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 playing or tail off. The countries are screwing it up. Gold play inter murals, Brother, gold play inter Murals. 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.
I'm not sure how many there are, but there's certainly a few, and this is one of them. What I mean is one of those days that everybody just feels like should be a national holiday and we shouldn't have to have our normal Monday routine when you have an event such as big as the super Bowl, you know, taking place on a Sunday evening. And while I agree with you, in fact, I know a lot of people who took the day off. My wife used one of her vacation days today. Again I agree, I get it.
Even if it was the case, we would be the ones that would not get off regardless, because you know, this is, believe it or not, this is a sports show, right, sometimes we talk about things that you know, have nothing to do with sports, and we end up going down paths that I'm not really sure how we how we get there. But you know, talking about the super Bowl, if that's considered work, then sign me up.
Yah.
Yeah, sound like a real company man when I say.
That, Absolutely, you were worth every penny.
Yeah, I'm fired up and ready to be here, but I am I'm a little tired. I mean a little tired.
You know, I thought about dragging at the day after the super Bowl, just dragging ass or yeah, I know what it is. What did you get hammered last night?
Not hammered by any means, but she had as Yeah. Yeah, like I would say if I was going to have some some bruise on a on a work night and you know, watch any other game, I would say the Super Bowl was that turned up a couple of notches where maybe a couple more beers than usual and I was up later than I typically would be. So that's why I'm still a little a little tired.
But did you go to a party?
Yes? Yeah, we uh we ended up getting together with some friends. They had a little get together with all the kids and there was a lot of fun, so big thanks to to Kaitlin and Stephen.
Coleman who had us out.
They had They had a great, a great little party. Everybody brought different foods and uh it was some good stuff. So you guys bring My wife brought meatballs, and I just brought what a super Bowl staple, and I brought bush lights for myself and and vibes be well guest ever, yeah, and I brought some vibes too, So we had a good time and I ended up it was kind of the first time that I've been at a Super Bowl party where I kind of really wasn't keeping up with
the game all that much. I mean I was, but I wasn't intently watching and it was okay because it really wasn't worth watching because it wasn't much of a game at all. So we'll certainly talk about that as we take you up till six o'clock, hang out, take us with you wherever you go. You can listen live on the iHeart Radio web listen live at seven ninety Louisville dot com. Certainly a lot to react to from the weekend, not just the super Bowl, and we'll certainly
do that. There'll be plenty of ways for you guys to be a part of the show, and I'll let you know how you can do that coming up here shortly. But in the end, I mean last night you said it right before the show started, how boring the game was.
Yeah, that was awful.
Did but did you take any like knowing that it wasn't competitive and it wasn't close? I mean, did you take any extra satisfaction knowing that it was the Chiefs that were getting brains beat out of them?
It was funny? Yeah, I love how they didn't show Taylor Swift all that much.
When they did, she got booed.
Yeah, I didn't. I didn't hear that part.
Oh you didn't see that.
I mean, oh, the only time I think they showed her like maybe late in the first quarter. I think it was, but I don't remember.
Here she got booed. Yeah, she and you can and you can that's rough. You can actually see her looking very like surprised. She's not used to that and stunned. I mean I should I mean I think she probably. She kind of laughed it off. In fact, I just sent you on her the Sports Center. The Sports Center's Twitter account posted the clip of her getting booed, and they've got her up on the screen and she's kind
of got a surprise reaction. She didn't you know, she didn't do anything crazy, But to me, I think she I think it was there was a genuine surprise that she was getting booed, as if she couldn't believe that anybody didn't like her. I mean, I'm sure she knows that. You know, there's nobody in the world that has a unanimous approval rating by just about everybody. But you know, she's clearly very popular. But I was not expecting her to get booed.
Yeah, you could kind of see her mouth like what's going on?
Yeah she said what are they doing? Or why are they doing that? Yeah, maybe she did say what's going on? But like doesn't I mean, don't you think that was a real raw reaction, Like that wasn't like she she wasn't expecting it. And I hate saying this because I don't know. I don't know anything about her other than that she's a really famous musician who has a crazy, kind of weird following. But you know, she's successful. I don't have any reason to like or dislike her. She's
just very much whatever to me. But I kind of liked that she got booed, and I don't know why. Kind of made me feel like an a hole.
I'm wondering if they did that last year of No, I don't, and I don't think that's sharing.
Wow, I mean I don't. I don't know if. I mean again, just looking at her, I feel like she might have been booed for the first time ever in her life.
Oh, this isn't the Raors Tours, sweetheart, this is the National Football League.
