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The Daily Gazette Company presents the Parting Shots podcast. Now here's your host, Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott. Thank you, Scott Keesy, and welcome to the Parting Shots podcast, available wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe today. Thanks for joining me from the parting Shots podcast studio in Schenectady, New York. I'm back after a week off at an enjoyable time down in Philadelphia, visiting my mom, who's recuperating from knee replacement surgery. Had a chance to go see some couple of Phillies games. Saw a win on last Tuesday and the Padres saw a loss against Arizona last Friday. Enjoyed the Cole Hamill's retirement ceremony last Friday. Some emotions there, of course, Hamill's led the Phillies with the 2008 World Series championship, so that was a lot of fun. Also had a chance to take two time Stanley cup champion Joe Watson of the Philadelphia Flyers out for lunch. And we talked some more hockey. So it was a great time to do that. And basically was very hot down in Philly, humid and just, just awful, awful weather. There was a time when I was a kid, I enjoyed going and playing tennis or wiffle ball and in hot, humid weather, but at age 60, not so much so, but good to be back. And we're going to talk, I mentioned hockey. We're going to talk a lot of hockey on this edition of the podcast. Union college men have a new assistant coach, Mike Zanella, former Skidmore assistant. He was recently named this week as the new assistant coach, replaced Lenny Chalice. He'll join me here on the parting shots podcast. And then Kirk McDonald, former RPI standout who of course, overcame testicular cancer while he was at RPI, he was named the head coach of the American Hockey League's Wilkes Barry, Scranton Penguins Kirk will be on to join me to talk about that. And then Rennie LaRue runs the Capital, the New York State Hockey hall of Fame, as well as the basketball and Baseball hall of Fames. He's going to make the let us know who's going to be inducted into the New York State hall of Fame. That's going to, that banquet is going to be July 13 over at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. So we'll, Lenny Rennie will talk about that and then we'll talk baseball. While I was away last week, the great Willie Mays passed away at the age of 93. And my good friend Damon Bruce, who's a sports talk show host out in San Francisco.
He'll join me to discuss the life and the legacy of Willie May. So coming up, we're going to drop the puck with. I'm Mike Zanella, the new union college men's hockey assistant coach. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
[00:03:08] Speaker C: It's the most historic conference in college hockey. It's a battle night in and night out. ECAC hockey, an iconic conference, home to twelve of the most prestigious universities and programs in the world and showcasing the best student athletes in the sport. Top notch facilities and arenas, incomparable traditions, passionate fans, alumni who go on to become elite professionals, leaders and champions. ECAC hockey, there's no experience like it.
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[00:03:56] Speaker C: Hi, this is ECAC hockey commissioner and.
[00:03:58] Speaker D: Union hockey alum, Doug Christensen.
[00:04:00] Speaker C: You're listening to the parting shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Shaw.
[00:04:06] Speaker B: Welcome back to the podcast. And the Union men's hockey team has a new assistant coach and a maybe somewhat familiar to Capital region hockey fans. He was an assistant coach at Skidmore back in the day. Let's introduce Mike Zanella to the podcast and then back to the New York State area. Mike, welcome aboard and congratulations on becoming the union assistant coach.
[00:04:28] Speaker A: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I appreciate the call and can't wait to get going. Obviously, I'm extremely grateful to everybody involved for bringing me on board and, and obviously to the Lincoln Stars for helping me get here, but very excited to be back in the capital district, capital region here and get rocking and rolling.
[00:04:47] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, let's talk about your, you know, let's get more into 20. 1617 season. How did that come about?
[00:04:54] Speaker A: Yep. So actually, I just finished playing a little bit when I saw the opening and I just applied blindly and ended up getting the job. First job out of, out of playing. Worked with Rob Hutchinson there. Unbelievable guy. Really good hockey coach. He's done a fantastic job with that program.
We were not in that position when I started and Rob certainly built it up to what's to now a top ten program in the country. So he's done a fantastic job there.
[00:05:23] Speaker B: Yeah, then you moved on to Elmira where you were assistant there, and then on to Lincoln. So what, what has been the journey like to come back to college hockey?
[00:05:31] Speaker A: No, I'm really excited. I'm really excited. So it's been fun. The last few years were a lot of fun in Lincoln. We have a ton of talent on both of those teams. I'm actually going to the NHL draft early tomorrow morning, so I'm just dropping my bags here in New York and hopping on a flight first thing at 06:00 a.m. to watch three of our guys hopefully get drafted this year's draft. So it's been a lot of fun, but I'm super excited to get back into college hockey and, and be a part of, you know, everything that they're building a union. It's extremely fun time. And Schenectady, New York and Josh and John are doing a fantastic job there, so I'm excited to support them.
[00:06:10] Speaker B: Yeah, talk about coming to union. Obviously this would be your first job at division one. What differences you think will be compared to division three and compared to being assistant in junior hockey?
[00:06:24] Speaker A: Yeah, you know, it'll be interesting. It'll be interesting. I think the last two years I've kind of been on the other side. I've watched all of our guys get recruited by some pretty big time division one guys, guys in the big ten, guys in the NCHC, certainly the ECAC.
So we've seen some. Some really big head coaches and assistant coaches come through. So I've kind of seen their tactics and what they're doing to help recruit guys to their programs and the key for those guys going there. And so I'm hoping to be able to instill some of the things that I learned there and. And help recruit here at union and. And then obviously my biggest role in the USL was, was player development, working with some guys, just making sure we're helping them become as good people as they are players. So really looking forward to help transition that side, too. And I know under the guidance here we're going to have a ton of success. So I'm really excited.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: Yeah, I talked to Josh. I had lunch on Tuesday with Josh and I was mentioning that you had started out Skidmore. He never realized that you were at Skidmore, so I was. I thought maybe there's, you know, it'd be like little connection. I remember. But he also said that you being from Italy, he wasn't going to hold that against you.
[00:07:40] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Obviously being. I was. I was a big red fan growing up. I still know those guys pretty well. They're on staff, but when we play them, I'll certainly have my priorities in order and I'm fully union. Union guy now, so that's for sure.
[00:07:57] Speaker B: What do you think about Mike Schaefer announcing he's going to retire at the end of the year?
[00:08:01] Speaker A: Yeah, no, it's been. It's been a long tutelage run for him, and he's done a fantastic job there. Obviously, you can see all the success that he's had, not only on the ice, but, I mean, tie year after year. They're producing great people. Right. And he's got a really good reputation in Ithaca and, and whatnot, so it's pretty cool to see what he had done there and quite the legacy and the big shoes to fill for Casey coming in next, so I wish him the best of luck.
