It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick coffee.
All right, let's get the five o'clock hours started here on a Wednesday afternoon coffee and company fueled by Thornton's.
Here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
I'm coming to you live from Charlotte, North Carolina at the Weston Hotel as the ACC basketball media days are going on. They call it the ACC basketball tip off. And I see a few people and I stole this joke from from from from Joe Ovi's who does a sports radio in uh In, I think Raleigh. But just a tip, just a tip, and if you know, you know, But yeah, tip off season's not here yet, but it's
getting close. Louislle basketball will have their first real game in less than a month, which, you know, saying that out loud makes me realize.
How close we actually are.
But also it's crazy to me to think that, you know, we're halfway through the football season.
Essentially, I mean goes by quick.
I am somebody who waits impatiently for many many months, seemingly many more months than actually you know, takes place, but goes by too quick man. I mean, John, Indiana's halfway through, there's six and o Bowl eligible. Yeah, I mean does it feel like the season just started.
Yeah?
And I do think that the regular season itself always seems to go by fast, but it is the entirety of the season as a whole is going to get elongated a little bit with the twelve team playoff. And I don't know how many people will actually pay attention to the bowl games that aren't playoff games this year, But I do think overall, once we get to the end of the year and we've been through this twelve team playoff.
That will we'll say it's been a full year. You know, it'll feel like a full year at that point.
And you mentioned you don't know how many people are going to be watching. I'm not sure how many players are going to be playing. I mean, they're going to have to find a way to incentivize those exhibitions, and it's going to have to be for money or you know, you just won't do it unless you're just one of those guys that just clearly just wants to, you know, have one more you know, one more game where you're out there, we're in the uniform, that kind of stuff.
And I don't mean to, you know, mock that, because although it seems corny to some, but it is a special thing. But like, outside of that, if you're somebody that has, you know, a future in football, or even if.
You don't know, if even if you don't know that you do, but you.
Think you might, like you know, playing in a game that really is an exhibition game, that now, like the perception of these games, like the public opinion is that like nobody really like we're already kind of there, but it's only gonna get worse now that the playoffs expanded and you're gonna have.
More players opt out.
There's gonna be bowl games that like even fans of certain teams won't remember what bowl game their team was in, and if they won, you.
Know what would be really interesting.
And maybe I hope I'm not the first person to come up with something like this, and maybe it's not even a good idea at all, But what if instead if, like if your team doesn't make the twelve team playoffs, let's just say the committee or somebody comes up with a whole bunch of different like four team pods, right that you just have two one off games or like you know, kind of a semi final start sort of a format and the winner between that that pot if you will, where you play two games, if you win
two of them, you win a whole bunch of nil money for your school something like that give you a reason to keep playing.
Yeah, they've got to find some way to make it worthwhile, right, And I'm open to any idea, including that one, you
know what I mean. Like it's because like to make it worse, coaches in these games, they're more focused on the portal, you know what I mean, Like at that point, the portal's open and players are available, and like you're balancing preparation for a bowl game that you know is kind of like, you know, not meaningless, but just you know what, are you more worried about beating a team in a bowl game that you don't really want to be in because you think your team should have been better,
or going out and making sure you're recruiting players in the portal to be better next year? Like it's such a mess, it really is. So, you know, Louisville season, you know, hopefully it actually get started on Saturday. I mean, I don't want to dramatize it and act like it's way worse than it actually is. But I don't think anybody would have expected Louisville football to be in the position that they're in now. And as I've said all week, even said it on the postgame show, it could be worse.
It could be a very humbling experience. And it is humbling to see that Louisville, you know, had SMU come in here in their first year in the league and not only beat you, but it wasn't fluky. Yeah, you made some mistakes that could have been avoided, but objectively speaking, if you watch that game, you would say SMU's better. Now, maybe if Louisville tightened some things up. They play this game ten times, maybe Louisville wins way more than half
of the matchups, but that didn't matter, and we'll never know. So, you know, when I say finally getting it started, I mean just you know, looking like a well prepared team,
looking like a team that is locked in. And I'm just throwing out all these you know, filler words essentially, and I know what it sounds like, but like when you are sloppy and you make mistakes that you know are avoidable, and yet you know you still continue to make them and you just don't look like you you know, you look flat as far as your energy, Like that's that that's why those filler words are you so often because you know that's that's I think they I think
it fits right, Like you're not sharp, you're sloppy, you know, to really just you know, be blunt. You know, it's hard to call yourself a good football team and you make those kind of mistakes.
