Happy Half Hour Episode 3: 2003 Reunion Recap

I hope. Um, So how are you guys doing? Miles, I'm fantastic. You know what, I never better. My my belongings are still in route. You know, still was that the plan? Well? I was initially told that my things would be here is today, which is Tuesday as we record this. Um, but now that's not going to be a dull Thursday. So you know what, We're just gonna keep living. I don't know. So I'm fantastic. I've never

been better in my life. You have the car though, That's the important thing I do with my car is here, so like there and there are many, many, many worst things that you know could happen to me. And yeah, on the bright side, no one's going to notice if you're wearing the same clothes over and over again because we're doing everything by Zoom. Not only that, nobody has seen me except for you guys. So I think, God,

I think we're okay. Your two best friends in birth Carolina, my one best friend that's you, Kristen, and then you know, we'll can well can be my friend this week. But I don't know if I call him a good buddy yet. Your casual acquaintance and coworker will Brian. I will take friends. I will absolutely take that. I'm running with that. I'm glad you guys are doing well. Um, I'm excited that we're doing that this this week because we have something

that is just huge in terms of of Panthers. I don't know if you want to call it news, because we would you call it well Panthers news, Panthers content. Something that really really exciting is coming out on the day that we're releasing this podcast on Thursday, and that is the Oh three Reunion Zoom that a big group of that two thousand three that incredible team did together

and it is it's just so amazing. I can't wait to talk to you all about it, and Will, I'm so excited to talk to you about it because you were really one of the main reasons that it happened, and you were really there from beginning to end, and I would love to know, first of all, how did

the idea start? How did it all come together? Well, I think as we were starting to kind of build out these these Zoom ideas back in in April, in in late March when the quarantine started, you know, we had these ideas for the draft and the schedule the show, and it just seemed natural that, like, of course, we should get this particular group on, especially as we were, you know, putting out all these videos about kind of

old classic games. You know, what better than to get some of the original people that were, um, you know, involved in those. And I think I was a bit surprised myself by how well it came together. I reached out to Kevin Donnelly, who of course has been doing you know, so much of our content for our video channels over the last several years, and you know, it's incredible how how quickly he can just send a text and all of a sudden, you have all these guys that are all in and he's like, he sent me

a text. He's like, hey, should I text John Fox? Should we just have him come on too? And I'm like, yeah, but don't tell anybody about it. So as you see, when when Coach Fox just appears there like fifteen minutes into it, it was a complete surprise, Like those guys had no idea that Coach Fox was going to be on it. So that was really cool to kind of see how all that came together and just you know, the way the whole thing flowed, and how much love

you know, is between those guys. You know, I don't think that that particular group, um, you know, with Mike Minner and Mike Rucker on the defensive side, and Moose and Smitty and Kevin Donnelly and Jordan and Jake. You know, obviously some of those guys were in the Hall of Honor last year, so they all saw each other. But the rest of them, you know, they all have had you different things going on in their lives. You know, Coach Fox was on TV and coaching for the last decade,

So I don't think they had all really gathered like that. Um, which was a really cool thing to kind of watch that happen. It really was, and that's one of the things that I think we've learned with Zoom. And I just hats off up to you for for thinking about doing this. It's I think that if we were in normal times, it would be incredibly hard to get all of those guys together, you know, and you might say, well, we're not going to do it on Zoom because you know,

it looked better in person. We'll see if we can figure something out at a game or something like that. And that's just the beauty. I don't know if that would have ever happened if if if we weren't all of our content exclusively on Zoom. We get all those people, you get the surprise of John Fox. I mean, I don't think it could have been any better. I absolutely as a fan, Um, I could not have loved it more.

I mean, in the first five minutes you get John Fox surprising everybody, which is just the best in that voice and just like his personality coming through immediately. It's so good. Miles. I'm curious with you know, Will and I grew up as Panthers fans. Um, what did you think watching it, um and did you learn kind of

about this team a little bit by watching this this reunion? Yeah, you know, it was very educational and it's interesting as sort of as background on more about the OH three Panthers, because as a football fan, and when you grow up a football fan, you know which teams are good, right, you know which teams are in the super Bowl, and you understand why those teams are in the super Bowl

on the superficial level. But I went on YouTube, and you know, you you can go to YouTube and find all kinds of things, and so there was an NFL film special on the OH three Carolina Panthers. So I watched that and it really I thought, painted this picture

