On today’s episode, Jason quickly discusses how the surprise engagement of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop megastar Taylor Swift absolutely dominated the water cooler conversations on Tuesday. Later, ESPN college football reporter and VSiN host Stormy Buonantony swings by to discuss what it was like growing up in the sports gambling space, how sports wagering has permeated traditional sports media, her expectations for Arch Manning in his upcoming Week 1 showdown with Ohio State, who has the edge when LSU faces Clemson, the likelihood that Marcus Freeman is able to lead Notre Dame back to the College Football Playoff, and much more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What is up Straight Fire, fam, It's mean Jason McIntyre,
Straight Boyer for Wednesday, August the twenty seventh. Well, I
would like to say that we could open the podcast
with actual sports, but when Travis Kelcey and Taylor Swift
get engaged, it's the biggest news on the globe. Honestly,
(00:32):
it was bigger for I don't know, six seven hours yesterday,
Bigger than anything political, thank goodness, Bigger than NFL cut day.
There was no NBA news. I couldn't tell you if
there was a Caitlin Clark injury update. I have no
idea what happened in baseball because all anyone was doing
was meming Travis Kelsey and Taylor Swift getting married. It
(00:53):
was funny because it broke in the middle of the
herd and I actually looked at the screen. The guys
had typed Travis Kelcey They're engaged. Here's a picture. I
was like, is this real? I said that on air,
is this real? Come on, guys, I'm not going with this,
And it turned out to be real. The funniest comment
instantly from someone on the stage there at the herd was, well,
(01:13):
I know who I'm not drafting in fantasy. I mean
this all clearly lines up, right, get engaged Travis Kelcey
final season, hopefully they go out with the super Bowl win.
Then they get married in the offseason and he moves
on to being a podcaster or an actor or whatever
he wants to be. And you know, Taylor Swift does
her thing. That would be my read on the situation. Obviously. Listen,
(01:34):
they did it for two years. Now they're getting married.
It seems like it's good now. I do remember when
everybody called this a conspiracy, a hoax, a fake relationship
for show. A lot of conspiracy theorists. We're driving that nonsense.
But I'm happy for him. That's great. You know, uh
people true love, you gotta love it.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
All right.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
We have a great guest today. Her name Stormy Bona
TONI pretty cool name. It's a real name, and she
is hardcore into gambling. She's also a sideline reporter at
ESPN covering college football. You're gonna love the super interesting kid. Well,
she's probably not a kid. I didn't ask her age,
but she's younger than I am considerably, and I thought
(02:15):
she was fascinating. If you do want to watch the interview,
you can, of course go to my YouTube page Jason R. McIntyre,
which you should be subbing to anyways. Without further ado,
let's get to our guest, ESPNN v Sen's Stormy Bonatoni.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live. You know, Jason likes to think he knows
everything when it comes to sports.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I know what sports fans want, but for.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Everything he doesn't. He knows a guy who does.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Let's just say I know a guy who knows a
guy who knows another guy.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
All right, let's welcome to Straight Fire. A new guest.
She has never made an appearance on the podcast, but
between her name and her employers ESPN and Vson, that's
an interesting crossover. Let's welcome in Stormy Bone and Tony.
I hope I got the last name right. I've been
working on it here for a little bit. Stormy.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
How you doing, I'm great?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Yeah, it's a lot of letters, so even if you
got it wrong, you'd still be fine.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Don't worry about it.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yes, So what's the reaction usually from coaches and players
when you say, hey, Stormy, can I get a word
or whatever?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Sometimes it's like a little oh, okay, that's interesting, But no,
it's nice. It makes it more memorable, I think, which
can be helpful sometimes that whereas if my name was Sarah,
maybe I'd have to reintroduce myself a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
But Stormy sticks. So it's been helpful, I found.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
So I assume you get asked this all the time. Stormy,
was it a rainy night when you were born? Like,
what's going on?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
It actually was.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
My mom liked the name lot and she had gone
back and forth between Stormy and Chloe. And the night
I was born in like the middle of the night
in Las Vegas in the summer of July, we had
a summer shower that night.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
And so she was like, oh, it just it's meant
to be. So it actually was. We had a rainstorm
that night, and that's what she went.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
With, raining in the desert. Okay, so vs in ESPNS.
I mean, obviously the gambling stuff is huge now, and
also the sideline importing stuff is big. I'm just curious
how you what's your origin story getting into the industry
and cracking Vegas.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Sure, well, what's interesting with my background and bedding is
it's something I grew up with. So, yes, I live
in Vegas now, but I was born and raised here.
I'm one of those unicorn people that are from here.
And my grandfather back in the day ran the old
Santa Anita and Rose Bowl sports books that were here
in Vegas. And my uncle is currently an odds maker
(04:58):
in town. And my father he has sidestepped the degenerate
title and now gone with determined. He's a determined gambler.
So this was just always something that's been in my life.
I actually very much so learned sports through the lens
of sports betting.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
My dad and I would be sitting on the couch.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Watching games and my whole life from the time I
was a little kid, even when we had the old
box tube TVs, would have four TVs lined up at
once and he'd be, Okay, top left, we just want points.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Okay, so it doesn't matter who scores, it doesn't matter who.
We just want points. And I'm like, okay, so top left,
we want we want points.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
We need notre dame over here, like That's just totally
how I learned football. It's how I learned a lot
of sports, was just watching on the couch with my
dad and my grandpa having me fill out parlay cards
as a child.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
So that's just what it was for me.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yes, Well, so then you decide what in college? You
know what, I like this gambling. So there was never
any like backup choice like I'm gonna be a teacher
or an accountant, engineer and none of that stuff.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So honestly, I always thought of myself as a sports fan,
not as someone who would work in it at all.
So I went to college with zero direction. I was
just taking general education courses.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
I thought, oh, maybe I'll go into nursing.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
So I took some anatomy and physio stuff, and then
I randomly fell into a radio television elective course that
changed the trajectory of my life instantly. My sports stories
were better than any of my news stories, and I
had my teacher legitimately pulled me aside and it was like,
if you have any interest in this, you actually can
speak about sports really well, and if you want to
(06:35):
pursue this, like, we have all of these courses that
we could shift your major into and all of this,
and I did it and I haven't.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Looked back since.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
But it wasn't with a gambling focus, because at that
point when I graduated college, PASPA hadn't been passed and
sports gambling legalization nationwide wasn't available.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
So I'm working My first job.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Out of school was with the Mountain West Conference, where
I'm not even allowed to fill out an NCAA tournament
bracket because that's considering gambling, and so it's it was crazy.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I went from Oh, this is what I'm so used
to and this is everything to.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
The world I work in in sports now it's so taboo.
I did that job. I worked for the Carolina Panthers.
You know, NFL organizations can't have anything to do with it.
So it was so backwards from what I was raised with.
