This Podcast Is... Uncalled For - Grant Adams

Episode Date: October 18, 2024

Grant Adams (aka "GA") is the fifth Shawnee Mission West Viking to join us on the podcast.  Today we talk school, sports, and what it was like for our guest to grow up a Raiders fan.

Hi, I'm Mike Chernivsky, and your listen to this podcast is Un Called For. Everybody, welcome to the podcast. Joining me today another Shy Mission West Viking, former football player on the Vikings football team, former Skidog, intermittent basketball player, And noted Raiders van. Man, I just simply know as GA, Grant Adams, doing this on the podcast.

Thanks for having me, bud. All right. So, that's been a while since I've seen me in person. I'll say physically, yes. I'm thinking probably Casson's wedding, maybe. Ooh, if that even. I don't know if I was invited. Oh, wow.

That's coincidentally the last wedding I went to. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I managed to make a thorough ass out myself in that way. Yeah, that's all right. Someone's got to. In front of Ivy Leakers and all that.

Yeah. So, you're working with the Water District? Yeah, but I previously was. I was with them for about six years. Now I'm working for a local healthcare technology company. Nice. So working on the government's work. government's risk management compliance side of things so I do all the

compliance heading up there like sock audits and stuff like that so good deal yeah yeah that's so yeah so yeah we got a lot of things to talk about so let's talk about our time at West's I know it was a long time ago and oh we're just down the street from West's so yeah and in the old stopping grounds right the old something right exactly It was an enjoyable experience. Definitely unique from other opportunities. Yeah, definitely a growing experience.

And, yeah, the big thing everyone keeps asking me, when I mentioned I went to Wesla, did you know Jason Sadecas? Yeah. So, no, I did not. He was more about it. He was more my brother's year, if I remember right? He was Paul Reed, Justice Siddick.

Yeah, he was a... Yeah, Jason. He was a senior freshman year. Plachek had an interesting story about him. Yeah, my brother does too. I have a feeling, you know, just growing up around here, everybody's getting interesting stories about each other. Yeah, yeah.

So, on the subject of how's your sister and your mom? Good, good. My parents still live right there in Monexia. My sister is actually works right down the street from where I work and lives right down the street from where I'm out. Awesome. Yeah, all the families in the area, brother and his wife and kids, they were out in Mill Valley. Yeah, just as local as local can be, you know? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. For context, for our audience, his sister was a man, equipment manager on the football team and his mom helped out one of the nicest

ladies I ever met. She has her moments, right? Yeah. Of course, on the subject of football, for full disclosure, I did mention it in my interest to you, you're a big Raider fan. Yes, sir. How did that happen, first of all? Probably about six or seven years old.

My dad was downstairs watching a game, and I went down and see what he was up to. It was the Raiders versus, I believe, the Chargers at the time. This was at the old Coliseum, the L.A. Coliseum Stadium. And I just sat down and watched and was just mesmerized by players like Howie Long. Gosh, I'm trying to thank number 83 is a wide receiver, ex-Chicago Bears receiver. Yeah, he signed to the Raiders, I think a year before that. But yeah, just love the commitment to excellence, just family-oriented type of team. and Al Davis, of course.

It's just the flashy guy. I think that was about the same time I became a Ram fan, actually, because I liked the helmets. And Dickerson was... And I actually got to be there Dickerson just before his Hall Fame induction. And, of course, you mentioned Howie, one of the best, certainly a character on the TV.

and his son Chris played for the Rams. They had two sons in the NFL. I think one was the D-line, the other was O-line. Yeah, Chris was D-line and Kyle was O-line. And of course, when the Rams moved to St. Louis, which would have been the same year, I started playing football. I became more of a fan. And then 2016, it goes around, and it feels like my appearance,

part was Sharon Antoinia. I don't know what the Raider fan experience was, but from the St. Louis perspective, we feel we were alive to and about. We were branded as, oh, you're not real football fans, you're just baseball town. Yeah, yeah. What was the Raider reaction to that whole situation?

