Coach Bruce Pearl and Daniel Posner Visit JM in the AM

enjoying some pur music with our good friend Daniel Pner of Athletes for Israel who has brought a very very special guest into our studio and I thank him and that is coach Bruce Pearl who now is a member of the media and we know this by the way firsthand because this was the place right here outside of the Nol Seagull Network studios was a place where earlier this morning coach Burl was grilled by the guys at Bar stool about about what he thinks of the upcoming Turney March Madness which is right around the corner. Coach, a pleasure to welcome you to JM in the AM. >> Well, it's it's it's been a great morning, but let Knock Seagull versus Dave Port, I'm with you, brother. All day long, I'm with you. >> There we go. There we go. Cuz we're paying careful attention to what's happening 6,000 miles away. That's why you like being here, cuz you know, we're focused on Israel. Simple as that. It's a 116 matchup in the NCAA tournament. Yeah. With the United States and Israel being the one and Iran being the 16th seed. We got this. >> How often does it happen that the 16th seed wins? I think once in history, right? >> Once in history. It's not this time. Not this time. Not today, my friend. >> History will not repeat itself. Daniel Pner, a pleasure to welcome you back. >> Always great to be here. >> You are amazing. I was just telling Coach Pearl off the air that uh you and all of us dreamt of this incredible concept of bringing athletes, influential people in the world of sports to Israel. You and Coach Pearl dreamt about this together, but you actually did it and we're thankful and we're very and we're indebted to you for that. And this activity, which we'll discuss, just continues and continue, right? You're making a lot of plans for 2627, right? >> 2627 is going to be unbelievable. Tell you the history about this. Yeah. >> We started bringing professional players to Israel, >> right? NHL players, NBA players, Major League Baseball players, NFL players, and I was introduced to this guy, Coach Bruce Pearl from Auburn, Alabama. The first question I asked him was, "Where is Auburn? Never been there before. I've been to Auburn in the last 5 years since I've known Coach Pearl, I don't know, 15 times. Who would have ever dreamt?" And and he says to me, "Daniel, I have this dream. I want to bring my entire team to Israel." And I said, "Coach, let me think about He he was running around the country speaking to all sorts of different Jewish organizations and communities and saying, "I need to finance my trip to go to Israel cuz I want to bring the entire team. No one's ever done this before." And I looked in the mirror that night and I said, "We're going to do this." I called him up the next day and said, "Coach, we're on the team. We're all in." We had we hadn't planned on doing anything in college sports. We hadn't talked about and then within 6 months, not only did we bring the team to Israel, coach, you got to talk about this, but ESPN came and they televised every single game. It was an infomercial for Israel for not just for that week when we were there, but for the entire college season for months. They talked about the trip to Israel, how much it how incredible it was for the team unity and bonding and connecting. And >> did it meet your God? >> Did it meet your expectations, coach? Yeah, it it it actually, you know, it's exceeded expectations. We, you know, you got to prioritize and you got to make decisions. We want to do we want to help. We want to do everything we can. You know, at the top of the list is visiting and coming back again and bringing other people, right? And so, Athletes for Israel is is an incredible organization that brings sports celebrities and now teams to Israel. And Daniel will tell you about what's coming up this summer. I'm not I'm not going to spoil for him. We got some of the top teams in college basketball coming. >> We do need support because it's and and here's where the where it's different. We had a couple hundred,000 in our budget to bring our entire program and that's fine. That'll finance a trip to the Bahamas. Maybe it'll get you uh to Canada, but it's not going to take you across the ocean and it's not going to allow you to be able. So, it's going to it's double to go to Israel security, the hotels, you know, the whole thing. And so that's where we do need outside philanthropy uh to be able to afford these trips. The impact the student athletes um Jerusalem can do one or two things to the world. It can connect us or it could divide us and it depends how you want to look at it. To me as a coach Abraham it all happened right there in Mount Mariah and and to me he's the father of all nations. And then we go teach from there. My Christian players get to walk where Jesus walked. my Jewish players get to go to the wall and and and kiss the wall and and and and understand they're in God's holy land and and as a coach, it allows me through faith to connect our team. >> And by the way, Coach Pearl has one of those double pins on his uh shirt today. And that's of course the American flag and the