It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's nit coffee.
At the five o'clock hours started here on a Thursday afternoon. It is coffee and company field at Thornton's. Appreciate you hanging out with us. As you could expect. We've talked a lot about last night's big win for Louisville, big meeting the margin. They didn't have much trouble with cal and usually these are games that you know would just be not really I was about to say a waste
of time. That would be terrible because it's not that, but you know, just doing what you're supposed to do, beating bad teams that used to just be so routine for Louisville hoops. And then obviously, you know, the last few years happened and it was routine to just get embarrassed nightly. But clearly a different world we are in now with Pat Kelsey. So one went away from making it a seventeen game turnaround in the regular season and uh, finishing eighteen and two in the ACC. And yes, the
ACC is down, but and I wish it wasn't. So I don't want to say, I don't care, but it has not kept me or other Louisville fans from enjoying what a fun ride it's been so far. The revival, as Pat Kelsey says, is happening, and it's a beautiful thing. It's time to welcome in a beautiful man. His name is Dan Kobe. He's a friend of mine. He is formerly of Woky and now he's nice, making move, nice, making television, making a show.
He's living his life. Dan, how are we doing, brother? Good to hear from you?
Well, I'm doing great now. I mean, typically the only person who tells me I'm beautiful is my wife. But I am happily going to take that compliment from you because it takes one to know one.
Exactly, and and you know she should just know that.
I you know, I'm sure you guys have known each other a long time. I know, you know you've got married, you have you your father and all that. But before that, I was around Dan Kube, so you know, I was kind of an I don't know if she if she knew you before I did. I don't know how deep Urol's relationship goes, but I'll always be able to call you my beautiful friend. And I know you've got a beautiful family now, and I'm happy that you're doing your thing.
So since leaving TV, you've you've had a couple of different gigs, and I know you are involved in a project right now that a lot of folks around here locally have been talking about today, Sportstown. It'll premiere soon where essentially, you guys go out and you try to find the best sports towns there are in America and you give us behind the scenes looks as far as what makes these towns awesome before we kind of talk
about the project itself. I want to know how this all came about, because I can tell you're super excited about it. I can tell you've got a great team working with you. The production quality of what you guys are doing is insane. So did when did the when did the light bulb go off to say, Hey, let's let's try to make this happen.
About fifteen years ago in Kyley?
That's awesome?
Yeah. Well, first and foremost, Sportstown. Our first episode is out right now, So if you head to our YouTube page Sportstown Show, you can watch it full.
Yeah.
So, the origins of Sportstown go back to what I was in college. Actually, Nick, two or three of my producing partners and I went to Temple University. We did like the university's version of the news, and two of those guys ended up going on to open their own production company, and then I myself, of course, to TV. And then you know, our fourth guy is an ACE editor, so excuse me. So we kind of had all the pieces in place, it just kind of took a little while for us to sort of ramp up our abilities
in order to do the show. But yeah, we've had this idea for a really long time. We've just been obsessed with like this question of you know what town does sports better than all the rest, and the only way to really figure it out is to get out there and go do it. So Sportstown is truly the search for America's best sports city. And we couldn't start the search anywhere else but Kentucky. We had to start in Kentucky because I'm the executive producer, one of a few,
and I made that decision. So we came to Kentucky.
So it features Lexington, which I'm looking forward to. I didn't realize it was already out now I'm gonna definitely check it out, and it looks it looks phenomenal. Again, this is something that you can watch on YouTube and maybe it ends up elsewhere at some point, But I mean, like this, the quality of this is phenomenal, and I'm
a nerd for that kind of stuff. So like the every little detail about what you guys are doing, I mean this is you could just hand this off to Netflix if you wanted, and they wouldn't have to do much work to.
It at all.
But in this format sports talk radio, I've only I've born and raced here, lived in louis of my whole life.
You know that about me?
