Ep. 1093: Hot Take Monday: Jonathan Smith is out, Pat Fitzgerald in as MSU's football coach

We dug into our takes and yours — on Michigan State firing Jonathan Smith and the hiring of Pat Fitzgerald as football coach, on MSU basketball, who Jeremy Fears is becoming, facing Iowa and Duke, on frustration with the Detroit Lions and Brad Holmes, and more.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Faster allow up wow oo.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
D long.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Down down.

Speaker 3 (01:51):
No pun up come.

Speaker 4 (02:02):
What do you get when you cross a know it
all newspaper columnist with an awkward, unsophisticated every man.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, well I'm just not sure about that right now. WELLO,
Couch and the Room. Welcome to Couch in the Room,
our Monday evening show presented by our friends at Muskox

(02:35):
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(03:19):
listeners only. Jason, how you doing, brother?

Speaker 5 (03:21):
Yeah, I don't. I don't have enough time for all
of that.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
Jason. Do you think that Bill Beakman go out.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
There play hard?

Speaker 4 (03:30):
Stick your cleathes so far up their asses that they've.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
Got to use the cleaves to brush your teeth with.

Speaker 5 (03:35):
Pound the bushes. Let's go green, go God.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
What's going on, buddy? How are you doing? I'm okay, yeah, yeah,
you look a little lighter. I lose some weight. I
lust a lot away. I lot a couple of these
seven pounds yesterday. Oh because of the Jonathan Smith firing.
You're really sad and it's just crying it out on
a purge now for people who don't know, today, I
had my first colonoscopy.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
How could people not know? Yeah, yeah, to go it was.
It went well when as well as it could possibly go.
I've never had like anesthesia before anything like that. And really,
you've never had a surgery, never had a surgery. Oh
this was your first experience. I am a durable guy,
never get injured all that stuff. Are you scared? And
I wasn't scared the only thing that was I.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Mean, you really haven't heard of anyone dying in a colonoscopy.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
Have you correct? I didn't. Yeah, I didn't like having,
you know, the needle in the arm for the you know,
all that stuff. But I yeah, other than that, it
was great. It was they were They were terrific and
uh you know, even had uh.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Damn, dude, You've never had a surgery never.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
Wow, Never broken a bone, never torn a leg. People
say you're soft no athlete here, So calling the new
coach in October, I mean, this guy is a fucking genius. Yeah.
Only only a little bit of a downside. And I
wouldn't say it was a downside because she handled it professionally.
But uh no, A woman that I've known since I
was like five years old at my church so I

(04:53):
played softball against, was one of the nurses, you know.
And this is not like a surgery for like I
broke a finger. This is for your ass, you know,
and all the way up in there. Yeah, and you know,
she was somebody I like looked up to and you know,
and she was like she was a little couple of
years older than me. When I was like third grade.
I was like, oh my god, she's amazing and now
here she is like, here's my asshole.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
I think she's probably seen it. Yeah, what do you
get any asses?

Speaker 3 (05:22):
Yeah? So there's that. So that was a story almost
we're telling, but it was really good, presented by her
friends at Midtown Bruin Company in downtown Lancing, a great
place for a Christmas company event, for a date night.
It looks festive, it looks cozy. Come down to downtown
Lancing to Midtown Brooin Company. You'll love the menu, You'll
love the vibe, you'll love the drink selection.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Can I can I ask a question? Yeah, because they
do give you that drink the night before that you
have to take. And my wife had a colonoscopee and
she tells me because she's, you know, trying to get
me to do one when I'm gonna do one, but
I don't know when it turned into forty five, forty six.
I was told fifty, and everybody just pressures me into it.
I get it, I'll do it, but you take that drink.
So were you on the bowl most of the night

(06:01):
last night, tweeting and reporting It's not as bad as
you think. That's what I dreamed like. I was like
his Couch. I was asking Dominic. I'm like, do you
think Couch is on the bowl right now? Just tweeting?
And it's not as bad as you think. I mean,
it's not anywhere near as bad as you think. And
I talked to some friends that sort of have that feeling.
It's not it's not like you do want to be
somewhere near bathroom, but like I we because we had

(06:21):
talked at one point, the doctor wants to clean you out.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
We had talked at one point about doing the show
maybe Sunday night, and I was unsure of how that
would work. You know, if it would work, and it would,
we could have made it. We could have made it work,
but it worked out perfectly anyway. People don't want to
hear about trash can right next to it. I'm be honest,
Like my father in law brought up this procedure once
at a dinner and.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
Like the commercial there's a commercial out.

Speaker 3 (06:45):
Now, yeah, exactly. So I know a lot of people
don't want to hear about this because I remember looking
to like in depth detail. My wife was just like,
we got really like, what is going on here? This
is the just no need to go into detail, nous
no details here was on the Bowl God sweating. It
was certainly poorly timed. I remember, I remember when I
started to realize that this date matched up with when

(07:07):
Jonathan Smith might be fired. The new coach is gonna happen.
I was like, oh God, this is not great. But
it all worked out. The timing of it, I should say,
not for Jonathan Smith, but for me. Jonathan Smith let
go obviously Sunday by Michigan State. Good guy and body blows.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
It sounds like a lot of people, a lot of
players are going to miss him.

Speaker 3 (07:24):
I think he was somebody people like playing for. Look
Jonathan Smith, This I think probably had to happen. I
think we all could agree on that, based on the
way the season had gone, the dijrectory of things, the
lack of enthusiasm and momentum around the program, it probably
had to happen. But I don't think Jonathan Jonathan Smith
is not somebody where you go. That guy just can't

(07:45):
lead a program. That guy shouldn't be a head coach.
It did not work out at Michigan State. It turned
out not to be a fit. But he had done
it somewhere else, and I think if he does it again,
and he takes the right lessons from this, and and
he has better alignment within the university and the donors
and all that stuff. I think, you know, he could
work somewhere for him, because I do think players will
play for him, that's for sure, and they can.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
I ask a question off the top here, how close
if you know, I don't know if you know this.
How close was it to another year of Jonathan Smith?
Were we close to another year? I've heard conflicting things,
because I will say I think it's fits it was
Fitzgerald or Smith comes back, like that was the vibe
I was getting.

Speaker 3 (08:23):
Yeah, I think if we were that close. No, I've
heard conflicting things. I don't think it was as close
as some people thought. There were people who at the
Maryland game were saying he'd count in one hand there.
I'm saying, people like source type people would say, oh,
I think he's coming back. But I had a sense
they wanted to know. None of it made sense, like

(08:44):
sometimes you have to even if you're even if you're
sourcing as iffy on something. And I wasn't sure, Like
I don't think a lot of people knew one hundred
percent of what was going to happen to win. For
a while, they knew at some point, you know, there
was a possibility he was going to go, but you
have to sort of trust your instincts in the logic
of what's happening. If Jay Batt wanted to bring him back,

(09:05):
if Michigan State was going to bring him back, there
was plenty of opportunity to say he was coming back,
and that would help solidify a recruiting class. Players would
understand what was happening. Fans might be really upset, but
they would at least have a direction of what was happening,
and they would be in the know. There is no
reason not to do that earlier if you were going
to bring him back, when you don't say anything, like

(09:27):
I think there's value in not saying anything if you're
not bringing them back. Because that team played hard through
the end. It was not a mess and they almost
beat Iowa. And Iowa. You know, Iowa writers and fans
are like celebrating eight and four, and they were worse
celebrate they were worse than Michigan State in like twelve
areas in that game. I don't I tell you what
Iowa hasn't made. What Iowa has that Michigan State fans

(09:47):
do not get to enjoy is the lack of a Michigan,
the lack of that behemoth down the road who tells
you how you ought to feel a certain way. And
so you get to sort of live in this like,
you know, this little nirvana utopia. It's like a yeah,
we're just hating four. But where as good as anybody
around here. There's no pro sports. You know, Nebraska's worse
than US, Minnesota is worse than Like that is a

(10:08):
great way to live. They weren't much better than Michigan State,
even though I mean they were for a lot of
the season. Anyway, if you were gonna do it, if
you were going to bring him back, the opportunity was
earlier when they hadn't said anything. When he coached his
last game and he's there and he's saying when he's asked,
you know, if you've been told you're coming back, and
he says, don't have that, Oh my god. You know,
you know it's it's a matter. There's no way he's

(10:30):
not coming back. Logic tells you, I mean what because
the conversation the next day if they say he's coming back,
is what then why didn't you say it earlier? Was
why was it left to Linger? It's not like this
team did quit. It's not like a lot of things
were going to change, so you kind of knew it.
I just kind of had a sense that.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
They may have made an announcement saying that he's not
going to be back next year, but let him coach
the season out. I think it's a little different than
in the old miss scenario, right, like what a guy
coaching is not is he going to really take players
with him?

Speaker 3 (10:56):
If Pat Fitzgerald who there? From what I understand, they're
finalizing everything with and Pat Fitzgerald is going to be
the next head coach at Michigan State. If if Pat
Fitzgerald was your plan, and I think dating back a
little while, he was high on the list of people,
like the list was small, and he was one of
the people. Once you're in that mode and once you've

(11:17):
got that sort of happening, there's no there's no need.
I mean, he's not coming from another job. That's the
one advantage. There are disadvantages from not coming from another job.
Like if you came from a really good mid major
program and you were able to bring eleven starters with
you or another high major program and you were able
to bring some guys whatever. There are disadvantages. The one
advantage in the hiring process is you can fire a
guy on Sunday and pretty much hire a guy on Sunday,

(11:38):
and the transition is seamless. We're going to get into here,
whether you know.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
But is there a scary part about you know, Pat Fitzgerald.
He is he hasn't coached a game what since twenty
twenty two, and it's been out of it and coming
in kind of cold like that is the one con
as the pros and cons were being laid out, Yeah, I.

Speaker 3 (11:58):
Don't I don't find that to be a con. Like
I don't know it, hass as we get in our takes,
I like, to me's got to be a There are
no home run HighRes anymore, very few. It's almost impossible
to have a home run higher in this era of
college sports. There are only hires that have a chance
to be good, and this is one of them. It
may or may not work out because there are reasons.

(12:20):
You can look at Pat Fitzgerald and you can look
at his history and the wins and losses and what
he did in Northwestern, and you can argue it both ways.
And you can also point out, as he did on
the College Game Day podcast with.

Speaker 2 (12:34):
Oh my god, what a great podcast for him to do.
That podcast made him money. They did make him money.
Everybody's been talking about this podcast is.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
It was well done and he may have been coached
into it, and it may have been, but he looked,
he looked sharp, and as he talked there, he talked
about Look, he was complimented on what he had done
at Northwestern. He said, yeah, but that's the old way
is the old ages are dead. He basically there are
no dinosaurs out there. Like his understanding that that doesn't
matter is is important. But it's also when you look

(13:01):
at coaching period, there are very few coaches you can
look at and go, this person has succeeded for a while,
regardless of what's around them in this era of college football.
To me, it takes a lot of donor support regardless,
and it takes you know, having you know, is Smith
or sorry is Fitzgerald kept saying on the podcast the
alignment that he wanted, and that's a good word. It's

(13:24):
a word it probably should have been used more about
what Jonathan Smith didn't have throughout throughout his time, So
we don't we don't know what will happen because he
is coaching at a new type of place in a
new era. And so where I think he's not hurt
by not coaching is he talked about this being a
sabbatical and you know, having spending time with college programs
and NFL programs and how things are run, and he

(13:46):
talked in detail about the things he wants to do
and what he thinks is important in in why relationships
are important in terms of tough conversations with kids about
their actual value and how you build a roster and
all that stuff. That's great. Now, whether he can execut
I have no idea. I have no idea I think
is a fit. He's better than Jonathan Smith, obviously, because
he's a guy who I think a is a you know,

(14:09):
at least a B plus a minus communicator, probably better
than that. You know, he's somebody who can sell it
himself and will invigorate people with that. He's somebody who
will understand what like Michigan, the Michigan rivalry, understands the
Michigan state, like he faced in d'antonio's MSU program eleven
times in some of some huge games for Michigan State too.

(14:30):
He's been around that he gets what MSU football can
look like and what that looks like when it's rolling
and again different times, but he'll have a sense of
things that Jonathan Smith didn't seem to grasp. And it
doesn't mean a West Coast coach couldn't come in and
do that. Jonathan Smith just didn't do that, and that was,
you know, part of his downfall. Like the Jonathan Smith
downfall is twofold, it is one hundred percent that he

(14:53):
did not get a fair shake, that he did not
have the proper support to make a run in this
day and age. But that can be true. And then
you also lost way too many of the games that
were your your you had the talent to win, and
you didn't handle like going you go back to the
Michigan game a year ago, a game you had a
chance to win, a game you were up early, the

(15:15):
coaching uh you know, flubs there and then the way
it was handled and just not quite quite understanding how
much that game burns in people. That's something you know,
your job as a coach. It'll be Pat Fitzgerald's job
now to whatever degree he doesn't already understand, to bring
your ass up to speed and make sure you really

(15:35):
can speak to that fan base that you know ultimately
you work for to some degree, you work for the school,
but the program is owned by the fan base and uh,
and you could argue it's owned by top donors in
certain ways too, but it you know, you have to
if Jonathan Smith, I think, I think if Jonathan Smith
had Pat Fitzgerald's personality and everything else was the same,

(16:00):
he would be back next year because I think he
could have sold it, you know, even the last uh,
the last game, and I thought he was great in
a lot of ways in the way he handled certain things.
Jonathan Smith in terms of he wasn't combative, didn't throw
players or coaches under the bus, answered things honestly. Was
was you know, understood his own faults to a degree,

(16:22):
but he didn't sell himself ever. And I think if
you're somebody who you think you have an opportunity to
build a program still and you think you have some
good things going even on the last day, I asked
him at the press conference down at Ford Field after
they beat Maryland, you know, make the case for yourself
and it's you know, yeah, and he kind of bounced

(16:43):
right it was fine, you know it wasn't. But it's
just not his strength. Like, never did he say, look,
you know this is he hasn't had them been great.
But I'm waiting to ask me that now. But but
but tell me, well, I've asked it in certain ways
to this point. But but at certain points he could
have just said, look, I get it, we're losing. This
is not great, but I'm want to tell you where
how close we are here this position group, like the

(17:03):
offensive line, we get some young guys. I'm gonna tell
you by next year, they're gonna be really good. This
I'm gonna take a quarterback. We think we've got something.
We've got this. This guys are growing. It takes it
takes that third year, but I'm gonna tell you're gonna
see it. If he had said that to people, it
would have been harder to get rid of him. Just
never was able to sell himself to that degree. That's
the stuff I think Pat Fitzgeral will be able to
do because this might be another year or two now,

(17:25):
we'll see what the resources he has. One of the
things he talked about in that podcast with Pete Thamil
and and Ryese Davis was understanding that you know, rev
sharing gets you to zero, right, that allows you to
basically be where everybody else is. The separator is the nil.

(17:47):
You're able to create beyond it. And just saying that
out loud, I think is important. That's saying that's what
he believes and that's what he knows. And then he
talked about, you know, it's not just you know, the
roster building and the retention and the development is critical.
And then I thought it was interesting you talked about
the reason relationships were important. It wasn't just now that
you had a guy forever that you got it. You

(18:07):
were into their living room and they were were But
it was more that when you had to have difficult
conversations when you said, you know, when they wanted to
be pay this and you said, well, actually you're not
yet that player. You know, we think you fit here
and this is where you are on the pie. You
can have that conversations. They may say fu and walk
away and go to a different program. That's their right,
but you have a chance to keep them and have
those conversations. Look, he he'll have a lot to prove.

(18:31):
He's gonna have some stuff to answer for that. There
are people who are very unhappy that somebody who was
mixed up in the hazing allegations at Northwestern, which he
sued them in. Yes, so yep, it's being no but
it's still his program. And he even said on that
podcast that's why he took the two weeks suspension. You
you know, Michigan State is on probation in part for

(18:52):
a lack of oversight. Right now, okay, so that you
do have to come in and say, this is what
I'm going to do different, this is where I learned
from that, this is what I can't let happen again.
You have to answer that at the bare minimum by
the same.

Speaker 5 (19:05):
Time, we don't have enough time for all of that.

Speaker 3 (19:08):
They would not have hired him if that the if
that investigation had gone differently, and people I was asked
today by somebody, but why, but why did it taken
Mitch album Actually he asked you a question.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
He asked me, holy, Yeah, your mind blown where you
thought you were still under anesthesia?

Speaker 3 (19:26):
Yeah, that was it. Yeah, I was actually slept through
one interview. I was supposed today set my alarm for
am instead of PM. Not great, but uh it was
not I would not sleep, so she hand try to
run over to your house and pound on your door.
He he asked me why it had taken, you know,
a couple of years for him to get an opportunity,

(19:47):
and but without that decision, without that ruling, without the
investigation coming up being you know, the findings being what
they were, nobody was going to hire them, or at
least not Michigan State was not going to be able
to You're.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
Just doing some investigative work or holy shit, So there
you go. Yeah, so you so this is the I mean,
was there anyone else in the running that you know?
Because I know it. I will be honest with you.
When I heard Fitzgerald was gonna be the coach, I
wasn't excited. I was open to it. I was like,
this is the higher Michigan State had to make because
I feel like they put them put themselves in this

(20:20):
situation to make this, having to make this kind of higher.
But when I see Bobby Chesney from James Madison going
to UCLA, I feel like if Bobby Chesney was coming
to Michigan State, I'd feel a lot more excited and
I'm just being honest. Yeah, I'm open mind to the
Fitzgerald thing. I think it is a bigger issue than
you think that him not coaching since twenty twenty two
and missing out on the biggest part of college football

(20:43):
being flipped on its tits like to miss that time
period and then to come in fresh to a program
that it doesn't look great right now, and he's gonna
have to have a lot of work to do, and
he's gonna have to get on that microphone and do
some good things and make people entertained and give people
some hope, which I think he'll do, and that's why
it is a good higher But I'm just being honest
with you. I would have been more excited about it,

(21:04):
Bob Bobby Chesney from James Madison kind of the whole
Signetty kind of coaching tree kind of thing, or a
Jason that's the way people liked him. Yep, just because
that's the way college football feels. It's going to me
and watching Lane Kiffin and this buffoonery that's going on
in Old Miss and LSU, and we can get into
that later. And I can't believe ESPN people are defending
Lane and think that he should coach Old miss Just

(21:25):
everything is crazy. So when you see a guy that
was at Northwestern and did great things, but again that
was in a different era. It was a different era
college football. Still impressed of what he did there. Guy
won Coach of the Year twice, right, So that you know,
I think it's a great It's the higher that Michigan
State had to MA make. But for me personally, as
a forty six year old fan who didn't go to

(21:47):
Michigan State by the way, but still following this program,
I still like Michigan State.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
Root for them.

Speaker 2 (21:52):
I'm not When I first heard it, I wasn't excited.
But as it goes the day's rollover, I'm sure you're
gonna start getting me, you know, excited about it, and
I'll fall for it again. But just my initial thought
process when when I was told.

Speaker 3 (22:04):
Yeah, I I just sort of and wrote this in
the quick takes, I had just sort of checked myself
a little bit. I like Pat Fitzgerald and him, we
know evolved.

Speaker 2 (22:10):
I'm surprised you didn't write whole column bowling herself.

Speaker 3 (22:13):
Here's what Graham Couch got right.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
Column by Graham Couch Yuh, I've always heard better takes,
I mean knocked it out of the park. He said,
he doesn't look through people. You know, that's my big thing.
I've always liked y conversations with him and and so I,
but I also was aware of that bias right right.
You know, as I started hearing this could happen. Uh,
you know, a few weeks ago in terms of this,
was a guy that that that maybe donors liked that,

(22:37):
that that would.