Israeli flag. It's something I'm sure you worry very often, but today it's really significant. >> It's It's really sign. >> They're in partnership against Iran right now. >> They are. And you know, I asked this question. I'll ask you two guys this question. Okay. Who who who is the United States? Our country. Our country. United States. Who's our greatest ally? Who is our greatest ally? And and and if you just go to the list, you say, "Well, historically it was probably Great Britain back in the day. We fought World War II with them. Maybe at one point it was France. Could be Canada. Are you kidding me? Whoever is second, whoever's third behind Israel is a distant third now." And I know it really upsets the haters when you say that, but it's really true. >> Now, I'm glad you brought up the haters because I have to imagine I said this to you the first time I met you. I have to imagine that as outspoken as you've been about Israel. You, and again, I'm not even singling out the southern part of the country, you spent the majority of your career, but just in general, you you have to be taking so much heat for it. I just have to. And it is shocking to me. I was told you spent the entire day in media yesterday talking about the NCAA's. I would think that the media with its attitude now toward Israel would not welcome a guy like you to sit at the sports desk and analyze college basketball. Why is this happening? >> Well, it's happening. It's a great question because this is the greatest country in the world. Listen, there are two places in the world Jews can live. Israel and the United States of America. >> Live in freedom and luxury. live in freedom and luxury and have the opportunity to work hard and build something very very special. This country's greatest patriots should be the Jewish people because this country saved us from certain death in the pograms or the Holocaust or whatever or whoever it is. And so I'm I'm a patriotic American. U CBS Turner Sports have been phenomenal for me. And here's what they've done. >> Your politics does not hurt >> because they say look when you're on the air you are a college basketball coach. You're an analyst. teach us, tell us, bring us the action, explain to us. And that's what I do. That's my job. When I'm off the air, I'm coach Bruce Pearl, who happens to be a Jewish American basketball coach who loves his country and his ancestral Jewish homeland. And I used to fight as a coach to win SEC championships. Now I'm fighting for survival. When people say to me like, "Coach, why in the world would you give all that up at the top of your profession?" I said because I woke up every day loving my country and also the relationship our country has to the state of Israel. I said that's the fight I want to be in. And you know we all right now what what what what what can we do? Where would we what would we rather do right now than see peace in the Middle East and see Israel to be able to live in safety and security? So right now we'll talk about it. We'll bring people to Israel to visit to try to explain and uh we'll celebrate Porum and and and today we'll fast and tonight we'll celebrate. Coach Bruce Pearl is here. Daniel Poser is here. Athletes for Israel, you can go to their website and we encourage people to support their efforts. Uh, as you just said, tonight is Purim. And in addition to your name being Mortifi, right? You love the name Bruce, but boy, do you love the name Mortify, right? >> Uh, tonight is Purim and the big holiday begins. And one of the most significant, and I hope I'm being accurate here, one of the most significant things you've ever done on the public stage had to do with Purum. Do you know which viral video I'm talking about? >> I do. I do. And we probably should get that out today, you know, because it it was it was uh >> What did you tell everybody through that through that video? >> So, was back in 2022, uh we were in Anway tournament. It was March Madness. obviously was that time of the year and the United States was in negotiations with an with Iran in a in a terrible JCPOA deal that we all recognized was going to lead to something just awful and uh so I was very very much against that. I was concerned. Um, and you know it was I was playing on porm and we won our game. >> The game was actually on porm. >> The game was actually on porm. Jabari Smith, Walker Kessle were my best players. And I go to the press conference and I thought about I thought about saying something, but I decided I'm not going to say anything uh because I don't want to take away from my players at this point, but maybe I'm going to get asked a question. And I was actually in prayer that somebody would ask me a question which then opened the last question I got was somebody asked me a question about Ukraine. >> Ah >> so therefore the fact that it was a a question about something that didn't >> that war had just started right >> that war had just started. Bam. It absolutely opened up the door for me to teach America that what was going on 2,000 years ago. And I told them who my what my name was, Morortei, and why my grandfather named me Morai. And the fact that I had the responsibility to speak to Queen Esther so she would convince the king to not kill the Jews. You combine that with my job as a basketball coach. 