August 15, 2024 • 30 mins
Can’t Calm Down when Erin and Charissa talk to their friend and fellow Fox teammate Kevin Burkhardt! He shares what it’s like to work with and have a cocktail with the legendary Derek Jeter and a behind the scenes look at traveling with Erin during the football season. Plus, a look back at his time selling used cars before he broke through as a sports broadcaster.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It was unbelievable. All I know is the next morning,
Rachel's like, what the hell happened to you? Askedn't I
I was like, well, as Karen.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Calm down with Aaron and Carissa is a production of
iHeart Radio. Should we have a formal introduction because for
Derek Jeter, just like you did for a dude, ask
for Kevin what.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
You did to Jeter.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hey, I need some gentleman and a man who needs
no introduction, Kevin Burkhard. I mean, this has been a
long time coming. I'm so excited that you're on with us.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Oh my gosh, it was an honor I got. I
was like, I'm in, let's go. It's like it's like
it's it's better than any invite you could get with
you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Oh yeah, it's right up there with the White Party.
Has anyone ever been to that? No, anyway, a co
worker has.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
But that's about any coworkers have been to it. But yeah,
not on those yet.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You look like you've been on a gat you are.
You have their nice sum retan on you. But now
all of our lives are about to be over in
the best possible way. I'm very excited that the season
is upon us, you guys, gosh, I.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Mean, I'm excited for the season, but you know, getting
a little sun and having a cocktailler too isn't the
worst either, Let's be honest, it's not.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And we've been lucky enough to have a few of
those together over the off season. So keV, you're no
stranger to the nonsense that is the Calm Down Podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
So yeah, for six months out of the year.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So as you know as a loyal listener of the
Calm Down Podcast, this is not a formal production. So
any expectations that you had of this being like that,
just throw them right down your staircase that's behind.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
We got a great staircase, by the way.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I appreciate you. Know. It's funny because when I when
I knew I was coming on, I asked for the
list of questions. I was stunned that there was no
formal list. Totally shocked. I was like, whoa kind of
am I going on here?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
You needed your publicist to agree to the questions that
you were about to be asked?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
But no, this is my publicist right here.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
That angel tell the story about Laura, how she came
into your life?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Is it Laura or Lara how do we say.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
It's Laura like Lara Kraft Logan. My son named her
like a Lara Craft tomb raider situation. Yeah, we were
looking at rescues years ago. We've had it for eight
years now, and you know, we had like an idea
of kind of dogs we wanted and we went to
one of the rescue spots in La to find her
and they couldn't get her out of the cage, like
(02:36):
they found her on the street. She was shaking like
a leaf. And then just like one of those things, right,
you know, we said, let's try see you can get
her out of the cage, and they brought out of
the cage and she went right to my son and
sat in his lap and stopped shaking. I was like, well,
I guess we're going to talk today. Yeah, so it was.
It was pretty cool. One of those like really neat
dog stories. They're they're the best, aren't they they are.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
We were talking about that before we got on here
because the day that rough day for me, I have
to put one of ours down and it's like the
worst and this has not a down and we're not
trying to be a down here, but it's just to
further accentuate and highlight that those you know animals, they're
so loyal and so loving, and so are you, mister Burkhart.
So let's turn our attention back to the task at hands.
(03:18):
So I don't start crying, because there's no reason to
cry when you're on the podcast.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Now.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
You going into your eleventh year now, right, because you
started with EA on the twelfth year. Okay, twelfth year,
because your first year was with John Lynch and with EA.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Correct, Yeah, that.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Was twenty thirteen, I think right. Er, I think we
were twenty thirteen. We had the one year together with
John and then and then obviously we were far for
all these years, the last and few. So now it's
we're back for our third our third year together, right,
I think that's losing track is bad, but.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
It's time flies when you're having fun. So in twelve years,
when you think about that broadcast team from twelve years ago,
John Lynch of course now the general manager for the
San Francisco forty nine ers, Aaron's had a baby. You
have so many different hats that you wear at Fox.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
You are the lead host anchor for MLB on Fox.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You are the lead play by play announcer now alongside
Tom Brady and with Aaron and Tom on the Fox
NFL broadcast. So in the last twelve years, what would
you say is the biggest change that's happened for you
in those Well?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
How much? You geez? You know, It's it's funny, like
I've worked with obviously a lot of different great people,
and the cool thing is, like, you know, still having
great relationships with them. I like, I just talked to
John Lynch this morning, right, like, you know, except now
he's running the forty nine ers, so that's a little weird. Yeah,
what did he say?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
What's going on with are you?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
What do you have that that? You know, he's got
some stuff going on, maybe some stuff for after the
record button has hit on this podcast. You you know,
you guys know John. He's always in a great mood
and he's always good. So so I think that's the
coolest part. Cet. It's like, you know, I mean, obviously
when Joe and Troy left and was lucky enough to
(05:12):
get promoted with Greg and bump up, like one of
the really cool things. I mean, obviously it's a great thing.
But one of the really cool things is getting back
with Aaron, because you know, we had that relationship, a
great relationship in year one and we always continue that
and then kind of getting back together was really and
it's been crazy fun. So I just think it's like
the relationships and the people that you come across and
(05:32):
deal with, and you know, like, for example baseball, like
Derek Jeter joins us, right and you know, I covered
him a little bit, I interviewed him. I didn't know
him from at all, right, like, and honestly, I don't
think a lot of people did because they didn't let
people in. And so now getting to know him has
been one of my favorite things in the last year
because he's just so freaking normal and cool. So stuff
(05:53):
like that, I just you know, you I pinched myself
if I told myself that it's seventeen years old that
I was doing this stuff wild.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, best Jeter story you can share with us that
you know you never kind of thought would happen in
a relationship between the two of you, anything you can.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Share, I mean, the best Yeah, I'll share this, and
sorry if you didn't want this out there, but the
best Judas story is like this just gives you an
idea of how cool he is and how much respect
I have for him. But when he got hired, I
was like, hey, can we spend some time together? You know,
I wanted to get to knowme.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
So we build something you would tell this one.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yes, and and so he's like, you know, absolutely whatever,
you know, so go down and go and go hang.
And we're like, all right, you know, wherever you want
to go, Derek, I'll go whatever. So we picked a
spot we go and you know, it was like middle
of the day, and you know, I was I happened
to be mentioning. We were on like a little promo
(06:48):
shoot earlier in the day, and so we basically carved
out time at night to hang. So this was like
I don't know, three thirty in the afternoon, and I
was talking, you know, as as you guys well know.
I had like a good cocktail or a couple don't
and I said, man, I could crave a margarita. And
so and that was, you know, at noon, sadly, and.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
We got got when it turns to pm, you're fine,
you know, don't worry about it.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
That's what I thought too. I mean it might have
been eleven to fifty ish, but it was like close. So, uh,
you know, we go and we go to this place
and we're hanging out and I ordered like a you
know whatever. I ordered like an iced tea and Derek's
like iced tea. He's like, I thought we were doing tequila.
