Hell every bud any to the facilities of the iHeartMedia megaplexis is the big booing sider board of the border. Here are the comments of Mark Stoops and here Cameron Mills talking about Kentucky basketball. And now we'll hear from Aaron Gershawn of the Castballs. He was there in Oxford watching the upset our own Billy Rutlison. A little bit later on Je Pikoro, who also covered that game in Oxford and for the longest time a member of the
Reds Network, we'll talk about the late Pete Rose. That's all I had here on the statewide BBI border to Borrier is the big blowin sider Dick Gabriel, Airin Gershawn, Billy Rutledge. Jeff Pikora will join us a little bit later on, formerly a longtime member of the Reds Network. We'll talk a little bit about Pete Rose. But obviously we got to talk about this game. You heard Mark Stoops, a relaxed Mark Stoops and Billy here and here every
week producing the Mark Stoops Show. And I have to admit that on the sidelines they take the lead late and I'm thinking, wow, So now I you know, in the latter stages of gam UK games, from about the middle of the fourth quarter on, I start wondering about player of the game. What will I ask? Just like Aaron, I'm sure you're like, who do I request? Absolutely, you know what am I going to ask? So now I'm
thinking which which hero? Okay? Then all of a sudden they throw that what's it forty five fifty yard bomb that should have been picked off, and the guy climbs the ladder and makes you a nice catch, and I'm like, and honestly, my shoulders dropped. I'm like, God, oh, I thought that I have done this so many times. I'll this one get away? You know, what are the bright spots? Stuff? You know? For years I've asked, and then and more stuff. The fumble. It wasn't because of the flag, you know.
And yet and honestly, I when I'm watching the kid line up the field goal and Tom Leech is given his numbers, you know, he's over for one from fifty yards out, He's he's the kid. Just really wasn't. I hadn't kicked many field goals, no, no, and this wasn't. As the moment he kicked it, I stuck my hands out like this. I'm been like, oh, it looked like I was pushing it, but I'm like, no, that's way off, you know. And then I turned to watch the celebration
on the sidelines. But what was it like for you in here? Because as you produce these games, and you can hear us during the commercials and you and I talk in the postgame and things like that. But different experience for you.
I know it is just because I'm locked in and I digest the game in a much different way. I hear what happens before I see it, so you know, it's it's weird to watch the play happen, but you know the result. It's an instant replay.
The TV is how far behind it?
It's like a two plays Yeah, so it's.
In our booth. It was two and a half minutes.
Yeah, that was That was strange. But this will go down in history, There's no doubt. And as much flak as Mark Stoops has been given, are not going forward on fourth downs and situations this year?
Would I would?
And I did.
Uh.
He probably had his most aggressive call in his coaching career and it and it paid off, and he was jovial tonight and as he should be, absolutely talked a little bit about that play and how that wasn't even the first option for the play. I thought that was
a little surprising to hear. But my favorite part was the part where he said he turned to Brad White and said, Buddy, we were due, We were due for one of these, for the kick to miss for a huge upstead on the road, possibly the biggest road upset against an SEC team of all time for Kentucky. It's something that we'll remember and it'll be something that you know, after you played Georgia to a one point game the week before, it's it's it's very impressive two weeks for Kentucky and in.
Halftime at a Georgia Alabama game, we'll get to that. You had to be thinking, well, maybe that Georgia game wouldn't that InCred maybe Georgia is just not that good.
And then the next puts thirty four points up in a blink of an eye.
But when he said that about Brad and he told that story to Tom after the game, excuse me, and I thought he was like, after the kick, he mad, we earn or you know, we deserve it.
It was before the kick. Yeah, he's told that to us too. Yeah, post compressor, yep. Yeah. It was just that fourth and seven o'clock. I just keep going back to that. I thought up there in the press box. I was like, it's one or two things. Mark stoops either lost track of downs and thinks it's third down, or they're just trying to draw him off and get it to fourth and manageable fourth and two, I mean fourth and seven at your own twenty. I just that was it was good.
Where the clock was he had to is what shocked me.
Oh yeah, everything about it was just Laane Kiffin said it best. Mark steps broke character and did something he's probably never done before in his life. And it caught old miss off guard. It caught us everyone off guard.
But you know what, it worked. And then two plays later, is that not the most Kentucky way to score a touchdown to the You have you have to hold your breath for the ball to get in the end zone where Gavin Weinstat call up and Josh Cattis, thank god, is right there to catch it for the game winning score. Just just a wild, wild sequence there and that fourth and seven call. I joked with him before with stoops before he started the press conference, and I said, they're
not calling you conservative today. I thought that was yeah, he said, maybe I was.
