chris marler engagement editor for saturdays down south + building brand and being vulnerable over social media

full transcript

auto-generated from the audio, so expect a few typos. the audio is the source of truth.

What's going on podcast listeners? Thank you, thank you, thank you for tuning in to Guidance Counselor 2.0. The point of this podcast is to allow individuals a resource in their careers when they need it the most. We had Guidance Counselors in middle school, we had Guidance Counselors in high school, but yet now in the real world, we don't have anything or any resource to listen to, to turn to, to learn from others. And so that is what this podcast is for. I interview real people who have had real challenges in their career in hopes that you can take a little bit out of it and to apply within your own career.

As always, please rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast. I really want this podcast to become discoverable to others. And so they can use this as a tool. And the only way that happens is if you rate and review it so it climbs the charts. If you need to reach me, all social media handles for me They're at Tdss and Tdss, E-Y-N. I do a ton on Twitter and LinkedIn. And if you need to reach me, the old-fashioned email way, shoot me an email, TaylorD, at vaco.com. Again, I know there's a lot of podcasts out there, and I really appreciate you taking time to listen to Guidance Counselor 2.0.

I hope you enjoy the episode. I'll re-date it. All right, I think it should be there. I think it should be there. All of my life stuff is like me going, is it up? I'm like a mom. I was like, is it up? I don't see it. And I tag you too. I like it really. Oh here we go. Yeah man. Sweet. Yeah dude. Alright so for like the three people who are watching, we haven't even, no one's really watching yet, but for like my mom and your mom, well first off, we've got to talk about that. You're from Lexington, South Carolina. So I'm from Stone Mountain, Georgia.

My mom. Yeah. So my mom is known for a lot of stuff, none of it good. And then my mom is a pastor in Lexington, South Carolina. She moved there. Are we on the cusp? Yeah, sure. Why not? OK. Yeah, I probably shouldn't say that after I'm like, yeah, my mom's a pastor and Lexington, South Carolina. But she moved there in 2003 to go to seminary school. And she's been in elections like 2007. So what church is she at in Lexington? Providence Lutheran Church. So I'm pretty sure. So my parents were in Lexington. I was in Lexington High School. So like it was the creatures.

Oh, wow. And by the way, I've never seen somebody kept their mom out on social media the way you do. That's one way to put it. It's unreal, man. Like I'm a fan of Patty. It's Patty, right? Patty Sue? Yeah, I'm a fan of Patty Sue. Yeah. Yeah. Big fan of Patty Sue. If I'm ever in Lexington again, I'm going to go to her church and say, I mean, she's gone come out. It's pretty awesome. She's like, I, she just, I, pamper out is a strong, strong, I'm afraid of, but she's very strong. She does, I thought I had to do like all this like social media stuff or she'll, she'll post like her, Patty, she's pet socks every day now.

Yeah. And, and so, and she just, she's just such a bright little light in a world that is not always like that. And so I, I do, I do try to give her as much love as possible. Cause she's, she's amazing. I, like, you know, this is not me talking about myself here, but like when I was like, I had to do an ESPN thing a week ago. I'm like, you got to be sick brag. Because Potter does that to you. So it's like, sick brag. But yeah, she got to be on the, they brought her up like immediately. You're mom is a pastor. I was like, is this where I love her?

I'm telling you, man, you can't talk to your mom, right? All right. So now we have some listeners now or followers or viewers. Introduce yourself. I know it's kind of crazy. For those of you who find and follow me, I'm in the tech space trying to help people find a job. Marlar is like, can I call you Marlar? Like I feel like I've known you forever because of your podcast, which is what we're gonna get into, right about brain and hearing yourself to others. But like Marlar does not do that. Marlar's not in software. I don't think that guy will do it all. Exactly. He's really bad.

Right. And so the reason why I got Marlar on is because he's done an amazing job. I think with Saturdays down south and in college football, I'm a big college football fan when South Carolina go Game Cocks. I was at the game where they beat Bama or Al Sean and went off with Garcia. It was at that game. It was unreal, dude. It was crazy. And so but Marlar is part of Saturdays down south. podcast and you'll highlight it. But y'all have done an amazing job from organic perspective of growing and scaling and putting out content in a world where sometimes that is terrifying, especially with what you do.

