B

randon Rothenberg has 
found his voice.
It’s on his new base-
ball-themed podcast called 
Motor City Hardball that is 
available through Blue Wire, 
a California-based sports 
podcasting platform that was 
launched in 2018.
Rothenberg, a 23-year-old West 
Bloomfield resident, has done 
10 weekly episodes of Motor City 
Hardball since December. Each 
episode is released at 3 p.m. EST 
Wednesday on Apple Podcasts 
and Spotify.
“Baseball is my passion,
” 
Rothenberg said. “Hopefully 
this podcast will get my foot in 
the door to a career of covering 
baseball.
”

Rothenberg sometimes has a 
guest on his podcast.
His guest in episode No. 5 was 
longtime friend David Vinsky.
A Farmington Hills Harrison 
High School graduate who was 
selected in the 15th round of 
the 2019 Major League Draft by 
the St. Louis Cardinals, Vinsky 
should resume his professional 
baseball career this summer 
in the Cardinals’ farm system 
after an unexpected season off 
because of the COVID-19 pan-
demic.
The conversation between 
friends on Rothenberg’s podcast 
episode was informal, humorous 
and informational.
It ran the gamut from discuss-
ing Vinsky’s days as a three-sport 

high school athlete, baseball star 
at Northwood University and 
professional ballplayer to talking 
about Vinsky’s renewed interest 
in collecting baseball cards while 
trying to pass the time during 
the pandemic.
Vinsky told Rothenberg the 
amazing story of opening a pack 
of baseball cards and finding a 
rare card autographed by All-
Star Mike Trout.
Eli Weil, another longtime 
friend of Rothenberg and fel-
low North Farmington High 
School and 2020 Michigan State 
University graduate, is trying 

to make Rothenberg’s dream of 
being a baseball media member 
a reality while giving his own 
career a boost.
Weil is studying at the 
Blackbird Academy in Nashville, 
Tenn., with the goal of getting 
into music production or audio 
engineering.
He created original theme 
music for Rothenberg’s podcast 
that is played at the beginning 
and end of each podcast and in 
the middle to break up the con-
versation.
“It took a couple tries before 
Brandon made his decision on 

sports HIGHlights

NMLS#2289
brought to you in partnership with 

DYLAN BRESSLER

West Bloomfi
 eld resident Brandon 
Rothenberg steps up to the plate each 
week on the Blue Wire platform.

MSU Grad Plays 
‘Motor City Hardball’ 
On His Podcast

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

36 | FEBRUARY 18 • 2021 

Brandon 
Rothenberg 
records an 
episode of 
his Motor 
City Hardball 
podcast.

Mat Ishbia was a team player when 
he played basketball at Michigan 
State University, 
doing all he 
could to make his 
teammates better 
players.
He did the same 
thing Feb. 4, only 
on a much larger 
scale.
Ishbia, president and CEO of 

Pontiac-based United Wholesale 
Mortgage and a 2016 inductee into 
the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall 
of Fame, donated $32 million to 
Michigan State’s athletic program.
It’s the largest donation from an 
individual in MSU’s history.
“This donation is not about me,” 
Isbhia said in a news release issued 
by UWM. “This is to give credit 
to and thank coach Tom Izzo, the 
business school and Michigan State 
University for the incredible impact 
they have had on my life.”
Izzo, in turn, praised Ishbia in the 
release.
“From the first day he joined our 
basketball team and, in the years 
following, I’ve watched Mat continue 
to make an impact for the better-
ment of others, taking the lessons 
he learned at Michigan State and 
instilling them in his company,” Izzo 

said.
“Every day, as a member of our 
team, Mat wanted to improve him-
self and others around him, knowing 
that on every successful team, just 
as in business, everyone has a part 
to play. He has never relented that 
attitude.
“This gift speaks volumes to Mat’s 
character and the way he runs his 
business today; always focusing on 
creating a family atmosphere and 
being there for one another.”
The largest part of Ishbia’s dona-
tion to MSU — $20 million — is for 
the football program. The money 
will be used for an expansion of the 
Skandalaris Football Center.
Some $2 million will go to 
the MSU basketball program’s 
Excellence Fund. Izzo will decide 
how that money is used.
Ishbia was a star basketball play-

er at Birmingham Seaholm High 
School (1996-98) and he was named 
a Jewish News High School Athlete 
of the Year when he was a senior.
He was a member of three 
straight Big Ten champion and Final 
Four teams (1999-2001) at MSU, and 
he was a graduate assistant coach 
for the Spartans for one season.
He also was a three-time 
Academic All-Big Ten honoree 
(2000-2002) at MSU, and the win-
ner of the President’s Award for 
having the highest grade-point 
average of all senior athletes.
He graduated from MSU’s Eli 
Broad College of Business in 2003.
Ishbia became a billionaire Jan. 
22 after his company went public.

Look for a feature profile of Mat Ishbia in 

an upcoming JN.

Mat Ishbia Sends 
a $32 Million 
Thank You to MSU

quick hits
BY STEVE STEIN 

TWITTER