It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Holy crap, I don't know who the hell we think when we are get off our show, idiot, The kids are crying or turn off.
The countries are.
Screwing it up. Gold Play Intermurals, Brother, gold Play Intermurals.
They're supposed to be mature adults, but they're really not.
Who's the kid here? Who's the kid here?
Are you kidding me? Now?
Here's Nick Coffee?
All right, three o'clock on a Wednesday afternoon. Let's get it started, ladies and gentlemen. Let's do it, shall we? Coffee and Company fuel about Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Nick Coffee. That's me the company man. That
is the one and only mister John Alden. As we take you up until six o'clock, take us with you wherever you go, whatever you're doing, whatever you have planned, or maybe you don't even know what you have planned, because you just kind of, you know, let things happen. Just know, whatever it is you're doing, you can take us with you and you can listen live on the iHeartRadio app. Also listen live at seven ninety Louisville dot Com and today's going to be a fun show. I'm
going to speak it into existence. I'm going to believe in the power of positivity. But I will tell you that I come to you today for the first time in twenty seven days where I arrived here to the iHeart Studios at four Street Live in downtown Louisville in my twenty nineteen Volkswagen antlys. What a day to have that back John's I mean, you'd have thought I just told John some like big news and I wanted that reaction.
I mean again, it wasn't anything he said. It was his face, like you're happy I got my car back, of course, And that another one of the many signs I've seen over the years that lets me know John's a good friend, because he's seen in a way more so, like, you know, I kind of stopped talking about the whole car situation because it didn't help me, and it probably, I mean, it probably wasn't great for the show, although people, I mean, there wasn't much more I could say, like
the story kind of you know, it'd run its course.
You got, you know, speaking in.
Third person here, like I got railed by AutoZone and like that was the story, and you know, whatever happens happens, but like there wasn't a whole lot more to add. Anything new would just be honestly a bad thing for me to even bring up because it would take me somewhere mentally I didn't want to be. And honestly, I think towards the end you'll probably didn't believe some of the things I was saying, not not even a kidding, Like the way this whole thing played out, like you could make it up.
It is very odd how it seemed like anytime you would talk about something that would be like the invitation for something new to happen after the fact.
Oh yeah, And that's why I stopped talking about it. I mean, I've had people who, like I know personally, like even my family, like how about your car?
Or wait a second, you still don't have your car?
And I think, and I need to do better at this because it's just peopple who are not nosy or being you know, in my business.
They care about me.
They're people that I know and love, but they you know, I probably respond to them to where they're thinking of themselves. Well, I'm really really bummed for Nick that he doesn't have his car, but I know I'm never gonna ask him again because it just turns into where like I just you know, he wasn't a good experience. So I went to AutoZone, I bought a battery for my car, paid over two hundred dollars, and for twenty seven days I did not have a vehicle because I didn't have my vehicle,
I should say, because they damaged it. And that's how long the whole process took. So I am happy to have it back, but I still have such a terrible feeling in my gut that I can't shake, and thinking about it still puts me in a bad place mentally, and I need somebody to help me get over it. I mean, it's not the end of the world. I have problems that are insanely small, tiny, or really not even even legitimate problems compared to what other people deal with.
So I never want to do the poor me thing. But I think it's human nature for anybody to have dealt with what I've dealt with attos, with autos owned to feel like this is like I've been screwed, you know, And it happens right like we get bad breaks in life every now and then I still wake up every day realizing that I've had way more good breaks go
my way than the other way around. And even if that ever wasn't the case, I wouldn't I would try to to live in a way where I think like that, just because who wants to feel sorry for themselves?
Who wants to be a victim?
That's no way to live, even if you have legitimate reasons to feel that way. That's not a fun you know, I just and I've always really, you know, I've never been one to give advice to anybody, because I don't feel like I'm worthy of giving advice to many people. But the best advice I've ever been given that I have always tried to really kind of not making my personality, but you know, just live by it, and that is
don't worry yourself about things you can't control. And that's where I've towed the line here, like was this in my control? Could I should I have been a little more forceful with AutoZone? Should I have? I mean, clearly the mistake was trusting them, and now I know, but like for them to take my money, break my car and then give it back to me twenty seven days later. And yes, they did cover what it cost to fix
what they broke, but like they still got up. I mean, they're still up on me when it comes to my Well, they got my money. And also you know I didn't have that car and they didn't care. I mean they were, you know, they were paying to get it fixed, but not in a timely way, not trying to in any way even really apologize for inconveniencing me. Inconveniencing me the only time that I ever got any level of like
I understand, and it really wasn't like I'm sorry. It was like you know, when I would when I would say, like, hey, you broke my car, and nobody's caught to me, like I have to call five times to get a response. I understand, I understand, but like, no real like apology. Now, maybe them paying for getting it fixed. It's like they're I mean, and that is the acknowledgment. But I went yesterday to and I thought I was getting it back yesterday.
