5.16: The News H2

Better off to just double up those breaks and finish strong and have you know, two hours where I'll have more opportunities to, you know, improve when it comes to, you know, getting break whenever, whenever, whenever I'm supposed to. But at least today maybe you'll understand that that it was a little bit more difficult to do because I did start the show by sharing some news that I'm

I'm really excited about. And I'll try my best to condense this much more, making much more shorter than than than what we had in the first first segment in the three o'clock hour. But I went on this morning with Tony Cruz on news Radio eight forty whas and he introduced me as the new host to take over for him as the host Town Kentucky had his morning news when he retires at the end of this month.

There are many of you that have said on the text line since I shared this last hour that you really never envisioned me wanting to do anything other than talking about sports, which I hear you. I'm kind of the same way. I never really even had thought about it until it was put on my radar well over a year ago that like maybe down the line when Tony gets to retirement, would would you be considered would you consider doing something like that if the opportunity was there.

And at the time, I was thinking, well, you know, that's a big opportunity. That's that's clearly calmbing up the ladder, you know, in this industry that is broadcasting in radio.

people are interested in as well. And you know, the news talk format is a big opportunity. And again we're talking about eight forty whas a legendary station, not only in this market when it comes to radio, but in the region and really just in talk radio in general.

So that is the news I'll be finishing up these next two weeks here and as far as what becomes of this time slot on this station, I really don't have a clue and I'm not really entitled to know, but certainly if they do give me some information to pass along at some point, I will let you know, and I'll at least let them know what I think

could work and hope they would consider. But you know, if they don't, that's their call, not mine, and they know way more about what goes into those decisions than I do. So when I do have information, I'll let you know. But what I'm going to do now is just make the most out of out of these last couple of weeks, which you know I I mean and when I say it, I grew up really not knowing

a whole lot of what like sports radio was. I've told this story before, but like my first memory of hearing people talking about sports on the radio was on news radio eight forty whas and I was probably when I was in the car with my dad or my mom and they had HS on, and it was Lochlan McClain or Tony Cruz, probably Tony at the time when I was younger, talking about the big stories in sports

and I just remember thinking like I didn't. I never knew it was a thing to where you could talk about Louisville in Kentucky, basketball and football on the radio like this is cool. It introduced me to you know, really, I guess talk radio in general. And then when I was about seventeen, eighteen years old, I suppose around that time when I had my first car. It was a Ford Escort ZX two. It's just an Escort, but I would tell people ZX two and they would like, what's that?

That sounds like? That sounds fancy? And it was just a specific version of a Ford Escort. It wasn' anything crazy, but you know, it was my first car, and I would listen to AM radio. Friends would get in the car and be like, what what is your radio broke?

you know, culture of local sports talk radio. And then I got a chance to listen to Joby and Denny and how great it was to hear those guys tell stories. And that's really when I got to listen more to Dave Jennings and to Tony Cruz when they sort of quarterback that show. And then I really fell in love with the Jim Rome Show, just because that was a different world as far as understanding the entertainment component that comes with with sports radio.

was really the only way you could get it. But I I fell in love with it without any any even thought or dream, Hey, that's what I want to do, because I didn't even know what you what, how you would even get into something like that to be honest with you.

who you know first gave me the opportunity. And I realized right away that I wasn't necessarily just doing because it was cool to talk about my team like I really liked it. I really, you know, I wanted to do I wanted to just get repetition. I would do shows. And if you had told me nobody was listening, I mean, I still would have wanted to do it because I wanted to get better at it. I wanted to you know, I guess, cut my teeth if you will in what

this is. So you know I care so this station specifically, I mean again, it's what introduced me to what this is. It was always a dream to ever get an opportunity to be on this specific station and now that I'm you know, just under ten years here in three different day parts from middays to mornings to now afternoons. You know, I think it's something that I try not to never take. I try to never take it for granted. Live in the moment, because it could be gone at any moment.

You just never know when your last show is going to happen. So because of that, it's kind of hit me as I'm making this move to eight forty whas that wow, like, what a what an awesome run it was. And I don't mean to say like it was super successful or anything like that. I mean hopefully it was. It clearly was good enough to where they didn't get rid of me. But just to be able to have the opportunity like it has been a dream come true.

