We're here to win, like this is Kentucky. The first time we don't win a game, you guys are going to go burn my house down.
Okay, Well, we always knew Mark Pope was a smart guy, got it right, didn't he? That is the new UK coach followed me last night's blowout win over Kentucky Wesley and welcome to the Big Moonsider. Dick Gabriel with you on a Thursday. Basketball season is here. Yes, it was just an exhibition game, but wow, one twenty three to fifty two over Kentucky Wesley and the Kentucky Wesley and coach Drew Cooper apologized. You may have heard that already, saying he wished his team had given Mark Pope and
his team a better game. He apologized to Mark Pope and told us that in the media gathering after. But I don't know about the effort by Kentucky Wesley, and of course he knows his team so much better than I do. All I know is what I saw last night, and he saw a lack of effort, or what he perceived to be a lack of effort. But Mark Pope saw and his team what he was hoping to see. We'll talk about that tonight. He didn't see enough of it.
Of course, it's the first game for crying out loud, But fans saw what they loved, and Twitter, of course buzzing last night. It's still buzzing fans, of course, but national media chiming in about what they saw, and some of them kind of walked up to the precipice of hey, maybe I was wrong. Didn't quite jump over it. But of course, not much expected from this Kentucky team by fans, by the so called experts. But I will tell you this, and I'm sure there's a lot of overreaction to.
This Kentucky game. When you shoot sixty.
Three percent from the floor for crying out a loud fifty percent from beyond the arc, I don't care if you're playing Tates Creek Junior High pretty good, but we all know competition, with all due respect to Kentucky Wesleyan, will be much stiffer as the season goes on. Game
was not real physical. I think it's going to be interesting to see what happens when Kentucky is caught up in a physical kind of game, but when allowed to roam and look for shots and move the ball, and this team's gonna be a lot of fun.
Keep in mind at.
Wesley And hit only four of twenty seven from beyond the arc, and a lot of those were good open looks. So there's so much work to be done for the wildcast. But what it did this was more symbolic than anything.
What this did was basically put an exclamation mark on the statement that Pope, his style of play and the Big Blue Nation made when there was a change in the coaching status, and that is time for something new, time for something different, And ironically enough, it's kind of a return to the Rick Pattino era, not with the full court pressing. You're not going to see much of that from this Mark po team. I don't even think
he's talked about that much. But what you saw last night is how they hope to get it done all ye that was the best case scenario, of course, you know, finishing the game of a fifteen to two run, even though they missed six of their last seven shots because they held Kentucky Wesleyan down. And again, defense is vital to this Kentucky team. So hey off to a good start, a lot of fun. And somebody asked Mark pope about, you know, did this kind of unfold in terms.
Of the numbers the way he hoped it would.
And he basically was holding up a stat sheet, and I said, and I'm paraphrasing, that what's on the stat sheet was inconsequential compared to what he wanted to see in terms of how his team played.
We're deadly serious about winning winning matters. I don't spend a lot of time. I don't spend as much time on I know this sounds very contradictory. I don't actually know exactly how to explain it. But we're here to win, Like this is Kentucky. The first time we don't win a game, you guys are going to go burn my house down, Okay. But we don't spend a lot of time thinking about what this sheet is going to look
like after the game. We spend all our time thinking about what we're trying to what we're trying to do in the moment, right, And so you know, I think, of course, there's all the nerves, right, it's our first time in this building, and this is Kentucky, and there's massive expectations and all those things. But you know, I'm really consumed with seeing how fast we can get better. And the way we get better is by just being dialed in on exactly what we're doing. So I wasn't
really anticipating seeing anything on stat sheet. I was just curious to be how well can we coach our guys to be great decision makers in all the ways that we do it, How well can we get our guys. I was really concerned about our energy. This was the first time. You know, we try and keep it at like a four or five, very focused, but in terms of emotional energy, we try and live at like a three, four and five, and then we're trying to get to a nine and nine point five during games where we
can still function and make decisions. This is a long, drawing out conversation we don't have time for.
But but but.
I was I was more thinking more about like our energy. I took a shot at the guys before the game in the locker room, and I was really trying to spend all my energy trying to gauge our energy. And the guys were probably better than I was in terms of the energy they came out with to be able to have great intensity energy but still be a decision maker and execute, and so we're spending a lot more time thinking about those things, and then this just happens because of what we're focusing on.
When he said this, he was holding up the statuet with some pretty impressive numbers, and they're online. I'm sure a lot of you have already studied them and broken them down. Kobe Braa was one of the players who came out and spoke with us. He scored thirteen points in nineteen minutes. I have of seven from the field, three to five from beyond the r couple.
Of assists, a steal.
By the way, he had one turnover. This team had five turnovers. Five with all these guys coming and going and again Kentucky Wesley and didn't provide the stiffest of oppositions. But still, for the first time playing in a real game as a team, five turnovers is pretty impressive. As I say, that's impressive in the backyard, it's impressive against Tates Creek Junior High. And they got it done last night.
And Bray talked last night about a lot of stuff, but primarily he was asked about teamwork and unselfishness, and of course he liked what he saw.
Thank everybody does a good job. Was just you know, given what they're like, taking in what they're giving and trying to do the best with what they got. And I feel like everybody did a great job of just accepting their role and you know, trying to be the best at their row. And I feel like we did a good job out there. Everybody mesh really well, which is I'm not surprised about it because I've seen it in practice, but to see it against the ouside Comme says, it was really good.
Nothing seemed forced on offense.
Everything After the first couple of minutes, everything seemed to really flow out there.
Yeah.
I mean it's pretty easy when you know the other four guys on our team couldn't do everything that you can do too, So I think we just have a lot of options, a lot of weapons, and it becomes deadly, you know, when everybody stakes us their strengths and just plays together and does what they do well. And everybody got to see it tonight, So.
Shit, everybody played the right way. What does it mean when his team's playing the right way?
I think just like giving up a good shot for a great shot. I feel like there was many times that we saw that tonight and goes to speak about how in selfish we are as a team, because I feel like every one of us, you know, we all have a really good shooting ability, but you know, we're willing to give up a good shot for a great shot. And we saw that a lot tonight.
It was Brian mile im asking about the flow, and he was right about that. It was just fun to watch an extra pass inside out guys who had a good looking shot, as he said, passing up a good shot for a great shot, and oftentimes that was an inside out pass. And they were a little cold to begin with, as you might expect, but man, when they heat it up, and boy, when Trendoa hit three threes
in a row, we'll hear from him tomorrow night. But I had a chance to ask him about getting back out on that floor where he did so well for Harlan and the Sweet sixteen. It kind of brought a smile to his face. Last night's game brought a smile to a lot of faces, I got to tell you, and I don't know what the exact crowd was, but it was a good one and they were loud, no question about that. You know, you never get fully the
turnover the turnstile count. But the crowd had showed up last night at a ball I will tell you that all right. When we come back, we're gonna shift over to Kentucky football. The Wildcats take on the Auburn Tigers, as you know on Saturday night.
I want to come here on the big Blue and Sider six thirty wlap.
Welcome back coming up at the bottom of the hour just a few minutes. Dicks Senior, the father of former UK wide receiver Dickey Lyons Junior, and a guy who's going to be honored at the SEC Football Championship Game. He will be one of the SEC legends. He and Randall Cobb were the two greatest all round players in
the history of Kentucky football. You might give Dickey Lion Senior the edge because he was a kicker as well, but the great Jeff band Note, who was our color analyst for several years, played with Dickey Senior, but called games that Randall Cobb played in, and he eventually said he believed Randall was probably a little bit better than Dickie Senior.