So like I've been to other towns and I've talked about you know that's that's a good sports town, or you know that's that's a sports town that doesn't get enough credit. You you've traveled a lot, man, You've you've you know, your temple made as as you used to let us know quite a bit. And you're from Philly, but you've worked in different markets. Of course, you spent some time here in Louisville. You've traveled a lot for your job covering sports in other markets that maybe you
didn't work. Do you feel like your experience in your career has kind of given you, uh, you know, a good feel for kind of which which towns you know right away you want to go profile.
Yeah, it's a really good point, Nick, It's true too. I mean I spent a lot of time covering NFL teams. I worked in Green Bay, Wisconsin, I worked in Philly, I worked in New York in addition to working in Louisville. It just kind of gave me a really well rounded opinion of what makes a really great sports town. And it's kind of the accumulation of a lot of things, right, It's not just does your team win? It kind of comes down to, like how woven into the fabric of
your community is your team. And Louisville and Lexington, where the first episode is based, I'm just great examples of that.
Man.
Like, you know, you walk around town, everyone's in red and everyone's in blue. The culture like it is, it is the culture, But it's so much more than that too, man, Like the show is all about what do you do to fill the time when you're not at the stadium? Right? Like where are the twenty four, forty eight, seventy two hours that you're going to fill that time with if you are making the time investment to go to one of these cities. So we are curating the perfect sports
weekend for you. So in the example of Lexington, right like, we show up three days before Kentucky played Arkansas last March, which ended up being Cali Parry's last game at rough. But you know, we're gonna take you to Keeenlan, We're gonna take you to Coolmore Farms where a triple Crown winners Justify live and American Pharaoh live. And then you know, we're hitting the Bourbon Trail, and then we're gonna go see, you know, some of the best eats in downtown Lexington.
It truly is the accumulation of all those things like where do you stay, what do you eat, where do you go, in addition to the in game atmosphere, which you'll see like I'm thrown right into the student section, rep area, and it was it was a hell of a time. And you know, Lexington is great, Louisville is great, and there are a lot of amazing towns around this country that have a lot of the same thing going on.
But you wouldn't typically think to travel to them. So what are the missions of the show is to be like, you know, you got to get out there, you got to go see these places, and each individual sports town is so unique and the show aims to really shed a light on why that is.
What would you say, I'm gonna kind of put you on the spot here, but when it comes to things, when it comes to things that could be working against you as a town, that would be you know, up there in the top tier as far as best sports towns. What would be something that could maybe you know, like big markets that have all the pro teams and all that, Like there's so much going on to where it's not
just sports. But I'm just thinking like what would be like maybe maybe a town that people would just assume is really.
Big is as far as sports.
And the culture because again, they've got all the teams, they've got teams that are successful, but like maybe you know, you think it's a snooze fest. It really isn't as good as people would think.
Yeah, well, you know and in a lot of those towns, and Philadelphia is not one of these towns, right, but that that's what I know. I'm from there, but a lot of these towns that do have two, three, four major sports teams, right, Like professional sports teams can feel very sterile, like they don't have that nucleus, that center of gravity that kind of pulls everybody and gets everyone to kind of be on the same page in terms of what they cheer for.
It makes sense, by the way, I never thought about that, but I could totally see that.
Right, But like, you don't have that problem in Kentucky. One of the points I make in the episode because I lived here is there are no pro sports teams here. Everyone lives and dies with the thirty five times a year the ball gets tipped up and then like and in addition to that, like the rivalry between Louisville and Kentucky is unlike anything else, Like we talk about it in silly like oh yeah, I'm you know, go Berts, I hate the Cowboys, Okay, sure, but like do you
really hate the Cowboys? Because you don't, because if you're like familiar at all with Louisville and Kentucky, you don't like it pales in comparison to what Louisville Kentucky have
going on in terms of a rivalry. So like that stuff is so rich and ingrained into the atmosphere and in the culture here, like those are things that we really want to explore, and quite honestly, like one of the most prevalent questions I've gotten today Nick is like, well, you lived in Louisville, why not do a Louisville episode, And I'll be honest with you, kind of keeping the powder drive for Derby. I want to go to Derby. Derby's my favorite days. Yeah, and I completely give it
up to everyone who lives in Louisville. I love Derby Day. My first experience was twenty fifteen and I have never turned back. Like I watched all the precursor races. We have a Derby party at my house every year. You got the bugs, like I go for sure, and like one of my bucket list episodes is to be here for Derby Day in Louisville filming sports.
