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I'm Bwinkler joining us today. Brian Butch. How are you doing, buddy? I don't know where to start with all your accolades. They're on nobody.
Yeah.
Well, I don't know about that. We'll figure that. I don't have a job, so it must not have been that good. I mean, that's kind of the reality of life when it comes to radio hosts. I've always said this: if you're in media, like you're going to get fired at some point, like, know that my wife, when I told her, I was like, go, I was like, oh, no big deal.
Like, most wives, like, well, what are we going to do? My wife is like, well, we knew this was going to come at some point. Like, that's just what the media world is. And I was like, fair point.
So now you kind of do your own thing. And, but yeah, what's up? I think blessing and a curse for me, but like I got a little taste of that national. Radio money. For two years.
Which is different. Which is different. It wasn't like, it wasn't like. No stream. But I was finally able to compare salaries with my friends that 20 years ago chose business.
Rather than whatever the hell this is. Yeah.
So I'm missing that a little. I understand. I think there's this.
So, like. And this is where, like, I think sports has helped me in that aspect of it. A lot of them are decisions that you're like, no matter what you do, you're not in control of it. Like, there's four people above you that just says, okay, we're going to do this. And you're like, okay.
And you probably haven't listened to a show or realized what's going on. But that happens in sports all the time. Like, I've been cut by guys that never watched me play. Like, they've come down and say, all right, we're going to send you home. I was like, Did you even watch the game film?
Like, did you? Like, in the Philippines, I was at, I had a game where I had 40 and 31. In the next game, I got released. I was like, all right, sounds good. I guess that is 40 and 31.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was no game against Fond du Lac, but that's all right. I mean, okay, we'll get there. Yeah.
I'm a year older than Butch.
So, I would go to the games and heckle you.
So, in my eyes, I'm still a senior and you're just a junior. All right. And I think we won that game, too, right? I don't know. Did you initiate throwing the soda bottles on the court, or was that senior year?
No, I was always, I was loud. I was a front row fan, but I was very respectful. You allowed, never. I would have never anticipated that. Yeah.
Funny story about. The whole FVA like nonsense. 'Cause I went to Fondulek, Butch was Appleton West. There was, do you remember the message board Wisconsin preps? I do, you know what?
My buddies read it and I never paid attention to it, but my teammates did. Yeah.
Well, my team my soccer teammates did because When I played soccer, my dad was the coach. And some of the other people on the team. Made an account to shit all over me, which is great. But I bring that up because there was a guy from Nina. who I got in these really fierce battles with.
Like I was always pissed, like this guy from Nina, what is he doing? What is he doing? I go to college freshman year. I start talking about it with this guy. It's my roommate.
It was my roommate from Nina. Who is on these boards? We're yelling at each other all the time, just thinking like Fox Valley Association rivalries are. You know, the top of the world. But they were pretty intense.
Yeah, no, you know, here's the thing: it was good. Like, the league was good, it was fun, it made for fun experiences. I mean, everybody in Fond du Lac redshirt before red shirting was a thing. I mean, you did it too. Don't act like you didn't hold yourself back.
The whole city did it. Other than you guys try to cheat before cheating was real, like life was good. No, I'm joking.
Well, I mean that was a hundred years ago, but also. It worked. To a degree. Two degree. Two degree.
Exactly. That's why I kind of feel stupid. Like, I don't think I have one kid, I don't think I'm raising. A future athlete, um, like professional. Although, in soccer the other day, he did win the endurance race, which was very, I was very proud of him.
Yeah, just step there, we go. He didn't ask you, did he? He's an August birthday. And I put him ahead.
Okay. I should have held him back, especially in this era. We're like, I could get him by the time he's in high school, like, he could be getting eighth grade NIL money. I should have held him back. We have a June birthday and we held him back.
Now, we held our guy back. Um, because he has brain cancer and has had two brain surgeries.
So, when we had to evaluate kind of where we were at, that's one of the big reasons we did. But it was a June birthday, so yeah, but uh. There's a lot going on, my man. There's a lot there, that's for sure.
Well, how is the fam? You know what, we're doing good. We've uh you know, it's it's crazy.