85 90% of my student athletes are African-Amean. Therefore, Dr. King silences complicity. You add those two things together about my responsibility as a Jew and my responsibility as a basketball coach coaching 85 90% African-American men silences complicity and there's no way I couldn't tell the story about Porum and the fact that we right now are in a battle against a Persian king that wants to kill us and you're going to go ahead and sign a horrible deal like the JCPOA. No chance. >> What was your player reaction to that? You know, my guys understand because I have a team pastor. I want my Christian players go getting closer to Jesus. Correct. I want them to live and and act according >> the religious life at that point. >> I want them to religious life. I want them to go to church. I want them to at the same time >> I'm always speaking to Christians about the history of their faith, about their Jewish religion. My favorite line trying to connect the faiths is I'll say to my Christian friends, "So, who you having over for Passover?" Right? And they're like, "Coach, we're not Christian. You know, we don't celebrate Passover." I go, "You know what? You guys are always telling me you want to be more like Jesus all the time. I like Jesus like this. I want to be more Jesus celebrated Passover every year of his life. He kept the door open for Elijah. Who were you having over Passover? It's a good It's a good opening. It's a great opening. I love it. The other video um that went viral and that was again uh getting a tremendous amount of attention was after the war had started already at another press conference. You felt the need and you said it like this if I remember correctly and you and you specifically told the press that you had your players permission to say this that you wanted to and this was after a win correct was this a press conference after a win in March Madness. You said I I'm going to begin and you mentioned again that you have permission of the players. I'm going to begin by reminding everybody that there are hostages being held now, Israeli hostages, even American hostages being held by the enemy by Hamas in Gaza. And that's how you opened that press conference. >> Yep. Yep. That was this last one year ago. >> And you didn't think it was >> so >> you didn't give it a second thought. Let's put it that way. >> I I didn't. But here was here's what was different. This is what was different. 22 we were we were the we were in this Ukraine the JCPOA I had given a thought prior this time a year ago >> I this time a year ago here's what happens so we beat Kraton uh to go to the sweet 16 we're on our way to Atlanta to play Michigan or Michigan State and go to the chance to go to the final four and I'm literally walking down the hall of rep Arena with my with my three players on our way to the press conference and I'm just walking and praying I'm walking and talking to God. Thank God. Thank you. My goodness gracious. What have I done to deserve this great win? Thank you for the blessings. >> And all of a sudden, God really truly puts Manakan, excuse me, puts um Edan Alexander's name into my heart. Wow. >> 100%. >> American Israeli hostage. >> And and and he's the only American still alive at that time. And I said and I asked the players, I said, "Guys, this is what just happened to me. It's very Jewish. in our joy of winning. You know, we break the glass at a wedding to remind us that life can be fragile, that maybe somebody else isn't so happy right now. And I said this, I said, "Do you mind if I say this kid's name?" It's a hot peder who was from Jersey, right? One of my best players. >> Oh, and Don was tennif. >> He said, "Co," he said, "Coach, the kid's from Jersey." I said, "Todd, he is." He said, they said, "Coach, say his name. >> Say his name." And so we start out the press conference saying, "There is an American still held hostage in the dungeons in Gaza." and nobody knows his name and his name is Idon Alexander and you know there's more to it than that but uh yeah those are two pretty good press conferences >> well the more to it to that was that Idon Alexander was brought back to his family and back to Israel in the United States within 3 weeks from that press conference right not only not only did he mention that during the Sweet 16 press conference we brought Edan's father to the next game CBS Sports had spotlight on him we flew them if we flew down the whole family we continue to add pressure and and not only that, it was the only hostage swap where there was no Palestinian prisoners that were transferred in in place of him. So, he just came home and that was it, which was amazing. >> Talk about the impact. >> Literally, anybody can use their position to to do really good things, huh? >> You know, and I I think this is so important for our listeners. This is so important. They say, "Yeah, but coach, you know, you're a coach. You're on TV. I would love to do it but I really can't. You