of why they were good, which was their defense. They could really run the ball really well, and so I thought watching it, then when you see all the results that and as it translated, and of course they go to the Super Bowl and win the NFC Championship game, right like that, you then see the players and the humans that they are. When you see the humans that they've become, and you see why, I think you see why that team was so good. And they talked about

this in the piece. They were such a connected team. And I think when you see teams that go on to the Super Bowl or teams that win the Super Bowl, those players always talk about how connected they were as a team and how good the chemistry was on that team. Because look, all of the teams in the NFL have talent, that's why you get that saying any given Sunday. But the teams that go on to win Super Bowls, the teams that win you know, conference championship games, those are

the teams that are very, very connected. And so I thought that was really interesting just to hear them talk specifically about that, because in my experience covering the league, that's exactly what it takes in order to get to that level. I think that Sorry, yeah, that that video, Like I actually used to watch it every sun like every week one before like Week one kicked off for

like fifteen years. Literally, I just imagine watched it every year. Yeah, kid will in his house in Charleston, just like getting pumped watching that thing. Did you did you put the line? I know, every single line of that thing, like starting with with like Foxy and the Redskins preseason game. Hey Coop, you're ready, I'm ready. All smiles, here to there, like

I know every single line of it. And now and now the rest of this podcast is just going to be Will doing a dramatic recitement of the NFL films. Did you plut okay question as you watch that? I love that you watched that to get ready for the season. Did you put on I Black at your house to get yourself hyped up? Um? I can neither confirm nor to us to watch that when I was in high school. I love. We gotta get that. We gotta get a full dramatic reading or um reenactment at some point, no

doubt about it. Uh, We're gonna hold you too that. I do want to talk though, about something, Miles, that you just said about how connected this team was. That's something that I picked up on, you know, even watching the team in real time and hearing, uh, some of the players talk to each other and you know, reminisce about that oh three season, but seeing them all together, you can still feel the chemistry. And it was something

that Kevin Donnelly said that I really like tonight. I think you're hitting the nail on the head Miles when he said, you know, I played for more talented teams. You know, bigger names, better talent, but when you talk about how connected this team was, you couldn't find a team that was more instinct more connected. And I thought there was another great point, and well, you've seen so

many Panthers teams. I would love to get your take on this where they said and you saw it really in this OH three reunion that there was no doubt about it. John Fox was very tough. I mean listening to them describe those training camps, especially that first one,

I mean they just sounded absolutely brutal. But then you turn around and then the rookies do a show for the Vets where they're all making fun of everybody, and it's just they knew exactly went to lock in, and they prepared, and they were competitive and they were so focused, and you know, Fox did not go easy on them at all. But then in the same breath, they could turn around and crack a joke, which I absolutely love.

And I think that's something that kind of intangible quality that goes into not just having a connected team, but just you know, I think that's another element and having a great team, a team that wants to to fight for each other. I think there's there's some interesting generational differences. Um, and you know, I'm gonna sound like the old man on his front lawn saying this, but you know, there

there's such a difference. Now you go in the locker room, and I'm not saying that one is better or worse than the other. But all these guys everyone has their cell phone. I mean, just like all of us. We're on Twitter, run social media. You know, we're connecting, we're texting, we're connecting with people. Like back then, I guarantee you in two thousand three, half of those guys didn't have

cell phones in that locker room, you know. And when they talked about like all the pranks they used to pull, you know, like Jake emptying out Kevin Donnelly's shampoo every time we walked by his his locker, or like people dumping water on whoever was in the stall. Like that's that's what they had to do, and that's how they spent their time. They spent all day when they weren't practicing or studying film thinking of ways to prank each other.

