July 12, 2022 • 61 mins
Brian heads to Lake Tahoe for the American Century Championship in today’s extra special episode. Partnering with Airbnb, he talks with some of sports and entertainments’ greatests - Adam Napier, Jerome Bettis, Jimmy Roberts, The Miz, Marcus Allen, and Vince Carter - about what brings them back year after year, and what gives them the confidence to play.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Do Do Do Do Do? I Can with Cream made
that song incredible. Who knew you know what it means? No,
I've listened to his his podcast with You a bunch
of times. I think he's only three times Bubble and squeak.
It's English from England. It's let you make for dinner
(00:25):
and then you have leftovers and they throw it in
a pan with eggs and mix it back up the
next day. There you go. That's what That's what I am. Hello, Hello,
(00:50):
my favorite listeners. Welcome to a very special, a very
different episode of Off the Beat. But as always, I'm
your steadfast host Brian Baumgartner. Today is very exciting for me, everybody.
I am here. I've always wanted to say this. I'm
coming to you live from Lake Tahoe, Nevada slash California,
(01:15):
right on the border there. I am here at Edgewood
Country Club, home of the American Century Championship. That's right,
thirty three years this event has been going on. This
is my fifteen consecutive year participating in the American Century
Championship here in Lake Tahoe. And as I've told many people,
(01:38):
this is my favorite week of the year. And it
is also my most difficult week of the year. I'm
going to talk to you a little bit about that later.
The people out here, the celebrities we have, some of
them have become great friends, my favorite people in the
world really to play golf with and to hang out with.
(02:01):
As most of you know, I'm a big sports fan,
and I would say of the guys are sports celebrities, legends,
some might call them Hall of famers, all stars in
their respective sports. We also have stars from music industry,
music artists, and of course some actors as well. I
(02:23):
thought it would be cool to talk to a few
guys here. We are preparing for the pro am Day,
which is always that phrase I have an issue with
because I am not a pro Okay, I think celeb
am might be a little more accurate. But I we
are here on on on pro am Day, so we're
gonna play with some some great supporters of American Century
(02:47):
in this tournament and the South Lake Tahoe area for charity.
I'm so excited to be here. It's a beautiful day,
seventy five degrees here on the lake in Lake Tahoe.
This special episode I have partnered with Airbnb. Airbnb's air
cover for hosts, gives you the confidence to host with
(03:10):
top to bottom protection for free because guess what Airbnb
has my back? And on that note, I wanted to
find out who had the backs of some of these
actors and athletes as they rose to fame, what tour
or who gave them the confidence to overcome difficult challenges
(03:32):
that ultimately lead them to make it big. And also
why they're here, why they come back to Lake Tahoe
every year for this event. You know, as I said,
it's my favorite week, but it's also the most difficult.
I've told this story many times, I've I've never told
it on this podcast, And was asked about this the
(03:53):
other day when I arrived, like why why do you
do it? Why do you love golf? Why do you
play in this tournament? And I be honest with you.
I was a golfer, but not a passionate golfer, and
I have moved to Los Angeles shortly before the office started.
And you know, I've said many times I like charity,
(04:15):
Charity is important to me. I also like cocktails, but
the like charity cocktail party thing this was not something
that was for me right, and so I wanted to
find a way an outlet really for charity, and so
for me it became golf, and for me it was
much more interesting and valuable to have a real connection
(04:40):
with three four guys who I played golf with for
four or five hours for a good cause outside as
opposed to you know, casual cocktail party type conversation. So
that's really why I started to play golf and then
became passionate about golf, as most of you know. And
this event is so special because of the collection of
(05:03):
people that they have here. The amount of money that
American Century donates to cancer research is astounding. One of
my favorite events here happened last night. It is a
mandatory players only meeting that takes place on the Wednesday
(05:23):
night before the tournament, and they talk about rules and
the CEO, Jonathan Thomas of American Century is there, and
John Miller from NBC Sports is there and and talks
to all of us. And in the middle of the meeting,
Jonathan Thomas had already spoken introduced some special guests that
that they had. Jonathan Thomas came back up on stage
(05:44):
and said to John Miller, I'm sorry I have to
interrupt here for just a minute. And introduced a couple
who were there as his special guests, who had during
this meeting, donated one million dollars to cancer research through
American Century Investments. It was such an amazingly powerful moment.
(06:04):
I can't tell you. I'll tell you a couple of
other stories that happened. That there are two people here
who have played in this event every single year. Jack Wagner,
actor and Jim McMahon, quarterback of the Chicago Bears. They've
played in every event. Jim McMahon has a broken foot
and is on a wheel thing. He only can walk
(06:28):
on one leg, yet he is here playing in this
event because of how much it means to him. Jack
Wagner has had a very difficult year and it was
an emotional moment last night when John Miller talked about
the family that this has become, this event has become,
and I feel it with the guys as I see
(06:50):
them sometimes just once a year here, how special this
place is and how special this event is. It means
a lot to me. So I'm very happy that you
have decided to join me here from the beach at
Lake Tahoe for this very special episode of Off the Beat,
(07:11):
brought to you by Airbnb, Bubble and Squeak. I love
Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker cookie every month
left over from the NAT before. All right, everybody, I
(07:41):
am so happy to be joined by an amazing guy
who I met for the first time last night his
first year here. Adam Napier joins us. Adam, tell me
a little bit about well, why why are you here?
Why are you here? Playing in the American Century Championship. Right, So,
I'm a part of Team forty three, which is President
(08:03):
Bush's group. He he does a bike ride and a
golf tournament every year for wounded veterans post not eleven
Wounded Veterans, And once you become a part of one
of those events, you become of a part of a
team Team forty three, and we go across the country
and do different things. So how I ended up here though?
Was I won his tournament? Uh this past Veterans Day
(08:26):
it lost Cleanest Country Club in Dallas, and the winner
of that gets once in a lifetime. My opportunity didn't
take part in this event. It's so incredible, you know,
for the last I would say about ten years, there's
always a veteran who is here and it means so
much to all the guys. I was talking about the
(08:49):
players only meeting that happened last night, And it's hard
to explain as you you not being an athlete. You're
in a room and you know, you would think about
like when you're in school and you're like, you know,
an assembly or something, except this assembly is some of
the greatest athletes that have ever played the game. As
(09:11):
a sports fan myself, it's kind of an incredible thing
to be just be in the room, right, It's incredible
just to be in the room. And that doesn't even
start into how the atmosphere in the room is. In
being recognized in the room, I mean, it's just an
incredible experience, Like it's now I'll remember till the day
I die, and till lies about it until I die. Yeah,
(09:36):
you know, it's uh, it really feels like a brotherhood.
You were immediately embraced and brought into that as all
the veterans are who come in. And the moment Adam
is talking about is that he was introduced by John Miller.
All the first time players are always introduced by John
Miller and they're recognized and when Adam was was introduced
(09:56):
last night. Everyone in the room stood and and I
find it a really emotional moment just being in the
room with you, a person who has done so much
for our country, and really what what this is about?
You know, I'm a actor on a television show and
(10:18):
Jerry Rice catches footballs for a living, and you know,
the idiot pittures just throw a ball, which seems really easy,
but you know, what you, what you have done and
what you've endured is truly incredible and is worthy of
being recognized in that way. And it's just a really powerful,
powerful moment in that room, everybody acknowledging you and your service.
(10:41):
It absolutely gave me chills last night. I mean it, yeah,
I was glad they didn't find a baby picture of me,
but but uh, just unbelievable. And you know, and I
want to take a moment to to thank all of
you guys, and you know, the football players and baseball players,
because you can be in the the middle of nowhere
(11:01):
Afghanistan and Iraq, you know, and you have an hour
a couple hours where you get to watch football game,
a baseball game, have a movie night, and it doesn't
matter where you are when you get together with a
group of guys in in gals and and and have
a minute, it's like being home for a little bit,
you know, just little things like that. You know, there's
(11:23):
no telling how many times that we would bene watch
The Office when we when we would have time, you know, um,
the super Bowl games and just you know, anything that's
a little bit of a break and makes it seem
like you're back home. I mean it it it helps
you get through right. So well, that's that's very emotional
(11:43):
for me, I tell you. You You know, I've said many
times the greatest gift that this show, really The Office
gave me was knowing that the show brings comfort and
a sense of normalcy to people in their most difficult times.
To talk about the Office of being a show that
brings comfort. And you know, when I talked to either
(12:07):
active military or veterans, or or people going through a
difficult medical situation or family issue, that that show, you know,
has brought them something is amazing. And to hear from
you that in Afghanistan and and that's bringing you just
a little bit closer to home is an awesome, awesomely
(12:28):
powerful thing. So thank you. So this is no, lie,
I'm not making this up for this, but we have
watched episodes of the Office in Afghanistan on our projector
that we'd use for for meetings up against a rock,
you know, we had a clear flat rock, and you
know we would get back in and you know we'd
(12:48):
see stuff that you needed to laugh. You know, laugh.
It's true. Laughter is the best best medicine. And so
you know we may not have time to watch movie,
you know, like, hey, you know, let let's watch The
Office US or you know, whatever, anything to make a laugh.
You know. Stepbrothers was another one that we watched, no
telling how many times. Napghans, but uh, it just it
(13:13):
helps your soul, you know, it lightens the move it
helps you remember it's not all bad, and you know,
gives you something to look forward to getting back to too.
That's awesome. All right. Well, first off, are you gonna
be nervous this week? You're obviously an excellent golfer. I'll
be I'll be a little nervous. Since seventeen I don't
(13:34):
want to hit anybody. I think I'll be okay with
I'll give you one when one exception, if I if
I somehow I played with Anica's Hornstown. That's that's gonna
that's gonna get to me a little bit because I
followed her since I was a little kid, you know,
and being a golf fan, you know that would be
that would be nervous. Yea ten time major winner, Uh,
(13:55):
that's different. But I think I would have been nervous.
But you know, you guys have been so accepting to us.
And I was lucky to Caddy in two thousand nineteen
for the Warrior and y'all have just opened y'all's arms
to us and made it such a relaxing experience and
and made it feel like, you know, this is a
(14:17):
once in a lifetime chance that you know, I want
to play good, but if I don't, it's not gonna matter,
you know. And that mentality helps you play better too.
But you know, I'm glad to be here, and you
know I want to do my best. But I've already
won for the week. Well that's that's amazing. What what
gives you the confidence to go out there and make
(14:41):
a run at winning this thing? So I've put a
lot of work in getting ready for it. Luckily, the
Warrior Open moved a little bit this year, because because
of COVID and stuff, so I've I've had more time.
Normally it's in you know, the May time frame, so
it's a pretty quick turnaround coming here. So we played
it in November, so it gave me time to prepare
and that helps. I got out here early, a little
(15:04):
bit before it started getting crowded, right, And then I
was lucky the first day that I thought I was
playing in a program and I show up and I'm
playing with Justin Timberlake and Adam Feeling, and and I'm
just like, well, you know, if if I can play
with these guys and I get nerves and I can
handle this weekend, that's awesome. Thank you so much for
being here, Thanks for coming and talking to me, but
(15:26):
mostly thank you for your service and your dedication and
and what you've given not just me but but all
of us listening. So thank you so much. Glad to
be here. Thanks all right, cheers, What is up, Jerome man?
How are you? I'm good? The bus where you're joined
(15:48):
here by Jerome bettis thirteen years in the National Football
League for the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion played into right,
which is where you're from. That was a special, uh
special thing for you. Hall of Famer from No tra Dame.
(16:09):
I think that's how we say it. Um, it's so
good to see you. Always great to see you. We've
known each other now, I think it's been a long time.
Uh tell me, why do you come to this event?
You know what? It's great because as an as an
amateur golfer, it gives us an opportunity to actually feel
(16:33):
as though we're professionals. Right. We're all terrible golfers, by
the way, I will say that, But but you have
one weekend in which your competitive juices come out. You
say to yourself, this is my opportunity, right, And you
go out and you have an opportunity to compete, and
(16:53):
you compete with guys that you know, Guys that you
were fans of, guys that you're friends of, and so
it's just a great mix of people that you get
an opportunity to play with and get a chance to
know fellowship with them all. But at the end of
the day, you're competing, you're looking at that score. You're like, man,
I gotta get that. I gotta make a ball no
double ball games, right, and I just gotta get a point.
