4.14: I Like Big Putts - Hour 2

it's maturity or maybe I'm becoming a boomer. But yesterday, specifically and even some on Saturday, I was outside a lot and I would just like look around, not at random strangers, but like, you know, my son, my wife was with a lot of family on Sunday yesterday with Easter celebration. Like, do you guys realize how amazing this weather is? Like it feels unbelievably awesome outside, So you know, I feel like I'm having a bigger appreciation for that.

Maybe it's because we had so much rain and such a brutal winter around here, and you know, then I went to the beach for a week and the weather sucked there at least, you know, for the most part. So anyways, it's been beautiful here lately and I'm loving it all right again, Coffee and Company, you know the

drill we are feel about Thornton's. Make sure you sign up to become a member of the Refreshing Awards pump, or make sure you've got to become a member of the Refreshing Awards program because you'll save money at the gas pump, the refreshing rewards pumps. That could be a lot of things. Let your mind go wherever it goes. But anyways, shout out to Thornton's and I apologize for butchering that, and I'll make it up to you, you know, next time. Now, I'm just thinking about if there was

a Refreshing Rewards pump, what would it be. It could be a lot of things, couldn't it. Again, let's your imagination do most of the work there, all right, So believe it or not, this is not a joke. I did talk about the Masters and it probably wasn't you know, a great segment when it comes to, you know, analyzing what went on yesterday with Rory McElroy getting it done.

But it was the first time I've ever watched it to that extent and felt like, you know what, I get it now, not to say that I'm going to be watching golf all the time. But you know, yeah, that was a pretty it was it was it was dramatic. It was a roller coaster, right. You kept thinking, Okay, this guy is he gonna blow it? Oh, yeah he is, and then sure enough puts himself back in position to h to be right there to get it done, and

eventually that's that's exactly what he did. We haven't talked a whole lot about Spring the spring game from Friday because honestly, just being honest here, I'm not really sure what there is to take from it. I mean, I don't I've always felt like it's almost it's impossible to really know, you know, did your team get better during

spring football by watching the spring game? And those games aren't necessarily designed for fans to be able to figure that out, but as fanatics, right, because that's what fan is short for. You want to always know how good your team's gonna be. You want to always be assessing things. And you know, I think this team, for the most part, I mean, you've got a quarterback with experience, Miller Moss.

I mean, it doesn't sound like there was anything from from Friday that would make anybody not confident that he's going to be able to do what Jeff brom needs to do this year. You've got two running backs that are two of the best in the country. And that's not exaggeration, that's not hyperbole. I mean, I think Isaac Brown would certainly get more praise nationally than Duke Watson. But let's be real, Duke Watson was also really, really,

really good last year. I mean, Isaac Brown was the Freshman of the Year in the ACC was a Freshman All American, and Duke Watson in the end because he ended up getting so many carries towards you know, down

I mean really just became those two guys. Not to say there weren't other running backs that contributed and help with the offense, but Duke Watson, because his role increased so much down the stretch, he ended up getting enough carries to where he did qualify for like the running back statistics, right, you got to get so many carries in order for your yards per carry to count. Well. His did and he led the country. I mean, that's

that's how good he was. So I still think this louisvill football team, you know, after the spring game, we should still feel justified that going into year three, Jeff Brohm should should have a team that can compete towards the top of the ACC. Now, well that happened. We'll have to wait and see. But from a personnel standpoint, I think Jeff has done a good job since he got here. It really just understanding, Look, this is it. You're gonna have guys in and out all the time

because of the portal. You're gonna also have to make sure you've got money to pay these players, and any belly aching about it, any resistance to this change can only be a setback, can only hurt you. So don't

I wouldn't even really call it embracing it. I think brom is just such a like this is so much his world right, Like not to say he doesn't have any other interest, although he has said many times like you know which see is what you get if I'm not if I'm not coaching football, I'm probably watching football

or watching other sports. Like he doesn't just go to all the Louisville games basketball games because he wants to be visible and he wants people to know that the louisvill football the louisvill football coach is supporting Pat Kelsey.

