It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston Radio.
Thanks very much, Madison. As we head into a Friday night, and we will take you to the weekend Tgif it's Friday, let me tell you it's been a long week here on Night Side. It seems like as long week as as the end of March. I'm ready for baseball, I'm ready for April. I'm ready for the marathon. I'm ready for all things sprying. Good evening everyone. My name is Dan Ray, and as you can tell, sort of the cabin fever of winter has gotten to me already. I'm
gonna get out this weekend. I don't care what the weather is, I'm going to get outside this weekend. Rob Brooks is back in the control room. Robbie. I hope you get out and do something this weekend exciting and of course we want to always thanks thank Marita, our executive producer, who has helped line up for guests during this hour. Later on this evening, beginning at nine o'clock, we're going to talk about how you can keep your
energy bills as low as possible here in Massachusetts. It's a very interesting way that a lot of people are not aware of this option, and that is what we will make you much more aware of. So call your friends and tell them if they're complaining about their energy bills, let's do something about it. And we could do something about it tonight, at least show you how to do something about it. Also ten o'clock to talk about sleep solutions. I know a lot of people have problems with sleep.
We have a brain health and neuroplasticity expert, doctor Patrick Porter. We had him on him a couple of weeks ago, and I thought we would bring him back so he could take phone calls from all of you during the ten o'clock hour, and then, of course we do the twentieth hour. Not exactly what I'm going to do tonight. We may do a brushes with celebrity, we might do
grind your Gears, or we might do something else. But right now I know what we're going to do, and we're going to talk with a gentleman by the name of Ryan Leek. He's an author and keynote speaker. He is also an executive coach. Ryan Leak, Welcome to Night's Side. How are you.
I'm so fantastic, it's an honor to be with you. Tonight.
Well, I thought you were going to tell me you so fantastic it's illegal, and I was going to call the police there. Uh, First of all, the topic tonight is how to work with complicated people. Now, let's define the word complicated a little more specifically. I think I know what you mean, but I want I'd like to get it complicated as kind of a broad adjective. If you get my drift, Ryan.
It is a very broad adjective. The fact, we did a national research study on this subject and we asked our participants to define complicated in their own words, and the responses that we got were astounding. One person wrote, they are really dumb. I said, okay, I'm not sure you understand what we're doing. The next person wrote Leslie. I said, who's Leslie? And what does she do? The
next person wrote Nate, And I said, Nate, my goodness. Now, if you're listening today and your name is Axe Leslier, Nate, I don't have anything against you, but somebody clearly does. But essentially, what we learned in our research is that complicated is in the eye of the beholder. So in other words, there could be somebody that's complicated to you
that I find rather simple and vice versas. So I think one of the best things that we can do when we start having the complicated conversation is to realize that we all need to get in the complicated booth together because in somebody else's eyes, we are all complicated.
Well, yeah, I get that, but look, the reality is that at most workplaces you have, as I believe, life is a bell curve. Okay, everything's a bell curve. Yeah, A three percent of us could could hit a golf ball. Pretty well, three percent of us could hit a golf ball if our life depended on it, and the other ninety four percent sometimes hit the golf ball, sometimes put it in the woods, sometimes look at or whatever, everything everything. Sure, So you have about three percent of the people where
most people work who are just wonderful people. They help everybody. They go to people when you when there's a problem that's complicated that needs to be solved, and you go to those people I know exactly who the people are that I work with, who I rely upon. And then at the other end of the spectrum, you get three percent of the people who probably are there but really would be first somewhere else. And then you got the ninety four percent of us in the middle who are
just trying to get through the day. Okay, so uh, let's talk about you believe in bell curves.
I do believe in bell curves.
But okay, we're on the same page. So that three percent who most people would say they kind of got an attitude, all right, and you got to work with that person. Okay, so they got an attitude. That's what we're talking I think that's what we're talking about. What's what advice do you have? Do you work around them? Do you kind of confront them and say, you know, I think you're having a bad day, I really want to get this project finished. How about your work with me?
What's what's the best strategy to use in your opinion? Yeah, and assuming you're not a boss, I mean, obviously, if you're the boss of the place, you can walk in and even the most complicated people and they get real nice right away. Yo, oh nice to see you. Well boy, I'll tell you that's a great look. That's a great looking shirt you have on there. And of course when the boss leaves, they turn around say okay, go.
