It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety. Holy crap, I.
Don't know who the hell we think when we.
Are get off our show, idiot.
The kids are crying or trail off crying.
The countries are screwing it up. Gold Play Inner Murals, Brother, gold Play Inner Murals.
They're supposed to be mature adults, but they're really not. Who's the kid here?
Who's the kid here? Are you kidding me?
Now?
Here's Nick Coffee?
All right, let's get it started here on another beautiful afternoon, a Thursday edition of Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Thanks for joining us. Wherever you are, however you're listening, whatever time of the day it is. I mean it's three give me three two one. It's now three oh one where I'm at. But you may be listening to this on podcast. You maybe listen to it, you know, a week from now.
So again, wherever you are, whatever time of the day it is, whatever year it is.
Thank you, We appreciate you.
My name is Nick Coffee, Austin Montgomery, the travel chief alongside today we're gonna take you up till six o'clock and you could take us with you wherever you go. Listen live on the iHeartRadio app. Also listen live at seven ninety Louisville dot com. Obviously Thursdays are are thirsty thursdays for me. I mean, this weather be a bad day to be a cold beer. I tell you that
right now. Might as well say your prayer, say your goodbyes to everybody you love, because it's beer drinking weather out there, really has been the last couple of days. It was gloomy earlier, and I think it was. I think that's what it's supposed to be. But in downtown Louisville, as I speak right now again, it could change, and it may have already changed since I walked in about
twenty minutes ago. But it is nice, nice outside. So this is your Friday right for the show, Austin, You're out tomorrow?
Yes, yes, yes, sure I am.
Let me ask you. Are you being taken away from me? Or are you off?
Yeah?
No, I'm being taken away. Okay, I'm going to uh so a Tony D. White happy hour, but just no Tony.
Tony and DW.
White happy hour where there's no live broadcast. Yes, oh man, I mean things could get crazy. Yeah, I mean, but.
Dare I ask what you're needed for there? Dare I? Dare I ask?
And I don't mean, I mean any situation where you're a part of it, that situation becomes better. So like I know that that that goes without saying, but I'm just asking, like that's what you get taken away from just because you know, I mean, I'm putting.
M in a bad spot.
It's not his call, No, it's trust me.
Look, look, I put you in a bad spot. I didn't mean.
I didn't mean to put it out there like that. No, we had a we actually have a getting some help. Actually, I'm finally they hired a a part timer to come help out. Yes, round of look at a scale, Yeah, shout outs to the team. So as we grow basically like a shadowing thing and we're just kind of treating it as like okay, like a like an actual remote type.
Of well that actually makes a lot of sense then, because you're going to basically be showing somebody the ropes of how it's done. And they've got big shoes to fill, but they'll they'll try their best at.
Least I hope so.
But like, here's here's something that I just thought of that. I mean, it doesn't really take a lot to like think of this, But how about like realizing and utilizing I should say that, you know, Dwight is having a meet and greet. Don't know the timing of it, but it's not a lot broadcast. It's just to hang out. Why not bring coffee and company there and have a big pow wow with you know.
To where it's actually a great idea?
Yeah, I mean I don't.
I don't have many of them, but sometimes they just appear in my brain to be Do you think there's people who know this show is here?
Oh surely, I hope.
So surely what can we do to tell them, like, hey, we're here, we we'd like to have fun.
Too, And they.
Just take you away from me as if like I don't want to go have fun. And I know there's a lot that goes into it as far as the client selling and all that, but I mean I'm just an added bonus. I mean, you already you've got Dwight, that's all you need, and then you throw me in there. I'm just a complimentary peace you know.
Rick at that point, possibly, are you kidding me? Let's make that happen.
I will, you know, out of my control, that's for sure. But we'll miss you tomorrow. You'll be having fun, yeah, and I'll be you know, I'll be here a good time.
And next Friday I'm out too.
The sisters graduating high school.
Oh, shout out to the sisters.
Shout out Emily, Emily, shout out Emily.
You have a sister, Emily?
Yes?
Did you know that I have a sister Emily? Well, now that I think of it, yes, yeah, we both have Emily's sister.
Yes, look at that.
So so graduating high school that has got to be this is this is, I guess more so. I could be wrong, but I think tomorrow was supposed to be the last day of school in Bullet County. But obviously they had a lot of snow days that kind of stuff, so I think they're they're extended out a little bit. But graduation season is upon us. And did you, like, was graduation like a big deal when?
Not?
Not to you individually, I just mean, like, you know, we had we had graduation parties after we graduated high school, like my friends did.
