It's time for coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick coffee.
All right, four o'clock here on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Happy hump day, everybody. It is coffee and company, and we are fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. We'll get back to the phone lines. Come ou up here shortly. So if you guys want to give us a call, you can five O two five seven one seventy nine hundred. You can also text in on the Ellenn Federal Credit Union text line five oh two four three eight ninety seventy three. Again five O two four
three eight ninety seventy three. All right, So, uh, this is uh, this is something that just kind of distracted me a little bit during the break because I just assume by now, in twenty twenty five, everybody who you know, college football stadiums across the country, like everybody can can buy beer. Like, how are you not selling booze in twenty twenty five, I guess Kentucky? Are they? What three
seasons are so into it? Maybe it's actually less than that, I'm not sure, but like we can't relate like I saw. And the reason I'm bringing this up is because Notre Dame will be selling beer for the first time this fall at basketball, football, and hockey games. And you know, they they're they're different, right, Like they are really in their own on their own, in their own planet when
you think about it. And that doesn't mean like they're so much better than everybody else, but like they're the only legitimate program that has they're a national team, like they are, they're a national team. They have an NBC deal that is lucrative. They don't need television revenue from a conference grant of rights because they're a national brand and NBC pays them big bucks. So you know, they could do their own thing and not really conformed up.
So maybe it's not a big shot that they're one of the last ones, seemingly to uh to allow fans to enjoy beer at games. But then again, like I'm Catholic myself. Catholics love to get hammered on some beer and just put them away. You've ever been at church picnic, I mean, come on now, So I'm like part of me says Notre Dame would have been doing it before anybody, because you know the Catholic stuff. And I don't mean you have to be a you know, big drinker to
be a Catholic. I love the Catholic I mean, I know, you know, I just as I got older and learned like different religions, I.
Was, I was.
I'm born and raised Catholics, So it's all I knew when I thought of church, and then I went to church with some friends and then realized, of course there are different religions. I mean, I even at a young age, I thought, you know, I think a lot of these other places they would be probably pretty pretty ant high drinking. But man, I've never seen more beer being drank than when I go to my Saint Rita picnic as a kid,
like you just you pick up on those things. But a little cake walk, but another thing for little like we've been doing it. I mean, this is child's play. I mean we've been getting We've been getting hammered at games at old Cardinals Stadium, at Freedom Hall, you know, before anybody else, I mean, before it was cool, we were you know, I shouldn't say we're all getting hammered, but you all know what I mean. The best atmospheres ever for Louisville Athletics that I know of are for football.
It's whenever it's it's a little bit late at night and there's a lot of people there, and the drinks have been flowing. You know, there's a reason why atmospheres. It's not just because of you know, nighttime and daylight difference. If you got to kick off at seven thirty and a kick off at noon, by the time we get to kick off at seven thirty, a lot of alcoholic beverages have been thrown down the neck among many in the in the green lot purple lot.
Beer at the spring game. Were they selling alcohol then?
Yeah, I don't think I mean, I mean, well, they sold beer at like Chris Max's introductory press conference, at the at the you know, at Freedom or at the Center in like the ballroom area, like much like that. That's just what we do, you know what I mean. And we've never been ashamed of it, and I love it. But it was like it became sort of a thing where conferences, that's what it was. It was kind of
like the SEC I guess not that long ago. They are the ones who said you can now sell booze if you want, like it'll be a school by school decision. The conference is now no longer going to restrict you for being able to do it. So anyways, Notre Dame
you can now you can now buy booze there. And I hate to sound like I'm some you know, drunk that is so dependent upon alcohol because I don't wake up and hit the bottle every day, but I'm not afraid to say that if I was going to be going to a game and I was like kind of on the fence about going, if I knew that I could not buy a beer, that would make my decision a little bit easier to not go. And again, I know it sounds like I got to be hammered to
watch football or basketball. That's not what I mean, but like it's a part of the experience. It's and you know, it's it's awesome. But now people probably think I'm some raging alcoholic.
Have you ever been up to Notre Dame proper?
So I've been to Notre Dame, but not for football, only for basketball, which is kind of weird. Most people make it a bucket list kind of trip for football.
And is it the same thing. Do they not sell beer at the basketball game either? Or alcohol at the basketball games.
