The ButteCast with Bill Foley

Growing an audience is hard. Unless you write about Tommy Mellott. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story legendary. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com .

Jake Larson was one of the great athletes Butte has ever produced. He also had the reputation of being a bit of a problem child. Listen in as Jake talks about his playing days, which still continue on the softball field. Listen as he gives an honest assessment of his work ethic, or lack thereof, that accompanied his natural ability. Listen to hear Jake's plans for the Copper Cages, an indoor baseb...

Legendary Montana State football coach and all-around nice guy Sonny Holland passed away Saturday night at the age of 84. Here is a column I wrote about the coach after I finally got to meet him in January of 2017. Today's episode is brought to you by Markovich Construction Inc . When performance counts, count on Markovich Construction. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park nati...

Bruce Sayler has been covering sports as a writer for 50 years, with all but a few of them coming in the Mining City. He is a Missoula native, but he has lived the majority of his life right here in Butte, America, where he set the standard for covering local sports around the state. Today's podcast is brought to you by Casagranda's Steakhouse . Eat where the locals eat. Intro music by Tim Montana...

Deann Johnson is universally known as D.J. She was a star basketball player at Butte High and Montana Tech, and she was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. A physical therapist with St. James Healthcare, D.J. has also been a member of the Montana Officials Association, refereeing basketball for in the Butte pool for the better part of two decades. Listen in as D.J. discusses her p...

Tommy Mellott's words following Cat-Griz game were so much more than sportsmanship. They were sounding an alarm. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story legendary. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com .

Tom Roberts was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. He was an outstanding athlete, who was a standout in track at Butte High, Montana Tech and the University of Montana. He was also a championship-winning coach and a longtime sports official. Today's podcast is brought to. you by Thriftway Super Stops . Join the Thriftway Loyalty Club today and save big. Intro music by Tim Montana...

Arie Grey has been the head football coach at Butte High for the past 15 seasons. He led the Bulldogs to the Class AA State title in 2012. He also coaches the boys' and girls' track teams. Grey grew up in Deer Lodge and starred for the Powell County Wardens. He then ran track and played football for the Bobcats at Montana State. After a short stay in Kalispell, Grey took over the Bulldogs in 2008....

After refereeing the Montana Special Olympics State Games Basketball tournament, I have a new favorite player. His name is Kip, and he is awesome. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story legendary. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com .

Tom LeProwse, who became Butte High's 13th Diamond B in 2019, passed away at the age of 94 in May. This interview was record in September of 2019, about a month before his long-awaited induction on Silver B's Night. LeProwse is a sports legend in Butte, Bozeman and around the state of Montana. He played in the first Montana East-West Shrine Game in 1947. He was a standout football player at Montan...

Thanks to the documentary series "American Greed" on CNBC, Garrison Courtney is a well-known conman. He bilked defense contractors out of more than $4 million in a scam that was straight out of a spy movie. Twenty-five years ago, Garrison was my roommate at the University of Montana. Here is my take on living with a standup comedian turned weatherman turned conman. Today's bonus podcast is brought...

Dr. Nick DiGiovine is a Pennsylvania native who has been practicing as an orthopedic surgeon in Butte for more than a quarter of a century. The former Notre Dame walk-on football player and assistant team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers started Montana Sports Medicine, which has been working on athlete safety for most of Dr. DiGiovine's time in town. Dr. DiGiovine is retiring next month. Whi...

The Marcus Miller Oredigger Killer Game was the craziest football game I ever covered in all my years as a sportswriter. Montana Tech dominated the state sheet, but Carroll College won 17-14 on Nov. 10. 2007 in Helena. Miller, a 2019 inductee into the Saints Athletic Hall of Fame, scored all 17 Carroll points. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns, booted two extra points and kicked the gam...

It's been 12 years since Bob Green retired as the head coach of the Montana Tech football team. He is still synonymous with Oredigger football. He always will be. Green led the Orediggers for 24 seasons. His teams won a ton of games and Frontier Conference titles, and he had radio, television and newspaper audiences laughing along the way. At 73, Green is still the same guy who moved to Butte afte...

Next month, Brodie Kelly will begin his 19th season as head coach of the Butte Central boys' basketball team. The only high school coach to win more games in Butte is legendary Butte High coach Swede Dahlberg. In his first 18 season, Kelly led the Maroons to the Class A State tournament 16 times. His Maroons shared the state title with Hardin in 2020, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maroons w...

Just as it appears that the Chicago Bears fans might finally be emerging from a 30-year run in Football Hell, Green Bay Packers fans are spiraling down into some really hard times. I will be here to laugh at them along the way. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story legendary. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontan...

Jesse Laslovich was sworn in as United States Attorney for the District of Montana earlier this year. His confirmation came even after he called the fifth foul on Butte Central's Kyle Holter in the Class A State championship basketball game in Missoula. Laslovich is one of the best high school and college basketball officials around. He is also one of the best people. Laslovich is part of a huge A...

Yelling at officials is usually a waste of time that only makes you look like an idiot. Also, you should consider signing up to be an official. They are going away at an alarming rate. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story legendary. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to But...

Hattie Thatcher is the first Thatcher to appear on the ButteCast. She will not be the last. Hattie was a standout athlete in volleyball, basketball and softball at Butte High. She was a member of the 2011 Class AA State champion Bulldog softball team. She also left Montana Tech as the all-time leader in assists and steals of the women's basketball program. Now, Hattie represents District 3 on the...

To this day, she is simply known by her initials, KJ. Kellie Johnson-Mead was a superstar in basketball, volleyball and softball at Butte Central before taking her hoop game to Illinois State. Today, KJ works at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. She is a human performance advisor for special operations. Listen in as KJ discusses why Meg Murphy is such a great coach, what it was like to...

After 44 years as a basketball official, Mike Anderson is hanging up the whistle. Well, kind of. He will still work some junior high games to help train officials for tomorrow. Mike refereed in high school as well as at the college level in the Frontier Conference and Big Sky Conference. He and his wife, Michele, raised four successful children, including Butte High Bulldog and Montana Grizzly leg...

Arch Ecker, aka "The Archean," was a larger-than-life character who left his mark in his 16 years in the Mining City. He left his mark everywhere he called home in his 56 years on this planet. Arch left us way too soon. But he also showed us all how to live life to its fullest. He showed us how to live the dream. Today's episode is brought to you by Markovich Construction Inc . When performance co...

I live down the street from a real-life feud. It is Hatfield vs. McCoy level feud, and it worries neighbors and police that it could escalate into some real violence. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Thriftway Super Stops . Join the Thriftway Loyalty Club today and save big. Intro music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go...

John Emeigh is known as "Mr. Butte," the upbeat KXLF TV reporter who always seems to have fun. KXLF views feel like they know John, and the cool thing is that they do. The John Emeigh you see on the television is the same John Emeigh you see at the grocery store. He is a singer/song writer, an actor and an author. He is also a blast to talk to. Today's podcast is brought to you by Casagranda's Ste...

I quit playing football after my freshman season in football. I would give everything I have to go back and stick it out. Today's bonus podcast is brought to you by Park Street Liquors . Make your story legendary. Opening music by Tim Montana. For more from the Elk Park native, go to timmontana.com . For more from Bill Foley, go to ButteCast.com .