Speaker 1: Off the bench with Jacob Hester and Matt Flynn.
Speaker 2: Say Hester and Hester got a fine little far from
carrying each other to and Natty to carrying each other on.
Speaker 1: The air well, there's prop control for the.
Speaker 2: Live from the Raising Kine Studio.
Speaker 1: It's off the bench, all right.
Speaker 3: Welcome back in our number three of OTV here live
from the Raising Caines Studio. Very excited for our next guest.
We look forward to it every baseball season. Good enough
to join us every single week here on OTV. Of course,
it is your head baseball coach Jay Johnson, getting ready
for opening weekend. Coach, we appreciate the time as always.
Hope you're doing.
Speaker 4: Well, doing great?
Speaker 5: How are you guys doing fantastic? How could we not be?
Speaker 3: It is baseball season here in Baton Rouge, and so coach,
right off the top, before we maybe get into some
of the matchup like for you opening weekend, like kind
of what are some of the feelings that you have,
Like this is not your first time being a defending
national champion and going into an opening weekend, So just
describe all the work that you do in the fall,
the work you do in January, and just what opening
weekend means to you, I think it's awesome.
Speaker 4: I think if you're not excited about it, it's probably
time to not coach anymore. So very very excited. I
think I'm excited for our players. As you mentioned, and
you guys as former athletes, know the time that you
put in away from you know, game day that nobody
else sees, and the game day and the competition is
the reward for all of that work, and so it's
exciting for me. It's kind of simplistic of like, hey,
I want to see what we need to do to
really get better. I think we're probably at a point
where we need to play somebody else to know what
we need to do to get better. And I mean
like winning games. An opportunity to win a game, you know,
that's that's something that I look forward to that the
competition is back.
Speaker 6: Yeah, coach, I was thinking about the kind of your
off season. I know there's like a relentless amount of
work that's put in by your staff and the players,
and I know it's a little bit different from like
when Jake and I were in college with the nil
and people coming in for the first time in transfers,
but I remember The hardest off season I've ever experienced
was after the two thousand and three National championship. Nick
Saban was a coach, and it was basically a reminder
to y'all that, hey, y'all are not the team from
last year, and I'm going to send this message to
y'all really early in our off season. Is there anything
like that, like just from a mental standpoint, like, look,
this is not the team, and is there a reset?
Do you coach them a little bit harder in the
offseason leading up?
Speaker 4: Yeah? I think it's a really good question. And you
guys are ten to play for the greatest coach of
all time in a sport that you know knows in
his line and quoting him as the biggest threat to
excellence is complacency. And it's very human nature to be
complacent when things are going good, because nobody likes being uncomfortable.
But it's in some of those uncomfortable times that we
grow the most. And it's really hard to facilitate that
when you're on the top of the mountain. And so,
but today players are smart. They're really smart. Not saying
you guys weren't smart, that's not what But you can't
you can't fabricate it to the point where they know
what's going on. And so, you know, we've had a
lot of honest conversations about it and use it as
kind of like setting our course of like what does
this team need to do to be successful? And you
stole a Kurt Signetti, you know, saying of stalking you know,
that complacency element and you know, honoring the process of
what it does take to be successful and you know,
holding the standard and that doesn't mean wins or championships
or omaha, just like holding the standard on a daily
basis of what's required to win. And so we have
talked about it in those regards. You know, you're gonna
get You're gonna get everybody's best shot. Like that's really
no different. That's the way that it is. And it's
been a little thunderbolt during practice yesterday, you know, raising
my voice that Milwaukee is going for the greatest win
in the history of their program on Friday, Like that's
what that's what's coming for us. So we have to
be on top of our stuff to deserve to win
that game. So it we're mindful of it and talk
about it frequently.
Speaker 3: Catching up with else, you had baseball coach Jay Johnson
here on OTB coach kind of going back to opening weekend.
So you build for months toward that opening weekend with
a very specific blueprint in mind. So when you have
that blueprint and maybe it starts to get tested in
real time, how do you balance like trusting the process
versus reacting to what you're actually seeing on the field,
Like do you have a certain timeline? Is it different
every single year? Like because we all have a blueprint,
but like you know, Mike Tyson said, everybody's got a plan,
so they get punched in the mouth.
Speaker 5: So how do you always handle kind.
Speaker 3: Of the opening idea to what it ends up being
even in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 7: Yeah, it's a good question.
