WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:06.200 Hi, This is Nick Bramlock from Starbaroth, Pennsylvania. I played 2 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:11.599 Jaxson Golf Court Golf Smarter episode seventy four. I know 3 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:14.720 a story about John Matten that really isn't being told 4 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:17.079 very much. I was reading all these obituaries about the 5 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:19.879 Ace hardware ads and the light beer ads and meeting 6 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:23.239 the Raiders sidelines after ten years, and every big moment 7 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:25.399 in John Madden's life. But nowhere in any of these 8 00:00:25.399 --> 00:00:29.160 obituaries do I see word one about the longest single 9 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:31.320 career of his life, which was morning radio in the 10 00:00:31.320 --> 00:00:33.240 Bay Area. And I thought, well, somebody has to tell 11 00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:35.719 that story. I look around, I go, well, Gene Nelson's 12 00:00:35.799 --> 00:00:37.960 been kind of out of the picture for years. Frank 13 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:40.359 Dale's not going to write a piece al Heart's dead. 14 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:43.880 I guess it's me. What I didn't know really well 15 00:00:44.200 --> 00:00:47.439 was the aya Geene Nelson part. As I was kind 16 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:50.399 of scraping around looking for information, I ran across your 17 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:55.280 podcast episode where you talked about meeting John at the 18 00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:59.159 radio station, about your conversations, where you played one of 19 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:04.200 the answering machine messages the record for you and Joanne shamelessly, dude, 20 00:01:04.280 --> 00:01:06.079 I scraped some of that put it in the article 21 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:07.640 and quoted you because you know, I knew you'd be 22 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:09.799 okay with it. It hit me that I had a 23 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.560 trusted friend, somebody I could come to who didn't know 24 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:16.400 some of the origin myths of John Madden. On morning radio. 25 00:01:20.599 --> 00:01:24.280 Mornings with Madden, our radio lives with an American Legend, 26 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.079 featuring the author, my friend Stan Bunger. 27 00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:32.400 This is Golf Smarter, sharing stories, tips and insights from 28 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:35.439 great golf minds to help you lower your score and 29 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:36.959 raise your golf IQ. 30 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:42.159 Here's your host, Fred Green. Welcome to the Golf Smarter Podcast. 31 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:45.799 Dan, Fred, great to be here. I mean, I'm I'm honored. 32 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:50.319 I know you've done something like seven five hundred episodes and. 33 00:01:50.280 --> 00:01:51.799 You're seven five hundred and one. 34 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:52.519 I'm glad. 35 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:58.200 Well, it's it's kind of weird that we're doing this, 36 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:01.680 but I have to do it. Let's establish right from 37 00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:06.280 the beginning that we've been friends for fifty years. Are 38 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:08.039 we really going on fifty years? 39 00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:10.960 Darn close to it? And I'm not sure that we've 40 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:15.520 actually appeared broadcasts together since we were appearing on the 41 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:19.319 same broadcast together as students at San Francisco State University. 42 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:22.840 Well, don't even call it a broadcast because it was 43 00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:25.719 it was only over a cable to the dorms. I 44 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:29.439 was the morning DJ at San Francisco State's radio station. 45 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:35.039 This is nineteen seventy five, seventy six, seventy seven, and. 46 00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:36.560 You were my morning news guy. 47 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:39.080 So we were there at six in the morning and 48 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:41.240 you were doing news and I was doing records. 49 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:43.439 And we thought we were that. We thought we were 50 00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:44.680 all that. Yeah. 51 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:48.120 Yeah, we were so impressed with ourselves. And here we 52 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:52.800 are and a long time later, and we have one 53 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:56.199 other thing in common. That is why you're here today, 54 00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:00.400 and that is John Madden. And I've told stories about 55 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.840 my relationship with Madden on the show. 56 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:05.479 Episode eight hundred. 57 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:07.000 I think I told a lot of stories, and then 58 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:10.479 when John passed away, I probably did some more. But 59 00:03:11.319 --> 00:03:15.960 you have just published a book called Mornings with Madden, 60 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:20.120 My Radio life with an American Legend. Let me do 61 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:22.400 the golf part real quick, and we'll get into more 62 00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:26.680 golf later. You and I were out on the golf course, what. 63 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:29.879 Two years ago, three years ago, yeah, yeah, a couple. 64 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:32.759 Of years ago, post COVID. We were playing one of 65 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:37.719 my favorite courses, Corika Park in Alameda near your home, 66 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:41.120 and you said, I'm thinking of doing a book about 67 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:43.240 my time with Madden, and I'm like, what. 68 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:46.840 Y got there? 