July 6, 2024 • 9 mins
The ever-popular show SportsCafe is returning.
The SportsCafe-ish podcast features three of its original cast: Marc Ellis, Leigh Hart, and Ric Salizzo.
Ric joined Piney to discuss what brought about its return.
He said he remembered when catching up with Marc and Lee how much fun it was, and thought why not do something together.
The growing use of YouTube, podcasts, and social media provided a new space for the show to thrive.
“The opportunity to sort of work in those new mediums with people that you really enjoy working with, I mean, it was just a no brainer.”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk, ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Sports Cafe and icon of New Zealand sports television and
became a household name in the nineties and early two thousands.
It has made a triumphant return whether it's all new
podcast rendition on the iHeartRadio podcast network. The podcast is
called Sports Cafe Ish, new episodes available every Wednesday. It's
hosted by three of the original crew, former All Black
(00:35):
and Warriors player Mark Ellis, comedian Lee Hart, and journalist,
TV presenter and producer Rick Salitso who joins us?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Now?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Rick, I've heard you say in the past that this
Sports Cafe when you were doing it was one of
the most stressful things you've ever done in your life.
So how much do they have to pay you to
put yourself through this?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Again, Let's just clarify one thing. At the start. Mark
doesn't get top billing, So yeah, we don't start with
Mark Ellis. You know, No, it was Look, it was
into Mecca when we were at the World Cup in
France and I'd been living in the US for a
few years and I hadn't seen them for ages, and
(01:15):
I just really enjoyed catching up. And then when I
came back to New Zealand and caught up with Lee Hart,
and I just reminded myself of just how much money
is and how what a genius he is, and so
I thought, why don't we just do something together, you know.
And the thing I love about it is, you know,
with this new sort of you know, podcast and YouTube
(01:36):
and social media and all these things, is you can
go direct to your audience and that's really exciting for
a creator. So so the opportunity to sort of work
in those new mediums with people that you really enjoy
working with. I mean, it was just a no brainer.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So what can we expect when we when we listen
to episodes of Sports Cafe is okay.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
No, it's like, put it this way, what you can
expect is the opposite to what I prepare. Yep, that's
probably it.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Well.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I think that was the secret of the show, or
one of the secrets of the show when it was
on television, was that you never really knew, did you.
And you got the feeling as a viewer that you
never really knew either.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
No, no, no, Like I knew what it was when
I started out, you know, he's a paper, and I
was like, this is what the structure of the show is.
And then Mark would do everything he could do to
ruin that, and Lee would you know. I used to
say to Lee when we were going sending him out
to do a story, I'd ask him to do something
and he'd come back with the opposite. So then I
(02:41):
would tell him the opposite of what I wanted, hoping
that I'd get what I wanted. And that worked for
about two weeks, and then he worked that out, and
then it got so confusing. I couldn't work out whether
I was telling him the opposite or I was telling
him the real thing, because I couldn't work out what
stage we're at. But yeah, I mean, it's just, you know,
if you want to know the motivation for doing it,
(03:03):
it's just because I want to have some fun and
they they have fun too. There's nothing deeper than that.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And I mean, in many ways, that's that's probably the
most pure reason for doing anything. Really. It's not as
though you're going to make you a gazillion dollars out
of it, probably, although you might get some sponsors on board,
I presume, and make a bit of coin. But yeah,
and again, that was what it always seemed like watching
it on TV back in the day. Was it just
a bunch of people around having fun with one another
(03:33):
and bringing the audience along for the ride. So I
get the feeling it will translate perfectly into the podcast realm.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah, let me give you a tip. The way to
make money is not by making TV shows and podcasts.
It's making its selling orange juice and potato chips. Yes,
that's the That's where the money is. That, that's the
the whole thing is. You know, here, I am sort of,
you know, fifteen twenty years ago to the boss, sort
of starting them out. Now they sort of doing me
(04:02):
a favor in between, you know, the orange juice millions
and their potato empires.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Do you think people who never saw Sports Cafe on
TV will get something out of this podcast too?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah? I think so. It's been that's been really like
I've had a lot of feedback obviously, and and and
the beautiful thing about social and and and stuff is
people tell you what they think, and sometimes they don't
think when they tell you. But what's really cool about
it is that there lots of people in there in
the early twenties are getting into it. And it's funny
(04:38):
because I hear the word political correctness thrown around all
the time, and you know, you guys are so anti
PC and stuff like that, and it's like not really,
like we're just us. You know, we're just normal. We're
just behaving like we normally do, and like we're just
not complaining about stuff. So, you know, we're just we're
(04:59):
just focused on having fun. And I think that I
think I think that younger demographic sort of that excellent.
