Pick'em Pros
Pick'em Pros is a father and son dynamic duo who love talking sports. Their show "Who Ya Got" features their weekly sports game picks along with commentary of fantasy sports. 13 Year old Diego Thompson is a hit as he passionately makes his points and never backs down when going head to head with his father!
Pick'em Pros
Breaking Barriers: Trailblazing Women in Sports and Business
Sports culture comes alive in this electric episode of Pick'em Pros, recorded before an enthusiastic live audience at Kings in Raleigh. Celebrating International Women's Month, hosts Derrick and Diego Thompson bring together legends who have shattered glass ceilings alongside tomorrow's rising stars.
The show opens with the undeniable presence of sports pioneer Dolores "Dee" Todd, whose list of "firsts" leaves the audience awestruck—from being the ACC's first Black head coach to appearing on Kellogg's Corn Flakes boxes. With quiet dignity, Todd shares how she transformed women's basketball by securing live TV coverage ("they told me they didn't want to spend money to see women running up and down the court looking like men") and introducing three-person officiating crews. When asked about her proudest achievement, Todd points to her work expanding opportunities for women of color in athletic administration, growing representation from a single member to over 500.
The conversation shifts seamlessly between sports analysis and personal stories when Tyler Jones, former NC State player turned recruiter, provides a candid window into today's college recruitment landscape. "It's no longer about which school you like or where your parents went," Jones explains. "It's about who has the biggest checkbook." His advice to young athletes reveals a recruiter's true priorities: character and work ethic outweigh raw talent when building winning programs.
Perhaps the night's most touching moment comes when teenage golf phenom Olivia shares her journey as a sophomore athlete dropping five strokes from her game. When Dolores Todd tells her with absolute certainty, "You're going to be the best in the world," the room falls silent with the weight of a torch being passed.
Former Duke Athletics marketing director Kelly Marcolini adds another dimension, revealing how she created the now-iconic "Shots" tradition at Cameron Indoor Stadium and the behind-the-scenes work that makes college sports experiences unforgettable. Between segments, musical performances from Chucc Global keep the energy high, culminating in a performance of the Pick'em Pros anthem that brings the house down.
Whether you're drawn to stories of barrier-breaking achievements, insider takes on recruitment, or predictions about March Madness and the NBA playoffs, this episode delivers with heart and authenticity that only comes when sports lovers gather to celebrate the games that unite us.
🏆 Special Guests:
🏅 Delores “Dee” Todd – Trailblazing former ACC Assistant Commissioner
🏈 Tyler Jones – Former NC State player & current recruiter
⛳ Olivia Heggie – Rising collegiate golf star
📢 Kelly Marcolini – Former Associate Director of Marketing for Duke Athletics
🎶 Live music performance by Chucc Global
🎧 DJ EJ Da Wizz keeping the energy high all night!
Lexy's Bussin Baking - Draws the winner of the NCAA VIP Suite Tickets and shares her entrepreneurship journey!
Pick'em Pros is a father son duo who enjoy talking sports, debating and having fun while doing it!
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All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back. You know who it is. I am Derek Thompson, I'm Diego Thompson, and who are we? We're the Pick'em Pros. We are the Pick'em Pros coming at you, live from Raleigh, north Carolina, in Kings, in front of a great audience. What's up y'all? Thank you so much for coming out. This is episode 129. Been doing this for three years. We got a packed, sold-out crowd and everybody's clamoring to get these VIP tickets that we're going to give away tonight. So who's going to win? Who's going to win the tickets? Man, this is going to be great. We're going to be in the box. How was that box, diego? It was great.
Speaker 2:Great experience.
Speaker 1:Man, great experience. All you can eat, man. We had like four meals yesterday watching March Madness, so they had to roll us out of there. Diet went all the way out the window and, yeah, we had a great time. So we cannot wait to spend tomorrow afternoon with somebody here in in the audience and it's gonna be a great, great time. We've got duke.
Speaker 2:Who's duke playing diego taylor oh, you're gonna beat him, but it'll be fun to see. Really, are you sure about that? You're gonna beat him by at least 20, maybe even 30. Okay, all right for your sake?
Speaker 1:I hope so. And then we've got florida. Who's florida playing? They play uconn. That's gonna be good. We've got the current back-to-back champion facing the last team that went back-to-back, so that's going to be phenomenal. So we cannot wait to see that. But how you doing, man?
Speaker 2:Doing good. Duke won by 45, I think. So doing good. All right On the road to the natty All right, did a little something.
Speaker 1:That that was, uh, that was impressive. It was great to see cooper flag. We got to see him in person, so that was fantastic. But uh, oh man, florida, florida looks different. Hey, that that's something different. Right there, man you're not worried about florida hey look man, there's some grown men out there playing man we have more talent okay, you have more talent, we're gonna.
Speaker 1:We're gonna see. I would love to see that matchup, but they've got to get past houston though, because you know, houston is my squad they gotta get the border, gotta get past yukon okay, deuce, gotta get past baylor, that's not that's not the same thing, all right, okay, well, man, any. Uh, what was your analysis on the tournament so far, man? What's going on with the tournament?
Speaker 2:I think it's been a good tournament, been a few upsets, had Magnesi, drake, arkansas Arkansas is playing really well. Yeah, I think it's been a good tournament Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, man, I had St John's and, yeah, I took a dive with that one, dive with that one. So I had our. Yeah, yeah, you got, you got lucky on that one. But that's okay, all I need is Houston to come back at the end. That's all that matters. As long as you pick the national champion, which we all know I'm gonna do, then I'm good, I'm gonna win the, I'm gonna win the raffle.
Speaker 2:Got to get past Duke in the final four first.
Speaker 1:Okay, we're going, we are going to see, we're going to see, but we have a loaded show for you. We have some amazing guests today. Let me go ahead and just run down our guest list for you. So we have Mr Loris D Todd here in the building. Wow, we're going to introduce her in a minute properly. So she is a legend and we cannot wait for you to learn about all that she has done. So we can't wait to have her.
Speaker 1:We have Mr Tyler Jones from NC State Hands together for him. Yes, yes, star player out of NC State now is recruiting for state. We cannot wait to talk to him. We've got we always have our rising star. So we have Olivia here, live under par, put your hands together for her. Rising golf star, rising golf star, sophomore doing big things, winner of the under honored under armor tournament and many other things. So we can't wait to have her. She's a returning guest. So you know, you're big time. You're returning guest on pick'em pro. Yeah, you're doing big things there.
Speaker 1:We have oh, my goodness, we have the former director of uh marketing for duke athletics. Yes, yes, we have miss kelly in the building. Put your hands together, we got duke in the building. Yes, yes, we're so excited. And, uh, man, we have a special, uh, another special guest at the end who's actually going to draw. So this is international women's month and, uh, we want to acknowledge all of our women, celebrate them for all their accomplishments. So we have a star-studded lineup, especially of our women, here tonight, and we're going to end it with an inspirational story of a local high school entrepreneur who's doing big things. Lexi's Bussin' Bacon is here and she is actually going to pull the name of the winner. So I know you can't wait to have her. And then we've got Mr Chuck Global. Chuck Global's back in the building all the way from Pittsburgh, pennsylvania. He's going to drop a few tracks for us.
Speaker 1:So, great fire show, all right. Well, you ready to get into it? Man Ready, let's go. All right, let's go, let's get into it. So let me read. Hold on, let me read the bio here. All right, we have a lot to read here for Mr Dolores D Todd.
Speaker 1:So today we have an incredible honor of welcoming a true trailblazer in the world of athletics and sports administration. Dolores D Todd, throughout her groundbreaking career, has shattered barriers, broken records and paved the way for so many who came after her. Let's take a moment and recognize a few of her historic achievements. First black woman head coach at Northwestern University Put your hands together. First black head coach in any sport in ACC history, when she took over Georgia Tech's women's track and field team Okay. First female and black assistant commissioner of the ACC Alright. First woman ever appointed to the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee I got more. First African-American woman to appear on the Kellogg's Corn Flakes box y'all. Come on now. Come on Becoming a national symbol of athletic excellence. First female athletic director at North Carolina A&T. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So many. A mentor, advocate and champion for equality. Her influence in the world of sports is unmatched. Legacy continues to inspire many future generations.
Speaker 1:We have never had a standing ovation for someone to be introduced, but I think this is time. If you are able, please stand on your feet and welcome Mr Loris D Todd. Wow, wow, wow, wow, welcome. Yes, yes, it is great to have you here. We've had the pleasure of dining and breaking bread with you a few times, so not only are you an amazing cook, mentor, but you also recommend amazing food establishments. So we appreciate that.
Speaker 4:I get that from my son.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes. So I'm going to go ahead and start off here. Again, we have to acknowledge you being on the cover of Corn Flakes in 1980. I know that was tremendous, but just tell us how that moment shaped your visibility and influence. Just tell us a little more about how that happened.
Speaker 4:Okay, well, I have been fortunate enough to be lucky. I had been a high school track and field coach on the south side of Chicago and I had also done some modeling sort of on the side, and I was one of the five women that introduced fashion fair cosmetics and that was my big promo. So it was the year of the Olympics 1980, and which US ended up boycotting. But the Kellogg's people called and asked my agent. They said isn't that lady a coach? And they said yeah. And they said well, we want to put. And they said yeah, and they said well, we want to put her on the Kellogg's box. And that's how it happened.
Speaker 1:That's how it happened. Wow, good story. Yes, yes, yes. When I when I met your son, when he showed me that I was, I was just blown away and yeah, so so fortunate to to now now be in your presence and be able to share your story with many others. So it's something that everybody needs to know all that you have achieved.
Speaker 2:So, diego, I'm gonna kick it to you, man yeah well, can you tell us about how you brought women's college sports live TV?
Speaker 4:absolutely um, one of the things. When I was hired at the ACC. I was hired to actually build the brand for women's basketball, but along with that I had 23 other sports that I was responsible for, but basketball was my main one. So we were in Fayetteville, north Carolina, at the time. That was our first tournament that I did, and then we moved from there to Rock Hill and from Rock Hill we moved to Independence Arena in Charlotte.
