Happy Hour with John Gaskins

Now, we're getting somewhere. In the last few days, the Minnesota Vikings and South Dakota Coyotes signaled that the football season is close to actually happening. Kyler Murray was (finally) named the Vikings starter on Tuesday, a few days after Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer reported freshman Austin Moderzewski is the front runner to take the Coyotes' reins. So, let's talk. Zimmer joined the Happy Hour host for their weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" get-together at Gateway Lounge to react to those developments, plus opine on South Dakota State quarterback Chase Mason's potential for a colossal senior season in Brookings for a Jackrabbits squad picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference and slotted at No. 3 — behind Montana and Montana State — in the STATS Top 25 preseason poll. After all, August isn't just camp season. It's quarterback season. What about this whole situation makes die-hard fan Zim think the Vikings are destined to miss the playoffs and fire Kevin O'Connell? Why does the Happy Hour host disagree and expect a potentially big season?

Was the Murray vs. McCarthy "open competition" a sham? Did it stunt Murray's growth in learning and processing the Vikings' offense? (Yes, that's an intended pun. You're welcome).

Why does Modrzweski get the (so far) firm lion's share of the No. 1 reps at USD, and how does a freshman beating a couple seniors for a QB1 gig differ in 2026 from the days before NIL and the wild wild west transfer portal? Besides Mason's majestic arm, build, speed, and athleticism, what suggests he's in store for a monster 2026? That last question leads the talkers down the Mark Gronowski rabbit hole. The Jackrabbit GOAT QB was just cut by the Miami Dolphins, who had signed him as an undrafted free agent. Was playing his senior year at Iowa (for $1 million to $2 million in reported NIL) a mistake? Beyond the quarterbacks, Zim and the HHH dig into other positions at USD, the Minnesota Twins' continued drag toward contention for the wild card and even the A.L. Central title, and the "Dead Guy of the Week," an iconic basketball coach who didn't win an NBA title (as a coach) but certainly finished his post-hoops life winning... at life.

South Dakota native and SDSU alumnus Adam Vinatieri sure packed a lot into his nearly 19-minute Pro Football Hall of Fame speech on Saturday: * The common "thank you's" to people who helped get him there— parents, siblings, children, wife, NFL coaches and teammates * Common Hall of Fame speech messages about character, humility, dedication, determination, character, teamwork, and never giving up * His incredible resume of accomplishments (NFL all-time scoring leader, record for most career field goals, four Super Bowl titles, NFL's "All 100 team" of best 100 players in the first 100 years of the league) * Most famously, now-viral jokes directed at Vinatieri's Patriots coach Bill Bellichick (well, the 74-year-old North Carolina coach's 25-year-old girlfriend), Pats quarterback Tom Brady, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (specifically Manning's massive forehead), and sports talking head Pat McAfee ("who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife") In a speech that ran nearly nine minutes over the requested 10-minute limit, the Rapid City native never mentioned his high school alma mater, Rapid City Central. More shockingly, there was no mention of his time at SDSU (1991-94), despite the presence in Canton, Ohio, of Vinatieri's SDSU head coach Mike Daly and then-defensive coordinator John Stiegelmeier, who took over for Daly in 1997 and spent 26 seasons transforming SDSU from a middling Div. II program to an FCS national champion. Why did Vinatieri omit his entire high school and college career during the biggest moment of his life, in front of thousands in Canton and millions on live national television? That is unknown to the Happy Hour host, who sheds light on how Vinatieri's time as a Jackrabbit wasn't completely decorated in glory... and how Vinatieri missed a golden opportunity to send a powerful message by including his low point at SDSU. FCS Analyst Samuel Akem The FCS season's opening game week for SDSU and USD is just two weeks away. The Jackrabbits are picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference and are rated No. 3 in the STATS Preseason Top 25 FCS poll. USD is picked fifth in the MVFC and ranked No. 12 in the STATS poll. The team that knocked both the Jacks and Yotes out of the playoffs is slotted at No. 2 in the nation. That'd be Montana, whose arch rival Montana State received all 57 first place votes as the Bobcats begin a run at back-to-back national championships. How does former Griz wideout and current FCS podcast host Samuel Akem feel about these rankings, and why does he feel the Jacks should be rated ahead of his alma mater? Almost more intriguingly, why does Akem not see SDSU quarterback Chase Mason as a Top Five FCS QB at the moment? Why do the Montana schools and Dakotas schools seem to dominate the FCS year after year, and which teams outside those two states should be considered national title contenders? Oh, and what is the outlook for the future of the Bobcats, Grizzlies, and a potential move to the FBS like North Dakota State just made? Zach Borg talks prep football Two weeks from now will also mark the first game week of high school football season for the 11-man teams in the Sioux Falls metro area. Is defending 11AAA champion Brandon Valley still the team to beat in the state's largest class? What about the Lincoln squad that returns dazzling quarterback Brody Schafer? Zach Borg has covered prep pigskin in the Sioux Empire for nearly 15 years and joins the Happy Hour host to handicap the 11AAA field. He'll cover one school per day in the soon-to-be-released "Camp Confidential" series on Sioux Falls Live and Midwest Sports Plus. It is also Borg's first day as a full-time Midwest Sports Plus sports reporter, a title and position well-earned through his relentless work ethic and a treasure chest of feature stories he compiled this past year for Forum Communications.