But like after Like when I graduated, I.
Mean I wore like what I would wear to school on the day of like a basketball game, like a khakis and a shirt and tie kind of thing. But like, I feel like graduation each year has become a bigger celebration for folks, which I think is justified.
They're going in like arenas now or like like freedom Hall. Mine was just done on the football field.
Well see that, Like I would prefer it that way.
Oh yeah, that was a great time.
So I believe my class, Yeah, because I graduated high school class of two thousand and six at North Bullet High School, and we graduated in our we graduate waiting in our gym and walked across the stage, and that's just all that that they That's the way it had always been to my knowledge, ever since the school opened many many years ago, when my parents started going there. And then the next year my wife, she's a graduate of two thousand and seven class, and they had their graduation.
I believe it broad been arena, so they you know, clearly you need more space that kind of stuff. But I kind of, you know, if given the choice, maybe this is just me thinking about the way it was done back in my day, but like I would rather graduate at my high school and not at you know. I mean again, maybe there's a cool element to you know,
walking across the stage. But when I went to her graduation, I mean, there were a lot of people there, but like nowhere, I mean, it was really I can't say it was an empty arena because it wasn't empty, but you know what I mean, Like it would if there was an event there that took place in the area where in fact the students are seated and they've got this little stage set up in front with the podium, I mean, it would be viewed as like a any turnout for that.
So I don't know, I feel like a.
Graduation was a big for me.
It's got to be a cost, right, Like if.
You're using the fairgrounds of facilities to have a graduation, like you got to pay them, and I feel like you should just do it at your school. But I guess maybe they can't accommodate given the fact that you know a lot of people show up to graduation. They didn't did did did you have any family members bring out like the airhorn or yell when you graduated when you walk?
They totally yelled. I had uh that few people that that flew in from out of town. My grandma, my grandpa came in from out of town. So yeah, they did the uh. They did the yell and also hit I had. I felt like I had to do something funny, silly on storage, so I did the I hit the Bernie.
Dance did you hit the Bernie?
I hit the Bernie. We can hit Bernie on stage? Nice hit the Bernie like that.
I have no I have no memorable like moment within my graduation other than just you know the fact that I that I graduated.
I was always like the goofy kid. I always liked to be like the class clown. So I knew I had to to go out doing something silly.
Aren't they powerless?
Though?
When they tell you, like, please hold your applause until after everyone, please do not sneak in you know an air is that what it's called an airhorn?
Like?
Yeah, but like what you like?
What are what are you gonna do if somebody does in fact defy you and start screaming and hollering And trust me, I graduated school in Bullet County, so there were a lot of cow bells being wrong a lot of a lot of rooms, a lot of redneck energy, a lot of hillbilly energy, uh you know, here and
there throughout the entire the entire thing. Not to say that, like you know, that was everyone who graduated, and not to say that there's anything wrong with that if you do identify as a redneck or hillbilly, but uh yeah, I mean I just remember going to my sister's graduation, she graduated the year prior, and I remember thinking like yeah,
as a sixteen year old. Then at that time, I'm like, yeah, you think these people are gonna listen to you, Principal or counselor whoever it is like saying, could you please, we do ask that you hold all of your reaction and applause until we do a final send off for
the class of you know. And I guess the reason they would do that is because if people get to carry it on a little bit, you know, really, I wouldn't say for a long amount of time, but they go pretty quick like you're you're announcing Austin Montgomery and then we're going to Nick Coffee, and there's not a whole lot of time in between to where you could get to hooton and holler and could really interrupt the the you know, the the people be able to hear the next name that's up on the list. So I
guess there's a reason for it. But I mean, let let I mean it's.
A big deal. I mean graduate high school. Yeah, yeah, it's a big deal and and you know, a huge day for me.
I don't think I had the maturity and life experience, certainly, I didn't have that at the time to realize, like how proud my parents probably were not that, like, you know, that was the that's the end goal. He got out of high school. Now God bless him. Let's send him on his way, and he's responsible for himself. But you like, thinking about my my kids or really you know, my nephews when they graduate, like that'll be a big day.
So let people get rowdy if they want.
You know what I'm saying exactly, dude.
I hated hated school, just like every like I wanted to be completely done with it.
I had no desire to go to college immediately.
I was just ready to be done, waking up early and just going your free spirit.
Absolutely, you wanted to do your own thing. You wanted to fly I want the Japs got to let you fly.