You know that play whimsit. Uh. I was as close to that play as I am to that wall. So I see the ball come loose, and it's amazing how quickly your mind works, because that's that's the first thing that went through my mind was, oh my god, they're going to giving this away. Here we go again. I'm gonna have to ask somebody, you know. And then and everybody keeps saying you recovered it in the end zone. He did not. No, he got it. He was at the one year one. All he had to do was fall down.
Yes, you know it was. It worked out, but gosh, like, even even that made you hold your breath.
Well, how unlucky Kentucky's been with fumbles this year. They they were due to use the same expression. They were due for it. But if they would have lost that fumble, I think the talk would have been, why is Gavin Wimsy in the game for Brock Vandergriff and the you know.
Especially after sum Ol Karenbig just broke off an eleven yard run to play before Well, here's the thing.
The play was successful until the moment he lost the fall the cadage and he took it to the goal line. You know so. And I'm not saying that vander Riff wouldn't have. But somebody asked Stoops about it on the show tonight. Is there a package where Wimsic can throw the ball? And having seen him in public and private scrimmage, is the answers yes, But you just hadn't done it yet.
I don't know why, but I think it would have been such a talking point because that game, if it wasn't about Kentucky's defense, it was about Brock. Vandergrity thought he was fantastic, Yes, and that throw to Barryon will be the one that's remembered perfect. But his connection with Dane Key in the first half was great. There were some schemed up plays that just didn't work out. I think one I think of is one to Dingle.
That was actual, Yeah, he was wide open, or the.
Throwback which Key threw it to Vandergriff, it was just I mean, he would have ran for a while if he would have caught that.
So Tom Leach said they ran at in practice all.
Week, so they were waiting for them score.
No, no, no, well you mean Kentucky. Yeah, yeah, and they scored every time.
So that's a hard play to execute in game. Oh yeah, but I know it was there, It was there, It was there. No, I mean Kentucky's oftense. I know they only put twenty points on the board. And you know, the run honestly was probably their worst game running the ball all season outside of a couple of plays. But the past game I thought it was its best of the year. I thought the pass protection was excellent. Actually,
I went back and watched it today. Of the five sacks, I thought four were on Vandergriff for simply holding onto the ball too long. And I think that's just something that's going to come with experience. But like Billy said, you're seeing those tough throws starting to be made now. You're starting to see his confidence to the point where he's going to throw that sixty yard deep ball and and you know, give his guy a shot in a one on one situation.
Stoops say what the first option was?
He didn't, He didn't know.
It was probably something underneath the Dane in the middle.
Yeah, I'd have to.
Go back to and it may have changed once they saw it was man man cover.
Yeah, they were just I think Dane was a double team day and you're gonna do that and leave Barrion Brown.
That's fine, well because.
They played a lot of man to man and os. Yeah.
In fairness, though Barryon Brown's been held going into this game. He wasn't even at one hundred yards in the season Yeteah, barry On Brown, outside of jet sweeps, has been a non factor this year. And that absolutely and it was something brought up in the I think I think I'm the one that brought it up to Stoops after the game.
I can't remember if someone beat me to it, but remember two drives before that, Barryon killed the drive with a sports from like conduct penalty and you're like, so much for that maturity.
I thought he had killed the game.
Yeah exactly. I mean it put him in a third and twenty and it's like, oh, he just killed the drive, maybe killed the game because you're down four, And he came back and showed incredible resolve, and I think that was a theme in this game. Another guy who shoulder resolved was Jaq Hardaway, where he fell on a forty on it that ended up being a foty yard completion the tray Harris. Two plays later he poked the ball for you for a turnover in the high red zone.
There were three plays where a Kentucky player either offense twice on defense, Nichols fell once got slipped on the field and it led to big games. And then I think on offense, somebody.
Slip slipped going for that past the key.
Yeah, it was just weird, that feel. I don't know. I guess he couldn't get couldn't get hold of it. But it was just one moment after I mean, go back to the very beginning opening kickoff.
Oh my gosh, Willie he set the tone. Willie Rodriguez set the tone of the game. I know, I know the it was the right call. The returner was down, Yeah, but that hit that he leveled on him, that was a tone center. That was like, hey, we're here for business. We're not here just to compete. We're here to win this thing.
And it was sweet to do it against Lane Kiff and you know, always talking and sending birthday gifts to Kentucky kickers in the past. You know, it's just it's been heartbreak over these last few matchups with old Miss Dk Metcalf. You think of the missed extra point in overtime, you think of Will Levis, and you know the illegal formations. So it was you know, in those three games it was a combined less than ten points that Kentucky had lost by. So they were right there.
Now it's ten ten or less up until then it was seven.
There was seven something.
Yeah. Dank Key mentioned that after the game though it was on their mind all day. They wanted to get paidback for two years ago. He mentioned, He said it was really.
