The following is a presentation of Playfly Sports Properties in Michigan State Sports Properties.
Well, hello and good evening. It is Thursday, March thirtieth, twenty
twenty three. I'm your host, Jason Straehorn, along with my co host
Otis Wiley and Jay You toot, you culchrick. This is Sparta. Welcome
to today's show and thank you for watching live. If that's what you're doing,
please sure to put your post your questions in the chat. We'll take
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the same. Have an idea for a future episode, let us know in
the comments section below. And now back to the show, Oh fellows,
pleasant, good evening, do you guys? You know otis? You know
me and you? We got our Spartan green on in the background. You
got that stunning always always be like, man, where you at, he's
moisturized, moisturized. You see that. Don't don't say it ain't listening,
because you know it is that boy, Chris Colin, Boy, you got
that straight out of the drove clean. Look at you. I'm you somewhere
downtown, somewhere. I'm at the d a C. The Detroit Athletic Club.
You know. Let you we're in here. We're here, We're here.
Love it, man, listen, before you know, we got a
nice show here in front of everybody. So like we're gonna get into it.
Talking about some of our new recruits in basketball who were at the McDonald's
All American Game. Jeremy Fears had four assists in the ball game. Guys,
Let's look at some of the highlights here. Hey, what was was
I right when I was telling you guys about Jeremy Fears? Was that was
that right, because he's the guy. He's a general. No, hey,
from my neighborhood. Neighborhood. You want to claim it like he is,
but no, look, this is this is indication of is old recruit
like recruited guard like is oh this is he has the DNA and those guards.
Man, you can see the floor. I'm excited to get him in
there and get some hope. Man. I'm hoping Ty decides to come back,
because that's gonna be a good mentor mentee. Cut you off. You
see what Trevor just said. It was Ryan, you know because y'all y'all
came. He knew he was coming by, and he's like, yall can't
get in the club, like y'all can't troll off the Paisley, you know,
the old Prince Paisley. Were looking at that right now for those what's
your shoe game? I just want to know how he did the shoe game
is cos okay, okay, so you he here white, this is red
pants, the red pants, the red voice. Yeah, and then you
got to stick it down with us with that leg. You gotta get that
leg up there like spice at him. You know, you know that flexibility
you know, and you got to run off with the brown with the with
the with the brown shoe your legs right right, the red pants this god
blood, We love you, we love it. And then we're from res
to Andy that then we're from rest shoot choo boo boom, cleaning in the
border health, Yes, talk to him. You know last show, Oh
is you surprised? You asked us a question about Bronnie and we didn't see
Bronnie Lebron James Son in this dunk contest. We want to see a little
bit of that right now? What we got? What we got here?
Guys, man, listen, this guy has Look he's got more pressure or
more pressure because it's more social media back then with le Bron. But look
at oh man, Look you see sister, His little sister gave him a
nine. Do you see, like, oh gosh, look, you know,
you know the thing about it is he's not like he's he's only he's
six two. He's not that like tall for dunker. So it makes it
look even better than than what the dunk is. And he did something that
his dad, his dad, he couldn't do, is perform in a dunk
contest. Is that a challenge? To the King. The King never did
it. I mean, I guess it's still time. Oh that looks like
that looked like that looked like some James d n A right there, man.
Look look, everybody's just waiting on what are you gonna do? What
do you think you're gonna do? Why is Ronald McDonald? And I haven't
seen Ronald McDonald a long time. Yo. You guys are taking this show
to the next level. This show is off the Richters straight. You gotta
put this thing back on, get this train back on the track straight.
No, there ain't nothing wrong with this man. We're just looking at,
you know, the future of the NBA. You know, I know he
wants to play with his dad too. That's the plan. There's little brother
here's yeah. Do you think like, so, what do you think?
I know? LeVar Ball came out and said he should play in the Australian
Basketball League next year instead of going to college. What are you guys thoughts
on that? That's what I was talking about. What what do you guys
think he is going to do? Like I feel like you said, Duke,
you know, when coach k was there, I think he would have
automatically went to duke in my opinion, But it would be great if he
said, hey, I'm gonna go to Ohio State with my dad. Love
probably would love to go to Ohio State obviously is like honorary alum. Right.
I think that's a good spot for him, the way o how State
showed up in the late in the tournament, the big right here, go
ahead. But you know, I think I think it's really like the way
it's paid for him, meaning like he's he's a hard worker. It's not
like going to be given to him. But I don't I don't know if
he would just say, hey, you know what, I'm gonna do that
G league real quick and and uh and then go. But I don't know
what you're think is too too, So my my question to you guys is
this. I think overall, he's he's one and done anyways, so he
might as well he's making he's making money, he already in NIL, he
might as well go somewhere, get the structure of the professional level coach by
you know, pro treated practices like a pro. So I don't think college
is the route for him. But my question to you guys is this,
like this fast forward, uh, three four, years back before they changed
the rule. Do you think he is a lottery pick right now based on
skill, not just off his name, but based off his skills and everything.
Do you think he's like the Kevin Garnets, the Kobe Bryant that can
just jump to the next level and play right away, you know, play
you said, play right away, versus Kobe came in and played right away,
Kevin Garnett came in and played right away. When they came in and
did more than just play, they excelled. I won't say dominate. Yeah,
that's what I'm saying, But that's what I'm saying. Like back in
the day, if you were a high school player and you entered the draft,
you were a guy that was going to go in and be an automatic
impact for your team. Do you think if that rule was still in place,
Bronnie James could be an impact in the NBA right now? You know,
I guess the story like fast forward or let's rewind back to remember Anthony
Simmons right going to IMG and like it was to me, I thought it
was a surprise when he decided he was going to to the league enter his
name into the draft after IMG and I feel like Bronnie has that, but
I honestly it's it's a tough, tough battle for you to decide, Hey,
I want to experience college or my goal is to get to the league.
