The following is a presentation of Playfly Sports Properties in Michigan State Sports Properties.
Welcome everybody. It's Tuesday night, eight o'clock, Mark seven, twenty twenty
three. I'm your host, Jason straight Harden, my co host Otis Wiley
and Jay you to too, cochrt and this is Spartan. Man. Do
we have a jam packed shown? We have some special guests today. Got
a lot of stuff to cover, guys, like talk like how how you
guys feeling that? How much the weekend treat you? Guys? I am
feeling good. It's Tuesday, you know good, good weekends. Pancakes over
the weekend. I got some pancakes or t bone steaks and eggs. All
I was missing was the welch is great? Is great? And listen,
listen we talked about that t bone stood no chance that thing. Yeah,
we we mean to We got we got. We gotta photo. That's he
put it on social, didn't you. No? I just sent it to
you, guys. I couldn't know the whole community. See how clean we
gotta we gotta share it with the audience and let them see what's going on.
Man. And uh yeah, you got a little bit of stating,
all right, let me just let me tell you guys what we're gonna get
right into it. We don't have any time to waste right now. We
got a special guest right now that we want to bring on straight from the
Board of Trustees. The chairman person on the board, Doctor Riema Faster,
joins the show. Welcome to the show. Doctor, Hey, how good?
How are you doing well? You know that always kills it kills me
when people say chairman. Uh, he said, correct, correct him right
now. I mean you can't really just say chair and call a day,
right, but certainly not a man, he said, chairperson, didn't you
No, No chair person on the board. Wow, wow, is not
here and the first African American female elected as a chair. Now see now
you're get in your mouth right. I appreciate it, right, don't be
right. Thank you for having me. I appreciate you all. Thank you
for having me, little old me. Thank you on this big old show.
We try and we're trying to climb up there. We're trying to get
what you're doing. Big things. The opening, y'all, like this is
spartan for real. I was expecting the gladiators come on out this I like
it. I like it. I like it. Here, let's get right
into it. So, I mean, so, talk to us a little
bit about your background. I know that you we ran for the board seats
at the same time back in twenty twenty. That's when we met as a
as a you know, elected members of you know, the state of Michigan.
I was running for the state Board of Education. You ran for Michigan
State. Your background. You went to Eastern Michigan in UCLA. Correct,
No, I did not go to Eastern Michigan. I used to teach it.
Yeah, so I'm a Bronco initially. Yeah, Western was my undergrad
I always know I wanted to be a teacher, and Michigan Western had the
was the number one teacher preparation program in the country. At one point it
was a teacher's college. So I went there to get all my training to
be an English teacher. Then I moved to Cali right after that, and
I started teaching in Long Beach, bellfl Pasadena, Downey. I was a
teacher, counselor a principal, and in twenty fourteen I had to move back
to Michigan. My mother had a liver transplant and I decided, Okay,
well let's see what we could do here. I don't know how I ended
up on the board. Two point four people two point four million people decided
I was an okay candidate. I guess that's awesome. Yeah, you know
you mentioned Pasadena. I had spent some time pad old time, old town
Pasadena, now Diana. So I was until twenty fourteen, I was a
counselor at job your high school. Okay, yeah, you know last times
Richmond High they field that in Pasadena. It's a beautiful, beautiful school,
but a lot of a lot of issues, a lot of kids with issues.
But we went to the Rose Bowl while I was there to play,
So there's that right, right, definitely, And the football team Smith just
said, doctor, we don't play. I'm not for the games. That's
my dad used to saying, I ain't for the games. Doctor Reima,
thank you for coming on the show tonight spending some time with us. Uh,
you know, want to know strengths that come So what I mean at
that point, what you're gonna do? When do you need me? Brother?
There? Give me? Can you give me the link? Sir?
Can you give me the link? Here? I'm checking out this check not
you on your phone? What the listen? Every time he travels, we
just we got to get him up. I gotta get him. I mean,
look, it's a good backround. Is the graduate you'll I didn't know
you're I said, okay, yeah, that is the graduate you got you
a little sweet too, good job. Okay, that's that's how they graduates
treats you. So anytime you make sure you come to the graduate this is
like that. I mean the name drop right, I'm a strange friend,
can I I'm glad you dropped that. Drop What I need to do?
Take my notes right now and put it down because they have me. Never
mind, I'm not go ahead. What's the question now? I know you've
been Uh, there's been a lot of current events happening obviously when you're you've
been a part of the board. And you know one thing I saw you,
which was when when I saw you in New York were the Rutgers.
I tried to make my way over there, but security blocked me from getting
off from my baseline seat. I saw you in New York were Rutgers Madison
Square Garden. Yeah, they won't let you down there. Yeah. I
was like, I got the credential and everything. It was like, sir,
that the game is going on right now. You gotta wait, and
you should you should have waved. I would have come to get you that
in certain space is not at the graduate obviously, in some certain spaces,
I got a little bit of juice. Yeah, we got next time,
definitely, definitely what it was. It was a great game, but that
was where you know, my wife is her her alma mater is Rutgers,
and so we gotta we got in house rivalry, and uh it took it
to us. I thought we could win that game. But you know,
you've been a part of some some obviously some things that has happened on campus.
But I guess take us, take us through like just how how everything
has kind of evolved in how we as Spartans are trying to just you know,
one heal from what happened with the mass shooting, but you know there
is business that has to get back to normal. But kind of talk talk
through like what's happening right now, you know for Spartan fans of lums as
we kind of got eyes all on us in East Lancia. Yeah, so
I kind of feel like Michigan State. Just you know, it's like take
that take that is no breaks, right, It's a kind of a protracted
trauma. So there's a lot of work to be done on this board.
And that didn't that didn't help. Right. This this event that occurred on
February thirteenth, on a random Monday right in USA, it was it kind
of knocked us on our heels. So I have a daughter who's an alleged
senior at Michigan State. Hopefully she'll be graduating by to stay weekend. I
crossed all my fingers and my toes and we'll see what happened. We'll see
what happens. But she was sheltered in place for those four hours. So
right after I got the call that there was a shooter, she called me.
And that was probably one of the first times I picked up right away
because generally she asked for money, so you know, decline it's a voicemail.
But I did pick up, and she was you know, I heard
were helicopters and police cars. Right, it was really really bad. So
for four hours, I'm checking on her and she's in the in the bathroom,
locked in her her room on campus, and I'm also trying to keep
up with the updates right from the chief of police and from the interim president,
Teresa Woodruff. So uh, that night was kind of was kind of
rough up until about two o'clock am. Uh, just trying to make sure
students were safe and I'm I'm getting these you know, updates, but I'm
also fielding all my family saying, you know, it's baby girl okay.
But then also trying to watch the news. And that was intense because on
the news I kept seeing a lot of students out outside right about and I'm
thinking, wait, there's a shooter, Like, why aren't these kids and
I call them kids they're actually young adults, but they're they're babies right There's
they're nineteen eighteen year old children who are out out on the campus, which
is always safe. It's always a safe place to be. You know,
Michigan State is a land grand institution. It's open to the community. People
come there, bring their children there, to the gardens, to the you
know, to play. They you'll go for a spring practice, for a
spring ball practice. I mean, it's a place that you're supposed to come
and feel safe and secure. And really, that shooter that night destabilized our
sense of security and safety at that campus. It was not our best moment
as a nation, but it's indicative of larger issues. Right what happened at
Michigan State happens every day around the nation. So there's got to be some
changes made. But since then, what I wasn't anticipating was this kind of
outpourn. When I tell you Spartans are the salt of the earth, I
do mean that. And it's not a local community, it's not a state
wide community. It's an international global community that came and just poured love,
empathy, compassion, resources onto that campus for about oh I would say,
ten days straight, just hitting us with all kinds of support in every way
that you can think of. The worst part, probably the worst day of
my life, actually was calling those parents of those children who were killed.