I was like, yeah, my man, and and we just
had the best time. I felt like I knew him forever,
(07:33):
and that was the first time I met him. We
were just you know, talking, bullshitting, telling stories and listening
to him tell stories. It was the best. So like
that just kind of tells you all you need to
know about him, right, A guy that makes somebody just
met feel that comfortable. So that's a pretty good. That's
one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
That's amazing, keV. I have so much respect for you
and for so many different reasons. But I can't imagine
what your preparation looks like. So, uh, those people that
don't know Kevin obviously wears the two hats, the two
largest hats you could wear at this network in that
you're anchoring this you know group that with Big Poppy
and Jeter and the incredible baseball guys. And then you
(08:12):
go over and you sit in a booth and you
call games and then for the A with the A
crew for the NFL, and just how do you and
I look at you from a vantage point as obviously
a host because I've never done play by play before,
but sort of what's the biggest difference for you professionally
moving from that booth position of play by play to
(08:32):
the host position in baseball and sort of how are
you able to do both of those things so effortlessly.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, it's you know, Chris, I I always really prided
myself on being versatile, and you know, earlier in my
career people are like, oh, you got to pick one
thing you can't be. You can't be doing all this stuff.
You know, you can't. You can't be a jack of
ball trays. It doesn't work right. So coming here and
having Fox, I have the faith of me to actually
be versatile and do both, like really take a lot
(09:00):
of pride in that. And you know, I think the
preps it's different, but in the same you know, in
doing the play by play, it's definitely more detail. Like
I'm not studying the you know, when I'm doing the
baseball pre game, I'm not studying the twenty fifth guy
on the bench and what he hits the runners and
scoring positions. Yeah, it's more, as you know, it's more
like general themes. What's going on with the team, what
do the fans think? What's the news, like the important topics.
(09:24):
And you're doing that too with play by play, but
it's just detail like play by play. I know I
have stuff on every single guy that may or may
not get in the game because my biggest fear is
and this happened to be years ago before Fox, Like,
you know, I was doing a game and some guy
the Jets just signed off the street blocked a punt
return it for a touchdown. I had no idea what
it was. I mean, I knew his name, but I
(09:45):
you know, I knew his name, but I'm like, I
will never do that again. I will never go into
a game and not know something about every single player.
And so that kind of that's the difference in the prep.
But I mean, really is you're just the way I
describe it to like younger people or people that are
trying to get in the du I feel like, and
I don't know how you guys feel. I feel like
you for that week you become an expert or try
to become an expert on those two teams, and you're
(10:06):
speaking to the diehards, you're speaking to the casual fan,
and you're also speaking to the people that have never
watched a baseball game all year. So that's kind of
my thought process in a nutshell, and everyone's got a
different way about it, but that's kind of my I'm
kind of you know, Aaron and I think are the similar.
We talk about prep a lot. We're not sending each
other articles at midnight and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
She sent me seven on you today. I did to prepay.
She didn't. And by the way, and this is me.
So they come through the headlines.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
It's like these glowing headlines on you and I immediately
look at them and I hadn't I hadn't opened them yet.
I immediately responded. I was like, finally the respect that
KB deserves. These were articles from six years ago that
she was sending me like just in case. I yeah,
And I was like, oh, I was like, yeah, eron,
I know that. But I was like, I just love
her that she like also wants to make sure that
(10:57):
I have the information and prep for you. Who we've
been I've been lucky enough to call you know, a
friend for I don't know the last five six years,
but I think that just says a lot about who
Erin is as well. But she wants everyone on her
team to be prepared. So I'm going to put Erin
(11:20):
on the spot now. Greg gave us a rate Aaron
impersonation and sort of like pull back that curtain of
life on the road. I need a funny EA story.
There's a pavilion, but I need an Aaron story that
only you and or Greg from the last few seasons
would know, having spent so much time with her. And
I don't mean calling me from the airport bars when
(11:42):
all of our flights are delayed.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
That's one of my favorites. That's one of my favorites. No,
I mean, there's so many of them. I will say, so,
first of all, there's there's multiple things I love, but
I love like whatever it is, whether we're in a
production meeting or whether we're at an airport, or whether
whatever it is. When we're on the field for the
game and we just have this work wife, work husband thing.
(12:04):
I just turned around and Aaron's like the eyes big
and I and I cry and die because I know
I know exactly what she's looking at at what she's thinking.
It's amazing. I mean, there's so many that I would
say one of our most fun nights and she knows
where I'm going to go with this probably, but one
of my most fun nights ever was a couple of
(12:25):
years ago when we were in Kansas City and we're
doing and you know, because we did call you from
the airport actually, and we're we're like, we do the
chiefs and we're like, you know, we don't feel like
standing kancallity, let's get home tonight. And I'm like, there's
no flights and Aaron's like, there's a Southwest flight at
ten thirty. We're going to get on it. I'm like, oh,
we're really doing that, huh. And so we're like, all right,
(12:46):
I'll do it with you. So, you know, this was
that I don't know it was this dinner Saturday night
or that we booked this flight.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah, So I kept looking. I'm like, it's open, it's
so good.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Oh, we're at dinner. And then we got we got
back to the room and like we're prepping and she's
textually it's there are two seats now book now. Okay,
So we booked the.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Flight Business Select.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
So we we go in do it and we had,
you know, we had a decent amount of time to
kill at the airport, which is fine. We're just we
just wanted to sleep in our own bed. You know
how that is. You get like you just want to
you just want to sleep in your own bed, no
matter how long the day is. So we're in the airport,
we got time to kill and you know, it starts
casual and then we're watching the Sunday night game and
then we're having a couple of cocktails and then the
(13:34):
flight gets delayed. Well it's already a long day, and
now the flight's like really delayed. And then a couple
of cocktails turned into multiple cocktails, and then the best
part is the flight finally is ready to board. So
we're like the only ones left in this little bar
and we say the guy, hey, can we get a
ROADI A you know, a red wine, you know, roady,
whatever you got, and as one does, you got it,
(13:58):
and he came out with a I'm thinking like a
little like a coffee cup. He comes out with a
cup like this like gulp, and there we are with
a clear cup. It's either wine or well, else in
the Grape Duse. Here's my boarding past. It was unbelievable.
I got home, I know, I know. The next morning,
(14:22):
Rachel is like, what the hell happened to you? Asked,
and I was like, well, that's.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Karen and this is what we love so much. So
Rachel your amazing wife. And Jared Bachur's Aaron's husband. There's
like this thing, will you guys spend I said this
at Max's first birthday party when you were so adorable
and you're in the playpin playing with Mac because that's
just who you are. Like everyone's like out not paying attention.
Kevin is in the playpen with Mac, like reading him stories,
(14:51):
and it's just you guys spend so much time together.
And but a shout out to your significant others because
it takes a very special person at home that understand
the dynamic of being on the road, and like those
late nights are like, oh, I had too many cocktails.
