Who's the kid here?
Who's the kid here?
Are you kidding me? Now?
Here's Nick Coffee.
I'm sure the last thing that you hear before you hear the intro to this show. And my voice is usually relatively the same. I don't notice it often, but every now and then I do notice it, and it just it amuses me. There's a liner that somebody and I don't know who it is, and look, maybe they know something I don't know.
Maybe they.
Are just way above my head as far as understanding the you know, the promotion here. And what I mean is we have a liner set that runs for I don't know, maybe five seconds at two fifty nine fifty five.
That is an invitation for you to join me.
And I'm thinking, like, man, talk about giving somebody last minute notice, right, like, that's that's definite last minute notice.
So we're here.
It's Coffee and Company. And uh yeah, that.
Was that was my fault. I was making a little bit leftover tacos and I was looking at the I was not even talking about that the clock and well, no, right before they heard that beautiful invitation to come join one of the best shows in Louisville. We just get nothing but dead air and hey Austin, earf the Austin.
We did it actually just to just to keep you guessing, like, wait a second, is anybody here. We wanted you to to perk up a little bit on a Friday and be be you know, alert and a.
Real test of loyalty.
And the guys past the dead air was a was a wait a second, it did the radio turn off?
What happened?
And then here we go.
So like we just wanted to make sure you guys were ready and you were not in autopilot mode.
But I like to keep them on their toes sometimes.
But help me out.
You are in you know you you you work in this industry as well, and you are in programming to an extent. I'm I'm not. I mean, I mean, I've worked here a long time. But to be honest with you, I know nothing about strategy when it comes to we put certain spots, commercials, liners, promos where we do.
But I know there's a method to it. There's no scenario.
Someone can tell me that it makes sense to throw the liner promoting my show five seconds before it starts.
It's a great question.
I mean, I mean again, I'm not putting you on the spot like you've got to answer for it. But you're with me right, like that doesn't make any sense. Yeah, So anyways, let's get it started. We've got a huge weekend on tap. We've got a big show for you for the next three hours to get you set for said big weekend, and it's going to be a lot of fun. It's a Friday. We are above freezing temperatures outside. That snow is melting. The sun is shining, yes, and it's good stuff.
It's a little bit warm comparing it to it, it sucks. And I'm walking outside and I think, man, it's a little bit warm out here. What is in only like thirty degree? No, it's forty six. Well, I didn't even see that.
The hide today is forty nine. I don't know if we've hit that yet or maybe we did. And then and now it's kind of it's three o'clock. It'll be dark when the show ends, so therefore it's probably starting to cool down. I would imagine the high has already come and gone. But nonetheless, it feels tropical compared to what we've had recently, and I'm going to enjoy it. But yeah, it's a Friday. We're feeling good. And I just saw earlier today that the Supreme Court has upheld
the TikTok band. And the reason I'm starting with this is because sad day. It is sad and it does sound like that there really is no more like last ditch effort, no more lifelines for TikTok here in America. I mean, I'm sure they're going to continue to fight.
Who I mean when I say they, I don't even know who it is like to hear that, And this is what really will expose me as being very uneducated or just not having knowledge about how this works as far as who really has authority to do this and that. But when I hear that the current president and the one who is well, I don't even know, Like obviously Biden's on his way out, like as as of now
as we speak. But you know, forty six and forty seven, right, because Trump was forty five, Biden forty six, And then we do we call it is does he go back to forty five or is he forty seven?
Again? I guess the marketing is around forty seven.
Okay, so we've got forty six and forty seven collectively making it clear that they want to not have TikTok be banned in America. And the president of the company, the CEO, I don't know what his title is, but he'll be like he's he's being wined and dined in our country. He's going to be a front row at the inauguration, right, Like I mean.
He's gonna sit where usually other presidents are reserved.
So like, I feel like knowing that meaning what we just stated. As far as both Trump and Biden wanting to keep TikTok alive in America, they're whining and dining the guy who runs TikTok. Can't they just say, like no, I mean, aren't. I know, the president can't literally do anything he wants without certain processes and whatnot.
But I just this. I'm confus used.
But again I'm a dummy. So the reason I bring it up is because this has got to be like a sign. I don't know where it's from or what it means, but this just can't be coincidence. I'm driving down Fish Street and our garage here, we enter it on Fish Street and sure enough, we park and then we walk out and we're on four Street. That's that's how it works. If you know where we are at for Street Live, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.
The garage for this facility, this venue, this area, it's right there. So when I'm coming up Fifth, there is a I guess it would be what's that? What is it Muhammad Ali that you turn right off of?
So I'm coming on Famama.
So in the culmna of Muhammad Ali in fifth there is a I guess it's like a it's apartments, condos.
I'm not sure in that big building that's just right here on the block.
