July 2025: Gopher Spending and Fees, Local Media Day, Preseason Poll

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Glenn Mason said a long time ago at the University
of Minnesota. You need a Pair and a Spare.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Thank you, PJ. It is time for another edition of
the Pair and a Spare podcast. I'm justin guard from
the fan. We've got Ryan Burns from Gopher Illustrated and
from the Star Tribune, the Minnesota Star Tribune. We have Chipscoggins.
It looks like we're recording this at night. No, we're
recording this in the middle of a Minnesota thunderstorm. This

(00:24):
is early morning, mid morning, early mid morning on a
Monday morning, and it's a great possibility. My internet goes
out halfway through and you guys are going to have
to bring this one home. But how's everybody doing? How
are we welcome back?

Speaker 3 (00:39):
I mean, I'm just excited that maybe the news of
the day is that Anthony Scoggins has a new microphone
for the twenty twenty five season.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Let's test it out. How do you sound, Chip.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
How's it sound? Well, you know, it's like any good
football team. You got to do a self scout in
the office. We took some time, we did some inventory
on fun how things were. So do you like the
camera angle too? For people? That are checking us out
on YouTube.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Watch it on YouTube.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Yeah, I'm not showing you my four chins anymore. Hopefully
it's a little better for you. So yeah, yeah, I
got a microphone and we're stepping the game up a
little bit here.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
I love it. Season four or five of this podcast,
I don't know, but we're trying to get it. We've
done one hundred episodes and now maybe we're getting closer
to that audio perfection that every other podcast seems to
have except our sou We'll do our best. No, we
want to leave room for growth. You know, you need
to leave room for growth. I think you don't want

(01:34):
to be perfect too early because then the standard is
the standard and you have to keep changing your best
and we don't have to do that. We are presented
as always by our great friends at Jack's Cafe you
can see on the bottom of the YouTube page Jackscafe
dot com Jaxcafe dot com if you want to make
some reservations, and a little bit later in the show,
we'll tell you about something great that Jax has for

(01:54):
the parentis beare audience that Bill has put together for
the next week or so. So we're gonna give you
some details on that as we go. But why are
we back right now last week of July because it's
football season? Burnsey and I are heading to Vegas and
the matter of hours and we've got the Vikings train Well,
I'm tomorrow. I don't know what Burnsy is. We'll talk
about that. Vikings training camp opens up this week. I'll

(02:18):
be out there on the radio show with the Perch
on Thursday. Kevin O'Connell's going to join Dan Barero. But
we're here, guys. It seems like we just blinked, But
it is now football season apparently. How are we feeling
about that?

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Summer's over? I used to when I was on the beat,
July fourth was kind of the end of my summer.
And I know people probably hate to hear that because
there's a lot more summer left. But when you cover football,
it's almost like after the fourth of July you start
ramping up for camp right and media days and all
those things. So I'm happy. I'm I'll still enjoy summer,
but I'm glad camp's here. And it was fun to

(02:50):
get out to the Gophers media day last week. And
what do we have? Burnsy twenty something guys and Guards
to you there on the radio. The whole thing. That
was cool. I caught some of those interviews and is
good to kind of put some faces with names from
new guys, a lot of them.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, I know it's football season when Chip's calling me saying,
just asking different questions about all the new faces, and
I understand that there's a lot of new faces, and
it takes me a lot of time. I think the
worst day is always the first day of spring or
the first fall practice, I see, because all the numbers
are different. Yeah, and you're you're looking out there saying
that's not him anymore and trying to figure all that out.

(03:31):
But yeah, between media days last week, of which Guards
he I'll tell you a lot of great feedback on
GOPH illustrated about your interviews with Grimmer and how about
all the different players that people are getting to know
the first taste of Drake Lindsay Chipper mentioned it. We
got twenty something guys at the internal media day. As
you said, we head off to Vegas here very shortly.

(03:52):
I'm gonna have to drag you off the back a
rat tables at about four thirty am on Wednesday, But
I already know that going in Now, this is in
my first time in Vegas with you, which I think
I'm going to speak on behalf of every listener in
the audience when I ask you this, guardsy, Yeah, this
is the first year we're not in Indy. How do
you feel? How do you feel? In a while, I'll

(04:14):
say that because I remember back in the Chicago Sure, Iago, yeah,
how dare they take it out of your favorite town?

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Thank god, that's my reaction. Thank god that anywhere different,
anywhere is fine. And now they're coming off the glow
of the WNBA All Star Game. They you know, they
had a big post about that, and they were even
there were even like local TV people like you know,
and people as you guys know send me this stuff.

(04:43):
I don't even go looking for the indie stuff anymore.
It just gets sent to me.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yea.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
And trust me, I'm sure we're probably gonna be back
there next year. On the on the astro turf of
there's a dated reference on the field turf of Lucas
Oil Stadium. Again here and everybody talk about saying Almo
in the shrimp cocktail, which again is lovely. But I'm
willing to bet speaking to Vegas if I want to
find shrimp cocktail this week, Bernsy. I'm willing to bet

(05:09):
it I can find it. Whether it's made by Bobby Flay,
Emerald Legassi, Gordon Ramsey, or any number of celebrity chefs,
I'm willing to bet I can find it. But I
am excited to try something different. You know what. I
love the reaction when I've been telling people, you know,
just not in my sports life, where I'm going, and

(05:30):
I'll say, oh, I'm going to Vegas and they're like, oh,
what's there. I'm like Big ten Football Media Day, Like,
why is it in Vegas? Because it's twenty twenty five, baby,
and they've got four West Coast teams that they need
to appease. You don't need to make usc keep coming
to the cornfields. It's fine going out there. So I
can't wait. I'm excited. I'm because you know, I'm excited
to see what the setup is, Burnsy. We're gonna be

(05:51):
in basically ballrooms at the Mandalay Bay is what it
sounds like, and so which is right next to a
Legion stadium. I'm just because you know, it's going to
be totally different than just the usual. There's gonna be
some type of Vegas flair with it, because that's just
how it goes. So I'm very excited. I'm very interested.
Now I'm only going to be there for like thirty

(06:12):
six hours. I'm parachuting in on Tuesday and leaving on
a red eye Wednesday night because I got to get
back for work on Thursday. Grim left like two weeks ago.
He's just staying there and because we.

Speaker 1 (06:24):
Ated.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
Yeah, he's got nothing to do, so he I think
he's heading out actually today and so he'll be there
for the for the full gamut. But yeah, well we'll
pour one out for Indy. We'll pour out a very
expensive drink in Vegas for Indy. But trust me, I'm
sure we'll be back there because, as we know, and
as they tell us, there's no place to host an
event like Indianapolis. And if you want to wait in

(06:46):
a regular non clear TSA line, you can do it
at Indy. If you want to go to one of
two terminals at their airport, you can do it in Indy.
If you want to go to one of two restaurants
after security, you can do it in Indy. But I'm
I'm willing to roll the dice and see what Vegas
has in store for us.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
Chip Er, I don't even have to put a quarter
in him anymore. I just you know, you say something
and you let them go for five minutes, and I
love that. The bit is the bit.

Speaker 1 (07:11):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
I've been loading up. Yeah, I missed you guys. It's
been a while. It's been a while a while, So
we got a lot to discuss. We've got a lot
to talk about, and let's start. We'll go local, and
then we'll go big ten at the end. Because University
of Minnesota's been in the news quite a bit, including
in the Minnesota Star Tribune because the times they are
a change, and obviously we're kind of in the rev
share bit at the moment. Every school is doing the

(07:32):
twenty point five. We've talked a lot about that the
last year or so, endlessly, endlessly, endlessly. Now the two
pronged topic is that, for the first time in a
non COVID year, the University of Minnesota Athletics department is
projecting a deficit of what about nine million. I think
kind of started at eight, now we're going nine. And
a lot of that has to do with the fact that,
guess what they're planning to pay the players now, which

(07:54):
they've never had to do in the history of any
collegiate sport legally, at least at the University of Minnesota.
And coupled with that, one of the ways they're trying
to get more money for the first time implementing a
student fee of two hundred dollars a year one hundred
dollars per semester for every student at the University of
Minnesota to help pay for whatever you want to say,
whether it's paying the players, whether it's facilities, whether it's

(08:17):
the athletic department. The students that have nothing to do
with sports except maybe they go to a game every
once in a while are going to foot the bill
of at least two hundred dollars. They become one of
six Big Ten schools that has implemented this, according to
the start Tribute article I read, which is my research,
but take it away however you want here Burnsey on
the deficit part of it, on the student fee part

(08:39):
of it, I know, I've got my thoughts that we'll
get to, but it's been in the news here the
last couple of weeks.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah, it's fascinating to kind of see the amount of outrage.
I knew it's never a popular thing, and you're always
going to run into things like this with even such
as a two hundred dollars feeno. I know there's tens
of thousands of students, but I don't think people fully
grasp how different it is here at the University of Minnesota.
At a couple of different angles. Number one, the fact
that Minnesota chooses, whether that's with their board of regents,

