Patrick Dyer Wolf (00:01): That's good. I was gonna say just get it all, get all the good stuff. Real stuff. Yeah, I'm excited.

Matt Gregory (00:04): Let's get it let's get it going. Today's gonna be fun. It's a family episode today.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (00:10): A little nervous, is that weird? I w I want to go well.

Matt Gregory (00:12): Are you?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (00:15): It's a

Matt Gregory (00:17): I hope it goes well too.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (00:18): In our hands. This is really b the dream for me. It's a you know, you do this.

Matt Gregory (00:23): Is it a full circle moment for you? I don't know what that means.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (00:26): Sure. In many in many in many ways. the qu one of the quests, one of the temple quests in The Legend of Zelda will be complete. I I feel like it's like you do Mary's brother did a school project at some point. I don't know what what grade he was in, where he had to interview like every member, every living member of his family about like

Matt Gregory (00:50): wow.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (00:50): their life and he has I think we have the binder of like the interviews.

Matt Gregory (00:54): That's such a cool project.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (00:56): It's awesome. And it's just like, you know, it it'd be a little bit I don't know if contrived is the right word, but it would take more initiation to just be like, do you know, do that one by one with no prompting, like, hey, so Aunt Mildred, like when you were, you know, a little girl right after the war, like if you just have a reason to t to ask people questions, it's like it's the perfect situation. So here here we are here I am.

Matt Gregory (01:24): Yeah. Well say more. What are we doing today?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (01:26): it's all gotcha questions, like always. I've just been fearishly scribbling notes on the on our interview page. I don't know if you just saw. This is a

Matt Gregory (01:36): Yeah, I see. I see.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (01:37): this is the contrast of our two styles. You're very prepared and you have nicely phrased questions with clear numbers and

Matt Gregory (01:45): Good phrasing does not necessarily mean nicely nice well prepared, but

Patrick Dyer Wolf (01:49): It's true. It's l it's kinda like how, you know, getting elected is not the same as passing a law, is not the same as implementing the policy. It's different skills.

Matt Gregory (01:59): Yeah. Totally. We gotta we still have to deliver.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (02:02): Y we do for the people.

Matt Gregory (02:04): Who what are who what are we what are we doing today, Pat? You wanna tell the tell our audience?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (02:09): Well, we're talking to my cousin Jon Sciambi who some of you may have heard of. He is the television play by play man for the Chicago Cubs Baseball Club. I don't know if that's their official name. And so he sits in the seat where Harry Caray sat and he's been a broadcaster for his basically professional life. and I love him. He's one of the preeminent redheads in the redhead community. So we we we love to platform and you know give give voice to the redheads who have who've made it.

Matt Gregory (02:55): Yeah. Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (03:00): look at that. You guys both went to Regis, right?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (03:00): My Regis High School sh we we both went to Regis in New York City, so I don't know if that'll come up. I have it a little bit concealed here so I can do a Superman. Yeah.

Matt Gregory (03:08): that's good. No, you'll you'll he'll love that, I'm sure. So he's he's your first cousin, is that right?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (03:14): My first cousin, my dad's sister, who who current lives on Roosevelt Island in New York, my dad's sister's son.

Matt Gregory (03:23): Got it. Got it. Cool. do you and John spend a lot of time together or?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (03:27): Well, I'd love to spend more time. It's always great to see him. He lives in Chicago with the cu you know, he works works for the Cubs. Mary and I went went to Chicago I guess it was two summers ago. And then Avi and I went last year, last spring, to do the anthem. But he was very sick. So he w he couldn't

Matt Gregory (03:49): Yeah. man.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (03:52): he wasn't at the game that we sang the anthem for. But he he helped us set that up and that was a great experience. It was f it's funny. Our you know, most people that do the anthem just sing, right? Is that your experience?

Matt Gregory (04:11): well I've never you mean when I've done the anthem in the past or or

Patrick Dyer Wolf (04:14): Yeah, like the anthems that you've done. No, I mean like when you've seen people sing the anthem for

Matt Gregory (04:18): Usually I do it a cappella

Patrick Dyer Wolf (04:19): right. Most people sing an a cappella, which is the microphone, like hello.

Matt Gregory (04:22): Yeah. Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (04:25): We brought our guitar and our banjo, which adds a wrinkle because you have this rhythmic thrumming, strumming, which reverberates throughout the large edifice of the stadium. In a way that makes it very hard to hear what the hell you're singing or playing. And the monitoring speaker situation was such that it was very difficult to play the anthem.

Matt Gregory (04:54): Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (04:55): But I think we did okay, except for one moment in the anthem. You can see I can send you the video, I'll show you.

Matt Gregory (05:01): I've seen it. I've seen the video.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (05:03): you may I don't know if you noticed this. the when that when the camera of the TV feed Pans over to Shohei Ohtani's face. The Cubs were playing the Dodgers. is when I hit the sourest the like the basically the one sour note that I hit 'cause I was my mind was in a chamber, an echo chamber of and it pans over to him and he's kinda like he like looks up, he's like And I've been reassured by ever you know, Avi, other people, like, no, no, no. But I know, I know.

Matt Gregory (05:34): I think it's in your head. Well, Pat, if it's the first note that you didn't hit in your life, I'm sure

Patrick Dyer Wolf (05:43): it's not, and it won't be the last.

Matt Gregory (05:47): I don't know. I think I remember hearing some I forget who told me this, but they were they were talking about you this was like years ago. They were talking about you like going to a recording studio and the engineer at the recording studio talking about like how normally when people come in they have to do all this like work to fix their voices. But when you started singing, it was like, okay, how do we just take everything away from Pat's voice so you can hear as much of Pat's voice as possible because it's so good.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (06:20): Who said this? This is who who said that? That's really nice. Some did I say that?

Matt Gregory (06:23): I don't know, I'll have to look it up in my

Patrick Dyer Wolf (06:25): Did I tell you that?

Matt Gregory (06:26): Yeah, maybe you you you're like keep this in mind for a future podcast episode in 2026

Patrick Dyer Wolf (06:29): Ha I don't remember that occurring or me saying it, but thank you for saying that right now. All right.

Matt Gregory (06:34): It's very clear in my head. And I think I've it's a story that I've told people since. So

Patrick Dyer Wolf (06:38): Wow. Well thank you.

Matt Gregory (06:42): anyway, this will be fun to have John on.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (06:44): Yeah.

Matt Gregory (06:45): excited to chat with him. I'm not like full transparency. I don't know a ton about baseball. I do know I do know who the Cubs are. I have a lot of family in Chicago. Shout out Chicago family. and but but I do I I know that it's a a club that has a lot of legacy and history. So that's kind of fun.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (07:03): Well it's it's it's a little bit in a club with your in a in in multiple ways in a club with your your Bosox over there. Just the the stadiums are the two probably, you know, s quirky yeah yeah, just the oldest standing

Matt Gregory (07:14): quirkiest. Yeah. Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (07:17): are they the two oldest? Probably.

Matt Gregory (07:19): I think they yeah, that sounds right.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (07:21): And just when you go into I haven't been to a game at Fenway, I don't think, but I've been to Wrigley a few times now. And you just walk in there, it's like, this is beautiful. And it's so pleasant in there. Like compared to going to a lot of state a lot of stadiums are just like, and the and the environment around and the parking and the the like we're I mean, you know, Yankee Stadium, all love. It is so much nicer to go to Wrigley. It's just like a great experience. And I you know yeah, just so much like history and the f John s described it to me once as like the fans are just like happy to be there. Like they want them to win. But like if they lose, they're just like, you know, they lost today. okay. It's just like it's just a good environment. Yeah, right.

