25W: Bobby's Sperm Clinic Experience + Phillies Legend Ryan Howard on Getting Recognized from Being in 'The Office' + Kickoff Kevin's First Babysitter Recap

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show — 25 Whistles (May 6, 2026)

Episode: Bobby's Sperm Clinic Experience + Phillies Legend Ryan Howard + Kickoff Kevin’s First Babysitter Recap
Host: Bobby Bones
Guests: Ryan Howard, Mike Vorkanoff
Co-hosts: Eddie, Kevin, Mike Vorkanoff
Producer: Premiere Networks

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers a mix of candid humor, sports analysis, and real-life stories. Bobby Bones recounts his awkward trip to a sperm clinic, Phillies legend Ryan Howard drops by for a wide-ranging baseball chat (including being recognized for 'The Office'), and Kevin shares his first-time experience hiring a babysitter for his twins. The episode finishes with NBA business reporter Mike Vorkanoff unpacking tanking, ratings, expansion, and NBA star culture.

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Key Segments & Highlights

1. Bobby’s Sperm Clinic Story

Timestamps: 03:22–09:14

• Sperm Racing World Cup: Bobby introduces the real-life concept of competitive sperm races, which leads into a hilarious and honest discussion about his own experience getting fertility tested.
  • “I had to get my sperm checked. I did. Before my wife and I started trying to have a baby because I was 45.” — Bobby (03:55)
• Clinic Details: Bobby humorously details the process: being led to “Yanker Hall,” interacting with nonchalant staff, and the awkwardness of knowing everyone is aware of what’s going on.
  • “You go and you sit in a room, and they're like, ‘Alright, Bobby...’ and the person working at the desk meets you. They’re like, ‘Come on back.’ ... It’s not all dudes. Not like a sports bar.” (04:29)
  • “You put your sample in a little metal slot in the wall, hit a button, and kind of hang your head in shame as you walk out.” (06:18)
• Results Anxiety: Bobby opens up about being nervous for his results, which ended up being “A plus” — much to the crew’s delight.
  • “I was nervous about the results, but the results came back in, is A plus, so thank God.” (06:37)
• Sperm Racing Event: Discussion about the comedic and wild premise of the Sperm Racing World Cup.
  • “It’s the Kentucky Derby of juices.” — Bobby (08:02)

Notable Quote:

“It’s just Yankers all day to them.” — Bobby Bones on sperm clinic staff (05:11)

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2. Softball Game Adventure and Being Recognized

Timestamps: 11:01–14:56

• Random Recognition: Bobby tells a story about being recognized not for his radio or TV career, but by the mother of a player he’d previously interviewed.
• Catching a Foul Ball: Eddie expresses his dream to catch a foul ball, and miraculously, one bounces out of the stadium, which he grabs and is allowed to keep.
  • “I look like a little kid, you're all holding it up.” — Eddie (14:44)
• Softball vs. Baseball: The crew marvels at the speed, positivity, and intensity of college softball compared to baseball.
  • “It’s so much more action than baseball… The girls are so positive.” — Kevin (13:25)

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3. Babysitter First-Timer: Kickoff Kevin’s Recap

Timestamps: 17:26–23:07

• The Setup: Kevin, having twins, recounts hiring a non-family babysitter for the first time, feeling nervous but ultimately relieved by the smooth outcome.
• Babysitter Pay: The crew compares present-day babysitting rates (“$30 an hour, $200 total for six hours”) with what they paid years ago.
• Babysitter Etiquette: They discuss the etiquette of providing food for sitters, ultimately realizing it’s essential to have food or cover food costs to make the sitter feel valued.

Notable Quotes:

“If you find somebody, though, that you trust, always do the little things... you really gotta make them feel valued.” — Bobby (22:17)

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4. Phillies Legend Ryan Howard on Baseball, Slumps, and Fame

Timestamps: 28:22–43:42

A. Managerial Changes Impact

• Ryan discusses the Phillies’ managerial firing, emphasizing that both culture and player accountability influence team success.
  • “The managers the first one to kind of take the heat... but the players also have to take accountability.” — Ryan Howard (29:24)

B. Automated Ball/Strike System (ABS)

• Howard praises technology in modern baseball for consistency, strategy, and fairness.
  • “I think what it’s all about is about getting the calls right.” (30:54)

C. Competing with Big-Spending Teams

• Howard compares current powerhouse teams to those from his era, focusing on how depth and health determine postseason success, not just spending.

D. Overcoming Slumps

• Bobby probes Ryan’s hitting philosophy — Howard shares technical strategies for breaking out of a slump.
  • “You gotta say, you know what, no matter what happens here, I’m just gonna chalk it up because this is what my focus is right now.” (36:19)

E. Minor League Journey & Call-Up

• Howard recounts his journey from minor leagues (long bus rides, sharing rooms) to the big leagues, and the simple thrills (like having his own hotel room).

F. 'The Office' Fame

• Howard describes being recognized more for his appearance on The Office than for his MLB career.
  • “I’d go get coffee...and they would recognize me more so from that than ever playing baseball.” (42:08)
  • On acting on The Office: “It was me basically kind of, you know, being myself...they made it so smooth and effortlessly, like, fun.” (42:50)

Notable Quotes:

“You don’t want to have it be where...the umpire makes a call and it ends the game and ultimately can end a season.” — Ryan Howard (32:26)
"Absolutely. I've had some people...recognize me more so from that than actually playing baseball." — Ryan Howard, on being known for The Office (42:08)

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5. Sports Business Deep Dive with Mike Vorkanoff

Timestamps: 46:42–60:52

A. NBA Tanking & Draft Reform

• Mike breaks down changes to NBA draft lottery designed to discourage extreme tanking.
  • “You’re trying to be middle bad instead of horribly bad...” (47:23)
  • “If you’re authentically bad...this is not going to help you.” (49:02)

B. Expansion & Ownership

• NBA expansion to Seattle (Sonics) and Las Vegas is discussed, with LeBron James not pursuing Vegas ownership for now.

C. NBA Ratings Myth

• Mike debunks the media narrative about declining ratings, pointing to massive TV deals and evolving viewership.
  • “Ratings don’t matter...NBA still got this behemoth $76 billion media rights deal despite all that.” (51:42)

D. Star Power and Sneaker Sales

• The challenge of building new superstars affects sneaker and merchandise sales.
  • “It’s harder to build stars nowadays, right? ...Influencers are now selling shoes and apparel.” (53:16)
  • Both Bones and Mike highlight Caitlin Clark as a transcendent, marketable athlete.

E. Knicks & NBA Playoff Talk

• Discussion on Knicks’ playoff success, ownership culture, and the competitive landscape in the East.
  • “James Dolan is a demanding owner. He is a very peculiar owner.” — Mike Vorkanoff (56:35)
• Musings about Embiid’s health and LeBron’s future, including the likelihood of a farewell tour.

Notable Quotes:

“When he plays, he’s just a huge difference maker. But you just, you don’t know if he’s gonna play.” — Mike Vorkanoff on Joel Embiid’s impact and injuries (58:52)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes (With Timestamps)

• Bobby on Sperm Clinics:
  “In my mind, I’m going, you’re looking at me and you know I’m about to yank it. And that’s weird for both of us.” (05:10)

• On Sperm Races:
  “I want to stand up there with my hand on my heart knowing that my sperm just won me that gold.” — Bobby (09:09)

• Softball Enthusiasm:
  “The girls are so positive. If you get on second base, you dance… in baseball, they’ll throw it at you next time.” — Bobby (13:28)

• Babysitter Pay Realities:
  “We paid her 30 bucks an hour.” — Eddie (19:04)
  “If you find somebody... you really gotta make them feel valued.” — Bobby (22:17)

• Ryan Howard on Clubhouse Accountability:
  “At some point, everybody’s got to be accountable for their own actions.” (29:24)

• Being Seen as an Actor, Not Athlete:
  “People would recognize me more so from some of those [TV appearances] than actually playing baseball.” — Howard (42:08)

• Mike Vorkanoff on NBA Star Power:
  “The challenge is it’s harder to build stars nowadays… everyone is just looking for different places to have sponsors sell their products.” (53:16)

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Segment Timestamps Reference

• Bobby’s Sperm Clinic – 03:22–09:14
• Softball/Foul Ball Story – 11:01–14:56
• Babysitter Recap – 17:26–23:07
• Ryan Howard Interview – 28:22–43:42
• NBA Talk with Mike Vorkanoff – 46:42–60:52

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Tone & Style

Conversational, honest, and playful with a blend of irreverent humor (especially around the sperm clinic story), supportive camaraderie, and deep sports expertise. The hosts and guests are frank about their personal lives and opinions, making the episode relatable and approachable even to non-sports fans.