He's there because that's he loves it. He'd be there if he wasn't the Louisville football coach probably unless you know, he was coaching elsewhere, which, to be honest, he still would come back to other He would still come back to Louisville basketball games occasionally when he wasn't our coach, and it would be kind of weird, like wait a second, like I get while you're here. I love the year here,

we love you Jeff, but this is unusual. Well, you know that's the reason why he's back here, and he left a big ten job to come home because it's home. Louisville can give something Jeff Brohm could not get anywhere else as far as what this job is to him, what it means to him. And you know, Jeff gives us something that we couldn't get if we had unlimited money. Somebody who's going to understand and quite literally have a give a damn. That's at a level for this program

that not sure anybody else could match. So again I would say, right now, I don't want to act like this is a huge deal, because again I think there aren't going to be that many transfers in football over the years, that'll be deal breakers for you, right, Like I think Louisville is a program that clearly is not in the top tier of the sport of college football.

But you know, if you had a player that you knew and maybe this has already happened and it just wasn't it wasn't publicly out there for everybody to know. But like Isaac Brown, that was one of the He's one of the best freshmen we've had around here in a long time. You would imagine that if Isaac Brown was to hit the market, he could probably get a lot of money anywhere. So when you have players like that, again, maybe there are there are clearly some programs that'll be

able to outbid you. But if you really I mean, Louisville will do anything they can, and I think in every sport in order to not let money be the reason why they lost somebody. Now, again, you can't get in a bidding war and expect to beat everybody, but if you prioritize somebody that you know will be getting a ton of money if they did try to test

the market, I think Louisville will do. We'll always do whatever they can and make it work, and I think more often than not they will be able to retain players. But again, you're gonna lose some guys just because you know, it's not just about the money. So I say all that to say there's two guys in the portal that I don't necessarily think it's a great thing that they are, you know, in the portal. The news today was Jojo Stone has hit the portal. I guess he is. I

guess he's coming off his true freshman season. But I think he was able to get a red shirt because he didn't appear in as many games. And look, he's somebody that was highly regarded coming out of high school. He's got a lot of speed. He ended up picking Louisville, I believe, over LSU. But here's the reality. He could

never really move up the depth chart. Now, again, he was only here for one season as a true freshman, but I suppose after spring he was still not somebody that really looked as if he was going to be super involved with in the offense. And because of that, he wants to transfer. I don't really think this is like that big of a deal, because if this kid could really really help US. I feel like he'd be getting a lot of big reps in spring and he would have played maybe a little bit more last year.

I don't know. So, you know, losing a kid that's a highly regarded recruit out of high school mean, it's never something you like want to happen or you know,

you hope for it. But again, like, I think this kid's probably moving on because it just hasn't worked out here for him, and it's probably not because you know of I mean, I don't want to call this kid a buzz because look, if he goes somewhere else and he becomes a great player, then you know, yeah, you'll feel like, man, wish that guy would have stuck around, But he gave it a year and didn't like where he was and he's deciding to leave. And that's just

where we are now. The other transfer. So again, I don't think Jojo Stone leaving is like, oh, what are we going to do without this guy? But I do think the receiver position has turned into one that yeah, you got Colin Lacy back, and that's huge. I think Chris Bell I think it's safe to say that he did actually have a breakthrough type season last year. To where getting him back now as a senior will be will be huge. He can go make some plays for you,