And I suppose what I was able to do with you know, this opportunity here has somehow gotten me another opportunity that I'd be foolish to pass up on, and that is taking over for Tony Cruz on news Radio eight forty whas. So I'm not gonna get sappy and emotional at least now, but maybe it'll happen here and there because I just I love this station. I always will and it's not dying. I mean, it's not going anywhere. It's still going to be here, but I won't be a part of it like I have been for every

day for a huge chunk of my life. And that's also, I guess what's kind of hit me in the feels as I got ready this week to have this news put out there and tried to figure out, you know, my thoughts and how I wanted to talk about it with you guys. But you know, I'm thirty six, so I'm not like super young, but I'm also not you know, I don't know what I am. I'm in that in

between range. I'm not young, but I'm not old, right, But you know, ten years roughly, I mean, that's a big part of that's a big part of somebody's life, right, And I think regardless of how old you how how long you live, ten years is not a small amount of time.

local teams. Clearly I'm a Louisville fan, but I think it'd be foolish of me to do a show and just ignore the rival. It'd be foolish of me to do a show and not at you know, I can clearly let you know where my allegiance is, and I'm all U of l and I hope you can't lose this because they're the rival. But I'll also be willing to acknowledge and always have been that, you know, if they're good, I got to say it. Why would I lie to myself and anybody else that's not going to

be good. I think to obtain listeners when I'm saying things that, like we all know, is not true, just to do the right so you know, I still here. We are not sure exactly how to describe what this experience is, but it's fun to me, and clearly those of you listening have probably been listening here and there. I would hope for a long time, and I appreciate you greatly, I really do. So, yeah, that's that's the news.

If you missed it earlier that you know, some people on the text line or and even on Twitter asking the new what was the news?

And I mean, look at there's people who get up every day at eight o'clock and that's something they dread, right because you know, when you sleep, you want to sleep.

just that that platform of morning drive radio. But I knew right away once I started coming in every day that I wasn't gonna get any sympathy from that crew with Tony and Scott Fitzgerald and Will Clark and those guys, because as I'm you know, wiping the sleep out of my eyes as I walk into our studios over there off Bishop Lane, these guys have already been on the air for you know, over an hour, and they've already been up for you know, four hours. So it's it's it's much different now.

been studies that show. You know, you got to find a sweet spot as far as the time of your nap, meaning not during what time of the day, but like how long you sleep, and everybody's is probably different to where like if I was to take a nap and I slept for like, you know, three and a half four hours, I would wake up probably grumpy. I would probably look around, like what planet am I on? What happened?

How did I fall asleep for that long? And you know, I usually I've never felt better after a nap, which has always kept me from wanting to take them. But like it'll probably be pretty pretty routine to where I can get just enough shut eye to where I've energized myself to finish the day. And that way, when I do have you know, like dinner in the evening with the family at six o'clock, I'm not falling over. So

there'll be some adjustments on my end. But yeah, I'm with you, Rick, I think just the in everybody's lifestyle is different. Everybody's you know, it's different. But for me, it's never really at any point in my adult life for sure that I would be like an early bedtime.

I want to do. If I still try to, you know, go to bed at midnight, but I'm getting up at three, there'll be no decision about how late you're staying up. I'm going to pass out. That's that's what's gonna happen. And I filled in for about three or four days during the holiday season, which was when really whenever I I guess, I was without knowing, and I was I guess on a trial run around that time, and it was fun. I really enjoyed it. But I didn't make

any big adjustments because it wasn't at that point. It was just you know, one off, two off thing. It wasn't like it was some big change, but Man, I remember thinking like, oh, this isn't bad. It's like two o'clock. I'm like, I feel fine, Like I wouldn't even if I didn't. You know, you could convince me I didn't even get up at three o'clock or three thirty or whatever it was. But man, once I got to like

six thirty seven o'clock, I was a zombie. Like I'm just I'm just sitting in It's almost like I was just so mentally got there that I couldn't fall asleep. I was just truly checked out in zombie land. So I'll try on my end to make some adjustments to make it easier, but some of these things are just going to work themselves out, because you know, your body can't run on such little sleep.

from seven to ten. You know, sometimes I would have a night where I didn't get much sleep, and I knew, okay, all right, let's go get a let's go get a good show in as best we can, and then you know, just know, I've got a little bit of time where I can go home and get a few hours sleep. But once you just get done probably with a lot what I guess it depends on kind of what you do for work. But certainly when you're in radio, you're on,

like you always have to be on. Therefore it's not it's not routine to just call it a day at you know, nine am, and then go to bed like it.

forward to it, all right. So coming up here on the other side, we'll talk about the breakdown as far as how the ACC is going to distribute the TV revenue with the new rev sharing model, which I mean, I'll believe it when I see it, but it does seem I feel like this could be something for the first time in a long time, maybe the first time ever, where the ACC is a trendsetter and they are in fact, you know, doing something that other conferences will will also

want to do. So we can get into that. And it seems as if just as there was momentum for Nick Saban after talking to Donald Trump to really, you know, be the leader of this Commission on College Sports, and you know, I think Saban would be fit for for the position more than most, but clearly he is somewhat biased.