69 00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:52.960 Okay, I will. And the backstory, of course, is that I, 70 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.240 in my forty plus year radio career, spent most of 71 00:03:56.280 --> 00:04:00.000 the last twenty working with John Madden. Now I didn't 72 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:02.479 in the booth of them. In fact, I never actually 73 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:04.759 sat next to him for a broadcast, but he was 74 00:04:04.759 --> 00:04:07.520 an integral part of a morning radio show on KCBS 75 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:09.879 in San Francisco, which happened to be the third station 76 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:12.520 that he did this on. The first one was one 77 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:14.520 that you worked that way back in the nineteen eighties, 78 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:18.519 and for whatever reason, John kept doing a five to 79 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:22.480 ten to fifteen minute every single weekday morning radio hit 80 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.079 at a time when he didn't need the money, he 81 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.560 really didn't need anything else taking up his life. He 82 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:30.199 was John Mann, you know, I mean, the on air 83 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.399 television personality, the ad pitch man, the guy behind the 84 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:36.560 video game. All those things were going on concurrently. And 85 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:41.839 when his time on radio ended in twenty eighteen, and 86 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:44.720 I then retired in twenty twenty one, he died at 87 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:47.000 the end of twenty twenty one, and it occurred to 88 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:49.560 me that we had these thousands of recordings, and locked 89 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:54.360 up in those recordings must be some gemstones, you know, 90 00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:58.439 some real wisdom, some wit, some teachable moments, whatever you 91 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:01.079 want to call him, all of it in there. And 92 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:03.199 then the question became, how do we get to that? 93 00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:05.399 And is there really a book at that? And I 94 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:07.519 think you know, you and a lot of other friends. 95 00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:10.680 I wasn't sure as I got halfway through the process 96 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:12.279 of writing the book whether you were my friends or 97 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:14.120 my enemies. When you said, oh, yeah, you should write 98 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:14.480 a book. 99 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:17.879 I listened. My wife wrote a book. 100 00:05:17.959 --> 00:05:20.399 I went through five years of that and that was 101 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:22.800 published a year ago. So yeah, I get it. 102 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:26.920 Yeah, And you know, really was what was crucial to 103 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:29.319 the process. Of course, it was having these recordings, But 104 00:05:29.480 --> 00:05:31.279 I was trying to answer a question that actually, it 105 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:34.000 turned out you had one of the keys to and 106 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:36.000 that was to be able to tell the story of 107 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:39.639 this eighty two nineteen eighty two to twenty eighteen span 108 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:43.160 of John Madden's life thirty six years during which he 109 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:46.639 appeared faithfully every morning, a little brief time out for 110 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:49.959 some medical crises, but not much on day area radio. 111 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:53.240 And he started with Gene Nelson, who was your colleague 112 00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:57.240 at KYA Radio in San Francisco and K and KO. 113 00:05:57.279 --> 00:05:59.079 I mean it was a look. I have never been 114 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:02.199 able to unravel those two statements. Kept swapping call letters, 115 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:07.399 but another old book not mine. When Gene retires twelve 116 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:10.360 years later, you'd think that'd be enough. Madden's had a 117 00:06:10.360 --> 00:06:13.240 great time. He's hung out with this legendary DJ Gen Nelson. 118 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:16.000 They meshed, they were amazing together, and that should have 119 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:18.800 been enough by then. Nineteen ninety four, John Madden somewhere 120 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:20.839 in there. John had a couple of years where he 121 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:24.319 made more money from CBS Sports than any single player 122 00:06:24.360 --> 00:06:28.120 in the NFL. I mean, imagine's been that big Wow. Yeah, 123 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:31.600 still calling in every morning to Geen Nelson to talk. 124 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:35.720 Gene retires, John doesn't quit. He moves over to join 125 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:38.759 another Bay Area broadcast legend, Frank Dill, who happens to 126 00:06:38.759 --> 00:06:40.800 be an avid golfer. So there are a lot of 127 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:45.160 Frank Dill John Madden golf stories. Frank retires three years later. 