Odd News w/ Jake (Mon 8/10 - Seg 5)

Summary

Middays With Matt – Odd News w/ Jake (Mon 8/10 – Seg 5)

Host: Matt McMaster
Guest Contributor: Jake Janice
Date: August 10, 2026
Podcast: Middays With Matt, 1620 The Zone

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Episode Overview

This segment of "Middays With Matt" zeroes in on the delightfully weird and unexpected side of current events, as Matt McMaster and Jake Janice break down quirky news stories. In this episode, Jake shares headlines that range from the chaos of a stubborn child grounding a flight to the rodeo antics of police lassoing a runaway bull. The conversation weaves relatable travel woes with Matt’s phobias of escaped zoo animals, all delivered in a conversational, sometimes comedically exasperated tone.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Flight Delayed: Child Refuses to Buckle Up

[00:59–02:46]

• Story: A Porter Airlines flight in Canada was cancelled after a child refused to sit and buckle up, despite repeated attempts from both parent and crew.

  • Returning to the terminal and removing the family caused the flight to miss the airport’s runway closure window.
  • Passengers were stranded past 12:30am due to this incident.

• Matt’s Reaction: Matt is incredulous and sympathizes deeply with the other passengers:

  • “Oh, that's awful. Yeah, I would flip. I would flip my crap. I would lose it. Holy lord.” [01:40]

• Relatability: The hosts share personal experiences with babies on planes:

  • Matt: “I’ve never even had a baby crying on my plane. I've been lucky, dude... I had a run of luck with flights... and then about a year and a half ago it was like it was a pretty bad delay and ended up getting canceled… I almost couldn't get back to Omaha on time.” [02:03–02:36]
  • Jake: “I just only with a baby crying.” [02:01]

• Interactive Element: Matt proposes a poll for listeners:

  • “Poll question: Have you ever had a bad encounter with a baby on a plane? Yes or no at middays with Matt, we'll put that up.” [01:54]

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2. Alabama Deputies Lasso a 1,500-Pound Bull

[02:46–03:31]

• Story: In Pickens County, Alabama, deputies assisted in lassoing a loose 1,500-pound bull that was roaming a residential neighborhood and Highway 17. A police department quipped on social media about their limited rodeo skills.

  • “We all learned one thing. We're probably better off patrolling the county than trying to make a living on a rodeo circuit. Yeah, we'll hang our cowboys hat and boots back up. At least until the next bull decides to go out inside seat.” [03:17] (Jake quoting police)

• Matt’s Reflection: The story triggers Matt’s irrational fear of dangerous zoo animals escaping into the city:

  • “That is an irrational fear that I would live in a city that has a zoo... but then that zoo would lose, like, a silverback gorilla... My fear would be like having a close encounter with that... I would, I would freak out. I would never want that. It's an irrational fear.” [03:31–04:14]

• Personal Anecdote: Matt admits to skipping certain zoo exhibits:

  • “I go to the zoo a lot, but I now stay away from some exhibits... I don't dance with the alligators... I'll stick in the desert dome. That's exactly what I'll do.” [04:14–04:34]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Matt, on the buckling-up child:
  “That's now why I can't get to my family. That's absolute rid... Ridiculous.” [02:36]

• Matt, on his streak of good flying luck:
  “I had a run of luck with flights in terms of like not being canceled, not being delayed, nothing going wrong for a good like five years.” [02:09]

• Jake, quoting the Alabama police:
  “We're probably better off patrolling the county than trying to make a living on a rodeo circuit.” [03:17]

• Matt, on wild animal escape fears:
  “Can you imagine? I would flip out if just a gorilla right here walked across Dodge... I would lose it. I would... I would freak out. I would never want that.” [03:36–03:57]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:33] – Segment intro: Odd News with Jake
• [00:59] – Story 1: Canadian flight canceled over uncooperative child
• [01:39] – Matt’s reaction and passenger empathy
• [01:54] – Poll question about babies/children on flights
• [02:46] – Story 2: Deputies lasso a loose bull in Alabama
• [03:31] – Matt’s irrational zoo animal escape fear
• [04:34] – Matt details avoiding risky zoo exhibits

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Summary

This "Odd News" segment delights in the unexpected—from a child’s tantrum causing headaches for an entire passenger jet to small-town cops stumbling into rodeo territory. Through their banter, Matt and Jake make even the most bizarre headlines feel relatable, with Matt’s blend of empathy, dry wit, and honest anxieties keeping the conversation quick, light, and entertaining. The episode best serves listeners looking for some levity and realness—whether or not they’ve ever had a wild child on their flight or a bull in their backyard.

