Johnny's World
Johnny's World
Jake Mangum and Bowl Preview
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Johnny and BW recap the 2025 football season and discuss the upcoming bowl game.
Then, The Mayor Jake Mangum joins Johnny to discuss his upcoming pro season, the alumni baseball game held on campus this fall and his thoughts on the upcoming Mississippi State Bulldog Baseball season.
All right. Welcome back to a new episode of the Johnny's World Podcast. This is BW here with my co-host Johnny, and this is kind of the post-football season upcoming Forget About Basketball Baseball Season podcast show. Yeah, what's up, BW?
SPEAKER_00We made it doing well. We made it to through football season. It seems like just yesterday we were given our picks for the SEC and our Mississippi State football win-loss record, and it's over with. It flew by. It does that every year. It goes by really fast. And it does. But uh the year uh year was did not end like we wanted it to, but man, uh it was never been really a roller coaster year. You know, you're in these games that you have a chance to win, and then something happens at the end and you don't capitalize and get it. And and then you play, and then the quarterback, Kamario Taylor, we've had we had this superstar on the bench the whole season. He comes out and eggbolt just dominates, but our defense has kind of let us down. Just uh really tough, tough season uh of what ifs, you know, like what if the we had given the kicker a chance to kick at the Florida game? What if we didn't blow the lead against Texas? You know, what if uh Chapin did not uh make that crucial turnover against Tennessee? You know, we you win those games more than likely. But then uh what if uh we didn't uh throw the ball to Brendan Thompson, we lose Arizona State. So we could have lost that one. So it was a lot of the games this year. It seems like they were what if games, you know, could have gone either way. And uh, but we were right there in position, you know. We only won two games last year, so it is an improvement, but just leaves a bad taste in your mouth with knowing that you had a chance to to win six, seven, seven, eight games possibly. We won five and we had we left three on the table. It could have won eight games. But hey, we're getting to go to a bowl. Uh what's kind of uh, I don't really know how I feel about that. I'm I'm happy we're going to the bowl because it gives you practice and and more practices. And Mario is gonna be playing the whole game, but shaping's out for I think he left, so he's uh he's off the team. So it gives him gives him uh a chance. But man, it's I you know this day in society, man. It's like rewarding, rewarding losers. It's just not not it's just the way of the world now, I guess. But I mean, you don't really we didn't deserve a bowl game, BW. We we choked, you know, we choked. Right. But but uh that's the way it goes, but definitely not gonna turn it down if you get offered, you know. Look at what Notre Dame did. They turned their turned their bowl down because they weren't in the playoffs. But man, can you imagine those gals on Notre Dame? I was thinking about that. Seniors on Notre Dame's team thinking you know they had another game left, and then the school says, ah, we're not going to ball game, we're we're pulling out. Yeah, some of the guys never get to play football again. So anytime you get to play another game, especially for seniors on the team, that's a that's a big thing. So uh I know for the seniors on the team, uh they're happy they get to play one more game, and you know, it it'll it'll be it'll be good to get back out there and get, like I said, get more reps and and uh build off um for the future because I do feel like with Camario leading the offense, we're in good shape. We just got to get that defense worked out. And Zach Ornette higher BW, what what's your take on that? I we don't know Arnett won that great of a head coach, but man, those defense he had under Mike Leeds were really, really good. So I'm feeling good about the defensive side of things with Holt Coleman Hustler out and Arnett back in. Um so if we get the defense fixed, fix the line problems, O-line, D-line, and uh we got the weapons offensively, I think. Next year, next year's gonna be a tough schedule. Came out the other day, really tough schedule again. But I mean that's what you get when you play in the SEC. But what are your thoughts on uh Ornette coming back to start Vegas?
SPEAKER_01I was a little surprised. It just it wasn't on my bingo card, that's for sure. Right. You know, I thought we'd never see him again. But you know, I mean, honestly, like you said, not as a head coach, but as a defensive coordinator, he was he was really good. We had some great defenses, and I think you know, we don't necessarily play that ball control offense like Leach did, but if um you know Levy's offense ends up being what it's supposed to be with Camario and you know if Fluff is supposed to be coming back, I think uh Gayton's coming back, and um, so we can run the ball and run some clock, and defense can do what it's supposed to do. We can we can stay in some games. I mean, I think ultimately the defense played better the first half of the year this year, but looked pretty bad at the end of the year. But those, you know, if we had one stop against Tennessee, one stop against Texas, you know, one stop against Florida, you win those games. So maybe maybe that puts us back on the right side of the win column. So you know, I who else are we gonna hire? I mean, that's the thing is right knowing that uh Levy's on the hot seat, you know, who's who's even who's even out there. I mean, with all these new head coach positions, I don't I don't know any defensive coordinators.