I mean that was several gut punches in rapid succession, just to talk to
folks who had sent their children to college, sent their babies to college,
and their children were not coming back home. No parent ever would anticipate something
like that. Making those phone calls I thought was necessary as the chair,
but that was that was difficult. I went to visit all the families in
the hospital. Uh. And when Sparrow that that facility, they took so
such great care of them and the community also. I mean there was food
and blankets everywhere to the point where they couldn't handle all of the things that
were being sent to those families. And so that that kind of support and
outpouring is really what ms U is about. And you know, our heads
are about but not broken. I think through tragedy every time in my life
where there's been uh, something that I felt like wasn't you know, wasn't
ideal. But sometimes even you know traumatic, uh, we're are resilient people.
So we come back bigger, better, batter depper. And that's what's
gonna happen at ms U. So there's you know, security that's being tightened
up. There's some some some safety issues that we need to to to kind
of shore up. But for me, all the police, the police communities
that you know, we had the FBI, we had uh Lancing, uh
State Police, we had Lancing local police, East Lancing local Police, Michigan
State Chief Marlon Lynch. They all came together with the coordinated effort in that
moment. But I don't know that you can ever be completely prepared, and
I think they did everything they had prepared to do and executed in a way
that was partning to see. But also I think emblematic or model for other
folks. And so, yeah, that is it's been really tough. But
also it gives you hope in humanity that people came like that and rallied like
that, gives you a hope for the future that you know only ms you
could give. So I'm grateful that I was there at such a time as
that. I'm a licensed counselor, so I was, you know, able
to speak to people with a trumpa informed the language, and I think that
was important for me to be in leadership at that moment. Absolutely. I
mean, you know talk about you know, so you being a licensed counselor
in your background, so you think made a fast track to be the chair
of Michigan State Board of Trustees. I waited two years, the whole two
years, right, How long is the term? For everybody that doesn't know
how long? It's an eight year sentences. That's what I keep telling them.
There's three words lunteer. Y'all think that I get paid for this,
I really don't. And so I think people think also, you know,
you get to go to all the games, you know, the first collegiate
game. I'm pretty much a nerd, right you. I kind of stopped
it at Western, but I have a PhD from UCLA in education. I'm
a nerd. I read, I write, write, I read, and
I write some more. That's what I do our research and present all around
the world and teach leadership. Right I'm a nerd. So the first collegiate
game I've ever attended in all the years that I've been a college student and
a college professor was the Nebraska MSU game when I became a board member and
I felt obligated to go, and it took everything I had not to bring
my laptop because I had other things to do. You know, like sure,
there's breaks. You know there's breaks, there's you know, there's time
outs, there's you know, there's a halftime. I felt like I get
some work done in between what you really can't because you're on the whole time.
People like you get to go to all the games. I'm like,
man, and really, honestly, that Michigan Michigan State game. I'll never
do that again, never in life. I will never. I'm pretty tough.
I've been fighting since kindergarten. I've been non violence since nineteen ninety nine.
But I used to a lot. I generally don't feel unsafe in spaces.
I felt like, oh wait, it can really, it can really
pop off in this space. Like everybody's drunk for like three days straight before
they get to the game, right, and a whole bunch of I'm like,
wait a minute, a whole bunch of drunk people with all this adrenaline.
I might have to knuckle up, and I don't want to do that.
I'm a professionally money but if you have to, I've been, I
practiced non violence. I'm not expert, Okay, right, every day I
have to make a decision to love. Every day. I have to choose
love and not violence. Yeah, but that is a serious rivalry for real,
for real. Oh yeah, yeah, Jesus not me. My pronouns
are My pronouns are threats. Tracking that's why. So doctor Rimer, you
you you know, alluded to a little bit there, you know, being
on the board of trustees, and you know, there's a lot of things
that people don't know, like one, you know, it's a volunteer kind
of and then it's you know, like you said, it's an eight year
term. But also too, you know that we pride ourselves in this show.
I'm pulling the curtains back and everything like that. And you know it's
like a barbershop here, you know, so I don't go to the barbershops,
sir, that's another place, not that face salon. Yeah, when
when the salon? When the shop? You know? Okay, yeah,
because you know that, you know, that's when it happens. That's when
it's talking. Happens when you're at the dry Yes, it does, it
does. Okay, So now can relate relate? Okay, So now like
people don't know, like what what role does the Board of Trustee play in
the athletics side of things? From you know, having the confidence in coaches,
you know, budgetary stuff nil coming up now like where you know,
funds going to different places and everything like that. What roles do the Board
of Trustees play in that? Yeah? So the board is really high level
governance. Right. We don't get into the day to day, every day
operations of the university. But because m s U is such a big,
a big community that comes around to you know, to gather and be a
collective around sports, the board has to pay attention to what's happening on the
biggest teams, right, and the biggest teams you you might not you know,
really think about in even like hockey is a big deal, right,
women's gymnastics is a big deal, And so we try to stay away from
making managerial or you know, budgetary decisions. We were engaged in the hiring
of the ad The board that predates me was engaged in hiring Mel Tucker.
You know, when Izzo decides he's he's had his fill, which you know,
then I think he'll probably be the president of the university. I mean,
he's beloved, he really has no bosses, so he can say as
long as he wants to. But if he decides to lead while I'm on
the board, then I'll be engaged in the hiring of you know, the
high profile positions. But generally we're advisory, right. We we will come
together to kind of talk about who the candidates are, and at the very
end, when they've selected the committees have selected their candidates, then we'll we'll
weigh in. Uh. In the last couple of times though, you know,
and and Adi Haller is kind of open to this. You know,
he'll he'll talk to the board a lot more than other ads have. Uh,
He'll come and talk to the board about issues that he's having or you
know, goals that he has in terms of fundraising, goals that he has
in terms of beefing up facilities, things like that. He'll come. He
he engages the board and uses the eclectic talent. Right. We have a
diverse set of folks on this on this board with all kinds of reach,
all kinds of expertise, and he leans on the board in ways that I
think are appropriate. So we're because it is it is who says, Uh,
sports are the front the front porch of m s U. We have
to be engaged in ways that we don't have to be engaged in other areas
of the institution. So we just got a briefing from Alan Howard this morning
at eight am. Right, So it's kind of intense. It's kind of
intense. I've learned a lot, right, I've been faculty, so again
a nerd, but I had to learn a lot about, you know,
what is necessary to have a fan experience. Where we rank in terms of
our facilities and other schools, particularly the se the sec you know, having
visited those campuses, we look like sometimes like a high school outfit right our
facility, So in IL we we try to stay away from. We did
have one trustee who rolled off here last year who was more engaged, but
we try to stay out because it's still kind of uncharted territory, right,
But we do know that we have to beef up in I L because as
if we want talent, we have to compete with big money donors in the
south right, who who bleed football in different ways and also give their money
in different ways. And so h we we've dibbled and dabbled in the NIL
conversations, but we try to stay you know, in our lane because it's
it's still uh, what's the word I want to use when you don't have
regulation. It's deregulated a lot. And I didn't want to say it,
but that's exactly what it is. But we have to we have to be
competitive. If we don't have NIL money, we're not going to get talent.