And they've got some other guys that I like. But I kind of feel like this is probably as unproven as Louisville as been at receiver outside of two guys in a long time. Now, maybe there's somebody that is on the roster that will make a big jump and be an all acc caliber guy. That's sure. You never know, and that stuff happens all the time. It's just hard

to predict. But I would imagine they're going to be looking in the in the portal post spring to try to, you know, see if there's somebody out that they could come in and help. So again, I don't think stone leaving is oh goodness, we lost one of the best receivers, because you really don't know what you're what you're missing out on because he never got it. He never played, and again I think he probably didn't play a whole lot because he wasn't ready to contribute quite to the

level of the other guys that did play were. But losing a receiver probably one of the positions that you know, you kind of you're already I think looking, okay, do we have enough? Now? This is just a hit, and this is one of those that sucks, but you know, you can recover from it. It's not the end of the world. But there's no scenario anybody would have wanted or expected Austin Collins to leave. He is somebody that I believe has started. I mean, I think he started

a ton of games here. Yeah, so he's he's played both guard and center, and yeah, the last two seasons, I mean, he's been a significant part of the offensive line. And I don't know if it was expected, meaning like he knew he could go elsewhere and get more money, or if he had, you know, he had somebody reach out to his cut I'm not accusing anybody of doing anything wrong, because I think tampering happens at every level. It's just, you know, are you gonna be stupid about it?

it than just that. But like again, long story short, I don't know why Austin Collins is leaving, but clearly he is somebody that was a significant part of your old line the last two seasons, which, by the way, last year's offensive line did a phenomenal job. I mean those guys, I mean they don't get a ton of credit when things go well. But man, if the quarterbacks

not getting clean pocket, he's got no time. If your running backs are getting blown up as soon as they get the ball, all the blame goes to the old line. But whenever they you know things are working well, you rarely think about them. Right when somebody breaks free for a sixty five yard touchdown like Isaac Brown did a few times last year, you're probably thinking, oh, wow, this freshman is spectacular. Look at the wheels on this guy.

He's going to be a stud. And then maybe you know the next player, like, oh, I guess that was a pretty good job by the old line for creating,

you know, creating that hole, creating that play. So again, not somebody that you want to lose, but again it's part of it now, So he'll be a grad transfer so he can he he doesn't have a window as far as like when he has to make a decision, and I'm sure he'll have some interest, right, I mean, I think when it comes to offensive linemen, this is just an observation from my end here as we're still relatively you know, in the early years of this new

world free agency veteran offensive linemen they seem to be it's like a it's like a game of musical chair. I mean, I feel like maybe it's just me focusing more on Louisville than elsewhere, But I think if you're an offensive lineman and you've played a bunch of football and maybe you didn't even start fifty percent of the games, maybe it was close to forty or something like that, there's always room for more experienced guys in the trenches.

And I just think, you know, Louisville can go out there and I don't know if they're gonna be able to get somebody that is as good and familiar with Louisville's offenses Austin College. I think it's gonna be tough to do, but there'll be guys available that are experienced, and you know, you'll they'll just have to find a

way to make it work. But I do feel that the news of Jojo Stone and Austin Collins in the last you know, forty eight hours it was revealed that they're leaving Louisville, I feel like just the reaction that I've been able to see from Louisville fans on social media, it tells me that we are getting there as far as just understanding that there's going to be transfers that happen, and there's really nobody you can blame, right, I mean you can, but like when certain in the early stages

of guys leaving in Louisville, Honestly, I'm just only speaking from the louis side of things. We've been pretty fortunate. I mean, can you think of somebody in any sport at U of L that left via the portal in the last few years where it was like, oh my god, how did this happen? This is awful, We'll never recover. The only player that comes to mind for me that was like, damn, I can't believe we're gonna actually watch

this player in a different uniform. But I remember it being kind of the light bulb for me where it went off, and I'm thinking, you know what, like this will be this example should be the example of there's really gonna be maybe not a lot of this, maybe it's not an every year thing, but there will be players that leave and it's just because they can and want to. Nobody did anything wrong. It's not because the players a cancer to the locker room. It's not because

the check didn't clear with NIL. I mean, how many times have you ever just done something because you feel like it? How many times you've ever just done something because you want to do Well, That's what some of these college players I think are doing right now. Anybody have any clue as to which player I'm referring to that Like it seemed like, wow, like this is I guess the bad side of the portal. Right, we're not, you know, we've been pretty spoiled where Louisville really I

