Podcasts about mid american

Y después de tanto tiempo llegó el día. Warren Buffet anunció el sábado que tras 60 años, deja el cargo de CEO de la compañía. El Oráculo de Omaha aprovechó la cita anual con los accionistas para anunciar el esperado adiós. Aunque señaló que no se va a desentender del todo de Berkshire Hathaway, ya que como indicó “todavía seguiré por aquí y posiblemente seré útil en algunos casos”. Su sustituto ya está claro o por lo menos el más deseado por Buffet. Greg Abel es el caballo ganador del inversor multimillonario. Y es que era el sucesor designado desde 2021, pero el anuncio le sorprendió igual que al resto del mercado. En sus manos queda el futuro de una empresa que Buffet ha convertido en uno de los gigantes de la inversión. Para Munesh Melwani, Socio Fundador de Cross Capital, una de las claves de la gran dimensión que obtuvo Buffet con Berkshire es la asociación que ha tenido en los últimos cincuenta años con Charlie Munger, vicepresidente de la compañía muchos años y él que es considerado como el principal socio del Oráculo de Omaha. En cambio para Luis García, gestor de MAPFRE AM, lo que explica el éxito del multimillonario es la transición que hizo del Value. Aunque el sábado no fue sólo el día de la sorpresiva despedida de Buffet. Berkshire Hathaway presentó resultados, unos resultados con unos beneficios decepcionantes. Estos se fueron hasta los 4600 millones de dólares, un 64% menos que el año pasado. Y es que la compañía sigue reduciendo sus ventas netas de acciones fueron de 1500 millones de dólares. ¿Cómo están ahora estructuradas sus inversiones? La empresa tenía una liquidez de 350.000 millones de dólares, de los cuales 300.000 han ido para bonos de tesoro. Aunque Buffet reconoció que la compañía estuvo a punto de invertir 10.000 millones en los últimos días. Sabemos los resultados y quién lo sustituye pero ¿Quién es Greg Abel? Nacido en Canadá, en 1992 empezó su andadura en PricewaterhouseCoopers. Después pasó a Mid American Energy, que fue al tiempo adquirida por Berkshire y que supuso la llegada a la empresa. Uno de los puntos más chocantes es que a Warren Buffet no le convencía Greg Abel en un principio. David Sokol, CEO de Mid American, convenció tanto a Buffet como a Munger de la valía de Abel. El Oráculo de Omaha es conocido por aprovechar los momentos de crisis para conseguir grandes inversiones. Eso es lo que hizo también Abel con la crisis de 2008. Gracias a la cancelación de Constellation Energy, que en vez de con Berkshire se fue con EDP, Mid American consiguió 1.000 millones de dólares de indemnización. Así comenzaron las andaduras de Abel hasta convertirse en lo que es hoy: la inversión más valiosa de Warren Buffet.