That's one of the unique things, is like they always talk about Raider Nation and stuff. It's all over the place. So it doesn't matter really the venue. really the venue in my mind it's just it's a you know just a part of life right now and so with them they always

be from Oakland L.A. back to Oakland and Las Vegas I mean it doesn't make really much of a difference at least for me as a Rader's fan where they play I do like the aspect that they do have their own stadium not sharing it or it's not like a you know I mean I guess you know B plays there and stuff but yeah

but it's just it's one of the things where they actually it's a true home field stadium even though it is in Vegas and there's you know probably a lot of times where it's sold out for the other team right but it's just you know it's part of it and I never had a problem with it I mean me being in Kansas City too I've got a little different perspective but just talking with some

fans you know from California stuff they all still follow they're like yeah like it's a way of life it's not really a you know I don't know I have to be from that town I don't know any Charger fans but I have heard that they're not too happy with the Charger aspect of all of that. In that case, they actually had a little bit of a say that they got to vote on their new statement

they sadly rejected it. Yep. And I feel that Dean Spanos and Mark Davis now were a hell of a lot more honest to their fan bases than San Crocky and Kevin Dumboff were. One, it was, I mean, like, I'd never experienced Oakland, but just from, like, talking with some of the fans, just felt terrible at the stadium at all that was. And, I mean, it sucks that you're losing that atmosphere, but at the same time, if you're, you know, putting everybody's health at risk, basically, it's just not. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, I've heard horror stories about the Oakland Coliseum. Yeah. Glad the eggs are getting out there. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, it's unfortunately. It would have been nice to see them do something, but I don't know.

Yeah. Yeah, but it's California and they don't really do that. Yeah, it's kind of to the point I barely follow the NFL angel. Yeah, I did kind of follow this past season because, believe it or not, even though I'm not a Chiefs fan, I'm two degrees of separation from the whole Kelsey Swift romance. Yeah. One of my Chesco workers, his neighbors with Travis Kelsey. Nice.

and he's told me all sorts of interesting things that happened when that romance started. I'm sure it's been a very lively entertaining rumor. I've been told Paparazzi in the neighborhood

climbing trees, trying to get their photos black security vans in the neighborhood, neighbors being IDed just to get in and out house. It's a nice neighborhood too, so on top of it all. I'm a bar club, yeah. Nice and open pretty much everywhere.

That's where a lot of my work is right now. It's up north and Blue Springs. Nice. So, yeah, that was interesting. And then to find out that my now 12-year-old niece is a big Taylor Fran. Go figure. If you happen to see her as though I know her, you tell her I love her

but yeah that's just interesting to be just within the proximity of that but yeah I don't really follow the NFL much anymore I have become a fan of the XFL and now the UFL and even more specifically

the St. Louis Belmont's yeah I'm a bigger college fan than I am NFL anymore so I don't know, just it's kind of gone more, the NBA way, where it's like wanting more publicity, more money, and it's kind of green is king type of deal. Right. They, I don't know, I feel like they try to manipulate the game itself. However, I mean, whether it's through officiating or whether it's through just managing

the teams and how they can manipulate the salaries and things up, it just cracks me out. I don't know. It's different. For our audience that I was listening, Grant is currently wearing a University of Kansas shirt. Go KU, Rockshot. Did you go? I know he went to Baker after we graduated. Yeah, I played football and did track at Baker.

Yeah, he didn't go to KU at all. Yeah, I lived up there and wanted to go there. Glenn Mason was the coach at my senior year. And sending him some video and stuff. was open to at least give an opportunity to walk on and was informed that I could walk on but he couldn't promise me anything yeah that's the thing about walk-ons is you're not it yeah unless you have a full scholarship there's no way you're getting on the team well the funny part about it was three months later he left to go to minnesota so

and took one of the running backs with him i think he was a late the north kid that was playing the juko he was in the juko route but yeah took him with him too he was supposed to go to So, yeah, you know, it's the way the things work anymore. Good deal. I only said, I went to schools in a college that did not have football. But we do have to finish more in basketball. No. Yeah.

Yeah, proud of Yon Casey alone. Yeah, the ruse, baby. Go to Roos. I got a cousin, my cousin's daughter's going there right now. Excellent. Yep. Excellent. So, yeah, the only time I went to a game.

KU game actually was they're playing the ruse at Allen Fieldhouse and we are butts kicked but how was the atmosphere though you know I will I will say this I tend to get KU off crap but at least the fans treated us nice I always hear different stories from K-State fans that's why I asked yeah now K-State I was fortunate enough to go to the Ruse play K-State at Municipal, where we beat them by 41 points. Right after I graduated, I took my sister, all my siblings are K-Staters,

by the way, and it was just dead silent to drive home. Go figure, you know. Yeah, that was when Michael Watson was with the team, of course, and best best Ruse player ever. And, yeah, sad he didn't get his chance to go pro, but he was Dan Beverly. Yeah. Yeah.

