¶ Managing Multiple Roles in Athletics
Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast . This is , as always , your host , mike Bono . I am back after a few weeks off . I want to thank Johnny Fiddy Falcone for filling in for me , the wonderful manager of the podcast and being able to host the show while I recharged the batteries for a little bit , but he did a fantastic job .
Go back and listen to those episodes if you haven't . But my guest today , he is currently working at New Mexico State . He is the senior athletic director there . He has a couple of other jobs we're going to get into that to as well , but James Hall joins the show . James , thanks for joining me . Man , it's a pleasure to be here .
Thank you so much , not a problem . So you know , first and foremost , you know you're out there in New Mexico , at New Mexico State . You are the senior athletic director , but you do hold a couple other positions . So take me through what you do at New Mexico State .
No , absolutely . You know , when you're at a school like New Mexico State , you've got other duties as a sign and in fact I think today I'm finishing my 17th year , starting the 18th year tomorrow .
So I've been here a while , but as a senior associate athletic director and then extended title of diversity , equity and inclusion chief officer for athletics , because obviously that's a big piece of today's society . So I've taken that on . But main responsibilities is overseeing all the academics for our 400 student athletes and 16 sports , and so they keep me young .
Now I will tell you that I also work with our sports performance program or camps , housing , dining . So again , a lot . You know . When you have a staff like ours , you know you just have to really kind of have a lot of tentacles in the different areas and so while it's a lot , it's also you get to understand the industry as a whole .
I was going to say , man , I was trying to count , I was going to start needing to use my toes there for a minute with everything you do . So what does a day to day look like for you with holding all those titles ?
Well the funny . You said that and here's my answer . That's been that way since I started way back . I'd like to say I was an athlete student when I was at Iowa State and talk about that later , but there's no two days that are ever the same .
I mean , there is not a ebb and flow , it's just a go and when you come in you get a project that'll take you all day . Now the project take you five minutes . Just kind of depends on your end season , your out of season . I also work with teams , so which teams you're working with , how you know how essential the coach need this .
Well , coaches always need something . Yesterday , I mean you know , that's just go right . But yeah , there's just no two days , and that's what makes it fun . But also , when you're kind of multitasking , you have to learn to cycle right so that you're not just overexerting yourself but then you're not kicking back like men .
There's nothing to do , because there's always something to do , especially in a high pressure pack . You could leave an athletics of 20 , 23 .
Yeah , I relate to that 100 percent as , as a comedian and a stand up , like there's no days that are the same in and of itself . And you know I deal with a lot of people on a daily basis .
You know , I got my manager of this podcast , I got my comedy manager , merch store managers , and then I'm dealing with bookers and promoters and everything for the show and , you know , trying to tell people that they see me on my phone a lot and they're like , well , do you do anything ? You're always on phone . I was like I'm work . Trust me , this is .
It doesn't look like work to you , but I'm feeling a lot of calls , I'm feeling a lot of text , emails and then , on top of that , I got to find time to write new material , you know , and keep it fresh throughout the , throughout the shows that I do , and it's , it's fun , though I don't see it as work , you know , but a lot of people also see , well , oh
man , you know you're a comedian , you work like an hour a day , right , it's like no , no , no , like you don't see the lead up to actually performing a show and actually getting on stage and trying to develop that craft to be funny , because not everything's funny . But you know it's a lot of give and take and I'm sure you have that in your day to day .
Dealing with all the coaches and different personalities is really what I'm getting in , because not every coach for each individual sport has the same style . So how do you deal with that ?
Man , it's kind of like what you say , right , you try to make sure you work on your craft every day . And I was just reading something today and it talks about if you can make people laugh .
I mean , you're just kind of not necessarily part of the one percenters , but if it's easy for you to do that , then you really got a special gift , right , and you know , and what you say I mean just comes to your mind . I'm sure it does what , what you , what , what you can bring to your mindset .
Other people can't real quick , right , but that's just how you live your life and it's just working on your craft . And sometimes you're like I'm not even trying to be funny , that's just who I am . And getting back to what you're saying , right , it's the personalities , and that's the biggest thing , because that's what you're managing .
Right , it's personalities , it's egos at every level . I don't care if you're at the power five or you're at , like us , at , you know , the mid major or a group of five , and I don't care if you're at an ins or in a IA or your junior college . Right , everybody's got that ego and so you're dealing with those personalities .
