It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick Coffee.
All right, hour number two here on a Thursday afternoon. Thanks for hanging with us. It's coffee and company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety.
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Nick Coffee.
That's me Austin Montgomery alongside. As we get closer and closer to Derby one fifty one, I just got just got the the the I guess the assignment for me on Derby Day. I'm ready to ready to put in a good ship for the team, and you contribute in any way I can for News Radio eight forty WHS. But I'm gonna be on in the morning with the one and only Tony Cruz. I mean, with Tony retiring and this being his last derby with us here at has, I mean, it's an honor to be to be out
there with the one and only Tony Cruz. So I'll be doing some stuff with him on air. Part you know, be a two man team essentially for a little while in the morning, and then I'll also do some some stuff with the Bennetti and then I'll do my roaming reporter type of stuff and you know, who knows what else we'll get into. Hopefully we can just you know, stay stay dry. May not be easy, but we'll certainly try.
So.
Are you more You're you're more of an interviewer on Derby Day for us, right, Yeah.
I just go around and I do the man on the street thing, yeah, or man at.
The derby, yeah, man at the derby and and those you know, those are I was just telling our boss, Gus Allen that I used to be scared to death to do those, and.
You know, I still get pretty nervous. Yeah, but.
Do you get like, I don't know, I mean, I could see you getting nervous initially, but you've got a pretty good ability to just like you, you know, break the ice, start a combo.
And that's really what it's all about.
Like once you start talking to somebody and it just turns into where you're having a conversation, it's not doesn't really feel like an interview. Because here's what I've learned not that I'm some expert that should be giving out advice, but it's an interview.
But it's not.
If you make it seem as if you're interviewing people. Some will run with it and they'll execute and it'll be great, but others will be uncomfortable because they're not used to being interviewed, you know. Like it's like if you've ever like when you see somebody talking on a documentary, like a you know, a sit down interview, and they're not looking they're not staring directly into the camera. It's because you don't hear it in the post because they in the post production.
It's added out.
But the way to get that like most like you would think some of those people are like actors or they're trained, but no, it's a gifted person who's really good at sitting in front of somebody and having a conversation to where they truly don't even realize they're being interviewed. They're just having a convo. The camera's not directly in their face. Sure, it's off a little bit to the side,
So you know that. I kept trying to interview people the first couple of years, and sometimes you the only ones I had somewhat success with were the drunk people, which those can still be fun, but if it was somebody sober and I was like, you know, I guess I just came off a little too serious, like hey, tell me what you're doing here derby, and they're like, I'm enjoying the races, Like leave me alone, you weirdo.
So you know, to.
Casually start a convo and then get it roll, and that's usually when it when it works out best. But I just, honestly, and I don't say this just to gash you up, I feel like your personality, your demeanor is one that would people would be pretty easy to just you know, chat up.
Well, thank you know what I'm saying a lot? Yeah, well you know you're meant Julob's help too.
Of course, absolutely little liquid courage can can go a long way.
But I just I just kind of mingle in, like I know the people, so I actually start conversations with people before by like just kind of telling them that, hey, by the way, you know, you think I can get an interview with you. I'm with eight forty w h. I mean, all I have is the the credentials out there that they had to look at there's like I don't have WHS suit or anything, or I don't have the microphone with the flag on it because I'm just doing it off my phone.
Are you really this part?
Yeah, I just do it off my phone and I send it to the lovely John Alden. I wonder if he's going to be doing it again this year, but that's usually who who I send them to.
Yeah, I'm amazed by how good you can have me Like it still is is noticeable if you're producing or recording in a live production studio like we have here, but you can get amazing quality of anything audio video on your smartphones now, and I mean it it. The reason I'm thinking of this is because last week, like I don't know if you all were able to tell I'm sure you could, but like I did my show through a phone, like just a phone call, and that's right,
I mean I didn't. I didn't want to acknowledge that throughout because I didn't want to bring attention to it because I'm a weirdo about that stuff to where I get like I'll bring it attention to stuff that most listeners would never notice. But it's because I just I don't the last thing I want is to, you know, have any type of technical issues or anything like that. It's just my personality more than it is anything else. And it's not something like I'm happy with. It's just
who I am. But Joe Elliott is filling in for Terry Minors today and I was listening to him before the show talking with with Gus. He wasn't live on the air, but he was coming in like he would be on the air in the control room and like you would never know that he's on a phone just having a phone call, Like it's crazy, how it's amazing. Yeah, So yeah, the the interview, like what I would do
you know, you know what you used this morning? Yes, Like you can plug that into a phone and it and it records.