So, obviously, Blake, our son, had brain surgery in September. He's doing really well. Um, still, you know, we live scan by scan as a family, but um, very fortunate, very lucky. Um But we've also just been just absolutely wrecked by a tornado here in the Fox Valley that just. I live in Fox Crossing.
My kids' preschool is gone. Like, gone. Not like I text the teachers. It was like, hey, how can we help? And they're like, well, we're not like, we're done.
I think, you know, Mother Nature sent us into retirement.
So it's, it, it, That is the thing that I look at now when Like I wa I drove through it a little bit. Um if you drive if you know Appleton Fox Valley area, four hundred forty one, like it's open, but the warehouses on both sides of four hundred forty one as you're driving by are completely gone. Um it people use the word warzone. I've never been in one. I don't know, but it is just one of those where you just you're shocked.
So It's been a weird week because you just try to find ways that you can help. We had to boil our water for a little bit, that was the worst we had. Big deal. Like, big deal. You know, I mean, like, there's going to be, it's going to be about a month before some people have power.
And, um, so that's, that's been a, it's been a weird week, but, um, You know we're You, you know, I mean, you're from the Fox Valley, like, that's just what we do. Like, we surround and we help each other. It's a weird. Like, that's why I liked radio because you could, I felt like it was a weird way of helping people escape. Jobs that suck.
Like, you can get 20 minutes of listening to your people before you go into what you hate. Like, and then come out and try to find a way to do it. Like, maybe I was naive enough to think that we had that big of an impact. Maybe, like, maybe we didn't. But in my mind, I thought we were helping people.
So that's why I loved what I was doing. All right, I got nine follow-ups from everything you just said. First, first, with the tornadoes. Your camp is going to help them out. You guys are doing something.
So I'm in the process, and we should hopefully finalize that today. I'm hoping, but at the champion center next Thursday, which I believe it's August 6th, we're going to run a free basketball camp. And all you need to do is go to sweatequitybasketball.com, sign up for it, and then we'll take donations at the door. We'll take Venmos. Like, we're just going to try to fill this whole champion center, which is huge, with as many kids as possible and raise as much money and just kind of show kids.
Like, my kids were in a movie theater when it happened. Like, my kids were scared. Let's use, let's use sports because it's awesome to show young kids what community is about. Like, let's bring us all together. Let's do this.
Let's have fun. Let's bring some joy. Kids that don't have power, like. Come over here and just get away from. What that is for a little bit.
I'm not smart, Bart. Like, I don't, but I know basketball, but I'm not smart. I just know that I could teach basketball. I can talk to people and get a gym for free. Let's do it.
Like, and the rest of it will figure out.
So, that's my thought process with this thing, and it's getting bigger and bigger every day.
So, that's little things that we can do. Try Angelsoft for your tushi It's made by Angels Soft and strong, budget friendly The choice is simple Pick up a pack today Angelsoft The the second follow-up Do you consider Fond du Lac part of the Fox Valley? Because it always felt like people were like, because the Fox Valley doesn't, the Fox River doesn't come through Fond du Lac. I remember and Fond du Lac joined, I think, in like 89 because we were playing around with Sheboygan and all that. Yeah, um, but I'm nice, I'm nice, like I do.
I consider from Fond du Lac to Green Bay to me is the Fox found no different than Milwaukee. Like, how big is Milwaukee?
Well, like, people say, oh, you know, the valley's not that big. I said, but if you look at Fond du Lac, it's going to take me 45 minutes to get from Fond du Lac to Appleton. It's going to take so like That's if I'm going to drive from one side of Milwaukee to the other side of Milwaukee, it's 45 minutes. I'm a big drivetime guy. Like that's that's how I justify it though.
Takes me 20 minutes to get to a quick trip down here. I can't find it. I can't understand that quick trip. You're missing out. I live on the east side of town.
I can't, I gotta, I don't know where I gotta drive. Um did you have Did you have a team that you hated playing the most? Was it Fondi?
Well yeah, because you guys would take my knees out. Yeah.
I was like, legit. That was the only team that, after every game. That was my friend John Shavy coming after you.
Okay. Yeah.
And I was like, that as a big guy, that's what got you pissed. It's like, all right, you can hit me, you can elbow me, but don't like to me, dirty play when it comes to basketball is when you try to take somebody out. And I'm not saying. Dieter told you guys to take me out. But I'm not not saying it.
