Created to Be
The Created to Be podcast is hosted by Bethany Pigott, Justin Pigott, Darius Brown, and Brandi Morgan. Episodes incorporate what’s happening in FCA at Mississippi State, fun and lighthearted conversations that help you get to know the hosts and their guests, and real-life topics and themes being discussed with coaches and athletes.
Created to Be
Upgraded, March Madness, and Becoming Rooted
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In this episode of the Created to Be podcast, Bethany, Justin, and Darius are back together after a short break—Bethany’s recovery and a sound equipment upgrade included—and it feels good to be back.
They kick things off with plenty of laughs, including Darius admitting he has no idea what pickleball is, before jumping into some of the biggest moments they missed during their time away—from the Olympics to March Madness—and even sharing a few fun facts about the winningest teams in the NCAA tournament through the year and Blue Bloods.
The episode then shifts into a meaningful conversation about what it looks like to be rooted in Jesus and in community, sharing personal stories and practical examples that connect with athletes.
Live Auction Link for 2026 Legacy Luncheon
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A faith that hasn't been tried, can't be trusted. And it's like, so the trying of your faith is actually the proving and the revelation of it.
Speaker 3
[00.00.14]
Welcome to the Created to Be podcast. We are back and it feels good to be back. Justin is here today. Yes, it's good to be back.
Speaker 2
[00.00.22]
Doc is, of course, with us. Yes.
Speaker 1
[00.00.24]
Really good to be back.
Speaker 2
[00.00.25]
Really good to be back. Really good. Like a what, 6 or 7 week hiatus? We're going to get into that in a second. Brandy is unfortunately under the weather. So we're missing her. She sounded like Darth Vader. Yeah. Wow. Oh, wow. Um, well, if you followed our social media, you'll know that we took a break. Uh, we needed to upgrade our equipment for the podcast because our microphones were jacked up, so we are upgraded. So I hope that that makes for a better listening experience. It's making it a little easier to record, so we're excited about that. I also had to have a surgery, and we're not going to get into that because this podcast is not about me.
Speaker 3
[00.01.03]
Bethany got upgraded too. It's great. We're all upgraded, ready to
Speaker 2
[00.01.07]
roll. We're all upgraded. Nothing life threatening, but something that we had to. Take a moment to take a break from and recover heal. So I'm thankful to be back. It is really great. The last podcast we did was becoming honest with Mattie Anderson and that was on. It was great. We had to piece something together for that week, and it's great that we had kind of like her story and testimony in the vault that we could bring back, and she sent a little clip. But the unfortunate part of that is that it's Doc's phrase to say become. I'm just being honest, just being honest. And we did not get to have a podcast about being honest from Darius's perspective. So we're gonna we're going to table that. We'll probably come back to that. Like we have a worship night coming up soon. So there's things that we can fit it back in. Darius. Okay.
Speaker 1
[00.01.53]
Hey, hey, I'm along for the ride. I was
Speaker 2
[00.01.55]
a little. I was a little disappointed that we couldn't talk about that with you, but so thankful for Maddie. She is playing soccer in France, and she was a soccer player here. It's
Speaker 3
[00.02.04]
good to have Maddie's voice back in the mix. Yeah, she's been such a pillar over here for so many years, so it's been different.
Speaker 2
[00.02.10]
Not happy. And it's really nice that we have upgraded equipment because our equipment failed on the podcast with Taylor and literally had to do that entire podcast with a voice memo, uh, passing my phone around. So. We're in a much better spot now, but we're excited to be back. A few FCA updates we want to give. And Justin, I'll let you speak to this if you want. Here in a second. I just want to shout out our sponsors for the FCA Legacy Luncheon that will be, you know, this is going to come out on Tuesday. So it will be in the final stretch preparing for the annual legacy luncheon. And it's just an opportunity to get people in the room with athletes and coaches and former athletes and coaches and donors, board members, community members, just people that invest in this ministry and all be in one space to where we can celebrate the work that God is doing through FCA at Mississippi State and want to shout out our title sponsor, Farm Bureau Health Plan, and then our big dog sponsors, Magnolia Asphalt, Jerry and Jackie McBride, and Steven and Jennifer Palmer. We're thankful for every single sponsor that we have that has purchased tables. Many people that have come to this for years. And so we're thankful for all those people who have contributed to make this day possible. Do you want to say anything about
Speaker 3
[00.03.17]
it? Great businesses? Great, even better people. And I'm thankful that they have our backs and are supporting us. Yeah, we're just excited. It's a great time to get around the room and share stories of what God is doing and hear from athletes and coaches, and we just try to get out of the way and let that happen.
Speaker 2
[00.03.32]
So we have a lot of silent auction items this year that
Speaker 3
[00.03.36]
and live. We're going to have a live auction for the first time. We've always wanted to kind of do that, I think, but thought we'd maybe do it in a dinner setting type deal, but we're going to throw it in there for lunch and see how it goes. We got some some amazing items that have been donated that we're really excited for people to get to to experience. Yeah. So the silent auction link will be in the podcast notes. So if you're interested in checking out any of those items. But big time note on that is that they will transition to in-person live auction and in-person silent auction. So you need to be at the event if you want to guarantee what you've bid on, or send somebody to bid
Speaker 2
[00.04.10]
for you or send somebody. Yeah. So we're excited about that. And Darius, you didn't get to join us last year. So I'm excited for you to be in the room this year. Yeah
Speaker 1
[00.04.18]
I'm excited. I was a little sad. I wasn't there last year, had something else going on. But I'm really looking forward to being a part of the luncheon just to be in the environment, get to see and also experience a lot of the different testimonials, and then meet the people that are supporting a lot of the things that we're doing. You know, put names with faces, you know, you hear a lot of names and different things. So I'm excited about that part.
Speaker 2
[00.04.43]
Yeah. And you know what? This is what Mary Ashley, our intern, was in here, and I did not know she used to work in a gift shop. So we were taking pictures of the items and we were bagging items, and she just happened to say, well, yeah, I was in a gift shop because I was like, how does she know how to place things? Oh yeah. Yeah. And she was like, oh no, I've messed up because I was like, oh, now that I know that about you. And so now that we know Darius has great stage presence just from the variety of things that he's doing, we're putting him in the program. Yeah. You going
Speaker 1
[00.05.13]
to get put to work here? You don't get
Speaker 3
[00.05.15]
to pick the word. That's right. In honor of the national championship game, he's going to sing One Shining Moment as well. Just out of the blue in the middle of the whole thing.
Speaker 2
[00.05.24]
Man, that was. Yeah, we got together with FCA, and, um, we only made it to about halftime with the group that came on Monday. But, uh, Darius, when he sat down, he started singing that song. I got, like, giddy. Like, that is like, the most nostalgic thing of my life is that because we would just watch the tournament as a family, all leading up to. I don't know why. It was just, like, such a big deal to watch The One Shining Moment. Yes, it's so paramount. It's like it's almost like waiting on the confetti to fall. But it's like if I don't see that portion of it, something feels like it's missing. I know
Speaker 3
[00.05.59]
it keeps getting later
Speaker 2
[00.06.01]
and later. I know so much later.
Speaker 3
[00.06.02]
We're getting older and older and it's
Speaker 2
[00.06.04]
like, whoa. So much so that I'm like, all right, enough with the presentation. Yeah, yeah. Shining moment I used to we used to do an event at Mississippi College. Where we would have the game and some other activities and cook and stuff like that, and people would be at that point, people would be cleaning up and everything, and I would go sit and I would just like, sit, wait. I was waiting, waiting. I was like, I don't care how long I have to wait. And it's one of those things where you can watch it later, but it's just something for me about the night. Like it's just like, that's the end cap. Like that's it, you know? But
Speaker 3
[00.06.37]
they have to wait because they're editing all that fresh
Speaker 2
[00.06.40]
video. And that's what was so impressive. If you haven't seen it. I was telling Justin some of the slo mo stuff they can do with cameras now, like the editing part was, I want to meet those
Speaker 3
[00.06.50]
people. I want to meet those people,
Speaker 2
[00.06.52]
and that's crazy. But then I did tell him, if I find out this was edited with AI, I'm going to be a little upset. Like like if AI can do as good of a job because I'm like, surely a person did that. That was really impressive. So we hope yeah, we hope. We also have the pickleball open, the FCA open on May 2nd. Brandy is running that and we're excited for that. We had to postpone. And so that has an official date. And that event is on our website MSU org where you can find all the information. It's just doubles only. And so that should be pretty exciting.