Speaker 4: I think that's where like you can talk about being
process oriented or you can be about it. And part
of ours is, Hey, we're playing every game, like if
we don't win, like all of our families are going
to be taken, you know what I mean type deal,
Like that's a competitive level that I want. But at
the same time, while you're trying to do that, we
need to figure out how we become our best And
you know the line that I got from you know,
one of my mentors, Rich Hill, he's now the head
coach at the University of Hawaii. Yeah, who I worked
for for eight years. Is like, hey, we never want
to accept in winning what we wouldn't and losing, but
can we win enough games early to position ourselves well
while still working towards our best team? And you know,
I think that's something like, for instance, last year's team
did a really really good job of and did a
good job of finding ways to win, you know, when
we didn't maybe play our best and then playing near
our best often is the goal, Like you know, it's
a John Wooden thing. You know, great teams play near
their capability often. Yeah, and then not not validate yourself
as crazy as it sounds, and I don't want everybody
to think I fell and hit my head in the
off season, but like not validate ourselves by winning or
losing or what anybody says, but by a standard of
how we play. And when you do that you can
kind of keep getting that improvement and that that is
really really important as we go along.
Speaker 6: Here, God, you got a lot of certainly a lot
of turnover on the on the roster. You got new
guys coming in. Is there any has there any been
been a big like pleasant surprises to you from any
anybody particular this offseason.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I don't I don't know if i'd call
surprises because they don't want to build a fence around
what I think, you know, anybody can or can't do.
I would say I've been very pleased with the improvement
of some of our freshmen since they've been here. You know,
Mason Brown clearly far and away the best hitter on
our team. You know, here in the preseason scrimmages. I
knew he would would be a great hitter in college,
but his maturity to slow things down and take quality
at bats against really good pitching was impressive. So you know,
he's going to get some early, early playing time and
be a great player here. I think he's gonna be
one of those staple, you know type players, kind of
a blend of you know, Josh Pearson type body, Kate
Beloso type impact with the bat at his best, really
good strikes on discipline, you know, very you know, very
j Johnson type offensive player, So very excited about him.
On the pitching staff, there's a lot of guys, you know,
to talk about. You know, I think looking at the bullpen,
really excited to have you know, Gavin Gidrie back. I'm
happy to have Devin Sheeran back, Like it's a great
accomplishment to win a championship last year without those two guys,
and they're gonna be key parts of this bullpen. Grant
Fonto is another guy that only through seven innings last
year who's throwing the ball really, really well. And so
those guys, you know, along with Maverick Rizzy a name
to know maybe that people aren't talking about a lot
of Ethan Plogg, a really good lefty that we got
from a JC, really good evaluating by Josh Simpson. It's
one of the reasons I hired him. Is longtime scout
for the Rangers. So I really like the back end
of that bullpen. I think, you know, it's gonna be
a little different model, Like we don't need seven or
eight out of the Friday or Saturday starter because we
could turn it over and match up for a good
part of the game and feel good about our chances
of getting zeros.
Speaker 3: Talking to LSU Baseball with head baseball coach Jay Johnson
here on OTB coach Matt was talking about that all
season that had after the national championship, and that's the
year that I came in, and so like there's an
expectation for LSU and you got to kind of learn
the ways of LSU pretty quickly. But that was just
for a freshman class. Now it's freshman class and it's
transfer portal, and for LSU baseball it's way like even
more so because of all the success that y'all have had.
I mean, for God's sakes, there's something called the intimidator
in right field to show the success for other teams,
but the other team's not the only one that sees
the intimidator. Like new players see that when they walk
in as well. So for y'all, Like, how do y'all
make sure that those players know the responsibility of LSU
baseball but also allow them to be themselves and not
make it too much of a thing.
Speaker 4: Yeah, So I try to be really clear with them
of like that's an accomplishment, that's what we're striving for here,
like so much so like we don't even really talk
about Omaha, and we don't even really talk about championships.
Like I try to let them know what my expectations are,
and that's to be the most prepared team on game
day or is what we call undefeated at preparation, and
then the expectation that they're going to give everything they
can to execute their job and be very clear with
them of what their job is. Like I have a
five minute to ten minute meeting with every player on
a roster this week, you know, between Monday and Tuesday,
to try to help give them clarity. Because you guys
have been there, It's like even if it's not exactly
what you want to hear, if you know it's truthful
and there's good communication and there's is a plan for you,
like it's easier to buy into what you need to
do as a team. But it's really hard. It's a
big challenge here. But like prepared and execute your job
with everything you got, like internally, those are those are
the expectations.
Speaker 5: All right, coach.
