Mike & Jake: The Almost Experts

Jake’s New Role, Summer Sports Talk, Card Collecting Chaos & Our Top 5 Drinks | Episode 11 Mike and Jake return for Episode 11 of the Almost Experts podcast, catching up on life and summer plans. They celebrate Jake becoming Poplar Bluff’s head athletic director starting July 1, talk about Mike’s family schedule with cheer, dance recital, and upcoming t-ball season, and joke about full “dad mode” moments. They share listener stats showing downloads from the Czech Republic, briefly revisit their inconsistent weight-loss efforts, and discuss summer coaching, contact days, and the value of travel ball versus school summer development. Mike recounts a golf tournament moment where a player slices a ball into a truck windshield, and they chat about golf ambitions. Mike also updates on his growing sports card flipping hobby via Whatnot and eBay. They finish by listing their top five favorite drinks.

Weight Loss Journey, Silver Dollar City Roller Coasters & Trying Weird Food Combos | Episode 10 In episode 10 of the Mike and Jake: The Almost Experts podcast, Mike and Jake celebrate reaching episode 10 and passing 700 Facebook followers, then talk about their new weight loss journey—“Operation Outlaw Run”—aimed at fitting on Silver Dollar City rides, including Outlaw Run, and discuss Silver Dollar City closing the Thunderation coaster. They share stories about playing basketball in Mike’s PE class, old-school games like 21 and horse, competitiveness, and even a debate about doing cartwheels, plus a conversation about group chat personalities and how many group texts they’re in. They finish by trying weird food combinations suggested on Facebook: watermelon with mustard, a hot dog dipped in applesauce, a pita bread sandwich with peanut butter, chips, and Sweet Baby Ray’s, and ice cream with chocolate syrup and soy sauce, then rank the results. 00:00 Podcast Kickoff 00:58 Episode 10 Milestone 01:30 Flags And Followers 02:56 Walmart Weird Combos 03:25 Operation Outlaw Run 05:04 Silver Dollar City News 08:49 Rollercoaster Fit Anxiety 11:38 Water And Diet Reality 13:17 PE Basketball Stories 14:44 Cartwheel Debate 17:11 Trash Talk And 21 19:51 Horse And Mental Toughness 24:12 Old School Fouls 25:18 Group Chat Chaos 29:15 Left Out of Texts 31:56 Fans Pick Weird Foods 33:44 Walmart Bread Hunt 36:02 Watermelon Mustard Test 38:35 Hot Dog Applesauce Dip 40:20 Dumb and Dumber Sandwich 43:51 Soy Sauce Ice Cream 45:57 Rankings and Wrap Up

NCAA Brackets, Coaching Rants, and Weird Food Combos (feat. Colton Mannon) | Almost Experts Ep. 9 In episode nine of Mike and Jake: The Almost Experts, the hosts welcome special guest Colton Mannon and discuss the NCAA tournament, including bracket accuracy, whether multiple brackets are cheating, remaining perfect brackets, and KenPom-style contender criteria, plus reactions to games like Mizzou vs. Miami and a Kentucky–Santa Clara finish involving a missed timeout and late-game strategy about fouling up three. The conversation shifts to coaching and strength of schedule, including Mike’s experiences coaching girls basketball, how tougher opponents helped late-game toughness, and differences between coaching boys and girls. They then dive into high school football scouting routines and the challenges of running scout teams, before ending with favorite movies and a segment on strange food combinations such as soy sauce in ice cream, a peanut butter–chip–barbecue sauce pita, and crackers in milk. 00:00 Cold Open and Theme 00:44 Meet the Special Guest 02:13 March Madness Brackets 03:58 Perfect Brackets and Favorites 06:27 Why 11 Seeds Play In 10:13 Foul Up Three Debate 12:48 Scrimmage Story and Home Cooking 16:06 Tough Schedule Builds Teams 18:11 Coaching Boys vs Girls 22:19 NIL Contracts and Transfers 25:02 High School Football Scouting 29:32 Scout Team Crunch 30:51 Emulating Elite Opponents 32:18 Film Study and Huddle 34:28 Run Heavy Offenses 35:46 Trenches Are Brutal 38:00 Worst Jobs on Field 40:47 Swinging Gate Explained 42:29 Top Three Movies 44:40 Weird Food Combos 51:49 Coach of the Year Roast 53:37 Podcast Sign Off

