All right, everybody. Welcome back to the Dan
Time podcast. I'm your host, Dan McArdle. My
dad listens to the show, as you know, sometimes
I don't ever know when, how frequently, but he
did call me a week or so ago and he said, remember
son, it's not Ma -car -dle, it's Mick -ar -dle.
And he's correct. And I have known that and that
is on me completely a hundred percent for being.
a little inattentive to the correct pronunciation
of the name. Folks, today is a really special
episode. They're all special. I hope you've enjoyed
the last few guests. Dan Sharp, all the way from
New Zealand. Fantastic episode. Great body of
work there. A lot of variety in his sound. Please
follow Dan Sharp Music across the socials. Dan
Slotnick. from Westchester County, New York.
Another singer songwriter. Huge fan of Dan Zlotnik.
In fact, was just listening to DZB 2023 on the
way back home this afternoon. I just, I love
it. Today, it is St. Patrick's Day as we are
recording this episode. And I thought it's only
fitting that I bring a fellow Irish descendant.
uncomfortable calling ourselves Irishmen, but
we come from a line of Irish ancestors. Kevin
McCroskey is my guest today and this is a dear
friend from Birmingham, Alabama. Again, we don't
get to talk a lot. We are on some text chains.
We are fantasy football combatants and we enjoy
a real hearty relationship. But a conversation
is few and far between. This is a big thrill.
Kevin, thank you for making time. I know you
got a lot of balls in the air today, as many
dads do. Thanks for talking to me and being on
Dan Time. How are you doing, my friend? Good,
Dan. Thanks for having me. Yeah, my name is not
Dan. But I will change it for money. I just want
to let you know. You know, I don't know if this
gig pays anything, but if it does, as part of
it, I'll change my name. Kevin, let me just say,
I've never asked you this question. What's your
middle name? Wade. OK, I was hoping to get a
Dan or some... Yeah, yeah. That would have been
good for the show, yeah. Well, Kevin also also
as you as you were talking about your dad I also
say my cross key even though it is to make cross
key. So it's a it's a common and maybe it's a
southern thing Yeah, yeah be careful around the
the old guard with those pronunciations and and
I like to get it straight and you know our children
are gonna follow in our example and how you how
you treat your Your surname and her name. Yes
Very important Are you wearing green today? I
am wearing green. I was gonna ask you the same
question What what kind of because this is not
a video call today? This is just a direct phone
call Kevin is is making use of a very short window
here He's on his way to a soccer game a kids
soccer game and what a guy what a friend to say,
you know what, for you, I got 20 minutes, I got
25 minutes. He's gonna get off this call, his
wife is gonna say, honey, we are 15 minutes behind
because you had to do that, whatever you were
doing on the phone. Yeah, what kind of green
are you wearing today? Well, number one is you're
building me up more than I'm worth. I'm going
to let down your listeners. I'm wearing a green
long -sleeve shirt with no insignia of any sort.
That was the one I could find so that somebody
didn't pinch me and anger me. Kevin, are you
a fan of buttons? You know, where you put a button
on the article of clothing that you're wearing?
Not a lot of buttons. I would say a medium amount
of buttons. The kiss me I'm Irish or some of
the more cartoonish St. Patrick's Day catchphrase.
A pin on button. Yeah, yeah. Well, you know,
I like to keep it to clovers. You know, they
can be three or four leaves. That doesn't bother
me. One or the other. You know, I don't want
the kiss me, I'm Irish. I'm a traditionalist.
What do you think over here in the States? at
how we celebrate really any holiday. You know,
Cinco de Mayo rolls around and you reflexively
go to your favorite Mexican restaurant. St. Patrick's
Day, do you think we treat it respectfully over
here? Even folks like us that, you know, we're
branding the name. We've got the MC. That's right.
Yeah. I mean, we can speak to this being our
culture, I believe, at least in the distant past.
You know, I don't know. I mean, dying anything
green like a river seems like a really respectful
way to honor any holiday. It's nothing like a
holiday that celebrates by drinking excessively
and promotes that there's a small green man with
a hat that has gold. I think that's very indicative
of what Irish stands for. I feel like... we as
Americans are just eager to celebrate anything
that involves popping some tops, uncorking some
bottles. Hey, well, yeah, yes, there's a most
holidays have to involve something to drink or,
you know, if you're dressed up in any way, it
then becomes more embarrassing if you're not
also, you know, inebriated. Kevin. We could and
I want to go back to some of this topic here
in just a minute, but You're a dad your kids.