I don't know how I got home, And it's like, oh,
they're just being They're just being themselves like whatever, And
I just love that because it is like so much
(15:11):
of our life is spent on the road or with
the people that we work with that. It says a
lot about the people that we choose to spend our
lives with at home that are like cool enough to
do that.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
So oh right, yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
We love that. And Rachel can get down. She's got
something you can get down mee. Her and Kendra have
a date for some choreography because we're gonna do a
little dance party.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
You guys may or may not be invited.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
You you don't even have the s twice? Will you
already know that?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
It says a lot when our significance significance? Yeah, wow,
I'm ready for the season. Significant others I e. Jared
and Rachel. I mean sometimes Kevin, I am voice noting
him before I go to sleep or when I wake
up in the morning and it's nothing. It's it's all
work related or somebody were making fun of and so
I'm like, you know, coffee coffee voice in the morning
(15:59):
or bedtime voice, and Jared's.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Right there and he's like, Hi, keV, doctor letter.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Sound good good, It's so great. It's so true too.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
One of the articles that Aaron sent me in case
I didn't know your backstory, which I did, and it's
one thing maybe that we have in common, keV, you
and I have both got out the forefront of selling
some Chevrolets. All right, just off five four or five
exit eighteen and Kirkland Lee Johnson Chevrolet, come on down.
You and I should have like a spokesperson like sound
(16:31):
off before you well in conjunction was starting your career.
You went and also sold cars. So I need you
to give us the backstory in your own words about
how that happened, where you went as the headline, and
I will read the headline, which made me so happy
because again you deserve all the recognition in the world.
(16:53):
Kevin Burkhart, one time car salesman, is Fox's new NFL
play by play guy. He was a used car salesman.
Now he's calling the super Bowl. So how do you
go from that? Wall Street Journal, by the way, wrote
that that's pretty big ship when you have a whole
article about you.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
I didn't get asked for that one weird.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I'm like, uh, what can I do to put you
in this New Tahoe touchdown? Cowboy? It's all the same,
it's all on the same breath, you know what. It's
actually really it's actually really fun story. And if we
don't do it if we don't do a car commercial together.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
At some point, I seriously missing a huge opportunity here
with the two of the Hello, you've got a friend
in the car business.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
We'll do our jingle later.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Yeah, oh I could. I don't remember the jingle, but
I did do a commercial for them, ironically later and
it was horrendous, but I did it.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Okay, we got to do you remember any part of it?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Oh? I remember all of it because we played it
on the Baseball Post game show. They busted my playing. Yeah,
it was just like me and this. It was me
and this, like this giant, Like I had a shirt
that was like sixteen X and I weighed like one
hundred and seventy pounds. I was like, Hi, welcome to
Pine Belt Chevrolet. And I was like, I can't believe
that guy's on the air doing like the fox A game.
(18:08):
It's wild. But anyway, Yeah, so I went I just
basically as we've all been right, you get hit these
parts where you're just like okay, and I just hit
a wall and I was like, why can't I get
a break? I don't understand what's going on? And so
I literally just went through the Sunday Classifies back when
the newspaper was still being delivered, and I found a
car dealership and I was like, you know what, I'll
(18:28):
go to that. I had no idea to sell, how
to sell cars, any of that stuff, and I just
went in. The guy said okay, sure you're hired. And
then I kind of said, well, you know, I think
I'm a sportscaster. So he's like a or whatever, and
then like we just started talking and he like, I
got like some some opportunities to fill in occasionally on
like WCBS in New York, and and then he just
(18:49):
he heard me one night driving home from the dealership
and he's like, man, he's like, you're really good. He's
like okay, He's like, so you let me know when
you get like freelance opportunities, I'll just let you go.
Just keep it between me and you. So he turned
into a real friend, and this guy by named Mike Travina,
who still owns one of the couple of the dealerships,
and so it became like a relationship. And when I
got gigs, you just let me go. And then I sold.
You know, I did pretty well selling cars, so it
(19:11):
actually was really I enjoy talking back because I enjoyed
telling young people like, hey, like you know, I was
in the middle of it trying to figure it out too.
You don't you don't have to like get it right
out of college and go to the you know, the
top thing like you can. Your path can be kind
of weird. So it was a good It was a
good learning experience, no doubt. I actually took a lot
(19:31):
from it. It was cool.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
That's a big thing taught.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Sorry, ct why don't I teach you kind of holding
out and having a schlap and sell cars and all that.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Yeah, the big it's er. It's a great question. Quite simply.
It just taught me to ask for stuff I wanted.
And because I was always like it don't rock the book.
I still kind of am. I'm like I'm not. I'm
pretty laid back, you guys know, like I'm unless I
get to the point where something really pisses me off,
like which doesn't happen very often at all, And so
I'm usually just a go with the flow guy and
like doing that job. Very simply, you either asked for
(20:03):
what you want or you don't do You don't put
money and you don't pay rent, you know. So it
just taught me to negotiate, to ask for things because
the worst people could say is no. And then from
there I took that lesson and like I called a
guy who I'd worked with before, who was a program
director at the Fan in New York, Eric Spitz, and
I just called him. I said, Hey, I think I'm
good enough to work at your station, Like, can I audition?
(20:24):
And he said, uh, okay, come in Friday. I'm like what.
So it's just like a it was just a simple lesson,
but it was just one that I just I guess
I just never knew how to do. So it taught
me a very valuable skill.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
But don't you also appreciate that you had to do
things like that, because now when you sit in a
booth and you call a super Bowl, or you sit
on that desk alongside Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter or
Big Poppy and you're at the world here, he's like you,
I imagine, because it's how I feel when we've all
had the great fortune of living out our dream job.
Is that you're like, oh, but it didn't No one
(21:06):
just handed you a willy want a golden ticket? Is
like you get to do this, you had to go
through all these other things where you had to work,
you know, your way up to get to where you are.
So I imagine the appreciation is there and you wouldn't
change it for the.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
World, your spot on I mean, you know me, well,
I would never change it, and I would never not
I will never not appreciate what I'm doing because I
know the alternative right and just sitting there trying to
climb the ladder and hope you get any anywhere near
the top. Forget about to the top, just you know,
getting traction and moving up in the industry and doing
things you want to do. So yeah, from there, there's
(21:41):
never a time that I don't go and walk a
field at a stadium with Aaron and not look around
just for a second and be like this is pretty
cool that I am standing on this field and going
to talk to all these people later doing this Like
there's never one game where that doesn't happen. And you're right,
it's because of that experience and like my journey here
and you know everyone, you know, there's a lot of
people that come out and go right in the star
(22:01):
is right from school or right from high school, Like,
God bless them. That's great. I don't think I would
have been. I think the way that I did it
was good for me, Like I don't. I think it
helped me get to be who I am today. So
I embrace it. I really do. I'm happy it happened
that way.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
I want best cars sales pitch. I like, say, I'm
just going in as a woman. What things should I
stay away from from guys like you? What things are
like you?
Speaker 3 (22:27):
You son of don't tell me? Like what? What? What
is one? What's your always your go to?
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Like I always have my fallback go to question for
Kyle at halftime or Matt at halftime?
Speaker 3 (22:38):
What was your go to sales pitch?
Speaker 1 (22:40):
What is most important to you? It was always like okay, oh,
people always had a trigger, so it was always is
the monthly payment important? Is it a newer used car?