You know. So it was just a different it's a different scenario and like a different way the technology or people interact with with each other. That's just a little bit different. Now, yeah, that's a great point. I'm sorry, but if we're talking pranks, I was going to get to this a little bit later, but can we talk about Rod Smart running naked on the treadmill? That was

just kind of dropped in there out there. Yeah, there's so many moments like that when they all were trying to just like fit in just a random story, like wait a minute, No, we need another ten minutes just on that. Yeah, we need to rank the top we need them all getting together again to rank the top ten pranks of that oh three season. But yeah, I loved the the water when Steve Smith said that he could aim and pour a bucket of water on someone and get the toilet paper holder and the person at

the same time. I was just like, that is I knew the guy was talented, but that is really talented another level. Um. But I love I loved all of that. I loved I know I mentioned it. I loved the Rookie Show. I thought that was I just think it's a great you can tell how much fun those guys had. But at the same time, there was no denying the respect for Foxy. There was no denying, um, just how hard they wanted to work. And I thought that was

just a really interesting thing. That was kind of the through line that they all brought up of that team that entire season was just we we play hard, we work hard, you know, we have each other's backs. Um. I don't know. I just I really liked the lightness and you can tell how much all of those guys

still really care about each other, no doubt. And you know what I really thought was interesting too was how they said training camp and stuff was under John Fox, and how when John Fox came in everything sort of shifted. The mentality had to shift because he said, I think it was a mentor that was like, you know, when

you've lost, you have no choice. You have to shut up and listen, right, And that was my favorite line when he's Jot Fox said, listen, anyone who was on this team last year, if they lose fifteen games, row shut up, like I don't want to hear it. What it's tone to set it was, and then you know you had Smitty talking about you know magic, the antagram magic with with the T at the end of it.

So yes, magic magic. Um. But then it's interesting though because then, you know, Steve Smith also was talking about how the CPA got changed because of coaches like John Fox because Donaldi is just cutting people out here in practice, which is just not something is absolutely not something that you can do in practice nowadays, and I probably back then right like, it just was not something that was fun.

But at the same time, it was one of those things where you can change the mentality of a team because you have to be tough in practice and then you have to make that translate onto the field. So and obviously, like one of my favorite things to say in like the NFL is there's so many different ways that you can win. Um, so because of that, it's so they're just so many different ways that you can get to the top. So look, especially now, people aren't

doing that to get to the super Bowl. But obviously back then for the Panthers, it worked. So that's why I think you still see coaches today like, man, they're limiting how much practice time they don't have because that's what they're used to and they've seen it work before. So I thought that was really interesting. I would love to get both of you guys opinion on this, because yeah,

I mean, they started out. You know, I thought they were going to, of course spend time on the regular season the postseason, which they did, but I would say the first gosh, if it's if it's almost fifty minutes long or forty minutes long, I would say the first third was really devoted to training camp and kind of building that chemistry and what training camp was, like you guys have covered I've never covered a training camp for

a team. Um I've covered him from you know, the studio and and covered a few different teams and that kind of stuff, but I've never been up close and personal. And they all really um I was kind of like you said, you know, it's not the way it's always done now, but they all really felt like that training camp, how tough they played, how hard Fox was on them, all the things that they were doing, you know, cutting everything. I mean, that really set the tone for the season.

What do you guys look for in training camp or have you ever seen a training camp where you go, oh, okay, this team, I see it here or is that something that maybe you can romanticize a little bit like these guys might have. You know, because the season went well, they say, okay, it all started at training camp. Like, how much stock do you put when you see a team go through a full training camp? Well you want

to take this first? Sure? Yeah, Like I I think, yeah, it's it's hard to say, Um, it's hard to at training camp to say what's going to happen as a result of it. You know, you have guys, you know every year that you know you're you're kind of like your training camp heroes that just have ridiculous training camps, always make plays every game, you know, or every practice, and then you know may not actually you know, have the same level of production in the season, um, for

for whatever reason. But I think when when seasons do come together like that one, you know, it's you can look back and you can kind of see moments that that made sense because of what happened in training camp. I think that there's a especially it wafered, especially in Spartanburg and that heat, um, you know back in two thousand three when they had two days, and there's just something that those three weeks are the longest weeks of

your life. And shoot, there long if you're not actually playing football, if you're just there and you're you know, at every practice, you know, you don't forget any of those moments and you know you're you're just so emotionally connected to the people around you, to people you know next to you in the huddle, next to you in the locker room, next to you running sprints. Um. You know when you're when you're in the hot tub and you can't feel anything or the cold tub or whatever

it is. You know. So I think that there is that you know, that's what training camps do. They kind of bind you together. Um. And I think for for the team to end up really being successful, you know, there there's something that they look back on and realize, you know, how close they became and how strong those bonds became. You know, I think, so we're having covered the rams as long as I did. You know that I covered six and ten team, you know, seven, nine, um,

and then what their four and twelve and sixteen. Then Sean McVeigh comes in and their eleven and five, and then they go thirteen and three and they go to the super Bowl. And so I guess the biggest difference that I feel like I saw between the Fisher years and the McVeigh years is how crisp things are practiced.