keep going back to the Pat Kelsey thing. If the portal didn't exist in NIL didn't exist when Louisville hired Kenny Payne, he'd still be our coach because we'd be in that old world where he had four years to show us that he wasn't the worst coach of all time, having the portal and having the free agency where you can just re up and start all over year after year. That that, you know, that clearly changed a lot for Louisville, no doubt. But haileyvan Liz was the player I was

referring to. So Hailey bean leth it wasn't about money. She had all the money she needed. She was donating a lot of money she was making here to the community because she was like that level of star. She'd gone to two Elite eights in a final four. Louisville was always a top ten year program when she was here. They had success, She had it all, but she just

decided she wanted to do something else. And I remember thinking, like, there's nobody to blame, like anybody blaming Jeff Walls because Hayley van Lyff left, Like you're just not You're just being emotional, Like yeah, I'm sure he didn't want her to leave, but he clearly wasn't gonna be able to stop her or change her mind because it wasn't about money, wasn't about role. She had everything she needed. So she goes to LSU chasing a ring and you know, didn't

get it, and honestly, she. I don't know if she she'll ever say that she regretted leaving Louisville. I doubt she will. And in fact, you know, she ended up moving on to a second team after leaving Louisville with TCU this year, and she ended up eliminating Louisville from the tournament. But there was no like I mean, I think coaching her at times was probably a little bit

more than maybe Jeff intended. But I mean, it was so ridiculous whenever ESPN literally the announcers were tabbing the ECU Louislle game in the tournament, the Hailey vanlydth revenge game? What revenge for?

mind made up. He may he may even have like a non contact you know, status in his in his portal entry because he knows where he's going to go. I don't know, but you know when you have a guy that's played two different positions for you at the offensive line and has been a big factor in your success when the offensive line was working. I mean, I trust that this staff knows that and they were gonna be willing to do whatever they could to make it work.

But that's what makes me feel like it wasn't about money. It was just him wanting to go elsewhere to finish his career with his grad season. All right, quick break will come back On the other side, talk a little basketball, And I mentioned this earlier. I've yet to go to a game, and I haven't seen anything other than just

highlights on TikTok and Instagram and whatnot. But the Savannah Bananas their explosion as far as popularity dollar signs, I think there's so much in this world of sports entertainment that we could learn about what they're doing. And it sounds like, you know, it's just that's just all for show. Well, do you realize every bit of sports that we talk about, for the most part, on platforms like this or what that you watch on television. It's entertainment, That's what it is.

And I think sometimes people need a reminder of that quick break Coffee and Company. Feel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven.

clearly they're successful as pros already. They're I think both of these guys are twenty years old, and that does make you a little less worried about their ability to impact the game right away, because one, they're older than most high school freshmen, and also they've played professional basketball for years now. But we'll get into it, because again I think this is the kind of I mean, among many things, this is just a new layer to college basketball.

And as we've seen with other teams in the last couple of years, you can get really good players, you can get good talent. But yeah, I think right now, I would say with Louisville, when it comes to their roster again, there's still pieces to add back. Kentucky is hosting a transfer from sam Houston State, a guard by the last named Wilkerson, who he would be a really good addition for them. I don't know if he's leaning more Indiana or Kentucky, he's visited both, but he's somebody

that is experienced can shoot it. To me, he's the kind of guard that Mark Pope I shouldn't say desperately needs, but you know, they really rely on shooting. And of all the newcomers that they've added, and I don't know enough about Jelovich to know if that's part of his game, but Wilkerson would give you somebody you're bringing in who Hey, he's showing up and one of the tools he's bringing

is that he can flat out shoot the ball. And it's not to say that they got a bunch of guys who can't shoot, but for Pope and Kelsey to be honest, if they're putting together a team that is going to play the style they want to play, that team's going to have many guys that are that are that are flat out shooters. So again, I don't they'll

be more players at it for both. But I feel like for Louisville case in Pryor's decision, if he announces he's coming back this week, I mean again, I think a lot of people, myself included, are under the impression that he is going to be back. But that would make it to where the rest of those spots you

