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2023 RB Deep Dive, TBT Air Raiders, and Big 12 Media Days · Talkin' Tech

0:39
SPEAKER_05: Welcome in, everybody, to the Talk and Tech Podcast, Powered by the Nation, part of the Nation Podcast Network.
0:44
SPEAKER_05: I'm your host, Steven Rodriguez, my co-host, Tristan McGonagall.
0:47
SPEAKER_05: Tristan, are you a Texas high school coaching legend yet?
0:51
SPEAKER_04: Uh some would say I was actually inducted into the uh Texas High School Coaching Association Hall of Fame this past weekend.
1:00
SPEAKER_04: Um uh no, it was just some sketchy guy in the back hall selling plaques saying with uh saying he'll like put a sharp with a little sharpie on the with my name on it.
1:09
SPEAKER_04: I bought one, just uh just 43 bucks.
1:11
SPEAKER_04: He just said whatever I had on me.
1:12
SPEAKER_04: So 43 bucks.
1:15
SPEAKER_05: You were actually at the Texas High School Coaching Association, uh what are what I guess yearly meetings that they have in eastern Texas.
1:22
SPEAKER_05: How was your experience?
1:23
SPEAKER_05: What was how was it?
1:25
SPEAKER_04: You know, it was my first time going.
1:27
SPEAKER_04: It was it was fun, it was cool seeing all of these coaches in one place, particularly the ones that our audience are gonna be much more interested in.
1:36
SPEAKER_04: And that is your Texas Tech uh uh athletic staff in general.
1:41
SPEAKER_04: It wasn't just the football team, but a whole bunch of the uh football staff was there.
1:44
SPEAKER_04: I actually had some run-ins with some of them and uh and uh others were there as well.
1:48
SPEAKER_04: So it was really cool.
1:49
SPEAKER_04: Uh there was a gigantic Texas Tech presence in Houston because uh we were absolutely the most domineering staff on the the on the list there, uh because it uh every single day, top to bottom, every position, they had some somebody, Texas Tech, coming in and talking, particularly football.
2:10
SPEAKER_04: So which is really cool.
2:11
SPEAKER_04: Um, it's you know, obviously some other coaches made it in, but we were we were definitely the uh name that popped up the most.
2:19
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
2:20
SPEAKER_05: That's all I mean, that's what the staff does.
2:23
SPEAKER_05: They're Texas high school coaches that have been to coach college football.
2:25
SPEAKER_05: That's what Joey McGuire says.
2:27
SPEAKER_05: I think uh almost every member of this current staff has been a high school coach at one point or another.
2:33
SPEAKER_05: Um, guys like Kitty Perry, you ran into Coach Juice, um, Zach Kitley was there.
2:38
SPEAKER_05: I mean, just everybody from Texas Tech.
2:40
SPEAKER_05: Um, probably pretty cool to.
2:42
SPEAKER_05: I know you probably didn't get to listen to a lot of it, a lot of the football, you know, stuff, but you know, just seeing those guys meeting them.
2:48
SPEAKER_05: Um, you failed not getting any of them on the podcast.
2:51
SPEAKER_05: I'll never forgive you.
2:52
SPEAKER_05: But uh hey, probably pretty good experience.
2:54
SPEAKER_04: You know, it's kind of weird whenever whenever you're there, especially I wasn't there for football.
2:58
SPEAKER_04: I was there for the uh you if you want to be pretentious, the European football.
3:03
SPEAKER_04: Um the real football.
3:05
SPEAKER_04: The real the real football.
3:07
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I said that to all of them.
3:08
SPEAKER_04: They like that, they like that joke a lot.
3:10
SPEAKER_04: I'm sure they did.
3:11
SPEAKER_04: I'm sure.
3:12
SPEAKER_04: Uh it's kind of weird whenever you're there.
3:14
SPEAKER_04: Like it's because you almost feel like you're fanboying, you know, rather than just you know trying to say hey.
3:20
SPEAKER_04: So I don't want to take up too much of their time.
3:22
SPEAKER_04: Um, I just you know, in passing, if I saw them, I said hey.
3:25
SPEAKER_04: So um I even got to meet the main man himself.
3:28
SPEAKER_04: I got to uh uh say high hello to uh coach Joey McGuire.
3:32
SPEAKER_04: He is uh always hyped up to be, that's for dang sure.
3:35
SPEAKER_04: He was all over the place in that.
3:37
SPEAKER_04: Um just some dude uh that says let's go a ton.
3:42
SPEAKER_04: He wouldn't stop saying it.
3:44
SPEAKER_04: Um yeah, no, uh he was he was all over the place at the convention.
3:49
SPEAKER_04: Um, really the guy I actually got to talk to the most was Coach Juice.
3:53
SPEAKER_04: That dude emanates and radiates energy.
3:56
SPEAKER_04: He it's super nice, dude.
3:58
SPEAKER_04: Man, he he like the he just like stopped the world around him and just and spoke to me for a few minutes while I had him before he got on the elevator.
4:06
SPEAKER_04: Um, just super, super cool dude.
4:08
SPEAKER_04: Um, also ran coach uh Coach Perry as well.
4:11
SPEAKER_04: Um and you know, I I had breakfast a table over from Zach Kidley, so you could say that I was basically having breakfast with Zach Kidley.
4:19
SPEAKER_05: You should put that on your tombstone.
4:20
SPEAKER_05: Had breakfast kind of with Zach Kidley and Bachelor.
4:26
SPEAKER_04: She was uh I I'm I don't want to talk too ill of the young lady, uh, but Bachelor Star, Coach Bookbinder was there, was there as well, and Coach Cochran.
4:34
SPEAKER_04: So um just dude, like I said, top to bottom, red raiders everywhere.
4:38
SPEAKER_05: Wait a minute, Bookbinder wasn't Bachelor.
4:41
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, was no Bookbinder was he's the linebackers coach.
4:45
SPEAKER_05: Uh the quarterback's coach is uh is the guy.
4:48
SPEAKER_05: What's his name?
4:49
SPEAKER_05: What's his last name?
4:51
SPEAKER_05: I can't remember off the top of my head.
4:52
SPEAKER_05: Bookbinder.
4:53
SPEAKER_05: No, it's not.
4:54
SPEAKER_05: Bookbinder's the linebackers coach.
4:55
SPEAKER_05: I promise you.
4:56
SPEAKER_04: Do we need to edit this?
4:58
SPEAKER_05: No, we're okay.
4:59
SPEAKER_05: We're okay.
4:59
SPEAKER_05: We're grinding through this.
5:00
SPEAKER_05: What is his name?
5:01
SPEAKER_05: Now now I'm now I'm bothered.
5:04
SPEAKER_04: I'm pretty okay.
5:06
SPEAKER_04: Oh, hold on.
5:06
SPEAKER_05: Texas Tech coaching staff was Drew right.
5:10
SPEAKER_04: Bookbinder as a as a wife and kids, so it's definitely not him.
5:18
SPEAKER_05: Coach Bookbinder was not on the I completely redacted on that big time.
5:23
SPEAKER_04: I don't want to slander this poor man's name.
5:25
SPEAKER_04: He looks like he has a lovely family.
5:27
SPEAKER_04: Kirk Bryant.
5:28
SPEAKER_04: That's who it was.
5:29
SPEAKER_04: That's who it was.
5:30
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
5:31
SPEAKER_04: Okay, now that we've confirmed that number one bachelor star in our hearts.
5:39
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah, no doubt.
5:40
SPEAKER_05: Coach Bookfinder, number one bachelor star.
5:44
SPEAKER_05: No, he's uh uh but that's cool.
5:46
SPEAKER_05: Cool you got to experience that.
5:48
SPEAKER_05: Um, you know, always good to hear that the coaching staff, uh, you know, they're actually good people and not just a character that they put on for um, you know, the people, because I think that happens far too often with some of these college coaches.
6:00
SPEAKER_05: They have to put on a a smile and a nice face, but um, you know, it turns out they aren't very good people, but these are legitimately good people that we're dealing with on the Texas Tech football staff.
6:11
SPEAKER_04: 100% that's definitely a uh a group we'd want we want to buy into wholly, both on and off the field.
6:16
SPEAKER_04: So it was cool seeing it in person, you know.
6:18
SPEAKER_04: Um, and uh and also the the super commander in chief Kirby Hokett was there too.
6:22
SPEAKER_04: Um talked about you know transitioning from you know uh high school sports to athletic director of an entire high schedule high school, of an entire uh power five university.
6:32
SPEAKER_04: So that was pretty cool as well.
6:34
SPEAKER_05: Nice, nice.
6:35
SPEAKER_05: Well, we are talking plenty of things today, uh, not just Texas High School, but we're doing a running back deep dive.
6:42
SPEAKER_05: We did the quarterbacks last week.
6:43
SPEAKER_05: We're gonna do the running backs this week, um, trying to hit all the position groups before football season starts here in a short 46 days, 47 days, something like that.
6:52
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, it's all right.
6:53
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you could have said any day would be like, yeah.
6:56
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
6:58
SPEAKER_05: Uh we'll talk a little TBT because we got the uh the basketball tournament coming up here starting on Wednesday of this week.
7:05
SPEAKER_05: Uh Air Raiders, Texas Tech is a huge presence in this tournament.
7:08
SPEAKER_05: We actually have some games in Lubbock for all of you so lucky to attend and see some former Red Raiders.
7:14
SPEAKER_05: Good for you.
7:16
SPEAKER_05: Um, and then maybe what talk a little Big 12 media day here at the end?
7:19
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, it sounds good to me.
7:21
SPEAKER_05: All right, man.
7:21
SPEAKER_05: Let's start running back deep dive because this is a position group that has some turnover, has a little bit of change for the first time in a long time.
7:30
SPEAKER_05: Uh Sir Roderick Thompson is not gonna be on next year's team.
7:33
SPEAKER_05: He has been on the team since the 2018-19 season.
7:37
SPEAKER_05: So, first year without Roddy, not great, not fun, but we have some really good options here in this running back room, um, just as a whole.
7:47
SPEAKER_04: That's that's weird.
7:48
SPEAKER_04: I thought I thought Roddy was never gonna graduate.
7:50
SPEAKER_04: I thought he was there permanently.
7:52
SPEAKER_05: He was he was gonna be our version of Perry Ellis, and it just didn't happen.
7:56
SPEAKER_05: He went and got a combine opportunity.
7:58
SPEAKER_05: Don't think he got drafted, but he did get picked up at least for a training camp.
8:02
SPEAKER_05: So good luck to him, as always.
8:04
SPEAKER_04: Of course, he is he's uh definitely a star with that smile in our hearts.
8:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, but when we're talking about the running back room for Texas Tech next year, first guy you have to mention Taj Brooks.
8:14
SPEAKER_05: He's going into his fourth year at Texas Tech.
8:16
SPEAKER_05: Fourth year?
8:18
SPEAKER_05: Fourth year.
8:18
SPEAKER_05: I know it's what his first year was the COVID year.
8:21
SPEAKER_05: That was and his true freshman season was the COVID year.
8:25
SPEAKER_04: Wow, I didn't realize he had been here that long.
8:27
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, babyface killer himself, Taj Brooks, senior, 21 years old from Maynard, Texas, five foot 10, 230 pounds.
8:36
SPEAKER_05: So he's beefed up in his time at Texas Tech.
8:38
SPEAKER_05: Uh, definitely a bulldozer on uh at that running back's position.
8:43
SPEAKER_05: He does have because he did start during the COVID year, he does have two years of eligibility if he wants them.
8:48
SPEAKER_05: So this will not be technically his final year.