Important he caught the touchdown that guy taken away too, So I imagine it was sweet for him. And he's been great for two games in a row. He has been making money.
And I keep going back to what he did over the offseason, which is put on weight. He put on really good weight. That told him with the strength.
I mean, congratulation.
That's a good one. But I was looking through the numbers today this time last year, four drops this year, zero drops for Dane for Dankey.
Yeah.
So well, And I don't know what it looked like to you, but downstairs it was clear Ole Miss was gonna hold or hack or whatever.
Every play they missed two pi's against Dane earlier. Luckily they made up for him. But it was like it was like.
In basketball where they, you know, coach a follom when every played, they can't call all of them.
That was like that's what they were gonna do, and that was an issue. That was the one thing where you look at Ole Miss so sorry, all right, they haven't played anyone. Their stats are unbelievable. Where have they gone wrong? They were going into that game. They were number one thirty one in the countrys in penalties, so they were a team that was highly penalized, but they were playing crappy teams and they were able to get
away from it. This game, you know, they made some self and self inflicted wounds and Kentucky made them pay.
Yeah, and there should have been penalties for faking injuries.
That yeah. Mac Jones the running back literally Nick nick Rousse next to me, He's like, did he just get sniped or something.
It was like they got picked up nationally like they.
Yeah, it was on Sports Center yesterday.
And it wasn't the only guy to do that either. Ole Miss had a few times on the on the.
Bomb to Berry on Jared Ivy the defensive end who had the scripsack to beat Kentucky two years ago, went down with a cramp.
Peter Burns called him out on a football final.
Oh yeah, I saw he went in on them.
It was so obvious, right it was.
But normally it's like up tempo offense is causing you to be out of breath, and that's when you do it. But it was ole missed.
I don't think they liked the play that they had called or something.
Or they didn't have a player, you know what I mean, like the lane's using it as a free time out.
Yeah, they were. Kentucky's defense just completely wrecked what they wanted to do.
Upfront without Harston too.
Yes, I'm in the corner. Yeah, look, it was something I think I think I said it here last Monday. It might have been on my podcast to do on Wednesday nights, but it was all right, this is the game we're gonna find out. Is this going to be another twenty nineteen situation where this ragtag cornerback room ends up being pretty good or is it going to be like last year? Or is like the depth isn't there? And I think we found out, especially because Max didn't play the depth is prickdy darn good.
If ever there was a day that the d line needed to come through, oh they did because Maxwell Eerson wasn't there. Yes, so you know they had to protect the guys back there and they we're pretty young.
And Deon's going to be a top ten pick in the NFL. But it was really I thought about like Ox and how well he played. Man, he was all over the place, and if you're going to get production from those guys, then I mean, is this defense top five in the country because you take turning that way, but the way you played Georgia and Ole Miss.
Carolina, what has The defense didn't even play that bad against South Carolina. They had two terrible plays, but you look at do you know what South Carolina? As long as touchdown drive that game was what sixty yards? So when your offense is putting you in terrible spots and your punter can't punt like, it's going to kill you eventually.
And I'm guessing on that sixty yard drive.
One of those players one with the coverage breakdown, Yeah, because there were two of them. There were two in that game, the defense in that and they still I think they ended up with five sacks. They had two strip sacks they didn't fall on. They had a pick. Ty Bryant had a pick. Like even that game like it wasn't bad. The offense was pitiful and gave him no chance.
All right, we'll take a break, come back and talk more Kentucky football. Bottom of the ar Jetpikoro joins us right here on the state wide BBI border to border. It's a big Blue insider. Dick Gabriel, Aaron Gershwan, Billy Rutledge, Will Levis on the bench right now for the Titans against the Dolphins. Suffered an injury diving for a first down that it looked like he made and then was not given the first down. So it all went for
Not where does this, Aaron put Kentucky right now? You lose a game you're supposed to win, You win a game you're not really supposed to win. Are they back on schedule?
I think that's exactly what it is. They're back on schedule. I think a lot of people would have signed up for three and two when you looked at the schedule, not necessarily this order of it, but you got to three and two nonetheless, and now It sets up really nicely for this pivotal stretch that's coming up after the bye, where it's it's Vanderbilt, it's Florida and Auburn, and they're all Are they easy?
No?
But are they all winnable? Absolutely, especially given now that Auburn just doesn't look good at all, and offensively they talk about a team that killed themselves with turnovers. I mean, they've outgained opponents two weeks in a row this week by two hundred yards, and they still lost because of a pick six at the end. We know Florida's problems, and Vanderbilt comes to Lex and plays well every time, but they lost to Georgie State two weeks ago.
Well, Vanderbilt also beat Kentucky as a last time they played there.