But I've just you know, I told myself after last week whenever I think was it last week of the week before where I had my final meltdown I think it was right.
Before I took off to go to Charlotte. Yeah, I think that's right.
Like I just had a meltdown on the air and it wasn't planned or anything, and it was really embarrassing to be honest with you. But hey, I'm an open book, which is you know, I guess not what you see
is what you get because you don't see me. What what you hear, what you hear is what you get, and it's and it's really me and this is really my life, and not to say that it's all that interesting, but I do know that you all can find some entertainment here and there by you know, things that go on with me, not because you know, I'm just that fascinating, but because you know, I think sometimes and I wouldn't have it any other way. Got a good life, but
I think sometimes it's it's a Seinfeld episode. But I was just convinced that, like I'm not going to believe that I'm ever going to get this car back until I have it and I'm driving away. And that was today, but I had to go to aut I had to go to that auto's own story yesterday morning. And I haven't told you this John. But I went yesterday morning. It was first time I've gone in there since the day that you know, they had to tell my vehicle
away because they broke it. And again it's like walking into a funeral home, like you know, I'm I'm like leaving, you know, what do you call it? The like the kitchen area of funeral homes where like people like go to like you know, yea, they get a snack and you know, just kind of you know, just relax a
little bit as best you can, you know. And I felt like when I walked in yesterday morning, I was leaving like that break room area where people like eat and get snacks, and there were a lot of people that had arrived, but they hadn't seen the person who's really mourning the death of something like it just it felt awkward. Nobody made eye contact with me. Said Hey,
I'm here to sign something. So that was at like nine o'clock yesterday morning, and I had to sign something that that stated that they did in fact, like I'm signing that they have paid for the damage.
That they that they coused. So I called the.
Dealership and I'm like, hey, they're gonna have me sign something. I just before I signed anything, which is essentially giving them full Hey your car is fixed, now, are you sure everything's good? And the dealership they've you know, I feel bad claiming they didn't they did anything wrong because
they've been great. They gave me a vehicle to borrow and they didn't have to do that, so you know, he was pretty apologetic, and I didn't wan him to feel bad, but he was like, yeah, we just we just completely, we completely didn't look at something that we
didn't think we needed to look at. But yes, what happened was due to the overall root of your issues that they tried to put your battery on backwards for three hours and it really really fried your car from from like an electronic standpoint, And he was like, it's on us. We didn't look at it, but we know they were able to convince auto's own or at least proved to them in some way, like you clearly cause this you're not going to be able to like because
you already came and paid for one repair. You can't honestly state that like this was something that was done after the fact and I never left with it, Like I showed up, turned the car on, didn't work. So at that point I left, and I was worried about the whole dispute thing. And then finally they did agree to pay for it. So then I go yesterday to sign something and the manager, who I hadn't seen since that happened, and I felt bad for because she wouldn't
look me in the eye. She was being polite, but she was being kind of awkward because I think she genuinely felt bad. And I'm a human. I know that nobody intended to break my car, and honestly, the repairs and like the process to like make it right. She doesn't even have say so, like she doesn't control that, so I know that. So I kind of feel bad for her because I think she feels bad. And she tells me, okay, now that we've got this sign, once I wrap up with this customer again, it's nine o'clock
in the morning. Once I wrap up with this customer, I'm going to go and settle up with them and will be good to go.
Art Well, thank you.
Well that was at nine am show Stars yesterday. I call dealership. They're like, we no, they haven't been here. We haven't we haven't talked to them, So I'm thinking, oh my god, here we go again, like did I sign something? And I know what I signed. I took pictures of it, like I documented everything. But I'm thinking,
like maybe they signed something, you know. I mean, I just I prepare for the worst and just will consider it a blessing and a prayer answered if it's not another disaster for me when it comes to this whole situation. So I called AutoZone during one over breaks yesterday and I'm like, hey, can I speak to you know? And I mentioned her name, the manager, and they were like,
she's she's with somebody. You me take a message, and I'm like, yeah, she was supposed to go take care of something today for me and she hasn't yet, and I'm just I want, I need to know what the next step is.
So I don't know she forgot.
I don't know if if she was just busy, but she never called me back. But it's six so three yesterday I got a phone call as the service department was closing that said your car's ready, They've paid for it and you can come get it tomorrow morning, which was today, and I showed up and here we are.
So I just I don't know.
I've never been in the spot before where I am happy to have my vehicle back. And at the end of the day, I don't really think it wasn't intentional mistakes happened. It was clearly out of my control. But I just still feel like I was screwed over.
And I think it's just because it went on for so long and there was no reason for it to take as long as it did, and for them to kind of treat you the way that they did that it's probably going to take a while to just I mean, you haven't been in this car for so long.
You're feel like I feel like I got a new car, you know what I mean, Like I feel like I got a brand new car.