8:50
SPEAKER_05: It could be, uh, but he has the option to return for another year after this.
8:55
SPEAKER_04: So but what let's hope it's his last year in the best way possible.
9:00
SPEAKER_05: Well, no doubt.
9:01
SPEAKER_05: I think we got some good guys behind him.
9:03
SPEAKER_05: Obviously, uh we're gonna have to figure out a lot about these other running backs that we'll get to after we talk Taj, but um no, this having a guy as experienced as Taj Brooks coming back as your leading back with a lot of other teams in the Big 12 that lost what was their leading back last season.
9:19
SPEAKER_05: Deuce Vaughn's gone, Bijan Robinson's gone.
9:22
SPEAKER_05: You know, we have a real opportunity here to have probably possibly the best running back in the Big 12.
9:30
SPEAKER_04: You know, you know what kind of like stands out to me about this running back room more than any other position on the position group on the team is the word sneaky really comes to my head.
9:42
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, because we were on this, we were on a podcast, uh, we were on Jeff's uh uh Kimball, uh College and Kimball.
9:47
SPEAKER_04: Um did I say that one right?
9:49
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, college and kimball.
9:50
SPEAKER_05: They they haven't released the episode yet, but they're gonna do a Texas Tech kind of deep dive that we have done.
9:55
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and his you know, he he does a great job analyzing the teams before we come on.
9:59
SPEAKER_04: And he said that he he doesn't see a lot of uh production on that side of the ball for us.
10:04
SPEAKER_04: Uh, you know, he obviously thinks it's gonna be an offensive juggernaut, but just not in the running back position.
10:09
SPEAKER_04: And you know, you and I push back a little bit just be, but I think that's solely because we're the it we're insiders in the sense that we follow the team.
10:16
SPEAKER_04: Um uh so we were much higher on the running backs than seems outsiders are.
10:22
SPEAKER_04: You know, some media are giving him a little love, like a lot of people are kind of picking him to be you know one of the best running backs in the Big 12.
10:28
SPEAKER_04: But generally, I think this is a position group that most people are overlooking, which is fair as a Texas Tech football team.
10:34
SPEAKER_04: It's you can kind of default on some things with Texas Tech, and not paying attention to the running back is certainly one of them.
10:41
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no doubt.
10:42
SPEAKER_05: And and with Taj Brooks, especially, you're looking at a guy who has increased his total yardage every single year, increased his touchdowns every single year.
10:51
SPEAKER_05: He's only lost one fumble in his collegiate career, and that was last year.
10:55
SPEAKER_05: Um, so with Taj Brooks, you get an experience, a reliable back that's always gonna get you positive yardage.
11:03
SPEAKER_05: Um, not gonna turn the ball over.
11:05
SPEAKER_05: I mean, it 29 games, one fumble.
11:08
SPEAKER_05: That's pretty good, uh if I do say so myself.
11:11
SPEAKER_05: Um let's talk about let's talk about kind of his whole career at Texas Tech.
11:15
SPEAKER_05: So, like I mentioned earlier, 2020 COVID season, uh had to kind of get thrown into the fire.
11:21
SPEAKER_05: I mean, he played in four games, uh, or he played in seven games, four games, he had 12 plus carries as a true freshman.
11:27
SPEAKER_05: That doesn't happen very often.
11:28
SPEAKER_05: He's still splitting duties with Sir Roger Thompson, Xavier White.
11:32
SPEAKER_05: Um, that's pretty good good catch there.
11:37
SPEAKER_05: Uh mostly used in kind of short yardage situations with uh very, very light receiving work.
11:45
SPEAKER_05: Uh best game was against Baylor, which we attended.
11:48
SPEAKER_05: We were there for that Baylor game that he what a game that was.
11:51
SPEAKER_05: I it was uh 48 yards, two touchdowns.
11:54
SPEAKER_05: Terrible game 24-23 win, John Garabay with the game winning field goal.
12:00
SPEAKER_05: Um, one to remember, if I do say so myself.
12:03
SPEAKER_04: Um it was indeed.
12:04
SPEAKER_04: That was the Colton Schooler.
12:06
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that was playing like that was when Schooler ruined Charlie Brewer.
12:11
SPEAKER_05: That was fantastic.
12:12
SPEAKER_05: What a I never again.
12:14
SPEAKER_05: That tackle, actual boom in the stadium.
12:17
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
12:19
SPEAKER_05: But uh going into 2021, his true sophomore year, production very much ramped up for Taj.
12:26
SPEAKER_05: Um, led Texas tech in rushing yards.
12:29
SPEAKER_05: Um, really no production in the passing game.
12:32
SPEAKER_05: Was not used uh very well in the final year of Matt Wells uh and into you know Sonny Cumby that that wacky year.
12:39
SPEAKER_05: Um opened up the season really well against U of H and Stephen F.
12:43
SPEAKER_05: Austin in a game that we don't like to remember.
12:45
SPEAKER_05: Um 134 yards, two touchdowns against U of H, and then followed it up with 103 yards, two touchdowns against Stephen F.
12:52
SPEAKER_05: Austin.
12:53
SPEAKER_05: Um, wouldn't hit another 100-plus yard outing until the Liberty Bowl against Mississippi State.
12:59
SPEAKER_05: Um kind of injured throughout the year.
13:02
SPEAKER_05: He missed four games, um, still led the team in rushing, which is wild to think about.
13:06
SPEAKER_05: Um, season totals had about 461 yards, six touchdowns, no fumbles.
13:11
SPEAKER_05: Taj, his first two years, we thought, or at least I thought, was going to be a star.
13:18
SPEAKER_05: Like I'm talking about a star.
13:20
SPEAKER_05: And for him to get thrown into the fire, get the experience that he needed, um, I think the injury kind of affected him, and he couldn't really reach that potential that I thought he would those first two years.
13:31
SPEAKER_04: So, I mean, basically everything you laid out is I mean, what more could you want from a running back?
13:36
SPEAKER_04: Especially when you're breaking down um the amount of yards this guy's able to get, especially since you know, you're like you said, this guy's always going to get you positive yards and he never turns the ball over.
13:44
SPEAKER_04: Like, and obviously, the what's beautiful about a running back is it's usually usually the safest way to gain yards.
13:49
SPEAKER_04: So to get those kinds of uh numbers there, I mean, really what more could you ask?
13:54
SPEAKER_04: And I I think I think I'm starting to kind of buy in to your sneaky prediction that you know we may have the best running back in the Big 12 on our hands.
14:01
SPEAKER_05: It could be.
14:02
SPEAKER_05: And Taj, I just think is so reliable.
14:05
SPEAKER_05: He's gonna be uh he's a guy in 2022 that doubled his production from being the leading rusher on Texas Tech to then doubling that production the very next year.
14:16
SPEAKER_05: Um, he did only hit the 100 plus yard mark in one game, but again, Sir Roderick Thompson had a phenomenal year last year.
14:23
SPEAKER_05: He was awesome.
14:24
SPEAKER_05: Um, his receiving, I think the the biggest thing about Taj last year was his receiving ramped up a little bit.
14:30
SPEAKER_05: Um, you know, when Zach Kidley came in as the offensive coordinator, people were not expecting us to really use running backs.
14:37
SPEAKER_05: And Taj still played his way onto the field, um, learned to be better in the past game, um, even caught a touchdown or two uh in that.
14:47
SPEAKER_05: But um I I Taj is too good to not play.
14:51
SPEAKER_05: That's what he showed last year.
14:53
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
14:54
SPEAKER_04: Um, but whenever I'm kind of if if my memory is serving right, like whilst Rodric was awesome, it really felt like we were playing multiple backs.
15:02
SPEAKER_04: Like you really you still saw Taj on the field.
15:04
SPEAKER_04: Do you do you see that moving forward into this season?
15:07
SPEAKER_04: Us splitting any time with uh with anybody else in the in the in the locker room room, or do you think it's gonna be really the Taj show?
15:13
SPEAKER_05: No, I don't think Taj Brooks is a three-down back.
15:16
SPEAKER_05: I don't think he's going to be on the field for uh he will be on the field the majority of the time.
15:20
SPEAKER_05: He's not gonna be on the field all the time.
15:22
SPEAKER_05: We have a lot of good players, granted, young players that haven't proven much, but players that I think this coaching staff trusts and that we're gonna get to here in a bit.
15:30
SPEAKER_05: But um, no, Todd Taj, the thing about him, this is going to be his first year without Serrator.
15:36
SPEAKER_05: He's not splitting carries with him.
15:38
SPEAKER_05: This and that's gonna be a change for him because teams plan, they're two completely different type of running backs.
15:45
SPEAKER_05: But with Taj, you just know that you're gonna get that production, you're gonna get two yards, you're gonna get three yards if you need it.
15:52
SPEAKER_05: Um, and he's behind a better O-line, and what I think is going to be his best O-line at Texas Tech going into this year.
15:59
SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
16:00
SPEAKER_04: I mean, that's that's definitely a uh, you know, a big point of contention when we're talking about quarterbacks last week is uh how how well is the O-line gonna hold up too?
16:07
SPEAKER_04: It's obviously not just for the quarterback.
16:08
SPEAKER_04: So uh, what we can do to elevate these guys, you know, get to get those yardages and uh just really boost up the numbers.
16:14
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think though there is one more thing to hit on with Taj, and that's a lot of people are asking the question do they think he's going to be a thousand yard rusher this year?
16:23
SPEAKER_05: He hasn't had a thousand yards in his in any season at Texas Tech.
16:27
SPEAKER_05: His highest was last year, and it was 601 with seven touchdowns.
16:31
SPEAKER_05: Um, and with the way Kitley plays, no, I'm gonna say that Taj is not gonna be a hundred or a thousand-yard rusher, but what I think he's going to be somewhere in the range of about a hundred or eight hundred and fifty yards, 10 touchdowns on the year.
16:45
SPEAKER_05: Uh, but I think he is going to be more involved in the receiving game and uh probably hit the 200, 300 yard mark in that area.
16:52
SPEAKER_05: So um if Taj Brooks isn't a thousand-yard rusher, it's not a bad thing.
16:56
SPEAKER_05: It's just I think it says more about who Cameron Valdez is gonna be um as a running back here at Texas Tech.
17:04
SPEAKER_04: You think it says more about the running back room or just the offense we run?
17:08
SPEAKER_05: Uh a little bit of both.
17:09
SPEAKER_05: A little bit of both.
17:11
SPEAKER_04: With with the thousand with with rushing a thousand yards, it feels like you'd either just need to be, you know, like you said earlier, a three-down back, or you need to be a really ground pounding team.
17:19
SPEAKER_04: And that's just never ever.
17:20
SPEAKER_04: I don't think you'll ever see a Texas Tech team that's a ground pounding team.
17:23
SPEAKER_05: No.
17:24
SPEAKER_04: So I just I don't know if you could ever itch out numbers like that.
17:26
SPEAKER_04: Can I I don't want to put you on the spot.
17:28
SPEAKER_04: Can you recall the last time a running back has done that at Texas Tech, if ever?
17:32
SPEAKER_05: I don't know.
17:33
SPEAKER_05: It will I don't think Sir Roderick hit a thousand.
17:35
SPEAKER_05: If he did, it was maybe barely over.
17:38
SPEAKER_05: Um, but definitely not in the recent future.
17:41
SPEAKER_05: Uh, probably DeAndre Washington.
17:42
SPEAKER_05: That was probably the same.
17:43
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I was gonna say if it's gonna be somebody's gonna be DeAndre Washington.
17:46
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I imagine.
