Welcome to the Big blin Sider. Dick Gabriel with you on a Thursday edition of our program One Step Closer to Kentucky Football. The Wildcats open up, as you know, one week from Saturday, so we are nine days away from the season beginning for the Cats. And tonight well are going to hear my conversation a special visit to
the garage with Bill Ransdell. He dropped in yesterday, so we recorded a conversation with a former UK quarterback among some other things, we talked about the Wildcats, his career and how things are going under Mark Stoops. So yeah, we're going to talk with Bill. Coming up at the bottom of the hour. Also coming up a conversation with Brian Milem of WKYT, the sports director and a long time colleague, will talk about the football Cats, but also
High School of Football which begins this week. So there's a lot going on, no doubt. And Darren Headrick of the UK Network will join us to talk football and UK women's basketball because Kentucky announced its schedule for the women's team, which of course will make its debut under Kenny Brooks on Madness Night October eleventh. Then the Blue White Game in Memorial Coliseum on October the eighteenth. Ticket
info coming up soon on those. Kentucky with five straight home games to open the regular season, including a matchup with Louisville on November the sixteenth, Game one the official game one November fourth with USC Upstate Dennis Wafford. Then U OFL Kentucky will go to Nashville for the Music City Classic Thanksgiving weekend, no opponents announced as of yet, and a big game glowing on the schedule UK North Carolina Women's basketball the second sec ACC Challenge that will
happen down in Chapel Hill. So there's a lot to like, a lot that's interesting on the UK schedule. We'll talk to Darren about that. But a reminder that Darren is also part of our crew on college football game Day. He is our scoreboard announcer and he keeps track of everything going on nationwide, and he's going to have a challenge keeping track of all these teams that have moved throughout the last couple of years in a brand new homes in different conferences. So we'll talk to him about that.
A couple of headlines from baseball, Big League Baseball and if you're just a casual fan, especially of the Reds. This jumps out at to Joey Vado, former league MVP in the long time face of the Reds, officially has retired. Remember he left the Reds for the Blue Jays, not of his own volition, but he was trying over the past six months to get back to the big leagues
one more time. He had signed a minor league deal, saying he wanted to try out for what he called a local club, Vadawis, Canadian, but an ankle injury cost him half the season and he would love to have played this past weekend or this week's series with the Jays and the Reds, but he did not get the call up from Triple A Buffalo, so he released a video saying that's it. I'm done. I'm officially retired from baseball. He was standing in a parking lot outside Buffalo's ballpark.
So Joey Vado wraps things up. Twenty ten National League MVP. When he batted three twenty four with thirty seven home runs, he had the second most hits in Reds franchise history twenty one hundred and thirty five plus three hundred and fifty six home runs. You know who in first place and always will be there. But what a career for Vado five times All Star led the National League an on base percentage seven times, so you're talking about walks
and base hits combined the OBP. That was a frustrating stat for some fans. You believe you should have been swinging anymore, but you can't argue with the results. And a lot of people think he'll be a first ballot Hall of Famer. I think there'll be some stubborn people who don't vote him, but I think he belongs in a Hall of Fame on the first ballot. But I don't have a vote, and we'll find out in the next five years. Another note from last night's Red's Blue
Jays game. The Reds gets slacked by the Jays and they didn't necessarily run out of pitchers, but they didn't, I guess, want to waste anymore. So they're down ten to two, bottom of the seventh and who do they send out to pitch? Backup catcher and former Blue Jay Luke Maylee, who at one point was an off conference performer for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was on that twenty twelve team that made it to the top of the college baseball polls a couple of times, the top rank
Kentucky team. So they sent Melee out against his former team, and all he does is set him down in a row twice, retired all six hitters he faced through twenty eight pitches, twenty for strikes, and at times throw in a knuckleball which topped out at seventy seven miles an hour. In fact, on Twitter or x there is one clip of him striking out, not striking out, but inducing a ground ball with that knuckleball. It looks like an ephis pitch, like a big looping pitch drops in, but it's a
knuckleball and he'll need eleven pitches. But he gets Davis Schnyder to end the game on a ground ball. He raked it the third base, got a good swing at it, but he was thrown out. So here's a guy who is a veteran. Now, gosh, he's thirty three years old. Pretty amazing. But this is evidently the ninth pitching appearance of Melee's career, second in Cincinnati over the last four games. I didn't realize he had pitched earlier for the Reds.
Apparently his era eight point six eight. He does have three strikeouts, but this season has yet to allow base runner. How about that? So became the first position player of twenty twenty four to pitch multiple perfect innings in one game. And by the way, there is movement of foot there. The towers that be believe that there is too much of this position players taking the mound in the major leagues, and they think that that somehow cheats the fans. Look
when a position player takes the mound. I have never seen that happen in a game that was still on the line. It's always during a blowout. And I happen to think fans are a little curious about that. There's some thought that while you're cheating the fans, no you're not, because who's still there in a ten to two game in the eighth inning? And I have a feeling that fans rather enjoyed that, both Reds and Blue Jays fans seeing Luke Mayley. So that's kind of ridiculous to me.
And this stuff about forcing starting pitchers to go six innings, that's dangerous and it should not happen, but you may see it shift over to college football. You know that the SEC has moved from CBS to ABC. Well, here comes an announcement that the broadcast crews on the CBS game. You know for years, at three point thirty you turn on the SEC on CBS, there's Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson and I can't remember I was Todd Blackledge for a long time, who actually grew up in Lexington at
eighth Street Junior High. Anyhow, you knew you were going to get them at three thirty, and then after Verne retired, Brad Nessler. But now we find out that you're going to see rotating crews for the SEC on ABC. You're gonna get Sean Mcdonogreg McElroy, Molly McGrath or Joe Tessitoor, Jesse Palmer, Katie George. I really liked that team. I don't dislike the other ones. Who's the third one? Oh yeah, the top team is Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreet and Holly
Row that's a good group as well. But yeah, they're going to rotate. It won't matter, you know, it depends if the game is any good or not. And by the way, the SEC Networks top team will come back intact. Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Kobalik, and I really like that team as well. And Tom Hart is one of the best in the business. I don't think he gets enough credit for that, but yeah, I get used to that. Folks. You're going to see and hear different
voices in different faces practically every week. They're going to rotate. Yesterday we were talking about rookie quarterbacks and who might start in the NFL, and it is official. The Broncos are the first to announce that their quarterback will be the rookie. Bo Nix, who finished his career at Oregon had a nice time up there. But remember now, he was a widely recruited and highly coveted quarterback who signed with Auburn back in the day. And I talked about
this again the other day. Kentucky opened the COVID season with Auburn. Wildcasts were ranked twenty third going into the season and Auburn was ranked number eight and Auburn won at twenty nine to thirteen. Kentucky was I think it was what fifteen to thirteen, No, eight to seven at the half? It was weird, fifteen to thirteen. At the end of three periods. Auburn put up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Now, what I remember about that two things.
Bo Nicks was very good through three touchdown passes and
extended plays with his legs. But the other thing I remember is Kentucky was denied a touchdown early in the game when they went for it on fourth down, and it was apparent to me and I was literally sixty five to seventy yards away toward the other end of the field, and I could tell that Chris Rodriguez got into the end zone and Tom and Jeff called it a touchdown, only to say, wait a minute, what and they were denied the touchdown, And it really changed momentum.