Yeah, so I'm going to jump back in and these guys are gonna
give me a ship because they said I always hug up for all the questions
and everything. But well you don't care. You don't care. I respected
I respect it. You know, you hit on it a little bit about
keeping up with everybody, and you know, sports and now universities and everything
is now coming to that keeping up with the Joneses kind of thing. Now,
you know otis he's traveled to different places and he comes back with all
these like wow, you know, was at LSU. It's a great fan
experience. Jason, He's been all over the place as well, and seeing
especially now Jason's you know, starting to see the recruiting side of things from
his his his family side of things. What does Michigan State have to do
or what are we missing to get to that point where every single Saturday that
stadium's packed the fan engagements there or like, you know, the university,
you know, that's the spot to be, not just on football but just
as a university and everything. Where what steps do we have to take to
be like oh Man MS used to place to b Yeah, So there's a
couple of things that we've thought about. Right, We obviously need some upgrade
and a lot of our facilities because the fan experience is the draw, right,
But you know this is kind of the controversial piece right, there are
a couple of trustees who have really pushed to sell alcohol. I think that's
important. You know, I don't drink, I can drink, I don't
drink again a full nerd. I've never spoked marijuana a day of my life.
I don't I don't drink. I don't do those things. But I
do know people drink and that oh wow, okay, so yeah, so
on the job. On the job, they dreak. So so I do
know that it's important. And really that Michigan Michigan State game, let me
know, we could be getting paid. I mean, I'm telling you they
drank for three days before they got to the game, and so they're already
falling down getting carried out the stadium. If we have the alcohol there,
I think it actually would be safer because people wouldn't be getting drunk before they
get there, and we could also be selling that and making a profit.
And so I wasn't really a big proponent, but after that Michigan Michigan State
game, I was a believer. Yes, with the alcohol is to be
here and we should be profiting off of that. So I think that's another
It's a controversial topic, but I think we have the legislative support at this
point to to kind of make that happen, to bring alcohol to the stadium.
And then we you know, we gotta win. Nothing else, nothing
else, fan like winning. But then but it's all connected. You know,
if you're if you're touring East Lansing and you're from oh, let's say
La right only because you know that's where I spent most of my adult life,
you have to convince me. I mean, it's snowing, right,
it looks it looks kind of sparse, right, doesn't look like there's a
lot of a lot happening in terms of nightlife. You have to convince me
with the facilities. You have to also convinced me with the relationships. Right,
So relationship to the a good coaching staff who's building a culture that is
inviting and family, like I think is really really important. So we who
we recruit for talent in terms of the coaches is really really important too.
It's the total package. And so I think, one, you have an
ad who sees that vision. Two you have a football coach who sees that
vision. Having been other places, I think coach Tucker knows the difference.
And again I was able to see for myself. We went to Alabama,
we went to Georgia State, we went to there's one more place I went
where Auburn rich and rich, right, Like, it was just like a
completely different environment than what we have in Michigan State. And we it's not
like we are short. You know, Isshbia, our largest don't just got
Man of the Year for Crane's business. Right We were at his little function
this afternoon to commemorate all the work that he's done. He's still opening his
pocketbook. We just got to tell him where to give the money. There's
all these other spartans who are committed to seeing our athletics program shine, and
so we really have to have a vision and make it plain so that we
can execute because they'll they'll bring the money. All we got to do is
you know what do they say, you build it, they will come exactly.
Yeah. Yeah, So I think it's the whole situation is the fan
experience, it's the coaches, but it's also facilities. And then you know,
when you get there, what kind of community do students student athletes feel
like they have when they get there? Because East Lansing is vastly different than
other campuses. Right, it's kind of isolated in a lot of ways.
I look, I look back, and well, we had we had no
city more than what we had back back in the day. You know,
you talked about I'm living and breathing all what you mentioned, right, Like,
I manage all the corporate partnerships, and so when you talk about,
you know, the beer category, we have all of our beer partners that
are year to year just waiting, like they're just waiting and just keep asking
when when When when you know, we keep telling them like, hey,
it's legislation. It's legislation hasn't been improved yet. We got all this stuff
happening. You know, when do you feel that it could it could pass
and we are free game to get a big time foreign rights deal. Because
to your point, I've seen the revenue. I've seen the numbers of what
will come in, and I'm like, you know, basically, we all
gonna eat if we can get that done. Like I don't legit, like
if I'm here, I'm here to stay. Like that's gonna be a good,
good years and a couple of years in the future if we can get
that done. But when do you feel like we're there or we're like still
long, no, no, no, we're this close. And I think
under my tenure as chair, like I go back and forth like do I
want a full two years? This is a two year sentence to be the
chair, but you know I'm thinking of maybe short in that school year and
it kind of just like hit it hard and move on. And so within
my tenure, that's one of my biggest goals, right is to think of
innovative ways to bring money into the cow into the university. But athletics is
the biggest way to do that, right, and so that NIL. But
then co branding, I think, you know, there's other universities who have
co branding relationships and somehow ms SHE is late to the game on this.
What I've noticed about ms SHE is it's kind of risk adverse. And you
know, I major it in English, so you know, I can barely
add I'm out here, you know, on my fingers and toes, and
but what I do know is how to count dollar bills. And for me,
the coke branding is kind of like a no brainer, Like if someone
else is well, is willing to take the brand and sell merchandise and put
it back into NIL why are we not doing this? Right? So it's
really thinking about creative ways to bring in sponsorships with partnerships and being less risk
averse. I think the wildlife West is a good term. And what happens
with the SEC is they make all the moves and they don't even they never
ask for permission, never, never, But they don't even ask for forgiveness,
right because I'm that kind of person, right, I'll I'll just be
like, yeah, yeah, oh I didn't know, my bad, right,
Like, I'll do that after the worst. They don't even say my
bad. They're like whatever and come for me, Like I like that energy.
Just if there's no regulations, then we're not regulated. That's how I
feel, right Like, if there's no regulations, then we should be free
to create some things. And then later on people can say, well maybe
not that or maybe that, not that. But to me, if you're
not if you're not taking risks and you're not creating, then you're stagnant.
And so we and I don't think we can afford to do that in any
area of the university, but particularly in athletics. So when you want when
you when you went like this, now for that you know how close are
we? Like are you talking like we're you know, fourth and one,
you know, put treat you in for that first down or like September second
where we open it in central you know, are they going to be cold
ones in the stands or right? So that's the goal, right, that's
the goal is by the the fall to be well, you know, well
stocked. You know, I don't know, this is the top shelf.
I don't know, you know what is it? It's in part domestic craft.
H Are we going to get some spirits in there? Some some beer?
Wine? But if you say there's a liquor, like I got people
knocking right now, So a liquor license does kind of scared because again I
felt like, oh I didn't you know, I did have on some tennis
shoes, so I felt like I can maybe get in it, you know,
with at that Michigan game. But I felt like this is a hectic.
But so I don't know, can you get premium spaces like high end
liquor, like having like a nice high end upscale where our donors can come
and have this vibe and have this full deal like I'm telling you that versus
like yeah, beer and wine for you know, general admission, not general
mission, but season ticket holders that are. But like you, I can't
wait, we're gonna have to talk about that because I mean, I'm in
these meetings and I'm working here and trying to make sure, like you know,
we got a lot of money on the table, and all we need
is that it's time to go. And well there's not opposition. There's not
opposition to it. We just had to we got to just push through the
paperwork so we can chop it up. But we're on the same page with
this, definitely, definitely, And I think with you too, Like I'm
in full agreement that I think and from talking to other people other states,
people that have stadium to have alcohol and stuff. Though it's gone down,
like the drinking issues and everything like that in this thing, because kids aren't
chugging points before they come into the game because they know, you know,
there's nothing in there, and they're passing out by halftime and everything like that,
I think issues and problems will be lower than it is now. I
agree. I agree it's a safety issue too. Like I said, never
felt unsafe in most of my adult life, and I was like, oh,
these people are for real not well right now, like it could go
all the way left. So yeah, I think it's a safety issue,
but it's also a revenue stream that we haven't tapped into. Yeah, it
was definitely a tough day when we went to Champagne Illinois in this past season
and you saw the beer that the ILI and I were selling, and it's
like, if Illinois has passed us, I hate them. Illinois has passed
I hate them. And Illinois had some of the best food in the press
box. We don't talk about food in the press box. I think the
press box because Illinois had well, I had someone coming. They had homemade
horse radish dressing for the rubens and everything homemade. They were boasting to me,
Oh yeah, we have missus Nanny that comes in every Saturday and makes
it in the back. I don't want this. I don't want to hear
this. I don't want to hear this. This is the thing. I
mean, what is ill and I Illini and I? What is that?