Transcript

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[Matt]

And now we've reached the point in the show where Josh Odson reads the peculiar, the bizarre, the comical, the odd news with oddsun. Odd news oddsun. See what we did there? The odd news with Odson. It's not the odd news of Josh Dotson. It's the odd news with Jake Janice this entire week. Jake, what do we got?

[Jake Janice]

So Porter Airlines flight in Canada canceled after child refuses to sit down and buckle up.

[Matt]

That's tough.

[Jake Janice]

So a Porter Airlines flight in Canada was canceled last week after young child refused to sit down and buckle up, forcing the plane back to the terminal terminal and delaying it past the airport's Runway closure. The Toronto based airline said Sunday that parent and crew repeatedly tried unsuccessfully to to secure the child in the seat when returning the plane to the terminal of Victoria International Airport in British Columbia and they had to remove the parent and child. Porter said removing the parent, child and their baggage delayed the Toronto bound flight so much that it went past 12:30am Runway closure.

[Matt]

Are you kidding?

[Jake Janice]

Yep.

[Matt]

Oh, that's awful. Yeah, I would flip. I would flip my crap. I would lose it. Holy lord. Those. Yeah, that's if you ever had a bad encounter with a baby on a plane.

[Jake Janice]

I mean crying.

[Matt]

Poll question have you ever had a bad encounter with a baby on a plane? Yes or no at middays with Matt, we'll put that up. I have not. Have you?

[Jake Janice]

I I just only with a baby crying.

[Grainger Announcer]

I've only.

[Matt]

I've never even had a baby crying on my plane. I've been lucky, dude. I've been. I had a run of luck with flights. I gotta knock on wood down. I had a run of luck with flights in terms of like not being canceled, not being delayed, nothing going wrong for a good like five years where it's like nothing really went awry. And then about a year and a half ago it was like it was a pretty bad delay and ended up getting canceled and it was like I almost couldn't get back to Omaha on time. That was. That was the worst. But I, I went on a pretty good run of being lucky with that stuff. I don't know what I would do if that. If the child couldn't buckle up. That's now why I can't get to my family. That's absolute rid. Ridiculous. What's the second hot news story?

[Jake Janice]

So what we got? Deputies had to help lasso an escaped 1,500 pound bull in Alabama.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Jake Janice]

Police and sheriff's deputies in Alabama traded in traffic stops for rodeo duty when they were called to lasso that 1,500 pound bull. The Pickens county sheriff's office said on social media that deputies respond alongside Carrollton police department officers when the bull was spotted wandering near a neighborhood. The long longhorn led its pursers to chase down Highway 17 and back to the neighborhood where it was originally spotted. And they showed a video of the cops trying to get the bull. And this is a quote. We all learned one thing. We're probably better off patrolling the county than trying to make a living on a rodeo circuit. Yeah, we'll hang our cowboys hat and boots back up. At least until the next bull decides to go out inside seat.

[Matt]

That is an irrational fear that I would live in a city that has a zoo, which I currently live in, but then that zoo would lose, like a silverback gorilla or they would lose a, you know, very dangerous animal or apex predator. And not only would. Is not only would my fear just be like, oh, zebras on the highway. My fear would be like having a close encounter with that. You know, just seeing a gorilla walk. Can you imagine? I would flip out if just a gorilla right here walked across Dodge. If it just was walking right, right here, just on all fours, just stomping through, I would lose it. I would, I was. I would, I would freak out. I would never want that. It's an irrational fear.

[Jake Janice]

Yes.

[Matt]

Okay. But I would. That is absolutely not. Honestly, like, I go to the zoo a lot, but I now stay away from some exhibits because I don't. Dude, I don't dance with the alligators. I don't. I don't like them. I don't. I, I. Everyone says incredible things about kingdom of the night. Not for your guy. Not for me. I'll stay. I'll stick in the desert dome. That's exactly what I'll do. All right, we'll stick to football because that's what we do here on middays with Matt. NFL training camp updates and some more Husker football talk coming up next here on the days with Matt when you're

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