[00:08:32] Speaker B: You're coming in at Friday. Very exciting time for Union hockey next. The 25 26 season will be in a new building at Mohawk Harbor arena. Scholarship. Athletic scholarships are being phased in here, so. Man, what are those? How much did that factor in? You looking to take this job?
[00:08:53] Speaker A: No, it was a huge. It was a huge factor. Honestly, I really, really loved Lincoln, Nebraska. I loved working in USHL. I think over my two years there, it's going to end up being, like, about something like nine draft picks. So it was great. It was a fantastic place to live, but this was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. Once I got to meet Josh and John, it was a no brainer. I mean, they care about you far beyond as a coach. You know, they really care about the person, the athlete. You know, I talked to all the guys at this point. They've all said nothing but great things about the staff. And then obviously, on the hockey side, with the new ring coming and more scholarships, you know, you had the ten year anniversary of the national championship. It's, you know, it's a really, really fun time. And I know Josh has only been there, you know, a couple years now, but John's certainly seen the success of the program, and, and Josh had a lot of success at Clarkson, and the two of those guys work very well together, and I can't wait to. To help them any way I can, so I'm thrilled.
[00:09:53] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, just the fact that you've, you know, this program for years did not have athletic scholarships. I mean, how important is it for. For them to be able to offer these athletic scholarships and get some top notch players?
[00:10:06] Speaker A: No, for sure. For sure. And you see the success that the program had had without it, and it's really, really impressive. I mean, beating out some of these big, top ten schools, you know, big ten schools. NCAA again, the big dogs without scholarship, and now we're able to offer at least something to the guys. And it's getting better every single year. It shows the dedication from the school, how much they're supporting the athletic programs. I mean, it's. It's a lot, right? You gotta. You gotta have the players, the players, at the end of the day, do the work, and. And we just are here to help guide them. So, you know, you got to get them in the door first. Right. And this is a great stuff, and they've already done a great job, too. Right.
[00:10:44] Speaker B: So, I mean, how exciting is it to go out and be able to recruit? How much you looking forward to that?
[00:10:51] Speaker A: I missed it so much. Honestly, people ask me maybe any reason why I would leave Lincoln, and it was that exact reason. I want to recruit. I want to get on the road. The USHL, you're really only getting guys for maybe one to two years max. Where? College. It's closer to the four year mark. And you just can work with more and you can build something a little bit more long term. And I don't want to use the word special, but I definitely know that union is a special place, and I can't wait to start recruiting to it.
[00:11:20] Speaker B: One of the players you coached at Lincoln was DJ Hart. What was he like to coach?
[00:11:25] Speaker A: Yeah, DJ is great. DJ's great. He's. He's a guy that plays with his heart and his heart on his sleeve. You know, he. Nobody loves their teammates or stand up for their teammates more like than DJ. Well, and we got another guy coming in, and Lucas Massey, he played for me. I worked with him the last two years. I'm not the goalie guy, so I can't take any credit there. But Lucas is also another fantastic kid, obviously, both great hockey players, but more importantly, they're. They're fantastic people.
[00:11:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:54] Speaker A: What.
[00:11:54] Speaker B: What responsibilities are you going to have? Me? I can talk with Josh. You say you're going to be work with the PK. Is that correct?
[00:12:02] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. It seems like I'll be doing most of. Mostly work with the D. We're closely with the D, and then we'll be doing some PK stuff. I know Josh is. He's got a fantastic approach to SPK and how he likes it to go, and so he's gonna. He's gonna teach me, and, you know, hopefully I've got some knowledge in that background from. From coming from Lincoln and at Elmira, too. So I'm excited to learn his tactics and the way he wants to do things, but I would say, yeah, working with the dean, working with the PK. And then. And then obviously, recruiting is an all hands on deck situation, so.
[00:12:33] Speaker B: Well, Mike, appreciate a few minutes. Welcome back to New York State. Welcome to Union College. You'll probably get sick of seeing me over there at the rake for games and practices, but looking forward to meeting you in person once you get settled in and we'll have some fun.
[00:12:51] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. Look forward to having. Grab my bike with you, some lunch. I apologize if I'm short of breath here.
[00:12:56] Speaker B: Don't worry about it.
[00:12:57] Speaker A: Just in the middle unpacking my car. So a little bit of a surprise, but a great surprise. So thank you, Paul. I can't wait to meet you in person.
[00:13:05] Speaker B: I appreciate it again, Mike, and thanks and enjoy Vegas with the NHL draft this week.
[00:13:10] Speaker A: Thank you very much. Have a good day.
[00:13:12] Speaker B: All right, that's Mike. Take care, Mike. That's Mike Zanella. I'll be back. We'll have to talk Kirk down, a former RPI player, now the head coach of the Wilkes Barry Scranton Penguins in the AHL. We'll talk to him in a few minutes. Here on the parting shots podcast, where.
[00:13:38] Speaker C: Do my friends and other students find their voice?
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Hi, this is Union College men's hockey head coach Josh Hojie. You're listening to the parting shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott.
[00:14:42] Speaker B: Welcome back to the podcast. We continue our hockey talk here on the parting shots podcast. Kirk McDonald's my next guest. And Kirk played at RPI, and as I said in the open, he overcame testicular cancer while he was with the engineers. And he broke into the coaching ranks with RPI as a volunteer assistant because we had him on earlier this year to get his thoughts and memories of the infamous postgame brawl in the Capital District mayor's Cup game in 2014.
So it was good to catch up with him. That was good to catch up with it. Now, talking about taking over the Wilkes Barry Scranton Penguins, Kirk had been coaching in the US HL with a Dubuque Fighting Saints the last couple of years. And Kirk's no stranger to Pennsylvania. He had been a coach at the, with the Redding Royals and the ECHL for several years. So here's my conversation with Kirk McDonald, the new head coach of the Wilkes Barry Scranton Penguins.
Well, Kirk, I appreciate a few minutes and congratulations on the new job as the head coach of the Wilkes Barry Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League. How excited are you for this?
[00:15:49] Speaker D: Yeah, thrilled. Obviously it was, it's always, you know, it's a goal to move up the ladder and, you know, to get with an organization like Pittsburgh and you're obviously really excited and I think probably share a lot of the same values with regards to player development. I'm really excited to get going and.
Yeah, I can't wait.
[00:16:14] Speaker B: Yeah, you spent the last couple of years in the USA, Joe, at the Dubuque Fighting Saints, and of course spent some time in Redding coaching there. Between being assistant and the head coach there, you're going back to the pros. What's the difference coaching at this level compared to coaching in Dubuque with junior hockey?