Now, And it would there's so much going on in Louisville and really the state overall of sports. But yeah, I mean it'd be a it would feel underwhelming if Derby wasn't included in some former fashion So look, save the best for last when it comes.
To the cities.
You guys potentially a profile in Kentucky. But you are, You're spot on when it comes to just the difference in the rivalry. And I really I'm clearly biased, but I always make this argument when it comes to why the Kentucky and Louisville rivalry one is different than most. But also you know, in my opinion, it's a little bit better because to me, rivalry is all about fans, fans or what makes a rivalry. Players come and go, coaches come and go. They can get embedded into the rivalry,
but it's just different. Like your whole life as a Louisville or Kentucky fan, you're gonna stay disliking your rival, and you know there's gonna be some real value, some extra joy if you beat them, and some extra sadness if a loss ends up being to them. But in Louisville, there's so many of both, Like a lot of Louisville fans,
and I'm one of them. You know, I'm all Louisville clearly, but like I have no problem in admitting that there's so many Kentucky fans in Louisville as well, Like there's a great mixture of both to where we all coexist together. If Louisville loses to Kentucky and football, there are people who are like, man, maybe I take a maybe I take a vacation day, a PTO day, because I don't want to go see the guy on the assembly line who's a Kentucky fan that's gonna give it to me
because we lost. Like, it's just different. You have in laws. We all coexist together. And really, another thing that I think makes it special is that in both basketball and football, more often than not, the win doesn't change much for your season.
Or your you know, your your your.
Story, right, Like in basketball, if both teams are good, it's a good win to give, but if both teams are where they want to be, it's one meaningless non conference game in December, meaningless when it comes to like you know, it's not like it doesn't get you into the tournament or anything like that, but it's all about the fans. When it comes to football, I mean, we're not we're not playing. I mean maybe now in the
playoff era, with it expanded, it could potentially happen. But like most more often than not, these teams are between six and six and eight and four. So a loss or when really doesn't change much about anything when it comes to the playoff race or really your Bowl game, to be honest with you. So it's just like it's just for bragging rights around here, and it kind of makes us crazy because, like, you know, it shouldn't be this way, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Honestly,
we're obsessed. We're obsessed with each other, and I love it so And I also you know, with Lexington, I wouldn't say that I'm a rare Louisville fan, Dan, but like I am from Kentucky. My father's family is from out in the state, so like I'm a Louisville native, but like I'm also proud to be from Kentucky despite not being a Kentucky fan. I feel like there's not many people that say that, but I am. So, Like I know, Lexington is a great city and it's phenomenal.
I wouldn't want to.
Live there because it'd be weird as far as you know, the blue and the red, but like it's a great place. So like I'm looking forward to seeing I've already seen the trailer. I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys you put together because I'm sure, it's great. It'll be a little too much blue for my liking, but I'll do it because I love you. What did you learn
about Lexington that you did not know? Obviously you took a lot of trips up sixty four to go watch Kentucky cover Kentucky during your time working here, but throughout the putting this together, what are some things or maybe one thing that maybe you were surprised to learn about Lexington.
Well, I think you'll be surprised to learn that the show is called Sportstown, but it's really not that sports heavy, Like we are truly diving into the culture of the city. And while of course, like everyone bleeding Blue over there is a part of that, like we really want to get into the people and the places and like really get into what makes that specific talent unique. So that's
a big part of the mission. But you know, one of the biggest things that I was maybe not surprised because I've lived here, I've seen it, and I've like fallen in love with the state. It's just how willing everyone is to help, you know. Like I'm not going to name names, but we were kind of down to two cities for where we wanted to shoot the pilot. One was Lexington and one was Duke. Oh there, I said it, and Duke was kind of like, hey, let us know when you get picked up by Netflix, so
like kind of like, screw you, Duke. We're never going to go to Duke. But like Kentucky, to their credit, within like twenty five minutes of me explaining the concept of it, they were like, this sounds really cool. Come do it.
