The following is a presentation of play Fly Sports properties in Michigan State Sports properties. Well a pleasant, good evening everyone out there. It is Tuesday, August fifteen, twenty twenty three. Welcome to the only show about Spartan Dogs hosted by Spartan Dogs. This is Sparta ms you. I'm your host, Jason Strayhorn, Playton the Pearls and Saving Area as a center and team captain. And I got my two dogs here from the Smith and D'Antonio era.
The boss otis Wiley, hard hitting safety, ball hawking safety and ju Chow Chow Culkrit just a touchdown machine, you know, season record holder for touchdowns in Michigan State. If this is your first time, we welcome you. That this is not your first time, we thank you. Be sure to join the live chat that's where the party's at, and follow us on all of our social media platforms at This is part of MSU, and don't forget
it if you haven't already, click that like and subscribe button. Helps us a whole lot, guys, and let us know where you are watching from. I know they're watching us in Opelousas, Louisiana right now, and we are excited to announce seek Geek as the newest sponsor of our show. Seek Geek is the official ticket marketplace of Michigan State Athletics. Seek Geek will be
rewarding a lucky fan with upgraded seats for each home game. Whether you're buying or selling football tickets, seat geek is the place to do it, Seek Geek. So Spartan fans can fan, fellas, how was your weekend? Like, you know, we have a special guest and I know he's gonna talk more in depth of this, but you guys had a little fun playing
a little bacchi ball? Huh Yes, I honestly, man like to educated me on the rules right before I stepped up, and Cho was like, it was a great experience and I can't wait to break it down with our special guests coming on. But I mean, look, we were the life of the matches, man, Like two was my twos out here and get like let's go in rep. We gotta we gotta say it, so Red, which is strange. One of his best friends, Yeah, was like Jeff Howard. Jeff is like they de sexty man, and man, we
gotta do it. We gotta do it for the culture for the community, the community, so it was it was a good vines man like it was. It started out like, you know, cool, and then it started getting tense because trying to win the championship man, and so she was trying to get out that thing at the consolation bracket and you know, he was trying to get out. He was almost there, but his teammate tapped out. Man. Yeah, my partner was in between games taking naps in the
basement. So it was. It was a lot of fun and it was really cool because like you know, going into it, you know, I think Otis didn't know what to expect, you know, going into it, and uh, he came in, like he said, I explained a little bit of the rules to him and he fully embraced that. He embraced it.
And when he got on that on that platform to go, he was n't I think because he golfed in the in the morning and then came right from I think fatigue setting a little bit because I could see it in his face, like he's like man, like he said, it was a little bit. I think on if he has a day of rest and goes in, he can break a really good show. I mean, he ended up in third place, but you know, that's really good. But I think I think there was a little more left in him. Yeah, absolutely absolutely,
I did. I hit that wall. I was like, man, I would sleep like twelve times like me like I was up, but I would sleep mentally. So when I was a good time, I can't wait to break it down in the history of the tournament with our guests coming on and yeah, and you know, shout out to you know, it was good food, good drinks, you know, really good people, good company. It was a lot of fun. Yeah, it sounded like a lot of fun. It looked like we're gonna get deep into that with our special
guests that's coming up soon. But nearing the midpoint of Camp fellas thoughts on what guys are hearing? You got these tweets updating the position battle, so you know, we have some of those to show. I mean, there's a lot, you know, a lot of to say about you know, the Howser Noah Kim battle. You know it says Tucker told a story from Saturday the scrimage where kayten Houser told quarterback Noah Kim, we have two scores. Houser didn't mention that he had one and Kim had one, but collectively
they had two. Collective said, it looks like Tucker liked the fact that they were using a team vibe in the middle of the competition. Fellas, Yeah, what's to saying go ahead? It's it's not a it's not an I ar me, it's we was at the us we are I mean my So, you know, it's good to know that it's a selfless attitude coming
up this this season with this team. So I think it was a lot of a lot of different personalities, a lot of single guys last season, but that was because there was a lot of displacement when it came to, you know, summer camping, not being in one locker room, we got everything kind of going steam rolling with the vacility, a lot of team bonding, which you heard our guests and the gut former players on the on the show talk about, is that there's been a lot of focus on the team
bonding aspect, because we are only as best as our as our as our team bond So it's still crazy because we're still in the middle of camping. You know, we haven't had one or the other take the lead on in the in the quarterback battle, and then maybe that's just waiting to the end. But you know, we're gonna be able to see camp, you know, either tomorrow or even Thursday morning to to do a little report back. But for sure we're looking forward to seeing some some new things happening after the
scrimmaces past Saturday. Yeah, Big ten Network was at camp too today. They took some video and had some great interviews. It sounded like with the quarterbacks once again, well yeah, you know what so with that with the quarterbacks, I know, Kayton Hollis theer and Noah Kim are getting a lot of the pub and a lot of the shine and everything here. But this quarterback room it's something special. So keep an eye on this quarterback room here.
Because the Sam Levitt kid. Don't sleep on him either. I'm not saying he's going to be the starter this year. I think he has what
it takes to be a starter. You know, in this program, I was talking to an insider, you know, in the facility there, and you know, they were telling me a story that you know, they they were standing in practice and Sam was playing quarterback and you know he throws and the receivers come back and one of the receivers go to him and be like, man, you looked at me. I thought you were going to throw
me the ball. But he didn't throw it to that receiver, And Sam says, good, I want all the receivers to play like they think the bass coming to them. That is a mature kid. That doesn't sound like a freshman coming in. You know, he's he's he has pretty big side, he has he has the hair, he has the quarterback air and everything like that. So but you know, I think at the end of the day, still you know, in the driver's seat of this it's Noah Kim
I look crack analysis there, fellas. Cayl Holliday is another guy here who added a bunch more watchless to his resume. Cayl Holliday, now it looks like he's on the Chuck that Nerrick Award watch list. I mean there's like three of them now that the Nation's Best Linebacker is well Nation's Best Linebacker awards that Cayl Holliday is now on the list for. Yeah, it's great to know, like Kyle is getting the recognition that we all have known he's deserved
for for a long time. Clearly we talked about how he got spighted and short, short shorted from the after lays postseasons past year where you know he was a sound, solid guy on that defense even with all the issues that we've had. But to do it as humble as Kyle has done it is very very it's it's it's respectable. Like it's an opportunity to know that every time you see Kyle, you meet him, you're gonna get kyl Holiday.