So to your point, the best part, best traction, the best
journey to get there is to go that route is pro like, and I
think he's I think from a scale standpoint, he's now proven a lot of
doubters wrong that you know, at first they're saying he's not even a G
league guy, But I feel like now I think he can contribute to the
way the game is now right and he fits in the game. You you
say he fits in the game like with a lot like let me tell you
this now he like you're saying, like like Penny Hardaway going like, well,
you're talking me like going straight and being a franchise guy, Like,
I don't think he's that. So you don't think he's gonna be you don't
think he will be a first round pick? Then hold on, see wait,
you're saying a lottery versus first round. I do think he's the first
round pick. Do you think? Okay, so that if you if you
come from high school like those guys that came from high school were lottery picks.
Kobe was a lottery picked. Kevin Garnett was a lottery pick. You
know, all those guys. You know, Like I'm just saying, like,
so, I don't think his game is ready for the next level right
now. I don't think his game is ready to be checked by j Mi
gral of men in this game, because when they're checking you down there with
those elbows in the small of your back, that ship hurts. Hey,
look true, this is one thing that's for sure right now, going through
the growing pains that everyone goes through when they level up, and that's going
from high school to college, college, NFL or NBA. There's always an
adjustment period that you have to go through. When you live in the same
house as the greatest player of all time, arguably the NBA scoring leader of
all time. I think he's going to have the cliff notes, the cheat
sheet, the reader's digest version of that development, that progression that you need
to go through. So you hear, I've heard Lebron time and time again,
and I don't think Lebron's blowing smoke when he says like, look he
I mean, he knows his son, and she's going to be honest.
He doesn't want to set his son up for failure. And he says,
like, these dudes out here in the NBA are trash compared to where he's
at right now. And I'm not saying the elite. You can keep comparing
him to the elite of the elite. Now can he play? And you
know they're trying to work out a deal where he can play for with his
dad, him playing with Lebron with the Lakers, where he would end up.
I think he'll be able to contribute, you know, I don't.
I don't know if he'd be a superstar, but he can absolutely contribute into
NBA level of my opinion. See, I say that's so nepotism there.
You look at that and callous, right MJ's son and Shaki like shack Son.
No, because he's he's living. He's getting the blueprint of those greates,
those Hall of famers. But at the end of the day, it
still comes down to two skills, the will, the desire, all that
stuff. I don't think he has it right now. I think he needs
to develop. He needs to get bigger, he needs to get stronger.
He needn't get faster. He needs three years before he can be a three
whoa. Oh man, Hey, you know what if he was not?
Okay, okay, So then let me ask you this. Let me ask
you this question. If you watch that kid and his name was Brian,
would you say he's ready to play in the NBA right now? Why?
You know why? Because I would say, like you know, he doesn't
if he was unless he was getting coached up by Lebron every day than in
MJ. In my opinion, because MJ with his son, they didn't you
you saw MJ. Son. I think he was Illinois. Remember him playing
in Illinois. He walked on in Illinois. Not even that. It's not
the same player and Shaquille O'Neil son. I mean, it's just it's not
they're they're not the same. Bronni is a little bit better and there is
more of a handholding, if you will, from Lebron's standpoint. Now,
I don't think that he can come out right now. I mean he can't
because the rules say so, and he needs a year, right one year?
One year. So hey, we're gonna talk about you son in a
minute. Don't worry about that. So what I would say is this then
what what Lebron needs to do is take his son. He needs to go
on that uh LeVar ball math. He needs to take his son, take
him out of the limelight, take him everything and just train him. Say
you're gonna set a year out. You're gonna get the best trainer, the
best nutritionist. You're gonna put some weight on, you're gonna get you know,
put some athleticism, you work on his guild. Now, having that
to that level, he has that level, he needs to go into.
No, he's he's where he can go with the girls distracted him everything like
that. He needs to go away. He needs to go away. He
needs to go through like a Rocky camp girls. He needs to go to
Rocky for listen to yes, Okay, that man has had that type of
level of training from jump Dog. Listen, he's not ready. He's had
that type and he's not ready right now. He ready, He's not ready.
He will be well, David Jerry, Still, we'll see. You
know, lebron spends a million dollars on his body per our crack research team
in the back here, just like a Kardashian. So how much does Bronnie
get to spend on his body. Can you get answer that one? But
probably more times too, Bro like this, Yeah, I mean that man
has a ceiling. He has already he had. They'll get that man ready.
Yeah. Yeah. So look, talking about NBA talent, Let's talk
about some Michigan State NBA guys. Xavier Tillman and the Memphis Grizzlies has a
career high twenty points and nine boards. Guys, imagine Brownie James going against
this guy. Not a guard, right, imagine him driving and then he
had big tail on the court, rim level guard. Yeah, he's he's
athletic. He's athletic. I saw him play a year ago. He's much
better, much better absolutely than he was. You you saw that. You
saw what a Maury Bailey was doing in U c l A. Was on
the court with why I can't believe how good it is. Yes, at
U c l A ball not in the NBA, but you got against Brian.