And it's not why Kentucky lost the game, but it really hindered the Wildcats ability to win the game. And in fact, Kentucky had opened up. First touchdown came on a ninety three yard drive punctuated by Cavasier smoke on thirty five yards for the touchdown. But then after that, after that touchdown, they were denied. Things just did not go well for the Wildcats. But bo Nicks looked really
good in that game. But his career began to founder a little bit at Auburn, and in fact, he was eventually benched, fans turned on him, and he left the planes for a new home in Oregon. Hey, it has worked out. He'll be the starting QB for the Denver Broncos. Oh, yes, one other quarterback. Note, there is a little bit of I don't want to say bad blood, but it's really interesting what's going on between Patrick Mahomes and a flag
football star. You know, flag football is going to be in the Olympics in four years, and there was some loose talk going around from Darryl Househ deuceet, quarterback of the US national flag football team. They won a lot of championships evidently, and I guess there was some talk about NFL players believing they can jump right in and
play flag football in the Olympics. This guy, and he was taken up for his sport, saying it's disrespectful that they automatically assume they're able to just join the Olympic team because of the person they are. They didn't help grow this game to get it to the Olympics, which is true. These guys have played a lot of flag
football and it's very popular. But he said, give the guys who helped this game get to where it's at their respect, okay, But then he goes a little too far by comparing himself to Patrick Mahomes only the best quarterback in the game.
At the end of the day, I feel like I'm better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game. I know he's right now the best in the league. I know he's more accurate, I know he has all these intangibles, but when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him.
Hey, you may know how flag football is played, clearly you do. But to compare yourself, first of all, in general to Patrick Mahomes ridiculous. To compare your football IQ to Patrick Mahomes even more ridiculous. You got guys coming after you trying to grab that flag around your waist. Patrick Mahomes says, guys coming after him trying to crush him. He's just trying to preserve himself out there, and by the way, he lead his team to a super Bowl.
So just smile, enjoy the experience, and do not bring up Patrick Mahomes again. Up next way from the Football Cats bottom of the hour. Bill Ransdell comes by the garage here on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue and Sider. The football Wildcats have been cleaning things up as they wrapped up what they call fall camp. Next week, they dig into the game plan in earnest
as they prepare for Southern Myss. You're going to see all kinds of pregame specials, including one on WTVQ now the home of SEC football BB and Tonight's got a lot of programming Hite Fox fifty six. But I was nearby when Jeff Bicoro of Channel thirty six and r UK Radio Network talk to jam Dumas Johnson the transfer from Georgia the linebacker about why he chose Kentucky for his new stop after he left UGA.
Really really just the difference of mindset that Chris White and of course Stoops has here at Kentucky. The personnel. Of course, White plays with the different kind of flavors he got in his bag to throw out never in the same defenses can switch it up any kind of any day. He went never letting the offense know what he's in and know what he's doing. So I think that was a big part of my decision making.
When I look at this defense, and especially from a linebacker standpoint, when you were at Georgia, you had those big guys up front who took up the blockers. They gave you clear pass. You look at this Kentucky team, it's kind of the same front that you're gonna be playing behind, right.
Yeah.
You know you got a big, big, big D big zero up there. You know you got trail there on the head, you got you got Ox up there, you got j J up there. You know you gotta got a couple of Kalil up there. You got a couple couple of guys with that that's big. I can got the help. He can hold their own up there. So I don't think it's much difference within the change of my D line. So you know, I'm excited what they're gonna do.
I like, you've got a big spile on your face when you started drigging up the names. That are you gonna be playing around?
Yeah yeah, uh, you know, just making that connection last three days in camp, you know, uh, you know, you gotta bring that leadership out. You know some sometimes some people need some some help to bring bring they they better part out, they better stuff out. So you know, that's that's what I'm been trying to do. Uh, you're trying to lead, you know, not trying to do too much. Uh, you know, not your born leader. That's what I had
to call myself. Uh so not trying to take the role that it come to you and when it happened, happened. But you know, just just happy for the guys and see what they can do.
Brad White, Kentucky's defensive coordinator, was asked about doing much and who said he'd rather not be called pop anymore. And that's fine, but he said Doomius Johnson more and more transferring in from Georgia is learning the way they need things done at Kentucky.
Every day he gets a little bit better and more nuanced, you know, at our terminology, the way we operate, the techniques that we run, because every defense that you go into is slightly different. But you can see that the confidence level really rising in the understanding level. And it's like anything like when you finally make that connection point and you bridge the gap to say, okay, this is what it used to be. How do I execute it without always.
Having to think?
You know, you think about a foreign language, right the moment that you can actually think in the language that you're trying to speak as opposed to always translate it.
Man, you're off and running.
One of the other transfers backup quarterback Gavin Whimsit from Rutgers. He right now is number two on the depth chart. Talk to us about why Kentucky. He liked bush Hamden, He liked the offense, and he like what he saw when he researched the Wildcat program.
It's smart knowledge about like going into different schools and just my comfortability with with with offenses and just football in general. I think that made me look into it. I'd say if I was a freshman and I entered the portal, then I probably wouldn't have looked at it as much. But I think now from especially coming from Rutgers and just seeing how I fit in that offense, I think it's just I wanted to get into offense that fit me, fit me best.
So how do you think you fit in the South best? Because when they talk about you, they talk about your running ability.
I think I can fit in with passing as well, just uh, you know, just consistency and making the routine play. I feel like sometimes you know, get out of whack, But I think it's just getting back to that spot where I can just keep on playing, you know, you know, easy catching and throws, so.
No shortage of weapons in this offense.
Is that exciting to be part of?
I think that is super exciting. You know, you got guys who can play multiple positions and you AD's depth and I think that's that's super amazing. You know, just put guys everywhere you can mix some of it Mattham and I think it's it's amazing.
Really curious to see how and when they use Wimsedd as a backup to Brock vandergriff Up. Next, Bill Ransdell visits the garage on six thirty WLA. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. Every now and then we have guests here in the garage. And the other day the man who dropped by happened to rewrite the Kentucky record books when it came to passing, and the record stood
until Tim Couch showed up on campus. I'm talking, of course, about Bill Ransdell, who lived the Wildcats to the nineteen eighty four Hall of Fame bull victory forty years ago. This season, we'll be talking about that in our season opening broadcast as Wildcats take on Suttern Miss. So my conversation here in the garage with Bill Ransdell. Bill Ramsdell, Welcome to the garage.
Hey, I love the garage. Everybody's got to have a man cave in their garage cave and I love it.
Yeah, well we get it done here. And Bill, of course, the long time Kentucky quarterback, and at one point you were with us on the UK TV network and now you enjoy your tailgating.
You're having fun with that right absolutely. You know it's you know, five kids and my wife I all love football and you know we'd like to get out there on Saturdays, and you know that's kind of a good family time. A lot of people go to the lake, a lot of people do different things, you know, horseback or whatever. Ours has always been tailgating and Kentucky football.
That's good. Well, you got a chance to have some more fun this year. I know you haven't been able to get out to practice yet, but you know, just from you can't help it. But read about this team and the depth in the quarterback room. And I always go back to your time at Kentucky when we talk about depth, and I remember you talking about being fifth or six on the depth chart. Mike Whittaker was on that depth chart, and eventually you got to the top.
