From ESPN to NFL Network: Stan Verrett’s New Chapter | New Orleans Fried Chicken Fest | NOLA X NOLA

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When I first met you, you know, I was just like, I thought you were a great guy, but a part of it was, wow, he's from New Orleans.
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I want to learn about New Orleans.
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It's such a special place.
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And come out every day, make a weekend of it.
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Yeah.
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And I would also do the 5K to kind of burn some calories before my weekend of indulgence.
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Our featured guest segment is sponsored by Oshner Health, the official health care provider of the New Orleans Saints, and you can learn more about Oshner's expert care at Oshner.org.
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Our next guest has spent more than two decades covering some of the biggest moments in sports.
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But New Orleans has always remained home.
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Stan Barrett grew up here, graduated from St.
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Augustine High School, and worked at WDSU before going on to spend 25 years at ESPN, becoming one of the most recognizable faces on Sports Center.
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Today he continues covering the NFL nationally, but he's also a Saints season ticket holder who finds his way home to the Superdome on a regular basis.
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And 20 years ago, he was also inside that building for a night neither he nor this city will ever forget.
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Stan, welcome to the Mark Romic Show.
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Hey, Mark, great to see you, man.
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Great to be here.
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It's great to hear your voice and your see your face.
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I want to put you back in the dome on September 25th, 2006.
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So Steve Gleason blocks the punt, and the building just goes absolutely crazy.
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You're there as a journalist, correct?
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But you're also a kid from New Orleans watching your hometown team, and in that moment, what's going through your mind?
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Um just the collective pain in that building, the collected um hurt and anger and just everything that everybody had been through.
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And like, here's this moment of catharsis where everybody could just let it go.
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You know, I think um, you know, my parents had come back, they insisted on coming back to New Orleans to retire.
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Um, and they had a house out in the east, and um my sister told me, go on Google Maps and uh look at mom and dad's address.
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And it was it was a part of the lake.
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It was right off Hayden Boulevard.
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Right.
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And uh it was it was just you know, so so we went through it personally, you know, my family went through it, and so just just that moment to just it just things finally felt like okay, here's something to get excited about, yeah.
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And and we can just scream our lungs out.
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Yeah.
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You know what I mean?
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And um it's one thing to look at it and cover it as a journalist to try to get a feeling for what you're seeing.
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But to know what it is, because you're feeling it too, is something totally different.
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And um, you know, uh earlier in the game when when Green Day performed, and you know, I just you know, it it just all started coming over me and and um you know I started tearing up and everything.
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I was, you know, I was trying to hold it in, you know, and everything, you know.
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But Mike Wilbon looked at me, Stephen A.
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Smith looked at me and they're like, hey man, what's going on?
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And I'm like, dude, it's just all hitting me right now, you know?
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Yeah.
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And um and uh, you know, they both wrote columns and I gave them quotes for their columns just to kind of you know let them know what what we were going through in that moment.
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But yeah, but just the the shock of it all, like like it happened so quickly, and he blocks the punt, and you're like, oh man, like this is this is crazy.
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I don't the the greatest NFL team ever couldn't beat the Saints that night.
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Yeah, that was just wasn't gonna happen.
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Well, take us to the outside of the dome.
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Everyone has gathered, the doors open.
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What was it like for you to walk through those doors for the first time?
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Um well I'll take you back a little further.
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Okay.
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Um, you know, they're putting the show together.
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Outside the lines was doing the show live because Monday Night Football was on the SPN, and so they were doing the show live from outside the Superdome.
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So nobody asked me, but I just went in the computer, looked at the rundown, and I said, I need I need to get involved in this show.
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Like I need to go and tell the producers you need first-person experience.
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Yeah, so so I thought they was like, oh man, you would do that.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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So I wanted to actually on the set with Bob Lee that night, just kind of explaining um, you know, what people were feeling and and how much the Saints were a part of New Orleans returning to normalcy, you know, and explaining to them that there are people here who are living in FEMA trailers still who found the money to get their season tickets because they just they just needed that connection to their to their former lives.
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Yeah.
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Because there's so many people here whose lives are defined before Katrina and after Katrina.
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And the Saints were a part of before Katrina.
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Right.
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And and just a little pe having a little piece of that back was so important.
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And you know, in covering football on a the NFL on a national scale, everybody says, oh yeah, in our city, it's more than just football, the connection with the team in the community, and I'm like, no, you it's it's really real here.
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Yeah.
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Like I I understand everybody loves their team, everybody are hardcore fans, but it really hits on a different level here.
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Yeah.
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Well, uh, as I mentioned in the intro, you grew up here, St.
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Augustine High School.
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Congratulations, 75th uh anniversary of St.
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Augustine this year.
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Um and your career then took you all over.
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I mean, you were all over the country.
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But what did growing up in New Orleans put inside of you that you've you've taken with you everywhere?
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Um I I didn't realize it growing up here, but when I left and when other places like the our culture here is so unique, it's it's so special.
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Um and other places don't have that.
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You know what I mean?
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Like they have their things, but it's not it's not as ingrained here, uh ingrained as it is here.
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And so just um, you know, I was I was talking to my wife, she's from Kansas, her family's from Kansas City and from Leavenworth, Kansas, and she said, Yeah, she's like when I first met you, you know, she's like, I I thought you were a great guy, but a part of it was, wow, he's from New Orleans.
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I want to learn about New Orleans, it's such a such a special place, you know.
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I said, okay, good, whatever it took to, you know, to win you over, I'll take it.
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Um, but yeah, it's um just um the families and the food and the music and how that all binds us together.
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And um, and um just just it's just it's just really unique.
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Like I remember going to college in DC at Howard University, and you know, Mardi Gras rolled around and I'm like, okay, it's not it's not Mardi Gras here.
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It's just it's just Tuesday, you know?
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But the rest of my life, you know, Mardi Gras had been Mardi Gras, right?
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You know?
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And um I think living here, we kind of take it for granted.
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If you if if you don't get to see it from an outsider's perspective, living somewhere else.
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But then like I come home all the time.
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Like the obviously I'm I'm a huge Saints fan, and that that's a part of the draw.
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But the other part of the draw is my family's gone.
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You know, my younger brother lives in Portugal, my mom and my sister live in Lyon in France, my other brother lives in Atlanta, and so my connection to New Orleans is through my friends and through the Saints.
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Yeah, and so it gives me a way to come home and just and just reconnect with that.
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New is just good for your soul, you know?
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Yeah.
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And which is good for your soul.
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When you go to the dome, you go home, right?
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Exactly.
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I mean, I was sitting up in the terrace section for$10 when I was a kid, you know, and my birthday is in August, and Christmas is in December.
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So the football season spans that.
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So I would tell my mom and dad, all I want is season tickets.
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That's a hundred bucks, and you got Christmas and New Year's covered.
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I mean, you got Christmas and my birthday covered with just a hundred dollars.
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So let's just so I'd get my season tickets and like a pair of socks, you know, and I was I was happy.
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You were happy.
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I just needed money for a super dog and a coke.
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And and I was a happy camper, even though it was a lot of losing back then.
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You were stuck with it.
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Absolutely.
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And that's the best.
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Uh, before everyone knew you from ESPN New Orleans, knew you from WDSU, right?
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What did covering sports in your hometown teach you about the difference between simply reporting what happened and then actually explaining why it matters to people?
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Uh, I think the the connection to the viewers, like I know the history, you know, I know um how to pronounce Jake Delone, you know.
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Um, so it it that was that was the thing that made it most special here because I had a I had an offer at that time.
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I was working in Norfolk, Virginia, had an offer in Cincinnati, which is a bigger market than New Orleans, had an offer in Baltimore, bigger market than New Orleans, but then this one came through, and I was like, I'm going home, man.
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There's no way.
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I mean, like, there were more money, bigger markets, but I was like, I get to cover my teams, you know?
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And um I it was it was a great time.
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I mean, Tulane went undefeated.
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98 when I was here, Tulane went undefeated.
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And um, that was it was fun getting to cover the Green Wave and down year for LSU, down years for the Saints while I was here, but you know, it was still fun because you know, those are the teams I grew up rooting for.
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Yeah, yeah.
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So your emotion came through.
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Uh yeah.
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I mean, look, I I'm convinced that working here and the work that I put on tape to send to ESPN is what got me the job.
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Yeah.
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Because it was, you know, I was really into it.
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Showed you that enthusiasm.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Um, so you spent 25 years at ESPN covering championship games, legendary athletes.
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You've got to have some stories.
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Some of the biggest stories in sports you were there for.
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If you could keep one memory from those 25 years, and I know that's a difficult question to ask, what what pops up to the top?
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And you could probably name a hundred, but um Kobe Bryant's last game was uh incredible.
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Like the um it's it it's like it's like Drew here, like Drew Brees here, but I think magnified even more if if that's possible.
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Um because because when Shaquille O'Neal left, Kobe stayed.
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And it would be like if if um you know if I I don't know if there's a real comparison I can make, but um but Kobe stayed, and so LA just really embraced him.
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And so our studio, Sports Center studio, was right across the street from Crypto.com Arena.
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And I was like, man, I you know, sometimes I will go, you know, first quarter, first half, but but that second half, I went at halftime.
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I said, I got I gotta see this because you could feel like it was gonna be really, really special.
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And I wanted to see the ending.
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I wanted to see how he walked off and the whole thing.
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And he scored 60 points that night.
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Wow.
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And in the fourth quarter, the the whole arena was just willing the ball into the basket.
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Like it, like, like somehow, if they wanted it to go in enough, it would go in.
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And it was just, I mean, the whole place was just one and every time he shot and it went in, it was just delirium.
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You know, and then it's, you know, the memory is even more pronounced now because of the tragedy of the way he died.
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You know, and the way that all played out in LA was just a spontaneous makeshift memorial right outside our studio.
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And people were just coming just for days, just bringing all sorts of artifacts.
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And and I mean, I think a lot of them were things that people held near and dear to their hearts, like souvenirs connected to Kobe Bryant, who said, no, I just want to put this at this at this memorial rather than keep it.
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And uh I, you know, to see a city and really a region, because it's not just LA, it's all of Southern California, to see a region connect with an athlete like that, um, it it really reinforced just the power of sports in our culture and and what it means.
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And I think being from New Orleans and having that connection with the Saints, I understood what they were feeling in dealing with a tragedy related to a team that they love.
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Yeah, sports, to your point, um, is such a unifier.
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It really is.
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I mean, you see And we need any unifier we can get right now.
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You're right.
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I mean, and you sit in the dome and you see people from every neighborhood, every walk of life.
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Yep.
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We're all together, and for those three and a half or four hours, we're all brothers and sisters.
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Absolutely, absolutely.
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It's a beautiful thing about sports.
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Um, after such a long run at ESPN, you've entered a new chapter in your career.
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You're covering the NFL um in a very direct way.
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What has the this stage taught you about what you still want to do as a broadcaster?
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What's like what's what's the next phase for you, Stanford?
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Um Well, you know, it was always my goal to cover the NFL specifically.
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Right.
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Uh when I got to ESPN, I said, okay, we were on ES I was on ESPN News, which is a 24-hour, half an hour loop uh news service.
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And then I got to Sports Center, but my plan was always do Sports Center for a while and then move into NFL.
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But you know, there was a line at ESPN for the NFL.
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I mean, everybody wanted to do it, you know.
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And so it just funny how things work out.
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Uh Sports Center moved from LA back to Bristol last year.
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And so, you know, I built a life in in LA.
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Um, you know, my family's there, so I'm like, I I couldn't make that move.
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So I left ESPN, did a bunch of different things, um, just kind of picked and choose projects to work on, uh, to work on.
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And all of those things kind of helped prepare me for this next thing without me even knowing about it.
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Because, you know, the show I'm on now, NFL Total Access, it's just two hours, four days a week, Tuesday through Friday, of just wall-to-wall NFL.
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So we're bouncing around anytime coaches speak, and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mostly, it's um anytime coaches speak, we go out there, listen to what they say, come back.
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Me and uh my partner Steve Weiss, who's our chief national and uh chief national reporter, we break down whatever the coach is talking about.
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So we're responsible for a tremendous volume of information.
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Like that's the thing, it's a tremendous volume of all 32 teams, and because it says NFL network, people expect you to know everything about all 32 of those teams.
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And there are people who are watching who, like if I'm watching it, somebody else is hosting and he's talking about the Saints, I know whether he knows what he's talking about or not.
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Yeah, so if somebody's a fan of the Jets or the Titans and they're watching and they hear me talk, I better know what I'm talking about, or they're gonna know I don't know what I'm talking about.
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So it's a tremendous volume of information, but it doesn't really feel like work because it's something that I just followed anyway.
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It's a natural extension of following the Saints so closely for years, you want to know about the other teams they're gonna play.
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And so it's it it's um it comes very naturally to me, but it's still it's a high volume of information.
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Sure.
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I couldn't do it if it was if I was covering uh music or movies or anything that I'm not that interested in, it would feel like a lot, a lot of work.
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It really becomes work and not.
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But but this, like I was watching um the other day, I saw the New York Times put out the list of the top 100 TV shows of the 21st century.
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And I have seen two of them, like every episode of only two of them.
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And somebody, how can you never seen Breaking Bad?
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And I'm like, well, there was a game on.
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You know what I mean?
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And I'm stuck and I'm responsible for the information on that game, not Breaking Bad.
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That's interesting.
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So uh you know you're flying between LA and New Orleans.
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That's a that's a pretty interesting commute, but you're coming because you want to see the Saints play in the Super Down.
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Absolutely.
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Uh that, you know, being here, that's important to you, right?
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Yeah.
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I mean, yeah.
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So are you listening to other games?
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Because you got to be talking about them beginning on Tuesday.
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Oh, yeah, absolutely.
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I mean, look, this I'm going back tonight.
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It's a work and flight, you know, because I'm back on tomorrow.
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And, you know, I was at the Saints game while the other games were going on.
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So I have Sunday tickets.
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So I'm literally during breaks in the Saints game, I'm punching up Sunday ticket, flipping around from game to game, just kind of seeing what's going on in real time because like you can watch highlights, but but seeing it in real time, seeing the ebb and flow of things as it happens, kind of gives you more of a feel for the game than if you just go back and watch the highlights or or read a story or look at a box score.
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So I like to know how the game is flowing in real time.
00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:38.000
So I got Sunday ticket on my phone, so I'm punching around from game to game while I'm while I'm watching the Saints.
00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:42.399
Because, you know, if I was like there's a place down the street from where I live in LA.
00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:44.399
This place called 33 Taps.
00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:46.000
Um, and you know, a lot of beer.
00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:47.360
I don't drink while I watch the games.
00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:49.200
Obviously, I need to remember what I'm watching.
00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:49.679
That's right.
00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:55.840
Um but um but you know, they got great food, they got every game on, so it's walking distance from my house.
00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:57.600
So I just go there and park it.
00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:00.240
And in LA, the games come on at 10 o'clock.
00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:03.360
So from 10 o'clock till 4 o'clock, that's my office.
00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:10.079
You know, I get a breakfast burrito for the first game and then get some wings for the second game, and just sit there and just watch everything with my notebook.
00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.240
And, you know, I know all the people who work there and everything.
00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:15.519
And then you're broadcasting from Los Angeles.
00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:21.039
Yeah, so the NFL Network Studio is right outside SoFi Stadium where the where the Rams play.
00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:23.359
NFL built it as a West Coast headquarters.
00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:24.799
It's absolutely a beautiful stadium, too.
00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:25.359
It really is.
00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:26.480
It really is a great job.
00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:28.480
And that's become a destination in itself.
00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:32.480
I mean, yeah, they put it in a place where they could build around it and they've done a nice job with that.