Speaker 6: I know you're preparing your team's preparing for opening weekend here,
and I know in February. I mean it's it's February
twelfth right now, and I know February there's there's probably
a balance you have there. There's a process in place
for the whole season in mind and the whole end
goals you want to get. There's probably like a little
bit difference of coaching for results versus development right in February,
and you kind of hit on that a little bit.
But in your opinion, what is a good first month
of baseball? What's a goal you would set for a
good first month of baseball for your team?
Speaker 4: We win every game that we play, and you know,
which is tough in our sport, and we're improving as
we do that, and we're kind of figuring out what
the blueprint is going to look like for you know,
Championship Baseball, which might as well be the SEC because
you look through our schedule and the quality of teams
and players, Like I mean, I was thinking about like
somebody like Ole Miss the other day, Like I think
I saw they were ranked twenty fourth in the D
one poll and I was like, wow, that's a big miss,
Like they're a surefire national championship contender with the pitching
rotation that they have and old position players and ability
to match up and bullpen and new pitching coach there
as of last year that does a good job. Like
that's that's what's waiting So I think that goes back
to the improvement and putting yourself in a position to
where you can match up, because one win in our
league is absolute gold. And so again, I know it
sound like a boring coach speak, you know type deal,
but win every game that we play and improve and
find out our best teams. We're doing it.
Speaker 5: I've always loved that about you.
Speaker 3: Every game midweek, weekend, doesn't matter, go out there and
win the game.
Speaker 5: So I'm all for that, coach.
Speaker 3: What about something maybe that you're going to be eye
hustling this weekend. Maybe it doesn't show up in the
box score, but something that you've been working this fall,
something you'll been working in January. Some of these small
little nuances, the nitty gritty of it, that you're going
to be paying attention to, maybe more than anything else
this weekend, to see if y'all get it done.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'll start with tomorrow. Like, and I stole this
from one of my peers in our league long before
I was a coach. Here he said, like the problem
with opening days everybody always tried to do too much right.
And so it's a simple stick message of that, use
our experience to not do that if that makes sense, like,
and just focus on execution and mindset and so you know,
we've you know, had good opening days over the course
of my career, and I've always felt like that was
a big, big part of that. And you know, emotional
control is a big part of your success in baseball
and in life. So I'm looking for emotional control and
then just focused on executing and this will be good.
These guys have a really old pitching staff that have
some guys that were All Conference pitchers, preseason Picture of
the Year type guys. So this will be a good,
good start to this thing. And then you know, Monday
playing Kent State Perennial Regional team thirty eight win team
pick to win the MAC. Like really good, good opportunity there.
So just excited to go on.
Speaker 6: Yeah, coach, I know you looking back a little bit,
you never are going to replace people and are else
so that graduate and move on to the next level
of their careers. But you certainly got to replace lineup spots.
You certainly have to replace production levels or try to
to replicate production level. So in the lineup this year,
how are you going to try to how do you
envision replacing the power production from Jared Jones gave you
a year ago.
Speaker 4: Well, I'm glad you brought that up and more in
a context of I think, you know, he's one of
the most underappreciated players I think in the history of
this program. I think he's third all time in home
runs and won two national championships in three years. Like
that's a pretty like all same career worthy resume from
where I sit. So more it's like a credit to Jared.
I think, you know, I don't want to sound too
like the movie Moneyball, but like you know, you get
three players to replace one, you know, type deal, and
I think that and then the length of last year's lineup,
where I think Luis Hernandez like hit nine homers, but
if you go back and you start counting the big
homers that he hit last year, they're they're pretty pronounced.
And so I think just working towards the whole lineup
being the best that they can be. You know, it's
not fair, you know, to ask somebody to do that.
It's not fair to ask somebody to try to replace
you know, Kate Anderson or Anthony Ironson. I just need
the guys on this team to be the best that
they can be. And I think, collectively, and I thought
last year's team did a great job of this, collectively,
we can be even better than the sum of the parts,
and that's what we're shooting for.
Speaker 3: All Right, there, he is head baseball coach for LSU
fighting at Tigers, Jay Johnson. Remember Friday two pm Central Time,
Saturday one pm Central Time. Also on Sunday one pm
Central Time inside Alec Box Stadium, LSU versus Milwaukee coach.
Speaker 5: We can't thank you enough.
Speaker 3: We all look forward to being in the box and
watching the Tigers play, and we look forward to our
next conversations coming up.
Speaker 4: All right, sounds great, thanks guys.