And then when I started working with the ESPN and
I left some of my more traditional jobs and I
was just doing sideline reporting and Wisen came calling. ESPN
(07:30):
was going to let me do both and it was
the best of both worlds, and they just said, you know,
have integrity with what you're doing, which it's like, don't
bet on your own games.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Don't bet on.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
They had certain rules that were in place for that,
and I follow them and it's been amazing.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
I'm so grateful.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
So how do you how do you level up from
like the Carolina Panthers to ESPN sideline repoarding. That's quite
a leap.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Yeah, oh well, thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
It helped that SEC Network was housed in Charlotte, where
I was living.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
The time working for the Panthers.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
I took a tour of the building with I had
arranged a meeting with a coordinating producer that was there
basically to just have an informal conversation, and he was
going to give me a tour of SEC Network and
then we got to know each other. I bugged him
relentlessly for six months, and at the end of that
six months, he gave me an audition game and I
(08:24):
did the audition game.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
It turned into another that just grew and grew and
grew for me at ESPN.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
But basically I found bothering people and getting tours of
buildings have really helped me out.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Squeaky Wheel, it really does work well. Won't blore you
with my stories, but yes, that is spot on. So
you're a silent reporter. You're calling a game this weekend, right, Yes,
I am.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I am at cal at Oregon State in Corvallis, so
getting a little bit of that old school pack twelve
after dark vibe with two teams that are no longer
in that vibe anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
So you've got so a you can't bet on that game?
What about referencing point, spread, total, any of that props
during the game on the sideline? Is that taboo or no?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
So that's not.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Really something that we do.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
It's interesting because you know with Fox how they covered
the UFL. ESPN does as well, and I did reporting
for that for a time, and my role was sideline
reporter slash betting analyst for those games, which I loved.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
It's so fun to update.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Livelines in the game like that's I like doing that
in general as I'm watching.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Games at home and betting things, so to be on.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
The field and multitasking and doing that and giving out
anytime touchdowns was so much fun.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
But college football I don't do that as much.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
What I do think is critical for broadcasters, and I'm
curious if you agree, is to have awareness of the
spread and total in games, because there is nothing worse
as a better watching a game that apparently like it's
a blowout game and you might think nobody's watching. No,
there are people that are dialed in that field goal matters,
(09:54):
that free throw at the end of a game matters,
and so I think having that awareness as a broad
podcaster is very important. And sometimes if the crew I'm
working on any given week isn't aware of that.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Like I did a game last year Texas.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
A and M and Missouri where we were in one
of those situations. It was a blowout for A and M,
and a meaningless field goal for Missouri at the end
of the game made the total go over. And so
that's when I get in my producer's ear and I
say matters to some and then you hear the play
by place say matters to some. And so that's where
I think, like, my value in those moments matters.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
So it's so funny you say that. So what was
the game Iowa State Kansas State over the weekend? Iowa
State on M calls an awesome fourth down play and
the guy looks like he scores yep, and then I
think they ruled him down at the one. And my
first thought, now, maybe this is just because I'm wired weird.
I was like, oh, I wonder what the total was
because I tried at to bet week zero. I'm loaded
up this weekend. But of course they pull back the
(10:52):
touchdown and they don't end up scoring and game over
and it stays under which was you know, listen, it's
college football. Whacky stuff happens fast forward to this weekend.
Obviously you are a big college football I don't know, fan, junkie.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
And reporter, all the above, whatever you want to call it.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yes, So I'm curious where you land on this whole
arch Manning debut. It's mostly his debut, right He had
the soft opening last year with a couple of starts
against crap teams, but now he's got to go to
Ohio State. I'm of the belief the hype is a
little too much, as he's like the Heisman favorite of
Texas's number one playoff favor, all that nonsense. I just
(11:30):
I don't know if he's that good. I guess we'll
find out either I'm way off or he is the man.
But where do you land on the arch hype machine?
As we had to Columbus, It's a lot to.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Live up to, and I am so when I did
my own preseason rankings. I don't know if you guys
do this too, but obviously the ap pole comes out.
But as a better and a handicapper, I like to
have my own opinion on what those things are, and
I make my own lines to decide if I have
a perceived advantage, right, And when it came to tech
like they were, Texas was not my number one overall
(12:00):
team archmanding is not my favorite four heisman, right, and
so I am curious what it's.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Gonna look like.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
And that Week one game against Ohio State in the
Horseshoe is gonna be a massive test for them. And
he does have the protection of a really really good defense,
which is awesome, but what kind of protection also is
he going to get up front? There's like four of
the five offensive linemen in front of him who are
new too, so in a loud environment, working on communication,
(12:32):
young quarterback making his debut as the guy, I don't
know what that's gonna look like yet, and I am
very curious. Do I think he's incredibly talented, Yes, but
I think it's hard to just pick up and be
the guy out of nowhere right away. So I'm interested
to see what the maturation process looks for him, looks
like for him, how he can develop. He's obviously hyper talented.
(12:55):
I just don't know if you can snap your fingers
and be that. So I'm very hesitant about our in Texas,
at least early on, and I want to see what
this first game looks like.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I largely agree. I also wonder, like, I don't know, Stormy,
if he's the man and so good and amazing, why
didn't he throw a pass against Georgia in the SEC
title game or in either of the playoff games? All
he did was come in and run a couple gadget
type he had like five carries for.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
And why did they stick with Quinn right and have
him come back like you know there? I think those
questions are warranted.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Jason, Yeah, it just feels like maybe he's not that.
I kind of think Ohio State blows about I'm on
the buckeyees modesty and half. But it's going down. I'm
sure you saw ye. I think it's down to two
with some spots in the desert. But do you so
are you allowed to say if you have a bet
on the game given your sideline reporter or so.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, I don't have a bet, but I can, like
I can give picks on games. And so that's the
thing is like any game that I'm not on the
sideline for, I can still give my picks for I
always just have to like give the caveat that, like
I'm whether I'm betting something or not. Right, So, like
I cover the NFL, but I'm not on an NFL sideline,
so i can have those bets in my bankroll. But
(14:05):
there are just some bets that I'm not allowed to.
But with Ohio State Texas, I like the under, but
I don't really like feel confident one way or another.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
This total is going down by the way too. It
was fifty and a half its forty seven and a
half now.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
But I mean, simple argument two likely really good defenses
taking on offenses that are breaking in new quarterbacks, right,
But I just I don't know. This is one of
what I think for me, Jason in Week one will
be really good barometer games like data point games that
I'm going to take what I learned from and see
from those games and push it forward.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Like Ohio State's got a ton of questions too, Am
I wrong?
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Like yes, They're one of those programs that we don't rebuild,
we reload, but new quarterback, new coordinators, you lose your
top two leading rushers, your top three SAT getters. There
are questions around them too. So that's one of those
games where I want to see what it looks like.
And I know that's boring and that's not giving anybody
a bet to make, but that's.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
How I feel a about that one.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
What about LSU Clemson Clemson three and a half. It
looks like they're at home. Brian Kelly cannot seem to
win season openers. I don't know where you're on, nuss Meyer,
but I'm not a huge fan. I somehow I don't
have a bet on this yet, but it feels like
Clemson easily.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I know a lot of people that like taking at
least when it was four, And I know as long
as you're over that key number of three, you feel
good about taking the points. Usually if you are an
underdog better whether it's plus the three and a half
plus the four. I like Clemson, and I am glad
that you said that, Jason, because I feel kind of
like I'm on an island with this pick at Vsen
and a lot of my sports betting counterparts who like
(15:41):
think this is going to be a close, competitive game
and taking the points. But even if Clemson wins, but LSU.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Will be right there with it.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
My biggest questions for LSU in this matchup are similar,
honestly to what I just said about Texas's offensive line.