Yeah, that's awesome.
That's like all it took.
And they didn't have to do that right and they did, and that that made it a lot easier for you guys.
I'm sure they didn't have to do it. And obviously like we're not shooting any of the game and honestly, the final score doesn't even matter because the game was a year ago. Like nobody cares. It's all about the end game atmosphere, and like they were just great to work with and we appreciated it. And the people in this state are so great. Like Buffalo Trace is like, yeah, come on up. Keenland was like how like you know what time going to be here? We'll I have hot
chocolate ready for you. Like this is just a special a really special place. Man, and you know, my wife and I come back probably twice a year now, we've got two little ones, and I continue to think that, like we will continue to do that. This is just like a special place for me. And I think that starting this journey that I hope takes us legitimately across the country and at some point around the world doing
the show. Uh, the fact that we started it here is always going to have like a real special place in my heart.
Sure, all right, last one for you when it comes to like the future of this of this entire thing, Like when it comes like you, I know you you mentioned sort of looking and at where you guys are going to go next? What's that process look like as
far as like making that final decision? When do you plan on like putting more Like I guess you've You've now given us a taste the first episode that there's a full full feature on Lexington, And obviously people are going to want to learn more about other towns kind of where are you guys at with this whole thing? What's what's next and what what?
What?
What can fans expect to hear from you guys when it comes to this project.
Yeah, City of champions is up next. I'm talking, of course, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Goberts.
Are Are you familiar with Philly?
I wasn't.
I wouldn't aware.
Yeah, yeah, we're gonna go explore at least and we'll report back and let you know. So we'll do We're gonna do Philly this summer. And then we've got Green Bay, Wisconsin queued up for a great that'll be great up at Lambo. Yeah, really amazing place, very similar to Lecenton Louisville, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Actually, if you've never been, can't recommend
it highly enough. And then we're kind of looking at maybe a winter date in Buffalo, New York, maybe Phil's Mafia tables that I'll be jumping through in my future, and then basically anywhere.
Produke yep, I hear you, man, and I love seeing how energized and excited you are about this project. And I could tell you were happy to show it off to everybody. You and your team did a great job. And uh again I saw the trailer and was super impressed. Now I'm gonna watch the whole thing, and I wish you nothing but the best, Dan Great, I'm so glad to catch up with you, man, and I wish you nothing but success. I'm sure we will be in touch, and congrats to you man. Like I know, I can
tell you put a lot into this. It's it's it's it's your baby, and you've got a good team of guys that you've known for a long time. So congrats to all you guys. Keep up the great work and we will catch up with you soon.
Dan. Yeah, I appreciate it, brother, Thanks so much again. Catch it at Sportstown Show on all socials but specifically Instagram and YouTube Sportstown Show. And Hey, I'm in town for one night only and I'm gonna be at Feast at seven thirty and New lou Oh yeah, I'm hang out. We'll talk, we'll talk Sportstown, will drink some bourbon splushies and we'll get after it. Let's go.
Good stuff. That is Dan Coop.
Always appreciate him giving us some of his time. And I'm not kidding you, and I tell you guys, Dan's a super talented guy.
Uh.
And if you are someone that enjoys the documentary TV show kind of stuff that features sports, I mean this is this is right up your alley and Dan's one of those guys that moved to town. He bounced around. He mentioned Green Bay. He was there for a little while, Buffalo and uh and ended up in Louisville and we connected, became buddies. He used to be on the show once a week and Uh, really really good dude, Really happy
for him. And gosh, it makes me realize how long I've been doing this, because you know, like around the time Dan had come and gone and was leaving. You know, man, I was still pretty early on in my time here at I Heeart And now you know, my daughter was.
A baby baby.