Is it a certain feature in the car? Like they
always had a trigger. So it was finding out what
that trigger was and then kind of working off of that.
The crazy thing is that I don't know if it's
(23:01):
still the same. I mean this was one that I
last sell cars. I mean I don't remember.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
That it's all the same as a daughter of a
used car salesman a visits. It's all the same that
if you can sell, you can sell. It doesn't matter
if this is nineteen eighty six or if it's twenty
twenty four.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Like that's all the same, true, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
But chrisy, you know, like the crazy thing is and
I tell people this and they still don't blame it
like you would, just the way it's structure. And maybe
it's not like this at every place, but you know,
our place is depended on you know, what kind of
incentives the dealer had and things like that, and you
get paid a lot on structure, like if you sold
eight cars that month, you got a bonus, you know,
something like that. And there would be times where I
would sell, you know, a fifty thousand dollars suburban and
(23:41):
I would make fifty dollars on the sale, and it
made no sense, like literally no sense. So it was
like it was just no rhyme or reason to Sometimes
it depended and then there'd be other times you sell
a twenty five thousand dollars car, but the dealer owned
it for a certain price and you'd make a good amount.
You made a couple grands so it just it was
a you had to be like, I think it's.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
One of the I I'm only I'm only interjecting because
I think it's one of the hardest thing. Again, my
father worked construction, hurt his back, and then he had
to sell cars, and so I watched him growing up
like that idea and then eventually, to his credit, like
you like, he ended up owning the dealership or you know,
he didn't become the lead announcer for Fox, but I'm
sure he would have loved that opportunity too. But when
(24:23):
you watch somebody beat your dependent sales is the hardest
thing to do because there is no guaranteed money and
you have a family to support, and it was like
the stress that comes with that.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
But so I give so much.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
I have so much respect for doing that job, and
not only doing that job because I watched it be
hard for my father, but also because you were willing
to do anything to support your family, and I think
that that's something that's like so commendable.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Here's the one thing that my dad taught.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Yeah, my dad always told me don't close after the sale,
Like if I'm on the lot, and I'm like, okay,
I'll take it, and then you keep being like and
there's air conditioning and there's this.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
It's like, ooh, they got don't shut.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Up, just shut off because now you might say more
and it's like they've already said they're going to buy
the car. So like so many times, and I think
about this in my own life, like if like whatever,
I get a job and I'm like.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Okay, but I'm gonna work really hard and I'm gonna
do this. It's like, you're shut up. We just gave
you the job, now you're ruining it. Walk away.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Go sign the goddamn paperwork before they take it back.
So don't close after the sale was my big and I.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Promise you will regret it and then I'll keep.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
You ear Yeah exactly. It's like, okay, lady, but yeah,
I just love that. That's so great. Well, Kevin, it's
not a surprise to me though, that you were successful
at that because, and I say this so unbiasedly, just yes,
I feel lucky enough to be your teammate, as I
know Aaron does. But you are one of the nicest
(25:47):
anyone listening to this you have to know that what
you see is what you get with Kevin. There's no
like he's one person on TV and another person when
the TV.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
You know, he walks out of the booth and takes
the mic. Not true?
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Okay, Yes, Sassy, Kevin is a fucking time Okay. I
meant the kind person that, like, you know, he's not
an asshole behind the scene, Sassy, yes, but kind Kevin,
and the person that like, no matter what would happen
in life, like you would always be there.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
And I just love you for that. You are so
consistent in that department.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Now, Sassy, let's turn it over to Aaron for more
on that Bille times and no one knows is better
than Kevin and curs out. We are week twelve, we
are week ten, We're tired, we're sassy. We're boarding an
airline and maybe you can't all go together, or maybe
it's like you get somebody that's loading into the plane
that just isn't too happy. And this one turns around
(26:44):
to me as he's as he's boreding, and he goes Wow,
strict Saturdays in full effect, And I'm just like sassy
Kevin is born in the plane, my man to Detroit.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
The one liners this guy has are insane.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
They're a I'll throw out some one liners. I you know,
Aaron loves the sassy keV. We were talking about John
Lynch earlier. He used to say, the jersey's coming out,
like the jersey's coming out. Oh KB, the jersey KBS
coming out a little bit now, Yeah, yeah, you get that.
You get it. You know, I get some moments because
I may save a couple for Aaron on weekends just
(27:22):
to you know, just to save them up so then
I could unload them on. You know.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
My favorite is when keV just said, you know, from
everything that he's gone through in his career to be
where he is now, that's why he takes an extra
minute to enjoy walking around the field. I was going
to say, except when you're going and you're you're broadcasting
a Detroit Lions game and the punter smokes your fucking
hand with a ball.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
What what was that? His hand was fucking broken?
Speaker 1 (27:49):
John Fox saved my life? Like we were we were?
That was? I forgot about that? That was last year? Right?
Was that last Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Was it Thanksgiving?
Speaker 1 (27:59):
No? Wasn't Thanksgiving? I think we were there another time. No,
it definitely wasn't Thanksgiving. I know that it was there.
It was weak too, were there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was.
It was weak too, and we were we were we
were down on the you know, you're you get you
know it is you always have to pay attention when
you're on the field, but we were like off the field.
We were like off the sideline. I mean honestly five
(28:20):
yards off the sideline. So usually there you're not going
to get and no teams were warming up. This is
like special teams periods, so it's just like Fiel go
unit stuff like that. So I wasn't even thinking of
looking at the field at that time. So I'm talking,
you know, we're talking to John Fox, and Aaron was
was like over positioned this way, and I'm like, I'm
like looking this way and John John is like somehow
(28:40):
looking back, and all of a sudden we're talking. John
goes look out like last second and I so I
just did this, and then the punt hits me like
right here. It hit like my hand in my head,
and I was like, I had no idea how a
punt got there, but I get it's like, uh, Jack Fox,
(29:01):
the punter for Detroit, who by the way, was amazing.
He came running over like are you Okay, my dude,
like thank you, but like go do your job. But
like so we got me good, and I was like,
all right, this is gonna be great. Do a game
like can cuss race fantastic. But it hurt. It gave
me like I was like, man, I don't know how
you guys catch these things like it hurt. My hand
was like blowing up. It was like all right, well
(29:22):
see if it's broken. It was fine, but yeah, everyone's
like we're getting you to the doctor right now, get
the team doctor. She had me like locked and loaded
because she got me tick. She got me I she
got me the whole thing. She took care of me.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
She is far before she was a mother to Mac.
You are very good in those situations there.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
In situation sure, I can deal with the training, stop
the doctors.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
And she loves to try this. He knows, he knows more.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Than I mean. Weather support is close. Yeah, it's fair.
If you had to pick, if you had to pick
a team training report versus the weatherport, I think weather
would be hot.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Right, fair fair?
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Yeah, all right, So we had a lot of great
stuff there with KB. We're gonna do this in two parts.