Yeah, so that, I mean like it kind of all worked out for for for all of us haters if you were watching, really with that being the only element that had you interested at all. Right, Like, I don't like either of these teams. I disliked the Chiefs more, but as we got closer to the game, I started to think, Man, they don't really do much to make me hate them, Like I'm just a pure hater because they're so good. And that's not a good feeling, but you know, it is what it is. You can't really
control how you feel about certain things. So I thought maybe when the game kicked off, I would be more neutral and just kind of think whatever. But no, I mean I don't see this fading at any point. I don't see this going away. When the Chiefs are on, I want to see them get embarrassed, and I rarely, I mean really do we ever see that. But to have them get killed, to have the the there's some crazy stats. We'll get into it. I don't have him pulled up right now. But how bad the Chiefs were
in the first half. I mean, didn't the Eagles have more points than they had total yards in the first half? Yeah, like it was, I mean, and Mahomes was terrible.
Yeah, they had more points and they had like first they had more first downs than the Chiefs had yards at one point.
So to see them struggle, to see Mahomes press rather than you know, become the cool, comfortable quarterback that makes all the plays, I mean, he got rattled a little bit and it started making mistakes that you really never see him make. Like the game really got away from him. They got blown out. And you add in you know, sad Travis Kelce, you add in Taylor Taylor Swift getting booed as we just mentioned, like all of that came
together and it was a beautiful night. But I just you know, I hate knowing that I I'm a satisfied watcher of the Super Bowl because because I'm just a hater, Hall of fame hater, hall of fame hater, that's what
I am. And look, I think there are some really good villains in sports, and I think there are people that their brand is maybe not to be hated, but like they know going in Like Draymond Green, for example, that guy's a great villain in sports, right, Like I almost respect how much I hate him because he's a great villain, you know what I mean. Like he's he plays the role, doesn't care, and he lets you know
about it exactly. I don't really know if the Chiefs are that way, but sure enough, I found myself really enjoying seeing them get embarrassed. And I mean, I'd be a liar if I said I think this meant like it's the end of the run that they've had. I mean, it could be, but I won't be shocked if if they end up right back there next year with another chance to win the Super Bowl. Believe it or not, this is not the first time that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have been blown out on the Super Bowl.
And I'll tell you what. I gotta be honest, because they've just been so good and they've won two out of three or I guess was it two out of three that they'd won before. Yeah, and they were gonna go for the three peat last night. And just because they've just been so good for for years now, it's been a constant, I kind of forgot that when they did get beat by Tampa that they got killed. Yeah, I mean they got So you've got Patrick Mahomes now
with two super Bowls that really weren't competitive. And I was listening to Colin Cowherd today and he did a you know, I know, first of all, I love cow Herd for you know, for what that is, right, that's I mean, it's much. It's a national show. They're not going to veer off on things that aren't hard hitting sports. And they talk ninety nine point nine percent about the NFL. So you know, it may not be the most entertaining thing for folks around here, but I think he's really
really good at what he does. And you know, his opening monologue about about Mahomes and sort of what last night did, it surprised me a little bit because it was just comparing everything to Brady, and I get it. Mahomes is the guy that has a realistic chance to potentially pass Brady or maybe catch Brady when it comes to rings much easier so than done. But he's off
to a phenomenal start to his career. But he was almost setting it up as if like it's over now, and I'm thinking he's not even thirty years old yet. Now he's not. I mean, he'll be thirty next year when he plays. And he didn't look good last night. But I just I don't know, Like I wish that the Chiefs would, you know, their run would come to an end, but I think the fact that they're already taking shots at Mahomes and I guess maybe that really
wasn't what he was doing. But there were things that Brady did when he would put together performances in the Super Bowl where he could win with maybe out without having better talent than the other team. Right, he could manipulate the defense, and last night, I mean that defense was dominant. I mean, Vic Fangio, he probably deserves the MVP of the game, to be honest with you, just
because of how great that defense was. Their defensive line as a whole was phenomenal, and I thought Jalen Hurts did a good job and didn't even need Saquon Barkley. I mean he was out there, but like he didn't need to go have some crazy game. And I thought there's no chance they beat him without him being a big factor, and I was dead wrong, and it's because of how great their defense was. So anyway's back to
the Mahomes thing. I mean, maybe there was some things that Brady threw out many of his Super Bowl wins. He was able to do that Mahomes hasn't done yet in these big games. But again, he's twenty nine years old. Yes, Mahomes has never came back from a deficit in the Super Bowl, but he he has one? Two?
Is it two?
Or three? Did he already has? Is it three?
Three?
Yeah?
Yes?
Three?
Yeah, So I mean he has one. I mean he hasn't come from behind, but you know what, he hasn't had to in three because he has three Super Bowl wins. And yes, he didn't come back from behind like Brady did. I mean, again, I don't even like Mahomes, but here I am finding myself kind of defending him because his career is not over. He's got a lot more left and these little things that clearly were an issue last night.
