00:00:00
Speaker 1: Now let's welcome back to the show, Alan Roach, and Allan is obviously a legendary voice in sportscasting, in studio, voice on TV Voice all of that. We spoke to him going into the Super Bowl, which he did, and then he headed right off to the Olympics. And Alan, trivia question for you that I'm sure you know the answer to, so it's more for listeners in for you prior to this year, how many countries had ever won the men's and women's gold medal gold medals in hockey in the same year.
00:00:33
Speaker 2: Good morning Ross. I am not going to know the number answer, but I'm going to know the logical answer in that only the USA and Canada women have ever won a gold medal at the Olympics. And since the men hadn't won since nineteen eighty and there wasn't women's hockey in the Olympic, then the only teams to have done it would be the Canada men's and women's. So I guess once, maybe twice.
00:01:07
Speaker 1: You're You're right, it's only Canada and they've done it and they did it three times. But yes, very good, good logic, Allan. So look what was it like for you? You do a lot of sports. You do everything, you do the freaking super Bowl. But to be in Italy at the Olympics, for Americans to win two gold medals in hockey, that must have been like a career pinnacle, even for a guy as successful as you, well.
00:01:36
Speaker 2: Yes it is. I mean, the Olympics, no matter what, is an amazing experience. It's an honor to be there. I haven't talked a lot about this since getting all. Might kind of have been in my own shell and then been quiet because my travels were, first of all, a bit exhausting. But I would say this will Olympic experience for me gave me a well rounded Olympic experience in that every other time I've done the Olympics, I did do the gold medal games for the men or the women or both. And this year the decision was made by people in Italy that I was not going to do any of the medal games, and I got sent home. I flew home on an airplane the day of the women's bronze and gold medal games, so I didn't even get to see the women's game because I was on an airplane coming home. So all the other years I feel like I was an Olympian that got to win the gold this year. I guess I feel like an Olympian who, you know, fell coming out of a turn or got beep early in the tournament and didn't have the chance to be at those gold medal games.
00:02:50
Speaker 1: Wow, I feel like I should have known that. I almost feel bad for having asked you the question.
00:02:55
Speaker 2: No, no, no, no. This is only the third interview that I've done since returning home. I just started doing it yesterday. I've been hiding, like I said, and taking some personal time for myself and my family. I didn't want to make a big deal about it, because it's not a big deal. This is about the USA winning gold. This is about the USA winning gold, both men and women, and what an amazing moment. And yeah, I was disappointed and I was sad, and I kind of questioned their decision for sure, But at the end of the day, you know, I don't make those decisions, and just the opportunity to be a part of the Olympic experience was tremendous and great. So don't feel bad at all about asking And certainly you wouldn't know because I've not made a big deal about it. On social media. That's not the way I want to go.
00:03:44
Speaker 3: Well, you did a great job Ellen last night announcing the Olympic gold medalists that were on the ice for the Avs game last night, and a huge standing ovation for brock Nelson. You can see that video on Koa's Instagram page. What was that like to be back home with the gold medalist there in attendance, just crowd roaring and just the moment of taking that back here to Denver.
00:04:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, that was great and I'm glad I got to mention very quickly. Had I written the script that maybe it would have been a bit more explanatory. But the third generation thing for brock Nelson is truly amazing. That wasn't his grandfather that was on the nineteen sixty Olympic team, and then his uncle Dave Christian was on the nineteen eighty team, and now for him to be on this team, that's truly remarkable, especially when you think of where they're all from, a small town in Minnesota, very near the border with Canada, town of about I don't know twelve or fourteen hundred people called Warroad, Minnesota, And what an amazing accomplishment for he and his family and the little town of Warroad. You have to look it up. I don't know, but I bet there's been eight or ten NHL players that come out of this town. That's, you know, very small.
00:05:04
Speaker 1: You know. A quick thing on Dave Christian. So, like you said, a member of the Miracle on Ice team. So when I was much younger, I lived in the suburbs of Washington, d C. In Maryland and Dave Christian and I just had to look up whether it was the same guy, but it is. Dave Christian was a member of the Washington Capitals then. So I've actually and I went to lots of Capitals games, so I've actually seen Dave Christian play and I didn't know he was back then.
00:05:32
Speaker 2: I didn't even know he.
00:05:33
Speaker 1: Had been on the Olympic team. So thanks for pointing that out for me.
00:05:38
Speaker 2: Well, And I think I remember talking about this as kids, and I haven't talked about it in a thirty five forty years, about more forty five fifty years. I believe the wooden hockey sticks that used to be made by the Christian company, I believe that was part of the family as well many of the high hockey sticks. When I was a kid, you had either Northland or Christian, and I believe Christian was from that family.
