Happy Hour with John Gaskins

The last time the Sioux Falls Canaries were on The Birdcage field, they had a nearly-full stadium rocking on the precipice of the squad's first American Association title in 17 years. 
But the Lake Country Dockhounds ripped the trophy away and broke Birdcage hearts — two nights in a row. 
Now what? Manager Mike Meyer is back and so is the Canaries' all-time most prolific (and likely most popular) player Jabari Henry, along with fellow veteran cornerstones Mike Hart, (former USF slugger) Josh Rehwaldt, Trevor Auchenbach, and all-time most prolific relief pitcher Charlie Hasty.
There's also fresh faces and a new pitcher who made his mark locally at Brandon Valley and Northwestern College (Iowa).
Meyer sits down with Happy Hour host John Gaskins for a deep dive into the aftermath of last year's heartbreak, why he came back, and why the Birds will be a contender to run it back and finish the deal in 2026.

"They can't kill us."
 
That bold and true remark came from Sioux Falls Stampede coach Ryan Cruthers after the Herd beat Fargo 3-2 in a thrilling winner-take-all Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals in Sioux Falls on Tuesday night.
 
At the same time, the San Antonio Spurs put the Minnesota Timberwolves on life support in a 126-97 romp in Game 5 of that Western Conference Finals series in the NBA.
 
How and why did both results happen?
 
Well, that's what our little show called "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" is for.
 
Cruthers joined the Happy Host for a look back on Tuesday's epic victory in front of 5,791 howling fans in the PREMIER Center. The second-year head coach also described the team identity that allowed it to finish with the second-best record in the USHL and come back from 2-1 deficits to capture both must-win Game 4's and Game 5's in each of its two playoff series.
 
As for the post mortem on the T'Wolves nightmare in San Antonio, our motley crew of the Happy Hour host, USF basketball coach Chris Johnson, and fellow Wolves die-hard Jon Oppold — owner of Wolves watch bar Orion Pub — slice and dice the ugly Game 4 and how the Wolves can turn around and take Game 6 and Game 7, like they did against the Denver Nuggets to reach the conference final two years ago.
 
In between all the playoff hoopla and puckla, South Dakota softball coach Robert Wagner looked back on the Coyotes' run through the Summit League Tournament, including two wins over No. 1 seed Omaha capped by a 2-1 nailbiting championship round clincher. Not bad for the No. 4 seed out of six.
 
Wagner also tells the story of his decade at the helm in Vermillion. Before, he had spent his life and softball career in Pac 12 territory — Washington, Utah, and Arizona. What kind of challenges has he faced in his 10 seasons at USD and how has he and his program overcome them?
 
The Coyotes will be the biggest underdogs in the NCAA Tournament when they play No. 1 Nebraska — not just the region's top seed, but the top-ranked team in the entire country — in front of over 3,000 fans in Lincoln on Friday night.
 
But, hey. Already, one team from Nebraska seeded No. 1 couldn't kill the Coyotes in the postseason. Perhaps the Huskers will struggle to do it, too.

Our motley crew slices and dices the ugly Game 5 and how the Wolves can turn around and take Game 6 and Game 7, like they did against the Denver Nuggets to reach the conference final two years ago.
 
Near the top of the list: Julius Randle needs to play about a billion times better. Should this season be his last in Minnesota?

The Coyotes twice upset No. 1 seed Omaha, capped by a 2-1 nailbiting championship round clincher. Not bad for the No. 4 seed out of six. How did they do it? Why is it not as much of a surprise to the coach as it may be to others?
 
Wagner also tells the story of his decade at the helm in Vermillion. Before, he had spent his life and softball career in Pac 12 territory — Washington, Utah, and Arizona. What kind of challenges has he faced in his 10 seasons at USD and how has he and his program overcome them?
 
The Coyotes will be the biggest underdogs in the NCAA Tournament when they play No. 1 Nebraska — not just the region's top seed, but the top-ranked team in the entire country — in front of over 3,000 fans in Lincoln on Friday night.

"They can't kill us."
 
That bold and true remark came from Sioux Falls Stampede coach Ryan Cruthers after the Herd beat Fargo 3-2 in a thrilling winner-take-all Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals in Sioux Falls on Tuesday night.
 
Cruthers joined the Happy Host for a look back on Tuesday's epic victory in front of 5,791 howling fans in the PREMIER Center. The second-year head coach also described the team identity that allowed it to finish with the second-best record in the USHL and come back from 2-1 deficits to capture both must-win Game 4's and Game 5's in each of its two playoff series.
 
Also, a preview of Muskegon, the Clark Cup Finals opponent.