All right, I'm gonna put it that way. I'm gonna not say it. Cause again, I was 6'11, 185, skinny. Like, you wanna be physical with me. And I was fine with it, but you get around my knees.
we could have had a big issue. And so there were some there were some heated moments there. It also helped that Final Night was good. Like that that was the other thing. Like it was they you guys were good.
Like that's so any time you have two good teams, you're going to have a little bit of fun with it. I was always, I had a thing against Ashcash West.
Okay. With Adrian Tiggert? Yeah yeah, yeah. I mean there's just the whole Just the whole thing. Yeah.
Okay. I didn't like it. I kind of had a soft spot for Appleton North because I met some friends through swimming.
Well, okay.
Okay. I swam. I swam. I ran track and I played soccer. I did all the cool sports.
Hey, I don't care what you. That's the thing with sports, honestly, like on my world, like, I don't care what my kids do, I just want them to be. In some sort of sports, whether it's golf, whatever, like the values you learn, and I know this doesn't sound like gimmicky, but it's like I'm weird like that. Like, I truly believe it. Like, I think sports teaches, like, we fail most of the time, you're gonna fail in sports every day.
Like, that's just the reality. Like, there's not that many winners in sports.
So, you learn, like, you learn how to adjust, you learn how to. Cope with that. And then, hey, you either want to lose or you want to get better.
So let's work at it. Like, I just, I just think it's that simple versus everybody gets orange slices. And I don't like, I don't, I don't love where we're going with you sports, but. Um that's just me. I don't either.
I'll say that for another day. Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm very. This whole thing, and I'm dealing with it as a seven-year-old soccer coach. We got to win the U9 tournaments. Forget developing for high school and beyond. What actually needs to be developed, correct?
If it's a tournament in July, a Got to do everything we can and spend as much money to win it.
Now, I. Played soccer in high school, and I didn't really do anything after that.
Okay. So if I'm visualizing highlights from my athletic career, it goes to that. Are there? Because you played all over. Yep.
And you were, I mean, Mr. Basketball.
So good in high school. You were with the Badgers. You played for another, what, 10 years after that? Are there spots that like? The memories feel more real, like you can put yourself in there.
Is it just kind of all a blur? You were all over the place. Yeah, you know, I played in Dubai, I played in China, played in Japan, played in Germany. Did some of that not feel like it even happened to you? No, it's all, you know, I was.
So when I started going overseas first, I was like, I hate this. I was like, I got to do it. Like, that's where I think some of these guys aren't going to play as long with the NIL money that they're getting. Like, they're not, for me, I hated it at first. And then I grew to love it.
And I would travel on my off days. I would see the countries. Like, I was like. I had to at one time I looked at my wife and I said, We're getting paid to do this. Like, we got paid to live in Tokyo.
We would jump on the bullet train, go down to Kyoto for the day, come back, and it's like, No way people would pay like This is an expensive vacation and we get to do this whenever I have an off day.
So I grew to love it. I thought it was, it changed me as a person. Um I think As athletes, We're all self-centered. And we all think we matter a lot more than what we really do. Like, none of us really matter.
Um, that's why the transition to radio is so good because you fit right.
Well, and for me, like, honestly, like, I felt like I was an oddball on radio because there's a lot of people on radio that feel like they're very important people, and I like, and I just am good, like, I didn't. Like I started my podcast, Butchy's Den. Because a common friend of ours Justin Hall, who got me into radio at first, got me in that Woodward Communications. And that's the other thing. I'll say this.
I will say this. I don't know why Milwaukee Radio has been a training ground. Like, I've never understood that. Like, I started in the Fox Valley. And I did a morning show.
And Like I did a one-hour show that turned into a two-hour morning show. Then I had to sell. And do the radio show. They may be. Oh yeah, I sold.
Absolutely. I sold for Woodward. Like absolutely. Like so like I know how that works. And then and as I did radio in Milwaukee.
I just was like, when is this now the training grounds? Like, this is Milwaukee Radial. This, like, This shouldn't be where you get your first job. I was shocked. And I think people assume that like I got my first job in Milwaukee.
No, like I did a one-hour show in Appleton, the two-hour morning show, then I had to sell.