00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:34.799
Yeah, yeah, they it's it's it's beautiful.
00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:37.759
And you know, we got obviously state of the art facilities there too.
00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:38.640
Yeah.
00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:42.079
Um let's go back to September 25th.
00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:43.599
So I want to finish there.
00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:48.720
Steve Gleason, Drew Brees, Will Smith, that team, and everything that came afterward.
00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:50.799
You've you've covered sports all over the country.
00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:53.519
So you know how teams connect with their cities.
00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:54.400
What is a difference?
00:17:54.880 --> 00:18:01.279
What's the difference with this relationship that we have between the Saints in New Orleans that you you don't see in other cities?
00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.519
I think there's a few elements to it.
00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.319
You know, I remember when I was a kid and the jazz left.
00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:13.440
And I was like, you know, I was heartbroken because I was as much of a jazz fan as I was a Saints fan because it was our team.
00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:14.240
Yeah, you know.
00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:21.680
And so when they broke the record uh for the largest NBA crowd ever when they played the Superdome, I was there, you know?
00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:28.880
And so they left, and it's kind of like, okay, well, now the Saints, that's all we have from a professional standpoint.
00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:38.480
And so I think back then, everybody who's around back then kind of put their arms around the Saints a little bit more saying, okay, this is what we have now, let's let's support them.
00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:52.160
And then, you know, all the losing, you know, those of us who are of a certain age, you know, the people who stuck with the Saints during that time, it's like, you know, one day, one day it's gonna happen.
00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:57.759
You know, my mom used, she said she was worried about me because she was worried about my self-image.
00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:01.680
Because she said, you identify so strongly with this team, and all they do is lose.
00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:05.680
You know, it's like I'm worried that you're gonna you're gonna grow up thinking you're a loser.
00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:09.440
And I said, no, mom, one day we're gonna win.
00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:13.039
And it's it's all gonna be right once they finally win.
00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:30.240
So that, you know, going through it, going through that whole thing, you know, and then, you know, uh the the the Katrina thing just kind of, it um, the the Superdome was a part of that story, a part of the tragedy of that story.
00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:47.519
People going there as a place of last refuge when they had gone there to celebrate and watch football, you know, gone there for uh Mardi Gras events, concerts, essence festival, you know, and now all of a sudden, this is a place where you're going just to try to survive.
00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:47.920
Yeah.
00:19:48.319 --> 00:20:05.599
And so to have that same building now become a part of the rebirth of the city and to go back to that building um for a football game and to have the Saints win the way that they won and for Steve Gleason to block that punt.
00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:11.680
I mean, it's like it's a it's like a Hollywood script, but in but in real life, you know?
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:25.839
And and when I say Hollywood script, I don't mean to make light of it or to or to or to um not understand what the reality of it meant.
00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:36.160
But I say Hollywood script because when script writers are putting together scripts, they want to put in tragedy, they want to put in drama, they want to put in all these different elements that make a story compelling.
00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:48.400
Well, there were there were all those things in in real life in that story, and there happened to be a football team connected to it and a building connected to it that um became the hero of that story.
00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:53.599
Yeah, it was it was it was so many, like that building is is a symbol of so many different things.
00:20:53.920 --> 00:21:01.039
And and going to a Saints game just one year out when people think that it was over.
00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:03.200
By that point it was over, but it wasn't over.
00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:10.799
You know, like almost nothing was back to normal a year later, yeah, except, hey, I can go back to the Superdome and go see the Saints.
00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:14.160
And so that was a I can be I can be normal for one night.
00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:15.519
Yeah, for one night for throughout.
00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:21.359
And then like the way I explained it to people was people just needed to go somewhere where they could just scream.
00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:34.720
You know, they could just scream, and then when it was over, to just be able to experience some joy after everything they went through, uh-huh like, hey man, we get some joy, and it was the Falcons, which made it even better.
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:46.480
I know, and you mentioned uh Green Day, you know, you two, yeah, um Irma Thomas, Alan Toussaint, they're all there um to bring that environment together and so special.
00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:48.640
Um, all right, you're you're a Saint Aug guy.
00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:50.720
I have to talk about Saint Aug for a moment, all right.
00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:54.079
What does being a purple knight mean to you?
00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:59.759
Um, it means that I have to present the best version of myself.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.240
Wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, because I represent St.
00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:06.000
Augustine High School wherever I go.
00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:08.960
Like, you know, there's a thing with us, man.
00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:10.799
You meet a guy who went to St.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:13.759
Aug, it's coming up within the first five minutes of conversation.
00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:18.079
You know, we we take that much pride in what the school means.
00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:29.039
And um we all know that we inherited a tremendous legacy by enrolling at that school, graduating from that school.
00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:46.720
And it's our responsibility to carry on that legacy and to add to it to um like anything I do that that leads to any kind of recognition or awards or anything like that, I want people to know I went to St.
00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:47.279
Arc.
00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:51.200
And that's a part of what made this possible.
00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:58.880
Um the discipline and the caring and the nurturing and the pride.
00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.440
Um I was talking on the ride over here.
00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:05.119
We have this overarching concept of purple pride.
00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:12.400
And so whether it's athletics or my brother was my younger brother, my older brother and me and my younger brother, we all are St.
00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:13.440
Aug grads.
00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:18.559
And um my younger brother was on the speech and debate team, and they were national champions.
00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:21.440
And that meant as much at St.
00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:27.839
Aug as a football state championship or a basketball state championship, because it was representing St.
00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:33.920
Augustine High School and being the best at whatever it is that you're trying to accomplish.
00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:37.039
And so that that stays with you.
00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:44.319
Um and um it it it was it was the absolute uh perfect place for me.
00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:51.839
It was absolutely like I could not create uh a school for me to go to and make it any different from St.
00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:52.319
Augusta.
00:23:52.559 --> 00:24:03.920
I mean, for me personally, and and and there's so many other uh uh men like me who uh who had life-changing experiences there, and and it'll always be a part of who we are.
00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:04.480
Yeah.
00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:13.440
Well, we speak about um all those years that you've had in television, uh what what still makes you excited to be uh a journalist?
00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:21.039
Um being able to tell stories of, in my case, phenomenal athletes who do incredible things, you know.
00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:30.640
Um and again, it it speaks to me personally because I yearned very deeply to be able to do those things, but I I just don't have that kind of talent.
00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:42.640
So I still marvel at at like Jamar Chase made a catch um in a game uh week two of the season, just one of the greatest catches I've ever seen.
00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:49.839
Like the way he contorted his body and and um and and got his feet down and held on to the ball.
00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:55.359
I mean, it was it was just a phenomenal thing to watch and to understand that like that doesn't just happen.
00:24:55.599 --> 00:25:06.319
The work and the training, and I mean look, there's there's some natural ability there, of course, but the work and the training and the practice that goes into being able to do those sorts of things.
00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:09.119
Like, I love telling those stories.
00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:15.119
And as a sports fan myself, I know what it means to other sports fans.
00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:23.839
Like I know, like as silly as it may be to people who don't get into sports, like they don't think, what is it telling these ball games, you know?
00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:27.200
Um it's just what I gravitated toward.
00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:29.519
Yeah, you know, from from for as long as I can remember.
00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:32.559
So like there are people who love music that way.
00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:38.000
There are people who love movies that way, there are people who love any one of a number of different things.
00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:39.839
For me, it was just always sports.
00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:47.359
And so finding a way to use the talents that I do have to be able to tell those stories is just it's just always been fun.
00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:50.799
Like when I left Sports Center, I love playing golf.
00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:52.559
Like it's love golf.
00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:53.920
It's all I want to do.
00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:57.200
The sun is shining, you know, and and and it's a nice day in LA.
00:25:57.279 --> 00:25:58.559
I want to play golf, right?
00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:05.039
So when I when I left SportsCenter last year, I thought, you know, maybe I'll just retire and just play golf.
00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:14.240
And so I did for a while, got got much better than I was, beat all my buddies, you know, and I said, you know, maybe I just supplement my income, beating my buddies at golf, you know.
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:15.839
Um, but I missed it.
00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:20.960
You know, I missed it because things would happen, especially in during the football season.
00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:25.200
NBA, I got to do it because I was working for the Clippers and doing some work on NBA TV.
00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:27.519
So NBA, I got to tell those stories.
00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:30.559
But during the football season last year, I really, really missed it.
00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:33.039
Um and I knew, okay, I'm not done yet.
00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:37.519
I want to I want to do it some more because it's it's it's a big thrill being able to tell those stories.
00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:44.960
You know, I like too the fact that you're telling stories, but while you're doing that, you're also bringing forth stories that that unify people.
00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:56.480
People are, you know, can come together around teams and around those experiences, and everyone can be the same because there's so much enthusiasm, and we can see that in your reporting, the enthusiastic that you put forward.
00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:00.319
I mean, I don't know what I would have done.
00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:06.799
Um I took the I took the law school exam, I took the business school exam, did really well on both of them.
00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:10.880
Um, but I looked, I said, I don't want to go to law school, I don't want to go to business school.
00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:11.920
I want to keep doing what I'm doing.
00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:12.640
You're doing it, you know?
00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:13.920
You're doing it.
00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:16.240
Well you mentioned earlier on that you were at Howard.
00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:16.720
Yep.
00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:19.759
And uh you co-anchored with someone that we all know?
00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:20.720
Michelle Miller.
00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:22.720
Yeah, we were we graduated together.
00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:30.720
As a matter of fact, we were recognized as the two outstanding graduates in the broadcast journalism program back in 1989 at Howard.
00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:35.279
And um, we got a grant from Westinghouse to do a student-produced newscast.
00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:38.960
And and Michelle and me were we were the two anchors.
00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:43.200
And who would have thought that she would be back in New Orleans at some point or in New Orleans at some point?
00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:53.119
We were here at the same time, yeah, you know, and um it's just funny how you know the the the past life takes you down and the people you see on one part of the path, and then you run into them again, you know.
00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:54.079
Yeah, it was great to have her.
00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:58.319
But yeah, she's done fantastic, you know, had a great career at CBS.
00:27:58.480 --> 00:27:58.880
Yeah.
00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:01.119
Um, so we're we're very proud of her.
00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:05.279
I mean, Howard has a Howard has a similar thing um for me as St.
00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:08.400
Aug, you know, I'm always representing Howard as well.
00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:17.519
And so, especially our our um our journalism department, um, School of Communications is celebrating 55 years this year.
00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:40.079
And um we have a celebration at Homecoming, um, and I was honored to be among the 55 leaders who helped um establish the school um as as a place where young people can get their training in journalism and go out and carry forth that exercise.
00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:42.160
Yes, yeah, and and and build their careers.
00:28:42.400 --> 00:28:46.799
So it's um that's uh that's coming up uh next month.
00:28:47.119 --> 00:28:53.440
And so that that experience at Howard, just from a professional standpoint, really set us up.
00:28:53.519 --> 00:29:11.039
I mean, just during the time that I was there, Michelle, myself, Gus Johnson from Fox Sports, Frederica Whitfield from CNN, um, Daryl Ledbetter, who covered the Falcons for the Atlanta Journal Constitution for years, uh Steve Weich, who I work with now at NFL Network.
00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:13.519
I mean, we're all that that's just during the time that I was there.
00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:21.680
And then there's like a lot of young people who came up after us, who are who are out, you know, having wonderful careers.
00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:25.039
And so Howard was a great place to train as a journalist.
00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:26.319
Beautiful.
00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:32.160
All right.
00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:35.759
It's time to start up with the official New Orleans questionnaire.
00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:36.240
You ready?
00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:36.559
Okay.
00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:40.160
All right, now I've seen some of them, and now I'm not quite sure of my answers.
00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:41.039
I've seen some of them.
00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:42.640
But let me let me see what I can do.
00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:43.839
I'm sure you're gonna do fine.
00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:52.240
Now, this is presented by Bienvo Capital Group, helping families and businesses build a plan and achieve their financial goals with personalized guidance.
00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:55.839
More information, you can find it at Bienvocital Group.com.
00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:56.960
All right, Stan, here we go.
00:29:57.119 --> 00:29:57.440
All right.
00:29:57.680 --> 00:29:59.200
The first question, sir.
00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:02.799
What do you think is the best poor boy?
00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:04.480
Johnny's, St.
00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:05.839
Louis Street in the French Quarter.
00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:06.640
I was there yesterday.
00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:08.799
Got off the plane, went straight there.
00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:09.440
Excellent.
00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:19.759
I get me and my wife, we get a roast beef and a shrimp, and we cut them in half, and we each get we each have half of she has half of the roast beef, I have half of the shrimp, and vice versa.
00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:20.720
Totally dressed?
00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:21.680
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:26.319
All right, and you can find them between Charters and Decatur, correct?
00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:27.279
Uh right there in St.
00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:27.519
Let's start.
00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:28.319
I just know it's on St.
00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:28.799
Louis Street.
00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:29.200
Yep.
00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:29.680
Yep.
00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:33.119
Um and yeah, a little Tabasco and ketchup on the shrimp.
00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:34.079
Fancy.
00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:35.039
All right, you got it.
00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:35.839
All right, here's one.
00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:40.799
You have the opportunity to see one New Orleans musical artist, dead or alive, in concert.
00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:43.119
Who would it be and where would you see them?
00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:44.880
Probably be juvenile.
00:30:45.920 --> 00:30:49.519
Um, and I don't know where, but but it but it would be juvenile.
00:30:49.839 --> 00:30:50.880
Somewhere you can get up close.
00:30:51.519 --> 00:30:51.680
Absolutely.
00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:53.200
It would be crowded.
00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:54.799
All right, here's one.
00:30:54.960 --> 00:30:56.960
What is your favorite New Orleans smell?
00:30:57.200 --> 00:30:58.640
My mom's gumbo.
00:30:58.960 --> 00:30:59.440
Very good.
00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:01.920
When it's uh when it's fresh out of the pot.
00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:03.519
Man, can't beat it.
00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:04.160
Can't beat it.
00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:04.640
Can't beat it.
00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:05.599
As a matter of fact, she had my.
00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:06.640
She's doing dark roo?
00:31:07.279 --> 00:31:07.839
Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:19.200
My my mom taught my wife how to make my mom, my wife's from Kansas, and my mom taught my wife how to make gumbo because she said, you know, look, this is uh direct path to his heart here.
00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:22.720
Be a long marriage that way.
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:24.960
Um Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest?
00:31:25.200 --> 00:31:26.000
Mardi Gras.
00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:26.480
Okay.
00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:30.240
Do you have ride in any of the ever reading?
00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:32.079
No, not yet.
00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:32.640
Not yet.
00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:37.440
Um I've I've talked about it before, but it's just just schedule-wise, it's just never really worked out.
00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:37.680
Yeah.
00:31:38.319 --> 00:31:41.119
Um, what does your Saints Mount Rushmore look like?
00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:43.200
Ooh, tough one there.
00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:45.039
Drew, obviously.
00:31:46.799 --> 00:31:48.960
Um Ricky Jackson.
00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:49.920
Ricky Jackson.
00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:55.119
You've seen a lot of Saints football too.
00:31:55.359 --> 00:31:55.680
Yeah.
00:31:56.160 --> 00:31:57.839
Um Anderson.
00:31:58.160 --> 00:31:58.319
Okay.
00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:10.559
Because I go, I go from you know, career stats, career numbers to like players I personally really, really liked.
00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:10.880
Yeah.
00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:23.359
And I'm gonna put Marcus Colston on there because I Marcus Colston was like, I I dreamt of being a wide receiver, you know, and uh and and watching Marcus Colston, it was always um, it was always a treat.
