Podcast Summary: The BOB & TOM Show – March 26, 2026

Overview

This special remote episode of The BOB & TOM Show celebrates Cincinnati’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball, broadcasting live from Smoke Justice, a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky. The crew—Tom Griswold, Christy Lee, Willie Griswold, Pat Godwin, and guest comedians—delivers trademark comedic banter, audience interaction, live music, sports talk, and local flavor. Special focus is given to supporting children’s charity Brave Gowns, audience participation, and the quirks of baseball fandom in the region.

Main Themes & Purpose

• Celebrating Opening Day: The show marks Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day, exploring the passion of local fans, traditions, and the baseball culture of the area.
• Local Engagement: Live audience, local comedians, and stories rooted in Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky.
• Supporting Charity: Raising funds for Brave Gowns, which provides superhero capes for children in hospitals.
• Signature BOB & TOM Comedy: Running gags about naming the male anatomy, lighthearted jabs among the crew, and songs about infidelity and ballpark excess.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Day & The Reds' Tradition

• Tom celebrates Opening Day in Cincinnati as the “real start” of baseball (03:20).
• Comments on local driving quirks and navigating to Smoke Justice—a bar with “a thousand types of alcohol” (10:03).

2. Male Anatomy Naming (Recurring Segment)

• Tom invites audience applause for naming male anatomy; reads an email where a member is called “Folgers” ("the best part of waking up", 05:14).
• Willie, Christy, and Pat riff with more examples, leading to rounds of laughter (22:14, 91:18).
  • Quote (Christy, 05:14): “No one does that.”
  • Quote (Tom, 05:43): “He used to call his male member Folgers because it was the best part of waking up.”

3. Comedy Songs

• “Deny, Deny, Deny”: Pat Godwin performs an original song about extramarital cover-ups. Audience joins in the chorus (07:00–09:30).
  • Quote (Pat, 08:31): “If someone saw you, banger, blame it on a doppelganger. Say it wasn’t you there in the park. It wasn’t me… Deny, deny, deny.”
• “Kentucky Bourbon”: Pat’s tribute to bourbon’s transformation powers at a bar, with lyrics about bourbon goggles (48:45).
• “The 999 Song”: Willie and Pat present a parody about the challenge of consuming nine beers and nine hot dogs in nine innings (40:58).

4. Brave Gowns Charity Drive

• Christy explains Brave Gowns' mission (12:48).
• Tom urges shirt purchases and charitable donations (13:36, 130:25).
  • Secret coordinates and “Easter eggs” printed on shirts—causing much on-air speculation (18:16–19:23, 36:54).

5. Audience & Local Participation

• Show features audience Q&A, applause polling, and live bits with guests from the crowd (12:23, 19:56).
• A classic radio skit “The First Baseball Game” involving audience member “Pastor Mike” as Harry Caray (143:53–149:19).

6. Roundtable Sports Discussion

• Willie hosts from the Orange Insoles Sports Desk.
• Sports topics:
  • Yankees' Opening Day win (21:02), robot umpire debut, Aaron Judge’s performance.
  • MLB's “999” challenge: nine beers, nine hot dogs, nine innings (14:22, 40:58), with much audience and crew ribbing.
  • NCAA March Madness: Bracket talk, odds of a perfect bracket, and the story of Otto Shellhammer, an 8th grader with a perfect women’s bracket (24:00).

7. Cannabis Legalization & Culture

• Discussion of marijuana’s patchwork legality across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan (27:16–28:00), with humorous asides about traveling with weed and local ride-share drivers (28:13–29:47).
• Explanation of weed terms: joint, blunt, spliff, gummy (41:55–42:32).

8. Cincinnati-Style Chili & Ballpark Foods

• Local food quirks: five-way chili, hot dog cannons, “Glizzilla” 2-ft hot dog, ballpark food trends (135:13–136:37).
• Debate over sushi, tacos, and other “exotic” stadium fare (40:52).