Speaker 1
[00.07.23]
Don't get upset with me, okay? I'm gonna
Speaker 2
[00.07.25]
be honest. Be honest.
Speaker 1
[00.07.27]
I do not know what pickleball is.
Speaker 3
[00.07.29]
Oh wow.
Speaker 2
[00.07.30]
I, like you have no idea in your head right now. No idea. I've been hearing everyone talk about it. People are getting so excited. I've even been invited to play. And I'm like, ah, but it's really because I don't know what pickleball is. So I have to be honest, because I'm tired of going through this
Speaker 1
[00.07.50]
blockade of not knowing. And everybody's excited
Speaker 2
[00.07.53]
and I'm expose it on the podcast. It
Speaker 3
[00.07.55]
is like miniature tennis. I know that sounds really bad. Miniature tennis. Um, you have a smaller, uh, racquet. It's like a paddle, right? It's more like a paddle. And the ball is not a tennis ball. It's actually like a wiffle ball. Or does that help you a little bit? It's a thicker wiffle ball. Okay. And so you can't just, like, smoke it at people. I mean, you can, but it's harder to control. Kind of.
Speaker 1
[00.08.16]
Yes. Is it. So it's like a bigger ping pong.
Speaker 3
[00.08.19]
Yeah. Yeah. But you're moving and it's. Yeah. Gotcha. It's good. I mean, I can play. The good thing about it is that everybody can play. Like our kids can play. Folks that are in their 80s can play. I mean,
Speaker 1
[00.08.30]
that's what I was kind of, because I know a lot of older people do that to stay active, not older, but season. They do that to stay active, you know. And so I've been hearing about it a lot. But I was like, and I never looked it up on YouTube or TikTok or anything, but I was like, I got to get this past me. I got it because because I, because a part of me want to play. I'm a competitor, but at the same time, I don't like to lose. So it's like, I don't want to do something that, you know, okay, here's something, okay? Because I have this written on my notes, I think that we should start incorporating into the podcast in some way, shape or form is some kind of challenge. Right. So it would be best if people that are listening, you know, throw some ideas out there, but we'll just generate them at first until we can get some people on board with this. And maybe people aren't interested enough to know if, you know, just in one something or Bethany wants something. But we're going to try. And I had mentioned playing Darius one on one, but he has a problem playing ladies. Yeah, I can't do
Speaker 2
[00.09.27]
it. And so, um, anyway, basically you just can't go full throttle against the lady.
Speaker 1
[00.09.34]
Yeah. I just can't do it. I don't I just have a lot of respect. You know, it's a
Speaker 2
[00.09.42]
one on one basketball, to be clear. I don't know that. Yeah, it's I just have a lot of respect times. I did it in the past. I just I couldn't get up for it. It's like I would. I'm gonna tell you a real quick story I went to. So we have a court back home. It's an outside court. We called it Front Street, and it's. Everybody goes there. And so we go to this court. We play a game, we win. Well, it's like we play like four on 4 or 5 on five. I couldn't remember. But the after we won the game, we got this. It was a lot of people out there. The next game includes a team with a young lady who's going to college to play. So because I'm the shortest one out there, you got a garter.
Speaker 1
[00.10.25]
She has to guard me like and I'm like, and she and this is the thing, every time I get the ball, the crowd is like hype, right? She's trying to like be all, you know, all tough defensively. And I'm looking at her and every time I get the ball I couldn't get up. I would just pass it. Like I wouldn't even try until she just kept she kept on pushing. And then people in the crowd, he's scared you know. Right. And eventually I just did one little move and I got her look. She jumped in the air. I went past her. You broke her ankles. I didn't break her ankles, but I I'm gonna say this. I planted a
Speaker 2
[00.10.59]
seed that you could
Speaker 1
[00.11.00]
so that I could and that I would if she keep. And once I done that, I literally pump fake. She jumps up in there, I goes around her. So now she's trying to keep up. When she comes back to where I am, I just pulled it back. And so she's kind of like, slide. And I passed the ball and I looked at her like, stop. And that
Speaker 2
[00.11.19]
was it. Enough. Like like like it's like, okay, so I have a question for you, Justin, because you've played me one on one multiple times. And then at Mississippi College, we used to play to one of my wife. That's my question. That was my question. You would play me straight up 100%. Yeah. Like you weren't going to let me have anyone. But like, if it was another female, would you have a problem with that? Uh, do you understand what Darius is saying? I do,
Speaker 3
[00.11.45]
I do, um, I think if a female is willing to throw her body in the mix, then there you go. I it's. We'll play. But if, you know, I don't want, I don't know I, I think it depends on. The energy that that she's given off. Gotcha. That makes me comfortable or not.
Speaker 2
[00.12.06]
Okay. Interesting.
Speaker 3
[00.12.07]
But yeah. For you. No big deal. Because we've compete all the time. Yeah. Um, I would be a little more of a question for me, for
Speaker 2
[00.12.15]
somebody else. So I played on the scout team mainly whenever I was on the team. But if we did have to go against the guys and I wasn't, you know, if I wasn't on the scout team, like, I guess it was just so, like, they were just part of our practice that I didn't really think about it very much. And then as a female, if you are trying to get better at what you do, there is a certain point where maybe the other female competitors aren't quite pushing you the same way that a guy could. And so it's helpful to have guys that can help you elevate to another level of toughness. And even in running, like I noticed that like I would run with the guys. Of course, they're not physically like having to play defense and stuff like that against me, but it is a point where, yeah,
Speaker 3
[00.12.57]
it depends on the skill, like the skill set. Like, if this this is a girl that's played a lot of basketball or knows it like shoot. Yeah. Let's play. You know, because I respect the ability. You know, and like, I want to I don't want to be a chump in that way. I mean, if I'm playing one of these, a girl that's played in college or been good in high school or whatever, like. Yeah, sure. Yeah. If somebody had played a whole lot, I don't want, you
Speaker 1
[00.13.19]
know. Well, and I guess that's what my I didn't have that situation a lot coming up. Like we had a few girls that were like really, really good. But most of the time they wasn't as good as, you know, to really compete. It's almost like like you said, they would give you more of a challenge. But sometimes for us, it's almost like it's taking us a step down. So when we go against guys, you kind of having to, you know, so I, I just never been that person. But I wanted to make it clear because it's not like I'm saying like, no, I just like it wasn't that. It's just mentally I just can't I just can't do it like, you know. No, that's why I bring this up. Because, see, like, that might not be a good situation, but pickleball. You know, because it's a little different.
Speaker 2
[00.14.06]
We gotta have we gotta have maybe, like, a little staff outing and see how this goes down, you know, in preparation for that
Speaker 1
[00.14.13]
happen. I'll play you. I'll play you
Speaker 2
[00.14.16]
in pickleball or basketball? Basketball. Okay. You heard it on the podcast. Yeah, but if I win, he can't be like, well, you know, I'm just going to go against you.
Speaker 1
[00.14.25]
Like, I wouldn't do that. Okay. I wasn't speaking. We all have things internally. We know. We just don't speak it.
Speaker 2
[00.14.31]
Yeah yeah yeah okay. Yeah yeah, yeah. I'll do the same for you. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah,
Speaker 3
[00.14.35]
exactly. But there's also a point where if you're starting to get beat, uh, you need to. Yeah, yeah. Unleash the beat. Yeah. Like
Speaker 1
[00.14.42]
that. You got it. You got like, I can't go out
Speaker 2
[00.14.44]
like this. I can't go out like that. That's the
Speaker 1
[00.14.46]
worst feeling when you get beat and you didn't push. And it's like. But now that person has that ability to just hang it over your head, you know?
Speaker 2
[00.14.55]
Yeah. I won't do that to you.
Speaker 1
[00.14.56]
I don't believe in.
Speaker 3
[00.14.58]
Oh, she'll totally mention it, I
Speaker 2
[00.15.00]
believe it, I believe she multiple times, oh
Speaker 1
[00.15.04]
my God. And it'll show up in that little smile right there. The smirk
Speaker 3
[00.15.07]
not say anything at all.
Speaker 1
[00.15.08]
Yeah. It's petty.