So I'm on the street selling BJ and the Bear. And trying to promote and advertise, like, hey, this is what we can do, and we can do this, and we can read your ads here, and we can do a 10-second add-on to do, like, I know all of it.
So, I don't know where I lost my train of thought there, but like, I just, to me, like, I just think there's. Um, that's the reality of where we're at in the media side of it. But, um, I forgot what we were talking about before. I went on a tangent, shocking, I went on a tangent. But um, I stopped listening after Kyoto, Japan.
Okay, fair, fair, fair, fair, fair.
So, no, but yeah, I learned, I loved everything about it, like, and I was fortunate to do that. Um, What we were talking about was athletes. That's what it was. Like, athletes feel they're very important. But I learned overseas, like, nobody's watching my games.
Like, maybe the fans are a little bit, but like, I'm doing it because I love it. And I got to do that for 10 years. And had a little bit of a taste of the NBA, hurt my knee. But, like, I just, and people ask if I miss it. There's not a part, like, I haven't played since.
Like I gave everything I had. I poured all of my hind into it. I can fill my bucket doing broadcasts and sitting next to La Pay, running my camps, working for BTN, working for Fox, working for Peacock. Like all those things are how I can fill it without having to play.
So it was great.
So when Did did Justin, would he re did he recruit you in or did you show an interest? Oh, so he kind of reached out to me and said, Would you want to do it? I was coaching for the herd. And he was like, Would you want to do an hour show with BJ? I was like, Sure, why not?
Like, we were done by practice. Um, I was getting paid. Think $12 an hour to be a coach.
So I was an hourly, like, and I got done playing. I was like, well, I'm not, no, like $12 an hour isn't going to cut it. I got kids on the way. I'm married. Like, I got to figure something out.
So he said, I can give you $25 to do a one-hour show. I was like, sure, let's do it. Um so I did that and It worked well. And they said, Hey, you're double your income at that point. Oh, exactly.
Why not? Right.
So then they said, Hey, do you want to do a two-hour morning show? I'm like, Sure. I'm like, But I got to try to get some insurance because at that point I didn't have insurance.
So to get insurance, I was selling. Um and doing it that way. And then um iHeart came to me and said, Hey, do you want to do some fill-ins? I said, Sure. And then they came to me and said, Hey, do you want to do a show with Kuhn?
I said, Sure. And then they came to me after some shuffling and said, Do you want to do the morning show with Zabe? And I was like, Yeah. I know you of him have gone back to forth. I'll say this about Zabe.
I learned a lot from them. It was the first time. That I thought I It was a pro, whether you agree with the statements, the comments, whatever. Like, I did learn a lot from Zayn, and we worked well. Nice communication with Zayn.
Okay. All right. There. I'm not putting it. I'm just, hey, that's your stuff.
I just say, I mean, I'm just saying what it's saying. When he got back on the air, I did send him a meme of like an eyeball going, like, What are you doing? And he's like, I got to take what I can get. Yeah, me too, dude.
So I asked him to come on and he hasn't come on yet, but. I'll keep greasing that wheel. Yeah, no, I learned a lot. I said I still don't know radio, like, but I, I put the, you know, I put my work in. I started small, and but that's all I know, Bart.
Like, that's, and that's why it started.
So Justin asked me, like, hey, do you want to do a podcast? I was like, sure, let's do it. Was that ever an interest you had any time leading up? Um It was always something I was like, should I go off on my own? Because, like, I saw where this is going.
Like, if you have your own, there's. Like You can do a lot more things. There's things you can do. And as I started to evolve with it, I was like, okay, this can be more Badger-centric and we can do some stuff. And so that's been fun.
Like, I've been able to catch up with a lot of my old teammates. I've been able to catch up with former football players. Like, I got Brooks Bollinger coming on later on today that we'll put out and release it. And it's grown more than I thought it has because it's just. Like, people are like, well, what do you do?
I'm like, I just talk. Like, I mean, I have some ideas of questions, but. We just talk. Um, we talk Wisconsin, we talk Wisconsin football, basketball. Um, I've got other guests on and stuff like that, but and then I do a live show every Friday, and it's just fun.