Matt Gregory (08:11): That's a bit the Midwestern vibe. as I think I'm thinking about some of my favorite aunts and uncles out there and my my grandmother who's now R. I. P. But it's it's a it's a wonderful it's a wonderful part of the country. and our good friend Jeff Petrusek is out there with his family too now.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (08:33): Yeah. He was just texting me asking whether I had a dog in this basketball fight and I was like, Yeah, I got a dog.

Matt Gregory (08:40): Yeah, you got a dog.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (08:43): by the time this episode comes out, we'll probably know who the the champion is and this will all be ancient history, but it's an exciting time right now, I gotta say.

Matt Gregory (08:47): for sure. Yeah. Yeah. I honestly, as a Celtics fan, I even though I'm a Celtics fan, I like both teams a lot, which is probably like sacrilege to say, but yeah. Well,

Patrick Dyer Wolf (09:00): I mean, that's big of you. That's big of you.

Matt Gregory (09:02): there c I I'm I I'm I'm an independent thinker, Pat. So try to keep it independent.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (09:06): That's right. W I mean and you know, no I I I don't know if I mean no disrespect or not, but I think a lot of people are happy to not be watching SGA flopping all over the place.

Matt Gregory (09:22): Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (09:23): He's a great player.

Matt Gregory (09:25): Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (09:26): But what's with the flopping, man?

Matt Gregory (09:28): Yeah, and I mean the Wemby story I mean he's just incredible. So and

Patrick Dyer Wolf (09:32): Yeah. In many ways.

Matt Gregory (09:34): also I wanna do a shout out to Luke Kornet who was on the Celtics for a long time and has had his moments to shine on the Spurs. so yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (09:39): Yeah. Yeah, that's right. That's right. I love the lumbering quality of Luke Kornet

Matt Gregory (09:49): I think his new nickname is the Big Elote.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (09:57): That's great. qu well

Matt Gregory (09:57): Do you get that? Corn.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (10:06): I'm ashamed. My Duolingo t training. We

Matt Gregory (10:08): Anyway, we really are a sports podcast today.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (10:10): are. Let's just embrace it. I mean, that's what we're doing today.

Matt Gregory (10:13): Yeah. Well, looking forward to the conversation. Thanks for inviting Jon on and we'll get rolling here.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (10:22): Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (10:23): Make the magic.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (10:25): Ooh, we're here.

Matt Gregory (10:26): Welcome, man. I love the glasses.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (10:30): Yeah, those are excellent.

Jon Sciambi (10:31): Thank you. Yeah, I think

Matt Gregory (10:34): I need a pop of colour.

Jon Sciambi (10:36): Right. And just as my hair gets more and more grey, there needs there needs to be some ki well, you what? I'm being described as blonde these days. I swear to God, it's like it's like unintentionally all these people are kicking me out of the ginger club and I'm not down with that.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (10:54): I see I have my you know, you're as I said in the intro before you got on, you're one of the preeminent redheads that we have. Like we need you. We can't we can't lose you.

Jon Sciambi (11:07): But I I've had times where I like I met someone, a mutual friend in my building, and we had trouble figuring out for a few days who the person was because I was being described as the big blonde guy. And I was yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (11:26): Yeah, yeah, you know that big blonde guy. He's he lumbers yeah.

Jon Sciambi (11:33): yeah, so I'm with ya. Like we you know, ginger's for life.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (11:36): Yeah. I'm also I have a matching pop of colour here. I just wanted to

Jon Sciambi (11:40): hell yeah. Yes Shout out Regis High School. Pulitzer

Patrick Dyer Wolf (11:46): That's right. Pulitzer are winning alumni.

Jon Sciambi (11:49): my god.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (11:50): Dude, he's on a tear right now.

Jon Sciambi (11:52): He's Pablo Torre, I mean, he's your classmate at Regis.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (11:57): three.

Jon Sciambi (11:59): He he is that's correct, right? O three?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (12:02): okay.

Matt Gregory (12:02): I didn't realize that, Pat, that Pablo Torre went to Regis in your class. That's crazy.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (12:05): How have we not talked about this?

Jon Sciambi (12:07): And he is so impressive. I mean, honestly, Pat, he reminds me of you. He's just he's smart, he's thoughtful. he's got a good idea of what's interesting. He and I become very good friends. I love the dude. I'm so happy for his success. I think there's also the a part of me that's happy. For his success in the space he's doing it in, where we're so lost on media and journalism. And he is in a you know in a different medium. He's grabbed journalism and done amazing work. And he just steamrolls people that think they have an idea about journalism and you know, talking about fact checking, whatever. I always see stuff like that with him and I'm always like, You better be careful with him.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (13:06): He's he's done he does his homework every time and it was crazy to me when he went on Bill Simmons. It was like Bill Simmons was in English class and he hadn't read the book, but he was still making like statements like you thought like and it that that happens every time. Like with Mark Mark Cuban. I was like, Why are I was like, Why are why are you on the show right now, Mark Cuban?

Jon Sciambi (13:18): Yes. All the time. Mark Cuban, my God. Why are you on the show?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (13:27): Yeah, and I think Pablo also understands and he's said this many times, like the balance that you need to strike. in this ecosystem between well, I mean, f nobody strikes it, but he is striking it. Between journalism and entertainment and stuff that people wanna hear. And he and s and people, you know, Bill Simmons was criticizing him for that, but he does it in a way that I don't think anybody else is doing it.

Jon Sciambi (13:53): Totally like look, the person that took a shot at him recently was Colin Cowherd because he did this thing on Oz the Mentalist where he like carved and it's like it it's the same thing as the Belichick and his girlfriend stuff. It's it's where it's funny. People it's people he's doing the joke and everybody's sitting there going, well, this isn't serious journalism. And it's like, no, this is funny. This is the funny part.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (14:23): Yeah. You don't get the show.

Jon Sciambi (14:25): That's right.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (14:26): I so I think this is a like a decent segue. I mean, honestly, I could we could I could we could probably talk for three hours about a lot of these topics that we've got on our list here, but I I think he strikes a great balance. Not unlike how I think I don't think I'm alone. You strike a balance in the booth. Like when you're calling a game, I feel like you unlike maybe anybody else that's doing it right now, in combining like little bits of humor, you're not overdoing it. You I mean, you know the game so well. like you you you've been a you know you were an early adopter and ongoing proponent, I think, of using analytics in a way that's useful and not overwhelming. But you you know, being educating the fans when it's applicable, but not like ramming stuff down their throats. I just feel like you've achieved this sort of and the then the pairing this with just like the ease that you have, you know, whether it's JD or whoever you're working with, like it's just it puts you at ease when you're watching and it's like a a 360 kind of balance that I I've I mean I I feel it's like I I I feel lucky it if if you weren't all those things I'd I'd just be like, yeah, my cousin, he's that guy. But like I also believe that you you are doing this thing that that nobody else is doing.

Jon Sciambi (15:59): Well, I appreciate that. See, Matt, you just walked into this love fest.