Speaker 2
[00.15.10]
Look, whenever I have, um, like, there's some times where you can just be in the zone where anything you throw up goes in. And if I get in that zone, I do laugh a lot because it's just like, I don't even. I don't know what
Speaker 3
[00.15.23]
I'm doing. I don't know, I don't know, and this is crazy. So, you know, maybe that'll happen whenever we play. Um, okay. So we missed a lot over the past six weeks. Obviously, I watched a lot of the Olympics, and I watched a lot of March Madness because I was out on short term disability for a little bit. Good time to be out.
Speaker 2
[00.15.41]
Yeah, that was man. Not I mean, I don't think I was strategic on that front, but most
Speaker 3
[00.15.46]
men like to be out starting tomorrow for the Masters.
Speaker 2
[00.15.49]
Right. If they have to schedule something. Yeah, yeah. So it worked out in my favor. But we missed a lot of things, so I just wanted to see Darius. I wanted to ask you, did you watch the Olympics?
Speaker 1
[00.16.00]
You know, this year I didn't watch much of the Olympics. Yeah, I didn't, I and I'm kind of shocked because how I knew I was missing a lot was you.
Speaker 2
[00.16.10]
Oh, like, if you post something on Instagram or something, I'm like. Where am I? What am I doing? What am I like? I'm just missing out on a lot of different things, I think. Uh. Um, I did catch some of the stuff that they would post or that they would broadcast on like ESPN. Yeah, like some of the great things like the hockey, you know, I was able to see some of those highlights and different things. But as far as just keeping up with it, like I was like I've done in the past. I wasn't I didn't do that this time. So yeah, well,
Speaker 1
[00.16.37]
I kind of feel bad because I don't feel like I represented my country. You know, it's just such a
Speaker 2
[00.16.42]
I was fully immersed. It was great because, you know, there's normally not much to watch in the actual like afternoon out morning, mid morning, afternoon. And there was live events that were like legit. Like I would want to sit there and watch it all day kind of thing. So it worked out pretty good. But I did want to like I did comment on social media about a few things, and I kind of did want to make a disclaimer, but I didn't want everybody to know, like I had had surgery, I don't know. So it was like this weird thing of like, I want to comment because this is my life right now. But at the same time, like, I need you to know I'm not just like,
Speaker 1
[00.17.15]
yeah, like just out here. Yeah,
Speaker 2
[00.17.16]
yeah. But kind of. Anyway, um, no, I wanted to see if so for the stretch time today, I wanted to talk about the Olympics and some things about March Madness, but I wanted to see if you knew this about the USA hockey team. Just some moments that stood out to me. There's a lot of moments that stood out to me, but storylines that were just unbelievable and one was obviously hockey. I did not realize that they had not won since the Miracle team in 1980, which just blows my mind that we have not won gold. But the thing that happened at the end of that game that just was unbelievable is that they all get together and gather for a picture after the game, and there was a teammate who had passed away, him and his brother, tragically in like a cycling accident, that his family was there and his two little girls were there in the audience. And the USA hockey team had enough awareness that they skated off while they're taking their team picture with their like in celebration afterwards, got the two little girls from Gaudreau as his last name, I'm pretty sure Johnny Gaudreau, and came back and took a picture with those two little girls in the picture and holding up his jersey, and I lost it. Yeah, I was fully immersed in that story. Like I didn't know that, first of all, that he had passed, but I didn't know if he had heard of that. No,
Speaker 1
[00.18.35]
I hadn't heard of that. But to be that thoughtful, that considerate and then to. Keep his memory, you know, a part of what they did and to bring his children into it. Like, yeah, that's that's that's different. Yeah. That's different. Yeah. It was him and his brother that were killed. And then it was the day before his sister's wedding. Right. Just to make it. Really? Yeah.
Speaker 2
[00.18.57]
Crazy. I think it was back in April or something like
Speaker 3
[00.19.00]
last August 24th.
Speaker 2
[00.19.02]
Okay. I thought it was, I guess the August 24th. Yeah. So that was a storyline that I wondered if you that I felt like, uh, deserved a little straight. Oh,
Speaker 3
[00.19.09]
dude, you're watching it. And then you're just like, losing it when they like emotionally, it's like, oh
Speaker 2
[00.19.14]
my gosh. Like, they were skating off the court. I was like, what are they doing? I was like, oh gosh, y'all can't. Y'all are going to rip me up right now. Yeah yeah,
Speaker 1
[00.19.21]
yeah. And then that was courageous for his family because most people try to avoid. Right. Like just because of grief I don't want to really kind of
Speaker 2
[00.19.28]
be around. I think they really they talked about that. But that
Speaker 1
[00.19.31]
was amazing that they could even, you know, still go and be there. Right? And even bring the children and
Speaker 3
[00.19.35]
still the family piece of sports man. That's unmatched, man.
Speaker 2
[00.19.38]
You know. Yeah, yeah. There was another cool story, which was, um, Alana myers Taylor. She is a bobsledder and she had won every other color medal and other. She's 40 over 40 maybe. I don't know exact age, but she has two young boys that are deaf. And so that's just a unique part of her story. And so she's a mom but also trains as a bobsledder. And she won in the mono Bob event and got to celebrate like with her, um, boys and everything out there. So that was like just a really cool storyline. I didn't know if you saw that. Not. And another lady that does the bobsled won the two man bobsled. Um, I'm pretty sure she won. Or she got bronze, I believe. But she was. She's also a mom and over 40. Yeah. There was a, um. I won't get too much into his story, but there's a snowboarder who was 40. Um, so it was pretty inspirational knowing, you know. I mean, I'm 38. Justin's 40. I'm like, look, we're not, you know. Well, how do you mean? We're not Olympians? How do
Speaker 1
[00.20.39]
you think I feel? In the meeting last week when I was talking about being athletic, like
Speaker 2
[00.20.43]
the staff meeting, you know. Yeah.
Speaker 1
[00.20.45]
Um, the staff meeting. You know, I'm like, I'm getting older, but I still got something left in the tank. And so these stories you're giving me is just more inspiration. Like, I just I've been going to the gym. Now I'm hearing about, you know, gold medal might be next on my list. I may be training for the for the Olympics. I, I I'm getting expired right now.
Speaker 2
[00.21.04]
Yeah. You should be the the our kids were
Speaker 3
[00.21.07]
inspired or expired. It's
Speaker 1
[00.21.10]
that's a look inspired. Let's let's put that inspire
Speaker 2
[00.21.13]
our kids who don't currently go out and like do extra training for sports they can do in Mississippi. We're like, we want to be ice skaters. We want to do curling. I'm like, why don't you show me some incentive for sports you can do here? Before we go out of our way to drive two hours to an ice skate rink. Wow. Anyways, they were, but that's what. That's what I feel like that does. In March Madness feels the same way. You know, there's, like, these inspiring stories, man. And one of them, I, um, I loved it. Did you watch did you catch any of the high point game? No, I was
Speaker 1
[00.21.48]
I was totally locked in to all of the March Madness.
Speaker 2
[00.21.51]
Okay. So did you see the high point game? I did okay, and so the guy that made his first two point field goal to win the game. That's crazy. And he could just jack up threes and like he
Speaker 1
[00.22.04]
I was amazed because. I've seen Steph Curry do some stuff, but I never thought I would see somebody that would make me feel like they could do what he did. Shot quick, and this guy's unconscious, like. And it's to the point where it's like it almost looked
Speaker 2
[00.22.21]
like AI. Yeah,
Speaker 1
[00.22.22]
like he just throwing the ball up. But you could tell he knows and his teammates know because they don't they don't get upset. They don't. The coaches is not hollering because he he hit one shot. It's like two steps across half court. And he just jacked
Speaker 2
[00.22.36]
it up and you're all dead. Yeah. And I'm like, oh God. Like shot selection, you know. And
Speaker 1
[00.22.43]
then when they said he made the two pointer, it was amazing because I kind of why he was doing it, I was nervous. Yeah. I'm like he didn't shot so many threes. I don't know how this is, but you know that was unbelievable. I really couldn't even wrap my mind around it. Like I was like, are they sure? Did the stat person get this right? There is no way this is his first season. Yeah, crazy. But the part I wanted to highlight was afterwards in the interview. Did you see the coach's interview? Yes. He was
Speaker 2
[00.23.09]
intense. He was so intense. And I'm not making fun of his intensity. It was just what? Like, he was so passionate and fired. Nobody plays us, right? Can't get my own schedule, right? He was like, but they have to play us now. They have to play us now. And the
Speaker 3
[00.23.22]
next game they lost. But you know.