still need to add. I think a backup point guard, a veteran for Louisville, I would like to see another polished offensive post player, not somebody that you know you got to run things through, but just and there's no nice way to say it, but somebody who is not a James Scott, because James Scott there's value. He was a factor in this year's success, no doubt. He's really good at getting to his spot, which is above the rim and dunking it. Plays with a with a with

high energy. He's got a got a great motor, but he's in you know, he's in no way an offensive threat to your opponent in any way, and I'm not really sure he's ever going to be. He could certainly improve. But to me, for Louisville, if they get prior back, I think you really try your best to find a veteran post player that can get give you some some production around the rim, and then of course another point guard.

Not because I'm worried about Michail Brown, which by the way, we'll talk about him later, because it sounds like at every you know, the McDonald's game, whatever event he's been at over the weekend. I mean, he's continuing to get a lot of praise, which is exciting. So anyways, we'll talk some basketball coming up here a little bit later on. But the Savannah Bananas, now, Austin, I know you've done some work. In fact, you still do work with the

Louisville Bats. They had the Savannah bannas the Savannah Bananas at Slugger Field last year, right, complete sellout, and I remember we were out of town when it went on. But yeah, I I remember popping up on social media like Facebook, Twitter while we were on vacation, and like anytime I would open my phone and go to one of those apps, I would see people that I know begging, please,

does anybody have any tickets? We'll pay top dollars, Like everybody wanted to see the show that is the Savannah Bananas, and it's I mean, it's like the Harlem Globe Trotters, but baseball correct. Is that the best way to describe it. That's how I'd say it. And I don't kneel. I mean, I'm sure the Globe Trotters did, but I feel like right now the Savannah Bananas have more buzz and popularity

than the Globe Trotter's ever had. I'm sure that's hyperbole because the Globe Trotters have been around forever, and I'm sure when it was a new thing, it was a big deal and it still is. I mean they still in fact, I think they weren't they hit the Yum Center not that long ago. Yeah, they were just here in March. Yeah. So I don't want to take a shot at them, but like, I guess that's the best way to describe what the Savannah Bannon the Savannah Bananas are.

So they're selling out NFL stadiums, major League Baseball stadiums all across the country. People cannot get enough of watching this act that is you know, I mean, what would you how would you describe it? Like they're playing baseball, but they're also like dancing, there's choreography, like it's a show. It's a show. They keep score, right, Yeah they ever lost? I'm sure they have.

especially that they're called the party Animals. So again it's it's been a story for a while now that they they they're booking the biggest stadiums this country has to offer and they're selling out with no trouble at all. Well, now they've become a television product because ESPN has signed a deal to have ten Savannah Bananas games on television this season. Wow, and these will be when they are

in In fact, it starts. It starts later this month because they're gonna be at at Clemson's Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. That'll be on April twenty six. They're also going to be in Nashville, Charlotte, Washington, d C, Boston, Philadelphia, two games in Baltimore, They'll be in Denver, They're going to be at Guaranteed Great Field in Chicago, and I mean this is gonna be in Cincinnati too. I think this show, I mean they're gonna be everywhere. I'm just

mentioning the games. They're gonna be on telepawon, Yeah, they're gonna be They're all over the place. But those are the ten games they're doing. The the they're gonna be on TV on ESPN, so in addition to the linear channels that ESPN has, all tim of these games are gonna be on ESPN Plus as well as Disney Plus. And they are gonna have the Sports Center hosts Randy Scott and Gary Struvsky. I think it's how you say that they're gonna be. Yeah, they're gonna be a part

of it. And you know just what, I I'm not somebody that would ever like seek out the Savannah the Savannah Bananas. But I'm also not like against them. It's just, you know, I'm not really a big baseball guy in general, but it'd be hard to ignore the amount of popularity they have right now and how it's been kind of not even really a slow build, but it's been it's been hot and heavy and isn't slowing down. And what this reminded me of is because they're gonna make like