Now I got two kids. Dan wasn't married. Now he's married with two kids, and we've kind of grown up. It's kind of sad. And this music is like perfect for what I'm saying, Like I don't know if you're like working the soundtrack back there, Austin, but like for what I'm for what I'm saying, like this music is like I perfectly fitting with it. So Rob Thomas forya, Yeah, good stuff. A right quick break, We'll come back on
the other side. Keep this thing rolling along. Coffee and Company feel by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
For those that are just with us here in the five o'clock hour that were not with us earlier, you missed out, but I'm gonna let you know as well.
We have a new text line.
The LNN Federal Credit Union text line is now five two four three eight ninety seventy three agains five oh two four three eight nine zero seven three is the is the number. So feel free to interact with us that way, and today and tomorrow. I'm encouraging people to text in and like leave a name, not that like,
you don't have to give me your legal name. I'm not asking for you to like give me the last four of your social I just I want to start reading the text line and referencing who it's coming from. That way, at least, you know, because if I save your name and you sign your name, at least like I'll be because currently I can go through and look at like a thread of like everything you've ever sent.
Actually I can't because I got locked out of that count, but you know what I mean, Like I can, but if I know when it comes through that it's labeled you know Dennis in in uh, you know, downtown, which that's not a real person, but maybe there is a Dennis Downtown that wants to text in right now, and if you do it, that's what I'm going to save you out on the text line. So I just want to give it some some some real you know, just
a little bit more not personal. But you know, I just for some reason, I have a weird thing about saying Texter says this, like I just feel like that. It's like, I'm it's really the same thing, right, the level of cunic the way in which you're communicating with
me is the exact same way. But I just you know, whenever I say the text lot and mention a name, I don't think it sounds as much like I'm just basically reading the comment section on a website, which is really, you know, where where it's the most toxic place maybe in society, right, the comment sections of websites, the uh you know, really Twitter more than anything.
I love the comment section.
Now, let me ask you this, speaking of comment sections, I don't know why. Maybe it's algorithm, and clearly the TikTok algorithm is in my brain somehow, Like I'll think of something in my head and open up my my TikTok app and it'll show me something that, you know, is what I was just thinking about. It's crazy, but comment sections on the tweet on the TikTok videos that I see, for the most part, are like wholesome and like kind of funny, right, Like you can still find people,
you know, you can find anything. Yeah, Like it's like, you know, you know what, hell yeah, like if somebody's you know, having fun kind of maybe making a fool of themselves, or you know, if somebody's you know, put it this way, like if somebody's extremely overweight but they're feeling good and they're dancing having fun. Like you may find some people making jokes about like their appearance, because again, like the internet is where people go to do that
that are very miserable humans. But then you'll also be people like hell yeah, you go, you know, in fact, you go, girl, yeah. Well, And I don't know why I've not seen this elsewhere on social media. It's mostly just like a TikTok comment thing that I've seen, and maybe it's what the younger generation is saying, But you know,
I'm not in that world anymore. But you know what, Hell yeah, that's that's what I see a lot of people comment, like if somebody's out there just you know, dancing or you know whatever, like you know what, hell yeah, And I'm I and I again, I'm not doing it justice, but like usually when it when I read that comment based off of what I saw in the TikTok, it usually fits and it and it goes well.
So so anyways, you know.
I, if you don't want to leave your name, you don't have to. Again, we'll still utilize the text line, but I just want to start saving names so I can you know, then I and then you know, I won't know you, but I'll feel like, you know what, here we go.
It's John and Saint Matthews.
Again.
He seems a little bit more personality exactly a character.
