I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show Ep. 279

Austin talks to a daredevil this episode
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you’re new, here’s the rundown. We listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are many wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but this feature largely hews to the regular rotation we feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If we can save other folks some time, we’re happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 279 (Dec. 8, 2015)
Run Time: 1:17:13
Guest: Lathan McKay (21:48)

Summary: Down at the Broken Skull Ranch, Steve Austin opens by explaining how this episode came to be, then delves into his guest’s personal background, how he came to portray his idol Layne Staley in a film that may never be released and then the beginning of his collection of Evel Knievel memorabilia. They go over some of the most famous items in his and other collections, and talk about plans to open a museum in Topeka, Kan. McKay explains his relationship with Knievel’s family, biopics and the controversial Shelly Saltman book. Then Austin and McKay rehash Knievel’s career, some of his most famous events and his legacy. They end up talking about beer and future projects.

Quote of the week: “I’ve got partners, you know, with Harley-Davidson. My main partner, Mike Patterson, who saved my life, from Historic Harley-Davidson — basically that whole dealership saved my life. I was just owned by my possessions, basically. And I went into a lot of debt and just had a lot of faith. I did the same thing Evel did, basically, without jumping. Somebody else jumped.”

Why you should listen: Only if you care about Evel Knievel. Austin is clearly fascinated, which is in no way surprising. If you like hearing his curious fanboy side, you’ll enjoy the interview.

Why you should skip it: Because it’s an hour of talking about Evel Knievel memorabilia and sweet baby Jesus is that boring

Final thoughts: Sadly there’s not much to say here. This falls so neatly into a category of Austin episodes that any veteran listener will know exactly what they’re getting, even though the guest is unknown. McKay is less charismatic but also more modest than the knife guy, and Knievel is (for me) a mildly more interesting topic than brewing beer but way less compelling than video production. And all of it is better than reading emails or Uberfacts.