You're gonna ge the humble, quiet guy, smiling and even in his big tailor interview today, he's just like what he was with us at the field House. He's just like, you know, almost like he's a side guy. But you know when you put that on his like it's the body man they call him. So it's good to get that recognition. And he's not a guy that I don't say he's looking for that, he's looking within and as he's looking for this team to do what he knows that they can do.
So shout out to Cal Holiday and being recognized for preseasonal wars. Yeah, you know, it's good to be recognized for preseason but you know, if I want him on those stands for postseason because that means he had a hell of a season. It means Michigan State had a hell of a season. So you know, those are the things. And you know you said
it, Oh, he's not a guy. I don't think he's you know, thinking, because there's some type of people that could be reading the press clippings and being like, oh, man, you know I'm on this list, I'm on this watch list. I'm on that. I don't think cal is that type of player. I think he's that type of player that wants to get it done on the field and at the end of the year,
let those accolades and the team wins show for it. So I feel comfortable with him getting all these press clippings and everything like that because I feel he's a guy that can handle that kind of success early on. And then we're seeing right now too, like people are saying, look, Jacobe Women is
flying under that radar. Well, he did that last year too, and knowing he transferred in, we already know what the body of work that Jacobe Women puts out there, right, so it's almost probably feeling the fire of this is him coming in and like, hey, they're gonna put some respect in my name, which is good because we're gonna have a massive amount of production from that linebacker crew. M. I love that we've got a lot
of linebackers. We've got some good ones like that that are seniors, and we got some young ones too that we're gonna be talking about all season long. I've got no doubt about it. You're talking about that linebackers there like someone and we talk about, you know, people sleeping on some linebackers. People might be sleeping on Jordan Hall. His transformation that he has come from IMG, and we know IMG gets the players ready to play right away.
There's in't any of that. You know, I'm gonna come in and red shirt. You know when you come there. You saw the body transformation in that photo you know, going in before camp. He's a guy. I think he's gonna see him on a lot of special teams. He's gonna be making on special teams and that's gonna get him into the rotation a little bit there. I think he's a kid to keep an eye on that. I think he can make a splash in his freshman season. M definitely a guy
that we're gonna be watching. He's gonna be able to contribute. Just a brilliant player and he's got that size too, does not look like a freshman whatsoever. They're watching us in Haslet, Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, Leander, Texas. Guys, Mama, lu mama, luka Texas. There you can go. Okay, here goes got this now you say, Texas? Oh my god, looks MANU hate on Peacock. Don't hate on NBC. Peacock has got another game for him at Shoot, guys, let's put up
the schedule. Good transition, my brother, Yeah, let's put up the schedule. This Iowa one man like huh. I mean, this is this is where people are now are. They're gonna have to absolutely have to subscribe, which is great. I mean, this is great marketing. This is a great play to get subscribers and get people to convert over there. And I think it's it's great. I mean, now you look at it, people are griping and complaining, but if you want to watch your your team,
you gotta go ahead and get that subscription. And it just is what it is. I mean, I remember when NFL football went Thursdays on on Prime and all the everyone's like oh man, like what's going on? And clearly the dust subtle and you have to do that right, but it's still terrible on project Yeah, it was. It was it right, You're right. It was the matchups though, yeah, and the buffer in and it
was it was. It was terrible, terrible, signal terrible. I did like they like it when they did the broadcast and like commercials with coming up kind of how we got it. The game is like the bucks and then that commercial coming up. I like that from the stuffs they call it different. Nah, a, you're talking about nineteen eighty seven when the commercial was on and the games the line which I love. I love from the standpoint because it's like, oh cool. But I will say this about Peacock.
Peacock does do a good job with streaming and doing their stuffing all the WWE all those events are on you know, the premium live events of Summer Slams and everything, they're on the Peacock network there. So I think, you know, they do a good job of it. I think if you get it, it's inexpensive. Go. You know, at the end of it, this is college football. You know, we can sit and Bitchamono.
We want to do or we can you know, conform and uh and get that and get the Peacock network and enjoy our spartans play if we can't make the trip to Iowa. Absolutely mmmmm yes, holiday is a Richard Junior by the way, not a scene. You're just one of those older guys. Has been doing it a long time, been making plays his whole career. Guys. Jim Harbaugh suspension rejected by the NCAA and looks to be coaching in all the games in twenty twenty three. I've never heard of this being rejected
that just whatever, all right, cool, that's all. I can't say anything about it. I've never heard that, Oh you didn't know this. I mean, yeah, I knew it, But rejecting I just man, it is hey, it's good. Hey, listen, this is not at all like a good thing for Michigan. Chew. But wasn't it, you know? So the NCAA rejects it, wasn't it. Braylon Edwards and his lackey what's his name, Amani? His his little lackey that that rolls around with him there saying, oh, the NCAA is out to get Michigan there
against Michigan everything and this comes up. So once again it proves those guys are idiots and don't know what they're talking about on the other show there. But with this suspension here, I think they're you know, like if you peel the layers back, I think there's more layers to this onion that has to be peeled back that I think maybe something bigger is coming down the pipeline
there. I'm no conspiracy theorists or anything like that, but you know, you hear the laughing, it's gonna say, but you hear the Romans no offense when like, yeah, but you know, I think, you know, there could be something a little bigger coming down the pipeline. That could be, you know, more than a four games suspension. It could be more. You know, maybe you know Jimbo's last last hurrah in an arbor,
you know, because there could be something bigger. He could pack his load and and uh and skip towns, pack the Khakis and he's in Lululemon territory now no more Khakis. I agree that this is something bigger that's coming down the pike. This is the rejection was the committee. The committee did
not accept the four game suspension. They think that it should be. It was a self imposed we're gonna do not really self imposed, negotiated terms with the NCAA, but it has to be approved by the committee in order for it to be you know, levied. It wasn't approved. They want more and you know, right now looks like Jim Harbaugh was going to hope that that committee doesn't reform and meet again until after the season. Yeah, yeah,
that's what it sounds like. It's gonna happen. More of a Peak Carroll type of thing, so that you know what he did at USC. He left after the Reggie Bush saga for those who don't remember this, and went to Seattle Seahawks and USC was you know, they were sitting on suspended. They had like some bold bands and things like that, loss of scholarships. What the nca right now wants she can do is do self imposed which for your point, to self impose some things. So like you saw Tennessee,
