The Craig Way Show
Patrick "Wheels" Smith
Lucky land slots asking people what's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky lucky in line at the deli I guess I'm in my dentist's office more than once actually do I have to say yes you do in the car before my kids PTA meeting really yes, excuse me. What's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky? I? Never win and tell well there you have it you could get lucky anywhere playing at lucky land slots.com play for free right now Are you feeling lucky no purchase necessary vgw group would be recruited by law 18 plus terms and conditions apply? We're here for the history not the hype to shed light not fan flames We're here for the whole story not just a headline here to uphold democracy Uncover the facts and illuminate what matters Democracy dies in darkness. That's where we come in the Washington Post So it's on subscribe today at Washington Post comm slash I heart You After investing billions to light up our network T-Mobile is America's largest 5g network plus right now You can switch keep your phone and will pay it off up to $800 See how you can save on every plan verse for eyes in an AT&T at T mobile comm slash keep and switch Up to four lines via virtual prepaid card a left 15 days qualifying unlocked device credit service ported 90 plus days with device An eligible carrier and timely redemption required card has no cash access and expires in six months We're back it's the Craig way show with Hall of Fame broadcaster and voice of the Texas Longhorns Craig way Rolling on through a Thursday afternoon here on sports radio M13 hundreds I'm glad to have you alongside Craig way alongside the producer Cameron Parker. I'm pleased to be joined by our next guest and And we wanted to get him on as this season prepares to commence because a Great many folks have asked me over time Not nearly as many as have asked him and in others Associated and affiliated and sponsoring of University of Texas athletics about You know the Texas won fund and Donations and how this works and all that sort of stuff and so that's why we wanted to have the gentleman on his name is Patrick Smith But nobody calls him that everybody knows him as wheels and we're pleased to have him join us on the hot line I'm gonna start with that wheels. When's the last time somebody called you Patrick? It's been a minute. It's been a minute Craig I mean eighth grade baseball nickname has lasted the rest of my life So I'm gonna stick with it, but it's been a while Okay, so that's that was to let folks know why the nickname wheels because you had him right you had him when you were playing baseball That's right. So some would say the opposite of This week playing I had him so it's a mixed bag. I got you now I also know at least this is how I think of it in my mind And you can you can redirect me on this that? You've kind of reinvented the name because you my friend have been the guy who has been behind the wheel with The University of Texas vice president and director of athletics our friend Christo County You have been the guy to make sure CDC gets to the NCAA basketball tournaments For for Texas over the past few years. Am I right? That is absolutely a hundred percent correct and The the the link of those drives have been staggering and there wasn't a quiet moment between us You're exactly right And again, he'll say I'm a I'm a worst driver. I will bet my bottom dollar He may be the worst driver I've ever seen but we do it together. It's a bonding experience. It's been fun You know when I saw you to roll in in the in the SUV into Des Moines in the snow That's when I knew this was serious business That's right. That's right. It's it's it's gotten a little out of control. Dr. Robin Ward his wife will always take the first picture when we line up and Yeah, it's it's been fun for sure you've been on our long-term weekly programs in the past but I wanted to give you a chance to explain just a little bit to to folks because When folks hear about collectives and you hear about NIL and then they hear about Texas one fun. There's I know there's some mystery For some folks out there about how it works and why it works and the and the need for it and all that sort of stuff And I wanted to give you a chance to kind of untangle the weeds a little bit and let folks know a little bit about Why this is the way it is and and and ultimately how they can help But but beyond that what the mission is and helping out student athletes for UT Yeah, absolutely. So You know how this originated in this space this idea of collectives was really a group of fans boosters alumni Coming together to support student athletes almost directly, you know when you think back about NIL and the abandoned case It really was all the gloves are off on how people can Directly help student athletes and there was a group called hordes with heart that formed a 501c3 And that later became the Texas one fun and the idea behind it and that we still do to this day is Having student athletes use their name image and likeness to promote other charities and so far We'd I think it's the numbers like 85 to 90 Charities around central Texas and if you follow Texas one phone on social media, you'll see the post from athletes promoting Habitat for humanity mobillos and fishes