Latest / Johnny's World / Episode 56-Ben McDonald

Transcript

Episode 56-Ben McDonald · Johnny's World

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Coming to you live from the Johnny Packer Eyewear Studios in fabulous Dark Vegas, Mississippi, please welcome our co-host, the best iDoc this side of the Mississippi, BW.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: And now, welcome a true hero, a CF Warrior, whose favorite motto in life is just keep living.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Here's Johnny.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_04: All right, welcome back to a brand new edition of the Johnny's World Podcast.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_04: I'm here with BW and uh just want to let y'all know after me and BW talk, I did a great interview uh earlier today, uh getting ready for the college baseball season starting tomorrow with uh uh with a great guest that you're gonna want to stay tuned to to hear what he has to say, and uh I think you're really gonna enjoy it.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_04: But uh but Wallin, what's going on today, man?
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: Man, I'm just just trying to avoid the bad weather.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: I think we're done with it, but I think it's heading to you.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_02: It looks like it's pretty dark over there in Starkville right now.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's dark outside right now.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, I got the old uh told Bo we might have to go in the storm shelter tonight.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_04: He likes that, so uh we'll see what happens.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_04: But hopefully it won't be.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_04: Hopefully it'll pass us by.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_04: But like I said, it's warm weather today.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_04: That's not a good sign when it's warm weather in the in the winter time, and with bad weather coming on, you don't want tornadoes.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_04: So actually, I noticed it was 20 years ago or 22 years ago from today.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, you were at Europe in college with me though at that time.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_04: Do you remember that bad tornado that hit Star?
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_04: Hit that guy's remember that guy's car that was in the door and like a year, telephone, or or a tree or a pole or something.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_02: So that was 22 years ago from right now, hard to believe.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: Golly.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: I remember uh I was there, my sister, because I was a freshman, and my sister was visiting, and she had like an art, something some kind of art deal going on in the art building.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_02: So I was in the art building and they made us go down to the basement, and uh I think it hit it hit worse on that side of campus where the dorms were uh Hathorne and Cresswell.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, that that light pole fell in the Creswell parking lot on that guy's car, and it was just like it was like an old Honda Accord, and it was just smashed and it was it just stayed in the parking lot.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: I think it was there until the end of the school year.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_02: I have no idea why they didn't ever get rid of it or anything like that.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_04: It just sitting there, it sat there the whole year, yeah.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_04: Uh yeah, I was in my my apartment, and you know, I didn't even think anything about it, and uh, and it turned out it was really bad, it's a lot of destruction in town.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_04: So hopefully, uh hopefully that won't happen tonight and we can stay clear.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_04: But where I live, it's uh down Octock Road.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_04: It seems like it's tornado alley, man.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_04: Never knew that.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_04: Uh it does this area, it seems like it just hits pretty bad.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_04: So hopefully uh it'll pass by not be bad.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_04: But uh yeah, uh well, uh you know, a week ago tonight, we had a big night.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_04: Brandon, you want to uh talk about that?
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_04: What happened?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: We did, yeah.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_02: So we got an email uh a few weeks ago from the the West Tennessee's uh CF Foundation, and they said they wanted to honor us at a awards banquet that was uh this past Thursday.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: And so apparently we some people have been listening to the show and making some donations, and and they felt like that we were um raising a lot of awareness about CF and that we were worthy of this award.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_02: So you and I both went down there.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: Uh your mom came up, my my my wife and my my in-laws were there, and um they they presented us with the tomorrow's leaders award for the cystic fibrosis foundation of West Tennessee of last year.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_02: So it was uh it was a big surprise.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: I was not expecting to get that at all, and it was really a huge honor.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I just am real appreciative of of everybody that listens to this show.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_02: And obviously, somebody's making donations out there for for CF.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_02: And um, we just appreciate y'all and letting us, you know, be able to get that award and gives us the energy to keep doing this, you know.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you know, we I I talked about this last time, and it's hard to believe it's been uh two years exactly when we started doing this, you know.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_04: You started doing it through the through the glasses and everything, and then I remember you were doing a uh blog, and we were like, you know, I wonder who's all gonna read this.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_04: What if we just start up a podcast?
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_04: And uh lo and behold, we started podcast up, and then we were the way we started getting these guests on here.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_04: I remember I said, Well, the way we can get uh people to listen to is we need we need some content, we need some people, you know, not really celebrities, but you know, people who are well known in in the community or you know, stuff like that.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_04: And and uh so really a lot of people that that were friends of mine through through my years growing up with CF played a part in my life.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_04: We had them on, and and then it just kind of took off.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_04: And being Mississippi State fans, like we are, we had a bunch of uh bunch of state players, and you know, it's hard to believe.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_04: We mentioned we had Timmy Bowers on last week.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_04: And when me and you were in college, Shane Power, Timmy Bowers, one of those those are the guys, man.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_04: Now here we are having yeah conversations with us, just kind of surreal how all this has come about.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_04: But uh yeah, really the main thing was just to uh me get on there.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_04: If you had if you're just now tuning into this, listen to the very first episode of the Johnny's World Podcast.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_04: I'll talk about my life with CF and how Brandon has got all this involved, and and uh yeah, it's just kind of took taking off and and it's been fun uh getting to do this with you and and talk to people and getting to hear people's stories.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_04: And and uh so yeah, and thanks for all the people that are listening to it because that's what that's what matters most, you know.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_04: We enjoy telling stories and hearing stories, but getting the word out is the main thing about CF because there might be people out there listening who might recently have a kid diagnosed with CF or or not know anything about the fight, and then here I am just celebrating my 42nd birthday, and I wasn't even supposed to be alive and and I'm fighting every day uh with CF, living, breathing with it, and uh yeah, so that just just uh it means a lot to get that award to uh because it shows that you know what we're doing, we're helping out others by spreading the word.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_04: You know, we'd love to raise as much money as possible, but we understand if you can't buy, you can't spend money to buy glasses or anything like that.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_04: But as long as you can just uh spread the word, um, that's what we're all in it for.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_04: So uh so yeah, thank y'all for listening and making this happen for us.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_04: This is pretty cool honor.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_04: Um, definitely.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, well, and I guess you still you I meant to ask you, you still have glasses in your in your office, is that right?