Like well I was going to ask, I didn't listen. I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. Well, well it's on the horse.
What I like, Like, if I'm not gonna I don't plan on bringing into my own stuff because I've got some production video audio stuff that I just have had over the years. But like they have actual microphones that you can connect to like a little recorder and that actually will make it sound better and it will make you probably be you know, it'll it'll seem a little more I guess official to the person who's being interviewed.
But I mean just because you can do it on your phone and it'll still sound good and you can just send the file to somebody like that's that's actually the more convenient and efficient way to do it, right. The quality difference isn't noticeable enough to where like it would really you would really need to do.
That, But I don't know.
There's just something about carrying your phone around and interviewing people that I like, I would try to avoid that if I could. But that's just me because again, like I'm a weirdo. Sure you know what I mean, like and no, believe me, I sort of feel all the way with you. That's why I feel I got to butter them up and let them know who I am before I just they just don't think I'm just this
wacko bulling out. Yeah, because the credential, like is all you got to show that you are a big deal, and like they need to know.
That because I always see when I introduce myself and I ask I've done it. I've done a case study every time I just introduce them, just just a just a super cold open, just coming in with Hey, I'm on the radio, would you guys like to do an interview? Their eyes immediately go down to the credentials, or they might be looking at something else. I don't know, I just assume it's the credentials. So other than like me just going in, hey, I like your suit. Where'd you
get that hat? You guys enjoining everything today? And then they once they started asking like, oh what do you do? What are you doing out here? Then that's a while I'm with the news, and then you hit recorded in your rolling when we're there.
Yeah, this was a couple of years ago, and I never even I never even put it out there because it wasn't I did a few different vibe check videos that I never put out because I just wasn't really cold.
I didn't feel good about like.
It was probably fine, but like I developed, I think to where we had a pretty good run with them, and I knew that like I wasn't going to be able to make certain ones as good as others, so I just abandoned them, which is probably really stupid because I put a lot of time into that content and it was it was you know, no, it's great something
that was that was seemingly going well for me. But we did some at Derby and I was asking people who were not from here, and I did not have my credential, but I had, you know, had my blazer on it, and I had one of our mics and I had somebody with a camera that was helping me.
And I would ask people.
Hey, have you heard you know wh Nick Coffee is and they would be like no, and I was like, he's his radio hos. He's a real he's a real clown, but uh know of you you know, And most people would like say something and then they would pick up on it, and rarely didn't did it turn into where like it played out the way that I wanted, But there was a drunk person that I could tell did not but wanted to be like, oh yeah I.
Know that guy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you heard him. He's a real dumbass. Oh I don't even know why people listen to him, Like yeah, well you know what station's he on now? They got him on I think he's on that rock station now And I'm like yeah, yeah.
Right, yeah, that's doing But you know, so that's good.
Whenever I would tell people about being nervous about it before, which I'm you know, it's it's not really nerves. I just you know, I want to be comfortable and that that is the biggest thing is just to make sure
that you know. It's because I can tell within the first thirty seconds if this is going to be something that's a good interview for the for the for the broadcast, or if I'm just gonna you know, small talk and then try to get the hell out of there, and and not even like I've ordered many that I'm like, don't use that, but I don't tell the people that, right, I'm like, okay, yeah, you'll be on us ready, Yeah, yeah,
thanks for your time. And like you were a real dud or you cursed a bunch when I told you
that you couldn't. But like doing the vibe check stuff is so different than like I mean that this is we can have fun at the derby and like, you know, but I can't go full Dwight Whitten, you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, although that would probably be more fun, but you know, actually there's there's a brand to protect here at WHA s yeah, and uh, you know, we got to be on our best behavior at least I think we do.
You don't indulge in cigars, do you? No, I you know, smoke a stone.