they make a ton of money right now. I mean, I don't know where you would compare their money, because again, it's a different They're not they're not playing seventeen game NFL season. They're not playing you know, however many games baseball teams play. But they have such popularity to where they are a bigger attraction on television for ESPN than probably like real sports, that you would blow your mind right like they and think we all know that it's

kind of for show. And yeah, as you mentioned Austin, they can lose, but like, you're not watching to seek great competition, right, You're watching to be entertained exactly right. More often than not, when you're watching the NFL, you have rooting interest because it's your team or you bet on a game or you just you know, you find yourself doing what most humans do, right, You'll pull for

an underdog because it's just human nature. So because of that, and because of how long we've all like we're sickos about Louisville basketball, Louisll football around here, Kentucky basketball, Kentucky football, and it's you know, it's something that we take probably way too serious, right, Like winning and losing is something that really impacts us around here because we care so much. And it's been that way as long as we remember.

Our parents were like that, maybe your grandparents were like that. So because it's such a serious thing, it's really a big part of our culture. I think at times we forget that what that is for us at its core is entertainment. Right, Like you don't think, like, yeah, I'm gonna watch this Louisville basketball game tonight because I'm going to be entertained, as if like I'm going to the movies or as if I'm watching the Savannah Bananas. It's a different type of entertainment for you. But at the

end of the day, it's entertainment. And if Louisville and Kentucky or whatever, you know, Indiana, whoever you're a fan of, if they put the worst product on the floor in court for years to come because they just played a boring style. Let's just say, instead of hiring Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey who want to run and shoot threes, we hired a couple of Tony Bennett's around here. You know what we would do, We'd still watch because our entertainment level. We're not there because it needs to be

a good game. We're there because we just are entertainment is that we're obsessed and it's like our escape from life that we get lost and we get absorbed in

our team. So stick with me, because what I'm getting at is like when like ESPN's people who make these decisions about what gets on television or what act they're going to bring in to book like a venue, like to use their venue, Like if you right now, like if you're a major league baseball club and it's the off season, you know, hey away for us to bring in a lot of like I guarantee you the Savannah Banas being at Slugger Field was probably a big payday

for the Bats. I don't know what the BREAKDNE is, but they don't get crowds like that ever for anything. So you know, people who make decisions about who to bring into their venue or what to put on television, like you know ESPN's doing here with the Savannah Banas.

They know there's a built in fan base core that's always going to be there, but you're always trying to bring in others and what really And I saw these two stories kind of back to back, so the Spanana Bannon, I mean, and there was also a sixty minutes piece following the Masters last night just about how this all came together and how booming things are right now for those that you know, put this whole thing together. So right after I saw this, you know, it wasn't new information.

I knew that the van and Bananas were on fire and everybody loves them and they're really popular. But then right after that, I'm scrolling through and I see a story about Page Bukers. So Paige Bukers, she is probably going to be the first pick and this year's in a WNBA draft. Had a phenomenal career at Yukon, just

won a national championship. The story that came out over the weekend is that she had signed a deal to play in Unrivaled, which is the three on three league that has women's basketball players, and it's already a better product than the WNBA is. So she's going to make three hundred and fifty I'm sorry, I don't know what the entire contract is. I don't have it in front of me, but this is what front office sports reporter

that of course got a lot of attention. Paige Bukers is set to make more than three hundred and fifty thousand dollars in her first sea with Unrivaled. That's more than her entire first WNBA contract will pay her over four years. So follow me and I'll tell you where I'm going. This is not anybody's fault. It's just an observation that I feel like nobody else is either making or they're scared to discuss it because I don't want

to offend people. The fact that she's going to make that much money in one season and she can't get all of that in a four year stretch in the WNBA is because your value, and I don't mean you as a player, the value of your league, your product, is based on how entertaining it is and how many people are going to watch it. If we had the best basketball players of all time playing in a five on five game but nobody watched it, it would be

worth nothing. There's no value there, right, So this veanana bananas, it's not even real. I mean, I don't know. I mean I shouldn't say that as somebody who doesn't watch it, but like it's there, you're, they're they're they're there just to entertain. It's really not about true competition. But you know what people watch, and there's value because a ton of people are watching. How many times have we had a conversation about Jake Paul's fights being fake? I don't

