Why are there "Ice Bats" in Austin, TX!?

Where is there Ice Hockey in El Paso!?

How did this wild and crazy idea of minor league hockey in Texas come to be and who was there to document it all!?

In comes this week's guest, Jason Cohen. Jason literally wrote the book on minor league hockey in Texas with a book titled "Zamboni Rodeo". In this episode Joe and Jason cover Jason's background in journalism, how he made his way to Texas, and why he spent a season following around this lovable team of misfits for a year.

Enjoy!

About Jason Cohen

Writer at large and former senior editor Jason Cohen has written for Texas Monthly since 1995 (and texasmonthly.com since its first iteration). His 1997 story "The Ice Bats Cometh," about minor league hockey in Texas, was the basis of his book Zamboni Rodeo (Greystone Press, 2001). He also wrote the magazine's first-ever Matthew McConaughey story, in August 1996. The coauthor of Generation Ecch! (Fireside Books, 1994) and coeditor of SXSW Scrapbook (Essex/University of Texas Press, 2011), he has also written for such publications as Rolling Stone, SPIN, Details, the Austin Chronicle, the Austin American-Statesman, Portland Monthly, and Cincinnati magazine. His 1995 Rolling Stone cover story on the band Hole prompted Courtney Love to yell at him from the stage at Lollapalooza in Austin, while his 2007 profile of the Portland strip club Mary's won a Sex-Positive Journalism Award. As one of the two primary writers for the TM Daily Post, Cohen wrote approximately five hundred stories for Texas Monthly in 2012. He has been a blogger since 2002 and has been known to maintain as many as five Twitter accounts.

About Zamboni Rodeo

Hockey is booming in the minor pro leagues south of the Mason-Dixon line, with the epicenter being the Texas Sunbelt, home to more pro hockey teams than any other province or state including Ontario and Michigan. Zamboni Rodeo follows the fortunes of the Austin Ice Bats as they wander across Texas, living on junk food and beer, practicing in deserted malls, and navigating slushy ice in too-warm arenas. Writer Jason Cohen joined the team in the locker room between periods, suffered through every lurching bus ride and fog-delayed game, and even spent a night in the penalty box in his quest hilariously documented here to know heartland hockey in all its sorry glory. Photographs add to this lively, irreverent ride through the heady world of bush-league hockey.

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Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com

AND Thanks to Self Unbound for this episode of the podcast:

Your quality of life: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, is a direct reflection of the level of abundant energy, ease, and connection your nervous system has to experience your life! At Self Unbound, your nervous system takes center stage as we help unbind your limited healing potential through NetworkSpinal Care. Access the first steps to your Unbound journey by following us on Facebook, Instagram, or at www.selfunbound.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/