Tell me about the challenge for any quarterback who signs up to play, and we'll get to the transfer portal in a minute. But you know, going in, you got to beat out X amount of guys.
Right, you do? And you know, you come in and I think that it's I think anybody that has played the game and gets recruited in college at any level, but especially when you get up ato D one regardless, you think that you better believe that you're the guy that they recruited you for a reason. And when you walk into the room, I don't really care who is there. I'm here to win and play. I didn't come here to sit. And if you don't think that way, you're not going to make it to the field. And so
it's how do you get there? You have to buy the time. And when I came in with coach Clayburn's first recruiting class, they they're trying to build and so the you know, the red shirting and where basically it's just a whole back year, as you know, and so then you get your your only chance is the next spring in spring practice, and so you get a limited amount of plays back then there's no red shirt for quarterbacks. It was live every day.
Ridchard means hands off, not the extra year, but yes, don't hit this guy.
Yes, no red jerseys for the quarterback. Yes, so it red shirt was when we were held back. But the red jersey you don't touch anymore. But everybody was live. Is that just a clay Burn thing? No, no, no, cursey. It was the time. It was just the time. I think that probably the first time. Mummy I think probably kept everybody off of the quarter Well. Yeah, and you don't think they touch Dusty either before and the other team Jared either, So yeah, I think that's part of
what it was. But they the big thing is you you have at then and and it's got to be similar now. You're gonna have X amount of plays you're gonna get and how do you execute and and it's that hasn't changed. You're gonna you know, are you two's against ones? You know what what's that look like? I mean I can remember, you know, my red shirt freshman the sophomore year coming in and coach Devlin was the
defensive coordinator. Went on to the Houston Oilers. We're all waiting to go over to to Commonwealth to you know, to have a big scrimmage. And uh, he looked at me and says, you're ready to go today? And uh, this is one that we were still at Shadley And he says, you're ready to go today? And I said, yes, sir, And he said that's good because I'm musa throw everything in the kitchen sick at you. So you know, that's
what it comes down. You have to be able to sit there and show that you know that you're ready to go, and the coaches have to believe it.
What's it like for a young kid? And I got to thing, no matter who the quarterback is, I'm sure there exceptions, but I'm thinking you you play quarterback as long as you can remember your dad was a quarterback, so it was natural to suddenly have to sit and wait your turn to play at the college level. I mean, you didn't have to do that much in high school, and I'm sure in pee wee football. What is that like for all these kids who have to sit and wait.
It's very challenging. It was probably one of the most challenging times other than when I got injured in the middle of the season. You know that you're you're taking something away that you you love. And I don't know that myself or anybody else really realizes how much the sport becomes a part of you, right, and uh, you know a lot of people it's it becomes really more than that, it becomes their identity, right, And that's that's
even tougher. But it was really difficult because I felt like I could I could be on the field and be doing what was getting done, and uh, you wanted to help absolutely, I mean just I mean put me and coach.
Yeah, yeah, you know.
So it's it's a really challenging time. Yeah.
Yeah. And speaking of challenging, as we talked to Bill Ransdell, former Kentucky quarterback, Uh, Kentucky goes winless under Jerry Claver and then suddenly six wins and lexing in Central Kentucky. The Big Moon Nation didn't call it that back then, going nuts a bull trip. You were not the starter. But the following year you were nine wins and another bull trip in a win. So it all started to pay off for you. Those were heady times, weren't they.
They were they were, and that spring. Then you know, eighty three just went out, you know, had a chance to make some moves on the depth chart and played quite a bit. Yeah, and and was you know, contributing. And so then you get to the you know, eighty four and true story, we're sitting in you know, maybe maybe this was the best bluff ever. Okay, but we're in Neeland Stadium playing Tennessee. We're seven and three and they're seven and three. Right, I've never gone back and
looked at this. But our coach, coach Asma, my quarterback coaching, offensive coordinator, they're in and he comes into the locker room and for the game and uh, this is the last time before we're going out to kick it. And uh he said, Fellas, this is it we got. I think there were nineteen bowls as I recalled back then, and he said, uh, winner at seven and three goes to a bowl. Looser goes home. I mean eight and three. Excuse me, winner at eight and three goes in because
we were seven and three. So winner at eight and three goes to a bowl, the looser goes home, stays home. Yeah, so it it's changed quite a bit, but you know it was good, and you know, everybody was fired up.
And I guarantee you he knew that because, as you recall, that was before all the ball games were slotted, correct, and they were bull reps wearing those blazers that's it on the sidelines in the press box, and they're willing to give up info, weren't they?
They did, and they were there, and it was the Hall of Fame was in Birmingham right at the Big State now the Outback, and then it moved to Tampa and then it became it was a Hall of Fame.
It's a big deal.
Yeah, yeah, it was a big bull. It was nice, yeah, so it h but it was it was an interesting time.
Was that something that was clearly in your mind when he said it? But like they say, first time you get hitting the head, all that stuff goes out the window. Did you did you think about the bull game at all after that?
No?
No, I wouldn't think.
So.
Yeah, it's just it was nice, you know, a little little pep in the in the in the locker room for everybody and they're like dang, okay, you know, and we had gone the year before, so it uh, it worked worked out. I'm sure Tennessee probably went to. I don't know, but it's it was. It was still a nice little talk about.
More of my conversation with former UK qb one Bill Ransdell on the other side of the break here on six thirty w l A P. Welcome back to the Big boone sider Dick Abriel with you. Here is more of my conversation right here in the garage with former UK quarterback Bill Ramsdell. We were We've talked before about the fact that and I've mentioned it that you rewrote the record books and your name stayed in there until
a guy named Couch came to campus. And yet for all the great things you did with your arm, it could have been more. But you played for a coach jefpi Coral talks about this all the time. Uh. And of course when you got he had four different backs make the NFL. You can see why Clayburne wanted a hand off. Did you feel shackled a little bit? Clearly every quarterback wants to throw the ball, but that it'd be tough.
Yeah, you know, I really never thought much about it again, really, you know, I just I played the way I was coached and I learned more when I was in the NFL for a few years and watching when coach Mummy came in, watching his in the philosophy piece of that and how to how to control the ball with the spread. It made more sense to me.
You know.
It made me a pretty I like to think, a pretty good coach being able to sit there and understand it born. But no, I really never thought much about it. I think that if I could have done, you know, learned something earlier, it'd have been to drop the ball off to the backs a little more of okay, you know, from you know, because we were pushed the ball down the field quite a bit, and sometimes you know, full back Chris Terry or you know, anywhere, they're sitting out
here on the side, and you know it. I was ready to push it down the field. It didn't work all the time, you know, but yeah, we you know, you do what you can with what you have at the time.
What was it like for you? I mentioned the fact that, you know, here's the funny thing. Those two bowl years, I'm working in Dallas for Jim Hosts, So I'm reading like one paragraph in the Dallas Morning News, but I kept saying, hey, Kentucky wan again, what what what's going on there? You know? And uh, And when I got back and when Jeff Picorla joined us on the radio nowhere, he would keep saying, you know, remember that game where Paul Calhoun did this or we Bill did that. And
I'm like, Jeff, I wasn't here. So I had to go back and look in the record books, like, wow, that was pretty damn good. What was it like in terms of the Big Blue Nation for you guys when you turn things around like that, because there's nothing like the atmosphere week long after.