Speaker 3: All right, Jay Johnson again, going to join us every
single week here on ot B, and this is the
coaching season we get Betterina Kim Malkey, Jay Johnson every
single week here on the show, and again some of
our favorite conversations. El Shoe base Baseball starts this weekend.
Speaker 5: Else she's softball right now.
Speaker 3: They're starting last week and they are playing their second
weekend right now, started on a Thursday here. They're going
against Nebraska, so we'll update you on that as well. Pitcher,
you were talking about no No, this one's timid. I
think this is a freshman for Yeah, so Jordi from
used to be Jordie Ball. She she's actually like a
two way player.
Speaker 5: Now.
Speaker 3: She didn't do that at Oklahoma. She's done that at Nebraska.
So with a tournament with so many games, I'm sure
she'll pitch at another point here and this invitational. So no,
she let off, but she is not pitching. And right
now it is scoreless in the bottom of the first inning.
All right, more OTB when we come back here live
from the raising Kine studio.
Speaker 1: Off the bench, all right.
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Speaker 2: Two thousand and seven. Champs Purple and Gold to the core.
This is off the bench with Hester and Flynn Baton,
Rouge's go to for all things Louisiana sports.
Speaker 5: What seems this from? I think it's one there in
school in classroom studying.
Speaker 8: Ask is like instead of playing can you just play
the scene instead of playing the song?
Speaker 5: I mean, honestly, on YouTube, we can't get in trouble.
Speaker 8: So hey, the father in Laura I told you, yes,
super smart to do a although they're late.
Speaker 6: The email said at eight am.
Speaker 3: Can I say how stupid it is that you would
have a show on air and you're doing a fire alarm.
They would never do that later in the day, like,
how dumb is it that you're doing a fire alarm
test in a building where you have a live show
on in the middle of the show. That's the stupidest
thing I've ever heard of. Thirty minutes because we have
an hour when nobody's on air and then the next
show's on remote.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 9: I was like, you could actually do it anytime ten
to one.
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's a three hour window right there, bub man
trying to have me crash out here today.
Speaker 10: Let's not crash out my I'll turn the music back
up so you can.
Speaker 6: At least they didn't do while we were talking at M.
Speaker 5: I would have what do we do? Pedro mm hm,
oh my god, it's miss.
Speaker 10: Davis all right, I think they're done.
Speaker 5: Maybe they were listening.
Speaker 6: I was kind of Heartbroke's where I was trying to
look up to see what miss Davis was doing these days?
Uh huh, see where her acting career tugger. She was
actually a Canadian born Hey wasn't from West Texas at all.
Speaker 10: Dang, that is heartbreaking.
Speaker 6: What's she doing though, didn't say really like what she
doing tonight that you're trying to figure.
Speaker 9: Out, like not necessarily now now.
Speaker 5: But you know, cash year she's retired from dancing or teaching.
Too many dollar dollar bills.
Speaker 9: That's a nice car for a teacher salary.
Speaker 5: We got a game today.
Speaker 3: Well, man, if anybody in the room can guess this
next question that I'm about to ask coffee on me tomorrow.
Speaker 5: Morning, guess the answer. I guess the question. No, I
guess the answer to the question the question. If you
could guess the question I'm about to.
Speaker 3: Ask, well, yeah, like I guess the answer to the question.
I thought that was just kind of like insinuated. I
forget who my audience is, though, give me, without looking
down at your screens, give me right now, currently who
the top team in the NBA in the East and
the top team in the West.
Speaker 9: So the West would be.
Speaker 8: It's is the West the Cleveland Cavaliers, I mean, sorry,
the East, the Cleveland Cavalers.
Speaker 5: I'm not gonna take give me your guess.
Speaker 9: And then the West would be not the Spurs. But
they're up there.
Speaker 10: The Spurs are like, what second or third?
Speaker 9: Yeah, they're up there.
Speaker 10: I'm saying this with like literally no knowledge of what's
happening in the NBA. Besides with the Spurs.
Speaker 5: Yeah, go the Knicks. It's not bad.
Speaker 10: I know it's not the Spurs. I'm say the Spurs, I'll.
Speaker 8: Go, I'll go Calves in the East, I'll go Houston
Rockets in the West.
Speaker 11: Matthew, Uh Thunder okay, and Celtics okay.
Speaker 3: Uh so for a laundry, she said, Nicks, they're actually
third in the East, so good guess.
Speaker 5: And Spurs are second in the West.
Speaker 3: You say Cleveland Cavaliers they're fourth in the East. And
you said the Rockets there fourth.