00:06:06
Speaker 1: I had a Christian hockey stick. Now, I grew up in mostly in warm places, so I was more of like a street hockey roller hockey kid than an ice hockey kid. I always thought it was kind of funny that this Jewish kid was skating around with a hockey stick that said Christian on it. A listener wants to know your answer to the burning question of the week, Gina, do you want to ask him or you want me to? You have to ask Himyeah, go ahead, you.
00:06:33
Speaker 3: Ask him, Allan, I'm now being voluntold to ask you this question. The burning question that we've had of the week is when you go to the grocery store and you pick out grapes, do you sample a grape at the grocery store to then decide if you will be purchasing said grapes.
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Almost always, I'm very careful to be sanitary and to not touch this or that. But if the rule were made that, hey, we feel the bag so that you can't taste them, I probably wouldn't buy grapes. Because there are times I like grapes and times I don't like grapes, and I am thoughtful of others insanitary, but I test them first. Absolutely.
00:07:13
Speaker 1: Hella lujah. That's my brother right there, Alan, Roach, and earlier this morning the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Tabritez, both saying yes, I think we have the definitive answer. What's your next super interesting thing on your calendar, Roach, whether it's a sports thing or just some other cool thing you're gonna do.
00:07:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, I've got an amazing March coming up too, and one of these things, the middle one, I just picked up a couple of days ago, in early March, about the tenth twelfth, I guess I'll be part of the first ever X Games League draft. The X Games, mostly the summer X Games, I think are going to be part. They're going to incorporate teams somehow. So the teams are going to have a draft in La I believe the twelfth of March, and so I'll get to announce that. Then just a week later, I fly to Saudi Arabia for the Tom Brady Flag football game that is being played in Saudi Arabia. If you don't know about this yet, google it It's a gigantic event in the NFL world because there will be more NFL superstars playing in this Tom Brady Flag football tournament than there were that went to the Pro Bowl. Players turned down the Pro Bowl and said no, I don't want to go. There are mega superstars going to Saudi Arabia to play flag football. And then I fly directly home from Saudi Arabia and stop in Atlanta, and I'll be there for a week and do a couple of the US men's national team soccer games as they get ready for the World Cup.
00:09:01
Speaker 1: Wow, you're a busy guy, Alan, Welcome back from all your travels. Get a little well deserved rest before you go crazy with more travels, And thanks so much for making time for us.
00:09:12
Speaker 2: I really appreciate it. Yeah, you bet, guys appreciate it.
00:09:16
Speaker 1: Call
Speaker 1: Now let's welcome back to the show, Alan Roach, and Allan is obviously a legendary voice in sportscasting, in studio, voice on TV Voice all of that. We spoke to him going into the Super Bowl, which he did, and then he headed right off to the Olympics. And Alan, trivia question for you that I'm sure you know the answer to, so it's more for listeners in for you prior to this year, how many countries had ever won the men's and women's gold medal gold medals in hockey in the same year.
00:00:33
Speaker 2: Good morning Ross. I am not going to know the number answer, but I'm going to know the logical answer in that only the USA and Canada women have ever won a gold medal at the Olympics. And since the men hadn't won since nineteen eighty and there wasn't women's hockey in the Olympic, then the only teams to have done it would be the Canada men's and women's. So I guess once, maybe twice.
00:01:07
Speaker 1: You're You're right, it's only Canada and they've done it and they did it three times. But yes, very good, good logic, Allan. So look what was it like for you? You do a lot of sports. You do everything, you do the freaking super Bowl. But to be in Italy at the Olympics, for Americans to win two gold medals in hockey, that must have been like a career pinnacle, even for a guy as successful as you, well.
00:01:36
Speaker 2: Yes it is. I mean, the Olympics, no matter what, is an amazing experience. It's an honor to be there. I haven't talked a lot about this since getting all. Might kind of have been in my own shell and then been quiet because my travels were, first of all, a bit exhausting. But I would say this will Olympic experience for me gave me a well rounded Olympic experience in that every other time I've done the Olympics, I did do the gold medal games for the men or the women or both. And this year the decision was made by people in Italy that I was not going to do any of the medal games, and I got sent home. I flew home on an airplane the day of the women's bronze and gold medal games, so I didn't even get to see the women's game because I was on an airplane coming home. So all the other years I feel like I was an Olympian that got to win the gold this year. I guess I feel like an Olympian who, you know, fell coming out of a turn or got beep early in the tournament and didn't have the chance to be at those gold medal games.
00:02:50
Speaker 1: Wow, I feel like I should have known that. I almost feel bad for having asked you the question.
00:02:55
Speaker 2: No, no, no, no. This is only the third interview that I've done since returning home. I just started doing it yesterday. I've been hiding, like I said, and taking some personal time for myself and my family. I didn't want to make a big deal about it, because it's not a big deal. This is about the USA winning gold. This is about the USA winning gold, both men and women, and what an amazing moment. And yeah, I was disappointed and I was sad, and I kind of questioned their decision for sure, But at the end of the day, you know, I don't make those decisions, and just the opportunity to be a part of the Olympic experience was tremendous and great. So don't feel bad at all about asking And certainly you wouldn't know because I've not made a big deal about it. On social media. That's not the way I want to go.