A win, No, there's not. You know, it's one of the things that that D and I talk about it, you know, when you can feel it in town. Yeah, not to mention, I mean the support firstly going into a game when they they you know, I've got goosebumps right now thinking about it. It going into a game and you've got people sitting there at you know, whether it's kneeling or down at Mississippi State and Starkville or
you know, Florida lsh. It doesn't matter, but it is the Big Blue Nation was showing up back then and they still doing it. Yeah, And it's one of those things that you know, it's it's a special And then in town here in Lexington, it's something that basketball the same way football, you can feel it. Everybody's mood just seems better. You know, everybody's slid around town. Then you can feel it well.
And now, of course every game's on TV. And I mentioned that we're talking with Bill Ransdell, a former UK quarterback and formerly with US on the UK TV network. But as you decided, I would think I'd rather be a tailgater. We were losing those delayed games and eventually we lost them all to the SEC network. So every game's on TV now and everybody has a big screen TV, so it's a tougher sell now, Isn't it used to be go to Kentucky football game because that's what you did.
Now it's easier to put your feet up it is and look at your seventy inch TV. You gotta give them a reason to come out. I think Mark Stoop's teams have done that for the most part, don't you.
I agree? Yeah, And I think that what you see back to the Big Blue Nation is they want to be there.
Yeah.
My family said earlier. My family, that's what we do. If we're not we're finding a TV somewhere for sure. But and I think that the coach has done a really fine job with it. You know, you got some excitement, You got young men out there that you know had bought into his program. Seems the culture seems to be pretty solid to me. And what else would you ask for? You know, it's a big family.
I mentioned earlier the portals that we had come back to it and the fact that you had to work your way up to depth chart like practically every quarterback and people are transferred. Mike Whittaker, your former teammate, left foy Ku rewrote their record books and had much success under Roy Kid. But now and I had a soundby with Tom Brady on the show earlier this week talking about how kids now quarterbacks now who transfer all over the place. You learn the playbook, but you don't necessarily
learn the program. You know about getting all the lessons that you were taught, and that he was taught at Michigan beginning when he was seventh string. I don't know you're never going to get back to that, are you. But the portal being what it is, guys can shop for programs now.
They can shop and you know it's one of those things that having not experienced, I can't overly speak to it, you know from an outsider's opinion, which is what's that worth? I don't know much, but it I think there's something to being in you know together. I mean back in our day we had dorms. If you remember, we were all in dorms over in the Curve and stuff that's gone now. And you the sense was you give that family, right,
you you work together. Everybody have to live in a dorm, yes, unless you're married.
Now I think it's just a freshman yes, And.
I think freshmen think you're right. They still they still put in the.
Fall or whatever, but now they'll have apartments.
Yeah, everywhere. And you know, coaches thought was, you know, we're all here and you're there, and I mean it was just like a locker room. I mean you go into the bathroom, showers. I mean you might have a little stall area but nothing different. But yeah, I think that you the culture piece and getting a feel of that with your coach is about hopefully you have a
few years. But you know, I guess on the other side of that, gabeis you know, whether it's the running back or the quarterback or whoever it is, why did you come here? There's I like to think that at some point, some way, people have some gut instinct that brings them even besides money. It's like any job. You know, money is there, but what ultimately keeps you there? And you know it?
Uh.
I love doing football. I love doing the the LA telecasts. And as you were saying earlier, I was looking and considered working through and working yeah, and you know, I mean, but I mean just you know what it came back down to. It's like, Okay, this is my favorite time of the year. I love this sport with a passion. But that means I'm potentially out of town every weekend, away from my family. And I wasn't. I wasn't ready.
Your girls were so young back oh yeah.
And I wasn't ready to sit here and that I wasn't going to give that family time up. And even though it you know, that's what they've done. As far as a part of it, Yeah, I wasn't gonna do that. Yeah. No, I think the culture piece of it and then getting to know and you know, they these kids now look at the tea, look at all the communication, you know, look at all the technology. Yeah, they just sit there
and text, how's your coach? What's he like? I'm sure they're talking before they get here, you know.
Yeah, you know, which which is a good thing.
Yeah, you know, it's like recruiting now, you know, you get one or two and then the what they they're talking and trying to recruit for you when you get.
Together with with the letterman over at the k Man's house. How much does nil come up? How much do you guys talk about that? Because I've heard basketball players rex chapping and can you imagine what we would have gotten, you know, and me than what we got?
Is that what they said though? But the you know what it comes up. Some the guys, uh, you know they've talked about it, but it you know, they're just everybody just kind of shakes their head. And you know, we always I mean, I think we got I think we got twenty dollars a week is what we got back gaundry money, that's exactly. Yeah, And you know what we always Nobody writ that, you know, it's just I mean, you look at Joe fed or some people that were back years ago. What I mean, our time was better
than his. You know, it's just it's just changing times. But I think the big thing is just everyone being able to sit there and look and go, yeah, we you do need something. I mean, okay, you're getting your education, but how do you do anything else?
Right?
And there was nothing, there is nothing else to do before I let you go.
Bill Ransdell, here in the garage with us, you mentioned your time in the NFL. I believe you also played at least one season in Italy correct pro football.
Correct.
I don't know if it's still there, but I read the book about co playing for Pizza. It's based on that. That league it's still it's still is it still going? Yeah?
We went. So my youngest Mason, she's now twenty three, but in nineteen, yeah she'll be twenty three.
Yeah, my daughter used to babysit her.
Yeah, so we Uh, in nineteen she was still playing. She doing some club soccer, right, And so they had a team going over to Italy, and so we loaded up and we went and actually.
Went to Parma where you played.
We played and caught up with some old teammates and had bread and uh they got to see, you know, meet her, and uh it was really special, really special. But yes, the league is still going in one of the receivers that he was a guy that was just loved football and he never really got on the field. He was he's the GM now. You know, it's just it was, it was, it was it was, you know, full circle kind of thing. And it was really nice.
Well, and you know they're opening the season in Dublin, and you know, I worked a game in Tokyo. I mean it seems like wherever football goes. It was great. Japanese people they loved college football. That didn't understand it, but you know they were learning.
They'd like the gladiator sports.
Exactly exactly right, and they would put up messages on the board, you know about win too, applaud and things like that. But I you know, having Italian hair. It has been over there. Next time I go over, I need to find American football.
I will set you up. I'll get you some contacts. And did people show up and watch over the cops?
Did they?
Yeah? It was cool, it was really I know.
Kenny Walker played basketball over there, Kyle Macy loved his time.
I mean, they're just good. I mean it's it's you played just the one year though you tempted, you tempted to stay over there at all. I was, but yeah, there were some things, you know, I was, I had some life happens. Well yeah, so it was yeah, I needed I had some other things to take care of. But it was really neat great owner in Parama right there. I mean, I mean, you know.
It's a big deal.
Yeah, it's it's it was.
It was a fan and you can confirm. People always wonder about this, is the food really that good? Yes?