How quickly is this so line gonna gel after losing
four guys to the draft. Again, You're in a loud
rocket environment against maybe the best defensive line in the country.
We'll see what their defense ends up being. But I
think those are fair questions to have. And then has
(16:09):
this defense for LSU started to catch up. They did
a lot of work in the transfer portal, they're trying
to rebuild that side of the ball, but like the
defense has held them back the last two years. Their
offense has been hummin' and their defense has been terrible
for what they need it to be.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
So I just I don't know if they've caught up.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
For me, in my rankings, I had Clemson as my
number two team in the country, so I am higher
on them than some And also, like, tell me what
you think about this, I'm a little bit worried about
LSU and Brian Kelly putting so much into this week
one game. We know historically how they've struggled in these
openers last five years, last three under Brian Kelly, they've lost.
(16:49):
But like they've got the pause on the walls around
the facility, on the weight bags, and we've got to
win this game to pring so much into it psychologically.
If they do lose this game, which they could, and
they are an underdog in the game, like, what does
that then do to you moving forward? I think even
the week after that against LA Tech is probably a
(17:10):
let down spot where you're gonna have a huge spread
And maybe that's just not what you think it is,
but the emotional investment in this when you do have
other really tough games on your schedule, are.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
You thinking that your season is over when you lose
that game?
Speaker 3 (17:22):
You shouldn't be because of the twelve team playoff, but like,
I just think of the mental battle that you have
invested so much into this game if you lose, what
that might mean for them?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yeah, a good point with the Louisiana Tech after that
and then the week after that is Florida huge sc
game and listen, if they lose two games before the
first month is done. They're not going to the playoffs.
They still have old Miss South Carolina Alabama. Yeah, Oklahoma,
that's a brutal schedule. So you're right, this is maybe
this is a kitchen sink game for Brian Kelly and
(17:51):
he just throws everything just to get the win and
keeps it close. But I want to back up. You
said you're gambling friends. I'm not being sexist or anything,
but I'm assuming the are mostly guys, unless you have
like a group of girls who are diving into LSU
look ahead spots. I have.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
I have a couple of girlfriends. Then I'm fortunate.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Yes, uh, one that Ariel Epstein, who works in the space.
She's very she's a great prop better. And then another
one of my girlfriends who used to work with me
at Viisen, she no longer works with us. She's she's
actually going to become a nurse. Oddly enough, she's changed
career path but she Danielle Alvari. She's a big sports
betting fan as well. So I'm very grateful I have
(18:32):
a couple of them. But to your point, yeah, most
of my group chats are with a bunch of dudes.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Yeah, that's interesting. Wow, So you see clearly you know
your stuff.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
I am curious, though, there is one other game, and
some people are telling I'm on the wrong side. I
like Miami on Sunday. I'm sorry, I like Notre Dame
at Miami on Sunday. I'm just not a believer in this.
Carson Beck, I'm all on Freeman. I think he's ingenius.
I'm higher on car than I guess many and obviously
(19:15):
the run game of the defense, I think Notre Dame's
gonna be okay. But your thoughts, no, we're like minded.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I would prefer the money line because it's pretty cheap
money line parties right now around minus one thirty versus
lay in the two and a half.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
But whichever way you want to play it is fine. Yeah,
I'm with you. I like Notre Dame in this matchup.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Beck is so interesting to me because obviously he goes
into last year as this Heisman candidate shortshot to be
the number one overall pick. He obviously has has all
the tools and had great moments with Georgia, but there
are some struggles that are hard to get over when
you look back to last year, like that stretch where
he could not stop throwing the ball to the other team.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Multiple three pick.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Games at like what Florida Alabama three picks no touchdo
against Texas.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It was hard. It was a hard watch. And then
he doesn't get the chance to have his redemption and everything.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
So is Miami that for him? But then you're replacing
a guy who was the number one overall pick and
who was all these things in cam Ward.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
It was so great for them.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
But I honestly, for me, my liking Notre Dame in
that game is more of a I just really like
the Irish more than it is a fade of Miami.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
I think the defense is going to be awesome. I
think Jeremiah Love.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
I don't think that he'll win the Heisman, but I
could see him having a great season and being invited
to New York, and yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
I like him.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Plus I was looking through let me pull this up
really fast.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Notre Dame sixteen and four against the spread VERSU ranked
teams under Marcus Freeman, best ats market any head coach
against RAKE teams since the FBS FCS split in seventy eight,
So he has been great.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
In this spot.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Wow, that's an amazing stat. So I want to back up.
You also said earlier NFL bedding. So your only sidelines
for college or do you do NFL sidelines too?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I only do college football sidelines right.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Now, So I assume that means you can enter the
Survivor and Circle Millions and stuff, and.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Yeah, oh yeah, I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Are you ready to go? Yes? So are you on
a solo on those or do you do like a
group entry where you guys divide up the teams or
what have you?
Speaker 4 (21:22):
So I do it with my dad. It's like a
cool Yeah, it's a cool father daughter activity that we
do together.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
We have three Survivor entries and one in Circle Million.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Yeah we're oh, we're locked and loaded.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Wait are the survivor The survivors a thousand or fifteen.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Hundred one thousand thousand each?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Holy cow? And the Circle Millions is a great So
you're four grand in? Oh my, yeah, you guys are hardcore.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yes, well, if you're winning the millions then it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yes, But the reality is sure. Very Have you entered
before with your dad?
Speaker 4 (21:55):
I have, yes, we are you guys cashed?
Speaker 1 (21:58):
No?
Speaker 3 (21:58):
I mean we've like we've been close, but haven't won anything,
you know, survivor. I'm one of those people that a
couple of years ago in the COVID season, we got
to week ten or eleven and it was the Lions,
the Lions and Steelers tie where you have to put
your your entry in by a certain deadline, right yeah,
(22:22):
And it was a COVID season and so the COVID
ins and outs you didn't know necessarily what There was
a deadline by which you had to have that information,
but teams did it kind of sporadically up until that deadline.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
And the CIRCA deadline was before that. So we picked
the Steelers that day and Big.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Ben like an hour after we submitted, our entry was
on the COVID list, and so you get like this
backup experience and they had that been a tie, and
a tie is a loss and survivor too, So that
was brutal. But all of that to say, it is
the funnest ride when you go deep in the contest
and and CIRCA millions at least like your paying for
(23:00):
your experience in millions because you're making five picks against
the spread every week, so it's not like Survivor where
you can be bounced in week one. But what I
always tell people when they do get into Survivor is
everyone thinks they can win, and quite frankly, anyone can.
Their slogan is anyone, like anyone can play, anyone can win.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
And it's so.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
True because you have all these experts that come in
and think that they can do something, and then it's
somebody who somebody who maybe played high school football that
just loves the NFL and ends up winning it, right,
So you never know what it is. But what I
say is everybody thinks it's so easy just to pick
a winner. All you have to do is pick a winner,
(23:38):
and it is so so hard.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Anybody who says that needs to enter these contests. Yes,
and I love the You know who is the worst
about this, It's like the guys who are hardcore gamblers
and are betting thousands of dollars on every game. They're
the ones who are like all those contests. Who cares?
Come on, come on, five picks frozen lines. Okay, well,
why don't you end the com because they know how
(24:01):
tough it is. Because I've run into these guys. I
don't know. We could wrap up with I'm curious where
you are on the sports gambling community, because you know,
I don't know how many women in Vegas are hardcore
in a gambling like you sports that is, and the
male gambling community is kind of rotten, a lot of losers.