Ahead, yeah, yeah, for sure. No, it's a great question. You know. The book is called how to Work with Complicated People Strategies for Effective Collaboration with nearly Anyone. And we say nearly because some people are certified crazy and you can't work with everybody. However, when you do, when you are, you know, face to face as somebody that has a particular attitude, which again, any one of us could end up in that three percent in somebody else's eyes.
Like I rarely have met the person that said, yeah, I'm toxic, Yeah totally, yeah I'm toxic, but somebody else thinks that they are. I've really met somebody that says, yeah, I bring an attitude to work every single day. It's like, no, most people can't see an attitude in the mirror. But when you are trying to deal with somebody that does have that, that isn't that three percent of that we
could call toxic or extremely difficult. I think one of the things some of the strategies that people deploy, according to our research, is one they try to avoid them, which some people are good at that. But what we say in the book is you don't buy a book to avoid people. You don't need me to help you learn how to do that. And also I don't think it's a growing option. Here's a growing option. Here's where I think people can actually become a better colleague and
a better person. It's when you try to move towards that person with understanding. That person that has an attitude has an attitude for a reason. Something happened in their lives, something happened in their job. I don't think they were born with that attitude. No, something is going on with them, and most people haven't paused long enough to consider what's They're behind the same story. You're a very people complicated.
You're a very kind person. I don't know if you're a sports guy, but I'm a sports guy and.
Telling I'm a very big sports guy.
Okay, well, you know what the word cancer in the clubhouse means. You could be the best player on the team. But if you're a cancer in the clubhouse, and when you think about it, all you need on a baseball team which has twenty five guys is one guy at a twenty five, and that destroys the season. On a football team, so that one guy at a twenty five,
that's that's the four percent of the bell curve. You know, no matter how blessed they are that they travel first class, they only stay at the Four Seasons and the Ritz, and everybody through their entire life has has patted them on the back and kissed other parts of their anatomy. They're still difficult to deal with. And you I can name.
No professional at all.
Okay, So and you can't deal with with those guys if you if you're in the clubhouse, unless you want to end up on the floor in the brawl and the same way it work. I don't know what I'm going to read your book, because I'm hoping. I think, yeah, I mean, I think it's fun. Give us the name of that book one more time? Is it just out oftentimes? Ryan, we have authors on and the book is like out yesterday. Is it just outs been out for a while.
It comes out April fifteen, so early.
Better people, Mark, Okay, give us the name.
I know I want an example for you. Was that it's how to work with complicated people. I was I was going to say, I have an example for you.
Go for it. I got about a minute left because I got to get to some other folks to go for it.
Sounds good. Dennis Trotman, Huh, cancer in the clubhouse. But what would he have. He had Phil Jackson and he had Michael Jordan until all of a sudden the cancer becomes about. People asked that, and so that's that's the hope of the book is that we can be more kill Jackson and less all the other gms who gave up on the guy.
Well, you know, he had a role, okay, but he's also the nut job who ended up over in North Korea trying to teach basketball to that goofball up there in the president of both Korea. I think I think that Johnson was pretty simple. I remember when I when he was on the cover of a Sports Illustrated To remember that picture of Michael Johnson and the from Sports Illustrated. My son at the time was probably about twelve. That
was the last Sports Illustrated in my house. And I mean it's like and I and I had a cameraman, uh where I worked in television who was on the floor shooting an NBA game, and Jordan tried to kick the cameraman, you know, as he was sitting there. Wow, Yeah, not Jordan, I said, I meant to say Rodman. So I don't think Robin was a really nice guy. He may have matured. You know, that's a point, but you know, anyway, look appreciate that.
That's my point is they were able to still work together. But nevertheless, books on how to work with complicated people. People can get it on Amazon and they can connect with me at ryanweek dot com.
Sounds great, Ryan Leak Laak dot com. Ryan, thanks very much. I enjoyed the conversation. I really did. Thank you much.
Thank you.
Welcome, welcome back. We're going to talk with the Boston Marathon Men's Open division champion, Jack Folds. He won the nineteen seventy six Boston Marathon and right now he is working to raise money for the Claudia Adams Bart Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. I don't believe you ever talked to Jack Folts. I'm looking forward to this conversation on the other side of the break. My name is Dan Ray.