So every game between Vanderbilt and Kentucky since twenty sixteen has been a one score game. So I guarantee you they will come here and play well.
I remember, go ahead.
Well, I was just gonna say, for those reasons, I'm trying not to look forward.
Well, they're the next game. So but if you look.
Forward, I mean, you get one of those Texas or Tennessee games.
Dig.
Yeah, you know what I'm saying thinking about play off fire off. I mean, it's not out of the realm of possibility, but there's let's let's take a lot to break right.
Yeah.
Yeah, Missouri probably has to lose a couple too.
It's interesting. Somebody described and you could see this coming. Alabama Georgia. Great game. I'll admit I gave up on it.
I almost almost did.
I started channel surfing. I'm like, guy, they got this one. Uh the highlights. Technically, that game, which should have been you know for all of Marvels, almost means nothing, or it could end up not meaning anything.
Could it could, But I think it'll end up being more for Alabama than it will for Georgia. I think Georgia will figure it stuff out and they'll be fine. I think it just shows for Alabama. It proves to the country like we're not going anywhere just because Nick Saban eight here, I mean Klen de Bor. If you look at their offense, it's almost a more fun of a watch with Kaylen what he's able to scheme up. And it just shows, you know, Bama was going to
be bam when they're not going anywhere. And uh that that's I think again, they won, so that that's part of it, but just the fact they did it in that fashion for the most part. I mean they dominated for two quarters obviously, and then pulled away at the end. I just think it'll matter more for Bama.
Yeah. Well, Kirby Smart, he's got to be scratching his head. You know, he's what one and seven against one in Alabama one and six and you almost had one of the best comebacks of all time in the SEC. I mean, let's I don't think that's hyperbole. It was twenty eight to zero in this game, I believe so it was. I turned the channel channel off, but I did come back at some point to see the madness that ensued
with that seventeen year old receiver Dick. I mean, that was one of the seventeen That was a crazy catch that he made. Not only that, but the movie, Oh.
One of the best ever and I think pre dating Kirby Smart. Nine out of ten for Alabama, is that right?
Was twenty twenty one National Championship games, the one Georgia one.
It's amazing.
Yeah, Kirby Smart's lost twelve games of Georgia and six or to one team.
Are you serious?
Twelve games.
I had to think about that stat for wow.
I was looking, you know who one of the teams are not named Alabama? Who the Vanderbilt Commodore is in twenty six? Eric Mason, Yeah, Eric Mason, Yeah, I saw the list of coaches. There was something I'll find it while we'll keep talking here, but there was like, it's unless your name is Nick Saban, you're basically cursed if you've beaten Kirby Smart. So hopefully can leave it.
Well, it was just a fun day for football, wasn't it.
It was? It really was. I mean, I thought Kentucky's Old Miss game would have been the best in the SEC, but nope, we had that.
Now come off the front page.
So is the regular season less valuable now that Georgia Alabama games aren't? That don't mean as much.
As they do?
And of course, yeah, and here's here's the list. By the way, Hugh Freeze, who got fired one year later at Ole Miss, Tom Herman at Texas he's now at FAU got fired two years after fact Books Jones got fired a year and after that fact that was the Hail Mary game. Josh Dobbs the uh.
But Jones fired losing here yeah.
Happened here. Yep, Gus Milezone at Auburn. Uh got fired a few years after the fact, Derek Mason and then Jim Mclawane got fired at Florida. He's not at Central Michigan. All those guys are the only guys not named Kurk, Nick Saban or Kaylin the board to beat kirkby.
Smart at least they can say that for whatever whatever. It doesn't right.
Yeah, but good for Carson back because he was he was really bad in that game. And then he delivered and throw a lake pick in the end zone too. That was That was such a good game.
Yeah, great game.
But like I said, in not Kentucky off the front page, off the lead story, I mean.
They got the second they were still the second story that they'll take it. Yeah they were, I mean nationally Yeah, they were No. Number two national story of the game. Yeah, of the day. Absolutely.
Uh.
Does this take Stoops off the hook for the Georgia again, not that I thought he was on the hook, but in the minds of oh should Billy rud or.
However, don't me to answer that.
That doesn't change my mind about the Georgia game.
It still it doesn't change you'll never change your mind about the Georgia game.
Well, he has come out and explained himself. I think twice the differences between why he didn't against Georgia and even why he did.
Also, there's also you look at the defenses. Old Missus defense got exposed. Their line is good, their line's good, but their secondary is not.
I always go by what was I thinking at the time, and at the time I was thinking he needs a punt here, and then in Oxford, I'm thinking, man, I think he's probably got to go for it. But when he threw that bomb, I'm like, what are you?