But you got to take yourself into their world and say , ok , I get it , because this is what people don't understand about athletics . And you kind of divide it real quick . What I do on a daily basis , that's kind of my , that's a lifestyle . Yeah , what coaches do , that's the livelihood .
It's kind of like when you say a comedian , right , that's my livelihood . If I'm not funny and I'm not getting it shows booked , I mean that's kind of eating in my pocket there a little bit 100 percent . So that's what you do for coaches . You understand , first and foremost . Look , I get it , it's your livelihood .
You're on contract , I'm an exempt employee , you can be let go , you're under the microscope , I'm in the kind of the backdrop I'm advocating for you . But also I say I'm kind of like Mountain Dew man . I've been there , done that . Like I said , I was a former I like to say athlete student because I didn't focus on my academics very well .
Yeah , long story short , got into Iowa State . It was great experience , got my degree , ran track and I started getting involved in athletics . I was at Ohio State for 10 years before coming down here . So you know I've been at different stages . The only thing I haven't been is a coach . I like to coach my kids .
But then they said , ok , that after you know these junior high years , we want to let you go . I said , yeah , you're right , I'm probably going to have to go ahead and brush my skills off somewhere else , you know , but you know . Back to your question and your answer right , and it's what you're talking about .
And when you're in the show you're kind of picking up personalities , yep , like if you pick somebody in the audience and then that doesn't go well , you'd be like , okay , I might need to pivot real quick because I don't think this is gonna go where I want it to go , so I'm gonna just slide to the next table or the next person .
And you're doing the same thing with the coach . Right , you may . It's in season , it's out of season , it's recruiting .
You know , you're traveling , you're on the road , all that stuff you mix up , but at the end of the day you say , look , we all got a job to do and so , as long as you have the love to respect each other , that's where you have a common ground 100% , and you hit the nail on the head with being a comedian and doing a show , and I use the crowd to
pivot if a joke doesn't work .
You know what I mean .
Okay , that kind of bomb , and then I just kind of point somebody out of the crowd , because when you can start joking around and making fun of people , then people in the crowd look at him like , oh yeah , he does have wear glasses or something , just whatever it is , and it brings the crowd back on your team and you can save a show that way .
But I've been there , done that , been doing this 11 years and it could backfire on you in her way too as well .
Yeah , and you know , say that the first word that comes to my mind is like that you call that audible , right , call it . And you're like , damn , they had the right defense to stay on word . And I do have a newfound respect for comedians today because I do think today's society we're very , very sensitive , 100% Across the board .
Right , and you know , I was reared by my grandmother , so I'm a generation away , my brothers and sisters and I , so I understood life a little bit different , right , Then you ask for it , then you got technology , so everybody is a subject matter expert , and you know , now we've got it and I'm all about understanding differences , right , culturally and otherwise .
But I do think it doesn't allow us to really express ourselves the way we need to do , especially in your space .
Because that's like you came to the comedy show okay , this is supposed to be funny , we don't tell jokes , and you know if it's not good , you probably should have known that we were gonna get , you know , a little bit raw around the edges and do all that . And I just , you know , that's what I miss .
And again , I think obviously COVID had something to do with it . But I can't imagine you having to look at your material now and be like yeah , I don't wanna be having to deal with this group of people or that group of people because I said something that was insensitive at a comedy show .
Oh yeah , it makes my job a thousand times harder Because , yeah , like you said , you're going to a comedy club or a bar that has on the Big Marquis comedy night . You know what I mean .
Like they tell you , like you're gonna hear some off the wall things , like we're gonna just feed off the crowd and if we're doing good , you know , a lot of times people ask me like , well , how do you write that material ? How did you come up with that ?
And a perfect example two months ago , well , three months ago now , yeah , three months ago , I did a comedy contest . I normally don't do comedy contests anymore because , you know , I'm a little bit more of a seasoned guy in the comedy contest .
It's just more for me like , let me go brushing up on a few things and I , you know , mingle with some of the up and comers and everything like that too as well , and you know , just network with people . But I did a contest and people like , oh my God , that five minutes set you did was hilarious . How did you write that ? I went , I didn't .
