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 it started. Hour number two here on a Friday afternoon coffee and company. We are fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Appreciate you hanging out with us. If you want to jump back in, you can five two, five to seven. One seventy nine hundred is the number if you want to give
us a call. Start of the show, mentioning just how excited and energized I am as a Louisville fan just because Louisville, I think has a new life, regardless of what happened with Kentucky, because they've got a new era that's you know, a couple of weeks underway. Pat Kelsey, obviously we'll see if what he's been able to do at Winthrop and at Charleston, we'll see if it translates here. I have no reason to think that it won't,
but you know, you never really know. And he's also checking boxes that are really important, not only because of who we are as a fan base, but because of what's happened recently where there was just really no engagement with the fan base from the basketball side of things. So so far, so good. Pat Kelsey actually has some big visitors on campus this weekend, which we'll get into that a little bit later on. And if you are on Twitter, they just posted a video of him in full football uniform and
pads, helmet and everything. I didn't get a chance to watch the whole thing to see exactly what it is he's doing. I don't know if he's out there kicking field goals or what it is. But he's also going to throw out the first pitch tomorrow at the Louisville baseball game. So that alone is exciting. But then when you throw in the Kentucky side of things, not only are we happy that they are underwhelmed with their higher which look, I'm not gonna do the Oh, I don't act like you like your coach
because you hate him. You're gonna support him and want him to win and like him because he's your coach. That's how this works. Is that is natural. That is again how this works. But I also know that you were underwhelmed with the higher and I don't think there's any chance that it twenty four hours ago, anybody thought he would actually be their coach, certainly by
today. So they are dealing with some humble pie and some of it is I think just them getting a reality check that they can't get anybody they want. You know, Danny Hurley was always a long shot, but you've got money to throw at him that ucon probably can't. But he wasn't interested Scott Drew. I didn't sense a cause. I believe Kentucky fans who say they felt like they were a little bit relieved that it wasn't Drew. Because Drew's
a nice guy and a good coach. He has a championship, a lot of early exits in the tournament, and when you really want to prop him up after that title, which matters a lot. But the secondary stuff to really use to prop him up would probably just be recruiting, which is important. But then it's just, well, he's won at Baylor. So I think if you said, hey, are we taking Scott Drew or we taking Mark Pope two days ago, you would have said you'd have been disrespected by
the question. I believe so it came at you fast. Drew said no, and I think there was there was some relief but also a little bit of shock that, you know, I think they were probably not that sad that he wasn't going to be their coach, but I think they were shocked to see that he just simply did not want to come to Kentucky. So then I think the pivoting started. Well, now we got to throw a
bunch of money at early and then we'll wait for Billy Donovan. And I think if you take a step back, which at times is hard, and what I mean by taking a step back, I mean take the emotion out of it, which again it's impossible. You're a fan. You couldn't stop loving your team if you tried. But the Donovan thing was just not not doable. Just the timing and circumstance made that. Honestly, that was a desperation thing, I believe, because it wasn't realistic as far as the timeline,
and you don't even know for sure if you wanted the job. Everybody that covered this, from the NBA side and the college side, claim that they have sources that said Billy Donald would not have any interest in the job, and I guess that's the arrogance, and that's where the humble Pie comes in. Because there are Kentucky fans that I know, prominent media members in the Kentucky world that thought, well that that's not true. And I think
it's because they just assume, how could somebody not want this job. I think that's where you kind of had a little bit of a reality check there that yeah, you're great, you got a great program, no doubt about it. Nobody would argue that. But you can't just get anybody because you're Kentucky. And also times have changed. Guys will not leave for a better job when they're already at a good job or a really good job and a
really good situation. So I do think Mark Pope could win there. But here's what I think Kentucky fans are going to have to deal with is that it's gonna take a lot of time before you really, truly, deep down feel like this guy is cap of being your coach and doing the ultimate or I guess accomplishing the ultimate goal, which is winning a national championship. I mean, the guy won a tournament game. You have nothing to base that