It'll probably take a while for you to get used to being in that car again, I'm.
Sure, And and I would be it would be easier for me to just kind of block it out if
it wasn't for a few different things. One, I made the mistake by making it content, which clearly has turned into you know, it occasionally being brought up, although it's kind of died down because I haven't talked about it as much because again, like the story had run its course and if I did talk about it, I would just get really really upset, and I would think that I'm never getting my car back, and I have no real course of action to like be made whole because
if they wanted to fight this, and that's what scares me, honestly, if they wanted to fight this, they could, what would I do? You know, I could, I can embarrass them on my platform here, but like they don't care.
They can obviously I'm not a lawyer, but like, how could they win? Well, they would just.
Make me fight it to the point where even if I did in the end get a victory to where they had to fix it, I would be out with like attorney fees and inconvenience and a lot of my time. Yeah, So, like I mean, I'm trying to and I look, I don't even know if that's what would have played out if they did fight it and say they weren't responsible. But I'm trying to find a positive here. What I'm like, well, hey, at least they paid to fix it, because they could have not.
But again, like.
Would be an insane scenario for them to not try to fix it. So but my kids, my kids, you know, they care about their Dad, at least I think they do. I assume they love me. They tell me they do, and they act like they do. But they know about the whole car situation, so they're asking, like every day, Dad, what's going on with the car? When they're gonna get
your car back? What's this car you're driving? I drove four different iheard vehicles for two weeks, and then since then I've been in a loaner from the from the dealership, which had been great, and then they got used to that one. They just thought it was Dad's new car. So you know, when I show up today after work and I've got my car, you know, hopefully they're excited and happy and they have the new car feeling like I do. And then I just never think about it again.
But I drive past that damn auto zone every day.
It's right everywhere I see it.
Now.
I don't do this regularly, but sometimes I think about giving him the finger.
Nick, do it, Just do it.
I mean, I love to just drive past or walk past, or they'd have no clue who I am or why I'm doing.
That, and and it sucks overall. But yesterday I wanted to be like a moment where it was over for me where I didn't think about it anymore. But that hasn't happened yet. And when I say a moment, I mean like when I was there at the store and the two people that were you know, at fault, like clearly seeing that they feel bad and that they know,
like they're not disputing that they did anything wrong. I mean people make mistakes, you know, so like I'm trying to just look at it as hey, you know, this is the worst thing that ever happens to me, then I'll be okay, which is true. But it's just been I don't know, like I've never felt so helpless as if like I just got I'm just going to have to deal, you know. And you know, at the end, I got my car back and that's good, but that
is what happened. Like I quite literally just had to you know, what was.
I going to do? Call the cops?
Be at the store every day with the employees who have no they have no they have no options to like help me or anything.
They just you know shoot me towards the corporate area.
You have to go with my boss and his boss, and they just turned into a whole mess. But been a long time and I was thinking on my way in today, maybe like just maybe Louisville football was kind of not themselves because I didn't have my car. I'm not one into superstitions, but like they played those two bump teams before my car broke, and then since then, you know, they had a close call against Georgia Tech, they lost to in a row bounce back against Virginia.
So you know, I'm trying to find you know, me getting the car back instead of you know, worrying about the twenty seven days I was without it, I'm just gonna think, well, hey, now this is this is gonna send Louisville season in the right direction at a really high rate of speed. I mean, I don't know if that's gonna happen or not, but I'm just trying to find ways to, you know, not be so bitter about it.
What did Rick Partino used to lie to us and say get better, not bitter, as he's clearly been the bitter, a little bitch about Louisville forever. And I'm saying that now because we now know Luke Hancock put it out there yesterday that Rick just lied like he's been invited back to Louisville many times, not only by his former players, but like when they honored the twenty thirteen national championship team during Kenny's first year, they asked Rick to come.
So like he just line about that stuff and that's what he does. But anyways, I'm gonna get better and not bitter. We got a loaded show today. Couple guys gonna join us. At three point thirty. We will talk with C. L. Brown from the Courier Journal. I'm a big fan of cel. I've followed his work over the years and think think the world of him. And I was gassing him up on radio Row last week in Charlotte, and he was just like, Hey, why don't you why don't you have me on? And I'm like, why do
you say something? I'd love to have you on. You know, I just assumed that, you know, he's he's busy, he's got stuff to do, but he's he's cranking out some really good columns for the CJ. And he's got his podcast over there with the Curer Journals. So we'll have him on coming up with three talk about a variety of things, including some college hoops as well as Louisville football because they've got a big game coming up now, speaking of college football, We're going to talk at four
to ten. He doesn't know, but we're calling him at four oh five. Like he said four ten, we're calling him at four or five. It' Zach Barnett, a football scoop. We'll get his thoughts on really the midway point of the college football season, and I'm sure he has some thoughts on this Louisville Miami matchup. So we'll talk to him around.