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was gonna mention that too.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: So um the we had a little change and decided to take the website down because uh it was it was costing quite a bit of money to do, and um and the the coffee business was also not going as planned.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: And so um the the glasses we still have them available here in the store.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so we can still get those.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: So if anybody's interested in in buying a pair of Johnny Packer eyewear, we can definitely still do those.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: But but I think going forward, the main way we want to raise money is is just through this podcast.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_02: If you if you click the below the show, if you look in the show notes on Spotify or iTunes, there's a button that says support the show.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_02: And if you click on that, it'll either take you to a thing that's called like buy a buy a coffee or buy a cup and um or the Patreon.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_02: And through that, you can donate$2,$5,$10,$15, whatever you want to donate.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_02: And so that that's gonna go into the account so that we can push that directly to the CF Foundation.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, no obligation in terms of uh how much you want to donate or or you don't have to buy anything from us.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so we're just gonna keep doing this show for y'all because we we enjoy doing this and and talking about Johnny's fight and and just having these, we just have these great guests, and and it's it's always been fun for me.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_02: So we're gonna keep doing it and not worry about selling anything, but but we definitely would appreciate the support.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, just like I said, click the link below the notes.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_02: It says support the show, share this with anybody that you know that you think would enjoy it, and and uh leave us some reviews, uh, because that's what ultimately gets the word out there so more people can listen, so more people can support us, and we can keep going with this.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's uh that that's an awesome thing, Brandon, because you know you hate people out there pushing stuff on people all the time.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_04: Let's buy this, buy this, buy this.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_04: You know, we want people to buy stuff, obviously, but we don't want to uh push it to where uh you know you might not feel like you're able to buy a pair of glasses for a couple hundred bucks, but you can actually donate what a dollar if you want that, you know.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_04: Anything, any it's anything matter.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, from little all the way up, you know, grassroots fundraising.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_04: That's what it's all about.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_04: That's why my work was all these many years at the children's hospital in Jackson.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_04: That's how we started doing it, you know.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_04: Any, any, anything counts.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_04: So uh, and and when you're doing that, you know, you're helping people.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_04: We learned this at the CF meeting the other night, you know.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and they're working, they're not stopping until CF stands for cure found.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_04: They made that known because there's still 10% of the CF population out there that do not have a miracle drug.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_04: Um, and I my heart goes out to them because I know what it felt like having to wait and wait while seeing others in CF get a drug that is changing their lives, and then they're sitting there getting sicker because I was in that boat until I got on tricafta.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_04: And uh, so yeah, that money goes to when you when you donate money, it goes to to research and helping them to uh come up with new drugs and stuff to um to stop the progressing of the disease because uh that's what that's what it that's what we're all in it for, is to is to help improve the lives of people with CF and that's making a difference.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_04: So uh yeah, we'd appreciate if you just get on there and and and donate as much as you can.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_04: So that'd be awesome.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_04: Well, uh well, BW, we didn't have a little uh we didn't have an interview or uh or talking about the Super Bowl before like we had in the past, but I do want to uh go over that because you know me and you had our predictions.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_04: We had we did a weekly podcast all during college football season to get uh get excited for each Mississippi State home game or each Mississippi State game.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_04: And uh gosh, we were pretty close on our picks every single week.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_04: We always score exactly, and uh yeah.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_04: So my mom asked me before the Super Bowl, she's like, You had a prediction to score.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_04: I said 38-35, 38-35.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_04: I said that that was the score I picked, and lo and behold, the score is 38-35.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_04: I didn't say Chiefs or Eagles, I didn't know it could have gone either way, but uh, you know, if I'd gone to Philly, the golden moon and said that 30 38-35, it would not have turned out that way.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_04: It always happens when you don't have money on it that you pick something like that.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_04: But uh, but yeah, it was an exciting game.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, you know, you know, sometimes the Super Bowls are kind of a bust, you know.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_04: There, but but that one was you know, that one was back and forth and pretty exciting.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_04: What did you think?
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_04: What was your take on the Super Bowl?
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, uh, you know, it's funny the 38-35 thing, too.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_02: I guarantee if you would have had money on that, uh, the the Kansas City guy that had the ball could have run it straight in for a touchdown at the end there.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_02: I I've never seen that happen before he just stopped, you know.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: And and I guarantee he would have run that straight in if you had had money on that.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: But I I thought that was interesting that that they did that.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it to me, I would think I would rather have the points instead of putting it on my kicker.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_02: Because I mean, what if the kicker gets up there and shanks it at the end like that?
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I mean, if we we've seen it Mississippi State missing mixing uh extra points and then the Dallas kicker.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't know, I would have I would have just run that thing.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: And they'd already missed one earlier in the game, too.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, worst case, it's that you know, you give them the ball back and they go down and score and they tie it or something.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_02: But right, I don't I don't know.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_02: But but yeah, it was a good game.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_02: I was um I didn't really care about either one of the teams.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_02: I had a hard time really just picking who I wanted to win.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think you know, because we had a couple state players on each team, right?
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I don't know, I just have never really cared for Philadelphia and I kind of was tired of the Chiefs.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_02: I always like to see somebody new win it.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_02: I was really hoping that uh the Bengals would get in and and win it.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_02: So um I didn't I didn't watch all of it until I really I watched like part of the first half and then uh got the kids in bed and stuff, and then I came back and watched most of the fourth quarter.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: So that's kind of what I did.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, Mahomes, man, he's kind of solidified himself as the as the new Tom Brady.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, it's just amazing what that guy's doing, you know.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_04: He he he hurt his hurt his ankle, and dude's out there just running like no tomorrow.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_04: Just uh I how does that guy do that?
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_04: I don't I mean, obviously he was uh uh probably jump uh all on painkillers to kill the pain, but still, man, that's not human.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_04: You're not supposed to do that when we were in and he didn't even let him slow him down.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_04: So he's he's a stud, man.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_04: He's uh I mean he's already got all of fame credentials, and he's only what like a few years into the league, man.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_04: So he might make a run at Brady's uh championships if he keeps it up like this.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_04: Uh he might and I like his I like him, man.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_04: He seems like a a a good dude, man.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_04: You know, yeah.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_04: Um uh so I I always like to sit here for people that that uh you seem like they're good dudes, and he he seems like he's he's one of them.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_04: Say Jalen Hurts, too.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_04: You know, he seems like he's a class act as well.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_04: So I really didn't didn't have a I didn't I didn't care either way who won.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_04: I didn't really, you know, I guess for being cheered for Dallas and the Cowboys with Dak, you know, the Eagles are their hated rivals, which is funny.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_04: They booed Dak when he got man of the year or the game's like, come on now.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_04: And uh but but you know, uh yeah, I didn't really care either way.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_04: Oh well I didn't, you know, and and we had I don't know if that'll ever happen before happen again, man.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_04: Have that many Mississippi State guys in the Super Bowl, you know, just like that.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_04: And there's I mean, they weren't like bench players, they were actually making difference in the game.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_04: Chris Jones is one of the best defensive players in the NFL today, yeah.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_04: And uh, so seeing him get his second ring, it's hard to believe that's already happened.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_04: I did uh I did.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_04: Did you hear that after the game?