Or until you just asked me if I've ever been. I now remember being at the Joy Center with my dad. We went to the game, and I remember we left one of those campus pubs, really cool place that was just a quick walk from from from there to the to the arena the Joy Center, and it was like, talk about a buzzkill. I mean, we were, you know, a few beers deep walking over get in there, and like we walked around the whole place and it's not it's not a huge arena, although it's very nice, but
we walked. We just did the lap twice, like surely there's got to be a beer man around here somewhere, and then we realized, oh, yeah, you they don't. They don't sell it here, and I you know, and then I that down and watched Mike Pogessee get, you know, in Louisville, get killed by Notre Dame. So you know, it was, uh, it was. I mean, I feel like
it should have been a requirement. Like Doctor's word would advise you, if you're gonna watch the mess that is the Pogee season and the Kenny Payne seasons, then you need then you know, you need to make sure you're medicated on some booze, because it's gonna be tough to take without. You're gonna need to be, you know, putting some sauce away. All Right, So some of you strongly disagree with me about the case and prior stuff, and
that's fine. We can disagree. And it's not about should he come back, do we need him back, do we want him or nate a mint. It's just that I I'm not saying again, maybe you miss maybe you misinterpreted what I said, But I don't think that Cason Pryor owes us anything as far as like a statement. I just think there is a difference in him and James him along. To me, he and Jamon are different than
James Scott and ken I Rus. I'm not even talking about different as far as one player's good, one player's great. I just mean that their situations are vastly different. And if Casen doesn't say a word but he comes back to play, great, he didn't do anything wrong. I just think that for me, until he says something, I'm not assuming he's gone. I'm assuming he's back. But I just think it would be a surprise to me if if there's nothing said, and he's just he's just on the team.
And if that's the case, cool and he does again. So again, maybe maybe I did not put it out there quite like I wanted to. He doesn't have to do anything. I just think that fans that are kind of like waiting to see him post something on Instagram or Twitter, like, I understand why they're doing that. I'm kind of doing the same thing. But it's not because you know, the more days that pass, the more I'm thinking that he's going to leave. It's just you know,
you now in this new world. Not the players aren't required to do it, but I think even they know. In fact, coaches probably tell them like, hey, you know, I know you're coming back. We had a good talk
about it. We're on the same page. But go ahead and let go ahead and work with our creative team, our creative department, because they're going to put together a really cool cinematic video that announces that you're back, and it's gonna be a big It's gonna be a big celebration because you know, we love to have you back, all right, Babo, two five seventy nine hundred is the number. If you guys want to jump in and give us a call. Text line FIBO two four three eight ninety
seventy three. It's the LNN Federal Credit Union text line. We'll get back to the text line just a moment, but let's bring in a caller. Let's welcome in Steve. Steve, you're on Sports Talk seven ninety How are.
You, hey?
How you doing?
Nick?
Good to hear from you, Hey.
I got to go to Notre Dame Navy game one year. My wife, when she was working and still alive, she did a huge compensation or pay package for Notre Dame and they invited us up there.
Nice.
The drinking that took place in the parking lot was was pretty substantial. I had to be on my best behavior. I could only have one or two beers, but I think having the Jets roll over. It was Charlie Weiss's last year, by the way, that's that's the year that took place. But then the you know, the Thunderbirds came over and it was it was pretty cool experience. Middle of November, about seventy degrees. It was a it was a great day.
Let me ask you this. Steve does the tailgating where there is a lot of alcohol being consumed like most college stadiums across the country. I just envisioned tailgating at Notre Dame seeming like I am at a church picnic, but it's in the fall, right, yes.
Yes, yeah, exactly, yeah, exactly that. That's the way it was. And it's funny when you enter the stadium you keep hearing these announcements please refrain from cursing and you know, making vulgar remarks or something like that. It was, it was sort of, it was sort of funny so that you know, the crowd was pretty well behaved. And that's the year there was a for Navy. They had this little running back from Western Kentucky who absolutely ran decimated
Notre Dame. He gained over two hundred yards that day. And I don't remember his name, but it was, it was. It was kind of and I think that was the beginning of the end for Charlie Weiss.
I always forget Charlie Weiss was even there. And yeah, it was not a successful stint.