Four to ten.
And I'm getting I'm getting more and more excited about this matchup. I mean, I still can't tell you that I have like total confidence. But it's not because like I'm, you know, worried that Louisville's just gonna get hammered because they're not they're not good enough. I just I want him to really to continue to utilize the talent they have and stop making critical mistakes. And in a way, this kind of feels like Notre Dame week. And I'll explain myself here, because it seems like you've got an
opportunity to take advantage of a big opportunity. And that's I mean, yeah, you've got the opportunity to maximize an opportunity here with a good opponent that if you beat them, there's a lot of value there. Felt like the Notre Dame week, right like, even though that they had lost to Northern Illinois a couple of weeks prior, you know, beating Notre Dame at Notre Dame, like there was a
lot on the line. And what made that loss and still makes it just to head scratcher, is that I don't think Notre Dame's that special and you had the opportunity to get a win with real value and you couldn't. You couldn't make it happen. But you also are looking at Miami this week kind of like you were looking at Notre Dame, and it's it's an opponent that you know could just beat you straight up even if you play well, because you know they got dudes like you do.
In fact, there's going to be some clear advantages that Miami has, just like there were some advantages that Notre Dame has when it comes to personnel. You know, the SMU game, that was an opponent that I just thought, you know, I didn't know they I'd flat out did not think SMU would be able to do what they did in Louisville, and maybe we learned that they're going to be able to do that against everybody because they've reinvented who they are offensively once they made that switch
to Jennings at quarterback. But you know, we learned the hard way that SMU isn't a team that you get right with because you are coming off of a tough loss to Notre Dame where you feel like you did a whole lot more to lose that game than they did to win it. But SMU made you pay. He still had a chance to win. But SMU was impressive. And again I'll give them credit. They were just better, didn't I didn't think anything SMU did was fluky as
far as like they got lucky or anything. Now, Louisville still made mistakes, but SMU earned a lot of respect for me that day, which I'm sure there's still appreciative of. That's what they came here to Louisville Forest to get Nick Coffe's respect. But either way, you know, that just kind of felt like, Okay, we'll get right here. After that lost to Outer Dame and we learned the hard way we got beat and then Virginia, I mean, it
was your worst opponent since Jacksonville State. So it was a game where you could still probably do what you've done in the previous two weeks and still hold on to win. And let me tell you what, that's exactly what happened. We can claim they made improvements and whatnot, and they did. I guess the defense wasn't wasn't quite the mess they'd been in previous weeks with the lack
of communication and just looking disorganized. But like, let's be honest, Louisville still made a lot of big mistakes in that game, and they needed a late touchdown against for you know, against a Virginia team that I'm not sure it is
very good to win. You're happy they won, but like I think, if I'm being honest with you, I think Louisville has kind of played the same way the last three weeks, meaning that they make mistakes that they should be able to avoid, and it's put them in situations to where they're either going to lose to good teams in SMU and Notre Dame or at least, you know,
better teams than Virginia. So Miami on Saturday noon kickoff sold out Atmospheres should be great, and again the opportunities there and I'm hoping that the Jeff Brahm and his team can take take full advantage. All Right, some other things we'll get into today. The Louisville basketball team photo. So I'm very glad that about an hour ago, maybe
it was longer than that. I didn't see it till about an hour ago that they did post the official team photo from yesterday's media day, and it looks a lot better than what we saw from the photo that was posted by Matt mcgavick yesterday. I'm going to start with this. I'm going to defend Matt mcgavick because Matt mcgavick did exactly what I think many others did, but for some reason, his photo that he put in a tweet, it got a quarter of a million views in roughly twenty four hours.
And it was just a guy who's doing his job.
He's using the limited time that they're giving the media members to do the player interviews at media day, and they're taking their team photos. So he just gets out his phone when he snaps a pick, he throws it up on Twitter and he starts interviewing people. Little does he know that like it. I don't know if you could have tried to get a worse picture than what they than what they got and what he got. And
again it was not intentional in any way. I probably would have deleted it a little bit quicker than he did. But you know, the picture that's made its rounds, and I mean it was Louisville kind of going viral on Twitter and the college basketball world for having a team that you know, they all, I mean, I'll just say it, because they weren't expecting their picture to be taken. It wasn't the proper lighting and the professional photographer that works
for the university in the athletic department. They were just you know, sitting there, you know, getting ready to be prompted on what to do, getting ready to have like the flash set up and all that. I don't know how the photography works, but it was just somebody who pulled out their phone and took a picture without anybody really looking. And they all look like they're very sleepy or high, depending on which way you want to look at it. Language not great as if they're posing.
You know, they didn't. They weren't posing.
They were just kind of you know, standing without anybody realizing that they're gonna get their picture taken. And I mean it, I hate that it turned into what it turned into. I'm happy that the U of L Twitter account, whoever's running that, is having some fun with it, because clearly it looks a lot better now.