And, you know, lots of positives going to have UMKC, like, you know, we've got the streetcar extension, the determinists will be on the UMKC campus. Yep, which makes perfect sense. Yeah. If they were still playing minnecimal, you could just jump on the streetcar at LNKC can take it to the Paralyte Stop, that's just a couple of blocks to Minnesible, and then just walk a couple of blocks to Minnesible, and then all the way back. Yep. That would have been awesome.

Speaking of all that, what do you think about the stadiums, the discurs of the stadiums? I think you know how I feel about the Royals. all safe one of the reasons and that's one of the reasons I wound up choosing you of KC was I want to be in I want to inform myself on Kansas City politics as much as possible and I want that team downtown yeah oh yeah I think that team needs to be downtown and I've seen I've seen quite a few ballparks that are downtown and yeah it's a unique situation that they have but being downtown I I think that would just send it over the town.

And the day we're recording this, yesterday they... A story that they're looking at... A park? Yeah, Washington Square Park, which is right across from the Weston. Okay. And right cross from the Instiction. Yeah, I saw some of the pictures. I was getting to figure it out.

I was just like, huh, that's weird. So you literally have Crown Center and Union Station right there. Streetcar running right there, and people are complaining about parking. Well, what does Crown Center have plenty of? Even though it's not really free anymore, parking. Yeah. So, and, yeah, you got the shopping mall there. You got the Weston, the hotel is right there.

Players will stay there anyway. That's where they stay down, yeah. I know this haven't worked security at the Weston. In fact, one of my Weston stories involves living Dwight Freeney, now in the Hall Fame, into his hotel room. Nice guy. Very nice guys. Yeah, I really like the first location they proposed, but it kind of became a publicity nightmare, so. unfortunately it fell clear it's gone the east village i think that still would work because it really is

empty field yeah then they i was out of plan for north kc which kind of sort of would work but i feel like you're just kind of replacing what they have now like i it's still going to be kind of a crazy drive for majority of the southern yeah uh fans you know the south jouts can't The only people who benefit from being close to Kaufman now are people in Eastern Jackson County, like Independence, Blue Springs, Raytown, yeah. And really, this is another reason you put in Ball Park downtown. What's there to do around Kaufman except for Taco Bell? Party and Telgate.

Both of which I don't really associate with baseball. There's more of a football thing. So, yeah, with the rules, they definitely need to be downtown. Heck, I would have been fine with where the KC Star Print Press was too, yeah. And that was the one I thought would have gone through. Yeah, but too many people, especially people I know, you know who you are. I'm just bitching about it. Where are people going apart?

That's another thing you hear a lot. Well, I'm like the new businesses too, like complaining about, you know, being relocated or not even going out of business. It's like, I don't know. Crossroads is a big district, A, B, how many of these people have actually been to those businesses? Yeah, yeah. What's how long of most businesses is even around, let alone, how long they're going to be around. Yeah. I mean, to be, I felt like it'd be more of an injection of, you know, revenue rather than text alone.

Absolutely. Absolutely. And this is two helpouts, a team that's in the lower tier of revenue in baseball. Yep. I think it's the two Florida teams and that's the Ross. So, yeah. St. Louis seems to figure it out. Houston figured it out.

Houston, that's a similar situation of golf now. The Astrodome is, it's still standing, by the way. Nowhere near downtown Houston. as opposed to Named Park, which is in downtown Houston. In fact, they repurposed their old union station to build that. So if Houston can figure it out, so can we... For the Chiefs, I don't care where they... If they must stay at to airhead, it's fine,

if they want to move to KCK, fine. It seems like a lot of people have been on the KCK bubble with the Starbonds and everything else are going to propose. I just think it's terrible that you have these owners that are billionaires that can't fork over more than a couple hundred thousand. And it ends up being the taxpayers being sucking up the rest of it. Right. I think it's just terrible. Yeah, it's terrible.

Yeah, I agree. I do agree it's a terrible system. But unfortunately, that's what we have in this country. They send it figured that out overseas. I'll use Germany as an example because I have gotten into soccer lately. In Germany, those clubs are required to be 50% plus one owned by the fans. Yeah. Kind of like a Green Bay type of revenue.

