Tracking the Cats
Wide ranging discussion of Western Carolina University athletics hosted by long time alumni and supporters, Bob Sabin & Steve White.
Tracking the Cats
Episode 2 - NIL
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Welcome to episode two of Tracking the Cats. It's a great podcast that, uh, is going to be interview, interviewing people from across the
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717the
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Catamount spectrum and Catamount Nation. My cohost, Steve White, who is usually here, will, uh, was not able to be here today, but I do have two guests with us that I think y'all will find very interesting.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717interesting.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Kevin Stanberry. And Eddie Wells,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717And Eddie
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854and these guys are starting what's called the color. We collective,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Weed Collective.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854and y'all know a little bit about
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717a little bit
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854NIL, but I hopefully we'll learn a little bit more over the next 20, 30 minutes.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717minutes. Tell us a
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854So guys, tell us a little bit about yourselves and how you came about, uh, getting the color. We collective started
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717started. You want to get it on, man? Go right ahead, dude. Yeah, so we, uh, I'm Eddie Wells. Obviously, this is Kevin Sanberry. Uh, we're passionate Catamounts alumni. Uh, we actually started the collectives really several months ago. Uh, Alex Gary, the AD, had reached out to us and asked if we had some interest in, uh, putting a collective together. If you're not familiar with what a collective is, basically it's, it's a group that comes together to try to raise funds in support of, you know, athletic, for athletes getting money, current ones and maybe future ones to, to help with recruiting. Gavin and I kind of had a bunch of meetings and. You know, worked with, uh, WCU, uh, to try to get this set up. You know, it's, it's interesting that, you know, we are working directly with athletics, but you know, the collectives can't be under athletics. So Kevin and I started, and then we, we brought, uh, three other members on. So now there's five of us. We filed an LLC. Um, the other three members, uh, would be. Mike Wade, I think a lot of people know, uh, owns Rabbit Ridge and, you know, uh, former, uh, Catamount football player back in, I think the, uh, 70s and 80s. Late 70s. Late 70s. brought him on. Nathan Earwood, uh, local attorney, uh, here. We brought him on as well. Um,
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854supporter,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Absolutely. Big Catamount supporter. And then, um, Mike Crawford. Mike Crawford, you know, uh, longtime supporter. Uh, given a lot to the, to Western over the years. Yep. We felt we put a pretty big group together. We are a good group together. And then we, from there, followed our LLC. We've actually had our LLC a couple months now. So we have been able to go ahead and get some kind of pledges, I guess you would say, into the collective, which, you know, that time and we'll probably get into some of this, but that time and really kind of help because at the time we were starting this and trying to get pledges in, we're also in the process of, you know, we had a new basketball coach coming in. So the timing worked pretty well for some of that. You know, uh, you know, just, uh, maybe help some with the recruiting process. And, um, yeah, it's been, it's been great. It's been a lot of work. You know, we're both still working full time, so we've been able to do a lot of it, you know, uh, you know, later in the evenings and, um, but yeah, it's been fun. So I don't know what else you want to add to that. No, I think that's, that pretty much is what this, how it all started for sure.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Right. So.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Bob, sorry,
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Go ahead, Eddie.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717too, is we, you know, from money coming in, we want to always want to make this point with, with everyone. We're, it is an LLC, I mean, I guess you could, theoretically, we could, we could try to make some money on this if we wanted to, but we don't, we're all passionate, catamounts, the money that's coming in, 100 percent of that is going, uh, to help sign athletes, uh, minus some required expenses from, you know, some gear we may have to pay for, insurance, website maintenance, those type of things.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Right. So, I don't know if y'all saw, but on the Catamount Sports Forum the other day, I put a poll out there, and I asked, you know, what do you want to know about the Color We Collective, and what do you know? And are you for it, against it? And everybody came back and said, not, I like it, I don't like it. Everybody said, I want to know more. So, tell us a little bit about who the beneficiaries will be. Is it mostly football or other sports? Help us out there.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Okay. So, so first of all, we, at the very start, we decided it would be all sports are available to, to take part in this. it's not going to be just football, just basketball, just men's sports, just women's sports. sports will, will, will have be available to participate in this. So if, if a booster loves soccer and they come to us to say, we want to help soccer. Well, their their money will be used to help soccer. So that's