[00:16:33] Speaker D: Yeah, just, I think you're probably at the junior level a little. There's times where you're babysitting and, you know, you're making sure they are where they need to be and you're on the road and you make sure they're at their meals and all that kind of stuff where I think there's a little bit more independence away from the rink at the professional level. But that being said, I think from the on ice and how, you know, I want to do things from a development standpoint, there's a, there's a lot more similarities than people think from that aspect. So kind of try and take a lot of the stuff from Redding and how you deal with adults and a lot of the, you know, practice and player development stuff that we didn't dubuque and bring that as well.
[00:17:13] Speaker B: Of course, a lot of that. Also, what the Pittsburgh is going to ask you to do certain things with certain players mean. What's that? I mean, obviously everybody wants to win, but there are goals that the organizations want to accomplish in the minor leagues. What, what does Pittsburgh told you that they want you to do there, down there in Wilkes, Barry?
[00:17:30] Speaker D: Yeah, I think, you know, you want to have a plan for every player and how, how you want to develop them. And at the end of the day, really the goal is to try and win a Stanley cup for the Pittsburgh Penguins and that.
But, you know, I think you want to win games in the American League like winning and player development aren't mutually exclusive things. And I think if you're doing things right, you're going to win and you should be able to win with your prospects and young guys.
And I think that that's, again, something that we share the same philosophy about.
We're, we're going to do our best to do that.
[00:18:06] Speaker B: Of course, we're taping this the day after the Hershey Bears won their second straight Calder cup title. You look down the road down there on Interstate 81 and you see what Hershey's done the last couple of years and is that what something, what Pittsburgh like to have happen in Wilkes Barry?
[00:18:21] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm sure, you know, we're not going to go try and win a championship with a bunch of old guys. You know, we want to, like I said, we want to develop players and develop players from Pittsburgh. And, you know, I think you said you need the right veteran guys at the American League level that are going to help your young guys along will, like I said, also help you win. And, you know, I think it's important to, you know, put your young players in a position to succeed and put them in a position where they can play meaningful hockey and not have to play a back seat all the time to maybe some veteran guys. So again, you want to.
I think everybody's goal is to try and win a championship. The approach may be different at the american league level, but like I said, I think he needs.
You want you're trying to do both. You're trying to develop players for the NHL and trying to win hockey games.
[00:19:16] Speaker B: What attracted you to the job?
[00:19:19] Speaker D: Yeah, I mean, obviously to work in the American League, be one step away from the NHL and, you know, probably the second best league in the world, just the way, you know, it's a great organization. Traditionally, they've always done a great job. You know, what Kyle did at Pittsburgh and now Jason Spetz is running the assistant GM. And I think, number one, they're good people and you want to work for good people. And then I think a lot of the philosophies on player development, I think we share a lot of the same philosophies, you know, and want to do things the right way, like you said, and have a plan and develop people and develop players and, and get them to the next level where you're going to help Pittsburgh hopefully win a Stanley cup.
[00:20:07] Speaker B: You know, the last couple years, Pittsburgh has missed the playoffs. I mean, what is that on the team's mind, the organization's mind, as they head into the the draft, which comes up later this week and also getting ready for the season.
[00:20:21] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm sure it is. I think that's probably out of my pay grade right now, to be honest. I've kind of. It's been a whirlwind since last week, getting the job and trying to just focus on getting settled with everybody and the staff in Wilkes.
[00:20:33] Speaker B: Barry, you're going back to Pennsylvania.
Obviously, you have some. Probably some friends down in reading. How good is it to be back in the keystone state?
[00:20:43] Speaker D: Yeah, it'd be great to get back to Pa. My wife's originally from New Jersey, so it's now. It's a quick drive to her family. And, you know, we loved our time in Dubuque, but house, it's. It's going to be a lot easier having some family support nearby.
[00:21:00] Speaker B: Yeah, of course, I'm in from Philadelphia, so I know that area very well. So that's a great. It's a great hockey. I mean, I know Wilkes. Barry's had almost, like, over 20 years of hockey down there. I remember when they were first talking about, I almost got a job down there covering the team for one of the papers down there, but it seems like they're really the hockey in that area. Yeah, Hershey's been around for a long time, and obviously we see what's going on in the Lehigh Valley downtown area with the phantom. So how good is hockey right now in the state of Pennsylvania?
[00:21:31] Speaker D: Yeah, I think it's awesome. Like, obviously, there's some pretty big rivalries, you know, even at the american league level with Lehigh, Wilkes and Hershey, the three of them, and, you know, I think that's. It's awesome. Like, it's great for everybody. I think there's a lot of you look at it and, you know, we're all like, us and Wilkes or Wilkes and Pittsburgh, we're close. Like, I think that's so important to feel part of the organization, too. And you see all this stuff and having teams, minor league affiliates nearby. I think. I think it's awesome. Like, develop some.
Develop some rivalries at the american league level where be high and Wilkes are kind of like an hour apart, and. And I think we're 90 minutes from Hershey. Like, it's.
It creates. It creates a competitive environment, I think, in a positive way for the fans and the players and the staff. Like, you want to play meaningful hockey games. Like, I think a little dislike is. Is always good. It's good for the game and, you know, like, it's. It's exciting. Like, I've been to enough Lehigh games over the years. Being within Redding and, and watching Wilks from the other side of it. Excited to be on the good side now.
[00:22:45] Speaker B: Well, Kirk, good luck with the new job. And I mean, I hate to say if you're a heartbeat away from being the head coach the Pittsburgh Penguins, I mean, if things get all cover up there, I mean, are you ready to handle that?
[00:22:56] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:22:57] Speaker D: Yeah, I don't know what that. We're just gonna focus on the task.
[00:23:00] Speaker B: Of hand right now. Well, Kirk, appreciate a few minutes and good luck down there.
[00:23:04] Speaker D: Thank you very much.
[00:23:08] Speaker B: We're not done talking hockey yet. Rennie Larue, who runs the New York State Hockey hall of Fame, will be on next to talk about who's getting inducted into the class, which will take place Saturday, July 13 over in Troy. You're listening to the parting shots podcast.
[00:23:39] Speaker E: If you really want to know what's going on in your community, you have to read the Daily Gazette. We don't take a side. We're right down the middle, and we're going to get to the truth. Our reporters and photographers are out in the field bringing you updates every minute with trust, accuracy, and integrity from the past first page to the last page. Independent, probing journalism. We're finding out what's going on in the community where nobody else is covering. It's who we are. It's what we do.