Never, never smoked a cigar, never smoked a cigarette, never smoked anything, And I remember anything never, And I remember like I would say that when I was young adult, and my mom and my stepdad would be like, oh yeah, sure, like I was doing so here I am at thirty six, like, yeah, there's no reason for me to lie about that now. I mean, I I indulge in other things to give me a similar feelings as what you would get by
smoking something. But you know, I've never and honestly, here's here's what, because I don't think it's probably I don't know. I feel like it's rare, not extremely rare. But I would say more often than not, a lot of people in my age would have at least smoked a cigarette or smoked a joint or something. Right, Yeah, so like that, and that's I feel like it's pretty common, and in fact, it's not something that I think you should be ashamed of.
But I was never offered not to say that I would because I don't think that I would trust me.
I was.
I mean, I had the fear of, like if I ever get caught smoking cigarettes or anything like that, like I was going to get in trouble and then it would impact basketball and all that kind of stuff. So I was very, very very paranote about getting in trouble as a kid. And I don't really know why because I never really did get in trouble and I didn't live a lifestyle as a youngster that.
Would have, you know, put me in any position.
But as your health person.
Yeah, as I've said before, I watched a lot of prison shows over the years, and that just made me really really aware of the fact that I wouldn't do well if I ended up there. So let's just live on the straight and narrow and not end up there. But yeah, like I've I've never been in a position where somebody offered me a cigarette, where they offered me like I've been around people who are smoking pot, Like it's not it's not an.
You know.
Yeah, I've never completely skip you. Yeah, I guess I'm not. I'm not good blunt rotation material. I mean that's just I mean, it's something I accepted long ago, and I've been working on it, but you know, so far it's yet to happen.
So I maybe maybe I just gave.
Maybe I just begged nonchalantly for like the biggest invitation for somebody to roll up with me.
You know what I mean, what you were doing, I was so listen. My mom always smoked.
I used to wake up and like get down ready for school, and like the the house would be smoky. Like my mom would like probably smoke a cigarette before she took her first breath and she stopped now and she was I mean she she was crushing them, dude. And I always hate it, just burn. I hate it. And I still like, I'm not a regular smoker, but get me at the bar on a nice night and oh yeah, there's you.
Hand me one of those and then we're good.
It's some of the best conversations have came with you got a light?
Yeah? Or can I boma sick? Actually? You know what that sort? And I've done that.
Before at the track several times too. I just have a drink at Boma sig off with somebody and then I'm like, hey, you want to be on the radio. That's it's a good time. It's a good way to do it. That's a So it's my pickup line.
So when it comes to cigars, how does one like Cause I feel like you have to give some effort to kind of get into that. But a lot of people that I know that, Like, I've got a buddy who I would be willing to bet has probably never smoked marijuana or a cigarette just because we grew up
like kind of the same. In fact, he's very much into like he was very much a church kid and you know, a little bit of a different lifestyle than I had as a young and but he's really like he's like i'd say, cigars are like a hobby of his, if that's a thing. So because people, yeah, I mean so I love the smell of cigars. I've just never actually like, can I tell you something really embarrassing? Sure, I wouldn't know how to smoke something like I would.
I would try, and I would be the one that like, even if it was the lightest hit, as they say, I would be coughing as if like I'm a thirteen year old who just got handed his first cigarette probably like you know, so I guess you got to start somewhere that would be good. So that might be good social media content. Let's just see what Nick does the first time he ever tries to smoke something.
That would be great.
Yeah, but I was always told to kind of use it like a straw, if that makes sense. I mean, but you're obviously you're talking monster bong rips or what. Yeah, I'm well, you know who you're talking to.
I guess not. I didn't really well.
Well, well, I mean like, yeah, that's what was with my cousin. And oh yeah, blame it on your cousin.
It's all.
Yeah, I just you're a good kid.
The cousin got in the way influenced you to do bad things always.
The thing is, I just waited till I was after eighteen and after I graduated school. And uh, but yeah, anytime I guess you smoke anything, whether that be a dube or a cigarette or a cigar, it's just more or less just kind of you wouldn't You wouldn't know once once you put hands to me, you would know.