Speaker 3 (22:38):
Be on the radar. I I, you know, I had
to remind myself, like, it doesn't mean like doesn't mean
this works. He still did not win a lot at
the end of Northwestern. He still has been out of
the game. You know, he had some offenses at Northwestern
that were not fun to watch. Right. I will be
very curious to see who he hires. And he talked

(22:58):
about on that podcast having this you know, it held
up a couple of sheets of like lots of guys
that he's going to look at. And he's been talking
to a lot of different programs. This would be interesting.
He said. He was on a sabbatical. He learned a lot. Well,
let's let's see how it plays out. Let's see what
he's able to do with it. I'm not going to
sell you on Pat Fitzgerald being a home run higher
because I don't believe that exists. I believe you gotta
have a lot of other things. I think there are

(23:19):
probably you know, fifty guys out there who could come
in and with the right support, you know, do really
well do.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
What do you mean by that? How much money? We
talk like is Fitzgerald going to be working with here,
because that's the big question everybody wants to know. Obviously
they're right, they're going to give him the tools to succeed.
I think he'll You're right, he'll have I don't know numbers.
WI Yeah, I don't know. I mean, you know everybody's
talking about that. There is going to be you know,
I don't think it's a secret at this point. There
is a donation coming of sizeable amounts and and uh you.

Speaker 3 (23:56):
Nice Jim. It's not for mister hos that that I
think could happen as early as this week. But like that,
that is not just like here everything's so secretive. That's
not just well, part of it is like you know,
you get you get certain information that you can't entirely share,
you know what I mean? Like it is what it is.
It's it's it's the business. It is, it is what

(24:17):
it is. It's if I was better at my job,
I can tell you exactly what was coming.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
And it's pretty good at it though you're not saying anything.

Speaker 3 (24:23):
I mean, yeah, so you know, and and how again
he talked about real L I L, which keeps being used.
I think it makes people nervous, like what does real
and IL mean? And you have to create If you're
creating real and IL is this? You know? The collectives
are over and you can't just pay players off hand,
Like how do you you know? Is the rev share
what you do to recruit and and initially, you know,

(24:46):
get your roster where it needs to be, and you
you build some sort of real L n I L
through different uh you know, media partnerships and things that
are a little more stable that we're not talking when
when I think one thing that people do get concerned
about that it's important to note we're not talking about
the jolly pumpkin having uh, you know, a situation with
the the offensive lineman at Michigan State anymore where they

(25:07):
have a free meals. That's not that's not an I
all the day now they may still do that. I'm
not saying that's not.

Speaker 2 (25:12):
Students will laugh at that, these player athletes.

Speaker 3 (25:15):
But that that you're talking about bigger media rights things.
Bigger things were you know, you know, walked in the
Breslin Center a few weeks ago and I'm forgetting who
it was now, but there was some company there to
do a shoot with Jeremy Fears. I think it was
or Coen car with somebody. But the point being like
both you see, yeah, it's it's a different level and

(25:38):
and and so you can use that to help enticeon
us calling car drive. I don't know, it's a good question.
These guys are like living the life.

Speaker 2 (25:46):
This must be Amazingah, so it eventful day? Yeah, the
when will we know? What's the timeline for the staff
all this other stories? Well, what's coming in tomorrow? He's
going to give the speech, right.

Speaker 3 (25:59):
What gives and what gets interesting is on his birthday,
by the way, fifty first birthday. Still a young guy.
And I think, you know, one of the other.

Speaker 2 (26:06):
Things, and that's the other pros too, how young he is,
and he does have that chip on his shoulder where
he doesn't you know, I think that lawsuit being fired
and everything put a big chip on his shoulder.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
Again.

Speaker 2 (26:15):
It's just the being away from how crazy college football is.

Speaker 3 (26:19):
And unlike Nick Saban, Mel Tucker, Brian Kelly, lane Kiffin,
he is unlikely to be enticed by LSU. He's not
a climber. He spent you know, a long time at Northwestern,
and I'm not saying something else couldn't come along. I'm
not saying he couldn't have you know, six great years
at at Michigan State and decided he wanted to be
in the NFL or something else.

Speaker 2 (26:38):
But like, we can deal with that when it comes.

Speaker 3 (26:40):
If you get to that point with your thrilled right exactly,
maybe at that point people finally get there.

Speaker 2 (26:46):
Has made more money for not winning a national championship
I've ever seen in my life. Like, where does LSU
get this money? Well, what's their whole big where their
donors getting all this money from? They're paying Brian Kelly,
they're paying They're paying lane Kiff. And if old Miss
the cow makes the college or they go into the
College Football Playoff and he still will get the lane
Kiffin that is the monetary bonuses. If old Miss wins

(27:08):
games in the in the College Football Playoff. I mean,
they're just shitting money away. They paid how much for
Brian Kelly to go away? This is amazing, But this is.

Speaker 3 (27:16):
What happens when you live in a state that that
does not care about men's basketball. So they eat, breathe retires.
We can talk, and I think they probably don't fund
a lot of services all that well down in Louisiana either,
Like it's already got to fund Brian Kelly and pay
that out and get the new guy. So who knows.
But yeah, it's it's just it's just a different, different

(27:36):
culture down there, and it's you know, it's hot, sweaty,
it's gross.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
I don't know, it really is. I do agree with
you on New Orleans.

Speaker 3 (27:42):
I don't just wow, I don't know. I have zero
desire to be down there. So we will talk about
much more. This is gonna be a doozy of a show.
I am worried about, Jason. I tried to edit the
takes down, combine a few if you had long ones.
I you know, I cut some of them because it
was like, man, that's that's all. And I just worry
about good Man. But you have we have some other

(28:04):
stuff to get into before we get there. Of course,
what do you mean what.

Speaker 2 (28:13):
We just have this little thing with the Detroit Lions
going on here, Graham, I don't know if you're fucking
paying attention to that at all. I know I been
busy on a toilet and uh with Michigan State, but
you have to explain the Frank Ragnow thing to me.
I have never like dead inside Jason does not appear
very often, but sometimes when I have too many mgs,
will pop out and be like, hey man, you know

(28:35):
I'm still here, by the way, so I know that
he's inside here somewhere, and I feel that way with
this rag Noow situation, regardless, I mean getting your ass
kicked by the packers at home on Thanksgiving. The Ragnow
situation actually had more wear and tear on me because
of I just don't understand the communication level with the
Detroit Lions. Is Rodwood our doctor?

Speaker 3 (28:57):
Like?

Speaker 2 (28:58):
Who is doing? How do you make it? An announcement
on all social media platforms that Frank Ragnow's back. Frank
ragnowse yes, fuck yeah, talking shit, yeah, Frank Ragnow's back.
We just got to get through these next two games.
We're gonna get Frank back. And then all of a sudden,
you go on, what was it? On the twenty sixth,
he just or excuse me. On the twenty ninth, the

(29:21):
re retirement, the failed physical. He went to a physical
and had a great By the way, can we just
lie and say that he had like a blown off
kneecap or something like a grade three hamstring strain, which
I guess like looking into it is really it is
a terrible injury and painful. But I don't understand what
Frank was fishing and hunting all of these past whatever

(29:42):
months and not playing football to all of a sudden
they just announced that he's gonna be gone forever.

Speaker 3 (29:47):
And how did he know not know that he had this?

Speaker 2 (29:50):
Because Dan Campbell said, because he's, you know, the pain tolerance,
and Frank is one of the toughest, SOB he's like,
stop it stop. I feel like they're talking to us
like we're absolutely stupid, and most of us are like myself,
and I understand that you can get away with it
for a while, but I'm starting to fight back on
some of these things of like, stop doing this shit
to me. Why do you guys have to do? You know,

(30:10):
Brad Holmes and how stubborn he has been. And by
the way, I you know it is week after week
after week, you know, defending Brad Holmes. It's starting to
turn a little bit to where people are starting to
get fed up because we need we need bodies. I mean,
especially with Harry and Arnold today Kirby Joseph. I mean,
I've heard rumors of Kirby Joseph is going to retire

(30:32):
and who knows that. You know, it's just but the
rag Now situation. I don't understand. Why not let rumors
swirl and then then all of a sudden get him
into you know, to do the to get the physical
like when you know what I mean, before you make
it a big grand announcement. And by the way, did
Frank Ragnow have no idea? He's like, oh, I just
got a little hamstring.

Speaker 3 (30:53):
Yeah, that's what's amazing. I understand pain talance. There's one
thing not to understand your you played sports all your life,
you should know Grade.

Speaker 2 (30:58):
Three hamstring, a full run, sure of the handstring muscle
or tended.

Speaker 3 (31:02):
Like, dude, come on, I.

Speaker 2 (31:03):
Don't care how tough you are, Like it doesn't look good.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
Boys. Can I give you a spin zone? Oh? Yeah,
let me get you you couch, all right. This is
where Lions fans are gonna be able to enjoy parts

(31:27):
of the end of the season maybe and have a
little bit of freedom in an exhale there is we
are reaching a point with the Lions where we just
sort of understand this isn't their year, right, This isn't
like that doesn't mean the windows closed. It just means
some things have gone wrong here. They need to reset
a couple of things. This isn't great. They're not gonna
have home field, They're they're gonna be lucky to get
in the playoffs. They're gonna have to play a lot

(31:47):
on the road if they get into the playoffs at all.
And it just it's it's not an ideal situation. It's not.
And so once you come to accept that that this
isn't great, that it doesn't mean things are over. This
year just isn't gone well, there's an exhale and there's
a freedom to it, and then you just then you
can enjoy them taking their shot. I still wouldn't want
to play the Detroit Lions in the playoffs, especially a

(32:09):
team that with nothing to lose. That people have sort
of written off, then you can sort of enjoy it
from that perspective. I think that's the way to start
looking at it, because you're right all the ideas of
who they could have been the fifteen and look, it
is frustrating the fifteen and two year didn't result in
the super Bowl appearance, the year they had the big
lead in the NC Championship a year before that didn't
result in the Super Bowl appearances. Is those things suck.

(32:30):
There's no way around it. This year is not looking
like those years, and so the only way but you,
I would say, take some comfort, and this isn't people
talk about the window closing. We talked about before this season.
We thought we didn't know what the window was, but
we thought these next two years were a great window
for them, and nothing to me has changed about these
next two years. Are they going to have to add

(32:52):
help on the offensive line, Yeah, they're gonna have to
add some pieces, but they do have an off season
for that and they have a lot of good parts.
This year sucked, doesn't mean the windows closed and doesn't
mean they can't still be a pain in the ass
down the stretch. And we can look at it from that.
I disagree. I think the playoff window you mentioned playoff window.
I know super Bowl windows what's discussed, but the playoff
window for this year, it's gonna be closed because this

(33:13):
team has to go four and one and last five,
and I don't know. I just don't see it.

Speaker 2 (33:17):
For with the Giants game, in the Packers game, anyone
with a defensive line can get pressure on our guys.
We just are running out of bodies. Rockite, for God's sake,
is on ir now. So I don't know. They're not
gonna how are they gonna beat the Cowboys? Terry and
Arnold's out, we have no defensive backs. I just I
don't know. And I think the reason why this playoff

(33:38):
windows slash super Bowl windows closing is because of Brad Holmes,
and we have to start talking about it out loud
that Brad Holmes might be the reason why this is
closing and the stubbornness and not bringing in players when
you need bodies. You cannot win an NFL fucking Super
Bowl and just sit there and go next man up.
I'm sick of the next man up thing. I'm all
down with the grit and these guys are biting fucking

(33:59):
knee caps. But We're sick and tired of watching Hutchinson
get double teamed and he hasn't been playing great. I
understand that, but you got to give this guy some
help before we can start critiquing him at a level
that we're critiquing him. I understand he's making more money
than Miles Garrett. It's unfortunate. I know Miles Garrett is
a really hell of a player and hutch is not
on his level. But you got to get hutch some

(34:20):
sort of help on the other side and stop being
so fucking stubborn with these these retread guys and Marcus
Davenport that we have to sit through injuries and irs
and all that stuff. Brad, you know what I mean. Like,
I'm not giving up on this season. I hope they
make me eat Crow and they make the playoffs somehow.
But if you're asking me right now, I don't think
they make the playoffs. I don't see how. I don't

(34:41):
see how this team currently constructed as we sit here
today on Monday night, on Thursday, I don't see him
beating Dallas. I don't see him I.

Speaker 3 (34:49):
See him beating Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2 (34:50):
I could see that because Aaron ridg Rogers but they're
a shit show. Yeah right, And it's just I mean,
you know.

Speaker 3 (34:55):
I think I think they've got to beat Dallas too,
because you're right, somewhere else they might slip up they
lose Dallas. It's you know, it's the Wayne font type
stuff where you got to win all these defensive line
and do your point too on. I think it also,
this is a great example and they got to read.
You know, Dan Campbell's got to look at himself. This
offensive play calling stuff is messed with his ability to
manage a game and make decisions, and it hasn't worked.

(35:17):
And this is if you're looking for an argument for
Pat Fitzgerald being away and where that could help in
this time where things are changing quickly in college athletics,
sometimes not being in it and being able to look
at it from a ten thousand foot view and talk
to people and look at different evaluations and have people
share with you what they're doing, not feeling threatened and
all that sort of stuff can be helpful. I think
I think that Dan Campbell is an awesome NFL coach.

(35:40):
I think we can all agree he's the best coach
the lines have ever had. But I think he is
bitten off something that is more than he can chew here,
and it's affected who he is as a coach elsewhere,
and it's cost them on the field. And that's something
they've got to look at, because again, this is the NFL.
The margins are tiny. You know, I just lost a
bet yesterday on the freaking La Ram Why because Carolina

(36:01):
shows up and acts like an asshole.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
Stafford threw a pick six. Yeah, whatever, you turnover. But
still it's a shitty sport. So but but yeah, you
also lose Ben Johnson to a division rival. And by
the way, it's fantastic being in the same house as
a Bears fan.

Speaker 3 (36:15):
I'm just so excited.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
And my father in law, who lives in Illinois, he
is a diehard Bears fan, decided to tweet or not
tweet me, but text me on Saturday right after the
rag Now news to ask me who I thought? He goes, Hi,
who you taking on the Bears Packers game? Just randomly,
that was just the question. All right, I don't watch football,
all right, I got one. I gotta I got one

(36:36):
more before we get to the listener takes. If that
works for you. Yeah, Michigan State basketball.

Speaker 3 (36:43):
Uh? I was down in Fort Myers last last week, which,
by the way, not to rub it in, but man,
that was nice, Like eighty five degrees pool side on
the ocean. I was. I was on this guy. Yeah,
some you know, some tanning with Kevin us Go It's
God shairs down. Yeah, it was great anyway, Jonathan Smith's

(37:04):
a good guy. You had to get that whole presser
out there, right, it was. I have been like as
somebody who watched the Yukon game and had some major
concerns and they thought it was early the Yukon exhibition
obviously from Michigan State where it did not go well,
and then watched the early games. I I have not

(37:24):
seen a team grow this well, this fast and do
a season. I don't think I'm trying to think of
a Michigan State team that wasn't like either there already.
And we've seen that with like the twenty thirteen fourteen
team Denze Valentine senior year. Like those teams started off
the ground running, right, We've seen that before. But to
watch this team sort of find itself and find itself

(37:46):
at the level it has and find its identity and
figure out how it's going to counter adversity, and I
thought that's what the North Carolina game did. They didn't
really face adversity against Kentucky. So you beat a big
brand Kentucky look like crap and Michigan State had something
to do with that. Still an impressive win at Madison
Square Garden. This one was different. And I'm not saying
North Carolina is. I think Yukon's a better team. I

(38:06):
think Yukon's the best team they faced, and that at
least will be the case until they played Duke on Saturday.
But I do North Carolina is going to be a
player and they've got you know, Caleb Wilson is the
best player I think Michigan's eight seen this year. That
freshman forward, Yeah, and I mean he's phenomenal, and the
way they kind of got a handle on him, and
the way when they got down twenty two fifteen, I

(38:28):
think it was or whatever, they sort of figured things
out and where are they going to get buckets when
they're not coming? And then they got you know, there's
a Kohler three point. We've talked about what a weapon
that becomes, and you know, then fears the mid range stuff,
hitting big shots really cleves esque early in Cleeve's career,
the way he used to carry them even when he
wasn't necessarily a great shooter. And I think that Fears

(38:48):
is a better shooter than Cooper playing an all time
level of confidence high. I mean, there are still things
about this team I think that are imperfect. I still
do wonder there will be games where it's not working
and it's on the road, and there is they're going
to need to, you know, do they have a guy
They don't have a guy in their team whose best
skill is just being a bucket getter. That's they don't

(39:09):
have that guy. They have a lot of guys who
can get buckets and have a lot of skill. But
and maybe that's enough. I I you know, I still
think they're gonna need one of those two guards and
somebody else to They don't have to grow to being
a star Jas Richards, but they've got to grow into
the role a little bit more if this team's ultimately
going to contend for a title. But on a given day,
I now believe this team can beat anybody on a

(39:30):
given day, And and that's ultimately in a single elimination tournament,
and I you know, throughout the Big Ten I think
they're going to be a player. And now the Big
ten looks absolutely ferocious. But it was it's just promising.
Is any start? And did you mention he was terrific
and that and tell you what he gives you confidence
off the bench though, that's what I like about him.

(39:50):
I like his length. I'm a big fan of his
and he's now wat I thought for a while, like
if Jeremy Fears twists and an ankle and you know what
this guy, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but you don't what
I mean. Like I thought they were they were going
to need to ride Fears thirty six minutes a game
in big games. And I no longer think that. And
I think that's don't coach my team. That's important for
him coaching team throwing injuries though Big week Iowa was

(40:11):
a Iowa's new coach, Ben McCollum is sort of the
Kurt Signetti I think of. Well, that's right, France basketball. Yeah,
it's different, deliberate offense. Brought over a guard who was
with him at Drake and then and then at Northwest
Missouri State, who is phenomenal and you know he's he'sluck.
He won thirty one games at Drake last year, won
four national titles at the Division two level before that.

(40:31):
You can see. I mean he just he's a good coach.
I think I always got a chance to be top six
seven team and a great Big ten and can be
a problem on any given night. You're gonna have to
play well. I think Michigan State's better than them. They'll
be at home. They don't have to play in Iowa
City this year. But it is not a and it's
a Big ten game. It's not an it's not an
easy one, and you definitely aren't looking ahead to Duke
or you're gonna be owing one on the Big ten

(40:53):
when you face Duke on Saturday. We'll playing more time
to talk about that game and then react to the
Iowa game later. You have anything else, But I do.

Speaker 2 (41:00):
Have one little thing here. Teresa and I adopted a
cat whoa spot not spot Norm our cat Norm. Now
we didn't steal this cat. This is not a borrowed cat.
We had someone Someone left the cat in a driveway
of our friend's house and they were like keeping it
in their barn, and so she kept hitting up Tea

(41:21):
and I was like, I really like cats. So welcome
Norm to the Nicholastrotio House after Norm MacDonald. By the way,
I've gotten Norm from Cheers a lot, and I understand
that we can do that. I like Norm from Cheers
George went rest in peace, but Norm McDonald is why
we named him Norm. So I love we actually have
a cat, Norm versus Spot. Maybe we could have set
up a playdate or something, but I don't know that

(41:42):
Spot and Norm would. I mean, Spot is very territorial,
so I worry about that. I should probably talk with
Norm first because I really don't know how he feels
about other cats. But he was with another cat in
this barn, which, by the way, it was brutal. But
we can't adopt too cat.

Speaker 1 (41:55):
You know.

Speaker 2 (41:55):
It's one of those things like you want to help
so many animals, but by god, I was like, God,
we can't it. But I got home. I'm like looking
at trees. I'm like, you know, She's like, no, we're
not getting two cats. I'm like, all right, but welcome
to the house.

Speaker 3 (42:07):
Norm. Another story we're telling presented by Midtown Brewing Company
in downtown Lanting. They did not like you bringing your
cats to the restaurant, but it's a great place for
people who are warm enough in life to adopt cats
like Norm and or still happy to have or steal
cats like Spot. You know, we're all welcome at Midtown
Brewing Company and down the Spot's owner is still good there.

(42:30):
You know, we ran into Spot today. Spot came over
for a little while. I don't know. It's cold out.
You know Spot's coming in? You know, F their owner?
I just I just the owner.

Speaker 2 (42:39):
I don't I'm not. Wait, so wait, why do you
say f the owner? It sounds like you meant no,
just like did they leave the cat? Because we were
talking about with Norm. I don't want him left outside like,
I can't deal with that. So Spot has a place
to go at night. My thing is, if you want
an indoor cat, have an indoor cat. When you allow

(43:01):
a cat to become an outdoor cat, you lose control
of that cat. And if that cat finds out, so
it's finders keepers.