off of right now, and that's rare for Kentucky. I mean, let's go back to Billy g I know some people think well, if he didn't have his own personal demons that he would have, he would have it would have worked out. What makes you think that? I mean even when, like I mean, it was a two year thing, but like he recruited kids that didn't have any division. Maybe you're saying, well, his demons impacted everything from his his you know, coaching him, him being you know,
embracing the position that he had and recruiting and all that. But like I you know, I'm not saying he's a bad coach, but like, I don't think that would ever worked out. But Rick Patino, the guy was a rock star right away, right took the Unforgettables to the final four, and that was just the ultimate sign that you guys just got yourself a rock star who's phenomenal. And then Tubby won a title his first year, So like right out of the gate, like you knew you had a guy
that could do it. He did it in his first seat. Reason Cali Perry in his third season. I think it was national championship, bunch of final fours along the way. So when I talk about the Chris Mack era kind of completely unraveling and the fans kind of melting down. I'm not kidding you when I say I do think a global pandemic happening in the midst of that was a part of it. But also fans lost their minds and said, get this guy the hell out of town because of the fear they had
that he could not get it done. And who knows, I mean, I don't know if he ever would have won a title here. We'll never know. He never coached a game here without there being some pending punishment. But with Denny, we did't have to worry about that. With Rick, we did't have to worry about that. Kentucky's in the same situation with cal and with Tubby and with Beatino. And now this is a guy that it's just truly a guess. Doesn't mean he can't get it done. But here's
what I think is very realistic to expect from Kentucky under Mark Pope. You know, maybe he does go get elite talent because it's Kentucky, But is he gonna be able to do it the way Caliperi did it? No, because no nobody does and nobody will. That's an insanely high standard to set. And I know Mark Pope being a likable guy that did in fact play
in the NBA for a little while. That can be viewed as, you know, an advantage for him, because you know, not many coaches can say they had to link the NBA career, and he played in the NBA for looks like too, looks like he played the He I didn't realize he played the NBA as long as he did. He spent some time overseas as well, but he had a pro career from ninety six to two thousand and five, roughly ten years and all. But I think two of those seasons
were in the NBA and that'll help him. But again, like expecting him to go out and start breeling in the classes Caliperi was doing is just I don't think realistic. So what you have to worry about now is what's the ceiling. Kentucky had teams that were underwhelming, but you always knew it's not
a matter of talent, it's not a matter of liability. They got dudes, and even if they're freshmen and they look lost early, you know that eventually they're probably gonna get better and you may be able to break through and win a national championship because they have elite talent that NBA scouts, NBA teams covet. The ceiling was always high with cal always. That can't be said
for Mark Pope at least I don't think. But maybe he proves me wrong and he goes out there and puts together the most talented team we've ever seen. But I could see Kentucky. You know, they'll not lose to some bums like UNC Wilmington. They'll probably be better at the start of a season. They'll be older, they'll probably be you know, a little more disciplined. But what's the ceiling. I mean, how good can they actually be?
And that's where I feel like you just got to wait and see, which you know, you have to wait and see with every single higher But I just think that is going to be the drastic difference as far as just the overall it's the word. The overall brand of Kentucky basketball under Calipari was, Look, we have guys that are going to be in the NBA. Don't know what they're going to do when they're here as far as stats and production, but we got dudes, and you can win championships without those kind
of teams. That's actually what's happening right now. Like to be honest with you, I'm not trying to say that the Calipari way of doing it would what was always going to work out, because in fact, he wasn't really adjusting and it showed. That's how I think he took some steps back. And you know, to be fair, the two teams that did have the upsets in the tournament, make no mistake about it, they were really good,
really good national championship contenders in the eyes of most. But his coaching and him being young when it matters most in the tournament, I think it came back to bite him. So you know, I mean, I just think when it comes to when it comes to Mark Pope, and again it's hard to really know exactly what to expect from ras when really he's not mean, it's just it's this is all new to him. But with Pope,
they'll be more consistent. But I think you could have a good team that is the fifth best team in the SEC on a pretty consistent basis, and it's not because you stink, it's because that league is a lot better. And let's be real, you know, now, like I think people could say before, but it felt weird it felt gross just because you know Cal's Cal. But like in the last five years, Eric Muslman is a better coach than John cal Perry. Rick Barnes a better coach than John cal Perry.
