The Johnny Salami Podcast - Mr. O'Dell

Episode Date: May 25, 2020

On this episode of the podcast, I get the chance to catch up with my high school baseball Coach who is a baseball legend in Rhode Island. We discuss coaching, teaching, golf, and general life lessons.

Hello, hello. I want to just say something so I can check. Hello. All right. Are we in? We're in. All right. What are you drinking?

Like straight vodka? It's 12 o'clock somewhere. It's 12 here. I've been drinking these Bang drinks. Benergy, Bang Bang. I don't think they're good for you, but. No, they're not. It's all right.

You should know better, but. All right. You ready ready i'm ready all right what's going on everyone welcome to another episode of the johnny slamy podcast uh today's guest coach odell some might call you mr odell but i'll always call you coach uh first off how's retirement going um it was going good i was retired uh i retired in september and then um on my 59th birthday i know i know i don't look 59 okay but i feel it but you're 23 24 there's a reason i passed him in school uh and coached him but um it was going good until um the pandemic hit and then everybody else is home everybody's out it's like they all joined me in retirement um yeah and then i couldn't go anywhere it's like i'm stuck in the house and um i take two walks a day i've lost some weight how long how long are you walking, though? I'm walking probably five or six miles a day.

Just around the neighborhood? Neighborhood. Going to the next platycross with people who don't know who I am, and incognito. My wife goes with me. But, yeah, that's pretty much what I've been doing. I haven't seen my daughter in nine weeks now, and she's pregnant.

My oldest daughter, Bethany. So you have three daughters? I have two daughters and a son. Okay. Yep. And Bethany's 31, Ashley's 29, and Ryan just turned 27. So one of your daughters, does she still work for Reebok? She's changed companies.

She now works for Puma. She's the head of marketing at Puma. Oh, wow. So she's working from home, which is not a bad thing, being almost eight months pregnant. Yeah. But I haven't seen her because of the, you know, we can't go into Massachusetts. If we go into Massachusetts, we've got to quarantine 14 days, which makes no difference. I'm at home anyway.

So we'll see what happens June 1st yeah so how did like how did you know you were going to retire was kind of like a feeling um well retirement's changed a lot um when I first signed up for this gig on 30 something years ago we knew that um at a certain age you probably retire in a certain amount of years and then then gina our esteemed governor changed all the retirement and um i lost about 12 percent towards retirement but i knew um they did the second retirement thing that 59 years old and over 30 years of service that you could retire um so i went 32 and a half years and 32 and a quarter three quarters years and uh

i turned when i turned 59 i uh retired um so you know it's it's different you know that's crazy 32 years like how do how do you adapt to change like over that amount of time like in the system? Well, I think that's part of coaching and teaching. In phys ed, I was a phys ed teacher, as you know, and a coach. And you stay in the game by adapting. And, you know, I'm not the same type of person I was when I first started coaching where, you know, I learned a lot of different things along the way, and kids change. I shouldn't say kids change.

I think parents change. I think the communication part of trying to reach that athlete or that kid a certain way has never changed. There's certain kids you can scream at and there's other certain kids you can't scream at and you have to talk to them or you scream at them first and then you talk to them and go, oh, you know what, everything's going to be okay or, you know, it's just, it's an individual approach, I think, and that's, I think that's anything to motivate a person when you work in a bank I don't

know if you have to work with other people or you know you have a boss that supposedly tries to get the best out of you well how does he get the best out of you and that's I think that's what I my thing is teaching coaching motivating you know so I kind of missed that to tell you the truth now it's like you know what's on netflix and um you know it's just um different yeah yeah like i mean like so when you watch like the last dance that must like because i watched that and i'm like a lot of people are surprised it's like i'm not really that surprised you know me at all and tell you the truth uh um i i treated i treated my kids i had two girls that played basketball and they were very good athletes and uh i treated them like they were boys which i didn't know any better because that's that's all i know and uh you know i expected the most out of

them and i watched michael joe i love that i love 10-part series and I'm gonna feel tonight is gonna be uh it's like a downer because I got nothing to watch uh let's look forward to that and how he and how he instilled certain things in his teammates and I got the best out of I mean he was you know what and you know you played you played football and you played baseball and yeah you know there's certain kids that are on your team that that motivated the rest of the kids and uh our coach or or even yourself you know um it's uh it's a part of life you know it's a big part of coaching and being an athlete you know and he was he was absolutely the best in my uh my estimation he was he was ruthless at times no

doubt but yeah i've been accused of being a little ruthless of myself with my own kids i was kind of a pussycat with you guys compared to my own kids yeah but like kids like me knew that you know what i mean yeah like you have like you know the naive kids but then you have kids who like you know you know like i've seen i mean everyone who's succeeded in sports i mean they've either they've had a mentor of some sorts that's just been extremely hard on them. And a dick, you know, to be honest. But it's not surprising to me, you know what I mean? Yep.

My dad was that guy for me. But he also, you know, he was good. I mean, he was definitely my father, too. And he'd say, you know what, you did this good, too, you know he said you know what he did this good too you know but believe me i knew what i did wrong uh he was probably a lot worse than i was and then you know i figured it out halfway through the game with what i had to do with my own kids and kind of tone it down a little bit because i was tough on him you know and uh it's not easy you know it's not easy sometimes yeah i mean i like like i was watching that series

and like it's just crazy how people are like surprised like jordan was a dick you know what i mean it's like how it made me think like how can like i thought about all the coaches i've had like in like aggressive sports like physical sports and it's like if coach skirka was nice like i don't think we would have been good you You know what I mean? No. No. No. And you know what? You have to have a bad guy and a good guy. Like, you probably had an assistant coach on your team that would be, John, you know what?

He just wants – you're ticked off at him because he's trying to get the best out of you, but then the assistant coach comes over and goes, hey, you know, I used to do that with certain people I coached with too. Yeah. Play a little game, you know. But I think of people that you play, like Joe Fine. I remember Joe Fine, he was that guy sometimes, you know. He was tough.

He was a dick. Yeah, exactly. He hit more foul home runs than anybody ever knew. But he was intense, you know. And I had to, like like hold his jersey going through the line against lincoln when he wanted to punch uh punch the kid from lincoln i was like holding him the whole time he wanted to i said no no joe no let's go let's go oh yeah yeah he was pretty intense but and you know you know um yeah i used to play one-on-one with him in the in the streets

yeah it's terrible yeah but like i mean we played sports together but it was like if we played one-on-one if i was ever winning he would just like foul the shit out of me like it wouldn't even be fair you know what i mean yep well he was one of your best friends though right oh yeah hands down yeah that's why that's why you guys can it's like being brothers you know yeah i have people that I grew up with the same way. We'd fight to the death and then, you know, we'd walk in with ice packs on and, you know, we'd have a soda and sit down for a few, you know, wait for the ice cream truck to come by when we were kids, you know? Yeah.

It just makes you think, you know what I mean? Because like when I was younger, like even when I was in high school, I would see like people your age, you know, like get mad and they'd be like, oh, these fucking kids. And I would see that and I'd be like, oh, I'm never going to be like that. But nowadays I'm like, oh, these fucking kids, you know like get mad and they'd be like oh these fucking kids and i would see that and i'd be like oh i'm never going to be like that but nowadays i'm like oh these fucking kids you know what i mean so it's like you know what i'll tell you i'll tell you what you know um the only time i ever got mad at kids is when they didn't try they didn't they just gave up and they um you know i i i always i would always tell you know, and I taught seniors for a long time.