Speaker 4:But going back to the Fayetteville one, it was just not a good situation and I kind of inherited it. But I had gone to a couple of the men's tournaments and saw all the things that they had that the women didn't have, and so I started calling friends of mine that were doctors, dentists, just to come and volunteer and just give us that presence at the tournament. So we ended up moving to Indian Independence. No, we moved to Rock Hill and we were not getting live TV, we were getting tape for the delay. So when you do take, delay is shown like two or three o'clock in the morning or whenever it was convenient women's basketball. And they listened to me and basically told me the producer said well, we don't want to spend all that money to see a bunch of women running up and down the floor looking like men. So I kept my eyes down because I knew if I looked up I'd probably cut them.
Speaker 4:And so I went on and I listened. So finally they said okay, I'll tell you what. We're going to give you one live game. It's going to be on a Monday night at six o'clock and that was going to be our game. Now Monday, coming out of Charlotte, going home Monday night six o'clock not real prime time, but, as fate would have it, the infamous Don Staley was playing for the University of Virginia and Virginia had been one and two in the nation that whole time. Long story short, we went into three overtimes and they couldn't start the Colonial Men's Basketball Championship. It was due to start at eight, but they couldn't break away from us. Start at eight, but they couldn't break away from us. So we ended up getting six live games because they realized just how big women's basketball was.
Speaker 5:So that was my take. Wow, that's fantastic, that's fantastic.
Speaker 2:How did you bring three officials to the women's college basketball game?
Speaker 4:I was at a game at University of North Carolina. I was sitting in the end zone and Marion Jones who I already knew who she was because I'm a track person she inbounded the ball and beat the ball to the receiver. I was like two people can't do this. The men already had three and they had a 35 second clock. We had two with a 30 second clock. So myself and my counterpart at the Southeastern Conference decided we would push the nation to move the three person officiating for women's basketball. We bought the proposal to all of the women commissioners and one of them said well, we're going to three person over my dead body, we don't want to spend that extra money. So Pat and I went back and the ACC and the SEC went with it and by the end of the first month the whole nation went to three person officiating crew for women's basketball and the lady who said that they would go over her dead body got up the next year and said you're now looking at a dead person.
Speaker 1:Wow. So while you again have done so much and have moved mountains and your leadership, you know you're clearly an amazing leader, but how has that evolved over just over your career, or are there any nuggets that you can share with our audience? As far as leadership, we have a lot of aspiring leaders here in the audience today.
Speaker 4:Well, I think to be a good leader you have to be a student of the sport, you have to be willing to help other people. I've always said that it's easier to reach out and reach back and bring somebody along with you, and to lead you have to be someone that someone would like to follow and you share and mentor them and give them you know all the things that they need and hopefully they will accept those.
Speaker 1:Okay, oh, wow, wow. Well, I tell you what. We have a question from the audience. We're going to go ahead and take their question, so thank you.
Speaker 6:Hello, I am Maria and I own a women's flag football league here in Raleigh, North Carolina Baller's Choice Sports, and I want to know what advice you would give to other women becoming leaders in sports as far as the challenges in the male-dominated industry.
Speaker 4:Thank you for that question. Actually, I am really a fan of flag football and I love to see women. Just if you have a sport that's emerging, like flag football, they need people like you who are willing to bring that along, and you just have to get out there and do the right thing. And sometimes it's not popular, but you have to do the right thing. So being a leader is not something I think you learn. You either have it or you don't.
Speaker 1:Yeah, All right, okay, and we have another question.
Speaker 7:Yes, Hi there.
Speaker 4:Hi.
Speaker 6:So coming from a university setting, I know that oftentimes we have athletic directors that are in place, but they also teach.
Speaker 4:So did you teach a course? No, actually, in Division I, for the most part particularly when you're in the major conferences like the ACC, sec, big Ten, so forth coaches do not have to teach and athletic directors maybe, at some of the lower level and that's not any offense, but some of the maybe the lower level Division I may have to teach, but right now most people don't have to teach. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you All right. Okay, we'll take more from the audience a little later, but, diego, we'll kick it back to you.
Speaker 2:With over 50 years in athletics, which achievement or moment are you proud of most?
Speaker 4:Oh boy.
Speaker 5:That's tough?
Speaker 4:Wow, that's a loaded question. I don't know. I was the first African-American female to be the president of the then National Association of Collegiate Athletic Administrators. It was for women and this was back in 1996. And at the time I was the only female of color in that organization. My goal was to bring more African-American women or minority women into the organization there are now over 500, the organization there are now over 500, including the athletic director at Duke. She is now the new president of NACWR.
Speaker 4:It's now called Women Leaders in Sports, so it encompasses not only college but all levels and I have my shirt, yes, and so I think that's one of my big accomplishments.
Speaker 1:All right. So by being March Madness right now, everyone is heavily involved with or excited about college and, of course, with the ACC. Unfortunately, we only have Duke left. Although we like Duke, we only have Duke left in the ACC. But could you tell us about I've heard you talk about Jimmy V in the past and just how him and maybe some others have helped you break barriers and just how it takes more than just one, how you need other people to help you move mountains. Can you maybe perhaps share that story and just talk a little bit about those that have helped you achieve greatness?
Speaker 4:Well, absolutely. When I was introduced as the assistant commissioner for the Atlantic Coast Conference, it was here in Raleigh at NC State. The room was full of athletic directors and faculty reps. They were all white men. When they introduced me, the commissioner introduced me who happened to be the father of the current athletic director at NC State, boo Corrigan.
Speaker 4:His father, eugene Corrigan, was actually the one that hired me and when I came to the ACC he sat me down and he said Dee, before you, the ACC stood for all Caucasian conference. He said we just changed that, didn't we? And I said yes, and so, as I was introduced, I got a standing ovation, some of them reluctantly, but they stood anyway and gave me a standing ovation, some of them reluctantly, but they stood anyway and gave me a standing ovation and welcomed me to the conference. Well, jimmy V came up to me and he says listen, it's very important to us that you're successful, because your success is our success and if there's anything that any of us could do, please reach out and contact us, because we want you to be successful. So that was my first meeting of Jimmy V and he was a wonderful person, just a great guy, and that meant so much to me.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, yeah, I love hearing, hearing that. Thank you, thank you for sharing that, for sharing that. So I have one one last question for you. And so we've seen a lot of growth in women's sports and with WNBA and NCAA, and a lot of that is because of you. Could you tell us what excites you the most about what has happened in women's sports and is there anything that still needs to improve or what would you? And is there anything that still needs to improve or what would you like to call out that still needs to improve?
Speaker 4:Wow, it just makes me smile when I see so many women involved in sports at the higher level. One of the people that I'm really proud of is Dawn Staley.
Speaker 1:Oh yes.
Speaker 4:Dawn Staley. Dawn Staley was, oh yes, dawn Staley. Dawn Staley was like my favorite and when she was playing for Virginia. But I knew that she was going to be a good coach because we were at the final four. Virginia was in the final game. Her coach called timeout. She tells them what to do on the way back on the floor. Dawn is saying and you do, you go, here you go. Dawn was coaching then. So she is a brilliant basketball mind. I'm so proud of her and she's probably the one that I'm most proud of.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, that's fantastic. Oh, love that, love, yeah, and she's my idol. We were interviewed recently and I was asked OK, who, who would you want on the most out of anybody If you could have any, any current person in sports? And I said Don Staley.
Speaker 4:So I just want to add she would come to the women's final four and come up behind me and put her hands around my eyes and I would say, hmm, that must be somebody short like me, hands around my eyes and I would say that must be somebody short like me, that must be Don Staley, because we're about the same height.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, all right. Well, it was a pleasure having you here. We love hearing the stories. I know many people in the audience are going to want to talk to you afterwards. There are going to be many pictures, so please stick around, because there's a lot of people that want to meet you here today.
Speaker 4:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:All right, all right, put your hands together for Miss Dolores D Todd.
Speaker 1:All right, welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. Ok, ready for our next guest? All right, our next guest is a little something different, ok. So with Pick'em Pros, not only are we bringing you the hottest sports, but we also are big into music. So, as you may have heard, in our last show we were joking and going back and forth about the Cardi album, so that got a lot of response on social media. But anyhow, have y'all heard the Pick'em Pro Anthem? Pick'em Pros, yes, pick'em Pro Anthem. So the creator and author of the Pick'em Pro Anthem is here in the building all the way from Pittsburgh, pennsylvania, but he's got a few tracks that he's going to perform for us. So, mr Chuck Global, why don't you go ahead and grace us with a little bit of music?
Speaker 8:Yes, yeah, all right, come on, crowd, let's go. Let's get hype. Shout out to y'all. Shout out to y'all. Clap it up for y'all. Clap it up for y'all. Real quick, there we go. Thank you for having me. We're going to have a good time. I'm ready when you are. All right.
Speaker 8:Put your hands up. Put your hands up. Put your hands up. I pick them like a pro global. Try ball Talk and pick a row. We going up the score Touchdown. This is now a field goal. We, the winning team champions. When you walk through the halls, you can place your bet with us because you know we going to win them all. I pick them like a pro global, trying ball talk or pick a row. We going up the score touchdown. This is not a field goal. We, the winning team champions. When you walk through the halls, you can place your bet with us because you know we going to win them all. We going to win them all. We're going to slow it down.
Speaker 8:This song's called Can't Call it. I got an album called Anyone. There. It's on all platforms, so if you like this song, you can find it out. Yeah, I need y'all to clap for me. Just put your yeah. There we go. We need a clap. Come on. Yeah, I'm going to kick something for y'all. Look, I don't know, I can't call it.
Speaker 8:What's the topic? I got vision, no optics and you can't stop this, nor the rain. I burn like cellophane. I'm building up my name. These dudes straight trash. Throw them in the drain. Rappers can't compete. There's a difference Between them and me. I'm getting to it, that's my only tendency. Throw them in the drain. Rappers can't compete. There's a difference between them and me. I'm getting to it, that's my only tendency.
Speaker 8:I'm Luca from the three euros stepping overseas. If you want something from me, my dog, I charge a fee Because there ain't stuff free in this world. All I got is my word and naked pics from your. I accumulate pay from risks that I take. I'm at the crap table 25 on hard eights. Yeah, I'm Versace, shaded, my dog with me in the nickel plated. Don't say what's up when I know you hate it. Same ones with me. Never traded, destined for Hollywood. Don't act.