He couldn't will his team from behind. He's up there as one of the best of all time already, therefore the standard is set so high. But I mean, I think the Falcons choking a Super Bowl away to Brady was a bigger factor than Brady really fine than a way to come from behind. I mean, he still deserves credit. That was insane, but let's not act like it wasn't. The Atlanta Falcons on the other side, reminding us that they are the Atlanta Falcons, and there was some kind
of glitch that they even got there. They just they were they were reversing course and and giving the game away because they you know, they were frauds. So I just I wish I could believe what some of the folks are running with that like mahomes is, you know, is it is probably going to be done for him. I mean, why can't they? I mean, I don't know how, I don't know what their contract situations with certain players, but they could run it back same team and maybe
draft somebody really good a skill player and be even better. Now, Jalen Hurts, I've always gone out of my way. When talking about Jalen, Hurts mentioned how much I respect his story because he's the rare dude who actually did have it all as far as the come up. He was an elite recruit. That's how you ended up playing quarterback for Nick Saban and Alabama. I mean, he's got a lot of talent. He was drafted in the second round.
Like it's not he's not he's he wasn't bagging groceries or selling you know, furniture, whatever the hell Kurt Warner was doing, right, I mean, that story was out there. He was a journeyman where Kurt want to go to college? Because I feel like he's the one who like really had the story about you wouldn't believe this, this guy's now.
I mean, you make movies about this. He went in Northern Iowa, So I don't know much about his about his you know, his college career, but I do remember they talked about when he was in the Super Bowl with the Rams that you won't believe it. This guy was just you know, bagging groceries or selling insurance, whatever it was. And then now you know, now you hear
stories like that every now and then. But My point is, like Jalen Hurts, he actually, you know, he's had some God given talent his whole life, and he's been blessed to be able to take advantage of that and have a phenomenal career thus far. He's now a super Bowl,
super Bowl champ. However, if you consider sort of the roller coaster of it, right, he gets to Alabama at that time, no quarterback from Nick Savid, it ever really been great, right, say, was still winning with just having better players than everybody in a really really good defense. AJ Mccaern was decent, but you know they didn't really have him do a whole lot. So Jalen Hurts comes in, everybody says, well, he's a running quarterback, he didn't have
the arm. And he gets benched in the National Championship game for Tua. And yet you know, still kept a cool head about him, worked his tail off, was motivated by it. I'm sure came back to Alabama, was sharing quarterback duties a little bit, and then essentially got benched. I mean they went with Tua instead of him. What
does he do? He goes to Oklahoma, puts up phenomenal numbers as a Heisman finalist, takes them to the College Football Playoff, proved that he could he could still be a great quarterback at the college level and take a team to the playoff. However, he didn't get a lot of credit for you know why, Well, he's playing in Lincoln Riley's system. I mean, that's in any quarterback you plug there. Look what Baker did, Look what Kyler did.
I mean, everybody just said, well, that's why he had those numbers, So it goes pro I don't believe he was expected to be taken anywhere near as early as he was. He was a second round pick by the Eagles, and their fans hated the pick. I mean they they went insane when they drafted him because at the time, I mean, was that the time they were still thinking that Carson Wentz was going to be the guy?
Or was he just gone Yeah, that's when, like Doug Peterson was still trying to ride with the Carson Wentz train because he was he was damn nearing an MVP before he got it, before he shattered his achilles or his ACL that year that they won to the Super Bowl and and your boy Nick Foles took over, right, Doug, Doug Peterson was he was still high on the Carson Wentz train.
So look, the drafting, I mean drafting each other Hurts did kind of seem odd, but it's clearly worked out to this point. But he wasn't somebody that fans had a lot of confidence in. I mean even whenever he played in his rookie season, he didn't. I mean it wasn't much, but he didn't. He didn't do a whole lot. And then he became their starter in twenty twenty one and you know, had a winning record and showed some upside. Well then it was the next year where he broke out.
They go fourteen and one. I mean, did he win MVP or was he? I mean, I know he was a finalist. I don't know if he ended up winning it or not. I kind of don't remember him winning it, but he was in the conversation Jalen Hurts, did he win MVP uh last night or no? No? In the NFL, like, I don't think he's ever won. He was up for it in the year they went to the Super Bowl. But I but I guess he didn't get it. He had to be a finalist. But so my point is this, this guy has has you know, he's had that.
Was a Lamar MVP.
I think he's had the big stage clearly. Uh and and and it's not some rags to riches story, but he has had some real adversity where people have doubted him, and every time he's been able to prove that he's worthy of of of you know, I mean he he hasn't he's not worthy of your praise or your you know, or a pat on the back. I mean, he is, but like he doesn't have to get that. He can just go out there and improve it. I mean, that was a statement type of win for his legacy as
as as an athlete. I And I'm and it's cornied at some but I love stuff like this because there's no doubt this guy's been motivating, right he probably I mean, and look, I'll be honest with you. Once he got to the Super Bowl in twenty twenty two, and then they came back to next year and weren't quite as good and he didn't have great numbers, you know, I kind of thought, well, you know, maybe that was not a fluke, but maybe that was you know, the best
we've seen of him. And then sure enough this year, I mean they were twelve and three. And you know, he's consistent, he wins, he's a good leader, and I just think, you know, to have him actually get to his second super Bowl and finally win one and now this is just his Yeah, so this is his fourth year as their full time starter. Okay, so Patrick Mahomes, same thing, didn't start as a rookie.