What is that? I mean, what even is that? And that they
have beat us on any metric is really shameful in my opinion. And I
don't know you, that's right. You have you been to Champagne like,
yes, they do have one fire tackle truck though, the fire tackle truck.
Before we let you go, Doc talk about, you know, the
expansion of the big ten before you go, the l a coming in in
your term, your sentence while you're trustee, they're going to be coming to
the dictam. How do you feel about that? Excited? Right? So,
I think Jason knows this. I travel to l a Oh every four
to six weeks to get my hair done. Don't tell nobody that story.
There's nobody on the east side right in the state, there's no one.
First of all, I'm a little I'm a little too old for these these
young hairst I get a press and a curl, do you hear me?
And I'm too old to not have edges. I'm gonna have edges, and
they are trying to burn them out here in Detroit. So I don't come
to any place in Detroit. I just go straight back to Beverly Hills to
my old hairdresser so she could just press and curl my hair. So so
this is good for me because now I get to go back go see a
game, right, and you know, I get to chop it up with
the donors and then get my hair done and come on back. I think
it's awesome. I think they gymnastic trips. Uh. I'm going every sport,
every sport, every sport, every sport, and you know, I
really don't. You know, U C l A and USC, they don't
have quite the rivalry that Michigan State and Michigan have. They It's no,
there's nothing like that rivalry that I've ever seen Michigan State and Michigan. But
Bruins don't like the Trojans. And so if if Michigan State can can smack
USC, it just just you know, I think, in cust words,
I'm trying to think I need them to beat that. I need them to
I need them to lose to Michigan State every single time. I need s
C to feel defeated with their with their blood and sweat and tears and and
some meat off of their their their shoulders and their their their their arms left
on the field each time. Excited about it. I'm excitedly your heart on
the fields, you know what it is? So so the best games to
go to are the kids, right the when you go to a high school
game or a club game for kids that's I'm the auntie you want me on
that you want me in the stands. I'm an. I'm an. If
we lose, I should have probably gotten put out the game as as a
fan because I'm going in talking about other parents. I'm talking about I'm talking
about the rest I'm going and I'm the auntie you want because I'm gonna make
you feel like a celebrity. Those are the games. I hadn't been to
a collegiate game, but all the kids games. Man, please, I'm
super super competitive. So the se game, I need their hearts left on
the field. I need them to have some marks in them, left on
the field with with cleat marks name for the for all the games. I'm
really excited about the expansion. I think it's going to bring you more money
to Oh yeah, definitely, without a doubt, without a doubt. We
truly appreciate the time. We could talk to you for a long time here,
I mean, very entertaining, very information informal for us. Thank you
for coming on, no, thank you for having me. This was the
highlight of my week, well actually of this year because it has been yeah
man, so just thank you for the energy, thank you for coming with
the hard questions, the hard question. We didn't want to put you out
there that much, but you know, we just want to. This is
that show. We're we're in the living room, where on us? So
putting that hand up with that ring. We need more of these rings,
by the way, we need more, We need more, we need more.
This is awesome. You guys are doing a great job. Anytime you
want me to come, let me know. I would love to stop by.
Keep doing this. Keep putting Spartan on the map, then Sparta Yeah
that's all, y'all. Do it. Keep putting us on the map.
Yeah, we need we need all the great vibes and intelligent young men like
your yourself to big up us over and over and over again. Just keep
up the good work. And like I said, anytime you need me,
let me know. And otis we need to chop it up about the hard
liquor? And uh is it the draft and the craft craft the draft that
important domestic you know? Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, okay,
all right, all right, you that you're in the chair for us,
appreciate you, no problem. You have a good night, good all right,
you too, a great interview. Many way to keep asking those questions.
Shoot you, these guys are gonna give me. Hey, look look
we got no time to waste here. We'll roll right into the next situation
and with jizz Man, none other then Chuck Brantley, who will be joining
the show with us. Sure, what's up, hey, how y'all doing?
Is zero? The other zero? The other zero? Let me tell
you, but the real zero? Let me let me just ask yourself to
back because back when we but you couldn't have zero. Zero just got integrated
like what two years ago? Yes, sir? Why zero? When I
came here, so five with my number, Like I always like have five
since I was since my older brother had it. My older brother, that's
all we reaped was number five. I don't know why, but it's just
so we always rep But on my way up here, coach Barnett's, I
asked Barnett, Well, I asked Coach Tuck. I was like, no,
it was Barnett, I asked Bnett. I was like, it's fole
open. But I was open because Michael Fletcher was here feel me. And
I was like, I was like, okay, so what it was open?
Then I say, nobody got zero? I came nobody was thinking of
it. I was like, okay, do y'all have zero? And Coach
Tuck said he can make it happen. So that's how I came. You
know. Damn. There you go, Hey Chuck Man, there's a lot
going There's a lot of stuff we want to talk about with you. Man.
We're gonna give a little precursor to that with a message from our friends
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every order. Hey Crates now and I hop and to talk more in depth
about I hopping with a special announced we're going to bring on the residential I
Hop repend. Cow, come on, Cow talk to I just need to
be out here full time. Guys. No, we know, disincorporate me
into the threesome over here. You know what's the announcement? Cow? Well,
So just like with Keon. We are now extending and that nil offer
to Chuck to be a representative here for my local I hop and especially in
the Michigan area. So welcome aboard. Chuck. Would love to have you,
sir, you know, looking looking forward in this partnership as well.
Look at that play right there, the double Zeros. Yeah, what game
was that? Yeah? Hey, congratulations, congratulations something that you know obviously
I have. It is a big partner with us cows a good dude does
a lot for the university, you know, behind the scenes that people don't
see, and you know, like this here and what does this mean to
you? You know, partner with such a you know, class organization like
I HOP and everything. To me, this means at this means a lot
to me because this is really my first offer, really like actual big offer
because I get a little like and I'll do it on the side or whatever,
but I thought I had nothing like this major you feel me. I
just want to thank Kyle, you know, appreciate you for having me on
this. Uh And you know, shoot, I'm not really I'm not really
a talking person. I don't really do interviews. You feel, my first
time really in the camera. It's all good. We're in the locker room.
We're in the locker to drinks over there. What's that? He needs
one of your drinks over there too? Like it? We need to give
him. We need to give him some pancakes where he can heat him up
so he can get on that weight. You need that weight gain, Kyle.
I'm telling you, man, when when I found out as hoodie size
was a medium, I said, what right, the medium? That's me.
I see this. So this was the first, you know, the
first season, I was doing some sideline reporting for Michigan State Jason stuff in
the box. They're doing, uh the color an unless they're along with George
and so I'm walking down and I see you, you know, like walking
down and I'm like, damn, man, this is how big. It's
like my legs bigger than chop. But you got you out there hitting people,
Like Like what what? What's the mindset? The mentality go into it?
Because you put everything in the and you're a player that I look at
it and I remember the first game, you know, I'm sitting on the
animal on my phone taking notes and I'm like, he can play, he
said, and soul, Like, what's the mindset? You know back there,
See my mom said, when they come to me, Dan smaller than
everybody on the field. I always doing that my whole life. So I
always had to overcome of everybody saying he too small, he can't do this.
