All right. Welcome to a very special episode
of the Dan Time podcast, number 45. I'm your
host, Dan McCardell, and happy Father's Day.
I hope all my dad listeners, maybe, maybe that's
you. I hope you're having a spectacular day or
if you're listening to this and it's Monday morning
that you had a great weekend, a great Father's
Day, relaxing in however you relax. Some people,
that means doing yard work for half the day or
being left alone while you tear something apart
and put it all back together. Dads are busy people,
either, I don't know, by design or man, when
those kids came along and you really got called
up straight from AA to the big leagues. and you
were sitting there thinking you'd never have
to go grab a bat and here you are asked here
you are being asked to hit a a pinch hit three
run homer every day every day and you know what
you showed up you're doing a great job you're
doing a remarkable job don't beat yourself up
keep being there being present if your kids are
still small enough for you to carry them around
a lot. Carry them around a lot. You'll be glad
you did. And today we remember our dads. My dad
turns 80 this year. He's been a big force in
my life. If you go to the Dan Time Facebook page,
you'll see a photo of me and the old man together.
He knows more about me than I would probably
like for him to know. I think that's true for
a lot of us. And things I don't think he knows
about, he probably does. But... I'm going to
try something. Okay. This is new. This is Uncharted
Waters. What happens here may never happen again.
So enjoy it while this experiment unfolds. I'm
going to, I'm going to call it right here, right
now. He doesn't know I'm calling. We haven't
talked at all today. This is not scripted. He
doesn't know that this is happening. And listen,
we all know what happens when we call anybody,
even a family member, especially a family member.
There's a chance that they don't pick up then
there's a chance that they do pick up But once
they realize they're on a podcast episode they
all of a sudden have something more important
that they need to be doing Hopefully I can catch
lightning in a bottle and get my dad on the phone
and keep him on the phone and Enlighten you guys
with some Father's Day presents from my dad Bob
McArdle Here we go Happy Father's Day! Yeah.
Can you hear me okay? I do. Let me turn you up
a little bit. Daddy, welcome to the Dan Time
podcast. How are you doing today? I'm a father
and I'm glad to be a father. And I would just
say, lose your daddy. There you go. I'm on my
way over to... Travis's house. We're gonna have
a little gathering. Am I on Dan time or are you
just making fun of me? You're on Dan time. This
is like being on the radio all of a sudden. Oh,
okay. Well, I'm on my way to Travis's house and
I'll have him come and deal for me and bring
me frankincense and gold and whatever else they
bring. I'll accept it. So I wasn't expecting
this, but anyway, you got me for about 10 or
15 minutes. So take your best shot. Well, that
should be all the time we need to just kind of
recap our relationship here. No. How about Father's
Day? And I wish I could be a part of it. What's
it like? You're heading to see two of your sons
who are also fathers. to spend an evening with
them, something you've done many times over,
does it ever lose its luster? I think I know
the answer to this question, but I have to ask
it. I mean, is this routine by now? Well, you
know, it is routine, but it never loses luster
for me, Daniel. You only get so many of these
opportunities. And, you know, for me, you know,
to be able to spend time with you guys, you know,
no matter what the occasion or the excuse or,
or I just need somebody to explain to me how
to turn my iPhone off or on or do some settings.
It's always worth it. So, but no, I mean, you
get to this point in life and I've already hit,
you know, a grand slam. I've shot 69 on the golf
course. I've batted for the cycle. I've thrown
a no -hitter. I've thrown up the perfect game.
I've done everything else in life except make
money. So this is what I have left. What about
a punt return for a touchdown? I think you had
some speed on you back in the day. I did. I really
was pretty fast. Way back in the day when I was
like 10 or 15 years old or I was playing football
It would be called it toy though, but it was
like Pee -wee football It's like elementary school
and I was a guard if you can believe that and
We had a great play It was pretty much just to
end off it weren't that much passing but as a
guard They had a play with John. I was a pulling
guard, and I would pull over to the right and
block the guy coming in from the end. I loved
making that play. I was a pretty good guard.
I could take him out around the ankles, but I
always wanted to play half -back. I got one chance.