Speaker 2
[00.23.23]
But it makes a good point that like, why?
Speaker 3
[00.23.28]
Just be like, just say thank you. It's good, you know? Like, man, we had a good time, you know. Yeah. But what do you think about that though. Like that. Coaches don't play those teams. Are they scared? Do they think it won't be good? Because. Because I look whenever I was playing and I feel like it was simpler. Like, there's so many metrics now that go into who gets in the tournament. Used to it was like, you just got to get 20 wins. Like but now it's like, well that 20. Well, like what was your preseason like? What was your non-conference schedule? What squad are they going? Oh
Speaker 2
[00.23.58]
my gosh, I've never heard these words before. And so like but like why did teams not play teams like his team?
Speaker 1
[00.24.07]
I mean, I think it's going to be. It's going to be some truth on both sides. Some of them I think, don't want to play them. And then some of them, I think they don't think they will present a challenge. So it's like, okay, if I'm Mississippi State, I'm just going to use the example, why would I play High Point if I could play? I'm just going to say Michigan State. Sure. Like in my mind I'm thinking high point like and some of these teams, whether we agree or not, we don't know that they're good until March tournaments. Yeah. Like we don't know starting the year off. You know last year you went ten and 25. And then this year you actually are a really good team. We don't know that. So I feel like it's kind of like when he did that I understood. But it was almost like me being short and having the small man syndrome. It's like you take everything personal. Like it's like, uh, come on now, high point. Like some people, if you ask people where it's high point at located, we wouldn't know. North Carolina it's North Carolina. Mhm. See I didn't know that they played a game on um that they had uh they had. Why can't I think of it? Mascots on the screen and like Charles Barkley. And they tried to guess which was which was what I was trying to do that too. But that's what's cool about March Madness is you find out about these two teams. Yes.
Speaker 3
[00.25.25]
You never heard of. I think some of the coaches can take it personal, but at the same time, there is a lot of truth to it because I think they avoid them. Like there's some really good teams out there that people kind of know. I mean, they all, they know quite a bit like these teams that do have March Madness runs are going to be really good. Yeah. And and so you try to avoid some may want to avoid it and get a little bit lesser opponent because they know they have another like a ACC Big Ten challenge. Something coming up coming up. So they'd rather not have High Point right before that you
Speaker 2
[00.25.52]
know. Or if if you have a team where you don't really know. But especially I've noticed like sometimes playing teams that are like that like could buy you time as you're piecing together your roster. But if you get beat by them versus like a Michigan state, a Michigan state loss, not a bad loss. Yeah. But you're like, oh, this mid-major beat us in. You know, it can really impact, you know.
Speaker 3
[00.26.18]
Yeah. Well I mean what's the reward for to play a team like that and lose. So like if you look at high risk, low reward. Yeah. And so that's part of it too. And that's partly why that coach is as fired up as he is. And I'm sure there are many other things. I don't know the scheduling stuff, but it
Speaker 2
[00.26.34]
would be cool if they would include some of those in some of these pre um, com like, uh, before conference play starts. They have a lot of I've noticed this year was a lot more like um, tournament style or like classics or whatever. And even in
Speaker 1
[00.26.46]
those though, they still just don't put the high points. That's not powerful. Yeah. Like it's still like, yeah, it's still, you know, and and I mean, like what I was thinking about that you think about it, you lose to them. You lose it to a high point. This is what you've lost because most of the time they're coming to you. You're
Speaker 2
[00.27.03]
not going to give you their best shot to they're going to give you their best shot. So you gotta think you don't lost millions of dollars. Yeah. Cause myself potentially a chance of getting in the tournament like it's just. And then if I beat you, I really don't get I don't get
Speaker 1
[00.27.18]
anything for this. So it's, you know, it's it's a little. They do. But I think that's what makes March Madness though, right. So great because you get the because it was a he actually referred to another coach, uh, I think of the Miami, Ohio, who was undefeated. And he was like he said he said some of the similar stuff, no players. But then they played Tennessee and get smacked by almost 30. So then it's like. Yeah. You know, some of them not playing you because they it's kind of like this is the reality versus, you know, when the
Speaker 3
[00.27.52]
Purdue coach got on there and made a good case Matt Painter about you know we've played him we played this team this team Akron. We played them all these things. So for Purdue standpoint they've done that. But some of these other teams avoid them. Yeah. Other teams don't want to lose to Miami Ohio. You
Speaker 2
[00.28.04]
know what I didn't think about doing that would have been a good thing, was to see how far a mid-major has made it, because I remember George Mason made it really for the Final Four. Yeah, but I don't know how like, I don't know how wasn't
Speaker 1
[00.28.16]
I made it to the Final Four to, um, Wichita State. I want to say it was Wichita State with, uh, Fred VanVleet and yeah, yeah, they they had a run. Yeah, they had a run VCU. Uh, and then you remember the other one, the older lady, uh, Loyola. Was it
Speaker 3
[00.28.31]
Loyola? Loyola. Chicago.
Speaker 2
[00.28.32]
Oh, yeah. Loyola Chicago. That's hard to get out. So and I'm the mid-major. And see, this is the thing too. Now this is a little different, but mid-major or Cinderellas are not the same. And the reason why? Because when you look at the players on their team they are getting players that came down. Mhm. Like it used to be just a run of the mill somebody that came from JuCo or something. Right. But now they are literally like High point. Had the guy from Kentucky like. The the the lower tier schools now are still is still
Speaker 1
[00.29.03]
it's kind of a little more even than what it used
Speaker 2
[00.29.05]
to be, which makes it exciting. Yeah. One of the things that also was kind of a storyline that I heard just a little bit on both sides, men's and women's, but was like the refs became kind of, I know I don't want to get to in the woods or in the weeds, in the woods, in the weeds about the refs.
Speaker 3
[00.29.25]
Serious. If you're getting in the woods,
Speaker 2
[00.29.28]
that's the next level past the weeds. Um, so no, but this personally upset me because I was rooting for Santa Clara against Kentucky. I had them in my bracket, and at the end of that game, like two seconds left or whatever, the coach for Santa Clara called a time out. He
Speaker 3
[00.29.46]
did after his team scored and the refs did not acknowledge it. And then Kentucky, I mean, take it or away.
Speaker 2
[00.29.52]
Away. I mean, it was it was it was great
Speaker 1
[00.29.55]
of court. Yeah.
Speaker 2
[00.29.56]
Of course. Kind of like with the sequence with Duke and UConn. Like you just can't some of these things, it's like. This is an unbelievable sequence. Like there's there's so many ways this could have fallen apart, you know? But I was like, man, I was I was a little upset about that for a little while. And I don't know if the ref saw him or what, but it was like the coach was doing what he knew he could do to manage the game and put them in a good situation with the ref. Most of the call. Yeah,
Speaker 3
[00.30.22]
there's some work to be done on the basketball side. Refs were a little interesting this year, but like, um, even with the the smaller teams, the mid majors, the way the net ranking system is set up, they don't get a fair shake. No. And so they're going to get bad seeds constantly because they're not even if they win certain games or scheduling or whatever it is, they're not going to move up the rankings because they always already start down so low. And so they have to win like, man, and they don't play the schedule to get it up. So it's like it's hard because some really, really good mid majors. But they're not getting a fair shake ranking wise either because they have to come so far up to actually become ranked and you know to move up that way. So it's
Speaker 1
[00.31.04]
like that's not fair. Put some
Speaker 3
[00.31.06]
mid majors in more of these early tournaments that are playing. We just mentioned Michigan State and others in there. And, um, you know, hopefully they put a good show on. That's the kicker though. Like that's the that's the tough part.
Speaker 2
[00.31.21]
Um, I think if they were able to play in some of those that they would get more viewings and fans and like because you get to like you said, you don't know about them until March. March. And so you just don't know. And then
Speaker 1
[00.31.30]
you not only even if they lose, they will get more respect then possibly a better seeding, because we know this is what what they all love, what they write. Because because like you said, some of it's not fair, because some of them are playing teams that they really shouldn't play until the second or third round, but they having to start the tournament playing right. It's like, yeah, you're coming up in the, the the best teams like like like I said, I, I was I'm a Duke fan. But seeing Duke play Siena and I'm like Siena is not there's no way this is a 16 seed, right? Like just looking at them play. It's like, no this doesn't. But like you said because they have no wiggle room. Mhm. Like they have to almost be perfect just to get to the tournament. And then it's like. Well for all your hard work. Here's your reward. Right. Right. It's money.