But again, it could be worse.
You could you could come out and realize that, you know, you went on and got a quarterback, and the reason that you're sitting here at three and two instead of five and zh is because he stinks. You know, you're having to rely on a freshman running back and that's never ideal. And maybe you're just you know, really suffering because Donald Cheney isn't the guy you needed him to be from Miami, and Maurice Turner's hurt, and the dude from you know, Penny Boon he left, so now you
got to rely on a freshman. But no, the freshman, if everybody's here and everybody's healthy, Isaac Brown is still the guy you want. The ball get you still want him getting the ball in his hands for the majority of the carries.
So although it.
Gives me a reason to think that if they do, you know, tighten things up, they can go on and win some games and have a strong season, you know, although I believe that, again, it's it's more frustrating, you know, feeling as if those are things that you you should have, you shouldn't have to worry about on you know, mid in mid October in year two. But this Virginia game, you know, I don't. We're going to talk to somebody who covers Virginia tomorrow on the show just to get,
you know, their perspective on the matchup. It's Greg Madia, who covers the Uh, the Cavaliers? Are they the Who's are the Cavaliers? I mean, I guess I'll have to ask Locklan McLain, But I've always just referred I mean, I feel like the only people call them the who's are the people who like went there. And I don't even you know, I don't get it, but I've always called them like the I mean, they're the Virginia Cavaliers.
I don't know why that that's not just what they referred to as But anyways, Greg Madia covers Virginia for The Daily Progress in Charlottesville and join us tomorrow. And if you're Virginia, you got to look at I mean, you got to look at this as an opportunity to, you know, to kick Louislle while they're down. You're at home. You know, you've played them pretty competitively at their place. You know, it's been a weird series, to be honest
with you, when it comes to Virginia and Louisville. I mean, obviously Louisvill's first year in the ACC they went to Charlottesville and lost, and that was you know, of that of that nine and three regular season. You know, at that time, you know the playoff even exists.
Then I don't know if it did.
It's twenty fourteen, right when it began.
Yeah, I guess it would have been the first year of the playoff.
I mean, it wouldn't have mattered because, you know, the Louisville could have easily gone ten and two with their only losses being Florida State and Clemson, and they had that one, you know, head scratching loss to Virginia and then when Lamar One heisman and later. Of course, they ended up losing to Houston and then Kentucky and then LSU,
so like it fell apart late. But if you remember that year they played at Virginia, Virginia might have been as bad as they've ever been since Louisll's been in the ACC. And had it not been for you know, a big play from Lamar Jackson to Jalen Smith in the end zone, Louisville would have been upset. So Virginia.
You know, the players on the current team, I don't even know if they have the I mean, I don't even know if they know about those games, because again, that was a long time ago, and most rosters right now are filled with guys who played for different schools last year. But you know, this is a game you can absolutely lose. I don't think that they will, but I'm willing to acknowledge that. When I say that, it's just because I'm still believing that this is a good team.
Well I shouldn't say'm believing that they're a good team. I'm believing they have the capability to be a good team. But when you're three and two, your best wins Georgia Tech, and it's a game that you know, I don't even think you played that good in it.
It's hard to say you're a good team.
And if you had to side with you know, if you had to side one way or the other, are you a good team or a bad team? You're going to base it off results, And I'm sorry, but I don't look at anything you did against Jacksonville State and Austin p and claim that that supports you being good or bad. So when games that like, you know, you can tell anything you're wanted to and that's not good. And I can get you know, I can sense some real, not not necessarily you know, nerves from the fan base.
But I think, you know, we're kind of all on the same page, Like nobody's looking at this as like, Okay, you know we've lost to Notre Dame and SMU, and you know we could have won those games and we made mistakes, but those are actually some pretty good teams. I mean, we played Notre Dame at their place, and SMU. You know, they got a really good offense and they came ready to play. Like I think we all know that.
But you know, despite everybody being well aware that Virginia is a notch below the two teams that just beat you. I think we all know when you make those kind of mistakes that this little of the team has made, you can get beat you mean, and if you don't come ready to play, you will, So we'll see what happens. One thing I do know that's gonna happen is we're gonna have be covered for pre and postgame coverage.
It'd say three thirty kickoff, right, I think it is. I keep forgetting the game times. I believe it is.
Then noon kickoff next week.