Stay tuned because next week.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
This was so good.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
We can't wait for you guys to hear it. He's
gonna tell us all about ban on the field and
taking pictures, or our new coworker, Tom Brady.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Not with four four high angle low angle. Kay, you
gotta get a right filter. Maybe not.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Calm Down with Aeron and Carissa is a production of iHeartRadio.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
It was unbelievable. All I know is the next morning,
Rachel's like, what the hell happened to you? Askedn't I
I was like, well, as Karen.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Calm down with Aaron and Carissa is a production of
iHeart Radio. Should we have a formal introduction because for
Derek Jeter, just like you did for a dude, ask
for Kevin what.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
You did to Jeter.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Hey, I need some gentleman and a man who needs
no introduction, Kevin Burkhard. I mean, this has been a
long time coming. I'm so excited that you're on with us.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Oh my gosh, it was an honor I got. I
was like, I'm in, let's go. It's like it's like
it's it's better than any invite you could get with
you guys.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Oh yeah, it's right up there with the White Party.
Has anyone ever been to that? No, anyway, a co
worker has.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
But that's about any coworkers have been to it. But yeah,
not on those yet.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You look like you've been on a gat you are.
You have their nice sum retan on you. But now
all of our lives are about to be over in
the best possible way. I'm very excited that the season
is upon us, you guys, gosh, I.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Mean, I'm excited for the season, but you know, getting
a little sun and having a cocktailler too isn't the
worst either, Let's be honest, it's not.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And we've been lucky enough to have a few of
those together over the off season. So keV, you're no
stranger to the nonsense that is the Calm Down Podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
So yeah, for six months out of the year.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
So as you know as a loyal listener of the
Calm Down Podcast, this is not a formal production. So
any expectations that you had of this being like that,
just throw them right down your staircase that's behind.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
We got a great staircase, by the way.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I appreciate you. Know. It's funny because when I when
I knew I was coming on, I asked for the
list of questions. I was stunned that there was no
formal list. Totally shocked. I was like, whoa kind of
am I going on here?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
You needed your publicist to agree to the questions that
you were about to be asked?
Speaker 1 (02:06):
But no, this is my publicist right here.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
That angel tell the story about Laura, how she came
into your life?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Is it Laura or Lara how do we say.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
It's Laura like Lara Kraft Logan. My son named her
like a Lara Craft tomb raider situation. Yeah, we were
looking at rescues years ago. We've had it for eight
years now, and you know, we had like an idea
of kind of dogs we wanted and we went to
one of the rescue spots in La to find her
and they couldn't get her out of the cage, like
(02:36):
they found her on the street. She was shaking like
a leaf. And then just like one of those things, right,
you know, we said, let's try see you can get
her out of the cage, and they brought out of
the cage and she went right to my son and
sat in his lap and stopped shaking. I was like, well,
I guess we're going to talk today. Yeah, so it was.
It was pretty cool. One of those like really neat
dog stories. They're they're the best, aren't they they are.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
We were talking about that before we got on here
because the day that rough day for me, I have
to put one of ours down and it's like the
worst and this has not a down and we're not
trying to be a down here, but it's just to
further accentuate and highlight that those you know animals, they're
so loyal and so loving, and so are you, mister Burkhart.
So let's turn our attention back to the task at hands.
(03:18):
So I don't start crying, because there's no reason to
cry when you're on the podcast.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Now.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
You going into your eleventh year now, right, because you
started with EA on the twelfth year. Okay, twelfth year,
because your first year was with John Lynch and with EA.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Correct, Yeah, that.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Was twenty thirteen, I think right. Er, I think we
were twenty thirteen. We had the one year together with
John and then and then obviously we were far for
all these years, the last and few. So now it's
we're back for our third our third year together, right,
I think that's losing track is bad, but.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
It's time flies when you're having fun. So in twelve years,
when you think about that broadcast team from twelve years ago,
John Lynch of course now the general manager for the
San Francisco forty nine ers, Aaron's had a baby. You
have so many different hats that you wear at Fox.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
You are the lead host anchor for MLB on Fox.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
You are the lead play by play announcer now alongside
Tom Brady and with Aaron and Tom on the Fox
NFL broadcast. So in the last twelve years, what would
you say is the biggest change that's happened for you
in those Well?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
How much? You geez? You know, It's it's funny, like
I've worked with obviously a lot of different great people,
and the cool thing is, like, you know, still having
great relationships with them. I like, I just talked to
John Lynch this morning, right, like, you know, except now
he's running the forty nine ers, so that's a little weird. Yeah,
what did he say?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
What's going on with are you?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
What do you have that that? You know, he's got
some stuff going on, maybe some stuff for after the
record button has hit on this podcast. You you know,
you guys know John. He's always in a great mood
and he's always good. So so I think that's the
coolest part. Cet. It's like, you know, I mean, obviously
when Joe and Troy left and was lucky enough to
(05:12):
get promoted with Greg and bump up, like one of
the really cool things. I mean, obviously it's a great thing.
But one of the really cool things is getting back
with Aaron, because you know, we had that relationship, a
great relationship in year one and we always continue that
and then kind of getting back together was really and
it's been crazy fun. So I just think it's like
the relationships and the people that you come across and
(05:32):
deal with, and you know, like, for example baseball, like
Derek Jeter joins us, right and you know, I covered
him a little bit, I interviewed him. I didn't know
him from at all, right, like, and honestly, I don't
think a lot of people did because they didn't let
people in. And so now getting to know him has
been one of my favorite things in the last year
because he's just so freaking normal and cool. So stuff
(05:53):
like that, I just you know, you I pinched myself
if I told myself that it's seventeen years old that
I was doing this stuff wild.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, best Jeter story you can share with us that
you know you never kind of thought would happen in
a relationship between the two of you, anything you can.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Share, I mean, the best Yeah, I'll share this, and
sorry if you didn't want this out there, but the
best Judas story is like this just gives you an
idea of how cool he is and how much respect
I have for him. But when he got hired, I
was like, hey, can we spend some time together? You know,
I wanted to get to knowme.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
So we build something you would tell this one.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yes, and and so he's like, you know, absolutely whatever,
you know, so go down and go and go hang.
And we're like, all right, you know, wherever you want
to go, Derek, I'll go whatever. So we picked a
spot we go and you know, it was like middle
of the day, and you know, I was I happened
to be mentioning. We were on like a little promo
(06:48):
shoot earlier in the day, and so we basically carved
out time at night to hang. So this was like
I don't know, three thirty in the afternoon, and I
was talking, you know, as as you guys well know.
I had like a good cocktail or a couple don't
and I said, man, I could crave a margarita. And
so and that was, you know, at noon, sadly, and.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
We got got when it turns to pm, you're fine,
you know, don't worry about it.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
That's what I thought too. I mean it might have
been eleven to fifty ish, but it was like close. So, uh,
you know, we go and we go to this place
and we're hanging out and I ordered like a you
know whatever. I ordered like an iced tea and Derek's
like iced tea. He's like, I thought we were doing tequila.