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Summary

This episode is an excellent showcase of The Bobby Bones Show's unique mix: wild real-life stories (Bobby’s sperm clinic tales), inside sports conversation (Ryan Howard on baseball and fame), relatable parenting moments (first-time babysitter anxiety), and thoughtful business analysis (NBA lottery and ratings with Mike Vorkanoff). There’s plenty of laughter, some surprising vulnerability, and genuine sports insight—a must-listen for fans of both sports and slice-of-life podcasts.

Transcript

[Bobby Bones]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Bobby Bones]

Hitting it. This is a podcast called 25 Whistles. Talking Board.

[Public Investing Ad]

And they all wear a whistle yet.

[Bobby Bones]

Stupid.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

But what did you expect?

[Bobby Bones]

It's a podcast called 25 Whistles. 25 Whistles, everybody.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

All right.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Blow whistle.

[Bobby Bones]

We do have Brian Howard coming up. Philly's great, so that's cool. We'll talk NBA basketball a little bit as well. The thing that I would never want to do, and I think a little bit it feels like when we made you do the testosterone test, is that I have people racing their sperm. Do you guys. Have you guys seen this at all?

[Ryan Howard]

No.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

What? I mean, because they're fast swimmers, right? So what do they.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, that's what they say. I don't know. Fast compared to, like, us running? They're fast, but to their version. So they. But they. Yeah, they race them.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Wow. That's cool. You wanna do it?

[Bobby Bones]

I don't. I had to get my sperm checked. I did. Before my wife and I started trying to have a baby because I was 45. And I was like, man, if we're gonna, like, try and, like, every month, wait for that, I need to make sure. And so I did that, and it was great. Luckily. Thank God.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

I'm nervous for you, dude.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

That's crazy.

[Ryan Howard]

You went in.

[Bobby Bones]

It was weird. I was nervous, but it was weird first because you just yanking in a room and everybody knows what you're doing. It's. It's bizarre.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah. That's crazy.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

You done this?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

No, I've never done it. No, no, no, no.

[Bobby Bones]

The whole. The whole process. Because you go and you sit in a room, and they're like, all right, Bobby. And they, you know, the person working at the desk meets you. It's like, all right, come on back. And then you.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Is that a woman at the desk?

[Bobby Bones]

At the desk? Yeah. It's not all dudes. Not like a sports bar.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

It's got to be all dudes. Like, it'd be better if it's all dudes that would be like, hey, man, you know what's up? You know, you got to do this.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

No.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

You know what to do.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Heck no.

[Bobby Bones]

And they walk you back to a second, like, hey, to a doctor or a nurse, another woman, and she's. They call it a sample. And they say what you're going to do, you're going to go here, your sample. And the whole time you're just going. In my mind, I'm going, you're looking at me and you know I'm about to yank it. And that's weird for both of us. I'm just thinking that into my head. But they do it all the time. It's just Yankers all day to them.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Do they know what you're.

[Bobby Bones]

You're, you're.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

You're using in there?

[Bobby Bones]

What are you saying?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Them looking at you and being like, not. Not only do you know what you're about to do, but you're about to do it to this.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Oh, do you have something? No to.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, well, everybody, Everybody has movies.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

I was thinking the movies. Were that the magazines in there?

[Bobby Bones]

Well, everybody has a phone now.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

That's true.

[Bobby Bones]

But no, I was just.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Okay. Just curious.

[Bobby Bones]

That didn't. Magazine thing. Disgusting. Yeah.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Use the same magazines.

[Bobby Bones]

Gross. So. But you go in and there's an old radio that you're supposed to turn up, so. So they don't hear you, I guess because I just. I don't know, I picture like. Because there's like three rooms, I guess, while they do this. The Yanker hall is what I was calling it when I was doing Caitlin in Yanker Hall.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

This is crazy.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, dude, it's a. No, it's a doctor's office.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

And.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, I have a crazy story too, but it's not even me. But not only walking down Yanker hall, but you hear music in the other room. So you know what's happening in Yanker hall because they only turn the music up when you go in there. And mine was on a classic. It was like four in a row. Tom Petty. I remember hearing that.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Classic rock. That's good.

[Bobby Bones]

And so then when you're done, you have your sample and the inside of the wall is metal. It's like a metal square. And you pull it back and you put your sample in there and you hit a button and then you go out and you just kind of hang your head in shame as you walk out. Yeah, you're just like, I'm done.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah. Does anybody make eye contact?

[Bobby Bones]

So that whole process was odd. I was Nervous about the results, but the results came back in, is A plus, so thank God.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

A plus, huh?

[Bobby Bones]

Is A plus.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Nice.

[Bobby Bones]

I would have told you if it's B minus, it's A plus. So I was nervous about that, but I didn't get nervous until it was like when I got my act results. You take the test anyway, you're not really nervous until the envelope gets there and you're like, oh, God, when I pull this envelope, this is gonna be life changing. And so I got an email saying, hey, your results are on the portal. And I went to the portal and if it was like sperm count, I don't remember what the classifications were, but if it was like over 10,000, that was good. Over 20,000, that was great. And mine was like a million.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Wow.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Bunch of guys in there.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

I wonder what ours would be. Dude, who knows?

[Bobby Bones]

I think Eddie's would be like dust. Does the five.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Does the testosterone have to do in the sperm count? Probably not.

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know. But my point was they do sperm races.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Oh, yeah? Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Oh, I'll tell you another story. Remind me to tell you the story that came to my mind. So men of the world are invited to put their sperm against each other in a race where the owner takes home $100,000. The 2026 Sperm Racing World Cup. It's 128 samples, each representing a different country. Oh, that's cool. Facing off on a microscopic racetrack. I guess it's next month in San Francisco. It's the Kentucky Derby of juices.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

What on earth?

[Bobby Bones]

But they went $100,000.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Now the payday is awesome. But so, like, do they take just one of your guys?

[Bobby Bones]

And that represents you under a microscope. The competitors will race each other along a customized microfluidic track. I don't know. I'm sure.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

And do they put, like, what's the.

[Bobby Bones]

Okay, here you go. The entrants are sent a kit which to provide semen sample, which will be mailed back to California and processed through advanced lab techniques such as incubation, sperm washing, pipetting, and through a centrifuge. And I think it isolates and prepares the most viable cells for racing.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Okay. So it gets your fastest find your

[Bobby Bones]

healthiest horse and puts him on the track.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

And then you know how, like, when you do the dog races, they have flash and dash. Is there like an egg or something

[Bobby Bones]

that, like, tells them which way to go?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah, because how would the sperm know where it's going?

[Bobby Bones]

Good point. I don't know. It's a hundred Thousand bucks. I wouldn't want to be a part of this.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Nah.

[Bobby Bones]

Because I want to be last.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Can you imagine your last?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Like, what, 128? Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

The countries.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Well, it's not just you, dude. You'd be letting your country down.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

That's true.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

You know it's true.

[Bobby Bones]

I want to stand up there with my hand on my heart knowing that my sperm just won me that gold.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Amen.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

My. I have a friend, a literal friend, a close friend, who was doing a full physical type thing. And part of it was they were checking his sperm, too. And so he does the physical, and they're like, hey, we need to do a sperm test. And he's like, all right. Didn't really know that was going to be part of the physical. And so they give him the cup for the sample, and they just say, go on. And he has to go into, like, a public bathroom.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

What?

[Bobby Bones]

They just pointed him at a stall. And there are, like, three urinals, three stalls. And he's like. He felt like two could go to jail. Like, somebody comes in, like, there's a dude whacking in there.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

I promise it's for a sample. Yes.

[Bobby Bones]

No, no, no. The doctor. But he had to. He had to do it there, dude.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Heck, no.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

I wonder what's worse to do, like not knowing it's coming or knowing it's coming.