17:47
SPEAKER_05: I mean, Sir Roderick may have done it, so apologies to him if he did, but um, no, I I think DeAndre was probably your last like three-down guy that's going to be in every single play, no matter what, unless he's hurt.
17:59
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that guy was insane.
18:00
SPEAKER_04: That guy was speculative.
18:01
SPEAKER_04: He was awesome.
18:02
SPEAKER_05: He was awesome.
18:02
SPEAKER_05: He was a Big 12 leading rusher.
18:04
SPEAKER_05: I mean, in some of those down years, he was just fantastic.
18:07
SPEAKER_04: All right.
18:07
SPEAKER_04: Uh, I know where this is we were talking about our our main, my our main new dude, Taj Brooks, but I just pulled it up.
18:13
SPEAKER_04: Uh DeAndre Washington pulled off two consecutive a thousand yard seasons.
18:18
SPEAKER_04: So he was that guy was crazy.
18:21
SPEAKER_05: He was so good.
18:22
SPEAKER_05: Uh missed DeAndre very much.
18:24
SPEAKER_05: Let's talk about the other guys in this room.
18:27
SPEAKER_05: Cameron Valdez, red shirt sophomore, 20 years old from Rockdale, Texas.
18:32
SPEAKER_05: Five foot nine, two hundred and five pounds.
18:34
SPEAKER_05: So kind of on the lighter side of most running backs, but definitely when you think of him, it's explosive.
18:39
SPEAKER_05: He's speedy, he can get around.
18:41
SPEAKER_05: Uh, think Sir Roger Thompson.
18:42
SPEAKER_05: I mean, Sir Roderick was much bigger, but he was just as explosive.
18:46
SPEAKER_05: Um, three years of eligibility left.
18:48
SPEAKER_05: Um, kind of spent the last two years at Texas Tech, not really playing much.
18:51
SPEAKER_05: Um, this dude had offers out of high school from Arizona State, Arkansas, Iowa State, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Old Miss, TCU, Utah, West Virginia.
19:01
SPEAKER_05: I mean, just insane offer list when you're looking at it.
19:05
SPEAKER_05: Um, he was a four-star at some sites, he was a three-star at other sites.
19:09
SPEAKER_05: Um 2021, true freshman year, didn't play.
19:12
SPEAKER_05: Uh, red-shirted, I think he appeared in a couple games.
19:15
SPEAKER_05: Uh, 2022, didn't play a lot, but he did appear in four games.
19:20
SPEAKER_05: Uh, biggest of which was at TCU.
19:22
SPEAKER_05: He only rushed three times, but it was for 71 yards uh for a cool like 23 yards a carry, you know, just uh easy stuff.
19:30
SPEAKER_05: Uh but I mean, you look at those explosive plays, you look at the Kansas game where he had 11 carries for 66 yards.
19:39
SPEAKER_05: He is going to be a dude, and he is my biggest breakout candidate for Texas Tech this year.
19:46
SPEAKER_04: You see it happening this year?
19:47
SPEAKER_04: Because I mean, where are you?
19:48
SPEAKER_04: You're you're really talking about a big age gap now.
19:51
SPEAKER_04: I mean, uh, what two, three years at this point?
19:55
SPEAKER_04: So I mean, it's great to have that sort of youth, but man, that that is that is a veteran C drop-off from Taj to him.
20:02
SPEAKER_04: So that's something to kind of keep your eye on, I guess.
20:04
SPEAKER_04: Um, but I mean, where we were listening off names like that, uh, where he could have gone, some real schools that rely on the running much more than us.
20:12
SPEAKER_04: So I'm really excited to see what he can do.
20:14
SPEAKER_04: I mean, uh obviously a name not not many of us are gonna be too familiar with yet, but I do hope it changes the season, like you just said.
20:20
SPEAKER_04: I hope he's gonna be a breakout candidate and really back up Taj there.
20:23
SPEAKER_04: Uh, because obviously, like you just said, I mean, he can't do it alone.
20:26
SPEAKER_04: So uh it'll be interesting to see how this kind of this guy develops going forward because obviously this won't be his last year with us either, because he'll be the next Taj, hopefully, right?
20:34
SPEAKER_05: Hopefully, yeah.
20:35
SPEAKER_05: Hopefully so.
20:36
SPEAKER_05: I I the the thing that makes me so keen on him Joey McGuire, Kenny Perry, Zach Kiddley, all three of those guys mentioned him at different times during spring ball this year, of just a guy who's really coming along as a real weapon.
20:48
SPEAKER_05: And he's going to get the production because Zach Kidley, like we've said, does not want a three-down guy.
20:54
SPEAKER_05: He wants to some variety, he wants some explosiveness, he wants to involve them in the passing game in this running back room.
21:00
SPEAKER_05: Um, we haven't seen uh Cameron involved at all in the passing game.
21:05
SPEAKER_05: I don't think he's caught a pass at Texas Tech yet, but again, he just hasn't really had the snaps to do it.
21:10
SPEAKER_05: So um this this is a guy who I expect to be a huge contributor to the offense this year.
21:19
SPEAKER_05: Where'd you say he was out of again?
21:21
SPEAKER_05: Uh Rockdale.
21:23
SPEAKER_04: Rockdale.
21:24
SPEAKER_05: All right, Texas.
21:26
SPEAKER_04: I know we have a I do and I know we have a local boy on the team, right?
21:29
SPEAKER_04: And he's he's further down the list.
21:32
SPEAKER_05: We have uh uh we have a Tyler, Texas, and a Wichita Falls, Texas.
21:36
SPEAKER_04: Oh, my bad.
21:37
SPEAKER_04: I thought I thought we had a local boy.
21:38
SPEAKER_05: I don't think not on not in the running back room.
21:40
SPEAKER_04: I gotcha, gotcha.
21:41
SPEAKER_04: Well, yeah, man.
21:42
SPEAKER_04: Uh I I don't know if there's too much to s more to say about him.
21:45
SPEAKER_04: I he is a guy that you know has been brought up by the coaches, like you just said.
21:48
SPEAKER_04: Um, but uh you know, as you get further down into these uh further down this roster, especially since you know we were replacing our starter, we just haven't seen these guys too much.
21:57
SPEAKER_04: So it's hard to say much of anything now, but um I mean, those numbers speak for themselves.
22:01
SPEAKER_04: If we can get a guy that's, you know, a wicked explosive out of the gate there, I think that, you know, maybe we will be uh resorting to the running much more than people expect.
22:12
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, but uh yes, we haven't seen these guys play, but there is a lot of talent.
22:17
SPEAKER_05: And it starts, I mean, at the top with Taj, but even with these younger guys, guys like Bryson Donald, red shirt freshman, uh, 19 years old from Tyler.
22:26
SPEAKER_05: He's five foot ten, two twenty.
22:27
SPEAKER_05: Like he's a big, big back for his age.
22:30
SPEAKER_05: Four years of eligibility left for him.
22:32
SPEAKER_05: Um, offers out of high school from Colorado, Arkansas, Houston, Kansas.
22:36
SPEAKER_05: I mean, he has names that wanted him.
22:38
SPEAKER_05: He's gonna get some run this year.
22:40
SPEAKER_05: Um, whether it's a lot, uh, whether it's due to injuries, I just think he's gonna play his way uh to some snaps this year.
22:47
SPEAKER_05: Um, he's just too big.
22:49
SPEAKER_05: He's got good speeds, good, good speed, good size.
22:52
SPEAKER_05: Um, showed kind of a glimpse of what he can do against West Virginia last season.
22:56
SPEAKER_05: He had eight carries for 6.1 yards a carry.
22:59
SPEAKER_05: So uh, and that was as a true freshman.
23:01
SPEAKER_05: So, you know, we we have some some younger players that could make an impact.
23:06
SPEAKER_05: So and he did not redshirt last season, then he did redshirt.
23:09
SPEAKER_05: I mean, yeah, he didn't play four games.
23:11
SPEAKER_05: Four games, I think, is the rule.
23:12
SPEAKER_05: So he appeared in two.
23:14
SPEAKER_05: Um, the the last guy to talk about is Anquan Willis, true freshman, 18 from Wichita Falls.
23:21
SPEAKER_05: Um, biggest back on the roster already as a true freshman.
23:25
SPEAKER_05: He's massive.
23:26
SPEAKER_05: He's six foot, he's 220 pounds already.
23:30
SPEAKER_05: Um Lord.
23:31
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, could potentially be a player if some injuries occur this year.
23:34
SPEAKER_05: Uh, but you know, yeah, I gotta look out for in the future.
23:38
SPEAKER_05: Not not gonna play much unless uh we get some devastating injuries, but um yeah, it just fun, good, good running backs to have on the back end for the future.
23:47
SPEAKER_04: Do you think we can expect the redshirt on that one?
23:49
SPEAKER_04: This last this last one.
23:50
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I would hope so, you know.
23:52
SPEAKER_04: I I would hope so too.
23:53
SPEAKER_04: Especially with all the uh the redshirt talk the coaches have been saying lately, right?
23:56
SPEAKER_04: You know, with with some really talented dudes, too.
23:59
SPEAKER_04: So as long as he can hold on to those guys, develop them, you know, keep them committed to the program.
24:03
SPEAKER_04: Um better, he can't replace veterancy, you know.
24:05
SPEAKER_04: So I mean you can you can only do so much with the portal in that sense, but uh it's it's it you can't replace the guy that's been in the same program for that long.
24:12
SPEAKER_04: So um, yeah, man, that's that's that's really exciting, especially, you know, uh talking about offensive weapons is obviously some of the most things uh most fun things you can talk about in these in these talks.
24:21
SPEAKER_04: But um it'll be interesting to see how these guys break out because it's just it's not like talking about the receivers, just we don't know a ton about these guys yet.
24:29
SPEAKER_04: So um you know you usually only see one at a time anyway.
24:32
SPEAKER_04: So it'll be it'll be interesting to see how the season goes with them.
24:35
SPEAKER_05: I would bet a lot of money, and we'll probably have a hot takes uh, you know, what what we think is gonna happen for football season before it starts, but I I'm putting a lot of stock in Cameron Valdez Island.
24:45
SPEAKER_05: I think that dude is gonna be awesome.
24:47
SPEAKER_05: Don't don't like jinx him, bro.
24:50
SPEAKER_05: No, I think he's gonna be really good.
24:51
SPEAKER_05: I have a lot of confidence in him.
24:52
SPEAKER_05: I mean, all right.
24:53
SPEAKER_05: Well, well that that's gonna be jinxed from a bum ass podcast like ours.
24:58
SPEAKER_05: We got some big problems.
25:03
SPEAKER_05: All right, man.
25:04
SPEAKER_05: That was the deep dive for running backs.
25:06
SPEAKER_05: Only four guys in the unit this year.
25:08
SPEAKER_05: Um, you know, just some good backups.
25:10
SPEAKER_05: You're again, this is a high-powered passing offense.
25:13
SPEAKER_05: You're not gonna use them a ton, but look to see them in the passing game.
25:16
SPEAKER_05: It'll be fun.
25:17
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
25:17
SPEAKER_04: Um, do you remember the last time we had a guy uh drafted?
25:22
SPEAKER_04: Was it DeAndre?
25:23
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, DeAndre was drafted.
25:24
SPEAKER_05: He was like six rounds, I think.
25:26
SPEAKER_05: Fifth or sixth round.
25:27
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, fifth round.
25:28
SPEAKER_05: I don't I don't want to give him that, give him more credit than what he deserves.
25:32
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, absolutely.
25:34
SPEAKER_05: He had a semi-decent, you know, NFL career, played for the Raiders for a few years.
