[A]

with Tom just like Ryan Clark.

[B]

It's not that I dislike him, but as much as I have had such an appreciation for the career that Tom has built. And again, I know I'm biased because I would consider him a friend, and I worked with him. Ryan Clark decided to go down the route of being a. I don't want to say race baiter, but a lot of the stuff that he would bring up on the air, it was like, well, why is that? How come we're talking about Josh Allen? We're not talking about Jalen Hurts. Well, you're saying that because he's a white quarterback and this guy's a black quarterback. Like, come on, dude.

[A]

I didn't know that, but I'm trying too hard. ESPN cut ties with the NFL analyst Ryan Clark in the middle of his show. They sent him a text message, and he left. And the show was without him for 10 minutes.

[B]

Well, they basically just cut the fee to his studio.

[A]

I mean, that is weird. And he was making 2 million bucks a year, which is real money, right? That's real money. Especially in that business. Like you said, the top talent makes a lot, and then everybody else makes less and less and less and less and less. Right? And I thought, that's a tough way to get fired. But they said they didn't want him to fire. Find out on social media. It's like, how would he have found out on social media? Can't you get a guy on the phone and say, hey, FYI, this is coming down. We're not going to Renew your contract. Respectfully. Good luck to you. You know, whatever.

[B]

Oh, my. This is a bulletin.

[A]

It's breaking news. Breaking news.

[B]

Holy cow. Ryan Clark and Tom Pelissero have been replaced in their NFL analysis by Mr. Beast. I actually. I have the first clip of his NFL preseason preview.

[A]

Don't do it. What?

[B]

No. Oh, my God. The Vikings? No, Eagles. Oh, my God. They're not going to.

[A]

I don't think you know Mr. Beast, because I don't think he does that. Maybe the guys on the show does.

[B]

Mr.

[A]

Beast is an elegant, elegant guy.

[B]

We're just a nation of evil reverse.

[A]

We went a long way. If you listen to this show, if you made it all the way through, I want to tell you how much we appreciate you. Because we're just two guys having fun on this juggernaut of the Garage Logic podcast network. And I just can't appreciate you more. And thank you for what you do for us. I hope you're watching on YouTube. I hope you listen to us. I hope you rate us. What else?

[B]

And review the show.

[A]

And review the show and what else?

[B]

And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you happen to be listening to.

[A]

That's what Reavers does. And by the way, Reavers, you know what you are?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You are the best.

[B]

I just have an idea.

[A]

What's that?

[B]

We're gonna have. What would you call it? Not a spin off a. Like a cover band version of Mr. Beast. We're gonna call it Mr. Yeast. That is gonna be.

[A]

Sounds like a breadwinner.

[B]

We see. See, you know what?

[A]

Our ratings will rise to the top.

[B]

What else?

[A]

What else we got? We got to get the Cranberries to be our jingle singer.

[B]

I don't get it.

[A]

Because they get rid of yeast infections drinking cranberries.

[B]

Jesus. Okay, that's all my fault.

[A]

It doesn't get any better than that.

[B]

That is all my fault.

[A]

Reavers.

[B]

You're the best. Thank you, Michael. And as he mentioned, rate and review the show. Or just email Pat McAfee and tell him how much I think he sucks. I don't care either way. Appreciate each and every single one of you. We'll talk to you again next time. Chee.

[D]

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