Speaker 3 (43:07):
No, not, we're not. We'd never let only once? Did
Spot stay overnight? Only once? And that's so wait? Wait,
so Spot doesn't like stay the night ever you kick
them out at night? Yeah, he usually leaves on his own.
He gets he knows, he doesn't live. You guys have
a door like a little No, we have to open
the door. He has to. He pauses the stories. They're waiting,
Yeah for real? Yeah, does he fist bump you good by?
Or yeah? And when he doesn't want to leave, he

(43:28):
just raises a little paw and he's like, no, I'm
not more food. I want to hang out a little longer.

Speaker 2 (43:32):
More animals, less people. That's it's a it's a better. Uh,
it is a better, a better way to.

Speaker 3 (43:37):
Sell a weird story with you guys, but you know
it is it is uh yeah, no, for sure, I
wish we could get spot a Muskox. That's what I
really wish spotting a Muskox Norman a Muskox that is.
That is to Brad, who's yeah, we'll see what we
can do again. If you want to get the person
in your life a Muskox flannel this holiday season, go
Muskox dot com and the promo Coast Peacock for fifteen

(43:58):
dollars off your your Muskox perch some great offerings. I
was just looking today how much I love my Cinnamon
Grand flannel. It just blue brown eyes pop. It's just
I'm telling you great stuff. Go muscos dot com.

Speaker 2 (44:11):
Sorry, two more things quickly, tcups dot org if you
want any couch in the Rube Christmas stuff. Or my
wife has a great website teacups dot org that she
makes custom made stuff for the holidays, if you guys
want any of that. Also the YouTube channel. I swear
to God, I won't bother you guys with this, but
if you could follow like do all that stuff for
the show, helps helps us out immensely. Again, I promise

(44:32):
I won't bother you guys with it. All right, let's
do this, all right? Eric Schaltz up first number one
back clearly identified Fitzgerald as someone of interest and went
and got it done. While I'm not overjoyed by the pick,
he clearly is a better fit than the disgrace we
just fired.

Speaker 3 (44:46):
I trust bat here and two.

Speaker 2 (44:48):
In twenty five years, we'll look back at Smith the
way my parents look at Muddy Waters. So glad he's gone.
Oh Man three. I've said I didn't I've said I
didn't get why is oh recruited Cohler? I thought he
was at best nick Ward light good in the post,
but a below average defender and rebounder. I was dead wrong.
He's so much more than that I ever would have expected.

Speaker 3 (45:10):
The kid is awesome, Yeah, I mean, And what's interesting
about Jackson Kohler is I think he's different than what
they anticipated when they recruit him. I think he's not
been quite the score and the post they thought maybe
he would develop into and you see the moves, but
he just hasn't had the consistency yet. Maybe that comes
with a senior year. I do not think they anticipated
him becoming an elite college rebounder and the defender he's

(45:31):
been as well. There is an intensity to him that
I think is beyond what they knew was going to
be there the outside shot. I'm thinking they probably thought
was something skill wise might come around, and he is
to this point. Jason, his numbers on the year better
than quite a bit better than like Kenny Goins and

(45:52):
aj Granger were at this point in their senior years.
And we look at those guys, is like these, you know,
they put him on a pedestal for like fours in
MSU history. He's a bull in a China closet. Joey
Howser with the only person a better senior year who
had a better start from from three at the sort
of at that position.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
Dominic next number one, Graham, I don't appreciate being ignored.
This is as a lazy Sunday without anything going on.

Speaker 3 (46:18):
Do better.

Speaker 2 (46:19):
God damn it, dude, I'm bullish on this higher. He's passionate,
he knows the landscape. He told you of them to
fuck off twice. I assume the donors are prepared to
spend with him and were involved in the process. Imagine
not including them and just relying on a fellow sext
and alumnus to carry your water. And three pause for
Graham's tired ass Bradley Beial Joe.

Speaker 3 (46:41):
Well, he did trade for Bradley bil By the way
in terms of sound bites and hits that we are
now in December for hoff is police. Oh yeah, so excit.
I've been thinking about it all day. But I was like,
you know, when I was drifting off to sleep with
the ansthesia, I'm just thinking of like police, Navida haf

(47:01):
I was. I was very excited to your point on
on Fitzgerald and donors, you know, not being all in.
I get it, that's part of the game, and Haller
misjudged that there's no question about it. I have certain
feelings like I it would have been interesting if he

(47:23):
had won two more games this year, because I do think,
as I look at it now, if they say they
had beaten Iowa and Minnesota even late in the year, Okay,
so they even three of their last four. Beat Iowa
is a really good team on the road, Minnesota and
both those games they probably should have won. And then
beat Maryland and they're going to a bowl game at
six and six. I do think he's coming back. And

(47:44):
if there was a while where I wasn't sure that
was the case, and I do wonder what that pitch
would have been in that cell, and that would have
been the challenge for j Batt then to be with
those donors and say, you know, and I think he's
pretty good at this, but we need you here, like
we need you to be on board here to give
this guy a chance. And you could see it in
the statements from Bat and from Kevin Guskowitz basically said

(48:10):
we didn't do enough to support this guy. You know,
he didn't do enough winning. But this wasn't this wasn't
all on him. I mean he's calling out their whole operation,
right and the donor base there and so that's you know.
But when I think of.

Speaker 2 (48:22):
Haller and Smith, and like when Haller and Smith met
for the first time, I'm so interested, Like what was
the meeting? Like you know what I mean, I feel
like you could just tell right away whether or not
Smith is your guy. After all the press conferences we've seen,
in the postgame pregame interviews with Smith, what did Haller
see in that to where it was gonna work?

Speaker 3 (48:40):
Well?

Speaker 2 (48:40):
I mean again, I get it, Smith is a nice guy,
football guy, blah blah blah. But just to lead your program,
I just don't know if what was the presentation he gave.

Speaker 3 (48:49):
Well, he'd built a program in a hard place to win,
and I think you know, you're right in terms of
being an order and somebody can really sell himself. That
was not his strength. And maybe Haller should have seen
that and known that that was needed. But I ultimately,
if if he had won, if Jonathan Smith had won,
we would look at him differently, Like you know, I mean,
not everybody has what though, well, you say the scenario

(49:13):
you just gave me, Let me give you a scenario.
It was. It's realistic in some degree, and pick either
the Rutgers game at the end of the year. The
Rutgers are pretty good. That could even go. But say
they go six and six last year and beat Michigan
in that game that they were ahead, and that goes differently.
And then this year they don't screw upbra and again

(49:33):
they screwed all these games up. That's why he was fired.
But these are winnable games. Say they won the winnable
games this year and they're eight and four, you know,
which was possible because the Big ten sucks largely. I
mean if I was jumping around because you know it,
it beat Michigan State, which might not have won the
MAC and it shouldn't been. I mean, like it anyway
they could what they do though there it's fine. I
don't want to be like them it, but say they

(49:55):
had gone six and six a year ago, beat Michigan
even losing the Michigan this year, gotten eight and four,
and it felt like there was momentum and a trajectory
and they won the close games they were supposed to
look I think people would look at him differently. And
you know, it's been brought up, you know, several times
on this show. You know, the the Nightingale comparison and Nightingale.

(50:15):
I think is a better communicator in some ways than
Jonathan Smith. But he's also not an emotional guy. You know,
I don't think you have to be an emotional guy.
I don't think that would have been the issue. If
there had been progress, there might have been people who
are all out on them.

Speaker 2 (50:28):
There might have been donors that have to show emotion though,
well it you don't have to be emotional, you have
to show I don't know what co I am interested
to see where Jonathan Smith lands. I want to see
where he goes.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
And I think the bigger issue for him was and
this was a Hallor issue too, but when you walk
in the when you're in the room with the top donors,
when there wasn't a presence to him, and that sometimes
does matter. It matters in a day and age where
you've got to raise funds and it doesn't have to
be you, but it's got to be somebody. And maybe
it could have worked if he was winning, and you know,
people got to started to appreciate that and knew that

(51:00):
he was a soft spoken guy in certain ways, or
was a little bit socially awkward, and you had bat
who could handle the other. It could maybe it could
have worked as a tandem. It didn't. He didn't win enough.
He didn't win the claims they were capable of winning.
Nebraska is the worst offensive line I saw in the
Big Ten this year, and they blew that game. Right.
Ucla was the one game they didn't show up for
at home, and that sort of led to all this stuff. Minnesota,

(51:21):
they had an absolute chance. That team was not that good.
Iowa offensively somehow can't do it. And it look they
do a lot of things consistently well there that but
it's pretty amazing that it hasn't happened over time. At
one point, you think they'd find an electrifying offense, right.
It just it's frustrating to watch because they've had these

(51:43):
defenses that nearly beat Indiana during the game that I
don't want to talk about Iowa here. I just got
get very frustrated to watch watching either.

Speaker 2 (51:49):
I can understand it. I would think their fan base
would at some point. But Kirk Ferns is a god apparently.
If you know ball, Nick Montas.

Speaker 3 (51:56):
Oh what's up? Nick?

Speaker 2 (51:57):
As a Northwestern alum, I'm excited to see you what
MSU football can become under coach fits.

Speaker 3 (52:03):
But was this too quick of a choice? Curious what
you guys.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
Think of this? Maybe it's just me reminiscent on how
many days were we were at the airport waiting for
a jet to land with melt Tucker.

Speaker 3 (52:14):
So I'm gonna answer this despite Nick being a ms
U midel journalism alone. Oh that's right. I don't usually
sorry be ADICTI group that's banned from this podcast. But
the despite that, as a proud of Columbia College, Chicago graduate,
the Yeah, I'm curious too, and I'm curious in a
good way, Like there could have been. I would have

(52:37):
been curious about a number of hires we've talked about
some of the other names. There could have been other
people that you went, well, that's interesting. We'll see how
that goes. I think this is interesting. I think this
has a chance. I think it has a chance to
be a fit. I'm very curious to see who he
brings in with his staff. And you know, we did
not get the Meltucker run to the airplane. You know
that was I still have a great memory of what
kind of shoes was he wearing? Right? That was the

(52:58):
whole bit. Colton Pouncy just biting it, racing to one
from one end of the airport to the other because
at the wrong end it's stupid. It was amazing, amazing time.

Speaker 2 (53:08):
H Number one, Pat Fitzgerald is the perfect culture cultural
fit for MSU.

Speaker 3 (53:13):
And two.

Speaker 2 (53:13):
People were starting to get really frustrated with Jay Batt,
but I think he may have played a masterclass. Had
fits lined up, news of major donor support to be announced,
and the twenty twenty six class is coming out with
the pledge confirmations.

Speaker 3 (53:28):
Yeah, there are some people saying that they're sticking with
it and so, which means he's making calls and trying.
I mean the timing of the the timing of the
signing day, it's ridiculous. I understand College FOOTBA has all
sorts of issues with the calendar because of semesters, right,
you just can't get around these pesky semesters in school
and all that stuff. But the fact that signing day

(53:50):
for freshmen is like right now at the end of
seasons before the college football conference championship games, I mean,
it just makes zero sense whatsoever. And I understand kids
can wait till February to sign. I would put the
whole thing in February. Again, I just don't think it.
I don't think it makes any sense now. It forces
kids to make lots of decisions really quickly, and they

(54:12):
might feel like they're getting left out if I just
I want the most amount of kids to make the
best decisions for them. And one of the things I
like about the new rule where the transfer portal doesn't
open up for a place like Michigan State until five
days after the new coach is announced. And maybe that's
why they haven't announced it yet because technically that would
that would be the case. But I like that that

(54:34):
gives an It gives kids a chance to meet with
the new coach and sort of figure it out and
and make the best decision for them. This does not
do it for high school kids. I yeah, I don't
get it.

Speaker 2 (54:47):
Let me ask you a question outside of that, while
I'm thinking of it. Why did Michigan State name ROSSI
like an interim coach for like eight hours?

Speaker 3 (54:54):
What was that about? I think you technically want to
have somebody in charge of the program, and and you
know it could take a day or so, like you
have to have somebody who's handling like just the administrative phone. Yeah, well, no,
you're talking to players, players have questions. Players. You need
somebody who's in charge. And it also you're doing Rossi
a favor in a sense. And this rarely leads to anything,
but it is something where you are the interim coach.

(55:16):
You are, you were an interim head coach, you were
a head coach very briefly. I know other people who've
played this role. Rarely does it lead to anything else?
But it doesn't. It doesn't. But you need to do
it for more than seven hours. I think, well, but
you do it for a couple of days. That's the
way it often goes. But you know it's again and Rossie,
maybe somebody I don't know. In terms of hiring a coach,

(55:37):
you know Pa Fitzgerald or assistant coach is Pat Fitzgerald
is a defensive guy, so he may have his own
his own set of thoughts there, whereas Jonathan Smith was
an offensive guy. Brought in an outside defensive guy and Rossi.
But I guarantee you there'll be a conversation between the
two at least.

Speaker 2 (55:53):
Rich Rich Searing number one. The Big Ten has the
best conference in basketball this year, and to whoever gets
hired to be our next football coach. We'll have a
big uphill battle digging us out of this hole, and
three fears will graduate as one of the greatest point
guards in program history.

Speaker 3 (56:10):
He's got a chance to to be the next great one.
We'll see how long he's you know, what he does
this year. I mean, and you know, the great ones
have taken MSU to final fours usually or they've had
just stellar must stellar stellar, you know, because even the
Valentine year, which ended up with the first round defeat
was just I mean, he was a first team All American,
he was nineteen seven and seven and the year before

(56:31):
he'd take him into a final four, so that you
you know, and then Cash has obviously and but yeah,
no he has a chance to because you just, uh
the way he.

Speaker 2 (56:42):
I think you have to win the championship though to
get into the I know cash Is didn't, but.

Speaker 3 (56:48):
Well Scott Skiles didn't, you know, And Scott Skiles is
on that pantheon, in that top group.

Speaker 2 (56:52):
But he does get left out here and there though
you talk about the top I mean not in my list.

Speaker 3 (56:57):
But Sean Respert, yeah, I mean, then the is a
era certainly, it helps you know, you look at kayln
Lucas now much they won with him, and yeah, you're right,
you gotta love Keith Appling. But you know, let me
ask you at it. The Big Ten is a lot
better than it was in some of those other years.
So say in this Big ten where you have maybe
four legitimate Final four contenders this year, say you finish

(57:19):
third in a really really good, loaded Big Ten of
eighteen teams now and you're a three seed in the
NCAA tournament, still well thought of, and you get to
another Elite eight. That's probably not I mean, the thing
is it can be somewhat individual. It depends what you're
carrying and what it looks like.

Speaker 1 (57:39):
It.

Speaker 3 (57:39):
Certainly, if you get to a final four, I think
that acts is that championship. That is that thing you
do sort of. And then the other thing is how
much he's got two years potentially after this, how much
more time will you spend at Michigan State. Like, he's
not a guy who looks necessarily built for the NBA
to want him as a high draft pick. I think
he's got a chance to play in the league. They're

(58:00):
lots of guys who aren't necessarily starting point guards who
uh like I think he'll I think he'll have a
good chance to play in the league, But when does
he want to do that, especially in the year where
you can pay guys now, And I would be surprised.
I guess if you played two full years after this year,
given the level he's already at at like, you have
your moment in college and I feel like this is
a big part of that moment. But I would not
be surprised if he does another year after this and

(58:21):
he's he'll be well compensated for it.

Speaker 2 (58:23):
Spartholomew. Next two immediate concerns with fitz higher with the
fits higher. Number one, don't care that he didn't know
about hazing. He's still the leader of the program. See
the Beau Schenbeckler quote. Uh, and that's where it is due.
He's a Big ten West merchant. However, could definitely see
the culture he'd bring in. Bonus, the Big End Big

(58:44):
Ten beg End says the Big End ten is basketball's
title drought this year ends. It says three teams make
the final four.

Speaker 3 (58:52):
Yeah, I fucked that up. That was an editing mistake
by me. Spirez Bartholo me. The Big Ten's basketball title
drought this year is and the three teams make the
fun for right. Here's the thing when when when you
put in B I G for Big ten, I usually
change it because I don't want Jason to stumble over it,
and sometimes I forget to put the word. Whatever I
screwed up, B I G is not not great for reading.
Nobody needs. Thanks for letting us in on it, Sorry,

(59:13):
little little behind the behind the curtain. You are not
alone and feeling concerned about and feeling a certain way
about Fitzgerald and the hazing. I mean, uh, you know,
former Am Connie, you prosecuted Carol Semen. Uh this I
just got sent this. This is her comment today was

(59:34):
just I'm pretty dismayed with its history and ms hu's history,
with his history and ms hu's history at what this
might mean for the well being of people, with M
s u's history of sexual malfeasance at so many levels.
This feels really tone deaf. She's I mean, look, there
are a lot of people feel that way, and people
have the right to and and he is going to
have to because.

Speaker 2 (59:53):
Seeman look into it at all of what happened and transpired,
and did she dig deep?

Speaker 3 (59:57):
And and he was and he was exonerated to big
a word, but it's probably I mean, look, you took
away a lot of money and he was cleared. He
was cleared from knowing nor nowestern wouldn't pay him if
it was slam dunk right. Correct, he had a lot
of players who were supporting him. But you're right. A
big part of a program is oversight of knowing what's
happening and a lot of you know. Yeah, So I mean,

(01:00:21):
I I thanks for that, semen, I'm not gonna tell
you that's the wrong way to feel, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:00:25):
Mike Scott number one, Pat Fitzgerald. He has won a
total of seven college football games since twenty eighteen hazing scandal. Seriously,
to this, MSU hoops team plays better defense as of
December December one than any other ISO team since at
least paying and applying senior year.

Speaker 3 (01:00:45):
See, now I'm scared because I know I abbreviated the
word December to a period one and now sorry, I'm
worried to what happened. I don't know what makes me
worried for the rest of these Yeah, I was trying
to think about this though. Other Michigan State teams that
have locked in like this and this early, and it
is certainly it's because there have been teams late that

(01:01:06):
did but early this is this is pretty impressive. And
it's the type of identity that travels. And we've seen
it already and we've seen it kind of bully, you know,
big brands. Now, how good those teams are we'll see.
But and again, I want to see this week a lot.
Because they get through this week even one and one,
and say they lose the Duke in a competitive game
and beat Iowa, I think that's still a good week.

(01:01:27):
I think this is a great start at eight and one.
I want to see how they look against Iowa and
another sort of ceiling testing game. And I want to
see them handle what I think is a really good
Iowa team that's capable of beating them at home. And
if they do those two things, I think you've really
got something. Must win.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
Jared big Ten men's basketball will get three Final four
teams this year, but still won't win a championship. Losing
to Duke Arizona. All right, we're going to forget about
that in March.

Speaker 3 (01:01:54):
Might have to remind us, Yeah, I mean hot, it
is one of the questions always is though, right is
if what makes the best league? Do you have to
win the championship? If you have three teams in the
final four, you're the best league. But at some point
the Big Ten, you know, needs to win a championship
beyond Michigan State in two thousand.

Speaker 2 (01:02:10):
Balky Bartacamas next Fitzgerald, freed from the financial and academic
limitations of Northwestern, should be a scary site for the
rest of the Big Ten. The only risk with this
hire is his inability to pull players and coaches from
an existing roster, But honestly, that might help retain existing talent.

Speaker 3 (01:02:29):
Yeah, I mean, the talent acquisition part is going to
be interesting. This recruiting signing day that's coming right up,
the transfer portal who he hires, I mean, is going
to be really, really fascinating, And I you know, maybe
Max Bull is part of that. Maybe he's not. I
don't know. I didn't any drop of that on purpose. No, sorry,
we should fix that in post. We will not, but

(01:02:50):
we should. Yeah. Sorry, here first couch in the room.

Speaker 2 (01:02:54):
First with this news, cockties Max Spade Joe Rossi for
a defensive coordinator. Yeah again, I don't. I mean, it's
been real Joe I don't think we're good. I mean
it was fun. Well, I think's forgetting us rouled up
for some of those games.

Speaker 3 (01:03:10):
But I think we're good. And I think Rossi helped
his career by the way he coached in November and
the interim tag. I would be very surprised if he's
not a coordinator somewhere next year.

Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
Spart In eighteen seven seven zero, Luke Fickle was the
home run Higher has done nothing at Wisconsin. Kurt Signetti
was a no name who is now making his second
consecutive college football Playoff appearance. Fans and experts don't know
Dick whether fits will work out or not. Like every
other Higher, we gotta let it play out. And watching
the Lane Kiffin situation brings back my Nick Saban trauma.

