Each weekday from 3-7pm, thousands tune in to the Hardline on Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket to ease their afternoon-commute blues. As The Ticket’s most-listened-to radio show, the Hardline is a reliably entertaining mix of sports talk, entertainment news and friendly banter, with co-host Corby Davidson front and center as comic relief.
P1s (that’s a Ticket listener for those of you not up on the lingo) know him as “The Snake” and “The Cobra,” but we were interested in getting to know the man 8-year-old Ike and 4-year-old Van simply call “Dad.” Not sure what to expect, we met up with Corby in his East Dallas home, hoping to get a peek at the man behind the larger-than-life persona. Sitting on his couch in his uniform of choice, a Texas Christian University hoodie, The Cobra didn’t disappoint. From the questionable movie he brought his wife in the labor room to his most embarrassing parenting moment, he spilled it all (with a little help from wife Julie).
How did you meet Julie?
It’s a weird story. We met at the radio station. She was going up to interview for a job, and somehow she ended up … Oh my God, hold on. My kids are trying to unfold a ping-pong table.
Anyways. I was producing the show that was on from 10am to noon, and the show that was on after grabbed her and threw her on air. At the time, I was living in a little garage apartment, and there was a girl that lived right next to me that looked just like her. I walk in [to the station] and go, “Hey, it’s me.” And she’s like, “Who are you?” So that’s how we met.
Did you always want to be a dad?
No! It never even crossed my mind. We were five years into our marriage and she was like, “Are we going to have a kid or what?” My response is, “I don’t care. I’ll be happy either way.” I wasn’t dying for a kid. I think because I’m a perpetual kid, I never wanted any of the responsibility of it. But once she got pregnant, I was pretty stoked. It’s life-altering. I was petrified. So scared. I guess most guys are.
Julie: Why don’t you tell her what you brought to the hospital for me to watch while I’m going through labor?
Corby: I knew she’d be miserable, so I brought a VHS. I brought Dazed and Confused. I was like, “Maybe this will make you laugh.” Fifteen minutes into it, she’s like, “Turn that thing off. Go get my mom. Get out of here.”
What’s the dynamic like between you two?
We work well together. I’m standard play dad, and she’s the disciplinarian. I tend to be the good cop. I don’t have it in me to be the stern one. She definitely drops the hammer on them more than me.
What are the boys like?
Van is more like me. He’s pretty fearless and has a big personality. Ike is reserved and shy. But I was really shy as a kid. I think I got to third grade before I started to open up. By seventh grade I was the class clown, so it may end up being that way for him too. They’re definitely two different souls.
Are you a soccer dad?
Yeah. Ike plays everything: soccer, basketball, baseball and tennis. Van just started soccer this year and loves it; he’s really good. Julie and I grew up playing everything. Every sport meant the world to me. If I didn’t do well, it wrecked my life. I don’t want that to be them. I’m not going to be the overbearing “get your a** out there and practice” type.
What’s off limits in terms of what you’re willing to share about your family on air?
Pretty much everything. I’ll mention them, but day-to-day stuff I leave out. It’s a really weird dynamic. I have to tread lightly. I have to think about what Julie would want.
Julie: I’m just big momma bear about stuff like that. It’s a fine line with parents and listeners. I want them to grow up as normal as possible.
Corby: I’m the same way. They don’t have any idea what I do. They’re like, “Dad talks on the radio with his friends.” That’s it. They don’t want to listen.
Julie: Oh, no. If we’re in the car, I’m like, “You want to listen to Daddy?” They’re like, “No, I want to listen to music!”
What’s your parenting style?
I’m really laid back. Clearly when they’re doing something wrong, they’re doing something wrong and you let them know. But I play with them a lot. And I love it. I’m such a kid at heart.
Most embarrassing parenting moment?
We were at this restaurant in Snyder Plaza. Ike was probably 3 months old. I had him on my lap and our food comes; the food was really hot. I’m holding him and he takes his hand and plunks it into the dish and “AHHH!” screams. We’re outside on a patio, and all these people clearly saw what happened. It wasn’t bad; it just scared me to death. I’m sure everyone thought I was the worst parent in the world.
Then last year, I was coaching Ike’s basketball team. About a month prior, I had torn my meniscus. The only reason I knew I tore it is because I squatted down to read a putt and my knee popped; the pain was unbearable. Fast-forward to his game. I had forgotten, because there was no pain unless it popped out. So the kids are all around me in the middle of the court, and the parents are 15 feet away. I bend down to talk to the kids, and it pops out. It’s really stifling pain. I jump up and go, “F***!” It rattled the gym it was so loud. You could have heard a pin drop.
How have you changed since becoming a dad?
I think you just generally love kids now. I like being around them. Like most people – unless you have kids, you don’t care about kids. You don’t care about seeing pictures of other people’s kids. You don’t care about hearing stories about other people’s kids. It’s just not in you. Then once you do [have kids], it’s like, “Oh my god, they’re so great.” Now I love being with both of them and their friends. You see things from a different perspective.
What’s a day in your life like?
If they’re both in school, I’ll typically take Van to school and then go work out for an hour. From there I’m just kind of thinking about the show and what we’re going to do, planning it and in contact with the guys. To be honest with you, I’m always thinking about the show. People are like, “How do you keep up with everything?” It’s just maintenance now. It’s pretty easy. I’ve been keeping up with this since I was 6. Now it’s just a matter of day to day.
I’m leaving anywhere between 1pm and 1:45pm to get to work, then I’m home at 7:20pm and it’s pretty hectic. Those are the worst hours for Julie; right after school they turn into little monsters. When I come home they want to play, but they don’t have a lot of time before they go to bed. It’s a definite balancing act.
What might we find you doing when you’re not working?
Hobby-wise, it’s golf and tennis. If I don’t get an hour of exercise or sweat, I feel miserable all day long. At some point before work, I’ve got to get it in. It’s a pretty simpleton, stereotypical fatherly existence. Nothing too off the wall, really. Just lots of time with them.
We love Klyde Warren. We love going there when the weather’s good and hanging out and eating dinner, having a couple beers and letting them run around.
I also feel it’s imperative, to keep your marriage alive, to just go away for a little bit and do something. Have a night by yourself. I look forward to those. But we’ve also got a pretty good house for having people over. The kids can do whatever; there are a million things for them to do. The parents will hang out and turn music on. A lot of times a night out for us is having people over.
Best thing about your job?
I love it all. I’m the luckiest human being on the planet to stumble into that at the right time. That’s all it was: right time, right place – and stick-to-it-ness. If that station would have started five years earlier or five years later, there’s no way I could do what I’m doing now. I just happened to be at that age – I was 23 when the station started – at a time when it was growing and there was a lot of turnover. I just found my niche.
Something even the most devoted P1 would be surprised to learn about you?
I think they think I live this life of 100 percent craziness. It’s been perpetuated for a long time. But I’m just a pretty low-key dad. I think if they saw me with the kids and saw what I do on a day-to-day basis – that I’m not downing a bottle of Woodford Reserve every night – they would be surprised. The normalcy of it all.
What’s next for you – personally and professionally?
I don’t think we’re going to have any more kids, because I’m snipped. Well, I won’t say never. I guess we’ll leave the door open for that … Hopefully, I’m here until the kids get out of high school. When I retire, I’d like to get out of the city. That’s not definite. But I’ve lived here my whole life, so I’d like to move somewhere different.
Professionally, I want to stay there until they kick me off or I’m ready to retire.
Published February 2014