That wasn't anything that I had planned to do . I started talking to people in the crowd and I just rolled from that . And people don't realize that comedians , we're really quick on our feet Like we can . We can come up with something . I , growing up the way I did , like you said , you were raised by your grandparents .
Well , I grew up in a steel mill town , blue collar town in West Virginia , where if you weren't going along with the joke , you were the butt of a joke . So it was . you had to learn to go along with it and I tell people like that yeah , that's probably why I'm a comedian , because my family , all we did was crack jokes on each other and we still do .
Like I lived two hours away from you , know my family , my dad and all the mom and dad and all that and call them every day . And I still get the same answer from my dad when he answers the phone .
And it's just us ragging on each other and like called him one time and it had been a little while since I had had a haircut and stuff like that , so my hair was real long and shaggy and I just got out of the shower and it was a mess and I called him just to check it and talk with him and soon as he answered the phone , on my face I mean he
goes oh , look at that head on that . What did you do to that ? Like I , just got to shower , shut up , old man , like you know what I mean , and that's just how we worked and it's fun .
And people , like you said , people are getting a little too sensitive nowadays and I tell people all the time like , hey , if you're offended by something that I say , a , I'm sorry , but B , I really don't care , like cause , I'm joking .
Like I'm not serious about this .
This isn't a dissertation or something like that . I'm up here cracking some jokes , just have a drink , enjoy yourself and , you know , get out of here . I don't care , like that's just where you kind of have to be .
You have to have a very thick skin for what I do , because people are going to come up to you all the time and like I didn't like that joke . I , you pay , I already got your money , so I don't really don't care .
¶ College Athletics and Educational Journeys
Right , and it's like athletics , right . I think how I'm just saying you're entertaining , yep , right , you're entertaining , and sometimes you're going to like the outcome and sometimes you're not , but the fact that you know you're supporting the team , that's all I'm looking for . You're going to help me get better at what I do .
We go , you know , I'm not about the . You know everybody's got to . You know , feel the same , we got to eat at the same . I'm not about all that . I do think it's important that we understand differences , that you go , but when you're in that space . That's why I think we've lost that .
We just lost understanding the dynamics of where we're at and why we're going there . You're going there to take a load off and you know , let your hair down . Of course , I can't do that anymore . Or , but yeah , and just enjoy the moment , right , and enjoy people , and then you can call people out , but not in those types of space .
You know , I think we've gone a little bit too far . We're trying to make sure every single platform is correct and that's just too much for anybody to have to go through and make sure that you're not offending anybody . I think that's a lot of pressure on everybody .
Absolutely so . I want to get into this because you mentioned it a couple of times . But you said you were an athlete student . I liked that term because I feel like I'm the same way . I didn't really focus on my academics as much in college as I should have . I focused on my athletics and swimming . I was a swimmer , yeah .
But so take me through a little bit of your journey getting into college . You said you went to Iowa State , is that ?
Iowa State .
Iowa State correct so take me through a little bit of your journey getting into college athletics .
Sure , okay , I'll do the quick version . I'll be a little bit more , a little bit longer than a 30 second elevator speech . But yeah , originally from Chicago , illinois , so grew up there , and then I was about , I think about eight or nine years old .
Our uncle was getting his PhD at Iowa and said hey , I think you need to move to , or you need to move to Iowa . Think the kids will have a much better opportunity there .
So , long story short , we went from the skyscrapers of Chicago because I thought everybody lived in Chicago back then but I didn't know , and so , and then we were catching a Greyhound bus and you just see the buildings get smaller , space gets a lot wider , and you're seeing these things called cornfields and before you know it it's just open skies , right , and
you're just like , okay , where are we going ? And so we get to Iowa . I think I was 1977 . And it was certainly a culture shock , but I'm a people person . So while it was overwhelming for nine , 10 year old , I thought I was okay .
Right , there was obviously some prejudices there because we were one of the first few black families in Iowa City and so you could feel the tension . That's what I knew . I was different and that's the part we like . Yeah , there's something like different and so , but what helps you is your ability to communicate with people . And then I was .
You know you step on the right ground , I'm one of the fastest ones out there . So they love you right , they let you control and , yeah , come with me , do this and that . So it was . You know , folks were very engaging , but , long story short , lived there , stayed there . Then I did all the sports basketball , football track . Then I focused on basketballs .