I'm sorry to say that these guys are just insufferable.
(24:22):
Everybody is anonymous online, yet they are an advantage player
and their geniuses. How have you found these people, whether
it's online or in person in Vegas.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I think it's like with anything, they're bad apples in
any community. And so there are a lot of really
great people that I see all the time at the
sports book that are kind as can be, that are great,
that don't act like a know it all. Honestly, some
of the best betters out there are the ones that
aren't coming on shows and that aren't tweeting out their picks,
(24:55):
and it aren't being those people. So the guys that
are the most legit, more often than not, aren't actually
on those programs. And that's something that I always say
about myself, by the way, is like I am a better.
Speaker 4 (25:06):
I'm not a professional better.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
If I was making millions of dollars betting games, then
I probably wouldn't be doing this, right, Like I doubt
you know, I'm hiding in the shadows, keeping my picks
to myself. Like I'm someone who loves sports and loves
sports betting and loves talking about it, and like that's
what I do. I've been fortunate to have winning records
in a handful of sports for a handful of years,
but like that's that's not what I don't make my
(25:29):
money as a gambler. I make my money talking about games, right,
So it's a it's a different thing. But with that
in the community at large, yeah, some people just need
to like stop talking. And the amount of people that
just act like they are God's gift to this earth
and why do you get to do this and why
do you get to talk about this is just like
(25:51):
it's it just gets.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
So old so fast. And Follow the Money is a
show on Vson.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Mitch Moss and Polly Howard are the hosts of that show,
and they did this segment where they got off on
a tangent the other day, and I agreed with every
word they said about people on social media, and that
can go to sports betting, that can go to people
that are like trying to tweet at these athletes. They're
different things, right, But if you I wish we could
(26:17):
make a change to social media that you have to
have your full legal name, yes, like a picture of
yourself and your place of work. If everyone had that
on their social media, I think we would live in
a different world when it comes to that stuff.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
And that's what they were talking.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
I was just like in complete agreement with every word
they said. It would never happen, but I would love
it and it would change the way people act online.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Well, it's interesting because I'm pretty sure for Instagram and
TikTok you have to put I don't know about full name,
but your name has to be on there. In an
email address, Twitter's the one that's really dark and sorted,
where any JABBRONI can just take a fake email address there.
You don't have to know, you don't have to put
any info. But I do think on TikTok, and I'm
(27:02):
not one hundred percent because I don't I'm not really
on TikTok. But a big tell is if some guy's
on TikTok bragging about his bets that he's definitely not
someone you want to listen to.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
No, no, And like most of the people that you
want to listen to are the people that are transparent,
that have their records, that have their spreadsheets readily available
for you. Like that's those are the people you want
to listen to.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
You don't want the touts, you don't want the people
that are bragging about a fictitious record, like do your
due diligence right, sift through this stuff as much as
you can. And and fortunately for me, Jason, and I
don't know if you go through this on on social
media at all, but like the mute and block button
is readily available and it is very easy.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I'm not on there now, but I can guarantee you
I've blocked way more people than you. Let me just
quickly look it up, because it's it's a significant I
just don't don't. I don't have time to waste with
these losers.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
So it's just not worth it, right, It's just not
worth it.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Where do you go to see how many people you blocked?
Speaker 4 (27:57):
I'm sure if you go into your settings or something,
there's like a blocked accounts.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Right, I guarantee you'd probably be impressed, because I just
I don't really care. Even if they follow me and
they're saying like, oh, you're an idiot and spell it wrong,
I don't care. I'll just block. I don't need this,
dang it. I don't know where the easy way to
find it is.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
But it's really like people just don't realize it. It
does impact people.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
And I think, like as I've gotten more mature and
like older in this business, right, when you have people
come for you, you recognize that the people whose opinions
that matter are the ones that, like you, care about
your bosses, your family or whatever. It's not these strangers
that you've never met and that would never say any
of those things to you in real life. And so
the more you recognize that, I think, the easier it
(28:41):
becomes to put it to the side.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
But when I was.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Early on in my career and I'm like working my
first sideline games and people are so rude talking about
the way I look instead of what I'm saying. And
if you did this, maybe you'd get better assignments wait
online or to your face online.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
Online, never to my face people.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
And that's the thing is like, I try to be
very nice to people everyone i'm meet as much as possible,
and so like people I think are that same way.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
When you meet someone, you're always nice. It's so nice
to meet you. Oh I love the show. I love
that people are very kind.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
But then behind closed doors, like, I'm like, no, I
know you're handle, You're not nice.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Yeah, the power of anonymity really makes these guys feel like, oh,
why you know what? I could say anything, but no,
you're right. I am curious. So these degenerate gamblers who
are seeing you at games, are they like asking you
for gambling tips and stuff? Oh?
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Yeah, which, honestly I kind of love. I think that's fun.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
If somebody comes up to me when I'm working in
ESPN game and they're.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
Like Stormy, like, I love you on vsin What's the
Pick of the week? Like I love that. Those interactions
I live for. It's so fun.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Always have to have one quick at the ready, ready
to go.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
But yeah, I love those interactions.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Okay, I just found it also blocked accounts. It looks
how Kenny, come on, it's not saying the number I look.
I swore the last time I checked it was twenty
seven hundred, just because I like, you know, with the
opinions and stuff. It's like people get really Eagles fans
(30:10):
upset it's something I said. Chiefs fans hate me, you know,
but I don't really care. But it's the gambling people
who are losers are like, hey, last week you went
one and four. I was like, okay, what about last month? Yeah,
and they don't they don't say anything. Yeah, I'm just
like I don't. I just don't have time for that.
Why am I wasting my time talking?
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Or the people that will correct you on something even
though they're wrong, Like, that's the one that always bothers
me is when somebody comes for a report or something
that I gave or a pick that I gave before
the result comes out, and they're talking trash about how
I'm so stupid and how could that ever be? And
then I win that bet or I was right with
my argument, and then they're very quiet after that.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
So it goes both ways. It's just one of those things.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Do you have siblings or no? I do, Yes, a
bunch of Are they into sports gambling or no?
Speaker 3 (30:54):
My older brother is definitely, but oh wow, So you
guys are like a real gambling family. Yes, my younger
siblings are younger like I have. My oldest brother is
thirty six and my youngest sibling is eleven, so we
span a lot of generations.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
Oh wow, yes, so my youngest.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Although, man, I'll tell you my little sister, Olivia. When
my dad'll be like making a he likes doing a
big part, like a six eight leg teaser on NFL Sundays,
and he'll just ask Olivia, Okay, what teams do you
like today? Jokingly, and he'll actually go bet it for
himself for fun. She cash has more tickets than him.
It's hysterical.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Wow, I have to ask, what does your mom say
when he's acting like this asking you're eleven year old
for four? Sorry?
Speaker 3 (31:41):
She well, her mother is my stepmother now, but she
married into it, so she knew what she was marrying
into the beginning.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Yeah, it's fine, So it's all. Wow, that's pretty cool.
Well awesome backstory, Storey, Bona, Tony, I think I got
that right. Yeah, bailed it. Espn V Sin obviously will
be all over TV. Enjoy Corvallis. Is that Oregon state?