And so I guess it's almost easier to tell if a team is bad than if a team is gonna be because if a team is bad, then you're gonna see drop passes, you're gonna see them have to repeat plays. You're gonna see one unit dominating the other unit, whether it's defense to offense or offense. If a defense is bad,

then the offense is gonna win every day. You want to see things be more balanced because looks sometimes, especially after a couple of weeks, where the defense starts to really get to understand what the offense is running because they've been doing it since O T A S or if they've been going against the same players, And then you have a couple of weeks of camp, and especially if you get a few practices in with pads, the defense starts to understand the way the offense is going

to attack. Practice and attack a day, so the defense starts to get an advantage, and then maybe one day, look, the defense is just going to dominate, but then the next day the offense will dominate, so it starts to level itself out. But if one unit is dominating over the other the entire time, that is a bad sign because it just means that one unit probably isn't up to snuff at all. So I think, like I said, it's probably easier to tell if a team is bad

than if it's good. But I think about that teen training camp that the Rams had, and it was crisp. You know, you had guys like Jared Goff just delivering a really accurate cris ball most of the days, you know, and you know he's got all these receivers and Brandon Cooks and Cooper Cup and Robert Woods, and they knew what they were doing because at least in the case of of Cup and Woods, they've been with Goffer year already.

They've been in that Sean McVeigh offense. Brandon Cook slid in very well and nicely, so you can kind of tell when things are working from an offensive standpoint, and then on defense that you're you had Aaron Donald who actually wasn't in training camp now that I think about it, because of that contract is right, you guys like Marcus Peters a key to leave, right, they were developing chemistry

in the back end. So I think from that standpoint, yeah, like the Rams, you knew that they were supposed to be good, and they looked like they could have a really good team, but at the same time, you don't quite know until you get out there. And if you get on a hot start, you know, like that Oh three team did where you win a few games in a row to start the season, then it's like, yes,

training camp was what we thought it was. It clicks and then you're like, all right, let's keep this thing rolling. But it's it's interesting. That is interesting. It kind of

feeds into it. Like you said, if because they got off to the hot start, it all kind of is proof of of what you're trying to do, right, like a training camp becomes more successful in your mind afterwards because you got off to the hot start, so you know what, you really forms something special there and you really practiced your butt off there, and then you start winning and then the last win feeds into the next one. And that's another thing those guys talked about was the

belief that they had in every single game. And I thought the the stat I mean, I wentn't back and looked at it because it was so wild to me. Um and well, your your Panthers stack guy. But um, five overtime games on the road and they won four of them. I don't know if I've ever heard of anything like that. That's that's crazy. They had seven wins

by three points or fewer. They won four road overtime games before the one in Atlanta where Jake was killing on Jordan for that overtime interception, and and then they became the first team to overcome an eleven point deficit in the Super Bowl of the fourth quarter, like, I mean, they just I mean, it was funny because Smitty like

made the joke, but it was kind of true. It was like, all right, fourth quarter time, He's like, yeah, because they wouldn't let to do anything on offense for the first always got to call back and make it dramatic. But yeah, I mean it really was. You know that that's the power of you know, believing that you know that that offense, that that group, you know that that John Casey, you know, in clutched moments, Jacob Steve, that

the defense could come up and make plays. You know, they like whenever they just whenever they need to stop, they got to stop. You know, that defense was so good. You know when when they needed you know, the running game to to move them down the field. You know, Stephen Davis and Shaun Foster. You know, all those guys just had such critical roles in you know, in the in both the defense and offensive lines. You know it that that group was was so elite with Brenton Butler,

Chris Jenkins, Mike Rucker, Julius Peppers. Peppers was in his second year, you know, like all all those guys were just so good. Absolutely, and I think watching this one of the things that I loved so much was getting to hear them relive all of these stories. We live times like those, you know, hearing Steve Smith say, yeah, well, we know it's gonna be a fourth Quarner time because you never let us do anything, and just hearing all of that kind of stuff, all of the um, the

insight and the inside jokes. And I think that that's something that you can't get unless all these guys are talking together. And we got so many great stories off of it, And that's something that I'm very conscious of as a host. That's what you hope for, you know,