Matt Gregory (16:03): I love it. I love it.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (16:03): Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (16:05): I I will tell you guys this. I and I and I know we want to talk about, you know, sort of career and path. And I I know when you think about like through lines, and I'd mentioned this before. There's this great clip, if you haven't seen it, I'm not sure how old it is, but it's from John Cleese. And he talks about Play and he talks about being in a state of play. And the best part about that space is that when you are at play, and that's the mindset, there is no what if I make a mistake? And I think that that I'm channeling six-year-old me, who just always liked to play. And I still love what I do. So I think that's the starting point. And JD and I have a real great connection. and I I do think the starting point is just this playfulness that I come about naturally. I mean, honestly, Patrick. I would say if you were to say, play, give me a person, what's it mean to you? Your dad. Your dad, man. Your dad. I we have an We have a what, let's see, 17? Like basically the age gap is roughly the same between you and I and and me and your dad. And he just knew how to play.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (17:33): That's right.

Jon Sciambi (17:35): Yeah, he just knew how to play. And I just think that that's such a crucial thing. and then and it becomes a thing you you just come about authentically. So But I think that it puts me in the state of there are no mistakes. You're not gonna you can't think about this and fret over are you going to make a mistake? And then you're also trying to make it like I think about the bar for us is I don't want to say dumb shit. I can wanna give in to like the narrative storyline. You know, the Cubs are struggling right now, and people are saying, I mean, the amount of dumb shit people are saying about the Cubs, it's incredible. And I don't wanna say dumb shit, but I also want it to be thoughtful and interesting and I want it to be fun. And that's it, man, right there.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (18:28): Yeah, you be you make you kinda make it look easy. There's a lot and like I I g I'm sure there is kind of like a flow state that you can tap into, but it is just like bringing a lot of cause, you know, it y you bring this the the playfulness into a a context of being so grounded in no like knowing the history, knowing the players, knowing the situations, no you know, like knowing what everything means and just like it's like playing music. It's like playing jazz to me, it seems like.

Matt Gregory (19:03): I just I also think like the idea of of play being core to like a career path is so like antithetical to like the times that we're in right now, like where people, you know, they're all pushing for, you know, there there's like a lot of push for like what's the next thing that I need to achieve. And that's like the opposite of of play. And I mean you you've you've done so

Jon Sciambi (19:25): Mm.

Matt Gregory (19:26): many cool things with your skill, like you know, working with all these different teams, Florida Marlins, Atlanta Braves. you know, working in ESPN, you know, the your work on the Cubs, like and it's really I I had no idea you were gonna go the direction of play, but it's it's it's so it's so cool that that's so core to to what you do every day.

Jon Sciambi (19:45): Yeah, and it I would say it's a thing that keeps me so engaged and it allows me to connect with the person I'm working with. I think it allows me to connect with the audience. it's funny. I get I I mean it's it can make for an awkward thing, but I do think that part of it is I was at a charity event the other night with a lot of Cubs fans and I will get people that'll go Come up to me and approach me in a way that's like this. Hey. Huh? Hey, done. And I'm, and there's an element of it where I'm like, shit, do I know this person? Do I wait? Did we meet? I can't. And but in the end, like that's what we're giving off. We're giving off this that they feel that towards me. And I and I love that. I really do. You know, that it. They feel comfortable enough that they're letting me into their home, me and JD, and they understand that Yeah, that I really enjoy it. I think that's the other component is that I really it's exciting. It's fun, you know. Tonight we're gonna do the Cubs and the A's, and the Cubs have lost eight straight at home. and the sky is falling, and I'm excited to go to the ballpark, you know.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (21:14): Yeah. Matt, do you wanna ground speaking of grounding, you you wanna ground us back in w some of the structure of our interview here?

Matt Gregory (21:23): Yeah, sure. I mean, I think, I'm wondering with this this theme of play, or this theme of, you know, having having fun doing what you're doing, like, have you lost sight of that at all as you've been, you know, in these transitions in your career? Like I imagine that some of the people that you work with don't have the same mentality. I'm wondering if that's like if you've been able to protect that.

Jon Sciambi (21:47): Well, so it's funny you say that. I I will I am I'm at a stage in my career where I am actively making sure that I'm protecting it, whether it's doing a couple fewer games, traveling slightly less, because I don't want to be the grumpopotamus doing this job. It's like like I was lucky enough to say I wanted to go work in the toy department, and then they hired me. And I don't ever want it to feel like I'm working in accounting. No offense, accountants.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (22:23): Yeah, I respect you accountants.

Jon Sciambi (22:25): but I'm saying I I so I protect it. and I want to make sure that I really when I'm facing the field, facing the court, that I really like it. I also get a chance to be a little more selective now. I mean, look, when you're coming up, and when I was coming up, it it's different now. The ability because of stuff like this, so many people have access to being on the air. It was not the case. So if you know somebody wanted me to go call, you know, the great log rolling championships in Vermont, like we gotta go do that because it's an opportunity to learn how to be on the air. I think now, as a general idea, I really only want to be calling stuff. That if I was hanging out at home I would watch.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (23:18): Yeah. Can we can we loop back a little bit? Like so y you

Jon Sciambi (23:22): Absolutely.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (23:23): you you were a player, you were a great baseball player in your youth. And

Jon Sciambi (23:29): I mean, I I was good. Yeah. I I loved playing. I loved playing. From the the earliest age. I loved playing. I was really good in high school, you know, in at Regis. there it go. Give me that again, one more time. Yeah, I love that. so I I love playing, and I didn't I think that it really started with I never wanted to stop playing and pun intended, right? So And eventually, you know, I had some injuries. I wasn't good enough. I transferred from I went to William and Mary to play as a walk-on, like a preferred walk-on. I got hurt. I transferred to Boston College. because I just felt like school suited me better and was better for doing what I ultimately ended up doing. but I got cut from the baseball team there. So yeah, I I think it started with a real Love of baseball. You know, my my grandparents on my dad's side went on a cruise when I was like six, and I didn't know I didn't understand what a cruise was. So they sat me down and explained to me, you know, you go on a boat, and the boat goes away from, you know, land, and then you go and you eat and you gamble and you dance, and they tell me all this stuff. And all I wanted to know was, how do you get the box scores? And my grandfather said, you don't. And I said, Well, I'm never going on one of those.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (25:00): D

Jon Sciambi (25:01): Interesting side note, we have the internet now. I know you guys heard about it. It was a big thing.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (25:05): It's it's big. It's big.

Jon Sciambi (25:06): And you can get the box scores on a cruise. I've never been on a cruise.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (25:11): W I mean w you know, with an early impression like that I'd I'd just stay away too. Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (25:15): No doubt.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (25:17): but so how what was the moment you how did you dive into broadcasting? Like what was the what was the

Jon Sciambi (25:21): I literally went w at BC. I I got on campus. I went right to the student radio station. And I I think they had me read. And it wasn't even a sports guy. And he just liked how I sounded. I think it was always something I was comfortable with. I one part of my story that's funny, and again, Patrick we went to Regis High School. not at the same time, but when I was at Regis, I guess it was my sophomore year. I had the same English teacher for three of my four years, but my sophomore year, my English teacher, Dr. Tricamo, basically made me join the He was like, because I had him for English and speech my freshman year. And Couldn't remember. He was basically, you're good at this. You need to go do this. So he he made me do it. I mean, I was like, okay, yeah, but I so I went and

Patrick Dyer Wolf (26:22): You I w I wish somebody I I was I wasn't good at it, but I wish somebody had made me do it at the time. And I like I I feel like I spent years of my life just not being able to talk. Not that I can now, but I by the way, we should have a little ticker in the corner of the screen for Regis mentions. Can we do that, Matt, in post?

