The John Clay Wolfe Show – Episode #215 (09.14.19)

Date Aired: February 16, 2026
Podcast Theme: Candid, irreverent conversations about cars, sports, music, pop culture, news, and anything worth a laugh—as long as it doesn’t get them fined by the FCC. Plus, live car deals on air, listener calls, and an unapologetically Southern, off-the-cuff vibe.

Episode Overview

This episode of The John Clay Wolfe Show spans a range of topics, from remembering 9/11 and debating music’s appropriateness on somber anniversaries, to conspiracies, car auction tall tales, sports betting, strip club economics, celebrity news, callers’ confessions, and the wild energy of a program always on the edge of irreverence. John and his crew—Bobbo, J.D., Charlie, and listeners—shuffle through stories of American culture, music icons, news of the weird, and a conveyor belt of cars to buy or critique, all powered by GiveMeTheVIN.com.

Key Discussion Points & Memorable Segments

1. Remembering 9/11 – Media, Music & Meaning

• Timestamps: [00:22]–[10:24]
• The show opens with a dramatic recreation of news coverage from 9/11, exploring how the team and callers first heard about the attacks.
• Debate over the Use of Metallica's “Enter Sandman”
  • Bobbo chooses it for the memorial montage; Charlie argues it’s too dark.
  • QUOTE (Bobbo): “It needs to be dark. We need to remember it that way. It's a bad, bad deal.” [05:24]
  • The hosts swap stories on where they were, emotions, and the confusion of that day.

2. Pentagon Conspiracies & Caller Speculation

• Timestamps: [07:55]–[13:27]
• John floats conspiracy questions about the Pentagon attack’s nature—was it a plane, a missile, or something else? J.D. debunks quickly with first-hand knowledge and logic.
• Caller weighs in: “I've watched some of these conspiracy videos on YouTube... I think it's kind of weird how there's no video.” [12:49]
• Debate concludes with John realizing he hasn’t dug as deep as some into the conspiracy end of 9/11.

3. Eddie Money Tribute & Rock ‘n’ Roll Urban Legends

• Timestamps: [15:05]–[17:32]; [94:00]–[95:56]
• The team notes Eddie Money’s passing and tells classic road stories, including an urban legend where Eddie Money was denied a drink at a Texas bar.
• Joke riff: “I know he got his two tickets to paradise…” – (J.D.) [15:25]
• They recall the oddities of playing to tiny crowds and the realities of fame’s ups and downs.

4. Vaping Crisis, Health Paranoia, and Blame Games

• Timestamps: [19:52]–[22:25]
• Discussion over vaping’s health risks, Trump’s regulatory remarks, and Bobbo’s personal smoking vs. vaping journey.
• QUOTE (Bobbo): “I've smoked cigarettes…since I was 14. And being off of them feels a lot better than being on them…” [21:47]
• Conspiracy theories abound—are big tobacco companies trying to demonize vaping?

5. Sports Betting’s “New Frontier”

• Timestamps: [24:55]–[29:55]
• John asks for calls to clarify new legalizations around sports betting in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and surrounding states.
• The crew compares sports betting to their own world: car auctions, where making bets on car values is a daily risk.

6. Car Auction Antics & Selling Stories

• Timestamps: [29:55]–[34:42], [47:06]–[48:35]
• The team reveals weekly auction highs and lows, from McLarens sold for $240K to junkers at $650. Highlights include the tale of a flood-damaged FJ Cruiser that turned out to be a surprising “big fat pig” winner.
• QUOTE (John): “How do you make $10,000 off of a five or three thousand dollar investment? What's the percentage on that? Luck is what it is.” [32:38]

7. Call-In Car Deals — the Show’s Core

• Throughout (noteworthy at [47:06], [56:42], [64:10], [130:11], etc.)
• Callers pitch vehicles—John gives rapid-fire bids, busts lowball expectations, and coaches would-be sellers (“Don’t brag about the car—sell it!”). The show’s spinning engine is live, sometimes absurd used car negotiation.
• QUOTE (John to seller): “If you want to sell them, sell them, not brag about them. If. Send us pictures of your mullet and your gold chain…” [58:03]