I went the JCTC when I got here, and then like it really had no business doing downtown or southwest downtown and parking under parking right next to that taco bell under the interstate was pretty sketchy. I've seen, oh, I know exactly where you're talking about, seeing people freak out and pass out on salts over there in the morning. It was a lot of saults on salts. Yes, yes, yes, So it was probably not the best decision. UPS was paying for it, so I'm like, might as well just
give it a shot. But I really had no clue what I wanted to do. And then at one point they told me like I had to pay one hundred dollars for like a homework password or something like that. And then as part of this art class I went to after a couple of semesters said I had to go to a different museum and take a picture of a painting and like write an essay of it every month. And I'm like, you know what, I'm just really only here to tell chicks that I'm going to college. Yeah,
at least you're honest with yourself, you know. And I'm like this probably is the best for.
Me, and I'll tell you what the And I know I've talked about this before, but in two thousand, really just my high school years. So I got into high school around two, I guess two thousand and two thousand and three, four, five, six, Yeah, those were the years I was in high school. And maybe it's just the way I remember it, but I kind of don't think it is. I think it's there's clearly been a big shift,
and it's it's and it's for good. But whenever, And I'm sure it was different for you because quite literally where you went to school in Arizona, it's the other side of the country. I'm sure cultural, it's just a different world. But you're and you're also so significantly younger than me, especially you know, well as we get older, it won't seem that way. But like when I graduate high school in two thousand and six, held were you, uh?
I think I was just maybe turning like fifteen, No, I in sixth grade. I was enter in sixth grade. I'm about to be thirty two years old.
Yeah, so I'm about to be thirty seven.
So you were you were probably going to the sixth or seventh grade when I graduated.
So you know, when you.
Think about that era of your life, like that is a big difference. Right when you were that age and I was seventeen eighteen, visually it would have looked like you were a young child and I was, you know, I guess team about to be, you know, legally an adult.
So anyways, when I was in school, it wasn't ever like we weren't tortured by it, but there was just this this energy constant throughout that if you did not have a full plan to go to college, then like life was gonna like you're you were like not to say they would claim that you're a loser, but like it was just in your brain that the only way and the only scenario you could have any success in life is if in fact you go to college, and if not, it's going to be really tough for you.
And you know, I believe that a lot of people did, and uh, you know, there's nothing wrong with encouraging folks to to to seek higher education and and and you know, I think a lot of times when it comes to college, especially now that I'm older, college the experience is huge, but not necessarily all because of what you learn as far as the textbooks and the classes, it's just life experience, and you know, there's a lot that comes with it. So now it doesn't it doesn't appear at all to
be that way. Like obviously they're going to encourage and help kids get to a college they want to go to that makes the most sense for them. But like now there are kids who have really good grades that have made you know, have said for And the reason I say this because I have a lot of friends that still work in education, and some of them started being teachers and they're still doing that, and then a lot of them have have moved to the administration side
of things. I mean, I have a close friend of mine who's a principal, and my one of my closest friends is the athletic director. And I've had other friends that were in the education and then understandably so they decided to do something different, which I get it. Teachers are not taking care of the way they should be
and it's a thankless job. And I'm worried that in ten years, like it's gonna be really really hard to find teachers, to be honest with you, But anyway, is what I'm getting at is nowadays, there are kids who have really good grades that would be fully able to go to college and probably do well, but they don't want to do that.
They want to get into a trade.
They want to you know, take a you know, take an entry Yeah, take an entry level job. And probably a bigger factor than I even think about until right now. Is it just popped up in my brain. They probably even at that age. No, I don't want to go and do an insane amount of debt just to go to school not knowing what I want to do, you
know what I mean. So I'm glad that that's the case now because you know, I know many of friends peers, mostly people that are a little bit younger than me, that they didn't go to college right out of high school. They got into a trade as like an apprentice, and you know, they're doing really well for themselves. They actually do end up getting schooling through their union and all that.
And I'm just, I mean it just I was never a good student at all ever, and it was in school in any way as far as like there's one I was. I was decent when it comes to like English and and writing and things like that, and I was actually kind of decent in like art, which you know, that wasn't ever something I knew was I thought was going to be exact same, but like that was sort of something that didn't didn't really become really overwhelmingly difficult.
But a lot of things when it comes to school, like I was very insecure and overwhelming because school was not easy to me really in any way, and it was a lot it was to a lot of my friends. So you know, I just remember always thinking, like, you know, you got to go to college. You gotta go to college,
gotta go to college. And I mean I always felt less than because like I knew that if I did go to college, it's gonna be a lot harder for me than it was most and you know it was at times, But I don't know, I'm happy that now we look, you can graduate high school and then in five years already have your you know, you've already kind of maybe broken into whatever career you're going to get into.