Tennessee just had to go through that with the Jeremy pruittt situation. Yep, they self imposed, which gave them a very light sentence. They did the show cause for the coaches who were involved. They were no longer at Tennessee, but the school itself did not have any additional penalties after the self because imposed I guess they had four million dollars to pay, which I think they have down there. But yeah, that's I don't even care. Let's
beat them. That's it. That's it. That's all that matters at the end of the day, you know, I mean suspension. He can be on the sidelines, doesn't matter. Got a lineup with I'm just about to say, get Windy's money, man, Like Reggie needs his heisman back. Johnny Man can do all that thing that's crazy to getting nothing, and then yeah, give that man his heisman, give him this highsman. And look, here's some more preseason bowl projection by CBS Sports. Guys. You have
MS. You heading to the quick Lane Bowl December twenty six against Miami, Ohio where that's at Hey, man, look, we all talked about this like there's no knock. This is when it was the Little Caesars, you know, and they had we had some strong ties and it's like that right there was it's no knock bowls the ball. But we all know that is not a bowl that we will We want to go to like we're just going down the road and like there's there's no experience of going to a warmer weather
like that is not a bowl we want to be a part of. And everybody knows that clearly you want postseason, But aren't we splashing the bowl game
a month before that the same building exactly so? And I mean now when you says like eight and four is a disappointment, like we are not about to have that same when you said it, like you get because like because at this water at this point, like if you don't get eight wins, like you go into these quick laying balls like so right, so it's it's the better the more we win, the more we get a better chance of going to just warm the weather. And I think that you know, yes,
all good. At least they got us in the bowl, so that
means they got us at least winning six six games. But I just for me personally, you know, if we're playing like I did not want to go to Detroit and play I wouldn't make sure we went to another bowl game, play a conference that you know, no knock to the mac because there's players ball and no not to that they are they're right, but you want to go where you know teams, So yeah, and just for you just half right exactly, just so you guys know, speaking of bowl games,
I know last year, you know, a kicker costs us a bowl game, you know, in that Indiana game. But here you guys go, you're ready. My sources tells me that there was some excitement in camp last week when a kicker hit a six fifty six yarder in did that bring a smile? To choose? What choose? Sources? He was there pressure, like was this in live on the skirmmage, Like we're going after speakers are
like quarterbacks. They got them, they got a green. But it was it was a pressure situation with the whistle blowing, the people you know, how to get you around and so that and a kicker made a fifty six yarder and there was a lot of celebration going on after that kick was made. So now here's what I'm saying. If Felina was back there, back on the every miss, every miss field goal, every missfield goal we had last season, you need to replicate that every miss field goal in every position
and clean go go ten for teen at each spot. That's just me. I just want to race. What happened last season, Go every spot we've missed, new year, new kicker. I get it, new year, new kicker. But let's see this man to make the ones that we missed with the older kickers. Uh. But yeah, that's good, that's good news. I'm gonna look at specialties specifically, because I was looking at drills last last time I was at practice, I was looking at the kickers.
I was looking at the new drills or specialties. But I'm gonna go look for these are trained ale this We need it. We needed on all the drills everything, especially what's going on with the kicker. By the way, they practiced the kick that we missed against Indiana when they were twelve. By the way, all kickers have practiced that one at the age of twelve, twenty two yards. I could I could go there in my in my in my say in my members smart knockoff Lulu Lemon pants, and you are very
proud that they are with the opposite of your your dominant leg. I mean, I'm sorry, I sorry. Every time you asked me. When he sees my pants, he's like, he's like, I got members marked. You gotta lu Lu. He's pointed up. Oh ask you to prove it you but listen, we gotta get we gotta absolutely well. We'll team in this coming up next guys, after this message from our friends over at ihop five dollars, all you can eat tankcakes are back to celebrate I hup sixty
fifth anniversary. So come on in even if it's your birthday too. I'll build for a limited time only at iehop. Download the apostart right. Yes, Donald person twelve years old is the truth and without further ado, we have to bring on the Hall of Famer ms u's own Will Teaman joins the sparta MS. You welcome to this show, Will Well, thanks Jason, I can do a little bacci thing here, yes please, okay Otis left before he could get on the trophy stand loser. I was pissed going on
see it third place? Ye and yeah, we take old bowl balls and we do them up. And also because to help you get over not winning, you get that. Be there. I'll be at there. I'll be at the house after the show. One week leading up to it, Cold Creek was trash talking to me every chance he got, and we played them in the first round out. This is one of my three championship trophies, just so you know, I wish we took pictures because when you walk when you walk in, like I mean, they got a set up like the
sirinage like what day you talked about? Like I just my mind says always working, but the snag the lord like you walk in, you got the Bochi turnaments signage you walk in, and then you got all the past winners on the banner, right, And so we're looking at the couple of the teams and you know in there and and then you see Jeff. So while we're seting on top, we're like everybody is winning, and you got got Jeff and Red with the photo of himself and I'm like, oh, I
gotta I gotta give myself on that that bill board right there. Yeah, so we'll talk a little bit. What is talking about. You have a sketch artist that comes in and sketch the winners, right, Yeah, we take pictures, right, a lot of pictures, and then we send those pictures off and they sketch him. And Rick Imshog at Skyline who does all the MSU banners and stuff and what he does. How about that huh batching machine? Did you really do. Oh was this? What thing was this
was because you were in a full suit? What thing was that at that time? Well, it was a it was a promotional shot and so I got this black suit. There's about ninety nine degrees outside, just sweating to death. But that was one year. We did a deal. When you lost, you spun this wheel and you got a gift and as far as a loser gift, sometimes you get that picture autographed by me. But literally the Bacci Tournament to the day was a twentieth anniversary of what is a birthday
party that went out of control a little bit. But in the back, you know, we just talked about the banners. We literally have outdoor lighting connected to the tree so it lights up like a stadium, and it was it's I can't explain it, but I know this. It's really hard to win it and I owed this did a great job. Yeah, and you know it doesn't do like in the daylight, it doesn't do justice. But once the sun goes down and the lights are on, it's a big fight.