I don't I think he needs to go to college and develop. Yeah,
we agree. You know, we're talking about playing in the league,
like right away, that's what we're talking about. He can't, he ain't
ready, He's not ready. He can get drafted and get that brand and
he'll be ready. He'll be ready AnyWho. Yeah, manrats, But Jared
Jackson had a so it was he had nineteen Like they both was like equally
balling, right, and uh, you got John Morett back, you see
that kind of got the chemistry back. Uh and you saw Memphis was electric.
Man watching that game. It was a good one. You know what.
The Memphis there shout out to Tillman. You know, that's that's a
player. You know, Like I love seeing the maturation process of Xavier Tillman
and now that he gets to live out the fruits of his laurel. You
know, came to college and everyone knew the story about him at Michigan State,
had the kid, you know, and took the next step to support
his family and everything like that. That's so awesome. And then Darreon Jackson
in there. But I'm telling you, Memphis Grizzly, that's a team right
there as well as I love day Day's Draymond Green. I love Draymond,
but uh, that that's gonna be that's building up to be a nice rivalry
between the two of them. Dougie Fresh said that does that jacket come with
some hater? Ray I'm just asking Douggie, ask Doug put this on the
answer this question right now, so this it will be archives and everything.
You think Brownie James is ready for the NBA right now? Yes or no?
Today? Hey? You know what, Well, while he answers that
question, well, we'll talk about your son. Nathan Carter from Michigan State
by way of Yukon by way of Western New York, the home of the
garbage plate dumb. Let's look at a video right now Nathan talking about Michigan,
Michigan State man. Just looking forward to seeing on the fans. You
know, I think it's like eighty five ninety thousand people and my right numbers,
so I've never seen that many, eighty thousands. So yeah, it's
been great just being able to be a part of this culture and you know,
be part of the team, you know, and you know the fact
that so so a decade and you can come back here in years from now,
will still be a Spartan dogs be part of his family, you know,
which is a one to the lost opportunity. So it's a blessing to
be here. And I'm just excited for the season, excited to perform for
the fans and to help grow this team so we can get our goal conference,
which is ultimately to win championship. Yeah you know, I mean you're
around here, you know, that's how everyone says it. You know.
We never named that team down the road, you know, So it's just
the way it is here, you know. And like I said, I
have some some absolutely. They they're the ones that when I was at Connecticut
that put me out for the year. So I got a little tip of
my shoulder when we played up. So it'd be fun to get a little
get back when when that time comes. But obviously you worry I'm from getting
the game and we go from there. So m but sure, but you're
young man. I would like to get some old footage with jau and how
he did his interviews to see I will tell you zero, like zero,
this kid is the next level. This kid is gonna be a kid that
I'm telling you guys, you will be coming back to me and be like,
Wow, this guy's he's a stud. Like just listen to him.
He already has that chip on his shoulder about that school down the road.
You know, he has he legit against him because of what like he said
in the video there, so it's already there. So you know, I'm
excited for this kid. I think this kid is gonna be the guy that's
gonna help expand that offense from Michigan State. He's gonna be the one that's
gonna get those tough yards. He's not gonna he's not gonna be a sexy
player. So if you're Spartan Nation out there thinking about you know, this
guy is gonna be a sexy player, gonna make the splash home run place.
He's gonna get those tough yards. He's gonna be that guy that's gonna
on third and one, he's gonna get that first down, on you know,
second and goal, third and goal, he's going to get that touchdown.
He's gonna be that guy. And at the end of the day,
he's gonna have that arsenal in him there. He's gonna run you, over
run you, over run you over and then when he breaks loose that one
time that safety braceist for run over, he's gonna make a move on him
and make Spartan see him go ooh. I'll tell you about it. Is
that is that a fact? We're gonna do it. We're gonna see this,
Okay. I mean, look, he's he is immediately stepped on campus
and it almost feels like has taken the leadership role, like like, listen,
we don't have a vocal leader, and like I see more of Nate
Carter speaking to the other you know, we're highlighting him, but he's talking
with like he's been here already for like two years. Right, he's talking
like that where I think to that point of his character of uh, you
saw he he went to South Africa during the spring break and I'm gonna I'm
gonna lum on that trip, right, and so I already know the experience
he went through going over there and serving and going into Soweto and walking the
streets of Nelson Mandela, I mean Nelson Mandela, and so going through that.
He also his girlfriend got baptized over there. Like it's this dude,
is he's the He's the whole guy, right, And I think that's where
too, I see where you're saying like this dude, that that transfers over
to the field, like he's a guy that's off the field, on the
field the same guy. So you know, he's gonna truly truly change the
demographic in like the trajectory of our running back round. So otis like you
said, that point there, and I'm looking at the big picture that you're
talking about. Character. Character gets you a long ways. His character gets
you a long ways on the field with your on field play. You know
what you do off the field? That all coming. I don't know our
listeners if you don't believe in a higher power or anything like that, but
I do and I know like Nate Carter is on the right track to being
a successful student athlete at Michigan State. He's on the right path. And
like you said, you don't hear many. You had a running back that
was here last year. He's not talking much right now. Ny Carter has
stepped in that role of that leader in the running backs room there right now.
So I'm all in on Nate Carter. I'm all in. And you
call me bias, call me anything like that. I'm all in on Nate
Carter. Pete, what does Doug say? What was Doug's answer? He's
what's the difference between him and Lamela? Great point, That's a great point.