I received a kickoff, and I did not run it back
for a touchdown. I ran it back for a pretty good
run back. I mean, you talk about somebody that's
like, you know, 12 years old. And I remember
the one guy that was going to tackle me, he knelt
down with one knee and just held his arm out.
And I went through his arm like a turnstile in
a subway station. And then I finally got tackled.
So that was my claim to glory in football. But
you never forget those memories and... You could
probably close your eyes and remember that game
like it was yesterday. Yeah, and then we had
something called, I forgot what it was called,
but then we had Christian brothers teaching us.
These were guys that they were not pleased with.
They were brothers and they were very athletically
inclined and they meant all the athletics for
the elementary school, Catholic schools. And
so in football, I forget what it was called.
but you had to stand up in a pit and hold your
arms out to your side and then it would take
turns just tackling you just running five yards
hard as they could and tackle you and if you
went down to a deer try to stop it and get back
up and stand up and take it again I'll never
forget brother Basil he was just he was a mean
he was just a mean guy he would run those drills
with us all the time because you have to learn
how to take a hit. Well, and you've taken quite
a few hits over the years, figuratively, literally,
and you just keep bouncing back. It's one thing
I've always noticed about you is that I'm trying
to say this a little bit in with some humor,
with some jest, I guess. But, I mean, my gosh,
what does it take to get you down for a 10 count?
Well, I'm like that guy in the WWE, you're one,
two, and he's about to go down, come back up
one more time. So I'm kinda like Hulk Hogan or
one of those guys, if I could remember, mom's
favorite wrestler, Jake The Snake. Yeah, or Big
Boss Man or one of the others. You're down, he's
clearly got you. He's one, he's two, he's almost
three, and then his shoulder comes up off the
mat. Yeah, that's me. That's Bob the Big Dog.
Now, if you were in the squared circle professionally,
what color scheme are you going with for the
for the knee pads and the boots and the tights?
Are you wearing crimson? Maybe a forest green?
Or what colors do you like if you're, you know,
like a Bob Backlund? Well, I'm very special to
the color blue. because my blue eyes always help
me with the ladies. You know, they love those
Irish blue eyes. But I would say, you know, my
jersey would be blue. My knee pads would definitely
be crimson. I would always get that crimson color
in there somewhere in the shoes. You know, they
could be white, they could be black, but I probably
want to complete that crimson look. with just
a little touch of the blue to my favorite color.
Well, in a true Dan time fashion, we talked a
good bit of nonsense with the finite time that
we have for this phone call. So I'm going to,
of course, wrap up and think, why in the world
did you not ask this question, that question?
How about? Oh, I'm good for another 10 minutes.
So I mean, you'll cut me off early. I mean, that's
fine. Let's let's talk a little talk a little
bit about Something that I remember from calling
you whether I was 18 years old 28 years old 38
I'm never too busy for you when you'd get a phone
call either from me or from Robert Travis and
I don't know why we still continue to ask. Hey,
are you busy? We try to actually I try to rephrase
the question sometimes like hey, do you have
a minute? to just get around that answer i know
that's coming i'm never too busy for you when
did did you consciously think to start saying
that or did i don't think every dad does that
they don't they don't get out they don't break
away from meetings and say hey listen i'm tied
up i mean we're about to close a deal here but
if it's important i'm here well i mean yeah i
mean uh hold on one second down Hello. Yeah.
So finally, you need two days next week. I'm
sorry, Dan. I'll be back with you in a few minutes.
I'm sorry, Dan. I had to talk to somebody about
a dog. What was the question again? Anyway, to
comically answer your question, you know me so
well, all three of you guys do. I love tradition.
And I love historical tradition where there's
something that that I'm going to say and that
when I'm long gone, y 'all are going to remember
about me. I just always wanted to make an impression
on you, but it was serious. And, you know, there's
nothing more important. I'm gonna get a little
too serious, but nothing more important than,
you know, raising your children. And so when
I was in the business world and traveling and
you never knew where I was I could be in California
or Germany or didn't matter and you would always
say you know are you are you busy daddy and I
thought I need to let Daniel know that I'm not
and I came up with that phrase that just said
I'm never too busy for you and I never was I
mean I'd say out of 30 years I maybe didn't answer
your call and had to call you back but I wanted
you to know that your dad was never too busy
for you because what you were going through was
extremely important. I might have been in the
middle of a contract or talked with a client
or I might have just been waiting for a plane.
