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I am not a billionaire, though people often mistake me for a guy by the same first and last name who is.
William P. Foley, who goes by Bill, is a billionaire who owns an NHL team, a super-exclusive golf course and a lot of private land you will never get to hunt or fish on.
I am William J. Foley, who also goes by Bill, a hundredaire who might let you in his very small backyard.
Sometimes it is fun when people confuse the two of us on Twitter.
However, when I saw that billionaire Bill Foley gave $125,000 to Aaron Flint, I figured I need to speak out to make sure people don’t confuse me for anyone who would support a candidate who pushes hate.
That is what today’s column is about. You can read it for yourself at ButteCast.com.
Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com.
Get ready for a different kind of comedy show at the Covellite Theatre.
The DOSE: A Psychedelic Comedy Show will perform at Butte’s great theatre at 7 p.m. Saturday, and you have probably seen nothing like this. (Click here to buy tickets)
The DOSE is billed as a fully-immersive psychedelic multimedia experience featuring a live DJ, visuals, flow performers, and a carefully-curated lineup of some of the best comedians in the country.
The main comedian is Steven Gillespie, one of the creators of the DOSE, and he is the real deal. His second comedy album “Alive on State” reached No. 1 on the iTunes Comedy Charts, and it hit the top 10 on the Billboard charts.
He has appeared on Conan, Amazon Prime’s “Inside Joke,” and FOX’s “Laughs All-Stars.”
Best of all, Steven is a Bears fan, even though he grew up in Wisconsin. So, you know he’s a good guy.
Yesterday, before the Bears opened a can of whoopass on the Eagles on Monday Night Football, I caught up with Steven over Zoom for a fun conversation.
Listen in as we talk about his career and why he started the DOSE. Listen in to hear why you might want to go check out a different kind of comedy show that just might leave you partying all night long.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Thriftway Super Stops. Join the Thriftway Loyalty Club today and save big.
Intro music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com. For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com.
Today, my heart is broken for a man I knew for less than a year.
The Mining City lost a true legend last week when John Kovacich unexpectedly passed away at the age of 66.
To meet John was to be his friend.
The Mining City is a lesser place today. Missoula is a lesser place. The world is a lesser place without John Kovacich, who is already missed by everyone he ever met.
That is what today’s column is about. You can read it for yourself at ButteCast.com.
Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com.
If you would have asked me a month ago which of the nearly 400 episodes of the ButteCast are my favorites, it wouldn’t have taken me long to mention the name Jim Norton.
His story absolutely blew me away.
“Norty,” as he was affectionately known in the Mining City, is exactly why I started this podcast in the first place. Not only did the podcast give me a chance to really meet Jim for the first time, I got to introduce him to all of you. And, boy, is he a guy you wanted to know.
I didn’t really know Jim before this conversation. I only knew he used to referee high school football games. Clint McGee suggested Jim as a guest. So, I gave him a call, and we met at the Hanging 5 on Halloween of 2023.
Since we both showed up wearing Boston Red Sox hats, Norty and I we spent the first part of the episode talking about the good times and bad times following the Olde Towne Team.
Then we talked a lot about Jim’s life. His upbringing was not easy. His story sounds a lot like the book Angela’s Ashes. Jim was the son of an Irish immigrant father. He said his father always had good intentions, but he fell short as a dad because of alcoholism.
Jim told the heartbreaking and heartwarming story of his mother and siblings working hard to keep the family clothed and with food on the table.
He told a few stories about the Thatcher brothers, and he talked about some of the great characters he worked with as a referee. He also talked about some of the best athletes the Mining City every produced. Spoiler alert, it is not Mike Thatcher. Here is how Jim described Mike as an athlete: “He’s the only guy in Butte I’m a better athlete than.”
But Jim said he would put a statue of Mike on the corner of Park and Main because, as Jim said, nobody did more for the people of Butte.
Nobody was better at telling a story than Jim, who passed away on Sept. 16. He was 76, and he will be missed.
In honor of Norty, I am brining back this interview one more time. If you did not catch it on episode No. 142, I encourage you to listen in and get to know why Norty was so loved. If you already heard it, it will be good to hear his voice one more time.
Today’s episode of the ButteCast is presented by the Jewelry Design Center. Let Brian Toone and Co. be your jewelers for life. Intro music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com. For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com.
Today we are talking softball and Mariah’s Challenge with my cousin Jorey Thatcher.
You won’t see Jorey hitting any home runs Saturday when the police take on the firefighters in the Guns & Hoses softball game at Stodden Park.
He isn’t going to play in the game, probably because he got the Foley athletic gene instead of the one from the Thatcher side of his family.
But Jorey, or Officer Thatcher as I should probably be calling him, just might be the MVP of the whole event. He has been working tirelessly for months to put on this game that will raise money for the Mariah Daye McCarthy Scholarship.
More importantly, it will bring some awareness to Mariah’s Challenge as we approach the 19th anniversary of the death of 14-year-old Mariah McCarthy, who was run over and killed by an underage drunk driver while walking home with her friends.
Jorey, or Officer Thatcher, was just a young boy when that tragedy struck in the Mining City, but it clearly left a profound impact on him. Now he is working hard for an event that will bring the legacy of Mariah and the McCarthy family to the forefront of the mind of the community.
It will also be a whole lot of fun, especially with my boy Shawn Wetzel announcing the game. He’s worth the price of admission all by himself.
I should also note, that there is no charge to attend the game, which starts at 1 p.m. It will be followed by a home run derby. I will be there to keep the book and to heckle umpires Steve Bair and, mostly, Mike “Skinny” Foley.