LaMelo was ready for the next More was more, he was more explosive,
more explosive. Yes, but he also went over it. He did
the he did the ritt of going overseas, he did the route. He
didn't go to college. He didn't go to college. He has all that
everything like that. Yes, I don't know. I don't know what we're
even arguing about here having a friendly debate, because you keep talking about like
ready now, we're saying he'll be ready next year, like the rules allow
him to be understand here now. So I but the question that you guys
failed to answer us. I said, if the rules were back like four
years ago, when a player could leave, would he be ready to play
in the NBA? And you guys said yes, if Aunt Sally had balls,
should be Uncle Bill? Yeah, or maybe not. Is this twenty
twenty three, so keep it moving with that one. I don't know.
Look, Marc Cuise great out of Flint had a state championship. Otis man.
Yeah it was. I was trying to get out there, man to
go go support, but obviously I was stuck in the house it a little
bit. So you know, it's a story of like coming from Flint,
like it was. It was playing hoops and Marcquise was that dude as well,
Like you know, we had one of our big big bros in Kelvin
Tober But that whole like five year span of that age man, like we
have some ballers, and Marquise could have went anywhere in the country and he
went to Michigan State to play for Izzoe. But the the journey of trying
to win one in the high school and like Michigan State high school basketball playoffs,
like trying to win a state championship and then going to miss Michigan State
win in some championships and then also now being coaching at your alma mater that
you you know, taking them to the promised Land. And this is what
the look at this story just a few things that came up just telling a
story about Markquis gray journey, but also you know, the redemption of getting
in there and leading these young men from Flint in the state championship and welcome
back. During his playing career, Marquise Gray was seen as the savior of
beat Your Basketball. The team hadn't won a state championship since nineteen eighty seven.
The six nine forward carried that weight on his broad shoulders. Who's made
it to the state finals in two thousand and three, but fell short.
Fast forward twenty years later, and Gray has fulfilled his promise to Bucktown.
It don't sink in because in my mind, I'm still young, slim,
can still dunk on people quees. But the reality is is that I can't
physically impose my will on the game, said Queen, give it no matter
how much I want to. I have to teach my players now how to
do that, and that's the hard one. In each of his first two
seasons as Beacher's head coach, former spartan Marquis Gray has guided his team to
the Breslent for the state tournament. This season, Gray finally got to hold
the D three state championship trophy, a moment over thirty years in the making.
How many people sacrifice for me to be in this moment, from my
two older brothers, Keenan and Gordon Gray, to my mother, Rebecca Gray,
to my wife, to the beat your community. Until one of my
assistant coaches, sous, my girl's head coaches, coach Smister Easton, just
grateful, man, grateful that you know you put it well, you put
it in the work for something and it finally happens, and you know,
this big burst up emotional just it just comes out. I gotta give love
and a shout out to Mike Williams because even though he's not here, I
still talk to him often and he still guides and mentors me, and so
he doesn't have to do that all year long. Raid has been drilled into
his team. Be ready for your championship vote. Robert Lee Junior grabbed the
bull by the horns against Saint Francis twenty nine points, eleven rebounds and ends
his career as a two times stay check. I feel like we couldn't let
the game slip out our hands. We have to keep playing hard and eventually,
you know, we're just gonna get the outcome that we got. And
he's a kid that I would get my right arm for. If my daughter
grows up and dates a guy like Robert Lee, I'll be happy. He's
a great kid. He does everything the right way. He doesn't take shortcuts,
he never makes excuses for anything. He just keeps his head down and
continue to work. Rob wasn't alone. Yeah, so I just wanted to
showcase that story. Man. It's a good you know, follow it,
you know search it, but you know, one spartan dog. We obviously
went to school with Quise when he was here. Just good to see someone
obviously winning lives for these young men. Yeah, ohdis, you're one hundred
percent right. I remember being at Michigan State and when Queeze came in and
just seeing his highlights, seeing everything like the else, like, Wow,
this dude's stud. You know, this dude's absolutely stud And I understand to
a degree, you know, the battle and everything like that that happened,
you know with him. He didn't win a state title as a player in
high school. When I was in high school, we went to four straight
state chainampionships and lost four straight state titles in a row, and we're the
Buffalo Bills of high school football in Buffalo, New York. But you know,
after that, you know, I had the opportunity to go back and
I was a head coach back in my hometown area there, and that was
one of the things. It's like chasing that high school state title, you
know, because that's something special that nobody can take away from you. And
I was never fortunate enough to get that high school state title like Marquise Gray
was able to. And I'm just so happy, so proud of the fact
that you know, after what he did in Michigan State, he took his
talents back to mentor these young men, you know, and give them something
that no one can take away from them. Well said guys, I mean,
you know, winning, you know, personal accolades only go so deep
and only so far. But coming back in mentoring those youth like he's doing
and being able to take it all the way to the state championship level as
a coach will live on for generations to come, with those young men and
their families forever. So I mean, yes, I'm not crying. You're
crying. That was that was act. You know, that was very ons
one of the moments right there. You know, we've got more to talk
about in the coming segments. We're gonna have a little fun with Jayu after
this message from our friends over at I Hop introducing new sweet and savory crapes.
Whether you like the flavor of cinnamon bun after sunset or prefer to wake
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earn free food with every order. Okay, by show up hands. How
many people are football fans that are following and watching this show? How many
people like the NFL? Yeah, oh yeah, we kind of like it.
How many of you can name every head coach of every team currently in
the NFL. If we put up a picture, because what we're gonna do
right now and see if Jau, who is mister NFLPA, can do exactly
that. So what we're gonna do is pull off the picture, mister NFLPA
of the This is the meeting here in the NFL owners meeting that happened on
Tuesday, I believe this week a couple of days ago. And we're going
to go from left to right there, starting in the back row, and
see if Jay you can name that coach? All right, I might.