know what? You got a kitchen table. >> You got a kitchen table. Do it. You know they say don't talk about religion or politics. You know they say stick and as a result we don't know how to. We don't know how to talk about it. We should be able to talk about it with our faith. We should be able to talk about where we, you know, disagree in certain aspects and have that ability. But we've got to be able to talk to our children. Passover has been passed down from generation to generation. We're still here because we're still teaching and preaching and thanks to you having conversation about these things so that we're then equipped to be able to answer questions to our that our children may have about what's going on in Gaza, what's going on in the Middle East, what's going on with the Palestinians, to be able to answer those questions accurately, historically, truthfully, not the way that we get them in in social media, so on and so forth. and let's win our kitchen table and then maybe we expand to our workplace or our community and and so yes we all have a platform >> in what city will your peser be this year >> we will start first night of Passover at Auburn and I'll have a yeah I you ask me the question I actually know because >> it's a day I actually could travel to the final four >> it's I believe the first night is a Wednesday >> I think Wednesday night >> April 1st Wednesday night yeah and so so Saturday is the final four. >> That weekend is the final four. Yeah. So, I'm probably going to stay home for one night, have a sader, and then second night we'll be uh in Indianapolis. >> Wow. Interesting. I didn't realize >> Shapiro's jelly deli. >> That's pretty amazing. Boy, um what is the secret to being a good coach? >> Oh, I there's a lots of there's lots there to it. You know, if you're any good at what you do, chances are you had a pretty good teacher. And so I had a great mentor in Dr. Tom Davis. Dr. Tom Davis was my mentor. He coached at Boston College at Stanford University of Iowa. >> Should a casual fan like me have heard of him or not? >> Not really. Gary Williams would have been one of his disciples. >> Gary Williams is what school? >> Maryland. >> Maryland. Thank you. Turf, right? Turf. Yep. And so, um, that that's one one secret I think to being great is have a great mentor. Like if you if you have somebody that's taught you and in an industry, listen, ask questions, learn, soak up as much as you possibly can so that when you get your opportunity, you know, you can plug into that knowledge. And so I was able to do that. And I I think the only the other thing David and I were talking about this coming in is um you know just um the ability to be able to get the guys bought in into what you're trying to do as as a teacher. >> Oh, it's funny because years ago a great basketball coach said to me that much more important than X's and O's is the ability to motivate and the ability to recruit well. >> And that's before you teach plays. And that's third on the list. Yeah, you got whether it's first, second, or third, it's a part of it for sure. Get the kids to, you know, buy in and and be on on the same page. Um, and then I think I think the other thing too is evaluating talent, right? >> Like part of recruiting, right? >> And again, one of the things I love to do, we talk about this stuff, is this isn't just basketball. You've got a business. You got to evaluate talent. You got to put your people in positions to be successful as a coach. You got to evaluate yourself. What are you good at? Okay? Go to your strengths. Stay away from your weaknesses. bring people into your organization that do good things that you can't do. Like I couldn't turn on my computer this morning. I couldn't get on the internet. I I don't have that ability, you know? So, I hired somebody else to do that so that bam, I can walk in there and get on Barsville and be with you on >> and we appreciate it. Um, a great basketball coach sent regards to you this morning through me and that would be Elliot Ste >> who is now again a champion. Did you hear the big news from yesterday? No, we won. >> They won the Skyline Championship yesterday against Farmingdale. Really good game. >> I went to the game. It was fantastic. They were down by the first half, >> right? The first half they were down. >> They came back and uh they they played great. They played really really well. >> So, he's a winner again and a great coach. >> By the way, we we you and I have decent voices. Doesn't have a voice for radio. I know. >> He just you know, he's got that co coach bring up a very sore subject. I don't like meeting people that have better voices than mine. >> No, maybe there's a slot for me. >> I know. Imagine this. We may have to set part of our schedule aside for you. >> Wow. >> Uh, all right. Why don't you, while we're on the subject of Daniel Poser, tell us about this coming summer. What should What can the public know so far about this coming summer? >> Super exciting. I I I can't divulge publicly the teams that we have, but I can tell you within the next 18 months, we probably have three or four of the top 20 