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_04: He he he gave us a shout out, he said hell state, baby.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_04: So that was pretty cool, man, on national state seeing that.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_04: And and uh but yeah, so it was a cool game.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_04: And there's some good commercials, and you know, Super Bowl Sundays is always a good day.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_04: We watched the puppy bowl before the before the game with Bo.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_04: That's always our traditional watch, but um, but yeah, it was uh it was it was exciting.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_04: Um hard to believe football season's already over with you.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_04: That's what we look forward to all year, and and uh it's coming going, but it'll be here before we know it.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_04: But uh switching over to basketball, let's talk about some hoops so Wally, I was in the month last night, and and uh, you know, I'll never forget when we were in college that game in 04.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_04: We had Timmy Bowers on last week, we talked about it.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_04: The Kentucky game in 04, we were undefeated going into that game, and you know, I just saw I looked something up the other day.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_04: Kentucky was five ranked number five going into that game, and we were ranked number 24, and we were undefeated, and we're number 24.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_04: That's hard to believe.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_04: But uh, and that game was back and forth, back and forth, and we lose on the tip shot by Eric Daniels at the end of the game.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_04: And and I remember that crowd that game.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_04: That I mean, it was uh the hump was rocking, you know, those are the glory days, Mississippi State basketball seems that way, and and we've that's been so many years ago now, and we've been dealt through so much, you know, with coaching change and players and and the program kind of going down for a decade.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_04: And uh this was kind of a way to get the fans back in back into the hump.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_04: You know, they were always saying pack the hump, pack the hump.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_04: And uh, and last night, you know, with the hump.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_04: I someone asked me what was the crowd like, and I'll I'll just tell you, you know, it it was not like it was when we were in college when Kentucky was playing, it wasn't like that, but gosh, I saw a picture from a game a year ago, a big game a year ago against Tennessee.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_04: Saw that today compared to last night's crowd, it was night day difference.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, it was it was crowded, uh, it wasn't packed all the way like we wanted to be, but the whiteout made it made it look more standoutish, I guess.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_04: But it was loud enough to where we're making a difference.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_04: The fans were out in there making a difference, and man, the team fights, man.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_04: They're they're they're a scrappy bunch, and Chris Jan is a heck of a coach, play really good defensively.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_04: Um, you know, and and a credit to them because that we we got down by almost like 10 points in the second half.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_04: And I was like 13, I think.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_04: 13, yeah.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_04: And people were leaving.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I looked around, people were leaving, and I thought that I was like, man, you know, this team's either gonna fold like we've done in the past and just give up, or this team's gonna fight, fight it out.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_04: And man, they fought it all.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, they came back, and and uh, you know, it's just and and the the call at the end of the game, you know, the non-traveling call, we talked about that earlier.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_04: Kentucky is always gonna get those calls, especially in the time when they're on the bubble and they want to and that that they need to be in the tournament because they bring more fans, more money.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_04: We get all that.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_04: But the way to keep the because everybody's bitching about the refs, the rest, but look, the way to keep the refs from making bad calls like that is you take care of your business on your end.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_04: We make our free throws like we're supposed to make, we rebound the ball better.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_04: Then all that stuff, the refs doesn't interfere, it doesn't come into effect.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_04: Only you can blame the refs in situations like that is when you don't take care of it on ear end.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_04: And once again, we missed a bunch of free throws, and there's a crucial rebound at the end of the game that we did not get.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_04: And so if all that stuff happens in that no-call, you know, it is what it is.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_04: But uh, yeah, Chris Jans was furious with all the reasons.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_04: I could see why.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_04: When I saw it today, I've watched it a few times.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_04: It was definitely a no-call on traveling.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_04: And uh at Cal Party, they always get the calls.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_04: It's kind of like Alabama football, it's the same deal.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_04: Whenever you play them, you gotta beat the refs and them.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_04: And uh, but credit to the state, man.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_04: They they they uh they held on to the very end.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_04: And uh I got I'll tell you a shot by Shaq Moore.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_04: I I thought he got fouled, but it looks like he lost control of the ball.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_04: It happened so fast, you know.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_04: But um, but yeah, you can tell you can tell the basketball team's getting better uh week by week.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, we lost five in a row, and everybody's jumping off ship, and uh, and then we win five in a row, and uh so they're playing a lot better.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, I think we got a few more to go, and you can't really lose any of these games coming up if you want to get in the tournament because we're on the on the bubble, and they were kind of on the bubble too, Kentucky.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_04: And I mean they lost to Georgia last week.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_04: Seems like we always get like for instance in Alabama football this past year, they lost to Tennessee.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_04: Then we have to play.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_04: And we always play those teams like that after they come off a loss, and uh, so you knew going into a Kentucky was determined to win, and but we put up a fight, man.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_04: And hey, uh the they passed out those shirts, you know.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_04: Did you read what the shirt says?
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_04: If he ain't a dog, your dog food.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that's just to say it, man.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_04: It's kind of clear, it's kind of uh kind of taking off, but uh yeah, it's been exciting year, Miss Muse basketball.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_04: I think uh going in the right direction.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_04: I think it's gonna be be back to the good old days here uh here shortly.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_04: Uh because you think about it, and when we get we got these transfers coming in, they're making a difference, and uh it's uh it's night and day difference.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_04: I love I love Ben Allen, but you can tell it's night and day difference compared to last year's team and this year's team.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, um so future's bright and hoops.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: I don't understand the deal with Kentucky.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_02: Man, I have we something about we lost 18 of 19 to them, and I don't understand what it is.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's like you said, teams like Georgia can beat them, but we never beat them.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: I I mean I couldn't tell you, I mean, I guess we've won one game.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_02: I don't I couldn't tell you when that was, who you know, what year that was, but it seems like every time we beat them in the uh one time.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_04: Uh I think Mario Austin beat them when we were in college in like maybe oh two or somewhere around like that.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_04: And then we we lost all the way up to like 09, and that was when Kentucky was garbage.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_04: They had Billy Gillespie as their coach before Coach Cow came in.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_04: And remember, they were just terrible.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_04: They made it to the NFT.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_04: We beat them that that year, and then I remember uh 2012 when we had Rodney Hood and and uh and all and D boss and all those guys.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_04: We we played them hard, got beat.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_04: Uh and 10 was a close game.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_04: They had uh they had uh Boogie uh cousins, remember him, and yeah John, all those guys, and that was a close game.
• 20:17
  SPEAKER_04: We seem to play them close.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, and and there's the atmosphere's rocking in the hump when we're playing them, and you know, we seem to put but we always come up on the short end of things, and I think we finally broke through a couple years ago, but it was in the uh it might have been the SC tournament when we beat them.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_04: Uh but yeah, the hump, we just can't beat them, and I don't understand um if it's a mental deal or what, but I don't think it's that mental deal because we're in it, we're always in the game, right?
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_04: We make some errors, and the errors always come back to bite us with the refs.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_04: So um, like I said, don't make those errors, then the refs can't screw you.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_04: So uh, but yeah, it's it's it's tough.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_04: They're just kind of one of those teams, you know, like like Alabama and football.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_04: We can't we can't seem to get the monkey off our back with them.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yep, yep, yeah, and you know, just kind of going back real quick, talking about the Super Bowl, all those players uh playing in the Super Bowl, and you know, I out of all those people we had, all those teams like never beat Alabama any with any of those guys.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_04: You know, we had Dak, Chris Jones, all Fletcher Cox, all these NFL players, and we still didn't win the West, still did not win the West.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_04: And uh, you know, you wonder about that.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_04: You have all these NFL players and you can't win the West.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_04: Is that coaching or what?
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_04: But you know, I mean we got up to number one with some of those guys, and and we still couldn't get the deal done.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_04: And it's just I guess Alabama has the better players, but you should when you have that many NFL players on the team, you should at least win the West.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, yeah, I don't know.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_04: It's it's that's frustrating.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_04: It just seems like it always happens.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_04: You know, you get that that 14 season in football, you know, that was our that was supposed to be the time, you know, we get to number one, and then what do we do?
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_04: Play against Alabama, just like Kentucky basketball.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_04: We can go into the game and think we got a shot and we lose it.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_04: So uh that's just a story of being a Mississippi State fan.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_04: Everybody out there is a Mississippi State fan, they know exactly what we're talking about.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_04: But hey, we always come back for more.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_04: We always come back for more.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_04: But the one sport the one sport that we finally got over that we finally got over the hump with was baseball.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_04: Even though we had a bad, bad year last year, 2021, we'll never forget we're national champions and nobody can say anything about it.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_04: However, Ole Miss does win it last year, which kind of stings a little bit, you know.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_04: You you want to being a rival, you want to you wanted to hold that over Ole Miss's head and say, Well, y'all got a women's golf national championship, but we got a baseball national championship, and then not even 12 months later, they win it.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_04: So uh I know it's cool for the state of Mississippi out there listening, you know, having stayed in Ole Miss.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_04: So Southern Miss, you know, it's this is your year, Southern Miss, you gotta win it, gotta have the trifle.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_04: But pressure's on you, Eagles.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_04: Pressure's on you.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but you know, it's uh it was cool to finally get that off our back.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_04: And and last year was such a tough, tough year, but but tomorrow I'll be at the dude, man.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_04: Tomorrow's opening day of baseball.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_04: It's something uh day we all look forward to.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm really excited about see what happens this year.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_04: I expect uh Hunter Hines and Killn Park to have big seasons, and and this guy uh Drangelo, have you seen him, BW?