I can skip over in like I'm back right, sure, okay, see
what you can tell you? So in the back row, starting left to
right, the dude and the aviators. My guy got his start at Michigan
State as a GA was my He was a coach on the coaching staff when
I was with the Jets, and he has a way to my heart because
at the owner's meeting. There was some thing that came out. I said
he was the first coach at eleven thirty am to crack open a beer.
Brian Daball of what team? The New York Giants Football Giants. So that's
number two there, the guy, the tall guy with the all the hair,
number two. Let's go. Let's let's go down. Let's go down,
sitting sitting down. We're gonna start with the Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott.
Okay, all right, and then let's skip the next guy. Let's
go to the Green Bay Packers coach name Matt There we go, and then
let's go to mister too cool for school Sean McVay. Welcome back to the
league, Sean Payton. And then in there everyone's favorite I just lost his
name of coach of the Commanders around Rivera. All right, uh, and
everyone loves Big Red like he's taking the bowl game pictures, those you know,
those bowl game pictures. So all right, he's got. We got
Bill Belichick, we got hardball, we got Pete Carroll, we got let's
skip the dude with the blazer I know him. Let's go to the Dolphins
coach yeah, an next to Pete Carroll. Oh yeah, yeah, my
right, you know, I'm sorry, that's my bad. H We have
the Dolphins head coach. I just you. You've made me lose him,
lose his name. All right, Let's let's skip and let's go to McDaniel,
McDaniel, Mike McDaniel, let's go to Let's go to Mike McCarthy.
Let's go to Jamico Ryans. Let's go to Frank Wright up top. Hey,
we got some coaches here. Boy. Let's let's skip over three.
Let's go to Michigan State's Robert Salah, who was a g A there when
I was at Michigan State. Let's skip over old boy here, Let's go
to Detroit's skiff over, old boy. Just going to Detroit, Dan Campbell
Motor City Dan? Uh? Damn? Who's that brother? Then Mike Tomlin
lefty skip the brother? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, the decordinator,
the decordinator, the decordinator who has no facial expressions. He used to coach
the Jets. Damn. How does name slipped my mind? TB Yeah,
Todd Bold uh huh. And then let's go to Mike Tomlin. Uh,
Mike Tomlin's fro just disappeared that quick man. Like that boy got hair.
He's not like you otis he can grow hair, all right, So let's
go to uh old boy. Then let's go to Arthur Smith next to Mike
Tomlin. Let's go to Kyle Shannonhan I said, Mike Matt Lafleury. Hey,
that's pretty good man, he's left there. You got. Yeah,
that's good. That's good. That's really good. That's very good. Cleveland
Brown. Yeah, yeah, yeah, brother there is Who is that brother
that skipped? Yeah? You said, So let's look who's the who's the
favorite coach of the pose of all the coaches? Like who has the best
posture? And look right now swag all that. I would say it's either
it's Sean McDermott far left there because he's like I don't give a yeah,
he's there, like he's there to kick it. And Brian Dabolls waiting to
crack open that next beer and Andy read it's not it. He likes to
draw mustaches on his teammates, you know, his players faces when they're sleeping,
according to the commercials. But Frank writes some credit though, like there's
a lot of people that's trying to go to Tampa to Carolina right now.
Oh man, Yeah, they're loading up over there. Hey, hey,
hats off to you too. That was good. Put you on the spot.
You came out with flying colors. Man, I wonder how our listeners
fared. Honestly, and I know Dougie is going to say, I did
it all six old boy, That old boy. Who's that brother? Hilarious
to choose one of the ki guys. We want to bring up an article
that came out recently Mike Gandhi. If you guys don't know who Mike Gundhy
is, the legendary mullet baby, the legendary mullet you know here he He's
His thought is, oh, it is that in order to curb the transfer
portal and all that and settle it down, that players need to be able
to sign contracts for their scholarship. So a one year deal, a two
year deal, or a four year deal. What do you guys think about
this option? Because he thinks that's going to cut down on the ability for
guys to move in and out, uh and leave, you know, the
school that they're currently in. I say, and by the way, Mike
Gundy's Elijah Collins new coach now Frost Spartan. I say this, Yeah,
if you want lockdown players too, deals coaches, you stay. You can't
leave. If you get a better offer somewhere, you gotta stay. Mmm.
It's it's you can't lock down a player and then you pick up and
leave for a better offer. What what sense does that make? Oh,
so you're locking the coach down too. You have to if you want to
lock down the players, you got to be locked down as well. If
you leave, you got to pay a fine, and the other school that
hires you can't pay your fine as your buyout clause. You have to take
it like it's getting like to that point, like it's to that point where
businesses it needs to be a business decision exactly, transition. It's this is
a the way West. You keep hearing wa wa West is going to get
even worse. But if it's like if we got to make make sure,
you know, remember what they used to come around and make a sign that
little paper sometimes you know you serve practice hours, but like you know,
I think year to year until I don't know how many years ago, where
you know, the Big ten worked on getting that four year guarantee and your
scholarship. Where it wasn't the sending guys like behind and transferring there. There
was there was no issues where you had to be academically eligible to then transfer
like or you have to sit out right. So now it's like, hey,
I'm in the transfer portal and you're able to go any times so and
able to control the numbers. It's really the numbers game. It's leaving these
coaches out to drive, where guys are just picking up and leaving after that
one year, not serving the purpose of at least going one year. Yeah,
go ahead, go ahead, I get what you're saying. Otis you
know, like you say, leaving the coaches out to drive, but a
lot of the time is before even the transfer portal and stuff, that these
coaches were leaving these players out to dry because when we were there before a
coach you pick up and leave and if we transferred, we had to sit
out of you know, now it's it's you know, it's not that these
coaches need some type of repercussions as well. Guys, what about the elephant
in the room here, because you know, we're talking about players deciding to
leave and coaches deciding to leave. The reality of today's college football or basketball
in some cases is that coaches are telling guys to get in the portal and
get out of here. That's the reality. So in this article, when
you read this article that you like, we will put it up on our
on our socials so you can see it. He talks about it. Now.