Christy Harst, founder of Building Doors VO, joins BOSS Anne Ganguzza to share her journey from an aspiring journalist to a champion for gender diversity in voiceover. Her story highlights the importance of perseverance, self-belief, and the power of engaging in collaborations with industry talents. In a bold step to challenge industry norms, Christy leads Building Doors VO, a campaign to amplify female voices in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as sports promos. The BOSSes highlight the importance of community support and the ongoing fight for gender equality in voiceover.   https://www.voboss.com/special-guest-christy-harst 00:01 - Testimonial (Ad) Hey, Anne, just wanted to let you know that I got a chance to listen to the entire podcast with Pilar, part one and two Fantastic interview. Found her very interesting and really enjoyed the entire thing. Thanks so much for the Boss podcast.  00:17 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Hey bosses, are you new to VoiceOver and not sure where to start? Join the VOPeeps VIPeeps membership and get access to over 350 hours of pre-recorded classes, a 15% discount on all VO Peeps, guest workshops and free monthly workouts. This membership is perfect for those wanting to get started in the industry. Find out more at vopeepscom slash join-now.  00:47 - Intro (Ad) It's time to take your business to the next level, the boss level. These are the premier business owner strategies and successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a boss a VO boss. Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza.  01:06 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Hey, hey everyone. Welcome to the VO Boss Podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and today I am privileged and honored to have special guest voiceover actor and the creator of the Building Doors campaign, Christy Harst Yay.  01:22 - Christy Harst (Guest) Thank you very much for having me. I appreciate the opportunity.  01:26 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, Christy, I'm so excited. I feel like we're soul sisters here.  01:32 - Christy Harst (Guest) You have better makeup, but yes, Well.  01:35 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I'll tell you what. It is wonderful to have you on the show because you're doing amazing things and I want the bosses to know about them. So for those bosses that don't know who you are, let's kind of start at the beginning. Talk to us a little bit about your career. You've been in this industry for quite a while, so tell us a little bit about how you got started.  01:54 - Christy Harst (Guest) Sure, thank you. I appreciate that. I majored in broadcast communications and I was supposed to be the next Barbara Walters in case you didn't get the facts in the 80s, it turns out that after an internship at MTV, I saw what women had to do and who they had to be to be at the top and it wasn't something I was willing to do.  02:12 So I pivoted, if you will, and had a career a traditional nine to five career, if you will, in marketing, pr and event planning, la-di-da-di. And I always felt this pull and this tug when I would listen to the radio and I would hear these people and I would say, oh.  02:28 - Intro (Ad) God.  02:28 - Christy Harst (Guest) I can do it so much better than them. Oh my God, it's so painful. And so one year I made a New Year's resolution to get an agent and I did and I didn't get one audition. So the next year I said, well, forget them, I'm going to go get another one. And I got another one. And I was with that agent for 17 years. I booked national campaigns, I did a lot of on-camera.  02:49 That was BC before children, and once my husband and I decided to have kids, we decided to build a studio in the house in the basement and I booked national campaigns from there as well. And now I'm on the first level of the house with a studio brick, so I feel like I'm no longer a basement troll.  03:06 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) There's something to be said for those basement studios though. I mean I had one. I mean we don't have basements here in California and they make great studios they do, that's for sure.  03:15 - Christy Harst (Guest) No, they do, they do, and mine was very makeshift.  03:21 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) But hey, I did it. I mean, I'm just saying that was the only noise really when that went on.  03:26 - Christy Harst (Guest) I always used to have to run and manually turn off the HVAC, go and do work and then go run and my kids would be like it's so cold, it's so cold, I'm like I'm not done, recording I'm not done. And then, most recently I would say in the last five years actually, five years ago I went to my first voiceover conference and it was in Columbus, ohio, and it was something called the Mid-American or Mid-something and I knew no one. I knew absolutely no one and I ended up there meeting. Listen to all the heavyweights that were there and I had no clue. So Roy Yolkerson was there, joe Cipriano was there, mark Scott was there it was his first conference ever that he was teaching a class Rodney Salisbury was there, jmc was there, all these people and I had no idea. I had no idea who any of these people were.  04:16 So I was late getting to some of the breakout sessions and there weren't that many left to pick from and the only one that was left was Joe Cipriano's promo class. I didn't even know what promo was and I was like, oh gosh, fine, I'll go into this one. There was only me and like three other people and AJ McKay was in there running it and I went up and did it and I was hooked. I was like you mean, I can say five words and each word is like a different story. And I'm done, I'm done, that's it. I love it, because I don't do audiobooks. I'm not a marathon runner.  04:52 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I am a sprinter Right.  04:54 - Christy Harst (Guest) Yeah, absolutely. And so from that point forward I was kind of like, oh, I really think I could do this, and so I ended up working with Joe. We flew to New York. I'm in Cleveland, Ohio, but we flew to New York and recorded a demo for Network Promo and Joe is wonderful. Oh my gosh, he's amazing. He really is. He's so gracious. He's a wonderful teacher.  05:13 - Intro (Ad) And.  05:13 - Christy Harst (Guest) I learned a lot from him. Absolutely and it ended up being nominated for a SOVA and I was the only woman in the category. I lost to Dave Fennoy. But again, if you're going to lose to somebody, that's right Lose to Dave Fennoy, right?  05:27 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yes, absolutely.  05:34 - Christy Harst (Guest) Who is also an amazing human being. And then after that I started to try and explore promo and so on and so forth. And I am a former college athlete, I am a former head varsity coach, my kids are both terribly athletic and my bank account shows it, and we're a sporting family. We choose to go to sporting events for almost like our staycations. So I said why don't I do sports promo, like that's a perfect way to match my passion and my ability and my talent? And for a good three, four years I invested in training, I invested in workshops, I invested in demos and it wasn't getting me anywhere and I just was getting really frustrated.  06:10 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) So why do you think you did all the things right? You did all the things right, you got your training, and you trained with some of the best. You got your demos, and so what do you think was the issue? What was not happening, and see, that's the fun part.  06:25 - Christy Harst (Guest) That's where Building Doors, a campaign that I started, really was birthed, because I didn't know. I was doing everything that everyone told me to do. Sure, I was doing out-of-box marketing. I was creating fan videos where I voiced them, I wrote them, I created them. I was doing all of the things that you're supposed to do Email marketing, cold calling, all of the things, and nothing was moving the needle. All of the hard things.  06:46 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) All of the hard things, yeah, but you know I enjoyed it. And yeah, I was going to say, and something tells me that you did it with full force. Oh yeah, Not even like 100%. I feel like you did 150 to 200%. I just get that about you.  07:00 - Christy Harst (Guest) Yeah, well, you know, when I sink my teeth into something, I don't let go.  07:03 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I'm right there with you. I feel that.  07:05 - Christy Harst (Guest) Why not Like? Why, If you're going?  07:06 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) to do it, do it all the way.  07:08 - Christy Harst (Guest) And so I had signed up for a promo workshop with a prominent promo LA agent, a woman, and during that workshop I did a read for her and she was like, yeah, book, it's great book.  07:19 And I was like you know what? Okay, stop, I'm not booked. I'm never booked and I'm not repped by one of the larger agencies, so the access to those opportunities are even smaller. So what are my chances? What are my chances in booking sports promo? And she was very honest. And she said not so much. And I said why it was interesting because my whole body just slumped and there were people in the room, in the Zoom room, were like Christy, no, don't slump, it's okay. No, no, no. And she said it's not for a lack of women trying to create opportunities for women in these niche spaces. These opportunities that are created by women climb and climb and climb up the ladder of decision making and when it reaches the C-suite to a middle-aged man, they say love the concept, not the voice. We're putting a man on it, sure, and she said I encourage you to make your own noise. And so I got off the workshop and I was like but I am making my own noise, I am doing out-of-the-box marketing, I am creating videos for specific teams, I want to voice for I am working my LinkedIn connection, I'm doing everything I possibly can.  08:36 Went to bed, woke up the next morning called Brandon Miller, who is the VO craftsman, and I just went off. Is the VO craftsman and I just went off. Brandon, can you believe what she said to me? What am I supposed to do? I'm so upset. What am I supposed to do? You mean to tell me that just because I'm a woman, that I'm not getting access to these opportunities on my own? That's nuts. So I went to walk the dog. I came back and I called him and I said here's what we're going to do. We are going to get women, other female voice actors and I'm going to partner with women around the world and we are going to revoice scripts originally voiced by men in male-centric genres like construction, like alcohol, like tech, like sports, like automobiles, and we are going to show through these reels that not only are women good at it, but also brands are not going to miss anything from it.  09:25 You know those C-suite men who are saying, oh no, well, why? Because women statistically have anywhere it depends on the globe or United States but anywhere between 60 and 80 percent of the purchasing power in their homes. They make the decisions about what money is spent and where, whether you get season tickets, whether you get swag when you go to a game. What kind of camps your kids go to, what kind everything right. So women have the purchasing power. Number one. Number two women don't want a wine night with pink logoed hats anymore at games. That's not what they want. Women are sports fans. Women are carpenters.  10:02 Women are tech driven, so why are we using men as the messaging? And the more and more and I dug into this, the more it spurred me to keep going. Because here's why, for example, the voice of Sondi I know Sondi, yeah, yeah, sondi, okay, gorgeous voice. She chose to do a spot for Lowe's. So in researching every spot, every reel, I want to have it based in data. So I was doing research and I stumbled upon a study that Lowe's had conducted because they wanted to differentiate themselves from Home Depot. What they knew was that Home Depot was a spot that contractors went to. Typically, men are the contractors. Home Depot is poorly lit, it's messy, there are limited displays and the aisles are super tight. So because Lowe's recognizes that women have the highest purchasing power, they decided to make their stores well-lit really wide aisles, everything is bright and colorful. And then they have these huge displays that show you how you can use the products and what you can create. Yet they rarely use a woman on their branded campaigns for TV and radio Rarely.  11:15 We're missing something here, right, if you had all that money to do a study and you put all that attention into gearing your stores towards women because you know that they have the highest purchasing power. Why aren't you using more women in front of and behind the camera? Sure?  11:30 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Well, it doesn't make sense, right, comes down to who are those decision makers, right? Who are the decision makers that are selecting the voices, which is, as you mentioned prior, a lot of times and this also happens when we audition, right? I mean, why is it that when we audition, we're told casting specs to be conversational and talking to your best friend and then, ultimately, when it airs, we possibly hear something that sounds like the old announcer-y thing? Well, could be that an older person that was doing the directing or that finally made that choice, made that choice.  12:04 And so I think it really depends on who's making the choice for the voice talent. And I get you in terms of being in male-dominated fields. I've kind of myself have been an engineer back in the late 80s, I worked in technology for about 20 years. I'm a female demo producer, and so I've been treading that line the whole time. So I really feel that a campaign that can bring awareness right, so it's not just maybe the one person making that decision, but they can bring awareness to the world or the companies. I think that that is a really wonderful way to get things going and actually building doors and breaking the glass ceiling for women.  12:47 - Christy Harst (Guest) Yeah, and you know that day after I walked my dog, I was like, well, everyone uses these terms like go kick down the door, go knock on the door, and what I realized is that there's no door for me to knock on. So I have to build it and I'm going to bring a bunch of other women with me. I love it.  13:04 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, let's talk about the Building Doors campaign. When did you start?  13:08 - Christy Harst (Guest) March 1st of 2024. So it's been 10 months.  13:12 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Okay, and what did you do to start building that? What was required for you to do that? A website, a domain.  13:20 - Christy Harst (Guest) No, no, I didn't even have. I had nothing. It was February 9th or 10th and I was like this is what's going to happen, I'm going to do it. And I remember there was a moment I was sitting on my couch and I said to myself if you're going to do it, you have to do it now, but if you're not going to do it, just don't, because it's going to take a lot of work and you have less than two and a half weeks to launch this on March 1st, for in honor of Women's History Month, and I was like, all right, fine, it's done.  13:44 And I started calling all the women that I knew. Then I started researching women online and on Instagram and at first I just used my social media, so I didn't have time to create a page Like it wouldn't have had the impact right. So I launched it on my Instagram, on YouTube, on Facebook, on LinkedIn and on TikTok and I was literally going to do one post. Then one post turned into a month. All right, fine, I'll do a month. And then something happened. People actually watched it, people actually commented and people actually shared, and they shared it to the point where a woman got a job from it, and I think that that shows the power of community when you all unite under a shared mission.  