And the just used to be this this stigma that if you weren't pursuing college right after high school, well your.
Life is doomed.
And that's clearly not the case, and really it never was, but now, I mean, look the people out out that are out there right now. I'm sure their degree has helped them in certain ways. Like both my wife and my sister, they both they both graduated, but don't use their degree for any for what they do, and they're very successful in what they do and have great careers. And I don't think they would maybe have the position
they have if they didn't obtain a degree. But it wasn't like they went to school to learn how to do what they're doing now, So there's value in it. I mean, I give anybody credit who graduated.
With a four year degree. I did not.
And even if you don't use it at all, even if you did it just to say that you did it and you wanted to challenge yourself, good for you, because you know, I know that would be really hard
for me and it was. So Again, the reason I'm bringing this up is because you mentioned your sister graduate in high school, and it kind of just used to be well, okay, you know, that's the bare minimum, but no, like it should be something that is celebrated and it's really a big step in your life because when you are no longer in high school, in the public school system, Catholic school system, private school system, whatever it may be.
I mean, like you're out there. You may still live with mom, you may still have you know, them paying for certain stuff. But like clock's ticking on that, did you have.
Any friends that you were like maybe surrounded by or close by that like dropped out of high school?
So I had a close friend who our senior year, he ended up kind of just kind of dipping out a little bit, kind of stopped coming.
To school a lot.
And he was older, so he'd been held back when he was younger, so he was a little bit older and he was somebody like me. To be honest, where school I don't think was ever necessarily easy for But he ended up having to go to summer school that year, and that's how he ended up obtaining his degree. It was just in summer school. Sweeen't get to graduate with us.
But but there's an example, and that's not you know, that's not I'm sure that was difficult and it would be this day and age if that happened to somebody to where they just fell short and couldn't walk the line, that kind of thing. But at the time, like it was like, oh my God, their life's over and that's not That's so not the case, you know what I'm saying.
And I just I don't know, a lot of things have changed.
I graduated high school nineteen years ago, and certainly a lot in life has changed in a big way. So shout out to all the graduates out there, because I know the high school graduations will be starting here soon if they haven't already. And uh, you know, that's a big accomplishment.
I didn't go to any parties after I graduated.
What do you mean, like graduation parties are just parties, graduation parties at all.
I don't think I du that was a week.
That was my whole summer because we all had graduation parties, And like that's one I mean, I think I think I got more money from my graduation party than I got for like any birth there. And you think it wasn't like, you know, a crazy substantial amount of money. But and that's why, like it's funny. We open up the mailbox every day. At least three times. In the last two weeks, I've received cards from my cousin's children, people that I know in love, but I you know, they live across the country.
I don't.
I don't really see them often at all. They certainly wouldn't expect me to drive across the country to come to the graduation party. But they know, Hey, we're sending out envelopes and invitations to everybody acknowledging, so maybe you put a little check in the mail.
And look, I get it. I hear you, man.
I remember starting off, I had had graduation money. And then I'm going to sound like a real dummy here, not that I already haven't, probably in the first twenty minutes or so, but what is it a some kind of bond like the savings bonds? Is that still a thing? I had savings bonds that were given to me when I was young by my mama. Okay, and you know over time they I think they become more valuable. But I cash those suckers out because I had my own
bank account. I had graduation money, you know, I had a little bit of money from my job at Finish Line. And I was like, you know, I remember the top of the warld Oh dude, I was like, I might as well just buy a house now, you know what I'm saying, Like just this, I mean, I got money now, which you know clearly that was the summer. Yea, that runs out pretty quickly. And then I never got my
check from Hollister. What if I showed up to Hollister and was like, hey, you know, back in the summer of two thousand and.
Five I worked. I worked a two and a half hour shift and then quit. Do you have my check?
Yeah? Your I mean your employee number.
Which is funny because there's like ways you can have a buddy who I don't know if it's because of his job or what it is, but he has the ability to like there's funds out there available for people that they didn't know that they were that were there. I don't know if it's from previous jobs or you know, like a partial tax return. It wasn't about that, yeah, for and it's it's rarely ever like something substantial, but there's like a database where you can look at it.
And my buddy sent me what was I believe, like seventy two dollars that apparently like is owed to me and it's and it's either my Hollister check that like they they put it off the books but nobody's claimed.