really know for sure just how fake they are. Clearly he's a real boxer and he trains and whatnot. But you know what, it's an entertainment thing. And even if you know that there's maybe a chance that Mike Tyson's in on it because he needs that last paycheck, because his career is turned into what it's turned into. You're gonna watch and that matters. That's the value there. So the WNBA, like you've got a lot of people claiming

this is surd. The WNBA has to change this. There can simply not be the president that she can go play in this three on three league that's not even real nobody it is real competition. It's a three on three league, and it's more entertaining. They're catering. They're trying to make it an entertaining thing for the to make the product something that people would want to either watch on television or buy tickets and go see the WNBA.

You know, I have no issue with the WNBA. I don't I don't follow it, I don't care much about I don't care about it. I'm not anti WNBA. But the whole like, well, they just got to do this to make the players deserve more money. Where's the money coming from? Like just showing up and playing five on five basketball. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of value there,

So where's the money going to come from? So I'm not bringing this up to just pick on the WNBA, But I think a lot of times when we are, you know, the sick of fans that are just so absorbed with it, and it's really a part of our culture. We don't think about we're watching our team play tonight because we need the entertainment in a sick way. We'd watch it like it's part of our job, right, This is all I know, this is what I do. I'm a Lowell fan, I'm a Kentucky fan. But when there's

enough of you, then there's value because people watch. You know, people are going to want to buy to you know, people are going to pay tickets or pay money for tickets to go see it. And there's going to be value because a lot of people watch it. Therefore it can be on television and they can monetize it. So I just the Savannah bananas have more popularity right now than like seemingly anything in sports outside the NFL. Maybe that's maybe that's an exaggeration, but like probably not far

from it. So the fact that it's not real in any way compared to what we obsess over with college basketball, college football, the NFL, that kind of stuff, it's still, at the end of the day, entertainment. And I just for those that just say, okay, well they should pay W and B players more money, it's not because you know, they're not paying them more money because they're women. It's not because you know they're holding out and taking all

the money for themselves. It's not entertaining enough to have enough value to where it can be a lucrative thing. That's just the reality. That's not an opinion, that's a fact. And yet you've got and again it's not like, hey, look how I know it sounds bad, especially for those that may be a little bit sensitive to somebody, you know, being a you know, you know what do you call it a basically a pig right anti feminism or whatever

there's a word for it. I'm spending my wials on because yeah, but it's not I don't I don't want. I don't want to come off that way, and I'm trying not to. But that's really what it comes down to. Like it's entertainment and it's not personal. Nobody choose, no, I mean, can you choose what is entertaining to you? I don't know if you can. You can choose what you try to find entertainment out of. But like, people are entertained by what they're entertained by. And you could

be the biggest advocate in the world. There could be a billion advocates for women's professional basketball meeting the WNBA, but not enough people feel the same way clearly, or it would be a bigger value. And you know, I guess I probably should have emphasized more that this is really a testament to what the Savannah Bananas have done and created, But it just reminded me of something I rarely hear anybody talk about that at the end of the day, you can have like, oh, we got we've

got the best play. If people aren't entertained enough to watch at a really, really, really high level, where's money coming from? I mean, I just think that if in fact, this Unrivaled League becomes the new version of professional bas

basketball for women, what's the issue with that? It still it gives them a platform, it gives them a chance to make more money than they're making in the WNBA, And clearly it's more entertaining than what you're getting in the WNBA, and that's based off of ratings and viewership. But to see Buckers get the big deal from Unrivaled and everybody bringing up like how little she'll make in the WNBA, that's really nobody's fault. It's just the reality of it. And there are there are some people that

don't live like in reality. They live in their own world, and that's a real sickness that apparently is becoming worse by the day. In society, but people can, Like there's a lot of things in sports, specifically women's sports that I think people just say is that they're going to speak it into They're going to speak it into existence without realizing. No, no, like that's not true at all. Anybody who didn't, anybody who thinks that this is not take it off. Yeah, I'm living in reality. You're not

quick break. Keep you locked right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