And I saw something that I've never seen in person before. But I at times have found myself getting getting lost in TikTok for these videos, and I mean, it's not like it. I guess it entertains me. Maybe that makes me a bad person, But it's evictions. It's people, you know, it's body cam footage of somebody who works in law
enforcement coming to evict someone. And usually the ones that make the internet TikTok that have millions of views are those that are, you know, pretty chaotic people who don't seem to understand like, yeah, you have to pay to live here. You can't just not pay and keep living here. And by the time somebody like with the Sheriff's department shows up to evict you, it's not like you just got noticed that you're late on your rent.
There's all.
I mean, it's probably too late, in fact, I mean I don't. I mean, I hope they never be in this position. And I know it's hard out there for everybody, and it's a sad situation overall, because I assume that some of the people that do get evicted, like they want to be able to pay.
They just can.
Now there's others that just you know, try to you know, be squatters. But I mean it's usually a long process that you have to know at some point, like you got to be on the edge of your seat knowing any more somebody may knock on that door and say you got to go because you haven't paid rent in
a long time. So as I'm right at that light at Fifth and Muhammed to come up, you know, maybe one hundred yards to turn into the garage, I mean, I see people coming out of a tall it's a high rise building, and they've just put all the property from some and I'm talking bedframe, I'm talking mattress Wow, furniture belong you know belongings right there just outside of the building, not on the curb of the block, but just up against the you know, the property there, and
you could see someone on the phone like probably making the call like yeah they got me yet, And it's like I cannot imagine, like because if you know you're getting evicted and you don't do anything about it, that's what happens. Meaning like, yeah, good luck finding somebody at no notice to come and bring a moving truck to get all your stuff.
I mean I would.
Assume if you can afford somebody to do that, you would maybe be able to afford your rent. I mean, I know, rents a bigger expense per month than what that would be for somebody to come and bring a truck. But like I talk about just being like that, that that that that's the most helpless. Oh yeah, you said it best. That is that is one of the most
helpless things I could imagine happening. And I'm sure there's others that that are more you know, maybe situations where you'd feel even more helpless than that, But man, that was just like I couldn't I couldn't stop thinking, like, man, I don't know what I would do in that situation. I also would like to think that regardless of my financial situation, I would understand, like, I gotta go, they're going to do this. In most videos I see on TikTok,
it's the opposite that it's. It's it's people who answer the door thinking that they that they have authority, thinking that they have the correct process and formula here, rather than knowing like, no, I don't own this. I haven't even paid to stay here. I've been staying here for free for a long long time, like you know. So anyways, just I thought that was really wild for me to
see something. It's it was almost like the sign because I hadn't I went out to lunch with my with my wife and my daughter today and I haven't really been super active on social media in the last few hours.
Uh here and there.
I mean, I I wasn't looking for the TikTok update necessarily, but I see something in real life that I've only seen previously on the platform that is TikTok, and I'm like, wow, that's crazy. Then I get in here, get set up with the show, and of course, you know, I try to get everything together in front of me, and I knew we were going to talk about this today. And that's when I see the update that TikTok is no more.
I feel like that's a sign. Hey, we gave you a glimpse of something in real life that you'll now no longer be able to get on TikTok. It's not a coincidence, right, there's no way.
No, you get just you basically saw TikTok in real life. Yeah, which is which is pretty cool. But but mister, mister, mister professor coffee, I did your homework last night. Oh that's right, and that's right, and I found something that I think that you might like. When we're just looking for a two word thing to start the show, here we go. Man tweeted out, how about this?
Beat it to me?
How about lock in?
Lock in?
You like that?
Do I like it? It's now a up on Twitter as we speak. It's locked.
It's lock in with the link for you guys to listen. So so now they know we're here. Good job, I forgot I even gave you homework and you showed up ready to present it at a good job. I'm a good job.
What do you call teacher's pet.
Right there we go.
I like it so uh and I feel like I've talked earlier in the week, I feel like me mentioning the whole TikTok thing, it ended up like I felt like maybe I should back up and not continuing to go down that direction because because I know there are a lot of people that just think TikTok is this stupid app that people waste time on and it's dumb idiots dancing. But it's so it can really be whatever you want it to be. Like that's the power of
what that platform is. It can be whatever. You can be a creator.
And post content that you enjoy doing. It could be your escape.
It could be you connecting with people that are into something that like your everyday life when you go to work or school or whatever it may be, you don't interact with those people. But with the platform like that, you can just get lost in different spaces within you know, society. And there are some people that again have used it
to make a living. It's changed people's lives. And I feel like because TikTok really in the last two and a half to three years exploded the way that it did, it became its own thing to where there's really not
a comparison. And again, maybe some people hate it, they don't like it, that's fine, but there really is not a comparable platform to it when it comes to just you can really there's very few people that that I think this day and age, that aren't at time spending time on an app, on a social media experience, and I feel like TikTok is one that regardless of what you would ever get out your phone open an app to kind of just entertain yourself, kill time, whatever it
may be, there's something there for you, you know what I mean? Like that, that's kind of what it what it turned into, which is why it has been such a successful thing here and you know, across the planet, not just in America. But as of Sunday, it sounds like it will be no more. And it is kind of sad. There's a young lady that I'm gonna get I'm gonna get her permission before I talk about it
on the show, because I don't want to. You know, I would assume she wouldn't have an issue with it, but you never know, but she got fired at her job.