I don't remember how old they are. I don't see
them very often I'm not liking and loving your
Facebook Pictures if you post them, I miss a
lot of that stuff. I feel like my my scroll Tolerance
has I don't know I was gonna ask you that question
when you're on the social media And you know,
it's a bottomless pit though. They will never
I think they'll never actually put put a an end
What do you call it to? You know Facebook where
they you just get to the bottom and there's a
point where it says that's the end That's it
for today folks. See you tomorrow. I'm actually
Pulling back a little bit, you know, I scroll
a little bit but I think I miss a lot of people's
updates because I just can't do it. I can't sit
there I am I am almost not even on the social
media. I I'm the guy that does not, I don't know.
I don't have a lot of, I feel like I could post
a lot of things about things, but I don't know.
I just don't. If you look on my actual Facebook,
I believe it's a picture of when my children
were like infants. They're now, my oldest is
now nine. So, you know, it's not, I don't do
a lot of posting, don't do a lot of reading on
it either. You know, I just, Kind of kind of
swore it off. That's that's a good place to be
Kevin. Yeah, I think it's you know for the podcast
here I don't have a personal Instagram account,
but I do it for Dan time and I don't I don't
shun those platforms I I use them a Good bit
of engagement on Instagram for the podcast But
I just me personally when I'm perusing There's
just a I get to a point where I think all right
I'm seeing a lot of similar stuff here. Yeah,
I'm active on the most boring one of them all,
LinkedIn. I would say, but strictly for business
purposes. So it's kind of like you can learn
about something. Though it has done a lot more
casual nature to it now. But I would say that
that would be the one I'm the most active on.
But that's where I also get to see updates about
the end time. I've seen them on there. If people
are not on the lookout for that on LinkedIn,
they should be. Yeah, LinkedIn's good. Like you
said, you start to see some of the memes creep
in there. LinkedIn, I like it. It is a very good
tool, depending on what business you're in. A
little bit of venting going on and that's fine,
but I'm starting to see a lot more of the venting
about workplace Yeah, yeah grievances and it's
like, okay. Well, what's Let's stop complaining
and let's just start Here you're with that toxic
toxic boss and the toxic work Some people's not
not easy enough to get away from that. But just
let's think about solutions Are you are you going
to any parades today? Well, no today it is soaking
wet it's it's storming yesterday was nice we
were out most most of the day Yeah, we we went
to the MLK parade a few months ago did not do
Mardi Gras When the kids get a little bit older,
we'll probably start hitting up more of those
events Yeah, so the Mardi Gras was was a was
a question we had about going to you know There's
the one down down in Mobile and we thought maybe
that one would be a little more family -friendly
Than the then necessarily hidden up Bourbon Street,
but You know the that's we haven't gone to one
either because it is also raining here. So it's
not We're only going to the soccer game because
there was a soccer game. Otherwise, we would
be at the house Kevin let me ask you so you're
about about a decade or so into being a family
man a Dad a responsible member of society Questionably,
but yes Do you look back at 2009, 2010 or 11,
those last few years before you entered to this
stage of your life and the things that you enjoy
doing and the social life, do you look back and
think, man, I wish I could plug more of that
in or are you at peace with what you're not able
to do? that sounds like like as if i've died
i'm at peace i'm at peace with the current situation
and i shall you're into into uh eventual old
age you resigned yes that's right i have resigned
uh yeah it's my resignation was uh did happen
it was tendered yeah it was tendered in those
in those time periods around the uh you know
i'd say 11 12 um Uh, yeah, you know, uh, that's,
uh, you know, I, I, there's some of it is, uh,
that, that would be, uh, fun to go do occasionally,
uh, that, you know, you don't get to do quite
as often. But yeah, you know, overall it's, uh,
it's, it's good. The, uh, um, you know, having
kids, I will say that, uh, and what you had mentioned
as we were trying to get the, the, the call to
connect here at the beginning was, uh, you do
feel like you're somehow always sick with something
with children. And I don't, and I imagine at
some point, that goes away uh like as the children
age yeah but i don't know i don't know because
i don't i feel like i have had a cold for probably
going on at least 10 years it's a decade cold
yeah yeah the constant clearing of the throat
and and i blame my children makes you an old
man yeah my little girl likes to like come you
know over there and she's five and she likes
to she likes to come sit and then she just coughs
directly like into my mouth and then and you're
like you're like why why did you wait to come
over here to do that that seems like you could
have you could have done it prior to sitting
next to me right yeah And, uh, yeah, that's,
that's, that's the joys of fatherhood and of,
uh, being a parent in general, I would imagine.