It is, isn't it. Everything's everything's fresh and it's all yeah, you know, made right right to order.
And there there, there's it. He's got his problems like every country, Butcher I can't recommend it more. Bill Ransdell, thanks for dropping by the garage anytime. Game glad to have you and listen for Bill. You'll hear him kicking off our first UK Radio Network broadcast this year as we try something new. So thank you. Sarah. We'll see you in the parking lot.
Sounds great, look forward to it that.
I'll do it for our number one coming up in our number two, Brian milem WKYT will join us of course talk Kentucky football, but I need Brian to prepace on high school football. That coverage begins this week and you've seen the series. A lot of the TV stations have counted down to the high school season with feature stories, so we'll talk with Brian about that, and Darren Hendrick's going to join us, the radio voice of the baseball Wildcats.
A lot of news involved in Kentucky baseball here leading up to the fall, which is a crucial part of the season, but also Darren's part of our team on UK football coverage, so we'll talk about that as well. That's next in our number two on the Big New Insider six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blue and Cider, and joining us on our celebrity hotline is a longtime friend and colleague, Brian Milam, sports director w KYT, who's been talking a lot of football here over the
past several weeks. We're going to talk with Brian, premarily about the high school season which begins this week, but real quickly, Brian, you guys have been prepping, of course for the Kentucky season upcoming, and we've talked a little bit about that this summer. I do believe this is a pivotal year for Mark Stoops and it's kind of complicated, made more dramatic by the schedule change, the addition of Texas. They do away with divisions, which I think we agree
does not help Kentucky at all. But how do you see this one shaping up?
Well, I think you hit it right on the head. This is huge for another reason also because he admittedly tried to get out of Lexington during the SEC media days. The first question when he hit the big room was you know, how serious were you in Texas? A and in and he came clean, which I understand he could not really discuss right after you beat Louisville in a dramatic win, and you know that kind of just has been the undercurrent, I think, one of the many undercurrents
in the off season. And yet this season is big because he tried to do what he wants to do, and that is coach football and not be a salesman to go out and get money the way. That's all he has done. He told me and a function about well it is right before the day before I left for the College World Series. He said, this is all I do. I don't get to coach anymore. And so I think he is excited for this season, but he's got a lot to prove because the divisional the division's
being gone. Yeah, that really throws you right into the lions den, where in the past you could avoid certain situations. But now, yeah, you're right in the thick of it with everybody. And and when you just look at the schedule from thirty thousand feet, you don't see a ten win season. You don't see a nine win season unless you get some great breaks along the way and at
least a regular season. So there, and you've got a you know, a running back room which has been in many ways the skapfle of your offense for the better part of the last seven or eight years since this Bowl run. The running backs that really you know, Bennie and Rodriguez being the two big ones and then Ray Davis, they have really solidified the big blue wall in the past as a lethal threat in the SEC. Well, now you don't have that room right now, and it may
take a while to grow. So yeah, and another new coordinator, offensive coordinator, another new quarterback. So yeah, there's a lot of Oh boy, let's wait and see.
Yeah, I mean, that's going to be the theme of the season. And I've talked all summer about how the calendar as much as the schedule works against him with that South Carolina game and Georgia looming early. So it's going to be interesting. And the fortunes of Kentucky football, I think you're in for a roller coaster ride. And I was talking to Bill Ransdell. It came by the garage about the fact that the whole city feels it
when the team is down or up, doesn't it. I mean, you can you can almost tell walking down the street what happened this past Saturday.
You know, Oh yeah, that's the way it ought to be throughout college and it isn't a lot of places, but especially here where you have had for decades that big blue basketball bouncing in the distance. And if UK was to start, you know, subpar the way they did before Mark Stops took over. It was football for a long time was just a buffer until you get to basketball.
And over the last seven or eight years, and even Stoops the second and third year when he started five and one and four and two, it was, hey, let's put that basketball on hold for a minute. We've got something here. But I am afraid with so much positivity and a new breath breathed into the basketball program. If Kentucky football was to stumble out out of the gate, I think a lot of people might check out interesting.
Well, Brian Mylin will keep it on that for w kyt uh. Well, let us talk some high school football though, because it's cranking up and man, you talk about we talked about Kentucky schedule. Some of the local high schools have schedules that are impressive, if not ambitious, Starting with Brian Station, which got to the state championship game last year, and all they're going to do is what start off with a bowling Green which is number one in Division five? What's going on?
Man?
Well? The thing with that I love about Brian Station, Well, first of Boyle County is going to play LCA and then Brian Station gets their hands with Trinity. So let's a rematch right off the jump of last year's championship game. And then you go to the year before Station beats
tr on the north side ten to three. So this is kind of a budding rivalry all of a sudden, and the Great American Rivalry Series is even coming in to showcase this game because we had that Louisville Lexington rivalry and it's of unexpected means you don't think of Brian's Station in Trinity to be that inter city rivalry from Louisville to Lexington.
Yep.
But with the emergence of Douglas being who they are and they get a hold of of Bowling Green, they've got a crazy schedule as well. It is you're getting state championship game quality on week one, where in the past you did not, you know, you had the cupcake for a couple of weeks, maybe just to get your feet under you. Wow, they're come shooting out of the gates because a lot of teams like Station, like Douglas, Boyle County, Trinity, Corbyn, Pikeville, way Out, way out East,
and so many others, they have a tough time. Nobody wants to play this, so you might as well have some heavyweight showdowns to start the season.
Yeah, and it's not going to keep you out of the playoffs, but it is going to show you what you've got. And I misspoke, actually was Frederick Douglas that opens up with Bowling Green. But yeah, they played Trinity, they play male and of course Brian Station they play manual. So boy, you talk about ambitious, but let me ask you, does Brian Station have enough to make another run in
the state championship where they did lose to Trinity. Oh and by the way, the field on which Brian Station plays right now, the team that dedicated that with Brian Station back in nineteen seventy three or seventy two, I should say, what's Trinity? The Shamrock came up and they opened that field a zillion years ago. But anyhow, Brian Station has got a lot coming back, doesn't it.
Brian Station is a ball club. They've got one main weapon, and I mean they've got more than one. But the main guy you've got to look at is Kaylin Washington. They call him Jaws. I mean he is an old school loaded the ground running back. And Bryan Station they
returned a lot of good guys. I mean, this is a ball club that I don't think anybody saw them really don't making the run they made last year, and it took its call on the ball club, the coaches, because this was territory they had not visited since nineteen ninety nine when Eric Shelton and the guys went to the state finals. And they have a legitimate shot in a district where they are matched up with Douglas, and in last year's playoffs, had Douglas Beaten Trinity, they lost
to him fourteen to seven in overtime. I believe you would have had, I think for the first time ever, the district champion and the district runner up from the same district meeting for a championship, because you see that in the past. Well with the way the RPI comes into play, which totally different subject for another time, you would have had the same district, district winner and runner up meeting just seven miles away, which would have been
pretty cool. You talk about Lexington rolling out everybody to see that game that had been something but stationed they are going to be very good. Philip Hawkins has done what I don't think anybody thought possible. He has rattled off four years in a row of ten plus wins and that's the greatest run in terms of back to back to back to back regular seasons and just total seasons in station history. Fans the state title, even.