(09:08):
whether that's the way the president's philosophy is, whether that's
what Mark Coyle is told. I think all of it
that is true. It's run a balanced budget, which is
not something that places like say UCLA or Ruckers have
to do in a given year. Now, because they choose
to do that, and because they choose to try to
keep up with the times. Here, this is what you
have to do. And now why do I say that,

(09:30):
Because one of the places where Minnesota significantly lags behind
is donations to the athletic department, plus and ticket sales. Now,
I looked at the most recent couple of years of
fiscal year data that was available to us. I think
it's fiscal year twenty four and fiscal year twenty three.
But I looked at it through the lens of Those
are the two areas in my mind, and you guys

(09:51):
can correct me if I'm wrong. Where fans can truly
put their money where their mouth is, was shown up
to games or given to the athletic department. I looked
at it through the lens of also comparing it to
Wisconsin and Iowa. Now you can pick and choose who
you think they should be compared to. I'll just pick
the two biggest rivals in that aspect. So Minnesota in
the latest fiscal year of data with that did about

(10:13):
forty eight million dollars in terms of donations and of
the athletic department in athletic ticket sales. Iowa did seventy
two point five million, and Wisconsin did seventy nine. So
if you're looking for how do they compare, that's twenty
four million less than Iowa, and that is thirty one
million less than Wisconsin. And then if you look at

(10:34):
another year back, it gets even worse for them, where
they're about twenty nine thirty million behind Iowa and about
thirty eight million behind Wisconsin. So you're expecting them to
compete with those two biggest rivals every year. Yet I
think as Mark Oyle presented to the Board of Regents,
their projected budget is, what is it, fourteenth or fifteenth

(10:55):
in the Big Ten out of the eighteen Big Ten
teams there they only can spend the money that they
have because they choose to run a balanced budget, but
because they're so far behind on both donations and ticket sales.
And I know some listeners will say, well, what do
you expect. The barn hasn't been the basketball team's been bad.

(11:16):
It's even if they do fill the bar, and what's
that an additional two million dollars? Maybe I think that's
very generous for something like that. It's just kind of
the reality of if you're not going to be very
good at getting donations into the athletic department, which this
could be a whole podcast by itself, and I don't
think it's a Mark Coyle specific issue for being the

(11:37):
athletic director. I think you can go back twenty five
years and you guys can tell me that they have
struggled to get significant donations of six, seven and eight
figures into the athletic department.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (11:48):
But this is the way that Coyle has to try
and generate some money, and I believe it. What would
they do with the two hundred dollars. I think they
projected like seven million dollars then would come in million. Again,
I'm open to ideas, but the crux of this is
if you don't like it, I'm sorry, but if you
want Minnesota to keep up with the times, like to me,

(12:08):
this is outside of trying to find more money, which
everybody is always trying to do at this university. I know,
it's it's a difficult kind of thing to cross chip.

Speaker 1 (12:19):
Yeah, and you take that seven million and they're still
nine million. Sure, right, so basically you're sixteen million without this,
without this student fee, And you're right. This this goes
back to they lost probably what a generation of fans years,

(12:40):
I would say, and it's this is this is not
a new thing that they've been dealing with. Now, there's
some practical things. You have a fifty thousand seat football stadium.
Other schools have seventy five thousand that they're feet one
hundred thousand.

Speaker 2 (12:54):
And they fill them and they fill them. That's the
other part. Historically they fill them.

Speaker 1 (12:59):
Not only is that people in the stadiums, concessions, parking,
all those things tailgate fees that you pay, so you
already had a deficit there because of the size of
your your you know, your stadium, and uh, you know
the fan base that you're getting donations from. And I

(13:19):
think I believe I heard this right. I think I
am that in the presentation to the board they said
that their fundraising is down. I think because people choosing
between giving it to the collective Dinky Town athletes or
given it to the school, and so you have choice there.

(13:41):
I understand completely the blowback on the student fees. Uh,
it comes at the time of a tuition hike of
what is it percent, And as a parent who is
paying for three colleges, I can just tell you how

(14:03):
hard that is. I mean, me and my wife have
We've saved, we compromised, we sacrificed, we've done everything so
our kids aren't saddled with debt coming out of school.
And I can tell you this has been you know,
we're putting three through college and more than a few
of these gray hairs on my head as a result of,
you know, worried about how you're gonna make it happen.
So if you come to me and say, hey, okay,

(14:24):
and if I have no interest in sports, or maybe
even if I do have interest sports, here's another fee
that you go at the pay on top of that.
I completely understand people saying this is out of control,
this money, the spending. And I go back to the
ad and I think it was trev Alberts who said
college sports doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a
spending problem. And I completely agree with that, and we

(14:45):
could that's another whole episode of in the past fifteen years,
the arms race just spun out of control, and everybody's
spent and spent and spent and spent to keep pace
because you're always chasing someone, You're always chasing your rival.
So it became spending problem. This money came in, this
TV media rights distribution came cascading in, and everybody said,

(15:05):
oh wow, let's spend it because we need another stream coach,
we need another this, we need another that. And all
of a sudden, then this big expense comes twenty million,
and everybody's like, uh oh, yeah, how do we uh oh,
what do we do. Let's put someone to students, let's
do this. Let's let's cut out ten staff, you know,

(15:25):
positions from our department let's get rid of people, let's
cut sports, that's whatever. So there's a spending problem. So
I see both. It's not just a black and white argument.
There's so many different tentacles to this. I understand why
fans and parents would be mad about the fee. I
understand where Mark Cole's probably you know, nervous should be.

Speaker 3 (15:46):
I mean, I'm sure he doesn't want to implement, but
the reality is kind of the reality, especially when they've
chosen to prioritize, say non revenue sports, where they have
a brand new gymnastics facility, track and field just got
taken care of, You've got a baseball field, you've got
a softball field that are I think in pretty good shape. Like,
if you're going to prioritize the non rev sports, and

(16:08):
you're already, in my opinion, running football about as lean
as you can. If you just look at profit margin
compared to what it was even three years ago, there's
only so many options that you have left to take.
If at the bottom of to your guys's point, like
you have a fifty thousand seat stadium compared to Camp Randall,
compared to Kinnick, and if if you're going to lack

(16:32):
behind there in ticket sales yet, and you're also going
to compound on that with donations being around the twenty
four to twenty five million dollar mark, which, to give
again comparison you had was you had Wisconsin at forty
two million last year and you had Iowa forty one million.

Speaker 2 (16:52):
How small is your desk that you need like an
auxiliary desk over there? How small for people on YouTube?
Pernsey basically just did a one to eighty to look
at his number? Is that the only workspace you're allowed
in your wife's house that the other room currently has.

Speaker 3 (17:06):
We have two bedrooms upstairs. One we've converted to my office.
The other one currently has six kittens and their mom
in it. I have I have ten cats in my house,
plus one hundred and sixty pound mas stiff.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
So that's a whole other podcast. So this podcast isn't
big enough for this podcast isn't big enough for your office?
You have to this is your recording studio. You have
both Is that a tax situation? Are you writing off
both rooms? Yet you know you're writing off both room?

Speaker 3 (17:32):
I take a fair and reasonable salary, mister irs agent. Okay,
I want you to.

Speaker 1 (17:37):
Know that you know Mark Mark Cole told me he's like, hey,
being in a big ten, we have to look at
it as a blessing not a burden. And I get
that because you're getting you know, other than the SEC,
you're getting more media rez distribution than the other conferences.
But even within that, there's a big discrepancy about what
you're taking in revenue and the people that you're competing against,
and uh, you're operating knowing you've committed to you have

(18:02):
to spin to that cap.

Speaker 2 (18:03):
You just have to.

Speaker 1 (18:04):
I mean, if you're going to compete and say you're
on par with your peers in terms of that, you
have to do it. But they're doing it with would
you say the numbers were Burns your off the bat,
you're thirty million behind.

Speaker 3 (18:18):
Yeah, they're twenty five, you know, twenty five thirty million behind.
And the other thing I would note here before kick
it over to guards is they struggle in donations. I've
made that very clear. But other schools like UCLA and
Rutgers also do. The thing that they get the benefit
of is I think UCLA, your boy Martin Jarman out there,
took thirty million in terms of government support to fund

(18:41):
the athletic Department last year. Minnesota doesn't have that luxury. Rutgers,
which has run at a deficit for so long. Kerk Shiraka
is one of the highest paid offensive coordinators because of it.
In the country. They take I think fifteen seventeen million
in the last fiscal year from in terms of from
tax payer money. Minnesota doesn't have that luxury. So there's

(19:02):
I'm not telling you there's a perfect way to do this.
I mean, it's just I get why it is. I
get why parents would be upset, such as Chip when
they hear about the tuition hike on top of this
two hundred dollars feet. It's just it's not perfect.