But my mama always told me, and I always on it. She
always told me the bigger you is, the harder you fall. And that's
why I always went by that the rest of my life without a doubt,
Right, Chuck, Chuck, you know you'll find out. Man, I
came in a buck seventy five, maybe eighty wet like that. I ain't
have. I didn't have nobody, but I came in a buck thirty eight.
You made me look like it's a king. Man. But coach Manny,
and this is one of those things you talk about, you know.
It was he has this good way of like encouraging you. Right, And
so I wasn't lit the weights. I was a three or four athlete,
so it's back to back, back to back. Never really had a break.
But you know, I remember them telling me we're gonna put weight on
you. So there's no there's no issues. You have a frame. But
I remember my mentality was I got a heart of a line. So if
I if I go out hit somebody, I'm an knocker. Shoulder out with
it, you know what I mean. But I see you right now.
I see you right now in the sling, and you're resting up, you're
healing up. You know. Give us, give us, give us kind
of a behind the curtain standpoint of what you're going through right now to get
ready for for next season. Okay, So after the Indiana well, during
the Indiana game, uh, there was two plays back to back with this
shoulder. So my freshman year, I heard this versus my right shoulder versus
Purdue. I had surgery on this shoulder. I ain't have a spring that
next year. I didn't play spring at all. So fall camp came.
I started doing my thing back again. I got back in my groove.
Come Indiana game. You know, it kind of chilly out there, so
we went to no sleeves, no sleeves, so I'm thinking, I'm like,
okay, it's kind of coold out here. It was two plays.
So one of the plays, the running back bounce outside and then he cuts
it up. So I come make the tackle. I hit him with my
right shoulder. Say okay, Dan, the net. The very next play,
the quarterback QB County comes, I hit him with my left shoulder.
Also, Cali Holiday lands on me, so I'm like, okay, I
feel my shoulder. I'm like, it doesn't feel right. I feel like
the first time I heard this one. I'm like, okay, this don't
feel right. So I look at Coach Tuck. Well, first of all,
I was on all land on the ground, Derrick Harmon, come pick
me up, like stop being soft. I was like, I'm hurting right
now, like my shoulder. I'm shaking my shoulder. I look at Coach
Tuck. I could you not? I see him put his mic back down
and walk the other way. I was like, the game, if I
don't see it or here, that doesn't happen. I've been there before.
So my comeback I feel like it's gonna be even much stronger. As absolutely
question Chuck Man, you know you're you're a later Venice High School right in
Florida. Man, you got a lot of talent down there. I was
down there for a game this past year. Talk about like what when did
you start playing the game and how did that prepare you? You know,
going through Venice High School and prepare you for playing at this level and this
you say. So I started playing. I picked up be football since I
probably like four. So my pops only like speaking my my mom and my
pops they not together and nothing my dad. You know, I always had
a relationship with my pops. You feel me he's on he's gonna get out
of you know, he's in count right now. Okay, So but he
always told me like because my older brother was good as head like he was.
He's always like he was like Michael Vick, my older brother. Like
everybody's appraised my older brother. You feel me like like he's gonna be the
one. But my pops he's to always say like, yeah, my oldest
son is good, but this the one. Like he's always telling me that
I just never I just already played football because I just to always walk around
with the football gloves on my hands, like uh. Then it got to
a point where I think in my eighth grade year, well really my seventh
grade year, I started playing seven or seven mm HM coach Adrian rit Ferson.
We communicate, but won't communicate as much. I'll communicate when I go
back home and I need to work out or something. But I always played
something self of him, and I always I never played with people my age.
I always played with everybody older than me, like the twenty eighteen class
I was. I was. I was always played with the twenty eighteen class
that graduated. I always played two grades higher than me. Then come in
eighth grade, I'm going to unofficial visit to Austin p That's when I picked
up my first scholarship offer eighth grade. After that freshman year, I go
to Real Review High School. Before I go to Venice, I go to
Review. I played there for two years. Sophomore year I had an interception
record at nine interceptions. Yeahn low, Yeah, so uh I'm that.
I say after that season, like that spring coming up, like I'm not
feeling the more. I wanted to play with better competition. There wasn't nothing
about Review, It's just I wanted to play it better competition. So and
Venice always had a national schedule that they always played. But it was like
from my city day thirty minutes away. So I had to go. I
transferred to a private school and Bradys in Florida. Nah. I drove every
ubert or. I caught a route with someone every day forty minutes and all
we went to Venice and wow, coach Peacock, that coach be different,
Like he don't smile, he barely talked. The only time you're talking is
about football. Ah. But like they just showed me like they they always
like praise me like these like Okay, I know he gonna come hit.
They always my biggest thing since I've been in high school, like literally with
wait always my whole life. But my biggest downfall. I don't think it's
not a downfall you you you have a heart of a line, you come
out, you come hitting and everything like that. It is not a downfall
that you know your weight, your size. I think that elevates you,
like I know it elevates me a lot. But at the end of the
day, I gotta be able to hold up if I want to play that
Yeah, yeah, definitely, I hop you. I hop you well,
I'm gonna play right. I was gonna pature those protein pancakes. How do
you how do you how do you eat? How do you? As Jason
saying, how do you attack your stats? How do you eat your pancakes?
What kind of in case you like? Are you a plain guy?
Chocolate chip? I like chocolate chip pancakes. Chocolate chip pancakes, and how
do you cut them? How do you cut them? You just used the
four you cut him in a certain design. I get a butter knife,
I go down the middle. I folded and cut cut them in forest.
You know you're teaching notice over here, that's a strategy there. But you
say this, O can't here You're so low, So you cut it in
force and then so you just eat four pieces. Uh, it depends on
mean pancakes. I got Coney Island as parties. Corny Island, they pancakes.
Is like. I was like, I remember one time I went there.
I have this is me and I did Willie. We went there to
go eat. So I'm ordering the pancakes. But the lady she's asking me,
like, are you sure, like you want three pancakes. I was
like yeah. So they brought it to the table. I'm like, I'm
like crazy, I know that's huge. Made the same mistake, man,
those things are huge. Like, but now from one a quarter of one
is a whole short stack. And I go ahead. Now you can throw
you can throw that Cony Island. You can go to the eye Hop,
you can get yourself out of a T bone steak. You can got a
T bone steak, four eggs and a stack of pancakes on t bowe steak
sound headed the other night, man, it was hit. It was like
it was to the point my wife looked, we're eating, and then I
was cut it around there, and then I look right. I looked left,
owing upstide nine on it. My wife looks, she's like, you
got to stop. But I will tell you this. He was not lying.
He did separate the pancakes, put a little butter on each one of
them and attacked them separately around the plate. And I walked by, I
go, you were not kidding when you said that on the podcast. Literally
do this. Hold on, Calvin, you're inaccurate when you said a little
butter, it was a lie. Yeah, yeah. Make sure every every
bike gets butter and every bike gets ser up. Oh my goodness, I
can't. Oh no, I just can't have my my pancakes all like soggy.
You feel me, If you eat it fast, it doesn't get soggy.