But it was.
I mean, i'd be honest with you. It didn't make me feel any different about the team. It didn't make me start to question. Wait a second, I really thought Pat Kelsey put together a really good roster here. But these guys, man, they didn't look the part like I never and I never got to that place because again, it's just, you know, I knew what it was. It was somebody pulling out their iPhone snapping a picture when nobody in the picture was ready for it. But it
couldn't have looked much worse. I mean, ye had guys with their eyes closed. You had guys looked like they just woke up from a nap. I mean, it was, it was. It was not great, and it's one of the many things that's happened. And I don't I don't think anybody has any bad intent, And who the hell am I It's tell people what they should do before they post.
Something on the internet, right, do what you want.
But there's been at least like three or four things that's happened the last month or so that I think people are trying. They're coming from a good place, and they do care about UVEL Athletics rather it be just they're a super fan, or maybe they work in media, but yet they don't hide that they favor Louisville like I do. But it's backfired and it's made us look bad, and we've we've kind of been the joke of the
Internet at times. Now part of that, in fact, maybe not just a part of it, maybe the majority of that is because we have a fan base that we're you know, the fan base that that is our rival. I mean, there's a billion of them, and they're all anonymous on the internet under you know, RUPs, Renegade sixty seven, Big Blue Bozo.
You know.
I mean, they like the each they're you know, and there's there's every fan base in college sports has fans that live behind anonymous accounts and just troll people. And it's that's why I oftentimes refer to Twitter whatever you want to call it, as like a toxic wasteland. But what you have to keep in mind is that like the Kentucky fan base, I'm convinced that there's a billion
of them. Compared to even other fan bases that we view as a as a big fan base, like, there's nowhere near as many of those big blue bozos as
I call them. So you know, I get it. If there was a Kentucky team photo that looked like that, I mean I probably wouldn't have you know, I wouldn't have gone in on it like others have because I'm not somebody that like wants to invite someone to take a shot at my personal appearance, if you know what I'm saying, Like, I don't really go for personal appearance because I don't want that thrown back at me because I'm an easy target when it comes to that, I think.
But anyways, if you haven't seen the new Louisville team photo that has been put out there, go check it out because it's a much better look than what was put out there yesterday. And again it got a quarter of a million views on Twitter, which again I think more than anything that speaks to the Kentucky fans just wanting to share it and be trolls all right quick break, we'll come back on the other side and welcome him in. He is cl Brown of the Courier Journal. And don't
go anywhere. We're taking you up till six o'clock, so keep it locked right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. That's right Coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety, rolling along on a Wednesday afternoon. Appreciate you hanging out with us. We also appreciate our
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Easy to sign up, it's free and I think you will be happy that you did. All right, let's bring him in. He's cl Brown from the Courier Journal who joins us here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
See.
How are we doing? Brother?
I can't complain Nicholas good Man Man.
I'll start with I want to get to basketball in a moment when it comes to Louisville football. I mean this Miami matchup obviously big time game. You got a top six team coming in. Louisville has not really a deep history with Miami, but they played them a few times, been able to take advantage of opportunities to knock this team off.
What's your feel for this game Louisville.
I think despite being four and two, I think they've shown they've they've got a pretty good quarterback, they've got some good skill position players, and really, I don't think a lot of folks look at Louisville and feel as if they've got, you know, a team that's been underwhelming when it comes to personnel, but they've made a lot of mistakes that you feel like are.
Avoidable at least. I do.
Just curious, as we're a few days away, what you think of this matchup here certainly a chance for Louisville to send their season in a positive direction if they can pull off the upset.
Yeah, I wish I had a better feel on it, to be honest, to try and make some money off it.
But and that's Louis's fault, right, You don't know how many mistakes they're gonna make that you feel are avoidable and all that.
I'm with you, man, Well, when you take a step back from it, Louisville has two one possession losses.
That's it.
Like, It's not like you're looking at these games that they were overwhelmed by somebody's talent or lost up front in the trenches and got dominated in that respect. Neither one of those losses occurred that way. And really both of the losses was really because of a bad start.
I mean, they played well in the second half.
They played well after giving up, you know, twenty four points in the first half of both of those games to Notre Dame in SMU. So I think Louisville is in a good position where maybe they are being overlooked a little bit, and Miami is certainly coming in vulnerable having these last two wins, you know, having.
To have a short of a miracle.
But twenty five point comebacks don't come on trees, right, So that the one at Cow was crazy, and having that call overturned the hell Mary at the end of Virginia's tech game to win that game was also fortunate
for Miami. So on one hand, I'm looking at it as is this the game where Miami's luck kind of runs out, or having a week off, did they come back in and this is this might be the toughest game on their schedule that they weren't expecting because next week they got Florida State and I know that being a rivalry for them, and before the season.
