Happy Hour with John Gaskins

f only it was an April Fool's trick.
 
Last week, Roosevelt boys basketball coach Mitch Begeman surprised many by stepping down at age 38, after 10 years, two state titles back-to-back (2021 and '22), and a third place state finish this year, finishing at 19-5.
 
It was no April Fool's trick. Begeman joins Happy Hour from the Gateway Lounge to explain how this decision was three years in the making, how he knew all season this would be his last, and how hard it was to deliver the news to his players, principal and athletic director.
 
Long respected as one of the best coaches and humans in the local hoops scene, Begeman held back little in this 70-minute chat that walked through his basketball journey — first as a budding high school star playing for his father Mike at O'Gorman, then at USD during the Coyotes' last D2 days, and into the coaching world after a brief stint as both a personal hoops coach and personal trainer before diving into coaching, first as a Sioux Falls Skyforce assistant, then at Roosevelt.
 
He poured out memories the way he poured his heart and soul into the profession and the lives of his players at a program and school marked by a diverse array of students, including those without father figures.
 
Before that sit-down, the Happy Hour host unfolds some April Fool's Day sports topics. USD tried to pull one on its fans about the Coyote women's WNIT run. A Brandon sportswriter hooked, lined, and sinkered the Happy Hour host into "big breaking news" about that city's high school sports scene.
 
The host and video producer share their favorite teams' and local colleges' "wish it was April Fool's" sports moments — for SDSU, USD, Augustana, USF, the Minnesota Vikings and Nebraska.
 
Additionally, more words are devoted to South Dakota State instant legend Brooklyn Meyer, who learned on Wednesday that she won the Becky Hammon Award as the nation's best mid-major player. 
 
It makes the host wonder if Player of the Year or MVP voting (like, the Summit League POY, which Meyer didn't win) should be done differently in all sports at all levels.
 
Also: What do we make of the mass exodus of USD's best men's basketball players?

The Happy Hour host unfolds some April Fool's Day sports topics. USD tried to pull one on its fans about the Coyote women's WNIT run. A Brandon sportswriter hooked, lined, and sinkered the Happy Hour host into "big breaking news" about that city's high school sports scene.
 
The host and video producer share their favorite teams' and local colleges' "wish it was April Fool's" sports moments — for SDSU, USD, Augustana, USF, the Minnesota Vikings and Nebraska.
 
Additionally, more words are devoted to South Dakota State instant legend Brooklyn Meyer, who learned on Wednesday that she won the Becky Hammon Award as the nation's best mid-major player. 
 
It makes the host wonder if Player of the Year or MVP voting (like, the Summit League POY, which Meyer didn't win) should be done differently in all sports at all levels.
 
Also: What do we make of the mass exodus of USD's best men's basketball players?

If only it was an April Fool's trick.
 
Last week, Roosevelt boys basketball coach Mitch Begeman surprised many by stepping down at age 38, after 10 years, two state titles back-to-back (2021 and '22), and a third place state finish this year, finishing at 19-5.
 
It was no April Fool's trick. Begeman joins Happy Hour from the Gateway Lounge to explain how this decision was three years in the making, how he knew all season this would be his last, and how hard it was to deliver the news to his players, principal and athletic director.
 
Long respected as one of the best coaches and humans in the local hoops scene, Begeman held back little in this 70-minute chat that walked through his basketball journey — first as a budding high school star playing for his father Mike at O'Gorman, then at USD during the Coyotes' last D2 days, and into the coaching world after a brief stint as both a personal hoops coach and personal trainer before diving into coaching, first as a Sioux Falls Skyforce assistant, then at Roosevelt.
 
He poured out memories the way he poured his heart and soul into the profession and the lives of his players at a program and school marked by a diverse array of students, including those without father figures.

Get your head out of your ass!
 
It may be one of the most common bellows you hear from frustrated sports fans yelling from either their couch at the TV, or from the stadium stands toward the football field.
 
And it is usually directed toward the offensive coordinator. 
 
Over some beers at Gateway Lounge, Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and the Happy Hour host discuss and share stories about the perils of perceivably the most hated man in football (outside of refs).  
 
That part of the latest weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast revolves around Zim's deep dive with South Dakota State OC Eric Eidsness about "E's" job and life, part of Zim's spring football series "Jacks Chats."
 
Zim also gives his takeaways from both SDSU and USD "pro days," during which recently-departed Jacks and Yotes showed off their skills and athleticism in front of NFL scouts last week. Who stood out? What are some past examples of little-known South Dakota players who raised their NFL stock in their one-and-only live audition in front of people they hoped would employ and pay them to keep playing football?
 
Before all this, the chat starts with a depiction of the South Dakota women's basketball team's WNIT run and a look back at what the 2016 WNIT title meant for that program and fan base.
 
Are Carrie Eighmey, Angelina Robles, Molly Joyce and company becoming the 2.0 version of Amy Williams, Nicole Seekamp, Tia Heimiller, Kelli Stewart, Caitlin Duffy and crew?
 
How palpable is the energy generated from a run (of home games) through a second tier (now third tier) postseason event? 
 
What memories are stoked of a DakotaDome filled with 7,415 howling fans for that championship game? Williams, Stewart, Heimiller, and Margaret McCloud joined "The Howling Podcast" 10-year anniversary show for an enjoyable walk down memory lane.
 
Zim and the Happy Host were both there that day and offered their memories. It was memorable. 
 
To top of the show, Zim's thoughts on the great (now late) Minnesota Vikings safety Joey Browner and Twins fans' pessimism and disdain toward the Pohlads.

Palleschi's day job is as a representative of the Sioux Falls Sports Authority, the organization that lures, prepares, and stages regional and national events in the city.
 
Talk about March madness. Over the last four weeks, the SFSA hosted the Summit League basketball tournaments, the NCAA Div. II wrestling national championships, and this past weekend's NCAA Div. I men's hockey regional.
 
The USD alumnus describes all that goes into bringing and conducting massive events, and what the SFSA has in mind for future projects. Is an NCAA men's regional on the table? Why has Sioux Falls never hosted one?