128 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:47.839 There's a brief interlude where a guy replaces Frank that 129 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:50.720 John doesn't get along with, and yet he stills it. 130 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:53.040 You keep saying that, and you're staying in the book, 131 00:06:53.079 --> 00:06:58.519 Come on, who is it? Steve McPartland never heard him, Okay. 132 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:02.439 History and you know, but apparently he ticked John off 133 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:04.879 enough that John's like, I'm not doing this with this guy. 134 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:09.639 And so my boss for many years at KCBS said, 135 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:13.079 Kevin Arrow, who was a real, you know, inside the 136 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:16.279 box kind of guy, thought outside the box and said, 137 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:20.040 you know what, he would be awesome. He would give 138 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:23.839 us an appointment listening moment at fifteen every morning where 139 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:25.439 people will have to tune in. 140 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:30.319 And radio, you know, especially a news talk station and 141 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:31.279 it was mostly news. 142 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:32.319 It wasn't even news talk. 143 00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:35.319 It was just news, traffic, weather together every ten minutes, 144 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:36.480 bang bang bang bang. 145 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:40.160 Twenty four to seven. Appointment radio. 146 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:43.720 Explain that, Yeah, I should explain the term. I mean 147 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:48.839 in broadcasting, if you have something that people feel they 148 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:52.399 have to tune into, they must tune into, and radio 149 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:54.600 doesn't allow you to time shift it really, I mean, 150 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:56.759 not like a DVR and television all start the Super 151 00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:59.639 Bowl a half hour late, skip the commercials. In radio, 152 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:02.120 you got to be there when it happens. And so 153 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:05.079 eight fifteen, I mean, we have a story after a 154 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:07.519 story of people saying I was late to work routinely 155 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:09.519 because I was supposed to be in the office at 156 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:11.959 eight fifteen, but I couldn't go in until I heard 157 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:15.639 what Madden said. And it immediately like this, I mean, 158 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:19.720 our ratings during that time slot skyrocketed. We ended up 159 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:24.399 beating our longtime Nemesiskgo in the morning ratings battle as 160 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:28.720 a result of that hour. And another shout out has 161 00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:30.439 to be given to a guy, nam Frank Oxerart, who 162 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:33.000 was the station manager at KCBS. It was willing to 163 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:35.559 go to New York to the suits at Corpora then 164 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:38.799 say hey, this guy's worth it, you know, pay John 165 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:41.159 Madden whatever it takes. I don't know what it was. 166 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:43.600 I never have none, to be honest with you, to 167 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:45.720 get him on our station because it will change everything. 168 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:49.000 And it did, and so that was the beginning. I 169 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:51.919 came back. So now he's working with Al Hart, another 170 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:55.600 aread broadcast legend, starting in nineteen ninety seven on KCBS, 171 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:57.919 and they hit it off right away. They were amazing together. 172 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:01.679 But Al retires in two thousand. I mean, I had 173 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:04.360 previously worked at KCBS for ten years, was off to 174 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:06.840 another stuff. I get a call one day saying, hey, 175 00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:10.799 would you consider coming back. And you know, you remember 176 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:14.840 that scene in the movie A Major League where they 177 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:17.879 call Lou Brown he's run at a tire shot, and 178 00:09:17.879 --> 00:09:20.039 you say would you like to manage the Cleveland Indians 179 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:22.720 And he goes, ah, I got a guy. I asked 180 00:09:22.759 --> 00:09:24.559 me about a set of white walls. I'll get back 181 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:26.639 to you. You know that was kind of my response. 182 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:28.200 I had other stuff going on. I wasn't sure I 183 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:31.879 wanted to go back to everyday radio, but I did 184 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:35.320 say yes. And I know that management must have been 185 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:39.240 terrified that I would be the next Steve Apartment, that 186 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:42.679 I would screw this thing with Madden up by not 187 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:46.200 getting how to play the game with John Madden. So 188 00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:48.159 the day before I'm sorry, I go ahead. 189 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:51.120 No, I was going to say it wasn't he was 190 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:54.039 already on KCBS with a different morning. 191 00:09:53.799 --> 00:09:55.480 Person that right, with AlOH al Hart. 192 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:57.799 Yeah, okay, And they hear impression in the book. I'm 193 00:09:57.799 --> 00:09:59.960 listening to the audiobook. Your impression of al Hart. 194 00:10:00.360 --> 00:10:01.039 You nailed it. 195 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:06.200 Yeah, he's He's the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, funniest man anybody 196 00:10:06.279 --> 00:10:08.919 ever met. There's never been anybody who met Albarne. Well, 197 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:09.519 what a jerk? 198 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:12.799 No, No, no, never, but I'm saying the voice and 199 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:15.559 you do your impression of him on the audiobook. 