(17:15):
I got you. So you're very competitive with Yeah, I
think I think we all are. I don't. I don't.
I don't think it's competitive in a sense where I'm
coming here, man, I gotta win, right, it's competitive saying
I want to beat my score from last year. I
want to I want to go out and play a
(17:36):
stress free, mistake free round. Uh, you know, I want
to be the best version of myself I can be, right,
And so that's that's kind of the competitive nature that
you that you put on yourself. And then when obviously
you you get paired up with some guys, you're like, oh, crap,
here we go. Here we go. All right, guys get
to talk and crap, You're like, all right, let's go.
So so, you know, it's one of those opportunities that
(17:59):
you get very very rare to come out compete with
yourself and with that with guys that you you know,
and like, yeah, it's it's a crazy you know, thinking
about last night and that meaning that had, you know
that we had, and just the collection of people that
are in that room, and you know, you've got Adam Napier,
who gets introduced, the wounded warrior who's playing in the
(18:22):
thing is like a powerful, powerful moment and then you
hear the amount of money like that, It's yes, right,
it made a difference, made a difference, made a significant
difference in this community that we're playing in. And it's
one of those that it's it's commendable is to be
commended and to know that that you're part of that, right,
(18:45):
that you're using your collective celebrity to benefit others, right,
So that makes it a win win. Obviously you come
out here and get a chance to play golf in
a beautiful setting, beautiful course, but also you're doing a
lot of good and that that makes it even that
much more special to get on the plane to come
out here and then know it's benefiting a lot more
(19:06):
than just you playing golf. Yeah, do you go into
shame spirals of self hatred for sure? For sure, because
what happens, it always happens. You hit that bad shot,
shank or something you like, you go right in the tank.
You could been playing well, I mean soon did you
You're like, oh man, here it comes and everybody's watching. Yeah,
(19:28):
and then don't hit the second one because now you
want to quit, You want to throw the clubs and
just absolutely walk off the course if you could. The
problem is you got the shame walk. You gotta walk
over there, you gotta drop it from the water, you
gotta do all the stuff. And then you said yourself,
I don't leave this. I do have to tell you though.
(19:49):
I played in the event in Greenville, South Carolina BMW,
and I'm playing with a professional on the corn Ferry Tour.
These guys are really good, really good. And one of
them on our second hole that my partner made a
nine on a part five. Now, this is a professional, which,
as you discussed, we are not. So when happens, it happens.
(20:14):
But he had a two fifty yard walk of shame
back to his ball, which I was like, my heart
was breaking for him, knowing how it feels. Who who's
the guy that you're looking at? Because right it's online
live streaming. Who's the guy when you're done with the round?
Who who are you looking at? First guy? Who's the
first guy beside yourself? First guy? I'm looking at Larry.
(20:37):
He talked so much smack to me, and we're really
good friends. I've known him since he was back in
college at Pitt because I was playing with the Steelers
and you know we were right there. So if there's
one guy who who you know, we always are looking
at the scoring so so sweet as soon as we
see each other, uh huh rough day to day, you
(20:58):
know he's so He's the first guy I look at
every single time. Who has helped you the most to
give you the confidence to be able to do this?
That's brought you out here? That's a good question. Mm hmm.
You know what it hasn't really been. Yeah, I tell
you who's really helped me. I brought in a Caddy
(21:21):
from Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Course amazing course we
played many times, many times, and and he was always
the young caddy was always a sense of comfort for me.
Right when I was playing there. He could kind of
talk me off the ledge, so to speak, right, And
so I said to myself, you know what I need
to see if I can get him here, because I
(21:44):
can get that same calmness, that same conversation, that same attitude,
I can get him on the bag and it will
really and it and it has. He's come the last
couple of years and I felt much better in terms
of my game. How I'm going out there with a
strat g and idea. So he's been he's been very
beneficial to my confidence because I know I've got a guy.
(22:06):
He's a really good player in his own right. So
I got a guy who understands and knows kind of
what I'm capable of and what I'm not capable. And
that's the one thing, because the majority of times we
wanted to try to hit the hero shot, no is right,
(22:27):
and you take up that five percent, you can take
it in half because now your body is tense and
it's tight, and you've got these people looking. You're like man,
and and now all of I said, you got no chance,
absolutely no chance to hit it. I'm just gonna hit
this cut three would over the crowd to come back
and its water on the left, and all right, cut
(22:47):
it and I'll get it in there and let it
drop right in of course, not how how many points?
What are you looking at? How many points this week?
What's your best? What's your best finish? Here? My best
finish I think was TIF That was a couple of
years ago, uh, the COVID year, because I was tuned up,
you know, that was all I was doing, was I
(23:09):
didn't do much else, so I was in great form.
And so that was that was that was number one.
That was That was pretty good. How how many points
is that? That's probably was? Yeah, that's probably a day. Yeah,
I was. That's very good. I played very well. Now,
I will say this, I regressed last year. I think
(23:33):
I was. I only finished with about almost fifty or
maybe twenty. I think I was right right in the
fifteen twenties something Ryan, it wasn't not very good. All right, Well, listen,
I hope that it goes great for you this week.
But more than that, it's great to see you have fun.
We always have fun. But let's let's have fun and
(23:53):
score up there. Let's put a score up there and
kick Larry's ass. I'm going for him, all right, let's
get it all right? Thanks, thanks, thank you. I am
(24:22):
joined here on off the beat by my old friend,
good friend like legendary. Is that the right phrase? Come on,
legend legendary sportscaster Jimmy Roberts joins us here. How many
years have you been coming here? This is twenty two
for me. You know, I almost died here one year
(24:43):
literally yes, wait tell me, yes, I remember this. So
this is about ten years ago, ten twelve years ago
just doing the tournament, and uh, I didn't feel well.
And you know, those of us who travel for a living,
you're used to being on the road not feeling well. You'
deal with it somehow. I just felt different. So I
(25:04):
ended up taking myself to the hospital. My appendix that exploded,
That's right, my appendix that exploded. And then um, they
did the surgery, took it out, and I was recovering
and there was a complication and had to do another surgery.
I was in the hospital here for two weeks here. Yeah,
And I was lucky because the surgeon. It's a small
regional hospital. The surgeon was a guy who had spent
(25:27):
his entire professional career as a combat surgeon. He's from
in the Air Force, so he'd seen everything. He'd seen
every kind of trauma, and he took such good care
of me. But I mean, it was in my family.
When you say like Tahoe, it has the best of
connotations and the worst. So wow, that's that is amazing?
(25:48):
What what what it makes this event special? People like you?
I mean, listen, when would I, no, seriously, when would
I get to meet and hang out and make friends
with people like you? When would our paths cross they wouldn't,
you know, I mean they might and and I'd be
(26:09):
curious to know what you think about this. But the
thing that I think makes this event so special is
that you you guys, people who compete in it, get
to cross paths with people that you would never cross
paths with. And everybody lets their hair down. There's no pretense.
Everybody's just you know, not necessarily thinking that they have
(26:31):
to worry about very much. Everybody just hangs out together.
It's a very casual vibe. I mean, I've always felt
that way. It's the most relaxed broadcasting experience I will
do all year, and I get to just you know,
a lot of it is for many many years, I
was out on seventeen, you know, doing the interviews and
that was fun. And now I'm gonna booth calling golf
(26:53):
and it's a totally different narrative. I just get to
be up there and talk about golf, you know. And
you know, like I found out yesterday, I was talking
to Justin Timberlake. And when do I get to say
that just yesterday I was talking to Justin Timberlake. Anyway,
I was talking to I was talking to Justin and
he was, there's a commonality about it, like for all
of us, what do we talk about? What's the first
(27:14):
thing I said to you? How's your golf? How's your golfka, right,
we're all golfers, you know, for better for worse. And
so justin it launches into her in there having a
sandwich and hey, hey, doing what's happening? What he've been
up there? Has your family? This? That? And he said,
and how's your golf? And he says, well, yeah, you know,
and I got this thing going on with my with
my left side. And he starts telling me about how
(27:36):
he his shoulder. Guess it's his left shoulder. He's double jointed,
so it kind of pops in and out. Oh jeez.
And he says, here, check this out. He puts my
hand on his shoulder. It's clicking in and out. Yeah.
But anyway, and it's like, so that's all I said. Okay,
well that'll end up on the air this weekend. But
it's just it's listen, this is it's just fun. You know.
(28:00):
I enjoy coming here because I just get to talk.
Can I curse? Yeah, of course I get to talk shit. Yeah,
you know, you know, I listen, I think you've actually
touched on something that I haven't thought about quite in
this way. I mean, I would like to think and
I do think it is true that there's just an
(28:21):
amazing collection of really good guys and gals we're together,
but that commonality that you just talked about, like there's
also we're all working on the same thing, and there's
no pretense, there's no there's no I'm better than you.
I'm gonna you know, because we all suck. We're all
(28:42):
just doing the rest weekend outside of Mark Maulder and
Marty Fish and that's you know, Jack Wagner, we all suck.
It's just a degree to which we suck, you know,
and that you know, we're all equally as consumed by
the game befuddled by it. But you know, I also
think there's a it feels like a sense of community here,
you know, like you come here and whether you're a
(29:04):
broadcaster or a participant, or you're justin timber Lake or
you're somebody that could walk through the crowd and nobody
would know, it doesn't matter. We're all here just part
of this community and it's fun and it's it just
it just feels so good. You know, it really feels good.
I could not agree more. I have said already today
(29:26):
it's my favorite week of the year. It's also the
most difficult week. It's a most listfficult thing that I
do every year. Dude, listen, I don't know how you
guys do this. I I this morning I was doing
I'm doing a story for the weekend on the seventh hole.
You know, the seventeenth gets all the attention, but the
seventh hole is becoming a little bit of you know,
a ship show out there, and so we're going to
(29:46):
do a story about the seventh hole. And so I'm
out there and I go out there with a camera
coon and this is golf, you know, so these people
know who I It's not like I'm a celebrity or anything,
but these people know who I am as Jimmy. Jimmy, Jimmy.
You gotta hit a shot now. It's eight already in
the morning. You know, I'm not ready. I haven't loosened up,
I haven't done anything. They shamed me into hitting a shot.
(30:09):
Fortunately it wasn't awful, But then they shamed me into
I just like subject to such peer pressure. They shamed
me into shotgunning a a corona worse a smear novice.
You know. Yeah, they tossed me one yesterday. It hit
the ground and they just immediately got sprayed by me.
That's that's how I That's how I roll. Can I
(30:30):
ask you a question? Sure? Let me turn this around
because I figured you would. Well, I'm you know, it's
what I do for a living. My wife says, I
don't have conversations with people. I interview with them. Do
you ever get tired of talking about the office? You know?
Because I could see how you could. I will answer
the question this way. I am so fascinated. But and
(30:50):
I know you are an author and and and life
fascinates you as well. I truly became fascinated with what
happened to our show afterward, like that that it became
more popular after five six years when we had not
filmed anything, and that the show exploded. That is a
truly fascinating question with me that I think. I think
(31:12):
even smarter people than me should try to explore why
that is. But the journey that I've been on and
trying to answer that question of why has truly brought
me joy. I think I think it's I think it's
fascinating and that and that young people a show that
wasn't being made for young people, you know, not just survives,
but thrives this year later. And you know, we were
(31:33):
a big show. You know, we were on NBC. And
but you know, for me and for all of us,
we weren't friends at the time. We weren't Seinfeld even
you know, we were we were we were the NBC's
number one show, but we weren't that, and now became that.