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_04: He's got uh he throws two hands, he's ambidextrous pitcher.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_04: He can throw from the right side and from the left side, and uh wow, he's got this glove, he throws it and then he moves the glove from his left hand to his right hand, and he'll throw it that way.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, it's pretty amazing.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_04: So, yeah, he uh we're gonna have uh I did think it was funny.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_04: Lamonas said, I don't think this guy can throw right hand and then he can come back the next day and pitch for us left-handed.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_04: Here's like doesn't work like that.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_04: It's not a circus act here, but he does uh he does throw with both hands, and uh so that'll that's probably gonna get some national attention right there for us.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_04: So if the bass can get hot and uh pitching can come along, I think we're we'll be in for a good season.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_04: So um really looking forward to being back at the at Duty Noble and and springtime get here and the warm weather, and it's best time of the season, so best time of the year at Duty Noble and when the dogs are are uh are swinging the sticks.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_04: So uh yeah.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_04: I think you're you said you're gonna get over to do noble this year, didn't you?
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we're gonna try to come in April, I think.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_04: Sweet.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_04: Have you been you haven't been, have you since the new stadium?
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, not not since the new stadium, yeah.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: So it's been uh oh probably man, ten years since I've been really uh came when we played Florida like 10 years ago, I think.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you're gonna be amazed, man.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_04: It's it's a premier stadium in college baseball for sure.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_04: So uh uh nothing like being at the dude, man.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_04: So really excited uh for college baseball is back.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_04: And uh yeah, our guest that I interviewed today that you're gonna hear shortly, uh um talked about his he played baseball at LSU and and is real connected with SEC baseball.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_04: And uh yeah, you're you're really gonna enjoy hearing what all he has to say as far as uh college baseball being back.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: Nice.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_02: Hey, do they still uh when we were there, they had 25 cent hot dog night.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_02: Do they still do that Tuesday night?
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_04: Um, if they do, I haven't seen it promoted.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_04: I'm not sure if they if they still do that or not.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: I remember this one guy we we knew, uh they called him Mumpy, and uh he he spent two dollars on hot dogs and ate all of them.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_02: Two dollars and they were 25 cents.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_04: Eight hot dogs.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my goodness.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_04: Never forget it.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_04: That's crazy.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_04: No, I'm not sure if they do that or not.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_04: Uh but uh yeah, that's that's definitely interesting.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, definitely, yeah.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, well, I'm excited about that.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and then you know, I get excited about golf this time of year.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_02: This is the main time I like to watch uh the Phoenix Open last weekend and Riviera uh this weekend, and then Masters will be here before we know it.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_02: And there's the new uh Netflix series that came out um this past week.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I forget the name of it now, but it's it follows several golfers around uh this past season, and it is pretty good too.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_02: You should check it out.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'll have to check that out.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_02: That'll be awesome.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, the first I watched the first episode, they they mostly talk about Jordan Speith and Justin Thomas, and they follow Justin Thomas when he won the PGA last year.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: So it's pretty cool to see that.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_02: Sweet.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that I'll have to check that out for sure.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, love uh love this time of the year.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_04: You got uh college baseball, you got March Madness, and you got the Masters, man.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_04: The trifecta right there.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_04: That's a pretty cool time of the year.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_04: So uh yeah, I'm ready for for the Masters to kick off.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_04: That'll be be awesome to see.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_04: Uh see if uh Scotty can can uh can reclaim the uh go for the repeat this year.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think we'll have to do another master's preview pod like last year.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: That was a good time.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_04: Put the music on there, man.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_04: Gotta get it.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we'll get we'll get Jim Nance back on to give the intro.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, yeah.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yes indeed.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you know, if y'all are listening and we talked about making making donations and stuff like that, um I think I mentioned this last year on the master's pod, but I think it's been uh more than 15 years that I've been trying to get tickets to the masters and I've never gotten a single one.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I know you went in like 03, didn't you?
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_04: It was 08, yeah.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_02: So if anybody out there ever has extra tickets, they're tired of going, you know, they want to go, feel free to send some our way.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_02: We'd be glad to we we can even record the podcast live from Amen Corner.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know if they'll let you bring your phones in.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_04: I remember that was a thing.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_04: Uh oh yeah, that's right.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_04: I took they took photos, I took got some photos uh on on the ground.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_04: I mean arrived in there, but then you had to turn in your phone.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_04: And so I don't have any, I don't know if it's changed since then or what, but I I vividly remember seeing uh I was following Tiger around and I vividly remember him eating a banana and throwing the banana pill on the ground out on the T-box, and these kids dove up onto the rope to get the get the banana pill.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_04: I'll never forget that.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_04: Put it on eBay, probably and saw the tiger woods banana eating, you know.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_04: But uh yeah, it's uh it's cool, man.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_04: But uh yeah, and they had the Hooters, I'll never forget that.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_04: Hooters is right outside, and that's where I rolled into town right when we got there.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_04: Oh uh, I didn't see him there, but John Daly always sets up right there and does all does all his thing at Augusta Hooter Hooters.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_04: But uh but yeah, the Masters, man, special a special tournament excited that uh coffee pack too.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_04: So uh yeah, and then we got and then we got Daytona this weekend, man.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_04: Uh that's right.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_04: We got yeah, Daytona 500.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_04: You know, we might see that that crash you always send me with all those noise, you know.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_04: That's that's always funny.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but uh I know I like to watch that.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um my daughter, they were doing some kind of deal in their science class.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_02: They were talking about NASCAR, uh about drafting or something like that.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_02: So she's she actually asked if we could watch it this weekend.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_02: So we're gonna we're gonna put it on.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, hopefully we'll see some see some action going on there.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_04: So yeah, a lot, lot going on in the in the world uh world of sports today.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_04: There's always something to keep us entertained by.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_04: So uh yep, yep.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_04: But uh, I don't have anything else, man.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_04: You got anything else you want to add before no?