14:26 So Ashley Tirado is a voice actor who did a spot for Honda Sport. She voiced it and about three or four months later she called me and said she doesn't know who, but somebody forwarded or shared this reel. Someone saw it, forwarded it to an ad agency in Florida. That Florida agency reached out to Ashley and hired her to do a slew of Honda spots. Building doors at that point had created an opportunity that otherwise didn't exist for a woman in voiceover in a male-centric lane, and that was like recreational drugs for me. I was like, yes, I'm hooked.  14:59 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yes, I'm hooked. I also do automotive, but I'll tell you what it's been a hard climb in automotive as well. I do not get the amount of automotive that I know my male counterparts do, so it's kind of like I feel like when they want a novelty, when they want a novelty, they want something just a little bit different, they're going to hire the woman, but more than not. I'm hearing those campaigns either. The campaign that I had was taken over by a male voice. So, yeah, it is something that I feel like as a female wanting to have the same opportunities. It's hard, it really is, and you do have to build doors. And so now, after I would say 10 months, what happened after that? Because you bought the domain, do you have a website?  15:46 - Christy Harst (Guest) I do, and you know why? Because there was a woman. I have a lot of Zoom calls.  15:50 I spend a lot of my time trying to get to brands, talk to brands, talking to all these different people, and a lot of my time trying to get to brands, talk to brands, talking to all these different people, and a lot of the brands I've talked to I haven't publicly shared because I'm not ready to yet, but there was a woman who was the former head legal for a major, major major sports an American sports company, if you will, or brand and she said listen, I can totally hook you up with the top people because your message deserves to be heard there. However, I can't do it unless you have a website. And I had been dragging my feet and I was like, well, there's an investment there, yeah, so, yeah, I mean I get that.  16:26 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I have multiple websites, so I know, yeah, yeah, and that is probably coming out of your pocket. It did.  16:32 - Christy Harst (Guest) Yeah, it did, and that's when things started to get really serious. Because I invested in the website, I created it on my own in Wix over a weekend. Fronk his last name, I think, is Fronk he helped me yeah, Jim Jim Fronk.  16:44 Yep, he helped me work through some things. He was wonderful, and so now we have a website. And I mentioned, oh my gosh, the Veal Craftsman, Brandon Miller. He does all the videos for free for me, so he volunteered to do all of the reels for me for free, which is amazing, right? That's fabulous. Yeah, and so I've had some really great conversations with brands like Valvoline, the Cleveland Guardians, the Cleveland Cavs, and I will say that I didn't realize and I want to say this to everyone listening, that is, in voice, acting who's putting stuff out on social media. People, see you, they may never like it.  17:18 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) They may never, comment they may  17:20 - Christy Harst (Guest) never, share it, but they see you, they're watching you, because the person from the Cavs reached out to me. A middle-aged white man reached out to me and said I've been watching you, I've been watching the campaign and I want to put you in a room full of decision-makers across four different athletic associations Nice, so who would have ever guessed that? Right yeah?  17:42 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Who would have ever guessed that Now do you have a separate social media channel for Building Doors?  17:47 - Christy Harst (Guest) We just started it. It is at BuildingDoorsVO, on Instagram and LinkedIn. We are only doing Instagram and LinkedIn because, after a data analysis, I discovered that those are the platforms with the highest engagement and reach. On LinkedIn, our number one post is sitting at 90K impressions Nice and our highest post on Instagram has something crazy like 12 viewing hours and it's a 20-second clip.  18:11 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Now, what is it that you are promoting on the social channels? Are you creating videos with females voicing traditionally yeah, male promo roles. What are you presenting as content?  18:24 - Christy Harst (Guest) I'm so excited for 2025 because not only are we going to be featuring women one per month, they're the door builders that are going to be reading scripts previously voiced by men and male-centric genres but we're also going to be doing a lot of other cool stuff.  18:37 Like, we are going to do a LinkedIn Live and an Instagram Live series. I'd like to do one on LinkedIn a month and one on Instagram a month, but we'll see and they are going to imagine this. It's a panel discussion that is all based under the mission of Building Doors, which is equality, equal opportunity, but it'll include people who support the campaign. So, for example, let's say, the panel consists of a copywriter, a voiceover actor, a graphic designer and then maybe a casting director who knows right, and they're all talking about an issue that not only can be of service to the voiceover community they can learn from, but also highlights our supporters and highlights people who have a service that voice actors could potentially hire from. You know, forming community right now in 2025, is essential, I think, especially in our country, so that people know where to go to communicate, to connect and to know where to put their money so they can support like-minded people.  19:35 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Fabulous, that's fantastic, and so right now you have your socials all set.  19:40 - Christy Harst (Guest) So we've been live on social for about a month or two months, okay, and Instagram is slowly climbing. Our LinkedIn page needs some more followers, right? So at Building Doors VO, I am currently well, it's a holiday so I'm not posting as much but starting in January, yes, there is going to be more women reading reels. Hopefully, those LinkedIn and Instagram lives will be up and running in January. And also, you know, I'm going to be featuring supporters, so people who support us. I feature them in image and help share their story. For example, I have featured an award-winning UK digital marketing agency a.  20:14 Afro-Indigenous puppeteer and comedian, so I'll be featuring those people as well.  20:19 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I'm looking at buildingdoorsvo.com right now and you have an amazing roster of ladies there.  20:27 - Christy Harst (Guest) Well, I appreciate you saying that, because how do I get?  20:29 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) involved. Hey, this is fantastic. You've got quite a few. That's amazing, Like at least 32 that I'm counting right now.  20:38 - Christy Harst (Guest) Yeah, and there'll be 44 at the end of it.  20:40 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) That's it.  20:40 - Christy Harst (Guest) I would like to point out that we are not a talent agency, we are not a brand manager, we are not a casting site. When I talk to a brand, one of the things I ask them is that would you be willing to the next time you need a female voice actor, would you be willing to consider a door builder? And they usually say yes and then they can go to the website and they go and reach out to that person directly. I'm not in it, right. So then they can take that to their agent and everybody wins, I think.  21:09 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And then if the door builder gets booked.  21:11 - Christy Harst (Guest) I ask if I can share it as a success story. And for example, natasha. Natasha just got booked from her reel. She did a reel where she was reading something for the Oscars. Someone saw it on LinkedIn, reached out and said hey, will you do my podcast intro and outro? And so she got that job. She did it, and getting work for people who are featured is a great cherry on top, but it's not necessarily what is meant for the campaign, right? Because we're not a casting site, we're not a talent agent right.  21:39 We want to show that women can do this. They should have the access to the opportunities to do it, and if you choose one of these women, great. But if not, at least we've planted the seed that, yeah, a woman can voice a UFC spot. Sure. A woman can do a wealth management spot or a tech spot.  21:55 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Now, how are you working on funding? Are you thinking, what are your thoughts about getting additional funding? Because I know, simply because I have multiple domains, this is not something out of your own pocket. Owning the domain, you've got to pay for that. You've got to pay for the website, you've got to pay for the hosting of the website. Ultimately, you've got a domain. Maybe you're going to send email from it, so then you're going to need an email server. I mean, there's just a bunch of stuff Having the social media channels and you're also a working voice actor, so you're donating a lot of your time and I know that you recently have some women that are now on board to help you in the Building Doors campaign. But what are you thinking about in terms of funding?  22:34 - Christy Harst (Guest) I need funding, yeah.  22:37 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Are you going to create, maybe, a scholarship or become like a nonprofit? What's going to happen so?  22:45 - Christy Harst (Guest) I think and this is probably not going to be a popular opinion, but I think that people or groups that advocate for a mission or a cause, they can earn money too. It's okay. It's okay. And no, we're not going to be a nonprofit. I have no desire to run a nonprofit. I worked for nonprofits for years in my nine to five career and I know what the mentality is. I know the paperwork. It's just not something I desire to. We are a for-profit. We are an LLC under CEH Productions, which is my LLC, and I am so blessed to have the ambassadors. These are women that did pay a certain amount to be in the campaign and they get access to make decisions about the campaign and while that money is great, it's not.  23:32 I'm not earning any money is what I'm saying, Like the funds that I've collected to date help cover the cost of the initial investment that I've made and help cover the cost of the website in the future, but I'm definitely not earning any money. So I've been applying for grants for female small business owners. I am open to other ideas and I'm going to be honest with you, anne, it's something that I'm really struggling with right now and trying to figure out, because if this mission is going to have the impact that I want it to have and if I want to do the ideas that I think are necessary for this brand, I need money, and you know I can't continue at the pace that I am, as just me, right, and I do have some help with some of the ambassadors Amy, selma and Sandi.  24:14 They've been so great to me and the ambassadors in general have been really great about picking up some of the stuff that I can't. But if I had it my way, I'd hire a social media manager today. I'd hire a personal assistant today, I'd hire someone to do the books today. And, for example, I've been fortunate enough. I'm going to be going to the WESPN conference in May in New York.  24:38 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I have been encouraged to go there to make face-to-face connections, Absolutely, I mean, that's a cost as well. I mean well.  24:42 - Christy Harst (Guest) I'd like to say that such a voice is paying for my ticket. Well, okay, they're paying for the ticket for me to go, but I still need to find funding for airfare and ground transportation. So that takes time. Right, finding sponsors to take you somewhere where you know you could make the biggest difference and the biggest impact that takes time.  25:01 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Absolutely, absolutely Well, you're certainly building doors, and I completely, completely get that. I mean, you're starting from the ground up, and so there's a lot of work involved, there's a lot of questions, there's a lot of navigating, trying things out. Back in the day, I like to say that I pioneered the hybrid workout, which was online and live at the same time. Back in the early days, when there was no streaming live on the internet before Zoom was a thing, I had some technological experience so I started doing that. So there's no clear path, and so to me, that defines a boss, and I love interviewing people who really exemplify and showcase bossness.  25:44 - Christy Harst (Guest) Wow.  25:44 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Thank you, yeah, so I mean really congratulations. What you've done is the start of something truly amazing. And if there's any way that VO Boss can help you out. We're here to help you spread the message far and wide. How can bosses get in touch with you, christy, if they want to know more, if they want to contribute?  26:01 - Christy Harst (Guest) Yes, so definitely follow us at at Building Doors VO on Instagram and LinkedIn. I also want to give a quick plug that I'm doing an impact study and those links are on those channels as well. If you could fill out the impact study, that would be great. And also, you're more than welcome to email me. You're more than welcome to message me on any of the social media platforms. If you are interested in offering services in exchange for something or if you'd like to donate, by all means, yeah, let me know. Christy at christyhearthcom.  26:28 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Absolutely, and we'll be putting all of your links on our show notes page. Bosses out there, Christy, I want to meet back up with you in six months in a year?  26:38 - Christy Harst (Guest) Oh, that would be amazing.  26:39 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Let's talk about how has it progressed, of course. I mean I'm going to be following you from now on and bosses out there, make sure that you follow Christy, and we will be in touch, and I'd like to have a follow-up interview with you for sure.  26:51 - Christy Harst (Guest) Oh, I'd love it.  26:52 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Because I see great things. I see great things happening. I got good vibes, so I always like to say that I'm a little bit intuitive here. So good stuff, christy. I'm so glad that we got the opportunity to talk and that VO Boss can help spread the word about the Building Doors campaign. You're amazing and thank you so much. Thank you.  27:09 - Christy Harst (Guest) Thank you for having me on, I appreciate it.  27:12 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Bosses, big shout out to our sponsor, IPDTL. You too can connect and network like bosses, like Christy and myself. Find out more at IPDTLcom. Bosses have an amazing week. Make sure you go and check out buildingdoorscom and check out Christy and follow her on socials and we will see you next week. Bye.  27:32 - Intro (Ad) Join us next week for another edition of VO Boss with your host, Anne Ganguzza, and take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at vobosscom and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies and new ways to rock your business like a boss. Redistribution with permission. Coast to coast connectivity via IPDTL.   