Speaker 8:Famous Young global bloom around your playlist Rolling nah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm collecting my payments. Spanish mama's seat is on me, so fly. They want to have my baby. Got anything you want, anything you need. You can hit me up, as long as not for free. Yeah, I got to charge a fee. Look, it costs a fee just to be with the G-L-O-B-E. You know I'm hard body.
Speaker 8:In this life it don't come easy. You can't switch sides and come back. We call that treason. Gotta cut you off, cause in this life. Only God I'm pleasing, know I'm the best in this thing. I don't need a reason. It smell like teen spirit. It's picture day and I stay cheesing. You take one of mine, I take yours, but we never even extreme what I say. But I promise I always mean it, chalking up my losses, how I still end up undefeated, moving like a dynasty Young global. Just go repeat it. Dudes talk success all day, but they never seen it. Amazed how I move, cause where I'm from, they can't believe it. Yeah, ever seen it. Amazed how I move? Because where I'm from, they can't believe it. Yeah, that's just a little sound. Clap it up for y'all, yeah, yeah, yeah. Once again, I go by the name Chuck Global. We're going to keep it going. Let's give it up for Pick'em Pros. Let's give it up for Pick'em Pros real quick, okay, okay, I'll be back.
Speaker 5:All right.
Speaker 1:Thank you, chuck. Okay, I'll be back, all right. Thank you, chuck. Thank you, chuck, all right, all right. All right, yes, sir, bringing you, bringing you artists as well as these hot fire sports, takes all right. Y'all ready to get back to sports? All right, let's do it. Let's do it. So we have our nfl and nba analyst, mr christopher davis, that's to join us here. We're going to talk a little bit of NFL and then we're going to bring Tyler Jones on after that.
Speaker 3:So please put your hands together for Mr Christopher Davis. What's?
Speaker 1:up man, what's up, what's up All right. All right, christopher Davis, aka Cka C Payne, that's right, I need to call you by your real name.
Speaker 12:Exactly. Don't do appreciate a shout out. Shout out to you.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. Appreciate you. All right, c Payne man. So let's, let's get into it. We've got to talk a little bit of NFL before we bring Tyler Jones on here. So first we're going to kick it to you and then we're going to go to Diego. All right, who needs an A in this draft? All right, in order to make the NFL playoffs, who's got to get an A to make the playoffs All?
Speaker 12:right. So I'm going to start with, you know, my friend's team over here, the new Orleans saints. Um, an A++ plus draft because, yeah, you know they need something like 2017 because, again, a lot of holes in that team, a bunch of aging players, a quarterback who's you know, night and day sometimes. So I definitely think, you know, I would say the Saints definitely need an A++ draft okay, saying, yeah, they definitely need an A++.
Speaker 1:I don't even know if an A++++ is gonna get them in. I was about to say, yeah, that's a lot what you said, a lot of work. Okay, what do you got to say, diego?
Speaker 2:Number one. I'm going to go with the Bengals. They paid T Higgins, they got a great offense, but their defense needs a lot of work. That was the reason why they lost as many games as they did. Okay, yes, they need some help everywhere. Corners, d-line everywhere, cowboys they also need a lot of help. They can do it, but they just need a lot of help. They don't got no running back. They only have Miles Sanders, and he's not that great. They got CeeDee CeeDee's good, but they just don't have enough right now. Okay, okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, those are good ones. Anybody else see pain?
Speaker 12:all right. So my other team is the team that you're picking as a wild card the raiders. I think that they need a great draft as well. Um, I know just, you know, they need fresh young talent. Pete carroll is a great coach, gino smith is a okay quarterback, so I definitely think that they're a team that needs a solid draft as well I like that one, I like that one, yeah, yeah that that is my dark horse pick right there the Raiders. Very dark horse, by the way. Yeah, that is.
Speaker 1:I own that. You're right. You're right about that, okay. Well, let's go to the Bengals here we were talking about them before they signed both T Higgins and Chase and Jamar Chase Burrow. He wanted to make sure they had both of those guys. But, diego, was that a mistake to sign both wide receivers to big contracts and not leave much else for the defense and rely so much on the draft?
Speaker 2:I definitely think it was, because now it doesn't allow them any space in the cap to be able to get players on defense. They got to rely on an eight plus draft. Make the playoffs, right, steelers. They got. They made the playoffs. They have a good team so they could easily finish third again. If they don't, they don't put up good numbers on defense, right, so yeah okay, what about you C-Pain?
Speaker 12:yeah, I think T Higgins again great wide receiver, but him getting paid more than Nico Collins and Terry McLaurin is a bit ity and I do think that he's going to. I understand what Jamar wants to do and keeping his two guys, but I know you do need that offensive side of the ball because that literally cost him game after game last season. So I hope it works out, but I don't think it will.
Speaker 1:No, Okay, All right. So yeah, I mean they've got a hit in the draft, but I also agree with you guys. I think it was a mistake. I would love to see T Higgins in Carolina.
Speaker 2:They should have just traded him to the Panthers. Yeah, that's for both sides True, but did he want to come to the Panthers? I think he did Play with a guy like Bryce Young, okay.
Speaker 1:The ultimate Carolina Panther homer.
Speaker 2:I'm not a homer, I'm just a reasonable fan.
Speaker 1:Ok, reasonable fan? Well, we're going to check to see if you're a reasonable fan or a homer. So both of you guys, Carolina Panthers all right, not pulling in the draft. Ok, you can't use the draft as a crutch, Tell me. Ok, because you already know what how I feel from last week. Okay, Rate the Carolina Panthers offseason so far without the draft. Diego.
Speaker 2:I would say a, c plus, b minus, if I'm being nice. Okay, I mean, they added some help to their defensive line, which was good. They got a new starting safety, got a little linebacker help, got Rico Dowdle from the Cowboys, new star run game. But Payne and JC just kind of messed it all up. Yeah, it was just a bad move. He's not that great of a corner to serve all that.
Speaker 2:He's a mid-corner, but we could have traded him. Got a number one receiver like DK Metcalf or Devontae Adams or whoever. Then maybe got another draft pick.
Speaker 1:That was just bad. Okay, so be clear. So what was it again? You said about three different grades.
Speaker 2:I said C-plus, C-minus graph c plus off season b minus I was being nice okay okay, all right.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that sounds like you kind of agree with what I said last week, but that's okay. You guys were kind of clutching your pearls when I, when I said it was an awful off season so far. Okay, that's crazy. How about you see pain all?
Speaker 12:right, I said a, b minus for me personally b minus yeah, I would say, look, it's not like I'm giving them like an a plus, like it wasn't great. I'm saying defensive line depth. Getting another running back to, like you know, take some carries off of chuba is good, but uh, we need wide receiver help and, uh, I did want a bigger name. On defense, I'm not gonna lie. And hearing noah williams say, hey, you know they want the patriots, wouldn't that that definitely hurt? So, uh, I do think that you know the draft we definitely need to hit on. But, yeah, it's a B minus. You know good depth pieces, but you know, not like a star splash. You know signing, so we'll see what happens.
Speaker 1:All right, ok, all right, all right, ok, well, appreciate your analysis. So we're going to go ahead and bring Tyler Jones on here in a minute because, for one, want to give his take on some of the topics that were mentioned on the NFL. But then we have a number of questions to ask him about his collegiate career, his path to the NFL, and also recruiting and what it takes to be a star player at the collegiate level. So well, you're ready to have Tyler Jones, jones, jonas, all right, all right, ok, well, put your hands together for Mr Tyler Jones. All right.
Speaker 1:All right, we got Tyler in the building. How you doing, man.
Speaker 5:I'm good how you doing.
Speaker 1:Yes, good, good how you doing. Yes, good, good, good. So see, diego man, see, this is the size of those defensive linemen man that will be coming after you in a couple years. Man, yeah, See, you're not looking at it, All right, tyler. So, tyler man, you know we talked about a couple of things here. I know you follow the NFL heavily. How would you rate the Carolina Panthers offseason so far without the draft? Leaning on the draft?
Speaker 5:I kind of agree. I'd say probably about a B-minus Okay, c-plus Okay. I think they kind of did what they had to do with JC Horn. If you watch the cornerbacks that came out to him, they got paid. The numbers were kind of crazy. So they got ahead of the game with that one, but yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that's the market, the market's, the market, the market's the market. All right, and I know you want to see the players get paid. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely All right. Well, diego, you going to kick us off, man.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 5:So what was your favorite memory playing at NC State? Go back, a lot of people would say you would think it would be the games, but for me it's more so hanging out in the locker room and kind of going back to the apartments and to the dorms and kind of hanging out and just kicking it with the guys being around, the guys being around the teammates and stuff like that. Those are probably some of the better memories you get while you're in school. And then, obviously, we had some pretty good fun games Top 15 matchup against Lamar Jackson after he won the Heisman that year Probably 2017, that was probably the best game I've probably been a part of.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, Wow wow, oh yeah, I bet that was something. We'll have a follow-up on that in a minute. Oh yeah.
Speaker 12:So you spent time in the NFL playing with the practice squads. What was the experience like, and how does the practice squad compare to being on an active roster?
Speaker 5:So I went back and forth. My first year I was full practice squad and then the last three I was between practice squad and being active gotcha um. So the different, biggest difference is it's um, obviously the pay, and then um.
Speaker 5:When you're on the practice squad, any other team can pick you up at any point in time okay um, so the team you're practicing with has the rights to your contract, but let's just say the Panthers wanted me to come in. Can you hear me now? Yeah, a little better. Let's just say the Panthers were in a need for an offensive lineman or something like that. They can pick me up off that team and I will immediately be able to go to that team.
Speaker 12:All right, it's pretty hectic, something like that they can pick me up off that team and I will be, you know immediately be able to go to that team.
Speaker 1:That's all right. Yeah, it's pretty hectic, yeah, yeah. So what was the biggest transition? I know you get asked this a lot, but the biggest transition from college to the NFL.
Speaker 5:I would say just so. The team that I went to was all the way in Colorado, which is two time zones away. Yes, I mean you kind of get used to being at school or being wherever you are in that town, kind of just adjusting to the new environment. And obviously some of those guys are up there. They have families, you know what I'm saying. They're paying mortgages, they have kids Mostly everybody on the college team. You're just going back to the dorms playing the game, watching TV. Right, you know you have time to hang out with everybody individually, but on that level you kind of realize that these are adults and this is their job. It's no longer just I'm playing football, just to play football. Ok.