teams in the country >> coming to visit Israel. And literally the of the top five teams, two of them are planning to come within the next 18 months to Israel. >> Um we don't want to talk about it publicly is because um while all the teams have signed up and they're super excited to go, we're also mindful of the public discourse and what's going out there. These these trips are really priceless and >> yeah, you better make the announcement when things calm down. >> Yeah, first of all, we'll wait till the end of the school year. >> And Coach Pearl is like, I don't know. I don't know if you have to wait to make the announcement, >> you know. Wh while Coach Pearl can be super proactively open about his views and uh presidents of universities, >> by by nature, they're adverse to any kind of risk and conflict. And if there is conflict, they sort of >> they get concerned and they, you know, their legal departments come out and said, "Hey, we can't do this, we can't do that." So, we are super excited about, you know, as much as we as within our community get so nervous and upset about what we see in the outside world. There's a huge component of of of the United States of America that is pro-Israel, pro-Jewish people. We just need to continue to educate them. We need to continue to to communicate with them. We need to collaborate with them. I always tell my team there's uh there's 15 million Jews, there's 8 billion people in the world. We need partners in this fight. We need people to collaborate with, to connect with, who understand the issues, and we need to be there to educate them. And that's that's really what Athletes for Israel is all about. That's one of the things by the way that I didn't really understand uh when you started this whole mission or at least when it became you know such a when it really blew up to something really big and that was that that and you said this to me that you are surrounded meaning you you said to me are surrounded by more Israel loving people than you think. Yeah. You know down south there in the United States it's it's it's a much better environment than you think. You're not saying there not enemies around. Obviously there are. But you don't realize how many friends we have out there. It's Daniel Br makes a great point. Um the south is tremendously misunderstood as it relates to u there's a perception that because the Ku Klux Clan started down there that there's tremendous anti-semitism. Really isn't. The evangelical Christians of the south uh love Israel and Jerusalem as much as the Jewish people. >> And there plenty near Orin. That's a >> uh oh that's a hub. That's a hub. An absolute hub, you know. So the two most popular Jews in Alabama are me and Jesus, you know, and so I mean it's just it's just and that's how it that's how it rolls and it's it's a wonderful thing we do. Now at the same time um young Christians are being attacked right now by the conservative right wing of the of the Republican party, >> right? Um the concept of um of white only, America only, not America first but America only, uh the church only um is a very powerful um u formula in the sense that patriotism and and church only those two things >> well they don't like they don't like the loyalty to Israel. >> They don't like the order to Israel. They don't like the connection and the historical connection to the Jewish faith. And so replacement theology is replacing the replacing Jerusalem and the roots of Christianity with just the church and the and the New Testament. And I think that would be a very very dangerous thing uh for us here as Jews in this country. And so um that is something that we are uh visiting with. I speak to as many Jewish kids as I do Christian kids. And my job as a coach is once again to bring us together. >> Um all right. Now, let's get to some of the stuff that people really want to hear about. Is Patino the best coach in the country right now or not? >> He for me, he was. I mean, >> you think he still is? >> Rick Patino would uh >> Can St. John's go to the Final Four this year? They did not make it last year. >> No, I mean, they can go. They definitely can go. I would say this, Coach Patino is this year um has has his team has improved more than any team in college basketball this year. >> And they were close last year. >> Yeah. But the beginning of the year, he had to he had to redo. compared to the beginning of the year. >> Beginning where that's our job as a coach, you know, to get them from November to March. And this St. John's team has really, really improved. Um, yes, they absolutely can get I think they're a sweet 16 elite 8 team, >> right? >> Um, are they a Final Four team? It would depend on whether or not Florida, Michigan, Arizona, and Duke, those four teams all advance. If those four teams all advance, I think I place Yukon fifth. Um >> and Yukon are still such good teams. >> Great teams right now. I think >> and Michigan has a chance to be a one seed. >> 100%. Michigan will be one seed. >> Yeah, they will be. Michigan and Duke and Arizona are all pretty much guaranteed. >> Here's the problem when I wake up March 1st and start