(01:03:42):
Still not over it, LSU? What is the lure of LSU?

Speaker 3 (01:03:45):
I don't get it either.

Speaker 2 (01:03:47):
I get that they're going to spend and I can
understand that Lane wants to do that, but why and
how about Nick Saban saying that old miss should let
him coach, like and I did it so weird? And
Saban has like fuck you money, Like why does he
have to say these things to appease like people at ESPN.

Speaker 3 (01:04:04):
It feels like I get that the calendar is tough
on these guys, and they do have to figure that
out because ultimately, like the only way to be a
coach who's going to get a job like that is
to take a team to the playoff and then what
you got to leave that team? Otherwise you can never
get that. You can never move up.

Speaker 2 (01:04:18):
You can't let that guy coach your team. No, no,
you can't ridiculous the notion that it would be possible.
He's got to make that decision. I just don't get
the appeal of LSU. And here's why.

Speaker 3 (01:04:27):
And I think of things differently, and maybe it's covering
the MAC or maybe it's growing up around here or
whatever it is, but like going somewhere where somebody else
has already done, it doesn't that like if you're Lane Kiffin,
you can go win a national title LSU. You know what,
you are just another dude who want a national title
LSU and Orgeron did that, Nick Saban did that, Like
like I you know, I'm not saying it's not impressive,

(01:04:48):
but you are not if you win an ole miss
And this is just not him. He needs to he's
a guy who wants to bounce around and find But
if you win a national titled Old Miss and you're
already in the playoff right now, like you, they'll build
a statue for you, like you are a legend for life.
Like I just I don't This is my personality is
different than Lane kiff and we probably are in many ways.
Although he's tried to adopt the next Sabing. You watch
the way he uses his hands. It's clearly been around stavement.

(01:05:09):
It's like it's to fake. I mean, it's just a
it's a anyway.

Speaker 2 (01:05:12):
But isn't Lane Kiffen perfect for this, you know, era
of college football to be the face of it and
be the guy to leave a national championship contending team. Sure,
it's wild. It's just I just don't get because Old
Miss find Bombing. You had said Old Miss was gonna
match whatever LSU was gonna pay. It wasn't about the
money thing. I mean, you can't live in Oxford light.
I mean, damn, dude, I don't know, and I do

(01:05:33):
I do agree on that, you know, we just don't know.
I again, I think, as I said at the top,
I think there are no home run Highers. There are
HighRes that have a chance and this one does. And
but I think you don't know, but you can honestly
talk about how you feel. I mean, great Knowld Fitzgerald
and what he's done in his career.

Speaker 3 (01:05:48):
Matt Boo.

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
Number one MSU football defense is back to MSU basketball.

Speaker 3 (01:05:53):
They have sweat equity. They do a sweat equity. And
the question with MSU basketball and when we talk about
like this year's team and then trying to roll it
over again next year. And I'm not calling this a
two year group. I'm not selling this group on not
trying to win it all or do everything with this team.
But when you look at the guys who could come
back and the freshman class coming in and all that stuff,
what is always a balancing act between sweat equity and

(01:06:15):
overstain is you have your moment in college basketball. And
I think of that group that came back where Tyson
Walker was, you know, came back with Malie Hall and
all those guys, and they came back almost one year
too long.

Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
It was.

Speaker 3 (01:06:28):
It was the the year before that where I think
that was their moment, and you know, they just didn't
quite have the I don't want to say anything care
because they played their asses off, but it's just, you know,
there's a moment where you really are hungry and it's
hard to sustain that forever in college basketball. I'm curious
to see if Michigan State can marry the two what's

(01:06:49):
coming in next year and keep guys around that still
feel that way.

Speaker 2 (01:06:52):
Let's go Green, Go God Pasy. I'm so glad to
see Jeremy Fears get love from the national media after
everything he's been through. Dude clearly has worked hard to
get here and bonus. Not sure the good outweighs the
red flags with hiring fits hope to be proven wrong.

Speaker 3 (01:07:09):
Yeah, I mean I think that's a reasonable But is
the red flag the hazing. It's the hazing. I think
can we look more into it, everybody?

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
Can we just look maybe google the chat GPT and
see what happened with it and the lawsuit that he had.

Speaker 3 (01:07:21):
And it's fair asking it's fair to say he should
have known. That's fair to say. It's also but what
the evidence is that he didn't know, But it's fair
to say he should if he's the head coach, you know,
and that's that's fine, And you're talking about a program
to what degree Mel Tucker knew that just had a
bunch of games vacated because you know, the lack of oversight.

Speaker 2 (01:07:43):
Dox Sportello next, we haven't seen this type of grind
him out take him to the gutters defense from an
MSU hoops team since two thousand and nine. What they
lack in talent will be made up for in forty
minutes of in your face defense and elite rebounding. If
Spartan's hit a few three, we could be in serious business.

Speaker 3 (01:08:02):
Well, you see that the games they hit fifty percent
from three, they're really really hard to beat, and so
for most other teams. Know, yeah, but when you add
the thing is they don't tend to lean on that
as their identity there. You know the other day they
were fifty percent, but they shot like ten of them total. Like,
I mean, it's that again. I think if they can
be a and you're watching their numbers creep up, but

(01:08:22):
if they can be a thirty five percent shooting team
thirty four percent as a team overall, with the way
they play, they're gonna be They're gonna be really tough,
and they're gonna be again, it's a single elimination sport.
I do believe there are gonna be teams at the
end of this year who would beat them in a
seven game series, most likely unless they just bloody them
and we're too much. But I'm the more I watch them,

(01:08:46):
the more I think, kind of given day, they've got
a shot.

Speaker 2 (01:08:49):
Kurt was Nuski number one. Thank God for MSU hoops
is oh saved Thanksgiving too. Glad to see j Batt
making his move for a coach that understands the Big
ten needs for strong and I l and can bring
a program back. Fitzgerald is a motivator and he will
showcase the importance of beating our rivals. By the way,
next time you see Tom, can you tell him thank

(01:09:10):
you from the Rube for saving Thanksgiving. I greatly, as
a Lions fan, greatly appreciate that it was great watching
that game. Thank you Tom, and the order in which
it happened because the Lions were first. Yes right today,
just the mood mood changer. Yeah, yeah, that anything I
said in the past time. I'm really sorry that it's
really fun on Thanksgiving and it's saved because I also
thought Ragnow was going to be coming back too.

Speaker 3 (01:09:32):
So anyway, yeah, we do, all right, Bob tweets hot take.

Speaker 2 (01:09:36):
The Lions will still make the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:09:38):
I think they got a shot. I do. I tell me,
I just do you think they're going to go four
and one? I mean that puts them in right, I think, Well,
look at how bad Minnesota is right now. I understand though,
let's say they beat them Chicago at some point. I
think they beat the Bears. I do, and so that's two.
I think they beat the Steelers, who suck. I think
the Cowboys are actually maybe they're wait and I'm missing

(01:09:59):
one game there.

Speaker 2 (01:09:59):
Left, but we suck right now, you know what I mean,
Like I want, I want to believe you. I'm just saying, yeah,
fucking Bears are in first place. I mean what this
is just not even rather Yeah dude, yeah, the Rams, well,
you know, but the Rams should have to automatically lose
that game for losing to Carolina. That's your rationale. That's
supposed to make me feel better, you know, you know

(01:10:20):
what when these guys just angry. Yeah, yeah, spite that,
Ken Chew after listening to Pat Fitzgerald on the ESPN
Game Day podcast. Hat tip Paul Coyne Dyke Conye Conning Dyke, Oh,
I know, I'm convinced he would be a grand slam
higher and from Scottie Green's al Camino. Listen to that

(01:10:41):
entire podcast interview with Fitzgerald from earlier this year. At
the very least, he's prepared for the opportunity and well connected.
He's a better fit and understands the big ten landscape.
Those that don't like the higher need to reconsider also
fits a way better fit for a Muskox than Smith was.
Get this man's new flannels, Midwest guy who probably would

(01:11:03):
appreciate the soft and durable warmth they would bring.

Speaker 3 (01:11:06):
Nothing would probably make Pat Fitzgerald better than showing great
well done well that that one was actually from Scotty Green,
but Partotty Green, Yeah well, can you get a yeah?
But and Paul condoake. But nothing would probably be appreciated
more from by uh uh Pat Fitzgerald when he shows
up in his office, break your chair, Nope, nope, uh

(01:11:28):
than to be welcomed with like a whole closet full
of Muskos plannels. Can you imagine that from the fan base,
just welcome, this is what we think of you. Durability, comfort,
and again Christmas morning. Whenever it is you, you know
that guy in your life that you want to know,
you care about, beat your dad, beat your brother, your husband,

(01:11:49):
whoever it might be. You care how they look and
how they feel and want to give them a quality gift.
Muskox Flanels is here go. Muskox is the website, and
of course yes Peacock for fifteen dollars off your flannel purchase.
I mean, Zion was a big deal because he was
a huge guy and I just broke my chair so too.

(01:12:09):
I will say to the point like that, that podcast
is worth listening to. Legendary the game now and again
he's the reason his reference is. He hasn't talked a lot.
We haven't talked to him yet and so at this
point that's what we have, and it's you know, it's
not like they really really went back at him on
the hazing stuff. I mean they asked him about it
and he answered and talked about it. There are gonna

(01:12:31):
be things that he's gonna have to answer to. There
are gonna be things that we're gonna evaluate on our
own as people who cover or fans or whatever the
program in terms of who he hires and how this
all goes. I'm just saying this, it's worth It's worth
your time.

Speaker 2 (01:12:42):
Do you think he'll be asked about the hazing incident tomorrow?
When he's introduced intends how he's introduced. So I think
one of the things I don't like how I Missue does,
and I understand how they do, is they's introduced introductory
press conferences that are like with the band and the
cheerleaders and have the donor is pomp and circumstance. That's
not a press conference. And then they hand it to

(01:13:03):
the media and they're like, hey, ask a question from everybody.

Speaker 3 (01:13:06):
We're not. That's not a good place to ask a question.
It's not a good setting. What they do pretty well there,
and and and this is important is usually you get
the new coach on the side a little bit or
down separately for a press that needs to be done,
because that's a better way to do it, not just
to kill the vibe. So if you don't see it
at that pomp and circumstance deal, whenever they do that,

(01:13:26):
that's that is that's why it's just not a great
situation for you know, Fred Human will get up there
and and you know, he'll he'll ask and he would
be the one who might ask something in that setting,
but there's no need to do it there. It's better
to do it when you're actually a felt all of
fred human have a conversation about it and some back
and forth and and and you know, but a lot

(01:13:47):
of times what happens is then you get that that's
what's televised people. How come he wasn't asked about that?
What shitty media? It's like because that's set up, that's
not a press conference, that's a PEP rally and and
with a few questions at the end, and it's just different.

Speaker 2 (01:14:01):
I can't wait. I'm looking forward to this tomorrow, some dude.
Number One, My biggest takeaway from the podcast interview with
Fitzgerald was how it seemed to emphasize the importance of
the very things that Smith wasn't able to do well.
And two, when you hire someone, the most underrated element
of that is how much that person wants to be there.
He seems to want this pretty badly. And bonus, fuck

(01:14:21):
super glue. The shit is expensive. You use a tear
drop of it and seal and seal perfectly, and the
ship all dries. Up in a week and then you
have to go to the store just for more glue
that will have the same fate. How much super glue
are you using on one thing?

Speaker 3 (01:14:37):
Though?

Speaker 2 (01:14:37):
You just said you use a tear drop of it
and you're running out.

Speaker 3 (01:14:42):
What do we By the way, Michigan State has officially
named oh my god, yeah, wow and Max Buller. This happened,
This happened before I show. I apologize. I should have.
I was, you know, right before I show it. Haven't
but I was trying to get their brother knew he

(01:15:02):
was the coach. What do we do? Yeah? Oh yeah, right.
But anyway, so the hire does require formal approval from
the MSU Board of Trustees. The next scheduled meeting is Friday,
December twelfth. What are they doing tomorrow? Well, I mean
that's what they're doing now. My guess is then. But no,
but he'll be introduced at three o'clock on Tuesdays. So

(01:15:23):
what's interesting, No, No, what's interesting is that they are
doing the press conference on the day of a Big
Ten basketball game. Usually they don't like to step on
each other. So yeah, it's three o'clock on Tuesday. I
should have should have checked that email before we started recording.
Apologize for people who are Yeah, so some dude. Number One.

Speaker 2 (01:15:41):
My biggest takeaway from the OH I read that shit
Adam versus Hey, when I get all ramped up too,
and it's the wrong one.

Speaker 3 (01:15:48):
Adam versus Number one.

Speaker 2 (01:15:49):
Interesting to see many MSU recruiting pledges publicly reinforced commitment
despite change, has fits already been working communication and two
seems like Hawkins, Wozniak and Rock are worth keeping as
assistant coaches. I agree, Well, I mean, it really has
got to be people you're comfortable with you. If you're Fitzgerald,

(01:16:09):
it's about and like I said, I'm intrigued by who
he hires, and but it's got to be people you
feel comfortable with, that share your philosophy, that makes sense
to work with, and that it doesn't just mean they're
good coaches.

Speaker 3 (01:16:21):
It has to be a fit. And you may have
somebody at a certain position that you really want to
work with, or you have an idea in mind. So
I you know, I think those are good coaches. I
think you could possibly go that way, But I don't
know what he'll what he'll decide to do. I do
think like recruiting people saying they're still in that's that's
a good sign. It doesn't mean it's going to be

(01:16:41):
a great class, but you do need players to stay
with the program Nestley's quick Hotel.

Speaker 2 (01:16:47):
One thing that concerns me about the fits higher is
he doesn't have a current team to poach. There will
most likely be a mass exodus of players into the portal.
Bottom line, he's going to need more than two years. Oh,
by the way, have we mentioned the Nick marsh I mean,
Nick marsh is gone, right.

Speaker 3 (01:17:03):
Yeah, Nick Marshall. Well, he said he's going to enter
the portal and again, you know Michigan, right, can't officially
enter the portal until five days after he's announced, and
he was announced today, So the portal then opens what
would be five days Tuesday, Wednesday? Oh, I forget, it's Saturday.
Is when the portal opens for Michigan State players, right,

(01:17:24):
so smart? So yeah, we'll again. If I were Nick
marsh I and I've got one year that I want
to have a great year and go to the NFL,
I'm not coming back to MSU. I'm going somewhere to
have him, I mean, and I don't think anybody can
blame him and I'm not saying Nick Marsh had a
great year. He had a good final game on but
you also the guy, the guy just went through two
years of losing. And it's like, if I were him,

(01:17:45):
I'd go out west, out down south. I go to Indiana,
I go somewhere in Afghanistan, anywhere. Yeah, I'd go get
a I go some somewhere else for the for the
next year.

Speaker 2 (01:17:57):
Fart soup number Next, the first basketball game that Fitzgerald
gets anoun stat, Couch will start clapping so hard that
people will think Alan Haller is an attendance.

Speaker 3 (01:18:06):
Well played. Yeah, yes, it's possible. Yep, yep. So that's tomorrow.
I'll be standing up there on the Yeah yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:18:15):
Uh Tim, Tim Number one. You talk about MSU fans
having basketball and hockey to ease the pain of football,
with Michigan most likely being number one in both. Do
you think fans would rather have MSU be irrelevant in
both and Michigan also be irrelevant or MSU is good
but slightly worse than Michigan in both.

Speaker 3 (01:18:34):
Is this an sat question? What do we do well?
How do I oh too?

Speaker 2 (01:18:38):
What is your confidence level in the Lions making the playoffs?
If they split with Dallas and then the Rams. I'll
spare you the Hoff. The rest of the games are Pitsburg, Minnesota, Chicago.

Speaker 3 (01:18:49):
Tim.

Speaker 2 (01:18:50):
Tim's no fun. The whole point is off. Let me
look this up. Can I get pof Yeah? I think
he's got one of the games wrong.

Speaker 3 (01:19:02):
Man, this is the best. Okay, Yeah, So what is
your confidence? If they split with Dallas and the Rams,
that means they've beat I'm not confident. Do you think
they will not confident?

Speaker 2 (01:19:11):
I don't, honestly, if you ask me right now, I
don't think we make the playoffs as we currently stand.

Speaker 3 (01:19:16):
So when I look at the Lions schedule the last
game of the I do think if they split with
the Rams and Cowboys, they will be playing the Bears
for a playoff person on January fourth. I think that.
I think the January fourth would almost be like the
first playoff game. I think that will be the case.

Speaker 2 (01:19:34):
Dude, Stafford is going to put a number up on US.

Speaker 3 (01:19:38):
Carolina. I understand that. But Carolina.

Speaker 2 (01:19:42):
I don't know their injury report, but my god, they
have healthy guys. So to the to the first question, Okay,
let's solve this riddle. MSU basketball fans having basketball and
hockey to ease the pain. With Michigan most likely to
be number one in basketball and hockey, do you think
fans would rather have ms you be irrelevant in both
Michigan also be irrelevant or MSU is good? No, I

(01:20:02):
mean MSU fans, I mean they're not. It's it's it's
different in those sports because there's not there's no threat
to anybody either way. Like one of the best healthiest
things about the basketball rivalry is it doesn't matter if
you win or lose it it I mean, it matters,
but it doesn't matter in terms of I'm better than
you man either way, like because you're not. The next

(01:20:23):
year the programs are both good. The next year you
may lose, and and so there's no real upper hand.
Where in football that that doesn't ever feel that way.
It feels like there's an actual upper hand that's being
had one one way or another. So and in hockey,
I still think Michigan State probably has the most talented
team in the in the in the country, and maybe
a more although I think, yeah, I don't know, they're
more town Michigan Michigan State. I think UH have a

(01:20:46):
real good chance to be battling at the top there.
I think that's gonna be a great, great, great, great
couple series, including this weekend, uh Michigan Michigan State hockey basketball.
You know we'll see Michigan looks very very good. Michigan
State looks prett damn good too. Those It's gonna be
a fun winter. But it's just a different discourse because
there's no there's no threat to take something from you,

(01:21:07):
in other words, from either.

Speaker 3 (01:21:09):
Of those sides.

Speaker 5 (01:21:10):
That's the taint break all.

Speaker 3 (01:21:12):
Right, you want to break? All right? We will be
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(01:25:28):
I was just looking at the details of this press
conference for Pat Fitzgerald. Yes, call the press conference. I
am is a member of the press. It's a press conference.
I am uninviting donors, fellow coaches, anybody who's not there
to do the job immediately. The band can't be there, cheerleaders,
anybody that felt all of human can be there. If

(01:25:49):
we're gonna have a televised press conference where we're gonna
get actually conversations, nobody else can be there just Tuesday.

Speaker 2 (01:25:55):
Why does it have to be like a band and everything.

Speaker 3 (01:25:57):
It's just got to have it like just Izzo's Monday
usual press conference, just a regular you know, it's gotta
be the same crew. That's what we're doing. I'm putting
that put my foot down. Yeah, just you. You're putting
your foot down just me. Okay, just like me when
I call it like it's funny in the football game,
this is not funny. But I'm telling it anyway. In
games where there's media timeouts right in college football that

(01:26:18):
take three and a half minutes or whatever, that's like
every time you actually need one to pee, Why can't
I call down? Can we have one a game where
we called out? We're like, this is where the actual media.
We'd like the time out. I'd like to I'd like
to pee, just like you just did with your breakthrough.
I will fix that post. That was not good podcasting there.
I apologize. Let's keep going, Bill McLeod.

Speaker 2 (01:26:36):
Next is those mantra of players play tough players win
has been embraced by this year's team. Saturday may show
their true ceiling for the season.

Speaker 3 (01:26:47):
Yeah, I mean it's interesting because I still think seasons
tend to grow is you get into January and February.
We've seen a lot of MSU teams do that, and
we saw that last year. So I still think there's
more and just based on how this team's grown. But
Duke is one of those teams that looks like a Behema.

Speaker 1 (01:27:01):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:27:01):
It's also a home game, so there's some advantages that
MSU you know has that you know, home matters in
college basketball. I think it's worth ten points in college basketball,
so I think they had to keep that in mind.
I think home home court, Oh, Vegas doesn't know what
they're doing, not in back college basketball. I think it's
one of the best things you can win on because
Vegas does not fully measure home court ten points. It's

(01:27:22):
much more than any other sport.