Bruce Pearl a better coach than John cal Perry. And I'm basing this off of just like records, results, like performance, like more momentum, like playing them more modern. I mean, it's just deeper tournament runs, you know. So you now have Mark Pope, who I don't think you would claim that cal Perry is is behind. So like when I mentioned all the SEC coaches, I forgot to mention call earlier right because you got Nat Oates who's on fire broke through this year. I think he's he's he's part
of the future of college basketball. And he's not accomplished anything anything like Dan Hurley, but man, he's he's a star. Bruce Pearl at Auburn, Todd Golden at Florida, I think is a rising star. Buzz Williams, you never know, occasionally has really good teams. Chris Jian's at Mississippi State.
He's not accomplished a whole lot, but I think he's pretty good coach Caliperiot, Arkansas, I feel like I'm still missing one either way, those are guys that, like you just now know, your coach has to actually do it for a couple of years to know if he's going to be able to be in that tier. And nobody's patient around here with basketball, trust me, Louisville fans, Kentucky fans, not even Indiana fans, but there's going to be a level of patients needed for Kentucky fans that they're not used
to. It's just going to be unnatural. And if Cal brings half his team that he had in lexingon too Kentucky, he brings that recruiting class to Kentucky, he gets some big name transfers from Kentucky or you know, from for any from anywhere, they're going to be farther ahead than Kentucky next year. And that will be understandable given the situation. But dealing with that, I'll be surprised if we see a big chunk of that fan base dealing with
that, you know, in an understanding way. And I'm not even criticizing you if you don't, because again I get it. With Louisville, you know, we had two seasons that were the worst seasons we'll ever see in Louisville basketball history. I'm quite confident in that. So we've got a guy that you know, actually has actually done more than your coach and our bar Like, if we win fifteen games next year, we're not gonna act like we're back and we were you know, destined to be a national champion under
Pat Kelsey. But we're more built for this next season with a new coach than you are. And there's no make no mistake about that. And it's not I don't say it to brag. It's just because of the situation. It's because of how bad we've sucked the last couple of years. And you know, here is I mean, this is this is just this isn't me like, hey, Pat Kelsey is John Wood and you guys hired the next Kenny Payne. And I know it'll sound like that to some because again that's
what the rivalry does, right. I mean, you hear what you want, You have selective hearing because if somebody you know, you know what I mean. But Pat Kelsey's been a head coach twelve years. Mark Pope's been a head coach ten years, NCAA Tournament's Pa Kelsey four, Mark Pope two win percentage. Pat Kelsey's won sixty eight percent of his games. Mark Pope has won sixty three percent. Pat Kelsey, in his twelve years as a head coach, has won six regular season titles in two different leagues. Mark
Pope has never won his league conference tournament champs. Pack Kelsey's won his league conference title five times and the fourth time as far as the fifth time. Meaning how he didn't get that tournament appearance is because of COVID and that COVID year he won his TAPT he won his league. Mark popa has never won his conference tournament doesn't mean he's doesn't mean that that's proof that he sucks.
It's just like the fact that Kentucky hired that when they're fans and even Louisville fans, myself included, were in disbelief that Louisville was going in that direction like that. That's something that had to put Kentucky fans jaws on the floor whenever it became real that it was in fact happening. So you're not gonna hear me, you know, bad mouth Mark Pope as he's a bum as a coach, because I don't know that, and I think he's done enough
in his time as a coach to show you that he's been successful. But you have less results to run with than the Louisville guy. And it, you know, like one of the things that I've heard BYU was good this year, Make no mistake about it. They got upset early in lost to Decaane, but b YU was a good team and I think he was destined to be successful there if he was able to still bring in the caliber player that he and I know there are some restrictions as far as what you can
do in recruiting. But one thing that is just not true at all that I feel like needs to be you know, needs to be mentioned, is that b YU won before Mark Pope. In fact, Mark Pope, I mean he he took BYU to the tournament twice and never won a game. Dave Rose was at BYU from two thousand and five to twenty nineteen, and he, let's see, he won seventy two percent of his games when they were in the West Coast Conference and when they went to the Mountain West or
when they were in the Mountain West. You know, he never had more than four losses in the league play. This is a guy that went to the Sweet sixteen, won some games in the tournament, So that doesn't have anything to do with Mark Pope. But this is what I am going to call you on when you're just grasping for things to make your coach appear to be something that he's not. I'm not telling you he's a bad coach, but this notion that, like, who's ever want to b yu He had
a call her earlier and said they have been relevant since Dan Marley. You ever heard a guy named Jim or for debt? Remember him? He's pretty good. So we'll see. That's that's all I mean that ultimately, that's that's what it is. We'll see about both these coaches. But I think Louisville fans have a little bit more belief that their guy is more capable.
