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.
 
 
Guest: Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer
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.

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.