WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:12.279 Be following is a presentation of play Fly Sports properties. My guys, they're 2 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:30.519 trying to turn the goal line. What the hand? You know, Pat 3 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:57.439 shappo up here comes the spot now the sideline shown that spartop. Well, 4 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:03.640 welcome back to this is Sparta Podcast Show live a top of the Graduate Hotel 5 00:01:03.760 --> 00:01:10.239 rooftop bar, the Rock Bar. I'm your host, Jason Straehorn with my 6 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.519 co host Jayu Kulker. How you doing today? I'm good. How you 7 00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:18.280 doing? Great view, great scenery, Big shout out to the Rock Bar 8 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:21.719 for hosting us. Oh yeah, man, this is a great venue, 9 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:25.519 great place. Be sure to come here anytime you're in East Lancing, side 10 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:30.359 by to get a cocktail adult or you know, a soda pop whatever you 11 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:34.519 would like here at the Graduate Hotel at top of the Rock Bar here in 12 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:38.719 East Lancing. And really good foods oh man. Beautiful rooms too. You 13 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:42.239 know. We're going to talk a little bit now about the other fall sports. 14 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:47.760 Other sports in Michigan State volleyball, Yeah, which is a sport that 15 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:51.159 you know, Jay you was very you know he's a former volleyball player, 16 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:53.760 right, yeah, I played volleyball in high school. All tournament team, 17 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:57.400 you know, all Tournament All Tournament Team. It was that little break at 18 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:00.040 the end of basketball season, right before Trasie. Yeah, we had that 19 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:06.560 month long for boys volleyball banking climber New York. You know, so New 20 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:08.439 York, New York guys, you were a little springy. How you can 21 00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:10.800 get off the ground a little bit. I had to come of little bunny 22 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:15.639 here and there. I just talking about in a thirty seven inch vertical in 23 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:20.840 the NFL combine. Now that is for those at home. That's pretty dog 24 00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:25.360 one good. All right. So volleyball with new head coach Leah Johnson has 25 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:30.439 this team rolling this year, starting off for at six and oh for the 26 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:36.759 first time since twenty twelve. Yeah, great start for the women's volleyball team 27 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:39.520 that made the move from Jennison field House this year. They're playing in the 28 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:45.039 Breslin Now, you know, the capability for more fans, a lot more 29 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:47.680 excitement. I wonder what it's gonna because Jennison. I went to a volleyball 30 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:53.199 match two back in my day at college and Jennison was a cool atmosphere, 31 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:55.360 you know, like the fans are right on top of you. So I 32 00:02:55.439 --> 00:03:00.120 wonder how that's going to change. And the noise level and everything in volleyball, 33 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:06.840 because volleyball plays off a lot of emotion and the momentum swings and everything, 34 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:08.240 so it will be really cool for them. I'm really excited that, 35 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:10.719 you know the fact that they're off to a six and oh start. Hopefully 36 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:15.319 they can make a run and continue to make a deep run into the NCAAs. 37 00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:17.319 Yeah, a lot of history here at Michigan State and volleyball, a 38 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:21.360 lot of great teams. Let's see if this team can get over the home 39 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.439 and get a big ten championship or even go further into the national tournament. 40 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:31.639 Having a record breaking performance of seventeen service aces against division in a Division one 41 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:36.840 game, the most they've had since nineteen eighty three. So we're looking forward 42 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:40.080 to what new head coach Leah Johnson bringing to the table for MSU volleyball. 43 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:46.360 Now we'll go over to field hockey. Yeah, field hockey with coach Helen 44 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:52.199 no has field hockey right now three and zero when they open up with a 45 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:58.520 nice win over number twenty one American and they went on the road to California 46 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:02.400 played UC Davis had some more quality wins right now, as we said, 47 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:09.120 sitting three and one, they lost a heartbreaker this weekend to Stanford, losing 48 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:14.039 the penalty shootout one to zero. Yeah, it's good. It's really cool 49 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.560 and really good to see field hockey coming back. I know when I was 50 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:20.399 here, we hung out with a lot of the field hockey players. They're 51 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:25.959 very successful. They won the national title a couple times back in the day, 52 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:30.439 and so I'm just excited. Hopefully it's a trend in the right direction 53 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:33.800 and they're going the right places, can bring in good recruits and continue to 54 00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:36.920 build on the program. And we want to continue to give love to all 55 00:04:38.279 --> 00:04:42.480 MSU sports, especially the women's sports. Sometimes get overlooked, but we are 56 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:46.839 not overlooking any sport here at this is Sparta. We're talking about the whole 57 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:49.839 family. The family is in Spartan Nation, and we will talk about you 58 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:51.959 no matter what you do, win, lose, a draw, We're in 59 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:57.639 your corner. Moving on to men's soccer, where you have head coach Damon 60 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:02.759 Rinsing. They had a performance last week, you know against Akron who was 61 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:09.439 fourteenth rank but fell two to nothing the First Energy Stadium on Monday night. 