Because she was I guess, I don't know.
If it was because she was on TikTok too much, or if maybe she was occasionally showing a TikTok when she was at work.
She had a career, she.
Was professional, and that that ended up getting her fired. They just told her that, you know, I think they told her you need to like not be on TikTok or leave or what.
I don't I don't know the specifics I should speak honest.
Has never find out what I'm doing.
But she she she lost her job because of TikTok, like because that became I guess something she was. You know, she was doing a lot and and and it probably was a big issue for her. So what did she do. She just she tried to turn the following she created on TikTok into a way to make a living. And then she got a realtor's license and she became a realtor, and of course with her big social media following. That's
how you mean, if you're a realator. I'm sure there's certain things that make you good or bad that I'm unaware of, but the biggest thing you have to do is market yourself. Right, you are a I mean, and I'm I'm not knocking anybody who's a realtor. At times, I feel like Facebook is just a platform for real estate agents, not even kidding.
And I see it all the time over in the last year, and.
That's not a knock on, and that's just what they have to do. They If you're not continuously self promoting NonStop, you're gonna get left behind me because there's such a competitive space and you know a lot of people who aren't really savvy about that that world of real estate, They're not going to know what makes you good or bad. It's all about reference, referral and somebody that stands out, and you know, you have a platform now with social
media to really do that. So to know that, like now that's gone for somebody where it changed their life and it's a big part of what they do, it's a it's a sad thing. So, I mean, it sounds like today. I mean again, I'm not I'm not doing deep dives as far as research and coverage of this. I'm just kind of reading what becomes frontline topic. Yeah,
front line news. But it sounds like today's decision from the Supreme Court has everybody now realizing, yeh, Sunday is going to be the day and it's going to be gone, and that's that's that's unfortunate.
I can't help but think if it's got to be reinstated somehow, right, like it will, especially.
When the Trump becomes like once it's once it's official that Trump is back in office, Like I feel like he would have the ability to do something, but again I'm willing to acknowledge I'm a dumb ass. I don't even know if he has the ability to just say, hey, we're gonna make TikTok available now. I mean, if he does, then you know, that'd be great. But as far as what needs to happen for him to be able to
do that, I'm not quite sure. But it is just a weird look knowing that the previous president and the one that's about to be president are both on the same page about this, which last I checked, turn it on the same page a battle much of anything, And yet they've got this guy who owns the company here as we are about to change face, you know, phase
into a different presidential era. Like it just seems very it seems inconsistent, right, Like wait a second, like if in fact, like this is such a big deal and a big risk, and I'm not acting like it's not.
I have no clue. I don't.
I'm not somebody that's conspiracy theorist that thinks that there's that this is all just made up and there's not legitimate concern. But if so, then why are our presidents one former, one current, one former that wasn't and then now is going to be current again? Kind of confusing, Like it just seems to be head scratching.
But so, I mean, does that guy doesn't he even even like want to come to that now, like oh yeah, like you guys, well, I mean just days after his platform is canceled.
To be honest with you, like the fact that they're saying, if you want to if I own something that was zero point one percent what TikTok is, and you told me that if I wanted to, like if I wanted it to exist in a country, then I would need to sell it. I would say bye, and I would exist with out here, like you know, like that's kind of rich, knowing, like if you wanted to be in America, you have to sell it. Well, okay, I'm not going to sell it because I own it. It's what I do.
It's my livelihood. So you know, that's a you problem, not a meat problem. So I mean again, I know there's way more to it than I would ever know, you know, I mean, I guess I could do a deep dive and really look into it, but I just don't really care enough. But in a way, it just comes off as like arrogant. If you want to exist here in our country, you need to sell it to somebody else. Yeah, well no, well would I do that?
So anyways, let's get the party started. In fact, we got to get to a break in just a moment. But Louisville, Virginia tomorrow, it's a weird it's a weird It's I was gonna say, it's a weird vibe.
It's a great vibe. Energy is through the roof.
Clearly, Louisville is on the hell of a run right now, and I expect there to be a great crowd tomorrow. But when I say weird vibes, Virginia's come into Louisville and nobody's worried about Virginia. And look, they could beat Louisville if Little didn't play well. But I think Louisville is shown us enough at this point.
That we are.
We are well within reason to expect Louisville to continue to come out and play the way they've played in the last seven games. And I don't mean play, you know, make a bunch of threes. Obviously that can be a real difference maker, but even in games where they were not super efficient from the three point line, they've left a lot of points on the floor at times in this winning streak with free throws and layups. And I don't say that to be critical. It's certainly not a
good thing. But what I'm saying is that they are bringing a level of intensity focus that is doing enough to where if they have some shortfalls in certain areas on the stat sheet, it doesn't matter. They're still winning. And if you can go to Virginia and beat them by twenty, if they come here tomorrow, which they're going to I think, in fact, I think they're already here.
But when they're here tomorrow at noon and the place is at least you know, I don't know how many people are going to be there, but I know those that are going to be there are going to be into it, because everybody seems to really really be loving the run.