I was like, yeah, my man, and and we just
had the best time. I felt like I knew him forever,
(07:33):
and that was the first time I met him. We
were just you know, talking, bullshitting, telling stories and listening
to him tell stories. It was the best. So like
that just kind of tells you all you need to
know about him, right, A guy that makes somebody just
met feel that comfortable. So that's a pretty good. That's
one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
That's amazing, keV. I have so much respect for you
and for so many different reasons. But I can't imagine
what your preparation looks like. So, uh, those people that
don't know Kevin obviously wears the two hats, the two
largest hats you could wear at this network in that
you're anchoring this you know group that with Big Poppy
and Jeter and the incredible baseball guys. And then you
(08:12):
go over and you sit in a booth and you
call games and then for the A with the A
crew for the NFL, and just how do you and
I look at you from a vantage point as obviously
a host because I've never done play by play before,
but sort of what's the biggest difference for you professionally
moving from that booth position of play by play to
(08:32):
the host position in baseball and sort of how are
you able to do both of those things so effortlessly.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, it's you know, Chris, I I always really prided
myself on being versatile, and you know, earlier in my
career people are like, oh, you got to pick one
thing you can't be. You can't be doing all this stuff.
You know, you can't. You can't be a jack of
ball trays. It doesn't work right. So coming here and
having Fox, I have the faith of me to actually
be versatile and do both, like really take a lot
(09:00):
of pride in that. And you know, I think the
preps it's different, but in the same you know, in
doing the play by play, it's definitely more detail. Like
I'm not studying the you know, when I'm doing the
baseball pre game, I'm not studying the twenty fifth guy
on the bench and what he hits the runners and
scoring positions. Yeah, it's more, as you know, it's more
like general themes. What's going on with the team, what
do the fans think? What's the news, like the important topics.
(09:24):
And you're doing that too with play by play, but
it's just detail like play by play. I know I
have stuff on every single guy that may or may
not get in the game because my biggest fear is
and this happened to be years ago before Fox, Like,
you know, I was doing a game and some guy
the Jets just signed off the street blocked a punt
return it for a touchdown. I had no idea what
it was. I mean, I knew his name, but I
(09:45):
you know, I knew his name, but I'm like, I
will never do that again. I will never go into
a game and not know something about every single player.
And so that kind of that's the difference in the prep.
But I mean, really is you're just the way I
describe it to like younger people or people that are
trying to get in the du I feel like, and
I don't know how you guys feel. I feel like
you for that week you become an expert or try
to become an expert on those two teams, and you're
(10:06):
speaking to the diehards, you're speaking to the casual fan,
and you're also speaking to the people that have never
watched a baseball game all year. So that's kind of
my thought process in a nutshell, and everyone's got a
different way about it, but that's kind of my I'm
kind of you know, Aaron and I think are the similar.
We talk about prep a lot. We're not sending each
other articles at midnight and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
She sent me seven on you today. I did to prepay.
She didn't. And by the way, and this is me.
So they come through the headlines.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
It's like these glowing headlines on you and I immediately
look at them and I hadn't I hadn't opened them yet.
I immediately responded. I was like, finally the respect that
KB deserves. These were articles from six years ago that
she was sending me like just in case. I yeah,
And I was like, oh, I was like, yeah, eron,
I know that. But I was like, I just love
her that she like also wants to make sure that
(10:57):
I have the information and prep for you. Who we've
been I've been lucky enough to call you know, a
friend for I don't know the last five six years,
but I think that just says a lot about who
Erin is as well. But she wants everyone on her
team to be prepared. So I'm going to put Erin
(11:20):
on the spot now. Greg gave us a rate Aaron
impersonation and sort of like pull back that curtain of
life on the road. I need a funny EA story.
There's a pavilion, but I need an Aaron story that
only you and or Greg from the last few seasons
would know, having spent so much time with her. And
I don't mean calling me from the airport bars when
(11:42):
all of our flights are delayed.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
That's one of my favorites. That's one of my favorites. No,
I mean, there's so many of them. I will say, so,
first of all, there's there's multiple things I love, but
I love like whatever it is, whether we're in a
production meeting or whether we're at an airport, or whether
whatever it is. When we're on the field for the
game and we just have this work wife, work husband thing.
(12:04):
I just turned around and Aaron's like the eyes big
and I and I cry and die because I know
I know exactly what she's looking at at what she's thinking.
It's amazing. I mean, there's so many that I would
say one of our most fun nights and she knows
where I'm going to go with this probably, but one
of my most fun nights ever was a couple of
(12:25):
years ago when we were in Kansas City and we're
doing and you know, because we did call you from
the airport actually, and we're we're like, we do the
chiefs and we're like, you know, we don't feel like
standing kancallity, let's get home tonight. And I'm like, there's
no flights and Aaron's like, there's a Southwest flight at
ten thirty. We're going to get on it. I'm like, oh,
we're really doing that, huh. And so we're like, all right,
(12:46):
I'll do it with you. So, you know, this was
that I don't know it was this dinner Saturday night
or that we booked this flight.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Yeah, So I kept looking. I'm like, it's open, it's
so good.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Oh, we're at dinner. And then we got we got
back to the room and like we're prepping and she's
textually it's there are two seats now book now. Okay,
So we booked the.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Flight Business Select.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
So we we go in do it and we had,
you know, we had a decent amount of time to
kill at the airport, which is fine. We're just we
just wanted to sleep in our own bed. You know
how that is. You get like you just want to
you just want to sleep in your own bed, no
matter how long the day is. So we're in the airport,
we got time to kill and you know, it starts
casual and then we're watching the Sunday night game and
then we're having a couple of cocktails and then the
(13:34):
flight gets delayed. Well it's already a long day, and
now the flight's like really delayed. And then a couple
of cocktails turned into multiple cocktails, and then the best
part is the flight finally is ready to board. So
we're like the only ones left in this little bar
and we say the guy, hey, can we get a
ROADI A you know, a red wine, you know, roady,
whatever you got, and as one does, you got it,
(13:58):
and he came out with a I'm thinking like a
little like a coffee cup. He comes out with a
cup like this like gulp, and there we are with
a clear cup. It's either wine or well, else in
the Grape Duse. Here's my boarding past. It was unbelievable.
I got home, I know, I know. The next morning,
(14:22):
Rachel is like, what the hell happened to you? Asked,
and I was like, well, that's.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Karen and this is what we love so much. So
Rachel your amazing wife. And Jared Bachur's Aaron's husband. There's
like this thing, will you guys spend I said this
at Max's first birthday party when you were so adorable
and you're in the playpin playing with Mac because that's
just who you are. Like everyone's like out not paying attention.
Kevin is in the playpen with Mac, like reading him stories,
(14:51):
and it's just you guys spend so much time together.
And but a shout out to your significant others because
it takes a very special person at home that understand
the dynamic of being on the road, and like those
late nights are like, oh, I had too many cocktails.
I don't know how I got home, And it's like, oh,
they're just being They're just being themselves like whatever, And
I just love that because it is like so much
(15:11):
of our life is spent on the road or with
the people that we work with that. It says a
lot about the people that we choose to spend our
lives with at home that are like cool enough to
do that.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
So oh right, yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
We love that. And Rachel can get down. She's got
something you can get down mee. Her and Kendra have
a date for some choreography because we're gonna do a
little dance party.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
You guys may or may not be invited.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
You you don't even have the s twice? Will you
already know that?