Plus that's that's the crazy thing. Yeah, And I've told
(31:54):
you this before, and you know, many many times. I mean,
I have my youngest son is eighteen years old, and
at one point he became this probably five years ago,
became so fascinated with the show that every day he
he binged the whole thing three, three times through. And
when he found out that I knew you, you know,
(32:14):
I know, listen, I've met Muhammad Ali Michael Jordan's I mean,
I could not have been elevated to higher status in
his life. I've been to the White House for dinner
and I listen, none of that matters. Okay, What matters
is that I you know, Kevin, Okay, so wait, can
(32:34):
I I'm sorry to turn this around on you. But
I have always been fascinated with the acting that you
were able to do. When I first met you, I
could not get it out of my head that you
weren't that character because that character probably was so challenging
to become, and it's so different from who you are.
(32:57):
He's different from who I am. But that's what I say.
That's the thing that's crazy is that you know, it's
like me trying to be a golfer, Like I mean,
I did go to school for it, you know, I was,
you know, but yes, thank you, thank you for what
I will consider to be a compliment. It is all right, dude,
(33:18):
I've hijacked your podcast. No, please, Jimmy, thank you so much.
I'm yeah, I'm excited to spend some time and just
do me a favor. Just don't Dan Hicks be one,
be kind to obviously give me some screen time, Dan Hicks,
There a lot of people don't know this. The most
(33:38):
famous wrestler in the history of the US. Actually I
believe his name is Bruce bamb Gartner and everyone he
calls me Bruce. Let's go to Bruce bamb Gartner five
or whatever. Yes, he did and I've given him hell
about that before. So just just just remember my name.
Just remember my name, remember my name, number, my name.
(34:01):
Thanks Jimmy, always great to see you, all right, Cher Steve, Brian,
thank you, Thanks Bud. Sure do I can with cream
fucking made that song. It's incredible. All right, ladies and gentlemen,
A very very special guest. He's promised me to come
(34:23):
back for another episode and and really talk about his
life and his career. But I am joined here by Well,
you're like Beyonce, right, it's just one word. I guess
it's to the miss. That's right, professional wrestler with the
w W E and and personality. I guess is that
(34:45):
superstar superstar specifically superstar. I remember the first time I
met you, which was a long time. I was wondering.
So yesterday for those that were there was like a
players meeting at the a C SEE and I saw Brian.
I wasn't sure if you remembered me. I wanted you
(35:06):
to know how much I love your podcast, how much
I love Off the Beat. I loved all the office stuff.
I think you're tremendous interviewer. Your voice and your transitions
are absolutely incredible. The dialogue. I love hearing acting and
how people do their process. I just didn't really enjoy that.
And so what you do and what you dissect you
do such a phenomenal job, but I didn't. I didn't know.
(35:27):
If you know where where do you? Where? Is your
first recollection of where we met? My recollection, which I
think I was accurate, is we were playing in a
celebrity poker event and you had the wrestling belt over
your shoulder and you really made me laugh and we
hung out there. I think it was a couple of days,
or it was at least a really long day. It
(35:49):
was a long day. That was it right now. I
don't know if you'll remember this. Okay, lay do do
you remember a club named lay Do? If I do
remember we met there, I don't remember. It's okay, you don't.
Because there were so many people and I was a
(36:09):
huge office fan, and I was like, oh my god,
Brian's here. So I came up, introduced myself. It was
very quick, and so you wouldn't. It's not something memorable,
and I wasn't really I was off the real world.
Maybe it challenges and I think I was just starting
in w w A and so that's probably why. Well
let me tell let me tell you something that this
(36:30):
should make you feel better. I was, I was at
I think it was a reconstructing it. I was at
a bar in Los Angeles to watch Sunday football and
occasionally people come up and I take pictures. So years later,
there's a photo that surfaces of of myself Brian bam Gardner,
(36:52):
but Kevin Malone with me and post malone, and this this, this,
this picture starts surfacing round and I see it if
you're trying out pay any mine. And then my my
niece sends it to me and says, oh my god,
is this real? And I had on a black shirt
and I think he had on a white shirt. As
my recollection, I'll post the picture again, but there's kind
(37:15):
of a line it looks photoshopped, right, so it's like
your post Malone Kevin post malone thing. I thought it
was photoshopped. And then this it just keeps coming up.
And it had been like a long time before, you know,
since this picture it allegedly happened. So I finally do
the easiest thing in the world and google Kevin Malone
post Malone. The first thing that pops up his post
(37:36):
Malone's Twitter page. Now, I've not ever met him or
talked to him, and he posted the photo, so it
clearly was him and I at this place in Los
Angeles that took a photo and I didn't remember that,
and his name is post Malon. Well it's also, by
the way, like before, iPhones were really popular and camophones
are really popular. So we didn't We never got the picture.
We didn't have a picture that picture to remember it
(37:58):
by that. But yes we did do uh, we did gamble.
I'm not I think you beat me by the way
I did because you were you were really good one
at that. I want to see that the World Series
of Poker. You did that. Have you played this week
at all poker? Yeah? Maybe a little black jack, a
little black jack, maybe a little all right, okay, okay,
maybe it's legal here. Do you know what happened to
(38:19):
me yesterday? So I was walking out of my elevator
and you saw me. I looked, no, no difference, that
did happen. That happened. But I walked out of my
larry because I was really tired after yesterday, I mean,
eighteen holes doing all the media that is here at
a c c and then I get out of the
elevator and there's a chip. What do you how much
you think that chip was worth five thousand dollars? I
(38:42):
said five thousand dollars it was, and I thought it
was a joke. I looked down and I looked around
and I was like, oh my god, there's a five
thousand dollar chip here. And I was like, hello, Hello,
is anyone here? I thought this someone was like pranking me.
So I pick it up and it's a real five
thousand There's no one in the hall. What do you do?
So I'm I'm trying to think what do you do? Like,
(39:04):
so if I would call down to the lobby and say, hey,
I found a five thousand dollar chip, so it's gonna
someone's gonna be like, yeah, that's me. But I was
also thinking, man, if I lost five thousand dollars, I
would be so upset. But also I feel like, if
you have a five thousand allar chip, there's probably a
bunch of other chips to it, and you don't even
know how much you really have. So it's one or
(39:26):
two ways. But I feel so bad and I don't
know what to do with it. And today someone was
messing with me. I told one of my buddies and
then he told someone. I was telling the person the story.
He goes, yeah, I lost five thousand chip. I was like,
I felt a sense of relief. I was like, oh,
I have it. I haven't. And he's like, I'm joking.
I knew that you found one. And I was like,
what do you do with that? Here's what I think
you should do. I think you should give me the chip.
(39:47):
And I'm gonna I'm gonna go, no, seriously, and I'll
go I'll take care of it for you, one way
or the other. I'll take care You're the guy. I'm
the guy. I'm the guy. I all I do is
fixed problems for people. That's all I do. Here at
the American Century Championship. We're here. This is your first year.
That's why I really wanted to talk to you today
about this. This is your first year. Talk to me
about the experience thus far. We haven't even teed off
(40:08):
on Friday yet, But tell me, tell me about your experience.
It's incredible so far. I mean, everyone has been above
and beyond nice. And usually when you have and this
is not saying anything, but when you have a group
of celebrities, there's usually one that's kind of like, hey,
how you doing it, and they look at you and
roll their eyes and walk away or try to find
someone that's more important than you to talk to. I
have not had that at all, And if if anything,
(40:30):
more people are like, hey, Hi, nice to meet you. Hey,
let me introduce you to this person and this person this,
And I'm like, wow, this is unlike any other celebrity
event I've ever been to. And not only that, I
get to golf. The weather is beautiful here I've been.
I'm begetting lessons from like just some of the top
people at Golf Channel and NBC Sports, and it's really, honestly,
(40:50):
it's made my game horrible because whenever you could take
a lesson before takes I don't know, I don't have
an opportunity to get these type of these teachers, these
legendary teachers to come and say hey, you know so
I'm like, yeah, I'll do a lesson. And I'm like,
oh my god, my swing is going bad right now.
I heard someone tell you yesterday. It's like, we're gonna
(41:10):
take your game to the next level. What is the
next level for you? I think I think the next
level for me is is would be to be a four.
That would be the that would be then your handicaps
of four. No, that would be it. That would be it. No,
I'm like a seven, eight, seven or an eight, depending
on how I'm playing, and you know, whatever I enter
(41:31):
my score, that's pretty good it is. It turns into
a Tahoe twelve. Very part of these greens Man very difficult.
It's gonna get more difficult, That's all I can say.
It's gonna get faster. Yeah. I was talking to Charles,
and Charles like, I was like, I think I'm gonna
be pretty good here, and he's like, yeah, I wait
till you hit your first patron. And I go wait
what He goes, Yeah, when you hit your first person,
(41:52):
it will ruin your entire game and you'll you'll have
no idea. And I go, wait, you think I can
actually hit someone? He goes, do you hit the ball straight?
I go not all the time. He goes, hey, exactly,
and I go, oh my gosh. And so that's when
I first realized how Charles got that swing that is
so legendary. To look at where he stops and because
you get in your head and I found myself getting
in my head yesterday. And the only time I wasn't
(42:14):
in my head was when I got the audience to
actually cheer for me. You know, I want people chanting
ba ba booie, you know behind my swing? You know
what what what? What gives you the confidence this week
to play honestly, you know, just having fun. I am
here to compete. I have competitive juices, but in all honesty,
it's it's here to just enjoy myself, enjoy the fresh
(42:36):
cut grass, the beautiful setting, the audience giving them a show,
entertaining and just having fun and just meeting a ton
of cool people who I've watched, you know, I've I've
watched The Office, and I listened to every one of
your podcasts, listen to the deep dives and just hearing
the stories behind the stories, like I love the insights
of different shows and how they started, how they got
(42:57):
their process. Like you know, sometimes with my show Miss
and Misses, you know, I feel like every season we're like, man,
are we gonna get re uped? Are we gonna re up?
Even though the ratings are great, but you never know.
And to hear a legendary show like the Office one
of the biggest shows now that you look at and
you go, how can this show even be like looked
(43:17):
at as not brought up again and again and again
for new seasons. It's crazy. I well, I'm so happy
you're here. It's great to see you again. If you
need help dealing without five thousand dollar chip, let me know.
And I might see you in the high rollers and
be like, hey, hey, you're better than me at this.
Let's let this happen happen, you know, let's see where
(43:39):
we go with it. Uh. Miss the miss is here
just a such an amazingly gentle kind, positive spirit. Well, thanks,
congratulations on your success and good luck this weekend. If
there's one guy, last question, one guy or gal that
you want to beat Pat McAfee, The dude came here
(44:03):
in sleeveless shirt on a golf course, like with no muscles,
you know. So, I mean, honestly, me and me and
him been talking a lot of smack because he's a
SmackDown commentator for w w A and he's just a
really good, positive, fun guy to be around. Like, honestly,
if you want to have a good time, hang around
Pat McAfee. But but you want to. I want to
(44:24):
beat him so badly because we have a bet that
we we rip each other a lot. The one person
has to say three days of just compliments NonStop, on
like social on like his radio show, like in w
w A, whatever it is. You just have to compliment
that person for three straight. And that's the hardest thing
(44:44):
for either of us to do. So good what what uh?
What's your what's your handicap? Again? Because I lose so
many balls and now moms all in my head. The
guy has the ugly He's a cross between Charles Barkley
and John rom I say this because he has an
ugly swing. This swing looks terrible, but he hits and straight.
I'm nervous because my game. I thought I was coming
(45:07):
in here. I felt pretty competent, and then I started
getting in my head and now I'm just I don't
know what's gonna happen on Friday. Wow, are you lefty? Yeah? Okay?
Because I say he has on a right glove, a
glove on his right hand. That was how I That
was my investigative journalism right there. That's how I knew
good luck. And yes, I'm wearing a golf club while
doing a podcast. Yes, that's from the race. We're about
(45:31):
to tee off. Thanks so much for being here. We're
gonna have you back on the show. We're gonna talk
about about your your your life and career. All right,
thanks so much, dude, Thank you guys. I'm so happy
to be joined here by the legendary running back from
(45:53):
the National Football League, the l A Raiders, etcetera, etcetera,
Marcus Allen, Hall of Famer, My good friend, Marcus. Thank
you so much for joining me. Briefly, we're here on
the lakes. About time you ask me? Yeah, and listen,
I'm gonna I've been waiting. Actually, I'm I'm gonna. I'm
gonna call you and we're gonna sit down and we're
(46:13):
gonna really talk about your career. But I wanted to
take a couple of minutes today. I know this event
means so much to you as it does to me.