watching college basketball. When when YU goes to the Skyline Conference Championship, that's when I begin my college basketball. >> That's what you That's why you got me. >> Exactly. Um so it's interesting. So there it's going to be tough if you had to choose I mean do people ask you this now of course >> about choosing who's going to be the national champion. >> Yeah. >> People already ask you now. And do you make a prediction on the air or not? >> Well I give you I I'll give you the top like I just did. Give you the top six teams and then you I'm not going to fill out your bracket. >> I'm not. >> Do you fill a bracket or not? >> No. No I don't. I don't because back in the day when I was a college coach there were some NCAA rules that prevented me from doing it. Right. >> We're going to do an event with Coach Pearl. >> Yeah. >> Uh with JP Morgan. >> Wow. >> And we we we we it's uh it's in a couple weeks, but it'll be a private event, but we we had this great flyer that had Coach Pearl filling out the bracket. And you know, JP Morgan being the big bang. They said, "We don't want to have anything to do with the bracket. Let's it may may lead, you know, may lead to to gambling or may lead to mixed dance." We wouldn't want that to happen, right? >> It's the day after the field is announced, so inquiring minds want to know. Exactly. >> But maybe his bracket should be uh I don't know, IDF, falafel, uh you know, Hebrew language, you know, all the different things about Israel should be the bracket. >> Yeah, we can do that. We can do that. >> I think that's a good idea. >> Um so, um and and you will be in that on that CBS set for the entire tournament. >> Yes. Yep. I'll be on with in Indianapolis with Charles. You're the man. >> Clark. I don't know about that. >> He started here in Malcolm Seagull. >> Yeah, exactly. I mean, you're Barkley's known as one of the great longtime analysts. I don't know if he's great, but he's known as a long time analyst. >> He is great. You know, >> he's amazing. >> Oh, he's an Auburn guy. >> He's an Auburn guy. Yeah. >> The round mound of rebounds. >> Yep. Yep. I'm basically, and this is this is big shoes to fill, but you know, Jay Wright, the great coach at Villanova, uh he was with CBS for and Turner for a long time there and then he happened to retire from television last year. And so the the opportunity presents itself. Jay is not coaching. He's just he's the right-hand man to the chancellor at Villanova. And so he's spending his time working there and not doing TV. So it worked out. It worked out for me. Now, you got to come down to Auburn because there's an incredible statue of Charles Barkley right in front of Neville Arena. It is the It's the main gathering central place. You got to you got to see it. It's it's an incredible And not only that, it's an incredible place to watch a college basketball game. It is like nowhere else in the country. >> I had an encounter uh with Charles Barkley. >> What happened? >> Those are two very large men. >> Yeah, exactly. Not sure who that might be quite an encounter. >> My brother and I, my brother and I are very, very friendly with Paul Westfall. >> Oh, yeah. Terrific. Yeah. Great coach, great player, >> and um he invited us to a game >> and we were in a Was it Phoenix or maybe it was Washington? >> It was probably Phoenix. No, it was a game against the Wizards. So, it was in Washington and we ended up in the same hotel as the team. And that morning, I got to uh escort Charles Barkley to breakfast. A dream come true. >> Impressive. Charles Charles has been talking about coming to Israel for the last few years. I shook his hand a couple years ago at at BP's golf outing a couple years ago. He said, "Daniel, you have my word. I'm coming to Israel with you." you know, his his uh his his daughter married a a Jewish man. >> Wow. >> And he said to me, "You know, Daniel, I didn't realize that I can't name my kids. My grandkids can't be named after me until I die." I didn't realize that. >> Hilarious. >> I said, "You got to you got to adopt some Sparta customs over there. Maybe maybe your grandkids could be named after you." But uh >> Do you think he'll actually go? >> Yeah. Yeah, he he he'll definitely go. >> He wants to bring his family. >> I wanted to uh this something I just did do want to bring up. you know, um about again what a great country we have and last year at the final four there were three Jewish basketball coaches. Bruce Pearl at Auburn. John Sh at Duke and Todd Golden won the national championship. >> The press made a big deal about it. >> Well, and guess what? Uh right now, Florida and Duke are two of the best teams still in the country. Steven Pearl is is the head coach at uh at at Auburn. And >> what do you think of your successor? >> They're done doing a great job. He he he had >> Does he ask you a lot of advice? Yes or no? He asked me advice at times >> because there are sons who would avoid asking their father for advice and there are sons who would be, you know, asking you day and night about >> No, it's not day and night at all, but it's it's uh it's the right balance of things and