And I don't think that could be. We wouldn't have gotten nearly the stuff that we did if it wasn't just all of those guys who were players and and Kevin leading the conversation, talking together, and I think that's the kind of stuff that as a fan I absolutely love, and as a host you hope to recreate all the time, but sometimes you just cannot. You cannot get to the heart of everything unless it's just the players talking. And

I'm so grateful that they let us in. Uh and that will you You came up with the idea because it's so cool to get a snapshot from their perspective of everything. But I gotta say, we've been talking about this for twenty minutes and we haven't even gotten to the best part bar one the last five minutes. I may or may not have teared up watching it, um and just hearing Steve Smith talk, and you know, everyone

was was getting off the call. Kevin was kind of wrapping everything up, and he said, wait a second, I want to say something, and he just went into an incredibly heartfelt speech and and well, I'd like you to kind of describe it for anyone who hasn't seen this yet, because it's just so I mean, it really did. It moved me two tears. So you know, Steve essentially said, you know, guys, you know I'm one of the youngest people in this group. And you know, you guys taught

me how to be a man. You taught me how to grow up. I wouldn't have been on the Panthers for as long as I had been if it weren't for you, um. And you taught me how to be a father. And I think like that speaks so much too, his his relationship with those guys, his relationship with with that team, their relationship with each other. Um. And I

think it's to how time can can change things. You know, when when Steve was released by the Panthers back in two thousand thirteen, I think, you know, it wasn't it wasn't pretty, and it wasn't completely amicable at that moment. But you know, I think time and graciousness and humility by so many people involved, you know, can bring people back into family and can kind of reconnect family. And I think that that's what felt so real about that moment.

And I mean really the last twelve months, you know, with with that Hall of Honor class and with Steve being back in the fold and you know, unveiling its jersey last October, and you know, I think this is another another piece of just how great it is to kind of allow time in space to really bring you know, bring all that home. And I think that that was

so cool for me to watch. Yeah, I completely agree. Um, he is barn On, one of my favorite Panthers and just to see him open up like that, and like I said, it was I mean, everyone was getting off the zoom and and he stopped everything to tell all of them that, And I just thought it was just an incredible moment. Um, And you're right, it is almost cathartic as a as a Panthers fant to see him back in the fold and doing these kinds of things

and reliving these moments with us. Um, it's it's just awesome. I absolutely loved it. Um, I did get a little choked up at Miles. I'm curious to know what you made kind of because well, and I obviously have a very emotional attachment to it, But um, what did you think? And you know how I guess how have you viewed Steve Smith over the years and what did you think

of seeing him open up like that? Well? Sure, you know, first of all, I think when you think of the Panthers and they the Panthers are younger than me, right, like that, which is a weird thing to think about the same. Yeah, um, but especially just you know the way we think about football in this country, in the

NFL celebrating a hundred seasons last year. But because of that, when you think of the Panthers, there are not necessarily that many people that you think about that you would put on the proverbial Mount Rushmore of players who have been a part of this franchise. And Steve Smith Singer is no doubt one of those players, right. So I think the fact that you know as well said it

was pretty public. I think you know when um Steve Smith was released and then he ended up going to the Ravens that you know, everything was not necessarily sunshine roses between him and the franchise. And so to see him back to see one of the people who is on that Mount Rushmore of Panthers players, Um being emotional and talking about how those members of the organization really helped shape his life, I thought that was awesome to see.

And the other thing that I really thought was awesome was how he said, hey, guys, in a couple of years, there's going to probably be a ceremony in Ohio that we'll all get together for and you know, he's talking about putting on gold jacket and being trying to the Hall of Fame, which he doubtably should be, you know, if not in the first classroom, he's eligible, And forgive me, I'm not exactly sure when that will be, Um, then within the first couple of years, because he's one of

the best receivers to ever play the game, and he did it at such a high level, so consistently for so many years. So yeah, it's as even as somebody who did not follow the Panthers as closely as you two did, I think just as a fan of football and a fan of the sport and a fan of this league, like it's it's really cool to see somebody connect with their teammates and the former coach like that.