Speaker 2 (15:38):
It says a lot when our significance significance? Yeah, wow,
I'm ready for the season. Significant others I e. Jared
and Rachel. I mean sometimes Kevin, I am voice noting
him before I go to sleep or when I wake
up in the morning and it's nothing. It's it's all
work related or somebody were making fun of and so
I'm like, you know, coffee coffee voice in the morning
(15:59):
or bedtime voice, and Jared's.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Right there and he's like, Hi, keV, doctor letter.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Sound good good, It's so great. It's so true too.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
One of the articles that Aaron sent me in case
I didn't know your backstory, which I did, and it's
one thing maybe that we have in common, keV, you
and I have both got out the forefront of selling
some Chevrolets. All right, just off five four or five
exit eighteen and Kirkland Lee Johnson Chevrolet, come on down.
You and I should have like a spokesperson like sound
(16:31):
off before you well in conjunction was starting your career.
You went and also sold cars. So I need you
to give us the backstory in your own words about
how that happened, where you went as the headline, and
I will read the headline, which made me so happy
because again you deserve all the recognition in the world.
(16:53):
Kevin Burkhart, one time car salesman, is Fox's new NFL
play by play guy. He was a used car salesman.
Now he's calling the super Bowl. So how do you
go from that? Wall Street Journal, by the way, wrote
that that's pretty big ship when you have a whole
article about you.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
I didn't get asked for that one weird.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I'm like, uh, what can I do to put you
in this New Tahoe touchdown? Cowboy? It's all the same,
it's all on the same breath, you know what. It's
actually really it's actually really fun story. And if we
don't do it if we don't do a car commercial together.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
At some point, I seriously missing a huge opportunity here
with the two of the Hello, you've got a friend
in the car business.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
We'll do our jingle later.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Yeah, oh I could. I don't remember the jingle, but
I did do a commercial for them, ironically later and
it was horrendous, but I did it.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Okay, we got to do you remember any part of it?
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Oh? I remember all of it because we played it
on the Baseball Post game show. They busted my playing. Yeah,
it was just like me and this. It was me
and this, like this giant, Like I had a shirt
that was like sixteen X and I weighed like one
hundred and seventy pounds. I was like, Hi, welcome to
Pine Belt Chevrolet. And I was like, I can't believe
that guy's on the air doing like the fox A game.
(18:08):
It's wild. But anyway, Yeah, so I went I just
basically as we've all been right, you get hit these
parts where you're just like okay, and I just hit
a wall and I was like, why can't I get
a break? I don't understand what's going on? And so
I literally just went through the Sunday Classifies back when
the newspaper was still being delivered, and I found a
car dealership and I was like, you know what, I'll
(18:28):
go to that. I had no idea to sell, how
to sell cars, any of that stuff, and I just
went in. The guy said okay, sure you're hired. And
then I kind of said, well, you know, I think
I'm a sportscaster. So he's like a or whatever, and
then like we just started talking and he like, I
got like some some opportunities to fill in occasionally on
like WCBS in New York, and and then he just
(18:49):
he heard me one night driving home from the dealership
and he's like, man, he's like, you're really good. He's
like okay, He's like, so you let me know when
you get like freelance opportunities, I'll just let you go.
Just keep it between me and you. So he turned
into a real friend, and this guy by named Mike Travina,
who still owns one of the couple of the dealerships,
and so it became like a relationship. And when I
got gigs, you just let me go. And then I sold.
You know, I did pretty well selling cars, so it
(19:11):
actually was really I enjoy talking back because I enjoyed
telling young people like, hey, like you know, I was
in the middle of it trying to figure it out too.
You don't you don't have to like get it right
out of college and go to the you know, the
top thing like you can. Your path can be kind
of weird. So it was a good It was a
good learning experience, no doubt. I actually took a lot
(19:31):
from it. It was cool.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
That's a big thing taught.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Sorry, ct why don't I teach you kind of holding
out and having a schlap and sell cars and all that.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
Yeah, the big it's er. It's a great question. Quite simply.
It just taught me to ask for stuff I wanted.
And because I was always like it don't rock the book.
I still kind of am. I'm like I'm not. I'm
pretty laid back, you guys know, like I'm unless I
get to the point where something really pisses me off,
like which doesn't happen very often at all, And so
I'm usually just a go with the flow guy and
like doing that job. Very simply, you either asked for
(20:03):
what you want or you don't do You don't put
money and you don't pay rent, you know. So it
just taught me to negotiate, to ask for things because
the worst people could say is no. And then from
there I took that lesson and like I called a
guy who I'd worked with before, who was a program
director at the Fan in New York, Eric Spitz, and
I just called him. I said, Hey, I think I'm
good enough to work at your station, Like, can I audition?
(20:24):
And he said, uh, okay, come in Friday. I'm like what.
So it's just like a it was just a simple lesson,
but it was just one that I just I guess
I just never knew how to do. So it taught
me a very valuable skill.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
But don't you also appreciate that you had to do
things like that, because now when you sit in a
booth and you call a super Bowl, or you sit
on that desk alongside Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter or
Big Poppy and you're at the world here, he's like you,
I imagine, because it's how I feel when we've all
had the great fortune of living out our dream job.
Is that you're like, oh, but it didn't No one
(21:06):
just handed you a willy want a golden ticket? Is
like you get to do this, you had to go
through all these other things where you had to work,
you know, your way up to get to where you are.
So I imagine the appreciation is there and you wouldn't
change it for the.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
World, your spot on I mean, you know me, well,
I would never change it, and I would never not
I will never not appreciate what I'm doing because I
know the alternative right and just sitting there trying to
climb the ladder and hope you get any anywhere near
the top. Forget about to the top, just you know,
getting traction and moving up in the industry and doing
things you want to do. So yeah, from there, there's
(21:41):
never a time that I don't go and walk a
field at a stadium with Aaron and not look around
just for a second and be like this is pretty
cool that I am standing on this field and going
to talk to all these people later doing this Like
there's never one game where that doesn't happen. And you're right,
it's because of that experience and like my journey here
and you know everyone, you know, there's a lot of
people that come out and go right in the star
(22:01):
is right from school or right from high school, Like,
God bless them. That's great. I don't think I would
have been. I think the way that I did it
was good for me, Like I don't. I think it
helped me get to be who I am today. So
I embrace it. I really do. I'm happy it happened
that way.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
I want best cars sales pitch. I like, say, I'm
just going in as a woman. What things should I
stay away from from guys like you? What things are
like you?
Speaker 3 (22:27):
You son of don't tell me? Like what? What? What
is one? What's your always your go to?
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Like I always have my fallback go to question for
Kyle at halftime or Matt at halftime?
Speaker 3 (22:38):
What was your go to sales pitch?
Speaker 1 (22:40):
What is most important to you? It was always like okay, oh,
people always had a trigger, so it was always is
the monthly payment important? Is it a newer used car?
Is it a certain feature in the car? Like they
always had a trigger. So it was finding out what
that trigger was and then kind of working off of that.