00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:24.640
I mean, he's just so consistent.
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:38.000
I mean, he's he's one of the players who like has never gotten the recognition that he really deserves because this whole that whole era, you know, you we hear about Sean Payton, we hear about Drew Brees, and deservedly so.
00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:40.160
But Marcus Colston was a really big part of that.
00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:44.400
Yeah, you know, and he was so reliable, he was so dependable every day.
00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:46.319
I mean, you knew what you were getting with Marcus Colston.
00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:48.079
Yeah, you know, and he's still very active.
00:32:48.160 --> 00:32:54.000
Um he lectures a lot about business and entrepreneurship, and he's yeah, I've seen him on social media.
00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:54.640
Yeah.
00:32:55.119 --> 00:33:04.799
My dad's favorite, one of his favorite calls was Colston when he would catch the Touchdown Colston! Um chicken or seafood gumbo?
00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:08.640
Um seafood no oysters, though.
00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:09.759
Seafood no oysters.
00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:15.119
And you know, my mom would put king crab instead of blue crab.
00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:16.960
Because like king crab is too much work.
00:33:17.039 --> 00:33:18.559
I mean, blue crab is too much work, you know.
00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:19.599
At least you got something.
00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:20.559
Yeah, exactly.
00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:24.960
You got some crab, you know, and then and once it gets that gumbo flavor in it, you know, that's that's what you really want.
00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:26.960
You know, you want the crab with that gumbo flavor.
00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:34.640
Now, you mentioned that um the listing of the top 100 shows of the 21st century, so this one might be a little bit difficult.
00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:37.839
What is your favorite New Orleans movie or TV series?
00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:39.359
Uh probably Tremay.
00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:39.839
Okay.
00:33:40.079 --> 00:33:54.799
Yeah, because I, you know, I've been knowing Wendell Pierce since we were kids, and um I've always gotten a kick out of seeing him act, you know, like when you actually know a person and you know what they're like in real life, you can really appreciate them as an actor.
00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:56.480
He's like, he's nothing like that.
00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:59.440
This guy's a great actor because he's nothing like that.
00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:04.559
But in Tremay, he was, you know, some the New Orleans part of his personality came out.
00:34:04.640 --> 00:34:05.039
Yeah, you know.
00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:06.000
Great, great series.
00:34:06.240 --> 00:34:07.119
Yeah, yeah, it really was.
00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:12.239
I mean, but sometimes it was New Orleans overload, though, because it was like, you know, it was kind of crash, dude.
00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:13.280
Yeah, they just trained up.
00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:20.079
Yeah, but the but they just like they hit you with everything, like like every other sentence was something like that that we got that other people didn't really get.
00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:22.639
And I'm like, okay, come on, we gotta keep the other people involved.
00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:24.320
They don't know what you're talking about here, you know.
00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:27.920
All right, those who have not seen it, they need to uh binge that one.
00:34:28.079 --> 00:34:29.840
Yeah, HBO, it's uh I think it's still available.
00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:30.000
Yeah.
00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:30.960
HBO on demand.
00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:33.679
All right, neutral ground or sidewalk side?
00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:34.880
Uh for parades?
00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:35.840
Sidewalk side.
00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:36.000
Yeah.
00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:36.719
Sidewalk side.
00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:45.440
Yeah, you know, it's funny how many of these things come up because we were walking down Rampart yesterday on our way to uh Tailgate.
00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:47.280
We tailgate with these these friends.
00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:48.079
I want to give them a shout out.
00:34:48.400 --> 00:34:50.079
It's called Tailgate Together.
00:34:50.320 --> 00:34:53.599
And um they've, you know, local media's done a lot of stories on them.
00:34:53.760 --> 00:34:59.199
Um, but it's a group of people who we we tailgate and uh, you know, I just I kind of come in.
00:34:59.519 --> 00:34:59.760
Some St.
00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:00.239
Aug alums.
00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:01.119
They do all the real work.
00:35:01.199 --> 00:35:01.440
Some St.
00:35:01.599 --> 00:35:04.800
Aug alums, but it's a mix of people, not everybody, but but some guys.
00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:12.960
Um, and um all the food from the tailgate that doesn't get eaten, we box it up and donate to the homeless.
00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:18.880
Every year at um at Thanksgiving, the game around Thanksgiving, we do a food drive.
00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:21.360
Every year around Christmas, we do a toy drive.
00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:24.079
So it's um it's a way to, you know, tailgate.
00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:25.280
Like I couldn't wait.
00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:28.559
We were on social media and um Alan, the guy puts it together.
00:35:28.639 --> 00:35:30.719
He's like, hey man, so I can't wait to see everybody.
00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:38.239
And I was like, that that's a part of the experience for me too, just seeing everybody and and and knowing how much good they do in the community year round.
00:35:38.320 --> 00:35:44.320
Because they don't just do it for tailgates, they do it year round, but they use the tailgate to also help out.
00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:46.559
So um that part of it.
00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:50.320
But but we were walking to the tailgate, and we crossed the street.
00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:53.360
There was a part of the rampart where they're doing some construction, so the sidewalk is blocked.
00:35:53.440 --> 00:36:00.079
So we walked over here, and I told my wife, I said, now everywhere else this is a median, but here it's it's a neutral ground.
00:36:00.320 --> 00:36:02.239
And she said, Well, why do they call it neutral ground?
00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:10.559
I said, I guess at some point people were fighting on different sides of the street, and and in the middle was the neutral ground, and there was no fighting in the neutral ground.
00:36:10.800 --> 00:36:11.039
That's right.
00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:16.559
Yeah, and so I don't know who they were or what they were fighting about, but they couldn't fight in the neutral ground because it was neutral.
00:36:16.719 --> 00:36:17.440
That's right.
00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:20.719
All right, your earliest memory of visiting the French Quarter?
00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:27.440
Um, I I don't know exactly how old I was, but my mom was a professor at Diller.
00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:37.119
And so every year for Mardi Gras, we would all get our costumes and she would set up a table with, you know, bunts and burners and everything.
00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:39.760
And she would make red beans and rice and you know, have food.
00:36:39.840 --> 00:36:46.719
And all of her students who you know were out at Mardi Gras, they knew they could come by and get a plate of red beans at my mom's side.
00:36:46.880 --> 00:36:49.599
We set up the same place every year on Canal Street.
00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:57.039
And I would, you know, wander off and you know, wind up in the French quarter, you know, seeing things I got no business seeing at Mardi Gras.
00:36:57.199 --> 00:37:01.760
So I don't know how old I was, but I just knew, you know what, I probably should make my way back over to Canal Street.
00:37:01.840 --> 00:37:05.679
I'm thinking I don't think I'm supposed to be over here, you know, so I bet I better go back over.
00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:06.639
That's a good story.
00:37:06.800 --> 00:37:12.719
All right, dead or alive, who's the one person you'd like to take to lunch and where in New Orleans would you take them?
00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:13.840
Probably Dr.
00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:15.039
King, Dr.
00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:19.440
Martin Luther King Jr., and I'd take him to Lil Dizzy in Tremay.
00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:21.760
Um, the Baket family.
00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:22.400
I went to St.
00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:27.440
Aug with Eddie Bakhe and his family's own restaurants, you know, uh in New Orleans.
00:37:27.519 --> 00:37:40.239
So I'd take him to Lil Dizzy so he could get some real New Orleans cuisine and he could tell me about um what what drove him to do the things that he did to make the contribution that he made, not only to our society, but to the world.
00:37:40.480 --> 00:38:03.920
You know, to just have a a greater understanding of you know how he went from um a preacher um at his church to somebody who just followed um the path of righteousness that he chose um all the way to his death, knowing that it would lead to his death.
00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:21.360
You know, and and how how one gets the the fortitude and the willingness to sacrifice that that took, you know, to just understand that um and have a and have a great meal.
00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:23.119
Thank you for sharing that.
00:38:23.679 --> 00:38:29.920
All right, your favorite New Orleans song, either a song by a New Orleans artist or a song about New Orleans.
00:38:30.239 --> 00:38:31.280
Boy, these are tough.
00:38:31.440 --> 00:38:33.360
Um even when I had the Chi Chi.
00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:39.360
Um favorite New Orleans song, do you know what it means?
00:38:40.800 --> 00:38:52.480
Uh no, when when we go classic New Orleans songs like that, it's um I don't I don't know the name of the song, but when you go to New Orleans, you love to go see the Mardi Gras.
00:38:52.639 --> 00:38:53.360
Is that is that Dr.
00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:53.599
John?
00:38:54.079 --> 00:38:55.519
Um Professor Longhair?
00:38:55.760 --> 00:38:56.880
I'm going to the studio audience.
00:38:57.039 --> 00:38:58.000
Is that Professor Longhair?
00:38:58.079 --> 00:38:58.239
Dr.
00:38:58.320 --> 00:38:58.719
John Who?
00:38:58.880 --> 00:38:59.599
Who sees that?
00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:02.320
Like that's that song is Mardi Gras to me.
00:39:02.719 --> 00:39:03.920
Like that song is Mardi Gras.
00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:05.599
Like you hear that, it's Mardi Gras.
00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:06.960
You gotta go see the Mardi Gras.
00:39:07.199 --> 00:39:07.679
Professor Long Hair.
00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:08.639
Professor Longhair.
00:39:08.800 --> 00:39:09.519
Okay, so I got it.
00:39:09.760 --> 00:39:10.800
Professor Longhair, yeah.
00:39:10.960 --> 00:39:13.440
Yeah, that that song is uh that that's Mardi Gras.
00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:15.119
Professor Longhair, you know, terrific.
00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:17.119
But I mean, like, I got other categories, you know.
00:39:17.199 --> 00:39:22.639
Like I, you know, like I said, I'm I'm a big juvenile fan, so uh I've always loved his music.
00:39:22.800 --> 00:39:37.760
Um because if you want to know what New Orleans is like from the standpoint of a young black man growing up in the projects here, like that, that his music encapsulated that.
00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:45.360
Um and then also, you know, he he he he had some records that just were just great party music.
00:39:45.440 --> 00:40:00.320
Yeah, you know, back that thing up is a worldwide sensation now, you know, that just you know came from a kid here, you know, uh expressing the the whole the New Orleans in him, you know what I mean, uh, through music.
00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:13.280
And it and it's it's a bounce record that you know uniquely um uh a form of music that is unique to New Orleans that um Yeah, the genres of music that have come out of New Orleans that no other city can claim.
00:40:13.599 --> 00:40:24.159
Yeah, it's just it it it it's it's creativity that comes from the soul, yeah, you know, and um and it that that's a part of what makes the place so special that it inspires that kind of creativity.
00:40:24.320 --> 00:40:24.719
Yeah.
00:40:24.960 --> 00:40:28.480
All right, what's the one New Orleans food item you cannot live without?
00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:29.440
Gumbo.
00:40:29.599 --> 00:40:41.519
All right, gumbo, like and you know, it's funny, I like I I've been a lot of places, lived a lot of places, gone a lot of places, and you know, like I'll see, you know, somebody else say they have gumbo and then it's got like jalapenos.
00:40:41.679 --> 00:40:42.960
I'm like, that's not gumbo.
00:40:43.039 --> 00:40:44.239
You know, like what are you doing?
00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:52.559
You know, but uh I found a place in LA, this place Harold and Bell's, and the family's from New Orleans, but they got the real deal.
00:40:52.639 --> 00:40:56.159
And so when I want some real gumbo, I got a place in LA where I can get it.
00:40:56.320 --> 00:40:56.800
Oh, that's great.
00:40:56.880 --> 00:40:57.039
Yeah.
00:40:57.360 --> 00:40:59.199
You're passing that along to your friends too, huh?
00:40:59.360 --> 00:41:00.239
Oh, yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
00:41:00.320 --> 00:41:03.039
No, I've I've taken people there, like, I'm like, this is the real thing.
00:41:03.199 --> 00:41:05.440
Like, you you're transported to New Orleans when you come here.
00:41:05.599 --> 00:41:06.159
This is it.
00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:09.280
All right, and five words or less, why do you love New Orleans?
00:41:09.519 --> 00:41:11.119
It's in my soul.
00:41:11.440 --> 00:41:12.960
Beautiful, beautiful.
00:41:13.119 --> 00:41:16.320
Well, Stan Verrett, can't thank you enough for stopping by.
00:41:16.480 --> 00:41:17.440
I know you're you're busy.
00:41:17.519 --> 00:41:22.239
I know you got to get to work in the 32 teams that you're covering on a regular basis.
00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:24.239
We can find you at NFL Total Access.
00:41:24.559 --> 00:41:32.000
NFL Total Access, uh, local time, it's uh 11 to 1, uh Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.
00:41:32.239 --> 00:41:34.880
to 1 p.m., um, which is a whole other thing.
00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:37.760
I've been working at night for 25 years, and all of a sudden I'm working in the daytime.
00:41:37.920 --> 00:41:43.280
You know, when the producer told me, yeah, our meeting's gonna be at 6 30 a.m., I'm like, oh my goodness, you know.
00:41:43.440 --> 00:41:45.599
My brain only functions for golf in the morning.
00:41:45.679 --> 00:41:47.599
It doesn't function for actually right.
00:41:47.760 --> 00:41:49.920
So so that that's been a whole other thing to get used to.
00:41:50.079 --> 00:41:51.920
But 9 to 11 a.m.
00:41:52.159 --> 00:42:02.960
Um on the NFL Network, and then uh Saturdays, once the NBA season starts, I'll be there on NBA TV Saturday nights, um, whatever time the game is on NBA TV.
00:42:03.199 --> 00:42:11.360
So thanks for sharing your talent, um, your love for New Orleans, and we look forward to keeping up with you and letting you tell those great stories that you do.
00:42:11.679 --> 00:42:11.840
All right.
00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:12.800
Thanks for having me, Mike.
00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:13.519
It really means a lot.
00:42:14.079 --> 00:42:15.039
Thank you so much.
00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:18.320
Great conversation there with Stan.
00:42:18.480 --> 00:42:28.320
Still ahead, Cleveland Spears joins us on the table to talk about the National Fried Chicken Festival and how it's grown into one of New Orleans' signature food events.
00:42:28.480 --> 00:42:35.519
Plus, Sig Greenbaum joins us on Five Minutes With to talk Nola by Nola and the city's live music scene.
00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:41.360
And Tulane's Corey Glore joins us for Move the Chains with the latest on Green Wave football.
00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:42.800
Stay with us.
00:42:48.719 --> 00:42:52.559
All right, ladies and gentlemen, it's now time for On the Table.
00:42:52.639 --> 00:42:54.719
This is sponsored by Blue Runner Foods.
00:42:54.800 --> 00:42:56.559
Good for your heart and your soul.
00:42:56.719 --> 00:43:03.760
Our next guest took one of the South's most universally loved foods and turned it into one of the New Orleans signature fall traditions.
00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:09.760
Cleveland Spears III is a New Orleans native, entrepreneur, and president and CEO of the Spears Group.
00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.000
Ten years ago, an idea built around a pretty simple premise.
00:43:14.320 --> 00:43:15.840
Everybody loves fried chicken.
00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:20.880
Let's put a festival together, has now become the National Fried Chicken Festival.
00:43:21.199 --> 00:43:29.119
Now the festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary, October 2nd through 4th, on the New Orleans Lake Front at the LSU New Orleans campus.
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:34.480
Ladies and gentlemen, we are so pleased to have on the show today Cleveland Spears.
00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:35.360
Cleveland, welcome to the show.
00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:37.280
Hey Mark, so good to see you, so good to be here.
00:43:37.920 --> 00:43:38.480
Good to see you.
00:43:38.559 --> 00:43:41.360
You know, let's go back and let's take it to the history.