And we had a Kentucky fan who called it earlier says he thinks that that Pat Kelsey will be more successful than Mark Pope and we'll never know, but like, it's just a wild thing to me to know how bad Louisvill's been recently and how down the program has been, and to know that like Kentucky fans. I mean, they're gonna support their guy, which they should. You're gonna always you're never gonna not support your team and want them to win
because it's unnatural. But they've got a lot more I guess, you know, I wouldn't call it false hope, but it's just much more of a wait and see for them. I guess if that makes sense? All right? Can I tell you really quickly about my morning? John, tell me about it? So this, you know, my wife is is a I
was a basketball fan. I consider her to be kind of you know, I don't know what other woman, other women who listen to the show and other women that love college basketball, but my wife, she knows enough to be dangerous, if that makes sense. But she had never heard of Mark Pope. And I, you know, wouldn't you say? That's probably understandable, Like, I don't know why she would know who that is? Right? He played? Yeah, So when I told her they hired Mark Pope,
she was like who, huh who? And I said Mark Pope? Like she was getting ready for work, I was getting the kids up. Maya was still asleep, my daughter, and Moose was up and uh, sometimes he wakes up just like when to go back to bed. Sometimes he wakes up ready to light the world on fire, and he's hyper. And that was this morning. And my wife's in the closet getting her you know, outfit for the day or whatever. We're in the bedroom and our walk
in closet's kind of deep. Not to brag, uh, but you know, she couldn't hear me, I guess, or she was thinking, are you saying Mark Pope? Like, yeah, Mark Pope. You know. That's when I realize she doesn't know who he is, and we're just yelling back. I'm saying Mark Pope. She's kind of questioning Mark Pope, and it just it's like an echo chamber. So then Moose he says Mark Poop
and that brought a lot of laughter to me. And then you know, he felt like he had a good joke, so he wanted to He wanted to share that joke more and more so a lot of you know, I was like, do you know who Mark Poop is? He's like, no, Mark Poop, Mark Poop. And then I told him he was the cats coach. And now he probably told everybody at daycare that the new coach for Kentucky basketball is Mark Poop. I got a video of it. I was gonna maybe post it online, but then I thought, probably shouldn't do
that. There's nothing to gain from it, even though it's adorable and some may find it funny. But then like, you may have people that would say like bad things about my kid, and then I would track him down and kill him and probably ruin my life. So I don't want to do that, right but here is here is on command. If you ask him who the Cats coaches? Who's the coach of the Cats? Poop? Who like Poop Mark Poop? He may start a revolution with l fans? He
might, he might? So can I read really quickly here before we go to break some of these Some of these uh this is some some message boar post from Kentucky fans. This is turned into a reality check from hell if we end up with Pope no uh no offense to Mark. This seems like an IU move. What's that supposed to? What? India? Kentucky fans have this insecurity complex to where they just like when they feel when they're like insecurities creep in about who they are, they just start, you know,
the uncontrolla Indiana, they're so afraid to be Indian. Yeah yeah, and which, to be fair, it is an Indiana move. You hired an alum, that's an Indiana did and and it's things that you criticize both Louisville and Kentucky for do. Yeah, this is I will stop watching college basketball all together. I will stick to UK football. Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds. That's it. Jesus Christ, please give me a patina before we get to the Pope level. Now, if this were to happen, I'm done.