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Yeah, yeah, enjoy it, and I'm sure we'll talk to
you soon.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Thank you so much,
This is Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What is up Straight Fire, fam, It's mean Jason McIntyre,
Straight Boyer for Wednesday, August the twenty seventh. Well, I
would like to say that we could open the podcast
with actual sports, but when Travis Kelcey and Taylor Swift
get engaged, it's the biggest news on the globe. Honestly,
(00:32):
it was bigger for I don't know, six seven hours yesterday,
Bigger than anything political, thank goodness, Bigger than NFL cut day.
There was no NBA news. I couldn't tell you if
there was a Caitlin Clark injury update. I have no
idea what happened in baseball because all anyone was doing
was meming Travis Kelsey and Taylor Swift getting married. It
(00:53):
was funny because it broke in the middle of the
herd and I actually looked at the screen. The guys
had typed Travis Kelcey They're engaged. Here's a picture. I
was like, is this real? I said that on air,
is this real? Come on, guys, I'm not going with this,
And it turned out to be real. The funniest comment
instantly from someone on the stage there at the herd was, well,
(01:13):
I know who I'm not drafting in fantasy. I mean
this all clearly lines up, right, get engaged Travis Kelcey
final season, hopefully they go out with the super Bowl win.
Then they get married in the offseason and he moves
on to being a podcaster or an actor or whatever
he wants to be. And you know, Taylor Swift does
her thing. That would be my read on the situation. Obviously. Listen,
(01:34):
they did it for two years. Now they're getting married.
It seems like it's good now. I do remember when
everybody called this a conspiracy, a hoax, a fake relationship
for show. A lot of conspiracy theorists. We're driving that nonsense.
But I'm happy for him. That's great. You know, uh
people true love, you gotta love it.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
All right.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
We have a great guest today. Her name Stormy Bona
TONI pretty cool name. It's a real name, and she
is hardcore into gambling. She's also a sideline reporter at
ESPN covering college football. You're gonna love the super interesting kid. Well,
she's probably not a kid. I didn't ask her age,
but she's younger than I am considerably, and I thought
(02:15):
she was fascinating. If you do want to watch the interview,
you can, of course go to my YouTube page Jason R. McIntyre,
which you should be subbing to anyways. Without further ado,
let's get to our guest, ESPNN v Sen's Stormy Bonatoni.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live. You know, Jason likes to think he knows
everything when it comes to sports.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
I know what sports fans want, but for.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Everything he doesn't. He knows a guy who does.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Let's just say I know a guy who knows a
guy who knows another guy.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
All right, let's welcome to Straight Fire. A new guest.
She has never made an appearance on the podcast, but
between her name and her employers ESPN and Vson, that's
an interesting crossover. Let's welcome in Stormy Bone and Tony.
I hope I got the last name right. I've been
working on it here for a little bit. Stormy.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
How you doing, I'm great?
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Yeah, it's a lot of letters, so even if you
got it wrong, you'd still be fine.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Don't worry about it.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yes, So what's the reaction usually from coaches and players
when you say, hey, Stormy, can I get a word
or whatever?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Sometimes it's like a little oh, okay, that's interesting, But no,
it's nice. It makes it more memorable, I think, which
can be helpful sometimes that whereas if my name was Sarah,
maybe I'd have to reintroduce myself a little bit more.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
But Stormy sticks. So it's been helpful, I found.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
So I assume you get asked this all the time. Stormy,
was it a rainy night when you were born? Like,
what's going on?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
It actually was.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
My mom liked the name lot and she had gone
back and forth between Stormy and Chloe. And the night
I was born in like the middle of the night
in Las Vegas in the summer of July, we had
a summer shower that night.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
And so she was like, oh, it just it's meant
to be. So it actually was. We had a rainstorm
that night, and that's what she went.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
With, raining in the desert. Okay, so vs in ESPNS.
I mean, obviously the gambling stuff is huge now, and
also the sideline importing stuff is big. I'm just curious
how you what's your origin story getting into the industry
and cracking Vegas.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Sure, well, what's interesting with my background and bedding is
it's something I grew up with. So, yes, I live
in Vegas now, but I was born and raised here.
I'm one of those unicorn people that are from here.
And my grandfather back in the day ran the old
Santa Anita and Rose Bowl sports books that were here
in Vegas. And my uncle is currently an odds maker
(04:58):
in town. And my father he has sidestepped the degenerate
title and now gone with determined. He's a determined gambler.
So this was just always something that's been in my life.
I actually very much so learned sports through the lens
of sports betting.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
My dad and I would be sitting on the couch.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Watching games and my whole life from the time I
was a little kid, even when we had the old
box tube TVs, would have four TVs lined up at
once and he'd be, Okay, top left, we just want points.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
Okay, so it doesn't matter who scores, it doesn't matter who.
We just want points. And I'm like, okay, so top left,
we want we want points.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
We need notre dame over here, like That's just totally
how I learned football. It's how I learned a lot
of sports, was just watching on the couch with my
dad and my grandpa having me fill out parlay cards
as a child.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
So that's just what it was for me.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yes, Well, so then you decide what in college? You
know what, I like this gambling. So there was never
any like backup choice like I'm gonna be a teacher
or an accountant, engineer and none of that stuff.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
So honestly, I always thought of myself as a sports fan,
not as someone who would work in it at all.
So I went to college with zero direction. I was
just taking general education courses.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
I thought, oh, maybe I'll go into nursing.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
So I took some anatomy and physio stuff, and then
I randomly fell into a radio television elective course that
changed the trajectory of my life instantly. My sports stories
were better than any of my news stories, and I
had my teacher legitimately pulled me aside and it was like,
if you have any interest in this, you actually can
speak about sports really well, and if you want to
(06:35):
pursue this, like, we have all of these courses that
we could shift your major into and all of this,
and I did it and I haven't.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Looked back since.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
But it wasn't with a gambling focus, because at that
point when I graduated college, PASPA hadn't been passed and
sports gambling legalization nationwide wasn't available.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
So I'm working My first job.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Out of school was with the Mountain West Conference, where
I'm not even allowed to fill out an NCAA tournament
bracket because that's considering gambling, and so it's it was crazy.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
I went from Oh, this is what I'm so used
to and this is everything to.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
The world I work in in sports now it's so taboo.
I did that job. I worked for the Carolina Panthers.
You know, NFL organizations can't have anything to do with it.
So it was so backwards from what I was raised with.
And then when I started working with the ESPN and
I left some of my more traditional jobs and I
was just doing sideline reporting and Wisen came calling. ESPN
(07:30):
was going to let me do both and it was
the best of both worlds, and they just said, you know,
have integrity with what you're doing, which it's like, don't
bet on your own games.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Don't bet on.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
They had certain rules that were in place for that,
and I follow them and it's been amazing.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
I'm so grateful.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
So how do you how do you level up from
like the Carolina Panthers to ESPN sideline repoarding. That's quite
a leap.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Yeah, oh well, thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
It helped that SEC Network was housed in Charlotte, where
I was living.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
The time working for the Panthers.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
I took a tour of the building with I had
arranged a meeting with a coordinating producer that was there
basically to just have an informal conversation, and he was
going to give me a tour of SEC Network and
then we got to know each other. I bugged him
relentlessly for six months, and at the end of that
six months, he gave me an audition game and I
(08:24):
did the audition game.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
It turned into another that just grew and grew and
grew for me at ESPN.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
But basically I found bothering people and getting tours of
buildings have really helped me out.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Squeaky Wheel, it really does work well. Won't blore you
with my stories, but yes, that is spot on. So
you're a silent reporter. You're calling a game this weekend, right, Yes,
I am.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I am at cal at Oregon State in Corvallis, so
getting a little bit of that old school pack twelve
after dark vibe with two teams that are no longer
in that vibe anymore.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
So you've got so a you can't bet on that game?