00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:44.239
Ten years ago, you had this idea.
00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:46.960
I'm gonna put together a fried chicken festival.
00:43:47.039 --> 00:43:49.360
It was just known then as the fried chicken festival, right?
00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:51.519
And I'm gonna do it at Lafayette Square.
00:43:52.239 --> 00:43:52.880
Tell us what happened.
00:43:53.119 --> 00:43:57.920
Yeah, well, one thing I always say, I always start the story with uh creating a fried chicken festival was not my idea.
00:43:58.239 --> 00:43:59.760
It was my my dear friend Jay Brown.
00:44:00.239 --> 00:44:00.719
Russell.
00:44:00.800 --> 00:44:09.119
Uh, she and I were asked by former mayor uh Mitch Landrew to take part in a community convening on a topic of racial reconciliation of all things.
00:44:09.280 --> 00:44:15.760
Uh, and and three days into this convening, Jade says everyone loves fried chicken.
00:44:15.840 --> 00:44:21.840
We should just put together a fried chicken festival because black people, white people, Hispanic people, everyone would show up uh because everyone loves fried chicken.
00:44:22.079 --> 00:44:25.280
And that is how the idea uh first came about.
00:44:25.519 --> 00:44:34.800
Uh and then Jade and I started working on it, and we did the first one, uh, one-day festival uh in September 2016 uh in Lafayette Square.
00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:37.360
Uh and the response was overwhelming.
00:44:37.440 --> 00:44:38.719
Uh Mark, I know you were there.
00:44:38.960 --> 00:44:39.440
I was there.
00:44:39.760 --> 00:44:45.280
And we couldn't believe what we had created with so many tens of thousands of people showing up.
00:44:45.360 --> 00:44:54.800
Uh, and we overwhelmed the restaurants and our vendors, we overwhelmed Lafayette Square, we really overwhelmed uh downtown New Orleans, creating a bit of traffic gridlock.
00:44:54.880 --> 00:44:58.239
Uh and it was at that moment that we knew we had kind of tapped into something special.
00:44:58.480 --> 00:44:59.280
Yeah, terrific.
00:44:59.360 --> 00:45:09.760
And you know, and the mentality that it takes to uh not only concept something like this, and to your point, Jade, um, was so important to the to the process as you are.
00:45:10.079 --> 00:45:14.880
Um what is it about this city that's shaped the entrepreneur that you've become?
00:45:15.519 --> 00:45:18.239
Uh New Orleans is a very entrepreneurial city.
00:45:18.400 --> 00:45:24.000
If you look at data, you know, New Orleans has more entrepreneurs per capita than most places in the country.
00:45:24.079 --> 00:45:28.400
Uh and so New Orleans is a city where you believe anything is possible.
00:45:28.559 --> 00:45:35.119
So whatever your crazy idea is, we you know, we had the idea village, we had the the the the tagline, trust your crazy ideas.
00:45:35.280 --> 00:45:40.559
And so New Orleans just kind of ingrains this belief that whatever your crazy idea is, you can make it happen.
00:45:40.800 --> 00:45:57.840
And so, you know, 10 years ago, we had this idea that we could create uh a festival around this beloved dish of fried chicken, uh, and then not only create this festival, but then make it large and make it meaningful by helping small, independently owned restaurants, uh bringing a lot of diverse people together.
00:45:57.920 --> 00:46:01.360
Uh and so New Orleans has a very entrepreneurial spirit as a city.
00:46:01.599 --> 00:46:07.679
Yeah, it's really uh think about that very first festival in 2016, and now you're celebrating 10 years.
00:46:08.000 --> 00:46:12.800
When you look at what the Fried Chicken Fest has become, what makes you most proud?
00:46:13.599 --> 00:46:15.440
I look at a couple things.
00:46:15.599 --> 00:46:18.079
One, our ability to still be here 10 years later.
00:46:18.239 --> 00:46:21.760
It's a it is a tough business to be in, uh, as you and I were just discussing.
00:46:21.920 --> 00:46:25.199
But also, I think the thing I'm most proud of is is probably two things.
00:46:25.440 --> 00:46:38.320
One is that the amount of restaurants we've helped, the amount of restaurants that tell stories of, hey, you know, we went out to the fried chicken festival, we made great, great money in a two-day weekend, and that helped us move from our food truck to a brick and mortar.
00:46:38.639 --> 00:46:44.639
That helped us open, you know, take our catering business and and you know, really elevated it because so many people learned about us.
00:46:44.800 --> 00:46:48.400
So we're very proud of the restaurants we've helped along the way.
00:46:48.559 --> 00:46:53.440
Uh and then the second thing is the stories we hear of people meeting at the festival.
00:46:53.679 --> 00:46:58.079
I've heard so many stories of I met my now wife at your festival.
00:46:58.400 --> 00:47:05.599
I've we uh we got approached and I said, hey, I met this lady at your festival last year, and I like to propose her at your festival this year.
00:47:05.760 --> 00:47:08.639
And so can you help me arrange a proposal at the festival?
00:47:08.800 --> 00:47:11.840
So those are the type of stories that we hear, really dozens of.
00:47:12.159 --> 00:47:13.199
Love over fried chicken.
00:47:13.519 --> 00:47:14.559
Hey, what a great story.
00:47:14.880 --> 00:47:15.920
Who brings people together?
00:47:16.159 --> 00:47:16.559
That's right.
00:47:16.719 --> 00:47:22.480
Um, and so uh and so those are the things, you know, bringing people together and helping restaurants are the things that make me most proud.
00:47:22.719 --> 00:47:23.039
Yeah.
00:47:23.360 --> 00:47:24.559
Let's start an argument here.
00:47:24.719 --> 00:47:27.920
What separates great fried chicken from just good fried chicken?
00:47:28.159 --> 00:47:29.760
That's that's a good question.
00:47:29.920 --> 00:47:32.639
Um because you've probably tasted every type of fried chicken.
00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:35.440
I've tasted a lot of fried chicken over the last 10 years.
00:47:35.679 --> 00:47:42.719
Um I think everyone knows that fried chicken fest is exclusive to small, independently owned restaurants.
00:47:42.880 --> 00:47:45.440
We don't have kind of your large commercial chains out there.
00:47:45.519 --> 00:47:50.079
Uh, we're very grateful for our presenting sponsor on Raisin Canes, but but they're there to support restaurants as well.
00:47:50.239 --> 00:47:51.119
They don't they don't even sell.
00:47:51.440 --> 00:47:53.199
Yeah, Raising Cane stepped up several years ago.
00:47:53.760 --> 00:47:54.239
Ten years ago.
00:47:54.480 --> 00:47:57.440
10 years ago and has been have been a presenting sponsor ever since.
00:47:57.679 --> 00:47:58.000
Yes.
00:47:58.159 --> 00:48:11.920
Uh and so I think the thing that makes makes great fried chicken is I would say kind of small batch, these small mom and pop restaurants that are putting a lot of attention and time and and family recipes uh into it.
00:48:12.000 --> 00:48:15.119
So I think I think that's one thing that makes uh great fried chicken.
00:48:15.199 --> 00:48:22.480
You know, a lot of people debate, you know, wet batter, uh dry batter, breast, thigh, white meat, dark meat, all those things.
00:48:22.719 --> 00:48:23.440
Spicy, traditional.
00:48:23.679 --> 00:48:25.519
Spicy, mild, traditional.
00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:29.440
Uh, and I think I think it can be great in all of those configurations.
00:48:29.519 --> 00:48:37.920
But I think the thing that makes it best is is local independently on chefs and curators putting their own special, special uh touches on it.
00:48:38.079 --> 00:48:39.199
What about sides?
00:48:40.239 --> 00:48:41.360
The sides are important.
00:48:41.519 --> 00:48:42.480
Uh let's see.
00:48:42.719 --> 00:48:46.800
Uh, one of my favorite sides, uh, I love a good macaroni and cheese.
00:48:46.960 --> 00:48:48.320
I love French fries.
00:48:48.639 --> 00:48:50.960
Um good sides.
00:48:51.039 --> 00:48:56.880
And then also things that we like and things that you see at the fried chicken fest is creative dishes that incorporate fried chicken.
00:48:57.119 --> 00:49:07.599
Whether it is a you know, a pasta topped with fried chicken or a fried chicken taco or fried chicken quesadilla or these really, really exotic fried chicken sandwiches we've been seeing uh at the festival.
00:49:07.679 --> 00:49:14.719
Uh, someone came out and made a fried chicken sandwich topped with mustard greens and just these really exotic uses.
00:49:15.599 --> 00:49:17.519
I should have asked you to do a show and tell.
00:49:18.079 --> 00:49:19.199
I should have bought some food with me.
00:49:20.559 --> 00:49:24.960
Uh so I think I think those are some of the things people also get excited about, like these new ways to enjoy the dish.
00:49:25.199 --> 00:49:25.440
Wow.
00:49:25.599 --> 00:49:28.800
Okay, so let's talk about the festival, October 2nd through 4th.
00:49:28.880 --> 00:49:30.480
Um, this is the 10th anniversary.
00:49:30.719 --> 00:49:32.960
Somebody deciding now to come out.
00:49:33.119 --> 00:49:36.400
Uh, what makes this year's festival different from anything you've done before?
00:49:36.719 --> 00:49:39.199
This year is a really repositioning year for us.
00:49:39.440 --> 00:49:45.360
So we have been a great food festival for the last 10 years, and USA Today thinks we're one of the top 10 food festivals in the country.
00:49:45.599 --> 00:49:49.280
Uh, we are now making a very specific pivot towards music.
00:49:49.440 --> 00:49:51.599
We want to be a true food and music festival.
00:49:51.760 --> 00:49:56.400
Uh so what folks can't expect this year is a significantly elevated music and entertainment lineup.
00:49:56.559 --> 00:50:08.400
Uh, we're in a great music city, so we have a lot of great local music, but we're bringing in some uh national carding artists like Nellie, like Dylan Francis, like Two Chains and Kerry Hilson and folks like that.
00:50:08.480 --> 00:50:12.320
Uh we're doing an orchestra show, uh, orchestra show uh with Big Frieda.
00:50:12.639 --> 00:50:16.400
Uh so you can come out and see the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with Big Frieda this year.
00:50:16.559 --> 00:50:23.760
So uh what folks can expect this year is a significantly elevated kind of entertainment and musical lineup uh is one thing.
00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:26.159
Uh the other big thing is that we've added Friday this year.
00:50:26.239 --> 00:50:29.440
This is our first time adding Friday, and so Friday's Locals Day.
00:50:29.519 --> 00:50:36.639
We got great bands like uh Mark Bruce Art, Shamar Allen kind of leading our Friday Locals Day with great DJs supporting them.
00:50:36.719 --> 00:50:43.599
Uh so we we've added Friday, significantly upgraded uh music program, uh, and then we've added uh other new elements.
00:50:43.679 --> 00:50:46.880
Uh there's the 5K, which happens on Saturday morning.
00:50:47.039 --> 00:50:48.800
Uh and what's the route for that?
00:50:48.960 --> 00:50:50.079
It's a lakefront route.
00:50:50.159 --> 00:51:04.880
So you're it's a uh we kind of meet at the festival site, it's a waterfront right route up Lakeshore Drive, and then returns back to uh the Lakefront Arena festival grounds uh for a post-party uh for the runners uh before we open to the public.
00:51:05.039 --> 00:51:07.199
And something else we've added this year is brand new.
00:51:07.280 --> 00:51:08.639
We announced it about a week ago.
00:51:08.719 --> 00:51:14.000
Uh we have a Thursday night four-course dinner party uh called the first course.
00:51:14.079 --> 00:51:16.880
Uh and so it's it's a it's a culinary weekend.
00:51:16.960 --> 00:51:26.800
Uh but if you want this kind of elevated, intimate dinner experience where you get to hear from chefs, uh uh the first course on Thursday night is a really good opportunity for that.
00:51:26.880 --> 00:51:29.039
So it's a October 1st for that.
00:51:29.280 --> 00:51:30.000
Thursday, October 1st.
00:51:33.119 --> 00:51:33.679
That's correct.
00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:36.960
Uh so all the tickets are online at fried chickenfestival.com.
00:51:37.039 --> 00:51:39.679
Uh, and Thursday night is themed chicken and champagne.
00:51:39.760 --> 00:51:44.960
So every course will be paired with fine champagnes from Bouv Clico uh and Moe.
00:51:45.280 --> 00:51:45.519
Wow.
00:51:45.679 --> 00:51:48.079
Uh so we got a four-day uh weekend for everyone.
00:51:48.400 --> 00:51:48.960
That's beautiful.
00:51:49.039 --> 00:51:50.639
Uh my that's fantastic.
00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:52.239
Uh is there still a competition?
00:51:52.480 --> 00:51:53.679
Yes, there is still a competition.
00:51:53.760 --> 00:51:58.320
So our restaurants are competing for the best fried chicken and most creative use of fried chicken in the dish.
00:51:58.639 --> 00:52:00.800
That's great, including those sandwiches that you mentioned.
00:52:01.440 --> 00:52:04.480
Um, like you said, you've grown this into much more than just a food event.
00:52:04.559 --> 00:52:08.719
There are restaurants, the live music, the entertainment, experiences throughout the weekend.
00:52:09.199 --> 00:52:14.000
At what point did you realize that you were building something more than just a food festival?
00:52:14.320 --> 00:52:17.280
I mean, what what was this pivot uh decision making like?
00:52:17.760 --> 00:52:21.119
Yeah, you know, uh the festival has been growing and growing and growing.
00:52:21.199 --> 00:52:27.360
And once you realize you have something, you want to say, hey, uh, we've developed something that's good that people are really supporting.
00:52:27.519 --> 00:52:28.719
How do we maximize it?
00:52:28.880 --> 00:52:29.920
How do we continue to grow it?
00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:32.719
How do we not just say, hey, this is good, let's keep it as is.
00:52:32.880 --> 00:52:38.800
Uh and so every year we continue to be shocked, surprised, grateful for all the support we get.
00:52:38.960 --> 00:52:44.000
And so we say, how do we continue to make it bigger and bigger so we can have greater impact?
00:52:44.239 --> 00:52:53.039
And so the larger I think gets, the more people we're able to hire and do business with and to come work for the festival and bring in more restaurants.
00:52:53.280 --> 00:53:10.159
So we think that there was a there's an opportunity to continue to make it large and be, you know, really large destination festival where folks are traveling in and supporting the not only restaurants at our festival, but the restaurants in the city, our hotels, our entire kind of hospitality and tourism ecosystem.
00:53:10.400 --> 00:53:18.880
And so once we made that decision of how do we continue to grow, the next obvious thing was, well, let's let's let's leverage music as a way to do that.
00:53:19.280 --> 00:53:26.480
Um and so we we've been making this decision over the last several years of how do we continue to grow incrementally and piece by piece.
00:53:26.719 --> 00:53:27.119
Yeah.
00:53:27.440 --> 00:53:30.719
Um, what does this mean for local businesses?
00:53:31.039 --> 00:53:37.039
Yeah, we think uh, and we have data to support that, you know, our economic impact is is millions of dollars.
00:53:37.199 --> 00:53:41.039
We engage with over 100 small businesses to produce this festival.
00:53:41.199 --> 00:53:43.679
You have the restaurants out there, which is the obvious one.
00:53:43.920 --> 00:53:53.519
We have the the marketplace for nine food vendors, which is arts, crafts, uh, apparel, merchandise, and that's sponsored by uh New Orleans Tourism and Culture Foundation.
00:53:53.599 --> 00:53:56.960
So we have 20 businesses in there selling their merchandise.