Analytics are weird because I think you want to make a lot of your decisions based on statistics and numbers, but when it comes to some points of a football game, you've got to go with what can help you win the most, and I think in some instances that's going against analytics. We saw Versus.
Quoted Stoops is saying, yeah, I have a friend of his has said, you gotta be you know, be smart, whatever.
But you gotta have a good gut, the gut you know.
Now, analytics are all well and good, but analytics, in my mind, they look backwards. They look at what has happened. They're not predictors. You know, they'll tell you what might be the percentage play, but it's based on what's happened in the past. They're not telling you what you know, what kind of defense O missus plant? Are your receivers having any luck against their defensive backs? How's your O line holding up? That kind of stuff? So there's a place.
What I'm telling you is there's a place for both. I will drop a name. I don't know if this means anything, I know what will you? Brett Butler, former big league outfielder, was playing on our golf tournament and he was having a talk with the actor who played Jimmy Olsen and the old Superman movies. I can't remember his name. He's a great guy. And I was just standing there waiting to interview Butler, and they kind of
brought me into the conversation. They were talking about analytics and basically you know, baseball and is there And I asked Brett Butler, I said, are you are you an analytics guy or you a moneyball kind of guy? And he said, why can't we have both? I said, man, that's a hell of a good point. You know, you just got to know when to lean one way and when to lean the other.
Yeah, Billy Bean, you talked about it right there, a little moneyball. Actually he got the A's to the playoffs and did it for a little bit. Yeah, but you know he never won the big one.
No, but you know what, other teams began to do it with better players, and so the Red Sox they did it. Cubs did too. Mornicum take thirty e Wlap Welcome back. Jeffikar is going to be joining us shortly, but he is putting together part of his sports cash right now at Channel thirty six regarding Pete Rose, so we'll give him a few extra minutes. I have to admit I was a huge Pete Rose thing growing up. I was a Reds fan, but more than anything, a Pete fan. I love the way he played. Tried to
switch hit myself. Not as good as he was, of course, but I think he was. He he was probably by the time you started paying attention to baseball.
Yeah, knew all about him. Obviously he was done, but yeah, read all about him. Knew all about every story. I've been to Cooper's Down several times growing up, so he wasn't there. But you know, you read a lot of different things, and there's still some of his member bilia there, just not in the Hall of Fame, not him himself in.
The first time long time? Should Pete roseby in the Hall of fast time? The top three worst?
One of the first things you said when we walked in here, Billy, was it you believe? And it kind of surprised me because generally people in your demographic believe he does belong, but you don't.
Well, I think the Hall of Fame is a joke for Major League Baseball. Let's so let's start there. Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, all these guys should be in the Hall of Fame.
Should they cheated?
Yes, there should be a steroids wing, a wing or a sign. You cannot tell the story of baseball without Barry Bonds. You can't do it with Pete Rose.
I'd be wing so.
But the way that the Hall of Fame is set up right now, No, Pete Rose should not be in the Hall of Fame. He broke the one golden rule of baseball that everybody knows about, that you can't gamble on the sport. He denied and lied about it for years and then admitted it in a memoir. Also, the reason he is banned from baseball is because he agreed to be banned from baseball.
You know what?
I wonder about that, Doobe? And we'll never know because BARTI mightighty died. But I cannot believe that Pete Rose sat there and said, Okay, ban me for life. I'm good with that. I refuse to believe that that.
What from what I was reading, the trade off was that nobody declared that he bet on baseball after that. It was so nobody would say that about him, tarnishing his legacy evenymore, he expected to be reinstated just a year later he was eligible to be stated, and then he never was.
Yeah, well then then there was that agreement. We'll look at it in the years. No, what do you think?
It's tricky? It's really tricky. I'm I mean, I think you should be in there. I'm with Billy. You can't tell the story of baseball without Pete Rose. It means the all time hit leader four Pete Rose exhibit. Yeah, you could, and I think I don't.
Think he belongs. You've been there, you know what I'm saying. He doesn't belong in that room.
No, I'm with you. I think stimilar to the steroid guy and Owen Wing doing something because you have some of his membabilia there. They have a lot of the steroid era of memborabilia there.
A notorious Wing.
Yeah, do something. I mean, look, there's a separate not comparing the two, just stating how the Hall of Fame is laid out. There's a whole women's in baseball exhibit in area. There's a whole you know, Nigro league exhibit like that's separate from the Wing in the hall. So you can do something like that there. There's just different
avenues where those guys should be honored. And I get there. Yes, there should be an asterisk next to Barry Bonds's name he cheated, but you can't tell the story based.
On Derek Jeter should have a little gift basket next to his name and his bus.
That's fine all we have, mister, we do.
Yeah, he probably has a more insightful opinion than some of us.