[00:24:10] Speaker C: Hi, this is union college men's hockey head coach Josh Hojie. You're listening to the parting Shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott.
[00:24:19] Speaker B: Welcome back to the podcast. And we're still talking hockey here on the Parting Shots podcast. And coming up on Saturday, July 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy, is the third annual New York State Hockey hall of Fame induction ceremonies. And we got a great class coming in. And to talk about that is Rennie LaRue runs the hall of Fame there. And Rennie, appreciate a few minutes talking about this. Let's talk about this. Talk about who's getting inducted into the hall of Fame on July 13.
[00:24:47] Speaker F: We're really happy. It's a, it's a great representation of a class.
[00:24:52] Speaker D: This year.
[00:24:53] Speaker F: The headliners are, you know, one of the best announcers ever, Sam Rosen, longest tenured announcer, currently in the NHL.
Real good guy, real thrilled. After we had Stan Fisher last year. We're lucky to get Sam this year. So happy about that.
Dennis Poppin, one of the top defensemen of all time, four times Stanley cup winner with the Islanders, is coming in.
[00:25:17] Speaker B: Don't remind me.
[00:25:21] Speaker F: And he. We had a long talk the other night, and he told me how good Kenny Morrow really was.
Kenny didn't get as much of the publicity, but he was a steady defender, and he was the perfect compliment for Ken or for Dennis rather.
And then Eddie Westball was their first pick and first draft pick from the expansion draft, scored their first goal and went on to a great career. Also in the broadcast booth, you know, Eddie Westfall played with Bobby or, and was on the ice when he scored that flying goal to win a Stanley cup. So really happy Eddie Westball's coming. And then, you know, really thrilled about Mike Ruzioni coming with his teammate Kenny Morrow. You know, Mike scored the game winner against Russia.
Ten minutes left in third period. And it was a beautiful goal. Skating left to right and he's left handed. Took a nice screenshot, screened the goalie's own guy, and a beautiful shot. And Mike's. Mike's been a guy that one of the greatest hockey stories told, you know, one of the greatest games ever played. So having Rizzo in town is going to be exciting.
We've got a couple women coming. Courtney Burke from Albany played her collegiate fall, Wisconsin from Mark Johnson.
And then we have Lindsey LaSalla from Potsdam, who played at St. Lawrence, both top notch women players.
Then we have Howard Dolgen, who owns the Syracuse crunch farm team of the Tampa Bay Lightning. And Howard's really put life into Syracuse in hockey. And Syracuse, a wonderful guy.
They were in the playoffs this year. Had a great season.
Really glad he's the first owner we've inducted, actually. Tampa Bay is coming up to honor him on the Lightning. So happy about that. And we have two legendary college coaches.
Bill Beaney won eight national NCAA championships with middlebury and really a great track record of success.
Legendary guy. And Mark Taylor won his second NCAA championship this year with Hobart. William Smith. So really glad for Mark to come up.
Clarkson has their annual representation with Steve War.
He was the first NHL draft pick, and war was from Potsdam also. And a really great player. So glad for. For the continual relationship with Clarkson.
Then we have a couple other guys that are Syracuse related, Syracuse area guys. Don Kiernan, federal prospects hockey League, longtime hockey guy in Syracuse. And Scotty. Scotty Montana is a guy who has been around Cherokee Saki for a long time. The last inductee is Frank Kalabupo, who's won his 500th game this year, West Genesee High School in the Syracuse area. So that runs out a really good class.
[00:28:39] Speaker B: Yeah, it sounds like an exciting time. A couple more some more islanders involved. I knew Bob Nyserd was in the first class two years ago last year, John Tenelli, really, there's a big connection with, with the Islanders there. I mean, Dennis Baffin coming in and Kenny Morrow, Eddie Westfall, of course. Eddie also had a great broadcasting career with the Islanders, working with Jake McDonald on a sports channel in New York back in the day. What is it about the Islanders that, you know, I mean, how important was that cup, those cup runs in, in the eighties? I mean, for the, for the team in the organization, and they were the team in New York over the Rangers at that time.
[00:29:19] Speaker F: They were, I mean, four consecutive Stanley Cups. And, you know, the more I get inside that team, you know, I'm 68 now, so I was in my twenties when they won those cups. And, I mean, bossy was a star, Trachea was a star, Dennis was a star. But a lot of guys were role players, like Nystrom, like Clark Gillies, Bob Blorn, Kenny Morrow. They had a lot of real tough hockey players that were really good. I always kid hockey people when I asked them, you know, why do teams, you know, dump the puck in willfully giving away possession? And when I asked Nystrom that question one day, he started laughing, and he goes, we had John Canally. He goes, anytime buck went in the corner, Tenelli came out with it. So he goes, we. As long as we had Tenelle on the ice, we knew he was coming out with a buck.
[00:30:12] Speaker B: Of course. Good.
[00:30:14] Speaker F: Those four cups are. I mean, other than the Canadians and Edmonton, those were the three dynasties in hockey history.
Those guys are all.
They're excited about coming. They've been excited about coming. Butch Goring, Patti Lafontaine. They all really embraced us, all fame. They really want to come, you know.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: Yeah. I should have mentioned both Butch and Pat. They were in that first class as well. I mean, I'm Phil, you know, I'm Philadelphia. I'm a big flyers fan, and I'm still bitter to this day about the Leon stickle missed off cycle in game six in the 80. But I, but there's always this, there's.
People seem to think that the game winning goal, the overtime game winning goal by nice was the offside. I keep telling people no, and I told Bob Nystrom that. I told John Tonelli that that wasn't the goal. It was, was the first period goal that Leon stick em with. But there's some people out there. No, they're generally in nice. They weren't my only complaint about that goal. Pete Peters didn't make much of an effort to get this blocker out there.
[00:31:14] Speaker F: That's right. That's correct.
[00:31:17] Speaker B: But, but I just also admit the Flyers were team in transition at that time because Pacquiao was in his first full year as the head coach and they got that 35 game unbeaten streak to start the season, which put them in position to finish first back then. And, but the hours coming and just, it was a matter of time. They, they had some, some bitterly disappointing losses in the plays, including in 79 to the Rangers in the semifinals that, that year. I mean, this, I think they were all notice in 80, if they didn't win the cup, there was going to be changes there and ended up winning the cup and they ended up winning three more after that and getting to the finals in 85 against Edmonton. So that, which was, and I think you and I think we'll never see that again. I think what Tampa Bay did here in 20, in the 2020s, they win a cup in Covid. They won a shortened season coming out of COVID and they get to the finals in the next year and lose a Colorado. To me that you're not, that's the kind of run, I think Tampa Bay, when we look back on it, that was an incredible one. But what the outers did, winning four in a row, we'll never see that again.