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Great.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717to us that everybody is very clear and understands that If they if they come to us wanting to help a certain sport, that is who we will help um right now I think I think that a lot of people are talking and maybe feels like maybe it's kind of being geared towards one sport men's basketball, but it kind of had to be right out of the gates because Basketball's what happening with the portal and and that was the season was starting with having to sign a team But that is not what is going to be going forward. Yeah, and i'll i'll say like we um, We are supporting all sports right now. I'll say just just for signed contracts. We do have football players Uh, we have basketball players. We have uh one from women's basketball someone from uh women's soccer We have softball Football Who am I forgetting? Volleyball, soccer. You say soccer? Yes. It's soccer. Sorry. Yeah. So, um, yeah. So we're, we're trying to reach out to all sports, you know, when we, you know, we're hoping to be able to launch sometime this first, first week of July. We're not quite there yet. We had to make sure we got all of our contracts signed because if you, when you think about a website, we're actually using, you know, an athlete's image on our website, which is their NIL. So we had to make sure we had contracts signed before doing any of that. So that's, it's, you know, and we've, we have levels on here too. And that's something I guess we'll try to get into when you talk about, you know, who is receiving money, what are the benefits of supporting this? Well, you know, there will be levels almost, I don't want to say like you would see with like the catamount club, but we'll start, you know, a month and it'll go up, you know, much higher than that. And. For each level, you'll get some different benefits from gear, hats, decals, those type of things. But, you know, the good thing is, the money is going to a pot, you know, strictly to help, you know, sign these student athletes to give them some opportunities for their NIL.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Sure. So, um, Kevin, could you like sponsor an athlete and then use him on the advertising for Stanbury? Is that help us understand a little bit about that.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717so so there are a couple ways to do this. So, um, so a business that, that is another, that is another option that we're definitely going to be going out and pursuing is, is direct sponsorships with, with businesses. So if a Stanbury Insurance did want to use one of the athletes that we have in the collective that we have signed and have a contract with, and they, and so Stanbury Insurance said, so I, we would like to do an ad with. One of your athletes we could then go to that athlete and say would you like to do do some advertising with Stanbury insurance? And then we could then Negotiate something there as well. So absolutely that we could do that, too Yeah, so
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Very cool.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717be they would be a sponsor of the Kelowee collective But then still get to use the athletes. Well, we'd sign a separate contract with the student athlete You know, so they get you know a large portion of those funds You which is good for them and helps, you know, the, you know, the, whatever the sponsor is on, on some advertising.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Okay. So, uh, Individual businesses can do this, but how is a individual like myself, let's say I wanted to get involved. You said there are levels and what would be the benefit to me for sponsoring. Say 1, 000 or 5, 000.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah. So those, this will all make more sense when the website comes out. So
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Okay.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717we started, I think the lowest one, I think is 10 a month. The highest one, I think is a thousand dollars a month. And there's levels in between there and each level gets something different. So, you know, you know, if you're at, you know, 10 a which, which is great for some people, we want to have something available for them. Okay. They may only get like a decal and maybe a t shirt or something. You know, the next would, would move on up all the way up to some levels. We'll get signed memorabilia. We're going to have raffles at different levels. Um, the high levels, we even got in there, maybe, uh, a dinner with, uh, with the head coach, you know, of a coach. Uh, and, and then also at the end of the day, the main thing is. You're helping out Western, uh, helping us get better, and then eventually hope we can help us win championships. So, at the end of the day, that's what we're all trying to do, doing this.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Makes, sense. So how
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717how
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854a student athlete selected or how do, how do you work this with the athletes that they come and say, Hey, I'd love to sign with Western, but, or
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Or,
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854is there a star like, um, one of the basketball players, help me understand how The persons get picked or selected or signed on, whatever.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah, that's a great question. We're working directly with the coaches, so the coaches aren't necessarily talking about amounts. They may mention to us what they think a ballpark is for a player of that caliber. You know, and then we're going and having those conversations like we've been on. We even helped with some recruiting to where we would sit down with them and talk to them while they're on campus, you know, kind of away from, you know, the coaches and, you know, have a conversation of what we think we would be able to do. But the coaches are involved in this. They're just not making those decisions because they're, you know, You know, just, you know, just, I guess they're not allowed. They're not. Yeah. They're yeah. So, so we have, we've had a lot of conversations with the compliance. and I have just to make sure that we're doing everything by the book, NCAA guidelines and rules. We've had several meetings just to, just to make sure the coaches have obviously had tons of meetings when it comes to this stuff, um, just to make, and there's been a lot of changes in the last probably three months. That have brought the coaches into, into it more than it was before, still when it comes to the negotiation of actual contract signing and actual dollar amounts, that falls 100 percent on to us and the athlete. We, we handle, we handle all of that and all payments and all everything. Um, the coaches are not involved in that and the school is not involved in, in any of that. That has to come to us. Um, That's just the way it is. That's just the way it comes to the NCAA and everything like that. The coaches can, can let a player know, Hey, there is a collective and they would like to talk to you. um, and discuss it and want to, you know, talk to you about it. And there is one out there, um, that's interested in talking to you and whatnot, during the recruiting process. But when it comes to negotiation and money, that, that, that falls on us.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Sure, that makes sense. So. are there any students that we, and you don't have to name them, but it sounds like there's been some, uh, talk with specific