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel discuss the Georgia vs. Texas rematch, the Big 12 team that will fall out of the College Football Playoff, the irony SMU is more likely to make the CFP over Alabama, and more! In this episode, they look at all the conference title matchups, give their thoughts on what they think is important to know going into those games, then pick the teams they think will come out on top. 2:47 - Georgia vs Texas rematch! 10:07 - Penn State faces Oregon, the singular undefeated team 13:05 - Iowa State vs Arizona State, loser won't make the playoff 16:02 - ACC title game to determine number of ACC teams in CFP? 20:37 - Could UNLV upset Boise State and nab the 12th playoff bid? 23:41 - Potentially a fun snowy American Athletic title game 26:19 - Is it Ohio's year to take the Mid-American title? 27:24 - High drama in Sun Belt title over Marshall's coach 28:41 - After C-USA title game, will Western Kentucky's coach leave for Purdue? 33:39 - If Penn State loses to Oregon, does their final ranking put them behind Ohio State? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rece Davis and Pete Thamel discuss the Georgia vs. Texas rematch, the Big 12 team that will fall out of the College Football Playoff, the irony SMU is more likely to make the CFP over Alabama, and more! In this episode, they look at all the conference title matchups, give their thoughts on what they think is important to know going into those games, then pick the teams they think will come out on top. 2:47 - Georgia vs Texas rematch! 10:07 - Penn State faces Oregon, the singular undefeated team 13:05 - Iowa State vs Arizona State, loser won't make the playoff 16:02 - ACC title game to determine number of ACC teams in CFP? 20:37 - Could UNLV upset Boise State and nab the 12th playoff bid? 23:41 - Potentially a fun snowy American Athletic title game 26:19 - Is it Ohio's year to take the Mid-American title? 27:24 - High drama in Sun Belt title over Marshall's coach 28:41 - After C-USA title game, will Western Kentucky's coach leave for Purdue? 33:39 - If Penn State loses to Oregon, does their final ranking put them behind Ohio State? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Friend of the show and newly minted NWA Mid-American Champion Jeremiah Plunkett joined the Alliance Guys to discuss returning to #NWAPOWERRR, Joe Cazana Promotions, and what the championship means to him. He will discuss the name with which he has christened the title, what the title means to him, and the matches he is looking forward to the most. Please Visit Our Sponsors

In this episode, Justin Chezem, head coach of men's soccer at Christopher Newport University and I welcome Kevin Wardlaw of MidAmerica Nazarene University men's soccer. Last fall, Coach Wardlaw's side won the NAIA national championship. This is an important discussion to hear in order to understand what the NAIA is and how recruiting and competing works in that association. Coach Wardlaw does a great job of illustrating how competitive the NAIA is and what it took to win the last match of the season. I think you'll agree after listening that Kevin is part of what's great about college soccer. Thank you Coach Wardlaw!

David Beck, the CEO of Kentucky Venues, discusses the hotel room capacity in the city and the need for more, the impact of Louisville Basketball on the local economy and tourism, and the Mid-American Trucking Show...

Part #2 of our mid season College Basketball Conference Predictions as LT and Sammy D look at the Colonial, Conference USA, Horizon League, IVY League, MAAC, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Northeast and Ohio Valley Conferences as we dissect and predict who will win each conference.Enter to win a pair of Custom Nike Air Force 1s and a Custom Full Court Press Hoodie by entering the contest and learning the rules by going to the Full Court Press Instagram Page belowhttps://www.instagram.com/fullcourtpressbball/Don't forget to Subscribe, Rate and Review. We would appreciate it as we grow the show.  Always pass the rock and share the Full Court Press Podcast with your college basketball friends.#collegebasketball #basketballpodcast #collegehoops

Episode Notes Art Institute page Find out more at https://three-minute-modernist.pinecast.co

The Indiana Hoosiers landed another five star recruit under Mike Woodson after Liam McNeeley picked them over Kansas. It's the third straight year a five star has picked the Hoosiers, a sign things are brewing in Bloomington. Michigan State also landed a prized prospect in Jase Richardson, son of Jason Richardson, who Tom Izzo coached to a national championship back in 2001. Lastly, Jose Perez finally has a new home, landing with Arizona State after over a year in limbo with West Virginia.Today we continue our college basketball conference preview series, discussing the Mid-American where Toledo, Akron, and Kent State have dominated. But with only two of the league's 15 All-MAC players back, could it be time for a new team to take the mantle? We make dark horse predictions and list our preseason awards.Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 