I thought I was going to be the next Michael Jordan . I said I'm going to grow , I'm going to be good . I had to knee brace and everything . I was trying to get his moves but didn't grow . I said , okay , not a problem .
So once we're short , a high school track coach , coach Hollisworth , who I still talk to today , we text each other every week and he says , hey , you want to run a college ? I said yeah , because it was a crazy thing . My senior year in basketball , we went on 18 . I mean , we was just dying a lot .
I don't like to say that we was hot garbage , I don't want to say that . So I'm going to say we build a foundation for the folks that came after us because they won a lot of state championships afterwards . So that's what we did , and so about halfway through my senior year I was one of the fastest 400 meter runners in the state of Iowa .
Last track meet of the season , I became one of the top 800 meter runners in the country . So the problem is I forgot the academic fees and so that's , when they had the standardized test score , sat , act to ACT didn't qualify , so I had to go . I had to forego all my scholarships . I was Iowa , iowa State . I was going to Arizona , arizona State .
Everybody was picking me up , but I couldn't go after I graduated , so that was in June of 1986 . So I had to sit out a semester , did that Then , of course ? And I hated Iowa State . I'll be honest with you because I grew up in Iowa City . So I was a Hawkeye fan and I was like I'm not going . And Iowa State actually flew me , which was crazy .
Flew me in a plane from Iowa City to Ames , which is now a two hour and 15 minute ride . But they flew me and I thought I was just so big time . Right now I'm like man , this is cool . I still don't like them , but I love the fact that I was getting treated like a king .
Long story short couldn't get into Iowa because that's why the site I was going to go , iowa State , called like 15 minutes and it was like , hey , I think we can get you in . At that point I didn't care , I just wanted to go to school . I had sat out a semester , I'm sitting at home , I'm not working , I'm watching the soap operas with my grandmother .
I'm like , no , this ain't it . I said no , I'm waiting for my friends to get out of high school . They , you know , return because I'm not doing anything . I gotta get back to school and so , fortunately enough , god and I will stay Coach Bill Bergen he just passed away last year and we went to tremendous guy .
He was a phenomenal coach and just a businessman and made us become young , successful men . He did that from day one . My grandmother loved him and she wanted me to go to Iowa State because he came to the house and visit and she just loved him from the start .
But long story short , you know , I was that athlete student always on the verge of being ineligible but finding a way to get eligible , you know , ran away . I was all American , we were big age , chance we did all that stuff , but that journey alone really helped me captivate the understanding education as a cornerstone of your life .
Now I'm not saying you need to agree , but I'm saying you need a craft , okay , and if you don't have that it's really difficult for you to penetrate any type of market . So so you don't have to have the college degree , but it can be a carpenter , mechanic , I mean , you name it , but you have to be educated in something right .
The degree is just the certification , what you get in mechanics , what you get in a carpentry . But you have to have that to give yourself a chance . I think personally , in some way , shape or form . So went through all of that , had a chance to get recruited to go to the Ohio State University as an academic advisor .
In fact I was the first black male academic advisor at Ohio State back in 94 , actually Roxanne Price , who she saw me at a national convention . It was like man , I think we need to get this guy .
I was a graduate student in Iowa State at the time because , a matter of fact , I went on to go for a masters and did all that and so that experience of giving back and helping young men and young women understand the importance of education . That became my passion and my purpose .
Yeah , wow , I mean you hit on a lot of things that I can relate to 100% . Like you said , you know the athlete student , you know being eligible and not liking really , the college that you went to , iowa State . I went to Bethany College , little D3 school , mainly because , like I said , I was a swimmer .
But in high school , you know , I played football , I swam . I played football to be with my buddies and , you know , kind of hang out with them and kind of stay in shape for swimming , because it was the seasons brought it right up against each other . So I was leaving football right in shape and going right into the swimming and not having to worry about .
Oh , now I got to get myself back into shape and everything like that . So it was a little bit of an easier transition for me . Well , lo and behold , senior year I got offers from a bunch of D1 colleges . West Virginia was one of them , dream school . I'm a mountaineer through and through , born and raised in West Virginia .
If you don't like the mountaineers , they kind of kick you out of the state pretty much . So you know I had the offer to go and swim for them and that , in my mind , all right . Well , that's where I don't even who cares about the rest of these offers ? I'm not even going to open and look at them , I don't care . I'm going to WVU .