[00:32:25] Speaker F: No, no, the other, the other good news is it's not official yet, but it appears as though the home of the New York State Hockey hall of Fame is going to be in UBS arena, home of the Islanders.
[00:32:41] Speaker B: Oh, that's good. That's good.
[00:32:42] Speaker F: Yeah, I've talked to the owner of the team, John Ledecky, and we're going over details on, on shape and form, but the invitation has been extended and I think it's going to happen.
[00:32:55] Speaker B: No, that's, that's, that's great to hear. Of course, you mentioned Mike Urusione. I mean, it's still, his goal still resonates, you know, over 40, over 40 years after the, after the fact. And what is it like to have him be in this class?
[00:33:14] Speaker F: You know, I was working for Xerox Corporation, like blasted 1980 handling the games. And that whole period of time the year before, up, leading up to the games, there was magic in the air, it was magic in the village, magic in the building. There was a sense of something that was going to happen. And when Mike was named captain, he was the right guy for that because those guys, Kent today, 44 years later, are still brothers. They still talk all the time, email all the time. Text all the time, call each other all the time. They're very close. And, you know, we, we were talking last week and Mike told me, you know, he was really happy I put Mark Wells in the first class, who just passed away a month or so ago.
He told me how good wells he was, you know, tough player, you know, and so Mike, Mike was the right guy in the right place at the right time. And he, the other thing that I'm so proud of him, when they won the gold medal, when they received the medals, he called every player up on the podium, which was a great moment, you know, just a great moment. He's a gentleman. You know, he's still in hockey. He speaks around the country virtually every week of the year, and he's just a symbol of success and simple and hockey greatness.
[00:34:35] Speaker B: And it's amazing to me that, I mean, he could have maybe had a career in the NHL, but he decided what could, what could top that by winning the gold medal? I mean, he hung up his skates after that.
[00:34:46] Speaker F: That's correct. And he could have. He could have for sure.
But, you know, I think he did what was best for him. And, you know, he's been at BU, in the department there a long time. He's close with their hockey program. He has eight grandchildren.
[00:35:02] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:35:03] Speaker F: He's actually active family man. Still owes him. Brockton, Mass.
I'm really, you know, we had wanted him. It's hard to get him. You know, that was, he actually picked the day of the event this year. So you actually thrilled he's coming.
[00:35:18] Speaker B: That's great. That's great to see. So where people can get tickets for.
[00:35:22] Speaker F: This, they are $150 a ticket and they can email me at
[email protected] again.
[email protected] or they can buy one, buy a ticket by using Venmo. And my Venmo address is my name re n e dash larue leroux one.
We do have a limited amount of tickets left. I think we have ten available as.
[00:35:58] Speaker B: Good we will be.
[00:35:59] Speaker F: It will be sold out again.
[00:36:00] Speaker B: That's great. That's great. So, I mean, I hope when I get a chance to get over there, you know, talk to some of the players and I've had fun the last couple of years there and it's a blast. And talking hockey in the middle of summer and should be a fun event on July 13.
[00:36:17] Speaker F: Absolutely. Look forward to seeing.
[00:36:19] Speaker B: All right, Ronnie, appreciate a few minutes.
[00:36:21] Speaker F: Thanks.
[00:36:22] Speaker B: All right, that's Benny Larew coming up. We're going to talk about the life and times of the great Willie Mays with Damon Bruce, San Francisco sports talk show host and not a bishop giving graduate, you're listening to the parting shots podcast.
[00:37:11] Speaker G: We are the NFHs that stands for the National Federation of State High School associations.
But really what we stand for, together with NISFA are the 369,000 high school sports students in New York.
And so we stand, we stand for the runners, soccer and basketball players. We stand for their coaches, administrators and officials. We stand for the swimmers, football players and wrestlers. We stand for the golfers, softball and volleyball players. We stand as the national leader and advocate for high school athletics and all who participate in them and make them possible because it is our purpose to ensure that high school students get to play, perform and compete together.
To learn more about who we are and what we stand for, visit nfhs.org.
[00:38:10] Speaker C: Hey, everybody, this is Freddie Coleman of ESPN Radios. Freddie and Harry, three p to 07:00 p.m. eastern time Monday through Friday. You're listening to the party Shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schad.
[00:38:20] Speaker B: Welcome back to the podcast. The baseball world continues to mourn the passing of the great Willie Mays last Wednesday at the age of 93. And our man in San Francisco, the great talk show host out there and the proud, the proud graduate of Notre Dame, Bishop Gibbons High School, is joining me here. Damon. Bruce Damon, welcome back to the podcast. And unfortunately, under some tough circumstances, what is the reaction been like to Willie's passing?
[00:38:48] Speaker C: Well, Ken, thanks so much for having me on. Always good to talk to you. Was a thunderbolt in San Francisco. That was a tough one that, that weighed heavy.
Willie Mays is not only synonymous with baseball and the Giants and San Francisco in so many ways, he has direct ties back to New York, direct ties back to the negro leagues and. Right. And he was about to be honored with that Rickwood field game. He made the announcement that he was not going to be making the game, which is the first time I thought, well, gosh, you know, he is 93, because our mortals in sports feel immortal. And then all of a sudden, you know, John Miller's making the announcement during a broadcast when the Giants were at Wrigley Field and it was Willie Mays has just passed away. I have a four year old and a two year old, and I think the boys even felt the gravity in the room change. My wife immediately started texting people. She grew up in San Francisco. She's from San Francisco. This is, this was a huge one. It's Willie Mays he's synonymous with America. So it was, it was, it was a tremendous outpouring when it happened. And obviously the statue's been turned into a memorial and all the tributes and all the players just were all number 24. Here's a little trivia question for you, Ken.
Name the San Francisco Giants who have hit home runs wearing number 24.
The answer is now Matt Chapman, Nica Med and Willie Mays, because the entire Giants ward number 24. And they hit a couple home runs last night. So Nick Ahmed and Matt Chapman and Willie Mays hit home runs wearing number 24 for the San Francisco Giants.
[00:40:35] Speaker B: What was it like Monday night there at San Francisco, at the game?
