Happy Hour with John Gaskins

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.

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.

* The USD quarterback battle and other Coyote positions of intrigue * Augustana and USF first practices, which include a glowing report on both teams' presumed starting quarterbacks * The Minnesota Twins actually making some trades before trade deadline to shore up the area they needed the most help

Almost every sports movie and every "Hard Knocks" series ever made features a scene near the beginning, during an early preseason practice where some players are battling for a starting spot while others are just trying to make the team. All that testosterone and tension eventually leads to a few volcano eruptions of rage or at least visible, visceral fits of frustration. Some of this primal behavior seen on big and small screens includes coaches barking like basset hounds Guess what? It's a real thing sometimes. Sioux Falls Live sports editor saw it and reported it at South Dakota State's fifth practice of "fall camp" on Tuesday, then wrote about it here and shared more insight on Tuesday's "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast with the Happy Hour host. . The discussion led both men to recall funny stories from past August practices and famous intense football movie scenes. Zim unloads other observations from his day in Brookings — like Chase Mason's accuracy and any emergence of a starting running back (?), a devouring defensive line, and the one-on-one matchup between defensive lineman and Wayne State transfer Carter Sitzman and All-America offensive tackle Quinten Christensen.

Almost every sports movie and every "Hard Knocks" series ever made features a scene near the beginning, during an early preseason practice where some players are battling for a starting spot while others are just trying to make the team. All that testosterone and tension eventually leads to a few volcano eruptions of rage or at least visible, visceral fits of frustration. Some of this primal behavior seen on big and small screens includes coaches barking like basset hounds Guess what? It's a real thing sometimes. Sioux Falls Live sports editor saw it and reported it at South Dakota State's fifth practice of "fall camp" on Tuesday, then wrote about it here and shared more insight on Tuesday's "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast with the Happy Hour host. . The discussion led both men to recall funny stories from past August practices and famous intense football movie scenes. Zim unloads other observations from his day in Brookings — like Chase Mason's accuracy and any emergence of a starting running back (?), a devouring defensive line, and the one-on-one matchup between defensive lineman and Wayne State transfer Carter Sitzman and All-America offensive tackle Quinten Christensen. Other topics covered: * The USD quarterback battle and other Coyote positions of intrigue * Augustana and USF first practices, which include a glowing report on both teams' presumed starting quarterbacks * The Minnesota Twins actually making some trades before trade deadline to shore up the area they needed the most help * Classic stories from Zim about his uncle Kim Nelson, South Dakota's all-time high school football career wins leader and current Sioux Falls Christian offensive coordinator * The Eagles' Lyin' Eyes... yea or nay?

Suddenly, one of the most decorated players in South Dakota State women's basketball history has an opportunity to play a fifth season for the Jackrabbits. That is, if Brooklyn Meyer takes that opportunity. All that hangs in the balance is a dominant force unexpectedly returning and instantly making SDSU a strong favorite to win the Summit League regular season and tournament titles. Last season, the center from Larchwood, Iowa, wrapped up her Jacks career with one of the most dominant seasons in program history, earning three All-America nods while being named the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year. She scored 22.6 points per game, the second highest season average in program history. While North Dakota State won the regular season Summit League title and Bison post Avery Koenen was named Summit League Player of the Year, Meyer and the Jackrabbits beat NDSU in the conference tournament championship game to take home SDSU's 13th title in the Sioux Falls event. The Jacks were then knocked out in the first round of their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance. We thought that was the end to Meyer's SDSU career. And it still could be. But... On Friday, a federal judge in Colorado granted a class-wide preliminary injunction requiring the NCAA to restore eligibility to all Division I athletes from the high school class of 2022 who finished up their four years of eligibility this past spring. Here is more information about the ruling. Meyer, who played as a freshman and never redshirted, falls into that category. She announced on May 1 her plan to play for the SDSU volleyball team this fall. But back then, she thought her basketball eligibility had expired. That still appeared to be the case in June when the NCAA approved the "5-for-5 rule" — allowing athletes five years of competition within a continuous five-year window, replacing the old four-seasons-in-five-years system — but excluded athletes like Meyer who had completed four years of eligibility this past season. With Friday's injunction, Meyer can return to the court. As of this article's publishing, it is unknown if she will. Head coach Aaron Johnston has not responded to Happy Hour's inquiry about Meyer's new basketball opportunity. Meyer has not posted about this topic on her social media. On April 15, shortly after her SDSU career had seemingly ended, Meyer joined Happy Hour to look back on that career and the fact that she was not drafted by a WNBA team, nor offered to sign as an undrafted free agent by any of that league's 15 teams. Did she still have her eyes set on playing professionally somewhere, somehow? Meyer answered that question early in the 47-minute chat, then gave hints near the end. She went down memory lane at SDSU — including her recruitment, her decision to choose the Jacks over several regional Power Four schools (Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, among others), her friendships with legendary teammates Myah Selland and Paige Meyer, her interest in nutrition and dietetics (her major), and the lighter side of Aaron Johnston. Enjoy this re-release of that conversation.