Speaker 2 (19:15):
Guardsy, No, go ahead, Chip.

Speaker 1 (19:18):
My last thought thought is where's this going? Like five
years from now, how is this gonna? Is this sustainable?
Is this? I mean, I guess the money is the
TV money will keep going up and up, so that
is part of it. But it just feels like not
hanging by a thread, because that's probably too overly dramatic,

(19:39):
but it it. I just wondered, five years from now,
what's it? What's what is this going to look like?

Speaker 2 (19:45):
Yeah? Well, and it's always I was just talking with
someone earlier in the week at a dinkytan Athletes event,
which was awesome. By the way, I might spend a
few minutes on it. I said, for the last couple
of years, we've always said, let's get through the next
couple of years, and see, like it just keeps going
down the like we're gonna wait, we're gonna get some
clarity in the next few years. Well it's been a
few years. We still have no idea what it's gonna

(20:05):
look like in the next few years. And so because
when this media rights deal popped, when Kevin Warren was
the commissioner, this was before the House settlement stuff, right,
and so everyone's thinking, man, these schools are gonna be great.
Everything's looking good, and then bang, you know that eighty
million dollars you're gonna get, well, twenty and a half
has to go right back to the student. Like things
change so quickly, just in like the person like, thank

(20:27):
god they have the new media rights deal now, right,
if you're a big ten school, because you actually can
fund it, and you can theoretically on the spending thing.
One quick story because it shows you how quickly money
gets spent in college sports. I remember ten or I mean,
it must have been ten years ago. Norwould Tige was
still the athletic director. We were on one of those
Gopher coaches caravans and there just been some type of

(20:50):
I don't know if it was an increase in TV
or something, but I want to say it was like
six or eight million dollars, Like it was a big,
big story, like, hey, this money's coming in, you're gonna
get It wasn't the the huge exponential money that we're
seeing now. And one of the on one of the stops,
Norwood was on the bus and there was a bunch
of coaches on it. I don't remember who they were,
but it was he kind of did a Q and A.

(21:10):
It was almost like a staff meeting that I was
just sitting in and somebody asked, what are the plans
for the six million that we're getting? And you just
kind of sat there and he's like, well, uh, that
money's kind of already been spent. Like they hadn't even
gotten it yet, but it was already going to something,
you know, and not nothing frivolous, like I'm not like,

(21:33):
but I'm just giving you something. Yeah, it was it
was going to something. It was they were in the
college sports shell game. Like publicly, it looks like, hey,
we're getting this influx of cash. We're in the athletic department.
They're going, thank God because we have to pay for this, this, this,
and this, Like the bus was just kind of like okay,
but that to me is just a little example of

(21:53):
like money and money out, Like it is such a
random shell game. And you you said it, Burnsy, like,
you know. My ation to the other thing we got
a factor in on this deficit is he fired Ben Johnson,
Like and I remember on one of the football pregame
shows when we were talking about this money, Coyle talked
about how because it is going to get tight because

(22:15):
of the the athlete part of it. He doesn't think
you're going to see the crazy buyouts that we've seen,
you know, the Jimbo Fishers, the Gus Melsons. Like now some.

Speaker 3 (22:24):
Places reflect buyout numbers here too.

Speaker 2 (22:27):
Yeah, Like he just said, I don't think people can
do that. Like, you know, how many in Nebraska's still
got like fifty million dollars in dead money between like
basketball and football, right, and that number is probably high,
but you get my point. You know, they fired Scott
Frost and when you do that and you just bang
out of whatever it was between two and three million dollars,
like that's a one time thing, like where you said, shit,

(22:48):
where's this going. My reaction is they've always had a
balanced budget, that is from the top down, like they
are obsessed with it, probably to their detriment, right, if
you're really if you're really trying to do the college
sports thing like a lot of other people do the
college sports thing. We talked about it on this podcast,
Gene Smith saying, yeah, we ran thirty thirty million dollars
under budget, but we wanted to be go to football

(23:09):
in my last year. So new guy clean it up,
and they had ways, right, two extra football games are
gonna get donations. They won the national championship. I'm sure
that's helped, but like they've always been obsessed with making it,
you know, dollars in dollars out net zero. Now in
this new time, like it just probably not gonna work
out this year. Like the student fee thing. Of course

(23:31):
they didn't want to do that, like no, no, no,
I've thought the department wants to just bang students for
an extra two hundred bucks. But I guess my point
is if five years from now we're still doing this,
that's probably going to be a problem. But in the
short term, like this is such an isolated incident for
the you that I think we I think they deserve
the benefit of the doubt a little bit on doing

(23:52):
it the way they've always done it. Like for people
that are going can't believe it. It's out of control.
I mean, and honestly this might sound silly. Million dollar
deficit for an athletic department budget doesn't seem that much
to me when we've talked about some of the other
ones over the years. And obviously they have to if
they're going to be who they've always been. They got

(24:12):
to figure out a way to do it differently in
future years here, but for this this year, this was
unfortunately where they are right now.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
Well, especially as you look forward here and project forward.
We haven't even talked about the big elephant in the room,
which is everybody's all their favorite talking point with the
University of Minnesota Athletics. They got to do something with
williams Ringing in the next five years.

Speaker 2 (24:33):
Well that thing just went away, I mean, the redic
So like remember two years ago, I mean, they have
the firm. Coil's talking about it. We talked about it
a lot, yeah, and they were gung ho about it.
That changed completely with this Basically now all of a sudden,
Coil says, hey, when it's full, nobody cares about how
old it is, like he was. He's not wrong, by
the way, but he wasn't saying that eighteen months ago

(24:55):
or two years ago. So that has completely changed, which
I understand because right now is probably not the time.

Speaker 3 (25:00):
To It isn't the time. It's just there's so many
different things where it just comes down to the have
to find ways like and this has been the struggle
for twenty five thirty years. Whoever the athletic department director is,
they've got to find a way to find more money
from fortune five hundreds or just giant donors. But we've

(25:21):
been saying that since the T. Denny Sandford days.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
Well that's what I was gonna say.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (25:25):
People always point to that, They point to the Friday
Night Michigan loss as the worst loss and go for history.
The worst loss and go for history was T. Denny
Sandford when they lost him. Because for whatever the reason.

Speaker 3 (25:37):
I can't wait for the chipskogin story in a book
one day about the t Denny Sandford and Jerry Kill
athletic facilities story that I know that three of us
have heard.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
Well, it predates Jerry Kill. I mean it goes back
to Huntington Banks Stadium. I mean you can just if
you want to know how important Sandford is, just go
to any Dakota and look around. You don't have to
drive too many mile markers to his name on something.

Speaker 1 (26:01):
I don't know if you guys remember remember the the uh,
the press conference we had with the band and President
Brunocks and all that that it wasn was going to
be the lead donor on the stadium. And then.

Speaker 2 (26:14):
He's got the Hall of Fame building in there.

Speaker 1 (26:16):
That's the thing. You look across town where Saint Thomas
is getting these big you know, a couple maybe more
than a couple that are given the really.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
Big checks and everybody knows their name right the and.

Speaker 1 (26:31):
They need that and and it's yeah, fundraising needs to
be better. I mean they're clearly clearly you you don't
make that coach and change in basketball if you don't
think there's revenue that's not being captured. I mean, they
need to create more revenue out of basketball. They just

(26:51):
absolutely do. And I don't know, burns you throughout. Two
million might be more. I don't know, because it's it's
not just ticket sales, it's that's donations, then that's signage,
it's liar field, it's all the different things you know
that you can get. But they have to squeeze more
in today's I mean, if it isn't crystal clear by
the first ever long we've been on here, in modern athletics,

(27:15):
major college athletics, you need to make a lot of
money in football. Men's basketball. Yeah, absolutely do you need
to be able to squeeze as much out of it
as you can. I think football is getting there. I
think they're still you know, or I be done there.
But they absolutely absolutely have to make more off men's basketball.

Speaker 2 (27:34):
Anything else on this topic you guys want to tackle.
It's been an interesting couple of weeks for sure, because
there's just there's a lot of explaining and but I
get it, I get all of it, like it is
just it is what. Like I agree with everybody, I
understand why the U has to do all this. I
understand why people might be pissed like that. Nobody's right

(27:56):
or wrong. It's just kind of the reality of the situation.
And again, if we're talking about this in five years
and there's still because I don't I guess what I
would say, Guys, my, I don't believe that, you know,
Mark Coyle's you know, this wild wild West cowboy with
the budget. I mean, like, I think we all agree
on that, right, Like, I don't think he's going in
and going what's the cost, don't care? You know, Like

(28:18):
I don't think he's eating at restaurants where they don't
list the price, like for the athletic department. I think
it's just it's it's a tough situation right now because
of and that sounds crazy when you think about the
money that every we all see, but when you throw
in twenty and a half that's now going to the
players and nobody was counting on and all the numbers
that Burnsy just laid out, and it's just it's a

(28:38):
it's a tricky situation to navigate at this point. And
but that's why those guys are getting paid the big
bucks to figure it out here in the next couple
of years.