Um, So, I do like I. The part I miss about it is the connection with the. People But I'm learning more and more people are paying attention to this stuff too, which is. I didn't think that was going to be the case, and I think the platform's probably bigger. Um because of social media.
Well, it's got the potential to be. Yes, but you got to work at it now. Right.
I mean, yeah, you got to work at it. Cause I'm like, I always think when I press live, I'm like, all right, I'm broadcasting to the world. If you can find me, if you know, if you already subscribed or follow, and then you'll see it, but you know, you got to get people to see it. I can't really afford billboards all over town. Correct.
You just got to go word of mouth. But I ask you because. It feels like Like you can't just A lot of people in sports radio Cannot play. And we took that path. But then a lot of athletes do jump over.
Afterwards. And I don't I don't always know that they There's so much that they don't know that they don't know. Yeah.
I feel like The way with, let me tell you about that's probably the way you are with basketball. The way you are with basketball is, and this is what I say about soccer, which I grew up playing and I've coached and I've refereed. I understand I speak the language of every sport. But I am fluent in soccer. That's why it's what I'm comfortable coaching to other people.
I can coach my kids' T-ball team, and I'll coach a rec, but basketball, but soccer, that's my thing. I'm fluent in that. And I feel like I'm fluent. In radio, I feel like because I've done every job. I get it all, I get everything about it.
I wonder if I just You seem to have a natural like, you get it. Everything. I'm complimenting you. I don't do this to people ever. But I just feel like, I feel like there's a part, you just get it.
And I wonder if that's just. You getting it like you're natural athlete, but you're also natural at this, or if it was the selling and behind-the-scenes stuff that, Because there's so many people that get in and they just don't know. And you gotta, you gotta like. You can't just be a basketball player and shoot threes. You got to do the other stuff.
You can't just be on the radio and be a host. I don't think. I think you need to be able. To know what's going on. Yeah, I think the best thing was for me was selling because.
It opened up my eyes to everybody else. Like, because again, like radio, there's the sales versus on-air, and you're always going to like, like, it's a weird dynamic. They want to make their money. They don't want to necessarily sell endorsements because you're going to take a cut of what they're selling. You don't ever want to listen to the show they're promoting.
That too, that too. But that helped me learn exactly what radio was.
Now, the mechanics, I'm still learning. Like, that's why my time, I brought it up. My time with Zay was so informative because. Not that I thought my time with BJ was informative because, and now he runs Woodward Communication. I mean, Like it was informative in a different way.
Zabe's mechanics. We're so like, this is what we're doing. And like radio-wise, was this and this? Like, no offense to Kuhn, but like the mechanics weren't there because you didn't know either. Like, you had two athletes trying to do a show.
Like, that's not going to turn out well. Like, there's one McAfee, that's it. Like, so, like, the mechanics of it were just. Awkward. We did a show, but it wasn't a show, if that makes sense.
So I learned a lot there. And I thought we did, but I also think like the athlete side of it. You have to put your work in. Like, I was not a huge Brewer fan growing up. And I've said this on air.
Like, in Appleton, for me to come down and watch a game was really tough. My parents would bring us down to maybe one or two. My dad owned a Piggly Wiggly, so we'd get some comp tickets from Miller Light or whatever else.
So we'd come down and do that. But we weren't. Baseball fans. As soon as I started doing the one-hour afternoon show with BJ, I watched every game. Because I better pay attention because that's what we're talking about from May until August.
And I'm going to be exposed if I didn't do that. Like, if I didn't watch it and pay attention and dive into it and understand it, I knew I was going to be exposed and I wasn't going to allow myself to do that.
So I think that's where, for me, like, I think sometimes you get former athletes that. And list listeners, pay attention to this. If you get athletes that just rely on stories of their playing dates. I think it's a tell. that they haven't done their homework.
Are you naming names or? No, I'm not naming names. I'm just saying, just but I but I'll say national shows. I'll say local shows. I think any shows.
I think if you have athletes, if you have former athletes that are on, like, I think. Dan Olovsky does a great job. Barely hear him tell a story about himself. I think, now, I don't know how you feel about him, but I watch it. I'm like, okay, I'm learning some stuff.