Are we there yet? No. Well, kinda. There are still 29 days until college football gameday in South Dakota, with SDSU hosting Stetson and USD hosting Central Connecticut State. Plus, a large portion of both fan bases might also watch North Dakota State's debut as an FBS squad that day, and take a peek a little more Mountain West football than they have in their lives. To pass the time, all of the shows listed below have featured plenty of pigskin talk this week and will continue throughout August. For this week's edition of "The South Dakota Sports Lounge," you'll see and hear the following clips: Happy Hour with John Gaskins — A bigger picture look at USD football and its entire athletic program from the ultimate fans! The Howling Podcast will enter its third season later this month. Hosts Chad Birger, Mark Wendt, and Jordan Decker express their views on athletic director Jon Schemmel, the possibility of the Coyotes one day moving up to the FBS level, and how fans feel about the constant player movement in the NIL and transfer portal era. The Nate Brown Show — Voice of the Jackrabbits and SDSU Associate AD for Communications Tyler Merriam sizes up the MVFC and why SDSU is favored to win the league. But first, plenty of viewpoint about American Legion baseball in South Dakota.

Hot Mic with Dom Izzo — Air Force coach Troy Calhoun on what makes his program and unique and how he feels about NDSU entering the Mountain West.

Coyotes Lounge — Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and reporter Trey Houchin give their observations on USD's first day of practice.

In the words of noted philosopher Allen Iverson, "we talking about practice, man!" The Coyotes on Wednesday opened their official practice season leading up to their Aug. 29 season opener. The Jackrabbits broke the seal on Thursday. Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer attended both sessions and shared plenty of what he saw during Thursday's weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" hour from Gateway Lounge with the Happy Hour host. Chase Mason threw missiles and rockets to a wealth of wideouts and tight ends. The three USD quarterback candidates had their first chances to impress, and Zim has a feeling about where things are heading at QB1. There were "wow" moments and the number of snaps some players took might indicate where things are headed in all position battles. Or, it might not. If you wanted an inside look and a nuanced discussion about practice No. 1, you got it. How much does it all matter? Who knows. We'll find out. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings launched their training camp on Wednesday and all eyes and microscopes were on quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray. What was their snap count? Who performed better? What did Murray say about it afterward, and how did Kevin O'Connell answer a poignant question about McCarthy fighting for his job after just 10 NFL starts? Oh, by the way, it's still baseball season, and the Minnesota Twins won Thursday afternoon's rubber match against Kansas City 4-3 with a walkoff grand slam by Roger Clemens' son Kody. How much of a difference did that one swing make, considering the Twins had a literal 99 percent probability to lose before Clemens' at-bat? Zim thinks it made plenty of difference. With the Twins in close striking distance in both the A.L. Central and wild card races, what should they do before Monday's trade deadline? Plus, an ode to "Dead Guy of the Week," former University of Minnesota baseball coach John Anderson. Zim tells a story about an unlikely phone call from the popular skipper who always punched above his weight through 43 seasons and 19 NCAA Tournament berths. That story prompted the Happy Hour host to recall a similar story about a former University of Nebraska golf coach. Needless to say, Zim and the host had different experiences with these coaches. Bonus: We found a way to toast Clark W. Griswold. Cheers!