Yes, Miami, it's three thirty kickoff here in Charlottesville, and then noon next week. I keep getting mixed up. But we'll have an hour before kickoff. We'll start the pregame show. It's the Louisville Fotball Pregame Show presented by Pillow Windows
and Doors of Central Kentucky and Jefferson Animal Hospital. And then the postgame show will start as soon as it ends, and certainly we'll be reacting to whatever it is that happens, and I'm hoping it's a win, but either way, we'll talk about it on the loisll Football Post Game Show presented by Alex R. White, Lawyer's suite distracted driver dot Com. I'm not sure if it's because I'm tired slightly dehydrated.
I mean, my flight did board at four o'clock, which or at six o'clock, which means I had to get up at four o'clock and you know, get ready and be at the airport to go through security.
And all that.
So like, I don't know, but my voice is fading. Is it sounding as bad as I feel like it is.
It's not as bad as how recent Reese Davis sounded on the call for the Cow game this past weekend.
That was while let me get a drink of water really quick here.
It makes sense too because in relation to that, for you, specifically, he had to get up really early for college game day at six am Eastern time whenever it was or I guess it was nine am Eastern but six am Pacific, and so whenever he had to go and call the game from Miami Cow, I mean, he sounded like he was he was dying whenever he was doing the play by play with PROD.
Something like that.
Right, No, no, no, no, no, I remember turning on that game, and I don't know if I can initially tell it was Rhys Davis.
But I was like, what in the world is this? This sounds terrible.
Yeah, I mean I don't say this to sound like a badass, because it's actually just stupidity on my part, because I'm sure i'd be better off and you know, more energized. But I don't need a lot of sleep, so like throughout the day, I've not felt like, oh man, I've been up since four o'clock. I'm really tired. And again I don't say that because like I don't need a lot of sleep. I can perform on you know,
an hour of sleep. It's just you know, whenever I just get to yap and and you know, that's when it hits me, like that's you know, i'd learned this, by the way, Like one of the signs of being like exhausted is like your voice. I mean, I haven't been talking to anybody other than these last three hours. But you know, considering what this, what this is meaning, this job and this show, I probably talk more in a two hour period than people do in an entire day.
And you know that's why my voice will if I'm not if I'm not careful and I'm not rested and hydrated, my voice will just go. But you know, I'll get some rest tonight. I'll be able to sleep in a hotel room without young children kicking me in my back in their sleep. Whenever the kids, you know, wake up and mill of the nite and come and get in bed with us, I mean in their sleep, they just assault us. Like you know, one day, John, you'll be there.
I'm sure you know your kids won't sleep in bed with you and your wife as long as mine have. But like, and I'm convinced now, like they're not asleep, they're just trying to like get away with assaulting their parents.
You know what it's like.
Whenever we get asleep, Moose will just just just you know, roll over and let this left hand just completely, you know, like he has no control all over and just slaps me right in the face.
When I was a kid, I used to whenever I would climb into my parents' bed, I would get behind them so like I was almost like their head rest, which I don't know if that's I don't know, but I did.
I made it work.
Well if you found your spot and you weren't really like you know, you know, in between, and I'm sure they probably slept better.
You know that.
In fact, that's probably you know, it's probably a strategic move on your part because you know you're kind of just finding your own spot.
You're not really taking their spot, right.
Yeah, you're just a s didn't know how to deal with it. But you know, you know, you grow out of that cramp, right.
Oh, you do.
And you know, as a parent, you get used to it. Like my wife, you know, she can sleep through all that.
I don't.
Like, I'm you know, maya show roll over and just need me in the back and I'm like, oh my god, I'm gonna be peeing blood tomorrow.
Lady. What are you doing?
What agent does that start at?
The role the moving and the sleep just coming in and oh gosh, in the bed.
You know, I'm not embarrassed to say it, because you know, I'm not embarrass but anything when it comes to me being a parent, and you know, because everybody everybody's different,
you know, like everybody's kids, everybody's situation is different. But I know some people are really you know, there are people who I know have their kids still occasionally get in bed with them and sleep with them, or maybe they go they go to bed with them and like they feel ashamed to say that, and that's like, you know, I'm not judging you, but like, my kids never have
fully slept in their beds, like like full time. Like they've had some stretches, Like for a while when Maya was a baby, baby, she was in her crib and then she got really really sick one time and she had to be she had to be hospitalized for a few days, and I think she was just so scared that she just wanted to be in bed with her mom,
and like since then, that's what she wants now. Occasionally they'll fall asleep on the couch when we're watching TV, and we'll put them in their bed and they'll stay there for a while. But man, the only time that they've ever woken up like where they never once were with us at any point is when we're traveling and they're like, you know, I don't know, maybe because they're on vacation and they're more tired, they just pass out and we got to wake them up the next day.