Exactly, kind of Green Bay. By the way, my sister is a Packer shareholder. There you. Yeah. $250 one time and they still send her stuff. Yeah. Yeah. That's pretty cool.

More fan shareholders of the Packers than actual residents of Green Bay, Wisconsin. in Wisconsin. Talk about buy-in. I mean, dude, you're truly a fan. Yeah, there you. There you. Yeah. All right. So, yeah. So let's go back to West for a second. Yeah. Coach Shelton, I guess you heard he had lung cancer and started participating in the cancer walks. I've started participating in those cancer walks. Coach is doing great. He's been there every year I've been there, and I plan on doing it again this year. He'll be on my birthday this year, so, yeah. So, yeah, I just didn't get that square away, and he did charge me with getting as many Vikings as possible to showups.

So far, no one's sticking to me out on that. But, no, that's been a fun cause and everything. I also had a friend who died of lung cancer. Yeah. So, yeah, it's both ways, yeah. Yeah. Cancer's not a friend to anyone. No.

My mother had breast cancer. That's not what killed her, though, but she did have breast cancer. My sister had thyroid cancer, and it's still with us. She has to be on meds. meds all the time. My youngest brother had a math cancer that was fortunate to treat it. Nice.

Yeah. And, of course, I mentioned sedacas and the fact that he based the Ted Lasso character on Campbell. Mm-hmm. Oh yeah. Yeah. And that was an interesting episode

of this podcast was talking with researchers. Who I rang a book about to Atlanta, so. Didn't really? Yeah. Oh, you knew Diane Camel? Yeah. Oh, gosh. He definitely was a character. I'll give him credit for that.

I hear he's still teaching, you know what he's? He was at West for quite a long time, huh? He was at West for a while. Was he in the Leith of Northwest now? He's in Leith Summit now. Okay. I thought he had followed Coach Todd Dane. I thought he followed him.

Danes over South, South, yeah. He's turned up his principal there. Shout out to Todd Dane. Yeah, Coach Dane. Yeah, when I started this podcast, there was that viral clip of a, of Coach Dane, getting into or getting out of his pickup and sliding. Oh, yeah.

Yep, I remember that. Yeah. Yeah. I remember that because I brought up. The soul, because it was so shortly before that again, before I started the podcast even. Yeah. And, of course, the ski dogs. Yeah.

Yeah, you're the second ski dog who's been on the podcast after C. Yeah, yeah. That was a lot fun. Well, and you haven't had cass at all these podcasts? I have not had Cassage. I'm sure. I'm sure. If anybody, he'd be gross.

Yeah. Brett's, the invite still stands, if you are listening. Same, absolutely. It goes for Hedaka. Oh, yeah. I'm surprised Nick had done it, too. Yeah. Yeah.

So I guess you started a rivalry with Nick recently, or? No, not me. He wants to make it a rivalry, but it's no rivalry. When you get dominated like he does. Right. We love the chiefs. Yeah, no, we give each other crap. Sometimes if we're golfing, it's we'll write things on the golf balls and take pictures.

Nice. Nice. Yeah, yeah. That is something I've never gotten into golf. Yeah, I digress. But yeah, they're playing for other Vikings that could be on. I consistently hear Panos as a possibility. Ben or T.J.

T.J. Yeah. T.J. Let's make it happen. And of course, a cadre of guys we know too well, Bubba. Hedges. John and Paul, they're still around. Ebb's. Yeah.

Yep. Oh, yeah, Charlie. Yeah. Bubba? Bubba's still around. Bubba? His boy is fishing up high school. His boy is fish at the star quarterback at Gardner Edgerton.

Yeah, yeah. Shout to the Gardner Edgerton football team because... The Bulls? Is that what they were? I think they're actually the Trailblazers. Probably. My name is. But yeah, they've been tearing it up. Between them and Mill Valley, they seem to do very well.

Yep. And I think Mill Valley is Friday. Yes. And Gardner-Artson's 6-8. Oh, yeah. But, and I think they're both in the sunflower. That's what I thought, too. With the 5-A's, like Blue Valley Northwest was when we were at school, they'd bounce around.

Yeah. They'll play a lot of 5-A schools and then be in the conference, the Sunflower Conference, or whatever it's called now. Well, it was Sunflower League when we were there. Yeah. So, so, yeah. Also for our listing on Sunflare League in high school sports, the Shrine Mission District, the Olathe Districts. Lawrence, Southern Blue Valley, Lawrence. Lawrence, Garner-Hederton now.