This is good. But I think you give athletes that jump on these shows and like, well, back in the day, or this is what Roger, like, not, those are crutches. And at times, Be completely honest, when I didn't prep for a day, what did I do? I leaned on stories. Story time with Butchy.
Yeah, that's kind of what it became. And I realized. Bro, I'm like, I gotta, I can't. If I want to be in radio, I can't do that. That's not fair to the listener.
Yeah, you gotta put the work in. Yeah.
You still have to put the work in, and you know the work ethic, but there's also, I think, a natural ability. And I think you do a great job when you're, you know, doing the color commentary. And to be able to do that, like you said, with LePay. Lape is the one guy, he wouldn't know this, but Lepe is the one guy that I've ever had on. I had him on when I was doing Fond du Lac radio.
Okay. And he'll jump on any. If you reach out, he'll do any of it. He is. I got to circle back around him because he is.
He had a book out and I For what, like, he was like the most nervous I've ever been talking to anyone, was Matt Lape. Because there's just something about. He's just perfect. I don't know. He's just the best.
He's perfect. It's Saturday. He is Saturday first. His hair is perfect. The way he dresses is perfect.
The way he talks is perfect. He's perfect. Like, no, I've gotten to know him and he's become a really good friend through this, through doing work together. And I mean, you talk about him being there through our son's brain surgery. You talk about even yesterday, hey, you guys good?
As soon as the tornadoes came through, like it was ever like just everything. I mean, the guy is. He's a hall of famer, but he's a hall of fame person. Like, I'm so lucky to be able to do what I do. Like, it's stupid.
I still look at myself and say, We get to do this. Like, I get to do this next to him. Are you kidding me? How many games do you do a year between that and... Fox and all that?
Uh I'm about 45 to 50 games. Usually around here, do they send you like No, so there's a lot around here, but then someday Levering's calling college football in Oregon somehow. Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, it's all over. I mean, I've had games at Rutgers, we've had games all over.
Hey, I'll call a game anywhere. I mean, it's a fun. It's fun, and like I get paid to do it, which is crazy. Like, I mean, so. It doesn't matter.
And I think. My always thing that I always tell myself is explain the why. And in a way that A normal person can understand why that play worked. Um and then The other thing is, and I've got to get better at it still after seven years, eight years of doing it, shut up. Like TV shut up, like.
I don't need to talk as much. Like, you can see it. Like, make my words valuable. Radio is like quick, and then my number one job is just to stay the hell out of Matt LePay's way. Like, I have to continue to remember it, like, just let him do it because you can't see in radio.
So, the media is different.
So, my comments need to be quick and to the point. I think when you're doing A show You develop, like, you get the cadence of, okay, I'm talking now, you're talking now. Especially in these three-man booths, but even in the booth situation. Because your role is inherently less than the guy that's calling the game. For radio, yes.
TV, it's different. Yeah.
Yeah.
But is there like a big difference between when you're doing, like, if you're doing a show with Zayn. And you know when to talk, when to talk. Is it the same kind of thing when you're doing it with LePay, or is it like, I'm raising my hand, I'm talking? Does there need to be stuff like that, or is it just. You just, you know, when to talk because of the way he just ended his sentence.
You know, there's a little bit of that. I'll be honest, Bart. I think. And I'm going to say this, and it probably might come off bad. I don't want it to come off bad, but.
It just kind of has come natural to me. Like, okay, now's a point to jump in. But make it quick. And maybe it's because it's the flow and feel of the game. Like dead balls, timeouts, free throw, jump in.
Like, that's obvious. But if there's a quick play there, but Matt always says, don't worry about over time. Like, I'll get everyone caught up. You brought you what you want to talk about, get it in. Like he keeps saying, I need you to talk more at times because he's like, What you're saying is exactly what's going on, and our listeners need that.
So it's been really like to have Matt Lape say, You need to talk more, or I'll give you more room. I'm like, What? Like, why?
Okay. So, um, but I just think it's come naturally to me. Um, I did an audition at BTM when I first got into this thing, and right away afterwards, like, dude, you're like, you're really good at this. We're going to call you. And they gave me a slate of 10 games and 10 studios right away.
And I was like, like, and this was in October.
So it was one of the, it was weird. But I like, but I also over prepped too.
So I don't, I mean, On my boards, I do. Maybe I get 15% of the information out there. And the other 85 is just wasted. I think that was the right math. That's Appleton West math.