That was the game, you know, so.
This is gonna certainly be an interesting one on Saturday. Yeah.
I thought Virginia was an opportunity for Louisville to finally I mean, look, the opportunity was there. The Notre Dame loss was one where you feel like, man, we made so many mistakes, and yet if you maybe take away two of them, we could say that we didn't play well, really hurt ourselves, but we wanted Notre Dame and it would be looked at as a win that had a lot of value. I mean, SMU, I'll give them a lot of credit. They just came in and they were better.
I mean, Louisville didn't play great, but SMU really showed me something that I didn't know that they had. And I thought the Virginia game would be a chance for Louisville to go on the road play clean ball. Maybe not win by three scores or anything like that. But just you know, stop shooting yourself in the foot and that didn't happen. I'm looking at this Saturday's matchup against Miami is one of two things. One, if you keep
making those mistakes. Miami is a team with the talent that I think they could really bury you if they're playing well and you continue to make you know, silly, you commit silly penalties, you're disorganized defensively. But it's also a chance where Okay, if there was ever a time for you to get right, it would be it would be this moment here. I just you know, I think for both teams, you know, as you mentioned Miami, they're probably feeling kind of fortunate that they were.
Able to avoid two losses there. They could have easily gone the other way.
But I'm kind of, you know, maybe this is just the pessimist in mecl but I kind of feel like Miami of old would have lost those games, you know what I'm saying. Like I'm actually, even though Cow's not a great team, I kind of feel like that the way they came back on the road like that, back against the wall, kind of made me fear that more than anything.
To be honest with you, Well, I think the difference is cam Ward. Yeah, he's special there, and yeah, brought the swagger back to the you. And I don't think at any point in that game, in that Cow game, where they thinking we don't have what it takes to come back because of that guy.
So but the thing about.
Cam Ward, I will say, and I think this goes back to this time at Washington State where he probably felt like he had to do everything well, he did have to do everything to kind of carry that offense and would maybe force some plays. I still think he has that tendency to instead of just going for the simple and going for the checkdown and you know, maybe you're not gonna get a first down and have to punt on that drive, but it's okay, you're gonna live
to fight again. He's still I gotta make this play. He still has those tendencies and those flashes. So if Louisville can catch that cam Ward, that'll make you fill out more positive.
Nick cel Brown of the Curry Journal is our guest joining us here on Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Let's shift gears here to basketball.
Louisville coming in at number nine in the preseason eight in the preseason ACC poll, which not a big surprise to me. I think there's a lot of teams, really the majority of this league. I feel like it's a big question mark, And really, I think you could say that about a lot of college hoops teams, just with the new world we're in with the portal and so many new pieces and really just not knowing how good
anybody's going to be. But I know you wrote about Louisville, you know, needing to be one of the programs to kind of help restore the reputation of the ACC. We chatted about this briefly last week, and you know, I should throw the disclaimer out there more than I do, because I've talked a lot in recent years about the ACC as a hoops league just kind of slipping and not being what it once was many years ago, and
certainly not what it was when Louisville joined it. But I'm aware Louisville has been a big part of that. They were once really proud program that's been the worst team in this league the last couple of years, in two years where most would say the league was down overall. You know, when when you see like if the ACC ends up making it taking a step forward this year where those who cover the league like yourself can say, Okay,
this this thing is heading in the right direction. There was a little bit of a of a lull there whenever you lost legendary coaches that decided to move on and retire.
Who are those teams?
Because I you know, I'll just say it, I would be shocked if that ends up happening, where the ACC does end up looking like one of the better leagues in college hoops. I'm just I don't have a whole lot of hope or faith that the league ends up being that great. Now, with that said, that could be, that could be something that Pat Kelsey could take advantage of. I mean, and if you're a Louisville fan, I think
you hope that's what ends up happening. But as somebody who's covered this league for so long, not only here with the CJ, but during your time with the Raleigh News Observer, with the Athletic and ESPN, I mean, you know the ACC's history is a hoops league as well as anybody.
What do you make of kind of where where the league is right now?
Yeah, I still kind of feel like it might be in a holding pattern of not getting back to what we expect. But I do see some some flashes that it's it's it's on the right track.
It's it's gonna get back, you know.
I think here in the next couple of years, because I think Clempson can be good. Obviously, Duke and Carolina are to me in a class by themselves.
This year in the league, and then.
I feel like the next year is like Wake Forest, I think should be very good. With the Hunter Salas coming back this season. He probably could have stayed in the draft and been picked last year. Them getting him back is huge for Wake and Steve Fords has kind of been knocking on the door of the NCAA Tournament there since he's since he's gotten there and they just haven't for whatever scheduling reasons or the lost at the wrong time, haven't got in. But I think this is
the year they do it. I think Wake Clempson. I think Pittsburgh is a team that could also, you know.
Help the league overall by being good. And Pittsburgh is a team too.