They could have fell asleep in the parking lot on the ground and you know, slept fond because they're that tired.
That's how kids run.
But you know, if they have somebody stay over, like a friend or you know, a cousin or something, then then they're they're they're less inclined to want to come snuggle with us. But uh, yeah, I mean tonight, you know, I mean I'll miss my family and you know, we'll do the FaceTime and I'm sure one of them will cry because they miss me, and it'll make me feel like a big piece of crap because.
I'm away from them.
But yeah, I know, and it's it's just part of it, and I wouldn't you know, it's it's life, and it's not you know, trust me, there's many, many, many kids who are not with their I remember, with my kids all the time, and you know, if I got to get out of town for a couple of days, you know, for work, it's fine. But you know there's some like over the road truckers and all that kind of stuff.
Like it's you know, it's life. But you know, despite me missing them tonight, I will probably wake up in the middle of the night and go to the bathroom and realize, oh my god, I get to go back to bed for you know, maybe four or five hours, and I don't have to worry about getting assaulted. I don't have to worry about, you know, Moose telling me, Hey, I need some milk. So you know I'll miss him, but kind of not, if I'm being honest with you.
All Right, Tomorrow at four o'clock, Pat Kelsey gonna join us here on the show as we are here live in Charlotte for the a SEC basketball tip off, And I'm gonna try and I've already got some questions lined up that I hope uh won't. I'm not gonna tease it like I've got. You know, you won't believe what I'm gonna ask him. I'm gonna really, you know, I'm gonna put him on the spot, like you know, It's not what I'm gonna do. But you know he's done a lot of talking since he got hired, because that's
what you do. I mean, you should be transparent and you know, be as visible as possible when you are the coach at a program like Louisville, but when you're the new guy and everybody's trying to get to know you and you're trying to get some life back in
this fan base and get these guys energized. Makes sense to do as much media interviews as possible, but I'm gonna try to, you know, hit some spots that maybe you know, he hasn't talked about before, and not to make it you know, totally personally about him, but you know, he's now coached these guys, you know, for many months now, and he doesn't know exactly what he's got. I think he likes his personnel. In fact, I know that he does.
But you know, just like if every team in the country, nobody really knows how good their team's going to be until you see him out there in a real game and against real competition. To be honest with you, but you know, by now, I would imagine he's got a pretty good feel for what type of lineups he's gonna use. You know, I'm sure he feels pretty strongly about where his team could really have an advantage over some of
their opponents. And maybe there's some things that he feels like they got to they got to work on from now until the season, or maybe some things that like he's wanting to see what it looks like against a real team because he's a little bit worried.
Now, maybe he won't be as transparent.
I'm gonna learn a little bit tomorrow just to see kind of how much he's willing to, you know, share with us, because some coaches, you know.
They just not that they're super secretive. But you know, and.
Look, Pat Kelsey may end up being a guy that down the line we realize, oh, he'll tell us everything, like he'll he'll talk ball with us x's and o's and strategic stuff more than any coach we've ever had around here. But you know, he could he could be that guy and us not know it this year because it's so bad, like he doesn't know what he has, you know what I mean. Like again, he recruited these guys, it's quite clear what he was going after when he
was recruiting. He wanted guys with experience. He wented guys with versatility that could play a lot of different positions. He wanted guys they could shoot the ball. I mean, they're going to be deep, they're going to have versatility. They've got shooters, and they've got experience, and I think they've got talent. Now do they have NBA caliber talent? I don't think so, but maybe I'm wrong. And if you've watched college basketball in recent years, with the portal.
You can get guys that you know will not sniff the NBA, but they're grown men and they're really good college basketball players, and you can have a lot of success that way.
So here's to hoping that that's what plays out with this Louisville team.