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's that's about it.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_02: I that's all I got.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_02: So um we'll have to come back maybe maybe in a couple weeks, talk some more about the the Bulldogs basketball, see what's going on with that, see what our chances are getting in the tournament and see what's going on early, early rounds of the baseball.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yep, yep.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_04: Sounds good.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_04: Well, well, everybody out there listening, thanks for listening to us.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_04: Do not hang up, though, do not click this off because you're gonna really, really enjoy this guest we have coming up talking uh SEC baseball, major league baseball, and we even talk a little bit Yellowstone.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_04: So uh if you want to hear all that, uh stay tuned because you you'll enjoy it.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_04: Sounds good.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_04: All right, Randy, take care, man.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_03: All right, all right.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_04: All right, welcome back to a brand new edition of the Johnny's World Podcast.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, this is Johnny here.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_04: I'm doing a little doing it solo today as uh my co-host BW is attending some people's eyes at uh at his uh clinic.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_04: So uh I'm handling this interview solo, but uh uh it's a great time of the year.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_04: Um we have college baseball season starting tomorrow, and and uh you know the ballparks will be filled up and springtime is here, and then we got big league baseball coming up soon.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_04: So uh, so without uh, you know, this is a great time to to have uh our guest on today.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_04: I'm so honored to have him on.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, you might know him from uh if you're an SEC baseball fan, uh he's an analyst on SC next uh SEC baseball, playing baseball at LSU and in the big league.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_04: So without further ado, I'm gonna bring him on.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_04: Ben McDonald, welcome to Johnny's World.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_01: Man, hey, great to be with you.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_01: Anytime I get a chance to talk to my Mississippi State people, I'm always excited about that.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when I left high school many moons ago, it was kind of out of Mississippi State and LSU.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_01: I was a big Ron Polk fan because that was the program in the SEC back at Clark and Palomero and Thig Pen.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, they've been to the college rules series a couple of times, but at the end of the day, man, this some guy by the name of Skip Bertman got to LSU when I was in high school and started doing some pretty special things.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so I ended up staying close to home, which when you grow up 20 minutes from LSU, man, it's just hard to get away when you grow up going to basketball, baseball, and football games, you know.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so it is what it is.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_01: I always love Mississippi State folks.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: I took a visit there out of high school many years ago, and of course, always pulled for Mississippi State and was excited as anybody a couple years ago when they won their first college world series, and it won't be the last one, I can promise you that.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, Ron, uh coach Coach Polk, uh he lives in my neighborhood, and man, what a what a guy, you know.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_04: Not that many people I know that that coaches supposedly he sends a birthday card to him every year.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_04: Just you know, one of a kind guy.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_04: And uh yes, I still get the look.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_01: I get a I get a Christmas card from him every year.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_01: I have for I don't know how many years now I've been able to stay in touch.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, he came down to Denham Springs, Louisiana last year about this time and spoke at the first pitch banquet for our local high school.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: So I know Coach Pope makes the rounds and always good for me to catch up with him.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: I always enjoy that.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I I want to go into his house.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_04: I've been seeing all these photos.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_04: His house is like a museum.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_04: Have you heard about this?
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_04: Like, oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_04: I I can't I want to go check it out sometime.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_04: Looks amazing in there, but uh, but yeah, he he's a great, great, uh, great guy and and uh just the ambassador for college baseball, just like Skip Bertman.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_04: So uh I feel like you know that you you you got uh uh being being coached by Skip Bertman, then friends with Ron Polk, you your first hand knowledge of all this, and and uh and SEC baseball, man, it's just it's just uh it's it's awesome.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_04: It's that's one word for it describes awesome.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_04: And it's starting up tomorrow.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_04: Let's let's talk a little about SEC baseball.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_04: What what are your thoughts on the season?
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_04: And uh what about your tigers and my bulldogs?
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_04: What do you think?
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I mean, look, it it's uh the SEC is the number one conference in baseball, just like it is in football, and the polls are showing that.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_01: I know polls don't mean a whole lot, but just going into it, I think four of the top five teams in the country are SEC schools.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think seven of the top nine uh are all SEC schools.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_01: So it's gonna be a gauntlet again, like it always is.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I mean, obviously LSU's uh preseason number one just about in every poll.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: Jay Johnson, who had his first year at LSU last year as the head coach, has pretty much done what he said he was gonna do.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_01: He said, I'm gonna bring the excitement back to Baton Rouge.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's back this year.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, he brings in a number one freshman class in the country, he brings in a number one transfer class in the country.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_01: And you couple that with Dylan Cruz, who could be the first pick in the country this year, Trey Morgan, who has been there.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_01: It sets up to be a pretty special year for LSU.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_01: But always been warning people around Baton Rouge is hey, Tennessee last year, just ask them.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you don't win it on paper, you win it on the field.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_01: And Tennessee, I mean, I've been broadcasting almost 25 years now.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_01: That Tennessee club last year was probably the most talented team I've seen since my broadcasting career began, and yet they don't even make it to the college Royal Series.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what separates baseball from the other sports.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: I love baseball for that reason because of the unknown.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't follow college football a lot, I watch it.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_01: But like if you'd asked me in September, Ben, who's the best team in the country, I'd have said, well, Georgia is because they won last year and they returned a lot of their dues.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, they win it this year.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_01: Basketball is similar to that too, but in baseball, you just don't ever know.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_01: And while Tennessee was supposed to win, they don't even get there.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_01: And then, of course, Ole Miss on the flip side was probably the last team to get in, like the 64th team.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of people thought Ole Miss did not even deserve to be in the tournament last year, but yet they go ahead and win the College World Series.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's why I love baseball more than any other sport, because if you get hot at the right time, like Ole Miss did, it can carry you all the way through.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: I think Mississippi State obviously had an off-year last year.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_01: There's no doubt about that.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: If I remember right, their pitching was really down last year.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_01: They were towards the bottom of the SEC and ERA.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: The pitching's got to get better.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_01: I do like the offense.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_01: I think Hunter Hines, of course, I coached Kellen Clark for about three years in travel ball.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_01: Dear friends with him and his dad, David.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, they're special people.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's a special family.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's gonna have a really big year this year.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_01: I think the offense is gonna be stout for Mississippi State.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: And they did lead the Southeastern Conference, if I remember correctly, in fielding percentage.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_01: They bring in Larry in the shortstop and some other guys.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_01: So I think on paper, offensively and defensively, they're gonna be solid.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_01: The question is: can that pitching start to match that defense and of course that offense that they have?
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_01: If they do, Mississippi could certainly make some noise.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_01: But you go around the SEC, I mean, AM's the top five team.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, uh, Ole Miss is back around top five.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_01: Arkansas is gonna be strong again.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_01: Baronerville had a little bit of an off-year for them last year from what we've been seeing, but they're expected to be back, you know, towards the top again.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_01: And let's not forget about Florida.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_01: I think Florida had a ton of injuries last year with some big-time players they had.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_01: By all accounts, those players are healthy.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: So look, it sets up to be a gauntlet again this year.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's gonna be that 30-game grind that we enjoy so much.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_01: But always tell fans, for if you're in SEC school, you all gonna beat up on each other during the year.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_01: There's no doubt about that.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_01: But that only prepares you for the postseason.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_01: And right now, potentially nine to eleven teams, what they're projecting could be in the NCAA tournament out of 14.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_01: And so it'll prepare them for what they'll see in the postseason.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_01: They won't be anything they won't experience in a postseason they haven't experienced during the regular season.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_01: So it's gonna be an exciting year across the board in college baseball.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_04: I think so.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_04: I think you're right.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_04: Uh well now, what about uh uh you know at Mississippi State?
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_04: There's this pitcher that everybody's talking about.
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_04: He's two-handy, he's uh he throws both ways.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_04: Uh what do you think about that?
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_04: That's that's so interesting.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_01: That you talk about an athlete, you know.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I remember I remember I can't remember the guy's name, but there was a guy, I want to say last name was Harris in the big leagues back when I was playing played for the Red Sox.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_01: He was the reliever, he could actually do that too.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: That was the first time I ever saw that.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_01: But I've seen some highlights of the kid that you're talking about, and I'm anxious to see what a weapon that is.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_01: If he can turn around the mound and go lefty versus lefty, then a righty steps in the box, he can throw from the right side.
• 37:04
  SPEAKER_01: That's gonna be fun to watch.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see how consistent he can be doing that.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_01: But that's something that you don't see very often at all.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you don't see that.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_04: And and uh I think that uh you know, with the crowds, you know, uh duty nobles known to have those big crowds, and when that guy's on the mound, if he's throwing, people's gonna want to see that.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_04: They could come in and see.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, how do you warm up?
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_01: You get seven pitches, does he throw three from the left side and four from the right side?
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't know.
• 37:27
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I'm interested to see how all that works out.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it's good, yeah, that's really cool.
• 37:30
  SPEAKER_01: And look, if he can be halfway consistent, that's gonna be a huge weapon for state, no doubt about that.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_04: I think so.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_04: I think you're right.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_04: Um, well, well, let's talk a little bit about big league baseball.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_04: It's coming up awesome, and and you're you're tell us tell everybody what you're doing with the Orioles.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, man.