And I said, you know what? You're not giving me your best, you know. And you're letting yourself down. And that's usually when you start reaching kids. I liked having the seniors because they were on the brink of going to college or somewhere. But they were grown up for the most part. And I remember seeing them as freshmen and sophomores and they were like soup sandwiches. You know, they just had no idea what it's all about, what time they get to be seniors

or a senior in high school playing a sport or something like that. It's a big difference between a sophomore and a senior. I think sophomore is the hardest year. Sophomore is definitely the, because I was guilty of that, not trying all the time. I would always get yelled at by Skirk and eventually just gave up on me yeah but i was just i was scared to try you know what i mean yeah because like you're at that age where you're like you know if i try am i gonna look like a hardo you know like i don't want to i don't want to take this other guy's position and like a lot of people say that and they're not like you know

they don't have the potential to actually even like even if they did try you know like they probably wouldn't take somebody's position. But with me, it was like if I actually tried, like, it would have been intense. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? Well, you know, I always told my kids, don't make it close. In other words, that person's out there to battle with you for a position.

When they were freshmen and sophomores, I said, don't feel bad about that. Don't feel bad to succeed. And you know what? Let the coach make the hard decision. It's not up to you. Believe me, my kids had some trouble during that. You walk into a Little League,

from a Little League program at Lincoln and going as a freshman and you're starting in the outfield for Lincoln and all these kids are seniors and you're playing over them. Yeah. There's a lot of problems. Or you walk into a huddle and you're the quarterback. You know, it's the same.

It's not easy, but life is competition. Yeah. When you go out to get a job, they don't go, Oh, you know, nice try. They just don't give you the job. Yeah. So you better be ready for competition in life, you know? And it doesn't mean you have to be a jackass.

I mean, and like, I'm going to do this. I always tell people, you know, do your talking with the ball, the bat, shut your mouth and play, you know? Yeah. I didn't go for any of that crap. You know that from me anyway, but. I mean, I spent like back then i

don't know if i enjoyed getting yelled at but now that i look back i like i kind of wish i got yelled at more like i remember like i think it was me and cam lasenberry like we were always like the two kids who skirka used to yell out the most and i think he just yelled at us because like i mean i know he wanted the best of us but he also knew knew, like, we were easy targets, you know, because Cam's Cam. Yeah. I think he yelled at you because he saw the potential. Yeah. That's what they tell me.

No, from a coach's standpoint, you see this big kid who can move a little bit, you know, for the size. You look at the coach, you're going, Jesus, if I can get this kid to play, you know, balls to the wall, he's going to be a good player. Yeah, like if I can motivate this kid. I remember there was like a huge turning point for me. I remember like I think it was a junior and I was like, you know, like if I don't play this year, you know, it's pretty much over. You know what I mean?

And he wanted me to play center and I never wanted to play center. I hated center. You know, like I don't want the quarterback touching my nuts. Like I don't want to. Yeah, I can understand. My son was a quarterback, so I was like, how do you get around that? Shotgun. Yeah, I don't want some guy touching my nuts, like directing traffic.

And so I remember one day Skrka was like, yeah, John, I'm going to put you at tackle, and I was like wicked excited excited and then i remember just like fucking three plays up in a row and it was like the same play and i just couldn't understand it and like i was being wicked lazy too like i was just flipping kids tits like being stupid and then uh i remember a coach literally uh like absolutely roasted me. If we were in a roast battle, they would have shut the lights off. They would have sent people home. He was like, no, John, get the fuck out.

He made fun of me, mumbling and stuff. He was making Helen Keller jokes. The whole nine yards absolutely roasted me. He was like, go play fucking defense for the scout team. Get the fuck out of here. I remember that was literally the i've never been so mad in my life like just like a switch turned yep next play i'm going against billy to hertog yep and like i thought i was possessed like i was actually trash talking the whole like the whole other like our starting offense i was trash talking everyone like yelling and billy made

like the nicest block on me like he was i got billy to go 100 which is you know hard in itself too yeah like the first play on scout defense you know billy makes this nice block turns me completely and i just spin off him and like deck the running back and i remember seeing like skirka's face he was just like mind. And like he was like talking to the coaches. He's like, do you see that? Like why can't he do that every play? And I was just like. Well, that's why he getting yelled at.

Yeah. So I was like, I mean, that was a huge turning point for me that I'll never forget. Yeah. And I was like, you know, he's kind of right. Like, you know, I did deserve to get yelled at. Like if he didn't do that, you know, I'd still be, you know, playing pancake titties with everyone else.

You know? Well, you think about, I can tell because, you know, I'd still be, you know, playing pancake titties with everyone else. You know? Well, you think about, I can tell because, you know, and Skirky's younger than me by like probably 15 years. But the coaches that we had growing up, they weren't meek. And they were like, well, you got yelled at. It was probably a fraction of what we got yelled at. It was like, it was just unbelievable. Even all the assistant principals were football coaches uh definitely was our football coach and i had him for english and he

took kids and do their homework out into the hallway and god knows what happened out there they come back to be all disheveled they come back in i mean it was just a different way of life you know yeah but we we definitely learned the hard way and uh you know it's i think it was it's it's better to go from the hard way to the easy way as opposed to going the easy way to the hard way you know it's um i think uh i think kids today and i'm not including you because i think you've been on a few years but i'm thinking and i know there's kids that you played with and, you know, it's just everybody gets a trophy. And, you know, they just named Gatorade Player of the Year for baseball. Of course, it's a Bishop Henry King kid.

They didn't play this year. There was no season for the spring baseball. They still gave Gatorade Player of the Year Award in the state of Rhode Island. I looked at his stats as a junior. Nothing spectacular. He could have been the best player this year. I don't know. But he didn't play.

How many kids know have great senior seasons that sometimes they come out of nowhere? Yeah. You know, I mean, you just never know. I mean, I just was like, wow, wow. Just don't give it to anybody then. Yeah. You know?

You think you'll always have, like, do you have different, obviously, emotions towards different sports? Or is it, like, do you think over time baseball has kind of worn on you? Or do you think you still have the same, like, you know? I think, like, baseball is my first love. I played hockey and I played football. And I didn't play much football because my dad kept me out of football because I was really good at the other two sports.

And hockey is a contact sport too. But it was the two sports he played. And my dad signed a minor league contract out of high school for baseball. But he was a hard ass. And I was always saying, Dad, why can't I play football? All my friends are playing. I used to play sandlot football. I was one of the better football players.

And who knows? I might have been my best sport, but I never really got a chance to play. But baseball is a slow game, but you have to love it. It's tough to watch on television sometimes. I find myself now, even like I'll watch a couple innings. That's like the World Series or something. It's the Red Sox.