Like I remember, some of the fans sitting around us were grumbling and grousing. He wasn't well liked up there. I think they thought he was a little bit too arrogant or something. Maybe I'm not sure, but he he didn't fit in very well there, especially when it was losing.
Yep, didn't work out, Steve. I appreciate the call man. Always great to hear from you. All right, So one thing that we did discuss the in the three o'clock hour that I want to reset here really quickly, is that losing players when you are an elite program, maybe there's always going to be some level of surprise. And look, I'm a Louisville fan. I think you all know that. But if Louisville is going to be maybe not now
because things are so much different. But just let's just back up to the recruiting era where that's how everybody built the roster. You didn't you didn't have transfers unless it was an exception with like a grad guy or
somebody sitting out. You know, Louisville recruited well. But I remember in two thousand and twenty, I think it was you know, Chris Mack had already put together his twenty nineteen class, which that class was, believe it or not, ranked really high, and gosh, who was the best player of that group had to be David Johnson who did
end up getting drafted. But other than that, you know, Jalen Withers, Sam Williamson, who else, who else was in that group, Quinn Slaznski who actually brought the Irish Hulk, Yes, Aidan a gayheart, Quince Sleaznski actually brought the ranking down. He was a late addition and he was a three star. But I feel like, oh, Josh Nickleberry, Yes, So that class was a top ten class, and you know, that was a great start for Chris Mack. And he did that, by the way, you know, with nobody know what was
gonna happen with the NCAA. Can you believe that's been that long six seven years? I mean, those guys came here in nineteen, but like they were recruited in seventeen, I guess eighteen, and that was eight years ago. It's
crazy to think about it. Anyways, the next year, Mack was in on a handful of guys, one of them being Caleb Love actually, and there were four guys that they appeared to be in really good shape for And they lost Devin ask You to Kentucky, They lost Caleb Love to North Carolina, They lost Jamin Braakfield who's now at Old Miss to Duke. And then there was a guy at a Spire academy here in town. I already forgot the young man's name. He ended up going to Kansas.
So they were in great shape, but they lost recruits to Kentucky, Duke, Carolina, and Kansas. And I remember having to tell people if you are in those waters and you were competing with those schools for recruits, you lose more than you're gonna win. You'll get some, but like you just are so, I guess because you know, Louisville has for the most part been a great program historically, and even when they don't have the number one or two class, they usually bring in good players. They're a
good program. We have I guess a better uh, we've had better repetition as far as just understanding that we can lose players to other schools because there's other great options. I guess if you're the Dukes, the Kentucky's, the Carolinas, the Kansas, it's a little bit more difficult because it doesn't happen as much. And maybe because you know your program's so great, you're just going to assume that if
somebody picked a different school, other than yours. Then there's just got to be some explanation that would make it make sense. Because the player just picking that school and not yours, that just doesn't make sense. That's what I think is happening here with with Wilkerson and Indiana, and look to be fair, like if it is like he didn't want to just be another guy and he wanted to be the man. He's telling you what it is
and that doesn't mean he's scared. I mean so even in this new world where money is going to be a big factor, the biggest factor for most players, Kentucky can spend I would assume a lot, but they may choose not to. And I'm curious, is that arrogance is that you're thinking, Okay, you should be willing to take our offer that is fifteen percent lower than this schools because we're Kentucky. And I think if you have the expectation that a player is just going to okay, you're right.
What am I thinking? You're going to lose a lot? Like you got to be able to you know. And I don't mean I just have a hard time believe in the Kentucky would ever lose a player because they don't have money. I think it comes down to not wanting to spend and if you're gonna be, you know, stingy with your money because of your arrogance. And I'm
not saying that's what's happening here with Pope. I mean I just feel like that's that's not the way to go about it in this new world because regardless of how great you are, you need money and you need to spend because others are going to because they know they've got to do that because they don't have the cell that you do about being an elite program and being you know, just one of the biggest fan bases, bunch of national championships like that stuff still matters, but
it doesn't at all matter the way it used to, right. I mean, if you had let's say John Wooden was you know, in his prime right now in twenty twenty five, and he had however many titles he had, but he's not paying players, and everybody else is. John Wood's not getting good players. So like that's that's just what it is. So again, I I go back to what I said
yesterday Mark Pope. I don't know if it was public or what, but he is he still is of the belief that Kentucky has an edge to where if they're competitive with money, they'll still get players even if it's lower than the other school because they have a lot more to all or that is not of monetary value, and you may get player Like I'm sure there are players that have decided to go to schools that are paying them less money, but I'm sure it's rare, and
I'll tell you which guys aren't doing that very often. If you're coming out of high school and you know you're an NBA player at some point, you are going to try to get money right out of the gate, because why would you not be foolish? But you know your big paid is your biggest payday's coming on Draft night. Wilkerson just played at sam Houston State. He's twenty three,
He's not going to the NBA. Those are the guys that you have to know when you get in bed with them, or I guess you know you doing whatever you do to try to get in bed with them.