[Bobby Bones]

You probably just want to know it's coming. No, no pun.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

After I said it, I'm like, that's just not a good way to say it.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. So that's that thing. That's what that race is. That's my story.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

That's crazy. Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Times, man, they're changing. Bob Dylan said it. They really are changing. So, yeah. Yeah. Good luck to everybody.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah. All countries.

[Bobby Bones]

I mean. I mean, just in life, man.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah.

[Public Investing Ad]

We need it, dude.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

We need it.

[Bobby Bones]

That crap's crazy. Eddie, I have a bunch of stuff from you, but I think. Have we not already all talked. Talked about this?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

We have not talked about any of this.

[Bobby Bones]

We for sure talked about meeting T. Mac mom on the other show.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

We did, but not on this show, but which Kevin doesn't know.

[Bobby Bones]

If people hear this, they're going to know about it.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

It was more for Kevin because, like, if Kevin would have been there, he would have been like, what is happening?

[Bobby Bones]

I give you a quick version because a lot of people listen to this. Probably Kevin works in a back room and doesn't get to hear the show as we're doing it. Can you turn a volume up in there?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah, but I'm also editing all the time, so it'd just be.

[Bobby Bones]

But if like something you were just dying laughing, you could flip it up in here.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah, because we have a tv, so if I see somebody dying laughing like you just said, then I'll. I'll turn the music or the sound up real quick.

[Bobby Bones]

We were going into the Arkansas Texas softball game at Texas, and it was rainy and cold and I had four of five tickets on my phone from dj who's at Hidden coach in Arkansas, my brother in law. And we were just like, oh, this one ticket didn't go through. My name should be on the list. And so they ended up sending me, oh, the other ticket. Gotcha. Boom. Woman in a Texas shirt next to us was like, hey, do I know you? I was like, and naturally I think it's from the radio show or any television stuff I've been on. Who knows? It's a grab bag out there. And I was like, I don't know. And she's like, did you do something in Arizona? And I was like, no. Like, you did a sports thing in Arizona? And I was like, no. And then I started thinking, well, we did. She said, yeah, you talked to my son about his rating on Madden. It was T. Max mom.

[Ryan Howard]

What?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Sitting right next to you.

[Bobby Bones]

No, outside getting tickets while we were

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

getting in at the box office.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Really?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. He was at the game because his girlfriend plays on the team.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

For Texas.

[Bobby Bones]

For Texas.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Wow. Did you see him?

[Bobby Bones]

No. She FaceTimed with him, but the cell was so bad. I'm glad because he was. She was like, look who I'm with. It was breaking all up and I was like, he's not gonna know anyway. But isn't that crazy?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Dang, that is crazy.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

We were just like, how is this all happening? Like it's random.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

So.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

So T. Max mom to be in that spot. And she recognized you. That's cool.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, she was like linger looking and that happens, but usually it's hey, Dancing with stars, whatever, breaking body bones, radio shirt, something like that. But no, it was that. It was too much access.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Did she talk about her son's rookie year?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

No, we didn't get it.

[Bobby Bones]

It was cold and wet, dude, we stayed four days. We were freezing our balls off.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

It was cold, man.

[Bobby Bones]

Really great seats. I think Eddie was able to appreciate, like how fast college softball is.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Had no idea. Like baseball, it's just a big field. So like, yes, they're fast, but I mean, you can't really see how fast they are because they're Just throwing the ball a long way. They're running far with softball. It's so condensed in this small area. Dude. It's like, pop, pop, pop.

[Ryan Howard]

Wow.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Double play.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

We were like, what?

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

And the girls hit the ball so hard.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Right. And you remember how hard it was to hit when we did. Too much access.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

I actually enjoyed it. Other than the cold rain. I could have. I would have loved being there for the whole game.

[Bobby Bones]

It's so much more action than baseball.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

And the girls are so positive. Like, we're sitting.

[Bobby Bones]

You get to talk crap. Except you're not talking crap. You're talking positive. But with your team. Yeah. Yeah. Like, if you get on second base, you dance, you do baseball, they'll throw it at you next time you get up. Or there'll be a fight.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Unspoken rules.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

It's.

[Bobby Bones]

You get a hit, you get on first base. Like, oh, dang. It's. It's awesome. Yeah, it's good.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Did you catch a foul ball?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Sure.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Sure.

[Bobby Bones]

Well.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Well, not technically.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Okay. This is why I'm asking about this foul ball. Wait, what's the. What. What happened?

[Bobby Bones]

We're walking. Not. We're walking to the stadium. We're not in yet. And Eddie goes, it'd be so cool to catch a foul ball. That was all. And then you hear it, and you see a ball come over the stadium and go tink. Clink. And start rolling down the sidewalk. And I'm like, dude, there's a ball. Go get it. And he's like, I don't know. I'm like, dude, there's a ball. Go get the ball. You wanted a foul ball, so he runs down and gets it. In softball, they. You have to give the balls back because they only have so many, and it's not a sport that makes money, so.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah, correct.

[Bobby Bones]

So someone from Texas comes out and it's like, hey, did you guys find that ball? And Eddie's like, yeah, you can.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

There you go.

[Bobby Bones]

And so she goes back and she says to me, hey, this hit the pavement. Does your friend really want this ball or no?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

No way.

[Bobby Bones]

And I said, yeah. She goes, I'm going to make sure that it can't be had, because if it's scuffed, it's done. And so she came back and she was like, it's scuffed. He can have it. It was like 5 year old.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

I know the picture. You look like a little kid. You're all holding it up.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Well, because. Because I literally had just said, like, hey, what I Want out of this game is to catch a foul ball.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah, that's crazy.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

All I want. And then, dude, it was like the heavens opened up and that ball came flying over the. The.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

The wall. I wonder what, what. So it was actually from the game? It wasn't like somebody hitting?

[Bobby Bones]

No, it was during the game. We got there in the first inning.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Legit foul ball.

[Bobby Bones]

Dude, it was so cold. We did not have coats. It shouldn't have been that cold in May in Austin. It had rained all day. It's freezing. We lasted four innings and then we were like, it's too. We didn't have. We're freezing our balls off. And we went back to the restaurant and watched it on the phone. But Arkansas won the series two out of three games.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Nice.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

I had a question about that.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

So like, so, so your brother in law, dj, he's coach there at Arkansas. We see him and so we're like, love you, dj. Yeah, go Coach Gaso. Right. Like. Like this. Is that appropriate?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

It don't matter.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Okay.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Because I know he's working. Like, we don't want him coming here and banging on the window.

[Bobby Bones]

We did it every inning when everyone walked out, there's dj. Yeah, but he was right below us and he walked out.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

We're like, dj, he loves it. I bet.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I mean, there's. There's too much. We didn't do too much.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

No, we did not do too much.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

So says. Says the guys who did it. We didn't do too much.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

We only did it one time.

[Bobby Bones]

You had your Celtics stuff on today, huh? I'm shocked by that.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

I know, I know. You know, it's kind of like the Patriots where I'm surprised they made it this far. And I'm trying to be positive about it.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

You're not.

[Bobby Bones]

You're not surprised they were really good.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

You're surprised they're really good during their regular season.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

You're surprised that they're out?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

I'm surprised that they're out.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Especially being up 3:1, like. Like that. I'm surprised that Missoula. Look, he's a great coach, awesome coach, but man, like, they just never changed anything. They just kept jacking up threes and they've been doing this. But then he's stopped playing. Guys that were on his bench, that were key guys all year, like the Shiremans, like the Jordan, Walsh. These guys didn't really play in the playoffs. The same guys that got you that two. See? And he didn't really play him, which surprised me.

[Bobby Bones]

They trim up that rotation, though, when it's playoff time, they do.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

But, like, when you're about to blow a 31 lead, like, yeah, I don't know. Let's try something else here. And then they throw out Shireman, and I think Garza start this game seven. I was like, well, it's a little late now. Now these guys are just me nervous. It's game seven and now you want to play. So I'm surprised that they really stuck to the guns that much and didn't really switch anything up. But, yeah, I can't believe they blew a 3 one.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

I'm surprised that you're wearing the sweatshirt. Like, I would think, like. Like when the Cowboys lose, they're out. Like, they lose in the playoffs. Whatever. Like, cowboy stuff is gone for at least a couple months because you're embarrassed.

