In celebration of May The 4th, it’s only appropriate to shine a light(saber) on a new ESPN project that is getting attention in Bristol – and in a galaxy far, far away.
- On April 26, a trio of popular voices who are lifelong Star Wars fans, commentators Ryan McGee, Arda Öcal and Clinton Yates, debuted a new podcast called ESPN Presents: Never Tell Me The Odds.
- Cleverly named for a line that Han Solo utters in The Empire Strikes Back, this passion project gives all three the unique opportunity to share their love of Star Wars while simultaneously connecting it to sports.
- The debut episode of the podcast recaps Season 3 of Disney+’s popular series The Mandalorian and includes a conversation with actor Carl Weathers, who plays the character Greef Karga and is a former football player.
- Weathers, whose breakout role was portraying boxer Apollo Creed in the original Rocky films, was a college football standout at San Diego State, which led to an opportunity in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders.
- With hope that “This is the Way” to future episodes about upcoming Star Wars series and films, McGee, Öcal, and Yates discuss the podcast and their favorite things from the Star Wars universe.
What they’re saying:
- Ryan McGee: “I love Star Wars because it has always hit my life right in the sweet spots. I saw the original trilogy in the theater as a kid with my parents. I saw the prequels as a newlywed with my Leia-obsessed wife. Then the sequel trilogy dropped perfectly, just as my daughter was hitting her preteen years. I can’t imagine life without Star Wars. We’ve grown up together.”
- Arda Öcal: “This show is a passionate dream come true for me and all of us. I’m beyond stoked to be working with Clinton Yates, Ryan McGee, and our entire team. It’s awesome.”
- Clinton Yates: “As a kid who grew up obsessing over the galaxy of Star Wars, to be able to get together with buddies and talk about what is one of the most creative worlds we have from the standpoint of sports is truly a dream come true. The force is strong, it turns out.”