This team is on.
I mean, it's it is not at all out of line to say we expect to beat Virginia tomorrow and maybe even beat them, beat them down. You beat them by twenty there. It could get ugly tomorrow. I don't I don't know what I would predict as far as the score, But Louisville is fourteen point favorites here, and I totally understand.
That you're the largest the whole seaton.
No, it's the largest spread Louisville has had in an ACC game since twenty twenty.
Sure because I know we are twenty point favorites against the Eastern Kentucky.
Yeah, I mean they've had big numbers against the Bums and some of those bums you know covered, But in ACC play, this is the biggest spread since the year where we didn't get a tournament because of the pandemic. So it's been a long time coming. But I want to talk about the whole ticket situation. On the other side, we also need to talk about the Alabama Kentucky game. A huge game for Kentucky tomorrow. And you guys have heard me say this when it comes to Kentucky for
the last couple of weeks. When there's when there are teams that show up to play Kentucky or maybe they're hosting Kentucky and they don't have the mindset of knowing we shouldn't get into a game with this team where it's a countless possession game.
You lose.
And that includes teams like Duke Gonzaga, I mean Mississippi State. So Alabama has been doing this longer than Mark Pope has, but nobody's been able to beat Kentucky this year when it's a game played at the pace Kentucky wants to play at and Alabama, let's be real, they don't have a whole lot of momentum. They got blown out on their home field or home court by Old I'm gonna
talk to Alabama. I guess I'm just thinking football. But on their home court they got blown out by Ole Miss and Chris Beard earlier this week, so that's a big game. But until I see somebody beat Kentucky in that kind of game, I'm going to assume Kentucky's gonna win those games. And we've got NFL playoffs coming up tomorrow, a lot to get to Louisville football. Bron maybe losing his first staffer since he took over last year. So we're loaded the rest of the way. Let's have some fun.
It's a Friday, it's coffee and company, and we're fuel about Thorton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
All right, So if you have been on TikTok at all in the last I don't know, two weeks, then you've heard this song. And I know the audience here, there's many of you that don't get on TikTok and and won't won't, won't know what that song is or don't care, and that's fine. But the story itself is wild sole Angelo Ball, the Cooper manning of the Ball brothers.
I mean, yeah, there's no way, there's no way around it.
And the one that went to jail in China, did he that was Langelo? Right?
Oh?
No, yeah, it was.
I forget that he yes, I forgot that he actually even played in Coyle. He was such a he was such a forgettable player as far as in you know, I clearly know which one is which, but I would get li Angelo and Lamello mixed up just because they were the younger brothers because the first Ball brother when Lvar Ball the clown. And I actually find LaVar Ball entertaining.
I do too, but I take him for what he is, Like I'm not out here like thinking he's going to provide like some profound knowledge on sports and and whatnot, but like he he at times, I think maybe he's done a disservice to his sons where they don't necessarily meaning employers like the NBA or companies, like they don't take them serious.
But whatever, like they have a huge I mean, it's worked out.
And this is maybe the biggest sign that LeVar Ball has cemented himself on the mount rushmore of sports dads and hear me out so as much as there was a circus.
And when's the last time he's been in the public eye.
It's it's been a while, but my TikTok algorithm has had nothing but ball stuff.
Yeah, but not him though, right, No.
It's all about the Ball in the family. And I think his media.
Tour, I think that speaks to the fact that like he was in your face all the time, but like it really was just to maybe help his kids. That may not sound or look like it's the way that it was for him, but now that all of his kids are on top in different ways, he's in the background, Like it's kind of it kind of makes me seem like his Tiananigan's and the circus was really what like and again, wouldn't have been shocked if it didn't work out.
But what I'm saying is like, deep down, as much as he was a clown, like maybe he really did think that that was his way of getting his kids the best that he could. I mean I felt like when he had him drop out of high school and go play in Lithuania, I mean that was that was something, right.
So this is what's crazy. The first and and really the most successful ball brother overall, which who's who's the oldest I think, I think, yes, I couldn't think Alonso Lonzo is the one who's UCLA of course, was like a top five draft picked and he's just had really bad injuries and he's I mean, if he does get back to playing full time, like he'll be a fine player,
but like he'll never be a superstar. And then LaMelo, I mean, he was the phenom and I kind of feel like he's I mean He's still clearly a good player in the league with the Hornets in.
LEAs Angelo go to college.
So that's what I'm saying.
Like le Angelo, if he got arrested, then it was when he was with UCLA, is.
He was the odd man out.
Well, he was clearly nowhere near as good as the others. So LaMelo is the baby, the young one, and he didn't go to college, No, he did not. He's averaging thirty points a game like he's in seven and a half a sis.
His team doesn't win. He shoots a lot of shots.
But LeVar ended up being right that LaMelo actually was the one with the most talent and as he got older and matured like he's he's a tough player. Again, he's averaging twenty nine point six points per game. I mean, I feel like that's not right. But I'm looking at his stats right here on ESPN. But I feel like the reason he maybe doesn't get mentioned a whole lot now he let me see here, maybe a situation. Maybe he hasn't played a lot of games, and that's why
is en up. No, he's played this season, He's played twenty six games and he's averaging twenty nine point twenty nine point six points per game.