[Bobby Bones]

Mostly I just don't want to see it because it makes me feel bad.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah, I mean, it's a good point. Don't get me wrong.

[Bobby Bones]

But I just.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

This thing's just comfy, dude.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, dude.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Comfort.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

You know, it's raining and we're just like, I just comfy.

[Bobby Bones]

I agree.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Something we didn't get to talk about was Kevin has two kids, Dennis, twins. And so I know you're dealing with a babysitter issue.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Where is.

[Bobby Bones]

Do you pay a babysitter double because it's twins, or is it, like one babysitting job? Because they're. It's two, but it's like one. You know, one. It's kind of one because they're twins. What happened?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

So last time we talked, I was going to meet her that weekend, I believe, and we met her and her husband. He didn't watch the kids with her, but we just wanted to meet and greet first. She was great. She's a nurse. Talked about that a little bit, and we felt super comfortable with her right away. We're like, all right, this is great. So then the following weekend, last weekend, we went to the wedding. She came over early after or late afternoon, and I was with the kids because my wife was in the wedding, so she had to leave, like, three or four hours before me to go do much stuff. And so I'm sitting there like, okay, she's got to come here. I got to run her through. So we ran her through some stuff, and I left. And this is our first time being away from kids without family watching him. It was awesome. I only got one text the entire time. We were gone for six hours. Yeah, about six hours. And the only text was, hey, where's your trash can at.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

It's great.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

That's it. And she's like, yeah. Honestly, she was way. Like, she handled it way better than thought she would, because she's the nervous one for sure out of us, too. Like, I'll be like, all right, see you later. Like, I need this break where she'll be more of like, I wonder what they're doing. I can't believe, like, they're just at home with this random girl. But she was great. I think it's because she was in the wedding, so she was so busy, and her mind was going, which helped, and she enjoyed the experience. She had a great night. It was a great wedding.

[Bobby Bones]

Whatever you pay.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

We paid her 30 bucks an hour.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Oh, I thought it was total. I'm like, dang.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

No, no.

[Bobby Bones]

If she's, like, 13, maybe because we

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

asked her, we're like, you know, what's your rate? We just don't lose our first time. She's like, well. Well, first she goes, well, usually I babysit for, like, people with. With a lot of money. And we're like, she said that?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

But then I'm here with you now.

[Bobby Bones]

And I'm like, well, I've really dropped a few levels, right?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

We're not usual people. So now she's like, my rate's, like, 25 to 30. And I was like, all right, we'll pay you 30. Like, two of them. Yeah. So, yeah, I paid 30 bucks. It was well worth it. Now, could I do that every weekend? Absolutely.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

What was the total?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

200 bucks for six hours.

[Bobby Bones]

What do you pay?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Nothing anymore. But I used to pay. It used to come out to, like.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, like, 80 bucks a night.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Gosh, dude, four boys.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

And then.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah, and then you would, like, go to dinner.

[Bobby Bones]

Like, some child labor laws are being broken.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Wait, I paid 200. You paid 80 for four boys?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah, for, like, three hours. You were gone for how many hours?

[Bobby Bones]

Six.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah, six. So, like, yeah, I was. I mean, dude, think about going to dinner and spending $125 on dinner and then come back and giving $80 cash to, like, a young girl. Like, oh, God, it's terrible.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you ever have any bad experiences?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

No, but there's something funny. Funny story is the first time we got a babysitter. I. I had no idea. So, like, she. It's just like Kevin was describing. It made me think about it when he's like, yeah, they come over, and then you're like, all right, here is the fire extinguisher.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Like, any of that.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

They eat at this time, this is what they need. Whatever. They need to go to bed at this time. Whatever. And then I just. I don't know. I wasn't even trying to be funny, but as we were walking out and, like, hey, and there's beer in the fridge. Help yourself or whatever. And my wife goes, no, no, don't help yourself to the beer. And I was like, oh, right, right. Like, I don't want my babysitter drinking. But to me, it was the first time I'd ever done that. And I thought, like, why not? Like, you're here all day. They fall asleep in, like an hour.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, have yourself a brew.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Like. But my wife is like, no, absolutely not.

[Bobby Bones]

Did you have food for your babysitter?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Okay. So I asked my wife that morning. I was like, hey, like, should we have food?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Yes.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

It hit me that day, I'm like, should we do something? Food? I'm like, ah, she's a nurse and she does this all the time. She probably comes prepared. I think she's okay. And I regret it. We didn't get anything. She brought, like, a bag of snacks. And I was like, hey, you're welcome to anything in the fridge, anything in the pantry, whatever. And then she ended up just ordering a pizza. I was like, we should have got her food.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Did you pay her for the pizza?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

No.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

The move for us is always like, all right, we're order. Pizza should be here in 10 minutes. And so when we leave, they get the pizza.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah. See? Yeah, we should have done that. I regret that. But, hey, it was the first one, you know, but she's also. She's pregnant now, so it's like, okay, well, she's not going to last very long. We can't use her for long.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Oh, the baby.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

The babysitter.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah. Told us that she's, you know, early on, but she's pregnant.

[Bobby Bones]

You got a few more months at least.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Unless she's sick. That first trimester is tough for a lot of people. Yeah.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

That's why I was like, oh, okay, man.

[Bobby Bones]

If you find somebody, though, that you trust, always do the little things, like cover their freaking pizza after.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Just.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Just know, like, babysitter, usually you cover their dinner.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

And if you forget, like. Like Bones said, yeah. Give her a little bit of money. I'm sorry, I completely forgot. Here's.

[Bobby Bones]

Now, if you just kind of a sucky babysitter and you just were using her one time because you got a scrape bite, that's different. But if, like, if it's something that you really want to be able to use a lot of man, you really gotta make. Make them feel valued.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

You know what she did, I just thought about it too. She actually did text me and she's like, hey, do you care if I uber eat something to your house? Was that her way of like telling

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

you you didn't leave me food?

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

You like, do you want to order me something?

[Bobby Bones]

I don't think so.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Or you think she was just asking? Just me?

[Bobby Bones]

I think she was asking because if for some reason you had a camera or something, you saw a car drive up, you're like, why is there a car at the house? Why is it. Yeah, I just think it's a somebody also. She could be like, you know, maybe you don't feel know where you live. Maybe you guys purposely don't have stuff delivered to your house. I don't know.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

I wonder if she was asking because of like allergies, you know, like, do your kids have allergies or whatever? Like if I Uber eats something.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah, the kids were asleep by now.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

I don't know.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

But I appreciate that. But overall success.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

When do you think you're going to be dealing with this?

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know. Soon. Ish. And we don't have any childcare now. We have friends. 1. We only left one time. We had a friend come over, wait, went to therapy.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

I don't know. Hey, man, how did your wife do when you're gone for what, an hour?

[Bobby Bones]

It's only an hour, but still it's first time I've been gone a lot, so I didn't even think of it as that.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Right.

[Bobby Bones]

Because I'm gone every day and we were in the car and we're driving. This is the first time we both been gone.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I was like, really?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Because you're always going to work.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, both of us. Yeah. I was like, huh. How about that? I think she did great. She has a friend that she really trusts that has had a bunch of babies or that's important. I guess a bunch is too, but yeah, it's a bunch. Yeah. So, yeah, I don't know. We haven't got there yet.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

How was your. Your weekend away from the baby?

[Bobby Bones]

Did you. Easy.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

So, so easy. I mean.

[Ryan Howard]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah. I don't know. It was easy for a couple reasons. One, her parents were there, so my fear would have been on her more than anything. Like she just overwhelmed, so her parents were there, so I was good. That's it.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah, that's good.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

That helps if you get a family.

[Bobby Bones]

If she's by herself.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And her parents came in. They had planned a long time ago because I told my wife I want to leave for two months after she had the baby. This was the first trip that I was leaving on. And so her parents were like, hey, when he leaves, this is like a month and a half ago, we'll come into town. He's gonna be gone for a couple days. So we'll just come because it'll be time for us to come back anyway. We haven't been there in a month. And so it was planned out a long time ago that they would drive in. So they were there. They got there. We left on Thursday evening. They got to like Thursday afternoon. So hung out with them a little bit. And it was difficult because we got in Saturday night. But Sunday morning at 3:00am yeah, super late. And so I had to be up at like 6:30 with the baby. That sucked. But I did get to say bye to them. And then I'm just now caught up on the week like where I'm feeling normal again.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Is your father in law pumped about the Thunder?