00:53:57.119 --> 00:54:20.159
Uh, but then there's also all the businesses we work with to put it on: security, production, sanitation, transportation, uh uh the the uh other companies we hire to help us, whether it's uh media companies, uh marketing companies, Spears Group leads the majority of the marketing, but uh we have other partners that come and help us with things like sponsorship management, food and beverage curation.
00:54:20.239 --> 00:54:23.360
So we're we're working with uh probably about a hundred different small businesses.
00:54:23.840 --> 00:54:25.599
Economic impact is not small.
00:54:26.000 --> 00:54:26.400
Absolutely.
00:54:26.480 --> 00:54:30.719
We think it's eight it's an eight-figure economic impact between ten and twelve million dollars a year.
00:54:31.039 --> 00:54:31.760
Fantastic.
00:54:31.920 --> 00:54:34.960
Uh and it's a national fried chicken festival.
00:54:35.039 --> 00:54:41.440
So uh give us a sense of where the uh the small mom and pop businesses are coming from to compete.
00:54:41.760 --> 00:54:42.079
Yep.
00:54:42.400 --> 00:54:46.079
The vast majority are coming from Louisiana, so we'll have 40 restaurants this year.
00:54:46.320 --> 00:54:50.400
Uh 25 to 28 of those restaurants are gonna be from Louisiana.
00:54:50.559 --> 00:54:54.079
Uh and then the farthest one out that's coming.
00:54:54.320 --> 00:54:57.119
We've bought restaurants from both New York and LA.
00:54:57.280 --> 00:54:59.840
Uh, I think we'll have a restaurant from Los Angeles this year.
00:55:00.000 --> 00:55:10.000
Um we've bought restaurants from uh I've Texas is our is our neighboring state, uh, but we New York, LA, Florida, uh Tennessee, Oklahoma.
00:55:10.079 --> 00:55:11.920
Uh we bought restaurants from all over.
00:55:12.000 --> 00:55:18.880
Uh and they come in, they travel in for the weekend, uh, compete um to, you know, uh for the opportunity to win.
00:55:18.960 --> 00:55:21.599
Uh and really cool things have happened as a result of it.
00:55:21.760 --> 00:55:30.079
You know, Gus's Fried Chicken, which is now a you know a staple here, their first exposure to New Orleans was us asking them to come be in our fried chicken festival.
00:55:30.159 --> 00:55:34.320
Uh and now they have two restaurants here in New Orleans, uh, one in New Orleans and one in Mattery.
00:55:34.400 --> 00:55:39.760
Uh, and so we are continuing to kind of introduce folks to the city uh through through this festival.
00:55:40.079 --> 00:55:40.800
Very good.
00:55:40.960 --> 00:55:45.199
Um, give us Cleveland Spears guide to doing the Fried Chicken Fest the right way.
00:55:45.280 --> 00:55:48.559
Uh I'm c if I'm coming for the first time, what's what's the game plan?
00:55:49.199 --> 00:55:49.519
Great.
00:55:49.599 --> 00:55:52.000
Uh and am I coming with or without kids?
00:55:52.320 --> 00:55:56.320
Uh let's do uh let's do family first, and then we can do the adult.
00:55:56.880 --> 00:55:57.360
Okay, great.
00:55:57.440 --> 00:56:02.559
All right, so if I'm coming with my family, uh one, I just want to remind folks kids 12 and under get in free.
00:56:02.719 --> 00:56:02.880
Okay.
00:56:03.039 --> 00:56:05.199
Uh so one, I would say get your tickets early.
00:56:05.360 --> 00:56:08.239
Uh we have uh parking right at the Lakefront Arena.
00:56:08.320 --> 00:56:14.800
So uh the parking is at the festival site versus kind of looking for parking blocks away, which is I think something that's very convenient.
00:56:14.960 --> 00:56:18.000
There's plenty of parking out at the uh LSU New Orleans Lakefront.
00:56:18.239 --> 00:56:18.559
Absolutely.
00:56:18.639 --> 00:56:22.559
So I'd uh you know, kids get in free, uh, get your tickets early.
00:56:22.639 --> 00:56:37.199
Uh I would make sure I bring out uh my festival chair, I would make sure I bring out sunscreen, uh, I would make sure I bring out uh hand sanitizer, I'd uh make sure I bring uh something for the kids to play with.
00:56:37.360 --> 00:56:39.920
Uh we also have uh our own kids area.
00:56:40.000 --> 00:56:42.320
This year it's being produced by the Louisiana Children's Museum.
00:56:42.480 --> 00:56:42.880
Oh, beautiful.
00:56:43.039 --> 00:56:45.199
Uh so they were gonna have great experiences out there.
00:56:45.280 --> 00:56:48.800
Uh there's some science experiments that the Children's Museum is putting on.
00:56:48.880 --> 00:56:52.800
Uh, we often bring out characters to do story reading uh to them.
00:56:52.880 --> 00:56:58.960
Uh so I would probably try and get to the festival early so I can get around to all of the restaurants before uh the lines get long.
00:56:59.119 --> 00:57:00.639
So gates open at 11.
00:57:00.800 --> 00:57:03.280
I would be in with my family by one.
00:57:04.320 --> 00:57:15.920
Uh sit our chairs down, try several restaurants, let the kids mill around to the uh the kids area uh and then just kind of hang out and enjoy uh the evening and the music for the rest of the evening.
00:57:16.159 --> 00:57:16.639
Excellent.
00:57:16.800 --> 00:57:18.559
And uh is there a three-day pass?
00:57:18.800 --> 00:57:20.400
Uh yes, there is a three-day pass online.
00:57:20.800 --> 00:57:21.280
Very good.
00:57:21.519 --> 00:57:26.800
All right, so now I'm not bringing kids, I'm coming out with a couple of buddies or with a with a date.
00:57:26.880 --> 00:57:27.599
What does it look like?
00:57:27.840 --> 00:57:29.920
I would absolutely get the VIP tickets.
00:57:30.079 --> 00:57:39.599
Uh our VIP tickets, uh, and we actually we actually have a company minor VIP ticket, so we do have all ages VIP, but if I'm coming just as with adult friends, I'm getting a VIP ticket.
00:57:39.679 --> 00:57:49.760
Uh it includes three cocktails, it includes uh a dish from one of our watering restaurants, it includes this lounge area and VIP restrooms and front of stage viewing.
00:57:49.840 --> 00:57:58.000
Uh so I'm gonna come out, uh probably able to travel a little lighter because I have seating and food and beverage all kind of situated for me in the VIP area.
00:57:58.079 --> 00:57:59.840
I would still get my tickets early.
00:58:00.079 --> 00:58:03.280
Uh uh the VIP usually sells out every year.
00:58:03.360 --> 00:58:05.360
Uh so I would get my VIP tickets early.
00:58:05.440 --> 00:58:13.119
Uh, I would try and be to the festival by two o'clock, uh, park right there on site, walk right in, and come enjoy the VIP lounges.
00:58:13.360 --> 00:58:13.599
Beautiful.
00:58:14.159 --> 00:58:18.639
And we have we have uh come every day and come out every day, make make a weekend of it.
00:58:18.719 --> 00:58:18.880
Yeah.
00:58:19.039 --> 00:58:24.559
Uh and I would also do the 5K to kind of burn some calories before my my my weekend of indulgence.
00:58:25.360 --> 00:58:29.119
Well, Cleveland, uh just so impressed with what you've been able to do with this.
00:58:29.280 --> 00:58:41.760
I mean, everything that you touch um has some some greatness around it because of the excitement that you're building and what you've done here with the National Fried Chicken Festival uh with Raising Cain's support is is just absolutely amazing.
00:58:42.079 --> 00:58:45.840
Again, you're celebrating your tenth anniversary, October 2nd through 4th, though.
00:58:46.239 --> 00:58:50.320
That fried chicken champagne dinner on the first of October sounds awfully enticing.
00:58:50.639 --> 00:58:51.599
Well, I want you to come, Mark.
00:58:51.840 --> 00:58:52.079
Thank you.
00:58:52.400 --> 00:58:55.599
Can you buy your tickets in advance at fried chickenfestival.com.
00:58:55.920 --> 00:58:58.559
And um again, congratulations on 10 years.
00:58:58.719 --> 00:59:02.159
Happy birthday, so to speak, and thanks for joining us here on the Mark Romick show.
00:59:02.400 --> 00:59:02.800
Thank you so much.
00:59:02.880 --> 00:59:04.960
I I've I've I've been enjoying watching the show, Mark.
00:59:05.039 --> 00:59:08.000
Uh this is so this is so Mark Roman.
00:59:08.159 --> 00:59:12.000
So I've I once I I I saw it launch, I've I've really been enjoying keeping up with it.
00:59:12.079 --> 00:59:13.039
So congratulations to you.
00:59:13.280 --> 00:59:14.239
Uh thank you very much.
00:59:14.400 --> 00:59:21.679
And uh we're glad we can uh share the story about what the festival is bringing to New Orleans and really to the rest of the country.
00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:22.239
Thank you.
00:59:22.400 --> 00:59:22.719
Awesome.
00:59:22.960 --> 00:59:23.519
Oh, you know what?
00:59:23.599 --> 00:59:26.559
Speaking of that, do you get international visitors for this?
00:59:26.880 --> 00:59:30.960
We uh we don't have any international restaurants, but we do have in uh international visitors.
00:59:31.119 --> 00:59:37.199
I have met folks who who seek me out and say, hey, I want you to know we flew here from, and they'll name a country.
00:59:37.280 --> 00:59:40.559
Uh and and I would say, Well, were you already coming to New Orleans?
00:59:41.519 --> 00:59:45.679
We heard about this, and you know, we love fried chicken and we, you know, we travel for food.
00:59:45.760 --> 00:59:49.760
Uh, and so we have met folks that have flown internationally uh for the festival.
00:59:50.320 --> 00:59:52.400
And and I meet folks coming from all over the country.
00:59:52.480 --> 01:00:02.719
Uh, I met this this lady uh last year, and she comes to me and finds me, and she brought her dad for his 90th birthday, 90 years old.
01:00:02.960 --> 01:00:08.320
And uh she says, my dad, only thing my dad wants to do for his birthday was come to the fried chicken festival.
01:00:08.400 --> 01:00:13.360
Uh, and they flew from um I think it was Chicago uh to come to the festival.
01:00:13.440 --> 01:00:18.480
So I I meet folks like that throughout the weekend as I'm kind of moving around the festival and working.
01:00:18.639 --> 01:00:29.360
Uh, and folks who say, hey, you know, we we've we've seen you online, and we, you know, we flew here from from this place or from that place to come here and you know just talk about how much you're enjoying the food and and the festival.
01:00:29.440 --> 01:00:30.960
Uh, and that's also a great feeling.
01:00:31.119 --> 01:00:33.440
Uh, bringing people together over good fried chicken.
01:00:34.079 --> 01:00:34.960
Everyone loves fried chicken.
01:00:35.199 --> 01:00:35.679
Congratulations.
01:00:36.000 --> 01:00:41.599
We look forward to uh seeing you out there, and uh best wishes this year and then for the next 10, 20, 30 years.
01:00:41.920 --> 01:00:42.719
Thank you.
01:00:48.000 --> 01:00:50.800
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for five minutes with.
01:00:51.119 --> 01:00:53.039
This is sponsored by New Orleans and Company.
01:00:53.199 --> 01:00:55.199
New Orleans is built to host.
01:00:55.360 --> 01:01:04.320
Our next guest has spent much of his career creating live music experiences and supporting the artists and venues that make New Orleans one of the great music cities in the world.
01:01:04.559 --> 01:01:16.320
Sig Greenbaum is the founder of Nola By Nola, a citywide celebration of New Orleans music that began in 2021 during COVID and has grown into an annual fall tradition.
01:01:16.480 --> 01:01:26.480
This year, NOLA by Nola returns September 24th and will run through October 4th, bringing more than 300 performances to roughly 50 venues across the city.
01:01:26.719 --> 01:01:28.559
Sig, welcome to the Mark Romick Show.
01:01:28.880 --> 01:01:30.000
Well, it's an honor to be here.
01:01:30.079 --> 01:01:30.800
This is so amazing.
01:01:31.039 --> 01:01:31.760
It's like a reunion.
01:01:32.000 --> 01:01:32.880
It is like a reunion.
01:01:33.119 --> 01:01:33.519
I know.
01:01:33.760 --> 01:01:38.159
Before we get to Nola by Nola, how did you first become connected to the New Orleans music community?
01:01:38.480 --> 01:01:44.559
I moved here in '99 to um be part of a radio station called 1067 the End, KKND.
01:01:44.639 --> 01:01:47.119
It was an alternative modern rock radio station.
01:01:47.280 --> 01:01:48.159
That's why I moved here.
01:01:48.239 --> 01:01:52.000
I thought I was gonna move here for a year and uh never left.
01:01:52.480 --> 01:01:53.119
Bit by the bug.
01:01:53.360 --> 01:01:54.000
Bit by the bug.
01:01:54.079 --> 01:01:54.639
There's nothing like it.
01:01:54.880 --> 01:01:56.480
Did you fall in love here or didn't you?
01:01:56.639 --> 01:01:57.039
No, no.
01:01:57.119 --> 01:01:58.320
I uh I had children here.
01:01:58.559 --> 01:01:58.719
Okay.
01:02:00.800 --> 01:02:03.920
Came here, and you know, the funny thing is she cried every day for a year.
01:02:04.079 --> 01:02:07.679
And then if I tried to move now, she would be the one she'd be crying again.
01:02:07.920 --> 01:02:08.639
She would be crying again.
01:02:08.800 --> 01:02:08.960
Yeah.
01:02:09.280 --> 01:02:12.400
Did you uh did you think you'd be building a career around music?
01:02:12.880 --> 01:02:16.239
I've always been in music in some way, shape, or form.
01:02:16.400 --> 01:02:21.039
I just didn't know how it was going to happen and that this was gonna happen.
01:02:21.519 --> 01:02:22.079
Wow.
01:02:22.320 --> 01:02:24.320
Let's talk about how it all began.
01:02:24.719 --> 01:02:28.320
2021, at the time when musicians and venues were really hurting.
01:02:28.480 --> 01:02:30.480
I mean, yeah, we knew what that year was happening.
01:02:30.719 --> 01:02:33.199
There were changing festivals, they were canceling festivals.
01:02:33.519 --> 01:02:35.119
Um take us back to the beginning.
01:02:35.199 --> 01:02:41.760
I know there were some other folks that um that you uh worked with, uh and what problem were you trying to solve?
01:02:42.559 --> 01:02:46.320
Well, it was the it all came in a moment, like a inspirational moment.
01:02:46.559 --> 01:02:50.000
Tuesday, uh I think it was like August 18th or something like that.
01:02:50.239 --> 01:02:50.400
Okay.
01:02:50.719 --> 01:02:55.599
It's the Tuesday after the Sunday that Jazz Fest canceled in August for the fall version.
01:02:55.840 --> 01:03:02.639
And I was going to Chicago for a music festival that I was producing up there that was going to take place in October, and I was going for meetings.
01:03:02.800 --> 01:03:14.559
Read the T McNulty article about the impact of the cancellation of Jazz Fest and the other festivals and what it meant to venues, uh, restaurants, musicians, cultural artists in general.
01:03:15.039 --> 01:03:16.880
Because those festivals feed those venues.
01:03:17.280 --> 01:03:17.599
Absolutely.
01:03:17.920 --> 01:03:20.639
Uh when the festival closes out, the venues open up, right?
01:03:20.719 --> 01:03:20.880
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
01:03:21.039 --> 01:03:22.159
Especially during Jazz Fest.