The team that had Dermanti Dawson and a couple of running backs that eventually they all made the NFL back in the day, that team, I think the most wins they ever got were six because they didn't have enough around those guys. So you're right, it's amazing what they've done there. Brian mileam sports director WKYT, is my guest.
We'll come back and talk more Kentucky high school football on the other side of the break here on a Big Moonsider six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big moons Sider to Gabriel with you're talking to Brian Mylem of WKYT about high school football, which begins this week in the Bluegrass and of course specifically Lexing. And you were talking about the job that Brian Station did and the job that Frederick Douglas did. Frederick Douglas has kids
who've already committed to play college football. How much do they have coming back?
Did you say, Douglas, Yeah, Douglas is loaded. I mean they have. I've been to three practices of theirs. They're only two miles from the TV station. And now they just got another addition, Cedric Wirks, the four star defensive end outside linebacker from the Dayton area. He transferred in about two or three weeks ago, and he is going to be if he's ruled eligible. And I have no doubt he will be just because it's a out of
state transfer coming in. Now you add a four star recruit who's going to UK on top of all of that, and to these guys, it is it is crazy to see the athleticism on the Douglas ball club when I've been to again, I've been to three practices. It is watching It is like watching a small college football team, and I dare say some of their athletes would rival some of the same athletes we would see at a smaller college level right now now. And their linemen are huge.
I mean it is a They have a juggernaut over there and they have had since about year two. Year one, they're just trying to get their feet under them, but they are outstanding. Douglas has just got guys all over the place. Last year was their first year in class sick A. But they're top adon CHANLT, very good receiver Darien Talbert. They're just stacked. Again.
We're not gonna have time to get to every school in election in and around. But I'm really curious, Brian about Sayer, which you know had been a sad sack, but now Chad Pennington had them last year undefeated, going into the playoffs where they lost to Racelin in the region finals. I mean, that's a heck of a story. Another Class A, but still that's a heck of a story, it is, and.
What Sayer has done, they've also done everything the right way in terms of if you're breaking out a brand new program, don't jump into district competition. Get your seat under you. And you have Chad Pennington, a former NFL guy at Comeback Place here, the NFL ten year veteran, I think whatever it was, he knows how to construct this thing. Sayer did not try to take on the heavyweight guys right off the jump or even in year two or three. They have played what I call that
confidence schedule. We are going to learn, we're going to win, but we're gonna learn, we're gonna play teams our caliber. And then slowly but surely they have put together a nice little program. Now the one thing for them that they cannot do just yet because they are still a tier under the Class A power of Pipeville they have had. They have had, however, a nice run to build this program and it's a great success story, it really is, and it is the joy to go over there. They
have a nice facif it's a growing facility. Their surface is top notch for a team, one of the few teams that still plays on grass. But everything about there is on the uptick big time, and they are good. They've got some very good ballplayers. The Coffee kids can go and they have put a couple of kids in college already.
The Theedra City schools, Tates Creek coming back off eight wins with a quarterback and transfer from Douglas. But I think what has surprised me the most, Brian, And I know everything's cyclical, but schools like Dunbar and Lafayette and Henry Clay really struggling. And these are teams that have played for state championships, you know, over the past couple of decades. But Henry Clay winless last year, has lost fifteen straight. Lafayette snapped a nineteen game losing streak last year.
You know, Dunbar played for a state title and the first year of its existence. How do you think this has happened? And I know that's a broad question.
Well the big part, the easy answer just to throw at you. As Douglas has come into the mix, and it think to me that when the city redistricted. A couple of years ago, you had different kids going in different schools. And I asked an athletics director, who will remain nameless, I said, why is this school who used to be great at this coming down? Why is this school going up? Walked me through that the analytics of that, and he said, well, whether you get redistricted, and he
pointed out Dunbar first. He said, look at the male enrollment. Dunbar has I believe twenty eight percent Spanish American kids. Kidding, those guys don't play football, they play soccer, wellball, Yeah, yeah, guess what. Dunbar goes to the soccer state championship seemingly all of the time, or in the final four, Lafayette, Henry Clay Tates Creek, They've all been hit by Douglas.
And then when you have carter Gie Woodson Academy attached to Douglas, I mean, that's just that's just come on in Fellows and that is just an easy way to to basically, you know, make everybody else subpart. LCA lost a lot. Lexington Catholic. You will not recognize Lexington Catholic when you see them because they're the smallest team I've ever seen on a high school football team, on a
football with a name that resonates greatness like Lexington Catholic. Wow, Douglas effect has really hit hard over the last seven years. But in that same breath, Bryan's Station has become a volcano over there on the north side and Dougton Station have a heck of a rivalry. And yes, some of their kids go back and forth, not many, but a few big one paths. But the city is down and I think it's the Douglas effect makes sense.
A couple of minutes left with Brian Milein, you mentioned Lexcat and LCA election and Christian beat Lexcat in the playoffs last year, but of course they lose a big time quarterback to Kentucky. So what do you see from these two as we wrap this up?
Well, LCA, they're both teams. LCA and Katholic are in a rebuilding phase. When you look at LCA and they're still going to be good, mind you, but you lose cutter Bully from LCA goes to the UK. But the guy who drove that engine last year was Brady Hensley. He was a transfer from Madison Central. He is now following his dad's footsteps, and playing at EKU, he was forced. I think he had forty seven touchdowns last year. He
was the guy that LCA needed. LCA just ran into a bus saw in Mayfield that a team that just could not lose all of a sudden, But Cat is in. I'm telling you it's it's so strange to see a team so small. They lost their entire offensive and defensive line anchor Tis John Schlarmont, one of John Schlarman's sons who also went to UH to Eastern. I believe, and it's a different dynamics. They're gonna look hugely different. And I was at Boyle County yesterday and Boyle County they
are ready for a run. If they can do it, only two schools have ever done it, and they're going to try to win five in a row. Boyle did it time ninety nine to three and Highlands has done it to win five or six titles in a row. And if Boyle can do it, my gosh. And they've got montag and Clisonberry who has to be, in my opinion, the front runner for mister football. He has to be, and if he if he doesn't get it, it's only going to be because of injury or something like that.
But Boyle County looks to Boyle County again in the center in the Bluegrass region, and we'll just have to wait and see what we started tomorrow. I mean, my gosh, it's finally here.