Feel in Bocchi Arena there. You know, it's so cool. You know the best part, The best part is in each round they come out and they got the brooms and they're they're they're brushing the field of the dirt to make it smoother because at the time it starts to get a little colder, so every time you hit the bocci is a bunch of divid So they're trying to get a fresh start and get it ready for the next round. And I was like, oh, this is serious, Like this is serious.
But even better than that. Even better than that is that because it's like a state. It's like stadium seating, and then there's like the sweets that's like inside and people were sitting in the couch looking at the window and they're also like sweets outside. And then there's like the declare with the railing that people are on, and then the other side you got like your floor
seats. It's like really cool, like because I think we're like, hey, where's this person all there up in the suites from the kitchen area up there looking down. I think we had some video. We're trying to track that down video on this. But look, there was a question before Will came on. I just want to get to this, and the question came from I think it was Tom. He asked about Jaylen Sammy. He said, you know, what do we think about Jaylen Sammy this season? Like
it do you think him being as a difference maker for this season? Now? Jaylen Sammy is a six year defensive lineman from Colorado, the transferred thirty pound guy. Guys, what do you think about that question? I think he has a lot to prove because he was one of those guys that was in that room with Prime, right, like you know, yes, it's immediately when you say it, like he's like, I'm I'm not like not trash, but like I'm not baggage good because you know I couldn't cut it
there. I have something to prove in the power of five and big ten and basically like we we got depth. We have depth at the defensive line in the defensive line room. So I think, yes, he will be one of those guys in rotation to keep fresh legs out there and keep speed and keep attacking that quarterback. I'll make sure to have more of a report too as I put my eyes on him when I get to practice tomorrow morning. But I think yes, he will be a vital piece in that rotation
for our defensive line room. Yeah, and I agree with otis one hundred percent there. I think he has a lot to prove, especially anytime you transfer from one school and the way that the transfer led, like you know, with coach Prime coming in saying, you know he's bringing his luggage and everything like that. It's more of a force outh than that. And coming you know to the big ten plane, big all smash mouth football like that,
you you have a lot to prove. And you know, anyone that's you know, three hundred plus pounds plugging up the middle there in the defensive line, I'm all in for. Yeah. Listen, I've heard loh of but good things about him that coming in. You know, he's this is a very deep defense, especially on the line. We think about Michigan State.
That's going to be the strength of this team in my opinion. You've got guys like Borrow in the middle there, and you know this, this is a guy who can potentially I mean when you talk about them being a second team Jalen Sammy's six six, three hundred and thirty pounds. He's a guy that opposing offensive lines have to face, you know, on when they're rotating. That's a fresh body coming off the sideline. A guy who has that kind of experience and he's very fleet of foot. He made a lot
of plays in that scrimmage too. My sources say he was one of the guys who stood out actually in this past scrimmage from a defensive line perspective. So I think that guy's limited. There's no true starters when you think about defense. There's not just two de the tackles. There's gonna be about four to six guys that rotate in on any given series. So that is a guy who we're gonna definitely be keeping an eye on, and he's gonna contribute
a lot from Michigan State. So I hope that answered your question. Now back to Bacci. Do we get the video? Get the video there, here we go. Now check out Otis. He looks like he's actually gonna bowl here right listen, listen at that time. But oh my goodness, that was out there. You gotta see this stadium. Do you see this?
Yes, look at this bed like now, look, I was just talking like I kept thinking like when the sun goes down, these mosquitoes about to go him on myself, But no, this is this is a great thing. Like seeing that. I'm glad you invited me. Man. I'm glad I made it out there because at first I was like, I can you know, sit there? But my parents came through so thankful. Uh, And I was like, I gotta go at least show facing and the best part is when I got there and then we'll go to the next topic.
But I didn't know who my partner was, right, so so I'm like right, but but I was right. But I'm like, who's who's the net? So chew out of door like we're in the We're everybody's out there playing, we're in We're in the suite. So we're in the top level, top level outdoor suite. Cho goes loudly like five times back to back and lo, and that looks up like I'm a net and we were a net. Never been that far. We were on fire until we met you know, fatigue and you know, a group that just killed us.
But I will be back. So I feel like we need to get some live coverage. We saw live coverage from us on Live Social, but we gotta do some more live coverage. Will Will was doing too much a game and he needs to hire somebody to do all the operational logistics. Back in my play. You can't mention. You know, Matt Stingy and my partner of basketball, right, his wife Alison. They want intern of ours Lauren Cours. So they won it. They won his wife Jack. He lives
with a champion, Yes he does, he's not. Yeah, being one live with one that is awesome. Will like you're bringing it up now, and this is something that will be in the play by play a long time. How many years played by play Voice of Michigan State Football basketball? Excuse me? Just finished twenty six, twenty six seasons. Look at those guys, hey getting ready for a games partan stadium. It was twenty six years. Talk about your your career. I mean, this is an aircraft carrier
here. Yeah, this is interesting when this is our second time on the aircraft carrier. And and what was interesting the first time we did the aircraft carrier, which was the first time anybody did it. It was the only time, I think, barring our Michigan game after the shootings, that who won the game wasn't important. Really, it was such an event. You had the president there, the first lady cabinet members, and it was just amazing. And people may wonder why Michigan State does the sort of thing in
basketball and in those who pay attention to what coaches I was doing. Tom. Tom is pro military, and we've been to Germany at NATO bases, and what happens there is when the Michigan State team shows up and the opponent, we're bringing a little home to the service personnel. And you don't realize what it means until you get there, visit with the men and women of our armed forces and see the look in her eye that they get a little
touch of home in and and I in the Donna me White. Tom does these sort of things, but at the end of the day, there's a great story. And we're playing in a NATO base in Germany and we're playing Connecticut, and you know, it's I don't know anybody in Germany, and I'm pacing around getting ready for this thing. And we're in an airplane hanger and so by my big airplane hanger, and this fella comes up to me and he says, well, can I talk to you for a second?