Right.
What if I told you Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts now have the same number of Super Bowl appearances, the same number of Super Bowl wins, and the same number of Playoff wins. They have the exact same numbers after four years as the full time starter. Wow, I mean that's me again. I'm not saying we should start saying that Jalen Hurts is as good as Patrick Mahomes because I don't know if I believe that Patrick moms is clearly talented, But you know what, so is Jalen Hurts.
And as far as accomplishments. When it comes to quarterbacks and their legacy, what do we know? It matters when you do it, It matters what you do in the postseason, and Super Bowl rings matter, right, Like Lamar has two MVPs, he should have got a third this year, Lamar can win eight more MVPs. Not sure if you will, but his legacy is sort of it's on hold right now because people want to see him make a deep run,
take the Ravens to the super Bowl and win. And you know, I think, you know, I hope he does that. I think he can do that. And I'm not even saying that it's fair because again, like there are quarterbacks that probably have more talent than Jalen Hurts, but you know, winning matters, not winning matters, not only for teams, and
you know that's what it's all about. But as far as a player, when you have all these individual accomplishments accolades, it's impressive, but you've kind of proven that you're good enough as a player when you get those awards. The next step is can you go make your team better? Can you be the guy, the elite player, the all pro type guy, the guy that's potentially going to be in the legendary status, the legendary conversations? Are you good
enough to go win a ring? And you know it's much easier said than done, but I do think it is wild that Jalen Hurts. I mean, and again hit his system. Who if he's got a great defense, we know that he's in a winning franchise, so trust me that that has a big factor in it. But right now, he's got two trips to the Super Bowl and one Super Bowl ring, and Lamar doesn't have one, Josh Allen doesn't have one, Joe Burrow doesn't have one, Justin Herbert
doesn't have one. And again, I'm not saying he's better than those guys as far as what he can individually do, but I just I feel like there're always there's always there's always going to be some hesitation for some to just flat out say this guy is one of the best, and he is Jalen Hurts. I mean, because when it comes to the metric that you're going to pull to determine who, in fact is is elite, who isn't? What
is he what else does he need to do? It'd be different if there's was some random trip to the Super Bowl and they won and he didn't have to complete a pass. But they've been here twice, and I know Barkley was a big factor this year and he's got a great defense, but he was a humongous piece to why they were good two years ago or the last I'm sorry, the last time they were in the Super Bowl. So not trying to kiss his ass as
much as I just did there. But the more I talk through it, I just what can this guy do to get the same level of respect that other guys get in the NFL that have not accomplished anything close to what he's accomplished. Didn't expect to get this worked up about Jalen Hurts Austin, I'm sorry.
Passionate subject. Yeah, I mean it's good for him because, like I've seen like the story of him like really being quiet when getting benched in the National Championship Game and really kind of getting that character development. I don't know if it's like a learning under Nick Saban thing or is he's just a humble guy at the core of it. And there is a lot of times during this year where I'm like, man, that is a little
bit cocky. You know, when he's coming out to the press conferences, he's got that quiet confidence I see more than that. Or he's on with SVP and he's you know, he's he's talking that mess. But I feel like he's earned that.
Yeah, well, and I think he's doing it. I mean, he's kind of like, this is one of those things that that matters, but you can't you don't see it on the box score, and you really have no way to truly measure it from the outside. But he's a leader, Like I think when he's out there doing that, he is reflecting what that team, what that locker room feels.
And it may be you know, some manufactured motivation about everybody's talking about our drama that's going on, you know that that kind of stuff, but like it works because they clearly play hard for him, and I mean, there was some nonsense going on about him and aj Brown and all that, but even if there is, I feel like he's the kind of guy that is a leader.
Will be able to get through it.
Like maybe they did have some petty, silly stuff, but I think he's humble, he's mature enough to where he's not going to let it get in in the way of them getting the job done. I mean, again, we don't know any of these guys on an individual level. But then he seemed like a good dude.
Yeah, of course he does.
Yeah, and I tend to root for good dudes. And I tell you what, when it comes to you mentioned like Saban, and I'm sure Saban made a big impact on him, There's no doubt about that. But man, when I see situations like this with somebody that just again their character, their maturity, being a good leader, I think he's probably got really good parents. I'm not kidding. I know that sounds corny, but I feel like he was probably He's probably just built different, you know what I mean.
So congratulations to him. We got a lot more to unpack when it comes to the super Bowl last night, the halftime show, the commercials. We can talk about that, obviously. We've got a lot of to react to. When it comes to college basketball. Louisville didn't have Chucky on Saturday and then they lost James scott Our pets. Heads are falling off, everything's going wrong, And we got an update from Pat Kelsey. We'll let you know what he said
about his players and their status. Kentucky, They've got Tennessee tomorrow. After a much needed win for them against South Carolina. Duke lost, which was kind of awesome. How about this, I shouldn't laugh because you know it's it's unfortunate, But how about Anthony Davis already getting hurt and he's out a month.