The Indiana Hoosiers landed another five star recruit under Mike Woodson after Liam McNeeley picked them over Kansas. It's the third straight year a five star has picked the Hoosiers, a sign things are brewing in Bloomington. Michigan State also landed a prized prospect in Jase Richardson, son of Jason Richardson, who Tom Izzo coached to a national championship back in 2001. Lastly, Jose Perez finally has a new home, landing with Arizona State after over a year in limbo with West Virginia. Today we continue our college basketball conference preview series, discussing the Mid-American where Toledo, Akron, and Kent State have dominated. But with only two of the league's 15 All-MAC players back, could it be time for a new team to take the mantle? We make dark horse predictions and list our preseason awards. Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 

Rich Maloney is the head baseball coach at Ball State University. In 2023, he led his team to a Mid-American conference championship and reached the NCAA Regionals. As a player, Maloney was selected in the 13th round of the 1986 MLB Amateur Draft by the Atlanta Braves and played six seasons in the Braves organization before retiring after reaching AA in 1991.  Maloney began his head coaching career at Ball State from 1996-2001 and then went to Michigan to coach the Wolverines from 2003-2012. In 2013, he returned to Ball State, where he remains as a coach today. He is a four-time Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year and has 954 career wins as a head coach.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Rich Maloney about the importance of culture within the clubhouse, the importance of developing leaders, receiving divine appointments and being an ambassador for Christ.  Sign up for our Sports Spectrum Magazine and receive 15% off a 1-year subscription by using the code PODCAST15 http://SportsSpectrum.com/magazine 

When I was growing up I was like any other basketball loving kid. I had idols. I loved Dr. J, and of course I enjoyed the Magic vs. Bird debate. Michael would come along a little later, and I became a fan much later in his career. But for me the true heroes of the sport were the college players that I watched on television. Try to understand that I was a kid growing up in rural northwest Ohio, and I did not have cable television. I lived for the games and the players that could be brought to me via my old school antenna. Thankfully that meant that I could watch Roosevelt Chapman at Dayton regularly, but my real hero was Dennis Hopson at The Ohio State University. I was completely immersed in his playing career for the Buckeyes. And like many who rooted for Dennis, I struggled to understand or accept when his NBA career did not go as expected. While he may have disappeared from the basketball world's public eye relatively early in his basketball journey, Dennis Hopson continued an odyssey that includes scouring in the NBA, coaching in the CBA, in NAIA basketball as well as in the Mid-American conference, and at the high school level. Today Dennis is the head coach at NAIA Division II Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio and is the director of the Hopson Elite AAU Basketball Program. Please enjoy my conversation about Basketball and Life with Lourdes University head coach, Dennis Hopson. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jon-cook0/support

A creative writing instructor with an appetite for American comfort foods describes a few of his favorite dishes that help to define the American Midwest. A former U-S ambassador shares her favorite festivals and experiences to enjoy in the cities of Switzerland. Plus, diving experts tell us what motivates them to explore beneath and above the surface, in warm and cold water destinations around the world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Mid-American Review (MAR) Editor-in-Chief Abigail Cloud and Poetry Editor Megan Borocki shed light on the literary magazine landscape, especially for poets. Cloud and Borocki discuss what kind of work MAR publishes, their editorial approach and process, trends they see in the submission queue, submission tips, preferred fonts (spoiler: poets love Garamond), their perspective on cover letters, the realities of rejection, and more. They also critique three poems submitted to Page Count by Ohio writers.   Learn more about Mid-American Review online follow the journal on Twitter. Finally, Page Count extends special thanks to Sara Shearer, Carole Mertz, and a third, unnamed poet for submitting their poems for this episode.   Abigail Cloud is editor-in-chief of Mid-American Review and a teaching professor at Bowling Green State University, from which she holds an MFA. Her first collection, Sylph, was published by Pleaides Press in 2014.   Megan Borocki (they/them) has an MFA in poetry from Bowling Green State University. They are poetry editor for Mid-American Review. Their work has recently appeared in Moon City Review, Olney, and The Hunger.   Mentioned in this episode: Sylph by Abigail Cloud Bowling Green State University's MFA and BFA in Creative Writing programs Winter Wheat: The Mid-American Review Festival of Writing Gordon Square Review The New Yorker The Atlantic Bluets by Maggie Nelson   Page Count is produced by Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. For full show notes and a transcript of this episode, visit the episode page. To get in touch, email ohiocenterforthebook@cpl.org (put “podcast” in the subject line) or follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.

Erin Elizabeth Smith is the Executive Director for Sundress Publications and the Sundress Academy for the Arts. Her third full-length poetry collection, Down, was released in 2020 by Stephen F. Austin State University Press. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals, including Guernica, Ecotone, Mid-American, Tupelo Quarterly, Crab Orchard Review, and Willow Springs, among others. She earned her PhD in Creative Writing from the Center for Writers at the University of Southern Mississippi and is now a Distinguished Lecturer in the English Department at the University of Tennessee. She is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Oak Ridge, Tennessee.Links:Read "Alice Gives Advice to Dorothy"Read "February in Knoxville" and other poems at Menacing HedgeErin Elizabeth Smith's page at Sundress PublicationsTwo poems by Erin Elizabeth Smith at The Los Angeles ReviewThree poems by Erin Elizabeth Smith at The Superstition Review"Plating the Poem, Reclaiming the Story: A Conversation with Erin Elizabeth Smith"Mentioned in this episode:KnoxCountyLibrary.orgThank you for listening and sharing this podcast. Explore life-changing resources and events, sign up for newsletters, follow us on social media, and more through our website, www.knoxcountylibrary.org.Rate & review on Podchaser

On today's episode, metal from Tel Aviv, punk from Des Moines, and indie rock from Chicago and Kraków. Music by Deathsiege, More Cheese, Midamerican Elevator, and CBCVisit the Show Notes Page for links to the music featured on this episode.Support Song Surfing when you purchase through these affiliate links:• Amazing plugins and loops at https://pluginboutique.com/?a_aid=songsurfing• Visit the Affiliates page for more great deals and help the show earn a bit of revenue. Help the show!!! Rate & review Follow Song Surfing Facebook Instagram Twitter Check this out! John was on Album Rebrews to talk Wilco's A Ghost Is BornWant more? Listen to this fine episode Interview with Ian Lee of Human ErrorsCheck out John's EP: Life After Death Follow us on instagram! John Bri KlockTheme music: “Living in a Fishbowl” by Wien SoloOutro music: Little Pills by Patrick Moon BirdJoin the Song Surfers Mailing List -US listeners get a free sticker!Submit your music to Song SurfingSpotify PlaylistSong Surfing is part of the Live from the Lincoln Lodge Podcast Network

MAW RETURNS TO TALKING TOURNEYS! This was meant to be a short little bonus episode. Something nice and slight to keep things moving. It is only 4 matches and heck it features a rematch from the last tournament we reviewed, Ian Rotten versus CM Punk. We also technically get Colt Cabana, then some Mean Mitch Page and Corp Robinson to round us out. Let me tell you though, this tournament is built different. One of the absolute wildest segments I've seen and certainly the maddest one we've talked about on the show. Another humdinger from MAW Link to the show on IWTV: https://iwtv.live/promotion/Mid-American-Wrestling#zaMvNEN75r

Everyone is talking about "The Hustler" Carmine DeSpirito. Some are calling him a genius. Some are calling him one of the great talkers of his generation. In a tournament with names like "The All Elite Evil" CM Punk, Ian "Don't Blame Me" Rotten, and Colt Cabana, it is DeSpirito who everyone will be talking about. Dan and Sam are back at it to discuss the iconic Mid American Wrestling Heavyweight Championship Tournament from 12/15/01. Lots of talent that would go on to do more in the business, from the folks previously mentioned to Adam Pearce to ROH HDNet legend, Skullcrusher Rasche Brown. Watch the tournament on the award-winning Independent Wrestling TV: https://independentwrestling.tv/promotion/Mid-American-Wrestling

We're celebrating Registered Apprenticeship week by discussing how Mid-American Energy is building their workforce of the future through the Earn and Learn model. Stephen Simmons, Director of Trades and Craft Training, joins us to talk about how their Registered Apprenticeship program has become a huge benefit to their company, and how a brand-new training center is impacting their culture.  

Evan Shotko, Motor Mountain Masters winner at Jennerstown Speedway; Logan Roberson, Steel City Classic winner at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway; and Chris Ferguson, Dirt Super Late Model star are this week's guests.

