Latest / Between the Headlines: Columbus / David Goes to Juneteenth PLUS MSU's Promising Baseball Team With Sports Reporter Colin Damms

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David Goes to Juneteenth PLUS MSU's Promising Baseball Team With Sports Reporter Colin Damms · Between the Headlines: Columbus

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: From the opinion page of the Commercial Dispatch.
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: This is Between the Headlines.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: You are listening to a special edition of Between the Headlines this week.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: Yours truly makes his way out to the Juneteenth Festival, and a good time was had by all.
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: Makes his way out to the Juneteenth Festival, and a good time was had by all.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Also in the studio we have sports writer Mr Colin Dams.
• 0:29
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• 0:35
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• 1:16
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• 1:20
  Speaker 2: This episode of Between the Headlines is brought to you by Bank First, the locally owned bank that makes decisions right here at home, by people who understand the needs of our community.
• 1:28
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• 1:55
  Speaker 2: You are listening to Between the Headlines.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: I am your host today.
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: My name is David Chisholm.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Zach is on assignment today in Iran.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: He is over there seeing if CNN is right or Fox News is right, whether or not they made a big enough hole over there.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: Jokes aside, we wish him a great vacation.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: I went to Juneteenth this week and I will tell you I had a great time and there were lots of vendors, lots of great food and lots of fantastic people.
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: Roll the tape David Chisholm on site at the Juneteenth Festival and the very first face that I see here is Mr Leroy Brooks, and he's in a golf cart.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: I'm actually going to approach him and see if I can have a word with him.
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: Mr Leroy, you doing well.
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: I got the mic going.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: I'm doing some podcasting out here.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: You want to talk to us, man?
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: It's good to see you, mr Leroy Brooks here.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: Ladies and gents, so this is my first ever Juneteenth festival to be at.
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: What can I expect today?
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: Well, you know, we're getting ready to kick off with the gospel Is Saturday night, the bigger night traditionally.
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: Oh yeah, oh yeah, you'll get a few hundred on Friday night, but you'll get a few thousand on Saturday night.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: So I'm kind of the odd man here out in one respect.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: What do I do to get more folks here to celebrate freedom?
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: That look like I do, because I say that freedom's for everybody.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: What say you?
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: Well, you know it's going to take some marketing and work and Nancy Carpenter and her daughter just left and of course we'll get 40 or 50 whites that pass through.
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: But I think we've got to learn to embrace everybody's culture and understand the important role it plays in American history.
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: You know you can't separate it and so once we get an understanding and embrace the concept, we're going to be better off as individuals to understand that all of it makes up America.
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: That's right, we're the melting pot.
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: We are the melting pot.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: Hey, I appreciate your time.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: I'm going to go around and have a good time.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: Thank you, sir.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: That's Mr Leroy Brooks, the head nacho.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: So now I've got Kevin Everson here, who is an independent film producer, and tell me about what you're working on.
• 4:21
  Speaker 4: Well, we're going to film called Lounge County.
• 4:23
  Speaker 4: It's based on my dad and uncle.
• 4:25
  Speaker 4: They used to drive school buses when they were teenagers, um in the 50s, during the segregation times.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah you probably have a well-informed opinion about juneteenth.
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: What does this holiday mean to you, sir?
• 4:38
  Speaker 4: oh it's, it's a holiday that should have been over 100 something years old, because, uh, you know, the whole deal of emancipation of human beings is amazing and, like what people are saying now, it is not illegal to be human, but somehow or another it's been illegal to be human.
• 4:54
  Speaker 4: So, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's unfortunate.
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: I would certainly agree with you that this is something that everybody should celebrate.
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah totally.
• 5:01
  Speaker 4: It's not just black American history, it's American history, you know.
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: This is kind of the young crowd under here, and y'all are smart staying in the shade.
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: We're under one of the gazebos here at Skim Scott Park.
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: What's Juneteenth mean to you, sir?
• 5:16
  Speaker 5: It's just a day of freedom, so enjoy yourself, you know.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: I heard that Now I've got Miss K-5 here.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: Miss K-5, what does Juneteenth mean to you?
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: What?
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: Now I've got Miss K-5 here.
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: Miss K-5, what do you mean to you?
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: What do what?
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: What does?
• 5:27
  Speaker 6: Juneteenth mean to you Just a big ass celebration, with all the real young niggas out here.
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: I heard that what do you think of the music here tonight?
• 5:37
  Speaker 6: It's alright, they ain't playing nothing too great.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: Oh right, is it not your genre or what?