Something can be said for Kentucky too, to be honest with you, I mean, I know, they had their basketball media day and people are posting clips of guys making shots and warm ups as if Rick Patino's nineteen ninety six and ninety seven Kentucky teams have been kind of reincarnated with Mark Pope co coaching them. I mean, it is kind of funny, you know, to see the you know, the Kentucky fans and I get it, like, you know, we're doing the same thing, but you know, they what
really stands out to me is the hypocrisy. Like they used to just brag about having a bunch of dudes that are going to go to the NBA and having cal being, you know, this larger than life figure within college basketball, and now it's a different world. And I and I mean this sincerely, I totally knew that they would be re energized by Pope his brand and the way he's going to do things and they and they are,
I mean, it's refreshing to them. And I totally get it because everything about Cal that you were annoyed by, even though maybe you didn't want him to leave initially and maybe you.
Still thought he could get it.
Working to where y'all would eventually have a championship with him. Like, even if you were of that mindset, you were still probably annoyed by just Cal being Cal and everything that annoyed you about Cal.
Is the exact opposite of Pope. But you all are on a different planet right now. Like Kentucky could be really good this year. Who on that team going to the NBA?
I mean, and again, that used to sound like an insult, right if you would say that a Kentucky team coach by John cala Perry doesn't have NBA dudes, you'd say they're gonna stink. But that's not that's not college basketball anymore. And Cal's not in Lexington and he had a bunch
of NBA guys. He's been falling off lately with you know, lackluster performances in the tournament and losing to teams like UNC Wilmington, and Oakland and Saint Peter's, but he always had NBA dudes, and there wasn't as much value there. It wasn't didn't really get you much. So when I say they don't have NBA guys, I don't mean like they're gonna stink. I just mean like it's gonna be a big difference for them from what they're used to.
And I think.
They'll enjoy the ride. It'll be new, it'll be fresh. They love Pope and I get it, he's one of their own. But you know, they don't have the ceiling that they once had with Cal. And that means, like you know, you've said it many times, John, and I'm totally with you, it's gonna be so fascinating to see what they do when they lose, because they're gonna lose to somebody they should lose to.
And that didn't mean that they're destined to be bad.
But like with Cal, you could lose to those teams and still know that on any given night, if your talent plays.
At the high level, you'll beat anybody.
Like even the team that lost last year to Oakland, they had the talent to win the National championship. Maybe I don't know if they would have got past Yukon, but like they had good pieces. I mean, look at their look at their draft board, Reeves Sheppard, Dillingham. But like, if you start losing to you know, mid level SEC teams more often than you used to, are you gonna be worried more so because you know that, Yeah, we
don't have the ability to just turn it on. Now Again, it doesn't mean cal should still be there because he couldn't turn it on. That's how he lost in the tournament the last few years. All right, quick break will come back on the other side. Speaking of Kentucky and Pope, I mean I'm starting to you know, not you know, I'll save it because the Patino going to Lexington thing.
Like I don't really care about Rick doing whatever he's gonna do, but I am starting to back off a little bit of far as like his motive here, we'll talk about that next right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Lyric Church.
He's a Carolina guy. I don't know what part of Carolina he's from, but I know he's a big Yeah, he's a big Tar Hill fan. And you know, I don't know if i've if I have just different taste than other people I like.
I like a lot of his music a lot.
And I've always been told by folks who go see him live that he's really good. I've seen him live
twice and I was so unimpressed. He didn't sound as good live as he does, you know when his you know, in his in his recordings, but also like he just doesn't have a whole and it could just be you know, his personality, like some people like it's hard to go out there and be Garth Brooks, who like is so energetic, so into his show, and it's really not just up there playing hit songs, but they're performing, if you know what I mean. Like it's just it's it's different. But
I like him a lot. It's just you know, I was excited to see him twice, and the first time I just assumed, hey, it was a bad night or maybe I was too hammered, and I just you know that that had a factor. And because he wasn't he was an opening act when I saw him first. But then I saw him again later years down the line, and you know, he wasn't terrible. But I just, you know, for somebody whose songs I really like, I just wanted it to be better.
But I've heard this about Eric Church and maybe we've had this conversation before, But doesn't he wait to come out until maybe not every seat is full, but a certain percentage of the seats are full.
Yeah, I've heard that, and I know it's been a story out there, And I don't know if like, uh, you know, I think he actually may have gotten left off of a tour because of that, huh, like he was gonna be a part of I think he might. I don't know who it was. He might have been like the second like he wasn't the main event, the main act, but he was right before him, and he was still a big name, but the big event of
the big the big artist, the big group. Didn't want to bring him because that you know that he was gonna hold everybody up because he waits forever.
It was either him or somebody else.