But I'll find myself flipping the channel. I like watching football sometimes more than that. And I like hockey. I like watching it in person. Sometimes you lose where the puck is. And now with the HDTV, it's probably better. Even I have trouble watching the puck. Everything's so fast. I kind of know where it is because I anticipate where it is. I coached high school

hockey for seven years also. I don't know if you knew that, but I was a high school hockey coach before you were there. I knew you were always about hockey, baseball. I know your son played football so i always wondered like yeah what you like the best sometimes i thought you liked hockey a little better but it's kind of day and night with hockey baseball hockey's so fast and it's it's just um there's nothing like uh we used to play friday and saturday night in high school and uh and when i play we were in the top division uh for cumberland kids didn't kids didn't go to private schools like they do now. So, you know, my high school hockey team when I was a junior

was probably the third or fourth best team in the state. And Mount St. Charles was number one in the country. Cranston West was like, they were very good then. They were like seventh in the country. And I think it was LaSalle was like 11th or something. And we were like like seventh in the country and and there was a i think it was um lasalle was like 11th or something and we were like 27th in the country they had like a top 50 high schools in of the united states and but kids didn't go to private schools like they do now we wouldn't lose like the top three kids we we kept them all in our school. It was an awesome time to grow up. The place used to be packed.

I know you probably went to hockey games when you were in high school, and they'd be in the second division or whatever it was. It wasn't like they were in the top division playing against Mount LaSalle and Hendrickon. I used to love playing against those teams. I beat LaSalle a couple times when I was in high school. I was like, my son did that too when he played in high school also. So it was kind of a big deal.

We used to play him in baseball all the time. We were in the top division. And that's the one thing. Baseball, we were always in the top division, playing against the best teams and all the best pitches. And we were good. You know, we were a top-notch program. And as a player I was and as a coach, you couldn't take that away from us, you know.

You know, where other sports sometimes you play in the second division. I think football was Division II or, you know, I played. And my son went through that too. And it's just not a big state. Yeah. You know? But, I mean, you do have some serious talent, though. There's always like that.

Oh, yeah. Absolutely. And I grew up two streets from the high school, so. Oh, really? Oh, yeah. I used to skate on the pond right there at Tucker Field. You skated on that? Oh, yeah.

When I was a kid. All the time. All the time. I go to the track a lot, and I always wonder that. I'm like, I wonder if anyone's ever, like, played pond hockey. Oh, we used to skate in it all the time. Yeah. And we didn't have, like, the cold winters anymore.

We had kind of mild winters, and it wouldn't freeze like it used to. I used to play in that football. I used to get thrown off that football field all the time from the recreation director who would be out there kicking field goals or playing on the field. Oh, I get kicked off all the time. Like all the time. That does not surprise me. I always wanted to play hockey i

think i think hockey's awesome i remember i tried playing when i was like five or six and i used to have the uh they like a rec a rec league like when you're five or six it's kind of like just like a state around yeah program but you're still on your own team you know what i mean oh yeah like a house league team yep and they had a north smithfield i think like north smithville has a pretty like reputational that was the uh that was actually the lincoln program uh really my son went through that when he was a little kid too yeah pushing a little uh the little um moat cod out there and then you go to the next level and i remember this vividly so when you're five or six obvious you don't remember a lot but i remember my dad was amped like he was amped to get me started with

hockey and i ended up playing basketball. But, like, he brings me to the rink or whatever. And everyone else is using, like, those push carts. And I'm the only one who can skate. And, like, we didn't even know how. Like, I don't know how I was doing. I think it was, like, a natural, you know, it was natural for me. So I'm, like, zooming around the rink.

And, like, people are yelling at me because I'm, like, supposed to be, like, with my team. And I used to sweat a lot. And my dad got me like this sweatband to stop me from sweating. So I put the sweatband on and then obviously my helmet. And as I'm skating like full speed, my sweatband just goes right over my eyes. And I smash into the boards. I'm so young. I've never been hit in my life like i've you know so i'm like starstruck i'm just laying on the ground and like my headband is over my eyes

so i can't see so i get up and like people are still yelling at me and now they're yelling at me more so i just get up and i just start like wailing my stick everywhere because i'm scared of shit and uh after that i never played hockey again really like that was that was it i was like i'm done like i can't do this oh god i was crying and everything like but i was i was they were like how was it you know they were like how was this kid skating you know like everyone else was in the push cards and stuff but i was gretzky out there man you should have kept going yeah i wish you know you should have kept going that's a great sport uh i you know i grew up with it because of my dad and the same thing for my son.

But it's kind of like, it's almost like a family culture because you've got to be willing to get up early in the morning sometimes and get on the ice at 7 in the morning. Yeah, it's pricey too, right? Oh, yeah. It's a big one, yeah. It wasn't like that when I was a kid because everybody played and it was a Bobby Orr generation, you know.

Yeah. He built all the rinks in Massachusetts and the MDC rinks and um and now I spent a small fortune on my kid playing hockey for all those years you know skates and ice time and but you know what it was worth every second of it you know and then then it's over you know unless you're playing college which you know he chose baseball as opposed to the other two sports, which is nice, but it was cheaper. It was definitely cheaper. Yeah, I remember going to CCRI pretty much because of you.

I don't know what you said to Ken. I don't know if you handed him like a few hundred bucks. I did talk to him. Yeah, I did talk to him. You know, it's funny because, you know, my son had a full ride to URI to play baseball, and stuff happens. And he had red shirt of the year, and he had an injury, and then he left because it was more of an academic part, too. So he went to CCRI to get himself back on track, which can happen to anybody.

And that's why I'm not a phony. to get himself back on track, which can happen to anybody. That's why I'm not a phony. I preach stuff because I've lived it. My oldest daughter had a full ride of Holy Cross, and she had a great college career, and she's doing great. My second daughter had a scholarship to Southern Connecticut. She hated it, so she left. Left a full ride and came back and played at Rickick with her friends and had a great time and they

went to the ncaa championships a couple times and and then ryan comes along who's like the school boy athlete of the year and can play any sport and he goes to uri it doesn't work out goes to ccri to get himself back up and uh ken hopkins was the coach and i remember ken coming to me and we're watching ryan play his last year of Legion. He goes, I know I never will see him because he's going to go to URI and then he's going to probably go on and get drafted and all this other stuff. Because I know I never will see him, but I would love to have him if I had

him, you know. Here he is two years later. I'm calling him up on the phone. Hey, coach, what can you do for me? My son needs to get back on track. And he went there the first year. The first year was a good year. And then the second year, he was like the best player in New England.

He was like the first team all New England and almost got drafted and stuff. But that program and those coaches and the kids that were on that team, I don't say they saved his life, but they changed his life, you know, and it got him back to really loving the game again and being with the team. And, you know, a lot of it has to, and then he ended up going to Rick after that for a year, and then he blew his arm out.