He's been at Alabama for a long time, and I think it would be unnatural to expect Nick Saban to not have some type of favoritism for Alabama and the SEC and that's not a care flaw, that's just I mean,

it's human nature. So with all that said, now that there's been some push to have some other representation, Cody Campbell, the guy who's a billionaire now after selling his oil company, and he's the big booster for Texas Tech, you know, it sounds as if maybe Saban is saying, we don't need this Commission on College Sports because it will it will do what needs to be done, which is, you know, representation from you know, more than just the big ten

in the SEC. I mean, I don't know who it would be, but someone to sort of oversee the Commission on College Sports as Trump labeled it, someone to do that that is absolutely neutral. They don't have a deep connection or affiliation with a specific school and a specific conference because I mean, again, a lot of times it's viewed as a criticism, a real flaw if you are

you know, if you're not totally objective. But human nature makes it to where it's impossible for people to not let the human element get in the way one way or the other. Like some people will be so aware of like hey, I don't want to show favoritism towards this league, or this team because you know I have a connection. So then they'll mo to over to really make up for that. They'll end up doing something that you know is anti their affiliation more so because they're

overthinking it. So again, it's hard to find people that are completely neutral objective to where there's no agendas. But that's what's needed here for the Commission on College Sports and the college Football playoff, so we can get into that and a lot more. Keep it locked right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.

egg and cheese croissan at Thornton's. It's one of the best breakfast sandwiches you can find, and I hope you try it out if you haven't, because I think you'll like it. So again, we are fueled by Thornton's And if you want to text in on the Ellen and Federal Credit Union text line, you can do that FIBO two four three eight ninety seventy three members get more at Ellen and Federal Credit Union. You can learn more

and open your account today at LLENFCU dot com. So two different texts have come in that are kind of the same question, and I don't have an answer for you, unfortunately. But obviously the situation with Ali Khalifa being denied a fourth year of eligibility. You know, the more that that story was out there, the more national reaction you got. And I don't want to mislead you, is if it's become one of the biggest talking points in college basketball.

That's not the case, but it does seem as if nobody can make any sense of the nc doubleak the making a legitimate case that he's not worthy of playing a fourth year given his situation, and that probably shouldn't change my you know, my outlook on it. And what I mean by that is I don't want to give my hopes up. I hope that the NCAA does the right thing and they realize that of all people to to to really stick it to and not give them

the opportunity to have a fourth year. Like, what about his situation in any way makes him somebody that they would, you know, ruin his career. I mean, that's that's essentially what they would do. So the we'll see. I mean again, I'm hopeful because of common sense, But the NCAA has done a lot of things, made a lot of bad decisions over the years that nobody can make any sense out of. Therefore, you know, maybe they do in fact

lack common sense from top to bottom. But here's what's just, you know, you say it out loud, and it's like what his five year clock started in a year that nobody had held against them when it comes to eligibility. Nobody guys who played thirty plus games that year in twenty twenty twenty twenty one, that didn't count. But Allie's

clock starts in that year when he didn't play a second. So, I mean, what has me feel and confident is just knowing how insanely stupid the decision was initially, and surely they'll look at it and realize that they made a mistake and that they you know, they need to make make it right.

the process of their last NCUBA investigation. And I don't mean like because they were, but the time make no sense. It is you as an organization, as an entity, have no justification in any way for it to be a what I mean four or five How long did it take to get closure on the NCAA case with Brian Bowen. I mean, we had a coach come here and coach for three and a half years, and it was ongoing when he arrived, and when he left there was still

no closure. I mean, that might have been one of the last interviews I had with coach mac at the ACC basketball media day going into I guess it was his final season, you know, And I I asked a question that now that I think about it, it really was.

It wasn't a good question, but I said, did you think there was any point did you think at any point that you'd be this far into your time at Louisville and there still would be no closure and it would be just hovering over the program, the uncertainty about a punishment, And he just I think you might have answered before I finished the question. He said, how could you who would like who would think that it would

take that long? So you never know when they're going to do anything, and they're not really held to any type of standard as far as what they have to do as far as a timeline. So that's I guess my worry. But as of now, he is still cleared to do everything but playing games. So I would hope it's sooner that they get a resolution and that he's able to play. But if it does, you know, somehow linger into when the fall semester starts, he'll still be able to practice and be a part of the team.