Money's going to matter more than anything. So if Sam Houston State had a rich booster with a bunch of oil money and they found a way to pay more than Indiana or Kentucky was willing to pay this guy probably and that's not realistic, but that he probably would have stayed at Sam Houston State because those are the guys that this is about money and good for him.
I'm not saying that's a knock, but like you know, like that that you you're recruiting a variety of different types of players, and I don't mean big men in guards or you know, athletes and not athletes, I mean like different life situations. So I don't I mean, I don't even know if Kentucky did anything wrong. I just think he picked Indiana and he kind of said as much that he didn't want to be He just he
didn't want to be just another guy. He wanted to really be impactful and have a bigger role in Indiana has that in Kentucky doesn't have it to offer like that. That doesn't mean he's scared of Kentucky. He might be. I don't know, but it just yesterday was a real reminder that Kentucky's one of those programs that if somebody doesn't pick them, it can't just be because they wanted
to play there and not for you. But I'm telling you that it can and and you know, Cal, I think really changed the way a lot of their fans viewed because Cal looked at it that way. Right. The example that that I think is is worth bringing up.
Whenever Kentucky would lose players out of high school, it was usually to one guy, Mike Sussky and Duke one guy, and I think KSR documented it, like the last fifteen guys that Coach K and Cole went head to head for, the vast majority of them picked Duke and not Kentucky. And I think the two that did pick Kentucky over Duke one was E. J. Montgomery, who was a bust, and then the other one might have been Kevin Knox.
But a lot of the other guys they went head to head for Kentucky didn't get Duke got and instead of just realizing that Duke is a great program, probably better than yours overall, especially in the modern era, they just, like Cal put it out there that what's in it. I mean, they all wanted to come to Kentucky, they'd have been here, but Coach K coaching tm USA and he's got Lebron on his side now, and I mean that's just what it is. We're not losing these guys
because they don't want to come play for me. It's just that, you know, they're being bullied that if they don't go play for coach k then maybe when they become NBA players, they won't be uh, they won't they won't be able to be They're gonna be picked to play for Tmusay like or or maybe they just wanted to go to Duke because it's Duke. You know what I'm saying, Like I just have never you know, it almost made me appreciate the fact that we've taken enough L's.
In fact, we've gone through enough around here with Louisville that like, there's not much that's gonna surprise me, if I'm being honest about it.
But favor one is also most recently with the coaching selection. And so Scott Drew really wanted to come here, but his wife was comfortable in Texas. Yeah, but he really did want UK was his first option. There's anywhere he's gonna go, it's gonna be UK. But his wife was more in Texas.
The wife leveraged the kids and they want to stay in Waco, And you know, what are you gonna do it's also the guy that Pope met at the airport last year, Richie Saunders, and they made such a big deal about it, and then he didn't. Oh, well, Mormon wife, you know, she didn't want to leave, didn't want to leave Utah.
And I want to leave her three other husbands.
Well, I don't know. Wouldn't it be that she's one of like eight wives up the other way around? Right?
Wives? I should know that.
All right, Quick break will come back for a quick segment and then we will bring in a special guest that I haven't told you guys about yet coming up later on in the hours. So stick around right here on Sports Talk seven.
Ninety Now back to coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
So we've got some breaking news on Nico.
Yama Leava.