But I think those things, and you talk about certain things that transpired in your life that made you what you are. I think that junior college thing for him was huge, and that's what I was trying to relate to you, that that might be a great place for you to get it started again. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, my reason was a little different you know but i remember going there and they were like he was pretty much like buddha like him and uh who was the other kid uh joe yankee or something like that

yep yeah they just have like pictures of them like hanging up and stuff and they just kind of like pray for him and yeah you know there's just like a shrine yeah ryan joe uh they had a great team um they had look we tell you they had seven division one kids on that junior college team yeah i think they definitely set a precedent for everyone else yeah yep but you know in the same respect i i think uh like coach hopkins and he retired from coaching he's into politics now he's uh he wants to be the mayor of cranston i guess now he's uh yeah uh but it's just you just never know where things are going to take you sometime you know and uh it's not i always told kids and and probably told you the same thing it's not how you get there it's how it's long it's as long as you get there and you know whether it's you know maybe banking isn't the end all for you but maybe

some part of might be higher than that you know yeah maybe this is a step maybe this is where you want to be or or the comedian part you know i'm i'm sure you i've seen you play at the comedy comedy connection yeah yeah and done some shows in boston now you know alan alan morrow yeah alan's my boy yeah hanging out with alan after the shout alan alan morrow yeah i was my boy yeah hanging out with alan after this shout out alan morrow yeah so uh alan used to be like he he would uh come to uh cumberland as he was a substitute teacher for a while and then he would tell me he was doing all this comedy stuff and i saw a couple of his bits and uh you know i was like and he's from lincoln so he yeah uh but uh you know and said, you were doing it.

I was like, John Psyche's doing it? You're always so quiet. In class, you were quiet. You couldn't get a heartbeat out of you sometimes in the back there. And then I'm like going, you know what? I bet she's killing it because I always tell people that the quiet ones are the ones you got to watch out for. Yeah.

You don't know what they're thinking. You never know, man. So the people that talk all the time, I know what they're all about, but like a guy like you, it's tough to find out what makes you tick until, until something happens,

you know? Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, I think, I don't think, I mean, I know baseball is a savior for a lot of people.

I think comedy was definitely my savior. You know what I mean? I wish I started when I was in high school. Like, uh, I'll tell you what, I know baseball was a savior for a lot of people. I think comedy was definitely my savior, you know what I mean? I wish I started when I was in high school. I'll tell you what. You know what? I think when you lost your dad, that kind of sidetracked you for a while, which would have sidetracked anybody, you know? Yeah.

I remember just going to the library every day. Well, that was junior year. I mean, junior year was great though so it was kind of like a roller coaster yeah because we had just won the state championship yeah just started baseball i mean junior year was probably my best baseball year because i didn't have any like distractions or anything like that right um and then yeah it happened and then like i think that was honestly the reason like i ever even tried to play in uh like college like i remember going to uri and like not really doing much like i played rugby but i mean i had legitimate tits you know what i mean so it was like yep i was falling apart yep and uh yeah that's right

i remember i remember you uh sending me a message i remember you telling me a coach i i don't know i need to do something yeah i was like i was lost i was in my dorm room and it happened instantly like i was just like i get the fuck out of here you know what i mean i'm just eating like a massive amounts of chicken nuggets like barely went to practice for rugby i was like half the reason i even tried to play baseball again was just to lose weight and like actually be a part of something yeah um i think maybe my dad played like a little bit of role like maybe there was like that emotional aspect where i was like you know it's like what would he want you to do but yep um i think my dad my dad like watching i think football more than

i think he liked baseball better you know what i mean but i think in terms of like watching it like entertainment he definitely like saw me as a football player yep you look like a football player yeah everything i played it was just like oh there's me as a football player yep you look like a football player yeah everything i played it was just like oh there's john like the football player playing baseball but uh yeah i think that that played kind of like a little role in it and it did help me like health-wise and like um ken i mean ken like ken can motivate anyone you know what i mean yep just like this old wise guy like uh just the speeches he gives like definitely, you know what I mean? Yep. Just like this old wise guy, like just the speeches he gives like definitely helped.

You know what's funny? Him and I were rivals. Oh, yeah? So he's older than me, but he was coaching Rhode Island College and I was coaching Bryant. So we didn't like each other. Yeah. I was the young kid, you know, coming on the scene

where he was like established and, you know, but on the scene where he was, like, established and, you know. But we used to go at it. I mean, like, verbally during games and stuff like that. And then it's funny because for years I didn't like him that much because of some of the things that would transpire when I was a younger coach. But I was coaching in college at a very young age, which I can understand some resentment too. But when you beat them, it's even better, you know. But then here's my kid playing for him later on, 10, 15 years later. So you just never know, you know.

Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, you just never know. I give him all the credit in the world for what he did for my kid, you know. So, you know, some days you're stubborn, you know. You think, oh, this is the way I feel. But as you get older, you're going to, like, now you're starting to realize some of the things you went through in high school and, you know, in college a little bit. And you get to my age, that's all you get.

Especially with the pandemic, you get a lot of time to reflect. There's no way to go. So, you know. I think I'm way more relaxed now than I was before. I think before I was obviously like, I'm still depressed,

obviously, which is hilarious, but like, as far as like being more relaxed, like not a lot really like phases me too much, like in terms of like getting mad or anything like that. Definitely more relaxed,

but it's because of all the, you know, the shit that happened in high school or anything like that definitely more relaxed but it's because of all the you know the that happened in high school and stuff like that you know like nobody else went through the stuff i went through you know what i mean so it's like looking back it's like you know well i think too you're getting to a point now you're established you know you i don't care i when i was uh like substitute teaching i didn't have a real job yet. That's like the worst. Yeah. You're not,

you're getting paid like peanuts and you're doing the same thing the other teachers are doing or probably more because they're ragging on you because you're a substitute teacher. Yeah. And you don't,

you have no self-worth, you know. Now you have a job, you know, now you have a career that you're working towards. You know, I think it makes a big difference, you know. Yeah.

That gives you a little more relaxation, you know. I'm a little too relaxed right now, so it's like. Yeah, me too. Sometimes I just get too relaxed, but what are you going to do? Well, you need something to challenge you to also, and I think that's my thing. I'm starting to play a lot more golf and i'm challenging myself i was a good golfer and i had the shoulder surgeries and now i'm getting back to i'm trying to play um get back to where i used to play and then uh

yeah it's tough at 59 it's like you can play with your shoulders? Yeah. I'm okay. You know, it's just next day hurts, but I'd rather hurt than not play. Yeah. It's like. I've been getting like really into golf. Yeah? You know? Oh, really? Like back in the day, obviously, it was kind of a joke.

You know, just swing as hard as you can and yell something. Yeah. You know? But now it's like, I don't know. I'm just addicted to it. I play all the time. Oh, that's good. We'll have to play.

It takes a lot of patience, honestly. Yeah. A lot of emotions, too. I played at Chimao the other day, and I lost a bunch of balls. And it wasn't even like I hit a bad ball, perfectly straight, but the grass is so thick there. Just losing it. I played Chimao Wednesday with my wife.

I'm getting my wife into golf. We're playing in kind of like a league. It's like people my age playing in a league, and there's some women, some guys. What's your handicap? I shot a 40 for nine, so I'm like an eight, eight or nine. I don't even know what handicap means. I just know that's what people ask.

Just don't park in the spot, right? Probably for 18 holes, I'm legit probably 12 or 13, maybe around there right now for 18. It's pretty good. Yeah. Which I used to be a single digit, maybe six, seven,

eight, something like that, depending on how much I played, but, uh, play good the other day. Um, then I played crystal lake yesterday and,

uh, up in Burrillville. I ran out of gas. Yeah. I ran out of gas last three or four holes out of gas the last three or four holes. It's weird when you go from like, because your mouth is green right now, wicked slow, but Crystal Lake's just. Yeah, they were fast.