You and I have known each other now, which is
a crazy thing. Such a huge fan of yours, and
for me to be able to play and get to
know guys like you, this is what brings me the
greatest jo And I'm a big of my review as well.
And you as a person as well. Why do you
(46:35):
keep coming back here every year? It's the best, man,
this is the best. I mean you talk about the golf,
of course, yes, we can begin there, and then we
can talk about the scenery, and then we can talk
about the actual you know, the event, the sponsors, American
Century and what they've done. It's just and then the
guys that are here, I mean, we've all become a
(46:56):
blank family, you know. I mean we see each other
every year, we're looking forward to seeing any each other
and stuff. And then the competition, I mean, and the fans.
You you can't. He has all the elements, and this
is why it's the best celebrity event around. It is
you talk about the camaraderie. The event last night exemplified
that all of these Hall of Famers and idiots like
(47:18):
me in a room together, the brotherhood that's there and
the support that we have for each other. It truly,
it's it. It touches me and it makes me sort
of emotional to even talk about the Wounded Warrior and
Jack and Jim McMahon and it was just awesome. Well, yeah,
we've listen here, guys are great and we've had some
(47:39):
guys that have gone through some challenges and I'm really
thankful that they're here so we can support them, right,
And that's one of the big things. Jack obviously, and
what he's going through. I mean, I'm knowing Jack forever man,
and he's been a big support of mine. And he's
just been a solid individual, right, and um, you know
Jim obviously, those are two guys that have you know,
(48:02):
thirty three years playing in the h this event, right,
thirty three years and and and Jim has been sort
of you know obviously, um, not able to walk, but
he's going to. Yeah, you know what he told me.
He told me, he said, I wasn't gonna let Jack
be the last one. That's why he's one of a
(48:25):
kind man and we're all pulling for him and hopefully
he'll get through with flying colors. Yeah what what what?
What do you what's gonna give you confidence this week
to play? Well, I'm just letting it go. You're just
gonna let it, just gonna let it go. Yeah, and
don't don't worry about anything, just playing all right, And
and that's it, I mean, just get out of your head.
(48:46):
You have supported each other along and thing. Yeah, and
most of us you know, we get we hit one
bat shot in the sticks with us, spiral through four
holes and stuff, and then we go out here. We
practiced for an hour and a half afterwards, and then
we're worn down, right, We have no more energy for
the next day. So I practiced thirty minutes yesterday did
(49:08):
it was short game and that was it, and I
didn't do anything else. And I'm taking my time. I'm
going to go out here and just let it go
and have some fun. Yeah, thank you so much for
coming by, Thank you for being here, and uh yeah,
we'll see. Oh who's the guy that you look at
when you finish? Who's the guy that you look at
besides yourself? The score of who? Who you want to
beat the most? Who? What is there a score that
(49:30):
you look at on the little computer for? Yeah, well
I can't. I can't mention my name. There's always a
couple of running banks here that you know, I can
never let beat me. So you know, you know, you
know who I'm coming for this year. You. Oh you, hey,
be careful what you ask for you, I'm coming for you.
Thanks Mark, you Here we go. I could not be
(49:55):
happier than to be joined briefly here at the American
Century Championship by Vince Carter. Now I have to start
by saying, you know, like a lot of the guys,
you and I have gotten to know each other over
the years. I don't know if we've ever had this conversation.
You know, my dad went to Duke. No, my dad
went to do So let's just say there were there
(50:16):
were years that I did not root for you. Of course,
specifically specifically did not root for you. Those are good
years to my my college years we were one and two.
Always go away, back and forth. I know, no, I remember,
why why do you keep coming here every year? I mean,
it's just so now that I've retired, golf is my
competition and like all of us here, we want to
(50:40):
be good at it, and golf gets the best of us.
But it's like coming here and making new friends. But
the celebrity types to athletes, that people coming from whatever
their profession, here for friendly competition. But yet you know
it's real competition. There's always somebody here you want to
beat or you want to play well in front of her.
So so so the first year was, like probably everyone else,
(51:02):
was a little nerve wracking, and by the second by
the end of the second day. With the third day,
I felt good. I'm like, man, I hope they bring
me back. And now you know you get that email. Hey,
we're we would like to invite you. I'm like, yes,
every year, every year I planned everything around here. Now
that's right, this this week. What's who's the guy or
gal that you look at when you're done to see
(51:24):
where they are. Who's the guy you most want to
beat and you've got in your sights. Everyone gets a
similar smile on their face when I asked this question.
There's there's a few. I mean obviously the basketball guys. Uh,
you know, Giggy's here. Kyle and I we played golf
a lot, so it's like we root for each other,
but we want to do better than each other. You
know how I leave Vinningdale Niggro alone. You know he
(51:45):
wanted last year. So that's that's as you need that
guy alone. Marcus, I know who's on here, and Jerome
Bettis are here. We all come out of the same
golf club, Golf Club of Georgia in Atlanta. Okay, I'll play,
so of course I'll be watching those guys and like
there again, we root for each other, but we want
to do a little better than what what what brings you?
(52:06):
Let me say this everybody, I'm sure we will say
just lungs. You do better than Berkeley as well. And
I had to play with in the group last year.
I was like, what does that say about my game? Right?
But yeah, but trust me, I have played a number
of years in his group. Yes, and it's but I
tell you what he taught me something honest, honest to god.
(52:30):
When I started coming here, I think I was paired
with him. The first year was fifteen years ago now,
and he and I were playing together, and you know,
his swing at that point, I hope it's a little better.
Last year it was, it was, it was it was
starting to look look good. Yeah, you know he can't
hit the ball. He's Hank Haney is walking with us.
At one point puts on sunglasses and I'm like, like,
(52:53):
right before he swam, I'm like, what is he doing? Why?
Why does he keep putting this on? Right before and
I realized they were blacked out. He was black down.
So it wasn't just close your eyes, it was like
black out this and just swing to try to get
over this mental this mental thing. I mean, it's crazy
and not very successful, but I will tell you walking
around here with him, I've said this many times. He
(53:16):
knows everybody's name, He asks about their family. The volunteers
that are here have been here in some cases for many, many,
many years, and he cares about everybody. He looks everybody
in the eye, he says hello and asks about them.
It truly, and I, honest to god, I tried to
(53:36):
model that behavior now because you know what, it takes
just as much energy to be nice as it does
to be an asshole. And and I promise you that
came from from this event. Me getting to know him
and his generosity of spirit. It's so incredible, and it's
just it's amazing to see because you know, like you said,
the everybody he just is this second nature to him.
(53:58):
And to see how people respond to it's like it's
a great feeling. You sit back and smile. It's not
even you, you know, and it's just amazing. And like
he said, he's just he's he's just a great person.
I mean, you can say what you say about him,
and he says he speaks his mind. You appreciate that,
but but when you're around him, you're like, man, he's
like I tell people all the time, what you see
on TV is that, but when you're around him, he's
(54:19):
like the life of the party and one of the friendliest,
nicest people. He really is. It's you know, and I
get asked about him, you know, and making fun of
his swing or whatever. But like I just I always
want to say, you just need to get to know
him because this is like you would be rooting so
hard for him, and I'm rooting so hard for him
to play better. Um, what what gives the confidence for you? Like?
(54:40):
What what gives you confidence out here when in the
face of all the fans and once you get past
the first hole, you know, that first shot southern. I mean,
like I don't care how many years. Uh, my first
year was like it's a few times that I can
recall being terrified, and I was pretty close that first shot.
The second day was better, got better. But the next
(55:00):
year and year after that, you still have the nerves,
but over the balls is a lot different than that
first year. So I'm better and like I said, I
feel good now, but you know it's still gonna be something,
going to be some nerves. I just like to see
the ball go forward and we can figure it out.
We can figure it out from there. Events. Thank you
so much, Thanks for for for coming by, Thank you
for being here and being so great. And you know
(55:23):
it it We've talked about it a lot with a
lot of the guys. This it really has become like
a brotherhood, this this event and the people here, and
it is it is so truly my pleasure and my
privilege to to have gotten to know you and and
other guys. Yea, and I will say this and like
you say, this your brotherhood. And you know, seeing you
guys playing other events and catch it on TV and
(55:43):
you root for It's like, hey, man, I hope you're
playing well, you know, because because of this. And it's funny.
It's just it's golf. It's a it's a it's a
common denominator, which is golf that brings everybody here. And
you have appreciated you get to meet somebody that you
see admired but never really get a stance to sit
face to face over the game of golf. Just golf
has been great to a lot of people. Sure has vents.
Thank you so much, dude, Thank you so much. Man,
(56:06):
appreciate appreciate the time, good luck today. There is so
much that I could say about this event. I'm sure
after listening to this you you feel and know how
much I love it. All of the guys, so so
many relationships that I have made here that that me
in the world to me, and I feel so lucky
(56:27):
to call them now friends. Thank you so much for listening.
I have so many more stories that I could tell
talking about seventeen and my experience there, talking about playing
with Charles and Aaron Rodgers, and you know, I'm gonna
I'm gonna close with this story because someone I was
playing with yesterday in one of the pro ams asked
me this question, like why you're from Atlanta? And I
(56:48):
had a Georgia Bulldogs sweater on yesterday and they were like,
you're from Atlanta, Why are you a Packers fan? I
don't think you've ever talked about it on the podcast.
This guy had had listened to all of the episodes
that we've done, so I'm gonna tell this story. I
was here my first year was two thousand and eight,
and I sit down at a blackjack table and there's
(57:08):
a guy sitting next to me. I had no clue
who he was, and we start talking and he's a
big fan of the office, and I say thank you,
and we're chit chatting. We're having a good time, and
and he introduces himself as as Aaron Rodgers. Now as
soon as he said, oh, I'm Aaron Rodgers, I was like, oh, yeah,
you're the guy from cal and you know you're backing
(57:31):
up Brett Farve. Now you've been named the starter. Congrats. Well,
this day, Brett Farve had had decided he was retiring
and and Aaron had been named the starter moving forward
and he's playing in this event. And that day, the
first day we meet, Brett Farve decides he's not going
to retire. And this is their TV screens all throughout
(57:53):
the hotel everywhere blasting sports of course because of this event,
and he no at that moment whether Green Bay was
going to bring that back bread, if he was going
to go back to the bench, like what was going
to happen with him, And it's just kind of an crazy,
weird day for him and then me meeting him and
(58:14):
we ended up hanging out and he and I from
that day became friends. And I know he's been on
the podcast before, but you know. I he was at
the birth of my first child. His relationship means a
lot to me, and that's why I'm a fan of
the Green Bay Packers. It's really because of him and
(58:35):
and my relationship with him, and then visiting Green Bay
and getting to know other players like A. J. Hawk
who plays here and has become a very good friend
of mine as well, and Randall Cobb who we've had
on the podcast, and obviously Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, so
many of the Packers players that I've had a relationship
(58:56):
here now. But it really was this event and and
that interaction that we had because I was playing in
the event and he was playing in the event, and
that's all that mattered. So I wanted to close with
that story because I was asked about it yesterday and
didn't realize that I've never told that story. I love
this event. This is my fifteenth year, and this year
(59:16):
I'm going to do better than I ever have before.
By the time you're listening, it'll be over, so you'll
know whether or not I I came through. But I
want to thank again Airbnb for their partnership on this episode.
The air cover for hosts that gives you the confidence
like we're all looking for out here to host with
Airbnb top to bottom protection for free. I hope you
(59:40):
enjoyed the episode. We'll be back next week with a
with a more standard episode. But this has been so
much fun for me to catch up with so many
of of the athletes and celebrities that are here are
wounded Warrior veteran who is here and Jimmy Roberts. Thanks
to all of my guests, and thank you for listening
(01:00:01):
and will root for me. And if you didn't watch,
go check out the score and let's let's find out
if I beat Marcus Allen. Until next time, Thanks everybody.