For the mississ State football coming up this year, you know you got
you know you had a great season two years ago, but you were here
and then you had a drop off this year, no bowl game. What
in your mind do you think this needs to happen to misis safe for you
guys to get back to where you were before. I feel that what needs
to happen with us. I feel like our team chemistry to come back together
because my freshman year all team chemistry in the locker rooms, like it needs
to be every morning, like it don't matter. We can have like because
you know certain people come in like certain different times, but we always coming
there. But everybody come to the locker room like everybody was together. So
like we'll get on live, we'll be making it like everybody be turned out
early in the morning at seven am, like even at the practice we turned
up like throughout the day, like everybody in that same esh and the locker
room, the training room and then before we get our food at and it's
like the schedularius. You feel me like team chemistry. I feel like that's
the big thing with us because everybody be on you want to be oh,
like I gotta have this that spot, like just my spot, Like everybody
is just for theyself right now. That's awes. So you're not You're not
the first person to come out and say that about that. What do you
think that is that this year? You know, I know, you know
there's the transfer stuff and everything like that, Like what do you think that
breaks that chemistry? Honestly, I feel like as players, like even if
our coach is not like my freshman, our coaches fairly around like that,
but all the players, we always used to be around each other, like
every single day, like by the week like three sixty five. So it
was like you had no choice but like bond with him, like cause that's
your brother at the end of the day. And you think that he got
away from that, Yeah, I kind of fell out. We got away
from that. How uh you know the way the train, the locker rooms
like on North End zone feel me then you got we go eat breakfast inside
the scandalar aias the trainer is still in the same spot, but everybody come
in at different times, Like we got sessions like offense lift, defense lift
or it be skilled me and bigs, you know, but everybody's not together
at the time, like everybody like skill go lift first in the morning,
we'd be ready to go home, like we go get our stuff out way
and go home. Mis come in, they be finna get ready to they
finna get ready to start. At right after we're done, they finna get
ready to start. Then after they start, the admit the big start,
they're finna get ready to start, and everybody just go their separations after they
be the facility, Like people barely even go to the locker room. Still.
Oh, so this is something due to the construction that's going on at
Miss State for the new facility. So you're saying, because you guys are
displaced and it's not a lot of room, that it's messing up the team
chemistry. Yes, sir, and that's what ut ill last your team.
I feel like we're supposed to win it all. Feel just the players we
had, like we supposed to win it all. We wasn't a little sorry
team, like we just went out there think it'd be better than what we
was and everybody was for theirself and it just wasn't working like that. That's
interesting. So inside, yeah, as a you might not have to answer
to this, but you know, as a guy, you know, now
you're a fat you know you've been there two seasons going on your third.
Now you're bad. What do you feel you have to do to bring the
team together. I feel like I have to show them more off the field
stuff and more on the field because of the on the field, I'm good
on the field, great off I'm great on the field, But off the
field, I still have some running and doing some maturity of the grow up,
growing up and learning life. You feel me. But and I also
need to become more vocal, like I'm not I will tell you, like
I point you aside, like I'm not gonna be loud over the whole team
and telling people what to do, because at the end of the day,
people gonna listen to who they want to listen to. And I feel like
I don't have that face here at Michigan State. Yeah that's just me personally.
I don't have that. You do, Yeah, you do. You
do trust us, you do your play talks, man, like you show
it. So I think it's an opportunity for you to walk in that man,
because like you're sitting there, you're playing on the field, you're producing,
and you have the cloud because you you're showing the work, right,
So like, don't don't shy away from that, man, because you got
to level up and we hold these boys accountable man, this is your defense,
that is your Indeed, let me tell you something, Chuck. Let
me tell you something, Chuck. If I was in your position and I
got that pick against Christian, you could not tell me nothing like off brother
for life. You don't have to pay for another drink in east Land.
And again I ain't done yet, got mesty. So they got exactly they
might have to get it for another two years. Yeah, so Chuck,
you know, so game day? What's in their headphones? Your music guy?
No music guy. I'm a music guy. Like I put in my
music. I put on that young boy, I just kill more when I
put it young I'm just drinking kill. I want. I want everybody.
So, young boy, what's your game rituals? Like what's the superstition?
Like what are you trying to? What do you gotta do every morning for
game day to prepare for? Like she got your music, but what's your
what's your ritual? So I get up on game days? I can't really
eat on game days, so missus amber my nutrition and should give up?
Give me this? You can't. It's like a gatorade and she put like
some calories in it, and I drink that instead of eating actual food feel
me because on game days I had that generally going. I be sweating all
day, like under my orange I get to sweating, my fingers get sweaty,
like oh no, I just get that feeling like I'm blow okay.
Then we get to we get near the game, my stomach started bubbling.
I just We're walking out the locker room and were standing across from the other
team, and I'm always stand in the front, so I look at the
players. I'll be like, I look at my teammates. I was okay,
I got people behind me. I look look in front of me.
Everybody's like they like probably three times bigger than me. So I just be
looking like they look at they look at I can see them looking at me.
They look at me like who is this? Like you're gonna find out.
That's just always I've never been cocky, like I know people people think
I kaky. I promise you I'm never cocky. I'm confident, Like my
confidence is through the through the roof, like when on the football field,
my confidence is crazy. Hm, we see that. We definitely play that
way. Man. We heard it too, crack Man that that game day
you said, what was that young boy NB a young boy, Be a
young boy. Never broke again the way you said that, you just looked
it up you no, no, no, never broke, never broke again.
I had a register. Yeah, yeah, I got that on my
playlist. Yeah goodness. No little baby, no, little baby, Chuck,
I don't listen little baby, little baby tootle too. He a little
too soft in his song. You gotta do that. It's kind of drill.
When the games, it's a drill. I like that, man,
Chuck, Hey man, congratulations again on your new n I l deal in
your partnership with I Hot man like congratulations and much success to you in the
future. Coming up here next season. We'd love to have you back on
uh after you know, give us a report because you're not gonna be doing
the spring right, so you're gonna have to kiss some insight. What's going
on? Give him? I get on here. I actually don't do interviews,
but I actually like what you doing here. You feel right there.
You got the iPhone right all right, So we got a mic that hooks
up in there. We can we can do some stuff. Man, We'll
figure that out. Old Stee operations on it. He's on it. Get
my playlist right to you know, songs like I need to be hearing?
All right, bet was. I'm gonna make a playlist on all the songs
I listened to on game days because I got the specific songs that I listened
to it I put them on repeat all day. Okay, okay, So
I'm gonna get Kew's playlist, We're gonna get Chests playlist, and we're gonna
play over the Speakers play House, family friendly. Yeah. On the social
media is at see Brandley twenty two with her and instagrams at Charles Brandley five
number five. Y'all call me chuckle, but I really go about CB five
because that was my number five be five. All right, all right,
brother man, thank you so much for coming. Enjoy the time with you.
Uh, don't forget. Here's the dates. There's gonna be some meet
and greets, little six day, Little autograph three to five pm, folks,
three to five pm. I think we missing three to five pm.
Three to five pm. YEP, April first and Grand Rappids and then what
was the other one that was April twenty second and Brighton se you addresses right
there for those listening on the podcast. At five o three nine twenty eighth
Street, Southeast Grand Rapids. That's April first, April twenty second, eight
oh seventy five. Nimko waiting, Brighton, Michigan. Man, love that
picture, Chuck. You guys, I'm gonna need one of those with the
with the pancakes holding up like that. Just put just put a guy from
behind you, from down the road so that normally is a little bit smaller
and you're a little you up there, you said, get up here,
man, Yes, sir, you deserve this. The arm that I messed
up, my shoulders missed up when I caught that ball, my fingers like
got cut short. That made you famous. Well, Chuck, you deserve
this, man. So keep appreciating, keep working out that that therapy getting
back, and we appreciate you man from from the ogs to the young man.