Speaker 1 (28:46):
And the athletes are getting that money, right yeh. July
I mean, when I talked to Mark Cole at one
point he thought that he didn't know the pay schedule.
But they'll get paid like once a month. So there's
a some math let's on the campus that are pretty happy.

Speaker 2 (29:02):
Right now with no kidding, no kidding. Get the PayPal
app the official pay provider of the Big Ten conference.
You know, speaking of money speaking, and by the way
they are doing, they're trying to find a naming rights deal.
Like I bet We're probably not that far off. Like
I know, Wisconsin's got Culver's on the court, you know,
coming up, Like we've had cub Foods in Cambria and
all those things. We're probably not that far off from

(29:24):
Jersey Patches boys, Like, we're probably not that far off.
I mean, that's what all the professional teams are doing. Right.

Speaker 1 (29:30):
You have to you have to be creative. I mean,
you know, you have to try to. You know, Mark
talked about they're having far made and they're having the
World Juniors and they're you know, they had the Beyonce concert.
Was it last year or two years ago?

Speaker 2 (29:43):
I mean years ago.

Speaker 1 (29:44):
They have to, as he said, the traditional ways of
fundraising is not going to be enough. They've got to
you got to put a naming rights on William's arena.
You know it's gonna be the Barn at something, because
you mean, you have to be able to find more revenue.

Speaker 3 (29:57):
But it's even even with those types of things, it's like, Okay,
we'll get an extra million here and an extra million there.
I'd also say, if you're also trying to find ways
to get that budget balanced, I think the best thing
that could happen to this university is Guards. These team,
the fighting don Plitzwhites. You know, they go from being
four million in the red to they if they're good.

(30:18):
And women's basketball, I think is arguably the most pop
is the sport that has the greatest potential for exponential growth,
of which I think we've seen here agree in the
last twelve twenty four months. Again, Guards, you're much moarger
closer to it than I am. But if they can
start to make some headway at turning that red number
into even neutral, I mean that would go a long

(30:39):
way for Coil two.

Speaker 2 (30:41):
Well, I mean you think about softball, volleyball, women's basketball.
Those three have kind of exploded together and we're going
to see it, you know, with the with the NCAA
tournament just the women, you know, not being a part
of you know, it used to be they were all
just thrown into the same NCAA TV deal and now
they're breaking off a little bit. I mean, softball gets

(31:01):
huge ratings, volleyball gets huge ratings, women's basketball gets huge ratings.
And even being you know, going around all the Big
ten arenas like yeah, we all know Caitlin Clark has
skyrocketed this thing, right, the rocket ship. Totally true. I've
been into Big ten, like even in my five years.
I guess this will be my fifth year in my
four years watching other arenas go from like you know,

(31:23):
a couple thousand fans to the Breslin Center at Michigan
State had like ten thousand fans at the last weekend.
Because they've gotten pretty good. They've been in the tournament
like like on you know, like a Sunday afternoon in
East Lansing. I'm like, oh, like I hadn't been there
in a few years. Like this is like it is different,
like all of them. And I think the Gophers are
going to be good this year, and so that plays

(31:44):
I think that is coming Burnsy to answer your question,
because it's happened all over the country, not just in
Iowa City. I mean it's happened all over the country.
In terms of attendance. Illinois very good, Michigan has gotten better.
Like all these schools a USC. I mean those places
are packed for women's whoops. So I don't know why
it would be any different here in a place that, historically,
when the team has been good, has really jumped on

(32:06):
and supported. So you're right, that's another place. And every
four to five million adds up as you go along, right,
So we'll see how it goes. We'll see how it goes.
Burnsy all right, Let's pause here real quick, because our
buddies at Jack's Cafe have hooked us up and I
would say hooked up the audience. And we wanted to

(32:27):
do this last week, but because we're all so busy
and we're very important wait for the pause, we couldn't
do the pause. But Jack's Cafe wants to give a
little back to the Parent of Spare audience this week.
If you go to Jackscafe dot com and make a
reservation in the online portal, which is very easy to do,

(32:48):
and you mentioned Parent of Spare promo, you will get
twenty percent off the total of your food bill. Not
the rum runners at Burnsy likes to get, but your
food bill. You will get twenty percent off if you
go to Jaxcafe dot com. If you can't listen to
me and you're watching on YouTube, it's right there for
you Jaxcafe dot Com on the bottom of the scroll,

(33:08):
in the reservation area, in the in the little box
you put pair in a spare promo And if you
want to do it my phone, same deal. You just
say I want the pair in a spare promo? What's
the parent of spare promo? Twenty percent off your food
build this week? How does that sound, Ryan Burns?

Speaker 3 (33:23):
That sounds elak, considering my mouth is starting the water
thinking about the steak, maybe a little pan crusted walleye. Again,
I know Chip is very particular some other certain things,
but that sounds like a heck of a deal, Chipper.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
I want you to get the crimbrewle get a great steak.
Their salads are outstanding too, though wherever we had the
salad we get there.

Speaker 2 (33:44):
Yes, of course I remember the salad, Yes, I remember
all Like I don't eat salads Chip, but I can
approve of that.

Speaker 1 (33:49):
Salad, mixing a salad burnsy salad. But get the Krimbrewla.
You won't be disappointed. And how about Bill? Like, this
is your four with us with Bill? And I think so, Yeah,
take it off in a cool way. Twenty percent off
your your food Bill? Come on? Yeah? No, I love
take your your family or your wife or your spouse
out for a late Isn't that late summer? Is it?

(34:11):
Is it midsummer?

Speaker 2 (34:12):
I'd say it's midsummer right now.

Speaker 1 (34:14):
It feels like late summer week is football, but for
a midsummer nice night out.

Speaker 2 (34:19):
Yeah. But what I love about Bill is he just
tells us what he wants to do. He goes, hey,
let's do this for the parent of spare audience, Like
we don't go to him. Bill thinks about you guys
way more than we think about you. I think that's tomorrow.
Maybe we should do some self scouting on that. But
Bill is always the one that says, what do you
guys think of this? Can we do this for the
parent of spare crowd? I love when people come in

(34:39):
and tell me they've heard you on the parent of
spare crowd. How do we reward the parent of spare audience.
This is all Bill, right, Chip, He emailed both of
us and he just said, I want to do this.
Let's do it. Let's do it for a week. Go
to Jackscafe dot com mention the parent of spare promo,
call Jack's Cafe mention the parent of spare promo. Twenty
percent off. Like that's Bill, that's Jack's That's why it's
the best. So anyway, let's get it done. Let's flood

(35:01):
that place this week.

Speaker 1 (35:02):
This weekend. Yeah, let's go late this week. Let's see
a lot of people go there and then send us pictures.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
Tag us on it, please, Jackscafe dot com, Jaxcafe dot com.
All right, we mentioned the Local Media Day. We're going
to Vegas for the Big ten Media Day a little
bit later this week. The Local Media Day one of
burns The's favorite days. Stand for four and a half
hours to talk to twenty seven different Gophers one time
and then basically just get get to the regular season

(35:29):
with all of that content. It's one of burns They's
favorite days. He's very grateful, I know, for the opportunity
to cover the program. Were the what were the headlines?
What were the headlines from the Gopher media day. I've
got a couple, but go ahead, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (35:44):
I'll start. The first time I really talked to Drake Lindsay,
I went, I was really impressed with his maturity and
kind of his presence. You can tell he's grown up
under the spotlight as a big time quarterback, right you
just you know those guys there used to be an
interview there, used to kind of facing you know, questions,

(36:05):
But I uh, it was a nice chat. We had
what what ten men's fifteen minutes with him. They let
us go a little longer, and I just thought he
had a good presence about him. It's interesting that you know,
he was he was saying, I found this interesting that
he Max is more of an introvert around guys, very studious,
very you know. Obviously we've talked about a lot his

(36:27):
kind of the way he prepares, but was more of
an introvert, where Drake is more an extrovert. He's more,
as someone said, he you know, wears his emotions on
his sleeve. But Drake had admitted and in the early
the winter workout starting in January, that he found himself

(36:47):
almost trying to be Max the way he approached it.
And then he learned, like, you know, I got to
be who I am, I got to be the leader
that I am. I got to kind of have my
own personality. So I found that interesting that he kind
of recognized that himself, and and and you know, maybe
pivoted or just felt more comfortable in his own skin.
But I'm really curious to see him in action. He's

(37:11):
certainly a big kid. I mean when you see him physically,
he's a he's a big he's all of six four
six five. I don't know what they list him at,
but so I'm excited for that. And it was just interesting,
Like at Texas Burns. Maybe this is just me being
old and you know, my mind's not as good as
it used to be. But and maybe it's the Portal

(37:32):
Area era. There's just so many new names every year.
And you know, college rosters are so big anyway on
like the Vikings, but there's just a lot of new
names that you have to and faces that you have
to get familiar with as you start the season.