Speaker 1:OK, yeah, I can definitely see that yeah.
Speaker 2:Who was the toughest player you ever had to play against, college or pro?
Speaker 5:In college, obviously I would say my best friend Bradley Chubb. Obviously it's just because we went against each other every day. But in the pros I would say Von Miller was obviously the most difficult person to go against. For sure, he's a different cat. Yes, a lot insurable, yeah.
Speaker 12:Oh yeah, Now Panther says, we know that all too well.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I'm sorry about that one. Sorry about that one.
Speaker 12:All right. So as a recruiter for NC State, what do you look for in high school athletes? What qualities make someone stand out?
Speaker 5:It's a lot, man. It kind of just depends on what you're looking for. There's different traits in every player and it kind of just depends on what you're looking for. There's different traits in every player and different traits in every position that you look for for that position or for that player. You know what I mean. The general thing that we look for is people who fit into the culture of the team, because you can bring somebody in who could be super talented. But if they have a terrible attitude, you know it spreads really quickly amongst the team. They're quick to bring people down with them, which brings down the temperature of the team, which causes you to lose games, which is kind of what we dealt with this past season. We had some bad apples in there and we couldn't shake it. So that's what I would say. Mostly. We're looking for people who are good people and people who will come in and do the work and not play around and just be here to joke and kid and stuff like that.
Speaker 12:I understand All right.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay. So so, tyler, my wife tells me that, uh, I, I would have made it to the NFL if I, if I had played football. So, let's, let's say I, you know, played football and you know star players. I've as, as everybody knows, I would have been a star player. So if you, since you're a recruiter, right. If you're recruiting a player of my, there we go. If you're recruiting a player of my talent, right. How would you get me to come to NC State?
Speaker 5:Well, first we would try to sell you on the fact you're from Raleigh correct or North Carolina.
Speaker 1:I'm originally from Chicago, but yes, but I've been here since high school. I've been here.
Speaker 5:Well, we would try to sell you on the fact that we would be in your backyard. Okay, Obviously, we would try to get you to stay close to home. We would sell you on the fact that you know we've put multiple offensive linemen or defensive linemen, or whatever you would have played.
Speaker 5:that's I'm assuming you would have been receiving okay about 200 pounds, 200 pounds less, yeah, burner and the fact that you know we put big guys in the league um, as of late we just found out, we were tied for first in the league um for putting defensive linemen, active defensive linemen in the NFL.
Speaker 10:Yeah, oh good.
Speaker 5:So that's what we'll try to push really hard and how to, how you will fit in our scheme and try to get you to see like there's more to life than you know, what you see your homeboys doing and what you see your friends doing. There's a bunch of stuff out there that you have access to if you come and do it right. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:all right, I love that with the college football evolving so much, uh what? How is recruiting changed over the past years with nil?
Speaker 5:uh, man, it's. It's a whole different ball game now. Um, when I was coming out, or even, let's just say, about four or five years ago, it was different. Uh, now it's more about what can you do for me, or how much money can you put in my pocket soonest. It's no longer about, like, I'm going to the school because I like this school, or my parents went to this school, or I have a relationship with these coaches. It's about who's talked to me the most, who's winning the most and who has the biggest you know, biggest checkbook. It kind of ruins a lot of the the growth of some players, I think, because now there's no point in being patient. I can just go somewhere else.
Speaker 12:They'll pay me the same amount of money or more to come there so for young athletes who are moving to the next level, be it college or the nfl, what advice would you give them?
Speaker 5:I think I'll just come at it at this angle. A lot of people mess up when they get into schools or get into their college programs by not having time management and taking it serious. You know what I mean. In terms of sports, I would say time management and getting into the playbook is the biggest things that you can do coming in as a freshman. That's what's going to put you on the field the quickest. You can be talented. But if I can't trust you to do the right thing, then I'm not going to waste my time and put you on the field, because then you're going to get me fired and I'm going to have to go home and explain to my family why I can't pay the bills anymore.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, that's right. Right, so, tyler, we have one more question here and then we have some in the audience for you, but what's what's next for?
Speaker 5:Tyler Jones. So I'm doing recruiting. Right now I'm actually being trained up to be become our new NFL liaison kind of director of student welfare, right, just kind of. So that's what's coming next. And then, long term, I want to be a GM man. I want to run my own show, run my team, be able to kind of give the chances and opportunities that somebody gave to me to somebody else.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that. Yes, yes, we definitely need you to be a GM because you know, when you're a GM then you know picking pros can be one of your go-tos to come in and help promote the team. Absolutely, absolutely, alright. We have a question from the audience.
Speaker 11:Yeah, full disclosure. I can neither confirm nor deny that I was put up to this. But with all the experience that you have in football and dealing with different stars and playing in different levels off the field and onto the court, if you had to have that debate on who's better, michael jordan or lebron james, who would who?
Speaker 8:would you pick?
Speaker 5:Great, I'm an avid LeBron James fan. Oh my God Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, appreciate you. Appreciate you for that Exactly. You're a real one. Thank you.
Speaker 5:Great question. That's what you're told right here. Yes, sir, Big LeBron James man.
Speaker 1:We have to give it to him. Yeah, he is the man. He's doing big things. All right, eddie. Okay, well, tyler man, you've been so gracious with your time. We really appreciate it, man, it's a pleasure. And, yeah, we can't wait to continue to watch you throughout your career and to be here alongside you, my man.
Speaker 5:Thank you so much, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:All right. All right, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Tyler Jones. Appreciate you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Nice to meet you, man. All right, all right, man, that was phenomenal. It was great talking to Tyler Jones and man that's just learning the ins and outs, because there's so much that you know as fans, there's so much that we don't know. You know and you know, we understand, why sometimes athletes get aggravated when fans talk, because there's so much that we don't know. So it's nice to learn from their perspective what really goes on behind the scenes. Yeah, it's great to hear.
Speaker 1:All right, well, we are going to introduce our next guest in just a moment, but before we do that, we want to let you know that we have many, many shows here at Kings. Big shout out to Kings, thank you for having us. So this is the last time we are going to be in this area of Kings. So, going forward, all right, all of our shows are going to be in the back, in the VIP area of Kings. All right, you will have to have a paid ticket to get in and it will include food, it will include bowling. It's going to be an amazing experience.
Speaker 1:So the dates are out now of all of our King shows through the Super Bowl next year, the tickets for our next show, the April show and you know how fast they sell out. Ok, they are going on sale on Tuesday 7 pm. Tuesday 7 pm. And again, you do not have a ticket. Hey, you can be in Kings, but you won't be in VIP, all right, all right, you do not have a ticket? Hey, you can be in kings, but you won't be in vip, all right, all right.
Speaker 1:So we hope to see you in vip with us, all right, are you ready for our next guest? Oh, are you ready for our next guest? All right, come on now. Come on show some love. All right, we have second time on pick'em pros, so you know you're doing big things when you're on here for a second time. We have our upcoming golfer, a sophomore out of Southeastern Raleigh All right, she is doing so many things. The winner of the Under Armour Tournament and many other tournaments. She's going to tell us about her summer and all the things that are coming up next season. Put your hands together for Live Under Par Olivia.
Speaker 9:You'll get it tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Alright, what's going on Liv?
Speaker 9:Hey, what's up, alright.
Speaker 1:alright, we got you back.
Speaker 9:Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes. So we have a number of questions for you today, but I believe you you've had a pretty busy, just busy season, even busy day, weren't you coming from from somewhere?
Speaker 9:else to come on over here. Yes, I was at a church event earlier today. I got an award for being recognized for doing extraordinary things, because it's not like you see people of color playing golf, so that was like a big big thing, especially young girls.
Speaker 1:Love it, love it, love it, love it, love it, love it. So tell us, liv, just tell us about your plans. So you're a sophomore, you'll be wild, the time is flying. You'll be a junior next year, in high school, all right, and you are going to be, I know, in many camps. And then you have the season coming up. It's a season, I believe, for women is in the fall for golf. So just tell us about your summer and then this upcoming season. What are you going to do?
Speaker 9:So, first and foremost, I'm going to be in way more tournaments than I was last year. I'll be participating in Tiger events as well as drip golf, a little bit of Peggy Kirkville from time to time. I'll also be going to the UNC Chapel Hill Golf Camp, so I'll be staying there overnight. So I'm super excited about that, because that'll be my first overnight trip like golf-wise without my parents or anything.
Speaker 1:Oh, without the parents. Yeah, all right, it's really, really fun.
Speaker 9:So I can't wait, and Can't wait, and especially to like talk with the coaches, because this summer sophomore summer for athletes in general is like really, really big.
Speaker 1:That's when we can start talking to coaches, and so it's just an exciting process to figure out where you're going to go. Oh, that's fantastic. That's fantastic, all right, all right. Yeah, I know, I know your parents are very proud.
Speaker 2:Yes, Do you have any like pre-tournament routine or superstitions before you play, do you have any pre-tournament routine or superstitions before you play?
Speaker 9:I have a pre-tournament routine, not so much superstitions. The reason why is because I'll use Rory McIlroy, for example. With him he's like oh, if I don't compete on a Tuesday I'm going to do bad, but I compete really well on Mondays. So I really don't believe in that. I really fall back on more. So me staying consistent and practicing more. So I know, if I've been practicing and I'm consistent, I'm staying on top of my things, I won't have any, I'll be OK, it's nothing to worry about. But for pre-practice routines, just stretch in the morning, have a good meal, have a good protein.
Speaker 1:Of course, praying in the morning for me that's like a a big thing, always saying a prayer before and after, so, yeah, so, um, that's about it. That's about it. Really. Love that, love that. Yeah, I need to incorporate, need to incorporate some of that into my pre? Uh, pre-golf routine. Uh, especially the prayer part.
Speaker 9:Yeah, that's really important to have like faith to fall back on, because I know a lot of athletes, especially in golf. I don't know why, but you're not a fan of that, so it's to each his own. But yeah, you can't do anything with God, so love love all right.
Speaker 2:What was your proudest moment on the golf course so far?