I absolutely loved the entire thing. Um. But before we move on, and of course, you know, I'm assuming that you if you are listening to this, you have watched it, but um, if you haven't, you got to go out and watch it immediately. It's so incredible. But before we wrap up the conversation, will since you had such a big part of this, is there anything that we haven't touched on that was a favorite moment of yours. I mean, I had to get Rod smart running on the treadmill

out there right off the bat. But I want to make sure that you've got a chance to share your favorite moments as well, since you're so heavily involved. I mean, I think we we touched on most of them, and you know, I think what what's funny is that group could have kept going, you know, and it was almost like there was this there's this feeling that like no one really you know, everyone kind of understood you know, hey, you know we everyone has something to do and we've

got different things we need to get going to. But man, can we just stay here and just keep doing this for hours and hours and hours? And you know, I think that like that's what's so cool and special about those guys, and and to be able to have a small, very small hand in getting them all together, um, you know what was really cool as well. So hopefully, you know, hopefully Panthers fans, you know, both new fans and old fans will kind of be able to connect to that.

You know, I think that season, you know, there's there's points and times in your life where you know, something that you're a big part of, you know, really has has an impact. I know a lot of new Panther fans, you know that season going to the super Bowl going fifteen and one is something they'll never forget, you know. For for a lot of Panthers fans, that two thousand three season was kind of that, you know, that first real Panther experience, and you know they've been fans ever since.

So hopefully this UM can kind of uh you know, b be like a nice memory and a nice reminiscence of that. Absolutely, I'm so happy we have it on the record, UM, and thank you for all you did to to make it happen. And yeah, if if if fans are watching and you want to tweet us any of your favorite moments that that we forgot about, let us know, because I'm sure there's i mean, there were so many good pranks in there that I'm sure that

we're forgetting a couple. Um Okay, but we're gonna leave that there for now because we have got to move on to what we are now calling our weird Question of the Week, and it is inspired by Will, who last week asked us to UM, what was it the best music video that is associated with a movie and the music video still holds up, but the movie doesn't. Am I essentially getting the plot points of that one right, Yeah.

Specific And we had such obviously you know, the song way out class the movie that it's somehow got associated with absolutely Miles and I chose seal Kissed by a Rose. You had, Dave Matthews. It was great, It was so much fun, and so we decided to make this kind of a weekly segment, and Miles, you came up with the question this week, I did so, and it is as follows, if you were to create a perfect three course meal or four or whatever, however many courses you

wanted to be, but it's a dinner. If you were to create the perfect meal, what would it be? I think this is a no brainer for me. I've really thought about going candy, candy, candy, um, just because if it's my three course meal, I get to pick whatever I want. But now, look, I'd say, well, I kind of also looked at it as if this were like my last meal too. I mean, I guess it could be, you know, any meal, But isn't that kind of how you think, like, you know, no consequences after the fact.

I don't want to worry about, you know, if the candy is gonna, you know, make my stomach herd or anything. But I'm gonna go. And I would say this, I've had some pretty great meals, some pretty fancy meals I've I've had the good fortune to travel. I'm gonna go with this one. And I cannot wait to see what Miles thinks, because from our first podcast, I know Miles like you don't eat cereal. Um, yeah, so I think yours is gonna be pretty fancy. I'm gonna go. First course,

my grandma, my nana her butter milk biscuits. They're the secret recipe, the absolute best. I mean, I could even four if if you know, I just I didn't have to save any for anybody else. There the best homemade biscuits I've ever had. Tons of butter, I mean, just like fresh out of the oven. That's gonna be. That's gonna be first. I'm going fried chicken and and whatever else you want to put on the sides. We could do some potatoes, we could do some green beans, some okra,

all of it. Like a true Sunday dinner, the kinds that I used to have. Yeah, well, I grew up I mean here in North Carolina, we had Sunday lunch every every Sunday at my grandmother's house. Um, and that's always just been like my favorite. Like if you were going to say what meal would make you the happiest, would be this one. I'm going to follow it up though I do love desserts. I'm going for it full cook out, Oreo milkshake, fancy shake is what I believe

they're called for the dessert. That's my perfect meal. I stand by it. Well, what is so my mind is just a whole array of unhealthiness. And I don't think I never put this whole thing together because I would immediately be dead by the end of the night. But this is an exercise in this, So let's do it. Start with bacon, how Apo poppers wrap haw Apo poppers? Have you guys had those? Absolutely? Yeah, So you start with that and then obviously you know it's going to