[Bobby Bones]

They won last year, so I don't know if he's pumped. I think he just enjoys it. He enjoys having a winner now? Yeah, he watches every game. I think he was pumped last year. Now, not that it's expected, but there is an expectation because they win all the time.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

They're pretty good.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Yeah, right.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Really good.

[Bobby Bones]

So the Lakers didn't look bad last night.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Thunder just so good.

[Bobby Bones]

They're just so good. They just suffocate. They suffocate you defensively.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah.

[Bobby Bones]

And Chet played really well last night.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

And Jalen didn't even play right? Williams one of the Williams?

[Bobby Bones]

I don't know.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah, I just saw him on the bench in the street clothes.

[Bobby Bones]

Then that means he didn't play.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

That would mean he didn't.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

That is true.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm gonna bet he didn't play if he's in street clothes. All right, let's break and we'll come back with Phillies first baseman, former Phillies first baseman stud Ryan Howard.

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[Bobby Bones]

That's innerbalance.com support for the show comes

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[Bobby Bones]

right, we're gonna welcome in Ryan Howard, Phillies legend, 2008 World Series champ, 2006 National League MVP, rookie of the Year. Really one of the greatest power hitters of me watching baseball. He has a new podcast now with another Phillies legend, Jimmy Rollins, called the 611 podcast. You love baseball. You love the Phillies. Check it Out. Ryan is here now. Ryan, first question. How much does a manager actually matter? And I think you know where I'm going with this.

[Ryan Howard]

Well, Bobby, I'm going to say that I don't know where you're going, all right? But a manager does matter. I think the manager has to keep the mood in the clubhouse nice and calm and easy. I know with. Well, I'm going to let you take it there. I'm going to let you take it there. I'm not going to get ahead of you. But, but, but with a manager, it's just doing that. You're managing the game. You're watching the game. You're seeing how things go. I think the great managers have a tendency of just letting their players play, do their thing, and then they make the moves as they need to make the moves.

[Bobby Bones]

I asked because with the Phillies firing Rob Thompson and Don Mattingly taking over, you know, it. Can there be a culture change? I know we're not mid season, but early enough in the season that it actually affects team play.

[Ryan Howard]

I mean, there can be a culture change. I think that obviously with. With what's kind of taking place with the Phillies, it's, you know, the guys were kind of underperforming. I don't really know what was going on in the clubhouse. You know, usually when there's something like that that's taking place, there's got to be some kind of change. And usually a lot of times the managers the first one to kind of take the heat. So, you know, and in terms of that whole situation, there's one thing I always say, too, is that players also have to be accountable. I've been on teams, you know, that have had bad stretches, and the manager kind of takes the heat for it all, but the players also have to take accountability. And that was one of the things that I remember when I was kind of going through a stretch like that as a player. It's like, hey, what are we. What are we doing right? We've got to try to do better and be better. You know, at some point, you know, everybody's got to be accountable for their own actions. So, you know, I think the team is kind of turning around. They've gotten a few. Few wins under their belt, and that team is just way too talented to have kind of underperformed the way they. They have. But luckily, a. The Phillies history in April is not. Is not the best. But hey, that's why you've still got a lot of season left. And it's a marathon, not a sprint

[Bobby Bones]

how do you feel about the ABS system?

[Ryan Howard]

The ABS system, I think, is great, actually. Would have loved to have it when I was playing. Probably would have knocked down some strikeouts or whatnot. But I think what it's all about is about getting the calls right. And I don't think it's tough for umpires to not take it personal. You can understand that, but I think ultimately it becomes a tool to where everybody can get better and. And you get a full understanding of what the strike zone is and a consistent understanding of what the strike zone is. I think the umpires are going to continue to get better with that. Catchers, the pitchers, the hitters. Once everybody gets a better understanding of what that strike zone is and being able to utilize it and the.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

The.

[Ryan Howard]

The challenges. Right now, all of a sudden you're implementing these challenges, and you got to be strategic with these challenges because you don't want to necessarily use your challenges up too early in the game if you miss them. So I think it's a cool addition to the game where it's just all about trying to get things right because it can change the flow of a game one way or the other.

[Bobby Bones]

I think it's fun, too, for fans because it gives us something like, oh, it's almost like that cup thing, where it's like, which ball's under the cup? And they start spinning the cups, and you got to watch it between, like, it's a little bit of that, but, like, game affected. What I do like about it the most, though, is the. The people that are running that system are live in the umpire's ears. So even when people aren't challenging it, they're telling the umpires, like, hey, you're a little outside today. Like, you're a little inside. So the real game feedback, I think, is great for the game.

[Ryan Howard]

Yeah, no, absolutely. Because ultimately, at the end of the day, you just want to have the consistency and you want to have the right call so that ultimately you get into a situation where now it's like the players can determine the game. You don't want to have it be where, you know, there's a. There's a big situation where, you know, a team's got runners on and they're either down and they can tie the game or they can go ahead and then the umpire makes a call and it ends the game and ultimately can end a season or do something like that. But again, you've got to be smart with your challenges, because if that team goes and uses those challenges up early in the game, to where you get to that situation, and all of a sudden we need that challenge and we don't have it, then you just, hey, you're. You're at the expense of the umpire. And those guys are out there trying, too. So, you know, they're. They're human. They're going to make mistakes, but it happens in the blink of an eye, and you're just trying to do the best they can out there.

[Bobby Bones]

Was there a version of what the Dodgers are doing now in the National League when you were playing? Not the same, but like they just spend all the money and have all the players. Was there one of those teams when you were in the league?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Nl?

[Ryan Howard]

Not really. Not really. I mean, the Dodgers always had, you know, great rosters and talented players, but not to the extent of what they've been able to go out and go do now. But, I mean, yeah, I mean, if you had to look at a team, you'd have to say that team was the Yankees, even though they were in

[Bobby Bones]

al The Braves may be the team that could play with the Dodgers. You feel like anybody in the NL can actually make it to the World Series other than the Dodgers.

[Ryan Howard]

Yeah, there's. I mean, there's teams. It's going to be tough. I mean, look, with what the Dodgers are doing and how they're playing right now, it's. It's very hard to overlook them. But again, you mentioned it, the Braves. The Braves are playing really well at a very, very high clip. This is the first time in, you know, however many years that the Braves have been fully healthy and had, you know, their horses on the field all at the same time. I mean, you're getting great, great hitting, you're getting great pitching. They're just playing great all around. Team baseball sneakily kind of back on the radar. Man. Look, it's. It's a little bit of a.

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Of a.

[Ryan Howard]

Of a long shot, but these guys are playing great baseball, too. You can't necessarily overlook the Cardinals. It's. It's just all about who's playing good ball at the right time. I think the Phillies, you know, get back on track with anything and any team, Dodgers included. Like, you've got to stay healthy over the course of the season. The Dodgers have so much depth, you know, you could probably afford to have guys, you know, go down at some point, but when it comes to September, October, like those later months, you've got to be healthy to be able to make it and make a big run in the postseason. So it's going to come down To a lot of. A lot of that as well.

[Bobby Bones]

How would you get out of a slump?

[Ryan Howard]

I would usually try to. It depends on what I was doing. I mean, I think a lot of the times, if I was pulling the ball a lot early on, I would try to just kind of back the ball up a little bit more and let it get a little bit deeper. Maybe take a couple of abs and just tell myself, hey, I'm going to jam myself no matter what, and try to kind of stay back up the middle of the field. And so by doing that, it's allowing me to let the ball travel and watch the ball and track the ball a little bit more into the bat. And then as I start to make that contact, then I can kind of start to push my contact point forward just a little bit more, A little bit more, a little bit more. And then, boom, all of a sudden, there it is. And then starting to work my way back in the middle of the field. Left center, right center, and to. To. To left field.

[Bobby Bones]

Would there be at bats where you're going up, knowing you're just trying to get yourself out of a slump, no pressure to actually get on base? You're just trying to, like, progress a bit?

