You Betcha Radio Episode #363

Title: What Midwesterners LOVE Bragging About 🎙
Release Date: February 4, 2026
Hosts: Myles "You Betcha Guy", Ryan, Tyler, Jared

Episode Overview

In this hilarious and wildly relatable episode, the You Betcha crew does a deep dive into the quirks and comedy of Midwestern bragging culture. Myles, Ryan, Tyler, and Jared riff on the unique (and sometimes ridiculous) things Midwesterners take pride in, from ice-free driveways to getting a good deal. Along the way, they unpack the etiquette of drinking "just because," boastful ice fishing tales, food heritage, gift card politics, and more. The gang keeps things rolling with improv bits, personal stories, and their signature blend of boyish banter, nostalgia, and regional inside jokes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Midwestern Brags: The Badge of Cold Endurance

• Ice-Free Driveways

  • Midwesterners love to brag about having a spotless, ice-free driveway—often more than outsiders could ever understand.
  • "It's a badge of honor... it's doubly impressive if your driveway faces north." (Myles, 02:26)
  • “Do you guys understand how hard it is to go an entire winter without ice on your driveway? You have to clear the driveway before anything even walks on it. Footprints even.” (Ryan, 02:48)

• Waking Up Early to Chisel Ice

  • Stories about neighbors chiseling driveways at 4 am reinforce just how intense this regional competition gets.
  • “Every night at 4am she...that's when she would chisel her driveway.” (Tyler, 03:04)

• Bragging About Surviving Cold Weather

  • It’s a classic for Midwesterners to report back about the frigid temps at home, especially when traveling.
  • “Every single day of the vacation, someone's gonna be like, ‘whoa, it's only eight degrees back home.’” (Tyler, 04:41)
  • Myles upgrades his "cold story" ammo: “In January it was so cold that my window just cracked at my house.” (Myles, 05:08)
  • The guys compare it to an “amateur dick measuring contest” with people from warm states. (Ryan, 06:13)

2. Ice Fishing & Winter Outdoor Boasting

• Ice fishing as competition
  • “Midwesterners love to brag about how many times they’ve been out ice fishing in the winter. It’s like, cool, I get it.” (Ryan, 03:35)
  • The “ice castle” crew gets a special ribbing for how comfortable they have it.

3. Food Heritage: Family Recipes & Ethnic Foods

• Lefse & Lutefisk
  • Making lefse is both a culinary and social brag; authenticity is key.
  • “I’ve never met anyone who makes lefse not brag about how they make it.” (Miles, 06:46)
  • “Midwesterners will cream their cat because when somebody says, ‘what’s lefse?’” (Jared, 07:14)
• Showing Outsiders ‘The Way’
  • When asked about regional foods or customs, Midwesterners love to “block off the entire day and show you the way.” (Myles, 07:33)

4. Drinking Excuses: Any Reason Under the Sun

• Rapid-fire Bar Excuses
  • The gang riff a fast-paced list of classic (and ludicrous) excuses Midwesterners use to have a drink. This is a segment highlight; see notable quotes below.
  • “It’s a nice sunny day, I’m gonna have a beer.” (Jared, 09:40)
  • “The game’s not on, so I’ll take a beer.” (Miles, 09:34)
  • “My kid pissed me off, so I have a beer.” (Ryan, 10:01)
  • “My wife gave me some last night, so I’ll have a beer.” (Tyler, 10:20)
  • “It doesn’t matter ... if you heard any guy in the Midwest at a bar say that, you’d be like, yeah, cheers to that.” (Miles, 10:24)

5. Bragging About Party Provisions

• Quantity as a Social Magnet
  • “Midwesterners love bragging about how much alcohol they bought for a party...” (Jared, 11:08)
  • “It’s a measuring stick for if a party is worth it or not, is how much alcohol is at it.” (Myles, 11:28)
  • “Bring up a dry wedding in the Midwest, nobody showed up. Open bar, people you don’t even know are going to show up.” (Myles, 11:35)

6. The Sacredness of Deal Hunting

• Sharing a Bargain
  • “We love to brag about any sort of deal—coupons, on sale, thrift store...that’s bragging rights.” (Tyler, 11:55)
  • “I don’t think I’ve ever got a deal that I haven’t told someone about.” (Ryan, 12:10)
  • “Why can’t I just tell them I got a new coat? Why do I have to tell them it was 40 off?” (Myles, 12:42)
• Deal + Gift Card Combo: The Holy Grail
  • “If you double up on getting a deal and using your gift card to pay for said deal...shout it from the rooftops.” (Tyler, 18:02)
  • “If you’re a Midwesterner and you’re not going directly to the clearance rack first, you’re stolen valor.” (Miles, 18:13)