And I go, well, yeah, And I'm trying to understand how you even knew who I was. And so he had one more year at the base. He's from Lansing, Michigan, and he listened online to the basketball games and that was his connection to home. And you don't think about that. And if you listen to our broadcast now, I don't care. It may not sound like it fits, but every basketball broadcast, for sure, I mentioned somewhere in that broadcast something about home, the weather, anything.
So those who are listening who are from Michigan, from Lansing, whatever, can have a little bit of home to think about. And that's the impact this sort of thing has. And this is the subtle stuff coacheso does it goes unnoticed sometimes, but it's amazing the impact all this has. And you get to be a part of it. I mean really, all I do is kind of show up and figure out who's got the ball. So I'm kind of along for the ride. But it's amazing all the experiences we've mad
and it's oh, when did you get that picture? We have sources. That was a nice per right there. I love the jacket that's right. Look at the Hall of Fame family will in Wendy the Boss. Yeah, it's amazing. The Hall of Fame thing of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. Uh, we're the only husband and wife team that went in together ever, because we didn't go in as two people. We went in as a group as a payer. And that was so cool. That was definitely that was
a big moment. But receipts will will you know, while we're on basketball, it's like, like, talk to us about just the best moments you've
had with Tom in the storage history obviously of Michigan State basketball. We are, you know, for those out there, we're celebrating one hundred twenty fifth season of the program this coming up, right, and you know you've been part of twenty six of those years, right A century to say you weren't part of all this, right, right, But just talk about when you first started out and then you know, knowing you grew the entire year like
years with Tom and you know with obviously his predecessor and so like talk about just the evolution of Tom. But the best kind of stories or maybe top one or two of the experience you've had with calling the game with coaches A. I'll give you the best story and it has nothing to do with an interview with him. This is an interesting dynamic, h that I've only kind
of felt at the basketball office when you walk into that basketball office. With that comes this responsibility that you need to try your best, and you just walk in there, whether it's the managers or broadcasters or whomever, the feeling is, if you're part of the group, it's expected that you're going to do the best you possibly can do, and if you don't do that,
you feel guilty, like you let people down. And you know, we all have good days and bad days, but I've never been in an environment where, you know, Tomazer has never said to me once you need to do better, you need to try harder. You didn't have to. It's just the price of admission to be with that program, which is pretty special. And so that's the one thing I find most intriguing about it. And
it has been fun to watch him. You know, I won't say mature is the right word, but because he's still a tough guy and he's still disciplining, still all the things young people need, I believe, but his approach is a little different, maybe a little calmer, maybe a little more cerebral. But at the end of the day, it is amazing and a funny story and it's not really funny, but it's you know, sometimes interviewing time after a loss is a little tough. It can be a little dicey,
think yeah, yea. And sometimes you know, while we're waiting for time, man, I look at each other like, you know what we're gonna say? What do we do? And and so the Big Ten during the COVID year, we were off seventeen days. We just got the green light to come back to practice. Our team was no way was it ready physically to go on the road to play basketball. We physically weren't ready yet the Big Ten still made us go. And they didn't do that to every
school. And I'll just leave it at that. And and so we go to Wreckers. We had three road games in a row, Wreckers Pretty Iowa. So we go to Wreckers and somehow we're within four points and a half time. I don't know how that happened, and we wound up lose him by thirty because we were just physically exhausted. We needed at least another three or four days of doing nothing to get our sea legs back. And so
I'm looking at Matt like what are we possibly going to ask him? And he's in our and he says, guys, I'm ready, and so we walk him Tom on and before I can come up with any sort of question, he says, don't even ask me a question. I'm going to tell you guys what happened. For ten minutes, he explained exactly what happened to his team and the game. And it was the best interview I've done in my life because I didn't ask one question and we know you got questions right
question. But it's being around him is amazing. And the other thing besides, you know the moment you have when you're just talking about things. The guy loves the sport of basketball. I think people would be shocked how hard he worked to make the game better. He got that from Judd. I
think they would be shocked. Tom much time he spends getting the backside of current players, past players, and he does a lot of charitable things in community, things that he just you know, some people like to promote themselves. He's not that person. And when we were brought we were the only team. We're the only group that broadcast home and away during that COVID year, and we're getting tested about every day. And so one day Tom took
us test. I took my were walking back to the basketball office waiting for the results, and I had heard this marvelous thing he had done, and I said, you know what, Tom, we talk about this and our next pregame show, run your radio show, because this is this is big, this isn't He said, no, I didn't do it to get public thing. And if you say a word no, of course, when he says no, it's no right. And so there's a lot of that about him. But think about this, who has a radio show. He whips
out an accordion Christmas kind of plays it, sort of sings. At best, it's awful and every year we went an award that we have but it's a lot of fun. Then if you want to know what people think about him that really matter, he's a tough guy. And more than once I've seen players come back and apologize and say the Tom Coach, I'm sorry I didn't get it, but I do now. And in the winner, usually in February is when he has his big player reunion and hundreds of people come
back, hundreds from all over the place. Managers, players, they and that doesn't happen if there isn't no, if they don't love the guy, they don't do it. They just don't. You don't come back to be part of a group and pay a little bit of honor to the man who created all this unless you love the guy. And I just think what he's done is amazing. There's been no coach in the history of the Big Ten
at the school that's won more games overall. In terms of Big Ten games, he's trailing Bobby Knight by twenty so realistically, that's two more seasons to pass Bobby Night. No coach has ever taken one school to twenty five straight incid LA tournaments. He's done that. Who has that kind of consistency because not every team is great. You guys know that a lot of strange things happen in the course of a year. But I just I just watch him
weave his magic and it's it's pretty amazing. And and I just landed right in the middle of it. How lucky am I? You know? Orsto'm asking me all the time what I think he should do, and I'm more than I help him all the time. Oh yes, Well, while we're on basketball, a question for you is you know that year that we had no cash is Winston that his senior year there and the season was cut short.