62 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:12.720 Yeah, big big lights, big stadium playing where the Cleveland Browns play, 63 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:16.240 playing in an NFL Stadium. You know back, You know I always throw 64 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:18.560 this back. You know I played volleyball. You know. I got my 65 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:23.639 start in soccer, did you Yeah, being a kid from Africa, Yeah, 66 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:27.040 that's all I played. I didn't start playing football till the ninth grade, 67 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:30.639 okay. And the only reason I started playing football is because I went 68 00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:32.839 to such a small school graduate with twenty six kids in my graduating class. 69 00:05:33.879 --> 00:05:38.279 Wow. Yeah, And we didn't have a soccer team, so I had 70 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:40.759 to go over and play. So you were mad they didn't have soccer so 71 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:44.079 you had to put this freaking helmet off and play armor on. And I 72 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:46.120 remember when I first told my family I was playing football, They're like, 73 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:49.879 that's not football, that's handball. You get to gold the ball. So 74 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:57.360 yeah, I still hold a record for Little League Soccer fastest goals scored thirteen 75 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:01.319 seconds. Really yeah, thirteen seconds. I mean those fields aren't small. 76 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:08.279 No. If you I had Jets back then, they should use on the 77 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:15.199 Jets sweep here. What's going on? Jet sweep got instead of that power 78 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:18.439 guy scoring all those touchdowns for the Green and White. But we're definitely looking 79 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:21.759 forward to what it's going to bring. What's gonna happen with Michigan State men's 80 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:26.319 soccer right now sitting at one and three, you know, losing to the 81 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:30.279 Akron who still is four to oh this season. We're going to continue to 82 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:34.879 follow MSU men's soccer as the season progresses to see how things go for Damon 83 00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:39.959 Rinsey, head coach and company. Going on to the women's soccer team, 84 00:06:40.360 --> 00:06:44.839 where you have head coach Jeff Hostler gave the number eleven team in the nation 85 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:48.079 all they could handle. Uh. Now, they're back to De Martin on 86 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:55.600 Thursday, September eighth. This is coming up against the Oakland County Oakland Golden 87 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:58.920 Grizzlies. Excuse me, oh yeah, oh you? Oh yeah, baby, 88 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:02.399 oh you oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, it's good. It'll 89 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:05.000 be good. It'll be a good matchup though. The women's team, they're 90 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:08.879 off to a hot start, you know with that four one to one record, 91 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:14.879 so hopefully they can continue the momentum and you know, go in as 92 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:18.199 they continue to build on that and go into Big ten play and you know 93 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:23.120 they have potential to you know, come out with a Big Ten championship this 94 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:26.800 year. That's right. We'll be looking forward to MSU women's soccer to see 95 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:30.720 what they can do this season as well. Moving on to what's going on 96 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:34.279 some teams that are out of season but making some headlines right now, and 97 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:40.079 we're gonna go shift gears to MSU hockey, where a new head coach, 98 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:45.439 Adam Nightingale is just making a lot of waves on the recruiting trail right now. 99 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:50.839 Flipping a goalie who was committed to Michigan. This is a goltender, 100 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:55.959 Trey Augustine, that was called you up last year to the eighteen unders by 101 00:07:56.079 --> 00:08:01.519 Nightingale as a seventeen year old, just decommitted from Michigan about twenty four hours 102 00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:05.800 ago and now is committed to the Green and White. Yeah, you know, 103 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:11.680 the hockey team had a big recruiting weekend this past Friday night before the 104 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:15.120 football game. So did you see any of those guys. Yeah, one 105 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:16.639 hung out with them, some of the guys that you know, the Zach 106 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:22.399 McCallen, you know know him very well, big good friends with Drew Miller 107 