del children's all these charities to raise awareness So it really was perceived at the time to how can we accomplish a win-win? Healthy student athletes help them with their personal brands get them in the community get them meeting people One of the ideas was having promote charities and we've still done that as this is worst You know And grown what we've tried to do is also help them with getting corporate brand deals And that was kind of you know when sabin first talked about and I only talked about that You see quin years on a dr. Pepperad Those are what what are typically referred to as true and ideals and what the texas one fund Really our corporate side what we're trying to do is encourage businesses to meet get to know kids And and have them become ambassadors or representatives Of their businesses, which we've seen that there's been a lot of great connections in that that we've seen Uh, you know all across texas and of course nationally And you had mattie skinner just doing a deal with the first deal at hb's done and that you know the reality is A lot of these kids are such good ambassadors and I always tell people you know 10 years ago Everybody you'd be worried about seeing an athlete at dirties And paying for a meal and all those, you know little nca rule intricacies that are pretty much gone now and it really is a time where That the the alums the fans the boosters can really get to know them You know Apply for an internship get to know mentor them and we're really there's a win win here to bridge that gap And uh, you mentioned it and I think it's important to uh to mention again You talked about a 501c3 for folks. You don't know what that is That's your avenue for tax deductible status right there with the irs by by being involved in it in that passion Correct. Yes. It is a 501c3 public charity Um, and you do get tax deductible status and you may have seen monday Um, it's taken a long time through ncaa and different avenues, but now any donation to the texas one funds Not only tax deductible. You also get loyalty points through the longhorn foundation Which is a big win and a lot of the you know, our donors have been asking for that For a long time and it's finally here, which is a good thing. No doubt about it Wheels spent on with us here on sports radio. I am 1300 the zone Talking about the texas one fund you have you have a great many Q&A answers there On the website at texas one fund dot org for example Question, can I direct my contribution to a particular sport and and the answer wheels is a resounding s Absolutely. So if you are a passionate fan of woman's volleyball You can donate directly to woman's volleyball and those phones will go to uh providing opportunities for student athletes and woman's volleyball Likewise, you can do football baseball basketball men's and women's you can do rowing you can do every sport that we have at ut Uh, you can designate a donation to or you can give to the general fund Which we meet each need we can through that Yeah, and then I think it's important to point this out as well. There's and again You answer the the questions on this the frequently asked questions the faq's for example Can I pause cancel or change my contribution the answer being yes? You get that from time to time some folks may start off with the general fund and say hey I'd really like to give something to baseball or I'd really like to give something to softball or something like that Yes 100 and we've got such great donors who are blessed to have that a lot of times you see people say, you know what I I really like that interview I saw from A tenant or I happen to go and see the men's and women's tennis program I want to give to that and you'll have people just say I'm going to give an additional little thumb To these various sports, but yes, it is very easy to Change and you see people but really the majority of things that we see are people saying, you know what? I'm going to give to this or I liked what I saw we won the national championship here And I'm going to keep helping or are doing additional donation to that sport The the other thing is An faq and I think this is important For folks to know the question does texas one fund control the things that student athletes spend their money on and the answer is No, I mean you guys don't direct any of that specific spending do you? No, we don't and I think it's important that everyone knows this and and you've probably heard sark say this You know when the coaches recruit they're not recruiting with nil at the forefront obviously it's on everyone's mind but Sark and really rt all our coaches recruit on texas and How important it is to be the flagship institution the great education everything you get there and then They'll say oh by the way, we have a a really good nil program, but but with that They what sark will say is when you ask a kid about nil they really want three things one is The ability for their parents we're recruiting nationwide and in a lot of sports worldwide And they want the ability to help their parents come see them play Whether that's flying in or whatever and nil opportunities help that they also want to and again Whenever the coach kind of allows them to live off campus as everybody probably listening knows the cost of living in Austin's