I'm all positive, right? Find a job, write a resume, do the thing, be great. But you're like, I hate university of Tennessee sometimes. And then like they go all over Twitter, not really. I don't want to obviously cause more pushback. But so I guess give a rundown about you, man, kind of who you are and kind of what you do now. So my name is Chris Marlar. On Twitter, I should put this in the thing. It's a Vern Fun Quiz. I cover college football and I'm the engagement editor for Saturday Night South. So I also do standup comedy. I've done that for about nine years now in Atlanta.

I live in Atlanta now. I grew up a huge fan of fans. It's one of my, I always say this, one of my mini flaws. And I've just always been a very passionate, passionate, college football fan. And then a couple years ago, I just, and we'll just be open about this. I had severely bad ADD, right? Just like crippling ADD. And finally got diagnosed after college, which is not the best time, because I really could have used some meds in college, Mom, if you're listening. Mom? Yeah, so I've always loved college football, and I tried to find an outlet to do stuff that wasn't so crazy all the time, and I started writing.

I just started writing it kind of like calm me down and started covering cultural form like a little blog that I used to do back in the day. And then was like lucky enough, I was like my job at SES, I haven't been with SES since the beginning. I think they came around in like 2010 or something like that. And they did just a phenomenal job with like the branding of a company and sat it on, like the name itself, sat it on, I think it was what I decided about for like SCC football. It brings in this now, like hot and sweaty and like like like like drinking mimosas at 7 a.m.

for new take off games. And two of those three things I think are things that aren't good for branding but yeah other than that it was really good. Yeah just swap ass and mimosas that's what we were going for our entire time. At least to be Saturday's down South Carolina just talk to our honest about listen I had a great conversation came out on new tag line right exactly so but yeah so basically I just got really fortunate and I don't know if you want me to talk about how I, you know, that's the problem. Yeah, absolutely, man. Yeah, I mean, I definitely, I mean, I'm fascinated with kind of what got you here.

So I graduated from college in Milliginal, Georgia and got a degree in general studies, which I always joked around with like a degree in finishing second in Barroom trivia, because it's just like a hot spot, like nothing, it's like just total bullshit. And so like I had a family job lined up in the Bahamas. This is weird. And I was like, so my degree was in PR advertising, Frank Mascom, African American Studies, international management, and then rhetoric. And so then the job fell through my senior semester of college in like March. Like cool guys. Right. So I went to Atlanta, I started working at the place called Houston, there's a became a bar center and server there, jumped around like left for a while, came back and just was a bartender.

And so I had been writing this weekly article called Winning and Boozing where I talked about who's gonna win at the football games and what you should have to tailgate. So it was like, you know, keto's Bloody Mary, or like, you know, but it wouldn't be like keto's vodka, it'd be like the homeless guy keto's because your team's gonna lose and you're gonna grab that bottle of booze and go drink yourself a sleep. So, stuff like that. And so I, 2017, I was like, at the end of my road with Houston's, like it was coming to an end, you could tell pretty quickly. The restaurant industry does that to you.

My dad's been in the restaurant industry for 25 years. That's good for him. And that is tough. Yeah. It was one of those things where I just really wanted to get out and I had been doing stuff for like TV and film and comedy. I just knew I didn't want to do that anymore. So two things happened that year where a really pretty blonde girl came in one night and was like hit on me and she was like, hey, are you going to roll all those napkins? Because I was like folding napkins. I was like, hey, did that part too? My finger shirt? Yeah, it's not worse.

But that later became my fiancee, Ali. And so that was like really, really ultimate how I met her. And then the other part of it is like I just I I was just always itching to talk football and somebody came in I heard I just really heard somebody say tough kalooza all over an app and that I was like you guys got some football down here I'm sorry and it was This guy's in Kevin Duffy. He's the president of South and we just hit it off and I just took the widest least cool thing I was like I have a blog and I was like So lame like in like like in what year two because like blogging like yeah thing until lately like you were weird I have a blog.