But man, like, if you're Pat Kelsey, you know, not only do you want your guy, but you want you know, you don't want to be I don't want to say cater things around Khalifa because I don't know if you would do that. But like he's going to be a very very interesting piece for this team, just given the rare player that he is. He's seven foot tall, has lost a ton of weight, which has got to help

him in every way. But like he's a phenomenal passer and he's a good shooter too, by the way, Like he's seven foot and even though he's lost weight, he's got a decent frame on him. Yet where he really stands out is passing and shooting, not what you typically see from you know, seven footers, but that's who he is as a player.

the portal it's over? Like there's an element that's like sad, as if they're not ready to start life or they're just like in denial that their career has come to an end, and it would be a pretty tough thing to deal with, especially if you don't know what comes next and you don't have any opportunities to play pro ball. But man, when I just kept seeing there was like a two or three day window where every time you'd refresh social media, there'd be a report of another player

entering the portal. Only did then everybody realize, how in the world would this guy have any more eligibility. It's like the guy who you know right after high school, he's still shown up to every high school football game. We're in his letterman jacket. I mean, if you're there to the team, then that's good man. You got pride in the program you played for. But like there's a line right, like are you doing that or are you still trying to, you know, not accept the fact that

your time has come to an end. So with all that said, it would almost be silly to not at least put I mean, what's the harm other than maybe some embarrassment. But if it did work out and you got a chance to go play college basketball, if you were a good player, you probably had a chance to make a lot of money. So I guess there's really no harm in that. But anyways, all these guys who put in for more eligibility, most of them without really

any justification. There was a judge that recently denied. If you remember Ante Brazovic, that's the guy who played for Pad at Charleston, and then when Chris Mack took over at Charleston, he decided to stay. He was the player of the year in that conference in Pat's last season at Charleston, really good player last year. His argument was that he played one year of Division two basketball and

then he played three years of Division one basketball. His argument was that the Division two year should not be held against him, which I guess, good try. But like the reason that the JUCO loophole was created is that the Vanderbolt quarterback Diego Pavia his argument and it does make sense. I don't know if it's I don't know

if it's right, but like, he has a point. How could the NC DOUBLEA claim you've used four years of eligibility when you've only been under their umbrella at an NCAA institution for four years Because the junior college level is a different entity than the NC DOUBLEA. So that was a good argument and it worked, but that's the NCAA Division two level is still still NABA. So the judge denied him, which it sounds as if like the

others now don't have because here's the thing. If he would have won, that would have led to the NCUABLEA having to give a blanket waiver to everybody pretty much. I mean, that's what happened with Diego Pavia when he won. It led to every JUCO player knowing, hey, we can hire a lawyer and will we'll get this figured out to where we can take advantage.

year from JUCO. Now I guess maybe he doesn't because as we now learned that the five the five year clock you get five years to play four seasons, is technically still in place because they're enforcing it with Khalifa. So, you know, not a surprise, but all of those athletes who are just trying to hold out hope that a lawsuit would win and they could just take advantage of it, it sounds as if that's not that's not going to happen, which you know, I.

have been an equal share for everybody. And I think what's happened here is that the ACC realized, all right, we realize we actually do have a good Like here's the thing. The ACC had Florida State and Clemson by you know what, they signed an agreed to what was put in place. Now, had they realized that, like no other conference is going to sign something that is in place until twenty thirty six, like a twenty year thing, like that's just insane. In general, Swafford is an ACC

legend by those that you know of the ACC. But that guy's the one who actually put the league in such a tough spot because who would lock into twenty years no adjustments whenever you realize clearly things are going to evolve a big amount of money in you know, twenty sixteen is gonna not be as much money in two thousand and thirty six, So any other deal that has been signed in the modern era as far as Grant rites with these conferences, it's been like seven years max.

This one was twenty years max. And that's what they needed to do in order, I guess, to get They were so desperate to catch up with the SEC with the network, meaning you have your own station within the ESPN family of networks that is dedicated to your conference, and they just they sped up more so than they needed to in my opinion, and it just I mean, because the more you look at it, like who would agree to this, well, the desperation to keep up with

the Joneses and you know, have the network like the SEC did. But you know, you're not the SEC. And we've since we probably knew that then and now we've certainly learned it. But when it comes to value, you're just not that. So here's what they're doing. Under the new revenue sharing model the ACC is going to they're going to distribute forty percent of the TV deal money

evenly among the league's fourteen non expansion members. So keep in mind that means smu cal and Stanford they're not getting this yet.

