Your Dark Companion Podcast

Join Dallas comedian Michael Pasvar for an entertaining conversation about his latest comedy special "Blended Feathers," now streaming on YouTube, plus wild stories from his high school pranks that got banned from the rule book. Host Mike Rhyner and the YDC crew dive into Pasvar's journey from class clown to nationally touring comic, discussing his Iranian-Louisiana heritage, substitute teaching a...

Discover the untold stories behind Dallas sports broadcasting legend Eddie Clinton's iconic call of the greatest high school football game ever played and get an exclusive look at Friday Night Lights' 20th anniversary reunion with actor Brad Leland. This episode takes you inside the legendary 1994 Tyler John Tyler vs Plano East game that made Eddie famous worldwide, from David Letterman to The Ton...

Join radio veteran Shoopy and artistic director James Foust for an inside look at the 20th annual Dallas International Film Festival happening April 2026. Discover the festival's most anticipated films including the Kenny Loggins documentary, a basketball drama starring Baron Davis, and world premieres featuring Lou Diamond Phillips who receives this year's DIF Dallas Star Award. Learn how filmmak...

Before streaming, before social media, before athletes controlled their own narrative… there were voices that told the story. On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Grubes, and the crew sit down with legendary broadcaster Dave Barnett to talk about a career that spans decades of sports, media, and moments that don’t exist anymore. From his early days at KRLD to calling games for the...

Most people see the Texas Rangers on the field. But what they’re doing off the field might be even more important. On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Grubes, and the crew sit down with Justin Henry, Senior Director of Development for the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, to talk about how a Major League Baseball team can impact an entire community. From youth baseball programs i...

Weather doesn’t just “happen”… and neither does a career in television. On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Grubes, and the crew welcome back WFAA meteorologist Jesse Hawila for a conversation that somehow covers weather science, sports, music, and the weird path to finding your lane. Jesse breaks down what it’s really like to forecast North Texas weather, including the infamous “...

This one’s different. On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes step away from the usual chaos to focus on something that matters—Child Abuse Awareness Month and the reality many children face when they’re suddenly removed from their homes. Joined by Richard and Kelly Archibald, founders of Qavah the Storehouse, the conversation centers on a mission that’s as simple as it is p...

Is “peak TV” actually over… and does anyone even know what to watch anymore? On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Grubes, and the crew sit down with longtime writer and TV critic Chris Vognar to talk about the evolving world of television, journalism, and media. Chris takes us through his journey—from growing up in Berkeley, to building a 20+ year career at the Dallas Morning News,...

What does it take to go from a small-town kid in Texas to one of the most recognizable faces on Dallas morning television? On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and the crew sit down with WFAA Daybreak anchor Matt Howerton for a conversation that’s equal parts hilarious, nostalgic, and surprisingly insightful. Matt shares the story of growing up in Ennis, Texas, where his love for pe...

What does the business side of sports really look like when you’re in the room where it happens? In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and the crew sit down with longtime sports executive George Killebrew, a key figure behind the scenes of some of the biggest moments in Dallas sports. Killebrew’s career spans decades — from working at SMU during the infamous “death penalty” era, to h...

When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, there’s what fans see… and then there’s what’s actually happening behind the scenes. On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes sit down with longtime Dallas Cowboys insider David Moore to cut through the noise and talk about the reality of America’s most talked-about franchise. From Jerry Jones’ leadership style to the constant pressure sur...

If you’ve ever been to a Dallas Mavericks game at the American Airlines Center, you’ve heard his voice — even if you didn’t realize it. On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Shoopy, and Ashley sit down with Sean Heath, the longtime public address announcer for the Dallas Mavericks, to talk about the strange, unpredictable path that led him to one of the most unique jobs in sports. S...

What does it really take to survive in stand-up comedy for over 25 years? In this episode of Your Dark Companion, hosts Mike, Grego, and Curt Cignetti sit down with Dallas comedian Paul Varghese for a hilarious and brutally honest conversation about the realities of life in stand-up. From bombing in living rooms and last-minute gigs across the country to navigating dating, cultural expectations, a...