This is Nightside. We're ahead and we'll take you all the way almost to midnight. Promise you that in the meantime, do misdo us a favor, do yourself a favor, and download the new and improved iHeartRadio app. Pretty easy to do, and also make WBC your WBC your first presets, so you will have us at a touch of a finger, three hundred and sixty five days, twenty four to seven throughout the entire year. In whatever part of this world you might find yourself, you could always be in touch
with WBZ. We'll be be in touch with you. We will be back in touch with you right after this very quick break. My name's Dan Ray.
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's News Radio.
All right, welcome back. Of course, we are now going into the final weekend of the merry month of March or the cold month of March, tough time for people at this time of year to get ready for the marathon. And we're going to talk with Jack Folts. He's the nineteen seventy six Boston Marathon Men's Open Division champion. Jack Folds. An honoror speak with you forty nine years ago, the big year, the year, the vi centennial. You're the King of Boston. How are you, Jack?
I'm doing very well. Thanks Dan. I assume you're doing as well well also, and delighted to be here with you this evening. Thanks for having me join you, and as I represent our Dana Marathon Challenge team.
Absolutely, we have one great mutual friend, the late great Bill Squires, and now doing for the marathon team what Bill Squires did for so many great runners, and I suspect at some point you probably spent some time with Bill working through your plans. You guys have a goal of raising eight and a half million dollars for the Claudia Adams Bar Program and innovative basic cancer research and Dana Farber. And the thing that was amazing about this to me is that you started doing this. I guess
and was it? Nineteen ninety was the first year with a relatively small amount of runners, and you're going to have five hundred runners in the race raising money for Dana Farber, and you're going to be in the middle of I don't think you're running the race, but you have coached and helped a lot of these people figure out how to run the race.
Well. As you've pointed out, we've grown significantly since our first year thirty thirty six years ago. Now we started what you're right, it was nineteen ninety We had nineteen runners running that year. It was actually inspired by a
young friend of mine from Newton. His freshman year in college, he lost his best friend to brain cancer, and so he went over to the Jimmy Fund at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and said he wanted to do some volunteer work to carry on his friend's mission of raising awareness and maybe some funds. And he met an employee there who was a marathoner, and they decided to run the marathon the following year, which was nineteen eighty nine. And we'd stayed in touch since I coached the years earlier.
So he asked me if i'd help him coach and get into the race, and so we did that. He raised a lot of money, had a very successful event, and it was to be a one and done. But trustees at Dana Farber, Delores Barr and Wayne Weaver, who had started the bar the Claudie Adams Bar Program several years earlier, I knew this employee at the Jimmy Fine who was the runner, and so they challenged him the next year, say get some of your friends. We'll give
you a challenge grand of fifty thousand dollars. We'll match your dollar for dollars. So this other runner, Greg and I went to work and recruited nineteen runners. Back then, before the bombings in twenty thirteen, runners could run as what we call bandits. You know, they just they didn't have an offisial entry. They jump in the back, you know that, out of.
The door, back of the pack. I thought about that. I never did it, but I thought about it not so long.
I was gonna ask you if you ever read it as a bend.
First stuff ever run was twenty miles one day, and after twenty miles and I was running flat along the river one it was a day after marathon, and I said, I have no idea how you guys can do twenty six with the hills all that. I mean, that's seriously well.
Frank Short the Olympic champion from nineteen seventy two and so were medalists in seventy six and really helped, along with Bill Rogers, spawned the running boom back in the seventies. He once said, why didn't fidipities drop? I'm dead at twenty miles so the marathon would only be that distance rather than twenty six.
Quick, real quick, funny story, Jack, If you knew me, I do not have the build of a runner, and I used to run a lot, but I could run. I could run a ten k uh uh in forty forty one minutes. That was my best, you know, which was over grand great. Well, yeah, not great. But I lived about two streets from Bill the Billy Rogers, and
I would be out running uh. I was working a Channel four at night, so I'd run during the day and all of a sudden, you know, Rogers would come up on me and I'd run with him for about a quarter of a mile. We'd just chat a little bit and I'll say, this isn't bad. And the Bill was here, well he got to pick it up, always like the road runner. But so you guys got I
want to come back to this. You guys got five hundred runners that are going to anticipate, and you're gonna you've raised one hundred and thirty two million dollars so far and you're gonna add another eight and a half million to that this year. What an incredible legacy.