Speaker 3 (37:50):
Yeah, so blessed and highly favored. I just want to
get that right off the bat here for anybody listening
over at the University of Minnesota to be able to
cover such an exclusive program. I'm working paging my best.

Speaker 2 (38:02):
Are you bringing that salt to Vegas? You're going to
season your stake with that salt. By the way, my
favorite thing to do is talk to other media members
about how bitter Burnsy gets about, you know, not knowing
when practice is not because he doesn't hide it at all,
and so I just love to I also shock everybody.
I like to stir the pot a little bit, including
with Burnsey on the Gopher message boards at Gopher Illustrated

(38:24):
dot com. I did like to do that earlier in
the week, but anyway, go ahead.

Speaker 3 (38:29):
I mean, I've written I think ten plus stories already
from that event. So we're trying to get as much
content You're welcome, You're welcome for the clicks as we
possibly can about a lot of new faces. But I
think to Chip's point about Drake, it's I just don't
remember being nineteen years old and having that type of
maturity to be that self kind of reflective to know

(38:53):
a as a red shirt freshman, especially that I'm trying
to follow a guy who is a six year senior,
and I can figure out within a couple of weeks
of winter workouts that I have to be me. I
know Max worked here in his personality work, but if
I'm going to be the guy for the next three
four years, I have to be me. And that's a
tough thing to try and follow in terms of the

(39:15):
Max Brozmer footsteps. But I think he was incredibly introspective
in that regard. Now is that going to translate into
outstanding performance? I have no idea. I mean, I think
he's very gifted. I think he's very smart. I think
he's got a great processor. But I think we all
can kind of as we get closer and closer to

(39:35):
the season here, and I think we're about six weeks
seven weeks away now. I think trying to figure out
what our realistic expectations for the offense for Drake lindsay,
for a completely revamped offensive line is one of the
things that's going to determine what the season is. Now.
I don't know what those expectations are going to be,
but I would just say I know that I've said

(39:58):
this all off season, and one of the questions it
constantly is from fans as well. I heard the same
thing with Athan calliac Manus, and look what happened, right,
I would just tell you. I know that they're both
tall kids, and Drake six' five and he's got a great.
ARM i would just tell you the things That, Harbo
minnesota's offensive, Coordinator Greg harbo trusts him to do with
the line of scrimmage compared to what he trusted eighthan

(40:20):
to do in his first season When carbo was a
first year offensive. Cordator they are in completely different stratospheres.
Now if that, translates that's, Great but we also got
to be realistic about a red shired freshman starting for
the first time in The Big, ten in this completely
new world of A Big. Ten, now the runway is

(40:40):
a lot, EASIER i would, say considering It's, Buffalo Northwestern
state and then cal before the bye, week prepare for
my favorite week of the, Year Revenge week Between Greg
chianno AND pj Fleg part two of which we'll get.
Into don't you. Worry don't you. Worry we're gonna get
into a little bit of a stroll down narrative street just, yet.

Speaker 2 (41:00):
Boy but, Yeah i'm gonna. Ask i'm gonna ASK pj
how Much Greg ciano meant to him every day that,
week And i'm sure about it and not even talk about,
it WHICH i think is just an insane decision on every.

Speaker 3 (41:15):
Level but that's what you're. There so it's exciting to
kind of get to See and this will be one
of my questions For flecked At big Ten Media. Day it's,
like this is such a completely different team than last
year because you Lost Daniel, Jackson Elijah, Spencer Max, bros
Mari On, terris down the, line Justin, Wally, like this
is a completely different. Team like what do you think

(41:37):
the identity of this team is because it's so much
different than it was last year with so many new.

Speaker 1 (41:42):
FACES i don't think you, know but you, know we
talked so much about the new quarterback and you, know
you compare it to like The vikings WITH jj McCarthy
coming in and all the infrastructure they're surrounding him. With
well With. Drake it's, basically you, know and this Is
burnie's favorite. Thing five news, starters even though two of
the starters are, back but they're in different. Positions but

(42:03):
you have at those five line, positions it's gonna have
a new starter and you have two new starting wide.
Receivers so it's it's not like you're putting in a
new quarterback surrounded by a bunch of known. Commodities you're
putting in a new quarterback with a bunch of and
and you, know AS i wrote a columns like unknown
doesn't mean. Bad it just means, unknown like they may be,

(42:25):
better you, know it doesn't mean. Worse it just we
don't know yet how they're going to. Perform so that's
that's the to. Me the true fascinating thing is, like
we don't know much about the talent Surrounding drake, either
other than you, Know Darius taylor really.

Speaker 3 (42:41):
Good you're replacing eighty percent of your receiver Production Darius.
Taylor he was able to stay healthy for twelve consecutive.
Games can he do it? Again replace in your best,
corner your best, linebacker your best pass. Rusher LIKE i
know that we all have opinions on what it'll look
like and who those guys will. Be but until you
get out there On thursday night Or saturday, morning, whatever it, is,

(43:03):
like we're all gonna have. Questions which makes this such
an interesting year From minnesota within The Big.

Speaker 2 (43:08):
Ten, yeah it was fun TO i had never really
talked To drake other than saying, hi like a in a,
hallway but it, was, yeah you hit At burnsley nineteen
and he sits down and grimmer AND I i, mean
people can listen to it And i'll plug, it you,
know not BECAUSE i, mean but that was because of, him,
RIGHT i mean he HAD i mean talking about you,

(43:31):
know the golf background and not even really knowing if
he wanted to play, football to then being all in
on football then hurting himself in. Basketball he's got to
relearn to. Walk he reminded me Of max and other
quarterbacks in that his level of detail about everything and
being able to explain, it like his recall About and
THEN i talked to my doctor about this and he was,
great and he told me it was like a rubber

(43:52):
band and blah blah. Blah i'm, like, Okay LIKE i
can see why the intangible part of. IT i can
see why they are really high on this guy and
why they're comfortable to think about how rare this is
in twenty twenty. Five they're comfortable handing over everything to
a red shirt freshman, basically when in twenty twenty, five including,

(44:13):
them you can go find an experienced quarterback that wants a,
shot whether you're going to level down or it's a
big ten, backup OR i mean there's there's plenty of
opportunity to put an older guy in, there right and they're,
comfortable you, know throwing it to a guy who just
got here basically a year and a half, ago and we'll,
see we'll see what. Happens that's the.

Speaker 1 (44:34):
Thing is, like, yeah you could do that every. Year
but he's got to get experience at some. Point and
if you think you're super, talented which they, did is,
like if you're, right, man now you got you, know
as so when everything, stay he's in all, that you
have a number of years with him versus just you,
know year after year trying to find a veteran guy
that you're not always going to hit on A Max.

Speaker 2 (44:54):
Brosmer you're gonna be wrong, sometimes you, know, right.

Speaker 1 (44:56):
And so but, YEAH i, mean if if he can,
process you, know much like What max, did we know
you see the physical part of. It everybody can see.
That it's just as he, Said it's like when it's
third and, long when he's facing blitz is all those,
things how's he gonna how's he going to? React and

(45:18):
so BUT i, THINK i you, KNOW i think HE'S
i Trust greg Harbow and AND pj and what they're
saying about him and their. Evaluation i'm just curious to
see how's that offensive line going to come.

Speaker 2 (45:31):
Together, yeah it's a question.

Speaker 1 (45:33):
Guys when you have five new, guys not new, guys
but new to the position or you, know we hear
all the time they got a. Jail they have, chemistry
they know how to you, know pass things off and
make calls and. CHECKS i mean.

Speaker 3 (45:48):
Between the offensive, line And i'll continue to say the past.
CATCHERS i, mean you're Replacing Daniel, Jackson Elijah, spencer Even
Marcus major was fifth on the team and catches like
you're replacing a lot of guys from like last. Year
AND i think in the non conference between the brand
new quarterback and the brand new pass catchers and the
brand new offensive, line this thing's not going to Look

(46:09):
it's not going to look. Great now will that translate
to more or less? WINS i think we all can
go back to that twenty nineteen season and, say if
you would have told us at all that that non
conference that was going to be a ten to eleven win,
team we all would have laughed you, off, Right but
they got a lot of things they got to work
through In.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
SEPTEMBER i, hear you, KNOW i get this question a
lot from. PEOPLE i see you Think pj's still going
to throw the ball a. Lot i'm curious to see
their approach early, on probably not to the degree that,
we you, know thrown. IT i think they averaged thirty
one passes the game for the season last. YEAR i
don't think we're going to see, that But i'm kind

(46:47):
of curious just to see What greg AND pj come
up with in terms of their.

