March Madness continues, but not the way you remember it.

Todd and Eric revisit a heavyweight matchup between two very different episodes - the structured chaos of mascot combat and the surprisingly relatable world of mug hierarchy. One is a foundational bracket episode. The other is a modern, polished conversation about something everyone secretly has opinions on.

In this episode:

• A deep dive into Mug Hierarchy and why every kitchen has an unspoken ranking system.

• The evolution of the podcast - from rushed uploads and questionable titles to more intentional, searchable content.

• A look back at Pre-Spring Sportsball Mascot Combat Insanity and how it launched a recurring bracket format.

• Honest critiques of audio quality, pacing, and early podcast growing pains.

• The difference between conversational episodes vs rapid-fire bracket formats.

• A head-to-head breakdown using three criteria: quality, information, and entertainment.

What starts as a simple recap turns into a meta discussion about podcasting itself - how ideas evolve, what makes an episode memorable, and why some concepts stick long after recording.

One episode represents where the show is now. The other represents where it started. Only one moves on.

Connect with Todd and Eric:
Check out our website at https://todcastpodcast.com/ or send us your ideas via email!
Find out what Eric has been up to in the world of websites and SEO at https://ericherseyweb.com and https://strongmindedagency.com

Todd and Eric throw actual basketball out the window and fill out the NCAA bracket the only way that makes sense - pure mascot combat.

No stats. No jump shots. No Cinderella stories. Just birds dive-bombing big cats, gargoyles getting hexed, and devils weaponizing dark magic.

• Cyclones dismantling Buckeyes (sorry, Columbus).

• A 15-seed gargoyle making a heroic run.

• Pirates with guns still losing to a natural disaster.

• Big cats dominating the bracket - until weather intervenes.

• Devil vs. Devil in a magical endurance match.

• Dungeons & Dragons logic determining the national champion.

From ram vs. bull terrain strategy to spellcasting against animated stone creatures, this bracket is decided with Google image research, dark magic theory, and unapologetic imagination.

The result is a champion crowned not by rebounds or free throws, but by magical reserves and weather control.

If you’ve ever wondered who would win in a fight between a Wildcat and a Cyclone, this episode provides the definitive answer.

Connect with Todd and Eric:Check out our website at ⁠https://todcastpodcast.com/⁠ or send us your ideas via email!Find out what Eric has been up to in the world of websites and SEO at ⁠https://ericherseyweb.com⁠ and ⁠https://strongmindedagency.com⁠

Todd uncovers a truth hiding in plain sight - every household has a mug hierarchy.

What starts as unloading the dishwasher turns into a full breakdown of cup strategy, cabinet politics, thermal engineering, and generational rebellion.

In this episode:

• The invisible ranking system inside every kitchen cabinet.

• Why some mugs live in the front row and others are permanently exiled to the back.

• Glass vs. plastic vs. insulated metal - and why temperature loyalty matters.

• The ethics of “special occasion” mugs that never get used.

• The physics of ice cube strategy in insulated coffee tumblers.

• A surprise on-air interview with Hunter about his rogue milk-cup decision process.

From Boba Fett thermodynamics to Butterbeer mug controversy, this episode examines the full life cycle of a mug - selection, usage, dishwasher placement, and trophy-wall exile in the basement.

If you think you don’t have a mug hierarchy, you do. You just haven’t admitted it yet.

Connect with Todd and Eric:Check out our website at ⁠https://todcastpodcast.com/⁠ or send us your ideas via email!Find out what Eric has been up to in the world of websites and SEO at ⁠https://ericherseyweb.com⁠ and ⁠https://strongmindedagency.com⁠

The Now! That’s What I Call TodCasting! bracket officially kicks off as Todd and Eric break down the first matchup in the tournament: the #1 seed, The 4th of July Parade, versus the #16 seed, Trollin’ with the Kenobi Bot. After revisiting both episodes in their original and newly tailored versions, the guys go category by category to decide who advances.

• The Bracket Rules: Entertainment, information, and original audio quality - no vibes-only voting.

• Kenobi Bot Revisited: Eric looks back at early trolling, fake bots, surprise websites, and why this episode both holds up and shows its age.

• The Parade Juggernaut: Giant sandwiches, Disney logic, lawnmowers, drones, Mark Hamill, and why this episode became ToddCast lore.

• Audio Reality Check: Trucker headsets, background noise, screaming kids, and why remastering was absolutely necessary.