25:39
SPEAKER_05: And uh, you know, running backs just unfortunately, we're seeing it.
25:42
SPEAKER_05: This is actually a pretty hot topic in the NFL.
25:45
SPEAKER_05: Uh, the running back position, if you're getting into football, don't be running back.
25:49
SPEAKER_05: You're just even if you make it to the top level, you're not getting paid.
25:52
SPEAKER_05: You're replaced ease most easily to replace on a football team.
25:57
SPEAKER_05: Um, but we love these guys no matter what.
26:00
SPEAKER_04: No, absolutely.
26:03
SPEAKER_04: Shelf life in the uh NFL in that position.
26:05
SPEAKER_05: Definitely, it's tough.
26:06
SPEAKER_05: Um TBT coming to Lovick, Texas.
26:10
SPEAKER_05: The basketball tournament.
26:12
SPEAKER_05: We love to see it.
26:13
SPEAKER_05: Air Raiders.
26:14
SPEAKER_04: I was about to say, you're talking about our air raiders?
26:16
SPEAKER_05: Air Raiders.
26:18
SPEAKER_05: TBT.
26:19
SPEAKER_05: This is awesome, dude.
26:20
SPEAKER_05: Love's hosting.
26:21
SPEAKER_04: It's like it's like Christmas, man.
26:23
SPEAKER_04: You get you get on Twitter and you see all these faces that you're you're uh completely and utterly in love with, and your heart just beats fast, and you just you get you're mesmerized by the sight of how handsome they are, you know.
26:36
SPEAKER_05: Okay, all right.
26:36
SPEAKER_05: You're going a little healthy.
26:40
SPEAKER_04: How good it is to see them again, you know?
26:43
SPEAKER_05: It's gonna be so much fun.
26:45
SPEAKER_05: Just you.
26:46
SPEAKER_05: Just you.
26:46
SPEAKER_05: It's gonna be so much fun to see all these guys back.
26:49
SPEAKER_05: It's been fun seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff.
26:51
SPEAKER_05: I think uh uh Coach Mac just did kind of an interview with uh John Roberson and Ronald Ross, some Red Raider basketball legends.
26:59
SPEAKER_05: Um, full roster.
27:01
SPEAKER_05: We're looking at Matt Mooney, pretty pretty good Red Raider.
27:05
SPEAKER_05: Uh Davide Moretti, again, pretty good Red Rator.
27:08
SPEAKER_05: Uh Davion Warren, who had you know a great season in a tenure that we're probably gonna forget, uh, unfortunately, with the head coach, but we won't forget that team.
27:18
SPEAKER_05: They were very good.
27:19
SPEAKER_05: Uh John Roberson, like I mentioned, Todd Gotcher, uh, a guy when we came in, the goat.
27:26
SPEAKER_05: We love Toddy when we love Toddy.
27:28
SPEAKER_05: The 2014, uh, we we came in in tech in 2014, and Toddy was the guy, and it was so much fun watching him play.
27:36
SPEAKER_05: Um, Zach Smith, high flyer, another guy.
27:39
SPEAKER_05: Yes, he's he's killing it with the afro.
27:42
SPEAKER_05: Um uh no, forgive me.
27:44
SPEAKER_05: Uh we again we went in 2014, so we don't know some of the guys before this.
27:48
SPEAKER_05: Uh Dayan Kravitz, I think is how you say his name.
27:52
SPEAKER_05: Uh, bigger, bigger fella.
27:54
SPEAKER_04: Uh it's a good effort, either way.
27:56
SPEAKER_05: I think it's all right.
27:57
SPEAKER_05: I think I got it.
27:58
SPEAKER_05: Uh Parker Hicks, who is coaching, I believe, in Lubbock High School right now, was on that sick, he was on that 2019 Final Four run.
28:08
SPEAKER_05: Tariq Owens, all-time leader in blocks in a season for Texas Tech, is going to play.
28:13
SPEAKER_05: And Jordan Tolbert, another uh kind of older school.
28:16
SPEAKER_05: So we got we got a squad.
28:17
SPEAKER_05: This is stacked.
28:18
SPEAKER_05: We got a squad.
28:19
SPEAKER_05: And I think a lot of them are pretty young.
28:21
SPEAKER_05: And I didn't mention this last guy because I would this is the big topic to talk about on this podcast.
28:27
SPEAKER_05: Tyler Edwards is playing for the Air Raiders.
28:31
SPEAKER_05: Um I'm okay with it.
28:32
SPEAKER_05: I'm cool with it.
28:33
SPEAKER_05: Everybody seems to be okay with it.
28:35
SPEAKER_05: I'm fine with it.
28:37
SPEAKER_05: Um, I thought it could be a little saltier than that.
28:39
SPEAKER_05: No, I thought he had a rant ready to go.
28:42
SPEAKER_04: You look like you're loading up back there.
28:44
SPEAKER_05: I don't have a rant.
28:45
SPEAKER_05: I don't have a rant.
28:46
SPEAKER_05: Look, he left during a coaching change.
28:48
SPEAKER_05: Uh, now that we know kind of how Mark Adams was as a head coach, you don't really blame the guy for leaving.
28:54
SPEAKER_05: Um he transferred to Houston.
28:58
SPEAKER_05: That's never good.
28:59
SPEAKER_05: Um But that's when they were the American team.
29:02
SPEAKER_04: I know.
29:03
SPEAKER_04: It's not like going to a Big 12 team.
29:05
SPEAKER_05: It's always gonna be the way he left.
29:07
SPEAKER_05: It's always gonna be the posting the I'm coming back and then deleting it and then transferring to Houston.
29:12
SPEAKER_05: I don't blame a guy for going to leave uh our situation to go and being coached by Kelvin Sampson.
29:17
SPEAKER_05: I'm not gonna blame him.
29:19
SPEAKER_05: Um, it's gonna be good seeing Kyler in the red and black again.
29:24
SPEAKER_04: Agreed.
29:24
SPEAKER_04: You know, I I feel like most of us have kind of forgotten about it already, the whole transferring out and all that.
29:29
SPEAKER_04: Um I think I think it's good.
29:30
SPEAKER_04: And it's it's really cool to see this group.
29:33
SPEAKER_04: This is like a if if they were like in their prime, we'd be looking at a pretty dang all-star basketball team right now.
29:38
SPEAKER_05: We still got some dudes.
29:40
SPEAKER_05: I mean, some of these guys are playing summer league, you know.
29:42
SPEAKER_05: Tariq was playing summer league.
29:43
SPEAKER_05: So uh Matt Mooney's got a good career going on overseas.
29:46
SPEAKER_05: David, you know, Kyler, all those guys.
29:49
SPEAKER_04: Maybe I'm selling short.
29:50
SPEAKER_04: Maybe I just have in my head that like this TBT is a lot of lot of dudes that have unfortunately developed uh beer guts due to being out of the being out of college for 10 years and are just like, heck yeah, I'll come play.
30:02
SPEAKER_04: Give me place up the place up the sneaks.
30:05
SPEAKER_04: Honey, grab the sneaks for me.
30:07
SPEAKER_04: You know, like it's like that's what I picture in my head.
30:09
SPEAKER_04: Don't forget to stretch.
30:12
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
30:14
SPEAKER_05: Can you pick up some milk on the way back?
30:17
SPEAKER_05: No, this is a this is a good team full of good 20, still 20-year-old players.
30:22
SPEAKER_05: I mean, these guys aren't ancient.
30:23
SPEAKER_05: Uh, it's gonna be fun.
30:25
SPEAKER_05: It's fun seeing it's like seeing just old Red Raider teams.
30:29
SPEAKER_05: Like you always think about, oh, what if Tariq played with uh Cyr Smith or what if yeah, Matt Mooney played with uh Kyler Edwards, or or I guess he did play with Kyler Edwards, if he played with John Roberson or some of these other Texas Tech greats, um it's it's awesome.
30:43
SPEAKER_05: Uh, we got a good um good kind of group in the Lubbock regional, I guess.
30:47
SPEAKER_05: Where's you know Keenan's hurt?
30:50
SPEAKER_05: He uh he unfortunately I think he tore his Achilles um when he was playing this year, and he's like seven months into recovery.
30:58
SPEAKER_05: But I think Keenan he was there.
31:00
SPEAKER_05: Um I think he's been in Lubbock pretty recently, along with Norrence and uh Jarrett Colver's been there too.
31:05
SPEAKER_05: So yeah, yeah, Norrence is there like right now.
31:07
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, yeah.
31:08
SPEAKER_05: They're all I mean, they're all there.
31:09
SPEAKER_05: No, I don't think he's playing.
31:11
SPEAKER_05: I don't think he's playing.
31:12
SPEAKER_05: Uh none of those guys, the guys that I listed off are the ones that are playing.
31:15
SPEAKER_05: Jarrett's not playing, but um Davide, I was surprised to see Davide going coming back and playing.
31:21
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that's awesome.
31:22
SPEAKER_05: Flying in Italy to lace up.
31:24
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, love the Italian stallion.
31:26
SPEAKER_05: Um, this is this is kind of the teams in the regional, the Lubbock, uh, the Lubbock regional at the United Supermarkets arena.
31:34
SPEAKER_05: Um, you got Bleed Green, which is the mean green alumni, uh over there in North Texas.
31:40
SPEAKER_05: You got HBCU United, which is of course the HBCU team.
31:45
SPEAKER_05: Um, the Enchantment, I'm not sure.
31:47
SPEAKER_05: Some of these teams are just like uh, you know, a group of guys getting together and playing.
31:51
SPEAKER_05: Uh Austin's own, which is the UT alumni.
31:57
SPEAKER_05: Gross.
31:57
SPEAKER_05: Uh, yeah, gross.
31:59
SPEAKER_05: Seeing some of those names, you're like, ew, no, is Avery Benson there?
32:03
SPEAKER_05: Not the GOAT Avery Benson is not playing uh for Austin Zone.
32:10
SPEAKER_05: But you see, like Kerwin Roach and uh Cam Ridley, some of those older players from like the mid-2010s.
32:16
SPEAKER_05: Um, so though they're probably your biggest competition, to be quite honest, is Austin's own.
32:21
SPEAKER_05: Um, in the lab.
32:24
SPEAKER_05: What's that about?
32:25
SPEAKER_05: They might be good.
32:26
SPEAKER_05: I don't know.
32:26
SPEAKER_05: How good are the North Texas alumni?
32:28
SPEAKER_05: I don't know.
32:29
SPEAKER_04: You're either gonna come in hot like mad about the Castlin.
32:32
SPEAKER_04: I bet they're very upset about that.
32:33
SPEAKER_04: They're wanting some revenge.
32:34
SPEAKER_04: So why they're coming, they're looking for blood.
32:37
SPEAKER_05: They are the two seed, so I they obviously think pretty high.
32:41
SPEAKER_05: There's a seeding system to this, yeah.
32:43
SPEAKER_04: Number one seed, baby.
32:45
SPEAKER_04: How do they decide that?
32:46
SPEAKER_04: What is that about?
32:47
SPEAKER_04: They could do some pickup in the back real quick.
32:52
SPEAKER_05: They look at who's actually still playing basketball professionally, and they say, okay, number one, boom.
32:59
SPEAKER_05: Um, in the lab, don't know who's that team, what that team's about.
33:04
SPEAKER_05: Rise and grind.
33:05
SPEAKER_05: Uh, I'm thinking Memphis alumni potentially.
33:08
SPEAKER_05: I don't know why that's why would that be Memphis?
33:10
SPEAKER_05: Rise and grind, grit and grind.