Exactly exactly all right, As you could expect, a lot of talk about Louisville hoops after last night's went against Cal took care of business, and I didn't really talk about this earlier, but somebody asked as far as the winded team that I've seen, because I don't think I've been over the top about it, but I'm also just going to be real and tell you what I observe. It really wasn't even like a criticism. It was just an observation that that I think was pretty noticeable, and
that was they just looked tired lately. The four games prior to last night, they just I think looked fatigue, looked a little bit worn down. Maybe didn't get a hand up on a shooter like they previously were earlier in the season. Maybe the fatigue led to them making a questionable decision in the half court offensively, maybe a quick trigger to shoot it because of the And I don't really I mean, again, there's no way to know
if these guys are truly wined. I can just base it off of what you see, right, Like, I think your eyes are pretty honest with you when it comes to that kind of stuff. But like, there's no way to know for sure. And I just because the season has been so fun and I feel like this team has shown that despite not having a ton of opportunities to get big resume wins really at all in January on, like, they've got some pieces that I could see them making
a run to the second weekend. I really could so like the thought of them just running out of gas and being really tired and like you know, just just running on e in the postseason and falling short like that was you know, they could happen, but like I just I was fearful of that and I don't want it to happen. And I also don't think I'm making it up. And I don't know why I've become so
like paranoid about people think. I think what's happened is I've learned about myself this year that everybody who listened to the show deep down knows I was honest about everything when it comes to Kenny Payne.
Like I didn't manufacture anything.
I didn't.
I mean, it wasn't even really opinion at the end. It was just stating facts of like how bad things were. But I, you know, because it's an everyday thing because you know, that's what we do. We talk loisll basketball in college basketball season around here. We're always going to do that, like because it became just the same conversation every day because there was no difference, there was no change. It was dead on arrival essentially, meaning last year, year
or two of Kenny Payne. When you come out and lose to Kentucky Wesley and before your regular season starts, when you know you've got a team with better players than them, Like it was just dead on arrival, right, So to kind of just have the same kind of conversation about Louisville hoops for the majority of this, for really the whole season. You know, like there are certain people that just you know, even though they don't agree, they hear it enough. Like this guy's over the top.
All he does is talk about how bat Kenny Payne sucks. Well, you know, it wasn't the only thing I talk about, but that's the only way we could talk about it. There was really nothing else. It was a very easy thing to assess. So for me, I just I got I was uncomfortable being viewed as this guy who's overly negative all the time. And sometimes I would get worked up in yell, but not because I wanted the overlly negative,
because I was pissed off because I care. The program that you know, in a sad way is like an escape for me. It gives me happiness and it gives me sadness when it's not going well, like and I know a lot of people listening absolutely relate to what.
I'm just what I just said, like it was just what we had to do.
And I never thought I'd be there talking about a Louisville team that bad, because you know, whoever thought Louisvill would be that bad for those two years. So I think that's why whenever I do mention they look tired or they didn't play well or that was a bad stretch of play. Like I'm not saying anything crazy. Sometimes it's not even legitimate like.
Criticism.
I mean, I guess it is, but it's like, you know, it's more more more so an observation than anything else. Like it's not me telling you that I'm worried about the team. It's like, hey, they didn't have a good night. It wasn't there night they you know, they played poorly in this area, whatever it may be. And I it's it's not by design, it's not even something that I've
got in my mind to do. But like anytime I mentioned something that's not positive about this team, I just automatically start doing the word vomit thing and trying to be like, you know, hey, just so you know, I still like this to not being critical and I don't need to do that. I'm overcompensating and I don't. And again, I guess it's probably one because I do love this team, but also, like, you know, nobody wants to be that guy right now because Louisville basketball.
Who knows what happens the rest of the way.
But I mean, like this is still unreal to think about, as far as how much they've improved from one year to the other and knowing the injuries didn't keep them from potentially going, you know, eighteen and two in the ACC and safely making the tournament. Like nobody wants to be the guy that's like anti Pat Kelsey, and lord knows I'm not.
I love the man.
I take a bullet for him, I think, I don't know I want to put I don't want to put myself in that position because I don't want to take a bullet. But like, if you know, he needed a guy to step in front of him to take a bullet, I don't know if I'd be able to stop myself. That's how much I love this man. So I guess more than anything, it's my insecurities as a human being. I don't want people to think I'm anti Kelsey at all,
and maybe they will because they heard me. You know, just tell it like it is about KP for as long as we had to do that. Same two letters, different order, different human being, different life. One is a basketball coach, a phenomenal one.
The other is not.
