Pablo Torre Finds Out

Episode: Share & Cinderella & Tell

Featuring: Pablo Torre (Host), Lucy Rohden, Rodger Sherman
Date: March 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this energetic and irreverent episode, Pablo Torre is joined by college sports aficionados Lucy Rohden and Rodger Sherman for a freewheeling discussion on the culture, chaos, and quirky traditions that animate March Madness—particularly through the lens of underdog teams and mascots. The trio shares personal stories, debates fan bases, and dives into the weirdest and most heartwarming NCAA narratives, blending sharp sports analysis with deeply unserious tangents about vomiting, mascot anatomy, and the feminist history of kangaroo pouches.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Halftime Performers: Red Panda, Chihuahua Guy, and the Rise of Talented Animals

[00:35–04:53]

• Rodger praises “conference tournament season” as peak time for halftime acts, noting Red Panda's grueling travel schedule and iconic performances.
• Lucy raises an important question: “Does Red Panda have a private jet?”
  • Pablo: “Absolutely does not have a private jet, but should.” [01:00–01:10]
• Discussion expands to the “Chihuahua Guy” (Christian Stnev & Scooby), the jump-roping dog act, and “Talented Dog Season.”
• Lucy: “It’s a big week for the halftime entertainers of the world.” [03:30]
• Rodger: “TikTok has flooded the zone with pets doing cool stuff. But I only care if they can do it in the seven minutes in between the end of the second quarter and the team's coming out for warmups.” [04:11–04:21]

Road Warriors: The Grind of College Sports Reporting

[04:53–06:12]

• Lucy attended 19 games in a season, taking 42 flights—stories of endurance, airports, and one very traumatic stomach bug.
• Pablo compares Lucy’s experience to Tracy Morgan’s infamous incident at Madison Square Garden:
  “Was it a Tracy Morgan at Madison Square Garden situation?”
• Lucy recounts vomiting in a rental car, explaining in vivid detail the ordeal of being “the vomit girl.”
• Rodger: “I do not know you as a vomiter. A projectile vomiter. And now that…”
• Pablo, laughing: “This is the journalism that we all aspire to.” [08:41]

Selection Sunday & Spiritual Bracketology

[08:47–09:38]

• The crew receives physical paper brackets.
• Pablo: “Your interpretation of how this is going to go from a metaphysical level is actually news I could use.” [09:04]
• Rodger commits to only caring about teams with unique mascots, first-time appearances, or Cinderella odds: “We’re here to talk about the teams that went like 17 and 1 in their conferences…and have a unique mascot.” [09:32]

College Basketball Fan Culture: UNC vs. Duke Debates & A Childhood Trauma

[09:57–13:28]

• Story of Cooper Flagg’s mom calling out UNC fans.
• Lucy recounts being harassed and shoved by an elderly UNC fan at 16 for cheering for Iowa:
  “He hits me.” [12:22]
  — “You just assaulted a 12-year-old.” [12:35]
• Pablo: “In other words, quote, a big FU to the entire Carolina fan base for being classless a-holes.” [13:28]
• Rodger (joking): “I’m just crossing UNC off.” [14:22]
• General consensus: Maybe UNC, not Duke, is the villain after all.

Mascot Anatomy and Gender

[14:39–26:26]

• The crew’s fascination with mascot testicle size (Ramses the UNC Ram) and the “behind the scenes” mascot world at March Madness.
• Deep dive: the Akron Zips’ explicitly female kangaroo mascot.
  • Rodger: “Akron is the only [FBS football] team with an explicitly female mascot.” [24:04]
  • Lucy: “My favorite thing is when a school just adds 'lady' in front of their mascot.” [26:17]
• Extended riff on male/female mascot design tropes and the awkwardness of mascots with “lipstick” or “apron” designators.