That's where I want to go . Well , senior year , first day , putting on pads , I hit a pad and I feel a pop in my shoulder and it goes down my arm and into my finger . And that dumb 17 year old kid , it's just a stinger . Whatever , I'll deal with it , I'll be fine . Played the entire season .
Well , I get into swimming and I can't do my stroke at all with my left arm . Coach sends me to the hospital , to the doctors , to get it checked out . I played an entire football season on a separated shoulder . I separated my shoulder the first day . We put on pads and were able to hit sleds and stuff like that .
And as soon as every college heard well , he has an injury , especially a shoulder injury for a swimmer , they were like thanks , but no thanks , we'll see you later . We're not going to redshirt you . Nothing just dropped all of the scholarships that I had , except for Bethany College . They were the only one that kept my scholarship to go and swim there .
I was like well , I guess that kind of makes the decision pretty easy where I'm going to school because they want to give me some money to go and be an athlete there and they let me . They couldn't really redshirt because it was D3 .
So they let me be a quote unquote manager of the team so that I could rehab my shoulder my freshman year and then jump into swimming my senior year or sophomore year . Well , you know , it was like you said , once I was in season I didn't care about classes or anything like that , and coach would come up to me .
He was like man , like one more C and you're not going to be able to swim in this meet , like that's where we're at right now . I'm like I'll be eligible , coach , don't worry , I'll get eligible . And I was always on that cusp of not being eligible to perform .
But my coach , sophomore year near the end of the season , really instilled in me that you know academics matter . You know your shoulder isn't , still isn't , 100% , we know that . I can see that just when your strokes and everything like that . So you going anywhere in swimming is probably out of the question . So really made me focus on that .
And then you know later on in life . This was well , I guess , real later on in life , because it was happened the new show on Paramount , the Tulsa King , with Stavester Stallone . There was a line in that movie that really opened my eyes a little bit . That kid he was working with was telling him that , oh man , I don't need to go to college . I don't .
That doesn't , that doesn't worry me , school's not like for me . He goes . You think any employer gives a crap about what type of degree you have ?
He goes no , what you're telling them is that you were able to go to a place , show up on time for four years , complete some tasks albeit you know if it doesn't have to be outstanding , complete them on a timely manner . That tells him you're not going to screw up his business and that makes you hireable .
Yes , and I was like Holy crap , I fought school for it . You know , it's those things later in life that the light bulb finally clicks , like I can't believe . It took a TV show for me to realize that .
So you know , you have those aha moments and it , I think it makes everybody a better person , you know like you said , go to a trade school , learn to be a mechanic , learn to fix a toilet , be a plumber . You know electricity , whatever .
Somebody needs those skills , because I'm at the point now where I know I can do stuff , but if I can hire somebody to do the work for me , I'm going to do . That's what I'm going to do , that's what I'm at .
Yeah , I mean just you know 1000% right and that's the biggest part of it . As you talked about it , you know , just enhancing your skill set , creating that trade because there's a need , and I don't care if it's athletics , music , art or dance or whatever . It is right .
And sometimes the great thing about college is it's kind of a placeholder , in my opinion , in that it allows you to chance to just kind of venture a little bit in this thing called life . And then you get those you know the epiphany and aha moments and whether it's the maybe what your dad had told you two decades ago that just keeps popping up .
You're like man , oh , man , it was right , man , he just what he was talking about , right . But you got to experience it yourself .
And I think that's the biggest part about life with these young , you know , adults is that you have to experience some things and really kind of grind through it a little bit so that you understand , you know the importance of it , the journey , and what it's worth to you .
And because that's the element and that's what I wanted to really thank coach Ernest Wilson for connecting us , because that's what you get , you get relationships right , because he was the running back coach here at New Mexico State when I first came and that's when our boys were playing and he was getting them connected to the high school and but it was the
relationships that we had that almost that was 17
¶ The Importance of Discipline and Routine
years ago and we're still making connections through those relationships and it's through the entity of sports , which is a $90 billion annual industry .
Yeah .
Yeah , and so that's why we were on the front page . Espn and I was just going to throw this one . Most people don't realize ESPN spawned about 1984 because they got sued by University of Oklahoma and Georgia for monopolizing the multimedia rights . Because the NCAA they were the ones who determined who was going to play on TV .
Yep .