So now you got me thinking back to my younger years, when I, like I I didn't drink alcohol.
I I had.
Probably like two different instances where I was at a party and people were drinking some were like people that were a little bit older than me, either seniors, and I was a junior or sophomore. And and then we still partied with and hung out with people that were like a year older than us right after high school, so you know, around that people around my age range, and like drinking was going on, and I remember, like I tried, I tried to drink of something. I think
I took like some Jaeger. And then there was this drink. Do you remember a drink called hypnotic.
Oh, yeah, with the with the cool bottle.
Like the tea. They still don't still make that, do they still make it?
Okay?
So like that was the that was like if if somebody in high school was going to get somebody to buy them booze, like they would get liquor, like, you know, gosh, what is what's the what's the real rough vodka? That's like I'd be heaven Hill you Yeah, so we would get like heaven Hill vodka and just mixed drinks. But I, you know, I genuinely didn't like the taste of alcohol, and I never was somebody that was eager to like see what it felt like to get a buzz, So
I just you know. It wasn't like I was some prude. I just you know, I didn't partake, and I was delusional thinking, well, I'm gonna you know, this is gonna impact my basketball career, which clearly wouldn't have mattered.
But when I was going into my freshman year of.
College, that was the first time i'd ever actually like drink alcohol enough to like, you know, get a buzz, get drunk right.
Probably took a couple of beers, to be honest.
With you, and it was vodka first, you said, Jaeger.
Yeah, oh yeah, So I got probably got like drunk for the first time on Yaeger. And this was the summer after I graduated. And then a couple of my buddies they'd started to like, Okay, we're gonna drink beer now. But like I'll say it, I drink beer a lot, but I had to. I think everybody has to acquire the taste of beer. I mean so, and there's still people I know that now drink but just don't really like they're they're not eager to drink beer. They're more
so going to get a cocktail or a seltzer. Maybe even you know, just some people drink straight liquor, just depending on if it's like high it's high quality.
So everybody's got their own preference.
But like I remember being young, eighteen nineteen, like I'm still thinking, like, man, I'll pound some of these natty lights, but I'm not going to lie to you and say I like the taste of them, right, But eventually, you know, it changes.
But I got caught.
I got caught that summer drinking, you know, having a party with a bunch of beer. And it was the first time I like got drunk on beer. And at that point, I guess like I'd committed, all right, I can stand, I can live with the taste. And then surely over time I began to like beer, and now was born and now I'm craving beer right now. But I told, I told my parents that I had never like that was the first time that I'd ever you know,
like pounded beers. Because they found a bunch of beer cans that we left behind, and that's how we got caught. It wasn't just me, it was a bunch of people. So but they were like, oh yeah, real convenient the time you get caught. That was the first time. And I'm like beer's disgusting. No I've drink Oh yeah, sure, yeah, that's what you would say. And I'm like okay, but like I'm telling you, like it's not like I haven't had any alcohol before, but like beer is gross and
I didn't don't typically like to drink it. And they were like, oh yeah, you're just trying to get over
on us. I'm like all right, whatever. So I mean, I feel like, you know, maybe I'm different than others, but has anybody ever had their first taste of beer that you can remember, like when you were a kid, Like I know people who this is probably the Bullet County coming out, but like I know kids growing up that like their parents would let them try beer because they wanted them to taste how gross it was, so they'd never so they'd never sneak in and drink some
of them, like it was more so just to make sure you wouldn't drink it. So even when you have your first one that's like handed to you and you want to drink it, like I would imagine most people don't.
Really enjoy the taste of it, right, I Mean, let's be real.
A lot of people I grew up with when we were drinking between the age of seventeen and like twenty one. We weren't doing it for anything other than to get hampered, right. We weren't doing it to you know, to you know, sample different alcoholic beverages to see what we like, or just to you know, get a nice get a nice taste of a red red cabernet, or you know.
I mean, we were.
Getting the cheapest stuff possible, mixing it and trying to get the effects of it. So but yeah, I.
Was, I was.
Pretty I don't know.
