Shaquille O'Neal confided in him about Kobe Bryant. Phil Jackson swapped stories about growing up in the Dakotas with him. 

He interviewed for his Los Angeles Lakers job with the NBA's "logo" Jerry West, who brought Vin Scully to their table at a golf club — and he tried to turn down all that. 

He moved on to work with Larry Bird and Reggie Miller, then coached Kevin Durant and Dez Bryant on how to handle the media. He lived several dreams of anyone who would want to go into major sports media, but meeting all those A-listers in the NBA wasn't actually his dream job.

His dream job was to work for the Indianapolis Speedway and Indianapolis 500, and he got to do that, too.

Now, he's living back in his native Sioux Falls and writing sports and news for the Brandon Valley Journal after a stint with the Argus Leader.

Meet Tom Savage — a Lincoln High School and University of Sioux Falls alumnus whose first full-time gig in professional sports was writing about and promoting the Sioux Falls Skyforce in their first championship season of 1995-96, when the Sioux Falls Arena was packed with 9,000 fans most nights.

Yeah, he has stories. And he spends over an hour telling them to host John Gaskins in the Orion Pub. 

Shaquille O'Neal confided in him about Kobe Bryant. Phil Jackson swapped stories about growing up in the Dakotas with him. 

He interviewed for his Los Angeles Lakers job with the NBA's "logo" Jerry West, who brought Vin Scully to their table at a golf club — and he tried to turn down all that. 

He moved on to work with Larry Bird and Reggie Miller, then coached Kevin Durant and Dez Bryant on how to handle the media. He lived several dreams of anyone who would want to go into major sports media, but meeting all those A-listers in the NBA wasn't actually his dream job.

His dream job was to work for the Indianapolis Speedway and Indianapolis 500, and he got to do that, too.

Now, he's living back in his native Sioux Falls and writing sports and news for the Brandon Valley Journal after a stint with the Argus Leader.

Meet Tom Savage — a Lincoln High School and University of Sioux Falls alumnus whose first full-time gig in professional sports was writing about and promoting the Sioux Falls Skyforce in their first championship season of 1995-96, when the Sioux Falls Arena was packed with 9,000 fans most nights.

Yeah, he has stories. And he spends over an hour telling them to host John Gaskins in the Orion Pub. 

Before all that, a work from host John Gaskins about the NFL Draft and a possible local tie to the Minnesota Vikings.

Could the Minnesota Vikings actually screw up this draft? 

Probably not. Relax. This isn't a decision of Christian Ponder or J.J. McCarthy proportions, host John Gaskins pleas to start Thursday's Draft Day show.

No, Thursday's first round and the Vikings' 24th overall pick pale in comparison to a move Minnesota likely won't make in the Draft, but in a trade or free agency. 

Who should be QB2, and why is that more important than if South Dakota native and North Dakota State legend Grey Zabel or McCarthy's high school teammate Tyler Booker are picked to help block for McCarthy? 

It is still intriguing to see what the Vikings will do with their first pick — take a guard, take a defensive back, or take a "trade back?" Gaskins has monitored the experts and shares his best guess.

Charles Barkley has even weirder word than the ones host John Gaskins used — weebled and wobbled — about how the Minnesota Timberwolves blew a chance to go up 2-0 on the L.A. Lakers in their NBA Playoffs series. In fact, Chuck's word channels the second-best baseball movie of all-time, Bull Durham. 

(Major League, of course, is the best baseball movie of all-time.)

Anyway, what now as the series makes its way to Minneapolis?

It was a WILD night in Las Vegas. Minnesota's underdogs walloped Las Vegas to tie that series at 1-1, while the Sioux Falls Stampede's season ended with heartbreaking double-overtime puck luck.

It's been a boring NFL Draft Week for the Minnesota Vikings — until now! As if Aaron Rodgers talk hasn't been enough of a mosquito bite to keep itching, now Kirk Cousins is being linked to possibly crawling back to Minneapolis. And our local college football news continues to be dominated by portal pillaging, although a loud message was dealt to Big 10 and SEC vultures via tweet by a South Dakota State coach about a Jackrabbit who will not be bought and refuses to acknowledge constant tampering. 