SPEAKER_00I heard we were looking at DJ Durkin, uh Auburn's defense coordinator, and they he was pretty much set to come, but then his family they had been moved. Uh this is what I'd heard that they had moved around a lot and they kind of like being in Auburn, they've been there for a few years and wanted to settle in at Auburn, which I understand that. So, like you just said, it's kind of hard to get a uh coordinator to come to a coach that's on the hot seat because you never know. Like if that coach has a bad year next year, he'll be gone and the staff will be replaced. So it's a tough sell to get someone to come in there saying, hey, you're gonna be here for possibly one year if the coach fails, you know. So I think Zach Arnett was kind of a safe hour because he's trying to get back into things. Uh yeah. The way it went down with him losing the head coach, uh getting fired as a head coach, and then he was an old old mess, and then with uh with Dan for a little bit, and then at Florida State as an analyst. So it makes sense to get him back into the defensive coordinator. So it's a no-win, I mean, no lose situation for him. It's a win-win for him. Uh a way to get him back in as a defensive coordinator, but then again, at a spot where you're not guaranteed multi-year deal depending on the coach. So um I think uh it might have been maybe obviously it wasn't Levy's first choice, but it was a safe choice, fall back on. And I like to hire um as a defensive coordinator because we've seen it firsthand. We know he's a good defensive coordinator. So it can't be any worse than what we've had the past two years with Coleman Hutzer. So uh he's gonna bring back another guy, Matt Brock, who was there with Arnette under Leach's tenure, so that's good. I wasn't quite sure about them firing Chad Bumpus. I don't know if you saw that news BW last night. I did, yeah. Wide receiver coach, uh legend for Mississippi State football, uh, well liked with everyone. I'm not really sure. Of course, we don't know what goes on behind closed doors. I did hear the recruiting wasn't that good with him, but I mean he's a beloved bulldog and everyone loves him. So I don't really understand what happened there. But um anyway, uh, you know, Levy just did he's like you said, he's on the hot seat, man. Like he has to do good next year. If we don't, if he goes a losing record next year, he's out. So the pressure's on, and I think they all know that. So uh, but the key thing is to get Camario reps in this ball game, get him prepared, let him have a great year next year, get Arnett control with the defense, and you know, we'll go from there and see how it is. We saw the schedule we play at Minnesota next year. We were uh that's that's an interesting game, that bread where they don't lose home games. That's tough. That October stretch BW is tough, man. It is it's brutal. Yeah, brutal.
SPEAKER_01It's like we're back in the West again. Yeah, and then yeah, but then we got Oklahoma and Texas too.
SPEAKER_00So yes, it is brutal. We got Alabama, LSU, and Auburn back on the schedule this year. Uh, so yeah, it's it's gonna be tough to to get to get uh seven wins, six, seven wins next year, which he has to get six or seven wins. He has to, in my opinion, he has to get seven wins or more next year to be on the safe side. Uh so uh the the the pressure's on him, but that's what they're paying the big bucks for. So uh that's right. Uh I I'm anxious about the LSU, uh, LSU game. I'm gonna try to go down to that one. But man, talk about LSU. Also, what has got happened since we've been on here last was the Lane Kifton situation being everywhere and he leaves Ole Miss and goes to LSU and um BW September, I believe, 19th. Uh LSU goes to um Oxford. BW, I remember, I think you were with me. Did we go in college when Auburn came back and played L. Oh, yeah. And it was Tommy Tubberville's uh game to come back. Do you remember that game?
SPEAKER_01I'm pretty sure we were yeah, that was nuts.
SPEAKER_00I've gone to a few of those. I went to uh when Saban was uh Alabama's coach came back to LSU. I went to Spurrier uh when he was at South Carolina, went back to Florida for the first time. So I've gone to a few of those games where the coach goes back to their place. So man, I know it's gonna be a hot ticket, but I'm gonna try to get to Oxford on that day. I can't imagine what it's gonna be like. You're gonna wear your LSU gear or what are you gonna do? Oh, you know it, man. You know, I'm gonna be saying go tigers for sure, man. But uh gosh, it's gonna be wild, man. It's gonna be insane atmosphere. And uh I don't know, man. I I can't wait for that one. Uh it'll be a hard hard ticket to get, but uh, I can't imagine what it's gonna be like. That whole situation, you know, leaving Oxford and just uh insane, you know. We talked about that, whether we're gonna stay or go. You know, he think we talked about how he had it made there, but then he wanted to chase the the nattties and all that, got a better trance at LSU. But man, what happens? Everyone, this is kind of dying down now with the whole Michigan fiasco going on last week. They're talking that Calen DeBore might go to Michigan, which would leave Alabama opened up. And you know, Alabama is probably Saban's, I mean, Giffen's dream job to come over there to be to compete with Saban. So what man, wouldn't that be nuts if he left LSU to go to Bama? I don't think he could do that, but that I nothing surprised me with Lane Giffen.