That's tough.
That's why you don't pay for him. He's thirty plus and he's broken a lot.
Yuh.
Come on, all right, I'm Nick Coffee, He's Austin Montgomery. It's coffee and company. We're rolling along here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
That's right, it's coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's here on a Sports Talk seven ninety. Don't forget to sign up to become a member of the Thornton's Refreshman Awards program if you haven't already. You'll save money at the gas pump and you can take advantage of all the perks that come with it. But I mean saving money at the pump, that's enough incentive, I think. But again, fuel about Thornton's and something I should mention more is if you are looking for a job, rather it be
full time work, part time work. They're always looking to add members to their team in a variety of roles, and they've got locations everywhere here in Kentuckyana. So if you go to Mythorntons dot com, you'll see the careers tab and you can get more information. In fact, you can apply to be a team member, a GM store manager. You can work in their transportation department as one of their drivers. So again my Thorntons dot Com and they just click on careers and you'll.
See it all right.
If you guys want to join us on the show today, you certainly can do that. Five OHO two, five seven one seventy nine hundred is the number if you want to give us a call. We've got phone lines open now. As you could expect. We got started by discussing Super Bowl Sunday, and the only complaint I have was that the game actually wasn't as close as the forty to twenty two score ended up being. I mean, in fact, it wasn't. I don't think it was anywhere close to
as close as as the final score indicated. I mean, technically, they scored late, so I mean the score is what the score is. But they were down at one point. I mean, was it forty to six? I think yes, I mean that that just knowing that they were down forty to six and that they ended up losing forty to twenty two, I mean, I have no I mean, maybe maybe it's just me being a hater, but like I'm not, like, Wow, what a good job to come back and say face, Like no, the game was over, like.
In Philadelphia, brought Kenny pick it in, yeah for that victory cigar.
And what am you know? Like again, it's just being a hater. But it's almost like the fact that they were trying to just say face at the end just made me think that they're lame. But again, what are you supposed to do. You're supposed to compete to the end. So they did anything wrong, but it's just like, come on, don't don't do this. Don't don't try to manipulate what we know is happening here. We want to we want to look back on this Super Bowl many years later
and you know, see the see a score. That's going to really take us back to that night when we saw you guys get embarrassed. In fact, the Eagles when they were leading forty to six, that the thirty four point lead was the fifth largest lead that any team has ever held in the Super Bowl.
Wow you said fifth largest?
Yep? Wow, And again they didn't holding on to that, but yeah, they were up third that thirty four point lead was the fifth largest that there's ever been in any Super Bowl, and it's also the largest lead any teams held since the Seahawks led the Broncos thirty six to nothing, which, by the way, there's a lot of comparisons to that Super Bowl stinker too. Yeah, and I don't remember it well enough to know, like if this so, I'm just gonna believe what Colin Cowhard said, But you know,
I don't. I mean, I remember Peyton just having a really, really, really tough time and Seattle was just so dominant. But he mentioned that it was the same kind of situation where the defensive line was just such a problem to where it was now. I mean, again, I guess it is comparable, because I mean I kind of feel like what they did last night had to be more impressive. But hey, thirty six to nothing was the lead that the Seahawks had against Denver, so I guess it was.
First play of the game was like a fumble, and I think it went back for either a fumble six or like ended up getting Peyton ended up picking it up in the end zone. Can't but it was it was a nasty start for him.
So Xavier Worthy breaks two rookie receiving records for the Super Bowl. He finished with one hundred and fifty seven receiving yards and he had two touchdowns, breaking the record. Yeah, good day for him for a rookie in both categories. Which look, that's that's that's impressive. But you know it came in a I mean those were useless scores, right, I mean again, it's in the Super Bowl. So I'm sure if he never gets back to another one meeting
Xavier Worthy, he'll always have that. And that's certainly worth a whole lot. But I don't know anything statistical from the Chiefs that is some type of a record in a good way. I'm thinking, yeah, but like you got killed. In fact, speaking of Xavier Worthy, this says here this is CBS says that Worthy was so good that he became the first rookie in NFL history to have at least one hundred and fifty yards and two touchdowns in
any playoff game, not just the Super Bowl. So, I mean, what a random stat that is really impressive to come from such a blowout game.
Yeah, at he says, at least that's one positive thing to go for them.
Yeah, and then Sequan again, he didn't need to do a whole lot, but no, you know, that's okay because he was a huge factor in their success this year. But last night, going into the game, he needed just thirty yards to break Tourell Davis's record for most rushing yards in a season including playoff games, and he got it with fifty seven yards, which I was surprised he had that many. I just felt like he would probably
have been closer to thirty than he was sixty. But yeah, he ended up with twenty five hundred and four yards on the year, and that ended up getting him pastor Al Davis. That was in nineteen ninety eight. I remember that ninety eight season because early early in my you know, memory of being an NFL fan to at least an extent, and I remember he was he was a big deal. But yeah, so the Eagles became the first Davis. That's right, Yeah,
Shanee Baldhead. He said this again, this is from CBS Sports that the Eagles also became the first team since the nineteen ninety eight Broncos to win a Super Bowl with the NFL's leading rusher. That is a random, yet kind of intriguing stat that, yeah, if you've got a ball carrier that's just dominating the league. And both these guys did, I mean they were able to, you know, be a part of Super Bowl, Super Bowl championship teams.