Maybe if NC State doesn't run the table and when the A Tournament, maybe Pittsburgh actually gets into the NCAA Tournament, but they probably got bumped out by that miraculous run from NC State. But I think they're in a position. Jeff Caple has them in a position to kind of take.
That next step too.
But then after that, it's kind of like I mean, NC State, I think Kevin Keats has.
Something to work with. Obviously, he's got two.
Former UFL players with Brandon Huntley Hatfield and Mike James on his roster. They they could, you know, kind of carry over that momentum from the Final four and be a and I don't mean be a Final four team, but I mean like be a good team, be a solid team, be an NCAA tournament team. I really have questions about Miami. I'm not really sure. I think Virginia, when you have Tony Bennett, should be the faith of the ACC.
He should be the coach.
That does the the pr if you will for the league that Mike Cisseski and Roy Williams used to do it back in the day.
He was more successful cel when he was competing against all the legends, like he would win this league regularly. Whenever you would say that, Okay, we'll never see a league with this many a league coach as ever.
Yeah, I think what's what's hurt him is the portal. And I'm not sure what Virginia's nil situation is, but I just don't think he's been as quick to be able to adapt because Tony teams are best when he a gets NBA level talent in there and b when he has some time to develop game, like to supplement that talent with guys who've been in the program and have developed. And the portal just kind of imploded that
structure that he likes for his program. So it's it's and I look at their rockster and I don't see it same here.
Them being at number five has to be Bennett still getting the bump because he's a national title coach and everybody respects him because them being at five is like the ultimate Okay, everybody's just guessing here.
Yeah, yeah, but I think and when people hate the watching Virginia play, it's when he doesn't have talent, because that's when they have to muck it up and it becomes the very you know, the game kind of plods along and it's methodical and nobody wants to see it. But he still wins that way because he knows how to take you to the mud and wrestle, you know. But and I think this will be that kind of team this year that has to do that in order
to win, and they'll they'll still win games. But the league needs for Virginia to be what it's been at his best, like from that run from like twenty fifteen to twenty nineteen where they were competing for the league title and won the national title in twenty nineteen. The league needs Virginia to.
Get back to that.
So I still think we're a couple of years away from saying the ACC is a ventaed league, you know, vented ACC again.
But I do feel like it's on the way.
Yeah, And you know, it wouldn't be a shock if they get a handful of teams in and those teams find a way to make a run.
That happens.
That's the NSAA tournament. But it used to be a weekly thing that if you had two games, rather it be a Monday for Big Monday, or you're playing on a Wednesday or whatever, and then of course you're doing the Saturday or the Sunday. More often than not, one of those two opportunities for ACC league members would be an opportunity for you to get a valuable win that really really helps you when it comes to fighting for
a tournament spot. And that's where it's really stood out to be more than anything, is that you only end up having few opportunities and you beat teams in your league, but it doesn't give you much value. That's, you know, somebody who has followed Louisville basketball for a long time. You went from seeing that in the Big East every year to the ACC for the first I don't know, four or five years, and then lately it's just kind
of it's kind of dropped off. I do think some of it is because of the perception of the league and the way they've gone about scheduling. Hopefully they can they can get past that. But one more question I had for you cl before we let you go. What years was it that you were the beat writer for
U of L hoops. I know you had many roles at the CG over the years, but I could be wrong here, but I feel like when you were the beat writer for the CJ covering U of L men's basketball, like that was when the rivalry with Patino and cal was like at its peak.
Am I wrong? Is my memory off there?
That's correct?
It was from old nine. Well old nine was that first basketball season that I covered, So it's from nine to thirteen.
As soon, right, as soon as it I mean that that is quite literally. I think the era will go back many many years and say the rivalry as far as the fan base is was was so intense in that exact window of time because it was cal beying in Kentucky was still relatively new. Rick was trying to, you know, not be outdone by a guy he doesn't like who took a job that he wishes he never left. I mean that's the way it had played out. So when you see Rick back in Lexington in that like,
what's your thoughts on all that? I feel like, given how you covered Rick and how kind of embedded you were with the program at the time, and knowing how Rick was like, there's probably nothing that would surprise you when it comes to stories about Rick Patino or what Rick Patino was gonna do.
Well. I mean, if John calim Perry was still the head coach at UK and Patino went back for Big Blue Madness, that would be a story. But the fact that it's Mark Pope, you know, that's his guy. Like it would to me, I would be shocked if he didn't go, you know, like he's he's always shown support for his former players, and it's it's been said out
there and you know I've heard on radio already. If Peyton Stee was the head coach right now, if Luke Hancock was somewhere as a head coach right now, Patino would be supporting those guys in the same way.
You know, he would be in whatever college they were in.
He would be in that gear and he would be, you know, lending his support, lending his enthusiasm.
However, however he saw fit.
So I don't know's it's not a big deal.