• Creative Chaos vs. Polish: When unscripted flow wins, when it doesn’t, and why Season 4 dominates the bracket.

• The Verdict: Does the #1 seed earn its spot, or can the underdog pull off a miracle?

This episode sets the tone for Season 10 - part recap, part commentary, and part love letter to the evolution of the TodCast.

This episode was originally was set loose on the world on July 4th, 2020 but has been remastered for a better listening experience. It is also the 1 seed in the "Now! That's What I Call TodCasting!" bracket.

What starts as a casual decision about doing a Fourth of July episode quickly turns into a full-scale redesign of the American parade experience. Eric and Todd debate what the holiday actually represents, why giant sandwiches make perfect patriotic floats, and how ignorance, excess, and creativity might be the most American traits of all.

• Why the Fourth of July feels different from Memorial Day and Veterans Day

• Disney’s Bicentennial parade and the case for a giant sandwich float

• Turkey vs. ham and why naming matters in marketing

• Turning all 50 states into wearable mascots

• Roombas, drones, and riding lawn mowers as parade essentials

• Marching bands, kazoos, and questionable musical choices

• Fast food mascots, Santa Claus, and solid gold dancers

• The most impractical but perfectly American parade ever imagined

It’s a celebration of freedom, food, pop culture, and overthinking things just enough to turn a simple holiday into something completely ridiculous and very on brand for The TodCast PodCast.

This episode was originally was set loose on the world on April 15th, 2020 but has been remastered for a better listening experience. It is also the 16 seed in the "Now! That's What I Call TodCasting!" bracket.

Eric explains his philosophy on friendly chaos, long-term trolling, and why some friends are simply perfect targets. What starts with vague hints about “The Collective” spirals into KenobiBot, a text-message-based Obi-Wan meme assault that locks its victims in for 24 hours of confusion. From fake relaunches and green screens to early AOL Instant Messenger bots and high school computer lab sabotage, this episode becomes a masterclass in mischievous commitment.

• The origin of The Collective and why it never actually exists

• KenobiBot and how one all-caps message ruins your day

• Weaponizing green screens, fake relaunches, and hype

• Early bot trolling with AOL Instant Messenger

• Todd’s high school computer lab reboot scandal

• The long-running Justin Benline trolling saga

• Why good trolling requires patience, restraint, and plausible deniability

It’s a deep dive into harmless chaos, long-running jokes, and the kind of trolling that only works if everyone survives to laugh about it later.

Todd and Eric kick off Season 10 by doing what any rational podcast with nearly 500 episodes would do—build a bracket. Inspired by greatest-hits albums and fueled by spreadsheets, vibes, and questionable memory, this episode unveils the Now! That’s What I Call TodCasting project: a full-blown tournament to determine the greatest TodCast episode of all time.

What starts as a simple “best of” idea quickly escalates into remasters, tailored versions, and deeply meta podcasting about podcasting.

• The origin of the TodCast Greatest Hits concept (three spirits may be involved)
• Why nearly 440 episodes required a bracket, not a playlist
• How Todd and Eric independently picked their Top 20 and whittled it down to a Final 16
• The three judging criteria: entertainment, information, and original audio quality
• Confessions about car-recorded episodes, Bluetooth failures, and sirens
• Why bad titles, good vibes, and faulty memory are all part of TodCast lore
• The plan to remaster and re-release the Top 16 as “Tailor's Versions”
• Season 10 goals, Episode 500 hype, and the long-term dream of brackets-of-brackets

This is the roadmap episode. The meta episode. The “we probably didn’t need to do this but absolutely did anyway” episode. If you’ve ever wondered where to start with the TodCast—or why it refuses to be normal—this is your entry point.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—the day Spotify Wrapped drops and Eric and Todd finally get to see if their listening habits were genius or just embarrassing. Eric’s year-long musical experiment comes to light (did listening to the same three songs every day actually work?), and Todd’s listening numbers hit god-tier levels that may or may not require intervention.

• Predicting and revealing top songs, artists, and genres

• Eric’s “Hook,” “Sundown,” and “The Way” experiment results

• Todd’s descent into trip hop, electronica, and 160,000+ minutes of sound

• Age-in-music stats that make them both officially older than they feel

• Debating what really counts as an “album” in 2025 Spotify logic

• Sharing top playlists, favorite discoveries, and how the DJ feature shaped it all

A year’s worth of listening boiled down into data, bragging rights, and questionable decisions—all wrapped up the TodCast way.