33:12
SPEAKER_05: That's that was the Memphis Grizzlies.
33:14
SPEAKER_05: They may adopt that to be the university.
33:16
SPEAKER_05: I know the University of Memphis has an alumni group in this TBT, but I don't know if this is it.
33:22
SPEAKER_05: Um, and then Purple Hearts, which is normally the it's the team actually, the Air Raiders are playing in game one.
33:27
SPEAKER_05: Uh, you hate to lose to them because they're playing, they're playing for a very good cause.
33:32
SPEAKER_05: Uh oh no, but no, I mean they're the is that the troops?
33:36
SPEAKER_05: I don't know if it's the troops.
33:38
SPEAKER_05: I think it's like cancer uh or something like that.
33:41
SPEAKER_05: Well, if it's purple hearts, it'd be like that'd be for vets.
33:43
SPEAKER_05: I don't know.
33:44
SPEAKER_05: It may be, I don't know.
33:45
SPEAKER_05: But we're playing against the cause, which is always unfortunate.
33:48
SPEAKER_05: That's like oh my god, it's like playing army, navy, and air force and like football or basketball.
33:52
SPEAKER_05: You're like, oh darn it, we gotta beat the troops.
34:00
SPEAKER_05: So we'll see.
34:01
SPEAKER_05: We'll see how it goes.
34:02
SPEAKER_05: I think we'll beat the purple hearts.
34:04
SPEAKER_05: We actually have some really, really good players on this team.
34:06
SPEAKER_05: We have a shot at actually winning this thing.
34:08
SPEAKER_04: So, I mean, you win, it's they're playing for like what, like a half a million dollars or something.
34:15
SPEAKER_04: A million dollars.
34:16
SPEAKER_05: A million dollars.
34:17
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, winner gets a million dollars.
34:18
SPEAKER_04: Split up amongst the boys, or is it for a cause?
34:21
SPEAKER_05: No, yeah, well, it's probably split amongst the boys.
34:23
SPEAKER_05: I mean, yeah.
34:25
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, and they have the assistant coaches, they have like GMs.
34:29
SPEAKER_05: Like we had last year on the podcast, we had Andrew Sorels, who's still the GM of this year's team.
34:34
SPEAKER_05: Um, you know, coming on.
34:36
SPEAKER_04: And uh how did Andrew not convince Norren's to do this?
34:39
SPEAKER_05: I I don't think Norren's wants to do this.
34:41
SPEAKER_05: Like, I think Norren's is kind of like he's doing other things, he's gonna show up.
34:45
SPEAKER_05: I don't know if he wanted to commit to the whole thing.
34:47
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, but no, he's still an all-time red raider, by the way.
34:50
SPEAKER_05: Oh, of course.
34:51
SPEAKER_05: Uh but no, check it out.
34:52
SPEAKER_05: Wednesday's the first game.
34:54
SPEAKER_05: Right, uh, air raiders are on at 8 p.m.
34:57
SPEAKER_05: Um ESPN Plus.
34:58
SPEAKER_05: So you're gonna show all of them.
35:00
SPEAKER_04: So let's go.
35:01
SPEAKER_05: Check it out, and then round uh next round will be on Friday, the 21st, and then the championship of the Lubbock Regional will be on the 23rd, and that's gonna determine who goes on to like the sweet 16 of this tournament.
35:15
SPEAKER_04: That sounds like prime live tweeting territory.
35:18
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no, we're adding unfortunately.
35:21
SPEAKER_05: I have an event tomorrow.
35:22
SPEAKER_05: Uh what?
35:23
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that the wife is dragging me to, but uh hopefully we'll be out of it.
35:26
SPEAKER_04: Okay, what is more important than watching us beat on what could be the troops?
35:29
SPEAKER_05: It's something for the firm.
35:31
SPEAKER_05: It's uh we got we gotta dress up all nice and fancy, so it's it's important.
35:35
SPEAKER_05: You gotta show up.
35:36
SPEAKER_05: She's married to you, dude.
35:37
SPEAKER_04: Like they like you're you add zero value to whatever she's bringing to that event.
35:42
SPEAKER_05: It's true.
35:43
SPEAKER_05: That's why I'm just dragged along, you know.
35:46
SPEAKER_05: I'm just I'm just the guy that she happens to be with.
35:48
SPEAKER_05: But uh convince her to cut the dead weight.
35:52
SPEAKER_05: Definitely gonna catch the game afterwards if we're not home by then, which I hope we will, but we'll see.
35:58
SPEAKER_05: Tpt, always a fun time for a Texas Tech.
36:01
SPEAKER_04: I I think it's just awesome that they do this every year.
36:04
SPEAKER_04: I mean, what a what a fun idea, you know, just to get to get I I hope I wish other sports would do this too.
36:09
SPEAKER_04: Like, I feel like you could do this for baseball and uh maybe I don't know about football, that'd be a little intense, but get the old get the old guys playing football.
36:17
SPEAKER_05: You get like old Jerry who's 60 out there on the D line, just get just plowed.
36:25
SPEAKER_05: Be great, be great.
36:27
SPEAKER_05: Uh no, I love TBT.
36:29
SPEAKER_05: I've watched it every single year.
36:30
SPEAKER_05: It's great that Texas Tech actually has like a real presence and enough of presence to get a regional in Lubbock, like they made that happen because these guys are so committed to this tournament.
36:40
SPEAKER_05: It's it's freaking awesome.
36:43
SPEAKER_04: Let's go win the damn thing.
36:44
SPEAKER_04: Let's go win the damn thing.
36:46
SPEAKER_04: Air Raiders.
36:47
SPEAKER_04: All right.
36:48
SPEAKER_04: This like counts as an addy, too.
36:50
SPEAKER_04: Hang it in the rafters.
36:51
SPEAKER_04: Hey, put it in the USA.
36:52
SPEAKER_04: I don't care.
36:53
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
36:54
SPEAKER_04: Find a place for it.
36:55
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely, though.
36:56
SPEAKER_04: Hang the banner.
36:57
SPEAKER_04: We're in.
36:58
SPEAKER_04: I don't know about a banner.
36:59
SPEAKER_04: Um, I know, maybe not in the arena arena.
37:03
SPEAKER_05: Make it a big banner in the the biggest banner in the arena.
37:06
SPEAKER_04: Hang it from the jumbotron.
37:08
SPEAKER_04: So it's like basically in the way of every game.
37:11
SPEAKER_04: Great idea.
37:12
SPEAKER_05: Great idea is coming from the talk and tech pod.
37:15
SPEAKER_05: Um, what do you want to hit on Big 12 Media Day?
37:18
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I mean, just real quick.
37:20
SPEAKER_04: Um, it was it was really more of a shit posting meeting more than anything.
37:24
SPEAKER_04: It was a lot of shit posting, like from the coaches.
37:27
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, there wasn't, I mean, there was some fun stuff, some fun tidbits here or there, but there wasn't like anything huge in my eyes of like uh we already got a media deal cracked down, but it was cool seeing Joey say some things.
37:39
SPEAKER_05: Uh I didn't really hear a lot from the players.
37:41
SPEAKER_05: I'm sure those interviews are gonna come out here or there kind of this week, but um, yeah, Brent Yormark's a G.
37:47
SPEAKER_05: That dude rocks.
37:48
SPEAKER_04: Tyler Tyler Shuck had like a nine-minute interview.
37:50
SPEAKER_04: Uh, he got he had a lot of time.
37:52
SPEAKER_04: Um, because I think I think there's a lot expected out of Tyler Shuck from the coaching staff and from the media.
37:58
SPEAKER_04: I think, I think, you know, people are quietly paying attention to him.
38:01
SPEAKER_04: You know, even today we saw that uh he's getting love for the Heisman.
38:05
SPEAKER_04: Um, uh, you know, a Heis obviously a dark, dark, dark horse Heisman candidate, but at least he's getting mentioned, you know, like that that that means something.
38:12
SPEAKER_04: That stands for something.
38:14
SPEAKER_04: Um, and so it's it's great to see him really stepping up as a leader on and off the field.
38:19
SPEAKER_04: So I know we did the quarterback episode last um uh week, but really it's you can't ask much more of a captain right now.
38:28
SPEAKER_04: So it's it's really great to see him out there, uh, really repping the red and black and ready to do something.
38:33
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, you also had Tony Bradford on site, you had Jalen Hutchings, Taj Brooks was there, uh Sharon Bradley was there.
38:40
SPEAKER_05: Um I forgetting anybody?
38:42
SPEAKER_05: I think I got everybody.
38:43
SPEAKER_04: No, that was that was that was the that was the boys.
38:45
SPEAKER_05: They had a good squad, they had a good squad there for Media Day.
38:47
SPEAKER_05: Joey was repping the uh the pirate Mike Leach on the underside of his coat, which was awesome.
38:53
SPEAKER_05: Um, but you know, Dana was looking like a uh looking like a homeless man, like always.
39:00
SPEAKER_05: Um, I think Sonny Dykes kind of got grilled a little bit for hiring Kendall Bryer Bryals.
39:05
SPEAKER_05: That was fun.
39:05
SPEAKER_05: As he should.
39:06
SPEAKER_05: Uh as he should.
39:07
SPEAKER_05: Um, we saw uh our guy Joe Goodman was there representing um at at Big 12 Media Days.
39:13
SPEAKER_05: The gauchos were also there, so shout out to those guys.
39:16
SPEAKER_05: Um, but yeah, and I think the biggest thing I took from the media day is Brett Yormark is one of he's probably the best choice we could have had to get as commissioner after Bullsby dropped out because he's such a good speaker, he knows exactly what to say, he knows all the right answers, he's he's just a uh G, man.
39:40
SPEAKER_05: That guy rules.
39:42
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I I really I really don't think we could have made a better hire uh given the situation.
39:46
SPEAKER_04: I think you needed a guy that's outside the box because um I think we've touched on this sort of talk before, but generally the athletic commissioner, athletic director is generally a guy that um the conference commissioner, I should say, generally a guy that's just part of the good old boys club that's kind of like done his rounds in the uh in college athletics.
40:04
SPEAKER_04: Um, but this guy is obviously an outsider, and he you can tell from the way even even on Twitter today, even uh you can see that the Big 12 is in New York, and uh what's that what's that part, what's that part called Park Record Park, you know, uh doing youth youth camps, which is so cool.
40:18
SPEAKER_04: Um and just having a guy that's you know, uh like you said, he's he's a really great speaker.
40:24
SPEAKER_04: Um, but the dude gets a lot of hate, like he he's it's from who there's a big obviously there's a big fan club for him, but there are haters out there.
40:32
SPEAKER_04: There's people out there's people out there that's SEC fans, or yeah, SEC fans, obviously.
40:36
SPEAKER_04: I mean, yeah, yeah, of course.
40:38
SPEAKER_04: Um, and you know, obviously you T and O U fans.
40:40
SPEAKER_04: I mean, they they all they all think he's a he's like a charlton out for his own self-interest and stuff.
40:45
SPEAKER_04: Um, I don't really see it, you know.
40:47
SPEAKER_04: I don't really know what the guy, I mean, obviously he personally gains, you know, be doing what he's hired to do and being a good professional and you know, gaining that reputation by being a good professional, that's what he has to gain.
40:57
SPEAKER_04: Um, and obviously he has probably his financial incentives, but I mean that's the job.
41:02
SPEAKER_04: If you're gonna get out there and sell the product, that's that is your entire job.
41:05
SPEAKER_04: So if that's if if that's being a charlton, then I don't really know what to tell you.