I'm out. I'm not entertaining it. Boosters will never let this happen. I'll hop on the fire Mitch. And if we try Pope before giving Donovan or Pearl a college try or reassessing Oates. If Pope is the coach next year, We've made the biggest mistake of all time. The happiest person and all of this is Mark Stoops. UK basketball will be on dead and
we'll be a football school. That's all we'll have. I gotta say, though, at there was an inkling in me last night that made me think this would be like the Tennessee Football Effect, where there was so much outcry against this really that maybe Mitch Barnhart would back out, but I know he's confident in who he is, so I don't know if I truly believed in that. Oh I don't mix Barn't hates his fans. He'd never do anything
based off of their you know, whining. I mean, there was a thought that I was like, man, there are so many angry people. Well because they're that angry, and they're that many of them, right, Yeah, But Mark Pope's going to be introduced, I believe on Sunday, and Kentucky fans will absolutely support him and believe and hope for the best, and that's what you should do as a fan. And Louisville's doing the same thing with Pat Kelsey. And it kind of feels like this whole thing's restarting.
Clearly bragging right, still belong to the Blue Side, but we got some new energy here and that alone is exciting. We're gonna get to know these coaches more. We're gonna see these rosters come together. It's gonna be great for the station. I can tell you that. All right, quick break, We'll come back on the other side, keep it rolling along in its coffee and company. We are fueled bout Thornton's right here on Sportsbok seven ninety. You guys want to join us on the show, you can five
O two five seven one seventy nine hundred phone lines are open. You can also text in five o't two six five three zero seven ninety on the ln N Federal Credit Union text line. Stex says, nake your spot on with cal. The fear wasn't just that he was great and we sucked, and we would never beat him. Even even when they weren't great, we'd find a way to lose. This is a new era and there's no fear of Mark poop, no fear he's done it. But the moose is doing it.
He's starting the Mark Mark poop revolution. We can maybe we can monetize this, sell some shirts, although I don't know if people would want to, you know, walk around with that word on their shirt. But hey, I've seen I've seen shirts in public or around you know, children that I'm surprised people feel comfortable wearing so. But you know how he is, though here he doesn't. He won't approve the l's down for Kentucky. If
Louisville fans were wearing Mark poop shirts. He wouldn't be having that either. I have a feeling he's going to drop that, Like I have a feeling that I have a feeling that that he will end up not being bothered by that. But I you know, for the and for those who like, I don't know if that's a Mark Pope thing or if that's a b YU thing, because you know, they're much they're very much about that's true. You know, their brand is like they're going to be respectful, classy,
no trash talk and uh you know that kind of stuff. But Texas came to play at BYU this past year and Mark Pope, I think he led his press conference with it about I guess kind of you know, shaming his own fans for doing L's down. We're not going to do that at all end, which he looked like a huge dork because what what's the issue with
that? Like that is one thing I've I've never heard any level of explanation as to why that is viewed as a sensitive thing to outsiders who aren't Texas fans, meaning like leagues referees, Like why is that like the ultimate disrespect that is not allowed? Whenever there's all kinds of different things that like signals or gestures that aren't vulgar, aren't, you know, flipping somebody off.
And it's a part of sports. It's what makes sports great. But here's what Mark Pope had to say earlier this year when Texas came there to provo and he didn't like that their fans were doing horns down. Thanks guys. Hey, if I can, Ty's gonna be mad at me here. But
I don't know you guys reporting on this. Horns down to you guys hearing this, and just to know from our student from our you know, they were taking off before the game started, right and from our from the rock and from our players and from our student body, that's just not us. That's not how we roll. And it was just a miscalculation on just a couple eager kids, which we love the eagerness of these fans, but it's not what you do here. So we love all eighteen thousand people in this
gym. They were incredible at night, and just so you know, that's not that's not something that works for Okay, awesome, Okay, if you had a fart sound on your board, I would have you play it right after that I mean, come on, I have it, but I wish i'd a known what a I mean, that's just lame. And I know nobody believes me when I say this. Actually a lot of people do. Louisville fans are probably in the same boat. A lot of them. Others
are genuinely I think, bothered by it. But like Kentucky fans, doing L's down is a self own more often than not, like if they're doing it when they're playing us and they're kicking our ass or something, that's different. But their obsession with it is adorable, and I mean it's insane. I mean, you'll have a recruiting class, well previously, you know they would have a recruiting class where the entire class essentially is a part of the
McDonald's American game. Mark Pope. I don't know if that's gonna happen, but you know the UK, you know hanks that cover the team that are there, they're like, well, would you guys get together? Do dow Ells down? Do ellsdown? These kids don't even know what it means, but they'll just do it. They'll take a picture and you know it gets shared by every Kentucky fan in the world. As if they just really stuck it to us, and it's you know, it's just it's it doesn't make
any sense, Like I get it. You're like it's one thing to do it again during the game, like when you play each other, but you can see the crowd. It's like a h what do you call it? Like a an impulse thing, like they can't control themselves. I know what you mean. Purdue fans do the same thing with Indiana. They do an IU sucks chant, and they did it during the National championship game in Macki Arena. The fans who are watching it from that venue. It's super lame.