It really is incredible the way it has grown, and you know, in each individual runner. In addition to us growing in size with more and more runners over the years, and we certainly have the Boston Athletic Association and you know, the Boston Marathon with Bank of America now who oversees the charity program grow exponentially as well. They're now one hundred and seventy nonprofit organizations charities who get entries from the marathon. We happen to be the largest, I guess
because we've been around the longest. And the Jimmy Fund also sponsors the BAA Half Marathon or what's now called the Boston Half Marathon. But anyway, it has grown, so not only more runners, but the amount of money that each runner raises has grown exponentially as well. And you know, it used to be a couple thousand dollars and now you can't get on almost any of the charity teams for less than a ten thousand dollars fundraising commitment minimum.
So I just got to ask you a question here because I noticed, I did my researcher and I looked at the training schedule that you have laid out. How many of these runners coach? You're in effect, it seems to be coaching five hundred runners. How many of them? How many of them never run a marathon before?
About sixty percent of our team each year are running their first marathon and you.
Lay out a schedule. You you're the guy that lays out the schedule, and you work with these people. That has to be a tremendous effort. Is it conceivable that someone can start I looked at your schedule there, you know, round Thanksgiving just walking and jogging maybe for thirty minutes in around Thanksgiving, and they can work up to actually running and finishing the Boston Marathon less than six months later on Patriots Day.
Obviously they actually do. I mean it's a testament to their commitment to not just the marathon itself, but the fundraising as well. For Dana Farber, and I think it's a it applies to those on other charity teams as well. You know, they're so committed to the cause that they'll they'll do whatever is absolutely necessary. A number of years ago, I think it was I can't remember if it was
twenty twelve. It was a really hot year, not quite as hot as it was in seventy six, my winning year, but it was hot, and the BAA offered all the runners, they said, if you, if you decide not to run this year, because it's going to be so hot and
potentially dangerous, we'll let you run next year. And the people who are running for times the other the qualified runners, they're the only ones that bailed, you know, the charity runners, our Dana Farber runners in particular, they said, that's we want to run as well as we can, but we're here because we're promoting the cause and raising money for this important stuff. So we're going to run no matter what.
So that was a kind of a testament to why they are there and why they're able to go from ground zero, as you said, around Thanksgiving Day to six months later or less being able to run the marathon. Of course, we I really coach them with some strategies about how to pace yourself properly and do the right training and add cross training, and I really get to know our injured runners because I spend more time helping them get through their injuries by doing alternative training methodologies.
But you know, and then the run walk method of pacing as well enables a lot of these runners to go a lot further than otherwise could and we we you know, cultivate that as well and get them to embrace that concept. And and you know, ninety eight percent of our runners, maybe more finish the race. But I think that's consistent with the number of people who typically start the race each year as well.
And I wish I a buch about thirty years ago, I would have loved to have tried this, Jackie. Still, Are you still in the Boston area A lot?
I am, Yeah, I live. I live here in Lincoln and I moved up here in seventy nine. Actually, we mentioned Bill Rogers to go into business with Bill. His little company offered me a job. I said, I need a little skin in the game, but they wouldn't let me buy in. But I stayed and Bill and I we still real good friends. We get together very regularly now with some other running buddies from the old ages. And as a matter of fact, Amby Burflood, who won in sixty eight and as the runner World editor for
many many years. He just recently wrote an article, actually published it earlier this week in a publication, an online publication called Marathon Guide, and the title of his article was how not to run the Boston Marathon. He interviewed me and we did a rehash of an article he wrote using me last year. And so I encourage your listeners to the rinns, especially to go on find out on Marathon Guide, and it's a little tongue in cheek.
It's really funny. It's how he ran it last year and how he plans to change his strategy again this year so that it's a much more pleasurable experience.
Well, Jack Bolts, thank you so much for what you've done for this community. Thanks for relocating and becoming. I think I can call you a greater Boston native at this point, since you've been here since nine I think.
I've been here a lot.
They call me Camaina now.
Just about so great, great to chat with you. Thanks so much for coming on the show. And let's hope for good weather, perfect weather for all the runners, particularly the five hundred folks who who you're going to steer across the line. Thanks again, Jack, look forward to meeting you someday.