Hunting Mishaps, Olympics Talk, Hidden Talents & a Cereal Snake Draft | Almost Experts Ep. 8 (ft. Chris Newman) In episode eight of the Almost Experts Podcast, Mike and Jake welcome special guest Chris Newman, introduced for his fantasy baseball success, fatherhood, and cancer survival, and talk through several hunting stories, including Chris’s Northern Missouri bowhunt where a cold-weather gear mishap led to a lucky double-lung shot on a buck later revealed to be blind in one eye. Mike and Jake share their own hunting blunders and a story about dragging out two deer and calling for help. The conversation shifts to Olympic excitement and medal talk, then to the World Baseball Classic and concerns about players getting hurt, plus debate over eligibility rules for playing for other countries. They highlight Jake’s viral singing moment with Hannah Harper and end with a snake draft of favorite cereal brands.   00:00 Podcast Cold Open 00:22 Meet Chris Newman 01:11 Fantasy Rings Banter 02:02 Hunting Story Setup 03:21 Northern Missouri Bowhunt 09:13 Blind Buck Twist 12:29 Mike Shoots The Blind 16:22 Deck Stand Hunting 18:28 Two Deer Drag Out 22:23 Rifle Season Pee Break 27:10 Olympics Miracle Talk 28:29 Herb Brooks Memories 29:23 Olympics Medal Talk 31:23 Winter Games Thrills 33:00 World Baseball Classic Hype 35:42 Country Eligibility Debate 38:40 Jake Breaks Facebook 40:59 American Idol Stage Story 43:01 Elvira Singalong Moment 43:55 Cereal Snake Draft 47:46 Mascots and Wrap Up 50:04 Final Sign Off

Almost Experts Ep. 7: Coaching Talk, Collecting Cards, and Buffet Debates + Blind Food Ranking   In episode seven of the Almost Experts podcast, Mike and Jake finally address coaching, explaining they avoided it because the podcast was meant as an escape, though recent delays came from being busy with the OFC tournament and other game duties. They discuss coaching attire and how dressing up has become less common, share their paths into education through alternative certification despite originally pursuing criminal justice and health sciences, and reflect on the impact of being called “coach.” The conversation shifts to collecting, including Mike’s baseball card hobby (and a sold Luka Doncic card used to buy golf clubs), Jake’s childhood Pokémon cards being thrown away, and other family collections like magnets, bells, and baseballs, plus Jake’s Funko Pops rescue. They debate buffets and unlimited appetizer deals, then end with a blind food-trio ranking game where pizza, wings, and soda takes the top spot.   00:00 Episode Seven Kickoff 00:49 Why We Avoid Coaching Talk 02:14 OFC Championship Suit Story 03:39 Coaching Attire Then Now 06:32 Baseball Coaching Fits 09:31 Missing Coaching Life Lessons 12:47 How We Became Educators 17:59 Addicted To Collecting Cards 21:17 Pokemon Cards Gone Missing 24:33 Selling A Luka 1 of 1 25:57 Weird Collections Magnets Bells 27:28 House Fixture Debate 27:45 The Coliseum Frog Legend 28:34 Sports Memorabilia Habits 29:19 Funko Pops Explained 30:43 Dumpster Diving Rescue 32:16 Ninja Turtles Nostalgia 33:50 Souvenir Magnets and Baseballs 36:20 Whatnot Card Buying Spiral 37:41 Buffet Culture Obsession 46:21 Blind Ranking Food Trios 50:01 Health Goals and Soda Talk 53:29 Wrap Up and Sign Off

Almost Experts Podcast - Episode 6: Super Bowl Predictions, Special Guest, and Conspiracy Theories Welcome back to the Almost Experts Podcast for Episode 6! In this episode, Mike and Jake are joined by special guest Jesse McDaniel. They dive into Super Bowl predictions, life updates, and audience questions from their Facebook page. The trio discusses topics ranging from the Super Bowl, a special cheerleading dad segment, and life updates, to an in-depth conversation on the existence of aliens, Bigfoot, MLB strike zones, and whether college athletes should get paid. The episode is full of humorous anecdotes, sports talk, and some unexpected conspiracy theories. Stay tuned for an entertaining listen! 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:44 Special Guest: Jesse McDaniel 01:31 Super Bowl Talk 03:18 Life Updates and Cheerleading Adventures 04:40 Facial Hair and Truck Talk 09:27 Facebook Questions: Hot Dog Debate 13:29 The Dress Color Debate 15:03 Basketball Memories: Jesse vs. Mike 19:19 Mike's Basketball Story 20:10 The Sombrero Incident 22:04 Discussing Coach Dennis Gates 24:00 MLB Strike Zones: Human vs. Robot 26:43 Is the NFL Scripted? 29:01 Conspiracy Theories and Aliens 30:11 High School Basketball Shot Clock Debate 40:24 College Athletes Getting Paid 44:34 Wrapping Up: Final Thoughts

Mike and Jake: The Almost Experts - Ep5   Almost Experts Podcast: Vacation Stories, Super Bowl Predictions & Famous Duos In Episode 5 of the Almost Experts Podcast, hosts Mike and Jake welcome special guest Ethan Boyer. They dive into hilarious and chaotic vacation stories, make their Super Bowl predictions for the Patriots vs. Seahawks game, and engage in a fun blind ranking game featuring famous duos. Along the way, they talk about their growing podcast following, share a few personal anecdotes, and discuss their favorite pastimes. Tune in for a blend of comedy, sports talk, and unexpected revelations. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:43 Podcast Updates and Listener Engagement 02:41 Introducing the Special Guest: Ethan Boyer 07:02 Vacation Stories and Super Bowl Predictions 11:47 Hilarious Vacation Mishaps 15:53 The Snake in the Car Story 23:56 Shout Out to All Dads 24:09 Dad's Vacation Misadventures 25:27 The Great New Orleans Detour 27:18 Dads vs. Modern Navigation 28:15 Google Maps and Road Trips 33:10 Super Bowl Predictions 36:15 Famous Duos Blind Ranking Game 43:56 Wrapping Up and Farewell