Love it, love it. I'll be watching Brian Miles. It's a mini election night. It's an election year, but we always joke about the fact the newsroom gets so excited on election I were like, every Friday, we have precincts calling in so but that's why we sign up. Brian, thank you so much. We'll be watching, Thank you, Bude. I like watching the high school football coverage. I like to spin the dial and not that we have dials anymore that we can spend, but go from channel to
channel to see who has what. And of course Fox fifty six their show comes on at ten thirty, so you can check them out and then you can check out the other stations. But for those of you who do like watching the high school football coverage, and it's good. In the city election, it's very ambitious. You try to get to as many games as you can. That all started back in the eighties. It used to be that
they would get to three or four games. But there was a show on Channel eighteen that I can't remember who started it is. I think it was a couple of former coaches and it was called high School Sports Journal and it aired on Saturday morning. But because you couldn't turn things around quickly, it was games from the previous weekend. They were like seven or eight days old. But what that meant was they needed a lot more people with more cameras out shooting a lot more games
to fill a half hour show. So eighteen's Friday night show benefited from that, and then the other stations began this before I got to KYT. The other station saw, hey, we got to keep up, you know, we got to compete, and so viewers, high school football fans were the better for it. They benefited. We all did from it. But yeah, like I said, that takes you back to the early eighties,
and it has kept up the stations. For all the hacking and slashing they've done of local sports, they have not hacked and slashed as much high school football coverage. And let's hope that stays the same. More to come on The Big Blue Insider six thirty Welcome Back, to the Big Blue Insider joining us now as promised. Darren Hedrick of the UK Sports Network. He wears many hats. Of course, you know him because he's the radio voice
of the Baseball Wildcast. We're gonna talk some baseball here in a minute, and UK Women's basketball, which just released its schedule. But Darren also anchors the Scoreboard show on the UK Football networking drops in occasionally with scores and highlights. I mentioned earlier on the show, Darren, you've got the challenge now. And I know you've got a Google machine in front of you when you're on the air, but you got to keep track of these teams and what
conferences they're in. Now it's gonna be big.
It's still gonna be weird this year when I talk about a big hit matchup between Oregon and Rutgers, or Ohio State and USC whatever it is. But yeah, it's still weird. I still Dick can't get used to seeing Texas and Oklahoma next to SEC, even though it's really neat that I'm looking forward to visiting both ditties and seeing those programs. It's still weird to see that.
Yeah, and it shouldn't happened, But We could talk all night about that. But when you're talking Kentucky football, and you have been with us for several years now on the network, you know how this program's had its ups and downs, mostly ups center Mark Stoops. But what do you expect this year?
You know what? I'm excited. I really am looking forward to seeing the offense and the new quarterback with Frog Vandergriff and the new offensive coordinator. I think this defense has a chance to be pretty special with the guys coming back. Obviously, Deon Walker is going to be a massive disruptor on the line. The schedule is going to be challenging, that's for sure. You start looking up and down the schedule. And I've said this some interviews have
already done this preseason, Dick. I think that Week two matchup with South Carolina is massive for both teams because it's an early chance to get ahead of the game. At want to zero in the SEC and you certainly don't want to be zero to one with Georgia following you. So I think that Week two matchup with South Carolina is so big this year.
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. We always tease Darren about the fact that he knows who signs his paychecks and what his audience is. But he did go to Tennessee, and I think Tennessee is going to be a problem for the wildcast for a lot of people this year. What are you hearing from down there?
I know there's a lot of excitement surrounding their quarterback, Nico Iamaliaba and trust me, I have practiced al sempers saying that name. But the Iva is showing so far in pre season to be a sophomore, core through sophomore quarterback that's poised and ready to go. The coaching staff down there thinks he is the most prolific quarterback they've had in this offense. Wow, and that's saying a lot when you consider what Hindon Hooker was able to do
a couple of years ago. I don't think, Dick, that they have the elite wide out that they've had. The title's been there, sort of like a Jalen Hyatt. But I think they do have some really good receivers. Brew McCoy's back for another year after being hurt. They also have the Brazil transfer from Tulane, so I do think
they have skilled players. The tight end room has gotten better defensively, I don't think they're at an Alabama or Georgia level, but they're certainly the deepest and most talented they've been on defense, and title's been there.
Well. Like I said, it's going to be tough, and there was a wild Tennessee was backing up to the rest of the league and Kentucky didn't take advantage enough advantage of that. So but a lot has to happen between then and now. Let me shift over to baseball as we talk with Darren Hedrick of the UK Radio Network, and of course was part of that great run to
the College World Series. Now Kentucky starting over, as does everybody, but a lot of pieces are still in place, Darren, including some young arms in one veteran arm at least down the stretch were important. And I'm talking about of course, Robert Hogan comes back. I thought he was one of the real heroes down the stretch and a true leader. But Ben Cleaver showed flashes, Cooper Robinson showed flashes. I'm excited to see these guys. I know you are.
Yeah, I'm really anxious to see this fall. This is a big fall for this pitching staff, especially the young arms. That have waited their turn, like Ben Cleever, anxious to see how they've grown this summer. It's another year of learning under Dan Roselle. Plus you've got Trevor Fitz and they're helping from the player development standpoint. So this is a staff that has the potential to be right as
good as they were last year. You know Robert Hogan, the guy that might contend for a weekend spot in the rotation, and we all know how good his slider is. Oh yeah, it's good enough to strike out Travis Bozanna or Abizana rather in a big spot in the Super Regional and get some big timeouts in the College World Series. So you know, it's going to be a fun and I think it's going to be a big fall for
several of these young guys that they get opportunities. And that includes some position players too like Griffin Cameron and Ethan Hemvile.
Yeah, and the portal, of course, plays a big role in all of this. She had eleven players finish up their eligibility. You had a dozen and as a portal and we talked about this before. People get really concerned about that, and it was really after the regional team of twenty seventeen when people began to pay more attention, as you know, to Kentucky baseball and stories of kids entering the portal. People were losing their minds, and guys like you and me, we had to educate people. Hey,
that's all part of college baseball. But now, Darren, more scholarship money. And I don't think anybody's figured it all out yet, but these new rules where they're gonna have smaller rosters but more scholies, how dramatically do you think that will affect college baseball?
I think it levels the playing field a little bit because it takes away an advantage that you know, an LSU or Florida or even a Vanderbilton Stanford have had for so long. You know, Vanderbilt and Stanford dominated college baseball for a while there because they operated on a different playton field from everybody. And I'm not saying it's morally or ethically wrong, but they had endowments as private university, so they could offer full ride and you know, it
wasn't a case of hate the player. It was just take the game that was available to them. And I think now these full scholarships take away those type of advantages. Now, what is still there as an advantage is nil. And there are some programs in THENCC that have a lot more resources in that advantage. I think programs like LSU and Tennessee we're seeing why they're at the top of
college baseball. It's because they still have a little bit more money than a lot of the other programs, and so you know, there's still there's still some advantages for other teams. But I'm excited about the full time scholarships, even though it does shrink the rosters. I think down the down River part of that, if you will, is that guys that might have been on the fringe of making a roster in then CC will go somewhere else and it will boost the lower levels Division three, NAIA,
Division two mid majors. I think you'll see more opportunities there for those programs to haul in some really talented players.
Darren Headrick, my guess radio voice of the baseball program at UK. We'll come back with more questions for Derek and we'll talk about the women's basketball schedule on the other side of the break here on the Big Blue and Sider six thirty eight, WLAP Well come back we're talking with Darren Hedrick. He is the radio voice of the baseball Wildcats, but also looking forward to joining us on the Football Network anchoring the scoreboard segments as well
as UK women's basketball. But right now we're talking about fall baseball, and before I ask you about any other players, one of the things Darren and you you've known this for a while that people might not understand it is how crucial fall baseball is. Because when we were talking to Nick ben Jones better teams about how they got so good. Everybody, of course talks about the fall. We knew in the fall that we had something special. And you and I have sat together watching scrimmages in the fall.
This is a vital time for everybody, isn't it?