200 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:16.360 You nailed it. 201 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:19.399 Yeah, like, wait, that was a no. Well, I mean 202 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:21.360 I learned a lot from him, and so yeah, the 203 00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:23.120 day before they're gonna put me on the air for 204 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:24.840 the first time. I come back in the summer of 205 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:27.320 two thousand and they said, you really need to talk 206 00:10:27.320 --> 00:10:29.240 to coach. We got to get a call. And I 207 00:10:29.320 --> 00:10:32.200 know that management is thinking, jeez, this is this has 208 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:33.679 got to work, this has got to work, this has 209 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:36.440 gotta work. So I get on the call, and you know, 210 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:40.000 I'm a little nervous. This is John freaking Madden right before. 211 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:42.120 In fact, I didn't really like the Raiders. I used 212 00:10:42.120 --> 00:10:43.360 to root against him, you know. 213 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:47.000 Yeah, right, you grew up on the Peninsula or happened 214 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:47.559 to be at. 215 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:52.080 Or in San Francisco. Mom and dad courted at Keysar Stadium. 216 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:53.840 So yeah, I was a forty nine er fan. And 217 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:56.559 I get on the phone and I just start dabbling. 218 00:10:56.799 --> 00:10:58.879 I'm like, oh, man, coach, I just want you to 219 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:00.639 know I'm a I'm a big fan of you, know 220 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:03.080 of you and you work on television. And my dad 221 00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:05.320 was a football coach and his dad was a football coach, 222 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:08.399 and I love sports, any kind of sports, and Fred 223 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:11.720 I must have talked for three minutes without stopping. I've 224 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:16.799 breath and there's this at the other end, John Madden going, Steah, 225 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:21.759 that's great, talk to you tomorrow. So you know, I 226 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:23.720 hope I passed the audition at that point. And the 227 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:26.039 next morning it's time for the first one. So I 228 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:28.759 get the call from the newsroom, you know, in the intercom, 229 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:32.919 saying okay, Madden's ready on line seven four, and I thought, okay, 230 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:35.399 So I hit the talk back bay and I said, 231 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:40.120 what's the topic. And there's this long silence, and I 232 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:42.000 see people in the newsroom looking back and forth to 233 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:44.360 each other. Finally somebody has the guts to lean in 234 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:49.320 and go whatever you want. It's Madden. And that's when 235 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:53.399 it all hit me. This isn't an interview. This is 236 00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:55.519 a conversation. That's a different animal. 237 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:56.320 Huge. 238 00:11:56.759 --> 00:12:06.440 Yeah, Okay, before we get to your first conversation with 239 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:09.320 Madden on the air, let's get let's back up a 240 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:12.840 little because I have to say I'm listening to the audiobook. 241 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:15.360 I love listening to the audiobook because I've always loved 242 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:20.120 your voice. But you were incredibly generous to me in 243 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:23.559 this book. I was amazed, and I'm honest with you, 244 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:26.840 I was like tearing up, going, he's still talking about me? 245 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:28.440 What is going on here? 246 00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:31.759 And then at least two more times I'm only on 247 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:35.720 chapter ten in the audio book, and at least two 248 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:36.519 more times I. 249 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:39.399 Heard my name. I'm like, why are you doing this? 250 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:41.120 Why do you keep throwing my. 251 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:43.559 Name in there? Well, you know, I'm going to cycle 252 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:47.600 back to your podcast, right because when Coach passed away, 253 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:53.120 my initial thought was, I know a story about John 254 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:55.960 Madden that really isn't being told very much. I was 255 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.840 reading all these obituaries about the Ace hardware ads and 256 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:02.600 the light beer ads and leaving the Radar sidelines after 257 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:05.279 ten years, and I mean every big moment in John 258 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:07.840 Madden's life. But nowhere in any of these obituaries do 259 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:11.600 I see word one about the longest single career of 260 00:13:11.639 --> 00:13:13.559 his life, which was morning radio in the Bay Area. 261 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:15.600 And I thought, well, somebody has to tell that story. 