All right, mister p Uh, good to have you. I know your work a little extra on your your ped Rose story tonight. But as a guy who covered the Reds, on the network for so long. How much interaction did you have with p Rose.
I had a ton of interaction with him, especially when he was the player manager and I was working over
at Turfway Park. That's what brought me up to Cincinnati in the first place, was, you know, we were a horse racing show was based there out of out of uh turf Way, And that's where I really got to know him really well because he was really good friends with a friend of ours, and Mike Battaglia, and and then of course Doug Flynn and and then through the years of doing Red's Baseball, I you know, I got to see him all the time. I mean simply all the time. And I'll tell you what, there is no
one that loved baseball more than Pete. And he said, you know, that's the biggest thing that he misses. It's not not being in the Hall of Fame. It's it's not being able to participate in baseball at the major league level. Because he's an encyclopedia on And if you talk to Doug, he'll tell you the exact same thing that he could teach you more about baseball than than than any any coach or manager out there. It's just amazing, and that was what I felt bad about for him.
And I know a lot of people say you shouldn't feel bad for him, but I kind of disagree with what you guys said. And Aaron, there's more memorabilia of Pete Rose than any other player in the Major League Hall of Fame. Uh, there's more of his stuff in there than any other player. And as Bob Costa said, someone had four thousand, two hundred and fifty six hits and unfortunately he's not in the Hall of Fame. I think much like Ron Santo, and I'm not saying that.
I think Santo belonged in the Hall of Fame while he was still alive. A lot of times they do this stuff posthumously for people in this type of thing. I think shoeless Joe should be in the Hall of Fame.
Yeah, you know, I don't think.
Yeah, he had over four hundred in the World Series and played flawlessly in the field, and yet you know he's a Yes, he got duped into it. Yeah, sure, But.
Billy and I were talking. I don't know if you heard this, but about I just said, I've never believed Pete agreed to a lifetime band. Now maybe he was told a lifetime ban, will look at it again in a year, something like that. I just don't think he'd ever because of what you just said, Jeff. He loved it so much.
Yep. Yeah. And here's what people don't realize has nothing to do with Major League Baseball. The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is run by the Baseball Writers Association, not by Major League Baseball. That's why Pete was allowed to be part of the All Century Team. That's why Pete's jersey and why he's in the it was retired, and why he's in the Reds Hall of Fame because those are controlled by Major League Baseball. The Hall of Fame is is the Baseball Writers and you know it's
it's very different. And that's I think that there's there's two different parts there. Now, do I believe that you should have an asterisk or something by it? Sure, but I think that he belongs in there for what he did for the game while he played.
You be okay with a wing. We were just talking about a steroids wing or a nefarious wing, you know what I mean?
Well, what about a murderers ring? I mean Ty Cobbs should be in that. Why by top of the Hall of Fame he killed somebody? No, I.
Have an agreement. I've been times.
Yeah, but you know he's in the Hall of Fame.
No, it's a it's a it's a what's the word I'm looking for. It's very it's a conspiracy that has a lot behind it. There's a lot of evidence.
And and here's here's my problem with the with the Baseball Hall of Fame, that there are people that are still voting for the Hall of Fame. And and the greatest example I can use is is is just a guy that was beloved by every Hank Aaron. He didn't go in unanimous, in unanimous Ken Griffy Jr. Who would never, not one person ever accused him of steroids. Uh, one of the all time greatest players was not a unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame. Because these guys feel well, uh,
you know Ted Williams or Babe Ruth didn't go in. Uh, so I'm not going to vote for him. That that's that's stupid and that person to get their their their voting right now.
Because somebody was stupid back in the day, it doesn't.
Mean you should be stupid.
Yeah, I mean, for Dave Parker not to be in the Hall of Fame is ludicrous, you know, That's that's what bothers me about it. But I mean, look here, here's what I can tell you from knowing Pete. He loved baseball. He loved baseball more than life and he was that. He was the greatest competitor I've ever known, and I it was a pleasure being able to meet him.
He was a regular person from the West Side of Cincinnati, and uh, you know, he he he was brought up in hard scrabble West Side and his father was a bean counter for a company and would take him to River Downs as a child, and that's where he got the love of horse race and I think the love of gambling was from that, and unfortunately it never went away.
And that's such a gray area nowadays, Jeff, you know, with the league sponsoring the the gambling sites that the players aren't allow. It's just unbelievable that we've gotten to that point. While you know, back in Pete Rose's day, he's been ostracized for something.
Like this, you have, but no, he's only been ostracized for betting on baseball, not for gambling.