Yeah. And it was like cement. Yeah, it went so fast. And it's a quirky golf course, too. It's a lot of hidden shots. Yeah, they were open during the whole quarantine, so that's where I was just going. Yep, yep. That's good. I mean, at the worst thing it's gonna get some exercise you know you know

we had a walk so uh like yesterday we could take hearts for the first time which was saved me um the other day i walked at chamal which is not a big deal get some exercise for nine holes yeah yeah i don't mind it it's um it's it's definitely a thinking game yeah it takes a lot of patience yeah yeah i don't always have the kind of patience on the golf course i'm a lot better now than i used to be when i used to snap clubs and stuff like that you know so and knock them off trees and karate chop them. And I'm pretty good compared to them. You actually used to do that? I threw my driver up in the air one day and I karate chopped.

I mean, I kicked it. I kicked the driver right in half. I mean, if I did it a hundred times, I couldn't do it. One time I snapped it right in half and I'm sitting there going, it's like my, it's the most expensive club in your bag i'm like yeah so i had to order a new shaft and they they put it on but i was like i i after that i learned my lesson that was it i uh no more wrapping clubs around trees and yeah i don't know mentality i used to always tell people play baseball but have hockey mentality

in other words it's like a slow aggression. You've got to have that fire. You're pitching, you've got to have that fire, but it's got to be a controlled fire. I can remember you pitching too. When you were on, you had that curveball going, and you were throwing strikes. It was nice to watch.

But when you were struggling getting the ball over the plate it was tough to get you back on to that track. You know, once you went back on that track again, you're a good pitcher. But you know as well as I do, and I pitched too when I was younger, if you're not throwing strikes you're like, what the hell, everything's going high,

it's all over the place, you know. It's like what do I need to do to get back on track yeah and that's a lot in golf golf is like wow you hook one to the left and you're like all right so what do i need to hit the ball straight i need to open up my club face a little bit and make an adjustment and that's life that's it that so some people just get mad until their club's down and they give up and whatever. But the guys that have to find a way, you know. I don't really get mad, but once I go like full bore retard, it's over. You know what I mean? Like I golfed at – there's a golf course near Crystal Lake, country –

Country View. Country View, yeah. I went there. And I remember I sliced the ball next next to there's like a rock formation that like splits uh you know two holes in half so i hit it over by the rock formation and the ball was like right next to a rock and i was like oh like i can hit this and there's this like older rich guy watching me and i'm like oh i'm gonna show him up and i swing try to hit the golf ball and i literally just snap my club in half i just just hit a rock, snap it in half.

And this guy's watching me, like, extremely confused. Like, he has no idea what's going on. And then instead of, like, you know, like, walking around the rock formation, I try to hop over the rock formation, and I just fall on my face. And this guy's still watching me. And, like, I don't do drugs. Like, I don't drink. I don't smoke.

So he must have been so confused. But i do remember i remember that in high school i remember like uh they wrote an article my mom was laughing her ass off because it was like because i remember i just threw a i think it was like a one or two it was definitely like a two or three hitter against lasalle remember that game we won yep nobody thought we were gonna win and like yep who knows what happened like who knows what's going on in my mind and uh they wrote an article about it and they were like when he's on he's on but when he's off it's over you know what i mean like well that and that's that's a lot a lot of guys can't even when they're on they're not good yeah so that's that's the thing that when we get back to it's like a coach yelling at you sees the potential yeah that's that's the thing that when we get back to a coach yelling at you, seize the potential.

Yeah. The worst thing for a coach to say is, I did not get the most out of that kid. I don't care who it is. And, you know, that's – I would take that personally. I did not reach that kid, so I didn't do my job. And, you know, most of the kids, I'm sure there's a couple of kids through the years that I felt that way about, but I took it personally when I did not make somebody better,

whether even off the field or even on the field. And that's what coaching is all about. And you look at these guys that are big-time coaches, like in college football. The better coaches, those guys that play for them for years, they come back like 10, 15 years. Those coaches made them a better person. That's kind of what it's all about, I think, from a coaching, teaching standpoint. If you don't reach anybody, what's the sense? Just going through the motions.

I think especially our senior year, when you know when you and murph were coaching like i think we did better than we were expected to do yep yep you know making the final four like that was no you're right definitely happy with the way we went out yep absolutely and that's the way i always thought about things um did we do the best you can always go a little farther sometimes you think but you know at the end you reflect and you go you know what we got a lot out of what we had and uh you know i i've had teams uh 2003 i had a team when they were juniors they were final 14. so i was expecting we're going to win the state championship. We ended up getting beat by Henrik in the state finals at McCoy Stadium,

but I had three all-staters. I had Tapley, Mike Simeo, and Dan Milano were my three all-staters that were really good on that team. But Jared Tapley was my best pitcher, and you got tonsillitis in the state finals yeah so I pitched four innings as scoreless baseball and they could any couldn't swallow I had to take him off the mound you know it's just stuff that happens but you know Henrik him was loaded that year they had six kids on their team that got drafted at one point oh really in college or you know rainbow was the big name the big name pitcher on that team.

But, you know, you need a little luck too. But at the end of the year, I'm like, you know what? That was probably the best team that I was the head coach of in high school that probably would have won any other year, but they were just absolutely loaded. I mean, I can name you the six guys and three of them played in the major leagues it just was amazing uh but you need a little luck too you know um i remember you pitching at uh barrington yeah that's my last game pitcher pitching at

barrington and uh each inning each inning we i'd go so john you got another inning well coach yeah i'm feeling i'm all right I'm all right, I'm all right. I think you threw two pitches in the, might have been the top of the, maybe the sixth or something like that. Yeah, I couldn't make it through the sixth. No, but you were like, you kept doing the job, kept doing the job, and then finally you couldn't go any further. It was like, i remember you came

out and you're like that's that was exact right time to take me out because i had it was it was like you hit the wall and it was like you pitched a great i think it was six innings almost six innings or whatever probably like six and a quarter maybe yeah i think it was six and you but it was like two pitches i go i go get them out get them out really high yeah i think you hit the backstop or something it was like my arm was falling off, I go, Murph, get him out. Get him out. Really high. Yeah. I think he hit the backstop or something. My arm was falling off. Yes. And I know.

I know. But you gave us like, I think we brought Wright in. Chris Wright, a young guy. Yeah, we brought Chris in. Yep. Yep. He's coming on Monday. Yeah.

Yeah. Right. He's in the MLB now. So it's like. I know. He's young. Good decision. You know what I mean?

Yeah. I picked the right guy. But no, it's just, you know, you got to know your players too. Yeah. I mean, I remember, I think I gave up like two or three hits that game. Oh, it was a great game. You pitched great. And then when I went to URI, there was like two or three guys who played for that team

that lived in my building and they knew exactly who I was. Yep. One of the kids, I went to a party once and he was the last kid I struck out. Oh, really? Yeah. That's how he remembered me. was like good nice well you know what that's just that's one of the things that sports is like great about you know you have like the memories and you have you know different things and uh definitely happy it was my last game you know that's crazy there were some games where it was like it was was just, you know, it was terrible. It was either real, there was never like a medium game.