What about referencing point, spread, total, any of that props
during the game on the sideline? Is that taboo or no?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
So that's not.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Really something that we do.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
It's interesting because you know with Fox how they covered
the UFL. ESPN does as well, and I did reporting
for that for a time, and my role was sideline
reporter slash betting analyst for those games, which I loved.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
It's so fun to update.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Livelines in the game like that's I like doing that
in general as I'm watching.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
Games at home and betting things, so to be on.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
The field and multitasking and doing that and giving out
anytime touchdowns was so much fun.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
But college football I don't do that as much.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
What I do think is critical for broadcasters, and I'm
curious if you agree, is to have awareness of the
spread and total in games, because there is nothing worse
as a better watching a game that apparently like it's
a blowout game and you might think nobody's watching. No,
there are people that are dialed in that field goal matters,
(09:54):
that free throw at the end of a game matters,
and so I think having that awareness as a broad
podcaster is very important. And sometimes if the crew I'm
working on any given week isn't aware of that.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
Like I did a game last year Texas.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
A and M and Missouri where we were in one
of those situations. It was a blowout for A and M,
and a meaningless field goal for Missouri at the end
of the game made the total go over. And so
that's when I get in my producer's ear and I
say matters to some and then you hear the play
by place say matters to some. And so that's where
I think, like, my value in those moments matters.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
So it's so funny you say that. So what was
the game Iowa State Kansas State over the weekend? Iowa
State on M calls an awesome fourth down play and
the guy looks like he scores yep, and then I
think they ruled him down at the one. And my
first thought, now, maybe this is just because I'm wired weird.
I was like, oh, I wonder what the total was
because I tried at to bet week zero. I'm loaded
up this weekend. But of course they pull back the
(10:52):
touchdown and they don't end up scoring and game over
and it stays under which was you know, listen, it's
college football. Whacky stuff happens fast forward to this weekend.
Obviously you are a big college football I don't know, fan, junkie.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
And reporter, all the above, whatever you want to call it.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yes, So I'm curious where you land on this whole
arch Manning debut. It's mostly his debut, right He had
the soft opening last year with a couple of starts
against crap teams, but now he's got to go to
Ohio State. I'm of the belief the hype is a
little too much, as he's like the Heisman favorite of
Texas's number one playoff favor, all that nonsense. I just
(11:30):
I don't know if he's that good. I guess we'll
find out either I'm way off or he is the man.
But where do you land on the arch hype machine?
As we had to Columbus, It's a lot to.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Live up to, and I am so when I did
my own preseason rankings. I don't know if you guys
do this too, but obviously the ap pole comes out.
But as a better and a handicapper, I like to
have my own opinion on what those things are, and
I make my own lines to decide if I have
a perceived advantage, right, And when it came to tech
like they were, Texas was not my number one overall
(12:00):
team archmanding is not my favorite four heisman, right, and
so I am curious what it's.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
Gonna look like.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
And that Week one game against Ohio State in the
Horseshoe is gonna be a massive test for them. And
he does have the protection of a really really good defense,
which is awesome, but what kind of protection also is
he going to get up front? There's like four of
the five offensive linemen in front of him who are
new too, so in a loud environment, working on communication,
(12:32):
young quarterback making his debut as the guy, I don't
know what that's gonna look like yet, and I am
very curious. Do I think he's incredibly talented, Yes, but
I think it's hard to just pick up and be
the guy out of nowhere right away. So I'm interested
to see what the maturation process looks for him, looks
like for him, how he can develop. He's obviously hyper talented.
(12:55):
I just don't know if you can snap your fingers
and be that. So I'm very hesitant about our in Texas,
at least early on, and I want to see what
this first game looks like.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I largely agree. I also wonder, like, I don't know, Stormy,
if he's the man and so good and amazing, why
didn't he throw a pass against Georgia in the SEC
title game or in either of the playoff games? All
he did was come in and run a couple gadget
type he had like five carries for.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
And why did they stick with Quinn right and have
him come back like you know there? I think those
questions are warranted.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Jason, Yeah, it just feels like maybe he's not that.
I kind of think Ohio State blows about I'm on
the buckeyees modesty and half. But it's going down. I'm
sure you saw ye. I think it's down to two
with some spots in the desert. But do you so
are you allowed to say if you have a bet
on the game given your sideline reporter or so.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, I don't have a bet, but I can, like
I can give picks on games. And so that's the
thing is like any game that I'm not on the
sideline for, I can still give my picks for I
always just have to like give the caveat that, like
I'm whether I'm betting something or not. Right, So, like
I cover the NFL, but I'm not on an NFL sideline,
so i can have those bets in my bankroll. But
(14:05):
there are just some bets that I'm not allowed to.
But with Ohio State Texas, I like the under, but
I don't really like feel confident one way or another.
Speaker 4 (14:13):
This total is going down by the way too. It
was fifty and a half its forty seven and a
half now.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
But I mean, simple argument two likely really good defenses
taking on offenses that are breaking in new quarterbacks, right,
But I just I don't know. This is one of
what I think for me, Jason in Week one will
be really good barometer games like data point games that
I'm going to take what I learned from and see
from those games and push it forward.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Like Ohio State's got a ton of questions too, Am
I wrong?
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Like yes, They're one of those programs that we don't rebuild,
we reload, but new quarterback, new coordinators, you lose your
top two leading rushers, your top three SAT getters. There
are questions around them too. So that's one of those
games where I want to see what it looks like.
And I know that's boring and that's not giving anybody
a bet to make, but that's.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
How I feel a about that one.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
What about LSU Clemson Clemson three and a half. It
looks like they're at home. Brian Kelly cannot seem to
win season openers. I don't know where you're on, nuss Meyer,
but I'm not a huge fan. I somehow I don't
have a bet on this yet, but it feels like
Clemson easily.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I know a lot of people that like taking at
least when it was four, And I know as long
as you're over that key number of three, you feel
good about taking the points. Usually if you are an
underdog better whether it's plus the three and a half
plus the four. I like Clemson, and I am glad
that you said that, Jason, because I feel kind of
like I'm on an island with this pick at Vsen
and a lot of my sports betting counterparts who like
(15:41):
think this is going to be a close, competitive game
and taking the points. But even if Clemson wins, but LSU.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Will be right there with it.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
My biggest questions for LSU in this matchup are similar,
honestly to what I just said about Texas's offensive line.
How quickly is this so line gonna gel after losing
four guys to the draft. Again, You're in a loud
rocket environment against maybe the best defensive line in the country.