So he's the best player.
And LeVar was right the Shenanigans that took place with him going to Lithuania and him, you know, they were on Monday Night Roll one time. I remember, like and Lee Lamello is as a as a minor dropped the F bomb. They had to do the du button on live television and a wrestling of it. Like it was a complete circus.
They had to throw somebody else out there, hurry up getting there.
Yeah, yeah, like it was.
It was wild.
So anyways, LaMelo ended up it worked out. I mean, he's in his fourth season in the NBA and he's very successful. The injury issues were just that's just that's just. I mean, you can't foresee that. That's unfortunate. That's nobody's fault. That's just life. But even with that, I mean, Lonzo has still got his second contract in the NBA, meaning
he has generational wealth potentially. But Leangelo is the one who never really did anything, like he wasn't good at basketball at that level and it just never worked out well. Now he has signed a thirteen million dollar deal with Deaf Jam and Universal Music Group. Because of the song that Austin just played is one of the most viral songs that ever existed on TikTok, And it might be when TikTok turns the lights off here in the United States of America on Sunday, my man's going out on top.
He's gonna be he's gonna be leaving the platforms, leaving America with him at the top of the charts.
When it comes to sounds that it so like here like lebar Ball won, Man, he's won.
He won the rat the player who wasn't good that he tried to like prop up, but he couldn't hide the fact that he wasn't an NBA caliber player. Now he's got a thirteen million dollar record deal, like LeVar Ball won.
And I understood why everybody like just would.
Turn off anything that was talking about him because of, you know, everything that came with it, just a loud mouth that would say things that you kind of deep down know that he didn't believe. But have you ever considered the people that make millions of dollars on you know, first take those kind of shows.
Oh yeah, he was on there a lot too.
Yeah, Like that's what they do, you think, Steven a Smith believes some of the dumb ass stuff. He says, no, Skip Bala's absolutely not. But that's what that is. It's entertainment. If you see it for that, you won't necessarily you might, you may not love it, you may not think that it's good, or may not even entertained by it.
But the people that get caught.
Up in In fact, maybe I'm being a hater here, because the people get caught up in it, they consume it NonStop, they hate listen.
That's why those guys make the millions.
Because you you, you take it right off the spoon and you just you can't get enough of it. So LaVar Ball, I think, did all that and what did it do? It brought a lot of attention to his kids. But he may not even be deserving of the credit. But I guess more than anything, his shenanigans, they didn't get in the way to keep his kids from, you know,
succeeding in life. Now, Leangelo, I'll be honest, if that song that Austin played it again, if you're on TikTok called it's called Tweaker, If it wasn't the random connection that the song was by the Cooper manning of the Ball brothers, it doesn't get the push that it did on social media, right, Like that's a that's a component to the story, and he'll probably be a one hit wonder,
I'm sure. But either way, that's a thirteen million dollar deal with dev Jam because you know, I mean, by the way, eighteen million dollars was it of it was upfront guarantee, I'm sorry, eight million of the thirteen million, not eighteen eight million of the thirteen million. So he just got an eight million dollar check, right, I mean, like LaVar Ball, good for him. He might he may
just disappear and never be in the public eye. But his sons are on top, and if that was his overall goal, then I mean, I don't mean on top like they're you know, the best that ever, but like they're successful, clearly more successful from a financial standpoint than I'll ever be. So how about LaVar Ball many many years later? What's crazy to think about is that that that was eight years ago. Yeah, like whenever, whenever LaVar Ball burst on the scene and Lonzo was playing for
Steve Alford at UCLA, that was eight years ago. Sure, Alford, what a name from you know where he's at now No Nevada.
Oh, there you go, there you go. So anyways, one of.
The greatest things I heard LeVar say is what he was That was and I'm obviously a wrestling fan, so that was appointment television for me to watch them get on there and he just completely spased out. But he said, there only two people better than me, and I'm both of them. That's great.
I love when people say things so confidently and so direct, where they put something on it and it makes you kind of take your kind It takes you a few seconds to realize what they said makes absolutely no sense, like.
Saying that he could beat Jordan one on you.
Yeah, and he said it confidently, and you just say, like, I don't believe anything this guy's saying, but I'm listening.
I want to.
I'm entertained. It's like the who's the Who's the bowler who had so much swagger?
Who do you think you are?
I am, Oh, wow, Pete Webber, Pete Webber, Yeah, that's that quote doesn't make any sense, but man, he said it and he meant it, and I'm like, you know what, I'm gonna use that, keep that.
In the back pocket. Like if I if I, if I have a moment, who do you think you are?