First guest - Nate Kaeding

Why should Timberwolves fans have doubts about Minnesota being able to take down the LeBron and Luka's Lakers in this series, especially after what unfolded in Game 2? Why is Michael Jordan the GOAT over LeBron, and what of MJ do we see in Anthony Edwards? A lifelong Wolves fan who tutors the most talented young basketball players in South Dakota as the Sanford Sports Academy's basketball supervisor, Nate Kaeding answers these questions and broader topics about where the quality of the game is headed both locally and globally. With 14 years of college assistant coaching experience — including stints at the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State in addition to North Dakota and Montana State — Kaeding has a keen eye and direct way of evaluating all levels of the game, which is why he has served as lead analyst for high school boys state tournaments the last four years on SDPB-TV. The well-connected Kaeding forecasts the Eric Henderson era at Drake and what is to come at SDSU under Hendo's replacement Bryan Petersen, who blew up Kaeding's phone toward the end of the 42-minute conversation. 

Second guest - Jim Olander

What a comeback season! What an agonizing way for it to end. The Sioux Falls Stampede and their fans were ready to celebrate a Game 4 USHL playoff series win in Waterloo on Tuesday night, up by a goal with a minute to play in regulation before the Black Hawks gamble to leave the net open paid off to send the game into overtime. That turned into double overtime, where a "puck luck" goal robbed The Herd of a chance to win the series in a deciding Game 5 in Sioux Falls on Friday.  Team president and radio Voice of the Stampede Jim Olander joined Happy Hour after a not-so-happy bus ride that finished just after 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning to describe the heartbreak of the final chapter of an otherwise fascinating and uplifting story of the 2024-25 season. The Herd won 40 games, contended for the regular season's Anderson Cup for the team with the best record in the USHL, and hosted a playoff game for the first time in six years, when they won their third league title. How'd they do it under first-year coach Ryan Cruthers, and what is to be expected now that the organization's bar has been so mightily lifted?

What a comeback season! What an agonizing way for it to end.

The Sioux Falls Stampede and their fans were ready to celebrate a Game 4 USHL playoff series win in Waterloo on Tuesday night, up by a goal with a minute to play in regulation before the Black Hawks gamble to leave the net open paid off to send the game into overtime.

That turned into double overtime, where a "puck luck" goal robbed The Herd of a chance to win the series in a deciding Game 5 in Sioux Falls on Friday. 

Team president and radio Voice of the Stampede Jim Olander joined Happy Hour after a not-so-happy bus ride that finished just after 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning to describe the heartbreak of the final chapter of an otherwise fascinating and uplifting story of the 2024-25 season.

The Herd won 40 games, contended for the regular season's Anderson Cup for the team with the best record in the USHL, and hosted a playoff game for the first time in six years, when they won their third league title.

How'd they do it under first-year coach Ryan Cruthers, and what is to be expected now that the organization's bar has been so mightily lifted?

Why should Timberwolves fans have doubts about Minnesota being able to take down the LeBron and Luka's Lakers in this series, especially after what unfolded in Game 2?

Why is Michael Jordan the GOAT over LeBron, and what of MJ do we see in Anthony Edwards?

A lifelong Wolves fan who tutors the most talented young basketball players in South Dakota as the Sanford Sports Academy's basketball supervisor, Nate Kaeding answers these questions and broader topics about where the quality of the game is headed both locally and globally.

With 14 years of college assistant coaching experience — including stints at the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State in addition to North Dakota and Montana State — Kaeding has a keen eye and direct way of evaluating all levels of the game, which is why he has served as lead analyst for high school boys state tournaments the last four years on SDPB-TV.

The well-connected Kaeding forecasts the Eric Henderson era at Drake and what is to come at SDSU under Hendo's replacement Bryan Petersen, who blew up Kaeding's phone toward the end of the 42-minute conversation. 