But, uh, I imagine also about 15, you're going
to start like, that seems to me for some reason,
the age that you will not get sick anymore. I
don't know why, but I've decided this that that
that's the age to shoot for. I think that's because,
uh, from what I understand, that's what they
spend very little time in close contact with
you. Yeah, that must be why I have that in my
head. Okay, moving along. Well, real quickly.
So you are any parent, whether they want to be
or not, you're an influence over your children.
Do your kids draw pictures of the family and
they say, Hey, dad, this is you. This is me.
This is a little sister or whatever. And it's
these, these crazy little pictures and stick
drawings. And it's like, Oh, that's your impression
of me. Yes. They draw me like I'm like the Jolly
Green Giant. That makes sense in your case a
little bit. I gotta say, you're a very tall man.
In my case, I'm about as average as you can be
all the way around as a human being. All the
way around. Personality, I mean, you know body
proportions. It's it's you know, so when they're
drawing me they have a lot They don't have a
lot to work with I guess Kevin I do understand
that you are at least at one time was Blessed
with some athletic talent on the soccer field.
Take me back to your glory days and maybe some
Some games that you remember or not just games,
but you know, were you ever hoisted up where
the team? Carried you off the field and and you
got a picture from the local newspaper and you're
just You know, you know that if nobody will ever
look it up so I could say yes, but No, they you
know, my glory days as junior varsity Was was
never was never really realized into the the
game -winning goal. I was I was a defender The
unsung hero of the soccer or football for your
international listeners. I mostly played left
defender. It didn't get a lot of glory. I went
to Auburn and Auburn elects to have, as part
of the sport, they do not have a soccer team.
for the men. So there was no, I knew I was probably
going there and that my soccer career would end
at high school. So that was kind of the tale.
You aren't drawing attention from college recruits
or college recruiters. You know, is that even
a thing in the United States for soccer? I mean,
I assume it is. Maybe now. Are there recruiters?
I'm like I want I I wish it to be true. I like
is the mls recruiting I I don't even know like
you you would think that somewhere somehow there's
like A guy that's good enough to make it from
high school to to start being on the you know,
like that teams are actually looking for it But
I are they are the programs funded that well,
I don't know Yeah, i'm not really plugged in
on in soccer I think my children one of them
probably will begin playing that sport. We're
in t ball now Nice and swimming and So you quickly,
you know your college days start and you transition
to just becoming a full -time Sports fan and
this is yeah when you're when you're a fan headlong,
you've basically pushed all of your personal
ambitions aside This is you've jumped on the
bandwagon of other people's accomplishments.
Yes, that's that's what I What I like to do in
fandom and I refuse to learn a lot about any
team. I am also a big fan of Just in order to
be you know, like not even like I'm just the
guy that can have a very surface level conversation
about any any team It's uh, it's just enough
for a very quick, you know kind of conversation
at a party Speaking of that do you uh, I mean
you hear some of the pundits and the people that
get paid to do this for a living and they'll
be talking about You know the afc south and a
particular team and their offensive line and
the struggles and the injuries and Well, here's
the question marks here and if we get this short
up here, then we'll be in good shape like I wonder
how the average working man or woman That's baby
got two or three kids. Like how can you get that
familiar? With a team. I mean, I want to get
the I really am I listen to sports uh radio and
uh like just because I'm too lazy to make my
car attached to my phone and It's it's amazing
that like you can you can listen at the beginning
of the day and the end of the day And they're
still talking about somehow football or whatever
it is and it's it's they still are saying something
that's somehow different than what they said
earlier in the day and I the the amount of knowledge
they have about it is it's it's more than I could
have I I would run out of things to say about
20 minutes after I got on the radio. And then
I believe that's also why that's not my career.
What's your favorite panel? Like, do you like
NBA on? Is it TNT where you got Shaq and Barkley
and Ernie and those guys? Or do you like the
MLB panel discussions? Do you ever sit and watch
those halftime reports? NFL on CBS and Howie?
I will watch the NFL one. Yeah, I'll sit there
and watch the NFL one. I occasionally will watch
the one with Sir Charles and the others. But
yeah, most of the NFL. I like the analysis to
some degree. Sometimes I'm not sure what they're
talking about, but yes. What about when like...
When boom and Sims are are cutting up and they're
and they're laughing. Are you laughing with them?
You're sitting there on your couch and they're
they're They're really having a ball What is
Kevin McCroskey? How are you taking that in and
what's coming out? Are you? You know, I uh, it's
it's uh, it's probably more like background noise
Anything at my house that requires any concentration
is almost a no -go I feels like between the children.
