Rossi Anastopulo
Appearances
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
So to most people, the word biscuits means literally biscuits, not a surprise. But to me, the word biscuits means one thing, and that's basketball. Let me explain here. So I went to the University of North Carolina, where basketball is basically a religion. What is that, the Tar Heels? The Tar Heels. Go Heels. Look at you, Jessica.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
And so obviously there's like major basketball highlights, like playing Duke or arch rival or playing in the final four. One like very underrated, if you know, you know, moment is biscuit games.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
UNC has a deal with Bojangles, which is obviously the fast food biscuit chain that started in North Carolina. Okay. And this deal started all the way back in 2003. And the catch is if UNC scores over a hundred points in a home basketball game, Everyone gets biscuits. Oh, I like this. Okay.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
And technically it started, everyone got a free biscuit. Now it's two sausage biscuits for a dollar, but you just treat it like you get free biscuits. But it leads to a really electric atmosphere. So we might be beating a mid-major, terrible team by 40 points, total snooze sass. But then as soon as the score gets into the 90s, you just hear people going... We want biscuits. We want biscuits.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
I love this. And then as soon as someone hits the hundred point basket, which is known as the biscuit basket, obviously. Of course. Yeah. The crowd goes wild. It's like we've won the national championship. It's just people screaming biscuits at the top of their lungs. And so I'd like to play a biscuit basket for you. Oh, nice. UNC up by 20 points against one of our rivals, NCC.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
And so we're closing in. It's 99 points. Next score is the biscuit basket.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
The crowd is actually going wild. While we talk about, you know, how important this is to everyone and kind of what it means, I want to close on a quote from one of the only players to ever hit two biscuit baskets in his career, Jackson Watkins, who hit the shot that we just listened to. So after he hit his second one, he said, I am the biscuit king.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
I saw it swish and heard the building explode and let out a roar of my own, too. It was excitement, joy, intensity, passion, and just a pinch of surprise. I think that just says it all. Wow.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
Next time you go to a basketball game, maybe bring a biscuit in celebration. I'm going to try it.
Things Bakers Know: The King Arthur Baking Podcast
History in the Baking: Talking Biscuits with Deb Freeman
Rossi, I love this story so much. What a great tale. Cool. Thank you for having me. It was fun to join and to share the story. Thanks, guys.