Welcome to the Audible presented by Trader Joe's.

I'm Stuart Mandel.

Oops, not joined by Bruce Feldman this week.

It is a first, I believe, in the eight-year history of the show that Bruce has called in sick.

We really hope he feels better. So I have enlisted two of my colleagues this week to fill in.

We'll be hearing from Nicole Auerbach in a little bit

on a whole lot of interesting stories off the field in college football. Right now, I am thrilled

to welcome a guy who has been living under some delusion that he's been blackballed from the

Audible, and that is Stars Matter himself are recruiting

recruiting guru Ari Wasserman. Welcome, Ari. It feels good because two weeks ago, Bruce said on

the Andy Staples show that I was blackballed from the show and I've been living in constant

anxiety the last two weeks since. And I would have understood if you did i just uh you know wanted to

understand the reasoning so now two weeks later i can finally take a deep breath and and and kind

of relieve myself of all that anxiousness and i'm happy to be here let the record show that

it's happening in a week when bruce is not here so if anyone's blackballed you, it's not me.

I'm officially liberated of that.

Yes, yes.

So he has a lot of explaining to do.

And I know that we had a nice little show plan,

but something changed that show.

Like a little college football news changes so i think

it's an appropriate time for me to step in and help relieve him uh you know while he's not

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