We'll see what their defense ends up being. But I
think those are fair questions to have. And then has
(16:09):
this defense for LSU started to catch up. They did
a lot of work in the transfer portal, they're trying
to rebuild that side of the ball, but like the
defense has held them back the last two years. Their
offense has been hummin' and their defense has been terrible
for what they need it to be.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
So I just I don't know if they've caught up.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
For me, in my rankings, I had Clemson as my
number two team in the country, so I am higher
on them than some And also, like, tell me what
you think about this, I'm a little bit worried about
LSU and Brian Kelly putting so much into this week
one game. We know historically how they've struggled in these
openers last five years, last three under Brian Kelly, they've lost.
(16:49):
But like they've got the pause on the walls around
the facility, on the weight bags, and we've got to
win this game to pring so much into it psychologically.
If they do lose this game, which they could, and
they are an underdog in the game, like, what does
that then do to you moving forward? I think even
the week after that against LA Tech is probably a
(17:10):
let down spot where you're gonna have a huge spread
And maybe that's just not what you think it is,
but the emotional investment in this when you do have
other really tough games on your schedule, are.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
You thinking that your season is over when you lose
that game?
Speaker 3 (17:22):
You shouldn't be because of the twelve team playoff, but like,
I just think of the mental battle that you have
invested so much into this game if you lose, what
that might mean for them?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yeah, a good point with the Louisiana Tech after that
and then the week after that is Florida huge sc
game and listen, if they lose two games before the
first month is done. They're not going to the playoffs.
They still have old Miss South Carolina Alabama. Yeah, Oklahoma,
that's a brutal schedule. So you're right, this is maybe
this is a kitchen sink game for Brian Kelly and
(17:51):
he just throws everything just to get the win and
keeps it close. But I want to back up. You
said you're gambling friends. I'm not being sexist or anything,
but I'm assuming the are mostly guys, unless you have
like a group of girls who are diving into LSU
look ahead spots. I have.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
I have a couple of girlfriends. Then I'm fortunate.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Yes, uh, one that Ariel Epstein, who works in the space.
She's very she's a great prop better. And then another
one of my girlfriends who used to work with me
at Viisen, she no longer works with us. She's she's
actually going to become a nurse. Oddly enough, she's changed
career path but she Danielle Alvari. She's a big sports
betting fan as well. So I'm very grateful I have
(18:32):
a couple of them. But to your point, yeah, most
of my group chats are with a bunch of dudes.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Yeah, that's interesting. Wow, So you see clearly you know
your stuff.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
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Speaker 2 (18:55):
I am curious, though, there is one other game, and
some people are telling I'm on the wrong side. I
like Miami on Sunday. I'm sorry, I like Notre Dame
at Miami on Sunday. I'm just not a believer in this.
Carson Beck, I'm all on Freeman. I think he's ingenius.
I'm higher on car than I guess many and obviously
(19:15):
the run game of the defense, I think Notre Dame's
gonna be okay. But your thoughts, no, we're like minded.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I would prefer the money line because it's pretty cheap
money line parties right now around minus one thirty versus
lay in the two and a half.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
But whichever way you want to play it is fine. Yeah,
I'm with you. I like Notre Dame in this matchup.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Beck is so interesting to me because obviously he goes
into last year as this Heisman candidate shortshot to be
the number one overall pick. He obviously has has all
the tools and had great moments with Georgia, but there
are some struggles that are hard to get over when
you look back to last year, like that stretch where
he could not stop throwing the ball to the other team.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Multiple three pick.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Games at like what Florida Alabama three picks no touchdo
against Texas.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
It was hard. It was a hard watch. And then
he doesn't get the chance to have his redemption and everything.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
So is Miami that for him? But then you're replacing
a guy who was the number one overall pick and
who was all these things in cam Ward.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
It was so great for them.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
But I honestly, for me, my liking Notre Dame in
that game is more of a I just really like
the Irish more than it is a fade of Miami.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
I think the defense is going to be awesome. I
think Jeremiah Love.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
I don't think that he'll win the Heisman, but I
could see him having a great season and being invited
to New York, and yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
I like him.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Plus I was looking through let me pull this up
really fast.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Notre Dame sixteen and four against the spread VERSU ranked
teams under Marcus Freeman, best ats market any head coach
against RAKE teams since the FBS FCS split in seventy eight,
So he has been great.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
In this spot.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Wow, that's an amazing stat. So I want to back up.
You also said earlier NFL bedding. So your only sidelines
for college or do you do NFL sidelines too?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I only do college football sidelines right.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Now, So I assume that means you can enter the
Survivor and Circle Millions and stuff, and.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Yeah, oh yeah, I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Are you ready to go? Yes? So are you on
a solo on those or do you do like a
group entry where you guys divide up the teams or
what have you?
Speaker 4 (21:22):
So I do it with my dad. It's like a
cool Yeah, it's a cool father daughter activity that we
do together.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
We have three Survivor entries and one in Circle Million.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Yeah we're oh, we're locked and loaded.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Wait are the survivor The survivors a thousand or fifteen.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Hundred one thousand thousand each?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Holy cow? And the Circle Millions is a great So
you're four grand in? Oh my, yeah, you guys are hardcore.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yes, well, if you're winning the millions then it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yes, But the reality is sure. Very Have you entered
before with your dad?
Speaker 4 (21:55):
I have, yes, we are you guys cashed?
Speaker 1 (21:58):
No?
Speaker 3 (21:58):
I mean we've like we've been close, but haven't won anything,
you know, survivor. I'm one of those people that a
couple of years ago in the COVID season, we got
to week ten or eleven and it was the Lions,
the Lions and Steelers tie where you have to put
your your entry in by a certain deadline, right yeah,
(22:22):
And it was a COVID season and so the COVID
ins and outs you didn't know necessarily what There was
a deadline by which you had to have that information,
but teams did it kind of sporadically up until that deadline.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
And the CIRCA deadline was before that. So we picked
the Steelers that day and Big.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Ben like an hour after we submitted, our entry was
on the COVID list, and so you get like this
backup experience and they had that been a tie, and
a tie is a loss and survivor too, So that
was brutal. But all of that to say, it is
the funnest ride when you go deep in the contest
and and CIRCA millions at least like your paying for
(23:00):
your experience in millions because you're making five picks against
the spread every week, so it's not like Survivor where
you can be bounced in week one. But what I
always tell people when they do get into Survivor is
everyone thinks they can win, and quite frankly, anyone can.
Their slogan is anyone, like anyone can play, anyone can win.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
And it's so.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
True because you have all these experts that come in
and think that they can do something, and then it's
somebody who somebody who maybe played high school football that
just loves the NFL and ends up winning it, right,
So you never know what it is. But what I
say is everybody thinks it's so easy just to pick
a winner. All you have to do is pick a winner,
(23:38):
and it is so so hard.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Anybody who says that needs to enter these contests. Yes,
and I love the You know who is the worst
about this, It's like the guys who are hardcore gamblers
and are betting thousands of dollars on every game. They're
the ones who are like all those contests. Who cares?
Come on, come on, five picks frozen lines. Okay, well,
why don't you end the com because they know how
(24:01):
tough it is. Because I've run into these guys. I
don't know. We could wrap up with I'm curious where
you are on the sports gambling community, because you know,
I don't know how many women in Vegas are hardcore
in a gambling like you sports that is, and the
male gambling community is kind of rotten, a lot of losers.
I'm sorry to say that these guys are just insufferable.