Two weeks from now will also mark the first game week of high school football season for the 11-man teams in the Sioux Falls metro area. Is defending 11AAA champion Brandon Valley still the team to beat in the state's largest class? What about the Lincoln squad that returns dazzling quarterback Brody Schafer? Zach Borg has covered prep pigskin in the Sioux Empire for nearly 15 years and joins the Happy Hour host to handicap the 11AAA field. He'll cover one school per day in the soon-to-be-released "Camp Confidential" series on Sioux Falls Live and Midwest Sports Plus. It is also Borg's first day as a full-time Midwest Sports Plus sports reporter, a title and position well-earned through his relentless work ethic and a treasure chest of feature stories he compiled this past year for Forum Communications.

South Dakota native and SDSU alumnus Adam Vinatieri sure packed a lot into his nearly 19-minute Pro Football Hall of Fame speech on Saturday: * The common "thank you's" to people who helped get him there— parents, siblings, children, wife, NFL coaches and teammates * Common Hall of Fame speech messages about character, humility, dedication, determination, character, teamwork, and never giving up * His incredible resume of accomplishments (NFL all-time scoring leader, record for most career field goals, four Super Bowl titles, NFL's "All 100 team" of best 100 players in the first 100 years of the league) * Most famously, now-viral jokes directed at Vinatieri's Patriots coach Bill Bellichick (well, the 74-year-old North Carolina coach's 25-year-old girlfriend), Pats quarterback Tom Brady, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (specifically Manning's massive forehead), and sports talking head Pat McAfee ("who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife") In a speech that ran nearly nine minutes over the requested 10-minute limit, the Rapid City native never mentioned his high school alma mater, Rapid City Central. More shockingly, there was no mention of his time at SDSU (1991-94), despite the presence in Canton, Ohio, of Vinatieri's SDSU head coach Mike Daly and then-defensive coordinator John Stiegelmeier, who took over for Daly in 1997 and spent 26 seasons transforming SDSU from a middling Div. II program to an FCS national champion. Why did Vinatieri omit his entire high school and college career during the biggest moment of his life, in front of thousands in Canton and millions on live national television? That is unknown to the Happy Hour host, who sheds light on how Vinatieri's time as a Jackrabbit wasn't completely decorated in glory... and how Vinatieri missed a golden opportunity to send a powerful message by including his low point at SDSU.

The FCS season's opening game week for SDSU and USD is just two weeks away. The Jackrabbits are picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference and are rated No. 3 in the STATS Preseason Top 25 FCS poll. USD is picked fifth in the MVFC and ranked No. 12 in the STATS poll. The team that knocked both the Jacks and Yotes out of the playoffs is slotted at No. 2 in the nation. That'd be Montana, whose arch rival Montana State received all 57 first place votes as the Bobcats begin a run at back-to-back national championships. How does former Griz wideout and current FCS podcast host Samuel Akem feel about these rankings, and why does he feel the Jacks should be rated ahead of his alma mater? Almost more intriguingly, why does Akem not see SDSU quarterback Chase Mason as a Top Five FCS QB at the moment? Why do the Montana schools and Dakotas schools seem to dominate the FCS year after year, and which teams outside those two states should be considered national title contenders? Oh, and what is the outlook for the future of the Bobcats, Grizzlies, and a potential move to the FBS like North Dakota State just made?