and uh he's got a chance to get Auburn to the NCAA tournament. They got to win a couple more games. Uh they've beaten he's beaten three national champions in his first year. He beat Patino. >> He beat he beats Auburn beat St. John's. He beat John Caliperry in Arkansas. Uh he beat Todd Golden at Florida this year. Uh and he beat Kentucky the first time they played. Those are I said, "Stephen, you've done four or five things this year in your first co year coaching. It took me 25 years to do." So he's off to a great start. Uh Josh Schirtz uh is the head coach at St. Louis and that would be a team that some of may maybe some of your listeners might be Jewish. You think >> some large percentage? Hey, I'm just throwing out another name of somebody else that we should be rooting for. Like your your audience should be rooting for Auburn >> cuz their coach is Jewish. They should be rooting for St. Louis. They should be re rooting for Elliot St. >> You know, we we bring 150 to 200 students down to Auburn every year in the Auburn experience to get uh advocacy training in Israel and be inspired by by Bruce and and Steven Pearl. It's an amazing amazing >> three days. No, stop thinking. I want him to say that again. I want people to listen. Every year 150 kids, Jewish kids from around the country come to Auburn. This is all athletes for Israel. This is all Daniel Pner every year. And so I now start when I go out and I'm at an airport or things like that. I'm beginning to bump into kids who are now young adults going coach 3, four years ago. I came to Auburn. We had an amazing experience. And and and of course at Auburn when they walk around with their keepa they're like a celebrity like the Christian ask you about that. >> They want to take pictures with them. Oh my god look you got a keepa. Can I get >> I could go to the arena and wear a keepa. >> Of course. Not only that people will love it. People come come around to our kids after the game. They said why are you down what are you down here in Auburn, Alabama doing? We're so excited to have you. Thank you so much for coming. You know where this came out of? We were playing the national team in Israel. Auburn was playing the Israel national team. Denny of Dia was on that team. Couple of NBA players and after ESPN interviewed Coach Pearl, he's now the NCSY Kell kids are serenating Bruce Morai Pearl the entire game. The entire game they're singing songs. They're praise praising him. They're literally dancing, singing. They're waiting till after his interviews. And Coach Pearl says to ESPN in the middle of the interview, "I got to go see my jungle here in Israel." He goes and addresses hundreds of kids and he is he is he is doing his thing. He is like a you know a Baptist preacher on Sunday morning. He's screaming and yelling and responsibility and to your Jewish faith and to your family and to your community and they're all going wild at the end of this this incredible barntorming speech. You know the microphone drops. He says, "You are all invited to meet to come visit and see a game in Auburn, Alabama." And the crowd goes wild. He puts down the mic. He goes away. Everybody's cheering and dancing, excited. We go to the team dinner that night. I'm sitting next to Coach Burl and I said, "Hey, you know, you just invited 500 kids down Alabama." And he's laughing at me. He's like, I'm I'm caught up in the moment. He's like I'm like, "You know, I'm going to bring down 500 kids to Auburn, Alabama with Athletes for Israel." And he says, "Daniel, you're kidding me. This is not happening." I was I was caught up in the moment. I said, "You know what? Jewish values and southern values say if you invite somebody to your house, you got to invite them." He says, "Daniel, I don't have 500 tickets. What am I going to do? We sell out every game. I got no room for them." He said, "Give me a few days. I don't know what you're I don't know what you're going to do down here, but give me a few days and we'll see what we could do." And and uh a few months later, we brought them all down and it was incredible. Really incredible. So in the end you can get 150 tickets if necessary. >> Yeah. We we went to the student body. We went to the Auburn student body and and and said look the only way we could do it would be if we could uh borrow for this partic one game a year and and the student body said the student body president say absolutely. We'd love to have them as our guest. >> You're blowing me away here gentlemen. Yep. >> This is unbelievable what you're doing. This is unbelievable what you're doing. Just incredible. >> Uh >> right back right back at you my friend. I appreciate it. Right back at you. Coach Bruce Pearl, Daniel Pner, Athletes for Israel. Um, what can I say other than uh the big holiday starts tonight somehow? Somehow with the one above, the Jews made it through. Somehow, Haymon Heymon chose the date that he was going to destroy everybody. Had the king of the world, right? I mean, I'm not talking about the real king of the world. I'm talking the human king of the world. He had him aboard with the plan and it just didn't work out. Just didn't