Like I said, you need to pitch six, seven great innings or one or two thirds of an inning because you just couldn't get the ball over the plate or you're bouncing a curveball. Yeah, a lot of that was like, when I grew up, I remember like, I never really had the yips. I never had a problem with throwing strikes. Sometimes I threw too many strikes, you know what I mean? That's how I gave up hits. it was honestly just like the the science behind it like if you I just got myself involved with the wrong um you know pitching coaches in terms of like mechanics and stuff yep you know just people who aren't accredited yep and uh it just

threw me off like way off yep you know what mean and i i guess it works for some people you know what i mean but i mean when you talk to the like if i talk to rainville right now he's not going to bring up any scientific information he's just going to be like he's just going to tell me the basics you know what i mean yep yep so that that really threw me off i remember especially towards the beginning of the year yeah but like junior year i mean i never really had uh the yips you know what i mean? But it was just because I was like, you know, I was relaxed. I was just dancing up there. You know what I mean?

Well, I think the grass is always greener sometimes. You know, people have – and I've done it. I've done hitting lessons for years and stuff like that. And I felt guilty taking money from people. I'm like, but some of the clowns that were out there ridiculous i can't believe they're taking your money you know it's just uh they were just you know there was certain people i knew that were good like when my kid was growing up and you know when he got sick of me i would bring him to like john mellow down the baseball institute because i trusted him and he taught the same stuff that i taught it was just coming from a different person instead of me yelling at my kid I had somebody else yell at my kid which was great

you know so I could survive my own household um but I knew that certain people were really good you know you know Murph was a Murph was a hell of a pitcher Murph was an all-state pitcher so you know for him to help you whatever is you're probably going to get more from him than you're going to get from somebody outside sometimes you know and yeah um and i had believe me i had a high school coach that wasn't that good and i didn't realize that he wasn't good until i went to college you know because he really didn't teach me anything but i had my dad who would who played in the minor league so i was fortunate that I really didn't need that much. But when I went to college, I learned so much about the game

that I thought I already knew, and I didn't. And then I learned something else when I coached with another guy when I was an assistant coach at Bryant. And I thought I knew it all, not even close. You never know it all. At 59 years old, I still don't know it all i still watch games i watch people take leads in the game i watch different batting stances and i watch different things i watch the good people play you watch a good golfer so what's tiger woods doing

what's this guy doing you know some people aren't always the most um like, it could be herky-jerky being a pitcher. You don't necessarily have the 100% perfect form, but when you get the ball from here to there, you're in the right spot, you know, and that's kind of what we're talking about with you a little bit because we weren't in the right spot sometimes, and then when you were, wow, that curveball dropped right off there and, you know and everything came together. Yeah, it's kind of like if it's not broken, don't fix it.

I tell people, if you could stand on your head and hit, I'm never going to say a word to you. But once you have problems, I'll fix you. I'll fix you. I mean, we'll go back to step one. And there was times through the years that people were stubborn they didn't want to listen so and they they struggled you know and uh so um i think i mean a lot of it for me was just like overthinking you know what i mean i feel like like i say this a lot but it's like anything i succeed at it's almost like i'm in a coma pretty much like if i'm doing

comedy i'm not really thinking about what i'm saying, which is kind of being myself. Same thing with like sports. I mean, football is not really that way. Football, you kind of have to think a little bit, a little more aggression. Well, especially you got to know what the play is, and you got to know what you're trying to accomplish on that play. Yeah. But like if you're on the mound and you're pitching well,

it's almost like the mitt just gets larger, and it's like you're just pretty much in a coma. Yep. And I pitch, I know. pitching well it's almost like the mitt just gets larger and it's like you're just in a pretty much in a coma yep no i and i piss i know i i know days when i had it and i know days when somebody's gonna get hurt out there you know you better get some catcher's equipment out there at shortstop yeah you know so many mixed memories you know yeah well you know i i always i used to always i have a lot of different things that i you know it's get older to think have a lot of different things. As you get older, you think about a lot of different things. But I judge people by when they're down. So in other words, when you're having a tough day, how do you react?

Do you just give up or do you come back the next time and you make your adjustments and you come out and you become a better player? I judge people then because when people are going good, they're late at a party and you know they treat everybody well but when they're things aren't going so well how do you act yeah and i always always tell people that and um you know do you have the the the stuff inside of you to to make yourself you know, get to here again? Or are you just going to keep going this way?

Yeah. You know, so. And really, you look at people in your life and you look at the people you work with and when things don't go their way, well, you know, they're a whole different person, you know? They're kind of just blaming it on other people. Yeah.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Exactly. on other people yeah yeah exactly exactly so um yeah i got i got a lot of stuff that um i've been i've been kicking around john so you've done me a favor here with the podcast you know yeah it kind of hit me like just before i was like i haven't seen you know coach odell in literally six or seven years so how old are you now 24 i just turned 24 jesus christ so it's been a while it's not like i'm like in college or anything like that no and i love to see i love to see people that i coach that are like your age or a little older i mean i've coached people that are

two years younger than me yeah because i was a brian i was assistant coach i was 23 years old so seniors were 21 or 22. They were a year younger than me when I was coaching them. Yeah. That's like crazy. That's crazy. And then I have guys like your age, and I've coached little league kids,

and I've coached a lot of different levels. But it's nice to talk to somebody that's been through certain things, and then you're pretty established in what you're doing now and then who knows what's going to happen with the comedy oh how you go with that too you know yeah you know maybe you'll get me some tickets someday you know if i make it if not i go forward to that i mean that's that's kind of cool you know yeah i mean it's weird like um a lot of older people have seen, like, the videos and stuff, and I don't really think about it too much.

So, you know, you either get, like, a really concerned look or, like, hey, man, keep doing what you're doing. A couple of them popped up on Instagram. Oh, yeah. Like, you're just sitting there, and you're not doing much. I'm just, like, and, of course, I'm just sitting there. My wife's, like there my wife's like sitting in the other chair i'm like and i go she goes what are you laughing at i go he's just doing crazy things you know yeah yeah nobody yeah i liked it that way like especially in high school like i don't i remember like even when, the first time I tried comedy, I was 19.

So I think it was like, huh? What made you do it? I don't even know. Everyone has, like, this, like, emotional answer when, like, people ask them that. They're like, oh, like, how'd you get into comedy? And they're like, oh, like, you know, I saw so-and-so. And I was like, you know, fuck it, I'm just going to do it. But, like, I remember me, I was just making, like, just making people laugh in general. You know, like, I was always really silly.

And I was like, this really isn't going to correlate to anything else. See, I never saw that part of you when you were in high school because you were very quiet and serious. But I remember talking to Joe Fine and go, he's like the funniest guy in the world. He goes, I go, him? Yeah. I never seen him say one in three words in one sentence.

