This Podcast Is... Uncalled For

The second season of the United Football League is over and done with. DC 58, Michigan 34 We will be back on and off throughout the offseason, hopefully doing our part to build up the fan bases of this league and its teams.  If there is any news on expansion and/or relocation, we will report that as well.

Amanda Stacey is a fantasy writer based in Joplin, Missouri.  She was kind enough to join us during a massive winter storm that left us Snowed In.

We have our UFL Championship Game set! Conference Championships Results: USFL: Michigan 44, Birmingham 29 XFL: DC 36, St. Louis 18 UFL Championship: Saturday, June 14 - DC vs. Michigan in St. Louis

The regular season is over!  On to the playoffs!  We also start our power rankings, beginning with the teams that didn't make the playoffs. Week 10 Results: St. Louis 13, DC 8 Houston 19, Michigan 12 Arlington 23, San Antonio 6 Birmingham 46, Memphis 9 Conference Championships: Sunday, June 8 - USFL Conference: Michigan at Birmingham Sunday, June 8 - XFL Conference: DC at St. Louis

What do Webelos Scouts, nuclear power plants, and bald eagles all have in common?  This 30+ year old tale that Mike will be sharing with us in today's episode of the podcast.

Week 9 is in the books.  The season is almost over.  We also talk about potential expansion and relocation rumors. Week 9 Results: St. Louis 39, San Antonio 13 Birmingham 26, Michigan 22 Arlington 30, Memphis 12 Houston 24, DC 21 Week 10 Friday, May 30 - St. Louis at DC Saturday, May 31 - Houston at Michigan Sunday, June 1 - Arlington at San Antonio Sunday, June 1 - Birmingham at Memphis

Week 8 is in the books.  The playoffs are set. Week 8 Results: Memphis 24, San Antonio 22 Michigan 30, Houston 18 St. Louis 29, Birmingham 28 DC 33, Arlington 30 Playoffs are set: USFL Conference Championship: Michigan vs. Birmingham at Protective Stadium in Birmingham XFL Conference Championship: DC vs. St. Louis at the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis Week 9 Friday, May 23 - San Antonio at St. Louis Saturday, May 24 - Arlington at Memphis Saturday, May 24 - Michigan at Birmingham Sunday, May 25 - DC at Houston

Mike sits down with Hanna Rogers, a local model who served in the US Army and is also looking at getting into acting. We recorded this at a coffee shop, so please excuse the background noise.

Week 7 is in the books.  Week 8 is upon us.  Four teams are in great position to make the playoffs. Week 7 Results: DC 32, San Antonio 24 Michigan 25, Arlington 24 Birmingham 33, Houston 25 St. Louis 19, Memphis 9 Memphis and San Antonio have been eliminated from playoff contention. Week 8 Friday, May 16 - Memphis at San Antonio Saturday, May 17 - Michigan at Houston Saturday, May 17 - Birmingham at St. Louis Sunday, May 18 - Arlington at DC

The playoffs are in sight.  In addition to looking forward to Week 7, we look at how the teams' fan bases rank (at least how Mike sees it). Week 6 Results: St. Louis 12, Arlington 6 Houston 21, Memphis 20 Michigan 38, DC 14 Birmingham 26, San Antonio 3 Week 7 Friday, May 9 - DC at San Antonio Saturday, May 10 - Michigan at Arlington Sunday, May 11 - Houston at Birmingham Sunday, May 11 - St. Louis at Memphis

12 years after the recording, the Sunflower Brew four-parter on barbecue and BBQ judging is finally together in one episode of its descendent podcast! The official guests on this 2013 four-parter were Jeremy Schliesman and Charlie Vincent. Part 1 was chicken, prepared by Jeremy Smith. Part 2 was St. Louis style ribs, prepared by Mathew "Doc" Love. Part 3 was pulled pork, prepared by Nathan Victor. Part 4 was brisket, prepared by Ryan Walsh.

We are at the halfway point of the season.  In addition to looking forward to Week 5, we look at power rankings, attendance, and how good (or bad) Mike's picks have been. Week 5 Results: Memphis 24, Birmingham 20 St. Louis 32, Michigan 27 DC 37, Arlington 33 Houston 27, San Antonio 3 Week 6 Friday, May 2 - Arlington at St. Louis Saturday, May 3 - Memphis at Houston Sunday, May 4 - DC at Michigan Sunday, May 4 - San Antonio at Birmingham

Week 5 is upon us, and with it the halfway mark of the UFL season! Week 4 Results: Michigan 27, Memphis 9 Arlington 30, St. Louis 15 Birmingham 23, Houston 16 San Antonio 24, DC 18 Week 5 Friday, April 25 - Memphis at Birmingham Saturday, April 26 - Michigan at St. Louis Sunday, April 27 - DC at Arlington Sunday, April 27 - Houston at San Antonio

This episode is in response to RFK Jr.'s disgusting words on autism and its effects on the people who struggle with it - including the podcast's host and producer.