Speaker 3
[00.32.24]
It's money involved. You want the bigger programs, the more of the following for them to get the opportunities. Yeah.
Speaker 2
[00.32.29]
The Miami, Ohio thing was crazy because it almost looked like they weren't going to get in because they didn't win their conference championship, but they were undefeated. I was like, they can't do this to this team. And I'm thankful that they didn't because I was like, don't, don't, don't be doing that, please. But it was close. But even as you was talking about even like he was talking about the refs, I watched it. I was watching that Santa Clara game. And I think what he should have done, the
Speaker 1
[00.32.52]
coach, the coach now know I'm gonna say this. I'm not negating. He called timeout. Yeah, but he went at the ref that was furthest away from him. He should have went at the one that was closest. I felt like it was. It could have gave him a better chance. But I mean it's tough because refs they do they have the potential to decide the outcomes of games. But then sometimes you have to look at it like, okay, they're human too. Like sure. Like you know, so that's that's what's kind of tough because I was in that moment you looking like, you know, and I felt like we, we failed to remember their human. So when all of this is going on, you gotta think it's a lot going on. So it they could be just, you know, just as, um, I'm gonna say shocked and out of it, like we are watching it, you know what I mean? Their point
Speaker 2
[00.33.43]
of focus is the court. They're not going to be scanning to see, oh, is this coach going well. And you're getting the absolute best effort from both teams. This is the time. And so it's extremely physical games even faster than it is before. And so there's a lot of quick decisions that have to be made. And so it's and it's a lot of they trained for it. They're prepared for it. But it's it's a lot it's a lot. So
Speaker 1
[00.34.02]
let me ask you this. I'm not just going back but the headbutt.
Speaker 2
[00.34.07]
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1
[00.34.07]
No no no this is the this is the reason why I say that. Because if this is a normal situation.
Speaker 3
[00.34.13]
Oh, it's totally. Yeah.
Speaker 1
[00.34.14]
Like, it ain't even, you know what I'm saying. But but it's but that's one of those situations where even though I'm on the losing side. Yeah.
Speaker 3
[00.34.20]
So he's referring to Dan Hurley after Mullins made that crazy three point shot to take the lead over Duke. Was the game had this weird it yes. There was three seconds left or whatever, but Dan Hurley put his head on the ref. It was like a headbutt, head hug, whatever people
Speaker 2
[00.34.39]
want to call it. They called it a head hug. Oh my God, that required just like
Speaker 3
[00.34.43]
put his head on the ref like that. Um, not quite sure why that happened, but
Speaker 1
[00.34.47]
and and this is what I was going to say. Even though I'm a Duke fan, I know the ref can't call that. Yeah, I know he can't because that's that's going to decide the game. Right. Like that changes the whole. But in that same instance, I'm just thinking about the reality of refereeing because it's like if this was a regular game,
Speaker 2
[00.35.07]
they would call it. Get out of my
Speaker 1
[00.35.09]
face. Like. Like you don't do that, you know? And so, yeah, it's tough, you know, but but, you know, you just talking about those riffs, I'm like, man, they have a tough job. They
Speaker 2
[00.35.17]
do. They have a tough job. And I think that I can get like, um, you know, fouls are what they are. I mean, it's frustrating because it stops the game a lot if they're calling something really tight but to miss certain things or I don't know, it can get. Yeah. If it especially if it's deciding a game, you're like, man, I hate that that because it could have gone the other way. But that's one thing that I do love about March Madness that I learn every year to more and more. Is game management, like what a coach can do to manage the game? And sometimes it's surprising, like when do you decide to let your team play it out? I got two timeouts. Do I call a timeout like just the decisions they got to make in those like last minutes of the game? That's crazy. That's
Speaker 1
[00.35.55]
that's that's something I'm gonna say this like, I like I said, a new fan, of course, I work for Mississippi State. So I'm a, you know, Mississippi State guy. But, um, to see Duke lose three games that they were all three games they lost this year, they were up by 19 points. Yikes. Yeah. So it's like and then you was up in the Final Four last year with two minutes to go ten plus it's like okay at some point. Like you said, game management, different things like that. And so I think that's a real that's a real thing. But I will say that and just as you can help me with this, the NBA ref who was betting on games, you remember he was calling them a certain way. Mhm. It makes me think about like does that go on. Because even with the national championship game, just to make the statement, he says you could have already got ten fouls. Like and I'm like and when you watch the game and this is what I'm saying because if this guy got he the man breathed on them and you call the foul right? And then on this end he got, he got hit across the head and nothing was. It's like okay. Yeah. It makes you wonder. Well,
Speaker 2
[00.37.04]
sure. And for that specific instance, I didn't get to watch the full game. But a lot of the analysts were saying, like, look, UConn's strategy was to be physical and to try to get Michigan out of the rhythm, to have long possessions, stuff like that. And so that was a part of the game plan and like, well, it kept them in. They
Speaker 3
[00.37.22]
didn't expect Michigan to make 23 straight
Speaker 2
[00.37.24]
free throws they were banking on. They were like they going to wear them down and they made 20 straight free throws. So Michigan won a different way. Now that was the worst shooting game of Michigan's entire season. It was. So UConn's plan worked. They just made the free throws. Yeah, they just cashed
Speaker 3
[00.37.37]
in. And UConn was, um, overmatched. They knew that. So this was the right way to try to win.
Speaker 2
[00.37.43]
Wow. Yeah. Wow. Well, I have I have other basketball stuff we could talk about as far as, like some of the things I noticed during March Madness. But we're going to move on to this, uh, before we move on to more, you know, edifying topic. Maybe. Um, but I had a question for you guys. What's the best guess of teams who have won the most, like some winning programs that don't get talked about as much, like, kind of get overlooked. Can you think of any? I have the answers that get overlooked but are winning like have pretty outstanding winning percentages. Can you guess? Oh,
Speaker 3
[00.38.15]
everybody talks about the blue Bloods,
Speaker 2
[00.38.16]
you know. Yeah. Which what what is the blue blood? I had to look this up. Speaking of good. Well,
Speaker 3
[00.38.22]
there are a lot of them are blue.
Speaker 2
[00.38.23]
Yes. That's
Speaker 1
[00.38.24]
crazy. There are a lot of them are blue.
Speaker 2
[00.38.26]
Okay. That's why I thought they loved that.
Speaker 1
[00.38.28]
Uh, a lot of them literally have blue in them. That's that's that's crazy. That's
Speaker 2
[00.38.33]
thinking about what is a blue blood.
Speaker 1
[00.38.34]
It's like blue bloods are like programs in basketball or whatever sport they are the like the top tier programs. You know, uh, I'm gonna say this once every five years. They're going to be in the, the Final Four or like football, they'll be in the college playoffs right there at the championship. Like those are like the top tier program.
Speaker 2
[00.38.55]
So like, you didn't know pickleball. I thought I did not know the true definition of a blue blood. I thought it was that they were blue. We're good. We're not like they that they were, but that like it was that the blue bloods are referring to just like Kansas, Duke, UNC, Kentucky. Like that's
Speaker 3
[00.39.15]
it. You can't now. Yes
Speaker 2
[00.39.17]
you can't. But you have UCLA won a lot. And they would be. Yeah. But see that was going to say this too I think. But see that's where I think that the conversation shifts amongst generations. Yeah. Because like now when you consider Blue Bloods excuse me when you consider blue Bloods. Talking to generations. We look at it different. Like you said, Indiana. Indiana really wouldn't be considered a blueblood according to today's standards because they haven't. They haven't one. You get what I'm saying? Like, like. But then I'm I'm having to like. That's why I say generations because I, I can talk to somebody younger than me. And I may say like football. USC is a blueblood, but it's generational because they haven't won lately. But there was once a time they were every year, you know. But but talk to somebody like USC is not a blue. They're not good. So I'm like, well, some of this is subjective according to time and generations. But, um,
Speaker 1
[00.40.18]
most of most of the teams you name will be considered, you know, blueblood programs like you said you could, um, Michigan you, you, you you can say, well, would you say they're blue blood?