Speaker 5: In the in the West. Uh.
Speaker 3: There for Matthew, he said the Thunder in the West,
they are actually number one. He said the Boston Celtics
in the East, they're actually number two. Maybe card game
might have gotten him a little like a probably.
Speaker 9: I forgot matt was a big time he's big time basketball.
Speaker 3: But it is funny the team Nobody guessed the team
in the East like in any of their guesses there
Detroit Pistons, So right, in thirteen.
Speaker 10: Wow, Spurs beat the Warriors last night?
Speaker 9: That they did right after a three well the Calves.
Speaker 8: I was like, wait a minute, I feel like I
had just seen something on ESPN a couple of days
ago talking about like Detroit the surprise team. I just
forget about him.
Speaker 3: The second best record in the NBA Caid cutting here
from Oklahoma State from the tops chrome breaks.
Speaker 9: I know.
Speaker 5: I know that's how you know idiots sg A his
rookie years with the Clippers.
Speaker 3: I do know that because you and I were on
a break a couple of weeks ago, and I had
the Clippers the break before the case said that the
next one was SGA.
Speaker 8: Okay, they got they got. Tough guy Isaiah Stewart.
Speaker 5: He's suspended right now.
Speaker 3: What were the finger quotes?
Speaker 9: He's a try hard, tough guy.
Speaker 8: I think like anytime something goes wrong like Miles Bridges
and Isaiah Stewart's teammate got it too little scrum the
Big Dillo Shoven match, and Isaiah Stewart loses his mind,
runs onto the court, tries to fight people. Remember the
Remember the guy that ran under the court and tried
to fight Lebron A couple of years ago, same guy.
Speaker 5: He's an idiot, a big fellow.
Speaker 9: He's a big fella.
Speaker 6: But also, like basketball is a lot of fake tough guys.
He's not hold me back, hold me back.
Speaker 9: I get everybody has their roles to play. He's not.
He's not good enough to be acting like that.
Speaker 3: He's just Detroit Pistons. And I knew nobody would get that,
because I would not have gotten that either. Right now,
in the East, it is the Piston, Celtics, Nicks, Calves, Raptors,
seventy six Ers, Magic and Heat, and then you've got
your playing spots with the Hornets and Hawks. In the West,
it's the thunder Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets, Timberwolves, Lakers, Sons, Warriors,
and then the Clippers and Trailblazers. Of all teams, the
New Orleans Pelicans are twenty seven and a half games
at a first place.
Speaker 9: What's up a bud striking distance?
Speaker 3: Hey, couple of seventeen eighteen game win streaks are right
back in this thing.
Speaker 5: God, they're bad.
Speaker 9: Lane went to the game last night. This is where
we turn it around.
Speaker 5: Story time on sure.
Speaker 3: All right, before we get to chef Michael Johnson and
your munchy questions. Go ahead and get those munchy questions
inside the by U four chat. I want to tell
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gonna get to your munchie questions when we come back
with our guys.
Speaker 5: Chef Michael Johnson off the bench.
Speaker 10: Not good morning line, see a little prefer you know
that if we are to stay alive, see the.
Speaker 2: Piece from the locker room to the airwaves gets off
the bench with Jacob Hester and Matt Flynn on what
six months one was three.
Speaker 3: And all right, welcome back in it is OTB what
a hit before you guitar got Chef Michael Johnson want
to remind you there is a Mardi Gras camp going
on over at Elite Training Academy. We talked about it
with the Aushiner spot there earlier. It's going to be
during Mardi Gras week. So if you're looking something for
the kiddos to do while you're at work and they're
out of school, it's going to be nine am to
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Burbank Drive Elite Training academybr dot com is where you
can find more information. Still mad at Joey for picking
Pacey Yep, this is me on all right, let's get
there our guys Chef Michael Johnson and going to get
to your munchie questions.
Speaker 2: Get ready to santalyze your taste buds and leave this
segment hungry. This is Monkeys with executive chef Michael Johnson.
Speaker 5: Chef, what's going on?
Speaker 7: Brother?
Speaker 5: How you doing? I'm good, How are you doing? Fantastic?
Always glad to have you on the show.
Speaker 3: Talk a little food here and get hungry with the
rest of our listeners, and we'll go ahead and get
right into it.
Speaker 5: Hashtag munchies.
Speaker 3: How do you come up with your menu each week
for the teams?