And a lot of it was because your dad was around that time, too. Yeah, I mean, some of it was that, but I was always like that regardless. I was actually more, when I was younger, I was the quietest kid ever. Yeah, I mean, even though nobody would know you were smart. Yeah. Because you were a smart kid in school, too. But nobody would know that because you didn't present that, you know? But then I'd read your stuff. I'm jesus this is good you know so yeah surprisingly all right well yeah

a little bit because i had no idea you know it's just like i mean i've always been that way and i think i always will be that way i mean i you know i see people that just talk too much you know what i mean and it's just you know that's never But, uh, yeah, I remember being in high school and like people, you know, they'd make like Helen Keller jokes or whatever, you know, a lot of teachers would make those jokes. But like, the funny thing is like, after you make that joke, like I'm going to look over to like a Joe fine or something and just talk shit about you. You know what I mean? So I remember Joe fine being in my health class. And i think it was uh you know he had to do a controversial topic so they get up there and do an oral report and joe did his on cheerleaders

are not athletes oh and uh there was this little girl and she was a cheerleader or something yeah it was no chilling wasn't a sport or something like that and joe joe gets up and he's got you know joe he's he's got everything covered every base you can't do that you do that you're only there for one reason and the girl this is like five foot cheerleader it's like right in his face yelling back at him i'm like i'm like oh my god i said joe joe joe joe he's like oh. He's like, no, she's wrong. She's wrong. She's wrong. I never forget that. And the girl was not backing down. It was funny.

That'll sum up Joe fine for you. Huh? That sums up Joe for you. Oh, God. Yeah, there was one time I almost got caught. We were in double sessions for football. And me and Joe and Chris Hayes we were like laying down on the mats and we're just relaxing like we just finished our first session and uh i didn't even know

murphy was like walking in the gym but he was like walking in the gym walking by us and i'm facing the other way and we're all laying down and i just let one rip like wicked loud and you just see murphy like laughing his ass off and joe was like dude murphy's like right there and you just see Murphy like laughing his ass off and Joe was like dude Murphy's like right there and I was like yeah you want something you lose something so I almost got caught a few times it was like uh we had Premiano you know Mark Premiano right he was like our uh he was our middle school basketball coach so me and Joe Joe used to live up the road so I would just walk to his house we'd walk to practice and mark was the same way like fermiano had no idea who i was as a human being obviously joe did yep but like back then even more quiet and uh i remember we were walking down the hall we had just like won our first game or something and i yelled something wicked immature

thinking that no one was around but But Mark was right behind us. And when I tell you confused, I've never seen someone so confused in my life. So I think it's worth it being quiet and having those moments where you kind of let it out. Because when people tell me they see my videos and stuff, in my head I imagine them watching it. Their reaction. I think that's the best part. I remember telling other other people they go hey you know john psyche's doing comedy now john psyche i go that guy quite he's pretty quiet and i i said i said yeah and he's pretty good i look i i saw him and like the same thing you're talking about like you know uh mark premium

it's like not knowing well not me not and me coaching you not really knowing that part of you either you know so i think you get that in your favor you know i like it you know it's yeah i like being quiet yeah you know some you know you'll know you know some other people will know not everyone's gonna know but well people that are quiet listen yeah and they listen they learn people that are quiet listen. Yeah. And they listen, they learn. People that do all this, they don't hear anybody else in the room. They don't learn anything. They just think what they think.

And everybody's supposed to think your gospel, you know. But you sit there and you go, that guy's a jackass. That guy's a jackass. I like what she said, you know. But you don't get to that point unless you listen you know yeah

people don't understand that sometimes yeah but I remember I don't know why I started I think I was just making funny videos and I was making people laugh

and then I went on stage when I was 19 and honestly like when people do comedy for the first time they'll go to an open mic and it'll be the the most it'll be the worst moment of their life because you're literally in front of three people

at a bar you know you've never done any public speaking in general so you're trying to you know tell dick jokes in front of three people no one's laughing it's kind of like that's the worst the worst yeah but i did a showcase so it was like a bringer like you could bring people and i remember i just invited like five or six of my good friends to come and they're like hell yeah man i can't wait to see it and like 45 people ended up showing up because they were like they didn't even they they probably thought i you know i was gonna bomb and they were just like they were just like wow like john's you know john's gonna speak like for the first time so like 45 people showed i made like 230 dollars geez and uh after i did it i remember like obviously my jokes weren't good you know what

i mean like people thought they were good but now that i'm you know yeah in the business more cemented and kind of like yeah there's jokes for kind of shit but i made people laugh yeah and uh afterwards like uh one of the bookers was like yeah man like when you coming back and i was like i'm not doing this yeah i was like i i just wanted to try it out man and he was like he was like going mad he's like what are you fucking stupid man like just come back and i'm like nah man and then i went to play baseball and then when that didn't work out, I just came back and I was like, you know what? Maybe this is it. Yeah.

You know? It's good. Sometimes you got to take a shot, you know? Yeah. I mean, people don't realize, like, you know, you can see the videos and stuff of, like, you know, me succeeding. But if you saw me at, like, an open mic, you'd be like, all right. Yeah. Yeah.

Well. It's hard. You know what? I've been getting up in front of kids and students, and the first few years, I think the toughest thing I ever had to do was when I went from elementary school for 15 years, like fifth ed in elementary. So I went to the high school,

because I was still coaching the baseball team. I was getting in trouble going from elementary up to the high school practices. So I changed up to the high school and because I was still coaching the baseball team I was getting trouble going from elementary up to the high school practices so I changed up to the high school I had to teach health my first year at the high school so all these little elementary kids that I had like in the first, second, third grade they're now freshmen in high school yeah I had to teach them sex ed

really? yeah so freshman I have freshman health and i got this kid i had like in the first grade this little girl now is now a freshman and she's in the front row and i'm teaching her about you know sex stuff and she's looking at me like like the word i was just like mortified i was like i can can't do this. This is horrible. You know? And time passed a little bit. I got a little, it was okay.

But it was like, oh, that initial couple of times, I was just so embarrassed, you know? Yeah, that must be rough. It was rough. Oh, Jesus. Yeah, pee-pee vagina, man. That must have been crazy. Yeah.

Yeah, you know, and you start saying those type words, and then the girl's eyes would get, like, big. Yeah. And you're just like, ah, I didn't mean it. No, just go home and ask your mom, okay? Don't worry about it, you know? Yeah. The toughest part for health class, in my opinion, is watching, like, the Lifetime movies.

Those will fuck you up, man. Yeah, you saw a few of those. Those will fuck you up. Like the dating. You saw a few of those. Those will fuck you up. Like the dating violence one and stuff like that. Yep. Yeah. Oh, Jesus. Those are emotional.

Yeah. God. I don't know. I'm just, some of the things through the years. But I enjoy teaching seniors, though. They were more mature for the most part. Yeah. I had some kids that were like,

when they were younger, they were hellions. And then you get to be a senior, it's like the thing clicks in a little bit. You at least can reach them all. Yeah, I remember elementary health, and I would not want to teach that class. You could see it in the teacher's eyes. They're like, yeah. I used to make kids run a lot in elementary school, just to not want to teach that class. You could see it in the teacher's eyes. They're like, yeah.