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717students,
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854teams. like,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717We have players under contract already. I think we have, uh, 15, 16, 17, something like that. Yeah, maybe 16, 17, maybe. We have 13 basketball players for sure. Yeah, we're still in the process of trying to get something. We don't want to talk about names yet. Yeah, yeah. So
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854right. Sure.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717goes live, these young men and women will be listed on our website. because once we have, once they're signed contracts, we're able to use their name, image, and likeness. Um, to show, to show them and everything. So, uh, they will be listed on our, you'll be able to go on to the website and see them. Um, we're excited about that. Um, so absolutely, yeah, we, we have, we have players signed already. And
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854basketball specifically, any other teams that you can talk about, or.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah, we, we have two football players. We have a one softball player. We have one volleyball player, one baseball player, one soccer player, one soccer player. Did you say softball? I didn't say softball. you say softball? I did. I think you asked me that last time. So I think, I think that's where we are right now. Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Impressive.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717yeah, Bob, I'll say on, in this contract, so we're, we're trying to keep it minimal things that, that the athletes will have to do. We're not trying to take a lot of their time. You know, one thing, we'll ask them to help promote the Cullowhee Collective on their social platforms. You know, we will have a Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and all that, where we're pumping information out as well. Uh, beyond that, there might, we may need them to sign some memorabilia that we can get out to some of the people that are giving money, you know, to the Collective, but it's, it's very minimal things that we're, that we have in the contract, but there is non disclosure information in there too, so. You know, whatever they're signing for they're not supposed to talk with any of the other athletes about they do sign off on that In the contract and that's just to kind of help keep everything confidential
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854And I hope it stays that way.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yes. Yes
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Sometimes, you know, as kids,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717But uh, but he's excited. I mean the they're very um, we've had some great meetings with these. Um, With these these young men and women and they're they're great great great people You
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854You know, we've got great coaches, and they're picking quality athletes. So, I'm real pleased on that. Um, Let's talk a little bit about some of the more competitive things. How do we look against, uh, the other Southern Conference schools? Have you kind of looked to them or talked to their, any of their collectives for ideas? Are we behind? Are we ahead? And about the same?
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717We, um, I will say this, we, if we weren't doing it, we would be way behind. So we have to be doing it for sure. Um, especially in basketball, men's basketball in the Southern Conference is very, is very aggressive in the NIO world. Um, several schools are very aggressive. Um, I would say right now I would put us, um, I would put us in the middle. Yeah, I would put us in the middle where our budget is. I think I feel like we're I feel like we're um, I think I feel like we did a nice job I think people still some boosters really stepped up and made some nice commitments and made it to where um We could go out and be very competitive in the the nio world in the southern conference this year
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Great. So
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717if you
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854go ahead.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717some of the teams at the top of the socon They've, they've been, they've been doing this for a little bit. So we, we feel like we had to get something started to help be competitive as Kevin said. And, um, you know, we're just starting out now. We're hoping by this time next year, we have a large pot of money that to be even, you know, even higher up, you know, within the SOCON on, you know, on these offers for athletes and everything. Eddie and I did not do anything last year. And I think we, NIL wise, we dipped our toe very slightly in the water. with men's basketball. Some people did help out a little bit. Maybe some people weren't aware that this was happening, but there was some things that did happen for a few of our players last year that helped us keep a few of those kids around, which was great. And as you can tell, it helped. We had a great year last year. Um, but there was schools in our conference that were absolutely it. in the NIO world. Furman and Sanford, if you just want to name names,
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854I would,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717big numbers.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854I would have picked those schools just because of their reputations and their, yeah.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717look what they did on the court. I mean, it had, had big, had big budgets. Um, yeah, you know, we're, we're nowhere near that and I'm not saying we'll ever get to where they are, we need to be somewhat, we need to be competitive there. I think we can, We can beat them in other ways because that's what we've always done, Western. We've always found other ways to do stuff. So we need to get our budget up higher, which I think we can. Um, and we'll just continue to do it in other ways. We'll just, you know, we'll outwork them. And I feel like we've done a great job with our hire as our new head coach. Coach Kraft is going to do a