Matt Gregory (26:42): Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (26:42): Yeah, it's true. I know.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (26:45): and I think you know, Pablo Torre, three, described your voice has described it as a stratavarius. Like you've got the pipes. You get you're ready you are ready to wail the guitar solo. I think like you you came equipped, so I think that didn't hurt.

Matt Gregory (27:02): There are a number of YouTube videos of of your top top calls. I was watching some of them to prepare for this and it's it's electrifying.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (27:11): Mm.

Jon Sciambi (27:12): My my buddy Jason Benetti, who's a glorious broadcaster, great, great talent, he he describes my voice as a low hum refrigerator.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (27:27): That's flattering in the best way. I I think

Jon Sciambi (27:27): So yeah. Thank you so much, Jason.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (27:30): I think my my dad had that registered too. He could have he could have probably yeah.

Matt Gregory (27:33): He did. Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (27:33): No question. It's funny. I think if you describe my voice of any of our relatives, I think I think my voice at times sounds like your dad's as much as any other person, like maybe even a smidge more than my dad. yeah, it's funny.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (27:53): The genes are weird. Yeah, I gotta, you gotta send me some of those those videos. I I've you know I've seen a lot of them over the years, but I'd love to see a super cut. That they so the one that's was sticking stucking out in my mind that I had mentioned to you was the I guess it's two years ago now, the Freddie Freeman Game One World Series against the Yankees call that you

Jon Sciambi (28:12): Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (28:13): did, which I was like emotionally, you know, I'm a Yankee fan, and I was moved emotionally by your call, and then I brought that up to you, and you were like, Thought I kind of flubbed it. And I was like, really? Like that was so interesting to me. Like that that hit me as an artist. I was like, I get it, but also like I thought

Jon Sciambi (28:30): Yeah, yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (28:31): that was fantastic.

Jon Sciambi (28:33): So what I liked about it, I love getting to call it on the radio. At this point, it I I'm I'm sure that there's an older part of your audience that understands that radio, there's a craft to calling it on the radio. That's so what I was happy about was I was really on the play. Like I set the bass runners, you know, I'm you're always sound wise. You want it to sound like here's the pitch. And then the ball hits the bat, swing and a high fly ball. I just thought what I didn't like about the call was I got so excited. Like the needle pegged so hard right away. Yeah, I know. I know I

Patrick Dyer Wolf (29:13): But it was s i I thought it was warranted.

Jon Sciambi (29:16): right. And it, I mean, look, I've had i i if you've ever seen in 19, was it ninety? Gosh, it's terrible. This is this is me getting old. It's either ninety-two or ninety-three, but the Braves beat the Pirates in game seven of the National League Championship series. This incredible ninth and in comeback, and Sid Bream scores. He's he it on a play at the plate, and and in game seven, the bottom of the ninth, at home, the Braves win. And Sean McDonough has the call. And Sean, every once in a while, when he in a big moment, his voice cracks. And so his call, if you look at if you listen to it, is, you know, Bream and he's safe. And the call is so good. It's so perfect. I just gave myself goosebumps doing it. I'm not even kidding you. It's one of my all-time favorite calls. And talking to Sean about it, he hates that his voice cracked on it. And I'm like, dude, that is one of the best. So It's the same type of thing. You just feel vulnerable, you wanna

Matt Gregory (30:25): Different listening to yourself. Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (30:29): you'd love ninety seven cracks at it.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (30:33): Yeah. I mean I I've just been I've just been talking about, you know, early Weezer albums with my friend, which are like a little rougher around the edges. I don't know if you guys are coming with me on this, but like later in their career they smoothed it out. I think most most Weezer fans would agree it got worse. It's like the humanity that was there in the beginning is what people loved about it. And like, you know, the f the I I the the voice cracking thing too makes me think of Sam Rosen, the Rangers broadcaster that retired after 40 years this past year. He was like, I'm 40. He retired 40 years. Like that was my fucking life, was his voice. And he wanted, you know, it was like a year or two before like Chris Kreider scored a natural hat trick three goals in a row in the playoffs to come back and beat the Carolina Hurricanes. And it was like his voice was just it like gave out. Like he was just

Jon Sciambi (31:25): Yeah, yeah, right. Love it. Yeah. Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (31:26): And I the same thing. I was just like, it's real emotion. Like you're just you're just going with it. And it's

Matt Gregory (31:31): Completely AI proof. Yeah,

Patrick Dyer Wolf (31:32): AI proof. Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (31:35): I so and then look, the other part that I'll say that's interesting, and this is a totally different topic, but I don't love in today's this is a big thing for me. What I don't love about today's world of broadcasting, and again, this is gonna make me sound old, is I do think that now so many broadcasters, every broadcaster is aware of Their highlights get played. So what I don't like is there's times when it feels as though some guys are like calling highlights inside of the game as opposed to, you know, maybe the best moment in our broadcast tonight is like the third inning when we go over like what is xwOBA and we have like a funny, interesting, whatever d you know what I'm saying? Like as opposed to the call. Because I've always the one thing that I feel strongly about is Yes, my job is in part to hit the big moments, but it can't totally or even mainly be about hitting the big moment because there are too many sports games where you're broadcasting for a team that stinks. So does that mean that you can't be good? You understand what I'm saying? You don't get a chance to call the big moments because your team's terrible. So there have to be other ways. For you to deliver positive aspects to the broadcast, other than nailing the walk off homer what if your team never hits a walk off

Patrick Dyer Wolf (33:13): just accompanying people on the journey like that, you know,

Jon Sciambi (33:16): Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (33:16): if you're just watching if you're just opening the ESPN app and you're like, here's four home runs that the Yankees hit last night, it's like that's kinda like watching a porno. It's like that's doesn't ha it's not emotionally resonant and it's

Matt Gregory (33:28): I mean, it's interesting it's interesting, Pat, that you make that analogy 'cause I think it I think so much of this is about attention span. And it's like, you know, how how mu how are people actually consuming the game now? Like are they around for the boring third inning or or not?

Jon Sciambi (33:43): No, you're Matt, you're right. You're I think you're spot on. In today's world of attention deficit disorder, short attention span. I I think that that's I think it's fair. I think we we we consume as a culture, we consume highlights. and that's the the first way that we do it. And I think of all the sports that for lack of a better you know, is is will suffer because of that. I think baseball is One just cause it's slow.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (34:16): you're above golf, but that's there

Jon Sciambi (34:18): Right, that's right, fair enough.

Matt Gregory (34:21): like what is what is preparation look like for you before a game?

Jon Sciambi (34:31): It it's hard to explain. I I it's not something. Okay, so the good part of preparation is Shota Imanaga's pitching tonight, and I'm interested in digging and going down some rabbit holes with Shota. So like I'm looking forward to the prep on it. I would say for me, the problem is it has a little bit of trying to reach the end of the internet to it. I don't have, I had some routines and things that I do. But I think that so much of it is just wandering and trying to find interesting. I mean, you're trying to get an outline grasp to but there's all these things that we do to feel prepared as opposed to. I think if you we were to be honest, if you put me in the booth right now, I'm prepared. Like so I think that there's an aspect of it where my prep when I'm doing this many games, it's perpetual. I'm clipping articles. I probably am saving some type of article or finding something baseball related every day of the year.