Speaker 7: Yeah, so we actually come up with the menus three
weeks ahead of time, and we meet every actually, I'm sorry,
we come up with eight weeks of menus, right so,
and then and then every three weeks we sit and
scrutinize the menus and talk about if there's anything we
need to do to change over the next three weeks,
and if there was anything that we needed to evaluate
and come back with information on that that, we're not
waiting eight weeks for that information, right, So, and we're
we're actually talking about doing that more often, just to
you know, liven things up and get get feedback quickly,
more more quickly. But I mean it's a constant and
perpetual action, right, So it is you know, I have
one chef that puts the framework of the of the
menu together, and then the other chefs kind of look
through it and kind of poke at it a little
bit and and come up with suggestions. And then we
sit with the dieticians and let them poke through it
a little bit and allow them their their suggestions and such.
But realistically, it takes a team to get it done.
I mean, our menus change every ment, right. So you know,
if you're at a restaurant, you put a menu in place,
and you know, if there's restaurants that take weeks and
months to construct the perfect menu for their for their business,
right and we're constructing a new menu every meal, so
you know, it's burdensome, and so we we share the
labor amongst you know, like if one chef has been
doing it for a while, we'll we'll take and put
them on say scheduling, and let them do the scheduling
for a little while and then put another chef on
the on the on the menu. Because it is, uh,
it is burdensome. It's a lot of work, and so
we we do it as a shared group. And you know,
we need feedback from athletes, so we have uh deployed
you know, different mechanisms to allow them feedback as well.
And and and also I go and meet them in
their arenas wherever they're participating or practicing or whatever and
talk to them on a pretty regular basis, depending on
who's in in season and who's not, who's available and
who's not, just to kind of show face, meet them
where they are and have the open discussion you know,
about the menus and to be honest with you you know,
for me, if I'm as the executive chef, when when
the athletes are sitting here eating, they're not going to
give me honest feedback. If I come and ask them
how the food is, you know what I mean, They're
gonna say, hey, yep, it's so great, you know, right,
So it's kind of intimidating, and so I prefer to
go to them and their confidence places where they're comfortable
with their team around them, and we get good feedback
that way.
Speaker 5: Good, Chef, I'm sorry I was watching this game. Chef.
Speaker 6: I want to ask you a little bit more personal question.
So this is a it's a big week for all
the hopeless romantics out there, maybe some people wanting to
procure a menu or a plate for a loved one
who they're trying to impress. What's the what's the perfect
Valentine's meal to make for a significant other?
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think you know one. This comes from the
heart first of all. You know, like I'm a huge
fan of going out and getting you know, like if
I can find catch shrimp or catch some crabs, or
catch a fish, or you know, like even shoot a deer.
You know, like if I have a cow on my property,
which is kind of extraordinary, it's a bad example, but
you know, like the further the further I can delve into,
you know, like the procurements, even maybe the growth of
the of the product. You know, if it's some growing tomatoes,
which is a bad example too. Because they haven't come
up yet. But if it's something that you can grow
and it's something that you can put yourself into and
then produce it, you know, like it's it's a deeper
level of passion, if you will, I think it's it's
equitable instead of buying flowers from the place that you
know goes eight x on Valentine's Day. You know, like
those those roses cost twelve dollars last week and now
they're eighty five. I'm a I'm a huge fan of
going out and picking flowers or you know, like and
doing that more often, and and you know, like the
meal is going to come from the heart something that
I have, you know, not just gone out and bought
something that I have put a lot of time and
energy into procure.
Speaker 3: Jeff, we also had another question kind of based off
my first question about when you put the menu together,
what about somebody that has restrictions in their diet. Certainly,
are you going to have some athletes that are going
to fall in that maybe they have something gluten doesn't
agree with them, whatever it might be lactose intolerant. So
when you have an athlete like that, what's that special consideration?
Speaker 7: Look like, yeah, So we have an entire area of
the fourth Nutrition Center that is the dietary friendly Area.
We don't call it the allergen station, we don't call
it the gluten free station. We just call it the
dietary friendly area. And if there are special requirements, which
we do have some, we do have some silly ECX kids.
I mean, honestly, these days, you need to account for
probably anywhere between seven and ten percent of all human
beings in the United States, and stronger than that in
certain areas, are going to be some kind of dietary need,
right so we have to make accommodations for that.
Speaker 5: We do.
Speaker 7: We we have on certain nights of the week, we
we prepare an entire meal this group gluten friendly so
that they can come in and you know, they don't
have to wait for us to prepare something. They can
they can get that that dish and take it right
to the table so that they're not waiting on us,
you know, because it's it's one thing for us to
be able to produce it. But when you walk in
the door and you're with your friends and then you
have to go ask for special foods and you have
to wait for the chef to prepare it. By the
time you sit down and get your food, you know,
your friends are like, hey, we'll see u, you know,
and so we we we take that into consideration many
you know, it's it's it's got to be thoughtful food.