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:24.879 and those guys. You know, we got to hang out a little bit 108 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:28.240 there that were making hot dogs and giving away hot dogs. And I did 109 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:31.759 see a bunch of recruits going through the money area there. But you know 110 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:37.320 that's what's gonna start happening now. Coach Nightingale is gonna start bringing those you 111 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:39.600 know, big time recruits there. Month's got a new facelift, The arena 112 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:46.799 looks beautiful. It's a great facility, futuristic Michigan State. They've won national 113 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:50.679 titles here in hockey, so it's not gonna be anything new. It's he's 114 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:54.360 gonna come and build that program. And what's happening now he has to support 115 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:56.039 of the alumni. A lot of those guys are starting to come back and 116 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:00.120 be integral part of the programs. And if you're a recruit coming in and 117 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:05.639 you're seeing guys that you see play in the NHL back on campus hanging out, 118 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:09.240 that's a good crise saying this is a family atmosphere and I want to 119 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:11.639 be a part of it. Very similar to what's been going on with tom 120 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:16.320 Izzo's crew in the Brezlent Center with MSU basketball bringing a lot of NBA talent 121 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:22.879 back throughout the offseason and this regular season when they have time to spend time 122 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:26.720 with those guys on campus, which is bodes well for recruiting. And then 123 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:31.559 we shift gears over to MSU Baseball and head coach Jake Boss just doing something 124 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:35.159 wonderful hunh Yeah, doing good for the community. You know, as you 125 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:39.480 if you're a student athlete, you always say you're more than an athlete. 126 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:43.840 You always want to give back to the community. So this September fourteenth, 127 00:09:43.960 --> 00:09:50.120 the MSU baseball team will be playing a friendly game featuring athletes from MSU and 128 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:54.480 the Miracle League of Mid Michigan, teaming to raise funds to improve playing surface 129 00:09:54.960 --> 00:10:03.120 and other field improvements alongside Children with Disability League of Mid Michigan September fourteenth at 130 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:07.720 six pm at Dewet Baseball Fields. Yeah. So, I mean, like 131 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:11.600 I said, that's really something that's cool that kids can really get a lot 132 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:16.720 out of it, and the athletes. You know, I as an athlete, 133 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:20.919 as a former athlete, I enjoyed you know, doing these types always 134 00:10:20.919 --> 00:10:24.120 an athlete, that is true, but you know I enjoyed doing these types 135 00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:26.000 of things. I enjoyed going out to the community and being a part of 136 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:30.559 the community. So you know, for yourself as well, because you know, 137 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:31.879 at one point in time, you were, you know, one of 138 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:35.600 those kids looking up to an athlete. And also too, you want the 139 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:37.840 community to know you're more than a jersey number running up and down the field 140 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:41.960 court, you know what, ice whatever you play on. So that's really 141 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:46.639 something good. And I think MSU does a lot of good things with giving 142 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:52.120 back to the community for their athletes. Humanizes the athletes and it gives them 143 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:56.759 an opportunity to give back. I know head coach football coach Mel Tucker teamed 144 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:01.360 up with Drew Stanton Able to do a Special Olympics. Yeah, Drew Staton's 145 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:07.320 High Five Foundation. Every year they you know, they do the Special Olympics 146 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:09.480 and this was the first year that it was combined. You know, Coach 147 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:13.799 Tucker and Drew combined it and you know Lancing Golf Club. Yeah, and 148 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:16.639 you know it's something great. You know, those two powers come together for 149 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:22.559 a good cause, draw more attention to the to the to the cause that 150 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:24.879 they're trying to raise more money and hopefully, you know, all these athletes 151 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:28.879 and all these kids can you know, find some light at the end of 152 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:33.320 the tunnel. Well, special special people and there's a special special time in 153 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:37.639 a very special place here in East Lansing. As we sit on top of 154 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:45.440 the Graduate Hotel at the rooftop Rock Bar here in East Lansing, be sure 155 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:48.919 to come by here anytime you are in East Lansing. It's a great place. 156 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.600 And this is gonna wrap up the episode. For this is Sparta for 157 00:11:52.759 --> 00:11:56.559 j U Culcher and I'm Jason Straehorn and next time we'll see you. Have 158 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:01.919 a good night, God bless and go green, all White, Shallow Down 159 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:05.039 by Knock Knocked Down.