Matt Gregory (35:45): What about the like your kind of method as a broadcaster? Like do you do do you feel like you whether it's intentional or not, are you like studying your peers and like none of that? You've got your style.

Jon Sciambi (35:58): No. No, so I I don't I'm not s not at this point. I mean, I think I had the good fortune of I've done it for a while and there's I don't know, you just you're confident and secure. I'm interested. I mean, when I hear something when I hear something great, I love it. You know, there's a random Dave Fleming, I think it was last year, called a walk-off inside the park homer for Patrick Bailey, who's their catcher. And it was on the radio and he just did this magnificent job of describing Cause out in San Francisco at right center field it angles out and it gets super deep and the ball ricocheted and started rolling along the warning track. And he's simultaneously describing the ball hitting the wall, ricocheting, and Bailey's running around the bases, and you know it's gonna win him the game. I love hearing just random calls like that and texting Fleming saying, Man, that call was awesome, or 2022, I called the same, I was really happy. I had a Bryce Harper home run in the eighth inning of game five that basically won them that series and put them into the World Series at home. But like Joe Davis had a call for Bryce Harper where he said it's the swing of his life. And I just I loved that call. I thought his call, I thought that call was was great. So yeah, you hear little stuff, but as a general idea, I would say. I'm focused on me and I don't know that I'm doing much like crowdsourcing.

Matt Gregory (37:38): I'm just wondering, like you know, in in the arc of a career, like you build confidence, you you kind of note you l you learn your thing and and you bring that to the table, you know, in whatever you're doing. And I I think that so I I know that that's like one way of looking at the kind of arc of a a career path. But I also think like there's something unique about the way that you've approached your work. It sounds like from the very earliest days, this playfulness that came back to a few times. and I'm wondering if people were to take that playfulness and apply it to other pursuits, like people outside of the commentating, broadcasting world, think there could be a lot of good to that. just because I think that that we're in we're in a culture right now, people put a lot of pressure on themselves. and that that decreases, you know, Yeah, I don't think you're doing your best work when you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself.

Jon Sciambi (38:36): Yeah, I think it now here's the part that you know where you really deconstruct it. I think I I a hundred percent agree with you to John Cleese's original point, it's exactly what you're talking about. When you're in that mental space, I think it serves to take some of the pressure. Like we're just playing. There are no mistakes. Like and so that's part of it. I would also say that. It is authentically who I am. And I think that the bigger one, at least for what I do, is I say to people, you want to take what you're like off the air and what you're like on the air, and you want it to be this. Because anytime you're trying to perform a character, my opinion, I just think it gets challenging. So I I think that I'm trying to deliver. you know, the most auth basically I think that when I'm at my best, the stuff that will make you laugh if you got to meet me in person or we hung out and watched TV, they're the same jokes I'm making on the couch.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (39:55): do you ever have phrases or like stuff in your pocket for for like eventualities or do you fully let things happen as they as they do?

Jon Sciambi (40:10): I think the only thing I would say is is last year so the Cubs were in Pittsburgh and they were gonna you know clinch the playoffs. I probably in my head organized my thoughts about like what I was going to say or what my bullet points were going to be as soon as the final out is secured. But nothing more than that. You know what I mean? Like I'm not if you're asking me, you know. Pete Crow Armstrong is up in the bottom of the ninth. Am I thinking to myself, if he hits it out, I'm gonna say razzle dazzle jazz jazz hands? No, I am not thinking that. But tonight maybe I will. So

Patrick Dyer Wolf (40:51): I mean Yeah, I I you know, and I'll be I'll I'll just nod and and smile 'cause we'll know. I

Jon Sciambi (40:57): If he hits one out tonight and I say razzle dazzle jazz jazz hands, can we get someone to like donate some money to Project Main Street? Can we do that?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (41:06): I was gonna well that's a pretty good segue. I yeah, I

Matt Gregory (41:08): Yeah, that is a good segue.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (41:10): Lou Gehrig Day was Tu Tuesday? Is that

Jon Sciambi (41:13): Yeah, it was.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (41:14): right? How I so all the stuff I've been seeing about this from all the players and all the people related to the whole End ALS campaign, seem it seems like it's just fantastic. Like the the level of involvement has been amazing.

Jon Sciambi (41:30): Yeah, it's it's super gratifying that you know people are down to participate and you're just trying to raise aware look, we're trying to raise money because the money goes to help people that are living with the disease. I I don't know if somebody plunked down, you know, two million dollars, we'd give out two million dollars because that's what we do. There is this intangible component to it where you're just there are plenty of people that don't know what ALS is. it's a tragically underfunded disease in terms of research. You know, Lou Gehrig, if he was diagnosed today, his prognosis would be the exact same, which is crazy. For all of our technological advances, it's pretty wild that we have a disease that is 100% fatal. so I'm really just trying to get out there. You know, I we created these shirts with the help of Obvious Shirts. So, you know, it's that run DMC style. And ALS, and it's right there in your mug. So if you don't know what ALS is, there's a pretty good chance you're gonna be like, what's that? like Greg Maddox name drop. when I asked him to do a video, he sent one back to fuck with me, and it just all yeah, I was like, Greg, can you send a picture of you in the shirt? Send something where you send a a video that says you looking in the camera saying. End ALS and then hi I'm Greg Maddox. get your end ALS shirt at the link below and wear it on Lou Gehrig Day. And he simply sent me a video where he looked stone faced into the camera and said, End Al's.

Matt Gregory (43:13): Okay.

Jon Sciambi (43:15): And I sent him a text back and I'm like, Greg, no, actually, it's and he's like, you really fell for that bit, huh? And I was like, Yes, I did. You you got me. So look, it's it's so many people step up. I think that the even bigger thing though is I had a group of different ALS patients at the ballpark on Tuesday. And so Logan Rideout is a guy who he DM'd me in February and he said, I'm a huge Cubs fan. I live in Oklahoma. so we have that in common. We have the Cubs fandom in common. But now the other thing we have in common is I just was diagnosed with ALS today. And I don't know how to tell my family. so I had a Zoom with him, you know, just a guy that I so and then I, you know, he's like So what do I do? And I so we talked about yeah, go do the stuff you want to go do. So I said, come to Lou Gehrig Day. So he flew in from Oklahoma. Craig Council donated his seats to him. you know, Cubs gave him a bunch of gear. He got to see all sorts of cool stuff. There were other families that were honored on the field, and their family members throughout the first pitch. And I just think I could see what an amazing day it was for them and for people I think frankly that feel a little forgotten about. I think that's the one part of this endeavor that I hadn't contemplated. Yes, we're raising money because originally Tim and Katie needed help with money because so much stuff wasn't covered. But more than anything, with this disease, your ability to communicate. starts to decline, your ability to be mobile starts to decline. So your world gets really small. So when someone knocks on the door and is like, hey, what's going on? What can I do for you? You want to come to a Cubs game? It I think that you're you're you're able to give something here where it's like you allow like they feel seen. They feel loved, taken care of a little bit because I think the world has, you know, sort of been shrinking. And I mean, maybe that's overly dramatic. I don't know. But I feel like you and then I'm put in this position with a platform where for a lot of people you can give that or have a connection where you text with them. And you get a chance to make an impact. So it's yeah, it's it's really gratifying.

