You know, I think there's this temptation to write a fairy tale about Hank Aaron. You know, to talk about his life in this rosy way. And it does not do justice to the hatred and the vileness that he had a face. It's impossible to explain or summarize the type of horrors that he faced. What I'm saying is his very right to exist. Was challenged at every single turn that he endured it and he kept on is not minimized The awfulness of it. It shows how strong he was it just how special he was. It shows how dignified he Woz. I know some of you when I say what Like, What did he deal with? How bad was it? Looking at sweet right now from Stephen Holder. In the Tweet reads this old quote from Hank Aaron in The New York Times. Obituary just left me speechless. I have not seen this before. This is an excerpt from The New York Times quote. It's a quote Quote as the 20th anniversary of his home run feet approached in the early 19 nineties, he told sports columnist William C. Rhoden of The New York Times. Quote. April 8th 1974 really led up to turning me off on baseball. Quote. It really made me see for the first time a clear picture off what this country is about. My kids had to live like they were in prison because of kidnap threats. Had to live like a pig in a slaughter camp. I had to duck. I had to go out the back door of ballparks. I had to have a police escort with me all the time. Was getting threatening letters every single day all of these things and put a bad taste in my mouth and it won't go away. They carved a piece of my heart away. That's Hank Aaron. And this is what he was dealing with. As he was chasing Babe Ruth. His kids had to live like they were in prison because of kidnap threats. Death threats. Kidnap threats, quote I to live like a pig in a slaughter camp. Had a duck had to go out the back door ballparks. So when you think about Hank again, there's that temptation, right? This fairy tale like he had this fairy tale existence anything but Anything but 1 806 368686 is the number one Dyle. Go to Madison, Wisconsin, Spencer Spencer. Nice to have you on. How are you? The top one today, Romy helpful man. Um, you know, I grew up in the great state of Wisconsin. And when a lot of time County stadium A child of the eighties. So You know you got young Molitor fingers. Stoughton, Ugur. The list goes on and on, but there's always a presence in that park. It was number 44. And number 44. Who Decision to come back to us to finish his career. He didn't have to do that. It shows the loyalty, dignity. Class. The grief that defined what I called until today. The greatest living American. All right now I left. I left Wisconsin. Went to college came back to go to grad school at Madison. But a little coin in my pocket. And you know the first thing that I bought With a detailed Old school powder blue. The room number 44. You know what Roman? There's no name on the back of that jersey. And you know why? Because if you don't freaking know who number 44 is there something wrong with you? All right, so fast forward 15 years. My son and I saw him. I get emotional. My son and I heard the home run Derby. Appear in the twin cities where I live now. We're both rock and powder blue. We see the hammer and his wife, Billy, getting onto an elevator. I got a baseball in my hand. Come up to him. Mr Aaron. Sample B by actually talking to you. Would you please autograph the ball for me? He says no. What had followed my son. I said you won't sign for me. Will you sign for my son? His wife, really elbows him in the ribs and says You signed for that boy. So get down and you know he's not a king. He had a hip replaced. It leans down. Asked my son's name. Finds ball Takes his hand. War hero. War icon. War goat. And war example. What a human being should be. In our country out, Spencer, Thanks So much for sharing that story. This is what I mean. Why say that His very existence was challenged at every single turn. Like on the surface. We're talking about somebody just playing baseball. But because he played it so well. Racist and the venom came flying for him. Death threats living in hiding kidnap threats of his kids. Police escorts One of the greatest ballplayers ever having to exit stadiums through the back door. Living in fear. Did I say death threats? Kidnapping threats. Why Because he was really good at baseball. Because of his race. And he said it was at that point was at that time that I realized. Impart what this country was about, and they carved out a piece of my heart. That's sad. It's really sad and really troubling. The fact that he endured that here's the thing about this too. It's how dignified this man was This how strong this man was the fact that he endured all of that. Had the impact on people that he had Says so much about him. I mean the burden and the weight that he had to carry. Face all of that, and he carried himself the way he did. Says all you need to know about the dignity and the strength and the courage of the man. That said a lot about a lot of us. About the country. To be the best thing ever right. He's got was chasing an icon. This guy was chasing the most hallowed mark in all of sports. It should have been the best thing ever. And in some ways it was one of the worst things ever. All right. We will take a short time out. If you want, respond to it and share your thoughts. Go right ahead. I've got plenty of time between now and the end of the program. I do wanna talk about some other things we have lost to get to today that your top story that's most important thing, of course. When we come back. A little fun with the guy with the gigantic head..