But all the other rushing leaders I wonder. I mean again, maybe I'm totally off here, but you need to be able to run the ball. But I just think that's wild to know that it's only happened twice since ninety eight where the league's leading rusher ended up being on a super Bowl winning team. It doesn't mean that running the ball is not valuable, but I don't know. I'd like simire research in that, but I'm probably never going to do it, So you know, maybe somebody else.
Had to be like when like the Emmett Smith days or and Terrell Davis days.
Basically, yeah, but I'm curious, like before ninety eight, like was it a common thing and then it just kind of faded away?
Yeah? I mean again, just quarterbacks just became all of a suddenly the most important ever.
And they look they are important. But like this year again, like that's why Jalen hurts. He doesn't have to be out there surgical with his arm. You know what I mean, he didn't have to be out there with accuracy that nobody else has, and he can make enough plays. He's smart, he's a good leader, and he rarely, he rarely puts you in a spot where he's going to make a mistake that's going to keep you from winning the game. But yeah, I do feel like those that want to say, well,
hey hurts, Look he had Sewon Barkley. You're right, and he had a really good defense. But when they made the Super Bowl a few years ago, I mean, he was the guy. I mean, not to say his defense was bad, and I'm sure he's he clearly had some good players within that offense, but you know, he was, I mean, he was the guy. When you looked at their wins and losses that year and his stats, I mean, he was the guy. He was the real factor in them being you know. I mean, he will put it
this way. I want to say he was the biggest factors if he single handedly put his team there. But to say that he didn't have a big impact on them getting there, I mean that's crazy. I think it. I think it would even he would even be crazy
to say it this year as well. However, you know, when people bring up that defense, which was phenomenal, and they mentioned Barkley, who was great, like it's gonna it's gonna sound like they're probably trying to take a little credit away from Hurrtz, But look, it was a collective effort that Eagles team. At times, they never like they had a tough time really putting together games where for four quarters they look like one of the best teams
in the NFL. But man, they had flashes and enough games to get a really really good record, and they won when it mattered, and I really enjoyed seeing it, all right, So what I did not enjoy seeing was what I saw on Saturday afternoon, and that was a scary start to that Louisville Miami game. And and maybe I'm the only one that had fear, but I mean that game would have changed everything, And that's why I
had some weird nerves. Also had some weird nerves going on just because I had a Saturday was the day where I went into my high school Hall of Fame, which was an awesome, awesome evening, but I was nervous just for the whole thing, and nervous for having to speak in front of a big crowd, which we'll get to that later. But that game against Miami, I never
felt like they were going to lose. But any time they were only up I don't know, like less than seven, I got it a little squirmy, just because they already had Chucky not playing. And then James Scott, he gets hurt, doesn't come back, and you still should have won. And look you did, and I'm glad that they won. But this is just an unusual feeling when it comes to
being a Louisville basketball fan. And I'm not complaining, because you know, this is a much better spot to be in than where we've been the last couple of years. But you just have such a weird resume, right Like the isolated standalone result on your resume that's just different than everything else is your loss to Georgia Tech. That loss doesn't look as bad now because Georgia Tech ended up beating Clemson, who then beat Duke. So what I'm getting at is you have solid wins, and a lot
of them. You are a team that currently sits at eighteen and six and you are eleven and two in the league, but all your losses other than one are considered quality losses and you really don't have a good win. I mean, what is Louisville's best win right now?
Is it?
Is it West Virginia? Because if that's the case, that's probably not good. To be honest, their best win is got to be Clemson, and that win got a little better with them beating Duke, no doubt about it. But if Clemson is your best win and it's really not close after that, you can't control that. But like, that's not a good spot to be in. It leaves you, I think, insanely vulnerable with your resume, meaning where you have very little to gain right now in everything to lose.
I mean, we'll never know, and I spend some times talking about hypothetical things that will never know, which probably is a waste of time. But I believe that had they somehow slipped up and lost, because again, if they would have, it still would have been bad. We would have been critical, it would have been a mess. But I mean, look at how thin they've been with injuries. I mean a week ago, they were already a team that was getting a lot of praise for having that
level of success despite losing guys to injury. Case in prior korn Johnson. I mean, he brought two players that weren't able to play at all this year, and they were playing good basketball and clearly a team that looked me. They were in the top twenty five or at least right around it until the lost to George Tech. So then Chucky gets hurt non contact injury against Boston College, doesn't play against Miami. Within the first five minutes, James Scott looks like he got hit by Tyson and his prime,
you know, and I didn't see it. This is the first thing I saw was leaving my son's basketball game, and I had it on my phone and I pulled up. I pulled out my phone with the game on, and the first thing that was on the screen was James Scott and looking like a bloody mess. I thought somebody punched him, and then I saw that he actually got hit while he was on the ground. So you lost both those guys, Like a loss still would have been bad, but I mean they're so thin, so they didn't lose,
and that's great. But had they lost, And the reason and the reason I'm mentioning the whole had they lost, even though I know that they didn't, is because that's the kind of loss to a team. If you lose to them on your home floor, I think because of where your resume is and just kind of how it's put together, you're probably out of the tournament. I don't want to be dramatic. And again I know that they did not lose, but that's a loss that one no longer lets you say you have an isolated bad loss.