(01:00:22):
Off the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me
Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are
Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and Emily Carr. Our
talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and our intern is
Sammy Katz. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by
(01:00:45):
my great friend Greed Bratton, and the episode was mixed
by Seth o'landski
Do Do Do Do Do? I Can with Cream made
that song incredible. Who knew you know what it means? No,
I've listened to his his podcast with You a bunch
of times. I think he's only three times Bubble and squeak.
It's English from England. It's let you make for dinner
(00:25):
and then you have leftovers and they throw it in
a pan with eggs and mix it back up the
next day. There you go. That's what That's what I am. Hello, Hello,
(00:50):
my favorite listeners. Welcome to a very special, a very
different episode of Off the Beat. But as always, I'm
your steadfast host Brian Baumgartner. Today is very exciting for me, everybody.
I am here. I've always wanted to say this. I'm
coming to you live from Lake Tahoe, Nevada slash California,
(01:15):
right on the border there. I am here at Edgewood
Country Club, home of the American Century Championship. That's right,
thirty three years this event has been going on. This
is my fifteen consecutive year participating in the American Century
Championship here in Lake Tahoe. And as I've told many people,
(01:38):
this is my favorite week of the year. And it
is also my most difficult week of the year. I'm
going to talk to you a little bit about that later.
The people out here, the celebrities we have, some of
them have become great friends, my favorite people in the
world really to play golf with and to hang out with.
(02:01):
As most of you know, I'm a big sports fan,
and I would say of the guys are sports celebrities, legends,
some might call them Hall of famers, all stars in
their respective sports. We also have stars from music industry,
music artists, and of course some actors as well. I
(02:23):
thought it would be cool to talk to a few
guys here. We are preparing for the pro am Day,
which is always that phrase I have an issue with
because I am not a pro Okay, I think celeb
am might be a little more accurate. But I we
are here on on on pro am Day, so we're
gonna play with some some great supporters of American Century
(02:47):
in this tournament and the South Lake Tahoe area for charity.
I'm so excited to be here. It's a beautiful day,
seventy five degrees here on the lake in Lake Tahoe.
This special episode I have partnered with Airbnb. Airbnb's air
cover for hosts, gives you the confidence to host with
(03:10):
top to bottom protection for free because guess what Airbnb
has my back? And on that note, I wanted to
find out who had the backs of some of these
actors and athletes as they rose to fame, what tour
or who gave them the confidence to overcome difficult challenges
(03:32):
that ultimately lead them to make it big. And also
why they're here, why they come back to Lake Tahoe
every year for this event. You know, as I said,
it's my favorite week, but it's also the most difficult.
I've told this story many times, I've I've never told
it on this podcast, And was asked about this the
(03:53):
other day when I arrived, like why why do you
do it? Why do you love golf? Why do you
play in this tournament? And I be honest with you.
I was a golfer, but not a passionate golfer, and
I have moved to Los Angeles shortly before the office started.
And you know, I've said many times I like charity,
(04:15):
Charity is important to me. I also like cocktails, but
the like charity cocktail party thing this was not something
that was for me right, and so I wanted to
find a way an outlet really for charity, and so
for me it became golf, and for me it was
much more interesting and valuable to have a real connection
(04:40):
with three four guys who I played golf with for
four or five hours for a good cause outside as
opposed to you know, casual cocktail party type conversation. So
that's really why I started to play golf and then
became passionate about golf, as most of you know. And
this event is so special because of the collection of
(05:03):
people that they have here. The amount of money that
American Century donates to cancer research is astounding. One of
my favorite events here happened last night. It is a
mandatory players only meeting that takes place on the Wednesday
(05:23):
night before the tournament, and they talk about rules and
the CEO, Jonathan Thomas of American Century is there, and
John Miller from NBC Sports is there and and talks
to all of us. And in the middle of the meeting,
Jonathan Thomas had already spoken introduced some special guests that
that they had. Jonathan Thomas came back up on stage
(05:44):
and said to John Miller, I'm sorry I have to
interrupt here for just a minute. And introduced a couple
who were there as his special guests, who had during
this meeting, donated one million dollars to cancer research through
American Century Investments. It was such an amazingly powerful moment.
(06:04):
I can't tell you. I'll tell you a couple of
other stories that happened. That there are two people here
who have played in this event every single year. Jack Wagner,
actor and Jim McMahon, quarterback of the Chicago Bears. They've
played in every event. Jim McMahon has a broken foot
and is on a wheel thing. He only can walk
(06:28):
on one leg, yet he is here playing in this
event because of how much it means to him. Jack
Wagner has had a very difficult year and it was
an emotional moment last night when John Miller talked about
the family that this has become, this event has become,
and I feel it with the guys as I see
(06:50):
them sometimes just once a year here, how special this
place is and how special this event is. It means
a lot to me. So I'm very happy that you
have decided to join me here from the beach at
Lake Tahoe for this very special episode of Off the Beat,
(07:11):
brought to you by Airbnb, Bubble and Squeak. I love
Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker cookie every month
left over from the NAT before. All right, everybody, I
(07:41):
am so happy to be joined by an amazing guy
who I met for the first time last night his
first year here. Adam Napier joins us. Adam, tell me
a little bit about well, why why are you here?
Why are you here? Playing in the American Century Championship. Right, So,
I'm a part of Team forty three, which is President
(08:03):
Bush's group. He he does a bike ride and a
golf tournament every year for wounded veterans post not eleven
Wounded Veterans, And once you become a part of one
of those events, you become of a part of a
team Team forty three, and we go across the country
and do different things. So how I ended up here though?
Was I won his tournament? Uh this past Veterans Day
(08:26):
it lost Cleanest Country Club in Dallas, and the winner
of that gets once in a lifetime. My opportunity didn't
take part in this event. It's so incredible, you know,
for the last I would say about ten years, there's
always a veteran who is here and it means so
much to all the guys. I was talking about the
(08:49):
players only meeting that happened last night, And it's hard
to explain as you you not being an athlete. You're
in a room and you know, you would think about
like when you're in school and you're like, you know,
an assembly or something, except this assembly is some of
the greatest athletes that have ever played the game. As
(09:11):
a sports fan myself, it's kind of an incredible thing
to be just be in the room, right, It's incredible
just to be in the room. And that doesn't even
start into how the atmosphere in the room is. In
being recognized in the room, I mean, it's just an
incredible experience, Like it's now I'll remember till the day
I die, and till lies about it until I die. Yeah,
(09:36):
you know, it's uh, it really feels like a brotherhood.
You were immediately embraced and brought into that as all
the veterans are who come in. And the moment Adam
is talking about is that he was introduced by John Miller.
All the first time players are always introduced by John
Miller and they're recognized and when Adam was was introduced
(09:56):
last night. Everyone in the room stood and and I
find it a really emotional moment just being in the
room with you, a person who has done so much
for our country, and really what what this is about?
You know, I'm a actor on a television show and
(10:18):
Jerry Rice catches footballs for a living, and you know,
the idiot pittures just throw a ball, which seems really easy,
but you know, what you, what you have done and
what you've endured is truly incredible and is worthy of
being recognized in that way. And it's just a really powerful,
powerful moment in that room, everybody acknowledging you and your service.
(10:41):
It absolutely gave me chills last night. I mean it, yeah,
I was glad they didn't find a baby picture of me,
but but uh, just unbelievable. And you know, and I
want to take a moment to to thank all of
you guys, and you know, the football players and baseball players,
because you can be in the the middle of nowhere
(11:01):
Afghanistan and Iraq, you know, and you have an hour
a couple hours where you get to watch football game,
a baseball game, have a movie night, and it doesn't
matter where you are when you get together with a
group of guys in in gals and and and have
a minute, it's like being home for a little bit,
you know, just little things like that. You know, there's
(11:23):
no telling how many times that we would bene watch
The Office when we when we would have time, you know, um,
the super Bowl games and just you know, anything that's
a little bit of a break and makes it seem
like you're back home. I mean it it it helps
you get through right. So well, that's that's very emotional
(11:43):
for me, I tell you. You You know, I've said many
times the greatest gift that this show, really The Office
gave me was knowing that the show brings comfort and
a sense of normalcy to people in their most difficult times.
To talk about the Office of being a show that
brings comfort. And you know, when I talked to either
(12:07):
active military or veterans, or or people going through a
difficult medical situation or family issue, that that show, you know,
has brought them something is amazing. And to hear from
you that in Afghanistan and and that's bringing you just
a little bit closer to home is an awesome, awesomely
(12:28):
powerful thing. So thank you. So this is no, lie,
I'm not making this up for this, but we have
watched episodes of the Office in Afghanistan on our projector
that we'd use for for meetings up against a rock,
you know, we had a clear flat rock, and you
know we would get back in and you know we'd
(12:48):
see stuff that you needed to laugh. You know, laugh.
It's true. Laughter is the best best medicine. And so
you know we may not have time to watch movie,
you know, like, hey, you know, let let's watch The
Office US or you know, whatever, anything to make a laugh.
You know. Stepbrothers was another one that we watched, no
telling how many times. Napghans, but uh, it just it
(13:13):
helps your soul, you know, it lightens the move it
helps you remember it's not all bad, and you know,
gives you something to look forward to getting back to too.
That's awesome. All right. Well, first off, are you gonna
be nervous this week? You're obviously an excellent golfer. I'll
be I'll be a little nervous. Since seventeen I don't
(13:34):
want to hit anybody. I think I'll be okay with
I'll give you one when one exception, if I if
I somehow I played with Anica's Hornstown. That's that's gonna
that's gonna get to me a little bit because I
followed her since I was a little kid, you know,
and being a golf fan, you know that would be
that would be nervous. Yea ten time major winner, Uh,
(13:55):
that's different. But I think I would have been nervous.
But you know, you guys have been so accepting to us.
And I was lucky to Caddy in two thousand nineteen
for the Warrior and y'all have just opened y'all's arms
to us and made it such a relaxing experience and
and made it feel like, you know, this is a
(14:17):
once in a lifetime chance that you know, I want
to play good, but if I don't, it's not gonna matter,
you know. And that mentality helps you play better too.
But you know, I'm glad to be here, and you
know I want to do my best. But I've already
won for the week. Well that's that's amazing. What what
gives you the confidence to go out there and make
(14:41):
a run at winning this thing? So I've put a
lot of work in getting ready for it. Luckily, the
Warrior Open moved a little bit this year, because because
of COVID and stuff, so I've I've had more time.
Normally it's in you know, the May time frame, so
it's a pretty quick turnaround coming here. So we played
it in November, so it gave me time to prepare
and that helps. I got out here early, a little
(15:04):
bit before it started getting crowded, right, And then I
was lucky the first day that I thought I was
playing in a program and I show up and I'm
playing with Justin Timberlake and Adam Feeling, and and I'm
just like, well, you know, if if I can play
with these guys and I get nerves and I can
handle this weekend, that's awesome. Thank you so much for
being here, Thanks for coming and talking to me, but
(15:26):
mostly thank you for your service and your dedication and
and what you've given not just me but but all
of us listening. So thank you so much. Glad to
be here. Thanks all right, cheers, What is up, Jerome man?
How are you? I'm good? The bus where you're joined
(15:48):
here by Jerome bettis thirteen years in the National Football
League for the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion played into right,
which is where you're from. That was a special, uh
special thing for you. Hall of Famer from No tra Dame.
(16:09):
I think that's how we say it. Um, it's so
good to see you. Always great to see you. We've
known each other now, I think it's been a long time.
Uh tell me, why do you come to this event?
You know what? It's great because as an as an
amateur golfer, it gives us an opportunity to actually feel
(16:33):
as though we're professionals. Right. We're all terrible golfers, by
the way, I will say that, But but you have
one weekend in which your competitive juices come out. You
say to yourself, this is my opportunity, right, And you
go out and you have an opportunity to compete, and
(16:53):
you compete with guys that you know, Guys that you
were fans of, guys that you're friends of, and so
it's just a great mix of people that you get
an opportunity to play with and get a chance to
know fellowship with them all. But at the end of
the day, you're competing, you're looking at that score. You're like, man,
I gotta get that. I gotta make a ball no
double ball games, right, and I just gotta get a point.