I am like, that doesn't even that's not even that's that that makes no sense. But I always say this in radio and in I mean really anything not just right, It could be it could This is true regardless of anything. It's not always what you say, it's how you say it. And sometimes there are people like Pete well'er and LeVar Ball who give you great examples of that because you don't even know what they meant. But twenty years later you're still saying it, you're still thinking about it, because man,
there was something on that he said. It was some real conviction. So shout out LaVar Ball. Didn't think we'd be doing that on January seventeenth, twenty twenty five, but I think he won.
Here we are for all this time exactly all right.
So at four oh five, we're gonna bring him in, mister Kent Spencer from Whas eleven. Now that we're back in our groove, back with you know, a little more of a regular routine with the holidays and with the snowstorms, so we're gonna get back to bringing in our regulars and Kent will be joining us at four oh five. Cel Brown didn't join us this week, but I'm going
to bring him back. We've got some others that are kind of regulars within the show that we'll try to get, you know, get back and get back on the schedule. But one thing I wanted to get to before our next break is Louisville tomorrow will have I imagine a really good crowd, maybe the best crowd they've had all year. I could be wrong, because the Duke crowd and the North Carolina crowd, like those kind of brands, those opponents, they certainly give you a little bit of a bump.
In fact, we were at the Carolina game together Austin, Carolina had a lot of fans there like they were deep. I mean, yeah, it was the same for Duke too. Yeah, so you know that makes sense. But there are some local I guess, I mean, I guess they're businesses. But I know Sam Aggie are one of the attorneys here in Louisville that I'm sure you guys are familiar with. He's very clearly, very successful and big support of U of L.
He bought a lot of tickets.
Rick Keeber from Planet Fitness we've talked about the tickets he's purchased and given away. So they're doing that once again and trying to get people to show up and trying to get them to come out for the game. And I don't have a lot of time now, but at one point later on I do want to kind
of talk about sort of the theme tomorrow. It's got me with goosebumps and the hair standing up on my arms because the video they did to promote that they're really trying to embrace the Louisville community, meaning like the Dirt Bowl and I'm sure a lot of you listening to what I'm talking about when I say the Dirt Bull Shawnee Park like that that was awesome.
And this this this.
Theme here is not only just to kind of, you know, get the community to be able to come and you know, come on back, right Like louis of Basketball has been in a weird and bad place really for about four or five years now, right, four years specifically, And if you haven't been back yet and you just kind of haven't been prioritizing, you haven't been focusing on it, well,
here you go. We've got some complimentary tickets. Go snag them up here at this link like that's kind of I feel like the overall goal here while also honoring local community with the Dirt Bowl, but also maybe just trying to get fans to come back that have him been back in a while. And it makes total sense, but you never can be surprised when that gets weaponized against you by your rival making fun of your fan base, because how sad and pathetic are they that they have to buy tickets.
To donate them?
And Austin and I had a good conversation last night that I want to kind of bring to the airwaves here on the other side, because it really was a I think it's a healthy conversation to have because I totally understand Austin's mindset when he sees the one thousand tickets are available, go grab them, and I get it and I feel it, but I also have a little bit of a different perspective, and I just think it'll be a good conversation because I know this Louisville fans,
as much as they just laugh at Kentucky fans, specifically KSR, who I'm not kidding you, not even joking, a real component to their coverage at Kentucky Sports Radio dot Com in like the last I don't know four or five months has been about attendance at Louisville events, Like they're obsessed with that and it's weird and it's odd and as much as you kind of, you know, think it's obsessive, it also pisses you off.
And I get it. I'm with you, but I got some thoughts on it. On the other side.
We'll talk about it. Stick around again. Kent Spencer coming up at four o five, so we'll take keyp till six. Gett you set for the weekend. It's coffee and company. Feel about Thorntons right here on Sports Talk seven ninety now.
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So there was a big push, I guess yesterday into today about tickets available for free for those who would be interested because there were local businesses that decided to well some well some of them purchased them quite literally. Others just were told to use their platform and give them away. But either way it doesn't matter. They're they're trying to help and bring more people and that's that's what you want.
A good crowd.
And I've given you the same take if you will opinion on the ticket attendant stuff for a lot. I mean for years now. I don't think. I think I've been pretty consistent. I rarely ever. In fact, the only one time it happened and then I realized I'll never do it again. I was critical of attendance one time and it backfired on me to where you know, they took that as if I'm the guy that's out here auditing seats and wanting to get your you know, I want to come knock on your door and chastise you
for not showing up to a game. Like I I've never once felt like people owe anything when it comes to paying money to go to a game or their time, Like I just I can't relate. Again, I've never gone to a game and looked around and yeah, I've gone to a game and noticed that maybe it's not as crowded as I would have expected. But if I'm there to enjoy myself, why would I give a damn about who else is there?
I can't control that, Like, why.
Would I mean, if that's your mindset, why would you go if you are going to be impacted and you're going to have a negative experience because there's some seats there that aren't filled. What kind of I mean, I don't understand that, Like, what kind of mindset is that?
I mean?