And so there's twice a week that we do that.
We we pre prepare these foods and you know, put
them into a secure area where it's not got not
not got any of those allergiens or gluten or whatever
it is, and and put a space in a white
jacket there or a sous chef or white jackets to
the people, you know, like the chefs in the kitchen
that run the kitchen. And then we have gray jackets
that are cooks and senior cooks as such. But we
usually hand that to a white jacket to handle. But yeah,
we do prepare for that for sure.
Speaker 5: What color is your jacket, chef?
Speaker 7: Oh, it's white. There, it's white with some gravy on
it right now?
Speaker 5: Well white or brown gravy? Yeah?
Speaker 7: No, it's brown.
Speaker 3: Okay, all right?
Speaker 5: Hashtag munchies. Has have you ever had a former athlete
come work for you?
Speaker 7: I actually have a former athlete working here right now. Yeah,
he played football with us in twenty nineteen, and he
is going back to going back to school to get
a degree, and so he wanted to come over here
and work with us, and I'm super super happy to
have him. He works at nights.
Speaker 3: Yeah, probably some great place of work about saying, some
good work ethic as well.
Speaker 5: He learned being a part of a team, eat good well.
Speaker 7: And he appreciates me because he was here in twenty
nineteen and while I'm trying to accomplish here, you know,
and we appreciate him for what he's trying to accomplish
with himself, you know, his life beyond football. And I
admire the hell out of that man.
Speaker 5: Yeah, no doubt about it. Chef.
Speaker 3: It is Mardi Gras season, as we all know here
in Louisiana. Uh, favorite Mardi Gral parade food. Like you know,
if you're out there and maybe need to be a
little versatile, you don't want to go in and out
of the house, you're on a prey ground.
Speaker 5: Maybe your go to snack for Mardi Gras season.
Speaker 7: Uh, we call that a beer.
Speaker 5: So it's liquid, okay, liquid diet You're in.
Speaker 7: It's the only answer to that question.
Speaker 5: That's a great I'm not even going to push you
on that, and that's a great one.
Speaker 3: I can't even argue with that. Well done, Jeff, well done.
Speaker 5: Let's see, I'm scott rolling here.
Speaker 6: You kind of already answered them about the dietary restrictions.
Speaker 5: What is your plans? Do you have to do? You?
Do you like to visit the praise?
Speaker 6: Are you kind of like, uh, you know, there's some
parade heads out there that are like they'll just fight
for a parking spot and make their way with the
lawn chair or.
Speaker 5: Do you have plans? You have something you do every year?
Speaker 7: When I was younger, you know, I was in the
middle of canal every year, and that might be upright,
that might be you know, prone, laying down, you know,
like waiting for the next parade. And so I'm not
as much anymore.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 7: I'm celebrating my fiftieth birthday this year, and you know,
like I feel like it's kind of a younger man's
game in my mind. So I'll go to a parade.
My fiance is trying to get me since she's never been,
and so we're having this kind of household struggle of
whether we're going or not, you know, my life is
chaos enough without the parade routes and such, and so
I kind of enjoyed, you know, calm at my house,
and so going to a parade on the weekend is
just kind of extending what my normal looks like to
be working such, so I will go. I just don't.
I don't. I don't relish it the way that I
used to do. I mean, like, get there, all have.
Speaker 5: A good time.
Speaker 7: It's the it's the idea of going through it in
the parking and the punk you know, like just the
rigmarole to find in a parking spot is enough to
turn me away.
Speaker 5: All right.
Speaker 3: There he is Chef Michael Johnson, executive chef for LSU Athletics,
good enough to join us every week for your munchie questions. Chef,
we appreciate it, look forward to our conversations as always.
Speaker 5: Enjoy the rest of your week.
Speaker 4: Thanks guys.
Speaker 7: Take care.
Speaker 5: Beer good answer there, I mean, drink your calories.
Speaker 3: Sometimes I'd say the chef who prepares food said, the
only food I need is a ice cold do Sekis.
Speaker 5: You wish that?
Speaker 6: Like everybody just attacked whatever their job is and whatever
their passion was, Like chef attacks like being a chef,
the attention he does too, and the work ethic and
the thoughtfulness behind you know what, are you just talking
about curating a menu like it's right? Just thinking about
a menu, yep, and creating it just from out of poof,
out of the air.
