KB and Jeff welcome acclaimed author and longtime sports journalist Howard Bryant for a deep, wide-ranging conversation about how sports really work.

Bryant reflects on covering the 2003–04 Red Sox (including the Aaron Boone heartbreak and the World Series breakthrough in St. Louis), the making of his groundbreaking books Shut Out (racism and the Red Sox), Juicing the Game (the steroid era), Full Dissidence, and The Last Hero (Hank Aaron). He shares how Reggie Jackson lit the fuse for the steroids book, the difficult path to getting Hank Aaron’s cooperation, the loss of innocence when the Braves left Milwaukee, and why race, power, and money still shape every part of the games we love.

A sharp, thoughtful, and frequently funny hour with one of the most respected voices in sports writing.

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro & Welcome to Howard Bryant
01:47 – Old Friends, Press Boxes & the 2003–04 Red Sox
03:10 – St. Louis, Theo Epstein & the End of the Curse
07:09 – Exhausting Road Trips & Press Box Ego Stories
09:46 – Shut Out: Racism and the Red Sox
12:55 – Juicing the Game: How Reggie Jackson Started It
16:49 – Performance Enhancing vs. Performance Enabling
20:41 – The Ricky Henderson Bonus Check Story
22:42 – Full Dissidence: Race, Protest & Patriotism in Sports
57:32 – The Last Hero: Getting Hank Aaron to Cooperate
01:03:16 – 715, 755 & Why Aaron Still Matters
01:06:24 – Milwaukee Years, the Braves Move & Lost Innocence
01:14:54 – Negro League Stats & Rewriting History
01:16:01 – Closing & Book Recommendations

Fred talks about turning a live show into “rock and roll church,” why the band name came from a Sam Shepard play, and how growing up in New Orleans shaped his belief that the purest form of rebellion is celebration. He shares the challenges of being a drummer-frontman, 36 years of Cowboy Mouth, the Hootie & the Blowfish connection that helped get them signed, meeting Joe Strummer months before he died, writing a children’s book, and why their shows feel more like a community than a concert.

If you’ve never seen Cowboy Mouth live, this episode will make you understand why people who see them once almost always come back.

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro & Welcome to Fred LeBlanc
01:20 – So Whatcha Drinkin’? + Cedarburg Preview
02:23 – Origin of the Name Cowboy Mouth
04:44 – First Time Seeing the Band & the “Rock and Roll Church” Philosophy
07:05 – Spontaneous Joy & Winning Over Any Crowd
09:28 – “If the Neville Brothers and The Clash Had a Baby…”
11:53 – Band Chemistry, Mistakes & Entertaining Each Other
14:17 – Dash Rip Rock & the Pre-Cowboy Mouth Days
16:34 – Why There Aren’t More Drummer-Frontmen
18:57 – Getting Started in New Orleans
21:20 – Bass Players, Energy Flow & 36 Years Together
23:37 – Tapping Into Enthusiasm Before Every Show
25:55 – Writing Songs as a Drummer-Frontman
28:19 – Getting Signed Thanks to Hootie & the Blowfish
30:41 – Label Politics, Band Drama & Staying True
33:07 – Meeting Heroes (Sammy Hagar, Eddie Money, Amy Adams)
37:51 – Writing the Children’s Book Fred the New Orleans Drummer Boy
40:17 – Meeting Joe Strummer
42:42 – The Covers Album & Clock-Radio Classics
47:32 – What Fred Listens to While Driving
49:53 – Thoughts on Anika Nilles Replacing Neil Peart
52:12 – Cedarburg Preview & Closing

Goren opens up about growing up in Munster, playing soccer at UWM under Bob Gansler, the early days of basements and Boardwalk gigs, the intoxicating moment when a crowd first sang his lyrics back to him, and the tough decision to walk away from a major-label deal and become an orthodontist. Along the way they cover Matchbox 20, Letters to Cleo, the power of a great smile, and why The Gufs still feel timeless when they hit the stage.

A classic “So Whatcha Drinkin’?” episode full of music, soccer, and Milwaukee soul.

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro & Welcome to Goren Kralj
01:26 – The Gufs Comeback & Playing the Old Songs
05:06 – Holiday from You & the Kevin Sucher Era
06:01 – Early Influences: R.E.M. & Toad the Wet Sprocket
07:49 – Signed to Atlantic… and Forgotten Next to Matchbox 20
11:03 – Small World Stories: Mary Carlson, Letters to Cleo & Tabitha’s Secret
14:38 – When You Finally Hire a Guitar Tech
19:39 – From Munster to UWM Soccer (and Accidentally Starting a Band)
25:10 – The First Time the Crowd Sang the Lyrics Back
26:35 – Atlantic, Lava Records & Watching the Format Die
28:45 – That Unique Gufs Voice
31:32 – Soccer Roots, Croatia/Bosnia & the World Cup
37:40 – How “Smile” Led to Orthodontics
41:17 – Walking Away from Music for Dentistry
45:00 – Starting Over as a Dentist After the Band
47:17 – Fixing Smiles & Writing Love Songs
49:01 – Upcoming Menomonee Falls Show & Closing

KB and Jeff Horrigan launch the brand-new interview series on 973-TV with the perfect first guest: longtime Green Bay Packers radio voice Wayne Larrivee.

They dig into Packers minicamp takeaways, the new-look defense under Jonathan Gannon, the running-back picture with Josh Jacobs and Marshawn Lloyd, breakout candidates like Tucker Kraft and Matthew Golden, and the NFC North landscape (including Caleb Williams and the Bears). Wayne also shares personal stories—from growing up in the Berkshires and learning play-by-play at the old Boston Garden to calling Super Bowl XX with the 1985 Bears and the jump from Chicago to Green Bay. A Classic “So Whatcha Drinkin’?” conversation with one of the best in the business.

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Show Intro & Welcome to Jeff Horrigan

01:14 – “So Whatcha Drinkin’?” + Dropkick Murphys Story

07:00 – Central Standard Distillery Sponsor

08:28 – Introducing Wayne Larrivee

09:13 – Packers Minicamp Takeaways & Coaching Changes

12:32 – Marshawn Lloyd & the Running Back Room

14:29 – Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy & the Steelers

16:10 – The Seasonal Itch: From Exhaustion to Excitement

19:05 – Massachusetts Talk: Boston vs. Western Mass

24:16 – Emerson College, the Combat Zone & Learning the City

28:42 – Boston Garden, Johnny Most & Learning Play-by-Play

34:02 – Wayne’s First “Dagger” of the Season Prediction

36:47 – Matthew Golden, Christian Watson & the Receivers

39:22 – Caleb Williams & How Good Are the Bears?

41:23 – The Bears Moving to Hammond, Indiana

45:35 – Leaving the Bears for Green Bay + 1985 Super Bowl Stories

49:03 – Calling Super Bowl XX & the Walter Payton Regret

52:54 – Closing & Looking Ahead