Thank you very much, Dan, And likewise, I was for it to mean, let's make it happen this year.
When you see when you see Rogers, sometimes tell him I said, hello, Okay, thanks so much.
I definitely will.
He'll probably remember that incident of you guys crossing paths out and Sherburn.
No, no, we did it a lot, you know, a couple of times a month. You know, all of a sudden, I'm running my seven minute or eight seven minutes, seven and a half minute miles, and he's clicking out, you know, fives, and it became kind of almost pardon the punt, a running joke. Thanks Jack, Well.
Bill's very collegial, and I have no doubt that he would slow down and chit chat with with you and a lot of the other runners out in the area.
So people love him, you bet, Thanks Jack, Jack Folds, ladies and gentlemen. Boston Marathon coming up. Let's root all those runners who are running for the Jimmy Fund the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Cannot take up a greater cause. When we get back right after the news, we're going to talk about a different sort of motorsport, if you will. Two wheel racers coming up to Gillette Stadium.
They're not running, but they're moving pretty quickly. We'll be back on Nightside right after this.
It's Night Side, Boston's news Radio.
We're coming up, not this Saturday, not tomorrow, but a week from tomorrow out at Gillette Stadium. UH, the world's best two wheel racers will converge on Foxborough for an action packed race. Joining me now is one of those racers, Tristan Lane, who's a pretty young guy. Hey Tristan, you look to me like you're probably in your early twenties at most. How are you tonight? Dan?
Thanks for having me on. Yeah, good call on twenty seven And yeah, I consider that.
The early I considered that anything in the twenties, early twenties. But so you're what's called a four fifty SX class racer. Let me be real honest with you. I know very little about motocross, okay, which I think is this motocross we're talking about.
Yeah, so a motocross you could call it that, But this is this discipline in particular is supercross. So an easy way to look at it is supercross is the indoor racing and stadiums. Motocross is outside, you know, Unadilla, New York, the good old fashioned pro motocross series. But yeah, this is going to be supercross that we're talking.
Okay, So how did you get into this sport? Is this something that you know? I talked to pro athletes frequently, and you know, if they're a hockey player, they say, oh, my my parents made me start skating when I was two and a few they were baseball player. They had a baseball bat in their hand when they were two or three. When did you start this? I kind of imagine, well, maybe maybe you had a tricycle and you were doing his two or something. I don't know.
Go ahead, yeah, so I'll try to keep it somewhat brief, but long winded. Answer short. I started riding bicycles. I played a bunch of traditional sports, right. I love baseball, football, all that stuff, basketball as well, but you know, I got really I'm an adrenaline junkie at heart. And you know, my dad didn't come from racing dirt bikes. He never did that growing up. But I begged and begged for a motorcycle, and all I wanted was just to ride
a dirt bike or a four wheeler. And I got a full hiller first, and then beg for a dirt bike. And on Christmas when I was eight years old, I got my first dirt bike, and no joke, Dan from then on. I'm twenty seven now, so it was like nineteen years later. Still fully at it. It's an obsession, and once it gets in your blood, it's really hard to get out. But I just truly love it and racing is just another form of it. So I never had aspirations of being a professional and doing it for
a living. I just wanted to ride because I loved it. It was freedom for me. It was you know, I guess it would be like getting a you know, getting a license and be able to drive a car, your wheels under you and old on a motorcycle.
Right, I was. I was free.
So I still love that that same feeling today.
So how did you become a professional in this sport? I mean, if you're if you're kid playing Little League and you're good, you know someone's gonna say, hey, you gonna go with one travel team and next thing you're in high school and maybe you get a college scholarship, you get drafted. I know how it works in pro baseball? How does it work in in your in your sport?
Right?