Speaker 2
[00.40.30]
No. Because yet not
Speaker 1
[00.40.31]
not yet. Well, but they're knocking on the door. But we can say because, you know, they played in the Championship, uh, a few years ago. They wanted, you know,
Speaker 3
[00.40.40]
football. They would be considered that. Yeah.
Speaker 2
[00.40.43]
See, that's what I didn't even know. So I didn't even know blueblood referred to anything outside of those four teams in basketball. Oh,
Speaker 1
[00.40.49]
yeah. Well, football is kind of like
Speaker 2
[00.40.50]
Blue Blood program. Like, I did not know that people use that term in other sports. Yeah, yeah. Like I've only heard it in context to basketball and to those teams that had blue. Anyway. So, you know, this is a learning podcast I'm trying to
Speaker 1
[00.41.04]
say is there anybody. Well, I'm gonna say when you talk about teams that have won, um. Now I'm gonna tell you this. So I would say at Butler,
Speaker 2
[00.41.15]
they have a respectable basketball program. Mhm. Um, like they, they, they pretty much, you know, they, they win. Um, I think about Brad Stevens before he went to Boston, he was they were phenomenal. Um,
Speaker 1
[00.41.30]
I mean they haven't been good lately.
Speaker 2
[00.41.32]
Do you think Gonzaga is in that. Yeah.
Speaker 1
[00.41.34]
No I see Gonzaga to me is almost like a
Speaker 3
[00.41.36]
blueblood. They haven't won a title though. But see,
Speaker 1
[00.41.39]
that's the thing. They haven't won a title, but they hadn't been there so much. No.
Speaker 2
[00.41.43]
Uh, he's got to get him won. Can you name any other? I'm trying to, like, shield mine. Do you have any guesses? One. I'll give you a hint. One team has a very seasoned, like legacy coach. Still coaching.
Speaker 3
[00.41.58]
Hold on. One team has a like Kurt Izzo.
Speaker 2
[00.42.02]
No.
Speaker 3
[00.42.03]
Where are you talking about? Uh. Hold
Speaker 2
[00.42.05]
on. He's gone. Jesse, you said legacy. They just renewed his contract. I'm pretty
Speaker 1
[00.42.09]
sure. Oh, uh, Saint John's. Yeah. You got to be talking about Pitino. Pitino? Look
Speaker 2
[00.42.13]
at that. I gave good hints.
Speaker 1
[00.42.14]
Well, I said that because we played them.
Speaker 3
[00.42.16]
You gotta think so. He's got a little
Speaker 2
[00.42.18]
rich history. So they, um.
Speaker 1
[00.42.19]
They got a rich history. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 2
[00.42.21]
they started in 1908, and their winning percentage is like 64%. It's anyways. Yeah. So I mean, they're one that I feel like they don't get talked about a ton
Speaker 3
[00.42.31]
because they were nothing for a while.
Speaker 2
[00.42.33]
Yeah. Yeah. But they're in the conversation on this list also has temple. That was the one that probably surprised me the most. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3
[00.42.40]
Yeah. I was like, John Chaney.
Speaker 1
[00.42.41]
Chaney. Yeah.
Speaker 3
[00.42.43]
And even before
Speaker 2
[00.42.44]
then, Notre Dame. And then of course we have UCLA, Notre Dame that's on the list. They said they're one of the winningest schools in both basketball and football. Yeah.
Speaker 3
[00.42.54]
That's because they started before everybody
Speaker 2
[00.42.55]
else. 1897. I was like, yeah. I'm like, no. They got all their wins in wins early against Army and Navy. To think about that like stop. Oh my gosh. I mean that's crazy to think they were playing basketball in 1900. Anyway Syracuse
Speaker 3
[00.43.14]
fashion Notre Dame. Yeah okay. Yeah
Speaker 2
[00.43.16]
yeah yeah yeah. Stoker. Don't get mad. Uh, Syracuse.
Speaker 1
[00.43.20]
Yeah, I can see that.
Speaker 2
[00.43.22]
Yeah. I was like, all right. I mean, and then, of course, you have Duke, North Carolina. Can you guess the one with the highest winning percentage? They've been a disappointment to me the past, like five years. What? Kansas? Yes, Kansas. Really? I grew up like watching them. A friend of mine really liked Kansas. And so I just got on the Jayhawk
Speaker 3
[00.43.37]
bandwagon. Every time Bethany picks Kansas for the NCAA tournament, they
Speaker 1
[00.43.40]
lose. Yeah. So in recent years, I'm like, you're you're not going to make it past the second round. Like I'm not trusting you. I already know I have trust relationships with Kansas. Yeah. So, um, anyway, that was what I wanted to do for the stretch time today, so thanks for entertaining. Um, those things of basketball. I do want to mention this because it just. I noticed it so much more. And, Darius, maybe because you're around men's basketball, you can you can tell me if this is basketball terms, terminology that I've just completely missed, or if this is a new thing. Efficiency. People talk about efficiency of possessions. That's a real thing.
Speaker 2
[00.44.14]
But like, have have you always heard that term? No. I feel like that's a very new thing.
Speaker 3
[00.44.20]
I think they measure it more. They never measure more of offensive efficiency. So how productive are you on your possessions? Yes.
Speaker 2
[00.44.27]
Like what is. Which is great. I wish we would have had that back whenever I was playing. Well, I think
Speaker 1
[00.44.31]
that what he's saying is connected with analytics, though. As the analytics grew, that type of stuff started to grow.
Speaker 2
[00.44.40]
Yeah, like but I mean it was like, yeah, it was every broadcast. It was like efficient. Arizona is so efficient. Arizona, you know, and you know,
Speaker 1
[00.44.46]
I'm gonna say like, I wasn't paying attention to it as much until, like I said, being around like the basketball team here. Yeah, they got the guys. I can't think of the coaches name right now. Um, who kind of does the video? He breaks down and it's like the analytics that goes into it. It kind of it's amazing to hear that and then actually see a team play and see that. Right. Carry it out. Yeah. Because like I went I didn't watch much Arizona. But I'm like how are they scoring a hundred points and only shooting five threes right. Like they are like I'm like that's almost unheard of. Like and it's not they're playing fast. But when you look at the analytics how they're maximizing every possession, like they don't have a lot of wasted possessions, not a lot of turnovers and stuff like that. And then doing, uh, breaking it down to offensive rebounds like it's it was amazing to kind of see all of the small, intricate details that go along with them being who they are, and then you able to see the difference between when they play Michigan. It's like two great offenses in different ways. And you saw the one win out, right? You know, and so, uh, it's a real thing now. Like it's something that I'm a little more. Alert and looking
Speaker 2
[00.46.05]
for. I'm going to be looking for that. Whenever it's so crazy how like just something that people start talking about becomes like a lens that you see through. Yeah. And I mean, what we had for analytics was assist turnover ratio. That was it. That was like, are we taking care of the ball
Speaker 3
[00.46.18]
every, every year there's a new phrase and any kind of sport they're trying to throw out there to get out there. Like for football recently it's been playing complementary football right here. That a lot. Yeah. Defense and offense bounce off each other. Special teams they're all kind of working together you know and it's like complementing thank you. Right. That's been the phrase. So now when you're a you know analyst for the game you throw that out there. You already got your
Speaker 2
[00.46.42]
I gotta come up with something. I gotta be able to look at a sport and be like, what is the thing that, you know, what's the new thing that we should look for that will make us more successful? So baseball.
Speaker 1
[00.46.51]
What is that? What would you say?
Speaker 2
[00.46.53]
Oh, we all were talking about that. What is it called? They mentioned it on the broadcast last night that you have access to the. You and Sarah Adams. We're talking about this the other day. Oh, just
Speaker 3
[00.47.01]
the the Trackman. Yeah.
Speaker 2
[00.47.03]
What the heck is a Trackman?
Speaker 3
[00.47.04]
Well it, it it gets like. Uh, that like for Trackman with the pitcher.
Speaker 2
[00.47.11]
Is it a camera? Is it a catapult? Like what the athletes wear. Like, what is this?