Yeah, you know, if a player says, hey, I can't
play here, well I'm not I'm good enough to sign another's And later in
the articles not to part, he says, I'm not coach, I'm not
good enough to play here. I want to go to this school. I
sign off and let him go or whatever reason. But that's the only way
they're going to be able to manage numbers. In my opinion, Well that
right there, Like if you really get into the nitty gritty of that one,
that statement. A lot of players are being in what we would call
in the NFL cut released from their scholarship. So I think that you know,
this is progress, and it is movement in the right direction, but
it doesn't solve everything unless they somehow mitigate that because some players are being asked
to lead and then they have nowhere to go afterwards. Yeah, I think
before. You know, back when we played, there was those exit interviews
at the end of the season where you go and you resign your scholarship,
you know, and sometimes you you'll have a locker bate that doesn't come back,
doesn't guess it sound scholarship resigned. So I just think there's so much
coaches are now getting fearful of their jobs because the players now are starting to
have control of their destiny and their decisions and everything like that, because the
players are now being like, you know what, this isn't for me,
I'm gonna leave, and these coaches are like, well, I brought this
guy here because I thought I was gonna win when he was a four or
five star guy. And the alumnis are going to love me for signing this
guy because he's a four or five star guy, and it's not going to
be anything on me. At the end of the day, It's going to
be in the kid. The kid was a bust. But at the end
of the day, it was not the kid was a bust. The kid
was not in the right position to be successful in your program. So instead
of the coach saying this, you know, it was on me that this
guy wasn't for me. He's going to put it on the kid for transferring,
And that's what the coaches are starting to do right now. Shameful,
you know, you know, I don't know what the answer is here,
guys, But if you don't know who my Gundy is, maybe you can
remember this particular quote when he talked about he's a man, he's forty.
Where are we at in society today? Come after me. I'm a man,
I'm forty, I'm not a kid. Write something about me? Or
are coaches right about a kid that does everything right? That's heart's broken?
And then say that the coaches said he was scared. That ain't true.
And then to say that we made that decision because Donovan was because he threatened
to transfer. That's not true. So get your facts straight. And I
hope someday you have a child and somebody beat downgrades them and belittles them,
and you have to look him in the eye and say, you know what,
it's okay. They're supposed to be mature adults, but they're really not.
Who's the kid here? Who's the kid here? Are you kidding me?
That's all I got to say. It makes me wanting I don't know
if you guys remember this. I do remember it. Yeah, even that
was hilarious of my gun. Even you brought up a point their iconic presser.
You brought up a point there too when you said we had players that
had, you know, you had to sign a scholarship to move on and
sometimes you're, you know, a guy in your locker your role might not
come back in your era, what would guys be doing. Would they be
asked to leave or would they just take the medical because in my era,
that's what it was. Guys didn't quite hack it. They got a medical
so they still were able to finish their classes on campus. But now you
got they had to go the I remember specifically, you know, coach Smith
calling people in this locker room saying, I'll do the odors now Michigan State
isn't for you. Yeah, and you know, guys are gone, you
know, like and that was the harsh reality that people didn't realize. People
at that time thought when they were when they committed to go to play at
a Division one college, they were there for four years. You know,
at that time, it was a year, two year contract. It was
a year two year scholarship. If you didn't perform or you you weren't showing
any level of potential, Like you know, you could fit into this system.
You can fit into their scheme. You're going to get bigger, strong,
and faster. They just simply said, hey, you know you'll be
better served somewhere else, and you know, if you need help finding a
new home, will write you a letter of recommendation kind of stuff. Who
do you remember that all man? That's r It is rough man, it's
rough. I feel like there's no there's no room for error, Like you
cannot be like you have to follow the rules. You need to go to
class. You need to be academically like sound because like drop off, get
shipped off quick. If you want to like right back, then you able
like I'm gonna groom him. I'm a mint to him, get him right,
Like no, we ain't got time for you to get right, like
you know, like you got to be here and be right on it.
Be about your business because like anything that's gonna be in a disadvantage is not
doing the right things. And I think that's where like we're getting guys in
here that's ready and they're professionally ready, like we weren't when I was out
in la we went to dinner with you, me and afloat with Stephen Reeves.
Stephen Reeves, great player at Michigan State. You know, he came
in from a great lineage. You know, his dad played at Florida,
his brother is a coach, everything like that, highly touted quarterback. He
didn't cut the mold, he didn't fit the system. He was asked to
leave. He was asked to transfer out of there, out of Michigan State,
and he ended up going to Old Miss and having success there. But
you know, that's that's just how it goes, you know, coaches.
You know, I don't think that a lot of people know that, like
because it was there was a moment, there was a time when it trans
transcended. So because when I was talking about Perlis and saving you know,
the late mid nineties, late nineties, it wasn't the deal. And then
somewhere in the early two thousands, mid two thousands, it started to becoming
like, hey, you got you gotta go. And I remember when urban
Meyer came into the Big Ten, they were bringing this quote unquote sec mentality
in that every year of your scholarship was not guaranteed and It really changed the
landscape of the game because I think what was happening before Big ten if I'm
not if I'm not mistaken, if you could prove that there was a medical
issue, then that scholarship that you were still paying for didn't count against your
roster. But now it does. They don't really care. You know what
the exemption with the situation isn't get eighty five, don't really care. I
mean, it's all about the money, right apparently, So what's this?
