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| Stunt legend Robbie Knievel talks to Austin this episode Photo via Huffington Post |
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 — Unleashed!
Episode: 332 (June 9, 2016)
Run Time: 1:27:24
Guest: Robbie Knievel (8:45)
Summary: Steve Austin couldn’t do this one in person as intended, but logged a Skype all with one of his heroes. Knievel discusses his famous father, Evel, and his own solo career as a daredevil. They talk a lot of motorcycle specs and jumping mechanics, as well as what it was like for Knievel to travel with his philandering father, how the son’s weakness wasn’t women but whiskey. Robbie Knievel has lots of thoughts about Snake River Canyon, his mindset while planning a jump and dealing with the inevitable injuries. At the end, he reflects on the importance of the family name, shares his respect for the current crop of wild riders and gets excited about the chance to rub elbows with famous folks.
Quote of the week: “I shoulda been dead a zillion times. Whether it was jumping for money or just out there drinkin’ and ridin’. You know, just stupid stuff. And it’s embarrassing now, it’s stupid, and I’m gonna be — what I’ve learned my whole life, I’m gonna take all that professional learning and put it together on every jump I do cause I just don’t wanna quit yet. And I wanna keep that name, The Most Famous on Two Wheels, and so far I’ve done that, and there’s a lotta jumps I still wanna do.”
Why you should listen: This is likely to appeal more to the older of Austin’s fans who vividly remember the exploits of Evel Knievel, and perhaps those who have followed the son's career or seen one of his television shows. Gearheads also might take a liking, given the talk about bike speeds and construction. Ultimately anyone who likes a good tale of cheating death and living to tell the story will find this an hour well spent.
Why you should skip it: Aside from Knievel’s sycophantic bent toward Austin, there’s precious little wrestling talk here. It’s always fun to hear Stone Cold dig in on a topic that trips his trigger, but those interviews don’t always have broad appeal to the whole of his audience.
Final thoughts: It might seem like a broken record to regular readers of this feature, but while it’s great to have Austin conduct a live interview as opposed to simply responding to listener emails, the interest level of such episodes rest solely on the guest. Knievel spins a fun yarn, but nothing from this episode classifies as essential. If you’ve got better ways to spend your listening time, by all means do so. But if you need something to drown out the background noise, this is good for a few moments of laughter and insight — nothing more.
Show: Steve Austin Show — Unleashed!
Episode: 332 (June 9, 2016)
Run Time: 1:27:24
Guest: Robbie Knievel (8:45)
Summary: Steve Austin couldn’t do this one in person as intended, but logged a Skype all with one of his heroes. Knievel discusses his famous father, Evel, and his own solo career as a daredevil. They talk a lot of motorcycle specs and jumping mechanics, as well as what it was like for Knievel to travel with his philandering father, how the son’s weakness wasn’t women but whiskey. Robbie Knievel has lots of thoughts about Snake River Canyon, his mindset while planning a jump and dealing with the inevitable injuries. At the end, he reflects on the importance of the family name, shares his respect for the current crop of wild riders and gets excited about the chance to rub elbows with famous folks.
Quote of the week: “I shoulda been dead a zillion times. Whether it was jumping for money or just out there drinkin’ and ridin’. You know, just stupid stuff. And it’s embarrassing now, it’s stupid, and I’m gonna be — what I’ve learned my whole life, I’m gonna take all that professional learning and put it together on every jump I do cause I just don’t wanna quit yet. And I wanna keep that name, The Most Famous on Two Wheels, and so far I’ve done that, and there’s a lotta jumps I still wanna do.”
Why you should listen: This is likely to appeal more to the older of Austin’s fans who vividly remember the exploits of Evel Knievel, and perhaps those who have followed the son's career or seen one of his television shows. Gearheads also might take a liking, given the talk about bike speeds and construction. Ultimately anyone who likes a good tale of cheating death and living to tell the story will find this an hour well spent.
Why you should skip it: Aside from Knievel’s sycophantic bent toward Austin, there’s precious little wrestling talk here. It’s always fun to hear Stone Cold dig in on a topic that trips his trigger, but those interviews don’t always have broad appeal to the whole of his audience.
Final thoughts: It might seem like a broken record to regular readers of this feature, but while it’s great to have Austin conduct a live interview as opposed to simply responding to listener emails, the interest level of such episodes rest solely on the guest. Knievel spins a fun yarn, but nothing from this episode classifies as essential. If you’ve got better ways to spend your listening time, by all means do so. But if you need something to drown out the background noise, this is good for a few moments of laughter and insight — nothing more.