It's like deep on the internet and Reddit. It's like right. It was called it was called red white and bro And I was like yeah, you go go read my winning and boozing articles on red white Every other word is like the f-word. It's like I was writing these articles like 2 a.m But it ended up working so I ended up being like the answer there and my my current got it so I got it So I've been working at SES for about three years and handling their social media for the most part like like I run Instagram and some stuff on Facebook I do like Facebook Live for engagement.

But really, and then most of Twitter, especially on GameBits. So like my entire job really is that you tell you, and you know this, you know, like if you get on the internet, like don't read the comments. And now as the engagement editor, like that's like my actual job. So it is something. Yeah, so, yeah. So, and this is what I'm kind of pivoting to. So, so, Twitter is kind of a crazy tool. Like I'm all on LinkedIn, right? You can't post anything that you do on LinkedIn. Like it just would not go over well, right? And so obviously Twitter is a tool that you use, but there's a lot of somebody between Twitter and LinkedIn in regards to organic reach and people finding your stuff from their friends who posted it, from their friends who posted.

So it's kind of this thing that people can find you. So talk to me first of all, I'm kind of interested, like has brand always been, because when you do the red, right, and bro and you did the blogging, like, where did that kind of come from? Like were you always like, man, like I just want to put my stuff out there. And where did that fearlessness come from? because so many people are terrified to post anything on social media. Well, you know, I wish I had a better answer than this for you, but just a constant need for attention. And I had really is where I came from.

And I hate to say it, but like, you know, I think knowing where you come from, knowing who you are in general is like, that's more of like, like, people talk about like branding, building a brand. Like I've heard 2015, some of you today, she's big in the social media and stuff like that, with a huge platform and shoot over it. And she goes, you got to build your brand. And I really bought into that for a while. And I realized now, like five years later, how do you see that sounds and how stupid it is. And there's parts of it that are very true.

And I think, but really what a brand is, is knowing who you are or your company, and then building on that, and building on the positive things of that, under-veining the negatives of it, and being able to own it. And so, I think one of the best things I've learned with social media is you're gonna fail. You're gonna fail. You're gonna write stuff in my line of work for College of Ball. I have to pick games. I don't know two effing things about Louisiana Lafayette and Iowa State. Like I don't give a ticket but I just say it. But I have to pick games like this.

Oh no, I would say things are just gonna come out of the woodwork. Yeah, all seven of them. So it's like one of those things where, I had a hard time at first being like, man, I'm getting like just so much pushback on Twitter. Really owning sometimes like the loss that you take, like just like taking an L and moving forward, like, you know, as the kids say, stuff like that. I think that knowing who you are is so much more important, I think from a branding standpoint. So when I started writing something on the internet, you know, it was stuff that like, I want to do comedy.

I want to be heard and I never wanted to get on stage. I never once wanted to get on stage. Really? So I used to write comedy in college and I would in a notebook and show it to my friends and then sit there and be like, what do you think? Like, like, like- You were just like, right jokes? You said you would write jokes in a notebook and you had a blog like deep on the interwabs. like you were trying to just fleshing college. Yeah, totally. So I'm like, and I'm sitting there, I'm like, what do you take? And like, just like, just pretty hyper aggressive into getting attention from like, that's like a weird thing to do in my opinion.

But like, that's how I started. And so, and it wouldn't be like, just like, here's a joke. Like here's like a two minute bit that I wrote out. What do you think? And then it goes into college and it'd be like, you know, like this stuff, you have to write your, your like orders on. I would, I would be like taking orders like that. But all those pieces of paper for the most part, I have like a huge 7 top they were just littered with like here's a joke. Here's a bit Here's like all this other stuff and then I would show it to people and so one time Just like after him like one of us like our co-workers like they were like hey We signed you up for an open mic.

We're tired of reading your shit on these like no cards, and I was like what? That's all I got I got like forced on stage and then I remember going up there and finally doing it and I You know I had a really good set I'm speaking. So where do you think this confidence comes from? I know we joke about wanting attention, right? So I don't know if you're taking the any-gram. I'm a three. I'm a hardcore three on the any-gram, which is like, I don't remember what I am. I just basically like, hey, listen, like attention. You want to do things the best, et cetera, right?