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Yeah. So.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717doubts there. I keep talking to people that are in the know of the coaching world and the things I keep hearing are very impressive. So give him what he needs financially and let him do what he does and we're going to be
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854great. Well,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717most
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854most of Western's fans biggest fan base, of course, is football. Tell me a little bit about what you're going to be doing with, with that and where is that overall as against the other conference teams and.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah, um, I don't know where we fall in terms of the other conference teams. I mean, we've, we've reached out to Kerwin Bell and, you know, Todd Shealy, the director of football operations. I've been working with them and, you know, if there's things that we can do to help, we're just putting that in front of them saying, look, we've, you know, we are, you know, raising money to help with athletes, you know, so, uh, right now we've, it's been more, less on the recruiting side and really more of those that have already been established here, like the, the, the ones that we have signed. Which is good. I mean, they want to reward some of these that are, that are doing really great things for Western right now. So,
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Right.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717we, we, we, fully expect to be involved in a lot of this recruiting, you know, you know, whenever the portals open, you know, that's when things get kind of busy and, you know, need money to sign players. Cause that's all you can recruit now, you know, you couldn't do that, you know, a year ago and it's probably happening anyways. But, you know, you were not, coaches were not allowed. You know our NIL money wasn't allowed in the recruiting process and then they changed all that so know, I think we'll be heavily involved when the portal opens back up. Yeah, I think they'll be yeah, so football Portal was a little different than the basketball time wise. So I think that I think we'll know more about that the next time around. Yeah, like
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Okay.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717open right now So we've been working with the head baseball coach some too with alan beck and we've been working with him uh, if there's something we can do to help when they're trying to sign some of these players then We want to be able to do that. Yeah
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Excellent.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yes
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854So
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717there. We're here to help so and that conversation kind of Kind of goes out to, uh, to alumni that want to, want to find ways to help maybe differently. this is something we also want to say. If alumni are looking for ways to help differently than the ways they're helping already, we're not asking for, for them to stop helping the ways they're already helping. If Catamount Club, continue to give to the Catamount Club. you give money to To wherever you're giving money to western whatever the ways those are don't stop giving those ways ways don't stop needing that help Um,
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854makes sense. And I would hope most people would understand that.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717understand that we're not asking for you to stop that money to give to us. We don't want that. We don't want that. We, we are both members, board members of the Catamount Club.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Right.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Club means a lot to us. And, and so, so that's very important for people to understand that. If you're giving money to the Catamount Club, Get more, please. But if you're looking for other ways to help, and you have the ability to do so, this is a great way to help. It can help us get better quickly, we feel like. anyway, just want to make
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854What kind of,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717that out.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854what kind of financial goals do you have? If that's something you want to talk about, or
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah, um, that's a, that's a really good question, Bob. Um, As much as possible. Yeah, but you know, we, we probably, you probably should have a goal. I mean, I, I think that's something we probably need to sit down and kind of have a goal for each, you know, I'd love to have a goal for each sport. Um, kind of have one set to the side and say, you know, I'd like to have, I'd like to have this budget for basketball and I'd like to have this budget for each sport and, kind of work towards that and, and work with some of their alumni And some of their boosters that really like to help these sports specifically and go, Hey, let's try to get to this. If we can, much could that help your teams? That would probably be a great starting point. because then at the end of the day, then you, those coaches would really have a really nice idea how to back their way into how to go out and recruit for the next year. You know, how the, what kind of, what kind of players they could maybe try to go out and recruit. Yeah. you know, if they just, just, you know, hypothetically, could I sign a 50, 000 player if I had a budget of this much, you know, one star star player and then, and then use another 75, 000 to sign a, you know, some 10, 15, 000 guys or whatever. Yeah, Bob, I expect us to have conversations with coaches moving forward once we have 10, 000. once we started getting money coming in a little more than just pledges we have at this point and of asking them where do we need to be for you to be competitive in the SOCON you know with each individual sport and that's something that would be a goal for us you know.