The older I get, the more I realize that I was, I was pretty mild mannered compared to i'd say the average. I mean, it wasn't like I was some choir boy who never had any fun. But you know, I didn't live as much as a lot of people, and I kind of I don't know if I regret that or not. But now that we're talking about it, like, I don't think I knew at the time that.
I really liked to party.
Now at thirty six, I'm confirmed party big time guy.
Could you see yourself partying with your younger self, your twenty year old self.
Now, no, because that person wouldn't be interesting.
There wouldn't be relatable, like wouldn't be like I wouldn't be a good I wouldn't be a good vibe enhancement, if you know what I'm saying. But I'm now looking forward to like my son getting older to where like he's you know, like to this day. This is gonna sound really corny, but like there's nothing cooler than like having a beer with my dad talking about life and me being a dad and him being you know, a
grandpa and that kind of stuff. So one day, Moose, you know, he'll be of age, trust me, and we'll have a beer together and crack one and he'll hopefully he'll he'll spit it out and say this is disgusting, because if so, then I'll know, Yeah, he wasn't pounding him in high school behind my back, although I don't know his name's Moose.
Like he's gonna be the.
Beer drinker of the group, right, and he's a big fella, like he's he's you know.
He's going to be the one that has like the camel back, yeah, like with the beer at place.
If he if he ends up like being the guy that is, you know, the beer drinker providing it, maybe he's got a party trick where he pounds one and crushes it over his head. I'll have to also look in the mirror and blame myself. You did name him moose, you know what I mean? Like, that's that that that kind of kind of and help a situation.
There not even madam just depressed.
Yeah, all right, let's get to a quick break. We'll come back on the other side talk a little more about this. This matchup we're gonna get between Mark Pope and Rick Patino in the CBS Sports Classic, Big Time matchup for college hoops, for sure, But is it weird for Kentucky? Like are they going to have any kind of Oh, we're going up again, because there's nothing you wanted more than to beat Rick's brains in when he was at Louisville. But I don't think you feel the
exact same way now. You clearly want to win. You're not saying, oh, I hope Rick gets one over Pope. But it's just a reminder. This news coming out today is a reminder for me of how crazy I mean, Like we would have never expected Rick to have any type of warm welcome in Lexington, and he did so. Anyways, Stick around right here on Sports Talk seven.
Ninety Now back to coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven to nine.
Day, we'll let you hear a brief back and forth between Mark Pope and and Rick Pattino from earlier. Today is Day confirmed that they are going to meet in just a year two. For Mark Pope, the former Kentucky Wildcat who was a captain for Patino on that championship team in ninety six, he's now in his second season coaching his alma mater and he's gonna be going up against his former head coach. Which somebody reminded me of
this and I totally forgot about it. Mark Pope brought his Utah Valley team to the Youum Center to play Rick, and I don't remember that being like a real big like storyline, if that makes sense. Now, it's a random game in like November, December or whatever, So I mean, it's not like it would ever get a lot of attention.
But you know, for as much as Rick has just gone out of his way to kind of inject himself into this whole story of Pope coming back to Kentucky to coach, you know, I just I feel like if it was, like if there really was such a strong connection between former co I mean, clearly he was a good player for him and he was the captain, so he was a leader on a team that coach that that that Rick you know, wanted won a title with. But yeah, I mean I I I forgot all about that.
In fact, I questioned if the if the the Texter was even if it was it was for real, but no, I looked it up and yeah, Utah Valley he was there in twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen, and that's when he brought him to the Louisville And I don't remember there being any like I remember now him coaching because I remember Pope for the Pope if you remember, Pope played for Pacers, so like when Reggie and that era was going on, and I was really all into the Pacers.
You know, Pope was the guy they had drafted and he was on the team and they played for him for two years. But I didn't even know he was coaching. I remember, oh yeah, like I remember that guy, didn't know he was coaching at Utah Valley State. So I'm sure there is a genuine relationship, But it also wouldn't shock me if Rick is maybe doing it up a little bit because he wants to make it about him. Because Rick is really good at a lot of things.
One of those things is making everything about him. But here are the two on a I guess a FaceTime call discussing the discussing the big matchup here in the CBS Sports Classic.
