Marcia Podratz

Wife. Mom. Sister. Traveler. Lover of Lake Superior, MN and TX outdoors, live music, and all the beauty of nature. Minnesota Power Retiree. Zvago Cooperative.

[Minnesota Lynx @minnesotalynx]

VOTE MAC ⭐️

⭐️ » https://t.co/s7whC2b9FM

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@adukeMN McBuckets! And she’s also so friendly and encouraging. 💚🏀💙

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@minnesotalynx @CourtMWilliams 💯

[Robert Sterling @RobertMSterling]

I just had the craziest experience at the airport.

We are about to board a flight to Atlanta when the pilot from the incoming plane walks out of the jetway. Guy is probably late 50s, salt and pepper hair, military look. The kind of pilot you instantly feel good about seeing on your flight.

Pilot walks over to the counter, gets on the PA system, and starts addressing everyone. “Folks, I’ve been doing this a long time. Flying one of these jets is easy. The hard part is looking at 130 people and telling them their flight is going to be delayed.”

Audible groans throughout the boarding gate. Most people here are flying to Atlanta as a layover before another flight. 130 people just had their day become a complete mess.

The pilot goes on. “I get it, trust me. But here’s the deal: During our landing, we had a small mechanical issue. I’m not your pilot for the next leg, but I don’t feel confident the jet’s safe to fly until we have a mechanical team look it over, and I don’t feel comfortable asking the next pilots to fly you guys until we get confirmation.”

He points at the agents next to him behind the counter: “Now, none of this is the agents’ fault. Please be kind to them. I’m the one who made this decision, not them, so any inconvenience you experience is my fault. Just please know that I don’t do this lightly, and I’m only doing it because I believe it’s in the best interests of everyone’s safety.”

Now this is where the story gets crazy. The pilot puts the microphone down, grabs his suitcase, and all the people in the gate…

Start clapping.

I’m not joking, everyone starts clapping for the guy. 130 people who just had their travel plans ruined give an ovation to the guy who made the decision and delivered the message.

All because he addressed them with decency and transparency, took ownership of the decision, made it clear that it was necessary, and explained why it was in everyone’s best interest.

It’s honestly one of the best examples of strong communication—of strong leadership, for that matter—that I’ve seen in a long time.

@Delta, whoever your Atlanta to Wichita pilot was this morning, he’s one of the good ones. Please tell him the delayed passengers of flight 1637 appreciate what he did.

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@dr_ericberg Texas red grapefruit instead of cold cereal for breakfast.

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@naemaj11 @kaymac_2123 Yay! Now I need to get a #21 jersey. 💚🏀💙

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@trendyhoopstars 😢

[Andrew Dukowitz @adukeMN]

With Alanna Smith moving on to Dallas here’s a story.

Last year I asked Lan about her trash talking style, and she called herself a sweet angle baby.

A month later I asked if she was going to the state fair and she said she couldn’t because she was sick like a Victorian child.

Lan is one of the best people I’ve covered in sports, from getting a graduate degree in psychology mid season, to her work bringing awareness to child sex trafficking to her overall authenticity

Wings fans, you’re getting an awesome person, and a great player!

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@adukeMN I’ll miss T so much!

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@Khristina 😢

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@M_Hansen13 😢

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@WNBA @TheShedNY @espn @UCLAWBB Great to see a Duluth, MN native doing so well!

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@IONWNBA @mvanshay @laurenbetts12 @kiki_rice0 @oliviamiles06 @Flaujae @azzi_35 @UCLAWBB @UConnWBB @GamecockWBB @tcuwbb @LSUwbkb Lauren Betts, Gianna Kneepkens, and others from the UCLA championship team.

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@minnesotalynx ☹️

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@minnesotalynx ☹️

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Geno Auriemma shares how he explains success to his players and why showing up isn't enough.

"If you go to class and you do average work, you're gonna get a C. That's why it's called average."

"If you want a B, you have to do more work. If you want an A, you have to do even more work and you have to give up stuff."

You get what you earn in life.

"You have to sacrifice. Maybe you can't do all the things that everybody else does."

It means if you want more then you have to be willing to do more.

"If you're just happy getting Bs all your life, there's nothing wrong with that either. But you're never gonna get the satisfaction of what it feels like to get an A."

Then he connected it to basketball:
"If you just wanna be average, then you do average work. If you wanna be a little bit above average then you do a little more work."

"If you wanna get As in basketball, then you gotta do stuff that other people aren't willing to do - especially if you have the talent like we do. We have talent."

It means bring a mindset of excellence to everything that you do. Excellence isn't the goal - it's the standard you set.

Then he called out the entitlement problem:
"Some of these younger guys coming out of high school, man, they wanna show up and go, 'I'm here. Where's my 3.7?'"

"Like my father used to say, 'I got your 3.7 right here.'"

Showing up doesn't earn you anything. Doing the work does.

You get the grade you earn - in school, in basketball, and in life.

It's easy to be average...successful people look to compete in everything they do.
(🎥UCTV Sports )

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@adukeMN @kaymac_2123 I really hope @kaymac_2123 stays with the @minnesotalynx !!! 💚🏀💙

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@mauisportsgirl @FOS_News_ @elleduncantv @mauisportsgirl Thanks for the link! Great article and background that I never knew before.

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@ramsey_jmm @ClassicJpow I’ve been a big fan of the WNBA since 2024, mainly because of watching players in the Summer Olympics that year. My interest isn’t at all connected to CC. There are so many other good players who make the W fun to watch.

[Marcia Podratz @MarciaMN3]

@ItsMeghanLHall Best sources on the scene for this are @alexaphilippou, @AnnieCostabile, @DougFeinberg, and @ClassicJpow. They’ve been camped outside the negotiations for days providing updates. 🤞🏀⛹️‍♀️