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: It's not, it it's just.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: Alright've got jason here and jason's got his little boy.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: What's your little boy's name?
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: Kyson?
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: That's a cute little boy.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: Right there is he eating good, yeah, yeah, y'all staying cool out here.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: I'm gonna tell you, this is the only booth out here that has a fan, and I'm probably gonna buy food from y'all just because of that fan sitting over there.
• 6:03
  Speaker 6: That's right.
• 6:04
  Speaker 6: You know what you're doing.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: Yes, I'm keeping it cool Absolutely.
• 6:09
  Speaker 7: Tell me what Juneteenth means to you.
• 6:10
  Speaker 7: I mean, I think Juneteenth is a day we all come out and celebrate the end of slavery.
• 6:15
  Speaker 7: You know, freedom, like you said, everybody, just come together as a community.
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: Hey, amen to that.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: I'm kind of wondering why other people that look like me aren't out here celebrating the end of slavery, because to me that's like an awesome good thing.
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: What say you?
• 6:32
  Speaker 7: They normally come out.
• 6:33
  Speaker 7: I guess it's a little too hot right now.
• 6:35
  Speaker 7: It is hot.
• 6:36
  Speaker 7: I just seen some leave about 30, 40 minutes ago.
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: I also learned that I was here notoriously early, so the getting might be good in a little while.
• 6:47
  Speaker 7: That's right, that's right.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: Well, Johnny, it's nice to meet you.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: Y'all have a good one Good luck to you.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: Appreciate it.
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: All right, y'all.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: Now I'm here with Tommy, and Tommy is sporting an apron that has the Dallas Cowboys star on there and a hat Number one star on there and a hat number one.
• 7:03
  Speaker 5: How about them boys?
• 7:04
  Speaker 5: Them boys is the number one.
• 7:05
  Speaker 5: We super bowl bound.
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: All right, I'm gonna be waiting on that this year.
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: I'm a saints fan, so I'm a fan of dac prescott also.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: There you go.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: Hey, say it.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: Thanks, all right, that's what saints ain't oh, now, all right, let me ask you this what's juneteenth mean to you, sir?
• 7:24
  Speaker 5: Well, it means a lot to me.
• 7:26
  Speaker 5: As for Juneteenth, it means money and also, too, it's some of the heritage of our fathers, forefathers, and everything there and everything.
• 7:35
  Speaker 5: The Day of Freedom, the Day from all of the oppression, from the plantations, and all all of these things, but which didn't come up till a little time later.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: but thank god, it came yeah, I think that's something all of us can celebrate for sure.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: Well, I hope you make a killing of money today.
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: What's the best thing on the?
• 7:55
  Speaker 5: menu.
• 7:56
  Speaker 5: Well, the best thing on the menu is rib tips and hog snooks and some also some good old world famous pulled pork.
• 8:04
  Speaker 5: You've got pig noses over there.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, Yo, yeah I totally want to see what it would.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: It wouldn't be a day without one.
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: All right, I'm gonna get one.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: Take a picture of it, can.
• 8:13
  Speaker 5: I okay.
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: All right, okay, so I have been persuaded to take part in pigs now.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: This is a first for me and I'm giving in to peer pressure here and you say this is a delicacy, it's not a delicacy, the delicacy of the whole nose.
• 8:32
  Speaker 5: Okay, it's a good eat.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: All right, I'm not going to tell Dr Turner about this, but let's see here oh, it's crunchy, it's hard, hang on, that is good.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: It is totally not what I expected.
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: It's like I don't even know what to compare that to.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but it's like got a little bit of chewiness to it and it's also hard and crunchy.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: I hope you sell a ton of them today.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: Thank you, sir.
• 9:03
  Speaker 5: Oh yeah, when they get started, when they get to drinking, I'm the best person they'll ever love, because I got something to eat.
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: All right.
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: So when they get to munchies, they coming your way.
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, all right.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: Thank you, sir, this is good.
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: So now I've got Carolyn here and Carolyn is dressed in a beautiful shirt that's got the traditional Juneteenth colors of red, gold and green.
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: Did I get it right?
• 9:30
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: All right.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: What's today mean to you?
• 9:33
  Speaker 6: Today means a lot to me.
• 9:35
  Speaker 6: Think about what our forefathers went through for us to get to this day.
• 9:40
  Speaker 6: So freedom is important, the hustles and the struggles that they did for us.
• 9:47
  Speaker 6: I just think it's very important and I think it's a day that should be recognized at all times.