And for me, I think that kind of comes out of me. We really want to peel behind the onion as y'all can. Yeah, it is. Yeah, I use that all the time now. So like, for me, it's more of like performing, right? the way I'm ingrained, like I want to be the best, like I played hockey growing up, you know, and wanted to be the best there and was in marching band and wanted to be the best there. And so it kind of was ingrained in me. Do you know where kind of this, this, this like confidence has come in from for you. I don't see, I don't know if I confidence the best or is it the lack of confidence to make over confidence?

I'm driven by a lot of insecurities, to be honest. And like, I will, I will just be in like, like flat out. Totally. And I think that's end up leading into, like dragging my feet for a lot of stuff and not getting into doing this, like jumping fully in. And like, I tell you what, man, if I didn't, I didn't get inspired from Houston's later on in 2017. And if I didn't get fired, I'd joke about this with my former GMO. I'm like, I would still be there. Like I would have taken something to like, physically remove me from that situation. And I'm not gonna get into like a whole spiritual thing.

I'm like, I think God lead led me to where I'm supposed to be. But I do think that I love it. I love it. That's right. Yeah, I love it. So it's definitely, it's like, I was just driven and still am in some ways, but I was driven by insecurities for a long, long time. And then it really took a lot of time. I was like, man, like, I do think that you are given talent, specific talents. And I don't think anyone's destined for to be average. I don't think anyone's destined to be like, you're supposed to go be a fucking account, excuse my language, but you're supposed to be a fucking accountant at H&R blog.

No offense. at all, but like for 30 years, like if that's what you want to do and you're a good account, do that. But it's like, I don't think anybody was meant to go push GPS reports at a sales job because I did that as well. And it was the worst. And that's what I need more than anything. It's like, I think there are, I'm not great at technology. I'm not great with financial stability. God, I have my pay out there for that. So it's like, for me, knowing your talents and really honing in on them and then owning it and realizing like, you like it took a while when I first started working at SDS especially like to realize like you know what I am funny I am good at making means I am good at this like that means like looks like shit That's not how to do the graphic design, but I'm like, you know, you guys you talked about that with the Spurs up show graphic design side things now I love it I Think but here's the deal right and we joke about it about how your graphic design is not good but I think everybody in this culture in the Instagram culture in right now is highlight reels right and you joke about it and you're like It's not good.

I think it's probably better because it's not good, right? And I don't think it's all that bad either What are the things like where like if we were putting up like a zoom call like you're this whole setup if this is me I'd be like I don't know let's I'll just hold my phone up and we'll FaceTime And I'll just record it this way and then I'll post the Instagram later. Yeah, like that's what it would end up being so I think I think that like you know having the the confidence in that like that is there's like the little things that get in the way of how of you really being confident in what you're doing like for me I know it's like being funny like being able to relate to people like about college football because I've been knowing college and in knowing it and so not spending like three hours I'm like how do I make this graphic like what is it what is the fucking gradient tool like all those kind of things and so trying to figure that out like I've realized that time's going on like that's not as important like you know what I mean like for me and it's I remember talking to you I've had a lot of coffee this morning just to head up My coffee literally shattered the slow drip thing right before this so I'm dragging a little bit.

I love you. I So I remember talking to one of my buddies and this is like one of the first who I met Once I started doing seven SDS is Chris Doring and he's on his network now And we become really good friends because like I met him when I was bartending and and he was like So we had this kind of like funny backstory But then now um he's a guy that I got to go to for advice and talk to you regularly and he's been super helpful with my career And one thing he told me I remember in january and I was like man Where to go next because if you follow me like i'm things have gone really well like not like in an arrogant way But like I got a tv show last year and got the podcast doesn't really well And all it's like really fun stuff and stuff that I I feel like I'm meant to do But there's always ways to improve.

And so I remember him telling me, he's like, you gotta like pick a lane of like, do you wanna be this crazy stat guy? That is, because I love stat, and I love knowing what I'm talking about. Or do you wanna be like Pat McAfee, where you're just making jokes, and you're kind of like, you still know what you're talking about, but like, hey man, have fun with it. And like that was really eye-opening to me to be like, you know what, you don't have to fit in this like, you know, I think in this day and age, there's room for a lot of different stuff.