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I you know, I got in this broadcasted thing many years ago, started off doing no CST, Cotch Sports Television, right here in Baton Rouge covering LSU games.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_01: That was 20 some odd years ago.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then of course, once the SEC network got kicked off, I got really involved in that.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_01: And the Orioles, I guess, were watching.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this is gonna be my 13th year going back to doing Oriole games now.
• 38:04
  SPEAKER_01: And uh it's been more full time, I guess, the last four or five years.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_01: I'll do 84 big league games this year and counting uh that's counting something I'll do in spring training coming up in a week or so.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_01: And so, yeah, so it's uh it's busy for me, probably busier than I want to be, but uh it's fun, man.
• 38:20
  SPEAKER_01: Like I enjoy the college game.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I love to see the big league guys too.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_01: You know, Adam Fraser, who played at Mississippi State, is gonna be the starting second basin for the Orioles.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_01: So it's cool for me to see them in college, to see them playing at Ole Miss Mississippi State.
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_01: LSU, all of a sudden I get to the big leagues, and there are these big league guys too.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm excited to say hello to Fraser, but it's great, man.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_01: I I enjoy what I do.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_01: I don't necessarily love the travel because I'm going from home a lot, but man, once they say play ball, it's like I'm all in.
• 38:46
  SPEAKER_01: Then like I like to see the best players in the world.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, SEC based baseball is the best players, no doubt, in the country.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_01: So I get to see the best of both worlds.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_04: And it's so cool, like you just said, you know, like Adam Fraser.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_04: And then there's always there can be SEC players on each roster, and it's cool, cool to see them and then see them take off in the big leagues.
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, I'm really I'm really anxious to see uh, you know, uh Jake Mangum.
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_04: I talked to him not too long ago.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_04: He he's with the Marlins organization now and and starting off in triple A.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm really hoping he makes the jump this year, and I feel like he might uh to get in the big league.
• 39:18
  SPEAKER_04: So um yeah, it'll be interesting.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Jake was one of my favorite players at state, you know.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I when he left, I was like, if there's ever a kid that could wheel himself to the big leagues, it would be Jake Mangum.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like he just he like, you know, nothing's gonna stop him.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_01: I saw that in Mississippi.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I said this from the beginning.
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's statues out there of some, but for me, there should be a statue of Jake Mangum.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, all-time leader in hits in SEC history.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_01: But on top of that, what he meant to Mississippi State at that time and keeping them and putting them on the map after some down years, he kind of started all this run to the to the college rules series, of course, what led to a national championship as well.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_01: So he's been a big player in Mississippi State baseball history.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_01: There's no doubt about that.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I agree.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_04: Um, I agree.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm hoping he makes the jump, and I think he will.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_04: And I think like you just said, he's just got that determination.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_04: I think he's gonna be a successful big big league player if he can if he can get in there, and I feel confident he will.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_04: Um, but yeah, um, tell us a little bit about uh about your career when you when you went all right.
• 40:18
  SPEAKER_04: Tell us you you ended up going to LSU and and then you got drafted.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_04: Talk a bit about all that.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I uh I was drafted out of high school by the Braves in the 20-something realm.
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_01: Not many people know this, but I actually went to LSU on a basketball scholarship.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_01: So I was more highly recruited out of high school to play basketball than I was baseball.
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_01: Now, the intent was always to play two sports, and you know, we figured once I got to wherever I was gonna go, which ended up being LSU, that one would eventually win out on the other.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_01: But uh my freshman year, I mean, look, I didn't know any better.
• 40:48
  SPEAKER_01: I thought that's what you were supposed to.
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_01: I get to play in the Elite Eight in basketball with Dale Brown and make it to the college World Series my freshman year.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_01: So you talk about a heck of a freshman year, that doesn't happen to everybody, you know.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: And so I uh I rocked along and I went to the Alaskan Summer League after my freshman year at LSU, and my fastball ticked up about seven miles an hour.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like it went from, you know, 91 up to I was hitting 97.
• 41:13
  SPEAKER_01: And at that point, I kind of knew that baseball was probably gonna be my ticket.
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_01: That was back when hardly anybody else was throwing 95 and above, you know.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_01: And so I felt like baseball was gonna be my ticket.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_01: I did play basketball my sophomore year until baseball started.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_01: And I told Del Brown, I said, listen, when January 1 rolls around, coach, I got to get out to baseball because my freshman year, I missed all the pre-SEC schedule because we made such a deep run in March Madness all the way to Elite Eight.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't get out to the baseball field until SEC play had begun.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I wanted to make that Olympic team, man.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_01: I knew that I had to be out for a full year in '88 just to show everybody what I could do in order to make that Olympic team.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_01: So I kind of gave up the hardcourt stuff and went full-time baseball on uh on January the 1st.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_01: And Pat had a really good year, did well.
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, made the Olympic team.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_01: We go over to Seoul, South Korea, uh, with players like uh, you know, Jim Abbott was on that team, Robin Ventura, Charles Nagy, Andy Bennis, who was number one picking the country that year.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: We won the gold medal.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_01: So like that was a thrill for me.
• 42:10
  SPEAKER_01: I uh I got my gold medal hanging up up there along with my U.S.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_01: jersey and USA jersey and why table, what a thrill that was.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, to be able to, and then and to be honest, everybody says, well, what's the highlight of your career?
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's a lot of highlights.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_01: I was very lucky, very fortunate, but that probably stands out more than anything just because I was a huge Olympian growing up.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like I love the Olympics.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like I watched, like to watch the Summer Olympics, and I always wondered, okay, what would it be like to stand on a gold medal platform and have somebody drape a gold medal over your neck?
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like, that's gotta be like the coolest feeling in the world because not only are you representing where you come from, your college, your state, your community, but you're representing the red, white, and blue, man.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_01: And it don't get no better than that, especially on foreign soil.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_01: We were over in Seoul, South Korea.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_01: So that was a really cool experience.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I go back to school, you know, uh in my junior year and end up being the first pick in the country and course left.
• 43:01
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, two weeks after I signed, I was in the big leagues the same year I left college in 1989.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_01: I was in the big leagues for the month of September and uh didn't have a clue of what I was doing.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_01: So there was a learning curve there big time to try to figure out how to pitch, to call my own game for the first time because we never called our own game in college.
• 43:18
  SPEAKER_01: Coach Bergman, you know, called every pitch I ever threw in college, and I never understood how to set up a hitter or what I was looking for.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_01: He said, fast ball away.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_01: I could do that curveball.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_01: I got one of those change up.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I can take a little butt off.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_01: Fork ball, I got one of those too.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_01: And so I never really learned how to set up guys, and now I'm 21, I'm in the big leagues, and I got to call my own game.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_01: Big time adjustment for me.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_01: So the big leagues are about adjusting, you know, and being able to adjust on the fly.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_01: I had to do some serious adjusting.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_01: There were many nights I went home and banged my head up against the wall, wondering why I couldn't have consistent success in the big leagues.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_01: But then, you know, my agent people kept saying, Ben, you know, listen, when you get about 200 innings in the big league, that light bulb is going to start to flicker a little bit, and you'll kind of get a game plan on what you want to do.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what happened.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, after some rough times that had some success mixed in there too, obviously, uh, I started to kind of figure out what I wanted to do and how to attack every hit or how to approach every game.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_01: You just learned how to be a big legger at that point.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_01: And so it was a good nine-year career.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately, you know, at 29 years old, dude, like right when I'm just figuring it out and in the prime of my career, shoulder injuries started to happen.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_01: I had three shoulder surgeries trying to come back.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_01: It just didn't happen.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I was retired from the game, you know, at 29 years old.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_01: And that's when Coach Berkman came to me a couple years later and said, You know what you'd be good at?