(17:15):
I got you. So you're very competitive with Yeah, I
think I think we all are. I don't. I don't.
I don't think it's competitive in a sense where I'm
coming here, man, I gotta win, right, it's competitive saying
I want to beat my score from last year. I
want to I want to go out and play a
(17:36):
stress free, mistake free round. Uh, you know, I want
to be the best version of myself I can be, right,
And so that's that's kind of the competitive nature that
you that you put on yourself. And then when obviously
you you get paired up with some guys, you're like, oh, crap,
here we go. Here we go. All right, guys get
to talk and crap, You're like, all right, let's go.
So so, you know, it's one of those opportunities that
(17:59):
you get very very rare to come out compete with
yourself and with that with guys that you you know,
and like, yeah, it's it's a crazy you know, thinking
about last night and that meaning that had, you know
that we had, and just the collection of people that
are in that room, and you know, you've got Adam Napier,
who gets introduced, the wounded warrior who's playing in the
(18:22):
thing is like a powerful, powerful moment and then you
hear the amount of money like that, It's yes, right,
it made a difference, made a difference, made a significant
difference in this community that we're playing in. And it's
one of those that it's it's commendable is to be
commended and to know that that you're part of that, right,
(18:45):
that you're using your collective celebrity to benefit others, right,
So that makes it a win win. Obviously you come
out here and get a chance to play golf in
a beautiful setting, beautiful course, but also you're doing a
lot of good and that that makes it even that
much more special to get on the plane to come
out here and then know it's benefiting a lot more
(19:06):
than just you playing golf. Yeah, do you go into
shame spirals of self hatred for sure? For sure, because
what happens, it always happens. You hit that bad shot,
shank or something you like, you go right in the tank.
You could been playing well, I mean soon did you
You're like, oh man, here it comes and everybody's watching. Yeah,
(19:28):
and then don't hit the second one because now you
want to quit, You want to throw the clubs and
just absolutely walk off the course if you could. The
problem is you got the shame walk. You gotta walk
over there, you gotta drop it from the water, you
gotta do all the stuff. And then you said yourself,
I don't leave this. I do have to tell you though.
(19:49):
I played in the event in Greenville, South Carolina BMW,
and I'm playing with a professional on the corn Ferry Tour.
These guys are really good, really good. And one of
them on our second hole that my partner made a
nine on a part five. Now, this is a professional, which,
as you discussed, we are not. So when happens, it happens.
(20:14):
But he had a two fifty yard walk of shame
back to his ball, which I was like, my heart
was breaking for him, knowing how it feels. Who who's
the guy that you're looking at? Because right it's online
live streaming. Who's the guy when you're done with the round?
Who who are you looking at? First guy? Who's the
first guy beside yourself? First guy? I'm looking at Larry.
(20:37):
He talked so much smack to me, and we're really
good friends. I've known him since he was back in
college at Pitt because I was playing with the Steelers
and you know we were right there. So if there's
one guy who who you know, we always are looking
at the scoring so so sweet as soon as we
see each other, uh huh rough day to day, you
(20:58):
know he's so He's the first guy I look at
every single time. Who has helped you the most to
give you the confidence to be able to do this?
That's brought you out here? That's a good question. Mm hmm.
You know what it hasn't really been. Yeah, I tell
you who's really helped me. I brought in a Caddy
(21:21):
from Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Course amazing course we
played many times, many times, and and he was always
the young caddy was always a sense of comfort for me.
Right when I was playing there. He could kind of
talk me off the ledge, so to speak, right, And
so I said to myself, you know what I need
to see if I can get him here, because I
(21:44):
can get that same calmness, that same conversation, that same attitude,
I can get him on the bag and it will
really and it and it has. He's come the last
couple of years and I felt much better in terms
of my game. How I'm going out there with a
strat g and idea. So he's been he's been very
beneficial to my confidence because I know I've got a guy.
(22:06):
He's a really good player in his own right. So
I got a guy who understands and knows kind of
what I'm capable of and what I'm not capable. And
that's the one thing, because the majority of times we
wanted to try to hit the hero shot, no is right,
(22:27):
and you take up that five percent, you can take
it in half because now your body is tense and
it's tight, and you've got these people looking. You're like man,
and and now all of I said, you got no chance,
absolutely no chance to hit it. I'm just gonna hit
this cut three would over the crowd to come back
and its water on the left, and all right, cut
(22:47):
it and I'll get it in there and let it
drop right in of course, not how how many points?
What are you looking at? How many points this week?
What's your best? What's your best finish? Here? My best
finish I think was TIF That was a couple of
years ago, uh, the COVID year, because I was tuned up,
you know, that was all I was doing, was I
(23:09):
didn't do much else, so I was in great form.
And so that was that was that was number one.
That was That was pretty good. How how many points
is that? That's probably was? Yeah, that's probably a day. Yeah,
I was. That's very good. I played very well. Now,
I will say this, I regressed last year. I think
(23:33):
I was. I only finished with about almost fifty or
maybe twenty. I think I was right right in the
fifteen twenties something Ryan, it wasn't not very good. All right, Well, listen,
I hope that it goes great for you this week.
But more than that, it's great to see you have fun.
We always have fun. But let's let's have fun and
(23:53):
score up there. Let's put a score up there and
kick Larry's ass. I'm going for him, all right, let's
get it all right? Thanks, thanks, thank you. I am
(24:22):
joined here on off the beat by my old friend,
good friend like legendary. Is that the right phrase? Come on,
legend legendary sportscaster Jimmy Roberts joins us here. How many
years have you been coming here? This is twenty two
for me. You know, I almost died here one year
(24:43):
literally yes, wait tell me, yes, I remember this. So
this is about ten years ago, ten twelve years ago
just doing the tournament, and uh, I didn't feel well.
And you know, those of us who travel for a living,
you're used to being on the road not feeling well. You'
deal with it somehow. I just felt different. So I
(25:04):
ended up taking myself to the hospital. My appendix that exploded,
That's right, my appendix that exploded. And then um, they
did the surgery, took it out, and I was recovering
and there was a complication and had to do another surgery.
I was in the hospital here for two weeks here. Yeah,
And I was lucky because the surgeon. It's a small
regional hospital. The surgeon was a guy who had spent
(25:27):
his entire professional career as a combat surgeon. He's from
in the Air Force, so he'd seen everything. He'd seen
every kind of trauma, and he took such good care
of me. But I mean, it was in my family.
When you say like Tahoe, it has the best of
connotations and the worst. So wow, that's that is amazing?
(25:48):
What what what it makes this event special? People like you?
I mean, listen, when would I, no, seriously, when would
I get to meet and hang out and make friends
with people like you? When would our paths cross they wouldn't,
you know, I mean they might and and I'd be
(26:09):
curious to know what you think about this. But the
thing that I think makes this event so special is
that you you guys, people who compete in it, get
to cross paths with people that you would never cross
paths with. And everybody lets their hair down. There's no pretense.
Everybody's just you know, not necessarily thinking that they have
(26:31):
to worry about very much. Everybody just hangs out together.
It's a very casual vibe. I mean, I've always felt
that way. It's the most relaxed broadcasting experience I will
do all year, and I get to just you know,
a lot of it is for many many years, I
was out on seventeen, you know, doing the interviews and
that was fun. And now I'm gonna booth calling golf
(26:53):
and it's a totally different narrative. I just get to
be up there and talk about golf, you know. And
you know, like I found out yesterday, I was talking
to Justin Timberlake. And when do I get to say
that just yesterday I was talking to Justin Timberlake. Anyway,
I was talking to I was talking to Justin and
he was, there's a commonality about it, like for all
of us, what do we talk about? What's the first
(27:14):
thing I said to you? How's your golf? How's your golfka, right,
we're all golfers, you know, for better for worse. And
so justin it launches into her in there having a
sandwich and hey, hey, doing what's happening? What he've been
up there? Has your family? This? That? And he said,
and how's your golf? And he says, well, yeah, you know,
and I got this thing going on with my with
my left side. And he starts telling me about how
(27:36):
he his shoulder. Guess it's his left shoulder. He's double jointed,
so it kind of pops in and out. Oh jeez.
And he says, here, check this out. He puts my
hand on his shoulder. It's clicking in and out. Yeah.
But anyway, and it's like, so that's all I said. Okay,
well that'll end up on the air this weekend. But
it's just it's listen, this is it's just fun. You know.
(28:00):
I enjoy coming here because I just get to talk.
Can I curse? Yeah, of course I get to talk shit. Yeah,
you know, you know, I listen, I think you've actually
touched on something that I haven't thought about quite in
this way. I mean, I would like to think and
I do think it is true that there's just an
(28:21):
amazing collection of really good guys and gals we're together,
but that commonality that you just talked about, like there's
also we're all working on the same thing, and there's
no pretense, there's no there's no I'm better than you.
I'm gonna you know, because we all suck. We're all
(28:42):
just doing the rest weekend outside of Mark Maulder and
Marty Fish and that's you know, Jack Wagner, we all suck.
It's just a degree to which we suck, you know,
and that you know, we're all equally as consumed by
the game befuddled by it. But you know, I also
think there's a it feels like a sense of community here,
you know, like you come here and whether you're a
(29:04):
broadcaster or a participant, or you're justin timber Lake or
you're somebody that could walk through the crowd and nobody
would know, it doesn't matter. We're all here just part
of this community and it's fun and it's it just
it just feels so good. You know, it really feels good.
I could not agree more. I have said already today
(29:26):
it's my favorite week of the year. It's also the
most difficult week. It's a most listfficult thing that I
do every year. Dude, listen, I don't know how you
guys do this. I I this morning I was doing
I'm doing a story for the weekend on the seventh hole.
You know, the seventeenth gets all the attention, but the
seventh hole is becoming a little bit of you know,
a ship show out there, and so we're going to
(29:46):
do a story about the seventh hole. And so I'm
out there and I go out there with a camera
coon and this is golf, you know, so these people
know who I It's not like I'm a celebrity or anything,
but these people know who I am as Jimmy. Jimmy, Jimmy.
You gotta hit a shot now. It's eight already in
the morning. You know, I'm not ready. I haven't loosened up,
I haven't done anything. They shamed me into hitting a shot.
(30:09):
Fortunately it wasn't awful, But then they shamed me into
I just like subject to such peer pressure. They shamed
me into shotgunning a a corona worse a smear novice.
You know. Yeah, they tossed me one yesterday. It hit
the ground and they just immediately got sprayed by me.
That's that's how I That's how I roll. Can I
(30:30):
ask you a question? Sure? Let me turn this around
because I figured you would. Well, I'm you know, it's
what I do for a living. My wife says, I
don't have conversations with people. I interview with them. Do
you ever get tired of talking about the office? You know?
Because I could see how you could. I will answer
the question this way. I am so fascinated. But and
(30:50):
I know you are an author and and and life
fascinates you as well. I truly became fascinated with what
happened to our show afterward, like that that it became
more popular after five six years when we had not
filmed anything, and that the show exploded. That is a
truly fascinating question with me that I think. I think
(31:12):
even smarter people than me should try to explore why
that is. But the journey that I've been on and
trying to answer that question of why has truly brought
me joy. I think I think it's I think it's
fascinating and that and that young people a show that
wasn't being made for young people, you know, not just survives,
but thrives this year later. And you know, we were
(31:33):
a big show. You know, we were on NBC. And
but you know, for me and for all of us,
we weren't friends at the time. We weren't Seinfeld even
you know, we were we were we were the NBC's
number one show, but we weren't that, and now became that.
Plus that's that's the crazy thing. Yeah, And I've told
(31:54):
you this before, and you know, many many times. I mean,
I have my youngest son is eighteen years old, and
at one point he became this probably five years ago,
became so fascinated with the show that every day he
he binged the whole thing three, three times through. And
when he found out that I knew you, you know,
(32:14):
I know, listen, I've met Muhammad Ali Michael Jordan's I mean,
I could not have been elevated to higher status in
his life. I've been to the White House for dinner
and I listen, none of that matters. Okay, What matters
is that I you know, Kevin, Okay, so wait, can
(32:34):
I I'm sorry to turn this around on you. But
I have always been fascinated with the acting that you
were able to do. When I first met you, I
could not get it out of my head that you
weren't that character because that character probably was so challenging
to become, and it's so different from who you are.