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I believe earlier this morning. Maybe it was over the weekend and I missed it, but longtime Louisville women's basketball assistant Stephanie Norman is leaving Jeff Wall's staff. Been here for a long time and she's decided to take a similar position and assistant coaches spot at Arizona State, which is her alma mater. So yeah, she's been here for eighteen seasons and been a big part in Louisville women's

basketball becoming one of the better programs in the sport. Obviously, the last couple of years have not been super successful, but really I think that's a testament to how spoiled we were because Jeff Walls has I mean again, I know I say this all the time when we have conversations about the programs over at uf L on Floyd Street, and I think Jeff Walls, to me, is the best example of somebody that maybe not even maybe it's not even example, but to me, he has quite literally transformed

a program at the school like nobody else has. I mean, I don't mean to be disrespectful to those that were a part of the women's basketball program prior to Jeff Walls, but the program really had no existence quite like what it's been since since Jeff arrived roughly twenty years ago, and Stephanie Norman being by his side throughout those eighteen years that she was there, she was a big factor. So she'll be joining the new staff of Molly Miller, who just got the head coaching job. And she not

only mean she only went there, she played there. Norman did and she actually interviewed for the job back in twenty twenty two when it was opened. So congrats to her on a great run. And it sounds like Jeff is going to be looking to add to his staff, all right, So here's what we've got coming up for you. In the five o'clock hour, we'll talk a little more about yesterday's masters. Also an early look at, at least as of now, the rosters for both these teams here

locally Louisville and Kentucky. I think there's some obvious observations about both sides as far as you know, what they've been able to do, so we can certainly get into that. And we haven't talked a whole lot about the Nico situation. I say Nico because I don't know how to say

his last name, at least not confidently. But the Tennessee quarterback, who I feel like this is the first right, a guy who got a bunch of money to go to ut was still being paid, they were having success, he wanted more money, and then the program just decided to cut ties with him because apparently he was holding out, didn't show up to team meetings and whatnot. And you know, I think Tennessee made the right decision. And I get why it's like a turn off for those of you

that still want to live in that world. But this is not pro sports, but it is pro sports, but without regulation, without rules, without you know, any I mean, it's an absolute for all. And that's how something like

that happens. You could pay players and they can be you know, on contract, and they can make a lot of money, but because the NCAA still refuses to acknowledge that these are you know, basically employees, that's how you know you even have a guy holding out to try to see what kind of money he can get, because

here's the thing, he'll probably get it elsewhere. He's I don't think he's worth it, but somebody will pay him that right, or somebody will find a way to get him what he wants, because that's how much people want to win when it comes to college football. And then I don't know if this is going to be interesting enough for a radio audience, but I may get to it. Trulli Donovan. I think we all know who that is, right. He's this anonymous guy who covers college hoops, recruiting and stories.

I mean, he's he's about his for the most part. He's been as good as anybody at covering college basketball for the last few years, but he hides who he is, which you know he has every right to do. He's still successful. He's got a bunch of people paying a monthly subscription to his discord where they get inside scoop and more often than not he's right. But he went against BBN and I guess kind of mocked them for questioning his report on a player, and it sounds like

he may have gotten. He may have gotten. They call it doxed, Is that right, Austin? Like if if somebody puts your identity out there and nobody knows that, that's getting dockxed. Right, So apparently Trilli Donovan got dockxed, And you know I thought I saw that. Yeah, we'll get into it because I I think his outward like denial of like wow, they think that's me makes me think, Okay, I think you're acting like that because you know they

did get you. But like he should just come out and say who he is, right, Like, what would be the harm there? I don't think he's hiding like that he's a criminal or something. But anyways, we'll get into that in a lot more. We'll finish strong here in the five o'clock hours, so stick with us. It's coffee and Company and we are feel about Thornton's right here on sports Talk seven ninety