8. Growing the Show – “Operation General Lee”

• Timestamps: [36:27]–[44:40]; [101:16]–[104:58]
• John is both proud and befuddled by their expanding syndication throughout the South.
• Banter about “what station are we on in X city, Bobbo?” exposes both pride and chaos.
• Lively debate: “Your hometown is Bowie, Texas. And you talk about it like everybody knows…” [38:19]

9. Sex, Drugs, and Strip Club Economics

• Timestamps: [58:01]–[97:34]; [137:00]–[139:41]; [159:04]–[161:14]
• Strip club DJ economics: dancers’ tips, club fees, how many singles end up in whose pocket.
• Candid talk about meth production color variations and down-home jokes on the subject, with listeners from the South chiming in.
• Pushing the envelope with impersonations, tongue-in-cheek “reporting,” and bits like “the one-arm stripper Dale.”

10. Celebrity Culture & Pop Culture Musings

• Caitlin Jenner Rant [160:09]–[164:10]:
  • John speculates whether Caitlyn Jenner’s transition is showbiz or sincere.
  • Crew discusses Andy Kaufman, Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines, and the thin line between performance, authenticity, and self-parody.
  • QUOTE (John): “I'm asking, was it a show business move or is it real?... I look between the lines on everything.”
• Coming to America 2 Hype [124:06]–[124:53]:
  • Preview of Eddie Murphy’s sequel and wild speculation about what’s next.

11. Sports Picks, Betting, and NFL/College Football Chatter

• Timestamps: [91:11]–[93:06]; [174:00]–[184:37]
• Recap of the early NFL season, college games, and the cultural obsession with the Patriots, Bama, and the Cowboys—plus audience participation in sports betting talk.
• QUOTE (John): “Who are you more sick of watching win, Alabama or the Patriots?” [183:25]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John on the show’s philosophy:
  “We talk about cars, sports, sex, drugs, and rock & roll... just about anything as long as it won’t get us fined by the FCC.”

• Bobbo (on 9/11 music):
  “It needs to be dark. We need to remember it that way.”

• JD on conspiracy theorists:
  “The velocity literally evaporated the aircraft. That's what happens at that speed.” [10:46]

• Listener on selling a car:
  “No. I'm still bowing up.”
  John: “Then bow the hell up and keep your car and I'll keep my money.” [78:49]

• Caller from Alabama on meth:
  "Man, down here in Alberta, Alabama this is the crystal meth capital of the United States... It'll turn it yellow, make you run faster than a chicken with its head cut off." [67:51]

• On John questioning the show’s own madness:
  "People who listen to this show for a long time have asked... does John have Tourette’s?” [127:15]

Highlighted Timestamps for Key Segments

• 9/11 Remembrance and Debate – [00:22]–[10:24]
• Pentagon Conspiracies & Debunking – [07:55]–[13:27]
• Eddie Money Tributes – [15:05]–[17:32], [94:00]–[95:56]
• Vaping/Cigarette Culture – [19:52]–[22:25]
• Sports Betting Regulatory Expansion – [24:55]–[29:55]
• Car Auction Stories – [29:55]–[34:42], [47:06]–[48:35], (throughout)
• Musical Comedy (Led Zeppelin Chicken) – [153:22]–[154:35]
• Caitlyn Jenner “Is it a Bit?” Debate – [160:09]–[164:10]
• NFL/College Football & Sports Betting – [174:00]–[184:37]
• Show Expansion, New Markets – [36:27]–[44:40], [101:16]–[104:58]

Original Tone & Language

This episode is fast, loose, irreverent, and Southern—driven by the chemistry between John Clay Wolfe, his crew, and unscripted listener calls. The tone flips from dead serious (9/11 remembrance, car deal straight-talk) to punchy, self-mocking, and raucous (bar brawls, strip club economics, meth recipes, pop conspiracy). At moments, it’s rowdy; at others, self-reflective; always aware of the FCC line—sometimes laughing while skirting just this side of it.

Final Thoughts

For new listeners, this episode is a wild ride through American car culture, music, sports, and everyday life filtered through the unpredictable, occasionally inappropriate, but always entertaining lens of John Clay Wolfe and his rotating cast. If you want a show where anything goes—except getting fined by the FCC—this is it.

Find full episodes and the show archive at PodBean by searching “The John Clay Wolfe Show+”.