(32:57):
He's different from who I am. But that's what I say.
That's the thing that's crazy is that you know, it's
like me trying to be a golfer, Like I mean,
I did go to school for it, you know, I was,
you know, but yes, thank you, thank you for what
I will consider to be a compliment. It is all right, dude,
(33:18):
I've hijacked your podcast. No, please, Jimmy, thank you so much.
I'm yeah, I'm excited to spend some time and just
do me a favor. Just don't Dan Hicks be one,
be kind to obviously give me some screen time, Dan Hicks,
There a lot of people don't know this. The most
(33:38):
famous wrestler in the history of the US. Actually I
believe his name is Bruce bamb Gartner and everyone he
calls me Bruce. Let's go to Bruce bamb Gartner five
or whatever. Yes, he did and I've given him hell
about that before. So just just just remember my name.
Just remember my name, remember my name, number, my name.
(34:01):
Thanks Jimmy, always great to see you, all right, Cher Steve, Brian,
thank you, Thanks Bud. Sure do I can with cream
fucking made that song. It's incredible. All right, ladies and gentlemen,
A very very special guest. He's promised me to come
(34:23):
back for another episode and and really talk about his
life and his career. But I am joined here by Well,
you're like Beyonce, right, it's just one word. I guess
it's to the miss. That's right, professional wrestler with the
w W E and and personality. I guess is that
(34:45):
superstar superstar specifically superstar. I remember the first time I
met you, which was a long time. I was wondering.
So yesterday for those that were there was like a
players meeting at the a C SEE and I saw Brian.
I wasn't sure if you remembered me. I wanted you
(35:06):
to know how much I love your podcast, how much
I love Off the Beat. I loved all the office stuff.
I think you're tremendous interviewer. Your voice and your transitions
are absolutely incredible. The dialogue. I love hearing acting and
how people do their process. I just didn't really enjoy that.
And so what you do and what you dissect you
do such a phenomenal job, but I didn't. I didn't know.
(35:27):
If you know where where do you? Where? Is your
first recollection of where we met? My recollection, which I
think I was accurate, is we were playing in a
celebrity poker event and you had the wrestling belt over
your shoulder and you really made me laugh and we
hung out there. I think it was a couple of days,
or it was at least a really long day. It
(35:49):
was a long day. That was it right now. I
don't know if you'll remember this. Okay, lay do do
you remember a club named lay Do? If I do
remember we met there, I don't remember. It's okay, you don't.
Because there were so many people and I was a
(36:09):
huge office fan, and I was like, oh my god,
Brian's here. So I came up, introduced myself. It was
very quick, and so you wouldn't. It's not something memorable,
and I wasn't really I was off the real world.
Maybe it challenges and I think I was just starting
in w w A and so that's probably why. Well
let me tell let me tell you something that this
(36:30):
should make you feel better. I was, I was at
I think it was a reconstructing it. I was at
a bar in Los Angeles to watch Sunday football and
occasionally people come up and I take pictures. So years later,
there's a photo that surfaces of of myself Brian bam Gardner,
(36:52):
but Kevin Malone with me and post malone, and this this, this,
this picture starts surfacing round and I see it if
you're trying out pay any mine. And then my my
niece sends it to me and says, oh my god,
is this real? And I had on a black shirt
and I think he had on a white shirt. As
my recollection, I'll post the picture again, but there's kind
(37:15):
of a line it looks photoshopped, right, so it's like
your post Malone Kevin post malone thing. I thought it
was photoshopped. And then this it just keeps coming up.
And it had been like a long time before, you know,
since this picture it allegedly happened. So I finally do
the easiest thing in the world and google Kevin Malone
post Malone. The first thing that pops up his post
(37:36):
Malone's Twitter page. Now, I've not ever met him or
talked to him, and he posted the photo, so it
clearly was him and I at this place in Los
Angeles that took a photo and I didn't remember that,
and his name is post Malon. Well it's also, by
the way, like before, iPhones were really popular and camophones
are really popular. So we didn't We never got the picture.
We didn't have a picture that picture to remember it
(37:58):
by that. But yes we did do uh, we did gamble.
I'm not I think you beat me by the way
I did because you were you were really good one
at that. I want to see that the World Series
of Poker. You did that. Have you played this week
at all poker? Yeah? Maybe a little black jack, a
little black jack, maybe a little all right, okay, okay,
maybe it's legal here. Do you know what happened to
(38:19):
me yesterday? So I was walking out of my elevator
and you saw me. I looked, no, no difference, that
did happen. That happened. But I walked out of my
larry because I was really tired after yesterday, I mean,
eighteen holes doing all the media that is here at
a c c and then I get out of the
elevator and there's a chip. What do you how much
you think that chip was worth five thousand dollars? I
(38:42):
said five thousand dollars it was, and I thought it
was a joke. I looked down and I looked around
and I was like, oh my god, there's a five
thousand dollar chip here. And I was like, hello, Hello,
is anyone here? I thought this someone was like pranking me.
So I pick it up and it's a real five
thousand There's no one in the hall. What do you do?
So I'm I'm trying to think what do you do? Like,
(39:04):
so if I would call down to the lobby and say, hey,
I found a five thousand dollar chip, so it's gonna
someone's gonna be like, yeah, that's me. But I was
also thinking, man, if I lost five thousand dollars, I
would be so upset. But also I feel like, if
you have a five thousand allar chip, there's probably a
bunch of other chips to it, and you don't even
know how much you really have. So it's one or
(39:26):
two ways. But I feel so bad and I don't
know what to do with it. And today someone was
messing with me. I told one of my buddies and
then he told someone. I was telling the person the story.
He goes, yeah, I lost five thousand chip. I was like,
I felt a sense of relief. I was like, oh,
I have it. I haven't. And he's like, I'm joking.
I knew that you found one. And I was like,
what do you do with that? Here's what I think
you should do. I think you should give me the chip.
(39:47):
And I'm gonna I'm gonna go, no, seriously, and I'll
go I'll take care of it for you, one way
or the other. I'll take care You're the guy. I'm
the guy. I'm the guy. I all I do is
fixed problems for people. That's all I do. Here at
the American Century Championship. We're here. This is your first year.
That's why I really wanted to talk to you today
about this. This is your first year. Talk to me
about the experience thus far. We haven't even teed off
(40:08):
on Friday yet, But tell me, tell me about your experience.
It's incredible so far. I mean, everyone has been above
and beyond nice. And usually when you have and this
is not saying anything, but when you have a group
of celebrities, there's usually one that's kind of like, hey,
how you doing it, and they look at you and
roll their eyes and walk away or try to find
someone that's more important than you to talk to. I
have not had that at all, And if if anything,
(40:30):
more people are like, hey, Hi, nice to meet you. Hey,
let me introduce you to this person and this person this,
And I'm like, wow, this is unlike any other celebrity
event I've ever been to. And not only that, I
get to golf. The weather is beautiful here I've been.
I'm begetting lessons from like just some of the top
people at Golf Channel and NBC Sports, and it's really, honestly,
(40:50):
it's made my game horrible because whenever you could take
a lesson before takes I don't know, I don't have
an opportunity to get these type of these teachers, these
legendary teachers to come and say hey, you know so
I'm like, yeah, I'll do a lesson. And I'm like,
oh my god, my swing is going bad right now.
I heard someone tell you yesterday. It's like, we're gonna
(41:10):
take your game to the next level. What is the
next level for you? I think I think the next
level for me is is would be to be a four.
That would be the that would be then your handicaps
of four. No, that would be it. That would be it. No,
I'm like a seven, eight, seven or an eight, depending
on how I'm playing, and you know, whatever I enter
(41:31):
my score, that's pretty good it is. It turns into
a Tahoe twelve. Very part of these greens Man very difficult.
It's gonna get more difficult, That's all I can say.
It's gonna get faster. Yeah. I was talking to Charles,
and Charles like, I was like, I think I'm gonna
be pretty good here, and he's like, yeah, I wait
till you hit your first patron. And I go wait
what He goes, Yeah, when you hit your first person,
(41:52):
it will ruin your entire game and you'll you'll have
no idea. And I go, wait, you think I can
actually hit someone? He goes, do you hit the ball straight?
I go not all the time. He goes, hey, exactly,
and I go, oh my gosh. And so that's when
I first realized how Charles got that swing that is
so legendary. To look at where he stops and because
you get in your head and I found myself getting
in my head yesterday. And the only time I wasn't
(42:14):
in my head was when I got the audience to
actually cheer for me. You know, I want people chanting
ba ba booie, you know behind my swing? You know
what what what? What gives you the confidence this week
to play honestly, you know, just having fun. I am
here to compete. I have competitive juices, but in all honesty,
it's it's here to just enjoy myself, enjoy the fresh
(42:36):
cut grass, the beautiful setting, the audience giving them a show,
entertaining and just having fun and just meeting a ton
of cool people who I've watched, you know, I've I've
watched The Office, and I listened to every one of
your podcasts, listen to the deep dives and just hearing
the stories behind the stories, like I love the insights
of different shows and how they started, how they got
(42:57):
their process. Like you know, sometimes with my show Miss
and Misses, you know, I feel like every season we're like, man,
are we gonna get re uped? Are we gonna re up?
Even though the ratings are great, but you never know.
And to hear a legendary show like the Office one
of the biggest shows now that you look at and
you go, how can this show even be like looked
(43:17):
at as not brought up again and again and again
for new seasons. It's crazy. I well, I'm so happy
you're here. It's great to see you again. If you
need help dealing without five thousand dollar chip, let me know.
And I might see you in the high rollers and
be like, hey, hey, you're better than me at this.
Let's let this happen happen, you know, let's see where
(43:39):
we go with it. Uh. Miss the miss is here
just a such an amazingly gentle kind, positive spirit. Well, thanks,
congratulations on your success and good luck this weekend. If
there's one guy, last question, one guy or gal that
you want to beat Pat McAfee, The dude came here
(44:03):
in sleeveless shirt on a golf course, like with no muscles,
you know. So, I mean, honestly, me and me and
him been talking a lot of smack because he's a
SmackDown commentator for w w A and he's just a
really good, positive, fun guy to be around. Like, honestly,
if you want to have a good time, hang around
Pat McAfee. But but you want to. I want to
(44:24):
beat him so badly because we have a bet that
we we rip each other a lot. The one person
has to say three days of just compliments NonStop, on
like social on like his radio show, like in w
w A, whatever it is. You just have to compliment
that person for three straight. And that's the hardest thing
(44:44):
for either of us to do. So good what what uh?
What's your what's your handicap? Again? Because I lose so
many balls and now moms all in my head. The
guy has the ugly He's a cross between Charles Barkley
and John rom I say this because he has an
ugly swing. This swing looks terrible, but he hits and straight.
I'm nervous because my game. I thought I was coming
(45:07):
in here. I felt pretty competent, and then I started
getting in my head and now I'm just I don't
know what's gonna happen on Friday. Wow, are you lefty? Yeah? Okay?
Because I say he has on a right glove, a
glove on his right hand. That was how I That
was my investigative journalism right there. That's how I knew
good luck. And yes, I'm wearing a golf club while
doing a podcast. Yes, that's from the race. We're about
(45:31):
to tee off. Thanks so much for being here. We're
gonna have you back on the show. We're gonna talk
about about your your your life and career. All right,
thanks so much, dude, Thank you guys. I'm so happy
to be joined here by the legendary running back from
(45:53):
the National Football League, the l A Raiders, etcetera, etcetera,
Marcus Allen, Hall of Famer, My good friend, Marcus. Thank
you so much for joining me. Briefly, we're here on
the lakes. About time you ask me? Yeah, and listen,
I'm gonna I've been waiting. Actually, I'm I'm gonna. I'm
gonna call you and we're gonna sit down and we're
(46:13):
gonna really talk about your career. But I wanted to
take a couple of minutes today. I know this event
means so much to you as it does to me.