It's thirty years since you won your first national championship and I got mine thanks to you, and I think we should give the Johnnies and all of BBN the greatest Christmas gift ever on December twenty and CATLANDA, what do you say?
You know?
It's it feels like it was about seven eight years.
Ago that we won the championship.
But I coached one of the greatest teams in the history of the game, and you were the captain, and now we get to coach against each other. I'm just turning sixty years of age and you're still young.
I can't wait, Coach.
I love you so much, man, Let's go make this happens. Love you, Mark.
Let's go and be so exciting for both programs.
And I look forward to a great Christmas.
So you know that was pretty it is pretty fluff, right, not a whole lot there, but uh, this is like Rick, let's be real, he needs this game more so than Kentucky would. And that's the same thing when it comes to the Louisville matchup. And I mentioned this at the beginning of the show. I don't know if anybody was able to I'm not sure if those with us now were with us, then hopefully there's many of you.
But I'm just saying, like.
The Louisville Kentucky or the Louisville and Saint John's matchup that got put out there a couple of weeks ago from and I understand, like Rick exaggerated sort of where they were in the process of that. I think it's been thrown out there, but like any talk of it actually happening next season in the Garden, as Rick indicated again, I think he's getting a little bit ahead of himself. But it's because you know, playing Rick Patino if you're Kentucky,
or playing Rick Btino if you're Louisville. I mean, I'll put it this way, Kentucky it's a favor to him because they play in the SEC, which is loaded, and they also play in the Champions they already were in the Champions clas and Saint John's has now got has
now jumped in and taken UCLA spot. But also, you know, they're in the CBS Sports Classic, I'm sorry, in the Champions Classic, and you know, they played a tough enough schedule to where they're not gonna have to worry about having a schedule that, at the end of the season is tough enough to get you in the tournament.
Louisville didn't used to be in that position, but.
Now they are, so I guess adding Rick to the schedule could give you a chance to have a really good non conference opponent, and clearly we need that as ACC members now just because of how far the league has fallen. But overall, like Louisville could also go schedule somebody else that's not Saint John's and Beatino and still give themselves a chance to go get a really good win. So I think Rick wants both of these games because one, it will help Saint John's because they will be playing
in non conference games against two big brands. But also, you know, I think Rick knows that like he's.
Going to be.
Cheered and applauded when it comes to Kentucky fans in this game now, they're not going to want him to win. But on the Louisville side of things, here's what I don't know, Like, does Rick want this because he wants to stick it to us? I kind of feel like that's the case. I really do, And even if there was no history, like you always want to win. But I think Rick, I think he still has an issue
with with with Louisville the way things went down. And I think honestly, despite him making it back and having a hell of a year, winning National Coach of the Year a share of it this year, I mean, they had a really good team and they just fell short in the second round. But you know, I think he's really content and happy now. But I do think like the you know, anybody would probably still feel a certain way for him to you know, to have lost their
job that way now. Again, he also, I think multiple instances, has said that he understands why he got fired and like he knows why they did it, but he's also you know, like put it this way, when his son was a candidate, I suppose like Richard did get a phone call when the job opened up last year and it and it ended up being something that U of
L did not pursue. They were going to go in a different direction, but they did, you know, reach out and talk to him, and as you could expect, Richard was interested because obviously, going from New Mexico to Louisvie would be a big jump, but what does it do
for the family? And Richard later came out and talked about how that would be, like it would have been an issue, like it wouldn't have been a comfortable comp like basically, I don't think his dad would have tried to stop him, but his dad probably didn't want him to take that job, and I'm pretty sure he told him that. So I don't, you know, I think if Richard was up for the UK job, I don't think
Rick would feel the same way. I think he would like want his son to get it, or Rick wouldn't get it himself, to be honest with you, So you know, I just think the scenarios here are really different. Like Kentucky in Rick's eyes, never wronged him, because you know, he left them and he wronged them in their eyes understandably so because he chose to go to the rival and picked Louisville, over, you know, Michigan, and then of course, you know, it was.
Pretty playful in whatever.
Although I will say when I'll never forget it when Rick walked into Reperena the first time as the Louisville coach and heard the booze. I mean, I don't know if he said it publicly, but those who know him have talked about it that he was he could not believe and had zero expectation to hear booze like that.