Maybe I did it wrong, but you got the point. It's all here, the surf. The smiles, the sand, the much needed wee time. maybe even some meat time. 11 waterfront towns to explore, delicious seafood to devour, and that sweet, sweet sunshine.
Everything you've been waiting for, everything you've been missing is at North Carolina's uncrowded coast. Visit crystalcoastnc.com slash booking now. I spent a lot of time in Appleton West Pool. They had that nice slide. I would.
Yeah, the Ed Zepka. What is it? Aquatic Center? Uh Yeah, see? I spent a lot of time there.
Last one, big picture. On the whole thing. whatever part of it you want. Wisconsin Badgers Athletics. We got a new AD.
I feel like Greg Gard? Who do you know well? There's still another Ceiling, he needs to get through. I feel like the Badgers football program. There's less excitement around that than there's been in a long time.
There's a lot of other good things happening at the University of Wisconsin. you know volleyball specifically But those two have always been the drivers and We seem like we're not. as high as we were.
So, you have to win in football. Everybody knows that. Like, for your athletic department to continue to do what you need to do. I know we've heard the number that's out there. I don't know if that's true or not, but we know that there's been an You know, a solid amount added to give a roster.
That's where we're at first. Let's start there. Like, NIL is here, it's here to stay, it's not going anywhere.
So, I think the first mistake wasn't jumping on that right away because that's just the reality of what it is. Like, I don't mean it in a bad way. And for fans, I don't think it's like, I know fans don't like it, but. It's also where we're at.
So, why look at this and say, well, I'm not going to be a fanny.
Well, no, like. I don't think that's the answer. Football. Luke's had a lot of injuries. It's not an excuse, it's the truth.
But you also have to overcome injuries. That's the reality of. The game. You're judged by your winners or losses.
So, Luke needs to have a great year this year. I think Sean, New AD, is going to be phenomenal. I've not had a chance yet to talk with him. I'm sure I will. But he's a Wisconsin guy.
I think knowing what Wisconsin is is a big part of how you're going to fundraise. Like, you have to connect with Wisconsin people. You have to go out there. You have to go to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. You have to go to Three Lakes, Wisconsin.
Like, you have to go to these people and meet people. That's what they want. And that's what they deserve. Let's put it that way, too. Like, fans deserve to be heard.
Fans deserve to see their coaches, to see their ADs, not just in Madison, but throughout the state. I think Sean's going to do that, which is exciting. Greg, I think, has done a phenomenal job. Does he need to try to get some more wins in March? Yes.
But March is so funky. Like, I've grown to hate March now. Like I loved it and now seeing it firsthand. And playing in it. It's matchup-based.
It's does a guy get hot? Like, you're a better team, but you still lose. Like, it's like, holy, so there's that in play, and you need some things to go your way. Like the Wisconsin Final Four teams, like. They've had some things go their way that Arizona teams that they beat were pretty good.
That had some, you know, so like you've got to have that all go. I know that's kind of a cop-out answer. Yes, Greg needs to find a way to win in March. Uh more He even knows that. But also, there's a lot of things that go into that.
So I don't think it's necessarily fair. But I do like the way the direction's going, Bart. Let's put it that way. You got any radio questions for me before we go, or you want to say that when I'm on with you tomorrow? No, the only thing I got is this, is You have like your approach to radio has been different than anybody.
Because It's been more real. And At times, you've gone after other people, right? I have. Do you like that's the only thing I'll say is do you like because There's shows out there right now I don't like. Be honest.
But I'm not going to say I don't like him publicly. You have been like, oh, what's this? And I just wonder, I guess that's the only thing. Like, I appreciate you because I know you're going to be real. But do you one of those things, do you wish you didn't do some of that?
Your face. I mean, I was just saying, this is the thing. This is why what you're doing was working because people want real. Like, that's the other thing I'll say. I felt like I was always real on the radio.
You might not like that. I despise Matt LaFleur. I'm not running from that. Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay. Because, like, But just in general, like that's, I just felt like I could add. Maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm sorry. Maybe you can edit this out.
I don't know. No, no, I've just talked about this.
Okay. I'm getting out of the personal attack business.