41:09
SPEAKER_04: Because I mean, if you like compare him to a guy like Greg Sankey, I don't know why people would.
41:13
SPEAKER_04: I would I I think Bray Yomark is the best commissioner in the country.
41:18
SPEAKER_04: Um simple simply from the position that he has the toughest job, he had the toughest job, and he's done the best to really push the conference beyond its punching weight, uh general, uh you know, generally speaking, right now.
41:33
SPEAKER_04: A guy like Greg Sinke has the easiest job in college sports.
41:37
SPEAKER_04: What does he really have to do?
41:38
SPEAKER_04: He just kind of has to keep everybody in a straight line and make sure that you know, you know, keep everybody aligned and um because I mean you have a you're you're the most successful college football conference in the country.
41:49
SPEAKER_04: Like how tough is that?
41:51
SPEAKER_05: I'm gonna push back a little bit because he what what meant what why is the SEC the number one conference right now in football?
42:01
SPEAKER_05: Because Greg Sankey was innovative, because he looked to other programs, to other markets, to realignment, to convince other schools to get out while also propping up the current schools.
42:16
SPEAKER_05: Greg Sanke is one of the best commissioners in college sports.
42:19
SPEAKER_05: And now I don't appreciate it.
42:23
SPEAKER_05: I don't like what the sport has become because of guys like him, but you can't deny that he's not innovative.
42:30
SPEAKER_05: I mean, the guy has absolutely built up that conference to be the best conference in college sports.
42:36
SPEAKER_05: Um, and I, you know, I think Brett Yormark is a lot like him in terms of just trying to be innovative, trying new things, staying with the times, getting ahead of the trends instead of just staying back and being this good old boy that is just happy to be where he is.
42:52
SPEAKER_05: You know what I'm saying?
42:53
SPEAKER_05: So yeah, yeah.
42:54
SPEAKER_04: The big I mean, the Big 12's always been a reactive concert conference up until now.
42:57
SPEAKER_04: We're finally a predator.
42:58
SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, obviously, Greg's thinking he's a predator.
43:01
SPEAKER_04: I guess it's kind of way too um, I mean, that's a weird thing to say on air like that.
43:05
SPEAKER_04: You know, he's he's a carnivore.
43:08
SPEAKER_04: Let's say that instead.
43:09
SPEAKER_06: There you go.
43:12
SPEAKER_04: I'm sure he's a perfectly okay person, otherwise.
43:16
SPEAKER_04: Um, no, I think it's maybe it's perhaps it's a the way to look at the difference between the two, then is it's old school versus new school in a sense.
43:24
SPEAKER_04: Because I mean he's not doing anything new, and he probably did.
43:26
SPEAKER_04: I I don't think he reached out to yo you or UT.
43:29
SPEAKER_04: I think it was UT and OU zoned do it.
43:31
SPEAKER_04: And I really do.
43:31
SPEAKER_04: I don't I don't I do I do not think it was him.
43:34
SPEAKER_05: No, no commission there was no reason for him to.
43:37
SPEAKER_05: That was no commissioner in the country doesn't want those brands.
43:42
SPEAKER_04: I understand that, but he had a say actively hunting them.
43:46
SPEAKER_04: I'm sure he just always had an invitation.
43:48
SPEAKER_05: Everybody, I think every commissioner at that point was a little bit reactionary, but he was the one who wanted AM to get the Texas market.
43:55
SPEAKER_05: You know, that was a has he been in that long?
43:57
SPEAKER_04: Was he this was he the commissioner then?
43:59
SPEAKER_05: I think he was.
44:00
SPEAKER_05: Was he not?
44:01
SPEAKER_04: I don't know.
44:02
SPEAKER_05: I don't know.
44:02
SPEAKER_05: We'd have to look at that.
44:03
SPEAKER_04: But again, I I feel like you're giving the commissioners way too much credit in those moves because AM won it out.
44:09
SPEAKER_04: And all it was was just like, hey, come over here.
44:12
SPEAKER_04: You know, we're uh obviously a very we're a very solid conference.
44:16
SPEAKER_04: We never lost a team, and we're all very happy over here.
44:19
SPEAKER_04: And that's pretty much all it took.
44:21
SPEAKER_04: And we're right next door.
44:22
SPEAKER_04: I really think that's all it was.
44:24
SPEAKER_05: I don't know, man.
44:24
SPEAKER_05: I I I think there's a lot that goes into these things, and it's not just, hey, we want to leave our current company.
44:29
SPEAKER_05: I understand that.
44:30
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
44:30
SPEAKER_04: I'm not trying to make it out more, but it's a it's a stupid podcast.
44:33
SPEAKER_04: So I mean, it's it's we're gonna be we're gonna make big bland statements.
44:37
SPEAKER_05: No, I what what no?
44:38
SPEAKER_05: No, no.
44:38
SPEAKER_05: I just think the ultimate thing to take from this is that Brett Yormark is innovative.
44:42
SPEAKER_05: He wants to he wants to try different things.
44:44
SPEAKER_05: He's doing this Big 12 Mexico thing, which uh is hit or miss on a lot of people.
44:49
SPEAKER_05: Um, but at least it's innovative.
44:51
SPEAKER_05: He's doing like a halftime show at the Big 12 championship, like that's innovative, that's fun, that's different.
44:57
SPEAKER_05: It's you know, you're trying to get into Vegas for some of these conference championships.
45:00
SPEAKER_05: You're looking at different options on all sorts of ends of the country.
45:04
SPEAKER_05: You're doing this Rucker Park thing, like he has tried so many different things, and it's awesome to see.
45:10
SPEAKER_04: And he is out there vocalizing that he wants to remain at 14, that he is he wants the schools out west without you know being unprofessional about it.
45:21
SPEAKER_04: So, you know, it's it's clear as day that he's talking to every school in the Pac-12, as he should be right now.
45:26
SPEAKER_04: He we should be trying to destabilize that conference as much as we can, as much as that sucks the sail out.
45:30
SPEAKER_04: Um, but uh well um so yeah, you know, I just want to kind of go but go back to the uh halftime share thing real quick.
45:38
SPEAKER_04: Sure.
45:39
SPEAKER_04: Um, so yeah, Creed Nickelback.
45:42
SPEAKER_04: That you know how rad that would be?
45:44
SPEAKER_04: That would be sick.
45:45
SPEAKER_04: I'd be so in so over that.
45:48
SPEAKER_04: All over that, dude.
45:50
SPEAKER_05: I'd be so in, dude.
45:51
SPEAKER_05: I'd be all in if Nickelback showed up as the halftime show.
45:55
SPEAKER_04: I mean, they they have a lot of great options.
45:57
SPEAKER_04: They could have, they can really, if they want, they could really lean into you know, being the Heartland conference, they can have like uh a popular country band come out or something like that.
46:05
SPEAKER_04: But I bet it's just gonna be a generic pop star.
46:08
SPEAKER_05: I don't think it's gonna be anything cool.
46:10
SPEAKER_05: But that's fine.
46:10
SPEAKER_05: I mean, that that's what's in an audience.
46:12
SPEAKER_05: Like, uh, you know, some people with the Super Bowl, they're just like, oh, Dr.
46:16
SPEAKER_05: Trey and Snoop Dogg are gonna be there.
46:18
SPEAKER_05: Like, I'm gonna tune in.
46:19
SPEAKER_05: Like, yeah, this is it.
46:20
SPEAKER_05: That's his kind of way of getting people into uh and involved.
46:24
SPEAKER_05: And he mentioned he wants to get like Gen Z involved.
46:26
SPEAKER_05: He wants so I I expect a younger artist, I expect somebody that's like up and coming and not like a Garth Brooks, even though that would be awesome.
46:33
SPEAKER_05: Oh, that'd be right.
46:35
SPEAKER_05: That would be sick, but like to get somebody that like relates to the younger generation, so you know you can start early.
46:40
SPEAKER_05: It's the same thing with this Rucker Park thing.
46:43
SPEAKER_05: You do youth camps, you do you get your presence known, you get these kids like in tune with the brand that is the Big 12 early on, and then eventually they look and say, Oh, I remember that camp I was at, you know, when I was eight years old, and that's what developed my love for basketball, and that's why I'm going to Baylor, Texas Tech, or whatever.
47:01
SPEAKER_04: You know, no, absolutely, yeah.
47:02
SPEAKER_04: No, you're 100% right.
47:04
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, get them to fall fall in love with it early.
47:06
SPEAKER_04: You know, so whenever people are asking, like, dude, what you're you're you're from Manhattan, why are you why are you looking at Texas Tech?
47:11
SPEAKER_04: Well, when you know I was a little kid, blah blah.
47:13
SPEAKER_04: I meant the goat grant meant uh Grant uh McCastlane's won Fortnite since then.
47:17
SPEAKER_04: So yeah, um but uh no, my real my real point I wanted to get to is there's you're there's some people whining about it, and maybe I don't want to offend anybody that's listening to that uh maybe whining is not the word.
47:29
SPEAKER_04: Um, but there's some people that are saying that that time is deserved for the marching bands.
47:34
SPEAKER_04: And I the way I feel about it is look, I understand that point of view, but you have literally every other Saturday in the season to have the marching bands out there in the field at uh during halftime.
47:48
SPEAKER_04: I think you can give up the biggest camera day for the conference to do something cool and different rather than something they will not broadcast otherwise.
47:58
SPEAKER_05: Didn't he?
47:59
SPEAKER_05: I thought he said that the bands were gonna be involved in the halftime show.
48:02
SPEAKER_05: I'm sure they will.
48:03
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, maybe I'm sure they could do some sort of backup thing, and obviously the bands will be there too.
48:08
SPEAKER_04: So it's not like they're not they're not there.
48:10
SPEAKER_04: So I just I think it's kind of lame to just just scrub it off because the marching band won't be able to make a a star in the middle of the field or something like that, which no no no discredit to the bands.
48:20
SPEAKER_04: I mean, you're a huge part of the college experience on game days, especially.
48:24
SPEAKER_04: So, but I mean I just think for one day you can make it a little more super bowly than it is a standard Saturday, yeah, yeah, for sure, especially for the championship game.
48:32
SPEAKER_05: He's not trying to do this for every Big 12 game.
48:35
SPEAKER_05: It's it's a fun, it's a new, it's you're gonna get a big name probably with his music connections of the past.
48:41
SPEAKER_05: You know, he was at Rock Nation before this, so he's probably got a pretty big name artist coming in, and that's what this is where the sport is trending.
48:51
SPEAKER_05: Like, as much as people want to push back on stuff like this, this is where we're going.
48:55
SPEAKER_05: We're going with super conferences, money talks, NIL is a thing.
48:59
SPEAKER_05: Like, we're going that direction with halftime shows.
49:04
SPEAKER_05: We're we're making this is a professional league.
49:06
SPEAKER_05: I mean, as much as we it's not technically a professional league, but it's trending that way, and it really is already with the amount of money that goes into this stuff.
49:14
SPEAKER_05: So um we're paying players.
49:16
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I'm I'm 100%.
49:18
SPEAKER_05: I thought it was a great idea to do it involve like a like a halftime show.
49:22
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
49:23
SPEAKER_04: And it's it's you look, let's say it's kind of got my mind on the on the the the media day, some other things that kind of stand up in my head.
49:29
SPEAKER_04: Um, what do you think of the new uh Big 12 commercial, the new uh the new promo video?
49:34
SPEAKER_05: It was great, it was great, it's a great slogan.
49:36
SPEAKER_05: We're not just 12 or whatever.
49:38
SPEAKER_05: 12.
49:38
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, we're more than 12.