Beyond Pierre lineman Grey Zabel, a North Dakota State Hall-of-Famer-to-be, it appears there may not be a South Dakotan (native, high school alumnus or local college player) drafted. But history tells us that doesn't mean there aren't several that could make an impact on NFL teams. 

It appears J.J. McCarthty will "hit the ground running" as Vikings QB1, according to Kevin O'Connell. But KOC also continues to lead Zim and John to believe the Vikes still may have Aaron Rodgers on their radar, which they should. 

Exhausted by NIL/portal transfer talk? So are we. So we keep it to a couple of recent nuggets.

Finally, Augustana deserves a standing ovation for the forthcoming renovation of the Elmen Center to make it the on-campus hoops home -- at long last and full circle.

Has something gone awfully wrong with the USD football program? 

That could be a knee-jerk conclusion after the Coyotes lost five All-Conference players since the spring transfer portal window opened last Wednesday.

How much does it have to do with new head coach Travis Johansen, or offensive coordinator Josh Davis leaving for Fresno State? Nobody really knows but John Gaskins has information from trusted sources to conclude it has nothing to do with coaching and everything to do with money.

Meanwhile, are the Minnesota Timberwolves now the favorite to win their playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers after Saturday's throwdown? Vegas says no. John says yes.

It's NFL Draft week, but the Minnesota Vikings are flying below that event's radar, mostly due to over $300 million of offseason acquisitions in free agency. Then, there's the whopper deal they didn't make. Well, not yet. The one with Aaron Rodgers. 

Players reported for their offseason program on Monday, meaning head coach Kevin O'Connell and select players held press conferences with media. What did KOC and running back Aaron Jones say that could be translated to a crack still be left in the door for Rodgers in the next few months?

Then, a deeper dive into the FCS portal pillaging with HERO Sports national FCS senior analyst Sam Herder. How the recent House settlement that creates a "clearinghouse" led to even more of a "gold rush" for football players?

How much will the settlement reign things in to keep FCS players at their school? 

Which of the three Dakotas title contenders — NDSU, SDSU and USD — has the most stocked NIL collective right now? Why is this "one-and-done" situation for All-Conference players not as dire as it seems?

And who are the early top two contenders for the 2025 national title? Herder has answers. 

While all three Dakotas schools that reached the FCS semifinals last season have taken some hits by players entering the transfer portal since it opened last Wednesday, South Dakota has suffered the most, with five All-Conference players leaving in that time. 

How and why? How the recent House settlement that creates a "clearinghouse" led to even more of a "gold rush" for football players.

How much will the settlement reign things in to keep FCS players at their school? 

Which of the three Dakotas title contenders — NDSU, SDSU and USD — has the most stocked NIL collective right now? 

Why is this "one-and-done" situation for All-Conference players not as dire as it seems?

And who are the early top two contenders for the 2025 national title?

Sam Herder covers FCS football nationally for HERO Sports and answers it all.

The Sioux Falls Stampede play their first home playoff games in six years this weekend. Sioux Falls Live puckhead reporter Trent Singer explains the how the Herd have regained their traction and trampled competition so far. Will Waterloo be their Waterloo?

Plus, a glimpse into the Minnesota Wild's playoff showdown with Las Vegas and the Timberwolves clash with LeBron and Luka's Lakers.

And somehow, we stumble into Trent's interactions with Grizzlies staf Ja Morant a few years ago.

Veteran SEC Network anchor Dari Nowkhah gives us a deep dive into the seedy world big boy college football has become with NIL and the transfer portal. Nowkhah explains the chaos around $2.5 million quarterback Nico Iamaleava leaving South Dakota native Josh Heupel's Tennessee for UCLA, and what college football's first "holdout" means going forward.

Can we still enjoy our football Saturdays with the wild west of young men getting all the leverage and money they want to bolt anytime? Is there an end in sight? What does it mean for fans of FCS teams like South Dakota and South Dakota State?

What should we expect from former Sioux Falls coach Kalen DeBoer in year two at Alabama? What is Lee Corson like in person? And what should ESPN do about "replacing" Corso, particularly the end-of-show "head gear" act?