It's like if I No matter what program if it's
you know a movie it needs to be something where
I could dive in and out of whatever the storyline
is because it will immediately be broken up by
by some sort of You know question about juice
Kevin's children's programming. I always like
to ask this. Do you have a a least favorite children's
show that you've had to sit through and watch
with one of your kids? I would go with maybe
Blippi. I don't know if anybody's familiar. That
was a tough one. That age, I think, is maybe
on the... I'm over the hump on that one, you
know? Yeah. But I don't know if you ever saw
it. Have you ever seen Blippi? Unfortunately,
I have, and I think we've actually talked about
this. way back in another episode. Oh yeah, huh.
The guy who plays Blippi, he cannot possibly
be oblivious to the Blippi backlash. Like he
has to know of just how intolerably annoying.
My question is this. Her name is something else,
but she wears purple. I don't remember her name.
But, uh, that was also had some time at my house.
I just, I watch, I watch things like Blippi,
for example, and do, is that, do we think that
three and four and five year olds, uh, want to
be spoken to in that fashion? I'm not talking
about what he wears, but just that. I believe
that it's just the success is, you know, like,
uh, it's, it's kind of evident. I, uh, it must,
it must work. I don't know the, uh, I mean, the
guy is, I think, wealthy beyond any measure than
you would have thought capable of doing that.
So it must be a success. Children must love it.
I don't know. At least they're learning something.
That's the only positive on most of the show
is it seems to be that they're teaching something.
It was kind of like Barney. I believe Barney
was a generation of, I don't know if it was ours
or kind of in between, but that was... There
was a long period of time where Barney, I think,
was kind of that it filled that void in the children
programming arena. Yeah, I missed that one because
I was already a teenager at that point but I
was I knew about it. That's what I mean. I think
it was a I think that that was the parents of
that whoever had children that would have watched
it would have thought that same of Barney. I
think I'm strangely okay with a you know a mascot
type figure that's behaving like that and Uh,
the dialogue or whatever you call it, but not,
not an actual man that's bouncing, bouncing around
and flopping around and just, yeah, that's when,
that's when it makes you uncomfortable. I understand.
I, you know, I get it. The, the, the plushy nature
of a, of a, of a giant thing that's, uh, I will
say this. Yeah. It's yeah. If you, if you sit
there and watch Blippi, you understand that what
he's doing, it's all about engagement and. Once
you're locked in you're not gonna take your eyes
off of him you You know whether you're me or
you or our children He's carrying you around
and you're in so that's what it that's what all
the big eyes you ever notice on the kids cartoons
every Thing on Netflix everything on Disney's
these giant Eyeballs the frozen movies. What
are they? Ah, you know, it's a good point. It's
the uncanny into the soul of whatever creature
that is. Yeah, it's something about then I guess
that the children feel like it's seeing them
while they're seeing it. I don't know. Maybe
there's a lot of there's some psychology probably
here that we don't understand. We're not, you
know, we're not in the how to make money off
of this demographic. I think that that's it's
all you've brought up an interesting point. It's
all about the eyes. Okay, Kevin, let me bounce
around way across the field here Is there something
that you like to do whether it's the people just
wouldn't Wouldn't imagine I know a lot of people
listening have never heard of Kevin McCroskey
and what you heard of him now Thanks to this
podcast Do you do you have a green thumb? Do
you like to escort? elderly ladies across crosswalks
Only if I put my jacket down over a puddle. For
some reason, that seems excessive in any environment.
Can you sing? I know we used to... It depends
who you ask. I think that that would be a...
If you ask me, maybe. If you ask others, probably
no. It depends on the day, how I'm feeling, that
kind of thing. Are you a big singer, Dan? We've
never had this conversation. Do you like to sing?
I like to sing. I wish I could sing more... Open?
Yeah, I mean... From behind closed, not behind
closed walls? Right. Now, when I'm driving down
the road and the songs that I like to listen
to, I'm singing. And there are some times where
you got the music up kind of loud and you're
singing, you know, reasonably loud, but nobody
else is in the car. There's been a few times
where I'm like, man, I wonder how just ridiculous
that would sound if you suspended or just pulled
away the music from the track and just isolated
my vocals as I sang that song. Like I just shudder
to sometimes think like, wow, that was enjoyable.
That was a great song. Now I've gotten to my
destination, but. I bet that sounded atrocious.
Yeah. Well, if you, you know, if when the volume
is up, everybody sounds a lot better. So that's,
that's the key to that is that's kind of like
the auto tune. I mean, I think now you, if you
just had the ability to have auto tune, you'll
sound okay. Like that's, I think that that's
just the, like, as long as you can have like
hit some notes, then the auto tune will take
care of the rest of it. So, you know, I mean,
that's, it seems like you too. To be famous in
that field, you know, I mean now now I will not
say there are some That they are good without
it so that they are probably the reason why they're
more famous But there's plenty of singers that
I don't think they if you actually heard them
sing like in open You know without it without
a without a speaker without a without a microphone.