I used to make kids run a lot in elementary school. Just to get that energy out of them, you know. But, you know, when I was teaching elementary, I was like a god. I'm taking all these kids out of a regular classroom who have been cooped up there all day, you know, learning about whatever, you know. And I was like the pipe piper i'd lead them out the door whenever i we make a move and stuff like that it was yeah it

was awesome you know yeah and i bring them back teachers i didn't like that i brought them back i wouldn't calm them down i was just go ahead here you go back in the room you know the teachers i liked i would you know take the kids for a drink you know all right guys you gotta calm down now mrs so-and-so is, you know, she's got, and the teachers love that. And there's a couple of teachers that they kind of tick me off

so I would bring them back and let's just say not in a great manner. Yeah. Kind of just bring them in the room and they'd be sweating all over the place. I can't even imagine.

Yeah. It's crazy. Yep. The good old days. Yeah, the good old days, man. It's good to bring back some memories, though. You know?

Well, it's funny. You know, it goes by so fast. Yeah. This past year, I mean, this is a year just doing the podcast, and it's been like the fastest year ever. Really? Like it's been crazy. So you do this once a week?

It's usually once every other week. Once every other week. Finding guests is kind of hard. You know, everyone's got their own thing going on, but just the fact that it's been a year is crazy to me. I mean, you think about the quarantine in general. That's crazy. He's right.

It's just, I just feel so bad for kids. Imagine if you lost your senior year playing, like, you know, sports. Yeah. And just being around your friends. And I can't, I'm just, you know, my kids had a normal time. And, you know, even losing, like, your senior year of college, if you were playing ball or something like that, too. Yeah.

You know, it's just. I can't even imagine. It's crazy. And the kids are graduating virtually, you know. I used to come on high school. They have, like, graduation for, like, 15 kids a day. And they do something at the school. And it's just...

I don't know. I get a lot of mixed feelings about it. You know, I feel bad for those kids. Because I've taught seniors for a long time. I feel bad for kids that lost their that one year of even if you're a junior that's that's a lot to lose you know if you're a kid that was being recruited for something too you're losing that that time also you know yeah they'll probably give him an extra year for that but high school is probably the

you can't redshirt you know know, you just lose it. Yeah, that's terrible. You know? Like, my best year of playing hockey was my junior year. We had a great team. We had, like, 10 seniors, and I was a junior playing on that team. Yeah. And a big part of the team was a junior.

And if they would have taken that year away, that would have been my best year ever playing hockey. My senior year was kind of, it was me and a couple of kids. It was younger players behind me at that point, you know. But if I would have lost that one year, that would have been real difficult. I so enjoyed that year. And you know there's certain years that you enjoyed. If they took that away from you, like you made a football year,

you won a state championship or something, you know. Yeah, I can't even imagine. You know? It's just a time where, like, usually you want time to go by slow. But right now, you kind of just want time to go by fast. Yep. But I heard they're opening things up, like, June 1st. I need a haircut, man.

My wife cut my hair. I don't have too much hair to cut, but my wife cut my – I had the Bozo the clown look going you know i had the hair coming out the sides and she got the the shears out and stuff and started yeah my mom wants to cut mine i'm like no there's no way i don't trust you you know rather go to super guts that's right that's where i usually go super guts are scary in itself you know yeah there's one guy over there that does my hair though it's good though he oh yeah yeah i mean it's not much hair to do john so it's not a big deal i got a bunch of hair but it's either hair to miss you know they'll either shave my head off completely or i've seen you with really short hair

i remember that oh yeah that's super cuts for you yeah yeah do they get aggressive man like there's blood there's blood flying i just go as one lady and she'd be like i'd tell her what i want and she'd be like nah i got you and i'm like do you not hear what i just said like they'll always change their mind i'm like let's do what i say you know i don't know what's gonna happen with that because that's like one-on-one contact you know and yeah you do it outside you do it and you know it's just like my wife is getting a hair dye sent to her from her hairdresser because you can't do her hair you know it's like she's doing her own hair at this point her hair's like long yeah which is all right for a girl you know but

still uh my oldest daughter is pregnant so she's like had the hair thing sent to her she's crazy yeah who knows man It's complete chaos. Yeah. Look, I mean, it was great to catch up with you. I'm happy you came on. I thought you were going to say no. I remember sending the message. I was like, he might say no.

He might have heard some things, you know? No way. No way. You know what? And I enjoy talking to people that played, the coach I coached. And I have a lot of – as you get older, and especially me, I haven't coached the last two seasons, it gives you a different perspective on things. And you appreciate the years you did coach and teach

and the people you dealt with, good or bad. I could tell you stories for hours about putting kids in AA and teach and the people you dealt with and good or bad you know I mean I've I could tell you stories for hours about you know putting kids in a and putting kids in drug rehab preventing kids from get make committing suicide I could tell you all those bad things and I can tell you about you know the letter I got like five years ago a kid I say when he was in high school, because we found a letter that he was going to commit suicide and, you know, and he's doing well now,

you know, he could have been dead, you know, it's just, it's just. Yeah. I mean, we all know,

I mean, you're a legend. I mean, in the baseball community, you're a legend. I mean, I remember some people coming to the bank and like, I saw this older dude wearing like a CCRI hat.

And he said, he, I think he coached lacrosse when you coached baseball at Bryant. Yep. Really old guy, but he was there. And I think your name kind of coincides with Ken Hopkins' name, you know. Yep. Legends in – Yeah, legends in our own mind, John.

Yeah. I mean, I figured it would be like – no, I'm excited you came on, honestly. I appreciate it. You know what? We'll have to play some golf sometime. Yeah. I mean, it's not over. I'm not, you know, I'm going to see you again. I'm sure we'll hit the links. Absolutely. And, uh, I'm sure, I know a lot of people are going to watch this. Usually we have kids my age on here, you know, just talking about like, you know, immature stuff. So it's nice to have someone who's like wise and,

uh, you know, well, you guys kept me young because it was fun to uh each day was a new day you know and uh yeah yeah it's just um i know a lot of people are gonna watch but i mean you know it's not over bro you know we can hit the links together yeah absolutely all right absolutely appreciate it yeah thanks for coming on no problem all right that was good John I think we hit all the categories oh man

oh that was like not too much downtime too that was like it was like you know the flow was pretty good

yeah it was quite fast yeah so you're gonna send me the link or something to the podcast or There's like, you know, the flow is pretty good. Yeah, it goes by fast. Yeah. So you're going to send me the link or something to the podcast or? Yeah, I just got to, I got to edit it. Yep. Yep. I'll show you like a clip.

Okay. I don't know if you wanted to like put it up on Facebook or something. Like, I don't know what you want to do. Well, we'll see. We'll see. Yeah. We'll see. We can send you a few clips or? Yeah, that'd be fine. Yeah. Whatever. Whatever you want to do well we'll see we'll see yeah yeah we'll see i'll send you a few clips or yeah that'd be fine yeah whatever whatever you want to do um you know i i kind of know what

obviously what went on so it's not like i'm going to be surprised by anything it's not like you said anything that's gonna like ruin you no no and like my wife said guess what you're already retired anyway they can't like kill you, kill you. Yeah, that's what I mean. See, I learned a long time ago that, like, I, certain situations, I might say something behind closed doors that, like, just me and Murph might know or, like, maybe a kid on my team that's, like, a captain or something like that that I know is not going to get out. But in the public, that's how you survive, and there is something you as a coach in.

And, you know, my biggest, my biggest, I didn't want to get too controversial, but my biggest, the Marifka, the biggest.