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Foster and Friends Vol 158 Ricky Stokes, Assistant Commissioner, The Mac Conference · Foster and Friends

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: This is Foster and Friends with former coach Bud Foster and his co-host Mac McDonald.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_07: Everyone had a role, and I think you really defined the role and you knew your role.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_07: And to me, as a player, you just worked as hard as you could and feel good enough to get on the floor.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_07: Because, you know, the days of kids are leaving early, they got a stay, and they're all standing stayed for you.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: Foster and Friends is presented by Envision.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: Locations are in Christiansburg in Salem, Virginia.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: For the best in eye care and fashion, it's Envision.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: By the River City Distillery in Radford, makers of Win vodka.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's a good day to enjoy a win.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: And by Brick House Pizza, visit our Radford location in the Brick House Garden featuring live music and the best in comfort food.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: Brick House Pizza means good times.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_07: It's really nice having an opportunity to staying and building relationships between God grow and work on the game.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: Now, from the NSB Radio Network, Foster and Friends.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: Here's Bud and Mac.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_10: It is Foster and Friends, NSB Radio Network, and the spooks will be out today, this weekend.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_10: It's Halloween.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_10: Are you a big Halloween guy?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_10: I mean, do you dress up?
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_10: Do you play Abe Lincoln?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_10: Or do you play, you know, I mean, do you dress up as a ghost?
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_10: I mean, you know.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_02: You know what?
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh my wife Jessie is a uh she loves Halloween.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: Loves it, huh?
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_02: Like our how our our yard is all got a bunch of you know me too.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_02: Uh myself, I just, you know, I I never had time for it because of coaching.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm I do go see my grandkids.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_02: My my son's into it.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, his house looks like one of those, like an amusement park, like a spook house, right?
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, but then but like I'll go Saturday and and see all my grandkids done.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_02: But we do dress up and it's a little bit different.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_02: This year we're gonna try to be like a biker group, you know.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: Jesse found these t-shirts that's got like the hairy chest.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_10: So you and Jess do the husband, wife, couple, yeah.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_02: We try to do, we try to do something, you know.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_02: We try to do, you know, so anyway, it'll be uh it'll be interesting.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_02: So we'll do the kid thing.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: Then we got a little adult uh you know deal party we go to that's you know more just adult friendly than kid friendly, but it'll be fun.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: It'll it'll be I think the weather's gonna be all right.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_02: So that makes it funny.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: I will say this.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_02: I used to love driving.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_02: It always was like Thursday night in Blacksburg of Halloween weekend, but Thursday night was the night all the kids went out or whatever.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: So I'd check curve you on Thursday nights and I I'd drive right downtown.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_02: I had to see all the sights, man.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_02: It's just amazing what you can see, you know.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_10: That's true.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_10: That's true.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah, well, my yeah, my wife does the same thing, and she makes me save.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_10: You're gonna laugh at this.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, she makes me save uh Tito's bottles.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_10: Uh sorry, Charlie, if you send me some wind bottle, but she makes me save Tito's bottles and puts a skeleton in the front yard with three or four empty.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_10: Uh he's sitting in a chair and he's got empty Tito's bottles.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah, it's you know just part of her her thing, too.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_10: But yeah, we have a and in Florida, every every holiday is the biggest ever.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_10: Like right now, uh Christmas has taken over and all the, but everything is huge.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_10: And so now in our neighborhood, because the neighborhood next to us is pretty uh high end with the gate, they give away Chick-fil-A, hamburgers, the uh I mean chicken sandwiches, nothing.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_10: I'm coming down there for half the case.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah, they give away full Snickers, full paydays, full Kit Kats.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_10: I mean, they yeah, it's quite the uh it's quite the thing.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_10: Um, a little later on, Ricky Stokes is gonna join us.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, we haven't talked to him in a in a long time.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, senior associate commissioner with men's and women's basketball for the Mac conference.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_10: A lot of good things.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_10: Uh uh, we're gonna talk Power Six, Power Four, Nil, uh scheduling and everything regarding the Mac and whether the playoff is gonna affect them.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_10: Also, uh, Bud and I, we'll go to break and come back.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_10: We're gonna talk about uh the great uh Virginia Tech win over Clemson and uh you know UVA struggles.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_10: We're gonna get into that too.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_10: So, some college football news and notes.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_10: Ricky Stokes is gonna be a good show.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_10: So, with all that being said, we'll go to break and come back.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_10: This is Foster and Friends, and this is the NSB Radio Network.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_10: Bud and I come back right after this.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: Hi, this is Bud Foster for Envision.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: For over 30 years, my good friends, Dr.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: Scott and Becky Mann, have built a practice that truly cares about their patients.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: I can just remember being pregnant with my first son over 30 years ago, and we bought the practice from Dr.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Henry Stewart, who'd had it for 50 years.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Was scary, but we moved forward and we're actually in the same location, and now we're up to seven doctors and over 25 staff in the two locations.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_03: The technology is amazing.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_03: Uh we used to take pictures on literally Polaroids, and now we went to digital, and now we have widescreens, and um, we can do things today that 10 years ago were only images you could only generate maybe at a teaching hospital.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_03: And now we can do those chair side when our patients come in.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's been an overnight success in 30 years.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: Go see your award-winning Envision team.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: They have two locations, Salem and Christiansburg.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_05: They will meet all your eye care needs to be some of these guys, especially the fifth of you guys, they've been through a lot.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_05: So to see them uh have success and rewarded for all their hard work and to come into a venue like this, one of the best venues in college football, and get a w and get a win is it's not easy to do.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_05: I don't think we've won here since 2007.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: Foster and Friends is presented by Envision.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: Locations are in Christiansburg in Salem, Virginia.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: For the best in eye care and fashion, it's Envision.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_10: Well, it's Foster and Friends, and you heard the uh uh voice of James Franklin.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_10: We'll talk uh about that also.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_10: UVA, they've got Wake Force this weekend.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_10: Wow.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_10: I can't Wake is a double-digit favorite uh against Virginia and their struggles, and uh, you know, Bo Perbula not playing all that great.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_10: Tony's gonna stick with him for right now.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_10: We'll talk about that in just a second.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_10: Anyway, but I know you were at uh in Hillsboro.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_10: Uh you were doing the you know the beer tent thing and the concert thing and having having a good time.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, I do know you just a little bit.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_10: Um, but boy, oh boy, did you get a chat on your phone?