But that's keeping pretty good company.
And someday Randall Cobb will be an sec legend at the championship game. But this season for Kentucky it's going to be Dickey Lyon Senior. And I've interviewed him before, back before Young Dickie was even in high school. But he was my first childhood college football hero. He was a guy who played for the Wildcats at one of their worst periods in the late sixties, when they just couldn't win any games, but he just had It was
so exciting to listen to the games. Never got to see him play on TV, but just listening on the radio as I did.
I remember everything.
Every time he touched the ball his team like something good happened, but they just couldn't win. But he was such a dynamic player, and so was his son. That's what was great about it. And Dicky Junior committed to the Wildcats without ever having set foot on campus. Why of course, he grew up a Kentucky fan growing up outside of New Orleans. That's where Dicky ended up playing pro football briefly before he blew his knee. We'll ask
him about that as well. So Dicky Junior, who was Richard back then, he decides, I'm going to be a Wildcat just like my dad, and it was Joker Phillips who said, Nope, you're going by Dickey. He's the guy who recruited him. And he said, yeah, you're going to be Dickey Dickey Lyons junior when you get to Kentucky. So we'll talk to him a little bit later on. We'll also hear from our West n Bureau chief, Gary Moore,
and from Shawn Woods, the unforgettable guard. Usually we talked to them on Wednesdays, but last night, of course, was a basketball night, so we slided them over to Thursday. The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of twenty twenty five is down to eligible's fifty modern era players. Eli Manning probably the best known. A couple of Kentucky connections, if you will, including Shawn Alexander running back played at
Alabama but from Boone County High School. And I'll never forget talking to Bill Glazer, who was on Bill Curry's staff and was assigned to that part of the state as a recruiter, and he said, the first thing that Shawn's family said to him was we're not coming to Kentucky.
We're going out of state. And that's exactly what happened.
Had a great career at Alabama, had a great pro career, won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, and now is up and I got to think he'll get in at some point for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Antonio Gates is nominated as well at tight end. Now Gates played at kent State, but there is a slight Kentucky connection. Gates actually in college played basketball for Kent State. He was like a six to six post player, much like Chuck Hayes was at Kentucky.
And the Kentucky connection here is.
Kent State in twenty oh two made the Elite eight in Lexington. That's where the regional was and the Golden Flashes became kind of the darling of the Lexington crowd because they were the Cinderella. Stan Heath was the head coach. He ended up at Arkansas. They went thirty and six that year. They upset number seven seed Oklahoma State. Then they shocked Alabama, which was the number two seed, and Pittsburgh which was the three seed, before they lost.
To Indiana and the regional final.
That was the Indiana team that eventually played for the national championship. So Gates was not a candidate for the NBA, but a lot of people said, you know, this guy should play pro football, and he did.
He went on to the San Diego.
Chargers, had a great career, and now he is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So it's going to be interesting. I think Eli probably gets in on the strength of two Super Bowl wins. His overall record not that great, but go back and look at the number of fourth quarter game winning drives he led us, like nineteen or so. I think put that together with the Super Bowl win wins plural, and I.
Think he does deserve to get in.
Kentucky football the Wildcat's taken on Auburn Saturday night, seven forty five, kickoff, five thirty pre game of Christy, Jeremy and Logan, Tom and Jeff and I have a call for you as Kentucky tries to snap this two game losing skid and a game the Cats have got to put away here at home. Going to need a great crowd, should be great weather. They're going to need to control of the clock like they have when they've played their best, but when they get close, they got to punch it in.
Mark Stoops talked about that the other day.
You know, we have to finish place, you know, finished drives. I think once again, you know, as I mentioned, it's not quite as magnified if we have with the opportunities that we have, if we get them in the end zone, you know, and you know, there's no excuse for not getting in on third and short and fourth and short. You know, we got to get the.
Ball in the end zone.
We're close, and you know, we've got to finish drives a little bit better and we'll have an opportunity to score more.
I firmly believe the Vandy game goes the other way if they're able to punch it in. I don't know if the Florida game turns around if they can punch it in as well. But I don't think it ends up a blowout. I think it's a much closer game. And I think Kentucky would have given itself a chance to pull that one out down in Gainesville. And it's amazing to me that we're even talking about this, given ol Well, Kentucky has run the football this year much
less over the last few years. Getting inside the one or two and come away with nothing. That's his recipe for disaster, and it cannot obviously cannot keep happening.
Auburn's had its problems.
You got to force Auburn into more problems and take advantage when you can. How about some short fields once in a while. We'll see up next. Dicky Lyons Senior here on six point thirty WLAP.
Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. Join us now. I have to admit I'm going to be a fanboy.
Here was one of my childhood heroes and a guy I really enjoy getting to know. When we did a feature story on you, Dicky Lyons, sr U a few years ago for a coaches show.
Uh.
And then I had the pleasure of watching your son play at Kentucky.
How are you?
Oh, I'm doing great. All my children are doing good. I got fifteen grandkids and one great grandchild.
Oh my god, goodness, that's awesome.
Well, first of all, let us start by by congratulating you for being named an SEC legend.
Uh.
What was your reaction when somebody called you with that news?
Uh? Kind of a shocked you know that expected anything? It's uh, you know, I'll play back in the sixties and I'll thought everybody forgot about you know, Nope, no way, But it was really nice.
Yeah, you your teams unfortunately did not have a lot of success.
You did.
I know you would have traded a lot of the accolades for more wins. But I always think about a guy like you.
I mean, you did it all.
Punt return, kick return, you kick, you punted, d back, offensive back, receiver. It's like you were playing in the backyard, wasn't it.
I mean you got to do a little bit of everything.
Well, that's right. And I always loved I loved football so much. And I didn't have any regrets about going to Kentucky because my mother and dad they got to see me play all the time. If I'd have went to Notre Dame or Alabama, they would have never got to see me because my dad's car had barely got him to work it back. So and you know, back then, nobody had any money. Yeah, and so you know, it was really nice that him and my mom were able
to see me play. And and my mom lived in ninety five and she got to to watch a little Dickey pots that's great. So it was, it was wonderful. I never great it ever, going to the University of Kentucky, and uh, my buddy kind of convinced me. My senior year in high school. Uh, I got a call from Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Chicken, and he sent a limbo to get me, and he brought me up to Shelbyville
where he was living. And uh, he gave me a whole bag of Kentucky Fried Chicken coupons, and me and Mom and daddy we had a ball.
Man.
Well, tell me tell me.
A little more about your recruitment though, because he wasn't the only dignitary who tried to influence you.
Was he?
Uh? Actually no, they you know, Paul Horning and my brother were real good friends. They went to school together, of course they were. They were trying to get me to go to Notre Dame, you know. And uh, but anyway, I knew that I was going to go to Kentucky, like I told you, because I knew Mom and dad wanted to see me play, and they watched me play in grade school at Saint Pis and then Saint xt and so I wanted them to be able to see me. And then my best friend of Bob Robert, we were
real good friends. He went to Bishop David and we were buddies. And that was the only school he was offered with Kentucky. So I told him, I said, we're going to go have fun, man, And we did. We had a ball.
What was it like for you after a game where you you did everything and again, you did it in high school, you did it at Saint Pias, but big boy football, as you know, is different, so you had to be just totally exhausted. I would think after a college football game.
Is that true?
Well, you know, when you're when you're nineteen twenty twenty one years old, dick, you don't get exhausted. I'm telling you I was. I was in such good physical shape I just couldn't after the game. I mean, we would take off me and Probert all my buddies and we'd have a ball. You know, I don't ever remember getting tired at all. You don't think about that.
You know.
That's good? And yeah, I know.
And even when I was playing pro ball, when I was went to think, they had me running back bucks kickoffs. I started on safety. Uh, the head coach wanted to put me running back and everything, and then I got then I got my knee hurt and ended it all. Yeah, it was it was I never have any regrets. It was It was a great life and football was Uh it was a lot of fun, and that meant a lot of great people, and so we really enjoyed it.
You were the first player in SEC history with a thousand yards rushing, one thousand yards and punt returns and a thousand yards and kickoff returns. What was it about the return game that you enjoyed so much?
Well, I really just enjoy at all. I mean I just loved I didn't want to ever come off the field. I mean I wanted to play defense. I wanted to run, back, punch, kick off. And of course, at that time at Kentucky, we didn't really have a lot of big time players, you know, and you know we and you I think they were limited to the amount of people they could shigne. And of course, you know Alabama and you know Tennessee and all those teams they were getting all the big
time players. And but you know, the guys played hard and all my teammates I loved them. We had you know, we did as good as we possibly could, but you know, competing in the shu receive was just really tough for us.
I'm not sure if you knew this because I didn't know it until a few years ago when the great Oscar Combs told me this. But Bear Bryant worked up or at least he took responsibility for it, this policy about not recruiting out of state players. I mean he he had some tremendous teams with kids from all over the country, you know, Pennsylvania, Ohio, you know, all over the place, the South. But for the longest time they
severely limited uk. UK limited itself to kids who were for the most part, in state, and that really I felt like sid Kentucky football back.
Were you aware of that. How frustrating was that?
Well, like I say, you don't think about that when you're in college. You know, I've never thought about being frustrated or anything. We you know, we had kids from up in the mountains, and you know, they didn't have a lot of football up in the mountains. As a matter of fact, they played six man football, that's right, you know, Mike Ranada and the guys came from in
the mountains. They were we had some good players. And then of course in you know where they had you know, that was the biggest down word where they could you know, get players. But it was all the hard getting them sometimes to go to Kentucky. If they were real good, they go to Notre Dame or some Indiana or someplace like that. But you know, I, you know, I really didn't think about anything. When you're in college, you're just
going there. I mean, look, there's no way I could have went to college if I didn't play football, right, I mean I didn't have no money. My dad had no money and nobody. So I was so happy just being there and I had people, I had free lunch, I got free dinners.
You know. Yeah.
We lived in a you know, we lived in the in the dorms, you know, the football players had a freshman door and then a senior dorm. And we got food all the time, and it was like being in heaven.
Man, you know, what's up?
I never had any regrets.
What did your dad do for a living?
He worked for rentals of loose okay, way back and uh. And then just right before I went to Kentucky, rentals Aluminum shut the plant down, and so he was out of a job. And he came and told me, he said, let me tell you something, son. He said, you go up there to Kentucky and you better get a job on the side because I can't said you nothing, wow and did you but then but you never believe this. Jeff Van Note he was at Kentucky you know, ahead of being year and his daddy had a business and
he hired my dad until he retired. Did not know that that was really Yeah, Yeah, Jeff's dad hired my dad and that's safety man and he worked there for until he was sixty seven years old and retired.
You know, wow, it was not Note was part of our broadcast crew forever. He's a dear friend. I did not know that. That's a great story. We're talking with Dickey Lyons Sor.
He is part of the SEC Football Legends Class of twenty twenty four. You'll be honored at the SEC Football Championship Game coming up in December when we come back with Chad Moore with the SEC Legend Here in the Big Moon Sider six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the
Big bon Sider. We're chatting with Dickey Lyons Senior, who is known for not just being the father of Dickey Lions Junior, the standing slot receiver for Rich Brooks's teams back in the mid adds, but the Dickey Senior was one of the greatest all around players in the history of college football, not just UK football.
He did it all.
He was an offensive back, a defensive back, a punter, a kicker, a return specialist. Still holds at least one record for the longest punt return in UK history ninety seven yards. But he has been selected as part of the SEC Legends class. Each school has a former player or coach introduced at halftime of the SEC football Championship game, and in my mind, it's about time that Dickie Lyon Senior will be introduced in Atlanta coming up in December.
I don't know if you had a chance to look at this list, because it's pretty impressive.
I did look at it, Uh, not really really, you know, I didn't see everybody, but you know, I didn't even know they did that. Yeah, you know that's how out of the out of the pocket I've did. And uh but when they when they called me and told me, you know, I was lik in shock, you know. But it's it's really great because we're looking forward to going coming up to Lexington. They want me to come up for the Louisville game. Good and they're going to introduce
me at halftime. And then the next weekend we're going to the championship game in in Atlanta for the SEC. So my wife's happy. We're getting to go someplace, you know. Oh yeah, yeah, it's gonna be fun. Man.
I was the producer for the SEC Radio network for fifteen years producing a championship game, and so I always went to the banquet on Friday when they introduced the legends, and it was so much fun.
I got to take my son with me several times to that.
And I know you and I waived and probably and we talked a little bit when your son was playing at Kentucky. I'll tell it's such a great story with Dicky Jr. And I don't know if you remember when videographer and I we came to your house in Laplace and interviewed you for a story for the Bill Curry Coaches Show.
And Dicky was a baby at that time. I'm pretty sure I remember that.
I remember that. And yeah that was in the late eighties, huh.
Or early nineties, early nineties, Yeah, yeah, yeah, well, yeah, he.
Was probably seven or eight years old.
Yeah, and then he comes to Kentucky without ever having visited the campus.
So you raised him, right, didn't you.
That's exactly right.
You know, what was it like for you? What was it like for you as a parent to watch him play?
And he had unfortunately had a terrible injury as well, but he not only played, Dicky, but he excelled and his teams won a lot of football games. As a dad, I was a high school football dad. But what was that like for you, as a former player to watch that?
It was just it was unbelievable, just you know, it just was just fake all the time. And just can't believe that my little boy was out there playing for Kentucky, you know. And but like you said, Rich Brooks, I'll tell you one of the greatest guys that I've ever met. He was so good with with Dicky. As a matter of fact, he he's the reason why he did good. He he knew how to how to take care of it. You know, he disciplined the him and and you know, he wasn't going to school a lot when he first
went up there. So I went up there one time and me and Coach Brooks was in the office and he looked at me and he told me, he said, Dickey, he said, I'm going to kick him off the team and he's not doing anything. And this was like in January. He said, he ain't doing anything till he get the school work done.
Wow.
And I said, I said, go to a coach. I said, take care of business. And that was the best thing that ever happened to Dickey because he was a smart kid. Oh yeah, and he got and he was He did great the rest of the time at Kentucky. But coach Brooks really knew how to hand me, you know.
Yeah, And you know it's funny.
I remember when Rich was hired and hearing all these so called experts saying, all those kids won't play for him, he's too old. But I produced his Coaches Show, I'm telling you, man, And you know this, those players loved him, and part of that was his brand of tough love. You know, players seek discipline. I know you had fun playing college football, you had your share of fun, but you knew what kind of discipline it took as well, didn't you.
Absolutely, and coach Brooks knew how to handle people. And you know that's why I hate to really call these guys coaches, because there's so much more than that. Yeah, you know, I mean the guy we have now, he's probably one of the best we've ever had. And you know, I know he handled these kids. It's just that's what they do. You know. You think about it. You got seventeen, eighteen, nineteen year old kids, they're going all over. They got to get him to go to class, You got to
keep them straight, you got to get in shape. I mean, it's more of a father than it is a coach.
Yeah, yeah, you got you gotta make them do things that ordinarily they wouldn't do. One.
No one can push themselves as hard as a.
Coach can, right, That's exactly right. And that's the biggest thing about being a coach is you know, to mentally get the kids ready to play, you know. And so and I think that this guy we got now is one of the best, and Coach Brooks was, you know, I think they they're gonna do well.
You know. Well, getting back to your your honor as one of the SEC legends, as we talk with Dickey Lyon Senior, he'll be honored at the he's coming up for a game for the Louisville game, as he said, and then he'll be honored at halftime at the SEC Football Championship game, and of course the league now includes Texas and Oklahoma. Texas Vince Young is is he quote unquote SEC legend from Texas, Barry Switzer from Oklahoma. But there have been so many changes now in college football,
and we could talk all day about that. But tell me about SEC football now compared to where when you played. And first of all, I know, the facilities at Kentucky were next to nothing. They were next to nothing when I got there in seventy three, much less when you played, and now they're they're palatial compared to that. But tell me about the SEC now versus when you played.
Well, you know, it's that's all we needed is get Texas and Oklahoma, right, you know, it's just you know, we've got Alabama, Tennessee, you know Alburn, you know Florida and all those teams. I mean, it's got to be the dupest league in the world. You don't get a break, man. And now Vanderbilt is playing play lights out. You know, their quarterback is playing he is something else, and so I mean you just don't ever get a break. It's like being in the NFL. I mean, every week you
got to tee it up, you know. I mean, you can't you can't take a break, you don't get a breathering. Yeah. And unfortunately right now, you know, because I watched Kentucky every time they play in our injuries. It's just saying that we've had so many injuries and it's hopefully they can get everybody keeled after this or most of them. We had a bide week, so and we're playing against Auburn coming up, so that's and they're not, you know, doing real well this year, so hopefully we can get
on the winning track again, you know. But it's just tough, man. I mean, all the teams now, you've got so many good players, and I mean it's just amazing to watch these games, you know. And so I know that we're in a position right now that you can recruit nationwide now and you can pick up kids off of other teams.
I mean, there's so many ways to do it. Yeah, and it really helps teams like Kentucky Vanderbilt, you know, the teams that were lower years ago I played, you know, I mean, we we would always like Vanderbilt was always dark. We knew we were gonna win that, you know what I mean. Yeah, but it's not like that anymore.
Man.
You gotta see it up every week.
It's like I said the week at the Vandy game, Vandys people knew they could be Kentucky. I mean, that series has been so even through the years. It's pretty amazing. Got a few minutes left with Dickey lyon Senior SEC Legend this season. I talked to you about this when we interviewed you many many years ago, but I got to ask you again about you were turned a punt against Houston in nineteen sixty six ninety seven yards for a touchdown. I don't know if that's ever going to
be broken as a UK record. It was an NCA record for a long time. Somebody broke it with ninety nine. But why did you decide on the three yard line to field a punt where you know, we'd always been told inside the ten you let it go to the end zone, but you decided otherwise.
Do you remember that play? I'm sure you do.
Oh yeah, yeah. Well my attitude was this, it didn't make any difference where that ball went. Had to get it and score, you know, And that's what I tried to do on ever play. If they'll win the end zone, i'd of got it ran out. You know. I hated. I used to tell coach Bradshaw, I said, I hated to make those fair catches. You know, it just didn't make any sense to me. And even when I got into pro ball. They the first game we played against the Falcons, the coach got mad at me because I
was catching ever football and trying to run it. I told him, I said, what the hell is the difference if I gave one yard or four yards? You know, at least I got a shot. You know, if my fair catching, I got no shot. So my attitude was get it and go. And so I'm glad. I'm glad. I was like that.
Well, we talked about the changes in college football, and I always hated for players of your generation that the knee injury you suffered, I'm not exactly sure what it was, but I'm willing to bet they could have fixed you up and had you back the following season if that had happened today as opposed to way back in the day.
I know you don't linger on stuff like that, but that's just where we are, isn't it.
Oh yeah, well, see, they didn't have the arthoscopic surgery and so when you got a niece. I tore cartlage and then my ligament was partially torn, and so I had to get surgery and I was on crutches for two weeks. And so it's such a difference like if it would have been today. They fixed it in a couple In a couple of weeks, you're going to be playing, That's right, That's right. But I remember being on crutches and I was standing in the end zone when Tom
Dempsey kicked a sixty three yard field for Detroit. Is that right? I was, Yeah, there was no crutches in the end zone. I couldn't believe it. That ball is just barely made it over the thing. And of course back then we played to the stadium, you know, yeah, and the dome wouldn't build. Yeah, it's the injury. And you know, look, Dick, I look at these every day.
How many injuries there are pro football, college football. It's it's a it's a tough game, man, you know, and if you can play for a long time, you're just really lucky, you know. I feel very fortunate they've got to. I went thrown through grade school, high school, college and play pro ball. I mean so many guys I saw in college get hurt and it was it was over. I mean they were done, you know, and it's really sad.
Well, but you're still you're still you're still sharp.
You had a career as a private investigator working for insurance companies. Your kids are healthy, grand kids are great grand kids.
So life is good.
Yes it is. And let me tell you something. Dick I got a little one called Dickie Lines the third, twelve years old, and that's a little son of a gun.
Was that right?
That's great?
Yeah, matter of fact, I'm going to see tonight at five o'clock. Plays right here and him and not far from where I live. Of course, they play that flank football. Yeah yeah, But I'm gonna tell you we ain't believe that he can run, he can catch, he throws the ball. He's gonna be a good one.
Well, we'll keep an eye out for him up up this way. Because Dicky Jr. Who went by Richard as a youngster joker, Phillips said, nope, you're gonna be Dicky. He committed to the UK without having seen the campus and it worked out pretty well. So hey, it's great talking. You're looking forward to seeing you when you come up, and again, congratulations on being an SEC legend.
Thank you, Dereck. I appreciate the call, buddy.
Coming up an hour number two, we will ship back to basketball. We'll talk to unforgettable guard Sean Woods and to our West End Bureau chief Gary Moore. Usually do all this on Wednesday, but we were bumped last night of course a UK basketball. So that's all I am on the Big Blue Siders six thirty LA. Welcome back to the Big Boon Sider. Joining us now as he does every Wednesday, but preempted last night by basketball is the unforgettable guard Sean Woods. His jersey hangs in the
rafters of rupp Uh. Coach, it was kind of predictable last night, and of course that Kentucky would be Kentucky Wesley. I don't know if anybody saw a seventy one point win. But in a matchup like that, You've played in games like this, you coached in some games, in exhibition games.
But what can one get What can a coach get out of a game like this?
Well, uh, it actually gives you a chance to go play against somebody else, because you know your guys get tired of being up on one another, So you know that that's one thing. And then also you know, you go from coaching all ten guys or twelve guys guys all that once to coaching five guys at a time against somebody else. And because you don't have you know,
like a Scotter report. More so because that team you know, hasn't played a game yet unless they got a bunch of guys back from their year pre you know previously. You will just want to see where your guys are, you know, how they how they respond to different things, does your stuff work from you know afterwise you know, rebounded margins, you know, you know you want to see how bad you know, how much you can you know, uh, if you're if, if you're if, if your plays work,
how good you are defensively? It just gives you a gauge. But sometimes you know you can be full because of the competition. But at least you can see how some guys are falling.
The lights come on, Yeah, and all these guys have played with a couple of exceptions with the bright lights on. You know, you got three true freshmen out there, so I can't imagine that would be an issue. But the bright lights at Fairleigh Dickinson are different from the bright lights and election and aren't they.
Oh no doubt about it, you know. And uh, I don't know what the crowd was like, but but you know it's still reperena, you know what I mean. And the anticipation is unbearable.
You know, I remember my.
Freshman year, my first Yip playing at least I set out and got I got a good taste of it. But still, you know, leading up to your first game playing in Rep. Aernas is you know a lot of people don't get a chance to do that. That's why it's so special.
Well, when Mark Pope came out, the ovation he got was greater than any player, and they players got a nice ovations.
I guess that was to be expected.
Though, right, Oh, no doubt about it. You know, everybody's anticipating, excited. You know, I can sect the fans other appreciation is off the change. So with saying that, you know, they've
they've gotten used hopefully they've gotten used to it. But because they played a couple of games in front of some people and things like that already, now it's the real deal, you know, and you got to really really produce and that you know, everybody in that program is under the gun because of so much anticipation and so much not knowing, because it's a new staff and pretty much a brand new team.
More than half of their shots were three point attempts.
They put up.
Seventy six total, forty two from beyond the yark and yet sean because they hit so well, thirty two assists on forty eight made baskets. Now, you're a guy as a coach who appreciates a good assist, and you were the coach on the floor racking up assists as a point guard.
You got to like those numbers.
Oh, I love those numbers that you know that that's beautiful basketball. I don't even have to watch the game and you just tell me, you know, they'll give me those numbers right there and I can just say it's a few. There was a beautiful game, especially from the offense side of the ball.
Probably can't expect that in the regular season. But that's a good start, isn't it.
Oh, no doubt about it. You know, let me tell you something like a wins and wins a win, Yeah, and if you can win and continue to grow and get better, that that's even better. You know, I'd rather go in that locker room, in that film room, you know, really going over some things, correcting some things after win, more so than the lost.
US you mentioned earlier, running their stuff, running their offense. I love how coach you.
Say, just just run your stuff, this analytics driven offense that that Mark Pope Favors has worked at prior stops at Utah, Valley State, at Brigham A lot of schools, UH lean on analytics quite a bit.
They like to put up a lot of threes.
Realistically, what do you think Kentucky fans can expect from this team hitting putting up those those three Because the early Patino teams shot a lot of threes, but I felt like those teams had to shoot a lot of threes to mask other problems.
You know, well, right now, I think that that may be the case for this team. You know, from a talent standpoint of not having the guys that you really want, you know, you got to do something to put up points. You know, each team is different, you know, from a personnel standpoint. You know, you may have guys that you may you may crew the kid that's a pretty a really good low post player, you know, and he's probably
your your most consistent scorer. So you you know, you favor to you know, the personnel that you have on your team right now, the best way for them to score points. And that's the way he recruited so far with his team is is getting shooters, and uh, threes are more than two's, but threes are a lower percentage than a two, So sooner or later, you know you're gonna have to come up with something to get higher percent of shot and uh, you know, hopefully he can figure that out as the year goes on.
We were talking about point guards, and of course it appears to Mott Butler will be the guy who spends the most time and put the ball in his hands, but not a lot because Pope favors the attack where there isn't a lot of dribbling, of course, and he doesn't want the ball to sit in anybody saying I can't remember the term that Caliperi used to use for when the ball would would spend too much.
Time in some of these hands.
Uh, but Butler is a proven commodity, a kid who's played in the Final four, who uh played well at San Diego State. I don't know how much a chance you've had to watch him in action.
But that's that's a huge plus, isn't it. To have a guy like that as the head of the snake, Oh, no doubt about it.
And to have the experience that he has, you know, at the point guard spot. You know that that's one position that can't go bad. You know, that has to be solid for you to have a chance. And you know that's one of the reasons why Kintucky does have a chance, because they do have a veteran point guard that could play both sides of the floor. He's a he's a really good defender. You know, he's he's been at the you know, he's helped his team reach higher
heights of San Diego State. You know, the experience he has is impeccable, and you know that that's a plus for us. You know, now I don't know leadership qualities, but man, a person of that stature that has that type of experience, in that type of talent, you have a chance. And I mean that was a good not a good get, but a great get.
But that well, I'll rattle off his stash for you. And again, if you're if you're just going blindly into this game. You hear about a guy who played twenty five minutes, hit five of eight, eleven points, six rebounds, six assists, six steals, a couple of blocks, and was tied for the team lead if you're a plus minus guy at forty six. Again, it's against Kentucky Wesleyan in an exhibition game. But man in the backyard, those are great numbers.
Yet it is and it's promising, you know what I mean? Now, you know, we just got to be consistent with it no matter who we play. But you know, he's a grinder. He's a tough kid. Like I said, he's been through the wars, and hopefully he can get everybody else to settle down and have his tough mental state. Uh when they start playing some guys, some heavy hitters.
Yeah, and no disrespect to the conference he played in. And again, as you said, he played in big games in the NCA tournament. But he's about to run into some meet grinders will shoot. Playing against Duke is one thing, but getting into the SEC with her. They're not afraid of Kentucky anymore. In the SEC, they can't wait for you k to get there, can they.
I'll tell you what just talk on the street. They're they're licking their chops to play for Kentucky. Some of these coaches that I know, not only because it's a new, new, new guy, is just the fact that, you know, I'm gonna be honest with you, it's even playing field anymore.
Dick.
Yeah, you know, you know all these other schools are getting just as good a players or even better uh than Kentucky right now. And uh, you know, you can say all you want. You know, I'm a coach, and I think i'm a pretty dog on good one. But like I said before, it's not a about the exit and those about the Jim and Joe's. You can see some of these some of these other coaches are kind of stepping down a little bit because of the landscape of college athletics. You know, you can't keep a kid,
you know, how can you build a tradition? How can you build culture right when a guy's leaving? So you know, it's about stay power and it's just not a not a lot of that in college athletics anymore.
So.
And the thing about our team, the makeup of our team here is I think he got some good guys, you know, from you know the time he took the job. But he's going to have to do it all over again next year because of you know, all the upper classms that he has. So that's not fun, you know, you know, trying to sign you know, two or three pieces, that's one thing. To sign pretty much seventy percent of your team every year, that's that's no fun.
Sean Woods does my guess.
We'll come back and talk to the Unforgettable Guard in just a minute here on the Big Blue Sider six thirty WLAP. Welcome back for talking with Sean Woods, the Unforgettable Guard. We travel to meet you in every Wednesday day. And of course the Wildcats have blown out Kentucky, Wesleyan and Cato. State of Minnesota is next. That is one of the better small college programs. And again, Sean, it will be a chance for Mark Pope to as you said one of your opening comments, was looking at combinations.
And he's got a lot of data, as he said, a lot of video to study, and so much of that is vital in these games, isn't it where you can plug and play, it's not the same as it is in practice. Is it trying to figure out which guy to match with, which which combinations of lineups to play.
You're right about that, Dick. I mean it's you know, when you got a bunch of new guys, you don't know who's who. You know, you've never only you probably coach maybe a couple of them, but that's it. So you don't know who's who, how they're gonna respond in certain situations, so and so forth. So you know that whole program is learning each other in top to bottom. You know, you're learning, I mean beyond with I mean, you learn your coach, his staff, you learn your player.
You know, you're trying to establish a culture, and you got to keep your eyes wide open to every little detail until you establish that culture and get it going the way you know you really wanted to go on a regular basis. And right now, you know, I took my hat off to him because you're still trying to find out. It's like when coach Patino first got us. You know, he didn't know what to expect, what the
lights came on. You know, he didn't think John Pelford be be as good as he did was you know those guys, but we you know they food him and hopefully these guys can do the same thing, you know, coming from their respective place in major places that they came from.
Well, you know, I heard Seam Newton talk about this first, and a lot of other guys chimed in. But when Patino inherited you, guys, what he inherited were kids who might not have been five stars. Are guys ready for the NBA draft, the unforgettables plus Reggie, you guys knew how to play basketball. I mean, it sounds overly simplistic, but that's a huge plus, isn't it.
Big huge plus? You know, as a coach, I much rather take a kid that's not as athletic, but he has to have some type of athleticism. But give me a good basketball player that loves the gym. I'll take that kid over a highly talented kid that hasn't been coached that's very raw.
In a New York minute, yeah, good choice of a New York minute.
Yeah, in a New York minute. I mean, and seriously, because you know, sometimes these kids, now they may get frustrated because they're not picking up as as quick as they want to. And then you got another kid that is picking up as quick but not as talented. It pisses you off. You know, it makes you mad, it frustrates you. Yeah, and all of a sudden you're looking bad because that kid that wasn't as caulid as you is playing better than you. He's playing more and you're not.
I got to think too that in a situation like that, if if you are one of those heady, well schooled players, if you're not picking something up right away, you know you're going to get it that there's got to be just some nuance you're missing. And and if you're if you just stay at it, you're going to get it as opposed to you know, being frustrated and and kicking the floor and that kind of thing. Am I right, Yeah, you are?
You know it's it's it's just I told you we live in a Microwaves sociy, you know what I mean. Yeah, And you know, you know you came and got this kid, he's a McDonald Americans.
This is that.
But when he gets to your place and you have a you know, a system that you know, you got to think a little bit. Or it's something that he he's unfamiliar with, uncomfortable win and he's having a hard time picking it up because he played for a guy in high school that just rolled out the balls and let him be him. Yeah, it's an adjustment.
Yeah.
And you know, look at some of the kids that the Cow had last year, how frustrated they were when they got you know, their highly talent and you know, played for some high school coaches just rolled the ball out and things like that. Now when you come to college, it's more strategic, it's more of a business, and it's
less fun because it's not just hooping anymore. It's actually studying film and doing scout of reports and having having a strategy as far as you know, playing against the other team is concerned, it changes.
You know, I'm flashing back on a story from Gosh, it had to be in the eighties maybe when when when Patino recruited Carlos Tumor, when he signed Carlos Tumor, and that really surprised hell ha surprised coaches in Mississippi. But Kentucky had been looking at a kid who was on Tumor's high school team, and Rick ended up liking Tumor more than he liked the other kid, and quite frankly,
he scattered him on video. Uh, the other kid everybody wanted, and he ended up going to Whole Miss and was a raw talent but didn't really understand the game of basketball and never really turned into much at Mississippi. And I obviously that can happen, but that's got to drive a coach crazy. I would think, did you ever run into that kind of situation? I know you didn't coach it at that level as.
A head coach where I thought a kid was much better than what he was. He got my place, you know, and I started doing things differently. You know, I stopped looking at just the talent and au game. I had to do other things, like, you know, how is he from a character standpoint? Is he a tough enough kid to handle my coaching? You know how Cerebro is he? Is he a smart basketball player? You know what I mean? You know, is he not just in the good athlete?
You know, it's a lot of things come into play with that type at the deal And now, like Nick Saba said, you know, you look at a kid, he's highly talent, talented, and you know he wants X amount of dollars and such and such, and you get him and you pay him a million dollars and he's good enough to get you beat Yeah, right, you know, and it's more relevant now than anything you know used to be. Just bring the kid in and say, hey, you know,
you may not be good enough. You might want to you know, transfer, it's not working out for you, blah blah blah blah blah. But you're more invested now with these kids because the nil situation.
Yeah, and again I'm flashing on a conversation with Leonard Hamilton. There was a big that Kentucky really wanted and the kid ended up going to Creighton.
And I asked Leonard about it, and.
He said, that kid's the kind of player who gets coaches fired because he was a big was in all everything, and he just wasn't very good. As it turned out, he probably would have developed a little better. It can Tucky playing against better competition. But ultimately, yeah, that coaching staff got fire. But I mean, you know, look at Ben Simmons, look at some of these kids of late who chose to go to you know, LSU or wherever.
Then Simmons, you just brought up a name as a prime example. YEA, a guy who was just touted as the next you know, up and coming. That's right, and he's gotten every coach that he's ever played for a Fire, starting with Johnny Jones. It's a good friend of bars.
Yeah, hey, it's it's not. I don't envy you the profession, but I understand why you love it. He is Sean Woods. He is an unforgettable guard who joins us every Wednesday when we're not bumped by basketball like we will be next week, so you'll hear him on Thursday here, thanks.
Coach, have a great week you two Dick.
When we come back, Western Bureau Chief Gary Moore will join us right here on the Big Moon Sider six thirty wlap. Welcome back to the Big Bloon Sider. As we mentioned earlier, it is Thursday, but bumped last night for basketball, and what a game it was, So we have slid our Wednesday guest over at one evening, including our West End Bureau chief Gary Moore.
How is he loves the overlap?
I know you do, because not just football and basketball, but baseball, your beloved Dodgers.
At the series. Yeah I know.
And you know there's Premier League soccer in the UK, which which I love the other UK. Yeah, all sorts of good stuff going on. We have two guys in a six pack that means you and me and six fun things to go over. And finally we'll kick things off of our first wig here after forty three years, not since Reagan's first year in office and when you had this intimidating, imposing looking beard, we have finally another Yankees Dodgers World Series.
You remember that, I'm sure.
Oh yeah.
And by the way, I've got two I've got some cool Kentucky connections for the World Series at the end of this in our sixth wig. But there's a twist to them that you won't see to at least one of them that you won't see coming.
So that's going to be in our sixth wig. Here.
We also have the two best teams in baseball who are also playing the best baseball.
For this year's Fall Classic.
Doesn't always work out that way, like last year with Arizona when they got hot and then faded pathetically to Texas. The Yankees' first trip back in fifteen years four years for the Dodgers in that shortened but still official twenty twenty season, some people have said, well, you know it wasn't it was the COVID year. It wasn't an official season, it wasn't legitimate. Well, somebody had to win it, you know. If LA didn't, we'd hear like, well, they couldn't even
win it in a truncated year. So that's like every time I hear that's like a no win win for the Dodgers. You know, if you want a really illegitimate series, go back to twenty seventeen and the Lion cheating dirty filed. The Astros cheated all year, all year.
It was worse than the Black Sox.
I don't mean to go, oh, Michael Wilbon here, but if we had a Baseball commissioner like a Bart Giamatti, for say, and one who wasn't an invertebrate, that twenty seventeen crown probably would have been redacted by now. But hey, upward and onward. Friday Tomorrow, Game one, Dodger Stadium, first pitch, eight h eight pm, with hours of pregame before that. Vegas likes LA thinks it's gonna go at least six games, though I say Dodgers in seven games.
Wow, Well I've decided.
Even though growing up I was a Yankees fan because in the backyard I was Mickey Mantle. I need to root for the Dodgers, not just for your sake, because my buddy Darren Hendrick's a big Yankees fan. Aaron Gershaan are one of our regulars, big Yankee fan. But when there's a player on the Dodgers, on any team whose wife grew up next door to my children, they get my support.
And that's the Dodgers. It's amazing to me.
Gary.
This is the first time these teams have squared off in forty three years, simply because they are, if not the top to of the top three teams when it comes to spending. But as you and I have talked many times, that doesn't always translate to wins. But each is put together to really really good teams. We're gonna find out which one is great.
Cashman has mentioned that it could have been happen It could have already happened in twenty seventeen, but he already went there.
And by the way, it's Walker Buehler's wife who grew up next door to my children.
Absolutely second swig in the six pack. Hey before the Dodgers and Yankees, also from La we got football vikings and rams back Next Hour, Thursday ninth Football Minnesota. Three point favor there, and then on Sunday. A lot of meh games, not that many as we had like the last couple of weekends. Your Packers, though, should win in Jacksonville, with or without the White helmets. You got the Bills and my Seahawks. That should be a fun game. Same with the Eagles up I seventy five at the Bengals.
Maybe the game of the day. Four and two Bears coming off of bye week, winners of three in a row, and they're going to be at five and two Washington, Washington. They've won five of their last six, but the Bears are still a two and a half point favorite. And then and then Sunday night, the beleaguered Cowboys at the reeling forty nine Ers. Here's hoping that Frisco runs it up, so Jerry Jones will take it out on the radio guys on Monday when they add, Hey Grandpa, what happened?
Yeah, Vikes Rams Once upon a time was a cool game. But the Rams just, you know, with Cooper Cupp being injury, it's just they're just not good.
Uh.
It's amazing how quickly they have they have slid there, and the Vikings I have to fear them in my division in the NFC North, which I still want to call the Central.
Uh.
They're good man and and good for Sam Darnold, you know you feel good for him. I don't know what's up with the Bills, why they aren't better. It wouldn't surprise me if your boys beat him. And boy, you talk about a traditional game in the past, Cowboys Niners, both teams limping into this one.
How disappointing is that?
Yeah, I'll still probably watch it. Oh yeah, can't stand watching because it's on right exactly. Don't need another reason other than that our third swig in the six pack. By the way, while we're talking NFL, you as somebody who been in telling you you've forgotten more about television and production than I'll ever know. So so, what would you say is the over under on how many more games Tom Brady gets to commentate for Fox?
We already know.
Too many network executives have got this hero worshiping, jock sniffing attitude with very little regard for the quality of the broadcast product. Too often it's oh, well, just get some famous jocks in the booth. They'll be fine.
It's only TV.
Boy, they sure were a great player, so boy, I can't wait to talk to them after the game. And Fox seem to have such little regard for sports credibility. They went ahead with Brady's ten year, three hundred and seventy million dollars deal, knowing his bid to have a stake in the Raiders ownership was not only in progress, but was probably just all but a slam dunk at that point as well. Now that he's been approved, check out some of the restrictions they put on Brady from
the NFL. Tom cannot be in any team's facility. He cannot witness practice. He cannot attend broadcast production meetings. Kind of an important deal before you go on television for a game in person or virtually. Tom is subject to NFL gambling and anti tampering policies and the biggie. If you're a commentator, radius prohibited from criticizing game officials and other clubs. And that's certainly a great area. When what was that a critique of a call? Or is it
a critique of a pass or a play? But hey have fun commentating Tom. I ask you, Dick, is this a doable thing still going forward? Or is it just an unfixable mess.
There's going to be one thing that determines the answer to your question, and that's ratings. Quite frankly, you're right. I mean, you know they will weigh that against quality of the product. And how many times have you ever heard at the highest level. I've seen it at the local level, But how many times at the highest level have you heard an executive say, you know, yeah, we got to take this guy off the air.
We're making big money. Our ratings are great, but he's just not up to our standards. That doesn't happen, y'all.
Comes It always comes down to the to the dollars and cents, which dovetails off ratings.
But I had read a lot about this. You you did a deeper dive.
I knew about the broadcast meetings and the officials and all I didn't even I didn't know he couldn't even go into the facilities.
Now that is stunning.
And so the question is going back to my original point. If if you were up for a job as a as a broadcast analyst, and you went in saying, oh, and by the way, here are a list of restrictions that come with me, they would have turned you around and showed you at the door.
With a boot.
They never would have thought about hiring you. But he's Brady, he's a name. He brings viewers, he brings eyeballs. So I hate to sound so calloused and cynical, but if, and unless you know, the numbers drop, and they well might, you're going to.
Keep seeing him.
I think Bob Costas had a stake in the Yankees, would he still be doing MLB games?
You know what, though, Costas would remove himself. Not that he's a saint, but good point.
Fort Swigg On the college football, Well, Dick, if you told Jeff Brahm his offense would ring up forty five points against the number six team in the nation before last Saturday, he probably would have been elated for about ten seconds before he told him, Oh, by the way, your soft, porous defense will give up fifty two points. So I won't be surprised that if the Cards, by the way, have a new DC, not only by this time next year, maybe by the end of the season.
Who knows up next? For U of L.
Louisville plays Friday night. Friday Night against Boston College there in Boston. ESPN two Cards currently a seven point favorite. Then you got your cats. They were two and a half point favorites at Florida, as we know, losers by twenty eight to a Gators team freshman running back, five touchdowns, freshman quarterback two hundred and fifty nine yards, five passes more than forty yards. UK's a two and a half point favorite over Auburn at home Saturday night. You'll be
there course at seven thirty sec Network. Obviously, this is a winnable game, but so is last week, at least until kickoff and then they got bullied and pushed around. If UK and UL needed bounce back games to try and salvage seasons with super tough road games ahead, these would be them.
Yeah, you make a good point about Ul's defense. Although watching college game day, because it's being a night game in Gainesville, I got to lay around the hotel and just watch football all day when I wasn't at the pool, which was great. But one or two of the talking
heads picked Miami because of Louisville's poorest pass defense. I don't know enough about their team, haven't watched them much to say whether it's the decordinator or personnel in the defensive secondary, I have a tendency to think it's the latter. I think what you'll see maybe before you see a change. And the coaching staff is more action in the portal with Jeff Bromm and his staff trying to pull more
talent through there. But you know how tough it is to find quality defensive backs at the pro level, at the college, at the high school level. So they're gonna have to hit a couple of home runs there. As for Kentucky, I've said it all week. They're in that Florida game until a couple things happen and then they just kind of collapse. So we're gonna learn a lot about this team this week, and they're gonna have to force Auburn turnovers because that's what's done in the Tigers
this year. If the Tigers play a clean game, it's up for grabs.
Bittswig and the six Pack.
Continuing to college football, Dick, the number one college football team in America is in our commonwealth of Kentucky this very weekend. That would be number one North Dakota State in the FCS rankings, formerly one Double A in my hometown of Murray to play the one and six racers one in six racers who's who are actually worse than the record edicates they're really really awful. In fact, Dick the other North Dakota North Dakota University the unranked win
rang up seventy two at Murray three weeks ago. There's not even a line on this North Dakota State Murray game. We could see maybe even eighty points before it's all over. Final horse whipping of this. But along with the Cats and the Cards games this weekend, I've picked six to see. First of all, noon Saturday on the Big ten Network, Number thirteen Indiana hosting unranked Washington. Bright and I were in Bloomington last Saturday for the Nebraska beat down homecoming weekend.
Fox Big Noon was there. So now ESPN's game day is that I've never seen that where they follow up each other, but that's going to happen this Saturday. Sold out, by the way, the rest of the Indiana games are sold out for the rest of the year.
In Bloomington. Also at noon Saturday.
Number twelve Notre Dame twelve and a half point favorites at number twenty four Navy.
That's going to be on ABC.