So obviously being that, you know when you go to school, it's not like you have a team of motocross racing, right, I got was different that way, So it's kind of I understand. It is a very interesting path. But I guess the best way to describe it is you start as an amateur, and we started locally, and I didn't even know that, you know, motocross racing existed. I knew nothing about it. So we totally learned from the grassroots, and you know, talking to people word of mouth, Hey,
you should enter your son. They'd be telling my father at this local race in Florida where I grew up, and then I'd race there, and then oh, there's another race here, and then before long you're chasing this amateur circuit. And believe it or not, there is a whole world of amateur motocross racing out there. The highest level is a race in Loretta lynns that it's in Tennessee actually, but people from literally all across the world come and compete against the best riders as an amateur, and it's
almost like scouting for the professional rink. So if you do good there, it gives you a shot to be on the map. But for me, you still have to qualify to be a professional by earning a professional license, and to do that you have to accumulate a series of points by hitting these targeted races that will pay these points out. So I paid my dues as an amateur. I raced my way up and then you know, once
I earn enough points, I got my license. You know, hey, you have an opportunity to go and attempt to qualify at a professional race and make the progate. So kind of like the PGA Tour, you have to be you know, make the cut to even play a single weekend. In our sport, what's intriguing is, yeah, there's not a team where it's like, oh, you're you're playing and you're racing no matter what. We have to qualify in Foxborough to even be able to, you know, to go and race
every single weekend. So a lot of pressure on the line and it just kind of adds the excitement.
Okay, so real, real, quick question. I believe I noticed there's there's race this week in Seattle. Are you at that race or no?
I am yes, sir.
Okay, so you're racing in Seattle this weekend indoors. I assume you're one of the ballparks out there.
Yeah.
So we're at lumen Field and believe or not, it is an outdoor stadium. So okay, we are going to be getting some rain currently it's dry, but expect exactly right, right, Yeah, we know better. This is an awesome stop. But obviously going to Foxboro, playing racing at Gillette rather, it's such an honor and I look forward to it. So, yes, I'm excited for this weekend and I'm hoping to build some steam and be ready for an awesome Right.
Now, have you already qualified for this race? Or do you have to come to Foxboro and on Thursday or Friday? You know, like for example when you talk pro golf, in order to make the cut, you might be in the tournament Thursday and Friday, but you've got to make the cut to keep playing Saturday Sunday. Is that the way it works with you? Or have you already qualified to Will people be able to go and watch you race on Saturday?
That's a great question.
Yeah.
So our sport is all Saturday, so we do everything on Saturday, all jam pack. We have set a series of qualifying sessions and it's off of lap time. So in our sport, we're not trying to do tricks and you know, go really high in the air, which we do. We do go high in the air, don't get me wrong, but we're racing right. It's as fast as you can go around a track for a lap time, and that is how you qualify. So they take the top forty, but they narrow it down from probably eighty riders, so
it's the eighty riders try and qualify. They only will take top forty into the night program that actually will race on TV, and then from there they narrow it down again to the top twenty two of the best riders on the planet. And that is our main event, our finals. So think like the Tom Brady's, you know, the Lebron James, the best athletes in our sport will be in that finals. So it's pretty exciting.
Well, the other thing is you're going to be racing at Julette and I'm sure you're going to qualify, And I want to jink you, but I can tell you got a lot of confidence. And I watch some of you video. I think you'll be just fine. But you're going to be playing in effect inside the stadium the Tom Brady built. I mean they talk about Yankee Stadium, the house that roof built, well, Chillet's Stadium that is that was Tom Brady's playground for about twenty years in
the six six Super Bowl Championships. So you're going to be on hollow ground and I'm sure you're going to do great. How can people get tickets? What's the easiest way?
Well, first and foremost, thank you, I appreciate it. I'm super excited about it. But for tickets, go to Supercross Live dot com. You can get them there. And something exciting is our sport has so much access to the athletes. So if anyone out there is listening to this, if you have kids or want to come and meet us, meet me, come to the FanFest from twelve o'clock to six pm. We'll have a fan fest open where we are going to be signing, autographed getting away posters, a
lot of fun stuff our sport. I'm biased, of course being one of the racers, but we really do a great sell that puts on Supercross. They do Disney on ice right, they're promoters, they do great, great job. The opening ceremonies is going to start at six point thirty and something really cool as we have fireworks and the riders will come out of the opening ceremonies and there's going to be just so much cool stuff happening. So if anyone hasn't been to a Supercross before, like I said,
I'm biased, but seriously, give it a shot. I guarantee you will want to come back. And once you small the race feel and hear the engines, it's it's really exciting, like I said to nineteen years for me and I'm fully addicted. I can't get away from it.