Speaker 5 (01:27:24):
It's the American way, except America has gotten soft.

Speaker 2 (01:27:27):
Matt Salisbury number one. I wonder if people are overreacting
about Fits. More people were on board with Smith with
no donor backing. Fits has backing and no recruiting restrictions
and a Midwest Big ten higher and to fuck Brad
Holmes for now.

Speaker 3 (01:27:44):
Yeah, Jason's turning into the f Brad Holmes. I'm not
saying it.

Speaker 2 (01:27:47):
I'm just saying I think our playoff window and Super
Bowl window is closing because of him. Argue me, I
don't know, Tell me I'm wrong. No, I'm willing to.
I don't want to sit there and blame Brad Holmes
because he's had some good drafts and all that stuff,
but he hasn't done anything in free agency or to
help help.

Speaker 3 (01:28:02):
Us this year. He's been frustrating and right and straighten
up for Tesla, and I mean it's just yeah, no,
I'm the rag now situation. I mean, I'm with you.

Speaker 2 (01:28:10):
Yeah, I blame rod Wood first, and then Brad holds
mister w I like the Fits higher. I think he
brings that f you attitude we've been missing. He'll be
a good front man, unlike Smith, who never seemed comfortable
what the ceiling of the football program is under Fits.
I'm not sure, but excited to see what he can
do with MSU resources.

Speaker 5 (01:28:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:28:29):
I think one of the things about him, if you're
on the intrigued sider you're looking for reasons to be intrigued,
is Northwestern for a long time is a really hard
place to win, and he won there more than any
other coach ever had, and including since twenty eighteen, despite
the bad years at the end to Big ten West championships,
and you can say, what's the West, it's still you're
at Northwestern. You're playing with the half a deck, so
to speak, and it's you know, I think what he

(01:28:53):
did there largely in terms of consistency. Did he run
out of steam at the end? What happened there? I
don't know, but I think he's rein vigorated now. I
think he's probably got a plan and I don't know
that it'll work, but I do find this that this
has a chance. And I do think in terms of fit,
which is what we've heard a lot about for the
last year. I think fit is important, and in this

(01:29:14):
day and age, if you've got resources and fit and
a good coach, I think you got a chance.

Speaker 2 (01:29:19):
Spartan Dog ninety seven, it fits is who the donors want, whatever,
as long as the check's clear, and bat backs off
is legal. Nil trying to hand behind our backs bullshit.
But I have a feeling we'll be doing this again
in twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 3 (01:29:33):
They're not firing a coach. In two years, they're not
firing but cheer unless he does something stupid, but like
this is now the guy who's been hired by the
current president and the current ad and the donors on board,
and so when you do that, there's a level of
accountability for everybody else around them and you, and you

(01:29:53):
can't keep cycling through coaches like this. I think one
of the things that Jay Batt even struggled with I've
sort of heard, I even sort of heard I've heard
is the idea he didn't feel great about cycling through
coaches every two years. He didn't feel great about the
two year thing. He didn't feel great about a standard
of right it's and and so I think that was
one of the things that he battled in terms of

(01:30:14):
whether to bring Smith back.

Speaker 2 (01:30:15):
Sparty ninety nine next if X is a litmus test
for public opinion. The national opinions on the fits higher
are extremely, extremely positive, while the local opinions are negative.

Speaker 3 (01:30:26):
Why do you think that is?

Speaker 2 (01:30:27):
And from SPARTI, Tom, are you surprised by the anger
of some Spartan fans over this hire or a case
of the Internet amplifying the angriest voices.

Speaker 3 (01:30:35):
I think it's very mixed, you know, I think there
are some anger I think there's a lot of Yeah,
we'll see. I think there's some. I mean, this show,
this podcast kind of tells you absolutely. You know, there's
excitement too, there's all it's a range of emotions. The
national Fitch is a guy I'm not gonna ca him
fitz Fitzgerald, that's dog. Yeah. Pat Fitzgerald is a guy
that has always been well liked nationally because he does

(01:30:57):
communicate well all the things that you have not liked
about Jonathan Smith. And he is somebody who's been in
a major media market, who's been accessible, who's been you know,
all the reasons that I had to check myself because
he's a easy interview. National folks like the guy and
so and I do think you even saw Connor Stallion's
though tweet today what a good hiring. I think there
are some football people think this is really good? Is

(01:31:20):
that a good thing? Well know football?

Speaker 2 (01:31:22):
Right by the way, Who who's going to be the
first media member to call him fits?

Speaker 3 (01:31:28):
Who's your guest?

Speaker 2 (01:31:29):
I don't know, I know, I know you Solari, like,
who's on the beat anymore?

Speaker 3 (01:31:33):
Brooks?

Speaker 2 (01:31:34):
Brooks won't do it, No, it would be comp's not
gonna do it.

Speaker 3 (01:31:37):
It'll be first. Yeah, but he won't do it, Fits dog,
let me just ask you, welcome human wouldn't do it right? No, No,
I don't. I don't know. I think it would. I
think without Hondo and nobody's gonna do it.

Speaker 2 (01:31:52):
Off Man, damn it, Munfield, Keg Fitzgerald wouldn't have been
my first choice. But I'm really surprised that the did
I read that? No, surprised sound like the fan base.
Fits is a football guy who understands the big ten
in our rivalries as big as plus seems to be
that donors are okay with him. The money has always

(01:32:13):
been the most important important part.

Speaker 3 (01:32:15):
Yeah. I mean, if if Jonathan Smith had the money
at the level it takes to win, he'd still be like,
how short was he? Then?

Speaker 2 (01:32:21):
Then be honest with me, let's hear it. How short
do I think he was relative to coaches who are
being we have to sit there and feel bad for him.
I mean I think he I think his budget was
about half of what mikel Elko had so and and
I think if he had Mike Elcho's budget, he'd still
think you and I could coach a fucking national chance
money He's being with money he's being celebrated, I think,
but that's a hell of a reach.

Speaker 3 (01:32:40):
Like well, if he had Elco money, well, no ship.
If we all had that my senses, he probably had
between five and ten million lesson Indiana. All right, man d.

Speaker 2 (01:32:51):
MB number one less e oh is Levitt with higher
upside and no ego. He has the uh he has
to be priority number one for fits to raising the
floor is the bare minimum with fits at worst, this
is a good and safe hire. The Spartan fan base,
saying otherwise, are delusional about the state of the program.

Speaker 3 (01:33:10):
Alessio, would that be your first? Like his dad already
tweeted he wasn't thrilled that Jonathan Smith went now he's
that doesn't mean he's going.

Speaker 2 (01:33:17):
To leave, no dad, but right, you know, and you
know that Jonathan Smith believed in your son.

Speaker 3 (01:33:21):
But and he's a suburban Chicago guy, you know, as
is Fitzgerald. But we don't know because we found this
out with Jonathan Smith when Sam Levitt was right from
Jonathan Smith's backyard, and all of a sudden that worked
against Michigan State because he had chosen a different quarterback
over him. So we don't know what the fitzgerald relationship
is with with the Lesso, but I would make that
I don't. I don't think Leso is Levitt with higher

(01:33:42):
upside and no ego. I think he might have no ego.
I don't know that either, but I think Levitt still
got a pretty eye upside. I mean, the poor kid
was running for his life. So it's hard to We
just don't know, but I do. I hung in there
for sure. He's certainly somebody you'd like to have back.
You'd like to see where that career goes. And I
think you'd need a quarterback, and it's easier to keep
one then get one. And so if I were Fitzgerald,

(01:34:03):
that would be you know, you got to build a line.
You got to make sure any young linemen that you
think have any promise, you make sure they stay. And
you know, if you can keep your quarterback, you do that.

Speaker 2 (01:34:12):
I mean, I agree with DMB and is number two.
I just hate safe higher. I just hate the term
the safe higher. It just means like you gotta just
be willing to take a chance. And you know, oh,
and I am completely underwhelmed by the Fitzhier only had
success in the week Big ten West and only won
seven games in his last three years at Northwestern before
being fired over hazing allegations. Tell me why I should

(01:34:34):
be excited. This doesn't feel like the best option, just
an easy one and from Ryan Schultz. Fitzgerald was one
of nine against Michigan, only win against rich Rod sounds
like a ten year contract incoming. No, No ten year contracts,
please God, No?

Speaker 5 (01:34:51):
The Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:34:54):
I mean, the record at the end is not great,
and that's that's a fair thing to look at. And
that was during the beginning of this nil era. And
now he was at a place where the you know,
the beginning of the portal Western or the hell was
he Northwestern not a place that takes a lot of
transfers where it's I think it was a little harder
to do that game, and that's going to be a
challenge for them now if I think they're starting to

(01:35:16):
change that a little bit, and I'm curious to see
what happens there. Part of my resentment toward Northwestern is
their lack of accepting transfers. That's beyond football, that's just period.
Like I knew leaving Elsiec I couldn't go to Northwestern.
I don't know that I wanted to or I could
afford it, but they weren't going to accept me because
there's snobby asses like you know, Nick Montes has went
there and grid for you, man, but like it didn't

(01:35:38):
mean we weren't better than you at Columbia. We just
couldn't get in, So fuck off Northwest Community College to Northwestern. Yeah,
you could understand.

Speaker 2 (01:35:46):
I think, wow, well no, no, no, no, If you
we're not going to get it, I just try to
get out. It'll be a nine hour show. TC might
be already BRUINSI Fritz is the perfect higher. He was
exonerated in the scandal, and yes he burned out after
the after fifteen years at Northwestern, MSU doesn't want to
hire him for fifteen but I expect to get a rejuvenated,

(01:36:07):
firey coach who will reinstill the toughness mindset MSU had
during Pete Antonio.

Speaker 3 (01:36:13):
Yeah, I don't know about lengthy. You don't worry about
any length of time right now. What you're worried about
is can you rejuvenate and rebuild a program and get
things going, and then you you deal with anything else.
If if Fitzgerald coaches six years and at the end
of six years, Michigan State's had two ten win seasons
and he wants to go coach the Chicago Bears because

(01:36:33):
Ben Johnson finally runs out of post game speeches like.

Speaker 2 (01:36:37):
It's kind of tacky taking your shirt off though, I
gotta say a little offense to Ben Johnson.

Speaker 3 (01:36:41):
Yeah, a little good room and we'll come on a
little weird. But if you know, you live with that,
you just want At this point, Michigan State just wants
to get to the point of being relevant and being
competitive and feeling like they have program momentum again. People
are desperate for that.

Speaker 2 (01:36:56):
Dan Grave, all of fit success came in the Big
Ten West before the IL at a school with tough admissions,
so no one has a clue how this hire works.

Speaker 3 (01:37:04):
Out one hundred percent. Now you can think that interview
he did, you know, is intriguing, and he sounds like
a guy has thought this through. He's not just coming
from that Northwestern situation like I'm gonna do it with
a few more resources. Like he's really thought it through,
and I think that makes it intriguing. I think it's
got a chance to work, but we don't know, and
we will, we will have to we'll have to see.

Speaker 2 (01:37:25):
Prayer Warrior next. Graham explain to me how we're about
to receive a multi hundred million dollar influx of cash
into the program, and Fitzgerald is the name we immediately
reach for. Obviously MSU isn't a premier destination with sanctions
in recent history. Excuse me, but come on, Son, So.

Speaker 3 (01:37:43):
I'm the wrong person for this because I think fits
like you and I disagree. It's not a hard disagree.
Like if Michigan State had hired somebody else, they might
have been very intriguing to me, and especially as.

Speaker 2 (01:37:56):
You got to Matt Campbell Iowa State.

Speaker 3 (01:37:58):
That would have been absolutely it would have been great hire.
So there are lots of there are other hires that
could have been made, but this is one that from
an early on stage I thought would work at Michigan State.
So you're talking to and I can be wrong on this.
I'm just saying you're talking to somebody that this would
have been an early call for me if I had
been in j.

Speaker 2 (01:38:14):
Batshoes money bag. The supposed major donor support better be legit.
We've been sold so much hype over the last five
years that hasn't materialized into anything.

Speaker 3 (01:38:26):
Oh, I think what you're going to see this week
is pretty major. But yeah, so but what that looks
like you're in and year out, and how they're able
to manifest that in a roster building, Well, we'll see.

Speaker 2 (01:38:37):
Austin Wolf. Is the timing of the signing day a
big issue?

Speaker 3 (01:38:41):
I mean, I think it's awful for a lot of programs.
Anybody who's on the move, Like it's the seasons don't
even know the season ended. For a lot of teams,
it's not it'd be one thing that was deep into
the playoffs. Even that's not great. But it's like the
conference championship games are this weekend, Like if you're preparing
for a conference championship game, you've got to deal with
some day in the middle of the week. Like talk
about making conference championship games seem irrelevant that, yeah, it's

(01:39:04):
it's an absolute issue. Frankly, if you're anybody who thinks
this works, you should not be in college football. This
is not this is unacceptable. You don't know ball. You
don't know ball, and it should be Yeah, it should
be part of your obituary that you thought this was okay,
and you probably shouldn't be in leadership anywhere.

Speaker 2 (01:39:17):
But North Texas and Tulane are going to make or
one of those teams are going to make the College
Football Playoff and both got.

Speaker 3 (01:39:22):
Rid of their coaches or the coaches are gone, the
coaches are leaving calendars.

Speaker 2 (01:39:27):
The first Lane Kiffin thing, it's just wild.

Speaker 3 (01:39:29):
The first thing that needs to happen is the College
Football Seas needs to move up a week in August
so that we were done a week ago. That that
helps that you probably need to get rid of conference.
The better the betterment of college football, or it helps
you like com betterment of college football. That can make
a difference for me.

Speaker 2 (01:39:44):
Well, so all we have to sometimes ask because it's more.
Sometimes you say those things and it's to benefit you, right, No,
that's fair. Ralphie busy week Florida for Thanksgiving? Take Elizabeth
any place?

Speaker 3 (01:39:56):
Nice?

Speaker 2 (01:39:56):
Twelve columns since last Sunday we soccer, hoops football. No
one criticizing the fits higher without watching the game day
link in your column should be acknowledged. Twelve columns.

Speaker 3 (01:40:09):
I don't know it was. I don't know if it's
full columns, but yeah, it's been this guy, he's all humble,
that's been busy. Yeah, it's it's a fun time of year.

Speaker 2 (01:40:16):
Though all the fits higher twelve columns.

Speaker 3 (01:40:18):
It's a fun time year, man, it always is. I
wouldn't want to do November every month, but it's it's
it's there's a lot of cool stuff going on. Did
I take Elizabeth any place? Nomes? Yeah, we went to
we well, we went to where we go. We went
to Santa Bal Island and did it. Did a fun
drive around there, and we wanted to eat a couple
of places, good time.

Speaker 2 (01:40:37):
Like what do you mean you guys literally could just
go for a drive. Well, there's some cool like refugee
water stuff. Yeah, there's some cool yeah, right, there's refugees,
not refugees. Ref it's not a refuge it's the word
I always saw refugees. Oh, it's like a park with
a refuge wild like refuge refugees. No, I'm not like
driving that shit of island like pointing at the refugees.
I'm playing at the swans. I'm trying to figure it

(01:41:00):
the refugees.

Speaker 3 (01:41:01):
That would be bad, not be It'd be a different
story if if what I found in Santabal Island was
just nothing but refugees, I would write.

Speaker 2 (01:41:09):
That thirteen columns Big John Hogg number one. Five of
eight high school state titles were won by Catholic schools.
Like I said, and as a public school coach myself,
they need their own division to a real Christmas tree
is leagues above a fake Christmas tree. And three cannot
wait until MSU does not play at ford Field anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:41:32):
I'm not a huge like it's warm and it's nice
and I and so I think a lot of people
like that.

Speaker 2 (01:41:36):
I think shout out to you to blame the weather
though for the attendance, like to throw that out there.

Speaker 3 (01:41:40):
It's nice of you. The drive was pretty nasty. And
I stayed overnight, not intending to because you're just driving home.
Was just you stayed the night. Yeah, not at the
stadium area hotel Fairfield, Oh nice lavony area.

Speaker 2 (01:41:54):
So do you think people like eight that, like, if
you spend one hundred dollars on tickets to that game, yeah,
and you saw the weather, did you eat it and
not go?

Speaker 3 (01:42:01):
I think some people did it, yeah, because it was
that dicey. It was it was driving down there was
the first time and the problem is that the roads
hadn't seen winter yet this year, so they'd not been
salt on them once. It was the first time I
could feel my tires, you know, a couple of times,
kind of loose control of them a little bit. It
was yeah, it was not. It was not great. I
got off the highway and took eight mile in for
a while and it was it was, yeah, it was not.

(01:42:23):
I didn't see him at him or anything. It's just sorry.
It's not bad. You earned this one. Thank you. Real
Christmas tree, fake Christmas tree? Where are you on this?

Speaker 2 (01:42:32):
We always get a brand new Christmas tree. But I
don't know if it's levels above. I do enjoy it
over a tree.

Speaker 3 (01:42:40):
Just I don't know. I like the idea.

Speaker 2 (01:42:41):
I don't if it's not to just like to chuck
it on the front yard. The guys come over and
OVID and pick it up in a truck. So having
to break it down every year, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:42:49):
Well, yeah, and it just seems to me it's a
fun activity to go out and get a tree. Like.
I enjoy that. I enjoyed the process of it. It's
just a fun date night. It's a fun day to
go out. We went out and got a little tree
this year, and we haven't done it in a couple
of years, but we see any refugees. Did not see
any refugees or the trees or refuge Yeah, I know
I can be convinced. Also on the Catholic schools needing

(01:43:10):
their own their own divisions, I don't know that i'd
want that. I'm on public school. I want to beat them.
I want to win the time, you know, but I
also understand that the reasons for it.

Speaker 2 (01:43:21):
Haja bbb. Next, holiday work parties are ass Hmmm, I'd
like I really are, do you know what I mean?
Just I mean they used to be good in like
the mid two thousands.

Speaker 3 (01:43:31):
When people companies had money. Yeah right, Well, I worked.

Speaker 2 (01:43:34):
In TV, so like that's when everybody was it was
kind of booming back then, so that we would have
actually parties where free booze and food was allowed.

Speaker 3 (01:43:41):
And yeah, yeah, I've been to some good holidays at
those parties. I've been all. You know, when you're in
the newspaper business, you've been to all sorts of ebbs
and flows of the holiday party. Because sometimes the holiday
party is a reaction to something, so it doesn't even
mean the company something. Look when they were flush with
cash when I first got into the business. I flush
with cash. But when we had money they were great.
They got worse, but then they would try to make

(01:44:03):
up for like layoffs. You'd be places to be like, oh,
we just laid off half the staff. But look at
this Christmas party, you know, and you sort of Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:44:09):
Graham had to get a hotel room at the Get
the Ford Field game that he had to go to,
by the way, So that's why we're not having a
Christmas party this year. He couldn't drive back, probably the
Fort Myers tripp. So thank Graham for the canceled LSJ party.
I hope you enjoyed your hotel room shot. We have
a new entrant in to Couches Mount rushmore of awful takes. Man,

(01:44:29):
this is harsh. Number one Alex Carter is a better
quarterback than Cousins to the twenty twelve MSU football offense
might set the record for most for points.

Speaker 3 (01:44:37):
Score twenty eighteen, but close, yeah, yeah. Three.

Speaker 2 (01:44:40):
The Payne Appling basketball team is matchup proof and the
new one for someday Alan Haller will receive a standing
ovation at an MSU game.

Speaker 3 (01:44:49):
The word standing has been added to this take, and
it was never standing. I never said Stanning, I said
it applause. I don't think it was. Maybe said the
word ovation, but I think it just turned into a
spattering Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:44:59):
It.

Speaker 3 (01:44:59):
Basically my point is, ten years from now, if he's
at a basketball game at Breslin and the video board
shows him, there will be an applause for him, A
healthy applause. I would say, for Al, it will be
if Matt see if Matsy is there, I will pump
in the sound if I have to. You could, dude,
you're gonna be so loud, all right. Richard Kane number one.

Speaker 2 (01:45:20):
I think I've seen MSU's quarterbacks last name spelled about
eight different ways in Graham's various columns.