That's right, he's decided where he's going to go to school and it's going to be UCLA. So I love that Colin Cowherd is the one who broke this news, right, he is very connected to UCLA. But yeah, he's headed
to UCLA. And I don't know if their money was more than the others were willing to pay, but be highly highly shocked if he's not making less than he was, maybe substantial less than he was at Tennessee, which if you remember, he was one of the first players in this new world to be in the news because he was coming to play for Tennessee, and it was because they were going to be throwing millions of dollars at him. And then you know, in a couple of years he
was fine. And I'm not gonna act like he wasn't good, but when it comes to court, and by the way, it's a mess that you try to hold out like that like this. This is what happens when you when you really force the hand of a program. They can't let you, you know, hold him hostage like that. So Tennessee's got to do what they got to do, and they,
I think made the right decision. And really, if this would have played out to where he held out week two weeks, comes back gets the money he wants, wouldn't be shocked if that ruins your locker room, because that's I mean, that's that's just that'd be tough to keep your locker room all on the same page and everybody buying in together. Whenever you got a guy that's holding out. It's public what he wants money wise, and there's no
chance that anybody's making close to what he's making. And I know the quarterback's always going to get priority and probably more money than most positions, but I just think that could have I think they made the right decision.
But I mean, what I find hilarious is his dad, if you remember his dad, and I don't even know if we brought this detail up, but his dad was fighting on the internet with Pete Nako said on three because he's the guy who put it out there and says, look, I think he said directly, this is a source I trust of my life at Tennessee that says Nico's camp is absolutely holding out, wanting more money, claiming they're not going to show back up to spring ball until they
get what they want. And sure enough, he did not show up for I think two days, and then over the weekend we found out that Tennessee moved on from him, and the dad was saying that the reports were wrong, and he was like cursing out, using, I mean, just
really looking like an absolute clown. And what's crazy is that the kid was right like here, he is acting like a fool on the internet over a report about his kid, when really you stand to benefit in no way that if you're going back and forth with fans on the internet. But it's one thing to do it when you are in fact having to correct somebody for putting misinformation out there. The kid was right and you lied, That's what it was. So, I mean, I don't know
his father. Maybe he's a nice man, but I find him to be to blame here for a lot of this. And maybe Nico's just as much involved and he is his own man, But would anybody be shocked if like this whole thing was led by his dad, and his dad now is coming out and just like making an even bigger fool of himself because this is a report from Yahoo Sports. They're the ones who I'm referencing right now. He just says report Nico Lama lave La is heading
to UCLA per colin Cowherd. And then it says the family claims it was not about the money with Tennessee, but it was the ball's offense. Like, don't insult everyone's intelligence like that, Like you're an idiot. Nobody believes that for a second, because if it was about the offense you would have left after last year? Were you holding out of practice last week so they could fire the
OC and get a new one. I mean that's his balls of a request, which isn't real, but if that was the case, hypothetically, that's his balls as what in four million dollars as spring Ball is concluding, Like, it's just I kind of feel bad for him, but then again I don't. And the only reason I have a little bit of, like, you know, feeling bad for him, is because I wouldn't be shocked at all if he
was content and it was all put in. This whole thing was put in motion by his His family is entourage, his dad, and they're just out here being greedy, and it's really impacted in his future. I mean, he is his own man. He can do what he wants. Nobody can force him to do. Did you do anything? But like if it was you and you're eighteen, nineteen twenty, whatever it is, he's probably what nineteen twenty, Yeah, you're
an adult. But even like to this day, I'm thirty six, if I had like a big decision about my life in about like my family overall, and my dad was influencing what I did. I would just assume, well, he's my father, he knows what's best for me. Whatever he's telling me to do is going to be what what I is going to be what's best for him, because
nobody looks out for you like your own right. But that's when parent, you know, parents get greedy, and I'm sure Nico just assumes that, you know, yeah, it's my dad. So whatever whatever he says I should do is what I should do because he looks out for me. And maybe that's what his dad thinks, but that's not how this played out. So anyways, Nico heading to UCLA gonna be in the Big ten, and I don't think Ucla
is gonna be good because he's fine. He's a good quarterback, but like, is he going to be enough to boost them to where they're competing in the top tier of the Big Ten? I would say no, but he's from California, so he is, you know, getting back to his hometown area. All right, real quick, somebody on the text line brought this up. I did not talk about this last week. Is one of the things that came out while I was on vacation, and I just never really brought it up.