262 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.399 I look around, I go, well, Geene Nelson's been you know, 263 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.720 kind of out of the picture for years. Frank Gale's 264 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:23.440 not going to write a piece. Al Heart's dead, I 265 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:27.639 guess it's me. And what I didn't know really well 266 00:13:27.960 --> 00:13:33.360 was the origin part, the KYA Gene Nelson part. And 267 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:35.799 as I was kind of scraping around looking for information, 268 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:40.200 I ran across your podcast episode where you talked about 269 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:44.799 meeting John at the radio station, about your conversations, where 270 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:48.159 you played one of the answering machine messages the record 271 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:53.559 for you and Joanne, and that I mean shameless the dude. 272 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:55.399 I scraped some of that, put it in the article 273 00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:56.919 and quoted you because you know, I knew you'd be 274 00:13:56.960 --> 00:13:59.879 okay with it. But it hit me that I had 275 00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:02.840 trusted friend, somebody I could come to who didn't know 276 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:06.639 some of the origin myth of John Madden on Morning Radio. 277 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:10.960 Much later, actually, as the manuscript had already been submitted 278 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:14.720 and gone to the almost to the printer, a third 279 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:16.480 party reached out to me. He said, would you like 280 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:19.399 to be in touch with Gene Nelson? And I said, well, 281 00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:21.919 nobody talks to Gen Nelson. He's kind of, you know, 282 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:29.639 checked himself out of out of the radio game. And 283 00:14:29.639 --> 00:14:34.320 and in my contact said I'll give you a mailing address. 284 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:37.159 So I said, well that's a start. I'll do something 285 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:39.480 I haven't done in years. I will write an actual 286 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:41.799 letter and put a stamp on it, put it in 287 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:45.080 the mail, and I included my email address, thinking I 288 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.159 don't know Gen Nelson does email. He's, you know, in 289 00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:50.360 his eighties. I guess uh, and my phone number. And 290 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:53.360 two days later, Fred I got three missed calls from 291 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.960 Gene Nelson in voicemails, and I'm thinking, I missed. You know, 292 00:14:57.000 --> 00:14:58.519 I have the big the big fish on the line, 293 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:00.600 and I missed him. I finally was able to get 294 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.120 back to him a couple of days later, and I 295 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:04.519 told him I just wanted to talk to him a 296 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:06.600 bit to get because I already finished the story. I 297 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.600 just want to make sure that everything you told me 298 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:11.000 about the beginning, you know, sort of jibe, and that 299 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:14.039 maybe I could make this into a little bit of 300 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:16.840 a preamble to the book. And Jeane talked to me 301 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.279 for about twenty minutes. I was scrambling to record it all, 302 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:24.360 and told some hilariously funny stories and stories that mapped 303 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:26.679 to the same experience that Frank Dill and I had 304 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.720 with Coach Matt and tied the whole thing together for me. 305 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:33.039 Now I knew how it started. I had talked to 306 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:35.360 the guy who started with him, who had the same 307 00:15:35.399 --> 00:15:38.360 feelings about working with John Mann that I did. And 308 00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:40.360 by the way, it heard some of the same stories 309 00:15:40.519 --> 00:15:42.399 which were as funny in nineteen eighty two as they 310 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:45.919 were in twenty sixteen, which is kind of Madden's genius too, right, 311 00:15:46.039 --> 00:15:48.679 I mean he never failed to hang on to a 312 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:50.759 good story if he figured he could recycled and use 313 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:51.240 it again. 314 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:53.879 Oh yeah, I always had the night if gone. 315 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:54.480 Yeah. 316 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:55.159 Yeah. 317 00:15:55.519 --> 00:16:01.080 And so just briefly, John was on the RKO Radio 318 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:05.440 network and he was recording these two minute pieces for 319 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:08.559 RKO Radio that were sent on a national basis to 320 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:13.279 the r KO stations. And the director of sports at 321 00:16:13.399 --> 00:16:14.720 RKO at the time. 322 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:17.320 Was Charlie Steiner. 323 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:20.000 Charlie Steiner who. 324 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:24.080 Went to ESPN and is now the radio voice took 325 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.399 over for Vince Gully and is a radio voice for 326 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:27.720 the Los Angeles Dodgers. 327 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:29.759 Ray, he's about to call a world series as we 328 00:16:29.879 --> 00:16:30.720 record this, I. 329 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.879 Think, well, fingers, are you know? 330 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:36.080 I mean that the network sure want to see that, 331 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:39.080 of course, right, two biggest names and the Dodgers and 332 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:41.799 the Yankees. And the Dodgers and the Yankees are the 333 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:47.639 two biggest names anyway, So Charlie and I. 334 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:49.559 So, you know, I would I would record. 