It's not like, you know, we're not Walter Conk right. You know what I mean? Like, we're not all like in this old school, like forms of media and especially from a personality standpoint, I've never fit into those boxes. And so trying to figure out like, what is your path? Like, what is your lane to do stuff? And really honing in on that. And that's where you find the most success. Yeah. And I think, I mean, I think it's huge. I think you have, I think self-awareness is huge, right? And I think you said it, I think you said it best. Like, if you want to be like an accountant at H&R Ball like push papers for 30 years, like great.

But I think too, I think finding what you're passionate about, right? I deal with so many developers and so many junior developers who are going through career changes. I spoke last night at our large, at our code school here in Nashville that pumps out grads every year. And I had a conversation with them about like not, like stop being afraid to put out content, stop being afraid to document, right? People need a feel good story right now. And your career journey could be that feel good story that somebody needs right now. And I think with you, I think what's cool about you is that you were serving tables, you were passionate about college football.

And then now you're on a podcast that has, I mean, I'm sure a ton of listens. You've been on ESPN, like, and you're doing what you love. But it took you to go like, hey, maybe it took you to get fired from Houston's. But I'm thankful. It took a long time. But that's it, right? People are, you know, people, so, you know, for me, at my company, people are like, well, I don't wanna do a podcast. I don't wanna do an email newsletter. And I'm like, you don't have to. You don't. But I think the thing is though, is that you have to, especially because we're all at home, right, we're all at home.

We're gonna be at home for the foreseeable future. That's a whole nother conversation. I'd be fixing to talk to you about off air over like a beverage. But the thing is though, is that how else are you gonna differentiate yourself within this market right now? And- Oh, yeah. And I think personality and vulnerability and having things just kind of the way you do it is obviously the way to stand out. So obviously go ahead. I think vulnerability is a huge point, is a huge part of it. And so what I realized years ago was, and everyone has a story. Everyone has a story. Everyone's been through shit.

Everyone has, not everyone is like, I've had people tell me all the time, it's like they didn't like me at first until they heard me talk. Because it's, you know, listen man, I'm a fucking white male in America. Like things aren't as hard for me as they are for other people. That's the way things are. And I totally understand that. That being said, there are a lot of different parts of me that are, I think, once you've started peeled back the layers of who I am as a person, that it is surprising. I think some of the stuff that I may have gone through. And I think being open about that kind of stuff, because we all have scars.

We all have scars. I, you know, like I think that we talked about this off air and this doesn't make me uncomfortable, but like I'm in therapy. I had like a rough upbringing. I did a lot of very, very bad self sabotaging habits years ago. And then I've gotten through all those things. And it's maybe who I am today. And so I've always thought like the vulnerability standpoint, like just being an open book. I'm okay with that. Like I'm okay with that. And so they're like the best advice I've gotten off that is, is I think like three points. and I hate to bring up this because it's, you know, this is now a person who's like daughter, I've become like good friends, but stay in.

So much stay in and somebody's like, his, there's a, I'm gonna quote a user going, it's like, just be the best, like if you're gonna be like a garbage person, you're gonna be a garbage, not a garbage person, but if you're gonna be like, you're not trying to talk, I got a guy. Most garbage of gonna people there are. Yeah, if you're gonna be a Kardashian, no, but if you're gonna be an accountant, if you're gonna be a football player, if you're gonna be anything, be the best at that you can be. Like, and that really, really think about that, because we're not all meant to play professional sports.

We're not all meant to do whatever we dreamed of doing what we grew up. That might not happen, but being the best and being able to like at that job, what you can do, even if it's not the end route. Like, you know what I mean? It's not the end of your career. Like, if you have other stuff to do, be it in the best at what you're doing every single day and giving your best of that. I think really goes a long way. The other part of it is I had a good friend named Bill Myers who- Bill Bells. I don't think it means- Bill Bells, yeah, yeah.