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, What's that, Coach?
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, You'd be good at broadcasting.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, Coach, I didn't even graduate, I don't even have a college degree.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_01: What are you talking about?
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_01: I like, I don't know anything about broadcasting.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_01: He said, I'm just telling you, you're a good storyteller, you know the game.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna set you up with CST.
• 44:46
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Coach Berkman made the phone call.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_01: I owe him a lot, and he got my feet wet and got my open the door for me to start broadcasting.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_01: And here we are, nearly 25 years later, man, and I'm still doing it, you know.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_01: And so I enjoy it's kind of my way of staying in touch uh with the game of baseball, both on the college side and of course the big league side.
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_01: I tell people all day, say, What's the what's the hardest thing for you?
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I said, It's always remembering how hard the game is, because from up where I sit now, up above home plate, the game looks easy.
• 45:16
  SPEAKER_01: It is not an easy game, it's not, and so I always have to remember that is that this is a very tough game.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_01: It looks easy from where I sit now sometimes, but I always go back to uh, and I'm a long time removed from playing competitively, but I remember how tough the game really is.
• 45:31
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's uh yeah, it's it's it's definitely tough.
• 45:35
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I can see what you're talking about in front of the casual fan, just watch it, say, Oh, it could hit a baseball, but yeah, when you standing in there and getting a 90-something miles out, it's a little bit different.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that's right.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_04: It's a little bit different.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_04: Well, well, Ben, when you when you played for the Orioles, I have to ask you, yes, being a uh when I was a kid growing up, being a big baseball fan with the with the Orioles, Cal Rickin Jr., man, he was he was my favorite player with the Orioles.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_04: I always had different favorite players.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_04: Well, what was it like playing with with such a iconic player like that?
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, uh I was lucky enough to meet a lot of superstars in the game, you know, and Junior was most one of the most genuine down-to-earth, comes from a small town and uh up in Aberdeen, Maryland.
• 46:17
  SPEAKER_01: And he for whatever reason, me and him just hit it off.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if he saw a lot of the similarities of a lot of expectations like he had with me coming in, but I think in some ways uh he gravitated toward me and me towards him because I needed a veteran guy when I first got called up.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_01: But we didn't have a very veteran pitching staff at all.
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_01: Now, my second year in the big leagues, Rick Sutcliffe came along.
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_01: That kind of helped me get over the top.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_01: But Kyle, a lot of people don't know this.
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_01: Cal wrote about this in his book, but it was like my second year in the big leagues.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_01: Me and Chris Hoyles, who was a young catcher, we were we were struggling calling pitches and making sure we're calling the right pitches.
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_01: And Cal kind of stuck his head in the in the locker room.
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_01: Me and Chris were sitting around having a beer, you know, after the game, trying to figure out all right, man, what did we do wrong today?
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_01: And Cal sticks his head in.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_01: He goes, You guys don't have a clue of what you're doing.
• 47:01
  SPEAKER_01: I said, No, sir, Mr.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_01: Ripkin.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_01: I said, I don't have a clue of what I'm doing, but I'm I'm trying my best.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not he said, Well, here's the deal.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_01: He said, If you guys want me to call pitches, I will call pitches for you during the game.
• 47:13
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, but he said, Listen, it's going to stay right here in this triangle only.
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_01: You, Chris Hoyles, and me are going to know if you tell the pitching coach or the manager, I'm out.
• 47:20
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, Junior, how are we going to do that with you playing shortstop?
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_01: And he said, I'll I'll figure out where I'll hold my glove and where I put my hand.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'll relay the pitches to Chris Hoyles, the catcher, then he'll give them to you.
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_01: And it's funny, I'd be looking in at home plate, looking at Chris Hoyles, and I could see his eyes.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_01: He's looking right over my right shoulder at shortstop.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_01: He's getting the call from Cal and he's putting the fingers down.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that was kind of my learning curve because then after every ball game, we would go in back when players used to drink a couple of beers and we'd have you know a six-pack after the game, we'd share a six-pack, and we would talk about okay, this is why I wanted to throw Dave Winfield like this in this situation.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_01: This is why I wanted to pitch Wade Boggs or Paul Malter like this in this situation versus when there's a runner in scoring position.
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I went, wow, like this is this is next level stuff.
• 48:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I said, Junior, so you're telling me that you pitch a guy, he said, Ben, with nobody on and two out, you may pitch a guy to his strength because the best thing he's gonna do if you make a good pitch is hit a single the other way.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_01: Now, when there's a runner at second base and that's the winning run, now you're gonna pitch him a totally different way because you can't pitch him the same way every time because he will catch on.
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_01: Never thought of that.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_01: And so that was kind of my learning curve.
• 48:27
  SPEAKER_01: That whole year he called every pitch I ever threw.
• 48:29
  SPEAKER_01: And then the next year he said, Okay, you're on your own now.
• 48:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think you've got a grasp of it.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_01: I'm always back here standing behind you.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_01: If you need any more help from there, hey, I'll be glad to.
• 48:38
  SPEAKER_01: And every now and then, me and Chris would call Cal in for a defensive meeting and say, Okay, like how do you want to attack this?
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure what to throw right here.
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_01: So he really helped my maturing process, oddly enough, from out from shortstop, which doesn't happen every day.
• 48:51
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you're right.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_04: Wow, that that doesn't happen every day.
• 48:53
  SPEAKER_04: That that's that's so cool.
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_04: Uh well, Ben, let's uh let's talk a little bit about switching the gears from uh for baseball.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_04: Let's talk some TV and I want to talk some TV because I know you're a big fan of Yellowstone.
• 49:03
  SPEAKER_04: I'm a big fan of Yellowstone.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_04: I'll record your your Sunday night, man, getting ready for the show.
• 49:07
  SPEAKER_04: That always fires me up.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_04: What do you think?
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_04: Done what was it what's gonna happen?
• 49:11
  SPEAKER_04: Like I know we're gonna break out.
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_01: We gotta wait until June for it to come back.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_01: I know I I hate these breaks, man.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_01: I uh but I like when it comes on because I'm always home in the offseason.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm a big fan.
• 49:21
  SPEAKER_01: I've been lobbying hard just for a guest appearance on Yellowstone.
• 49:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I want to do that, you know.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_01: I think you should have to be able to do it.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, yeah, look, I can ride a horse, I can rope, I'll figure something out.
• 49:31
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I can even get beat up in the bar.
• 49:33
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that's happened before too.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_01: But uh yeah, I mean, look, when Yellowstone came out, I was a huge fan.
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_01: The spinoffs 1883, 1923, just wonderful shows, you know.
• 49:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I always tell people that hadn't watched any of us go back and watch 1883 first, then watch 19, and then get to Yellowstone, because then you'll understand why John Dutton, that family, is as crazy and wants to protect what they have because all the struggles the family has been through over the course of several generations to get where they're at today.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so that makes you understand it.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_01: But I love it.
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's about uh protecting what's yours, loyalty, family.
• 50:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's all those things that's exciting to me.
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_01: And I've always been a huge fan of Western type shows, like like Open Range is one of my favorite shows.
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Wyatt Earp, uh Tombstone is probably my favorite all-time show.