d money. We got our own money. We're in Texas, We've got billionaires that'll support us to where we can be just fine not accepting any annual check our first year for revenue share, which again, that's how people keep the lights on at these schools in most places, SMU's got funding to where they don't need the help from I mean, not to take it in a different direction, SMU is a very rare, very rare college athletics program just because of they actually have a big alumni base

and they've had enough success and they just got endless amounts of money, it seems so Anyways, I don't know what their arrangement is, but they're not included in this. So again, forty percent of the TV money going to everybody. The other sixty percent will be split up based on ratings from basketball and football games, with football, as you could expect football football viewership carrying more weight in the

overall calculation than anything else. And I think that makes total sense, and I understand it could set a little hypocritical for me, as I've mentioned, when it comes to TV viewership being a factor in how you get into the playoff. That's insane and I don't think they'll end up doing that, but like just the fact that that's being discussed at these college football playoff meetings is a real scary thing because what it tells me is that they're getting closer to stepping over the line to where

they're letting you know very much directly or indirectly. It's more of a popularity contest than it's ever been and it's not about winning and losing, which to me, that like why I play sports if that's the case, Like, go watch professional wrestling, no offense to that, you know, that world of pro wrestling, but like that's entertainment, but you know, it is like people decide who's going to be over, who's going to be mister popular and win.

So it's just to me, I'm like, why would anybody even bring that up?

know it's not the case. Whenever you're publicly in a lawsuit for two years, like that's just that's a mess that you don't want in any way. So this was the best I guess, meeting in the middle to in the lawsuits and also understand, yeah, despite you agreeing to it, we understand that you know you're getting laughed like and this may sound petty to some, but I believe absolutely this is a factor.

money more than Clemson and will moving forward. But Clemson's locked into twenty thirty six, Like that ain't cool with you know, Clemson, I'm sure, and they don't. You know, they don't like being looked at as somebody who's falling behind financially. Let's look at this is a different example, but I think it's valid. Let's look at Florida State in Miami. They look at Central Florida not only like little brother, but like you know, the pet in the state.

Like they don't they don't respect any tradition or history from Central Florida because Central Florida didn't really even exist as a football program when those programs Miami and Florida State were winning national championships. Well, because the ACC's locked in till twenty thirty six, Central Florida's now in the Big twelve, they're gonna re up twice before the ACC would.

And there's no scenario Florida State, specifically in Miami, even would sit back and not raise absolute hell knowing that Central Florida is making more money than them. So you know, now, if you do bring in big viewership in football specifically and then the others basketball, I mean, that will give you a bigger piece of the pie. So your success will bring more viewership. Therefore you will get more, you'll get a will be it.

So I understand it from that aspect, but before the portal, before nil, there is never an age requirement for eligibility. Never, And I don't know people realize that or no. But this story is certainly a story that you just you know, are not used to seeing. Although I also wonder maybe these things have happened, but there just wasn't so much sensitivity. And you know, coverage of players who started their college

career later in life than eighteen years old. But Mira Coasta Junior College, they have a player by the name of Ramel Bethia and he yesterday announced that he's committed to Green Bay. That's a smaller D one school. It's actually where Doug Gottlieb coached, and he had a less than successful debut season. I think he won like four games. But this young man is actually not a young man. He's a grown ass man. He graduated high school in twenty thirteen, did not play basketball, and he enrolled in

the Navy right after high school. So during the time of his service, he grew from six' three to six' nine and he reached a seven foot. Four wingspan his friends In the navy quickly urged him to pursue a basketball career and while finishing In the navy As A petty officer of The, third class he participated in the twenty Twenty Two Armed Forces. Basketball championship it was the first time he played, BASKETBALL competitively i think since like.

Middle school but he received attention From local california, junior colleges and, you know he decided To post navy GO play, juco basketball and he averaged a double double and he quickly started GETTING some d. One interest and now he's

Going To green bay and he's thirty one. YEARS old i mean he's not, a FRESHMAN but i mean he's a thirty one year old college basketball PLAYER with i, GUESS seemingly, i mean how many years villigibility would he have right when it comes to when it comes TO the, JUCO thing i mean, RIGHT now i GUESS they're sti trying to figure out what they're going to do, long term but, like technically given what they recently did as far as that, blanket waiver he might be a guy

that is actually gonna get four fresh years because he only PLAYED in juco for. Two seasons, so again that'll bother a lot. Of People but i'll Remind you age has never been a a requirement or it's never been any part of the criteria as far. As eligibility but there is a great rundown Here, on twitter A great twitter thread that just gives you there's a lot.

college eligibility which is. Just crazy it. Really is, all right you're crazy if you don't stick around for the five o'clock hour Because it's friday and we're now six minutes away from five o'clock On, a friday which is a good time for a lot.