Speaker 9:my proudest moment on the golf course is when I won. Um well, when I was announced the winner of my conference last year. Uh well, last season, because I worked really, really, really hard last season to make a big difference from freshman year. Freshman year I felt like I could have done way better. I didn't go to states. I expected to go to states, I expected to be in the top 10 and everything like that. But this season I placed seventh at regionals and then I went to states and I'm in the top 50. And then I went to States and I'm in the top 50. I made the top 50 at States. So I did really big things. And then I dropped five strokes for my game, which is really really big, cause it takes a lot of work to do that, cause it's not easy. So I did really really good. I stayed in the thirties consistently last season and on senior night I shot a 78, which is pretty big, because nobody else shot a 78. So I whooped everybody. So I was so happy about that.
Speaker 1:It's pretty big because nobody else shot a 78. So I whooped everybody, so I was so happy about that. Oh wow, oh man, that is great, that's great. Yeah, 78. Add a little bit to that, and that's about my score. All right, love that, love that.
Speaker 2:Add a lot to that, add a lot to that.
Speaker 1:So golf requires a lot of patience, as we all know. We all know requires a lot. So you know, when I'm having a bad day on the golf course, my solution is to throw the clubs in the lake. But that's me. That might not be the best. So for you, someone of your caliber, caliber right. If you're having, you know, some challenges on the golf course, just how do you manage that? How, how do you reset?
Speaker 9:Well, recently I've been working on like taking deep breaths and just going back to, like, your basic routines. I feel like a lot of golfers as anybody who golfs um, when you make a bad shot, you're thinking, oh, what did I do wrong? Blah, blah, blah, and then therefore, it just creates more problems. So I just focus on going back to the basic routine and everything like that, trying to keep it positive, because it could go negative really, really, really quick, and especially for golf, because it could go negative really, really, really quick, and especially for golf, because it's a mental game, like it's really a mental game and if you're not good mentally, it ain't gonna be a good round for you at all, not at all, but just staying positive, having faith, that is, you're gonna get through it.
Speaker 9:You're gonna get through it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, diego, stay positive out there, man. Yeah, so, speaking of speaking of Diego, so he's going to be teaming up with you in our TNT Golf Classic next week.
Speaker 9:Yes, we are.
Speaker 1:Yes, so we're going to have the Pick'em Pros team, which you will be headlining, but Diego's going to be on there, so what are your chances of winning?
Speaker 9:We're going to do good. I mean, I feel like the main focus is to have fun.
Speaker 9:OK but with me and another good friend of mine he's going to be on the team, and another good friend of mine, amir, she's going to be on the team. So we'll be OK, it'll be a fun thing, but we're definitely going to take it seriously, because the Duffers have been talking a lot of smack OK, so they think they're going to beat me, but it's okay to have hopes and dreams and stuff. You know it's all good, it's all good. So yeah, but we're going to have fun regardless.
Speaker 1:You know that's all that matters, that's right, that's right, and you know you might be watching right now. But the golf, and you know see, you know I I don't fight fair, okay. So I went and brought some reinforcements in so I've got live under par. So, david, you've got no chance against us, so we'll see you on the course next week yes all right. So um you I you know you mentioned rory um mackleroy is he the golfer that you uh uh like the most, or who's your favorite um?
Speaker 9:he's, he's okay, like he's a good player. Don't get me wrong I mostly look up to renee powell, and this from way back when women were just getting into golf. I look up to her the most because of what she had to go through, how she didn't let certain stuff get in her way and she kept her composure and didn't lash out. So, um, I really look up to her because me, being a female in golf, I've gone through similar and going through similar things that she's doing. So that just shows me that keeping your composure not necessarily speaking out, but just like working with the flow eventually would just pay off.
Speaker 1:So I really look up to her the most okay, all right, love it, love it, we'll check her out.
Speaker 2:Yep, last for you would you have a favorite course you played on?
Speaker 9:um, my favorite course will be carolina country club. I'm obsessed with their practice range. It's like really, really, really nice. And then there's a lot of like good junior kids out there and so it's just like great energy and everything. So it's like really, really, really nice. And then there's a lot of like good junior kids out there and so it's just like great energy and everything. So it's really really, really nice and the course is beautiful.
Speaker 1:So especially when, like, the sun is setting too, it's gorgeous scene okay, okay, yes, so coming from a golfer, yeah, always, I love that question, diego, because you know amateurs. Uh, you know I, all courses are beautiful to us. So, yeah, you see all types of courses. Yeah, yeah, definitely, um, so what? Uh, one last thing, kind of to piggyback on that what course have you not played that you know you would just love to love to play what? What would be your dream course to play?
Speaker 9:pinehurst number two. I've seen it like I've played the cradle and everything, because states was at pinehurst number six, so like we saw all the pinehursters that were like in that area. Okay, pinehurst number two, it seems like a beautiful chorus. I heard their greens are like really fast. But it's, it's, I've been there, I just haven't played it yet okay, I will one day.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, you will. Oh yeah, yes, yes, you're, you'll definitely be playing on television, for sure. All right, right, lexi, what's going on? I'm her sister. Oh, I'm sorry, you look, just what's your name.
Speaker 7:I'm Maribel.
Speaker 1:Maribel. Hey, thank you for being here. You have a question for Olivia, All right.
Speaker 7:Hi Olivia. What inspires you to have other girls become athletes? Because I've been wanting to become a volleyball player and I'm kind of doubting if I'll make a team or not what inspired me?
Speaker 9:that's a good question. Um, to be honest, seeing and this might sound weird, but not seeing a lot of girls in sports, so it kind of like gives me hope that I can do that and push through. But also like seeing seeing women that are also in sports as well, like now, how they push through and how they could show like, hey, you know, we could still do this. It doesn't matter if we're like a female or not. We could still push through and succeed and just be great Hi.
Speaker 4:So impressed with you. Thank you, I have had the biggest smile on my face watching you. I started the women's golf tournament for the ACC probably back in the 90s. We only had four teams and I know for a fact that women's golf, or girls golf there are not enough people playing golf to handle all of the schools that have added it, so scholarships should be coming to you by the million. Yeah, you are one of the most impressive young ladies I have seen in a long time.
Speaker 9:Thank you.
Speaker 4:Thank you, and I just want to tell you this I have made this statement to a room with Jackie Joyner Kersey, who is the best in the world, with Dawn Staley, who's one of the best basketball. I'm going to make it to you You're going to be the best in the world. Thank you, thank you, wow.
Speaker 1:Wow, we dropped the mic on that one. Just end the show. Show us over, ladies and gentlemen, wow, wow, yeah, I got, I got chills on that.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's wonderful. Yes, thank you so much, miss Todd, for sharing that. And yeah, we are extremely, extremely, extremely proud of you. So, thank you, we will continue to watch your career. Your handle on Instagram. Everybody follow Liv on IG. Her handle is on the screen at Liv, underscore under par Follow her and let's cheer her on support so she can continue to be the best in the world.
Speaker 9:Thank you, put your hands together for Olivia. Thank you guys, All right.
Speaker 1:Thank you. All right, wow, wow man.
Speaker 1:Beautiful, beautiful show. Thank you all again for being here. We really appreciate your support. It's great to see everybody here and I want to give a special shout out to those in the crowd here. Special shout out to the Gridiron Gang football team. Yes, make some noise. Yes, yes, we are. We are sponsoring the team and and Z is going to be on our show in April. He's going to be on our show in April. So, yes, cannot wait to have you on. We're going to follow you all year long. We also want to give a shout-out to a couple folks that have come down from Ravenscroft. All right, let's give a big shout-out to Alex and shout-out to Harry. Big shout-out, thank you, oh and Noah and Noah and Noah. So, alex, harry and Noah, thank you so much for coming out. We really appreciate you. Thank you so much. All right, ok, so we are going to bring Christopher Davis back on in just a moment, but again, we want to advertise our upcoming shows here at Kings. Again advertise our upcoming shows here at Kings Again.
Speaker 1:The next show is Saturday, april 26. We will be back in VIP. It will be an unforgettable night. We're already lining up the guests. We already have four of our guests, okay, so we cannot wait for that. It's going to be an amazing, an amazing night.
Speaker 1:Okay, and one of our guests we're going to go. I already told you one, z from Gridiron Gang. We also have another guest that I want to tell you about. All right, we are going to have Mr Devin from Power Slap. Devin Jenkins of Power Slap. Has anybody heard of Power Slap? Power Slap is one of the fastest growing sports OK, one of the fastest growing sports in the world right now, and he is driving up from Atlanta to educate us on Power Slap. He is a dude that you do not want to mess with, alright, so we cannot wait to hear him talk about the game, his training, how they go about Power Slap, and we're probably going to have two tickets to the Super Bowl for anybody that can come up and withstand a slap from Devin. So get your jaws ready. Do some exercises to get ready if you want to go to the Super Bowl, all right. All right, we're messing around. All right, Christopher Davis, why don't you come on and join us? Let's talk a little bit of basketball. Let's go, let's go.
Speaker 8:All right.
Speaker 1:Okay, this is going to be fun. Now you're going to see a little more of our banter when we're in studio, because we got some things to mess with Chris. So I'm going to talk a little bit of NBA before we then bring Kelly on to talk about her career as a associate director of marketing with Duke athletics and then, of course, get into March madness and give our final four picks. All right, but Diego, man, kick us off here. Man, nba, where the playoffs are around the corner. Ok, they're finally playing hard and getting ready. Ok, we slept through the first half of the NBA season and now it's time to actually play ball. So, diego, who is your sleeper team or teams going into the playoffs here?
Speaker 2:I got a few sleeper teams. My first sleeper team is the Golden State Warriors. They're the sixth seed right now. Steph Curry just got hurt. He might be out for a week or two, but he'll be back, will he? Yes, he will.
Speaker 2:He'll be back Then he'll be ready to make a big playoff run. So, warriors, that's the first team We've ready to make a big playoff run. Warriors, that's the first team Also got playoff Jimmy too. Okay, jimmy, jimmy, jimmy, jimmy, okay. We got the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis Grizzlies got a young team led by John Morant. Okay, mac Eady, we got a bunch of other good rookies Desmond Bain.
Speaker 9:Yeah.