• 50:23
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, so I've always been a fan of those types of shows, but it's a really good, I don't watch a whole lot of uh TV, but I ain't missing, I'm not missing anything that has to do with Yellowstone or or the other two shows for sure.
• 50:34
  SPEAKER_04: And Kevin Coster, man.
• 50:35
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I mean, that's just a cool dude, man.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_04: Like he's a perfect character for John Dutt, man.
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_01: Just you know, yeah, he's he's perfect, you know, and he's played in some really good baseball movies for love of the game.
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like, like he's just my favorite actor that's out there right now, you know, because he gets into baseball games, and of course, he does all the westerns that I like, open range, he was awesome in.
• 50:54
  SPEAKER_01: And so, yeah, I'm a huge Kevin Coster fan, you know.
• 50:57
  SPEAKER_01: So it's been fun for me to sit back with a little drink of bourbon, you know, and sit there, put my cowboy hat on.
• 51:03
  SPEAKER_01: My wife surprised me a little over a year ago.
• 51:05
  SPEAKER_01: She was able to get an original Yellowstone vest, and so I'll put I'll get in carriage a little bit and watch the show.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I love it, man.
• 51:11
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_04: I always look forward to your tweets on Sunday nights.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, all right, Ben's getting ready, he's ready to watch it.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah, oh yeah.
• 51:18
  SPEAKER_04: I'm not gonna miss it.
• 51:19
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that's great.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, it's pretty cool.
• 51:21
  SPEAKER_04: A story.
• 51:22
  SPEAKER_04: So, so Cole Hauser for rip on Yellowstone, his son.
• 51:25
  SPEAKER_04: Have you heard this?
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_04: Is is coming to play uh football at Mississippi State.
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_04: That's that's I heard that.
• 51:29
  SPEAKER_01: I you know you hear rumors all the time and you wonder what's true, but somebody told me I said, dude, that is really, really cool.
• 51:35
  SPEAKER_01: That is cool.
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'm excited about it.
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_01: How about Cole Hauser?
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, how about Cole with Hauser uh over in Stark Vegas?
• 51:41
  SPEAKER_01: That's gonna be awesome.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 51:43
  SPEAKER_04: You know, uh, you know, Coach Leach, uh, he was a big Yellowstone fan.
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_04: He always talked about uh Yellowstone and and he he loved uh Beth Dutton.
• 51:50
  SPEAKER_04: It was funny because in one of these interviews I watched, he was like, Yeah, I'm about to get Beth Dutton to come over here and coach for us.
• 51:56
  SPEAKER_04: So I was thinking, I was like, You think Coach Leach offered Cole's uh son so he can get Beth to come on and be a coach?
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_04: That's right.
• 52:03
  SPEAKER_04: Very well, yeah.
• 52:04
  SPEAKER_01: She's one of my favorite characters, man.
• 52:06
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know who writes her lines, but whoever writes her lines deserves a daggum raise because that woman is boy, she is a spark plug, she is fun.
• 52:14
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_04: You can't uh it the show wouldn't wouldn't go on without her, man.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_04: Like, you know, it's uh yeah, she's she's she's something else, and uh and Jamie, that that character, man, you just want to hate that guy, you just want to punch that guy in the face.
• 52:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I have a feeling when it kicks back up again, it's gonna speed up, like they're gonna be some serious killing going on, you know what I mean?
• 52:33
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's coming, you know, and so it's it's a good show, it's a really good show.
• 52:38
  SPEAKER_04: It is.
• 52:38
  SPEAKER_04: I hate that though because you get so you get so wrapped up into it, and then it ends just like that.
• 52:42
  SPEAKER_04: It's like uh, you know, next season.
• 52:43
  SPEAKER_01: Then you kind of forget, you know, you kind of forget, and I'll kind of go in the mode where I'll kind of watch the last couple of episodes leading into the new year where I can kind of catch back up on what's going on.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_01: But I you know, I thought Tim McGraw and Faith Hill did a really good job in 188.
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_01: I thought Tim Faith Hill uh I gave a C plus, but almost a B too, but boy, I thought Tim McGraw uh uh did a wonderful job.
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, the the the blonde haired daughter who was killed, Ella was her name uh in the show.
• 53:08
  SPEAKER_01: Golly, she was she she was unbelievable, unbelievable.
• 53:12
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's a cool show.
• 53:14
  SPEAKER_01: 1883 uh to me is probably might be my favorite, uh, even over Yellowstone in some ways.
• 53:20
  SPEAKER_01: They did a really good job at that one.
• 53:22
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 53:22
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm and then 1923 with Harrison Ford, I'm I'm watching that right now, getting into it.
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_04: I hope it uh comes along and and and uh but it's it's it's good too.
• 53:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, uh yeah, they're talking about some killing, they might be some real killing going on in that one.
• 53:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's fixed to be revenge when this well when John Dunn's son gets back and he's on his way back from Africa.
• 53:43
  SPEAKER_01: When he gets back into town, as they say, it's gonna be on for sure.
• 53:47
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, yeah.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, there's a uh a podcast I just started listening to.
• 53:50
  SPEAKER_04: I don't know if you've listened to it, it's a Yellowstone podcast.
• 53:53
  SPEAKER_04: Uh oh, I had to listen to that.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_04: It's like that it has some of the actors on there, like uh, let's see, Michael Landon's daughter, you know, she's the girl with the pink hair.
• 54:02
  SPEAKER_04: She's on there and Jimmy, they were on there talking and they break down each episode and talk about uh things happen the episode, and it's really cool.
• 54:10
  SPEAKER_04: I just picked it up not too long ago, so uh yeah, check it out.
• 54:13
  SPEAKER_04: But uh that's cool.
• 54:14
  SPEAKER_04: You'll like it.
• 54:15
  SPEAKER_04: But uh yeah, it's a great show.
• 54:16
  SPEAKER_04: Uh if anybody's listening, listening to our podcast here and don't know what we're talking about, check it out.
• 54:21
  SPEAKER_04: You'll you'll like Yellowstone and 1883, 1923.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_04: Well, Ben, I don't I don't know if I have anything else.
• 54:26
  SPEAKER_04: I know you're a busy man getting ready with baseball kicking up.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_04: Uh, I just can't thank you enough, man.
• 54:30
  SPEAKER_04: I know we've been trying to get you get you on for a while, and you and uh you're a busy guy, but man, thanks for taking time today.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_04: I really, really enjoyed it.
• 54:37
  SPEAKER_01: My pleasure, man.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_01: Anytime I get to visit with some of my favorite fans, the state fans, it's always a good day, you know.
• 54:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so good luck to state people out there.
• 54:45
  SPEAKER_01: Gonna be an exciting year, gonna be a tough year for everybody.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's gonna be a gauntlet for sure.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_01: But SEC baseball is almost here, and everybody kicks it off, you know, tomorrow night.
• 54:53
  SPEAKER_01: And look, they're uh nearly 300 teams, I guess it is, will begin to journey towards Omaha tomorrow night.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_01: So it's an exciting time for sure.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 55:01
  SPEAKER_04: Well, if you ever make it over to do back to duty noble, man, let me know.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_04: Let me know.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_01: Man, I hope they let me go.
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_01: I don't have control of the schedule, but I always say, listen, I can drive the Mississippi State, I can drive the old miss, and I can drive the LSU.
• 55:13
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't like getting on the airplane, so I'm hoping they send me that way for sure.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_04: Awesome, man.
• 55:18
  SPEAKER_04: All right, man.
• 55:18
  SPEAKER_04: Well well, safe travels and good luck with uh with the season coming up.
• 55:21
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks again, good talking to you.
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, bye-bye.