pretty high As opposed to other college towns and getting an apartment. That's what they're looking for and then being able to Have transportation so uber's things like that. That's the majority of what people the kids are spending and we don't touch any of it What we're trying to do this year is Try to get uh, we have a a program with oro, which is a couple of alums with sosa brothers Started this years ago, which is a debit card facility that they offered every student athlete at texas an nil opportunity with What they have in that their platform is financial literacy classes And and really an educational tool to help these kids established bank accounts established good credit and start to Educate them and really that's as far as we go. We we're obviously never going to tell a kid Here's what you should do, but we want to we want to provide support and ut does a good job of this too To counsel these kids with money. I know Craig, you and I when I when I was in college. I didn't have the first clue about what to do with money and I didn't have much So I think it's important when you're providing kids opportunities To earn money to also give them the bones of an education of what what they Are it caps complication all those things try to give them Basics with that and we're also trying to bring mentors in to help them with that All right. I um, I got to ask you this question. I've been waiting to ask you this question since the news came out last week Uh What do you make of this oklahoma state thing with the qr code sticker on the back of the helmet? There is that? Is another avenue for nil Hey, listen, I sent it to del contact kind of a good joke, but it is fascinating when you're in this space to see the creative ways institutions Collectives people are thinking about this. I mean it's it is in so many ways the wild west But the creativity and the business ideas and the money raising ideas have been off the charts, but Yet gundi. I mean, you know and that's that's an on brand. I mean, I thought it was hilarious The problem is you know, we started with some qr codes in the stadium And when you get to be our age, you know, trying to get out the phone and Hit it on real time. It can be a challenge for us Doubt about it It's uh patrick smith wheel says we know i'm he's the president of the texas one fun texas One fun.org is where you can get a lot more questions answered if you have any other and figure out and see some other avenues how you can help out and and And and assist the student athlete the university of texas wheel is always great to visit with you Look forward to seeing you at the stadium. I know you're you're you're excited about it on saturday, aren't you? Yeah, saturday is going to be fun. It's a great night It really starts tonight the taco shack bowl and central texas. That's right. You're connected with the interest That's right. That's right The voice of the tr-- I do my poor man's craig away every thursday and friday night but It really starts it and then the game this saturday i could not be more excited and then the course it's like last year We head up dan arbor. So It's gonna be a great start to this football season looking forward to it. Hey wheels. Thanks for the time man Have a good one. We'll talk to you soon Right, we sure appreciate you and everything you do for ut and thank you you bet that is wheels patrick's myth the president of the texas won fun and coming up next uh, we'll bring you our first djc wall health update For the football team. We'll do that and we'll hear from ronnie terry longborn mens basketball coach coming up on sports radio m13 on the zone in the iR radio app. It's time for today's lucky land horoscope with victoria cash Life's gotten mundane so shake up the daily routine and be adventurous with a trip to lucky land You know what they say your chance to win starts with a spin So go to luckylandslots.com to play over a hundred social casino style games for free for your chance to redeem some serious prizes Get lucky today At luckylandslots.com No purchase necessary vGW group void were prohibited by law 18 plus terms of condition supply Owning a rental property sounds like a dream until you realize how much work goes into getting it ready Determinate competitive rent price market the property schedule the showing screen tenants draft at the lease at rent collection handle maintenance request maintenance Whoo sound complicated renter's warehouse is here to take the hard work off your rental to-do list Qualified tenants check rent collection check maintenance coordination You got it go to renter's warehouse.com for a free rental analysis to find out how much your home can rent for or call 303 974-9444 because from now on the only thing you need on your to-do list is to call runner's warehouse Buick enclave is designed to make together your favorite place to be with an abundance of thoughtful features like the hands-free power liftgate And with generous space for up to seven your family will agree time spent together inside this SUV is time Well spent enclave gives connectivity a starring role your family will stay connected to the world even when you were on the move Experience Buick enclave today at short line Buick 1301 South Havana Street. You do the drive-in. We'll do the rest (upbeat music)