49:40
SPEAKER_05: That's that's awesome, you know.
49:41
SPEAKER_05: Involving, I I think he was um he was courteous to Texas and OU during this, you know, kind of giving them a little bit of credit for who they are as a brand and not really burning that bridge per se.
49:53
SPEAKER_05: Um, because I think there are still a lot of teams in this conference that want to schedule those teams in the future, whether that be Bedlam or whether that be Texas Tech Texas or something of that nature.
50:04
SPEAKER_05: You know, I don't I don't think he wants to burn any bridges.
50:06
SPEAKER_05: And if this were Bullsby or another commissioner, maybe they would have completely shit on him.
50:11
SPEAKER_05: And maybe we wanted to see them completely get shit on.
50:14
SPEAKER_05: But I think he played it, he played it cool.
50:16
SPEAKER_05: He played it uh the way that a uh uh uh commissioner of the conference should.
50:21
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, I I I like that.
50:22
SPEAKER_04: I like it, also like that hashtag.
50:24
SPEAKER_04: I think more than twelve is a is a cool kind of slogan for the year.
50:27
SPEAKER_04: Um uh also, so speaking of, I like how you touched on that, like talk uh talk about how you know schools are gonna want to remain that, keep that relationship with those programs as much as we like to poop on them.
50:38
SPEAKER_04: Um Kirby Hokut called out UT saying they're too scared to commit to the series continuing post departure.
50:50
SPEAKER_04: Any thoughts on that?
50:52
SPEAKER_05: I don't know, man.
50:53
SPEAKER_05: I think like uh you know, Kirby Kirby obviously wants to keep the game going because financially it adds a lot to Texas Tech.
51:01
SPEAKER_05: It's a big game on the schedule.
51:02
SPEAKER_05: You it's a rivalry, you know.
51:04
SPEAKER_05: You you hate to lose those.
51:05
SPEAKER_05: It's the same deal that AM and UT were going through when they split up.
51:09
SPEAKER_05: I mean, uh it's it's I have a lot of thoughts on it.
51:12
SPEAKER_05: Like I think I think it's good that he's staying on it and staying persistent and kind of pressuring UT staff to do something about it.
51:20
SPEAKER_05: Uh, but I also don't think UT has any interest in keeping this game alive, which I don't necessarily blame him if you're just looking from a financial perspective.
51:30
SPEAKER_05: I mean, it's really a lose situation for UT because what if you beat him, it's like, oh, we should beat Texas Tech.
51:36
SPEAKER_05: If you lose to him, it's like we're gonna talk a lot of shit to you and potentially lose some recruits with how Joey Maguire's trending in this program.
51:44
SPEAKER_05: But um, you know, I I I think it's cool.
51:47
SPEAKER_05: I th uh you should stay on them.
51:48
SPEAKER_05: I I hope to schedule UT in the future.
51:51
SPEAKER_05: I don't I hate to lose that game.
51:53
SPEAKER_05: Um, and and I've kept that I've kept that opinion throughout the entire thing.
51:57
SPEAKER_05: Um, but what are what are your kind of thoughts?
52:00
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, I I I'm I'm with you on that.
52:02
SPEAKER_04: It's uh I I think this this is a clear indication that UT does not want to continue the series.
52:07
SPEAKER_04: There's that rumor initially.
52:09
SPEAKER_04: Um, but maybe that was just kind of a uh uh you know, hey, how about you shut up about this?
52:13
SPEAKER_04: We're gonna keep this going.
52:14
SPEAKER_05: They jumped the gun.
52:15
SPEAKER_05: They jumped the gun.
52:16
SPEAKER_04: They they're they're they was probably to shut us up, you know, shut up the uh Tex Tech administration, you know, not push back on them too hard about it, you know, politically.
52:24
SPEAKER_04: Um and but you know, I I I understand what you're saying about the way the UT mindset, but I hate that mindset so freaking much.
52:33
SPEAKER_04: Oh, I do too.
52:34
SPEAKER_04: That is what college sports are, you know.
52:36
SPEAKER_04: Like it's it's not, it's I hate this whole what does that get give us?
52:40
SPEAKER_04: You know, it gives you bragging rights, dude.
52:42
SPEAKER_04: I mean, that's the that's the entire point of the why we play the stupid game.
52:46
SPEAKER_04: You don't we don't and that's what's that's what frustrates me about what college sports have become.
52:50
SPEAKER_04: It's like it's yeah, yes, I do like to beat West Virginia, but I don't work with Mountaineer alumni.
52:57
SPEAKER_04: I but you know, I work with UT alumni, I work with Aggies, you know, I work with Baylor Bear.
53:02
SPEAKER_04: So it's just it's really frustrating to see this, to see what this has become and how everyone seems in full alignment that even from a fan perspective, that the best thing about the sport is what this is what TV wants for the sport, and that's just really frustrating to watch.
53:16
SPEAKER_04: I know I'm kind of beating a drum that's been beat, but uh, you know, it's just it's it kind of stuck out to me.
53:22
SPEAKER_04: I really wish we could keep the series going.
53:24
SPEAKER_04: In an ideal world, I wish we can like alternate between them and AM, you know.
53:28
SPEAKER_04: And uh I feel like that'd be best for all parties anyway.
53:31
SPEAKER_05: In an ideal world, we're all in the freaking South conference, so you know it's it's that's not what college sports are.
53:38
SPEAKER_05: People need to get with the times, in my opinion.
53:40
SPEAKER_05: Like I've kind of realized, hey, it's not worth bitching about you know what college sports it becomes.
53:45
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I'm not trying to do it.
53:46
SPEAKER_05: It's kind of no, no, no, no.
53:48
SPEAKER_05: And I I get it.
53:48
SPEAKER_05: I'm the I feel the same way.
53:50
SPEAKER_05: Like, I don't I hate not being able to play UT A and M.
53:53
SPEAKER_05: I hate it.
53:54
SPEAKER_05: I grew up with people, I I work with people, like you said, but um, it kind of is what it is, and um, you know, you either get with the times or you fall behind, and I'd rather get with the times, so uh yeah, man.
54:06
SPEAKER_05: I I uh overall I thought Big Toy Media Day was really solid.
54:10
SPEAKER_05: Um, what'd you think of SEC Media Days getting moved to Dallas?
54:13
SPEAKER_04: Well, it's they're they're doing a rotation, they're uh they don't keep it in one city, and it's it's really frustrating because just like y'all are you they're they're really just trying to rub salt in the wound.
54:24
SPEAKER_04: I think it's kind of unprofessional in my in my mind.
54:27
SPEAKER_04: Um, but and in a in a sense that he really is kind of like, welcome, welcome, you T and O U.
54:33
SPEAKER_04: Here we're gonna plant our flag in what is absolutely has always been the Big 12s place.
54:38
SPEAKER_05: Well, that's what they're trying to take over.
54:40
SPEAKER_05: I know Texas, I know, and yeah, honestly, and honestly, they got the two biggest brands in Texas.
54:45
SPEAKER_04: Now I know I I I do.
54:47
SPEAKER_04: It's it, but it's just it's it's just frustrating.
54:50
SPEAKER_04: Um, I don't think it's obviously in the end of the day, it won't make any real difference.
54:54
SPEAKER_04: Um, because it's just it's just for a couple days of media journalism and all that.
54:59
SPEAKER_04: So um it's gonna it's gonna be at the the Frisco Star, it's not gonna be at the ATT Center.
55:04
SPEAKER_05: I thought it was at the Omni Hotel.
55:06
SPEAKER_05: Or yeah, I guess it's yeah, it's at the you're right.
55:08
SPEAKER_05: It's at the yeah, it was at a hotel.
55:10
SPEAKER_05: It's not like it's at Jerry World or anything.
55:11
SPEAKER_04: Like you know, I speaking of the the the Frisco Star, um uh I was I was listening to the uh the 1012 the other day, a general Big 12 podcast, and one of the something they brought up that Phillip Slavin brought up um was how he would like the Big 12 championship game to move from Jerry World to the Frisco Star.
55:29
SPEAKER_04: And you know, I I I'm not wholly against it because A, you're gonna fill the Frisco bar uh star to the brim, no matter what.
55:40
SPEAKER_04: And two, that area might be a better zone to host an event like that.
55:46
SPEAKER_05: But I don't know.
55:47
SPEAKER_05: I think I think you want to stay big.
55:50
SPEAKER_05: You want to say you want to stay, you know, keep your brand of the Big 12 as big.
55:55
SPEAKER_05: If you move to a smaller conference, that's kind of a or a smaller venue or whatever.
56:00
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, it it's not great.
56:02
SPEAKER_05: I understand the reasoning because you know you fill you fill the stadium more, it's it doesn't look as bad as filling, but I think the fan bases do a good job of filling out the world during the Big 12 championship.
56:13
SPEAKER_05: I don't really see a desire to move that.
56:15
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, guns got to my head.
56:17
SPEAKER_04: I I think you stay at ATT Stadium.
56:19
SPEAKER_04: Also, I think more than anything, it's for the recognition of what that stadium is.
56:23
SPEAKER_04: Like, because that's that, you know, that's where the Cotton Bowl is played, it's where the Dallas Cowboys play, and you know, and this is we're gonna have your biggest game of the year.
56:30
SPEAKER_04: So I'm with you.
56:30
SPEAKER_04: I think I think you keep obviously you keep it in Jerry World.
56:32
SPEAKER_04: And I think it's cool that we've we've inked a deal to keep it there uh for the foreseeable future, I think until at least 2030.
56:38
SPEAKER_04: And I bet it'll go beyond that as well.
56:40
SPEAKER_04: So um I'm glad I'm glad that.
56:42
SPEAKER_04: I know all the Midwestern fans of the Big 12 conference are like, move it to KC, move it to KC.
56:46
SPEAKER_04: Terrible idea.
56:47
SPEAKER_04: I'm sorry, guys.
56:48
SPEAKER_04: That's an awful idea.
56:50
SPEAKER_05: Uh no, we're not moving it to Arrowhead.
56:52
SPEAKER_05: Sorry.
56:52
SPEAKER_05: No, like I love Arrowhead.
56:54
SPEAKER_05: Three teams up there, guys.
56:55
SPEAKER_05: It's not, yeah, it's y'all get basketball, and I've been a proponent.
56:59
SPEAKER_05: I I and a lot of Texas Tech fans have crapped on me for this opinion, but I have been a pro proponent for keeping the basketball championship in Kansas City.
57:07
SPEAKER_05: I think it's smart.
57:08
SPEAKER_05: I think you have some of your biggest basketball brands in the Midwest.
57:11
SPEAKER_05: I think it gives those teams something that you're not gonna, you know.
57:15
SPEAKER_05: We we can't have everything in Texas.
57:17
SPEAKER_05: I love Texas, I love having stuff close to me, I love being able to attend this stuff.
57:22
SPEAKER_05: But the the sellouts and the atmosphere in Kansas City is really cool for the basketball championship.
57:30
SPEAKER_05: And I don't really, unless it's moving to Vegas, which I'm 100% for, or at least alternating it, I'm cool with keeping it in Kansas City.
57:38
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, no, I'm with you.
57:40
SPEAKER_04: I think out of respect to Kansas alone, you keep it in Kansas City.
57:43
SPEAKER_04: Um, just you know, for for being the the blue blood of blue blood in that sport, and um, you know, even it we say that, but at the same time, it would be really kick ass if it was at American Airlines.
57:55
SPEAKER_05: I I but I but I still want to attend, I still want to go to that Kansas tournament at Me Too.