335 00:16:49.720 --> 00:16:53.639 John would come into the studio and we record two 336 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:56.200 or three pieces that were each two minutes long. And 337 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:59.360 we got very good at punch editing, you know, like 338 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:01.039 he would read and just pick it up and I 339 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:02.320 didn't have to edit anything. 340 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.119 We just did it live. And he was great at that, 341 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:06.519 and he loved it. It was fun. And then we 342 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:09.039 would talk for two hours. 343 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:15.039 About all these different things, including my goofy ideas, and 344 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:17.599 he loved it, you know, he just loved that kind 345 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:21.640 of stuff. And I actually my boss came in to 346 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:24.680 me one day after John left and he said, you 347 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:27.359 can't spend that much time talking to John. 348 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:29.960 You've got work to do. And I said, you want 349 00:17:29.960 --> 00:17:30.720 to tell him to leave? 350 00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:35.920 Well, And you know, Fred that story and you told 351 00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:39.480 me that many years earlier. And I didn't really make 352 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:42.279 all the dot connections until later. And just the other night, 353 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:45.519 a neighbor of mine told me a story about him 354 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:49.359 delivering industrial gases to a hospital here in the East Bay. 355 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:52.000 He's waiting these canisters of oxygen or whatever in there 356 00:17:52.680 --> 00:17:55.480 and he sees John madd So he says, what can 357 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:58.160 I meet it? And somebody says, yeah, sure, come out over. 358 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:00.440 He's a nice guy. He'll talk to you. So my 359 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:03.240 neighbor goes over. Madden says, how are you doing, man, 360 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:05.440 what are you doing here? You know? And my old 361 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:08.319 my neighbor says, well, you know, I delivering cryogenic gases 362 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:10.519 to the hospital. And maddens, Oh, what's you know? Is 363 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:13.880 that dangerous? I mean, as Most telling me the story, 364 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:16.440 I stopped him. I go so he's asking you about you, 365 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:19.440 and Most going yeah, okay. Fast forward a couple of 366 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:22.400 years later, my neighbor runs into Madden again, I think 367 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:24.880 a charity event, and he gets his moment at the 368 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:26.400 end of the line. He shakes his hand. He goes, 369 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:28.920 you know, we've actually met before, coach, and Madden looks 370 00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:33.279 at him and he goes, cryogenic gases, right, whoah right. 371 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:36.519 But he was present in any if he was having 372 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:38.799 a conversation with you. He wasn't looking over your shoulder 373 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:40.839 to see who was bigger in the corner of the room. 374 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.319 He was having a conversation with you any care And 375 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:45.000 he remembered, which is a crazy part. 376 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:52.000 Yeah yeah, and he So we did this. I was 377 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:55.680 with him for like almost four years. I even at 378 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:57.680 one point Charlie hired me. 379 00:18:57.720 --> 00:18:59.119 He says, hey, You're going to have to go out 380 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:01.519 to Madden's house recording this time. 381 00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:02.799 I'm like, what. 382 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:06.400 He goes, just rent some equipment and just go out 383 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:09.599 to his house and record these pieces he's doing about 384 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:12.400 the nineteen eighty four Olympics, which will be in Los Angeles, 385 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:15.279 and and just get those and send them back down. 386 00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:19.160 It's like, okay, So I rent some gear. I drive 387 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:22.240 out to Pleasanton, I pull into the into the cul 388 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:26.319 de Sac and there are his two sons, Joe. 389 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:27.200 And and Mike. 390 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:32.640 Mike, Yeah, playing basketball in the cul de Sac. Hi, guys, 391 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:38.000 there was no exchange. I walk in the house. I've 392 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:41.160 got this gear over my shoulders, you know, and bags. 393 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:43.400 Those days you had to carry a lot of. 394 00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:45.680 Gear to do it and recording, not like today. 395 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:50.000 And I walk in and John's sitting on the big 396 00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:54.319 lazy boy chair watching TV and his wife is standing 397 00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:58.559 on the kitchen counter. He's like, hey, hey, coach. He 398 00:19:58.680 --> 00:20:01.720 goes fred up forg She needs some help putting some 399 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:05.119 stuff away. It's like, no problem, coach. 400 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:08.839 So that's so mad. 401 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:09.680