Welcome to The Newsfeed.

In early June, the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival brought together newsmakers and journalists from across the country to talk about the issues shaping our communities and world.

During one session, I sat down with former ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne, who grew up in Kent and has deep roots in the Pacific Northwest.

My friend Chris Cashman always says Kent is where people from Seattle store their things.

So.

But we're proud of it.

So I was born in Tacoma, as were you.

Same.

I mean, I'm so old.

You know, God bless Lenny Wilkins, rest in peace.

Like I grew up watching him.

He was my favorite player.

My dad used to work at United at the airport, and he'd make friends with the different travelers, so we would drive some of the NBA officials to the game, but And we're going to get to that because the thing is people know you from ESPN.

27 year career run.

But you could have been Kenny Mayne of PBS.

Tell us about your journey.

Well, I went to- First, I walked on at Washington, then I walked off.

Then I went- I wasn't going to beat out Warren Moon that year.

Okay?

Or Tom Flick for that matter.

And then I went to Wenatchee Junior College, and then I went to UNLV.

I actually had a tryout with the Seahawks.

I signed out of college, but I failed the physical.

But right before that, I was finishing at UNLV.

Yeah.

- Broadcasting, political science, journalism.

I was going to be all serious.

I wanted to work for PBS.

I didn't want to do what I ended up doing, just kind of happened.

And I worked for the PBS station, KLVX.

Lee Winston, the moderator of the 3:00 Sunday show that you all loyal viewers watch wherever you live.

- Down in Vegas.

And I would do the setup story.

Not very good, by the way.

Like if we looked at that now, it would be very funny to play it back.

We all got to start somewhere.

All this week, we'll be bringing you more from our conversation with Kenny Mayne at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival.

I'm Paris Jackson.

Thanks for watching The Newsfeed.