[00:40:39] Speaker C: Oh, of course, it was emotional. You know, the park is asked to fill, you know, everyone be in your seats a little early tonight. And the entire city really was, you know, it was. The Giants have always handled ceremony very well, Ken. You know, they're the New York Yankees of pregame ceremony. They really are. They're fantastic at it. And the Giants had several days to prepare for it because again, they were on the road. They did the Rickwood field game, then they went to St. Louis. And so they had a few days to get ready for it. Of course, they pulled it off without a hitch. There's, you know, Willie Mays lived a life that has had outpourings from every single sector of our world, much less the world of sports. So he, he meant an awful lot to an awful lot of people. And look, I'm, you know, Willie Mays retired two years before I was born.
I wish that MLB network would show us as much Willie Mays footage as humanly possible. Like I'd be interested in watching that because sepia tone memories of a generation lost usually is not enough for me to believe anyone's the best player. You open up the numbers, you look at it. You open up the stories that I've heard from the people who I respect, who have told them I've heard that. And look, I've said this. 50 million grandfathers from the most stubborn generation ever who could all agree on nothing, all agreed that Willie Mays was the greatest baseball player they ever saw. So he, he obviously meant a lot to a generation and a lot to the history of the sport. And saying goodbye is, it was, it's tough to do in San Francisco. It really was.
[00:42:17] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, you mentioned the announcement Willie gave on Tuesday.
They say he wouldn't be able to go to the game, but he'd be watching. And that's why I think it was all the more shocking. When we found out Wednesday he passed away because had he been ill for a while? Was that ever discussing that? Just like I said, just, you know, one day say he's not going to be able to watch the game, go to Birmingham for the game, but I'll watch it. Next minute we're writing about his obituary.
[00:42:44] Speaker C: Who knows what those closest to him knew. You know, I, but I can tell you from a public standpoint, from a, someone who is around the franchise standpoint, there was not even an inkling that Willie recently had had a headache.
There was, there was no indication that anything was going south. I mean, at all times. Look, when you're 93 years old, something could obviously happen at any time. You can't, you know, a lot of people get much older than 93, so that means you're close to the end at all times, I guess, anyways.
But there was no inkling at all that Willie Mays was even under the weather or had sniffled in any indications that his, his life style or ability or mobility had changed at all, that no one, no one had any idea.
And then it was just, yeah, it was, it went from, oh, isn't that too bad that Willie can't be there to, oh, my gosh, he's gone.
[00:43:47] Speaker B: Yeah, I was just, I was down in Philly on vacation visiting my mom, and I saw the alerts come across. And, I mean, I, being a sports leader, I had a text my guys up here and say, make sure we get that in. It was, hopefully get it before our early deadline. So it was like, it was kind of just a, I can't imagine. It was a chaotic situation for a lot of newspapers around the country, at least on the east coast, it probably didn't have time to get it in. But what has, what was it like, the coverage out there in San Francisco with, with his passing?
[00:44:21] Speaker C: Oh, it turned into round the clock coverage. I mean, I don't think there was a local newscast. I don't think there was a, I don't think there was a conversation in the city that it didn't happen in. I mean, you know, Willie Mays was synonymous with just life in San Francisco. He, he was a part of the tapestry of the entire city. It's the Golden Gate Bridge. It's Alcatraz, it's Willie Mays.
It's, you know, so it, like I said, it hit the city like a thunderbolt. Not a lot of things all of San Francisco agrees on.
We are a very complicated, diverse, interesting city, to say the least. Willie Mays was revered by everyone, every neighborhood at all times.
And, you know, he. Again, there's just. It's Willie Mays. Yeah, Willie. I mean, I've said, I've always, you know, I've been talking a lot about this. Had his last name been, you know, Smith, none of this works as beautifully as it does because his name was Willie Mays. I mean, it's just there's something about the sing song nature of his name and the poetry and artistry of baseball, and he hearkens back to, you know, the Rockwellian, Norman Rockwell age of americana and baseball. And these are people's most precious baseball memories. And how about this, Ken? Many years ago, I was having a drink at a bar with a buddy of mine, and this was like, ten years before. I am. I'm a 49 year old man now, and now I officially feel old. Okay.
[00:45:59] Speaker B: Wait till you get to 60, right.
[00:46:01] Speaker C: I will. I'm sure it gets worse. Thank you. I'm sure it gets worse. So this was like when I was 39, you know, I'm on the edge of 40, much less now on the edge of 50, and I'm having a beer with my buddy, and we were talking about mortality, whatever.
And, you know, I was like, you feel old, pal? And he's like, no, not yet. But I do know the day that I'm gonna feel old for sure, I said, whoa, what's that? Because the day that Michael Jordan dies, I'll feel old.
Because Jordan was his generation's Willie Mays. But in another sport, it really was, you know, all of our, you know, I'm a 14 year old kid. Jordan's at his peak. That's my biggest, most precious sports memories right there. And so I agreed. I'm like, wow, when that happened, I think, you know, yes, I will definitely feel extra old that day, too. What a perfect answer that is. And I think that's what just happened with Willie Mays. For a lot of people, the day Willie Mays died is a day a getting older generation officially felt like it was getting older. It was a. It was a. You'll remember that in life. You know, it's. It's. It's a moment you'll. You'll never forget where you were when you sort of heard that news for the first time. And there's, you know, thankfully, there's not a lot of events like that, but when they happen, they stand out, and that was certainly one.
[00:47:18] Speaker B: Do you think major league Baseball should retire number 24 throughout the game?
[00:47:24] Speaker C: Would it hurt anyone? Would it bother anyone if that happened? I think the answer is no. That's the kind of respect that Willie Mays garnered. But before I would even do that, I like the idea of baseball updating its silhouette logo. But instead of using imaginary, just baseball silhouette logo, change it to Willie Mays silhouette. I really like that. I don't think it. Here's the thing. People are like, should they change the name of the park? Look, the park's address is 24 Willie Mays Plaza. I've seen that ballpark's name changed three times. Ken, they're never going to change the address. His number is retired.
I think that if you want to reserve the league wide retirement as just a singular honor that Jackie Robinson earned, I'd be cool with that, too. You know, Jackie reserves that respect. He does. So I bet you Willie Mays would tell you, nah, you don't have to retire 24 like that. That's the thing. Willie needs no more accolades. He died with universal admiration and respect. And you really can't do much more than that without it being performative.
[00:48:33] Speaker B: Damon Bruce joining us here as we talk about Willie Maze on the parting shots podcast. Willie hit 660 career home runs. And he probably could have had more, but, you know, playing in Candlestick park, with the way the winds were blowing at that facility, he had to change his batting stroke and really became more of an opposite field hitter in that ballpark.
[00:48:53] Speaker C: He lost years to war, right? You know, he lost years in the prime of his career to service in the United States military.