But you know, for you to come out and just literally just stand there motionless and sing with no energy, like you know, I think you could probably start with half the stadium full, because you know, I mean it's not like you're I mean it's but again, that could just be me. Everybody's got their own, you know, preferences and opinion. I'm sure there's people I see live that I love that you guys.
Would say stings.
So anyways, he you know, when I think of country music artists, you know, and where they're from, you know, I think mostly the South, but I don't often think of Carolina. But both Eric Church and Luke Holmb's two big, big names, and they're both from Carolina, and you know, you know it, meaning they make it quite clear everybody knows where they're from. And as I mentioned earlier, me being here in Charlotte today at the airport and then
just everywhere I've been. It's not like I've been all over town, but even at the hotel here, I mean, there's all kinds of you know, all kinds of stuff set up for people to you know, QR codes where people can scan their phone and donate money to help other people out in the state that have lost everything.
You know, we're I think we're a couple hours away from where it was really, really really bad, and I mean there's some really small towns that are essentially just gone, like and that's that's an that's a scary, scary thing. I've been a little bit unplugged from the cup. It's today when it comes to Milton. But again, you know, yesterday there was the mayor of Tampa on CNN saying, hey, if you choose not to evacuate these specific areas, you will die. And I you know, twenty four hours later,
I know we talked about it yesterday. That's still like one of the strongest things I've ever heard of politicians say. I mean, and they don't know that for certain, but like that to me is not somebody being dramatic. That to me is somebody like that is worried. And honestly, they're well aware that there are people that won't take that serious and they're gonna stick. They're gonna they're gonna try to ride it out and like.
They actually they'll not agree with them politically.
Yeah, that's a good point. I didn't thought about that, but that's it's.
Certainly okay saying well, let's just give it a shot.
Man.
I've I mean, you got to be careful with AI with this kind of stuff, because you know, we talked.
Yesterday about how there are people who are.
You know, and I don't I don't know what. I'll be honest with you, hand up full transparency. I don't know what to believe about anything anymore. I mean that, like I hear some far fetch stuff that I'm thinking, you know, a way because I'm I'm not someone that typically is a conspiracy theorist.
But then again, you.
Know, I also, you know, at times, will take a step back and just think about where we are in the world today in twenty twenty four and think, like, you know what, maybe I am naive. Maybe there are these crazy conspiracies out there. I tend to believe that they're not, but occasionally I find myself second guessing it.
But there are people who still are pushing these posts, whether it be Twitter videos or Facebook stuff, Instagram whatever, and it's got you know, millions and millions and millions of views, millions of shares, and it's so not true and it's not at least it's not proven, and yet people are believing that the federal government is intentionally not helping people because they don't want them to go vote.
Like maybe I'm naive.
Maybe you're sitting here thinking, oh, you you left a liberal schmuck. You actually think you know, you're a sheep, Like, you know, like I'm sure there are people listening to me right now thinking that that's the way.
That I am.
And maybe you're right, I don't know, but like, I still think that's the most insane and insulting thing to ever say about our country that people in charge would intentionally, you know, not help those in need because they were worried about them voting for the other side. Now, there's clearly some resources that you know, are not are not that impressive considering resources that are going elsewhere. And I'm not going to get into that conversation. I think you
know what I'm talking about. But you know, back to the AI conversation, Like, there's there's a video I saw earlier today of a woman behind the bar what looks to be like, you know, your typical sports bar might have been, like might have even been like a buffalo of wild wings, and somebody has used AI to make it to where it looks as if she's bartending while in you know, four feet of water and it's not real.
Like you can tell if you look closely that it's that it's that it's some type of AI generated video clip, Like they used an AI element to make it look as if these people are just you know, doing their everyday stuff in water up to their waist and it looks so real.
It's scary.
You know, You've said it for years, John, and I never doubted you, but I think you've been proved to be spot on since the first conversation you and I ever had on this show about AI.
It's scary because you don't know what what's real and what's not.
Yeah, And I do feel like down the line, there's eventually going to be somebody who is able to create something with AI, and they'll be it'll be pretty much photo realistic, and it's kind of like that right now, but they'll be able to do something with it during a time of crisis or something like that where it causes people to go into some sort of panic. And I don't mean to to scare people right now by saying that, but that's just kind of the way that I see this going down the line.
Yeah.
I mean, I can't think of any like real big example of something that you know, like.