58:00
SPEAKER_04: Go get some burn-ins and uh see the Red Raiders take over.
58:03
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely, man.
58:04
SPEAKER_05: That'd be awesome.
58:05
SPEAKER_05: That'd be awesome.
58:06
SPEAKER_05: Um, but no, I I I do think eventually your mark's gonna look to Vegas to be a destination for the Big 12 in some of these championship games.
58:17
SPEAKER_05: And I think basketball is probably the easiest one to do, considering Vegas has that big arena.
58:22
SPEAKER_05: Um, you know, they obviously they have the uh he wants to be flashy, he wants to keep the conference in the no, which is something the Pac-12 has not done at all during this process.
58:32
SPEAKER_05: So, you know, I I I would be all for a Vegas move.
58:35
SPEAKER_04: How about how about you know, since we're doing Big 12 Mexico, we we we do it in the uh the Aztec guy?
58:40
SPEAKER_05: How about we just cancel Big 12 Mexico and go Big 12 Vegas?
58:44
SPEAKER_05: That's a good idea.
58:45
SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean that man, that that actually uh branched off into a lot of conversations I did not see coming.
58:50
SPEAKER_04: Um, I think I think my last thing there is I I'm I'm all on board on next uh Big 12 Mexico for the record.
58:55
SPEAKER_04: I think it's you are yeah, dude, absolutely.
58:58
SPEAKER_04: I think it's a great idea because you know it's like we just said, you know, you just you get more people looking at the brand and not just Mexicans either.
59:05
SPEAKER_04: Like, obviously, you know, Mexico's actually a they like they like football, they like basketball.
59:11
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so they will they will they will go to those games, um, but also more so at home.
59:16
SPEAKER_04: More people are gonna tune in just for the novelty of this college football game playing being played in Mexico.
59:23
SPEAKER_05: This is so that's kind of cool.
59:25
SPEAKER_05: This is a good idea if you send your smaller brands over there, send Houston, send Baylor, send I don't know, TCU down to Mexico.
59:36
SPEAKER_05: I don't want to lose a home game because we're playing a game in Mexico.
59:39
SPEAKER_05: That's gonna suck.
59:40
SPEAKER_05: That's so I you know swallow.
59:42
SPEAKER_05: Yes, but I understand the reasoning for it.
59:45
SPEAKER_05: Uh I kind of I get it.
59:46
SPEAKER_05: You're being, you know, it's your mark.
59:49
SPEAKER_05: He's being he's trying everything, which is great.
59:51
SPEAKER_05: Um I'm not fully on board with Mexico.
59:55
SPEAKER_04: Um, there's they're starting off with uh expedition games in basketball and stuff, and I think it's a good idea.
59:59
SPEAKER_04: I think playing girl soccer there is a really great idea, too.
1:00:01
SPEAKER_05: So that's uh yeah, maybe soccer, basketball, great.
1:00:04
SPEAKER_05: Don't don't move the football.
1:00:05
SPEAKER_05: I don't need a football game played in Mexico.
1:00:08
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no, yeah.
1:00:10
SPEAKER_05: Unless it's like, I don't know, again, unless it's like Iowa State Houston or something like that.
1:00:14
SPEAKER_04: Like geez, we're just really dogging on these these boys.
1:00:18
SPEAKER_04: No, as long as it's not my team, as long as it's not my team playing a home game.
1:00:23
SPEAKER_04: No, this we can just we can just like sell it to BYU, be like, it's a missionary trip.
1:00:29
SPEAKER_04: Go play football and and uh convert some some people to uh let's do the Latter-day Saints.
1:00:35
SPEAKER_05: Let's send the two furthest teams, like West Virginia and Cincinnati.
1:00:39
SPEAKER_05: Let's send them to Mexico.
1:00:43
SPEAKER_04: That's that's the move.
1:00:44
SPEAKER_05: That's the move.
1:00:45
SPEAKER_05: Not Second Day Tejas.
1:00:47
SPEAKER_05: No, not Texas Tech in Mexico.
1:00:49
SPEAKER_05: Basketball, fine.
1:00:50
SPEAKER_05: We'll play a game in Mexico.
1:00:51
SPEAKER_05: That's great.
1:00:52
SPEAKER_05: We play a lot of games in basketball.
1:00:54
SPEAKER_05: Um, do you have anything else?
1:00:56
SPEAKER_05: Nah, dude.
1:00:56
SPEAKER_05: I that that that turned into much more rambling than I thought.
1:01:00
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.
1:01:01
SPEAKER_05: All right, man.
1:01:02
SPEAKER_05: Let's go song of the week here.
1:01:04
SPEAKER_05: Um we wanted to do, or well, we did Taylor Swift.
1:01:09
SPEAKER_05: She was coming out, it was trendy, speak now, uh, Taylor's version, but now we are doing a just legitimate song of the week.
1:01:16
SPEAKER_05: What's your song of the week?
1:01:18
SPEAKER_05: I'm gonna take yours.
1:01:19
SPEAKER_05: Don't you do it.
1:01:20
SPEAKER_04: Stop it.
1:01:21
SPEAKER_04: So my song of the week is a country act, very lo-fi.
1:01:27
SPEAKER_04: Cool.
1:01:29
SPEAKER_04: Cool, cool.
1:01:31
SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna go with a song called Your Bar Now by Tyler Halverson and Kylie Frey.
1:01:38
SPEAKER_04: Um, a really, a really low-key, um, kind of rootsy fun twist on a acoustic country song.
1:01:45
SPEAKER_04: Kind of like it's a very fresh way to approach the genre.
1:01:48
SPEAKER_04: Um, it's it's a guy out of the Dakotas, and he it's just it's it's it's a fun sound, and it's it's a obviously a relatable um song that's very timeless trope of seeing your ex out in public.
1:01:59
SPEAKER_04: So um, but I really like it.
1:02:00
SPEAKER_04: It's it's that's your bar now.
1:02:03
SPEAKER_01: Make it sure I saw you out.
1:02:07
SPEAKER_01: I'm taking my ass back to Midtown.
1:02:11
SPEAKER_01: Um, baby, it's your bar now.
1:02:16
SPEAKER_05: I did not realize that people lived in the Dakotas.
1:02:19
SPEAKER_04: Apparently, there are human beings there.
1:02:21
SPEAKER_04: I don't know if they ever leave their bunkers, but they uh apparently sometimes they do appro uh enter the elements.
1:02:29
SPEAKER_05: Well, cool.
1:02:29
SPEAKER_05: Well, excited to listen to the three people that live in North Dakota or South Dakota, whatever it is.
1:02:35
SPEAKER_04: You could combine them the same thing.
1:02:37
SPEAKER_05: Sure, it's all Dakota.
1:02:38
SPEAKER_05: Um, my song of the week is a Texas Tech Red Raider.
1:02:44
SPEAKER_05: Um, a guy that Joey McGuire's hyped up, a guy that Zach Kidley is hyped up, Coach Juice, all these guys on Twitter, and it's actually legitimately good music.
1:02:54
SPEAKER_05: Like, this is not bad.
1:02:56
SPEAKER_05: This is a current wide receiver on the roster, Hayden Wickington.
1:03:00
SPEAKER_05: Uh, my song of the week from him is Talk Funny.
1:03:04
SPEAKER_01: She said, I think it kind of sounds funny.
1:03:07
SPEAKER_01: My daddy don't say it very strong.
1:03:11
SPEAKER_01: Back at home, the radio plays a most different kind of song.
1:03:17
SPEAKER_05: Now, I say this because you know, you're an upper county, you're a college kid, you're just playing some gigs or whatever, you're trying to hype up.
1:03:25
SPEAKER_05: This guy's good.
1:03:27
SPEAKER_05: Like, he's actually got a great voice, he plays the guitar really well, he's got great production on his songs.
1:03:33
SPEAKER_05: Um, this I was surprised at how good this was.
1:03:37
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, me too, man.
1:03:38
SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
1:03:38
SPEAKER_04: That's this is uh his album song, too.
1:03:40
SPEAKER_04: It's just it's the title song as well.
1:03:42
SPEAKER_04: So I really enjoyed it, man.
1:03:43
SPEAKER_04: And it's so great to support a legitimate Red Raider, uh guy on the football team.
1:03:48
SPEAKER_04: And it's so cool to see Lubbock continue to do this.
1:03:52
SPEAKER_04: It's just like the music that's grown in that city, particularly in this genre, it's it's truly unmatched.
1:03:58
SPEAKER_04: Like the music scene in Lubbock is an absolute breeding ground for great music.
1:04:03
SPEAKER_04: So uh it's countless legends at this point.
1:04:05
SPEAKER_04: It's cool to see another guy throw his hat in the mix, especially if he's on he's on the freaking football team.
1:04:09
SPEAKER_04: So wreck him all day on that one.
1:04:11
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no doubt.
1:04:12
SPEAKER_05: So go give it a listen.
1:04:13
SPEAKER_05: That was talk funny, Hayden Wiggington.
1:04:15
SPEAKER_05: Um, all right, man.
1:04:16
SPEAKER_05: Any closing statements?
1:04:18
SPEAKER_05: Closing thoughts?
1:04:19
SPEAKER_05: I think I've rambled enough.
1:04:21
SPEAKER_05: Okay.
1:04:21
SPEAKER_05: Party Hardy.
1:04:22
SPEAKER_05: Well, we will be back.
1:04:23
SPEAKER_05: We're doing this more consistently.
1:04:24
SPEAKER_05: Look at us.
1:04:25
SPEAKER_05: How about it?
1:04:27
SPEAKER_05: Very proud.
1:04:27
SPEAKER_05: Very proud of us.
1:04:28
SPEAKER_05: Yeah, very proud.
1:04:29
SPEAKER_05: Okay.
1:04:30
SPEAKER_05: We're gonna end it off with some plugs like we always do here on the Talk and Tech Podcast.
1:04:34
SPEAKER_05: You can follow both me and Tristan on Twitter.
1:04:36
SPEAKER_05: Tristan is at Tristy Mick.
1:04:37
SPEAKER_05: I'm at L underscore S underscore Rodriguez.
1:04:40
SPEAKER_05: Follow the podcast at Talk and Tech Pod.
1:04:42
SPEAKER_05: Don't follow us on threads because threads is dead.
1:04:44
SPEAKER_05: It's already happened.
1:04:45
SPEAKER_05: Uh, we said it last week, it was gonna happen.
1:04:47
SPEAKER_05: It's already dead.
1:04:48
SPEAKER_05: Sorry to all you people that wanted threads to be a thing, it's not a thing.
1:04:52
SPEAKER_05: Um, follow the Songs of the Week playlist there on Spotify and Apple Music.
1:04:56
SPEAKER_05: Um, we really appreciate y'all listening.
1:04:58
SPEAKER_05: Um, always Wreck'em Tech.
1:05:01
SPEAKER_03: Wreck'em Tech.
1:05:02
SPEAKER_03: Uh Wow.
1:05:04
SPEAKER_03: First of all, uh got a lot of respect for Steven and Tristan.
1:05:09
SPEAKER_03: Uh their program, tough guys, just uh a lot of fun.
1:05:13
SPEAKER_03: This is wild.
1:05:15
SPEAKER_03: When I walked in and I knew this would be an awesome podcast.
1:05:21
SPEAKER_03: And these guys have been tremendous.
1:05:23
SPEAKER_03: I love you, and I can't wait for this journey.
1:05:25
SPEAKER_03: I would like to thank uh Steven and Tristan.
1:05:28
SPEAKER_02: This is incredible.
1:05:30
SPEAKER_02: These guys have a passion and a love for this school.