But at the end of the day, I make this
for people that think they're in their twenties, Like that's me,
Like I've got three skateboards in the next box, Like
I still think I'm twenty three. So and I know
plenty of people like that, and I think you're one
(05:20):
of them.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah. So it's a mindset. It's not an age I am.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I'm looking at the at the official release from this
from the podcast, and it says listeners can expect discussions
on current sporting issues and surprise guest appearances. So you
got a few surprise guests jacked up?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Have I.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Me?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
So that's a surprise, the surprises. I didn't know that,
So so that's good. No, well, well, I mean hopefully
we'll catch up with with you know, everyone from the
from the old crew at some stage, like probably fifty
percent of my comments so far. Where is Lana, Yes,
(06:06):
and we're chasing it. She's not returning my calls. But yeah,
I mean it's it's been good to catch up with
people and good to like this week's episode, we caught
up with Sam Kane, which was really cool. Last week
it was Shari Sharay Kaka from The Blackman Sevens. The
great thing about technology now is, you know, it's always
(06:30):
been easy for radio. I mean, I started out on radio.
It's always been easy for you to ring ring someone
up and record them and chuck them out. But it's
always been hard for TV to do that. You know,
in the old days, we used to have to sort
of put up a satellite, you know. But now with technology,
people can be in their lounges and they can be
a guest in your show. So it makes it a
little bit easier than it used to be.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Absolutely look forward to new episodes every Wednesday. Hey Rick,
just well, I've got you. You had three years a
CEO of Rugby United New York. I just want to
get your assessment of where the game of rugby is
in the US right now.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know, the first thing I did was get rid
of United, so we changed it to Rugby New York
because you know, nice soccer team. But yeah, it's a
fascinating It was a I really enjoyed myself in New York,
you know, running a professional rugby team. And we had
a great crew of people. We had Andy allis what's
u in the hollow name of the Scudder, you know,
(07:29):
render the kind of Jason Emery, A lot of New
Zealand names with us. It's Americans are American rugby people.
It's like a bad courage for them to be a
rugby fan or and and they really are proud of it,
and they they give it so much love and attention,
and it's I really enjoyed working with those people. The
(07:51):
game is growing all the time, and the competition MLR
is is you know, it's I don't know it's seventh
or eight year, but it's it's just keeps learning and
evolving and moving in different places and different ways, and
you know, it's it's really exciting and it's really exciting
for the game of rugby. I mean that was a
(08:13):
big part of the attraction for me was being at
the you know, in the in the world west, the
frontier of a new of the game, growing in new
places and and it's really exciting.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Good stuff, good stuff. Well looking forward to hearing. As
I say, new episodes of Sports Cafe is dropping every
Wednesday on iHeart Radio or wherever people get their podcast.
I'll give it the correct building now rix Elite So
with Lee Hart and Mark Ellis as well, and some
surprise guests actually.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Don't even give Mark Ellis a billing, just say rix Alito,
Lee Hart and.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Others rix Alite So, Lee Hart and others on the
Sports Cafe Ish podcast. Great to chat Rick, Thanks Bunny,
rix Alite So They're always good to get the chance
to catch up with him. Iconic Sports Cafe Sports Cafe
Ish just look for it on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcast from. Might be something to add to
your to your weekly listening with new episodes every Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk, ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Sports Cafe and icon of New Zealand sports television and
became a household name in the nineties and early two thousands.
It has made a triumphant return whether it's all new
podcast rendition on the iHeartRadio podcast network. The podcast is
called Sports Cafe Ish, new episodes available every Wednesday. It's
hosted by three of the original crew, former All Black
(00:35):
and Warriors player Mark Ellis, comedian Lee Hart, and journalist,
TV presenter and producer Rick Salitso who joins us?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Now?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Rick, I've heard you say in the past that this
Sports Cafe when you were doing it was one of
the most stressful things you've ever done in your life.
So how much do they have to pay you to
put yourself through this?
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Again, Let's just clarify one thing. At the start. Mark
doesn't get top billing, So yeah, we don't start with
Mark Ellis. You know, No, it was Look, it was
into Mecca when we were at the World Cup in
France and I'd been living in the US for a
few years and I hadn't seen them for ages, and
(01:15):
I just really enjoyed catching up. And then when I
came back to New Zealand and caught up with Lee Hart,
and I just reminded myself of just how much money
is and how what a genius he is, and so
I thought, why don't we just do something together, you know.
And the thing I love about it is, you know,
with this new sort of you know, podcast and YouTube
(01:36):
and social media and all these things, is you can
go direct to your audience and that's really exciting for
a creator. So so the opportunity to sort of work
in those new mediums with people that you really enjoy
working with. I mean, it was just a no brainer.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So what can we expect when we when we listen
to episodes of Sports Cafe is okay.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
No, it's like, put it this way, what you can
expect is the opposite to what I prepare. Yep, that's
probably it.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Well.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I think that was the secret of the show, or
one of the secrets of the show when it was
on television, was that you never really knew, did you.
And you got the feeling as a viewer that you
never really knew either.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
No, no, no, Like I knew what it was when
I started out, you know, he's a paper, and I
was like, this is what the structure of the show is.