It didn't come up in conversation, but Rick Pittino. I don't know where he did an interview or where he was talking, but he had said that they're working on a series Saint John's and Louisville in basketball, and it would start next season with Louisville playing Saint John's in the Garden. To my understanding, that is not that is not finalized yet and what I want to do. We'll save this for a little bit later on, but if you're a Louisville fan, like do you want that game?
And I'm not necessarily talking about like the series, but like do you want that non conference Like do you want like just think next year alone? Like do you want Louisville to play Patino in the garden? Because I do. But we're doing Rick a favor, you know that, right?
Like sure, and and does me a favor too by just getting that Louisville and Rick thing kind of but it closely more bonded.
But it wouldn't not so now he would have to come here, and you know a lot of people are saying, well, Rick's gonna put this in motion, and he knows deep down. By the time they do play a game in the young he won't be at Saint John's anymore, which I
don't know. I don't see Rick retiring anytime soon, but that that would be the way it would, you know, Rick going up there, I mean it would be his turf, and yeah, clearly it be a big storyline nationally, But like I think Rick would be kind of like sour.
In fact, we'll talk about this in the five o'clock our because I have a prediction as far as if that game happens, like what Rick will do, and I don't know, maybe I would do the same thing, so I don't It's not like I'm gonna be super critical, but I think Rick's doesn't have There's no individual Rick can point to right now that is still involved in any way with anything with U of L Athletics that
he can be mad at. Not a single one. But he still feels wrong by the university right and I don't know if that's ever going to go away, But like he hates Papa John and David Grissom, but like they're long gone and anybody here now didn't even work with u of L seemingly or work around u of L when they were here anyway, So or Postal too great Postal Postal, Papa John, and David Grissom. Those are the three people that Rick Patino is still very much bitter about, and I probably would be too, to be
honest with you. But anyways, quick Break will come back on the other side, and joining us when we return is mister Joe christ Effect, who will join us to talk about a big event we've got coming up on eight forty whas as we get set for Derby, So stick around right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to Coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
That's right, Coffee and Company rolling along here on a Wednesday afternoon, and appreciate you hanging out with us. We also appreciate Joe Crestaffect, who joins us here on Sports Talk seven ninety to talk about our big event coming up here. How we doing, Joe.
Hey, doing good, gearing up, getting ready?
It'll be here soon, man, And I just realized, man, we've been This event's been going on for some years now. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's our Derby betting preview night that we have at Mike Lennings every year. On news radio eight forty WHS. It's coming up on April twenty second. I don't know how many years it's been going on, but I know it's certainly not a new event anymore. So I would assume with us being able to keep putting it on, and that means it's
pretty successful. What could you tell the those who maybe aren't familiar, What could they learn, What could they take away from this experience that could make them a little bit more prepared to make some wagers on Derby Day.
Well, my job is to scout these horses over the course of a seven month period. I mean the first Kentucky Derby prep way back in September at Churchill Downs, the Iroquois Stakes, and they go all the way through the Bluegrass and the Lexington and Keenland. And now we've got the list of twenty four horses. Twenty of them are going to get in the starting gig for the Kentucky Derby. There's still a few that want to run, that are on the outside looking in, that don't have
quite enough points at this moment in time. But Jody Demmling is going to be hosting it as always. James Scully from Twin Spires, who has a world of knowledge, and myself will be the three panelists, and we're going to take a look at, you know, some of the big prep races, the videos, share our thoughts and basically, you know, the cliff notes version of this is to just get everybody up to speed on all the horses
in Kentucky Derby. Our opinions. Horses we think have the best chance to win, long shots we think have the best chance to win, or at least hit the board and put you in a position to make some money on Kentucky Derby.
Day, and last but not least, some delicious fish at Mike Lennox, right. I mean, that's that's a big factor.
That's what I like to say. Come for the fish and stick around for the seminar.
Yeah, that's right.
It's a great venue for this thing too. It's just very comfortable. It's intimate, but there's still a lot of space, and you know, if the weather's not great, it's kind of an indoor outdoor event, so you don't have to worry about, oh it's raining. There's plenty of parking, it's reasonably priced, and there's some other perks. A courtesy it's Winspires too.
So again it'll be on April twenty second at Mike Lennox seven to nine pm. Doors are going to open up at six o'clock and if you want to get more information and see the link for tickets, you can go to whas dot com. Joe, what do you make of the field in this year's Kentucky Derby? I know that's a broad question, but obviously when you when you get you get a look at at which horses are going to be actually competing, and you mentioned some that are on the outside hoping to maybe get an opportunity.