That's just you know, we'll chalk it up as a bluke. That would mean you have two bad losses, one of them being catastrophic, and you wouldn't have any win better than your winning Clemson. And oh, by the way, you don't play a tournament team the rest of the season like that. That's so it's just a weird It's just a weird situation where they have such little to gain the rest of the way and every and I think
quite literally everything to lose. Now if you get through the next couple of weeks, and maybe you lose to Pitt when they come here, because Pitt is a pretty good team in my opinion, still despite playing themselves out of the tournament. I mean, that wouldn't be a terrible loss. And maybe it's so close to the end of the season, that you've already put yourself in a spot to where you're It's early March, so like if you're not on the bubble, then then you're good. Like I mean, I
don't know. I just my worry is that I think they could they could somehow have a night, especially if they don't get chucky back soon, to where they could slip up and lose to one of these teams. And I worry that it might actually put them on the wrong side of the bubble. And I know it sounds crazy because right now they're viewed as like a seven seed at worse by just about everybody. But again, one more loss that is a bad loss. I just think
it completely flips the resume. Doesn't make it terrible. But it also I mean, if Clemson's your best win, that's that's not ideal. So they were able to ride behind Terrence Edwards, who had a phenomenal game. I mean, he's he's I think he's been He's been good all year.
He's averaging fourteen points four rebounds and was named coacc Player of the Week after his performance against Miami, where he put up twenty seven points, had ten assists, and five rebounds, played every single minute of the game, and if Chuck, you can't go this week, then Terrence will probably have to play every single minute of the game again, which is an ideal. But he was he was great. And rain Smith, I mean he ended up with six
six three pointers. So I mean you made eleven threes, and you shot ninety one percent from the free throw line and you know, twenty assists on thirty three made field goals. I mean they they played well despite being shorthanded. It's just a situation where you know, you did play a terrible team who's five and eight now one and eleven, and it was a really good night when it comes to timing. And I mean that I'm not picking on Little. I mean again, they can't control the injuries, and obviously
you can only plays on your schedule. But Miami being the team that was there given the circumstances, was best case scenario because they're so I mean, they're they're they're fade worthy, like they're the bottom's about the fallout kind
of team, if that makes sense. So the worry for me was that they kept hanging around like Louisville didn't fully bury them until the very end, and when it was anywhere between like a five to six maybe seven point lead, I just had nerves knowing, man, if this slips away like it's kind of all over and look, that's dramatic. It's an open reaction, I'm sure, and it
didn't actually happen. But this team in this season has been so fun for Louisville fans, especially considering the last few years, to where it would be devastating if if one we found out Chucky's gonna be out like for a long time, or they do end up losing one of these games and it takes us to where we thought for what I mean January was was insanely awesome, right,
good vibes, You feel like, man, this is crazy. This guy's got us back in the right direction in a hurry, and for like and then one of these bad teams messing around and beating you in a year with the ACC is so down that you don't have any other opportunities to get big wins. That'll break my heart. But you know, I guess we won't worry about that until
you know it actually happens. I guess. For me, though, the worry is that I think the chances of it happening, although aren't great, the chances get, you know, a little better for one of those losses to happen if you're going to be continuing to play without your best player, which is Chucky Hepburn. So I'll let you know what Pat Kelsey said here on the other side as far as both CHUCKI Hepburn and James Scott and uh, you know, I I just want to know that he's going to
be okay. And yet here we are roughly a week removed from the non contact growing whatever, and we still don't know anything other than he's I mean, I feel like finding out that he wasn't going to be able to go back in We're kind of still exactly in that spot because it's just day to day. We'll see, we'll see, and I'm not saying we're owed any information, but man, I just want to know. I want to know.
All right, quick break, it's coffee and Company. We are feel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven.
Ninety Now back to coffee and Company. Fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
K Dot they call him right, that's right. Yeah. Kendrick Lamar, who is your your halftime performer last night, and certainly a lot of opinions on that, and certainly that's not a surprise which I have. I think I have an opinion, a take, if you will, on the whole thing and the reaction to it that is probably rare. So I'll save that for the four o'clock hour. It's nothing controversial,
it's nothing crazy. But I don't have an issue with with him performing in what the performance was because I don't really mean it's just not me who cares a lot about that kind of stuff, right, So, but one complaint I do have about the whole thing. I'll get to that coming up around four o'clock. But Pat Kelsey on the ACC teleconference I believe it was earlier today, was of course asked about the hell status of his players.