9. Guest Comedians' Insights

• Mark Shalafu (ex-sports talk host): On the devotion of Cincinnati fans, sports nicknames, and parenting three girls in the digital/social media age (58:06–71:12).
• Rob Haney: On marital longevity, local sports gambling, and Cincinnati traditions.
• Kelly Collette: Former Red’s “Rally Pack” member, mascot stories, dog adoption & dating life (123:00, 133:03, 136:49).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ballpark Traditions
  Tom (03:15): “Baseball is punctuated with rhythms and movement and more nut adjusting than at a gathering of obsessive-compulsive squirrels.”
• On Charity
  Christy Lee (12:48): “Brave Gowns is a charity...makes really cute capes and superhero outfits for kids...it is very helpful to raise the spirits not only of the child, but of the family that’s there all day every day.”
• On Parenting & Social Media
  Mark Shalafu (62:08): “My daughter borrows my iPad...leaving comments on these teenagers’ makeup tutorials…sounds way different coming from a 40-year-old man.”
• On Stadium Navigation
  Tom (10:47): “You’ve got like, in the next 30 yards go left, 40 yards later go right. Sorry, you’re in Indiana—what?”
• On Modern Relationships
  Mark Shalafu (75:05): “I don’t understand these couples that tell each other everything…My wife and I…different bank accounts for years, and I still haven’t told her that.”
• On the “999” Challenge
  Willie (31:21): “Back in my day, you drank nine full size beers. Anybody? I thought I was gonna start a revolution there.”
• On Marijuana Use
  Willie (28:00): “You hear that? Dozen honest losers out there. Good to see you guys. I’m a loser too.”
• On Nicknames in Sports
  Tom (59:00): “Johnny Ugly. Dick Shot…His last name is Dick Shot. His nickname quite literally was Ugly. Because he was proclaimed to be the ugliest man in baseball.”
• On Mascot Life
  Kelly Collette (132:27): “I was Rosie Red. Twice…Somebody drunk kept talking into my mouth oxygen hole, ‘Are you a girl in there or a boy?’ I just kept going, ‘I don’t know. What am I in there?’”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–03:15: Opening monologue—baseball as father-son tradition, comedic reminiscence.
• 05:14–06:11: “Name Your Member” live poll; audience/email jokes.
• 07:00–09:30: “Deny, Deny, Deny” musical performance w/ audience sing-along.
• 12:48–13:36: Brave Gowns charity and shirts.
• 14:22–14:42: Introduction of “999” ballpark challenge.
• 22:14–23:37: More “Name Your Member” emails and jokes; crowd interaction.
• 24:00: Sweet 16 NCAA bracket—8th grader’s perfect women’s bracket.
• 31:03–31:46: “999” challenge, historical anecdotes, and reactions.
• 40:58–41:38: 999 Song parody by Willie and Pat.
• 48:45–49:57: “Kentucky Bourbon” song (Pat Godwin).
• 58:06–71:12: Mark Shalafu interview—sports talk, family, local nicknames.
• 123:00–134:23: Kelly Collette’s stories of life as a Reds mascot and Rally Pack member.
• 133:03–133:41: Mascot perils: “oxygen hole” and drunk fans.
• 135:13–136:37: New MLB ballpark foods discussion—hot dog cannons, tacos, the “Glizzilla”.
• 143:53–149:19: Radio play: “The First Baseball Game” with Pastor Mike as Harry Caray.
• 154:08–155:13: End-of-show plugs, charity reminders, send-off.

Flow & Tone

The episode is classic BOB & TOM: quick-witted, cheerfully irreverent, and full of good-natured ribbing between longtime colleagues and guests. There is genuine warmth in local references, support for charity, and playful crowd work. Sports and parenting are treated as sources of humor and relatable struggle. The show’s tone is informal and often self-deprecating but always audience-inclusive—whether live or listening at home.

For Listeners New and Old

• Expect rapid-fire jokes, musical interludes, and extended comedic riffs.
• Baseball, local culture, and parenthood are recurring themes.
• Live crowd and comedians foster spontaneous humor and relatable moments.
• Charity, community, and local pride ground the more absurd bits.
• Notable segments: the “Deny Deny Deny” song, the “Name Your Member” poll, Mascot stories, and the live “First Baseball Game” radio play.

In a Nutshell

This episode encapsulates why The BOB & TOM Show remains a fixture: It’s a unique blend of Midwest warmth, classic comedy, unscripted moments, and an ever-rotating cast of guests—all tied together by a genuine enthusiasm for sports, community, and each other.