The CWS at 75

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Very modest little tournament in nineteen fifty compared to these days.
But man, what a wonderful event every year in Omaha,
a wonderful celebration of baseball. And we're so happy to
be joined for a few minutes here by Jack Dason,
College World Series Omaha Inc. Chairman. Jack.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good morning, Good morning, Gary and Jim.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
How are you well? Thank you? This has to be
wonderful time for you every year or two, going back
to working with your dad who originated CWS Omaha Inc.
And now you've carried it on for these many years.
What's it like for you on the eve of another tournament.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Well, it's always very exciting. We're just thrilled eking yesterday
and the other seven are coming to day and we're
looking forward to kicking things off late. We're having to
Creton University groundbreaking for their new baseball field today and
then the availability for the kick off of the College

(01:01):
Oral Series later today, and then tomorrow the big celebration
down jem A Maul for the seventy fifth anniversary, where
we're going to have three separate concerts and then fireworks.
Over A lot going on, but we're excited to begin
the seventy fifty year celebration of hosting the College Real Series.
You're at Homa, Nebraska.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
It's really cool Jack And one of the things that
made the college World's there He's popular in Omaha, I believe,
was the personal touch that the community had with the teams.
And specifically you go back a number of years, but
they used to go to all of the service clubs
and they do a lunch with the service clubs and
then you'd see him practicing on high school fields. That
guy over there could be a first round draft choice,

(01:40):
but he's over West Sides field. Is that still the
case with these guys or is it gotten to be
too big a deal for them to still go out
there and rub with the community.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Oh, there's still a lot of interaction. We've One of
the foundations of the success of making every team that
comes I feel like they're the home team is that
we have I'll call them sponsors, but really host each team.
And so the service clubs still do that, including off
an Air Force base stratcom and things are so sophisticated

(02:14):
anymore in college athletics that these back in the day
you needed to hold people's hands and tell them where
to cash a check. Now they've got such a great
staff that they don't need that much help, but we
still take care of coordinator and making sure they can
get around where they need to know, capturing and taking

(02:35):
care of any issues they have. So yes, there's still
a great camaraderie. And we actually have some hosts of
service clubs who were given championship rings by the teams.
That one so cool. It's a it's a labor of love.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Yeah, do you have do you do you have any
info for us or any wisdom you can share on
the likelihood of a contract Omaha has with the ncaa
A being extended anytime but for the original negotiation date, Well.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
I don't. We don't want to get too far ahead
of ourselves, but I I think i've I know, I
explained to Jim that the contract basically gives us a
two year exclusive windows two years before October first, twenty
thirty six to negotiate an extension of the contract. But
I think it's probably fairly accurate to Alpine here on

(03:29):
the radio that so you guys are hearing it first,
that sometimes between now and two thousand and thirty, I'm
I'm sure that college Goals Series, bull Mine, along with
the City and Mecha are going to be sitting down
talking about and brainstorming next steps, an extension because in

(03:53):
the next couple of years to be the start of
the next seventy five years.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yeah, it's it's important and it's obviously a community icon.
And Omaha has lost the US Olympic Swim Trials. They
did so to money. Indianapolis, which is also the home
base for the NCAA, has a massive sports commission there
with huge, huge dollars and great, great venues. Do you

(04:17):
get a sense and it's for so many years we
dealt with the same people to the NCAAA jack every year,
the same guys would come in. Those people are gone
at largely and you have new people coming and going
all the time. Do you have a sense of what
the nc two A wants out of the College World
Series that they may be able to get in the
next round.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Well, the first things I'll say is that we continue
to have One of the things I'm real proud of
is that we have created a great relationship with the NCAA,
notwithstanding some of the changes that have happened here. Even
in Omhan, the public arena with new mayors and new
city council people and then new business leaders, and so

(04:58):
the NCAA, we build a lo we'll trust for the NCAA,
and they know that we have the same goals they do,
which are to make this the best of the kareems
it can be for the student athlete, and to create
a commendous sense of fan enjoyment. But you know, I
like to say that Indianapolis has the Indianapolis five hundred,

(05:19):
and louisvillizes the Kentucky Derby, and Gusta has the Masters
and Omaha and as the College World Series, and it's
it's a fabric of our community. And we're committed, along
with the NCAA, to taking this forward. And I would
just also say that this is the nca second best
championship in terms of cash alan with attendance, So I

(05:43):
don't really think that they want to do anything to
upset the apple cart. So I think we're in a
pretty good position.

Speaker 1 (05:48):
And Ashland has a testical festival, so it's all got there.
The south Man, Hey, Jack, let me, I got, I got,
I got a problem already with this year's tournament. And
I'm sure you're you're the guy that can affect it.
I don't like LSU and Arkansas being matched up right
away in the first uh, same bracket, first couple of days.
Can you fix that?

Speaker 2 (06:10):
Well, listen, Gary, I'm going to get right on that
as soon as we go. I'm sure they'll pay attention
to me. Yeah, I'm doing the best I can for you.
But you know, the good news is we've got a
We've gone from the tournament last year where all the
teams were from the AEC and the SEC, to a
nice cross section this year and have some underdogs, if

(06:31):
you will. So it's going to be quite fun to
some long shot. It's gonna be quite fun to see
what happens. And I'll tell I'll say you this about
Saturday night with Arkansas and UH and l s U playing,
it's going to be a pack knight. Be there to
see it.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
Indeed, Hey, Jack, thanks so much on another great year. Yes,
that's Jack Deesing. Here he have Baby's morning News