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_10: Were you following the Clemson win?
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we were down in Hillsborough.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_02: Good friend of mine was on a festival down there, which was uh great time.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, we were able to get to um, you know, find me a seat in a bar.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, perfect.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_02: So basically, well, and my buddy's bar too, Nash Street Tavern.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: If you're ever out there in Hillsborough.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_04: Good.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: But um uh yeah, um, yeah, I sat there and watched the game, which was really cool to see.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, everybody can talk about Clemson might be down.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: I tell you, they're still Clemson.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think their quarterback uh position is very good right now for them.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's holding them back.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, anytime you can go down there and beat Clemson.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, anytime.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I don't care who you are, you know, that's a big win.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_02: And and that's a great win for us and our our growth under, you know, under the James Franklin era.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it really, really is.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: And how we battle it and came down to the end.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that was a you know, a big call too.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_02: Fourth and one, we can kick a field goal to tie it.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but you know, we go for it and convert for it, you know, a touchdown and just uh, you know, big call.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_02: I tell you, I've the more and more I'm around Ethan Grunkenmeyer, I the more I like him.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, just kind of has ice in his veins.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_02: It just the guy just makes plays and you know, is a just a productive football player, you know, very accurate.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, but uh no, an outstanding win.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_02: And it's great to have as just as a coach, it's great to have an off week, an open date week after a big win like this.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_10: Oh, absolutely.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah, you get to know that's true.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_10: And so during the off week, Coach Franklin had a chance to talk to the media as well, feeling pretty good about getting some guys back, but also he thinks it's a kind of a corner turned in where he wanted this program to at least the mantra of winning games in the fourth quarter.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_05: Now, hopefully we'll be getting some guys back, uh, which will be helpful, but no, not like I had certain benchmarks in my mind just about getting better every single week and learning how to win at Virginia Tech and also understanding the things that you can't do that make it really hard to win football games.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah, so the rest of the way, and I think the schedule breaks for the Hokies as well.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_10: I know you still got Miami on the on the horizon, which is seems to be the world beater right now, but um uh Clemson had won seven straight uh between 2011 and 2024.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_10: So that was, as you said, uh uh anytime you can go into uh Death Valley and win, that is uh pretty good.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_10: Uh up the road, about three hours, UVA really with some issues.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_10: Uh Prabula's not playing very, very well.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_10: Again, they they have good starts in the first quarter, and then it just it's but it's just not good.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_10: It's not good football.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_10: And on top of that, Tony Elliott addressed the media this week and said, Look, uh, and he compared it to putting gas in a car.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_10: He says, We gotta, this program doesn't need the sputter.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_04: You know, anybody here, a car guy?
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_04: Like, you know, like if a car takes premium and then you put a little bit of uh of just regular because you're rushing, it's gonna run, but then when you hit the gas, it might sputter a little bit and then it'll catch.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_04: Like, so I gotta figure out how to get some of the regular flushed out so we can get back to to operating with the uh with the premium gas, which I believe we're we're uh we're capable of.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_10: But at least right now, and you know this being being a coach, how difficult is it to say we're gonna stick with this guy?
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_10: We're gonna stay with this QB, especially at the quarterback position.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I haven't followed him uh enough here lately.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: I know Prabula early was very um, I mean, dynamic.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_02: And I think more anything, he was dynamic with the ball in his hand as a runner.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_02: You know, that's the one thing that they Virginia was doing with him a little bit more.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: And that's Tony's background with you know, that caliber quarterback with an athlete that they do run that quarterback quite a bit.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and Clemson tried to do that a little bit, you know, this weekend against us, you know, in big games, they want to do that.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_02: Now, I think eventually, if you can get a gear for that, that catches up.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_02: Now, I don't know how that wear and tear, uh, you know, Clemson had some elite quarterbacks in that, you know, Tony Elliott era.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_02: Not that Rebule is not, but you know, those quarterbacks can take a beating, is you know, and that that might affect his ability to throw or do some things.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, I I I wouldn't panic.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody's, you know, they're four and four, but they've lost, you know, they've lost um, you know, the last two are just kind of you know heartbreaker to Duke.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, obviously went uh, you know, at an SMU and had a chance in that game against a really good football team.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_02: You know, really the only game that they've just kind of got manhandled is the Florida State game.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_02: They've been playing solid defense, they just got to get their offense going.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: And if it's Prabula, you know, I mean, uh he's just I think he's too talented not to stick with when it's all set up, you know.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_02: And um, but he's they've rode him so far, you know.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there's there's no need to jump off the horse right now unless they feel like you know they're they're gonna move on you know for the future.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_10: Not an easy decision, especially if that, you know, it's not it's not like when you got a bullpen of seven guys that okay, I'm gonna pull this guy now to face a left-hander.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_10: Okay, and we'll talk series in in just a minute.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_10: All right.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_10: Um, a couple of minutes before we go, uh, in this segment, now Ricky Stokes is uh gonna join us.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_10: Can money buy happiness in college football?