I'm not being critical, like I just can't relate, Like I don't understand that at all. I'm gonna if I want to go do something, it's not going to be solely dependent upon others that I don't even know that are strangers being there as well. Now, clearly you always want a great crowd in a great atmosphere. So I've never acted like crowds don't matter and who cares, it's no big deal. But I see both sides of it, and that's usually a pretty boring way to approach something
on talk radio. I get that crowds not being twenty thousand plus consistently the light crowds used to be what our crowds now aren't even up to. I get that that's not ideal and that's sad. But I also understand that we as humans and society change and we are our habits and are you know what we decide. There's a lot more to do with your time now, and you can enjoy and savor every moment of a team and an experience without being there like that that's just
the truth of it. So and people know that. So there are a lot of people who, I mean, everybody's different. But you how many people don't even consider going to games because they just that's they don't like crowds, or they don't live super close, or they don't have the money to pay for it. Like that's just how a lot of people operate now. And they never are on their way home from work.
Thinking like, man, if I don't go, am I a bad fan? If I don't go, am I going to get kicked out of.
The fan base?
Like it's just like the obsession of where's everybody at?
What's wrong with us? I just don't understand.
But again, I'm different, like and and I mean I'm maybe I'm maybe I'm in the minority. Year I don't know if I am or not, to be honest with you, because this year, this show, this sports talk radio show in this market that loves college basketball, Like, yeah, the people who listen, they're going to be the ones who do care about attendants because they love the college basketball.
So I get it, and I love it too, but like, I just can't look at somebody and say, wow, you didn't spend one hundred and fifty dollars just to get in with parking and three tickets for you and your kids, like you're a piece of work, Like that's insanity to me and anybody not acknowledging the cost of the games like it's And again that's why you see what you're seeing now, where there are people out there buying up tickets to help those that have not been able to
go because it's been a financial issue, and that's awesome. I'm glad they did it. So whenever there's a real push publicly social media other platforms that there's a bunch of tickets to give away for free, what happens Kentucky fans make jokes, and an entity whose existence to an extent is making fun of Louisville is going to run with it, regardless of self awareness that you would think
is there. It's not because they smell blood in the water if they get a chance to make a joke about Louisville, regardless if it's like not really, I mean, they can't resist. And even if what I've found is that KSR. Jack Pilgrim penned an article saying Louisville fans don't deserve Pat Kelsey. He deserves better because they have to give away free tickets because people aren't showing up,
not even kidding. The majority of the reaction to that that I saw from Kentucky fans, And when I say reaction, I mean reaction to like the post, and I'm not talking about comments on the site. I'm talking about like the comments on the article that was posted on Twitter. Is UK fans kind of like acknowledging one of two things?
Hey, who cares?
Like, you know, I get it, they've been bad for a while. This coach is pretty hard to like. Like, I'm they're not bashing the platform for making it, you know, making jokes about it, but they're just kind of saying like, yeah, I can't really ride with you on this. I don't really feel like we should make fun of them for this.
And then there's others that are starting to realize and I'm when I'm by the way, I'm talking about people who at least present themselves as Kentucky fans on the internet, like Big Blue Bozo fifty seven, Like he's like, yeah, like it's getting a little weird that you are this obsessed with attendance for Louisville, And again, I ride, I love the rivalry.
It's part of the.
Reason why even able to do what I'm able to do, because we care so much and it's such a such a such a thing here. And I'll make fun of Kentucky when I have the chance. I'll also be honest and be objective and talk about when they're good. And you know they're good right now. Their basketball coach is a really hard guy to dislike, and I think their team is really really good and they may win a national championship, like I don't know if they're.
Going to, but like I'll call it like it is.
So like I understand the rivalry when it comes to the Jabs, but the obsession about Louisville fans showing up to football and basketball games flat out weird, just just lame odd, like just like it's one thing to crack a joke about it here and there, it's an obsession for them, and I just find it to be sad, to be honest with you, And it's starting to seem like even their fans are kind of like, yeah, like why do we keep.
Talking about their tenants? Like what are we what are we? What are we doing here?
So Austin and I last night we're going back and forth, and I don't want to bring work for word what we were going back and forth about to the air waves.
But I'll say this.
And you you respond how you want you at least to an extent, last night, for maybe even a brief moment, maybe for longer than a brief moment, you were more angry at Louisville fans than Kentucky fans.
Right, yes?
And is it because you just feel like why are we giving them the weapon to stab us?
Yeah?
We shouldn't have this many tickets available right totally? And I get it, Like I don't think that that's like I understand that because there's been times where I'm sitting here thinking like, what are we doing? Like why would we like whenever Kinny Payne was here and we knew that no Louisville fans were going to any game at that point, and we're announcing a red out?
What are we whatt It's going to be more blue there than red?
What are we doing? Let's not be stupid, Like, let's not be that foolish. This is overall, Like even if I don't think it's really that bad. I think more than anything, the reaction to them obsessing about it is the worst look here than Louisville giving away free tickets. But at the end of the day, even if it wasn't the case, the fact that we're still just trying to get people to go to games as best we can,
and that's worth doing it right. But like I get the issue of, like, why would we publicly put it out there just so they can say, Wow, Louisvill's got a good team this year. Pat Kelsey's got it rolling. Man, this guy's awesome. And they can't even get people to go to games. They're giving away a thousand tickets. Like, I totally understand it. But where I what I get caught? What I I guess?