We're back for Season 9!!! Mike starts us off with an update on his car troubles, and talks about a few other subjects.

Week 3 is in the book!  On to Week 4!  And official news that the UFL Championship Game will be in St. Louis. Week 3 Results: Birmingham 10, Arlington 9 Houston 18, Memphis 17 Michigan 26, San Antonio 23 DC 27, St. Louis 15 Week 4 Friday, April 18 - Memphis at Michigan Saturday, April 19 - St. Louis at Arlington Saturday, April 19 - Birmingham at Houston Sunday, April 20 - San Antonio at DC

Week 2 is in the book!  On to Week 3!  And wash the word "relocation" out of your mouths! Week 2 Results: Birmingham 21, Michigan 12 DC 17, Memphis 12 Arlington 11, Houston 9 St. Louis 26, San Antonio 9 Week 3 Friday, April 11 - Arlington at Birmingham Saturday, April 12 - Houston at Memphis Sunday, April 13 - San Antonio at Michigan Sunday, April 13 - DC at St. Louis

Week 1 is in the book!  On to Week 2! Week 1 Results: St. Louis 31, Houston 6 Arlington 33, San Antonio 9 Michigan 26, Memphis 12 DC 18, Birmingham 11 Week 2 Friday, April 4 - Birmingham at Michigan Saturday, April 5 - Memphis at DC Sunday, April 6 - Houston at Arlington Sunday, April 6 - San Antonio at St. Louis

Welcome to our new series, Unofficial Fan Lounge!  This is an unofficial podcast of the United Football League (UFL). Throughout the 2025 UFL season, we will be previewing each week's games and giving our picks. Week 1 Friday, March 28 - St. Louis at Houston Saturday, March 29 - San Antonio at Arlington Sunday, March 30 - Michigan at Memphis Sunday, March 30 - Birmingham at DC

It's Tournament Time again!!  Mike has his picks ready! Think you can beat Mike?  Enter our Yahoo tournament pool and submit your picks before the first tip-off on Thursday, March 20, 2025.  Winner will be invited to do an episode of the podcast! Click here to enter!

What would Taylor Swift's Fortnight Challenge look like in podcast form?  That's what today's episode is all about - 14 different topics recorded at different times to form one long episode (likely our longest ever!). Part 1 - Challenge Intro and Spotify Stats Part 2 - Addressing the LA Sports Idiots Part 3 - Driving Through Slippery Winter Conditions Part 4 - Dead Poets Society Article Part 5 - UFL Fan Opinions Part 6 - Heather's New Year's Card Part 7 - 3,000 Hit Club Members Not in Cooperstown Part 8 - Naturist Quiz Part 9 - Kansas City Chess Scene Article Part 10 - NASL v. USSF Lawsuit Verdict (It's Not Good) Part 11 - James Woodrow In Memoriam Part 12 - App Nebula Quiz and Results (That I'm Not Paying For) Part 13 - Conference Alignments Among Kansas City Area High Schools (Is Blue Valley in the Sunflower League?) Part 14 - Possible Future Streetcar/Rail Transit Routes in the Kansas City Metro Area

This episode is part of our Snowed In 2025 miniseries. The long-awaited lawsuit filed by the North American Soccer League (NASL) against the US Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer is about to go to trial (at least at the time this was recorded).  Soccer Wars has reached the courtroom. (Update: This will be an early release episode for Season 9 because the lawsuit has reached a verdict.  We will follow up as part of our upcoming Fortnight Challenge episode.)

Apologies to the rest of the world for our bad electoral decisions in 2024. In light of the disaster that was the 2024 election cycle, Friend of the Podcast Andrew Rainey returns to discuss with Mike what happened.

Merry Christmas everyone from This Podcast Is... Uncalled For! We're working hard and trying to get to 25k downloads!  

To end our eighth season, we found an article on Kansas City colloquialisms that you might enjoy: https://kctoday.6amcity.com/city-guide/live/kansas-city-unwritten-rules

On the week of September 8, our intrepid host got COVID - and he's going to tell you about it. If you haven't already done so, get your COVID shots.  We're not kidding.

Today's guest is Kyle Ament, a local Kansas City actor with film credits in local productions, mostly horror and mostly authority figures including cops and the Pope.

