Bill keeps getting mad at me for not doing reality-TV podcasts. In my defense, it’s a weird thing to do. When you get these reality-TV folks on the phone, they go into this default interview setting that oscillates between short non-answers and plugs for products (or soccer teams, in Coach from Survivor’s case). That’s what happened the morning I interviewed Deena and Sammi from Jersey Shore. It wasn’t their fault. They were sweet young ladies with good attitudes, but when you’re on your seventeenth consecutive phone interview, the conversations lose all novelty and you just start plugging hair products and answering questions with Belichickian efficiency. I still managed to have some fun with them, though, and edited it down to a tolerable morsel.

Vinny was a different story. He seemed bored at first, but opened up when he realized I was from ESPN. He talked about his pickup basketball dominance, dished on the upcoming season of Shore, and asked me to tweet at him (ZOFMG! ). I will be heartbroken if my tweet should go without reply. Honestly, if you ever weren’t sure Vinny was the type of guy you could have a beer with, this interview will settle that debate. He isn’t. He’s the type of guy you could have ten beers with.

The anchor leg was run by Grantland editor/weirdo/reality singing competition correspondent Jay Caspian Kang. It was nice to talk to someone I knew after spending the day on conference calls with reality-show characters and MTV flack. We waxed unpoetic about the changes we would make to Jersey Shore, and I think I hurt his feelings when I told him I didn’t like his ideas. Sorry, buddy. We also talked about X Factor, and how much we love L.A. Reid and his little head-bob dance. Good times.

Check back for more reality-TV podcasts soon. Bossman Bill has demanded one a week.

Listen to today’s podcast here:

ESPN.com Podcenter

Subscribe to the Grantland Network on iTunes, and check out our podcasts page.

David Jacoby is Grantland’s Reality Czar. Listen to him on the B.S. Report or follow him on Twitter at @jacoby_.

Previously: Grantland Network Podcast: Reality Czar David Jacoby, Survivor’s Coach, and Jay Caspian Kang
Reality Scorecard: Jersey Shore Ends Not With a Bang But With a Smush