Yeah, you know, Tristan, I think you're a great spokesperson, spokes guy for the sport, and I think you hit it really right on the nail on the head and that you know a lot of you know, moms and dads take their sons and daughters to a basketball game or a baseball game or football or whatever, and if they get a chance to just shake an athlete's hand or get an autograph, that that child can become a fan for life. And I think that a lot of the Major League sports and all of that have kind
of lost that contact with the fan. And you you sound like a guy that your enthusiasm is infectious. And I hope that that you have great success here and I'm going to be keeping an eye out for those for those standings, and I'm become a fan. So I'm a fan of Tristan Lane, and I hope all my listeners should go there will be a fan as well. Okay, thanks so much, my friend.
Of course, thank you for having me. Me's a lot.
You're very welcome. And those tickets are available. You can get them at Jillette Stadium next Saturday, April the fifth. We have one more guest coming up, and this one is a freebee. Okay, now I'm telling you your pet. We'll be able to meet and get a picture with the Easter Bunny, the real Easter Bunny, this weekend right here in Massachusetts, and we're going to tell you and also you can bring your kids along too. I think that the Easter Bunny will also pose for pictures with
your kids. We've got to have a little bit of fun with this one. I'm going to talk with Lauren Dallas of She's a Sigmon Mall team member and she's a director of marketing and business development at Burlington Mall. Will get all the information for you. It's a little rainy weekend here in Massachusetts or New England this weekend. This is something for you to do, so stay with us. And right after that, at nine o'clock, we're gonna try to teach you how to save some money on your
electric and gas bills here in New England. Okay, back on Nightside.
Right after this, It's Nightside with Dan Ray on Boston's news Radio.
I want to welcome Lauren Dallas. She is a Simon Mall team member, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Burlington Mall. Lauren, welcome to Nightside. How are you?
I'm great.
How are you tonight?
I'm doing great. Well, you must be really excited. You got the Easter Bunny available this weekend for people to come to the mall and get their picture taken with the Easter Bunny. First of all, let mean let's clarify this is this the one true Easter Bunny or is this one of the Easter Bunny helpers?
This is the Easter Bunny he does because we around too different malls. Yeah, he's our own little Easter Bunny and he's pretty amazing. So yeah, this weekend is he's there for the Easter season. But this weekend is our pet photo with the Easter Bunny night.
Now, how tall is the Easter How tall is is this?
Is?
This is the Easter Bunny. Actually, I've seen photographs, but I've never met the Easter Bunny in person.
He's usually around five foot seven, I'd say with the years, probably six seven or so.
Yeah, hey, you know what, you take every extra inch you can. Okay, it's a simple. So he's an imposing figure. And how does this work? Is there a specific time? Is he spending the entire day at the Burlington Baltimore? Give us the specifics here, because I'm sure a lot of parents would like to take the opportunity. Not only I know that this is for pet photos with the bunny. Can you sneak a kid in there every once in a while or is that not permitted?
As absolutely know it's encouraged. Actually, the event takes place. Yeah, the event takes place on Sunday, March thirtieth, and it goes from six thirty to eight thirty. We have it at a few of our different Simon malls in the area, holding at.
Why don't mean to interrupt you. We're talking Burlington Mall and six thirty to eight thirty. I'm hoping that's night not.
Morning, right, Yes, it's after the mall closes.
So the mall closes at six.
On Sunday and the event starts at six thirty.
Oh oh, so this is this is really a very nice event. So now do you have to like get your name on a special list to meet the Easter Bundy. Is it this? I assume you must do some sort of security clearance, like if you're going to meet the president or something like that. I don't know if the lorises to the level of secret service. But what do you have to do? Do you have to write it or do you just show up? How does that work?
You can make a reservation on our website, but you can also just show up between the event times. You know, there's usually plenty of room for everybody. Everybody to get a chance to meet the Easter Bunny.
Oh that's that's fabulous. And whereabouts in the mall? Is that what? I always get intimidated by malls because when someone says to me, I don't know, will you probably know your way around malls. But if someone says to me, you don't meet me on Newberry Street at the corner of you know, Newberry Street and Darkness. There's only four corners there, so you pretty much can figure out which one.
But when someone says to me, meet me at the mall, it's like I get a little shaky because it's like, well, whereabouts in the mall?
You know?
I mean there's a lot of stores in the mall. Which store am I supposed to meet you in front of? Where? Where? We? Where is it? So? How do you? How does this work? I just want to make sure no one gets lost and locked up in the mall for the weekend.