Here's something that's really creepy, and these are easier to call out because they're just it's satire. But whenever people will do the AI press conferences with head coaches, whether they're like, you know, cussing into the microphone or call it, you're saying something completely out of pocket about whoever they just played. And it's just funny content. But that stuff can really get people and it's just jokes.
Yeah, you know, I'm naive to an extent. I think everybody is. You know, we can all be global, and especially I think we all have our we have certain things you know that we will I'm trying to think of an example, but like there's certain things, whether it be sports or politics or you know, your personally, you know, you're you can be more naive because it's it's you know, internally, what you choose, what you want to believe, right, Like you're a little jaded and that that's just human nature.
But you know, sometimes I randomly think, like you know, how many people probably have no clue what they read.
It is so not true.
Oh yeah, you know, it's what they saw is so manufactured and not you know, legitimate.
Like it's just you know, that's why I.
Like, and again we can get away from this subject. But this is why I just I could care less about what happens in politics anymore because there are so many people that have gotten so invested in it that it's easy.
It's so easy to trick them into thinking one thing over the other, both sides.
And you know people are going to believe. You know, I don't.
I want to act like I'm trying to persuade people to do anything and feel any way when it comes to politics. But I think we are this is the perfect election. I feel like where you can claim that you know, both options kind of suck, you know what I mean. But what I where I find like the most like nastiness is those that are because I think, look, if you're gonna choose one side or the other knowing that both options aren't great, like that's that's that's all
you can do. But when I see people wanting to get into the weeds to prop up somebody and like being you know, hypocritical, right because both you know not to get into it, and I'm trying my best not to to to to toe, you know, I'm trying toe the line of where I don't turn it into where I'm literally sharing opinions on politics because one I don't want to do that. Nobody wants to hear that. And
you know, I don't even have strong opinions. But like that's when it comes to us getting closer and closer to election day. That is what I'm so ready for, you know, for to end. Is that people you know, knowing that, like they're trying to convince themself, like you can convince yourself that this is the best option can considering the circumstance. But to try to act like one of the two sides is not what we all know it is. It's like, you know, it's just sad to me,
but we'll move on. We'll move on. You know, some Loisvell fans are sad you like that failed attempt to
go to politics that segue there. Some people are sad that Rick Patino is gonna be back in Lexington, and I still stam buy everything I said yesterday, Like I think Rick genuinely is really excited about Mark Pope being the Kentucky coach because it's one of his guys, and it does you know, when he was hired, Initially, Kentucky fans hated it understandably, so like they just thought, there's no scenario.
When that guy gets the job.
But whenever they did start to realize, Okay, this guy may be great. I really like him. I heard him, he talked he won a championship. Nobody thought about Rick from the Kentucky side.
I mean maybe you did. You thought about those years, but you didn't think like, oh my gosh, this could lead to Rick Patino coming back, Like why would you think that? It wouldn't be normal?
But Rick probably saw that as a chance for you to, like for him to kind of, you know, inch back in. And he's done it not by saying I love you Kentucky fans. I wish I wish you loved me too. Please forgive me for going to Louisville and flipping you off the last time I was in Reperena. But he's doing the nil donation to Stoops. He's making the video talking about how emotionally is for Pope being the guy that gets the gig. Now he's going to go to
the football game. Like I think that's Rick's indirect way of like making it clear in his own way that he does love Kentucky and he probably loved Kentucky when he was here. He hated Caliperi being there. That's what he hated.
I'm not defending him.
I just don't think he's doing what he's doing with Louisville in mind, wanting to make us upset. I just you know, and I know people you know, I don't know if you can really know Rick Patino, to be honest with you, I mean, really know him, because I you know, I mean, I'm sure people do, but there
aren't many. But people who I do know that know him, that played for him, that have been around him, like they mean, they're not even defending him when they say, no, he's not thinking about Louisville fans, not because like he's mad at us, or because he you know, is sad and doesn't want to think he doesn't he doesn't like he's so self absorbed.
However, if he ends up.
At Big Blue Madness along with the Kentucky game, that's desperation from Rick, I think, not to you know, make
us mad, but like that's desperation for him. Like that, to me, that's him showing how desperate he is to like want to be a Kentucky guy, and like like maybe he wants to leave there and you know he'd never do it, but like and you nobody talks about it because they don't have a Then I'm a football team and I'm not even really sure they have a fan base like Saint John's New York's basketball team, but like they don't give it damn about college basketball in
New York and Saint John's sucked forever. Like it's a pro sports town. It's like, yeah, they're excited that Rick Patino's there, but like, I mean, do they have a legitimate fan base that shows up in the masses for every game?