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854have you targeted specific businesses? I know you mentioned Nathan Earwoods is committed.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah, yeah we have a few that we're very um, we've had a few that we've had conversations with that we haven't signed. so we're not, we can't really speak on those yet, but um, we have some absolutely that we're conversations with, um, that if we were to, to hit on would be big, would be really helpful, uh, could get us off to a really nice start. We have some good things in the works. We're just crossing our fingers. Yeah, we have, we have a couple of really nice things in the works that would, um, uh, be really exciting news.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854That that's great.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Looking forward to it.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717we get people really excited. Um, and I think the website would, once it goes live and people see that and be able to see the athletes that we have signed, that's going to get people excited. Um, I hope, I mean, I mean, I think that people know, you know, what we're People that are involved with Western know who Eddie is, know who I am. We feel like that, I hope that people know if, if Eddie and I are involved in something, serious about it. I mean, you know, we don't kind of mess around. I mean, we're, we're, if we're gonna do it, we're gonna do it right? Yeah. I mean, I, I'll say all five of our members that are, uh, of the LLC that are bought in, that we filed Yeah. Are all bought in to help in Western huge cat amounts. Like we just. We're just here to help and we care about it. So we're we're trying to put that work in now to get it Just right to launch and you know, yeah, it's it's it's been a lot of work up to this point But it's it's something good, you know, just you know, you try to help our university that we all love
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854So one of the only tough question I have for you guys is there are some folks who are not. Excited about having to do this. How do you answer their comments or their concerns?
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717I mean, it's fair. I mean, I, I mean, I understand where they're coming from. At first, few years ago, when it really first started, it was, it was a little, I mean, I think it was a little tough field to swallow. Yeah. But you just got to have to, um, if you like it or not, it's part of the landscape of college sports right now.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854There's no going back.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717I can't let the university, that I love so much just be left behind. I just can't do it, right? I can't do it. And, and if, if this is the thing that I'm just going to decide that I'm going to get left behind on, I just, I can't, this is not the one I'm going to dial. I'm sorry.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854So to a more positive point, I think there are a fair amount of folks who are interested in this. So tell us how to get involved. What's the website. When can we expect that to come online?
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah, so we're hoping this week, so the, uh, the website will be colloicollective. com. Uh, we also have an email address that we're checking. It's colloicollective at gmail. com. know, really just, I think I would hold off until the website launches because it's gonna, it's gonna answer, we hope, a lot of questions. That might be a work in progress after we get that put out there. There will be a, you know, ways to donate online if they want to, you can give to specific sports. Call me. Uh, yeah, call us. Call us. Yeah. You know, our, our numbers are out there. Yeah. Probably won't be on the website, but a lot of people have our number. Let's be honest. You can Google it and find it. It's not hard to get hold of Kevin or, Kevin Stanberry or Eddie Wells. We're not hiding from anybody, so.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854No. And Kevin Stanberry is a sponsor of this podcast. So Stanberry insurance. Uh, stanbury ins. com.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah,
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854And
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717is on that website, so, yeah.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854so, and I thank you for your support by the way, Kevin.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717You're very welcome, buddy. Nice work. I'm excited. There's a Western podcast out there. This is awesome. It's amazing.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Well, want to get it more often right now. It's monthly. I hope by football season, we're doing at least twice a month and maybe at some point down there weekly, because you know me, I've loved the Catamounts since I enrolled in September of 1971. So.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717I've loved them since December of 71 when I was born, but anyway.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Well, I was an import. I came up from Florida.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854was a culture shock, but I loved it. I fell in love with
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717it.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Cullowhee, the mountains, the people. It's been a great ride for me. Well,
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Yeah, we, we're right there with you. We love the county. We both live local here, so it's, it's, it's been easier for us. And really all, all five members are, you know, here locally, you know, within Western North Carolina. That's right. That's right. It's been, it's been easier to get things going that way, having people right here. So.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854guys, I appreciate your time this afternoon and, um, we will get this downloaded as soon as possible. And, um, hopefully we'll get some views this week, which is the week of July 1st through 5th.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Very good. Happy Independence Day, everybody. Yeah.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Same for me.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717That's right. Go cats. Go
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Thanks again.
cullowhee-collective_2_07-01-2024_160717Thanks, Bob.
bob-sabin_2_07-01-2024_160854Okay. See y'all.