Happy Friday folks! We've made it through another week, and we're excited to help you ring in another weekend. Another week down, another week closer to football! Despite football season being right around the corner, the boys open up the show this week with some huge news out of the basketball world. Emoni Bates, the former number three overall recruit in the class of 2022, announced his commitment to Eastern Michigan on Wednesday. Bates spent his freshman season at Memphis, and averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Tigers. It was an up and down season, both for Bates and for the Tigers squad in general. Bates missed significant time due to injury and only played 18 games over the course of the season. A native of Ypsilanti, Bates ultimately chose EMU over blue blood programs such as Louisville and Illinois. Without a doubt, this is a huge signing for Stan Heath as he enters his second year as head coach in Ypsilanti. With Noah Farrakhan and most other contributors returning from last year, the Eagles will be in great position to compete at the top of the conference next year. Elsewhere in hoops, the MAC celebrated an NBA draft selection for the second straight year. This year, it was courtesy of Toledo product Ryan Rollins, who was drafted by Golden State with the 44th overall pick. It seems to be a great landing spot for Rollins, as Golden State is coming off of their fourth NBA title in seven years. Also in the NBA, for Bowling Green Falcon Daeqwon Plowden signed a Summer League contract with New Orleans and will look to earn a roster spot in the Las Vegas Summer League next month. To close out the show this week, it's a bittersweet send off for Zach. Zach has been around since the beginning of the podcast two years ago, and is sad to be stepping away. You're all in great hands though, as Steve will be back next week to help kick off our pre-season football coverage. Steve and Vannzee will have all of the coverage you need come football season. There's a lot of exciting stuff to look forward to. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Have a great weekend and a great week ahead, and we'll talk to you again next Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Howdy folks! We hope you've all had a good week to this point. We have officially reached the dog days of summer, where baseball has wrapped up and football is still about two months away. But that's ok - we've got plenty to talk about to get you through! Zack and Zach open up the show this week by discussing former Toledo forward Ryan Rollins and his prospects in tonight's NBA Draft. Rollins, who was MAC Freshman of the Year in 2020 and first team All-MAC last year, is widely considered to be a second round pick. Despite concerns about his defense and outside shooting ability, many NBA teams remain intrigued by his athleticism and potential. Next up, the boys discuss the recently released MAC championship odds for the upcoming football season. According to the bookmakers, Toledo is the pre-season favorite (tell us if you've heard that before) with Kent State, NIU, Miami, and Central Michigan right behind them. The odds certainly reflect the parity of the conference, where a new team seems to sneak into the title conversation every year. To close out the show this week, the boys are joined by Christian Booher. Christian is the Sports Editor at CM Life, the Central Michigan student newspaper. Christian stopped by to talk Chippewas football and give his thoughts on the upcoming season. CMU returns a ton of talent, but also have to replace key contributors such as Kalil Pimpleton, Luke Goedeke, and Bernhard Raimann. In year four under Jim McElwain, the Chips seem to be positioned to compete for a conference title. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Stay cool out there, have a great week ahead, and we'll see you back here next Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We've made it through another week, and we hope you've been keeping cool and hydrated as summer has descended upon us. It's a big week for the show this week, as this is episode 100. On a typical week, we try to have a structure to the show, but given the occasion this week, we wanted to keep it a bit looser. The boys spend the bulk of the time this week reflecting on 100 episodes and reading some Twitter responses from the fans. First up, we asked you all to tell us your favorite memories as a fan of your MAC school or of the conference in general. We got some GREAT responses - from last second touchdowns, to improbable upsets, to field storming occasions, there were some great answers. We close out the show this week by taking a look at a more specific topic: questions and concerns heading into football season. While there were no coaching changes in the MAC this off-season, there was plenty of roster movement via the transfer portal. Which schools will benefit from that? Will the MAC pick up a Power 5 upset this year? Who will emerge from the loaded MAC West? These are questions we're all contemplating as the season approaches, and the boys give their thoughts on each topic. We say this every week, but we want to place some extra emphasis this time around: we can't thank you all enough for stopping by and lending us your ears. Not just this week, but every week. It's been a great journey to get to 100 episodes, and we're excited to continue to build this. We couldn't do it without all of you! We hope you all have a great weekend and a great week ahead, and we'll see you back here next Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks, we've missed you! We're excited to be back after a week off, and there's a lot to catch up on in the MAC universe! To lead off the show this week, the boys discuss RB Kobe Lewis' decision to transfer from Central Michigan. Lewis missed last season after sustaining a knee injury in camp, but rushed for 1,074 yards and 12 TD's in 2019. The Chippewas still have Lew Nichols and will be just fine at running back, but Nichols and Lewis together could have formed quite the backfield duo next season. Regardless, best of luck to Kobe at his next stop! Next up, Zach and Zack look back at the baseball postseason. Central Michigan beat Ball State on back to back days to capture the MAC title and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Assigned to the Gainesville regional, CMU knocked off Liberty in 12 innings on Saturday before ultimately seeing their season come to an end on Sunday afternoon against Florida. The Chippewas gave the Gators all they could handle. battling back from a 5-0 deficit before falling to the hosts 6-5. To close out the show, the boys look back at the responses to a few Twitter questions from the past two weeks. First up, the fans give their opinions on the football season win totals that were released this past week by DraftKings. There was some great debate about which teams were being overestimated and underestimated heading into the year. Next up, the boys debate the best and worst uniforms and color schemes in the MAC. Who has the best color scheme in the conference, in your opinion? As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Enjoy the weekend, and we'll see you back here next Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! It's been another long week, but we're happy to be here to help you ring in the weekend. To open up the show this week, the boys take a look back at the NCAA softball postseason. As you'll recall from last week, Miami won the MAC this year and earned the conferences automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Assigned to the Blacksburg regional, the RedHawks lost their opening game to Kentucky before taking down St. Francis (PA) in game two. Facing the host Virginia Tech in game three, the RedHawks raced out to a 4-1 lead before the Hokies stormed back to win 5-4. Despite not advancing, it was a great season for Miami, who reached the 40 win plateau. Elsewhere in softball, Bowling Green traveled out west to Colorado to take part in the National Invitation Softball Championship. The Falcons went 2-2 in the tournament, defeating Stephen F. Austin and George Washington and losing to Virginia and Kansas. Similar to Miami, the Falcons have a lot to be proud of despite not collecting any post season hardware. With a number of key contributors returning next year, Bowling Green's future looks bright. In football news, Vannzee laments the loss of a three star QB recruit for Eastern Michigan, and the boys discuss the transfer of WR Jalen McGaughey from Ball State to Central Michigan. As if you weren't already excited enough for football season, the MAC released kickoff times and broadcast partners for the first few weeks of the season. The conference has a number of notable national television performances, including Central Michigan traveling to Oklahoma State (remember what happened the last time these two met?) and Toledo traveling to Ohio State. There's a lot to look forward to on the gridiron this fall! To close out the show, the boys discuss the ongoing MAC baseball tournament. The weather has played a factor, with the Ball State/Ohio game being postponed multiple times due to rain. Regardless, the first round of the tournament proved to be quite eventful, with both contests ending in walk off fashion. In the second round, Ball State will face Central Michigan with a trip to the title game on the line, and Toledo will face Ohio in an elimination game. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Don't forget to subscribe to the pod on your favorite platform! We appreciate all of you, and hope you all have a great weekend and a great week ahead. See you next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We hope you've had a good week to this point, and as always we thank you for joining us. We have a variety of things to cover this week, and we think there's a little something for everybody! To open up this week's show, the boys take a look back at last weekend's MAC softball tournament. Bowling Green, Central Michigan, and Ohio performed admirably, but this was ultimately Miami's championship to win. The RedHawks survived a scare in the semi-finals, knocking off Central Michigan 2-1 with an eighth inning walk off, and used that momentum to blow past Bowling Green 11-0 in the title game. The Chippewas will now represent the MAC in the NCAA Tournament, where they've been installed as the three seed in the Blacksburg region. CMU will open up the tournament against Kentucky on Friday afternoon. Speaking of Central Michigan, the Chippewas women's lacrosse team made their first NCAA Tournament appearance this past Friday after winning their first MAC championship. CMU faced perennial power Northwestern, and the Wildcats proved to be too much for the Chippewas in their 22-7 victory. Regardless of the early exit, this is clearly a program on a positive trajectory, and Sarah Tisdale has done a great job in her seven seasons at the helm of the program. Switching to hoops, Zack and Zach discuss the rising NBA Draft stock of Ryan Rollins. The Toledo product declared for the draft back in March, and since his declaration has seen his stock rise rather quickly. Some mock drafts now have him as a late first round selection, and he has the chance to be the first MAC player selected in the first round since CMU's Chris Kaman in 2003. To close out the show, the boys take a look at this weekend's baseball slate. This is the last week of the regular season, and there is still a lot to be determined. Central Michigan currently holds a half game lead on first place over Ball State. If you recall, the regular season champion hosts the conference tournament, so this is a big deal. Central Michigan hosts Toledo this weekend, and Ball State travels to Miami, and both teams will have home field advantage on the mind. The other intrigue surrounds the three and four seeds, as there are still three teams that have a chance to qualify for the conference tournament. As of now, Toledo and Ohio sit in third and fourth, respectively. Miami sits in fifth, and can move into fourth with a good performance against Ball State this weekend. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks! Please don't forget to like and subscribe to the pod on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss any content. Have a great weekend and a great week ahead, and we'll talk to you again this week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to another episode of the Bandwagon folks! As always, we're thankful for the support and are glad you stopped by. The boys open up the show this week with a number of news stories from around the conference, leading off with the athletic re-brand at Akron. The Zips announced a new athletic identity on Monday, replacing their eight current logos with a stylized “A.” The reaction from the fan base has been mixed, as these things tend to be. We saw it last year with the Western Michigan re-brand, and the Zips fan base seems to be similarly split. Zack and Zach give their thoughts on the new identity. Next up, the boys discuss the recent and sudden passing of Eastern Michigan assistant football coach Freed Reed. Reed had been in Ypsilanti for the last seven seasons and most recently served as the defensive pass game coordinator and safeties coach. Coach Reed spent 25 years coaching college football and clearly made an impact at every stop he made. A veteran of the MAC, Reed also had stints on the coaching staff at Ohio and Buffalo in addition to his time in Ypsilanti. Our thoughts are with his family and the entire EMU football program. A great story from the conference this past week is the Central Michigan women's lacrosse team, who in just their seventh season of competition won the MAC and qualified for their first NCAA tournament. Their reward? The Chippewas will face perennial power Northwestern, who has won seven national titles since 2005. CMU will travel to Evanston for a 5:00 pm start on Friday. The main event of the weekend in the MAC is the softball tournament, which is being held for the first time since 2019. Miami is clearly the favorite here, having won the MAC going away with a 24-5 record in the conference. They will be the top seed and host for the conference tournament, and will host fourth seeded Bowling Green in one of the semifinals on Thursday. While Miami has the best offense in the MAC, the Falcons have strong armed Payton Gottshall on the mound, who leads the MAC in ERA, opponent batting average, wins and strikeouts. In the other semifinal, Ohio will take on Central Michigan. The Bobcats took two of three from the Chippewas in their only series this season. To close out the show, the boys recap the week that was in MAC baseball. Ball State maintained their slim lead on first place, taking three of four games from Kent State over the weekend. Central Michigan kept pace, taking three of four themselves from Western Michigan. Qualification for the MAC tournament is still up for grabs - Ohio and Toledo currently sit in third and fourth place, but there is a group of four other teams still in contention. Ohio especially has a big series this weekend, traveling to Muncie to take on first place Ball State. Thanks again for stopping by this week folks. Have a great weekend and a great week ahead, and we'll see you back here next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We're glad you made it through another week. and we're excited to help you ring in the weekend. To open up the show this week, Zach and Zack briefly discuss some transfer portal news in football and basketball. On the hardwood, second year Eastern Michigan coach Stan Heath landed two commitments, with Duquense transfer Tyson Acuff and Georgetown transfer Jalin Billingsley both announcing they would continue their careers in Ypsilanti. Acuff is a Detroit native, and Billingsley a former three star recruit. These additions give the Eagles immediate depth, and both could certainly develop into very good MAC players. Elsewhere in hoops, Emoni Bates, a Ypsilanti native and the top rated recruit in the class of 2022, announced his intention to transfer from Memphis. Eastern Michigan is listed as one of his six target schools, and it would be a huge windfall for the conference if Bates ended up selecting his hometown school. This is certainly a story we'll be monitoring. In football news, Toledo WR Matt Landers announced he would enter his name in the portal and seek a new home. Landers spent only one season with the Rockets, transferring to Toledo from Georgia after the 2020 season. Though Landers had a slow start to the year and only had 20 catches on the season, he did catch five touchdowns and boasted an absurd 25.7 yards per catch average. In MAC baseball, all eyes were on Muncie this weekend, as first place Central Michigan traveled to second place Ball State. The Chippewas entered the series with a 17 game win streak and a 21-1 record in the MAC, but the Cardinals proved to be the better team. Led by Amir Wright and a strong pitching staff, Rich Maloney's squad swept all four games of the series, moving into first place and giving them a 1.5 game advantage over CMU in the standings. The regular season champion gets to host the conference tournament, so this was a huge victory for the Cardinals. With three weeks left in the regular season, these two teams will be neck in neck for the regular season title. To close out the show, James stops by to break down last weekends' NFL Draft. The MAC had six players selected, the most since 2017, and we discuss each player and their landing spot. James shares why he thinks Skyy Moore can have an immediate impact in Kansas City, and why former CMU offensive lineman Luke Goedeke and Bernhard Raimann can both compete for starting positions. There is a solid crop of undrafted free agents from the conference as well, with high profile names like Kaleb Eleby, Kalil Pimpleton, and Dustin Crum all earning rookie contracts. The boys discuss which of the undrafted prospects have the best chance to earn a roster spot. Thanks as always for stopping by this week folks. As we say every week, don't forget to subscribe to the pod on your favorite podcast platform to ensure that you don't miss anything! We hope you all have a great week ahead, and we'll see you back here next Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We've made it through another week, and we're happy to help be here to help bring in the weekend. To open this week's show, the boys look back at the last few weeks in MAC baseball. Central Michigan is currently on an absurd 17 game win streak, and currently sits atop the conference with a 21-1 record in the MAC. Just behind them is Ball State, fresh off of a sweep of Northern Illinois. During the weekend sweep, Cardinals head coach Rich Maloney earned his 900th career win, no small feat at all. His Ball State squad has a huge opportunity ahead this weekend, as conference leading CMU visits Muncie for a weekend series. A couple of victories will establish the Cardinals as a legitimate contender for the Chippewas at the top of the conference. Moving into spring football talk, Zack gives a recap of the Eastern Michigan spring game. The conditions were not great, unfortunately, but Vannzee still saw a lot that he liked from the quarterbacks and the defense. Despite a number of players entering the portal, Zack feels optimistic about this EMU squad and thinks that a bowl game is a reasonable expectation. To close out the show, Zach is joined by Collin Murphy, the Sports Editor for the Western Herald. Collin stopped by to discuss how the Broncos will replace Kaleb Eleby and Skyy Moore, the state of the WMU defense, and the overall feeling of the Western fan base as the Broncos enter year six of the Tim Lester era. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Don't forget to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you all back here next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back inside the Bandwagon, folks! This week, former Ball State kicker Ian McGarvey stops by to chat with the boys. McGarvey was the Cardinals kicker from 2007-2010 and is the all time leading scorer in program history. On this week's pod, he stops by to discuss the Cardinals undefeated 2008 season with the boys. There's a lot we cover here, and anybody who followed the MAC at the time will remember a lot of what Ian discusses. From the Indiana game, which gave the Cardinals their signature victory but also saw them lose all-MAC performer Dante Love to a scary injury, to facing a Central Michigan squad led by Dan LeFevour and Antonio Brown, Ian covers all of the ups and downs of the season (including Brady Hoke departing for San Diego State afterwards). This interview was so great that we decided to make it it's own episode. Next week, we'll be back to more of our regular programming, and will get you all caught up on MAC baseball and spring football. Please don't forget to subscribe to the pod on your favorite podcast platform - we don't want you to miss anything! Have a great week folks, and we'll see you back here next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We've reached that odd point of the year where the basketball season has ended, spring football games are on the horizon, and there's a little bit of everything going on. So what did we decide to do this week? Give you a little bit of everything! To lead off the show, the boys recap the weekend that was in MAC baseball. Central Michigan continues to dominate, sweeping four games from Northern Illinois to move their win streak to nine. The Chippewas sit 13-1 in the conference and in sole possession of first place, and it seems like Ball State will be the only true challenger for CMU. Speaking of Ball State, the Cardinals flew out to the west coast this past weekend to take on nationally ranked Oregon. Ball State gave the Ducks all they could handle, but were ultimately only able to win one of the four games. The Cardinals still find themselves in good position, sitting at 12-1 in the conference. The arrow is pointing up in Ypsilanti, as Eastern Michigan is coming off of a strong performance this past weekend against Miami. The Eagles traveled to Oxford and took three of four from the RedHawks, and Eric Roof's squad now find themselves in sole possession of third place in the conference. Moving into hoops, Zach and Zack take a look at the most recent news out of the transfer portal. Eastern Michigan PG Bryce McBride announced his transfer to Youngstown State after two years in Ypsilanti. Tyler Cochran will be making his third stop in the MAC, announcing that he'll be transferring to Toledo from Ball State. Prior to suiting up for the Cardinals, Cochran spent two seasons in DeKalb as a member of the Northern Illinois program. Lastly, Buffalo got some good news former Boston College guard Kanye Jones announced his transfer to Buffalo. Just a freshman last year, Jones averaged less than 10 minutes per game, but he certainly seems like a piece that could grow into a prominent role in upstate New York. To close out the show, the boys take a look at the USFL rosters and discuss the former MAC players you may see on the field this weekend. There are a ton of familiar faces here, highlighted by former Kent State DB Nate Holley and Ohio LB Blair Brown. The USFL kicks off this weekend, and 11 former MAC players will be on the field. Best of luck to all of them! As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. We hope you all have a great weekend, a great week ahead, and we'll see you back here next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks, and welcome back inside the Bandwagon! We hope you've all had a good week to this point. Despite being in the transition from winter to spring sports, we had a busy week in the MAC - there's a lot to get to on this week's show! The boys start out in men's hoops, where Western Michigan named Dwayne Stephens as the new head men's basketball coach. Stephens arrives in Kalamazoo having spent the past 19 seasons just up the road in East Lansing, where he served as an assistant coach at Michigan State. Stephens has been in contention for a number of MAC jobs over the past few years, and he's finally found a home in Kalamazoo. Elsewhere in men's hoops, Ohio G Mark Sears entered the transfer portal, while Toledo F Ryan Rollins and Western Michigan G Lamar Norman, Jr. both declared for the NBA draft. All three players have the option to return to their previous schools, though it certainly seems unlikely that all three will compete in the MAC next season. On the other side of the spectrum, reigning MAC Freshman of the Year Payton Sparks of Ball State removed his name from the transfer portal and will officially be returning to Muncie. This is a huge get for new head coach Michael Lewis, who has a solid young foundation to build on. In women's hoops, Buffalo named Beck Burke as the new head women's basketball coach after Felisha Leggette-Jack left for Syracuse last week. Burke comes to Buffalo from USC Upstate, where she was the 2022 Big South Coach of the Year. Unfortunately for Burke, former Bulls Saniia Wilson and Georgia Woolley announced they will be following Leggette-Jack to Syracuse. Woolley was the MAC Freshman of the Year, avergaing 14.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. In baseball, Ball State and Central Michigan continue to sit atop the standings. Both were dominant this past weekend, with the Chippewas sweeping four games from Ohio and Ball State taking three of four from Toledo. Elsewhere, Kent State got a win over nationally ranked UConn. To close out the show, the boys talk a little football. Buffalo RB Dylan McDuffie re-entered his name into the transfer portal, after briefly exploring the option to transfer earlier this winter. McDuffie was the sixth leading rusher in the MAC last year and the leading rusher for the Bulls, who have now lost both their starting running back and their starting quarterback from last season. Ron Cook, Jr. seems primed to fill McDuffie's shoes in the backfield. Lasty, Zack and Zach take a look at the 2022 MAC football schedule and give some initial reactions. Kent State has a brutal non-conference schedule (as usual), and a few MAC teams host power five opponents at home. We are still five months away from football, but the season can't get here fast enough! As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss anything! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! Another week is in the books, and we're excited to give you a new episode of the Bandwagon to send you into the weekend. It's hard to believe we're approaching 100 episodes! To kick off this week's show, the boys take a look back at Toledo's run in the WNIT. Tricia Cullop's squad fell in the quarterfinals, losing to Middle Tennessee State 73-71 in overtime. Despite the loss, it was still a historic season for the Rockets, who won 29 games despite being picked eighth in the MAC preseason poll. Despite falling short of their ultimate goal, it was a wildly successful season for the Rockets. Elsewhere in women's hoops, former Buffalo coach Felisha Legette-Jack was named the head coach at Syracuse, her alma mater. Legette-Jack leaves Buffalo as the all time winningest coach in program history, with 202 wins over 10 years. She leaves a heck of a legacy at Buffalo, and returns to Syracuse to see if she can restore the Orange to their former glory. In men's hoops, both Ball State and Miami named their new head coaches this week. Ball State hired former UCLA assistant and Indiana native Michael Lewis, who has been a part of two Final Four teams as an assistant coach. This seems like a home run hire for the Cardinals, who badly needed a coach that can re-energize their fan base. For Miami, the RedHawks hired former Xavier head man Travis Steele, who comes to Oxford after four years in charge of the Musketeers. Steele has a reputation as a great recruiter, and compiled a 70-50 record while at Xavier. Both hires seem to be great on paper. We'll see how they play out in real life. To round out the basketball talk, Zach and Zack take a few minutes to ponder the consequences of the transfer portal. High level MAC players like Ali Ali, Ben Vander Plas, and Trendon Hankerson all entered the portal this week, and this new era of player movement has made it incredibly hard for coaches at the mid-major level to maintain any sense of roster continuity. We'll see if any of these players end up returning to their former schools. To close out the show this week, the boys take a look at the week that was in MAC baseball. Toledo got the signature win of the week, going down to Columbus and knocking off Ohio State, 7-6. Ball State has found it's stride in conference play, having won seven in a row and sitting in first place at 9-1. Coincidentally, the Cardinals travel to Toledo this weekend to take on the Rockets. Bowling Green also picked up a signature win this week, traveling to East Lansing and knocking off Michigan State 12-3 on Tuesday evening. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Please don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so that you don't miss anything! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here next Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We hope you've had a good week to this point, and we hope you enjoyed all of the post season basketball over the past week. We have a lot to cover on this weeks show! To open up the pod, the boys discuss Miami's parting of ways with men's basketball coach Jack Owens'. Owens went 70-83 in five seasons at the helm, and the RedHawks were never able to get over the hump and become true contenders in the conference. This makes three head coaching vacancies in the MAC, and Miami joins Western Michigan and Ball State in their search for a new head of the program. Moving into post season hoops talk, Zack and Zach discuss the valiant effort that Akron put forth in their first round NCAA tournament game against UCLA. The Zips led by one at half time and by eight in the second half, but the Bruins size proved to be too much for Akron to handle. Nonetheless, the future is bright for the Zips, who have basically their entire roster returning next year. Elsewhere in men's hoops, Toledo submitted an incredibly disappointing performance in their NIT opener, losing to Dayton at home 74-55. Kent State didn't fare much better in The Basketball Classic, losing their opening round game to Southern Utah. Ohio picked up the only post season victory, defeating Rice in the first round of the CBI before falling to Abilene Christian in the second round. In women's hoops, Dyaisha Fair and Buffalo fought hard against Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Despite an early Buffalo lead, the Volunteers pulled away in the fourth quarter for an 80-67 victory. Similar to Akron on the men's side, the Bulls performed admirably but were unable to come out on top. In the WNIT, Toledo and Kent State were the only two of the five MAC squads to win their first round games, with Akron, Ball State, and Ohio all falling in the first round. Bowling Green ended their season on a high note, finishing third in the WBI tournament after defeating Nevada in the third place game. To close out the show, the boys re-acquaint themselves with the baseball standings, as conference play has begun in the last two weeks. Central Michigan and Ball State seem to have righted the ship after their early season struggles, and the two preseason favorites currently find themselves at the top of the standings. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Don't forget to subscribe to the Bandwagon on your favorite podcast platform so that you don't miss anything! Everyone have a great weekend, and we'll see you here again next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Long time no see folks! Is your head spinning from the packed weekend of hoops we just had? We certainly had to catch our breath after the championship games on Saturday, and there is a TON to cover on this week's pod! Starting off on the men's side of things, the boys look back at an incredible three days of basketball in Cleveland. Toledo once again failed to capture the title despite winning the regular season championship, falling to Akron in the semi-finals Friday night. In the other semi-final, Kent State knocked off Ohio to set up a rivalry showdown in the final game. After some locker room drama led to four Kent State players being suspended, Akron came out on top, dominating the Flashes on their way to a 75-55 victory. As a reward, the Zips earned a 13 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament and will take on the UCLA Bruins on Thursday night in Portland. In other post season news, Toledo earned a trip to the NIT as a reward for their regular season MAC title. As a reward, the Rockets will get a home game and host in-state rival Dayton on Wednesday night. Elsewhere, Ohio accepted an invitation to the CBI and Kent State will participate in The Basketball Classic. On the women's side of the fence, Dyaisha Fair and the Buffalo Bulls cut down the nets, holding off Ball State 79-75 in the final. Ball State had a bit of a Cinderella run to the final game, knocking off Toledo in the semi-finals. Unfortunately for Cardinal's fans, Fair proved to be too much to handle, scoring 30 points in the final to lead the Bulls to victory. Buffalo will take on Tennessee in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, the Bulls fourth tournament appearance in the last six years. Some folks were disappointed that Toledo didn't get an at-large bid, and justifiably so. Instead, the Rockets will head to the WNIT with five of their conference partners. Toledo, Kent State, Akron, Ohio, and Ball State will all participate in the tournament, an unprecedented number in recent WNIT history. Bowling Green accepted an invitation to the WBI tournament, which will be held next week on the campus of Transylvania University in Lexington, KY. The boys close out the show by discussing the post-season awards. Sincere Carry was player of the year in men's hoops, while Akron's Jordyn Dawson took home the same award on the women's side of things. It was well earned in both cases. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. If you're not already, don't forget to subscribe to the pod on your favorite platform - we don't want you to miss anything! Have a great rest of your week, enjoy all of the hoops, and good luck on your brackets! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're a college hoops fan, these next two weeks are the best weeks of the year. It's March Madness folks! The regular season has concluded, and the MAC men's and women's basketball tournaments are set to tip off. We're excited to preview both tournaments for you on this weeks pod! To lead off the show, the boys discuss Clayton Bates' resignation at Western Michigan. Bates was elevated to head coach after parting ways with Steve Hawkins and compiled an 11-39 record in his two seasons at the helm. This will be the first significant hire for new AD Dan Bartholomae. Vannzee gives some thoughts on potential canididates. In the men's preview, Zach and Zack analyze the main storylines heading into the tournament. What's wrong with Ohio? The Bobcats have lost four of five heading to Cleveland, and do not look like the same team that started MAC play 10-1. Elsewhere, Akron and Buffalo give us the best match up of the first round, and the winner of this four/five game will have a legitimate shot to cut down the nets. The boys round out the men's preview by picking every game. Next week, we'll see who comes out on top! In the women's preview, Zach and Zack both agree that Toledo is the team to beat. The Rockets were picked eighth in the pre-season coaches poll but turned in a historic season, finishing 19-1 in MAC play. Toledo is securely in the one seed and will take on Ohio on Wednesday. Speaking of Ohio, the Bobcats ended up in the eight seed despite losing to Kent State on Saturday. The Flashes finished the season 10-10, and the Bobcats 9-10, yet Ohio ended up claiming eighth place due to the MAC's no contest COVID cancellation policy. Our hosts close out the show by picking the bracket on the women's side, and we'll see next week who was more accurate! As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Enjoy the conference tournaments, and we'll see you back here next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! The calendar has officially turned to March, and we hope the temperatures are starting to warm up in your neck of the woods. It's the last week of the regular season in basketball, and we wanted to save the best for last this week. With that in mind, the boys open up the show this week with a quick recap of the second week of the college baseball season. Kent State traveled down to Lubbock, TX to take on the 20th ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders, and while the Flashes played well, they weren't able to earn a victory over the perennial College World Series contenders. Central Michigan seemed to find their footing after a rough first weekend, traveling down to Western Kentucky and winning three of four games. Toledo also impressed, heading south to North Carolina and leaving with a 3-1 series victory over High Point. Men's hoops is speeding towards the finish line, with the regular season finishing up on Friday. Bowling Green currently sits in ninth and still has an outside shot to get to Cleveland, the only team not in the current field who has yet to be eliminated. Unfortunately for Falcons fans, they face a tough test in their regular season finale, traveling to rival Toledo (who just so happens to have won the regular season conference championship). Kent State has continued their winning ways, as their winning streak stands now at 11 games, and the Flashes are far and away the hottest team in the conference as we head into Cleveland. On the other side of the spectrum, Ohio seems to be on shaky ground, having lost three of their last four contests (and losing their grip on the second seed in the process). In women's hoops, Toledo and Buffalo have secured the top two seeds, but there is still a lot to be determined here. A game and a half separate fourth place from ninth, and the last day of the regular season on Saturday could see the order of the seedings completely re-shuffled. If you're a fan of last minute drama, there will be plenty to be had here. Next week we'll be back with a full preview of the men's and women's basketball tournaments. Thanks as always for stopping by this week folks, and we'll see you back here next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! Thanks as always for stopping by this week. The boys kick off this weeks pod by taking a look back at the last two weeks in men's hoops. The story at the top of the standings has been Kent State and Buffalo, who have respectively won nine and seven games in a row. These are not squads that opposing teams will want to play in Cleveland. Towards the bottom of the men's hoops standings, there's another interesting race playing out: the race for the last two conference tournament bids. With only eight teams qualifying for the MAC tournament, four teams will ultimately stay home. Right now, 1.5 games separate seventh place and eleventh. The boys give their predictions as to who will make the cut. In women's hoops, Akron continues to be a great story. The Zips have a firm grip on third in the conference, currently at 11-6 in MAC play. After winning only four league games last year, Melissa Jackson's squad has been a great bounce back story. Similar to men's hoops, there is a bit of the traffic jam in the middle of the standings. 