You know, the tournament was cut off and everything like that. A lot of people say, you know that's the year that Izel could have gotten number two, you know, n being the national TETI title. What are your thoughts that because you were with that team that entire season? How special was that team? That was amazing because as you know that was here that Cash has lost his brother and as you might guess, life wasn't quite the
same for him. It affected his life and part of his life is playing basketball right and so coming down the stretch and Mike Garland worked with him a lot. He told coach Garland, I feel like I'm coming back now. And you guys were related to this because you know sometimes you don't feel right. The football doesn't feel right, or the running down the field doesn't quite feel right. Well, he said, it's starting the ball fields right again.
I'm seeing things right again. I'm I think I'm coming back, and I will tell you today they could pull the plug on the season. We were getting ready to get on the bus to go to Indy and we knew at that point there'd be no fans, but we didn't dream we wouldn't play. And I agree with anybody that says that team could have won the national championship that last practice we had, I've never seen us look so crisp, so good, not fatigued, and there was no doubt we were going to
blow through and win the Big Ten Tournament. And I think I would have been a little surprised that if we weren't national champions that's how good we were. And then for Tom to call everybody together and say it's over, go home, I mean, what does that mean? It's over? And he said you're find out later that the season's done. And I've never felt that way ever. You know, in that environment, we all just stood there and so COVID cheated a lot of people out of a lot of things.
There's no question did damage to a lot of families, But that particular basketball team. You watch a group of young men overcome things, poised to hit the highlight of their college career, reached the pinnacle, and it got denied. And if people are crying, it's sad and you're just in shock that
something could take away the opportunity like that. And if there was a good part of any of this when we finally got to play again, especially in front of crowds, what we might have taken for granted, we don't anymore. I don't. Last year I thought was the first time we really been back with great crowds everywhere we went, and I just just enjoyed it so much because I I just couldn't believe all the things we all loved we're just taking away that quick. And so it's back now. I hope it stays
back. But back to the original question, that team could have won the national ship, national championship, that team was great. Well, look, you know, keeping with this, I mean if that was an emotional answer, by the way, and you know, keeping with that, is there a football or basketball loss that still really bothers you? And then after that, is there a game that you just was so exhilarating you wish you could
relive it? So both of those two part questions for you, man, anytime we beat Duke, I want to relive it, relive it two or three times. But I'll tell you the one football game it still lives with me. And I'm not saying this because Jay Us on the screen. I mean, we're playing tell right, ju is owning them. It's pouring rain and for some unknown reason, with a big lead in the clock ticking, we decide to not give it to Ju and throw the ball in the rain.
Okay, didn't go so well. We lost the game. So so there's a there's a rule in our household. When we lose, you walk in the door. It's over. We just talked about what's next. So it's a night game, so we probably got home about two in the morning. I got to know. I got to play by play sheet and I said the Wendy, I went, can you please bear with me just a second. We took a walker right, and it's about I don't know, three or four or five minute mark of the game. I just highlighted it
and I said, now just look at this. Tell me if you think I'm right, assuming there's no fumbles, if we take three knees and punt and they score and we get it back and take three more knees and punt, would you agree was impossible for them to have enough time to score win the game? She goes, yes, let's go to bed about this game, and so that that football game. Oh but and of course all those great games, d Antonio. You can just go up and down the list
of all those things but the one that is really amazing. I had two moments with coach d that I will never forget. The first one was his very first game, and so we're in the locker room and we played Alabama Birmingham wasn't much of a game, and when of the our producers in my ear and she's telling me that Michigan is on the ropes against Appalachian State. Well down deep, you just know they're going to come back, and went right, okay. So so I've exhausted all the questions and we're wrapping it
up and she says to me, Michigan has just lost Appalachian State. I gotta say something, and so I say to Mark, I go, you know, Mark, some of these non conference games are a lot more difficult than people think. And he's looked in at me, like, what are you talking about? I said, for example, I said, Michigan has just lost Appalachian State. He says, really, this is on the air. Really, I started laughing. I go really, and then he goes
moment of silence. One of the greatest lines I've ever heard. So with that, let me tell you this. With in that, you will are part you might not like people might not connect the dots. But I knew that he said the moment of side she would have a moment of silence.
And that is what sparked that following year with Mike Hart's little brother comment, because if you realize, if you look at pictures after they beat us, they went to the you know that same year in two thousand and seven, they were in the middle of the field, they held a ceremonial moment of signing. You can see picture of Mike Hart going like this and everything. So those sort of things too. So will actually you had a little play
in that little brother comment. The whole thing they're for asking that question. So you were billboard material? Is that what? They got that and played it for the team material. And then the other one was after the great one over Notre Dame, which arguably, with that moment in time, was probably coach these biggest win as a head coach. In those days, the postgame interviews were in a room that was not connected to the ground, so
it was like way up there. They would whip in these metal stairs, so you walked up right the lib librarians like staircase and so what was that anyway, So what happened was everybody was in shock with the play. The won the game, and they couldn't clear the tunnel, which meant they couldn't get the steps in. So here's Mark D'Antonio, the biggest win of his head coaching career at the moment, climbs up a ladder to get to me to do his interview, and it was twenty minutes later he had a heart
attack. That was a game where he had the heart attack, and it was weird. Wendy from the booth, who's never done this, asked me, oh, what what did he look like? How do you look which is an odd question to ask. I said, we looked great, he did, he was happy, feeling good. Okay, now you move forward a little bit. About a week later, one of our PR guys handed me a phone before the game and said, Coach d wants to talk to you, and I go Hi, Mark. He said this one. You
know, thanks for making me climb up that damn ladder. Getting didn't have a sense of humor. You know what we should do? Well we should. We used to print ounce here a cutout like have ricks skyline, give a body cut out and put it on that brick spot in the Oh, but we need to put it. Put your your photo of your body right there on that break because you can still see the cut like the brick that
where your little room used to be. Yet where used to used to walk up it used to be squatting in there on a little chair with you guys, remember going up there. Absolutely. Yeah, we got noticed to sing after game. He was on the show and he's a great singer, great great singer, and great acoustics in there there is look at tell you man, I think it was it was after that season. I was like, will I'm not wearing a suit ever again? And I and now as the