You and I have known each other now, which is
a crazy thing. Such a huge fan of yours, and
for me to be able to play and get to
know guys like you, this is what brings me the
greatest jo And I'm a big of my review as well.
And you as a person as well. Why do you
(46:35):
keep coming back here every year? It's the best, man,
this is the best. I mean you talk about the golf,
of course, yes, we can begin there, and then we
can talk about the scenery, and then we can talk
about the actual you know, the event, the sponsors, American
Century and what they've done. It's just and then the
guys that are here, I mean, we've all become a
(46:56):
blank family, you know. I mean we see each other
every year, we're looking forward to seeing any each other
and stuff. And then the competition, I mean, and the fans.
You you can't. He has all the elements, and this
is why it's the best celebrity event around. It is
you talk about the camaraderie. The event last night exemplified
that all of these Hall of Famers and idiots like
(47:18):
me in a room together, the brotherhood that's there and
the support that we have for each other. It truly,
it's it. It touches me and it makes me sort
of emotional to even talk about the Wounded Warrior and
Jack and Jim McMahon and it was just awesome. Well, yeah,
we've listen here, guys are great and we've had some
(47:39):
guys that have gone through some challenges and I'm really
thankful that they're here so we can support them, right,
And that's one of the big things. Jack obviously, and
what he's going through. I mean, I'm knowing Jack forever man,
and he's been a big support of mine. And he's
just been a solid individual, right, and um, you know
Jim obviously, those are two guys that have you know,
(48:02):
thirty three years playing in the h this event, right,
thirty three years and and and Jim has been sort
of you know obviously, um, not able to walk, but
he's going to. Yeah, you know what he told me.
He told me, he said, I wasn't gonna let Jack
be the last one. That's why he's one of a
(48:25):
kind man and we're all pulling for him and hopefully
he'll get through with flying colors. Yeah what what what?
What do you what's gonna give you confidence this week
to play? Well, I'm just letting it go. You're just
gonna let it, just gonna let it go. Yeah, and
don't don't worry about anything, just playing all right, And
and that's it, I mean, just get out of your head.
(48:46):
You have supported each other along and thing. Yeah, and
most of us you know, we get we hit one
bat shot in the sticks with us, spiral through four
holes and stuff, and then we go out here. We
practiced for an hour and a half afterwards, and then
we're worn down, right, We have no more energy for
the next day. So I practiced thirty minutes yesterday did
(49:08):
it was short game and that was it, and I
didn't do anything else. And I'm taking my time. I'm
going to go out here and just let it go
and have some fun. Yeah, thank you so much for
coming by, Thank you for being here, and uh yeah,
we'll see. Oh who's the guy that you look at
when you finish? Who's the guy that you look at
besides yourself? The score of who? Who you want to
beat the most? Who? What is there a score that
(49:30):
you look at on the little computer for? Yeah, well
I can't. I can't mention my name. There's always a
couple of running banks here that you know, I can
never let beat me. So you know, you know, you
know who I'm coming for this year. You. Oh you, hey,
be careful what you ask for you, I'm coming for you.
Thanks Mark, you Here we go. I could not be
(49:55):
happier than to be joined briefly here at the American
Century Championship by Vince Carter. Now I have to start
by saying, you know, like a lot of the guys,
you and I have gotten to know each other over
the years. I don't know if we've ever had this conversation.
You know, my dad went to Duke. No, my dad
went to do So let's just say there were there
(50:16):
were years that I did not root for you. Of course,
specifically specifically did not root for you. Those are good
years to my my college years we were one and two.
Always go away, back and forth. I know, no, I remember,
why why do you keep coming here every year? I mean,
it's just so now that I've retired, golf is my
competition and like all of us here, we want to
(50:40):
be good at it, and golf gets the best of us.
But it's like coming here and making new friends. But
the celebrity types to athletes, that people coming from whatever
their profession, here for friendly competition. But yet you know
it's real competition. There's always somebody here you want to
beat or you want to play well in front of her.
So so so the first year was, like probably everyone else,
(51:02):
was a little nerve wracking, and by the second by
the end of the second day. With the third day,
I felt good. I'm like, man, I hope they bring
me back. And now you know you get that email. Hey,
we're we would like to invite you. I'm like, yes,
every year, every year I planned everything around here. Now
that's right, this this week. What's who's the guy or
gal that you look at when you're done to see
(51:24):
where they are. Who's the guy you most want to
beat and you've got in your sights. Everyone gets a
similar smile on their face when I asked this question.
There's there's a few. I mean obviously the basketball guys. Uh,
you know, Giggy's here. Kyle and I we played golf
a lot, so it's like we root for each other,
but we want to do better than each other. You
know how I leave Vinningdale Niggro alone. You know he
(51:45):
wanted last year. So that's that's as you need that
guy alone. Marcus, I know who's on here, and Jerome
Bettis are here. We all come out of the same
golf club, Golf Club of Georgia in Atlanta. Okay, I'll play,
so of course I'll be watching those guys and like
there again, we root for each other, but we want
to do a little better than what what what brings you?
(52:06):
Let me say this everybody, I'm sure we will say
just lungs. You do better than Berkeley as well. And
I had to play with in the group last year.
I was like, what does that say about my game? Right?
But yeah, but trust me, I have played a number
of years in his group. Yes, and it's but I
tell you what he taught me something honest, honest to god.
(52:30):
When I started coming here, I think I was paired
with him. The first year was fifteen years ago now,
and he and I were playing together, and you know,
his swing at that point, I hope it's a little better.
Last year it was, it was, it was it was
starting to look look good. Yeah, you know he can't
hit the ball. He's Hank Haney is walking with us.
At one point puts on sunglasses and I'm like, like,
(52:53):
right before he swam, I'm like, what is he doing? Why?
Why does he keep putting this on? Right before and
I realized they were blacked out. He was black down.
So it wasn't just close your eyes, it was like
black out this and just swing to try to get
over this mental this mental thing. I mean, it's crazy
and not very successful, but I will tell you walking
around here with him, I've said this many times. He
(53:16):
knows everybody's name, He asks about their family. The volunteers
that are here have been here in some cases for many, many,
many years, and he cares about everybody. He looks everybody
in the eye, he says hello and asks about them.
It truly, and I, honest to god, I tried to
(53:36):
model that behavior now because you know what, it takes
just as much energy to be nice as it does
to be an asshole. And and I promise you that
came from from this event. Me getting to know him
and his generosity of spirit. It's so incredible, and it's
just it's amazing to see because you know, like you said,
the everybody he just is this second nature to him.
(53:58):
And to see how people respond to it's like it's
a great feeling. You sit back and smile. It's not
even you, you know, and it's just amazing. And like
he said, he's just he's he's just a great person.
I mean, you can say what you say about him,
and he says he speaks his mind. You appreciate that,
but but when you're around him, you're like, man, he's
like I tell people all the time, what you see
on TV is that, but when you're around him, he's
(54:19):
like the life of the party and one of the friendliest,
nicest people. He really is. It's you know, and I
get asked about him, you know, and making fun of
his swing or whatever. But like I just I always
want to say, you just need to get to know
him because this is like you would be rooting so
hard for him, and I'm rooting so hard for him
to play better. Um, what what gives the confidence for you? Like?
(54:40):
What what gives you confidence out here when in the
face of all the fans and once you get past
the first hole, you know, that first shot southern. I mean,
like I don't care how many years. Uh, my first
year was like it's a few times that I can
recall being terrified, and I was pretty close that first shot.
The second day was better, got better. But the next
(55:00):
year and year after that, you still have the nerves,
but over the balls is a lot different than that
first year. So I'm better and like I said, I
feel good now, but you know it's still gonna be something,
going to be some nerves. I just like to see
the ball go forward and we can figure it out.
We can figure it out from there. Events. Thank you
so much, Thanks for for for coming by, Thank you
for being here and being so great. And you know
(55:23):
it it We've talked about it a lot with a
lot of the guys. This it really has become like
a brotherhood, this this event and the people here, and
it is it is so truly my pleasure and my
privilege to to have gotten to know you and and
other guys. Yea, and I will say this and like
you say, this your brotherhood. And you know, seeing you
guys playing other events and catch it on TV and
(55:43):
you root for It's like, hey, man, I hope you're
playing well, you know, because because of this. And it's funny.
It's just it's golf. It's a it's a it's a
common denominator, which is golf that brings everybody here. And
you have appreciated you get to meet somebody that you
see admired but never really get a stance to sit
face to face over the game of golf. Just golf
has been great to a lot of people. Sure has vents.
Thank you so much, dude, Thank you so much. Man,
(56:06):
appreciate appreciate the time, good luck today. There is so
much that I could say about this event. I'm sure
after listening to this you you feel and know how
much I love it. All of the guys, so so
many relationships that I have made here that that me
in the world to me, and I feel so lucky
(56:27):
to call them now friends. Thank you so much for listening.
I have so many more stories that I could tell
talking about seventeen and my experience there, talking about playing
with Charles and Aaron Rodgers, and you know, I'm gonna
I'm gonna close with this story because someone I was
playing with yesterday in one of the pro ams asked
me this question, like why you're from Atlanta? And I
(56:48):
had a Georgia Bulldogs sweater on yesterday and they were like,
you're from Atlanta, Why are you a Packers fan? I
don't think you've ever talked about it on the podcast.
This guy had had listened to all of the episodes
that we've done, so I'm gonna tell this story. I
was here my first year was two thousand and eight,
and I sit down at a blackjack table and there's
(57:08):
a guy sitting next to me. I had no clue
who he was, and we start talking and he's a
big fan of the office, and I say thank you,
and we're chit chatting. We're having a good time, and
and he introduces himself as as Aaron Rodgers. Now as
soon as he said, oh, I'm Aaron Rodgers, I was like, oh, yeah,
you're the guy from cal and you know you're backing
(57:31):
up Brett Farve. Now you've been named the starter. Congrats. Well,
this day, Brett Farve had had decided he was retiring
and and Aaron had been named the starter moving forward
and he's playing in this event. And that day, the
first day we meet, Brett Farve decides he's not going
to retire. And this is their TV screens all throughout
(57:53):
the hotel everywhere blasting sports of course because of this event,
and he no at that moment whether Green Bay was
going to bring that back bread, if he was going
to go back to the bench, like what was going
to happen with him, And it's just kind of an crazy,
weird day for him and then me meeting him and
(58:14):
we ended up hanging out and he and I from
that day became friends. And I know he's been on
the podcast before, but you know. I he was at
the birth of my first child. His relationship means a
lot to me, and that's why I'm a fan of
the Green Bay Packers. It's really because of him and
(58:35):
and my relationship with him, and then visiting Green Bay
and getting to know other players like A. J. Hawk
who plays here and has become a very good friend
of mine as well, and Randall Cobb who we've had
on the podcast, and obviously Charles Woodson, Jordy Nelson, so
many of the Packers players that I've had a relationship
(58:56):
here now. But it really was this event and and
that interaction that we had because I was playing in
the event and he was playing in the event, and
that's all that mattered. So I wanted to close with
that story because I was asked about it yesterday and
didn't realize that I've never told that story. I love
this event. This is my fifteenth year, and this year
(59:16):
I'm going to do better than I ever have before.
By the time you're listening, it'll be over, so you'll
know whether or not I I came through. But I
want to thank again Airbnb for their partnership on this episode.
The air cover for hosts that gives you the confidence
like we're all looking for out here to host with
Airbnb top to bottom protection for free. I hope you
(59:40):
enjoyed the episode. We'll be back next week with a
with a more standard episode. But this has been so
much fun for me to catch up with so many
of of the athletes and celebrities that are here are
wounded Warrior veteran who is here and Jimmy Roberts. Thanks
to all of my guests, and thank you for listening
(01:00:01):
and will root for me. And if you didn't watch,
go check out the score and let's let's find out
if I beat Marcus Allen. Until next time, Thanks everybody.
(01:00:22):
Off the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me
Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are
Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and Emily Carr. Our
talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and our intern is
Sammy Katz. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by
(01:00:45):
my great friend Greed Bratton, and the episode was mixed
by Seth o'landski
Host
Brian Baumgartner
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