Speaker 3 (46:52):
Philosophy, yeah, right, well it's going to be they stunk a.
RUNNING i, mean they were horrible running.

Speaker 2 (46:57):
The ball last, year right right, now that that's probably.

Speaker 3 (47:00):
HARSH i will say they were horribly inconsistent at running
the football from game the, game quarter to, quarter and
they want to be able to run the, football especially
with guys LIKE Aj turner to Compliment Darius taylor And
Cam davis among. Others, like if they take a step
forward in terms of run game, consistency well then just in,
turn you're going to throw the ball. Less but it's

(47:22):
can they Have And i'm going to do my Best
tennessee accent with. THIS a modern. OFFENSE i think that
it'll be a kind of a mix of what it's,
been especially as you try to as the vikings are
going to do WITH jj. McCarthy you didn't want to
have a guy come in and chuck it, around in my,
opinion especially in this type of, offense which is still

(47:43):
a two tight end offense more or.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
Less, WELL i liked what he said with us About
he says he's probably a little bit more of a
risk taker Than max. Was, yeah he also said coming
in and learning offense like, this he, said in high,
school we were straight air. Raid we just chucked it
all over the. Place it's just, like that's what we.
Did he's, like so and. So you gotta Figure i'd

(48:07):
be stunned if a guy who comes with that, background
who clearly, wants you, know wants to throw it, around
would come here and be you know what would it
would have had discussions of, oh, yeah you just want
me to hand it off to those running backs fifty
times a, game you, know like A Mitch leidner, did
or even like A tanner had to. Do you, KNOW
i think THEY i mean you you you've talked about
it a, Lot chip what you talked TO pj about

(48:28):
it Camp randall last, year you know how he kind
of changed and and obviously trusted him And. Burnsy you
did a great job at The bowl game of talking
To max About. Drake you. KNOW i just think there
was there was a lot of grooming going, on AND
i think all of it comes together and they it's
not going to be The it's going to be closer
to The brozemer, STYLE i think than it would be

(48:50):
The Tanner leidner, style if That if that makes, sense
WHICH i think is. FUN i think people should be
excited about.

Speaker 3 (48:56):
It, yeah, again the offensive coordinator And greg does not
want to be like his predecessor And Kirks rock in that.
REGARD i think you saw more last year of what
he wants this offense to. Become but Also harbo has
to learn with this brand new, offense what are they good.
AT i think he's had seven months of. Data but
with all the different faces that we've talked, about he's,

(49:18):
gonna you'd, hope tailor the offense to whatever their strength
is and try to hide the. Weakness AND i think
he's going to learn a, lot just like we all
will in that non conference about what is this team
or what is this offense actually good at and then
adjust from.

Speaker 2 (49:33):
There i'm paranoid by the way about The buffalo. Game you,
know they're like second in THE mac projections the. Preseason
they're a QUALITY mac.

Speaker 3 (49:39):
TEAM i think they're a lot more like, YEAH i
don't want to Say Bowling green in that, season but
more like remember The miami Of ohio game where it was,
Yes chip's Favorite mac hip And hammer just touching touchdowns
to make it, close like.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
Yes, Yeah, No i'm totally paranoid about that game because
we'll see because last, year you, know they they did
not play. Well they were so sloppy in the. Opener so,
anyway we'll have plenty of time to talk about. That
by the, Way, burns one quick aside On Drake lindsay
before we talk about The kings of The north podcast
preseason poll With big Ten Media day on the, horizon
do you plan on using the plate and food analogy

(50:16):
For Drake lindsay that you did With Cooy parritch last
year or if you are you going to think of,
something are you gonna mix it up this year when
it comes to a young player and what he's able
to eat and how much he's able to, eat and
should they give him more to eat because he's already
eaten so. Much what's your strategy on. THIS i think
it's a good time to think about.

Speaker 3 (50:35):
That, well one of the THINGS i like to talk
about With drake is a duck, hunting because he grew
up In. Arkansas he was a big d duck. Hunter
SO i THINK i might say something along the lines,
of we're gonna hand him the twenty gauge shotgun here early,
on and if he shoots, that, well we're going to
upgrade the twelve gauge and we're going to continue to
go from. There But i'll change my best with a

(50:55):
necktime mentality just for.

Speaker 2 (50:57):
You so the twenty gauge is less advanced than the.
TWELVE i would think that'd be. Opposite what are the gauges.
Represent i'm not.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
Gonna get super into the idiosyncrasies of. Shotguns, well you
gotta this is a what not everybody's a duck.

Speaker 2 (51:12):
Hunter not everybody's a duck. Hunter you gotta you gotta be,
relatable you gotta make you gotta make it digestible for
those of us.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
Who you're going to have them shoot the twenty gauge,
early which is, uh we'll say less kickback than to
say a twelve. Gauge and if you can handle that
and shoot, consistency it's, consistently then we can upgrade to
the twelve gauge and have maybe a little bit more
bebi's or slugs or whatever you want to kind of
quantify this. Fast BUT i kind of like my plate,

(51:38):
analogy even THOUGH i Know chip.

Speaker 2 (51:40):
Doesn't, oh we liked, it it's just we were overwhelmed with. It,
YEAH i mean it was Like Golden. Corral it was just.

Speaker 3 (51:45):
Right If i've heard chipskoga and say that, Once i've
heard it twenty, times So i'll work my own work on.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
It it was old country. Buffet for those of us
to remember that it Was Golden, corral, You Golden corral
was the best meal that him AND i had In Los,
Crusis New mexico When Jerry egg when we went out
To Los cruises to take On New Mexico state with
the Fighting Jerry, kills we had a nice lunch At

(52:13):
Golden corral In Los. Cruises also had a horrific dinner
at a place Called farley's That Darryl, thompson who never
says a bad thing About anybody still talks about how
bad it was across the street from our. Hotel so
we cut our. Losses and you, know you know how
we don't like to do chains on the, Road burns.
You we like to sample the local flavor as much
as we. Can farley's was an L so we went

(52:35):
to the old stand By Golden corral In Los, Crusis New.
Mexico AND i still remember it eleven years later or
ten years, later whenever it was all right big ten media.
Poll it used to be chips old enough to remember
The Cleveland Plain dealer. Poll, everybody of course he. Did
everybody loved The Cleveland Plain dealer. Poll. Well now Some

(52:56):
columbus based, guys The kings in The north, podcast they
are basically have taken that mantle right in sampling local
media members from all. OVER i don't, Know, burnsy do
you vote in this? One or? Does DID i.

Speaker 3 (53:08):
Voted in this? One?

Speaker 2 (53:10):
No nobody asked me to do, anything which is. Fine i'm.
GOOD i do. ENOUGH i don't need. It Unlike Coy
parritch And drake, LINDSAY i don't need anything more on my.
Plate my plate's. Full but The kings of The. North
fifty four voters who covered The big ten in national
one through eighteen predicted order of finish And Penn state

(53:30):
The Fighting James franklin's get the top. Spot it's number,
One Penn. State we'll give you the top four First Penn,
STATE A High, Estate, oregon And Brett Beilama's Illinois fighting
A linea a very trendy team coming off a good
season a year ago, that by the, way included the
loss of The gophers In. Champagne but the top Four Penn,
State Ohio, State, oregon And illinois any surprises their, Fellas.

Speaker 3 (53:54):
I'd SAY i Put Penn state one in. MINE i
think this is a huge year For James franklin with
the amount of talent that they have coming, back both
player even personnel, wise With Andy Cotalicky chip's Favorite lichfield
native not going To West virginia among others that he
was rumored, forward so you get the offensive coordinator returning

(54:15):
With Drew. ALLER i think this if there was ever
a year For James franklin to finally take the next,
step this is. It and the other Thing i'm pleasantly
surprised about Is illinois being. FOURTH i had them fourth in,
Mind i'm glad to see that at least The big
ten media is recognizing everything that they have coming back
and what they built. Upon AND i said this, Once

(54:35):
i've said it on a hundred. TIMES i think we're
going to look back at THE. Pj flec tenure whenever
that comes to an end and say that Winning champagne
against That illinois, team Which minnesota was the only team
to Defeat illinois In champagne last, season was one of
the better wins that they've.

Speaker 2 (54:51):
Had. Yep so IT'S i.