signing, I appreciate it, but no suit. I remember straight used to be like a past. Absolutely, that was that time. Oh man, there was wee one year we played that Western Michigan almost right. Oh, it was so hot and the windows didn't open up in the boot so that it's like a hundred degrees humidities crazy. There's it's hot as can be and we're putting like wet towels on Stray's head because it was like smoking literally coming
off the trainers were pushed through it. Now, I know straight would pass out, but fun moments. Get this word downtown the Indiapolis for a final four and I bump into the call Crick This bump into him and he wait what's wait? Wait wait what what state of mind was he? And we bumped into that. I'm not sure about I've never figured out. But he was in a good mood. He was it. He goes, you know
what it's like to be interviewed by you? And he imitated me, Here's what it's like when you talk to us after a game, and I'm like, you're kidding me that way. Yeah, people are walking by, like, stay away from those two. That was fun. But think of all the magic moments we had, I mean yeah, but the craziest one was the ten second game. That was crazy enough. So think about this as you guys know that Michigan visiting locker room is not nice. It's just they
should torch it. It would be better torch than it is. Right now, Okay, enough of that, So you know, I've stayed out as long as I can. There's no monitors in that nineteen twelve locker room. So I'm in there and I'm literally talking to the booth. I'm talking to Wendy. We're trying to figure out they've come in, they've taken Paul Bunny,
and the trophy's gone. It's just me, a security guard and a manager, and I'm just talking to Wendy about what do you think about an Atlantic questioning things like that, And I just say to her, by the way, how much times left in this game? And she goes about ten seconds, I go, what are we doing? She goes, well, they're punning. I said, they're punning. That was the last English I heard from her. What was coming on next was I don't know what she
was saying, but I knew something was happening. So think about this for one hour. I'm in our locker room talking to people about this magic moment, and I'm the only guy besides the security guard and the manager. I never saw the play, but I didn't see the play until I got home. Could you hear it? Could you hear it in it? Could you feel the rumbling or anything or quiet? What was it like? Oh? It was nuts, because I mean I heard well, obviously I heard Wendy
speaking some foreign tongue. I don't know what she was doing, but she was so excited. And then at the end of it all it was I just knew something big happen, and then I found out what happened, and I was stunned. And then as you look at the coach d Era, he makes the teams stay on the bus ten extra seconds when they pull up. I mean I once said to him, you're talking to somebody. We're not talking to you exactly exactly, but these were these were moments that you'll
never for you just live with you. And and the thing I think that's really cool. And all you guys know it when you're with a group and something really special happens, you're you're you're bonded together forever. Yeah, and you have this great joy and you can't describe it, you can't buy it. It's just something that's just organic in the stays with you and and and
I wouldn't trade that for anything. But I just you just go through all of these different things, and it's amazing what you live through with all these people. And it's funny, especially football, right over a hundred people, just players, I mean, it's from everywhere. Well so on that you
know, I remember you talked about app State. You know that you were you were talking to coach d at the time doing the interview, I was going down the elevator shaft and I it was a it was a more with the roar from our fans was louder than than we're winning our own game, super right. I was like, what's going on? You know, we
had no TV's an elevator, but we have a question for you. You know what, what is your recent take of all the recent changes in the Big Ten, you know, with the mansion and all the things that you know are going on. Well, I'm looking forward to my week long trip like the NBA to go out west to play basketball. You know, I don't want to sound like the old guy, get off my lawn guy. I don't want to be that guy in and I understand what's happening. But
but but think about this a little bit. What makes college athletics special. It's gig, it's geography, it's it's it's rivalries that we've grown up with our whole life, and it's part of our fiber. And I think we're giving that away a little bit. I mean, in basketball, instead of playing Oakland a little Caesar's Arena, we're playing Baylor. Now. Is that a more high profile game for television? Yes, but in the state of Michigan, we've had some great games with Oakland, and so we're giving things
away. And I'm sure all those Bruin fans a U s. I can't wait to play Rutgers. I know that's the biggest gable come up. And so I think we're giving away some of the magic that makes college football what it is. And it makes me a little sad. And the other thing is last year Purdue got to play for a Big Ten championship, play pretty well for three quarters. But the point is, we have divisions, and
they earned the right to play for a championship. If we're gonna line up eighteen teams and just take the best two, the odds are we're going to get the same two or three all the time, and then it's going to be virtually impossible for most of the schools ever won a Big Ten championship if we don't have divisions. And I know that the opinion is not shared by many, but it just seems like, if you're say Minnesota, for example, how would you feel if you thought Indiana you never had a shot to
go to Indian play for the championship. I think there's kind of sad and and I actually talked to you guys when we were in Indian together that I think it might be when we go to twelve teams for the championship playoffs, it might be easier to make the national championship playoffs. And it is to win a Big Ten title in football, now crazy's at in basketball. It's the other way around. It's difficult to win a Big Ten title in basketball,
but it's more difficult to win the national championship. Maybe not so in college football. Coming up, great point, great point, great answer on that one. I mean, I think it's a it's a it's a mixed bag of fillings because you know, obviously we gotta get with it because it's happening. But from a radio standpoint, like are you close with those Oregon, those Washington and UCLA USC radio crews, Like do you know those guys
very well? No, actually I do know. I knew I know the UCLA crew, and we're obviously at in Washington and those guys they're played by a play guy. We got to know him because for a while he was at Ohio State doing some stuff and so your paths do cross a little bit. And uh, we went to Washington. Their their head of football communications is from like Dearborn. I don't know if an you guys read the book
Boys in the Boat. It's it's about the rowing team that won the gold medal in rowing in thirty six in Berlin, and that was the University of Washington team. And it's a great book. I recommend it. Anyway. They have the boat there for display like a block from the stadium, so we called. They let us into. We could see all the gold medals and this boat that they won the gold medal. And can I ask the lady that led us into an assistant athletic director, I said, where are
you from? And she goes, Okamists. I'm thinking, how many Okamists is are there? See? I'm from Okamist, Michigan, went to Okamist High School, came west to go to college, and then just never went back home. And so it's amazing how many Midwest connections you find even out there on the West coast. But I got a question for you guys. Would you have ever dreamed that a Power of five conference would disintegrate as fast
as the Pack twelve did? No, never, not one bit. Yeah, you know, there's always like you always thought like those like the Mountain West and you know the one a Big Sky and all those teams who joined different things. But I always thought, you know, power of five conferences would be main state, especially you know, one like the PAC twelve conference. You know, I thought, you know, like you get you know, people wanting to join the like the Boise States and all those people.