Speaker 3
[00.47.15]
No, it's a camera. Okay. It picks up the ball speed and like, the spin rates and all the different things that are going
Speaker 2
[00.47.20]
on. Cause when I hear Trackman, I'm. I'm seeing a little image of, like, a Trackman. Well, you're talking
Speaker 3
[00.47.25]
about. So now you can know. Okay. You know, um, ace Reese hit a ball 103 miles an hour. Off the bat. Yes. And it went that many feet. Like it's tracking that. Yeah, that's all that stuff.
Speaker 2
[00.47.36]
All right, got it. Different type of track on it. Yeah.
Speaker 3
[00.47.38]
And then the pitcher side, the ones they have in the lab and things can get the spin rate. Horizontal vertical movement patterns of everything. So you might have noticed that people are saying that more to like this pitcher is like spin rate blah, blah, blah. I'm like, what in the. What is this? Yeah, they get all
Speaker 2
[00.47.52]
excited about RPM something or other.
Speaker 1
[00.47.55]
Yeah, they it's almost like they, they are keeping stats on everything. He stands three, three inches left of the plate and throws it four inches. Right. Like it's like one
Speaker 2
[00.48.05]
of the things that we've laughed about both in the Olympics and these other broadcasts and stuff is like the first the such and such of this century. And our kids are like, dude, it's been 26 years. Just say of this decade or something. You know, it's like so dramatic.
Speaker 1
[00.48.20]
Dramatic? Yeah, it's
Speaker 2
[00.48.21]
a part of it, though. Anyways, it is crazy. Anyway, all right, so on Monday night at the huddle, Taylor Pitts is going to come and speak. She is a fan favorite and also very much a friend of FCA and of us at this table. And so we're excited to have her at FCA. She's going to talk about becoming rooted. So I just wanted to end this podcast wrap up, which is talking about our thoughts on becoming rooted. We don't have her notes. We don't know what she's going to say as we're recording this podcast, but we thought that we would just chime in a little bit for some extra content. So becoming rooted, what is that? Oh, also, I didn't say, but Taylor Pitts, if you don't know, is athletic trainer women's basketball here. All right. So becoming rooted what does that mean to you or what are your first thoughts on that topic? I mean, I just think of a tree picking a plant like there is nothing underneath the ground is the most solid, structural, foundational part of a tree. And it's where nutrients come from. Mhm. You got a bad root system.
Speaker 3
[00.49.22]
Yeah. The tree's not healthy.
Speaker 2
[00.49.24]
Man when we went to we visited my sister in Utah. And when we were on a hike we saw aspen trees. Oh they're amazing. Yeah. And I was like, these are really cool. But you don't see them at certain elevations. You got to get to a certain point. Right. And then Justin was telling me because he knows about this stuff, what they do, and it's pretty cool. So they, they
Speaker 3
[00.49.43]
lock on to each other's root systems. Wow.
Speaker 2
[00.49.45]
So it's like a network. Yeah. Like, if one is needing more nutrients or whatever, they can send that
Speaker 3
[00.49.51]
through. They send it through. And it's it's like the networks I want to say it can be up to miles of the network connections. God
Speaker 2
[00.49.59]
is amazing. Isn't that crazy? It is. And they're not there. They're they're at certain elevations, like they cannot they're not going to survive in certain places up until you get to a certain height. Um, if I'm saying that. Right. I
Speaker 3
[00.50.10]
just think about that with friends in like, community and connections, you know, to be rooted together in that way, to support each other that way. Um, it's pretty significant because we think of, like, being rooted of, like being connected to Christ. Right? Right. Being rooted, you know, in Christ somewhere into something. But man being rooted to each other. To each other. Yeah. You know, as well.
Speaker 1
[00.50.31]
Um, I when you said that, you know, my mind went to the, uh. The unseen process. Yeah. Like when you think about roots, we don't see roots. Mhm. A lot of times, you know, you see them coming out of the ground. But I'm, I'm saying like I was just thinking about the unseen part of the process that is so beneficial to what we're going to become. Mhm. You know and I think um just for that and I'm, I'm really interested in what Taylor's going to bring. Mhm. Uh because I think about the encouragement to continue to stay with a process that may not initially seem like it's producing, but it's an unseen settling, an unseen building underground that's going to allow everything that we're becoming to come forth. You know, so when you said that, that's what I was just thinking about. You know, a lot of times when the roots are being formed, they're being strengthened, they're being grown, uh, groomed. We're not seeing that. Right.
Speaker 2
[00.51.35]
You know, it doesn't feel like probably a lot of work is being done either
Speaker 3
[00.51.37]
underneath to like, roots. When it's dry, they have to go deeper to go find the moisture and to find the water. And so they have to really stretch. And so the system, the root system gets bigger and larger and expands under dry seasons.
Speaker 2
[00.51.55]
Mhm. That
Speaker 3
[00.51.56]
all right. So if you have a lot of water. So if you got a new like a new plant you want to make sure it has enough water, enough moisture for a while. Okay. And so um you get it going and get established. It's great. But if you overwater it the roots will not expand because it's always going to have water. And so the roots are short. And so if you just so you're not helping the growth. And so you're telling
Speaker 1
[00.52.17]
me sometimes there has to be a moment. Of of. I must say, I don't nothingness to give the roots an opportunity to expand. To expand.
Speaker 3
[00.52.29]
Yeah. Like you need to get things started and and water them daily. But then there's a point where you need to let it go multiple days without them getting water so they can start expanding
Speaker 1
[00.52.38]
beyond that is
Speaker 3
[00.52.40]
so that gives a stronger structure for the tree. And then when the winds come now when the outer stuff happens, it is strong enough to uphold, like to hold up all those um, yeah. Yeah. And then when impacts like trees as well, like, you know, um, things like that. So you gotta have it's just a variety of factors that play into it. And then think about our lives. Right. And how that's why you see these examples in Scripture a lot, you know, because for one, we understand it and it makes sense. But then we we see it too. And it was like, oh, wow, that that's
Speaker 2
[00.53.10]
kind of like a religious thing. I just think that's the hard part of the work in your, in your as you mature that time where the roots are developing or growing or whatever it is, because it's not flashy, there's nothing that you get to see as a result. Like, I'm currently in our yard right now trying to make this area where we have planted some things look a little bit more purposeful, because it's a little bit of a mod podge of things and I'm like, I just want. I'm like, come on, tree. Like, I just want to see the flowers or I just want to see, you know, whatever. And I'm like, we're gonna have to do it, Justin said. Like, you know, put it in the ground, water it, leave it alone for a few days, water it again, whatever. And I don't know, this stuff, which is going to be a great transition into we're going to have Jeremiah come and talk about vegetable garden, um, on an episode at some point this spring. So maybe he can tell us more about that. But it is like I want to see the result more than I want to do. This initial part of like, is the soil ready? How far do you go down? Like how much do you prom this thing to be able to.
Speaker 3
[00.54.13]
Yeah. Are they even in the right environment. So is the soil the right environment. Is it too acidic or is it to, you know, is the pH too high. So like if you can everything doesn't grow in the perfect environments, man. Like in certain
Speaker 1
[00.54.26]
I wish I wish I knew my wife. She, uh, we had a plant one time that. I do not. I'm going to have to get the name of this plant, but it was one that needed sunlight. But it couldn't be in too cool of a temperature. Or it would, it wouldn't. It would die. So she come up with a bright idea to open the window, and trying to let the sun from outside shine in on the plant while keeping it inside because it was too cold outside. And every day I would come. The petals are and it will it. But it goes back to what you were saying, the environment. It was nothing wrong with the plant, but the environment was prohibiting the plant from growing, you know, and and so when you was talking about what you were saying, even as it relates to what you're doing at your house, it just made me think about that. And then another thing I was thinking to rooted and you was talking about how they expand the roots, expand to become rooted. It it requires determination. Mhm. Like you have to be determined to go through that process to become what you need to become. Because like you gotta think if I'm not getting any water and then I start expanding looking that to me says determination. Like I'm not just going
Speaker 2
[00.55.47]
to wait. I'm
Speaker 1
[00.55.49]
going after something, you know? I'm going after. I'm going out there. And so when you were saying that, it just made me think. And I think a lot, man, we may need to just do a study on trees. I think we can learn a lot about just being, uh, rooted, like you said, rooted together, talking about the environment and even just, uh, being rooted enough that when things come, like the wind, like all these different things come, uh, we'll be able to be firm in, in and knowing as far as what God is doing in our life. But like, I'm excited. It just built more excitement for me to hear, you know, what she's going to say, uh, to kind of apply just to my life, you know, just from the aspect of, like you said, being rooted because, like, even when y'all was talking about the aspen tree, um, you think about, like it, it pushes us to not be isolated, right? Like, we grow connected together, but it's almost like no one has to go lacking because we're all right. Providing you know what we need amongst each other, Right. So, um, that I'm excited I am.