• 9:52
  Speaker 6: Yeah, for sure?
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: So you're from Caledonia.
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: Let me ask you this Do you think that Lowndes County in general is headed toward a more positive vibe in terms of everything from race relations to prosperity for everyone?
• 10:11
  Speaker 6: My personal opinion on that.
• 10:12
  Speaker 6: I guess we'll just say it's something that we have to take day by day.
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: Day by day.
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: What can we do better?
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: Unity, Unity.
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: Well, I appreciate you talking to us today.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: Okay, now I've got Chief Daughtry here and good to see you.
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: Sir, Let me ask you the question I've asked everyone else what does this holiday mean to you?
• 10:34
  Speaker 8: It means a lot to me.
• 10:35
  Speaker 8: It means a part of our history.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: It means that we haven't forgotten our past, because the only way we're going to progress in the future is you've got to remember the past let me ask you this um columbus, for whatever reason, people pretend, based on rumors or dispositions, that were just absolutely crime ridden, but when you compare the statistics to starkville and to west point, it's just not.
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: Where do you think that rhetoric comes from?
• 11:05
  Speaker 8: Well, to be honest with you, I think it's allowing people to talk bad about you when you know for your family.
• 11:12
  Speaker 8: If someone says something bad about your family, you're going to defend your family.
• 11:16
  Speaker 8: And the citizens of Columbus and myself, along with elected officials, have to start speaking up and let it be known that the things that are going on in this city our crime reduction, violent crimes is down, and we're proud of that.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: So what can we do better as citizens, to talk this place up and make it the place that it's really meant to be?
• 11:40
  Speaker 8: Well, let me start with this here.
• 11:41
  Speaker 8: You want economic development in the city of Columbus.
• 11:43
  Speaker 8: There's two things that businesses look at.
• 11:45
  Speaker 8: They look at crime stats and they look at school rating.
• 11:49
  Speaker 8: Well, our school rating is a B for the first time Columbus Municipal School District, and now our violent crimes are low.
• 11:56
  Speaker 8: So we're doing our part.
• 11:57
  Speaker 8: Now it's time for the citizens and elected officials to do their part and start inviting and attracting businesses to make our economic development grow.
• 12:05
  Speaker 8: I can't do it by myself.
• 12:08
  Speaker 8: School districts can't do it by themselves, our elected officials can't do it by themselves, and the citizens.
• 12:14
  Speaker 8: We need their help as well.
• 12:15
  Speaker 8: It's going to take all of us to make a better Columbus.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, chief Daughtry Appreciate you.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: So there you have it.
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: That was a few of the scenes that I encountered at the festivities of Juneteenth.
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: It was not quite what I thought it would be.
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: I was thinking it would be similar to Market Street, and I mean it was similar to Market Street in the sense that there were vendors, but these vendors were more local vendors.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: It wasn't like that typical kitsch stuff that you would find, you know, with the I don't know the bird houses, the people that come in from Memphis with this, that and the other.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: No, most of this was local stuff.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: I bought a shirt.
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: Actually, first vendor I saw, he had a nice green shirt.
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: It said in the bags I trust and had some money symbols.
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: So I bought that.
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: It was such a welcoming environment and I walked around, met some friends.
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: I, as you heard, tasted of a pork snout for the first time.
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: Wasn't terrible, definitely not something that I'm going to partake of on a regular basis, but I did do that.
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: Um, I think the biggest thing that I would leave with you all today is that Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and prosperity.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: That theme came up several times and I believe very strongly and very sincerely that freedom is for everybody, and so when I say a good time was had by all, I mean that in truth, and I hope to get more folks like myself out there.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: In terms of how I looked at is you know and make, as Leroy Brooks said, make kind of a melting pot.
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment were some of our best and brightest times in history.
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: In fact, little known fact about myself one of my favorite movies is Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: It's one of the best movies out there.
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: If you haven't watched that one, definitely check it out.
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: But hey, happy Juneteenth to those who were there and to those who celebrated at home, and I will certainly be there next year.
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: Coming up in the studio we have sports writer Mr Colin Dams.
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: But first, do you have knee pain, muscle weakness, swelling or cold feet?
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• 15:41
  Speaker 2: In the studio today, we are pleased to have the Mississippi State sports reporter for the Commercial Dispatch and host of Bully Banter.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: Is that correct?
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Yep, that's right.
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: Mr Colin Dams.
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: Thank you, sir, for being in here Today.
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: I've got some questions for you related to sports.
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: As you know, this is a show that is mostly about politics and local news, this and that I personally am not a.