It, or it's it's whatever.
I got my wallet stolen and they arrested the guy and he owed restitution, which would.
Be more than that. Do you know that story? No, it's it's a wild story for a different day. Yeah, I've told this story to you, haven't I not about your walley getting Like.
My wallet got stole stolen right after I graduated high school, probably a year after, and I left it on the counter at a subway. But the subway was in a gas station, so I just thought I lost it or whatnot. Next day, I remember, you know, like, yeah, I lost my wallet, and somebody's like, well, you realize that subway is in a gas station. They have cameras, so they could probably check and see if you left your wallet there.
Ok.
And I was like, all right, I'll give that a shot. I guess I have.
This is not ringing any bells at all to you, Okay. So anyways, I end up calling and the manager of the the gas station, not the subway, was like, yeah, we'll check our cameras for you.
I'm like, okay, cool.
Nice.
So they checked the cameras. I hear nothing for like a month. Well then then I get a phone call from this detective who's like, yeah, we made an arrest. The employee at subway, took your wallet, went outside, through everything in the dumpster other than the cash and your wallet.
It's like sixty bucks, and we you know, we filed charges and somebody will be in contact with you about restitution because not only are you going to get you sixty dollars back, but I had to get a new Social Security card.
I had to get a new ID made.
Wow, And I'm thinking, okay, well, I'm glad that they got it worked out.
Well.
Then like I forgot about that. Years go by, not kidding you, at least at least eleven twelve years go by, and then all of a sudden, I get a phone call from my stepdad.
Who this is like one of the rare.
This is one of those moments to where like I knew at this moment, not that I didn't already know.
But like he's got my back.
He calls me and I'm at work and he's like, hey, a detective just came here.
Looking for you.
And I'm like what he was like, Yeah, HELLENPD detective just came here asking if this is still your address. I told him you haven't lived here in a long long time, and asked what it was about, and he didn't really tell me. But I didn't tell him anything about you what I just told because he basically he was calling me like, hey, what happened. I'm I'm not gonna snitch on you. Let me know if I could. Like, basically, he didn't tell my mom, but he was like, hey, man,
I don't know what's going on. Cobs came looking for you.
Talk to me.
Let's figure this out. And I'm like, I have no clue. And it's like, well, I got his car and I got his number. Do you want to call him? I'm like, yeah, of course, I have no clue what it's about. I call him. And the person who stole my wallet, hitting it up, racking up all kinds of different charges was in prison at the time I got this phone call, and he had finally worked enough in prison to pay off different restitution that he owed, and part of it was me, And it wasn't the same person that you
know years ago had called me. But like, here we are eleven twelve years later, and I forgot all about that whole thing even happening. And yet I guess this guy's trying to make right and get out of prison and one of the things. And here's what's crazy, I never got anything. Even after that, I never got They were like, yeah, we just wanted to let you know that your your restitution check will be on the way.
Uh.
The address we had on file, which is great at the time that they my legal address at the time was my my stepfather and mother's house at the time, so that's the only thing they had on file, and uh, you.
Know, I gave him my new address. I never never got anything. So wow.
But yeah, like now that I'm older, even more so than like whenever that phone call happened.
I mean I was an adult.
I think, you know, I didn't have kids at the time, but like I was married, and uh, I just remember thinking at the time like wow, like I would have I would have expected and not been bothered at all if the first call he made was to my mother like hey, somebody came here looking for your son.
He didn't do that.
So I'm like, that's a real one right there, Like that's my heart. Oh, I mean my it did, but I'm thinking, like you didn't. I'm already, as it is, scared to death of getting in trouble with the law to where like there's no senning, Like I'm the person who knows I've never done a drug in my life other than you know, a gummy that you can buy legally.
But I'll go through.
Security at the airport like, well, I'm sure somebody probably planned cocaine on me, and I'm gonna go to jail, like I just I'm a weirdo when it comes to that kind of paranoia. So anyways, let's get the table set for the rest of the show today because we got something we got to get to here on the other side that I'm gonna just believe that it's gonna get worked out, but I really, you know, I'm just
I guess it's wishful thinking. But to find out that Ali Khalifa is ineligible and has been ineligible and filed to be eligible and was told that that was denied, I mean, again, it doesn't make any sense for him to not be given a year of eligibility given his situation, which we'll talk about on either side. But the people that would have to do that are the ns DOABLEA and like they're never reliable, never consistent, and you just
have no clue what you're gonna get. So we shall see, but there's that in a lot more as we take you up till six o'clock. So hang out right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
I probably should have done this a little bit earlier in the show, even though we are still relatively early in our three hour program. But happy birthday to Pat Kelsey. He was born fifty years ago today, And I said this to Austin, and since saying it maybe four or five minutes ago, I've had some real reflection on my end because I can't believe Pat Kelsey's fifty years old, because like, if you would have told me that he turned forties five or forty six today, I totally would have believed you.