Leavenworth, at one point, I think they're out now. Are they? That was, that was always fun going up to Leavenworth to play football. And they, they just, they just, Stunk. When we played that, we weren't that much better. But oh my God, 11th was terrible. Oh, man. That was, yeah, the one guaranteed win.

And, yeah, we were there. Lawrence was good, and the Lake of North was good. Yeah, Lawrence was right as they were there. Lawrence was right as they were about to split to do Free State once. Yeah, this was before Free State became a thing. Yep. And Alethe North, of course, you know, we had Armand Bruce, Inniak Enpoil, pre-Darence Sprouls.

Yep, yep. Yeah, he was a sophomore when we were seniors. They always had speed, always had a speedy running back. Yeah. And those were two of them in there. Well, I guess everyone was good compared to us. But no, it was fun. It was all good fun.

Of course, Intramarral, that was just within the school. We had our big rivalry, even though we didn't play them with BSO. And probably a minor rivalry with the ROTC team. Yeah, if I hadn't started the ski dogs that probably would have the ROTC team. You know? I mean, did all four years with ROTC, you know. And very briefly joined the Navy last all two weeks. And Sewell talked about that party they threw for me and after I came back.

I got so wicked drunk. I was one of those ski dogs, shirts that I made up. And yeah, I vaguely remember that party. I don't think you were at that party, were you? I thought I was. Maybe you were a band. It was that long ago. That's where, in our 40s, which is wrong.

So I know we'd usually go out to Roller's parents to go to some parties. This one was at Finley. Zach, yeah, I was going to say Finley, because his mom was always traveling. Finley would be an interesting guest for the podcast. Plus that's the other one. I'm surprised you because he's still one but like, thank you.

Yeah, Finley does not follow me on social media. I don't even know if I'm friends with him on Facebook or follow or whatever. The Kasten certainly does. Hadaka certainly does and all the other guys

we talk about do and just open an invite to all those guys Let's go on. All right. So, yeah.

So let's go on close. What are you thought to this coming sports year? We've got the NFL starting up again. We've got college sports starting up. Your conference, the Big 12, is growing. Yeah. I like it. I like the fact that they finally, I mean, it wasn't the,

conference that pushed them out but see in texas and no yugo's relief that's what's say the least i just you talk about a just a money sock i mean just everything was bent to their their will and they kind of i don't know in my mind i felt like they kind of pushed the conference down more than you know pushed it up to higher elevation so i'm excited i i'm glad you i was always in Arizona state fans um i'm glad to see them in the airs of state fans um i'm glad to see them in Arizona. I join Utah's got a good team. We'll kind of see what the way the rest of it plays plays out. Yeah, I'm excited. Well, of course, you know, I'm a big Dion Sanders fan. Oh, yeah, Colorado Buffalo. Can't get through a day without something, you know, some story

about Dion or one of his kids or something. He's got two kids on the team. He's got another kid. Shouldaer and Shiloh. And then his oldest son, Dion Jr. here and doing all the social media video. He does a really good job. Warren Sapp is coach. Warren Sapp is now a coach there, yeah. So you've got two Hall Famers there. I'm in on that team coaching.

Yeah, exciting time as if you're a love's fan. Yeah. All right. Well, Grant, thanks for being on the podcast. Yeah, thanks for appreciate you, bud. All right. This podcast is uncalled for, is host and produce and directed by myself, Mike Chernevsky. The opening music is Iron Bacon by Kevin the Cloud and Incomptech.com, licensed under Creative Commons by attribution 4.0 license.

Our at drum music for this episode is Reflect by Evan Schaefer, licensed under Creative Commons by attribution. 4.0 international license and once again, I'm going to invite some more Sharmish West Vikings on the podcast, namely Nekadaka, Bradcast, and Bubba Pal, Ryan Hall, Charlie Eveland, and a few others, even John and Paul Peach. so uh contact me anyway you can and i hope to get you guys on west's best if you are in the united states or canada you can call us at 816 832 5160 leave your message or question for us and if we like it we will play it on the podcast please support the podcast and are exclusive uncalled for merchandise, t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, stickers, and so much more.

Go to www.com.com.com called for pod. Thank you so much for listening. We will see you next time. You know, I'm going to be able to be. Thank you.