They do it to the tune of I don't even know what it's called. It's it's just it's a typical stadium song that they just add IU sucks to the end of it. Well that that's a little different, but they still did it when they're during the National champion But I think that's now that that my guess is that that that that chant is now with the IU sucks in it, Like there's no level of them doing it without that being in
it, regardless of the situation. Still lame, but like I just think that's I think you'll you'll see at a football game the camera will pan to the crowd who knows the cameras on and when UK's play an l s U and it's the impulse like just can't control themselves if I can, sorry about that anyways, they'll just start throwing l's down like they can't help themselves. Just that's true. Different and the like again, like I'm not exaggerating family
together Christmas photos. Hey, everybody, let's get one where kids, you guys throw ls down. Me and mom will do the same. We'll put it on the Christmas card, send it to everybody, Like why because you're obsessed And that's the one like world, we're both obsessed with each other. That's what makes the rivalry what it is to an extent. But that's just weird, Like I don't understand that, Like that's and that doesn't bother a little. It just it's odd. What is the equivalent? Does Louisville do
something like that that bothers UK fans? Not that I know of. Okay, I don't think there's any like gesture like that. You know, Kentucky fans they tie them out, they get married, they're getting the wedding photos, got the wedding parties together, and then they're just doing some shots of the bride and groom and then oh, we got to get one of those down. Like it's just like that. The fact that that comes into mind is just odd to me. And trust me, like it's not a hey,
yeah, i'd be I'd be doing that too. Man, you got bragging rights, like no, I mean, I get it if you do it during the game and if you want to talk all kinds of nonsense about Louisville, like when when you know, when the opportunity presents itself, knock yourself out. But the way in which it's just become like a cultural thing within their fan base is I don't even know what the eqivalent would be for
any fan base. Now I don't I don't follow other rivalries. So maybe you know, you just shared one with me that I think is on the same path. But I think this is just weirder, is it not. I mean it's weirder because you can do it in any scenario. Yeah, with the IU sucks one. You have to do it with the whole chant like I remember in two thousand, it was in twenty nineteen. Well,
the earlier years of MAC. I remember I would occasionally, and I'm not kidding you, I would occasionally see a UK fan at an away game, no joke, like because they you know, they live or all or over the planet like I mentioned. And this isn't like a Hey, you guys come to our games because you're obsessed. I mean you do come to our
games a lot. But like I remember going to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech game and there was a couple of Kentucky fans there and you know, they they came up to me, and I guess they either knew who I was or just saw that I was, you know, media there for Louisville. Like they just started, like they didn't say anything, just like I wanted to get my attention and you know, put the l's down and I just did it right back to him. And they didn't like they didn't know what
to do. Like I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, like all ll down harder than you man. So what really, really, honestly, I believe ended whatever relationship I had with Scott Sadderfield is that I was very it was very very bothered by the fact that he winded Midfield about L's down to Mark Stoops after he got his ass kicked, because it's hard for fans to and I'm not sure if they'd believe us or not,
but who cares. But like it's hard for fans to brush it off like they usually do without Kentucky fans, you know, like they it fueled it and gave it new life, because if our coach is crying about it after the game, then they're going to assume that all of our fans are going to be crying about it too. And yeah, we're upset and bothered, pissed off that we got beat. But like the l's down thing, like it doesn't do a whole lot till there's plenty of like triggers in a back
and forth trash talking session between Louisville and Kentucky fans. There's triggers on both sides that will actually get a rise out of people, right, like a soft spot or just something that like they claim that you think is just nonsense. But I'm telling you, the L's down, it doesn't do much, and maybe it does come to an end just because maybe it's run its course. But like Mark Pope, now that I just mentioned the other guy's name