SPEAKER_01But uh Yeah, I don't see it. I mean, I think that uh so I was we were talking the other day, one of my buddies is a big Bama fan. Uh shout out to Andy Sanders. Uh, we're we're gonna we're gonna try to go. He's never been to Starkville, so he's gonna come to Starkwell next year with me, and I've never been to Bryant Denny, so I'm gonna go to Bryant Denny with him uh next year. So I'm excited kind of for that to pick back up. But anyways, I mean I think Alabama lost to Oklahoma last year, yeah and they lost to him twice this year. Um yeah, so I mean you gotta like that matchup. This it's hard to beat a team three or four times in a row. So I think they win that one, and that and the board, you know, I don't think Alabama fires him either way, but you know, I don't think he leaves. I think everybody's happier.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think that was all all smoke, man. All the ESPN, the media people trying to trying to make a big story out of it. But uh you're right, I don't think he's gonna leave Alabama to go to Michigan. Uh if he got fired, that'd be one thing. But like you said, he made the playoff. Uh they got in there. Um, you know, it's kind of tough. I hate it for Bandy, man. They had two losses, and Alabama has three.
SPEAKER_01I don't hate it for them now, the way Pavia acted at that class deal.
SPEAKER_00Man, that guy, what a jerk. What a pun. I was kind of hoping he won, and then what he did, man, was just absolutely ridiculous, man. Just yeah, yeah, so yeah, now after that happened, but but man, Bandy, you know, two losses and they get left out. But uh man, the guy that won the Hisma, man, uh Fernando, man, what a class act, man. Just a great guy. I'm pulling for Indiana, man. I really I like I like that guy a lot, and I'd love to see them grow all the way. But man, I think uh if we make predictions, BW on the playoffs, man. I think I love it for Indiana, but I just don't see them beating Ohio State if they're like again. I can't see that happening. No, and Georgia, Georgia Bulldogs, man, rack and willy, Georgia. I mean, they're they're forced to be reckoned with. I think uh that's my pick, BW, to win the national championship. Georgia I think Georgia Bulldogs take it. What what do you think?
SPEAKER_01I think it's Ohio State still Ohio State. Yeah. Um, so the bracket is it Georgia and Ohio State? Will they play in the semis or will they play in the final if they uh match up against each other? I'm trying to remember because Ohio State's the two seed. Um I can't remember how it works now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they uh they are uh they're on Ole Miss's side for sure.
SPEAKER_01Okay. I don't like that either. Uh you know, because they all miss almost beat them before, although they had Lane, it's a different team, but it's still the same team. So um Ole Miss got lucky with drawing Tulane again.
SPEAKER_00Um yeah, I think Ole Miss takes care of Tulane. Uh yeah, I think so too. Some game there. I think they take care of Tulane, but uh it they have to play Georgia in the second round. I would so that's tough for Ole Miss. I'm looking at the bracket right now, BW and yeah. Georgia would play Ole Miss and the Sugar Ball, and then on the on their other side is the Cotton Bowl and possibly AM and Ohio State. So that there is a potential matchup of Georgia versus Ohio State in the semifinals. Semis, okay. So they wouldn't play Cincinnati. Uh the other side has Indiana and Texas Tech and uh Oregon, Bama, and all those teams.
SPEAKER_01So that was a big win for Indiana to get that one seed. Yeah, that was uh that that side of the brackets better.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So uh so yeah, that that's gonna be a banger, man. Georgia and Ohio State if they make it to the semifinals. That was how it was a couple years ago. You remember that game where they went down to a field goal and they missed it as the clicks clock struck midnight and Georgia got into the champ national championship. Uh yeah, that will be a heck of a semifinals if that comes to be. But yeah, I'm thinking Indiana, Georgia is the as is the final. My in my opinion is Georgia takes it. But I would love to see Indiana, man. What a story. The guy Mendoza, man, what a what a class act.