Speaker 2:They got a nice team. I think the Bucs could win a round or two. Okay, because of Giannis and Dame. They got some star power and experience. I think they could make a little run.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right, I like that. I like it, especially the Grizzlies. I'd say, out of all, that might be my favorite one, I like the Grizzlies sleeper team. Okay, what about?
Speaker 12:you pain gotcha. Well, I would say, in the east I would definitely lean towards the pacers actually, and wow having what? That's a sleeper, this is a sleeper with tyrese, halberd, and how the offense has. I mean, I'm just saying conference finals run last year. We can see it, let's see, you know, I mean, if they get a good matchup, and especially with you know, tibbs, one of them guys, okay, wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, You're shocked. Nobody wants to see the Pacers I'm trying to fix my face the Indiana Pacers. Okay, for one, the ESPN is still. They're still laying people off because they lost so much money covering by the Indiana Pacers making the Eastern Conference Finals.
Speaker 12:Oh, so you're saying it's a point that they're not going to, they're just going to make sure that they get them out.
Speaker 1:Wow, Wow. And then Indiana man. Yeah, like I said, I'm just blown away by that pick, it's that sleeper team.
Speaker 12:It's not like I said, like no, that is very asleep, unfortunately.
Speaker 2:Hey, Mike, it's Swepp.
Speaker 1:But hey, now, if they make some noise now, you're going to have to give it to us. I got dibs. Yeah, you got to give it to us.
Speaker 12:The other team I was also leaning towards is the Grizzlies. I would say that you know, john Morant, it is leaning more to being Jaron Jackson's team, but John Morant, we've still seen him performing in the playoffs, so that's going to be very interesting. I don't know how I feel about the Wolves and, like you, know them in the play-in and like trusting. Ant, and I feel like Ant's going to show up, but the rest of that team I don't necessarily know.
Speaker 1:So let me step off the ledge and, like, go for like two last crazy teams that, like, don't leave you out of shock, okay, all right, yeah, yeah, yeah, I like that. I like that. Teams. Chris, this is our time to mess with you, as we like to do. Okay, because you, you've been a laker homer, all right, you're on lebron. A lot of people here are jordan fans, so you know we got that whole thing lebron, jordan, okay, but that's okay, you're, you're a lebron guy, and because lebron, you're a lakers guy no, that's not true.
Speaker 12:That's not true. That's false. Completely the other way around. So growing up, I was a Kobe fan. Kobe retired, 3-1 happens. Lebron became one of my favorite players. He comes to my favorite team. I'm cool. We've literally been on the show where I was like dang, when's this old man going to retire? Then we get Luka, and now I'm happy again. So you feel me. I feel like I'm team first, always.
Speaker 1:Okay, team first. Okay, so your favorite player just happens to show up on your favorite team Yep, and now it's all perfect, yep.
Speaker 1:And now you got Luka Yep. Okay. Embarrassment of riches Okay. But with all of that said okay, because we don't think you're saying it with your chest, because you keep saying, oh, lakers, western Conference semifinals, western Conference finals, lakers, western Conference semifinals, western Conference finals. But we know that, round by round, you are going to continue to pick the Lakers when it comes down to it. So why don't you, once and for all, in front of our live audience here at Kings in Raleigh, north Carolina, why don't you be a man and say the Lakers are going to win the NBA championship this year? Say it with your chest.
Speaker 12:I am fully willing to say that the lakers are not going to win that nba championship. I don't believe it. I don't believe it. Okay, do you see how okay c plays? Yeah, like that's all I'm saying, like I don't listen as much as a big fan of the team I am, I am very realistic. Do we have the guys to keep up with a team that talented when we are very top heavy with three very solid, great players, right, but again very top heavy? Sometimes our bench doesn't decide to show up and okc has literally the mvp and a bunch of other really great players. So I would say that would be my conference finals pick. I would say okc in six, but I would. I'm not. I'm not believing in my Lakers, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:OK. So Diego, let's bring you in on this. All right, so when the Western Conference Finals happens and it's OKC versus the Lakers, diego, who is Chris going to pick?
Speaker 2:once that happens, he's going to pick LeBron and the Lakers.
Speaker 12:Thank you, thank you. All right, listen, that's not happening same thing with lamar jackson.
Speaker 1:Same thing with lamar jackson. You said no, lamar's out of it, lamar's out of it. And then the second lamar finally had another good game. You were back saying lamar was gonna be mvp.
Speaker 12:You can't help yourself I can't, you can't help it, I can't and I'm honestly and I said during the mvp, right, I said, josh, because of the two he beat Detroit and Kansas City I was like, hey, he got it, like there was nothing we could do at that point. I mean, the man scored six touchdowns in a game, like literally there was nothing I could do like to stop him from being MVP this year.
Speaker 5:And you know, score sure Now I am picking the Ravens to win the Super Bowl and Lamar being Super.
Speaker 1:Bowl MVP. That one's going to happen, all right, yeah, that's right. Just like Diego with Bryce Young. That's right, that's right.
Speaker 2:That's different, bryce Young's a lot better.
Speaker 1:Better than who. Better than who. Better than who. See, okay, no, no, no, you got to sit on that, wait. Okay. Now, this is what I forgot to say, because you floored me so much with that Indiana Pacers take. All right, I was going to say that we have a no drug policy here at Pick'em Pros, all right. So I was about to submit you to get drug tested, all right, but now I need to submit my own son to get drug tested, talking about Bryce Young being better. So both of you, both of you report to the back, so we can. We can get our test results, and I'm gonna have to get some new co-hosts. All right, y'all are tripping, ok, so let's move on to. Let's go ahead and make our conference championship picks, and then we're going to bring Miss Kelly on. So, diego, who you got in the conference championship.
Speaker 2:Conference championship. I got the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Golden State Warriors. And I got the Celtics versus the Cavs.
Speaker 1:Celtics yeah, you see me looking at the Celtics. Celtics versus the Cavs. Okay, All right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I got the Thunder beating the Warriors, unfortunately. Okay, I just think it's the Thunder's year. I don't know if the Warriors will be healthy by then.
Speaker 1:Oh, because Steph can hurt. Okay Okay, thunder. Okay Okay, your mom might have a problem with that.
Speaker 2:I mean it's just he's 37. I mean it's natural. But then I think the Celtics are going to beat the Cavs also.
Speaker 1:The Cavs say the Celtics are going to beat the Cavs.
Speaker 2:Yes, there's going to be a Cavs-OKC final, celtics-okc finals.
Speaker 1:Celtics-OKC finals. Ok, celtics-okc final, chris, do you say Celtics-OKC as well? Yes, I do. Right, right, as of right now, until the Western Conference finals come. Then you're going to switch your pick to the Lakers. We'll see, I'm so picky. Celtics OKC, though, go on, okay, all right. Well, I also have the OKC Thunder making the NBA finals all right, but facing them.
Speaker 1:I've got the Cleveland Cavaliers meeting the Boston Celtics and moving on to the NBA finals, and I'm looking directly at one of our April guests, who is a Boston Celtics aficionado, who's going to come on and join us. So I'm seeing him give me the thumbs down. So we can't wait for that. But that's who I've got on that one, all right. Well, chris man, thank you, as always. We can't wait to get back in the studio and do a deeper dive, get your deeper analysis, but we appreciate everything that you do for us, man, and we'll see you back in the studio. Yes, sir, all right. Shout out to Chris. Thank you, my man. All right, put your hands together for Christopher Davis. Thank you, chris. Thank you Chris. Thank you, chris. Thank you, chris. Thank you Chris.
Speaker 3:Thank you, chris. This is not fair. We're going to win the team champions. When you walk through the hall, you can play some big bucks because you know we're going to win the hall. No, I'm going to interview you. We're going to have to go touchdown. This is not fair. We're going to win the team champions. When you walk through the hall, you can play some big bucks because you know we're going to win the hall.
Speaker 1:All right, all right, ladies and gentlemen, man, this is a fire, fire show. We cannot wait to bring our next guest on All right Again with our theme of this month, with International Women's Month, here we are so happy to have Miss Kelly Marcolini. She was the former associate director of marketing for Duke Athletics. She is also, if you have been in Cameron, all right. And, as the game as it gets, crunch time, okay, and it's time for them to close it out, what song do they play? They play one of Diego's favorite song Shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots. All right, and she is responsible for bringing that to us. So, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Kelly Marcolini. Yes, yes, yes, hey, hey.
Speaker 10:Hello, I'll share more of that story later.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, we cannot wait to hear more of that story, for sure, yes. So thank you for being here. We have been wanting to get you here for a long time and now we finally have you here. We had to do it justice, so we had to do it in front of a live audience.
Speaker 10:Yes, there's a lot of people here.
Speaker 1:We had to do it justice, so we had to do it in front of a live audience.
Speaker 10:Yes, there's a lot of people here. Yes, yes, yes, great To be more behind the scenes normally yes.
Speaker 1:So yeah, thank you for being here, and just, let's just start off by you just telling us how, how or who you inspired you to get into sports and pursue the great career that you have established in sports.
Speaker 10:Yes, so my mom was an associate commissioner for the CIAA, so I grew up going to conference tournaments and all that I mean. My mom has pictures of me with cheerleaders when I was two years old and they just took me on. So I grew up in the culture of athletics, loved it and pretty much knew, almost from the time I was thinking about a career that I wanted to be in athletics and all my internships, everything was always in athletics and then was in it for overall after college about 10 years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, definitely grew up. You grew up in sports for real. Yes in it, absolutely. Grew up in sports for real. Yes in it, absolutely.
Speaker 2:How is it working for a brand as iconic and with so much aura as the Duke Blue Devil.
Speaker 10:Yes, the standard is high. The standard is excellence. It's not good, it's not great, it is excellent. No matter what the game is, no matter what sport you are working with, that is the standard, and so I think any of your big time programs are going to have that level of expectation, not just for their athletes, but for all their support staff as well. So that's what I would say is you are bringing your A game every day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I mean just being on campus at Duke was definitely a standard of excellence, just just walking around there. When we were at the game yesterday, the women's game was on and I believe they played Lehigh they did.
Speaker 1:And it was halfway through the third quarter and Lehigh had 12 points, yes, and I was like, wow, yes, there is a talent gap, for sure. But putting that aside, the level of effort that you have to put together, I don't care how much of a talent gap it is to hold a team to 12 points halfway through the third quarter. You are going all out there, and that just definitely tell there's a standard of excellence there, yeah, yeah. So tell us about, just kind of take us through your career path to get to the associate director of marketing at Duke Athletics and maybe tell us about some of the sacrifices that you had to make to get to that point, as I know there are many.