But for that and everything you just said about how candlestick was not a friendly park to hit and never was. Never, you know, can't be. It's torn down now. But it was. It was brutal in there. Swirling winds everywhere. And you're right, the man's numbers were absolutely depressed by, you know, home runs blown down and stiff winds and years lost to service in the United States military, Willie Mays probably could have been the all time everything in all categories. And that is part of, again, the myth and the legend and why the memories are romantic about Willie Maze.
[00:49:42] Speaker B: They had some great teams in the sixties, but only one World Series appearance. I mean, that had to be. I mean, did he ever talk about not winning more than one World Series? Yeah, they won. He won one when they were the New York Giants in 54. But, you know, 1962, they faced the Yankees and lost. He was on base when Willie McCovey lined out in game seven. And they never got back to the World Series. They get to the playoffs in 71, lost to the Pirates in the National League championship. Series. Did he ever talk about any regrets about not winning more than one World Series?
[00:50:16] Speaker C: I mean, you'd have to go through the tape. I've never necessarily heard it.
You know, it was such a different culture back then. The man went to 24 all star games. So obviously, whatever reason the team wasn't winning wasn't him.
And, you know, baseball's always been this, you know, the ring culture that we now apply to the NBA, the position of quarterback, and that's about it. We apply like rings, Super bowl rings matter for NBA stars and quarterbacks more than ever before. It's never been a ring culture in baseball because it's oddly always been this, this individual sport wrapped in a team sport. But baseball is an individual sport on so many levels that this, you being solely responsible for a ring. When I think we've all watched enough baseball to know that the stars have to align, it's, you know, World Series are fickle things. And, you know, Willie Mays didn't have to prove anything. Is there anyone who ever won more World Series rings who was a better baseball player than Willie Mays? The answer is no.
So it's. I don't think it came up. I'm going to tell you that I, again, Willie is an old man by the time I'm out here in 2005 covering San Francisco. But one of the coolest days of my life was in Scottsdale, covering, you know, the Giants in early 2007.
You know, if you've been to spring training, you know how casual it can all be. And one day there was a chafing dish of burritos, breakfast burritos. Come on in and grab a breakfast burrito. You're here at five in the morning for early workouts because it all gets going early in Scottsdale because it's going to be a 105 degrees by the time it's 10:00 in the morning. So everyone starts early and it's, I grab a breakfast burrito. I sit down at a table and I look up and I realize the man under the hat is, oh, my gosh, that's Willie Mays. And I've really, I've seen him, of course, he's around the team in the clubhouse, bonds his home run chase and everything that was going on.
But here I am, I'm sitting at a table with Willie Mays, and I strike up a conversation. I don't even remember what I said. I'm sure it didn't matter, but he was an kind, fantastic interaction. And in my entire life, Ken, I never got up to run and call my dad to let him know that I had just talked to someone that I know that would have meant a lot to, you know, dad, I just had a breakfast burrito with Willie Mays. He's like, no. Yes. I mean, so, you know, I, you know, what was I going to do around Willie Mays? I never. I never went up to him to bother him, but he was around the team, and I got to be in, you know, occupy the same room as him is a long, you know, for a decent amount of seasons, when I was definitely in that clubhouse covering the team on a day to day basis, because I was the new young guy at the station that was the flagship of the Giants. So, you know, I. I've never seen Willie Mays treat anyone without a touch of grace in my entire life. He was graceful to every single interaction I've ever seen him have. Never stubborn. And again, you become a legend when you touch all the bases. And Willie Mays really did in his career and in his life.
[00:53:23] Speaker B: An amazing career. Amazing life. As you said.
Speaking of baseball out in the Bay area, your favorite target, the Oakland A's. What's going on there?
[00:53:32] Speaker C: Just what a crying shame that the world's worst billionaire, awful owner in the history of Major League baseball owns the Oakland Days. It's a shame that the commissioner and the rest of the owners were spineless to take baseball from Oakland again. It was intentionally sabotaged. Look, Oakland's got not just as many, but probably more big problems than most cities have. But the A's were specifically and intentionally destroyed by intent through every conceivable business move and transaction that wasn't made on a baseball field, that a lot of people were Okie doked in real time. But you go back and connect the dots to everything and look at the horrific level of ownership that John Fisher has provided. He should have been stripped of it. He should have been stripped of Major Liz. Men's not fit to own a major league outfit.
It's a shame that owners don't do anything other than keep the circle of billionaires tight. I think there are enough billionaires where you don't need a flaming douchebag, unaccomplished billionaire with zero political pull and is an ongoing paper billionaire. Only like Major League Baseball has seen John Fisher ruin a major league market in Oakland. And if he is seeded, Las Vegas, there's still a 50% chance it doesn't even happen. Ken, I'm telling you right now, there's nothing that this guy can't screw up.
[00:54:56] Speaker B: It doesn't sound like Vegas wants him.
[00:54:59] Speaker C: So why would you? Yeah, because you're assured to be in a major league expansion city one day. Why would you ever let this snake oil salesman, charlatan scam of a businessman who does not have deep pockets for a guy who walks around under the moniker of billionaire. Billionaire. He's a billionaire, but he's not a real billionaire liquid, you know? So he sucks. He just absolutely sucks. And it sucks that he won't sell or be stripped of it. And it's a shame that he exists as a human being. Like, that's as much as I'm going to give you on John Fisher. Screw that.
[00:55:38] Speaker B: I find it kind of weird that they're going to play in Sacramento temporarily. That's the Giants minor league team. So how does that work?
[00:55:46] Speaker C: So it works because the city of Sacramento is being assisted by Vivek Renadive.
And I think that Sacramento knows that John Fisher is incompetent enough to this is their swoop in job and see if they can't just get the a's land the a's and somehow keep the a's.
I think Vivek Ren, who does own the Sacramento Kings, is a real billionaire, capital b billionaire, who is more business savvy and sees a limping Tommy Gazelle in John Fisher and will somehow pry this away from him while Vegas. Look at it this way. If you're moving to Las Vegas and you're willing to play in a minor league ballpark, well, then go take over the minor league ballpark that the Las Vegas A's play in.
There's a minor league ballpark in Las Vegas. So why not send them? You know, why not take over that park? And their whole point is like, well, you know, you don't want to play what, out in the Las Vegas heat? You're the assholes moving to Vegas. You don't get to say that. So I just think that the whole thing is. Is ridiculous. I think the money is funny money. I think the paperwork and the Fisher, the John Fisher math never adds up. And the closer Las Vegas gets to handing him the bill, the more that they see this. So again, until there's a shovel in the ground somewhere, da's haven't left Oakland. Let's see if they make it up to Sacramento. I know that there's a deal. I know everything's stupid in Oakland right now, but it's just ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous. It's so unbecoming of a major league franchise. I can't believe that this is being allowed to happen.