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: When I go to the ball game, I'm there just to have a good time and I mean I watch the game and I shout and I ring my cowbell and all that stuff, but I'm not the guy that's sitting there reading the roster and reading the player numbers, and so I'm just really amazed when I listen to the radio or when I listen to bully banter and I hear people like yourself get into all these details and the stats and this and that and the other.
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: So today, for our listeners, I guess what we'll do is kind of boil down the sports network talk into something that us nerds or whatever you want to call us, Us normal folk.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, normal.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I think in this situation I might be the one who's the nerd, you know, going into the analytics of 0-4 back in 23.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: They had a perfect season, but like the other way around.
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but then head coach Alan Glenn comes in and just totally turns this thing around, which I thought was really unusual, because the first year of a head coach almost always sucks for the team.
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: So how did he do it?
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: Well, if you ask him, I think the first people he's going to credit is his players, and you know they had a really talented senior class as well.
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: One of the things he talked to me about throughout the season was you know those were guys who really took it hard that they went 0-12,.
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: You know 0-10, whatever it was the season before, anytime a group goes without a win, that's something that they have to wear going into the next year of turn things around, go worst to first, and they almost did it.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: I mean their regular season district crown came down to their final regular season game against West Point, who went on to win the 5A state title.
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: So you know it was a battle against West Point.
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: They came up just short.
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: I think they only lost by one score.
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and that was surprising there.
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah they played a really good game and you know, talking to West Point head coach Brett Morgan afterwards he wasn't surprised at all.
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: You know he saw the talent that they had all year.
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: He saw what they were able to do in district and, yeah, I think Allen Glenn's got a really good program going forward.
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: For sure.
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: Do you think when you look at New Hope and you look at Caledonia and Columbus High OK, these are in different divisions, they're in different brackets.
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: Ok, how many A's do we have beside our local schools?
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: Just so our listeners know.
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: Well, it's funny you ask that because this year there is a really, really big statewide level restructuring of classification.
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: So Columbus, caledonia, new Hope and West Point are all now in the same division.
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: Uh, and that's across sports.
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: So uh, that means they could potentially see each other in the playoffs.
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: Yep, they're all going to have to play each other once a year, which mostly schools were doing that anyway already.
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: Uh, now it's just going to mean a little bit more and uh, yeah, come play, come playoff time.
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: I think we saw that happen a couple of times.
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: Columbus and West Point were in the same division at one point.
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: Caledonia, New Hope, you know those guys have played each other forever.
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: I think in the past they had been in the same division, but I think New Hope was put a classification higher for the last few years.
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: But yeah, now they're all on the same playing field.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: High school sports has not gotten smaller over the years, that's for sure.
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: It's a big deal to everybody.
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: I think it builds character, and where it's really at for me is on the college level, and I think the college is just the grand finale of everything for most of the sports watchers around here.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: It's like I'll just speak for myself.
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: I love high school sports, but right now I don't have a son on the team yet, so it's just I'm just kind of a spectator.
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: To me, high school is prep for college, and then NFL is a reason to go to college, so it's all about college for me.
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: You're a hometown guy.
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, I grew up in.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: Starkville, I was born guy.
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I grew up in Starkville.
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: I was born in Columbus, ohio, but I grew up in Starkville.
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: Oh, man.
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: And so you've been at the dispatch quite a while and you have morphed from like a fan and a resident of Starkville into the guy who actually lives here and gets to sit right in the middle of the stadium in the best seats in the house and write about it.
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: How's that been for you?
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I think football is going to be a new experience.
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: That's one I haven't covered yet but you know, in the past couple of years I've helped fill in in other areas and you know, sitting in the press box at Duty Noble was a little bit of a surreal experience as somebody who grew up going to some of those games, same with Humphrey Coliseum, and you know, as you know, soccer is my sport.
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: So the opportunity to cover them last season as they went on an SEC championship run, that was special as well.
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: But yeah, I think you know, the reason that I care about sports and I'm as interested in sports as I am is because I grew up, you know, going to those games with my dad and I think you know that's the case for a lot of people.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: Those are some really core memories and that's you know, man, that's where it's at.
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know it's, um, you know it's.
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: It's a great thing to share and it led me on a path that is going to put me in the press box at Davis Wade Stadium.
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: So, yeah, it's a great feeling.
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: I'm really happy to be here doing it and I really appreciate the opportunities that the dispatch has given me over the last couple of years that have led to this.