7. Gift Card Mishaps & Wishlist App Dreams

• “We have a gift card here… when did we get this?” (Miles, 19:08)
• The crew brainstorms an app concept to track gift cards and alert you in-store. (Miles/Ryan, 19:22–19:45)

8. Meat Processing and DIY Boasting

• Bragging about pounds of sausage or venison.
• “You can’t make sausage with a group of people and not tell people how many rings or pounds you made.” (Ryan, 22:48)
• The classic need to announce if a meal includes venison you hunted or processed yourself. (Myles, 23:07)

9. Miscellaneous Braggadocio

• Buying display or “damaged goods” items for less.
• “Dude, I got this 15 off because the box was damaged just a little...I don’t need the box.” (Miles, 22:04)

10. Motivating Friends: The Art of the Pep Talk

• A playful segment on supporting Jared’s weight loss journey—debating how much “shaming,” prodding, or praise is the best motivator. (29:03-33:50)
• “It’s part of being a good coach is understanding how to motivate your players.” (Miles, 31:53)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Ice-Free Driveway & Cold Weather Brags

• “Midwesterners love bragging about how there’s no ice on their driveway. It’s a badge of honor.”
  —Myles (02:26)

• “It’s like an amateur dick measuring contest almost. When you’re talking to people who are like from Arizona or Florida, on vacation, whatever. It’s like, I have thicker skin than you.”
  —Ryan (06:13)

• “My windows are just shattering.”
  —Myles (05:16)

Excuses to Drink – Rapid Fire (09:10–10:33)

• “I was on my way home from work, so I’ll take a drink.” —Miles
• “Game’s not on, so I’ll take a beer.” —Miles
• “My wife shut me down last night, so I’ll have a beer.” —Miles
• “My wife gave me some last night, so I’ll have a beer.” —Tyler
• “I have a kid, so I’ll have a beer.” —Ryan
• “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning, so I’ll take a beer.” —Miles
• “Bar’s about to close, I just have a beer.” —Jared
• “It doesn’t matter ... if you heard any guy in the Midwest at a bar say that, you’d be like, yeah, cheers to that. I’ll take a beer.” —Miles (10:24)

The Joy of Getting a Deal

• “Why can’t I just tell him I got a new coat? Why do I have to tell them it was 40 off?”
  —Myles (12:42)

• “If you double up on getting a deal and using your gift card to pay for said deal. Shout it from the rooftops, dude. Brag it.”
  —Tyler (18:02)

Bonus: The "In Charge" Segment (from Patreon, 37:30+)

A long-form, RPG-style bit where Tyler hosts a fictional Super Bowl party, dishing out bizarre responsibilities to the others, culminating in a Star Wars x Super Bowl themed bash with endless inside jokes about power, delegation, and the hilarity that comes with this crew’s improv instincts.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:49] — Intro to Midwesterner Bragging
• [02:26] — Ice-free driveway pride
• [03:35] — Ice fishing one-upmanship
• [04:41] — Weather bragging while out of state
• [09:10–10:33] — Rapid-fire Midwest drinking excuses
• [11:08–11:51] — Party alcohol bragging, dry wedding tangent
• [12:10–13:49] — Kolossal Deal Bragging; clearance racks and gift cards
• [19:22–19:45] — Gift card tracking app concept
• [22:48–23:07] — Bragging about wild game processing
• [29:03–33:50] — Motivating Jared for weight loss
• [37:30+] — Tyler’s “in charge” bit: Super Bowl party planning, Star Wars crossover
• [66:05] — Jared’s weigh-in (224.2 lbs!)—kicks off his July 4th weight loss challenge
• [67:11] — Fun Fact: “127 Hours” math and “Mamba Mentality”
• [69:36+] — Lock-in movies, classic TV brags, comedic boner-discovery nostalgia

Episode Tone & Style

Consistently laid-back, tongue-in-cheek, and self-deprecating. The hosts riff easily off one another, poking fun at Midwestern stereotypes and themselves in equal measure. Running gags include faux-macho contests (“I have thicker skin than you”), “any excuse to drink,” obsessive deal-hunting, and the utter seriousness of being “in charge”—however ridiculous the context.

For New Listeners

Whether or not you grew up in the Midwest, this episode encapsulates regional comedy gold. From family food traditions to driveway maintenance, these are the things that make Midwesterners tick (and talk, and talk...). The playful insight, personal stories, and rapid-fire jokes make this episode a great entry point to understanding, and laughing at, the quirks of Midwestern life.

Want more?
Check out these segments for peak laughs:

• [09:10–10:33] — Midwest Drinking Excuses
• [22:48–23:07] — Wild Game Processing Brags
• [37:30–End] — The “In Charge” Super Bowl Party Improv