Speaker 10:Yes, there are many. So in college I was a double major in marketing and management, did not specialize in sports, because you just never know what life is going to hand you, which I'm very thankful I did but did internships with a minor league baseball team. I actually went back and interned with the CIAA and worked their basketball tournaments while still enrolled in college, and so that was a lot of fun to work both of those things. And then after that graduated in 10, that was still in the Great Recession I worked unpaid for a year to get a full-time job working pretty much minimum wage. So that is a level of sacrifice that not many people are willing to do. But I was working at Wake Forest for about three seasons and then moved over, you know, down the road to Durham and was at Duke from 2012 to 2019.
Speaker 1:Moved over, you know, down the road to Durham and was at Duke from 2012 to 2019. Wow, okay, yeah, yeah. Some serious, serious sacrifices, some some that I don't know are even allowed anymore.
Speaker 10:That one it thankfully is not allowed. I am very thankful for all those that are coming into athletics now that they do not have to do that. It was not fun.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yes. What are some of your favorite moments at Cameron Stadium?
Speaker 10:Oh well, shots was a great one the first time we did that. I tried to find the video of us the first time it hit and there was a video of us going crazy for it, but I could not find it. The welcome back celebration in 2015 was a highlight and I think, the other big thing that I was so honored to be a part of. Elizabeth Williams, an amazing player Her jersey was retired and I did the entire ceremony, and so being able to plan that with her and with her family and the coaching staff, and then also have that like execution moment to see a banner raised in Cameron for her, was just really amazing.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, that is something, yes, yes. So going back to you mentioned it earlier, you know the, the song shots and just that time, maybe just tell us about, just maybe, the format of I mean, there's so much that goes into planning, I'm sure a game, and then that, that moment, and then that moment when you get the crowd hype, can you tell us maybe what that segment is called at the end of the game and tell us a little more about that?
Speaker 10:Yep. So to kind of even roll it back a little bit, a fun fact about Cameron is that there was no music outside of the band during the game until 2012. Until my supervisor at the time and we started wanting to, you know, make some moves, update some things, and the band is great, but there are times we call them hot timeouts. Um, when you're on a roll, the other team calls a hot timeout.
Speaker 10:You want that energy to stay at that high level yeah, okay so we had started playing with some things and, um, as so happens, she was on maternity leave. It was me, an intern and another person in our video department Shout out to Mike Capetto and Kendall Butters and we were just thinking about different songs and as a joke, I said we should do shots and then my intern goes. I actually think that's a good idea, and Mike Capetto is like let's make a video with it and see how it does. And so it was really well. You know, it said it as a joke. It was really a great group effort and teamwork to make that moment happened, and the first time that hit, I mean the place went bananas. Yes.
Speaker 10:And then there is. You can see me and Kendall literally losing our minds at the table. For that it was really special. It was so much fun, oh wow, wow.
Speaker 1:So you know, tell us about, you know, we know. Ms Todd shared some amazing stories with us and just the theme of the night has been amazing. Can you tell us about some of the difficulties that you faced in? You know, being a woman in athletics?
Speaker 10:Yes, I mean definitely. I'm thankful for all the trailblazers ahead of my time. That made it easier for me even. But you know there are different, you know styles of coaches that you will encounter and some are more, I'll guess, be generous and say old school in their thinking, and you know they will treat you differently. And so I would always advise to not let that get you down and to use it as a chip on your shoulder to show them that you're going to, you're going to do everything, you're going to kill it and everything and like shame on them for downing you. So that's what I would say is to not let those haters get you down. But it's hard in the moments when you've been running so hard and just because of your gender, somebody is going to not give you a shot. So but don't let them get you, that's right, that's right.
Speaker 1:Keep pushing, keep pushing, love that.
Speaker 2:Who are some of your favorite Duke players of all time?
Speaker 10:Oh, probably my favorite of all time I'm going to go Shane Battier. I just think, like you know, the model Duke player, a leader on the court, leader off the court, you know, just an amazing player, amazing human. So I think he would probably be my favorite of all time. And then I mean there's others. I mean you have to do Grant Hill, I mean have to do a Christian Laitner. I mean he's the dog on the court.
Speaker 1:I mean, he's the dog on the court. Oh, good, good. So what advice would you give to someone that is wanting to get into the business of sports?
Speaker 10:Great question Do internships Always say yes to anything that they ask you to do, within reason? Of course? You know talking about above board things, of course, but just take every opportunity to show them your work ethic. You know, show up early, leave late, be there to help, all the things. Don't look at any tasks below you. You know we had interns that didn't want to learn how to roll t-shirts. Well, do you know what we need? A lot of rolled t-shirts during games.
Speaker 10:So, you know, those are the ones that also get the extra opportunities when we need help in a basketball game, or we call those people that have been there and so take those opportunities when they're presented yeah, great advice, thank you do you think both the duke men and women will win the national championship?
Speaker 10:I hope, so I picked them both. Um, I mean for women's. I think this is the best chance that we've had since I was with the team in 2012, 2013. So I really hope they pull it out. Kara's doing an amazing job. Yeah, I mean the men look so good. I was, you know I think we were, all you know inhaling when we saw Cooper go down in the ACC tournament and to see him play so great. So we're happy to have him back and I think they're going to make a run. I'm hoping, yes, all right.
Speaker 1:We have a question from the audience.
Speaker 10:Yes.
Speaker 4:So I'm not sure if you've heard, but Derek has said that Cooper.
Speaker 10:Flagg is going to be the face of the NBA. How do you feel about that comment? I think the NBA would be very happy to have Cooper Flagg as the face, as an up and rising star. You know, similar to Shane, a good leader on and off the court, kind of has that great role model fit. So I think the NBA would be very excited for that.
Speaker 1:Oh, absolutely Absolutely. And he has that dog in him, you can see it. Yeah, he definitely has the game, so can't wait to see him grow.
Speaker 10:Now, I did bring a couple of souvenirs to show.
Speaker 1:Wow, okay, yes, please so.
Speaker 10:I am also wearing my Duke men's basketball 2015 pullover, but I also worked with men's lacrosse while I was with Duke Athletics and was thankfully there to be a part of two championship teams, so I actually won my championship. Oh, yes, attendance. So you can see that, along with the net that I was able to cut, oh, nice yes. So some sacrifices. There was a lot of tears and hard work that went into these games Absolutely yes, a lot In these seasons.
Speaker 10:But you know you do get some really great experiences on the back end. So it is fun, but you do sacrifice, that's right.
Speaker 1:Yes, definitely do. Wow, well, thank you for bringing that and showing us. Yes, yes, well, congratulations to you for all that you have done. We are wishing you the best in your next chapter as you continue to move throughout Duke University and beyond, and it's an honor to have you here on our show and we look forward to talking to you again. And also, we're not going to put you on the spot, but everybody that's been on here, we're going to hit you up. We've got a begging segment, all right, where we're going to beg and see who you can get to be on Pick'em Pros, but the catch is going to be you've got to help. You've got to help get them on, but we're not going to put you on the spot. You don't have to say just yet, but we'll talk about that off camera.
Speaker 10:All right.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me All right, put your hands together for Kelly Marcolini. Yes, thank you so much. Beautiful, all right, man, this is a special, special night. We are almost at a close. We've got a few things. We've got the y'all still want us to give away the tickets to the game. Anybody want to go? You do want to go? Okay, all right, all right, just a check. Just wanted to check on that Again. We will be at Kings again. April 26th is our next show. Tickets going on sale Tuesday 7 pm. Tuesday 7 pm. So you want to make sure you copy your tickets. Diego, who do you have in the final four? Who you got? I got Duke, of course. Men on women. Which one you doing? Men, okay, men.
Speaker 2:I gotta have Duke in there, okay, duke. Yeah, I got Houston Florida. Now I got Michigan state.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, okay, michigan state I'm not, not that high on auburn, okay, yeah, yeah me, neither me, neither. Okay, all right guy with 50 inch earth. Okay, all right. Now what? What about other women? Who do you have in the women who's?
Speaker 2:your final four. I got notre dame, okay, um, I got south carolina usc, yeah, and let's see, uh, let's see state uh yeah, yeah, state okay all right, okay, good, good, and who do you have winning it all?
Speaker 1:I got, I got usc, uh, yeah, yeah, okay, oh, usc, okay, I was thinking south carolina usc, juju, yep, okayuju, okay, all right, we will see. We'll definitely see what happens there. Well, one other plug we want to mention. You may have noticed a lot of our new swag here Pick'em Pro swag. All right, where's Ben at? Ben in the crowd, ben, jeanette. Ben is the creator of a lot of our new swag. Hold on, let me take this over here. A lot of our new swag. Hold on, let me take this over here. A lot of our new swag. This one here is Pick'em Pros. As you see here, ben designed this one. We've got a lot of great swag coming out, so that also drops on Tuesday.
Speaker 1:So when you get your ticket, when you get your ticket to be at our show April 26th, upon confirmation, you will get a coupon to then go ahead and get your swag and we will be launching all of our new gear coming out. So check that out, make sure you check it out. All right, all right. So y'all ready for us to draw this raffle? Who's going to win? Well, again, like Cardi, we're going to put it off a little bit. We're gonna make you wait now. Cardi cardi made you wait five years for his album. We're not gonna quite make you wait that long, all right, but we're gonna make you wait just a little bit. Just a little bit, all right.
Speaker 1:So to get hype, because I don't I don't know if I feel the right energy to get these tickets. These tickets are worth well, I mean these in the suite, right, all you need is two games VIP parking pass. It's worth at least $1,000. Oh yeah, right, at least Okay. So I'm going to need a little more energy for this. So, in order to get y'all there, all right, I think we need to hear the Pick'em Pros anthem. What do you think you get y'all ready? All right, let's hear the Pick'em Pros anthem. So we're going to have the creator of the Pick'em Pros anthem and the beat given to you by the future Grammy Award winning, tavares Davis. Let's go ahead and drop this Pick'em Pros anthem, yes sir, give it up for y'all.
Speaker 8:Once again, let's clap it up.