go downhill or uphill from there. Uh, A Porterhouse steak with like some some grilled like from the grill, like grilled vegetables around it. Um, and then finish with a key line pie, key line pie. Great choice. Well, I have so much. Well, you know what, we're definitely friends now because you're not actually very good good, Well, I have to ask you this question. Well, I'm not going to stay. I didn't hear Miles say anything about mine,

but that's fine whatever. Alright, well, how would your steak be cooks? We could just move on from that. That's slight. I mean there's there's only one answer to that. I mean right, there's only one good answer, I mean medium. Okay, all right, you were so we were making for a well done guy, for a well done guy. Now if you if you had said well done, all of that progress that we had just made on our just been lost.

So you did. Congratulations, you passed at all. Right, let's just say week three, Yeah, week three, thirty minutes into the episode, we have gotten miles first declaration that willis friend. Will of course be checking on that next week. Alright, Miles, I do got Will. That is a that is a great meal. I love the key Lampie, Miles. What is yours? Um? So I would have to start with some sort of a mouse bush and I don't necessarily know, like it could be kind of anything. How are you going to

ask the question, and not happen. Okay, But you can't ask the question and then say it could be anything, because no, because look, the mouse bush is not really a course, right, That's just how you that's how you tease your mouth. That's literally basically what it is in French. It's a mouth teaser. So that's how we start. Like something like a little shot of a bloody mary that doesn't necessarily of alcohol, you know, like a little piece of bacon or whatever that you put in there. That'd

be interesting. Um. I would probably then go to the first course with it would be probably seafood, probably a good shrimp cocktail. And I don't know about you guys, but I totally love the shrimp cocktail that you get at Saint Elmo's and Harry and Dizzy's in Indianapolis. Now, I once went to another Indianapolis establishment that said, oh, like, you can get the shrimp cocktail here, you can still taste the rest of your food after. I won't name

the establishment because that was really rude. And also, if you can't handle the heath and just don't get the shrimp cocktail, like it's really really good. I love the fact that it clears out my sinuses. Then I would follow that up um with the main course, which would be a beautiful filet mignon, absolutely cooked medium rare and probably on the rare side of medium rare, with a side of green beans. Now, to me, steak and green beans is just the absolute perfect dinner. I don't necessarily

need mashed potatoes, I don't need a starch. Just give me protein and the vegetable and we're good. And to finish that off with the dessert, I would say I would love to have a pineapple cake. Not necessarily pineapple upside down cape, but the best thing I've ever had in my entire life was a pineapple cake that I

had McCormick and schmick. Now this is probably ten to fifteen years ago when you had it for dessert in Baltimore, and I will never forget because it was the best thing that I've ever tasted in my life, bar none. So that would be my perfect meal. And actually we put aside of vanilla bean ice cream, preferably actually vanilla bean gelato from to Lindy, I think that would make the perfect meal. Can we just quickly say about how Miles very subtly tried to dunk on us by saying

how much of a Combine aficionado he is? Yeah, he was saying, Elmo's just right up there. My various trips up there, Jerry Jones, And yeah, when Jerry Jones I sit in the back room, we always into shrimp cocktail and the best bottle of red wine. I will say, though I have heard so many things about to animals, I've never been to the Combine, So I am looking forward to one day um having that shrimp cocktail. Miles, if, if, if you'll allow me to join the very fancis, I

promise I won't order fried chicken. I do have a more refined palette. But if I'm going for my favorite meal, that's what it's going to be. But I'm not trying to say that like your meal was bad. I like it just wouldn't have my favorite meal. It's a little heavy for me. But like fried chicken and oakra like, that's great. I love it. Biscuits for to start now, I bet your grandma's biscuits are delicious. They're the best. They are absolutely the best. Guys, this was so much fun.

Biggest takeaway go watch the Oh three reunion. If you haven't, and Will and Miles are officially friends at least for right now. Okay, we'll see, we'll see what happens. Is one of my favorite desserts, so that's what look keilam pie. If you don't like ke lampie, I don't know what's wrong with you. So um alright, well we are going to wrap it up here. Thanks everybody for listening to Happy half Hour. We'll see where Will and Miles stand next week in their friendship, and we'll talk to you later.

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