Speaker 5: It's wild.
Speaker 6: And all the different alterations you have to make that
for dietaria restrictions and allergies and stuff. It's and for
so many walks of life too, so many taste buds.
Speaker 5: It's crazy.
Speaker 3: All right, we will step away and when we come back,
we will finish it answering your questions. Go ahead and
get the ask the bench questions inside the buy you
for chat. We'll get to as many as we can
to close out this Thursday morning edition of OTB.
Speaker 1: Off the bench.
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Speaker 5: Wait come, you have a ramon down jump in out.
Speaker 2: Two thousand and seven Shams purple and gold to the core.
This is off the bench with Hester and Flynn Baton
rougees go to for all things Louisiana Sports.
Speaker 1: Beyond theres com.
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powering Louisiana Businesses Forward. All right, let's get you some
of your questions inside the buy you Forward chat.
Speaker 5: There's a trivia question in here. Okay, Louisiana, this one.
Speaker 3: Louisiana has had seven quarterbacks start fourteen Super Bowls, the
most of any state.
Speaker 5: They went nine to five. Can you name the seven?
Speaker 4: Four?
Speaker 3: Hold on, let's see Terry Bradshaw ye, Woodley yep, Stan Humphreys.
Speaker 9: Yeah, I forgot about what the chargers.
Speaker 5: Let's go Eli Payton yep. So that's five. I'm gonna
get this on.
Speaker 10: But is it like from or.
Speaker 5: That's five? Doug Williams.
Speaker 3: Certainly you're missing one is another duds from Zachary I
believe originally.
Speaker 5: A Jake Delane that was.
Speaker 8: Actually I was gonna get I forgot about Stan humph
reason the loan was one I had.
Speaker 3: I forgot legend stand and I went to the same
elementary and middle school. I remember being in elementary school
and Forest Hills Elementary. Shout out to the Broncos and
I see like he went to the super Bowl there
in the mid nineties when I was in Gosh, what
great would have been. It would have been third grade,
probably third or fourth grade when they went, and I
remember like them putting up a picture of his like
when you first walked in and how big of a
deal that was?
Speaker 5: So uh shout out to.
Speaker 3: Stan Humphries, Jake Delone man, I was gonna get there eventually,
but it it would have taken me some time. Bro Bridge,
bro Bridge, bro Bridge. First person you think of from
broad Bridge? Mm hmm Jesse Jesse da Jes Yeah, Johnson
Zena and Jesse Daniel.
Speaker 5: Yeah, for sure. Great accent. One of the elite accents
in our country is bro Bridge, Louisiana. Love those guys.
Speaker 3: Let's see pretty good football players, pretty good for good
Jake just didn't have time before somebody shout it out
and check.
Speaker 5: As help me settle a debate.
Speaker 6: Are the classic Godzilla movies too scary for twenty month old?
Speaker 9: No, they're not gonna even know what they're watching.
Speaker 6: They're also walking around like Godzilla yesterday, so I don't
think they're scared.
Speaker 10: That's adorable.
Speaker 5: I don't.
Speaker 3: I don't know what it was they got harlowed to
do this, but at some point she saw a zombie
something zombie. So she walks around the house and she'll
chase her brothers and she'll close her eyes and.
Speaker 5: Goes zombies zomb with her arms out, chasing her brother s.
Haorded avoid zombies at Halloween though.
Speaker 3: Yeah, she loves Monster Mash too.
Speaker 5: Oh yeah, well, well passed Halloween. She wants Monster Mash
played on Siri. Good for her. L s U's softball
down right now to Nebraska? Is it still one?
Speaker 10: Because Sierra Daniel she.
Speaker 5: Overthrew a ball to Nebraska.
Speaker 10: It went over and yeah they scored on that.
Speaker 3: I will see if the Tigers can come back here
in clear Water real quick.
Speaker 5: This just came across the wire. L s U. S
m U.
Speaker 3: They're gonna play a home and home coming up in
the next couple of years. That game for SMU moved
away from their stadium to Jerry's World. So when LSU
plays s m U in Dallas, going to be in
Jerry's World, not on campus. They're at SMU. That's great.
I kind of wanted it to be on campus. Yeah,
would be fun. Smaller stadium be kind of cool. See
LSU fans packed that out in Dallas. Jay Johnson, we
love you, Jeff Michael john Think the House Rest in peace.
James Vanderbeek, see Mark Johnny Macks top the bench,