It's time to go camping. The Jackrabbits, Coyotes, and Minnesota Vikings all launch their preseason practices this week. Happy Hour blasts off the month leading up to the season's kickoff with a glimpse into the three-horse quarterback race at USD and the two-horse race in Minnesota, plus the only horse SDSU hopes to ride in 2026. To some, Chase Mason may appear to be more hype than reality, considering the former University of Nebraska baseball player has only started nine games in his career at QB1. But the Happy Hour host explains why the 6'5 gunslinger with blazing speed should light up the Missouri Valley Conference Football season. Meanwhile, Coach Dan Jackson explains Mason's progress in leadership and health during the offseason. Hear first year Coyote coach Matt Vitzthum's description of the three QBs jockeying to replace Aidan Bouman. What factors will determine who wins the job? When "Coach Vitz" plans on making the call? Meanwhile, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell whipped up another word salad in depicting the competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, but a recently retired Vikings legend provided a little more candor and clarity about where things might truly stand. Voice of USF Tom Frederick returns! Last summer, Frederick joined Happy Hour to walk through his over 40 years in broadcasting, including nearly 30 years calling play-by-play for University of Sioux Falls football and basketball. At the time, Frederick had just retired from calling hoops and was about to find out what life was like without spending winter Friday and Saturday nights traveling the cold and snowy interstates and highways of the Dakotas and Minnesota in the NSIC. Now, he's traveling the entire country and the globe. Hear his accounts of France, Spain, Utah, and the Western railways on an Amtrak train. Does Frederick miss calling basketball? What advice does he have for those who have retired (or are about to retire), and how they can spend all that free time happy? And, how about the '26 Cougar football team? Patrick Lalley breaks down Larry Rhoden's runaway win It's over! After an early June election failed to yield a clear-cut Republican nominee to be South Dakota's next governor, two months of more mud-slinging campaign ads on your television set came to a screeching halt on Tuesday night— an early halt. That's because Gov. Larry Rhoden's Republican primary runoff win over first-time political campaigner Toby Doeden was called by 8:08 p.m. The final score in percentage of votes— Rhoden 71, Doeden 29. How did Rhoden — the 67-year-old rancher and welder from West River who became Kristi Noem's lieutenant governor and ascended to governor one Noem took a job in the Trump administration — turn the tables so wildly on bombastic auto dealership owner Doeden, who notched the most votes of the four Republican candidates in the June 2 primary? Sioux Falls Live editor and veteran South Dakota political reporter Patrick Lalley breaks it down over Happy Hour beers at Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls, where all the world's problems are solved.

It's over! After an early June election failed to yield a clear-cut Republican nominee to be South Dakota's next governor, two months of more mud-slinging campaign ads on your television set came to a screeching halt on Tuesday night— an early halt. That's because Gov. Larry Rhoden's Republican primary runoff win over first-time political campaigner Toby Doeden was called by 8:08 p.m. The final score in percentage of votes— Rhoden 71, Doeden 29. How did Rhoden — the 67-year-old rancher and welder from West River who became Kristi Noem's lieutenant governor and ascended to governor one Noem took a job in the Trump administration — turn the tables so wildly on bombastic auto dealership owner Doeden, who notched the most votes of the four Republican candidates in the June 2 primary? Sioux Falls Live editor and veteran South Dakota political reporter Patrick Lalley breaks it down over Happy Hour beers at Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls, where all the world's problems are solved.