01:03:22.400 --> 01:03:31.760
And especially after no music for two years of paying gigs for artists and venues actually being able to sell to capacity or close to it.
01:03:31.920 --> 01:03:35.280
That Jazz Fest that fall was so important.
01:03:35.440 --> 01:03:36.559
Everybody was looking for it.
01:03:36.719 --> 01:03:41.599
People had made investments in their properties and in their green rooms and their sound system, they were ready to go.
01:03:42.480 --> 01:03:43.440
They had booked artists.
01:03:43.760 --> 01:03:50.000
And they, you know, they were going to go to four in the morning and have great shows that were going to be after the gates of Jazz Fest closed.
01:03:50.239 --> 01:04:07.440
And I just felt that if we could figure out a way to have one message to say New Orleans is open, do not close, do not, do not cancel your plane ticket, do not cancel your hotel room, do not cancel your your reservations at restaurants and gator tours or whatever.
01:04:07.599 --> 01:04:08.800
Come to New Orleans.
01:04:08.960 --> 01:04:09.840
We are open.
01:04:10.000 --> 01:04:19.519
And the key to that would be to bring the venues together and have support on a marketing level to say to everybody widely that New Orleans is open and come.
01:04:19.679 --> 01:04:19.920
Right.
01:04:20.159 --> 01:04:28.320
And as I was boarding the plane that morning, a beautiful sunrise that I will never forget at Louis Armstrong Airport, I was texting people, what are you doing with your night shows?
01:04:28.400 --> 01:04:29.679
What are you doing with your night shows?
01:04:29.840 --> 01:04:33.119
Owners, general managers, venue, uh, you know, artists.
01:04:33.360 --> 01:04:41.599
And by the time I landed in Chicago, I had a lot of very upset texts that it was six o'clock in the morning, but responses saying, I don't know.
01:04:41.760 --> 01:04:42.480
We want to keep them.
01:04:42.639 --> 01:04:45.199
Not sure who will be in town as far as musicians.
01:04:45.519 --> 01:04:50.960
And uh I just said, Listen, I have an idea, would love to share it if there's an opportunity.
01:04:51.599 --> 01:04:53.920
That was Tuesday morning, Tuesday afternoon.
01:04:54.000 --> 01:04:59.599
Uh Greg Lucas from Preservation Hall calls me and says, Hey Sig, I heard you have an idea.
01:04:59.840 --> 01:05:01.760
Can you get on a call with the venues tomorrow?
01:05:02.000 --> 01:05:10.400
So Wednesday I got on a call and shared this idea of Nola by Nola, the idea of Norlinians helping New Orleanians coming together.
01:05:10.719 --> 01:05:15.119
And would you be interested in doing it?
01:05:15.360 --> 01:05:28.400
And there was some skepticism at first from the venues, and then we decided we'd return and do another call the next day, a call that you were on, and we uh we you know I re pitched the idea again to everybody.
01:05:28.719 --> 01:05:29.440
Remember Stephen Perry?
01:05:29.519 --> 01:05:30.719
Uh Stephen Perry was on that call.
01:05:32.800 --> 01:05:33.199
Absolutely.
01:05:33.360 --> 01:05:39.519
And the next day, uh between Steven and yourself and others here at Norwins and Company, we got the green light to go.
01:05:39.760 --> 01:05:40.000
Yeah.
01:05:40.079 --> 01:05:42.559
Uh hats off to um Jeremy Cooker as well.
01:05:43.119 --> 01:05:43.679
Jeremy Cooker.
01:05:44.159 --> 01:05:48.480
You think about what came together in a very short period of time.
01:05:48.880 --> 01:05:53.760
Um and we I think we were like flying the plane and building it at the same time.
01:05:54.079 --> 01:05:54.400
Absolutely.
01:05:54.719 --> 01:05:55.119
In the air.
01:05:55.519 --> 01:05:59.840
And we never would have gone through that first year or even the second year, the third year, fourth year.
01:06:00.159 --> 01:06:02.079
Your fifth year without Jeremy Cooker.
01:06:02.159 --> 01:06:04.480
He is the Nola by Nola MVP forever.
01:06:04.800 --> 01:06:12.559
Yeah, and just the entire the entire team at New Orleans and company, Kelly Schultz and the public relations on social media.
01:06:14.079 --> 01:06:21.519
But having um a a drum major in you and keeping uh keeping the train on the track was was so very important.
01:06:21.679 --> 01:06:26.000
So six years later, we're talking about more than 300 performances across 50 venues.
01:06:26.480 --> 01:06:30.880
When you look at how much Nola by Nola has grown, what what are you most proud of?
01:06:31.599 --> 01:06:38.880
Well, even being asked that question kind of gives me chills because I'm so proud of the entire program and the way that we've all come together.
01:06:40.159 --> 01:06:45.039
And in that was from the first year that continues to today.
01:06:45.360 --> 01:06:53.519
When I when we were talking about launching Nola by Nola, and I said we're gonna put the X on social media, and your whole team was building that out for us.
01:06:53.760 --> 01:06:58.000
And the key was the venues tagging other venues.
01:06:58.159 --> 01:06:58.239
Right.
01:06:58.559 --> 01:07:03.679
I asked the question, I said, Does anybody have a problem with tagging the other venues in New Orleans?
01:07:04.000 --> 01:07:07.760
And everyone, thumbs up, let's go, you know, cheer, cheer, cheer.
01:07:08.320 --> 01:07:19.840
And so on the day that we announced it, and seeing who they were tagging, like Preservation Hall is tagging, you know, Siberia, and you know, which is a completely different vibe from Preservation Hall.
01:07:20.000 --> 01:07:26.079
And Saturn Bar is, you know, tagging the broadside, and they all went to the maximum amount.
01:07:26.159 --> 01:07:30.880
And it just it spoke to this town, unlike any other town.
01:07:30.960 --> 01:07:37.039
You could not do this anywhere else, where competitive venues would work together and still to this day it happens.
01:07:37.280 --> 01:07:41.039
To be part of that and to see it happen has been amazing.
01:07:41.440 --> 01:07:43.440
Yeah, you built a community in many ways.
01:07:43.760 --> 01:07:44.800
Again, only in New Orleans.
01:07:44.960 --> 01:07:45.119
Yeah.
01:07:45.280 --> 01:07:53.360
For somebody who has never experienced Nola by Nola, what makes those 11 days different from just going out to see live music on any any other day or any other weekend?
01:07:53.679 --> 01:07:59.840
It's the best of New Orleans, you know, and it's the energy of going into these venues and everybody celebrating it.
01:08:00.079 --> 01:08:06.239
And because it's the fall, a lot of musicians are home, so we're having people sit in with shows.
01:08:06.400 --> 01:08:13.679
We're creating special moments like the Tuesday night show that Rebirth does at the rabbit hole this year, won't just be Tuesday.
01:08:13.840 --> 01:08:15.760
We're gonna have Mardi Gore Indians at that show.
01:08:16.239 --> 01:08:23.840
And you know, last year we did a show with you know, uh where it was a show at Vaughn's with LSD Clown System.
01:08:23.920 --> 01:08:25.680
We had Corey Henry sit in with them.
01:08:26.000 --> 01:08:32.720
And wherever we can do something like that, one person, five people, whatever it might be, we want it to be.
01:08:33.119 --> 01:08:37.520
You've come to New Orleans maybe for Jazz Fest, you've come for Mardi Gras, but you haven't seen it like this.
01:08:37.760 --> 01:08:41.680
Kind of just in its natural state with a little special little lanyup to it.
01:08:41.840 --> 01:08:51.039
Yeah, because people think, well, yeah, I can come to New Orleans for a weekend, but I mean, a weeknight and and have the sort of variety and the that's the menu is just unbelievable.
01:08:51.359 --> 01:08:51.520
Yeah.
01:08:51.600 --> 01:09:01.920
You know, you come to Jazz Fest and you hear about a Tuesday night with rebirth or a Monday night with George Porter at the Maple Leaf, but you haven't experienced it until you experience it.
01:09:02.239 --> 01:09:04.079
What's the most exciting thing for you this year?
01:09:04.159 --> 01:09:08.560
I mean, the sixth year, uh, is there one thing that you're looking forward to more than anything else?
01:09:08.880 --> 01:09:12.319
Uh you know, it's um there's a couple shows I'm really excited about.
01:09:12.399 --> 01:09:19.680
One uh we're doing, which is Irma Thomas, who's been part of Nola by Nola from day one, her with the Preservation Hall jazz band.
01:09:19.840 --> 01:09:26.000
They're flying in from Washington the night before to play a press hall with her to do two matinees.
01:09:26.399 --> 01:09:28.880
Uh everybody wants to be at that show.
01:09:29.119 --> 01:09:30.800
It's gonna be really special.
01:09:30.960 --> 01:09:39.199
Uh River Eckert celebrating his first ever headlining set at Tipotinas, relaunching the Tipatinas Foundation of the show.
01:09:39.760 --> 01:09:39.840
Yes.
01:09:40.239 --> 01:09:43.920
Great pianist, great wise beyond his age both in the way.
01:09:45.840 --> 01:09:46.479
He goes to NOCA.
01:09:47.119 --> 01:09:48.079
He's got to get permission slate.
01:09:48.319 --> 01:09:50.000
He's got to get permission to stay out.
01:09:50.960 --> 01:09:51.840
Don't miss that one.
01:09:52.000 --> 01:09:52.159
Yeah.
01:09:52.800 --> 01:09:53.199
Amazing.
01:09:53.359 --> 01:09:53.600
Yeah.
01:09:54.000 --> 01:09:55.359
But you know, it's more the music.
01:09:55.439 --> 01:09:57.439
There's there's something else that you're doing.
01:09:57.520 --> 01:09:59.119
You're that's some business behind it.
01:09:59.279 --> 01:10:02.079
What why is it important to bring in that side of the industry?
01:10:02.399 --> 01:10:07.359
So we do a thing Nola by Nola talks, we do it at New Orleans uh jazz museum, it's a two-day conference.
01:10:07.600 --> 01:10:13.119
You know, there are cities that have we have we have it on lockdown when it comes to venues and music.
01:10:13.199 --> 01:10:14.479
Nobody, nobody can beat us.
01:10:14.560 --> 01:10:16.960
This is the greatest experience you can possibly find.
01:10:17.199 --> 01:10:24.399
And you know, other cities might have music business that we don't have that's driving a different level of engagement.
01:10:24.640 --> 01:10:26.079
We want to have those conversations.
01:10:26.239 --> 01:10:44.079
We and we have people who are in all different levels of the music industry doing stuff all over the world with all kinds of incredible artists, like the artist relations people for The Rolling Stones and Barbara Streisand live here in New Orleans, you know, got their start at Voodoo.
01:10:44.399 --> 01:10:57.439
Like we have we, you know, people who are doing sync licensing in Los Angeles live here and are part of our community, and we are trying to bring people together, share our our knowledge that we have from our experiences.
01:10:57.600 --> 01:11:04.960
And if we can help and you know, and create connections, that feels like something we should be doing during Oli by Nola.
01:11:05.199 --> 01:11:05.840
Yeah, very good.
01:11:05.920 --> 01:11:08.239
Uh talk about the musicians themselves.
01:11:08.399 --> 01:11:13.279
I mean, uh you're you're basically helping them further their careers.
01:11:13.439 --> 01:11:13.600
Sure.
01:11:13.840 --> 01:11:17.680
Um give us a story about a musician that you've come across.
01:11:18.479 --> 01:11:20.800
Uh that one puts me on the spot a little bit, Mark.
01:11:21.039 --> 01:11:23.279
I know, but I know it's like almost like naming your favorite child.
01:11:23.600 --> 01:11:26.399
Yeah, I mean, it's all it's there's but I mean they they are so appreciative.
01:11:26.560 --> 01:11:32.720
I just remember those early meetings that you had with the musicians in the venues, but they were just pining for this.
01:11:33.199 --> 01:11:44.800
You know what's really incredible now, you know, five, six years into this, is when we started this, it was very much venue, venue, venue, and musicians didn't understand why is now a Nola by Nola show.
01:11:45.039 --> 01:11:51.600
And we were trying to explain a bit of the trickle down of, you know, if we can keep the venues going, you're gonna keep your Wednesday night gig.
01:11:51.840 --> 01:11:57.520
And some of the same people, you know, musicians who push back on us about what we were doing.
01:11:57.680 --> 01:12:00.159
I listened, I had conversations with every single one of them.
01:12:00.239 --> 01:12:14.880
I'm I'm met with them on coffee, sat, you know, sat on a phone call with them for an hour, and they're the same people that have gone through this journey with us as we try to build this thing, and they now call and are excited to be part of our shows.
01:12:15.199 --> 01:12:15.439
Right.
01:12:15.680 --> 01:12:18.079
You know, it's six years of people looking forward to it now.
01:12:18.239 --> 01:12:23.359
It's like I remember those first couple of years, oh, we're gonna make it to the next year, we're gonna make it to the next year.
01:12:23.600 --> 01:12:25.760
And now it's it's part of the annual calendar.
01:12:25.920 --> 01:12:26.560
It's expected.
01:12:26.960 --> 01:12:36.960
Well, you know, right that is in a town that tradition is built on and people rely on to go from something that started out of a need to now be a fall tradition.
01:12:37.119 --> 01:12:37.279
Yeah.
01:12:37.520 --> 01:12:39.439
Uh, you know, never thought in a million years.
01:12:39.600 --> 01:12:40.399
It's like football season.
01:12:40.640 --> 01:12:42.000
It's also nola by nola season.
01:12:42.079 --> 01:12:42.479
Yeah, exactly.
01:12:42.880 --> 01:12:50.239
What do musicians and venues need from locals visitors in the city itself to make sure that that remains true ten or twenty years from now?
01:12:50.560 --> 01:12:52.560
Well that's where the name Nola Binola truly comes from.
01:12:52.720 --> 01:13:04.000
The idea of when I was thinking about this, it's one thing to speak to the people that had tickets to come to Jazz Fest and Love Our City and talk about from New York and Chicago and LA and all the all over the country and world for that matter.
01:13:04.800 --> 01:13:09.840
The second part is as New Orleans, we have a responsibility to support.
01:13:10.560 --> 01:13:19.039
And as much as we all love New Orleans music and New Orleans venues and culture, not everybody, you know, people don't go out to music every night.
01:13:19.119 --> 01:13:21.600
You know, it's a rare case that people go to music.
01:13:21.920 --> 01:13:32.399
If they go out to a concert at a venue, maybe once a month, they are they're doing a lot in in the in the big in the grand scheme of things.
01:13:33.119 --> 01:13:37.760
So this is a call for people to come out and support local music.
01:13:37.920 --> 01:13:56.079
And one of the great moments of the first year, which really rung true for me, was coming out of COVID, having been working in and out of California for a couple years, running into somebody at the broadside who I hadn't seen in a couple years, and he walked up to me and goes, Sig, I've been to five Nola by Nola shows.
01:13:56.560 --> 01:13:59.039
And that was that resonated.
01:13:59.279 --> 01:14:04.640
Like we were creating this thing that people were getting on the train and being part of.
01:14:04.880 --> 01:14:06.239
Yeah, you've created a legacy.
01:14:06.479 --> 01:14:07.039
Yeah, I guess.
01:14:07.520 --> 01:14:12.720
And I know right now people can go to the um to uh neworleans.com forward slash Nola by Nola.
01:14:12.960 --> 01:14:14.159
That's Nola X Nola.
01:14:14.399 --> 01:14:14.640
Correct.
01:14:14.800 --> 01:14:19.520
And get the schedule and start mapping out how you want to spend September 24th through October 4th.