Saderfield. Like he is he Sadderfield, is he Saturfield. He's got some Saderfield in him. He's got a little bit of that in him, and he may win at a high level. Again, I think he's a good coach, and he's a good enough coach to where he could utilize what's at Kentucky and he could win at a high level. I don't have any doubt
that that could happen. You never really know, but I just think it's such a drastic difference in what you had before with cal And some will say, well, that's refreshing, that's what we needed, and you maybe you're right, and if that's what your opinion is, that's your opinion. But I just I'm curious if he's shining down in Fayetteville and this is more of a gradual thing for for pope and then maybe three years in you kind of feel like fourth best in the SEC is just kind of you know where you're
gonna where you are in the pecking order. I just I know Kentucky fans won't accept that, and if they do, whatever, that's their choice, but it would just be much different than I think what they were used to all right, let's go to the phone lines. Five O two five seven seventy nine hundred is the number again, five O two five seventy nine hundred the number. Let's get to one call here before we have to get to a break. Let's go to Travis. Travis, how are you hey?
I'm doing good? How are you not too bad? Good? Hey? Uh? I just wanted to time me in on the l's up ells down, saying, well, first of all, as far as Mark Pope's concerns, I have no idea what's gonna happen. I think that it's as you are called Scott Patterfield as a principal salad. It was low hanging fruit. It was somebody that he knew what must say. No, yeah, and that's what he went with. Now what comes of that, we'll see. But as far as the olds up ells down, I do got to ask
you a question, because I've had this conversation before. I don't throw ells up, else down, or any ll speriod, but with that he instead. It's always got on my nerves that every time a Louisville fan has a picture taken, they instantly throw l's up. So it's kind of the same thing. It's kind of you know, you're like, I don't know if there's anything that's that annoying to Kentucky fans, but that's just even if you
think it's lame because it's Louisville, I totally get it. You're a Kentucky fan and it's a rivalry, but that's just them living in their own world of Louisville and wanting people to know they're a Louisville fan. The l's down from Kentuck with ells down, that means that there were not a Louisville fan, right, Well, then I guess we must be so dominant with the
l's up that you have to clarify, you have to. Maybe that's why every Kentucky fan that calls, which you didn't, by the way, and that's fine, but they always say, hey, uh, Kentucky fan here, which is fine. But you know, I just think the drastic difference there is that Louisville throwing l's up has nothing to do with anybody but them
being Louisville fans. The l's down is you know, I guess just instead of doing whatever you would do to classify as a UK fan, you just want to I guess take a shot at Louisville, which whatever, knock yourself out. Clearly everybody does it. You claim you don't do it, and that's cool. But I do think there's a big difference in like when you want to, like, if you're at a game, at a Louisvill if you're a louis A game, you throw the l up like. I think
that's what people do. Like, I get it. If you think it's lame, fine, But if you're a Kentucky fan, I would think that there would be a level of just having some kind of a whatever. I mean, honestly between us, I think gestures are stupid with the hands. It doesn't do much for me. But that's what I think the difference is. Yeah, I mean I can see that. I'm just saying you're saying that every time you tell Elle, oh, you're just basically claiming that it
has nothing to do with it's your there's nothing new we can doe. No, I agree. But if I go Elval and it has everything to do with Louisville, meaning I don't like Louisville, that's fine. And look, you know what, I can actually respect that because I I'm going to assume that you like not only don't like Louisville, you probably hate him, and
that's what we need in this rivalry. So you've actually given a little bit of context as to why it's just it's a it's a well known thing among Kentucky fans that whatever you know about me, you need to know I don't like Louisville. Is that fair? What? Okay? Fair enough? Travis? I appreciate the phone call man. That was a good That was a good back and forth. Like you know, I love that there's hate between the schools and the fans. I mean, hopefully don't hate each other and