Went to the Supreme Court Sherman rule . They said , no , you can't do that While everybody's on TV .
So what I'm saying is you know , when you look at how things have evolved , even for in the name , image and likeness today to all the transfer portal , to all these other things , the thing you have to understand you're your own business entity and so you better do your homework . Okay , because and you better know your what's that ?
And I'm sure you've heard we all heard it right , the KYP know your personnel . Yeah , before you know your personnel , you better know yourself . And that's the part where the skill sets and the crash and , like I said , the journey that you went through , I think , makes it , I think , credible to the most important person and us yourself .
Absolutely . And you know , I I tried to instill this into my son and stuff like that too as well , and it was something that my dad taught me and I run on what is called what we call Lombardi time Early is on time , on time is late . If you're late , don't even bother showing up . And my son , he's 14 .
So he's that stubborn teenage years and just he knows everything . So it's , it's fine . But taking him to football practice , he was like I would leave him so early . And I just tell him what is the bottom of a tour rule ? And he repeats it .
I make him repeat it back to me early it's on time , on time is late and late you shouldn't even bother showing up . It's like you say attitude right now , but you will appreciate that later in life . Trust me , I did the same thing when I was your age to pop up . You know what I mean . Like it's so early . Why are we here this early , like and ?
But now my boss is at my day job praise me . Like you're a half hour early to every shift , yeah , yeah , because I'm on time . That's on time for me . Like that's what it is . If I'm ever like . I showed up right on time . One time I got stuck in traffic and I showed up right at the start of my shift and like , well , you made it on time .
I was like , no , I'm late . This , this is late for me and I apologize for being late and they appreciate that later in life , and trying to let him know that is , I might as well talk to the desk that I'm sitting at right now . I might get some , some more answers out of that than than him right now . So you know he's listening .
Oh , trust me , our kids are 24 , 29 and 32 , be 33 soon and they listen , because I can't tell you the conversations that I've had with them about stuff we talked about 20 years ago . I'm like it did sink in . Okay , it did mean something , it doesn't matter .
And , like you said , when it comes to being on time , right , fix fixing your bed , doing the dishes , take out the garbage I'm not trying to tell you that to punish you . I'm just telling you , once you create that discipline and realizing that's part of a routine , and you're getting better at it and more efficient . That's the key .
Yep , Yep . So he's , he's listening . I , his mother and I are such routine oriented people like you can set a watch to us , like with what we do , like even our morning routine . You know we get up and like I'm up six am every day . I probably don't even need to set an alarm at this point in time because my body just wakes me up .
Now , at six am , I get down , I start my coffee , I sit down , I watch a little bit of sports center . That's kind of my little bit of my me time to sit , catch up on my sports for the day , for the day prior , see what's coming up , and then , when I'm done with my coffee , I get my shower , I get ready and then I'm off to work .
I'm up an hour before I even have to start getting ready to get myself ready for the day . You know , sitting there just drinking my coffee and it's bad now , but you know I am a smoker you know , sitting there drinking my coffee , smoking a cigarette , watch the sports center , get the information I need to feel better about myself .
It's kind of my meditation , you know what I mean . Yes , there you go , and then , even when I get to work , you know I sit down at my desk , I do this , this , this and this . I start my day . Same way on the way home . You know , when I get home , first thing I do , obviously I get home .
If my wife's home , give her a kiss , give the dog a kiss , give my son a kiss , because the dog greets me before anybody else . So she's taking precedent , I guess you know , and you know I go through my day and , like my wife's the same way . She gets up way earlier than she needs to to get herself ready , to just kind of have that routine .
And if our routine is off in the slightest bit , if something happens , I feel like the whole day shot . Do you feel ? like that in your day to day .
Yeah , no , not absolutely . I mean you know we've been , fortunately , we've been married 32 years and the most important day is tomorrow . And I've learned that you know for many years . Right , and when you say that when something's off , that's why I tell them like I know something's wrong . I mean I've been with you over half my life .
Like I mean I know that , right , you know what works . And I think the best thing you know that I tell my kids , and I'm sure you've told your son this as well , especially in today , with technology and everything moving , the information super highway and
¶ Comedian's Take on New Mexico Traffic
access that you have , you still gotta make adjustments and that's why you gotta be on time for things , because so many other things happen in such a different manner that you have to be prepared for .