We man, we got damn you talk about that pregame ritual. What
was your pregame ritual? Who? Man? Yeah, look this is where
this is where you know, we about to outdate ourselves here, so we't
have all the Spotify and you know we had to go and remember line wire,
we have to go download and legal so put on that day. Yeah,
so people don't know this man. So I'm very I mean, I'm
spiritual man. So like I'm listening to my gospel playlist old school. Uh
but I always and I don't know why, but like Michael Jackson, I
want to be starting. You want to be starting something like just that was
my like for some reason, it got me into like it was it's weird,
but it was like that got me in the movie, like just straight
up like hey, you want to be starting something, and like I was
just getting you'll get me more like joyous and like giddy, like oh,
I'm dancing because you know we started. I took my baby to the doctor
like you hey, you know and look you you know we in that old
locker room so you're just sitting there. You can't really get but you just
eat a little small one like and we had and we had coaches that you
couldn't really express yourself, you couldn't really be you, right, But I
always made sure right at that time, you know, when the band was
in the tunnel and they did that yell roar before we went out, I
had to always make sure that things was out before and hearing that because that
was like that warrior all like look right now, you know it's go time.
What about you, stray man, I'm before all of that, man,
we had like this, man were so far back in the days.
Man. Yeah, it was a steady diet of Look, you know,
outcast guys saying outcasts out loud. You know, they got talking about the
players. But I'm like, man, all the players came and that albums
not players ball. Yeah. Yeah, and then you had that, you
had that out cast, that Southern playlist five music. Yes, that's why
a country like it's a country song. That's how it is. It's like
I didn't I didn't listen to music before games. What was he doing?
Okay, so this is gonna get a little funky, even weird. But
uh so I would go to this to the state. When we get there,
I would take all my clothes off and just be in compression shorts,
and I would lay on the ground, just lay on the ground and eat
a Snickers bar. And then after that, I would put a shirt and
short and I'll go outside, That's true, and he'd just be running,
like just be running, like for no, just running, and I come
back. I just get sweaty and then come back in change in Javan and
I would go in the showers and say a prayer and then come out for
that band coming through to rock the walls. That was it. I never
listened to music at any stage. Playing football, you did this. You
did this in every game, every game? Yeah yeah, well really in
the YEP like. It took me, like hey straight. It took me
like maybe half the season my freshman year to realize I was allowed to go
out there. You know. I was like, I was like, oh,
I could just go out there and warm up and run before we go
out there. When I do when I when I did remember prime time,
would go out there and run around the entire stadium. You used to do
that, and I used to do that because I did it in high school,
but I didn't know when I was allowed to do it at college.
But I went out there and I would run around the whole like track,
like basically made it like it was a track, like getting me four laps
in, like I ran a mile and then all she wrote, especially when
it's cold, put on that baseline on and put a dry in on and
sweat and then come up with those Yes, I know, I know we're
running a long man. I know we run along. But the spell offensive
lineman out there. If you hear that, you know, if you if
you hear him say and I ran four laps to get ready to play a
football game, and that was okay, You're probably not an offensive lineman because
there's no way any offensive lineman would go run a mile and get warmed up
to playing football. That's definitely dB talk right there. Defensive we put on
we can put it on the most miles, you feel me. So we
gotta get ready? You ready? You do? You do? Man?
So look man like, otis what do we what's next on the agenda for
today? Yeah? So you know, as everyone's seen, you know,
I know we were gonna run along when we were in the production car the
day, we knew it was gonna be a long, long, long day
to day. But you know, Spartan Nation, obviously, it's been the
talk of the town. Uh. You know, one of our great coaches
that was with us for a year has departed. And it's not a departure
of he's you know, leaving us to go somewhere else. Like in the
college ranks. You know, coach coach bt Man is leveling up and going
to the NFL. Man, So you know it hurts. This one really
hurts. And fellas like, let's we talked about this, but let's let's
let's figure out, like let's have this open talk and open dialogue about one
the decision to the whole that we got to feel and three like the future
of you know, this is a big recruiting loss. Like let's just call
it space spade here. But coach BT has did more than what coaches have
done in a few years. And he did it one year in an offseason,
right, and so you know, this is huge for us to lose
him, like we lost lost Couch VI were also now losing you know,
BT. But let's let's have an open dialogue about it. Man. How
do you feel about it? So? So for me, I mean,
yeah, it's a it's a huge loss. I'm so happy for BT for
being able to follow his dreams and be able to realize his childhood dream of
being in the NFL now as a coach, you know, which is a
huge thing. He gets to go out with Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks,
which is a great organization. Uh, and he's gonna be empowered and
groomed to be a defensive coordinator, which is what he really ultimately wanted to
do. Losing him as a recruiter is a huge loss. It is you
know, it's gonna be a lot of ground for Michigan State to make up.
But you know, the leader in charge, mel Tucker, there's a
reason that he was extended the way he was from a from a contract cent
was because he's the kind of guy that his battle test and he understands how
to navigate through these tough waters. They are tough waters, there's no doubt
about it. You know, you can see mel Tucker. They try to
counter and try to keep him, but it was just, you know,
too little, too late for him. And it wasn't about the money.
Mel Tucker does have enough of that, you know from the coaching pool and
all that that he has, so that was the issue. But I think
that him going to the next level does speak volume for the coaching staff at
large that they do have talent on the coaching staff like mel Tucker can groom
someone to go to the NFL. You see Fiegler who left a year ago
to go to Florida as the running backs coaches now in the NFL, there's
several coaches. It was underneath Mel Tucker's purview that now have made that jump,
which should attract more talented coaches because we're gonna need it, guys.
I mean, we're talking about being able to connect with some of the youth
and what they are asking of coaches today college coaches today is un in my
opinion's a bit unreasonable, to be honest with you, like, you know,
it's twenty four to seven recruiting world that they have to live in.
Their their their family lives have to suffer because they have they can't turn that
phone off. B t don't. I never heard anything from him that he
was he couldn't stand that, but you know, you do. I talked
to NFL coaches in college coaches, and the clear is a clear delineation between
that with it's more family friendly. You can be more of a well rounded
person in the NFL versus college. The way the rules are now, this
is this recruiting cycle guy. So to find someone that's ass talented, it's
gonna be tough, but that Mel Tucker is a guy. If anybody could
do it, mel Tucker can do it. I was very well said.
I was like, oh lord, shout you what you what you got out
of that? All I got to say is this. You know, in
every level that you play, when you're in high school football, the next
step is to play in college. When you're in college, your next step
is to play in the NFL. Just like the same thing in life.
You know, you're in a you come out to the In work, you're
in the entry level position. You want to get to a managerial rule,
and then you want to get to a director, a CEO and everything like
that. So, you know, congratulations to VT for this opportunity. Is
something that he worked for, you know, a hard worker and everything like
that. I saw a tweet about him. You know, man, this
is crazy. You know, God's good. You know three years ago he
was picking up trash to earn money. Now he's coaching in an NFL.
That's great. You know, that's going to be something that's going to attract
people to Michigan State is that you can have this opportunity. You have a
platform to better yourself. You're not going to be held back. There is
no glass ceiling. Really, my only concern to this is the fact that,
you know, are we going to lose recruits? You know, through
the fact that he's leaving and some of and you know, the thing is,
and I'm going to say it, we don't know, you know,
anything new about this new d line coach. You know, we had coach
Vickerson that was there who had a great relationship with the kids. I don't
know if he's if he's still a part of the team or not. And
then we're losing BT as well, so we don't know, Like you know,
David Stone, you know, a highly tired guy. Is he gonna
come? You know? You know, now other people are using this as
fuel, like you know, hey, there's it's a no brainer now to
go to OU. You know, people are tweeting at them, but we
don't know what repercussions and you know how the dominoes are gonna fall, you
know, at the end of the at the end of the day, losing
a coach this point in time in the season, especially with the way that
a player can just pick up and transfer any time, and the way that
in the trajectory and the way that we want to go as a program,
and we know our defensive line is going to be integral to getting to those
steps and reaching those goals that we have set. It's gonna be it's gonna
be something, you know, attracting these guys, these these these young recruits
here. You know, BT held combines and camps here at in East Lanton.