So that's how it came about and I can give you
a quick history lesson on it that sort of framed
how I came up with that and it was In fact, I
was thinking about it today. We were living in
Wilmette, and you were maybe seven years old
or six years old or something, and Robert was
eight, Travis was three or four, and we were
sitting on the front porch at our house at Wilmette,
and a really nice cool breeze coming off of Lake
Michigan, and Gammie was there at the time, and
we were just talking, and she had her bourbon
and water. And we were sitting on the porch and
I was all full of myself. I had just gotten this
great promotion to move to Washington DC to be
senior vice president of sales and marketing
for a satellite company. And so we were making
that move out to DC, leaving Wilbette. And she
could tell I was just fooling myself about it.
And she didn't say anything for a long time.
And she looked down and she put her glasses down
and she put that forefinger across her thumb,
I mean her chin and her thumb up. You've seen
that picture. She said in her own and abnormal
way, Robert, she always called me Robert. It
was never Robert, it was Robin. Robert, you're
gonna be very successful. You're gonna be extremely
successful knowing that I was gonna take this
job. And she said, but let me tell you something
son. you're never gonna do anything more important
in your life than raise these three boys and
Then she just took a swig of her bourbon and
sat back and that's all she had to say That's
all she needed to say got my attention I Love
that story. I think I think you've shared that
with me, but it was a long time ago and It's
something that I hope I talk about with people
during My work week or whenever I have a chance
to talk about my kids or somebody else's kids
And I'll just say you know when my kids get older
with technology this may be different But if
they're interested in calling me if they want
to place an outbound phone call to me with some
regularity, then I feel like I've done a pretty
good job and if that Is that more like a message
a text message? Okay, I can live with that. But
you know, I think that that doesn't just happen
Well, maybe that acorn didn't fall too far from
the tree Couple other sayings that that I've
enjoyed over the years, of course, we're talking
about sports earlier and We got to mention that
the Birmingham Stallions here that the upstart
or the restart USFL can't believe this they are
competing for their third straight championship
but a football or sports saying and it's not
really original to you but it's the way that
you said it some of those Alabama football seasons
you'd say hey listen they love you when they
love you when you're winning they love you when
you're winning just kind of remember that you
know everybody loves a winner oh yeah They love
you when you're playing 500. Do they love you
when you're in the basement of the division?
Do they love you? Is that your friend? Is that
is that still your buddy when you're? Not in
that elite circle a year later but I really like
that as well and Always takes longer and cost
more Yeah, that that was a that's a Lesson in
life and it's I'll come back to the the winning
thing in a moment, but that's a lesson in life
and it's it came out of a business class that
I was in and Had a guy that I just had a lot
of respect for he just had so much vision and
integrity and So I can't claim authorship on
that but we were just talking and he said, he
said, Bob, just remember, it always takes longer
and it costs more. We were trying to analyze
some deal we wanted to get into and it was going
to be $30 million or whatever. Should we invest
it? Should we not? And I was about, let's do
it. Let's do it. It's all good. And he kind of
laid out and said, okay, well, what if this thing
goes bad? And I said, well, what do you think
could go bad? And he said, just remember, it
always takes longer and it costs more. And so
that just stuck with me, you know, whether it's
buying a car or fixing up a house or, you know,
it does. It's just a rule of life. It's just
what it's about. And it's proved to be true.
I think that you and your brothers, they repeat
that to me time and again about air conditioners
or just whatever. So it's just the rule of life.
I wish I could take credit for it. But back on
the winning thing, if I could just say Coach
Bryant was always an influence on me. I mean,
of course, I never played football or anything,
but he was such an inspiring person. He inspired
his players to play better than they were capable
of playing. So at one point, He was also the
athletic director and the basketball coach came
in, Fig Newton, and he had all these plans to
get attendance to come to the basketball games.
