By Mike Davis
Everyone has a draft board, and today we landed a top pick.
Jerry Glanville, the famed football coach, racecar driver and pop-culture darling in the mid-1990s, was a target for Dale Jr. and I for the last two years. We talked about him; dreamed about having him on the show. Just couldn't figure out how to reach him. Frankly, we didn't even know where to start.
Then something funny happened two weeks ago. I saw Glanville's face on a TV special about MC Hammer. Glanville, you might recall, had a cameo in the music video for Hammer's 2 Legit 2 Quit. I Googled him; learned he was still coaching football in something called The Spring League for a team called the Conquerors. I sent an e-mail to the league website introducing myself and saying I'm trying to reach Coach Glanville. That night, an e-mail:
How can I help you all? I was told Dale Jr was trying to find me? His dad was my coach. What a trip that was! I should tell Jr all about the weekend in Richmond, Va.
Jerry Glanville
Coach was already telling stories and we hadn't even officially met.
The next day I called him -- or maybe he called me, don't remember -- and it was clear his motor was still running on all cylinders. He told me about the Richmond test, the bologna sandwich Dale Earnhardt made him, the hat Richard Petty bet him, and the time Dale Jr. threatened to kick his ass.
Excuse me, what?
"Yeah, he threatened to kick my ass! I came off pit road in a Busch [Series] practice and completely ruined his lap, and he was hot. He came over and told me he was gonna kick my ass, and I told him 'You can try.'"
I said, "Coach, don't say any more. I'm making a phone call and am booking you on the next show. I'll call you back to confirm. Goodbye."
Today, Glanville walked through the door of the Dirty Mo Media studio the same way I remembered him when I was a kid watching the NFL -- black jeans, black denim shirt, boots, a big belt buckle, sunglasses... holy shit this man has swagger. No wonder he once famously left football tickets for Elvis while coaching the Houston Oilers -- he IS Elvis! No wonder players like Deion Sanders thrived under Glanville with the Atlanta Falcons -- Glanville IS as Prime Time as Deion! And no wonder people like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Dale Jarrett, Felix Sabates, Burt Reynolds, and others took such a liking to the football coach... He was one of them.
Episode 328 of The Dale Jr. Download drops soon on all your favorite places to listen to podcasts. But be forewarned, Glanville has the wheel at the beginning, middle and end. And he doesn't drive slow.
-- Dirty Mo --
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