Matt Gregory (46:05): can you give like just for people that aren't familiar with it, can you give like thirty seconds on Project Main Street and like your work on that?

Jon Sciambi (46:13): So Project Main Street, I grew up on Roosevelt Island in New York City. It's a small island in between Manhattan and Queens. The one street there is Main Street. when I'm in New York. And when I went to and moved there, I met a kid named Tim Sheehy. he was a year older, two years older. and he was we were all just part of the same friend group. We played soccer together and baseball together. And So fast forward, we're in our thirties now and we're all still together. And Tim was diagnosed in 2005 with ALS. You know, he's just walking on a golf course and he just kept tripping. And he was with, you know, our buddy Brad, and like they kind of laughed because he was tripping. And ultimately he was diagnosed with ALS. and in the middle part, we needed to figure out a way to To help them. So we had a fundraiser. Tim went to the University of South Carolina to play soccer. And he played there with one of the guys from Hootie and the Blowfish. And I can still remember coming home, like my freshman year or sophomore year of college. And he gave me a tape and it had five songs on it. And it had Hold My Hand and it had everything. So when all those songs came out, I knew all the words to all the songs. It was Like they blew up and I was like, Man, I've been on them for two years.

Matt Gregory (47:38): Old news.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (47:39): You know what you know what's wild is I maybe I knew that, you maybe you told me that a long time ago, but I forgot and when you just mentioned US C just now, I almost blurted out Hootie, just not even

Jon Sciambi (47:49): Yeah, so so anyway, so we created the the 501c3 after, you know, off of the money raised from the fundraiser. And, you know, Tim and Katie got some of it. And, you know, look, Tim basically lost his fight 20 years ago, 2007, and we've been doing, you know, still raising money since. Look, we're small. we have one employee, and it's Tim's widow, Katie, and we have a softball tournament. And at this point, the last few years, we basically have run it with Lou Gehrig Day as sort of the point. And the Cubs, when I got the job of the Cubs in 2021, the one thing I did tell them was how important, you know, ALS advocacy and Project Main Street, how important it was to me. That coincided with the first Lou Gehrig Day, my first year. So the Cubs have been amazing. We're in the middle, we have an auction right now where There's a Lou Gehrig signed ball. Those are all sorts of game use stuff. Eddie Vedder was nice enough to donate a signed guitar from all of Pearl Jam. some Eddie Vetter signed posters. There's a bunch of really great auction items. Yeah.

Matt Gregory (49:00): That's super cool. Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (49:02): So that that's that's kind of it right there. And yeah, that's and we sell the t shirts at Obvious Shirts and Ivy Shop, and it's Yeah, do what we can.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (49:11): I my shirt I I'm I'm not making this up. My shirt is out for delivery right now. My Cubs End A L S shirt might be on my porch.

Jon Sciambi (49:19): My man.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (49:20): I and I just what yeah, you gotta order one. I

Matt Gregory (49:20): I'm gonna order one right after this. Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (49:23): was lucky enough to play and we've I've done it a couple times with and without the band, the the Project Main Street fundraising concert at the end of April in Brooklyn, Red Hook, at the Jalopy Theater, which is awesome. It's this little rickety old theater. and yeah, yeah, really cool. And

Jon Sciambi (49:41): So cool though. That picture, Kate I think Katie sent me a picture. I it's one of my favorite pictures of you performing. There's just something about about the the the stage. It's really great.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (49:56): It's a great spot. And it c Katie, it's always great to see her and the crew there and and my family got to come out and yeah, it was it was awesome. If I'm not mistaken, I so my son was just playing MLB the show the other day. Eamon was just playing L B the show. Did you get them to put the th the it on the the sign up on the yeah, they did that.

Jon Sciambi (50:18): Yeah, they did. That was I mean, like that's yeah, they so MLB has a 4 ALS as their, you know, sort of call to action and yeah, they have it on the walls in the the video game. So the the folks it's Sony were able to do that and yeah, the video games is a wild one. getting a chance to do that and being very popular in like the six to thirteen year old demographic.

Matt Gregory (50:46): Yeah.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (50:46): But not only, I got so our manager of our band, Casey, is outside of that demographic. He's I think he's 45. he plays a lot. I j he didn't know, he didn't know the connection till recently. Like I didn't know he played the game. but I was like, yeah, that's you know I I think he was this is wild because that you you went on Pablo's show and did the episode where There was the older man who plays plays full seasons of MLB the show, like plays out the seas does he do it in like contemporaneously with the season? Was that what it what it was? Something like that. Yeah. So

Jon Sciambi (51:28): Think so. But we did it live where he played Pablo and I and and the c they turned the commentary off and I was in the studio calling play by play and I slowly started to drop like Easter eggs in there talking about like Pablo's blue cardigan. And this guy's in his eighties and he was catching it immediately that and he was asking about like where's Chris Singleton? And, you know, I would answer him, I would say, Chris Singleton's on assignment and Eventually I walked in and he was he was such a sweet, sweet guy. It was a really it was it was a lot of fun. So

Patrick Dyer Wolf (52:05): That was a great episode. Matt, we got to put the the link to that episode in the in the show notes. But my it

Matt Gregory (52:06): That's such a fun concept. Yeah, we'll do that. We'll do that.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (52:11): what was funny to me was our manager had almost the same reaction to people. So like I know from talking to you that like you spend whatever, a bajillion hours recording every conceivable thing that could happen. And still the people are like, well, why'd they repeat it again? It's like, I mean, basically, what do you want? Like, you want AI? I guess people want AI. That's what they want.

Jon Sciambi (52:31): They don't well what they they just don't contemplate how many why do I keep hearing the same stuff? It's like, well, then only play a certain amount of times. you know what I mean? Like if you're gonna play because you can play the game very fast. So if you think about it, if you you basically are asking me instead of recording for a hundred and sixty two game season, you want me to record for a five thousand game season.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (52:59): Right, right. Really what you need to do is go back and play MLB ninety six on Psycha Genesis and then appreciate what you now have.

Jon Sciambi (53:06): That's right. Yeah.

Matt Gregory (53:07): We've come a long way.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (53:08): Yeah. But I I mean to I so I was wondering how I was gonna work AI into this conversation. Is that th is this threatened at all by AI? What's your contract?

Jon Sciambi (53:19): My contract actually is there is a component where because there are there are women in the in the show, I do allow there was like a negotiation where they paid for specific AI pronoun tweak for certain things, so I wouldn't have to go back in and replace every he with a she now that there are women in there, but

Patrick Dyer Wolf (53:48): Got it. So tweaks tweaks not wholesale. Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (53:51): that's right. Tweaks. I I don't know. it depends on what vibe you're you're trying for. I think if they're you know, Siggy and I have fun, and if they want to keep it, you know, a little more personal, then we'll do that. But otherwise I think, yeah, there's a chance, you know, AI will eat us.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (54:12): gonna eat us all. I mean it

Matt Gregory (54:12): God. All of us.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (54:14): se it seems like a great opportunity for so you w I mean you worked with Chris Singleton for many years. I I R L. It seems like a great opportunity to like get the band back together when you when you guys yeah.