Right ? You know , absolutely it's . I can't tell you how many times . You know I'm on the road a lot , you know being a comedian and having a day job and everything like that . So I'm all again . I'm always leaving early because I've been burned where there's been an accident on the interstate . Now I'm at a dead stop and nowhere to go .
You know what I mean . There's nothing I can do . I'm in park right now on the interstate , like that's gonna be a minute . You gotta prepare for that and I tell people like people always ask me all the time but why do you leave so early ? I was like I leave early because I prepare for traffic , because I'm an adult .
It's kind of like that's the joke I make I'm an adult , I plan ahead for traffic and I plan for these things to happen .
You do it and the crazy thing about it is the reason and I tell a wife a little bit because you know , and this is what you can minimize or something simple like road rage If you leave early and you're not really in that big road , yeah , you're gonna be mad because somebody cuts you off , but you're not gonna be mad , they cut you off if you miss the
light Now you're gonna be late , right . So it's like , yeah , okay , this guy and the way things are today , you ain't don't get out your car , don't be flipping nobody off . It's unfortunately . It's that sensitive that that's why you have to be a little bit earlier .
So when you're pressed up against the traffic , I mean I still got three more lights before I need to start being really concerned about me taking pride in being on time .
Right , 100% If it's something like that .
I mean , those are those teachable moments , learning lessons . I try to just tell the kids , like you know and we got grandkids , now got four of them trying to teach them . Obviously they're much younger now , but it's you're trying to get them to minimize some of the issues just by being ahead of the game 100% .
I agree with that 100% . And you know , james , we are running down near the end of the episode a couple of things I wanna get in here first and foremost . So New Mexico State . You're there as a whole , because I don't know if a lot of my listeners know about New Mexico State . So what is there to do on campus ?
You know , academically , socially , athletically . So take us through a little bit of the campus life from New Mexico State .
Yeah , you know , I used to tell people about Los Cruces , about a little bit of 100,000 people . It's different , but it's a good different . The quality of life is good and it's a breath of fresh air . I mean , that's why we've been here for 17 years now .
The campus is beautiful , it's open , we've got mountains , it's 325 plus days of sunshine I think we're all got a little bit too much sunshine around the country these days so I think we've got 37 days so far that we've had 100 plus degree , triple digits .
And so , yeah , it's toasty over this way , but it's a land grant institution in 1888 , and it's about giving students an opportunity . We're ag , we've got engineering , business college as well , social science education and it really gives individuals that opportunity to kind of spread their wings . I've been to two other institutions .
Like I said , iowa State , which I love as my alma mater , and I appreciate everything that they've been able to do for me . I was obviously worked in Ohio State , as I said , and then been at New Mexico State , and the faculty and staff here they engage , they want you to be successful .
It's kind of like a mom and pop store , right , we're just that home , that little hometown , but I tell you what . We carry a chip on our shoulder with blue collar and we're gonna get after it , and that's what I love about it . We're never gonna have enough resources , enough personnel , enough finances , but we come in and you're gonna know we're there .
That's awesome , because I didn't know a lot about New Mexico State not a lot of you , I'm just not a part of the country I've been to . Hopefully there's somebody out there , you know , a booker or promoter . I would love to come out that way , absolutely .
I hear you .
Just getting that in there , just saying I'm sorry . But last thing I wanna get in with you you kinda mentioned it a little bit Ernest Wilson , former guest of the show , good friend of the show , good friend of me . I communicate with him as much as I possibly can . He's helped us out with connecting me with you . So how did that relationship start with you ?
Was it just primarily academics or Well , it was primarily football , because he was a running back coach here at New Mexico State when we moved here and I came into administration and at that time James Jr was gonna be a sophomore in high school and Xavier , I think , was in eighth grade , and so they played football .
We came from Ohio and they were very good in Ohio so I knew they had a good chance of being really good here in New Mexico . So Ernest was one of the first people we met and obviously they're trying to say , hey , which high school is your son going to ? And I'm like , well , you know . So Ernest was .
He said Tajwood on Yonte , which is now Oregon Mountain High School now , and so we created that relationship in 2006 , and we've had it ever since then through his boys and them growing and them having kids .
And , like I said , if you don't learn anything else and I'll do this plug people talk about relationships and so one of my friends our name is Jackie Brown . She worked for Columbus Public Schools in Columbus , ohio , and I made acronyms . So one of my first acronyms was CARE , celebrating academic responsibility every day . So I like that , jane .