[Ryan Howard]

Yeah, sometimes you just. You gotta say, you know what, no matter what happens here, I'm just gonna chalk it up because this is what my focus is right now. So it may take me a couple of bats to let the ball travel. As long as I can start tracking the ball again the way and get my timing down the way I want it to, I know that it's going to start to come back, and then I'm going to start squaring balls up. These next two, maybe three at bats or whatnot, depending upon what the situations are, is I want to let the ball kind of get deeper on me and start trying to track it and kind of catch it if I can.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm an Arkansas baseball fan. Missouri State, like, quietly freaking good. They're always there. Those boys fight. Like when you play for Missouri State, was it the same kind of team?

[Ryan Howard]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Great, great program. I think it's a very underrated program. We would always play Arkansas every year. Mizzou, Kansas, schools like that. Now they're playing, you know, they're playing the big boys every year. Still playing those guys playing Oklahoma State yearly. It's always been a very gritty program. I mean, the guys that come out of there, just, you know, you look at Drake Baldwin, you know, we've had some guys, Jake Berger, Luke Voight. Like a lot of guys that have come out of there. Brad Zigler. Brad Zigler and I played together. We were, we were there at the same time. So it's, it's a, it's a program that is, is a very hard working program and it's still I think on, on up and up.

[Bobby Bones]

How much time did you spend in the minors? Did you do the whole travel around on the bus thing?

[Ryan Howard]

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. We were, what was it started out once I got drafted. Batavia, New York in New York Penn League and then went to South Atlantic League, Lakewood, New Jersey, where we had. I think at that time we were the furthest team north and we would travel down to Georgia, South Carolina, Georgia, you know, 17 hour bus rides. So yep, got the, got the full experience. And I was in minor leagues for three, three and a half years. I got September call up in 04, drafted in 01, September call up in 04. And then 05 was started out in AAA and then Tommy got hurt and went. Went up for a little bit, went back down when he came back and he got hurt again, Was out for the rest of the season and then was up the rest of the year in 05 and the rest was history.

[Bobby Bones]

Your call up moment, was it pretty cool or they tell you just like, hey, you're up, you're heading out.

[Ryan Howard]

Nah, it's always cool, man. They, they understand like this is what you work for. This is a dream come true. And I mean I understood just the opportunity right where I understood that Tomi was hurt for, you know, he was going to be on the. Back then they called it the DLC but like the IL for like two weeks. So I knew I was only gonna really be up for two weeks until he came back, but was really just gonna try to go up and just do the best that I could and, and soak it all in. And once I, once I got up early on in 05 and then like late in 04 was really like looking at like, okay, this is the big leagues. Like, this is, this is awesome. Like this is what you aspire to. So having that opportunity was amazing.

[Bobby Bones]

When you got up, was there anyone you thought it was really cool to actually see in person that you had watched as a kid?

[Ryan Howard]

Oh yeah, everybody. Just the whole experience. I was like. When I first got called up in September, I think we went. Gavin Floyd and I were same draft class and we both got called up September of 04. And I think our first road trip was to Atlanta and you know, you're you're, you're in a minor league. So like, you get to the, to the hotels, like you're usually you're bunking up with somebody, right? You gotta, you got a roommate. And we get in, we get, we checked in at the, the hotel. And I walk in and I'm looking and there's like a king bed in there. And I was like, wait, wait, there's no, we don't have roommates. So that was the, that was cool for me. I was like, oh man, we don't have roommates. We get our own room. Oh, this is amazing. So you know that, that was kind of the first, first part of getting up there. But I think just seeing all the guys that you've grown up watching

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

and

[Ryan Howard]

now you have the ability to be able to step on the same field and play with and against some of these guys was, was an amazing feeling.

[Bobby Bones]

Is it the six one one podcast? Because you guys numbers? Because that's not the area code, is it? What? Because you guys, that was your funny.

[Ryan Howard]

The funny part about it is, is that yes, it, it is our numbers because I was number six and Jimmy was number 11. But it's also, and we didn't necessarily realize it at the time, but it's also the street exit for Broad street in Philadelphia. So the whole thing just kind of came together like that and it just all made sense.

[Bobby Bones]

When you guys do your podcast, I'm assuming you're like across the board with baseball, right? It's not just Philly stuff, but it's, you guys both played for the Phillies, so you have very, you know, in depth knowledge of the Phillies, but you're talking to other, other players and like clubhouse stuff, right? Inside baseball.

[Ryan Howard]

Yeah, there's, there's definitely the baseball base, but we've talked to, we definitely talked to entertainers, rappers, other baseball players from other squads. We've talked to business moguls, entrepreneurs. So we, we diversify the portfolio. So we, we, we definitely have the baseball talk, but we definitely want to have the outreach of being able to reach different genres and different people.

[Bobby Bones]

Final question for you, and I was a big fan of yours while you played, but do people ever come up to you and go, hey, you're that dude from the office.

[Ryan Howard]

Absolutely. I've had some people I'd go get coffee at more in the morning sometimes and, and they would recognize me more so from that than ever playing baseball. They, they wouldn't have known that I played baseball, but they were like, hey, you look familiar. Like I have, you Been on the Office and I did a couple other shows where it was like, you know, always sunny and. And then Entourage. And so it was just funny because people would recognize me more so from some of those than actually playing baseball.

[Bobby Bones]

The Office thing was legit, though, because you actually acted a bit because you had the role of, like, hey, I got this script. Like, it wasn't just like, you showed up and it was a cameo. You actually acted. Did you prepare for that or were you just good at it?

[Ryan Howard]

I mean, there was a little bit of preparation, but they made it easy for me. You know, it was. I mean, it was me basically kind of, you know, being myself. And yeah, there was. There was a script. So, you know, if I can't be myself, then I don't know what. I don't know what I'm doing. But. But it was. It was easy. They. They made it so. So smooth and effortlessly, like, fun. I mean, that was the first thing the guys were like, hey, man, just be yourself. Have fun. Like, say things how you would normally say it. And that's all we're gonna do. We're just, we're gonna have some fun with this.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

And.

[Ryan Howard]

And that was it.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I really appreciate the time and I hope everybody checks out the 611 podcast. Ryan Howard. You guys follow him too on instagram Ryan Howard,/006. Really appreciate the time. And again, I was a big fan. I'm a massive Cubs fan. We weren't in the same division, so that was good, so I could be a fan. But, yeah, you were fun to watch, Ryan, so I really appreciate the time.

[Ryan Howard]

Bobby, I appreciate you, man. Thank you for having me on.

[Bobby Bones]

See you, Ryan.

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[Bobby Bones]

That's innerbalance.com support for the show comes

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[Bobby Bones]

All right, let's welcome in Mike Vorkanov, national NBA reporter for the Athletic Basketball Business Reporter, someone who I look to whenever I can't really understand how the NBA works behind the scenes. He also hosts Business Decision, which is a podcast he does where he breaks down all this the intersection of sports, money, power. So be sure to go check it out. Mike, really appreciate you jumping on. I do want to talk about tanking first, if you're ready to tackle that with me. Sure.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I was going to say, I don't know if I always understand how the NBA works, but I'll give it a try.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, that's what I. But that's what I need help with because I've read the, you know, the meaningful changes from Adam Silver about tanking. Like, what are we doing here next year?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Well, I'm trying to figure out how to just shortcut this answer. Basically, they're going to try to find a way, or they think they found a way where they can kind of, you know, try to incentivize teams to be better versions of themselves. Right. Let's put it like that. And instead of trying to be as bad as they can be to maximize their lottery odds, like they will, you know, this Sunday when we got. We got the latest draft lottery coming up, they're changing the odds, basically, where you're trying to be middle bad instead of horribly bad and hope that when it gets the March in April, you're trying to win more games than you are, just like benching all your best players. And we see an elevated version of college basketball in those months.

[Bobby Bones]

When I was reading about it, when it first came out, it definitely was, if you're the worst, you have worse odds. It's weird to say worse versus better, but your odds aren't as good to get the first pick if you're the worst team. To incentivize. Yeah. Those teams not finishing last. Last. But then what if you literally have the absolute worst team and you need to get one of those top picks?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Well, yeah, that's the problem with this. And I think this is something that there have been complaints about, even this current lottery system, which is that they watered down the odds for the worst teams. And, you know, some people said, like, hey, isn't the whole point of the draft to give the best prospects to the worst teams? Like. Right. To try to make them better. And I think that you could argue, like, hey, there's a reason that some of these teams, like the Jazz and the Wizards are in the lottery for longer periods of time is because they're not getting the topics, so they're not getting the best players, and so they're just worse for a longer period of time. And I. This, this probably will not solve it. Right. Like, if you're. If you're authentically bad, let's say that.