Speaker 3 (01:45:26):
That's a tough one to Kiffin.

Speaker 2 (01:45:28):
Leaving a championship contending team just a couple of weeks
before they begin their quest for a national title to
lead their number two rival is some of the lowest
mercenary behavior you'll ever.

Speaker 3 (01:45:38):
See a couple of things. Yeah, I mean, I would
say oh, miss if I were him. But the MSGRY
quarterback misspelling name, that's hard for me to do because
I do not trust my ability to spell Millavoyevich or
say it or say it. This but the point that
I usually copy it from either previous place or a

(01:46:02):
place where it's actually so somebody else is misspelling it.
If I'm misspelling it because that I'm not typing it out,
I'm not typing it out. Yeah I don't. I don't
think so. Yeah. Nice. I hope not push that blame.
But it's also possible that I misspell.

Speaker 2 (01:46:14):
Iire Richard Kine to edit your ship.

Speaker 3 (01:46:16):
Yeah. Gee. By the way, I do appreciate there are
a number of listeners and readers who email me typos,
including my mother, And I don't mind that, like, I'd
rather get it catch it like it's not a you
love those Well, I don't mind it. It's you know,
you know, you know, don't be a jerk about it,
but I do. I don't mind the asshole. Yeah, start

(01:46:36):
it with that g money number one. Everyone jumping on
the fits bandwagon deserves. The mid teams will have the
next three years to Bat should be in the hot
seat with how he handled the firing and with who
he hired hashtag fire team Bat three Baked ragnow has
killed our hopes twice this year. Bro ain't my line anymore?

(01:46:58):
I don't know, do we blame I guess, I guess
we blame rag Now. I just don't understand why we
had to announce it him coming back and all of
the circumstances. If I'm his wife, I'm concerned about his
health long term because if you don't know you have
but if you do, if you don't have it, if
you don't know you have a torn hamstring, Like I'm

(01:47:19):
worried that you don't know you what you on medication.
He's a prescription. I'm saying, I want a full body scanning.
Make sure you also you know you yeah, yeah, you
might have many other things. But how did he tear it?
When did he tear it? I don't know when he
was hunting or I think I think the blow out
that like hamstring and just like man, I'll tell you
what the least Frank Ragnow could do is have a

(01:47:41):
press conference and like just answer some questions because he
did you? Did you? Did you?

Speaker 2 (01:47:46):
Like I would like to see if he limps up
to the podium, like did you limp into the fucking like, hey, guys,
I mean I think what if you do you have
like a cast on your leg and you're like, I
think I can do this yeah, what about next year he.

Speaker 3 (01:48:01):
Done?

Speaker 2 (01:48:02):
That was the other thing, the announcement of the re retirement.
There was like, oh, you know, Frank's always a line anyway,
go about your fucking Thanksgiving. You know, it's like, ah,
anyway or you're weak. Sach mckins mckimstrey. That Jonathan Smith
didn't get the support he needs takes are ridiculous. He
didn't get the support he needs because major donors wouldn't
buy into him. How could you possibly watch any of

(01:48:24):
his interviews and press conferences and decide to fork over
a seven figure check.

Speaker 3 (01:48:31):
I mean I think that that pound.

Speaker 1 (01:48:33):
Boys.

Speaker 3 (01:48:33):
Look, it was his greatest weakness. I mean, obviously didn't
win games, but man like it just it his inability
to sell himself and to And I don't think he
I don't think he failed to communicate, like when he
was doing the job. I don't think it wasn't something
where I don't think he was like yeah, I don't
think he was stroking body blows, struggling to call a player,
to tell the quarterback, something like he couldn't form a
sentence even if sometimes they did work backwards like Yoda.

Speaker 2 (01:48:56):
But like I it just it was it was is
aiding Chiles to blame though somewhat at all. I know
we haven't mentioned his name, but like, did he stick
with Chiles too long? He might Ceo should have been
out there sooner.

Speaker 3 (01:49:10):
But he might have. But so, what are the games
you know you're gonna win? I mean, do you if
you go Alessio at Nebraska, you will go through the schedule.

Speaker 2 (01:49:16):
Please, I'd like to get out of here by midnight,
Mattie b. The fake outrage by high school officials over
a spartan logo at Ford Field is the softest thing
I've ever seen. I understand moving the games, but the
logo charmansoft.

Speaker 3 (01:49:31):
Yeah, I didn't. I didn't know how it was outraged.
I apparently the spartan logo at Ford Field is there.
And instead of the image you say, I don't, I
don't know. Look, it is the image you say. Weekend
Michigan State should bugger off and go do its home
thing at his own stadium.

Speaker 2 (01:49:43):
Bug off, Tim Horton number one. The Board of Trustees
blocks the Fitzgerald Higher. We are stuck with an interim
for twenty twenty six. Oh, this show would be great
to the MHSAA needs to change all football playoff rounds
except title games to Fridays.

Speaker 3 (01:49:58):
I don't know, Saturday. I love of high school football
playoffs on Saturdays. I enjoy it. Just means the games
are getting big. And by the way, jeff Hewart just
Texas said one hundred percent, Childs had a big hand
in it's going wrong. And maybe he didn't develop, but
I don't think it was for lack of effort. And
obviously if they had had sam Levitt over Chiles, would

(01:50:18):
he still be the coach? Probably that goes back to
a mistake he made in recruiting, right, I mean, he
just he just misjudged those two players. And look, it
wasn't the Childs wasn't a great prospect, but sam Levitt
was too, and he was right.

Speaker 2 (01:50:30):
But see, aren't those the big decisions big time coaches
have to make.

Speaker 1 (01:50:33):
That.

Speaker 2 (01:50:33):
I understand Chiles followed him from Oregon State and all that,
but when it isn't working to go, you know what, man,
I'm sorry, I got to make a change going into
this year.

Speaker 3 (01:50:41):
So but he made the change by it. So there
were there were two games they could have won and
maybe should have won, Minnesota and Iowa that he had
made the change, and if he wins those two games,
he's probably the coach he made the change earlier. You
know what, Nebraska, I Alessio came in and had you know,
showed some I mean the offensive line was still shit.
Oh my god. I mean yeah, we're.

Speaker 2 (01:51:03):
Gonna put back there SPARTI Ben. I have a feeling
we will be doing the same thing in two.

Speaker 3 (01:51:07):
To four years.

Speaker 2 (01:51:08):
I don't care that he was at Northwestern supposedly with
no money. He's three and twenty four in the Big
Ten West in his last three years.

Speaker 3 (01:51:16):
That's horrible.

Speaker 2 (01:51:17):
I would rather take it, take a swing on a
group of five coach like Chesney or Eck than a
guy who couldn't win the Big Ten West and lost
to a MAC team multiple times. I hope I'm wrong,
but I don't see it. And from Thomas, we'll be
back in the same spot in another two years. Hiring
an ad whose only goal is to please donors give

(01:51:38):
an MSU's major donor base means your speed running the
death and purgatorial existence of the football program.

Speaker 3 (01:51:45):
I don't think that's the way Bat thinks. I don't.
I think he is too big of an alpha personality
for that. But part of it is, you know, working
with the donors is unquestionably part of the job. I think.
I think Sparti, Ben's take here Chessney Iraq is one
hundred percent fair, and those guys would have been interesting
HighRes I like deck a lot, you know, I had

(01:52:06):
Chesney had an intriguing background. I hadn't read a ton
about him yet, I had read quite a bit on
ac and like one hundred percent, you could you could
have hired other people who might have been successful. I
happened to think Fitzgerald's got a chance to be despite
the numbers you point out there. But this is a
hundred percent fair take and a reasonable take to have
and to be less than thrilled and think there could

(01:52:27):
have been a better way to.

Speaker 2 (01:52:28):
Go Sparti, Ben, and Trey. When was Pat hired? When
did you first hear rumblings about fitz possibly heading to
MSU Saturday night? And who was the main group pushing
for him donors, former players Izzo D'Antonio, Jay Batt and
from David Jackson. I chatted with a donor in the
Munfield lot at the Penn State Game who I asked
about a possible new coach the matter of fact, he

(01:52:50):
said it's a done deal and the big dollar donors
want and will get Fitzgerald. One the obviously, uh, this
obviously was an open secret. And two the decision was
long ago.

Speaker 3 (01:53:01):
I don't know exactly how long. I mean, you can
read tea leaves on certain things on like a guy
like Fitzgerald, for one, saying that he wanted to go
somewhere with a really good basketball coach and things like
that in that interview on November sixth, I you know,
I can look back at text messages and it was
probably you know, in October November. You start early November,

(01:53:21):
you start asking some people names who they're hearing, where
people are, and Fitzgerald's name was popping up. Done deal.
I don't think is sure.

Speaker 2 (01:53:32):
Owners are out there in parking lots with loose lips.

Speaker 3 (01:53:34):
Yeah, but that's a yeah. And if you have a
little bit of beer in your hand and you're a
donor and you're you know, you're yeah, done deal, got it. Yeah.
I don't know that heos out anywhere. I don't know
that it was a done deal at that point. I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:53:45):
Yeah, FoST A and eighty uh one Graham, you mentioned
in your three hot takes on the hiring of Pat Fitzgerald.
That Fitzgerald's hiring was championed by top donors. Can you
name names? Are they all in alignment? This alum and
twelve years season ticket holder can't stomach many more years
of top donors, the athletic department and MSU's administration not

(01:54:06):
moving in.

Speaker 3 (01:54:06):
Lockstep with each other.

Speaker 2 (01:54:08):
If we still have factions among MSU's power brokers, neither
Fitzgerald nor any other coach will have a successful run
at MSU. Please elaborate what you know about this. Yeah,
my understanding is the.

Speaker 3 (01:54:22):
Names. No, I'm not going to do names, but the people.
First of all, I don't know all the names, but
I just make in terms of tears of people, there
was some momentum and some people who did want Jonathan
Smith back. This wasn't some but I think at the
toward the top it was. It was something that Fitzgerald
and moving on from him more so was something that

(01:54:42):
was wanted and if they were going to pay for it.
And I think when this all comes out, we'll sort
of see how that happens. I think that Jay Batt
was willing to do that. Aaron Whitford next.

Speaker 2 (01:54:53):
Pat Fitzgerald might have been a good hire in twenty fifteen,
but there is no reason to expect that he will
perform better than he did at the end of his
tenure at Northwestern. Feels like Mike Riley to Nebraska, but
wait until he has more resources is not a great criteria.
And from Ryan speaks, not excited about Pat Fitzgerald one
and eleven and three and nine in his last two seasons.

(01:55:15):
And I don't care about the COVID year. Always thought
he was a great fit for Northwestern, but figured MSU
could do better with their resources. So now are we
going after top tier players since all the donors are
behind fits?

Speaker 3 (01:55:27):
Please?

Speaker 2 (01:55:28):
I think next year at this time, we're going to
be wondering if we should have kept Smith. I mean, really, Aaron,
don't I don't think so.

Speaker 3 (01:55:36):
I don't think people are going to I don't know
what could happen to where I've been like, you know,
we should have kept so well, what would happen is
Smith finds a job somewhere else, starts winning big. Yeah,
but still it was time to end it. I mean,
it wasn't working wherever he wants And I just don't
and I don't think people are going to be bitter
towards Smith. I mean, Smith did not get them on probation.
He didn't get fired for you know, masturbating on the
phone with you know, with the offender.

Speaker 5 (01:55:58):
We don't have I don't I we don't have enough
time for all of that.

Speaker 3 (01:56:03):
He didn't talking about. He didn't embarrass the school other
than not winning. And well he has vacated wins, so
it's not on him. And then and then also the
players that did play for him, they at least played
hard to the end. This wasn't something where, you know,
you think back to that Penn State game two years
ago at ford Field, and I'm not saying that they
were just overmatch beyond belief. I'm not saying there was
too much quit. But how different this looked against Maryland.

(01:56:25):
These guys won their last game, They were still playing
toward the end. They weren't embarrassing in the university. They
were you know, representing the program with pride, and that
is you know, So I think Smith will be somebody
looked at as a failed coach. I do not think
he'll be looked at as somebody who people look at
it with disgrace or discussed years from now. Stephen Waite.

Speaker 2 (01:56:45):
Next, if you're paying Jonathan Smith thirty million to walk away,
make a bold move. Give Brian Hartline a blank check,
tell him to fill in the number and become MSU's
next head coach, and we'll see you after the playoffs.
By hiring Pat Fitzgerald, it sends the message that is
content with going six and six, seven and five, four
out of every five years, with the occasional four and

(01:57:05):
eight or eight and four season, that MSU isn't serious
about ever winning a Big Ten title or qualifying for
the playoffs. Thanks love the podcast and happy holiday.

Speaker 3 (01:57:14):
Appreciate you Steven. A couple things and let me know
if you agree with this. Jason, Like I think part
of like times are just changed. We don't know what
Pat Fitzgier will be with resources, assuming those are there,
constructing a roster in a program in this era. Sure,
and so again, if we're just going on what was

(01:57:34):
previously done at Northwestern, how he built it there, I
don't know, And again there were limitations there. Part of
the reason I think this has a chance to be
really good. I think he is a guy who has experience.
I think he's a guy who's got a chip on
his shoulder's probably been humbled a little bit, has always
wondered what he can do with more resources, and you know,
has been thinking about how he would do this right, right.

Speaker 2 (01:57:56):
I just don't think there's any wrong answer here. I
think that some people saying I think the wrong answer
is saying that in two years there's going to be
a new head coach.

Speaker 3 (01:58:03):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:58:03):
I think that's kind of crazy suck. But if you're
like Steve and you just want to say, I just
don't like what's you know, Fitzgerald did it Northwestern at
the end and all, you know, the lawsuit and all
that stuff, So I can understand what Steven is saying.

Speaker 3 (01:58:15):
So Chris next Graham.

Speaker 2 (01:58:18):
Called it absolutely despise hiring someone who went one in
eight in the fucking Big ten West three of his
last four years and has gone to combined four and
twenty since NIL started. But at least the chow donors
are happy now look forward to them paying his buyout
in the next two to four years, while we cap
out at maybe making a Bowl game and to bonus.

(01:58:38):
Attendance for ford Field was pitiful thirty three hundred and seventeen,
almost twenty thousands, not.

Speaker 3 (01:58:45):
That it was like it was fifteen twenty maybe Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:58:49):
Almost twenty thousand less than attended the snowstorm Rutgers game
last year, like I did for the full game, and
it wasn't just this team. Sixty thousand people showed up
to watch winless MSCU play winless Penn State Spartan Stadium.
MSU could never do that again.

Speaker 3 (01:59:02):
Yeah, I mean, I think the weather played a fair
part in it was. There was a lot fewer than
fifty thousand last year in Spartan Stadium. There are a
lot fewer than thirty thousand this year at Ford Field.

Speaker 2 (01:59:15):
Yeah, this is that what they announced, Yeah, because that's
what the soleket tickets sold were or distributed.

Speaker 3 (01:59:22):
I yeah, it was not a great crowd, and I
think some of it had to do with weather, but
not all of it. I think this was a people
speaking to how they felt about the program. And I
don't know that a big showing would have changed anything, though,
I don't. I don't think it would have would have
been wild if there was a big show, like sixty
thousand people there snowing. We want more from Smith, We
want more from Smith.

Speaker 2 (01:59:42):
It's a little wordy, but you know, work on it,
purple eminem. Next, does the university have any idea how
this hire looks given the near decade of institutional dysfunction,
and who the hell will want their kid to play
for a guy who won adamantly has publicly fought against
their rights as student athletes, and two allowed hazing to
happen under his watch.

Speaker 3 (02:00:03):
Oh is this the union?

Speaker 2 (02:00:04):
Mo?

Speaker 3 (02:00:05):
Well? The union thing is, yeah, it is something that
I think people were he was against. You know, he
was against that and it was a different time, but
still that that's gonna gonna follow him a little bit too. Well.
Listen to that podcast he did with Pete Thaniel. Absolutely,
you should. People should listen. They should go get all
the information they can. I look, I think that it

(02:00:26):
is hard to find a football coach who's perfect. I mean,
Mark D'Antonio recruited a defensive tackle who had red flags everywhere,
who came here and raped a gymnast. Right that that
is That is on D'Antonio forever. That is a stain
on his his And for all the nice things about D'Antonio,

(02:00:46):
knew he's gonna rape something, No, but this was a
guy he was told to stay away from. This wasn't
the other, This wasn't Cornley advanced stuff. Roberson. Yeah, right.
You look at every coach, every coach, A lot of
coaches have something, have an issue. These are imperfect people,
and the question is can you live with the imperfections?
Do you fear those imperfections are character flaws that will

(02:01:09):
bring down your university? Michigan State has a shitty history
on a number of fronts with this stuff, and so
the question is can they compete in sport when there
aren't perfect people out there? How do you find those people?
And again, I don't know the you know, when you
look at Chesney or Eck, I don't know they're full
pastor if there will be any issues there. But a
lot of these guys have something that somewhere along the

(02:01:30):
line is something you can point to. And Fitzgerald definitely does.

Speaker 2 (02:01:36):
Derek and Cleveland next, Hey Graham, hope you're surviving.

Speaker 3 (02:01:40):
I like that.

Speaker 2 (02:01:41):
Here is my hot take as a personality fit. This
is a home run, defensive guy, Midwest roots fundraising machine,
and we'll understand the Michigan rivalry. Everything out screams total
disaster hazing scandal, horrible record three of the last four
years at Northwestern, and has no players to bring with him.
That said, Jay that won't remain in the job through

(02:02:01):
twenty twenty six.

Speaker 3 (02:02:02):
Wow, well, there's gonna be a lot to write about.
This is gonna yeah, write this one down. What he
does say? So just Jay batt gets fired and or
he moves on to something to something else. Yeah, I
don't see that. I think, you know, if Gus Gowitz
is there, I think Bat sticks around j D on
day one.

Speaker 2 (02:02:18):
Fitzgerald is a much better fit for MSU than Smith
ever was or could be. Thankfully, the fan Perpetual Grievance
Society didn't get a chance to whine about every coach
rumor leaked by their agents, but they're making up for
it with their ranting about Fitzgerald.

Speaker 3 (02:02:34):
Oh there's more so, Oh shit, he'll.

Speaker 2 (02:02:36):
Be supremely motivated for this chance coach to coach the
Big ten again, And you can damn well be sure
he'll take the Michigan game.

Speaker 3 (02:02:43):
Seriously. Yeah, I know, I think I think there are
elements of him that'll be a fit. And obviously there
are a lot of people and we're reading him here
who aren't is enthusiastic about it and not? You know,
not all some are Michigan fans, I think, but not.
There are a lot of Michigan State fans who feel so.

Speaker 2 (02:02:57):
Are you looking forward to tomorrow when he addresses the
Michigan rivalry, Someone's gonna ask him right, like he's got
to do the He's got to come up with something.

Speaker 3 (02:03:05):
Yeah, I mean, I'm yeah. I don't know if I'm
looking forward to more. I hate these pomp I hate
these pumping circumstance press conferences. They're like my least favorite
thing about the job. I don't know if there's other
than like transcribing like forty thousand quotes, forty thousand inches
of quotes. I should say. I think these these press
conferences and how they're set up, and I understand why

(02:03:26):
they do them. I'm not I would do the same
thing about our Michigan State. I just I do not
enjoy them. I mean, I felt all of fred human. Yeah,
I can understand that. What time is it tomorrow? Three o'clock?

Speaker 2 (02:03:36):
Nice Sparti Barb number one. Shout out to MSU women's
soccer on a great year. Tough loss in Palo Alto,
but this team has a great future to the Pat Fitzgerald.
Higher would be more exciting if MSU was also announcing
a significant increase to football nil contributions. None of this
will work without money for a high level tank without
high level talent. Three, The performance against North Carolina and

(02:03:59):
Fort Myers was an is oh masterclass and tenacity. This
MSU team is competing for the Big Ten title. Bonus
MSU basketball beats Iowa by fifteen and Duke by ten.

Speaker 3 (02:04:09):
Go Green, Go God.

Speaker 2 (02:04:12):
Let's go Green, Go God.

Speaker 3 (02:04:13):
If Michigan State beats Iowa by fifteen and Duke by ten.
This this podcast, yeah, people are going to explode here.
It'll be it'll be an incredible uh and incredible Monday.

Speaker 2 (02:04:24):
Oh bibblehead in studio, we're spoken.

Speaker 3 (02:04:26):
To joints especially you know, I forgot the Lions are
Thursday night this week, so that will be a part
of our Friday show. Your mood and how that goes,
all that, all that already prepared. Let's take one last break,
come back and finish up. Oh sorry, I got you going?
All right, Let's take one last break and finish up.
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Speaker 2 (02:07:38):
Will you be wearing one tomorrow? With the presser all right,
kinglyon number one, it's how the Lions lost. That's the
issue we got YETI slapped on fourth down they beat
us at our own game. And the sad reality is
we can have our views on the window, but this
is a wasted year regardless. Now it's basketball season. Pistons
look great and MSU versus Michigan is going to be epic.

Speaker 3 (02:08:01):
Pistons do look great. They do look great. That's a
fun story, and shout out JB. Bickerstaff.

Speaker 2 (02:08:07):
Yes, yeah, thank you Pistons for saving the season too.

Speaker 3 (02:08:10):
And MSU Michigan and basketball and hockey, I mean just
both those. It's yeah, I mean, uh yeah, it's it's fun.
It's that the hockey and basketball rivalries I enjoy so
much more than the football rivalry because you don't have
the same build up of banks and you don't have
the consequences of it. You don't there is nothing you
can talk smack, but what does that mean? Next year

(02:08:30):
is a different year? Like you did. You did nothing
to really have a one up, you know, it just
it just makes it. I'm not saying they're not intense
and fun and there's in gratification when you beat your rival,
but it's just a healthier place to be than football.

Speaker 2 (02:08:44):
Dave Barwaldi next, the best thing I heard so far
is that Fitzgerald should unlock donor money without the dough
will continue to be relegated to irrelevance.

Speaker 3 (02:08:53):
Yep. So much of it now is about and he
talked about that in that podcast again that I've referenced
about how you know you start at zero with the
with the revshare money. Everybody's got that. It's what you
do beyond that that separates you.

Speaker 2 (02:09:05):
Frank Venger, whatever that name is, coach of Domin's, strikes
again by predicting the Fitzgerald hire when you found out
were you wearing pants?

Speaker 3 (02:09:18):
When I put that in there, it wasn't like I
hadn't already heard his name as one possibility when I
put that in the prediction, while ago I thought it
was a possible. Don't be humble.

Speaker 2 (02:09:28):
Now, come on, you were blowing yourself last night on Twitter.
Just keep doing it on the show. It's fun.

Speaker 3 (02:09:33):
It's busting your balls.

Speaker 2 (02:09:35):
Listen, man, when you get something right though, I mean, hey,
it's important, like, oh you're humble on the podcast, but
on Twitter you're just firing out while on a toilet Twitter.

Speaker 3 (02:09:44):
I also had like all sorts of chemicals going through
me yesterday. You did because you have to take when
you two this, you'll see you get these. You have
to drink this this prep, this colonoscopy prep. It's not
it's not fun stuff. It's not doesn't taste great. And
you have to drink like basically the amount of it's
like eight ounces of it, four times over the course

(02:10:04):
of an hour. Then you have to do it again later.
And if you didn't do it, would they be able
to tell yes, that's and they send you right away,
send you home.

Speaker 2 (02:10:10):
Yeah, they said that. Yeah, in fact, that the nurse
if you drink half of it, would they know?

Speaker 3 (02:10:14):
One of the nurses came in and said, you know,
because I was the second scheduled one this morning. Guy
logs up there. Guy No, but she said it'll either
be like five minutes or half an hour, because sometimes
you get in there and somebody didn't do the prep
properly and that's it. Then you can't do it. Pull
that thing right out.

Speaker 2 (02:10:29):
I'd be embarrassing, like go through the whole wake up
and what I gotta do this. You didn't drink that
whole thing, did you?

Speaker 3 (02:10:35):
Oh? Man, No, I gotta drink the whole thing.

Speaker 2 (02:10:37):
Zebrowska's spartan. Next Graham, how much was the cost of
the deep clean on your house. After it was confirmed
State was hiring Fitzgerald.

Speaker 3 (02:10:45):
Oh shit.

Speaker 2 (02:10:46):
I think the hire makes a lot of sense, But
it's only going to work if there's a genuine donor
support and goodwill from the fans. I want to believe,
but he has to deliver.

Speaker 3 (02:10:55):
Yeah, and it'll be interesting to see how quickly he
delivers and to what extent and what looks like in
year one and how people feel about that. The good
news for him, and I think even for fans who
are craving something and but but also need some stability,
is this. They're not going to do another two year
cycling out like they need to get this right, and

(02:11:17):
this is the guy that's been chosen by the current
administration and by current donor types want this like this.
Either get this right, or you got big problems long
term and you stick with this long enough to get
it right.

Speaker 2 (02:11:30):
Pete Duran next, this was the most disinterested I've ever
been during a college football season since I was six
years old. I'm sure MSU sucking is a large part
of that, but just never fell in love with any
of the stories around the sport this year. Sure, I'm
not the only one wonder why that is. I think
a lot of people are less interested. Now heat's not lying,

(02:11:51):
I've been Yeah, it's my interest level is like I get,
like I said before on the show, is like I'm
going to watch the college football playoff games. I'm excited
for that, But this regular season, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (02:12:01):
I think college football has a little bit of a
problem with that. I think it's an NBA type issue
where the discourse around it a lot of people still
don't listening to podcasts and national stuff and their interest,
but the actual games are less in the regular season,
less important and less musty TV correct until the playoffs.
Like the NBA, I watch other than the Pistons. You know,

(02:12:22):
I'll have an NBA game out in the background late
if I'm working. But like, I watched very little NBA,
but I watched everything in the playoffs. I love the playoffs,
and but I listened to a lot of NBA podcasts
and other things. It's just the way I, you know,
the way I digest the NBA is is the way
I think college basketball is gonna. Be careful not to
be headed because a lot of these you know, a
lot of these network deals and stuff like that, And

(02:12:44):
I get that it's worked for the NBA and they've
just gotten a huge, huge amount of money in live
sports are still where things are. But I think Chrysalauri
is calling me. I'll call him back later. Do it live? Yeah, Graham, Graham, Graham,
Graham Cram. But yeah, I think college football has got
to be careful. You got to make sure your regular
season matters and people want to be interested in And

(02:13:06):
to do that you probably have to get to contracts
and people somehow liking the regular season, liking what's going
on a little more.

Speaker 2 (02:13:14):
Donni Ferraro next, don't hate the Fitzgerald High at all.
While there are undoubtedly some areas of concern, he was
able to do a lot with less at Northwestern, While
the same could be said about Jonathan Smith at Oregon State.
Fits is a much better cultural fit and has big
ten Midwest ties. He will meet the fans where they are,
like coach d which will at least buy him some

(02:13:35):
extra time if needed. More most importantly, it sounds like
he will have some major financial backing from donors.

Speaker 3 (02:13:41):
Yeah, you got to meet meeting people where they are
matters and look, coach uh, he's my coach, but Mark
D'Antonio fitz Mark D'Antonio had many detractors who are even
part of this podcast at the end, like there was
a lot of frustration with his offense and lack of
changing staff, an imperfect coach, especially at the end, and
there are you know, signs that you know previously Batt

(02:14:03):
Fitzgerald's offenses have not always been a whole lot of fun,
and so like, you know, he'll have to you know,
there might be some frustration with him. Who knows, We'll
see who he hires. I mean, yet, we don't have
any idea what his staff is yet, and I think
that will be somewhat telling.

Speaker 2 (02:14:15):
Sparty party next. I'd rather be the gay guy at
the bottom of the stairs or the crusty sock below
Chad Latt's bed. When you two this, when you two
this week, with all the hot takes about to roll in,
God speed ladies and gentlemen.

Speaker 3 (02:14:30):
Gentlemen.

Speaker 2 (02:14:31):
Yeah, this whole thing was Jesus. Wait, this whole thing
was put together wrong by you.

Speaker 3 (02:14:34):
That's my bad. Yeah, this party party, we appreciate you.
He was basically saying, Yeah, it's long. It is a
long show. This is our longest I want to. It
is legit hot in here. Yeah, but in a Muskox flannel,
I'm still pretty comfortable. I mean it's warm. That's the thing.
You don't One of the best things about a Muskox
is when you walk into a house party where it's
a little warm and it was cold outside, you'd adjust
with you like you don't need to like, oh my god,

(02:14:54):
I gotta take this off. You know. We all have
those shirts where you're like, it's just you can get hot,
you can get and it's just never gonna feel that way.

Speaker 2 (02:15:01):
How many house parties you've been been too? Quite a
few over the course of time.

Speaker 3 (02:15:05):
Oh, that's right.

Speaker 2 (02:15:05):
You live in that weird neighborhood where you guys just
walk into each other's houses and play games and stuff.

Speaker 3 (02:15:11):
We would like Pat Fachild to live in ourighborhood, by
the way, too. Oh I'm sure. No more white hills,
none of that bullshit pudgy creature. Next.

Speaker 2 (02:15:17):
I think Fitzgerald will give the program consistency for the
foreseeable future, which will be nice. I think lots of
people are going to bash MSU, but I personally think
it's a fine hire. People want splashy hires. I just
want a tough guy head coach that won't embarrass us.
I believe Fitzgerald does that. Not necessarily the end game
for MSU, but maybe a five to six year plan

(02:15:39):
to just build and keep us relevant as the NIL
world is figured out. I think the expectations are generally
too high for MSU. We were spoiled by D'Antonio.

Speaker 3 (02:15:51):
People want those years back, and it's again we talked
about Iowa earlier and how they don't have that team
sort of you know, staring down at them and having
Michigan be where they've been and we'll see where Michigan is.
I think this is a you know, Michigan's you know,
we'll see what happens with Shroan more here and what
where that program goes. But having Michigan at the top

(02:16:12):
the last few years has made this a lot worse
for MSUE.

Speaker 2 (02:16:14):
Alex Brandon next. By my math, the last four years
of MSU football was the worst four year span since
the nineteen eighty through eighty three seasons Smith had to go.
Even new coaches in that time frame were getting to
six wins at this point. Even if fits as a
C minus higher. We needed a change.

Speaker 3 (02:16:35):
They definitely needed a change. I think that was what
had been come.

Speaker 2 (02:16:38):
But is that a good mentality to have, Like, oh,
you're just bringing a C minus? Like I know, you
have an opportunity to make a hire that could change
the you know, the program for a decade to come here.

Speaker 3 (02:16:48):
Because Smith could have been You can get a C
minus out of Smith. You didn't need. The idea behind
Fitzgerald is you're hiring an AA and you know a
guy who's gonna be an a coach for you. That's
the idea. I mean, you wouldn't. You don't make this
higher if you don't think it's going to be the
right higher for your program to get your program where
you want to be and be competitive. You're not doing
it for just stability or just to be you know,

(02:17:09):
somewhat competitive. Again, bebe plum.

Speaker 2 (02:17:11):
Seeing the Maryland win, I guarantee you that Smith will
never lose another game at MSU.

Speaker 3 (02:17:16):
I feel bad for the dude, though, you know, I
do actually feel a little bad for Jonathan Smith. Not
bad bad because he got thirty some million and he
gets it, he understands that this, but I do.

Speaker 2 (02:17:32):
I felt bad that he had to like answer the
question after the Maryland game, though, just like has anyone
told you anything?

Speaker 3 (02:17:38):
He's like, I'm the have no idea. I just feel
more bad that he probably thinks he could have done
this if he didn't if he actually had the support
he needed. He probably thinks that, and he probably will
never know if he could have gotten it done. I
don't know if he could have or not, but he
didn't have the support Nick Foster.

Speaker 2 (02:17:51):
Number one, the Fitzgerald think Fitzgerald is a great fit,
but will he get more financial support than Smith? The
only way I see this being successful the way Spartan
fans view success for the football program.

Speaker 3 (02:18:02):
And two, Spartan basketball.

Speaker 2 (02:18:03):
Is looking great. If they go to and Oh this week,
they'll be top four next week.

Speaker 3 (02:18:09):
For sure they'd beat Duke. Yeah, no, for sure, that's
that's uh. That would be something that would really elevate Duke.

Speaker 2 (02:18:15):
Is Duke the on TV Moll then leave it to
Beava reruns. And the thing is they number Pete Gillen.
That's what he used to say, Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's
getting late. You're good saying shit, No I and and
and Michigan Sate gets through this week. If they were
to get undefeed. Even if they have a good week
and go one and one. What comes after this week?
They get a little they get a week off, then

(02:18:36):
they play uh, you know, Penn State team they ought
to beat on the road, and a couple of mid majors.
Like it's a really good place. You probably go into
January in a great spot if you can do this
week right, fear Spartan's next. I'm not sure there was
a home run higher outside of Franklin this cycle for MSU.
But how well will hiring someone who can't bring his
own players in this era will translate in year one

(02:18:56):
and two? See Belichick Belichick bonus would be interesting. In
Graham's take on the Players Era tournament.

Speaker 3 (02:19:03):
Did you watch any of that Player's era college basketball
tournament in Vegas over Thanksgiving?

Speaker 1 (02:19:08):
No?

Speaker 3 (02:19:08):
Okay I did not. Yeah, I don't. So I am
sad that certain things like the Maui Invitational. And this
is not just because I get to go to Mali
WANs every five years or whatever. I'm I'm the Maui
Invitational in terms of a tournament that I enjoy watching,
whether I'm there or not. I think is one of
the great classic long term historic traditional college basketball tournaments,
and they always had a great field, and you know,
you're playing three games in three days and it's you

(02:19:30):
don't know who you're playing. I really enjoyed it. I
understand why coaches don't love it, like I don't think
Michigan State's going back either way. And I because part
of the challenge is it takes a lot out of
your traveling all the way out there. Three games in
three days, you got to do a lot of prep
for a lot of different teams. You know, so you
don't know who you're playing, and and you know something
can say it prepares you for the postseason. I don't

(02:19:50):
think they want it yet. They prefer to know who
they're going to play or do something with two games,
like you saw in Fort Myers, the players errating. I mean,
I get the that's where we're going with that il
and all that stuff. I didn't love that. There were
reports of media members being paid or having like their
hotels comped and things like that. I don't know how
true that was. To like to say nice things about it.

(02:20:12):
It has no tradition, you know, I don't. I didn't.
I didn't, to be honest, I didn't watch any of it.
So there's there's that too, But I don't know it
sounds I'm not against it. I just I don't really
love this.

Speaker 2 (02:20:24):
Was there like a monetary like, was there the players
getting paid?

Speaker 3 (02:20:27):
Yeah? Yeah, this thing? Yeah right, yeah, the Michigan want it. Yeah,
they won a lot of money.

Speaker 2 (02:20:30):
Oh shit, okay, uh Spartan fan and Toledo next. I
wanted Smith to work out, but his public speaking drove
me crazy. He always referred to MSU as this place
and this thing was another favorite.

Speaker 3 (02:20:43):
He often used.

Speaker 2 (02:20:44):
Couch mentioned those his lack of communication skills in his column.

Speaker 3 (02:20:48):
Did he notice that too? Yes, for a long time,
I mean it was I enjoyed his sometimes this thing
yeahs n Yeah, you would say that all the time,
we gotta get this thing. Yeah. I enjoyed his Yoda
like like I would transcribe quotes and I would look
at them written down and it would be very Yoda form.
But yeah, it was frustrating, and I think it was

(02:21:08):
frustrating for me because I'm somebody who has a lot
of weaknesses in life, but that part of it isn't
one of them. And I enjoy people communicate well and
coaches who can and but you both do Yoda impressions.
But do you think that Bill Beakman.

Speaker 2 (02:21:23):
That was when Couch is put on the spot look
at Yoda and he just yelled Bill Beakman's name.

Speaker 3 (02:21:30):
At the end for no reason. Oh man, this show's
the best. Uh.

Speaker 2 (02:21:34):
Sparty guy fits is a great hire. He is the
new president eighties guy with them and is a rolling
in the same direction. It's exciting. He's a passionate coach,
very well respected, two decades of experience, had a sabbatical
where he spent learning from other programs. End of story,
well done. Well, I mean the story now is to
be written at Michigan State. It's not the end of

(02:21:55):
the story in terms of why he's enticing.

Speaker 3 (02:21:57):
Some of that is there, But now.

Speaker 2 (02:21:59):
It's the ask about the sabbatical, like did he go
do ayahuasca and like studied an il?

Speaker 3 (02:22:05):
Like what does that mean? Yeah? No, I think he
talked to a lot of coaches and a lot of
programs about and tried to figure out how they were
doing it. Like one of the things he brought up
is he looked at all the number of transfers and
programs that were struggling and the number forty seemed to
be something that was too much like if you had
more than forty transfers in your program you weren't doing well,
that you'd lose your culture, you lose something. So there

(02:22:26):
is you want to have a lot of transfers, but
you want there is a line you don't want to cross, right,
and so it's sort of studying those things as you're
starting to think about how you would build your own
program in this year. Things he probably wouldn't have done otherwise.
I think that's that's so he went a like nil
school essentially. That was that's what we're calling the sabbatical. Yeah,
Aaron Luneke next number one.

Speaker 2 (02:22:45):
Haven't paid attention to games on a regular basis since
before Tucker used a telephone with one of his hands,
haven't cared hard to with annual roster movement and being
pretty terrible on a consistent basis. This hire does little
for me, and I hope I'm wrong. To the Lions
fans need a chill the whole. Ben Johnson was the
key to the Lion's success. Thing is wild. The Lions

(02:23:06):
have missed ragnow more than they ever have. Ben Johnson
is he a good coach? So far, it's been twelve
games with the last play schedule. Maybe let something play
out before reacting immediately. Aaron, you don't have Bears fans
in your house or friends that are Bears fans, and
they're in first place with the guy that was here

(02:23:26):
last year. To say that, it's wild to say that
the Ben Johnson was the key to the Lion's success.
I think it's wild that you said that, because it is.
He's one of the reasons. Why right, you have to
give him credit. What he's doing in Chicago, schedule or not.
The culture there is great, and he's got a good team.
I mean, well, you can't.

Speaker 3 (02:23:44):
I don't know. I hate it, despise it anyway.

Speaker 2 (02:23:49):
Couch on Fire not a big fan of the fits
higher C grade, he says, but if he brings in
Bulla as defensive coordinator, I'll feel a little better. Well,
couch on Fire, Graham said, it's happening. Then, I said,
earlier than the show. Bonus really worried this morning that
Jason's inner Lions fan is starting to die again. This
franchise still seems to do nothing but tease us and
never deliver.

Speaker 3 (02:24:11):
You're not You're a long way from the dead Inside.

Speaker 2 (02:24:13):
I just said at the beginning of the show, I said,
I've you know, I've had enough mgs where it's a
you know, dead inside. Jason Lyons fan came out and said, hey,
hey man, that's it. That's where I'm at right now.
I'm no, it's not. I still I want to believe
in this season. But if you're asking me an honest answer,
how I feel right now this team is not making
the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (02:24:31):
I hope they prove me wrong. It stinks.

Speaker 2 (02:24:33):
Lion's reply, Guy, do you think it's more likely the
Lions went on Thursday in a blowout or loss lose
Thursday in a blowout. If I had to pick between
the two, it's a home game, right, yeah, I have
to win, right in a blowout. He's asking if they
win in a blowout, they're not at home.

Speaker 3 (02:24:52):
I would hope not.

Speaker 2 (02:24:53):
But if I had to pick, I don't see the
Lions blowing Dallas out. The way that Dallas is playing
right now, I don't see a blowout. So if I
had to pick out of the two, I want to
answer his question.

Speaker 3 (02:25:03):
So I hate it. I hate life. That's the answer.

Speaker 1 (02:25:07):
G E.

Speaker 2 (02:25:07):
Miller hate this Higher four and twenty in the final
two years at Northwestern, fired in disgrace with a horrific
culture that's bad. Even worse, he brings zero recruits or players,
zero coaches with him, opposite of Signetti. There's zero momentum.
This is a Belichick higher money will need to be
Ohio state level or he's dead on arrival.

Speaker 3 (02:25:29):
Wow, a lot of negativity towards the show. I did
not anticipate this level of I thought there'll be a
lot of so so or the kind of the way
you've Graham, you called it. Well, no, I didn't think
it was gonna be back. Good job, Graham. Hope you're
living well. In the slack channel at the athletic, there's
not that much backslapping, but like what oh sorry little anyway,
shots fire, Yeah, yeah, anyway. I've just heard that's what

(02:25:52):
might happen to this in the slack channels at the
athletic from people who work at the athletic. Some of
them will be done on this show. But I did think,
you know, I thought there'd be all sorts of feelings
about him, but I didn't know that there would be
this many people were this out this early, and obviously
I think he'll have a better chance of changing minds
because again I think he's a better communicator at least

(02:26:13):
or changing anticipation for him. But there's a little more
negativity than I anticipated, and I thought more people would
feel like you like that. There were other candidates that
were probably more intriguing to you, but you're sort of
wait and see.

Speaker 2 (02:26:27):
I think tomorrow at three o'clock things will change, though. Okay,
I think people will see the presser and maybe change
their mindy, Ben Jen, I'm glad Smith is gone, but
I have zero excitement for fits. Tell me what players
he kept, which ones he got, and show me seven
wins next year, and then my excitements meter.

Speaker 3 (02:26:41):
Excitement meter will be above zip. Yeah, oh above zip. Yeah.
I can't do that for you, Jesus, right man.

Speaker 2 (02:26:48):
Sorry, Benjin Sunshine Spartan number one. The Lions will not
make the playoffs too. If Pat Fitzgerald is the choice,
well done, well done. The previous ad would have fired
and waited sox weeks to start interviewing someone. Sorry, Graham
Alan Haller set back the football team five years.

Speaker 3 (02:27:09):
Yeah, I don't know that he did look up for
your boy man, Yeah, I like he didn't make the
hire that worked, and there's no doubt about it. But
I think a lot of people thought it was a
good higher at the time, including myself and a lot
of people who are have since turned against him. Sometimes
you make what looks like a smart higher and it
doesn't work out. Now, Oh sorry, were there signs that
Alan Haller should have seen with him? Maybe? I mean

(02:27:29):
I think like, if I'm doing that interview, I would
have I would have been a little concerned about the
speaking part of things, but that's just me and I
would probably hire the greatest speaker and worst coach all
the time.

Speaker 2 (02:27:40):
You and I listened in right to Jonathan Smith if
we interviewed him and we walked out of the room.

Speaker 3 (02:27:45):
Like did he say aw shucks? Like dude, for real?

Speaker 2 (02:27:48):
I mean right, I just would have been like, there's
no way this is gonna work.

Speaker 3 (02:27:52):
And sometimes you have to like you Like I've interviewed
people for jobs before when I was a sports editor
and I was a young, really young guy. Let's see
your Twitter and with Twitter did not exist, thankfully, or
I don't know how to have made it at all,
because lord knows what I would have written. But the
because sometimes I still get those like Facebook, and I
don't know if it was tied to Twitter or just
Facebook memories pop up. There's things I put on Facebook,

(02:28:15):
apparently at one point humiliating, Like I was a more
on just like fifteen years ago and I was like thirty,
I was.

Speaker 2 (02:28:20):
Don't even talk about MySpace. I'm so glad that thing
is fired off the planet.

Speaker 3 (02:28:24):
What's like the worst thing you ever put on MySpace?
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (02:28:27):
I just know I had bedazzled, like I had music
and things were playing, and I had a top five
friend list. It was douche beyond douche. And I even
got Douche and Fate on Facebook and like eight or seven.
I mean, that's why I had to get rid of Facebook,
because I, like you said they would give you these memories.

Speaker 3 (02:28:43):
I'm like, oh Jesus, I don't want that. I don't
want that. Is a story we're telling, presented by our
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(02:29:04):
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Lansing Gwen Doffler.

Speaker 2 (02:29:23):
Mcv MSU fans are living up to the reputation of
being whiners and being the aggravate it aggrieved all while
the football program is the college football equivalent of a
porta potty filled with hot dog water. Interesting, man up
and support your new coach or continue to torture yourselves
on Saturdays.

Speaker 3 (02:29:43):
I think people will support, people will come around. I
think people are just skeptical, and it's okay to have that.
People shouldn't feel. People should feel how they feel. And
does he have to win this press conference tomorrow? No,
we didn't have to just have to win games. I
just wanted to say that nobody ever has to win
the press conference anymore. There's just so much more to that.
I've always wanted to say. Somebody will write that dumb
ass column. It's like writing about you know, Trek Scooble

(02:30:03):
losing on opening day and not be able to win
with Cy Young. There is a point where you just
have to slow back. Yeah, there you go, Dave Laken
number one.

Speaker 2 (02:30:11):
When Pat Fitzgerald was coaching Northwestern, I was always impressed
with how their football team performed against bigger schools with
more resources. If jay Back comes up with the resources,
the Spartans will be competitive in the Big Ten in
two years nationally in three two. You know the refs
are against you when one on one play the Lions
are penalized for having twelve men on the field before

(02:30:32):
the ball was snapped, and then on the next play,
Green Bay gets a time out after the snap was
snapped and they would have been penalized for a legal motion.
The ref suck, But when you're playing bad, it's hard
to blame the rest. But that called with lafor in
the touchdown with Wis I mean, I don't know how
that was and it could it could have changed the
game right so well. I problem I had with with

(02:30:54):
giving Wicks the touchdown after you know they thought he
bobbled it is that the referees confirmed it within like
twelve seconds when they normally look at these plays for
five to ten minutes. Youn't you need to go into
the hood and look at it before you just come
back out of them. Now it's a touchdown. Just we
get fucked every time, Graham Carpenter Number one, what do
you think Pat Fitzgerald can do at Michigan State with

(02:31:15):
real resources and support behind him that he can never
do it Northwestern? And how quickly do you see that
pain off?

Speaker 3 (02:31:22):
And too?

Speaker 2 (02:31:22):
If Fitzgerald brings in a strong staff and uses the
portal aggressively, is it fair to expect MSU to take
a real step forward as soon as next season or
should fans look at this as a two year rebuild?

Speaker 3 (02:31:36):
Well? Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I think in
this day and age, you can do things relatively quickly.
He doesn't have a roster to bring with him. Obviously,
it'll be interesting to see who he retains on his
current roster. I do think there's some promising players that
will be part of who they can be next year.
But they need to go out and there needs to

(02:31:57):
be money to spend on legitimate dtackles, guys who make
They need they need to buy some difference makers and
spend on some difference makers and and make the right
decisions with those guys. And you know, I don't know
what to expect that. I don't know how much time
is fair anymore. I've really lost a sense of that.
And if if I had it, I would better be
able to judge, you know, Jonathan Smith or or patatgeriald

(02:32:19):
early on. And it's I think this stuff is really
hard now, and it was always hard, but it's like,
you know, you got to recruit your own staff, you
got to your your own players, you got to bring
in other guys, and you've got to convince people you
know that your place is a place to be when
you don't have a lot of success to draw from,
so you're gonna have to overpay. Like I think, it's
a hard job. I'm but he talked a big game

(02:32:41):
in that, and I think he'll talk a big game
on Tuesday at three o'clock. I'm very curious to see
what he does. And I think and I just don't
think it's a bad hire. I think it's an intriguing higher.
Will it work? I have no idea.

Speaker 2 (02:32:52):
Dang it, Bobby, Next number one, Those who are focusing
on Fitzgerald's last couple of seasons at Northwestern are ignoring
his overall wreck five nine plus win seasons there is
impressive and too. MSU should do what it takes to
keep alese EO. He could be our two thousand and
seven Brian Hoyer next season.

Speaker 3 (02:33:12):
I mean you definitely want I mean you can go
out and get a different quarterback, maybe just as good,
but you've got a guy I think who has promised
right in the building.

Speaker 2 (02:33:19):
That would be my focus them kerrm at the Spartan
the Pat Fitzgerald higher feels like a good move and
attempting hiring the great coach rather than hiring the most
attractive numbers. I've always liked Fits when he was at Northwestern.
I'm intrigued to see what Fits can do at a
larger program with strong donor support.

Speaker 5 (02:33:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:33:38):
I think this is the way a lot of people
feel too. I think people are all over the place.
We have had more negativity though Jason than I anticipated.

Speaker 2 (02:33:43):
So like nine wins Northwestern, so you're expecting, like, if
he can do it there, what do we expect a high?

Speaker 3 (02:33:49):
Eleven wins? Ye, that's a higher ceiling. It's easier to
sustain at MSU. I have one hundred MSU Stan.

Speaker 2 (02:33:53):
How does Fitzgerald's track record at Northwestern translate to MSU's
current roster and recruiting situation and what should be the
bar for judging his first season in East Lancy.

Speaker 3 (02:34:04):
Yeah, and to the previous point too. I think part
of that, though, is the world has completely changed what
he did at Northwestern previously. Is you know, not how
you build a program exactly anymore. I think there are
levels of experience that do help. But yeah, in terms
of you know, what should be the bar for judging
his first season? I think what we wanted for Jonathan Smith,

(02:34:24):
I think you wanted competence. You remember that Iowa game
and feeling like, wow, they found something that this is
a really good performance coming off a bye against a
decent team, and they beat Iowa and then things fell apart.
You want a team that that you just want competence
in games. You want a team that finishes games as
well as they possibly can. You want a program that
shows some promise, and you want some young players to

(02:34:46):
think good things about. And I think if you can
get to a bowl game where Michigan State hasn't been
for a long time. I understand Bowl games don't mean
much anymore. I think it would mean something that issue.

Speaker 2 (02:34:55):
But isn't like Fitzgerald's staff the bigger higher than Fitzgerald
himself almost you know what I mean? Like it just
matters who he brings in to get this ground running. Yes, right,
he's a that's a big steed players fast. Izzo's no
longer got to go. Now that that's settled, can we
talk about the formula for MSU getting to ten wins
every few years? Cupcake out of the conference, out of

(02:35:15):
conference schedule, for giving big ten schedule, I e. Miss
Ohio State and Oregon and go six and two. MSU
has the resources to do that every three ish years.

Speaker 3 (02:35:24):
Go do it fits? Yeah, I don't think. I don't
like the cupcake out of conference schedule. I know some
team you know it's worked in Indiana. I just nobody want.
I mean, we go through the beginning of the season,
it's Youngstown State three games in a row. That freaking sucks.

Speaker 2 (02:35:39):
I'll take it. Yeah, don't do it. Don't do it,
build some momentum, have some character.

Speaker 3 (02:35:44):
It's legal. Don't do it.

Speaker 2 (02:35:45):
Well, you don't want to play Youngstown State three times.

Speaker 3 (02:35:46):
That's what Indiana did. Indiana freaking pray Youngstown State three
times this year. Why are you yelling? I don't know.
I just that bothers me because everything else about Signetty's
done has been so amazing. He doesn't need to do
that now. That said, he's got a healthier team later.
And maybe that's the.

Speaker 2 (02:35:59):
Way that I don't know, Alex may or something about
this MSU basketball team just feels special. That said, the
top of the Big Ten is a nightmare, and I
honestly have no idea who comes out on top today.
I'm not even saying words anymore today. Tuesday's game is
huge to not look past with Duke coming up and
from Mark V. Smith Fitzgerald Duke Duke Duke. But Iowa's

(02:36:23):
seven to zero and has a new coach and wins
over three NCAA tournament teams to include old Miss Sparty
will be their big game. Watch out on Tuesday.

Speaker 3 (02:36:34):
Iowas Yeah, I was a dangerous opponent. I really do
think that I like this IOWA team a lot. I
like the coach. I think they made a good hire
and he brought in guys with him that are going
to make a.

Speaker 2 (02:36:45):
Difference, Scot You, Izzo and company did an amazing job
landing Fears through seven games. I get why Izzo's stuck
with him through the injury, and he is the best
passer in the league. Bonus, Iowa is going to be tough.
Let's get the win there before we focus on Duke
Well said. Well said, yeah, all right.

Speaker 3 (02:37:04):
Mark V.

Speaker 2 (02:37:05):
I see lots of people gnashing their teeth and tearing
their hair over Fitzgerald not bringing players with him. Smith
brought in twelve transfers and recruits from the Beavers.

Speaker 3 (02:37:15):
How did that work out? Yeah? I mean he did
bring his quarterback and his tight end who played well late. Finally,
although for most of his career, I mean, twelve is
better than zero. Yeah, I mean, no, there is some
advantage to that, but I don't think that. Again, You're
not making this higher for next year. You're making this
higher for the next five years and what you want
the program to be. And if you think Pat Patrial
is the guy to do that, then you make the higher.

Speaker 2 (02:37:37):
Bill Pepper Junior the third number one. Honestly, not even
a hot take, but it seems incredibly obvious that Childs
faked an injury to end the season. Can you confirm
or deny this? And too the Pistons are going to
make it to the finals.

Speaker 3 (02:37:50):
That would do wonders for the show in the spring.
If the Pistons are on a run of the finals,
the I cannot confirm or deny that. I you know,
I don't. I'm sure there's some pride that was faced
out out of your head. I don't know what degree.
There's a legitimate injury, but I don't want to accuse
him of that.

Speaker 2 (02:38:05):
Jay Rumenschneider, this will be the best winter season ever
in the MSU Michigan rivalry when taking into account the
potential of men's basketball, women's basketball, and hockey.

Speaker 3 (02:38:16):
It should be fun. And I think, you know, football
for both programs is sort of behind them now and
at least there's a lot going on. But I'm just
saying in terms of the games, and you know, football
stirs the soul, we always say, but both basketball programs
men's basketball programs should be the very top. Women's basketball
programs look very good, and the hockey programs to our

(02:38:36):
two of the best teams in the country. Is it
has a chance to be an unbelievable winter.

Speaker 2 (02:38:40):
Spartan Johnny next number one. I'm concerned how many times
Graham is going to reference the Edmund Fitzgerald over the
coming years as we watch the next era of MSU football.
I'll set the over under it too.

Speaker 3 (02:38:51):
That's not too many. Yeah. Two, my Bills are back.
They aren't.

Speaker 2 (02:38:55):
Actually, they still can't complete a pass over ten yards
to a receiver. And Josh Allen seems to have lost
some fire due to all the relations he's having with
Hailey Steinfeld.

Speaker 3 (02:39:06):
But the overall message here is God. The Steelers are
ass This is why the Lions have a chance to
keep winning. They got the Steelers on the schedule. The
Steelers is not good.

Speaker 2 (02:39:14):
Because he's laying on top of Hailey Steinfeld. It means
he's having what he's losing all his gumption. Mojic Clinton one.

Speaker 3 (02:39:20):
Ball beany number one.

Speaker 2 (02:39:21):
I've picked the spartan football head coach before being announced,
before being announced, going back to George Perlis, long before
the Internet. So suck on that fired up to have
fits leading our team? What's he bragging about?

Speaker 1 (02:39:33):
So?

Speaker 3 (02:39:33):
I think he picked the Internet. Two.

Speaker 2 (02:39:37):
MSU beats Duke by three on Saturday and three. Who
is the donor giving us the big rumored donation.

Speaker 3 (02:39:42):
Yeah, I know who it is. I just can't give
it to you. James Haos, I would just say it's
not Haos. I would just say it's it's Think of
the logical names, but don't think of Bradley Beal's. Oh
Gilbert Nope, didn't say that. Nope. Just think of who's
doing a lot of the money right now. Magic, Think
about who's really doing a lot of the money right now. Okay,

(02:40:02):
think about the Pittsburgh Steelers. That'll help. Just think about
that Art Rooney. Okay, ghost of George Perlis.

Speaker 2 (02:40:09):
Lions remind me of the twenty sixteen nineteen MSU football teams.
The right scheme, but the wrong dudes up front. Hutch
hasn't lived up to the contract, but doesn't have help either.
Brad Holmes sees what we all see, realizing several players
don't pass the eye test. Roster churn ahead and regroup
for next year. We go three and two over the
next five games. I'm too exhausted to argue with you.

(02:40:34):
Kevin from Rhyme drive them out here, Kevin from Rochester
Hills Number one, same old Lions is back two. Jonathan
Smith was better than John L and three MSU will
never have another losing season.

Speaker 3 (02:40:47):
Jonathan Smith was not better than John L. Though the
peak John L had some moments that were better than
Jonathan Smith. Yeah right, No, that's the I mean, you
could win a press conference. Yeah. Now he did shit
on the LSJ and call there daily goals and he
wont to answer questions from the l state. So it
was a little more contentious, but he won more too.
What a legend, Josh and Wood.

Speaker 2 (02:41:06):
What's great about sports is there is rarely ambiguity. Ambiguity ambiguity.
At the end of the day, you have a record,
and in three years we will all know if fits
is working out. Until then, let's upgrade Spartan Stadium, figure
out how to restore federal funding cuts to the research Mission,
and get Izzo a second Natty.

Speaker 3 (02:41:24):
There you go. Good perspective from Josh. Appreciate you, Hans Jergen.

Speaker 2 (02:41:29):
Number one, Fitzgerald will not tolerate Graham killing gay people.

Speaker 3 (02:41:38):
Check that is that gonna be mentioned tomorrow at three? Two?

Speaker 2 (02:41:41):
He will catch the fear shooter if it's the last
thing he ever do. Does dues, why'd you put dues
on you?

Speaker 5 (02:41:49):
Clearly?

Speaker 4 (02:41:51):
Three?

Speaker 2 (02:41:51):
He will release the Buller Rose Bowl suspension files and bonus.
I will give Smith this. Of all the worst MSU
football teams, this year's team was the best.

Speaker 3 (02:42:01):
There you go. It was not well, no, it's not
a K for Lens though I don't even know what
that means the worst teams. It was the best of
the work.

Speaker 2 (02:42:08):
Well donns Jake Hawkins number one. I am fifty to
fifty split on Pat Fitzgerald higher, so we could go
either way. So I have saved judgment and takes for
next season. I'll say this though, to MSU leadership, get
your shit together. This is the third football coach in
the last five years. Shouldn't happen at a Big ten
school that's top twenty five in attendance, revenue and alumni.

Speaker 3 (02:42:29):
And two.

Speaker 2 (02:42:29):
Congratulations to the Duitt Panthers on an outstanding football fourteen
to o football season that led to a Division three.

Speaker 3 (02:42:36):
Football state championship football.

Speaker 2 (02:42:38):
But they won't be able to celebrate it properly since
they won it yesterday. No more college games at Ford
Field Thanksgiving weekend.

Speaker 3 (02:42:47):
Yeah, it sucks. They do it on a Sunday and
they oh, you go to school Monday. It's still kind
of cool. Look, I MS, you shouldn't get out of
the way. And also it sucks for DeWitt like I'm
just looking at our homepage today at the LSJ like
they win a state title and it's all about Jonathan
Smith and Patrishcheril. It sucks. I you know, that's it.

Speaker 2 (02:43:02):
Maybe John Old Smith was right as Jake's as Jake
Hawkins said, get your shit together, LSJ Upperdect jerk Guy
number one. Nobody knows nothing on how a coach will
turn out two to three years from now. Too many variables.
Just shut your yaps and sit back and enjoy the ride.
And two doesn't make for a great podcast, though to
becoming a hermit gets better sounding each and every day.

Speaker 3 (02:43:24):
We need upperdicctor guy. Though you can't disappear entirely, you gotta.
You gotta at least share your your wisdow. You can
be a hermit and still you know contact the show.
That's true. We can reach you through any means necessary.
So we appreciate all of you, guys, Upper Dect jerk Guy,
Eric Schultz, Dominic everybody down through Jake everybody. I mean,
just you guys. This might have been our longest show.
I'd have to. I'll actually have to look. But there

(02:43:45):
was a lot to talk about and it was interesting.
A lot of interesting feelings on all over the place
on Pat Fitzgerald and what's what's going on with Michigan
State football. Uh, of course, you know, we'll we'll be
here back to talk about it Wednesday after the PATA
Show press conference, after the game Tuesday night against Iowa,
and then we'll be here Friday when Jason's you know,

(02:44:07):
after the Lions Thursday. A lot of interesting stuff this
week here on the show. We appreciate all of you.
Of course, we appreciate Midtown Brewing Company. Go to Midtown
Brewing Company in downtown Lansing, four to two South Washington Avenue.
Great place for a date night or any occasion. We
appreciate Muskoxflannels. Go Muscox dot com peacock for fifteen dollars off.
Great Christmas dip, good show man. Yeah, cuts through