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_10: That was my headline that I wrote.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_10: The athletic.com, which I love the website, tracked 95 games between Power Force schools.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_10: And when there was a difference of at least five million dollars between the two programs rosters, okay, the schools that spent the most money were 65 and 30.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_10: I guess we there have been financial upsets.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_10: Kentucky, with a roster cost of 24 mil, defeated two schools, LSU and Texas AM with rosters worth over 50 million.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_10: And I had to love this.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_10: It was what when they beat LSU, my social media page, there was Kenny Brooks, former Virginia Tech women's coach, celebrating the Kentucky football win.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_10: So Kenny is still a team guy.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Kenny's always been a team guy.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, you throw that in there, and probably the lowest well, at least one of the lowest power for Cincinnati, you know, beats Tech, who might be, you know, they could arguably number spend more money than anybody.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I know where they they're they're in the top five, probably, but you're splitting the hairs, I think, with that group.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_02: But that makes a statement, you know, that makes a statement.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_10: And so that's where, and button, I wanted to summarize when we were talking about this before we recorded today, that that's what where college football needs to be, right?
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_10: The cap, the equality, the uh level playing field.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_10: We don't want 50 million versus 12 million, you know, or 50 million versus 20 million, because there is a it's a talent difference, right?
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_02: There is a there is a talent difference, and you still you'd love it to have some parody where it still comes down to recruiting and coaching.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_10: Good point because because look at Miami, 50 million a year with that roster, and uh and they are steamrolling.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_10: So, all right, we'll go to break.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_10: Come back.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_10: Ricky Stokes is going to join us, senior associate commissioner with men's and women's basketball with a Mac.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_10: He uh is just one of the best at what he does.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_10: Ricky joins the program when we come back.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_10: This is Foster and Friends NSP Radio Network.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_10: When you walk into a restaurant, say your favorite pizza place, what's the first thing you notice?
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_10: The way it smells, the vibe, maybe the party atmosphere.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_10: If you're traveling in Southwest Virginia or lucky enough to live in the Radford area, hopefully you have visited Brick House Pizza, a staple since 1972.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_10: Brickhouse Pizza has become a legendary stop.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_10: Jeff and Diane's Main Street attraction features artisanal wood-fired pizza with fresh ingredients prepped every day.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_10: Brickhouse's pizzas are made with flour imported from Italy.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_10: Throw in the recipe for their homemade brew, and you have the recipe for fun.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_10: Brickhouse Pizza is open Tuesday through Friday at 3:30, Saturdays at 11.30, and the Sunday brunch begins at 10.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_10: Fresh food, cold beer, great times.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_10: That's Brickhouse Pizza, 311 West Main Street in Radford.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_08: You knew what you what was expected.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_08: You had to play defense, you had to play within the system, you had to be a good teammate.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: Foster and Friends is presented by the River City Distillery in Radford, makers of Win Vodka in Gentleman's Journey Bourbon.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: Once again, here's Bud and Mac.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_10: Hey, welcome back.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_10: It's Foster and Friends on the NSB Radio Network.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_10: And this, well, you know, it's gonna take me a long time to go through the resume, but everyone in the state knows him.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, one of Virginia's favorite sons, uh, Ricky Stokes, uh, four-year letter winner at Virginia.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_10: We all know that.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_10: But he has been an administrator with the Mac conference 2010.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_10: Is that right?
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_10: 17 years, Mac.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_10: 17.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_10: That's crazy.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_10: He is the uh senior associate commissioner for men's and women's basketball with the Mac.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_10: And uh, we're gonna get in on it with all the head coaching experience and everything.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_10: So, bud Ricky has done it all.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_10: And really, truly, when he was attacked, the last time you saw Ricky was 03.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_10: Is that right?
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, you know, he was the head, he was the head coach here, and and uh yeah, actually uh left our place and then uh went to South Carolina, uh, you know, back back as an assistant guy, but did a great job here and in a tough situation.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_02: We kind of Ricky, we were what in the A10, and then all of a sudden we jumped into the beast, which that was uh it's like going amongst the you know the men again and the boys against the men all of a sudden, you know, just where we were.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but uh no, I mean, you know, it's it's great to see you, number one.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_02: Number two, yeah, it's hard to believe, man.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_02: You've been an administrator now for this what, 17 years, and uh, you know, now you you reflect back, uh it's probably happy to be on that side of it, not being a basketball coach right now, right?
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: With everything that's going on.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_07: Well, but thanks for all uh for being on here and and for your friendship for this many years when I was there.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_07: But you're absolutely right with the um the changing landscape of of college athletics.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_07: Uh it's nice to be close, but it's not to be it's nice not to be in the fire as well.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_07: So, but it's uh it's great to see you, and it's always great to see Mac as well.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_10: Well, every day's a challenge, right?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_10: For the Mac.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_10: So you said you now, of course, you're getting ready for basketball season, but you know, I want to talk about the you know, the power six and the and the playoff.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_10: Let's just first and foremost, you take us inside the boardroom of the Mac when you guys have a conference call.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_10: What was your reaction to the the proposed field of 24 and how does that affect you guys?