Now, buddy, my UCI regular UCINs, and I had a really difficult time in 2013, and mental health was at like all time low for me, and had just several things, like where I'm very lucky that I made it through, and all that kind of stuff. And a lot of it was like, man, like I'm nowhere near where I want to be. Like I'm serving table that this was even a UCI's. I had fallen like working at this like terrible sports bar, and it's just things were just not good in my life, man. And so I've never tell about this, and complaining about how, you know, I should be doing here, my friends are getting married.

this is happening, my friends are making six figures and all those things, and I'm over here with like $84 in my checking account and just this terrible. And I remember him saying, this is all part of your journey and enjoying the process of that journey, enjoying understanding this isn't the end road at all. This isn't, I was 26, 27, and it was like my life might as well be over. Because my friends are all doing this, they're all way in my successful line. In fact, they went to the most part, they still are, but I'm so happy that where I'm at. You know what I mean?

So I was so upset with like where I thought I should be versus where I am or where my friends are versus where I am. And in that, I realized when he said I was like, this is so stupid, it's like psychobabable, shit, whatever. But then really understanding now, it's like where I am today, things don't happen overnight, things don't happen. Like it tastes work. And sometimes it takes people longer than, you know, than it should. I joke around with my fiance on time. If she met me at 27, there's a fucking way we'd be married, like are engaged. You know what I mean? Excuse my language again.

But there's just no way that would have happened. And so it's just, I think things happen, like at the time that just happened, if you put in the work, you try to like kind of in safe focus on that. And now one thing that I try to always do too is like, it has no long road. It's a long road for everybody. You know what I mean? Like most of it will have like instant success, even with how fortunate I've been to get here. And like, you know, I remember I felt to my other day, like yesterday I got to be a part of this staff call at the White House and about college football.

And like the day before I got this thing in the mail from the Football Writers Association like I can go on a board now. And it's like all this stuff, it's like really cool and like and celebrate that kind of thing because I remember you know years ago like work emails were like, hey, check hot schedules, you just need to get to pick up this Monday morning partnership. You know what I mean? I haven't heard that word in a long time. I think it's on my phone. But like that kind of stuff was like, those are my work emails. And I think realizing it's celebrating the stuff that where you are now versus where you've been is important, but also in the same way, continuing to move forward and being appreciative of those things, while still trying to find more and push for more is also important.

So do you think, so we've hearted the word vulnerability. What do you, so I think another word too has kind of come out of this as gratitude? Yeah, right. I mean, I think everything you're saying right now is like, man, I'm grateful where I'm at, right? And I think that's important. I mean, I put out post on LinkedIn. I probably post as much on LinkedIn as you do on Twitter. But I'm weird to me. Isn't that weirdest crazy? Yeah. I'm getting into that. Yeah. I low key. I still think there's a huge market for you on LinkedIn. We can talk about it off air, but I'll tell you a very uncomfortable LinkedIn story later.

Yeah. I'm sure we'll crack you up. I'm sure. And so, but the other thing is I put a post out here. It's like stop comparing yourself to others stop comparing where you're at in your life to others stop comparing your salary to others And I think right now like listen you have made a living Yeah, I'm talking about college football. Yeah, like you were literally like like you are what people want to do right like not necessarily college football, but yeah, but like following their passions and making money for it and I think that's I think that's huge man And I tell you what, I appreciate that, really.

I do, because I think my fiance gets so tired of this too, because it's like, especially in the past year, things that have happened so quickly. And I think that, like last week was mental health, like national mental health week. And so, and I'll just be honest, like I struggled suicide multiple times in my life. And so there's like this very real sense of, I wouldn't be here. Like I wish I should probably shouldn't probably shouldn't to be honest and and so and like there's just things that you kind of realize afterwards and I think that now more than ever people really struggle with that and and like I Don't I don't know if it means like if you don't do that you're gonna immediately find your passion Everything's gonna work out But I it's one of those things where it's like man things do get better They really do get better and like taking care of yourself to get to a place is so hugely important It is it's so easy to fall on these pitfalls.

I remember talking about their picture years and it's like, you know, you watch Cobra Kai Unbelievable so I watch it like three days ago. It's awesome But like but it's one of those things where it's like an age-old cliche of something that's bad Go to the bottle or you drink or you go do this and that and so and that you see my thing is like something would go bad Like I would go drink and feel sorry for myself on kind of stuff and really digging yourself out of of those pitfalls I think and then understanding like wow man like there's like there's a lot to achieve and so like a lot to be grateful for even When things are bad You know, I do think I'm very fortunate with how things happen like it's just like very lucky You know like the fact that I was like I met her on Saturday Which I was working I don't work Saturday to the college football like it was before the season But it was like it's total total happens in so I think that yeah being grateful It's a huge thing, but really like once those little things start happening, when you say it's like, man, a year ago I was here and now I'm here and it just continues to kind of grow on that.