No?
So you know, somebody asked the question on the text line, like what does Saint John's fans think about him donating money UK and slobbering all over Mark Pope? And I'm thinking, well, you're speaking of people that I'm not sure exist. But if he ends up at Midnight Madness and some kind of an appearance, yeah, you can maybe chalk it up as like it's this first opportunity to honor him after he's left, because you know, he's not at Louisville anymore and Cal's gone.
But if you if a Saint John's fan.
Basketball wise does exist and they're caring about any of this, like that.
Would be that'd be shameful.
As a head coach of a peer program, I know Saint John's is not Kentucky when it comes to hoops and accomplishments, but like you know, you might play him in the tournament or something like it's just weird. Like the football thing gives him an out because he is friends with Eddie Grant and Mark Stoops. Oddly enough, their connections are in the business world, I believe, horse racing.
But like he's coaching a team that some people think is gonna be one of the best teams in the Big East this year, and if he's showing up at their Midnight Madness in Lexington, like that's just odd behavior. And again, Rick is one of the few that can do weird things, and like, you know, it's Rick being Rick kind of like cal but this would be to where like it didn't matter.
Who you are.
That's just like that's just like most most coaches would get in trouble by their boss for doing that.
But you know it's Rick. What if he showed him midnight Madness.
When is when is Big Blue Fridays.
That's what I'm saying, Like that's true. Yeah, that's why that's what I brought it up.
Like it's just I bet he does right here, I bet it.
And you know what else, it is straight up and this is what Rick does. This is Rick being Rick. This would be him trying to steal Mark Pope's moment. Like that's what it would be. I mean, but that's Rick. Don't go anywhere. We'll wrap it up on the other side right here on Sports Talk seven ninety we're wrapping things up here on a Wednesday afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina. Well, well,
I'm not going anywhere, at least not yet. I'll be back tomorrow for the show alive here for the AEC basketball tip off, and uh, my flight home leaves tomorrow I think like around eight thirty nine o'clock. So uh, back in studio for the show on Friday, and uh, you know, another week down, seemingly, I mean, we're about to wrap up Wednesday, and I'm not kidding you, man,
I cannot believe how fast these weeks go by. I mean, I mentioned earlier that it kind of feels like it was just a couple of weeks ago we were waiting for the season to start in football, and you know, you've got six games in for most teams, A lot of teams Indiana six and zero. Louisville of course, will play their six game on Saturday, and with it being the you know, the official midway point of the season, and you'll have three of your eight A C. C
games in the books. You know, won't mean the season's over. But I think when you played six games, you know you are who you are. And if they you know, don't make a big adjustment to just simplifying things defensively, eliminating costly mistakes that you.
You think are avoidable.
I mean, I think they are avoidable, but when you see them keep happening, you got to wonder, like, why do they keep doing that? So you know, I can't tell you that Virginia on the road is a huge game for Louisville to where they've got, you know, a big opportunity because they don't. A win doesn't do a whole lot for you, to be honest with you, now, I think for these guys internally, it does a lot if they come out and win and they look good
doing it. And I don't mean by winning by three touchdowns. I mean by looking like a team that was prepared to play from start to finish, that is locked in and it's sharp, you know that kind of stuff. It'll be big for them, but you put yourself on a spot now to wear a loss again. I think you take the negative noise out there from the fan base when it comes to just being very disappointed understandably, so I think you turn that up five notches if.
They somehow lose this game on Saturday.
And if you win, it'll, you know, it'll stop the you know it'll it'll it'll get you back in your your winning ways. But it really is what you're supposed to do, right. It's not like a you know, it's not like it's not like a monumental win. It'll be big just because you didn't lose another game and you you know, you avoided a three game losing streak. So I'm anxious to see what happens, and I'm choosing to
be optimistic. But again, you know, as I said on the show after the postgame show, after the SMU loss, you know, if we do the same kind of show where we're highlighting some impressive plays, really looking at certain guys and feeling like you've got something special there, and yet you still make mistakes and find your way to a loss, yeah, it'll be infuriating and the noise will be louder but can we say that we're that shocked?
All right, Join us tomorrow again.
We'll be live here in Charlotte for the ACC basketball tip off. Pat Kelsey going to join us at four o'clock, so come on out, have a good night, everybody,