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_07: Well, first let me say I was not in the room.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_07: That's my uh my boss, John, Dr.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_07: John Steinbrecker, who's who's been at the Mac 18 years, uh, who hired me.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_07: He's done a great job in leading us, and and those conversations expand, uh don't expand.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_07: Kind of like the college basketball tournament expansion.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_07: You kind of being um mid-major, you kind of hope that would serve you well, but you also have some caution not knowing if it will or not.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_07: So uh we were fortunate on the basketball side uh to get two teams in the NCAA tournament last year, Miami and Ohio, who had an undefeated season uh and lost in our conference tournament, and we had to hold our breath uh to see if they would get in the NCAA tournament, which they were.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_07: And uh we were glad they were able to win uh their first round game against SMU.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_07: So uh it it's uh it's it it's uh it's tough uh with the decisions and and navigating college athletics.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I I can only imagine now.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I know you're a big part of the basketball side of it, right?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: More so than football, but we were talking off the air.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, I me growing up in the Midwest, uh I followed the Mac.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think the Mac myself is a very underrated uh league in football and basketball.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_02: I know you all had two basketball teams uh selected last year in the tournament, but in my opinion, sometimes that's not enough, you know.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_02: And I I do think sometimes uh I think the Mac's one of those that's teetering a little bit on, you know, above a group of five, so to speak, or group of six now, than most leagues, in my opinion.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_02: And um as we talk as the football expansion.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um I know they're talking about doing away with conference football turn, you know, uh play our championship games and getting them going just right in your top couple teams, going right into the into the uh potential the CFP.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_02: How does that what do you have you has there been discussion about the Mac like uh main?
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think some of those group of six, it's almost, you know, if you've got a great team like Toledo's undefeated and all of a sudden they get beat by a really good Western Michigan team, then all of a sudden Toledo's out and Western Michigan's out because maybe they weren't in that in that loop.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: But uh, you know, you know, there's some great programs in there.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_02: But do you think the uh you may do away with the conference tournament or uh championship game?
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_07: Well, I know uh my commissioner uh speaks very highly of conference championship.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_07: That's why we play uh our regular seasons to have a championship.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_07: And and we've been very fortunate at the Mac.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_07: We play both of our championship and great venues.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_07: A football championship is held at Ford Field, uh indoor stadium where uh Detroit Lions play our basketball two and a minute's hill uh with a Cleveland Cavaliers Rocket uh arena.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_07: So um football championships are important.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_07: Uh I know we will continue to have them, uh, and uh they mean something.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_07: And uh like you said, but uh a lot of great football coaches have come through the Mac uh and gotten their start.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_07: You know, I know Miami has gone to the cradle of the coaches, but uh the Toledo coach I think went to Yukon and and I know I'm a be remiss, but there have been a lot of coaches that come through the Mac to go on to to do very good things.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah, with everything and then with everything folded and then expand.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_10: So does expansion come up every week in the hallways or when you're on a zoom call too?
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, is that is that I think you always you always have to be prepared uh if you're the college uh if you're a commissioner, uh kind of like being an AD with a short list.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_07: Uh you know, we just saw just here in the state James Madison uh leaving the sunbelt to go to the Americans.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_07: So um, you know, we had uh 13, we added UMass uh to our league last year.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_07: Uh it we lost northern Illinois.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_07: Uh Northern Illinois went to the Mel West.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_07: So it's it's a game of monopoly.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_07: We added um football only Sacramento State.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_07: Um So Sacramento State joined us this year.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_07: So uh it's it's one of those that uh you have to always see the landscape and uh here uh doing uh a conference scheduling, you always want an even number.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_07: So the odd numbers make it a little more challenging uh to schedule, but uh it's where we are, it's where we are now.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, well I think the addition to UMass, you know, in the I mean as far as their basketball tradition and that type of thing, you know, is is uh I think is an upgrade for you guys too.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, I think they're gonna find out too that it's you know from top to bottom that's a really competitive you know league basketball-wise.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_02: And so uh but yeah, you don't have to travel to Sacramento State then in basketball, which is you know, right?
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_07: I think you UMass has the former Virginia Tech quarterback, right?
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, Pop Watson, yeah.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_07: Pops is the quarterback there, and yeah, they've done a great job.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, I was always a fan of Pop, and uh, but but yeah, it's good to see they're having some success.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_07: Um, I think they're four until he got hurt and then got on the skid.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_07: So hopefully I think he came back uh last week.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_07: So hopefully they can get back on the uh left side.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_02: Well, so part of your role now as uh uh I guess what are you assistant commissioner in the is that senior associate, but uh but you're primarily overseeing basketball, right?
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_02: So you're looking at scheduling, um managing you're working TV, take you know, TV contracts, anything and everything.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_02: So what is that challenge you were talking about?
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, how is that um as your role from going to becoming a head coach?
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: Because you wanted to kind of let's see if we can get these guys on the schedule, let's get these guys on the schedule.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_02: Now it's just managing the whole schedule of, you know, now it's basketball, you say a 13 team.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm I'm sure it's quite the challenge to get everything, you know.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: Do you have a night or to like football you guys are playing now, like the Mac plays on Wednesday nights, you know, they're kind of that one that kind of wanted to get on, get their chance to get notoriety.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_02: Are you guys uh what's your TV schedule and TV package look like?