1.5 games separate fourth place and ninth, and there is a lot to still be decided down the stretch. To close out the show, Zach and Zack look back at the opening week of college baseball season. Kent State had the best win of the weekend, knocking off 2016 national champion Coastal Carolina 2-1 on Sunday. Eastern Michigan pitcher Adam Filinski gave us what may well be the performance of the weekend on Sunday afternoon. The true freshman pitched seven shutout innings, allowing only two hits in his first collegiate start to lead the Eagles to a 6-0 victory over Winthrop. If you're not already, be sure to subscribe to us on your favorite podcast player! You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and any other major podcast platform. Your support is very appreciated! Thanks for stopping by this week, and we'll see you back here next Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We're taking a little break from basketball coverage this week, but don't worry - we'll be back next week with our usual discussion of what's happening on the court. This week, we're taking a quick detour, as baseball season is officially upon us! To open up this week's pod, the boys take a look at the MAC baseball pre-season coaches poll, where Central Michigan was picked as the overwhelming favorite. This is understandable, as the Chippewas have won the conference in each of the past two years. Ball State and Kent State are expected to challenge Central, but the Chippewas are the strongest team in the conference right now, bolstered by an outstanding pitching staff. Elsewhere in baseball, the boys talk about the expectations for Akron in their second season back, as well as what to expect from Eastern Michigan. Additionally, Vannzee gives his thoughts on the MAC players who are most likely to hear their name called in this summers' MLB draft. To close out the segment, we take a look at the schedule for this upcoming weekend of the season, as most MAC teams head south to open the year. Kent State and Central Michigan both travel to Conway, SC for a showcase event hosted by Coastal Carolina, while Ball State heads to a similar showcase event in Charleston to take on Bucknell and Iowa. To close out the show, James stops by to discuss the college football all-start games that have taken place over the past month. 27 MAC players participated in the five games, all of whom were hoping to bolster their draft stock. Some did just that, with Miami edge rusher Dominique Robinson drawing some rave reviews from scouts. The boys also discuss CMU OL Bernhard Reimann, who is likely to be the first MAC player drafted, and Armani Rogers, the former Ohio QB who is attempting to transition to TE. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. As mentioned previously, we'll be back with hoops talk next week, as the conference tournament is fast approaching! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here next Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! The temperatures have warmed a bit this week, a subtle reminder that spring is right around the corner. The temperature has been consistently high in MAC basketball over the past month, and this week was no exception. We had quite a few surprising results, and a few potential contenders have emerged who we may have written off just a few short weeks ago. On the men's side of things, the most surprising result of the week was Ball State's 93-83 victory over Toledo on Friday night. The Cardinals shot a blistering 50.8% from the field and raced out to a 20 point first half lead on the way to handing the Rockets only their second conference loss. Unfortunately for Cardinals fans, Ball State followed up their upset with a disappointing home loss to Central Michigan, 89-85 in overtime. The Chippewas have emerged as one of the great stories in the MAC over the past few weeks. having won four of five games to get themselves back into contention for the MAC tournament. Elsewhere in men's hoops, Kent State has started to round into form, as the Flashes have now won five in a row after wins over EMU and Bowling Green this week. Rob Senderoff's team faces an important stretch this week, with games against Akron, Toledo, and Ohio. On the women's side of the fence, Ball State continued their strong form and have now won five in a row. A large part has been due to the emergence of freshman guard Ally Becki, who earned MAC Player of the Week honors after averaging 21 points and eight assists per game. The Cardinals have a big match up on Saturday, as they travel to Kent State. The Flashes are the other contender for hottest team in the conference, as Todd Starkey's team has a four game winning streak of their own. It was a tough week for Western Michigan. Entering the week, the Broncos sat third in the MAC with a 6-3, but an 0-3 week (which included disappointing home losses to Miami and Akron) has Western on shaky ground. The Broncos have a few chances to right the ship this week, with winnable games coming up against Bowling Green and Northern Illinois. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. We'll be back next week with a MAC baseball season preview. Have a great week, and we'll see you back here next Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We made it through another ice cold winter week this week, and we're excited to have you with us for another episode of the Bandwagon. It was another big week in MAC hoops, and Ohio and Toledo continue to show they are the top two teams on the men's side of things. Both easily dispatched of contenders Buffalo and Akron this past Friday, and it appears that the two are on a collision course at the top of the league. Ohio travels to Toledo on Tuesday night with revenge on their mind, after the Rockets defeated the Bobcats in Athens earlier this season. Elsewhere in men's hoops, Kent State put together a nice 2-0 week and all of a sudden find themselves at fourth in the conference. It's been an up and down year for the Golden Flashes, but Rob Senderoff's squad now sits 7-4 in the MAC with a stretch of winnable games coming up. On the other end of the spectrum, Bowling Green and Miami seem to be trending downward. Bowling Green turned in an 0-2 week this week, including a brutal loss at Central Michigan. Not to be outdone, Miami gave us an 0-2 week of their own, giving up over 50 first half points in both losses. Neither team has much going for them right now. On the women's side of things, Ohio followed up an impressive 3-0 week last week with a disappointing 0-2 performance. The Bobcats now sit 5-4 and sixth place in the conference, and time is running out if they want to contend for the conference title. Ball State was the surprise of the week in women's hoops, as the Cardinals have now won four in a row and sit tied for fourth in the conference at 6-4. The Cardinals have back to back wins over Ohio and Buffalo under their belt and seem to be gaining confidence with every performance. Western Michigan continues to hang around the conversation as well, as the Broncos remain in third place at 6-3. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Stay safe out there, keep warm, and we'll see you back here next Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! Winter has hit us in full force over the past few weeks, and we hope you're staying warm. We had a full week of hoops action in the MAC, and we're excited to break it all down! To open up this weeks' show, the boys take a look at the week that was in MAC men's hoops. In what was the most anticipated game of the conference season thus far, Toledo traveled to Athens on Friday night and emerged with an emphatic 87-69 victory over Ohio. Ryan Rollins led the way with 26 points as Toledo put on an offensive clinic, shooting 59 percent from the field. Elsewhere in men's hoops, Kent State and Bowling Green remain un-consistent, while Eastern Michigan and Miami seem to be coming back to earth after promising starts to their respective seasons. Buffalo has a big week ahead, with games against fellow contenders Ohio and Akron. In women's hoops, Ohio was the team of the week, going 3-0 with wins over Toledo and Buffalo. The Bobcats were effected by a COVID pause earlier in the year, and seem to be finding their footing behind the strong play of CeCe Hooks. While Ohio is trending up, Kent State seems to be trending down. After two straight losses this week, the Flashes sit at 2-6 in conference play after an incredible 8-1 performance in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Western Michigan and Akron have both performed well to this point, and both have big match up's this week if they want to remain in the conversation. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Stay warm out there, and we'll see you back here next Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We hope you've all been able to stay warm as dog days of winter have descended over the midwest. As the temperatures have dropped, the competition on the hardwood has really started to heat up! The boys kick off the show this week with the surprising news of Jermaine Jackson, Jr. leaving Central Michigan to begin preparing for a professional career. Jackson was the Chippewas leading scorer this season at 11.4 points per game. CMU was already struggling in coach Tony Barbee's first season, and it will be interesting to see how the Chips are able to bounce back from the loss of one of their few offensive weapons. Elsewhere in men's basketball, Ohio and Toledo have continued to establish themselves as the top two teams in the conference. The Bobcats have now won nine in a row after an emphatic victory over Miami on Tuesday night. Toledo has kept pace, having won five in a row, including two road victories this week over Bowling Green and Ball State. The Rockets will travel to Athens on Friday night to take on the Bobcats in what is one of the marquee games of the season in the MAC. On the women's side of things, Dyaisha Fair was named to the midseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year. This is the third year in a row that Fair has made the list, and it's well deserved, as the senior currently leads the MAC in scoring with 23.5 points per game. Toledo continued their incredible form this week, extending their winning streak to seven games with victories over NIU and Ball State. The Rockets are now 7-0 in the MAC after being picked eighth in the pre-season poll. Buffalo and Western Michigan are hot on their trail, with the Bulls sitting at 5-0 and the Broncos at 3-1. The Bulls and the Rockets face off on Saturday in Toledo, and the winner will surely be the favorite to win the regular season crown moving forward. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. We hope everyone out there is staying warm. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We hope you all made it through our coldest week yet of winter. It was a busy week on the hardwood in the MAC, and we're excited to break it all down for you. On the men's side of the conference, it was another strong week for Ohio and Toledo. The Bobcats now sit 5-0 in the conference and have won eight games in a row overall, and victories this week over Kent State and Bowling Green only solidified their spot at the top of the conference. Toledo turned in an impressive week of their own, going 2-0 courtesy of victories over NIU and Miami. Akron and Buffalo aren't going anywhere, but the Bobcats and Rockets certainly seem to be the class of the conference through three weeks. On the women's side of things, Toledo and Akron have been the surprises of the season. The Rockets, picked to finish eighth in the pre-season poll, have started 5-0 in conference play behind the scoring ability of Quinesha Lockett. With games this week against NIU and Ball State, the Rockets have an opportunity to extend their win streak to seven games. Akron has been another pleasant surprise, as the Zips have gotten off to a 3-1 start in conference play behind Jordyn Dawson. After winning only four MAC games last season, the Zips have shown major strides in coach Melissa Jackson's fourth season. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Stay warm out there, have a great week, and we'll see you back here next Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! We hope your first week of 2022 was a good one. It was a busy week in the MAC, so we have a lot to cover! To open up the show this week, Zach and Vannzee look back at Central Michigan's 24-21 victory over Washington State in the Sun Bowl. The circumstances were unprecedented, with both teams scrambling to find an opponent after COVID issues forced Boise State and Miami (FL) to forego their bowl invitations. After this match up was thrown together with about 72 hours notice, the Chippewas used a strong first half performance to earn their first bowl victory since 2012. In men's hoops this week, the boys were both impressed with Ohio. The Bobcats have started 2-0 in MAC play, both wins being on the road, and have won six in a row overall. A key matchup awaits this weekend as Kent State visits Athens. Elsewhere, Northern Illinois finally gets to play its first conference game of the year after a COVID pause, and the three Michigan schools all look to earn victories this week over their in-state rivals. In women's hoops, it's been a surprising start to conference play. After knocking off Penn State and UCLA in non-conference play, Kent State came into the MAC schedule full of confidence. The Golden Flashes have promptly lost their first three conference games. Dyaisha Fair continues to put up incredible numbers for Buffalo, leading the Bulls to an 82-66 victory over Bowling Green on Wednesday night with a 40 point performance. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. Football may be over, but conference play is in full swing on the hardwood. We're in for a fun few months! Have a great weekend folks, and we'll see you back here next Friday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday Folks! We hope you've all had a great 2021, and we're excited to ring in the new year with a fresh episode of the Bandwagon! To open up the show this week, Zach and Zack take a look back at the MAC's bowl performance thus far. Toledo and NIU got the conference off to a tough start, with a few near misses. Overall, the MAC has been a little bit disappointing this year, with a 2-5 record through seven games. Thankfully, Miami and Western Michigan performed well enough to pick up a few victories for the conference. Ball State and Toledo were especially disappointing in their performances, and it may be time for some tough questions to get asked at Toledo. In hoops, it's been an interesting start to conference play. Three of the six men's games scheduled for this week were postponed, as were four of the six on the women's side of the conference. The games that did take place gave us some interesting results: in men's hoops, Central Michigan knocked off Kent State and Miami beat Buffalo, and the women from Toledo picked up a very nice road victory over Kent State. A few programs within the conference are still dealing with COVID issues, but we're hopeful that the conference season will pick up in full force here over the next few weeks. Once again, Happy New Year folks. Thanks as always for stopping by this week, and thanks again for listening. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here next Friday! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday folks! Although most of the attention around this time of year gets dedicated to bowl games, hoops season is just starting to heat up. This week on the podcast, we're taking a look back at the non-conference season in men's and women's basketball. We promise, we haven't forgotten about the bowl games! We'll have a full breakdown of all things bowls on next week's show. To kick off the show this week, Vannzee stops by to help us break down the men's basketball season to this point. Ohio has certainly lived up to expectations, while Akron and Bowling Green seem to be outpacing their pre-season predictions. Buffalo has been a bit underwhelming, though the Bulls certainly have the talent and experience to right the ship. Conference play begins on Tuesday the 28th, and these teams will start to separate from one another as we move further into conference play. To close out this weeks' show, Grant McPherson stops by to discuss women's hoops. Grant discusses Kent State's impressive performance through the seasons first six weeks, with quality wins against Penn State and UCLA. Central Michigan has had some unexpected struggles to start the year, and Grant explains why others on the Chippewas roster need to step up and help Molly Davis. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. We hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season, and we appreciate all of you. We'll see you back here next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the best time of the year, folks - bowl season is upon us! A league record eight MAC squads were selected for bowl games this year, a tribute to the leagues' unmatched parity. All six teams from the MAC West will go bowling this year, along with Kent State and Miami from the East. Our Creative Director James stopped by this week to help break down every matchup! The MAC bowls kick off on Friday, with Toledo taking on Middle Tennessee State in the Bahamas Bowl and NIU taking on Coastal Carolina in the Care Bowl. Moving into next week, there are a number of intriguing matchups for MAC squads. Miami takes on North Texas in the first ever Frisco Football Classic, and Kent State takes on Wyoming in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. How will the high flying Kent State offense fair against the stout Wyoming defense? In a game near and dear to James' heart, Central Michigan travels to the desert to take on Boise State in the Arizona Bowl. The Chippewas enter the contest having won four in a row, and the Broncos certainly look vulnerable after dropping their final game of the year against San Diego State. As always, thanks for stopping by this week folks. We'll pick back up with hoops action next week, and we hope you enjoy all of the bowl games in the meantime! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices