You're just going to BEBA.
It is.
Let's Bebia, but it's me too.
Actually, no place I'd rather be. Welcome to The Big Blue and Sider. Dicadrill with you on a Monday edition of our program. Yep, that was otega Oway and Mark Pope. As we lead things here on the Monday edition of The Big Blue Insider. You start off with Kentucky basketball whenever you can, or Kentucky football. It is that time of year when talk show hosts and writers are looking
for things to talk about. No shortage of topics tonight because not just of Kentucky football and basketball, a little recruiting news coming up as well, College World Series stuff the NBA. A former wildcatch shay Gilges Alexander had a huge game last night. We're coming off the Belmont Aaron Rodgers has signed. He's a Steeler if you care. But yeah, there's still stuff to talk about, no question about it. But we needed to start off first of all by
talking about the House settlement. Finally, finally it came through. Now colleges have to set about deciding on and dealing with the impact on athletics. The California judge Claudia Wilkins Friday made the move that has changed the landscape of college athletics arguably forever. Well, it's always going to be changing, but now the schools have the freedom to pay athletes directly a total of two point eight billion in NIL
back pay dating back to twenty sixteen. There are new roster rules, there's a new enforcement arm that will include a clearing house for future NIL agreements of six hundred dollars or more. Mitch Barnhart releasing a statement over the weekend. You may have seen that, but what this has done basically is provide some of the guide rules that college administrators,
including Barnhart, have been craving. There are all kinds of and whispers when this first started that and again I'm not trying to carry the guy's water, but I've spoken to the man about this kind of thing. Barnhardt was accused of dragging his feet, trying to subvert NIL deals, trying to keep people from getting what was coming to them in the early days. And I've mentioned this before. I was on a panel discussion show they threw together
over at k ET. I'm hundred enough that they asked me to come in, not just because I don't live too far away, but they've asked me to come. I've been around for a little while, and you know, I basically in one situation I deferred to Mitch about the fact that getting schools to pull together in the same direction is like hurting cats when it comes to the NCAA.
And when it comes to this sort of thing, you've got a hundred plus schools playing D one football, You've got three hundred plus schools I believe it is playing D one basketball. Everybody has a different mission, So how do you get everybody going in the right direction? And what he didn't bring up, and I couldn't really get into it that much because at the time it wasn't as pronounced, but it sure became pronounced leadership from the top of the NCAA. Again, the nca is the members institutions.
It's all the membership, but somebody at the top has to organize stuff. And they were getting some of the worst leadership at the top in the history of the NCAA at the time. Well, now, thanks to what went to court, they've all had to pull together and they all have to, as Mitch says, navigate these challenges responsibly. Meanwhile, maintaining high standards and support of varsity sports. Right so,
the College Sports Commission will oversee the process. It will facilitate revenue sharing and ensure the name, image and likeness deals between student athletes and third parties are fair and comply with the rules. Nothing is going to be equal. We know this, but they're looking for it to be equitable. It's got to be fair the process for everybody. But
here is what you know, and here is what I know. Yeah, there are going to be rules in place, and all the same people to scream about society going to hell in a handcard because there's no respect for law and order. A lot of a lot of those people turn a blind eye or encourage you to turn a blind eye to rules governing this that, including the NCAA, And it's all these rules are so stupid. Well yeah, some of
them are. But you know why they're there because the rule book was the size it became because so many people out there are dreaming up ways to cheat. And right now with this new process in place, with the CSC in place, with the new basically commissioner in place, there are people well right now, I promise you trying to figure out ways to cheat, and you know, well, if you're not cheating, you're not trying. That's garbage. Yeah,
that's Look. I know you can wink at things that happened in a NASCAR race, But if your kid was playing on a team, and I hear from parents, I've heard from parents my entire career. If your kid was playing on a team against the team that routinely beat them, and you know they were cheating somehow, yeah, you'd be pretty upset about it. And it's happened. And look, you know the stuff about well it used to be against the rules to put cream cheese on a bagel for kid. Yeah,
that sort of stuff got ridiculous. And I couldn't believe that that committee members who put the rules together sat in a room and what they did was came up at broad rules and then you know, well what about this? Could you put peanut butter? Could you've been cheating? You know all that kind of stuff. No, I'm amazed that
got that. That's stupid. But as I learned when I worked in the old Southwest Conference for those communications, the reason those rules are in those rule books is because there were people out there dreaming up new ways to cheat, and I don't mean putting cream cheese on a bagel. Remember, Southwest Conference was the most corrupt conference by the time it disbanded in the history of college athletics. SEC wasn't
too far behind before Mike's Live got there. And I just got so sick of hearing that all the rules were so hard to follow. No, they're not. And I told the story before. David Kwood, Harlan product was the number of two or three man at the NCAB by the time he retired, came to work with us at those communications, and once told me because I complained to him one day, I said, Dave Man, that rule book is three inches thick. He said, the rules that get
programs in trouble cover about twelve pages. I'm like balls, he said no. I said, what's all that other stuff? He said, Oh, it's stuff about transfers and red tape and things like that. But he said, the rules that get you in trouble cover about twelve pages. And he suggested that the NCAA that they pull those twelve pages, make a pamphlet out of it. Still give the schools the big book, but make pamphlets and say have your coaches carry every one of your recruiters should have this
in their back pocket. And it was a great idea, and they turned it down. The NSAY turned it down. I said, why, well, because they said, somebody somewhere is going to break a rule that's not in the pamphlet. And then they'll say, well, you didn't tell us weird to worry about that rule, which to me is nonsense. But that's just the way that they were thinking at the time. So anyhow, I want to see how this all shakes out with the House settlement, with the new
basically commissioner, and the way the money's doled out. But I do worry about all these regional institutions because when they start shutting down programs, and they will, it's already started, that's going to mean opportunities for men and women that they might have had to go to a D one school now they're not going to have them. Maybe they can go D two or three, maybe they go JUCO, get partial scholaris or whatever. But some kids just talking
to be able to afford to go to school. And I know, you know, you have a tendency to think, or at least too many people in my line of work look at college words, odd's just grooming ground for the pros. One percent, maybe two percent of the kids competing in college athletics top to bottom men and women D one to D three two percent go pro. You talk about the tail wagon the dog. When these idiots think like that, it's just about going to the pros,
shut up. And I know I'm terribly biased because I cover baseball, volleyball, women's sports, and some of the folks who helicopter in and cover the college well series of the bowl games or whatever, and they look at it simply as minor league sports. Totally wrong, totally wrong. Go a little deeper and you'll find out all right before the break, we'll come back to We'll take all away,
Mark Pope. This was a clip on the UK Sports Network social media accounts, Oh take it Away at one of the Mark Pope satellite camps, asking his coach is once in future coach now that he's back, to recreate the moment that Pope heard that otakea Oway was returning to the Wildcats.
Do you want me.
O good? So, first of all, I was on a plane.
I was on a plane and I don't understand why or how, but the call actually came through.
And so take a call mean and he said.
Coach, let's do this.
I'm coming back, And I was looking around.
I'm like, I think the pilot.
Is about to throw me out the plane right now.
So I was like, oh, Tega, I gotta call you back later. We just hold that on. Fifteen minutes later, called him back. He says, come back. Tears were to up my face.
Yeah, I mean, it's a lot because I knew.
I knew a couple of things.
One I knew I know how how.
Excited you are and how much you want to go play in that league. I know it's a dream of lifetime. I know it's super humbling to see you. One understand how much you watch it get better, how committed you are to keep getting better. And second thing was to see how much you understand I appreciate what you have right now. That's special stuff.
Man, Yes, sir, better but hold on.
Hey, And he's been hiped.
He was super hiped all the way until he heard about the conditioning.
Test on the first day summer workouts.
And then it was like, whoa coach, Maybe I need to go back to this journey West, y'all.
Go see that when there's gonna be times at so take it all away along with Mark Pope, Curtis City, UK Sports Networking. As he said, you heard it off the top. Always said there's no place I would rather be and there there's no fan base that is happier about that than the Big Boe Nation. We'll come back with more of the Big Boon Insider coming up a little bit later on in the show. Rick Bose, it's from WDRB TV. We'll talk to him about the House settlement.
And Kobe Wilson from Fox fifty six that's ahead on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. Dick Abriel with you coming up a little bit later on Rick Bose, it's from Fox fifty six WDRB. I'll tell you what surprise today on Twitter. I guess we shouldn't be when you add up to years. But John Clay announcing his retirement. You might have seen it earlier today. I talked about it with Tom Leach on the Leach
Report earlier this morning. I had reached out to John over the weekend to see if he could come on and talk about the House settlement and other things. But he said I can't today, I can do it tomorrow. I don't know if that's because he's filling out paperwork all day or whatever, or just at another commitment, obviously, but John's gonna come on tomorrow, so we'll talk not just about the matters of the day, but about his career. And it's been a great one at the Herald Leader.
Came from the Kentucky Colonel as I did, and worked his way up and he's done a really nice job. So congrats to John. Not the only headline out there, of course. Quick note on UK basketball recruiting. David Sisk of Cats Illustrated, part of the Rivals Network, is reporting that Turan Stokes is making a visit to UK. He attends Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. A consensus five star recruit and the top ranked player in
the class of twenty twenty six. He is from Louisville but prepping in California, so well, we'll see if that helps. But if a kid's prepping in California, then he is used to being away from home, so he could wind up anywhere. But on the Cats Illustrated site earlier today, David Sisk who was a friend of the show reporting that's Turan Stokes is currently on an official visit to UK and was going to come last month but had
to reschedule. You know, when we talk about the House settlement, you've got to talk about schools that just can't afford to keep all of its sports programs. And you've already seen one D one school perdue Fort Wayne announced the discontinuation of baseball and softball. How about that because it's going to save the school a million dollars and the school itself, the entire university is looking at six million
in budget cuts. So it's a D one school dropping sports and that's not directly related to the House settlement, but it is indirectly, So brace yourself for more of the same. Murray State will play for a spot in the College World Series tonight down at Duke. Racers destroyed the Blue Devils yesterday and forced a game three. It will not be a College World Series that is overwhelmingly sec acc but there is a lot of that because
LSU won eliminating West Virginia in two games. Arkansas beat defending champion Tennessee in two games, four to three and eleven to four. But that's it because Coastal Carolina jumped up the thirteen seed and eliminated Auburn the number four seed, in two games at Auburn, acc lost a spot when at home. North Carolina lost in Game three to Arizona four to three. Carolina had a three to two lead in the eighth couple innings away from Omaha, bullpen collapsed,
Arizona wins. Another team from the West, Oregon State beat a good Florida State team in Tallahassee. I'm sorry in Corvallis in game three. So Oregon State the same program, not same team, different team, same program that lost to Kentucky in the Super Regionals here in Lexion last year. Going back to Omaha. UCLA going back for the first time in ten or eleven years, won the title in thirteen beat the Cinderella team, well one of them, Moury
State's the other Texas San Antonio in two games. So the Bruins move on and the Louisville Cardinals win in Game three yesterday afternoon against Miami, which had the tying and go ahead run on base in the ninth inning and two guys struck out another guy to fly ball and Louisville goes back to the College World Series NBA Playoffs. You know this, Sey Gilgess Alexander is the MVP, and
he played that way last night. Oklahoma City, which blew the first game against the Pacers, came outmped all over Indiana early and beat the daylights out of the Pacers. So now they head back to Indianapolis. But the series is tied. But SGA thirty four points and didn't need a million shots to get there. He had thirty eight in the lost Thursday, but needed thirty shots to get there, but only three assists. But last night, eleven of twenty one from the floor. He had all of his points
via his driving is dribbling. They all came in the paint or from mid range, but then he would fan it out. He had seven or eight assists and six of them led to three pointers by his teammates. So SGA back at it, and he's the reason that Oklahoma City was picked, the biggest reason. But Pacers beat him up and ground him down in game one, So we'll see if they'll try to do the same in game two. In Game three, which happens Wednesday eight thirty start time,
and if you're interested. Tickets are going for as low as six hundred and twenty three dollars. Okaysee is favored by five and a half. On Wednesday night. Hope you got a chance to see the Belmont Stakes over the weekend. Sovereignty wins it over journalism by aza was third, same finish in the Kentucky Derby, and once again journalism on the lead as they turned for home. Sovereignty was sitting right there, sitting chilly as they say, and overcomes journalism
and wins going away, wins by three lengths. I had it simply because my buddy and I talked to Kenny McPeak. You might have heard our interview with him on the Big Blue Insider, Well Off Mike. He predicted and it wasn't off the record because Kenny's got his own podcast. He picked sovereignty to win the Kentucky Derby on his podcast, and he picked sovereignty, and he picked sovereignty to win the Bellmont. He told us he would win by four. I think when one by three and so now what
a great rivalry developing between sovereignty and journalism. Clearly the best two to three year olds in America and most experts said, well, if he wins the Belmont, that stamps Sovereignty as the champion three year old. Well they may race again later in the fall. But I got to thinking about this after the race. Yeah, Sovereignty won two of the three legs of the Kentucky Derby. Journalism made that great move in the Preakness and came through traffic
in one and had to head. Yes, Sovereignty has beaten Journalism twice. But and as you know, Seignty didn't run in the Preakness. But you know, if Sovereignty loses to Journalism later this year, you could make the great case for Journalism simply because he was the only horse to race in all three legs at a triple crown and finish first or second. So if he wins over Sovereignty sometime in the fall, I'll bang a drum for journalism, not just because that's been my profession through the years,
but you could make that argument. It would be fantastic. It would have to take ahead to head win, but it would make for really a great debate among those of us who love throwbread racing. One other note before we hit the brake, Aaron Rodgers is now a Steeler that became official over the weekend. Adam Schefter of ESPN recently reported that Rogers was the third choice for the Steelers.
How about that? If this is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, because so much of these stories were out there swirling, but the Steelers evidently, and I think what Shifter's good at is kind of throwing a net over everything that's out there. I don't know how many times he personally breaks stories, but ESPN always puts Schefter report, well, sometimes other people have reported. At first anyhow Matthew Stafford was out there and the Steelers
wanted him, couldn't get him. Then they tried to re sign Justin Fields. He took a better deal with the Jets, ironically enough, which left the Steelers with Mason Rudolph and they wanted more and they got it theoretically for Aaron Rodgers. So the former Packer led my team to five conference championship games but only one Super Bowl is now going
to be wearing the Steelers gold and black. We're backing them in with Rick Bosic on six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Bluinsider joining us on our celebrity Hotlines, A longtime friend of the show. He is Rick Bosich, anchor reporter for Fox forty one WDRB in Louisville, and so much to talk about right now. Believe it, it's June, Rick, which used to be kind of a dead zone in sports. But first of all, this house settlement has shaken college
athletics to its core. We know it was coming, but it's it's dramatically and drastically changing the face of college athletics. How do you think it's going to impact right away? What do you think is going to be the immediate impact of this thing? Have you do you even have any idea?
And I don't think any of us really have any idea, and even some administrators that I've talked to don't have any idea. I think we're going to see more separation from the you know, the top level schools, like the schools in the SEC and the Big Ten, especially from the rest of college sports. I worry about mid majors, I worry about low majors. I worry about, you know, the non revenue sports and what's going to happen to them.
We've heard all the stories that at different schools where they'll be eventually moved to club club sports status because all the resources have to be poured into the sports that generate revenue.
A couple of programs you covered on in Western Kentucky. Bellerman is you know, you wonder.
At this Murray State baseball team right now there they going to beat Duke today to go to the College World Series. What's going to be their status moving forward? Yeah, Bellerman very ambitiously six years ago made the move from D two to D one. Uh, they've already retrenched a little bit by moving back from Freedom Hall back into Knights Hall on campus. But you know, and the other we hear these whispers. We've heard them from Greg thank you.
We've heard them from Charlie Baker, the head of the NCAA, about expanding the NCAA tournament to get you know, that's a code word for putting more major teams in there with sub five hundred records in conference play and making it harder for the for the teams that give the tournaments so much of its character and flavor of the opening weekend, the mid majors and low majors making it harder for them. So the thing, it's going to be
twenty million. But you know what, Dick, we're going to talk about this in six weeks, and it's that's not going to be enough. There's it's never going to be enough. That's what we see in this and we've seen forever there's never enough money. And until they find some way to solve their spending problems, it's it's not a revenue problem because they will never have no And last.
Week I was at Aku and e Ku hired a new baseball coach and I was chatting with one of the athletic administrators. Their budget, Rick at Eku, is twenty three million. That's chump change to SEC schools. But they've they've got to get it done and they've got to compete at the D one level. And from this chunk of money, they're going to get about two hundred and seventy thousand dollars and you know, it's a lot for them, but they're still expected to compete for the same trophies.
Right theoretically they are. You know, we all know that that can't continue forever. It just doesn't work. I mean, I think we're headed more to it's professional college sports.
That's what it is right now.
And I think we'll see more of a professional model in scheduling and structure of postseason play, and we lose.
A lot of, for lack of a better term, the charm that we've all enjoyed through the years. Now it's not been fair. We know that to the athletes, this could have been avoided. That's the sad part. This could have all been avoided. I don't know what it could have been.
Avoided if college administrators hadn't clung to the right you know sham for as many years as they did. Yeah, and that's you know, you mentioned this in the beginning, and you're so right. At the speed with which we've gone from the previous system to the current system been numbing. Nobody can really understand it when you hear some of the numbers about things that you know, players are getting two million dollars, three million dollar basketball players one hundred thousand,
two hundred thousand dollars college baseball players. So you know, a million dollar softball player got Tennessee Texas Tech to the College World Series. They lost, but that's right, nobody, they would have no chance of getting there, but they decided to spend some of their Nile money in the college softball pitcher, and now we're talking about her, and it worked.
They got to the World Series Championship game.
Yep, you're right, yeah, talking to Rick.
Bozych of WDRBWDRB dot Com has covered Kentucky sports for many, many years, earlier for the Career Journal and now for Channel forty one Fox WDRB over in Louisville. Just to your point about administrators, I really I did see m Newton's radio show for years in the summertime, and I really enjoyed CM and respected him a lot, but disagreed
with him on a lot of things. And one of them was when we were talking about this very thing about athletes and compensation, and I said, coach, you got all these Tim Couch jerseys hanging in bookstores going off the racks, and Tim's not getting anything. And oh no, no, they bought the those jerseys because they were UK jerseys. I'm gonna come on, man, you know, you had too many old school administrators like that who kind of held
things back. He was so great for the game on the one hand, but held things back on the other.
You know. Yeah, And it wasn't just him, it was everybody. That's the system they grew up with, and that's the system they wanted to maintain and the one part of it though that still sometimes gets to me though, and I'm sure you can relate to this, which that the value of an education has been totally pushed aside or
discounted in all this, and it is valuable. I mean, for those of us who put kids into college and watch them go for four years and graduate, we know that that's a significant amount of money and for them for so many people to act like that's irrelevances that
bothers me. Man, It drives me crazy because how many of these guys are going to be professional athlete And I worry about guys who There are a lot of guys now who this year will be in their fourth college and I want somebody to sit down and tell me how the transferring of credits work so when they're done with their four years, they're in a good spot to get their degree, because the guys who are transferring them many times usually aren't going to be the guys
who are pros because they didn't have success at their previous job and how they set themselves up for the rest of their lives. But that's the conversation, which is at the you know, not at the top of the priority list for the stuff we're talking about now.
It's not even on the list. That's what bothers me.
I know, it's not the list. You're right. I didn't want to be that strong, but I mean, it's we never talk about education anymore. All we talk about is money and sports and the games. We don't ever talk about the educational part of it.
Yeah, well, you know, and you and me and our other media brethren, we talk about this and that with the coaches at the highest level at uku L. But I know when you talk to people at Bellermant at Western Kentucky, if I talk to people at EKAU at Murray State Transylvania, they do talk about it, you know, because I think that they should. Yes, and they're more held account.
That's what their recruiting advantage is. I know that Scottie Davenport and Doug Davenport development. One of the things they talk to their players about it is they have a good business school and if you come here and in the business school, we'll get you an internship in the summer that oftentimes lead to a good job there. You go and that's that's that's kind of the old school way of looking at it. I find it refreshing. I might be a dinosaur or whatever, but I think it's
in the long run. Nobody wants to look at twenty, you know, fifteen, twenty, thirty years from now, what's your career going to be, what are your connections in the community going to be? They just want to talk about how much money am I going to make in the next six months or night. Yes, and very rarely is it life changing money. It's momentarily life changing money, but it's not life changing money for your entire life. Oh.
In former UK quarterback Freddie Maggard worked at UK. He created a program called four for forty, which meant the decision you make about the next four years of your life will directly impact the next forty years of your life. And they had speakers come in and talk about everything you just mentioned, Rick about the future, about how let's face it, you're probably not going pro even if you do, how do you handle your money, how do you handle your life? And there it just isn't enough of that
going around, at least it doesn't appear to be. Right now, we're talking to Rick Bosch from Fox forty one WDRB and Louisville Back in a minute on six thirty WLAP Welcome back, We're talking with Rick Bosch. He is a sports reporter and anchor for Fox forty one WDRB over in Louisville and has been covering a lot of college baseball. Of like, there were people throwing dirt on the UL baseball program. Rick the dam McDonald's got him back in Omaha. That had to be a fun weekend, I would think.
Yeah, it was a great weekend. Patterson Stadium siccessand fans there for every game. Miami says, one of the traditional powers in the game. The games were other than the first game. They were close and the Cards, who really, they're not in the top twenty five when the tournament started. After beating Vandy is the number one overall seed the previous weekend in Nashville. Came home and got it out of three, two victory yesterday, and they're going to Omaha
where they're playing Oregon State. So you know, I look at Dan McDonald's. He's not a coach, he's a difference maker. He's been here since two thousand and seven. Yeah, and this is a little sixth trip to Omaha. In the first twenty years I lived here. If you Tony Louisville was going to Omaha, I went to last There's no reason for them to go Omaha. This is not a baseball They don't have baseball weather, it didn't have baseball tradition. And he turned it into a program that not only
you know goes to Omaha. They produced MLB guys. They got six their six former louisll players in Major League Baseball right now.
And it's not just you know, whatever conference they're in, You've still got to win a regional and a super regional to get to Home Maw. And we learned this last and a few years with Kentucky. That's the key. If you can host a super you got such a good shot.
And they did it this year, no doubt about it. And you know this is the year they weren't supposed to do it. They've stumbled a little bit down the stretch. They lost the home game to Bellerman in May and people were grumbling. They were on Dann McDonald's back. He lost his mojo and they hadn't made the tournament the two previous years. And I'm happy for him because he forced himself into the program. And they got a lot
of Kentucky kids on the team. At the end of the game yesterday, to the pitchers that pitched, one was from Trinity and one was from Paduca Tillman, so they've got some. And their number one starter from Bowling Green, Patrick Forbes, so they've they've Kentucky baseball in general, high school baseball in general has really gotten stronger over the
last ten or fifteen years. And the commitment made not only by lit and Kentucky to baseball, but Western which had a good team in made the regional and Murray State, which could shock the world today beat Duke in the College World Series.
That would be cool.
UHKU, two teams in Omaha.
How about that? You know, I gotta admit that, dude, I called the Kentucky Louisville game over here in Lexington, and Kentucky blew them out seven run or seven inning run rule. I thought, what is wrong with Louisville, especially the bullpen, which has always been a strength, but just a bad night. Got to throw out that bad race. A few minutes left with Rick Bosices, let us talk quickly about uh UK football. You get over here. I see you hauling cameras and tripods like a good TV
guy does. Back in the day, when you were a newspaper guy, you just had to haul a notebook and maybe a computer. Uh. But that's the price of fame.
I know that.
But this I'm old Hall of Typewriter Dick.
That's true me too, That's how I got started. Uh. But a pivotal year for Mark Stoops. That's that's the word around here. And as I've talked all summer and we'll keep talking about it, he's a victim of his own success. Isn't He raised the ceiling and raised the floor. And how the pressure's on, isn't it?
Yeah?
It is.
And I saw they're projected by Vegas to win five and a half games, and I'm not sure that'll get it done from whether it gets five or six. You know, once you get people accustomed to winning eight, nine, ten and going to bowl games and having success and have exciting teams, when that kind of goes away, people start
grumbling about it. And it's a success oriented world. And he's making a lot more money now than he made when he first started, and people expect more when your salary goes up, and you know, South Carolina's kind of bounced back. Missouri's gotten better, Vanderbilt's gotten better, his job has become tougher. So Mark Stuts is a fighter though. The one thing he beat the ass when he first
began to think. So we'll find out how motivated he is and how much some of the changes he's made within his staff will pay off.
I know you don't come over for you come over for games, not for the weekly press conferences. But they're up online. I'm sure you take a peek at him and his tone of late. I think trying to read between the lines has been and I'm inferring that some of the people he brought in didn't fit his way of doing things, him and his staff, and he believes this group now it's back to that blue collar ethic. You know what I'm saying. Could it be that simple?
It's only that simple if your entire team buies into it. Yeah, you know, I mean last year they had some guys who were really supposed to be really good players who I thought kind of underperformed and talking about you know, Dean Walker on the defensive line and a couple of other guys and they can't have that. I mean, the SEC is an unforgiving lead league, and your guy's got to perform at the top level every week. And I
hope that's the case. If he's been preaching it since the end of the last season, I think it'll be the case. But you know, all the other teams are are trying hard too, and they're spending money, and they're ambitious and they don't want to fall behind. So it's not going to be easy to reclaim her spont in the SEC, especially now.
With Texas and Oklahoma involved, and with Missouri looking like a real program. Finally again, it was several years ago South Carolina you mentioned, and now Kentucky second game of the year's old miss and Lane Kiffin's got it going down there. So uh, there was a period where teams were backing up in the SEC, including Florida, which still is struggling a bit for Florida standards, but not anymore right top to bottom, no.
Doubt about it. You know, like I said, Vanderbilt, they be Kentucky two in a row. Billy Billy what's his name, the guy from Florida. He's fighting for his job down there. Man. He had a really good freshman quarterback last year, I mean, and then after all those years it was a five or six in a row, Kentucky had beating Louisville in football.
That was the game that I think really uh intensified the narrative around coach Stops is that bron came in there and beat Kentucky decisively and beat them with two running backs. I mean, they had two guys run for one hundred yards of that game. And Kentucky had always been the team with the better, more powerful running game, and then a little kind of out muscled them. So
you don't that's the thing about the game. That's the last game of the year when you led you when you have a dud like that, that's the last memory that people walk out of the stadium with and and they're not happy. So they need to get off to a good start. And as you mentioned early some SEC games, it's going to have to shock a few people.
Yeah, just a couple of minutes Leven rig Bos that you mentioned U of L And I think Kentucky fans over have realized that the days that you could put w by that and there were only a few years over that that the brom family basically has made its market U of l. That's going to be back to a really fascinating rivalry, I think, don't you think?
Oh yeah, because you know Jeff grew up in the state. He had offered from Kentucky. I don't he left before the series started, but he coached under Petrino when the series was Uh, pretty chart between the two schools. Uh, he knows how much it means. Uh, and he has he now recruits against them, He now competes against them. And uh he got beat at home. Uh his first season here when Louisville was a ten win team, didn't like it and came back and one last year. And
it's a big game for him too. He'll he'll that Louisville will remain competitive in that game. But the struggles they had understood Satterfield, even though he said the right things, I never thought he grasps how important the game was. Really, No, I didn't. He said the right things, but you know, I don't think he really grasped everything that Louisville had to go through to even get that series started and how much this meant. Remember the first four games I
played and they didn't want to. They didn't want to play. And you know there's a lot of you know, legitimate competitive fuel between the two schools, and I never really that's a satterfield grass now.
And you got to give Stellenberger credit for agreeing to play those first four and lexi and but it worked because it move the U of L backers off their butts and they got the money get together for the football stadium over there. That's exactly the way Howard get envisioned it. And he and Curry you wanted people to stop talking about basketball recruiting in the summertime and talk about foot correct and it worked.
Can I say one more thing?
Sure?
I want to say congrats to John Klay. Yeah, you know today he's retiring as a hair Leader columnist. John's not only a great newspaper man, but he's a better person. He's one of my best friends. It's been an honor and my privilege to travel with him through the years. We've gone to all kinds of games and events together
and covered a lot of horse races together. And we're such a wild pair that we go out to dinner and then after we go out to dinner and we go to the Barnes and Noble for books, Matt John, are we still going to be able to go to Barnes and Noble together? Pographic like done it for a long time and did it the right.
Then Bose it's w dr B.
Thank you sir, all right, thank you, Dick.
I re number two is next here on six thirty w l A P.
The thing can anything to attack that snack thinking, don't.
Welcome back to the big Lewinsider. And earlier I mentioned Aaron Rodgers that was a big story over the weekend. He is a Steeler and in my thoughts immediately go to my friends who are Steelers fans. Keith Farmer of l e X eighteen and one and only Jay drum Jeff Drummond from Cats Illustrated part of the Rivals Network. He is that rare combination of Reds fan and Pittsburgh fan, but it is Steelers, not Pirates, Jay Drumm, Are you happy about this?
I would say I have mixed feelings about this. I have no idea how it will turn out, but if nothing else, I think the team will be interesting with Rogers at quarterback. I think that there's still a lot of you know that the arm still looks really good. My big concern is ahead and you know how things will go with our offensive coordinator ur and uh just kind of how he'll deal with some of the the personalities in Pittsforton.
You went out, though, and you've got a big time and physically imposing wide receiver. The question when Rogers went to the Jets was who's he going to throw to? Yes, pretty good receivers in Green Bay, including DeVante Adams, but you went out and got DK Metcalf. That's got to count for something, right.
Yeah, I would think so. I think that was a big factor in him deciding to give it a shot with the Steelers. If they didn't have DK, I don't think they would have worked out, you know, a deal, and who may have even decided to retire the way things is going. But you've got one of the top big receivers in the entire league and a guy that, you know, a major downfield threat that Rogers hasn't had in a while.
We've talked before about and I always like to talk about the genesis of people who root for this team or that. A lot of people ask me why I route for the Packers things like that, and it's not that you grew up in Pittsburgh or that I grew up in Wisconsin. Everybody has their reasons. And you became a Steelers fan back when they were the best thing going in the NFL. And one of the strongest ties to that era, Terry Bradshaw blasted the Steelers or even
thinking about signing Aaron Rodgers. What do you think about that as a Steelers fan.
Yeah, I was a little surprised that Terry was so strong with his criticism there, but you know, he's got opinions. And if anybody is it titled the one if the guy who's lived there can't about it, the ups and downs about what Steeler football is all about.
Yeah, one more Steelers question and we'll get to the why cats Mike Tomlin. I don't know if he's the best coach in the NFL, but if he left the Steelers tomorrow, almost every team would have to think about dropping whoever they've got and hiring him. What do you think of the mix now Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers.
Well, there's you know, their potential there. I know they've both really admired each other for a long time. They anytime the Attackers and Steelers have played, you can kind of see the admiration and respect and even some gamesmanship that goes on the wink and a smile out there on the field. So hopefully this is the guy that can kind of get Mike Tomlin back over the hump in terms of, you know, having a chance in the playoffs.
It's been a while since the Steelers have been able to win a playoff game and that's kind of been the bugaboo they all they always have winning through them, which is incredible. Yeah, that record he's got, saying his entire career, but in Pittsburgh, it's all about what you do in the postseason. So that's that's why they'll be measure.
By talking to Jeff Drummond of Cats Illustrated, part of the Rivals Network and on the website cats Illustrated dot Com is a piece written or at least moderated by Jay drum a c I round table asking does Mark Stoops face the most important opener of his career? And Jeff, with that giving away the story, we want people to uh to subscribe obviously, but tell me what went into that, who was part of it, and what was it like? What was that roundtable like?
Yeah, we're starting to gear up for you know, our our football coverage with uh you know, camp will just be right around the corner once you hit June. That's he'll be honest, before we know it. But you got to think about what what some of the big questions would be going into this season. I thought this would be interesting because typically your your first game as an afterthought in a lot of this ways, and you're supposed to win that game no matter you know who it
is in most seasons. But I think there's a little bit of of, you know, extra weight to this one, not only in the fact that Toledo is a really good, solid MAC program capable of coming into Mexican and winning that game, but I think the Cats have to look good in that one too to kind of get the fan base, you know, back motivating for the rest of the season because right now, I don't know about the people that you have to in general, but it's it's
ominous with everybody I talked about Kentucky football. It's just the optimism is that it's low point since probably you know, going into that year four with with Mark Steps, when a lot of people thought that Kentucky might need to start another coaching search, and you know, with what they wound up with though after that was I think eight consecutive trips to the postseason.
With that one.
It's it chrudged. Me is a little odd that things have turned so quickly and and far, you know, as far as the public opinion of Mark Stoops goes. But you know, last year obviously a bad season. I don't think the two years before you would consider bad, but there was definitely the start of a little bit of
a downward trend. And when you combine that with the you know, the infamous Tony Up comment and the Texas A and M situation, I think that's just a lot of people have kind of made up their mind that this is the end of the road.
And you know, I don't necessarily think that's the case, but it's going to be hard.
To win people back.
Yeah, I agree. Well, I think there are a couple of issues at play, and you mentioned the Pony Up comment, which kind of ironically enough, that was sort of a raw expression that is echoed by all the different and slicker and kinder urgings by UK and really every university out there to please consider relating to our collective and be a part of You know, that's the same way as saying pony up. But to hear the head coach on his radio show really bluntly, that was a raw
emotional moment and it has followed him. You're right about that, But I think there are two factors in play. Jay Drummers. We talked to Jeff Drummon of cat Illustrated. Tell me which you think first of all, Yeah, years gone by a lull like this, people would be grumbling and a happy, but not to the level.
They are now.
And I think a lot of that has to do with social media. You know, if you have a feeling or a hot take, you grab your keyboard, you hit send before you even think about it, and you go have lunch. But now you know, and you're not held accountable. The other thing, Jeff and I didn't invent this, but as somebody pointed out, Mark Stoops raised not just the ceiling but the floor. You know, you and I've covered this program back when flirting with six wins was a
big deal. Now that's considered failure and nine or ten wins is almost expected, which used to be impossible back then. And it's not as easy to schedule wins, as people think, but it all comes into play. Does that make sense?
Yeah, definitely. Well for years, I mean we heard this, you hit you and I and many others. Just give me the six wins, a chance to be in a bowl gate and I'll never ask for anything more. You know, that was the That was the typical UK fan response.
You're right when you do find a way to get to a couple of New Year's Day, you know, bowl games, When win team games a couple of times, you elevate the thinking that he's kind of you know, I don't know if this is the right term for it, but it's a little bit of a victim of his own success. Terms of the way the fan base has judged these last two or three years. They they want a little bit more, and I think even more than that. You know, this has been the case for a long time in Kentucky.
It's important for them to to win in kind of a fun way too, And the last couple of years it's just felt like such a grid, especially on the offensive side of the ball, trying to find ways to move the football and score. I think that's a pretty big part of it. While you turn on the TV every Saturday. If you see people doing all kinds of crazy things with their offense at Kentucky campaign to get that point, yeah, and you know not to.
Be pointing fingers, but I do believe it all starts with the old line because people, of course fell in love with the offenses that were keyed by the big Blue Wall, the traditional, the original big Blue Wall. They haven't seen that three years, so that is such a key. And to circle back to your original point, Toledo coming off an eight and five year you've got to assume
that they've had roster turnover. Everybody has roster turnover. But that's a team that won their first three games last year, including at Mississippi State, beat an SEC team on the road, finished up with in overtime six overtime win over Pittsburgh in a bowl game, and in the game above Sports Bowl. So yeah, the group that's running this program, they know how to get it done. They're going to see this as an opportunity, aren't there to come in and pick
off an SEC team that's been wounded of late? Right?
Yeah, I think they'll come in expecting to win.
Yeah, you know that.
I think the previous season they went to Illinois and played a very competitive game, and the two years before that played a Notre Dame in Ohio State. So they're not going to come in here and intimidated in any way. So that was part of our question too. You know, most of us say, you know, they've got to beat Toledo, right, you know, it's almost an afrogat. I think that all of the fans still think that way. But it's not going to be easy, to be a very challenging game.
But I think I think if Kentucky can take care of business and then rest of passion, maybe it helps turn the mindset and the attitude around going into that big Week two game against Old Miss.
He is Jeff Drummond of Cats. Paul kef I'll start that again. I'll cut that out. He is Jeff Drummond of Cats Illustrated. We'll come back and talk basketball with Jay Drumm in just a moment here in the Big blon Sider six thirty WLAP. Welcome back. We're talking with Jeff Drummond of Cats Illustrated. And before I ask you about the basketball catch you cover a lot of UK baseball. You pop into our booth. We get to see you when you're shooting photos of the home games and the
College World Series is taking shape. It is not the SEC party that it was last year. Still some set teams involved. But I like the fact that Coastal Carolina is going back, and honestly, that program has been more successful than people give it credit for. I think this is their ninth trip to Omaha. But you got to Murray State making a bid tonight.
You know.
I love seeing SEC success, Jeff, but I think I like seeing the not that Coastal is a little guy, but I like seeing sure of the off brands get in there too, you know what I mean.
Yeah, it's It's certainly been an exciting tournament. You've got a lot of parody, for sure, and the SEC did a little bit of a faith plant in some ways. But the more I watched of it, I think it might be coming to how to Arkansas and m SU look like the cream of the crops in the field
that's going to be going to Omaha. And then then you'll have a little bit of a drop off in my opinion, because you had such a big upset with Vanderbilt Texas and North Carolina going down arguably, you know, at one point, you could have considered those top three teams in the country.
There's an ongoing social media argument now with some of the national heads about too many SEC teams getting in UH pointing at without naming him, Kentucky with only thirteen conference wins. But you know, when you're locked into a conference like that, strike to schedule, you know, conference wins, it's all going a factor. And I was amazed Kentucky got in the tournament.
Frankly what they made it to the regional final. So I don't know why they used Kentucky as an example because they I think they outperformed probably what they were expected to do, especially with that drubbing of Clemson to make it for the regional final, and quite honestly, they should have gone to the supers. Yeah, they found they found a way to blow both games through West Virginia. I don't think they could have probably advanced much further
than that, but you know, they're they're animetics. UH saved them this year and it was one time that a committee really put the money where the mouth was behind these things like the RPI and strength of schedule. Kentucky's numbers were definitely worthy of the tournament.
Yeah, and he got to tip your captain, nickmn Je And he went to school or back to school on analytics a few years ago and changed the way he scheduled when he does business. So a few minutes left Jef drumming to catch illustrated. Right now, Mark Pope's got his satellite camps going on, his father's son camps going on. That's what basketball coaches do. But one of his players
is otega Oway taking part. I had a clip on earlier with the Oway teasing Pope about the phone call he made to Mark telling him he was coming back, and Pope said he literally the coach had tears in his eyes when he heard that. I guess you can understand that. But always return impressed.
Some of the.
Preseason way too soon posters. Some have him in the top ten. Some are saying they could make a run at the national title. Is that is that too soon to say? You think?
No?
I think that's fair, And especially when Mark Ope endorses the idea, he says that should be the expectation. And I think he knows that he's put together a roster of talent definitely capable of making it there. It's just a matter now if it all comes together in jail. He'll have as much talent as anybody in the country. I don't think anybody will be able to point to a roster and say this one he has definitely better
than Kentucky's. But we've just got to see how the pieces fit, how they fit into his particular style, and you know, will they have enough kind of star power at the top and the leadership that's going to be needed to get there.
Well, I think they've got that in a way in terms of star power. And he's gonna have to be the leader because I always agreed with Larry Brown's that says, back when you want a title with Kansas, and he kind of clashed with Danny Manning, who didn't want to be a leader, and Larry Brown said, no, your best player has to be a leader. I think Away can do that. My question to you is, I think you were there when Pope doubled down on the number of three pointers he wants his team to take in a
news conference a couple of weeks ago. Is that a concern do you think with this team three point shooting because it was not last year?
Well, I think that the only concern for me is the number they get up because they just for one reason or another, they weren't able to get their goal numbers of being around thirty a game, you know, as close to I think twenty a game, and a lot of teams were able to overextend on defense and kind of I think the term that Pope's a lot was chased them off the line. I think the pieces this year are built and in a way that people won't
be to be that as much. Because you've got two or three guys that will play a lot of minutes. You try to overextend and come out, you know, be on the free point line, they're gonna put it on the floor and go buy you and attack them were so I think that's gonna lead to a lot more kind of penetrating kick fight three. Yeah, and they ought to be able to get closer to that number that Hope would.
Like to have.
Well, I'll let you go with this. I think last year fans, I know, really enjoyed they were. They were, of course disappointed by the end of the year. Everybody always is unless their team wins it all. But the way they got there was so uplifting to the big Blue nation, you know, and of course, the way the head coach does business compared to the last guy, and when the last guy was going to the final four
and all nobody complained. But when it got a little bit hard to digest, and you know, it all kind of fell apart. But do you think fans will be
a little tougher on the head coach this year? Because you might have heard, I know you listened to his calling show from time to time last year and there were folks who called in and were gently trying to explain to him why he was making a mistake the way he subbed people, and of course, you know Mark dug In and gently explained why or animatedly explain why he does the way he does things. But do you think it gets a little bit tougher and the fans get a little bit tougher on him this year?
Yeah? I could see that. I don't know if the term, you know, the honeymoon's over, I don't know if that would be the right way to put it. But they kind of gave him a year of grace, I think, to rebuild that entire roster with you guys, and most Kentucky fans knew they won't probably weren't going to the Final four or contending for a title in that first year.
But I think the expectations will ramp up a little bit with this kind of But I like the fact that Mark Pope will kind of meet those questions had on and deal with them in a way that kind of disarms people, Whereas you know, the previous guy had a little bit of pushback and fight it at any time anyone dared to question something he was doing. So I think that that buys Mark Pope a little bit more good will. And the fact that he's a former player too and a champion uh shoot factor into that.
But I think people will want to see a few things kind of six to see I don't know six the right word, but a few adjustments on his part that helped them optimize, especially the the regular season, so they don't take as many offices and maybe have a little bit better speed going into the tournament.
I can't imagine, although anything's possible, something coming up within the Big Moon Nation or UK Bash that might catch Mark Pope completely off guard, but you never know.
He is.
Jeff Drummond follow him on Twitter at j drum UK and at Katchillustrated dot Com.
Thank you, brother ad.
Take care Up next Kobe Wilson from Fox fifty six here in Lexington, stay with us here on six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Moon Sider joining us here on the Celebrity Hodline. We talked to Kobe Wilson a while back, haven't had a chance to chat on here. We see each other all the time at news conferences. Kolbe, how's your summer going so far? Fox fifty six by the way, sports anchor.
Yep, you know it's going well. It feels like it's our downtime. I always say after the Derby that's the time to like just kind of relax for a second. But then it's like, well, summer league's coming up.
You still got off.
Season basketball moves going on baseball and softball courts, and then we've been at the We've been at Kentuckistrock Park in John Stadium religiously this past week with state state champions on softball. So it's been it's still been pretty busy, but it's been good. Other than the cicados, I'm ready.
For those to go.
Yeah, we can't forget about the high. The high school sports is still happening out there, and a lot of drama mixed for good television. So does horse racing. And you mentioned the Kentucky Derby and Colby by way of background, played college soccer in Portland, but it's from southern coup from the LA area or Daz a football coach. But uh, you have had to learn horse racing and you've got tweets pinned on your Twitter page about the Belmont you cover the Derby. How did you come to find horse
racing as a journalist. I mean, it's an intimidating sport to cover. Did you even know much or care about horse racing before you got here?
You know, it's funny because coming from the West Coast, everyone knows about the Kentucky Derby just because it's the Kentucky Derby, but no one knows what goes into it the behind the scenes. You don't know owners or trainers or you know, you don't know any of the x's and oh detailed stuff. So, like you said, I knew absolutely nothing coming to Kentucky. All I knew is you better get caught up pretty fast because it's horse racing
country here. But I will say I mean going on my I just covered my second derby is absolutely incredible. Everyone asked me like, how is it. Everyone I talked to They're like, it's on my bucket list. But you really, I can't even put into words what it's like. I'm
just like, you have to come. But as a journalist, I mean, it's been super fun and I feel like just even in the morning times going out to the barns, you get to know these trainers, You get to know familiar faces, and then you really like become attached in a way a little bit. Like the only trainer I talked to ahead of this derby was Billmont actually trainer and so, and then last year the only trainer I talked to was Kenny McPeek. No, for me, it's been like it's been like a two out of two over
here with me. So it's been super fun. But no, I've absolutely enjoyed it.
It can be intimidating, but those are two of the best trainers to talk to because Kenny a little younger than Bill, but he he so understands and embraces, you know, the value of getting the message out about horse racing. He's got his own app he's got his own podcast. I spoke to him the Monday morning after the derby for crying out loud. He made time for me because he said that's important. And Bill Mott, as you know, is one of the great gentlemen in racing nights get
a horses won two jewels of the Triple Crowns. So that that helps, doesn't it?
Well?
Absolutely, And I think you know, everyone's trying to understand now the way of the world, and with media like it's always it's now going to that like short form type of media like going on TikTok and all those things. So I think these trainers are kind of understanding too, like, well, this is kind of we have to adjust in a way. So I think Kenny mcteek is certainly doing that. And then Bill Mott, I mean, he's just the world class guy.
When I interviewed him, he was on he was on top of his horse and I was down at the bottom on the ground, just had my microphone high and up. But he was it's an all around great guy. He was just he really just was talking about just trying to enjoy the moment, and I can tell he certainly done that up to this point.
Talking to Kobe Wilson in Fox fifty six. She covers really everything for Channel fifty six. Well, we're not supposed to call it that anymore. I know, consultants say call letters w DK. Why bumped into you over at EKU When Jan Weisberg was named the head coach, I covered her so far back, I go, I covered him as a player, but his resume is just staggering when you
look at everything he's accomplished. But I think, really, and you probably remember this the story a couple of years ago when he was a head coach at Birmingham Southern and the school closed, not didn't drop baseball. The school
shut its doors. Everybody, we're out of business, but the baseball team wouldn't go away, and he spoke passionately about what it was like to be the head coach and keep that team together, throw all the emotional ups and downs, which is something quite frankly, I hadn't really considered when I knew he was the coach. When it was going on, I said, yeah, I remember that guy, but what is players must have been going through. I thought that was a great storyline, didn't you?
Absolutely? And I think those are the kind of guys you want to lead a program, because that just shows you if it's more it's beyond the x's and o's. For him, it's about culture. It's about you know, building young men into into men that are going to go off in the world one day. And you can certainly tell, just based on his press conference and the people that were there, that he's not just coming in there to
change a program, but also people. And I think that was a big time higher from the Colonel.
Yeah. I agree, he's only got five players right now, but well when we talk to him, I guarantee he's got more bocking.
Oh yeah, I'm not saying he's way too experienced. He knows exactly what he's doing.
Oh yeah, yeah, Well, speaking of a guy who knows what he's doing, Mark Pope as Otaga, Oh way back in the fold. And again you've only been I think here for a couple of years. But one of your pinned tweets is video I guess you shot it after the Louisville game of the past Kentucky players throwing l's down after the U of L game. What's that been like for you to sort of assimilate into the big Blue Nation scene. I mean, you're on the outside looking
in as a reporter. But yeah, uh, it's it's a big story, isn't it.
It has been incredible. I mean, of course, when I first got here it was cal Perry's last year, so just just to even cover a Hall of Fame coach and be at one of the biggest blue bloods, it was incredible. And then of course this whole Mark Pope thing comes along, and you know, Big Blue Nation doesn't really know what to expect. I heard all the all the talk going into when his name first popped up, and then of course the second he took the job,
BBN just embraced them. But I will say what just completely changed my perspective on Kentucky, Kentucky basketball and what this this fan base is about, was Mark Pope's introductory press conference. I mean I actually had chills from the bus to just help pack out, help pack out the gym was I actually couldn't believe that. I think I was in like a in disbelief for probably half of the press conference before I could actually snap back into what I was actually doing.
Yeah, I frankly I was into disbelief as well. And I remember talking to people who had been there at Repperina early and they said, yeah, the Reperena people expected maybe they needed to prepare four or five sections, you know, for fans coming in, but I mean to leave out, to shut the doors and leave thousands on the sidewalk.
I've been here forever, Klobe. That was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, you know, I mean, how do you describe that to you to your fans and friends back home?
You can't.
I Frienson video pictures and you can tell they're like, oh my goodness, because it just that doesn't happen in any other program. So the second they see that, they know, okay, it's she's a tucky. But until you're part of it. I actually had my best friend from the West Coast. She came to Lexington that for the Arkansas name when cal Perry came back, and her her boyfriend's are long just a sportsman in general, so they were like, we have to come back for this moment. And even them
coming here, she knows absolutely nothing about basketball. She's just here for the good time. But she even had the most incredible time and was like it just feels so much different. And I mean, she's the West Coast girl that Lakers games, you name it right, and she came here. She came here and even was like, it's just it's just different.
She is Colby Wilson. She is an anchor reporter for Fox fifty six here and lexingon We'll come back and talk more sports with Colby on the other side of the break here on six thirty WLAP Welcome back. We're talking with Colby Wilson. She covers sports for Fox fifty six w DK Why. You might see her work on the anchor desk or out in the field, but like every TV sports reporter has to be kind of an expert on everything. Although soccer was your game in college.
Oh yeah, and you've made a lot of trips to the soccer pitch out there way out I guess technically is not Richmond Rode but at there by seventy five. What has that been like for you and give Lexington kind of an update on soccer taking rut that level of soccer for men and women taking root here in Lexington.
Yeah, well, I mean it's been super fun, Like you said, playing soccer in college in all my life, it's definitely more natural for me to talk about and kind of be Immerston, but Lexington Sporting Club. It's been so much fun. I host a thirty minute show called Around the Pitch for Fox each week on both teams, and just getting to know these players. I think the cool part for me is one I have a lot of connections that
I found out with these players. I've played against at least four of the of the women's team, and then on the men's side, a lot of them played at Oregon State when I played at Portland, so we have made those mutual Oh yeah, so we've made a lot of mutual connections. And like I interviewed a girl not too long ago and we played each other in club Soffer women in high school kid. So it's been it's
been super fun to make those connections. But no, this this club, I think they're they're really going in the right direction. They've got a solid fan base that really
cares about them and the direction that they're going. And you know, like anything that's new, you have your growing pains, you got things you have to work through, which I think after you know, the women's first USL Super League inaugural season, uh, they're learning and now that season has ended, so they're trying to kind of rebuild their roster up for next season. And then the men, I think they're
they're finding their ground as they go. I mean again, a new team, new faces, new head coach, new staff. So it's just those those first year of growing pains. But I'm excited to see where this club is going in the future for sure.
Yeah. How have the crowds been.
The crowds have been.
They've been good. You know, I've definitely the men's side gets more fans than the women. I think they're still trying to put the word out there and build that. But you know, it's a great environment. And when I walk in, you got fan zone, you got stuff for the kids. I mean, it's like a hat in it spot. It kind of feels like busy bees when you walk in. And I mean it's a huge stadium, so that's going
to take time to put people in the seats. But ultimately, I would say they've got they've got a big crowd for the first year. It's been pretty impressive.
Yeah, and they've got social media presidence. They're trying to do everything right, you know, but in this day and age, when you're competing for eyeballs and attention. Ye, it's a challenge. We're talking to Kobe Wilson from Fox fifty six, covers baseball, football, basketball, soccer, played soccer. Mark Stoops in his program are under intense
scrutiny right now. Are you looking forward to the upcoming season because this could be one of those years when you've got to really take the temperature, read the room, whatever you want to call it, when it comes to the D one football program you cover.
Absolutely, Yeah, No, I definitely hut. I would say, you know, last year was my first year covering four and eight. Not not not ideal, not always fun when you're at games and you know we're we're on the losing side of things. But I am looking forward to it. I think it's like you said, it's a rebuild year, but I think it is a make or break here for Mark Soups. I think he knows that. I mean, these coaches, My dad's a football coach. They know how it goes.
You don't want, you don't win, you don't have a job, and I think he knows that before anybody else. But I'm interested to see how this incoming trendfer class, how they do I mean of course you mentioned zat Calzatta. I mean, he has sec experience. It's going to be interesting to see how, you know, he competes now because the other schools are doing the same thing Kentucky's trying to do. I mean, just look at what Vandy did
last year. So I think I am excited because I want to see if he really did adjust to this, you know, nil and all that stuff like other teams did last year. And I'm interested to be kind of how it all plays out.
It's interesting that you bring up Vandy, which beat Kentucky and also beat Alabama and by Vandy standards at a terrific year when six and six in a regular season. But like I said, Vandy standards which used to be Kentucky standards before you got here, of course, but you knew that, and now fans want so much more. But fans be fans, right, I mean.
Absolutely, And at the end of the day, we know how fans are. They just want they just want to win, whatever it takes to win. If you're winning, they love you, and if you're not, you got to go. And that's just that's just how they are. And so you know, with a Vandy thing, but I do think that shows that it is possible. Bandy. It's for people that.
Keep up with the SEC.
They were never, like you said, it was always Kentucky standards. Just get to a bowl game and you're probably good.
Yep.
But you know, now they're a top team in the SEC. And that was just in the snap of a finger that they got that point. So it does so hope that with this NIL and transfer portal stuff it can happen. So it is possible for Mark Soops, but they just kind of go out there and do it at this point.
Yeah, it's all going to fall into place. But the problem is, uh, for a while there you had teams that were backing up in the secs. Tennessee was not the usual Tennessee, not even what it is now Florida, and Florida's still trying to get back and Kentucky has taken advantage of that. You know, Missouri now is getting strong. Those mid level teams South Carolina, those are the programs Kentucky used to beat up on. Now they're making life
tougher for Mark Stoops and company. But there's only one way to get around that.
Right, Uh yeah, and that's NIL. Unfortunately, I mean it's because, I mean that's what it is now.
It's a free for all.
It's not like how it used to be just recruiting, and these kids are going to a school where they know they're just going to compete and play. I mean, it's all about money now. And so now that everyone's getting on board, I don't really know if we can look at the SEC how we used to like, Oh, it's just your Missouri, it's just your Bandy, it's just
your South Carolina. Like I know, I think everyone's going into this with kind of on the same level, and I think, of course that's what makes it so hard. But if you don't adjust, then you've really got no shot.
I was talking to Jeffdrummond earlier on the show tonight about this and about the Kentucky schedule. He brought it up the opener with Toledo, which is a sneaky good team and beat Mississippi State last year, beat Pittsburgh last year. I'm sure they've got a revamp roster too, but that second game, not to be looking ahead is all miss My point is we're going to know really quickly. I think, aren't we about this football team?
Absolutely? Which you know, in a way I think is good for them. I think I think that gives you time to see what you've got, to see how you compete against the high level SEC team. I mean, of course they got it done on the road last season, but I think it's going to be an eye opener for Mark suston his staff and then you see, you see really where you're at early on, so at least you're fully aware and you're not finding out this mid season.
I would like to know if your dad comes to town and she's a game and maybe he can help break down UK football for us at some point being a professional coach.
Yes, for sure.
And it's funny getting to talk to him. And actually funny story I think I had mentioned to you last time, but he my dad was actually on staff with Bob's soups at Oklahoma, so he's good friends with Mark and so in the summer, he when in the summer when he was here, he actually went to a practice and you know, caught up with Mark and Mike and I think Bowlwear also two with that ou so that there was that connection. So he he's actually good friends with Mark,
so he's definitely in support of him. And wants to see him do well.
So he's already a fan. He's already sympathetic, isn't he.
Oh? Absolutely.
I mean as a coach, you got to be kind of sympathetic for anyone you know, they know too well how this how this business goes, and it's a it's a tough business to be in.
Yeah, oh yeah. But with coaches, it's like, I like the way this guy does things. And I've talked to a lot of people who have come in from the outside, analysts, people at former players, and they do like Stoops in his philosophy and his approach. And I can't imagine her dad is any different.
She is.
Kobe Wilson watched for her work on Fox fifty six w dk Y and follow her on Twitter at Kolbe with two Eyes, Wilson with two ends. Easy enough, thank you, Seeing down the road, Thank you Jack, and thanks to my guest Kobe. Jeff Drummond to Rick Bosich. While college football is going to be on top of us before we know it, so hey, just buckle up and hang on. It's going to be an interesting ride, going to be
a bumpy ride for the football Cats this year. We may get right back to the middle of the season, windows basketball start. We'll take it as it comes. That's it. Good night from the garage in Lexington.
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Yes?
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