That's and you know leaving the Mountain West Conference. But you know those are holding stronger than you know, a conference like the PAC twelve that has such rich tradition and history, you know, especially with you know the Rose Bowl Game, you know Pac twelve versus Big Ten, all those different things. So I you know, didn't think something like that would happen. But it's the crazy way of college football nowadays. Well yeah, and and thinking remember
when we were talking about the Big twelve, they're done. Yeah, that's why I thought the Big twelve will be the first. Yeah. I just want to think about, like whose fault was it? Like you don't like about it? Who's that fault? Because you go ahead, Big twelve loses Oklahoma and Texas and they go out and start acquiring like that's out of hell. They didn't stop Big Big ten guts the PAC twelve by taking UCLA and USC right, and what does the PAC twelve do? They just turtled up.
They didn't do much. They went out and got an Apple deal for twenty million dollars that no one wanted, and then just you know, Oregon and Washington, we're still teetering, and then it was over. Guys. It just you can't sit on your hands. If somebody comes and poaches you, you better move. You have to right, you got to play with you. He had on fire man, just like you learn in football.
You know what I'm saying all this absolutely absolutely so we've been getting looked, we've been we got to shout out Steve Smith because Steve Smith has probably asked us a thousand times, how did you? How did you come up with the call? He got it? And they would like for you to obviously do a live as well to close out the show. Will with with you. You know what. Before you do that, we had a meeting and
Will has never been asked to do this. But we're meeting with town Square Media, which is one of our partners, and we're going through and we're talking, we're talking business. So then someone asked, Will, can you do a call play by play and in with he got it, and Will's like, I'm nerven asked to do this and like person and I'm like, oh man, like he says, close your eyes. So I would like for you to set the toe like we have a we have a call that
they want to play. You know, let's let's play this call first. Oh five wepton this thing. Walker gets it back in the back court, directing traffic off of pick Brown. Does he get a third one? He dies? He dies? What a great downscreen there by Malik pul Gabe Brown again coming off looking to shoot, aggressively knocks it down. I love it. He sweepd on that one a little bit. Also that he got the thing. I don't know where, I swear, I don't know how I
crept in like it did. It wasn't like I went home. Hey, I got an idea, let's do this. It just happened in one day. I'm I'm at the grocery store when he says, can you go stop by and get some milk or something? So I'm coming around the aisle and this guy sees me and screams at me. He got it scared the hell out of me. So I come home yet I go, I gotta quit doing that. Man, these people are making fun of me, an idiot. It's the best thing you've ever done. I don't I don't know where
it started. It just became part of it and and it's really a lot of fun. It just kind of fits. And one time a guy made a three and I didn't give him a heat, got it and stinging and chewing me out on the air. You cheated that guy, I was wrong with cheated And Aikin's charity golf outing once came up to me and he goes, well, how's how's your throat? How's feel I said it feels good. He said it better be good because you're gonna say he got it a
lot when this season starts, because I'm gonna lighting up. I said, you make him, I'll say it. But it's been fun, and I really don't know where it started. I really don't. And we've gone back to some old tapes to try to figure out and it just sort of, you know, drifted through there. You go, oh, no, will will you gotta do it? You gotta close your eyes. Yeah, well, you gotta give us a play. Give us a play. Okay, okay, you guys got your eyes closed. Okay, here we go.
Okay, while he brings it down, gets it into the wing to Cole Kirk. He's trying to set up straighthorned down low. They got him boxed out. Back to Wiley, wide open for three. You got it. I'm glad. I'm glad you put me at the shot. Let's go. That's pretty good. Great, we gotta get this guy job. Hey, Otis Otis. Before we let will go, I want you to do me a favor here, Yes, do your will impersonation. Do your Will voice.
You just did it, because I'm a compared to do your Will voice that you just did what when you said the town Score media, you're like, oh, it's like close your eyes. It was like when he said that, I just bust out laughing and like closed my eyes, like close your eyes. I can't even do it the whole Carl, go ahead. I could do what he caused me this. Okay, okay, that's perfect. Now do your John L. Smith voice. Oh that's easy. Are you trying to merge them? Mege them? Now? You say will feelings.
We got fired. We kept flying today, so we're gonna spend all their money other money. Damn well it will. It was wonderful having you on the show man, I mean, great stories, great insight, and love having you. Gotta come back. I'm ready. All right, let's do it before you know, not too long. You know, we got both seasons that we can talk about football and basketball with Will team in the Hall of Famer. Thank you for joining. That's it. We'll be off.
We'll be with you kick off show. I can feel it, all right. Yeah, we're gonna forget all the peacock people. Remember radio is free. We appreciate Will Floyd gamefully. Hey, will bring my president of tomorrow to lunch? All right, you got it here? Okay, thanks guys, all right, thanks, well, appreciate it. We'll team and everybody, man, I mean we could literally that that is a record. Where are we at? Yeah? One twelve? Yeah, there's no way.
Look the over under that is the under, right there? For sure? We hit the under. Are you gonna announce who we got next week? I mean on Thursday? Or are you gonna make the people wait? We got George? Blaha? We little George go from we go from he got it to touchdown. I love it. That's what's next. Now, Look, we're gonna have to we're gonna have to do a trial to make sure of that ah, that stuff set up about that. You need to go. You need to go visit the blah to make sure we're straight.
We're good, good man. George is a pro at this man, don't worry, George Blah coming at you next. Well, there's forty eight hours from now. Thank you, forty six and a half. We'll be back, you know, guys, great show, will team. It was awesome you guys. You guys man well oiled machine, ju Culkrick and Otis Wiley. Thank you guys, and I'm Jason Straighthorn. This is part of MSU. Thank you guys, have a good night, God bless and go greet No why this is far my. MSU was a combined presentation of play Fly
Sports Properties and Michigan State Sports Properties. The show was produced by Tony La Barbara Tony Gastella and Process Driven Consulting. Additional supports provided by Brendan Duravaje. On location technical support provided by Good Fruit Video. Be sure to follow our host Jason Strayhorn, Jau Culprit and Otis Wiley on social media. To stay up to date with all the latest this is part of news. Please like and subscribe by visiting our link tree and tell a friend to do the same.
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