SPEAKER_01So it wouldn't be and then the coach, I mean, Signetti, like I mean, yeah, literally came from nowhere two years ago and turned that turned around Indiana. I mean, Indiana, like basketball school Indiana into this juggernaut team program. And it's I mean, it's cool to think that in two years, and that's the good and the bad about this portal stuff, is you get you get the right guy in there and he can pull together a team like that. And I mean, anything can happen, make the right hire. Why not happen to us, you know? Mississippi State. It, you know, we always say, Oh, you know, Mississippi State never gonna do anything else, but you just gotta find that guy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you gotta find the guy, and you know, uh, you can't uh miss everyone say, Oh, Mississippi State, NIL, they just can't compete. I mean, I wouldn't think Indiana has a big NIL, maybe they do, but not nothing compared to Ohio State, you know. So yeah, yeah, exactly. It's it's possible in this day and age, man. You get the right guys in and work the portal. Um, just look at Indiana. And I mean, who would have thought that guy would ever win the Heisman? Which is crazy looking at the stats. I saw that, I don't know if you saw that on Twitter the other night. I saw previous like 10 years of Heisman trophies, and it had like Joe Burr on there. He had he threw for like over 5,000 yards and like 60 touchdowns, and and Mendoza's thrown for third two 2,000 something, 30-something touchdowns. So it's like that year, man, of 2019 with LSU and Burrow, man. Like, I don't think that'll ever be touched, man. That's just insane. I'm good they were. And uh really after seeing that, you realize wow, that that that was pretty special. But uh, but yeah, happy for for that guy and happy for Indiana and like to see them uh make some noise in the playoff. But man, just really excited that the playoffs are here and and uh yeah, looking forward to seeing what happens. And uh and then before we know it, uh basketball season's kind of kind of a bummer right now. They did come the Bulldogs did come back. Yeah, they came back from Utah. I mean, yeah, yeah. I didn't watch the game, but halftime they were down, big number, and came back in the second half. So maybe that's what the boost they needed to hope so. And then because you gotta get when they've lost so many games so far, getting into conference play, you gotta make a big run in conference. But I think the I think getting to the NIT tournament this year would be big for Mississippi State basketball. Um, so I think that's what they should should because I think that they've lost too many already for the March Madness. But if they can get to NIT, that would that would be a big thing to build off on that. And then, man, BW about 60 days away, started Bulldog baseball. I'm fired up, everyone's fired up in Starble. Uh it's gonna be a special year. O'Connor, um, I was listening to a podcast the other day with Kendall Rogers on there talking about the baseball season. And he had it, they asked him to like predict the top four teams in SEC. He predicted the Bulldogs to be number one. He said Bulldogs won. He said Texas two, LSU three, and bandy four. Those were his top four picks going into the this coming year. So man, Mr. State is loaded. Uh, pitchers, all these guys that that portal that O'Connor has gotten, transferring back through Virginia, working the portal, getting recruits. I mean, just up and down the lineup, just studs, uh, getting Ace Reese uh not to go to LSU, getting to come back to state for another year when they were trying to get him. I mean, that just shows right there, you know, LSU's won two out of the past three national championships, and we kept Ace from going to LSU who they wanted him. So uh baseball right now is on the rise. And I've never seen a season with this much expectations riding on the season before season even started, before the guys even coached the game at Mississippi State. So really, really excited. Coach Oak is the guy that I was hoping we'd get all along. I didn't think we would be able to pull him off. I mean, seriously, that that's I know it's different sports, everything, but that's equivalent to hiring someone like Nick Saban when Alabama hired Nick Saban. You know, this guy's got the pedigree, the uh national championship and all the trips to Omaha. Just unbelievable. The best coach on the market, and we uh we were able to get him. So really fired up about baseball season. And uh, so if we can just get through high school and go.
SPEAKER_01Throw this in for baseball, um, kind of Madison connection. You remember Brad Fowler? He went to MRA. Yeah, he was he was four or five classes ahead of us. Uh, he has a son, Peyton Fowler, and he actually made the the team. He's a pitcher. He was at uh he was at Meridian Community College, I think, last year. He's coming in as a sophomore. Um, don't know if he's gonna play or not, but kind of a cool like MRA connection, Madison Madison connection. I think maybe he went to Germantown high school because they lived when we lived in Madison, we lived in Glugstad and they lived in our neighborhood. So um awesome, man. Uh cool little connection there. He used to work over at Fat Tuesdays. Remember that spot? Yeah, I remember that. Used to play a little golf with him at North Bay Country Club back in the day.
SPEAKER_00Awesome, man. Well, yeah, that's exciting. And then uh BW, I wanted to talk about our college football pick em. I'm looking at it right now on my phone. Uh we finished the season. Uh, and gold plated diapers. If you're out there, gold plated diapers, you won. You won the pick up. You won.
SPEAKER_01Uh and I sent you an email, gold plated diapers, but I have not heard back. Not sure if it went to your spam folder or what. His name was uh Bruce, Bruce Dickinson. Hey, maybe you could try to give him a shout too, Johnny, because I I tried, I hadn't heard back. Maybe your email, your old AOL email address. Maybe it comes through better than my Gmail.
SPEAKER_00So okay. Uh I'll try to shout to him. Yeah, we had uh go. I'm gonna read through real quick. Gold played diapers, first place 369 points. Bullies best pick, second place 366, and cat scratch fever, third place for 362. Johnny B Good, which is yours truly, BW, finished in fourth place. Who's cat scratch fever? I like that. Yeah, that's uh Dean Dogs Cat Scratch Fever. And uh so yeah, it was uh I finished in fourth and it was uh it was fun. But BW, like like we said all along, if you miss a miss a week, you kind of get down, and then people just kind of give up.
SPEAKER_01Listen, I got I I messed myself up. I yeah, somehow I I had the wrong email address registered on my account. It was like an old email address or something, and it wasn't sending me the reminder emails. Yeah, and so you know, I checked that email address the other day and I had like 20 reminders from that pick'em thing, and I said, Oh man, because I missed the one, and then I tried to catch up and it just was digging myself a hole.