In Episode 201 of Your Dark Companion, legendary Dallas-Fort Worth broadcaster Mike Rhyner sits down with renowned Fort Worth keyboardist Lewis Stephens for a deep dive into the history of the North Texas music scene. Stephens has spent decades playing alongside iconic musicians including Freddie King, Delbert McClinton, and legendary guitarist Bugs Henderson. Known for his mastery of the Hammond...

Episode 200 of Your Dark Companion features a conversation about the Texas Rangers, baseball history, and the stories behind one of Major League Baseball’s most fascinating franchises. Mike Rhyner is joined by longtime Dallas Morning News Rangers beat writer Evan Grant and former Rangers PR executive turned team historian John Blake. Between them, they have spent decades around the organization an...

Episode 199 and we’re back to doing what Rangers fans do best: convincing ourselves everything is fine. Mike Rhyner is joined by Rangers TV’s Mike Bacsik to talk spring training optimism, culture resets under Skip Schumacher, Evan Carter’s redemption arc, and whether the bullpen is “mysterious” or “a fire drill waiting to happen.” We dive into deGrom and Eovaldi artistry, Jack Leiter’s leap, Kamar...

In Episode 198 of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner sits down with the television and radio voice of the Dallas Stars, Josh Bogorad, for a deep dive into the winding road that led him from Los Angeles to the NHL broadcast booth. Josh shares how one childhood hockey game during the Gretzky era changed everything — sparking a dream that would take him through club hockey broadcasts, minor league bus...

Episode 197 of Your Dark Companion welcomes back one of our favorite recurring guests — Sarah Blaskovich, food writer for the Dallas Morning News — for a deep dive into the rapidly evolving Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant scene. From the rise of upscale Mediterranean dining to the buzz around Delilah’s glamorous supper club experience, Sarah breaks down what’s trending, what’s opening, and what might...

Episode 196 of Your Dark Companion welcomes back one of the most recognizable voices in football — Brad Sham, the longtime radio play-by-play voice of the Dallas Cowboys. Brad sits down with Mike Rhyner for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about: Why defense always becomes king in December The Cowboys’ “messy” season and what actually gives him optimism The realities of salary cap maneuvering a...

In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner welcomes Dallas music staple Chad Stockslager — better known as Mr. Chad — for a wide-ranging, funny, and deeply musical conversation about a life spent chasing the right notes. Chad traces his journey from a childhood epiphany sparked by The Wizard of Oz to becoming one of the most in-demand keyboard players in North Texas. He shares stories fro...

In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner sits down with acclaimed broadcaster Dana Larson for a wide-ranging conversation about preparation, authenticity, and what it really means to tell sports stories well. Dana reflects on her journey from growing up watching football with her family to building a respected career covering the Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, and some of the most mea...

Some radio careers are planned. This one happened because someone needed a name on the spot — and said it confidently enough. In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner sits down with legendary radio architect George Gimarc for a deep, funny, and surprisingly emotional conversation about how alternative radio actually came to be — not as a movement, but as a series of accidents, instincts...

When the roads are iced over, the guests bail, and nobody’s going anywhere… you improvise. In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Grego, and Shoopy go full work-from-home mode as North Texas locks itself indoors under ice, school closures, and an “abundance of caution.” What was supposed to be a normal show turns into an OG weather emergency episode — and somehow still covers plenty...

Some careers are carefully mapped out. Others start because you needed gas. In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes sit down with Matt Hicks, the longtime radio voice of the Texas Rangers, to trace a broadcasting journey that took more than two decades, dozens of towns, and one perfectly timed phone call to finally reach the major leagues. Hicks walks through his path from a...

For years, Tony Smith was exactly where you wanted him — behind the glass, keeping the lights on, the sound clean, and occasionally dropping a perfectly timed Dancing with the Stars reference that somehow became radio gold. In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes welcome longtime Ticket engineer Tony “the Engineer” Smith for a candid, funny, and surprisingly emotional conver...