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_07: It was funny you mentioned uh football, we play midweek football in November.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_07: So it's so funny how uh I'll wear a Maction and people I'll be in the airport.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_07: Hey, you're the team that plays midweek football.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_07: You're Tuesday night, Wednesday.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_07: And usually it's high scoring, it's like 50 to 48 in triple overtime.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_07: But basketball is a little different, but we play every night of the week, so especially in the non-conference and uh our practice is with ESPN, and and naturally everything is is not as grand as the power four, but we also set lights with CBS Sports, which we usually play our games on Friday night.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_07: So very similar to football.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_07: Uh Saturday night is very crowded, uh college basketball and landscape.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_07: But uh my job entails everything, uh officiating, uh scheduling.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_07: I deal with all the coaches, ads, presidents, uh anything, uh television network, so anything uh related to basketball, uh I deal with on the men's and the women's side.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_07: So uh it's never a dull moment.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I was gonna say, let me just enter.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_02: You said you mentioned officiating, so I'm sure you're getting your phone stays hot probably once the season starts.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: Do they do the coaches directly call you or they call the director of uh the officiate for you guys?
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_07: Well, they do both.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_07: Uh and I've been very fortunate we have great uh two former Final Four officials, uh Mike Sanzier on the men's side uh and uh Patty Broderick on the women's side, who just uh so both of them do a great job.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_07: They feel calls, but naturally, every once in a while I'll feel a call.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_07: Um and I get calls from AD Eastern presidents who are uh but and um luckily I wasn't on the football.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_07: We also the Western Michigan Michigan Indies.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_07: So that was uh involved us uh uh with the one second.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_07: So uh, you know, officials uh make mistakes as as we know, and hopefully, hopefully it's not the last second.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_10: And especially the the replay, guys.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_10: All right, a lot to cover yet.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_10: Ricky Stokes, our guest, senior associate commissioner with the Mac, men's and women's basketball, uh close to 40 years experience in D-1 hoops.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_10: If you you know go back to the two final fours, the 134 games, uh, he still holds that record because technically Keyhead Clark had five years, and Ricky did it in four.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_10: Just thought I'd throw that in.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_10: Foster and Friends, NSP Radio Network.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_10: We come back with Ricky Stokes right after this.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_10: The first legal distillery in the Radford City limits, River City Distillery specializes in handcrafted vodka and the smoothest you will find anywhere.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_10: As a matter of fact, Win Vodka being made right there at River City Distillery supports Bud Foster's Lunch Pail Defense Foundation.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_10: Master Distiller Charlie Cosmano's business model was simple.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_10: Make the best vodka and gradually build a portfolio to include bourbon, American single mold whiskey, and other craft spirits.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_10: Residents from all over Virginia traveling to Radford to see the distillery, take a tour, try a tasting, and meet Charlie.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_10: See the River City Distillery Facebook page.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_10: Fascinating, refreshing, live music right there on Main Street in downtown Radford.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_10: And don't forget, ask about Rusty Rabbit Bourbon.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_10: You're gonna love the River City Distillery.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_10: Tell Charlie that button I sent you.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_07: Everyone had a role, and I think you really defined the role and you knew your role.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_07: And to me, as a player, you just worked as hard as you could and didn't feel good enough to get on the floor.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_07: Because, you know, the days of kids are leaving early, they gotta stay, and they rough have some steak for you.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: Foster and Friends is presented by Brick House Pizza in Radford, serving traditional wood fired favorites.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_10: Welcome back, Foster and Friends.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_10: Good to see Ricky Stokes.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, he looks like he could play today.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_10: Uh former head coach with uh Virginia Tech was uh you know, spent a lot of time with Dave Odom.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_10: You know, you mentioned talking about scheduling.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_10: I always remember Coach Odom telling me, and and Bud, we've talked about this.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_10: Dave used to say that the top three things to keep keep your job as a head coach, three things scheduling, recruiting, and scheduling.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_10: You know, he believed in that.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_10: One more football question, and we'll dive into the you know, the tournament, what's happening?
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_10: With everybody going to the nine conference games, with the talk of the field at 24.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_10: Ricky, as you guys look ahead and try to gaze into the crystal ball, how does that affect the Mac?
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I mean, we you have to monitor the landscape as Power Four plays more conference games.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_07: I think we just made the decision on the football side to play an additional uh conference game because of the inventory, but but surely we still need those uh uh for our budget, budgetary concerns.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_07: We need to uh we're always having the conversation how many should we play?
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_07: Because naturally uh you don't want to play too many uh games up, uh being power four games, but uh there are um in excess of a million dollar paydays, uh which goes a long way uh to help subsidize the budgets uh in our conference.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_02: So are you guys going are you going to nine or are you going to ten games?
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_07: Nine games.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_02: Nine, okay.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah, which I guess has to be uh you know has to be a must too.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_10: So well, with all the the nil and the you know, how do you guys view then then basketball and navigating the waters of of the future?
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_10: And well, you got two teams in the NCAA last year, is that what you said with uh Miami Ohio?
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_10: Uh how do you how do you uh navigate things now?