If you're hit? What's this? Okay? If you watch get that like
button, you gotta call wow, Dougie, you might have got a spartan
side. They inspired me and uh, I'm terrible at We got to get
John L on the show. We are What do the people think about that?
What bringing John L? We got to bring John L on the show?
Bringing bringing them on? Like do people want to hear that? You
know, because there's a lot of things people like here, you know,
and we're going to talk about what people have really you know, reacted positively
to and we're gonna you know, provide them with those people. So maybe
John L is one of those future guests that we can have. I know
one thing that everybody reacted positive to, positively to, and that was the
bill to approve olcohol sales in the stadium and that just got introduced in the
legislature in the state of Michigan. Look at this, guys, mm hmmmm,
otis talk to us, talk to them nice huh. This is one
great news. Two, it's an opportunity to now truly, you know,
bring that revenue to be real, I'm trying to be like real professional about
it. No, it's like revenue and and it's also very I mean,
statistics show that it does control the binging, like the binge drinking on campus.
And so I think it's it's gonna be a good, you know,
step by step process because there's still some work to do. But you know,
just reading that, I mean, everyone's been asking about it, right,
everybody's been asking about it. They go elsewhere to other venues. I
think that's when you start going to visiting other campuses, when you're going to
see the Spartans play, and other venues are doing it and they see success
in it. Everyone's asking, man, that will change the environment of the
fan engagement of adding that to the elements of our sport events. Yeah,
and just so everyone remembers, everyone understands that this is Sparta. MSU podcast
broke the potential news here first. So when you're going around telling your friends
and everything like that, remember where you heard the hints about it first.
But to Otis's point, you know, I think it's a very good thing.
It controls you know, a senior in college, you know someone in
college. You don't have to sit in the parking lot of Spartan State and
chugg a pint chug of fifth just so you can come into the game.
You're basically telling your routine. No, I don't want tell me in a
few times that's what Spartans have been required to do. But that's what kids
do, you know. But like we go to different sides, and especially
this year, going sideline, you're sitting at Maryland. You see a guy
and you know his kid, and he's drinking a beer, minding his business.
You know, it's not harming anybody. It's it's a good culture and
everything like that. So I think this is something good for Michigan State,
and I think it's going to reduce a lot of problems and also it's going
to drive revenue. You know, at the end of the day. We
all it's it's a what if you've done for me lately? Business and we
have to bring revenue and we have to uh bring sponsorship in. We have
to you know, keep up with the joneses if we want to continue to
do that. These are these are the steps that's necessary. Don't act like
you've never chugged a fifth before, you guys acting like I'm the crazy one
for relat Yeah. Look, they're saying that it will be limited to one
hour before the game and a half hour after the game, which if that
passes it because we have they have a lot of support in this particular bill
that's being introduced from the bar owners, which kind of blocked at the last
time. The bar owners are in agreement that it's not going to be you
know, there's a certain amount of days allotted for each sport or each season,
and what is one hour before the game and a half hour after.
Because there's been stadiums that I've been to, we've all been to where somewhere
around the fourth quarter, like midway through the fourth quarter, they stop.
That's how NFL stadiums are like that too. M yeah, I mean,
so this one would be actual a little bit, you know, a little
bit nicer, you know, but the bars are on board the governor.
Governor Whimer said that, you know, being for a night game, it
makes her a little nervous. She said that normally, and she's a spark,
right that this would she would think of this as a great thing.
But her prosecutors, she's looking through her prosecutor's eyes. This makes her a
little nervous. But if the bill comes to her desk and I quote,
she'll sign it. So wow, wow, ye that night game. You
don't got to go so hard in the parking lot, you know, you
can still get it in there. Yeah, yeah, you got time.
You definitely have time. So that's something we can look forward to. And
then we'll make everybody including notice and shoot you in straight. Happy guys talking
about the spring game responsibly. Yes, you must drink responsibly and don't get
behind that damn will please disclaim no, please drink responsibly. We gotta hey,
look, we got an event coming up for the spring game, right,
guys, put it up. We got we'll we got artin Saturday.
Saturday is good good time to be on campus because there's a lot going on.
And so if you want to support your equal support. Just as much
as you go hard for football, you go hard for basketball, go hard
for the softball uh team and the baseball team. And uh we got some
rowing. I mean we got a new facility in rowing too, which is
beautiful by the way, but great Saturday. Obviously, you haven't forget the
five K. Don't forget the five k. They will be leading the stretches
spanx, y'all in that golf cart n stray will be leading you to straight
straight. I think I think you need to take the position of Johnny Spirit.
Did you imagine state like? Yeah, So Saturday, obviously you got
the spring game April fifteenth, doors open twelve thirty and we'll start around two
o clock for the football it begins. But bring your kids. You got
some junior Spartan picnics, you got some on field exclusive access for fans to
take some pictures on the field. It's a great day to bring your family
and have a good day of supporting all the sports. And they look at
Spartans at home. We got the schedule in the time, so look out
from our socials you'll be able to see to keep updated. But if you're
on campus, please share the love and go support and at that Spring game.