That we went from KP to p K. And it's a very very big difference, very big difference. I'm not kidding you guys when I tell you sometimes this just turns into my own personal therapy session. I just get the yap and like I'm laying on that long couch at a shrink's office. It just, you know, it kind of happens that way. Speaking of the man himself, Pat Kelcey, this was him in the locker room last night after Louisville got the win, and you know, you a little
behind the scenes. Look here as far as him talking about these guys, these seniors, and I think he might I think he might curse in this, but I think it's a kirstword.
We're allowed to play. But like here we go.
Here's what's cool about this deal. You know, many of you guys in this room right you coming here for one year and you guys played three years at another institution and that place is special.
To it, and it should be.
But what you guys have done in this town, what you've done to.
Endear yourself to this city forever, is something special, though. And those guys that are playing in their last game here in the Young Center, it will be emotional, like you guys played here for twenty seven years. That's the legacy you guys have left.
One of excellence.
One I'm winning.
One Of'm re establishing this great program into back into one of the top in college basketball. And we're gonna pay tribute to you guys on Saturdays, or we're gonna win a big game on senior Night for you guys.
Imagine not wanting to play for that man.
It's my coach.
I mean, Austin's in there, grin and ear to ear like you're about You're about to suit up.
Aren't you.
Yeah, give me in the corner, just just like, hey, you need a couple of fouls.
I got you.
You mean a set of screen for Chuck, I got you.
I mean like a brick wall, yep, I mean yeah.
I like the thought of you being like the muscle, right Like if anybody's getting squirrely with with with Chucky, with with Hadley, you.
Know you just you're there arm arms crossed to last night from the.
Flat like you get yeah you got, you got five fouls to give and they can be flagrance.
Right on the offensive. You just need me to just just be a guy.
And I don't want to be too corny because I know at times it can get it can sound like that, and we like to have fun here. But in all seriousness, like a coach is a leader, like that is really what the job is.
You are leading.
You're also you know, you're coaching ex's and o's, and there's so many different ways to do it right, Like you can be yourself and go about it the way you are more naturally as a human being, right Like some guys, like for example, Tom is a real fiery guy, in your face, real like, you know, real intense, not afraid to get after somebody, and you know that's just I think that's probably who he is as a guy.
But there's other coaches that are super loose, super.
Casual that you know, you rarely see him yell at all, or like Matt Paynter. You know, he went to the National Championshi Game last year. He's been really successful at Perdue and yeah, they've had some early bounces in the tournament, but like I feel like Matt Painter, he's done more with that Purdue rosters, the rosters that he's had than most would so like there's all kinds of different ways
to do. At the end of the day, you're a leader, and I think Pat Kelsey clearly knows enough about ball and he's got a good staft by the way, which I don't know if these guys are getting enough credit. Brian Cleman has been a phenomenal DC all year. I mean he's been a great coach, a great asset in general, but you can tell his attention to detailed defensively is
so precise. Like last night, you know, the col was bringing the ball at the floor midway through the first half and he's jumping up out of his chair running to Kelsey on the on you know, up there right near the the scores table, because he sees something they're about to get into, like he knows what they're about to do, and you know, it's just you know, it's
it's it's in all aspects. This has just been such a fun, fun ride, and I you know, you never know, right, like we've been really like have we ever really have we ever even had a postgame presser from PK that like was were the fans were like in a bad way, Like even early on when he started losing, he was losing the good teams, and you know, it's the first year, like you know, I mean I remember, and to be honest with you, I would say, as far as like
the energy, and this seems like it was ten years ago, but as far as like the negative energy, it wasn't like everybody ready to fire the guy.
But I feel like it was such a letdown when they.
Got crushed a byt Tennessee just because there was I mean, it just played. It's it it played out to where you had in his second career game, he's playing a top ten Tennessee team who is out top five and you had a white out, you had a really good crowd there and like you just got you got blown out, and like that was tough and it just was a you know, to get it was such a climax. And then to just have it completely ripped from you, it
was it was pretty pretty low. And then from then on though, the other losses were you know, against against good teams for the most part, and the Georgia Tech loss was the one loss that was a real head scratcher. That is different than most the losses you have, and you only have six, by the way, but like they've been on top of the world. Like he kind of just as much as you were probably disappointed, I think we kind of realized, hey, that happens.