01:14:19.840 --> 01:14:22.399
And we even have something new this year called Nola by Nola Curated.
01:14:22.479 --> 01:14:30.880
We've picked 11 shows, one show per night at incredible venues from DBA to you know Tipotinas to everything in between.
01:14:31.039 --> 01:14:37.760
Uh$175 and you get a t-shirt and a and a concierge who will help you navigate the week.
01:14:38.079 --> 01:14:38.960
That's fantastic.
01:14:39.119 --> 01:14:40.079
Um in a perfect way.
01:14:40.479 --> 01:14:44.399
How does SIG spend his September 24th to October 4th?
01:14:44.640 --> 01:14:45.920
What's your schedule going to look like?
01:14:46.239 --> 01:14:46.720
Not at home.
01:14:47.439 --> 01:14:47.840
That's for sure.
01:14:48.079 --> 01:14:49.520
And I think more than 11 shows, too.
01:14:49.840 --> 01:14:50.800
Definitely more than 11 shows.
01:14:50.880 --> 01:14:51.760
Some nights have 11 shows.
01:14:53.199 --> 01:14:54.159
I am and it's amazing.
01:14:54.399 --> 01:14:55.600
And you're hitting every neighborhood, too.
01:14:55.840 --> 01:14:56.159
I'm trying.
01:14:56.960 --> 01:15:01.680
My goal is to hit every venue once, and it never happens, but I I do try.
01:15:02.159 --> 01:15:04.399
That's 300 performances you can make, right?
01:15:04.960 --> 01:15:08.800
Well, look, what you've created, uh you and the team is just amazing.
01:15:08.880 --> 01:15:17.520
Um, and it's it's really helping out New Orleans and and ensuring that our culture uh lives on uh and on and through our musicians in our venues, so important.
01:15:17.600 --> 01:15:18.399
So thank you so very much.
01:15:18.640 --> 01:15:19.119
Well, thank you.
01:15:19.199 --> 01:15:19.439
Thank you.
01:15:19.600 --> 01:15:26.720
You, uh New Orleans Company, NOTCF, like WWOZ couldn't do it without all you.
01:15:27.039 --> 01:15:28.079
Well, thank you.
01:15:28.159 --> 01:15:31.920
Uh we're gonna be uh very optimistic about the future of Nola by Nola.
01:15:32.079 --> 01:15:32.479
Thank you very much.
01:15:32.720 --> 01:15:35.039
Thank you for being with us for five minutes with all right, Sig.
01:15:35.279 --> 01:15:35.680
Good luck.
01:15:35.920 --> 01:15:36.239
Thank you.
01:15:36.399 --> 01:15:37.439
Appreciate it.
01:15:39.920 --> 01:15:41.680
Move the chains.
01:15:43.600 --> 01:15:44.640
All right, y'all.
01:15:44.720 --> 01:15:46.800
It's time for Move the Chains.
01:15:46.960 --> 01:15:52.880
If you followed Tulane athletics over the last several years, chances are you know our next guest by his voice.
01:15:53.039 --> 01:16:05.520
Corey Glore became the voice of the Green Wave in 2021, calling Tulane football, men's basketball, and baseball, and he has a front row seat for one of the most remarkable stretches in the history of Tulane Athletics.
01:16:05.760 --> 01:16:13.840
That includes conference championships, nationally ranked teams, and last season, Tulane's first ever appearance in the college football playoff.
01:16:14.000 --> 01:16:15.840
Corey, welcome to the Mark Romick Show.
01:16:16.159 --> 01:16:17.359
Thanks for having me, Mark.
01:16:17.439 --> 01:16:22.880
And this is when people now get disillusioned when they see this face to match with this voice.
01:16:23.039 --> 01:16:23.520
Oh, come on.
01:16:24.159 --> 01:16:29.840
Everyone knows that radio voices never match what you see, and now New Orleans gets to see this in full form.
01:16:30.159 --> 01:16:31.279
I think you carry it very well, sir.
01:16:31.520 --> 01:16:31.760
Thank you.
01:16:32.079 --> 01:16:38.640
Before you became the voice of the Greenway, what was the path that got Corey Glore into the broadcast booth uh in the first place?
01:16:39.039 --> 01:16:40.239
Uh weird one.
01:16:40.399 --> 01:16:50.399
I was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, and I was born and raised by a father who just recently retired from local television up in Rockford.
01:16:50.560 --> 01:16:56.800
My father was at the CBS affiliate in Rockford, Illinois for 44 years, retired last fall.
01:16:57.039 --> 01:17:01.920
So I was always around that segment of broadcasting, never wanted to do it.
01:17:02.079 --> 01:17:03.279
His hours were crazy.
01:17:03.359 --> 01:17:09.199
He was doing morning news when we were growing up, me and my sister, he was weeknight sports to start.
01:17:09.279 --> 01:17:14.720
He was also initially wanted to be an actor of all things.
01:17:14.960 --> 01:17:16.239
But you you got his voice.
01:17:16.479 --> 01:17:17.199
I got the voice.
01:17:17.359 --> 01:17:17.520
Yeah.
01:17:17.680 --> 01:17:17.920
Yeah.
01:17:18.079 --> 01:17:22.000
I got everything else from my mom, including probably my sense of humor.
01:17:22.239 --> 01:17:23.840
But I got my dad's voice.
01:17:24.159 --> 01:17:26.640
And love of sports really comes from him too.
01:17:26.880 --> 01:17:36.239
But when I was in college, I needed a job just on the weekends, and radio station in Wisconsin just needed someone to come in and play commercials during games.
01:17:36.399 --> 01:17:37.840
So I went in and did that.
01:17:37.920 --> 01:17:46.159
I drove an hour to the station to go do it, and then started to develop a little bit of an interest of that side of the world through that.
01:17:46.319 --> 01:17:51.279
And then many stops later, here I am about 16, 17 years after that.
01:17:51.520 --> 01:17:51.840
Yeah.
01:17:52.000 --> 01:17:54.000
Um, you know, you mentioned Rockford.
01:17:54.079 --> 01:17:57.520
Uh, I just I know one person from Rockford, Maria Caston.
01:17:57.680 --> 01:18:02.079
Her father had Maria's steakhouse in Rockford, uh, Illinois.
01:18:02.239 --> 01:18:03.840
So I'm happy to be the second.
01:18:04.079 --> 01:18:04.720
Yeah, very good.
01:18:04.800 --> 01:18:09.279
Well, it's great to uh great to uh to know that there's some great people coming out of Rockford all the time.
01:18:09.439 --> 01:18:14.640
Um so you took over Green Wave in 2021, right before that incredible run took off.
01:18:14.800 --> 01:18:20.239
I mean, what has it been like to have the microphone for this amazing chapter of two-lane football history?
01:18:20.560 --> 01:18:36.399
It's been a little whiplash, to be totally honest, because when I came here, the years leading up to when I started were really kind of you're you're hunting for a seventh or sixth win at the end of the year, and that gets you a bowl game.
01:18:36.479 --> 01:18:39.600
Like that's kind of where the program was at that point.
01:18:39.840 --> 01:18:48.000
Then my first season was when Hurricane Ida hit, and the team went two and ten, and they lived in Birmingham for essentially the whole month of September.
01:18:48.159 --> 01:18:48.479
Oh, yeah.
01:18:48.720 --> 01:18:52.319
So that that season was was a really difficult one.
01:18:52.560 --> 01:19:00.319
And then the next year they just totally flip it around and win the conference and go to the cotton bowl and have the largest turnaround in college.
01:19:00.960 --> 01:19:01.920
What a victory that was.
01:19:02.159 --> 01:19:03.920
And uh, I wish I remember more of it.
01:19:04.000 --> 01:19:10.640
I had a pretty nasty head cold that day, and I was on uh enough pseudofed to bring down an elephant for that game.
01:19:10.800 --> 01:19:11.920
I'm glad it made sense.
01:19:12.000 --> 01:19:13.760
That's what people told me for that one.
01:19:13.920 --> 01:19:23.600
But it it happened so fast and so violently, I would say, just from one year to the next to transition from a two-win team to a cotton ball champion team.
01:19:23.760 --> 01:19:40.479
That now that we're you know in the fourth, fifth year of this current age of two-lane football, it still is a little bit hard for me to wrap my head around that it happened this quickly, but now this is what the expectation is of competing for championships year in and year out.
01:19:40.640 --> 01:19:45.279
When I took the job here and certainly my first year here, I don't think anyone really thought that was possible.
01:19:45.439 --> 01:19:45.760
Yeah.
01:19:45.920 --> 01:19:54.880
Well, you have a special gift of uh letting us uh hear your voice and uh believing and feeling like we're we're in it and we we can understand it.
01:19:54.960 --> 01:19:56.399
So um I appreciate that.
01:19:56.720 --> 01:19:57.600
Thank you for taking us through this.
01:19:58.079 --> 01:19:59.279
That's the bar I need to clear.
01:19:59.439 --> 01:20:00.960
Everything else is gravy after that.
01:20:01.359 --> 01:20:02.640
Uh let's go to our coach.
01:20:02.720 --> 01:20:06.800
We've seen now two games under uh Will Hall and two different starting quarterbacks.
01:20:06.960 --> 01:20:10.000
What are you seeing from Caden, the quarterback?
01:20:10.159 --> 01:20:14.159
And do you feel like Tulane is beginning to establish sort of that offensive identity?
01:20:14.319 --> 01:20:17.119
And you mentioned you know Lucas's running game.
01:20:17.199 --> 01:20:20.159
I mean, it seems like this is the time for it to all come together.
01:20:20.640 --> 01:20:23.920
This team definitely needed the ground game to get going.
01:20:24.000 --> 01:20:33.520
It struggled against Duke to start off the year, and I think we all walked into the season looking at the running back room and saying this is going to be the strength of this offense.
01:20:33.600 --> 01:20:39.199
Now they're a man down with injury to start the year, Jamari McClure, who burst onto the scene last year.
01:20:39.520 --> 01:20:42.079
They're hoping he's back in short order here.
01:20:42.239 --> 01:20:47.119
But even with his absence, there's a lot of really special talent in that room.
01:20:47.279 --> 01:20:52.000
Lucas is there, Maurice Turner is there, Johnny Daniels scored twice on Saturday.
01:20:52.159 --> 01:20:54.079
He transfers from Mississippi State.
01:20:54.159 --> 01:20:57.840
There's some real chance for that room to be special.
01:20:57.920 --> 01:21:03.119
And the fact that they got that going can only help your quarterback who just started his first game in two years.
01:21:03.199 --> 01:21:12.159
And so I think we definitely saw a two-lane offense look a lot more like Will Hall wants it to look like Saturday than what we saw at Duke to start off the year.
01:21:12.399 --> 01:21:14.479
Well, what else jumps out to you in the first two games?
01:21:14.560 --> 01:21:15.760
Let's talk about defense.
01:21:15.920 --> 01:21:16.720
What do you see there?
01:21:16.960 --> 01:21:19.359
Defense, I think, still has some room to grow.
01:21:19.439 --> 01:21:22.800
I think the back seven of this group is really, really strong.
01:21:22.960 --> 01:21:25.279
The linebacking room's as deep it's ever been.
01:21:25.439 --> 01:21:28.800
The secondary has a chance to be pretty special.
01:21:28.960 --> 01:21:35.359
You got up two potential NFL guys in this defense, Jack Chinshu at safety, Chris Rogers at linebacker.
01:21:35.600 --> 01:21:39.920
And that group is kind of, I think, the shouldering the load right now.
01:21:40.159 --> 01:21:42.319
Defensive line is untapped potential.
01:21:42.399 --> 01:21:45.520
It's some young, unproven stuff right there.
01:21:45.840 --> 01:21:49.279
And looking for more from them here as the month of September goes.
01:21:49.359 --> 01:21:54.239
The the teams had uh too many missed tackles in the first two games for I think a lot of people's liking.
01:21:54.319 --> 01:21:56.640
Hopefully, that's just that's just early season stuff.
01:21:56.720 --> 01:21:59.760
And as the year starts going, they're gonna get a lot more sure-handed with that.
01:21:59.920 --> 01:22:03.600
Well, Tulane won the American last season and reached the college ball playoff.
01:22:03.680 --> 01:22:05.039
Um, that was a great story.
01:22:05.199 --> 01:22:13.600
With everything that's changed afterward, you know, with the new coach, what tells you that this program is really built to sustain success as opposed to just having an another great run?
01:22:13.920 --> 01:22:26.479
The fact that you know Tulane has now gone on what's really a four-year run going back to 2022 and now 2025, and now here is the next step of that 2026.
01:22:26.720 --> 01:22:29.600
You've had two different coaching staffs come in.
01:22:29.760 --> 01:22:37.199
There is only, by my count, three members of this roster in 2026 that were here in 2022.
01:22:37.439 --> 01:22:37.680
Wow.
01:22:37.920 --> 01:23:01.199
Um, so the fact that you've had almost total turnover and it didn't change, nothing's changed about what this program has been capable of doing now in where we are in college football, despite the fact that everything around it has changed, and it's very hard for a school like Tulane to keep all of this going the way they have with all of this tumult around them.
01:23:01.439 --> 01:23:14.960
So the fact that there is a foundation set with how Tulane is supporting this program and what is expected now from people who come into this program, that is that can't transfer out.
01:23:15.119 --> 01:23:16.960
That is not something that can leave.
01:23:17.119 --> 01:23:20.640
That is now ingrained in that locker room and in that building.
01:23:20.800 --> 01:23:35.039
And so that's why there's still confidence that whomever comes in to lead, whoever comes into play, now you know what the bar is to clear for two-lane football because so many people, hundreds of people, have come through the last four years and it's maintained.
01:23:35.279 --> 01:23:39.600
Yeah, you've got great support from the athletic director as well as uh President Fitz.
01:23:39.680 --> 01:23:43.119
And so, I mean, the the program is in such good shape right now.
01:23:43.439 --> 01:23:48.239
I think facility-wise, a lot's been changing there and improving there.
01:23:48.399 --> 01:24:02.560
I think that that run in 2022, I think, opened a lot of people's eyes across campus and across the city of just what uh what value a high-level college football program can do for a university as a whole.
01:24:02.640 --> 01:24:05.680
Yeah, Tulane doesn't have to worry about like needing applicants.
01:24:05.760 --> 01:24:15.039
They're turning people away left and right, but just what that did visually speaking for Tulane University around the globe is been irreplaceable.
01:24:15.279 --> 01:24:17.199
Right, especially having a stadium on campus.
01:24:17.520 --> 01:24:24.880
Stadium on campus that is it's just such a great place to watch a game and everything's just right on top of you there.
01:24:24.960 --> 01:24:28.800
It's it's become such a hard place for opponents to come in and win too.
01:24:28.960 --> 01:24:39.680
And it it's all come together at the right time of where college sports is, where you can have fast turnarounds like this if the support is there across the board, and that's what we've seen here.
01:24:39.840 --> 01:24:40.000
Yeah.
01:24:40.159 --> 01:24:42.800
You've called some incredible two-lane moments over the years.
01:24:42.960 --> 01:24:49.199
Uh, when I ask you your favorite call that you've made, what would be the first one that comes to mind?
01:24:49.840 --> 01:25:03.199
Favorite call since I've been here is probably actually on the baseball side when in 2024 uh they walked off with the conference championship, a walk-off home run to win the title.
01:25:03.520 --> 01:25:12.159
And those are the types of moments in broadcasting that you just you you dream that you have the opportunity to have, and then you hope that you get it right.
01:25:12.319 --> 01:25:21.439
And so that definitely jumps front of mind for me when Jackson Lynn hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth to send Tulane back to the MCW.