want to, you know, harm one another. But like, there's nothing that makes a rivalry healthier than hate. I we'll get to the phone calls on the other side. Five of two, five seven, one, seventy nine hundred. It is the number. It'sffee and Company. We are feel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety Good stuff here, John, good stuff. Turn it up. Does it show you what year this song came out? I know a lot of times you pull the music from YouTube
and it may not show that eighty one. Yeah, this this was an era that obviously I wasn't alive for but I feel like I belonged there. I needed to be there. It does fit your vibe, yeah, chest oh yeah, I take that as a compliment. All right, five or two, five, seven, seventy nine hundred is the number if you guys want to jump in and join us on the phone lines. We'll go back to the phone lines now and welcome in Mike. Mike, how are you
doing this afternoon? I'm doing very well. How are you doing today? Little brother? Not too bad? Are you? My older brother? Well? I didn't know I had a brother. Mom, what have you been keeping from me? All the little vilfas are little Brother? It's a nick name that Eddie Sudden gave you on and it's been mournerful. It's been so great. Okay, I'm glad you enjoy it. Yeah, so is that what you wanted to say? Mike? I just so I have stumbled across
your channel and I'm glad you found us. Yeah, well it was I thought it was a UK show because it's all it's all UK, UK, Mark Pope UK. Is anything going on for U of L that you can talk about? Or is it? I know this is a UK sho, I'm a UK fan. You're no UK fan? Are you the gatekeeper of BBN I've got I've got credentials to provide that I'm a member. I'm thinking maybe you're not a fan. Oh I'm big blue, true, big Blue.
I have a feeling you're telling the truth is that was Is there anything else you wanted to add to, anything else you wanted to discuss today or just wanted to to say that? Well, if you want to, if you really want to be a Kentucky fan, there's plenty of a room, you can always come over to the Big Blue Nation. I'm already there, Big Mark Pope fan. Thank you for the Mike. Appreciate you, uh holding for that. Have a good have a good weekend, my man.
I actually like those kind of phone calls. But I need more, like I need I need, I need more, I need more. He tricked me something. He didn't have anything to say. He just he thought he was gonna own you. And he he really in what way like owe me? How like he's just trying to fire you up. He just wasn't successful. Yeah that's I mean, I can get fired up. But hey, little brother, I mean, if if that if that's the if that's the initial jab in a troll phone call to try to get somebody worked up and
do the rivalry thing. I mean, it's not gonna work. I mean like that. I mean that's like, you know, that's like somebody calling me short, Like, yeah, I've been short my whole life, Like
you're not telling me anything. I don't know. I'm not in denial that I'm you know, five foot eight and on the shorter side, but you know whatever, And in all honesty, my life in the rivalry became a lot better for me, like it used to consume me to where like I would not do anything crazy like harm someone or be nasty, but just like I would never stop yelling, like I would just have endless back and forth
with Kentucky fans. That it hit me that, like, look, you love Kentucky, I love Louisville. We're never going to convince one another on anything. So what are we doing? What are we yelling about? So once I just realized that, like, there's nothing I'm gonna say that it's going to change the way they feel, and there's nothing they're going to say
to change the way I feel. Like does mean we can't talk and converse, but like as far as just like the you know, nastiness of it, I just I don't really go there because it doesn't I mean, and to be honest with you, like Louisville hasn't, you know, hasn't really you know, had a whole lot of ammunition on the basketball side of things in a while. So maybe that's part of it. I know some people probably like that, like the yelling and the and that, but that's just
not me. You know, I'm gonna to talk to my mom because she's been she's been keeping it from me that I got a big brother. That's pretty shameful. And I'm kidding for like those who just now turned on the radio and heard that, Like I don't have a big brother. My mom didn't keep anything from me. But you know, it's gotta be careful about you know. I have that fear of somebody just popping in write at a certain moment and hear hearing hearing a sentence and just thinking, what the hell
is what's going on here? So anyways, quick break, we'll come back on the other side, get back to your phone calls, keep this thing rolling along. Five o'clock hours next, right, here on Sports Talk seven ninety