00:03:44
Speaker 3: Well, you did a great job Ellen last night announcing the Olympic gold medalists that were on the ice for the Avs game last night, and a huge standing ovation for brock Nelson. You can see that video on Koa's Instagram page. What was that like to be back home with the gold medalist there in attendance, just crowd roaring and just the moment of taking that back here to Denver.
00:04:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, that was great and I'm glad I got to mention very quickly. Had I written the script that maybe it would have been a bit more explanatory. But the third generation thing for brock Nelson is truly amazing. That wasn't his grandfather that was on the nineteen sixty Olympic team, and then his uncle Dave Christian was on the nineteen eighty team, and now for him to be on this team, that's truly remarkable, especially when you think of where they're all from, a small town in Minnesota, very near the border with Canada, town of about I don't know twelve or fourteen hundred people called Warroad, Minnesota, And what an amazing accomplishment for he and his family and the little town of Warroad. You have to look it up. I don't know, but I bet there's been eight or ten NHL players that come out of this town. That's, you know, very small.
00:05:04
Speaker 1: You know. A quick thing on Dave Christian. So, like you said, a member of the Miracle on Ice team. So when I was much younger, I lived in the suburbs of Washington, d C. In Maryland and Dave Christian and I just had to look up whether it was the same guy, but it is. Dave Christian was a member of the Washington Capitals then. So I've actually and I went to lots of Capitals games, so I've actually seen Dave Christian play and I didn't know he was back then.
00:05:32
Speaker 2: I didn't even know he.
00:05:33
Speaker 1: Had been on the Olympic team. So thanks for pointing that out for me.
00:05:38
Speaker 2: Well, And I think I remember talking about this as kids, and I haven't talked about it in a thirty five forty years, about more forty five fifty years. I believe the wooden hockey sticks that used to be made by the Christian company, I believe that was part of the family as well many of the high hockey sticks. When I was a kid, you had either Northland or Christian, and I believe Christian was from that family.
00:06:06
Speaker 1: I had a Christian hockey stick. Now, I grew up in mostly in warm places, so I was more of like a street hockey roller hockey kid than an ice hockey kid. I always thought it was kind of funny that this Jewish kid was skating around with a hockey stick that said Christian on it. A listener wants to know your answer to the burning question of the week, Gina, do you want to ask him or you want me to? You have to ask Himyeah, go ahead, you.
00:06:33
Speaker 3: Ask him, Allan, I'm now being voluntold to ask you this question. The burning question that we've had of the week is when you go to the grocery store and you pick out grapes, do you sample a grape at the grocery store to then decide if you will be purchasing said grapes.
00:06:51
Speaker 2: Almost always, I'm very careful to be sanitary and to not touch this or that. But if the rule were made that, hey, we feel the bag so that you can't taste them, I probably wouldn't buy grapes. Because there are times I like grapes and times I don't like grapes, and I am thoughtful of others insanitary, but I test them first. Absolutely.
00:07:13
Speaker 1: Hella lujah. That's my brother right there, Alan, Roach, and earlier this morning the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Tabritez, both saying yes, I think we have the definitive answer. What's your next super interesting thing on your calendar, Roach, whether it's a sports thing or just some other cool thing you're gonna do.
00:07:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, I've got an amazing March coming up too, and one of these things, the middle one, I just picked up a couple of days ago, in early March, about the tenth twelfth, I guess I'll be part of the first ever X Games League draft. The X Games, mostly the summer X Games, I think are going to be part. They're going to incorporate teams somehow. So the teams are going to have a draft in La I believe the twelfth of March, and so I'll get to announce that. Then just a week later, I fly to Saudi Arabia for the Tom Brady Flag football game that is being played in Saudi Arabia. If you don't know about this yet, google it It's a gigantic event in the NFL world because there will be more NFL superstars playing in this Tom Brady Flag football tournament than there were that went to the Pro Bowl. Players turned down the Pro Bowl and said no, I don't want to go. There are mega superstars going to Saudi Arabia to play flag football. And then I fly directly home from Saudi Arabia and stop in Atlanta, and I'll be there for a week and do a couple of the US men's national team soccer games as they get ready for the World Cup.
00:09:01
Speaker 1: Wow, you're a busy guy, Alan, Welcome back from all your travels. Get a little well deserved rest before you go crazy with more travels, And thanks so much for making time for us.
00:09:12
Speaker 2: I really appreciate it. Yeah, you bet, guys appreciate it.
00:09:16
Speaker 1: Call