You know, from the recruiting side of things, We're going to have
a special guest at the spring game this year, guys. And you know
it's gonna be David Stone from IMG Academy. He gonna be in attendance,
man. I mean, he loves it up here. We got a Spartan
he loves it here here. We need some good weather. Come on,
yeh, can we get one of those c I A planes to drop something
to change the weather around here for the positive? I mean conspiracy theories going
on New York when it was like, you know below, you know,
freezing, and then it was seventy on game day. Come on, guys,
we need we need, we need one of them. Are you Spartan
fans out there this weekend? I don't know why I said Spartan fans,
but big weekend in the call Creak House, all right. Saturday WrestleMania Day
one in l A Sofi Stadium. Sunday WrestleMania Day two. Roman Reigns versus
Cody Roads. Cody Rhodes comes home and try to take back what his dad
couldn't do, win that Universal Heavyweight Championship title on Peacock. I mean,
do we have wrestling fans? That's what I want to know, Like,
you know, can some I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna do this,
and I'm sure Mama stre is listening somewhere. If you're a wrestling fan and
you follow this at Sparta, we have to think of something. We have
to think of something. I am will I'm gonna give away because WWE SummerSlam
is coming to Detroit, Michigan. I'm gonna give away stray. You're gonna
come back. Oh, you're gonna come back. You can go to Summer
Slam with the This is Sparta crew on us. I get us tickets.
We will be there. If we got to figure out a way to make
this work. So Alicia, get on it, figure out how we can
do this. We're gonna give away tickets to w W SummerSlam if we got
this is Sparta August fifth at Ford Field in Detroit. Oh, this is
gonna be epic. It's gonna be like you know, nineteen ninety the whatever
was that the soup checks out sounds like you're wrestling? You do are?
I know? I know I didn't tell you guys about this. I just
threw this out. Are you guys in if we do yes, Summer Slam
the tradition, we'll take people from this is Sparta to the event leaving it
looked even our crack research team in the back. Tony g is in.
Everybody's in, Hey, look to that point. At the spring game April
fifteenth, we will have a special live show guys after the game on Saturday
at the Fieldhouse, East Lancy. That's where we're going to be. It's
going to be a very live event. You're gonna have Chew Choo there.
He may wear the Paisley coat. He may I might have a different outfit.
I'll be there. I might have game hold. Us will be there.
Yes, these guys will be there, and we're gonna have some special
players too. We're going to talk about that in the next coming days.
But yeah, I mean, it won't be televised live, so it'll be
an opportunity to hang with us replay and hear us break everything down live.
Ain't wait to have a couple of soda pops some great food with everybody here.
It's going to be for subscribers only, so if you've got to be
able to show that you have subscribed to. This is part of ms U
on your you on the YouTube and you get in and there may be a
couple of charts. I'm not sure, but that goes all to the players
that will be there. If you bring if you bring a if you bring
a friend, they ain't got to subscribe to. You can't just subscribe and
bring up. They ain't got it be subscribed as well, because it doesn't
cost you anything to subscribe. So go ahead, hit that like button,
hit that subscribe button. Tell your friends, as otis wool like to say,
tell your mama and them to do that. Tell mama and them,
tell everybody them to come to the Fieldhouse East Lands. It's gonna be fied,
that's right for sure. Bringing the bus to oh mama, Dean said,
they bringing the bus now hopefully train and I can't get to get on
the bus. I know, otis is you know, Hey, look I
rode the bus. We rode the bus in Chicago. That bus was hey,
that was It was the best experience I ever had in my life.
I'm gonna tell you that being on one of those Dean bus that was that
was our standing. I loved it. Thank you bus. No, he
ain't. I know more small. I can't wait. I can't wait.
I can't wait either, because now we got we got so many. The
first time I ever signed, the first time I signed Harriet's bus was the
spring game freshman year. You know, as a player, as a player,
you know you've made it when you're asked to sign the bus. Yeah,
and that's and that's what Harriet says, signs. I don't think so,
man. I mean, I'm old, I'm older than you, guys.
I gotta we gotta make that happen. Sign Bubble Webster signed the bus
and you didn't. Bubb Oh Webster. We we got a problem again.
You don't know your part in history. That's crazy. Listen, look,
you know not that bus. Okay, not that much. But yes,
stay tuned for for announcement regarding the players that will be in attendance. It's
gonna be some our key players there. You're gonna love it. They're gonna
love it. It's gonna be fun. So we're gonna and we don't have
to worry about the weather. If the weather is bad, we're good.
If it's good, we even better. So it doesn't matter, you know,
and because we listen to you and the reaction that you gave us for
when Corey was on the show Corey Robinson from two four to seven Sports just
a couple of days ago. Darrien Harris will be on our show next week.
Harris, Yeah, Tuesday forth. We'll get it look like new money,
don't they. And he's got stuff to talk about a lot and we're
gonna talk. Please d m us with any questions that you may have for
Darien prior to the actual you know, the actual show. But I know
how our loyal listeners here will be uh, you know, putting those questions
up as we are talking. So and we'll try to pivot as best we
can. Guys, I mean, I think this is a great show.
I think everything that we talked about, I mean we covered a lot of
things. The best part of it, no doubt, Shay You's jacket.
We love the jacket. Everybody loves the jacket. Otis for you, For
you and for me, this is Sparta. Have a good night, God
bless ah. I got to front This is Sparta MSU as a combined presentation
of Playfly Sports properties in Michigan State Sports Properties. The show is produced by
Pete Manez with additional support from Tony Costella Operations and Social Media support is provided
by Alicia Strayhorn with support from Cecily Max Brown on location. Technical support is
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