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_10: Um and with your league and and looking ahead.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_07: You know, we we there's one of those things we we talk daily, uh scheduling, uh, and right size scheduling.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_07: You want your top teams to play a competitive team, uh teams that they can win, but you also want your teams that that are what's the best way to put it, that are that are rebuilding to play the appropriate team so they can win games.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_07: So you don't want your teams that uh would be a stretch to play a Power 4 team to play too many of those for financial concerns.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_07: So uh it becomes very difficult.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_07: Um you know, I I was read something probably the with the transfer portal and the NIL, the gap is probably widening a little bit.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_07: Um, you know, naturally if you go to any mid-major programs, um we don't have many returning top players, uh especially a player of the year, they're moving on to power four uh basketball schools for more money.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_07: So um, you know, it it it just becomes a little more difficult, Matt, to uh with roster roster management, being able to reload uh continuity is in retention becomes uh important.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it sounds like just um, you know, with what you said about scheduling.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_02: Are you so are you in conversation then with the head coaches around the league as far as trying to manipulate your your schedule so you can do just what you said?
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_02: You want your top-tier teams to play a competitive schedule so that they're attractive for the NCAA tournament.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_02: And then you'd like your lower teams, you know, to, you know, so are you involved in that?
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, um and I know you hear about how uh Greg Sankey's just such a power broker in the SEC.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_02: He's he has his hand on a little bit of everything.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_02: And uh is that similar in y'all's league?
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that you guys are have the best interest, obviously, of your teams, but then are you involved in their in, you know, with their day-to-day operations people to you know make sure you're setting up the right schedule for you know your league and and for the success of your league?
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_07: Good question.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_07: We we do have those conversations.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_07: We have a uh uh a committee of ADs that are now looking at that to see what's the best way to to attack that.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_07: But we have all guest people people come in, Joe Lennartis, the Ken Palms, uh to come in to uh but let's face it, uh two, but coaches want to win.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_07: So at the end of the day, you're and don't forget Jerry Waynewrights, not how many people you they're not gonna worry about how many people you graduate, they're gonna worry about how many people, how many games you win.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_07: So how many games uh at the end of the day, that's important.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_07: So it's uh I I understand uh one of the great things about being in this position is being a former coach.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_07: You understand what the coaches are up against.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_07: So uh a lot of times coaches don't know how to schedule because they don't even know who's on their team to schedule.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that's probably the biggest challenge for like you said in the mid-major.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's it's it's challenging enough at a power four unless you're you know at you know a Duke or one of the top-tier programs, but um, you know, you don't think about, you know, at least I don't.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_02: I I kind of think of the Mac as uh, you know, just a strong league, but yeah, you get poached all the time, you know, from that standpoint.
• 33:26
  SPEAKER_02: Now, let me ask you this: how does that affect with, you know, when you're dealing with TV and and and you know, and and that type of thing scheduling and and you know, maybe those TV producer producers knowing that, yeah, this league is getting post, but there are some up-and-coming stars in this thing.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_02: How do those negotiations go and those con conversations go with your TV rights and that type of thing for the league?
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_07: Well, I still with the TV, they still the product is the product.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_07: So kind of like the number of bowl games.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_07: If you put the product on, people will still want to to watch.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_09: Yeah.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_07: And um a lot of times we have wildcard games, so we don't pre-select the games in February, we let them play out, and we go 21 days prior out prior to selection.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_07: So 21 days, we will know the two best teams in the map to put them on on the schedule.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_07: But you know what?
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_07: Our coaches do a great job.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_07: Um you know, we we poach from other places as well, right?
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_09: Right.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_07: Or we get uh the player at Virginia Virginia Tech who's sitting on the bench who averaged two or three points a game, or Ohio State or Indiana.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_07: So, and we'll take a chance on that prospect as well.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_07: So, all right.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_10: I'm gonna play, I'm gonna play uh I'm gonna play a little fantasy gamer and pretend we're having a nice tea uh over a burger somewhere.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_10: And I'm sure this subject has come up.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_10: Maybe you and Jimmy and Carlisle and Ralph sitting around.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_10: What do you think your nil value would have been at UVA?
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_10: You and Othelle, what do you think your name?
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_10: I we know Ralph would have would have been off the charts.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_07: But we probably thought it was zero because Ralph would have had the bricks truck, he would have had it all, right?
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_07: He would have had it all.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_07: Nobody he would have got 50 million.
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_07: Now who knows?
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, the quarterback would have gets eight, so he would have gotten 10 and uh nobody else would have gotten anything.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_07: So some things don't change.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_10: I'm I'm sure that so with that uh transition as far as the Mac players.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_10: Can you give us a ballpark for what the Mac kids are are doing?
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_10: Um, you know, from a nil standpoint?
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like what would be your top, you know, your top teams in your league and what kind of spending they're they're you know, I couldn't even guess.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_07: I saw something the other day that had the top mid-major budgets, and I think Grand Canyon.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_09: How about that?
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_07: Grand Canyon, and you know, they have the biggest online, they were at somewhere like 15 million.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_07: And this is, I don't know if any of this is true.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_07: Let me first say that.
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_07: But that was the first, and I think the second tier was the VCU St.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_07: Louis.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_07: Uh they were right around nine, eight McLachlan.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_07: Don't don't you?
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_07: So this is uh, but I have no idea.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, you hear different things, but I'd be remiss to guess, and it would be clearly that a guess.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_07: But um and and if I clarify, we're going to nine games in football in 28.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_10: So oh, okay, in 20 in 28.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_10: So can you imagine the day all those days you recruited?