Speaker 3 (54:53):
Think once you kind of get past four or, five,
six it gets very much. Discombobulated BUT i will say,
This i'm a little surprised That wisconsin is as high
as they are. Now they're right next to The gophers
at eleven twelve, there because that schedule is just so
daunting and with the amount of changes That wisconsin has
had to go through personnel, wise player. WISE i don't

(55:17):
know about that. Ranking for, ME i Had wisconsin lower
because of. That but go, Ahead, Chip.

Speaker 1 (55:22):
Yeah, well And i'm glad you do this. POLE i
remember WHEN i was on the, beat the reason why
The Cleveland pole started because when we go To big
tim media, days The Big tiamo had only released the
top three.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
Teams that's, right that's. Right what are we?

Speaker 1 (55:35):
Doing they dodn'tant to hurt anbody, feelings you. Know so it's,
like SO i can't remember who it was At cleveland,
said you, KNOW i think there's only like twelve of
us at the first year. Fifteen it's, like send us
your poll and we're gonna release it and then you
have the full. THING i agree On Penn. STATE i
just think with everything they have coming back with their,
quarterback and it'll be interesting to see How James franklin

(55:57):
kind of handles this, pressure you. KNOW i, mean this
is big year for them to break through and to
see if they can really be that team that can
win the big game and get to the you, know
win The Big ten or you, know maybe contend for
the national.

Speaker 2 (56:12):
Title.

Speaker 1 (56:14):
Uh agree On. Illinois i've said it again many. TIMES
i Think Brett beelm is a really good. Coach you,
know whatever happened At, ARKANSAS i don't, know maybe is
a bad. Fit sometimes fits really, matter you, know he's
A big ten. Guy he's a good. COACH i thought
when they hired him that was a great. HIRE i
thought he would win there because his style of, football

(56:34):
and SO i agree with You, burnsey AND i also
THINK i agree with you On. WISCONSIN i don't know
that the writers are really digging in on everybody's schedule
to see how tough it. Was wisconsin's schedule is absolutely.
BRUTAL i mean it's.

Speaker 2 (56:49):
You, know they have, everybody they have, Everybody, yeah they.

Speaker 3 (56:52):
Have, everybody and they got two games at the, beginning
and then it's all right on the road to Roll
tide and then all the way to That minnesota game
at the end of. It god. Speed, yeah it is
a hard.

Speaker 1 (57:02):
Schedule BUT i do think in just in, general in these,
polls really six to thirteen or fourteen agree put them
in a, hat put him a, hat and draw him,
out you know WHAT i.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
Mean it's especially, now nobody knows it's nobody knows anything
about any of these teams by two. Games, YEAH i.

Speaker 1 (57:23):
Guarantee at the end of the, season you look at that,
schedule or you look at the, standings six through, twelve
six through fourteen is going to be separated by two,
games you, Know so just do you win those close,
games those fifty to fifty toss up. Games so, YEAH
i think THE i think the you, know by and,

(57:44):
large at least the top of the the riders or
voters who ever did it got it pretty.

Speaker 3 (57:49):
Right so the QUESTION i have for you guys is
the TWO i would say hype, teams the teams that
have some steam here in the offseason are number, one
the team that no one wins the, offseason like The
Nebraska cornhuskers who are, eighth which is Above, iowa. Yep
and then THE Usc, trojans which they're seventh in this. Poll,
now To chip's, POINT i don't really care in semantics

(58:11):
six through, twelve six through, thirteen whatever you want it to.
Be but to, me the interesting part is there's parts
of The big ten media, landscape which as we know
now is coast to coast that have them Above. Iowa
NOW i Understand iowa was VERY i would say boring
at this aspect because all they do is win, seven
eight nine games every. Year but which one of those

(58:32):
two teams in your, minds BETWEEN usc And nebraska do
you have more faith in here for twenty twenty Five
because they're put, again they're pitted right next to each.

Speaker 2 (58:41):
Other you want to think about It chip BECAUSE i
have my, Answer, yes go. AHEAD i have more faith
In Matt rule THAN i Do Lincoln, riley AND i
think they have a good. Quarterback so AND i Haven't
maybe on the flight To, Vegas i'll do a deep
dive on all the. Schedules i've kind of only looked
at the, tradition know big ten wests and. Everything i'll.
See i'm a Big Matt rule. Believer, OBVIOUSLY i love

(59:04):
poking fun at what you just. Said burns either nobody the.
Most if we could bet In vegas on the much
too early preseason top twenty Five nebraska settling in at
twenty first every, YEAR i would do it because THAT'S i,
mean that's been as long As i've been on the,
sidelines that's been the. Bit, However i'm a Big Matt rule,
fan like, big, big Big Matt rule, fan LIKE i

(59:25):
do think he knows what he's doing and so and
not That Lincoln riley. Doesn't BUT i think there's probably
more pressure On Lincoln. Riley And, yeah SO i IF
i had, To i'd say sixty Forty nebraska OVER usc
and WHO i have more faith, In, yeah just because of,
COACHING i, think and probably.

Speaker 1 (59:44):
QUARTERBACK i would say those two things. TOO i agree
with you On Matt. RUHLE i, mean you look at
what he's done at the college. GAME i don't care
about what happened at THE. NFL i mean he's a
good coach, too like he knows what he's. Doing, eventually
you're gonna be. Right at some, point they're gonna have a.

Speaker 2 (01:00:02):
Breakthrough, Right, well it's been like twenty. YEARS i know
it's we're.

Speaker 1 (01:00:05):
Wrong SEE i told you you know twenty years. Later
BUT i do think In Lincoln ROLEY'S i think sometimes
gets you, know there's always like little battles that he,
wages whether it's the media or. WHATEVER i don't. Know,
Now burns you know this more than. ME i assume
they're recruiting is. Good they probably had finished high there

(01:00:27):
because they were surrounded by town and it's a blue blood.
PROGRAMS i don't know who they have coming, in BUT
i assume it's a lot of four, star five star kids, Probably.

Speaker 3 (01:00:37):
AND i think they have the number one recruiting classes
for high school kids right, now so they've, again tent
is never the issue WITH. Usc Correct, AGAIN i THINK
i would LEAN usc Over nebraska just because To chip's,
POINT i, mean how many how many years have we said?
That to, Me it's never been a talent issue At.
NEBRASKA i think it's been a coaching. Issue and, AGAIN

(01:01:00):
i know there's a lot of expectations For Delan royola
with the new offensive. Coordinator who's gonna fix? Him AND
i think almost the fascinating part if you look at
it from the local angle here Is minnesota has to
play the number two and the number three team on the,
Road Ohio state In, oregon. Yep but then they Miss Penn,
state who's at. One you Miss, Illinois, Michigan, INDIANA usc

(01:01:24):
who are four through? Seven you Get nebraska at home
on a short, week who's? Eight you Have. Iowa, again
you miss a lot of the top teams in the
conference in this regard in terms of if this preseason
projection is anywhere near, accurate WHICH i think Every big,
Twelve which did you guys see that The Big twelve
did not do a poll this year because how long they?

Speaker 1 (01:01:47):
Were LIKE i.

Speaker 2 (01:01:48):
Don't, hate by the, WAY i don't hate that because
it's every every team's in, flux and, like, yeah and
what does it really? Mean like we're spending ten minutes
of it on a. Podcast that's.

Speaker 1 (01:01:58):
Great you, know it's fun to talk about Your.

Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
Yeah it's, FODDER i would, say.

Speaker 1 (01:02:03):
YEAH i mean WHEN i look at The gopher, SCHEDULE
i think it's very favorable because you look at their home,
schedule for, sure it's. Favorable, now if you're gonna play
your toughest games on the, road Like Ohio, state you're
probably gonna pick them to lose whether they're home and, road, Right, Okay,
oregon same. Thing so, guys we'll play them on the

(01:02:25):
road and have a favorable home. Schedule SO i think it's.
Unfavorable you, know The gophers are eleventh in that. POLE
i BELIEVED i, see, Yep, YES i think THAT'S i
think that's probably appropriate given the unknowns that we talked
about previously with, quarterback with all the other. THINGS i
think there's talent. Here they have high end. Talent we
know that With coy And darius And Anthony. Smith they

(01:02:47):
have some, headliners but it's just so many unknowns that
you JUST i think eleventh is probably.

Speaker 2 (01:02:52):
Appropriate good, job hour and two minutes into the, pod
and you just Mentioned Coy. Parrish that's good restraint and
discipline from. You. Chip we'll talk to him In. Vegas
last thing on this With, nebraska, yep buckle. UP i
did just look at their Schedule cincinnati At, Arrowhead, Akron,
Houston Christian michigan In, Lincoln Michigan state In lincoln At,

(01:03:18):
maryland and then. Here imagine the hype train For. NEBRASKA
i mean that's the opposite Of wisconsin's, schedule, RIGHT i
mean that's the straight that is as manageable the first
six seven. Weeks, so but just think about how quickly
we are to jump On nebraska if they look good
those first three, weeks and then pick Off. Michigan, Well

(01:03:39):
michigan has, questions, right we don't know much About.