Speaker 2
[00.56.54]
One of the things that Taylor mentioned was that she was playing pickleball, and a former student athlete was in town and came up and just in that conversation that the girl was like, man, my faith in God has like strengthened so much after college like it has. And I don't know if she used the word rooted, but that's what she was describing. And it just made me think about how sometimes, sometimes in especially if you're in the same environment like it can and you're not like you are going through very hard things in college. So I don't mean to like minimize that, but sometimes you're you're in an environment that can be you can be used to it and become a little bit more predictable. Although day to day things change. But you're not like always dealing with a lot of variables every day that are like so different. Like if you were to be in a city in a job and you're like figuring out all these things, like you're coming to a campus, you're coming to the track, you're coming to the gym, like you have some things that are set that you're just familiar with. Um, and so I think it sometimes can make you feel like, feel like you're rooting. Mhm. Because things are familiar. Right. But you really don't know until you get out there and you figure out like you kind of get tested a little bit. Like, was I really just familiar with my environment and with the people around me? Yeah. Or was I really rooted because I feel comfortable here too? I can I can thrive here. And sometimes you need life to test you in that way a little bit. Um, but it just made me think about athletes. Just, um, you know, how that can feel in that transition. Um, a little bit like, uh, this is uncomfortable. Um, and so the, the work that you do in that unseen time, uh, that internal work that connecting with other people, connecting with the Lord, like all that is so important, even if you're not seeing this dramatic fruit from it. Uh, because it'll set you up well when you make that transition out of college. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3
[00.58.44]
Real fruit doesn't come until multiple, multiple years from fruit trees. Like there's fruit that shows up, but it ain't good fruit.
Speaker 2
[00.58.50]
Well, we have an olive tree, which I know nothing about. Olive trees. So this is like the whole experiment here, but I think I read something like they don't produce anything for like, two years or three years.
Speaker 3
[00.59.00]
Oh, well, there's many trees that it's like five, six, seven years, you know.
Speaker 2
[00.59.03]
Like, see, that's like in me. I'm like, come on. I don't I don't even know if I want to eat olive, but I want to see that you can do it. Yeah.
Speaker 1
[00.59.10]
Can you do it for me, please? Hey hey hey hey.
Speaker 2
[00.59.12]
We were looking at another tree this morning, and I was like, I think this one's dead. Like, I don't think this is gonna, um, do very good, but. Wow. That's, uh. But what you were saying, even, uh, Bethany, what you were saying, it made me think about when you were talking about that student that Taylor was, um, that former student Taylor was talking with. Um, it was a thing they used to say is a faith that hasn't been tried. Can't be trusted. Mhm. And it's like, so the trying of your faith is actually the proving and the revelation of it. And then I was even thinking how you can couple that with what Justin said. Because sometimes here, uh, you may be in an environment where you, I don't want to say we're giving them too much water or a lot of water, but it's like when you get resources.
Speaker 1
[00.59.54]
Resources? Yeah. And when you get away, you don't have some of those resources, so you have to go find them. Hey, you got to go in and and and you're a little more Imma say intentional because it's like here we're kind of in everybody's trying to give to you. But right once you get out of an environment of so much giving, you have to kind of go, like you said, look for you kind of have to go and seek out. And, um, I think that a lot of them, um, will see. Um, it's not to discourage that. We want you to continue to be here, but a lot of things, like you said, the fruit of what you're doing now, a lot of that will start coming to fruition. After you have transitioned to the other things and and you'll be able to look back and see, man, this was plant. That seed was there. But that fruit is is here, you know. And so we've had those testimonies, I think about, uh, the young lady father who came, uh, he was a former football player. Um, I can't think of his name now, but he was saying how one of the coaches came in and really just talked to him. Uh, he wasn't going. He was going through a lot of different things. And this is where he got introduced to God. And now he's a pastor. Yeah. And his daughter is coming to FCA. So it's like, you know, I believe that that's some of the things we'll continue to see. Yeah. That's good. You know, trees are pretty wild too, because you can actually cut a branch off from the mother tree, the tree that you want the DNA to be in, like be replicated. And you can put a little gash in the, the tree, the other trees and then wrap that branch in there and like, put it in that, that gap that is wrap it up real tight, put like the necessary things for it. And the DNA of the mother tree. Will actually infiltrate the rest of that tree. That is. So then you have matching DNA for the fruit trees that you have. All because of. From the best tree you get a branch from and do. It's crazy. So then we're talking about being grafted in. Right. Yeah. Right.
Speaker 3
[01.01.54]
That we're all grafted in. Um. It's wild. I mean, the comparisons and how trees operate in. There's so many
Speaker 2
[01.02.01]
stories to have. The next stretch time can be about trees, and I'm
Speaker 1
[01.02.03]
gonna have to. I would have to do a study on trees. I'm missing
Speaker 2
[01.02.07]
out. You're missing out. So one thing I was going to say, and we'll wrap up, is that you were talking about how the resources, if we compare them to just a plant getting water all the time, I do think that can feel a little bit like what it's like to be a college athlete. The work is very hard. So I'm not I think the resources are phenomenal and I think they should be there. But I do think that sometimes and this happens to everybody, not just athletes, but you don't really realize the resources you had at your easily at your disposal until you leave. Yeah. And you realize, oh, I'm going to have to go find those. So I think even if you don't realize it or don't use them or utilize them as much as maybe you could, I do think it's good to learn what those resources are as far as being rooted, so that you can go find them. I mean, I think that being here, there were things that I learned and valued being part of FCA and getting to see like even not even FCA related, but just being part of the basketball program, our boosters getting to know them, um, that that I learned to look for those valuable resources when I left. And I do hope people can use the resources that they've been given easily here because they're so accessible. And it will not be like that. This is not a Debbie Downer statement. It just like life doesn't work like that. They will not be available to you as easily as, as readily available as they are now. Um, and so I hope people are embracing that. Um, but also noting at the same time, these are the things that are healthy and good for me, that help me become rooted even when I leave. And now I can go look for those things to expand my roots. But anyway, Justin, did you have anything you wanted to say on that? Well,
Speaker 3
[01.03.46]
I mean, there's so many resources, there's so much available. You can feel like
Speaker 2
[01.03.51]
flooded. Yeah, like the plant. That's what I'm saying. You're totally flooded. But at the same time, um. Like with the. Oh, man, it was right there. I've heard many of the athletes talk about feeling like they're robots. Hmm.
Speaker 3
[01.04.06]
Interesting. Yeah, because everything's scheduled and this is what they do. And this is how they're this, like the growth. This is what they're supposed to produce. And so, so much so, like when you get flooded, there's initial growth and all those things, like all of it. But there's a point where it's like, oh, I can't breathe. Yes. You know, I have no room to breathe and just expand. And like, that's I think that's where man coaching great coaching comes in. Yeah. And just being encouraged like this is formation. Yeah. You don't have every journey is different. Yeah.
Speaker 2
[01.04.38]
And just like I was saying like just take note of what those things are because it might not be that you need all that right now, but learn to look for it so that you can find it when you need it. Um, okay. Well, that's the podcast for today. Thanks for listening. It was so fun to get back at the table. Hopefully we got any rust that we might have had off. I feel like, you know, it's fun to just start a conversation and get going again. And also, Justin might have given us a good stretch topic if nothing else comes between now and next week to talk more about trees, we'll be arborist. Arborist next week. Um, maybe it'll be the official we have. We already passed the official day of spring. Yeah, first day of spring was like several weeks ago. That was when I was out of commission, probably. Anyway, thank you so much for listening. If you have any comments, questions, challenges, whatever. Feel free to comment and we'll look forward to talking to you and talking with each other. Having a good conversation. Having a good hang next week. Thanks for listening to the Creative to Be podcast. To learn more about FCA at Mississippi State, visit. And follow us on Instagram at Hailstate underscore. If you would like to become a financial partner, visit www.msufca.org to sow into the work God is doing through FCA at Mississippi State.