Mike takes another online quiz, this one to determine which member of Gaki no Tsukai he's most like. You can take the quiz at: https://us.idyllic.app/quiz/gudo6j0w25-which-gaki-no-tsukai-character-are-you

"A taco's a sandwich?!  A f@#$in' burrito's a sandwich?!" - Jason Kelce Someone took the question of whether or not hot dogs and Pop Tarts are sandwiches and made up something called the Cube Rule of Food.  Mike takes a look at this thing so you don't have to. cuberule.com

Today Mike and Heather engage in a discussion on pet names - words like "babe" and "darling" - and when (or if) it's okay to use those words. Word to the wise: unless you're in a committed relationship with Mike, don't use these words.

It makes sense that someone of Slavic ancestry would want to check out a festival devoted to Pan-Slavic culture.  Mike (half-Polish) talks about his experience at such a festival.

No alcohol.  No tobacco.  No tea.  No coffee.  Or is there more to the famous LDS dietary code?  We read Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants and answer that question.

Grant Adams (aka "GA") is the fifth Shawnee Mission West Viking to join us on the podcast.  Today we talk school, sports, and what it was like for our guest to grow up a Raiders fan.

We wrap up our 2024 KC Fringe experience with this review, including a review of one of the other Fringe shows doing an improv of us. FringeProv is the property of Bryan Colley at jupiterkansas.com

Elizabeth Young-Collins has a show in 2024 KC Fringe - "A History Tour Hijacked" - and was kind enough to ask us to be on the podcast to talk about her show, the life experiences behind it, and her thoughts on Kansas City as a first-time visitor. You can find Elizabeth's work at www.youngsings.com  

Happy birthday to our intrepid host and producer! Created using Suno.com The lyrics are the actual camp song lyrics, as remembered by Mike

In the "Fringe Adjacent" portion of our Fringe program, Mike sits down with the team behind the Fringe play Bi Spy - Chris Cole (actor/director), Jen Raines (actor/co-writer) and Bob Raines (actor/Jen's father) join us to talk about their production.

This is what a Fringe Festival tech rehearsal is like.  Mike and Heather use the opportunity to talk about the 2024 KC Fringe program - and car troubles.

Amy Bell makes her second appearance on the podcast to discuss the 2024 presidential race as well as some other political issues.  We try to answer the question: Who do you vote for when you like neither candidate and live in a state where your vote likely won't count anyway?

Our 2024 KC Fringe program wraps up with local entrepreneur and concerned Palestinian Samantha Salem.

If you're fortunate enough to not know what Project 2025 - a far-right-wing outline that would spell doom for the United States (and, honestly, the world) if put into action - this episode is for you.  Educate yourself before you go out and vote.

George M. Dean has joined the Three Timers Club with his appearance in this episode.  This is also George's first appearance in person with Mike - both of the previous episodes have been remotely recorded.

We are joined in this Fringe episode by game designer Mike Pole.  Joining us about halfway through the episode is co-host Terrence Hayes (whom you may recall from #KroenkeOut Denver Edition).

Brian Boye joins the podcast for the third time during the 2024 KC Fringe Festival - thus making him a member of the Three Timers Club.

LIVE at 2024 KC Fringe Festival!! Our first LIVE Fringe show is with Meghan Spencer, an aerialist, teacher, and burlesque dancer in the KC area.

Another bonus song!  Created on Suno.com This song was specifically created for our 2024 KC Fringe program - and will also be used for "Fringe adjacent" episodes.

Our AI generated theme song, courtesy of Suno.com

Because James Thurber's work is still in the public domain, we broke our promise to not use AI and... used it to write this short story.

Our first preview for our program at the KC Fringe Festival! For tickets:  https://kcfringe.org/2024-shows/this-podcast-is-uncalled-for/ Program Information: Venue: Independence Boulevard Christian Church, 606 Gladstone Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64124 Show Times and Scheduled to Appear: Saturday, July 20 at 10:30 pm - Meghan Spencer Sunday, July 21 at 7:30 pm - Brian Boye (3-peat) Wednesday, July 24 at 7:30 pm - co-host Terrence Hayes and Mike Pole Thursday, July 25 at 6 pm - Joe Heyen and George M. Dean (3-peat for George) Saturday, July 27 at 6 pm - Samantha Salem and Tiffany Watts

This is Mike's response to the failed stadium vote in early April 2024.

It's hockey's biggest prize, and strange things have been done to it over the years.  Including learning that, as Guy Carbonneau once said, "the Stanley Cup does not float."