Like you're gonna you're not gonna win every game.
So like we're gonna have throughout Pat's time here, years that aren't as good as this one. We're gonna have years. We're gonna have like games where you're like, what the hell happened? This was crazy, and you know that's just
how it works. But it has been such a fun ride thus far that I don't think whatever happens in the tournament will have any impact on the way I view this season and what this group did for us as far as, you know, getting this thing back on track, not only with winning, but like it's a it's a
really infectious thing. Whenever Louisville fans, you know, more of them started coming out once the team started winning, and there was a momentum and the players fed off of that, and then they could sense that Okay, these guys are coming back to life.
It's really a revival like this. This is like now I.
Know why this place is special when it comes to college hoops. So they're a special group and I know they're going to have It's not like an expection. It's not like I'm saying, I hope. I know they're going to have a great crowd there on Saturday, and I'm
sure I hope. You know, we'll see what happens, but I'd be shocked if they don't win and finishing the season overall, in you know, regular season, in Pat Kelsey's first year, you know, to be able to say that you went eighteen into albeit a down league, but still an eighteen and two record in league play for anybody in any league is something.
To feel good about.
But also just overall, twenty five and six, are you kidding me? And that's you know, that's that's that's what's probably going to happen. And it's still at times just doesn't seem real. And I'm not, you know, bitter about it, but like, imagine that they didn't lose to Georgia Tech. They play Georgia Tech nine more times in Atlanta. They probably win every one of them just because they're clearly better. Like imagine what I mean, I can't imagine it being
more of a LoveFest than it is now. But to be honest with you'd probably be sitting in like the top ten, would you not?
Clearly?
I mean you already right now with that loss, have the second longest winning streak in college basketball among Power five teams. So anyways, quick break, we'll come back and wrap things up. On the other side, it's coffee and company. Feel abou Thornon's on Sports Talk seven.
Ninety Now back to coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine.
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I mean like there's probably things that you just kind of tell them about your lifestyle and maybe talk about some areas where you could be better.
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Like I didn't even know what low T was. I just assumed like a lot of people that like low T and ED are like the same thing, and it's not at all. It's a totally different thing. But I realize, Yeah, the reason I've kind of felt like I felt wasn't just because I was getting older. It was because I was getting older in my testop levels were not where they needed to be. So again Lillemans Clinic dot com byway to four four four four thousand, check them out.
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All right, so very little time left here before we get out of here, but real quick, I wanted to let you guys hear the the the clip here. This is from the Ryan Rossillo podcast and Todd McShay was on to talk about the man who's been talked about. I feel like just as much as any quarterback in
the draft in the last few weeks. Obviously, he's not going to be taken before cam Ward or Shad or Sanders, but Tyler Shuck he's he's definitely he's seemingly helping his chances of getting taken pretty early in this draft.
And there's immense growing intrigue for Tyler Shuck. And he's the most NFL ready of all these quarterbacks. He's bigger, he's faster, he's got just a strong an arm like he's up there with cam Ward, Stronger armed than Dark, stronger armed than Shador. Yeah, you can say he's twenty five and had three injuries, but they're bone breaks, they're not like it's not chronic stuff that's going to affect him long term. We're protecting our quarters a lot longer,
ball placements out standing on tape. It's just one year of tape. I'm telling you, Tyler Shuck, it won't surprise me if he winds up being the best quarterback from this class.
When it's that is honestly the best. That's the highest praise I've heard of any from anybody about Shuck. And I think again, like part of this is that the quarterback crop is not great, but that's gonna help Shuck because even if a quarterback crop is the worst in the history of the NFL, teams are still gonna not be able to resist the urge of taking a quarterback. And I think him being twenty five, to me is a benefit. Like maybe you think, well, how much better
can he get? I mean, he can tighten some things up, clearly, but like that's a benefit that like you don't have to worry about Like my team drafted Anthony Richardson, who was never a winner at any level.
As a quarterback.
Anyways, I'm not bitter at all, Right, how can out everybody