01:25:22.479 --> 01:25:30.800
Yeah, it's just and that's something where you just like you hope you bring the moment what it deserves, but you you can't prepare ahead of time for that.
01:25:30.960 --> 01:25:34.560
You just it it happens, and then you hope what you say comes out and makes sense.
01:25:34.640 --> 01:25:36.960
And so that that one is at the top of the list.
01:25:37.119 --> 01:25:57.199
And then the the two conference championships that Tulane football has had, and uh, you know, they've been pretty comfortable games, so you've been able I you're able to play with it a little bit and figure out what you want to say and and how you want to hit the target here with how you end a game, how you end the call.
01:25:57.359 --> 01:26:02.239
And so, but what those moments have meant to people here and the fan base.
01:26:02.640 --> 01:26:14.800
Again, it's a it's a small part that I play in all of this, but it's a perk of the job, you know, like to to be able to convey this that means so much to so many people.
01:26:15.119 --> 01:26:16.479
I mean, those are gonna live forever.
01:26:16.800 --> 01:26:21.039
Yeah, uh let's talk about what uh Corey does on a regular basis.
01:26:21.199 --> 01:26:24.960
I mean, you're doing basketball, you're doing baseball, and you're doing football.
01:26:25.279 --> 01:26:28.720
How many games in that year are you gonna be announcing?
01:26:29.520 --> 01:26:54.239
Uh I would say comfortably close to a hundred games this season when you factor in that there will be some some overlap with seasons and often miss some games as you know, basketball season starts in November, football's still happening, so there might be one or two games on the basketball side I have to not be at for football, same with February when baseball starts up and basketball's still going.
01:26:54.399 --> 01:26:58.720
So I would say I I I could get to triple digits this year if the schedule works out.
01:26:59.119 --> 01:27:00.960
Okay, in your typical prep.
01:27:01.359 --> 01:27:05.039
So it for football, it really does take the week here.
01:27:05.119 --> 01:27:13.920
Like before I came here to do this with you, I'm getting in touch with the people who build my spotting chart uh that I have in front of me for games.
01:27:14.000 --> 01:27:15.840
I think you know what I'm referring to there.
01:27:15.920 --> 01:27:21.359
Uh, and just telling them about changes that I need to make on our end of things, and then they're putting it together.
01:27:21.520 --> 01:27:32.880
And hopefully I get that tomorrow morning, and then I can start writing on it and start planning out notes and putting together pregame shows and I will and phonetics of the opposing team.
01:27:33.119 --> 01:27:42.159
I'll talk to Wyatt Thompson, the longtime voice of Kansas State, and we'll go over pronunciations, just kind of swap notes about here's what to look for here, all that sort of stuff.
01:27:42.239 --> 01:27:44.079
I'm doing interviews with the team.
01:27:44.239 --> 01:27:50.159
Usually on Wednesday, I'll I'll chat with Coach Hall on Thursday after practice and get some stuff done with him.
01:27:50.560 --> 01:27:51.520
We host a show.
01:27:51.680 --> 01:27:57.279
I have a show Monday nights that we do, and then so getting all prepped for that, and then we'll travel Friday.
01:27:57.359 --> 01:27:59.680
And so hey, he's got to be in the barn before I get on.
01:28:00.239 --> 01:28:01.520
Plane Friday afternoon for sure.
01:28:01.840 --> 01:28:04.880
It's exciting for the Uh to experience it at that level.
01:28:05.199 --> 01:28:12.560
Um now you've watched Eulman Stadium and this fan base evolve over the uh over the last several years, particularly with the football program.
01:28:12.800 --> 01:28:18.560
What makes calling a tooling game today different from when you first sat behind the microphone in 2021?
01:28:19.760 --> 01:28:20.800
That's a great question.
01:28:20.960 --> 01:28:28.960
You know, it's I try to not make it any different, even though the expectations are so much different than where it was when I first got here.
01:28:29.279 --> 01:28:35.439
And now I walk into the booth and think I I should be calling a win.
01:28:35.520 --> 01:28:37.359
That's where two-lane football is right now.
01:28:37.760 --> 01:28:39.119
You have no control over it.
01:28:39.520 --> 01:28:56.399
But the fact that now Yeoman Stadium is the environment that it is, the fact that, you know, I always say that the the noise of the crowd that you hear beneath what I say is the true soundtrack of the broad soundtrack of the broadcast.
01:28:56.560 --> 01:29:09.680
And the fact that now this environment provides such a brilliant soundtrack to just how our broadcast sounds, that's a long time coming since before I even got here when that stadium opened.
01:29:10.079 --> 01:29:13.119
So and it hasn't mattered the opponent now either.
01:29:13.199 --> 01:29:16.560
Like if you bring in an old miss, then the crowd was big.
01:29:16.720 --> 01:29:19.119
If you bring in a Duke last year, the crowd was big.
01:29:19.199 --> 01:29:22.800
But now the environment is a two-lane home game.
01:29:23.119 --> 01:29:27.520
The the crowd turned out to be a great crowd on Saturday against South Alabama.
01:29:27.600 --> 01:29:29.920
That student section is brilliant now.
01:29:30.079 --> 01:29:32.479
And that was not the case when I first got here.
01:29:32.720 --> 01:29:48.800
So the interest and the excitement surrounding this program plays a very small but important part on how things sound on my end of things, because you can hear everything going on in that stadium now, which wasn't the case when I first got here.
01:29:49.119 --> 01:29:52.640
And for basketball, Fulgeman, you feel has the same feel.
01:29:52.720 --> 01:29:54.239
I mean, it's it's so intimate.
01:29:54.720 --> 01:29:58.720
You know, you can get, you know, it's 4,000 people can fit in that building.
01:29:58.880 --> 01:30:03.840
If you can get that to 1,500, that place sounds unbelievably loud.
01:30:03.920 --> 01:30:10.880
And the way it's constructed and the acoustics of that place, like I I've told Like they say, they don't build them like that anymore.
01:30:11.199 --> 01:30:11.680
No, they don't.
01:30:11.760 --> 01:30:21.600
Yeah, we were just at Duke and I was showing a couple of our broadcast team that their football stadiums right next to Cameron Indoor, and I was like, this should look very similar because this is Devlin.
01:30:21.840 --> 01:30:24.720
Like they're almost the same thing, so Devlin's smaller.
01:30:24.960 --> 01:30:34.640
And the fact that I mean the sound just goes straight down off the ceiling in there, it does not take a lot for that building to get really loud and exciting.
01:30:35.039 --> 01:30:46.640
One of the moments that I didn't hit on was a couple years ago when Tulane won and a buzzer beater, and there you know it wasn't the fullest crowd in the world, it was a sleepy Saturday afternoon, but that thing exploded.
01:30:47.039 --> 01:30:48.720
And just those types of moments.
01:30:48.800 --> 01:30:54.800
I think a great college basketball game and an unbelievable exciting environment is one of the best things to call in sports.
01:30:54.960 --> 01:31:04.079
And Devlin can really be that, even if it's not full, because just the way that building is, the sound travels and it just provides such an incredible soundtrack underneath everything.
01:31:04.319 --> 01:31:05.600
And it's so easy to get around.
01:31:05.760 --> 01:31:12.319
Devlin makes it easy just to walk in that you're I'll tell you there are some great places to watch games in Tulane.
01:31:12.479 --> 01:31:13.199
And the baseball.
01:31:13.439 --> 01:31:22.479
But the Turchin is I will put that stadium up against ACC and SEC stadiums, and everything's on top of you there on that field.
01:31:22.640 --> 01:31:24.560
You can fit 5,000 in there.
01:31:24.640 --> 01:31:27.039
We've gotten some great crowds over the years.
01:31:27.279 --> 01:31:33.439
The watching games at Tulane is just such a brilliant and unique experience now.
01:31:33.600 --> 01:31:39.680
All three of these venues that you can go really truly buy tickets and watch games at, I put them up against anything.
01:31:39.840 --> 01:31:40.720
Yeah, that's great.
01:31:40.880 --> 01:31:41.760
Thank you for joining us.
01:31:41.920 --> 01:31:43.840
Go Green Wave, and we'll see you again soon.
01:31:44.000 --> 01:31:44.720
Thank you, Mark.
01:31:44.800 --> 01:31:46.319
And you're working those pipes nice.
01:31:46.399 --> 01:31:49.279
I know you've got to get on another mic here not too long from now.
01:31:49.359 --> 01:31:52.159
So if we need to lozenges, I got some.
01:31:52.319 --> 01:31:54.479
You've got you're into a hundred plus games a year.
01:31:55.199 --> 01:31:56.319
I'm too into those, yeah.
01:31:56.479 --> 01:31:57.920
Yeah, well, good luck with your voice.
01:31:58.079 --> 01:31:58.800
You sound great.
01:31:59.039 --> 01:32:00.000
Talk to me in April.
01:32:00.159 --> 01:32:00.560
All right.
01:32:00.720 --> 01:32:01.039
Thank you.
01:32:01.359 --> 01:32:02.640
Thanks for being with us.
01:32:08.319 --> 01:32:11.840
And now for this week in New Orleans, let's go to April Dupree.
01:32:12.079 --> 01:32:12.800
Thanks so much, Mark.
01:32:12.880 --> 01:32:16.159
Here's where to eat, drink, and of course, play this week in New Orleans.
01:32:16.319 --> 01:32:24.079
For a proper date-night dinner, start with Dolphies on Fred for a newer spot with cool cocktails and a menu people are already buzzing about.
01:32:24.239 --> 01:32:33.199
Chata on Bienville is another one getting lots of love right now, especially if you want something that's fresh, flavorful, and a little different from your usual rotation.
01:32:33.359 --> 01:32:42.880
For seafood, Crustacean Club is the big splorge-worthy pick with fresh seafood, stand-up cocktails, and a fun chic feel that works for a special night out.
01:32:42.960 --> 01:32:46.560
Or make it a French street night with pigeon and whale or the husky.
01:32:46.720 --> 01:32:49.119
And if romance is your goal in Seven and St.
01:32:49.279 --> 01:32:52.000
Clair, both bring that beautiful special occasion feel.
01:32:52.159 --> 01:32:56.239
If you're in French, cure is an easy choice for a polished after dinner cocktail.
01:32:56.399 --> 01:33:03.039
Cosimera is another good move for a happy hour or Spanish-leaning drink stop that feels very date night friendly.
01:33:03.199 --> 01:33:08.000
For something a little sweeter, drip a fagato bar, gives you cocktails and dessert in one stop.
01:33:08.239 --> 01:33:12.560
Or try salon salon for a stylish drink stop that keeps the night going.
01:33:12.800 --> 01:33:19.840
Whether you go fancy, casual, or somewhere in between, the best date night drink plan is the one that lets you linger just a little longer.
01:33:20.079 --> 01:33:28.800
The big play this week is Nola by Nola, the citywide celebration of why music runs through Sunday, bringing shows to venues all around town.
01:33:28.960 --> 01:33:38.800
It's built around the people who keep New Orleans sounding like New Orleans, local musicians, iconic venues, and those nights when you walk in for one set and end up staying the entire night.
01:33:39.039 --> 01:33:45.119
On the lineup, Catch Crumber Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers at Mahomet Jazz on Thursday, the George Porter Jr.
01:33:45.279 --> 01:33:51.119
Trio at Double Dealer on Friday, or Maggie Kerner and Gina Leslie at Tipatinas on Saturday.
01:33:51.279 --> 01:34:02.479
There's also an uptown holdown with the Nola All-Star Blue Radish Jam at Cameron Station on Friday, plus lunchtime Nola Banola shows at a Champalaya on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.
01:34:02.560 --> 01:34:06.880
So pick a video you already love, or use this as your excuse to discover a new one.
01:34:06.960 --> 01:34:16.079
From Tipatinas and the broadsides of Frenchman Street and music rooms all across the city, Nola Banola is a great way to keep the city's music scene front and center.
01:34:16.319 --> 01:34:29.279
Also happening this weekend, just across the river, Gretna Festing kicks off its free October concert series on the Gretna River front, adding even more live music, food, and family fun to an already music-filled week.
01:34:29.439 --> 01:34:32.000
This Friday's headliner is Third Eye Blind.
01:34:32.239 --> 01:34:36.159
For more information on where to eat, drink, and play this week, visit New Orleans.com.
01:34:36.239 --> 01:34:36.960
Back to you, Mark.
01:34:37.279 --> 01:34:38.079
Thanks, April.
01:34:38.239 --> 01:34:42.079
And now, let's talk about something positively New Orleans.
01:34:47.840 --> 01:34:51.279
It was 20 years ago that the Saints came home.
01:34:51.680 --> 01:35:02.479
On September 25th, 2006, in the early evening, the Caesar Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina for a Monday night football game against the Atlanta Falcons.
01:35:03.119 --> 01:35:09.680
Thousands of fans had gathered outside the gates waiting to experience a sense of normalcy that we all needed.
01:35:10.479 --> 01:35:12.399
We were still living with the devastation.
01:35:12.800 --> 01:35:20.720
Families were scattered, homes and neighborhoods were damaged, and for many people, a return to normal life felt impossibly far away.
01:35:21.359 --> 01:35:28.319
Yet that night, we gathered in a building that had witnessed some of our city's darkest hours, and we filled it with hope.
01:35:29.359 --> 01:35:36.399
Like so many of you, I was there, surrounded by fans who had waited so long to see our team take the field again.
01:35:36.960 --> 01:35:43.840
And like so many, I cried with joy and emotion what was lost and what could be.
01:35:44.399 --> 01:35:56.000
Legendary rock bands U2 and Green Day, along with New Orleans music icons Irma Thomas and Alan Tussack, helped create one of the most emotional environments many of us would ever experience.
01:35:56.720 --> 01:36:02.560
I close my eyes and I can see what happened as clear as a brisk fall morning in New Orleans.
01:36:03.439 --> 01:36:10.720
Early in the game, safety and special teams player Steve Gleason broke through the Falcons' line and blocked a punt.
01:36:11.199 --> 01:36:14.640
Cornerback Curtis DeLoche recovered the ball in the end zone.
01:36:14.800 --> 01:36:18.640
And the roar that followed was about more than a touchdown.
01:36:18.880 --> 01:36:24.880
It was the sound of a city that had endured so much, declaring together, We are still here.
01:36:25.840 --> 01:36:30.319
That play became the defining image of what we now call the dome coming.
01:36:30.960 --> 01:36:36.800
While it did not erase the losses or the work ahead, it gave us a moment that we could hold on to.
01:36:37.439 --> 01:36:41.439
A moment when we could see and feel that New Orleans would return.
01:36:42.159 --> 01:36:44.880
And yes, the Saints beat the Falcons.
01:36:45.680 --> 01:36:52.800
Twenty years later, I still remember the tears, the noise, and the people on either side of me in Section 149.
01:36:53.520 --> 01:36:56.000
I remember what it meant to believe again.
01:36:56.239 --> 01:37:04.079
And I remain grateful to Steve Gleason, the Saints, and every New Orleanian whose courage helped bring our city home.
01:37:04.560 --> 01:37:07.439
There would be no white flags.
01:37:07.760 --> 01:37:10.560
And that's positively New Orleans.
01:37:10.880 --> 01:37:12.399
That's our show for this week.
01:37:12.560 --> 01:37:16.800
Thanks to our incredible guests and to all of you for watching and listening.
01:37:16.960 --> 01:37:29.760
And a special thanks to our sponsors, Auctioner Health, Blue Runner Foods, Bienville Capital Group, New Orleans and Company, our friends at Visit the North Shore, and their podcast, All the Waves.
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Go check it out.
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We'll see you next week.