In this episode of the 'Almost Experts Podcast,' hosts Jake and Mike discuss the recent national championship football game between Indiana and Miami. They recount key moments and standout performances, particularly emphasizing the energy and unexpected twists in the game. The conversation shifts to the topic of four-day school weeks, with both hosts—who are educators—sharing their experiences and thoughts on the benefits and challenges of the schedule. They explore issues such as teacher retention, student attendance, and the practicalities for both teachers and students. Jake goes on a passionate rant about the frustrations of buying a vehicle, criticizing the lack of transparent pricing. The episode concludes with a light-hearted 'blind ranking' game where Jake ranks chocolate candies. They also announce the launch of their Facebook page, inviting listeners to follow for updates.

MLB Offseason Moves & Hot Takes: Bo Bette to the Mets, Salvy's Home Runs, and More! In this episode of the Almost Experts Podcast, Jake and Mike delve into the MLB offseason, discussing key player movements and their potential impacts, particularly focusing on Bo Bette's move to the Mets. They provide insights on fantasy baseball, highlighting the significance of these moves on player valuations. The hosts also tackle hot takes for the upcoming season, including Salvador Perez potentially hitting 40 home runs and predicting the Seattle Mariners to win the World Series. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with analysis and bold predictions! 00:00 Welcome to the Almost Experts Podcast 00:56 MLB Offseason Moves: Bobette to the Mets 02:54 Chicago Cubs' Big Moves 03:34 St. Louis Cardinals' Struggles 04:17 Dodgers' Spending Spree 09:45 Fantasy Baseball Insights 12:48 Boston Red Sox's New Signings 16:13 The Cardinals' Superstar Drought 17:02 Jordan Walker and JJ Weather Holt: Future Stars? 18:08 MLB Trade Dynamics and Player Value 19:23 Kansas City Royals' Stadium Changes 22:25 Hot Takes: Salvador Perez's Home Run Prediction 24:10 Hot Takes: Seattle Mariners' World Series Chances 29:31 Concluding Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Almost Experts Podcast: College Football Championship, NIL Debate, and Mizzou Football Join Jake and Mike in the second episode of the Almost Experts Podcast as they dive into the College Football National Championship between Indiana and Miami. Is Indiana poised to finish their Cinderella story, or will the U reclaim its former glory? The duo also discusses the impact of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) on college sports and its role in evening out competition. Plus, get the latest updates on Mizzou football and predictions for their upcoming season. Finally, Jake and Mike wrap up with a fun game of 'Two Truths and a Lie: Sports Facts Edition.' Tune in for entertaining and insightful takes on college football! 00:00 Introduction to the Almost Experts Podcast 00:30 College Football National Championship Preview 01:11 Indiana's Cinderella Story 02:12 Miami's Legacy and the Big Game 04:16 Hypothetical Indiana Football Movie 06:06 Predictions and Hopes for the Championship 11:31 The NIL and Its Impact on College Sports 19:40 The Impact of the Transfer Portal 21:29 Mizzou Football: Transfer Portal Insights 22:08 Concerns and Hopes for Mizzou's Defense 23:34 Quarterback Comparisons and Expectations 28:13 Reflecting on Past Seasons and Future Hopes 32:35 Fun and Games: Sports Facts Challenge  

In the very first episode of Almost Experts, hosts Michael Snyder and Jake Nickelson introduce you to a podcast where they aren’t experts at anything, but they’re almost experts in everything. From high school coaching and athletic directing to the high-stakes world of "Ballers on a Budget" Little Caesars runs, these two "dudes being bros" dive into the chaotic reality of their lives in Southeast Missouri. This episode’s highlights include: The "30-Minute Expert": Hear how Michael managed to BS his way through a CDL bus-driving test by pretending he was a seasoned turkey hunting pro—despite only ever having seen a turkey once (and it wasn't even that close). The Silver Dollar City Disaster: A festive family trip turns into a traumatic "walk of shame" when the guys are deemed too big for the Outlaw Run roller coaster by a very strict attendant in a cowboy hat. The "Big Guy" Row: Discover why Jake is now a staunch advocate for the fifth row on the Wildfire coaster—the only place where a "click" of the seatbelt is actually guaranteed. Slow-Pitch Drama: Michael explains why he retired from softball after a teammate "Superman-punched" an umpire, while Jake admits he ditched his own baseball team during a championship game to play in a softball "World Series". A "Baller" Pilot: The guys kick off the show in true style with a stack of Hot-N-Ready pizzas, Crazy Bread, and a two-liter of Pepsi that may or may not be the reason they can't fit on the rides at Silver Dollar City. Join Michael and Jake for a look into the life of two "Almost Experts" just trying to make it through the week without pulling a calf muscle.