work out. >> Over and over and over again, God has delivered us. >> Amazing. He's always good to us, huh? >> God is good all the time. >> Important to remember, especially as our brothers and sisters are going through such a tense and uh anxious time in Israel. Obviously, we know people were killed yesterday, etc. Today, there was a direct hit on Beesva. I mean, we know that it's a very very difficult situation for our brothers and sisters there right now, but the ultimate uh the ultimate message is that he's always good to us and he always comes through for us. That's the bottom line. We're grateful for our our brothers and sisters over in Israel. We pray for them all the time, their courage, their commitment, um their their their desire to to live in that land. And um but you know what? Peace through strength first and then peace through prosperity next. And again, this is what God's plan is. And so the prophecies are being fulfilled. >> Yeah. The man who taught the world about the holiday of Purim, Coach Bruce Pearl. How many members of the media had never heard of Purim before your viral video? I want to know. >> They never They thought you were nuts. I thought you were making up a story. >> All I had to do is just keep winning. Just Just win, baby. >> That's right. Because when you're a winner in this country, Yeah. >> you could say whatever you want. It helps get the message out, huh? >> It helps get the message out. Today, uh, and we're going to wrap things up, but I was informed that you're going to be spending some time with the youth of the Jewish community. You're actually going to be addressing some of the girls and boys high schools today on Tanis on the fast of Esther on this day before Purim. And Daniel, uh, you know already because you've experienced so many times, you know, he's going to inspire them like crazy. Oh, he's, you know, these students, they just they love being around him. Yeah. >> His message of of connecting with with your faith, his message of responsibility, his me message of taking advantage of the opportunity. It's it's incredible to have someone who's such a strong advocate for the Jewish people, inspire because we need we need people who can inspire our Jews and our kids. >> Does coach not TABC's had some good basketball seasons recently? >> Oh, yeah. >> Is he aware of that? He's aware of that. I don't know if they're still in it for this year. >> They're they're in the championship. the junior junior university uh basketball team. They're in the championship game. Yeah, that's >> maybe a little pep talk from the coach for the for the team. I mean, at least the starting five. >> There'll be Q&A. There'll be Q&A. They can ask whatever they want. >> There they go. They'll have their opportunity. Uh coach, I'm going to take this opportunity to wish you a happy pur. >> Thank you. You, too. >> Thanks for all you do for the Jewish world and for humanity in general. You're somebody that everybody admires. >> Ah, it's just, you know what? It's the least. It's the very least we could do. >> Yeah. And be careful who you predict to win the national championship because there'll be, you know, millions of fans who are going to be on your case and you didn't choose their team. You know how it works. >> So true. >> That's why he does what he does. He names like seven, EIGHT TEAMS THAT COULD WIN. HE FIGURES he's covering all his bases. That's how it works, coach. Huh? >> I I I I want I don't want to put the Ziggy on one team. >> Yeah, I know. You can't do that. It wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be the right thing to I love your idea of like coming up with a brackets of like >> Israel bracket, maybe a Jewish history bracket, maybe personalities of Purim bracket with coach >> a year from now. Coach Pearl with personalities of the holiday of Purim, >> you know, or or different aspects or maybe different flavors of humash. >> Oh my goodness. >> Does coach Pearl enjoy hum? Do we know if he enjoys hum? Look at me. Look at this waistline. He just told me on Saturday night, mo mostly Shabas, he had a puram suda already. He's eating hamish at home. He's so careful about observing the holiday. He has his feast days in advance. >> Well, they start selling them at the bakery for weeks in advance. You can't let them go dry. You know, you got to eat them when they're right out of the oven. I love it. >> Big thank you to Coach Pearl. Uh Daniel Pner, Athletes for Israel. You're online. You have a donate button there on the site. And if anybody wants Remember, as we just And I'm glad you said this, by the way. I'm glad you said this. To do this properly every time you need a half a million dollar budget. That's the bottom line. You need a lot of money. People who think that one philanthropist could take care of this. It's impossible. You need you need a real partnership from people who want to buy into this thing. So if you want to get involved, just get in touch with Daniel Pen. Simple as that. And go to the website athletes for Israel. >> Thank you. Now, you are awesome. Appreciate that. Uh happy PUM everybody. More coming up at JM in the AM.