SPEAKER_00I was like, All right, I'm done. So you miss a week to get catch back up to get in the finals, but uh, but yeah, it's fun to keep a way uh to uh to keep up with the season and then give the chance to get get uh get a bag of Johnny Packer coffee. So uh yeah, go play the diapers if you're out there. I'll send you an email also. If you're listening to this podcast, get in touch with us and we'll send you uh a bag of Johnny Packer coffee since you won the college football pick them 4.0. So uh crazy. It's been four years of doing this. Uh a lot of fun. Time time flies, BW goes by really fast, but and uh be here before you know it again, before we do it again. But really uh really really happy for that the dogs are getting to go to a bowl game and just uh get some preparation for next year. Next year can be really special with Camorio if we get out everything to go our way. So uh but it built in that we got baseball looked forward to and uh really looking forward to that. I think we've got a really good shot of making it back to Omaha this year. So um pressure's on, but that's the way you want it when you're in. the in the southeastern conference so uh that's right we're we're we're we're rocking and rolling man getting ready for that but uh that's about all I have man you got anything else to say cat scratch fever that's a good same cat scratch fever well um so we we decided we're gonna play the guest at the end of this episode too right so you want to you want to say something about that I'll I'll say that something about that so we had uh we had the mayor the mayor star well not the pet mayor natty way and packer but the the mayor everyone knows SEC Hitch King Mississippi State baseball legend major league baseballer for the Tampa Bay Rays Jake Mangum join us again Jake had been on the show a couple years actually about three years ago and uh he came back on I was trying to get him on for the uh the week of the Diamond Dog Classic but he was busy it was hard to get get him on then obviously with uh all the alumni coming back into town for that weekend it was a very special weekend we hit on that on the interview be sure to listen to that talking about Clark and Palmera being back on campus that that event was amazing. Shout out to whoever put that on the athletic department we had 10 over 10,000 people there for baseball scrimmage alumni baseball scrimmage in in the fall so no one else in the country could ever do swing something like that and really really special so I wanted to talk to Jake about what it was like getting back at the dude getting back in the batter's box and and playing baseball with the dude so uh we hit on that and then obviously we talked about his baseball career in that moment getting caught up what it was like uh you know uh I love Jake he has uh fought so hard to get to get that spot on that roster man he'd been in the been in the minors battling his way up and he finally got that call and man he he he made the most of it at four hits in that game and we talked about that getting that getting that first hit and he had those other hits and Adam Fraser who played with Mississippi State and was Jake's idol growing up for for the Bulldog baseball was in that game on the other team so getting to see that with him really special moment and uh so Jake's gonna be entering year two he's about to report off to uh spring training here in the next few weeks so I wanted to get him on there before spring training started up before he got on the road to to uh to get back into major league baseball so uh y'all be sure to listen to that interview with Jake and uh it was really really great catching up with the with the mayor. I told him before he leaves uh to go back to spring training I got to get a picture of him and and the pet mayor natty so uh we've got to make that mayor and the mayor but uh but yeah so yeah y'all listen to that interview with Jake and and uh we'll hop back on here every now and then and and uh probably maybe in if the Bulldogs make a make a little run in basketball get better we'll probably do that but we'll definitely get back on before baseball season and and talk about the review opening day and all that sort of stuff but uh but yeah thanks for listening and it's been a fun football season BW and um not over yet we still got like I said the bowl game and the playoffs coming up and and uh we'll see what happens with all that but uh and and Johnnypacker.net is still up uh you know we we we talked about that before we got on the show we had someone approached me last night said that they had bought some coffee and and that they said that they they loved it so uh if you're looking for something for Christmas you know it it it all goes towards the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation it's a great great fundraiser you know we did these glasses and everything for a while and it was hard to do that selling because of the people want to try it on try it on your face the glasses which I understand that but coffee man it's like literally 20 bucks it'll ship to your door it's subscription based you can do it very easily very easily BW and you're a big coffee drinker you you can vouch for how good it is and and uh like I said it goes towards a good cause and you know our our whole thing with this is really just sharing my fight with CF letting people know what I go through on a day-to-day basis I was telling Jake man like you know comparing his his grind grinding grinding trying to get to the big leaks working so hard man I kind of put that toward myself with CF man like I grind every single day BW you know that if I give up one day stop one day it's gonna get worse and I and you dig yourself in a hole so you have to keep up with it nonstop keep grinding this miracle drug has made it to where I can still carry on and live and everything but I still have to do everything no no days off. That's why I said I told Jay no days off and um just like it is with a professional athlete you always have to have to go at it no no days off and uh so we're still working on that about trying to get that drug to these 10% because people with that the ones that do not have access to miracle drug are dying every day and they don't have uh have a way to keep CF from stabilizing like it is for others. So um just buying a bag of coffee at johnnypacker.net is making a huge difference in the lives of people with CF who desperately need it. So thank y'all for listening. Thanks for listening to the podcast uh stay with us and we'll we'll bring you more contact as uh as time comes on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah y'all y'all stay with us with the coffee I mean I we talked about this you know it unfortunately it's not free for us to to do this you got to pay for the website and pay for all the stuff and so we haven't had as many orders this year as we as we expected we had a lot more last year so it's kind of gotten to the point where it's it's costing us more than than we're making to be able to donate. And so really just kind of like a plea for y'all I mean everybody drinks coffee most people drink coffee and you got to get it somewhere it's it's not cheap anywhere you get it. I know $20 a bag for coffee sounds expensive but man I mean I'm sitting up here by Target right now about to go in there. There's probably a bag of coffee for 20 or 25 bucks you know it's just the way of the world these days. So if you get coffee get on to johnnypacker.net and get it it's good stuff it's got a lot of variety on there you can set it on auto ship and doing that helps us it goes a long way into helping us kind of have that consistent income so we can really make some good donations to to the foundation every year for that.
SPEAKER_00So um but if that doesn't work out you know we'll uh we'll find another way so um but for now johnnypacker.net is where it's at yeah and and if it doesn't work out we'll try to work with the the guy from uh high point roasters that's a cool thing about doing this is it's uh brewed it's roasted in high point roasters they're a Mississippi based company you know everybody likes to give money locally and uh New Albany Mississippi is uh is where they're doing it so you're supporting a local company as well by by getting that but most importantly you're helping the uh uh helping people fight CF so uh we really appreciate it yes sir thank y'all for listening stay tuned uh in the new year yeah merry christmas to everyone happy new year and stay tuned for Jake Mangum and we'll we'll see y'all next year see you next time all right see ya all right welcome back to a brand new episode of the Johnny's World Podcast Johnny here um you know I'm doing this doing this episode uh solo my co-host is uh doing treating some people with their with their eyes for uh christmas coming up but saying that I want to say this is now a good time to uh to get on johnnypacker.net and uh get some coffee products uh me and be but me and BW have the products on there from um High Point Roasters up in New Albany Mississippi local based company and uh as y'all know who listen to this podcast it helps fight uh helps with my flight with Cystic Fibrosis uh every time you buy a bag of Johnny Packer coffee you get you can get it on a subscription base or send straight to your door um and that's the easiest way to do it but it's very affordable 20 bucks it all goes to the uh cystic fibrosis foundation to help with uh development of new uh miracle drugs hopefully because there's 10% I'll talk about that do not have access to a miracle drug and this drug saved my life um and all the drug all the money goes to research so uh we really appreciate you getting on there help us with the cause um see if it's an endless fight fight it every single day of my life and um there's people out there they're literally uh dying trying to get access to a drug so this we're just playing a small part in trying to help help um get some uh dollars in to uh to get research to save these 10 of people that need a drug so I really appreciate it johnnypecker.net is the website um well today we got a we got a great guest on he's he's been on before but I wanted to get him back on and talk a little bit about baseball and um y'all will know who he is he's the uh the SEC hits king the mayor of Star Bull Jake Mangum welcome back to Johnny's world my friend hey what's up man thanks for having me again yeah man uh well really want to get you on uh to talk a little bit about uh the alumni game and your pro career let's hit on that first alumni game Jake unbelievable turnout duty noble I mean no place no other college can can can say what we did and have that many people in the fall for alumni baseball game talk about being back in the dude getting to bat again at the dude with the players with all I mean just just talk about that how awesome was that man was a great experience 10,500 showed up um you know and it yeah like you said there's not many places that can do that and uh for Mississippi State to put on an event like that um you know just it was really cool for the guys that I I I didn't I thought about this like that night but 2019 was the first year of the new stadium so there were a lot of guys on that field that never got a shot to play in like the new stadium and um you know a lot of those guys experienced that for the first time so that's a little cool side note but um great event um a lot of really cool players out there a lot of great dudes a lot of talented players and uh this is something I think they're gonna do in the future again so um it's cool to hear that uh I don't know how often they're gonna do it it seems like they're kind of talking about they want to do it every year every other year you know to kind of do it the right way but right uh we'll see but man it was awesome and um I I know that there's gonna be a lot of alumni that's wanting to play in that game going in the future. Absolutely well we're talking about you know Clark and Palmer are these these guys that that all everyone has looked up through all the years and never in a million years would we ever picture them getting a bit put on the jerseys M over S at Duty Noble and they're there. What was it like with those guys?
SPEAKER_02Yeah man it was cool getting to catch it up with them um it was awesome uh at picking their brains asking them questions and kind of now um I can at least halfway like whenever they tell me stories of like the big leagues I'm able to like at least halfway like understand what they're talking about a little bit and um um some of the stadiums that they had told me about getting able to play there and you know asking for their advice on how to handle things up top was really cool. And um man there were a lot of lot of really cool dudes that played in that game man. Like the names you were walking around was just like man like all these dudes like um Adam Frage like like four for five in the alumni game because of course he did. But man uh Clark and Palmero awesome they were both the coaches of each team so that was really cool.
SPEAKER_00I was on Clark's team we lost in the uh tiebreaker home run derby at the end but it was uh a great game and it the the hitters came up to show like they they showed out I think it was like 30 hits combined through two teams so um yeah it was crazy um but everybody was locked in and uh everybody was ready to go some of the pitches look great um it was yeah it was like competitive baseball out there man like real competitive baseball and just a really good game yeah I thought uh I thought it when it went to the end I thought they might do a swing off with Clark and Palmero but that didn't happen but they had uh uh Moreland and Renfro how cool was that seeing that swing off that was pretty neat that was neat man um Moreland's he's a gem dude he's awesome and uh Renfro had a nuke uh earlier in the game um it was a close one man that they they snuck it out by one home run in the derby but it was a like I said great event hope they do it again um I'd love to play it again yeah absolutely I know the fans would love it uh to happen again uh well jay talk about about coach o'connor we had this uh higher out in the offseason and and man the excitement for Mississippi State baseball right now I mean is it at is at an extreme right now nobody everybody can't wait till Mississippi State baseball uh season starts back talk a bit a little bit what your thoughts on if you got to meet O'Connor what what do you think of the Woodall baseball program dude O'Connor's a rock star man he's freaking awesome um he's all business um you know I I'm just blown away at like how he operates um his like I how do I say like a attention to detail is unbelievable um he wouldn't have left the situation he had at Virginia if he wasn't trying to just absolute dominate uh Mississippi State uh he built something really special of Virginia for a long time for him to get up and leave that and come to start with Mississippi um is is is awesome man um fired up about it I played um with someone that played under him now there's actually a few guys actually but uh Matt Thyce my old teammate this year with the Rays for a little bit just told me stories about coach O'Connor um and and and Thyce is a stand-up dude I trust him within his opinion for sure and uh him and Oak were really close he gave me all the you know detailed scoop about O'Connor I couldn't be more excited for O'Connor and um I'm very excited to see what he can do um at Mississippi State. Yeah I mean we I mean that that hire is just absolutely unbelievable. I mean we when you you strive to get get the best we got the best in there and his record shows I mean the guy lives in Omaha I mean he he just freaking just gets there every year. So it's really exciting to see the uh the momentum for the Bull baseball program uh and I know everybody in the camp can't wait for the season to start it'll be here before we know it and uh but talking about baseball be here before you know it Jake when do you when do you report back to to to camp?
SPEAKER_02It's coming up soon isn't it I'll I'll head back sometime in January um down there early and get rolling man I'm you know I'm starting to itch a little bit um once christmas rolls around and um that's uh I know I'll be ready to roll after that but um yeah just just training um a lot uh just trying to get ready to roll man this it's my job so I don't you know that's I took about a week off whenever I got home and we've been rolling ever since.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well Jake talk about uh talk about you know just it's just amazing to see how much work you put into it man it's so cool seeing seeing it from a fan's perspective I I know how hard you wanted to get to the big leagues and how hard you worked and everything and it and it happened and and props to you man for doing all that to get there and what was it like man just finally knowing I made it I'm here I'm in the big leagues I know that was feeling that'd been something something special dude it kind of just gave you this feeling of just like worst case scenario man I made it like like even if I really struggle up here.
SPEAKER_02But you know that but now you kind of take that next step in your career and you just keep going man like now I want to see how long I can stay. Right. It's not that you're like never satisfied but there's a like it's just like why not just keep going like like like I've always said just kind of just keep going. Yeah you know um now I'm you know one year down in the big leagues I've I'm I need to work very hard to make sure I can stay as long as I possibly can. So so that's what we're gonna do now and that's what we're gonna continue to do. But it was awesome. The experience was something I can like it's unbelievable. Like I it's there's just so many times you're just wowed by things because you're one your baseball fan too it's like this like you can't even fill a stadium with the amount of big league baseball players. It's it's it's it's it's like a fraternity of guys that you know have have made it through their careers to the big leagues and and just to be a part of that that special group um really really means a lot to me because it took me a while but um I hope to stay a while or two.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely I think you will well Jake talk a little about the Rays organization what it's like playing for the for the Tampa Bay Rays.
SPEAKER_02They've been great to me man um you know them giving me my shot last year was you know it's something I've it's something that's always kind of an elusive for me with with a couple of organizations and um really thankful for them to to give me the call so so for that man I got nothing to speak but great things about the Rays. But they've been uh treating me very well. They do things differently and they win a lot of ball games and and I really respect that. It's not a big market team it's a it's a mid-market team um you know they're not spending like the Dodgers and Yankees they're they're spending modestly not modestly but the they're spending middle of the pack and and they win like for like they went to the playoffs five straight years they've missed the last two um but we're looking to to get that back on track this year and uh I think I think we can really do it we got a lot of good pieces um a lot of good people and I think that I think we're gonna have a good year.
SPEAKER_00Man what was it like you know being a being a baseball fan you know you you know all these you think of Wrigley Field you think of Yankee State and Finway these big classic ballparks and Jake you're in the batter's box at Yankee Stadium batting right there what what was that like I know that had been a pincher moment pinch yourself moment yeah yeah there there's uh there's a few stadiums that'll really like wow you um and uh just to be able to play in them was really cool um finway is unbelievable Cannon's cool wrigley's cool Yankees cool um you got yeah uh there's still some stadiums I haven't been to I'm really excited to go to Atlanta next year that'll be a lot that'll mean a lot to me uh growing up a British fan um we go to Denver next year Dodgers Stadium Rockies I always said Denver um Phillies um there's just Milwaukee there's some cool places I'm really looking forward to but um right now I I think um I think Fenway is still my favorite so far.
SPEAKER_02But what I'm most excited about and I'm serious is to be back in Tropicana Field next year in in St. Peters instead of being outside in Tampa. It's a um it was a hot summer in Tampa but um I'm excited to experience a year in the in the drop uh a little bit of normalcy for the rays um and I'm I'm I'm I'll be new to that but uh room temperature will be really nice in Tampa uh and just being home uh I think the the the term um some people use for us is we were sleeping on our you know someone else's couch right for a year and that I wasn't you know very thankful that we got to play in Steinbrenner really cool experience I debuted in that stadium so I will never speak poorly of that stadium but um we're we're excited to be back in Tropicana.
SPEAKER_00Uh you mentioned Finway what was it like uh the the Green Monster did you did you get to go in the Green Monster and see all that I did the monster's cool man a lot of signatures behind that wall a lot of signatures behind that wall so really really really cool um it's tough to find a place to sign but it's it's a cool spot. You got to sign it back in there? Yeah that's awesome man that's really cool uh well Jake you you know I I always talk about my my fight with CF and how it's it's constant battle man every day I have to fight this disease it's constantly everything giving it my all and man that's what you do with your baseball career man you do you give it your all you fight every single day uh no days off you know no days off but it also goes back to uh family support and Jake you have such a great family and you know I had Josh Hubbard on not too long ago and we talked about how his family that they always go to his games everything and I I see the same thing in with your life Jake that your family's always sport talk a little bit about that having your family support you and and how how it's always good to have them uh behind you every every step of the way yeah man uh it's everything like I I wouldn't have made it to college baseball if it wasn't for my family you know um to be able to be the spot I'm at I've been very thankful for them um my my dad my mom grandparents sisters um they all mean a lot to me and um and I I wouldn't be where I am without them that's for sure uh it's tough for them to make 162 big league games that's for sure but um the my sisters typically pick the cities that they want to go to nice nice well uh yeah it's uh it it it's I know it's just a surreal moment but at the same time it's just something that like you said you're you you're always looking for the next step to build on and you're entering year two and you're already you you've already had that that cup of coffee as they say and you're in there man you're in the coffee house right now man you're you're sitting there ready for season two and I know you I know you can't wait to get back out there we can't wait to get watch you out there and uh man what was that what was that moment like Jake when you got your first first hit in the big leagues what was that like I bet that was just unreal yeah it was cool for me because Adam Fraser was out there at second base.
SPEAKER_02Um wow that makes extra special yeah that guy was uh someone I looked up to when I was in high school whenever he was in college um he was my favorite player of Mississippi State so that's cool man able to get a hit with him and him throw the ball in the junior Camonero um for me to keep the first hit ball was super cool man uh special moment and to get four of them uh that night was even cooler that was such a yeah such a crazy thing but uh you know we just keep going and um hopefully get a lot more hits.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely I feel like there's a reason behind everything man and and uh and God's placed you in Tampa and you're you're you're letting your light shine Jake and man we're so proud of you everybody in Starbucks so proud of you and you know uh you just uh you're you're I can't say enough good things about you and uh man you know I got my my my dog Jake I gotta I gotta tell you this one I get before you head back I gotta meet up with you because I got you that got it got you to I need for you to meet my dog. My dog is the pet mayor of Starbucks Jake as you are the mayor of Starbucks I think that would be a a good thing to get a picture with but uh man we love you here man and and just thank you for everything you've done for Mississippi State baseball and putting I mean Mississippi State baseball is where it is because of all the people that've come in the past like you and this in this alumni game really just uh like you said I hope they do this more often it's really it was a great great way to go like you said it's a fraternity fraternity of guys and and uh just an amazing thing whoever created that thing really props it down for putting that on and uh look forward to getting back in there and and uh having that in the future but Jake thanks for everything man you know you uh we gotta run busy guy and uh thanks for taking time to come on today and man we wish you luck in the in the upcoming season when we report back and uh hope you have a Merry Christmas tell your family I said hey and thanks for everything Jake thanks so much I appreciate it thank you for having me it's great to be on again and um we'll have to get we'll have to do it again before I leave for the season let's do it man we'll catch up later see you buddy later