I get it because of the rivalry. I get why.
Some fans were kind of charged up about it, but it really isn't a big deal. He's not going to be carrying a blue flag during the season while Saint John's is laying.
You know, he appeared.
He still has connections and friends and people that go back from when he was at UK in the nineties in Lexington, and it was a good time. I think, if anything, there just hasn't been enough time that has elapsed from him leaving Louisville in the way that he did or in the way that got forced upon him. For there'll be healing for him to come back here. But obviously, UK, it's been twenty five years, you know, like it's been long enough.
And more than anything, it's the coach now is a I who won a title and it was a captain for him, Like that's the I mean, that's the ultimate component there that made that whole thing kind of kind of fall into place. So like, I think both things can be true, Like it really isn't a big surprise. I don't think Rick did it to make anybody here at U of l MAD, certainly not as players and fans.
But I also get why if you're a younger fan, like if you're five to six years younger than me, your only memory may be Rick coaching Louisville and you've seen him in blue even though you knew he coached there, you know, it probably did put you in a place you weren't expecting. But yeah, certainly been a big talking point here in the last few days. But CL really appreciate you making Tom first. We'll have to do this again sooner.
I brother no doubt appreciate that, all right.
Take care. That's cl Brown from the Courier Journal. Good stuff.
As always with cl We'll take a quick break, come back on the other side, wrap up this three o'clock hour and keep the party rolling along. It's coffee and company. Feel bout Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
I think for every you know, real life situation, there's a corny Brad Paisley song for it, and I guess that's what this is here because I did get my car back for those who did, and here at the beginning of the show, because I know you guys have been losing sleep over it, right, You've been just stressing stressing out like crazy, worried about is is Nick going to get his car back? Well, I did get my car back today, twenty seven days without it because AutoZone
broke it and then did pay to repair it. But that was also its own process. But yes, I've got my car back, all right. So this text came in during our conversation there was Cel Brown. It was really good to have cl on, and I'm going to hope to have him on as as a weekly guest because you know, he's great and known him for a long time,
and he's somebody. And I was just telling John this during the break that whenever I first got a chance to actually get not necessarily inside access or anything like that, but I was I was given credential access to where I could go to games and you know, cover the team.
And at that time, we're talking two thousand and nine, twenty ten, you know, it wasn't it wasn't that it was still relatively new, and I remember there were a lot of people who, you know, felt as if anybody that didn't work for a newspaper or a radio station like this one, or a TV station, if you got access and you were press conferences, I mean, they felt like a lot of those people felt like you were
beneath him. And now it's a totally different world because the landscape has changed so much in the last fifteen years.
But cl was always was always.
Kind to me, and you know, you know, would would would you know, would would kind you know, not necessarily put me under his wing, but like when others would like, you know, be disgusted by my presence, he was always cool.
Him and him and Chip.
Cosby, who has has left the media world, but was also you know, around at that time, and you know always you remember those kind of things, so shout out to CL. But the text that came in said you mentioned Patino with CL. What was the story he did that Rick got really upset about I know of one, and actually was going to ask him about that at some point, just because you know, Patino has been talked about here lately and we'd have to get to break.
But there was a story that CL wrote.
There was not even any It wasn't it was I mean, it was just Rick losing his mind about something that he didn't need to lose his mind about. But I'm pretty sure CL talked about all the end. He was writing about the injury history that UVEL had as far as basketball, because there were guys that would get hurt and he and I don't have the column in front
of me. It was many, many, many years ago, but he had talked to Preston Knowles, who had just left Louisville, and there was some kind of an insinuation that because they practiced so hard, that's why guys get hurt, like.
During the season.
And I don't really think that there was a pointed, you know comment it was just, you know, it was a storyline that Louisville was having some injury issues and guys were getting hurt and practice not in games. And Rick, I'm pretty sure he like yelled at him during a press conference, meaning yelled at cl which would have been you know, for me at that time, it would have been a very scary thing. But you know, he's a grown up, and I think Rick came out the next
press conference and apologized to him. All right, real quick, let's talk about Jefferson Animal Hospital. You guys know there are big events coming up this weekend on Saturday. Pints for pausing people, Bring your pet, bring your people. They're going to show you how pet, how pet blood donations work. They understand a lot of people out there myself andcluded wasn't even aware that that was a thing. Well it is.
Your pets can donate blood. They may qualify to be a pet blood donor if your dog weighs less than fifty pounds and your cat weighs less than ten pounds. So and every time, every time there's a donation made, that can help save up to four to six lives. So it's Pines for Pausing People. Ten Am to two pm this Saturday. Jefferson Animal Hospital over there on outer Loop. You can give them a call at five two nine hundred pets or you can visit pet bloodbank dot com
to get more information. So again it's coming up this Saturday. All right, we'll take a break, come back on the other side. Get Hour number two started right here on Sports Talk seven ninety