The NFL guys came. And if I'm a player and I'm walking in
the in the weave and I see NFL guys in their training cam Heyward,
you know, Von Miller, all those guys, I'm like, shit,
yeah, I want to come to Michigan State to do this. So that's
a big loss on the recruiting side for Michigan State, losing BT. But
hopefully, you know, our play, our defense, and our health come
together and we we can get back on that platform again that we were a
couple of years ago. Defensively, We'll say, We'll see. Man.
You know, you know what we didn't really touch on because I mean it
was you know, doctor Rema made a comment and you asked a question like
what does it take for that overall experience for us to be better? You
know, and and and she brought up a couple of things. She said,
winning is one of the things we said. But you know, obviously
the alcohol that you wanted to talk about otis but to me when she she
she brought up she brought up the nil like how it is in the South.
I think that if you have that support from your your fan base like
they do in the in the sec you know you're seeing I'm seeing it clearly
right now in the recruiting process is one on and other parents and I talked
to other players. It's it's night and day. And she she strived our
facilities now as being high school like compared to those and we don't know that.
When you're here, you don't. You don't know. But you just
heard that. And I didn't talk to her about any of this stuff,
okay, to be you know, full disclosure. Did not talk to her
about that, and that's it's the truth. She said that, you know,
if if the people around the university support like like a mad istue,
you may not have mad issue of money, but it every little bit counts
and everybody can can do something. I mean, like you have a guy
like cal who's doing God's work in my opinion, to help them. This
is what program. This isn't necessarily a big business move for him. It's
not a big business move for this is a hey, this is a spartan
that chose to use whatever platform he has to help the team. That's what
it is, that's what it takes. And that's what you see down south
from the masses. And I know a Spartans have that will, they have
a heart, they have a passion. Spartans want to win. But it's
that I don't know, like you know, let's see, I don't know
is it really legal like that stuff you said? There are all the apologetic
down south. They don't ask the permission or beg for forgiveness. So why
are we I don't know if it's I don't, I don't know, I'm
gonna what and and we're going, okay, then don't be upset, guys
when we don't, we're teetering on boel eligibility or not boe eligibility year after
year after year. Because of that. That's really the reason. And now
those that support brings the coaches too. That brings the coaches. All that
stuff brings what the talent. The talent brings, what the wins. You
can't have it the other way. We don't. We don't wait to win,
and then we'll go out and get the guys that doesn't that doesn't work.
So until we get in that mindset as a culture, as a Spartan
nation, then then that's the bigger issue in my opinion than BT. BT
is a hell beloss. But what's worse we can make up for BP is
the uniting of all Spartans to go in the same direction and understand what it
takes to compete at that level. We have it, guys. You know,
I feel like I'm on the soap box right that I think that we
have the ability, we do we have the pastor we have the ability.
Just gotta gotta put it in line. Call Otis He'll help, He'll tell
you how. Yes. In other news, Well, let's talk about how
we we got to figure out how we have to manage that thus right like
we have to when it does come in, how are we managing that?
And how is that getting to everyone who is currently a student athlete on campus?
But when they get here, they're taken care of. You know,
what we're finding is little our current student athletes, Like you heard Chuck.
It's like, man, I've been having these kind of nickeling dimes here and
there, and this is my biggest nil deal with Kyle and I hop and
know that that that kind of gives me inclination of like, man, like,
there's guys out here that's putting their hearts and souls out there right now
currently that we got to get in front of. We got to get them
the deal. So, uh well, you know next, you know,
obviously, you know, transition into men's basketball. You know, we saw
some some season accolades happen with our two guards and then Joey Hawser. But
we talked about this last week that our front court, when they are locked
and loaded, like Ty Walker and AJ Hagger, is unstoppable. When they
are both licking. AJ's not turning the ball over, Ty is hitting those
jumpers at always, always the buzzer beat on the shod clock. Joey's hitting
the three maliite calls ball, and like we could go along and far in
this tournament in March Madness, but you know, we look at jay Nakins
if he didn't get hurt, thinking about Jayden would probably be team because he's
hitting right now too. So you know, we want to celebrate those guys
in our seniors. You know, we talked about the production got cut off
at the end of six senior celebration. So that's another news that we got
to hit. But the senior celebration started by our own, very own South
Resport, is one of the most elite traditions I've seen an experience, and
that's me being biased probably, but you don't see that elsewhere. You know,
you see the traditional walkout with your parents, get the flowers, get
your jersey. But we're able to call that time out and kiss that logo.
It's truly something that's very you look forward to. You know, I
wish we would have that in football. But to your point, we talked
about the senior traditions in football, it wasn't as glorious and glamorous like like
it is for basketball. But you're playing number ten, Jerry, you replain
number two. He replain number That guy had a day though too, that
guy had a day. You know, you think about it. You look
at Melik call Ty Walker. Uh. They still have the option to come
back. They still got the COVID year. So the only one that doesn't
is Joey because he exhausted that. But those two they come back with the
recruiting class. I said it before. You know, it's very promising.
Uh, and it's always says this with all his classes. But if he
doesn't win one with this class coming in and if they come back, he
basically always says, I'm not a great coach. He always says that.
But we know it's a Hall of fame coach. But to talk about Big
Ten Conference play, you know, we get the pleasure of going down there
to Chicago, the Shataw, Windy City. You know, take us through,
take us through. Like, man, we got double bye. Man,
it feels good, feels good. Double bye is good. You know,
you get to rest up a little bit, you have, you know,
some tune up games before you you know, you hit the big turn.
For me, I'm not big. I'm not big into the Big ten
you know tournament. You know, I'm not big into it. You know
it's I want our guys to rest up and get down. And what really
matters, So you so you're saying so, you're saying so, you're saying,
like this is the opportunity to get if we win it all you get
a better seed. Or you saying regardless if we win or lose, we're
still gonna have that same seed in selection Sunday. That's when it matters,
Like if we're if if you do, it doesn't matter clearly. Number one
seed. God, yeah, I'm just not a big fan of the big
ten time. I'm not sold on a big turn. I'd rather rest guys
and get them ready for the turn, the the real tournament, the NCAA
tournament. There. Our seed is not going to change either way, you
know, Like we're not going to get higher than a five seed no matter
what we do in the tournament. So let's they went less than a eight
seed either, y'all of course, TV Yeah we no more beer sales more
for man. Yeah, so, but you can't you can't go deep in
the tournament without solid, mature, experienced guard play. And that's what Michigan
State has. You know, I know that, you know, we may
lack a little bit in the post, but you know, I think so
Soco and and what's my man's Cohler cooler, Yeah, maybe maybe James Cocher
Mabea, Yeah, man, So you know, I think they can do
their thing. And you got that solid guard player. There's gonna be a
lot of younger guards out there, for dudes, got younger guards. I
mean, they may feel that pressure, you know, in the tournament scenarios
when it survived in advance or win or go home. So we'll see how
it all plays out. Guys, I mean, great show. I think
that we've thoroughly discussed a lot of things a lot of people on this show.
Final thoughts, ju Hey, Go Green. Otis shout out to all
of our followers. We consistently had you know, thirty plus tonight. I
know we went long, but we appreciate y'all staying with us and obviously supporting
us, liking us, and following us. So great show tonight, looking
forward to for Thursday and no, go Green, Hey, And that's nothing
more needs to say for those fellows. Otis Wiley J Kocher, I'm Jason
stra This is Sparta half a good night, God bless you go Green.
It's a circle light you can't do. This is Sparta MSU as a combine
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