Would just say it's a competitive field? Is it? Is it once again a field? It seems like in recent years there's been some real big favorites to get a whole lot of buzz. What do we you know, we're still still a couple weeks away from it, but how would you assess the you know, the twenty horse field right now as it stands?
It's fun. I mean there's a lot of different horses that I think have a chance to win. And then, as you've seen in recent years, sometimes you never know. We think back to Rich Strike a couple of years ago, nobody gave him a chance lucky number twenty one, drawing in at the very last minute, winning at eighty to one. I don't think you want to race after that. I mean so sometimes strange things happen in the Derby. Then last year Brian Ornandez Junior with the perfect ride, local
guy Ken McPeak the winning trainer. They win the Oaks the day before with Torpedo, Anda win the Kentucky Derby with just a great trip and a great ride with Mystic Dan. And you know then we've had, you know, a lot of favorites, American Pharaoh, Justify, et cetera. There's a little bit of everything in this race. The favorite likely is going to be journalism or that's one four
in a row coming from southern California. But there are a lot of long shots too that I'm sure Jody and James and I know myself have our eyes on that could that could pull off the upset.
You've been doing this a long time, Joe, give me an up, Give me a you know, an underdog that you were able to kind of, you know, predict before a lot of others did and it actually played out. Is there one that you felt like you were you were in early, like before it became a cool thing to say that this horse maybe maybe maybe have a better shot at winning than others. Think.
Yeah, I would say, since the point system has been instituted, a lot of the favorites have won the race, and I've been on a lot of them, but there have been some long shots too. I wasn't on Mystic Dan last year. I wasn't, you know, on the horse that I alluded to earlier that scored the huge upset. I would say from an Oaks perspective, but we'll have a little bit of Oaks as well. Sarrenghetti Empress was the one that I was on. I watched her train and
run all winter long at fairgrounds. They do spend my winters in New Orleans, and she was a big price in the Kentucky Oaks. I think she was fifteen eighteen to one. She went wired to wire. That was a great scenario. I was doubled up to maximum security in the derby. He won, but unfortunately he got disqualified and Country House was the adjudicated winner over a very sloppy
track that particular day. So you know, there's the Oaks, there's a derby, and then There's so many other races between opening night and the actual Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May that I'll be diving into and making predictions on. But the Derby's going to be the main focus at the seminar.
Again, we're talking about the horse racing. We've got the Derby betting preview night coming up here on April twenty second, Mike Lennings seven to nine pm. Doors are gonna open up at six o'clock and again you can get tickets and get information at WHAS dot com. And Joe christ Effect joins us here talking about this big of it. He'll be one of the panelists as we bring this
event back one more time. I know that you're gonna you know, your job is to follow along, regardless of who's training the horses, and and you know, it's what you do, You've done in a long time. As we've mentioned, what do you make of the Bob Baffort return here. I'm sure it's not something that you're hyper focused on, but obviously gonna be a really big storyline as he's making his return here to Churchill Downs. I mean, I mean, would anybody be shocked if you know if one of
the many horses he's got involved here. I mean, I don't know where they stand as far as favorites, as far as odds right now, but I mean kind of feels like from my perspective, this will be a dominating talking point. Maybe not from with what you guys do deep into it, but from you know, the casuals out there, the casual horse racing fans.
Any attention is good attention, so it's good to happen.
Well said, yeah.
I mean, he's got Rodriguez, who is the easy winner of the Wood Memorial. He's got Citizen Bull who won the Breeders Cup. Juvenile did not run that well in his most recent start when he got beat by almost ten lengths by journalism, but he's capable. He's got Madict Road on the fringe of making it into the Derby. He had a horse named Barnes that was all the rage, and another horse named Cornicope and who was all the rage, who didn't quite do enough to get into the Kentucky
Derby field. Maybe horses that don't want to run a mile in a quarter anyways, But you know, we know about his personality, we know about his success. Sixth Kentucky Derby wins tied with Ben Jones. He had the seventh one. We all know about the disqualification and his eventual suspension. But you know, Bob is he's a character in horse racing. He's had a lot of success. He's paid his dues and his back for the Kentucky Derby this year, and
like you said, it's gonna be a major storyline. I think it's important for the general sports public that we draw some attention to horse racing, even if it is in this.