And I'm telling you, you go back and watch it. The body language shifts to where he was visibly stunned, like he didn't you know, he has a good poker face, like I don't think he looked like wide eyed and scared, and he didn't stop in his tracks, but like there was a shift in his body language because he was on he could not believe that they bowed him. And you got to keep in mind this was just four years after he left, and at that point he was a made man. I mean, he was a rock star.
He brought Kentucky back from the dead essentially. I mean they were in there. I mean, Kentucky was in a bad way as a program when he took over, and by the time he left, they were on track to just continue to be the best program in the country with no end in sight had he not taken the Celtics job. So you know, he just thought, I I for what I did for this fan base and for how far down they were, and I propped them up, and hell, they got a second title off of my
players with Hubby Smith. I don't think he's ever said that publicly, but like Rick just assumed there was no scenario he'd ever not be loved and worshiped because he was loved and worshiped in a way that, like you know, only coaches at places like Kentucky get loved and worshiped. But he also is a really good reminder that, like no coach is bigger than any program. Yeah, we appreciate you, but you are now coaching the team we hate. It's a rivalry, so you know, the hell with you until
maybe one day you lead Louisville. And of course now we see that that doesn't seem to be the same feeling that a lot of Kentucky fans have now because they do realize that despite him going and the Louisville the rival, he did have a big impact in Kentucky basketball being able.
To maintain the brand that they have.
But he and no one else is bigger than that job, just like nobody's bigger than the maleives of basketball. So with Rick, like I think the can for those for those that are thinking that one day they'll be the same level of.
I guess what do you call it when you when you reunite?
And I guess just move on and start anew and don't look back at the past. Like from the from Rick's perspective on the Kentucky side, the only thing he could he would probably claim that they did that he didn't like is that they hired Caliperi, a guy who he hates. So he probably was hoping for this day to where cal wouldn't be there. And what do you know, the guy that comes and takes the job as a former player of his to where now he can you know, really let it be part of his brand that he's
a you know, he's he's he's BBN. So I'm not defending Rick in any way because look, let's be real, like Rick got away with a lot of stuff here that most wouldn't. I think the Katina pal thing, despite it, in my belief, not being anything he had any direct doing or any knowledge of, it still happened, and most coaches.
Would just be the sacrifice.
They would they would be the sacrifice of Lamb, right, they would be they'd be let go just because of the optics of what went on at a program that you know, is one that we care about. That like, you would never expect anything like that to happen. The Karen Cipher stuff is a little different because that that is very much his personal life. But also like when you're the Lois of basketball coach, you're not just the love of basketball coach. You are a different figure around
here than most. You're the most when things are going well, you you kind of run this town. I mean, that's the way it is. So rick by the time, like by the time he got let go, even if we knew at the time that maybe he had little to nothing to do with the Brian Bowen situation, despite the FBI's documents, like it's still like, look, you can't keep you can't keep having this stuff happen. I mean he even said as much. So he's you know, I think it made sense that you moved on from him when
you did. But I think the way it played out has left Rick to wear I don't know if he'll ever not have that Like what Louisville did to him, in his mind is something that like he still believes is really really wrong, and he's a victim. With Kentucky, they never did anything to him. He left them, so like, I just think you're gonna see him much more eager and joyful to be a part of Kentucky than Louisville because of the obvious differences in how things came to an end.
Now with.
You know, with Rick, like we've talked about this before, who's he mad at? Like the situation itself like sucks, but overall, like there were three people that he really really blamed for his downfall at Louisville as far as getting fired David Grissom, Papa John John Schnatterer who used to be on the board, and Greg Postal if you remember Greg Postal, who was our interim president.
I think for a little while, like those were three things.