She's like oh , can you make me an acronym for relationships ? Now , that was 25 , maybe 30 years ago . The acronym that I used the most because that's what life is about is making sure that you have some profound and genuine and authentic relationships . So my acronym for relationship is report .
Everyone links and trust in one's oh man , wait a minute , just a minute , wait . So is report . Everyone links and trust in one's narrative story and historical individual parallel systematically , wow .
So I'll give it to you one more time Report .
Everyone links and trusts in one's narrative story and historical individual parallel systematically . And that's what relationships are all about , and that's what I want . That's what Ernest got , that's what now you and I have .
There might be some looking agency over here that we may do some things , but it's because it's getting the people that you really like and you know and you're like man , I love to continue to do business with that man 100% .
There's wow , I don't think I could have came up with that many words for relationship . That's a long word , you know what I mean . Like that's phenomenal , that's yeah , that hits home . You know what I mean .
You don't think of it that way till it's kind of brought into your face , and that's a perfect way to describe it , cause I mean again you mentioned it you and your wife have obviously been together a whole heck of a lot longer than me and my wife .
We've been together eight years and , like you said with her , like I know something's wrong , I know something's up , like I can't say what's wrong , nothing , don't just just tell me . I can tell . Like I know what happened today .
Just vent and rant about your day , like , and we'll go and we'll move on , but yeah , that's so , I get it and that's the perfect way to describe it . But like I said , we are running down to the end of the episode here , but , james , I do give every guest this opportunity . It's the end of every show . I'm going to give you about a minute .
If there's anything you want to get out there , whether it's for New Mexico state , whether it's just a good message , anything like that . I'm going to give you about a minute . The floor is yours .
Okay , well , I appreciate it , appreciate you , giving me an opportunity to connect with you . I think this is going to go well beyond that . I'll just mention a couple of things . I've talked about the wife and the kids , and you know the cornerstone I appreciate .
My grandmother said believe in yourself , cause if you don't , nobody else will , and I keep that to my heart . Dr George Jackson , that's what I do on the side majority of one , and it's the game of life , and game is graduating academic minds every day , and life is a learning institution for education .
I want everyone listening , particularly the youth , to go for your dreams . Understand you have to grind beyond belief If you're going to be successful . Surround yourself with great people , and one of the accomplishments I've been able to make is I actually wrote just not a book , but a handbook , and it's called becoming a more successful you .
But the most important thing about this , it's the life handbook for the everyday world you live in , nobody else . What do you live in ? And those are the acronyms in there that I just want everybody to understand Stay positive , be influential , be who you are and make sure you live your purpose .
I gotta tell you , james , I love it when they have a good , when guests have a good message at the end of the show and that's a great message and I absolutely hate that I have the new sponsorship reads after that because it's a good way to end the show . But I gotta get a man . We do have two new sponsors to the Ride Home Rans podcast .
That is Dubby Energy Energy drinks for gamers , streamers , podcasters like made by gamers , streamers and podcasters like no jittery feeling , no crash afterwards . It's actually starting to replace my morning coffee . I gotta say I love my morning coffee , but I'm starting to have my morning .
Dubby energy gets me through my long , strenuous days of running 17 different jobs at once . Use the promo code , mike Bono , we'll get you 10% off of that . The last sponsor for the show here one of my favorites , and that is Shankit Golf Golf apparel for the everyday golfer . Golf is meant to be fun and we here at Shankit Golf believe that too , as well .
You might not go out and shoot a six under par . If you're like me , you're gonna shoot a six over par , if not more . Go there , check them out . They have a lot of great gear to help you rock it on and off the course . Use the promo code Mike Bono , and get yourself 15% off Once again .
That is going to do it for this week's episode of the Ride Home Rans podcast . I wanna thank my guest , james Hall , for coming on . Great messages everybody . Take a listen to this again and listen to what he has to say . There's a lot of informative stuff .
Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to come and spend a little bit of our evening together here on the show . I really do appreciate you , but that is going to do it for this week's episode of the Ride Home Rans podcast . As always , if you enjoyed the show , be a friend , tell a friend .
If you didn't tell them anyways , they might like it just because you didn't . That's gonna do it for me and I will see y'all next week .