It didn't look fifties believable. It's really his birthday.
But I'm not that far from fifty. I mean I am, but I'm not and fifty. I mean nobody out there is saying fifties young, right, Like you can be as young as you want internally and live your life the way you want to, where you often don't think about your age, whether it be young or old, because you're just you know, in the moment. But happy fiftieth birthday.
I mean, I got some time. But for reference, yesterday was my fourteen year anniversary with my wife, and in fourteen years from today, I'll be fifty years old, so I guess that's kind of like the time reference there. But yeah, happy birthday to Pat Kelsey. He's in Cincinnati and he got to throw out a first pitch for the Cincinnati Reads today, So pretty good birthday for him
back in his hometown at Cincinnati. I know, last night was a big special night as they were finally given the green light to I guess, honor and do what they have wanted to do for a long time for Pete Rose. And overall that's a good like I'm glad that they're able to do that. But I mean the obvious thing is like, why couldn't that have been done, you know, right before he died.
I mean, I don't know, just is.
It really honoring somebody when they're when you do it, when you let it be done when they're when they're not alive to experience it, Like, I don't know, just in a way, it's almost like cruel. I mean again, part of me is like, well, at least it's something and like his family and Reds fans, can you know now, I guess have something from that. But there's also the other side that's like doing it after he died is crazy. So anyways, Happy birthday to to Pat Kelsey fifty years old.
And I'm sure this has probably been an ongoing thing that they were aware of, but I really don't know. I did talk to somebody earlier today that gave me some good info on the Ali Khalifa situation, and I guess I'll just start there as far as what's going on. He has he's not eligible right now. That's the best way to describe it, because it could change. It's not as if you know, we now know for sure he'll never play for Louisville, but as of right now, he
is not eligible. And UFL put out a statement earlier today. There have been some rumblings of this. In fact, sometimes you get some things on the text line that.
You don't really like.
They come out of nowhere, and I don't really entertain it because one would be foolish, irresponsible for me to just read anything that comes in as if like any rumor has any validity. To it, But there was somebody right after. I remember at Derby. I talked about seeing Ali Khalif at Derby and how much he'd lost weight, how Grady looked, and somebody had sent in a text first time text on the text line that said that
they're hearing he's not eligible. And I'm thinking that makes no sense at all because he's I mean, how could he not be eligible. He hasn't even played four years of college basketball. What would make him not eligible? So I just thought there was nothing to it. But turns
out they were right. So the statement that came from u of L says this University of louisvillmen's basketball student athlete Ali Khalifa, his request for an extension of his five year clock that would allow him to utilize his fourth and final season of eligibility was denied by the NCAA. The University of Louisville is appealing that decision and believes that Ali has a strong case that warrants an additional year.
After earning his bachelor's degree, Ali continues. Ali continues to work towards a master's degree at the university while preparing for the twenty twenty five to twenty six basketball season. So they are appealing this. This is the standard appeals process.
He has hired an attorney to fight this, but I mean I was almost in disbelief whenever this became news today because the NCAA has seemingly had no control over anybody's eligibility for well over a year now, right, I mean, it's been pretty routine.
Hire a lawyer, fight the NCUAA.
They're likely going to cave because they have no real legal ability to do a lot of the things they've done since their existence. I mean, that's why college athletics is in the current state that it's in. They operated with no adjustment to society or any you know, realization that over time. Yeah, we probably probably probably not a good look for us to be a billion dollar business
from one tournament, the NSTAA tournament. One event, and yet like nobody who actually performs in said event gets any of the revenue from that. Like that's I mean, that's why they that's why in court they were told, yeah, what you're doing is illegal, so you can't do that anymore.
And oh, by the way, there's a billion dollar settlement, multiple billions of dollars actually that are going to previous student athletes who are now going to be paid because there was revenue generated from their work and they got nothing. And I don't mean they didn't get an education. But like again, the Optics, even if you wanted college athletics to stay wholesome and pure with nobody making any money, the Optics.
Would continue to grow.