Cinderella Watch: Trash Can Rituals & Quirky Underdogs

[17:04–20:50 & 21:11–28:00]

• University of Nebraska Omaha’s “trash can” tradition as pregame motivation, and the ritual’s origin story.
  • Rodger: “In December, when they were 4-9, their team started a tradition of just beating the crap out of a trash can…And it worked.” [17:49]
  • The team was even awarded their conference trophy out of a trash can.
• Akron Zips’ mascot and history of “zip” (from zippers made by BF Goodrich and Goodyear in Akron).
  • “Akron primarily produces two things, rubber and LeBron James.” [21:47]
• UC San Diego Tritons, their Greek mythology-inspired branding, and both men’s/women’s teams making their first tournament post-Division II.
  • Rodger: “Their mascot is King Triton…he looks almost identical to the Little Mermaid version of Triton.” [28:56]

The Glorious Imperfection of College Hoops

[32:02–36:16]

• Rodger champions Wofford’s Kyler Filovich, who switched to “granny style” free throws with only marginal improvement:
  • “He switched to underhanded free throws…he’s still bad at it, and he still persists.” [33:34]
• Pablo on March Madness randomness: “The thing that’s great about college basketball is…these teams from all across the country which are trying weird things, and some of them aren’t even that good at them, and they have this one day to beat a better team…” [34:46–35:13]

On the Fan Experience: Why March Madness Works Better From Your Couch

[36:26–39:23]

• Lucy argues that attending men’s March Madness games is less fun than watching at home—except for the women’s tournament, where home venues create a better atmosphere.
• “If I was in charge…I think it could be so cool to like, consume all the college basketball that you can [in one city].” [37:48]
• She remembers the COVID year, when all games were in Indianapolis, as the best live sports experience.

The Iowa Elvis Community

[39:23–41:27]

• Anecdote about “Hawkeye Elvis,” an iconic Iowa fan, and the “Elvis community” in Iowa.
• Lucy’s dad is in the 'Riding Elvi,' a group that bikes across Iowa in Elvis costumes:
  • “My dad and his buddies…called themselves the Riding Elvi.” [41:05]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Red Panda Needs a Jet
  • Pablo: “The list of people who deserve a private jet, number one is Red Panda.” [01:10]
• The Vomit Girl Origin Story
  • Lucy: “I'm covered in vomit. I'm sobbing hysterically…It was a really bad day.” [06:56–07:34]
  • Pablo (laughing): “This is how everyone’s gonna know me, the vomit girl.” [07:37]
• UNC Fan Villainy
  • Lucy: “He hits me. He pushes me back into my seat. I'm like, what?” [12:22]
  • Pablo: “Quote a big FU to the entire Carolina fan base for being classless a-holes.” [13:28]
• Mascot Feminism
  • Rodger: “I’m just glad that Akron…came up with this mascot in the 40s or 50s…a vision for female sports fandom that you can be a lady kangaroo and they didn’t lipstick her up or put her in weird clothes.” [25:31–25:43]
• College Basketball’s Beautiful Chaos
  • Rodger: “Some of [these teams] have guys who do not know how to shoot free throws. And…sometimes the weird stuff works. Sometimes the better team wins. And this is…what March is all about.” [35:29–36:16]
• Mascot Testicle Discourse
  • Lucy: “The balls are huge. It’s insane. Like, it’s jarring. They’re giant balls.” [14:41–14:55]
  • Pablo: “I found out that the actual North Carolina ram has enormous balls.” [42:42]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Red Panda & Halftime Entertainers: [00:35–04:53]
• Lucy’s Epic Vomit Story: [06:12–08:47]
• UNC Fan Harassment & Mascot Anatomy: [09:57–15:32]
• Unique Cinderellas & Trash Can Team: [17:04–20:50]
• Akron Zips’ Feminist Mascot: [21:11–26:26]
• UC San Diego Tritons Overview: [27:23–29:11]
• Wofford’s Granny-Style Free Throws: [32:02–36:16]
• March Madness Fan Experience: [36:26–39:23]
• Iowa Elvis Community: [39:23–41:27]
• Roundtable “What Did We Find Out?” [41:45–43:14]

Language and Tone

True to the Pablo Torre Finds Out style, this episode balances genuine sports reporting with absurd personal anecdotes and affectionate roasting. The vibe is playful, self-deprecating, and candid, with sharp asides and improvisational humor. Rodger offers deep-cut mascot trivia, Lucy’s stories veer between the gross and triumphant, and Pablo plays ringmaster, always steering the conversation back to its strange, delightful heart.

Summary Takeaway

This March Madness preview episode is as much about the lovable quirks and mishaps on the periphery of college basketball as it is about the tournament itself. Expect impassioned arguments on mascot design, the transcendent magic of Red Panda, vomiting mishaps, and why true NCAA glory is reserved for Cinderella stories, weird rituals, and the fans who make them unforgettable.