Jon Sciambi (54:24): No question. That's one of the things that's so much fun about it. When we go out to San Diego, we'll do sessions in my little studio here. But it's that getting a chance to be around Chris and and like you said, getting the band back together is is really awesome.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (54:42): Yeah. I I have a question from a caller. Her name is Mary Wolf.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (54:45): Yes,

Jon Sciambi (54:45): Yes. Familiar with her work. I love her work.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (54:48): she does great work. was there ever a time where you thought this is not going to work, I need to do something else?

Jon Sciambi (55:00): it's the funniest thing. It's a great question. It's one of the most ridiculous parts of my story, and the answer is absolutely one hundred percent no. But it I I just kept doing the thing. I will tell you this. The first time when I went to Boise, Idaho, and I did play by play, I really liked it, but I was acutely aware of the fact that I kind of stunk. Like I was not particularly good. but I wanted to do it. I wasn't sure how good. But I it never occurred to me that I wouldn't be good enough. I mean, initially I wanted to be, you know, Mike and the Mad Dog Sports Talk Radio and I felt like I would get a chance to do it.

Matt Gregory (55:51): Is it just reps?

Jon Sciambi (55:53): Yeah, it's reps. Reps I mean, it's they I mean there's stuff

Patrick Dyer Wolf (55:57): Reps and faith.

Jon Sciambi (55:59): It there's stuff I mean for me it was definitely reps is what allowed me to to get to where I wanted to. I don't know why. I mean it was it was frankly very stupid that I thought because there's such a it's not like it's some full-time meritocracy. There there are plenty of guys that are good enough to to broadcast major league games who are not broadcasting major league games. There's some luck. I spent really no time in the minor leagues. So I was fortunate in terms of connections and you know, some of the resources that I that I used. I think what's funny is to to the question, it's a great question. It's a totally fair question, and I contemplate sometimes the idea of I like I was oblivious to like it was basically as simple as I wanna do this, what do I have to do? And so I had a book where I would write down who I called, what day I called them, whether it was r a radio station I still have it, like a log of Hey, you radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina, did you get my talk radio tape? And I'd leave the guy a message, then I'd call him a week later and I'd write it down and Yeah, so

Matt Gregory (57:22): You knew what you wanted. That's super awesome to have that clarity.

Jon Sciambi (57:25): Yeah, I and then eventually I was doing that and I was like, I don't want to do this, I wanna do play by play. And I started on my own doing games into a tape recorder in an empty booth at Pro Player Stadium. And that's how I got the tape together to get the minor league gig. And then when I came back, the Marlins were changing their broadcast lineup. I mean, it was there's so much good fortune involved in it. There really just a lot of good fortune. Good fortune. I I think I'm glad that I didn't contemplate, man, what if I can't do it or whatever.

Matt Gregory (58:05): But in in some ways it sound it it is about you you, right? But it also sounds like there's like a real generosity of the way you're showing up for these games where it's like you're coming into these people's living rooms, you're hanging out, you're cracking jokes, you know, and that is that it's about you, but it's also about sharing something with the the all viewers.

Jon Sciambi (58:23): I think that's probably true. I think that's probably true that it's you're you're trying to yeah, connections a is a is a big one for me. it's weird. I do what I do. I'm not a big small talkie guy, you know? I mean it's I think like as I'm sitting here with Patrick, we you know I remember we went did we was it a Pearl Jam concert we went to?

Patrick Dyer Wolf (58:53): Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (58:53): I or another concert, but I remember standing, we st stood outside Madison Square Garden what for what seemed like hours, and then we had this long back and forth email exchange. And Pat has this great phrase where he talked about like what gives you your yayas? You know what I mean? Like, what does it for you? Like what what are you doing it for, and what is it that that does it for you? and I'm grateful that. This still gives me my yayas and I'm grateful that Pat still gets his yayas from playing and he's still doing it.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (59:35): too.

Matt Gregory (59:36): Me too.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (59:37): I I have a lot I mean I I feel like I spend a lot of a lot of time in my mind kind of comparing contrasting you know the the music industry and landscape and this the sports industry and landscape and just where do they what what wisdom can be drawn out of both of them. I mean there's a lot of ways I can go with this ramble that I'm on but like I I I mean I just remember I remember you saying at some point that baseball is your favorite sport and your number two favorite sport was baseball. And is that is that still the case? Yeah.

Jon Sciambi (1:00:11): Right. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And so and that's I mean, that's certainly certainly important and that needs to to translate. So I come about that in a you know, in a real way.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:00:29): Yeah. I mean, so you you do you do basketball as well, just real quick because it's it's timely and we're running out of time. you gotta I'm well you don't have to, but I feel happy right now for Mike Breen and Spike Lee. Do you do you have joy for those guys?

Jon Sciambi (1:00:50): Absolutely. A hundred percent. So Mike Breen has become a good friend. Mike Breen, by the way, parent of two Regis kids.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:01:01): Of that's right. That's right.

Jon Sciambi (1:01:07): I really wish I don't know, you know, this is the first time I met Matt. I really wish like he would break out of his character and just be like, I wish you guys would fucking knock it off with the Regis stuff.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:01:18): And the New York stuff.

Jon Sciambi (1:01:20): I I am I am happy. I do think that New York fundamentally it it in look, it's the capital of the world, probably. And it's Sports wise, we live in a football world. And at its core, I believe New York City is a basketball town first, a baseball town second, and a football town, you know, somewhere after that. But it's basketball and baseball.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:01:52): Yay, hockey.

Jon Sciambi (1:01:53): It's b right. But it's basketball and baseball. Those are the two. And I and so like for Mike Breen, I'm so happy for him. We become We become good friends. I don't know how it happened, but somewhere along the way, I started I I started calling him Uncle Mike. So when we text, I sent him a voicemail before the the start. a voice note just saying, you know, Uncle Mike, go get him. I love that dude.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:02:35): yeah, yeah. Just you know, I put him in a in a in a category with you and some other select people of just like the way he makes me feel when I'm watching the game is great. I feel great watching him. And just you know, it just it gets me a little emotional just thinking about, you know, him and and And Spike Lee and just all you know, people who have been waiting since the seventies for this moment. You know, it's like it's just really like I I you know, I don't know. Like for

Matt Gregory (1:03:11): really should tell you guys to knock this off 'cause I'm I'm actually from Boston and I'm I'm

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:03:14): That's what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah. It's you've had some moments though, where this is our moment. This is our time.

Matt Gregory (1:03:21): Listen, I'm I'm happy for you guys.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:03:24): It's just like you know,

Jon Sciambi (1:03:24): He's got his fingers crossed, Pat. You know he does.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:03:26): we got we got we got universal pre K in the works, like we're but we might be back, you know. I don't know. We get mu he he

Matt Gregory (1:03:31): No, it seems like it. Like I'm ready to move, I think.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:03:33): canceled the bedtimes for kids this this week. You know, we're yeah.