I think Rick specifically blames all three of them for everything, and that you know, it was a witch hunt and they were looking to you know, he told the story I told, I told my coaches don't even don't even get caught Jay walkin. They're they're they're trying to bring
us down, an exact quote I think from Rick. So he should understand that, like, none of those people are around anymore, And honestly, it sucks that they were even in the position they were in to have influence on him getting canned, because like, you know, everything good about his time at Louisville, as far as the people along the way are all people that I'm sure he still loves and everything, you know, including fans, Like I don't think Rick relates to fans quite like other coaches do,
but I mean think he realizes he had great fans support when he was here, nothing like, you know, way
more than he'll ever have at Saint John's. So I just wish Rick would you know, he's easier said than done, though, because again, think about embarrassing that whole thing was for him when he locked the doors in my office, changed the locks, but he was pretty upset about it, understandably so, but that whole thing, whoever you're angry at, like if whoever you think was responsible for it, they're not affiliated
at all anymore around here. And also they were never really a part of the success either, Like you didn't get betrayed, it was just bad timing to where people were in position to, you know, take action on some stuff, and they took action on getting rid of you. Now, let's also not act like you didn't give them an opportunity to, you know, feel comfortable and confident in a swift exit and firing you with calls and not paying
you any money, which is how it played out. So yeah, I'm sure we'll see a Louisville Rick Patino reunion in some fashion at some point, but I don't think it'll be anything like the Kentucky one. And I kind of think it makes sense to be honest with you quick break keep you locked out here On Sports Talk seven ninety.
I heard on the news about that five year old who found his uncle's gun.
The kid didn't know it was loaded.
I heard on the news about that fourteen year old girl who is bullied online for like a year. She couldn't take it anymore, so she got her dad's gun from his nightstone.
I heard on the news about that guy who broke into someone's house stole a gun from.
The hall closet.
He accidentally shot his cousin.
In the head.
She killed herself and later killed the owner of the store he was trying to wrong.
If you own a gun, you have a full time responsibility. When you aren't using it, be sure it can't get into the hands of curious children, troubled teenagers, a thief, or anyone else who might misuse it. Your family, friends, and neighbors are all counting on you. Remember always lock it up. For more information on firearms storage safety, visit NCPC dot org. This message brought to you by the National Crime Prevention Council, the Bureau of Justice Assistants, and the ad Council.
Now back to coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
All right, as we wrap up the four o'clock hour, let's go ahead and get another Derby profile from the one and only Jody Dimmling.
Now look at the Kentucky Derby field one by one Sandman.
Arkansas Derby winner. Sand Man is one of the most expensive, one of the most race and one of the most popular horses in this year's Kentucky Derby field. A gray and Rowan's son of tap It. Sandman is beautiful out on the track and always draws the railbirds attention when
he is working out in the mornings. Is a one point two million dollar purchase from the twenty two twenty four oh Calibreeders March Sale, and he has eight career starts already, three wins, a second and two third place finishes, one point two five million dollars in the bank all ready for this closer. Sandman trying to capture Mark Cassie's first Kentucky Derby winner. Cassie the veteran trainer oh for ten in the Derby Classic Empire finished fourth in two
thy seventeen jockey Jose Ortiz Oh for nine. He was second aboard Good Magic in two thousand and eighteen. Sandman is owned by DJ Stables, Saint Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds. They teamed up to win with Always Dreaming in two thousand and seventeen. Sandman opened his career at Churchill Downs with a fifth place finish back in late June.
He broke his maiden at Saratoga. In early August, he was fifth in the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs before finishing third to Sovereignty and Tims Tastic, both in the Kentucky Derby Field on October twenty seven at Churchill Downs in the Street Set Steaks. Cassie didn't play sand Man
in Allowance Optional Claiming Race, where he won. In early December at Oakland Park, he was second in the Southwest Stakes, third in the Rebel Stakes, and then he came flying down the center of the track at Oakland Park on March twenty ninth to win the Arkansas Derby by two and a half links. He did we even duck around a little bit in the Arkansas Derby. Back in the Southwest Stakes a bad break. He has been in trouble
in pretty much each of his last three races. Cassie said he believes this horse has grown up and he believes Sandman can take him to the Kentucky Derby winner circle.
My son used to pitch baseball, and I'd always say, when we win, we win.
When we lose, we learn.
So he's done some learning, and you know things get tight and tough the Derby. He's going to have the experience of many other stone, so you know we'll need some luck. There's no question in my mind that he's going to enjoy the mile and a quarter more than probably most so, those are two big plusses that we have going for.
US Arkansas Derby winner sand Man
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