Every week, "South Dakota Sports Lounge" displays some of the most captivating and entertaining conversations from daily sports talk shows in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Fargo. Here are this week's segments: Happy Hour with John Gaskins (Sioux Falls): The hosts of the budding Jackrabbit Illustrated podcasts dive into the rivalry void left by North Dakota State's exit to the FBS and how much bigger (if at all) the annual battle with in-state rival South Dakota will become while there is no Dakota Marker at stake. Plus, the fan/alumni hosts explain the impact NIL and the transfer portal have on their enjoyment and investment in major sports like football and men's basketball, where some of the best SDSU players leave for big bucks at higher-profile schools. Plus, what are their predictions for Chase Mason and the '26 Jacks, who are picked to win the MVFC and contend for a national title? Hot Mic with Dom Izzo (Fargo): NDSU basketball star Avery Koenen, the Summit League Player of the Year, discusses her engagement to Bison quarterback Trey Drake. They first became aware of each other during a Hot Mic appearance. They also had a former SDSU basketball player (Ellie Colbeck) as the engagement photographer. The Nate Brown Show (Rapid City): Post 22 head coach Rich Downs discusses the state championship American Legion season and playing in the upcoming regional tournament in Mandan, ND. Zach Borg feature on Sioux Falls Canaries veteran Mike Hart, who has been with the Birds for almost a decade and carved a reputation as a Pete Rose-style player and leader for a team that has become a consistent winner. Why did he decide to come back in 2026 after contemplating retirement last season?

How do the "JI guys" feel about bitter football rival North Dakota State no longer being in the FCS and on SDSU's schedule? And how close can "the school down south" in Vermillion come to matching the intensity of the "Dakota Marker Game" and game week? How have NIL and the transfer portal — and therefore, more often than not, the departure of some of SDSU's best football and men's basketball players to bigger schools after one or two stellar seasons — skewed their outlook and enjoyment as fans? And, yes, how strong of a national championship contender will the 2026 Jackrabbits be?

Think back 20 years, and just look at how much South Dakota State football and its fan base have grown. From Coughlin-Alumni Stadium to the modern marvel of "The Dana." From coaching offices in trailers and outdoor winter practices on the windswept tundra to the Dykhouse (now Stiegelmeier Family Center) and the SJAC indoor palace. From FCS infancy and the janky Great West Conference to consistent MVFC national championship contention. Think back 10 years, to the year Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium opened and the Jackrabbits notched their first (share of an) MVFC Championship. Since then, they've secured two national championships, produced numerous All-Americans and NFL players, and drawn bigger and bigger crowds—including sellouts exceeding 19,000—on fall gamedays. That, plus a massive, growing website and podcast operation that has become an online gathering point for fans who can't get enough content. There is also a JI tailgate party at home games and national championship contests, serving as a literal gathering point impossible to miss if you're in Brookings (or Frisco, and maybe this year in Nashville) on a football gameday. The Jacks and the unaffiliated Jackrabbit Illustrated brand have both come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good. Mostly good. Today, the "JI" website has established itself as the top source for SDSU recruiting information. The weekly podcast—like the website, launched by SDSU alumnus Matt Tollefson—grew so popular that three more shows were added, with one focusing specifically on wrestling. How did "JI" and SDSU football fandom come so far? Why do the podcasts and their hosts seem to resonate so deeply with their listeners and viewers? Tollefson and fellow hosts Chad Meirose and Brendan Luedtke joined Happy Hour on Thursday to walk through the parallel universes of Jackrabbit fandom and Jackrabbit Illustrated's popularity and reach. Right away and for 80 minutes, you'll grasp exactly what makes them tick—three friends talking about their favorite team, organically and authentically.