Regard when it comes to Badford. I know you wouldn't speak for anybody but yourself, but do you believe that among his peers, is he is he? Is he a liked guy? Is he respect Obviously he's respected as being great at what he does. But I just feel like he's been sort of portrayed and maybe it maybe it's because for good reason that he's some kind of villain. And again, I'm not asking you to give your personal opinion on him, but I just feel like it's good
that to have him back. You mentioned the attention will be good for the sport overall, but I think some of the coverage of it, I just you know, I'm not connected like you are by any means, but I just I've never once felt like, prior to this stuff, he was viewed as somebody that was, you know, a bad guy for the sport. I think he's good for the sport.
Yeah, I mean he had that you know, that positive when he won the Derby a few years ago. It's just not good in the Kentucky Derby. Now how it happened, if it was something he was trying to hide or it was contamination. I'm not a vet. I you know, I promote the sport. I handicap the races. I try to be someone that you know, tries to develop the fan base and educate people, because sure, I love all
aspects of it. But he, you know, in an overall perspective of his entire career, he's always been good for the game. He's got a good, great personality. He's easily identifiable, he's well spoken, he's somebody that people can relate to, and he's had a lot of really, really good horses over the years. So, you know, we've seen it in baseball Nick many times. You've seen people that have been suspended or you know, on the outs for you know, suspected ped use and then they wind up, you know,
being embraced by the public once again. It's the journey in gay comparison, it's the closest one I can think of, though, Yeah, I'm.
With you know, I get it. It's I think it fits to be honest with the right. Last question, I just want to pick your brain real quick on this of in your time covering the sport, do you have a favorite story as far as a Derby winner. Maybe not a favorite horse, but maybe just one one that came through that you just feel like from start to finish like it was, you know, something you'd see in a movie or something like that. Maybe that's a little dramatic, but I think you know what I mean.
Yeah, I mean the ones that you're always going to gravitate to are the ones that you had success on. I mean, I had a really good score a few years ago when when Pletcher won the Derby wire a wire. I think the one I remember most of all though, will be American Pharaoh because that was my first year
as the paddock Hoach Churchill twenty fifteen. He won not only the Derby that year, but the Triple Crown, and you know, you talk about Bafford, that was the first triple crown winner since nineteen seventy eight, and I remember, you know, it was a couple months later they brought American Pharaoh back to Churchill and they paraded him at the track, and it was such a big deal that somebody won the triple crown. Justifi has done it since.
But I remember standing in the paddock back then, and you know, introducing American Pharaoh who was parading in the paddock, and you know, people were ten deep in the paddock. We're cheering, we're emotional, and I get chills just thinking about it because it was just one of those moments you'll never forget. For all the reasons that I mentioned it my first year at Churchill, first triple crown winner in a long time, and just you know how the public responded to that moment.
Good stuff as always, Joe, great to catch up. We do. We look forward to seeing you next Tuesday at Mike Lennox. Thanks for your time, man.
Yeah, looking forward to it as we do every year, Looking really forward to this event. It's very well put on. We always get a great crowd and yeah, it's interactive. We'll give good information and Jody and James are the best, so looking forward to being a part of the panel with them.
Yes, sir, good stuff Again. That is Joe christ Effect who joins us yearly to promote this big event that has become more and more popular over the years. Again, it's the Derby Betting preview night April twenty second, of course, coming up Tuesday, Mike Lennox seven and nine pm. Doors will open up at six o'clock and you can get information and the for to purchase those tickets is at
whas dot com. I remember the triple Crown winner. I mean I remember thinking, okay, we'll have that's gonna be something I'm gonna remember forever, which I do because it was something when it happened we thought we'd never see it ever, Like it was just there's no scenario this could ever happen again, because it's just not realistic anymore this day and age. And sure enough we got one and then oh was it two three years later we got another one.
Yeah, yeah, you had American Pharaoh and justifies right.
Good stuff. All right, speaking of good stuff, we'll try to give you some good stuff here in the five o'clock ir No promises, but we're gonna try our best, so stick around right here on sport Stock seven ninety