(24:22):
Everybody is anonymous online, yet they are an advantage player
and their geniuses. How have you found these people, whether
it's online or in person in Vegas.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
I think it's like with anything, they're bad apples in
any community. And so there are a lot of really
great people that I see all the time at the
sports book that are kind as can be, that are great,
that don't act like a know it all. Honestly, some
of the best betters out there are the ones that
aren't coming on shows and that aren't tweeting out their picks,
(24:55):
and it aren't being those people. So the guys that
are the most legit, more often than not, aren't actually
on those programs. And that's something that I always say
about myself, by the way, is like I am a better.
Speaker 4 (25:06):
I'm not a professional better.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
If I was making millions of dollars betting games, then
I probably wouldn't be doing this, right, Like I doubt
you know, I'm hiding in the shadows, keeping my picks
to myself. Like I'm someone who loves sports and loves
sports betting and loves talking about it, and like that's
what I do. I've been fortunate to have winning records
in a handful of sports for a handful of years,
but like that's that's not what I don't make my
(25:29):
money as a gambler. I make my money talking about games, right,
So it's a it's a different thing. But with that
in the community at large, yeah, some people just need
to like stop talking. And the amount of people that
just act like they are God's gift to this earth
and why do you get to do this and why
do you get to talk about this is just like
(25:51):
it's it just gets.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
So old so fast. And Follow the Money is a
show on Vson.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Mitch Moss and Polly Howard are the hosts of that show,
and they did this segment where they got off on
a tangent the other day, and I agreed with every
word they said about people on social media, and that
can go to sports betting, that can go to people
that are like trying to tweet at these athletes. They're
different things, right, But if you I wish we could
(26:17):
make a change to social media that you have to
have your full legal name, yes, like a picture of
yourself and your place of work. If everyone had that
on their social media, I think we would live in
a different world when it comes to that stuff.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
And that's what they were talking.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
I was just like in complete agreement with every word
they said. It would never happen, but I would love
it and it would change the way people act online.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Well, it's interesting because I'm pretty sure for Instagram and
TikTok you have to put I don't know about full name,
but your name has to be on there. In an
email address, Twitter's the one that's really dark and sorted,
where any JABBRONI can just take a fake email address there.
You don't have to know, you don't have to put
any info. But I do think on TikTok, and I'm
(27:02):
not one hundred percent because I don't I'm not really
on TikTok. But a big tell is if some guy's
on TikTok bragging about his bets that he's definitely not
someone you want to listen to.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
No, no, And like most of the people that you
want to listen to are the people that are transparent,
that have their records, that have their spreadsheets readily available
for you. Like that's those are the people you want
to listen to.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
You don't want the touts, you don't want the people
that are bragging about a fictitious record, like do your
due diligence right, sift through this stuff as much as
you can. And and fortunately for me, Jason, and I
don't know if you go through this on on social
media at all, but like the mute and block button
is readily available and it is very easy.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
I'm not on there now, but I can guarantee you
I've blocked way more people than you. Let me just
quickly look it up, because it's it's a significant I
just don't don't. I don't have time to waste with
these losers.
Speaker 4 (27:51):
So it's just not worth it, right, It's just not
worth it.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Where do you go to see how many people you blocked?
Speaker 4 (27:57):
I'm sure if you go into your settings or something,
there's like a blocked accounts.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Right, I guarantee you'd probably be impressed, because I just
I don't really care. Even if they follow me and
they're saying like, oh, you're an idiot and spell it wrong,
I don't care. I'll just block. I don't need this,
dang it. I don't know where the easy way to
find it is.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
But it's really like people just don't realize it. It
does impact people.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
And I think, like as I've gotten more mature and
like older in this business, right, when you have people
come for you, you recognize that the people whose opinions
that matter are the ones that, like you, care about
your bosses, your family or whatever. It's not these strangers
that you've never met and that would never say any
of those things to you in real life. And so
the more you recognize that, I think, the easier it
(28:41):
becomes to put it to the side.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
But when I was.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Early on in my career and I'm like working my
first sideline games and people are so rude talking about
the way I look instead of what I'm saying. And
if you did this, maybe you'd get better assignments wait
online or to your face online.
Speaker 4 (28:55):
Online, never to my face people.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
And that's the thing is like, I try to be
very nice to people everyone i'm meet as much as possible,
and so like people I think are that same way.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
When you meet someone, you're always nice. It's so nice
to meet you. Oh I love the show. I love
that people are very kind.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
But then behind closed doors, like, I'm like, no, I
know you're handle, You're not nice.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Yeah, the power of anonymity really makes these guys feel like, oh,
why you know what? I could say anything, but no,
you're right. I am curious. So these degenerate gamblers who
are seeing you at games, are they like asking you
for gambling tips and stuff? Oh?
Speaker 4 (29:28):
Yeah, which, honestly I kind of love. I think that's fun.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
If somebody comes up to me when I'm working in
ESPN game and they're.
Speaker 4 (29:36):
Like Stormy, like, I love you on vsin What's the
Pick of the week? Like I love that. Those interactions
I live for. It's so fun.
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Always have to have one quick at the ready, ready
to go.
Speaker 4 (29:46):
But yeah, I love those interactions.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Okay, I just found it also blocked accounts. It looks
how Kenny, come on, it's not saying the number I look.
I swore the last time I checked it was twenty
seven hundred, just because I like, you know, with the
opinions and stuff. It's like people get really Eagles fans
(30:10):
upset it's something I said. Chiefs fans hate me, you know,
but I don't really care. But it's the gambling people
who are losers are like, hey, last week you went
one and four. I was like, okay, what about last month? Yeah,
and they don't they don't say anything. Yeah, I'm just
like I don't. I just don't have time for that.
Why am I wasting my time talking?
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Or the people that will correct you on something even
though they're wrong, Like, that's the one that always bothers
me is when somebody comes for a report or something
that I gave or a pick that I gave before
the result comes out, and they're talking trash about how
I'm so stupid and how could that ever be? And
then I win that bet or I was right with
my argument, and then they're very quiet after that.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
So it goes both ways. It's just one of those things.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Do you have siblings or no? I do, Yes, a
bunch of Are they into sports gambling or no?
Speaker 3 (30:54):
My older brother is definitely, but oh wow, So you
guys are like a real gambling family. Yes, my younger
siblings are younger like I have. My oldest brother is
thirty six and my youngest sibling is eleven, so we
span a lot of generations.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
Oh wow, yes, so my youngest.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Although, man, I'll tell you my little sister, Olivia. When
my dad'll be like making a he likes doing a
big part, like a six eight leg teaser on NFL Sundays,
and he'll just ask Olivia, Okay, what teams do you
like today? Jokingly, and he'll actually go bet it for
himself for fun. She cash has more tickets than him.
It's hysterical.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Wow, I have to ask, what does your mom say
when he's acting like this asking you're eleven year old
for four? Sorry?
Speaker 3 (31:41):
She well, her mother is my stepmother now, but she
married into it, so she knew what she was marrying
into the beginning.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Yeah, it's fine, So it's all. Wow, that's pretty cool.
Well awesome backstory, Storey, Bona, Tony, I think I got
that right. Yeah, bailed it. Espn V Sin obviously will
be all over TV. Enjoy Corvallis. Is that Oregon state?
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:01):
Yeah, yeah, enjoy it, and I'm sure we'll talk to
you soon.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Thank you so much,
Host
Jason McIntyre
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