Speaker 1:Yes, give it up. Give it up. Give it up.
Speaker 8:Give it up.
Speaker 8:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, tavares couldn't be here tonight, but he's around. I pick him like a pro Global trying ball Talk and pick and roll. We going up the score. Touchdown. This is not a field goal. We, the winning team Champions. When you walk through the halls, come play your bet with us because you know we're going to win them all. I pick them like a pro Global trying ball talk and pick a row. We're going to up the score Touchdown. This is not a field goal. We, the winning team champions. When you, you can play your bet with us because you know we're going to win them all.
Speaker 8:Look, yeah, this is a major play. We do it big in a major way. Diego, be having the pick of the day. Here we come, don't care if you ready. With them, boys, the gold is heavy. Top picks like cheese, no shredding. Number one is where we headed.
Speaker 8:I'm a grizzly, a bear like Desmond. I'm a stealer, a saint, no ready. Getting big is our profession. Do it big is now or never. I got like I'm moving, clever. We be hitting no difference of levels, never stopping. We're hitting the pedal. Do it now. We riding on schedule. I pick them like a pro global trying ball, talk a pick and roll, we go up the skull. Touchdown. This is not field goal. We, the winning team. Champions. When you walk through the halls, come and play your bet with us because you know, yeah, I pick them like a pro global. Try ball, talk a pick and roll. Uh, uh, let's go Touchdown. This is my field goal. Yeah, champions, when you walk through the halls, come and play your bet with us, because you know we're going to win them all. Yeah, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce. Yeah, it's the one in circle, pick'em Pros. Come on, clap it up for y'all. Clap it up for Pick'em Pros, clap it up for Kings for letting us do our thing tonight.
Speaker 1:I think we got one more we gonna do that at the end time to go, yes, sir, yes, sir, close it out. Alright, alright, alright, ladies and gentlemen, we are gonna bring up our another, another amazing, amazing woman in business here who is going to actually pull the, the name of who is going to win. So we couldn't do it All right. So we wanted to make sure it was fair on the up and up, because we know some people may question, uh, the, the legitimacy of this drawing. So we have to bring a third party in to uh to go ahead and and pull this for us all right. So, without further ado, we are going to bring to you from lexi's bus and bacon. Lexi gomez. Lexi Gomez.
Speaker 1:All right, all right, here we go, here we go. So, lexi, how you doing.
Speaker 7:I'm good, I'm a little nervous.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you are just fine. So, no, we are so proud of you. We met you recently out and about you and your beautiful family. We're out, you know, putting that work in and promoting your business Lexi's Bussin' Bacon business Lexi's Bustin' Bacon. We understand that you have amazing cookies, treats, all types of desserts and delicious treats that are going to make me bigger, all right, but we know that I've had the pleasure of tasting them. They are delicious, but why don't you tell us about just how you started and where you're going with Lexi's Bustin' Baking?
Speaker 7:Yeah, so I started Lexi's Bustin' Baking back when I was 14. I'm 18 now. I started it to help out my family during some hard times. We're in a much better place now, thanks to the business. Yes, yes.
Speaker 7:Yeah, thank you, but really I got to give all glory to God, though, because without him it wouldn't have been possible. That's right, yeah, yeah. But I really I always enjoyed baking since I was little. When I was little, I would always watch the you know the cooking and the baking shows, and my dad he's a chef. He went to culinary school and I'd always watch him in the kitchen. See, I can help, and it was always an interest to me, so I finally I messed around in the kitchen. I took all the ingredients. They'll come home like where's the flour? I used it all, but, yeah, I would. I loved messing around with you know ingredients and creating new things, and I turned it into a business because I, you know, I wanted to do something that I love.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 7:I tried working that 9 to 5 job, but it wasn't for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you're truly doing it. You're doing something you love and doing a great job and it shows. It shows. Yes, yes, diego man, I think you took some of the treats. I tasted it, but I didn't get to taste them all. Yeah, and I think you took some of the treats. I tasted it, but I didn't get to taste them all. It was really good. Yeah, yeah, you stepped in and, you know, did that. So, yeah, so I see you have a little something there you want to show.
Speaker 7:So this is my new product. These are my minis. My cookies are usually five ounces so they're pretty big bakery style cookies, all right, but I launched the minis because I noticed people. They like variety, you know.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 7:So this gives them a good opportunity to try them all and still enjoy the thickness of the cookie, but in a mini version. So here I got some brookie cookies, some pistachio, cranberry, red velvet.
Speaker 1:Oh man, look at that variety, wow, wow and.
Speaker 7:I'm hoping to actually get these in the stores in the future.
Speaker 1:So you'll see these on the shelves? Ok, yes, we will. We will see them on the shelves, that is right. That is right, yes, yes. Well, I think our audience we're going to make sure that some lucky people in our audience get to get one of the samples here, so we'll make sure we give that out after the show. But, yeah, so your IG is here on the screen Lexi's Bustin' Bacon. Make sure you follow Lexi Gomez, make sure you follow them, make sure you order and let's get her in the stores, y'all. Yeah, let's get her in the stores.
Speaker 1:Thank you, all right, so we have a raffle here. Okay, we're going to go ahead. We're not going to put it off any longer. All right, so we have two huge games tomorrow at the Lenovo Center VIP parking, two games in the suite, beautiful view, food, different menu for each game. All right, so don't eat anything in the morning. Come ready to eat and you'll be straight for the whole day, all right, so we're going to shuffle this thing up. We're going to shuffle this thing up here, all right, okay, and we're going to give it to you to go ahead and put your hand in there.
Speaker 7:Pull out the name One, two, three.
Speaker 1:All right, got it. Go ahead and read that in the microphone.
Speaker 7:Ashley Mozingo.
Speaker 1:All right, now you have to be present to win, so okay.
Speaker 7:Ashley Mozingo.
Speaker 1:Okay, no, all right, let's go to the next one. All right, oh, all right.
Speaker 1:Oh, the suspense, suspense all right, larkisha charlton, oh, kiss your word. Oh, come on up, keisha, come on, come on, keisha, come on, keisha. Oh, oh, oh man, you know what? This is very fitting. Yeah, let's bring the mic over there, let's give it to Mike. Wow, this is very fitting. Okay for you to win, because I get everybody here big supporter, everybody here loves Picker Pros. But I mean you, wow, you know what you have, and I'm just thinking of all the things you got. I mean you've got the gear all right. So you definitely are a big fan if you have the gear. But no, you opened up the office. Let us present to a room full of people in the conference room. You constantly put our flyers up and do everything. So, wow, it is wow, wow, so congratulations. So the question is so, first of all got a couple questions. I don't know if I want to ask you this to put you on the spot.
Speaker 9:Please don't put me on the spot, okay.
Speaker 1:You know what? I had too much love for you. No, I'm not going to put you on the spot. Just how? So just explain your excitement for winning this A wonderful.
Speaker 9:Very excited.
Speaker 7:I had no idea my name would be All right.
Speaker 1:Well, wow, congratulations to you. We are going to have an amazing time tomorrow. So the first game is 1215. All right, first game is 1215. And then the second game is two and a half hours after that, but it's all back to back, so we'll stay there for both games and have an amazing time. And you cannot park any closer to the building. You literally just park until you almost run into the building and then just walk in, so it's like parking at the house. All right, we will see you tomorrow. Absolutely, all tomorrow, absolutely, congratulations, oh, wow. Well, hey, on that note. So, lexi, why don't you stay and rock with us here to go out? We got Chuck Global is going to close us out with oh man, I love this track on time to go. Go ahead and close us out, chuck, chuck global. Let's get this energy up and celebrate this beautiful night that we have had here on pick and pros.
Speaker 8:Before we go, take, take us out in style, chuck we're gonna take you out going back for that nostalgic feel and, um, you don't have to go home, but you have to get out of here.
Speaker 1:So let's play this song well, the dj gonna keep spinning till 10.
Speaker 8:but okay yeah let's go, whoa, bounce, bounce, put your hands up, put your hands up, put your hands up, put your hands up, put your hands up. Whoa, yes, I need you to ride out and vibe with me. Look, look, look, look, look, look. Oh man, I gotta get it in the worst way. I'm talking gold around my neck, like I'm in first place. I'm talking, I mean, it's like it's first day and all my homies got my back like a vertebrae. These knuckleheads going global with my shirt say she let me for her first day and I ain't going back and forth. This ain't first take If getting money, we ain't worried about her heartbreak. Look, she don't want no other guy Feeling like, yay, i'ma touch her, sipping on my wet, rolling up the. Married to the game. I don't want no bride Whoa, whoa. She don't want no other guy Feeling like, yay, i'ma touch her sky. Yeah, sipping on my wet, rollin' up his eye, married to the game. I don't want a bride Whoa. Look, I think it's about time to go. I think it's about time to go. I think it's about time to go. I think it's about time to go. I think it's about time to go. I think it's about time to go. I think it's about time to go. I think it's about time to go. I think it's about to go. I think it's about time to go. I think it's about wait.
Speaker 8:Oh look, I took your girl. She is not mine. Yeah, we in the room and it sounded like high fives, hey, so you know I'm a winner, I'm the top prize. Global, be the winner. You got nine lives, yeah, well, uh, global, be the greatest. Other dudes the lamest. You know that I'm a vibe. She want to be contagious To them bleachers and put you in them stages. Other guy Feeling like, yay, I'm going to touch the sky, sipping on my wet, rolling up the Zy Married to the game. I don't want a bride Whoa, whoa, she don't want no. Other guy Feeling like, yay, I'm sipping on my wet, rolling up the Mary to the game. I don't want to brag. Clap it up for y'all. Y'all are beautiful. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, and thank you, chuck, I love that. That's got that for real. Kind of old school feel. You know what I mean. Love that, love that man, love that. So, yes, check out Chuck Global. So, yes, check out Chuck Global. We'll IG, check him out, follow him. All right, y'all. Like you said, it's time to go. Dj's going to spin until 10 o'clock. Network is so much excellence here in the room. Let's chill, mingle, all right, but we're going to close it out. So, lexi, you're going to close it out with us. So Diego coined this, just like my shirt, to go pick them pros and we're going to close this thing out, all right. All right, y'all ready, all right, let's go. Time to go. One, two, three, no-transcript.