Okay. I don't like everybody either. I just flavor, right? Like, sometimes you want some cayenne peppers, sometimes you want salt and pepper.
So, like, it's flavor. There's so many options now. I mean, if there's only two radio stations and there's no podcast, and there's people on the air that don't deserve it. And and my big I Try not to have regrets. My thing is, I'm doing.
what I think is right with the information I have at the time. Yep. And I was replacing Mike Wickett, who was established for eight years.
So much so that they were worried. We wanted the show to be called Chuck and Bart. But Wicket sounds like Winkler, so they went Chuck and Winkler. to like fool people or something to like. It's not that different.
And it was like, okay, well, I'm already being compared to everything now this guy did. And so I thought. I'm a relative nobody. I need to be loud and I need to punch up. And I need to make a mess.
I think that worked for me. At the time, but then, you know, now it's like, okay, well, now you have to feel sometimes the ramifications of that.
Okay. Yeah.
So I'm out of the attack business. I will say also. When we got laid off in 22. I thought there were too many people. that we're doing little victory laps about it.
And my whole thing was. Don't take your job for granted. This is radio. We're all going to get. I started with this.
Like, we were all going to get, like, if you're in radio long enough, you're all going to be able to get it. Pretty soon we're in the same spot I was.
So let's all work together. I want. I want these podcasts between Heller and me and you. And who else is doing one? I want this to turn into like the bro sphere from Austin, Texas, where all the comedians just go on each other's pods.
That's what we're doing in Wisconsin. Connectivity. I'm building back better with infrastructure week. I like it. I like it.
Here, here, this is what I'm like, there's all good people doing this stuff. And we're all trying to do what we love to do. And we're told from people that are four stories above us what is going on. And I mean, I get it. That's the way corporate America works.
And that's why I said this before. Me and my wife knew at some point it was always going to be taken away because it's just the reality. It's a tough business. I mean, you got to have sales, you got to have people that are selling, you got to have like all that's in play.
So you just But I also think one of the things, like, and I think radio hosts at times get into this more than they should, just like athletes. None of us are important. Like, look, for yourself, I mean, well, I mean, you're in the wink of our mercy. Fair. We're a buddy.
Wink, wink. But, like, I mean, it's one of the like, I just like they're gonna fill it with somebody. Like, somebody's gonna be on air. Um, that's just the reality of what this is.
So, enjoy it while you're in this seat. Do what you can with it. Try to entertain people. Try to give people a good laugh. Yeah, let's see what happens next.
That's why I started the Butchy's Den, and I'll give it a plug, go give it a follow on YouTube, and you can catch it everywhere else. But Yeah, hopefully hopefully your fans Because I know there was that dumb divide. Like, I'm the you know, the fan guy, and I don't like the game. And I was like, I felt like I was in the middle of it because I was like, I really don't know any of it. Because to be honest, Bart, like, I didn't really listen to Milwaukee Radio.
So I'm in this and people are telling me all these guys' names and I'm like.
Well, great, but I don't like. It's new to me. I didn't know there was this between this guy and this and this. I was like, I just want to talk sports. I don't, I don't.
And then I started catching stuff strays on Twitter from your fans and everybody else. I was like, I don't Thanks, but I like that doesn't really bother me because I don't really know. The problem is, sports talk radio does not take up a bunch, as much of the Milwaukee market. As we think. Correct.
I know. Yes. It's basically survival mode. I've always said we're fighting for crumbs. Exactly.
Well, we are. Yes. Yes. To get that crumb, I need to, I need to, so my family can eat. Yeah.
No, I get it. I all the way around.
So hopefully, this has listened to a little bit of your, you know, your listeners because I know you got a loyal base, which I love. That, like, to me, that tells you you've connected with people and they want to, they want to know what you have. Like, that's a cool thing. It is. It really is.
So. Hey, whatever journey I took on my road in life, it brought me to talking to you right here, right now. And especially after you yelled at me the first time we were together, you were just. Throwing curse words my way as a little junior and you as a senior, being the adult. Yeah, that was you.
That sounded so familiar, you son of. That's me. Yeah, in your head for 25 years. Right.
I can't go to sleep. Fuck you, butch. Thanks for stopping into the Winklerverse. Um