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: But, yeah, it was a little bit surreal the first time, but I've gotten more used to it and I'm looking forward to keep on going.
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: I actually learned through listening to your podcast that Mississippi State has a very recent natty yeah, but it's not one of the big sports Track and field.
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: That's right.
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Peyton Bear won the national championship in the heptathlon as well as the decathlon, so he's a twotime All-American in one season because those are classified as indoor and outdoor sports.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: But yeah, recently Eugene Oregon, he went out there and won his second national championship of the year.
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: That's pretty crazy.
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: Most of us don't go to those type events.
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: I mean you have to pick and choose.
• 22:50
  Speaker 2: You can't go to everything, you just have to pick one thing.
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: But I do recall walking across campus at Mississippi State about three years ago and I saw this projectile object floating through the sky and it was a javelin.
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: I was like holy smokes and I asked somebody about it and they're like, yeah, that guy has a gold medal or a world record or something.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: So there's a lot of stuff that happens out there that a lot of us don't know about.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 23:16
  Speaker 2: Just in terms of those more traditional, like Olympic style athletics.
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, and you know they've got nice facilities here and part of that is, you know the athletic department has done well with, you know, being a member of the SEC, you know the money comes in, it's trickled down through football and things like that, and you do have the opportunity to support these other sports and I think you know the athletic director, currently Zach Selman.
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: That's something he's really focused on is how he can continue to support these other teams and facilities.
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: They've done a lot of work on Humphrey Coliseum recently.
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: I know both men's and women's basketball over the last 15 years has become, you know, a real focal point for fans as well.
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: Well, you know men's basketball well.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: Before that, they made the final four in the nineties.
• 24:05
  Speaker 2: I do remember that.
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I actually have some of the physical newspapers glued to the inside of the closet back when that 1996 it was.
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't want to make you feel old.
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: I was only one year old at the time.
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: Okay, let me ask you about head coach Lamonas going out the door and now we have Mr Brian O'Connor.
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: Brian, $3 million O'Connor yeah, that's quite a big deal for the state of Mississippi.
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he is the second highest paid head coach in college baseball now behind, I believe, tennessee's head coach, tony Vitelli.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: And you know this was a sport that Zach Selman you know.
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: I think the reason he made that decision midseason to get rid of Chris Lamonis is he recognized how valuable baseball is to Mississippi State fans.
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: You know, Doody.
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: Noblefield owns something like eight out of the ten attendance records in NCAA history and you know, if you can get 10,000 people out each week to come watch baseball games in college, that's a huge deal.
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: So he wanted to make a statement higher.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: He went out and you know, and got probably the best available guy.
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: Certainly in terms of resume, I think Brian O'Connor might be the most impressive outside hire that Mississippi State has made since Ron Polk came back in was it 2002, 2003, something like that?
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: So, yeah, it's a really big deal.
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: They had several thousand people at Duty Noble to welcome him.
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: He came in and he did his first press conference with us, uh, that day as well, and there's a real intensity about him, um, and it's it's not a scary intensity, it's just, uh, I would say, a devoted intensity, like you could really tell that this guy knows what he's about and I I think he came here because he realized there's a great opportunity to win, and win big in the SEC.
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: Two questions.
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: Okay, let me just ask you this Do you think that we're going to stink in season one simply because of a new coach?
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: uh, I would say the expectation right now is that they will not stink.
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: Um, they have done pretty well in the transfer portal so far.
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: Um, they've got a few guys following uh o'connor from virginia, which is a program that is recruited really well.
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: They've.
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: They made the college world series in 2023 and 2022 I believe so or no 2023 and 2024.
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: So you know those are highly touted players coming in.
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: They've got uh another player coming in from illinois who was one of the leaders in the big 10 at the plate.
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: Um, and they've, I think, most importantly uh, you know, to the fans especially, you know they've retained players from this year and this mississippi state roster that did really well.
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: Ace reese, an all-SEC player.
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: He was a finalist for the Ferris Trophy for the best player in Mississippi.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: Noah Sullivan it seems like he might come back if he doesn't get drafted, but there's a chance that he does get drafted and I think that's another aspect of this for some of the other players.
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: But definitely we're seeing an investment in this team.
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: Crystal Monas he used the transfer portal but it was sort of hit or miss on some of the players that came in.
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: They did find success but they weren't able to rediscover the form that you know took them to Omaha in his first few years.
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: So, yeah, that definitely does not seem like they're going to suck next year.
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: I think there is a lot of excitement around the program.
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: Not seem like they're going to suck next year.