But like, and I think that also speaks volumes of like not forgetting like where you came from and how easy it could be the other way like the role could be reversed if you're not continuing to be like, you know, progressed in your life. Yeah, I love that. So, so what we'll do, we'll dive in. So I definitely want to talk to world college football with you. Yeah. Real fast. It's a little South Carolina football. So we'll wrap it up here. So we got really serious and Chris, listen, man. Thank you. No, no, I love it. I mean, you know, and for me, like that was depression 2018, like hit rock bottom with my work, right?

I was probably, I had the best year. I was at the pinnacle of my sales career. And I was the most depressed I've ever been. Well, dude, I mean, like Bambol is 14 and O and then lost in the Ashland Championship game. We had to get a corgi to fix everything. I mean, I get it. I get, you know, but that's, isn't that funny how so many people like, dude, I made so much more money. And this is, I hope my boss is wasn't, I made so much more money bar to me in Houston than I do now. And I'm very fortunate, obviously to be in situations like fiance, like we're fine financially, but like, man, like, yeah, like it's funny how those type of things can make you feel like everything is cool.

Everything's good. And you're trying to pay it said back. It's like, oh man, I'm not fulfilled. I'm not as happy as I thought it was. Anyway, fuck football. I love that. I want to ask you about South Carolina, right? Yeah. So I have you. So thoughts on Luke Dody making any sort of major impact on the field. And if he does this, you're where do you think it'll be? I think it'll be a receiver. I think he does make a huge impact. There's a comical day from his receivers coach who I'm forgetting the same right now. But Cox. How he's already. Yeah. Yeah. So he's already is that Joe Cox from Joe Cox?

Cox from CSCBA? No. Okay, good. I don't know you. Yeah, I mean he came from CSU, but he may have been on staff with brami clendant, Georgia No, if he's a quarterback at Georgia back in the day, but he's a figure. Okay. So anyway, but my joke honks I think he was And we should look it up because I'm pretty sure it might be the guy but he brought up the pole thing about how He's already a leader on this team and I think there's there's he's a kid that is he's gifted Athletically, he's I think they already said he's a fast player on the team or at least fast player on off Yeah, that one clip I saw that that Sarah, this first up show posted, right?

Yeah. About him, that was like the closed door and he took off and kind of like a scramble. And I don't think I've ever seen, I've never seen a white dude move that fast. Okay, so here's the thing also. He's white and I don't care how this sounds. For what a reason, people just love white athletes. Like, we will make so many pieces for it. Dude, Chris McAvver best running back in NFL. Chris McAvver is a great running back, but are we also more inclined to be like, we love Tim Pebow too. We love Johnny Mandel. You're right. You're right. I don't know what it is about being so fascinated about like white television players, regardless of the side.

This kid is very gifted athletically. And I think that on offense, it is really struggling for stars. Like Shai Smith is back. I think there can be a lot of proof. And I said this on the podcast, like the more I look at two teams in the SEC, the more I'm like them. And it's two teams that are just grossly overlooked. Arkansas and South Carolina, I don't think there are teams that are gonna be world beaters I mean, but I think there can be a lot better than people get credit for. I think so too. So question, who starts in? So I was listening to J.C.

Sherbert talk about, everyone's upset, probably Colin Hill's gonna get the job. And people are losing their minds. And supposedly Ryan Hulinski still has like, essentially everyone's red shirt this year. And then he has like another red shirt. Who starts in three years? Hulinski? Oh, Hulinski. Dody. Or Gunnar Stockton. I'm not a Stockton, yeah. You think so? It's so funny how quickly we are to like forget something. It's ridiculous. The best player is the backup quarter. Like everyone's fan favorite player besides the white skill player for whatever reason. Is they back up, I hope I don't get into over saying that, but it's just like, it makes it.