You know.
What keeps me from getting worked up one way or the other about it overall is that I don't like when Louisville had twenty two thousand plus for big games consistently, there was a big chunk of those people, or maybe I shouldn't say big, but at least a chunk of those people that they were just there because it was the thing to do, and Louisville athletics was rolling. Now Louisville Athletics has not been rolling, especially in basketball, in quite some time.
I agree.
Therefore, those people aren't like louis doesn't have the I mean, it's growing and it's been fun, especially for those that have been here, ride or died the good and the bad. But when you were twenty two thousand plus for a lot of these games, at least three thousand, probably way more than that, they're not.
They're not die hards.
They're not losing sleep at night or waking up pissed off because their team lost the day before. So, like, I just view it that way to like, our fan base is not humongous at all. It's not I mean, Kentucky fans. There are way more of them than there are us, And I've never given a flying rats ass about that because it's it doesn't matter to me, and it doesn't mean that they're I mean, and look, they have humongous fan base and when it comes to passion.
And support, they're great.
But like we would, there's no Louisville could win five consecutive national championships. And if that's the case, we're selling out games right, But we're never gonna match them in number because nobody does.
Yeah, it's and.
I'm not saying that to concede that they're better. It's just the numbers. It's just how it is. So I guess what. Like I was very fiery at Austin last night, not in like a meanway, but I'm just like, look, band, like trust me like this, like the fans that are showing up, like I just wish the support was on that more than like what's what are we doing here?
Like you were being sports dad about it, I was.
And and and more than anything. It's because I felt like they beat you last night. If I can say they beat you, because why would anybody with Louisville basketball right now as a fan not have great energy and I mean enthusiasm like this team is. I love this team, man, and I mean it. I love watching this team. I don't know what their ceiling is or what's going to happen down the line here this season, but I'm enjoying the ride. My energy is so awesome right now for
Louisvie basketball, and I know I'm not alone. So like it made me like I was dad last night to you, like I don't want you to not feel the way I'm feeling, my man, because we've gone to some games together. It's been the funnest games I've gone to in a long time. Austin and I with my family were at the Carolina game together, the Clemson game, Man, that was freaking awesome, and I just you know, don't let them
get to you, because here's the thing. And we actually talked about this briefly before we went to break and I got that I think you know this, But I also kind of feel like when I said it, like a light bulb kind of went off for you that you realize.
Like, oh, yeah, I guess you're right.
There's never gonna be a scenario where KSR is not looking to be obsessed with Louisville and crack jokes, So like, you know, there's gonna be times where they do it and we're thinking, like, man, we could have prevented that. I just don't feel like this was one of those times.
And energy and enthusiasm, momentum, all these I'm using all these words that just you know, I hope they're being used correctly because things are great with louisvill basketball right now, especially considering recent years to where they can't bring me down, and I don't want to bring you down.
Brother.
No, Well, like I said, I kind of reflected on it, and I'll get angry at this, and I won't be angry at U of L fans. Well, I'll just get angry just at the rivalry more or less. If we're in next year or year three of hat Kelsey and things rolling, and they're still and there's still less attendance, and yeah, I guess I'll go ahead and try to not even be mad at U of L fans, But like we're still trying to regain people's trust in this basketball program, and just because they're on fire right now,
I don't think that it really has. Now you add it on to man, how pricey it can be and just coming downtown just just to park, and then maybe you have to go get something to eat or drink at the game to be for a family to go do that, that's gonna cost a lot of money, and that's gonna deter some people to end up going to games.
But once this turns into a place to be, like you said, and possibly the next two or three years, then if we still had the same I wouldn't even say attendance problems, but we're giving the rivalry ammunition to do so, then I'll probably be a little bit angry about it, but this is still your one of Pat Kelsey. It's nothing to bring up that a Louisville fans are desperate and they're just giving away tickets. They don't care
about their program. This is still year one and it's still trying to gain people's trust back because of just the last couple of years what they've endured.
And what's crazy is that we were just talking about LaVar Ball and steven A and people saying things they don't really believe.
Right.
I don't even think Kentucky fans in the crew at KSR with a straight face can tell you that Louisville fans aren't into this team and into their coach. They're referencing tickets and empty seats, which is a reference point as far as who's interested in who's But it's not just that, and I think it's actually kind of lame to know that the real push here was to go out there and get tickets for those who want to go. But quite literally, can the economy freaking sucks, And I
mean I tried not to get worked up. It's one hundred dollars to get in the door to go watch Louisville play Spaulding, a Division three school. So to really, you know, do a big push here to let people know, like, hey, we've got some people that are willing to step up and help us to where we can actually get these people here that want to come that can't afford it, Like to make fun of that, like you're a loser. I mean, especially knowing.
That I'm with you.
I mean, it's anyways, we'll move on. We'll bring in Kent Spencer. On the other side, I'm rambling stick around, m m hmm.