It really is. And I just think back to last year. People have asked me a few times, Hey, when did you know this team was good enough to make the College World Series? Well, you know, the true answer is you get into the season and there's some victories under their belt, and you see some things and you're like, yeah,
this team is really good. But in the fall you get a sneak peek and looking at some of the guys that I knew would be contributing in the bullpen or on the weekend rotation, guys like Mason Moore or you know, time it was Travis Smith and in the season it became Trey Booser. Yeah that you know, that's something you don't anticipate in the fall, But then you watch the defense in the fall and you see Grant Smith in a million p tree and Ryan wald Schmidt.
You know, it's just it's a big time in the fall, and it's going to be a big one this year because Kentucky does have some transfer portal guys that'll have to get acclivated to the culture. But also I'm excited to see the youth. Like we've already talked about, I'm really excited to see Tyler Bell, a short stop as a young man that was drafted not first round by the race, but in the compensatory round, which is basically an extension of the first round, and chose to come
to college. I'm really excited to see this talented young man.
Before I shift you to basketball, I got to ask you, how surprised where are you the Devin Burks came back And I don't know what that means in terms of the depth chart, if you will. But mister baseball, the happiest man in baseball back for another year.
Yeah. I was mildly surprised, you know. I thought that, like some of the other players, the run of the College World Series was his big send off. But I'm excited that he's back, certainly because of what he contributes on the field and off the field to this team. He's such a great leader for the program. And you know, his decision to come back, I think is a big one.
It's going to make the catching room crowded, but certainly Kentucky can use his experience and his leadership, and obviously for the rest of us, we will enjoy seeing that smile back on the field this year. Excited to see Devin And you know, like I said, I was a little surprised by the decision, but certainly I'm excited to see him back.
Talking to Darren Headrick, radio voice of the Baseball Wildcast and UK Women's basketball, and you talked about making some trips to some new places, and of course you'll do that with baseball and women's basketball, and of course unveiling comes on October eleventh at Madness and Rupp Arena. But you get to call a ball game once again, my
friend and Memorial Coliseum. But it's not going to look like the old coliseum, is it starting on I don't know if you're going to do anything with a blue white gam on the eighteenth, But USC Upstate comes up November fourth.
It's going to be incredible. I can't wait. I've had a chance to sneak in the coliseum throughout the summer, and if I've been over there to do interviews or meet with some folks, I always snut down the hallway where they have all the trophies and peep through the window to see how the progress was going. And you know, now that it's on the cusp of being finished, they're just putting in finishing touches and polishing things and and all that stuff. The floor is there, the ceiling is there. Man,
it's going to be so much fun. And I can't wait to see the new atmosphere starting with volleyball season, yeah, coming up in the I guess that starts in about a week now.
So.
It's going to be fun to see that, like you said, and and man, it's it's just it's it's a whole new era. I think it's really interesting that they're opening what is an old arena, but it's essentially a brand new one coming in with a new era of SEC basketball, with two new teams and a new coaching staff and a lot of new faces on the roster. This year with women's basketball kind of.
Reminds me of when they redid Freedom All. You weren't here for that, but Freedom All was was just the grand old Lady of arenas, but it was really outdated, and they dropped the floor, put in new lights, new paint, and you know, I didn't even recognize it when I first walked in, So I'm looking forward. I've snuck in a couple of times as well, but not lately, so I haven't seen the near finished product. But air conditioning, my friend, it will be big. And that's every volleyball
or basketball player we've talked to. They've all had the same reaction you just did. They've smiled, they laughed, they giggled. But that was a big deal, wasn't it.
Yes, Yes it is. I mean I can remember some night's coming in there, those early season games. I can imagine what it was like for volleyball with the pack counts because those early, you know, late October, early November games. If you were in a suit down there on the floor calling the game, man, you sweed off about two or three pounds by the end of the night. So it'll be nice. And then you know, come January and February to have a little bit of East in there as well.
So yeah, and you're a guy who likes to dress up for games, so I'll give you that. A couple of minutes left with Darren Heddrick radio voice at a UK women's basketball program. They start off to the Wildcats with Upstate. They got Northern Kentucky Wafford, but Louisville comes up very quickly on the schedule on November sixteen. That is always a big test, isn't it.
Yes, it is. And Jeff Wallton has done a great job with his program there in the Derby City, and you know it's going to be different to have Louisville that early in the season. Typically that is amid to late December matchup, but moved up this year. In Kentucky gets to go to Nashville and play in the Music City Classic, and those opponents will be announced at a later date. But the trips to North Carolina and the acc SEC Challenge and then going to West Lafaiette to
play Purdue. I really like the schedule that coach Brooks has put together to showcase the program and really test his team before we get into league play.
Have you ever done a game down in Chapel Hill.
I have, but it was many, many years ago. It was still in the Carmichael Arena, but they've done some rent of to it since the last time I was down there.
Yeah, I've covered football down there, I've covered baseball down there, but not yet had a chance to see any basketball down there. A couple of minutes left with Darren we haven't even talked yet about the SEC, which of course includes South Carolina. They'll be great again, But what do you think Kenny Brooks can accomplish? And again, how I got about a minute and a half left, But in his first season in the SEC.
I think this team's talented enough. I think you can see them get back to the NCAA Tournament. I think you can see them be competitive with the best teams in the league and win some ball games this year. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Georgia Amore plays in the SEC. Is the point guard. The size Kentucky has this year with the rim protectors, so I think this is a team that can make some noise this year.
They've got size and this may be they'ren the biggest UK team ever when it comes to women's basketball. But you've got to have that in the SEC anymore.
Yeah, you really do. If you want to compete with LSU in South Carolina and Tennessee and the top teams in the league, you absolutely have got to have some rim protectors to be able to rebound the basketball.
Yeah, and put it back in if you can so. Darren Headwick is the radio voice of the women's basketball team and also Kentucky Baseball. Will also be with us when we crank up UK football in the UK Sports Network coming up and well a week from Saturday. Looking forward to a young.
Man, Yes, sir, I'm excited about it. Let's go.
I think we're all excited. And I did a radio show as a guest for a syndicated network down out of Georgia and one of the hosts asked me about, you know, what is the moment I look forward to or something like that, and I said, what brings it home for you that the season is about to start, I said, when I'm standing out there at midfield and they come running out of the tunnel for the last time, you know, after warm ups are over and they're ready to get going, I said, because I'm usually out there
waiting for the coin flip. And that's when I tell myself, like Darren said, let's go hereere we go, you know, it's time to get started. Oh, by the way, one thing we haven't even talked about yet is the new light display at Kroger Field. It costs more than half a million dollars. They're going to be firing that up this season as well, so fans should be happy about that. So and again, it just seems like this last week to ten days just drags by. The summer shoots by,
especially if you've got vacation because that races by. But now you've got to wait for that opening kickoff. And it's going to help that. We got football tonight on TV, We've got high school football tomorrow, as Brian Milin said, and college football starts for real this Saturday and in Lexington next Saturday. That's going to do it. Thanks to Darren, thanks to Brian Mylin, thanks to Bill Ransdell for dropping by the garage. That's a good night from the garage in Lexington.
Number two.
Chicken Stouth sand all the butter, the letters, the mayonnaise and a cup of coffee anything else.
Yeah, Now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a check for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules. You want me to hole the chicken, huh? I want you to hold it between your knees.
N h.