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: I think there is a lot of excitement around the program.
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: You know, I think I agree with you.
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: I think they'll do well the first season, simply because you know with baseball that everybody has the same playbook for the most part.
• 27:40
  Speaker 2: It's not like in football or even basketball, where you concoct your own personal scheme.
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: I mean, maybe there's some of that to baseball, but when I played in high school it just, you know, when the ball goes to right field there's something that everybody does and it's pretty much the same for every team.
• 28:01
  Speaker 2: Am I wrong about that?
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I'm probably not the person to ask Baseball isn't my first sport but yeah, you know it's kind of like they say in the movie Moneyball.
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: You know it's, it's.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: Um, it's kind of like they say in the movie money ball.
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: You know it's, it's.
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: It's a sport that's been around for so long, it's.
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: It's not like anybody has the next secret to figure it out.
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: You know it's, it's.
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: It's just a sport that's going to keep on going.
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: You have to keep trying to find the guys who have all the right tools to to fill the holes that you need.
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: Last question Do you think that Mississippi State is going to morph into a baseball school and do you think it's going to hurt my fall experience?
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: I mean, that's a horrible question because I want the baseball team to do good.
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: You know bringing that, but I also want the football team to do well, as I want them to do well also.
• 28:45
  Speaker 2: What say you?
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: I want them to do well also.
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: What say you?
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: I think a lot of fans would argue that Mississippi State already is a baseball school, just in terms of what fans are really interested in.
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: But also Starkville is a town of what?
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: 20,000 or so?
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: The student population can maybe double that, and even that doesn't meet the number that is required to fill Davis-Wade Stadium and yet they still get the numbers to do it every year.
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: So football fancy lights coming this year yeah that's right they do.
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: And you know football is king down here.
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: So there there's still definitely going to be investment in the football team.
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: Part of the problem is, you know you're in the Southeastern conference and it may not be what it was, you know, five, 10 years ago, with Alabama winning every other year and Georgia winning every other year, but these are still really powerful programs and you've got to play all of them every week.
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: You've got to play eight of them every week in a given season.
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: So it's always a tough job.
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: Jeff Lebby's coming after a, you know, a two win season.
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: And you know you, you mentioned the crew mirrors we had.
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: We had a few of those down here in the crew mirrors.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: Uh, I remember, cause I was, you know, watching from the stands in Davis Wade stadium.
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: Well, it can't be that bad this season.
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: I mean there's just no way.
• 30:04
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there's, there's definitely a demand for improvement.
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: And, uh, you know they.
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: There's definitely a demand for improvement.
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: They've got talented players, They've got the means to do it.
• 30:12
  Speaker 2: I've heard some sources say that Mississippi State football has the best recruiting class like ever, and then others like, yeah, not so much.
• 30:20
  Speaker 2: And then other people are saying, well, they committed but they didn't stay and then they moved out.
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: I can't keep up with all that.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: Where are we In recruiting?
• 30:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: So right now, two four seven has the current, the class of 2026 ranked as 28th in the country.
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: Uh, but there's another site that has them ranked like 37th.
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: Um, and that's you know.
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: That's another thing.
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: With the popularity of college football, recruitment has become its own sort of media.
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: Um, no-transcript year.
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: The biggest problems were tackling winning at the line of scrimmage and these last two recruiting classes have reflected going after some of the good linebackers that are in the state, other guys coming in from out of state, finding guys who can fill holes on the good linebackers that are in the state, other guys coming in from out of state, finding guys who can fill holes on the defensive line and then finding the big guys up front, guys that can tackle, so that that guy that was sitting behind me won't be quite so angry.
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: this coming season.
• 31:42
  Speaker 2: We thank you for being in the studio today.
• 31:44
  Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, sports writer for the Dispatch, mr Colin Dams.
• 31:49
  Speaker 2: We are thankful for him being in the studio today.
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: Also want to be thankful to our listeners and to our sponsors.
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: Be sure to subscribe, rate and share and send us your feedback, as always.
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: Tips at cdispatchcom.
• 32:03
  Speaker 2: Again, that is, tips at cdispatchcom.
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: Or reach out to me on Facebook or X at the Chisholm 00.
• 32:11
  Speaker 2: Signing out from Catfish Alley Studios in historic downtown Columbus.
• 32:15
  Speaker 2: My name is David Chisholm and it has been a pleasure to be your host today.
• 32:19
  Speaker 2: Until next time, y'all keep it real and we'll keep it friendly.
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: Opinions expressed on this show are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the commercial dispatch.