The first Big Test for the Midshipman three thirty number twenty one MISSOO will play at number fifteen Alabama. Yes, Indiana is ranked higher than Alabama. That's the world we live in right now. Bama is a huge favorite on that's on ABC three thirty. Also CBS number one Oregon hosting number twenty Illinois, who, by the way, had the
coolest throw at least helmets last weekend. Yeah, Ducks are twenty one and a half point favorites in Eugene four or fifteen SEC Network number five Texas at number twenty five Vandy Trap game, Trap Game, Texas a nineteen point favorite in that one, and then at seven thirty you got ABC number eight, LSU number fourteen Texas A and M. The Aggies are a favorite in that one. I still like the Penn State at Wisconsin game also, and SMU at Duke. A lot of good ones this weekend. So
besides the Cats and Tigers, you'll be seeing. What else do you want to watch?
Personally?
Well, obviously I'm curious about Indiana. I'm hoping that Hoosiers are real. That's a great story in there, because the sellout of numbers. You and I have talked about this before they had Bowl teams. Back in the I think it was the mid to late eighties or early nineties, they had a couple of ball teams and nobody cared, nobody showed up. Yeah, Sam Weish had a couple of decent Indiana teams. But I love the fact that they're
drawing now. But that's the power now of college football, and I think it's TV saturation, which in this case helps them with their gate. Notre Dame Navy is really really intriguing. I do like the Irish there, but tough to prepare for teams well, any of the Service academies that don't run traditional attacks. Missouri Alabama wouldn't surprise me if MISSOI wins that one.
I had to eat it on Oregon.
I told you confidently that Ohio State would destroy the Ducks, and boy was I wrong. And I am, of course curious to see what the fighting Diegos and now the Nashville do with Texas. So, yeah, that's going to be a lot of fun. And again night game for a wild Cats, so I can watch a lot of football.
Indiana's fifth in overall offense in the nation, seventh in overall defense, amazing and Indiana also one of two teams that have not been behind at all this season Armies the other one.
New coach and a new approach. And it all fits. Sixth and final swig.
With one hundred and twentieth World Series set for Game one just over twenty four hours from right now, it's cool to note the Kentucky connections for LA and New York. We've mentioned many times here Dodger pitcher probable Game three starter Walker Bueller, Tates Creek High guy was Henry Clay, Yeah, got okay. And also Walker's battery mate Will Smith, Yeah,
little Kentucky Country Day High. And U of l Alum who, by the way, he has done a great job with these bullpen games especially but every yeah, how tough is that on a catcher? About every inning a new pitcher. Maybe a lot of listeners already know that. Yankees general manager and architect of these New York teams since nineteen ninety eight, Brian Cashman lived in Lexington when his dad ran Castleton Farm, went to Lexington Catholic High, then on to college where he got a chance to intern for
the Yankees. One problem Brian Cashman was an enormous LA Dodgers.
Fan hated hated the Yankees.
In fact, I've tweeted out a photo of Brian in a Dodgers cap and jersey with Tommy.
Lesorda, who autographed it. Nice that his mom said us, you.
Love that picture. But mucking the stalls at Castleton was a good preparation for Brian before he dealt with the horse crap of George Steinbrenner.
Early on in those days and survived it.
Took the internship with the Pinstripes in nineteen eighty six, seems to have worked out okay for Brian.
Yeah, and his dad, John actually was the president of the Red Mile at one point and a.
Really good guy. Interviewed John.
Never have met Brian, but I've interviewed John more than once when I worked at WKYT. I love hanging out at the Red Mile, but yeah, I love the Kentucky connections and it's a it's gonna be fun, But like I said, I'll stay with the Dodgers.
You ever had to you're a horse guy? You ever heard a muck stalls in your life?
I mucked a stall once when I was doing a story about working at a horse farm, and I was told I did a good job, but was way too slow.
Is that your sinuses, doesn't it? Oh? Yoh yeah. I would never survive as a stallmucker. We'll come back with hot.
Reads for Gary in just a minute here on six WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blue Cider Tom for a couple of hot reaves for our West End bureau chief. Gary Moore talked about the Dodgers in the World Series, but it's kind of a tinge of sadness going into the series with the loss of Fernando Valenzuela died way too young. But boy, he took us back, or really the memories took us back, Gary, to the early eighties.
It was before you moved to La just before I think you moved to La Is when Fernando had that incredible nineteen eighty one season.
His whole career was amazing. But you look at the numbers, especially those first eight games that will never be matched, you know, all complete games, five shutouts, but throughout his career, but just in general in La with the culture and him being a hero from Mexico, it was just an incredible chapter in the history of baseball.
Well, you think about how popular Dodgers already are you think about Okay, well, who were the big popular Latino pitchers before Fernando, right, there weren't any, so for him to come in there and you don't have to be I mean, I spent a lot of time in East LA and Boyle Heights and Huntington Park and all these
places that are around there. But really it's the culture is all throughout Southern California, from in Fact LA, all if the whole state, but you know, it's definitely Southern California, even down in the San Diego and for him to come in and do that, you can see and hopefully there will be enough of those true fans from those areas in the bleachers because I know the ticket prices are crazy. They come out and support every single game. They're huge, huge fans for him.
This was beyond big.
This was the biggest thing that ever happened in the Latino sports community, I think in the whole Los Angeles area. He just represented so much. He was so good, He was so so good, yeah, screwballs and all that.
Had a no hitter as well, so just just an incredible talent and that big smile. Our second hot read takes us to the NBA Opening week and the Detroit Pistons, who were terrible last year probably terrible again this year. Uh Dwayne Casey, my man is now in the front office. That happened about a year year and a half ago.
Uh.
JB.
Bickerstaff is the head coach, and last night his team got teed up for having six men on the court.
Here's what it sounded like on Pistons television and I got it. Got a guy just counting them off, So yeah, guilty is charged? How many you got?
Three on one end of the court and three on the other end of the math all added up to a technical fight, even though Bickerstaff tried to defend himself and his team, Gary, But is there anything worse?
Especially in opening night?
Well, you got what are these guys in the clipboard with holding the clipboards doing over here holding clipboards? I know, I'm sure they're not math majors trying to count up to six?
What are these guys? And I'll tell you what. I'll tell you one.
Team that wish there was another guy in the court with the sixers? And where's Joel Embiide on Opening Night?
What's all that about?
Too?
No, who's no longer going to play back to well play the first one then, Well, when he made that announcement, did the Sixers ask for part of their money back? I mean, he signed that huge contract and now he won't play back to backs.
What was he doing in the last couple of months since the Olympics? Exactly wouldn't you be ready for the first That's really screwy. If I was a Sixers fan, I'd beat not happy at this point. One of the knocks the media knox is he's never been in shape. Yeah, I'm sure one can lead to the other. But even when he plays in a game, I promise you the Sixers will have only five men on the court.
Probably all right. We can find our man Gary on Twitter knee.
X at at nine to five five Gary, the same joint you're found at.
I'm at Big Blue Insider one. Thank you, sir, enjoyed the series, same to you. Gotta do it for now.
Thanks to my guests, Gary Moore, to Sean Woods and of course to Dicky Lyons Senior. Can't wait to see him when he comes up. He'll be an SEC legend. I'm not gonna go to the SEC football champion and ship this year, but if I did, that would be probably the number one reason. But it was good talking to him again.
I hadn't talked to.
Him, like I said, since since Dicky was six or seven years old, way back in the day. But great to talk to him as well. Reminder, Kentucky football coming up some forty five kickoff on Saturday five thirty airtime right here with Christy Logan and Jeremy and then Jeff Tom and I will have a call the Cats and the Auburn Tigers.
Thanks for joining us. That's it. Good night from the garage and lexingon.
Now the three two swing. Huh a pop foul, it's back here. How ow wow, it really hit me. I didn't know it was coming back that far.
Fava yea