Jorey, I mean Officer Thatcher, is predicting a mercy-rule victory by the police, but I wouldn’t count the firemen out just yet. They have a loaded lineup. This game could come down to the final inning and probably a blown call by an umpire.
Yesterday, I met with Officer Thatcher at the Metals Sports Bar & Grill for a fun conversation about the game, the players and the fun that is in store on Saturday. Listen in to see that you definitely do not want to miss this game.
Today’s episode is presented by Leskovar Honda, home of the non-commission sales staff that always has your back.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Leskovar Honda, home of the friendly non-commission sales staff that always has your back.
Intro music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com. For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com.
Transgender people do not hurt anyone. Despite what the dark money mailers might tell us, very few of them are trying to compete in girls’ or women’s sports.
But here we are a little more than a month before the midterm elections, and Aaron Flint is trying to drum up that time-tested hatred for transgender people as he tries to win the race for Montana’s First Congressional House District seat.
We have way too many real issues facing us to fall for that old trick again this year.
That is what today’s column is about. You can read it for yourself at ButteCast.com.
Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com.
Today we begin Season 5 of the ButteCast with a very special guest.
Comedian Jason Salmon will be performing at the Covellite Theater in Butte on Oct. 2. (Tickets) The night before, he will do a show in Missoula.
This is the most excited I’ve been to see a comedian perform live since I sat in the front row to see Bill Burr in Bozeman in 2013.
I have the Facebook algorithm to thank for introducing me to Jason. He started showing up in my reels early in the second Trump term as president with his videos starting with the words “Another weird week.” I have watched everyone since, and they truly are the highlight of every Friday.
I have watched tons of his standup videos, too, and I even saw him on an episode of Orange is the New Black. However, I am going to have to go back and find that episode so I can recognize him this time.
Jason grew up in Texas and studied engineering at Texas A&M. He moved to New Jersey for a job in that career field. That is also where he signed up for an acting class, in part to meet women. He realized that he just might be pretty good at acting, and he then got into the New York City standup scene. He sometimes opens for Chris Rock, and he performs regularly at the Comedy Cellar.
In a little more than two weeks, we get the chance to see him in Butte. Or Missoula.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Casagranda's Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat. Intro music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com. For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com.
This episode is also available on YouTube.
How you looked at Michigan’s 13-12 win over Michigan State on Michigan’s Hail-Hail Mary all depends on your perspective.
That is what today’s column is about. You can read it for yourself at ButteCast.com.
Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com.
This afternoon, the Knights of Columbus in Butte held a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The event, which was organized by retired Butte firefighters Bernie Boyle and John Paul, was held in front of the KC’s 9/11 memorial in the Felix Madrazo Gym. It drew a standing-room crowd of more than 200. That includes members of the Butte Central football team, who took time to pay their respects before playing Ronan in their Homecoming football game.
Tom Powers led the ceremony that included opening and closing prayers by Rev. Tom Haffey. Speakers were Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher, Sherrif Ed Lester and firefighter Derek Harvey. Police Lt. Jim Duddy offered a police prayer, firefighter Jake Hanley read the Fireman’s Prayer, and fire Capt. Jerod Gonzalez directed the ringing of the final bell.
The ceremony closed with the playing of a song written and performed by Butte singer/songwriter Andy Larson.
Many of us in the crowd were old enough to remember that day, and we remember it like yesterday. Some in the crowd were too young to remember, and many were not even born on the day the Twin Towers fell.
Bernie and John put on the event because they want to make sure that we never forget that fateful day. They want us to remember the brave firefighters, police officers and first responders who were running into the buildings while others were trying to get out.
This was a very powerful ceremony that was followed by a reception and the playing of a video of the ceremony to dedicate the KC memorial in the spring of 2002.
If you could not attend the ceremony, hopefully you will listen in to hear a powerful reminder of the day and the heroes who should never be forgotten.
Today's podcast is brought to you by Thriftway Super Stops. Join the Thriftway Loyalty Club today and save big.
Intro music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com. For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com.
Today we are talking hurling with three members of the Wolfe Tones Hurling Club of Butte.
Callie Boyle, Matt Moore and Ryan Mulcahy are not just part of that club. They might have taken up the game relatively recently, but the three seem to live and breathe the Irish national sport. It is their passion. Matt says he even dreams about hurling.
Callie, Matt and Ryan are also always on the lookout for new teammates and opponents. They say hurling is addicting and fun, and it contributes to a healthier lifestyle.
Hurling is so much more than a sport in Ireland, it is part of the country’s cultural identity that dates back a few millennia. You just might get a sense as to why when the Wolfe Tones host a draft tournament Sept. 19 at the Jeremy Bullock Soccer Complex.
The tournament will include 80 plus players who will be drafted onto teams, with the goal of creating equal teams. This will showcase Ireland’s national sport and hopefully pique in the interest of potential players.
The tournament will also include, among other things, an uptown pub crawl after the games. Don’t be afraid to join in on the fun — at the games and after.
You can join the club or learn more about the Wolfe Tones and sport of hurling by going to wolfetones.club or by reaching out to the Wolf Tones on their social media pages. The Wolf Tones will hold an open field for those who would like to try the sport on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. the Torger Oaas Field next to the Maroon Activities Center.
Yesterday, I met with Callie, Matt and Ryan at the Knights of Columbus for a conversation about hurling, the Wolfe Tones and much more. Listen in to hear why you might want to start playing the great Irish sport of hurling, too.
Today’s episode of the ButteCast is presented by the Jewelry Design Center. Let Brian Toone and Co. be your jewelers for life. Intro music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com. For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com.
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