And they were going to have, you know, shirt
night and cup night and all this stuff. And Coach
Ryan just sat back and walked back and forth
and looked at all his marketing plans to give
all this stuff to get people to come to the games.
He said, he said, Fig, if you win, they'll come.
That's all you have to do. And I thought it was
just so quick and it was to the point. It's like
you can give away all the crap you want to give
away. But if you're not winning games, nobody's
going to show up. And it just said to me that
success is success. You can have all the gimmicks.
You can have all the giveaway items, but you've
got to have success. And he had another saying
that I think it was him that the fans were calling
in about. You should do this, you should do that,
you should do this, you should do that. And he
cut one guy off on a call and he said, you know,
I don't know anything about your business. So
I really couldn't tell you how you could do better
in your business. But I just know that if we
start listening to the fans, we'll be sitting
up in the seats with them before too long. And
I just, it's that wisdom that people that know
what they're doing, they're winners. They know
what they're doing. Hey Wyatt. Oh, we have guests
here tonight. I'm going to put the headphones
on Wyatt here so he's going to take over. Here
we go Wyatt. You're running the show here. You
want to say something to Grandpa Bob? Say hey
Grandpa Bob. Hey Grandpa Bob. Hey Wyatt, are
you a winner? Mm -hmm. I know you are. Okay.
I love you, Wyatt. I love you, too. I can't wait
to see you. Okay. Wow. Wyatt, are you on the
show? Uh -huh. Wyatt. Hmm? Are you on the show?
Yeah. All right, I'm glad to have you on the
show. Okay. All right, well... It's a it's a
family affair here. We've got three generations.
I folks I'm serious. I didn't plan this this
is not choreographed Well, I'm sure you will
edit it to get the extraneous stuff of me rambling
on and all about coach Bryant and all that but
You work your magic on that part All right. Well,
let's see What else could we possibly cover?
I'm probably gonna have to run you got to run
but I Wanted to say happy Father's Day. I wanted
to do something a little different Surprise you
and I didn't know how this was gonna go. I know
you pretty well, you know me better than Well
almost as much as I know myself but I I didn't
know if you'd want if you'd say hey listen, uh
Love to do the podcast but give me a heads up
next time so I can prepare my remarks, but uh,
you you blew it out of the water and You took
that hanging slider and deposited it over the
left field fence. Now is that over the Rickwood
field left foot left field fence which used to
be 480 yards or the new Rickwood field fence
it's about 560 but well no Daniel I'll just end
it with this and say whenever you call me I'm
never too busy for you. So here we are You're
celebrating Father's Day for the 46th year, 7th,
I don't know how old Robert is now. Here comes
Vivian as well. Let's get you on the mic, honey.
You want to say hey to Grandpa Bob? Say hey to
Grandpa Bob. Hey, Vivian. Hey, Vivian. It's Grandpa
Bob. I'm going to see you soon. A lot more we
could cover, and maybe we will do a more proper
episode. But this was your Father's Day surprise,
Dantime listeners. And I hope it was a great
surprise for you today. Hopefully your kids surprised
you with something special. And just remember
to be present, be around. You don't always have
to be a superstar. Just got to be in the picture.
And it doesn't matter where there is, as long
as they're there, I'm there. So I'm looking forward
to tonight. And any time I have time to spend
with you three guys and your children, Michael
and Joe for Friday lunch yesterday. I mean, for
Friday. and explain to them, you know, how sacred
that is. And they were actually listening attentively
to me about how Friday lunch got started. And
so that maybe could be a topic for another time,
because I think it's pretty important. But thank
you so much for calling me. And I'm glad to be
included in the guest of Dan time. So it's Bob
time. It is Bob McArdle time today. It's Grandpa
Bob time today here at the end of the episode.
and couldn't think of a better guest on Father's
Day. Thanks so much for being here. And anything
else you'd like to always say, anything you'd
like to promote? Well, I always promote Bob the
Big Dog because that's how I make a living. And
we take care of animals, but they're not in Pensacola.
But here in the Birmingham area, we're the oldest
professional pet city in service. And we're pretty
darn good at what we do. So. Bob Dan McArdle
signing off.