Speaker 3 (01:03:42):
Michigan they might have a true freshman starter a quarterab, RIGHT.

Speaker 2 (01:03:45):
I mean THERE i know. That were they fifth in this?
POLL i just clicked off of. It they're somewhere in.
There but THAT'S i think more on brand recognition than.
ANYTHING i haven't done the deep dive on, them but
like that train is going to be out of. Control
better make sure the Green Line state has enough room
for the hype train as it pulls into Dinky town
That friday night of mea weekend, here because that could

(01:04:07):
be something and but that might also be on paper
their most challenging home game if you, think.

Speaker 3 (01:04:13):
It reminds me of the night. Game SO i Even minnesota,
scheduled we talked about. It you Have Buffalo Northwestern state
cow bye week to prepare For rutgers at. Home then
you have to go To columbus before you Get purdue at. Home,
like what are the chances of that game is going
to be five and one against five and, two six
and One friday night On. Fox it kind of reminds

(01:04:36):
me of the. Situation which year was? It was it
twenty twenty two Where nebraska came in in that essentially
that kind of same scenario and there were four were
they four and, one five and? Zero and Then minnesota
ran them out the building that? Night it was a night.
GAME i remember.

Speaker 2 (01:04:52):
That, Yeah i'd have to think about. It i'm getting, old,
Man i'd have to think about. It i'd have to go.

Speaker 3 (01:04:57):
Back, YEAH i mean it should be a great atmosphere
for WHAT i it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:00):
Is, yeah it should be. Good we'll talk about playoff
stuff next week because it will let The big ten
kind of talk for the first. Time, really they've been
taking slings and arrows right from THE sec basically the last.
Month Greg sankee has said a, Lot Tony petiti not as.
MUCH i know he's had some things to say when
we talked a couple of weeks ago or last, pod

(01:05:22):
probably about these two needing to be the two to
figure out the playoff and right now they have very different.
Ideas that's going to be probably the biggest topic Of
vegas Right burnsey is The Big ten stance on the
playoff model and if these two who are in charge
of it how it's written in terms of the next,
expansion can figure out something for twenty twenty six or
if we go twelve for a couple of years until

(01:05:45):
they can figure it. Out but probably smart to table
that until we get Some big ten reaction and then
talk about it next. Week what do we?

Speaker 3 (01:05:51):
THINK i think, so or just even getting Any Tony
petiti comments on the, record which we'll have to go
on because he's been very quiet compared To chip's Favorite
greg saying THE sec there but getting his reaction and
kind of just seeing how all that plays. Out. Now
i'll tell, You, chip how much would you pay because
you know that with us all being In vegas or

(01:06:12):
the Entire Big ten you know that there's gonna be
some big ten football coach poker games going on somewhere
in the back room At Caesar's palace or wherever they.
Choose how much would you pay to be in the
room to WATCH. Pj fleck try to, bluff Say Lincoln
riley on the river to see what these guys all

(01:06:32):
got in. Store i'm sure there'll be a couple of
stogies in the, room a couple OF i know the
bourbon's going to be. Flowing how much would you pay
to be in that?

Speaker 1 (01:06:39):
ROOM i would love to be in. There but two.
Things when does the commissioner what days he's? Talking, WEDNESDAY.

Speaker 3 (01:06:47):
I would. Imagine but did the coaches all?

Speaker 1 (01:06:54):
Stay that's the thing, like AND i was going to
BE i hate to be the old guy or WHAT
i was going to, Be but they all the coaches
and all the players were there for the same.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
Time well usually, yes In. Indy With vegas and the
fact THAT i think a lot of coaches are gonna
have plus ones more than they might have In, indy,
yeah they might be hanging like it. USED a lot
of them used to fly day in especially the centrally
located ones day in day, out like we're getting on
the plane at six and we're coming back at, eight you, Know,

(01:07:24):
chicago they would stick. Around REMEMBER pj took them all
To hamilton the one. Time, LIKE i think it just
kind OF i think everybody does it differently depending on
when they start camp all of those. Things but With,
VEGAS i would, IMAGINE i would, IMAGINE i would. IMAGINE
i think the flex were just In vegas like two weeks,
ago you, know so let's.

Speaker 1 (01:07:42):
Get away before, camp SO i will enjoy.

Speaker 2 (01:07:45):
It that will be Though. Burns you, know it's going
to be some big ten social media person that's popping
around all the podiums and asking who the best poker
player would be with all the coaches or which is?
FINE i the cliched. CONTENT i love all of. It you,
know we don't need to worry about the three technique
and the four technique and the five technique in the
twelve gauge or the twenty. Gauge we don't need to

(01:08:05):
worry about any of. That On july twenty, second, third and,
fourth all, right there's plenty of time for the deep
dives on all of. That, well good to see you.
Guys good job on the Mic Chip, Bernsy when are
you going To? Vegas what's your? ITINERARY i leave?

Speaker 3 (01:08:20):
Two what day is it? Today? MONDAY i leave tomorrow around.
NOON i THINK i got in around. Four we might
be in the Same belta.

Speaker 2 (01:08:27):
Flight, WELL i Think i'm two, fifty SO i think
you might be on the flight before. ME i think
The fox ninety.

Speaker 3 (01:08:33):
Straight from the airport to the state joint that we're
all meeting up at or?

Speaker 2 (01:08:37):
What pretty? Much? Yeah what else AM i going to?
Do what else AM i going to?

Speaker 3 (01:08:41):
Do you've already texted me for different strategies on the
Backer at. Table i'm not joking about. That, people we
will helps and backer. At you will be shocked at
the lack of gambling THAT i. Do i'm trying to
figure out of the FOLKS i know from The minnesota
media market here at going To? Vegas which one of?
Them AM i going to hear stories about? It like
in the morning getting back to the little bit late. Me,

(01:09:06):
No i'm going to figure which of. US i know
there's not a ton of, us But i'll be very
curious to see.

Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
Or do you want my do you want My kings
of The North power? Podcast on?

Speaker 3 (01:09:15):
THIS i think the listeners would love.

Speaker 2 (01:09:18):
It number One Randy, Johnson number Two, Greeter No, greeter.
Missus greeter's, coming speaking of of. Wives so he's he's
having a, night which is. COOL i think she's got
it because he's there for a couple of. Days so
they're they're they're, Gonna they're not joining, Us they're not joining.

(01:09:40):
US i guess i'd have to put myself to BECAUSE
i don't know what to do With. Darryl Darryl. Thompson
i'm not sure what to do With. Darryl.

Speaker 3 (01:09:50):
H that's a good.

Speaker 2 (01:09:50):
One we call. It call it.

Speaker 3 (01:09:54):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:09:55):
Grimmer grimmer doesn't do anything. Crazy GRIMMER i don't.

Speaker 3 (01:09:59):
Even know early and comes home. Late.

Speaker 2 (01:10:01):
YEAH i don't really do anything crazy either at my advanced.
Age but if you were to find somebody like watching
the game in a sports book at like two thirty
in the, morning that would be, me BECAUSE i don't
do a lot Like i'm despite my, Reputation i'm not
like looking to Make hangover four this. Week, WELL i
know you guess.

Speaker 3 (01:10:19):
You've been talking to me about the money line between
The dodgers and The twins here coming.

Speaker 2 (01:10:22):
Up, Yeah Like i'm more likely you put on The.
DODGERS i like to just kind of sit and chill
and enjoy the vibe more and enjoy the. FOOD i
Like vegas for like just the the, vibe the, food
usually the. WEATHER i, mean it's gonna one hundred and ten,
degrees so that's gonna be an L. YEAH I i
just like all of. That i'm not my crazy days

(01:10:45):
are behind me. Now if you want to go like
two thousand and, eight two thousand and Nine, vegas we
could have a. Conversation but, YEAH i. DON'T i think
it's kind of a boring. Crew. Honestly that's why we
got a, nice responsible six thirty dinner. Reservation it would
be eight Thirty central time. Us we got to get
back to bed AND i assume go to work early
in the, morning so we'll. See we'll see What i'm

(01:11:07):
looking forward to. It speaking of, Food you've got a
great opportunity this week to go To Jack's cafe and
get twenty percent off your food. Bill just Mention parent
Of spar on the phone Or parent Of spare promo
when you make your online reservation, bill And jack's hooking
up The parent Of spare. Audience so we're taping this
on A. Monday it will be released on A. Monday
you've got plenty of time the rest of the week

(01:11:28):
to get to end, weekend to get To Jack's. Cafe
it's right below us There jaxcafe dot com, mention parent
of spare. Promo get twenty percent off your food. Bill
great to see you, Guys Burns. Eat we will see
you In vegas and we'll probably talk next. Week right
on the parent of Spear. Pod let's do. It

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