The crazy thing is that I don't know if it's
(23:01):
still the same. I mean this was one that I
last sell cars. I mean I don't remember.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
That it's all the same as a daughter of a
used car salesman a visits. It's all the same that
if you can sell, you can sell. It doesn't matter
if this is nineteen eighty six or if it's twenty
twenty four.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Like that's all the same, true, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
But chrisy, you know, like the crazy thing is and
I tell people this and they still don't blame it
like you would, just the way it's structure. And maybe
it's not like this at every place, but you know,
our place is depended on you know, what kind of
incentives the dealer had and things like that, and you
get paid a lot on structure, like if you sold
eight cars that month, you got a bonus, you know,
something like that. And there would be times where I
would sell, you know, a fifty thousand dollars suburban and
(23:41):
I would make fifty dollars on the sale, and it
made no sense, like literally no sense. So it was
like it was just no rhyme or reason to Sometimes
it depended and then there'd be other times you sell
a twenty five thousand dollars car, but the dealer owned
it for a certain price and you'd make a good amount.
You made a couple grands so it just it was
a you had to be like, I think it's.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
One of the I I'm only I'm only interjecting because
I think it's one of the hardest thing. Again, my
father worked construction, hurt his back, and then he had
to sell cars, and so I watched him growing up
like that idea and then eventually, to his credit, like
you like, he ended up owning the dealership or you know,
he didn't become the lead announcer for Fox, but I'm
sure he would have loved that opportunity too. But when
(24:23):
you watch somebody beat your dependent sales is the hardest
thing to do because there is no guaranteed money and
you have a family to support, and it was like
the stress that comes with that.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
But so I give so much.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
I have so much respect for doing that job, and
not only doing that job because I watched it be
hard for my father, but also because you were willing
to do anything to support your family, and I think
that that's something that's like so commendable.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Here's the one thing that my dad taught.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Yeah, my dad always told me don't close after the sale,
Like if I'm on the lot, and I'm like, okay,
I'll take it, and then you keep being like and
there's air conditioning and there's this.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
It's like, ooh, they got don't shut.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Up, just shut off because now you might say more
and it's like they've already said they're going to buy
the car. So like so many times, and I think
about this in my own life, like if like whatever,
I get a job and I'm like.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Okay, but I'm gonna work really hard and I'm gonna
do this. It's like, you're shut up. We just gave
you the job, now you're ruining it. Walk away.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Go sign the goddamn paperwork before they take it back.
So don't close after the sale was my big and I.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Promise you will regret it and then I'll keep.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
You ear Yeah exactly. It's like, okay, lady, but yeah,
I just love that. That's so great. Well, Kevin, it's
not a surprise to me though, that you were successful
at that because, and I say this so unbiasedly, just yes,
I feel lucky enough to be your teammate, as I
know Aaron does. But you are one of the nicest
(25:47):
anyone listening to this you have to know that what
you see is what you get with Kevin. There's no
like he's one person on TV and another person when
the TV.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
You know, he walks out of the booth and takes
the mic. Not true?
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Okay, Yes, Sassy, Kevin is a fucking time Okay. I
meant the kind person that, like, you know, he's not
an asshole behind the scene, Sassy, yes, but kind Kevin,
and the person that like, no matter what would happen
in life, like you would always be there.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
And I just love you for that. You are so
consistent in that department.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Now, Sassy, let's turn it over to Aaron for more
on that Bille times and no one knows is better
than Kevin and curs out. We are week twelve, we
are week ten, We're tired, we're sassy. We're boarding an
airline and maybe you can't all go together, or maybe
it's like you get somebody that's loading into the plane
that just isn't too happy. And this one turns around
(26:44):
to me as he's as he's boreding, and he goes Wow,
strict Saturdays in full effect, And I'm just like sassy
Kevin is born in the plane, my man to Detroit.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
The one liners this guy has are insane.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
They're a I'll throw out some one liners. I you know,
Aaron loves the sassy keV. We were talking about John
Lynch earlier. He used to say, the jersey's coming out,
like the jersey's coming out. Oh KB, the jersey KBS
coming out a little bit now, Yeah, yeah, you get that.
You get it. You know, I get some moments because
I may save a couple for Aaron on weekends just
(27:22):
to you know, just to save them up so then
I could unload them on. You know.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
My favorite is when keV just said, you know, from
everything that he's gone through in his career to be
where he is now, that's why he takes an extra
minute to enjoy walking around the field. I was going
to say, except when you're going and you're you're broadcasting
a Detroit Lions game and the punter smokes your fucking
hand with a ball.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
What what was that? His hand was fucking broken?
Speaker 1 (27:49):
John Fox saved my life? Like we were we were?
That was? I forgot about that? That was last year? Right?
Was that last Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Was it Thanksgiving?
Speaker 1 (27:59):
No? Wasn't Thanksgiving? I think we were there another time. No,
it definitely wasn't Thanksgiving. I know that it was there.
It was weak too, were there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was.
It was weak too, and we were we were we
were down on the you know, you're you get you
know it is you always have to pay attention when
you're on the field, but we were like off the field.
We were like off the sideline. I mean honestly five
(28:20):
yards off the sideline. So usually there you're not going
to get and no teams were warming up. This is
like special teams periods, so it's just like Fiel go
unit stuff like that. So I wasn't even thinking of
looking at the field at that time. So I'm talking,
you know, we're talking to John Fox, and Aaron was
was like over positioned this way, and I'm like, I'm
like looking this way and John John is like somehow
(28:40):
looking back, and all of a sudden we're talking. John
goes look out like last second and I so I
just did this, and then the punt hits me like
right here. It hit like my hand in my head,
and I was like, I had no idea how a
punt got there, but I get it's like, uh, Jack Fox,
(29:01):
the punter for Detroit, who by the way, was amazing.
He came running over like are you Okay, my dude,
like thank you, but like go do your job. But
like so we got me good, and I was like,
all right, this is gonna be great. Do a game
like can cuss race fantastic. But it hurt. It gave
me like I was like, man, I don't know how
you guys catch these things like it hurt. My hand
was like blowing up. It was like all right, well
(29:22):
see if it's broken. It was fine, but yeah, everyone's
like we're getting you to the doctor right now, get
the team doctor. She had me like locked and loaded
because she got me tick. She got me I she
got me the whole thing. She took care of me.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
She is far before she was a mother to Mac.
You are very good in those situations there.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
In situation sure, I can deal with the training, stop
the doctors.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
And she loves to try this. He knows, he knows more.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Than I mean. Weather support is close. Yeah, it's fair.
If you had to pick, if you had to pick
a team training report versus the weatherport, I think weather
would be hot.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Right, fair fair?
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Yeah, all right, So we had a lot of great
stuff there with KB. We're gonna do this in two parts.
Stay tuned because next week.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
This was so good.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
We can't wait for you guys to hear it. He's
gonna tell us all about ban on the field and
taking pictures, or our new coworker, Tom Brady.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Not with four four high angle low angle. Kay, you
gotta get a right filter. Maybe not.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Calm Down with Aeron and Carissa is a production of iHeartRadio.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Erin Andrews
Charissa Thompson
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