Yeah, as a manager, right right, yes, not as a player team right, well, but here, but here's the problem with that, Aaron, And this is why it's it's a problem. Pete bet only on his own team, okay. But when he didn't bet on his he knew not to Okay. Yeah, he thought, okay, I can't win with Jeff Picoro pitching tonight. See, and so the book he's smart then would go bet the other team. And so so it's it's a it's a it's a it's a very gray area. But here's
what I here's what I say. There is no evidence whatsoever that Pete bet while he was a player, right, Okay. He goes into the Hall of Fame as a player, not as a manager, not after he left baseball. Well, he was there as a player. That's that's you know, fine, show me that evidence and then I'll I can maybe change my mind.
You got Doug coming on the news tonight.
Yes, yeah, yeah, we did do an opening segment with Doug. And ye you know Doug, Doug has a special plate in his heart for Pete. Yeah, you know, because Pete's Pete's wife and Doug Flynn's wife were Philadelphia Eagle cheerleaders together and and introduced Doug the oga and they've been married for what's forties seven yearsle it is so yeah.
And Pete broke the news to Doug the Doug was traded in a mess.
Yeah, Doug, that is one of the greatest stories of all times? Is it in the way that tells it is? Billy? If you had Aaron having heard this? Uh. Pete sitting on the bench and Doug comes in. He was actually playing in the game. And he comes out and looks at Pete and he sits down next to me and looked at him, said I've been traded, haven't I? And he said yep. Just because of the way Pete was
looking at him. He goes, where am I going? He goes New York and he said, and he starts thinking through his mind, Okay, the Yankees have this guy in this gap and it all really ran and in nets have a which one? And he said the Mets And he goes who for and Doug's and Pete go seaver and Doug said straight up and Pete almost falls over and goes, no half. It's a great story to hear hear Doug telling.
Well, give me your thoughts looking back on Saturday's football game.
Jeff, you know, I think Brad White said it best. Finally, he said, for the first time since I've been in Kentucky and all these years, that feel goal misses, you know, and you win, you got to feel good for them. And uh, here's and I didn't know this either and heard that Stoops when it got to be fourth down, told Bush, look, we're going for it. Go. Uh yeah, I think we're gonna We're gonna make this and let's go.
And when they came out with man and they blitzed, they blitzed two people, so they came with six and that was a deep pass, so you've got to give it up for the running back. And I don't know if it was Demi or will Cox, it was in the game at that time, but they picked up a blitzer. The interior line did a great job and Brock was able to throw an absolute perfect path to one on one coverage and Berryon you know, went up and got it and stayed in bounds again an extra what almost
twenty yards and you know, the rest is history. But I just thought the defense was spectacular, and you know, Kentucky showed that they can throw the football. They threw for over two hundred and forty yards. I just think, And here's the thing too, guys, if you would, if you asked anybody before the season started, what would Kentucky's record be going into the bye week? Three and two? Right? And that's exactly where they are? Ye back on I yeah, all this doom, the gloom. I think you know you're
back on track. Plus you got a top ten win under your belt.
Absolutely through four weeks.
We had a tough time evaluating Brock Vandergriff. What did you see from him in that Old Miss game and what are your thoughts about it moving forward?
I saw a real toughness and grit. And here's the thing I see in him, Billy, is every game I see him get better. Because look, when he was at Georgia, it came down to the last week of practice for Kirby Smart to make the decision of who was going
to be their quarterback. And you start to see what he saw in him and what George just saw in him because he hasn't played real football really in three years until now, because he's been running scout team and he's been running number two but he hadn't been in the fire. You know, he hadn't been in the games they's played a little bit. But you know, we see him now. He's learning more and more each game, and I see him taking huge strides in each of these games.
And now he's got that big win under his bill.
Jeff going to this game without Maxwell Harrison. Per the data I found today, Kentucky's cornerback, so this doesn't count the safeties and linebackers. They gave up eight catches for seventy seven yards and no touchdowns. What would you have said to that with this old mispassing sack and no Maxwell Harrison before the game, if I were to tell you they were going to be able to pull that off.
I think the same thing I just said about Brock. I see that in the cornerbacks. I see j Q. Hardaway playing better, making a great hit, causing the fumble that Kentucky returned. I I you know, I see the guy stepping up. I see the young guys at Waller and them taking steps forward. Because you see, now why he was a four star is because he has the ability. He just he hadn't played enough. And now they're getting to play and they're thrown into these situations and and
they're they're they're they're getting leaps and bounds better. And now you've got a whole week for for Maxwell to get even better. And then you've got you know, you've got three big games. And I think these next three games are gonna set the tone obviously for the rest of the year. I mean that's obvious, mister os. But you know, the yeah or win Now, I know Tennessee is gonna be awful tough, but or no Tennessee support. Right, all three of these games are winnable. Right, You've got
Florida Vanderbilt and what Auburn? Right, that's correct, though it will be real interesting to see how this, how this turns out after three more uh three more weeks.