Just insane about it being a billion dollar event, and yet all the money goes to the inns, Double A and the people who you know perform because that's what they're doing, right. They don't get any of that revenue. So it's still not pay for play, but it's called revshare, that's what That's how they're wording it now. So anyways, thinks Double A. They have denied his request for an extension of his five year clock. And I've known what
the five year clock was for a long time. You get four years to play five, but there are countless examples of players that have played more than four and they're in their seventh year as a college athlete. I mean, this has not been something that has been like this four year to play five the clock, as they say, the five year clock, This has in no way been
consistently enforced for a long long time. I mean, there are guys, you know, ten fifteen years ago, maybe not even that long, that they had a five year clock and they had four years of injuries, and you know they finally got healthy.
But what are you gonna do. It's life.
They're out of el ability that now they got to start the new chapter of their life. So I guess just the recent situation with the NCAA not really seemingly being able to enforce anything, that's what really kind of had me in disbelief that like, they're going to claim this guy's not eligible because here's what's here's his situation, and a lot of people may not know because we've never seen him play for Louisie.
He said up last year.
But Ali Khalifa enrolled at Charlotte in two thousand and twenty twenty one. That season, that was the first season post well, I say post COVID. That was the year we tried to have a we tried to have live sports during the pandemic with all the testing and all that.
It was a mess.
But that was his first year in college. He red shirted that year. It was not a medical red shirt. That's what I now have been told us that that red shirt reason was not due to an injury. So the next year twenty twenty one twenty two, he was a freshman. He won Conference USA Freshman of the Year when he played at Charlotte. He was at Charlotte for two years, so then he Treedransford in the twenty twenty three to twenty four season to play at BYU for
Mark Pope. That was three years of playing basketball to it. Charlotte won at BYU. Last year enrolled at Louisville, had to have surgery, did not play a single second because of the injury. So he's five years and he's played three, but he clearly has I mean like it's I guess technically the four to play five that is the rule, and he's five years in. But there are countless examples
of players that did not get held to this. Therefore, why would he That's the argument, that's the appeal I would assume, And it would be really shameful of the NCAA to view his entire situation from top to bottom and say this guy's not worthy of a fourth year to play. He has not played four years. He's not hanging out in college as long as he can just to you know, avoid starting the next chapter of his life. And I'm I'm not knocking anybody who does that.
It makes sense.
You're foolish not to stay in college as long as you can and make in IL money, because that's I mean, it's worth.
Your while, certainly.
But he's probably on a student visa, right he's originally from is it Egypt, so like he might even be able to get an IL like he just this is somebody who has not played four years of college athletics because of an injury here, so they're going to appeal it, and I would assume a quick view of his situation will make them realize of all people that we want to really stick it to, he's the last one. I mean, let me give you an example. And I'm not trying in no way am I picking on this guy at all,
because I love this guy. But this is a former Louisville player who is still playing college basketball, and Ali Khalifa is told as of right now that he's not eligible to play. And I thought about this when I was talking to somebody from UFL earlier today and I just was thinking about out when he's when he because that's a free year, So he did not play in twenty twenty one, but that year didn't count for anybody's
eligibility or remember, that was a free year. So that year that he didn't play, like with with every other college athlete, that year didn't matter. It didn't count. So why is that being counted against him? On his on his clock. That's a free year for everybody.
Why is that.
Being Why is that being used against him? So Jj Trainor entered college the same year that Ali Khalifa did twenty twenty twenty twenty one. JJ Traynor played at Louisville that season, it's a freebie. Well, then he has one year of Kenny Payne where he's a red shirt. Well he's technically a sophomore, but he gets a free year. Then his junior season, the second year of KP, he played in less than eleven games, so he got a
medical red shirt because of his injury. So JJ, he transfers to DePaul played last year there five points three boards a game. Well, JJ's still eligible. He transferred to play for Murray State. So JJ actually played the freebie year. Ali Khalifa did not, And yet he's ineligible and I'm not saying that JJ shouldn't be eligible. I'm just stating that, like,
make that make sense. JJ's played four years of college basketball already, and that's not including the year that he played ten games that qualified him for a medical red shirt.
So I just don't understand.