[00:57:35] Speaker B: Let me throw this out there. What if they were able to say, we're going to fund to build a stadium, knock down the colosseum? Why couldn't the yays play at the Giants home for a couple of years until the stadium was built?
[00:57:48] Speaker C: I think that absolutely a deal would have been struck and met, and it could have happened. It couldn't happen. But of course, the Giants aren't going to do anything to help their competition stay in town. Right. But the A's had a pretty good plan for Howard Terminal, which was close to happening. And the closer that it got to happening, the quicker. All of a sudden, they said that they were moving their timeline to Las Vegas, and you can see that that is accelerating just as fast as any stadium idea. Ken, if I had a dollar for every stadium rendering over the last 20 years of being out here at the ace, this is about to be the A's new ballpark. Look at this one.
[00:58:24] Speaker D: Look at this one.
[00:58:25] Speaker B: Look at this.
[00:58:25] Speaker C: Nothing ever happened. So until it happens, I don't believe anything happens.
[00:58:29] Speaker B: I'll wrap things up. We're four months past the 49 ers losing the Super bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs.
What are your thoughts on that game? They seem that 49 seemed in control and they blew it in overtime.
[00:58:43] Speaker C: Kyle Shanahan says that, you know, he. He made the right decision to take that. He didn't. He got scared at the wrong. He kicked the field goal at the wrong time. He chose receive when he should have kicked. He left Patrick Mahomes chance to beat you at the end of the game. And every team that does that loses the game. And, yeah, Kyle did get scared, I thought, and misplayed that overtime, but winning Super Bowls, it's not an easy job. The Kansas City Chiefs are historically good. I don't want to make any excuses, but the 49 ers, as we're talking right now, are favored to win every single game that is on their schedule this year. They got a really good team. They're well built. They're ready to go. I hope Brandon Ick's contract gets settled up.
[00:59:29] Speaker F: They're.
[00:59:30] Speaker C: They're well constructed. They are. I think Brock Purdy is ascending. I think Kyle is learning from all his mistakes. And by the way, learning on the fly. He's already won eight playoff games. This guy is, you know, he wins a lot of playoff games for a guy who can't win the big one. So that means, I really think it's a matter of time. This is their last best chance under the way this team is built right now because of just the way the salary cap works. Brock Purdy is going to make a million dollars this year. He's going to get a.
He's going to be making $60 million next year. I mean, he's going to. He's going to get a $59 million raise, which is going to make keeping the depth of Pro Bowlers that the 49 ers have on this team harder to do. They're as loaded as you're basically allowed to get in the NFL, and it's time to win a Super bowl. That's it. The burden is heavy. Win a Super bowl. The only thing Kyle Shanahan is guilty of is not winning a Super bowl. In all other ways, he should be regarded as an elite head coach. I think there's Andy Reid, who gets to wear the crown since he actually has the physical crown. And his long career, Kyle Shanahan has done everything but beat Andy Reid to win a Super bowl. And that, that's weighed heavily on him. I know it. The pressure of just chasing your own dad's reputation, Mike Shanahan, I think. I think that weighs on him. Kyle has aged like a president in his eight years as 49 ers head coach.
And the pressure is nothing short of win the Super bowl in 2024. That's the mandate. Go do it.
[01:01:04] Speaker B: Here's a chance to promote your show. Go ahead.
[01:01:07] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh. If anyone is interested, upstate New York, my friends, my former family, I grew up in Schenectady. My God, give me a subscribe to Damon Bruce plus on YouTube. I certainly would appreciate it. We mean an awful lot. Whether you like the 49 ers. It's.
I think it's. I think it's good. It's more than just the 49 ers. I'm not just a 49 eR guy. So go ahead. Subscribe to Damon Bruce plus the podcast. It would mean an awful lot from one upstate New Yorker to another. And Ken, as always, thank you so much for having me on. It's great talking to you.
[01:01:42] Speaker B: Damon's always great talking to you, and I enjoy our conversations and we'll talk soon.
[01:01:47] Speaker C: Thank you very much, much. Take care.
[01:01:49] Speaker B: All right, that's David Bruce. We'll be back to wrap up the podcast and have the latest winners in the Daily Gazettes auto racing contest in just a moment.
[01:02:21] Speaker C: Hi, I'm Rick Marshall from the Daily Gazette's martial arts podcast. In each episode, I interview artists from around the region, from musicians and comedians to dancers, sculptors, even video game designers. After you finish the latest episode of the Parting Shots podcast. I hope you'll give martial arts a try.
Hi, this is Daily Gazette sportswriter Mike McAdam. You're listening to the parting shots podcast with Daily Gazette sports editor Ken Schott.
[01:02:46] Speaker B: Back to wrap up the podcast. The week 17 winner in the Daily Gazettes auto racing contest was Penny Wallace of Schuylerville with 35 points. Penny wins a dollar 50 gift card. Congratulations, Penny. The VIP winner is Scott Lusher of capital land GMC with ten points.
The week 18 winner was Carol Palmer of Howes caveat with 35 points. Carol wins a $50 gift card. And congratulations, Carol. The vip winner is Jerry Peele of Frankensteins with 45 points. I'll announce the auto racing contest winner's name and that winner's name will appear in Saturday's Daily Gazette. To play, go to dailygazette.com and click on the auto racing contest banner.
Just because Covid-19 mandates are easing, that does not mean you should relax. Be vigilant. If you have not gotten vaccinated or received a booster shot, please do so. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, and do it for your friends.
That wraps up another edition of the parting Shots podcast. I want to thank Mike Zanella, Kirk McDonald, Rennie Larew, and Damon Bruce for coming on the show. Next week, union men's head hockey coach Josh Halgey will be on the podcast. We'll talk about the schedule. The new assistant coach, Mike Tunnella, and if he had any interest, take you over at Clark as the head coach there. Of course, he was an assistant under Casey Jones, who's now moving on to Cornell to be the associate coach, and he'll take over when Mike Schaefer retires at the end of the upcoming season.
If you have questions for Josh, you can email them to me at shot. That's schot tailygazette.com. that's also the email address. If you have questions or comments about the podcast, you can follow me on Xbox and threads at slap shots.
The views expressed on the parting Shots podcast are not necessarily those of the Daily Gazette company. The parting shots podcast is a production of the Daily Gazette Company. I'm Daily Gazette sports editor Kenshaw. Thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time from the parting Shots podcast studio. It's connected in New York. Good day with sports.