Hey, you go to Knoxville six and two.
Yeah, could possibly do that.
Hey, Jeff, did Frank Cursey or Jerry Claiborne ever tell you to fake an injury so they could save the time out?
No? No, As a matter of fact, I just I think that is it's just there's no there's there's no place in sports for that. There really isn't. It's like the flop and you know, the NBA. They're supposed to call it. It's gotten to be. It's it's almost silly, but you know the rules.
Guy on TV said there's no foul in place for that. Maybe there needs to be.
And you know what's so frustrating this, I've only really seen. I'm sure it's happened other places, but Ole Miss is the only two place, the only place I've noticed it. Two years ago, Jeremy Flax went down. They're booing him. Yes, clearly he was actually hurt. This year, Steven Souls goes down. He barely came I don't know if he even came back.
I don't think he came back.
And by the way, and.
They're booing him. Flax going down helped them win the game. Yeah, and Souls goes down, they're booing him. And then there run back, running back, looks like he gets sniped and doesn't like nothing.
Speaking of Dark, Yeah, but Dark turned around, looked at me thinking, and.
He motioned the like, hey, they want you to go down, go down?
Uh?
Speaking of Flax, what about the old line, Jeff, what did you see from the old line again?
Uh, the same thing as I as I've said about the other two positions. This team is moving forward. This is what a team is supposed to. You get better week by week, your overcoming injuries. You know you at this point, look at the running back room. Same thing, Chip Trader, there's no Chip Tram probably not play the rest of the year. But wow, you've seen Wilcox. You see Willcox take a huge step forward, right Uh you
see Demis is played, well, Patterson did. I didn't even think he got in the game Saturday.
Didn't know, but said that about you. I think he had one snap.
I think we'll see Tram at some point anyway. Uh, well, Jeffarro, I appreciate it, and we will be watching.
Tonight, hie, gentlemen, thank you so much.
Jeppa Coral, UK Sports Network and ABC thirty six And we're back in just a minute here on the state wide BBI. Just a few minutes left. Will Levis still on the sidelines, I believe, correct, correct, Yeah, he's hurt, man, but he's he's out there.
He is on the sideline. He's not like in the locker room, we're in the tent or orange street clothes. No, he's ready to go. So I don't know what's going on.
Uh.
Well, we're about to find out if he's going to go in on the goal line.
Yeah. Well, okay, it's tough when you're doing a radio show, but you're trying to keep up at a game on TV. So now, Aaron, tell me about the next step this football team needs to take. Obviously it's beat Vanderbilt. But what would you like to see?
Yeah, you want to see them. I think you want to see the passing game take another step right where. Now, let's get rid of those sacks, and I think the offensive line was doing much better. I think again, I think a lot of that was on Vandergriff and it's you know, you settle in Weill. Levis had the same thing in twenty one. I think his biggest issue in twenty one was he held onto the ball too long
and he either took a sack. But that old line, he didn't take as many sacks, but he ended up throwing picks because he just forced things instead of just throw it away and get it out quickly. So I think that's the next thing. I want to see some of those sacks and big loss plays because of that removed and re establishing the run. That kind of took a step back this week. You got a credit old missus front for that. But but those are the two
big things for me. And then defensively, honestly, it's a just keep doing what you're doing and hopefully getting number one Max Harrison back healthy.
Yeah, I'm hoping the game doesn't isn't decided by Mark Stoops's gut on a fourth down call late in the fourth quarter. Right, I'd love for this.
It's also a seven forty five kick, so let's not have drama midnight.
That's ridiculous. I got things to do.
I forgot to ask you. You never once I bet roade or rerode you lead before the game was over.
Oh my god, it was the leading of like nine times that game. Well I thought, okay, yeah, no, I thought, to be honest with you, I thought it. Once Ole miss had that touchdown on fourth and seven, I was like, oh this, we're gonna lose thirty to thirty to thirteen, and it's gonna be like, oh, we were hanging in there for three quarters so and then I was ready to write the victory lead. And then they hit the tight end who has had a catch all game on a forty two yard eave. It's just what up game?
And we didn't even talk about basketball goals or fire extinguishers on the sideline.
All this it's a sketch. I look, I love the environment they've created. It was a better environment honestly than it was down there two years ago. But yeah, the basketball hoop of the UK logo, that's unfortunate when you lose.
Yeah, they've been doing it. Who's the kid though? Who was the kid? I wondered did they identify them on TV?
What as a kid on somebody's shoulders, usually Lane's kid kid.
Yeah, I don't know who it was, but they had the extent englisher on the side.
Usually Lane's kid and his dog.
I'm okay with that, but you know, they only got to do it once thanks to Jeff, Aaron and Billy. That's a good night from Lexington.