[Bobby Bones]

Right.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

You have lost with integrity because you are just really bad at putting out rosters and you're the worst team in the league. This is not going to help you. It's trying to stop the teams that are tanking, not the teams that are just like bad by their own, you know, bad decision making.

[Bobby Bones]

I was looking at all the number one picks over the past few years and I really felt bad for the Atlanta Hawks. Like, they finally get the number one pick and it's like the one year, the one year that it's not a player that would actually change an organization.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Yeah, the timing is so much of it too. Like, you know, it's funny this is happening now because all the smart draft people say the next two drafts are not going to be that great either. So it could be another, you know, version of that situation. Like the Hawks had if you had, you know, the number two pick in 2020, the warriors had that and it's James Wiseman. Right. Like, imagine if they got a great number two pick and how that team would have looked now. So timing matters so much. So when you're bad really matters. There's just so much that goes into it. Not to mention the MVP, Shea Gildrich. Alexander was the number 11 pick. Jokic was the second round pick, like Giannis number 15. All great players come from everywhere.

[Bobby Bones]

Let's talk expansion. Are the Seahawks. Excuse me, The Seahawks, the SuperSonics, are they going to exist again?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

They very well may. It is looking like the NBA is going down the road for expansion. So the Sonics, maybe a team in Vegas, I don't know. Maybe. Though I don't know what that nickname is going to be. But like, like the NBA is looking at it. It looks like they're trying to get a good price for teams there and they're really. This is the closest they've ever come to expansion. They've been dancing around it for so long. But I think we'll know an answer. We're in May, like, I would say by the end of 2026, we should know where that's going.

[Bobby Bones]

A lot of the Las Vegas talk has been possibly LeBron would be part of an ownership group in Las Vegas. Do you think the NBA would allow a guy to play and also be part owner?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Well, they definitely won't allow that. That's part of their CBA and their rules. And, you know, LeBron seems like he's out on it, too. You know, my colleague and I, Joe Varden, we reported earlier this spring, like he's out on trying to get an expansion team and it had been something he had wanted for so long, right? And he talked about publicly for so long. But the firm that he's a partner in, Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool and the Red Sox, they're out on trying to get an NBA expansion team. So LeBron for now is also out on trying to get one.

[Bobby Bones]

You hear from a lot of people. I feel at times ill educated people about how the ratings of the NBA have dropped so much. But I think for me, what I've been able to see is people are consuming the NBA differently and I could be completely wrong. What are your thoughts on the NBA and just generally ratings talk.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I'm tired of it, honestly, for a lot of reasons. One is the ratings don't matter, right? Like the ratings were down and the NBA still got this behemoth $76 billion media rights deal despite all that. And now ratings are up this year. And that's for a number of reasons. One of them is that there's a lot of games on NBC and it's easier to watch games on NBC than it is on tnt. The other, there's some inflation going on with Nielsen ratings and how they count it. But honestly, like, if you're an NBA fan, just watch the basketball or don't. Who cares how many other people watch the basketball or don't. I feel like this is wholly individual to the NBA as opposed to baseball and to the NFL and hockey. Like sometimes just enjoy the sport that you like and who cares who's along for the ride with you?

[Bobby Bones]

To me, when that headline comes up and those stories come up, it feels a bit like whenever the story is that a Movie Studio paid 400 million to make the movie and only made 230 million back. That's so inside. It's like, I don't know, do my friends like watching the movie? I really don't care how much the movie studio spent on the movie and how much it made back.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Yeah, exactly. Like that's their money and not yours. If it was a good movie, it's, you know, then you like it and if not like you don't and you move on. I think. I don't know that's the same thing. I think there are better questions to be had about the state of, like what the actual Encore product looks like and where that's going and how, you know, in tanking and how teams are built than there is about the Raider stuff.

[Bobby Bones]

I was reading an article about shoes and how, you know, some of the shoe companies aren't selling as many shoes Especially basketball shoes because of one of the theories was limited star power. What are your thoughts on that?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I think it's interesting. I think it kind of like, I mean not to bring it back to the ratings thing, but it's also just about. It's harder to build stars nowadays, right? There's the monoculture that everyone talks about, so it's harder to break through. So it makes sense that if you're depending on. On stars to sell shoes and it's harder to build a star, then it would be harder to sell shoes. Right. And I think just looking at that, you know, that, that whole business, it seems like everyone's kind of trending towards athleisure and all that. And you know, influencers are now selling shoes or selling shoes or selling apparel and all that. So I think everyone is just looking for different places to have sponsors sell their products. And so maybe the, the sponsorship from the maple just doesn't go as far as it used to.

[Bobby Bones]

It feels like if I were thinking about it now, like whose shoe would I want? It honestly would be Caitlin Clark. And that's crazy to say because like I don't play women's basketball, I'm not a woman. But it's. If it's pick a star who'd put out a shoe that you genuinely. Because I'm a shoe guy, I think I would like the Caitlin Clark. I think she almost transcends all the dudes that aren't that last, we'll say last generation that still play the stephs, the LeBron's, because the new guys. You're right. Everything is so fractional now. It's so hard to be famous generally in media, in basketball in general. And like Caitlin Clark has a bit transcended that. Am I insane?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

No, I think you're totally right. Whenever her signature shoe drops, like I bet that's going to sell a lot of pairs. Like the Sabrina Ionescu shoe. Super popular, right? Like both among NBA players. You see a lot of NBA players wearing the Sabrinas on the court and then also just, you know, selling to folks too in stores. And so Caitlin's probably one of the biggest, most famous athletes in America, period. Right. So why wouldn't she be the great person to have a great selling signature shoe?

[Bobby Bones]

I know you used to work with the Knicks. They're pretty good. I got. Are you a Knicks fan? I know because I know you worked covering the Knicks. Do you like the Knicks?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I listen, I grew up in the New York area, so I was a Knicks fan growing up. But then when you start covering the Knicks and you're covering sports, that gets sucked out of you real quick. But I'm a fan of msg. I think that arena is great. So like, you know, I was there for game one for Knicks Sixers and that, that was an awesome place to be and that place was awesome when the teams I covered when they were horrible and the place was still like thriving in the fourth quarter of a tight game.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, that's like a 39 point win, right? That, that game won.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I mean that was, that was wild. That was blowing. I did not expect that.

[Bobby Bones]

That is a team though like the Sixers and you can give me your opinion. They just played seven games. So usually game one after a seven game set usually doesn't end well for that team that just played seven. But a 39 point defeat, that's a, that's a bit disheartening if you're, if you're a Sixers player.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Well, yeah, and like the Knicks are rolling right now. I, I was looking it up after that game. They've like, they've got the largest four game margin of victory ever in NBA playoff history. Like they're doing things over the last four games that teams just have not done in the league before. And so how long does that last? Because if you're going to win every game by 30, you're probably win the title. Right. Like it's just there on this hot streak that we haven't seen.

[Bobby Bones]

What's with the Knicks? And I'll just sit here for a second because I'm so curious. Ownership to coaching. It feels like it'd be a tough place to have to work under that ownership group. Your thoughts for working under that ownership group?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I mean that's a really tough job for them. James Dolan is a demanding owner. He is a very peculiar owner. Look, he already set the expectations for that team for this season when he set out. He thinks it's a title winning team. So you know where that's going, right? Tom Thibodeau got the team the furthest it's gone in 25 years last year and got fired anyway. So Mike Brown knows the expectations and New York is demanding place and I think, yeah, I mean look, you get a lot of resources but man, you're walking a tight ship there. I think you gotta, you gotta get what the owner is looking for.

[Bobby Bones]

Are you watching every game?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Am I what? Yeah, it's the playoffs now. Why not?

