Where do they go for Homecoming? | Brian Estridge & Mac Engel

Mike Rhyner is in the nurturing bio-sphere of the mothership with two heavy-hitters of the Fort Worth sports scene: Brian Estridge, the unmistakable voice of TCU football and basketball, and Mac Engel, the columnist who has made a career out of poking sacred cows at the Star-Telegram. This episode isn’t your standard “rah-rah college football” pep rally. Nope, this is three guys who have seen everything pulling no punches about the state of sports today. From TCU’s rise (and how Josh Hoover is suddenly everyone’s new crush), to the absolute Wild West that is NIL and the transfer portal, they dissect how college athletics has turned into a giant ATM with shoulder pads. Spoiler: loyalty to teams is out, loyalty to whoever’s paying is in. And because sports talk is never just about sports, Mike, Brian, and Mac veer into the dying gasps of newspapers and radio, the joy of covering legends (and clowns), and the absolute absurdity of trying to keep up in an industry where management decisions seem designed to sink the ship faster. It’s sharp, it’s funny, and it’s dripping with the kind of perspective you only get from guys who’ve lived it. Chapters 0:02 – TCU, Josh Hoover, and the Surprise Start Estridge explains why the Frogs might actually be for real this season. 4:21 – Beating Belichick? Yep, Apparently That Happened How TCU toppled UNC and what it says about coaching transitions. 9:38 – NIL: Name, Image, Luggage Why college sports now feels less like school spirit and more like a transfer market. 16:57 – Fans Love Players, Not Programs How player mobility has completely rewired fan allegiances. 22:43 – Money Talks: NIL’s Growing Pains The upsides, the ugly sides, and why nobody’s figured out how to police it. 31:28 – RIP Newspapers (And Maybe Radio Too) Mack Engel explains how to kill media: cut the talent, then wonder why no one listens. 34:35 – Life in the Booth (and the 5 AM Alarm Clock Club) War stories from careers that started long before podcasts were cool. 41:48 – If You’re Gonna Rip a Guy, Show Up Brian’s take on journalistic accountability—and why too many skip the hard part. 52:21 – Nostalgia, Johnny Unitas, and Draft Day Weirdness Because no episode is complete without a trip down memory lane. Thanks to our monthly supporters Matthew Kamper W hammons B Smith Robert Stoolfire Thaddeus D. Matula Rachel W Scott Lewis cody SIMS John Gilbert Robert Saunders Kiffer Sidney Long Pattie Rhyner Davidson David Ashlea Bullington James Corona Gordy John C Caffey Joe Lindsey Cam Jillian Wright David Moore Becca Moore Mike Rhyner Your Dark Companion ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★