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_10: You know, South Carolina, ECU, Wake Forest, you know, all those, all those days.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_10: Can you imagine recruiting now with the portal and everything and talking to kids about portal and you know, and trying to stay away from poaching?
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_10: And you know, the game has changed so much.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_10: Do you talk about that?
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_10: Think about that, how much it's changed.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_10: You know what?
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_07: The things that I'm glad that I uh and Bud could probably uh agree to this is the relationship.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_07: You you know, you actually recruited the family and you got to know the family, they got to know you, and they selected the university because of probably the coaches, but the academic, the campus, or whatever.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_07: From what I hear now, it's it's in, you know, I I don't I kind of agree, it's all financial and it's transactional.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_07: Kids come in for they don't stay for 48, 24 hours, they don't even need to look at, you know, it's all about the dollar.
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_07: I mean, what's what's finances?
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_07: And I mean, they might look at the gym, but at the end of the day, it's what's the financial terms and how long do you need to stay at a university or for official visit to get the package and what you're gonna make.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you know, that's the truth.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_02: That's uh, you know, just here, just experiencing what tech's gone through.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, football, in my opinion, is a little bit more developmental.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_02: Not that basketball's not, but you know, the closer you get, it's a big man's game as far as big and physical, and the closer you get to the line of scrimmage or the football, the harder it is to play immediately.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you need a couple years to develop.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, you'd like to think that that's how basketball used to be, you know, the great teams like you know, your Virginia teams.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, you had guys that developed and grew and together and and developed that chemistry and camaraderie.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_02: And and um I know football, and I'm guessing it's probably aligned with basketball.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_02: Or are we looking at um, you know, just doing the one-time transfer portal rule in basketball as well, uh, like they're trying to look at in in football?
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_02: You know, if you in, you know, and people that don't under know is you can, you know, right now they're allowed to transfer every window that the portal is, and but they're talking about restricting that maybe to one-time rule or one-time transfer, and then uh moving on after that, um, you know, you have to set out.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_02: But is is basketball along those same lines as as well?
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_07: Well, the legislation that is passed through Senate, and they'll trying to maybe go through House and the College uh that uh protected act.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_07: Uh so uh if you can get Congress to decide on anything in these days, good luck.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_07: So the midterm elections we'll see.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_07: So, you know, they're trying to get it to pass through the the finish line, but I just don't know.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_02: So uh yeah, I think until the coaches can kind of have to, you know, like in pro sports, the coaches, you know, they they cannot just jump from you know uh program to program like college can.
• 39:32
  SPEAKER_02: And as long as coaches can do that at the collegiate level, you know, I'm for the players.
• 39:37
  SPEAKER_02: But I do think there needs to be restrictions all the way around, you know.
• 39:40
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's uh and I'm not you know, the money's still gonna be there, but let's let's let's put some guardrails on everything for you know for the for the coaches and it protects the players too, and and and vice versa.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, yeah.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_07: And I think that would also help high school recruiting.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_07: And I feel bad for high school prospects because everybody wants a bigger, stronger product.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_07: Yeah, uh the high school, you know, high school kids are really getting un overlooked, which probably is a good thing for lower and mid-majors because now we can be able to get them.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_07: And some of our coaches said, you know what?
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_07: I'll sign the best high school kid for one or two years for them to go on to Michigan and Michigan State.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_07: So we do have some of our coaches that, you know, that's their selling point.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_07: Come to my school for one or two years, and then you can make the big payday.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_07: Uh, and from what I understand, and you know, I don't know this, but a lot of power four coaches want it's kind of like developmental, want the high school kids to go play right away uh at the lower place and get up some numbers and uh get stronger and bigger, and then they get a finish, a finish, a better product for two years.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_10: One of the greats, Ricky Stokes, Senior Associate Commission men's and women's basketball with a Mac.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_10: And uh again, we I didn't need to dive into the Virginia resume because everybody knows, you know.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_10: So, and I know you still talk about it with every interview, but uh anyway.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_07: As my daughter said tells me, that's that's like an old shoe, Dad.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_07: It's an old shoe, it's over.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_07: She rewards me all the time.
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_07: It's an old shoe.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_07: So good.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_07: They don't even have your arena anymore.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_07: They call it so good.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, it's so good, Ricky.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_10: Thanks.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_10: Hey, thanks for a few minutes.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_10: Uh we could roll in maybe first of the year and basketball, whatever.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_10: We'll uh we'll get you back so we can talk hoops and see who's you know who's hot, who's not, and maybe they'll have that 24 team thing figured out as well.
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_10: So it'd be great to catch up.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_10: Hey, thanks for your time.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_10: Great to see you.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_07: Well, thanks.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_07: Great for being the show, two all-stars, and I appreciate it.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_07: It only took me four years to get on here, but I'm blessed to be on in the fourth season.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_07: Maybe maybe in eight years you'll bring it back.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_07: And four more years you'll bring me back.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, well, that's that's our bad, Ricky.
• 41:57
  SPEAKER_02: That's our bad because you're dead.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_10: That's right.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_02: I feel terrible.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_10: Ricky and I are great friends.
• 42:03
  SPEAKER_10: I mean, we're good friends, Mac.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_10: Um, tell everybody I said uh God, I feel good.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_10: Ricky, Ricky, take care.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_10: Uh Virginia's favorite son, Ricky Stokes.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_10: We'll go to break and come back right after this.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_02: Hi, this is Bud Foster for Envision.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_02: For over 30 years, my good friends, Dr.