And here's what we know. Chucky Hepburn is still listed as day to day and there's really no update on that other than you know, he's still dealing with whatever he's dealing with with his groin. So the report from Jeff Goodman on Friday, I'm sorry Saturday was that he's not going to play, and I believe Goodman actually even indicated that the injury is not believed to be serious, but they don't think they need him, and they want to let him rest because they should be able to
get past Miami without him, and maybe it'll be. And this isn't what Goodman reported, but you know, maybe there's also some thought to that that Louisville could benefit from having to play some minutes without him, just in case he gets in foul trouble or you know, maybe he gets injured down the line or something like that, to where they can get some real repetition in what they would do, what they would look like, really who they
would be if they didn't have him available. So if that's true, then that makes me feel really good because one he could get some more time to rest and Louisville was able to win a game without him and they had to turn to Terrence Edwards and clearly those two guys on the four together that gives Louisville, in my opinion, the best backcourt in the ACC when they're playing well. I mean, you throw in Raine Smith, who can any moment knock down seven eight threes. I mean
that's a really really good backcourt. So you know, it's nice to have those two guys Reign and Terrence if Chuck he's not available, But I guess working through the rest of that game against Boston College and everything on Saturday against Miami, at least now they have some again real like they were able to actually show that they can, you know, who they want to be whenever they don't have Chucky. So we'll see. I mean, I hope that
it's not that serious, but you just don't know. And I don't believe that there's anything they're keeping from us. I really don't think that this is really that uncommon for a guy to have an injury that didn't allow him to come back in the game but didn't look too serious. And yet because the team is playing a really bad team the next game that a coach would like I bet this is probably pretty routine for this
kind of stuff. But I'm just having a nervous breakdown over it because I know how important Chuck he is to this team, and one it would just be really sad. I mean not to be dramatic, but I mean if like he got hurt and it lingered and then they realized he can't play anymore, like that would be it for him at Louisville, And I hate even bringing it
up because who knows. Maybe he's aokay and he's gonna play on Wednesday, but I just, you know, I hope that's the case, and not having any answers is probably normal, and it's it's more than fair. We're not entitled any information about his health, but I just hope he's okay. Now with James Scott, you know, he was clearly missed on the defensive end. And he's a guy that I don't think anybody is surprised when I say this. He's
impactful for you in a variety of ways. And I think at times he looked like an offensive liability early on this year, and at times he's still a guy that you can tell he's not comfortable offensively unless he's got a a rim run or he's got you know, cleaning up. He's cleaning up right around the glass, or somebody lobs it to him right near the rim and he'll he'll finish the job. So and I didn't expect his injury to be terrible, but he did have a
pretty bad dental situation. So this is this is the quote from Pat Kelsey says in terms of James. You know, we're very, very confident that he's gonna be able to play because he is extra he is. He was extremely frustrated that he couldn't go right back in the game the other day. But it was much more than just, you know, just tooth popping out. He had both front teeth knocked out, and then he had he had it got pushed so far up into his gum that they had to go in and extract pieces of his teeth
that went into his gum. So a lot more extensive than just having your tooth knocked loose or knocked out, which you know that alone is not ideal. But here's more from Pat pat Kelsey's quotes. So so he spent a lot of time on Saturday in a dentnis chair
in his basketball uniform, which is unique. I made the point a couple of weeks ago when you guys asked me about James and his personality, and he's such a wonderful kid, but I said, man, he'd rather have six root canals than come into a press conference and talk to you guys, And I think he just took that literally. But he's such a tough kid, like he's walking off
the floor. You know, blood is coming out of his mouth, and you know, he looks at me and goes, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, I'm ready, Like James, just relaxed, Let's get this taken care of, you know, And then he texts our strength coach while he's in the dennis chair to see if he could lift the next morning. Then he texts me about forty two times making sure I knew that he'd be ready to play. So James is kind of an example of a microcosm of just
how of the toughness of our entire team. That's why there's so much fun to coach. I know, we got to get to a break. And this is certainly corny to say, I'm sure, but I feel like guys built mentally the way James Scott is, that's like best case scenario for Pat Kelsey to be able to get the maximum the maximum amount of value he can get from somebody. And by the way, James Scutts also a talented player that can jump out of the gym and can can run like a gazelle. I mean, he's he's still very
raw and I have no clue what his ceiling is. Overall, but I mean, I think his work ethic and his motor has been evident. And you hear Pat Kelsey say things like that he can bring us more guys that have sort of that same mindset. All right, quick break, we'll come back with two more hours left, So stick around. I mean, where else would you go? I mean, maybe you have other options, But can there be a better option than this? I hope not. If so, don't tell me.
I just want you to stay here with me. Don't leave me alone. We've got two hours left right here. On Sports Talk seven ninety