Matt Gregory (1:03:36): Yeah, I saw that. I saw that. well, we're we're coming up on time here, Jon I I I wanna say thanks for for joining us and kind of sharing your story with us. And I feel like it's been inspiring for me. Just like I I love your approach to to your craft. and I I I also love, you know, as somebody that was a big admirer of Pat's dad, the the the way you keep his voice alive is is really magical. and and I definitely definitely hear the connection. So

Jon Sciambi (1:04:10): Yeah, he I mean It's funny, I I when I the part about play, I would say that he he influenced that as much as much as anyone in this, you know, with the with a a lot a large dose of like big brother slash parental, but just I think the thing that I would say is we had such a large age gap as a kid. I just remember how much he authentically Enjoyed engaging me. You know how like when you're a little kid, you can feel adults are like, get this kid out of here. And it was so the opposite with him. And so he made it feel safe and comfortable and like he wanted me to be there. And we were always laughing and playing sports or whatever. so I just think he he he fostered a lot of a lot of a lot of it and you know it's Like I said, it's ultimately who I am.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:05:16): would you be willing to tell the story of Eddie Vetter telling you about what y where you were in his contact list?

Jon Sciambi (1:05:26): Man. You know what? Yeah, I'll do it. Yeah. Yeah. I so

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:05:29): Okay. You don't have to.

Jon Sciambi (1:05:33): I it's yeah, it's funny. I've never I've never told the story publicly, but it's it's it no no no no no no no I f

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:05:40): All right, you don't you don't have to. Okay.

Jon Sciambi (1:05:43): I I will tell it's it it is I shared it with someone at that charity the other night, but it it's Eddie Vetter sent me the greatest text I've ever gotten in my life. and It it is I got the job in in January, of of twenty twenty one. I wanna it's funny, I wanna like I wanna look at the at the text he called me. Rick Sutcliffe said to me, There's going to be a phone call from a Seattle number, and you need to pick it up. And I was like, huh? Now he and I had met before. I promise I'll let I'll land the plane. We had met before. You and Eddie. Yeah, yeah. We'd we'd we'd hung out, but I didn't know him. Like I did, let's be clear. I did not know Eddie Vedder. So we had this unbelievable conversation where he was asking me all these questions. He was asking me about what it was like broadcasting in COVID. And I was saying how hard it was because I was used to the connection and audience feedback. And then he's saying to me, Yeah, you know, it's like I played some shows and it was like, We played Black and it was different. And I and I'm sitting there as we're in the conversation and I'm thinking to myself, Am I really having this conversation? Like, is this really? But the kicker of the conversation was after we finally finished and I and I hung up with him the next day, he sends me a text, and the text says PS just notice something when I added your number to the contacts in my phone. B for Barack, then Bono, then Boog, then Bruce. Good company, man.

Matt Gregory (1:07:41): Ha ha That is wild.

Jon Sciambi (1:07:45): And I was like

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:07:45): Dead. Dead. Coffin.

Jon Sciambi (1:07:50): It's unbelievable. So that's that's the story.

Matt Gregory (1:07:53): my God, that is an incredible story.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:07:56): That's a great

Jon Sciambi (1:07:56): And I s I mean I still have the text. I haven't framed the text.

Matt Gregory (1:07:59): That needs to be framed.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:07:59): Yeah, right? That's a framer.

Jon Sciambi (1:08:02): But it's it's yeah, it's it's incredible.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:08:05): I have I have a I have a great text chat going on now with my two friends. Actually it's basketball based. it's just with my my friend Chris, bass player in the band, and my friend Sarah, who I was gonna tie in earlier, because she she unfortunately has multiple diagnoses of sort of mysterious illnesses that are kind of fighting a similar fight that ALS is fighting, I think. in terms of getting the recognition, the funding, the research. but we the three of us have a have a text message that's mostly basketball based and it's called it's called This Is Art. what you just said that was art. This is art.

Jon Sciambi (1:08:53): I love that. I love that.

Matt Gregory (1:08:55): Awesome.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:09:10): I'm finally pulling my weight and getting some fucking guests on the show here.

Matt Gregory (1:09:13): You're delivering, man.

Jon Sciambi (1:09:16): I loved it, you guys. Thanks for for letting me hang out with you.

Matt Gregory (1:09:19): Awesome. Have a good one.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:09:20): Great to see you, brother.

Jon Sciambi (1:09:23): Love you, buddy. Matt, it's great to meet you, man. That was I enjoyed talking to you guys so much. So thank you.

Matt Gregory (1:09:31): Wow. What a guy.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:09:32): That was fun.

Matt Gregory (1:09:33): I'd love to hang out and watch T V with him.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:09:36): Yes. it's a good problem to have, but I could have you know, could have talked to him for a l much longer time, which I think is is is a recurring theme more and more on the show. So I think we're doing great.

Matt Gregory (1:09:45): Yeah. Yeah, I think it's so important that piece about play. and I just love the way that he kind of brings that to every game. And he was talking earlier in the conversation around like realizing that he couldn't do as many games or he needed to have some rest or something to like make sure he was he was bringing the self that he wanted to the games and like I just think that that's there are just a lot of lessons in there for for all of us.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:10:16): Yeah. It's I you know, there's a I think it's it can be said in a bunch of different ways. I remember Joe Torrey, the manager of the Yankees, w talked about it, relaxed intensity when you're holding the bat. It's like not too tight, not too loose. It's just like it's been it's been discovered and learned and forgotten by all cultures and all periods, but it's just like you gotta find that th place where it hangs in the balance in the right way and you're, you know Like I our buddy Bill, I think, worked at a a running store in New York City, And the guy who was the boss there, I can't remember his name. He was like a a noted ultra marathoner who I think had like set the world record for running on a treadmill continuously or something like this. And he had a book that Bill gave me, which I read. And his thing was all about like you need to find the tonic quote of r when you're when you're running. Like, not too much, but not too little. And like running is just like, you know, we've talked a lot about running in various episodes recently, but it's like it's kind of one of the more basic human activities. But I think it it applies. It's like just find the place where like you're loose, you're having a good time. It's a little bit challenging, but it's like you're just being yourself. and it's like easy to say, but it's har you know, some it's not

Matt Gregory (1:11:44): Yeah. I think a lot I think a lot of our guests have found that in some way in their in their work. And I think that it's like it tends to be the people that have stories that, you know, that that I ha I had a I had a a similar experience when I moved back to Boston where I was networking with a guy who's like a pretty well known entrepreneur. and I was talking to him about my path. And he's like, he's like, tell me a story about your career and like something you've like really loved. And I kind of like, I was nervous and I kind of like read him my resume. And he's like, that's not a story, you know? And I think like I think people that that f that find that like balance, And you know, that that that the perfect pace for running or, you know, the the the the right balance with work and fun and you know, it's i you can really hear it in the way that they talk about what they do. so I I yeah,

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:12:51): Yeah, no doubt. That's this is the takeaway. This is our takeaway of the day.

Matt Gregory (1:12:56): I really liked I really like chatting with Jon and I agree we could have talked for a lot longer.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:13:02): Could have been peppering him with my gotcha questions. I wonder if my my shirt's on the porch. I should go look.

Matt Gregory (1:13:10): Yeah, so you got the End ALS shirt.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:13:13): Yeah. Maybe we could put a we could put a link in the show notes for that one. All sorts of all

Matt Gregory (1:13:15): Yeah, we'll put a link in the show notes to that.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:13:17): sorts of links.

Matt Gregory (1:13:18): Yeah. All right, my friend.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:13:22): great to see you as always.

Matt Gregory (1:13:24): Really good to see you. Thanks for bringing on such a fun, fun conversation. All right. Talk to you soon.

Patrick Dyer Wolf (1:13:31): later.