• 42:21
  SPEAKER_02: Scott and Becky Mann, have built a practice that truly cares about their patients.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we just try to do everything with the patients in mind.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_03: Everything we do is from the patient's point of view, and we try to put them first and really have state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and then old-fashioned personal care and attention.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, well, I think it's mainly about the relationship and that we care.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_00: We care for them and they become family.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_00: When we've been in that office now for over 30 years, so it's it's more like a family environment and that we do care about providing the best vision care available.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_03: Over 30 years ago, we started with one office, one staff member, one doctor, and we've just kind of grown from there.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_03: The community's been great in supporting us, and now we have two locations.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, we're getting ready to add our six and seventh doctors and about 25 staff.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_02: Go see your award-winning Envision team.
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_02: They have two locations, Salem and Christensburg.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_02: They will meet all your eye care needs.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_06: I think at this time of year, most teams are.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_06: You know what I mean?
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_06: I'm not taking anything away from our club.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_06: I love our club, I love our guys, I believe in them.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_06: But I think most teams are resilient, and I think it's tough for teams that come in here and play.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_06: Our fans are so incredible.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_01: From the desk of former coaching great Bud Foster, this is Foster and Friends on the NSB Radio Network.
• 43:39
  SPEAKER_10: It is Foster and Friends.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, one program note we are recording before game five of the World Series in Tampa.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_10: Okay.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_10: Uh they end up winning game four.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_10: The Brewers don't get it.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_10: That was the voice of Pat Murphy talking about that when they had eight runs with two outs and uh they went ten, you know, they went ten to one.
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_10: But always talks about his love for baseball.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_10: And I have enjoyed the series so much because you've got two low market team.
• 44:05
  SPEAKER_10: We were just talking about rosters, right?
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_10: We were just talking about and how the the these two franchises are are playing and of course the Brewers right now are, you know, a steamrolling uh baseball team for sure.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_02: They've the you know, targetably these have been the two best teams, you know, throughout the whole season, you know, by their body of work.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's been fun.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_02: I know uh the first couple games were tight, and then obviously the game three, uh, like you said, uh the the two out uh eight run inning, you know, that uh that Brewers put together.
• 44:36
  SPEAKER_02: But uh yeah, it's it's been fun to watch.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_02: And and like you said, that's what's that's cool about baseball.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's you know, of yeah, uh I mean she's I think the uh the Dodgers, uh their luxury tax that they're or penalty that they're paying because of their roster is might be more than both these two teams, you know, uh as far as their overall um, you know, what their money value is.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, it's been fun to watch.
• 45:01
  SPEAKER_02: Just good baseball, good discipline, solid baseballs, which is good defense.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_02: Not you know, you can call it small ball, but just we have guys bunting again.
• 45:13
  SPEAKER_02: Hidden behind runners, you know.
• 45:15
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, hidden behind advanced runners.
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's just good uh team baseball.
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_02: It goes back to the those professional players buying into you know uh the organization and and how they run their and how they want to run their organization as far as uh you know their day-to-day operations, how they how they attack the game as well.
• 45:35
  SPEAKER_10: Yeah, good stuff.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_10: Well, Bud's got an open weekend.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_10: Uh, we were talking about Virginia having to go to Wake Forest, and uh there, you know, just always uh a lot of really good games uh this week as well.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_10: What on earth are you gonna do with an open weekend?
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_10: You've been traveling, you've been kissing babies and raising money and going to wine festivals and you know, signing helmets, and it's been a pretty good run for you since I was at your golf tournament.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_02: I will say that it's been a lot of people in here, you know, the last uh last couple weeks or so.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_02: But uh no, that's what my role is, and I enjoy that.
• 46:11
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, there's also you need some time to exhale, and so I'm hoping it's supposed to be a nice weekend up here.
• 46:18
  SPEAKER_02: I'm hoping to get out on the boat.
• 46:20
  SPEAKER_02: The leaves are changing.
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_02: It's a it's a great time.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_02: You can get out and I can just putz along in the pontoon.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_02: And uh and I've got some stuff I need to burn, you know, is we're men like that.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_02: Even women, I got some really good uh lady friends, and man, they can light a great fire, they can build a good fire.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, I need to burn some stuff around, some debris and things at the lake.
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_02: So I might have me a big uh big marshmallow roast uh you know that's good as the day moves on.
• 46:49
  SPEAKER_10: You're not you're not getting rid of like Murray State jerseys or anything, right?
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_02: Oh no, no.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, yeah, fucking find those.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_10: Gotta gotta save those.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_10: Well, anyway, have a great one.
• 47:01
  SPEAKER_10: We'll talk to you next week.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_10: Foster and Friends NSB Radio Network.
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_10: Celebrate Halloween, be safe.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_10: And uh, bud, we'll see you next week, partner.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_02: All right, happy Halloween, my friend.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_10: All right, man, you too.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_10: This is Foster and Friends, a presentation of the NSB Radio Network.
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_01: Foster and Friends is presented by Envision.
• 47:20
  SPEAKER_01: Locations are in Christiansburg in Salem, Virginia.
• 47:23
  SPEAKER_01: For the best in eye care and fashion, it's Envision.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_01: By the River City Distillery in Radford, makers of Win Vodka.
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's a good day to enjoy a win.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_01: And by Brick House Pizza.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_01: Brick House Pizza means good times.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_01: Foster and Friends is a presentation of the NSB Radio Network and Mac McDonald Media.