It's not as true. It's such a crazy. Yeah. But so like the backup quarter back is always the favorite person. It's always, always. And so, and I don't know why that is. I think that it's because it's like, well, you know, like things couldn't be worse or they could be, there's like so much, I think Colin Hill starts this year because the fact that it's the least amount of change. It's like a year of uncertainty and like, you know, familiarity. The modern team of course, basically from zero. Right. And then you're talking about a new Oc and something like that, which I think can only be an improvement of last year's teams, every 20 points of game.

I think that'll be the starter. Gunter Stockton. I just hate his name. I hate. Is there such a five star? five star He sounds like the name of like if sci-fi original made like a a second top gun movie Because Colton got to you like we were all freaking out the coefficient got yeah now he's a He's no one's no one's talking anymore No, like we carry in Joyner with the guy a couple years ago and like I just it blows on this program It blows on mine because I like tough time. I love it. It started with a spurrier with the quarter of a battle He absolutely ruined because and of course everybody like as talented as the team is worth the quarterback You guys had under a furrier that we're like that you guys love so much where these just like very Run of the mill average three star like me man.

You ever see conners like Mitchell from the Grange But like Connor, Connor Shaw made like your lower shoulder, bro. Like why wasn't the throw with the other shoulder? How about that? You know what I mean? Like, and he was a good quarterback. He really was one of those things where I think that Gunnar Stockton, you need like that. That's a that's a fan base on a state in general that is not very talented or deep with like recruiting talent. And you look at I think last year, I'm sorry two years ago. So I'm trying to sign the top five players in that state only one of the five star And they had they got birds this year.

Who's also a five star from my former Ham and Skyhawks but having like You know like five stars coming out of that state and one of the reasons that that program was so good You got guys like clowny you got guys like latin more and when you have these like very not often Calent rich years where you have like a five star here a couple four stars There were only six total four stars in the state. Our four stars are better than the state two years ago. And being able to get those players, I think, is it says a lot. Having a five-star quarterback, let's just say, it's not a program, not in a rude way, but they're not a program that is a custom that where you're just gonna have a five-star that doesn't pan out.

You know what I mean? Like I think that's gonna have to be a guy. And when you have a position like that, it's gonna go a long way. That's awesome. All right, so y'all do this on your pod. So I'm gonna do it on this one. Let me grab. right me around two-minute drill Summer summer summer like just two options one you have to give me give me word. Obviously. I keep tally the points But points don't matter Alright, so dunk and don't answer Starbucks Duncan don't like for food Starbucks or coffee Yeah, I'm talking about coffee what that I'm not asking you about food.

I don't know Guys, bro, I hear you alright, so Starbucks coffee favorite Starbucks drink right now I start my days with a medium non-cat lot with three extra shots of espresso, so five total. You're an animal. All right, move it on. Pizza or hamburger? Pizza. What's your favorite pizza place in Atlanta? Ooh, Antico probably. I've recently found out that I was wrong about that, but yes, Antico. Okay, awesome. Favorite college football moments in person? Ooh, in person. That's, so I was at the second in 2016. That was pretty cool for 2017 National title game. That was awesome. I'd say a close second. 2009 I sold my car to go to the SCC championship game.

The car I had been running for months, okay? I'll just, let me say this, and I know it's a lightning round, I'm sounding, but I sold a 96 Buick Regal named Doris with blue outside and blue interior. And I, for 350 to get into that game, and that's the game for Kubo Cry. That was pretty cool. That's awesome. All right, favorite season of the year. Fall. Great. Not even close. Not even close. Maybe winter close second, so I don't sweat as much. That, definitely. All right, last question. Favorite, all time favorite tailgating food? Ooh. Oh, I love chips and salsa, because I eat all, but I think honestly, corn dogs are good.

Corn dogs are good. chicken, chicken tenders, chicken tenders. You can eat them with your hands and like get them tough. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. I'm not that you asked my tricks in a blanket all day. I will. That's a good, that's a good pig. I will eat a two gallons of pigs in the blanket. Well, Chris, thanks for coming on, man. We need to, we have just again, see, and this was a blast. Yeah, I appreciate it, man. Sorry I went so long. No, I love it. Thanks for being open and vulnerable. I appreciate you. Yeah, of course guys. You'll have a great day.

All right.