Happy Hour with John Gaskins

Parachute from an airplane onto the beaches of Normandy and into trenches of World War II, where bullets and grenades are flying and men are dying all around you as you ambush German soliders while trying to figure out both how to surive and help save the world from Nazi persecution. 
 
Enter the ring to exchange haymakers during Golden Gloves state championships and national tournaments. 
 
Witness the plights, desperate measures, and perseverance of families trampled by the Great Depression, including bootlegging, illegal gambling, and gangster behavior.
 
Saddle up to the downtown Minneapolis bar to hear a brazen if not ridiculous sales pitch to bring the first Minnesota Vikings football game in team history to Sioux Falls.
 
Take a seat in the locker room and on team buses to hear the speeches — or at a Quarterback Club luncheon to laugh uncontrollably at the one-liners — of arguably the greatest football coach at any level in the history of South Dakota.
 
Discover how, time and again, one man ruffles feathers, moves mountains, tickles the funny bone, and inspires ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
 
You can't go back in time, but you can immerse yourself in the incredible life of Bob Burns by reading the biography "The Great Burns," penned by Stu Whitney.
 
The former daily news and sports writer/editor and investigative news and political journalist has spent his entire 36-year post-college career in Sioux Falls. Roughly the first 25 of those were spent covering local sports and describing them in a unique, free-flowing, sometimes caustic, and often whimsiocal fashion.
 
After arriving in Sioux Falls in 1990, the Michigan native quickly discovered the indelible mark Burns made on the city and the region — both on the gridiron and in the community as a coach who won 68 percent of his games and a litany of conference and state championships at three different high schools. 
 
Burns turned Sioux Falls Washington into a dominating regional titan and transformed both Augustana College and O'Gorman from doormats to powerhouses. He was the marketing mastermind behind the Dakota Bowl and creation of the South Dakota high school football playoffs.
 
His life's adventures and accomplishments alone are a solid launching pad for a book. But the stories of Burns' bravado, bluster, biting humor, and bigger-than-life personality make for a rollicking page turner, especially after you get past the part where his life could have easily ended in World War II combat. 
 
By conducting over 90 interviews with people who knew Burns best, viewing videotapes of interviews with Burns, pouring through heaps of Burns family letters and library newspaper archives, and taking a trip overseas to the battlefields in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, Whitney immersed himself into Burns' life and legacy.
 
While the 300-plus pages of storytelling are worth the time and money, an hour-long conversation about the book at Gibs Sports Bar with the Happy Hour host also makes for an enjoyable investment of the ear.
 
Whitney dives into some of his favorite stories of a man whom one of Burns' former players and closest friends describes as "a guy who comes around once in a lifetime, or maybe more rarely than that."
 
Enjoy the chat. Then, buy the book. Or do it the other way around.
 
Either way, you'll likely laugh, possibly cry, and be glad you did.

Every Friday, "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. Plus, Midwest Sports+ reporter Zach Borg provides a compelling feature story to send Dakotas sports fans into the weekend with a smile.
 
Here are this week's segments:


Happy Hour with John Gaskins: It's early, but Chase Mason's passing numbers aren't great for SDSU. What do we make of that and his NFL Draft stock after the loss at Northwestern? Matt Zimmer covers the Jacks thoroughly and gave his thoughts. Plus, a quick word about USD's win at Northern Colorado and Kalen DeBoer's new quarterback's first outing in Alabama's romp over East Carolina.  


 
Hot Mic with Dom Izzo: MSU Moorhead head coach Steve Laqua evaluates his Dragons, who come to Sioux Falls to play 1-1 USF on Saturday, then Augustana next week.
 
The Nate Brown Show: NFL writer Frank Schwab takes on all the big picture topics as the season starts.
 
Zach Borg Feature: Like father, like his three sons. The Schafers are Sioux Falls' royal football family. Borg caught up with father Travis (Lincoln High's offensive coordinator), oldest son Ty (Black Hills State receivers coach), middle son Tate (USF quarterback) and Brody (Lincoln QB and SDSU commit) after BHSU upset USF on opening night in Sioux Falls.

While SDSU is a respectable 1-1 after last week's loss at Northwestern and USD is a solid 2-0 after a road win at Northern Colorado, how are the other FCS national title contenders faring after a couple contests?
 
The Montanas are both 2-0, but do they look like contenders once again?
 
Time to hike over to Big Sky country to hear what former Montana receiver and FCS podcaster Samuel Akem thinks.
 
How does Chase Mason and the Jackrabbits look to objective eyes outside of South Dakota?
 
Why should there not be teeth gnashing over the injury to ⁸Montana State's reigning Big Sky defensive player of the year Caden Dowler?
 
Why should the Bobcats beat FBS Mountain West outfit Nevada, led by former MSU coach Jeff Choate?
 
Do the Griz appear to have what it takes to get past Montana State this season?
 
What should Coyotes have in store with former Big Sky powerhouse Eastern Washington?
 
You'll have to hear what Sam says.
 
Before that, the Happy Hour host joins Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer at the Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls for a Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast. 
 
They give their own "things to watch" and predictions for EWU-USD and SDSU's home game against New Haven. What should Jacks fans be watching carefully out of their beloved 45.5-point favorites?
 
And how about former SDSU coach Jimmy Rogers' first game against Iowa as Iowa State coach? How much does he embrace the emotions of the CyHawk rivalry and how can the Cyclones drive back to Ames with an upset?
 
Before all the football talk, Trent and John reminisce about a wild night of playoff baseball at The Birdcage, one that went from misery to euphoria to agony for the underdog Canaries, but mainly...
 
TYYYYYYY-LERRRRRRRRR!

The Happy Hour host joins Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer at the Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls for a Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast. 
 
They give their own "things to watch" and predictions for EWU-USD and SDSU's home game against New Haven. What should Jacks fans be watching carefully out of their beloved 45.5-point favorites?
 
And how about former SDSU coach Jimmy Rogers' first game against Iowa as Iowa State coach? How much does he embrace the emotions of the CyHawk rivalry and how can the Cyclones drive back to Ames with an upset?
 
Before all the football talk, Trent and John reminisce about a wild night of playoff baseball at The Birdcage, one that went from misery to euphoria to agony for the underdog Canaries, but mainly...
 
TYYYYYYY-LERRRRRRRRR!

While SDSU is a respectable 1-1 after last week's loss at Northwestern and USD is a solid 2-0 after a road win at Northern Colorado, how are the other FCS national title contenders faring after a couple contests?
 
The Montanas are both 2-0, but do they look like contenders once again?
 
Time to hike over to Big Sky country to hear what former Montana receiver and FCS podcaster Samuel Akem thinks.
 
How does Chase Mason and the Jackrabbits look to objective eyes outside of South Dakota?
 
Why should there not be teeth gnashing over the injury to ⁸Montana State's reigning Big Sky defensive player of the year Caden Dowler?
 
Why should the Bobcats beat FBS Mountain West outfit Nevada, led by former MSU coach Jeff Choate?
 
Do the Griz appear to have what it takes to get past Montana State this season?
 
What should Coyotes have in store with former Big Sky powerhouse Eastern Washington?
 
You'll have to hear what Sam says.