They would be terrible Kevin I got to ask another
question. So it is this is not a Prediction who
do you think is gonna win who's gonna get in
the tournament? But we're right here on the cusp
of March Madness Baseball is my favorite sport
But I think March Madness is the best sports
tournament spectacular in All of sports I could
have said that better, but here's my question
Do you like you like attending basketball games?
football games when you can I do Yeah, we went
and saw because my wife went to the University
of Alabama and so it's also relatively close
to our house. So we went and took the kids up
there to watch an Alabama game and that was a
lot of fun. We go to the Auburn football games
and we can, but I will say that my... because
it's uh you know the alma mater here in me is
gonna say that auburn's gonna win it all even
though uh i'm not sure that's true but that's
gonna be my my pick um for the uh tournament
um to win the tournament yes to win the tournament
because if it happens i look like i knew something
and if it didn't then it was just you know i
can blame it on a fluke i can there's a lot of
reasons i can get away with you know there's
a lot of ways i can look as if i uh They should
have done better, but Kevin have you ever been
carrying a child in one hand a thing of popcorn
or some drinks like is What's the max that you
can climb up? Those steps to get to get to your
seats on row 57 Seat 13 and 14. How many beverages
and hot dogs and stuff? I know they give you
the carrying cases Sometimes but have you ever
had any close calls? But you know, no, the key,
the key though is piggybacks. If you're gonna
take, you have to have a child to, now if they're
an infant, obviously this isn't a possible carry
method, but I say, look, piggyback, then you
can hold as much stuff as you can ever hold.
So it's, you do get choked constantly while you're
doing the piggyback. But, you know, I mean, it's
about as good a method as there is, I think.
You have to be careful because if you do fall,
then you fall down the stairs with a child, which
is obviously, you know, not good for anyone.
Kevin, I know we're probably running short on
time. You've got places to be, children to shuttle
around. We play in a fantasy football league
together. You have made some draft picks at times
that are quite questionable or have drawn the
ire of some of the guys in our live draft setting.
When you reflect back on your strategies and
on those draft days, is there ever regret? Is
there ever, you know, well, I guess, you know,
that he was onto something I probably should
have waited around or I should or are you? You've
got a plan and you're executing that plan and
Yes, I know it's It's sleepers, you know As I've
said to everyone Just draft a team of sleepers
get get a good quarterback and get some sleepers.
That's you know, it's it's you're gonna roll
the dice You're gonna either have a great season
or you're gonna have a terrible one I like it.
is sleepers and kickers. I love it. I want somebody
to take my advice when you're in. I want to see
how it actually worked out for them. I never
regret my decisions. I have a solid middle of
the pack showing usually. So it says something
either about the entire thing that that's possible
with a terrible strategy. I don't know. Well,
Kevin we've got we are Some of these conference
championship games college basketball are Tipping
off here in a few minutes. It's a Sunday afternoon
My alma mater the the UAB Blazers with a shot
to win the American Athletic Conference Championship
and They'll be into the tournament here What
a big day Kevin. I wish we were Bellied up somewhere
talking sports talking life, but but that time
will come again Our children will age and as
and we will age as well I'd prefer not to age
anymore. But yes, I If we do the the ceremonial
watching of the the March Madness on the either
first or second day that it comes around. And,
you know, if you were only in town, you could
belly up with us. Well, Kevin, I know you got
to run here. And this has just been a blast.
I hope I haven't caused any undue stress with
you and what you got to do. But oh, no, thanks
for being on. But no, hey, I appreciate I appreciate
you having me on, Dan. And, you know, the offers
on the table still for money if you, you know,
I'll change my name to Dan. If it makes the podcast
go smoother, I would love to have To have you
back for another episode. I think the second
episode will be the theme of Kevin's hopes dreams
and fears so we will We will get past a lot of
this nonsense and we will talk something. No,
i'm kidding. We will do another episode of this
type of Well good. Yeah. Thanks for having me
on dan and uh, yeah, I uh, I hope all of the
teams you pick win Okay, buddy. That's it, folks,
for this episode of the Dan Time Podcast. Thank
you, Kevin McCroskey, for gracing us with your
presence. There's only one Kevin, and only one
Kevin McCroskey of his caliber. Have a great
weekend and be safe out there, and we'll see
you next Sunday for the Dan Time Podcast. Today
it was Kevin McCroskey time. Thank you, Kevin.
Thanks, Dan. Hey, if you love that episode, tell
a friend about it. I always appreciate you downloading
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