Think back 20 years, and just look at how much South Dakota State football and its fan base have grown. From Coughlin-Alumni Stadium to the modern marvel of "The Dana." From coaching offices in trailers and outdoor winter practices on the windswept tundra to the Dykhouse (now Stiegelmeier Family Center) and the SJAC indoor palace. From FCS infancy and the janky Great West Conference to consistent MVFC national championship contention. Think back 10 years, to the year Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium opened and the Jackrabbits notched their first (share of an) MVFC Championship. Since then, they've secured two national championships, produced numerous All-Americans and NFL players, and drawn bigger and bigger crowds—including sellouts exceeding 19,000—on fall gamedays. That, plus a massive, growing website and podcast operation that has become an online gathering point for fans who can't get enough content. There is also a JI tailgate party at home games and national championship contests, serving as a literal gathering point impossible to miss if you're in Brookings (or Frisco, and maybe this year in Nashville) on a football gameday. The Jacks and the unaffiliated Jackrabbit Illustrated brand have both come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good. Mostly good. Today, the "JI" website has established itself as the top source for SDSU recruiting information. The weekly podcast—like the website, launched by SDSU alumnus Matt Tollefson—grew so popular that three more shows were added, with one focusing specifically on wrestling. How did "JI" and SDSU football fandom come so far? Why do the podcasts and their hosts seem to resonate so deeply with their listeners and viewers? Tollefson and fellow hosts Chad Meirose and Brendan Luedtke joined Happy Hour on Thursday to walk through the parallel universes of Jackrabbit fandom and Jackrabbit Illustrated's popularity and reach. Right away and for 80 minutes, you'll grasp exactly what makes them tick—three friends talking about their favorite team, organically and authentically. But can they always be fully authentic with their opinions? How have their raw feelings and emotions come back to bite them? How do they feel about bitter football rival North Dakota State no longer being in the FCS and on SDSU's schedule? And how close can "the school down south" in Vermillion come to matching the intensity of the "Dakota Marker Game" and game week? How have NIL and the transfer portal — and therefore, more often than not, the departure of some of SDSU's best football and men's basketball players to bigger schools after one or two stellar seasons — skewed their outlook and enjoyment as fans? And, yes, how strong of a national championship contender will the 2026 Jackrabbits be?

Imagine having a career where you are the boss of five different organizations for 45 years, then all of a sudden are no longer the boss. Since 1978, shortly after graduating from Dakota State, all Kim Nelson knew in coaching high school football was being the head coach, from Milbank to Rapid City Central to Sioux Falls Washington to Edian (MN) to Sioux Falls Roosevelt. Then, the all-time South Dakota wins leader stepped down as Roosevelt's head coach in 2023 and called it a retirement from head coaching. But Nelson could not and still cannot get coaching out of his system. He joined the University of Sioux Falls staff briefly in the spring of 2024 before deciding the college game just wasn't his jam. So, he pivoted back to Roosevelt to coach the freshman team that fall. After one season, he accepted an offer from Sioux Falls Christian coach Jared Smith — a former assistant under Nelson at RHS — to become the Chargers' offensive coordinator. It went well. Like, really well. SFC was an offensive juggernaut, averaging over 40 points a game and coming from 17 points behind to beat Lennox for the South Dakota 11A state championship. So, what was that experience like, particularly the part in the second half of the title game when Smith — who had ran the offense prior to Nelson's arrrival — decided to take over the play-calling? Remember, Nelson had been a boss who called his own offensive plays for 45 of 46 seasons prior. In his casual yet candid manner, Nelson — who joined Happy Hour last summer to walk through his life and career in football — takes us through his SFC journey so far, less than a week before the Chargers' first practice ahead of their 2026 title defense campaign. Guest: Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer Can the games just begin? Early August days always leave football fans anxiously starving for the actual season to kick off, especially with the abundant coverage of teams' camp practices. Fans of football and every collegiate sport are pining to watch actual competition, if only to distract them from the barrage of offseason news and media discussions about NIL, the transfer portal, and the NCAA's ongoing melodrama regarding the future of eligibility. The "5 for 5" rule became the new model of eligibility for "student-athletes" in June, but lawsuits have already been filed and won against it. How does it affect the local colleges? Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer drilled into the depths of the matter in a three-part series and shared some of the most pertinent information during his Wednesday appearance on Happy Hour from Gibs Sports Bar in Sioux Falls. Also discussed: The Sioux Falls Canaries are hoping "money talks" during Thursday night's "AC/DC" promotion at The Birdcage. The team is using its 6:35 p.m. game against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks as a fundraising event for pitcher Ryan Richardson, who has been unable to play this season as he battles cancer. The 36-year-old, a trusted reliever (4-2, 2.97 ERA) on the 2025 squad that reached its league championship series, learned of his diagnosis in May during the routine preseason physical exam the American Association requires all players to take. Richardson has been living and receiving treatment in Sioux Falls throughout the season, but affording that health care has been a struggle since the Canaries cannot pay him while he is not on the team roster. So, how did the Canaries — specifically, their general manager and a couple long-time season ticket holders — make sure Richardson would not fight his financial battle alone? The Happy Hour host has the details. So does this article. And, oh, by the way... the Canaries on Wednesday confirmed Richardson has been cleared to play and is rejoining the squad soon.