And then Mark would do everything he could do to
ruin that, and Lee would you know. I used to
say to Lee when we were going sending him out
to do a story, I'd ask him to do something
and he'd come back with the opposite. So then I
(02:41):
would tell him the opposite of what I wanted, hoping
that I'd get what I wanted. And that worked for
about two weeks, and then he worked that out, and
then it got so confusing. I couldn't work out whether
I was telling him the opposite or I was telling
him the real thing, because I couldn't work out what
stage we're at. But yeah, I mean, it's just, you know,
if you want to know the motivation for doing it,
(03:03):
it's just because I want to have some fun and
they they have fun too. There's nothing deeper than that.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
And I mean, in many ways, that's that's probably the
most pure reason for doing anything. Really. It's not as
though you're going to make you a gazillion dollars out
of it, probably, although you might get some sponsors on board,
I presume, and make a bit of coin. But yeah,
and again, that was what it always seemed like watching
it on TV back in the day. Was it just
a bunch of people around having fun with one another
(03:33):
and bringing the audience along for the ride. So I
get the feeling it will translate perfectly into the podcast realm.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah, let me give you a tip. The way to
make money is not by making TV shows and podcasts.
It's making its selling orange juice and potato chips. Yes,
that's the That's where the money is. That, that's the
the whole thing is. You know, here, I am sort of,
you know, fifteen twenty years ago to the boss, sort
of starting them out. Now they sort of doing me
(04:02):
a favor in between, you know, the orange juice millions
and their potato empires.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Do you think people who never saw Sports Cafe on
TV will get something out of this podcast too?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Yeah? I think so. It's been that's been really like
I've had a lot of feedback obviously, and and and
the beautiful thing about social and and and stuff is
people tell you what they think, and sometimes they don't
think when they tell you. But what's really cool about
it is that there lots of people in there in
the early twenties are getting into it. And it's funny
(04:38):
because I hear the word political correctness thrown around all
the time, and you know, you guys are so anti
PC and stuff like that, and it's like not really,
like we're just us. You know, we're just normal. We're
just behaving like we normally do, and like we're just
not complaining about stuff. So, you know, we're just we're
(04:59):
just focused on having fun. And I think that I
think I think that younger demographic sort of that excellent.
But at the end of the day, I make this
for people that think they're in their twenties, Like that's me,
Like I've got three skateboards in the next box, Like
I still think I'm twenty three. So and I know
plenty of people like that, and I think you're one
(05:20):
of them.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah. So it's a mindset. It's not an age I am.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I'm looking at the at the official release from this
from the podcast, and it says listeners can expect discussions
on current sporting issues and surprise guest appearances. So you
got a few surprise guests jacked up?
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Have I.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Me?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
So that's a surprise, the surprises. I didn't know that,
So so that's good. No, well, well, I mean hopefully
we'll catch up with with you know, everyone from the
from the old crew at some stage, like probably fifty
percent of my comments so far. Where is Lana, Yes,
(06:06):
and we're chasing it. She's not returning my calls. But yeah,
I mean it's it's been good to catch up with
people and good to like this week's episode, we caught
up with Sam Kane, which was really cool. Last week
it was Shari Sharay Kaka from The Blackman Sevens. The
great thing about technology now is, you know, it's always
(06:30):
been easy for radio. I mean, I started out on radio.
It's always been easy for you to ring ring someone
up and record them and chuck them out. But it's
always been hard for TV to do that. You know,
in the old days, we used to have to sort
of put up a satellite, you know. But now with technology,
people can be in their lounges and they can be
a guest in your show. So it makes it a
little bit easier than it used to be.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Absolutely look forward to new episodes every Wednesday. Hey Rick,
just well, I've got you. You had three years a
CEO of Rugby United New York. I just want to
get your assessment of where the game of rugby is
in the US right now.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know, the first thing I did was get rid
of United, so we changed it to Rugby New York
because you know, nice soccer team. But yeah, it's a
fascinating It was a I really enjoyed myself in New York,
you know, running a professional rugby team. And we had
a great crew of people. We had Andy allis what's
u in the hollow name of the Scudder, you know,
(07:29):
render the kind of Jason Emery, A lot of New
Zealand names with us. It's Americans are American rugby people.
It's like a bad courage for them to be a
rugby fan or and and they really are proud of it,
and they they give it so much love and attention,
and it's I really enjoyed working with those people. The
(07:51):
game is growing all the time, and the competition MLR
is is you know, it's I don't know it's seventh
or eight year, but it's it's just keeps learning and
evolving and moving in different places and different ways, and
you know, it's it's really exciting and it's really exciting
for the game of rugby. I mean that was a
(08:13):
big part of the attraction for me was being at
the you know, in the in the world west, the
frontier of a new of the game, growing in new
places and and it's really exciting.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Good stuff, good stuff. Well looking forward to hearing. As
I say, new episodes of Sports Cafe is dropping every
Wednesday on iHeart Radio or wherever people get their podcast.
I'll give it the correct building now rix Elite So
with Lee Hart and Mark Ellis as well, and some
surprise guests actually.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Don't even give Mark Ellis a billing, just say rix Alito,
Lee Hart and.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Others rix Alite So, Lee Hart and others on the
Sports Cafe Ish podcast. Great to chat Rick, Thanks Bunny,
rix Alite So They're always good to get the chance
to catch up with him. Iconic Sports Cafe Sports Cafe
Ish just look for it on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcast from. Might be something to add to
your to your weekly listening with new episodes every Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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