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I mean some of them are late. I don't know where you live, but it's tough those west coasts.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Oh, you meant every playoff. Every playoff game, every next game. No, I'm not watching it. I mean, listen, I, I pass out on the couch at nine o' clock sometimes. I will admit to that and then I'll catch up the next morning. But I, I can't always stay up till like 2 o' clock in the morning.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I'm washed. Same. Same espec. Those west coast games kill me. And I have league pass and I try to, even during the season, watch as much like it just stays on even if I'm not watching it. Like I'm trying to absorb through a bit osmosis even, you know, watching some of these teams. And it's interesting that east is so, I'm going to say wide open now because I don't think anyone expected the Celtics to, especially to blow that series like they did. But the Knicks a real shot. It's interesting. The Pistons a real shot. Who do you think comes out of the East?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I still give the 76ers a real shot. Like I know they got bloated to smithereens in game one, but that happened in the Boston series too. And to your point, like they talked about it afterward, they're going from highly emotional, high leverage game seven to game one. 48 hours, I think took a lot out of them. So I'm kind of curious to see what they're going to do tonight at msg. But I think it's between the Pistons, the Knicks and the, and the 76ers to come out of these.

[Bobby Bones]

Yeah, I guess I just don't trust Embiid ever to even show up for the game. And it's just he. Something's wrong and it's, it's not his fault. Like in an appendix, his appendix ruptured. So. But yeah, if Embiid plays. Yeah, I agree that the Sixers are really good. I just don't have any trust he's going to show up and be able to play most games.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

No, I mean he could. He arrives to NBA games in one of those boxes labeled fragile. Right? Like, but then when he plays and he takes the court and you watch him move pregame and you're like, how's this, this guy gonna do it for 40 minutes? And then somehow he does. And when he plays, he's just a huge difference maker. But you just, you don't know if he's gonna play. You know, if it's a seven game series, all seven, or this is the last game he plays.

[Bobby Bones]

One final question. How, how many more years you think LeBron has?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

Oh, man, that's a tough. I feel like before this year I would have guessed none, but I feel like the way that this year has gone, he's gonna tack on another year after this.

[Bobby Bones]

He's been the Lakers. I mean, he, he won that series. That, that, that it was him. Right. Because I mean, Austin Reeves, none, Luca, none. So it definitely was LeBron. Hachimura, I don't know if you count that, you know, but LeBron was the dude. So. Yeah. Do you think he does a farewell tour? He love. LeBron loves, you know, the, the adulation. Does LeBron do it, announce it?

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I feel like it. Because then you could just like, you know, he'll. All the things, all the companies he partners with just like leverages into this long farewell tour. Nike does a whole thing. He can record it behind the scenes. Yeah, I mean, like, when was the last time someone just suddenly, shockingly retired a star that magnitude? It was like, I think it was probably Tim Duncan, I want to say, like Tom Brady tried to just up and quit and then he had to do it again.

[Bobby Bones]

Anyway, really appreciate the time. Business decision with Mike Vorkanoff and you do such a great job and yeah, thanks for hopping on with us and teaching us a few things because sometimes, man, that I still don't think that the tanking thing is going to work. I don't know how you fix the tanking thing, though. Like, I don't have a good idea. It's not like I'm sitting here from the rafters going, I know how to fix it. I don't know how to fix it.

[Mike Vorkanoff]

I mean, it's a trial run. They're going to run it. They already said it. They're like, look, we're going to do this for three years and in 2029, we're going to see what works and try it again. And if maybe there's expansion and they have to put a new thing out there. So. So I don't know that they're thinking. It's a long term, this fixes everything solution anyway.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, check out business decision. Hey, Mike, thanks for the time. See you later, man.

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[Public Investing Ad]

from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

[Bowen Yang]

is Bowen Yang from Lost Culture Research with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. We all know the feeling when life gets really busy. Taking care of yourself can feel impossible. That's why Premier protein shakes are my go to. They have 30 grams of protein, 160 calories, no added sugar and they taste amazing. So they're a healthy choice you'll actually want to make. It's not just for fitness. It's for getting after life. The 30 grams of protein gives you the fuel you need. It's not just for intense gym sessions, it's just for life. With the wide variety of flavors from cafe latte to cake batter, it never feels boring. It's a flavor for everyone. I personally love the peaches and cream, but maybe you're a root beer floater cinnamon roll kind of person. Premier Protein powers me to say yes to more. Find your favorite [e-mail] that's P R E M I E R protein dot com. Or at Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, that'll do it. Thank you guys for being here. Appreciate you listening to the podcast. Appreciate you leaving comments down in the comments. If you're, you know, listening to this on Spotify, leave a comment down there. That helps us. I don't know, maybe back this week. Maybe we won't. It's just a weird time. There's nothing going on.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah, NBA playoffs and it's gonna last forever.

[Bobby Bones]

Well, I'm closer to football is when it really starts rocking. You gotta hear us. Have to do an NFL show and when there's nothing going on.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

Yeah, I bet that's tough.

[Bobby Bones]

We're like, what's your favorite dinosaur team logo?

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

That's tough.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Yeah, that gets team logos.

[Bobby Bones]

That gets a.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

The draft was probably fun for a little bit.

[Bobby Bones]

What's the most fun letter? We do that for 30 minutes. We're like, all right, we'll see you next week.

[Eddie (Co-host/Producer)]

Let's go through the whole Alphabet.

[Bobby Bones]

All right, that's it. Well, we'll see you guys soon. Thank you very much. Thanks to our guests. Thanks to you guys. Blow the whistle. All right, bye, everybody. Theme song written by Bobby Bones.

[Kevin (Segment Producer)]

That's me.

[Bobby Bones]

And performed by Brandon Ray. Follow Brandon on socials at Brandon Ray Music. You can follow the show on Instagram at Bobby Bonesports. Thanks to our crew, co host at producer Eddie, segment producer at the kickoff Kevin, and executive producer at Mike Diestro. But most importantly, thank you for listening. I'm Bobby Bones. We'll talk to you next time here on 25 Whistles.

[Inner Balance Ad]

Dealing with fatigue, mood changes or skin shifts. Labs keep coming back normal. Meet Oestra from Inner balance all in one. Dr. Prescribed prescription strength bioidentical hormone cream designed for menopause and perimenopause relief. Oestra combines two hormones for relief in one simple treatment, replacing the five or six products. Many women juggle just one drop, 10 seconds a day. Take the quick two minute quiz online. To order Oestra today, visit innerbalance.com to feel like yourself again, that's innerbalance.com this

[Bowen Yang]

is Bowen Yang from Lost Culture Research with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. We all know the feeling when life gets really busy. Taking care of yourself can feel impossible. That's why Premier protein shakes are my go to. They have 30 grams of protein, 160 calories, no added sugar, and they taste amazing. So they're a healthy choice you'll actually want to make. It's not just for fitness. It's for getting after life. The 30 grams of protein gives you the fuel you need. It's not just for intense gym sessions, it's just for life. With the wide variety of flavors, from cafe latte to cake batter, it never feels boring. There's a flavor for everyone. I personally love the peaches and cream, but maybe you're a root beer floater, cinnamon roll kind of person. Premier Protein empowers me to say yes to more. Find your favorite [e-mail] that's P R E M I E R protein.com or at Amazon, Walmart, and other major retailers.

[Reynolds Kitchens Ad]

Ever wonder how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret Getting ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens Countertop Prep Paper Just lightly wet the counter beforehand so the paper grips and stays in place. Then lay down the Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper so drips and spills stay on the paper, not all over your kitchen counter. You can roll out dough, prep a party spread, or cook alongside family. When you're done, cleanup is as simple as lifting the paper and revealing that clean counter underneath. Effortless. You can use it for cooking and baking, prep and even crafting, especially when you need extra working space. Because when the mess is already handled, you can focus on what matters the food, the people, and the moment. It may look effortless, but now you know it's Reynolds Kitchens Countertop prep paper. Take a tip from me. Wet it, set it, prep it. Done. Make it easy. Make it with Reynolds Kitchens Countertop prep paper, available now in the Reynolds Wrap aisle and Walmart, Target, Amazon, and Costco.

[Bobby Bones]

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. We all seem to be in a rush these days, from work to driving our kids around. But when you're behind the wheel, please do not speed. A few minutes saved by going faster is never worth the risk. So follow the speed limit, enjoy the drive, maybe bring some snacks for the kids. And know that along the way you'll get getting quality time with your family. Paid for by NHTSA this is an IHEART podcast.

[Bowen Yang]

Guaranteed human.