Absolutely, no.
The best entrance to use would be the entrance by lunch Crafters. So that's between the Cheesecake Factory and Nordstrom. Other people might know it is, you know, in front of Sephora. That's a pretty popular store in that area.
Okay, So Ford, is that what you said? Because that's s C P H O R A. I believe, correct, correct, good, Okay, I'm pretty good at spelling. So so so the Easter Bundy's there? Uh and I'm more, I am much more. I've never met the Easter Bunny. That's why I'm kind of intimidated by this conversation. Uh I have Well, you know, I'm going to try. I have met Sanda. Okay. Matter of fact, I met Santa many many years ago when I was a lot younger, but never had a chance
to meet the Easter Bundy in person. I mean you know, I mean he's visited my home when I was a kid, don't get me wrong. And and and I just wanted to does he kind of sit there in a chair like Santa? Does he have any sort of an assistant or is it all pretty informal? And it's kind of like a like a cock not a cocktail party, but like a party where people are walking around? How does that work? What should people?
He does? He does sit there in a chair. Typically we have, you know, the pets come in with their families. And when I tell you pets, we have dogs, cats, I've seen pigs, a little bit of everything, and they will wait in line to get their photo taken. Now, sometimes the pets corporate, sometimes they take a little bit of coaxing.
Let me tell you this. I would be intimidated as an adult because I've never met him before. Okay, I'm not intimidated by Santa, because I met him several times in several circumstances. But the Easter Bunny, I would be intimidated by that. So you had actually someone's brought their pig, like a pot belly pig or something like that.
Yes, a baby pig named Bart and he was absolutely lovely and he got along great with the Easter bunny.
Well, you know, again, they're all in the animal kingdom. That's that's the thing that that I think makes it works so well. So primarily dogs, cats, birds as well. I assume avian creatures are allowed.
We've seen avian creatures as long as as long as they're you know, well enough trained that they can be you know, they're not taking off or anything like that. But yeah, we've seen why for sure.
You don't want, like a vulture, someone to bring a vulture in something. You know, in terms of a.
Bird there friendly.
You know, the vultures are not friendly as a rule, trust me on that, Okay, I said, I think that's that's one of those rules of life that you know that I've always I've always lived by when I when I see a vulture, I'm out of there. It's as simple as that. Okay, any other bird I'm fine with, okay, but vultures that I draw the line. I draw the line. So this is eight, This is six thirty to eight
thirty on Sunday evening. Yep, Okay, just want to make sure because I wasn't sure when you said six thirty eight, I wasn't sure if the easter Buddy was an early Iarly Riser or whatever. Six thirty eight thirty Burlington Mall. I think everybody knows where the Burlington Mall is, right off of one twenty eight and Ruth three in Burlington, and it sounds like it's happy. It's going to be
a great time if I show up. If I show up there, I certainly will look for you, but I gotta be I think i'd be a little nervous, to be honest with you, and so it's going to be a game time decision for me. If you know what I'm saying.
Okay, well, I'll be there and I'd be happy to make an introduction for you.
That would make it a lot easier. Lauren, and I appreciate it. Laura, thanks very much. You're a great sport. I really appreciate. I hope everybody understands this is absolutely on the level. This is the actual Easter. Buddy will be at Burlington mal six thirty to eight thirty on Sunday night, this Sunday night, March thirtieth. Perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect, Thanks so much, Lauren. I enjoyed it. I enjoy chatting with you. Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
You're very welcome and say do be faf I don't get you.
We say hi to the easter money for me, I absolutely will put in a good word.
Yeah, when I was a kid, you know the best things he used to bring me for Easter be some candies, chocolate candies and baseball cards. So you know, perfect, it's a perfect Easter. You know it's not overly well it's not overwhelming, but it's it's just perfect. So he always knew what I wanted. Thank you, Lauren, we'll talk again, I hope. Thank you very much. Good night. When we get back, we're going to try to save you some money on your energy bills here in Massachusetts. And just
in the nick of time, my name's Dan Ray. This is night Side. Rob Brooks is not alongside. He's back at the big Broadcast Center, uh and where he's going to open up those phone lines right after the news so you can jump on and we'll answer whatever questions you have.