Let I don't give you the full rundown here, So JJ trainor he played in twenty games, eleven games, thirty two games, eight games, thirty two games. He's played in one hundred and three games in his college career, and he's played legitimately ever, He's played in all five seasons he's been in college. One of them, though, he didn't play enough games to where he qualified for for a medical red shirt. So you know, I mean, that's something
I just don't quite quite understand, and I don't. And the only reason I'm using him as an example because he's he was just a random player that I knew, like I remembered that year, and it's because I follow Louisville and that's the team I, you know, care about and could. But I'm sure there's I mean, there are countless examples of dudes who have been in college for
seven eight years. Even I mean, that's an extreme example, But like guys can go juco and not get any and that doesn't count at all now, But yet he gets hurt and it's being so he got hurt one year and did not play a single second. That was last year, his first year when his clock started is
a free year that didn't count for an anybody. So how like it just it makes no sense at all, And I'm hopeful that again a quick look at his situation will end up getting him cleared because the installly will realize, Yeah, of all people for us to stick it to and not give a year, this guy's not at all somebody we should do that to. I mean, JJ played five seasons to an extent, I mean played a bunch of games in three of those five seasons. I mean, but again I'm holding I hope that it
works out. But if he's not healthy, I mean that changes a lot for Louisville. I mean, he's a rare player as it is, just with his skill set and what he does. But this would be a big blow if this doesn't get situated. And from what I was told earlier today, they have no expectation at all when it comes to a timeline, like they may find out next week, they may find out next year. Stick around right here. It's Coffee and Company. Phil about Thornton's on Sports Talk seven.
Ninety Now back to Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven to nine day.
We don't have a whole lot of time to get into much here in our last segment of the three o'clock hours, so I guess I'll use this time to kind of set the table. There's an updated look at the estimated money in il wise that college basketball programs have spent this offseason. I think there's some numbers that will surprise you. But then again, reminder, it's just an estimate. There's no real way to know, and there probably never
will be a way to know for sure. Also, I want to talk about the Caleb Williams book that is coming out that has to make things awkward for him in Chicago. I mean, it was pretty clear that he was going to try to use leverage. He didn't have to, you know, not go where he was drafted in the NFL. But you know, I guess it's understandable he didn't want to go to Chicago and the links in which they were planning to go as far as doing everything they could and not to not have him end up being
a Chicago Bear is wild. And then also last night we got the full and final update of the NFL schedule, and I mean, this is a whole new thing that I'm actually really you know, I don't want to oversell it, like I'm so entertained by it. It's the best thing ever. But in the last few years, it's become a real thing to where content teams, videographers, graphic designers, just you know, folks in the creative space. You know, every NFL, every pro franchise has a staff a team of people who
do that. Very gifted, very talented people, but like they're big. One of their biggest days in the NFL is having your creative video put together do unvailure schedule. And you know, the Colts, they were bullied into, you know, taking theirs down, and it was just another example of why the Colts are just I mean, it's tough being a Colts fan because I'm not offended.
By what they did.
The person and that they took a shot at and made a joke about isn't offended and it wasn't really.
Offensive, So I don't know.
I just.
Of all the schedule releases from each NFL team, it had to be my team that, you know, somehow messed up that day, a day where it's supposed to be.
You know, I didn't see what happened. What was it?
They had like a Minecraft video that showed the release, and they unveiled it with each game, each opponent, there being some kind of you know, story, and they they did. They had some kind of a reference of Tyreek Hill being arrested before showing up to the game last year. Oh and you know, he's come out and said that he thought it was funny. I don't know the exact quote, but I mean he's come out and said he didn't he wasn't bothered by that because they took it down
and had an issue official apology. And I don't know who was pushing them to do that, but like it didn't seem necessary, and you know, you just look foolish, I think.
So.
Anyways, one thing though, I do want to mention before we before we take our break here, when it comes to the the current college football scheduling format, not the playoff but the conference schedules. The ACC has said that they are not. I mean, they're adamant right now it's staying at eight games, which I think they need to follow suit with what the basketball side did. If you're not going to go to nine, require a single non
conference opponent from a certain league. But with every other league going to nine, the SEC sounds like they're getting there's more and more push for them to do that. I mean, if the SEC goes to nine, even though they probably wouldn't be scared, you know, they're not going to be signing up to play non conference games against power for programs they're going to I mean, if they go to nine games in the SEC, a guarantee you saink he tells everybody just schedule nothing but the FCS teams.
I mean, he probably wouldn't do that directly, but like, I don't know, I just if you can't find some kind of a scheduling requirement within your life league to give you a chance to get better value from non conference games on your schedule, then go to nine. I mean, because let's be real, playing one of your ACC teams is at least going to give you a better chance to get some value than playing you know, a random G five or an FCS. So we got a lot to get into in these next couple of hours, so
make sure you stick around. It's coffee and company. Feel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven to ninety