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. Idiots. The kids are playing or trail off.
The countries are.
Screwing it up. Gold Play Intermurals, Brother, gold Play Intermurals.
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?
You know, right before the show started myself, Nick Coffee, that's me. I hope you guys knew that. And Austin Montgomery, the travel chief, we were talking about the big change coming for me, which is that this will you know, next Friday will be my last show here on seven ninety.
And I really thought.
This week that it would it would, it would set in, it would hit me that the clock's ticking, and it really hasn't. And I've had to kind of remind myself each day before the show starts, Hey, have fun, Nick, you know, make the most of it.
And yet it still feels like a force.
I don't know if it's in denial or if it'll it'll more so hit me next week. But when giving it some thought, as I get older, you know there are like when you think of like big life changes. I mean there's there's I don't know, I guess honestly the biggest Austin, let me ask you this just to get your perspective, because we're different in life. What what do you feel like was the biggest change you made,
like as an adult? Oh? Probably, Can I take a guess, yes, Like when you started living with your girl that's now your fiance, because that, you know, that's a big deal, right.
Like moving out, like moving out of my parents' house. It was I was thinking about that last night. I did during COVID and then uh moved back in with them, and then eventually moved back out to my buddies and one't even living there for like a like three months, and moved in with my fiance.
So I'm technically getting a new job, but I'm technically
not right. So maybe that's why, because I was thinking about other big changes that have happened for me in life as an adult, and there's no bigger change I think for most humans that are parents than when they become a parent and when you are a you know you now, I mean you just you can't really put into words, and I'm sure everybody's different, but for me, I mean you you you Without even really thinking about it, it happens, meaning boom, there's a baby that you're responsible
for along with your spouse that you just you automatically become a more selfless version of yourself without even thinking about it. It's just it's like human nature. So that's the biggest change I can really think about when it cause it's really two different lives pre kid and then you know, as a parent. So you know, I've moved. I feel like moving's a big deal, right, like especially
if you live somewhere for a long time. So my wife and I we lived in our first house for I guess about seven eight years, and then we moved in about twenty eighteen and lived there until about twenty twenty two, and then we've been in the house we're
at now. And I remember each time we'd move, even the time when we moved out of our apartment which we had for a few years when we were real young, and I would think, Okay, this is a big change, like instead of you know, instead of driving home and going to this place after work every day you're going to be going somewhere different, and you know it's but I don't know why. But those things just it's all
a blur, like I don't remember any big transition. I don't remember any any real bigodgie adjustment that was made. So I don't know. I'm there's a part of me that says, I'm, I'm this is the way it should be, and this is the this is the better way because I'm not overthinking it. I'm just showing up doing the show and you know, going about it as if it
wasn't going to be over before too long. So again, living in the moment, I guess that's the best way to to you know, experience it and not overthink it and let the raw and real emotion whatever it is, come naturally. But you know, after today, I guess, really after today, it's five more shows because we're off Monday
because of the holiday. So again the clock's ticking and I keep thinking, okay, you got to really, you know, and I don't really know what I would do throughout the three hours to make it really you know, to soak the most out of it as I can. But I'll certainly try, but again it's kind of been as is, which I guess that's probably good because people don't want to hear me gap about it for three hours, and
I I've tried not to really do that. But then again, I'm trying to balance, like, Okay, let's let's continue to go about the show like we typically do, because that's what people have come to expect and that's probably what they would want. But then again, selfishly, I'm like, yeah, you know what, let's not do the show like we typically do. Let's do something different because why not. I mean,
it's it's coming to an end here. So yeah, I guess the bit you know, you put in your two weeks, Yeah, yeah, I'm I'm yeah. I mean, at this point, as far as evaluating what we do here, it would really be all for nothing. I guess I could really make an asset of myself and completely mail it in over these next five shows, and then maybe they'd rethink about putting
me in the mornings on eight forty app. I would hope that wouldn't happen, but uh, you know, I'll make sure I finished strong here to where they don't even think about doing that.
But welcome into the I.
Guess this is the this is the sixth after today's the sixth to the last show we'll have, so so let's make the most of it. It's Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. I'm Nick Coffee. He's Austin Montgomery, and we're taking you up until about five thirty today because.
We're out early.
The bats are in action, so we'll make the most of what we have. How about the bats stealing the little time I have left? I mean, I'm not complaining. It's a nice day. Wouldn't be a bet, it's always It wouldn't be bad to get out of here a little bit early, so we'll we'll have some fun. And speaking of fun, I had a lot of fun last night. And before we get into Mia Indiana Pacers. Oh oh, you went to you went to the.
Oh no, I know what you were talking about? Basketball? Okay, that was.
Never mind.
Anyways, I need to start with an apology to the NBA, because I mean, I completely probably went overboard about how just sad and depressing it was to you.
Because I used to love.
The NBA and in the last few years I've just decided that it's not worth even trying to convince myself that it was going to be anything other than what it typically is. And look, technically, we've had some real blowouts and games, but overall, top to bottom, I'd say it would be hard to imagine that this postseason up to this point hasn't been substantially more entertaining than I feel like the playoffs have been in a long long time.
So last night, my Indiana Pacers, I mean, I would rarely ever want to start with my Pacers because I know a lot of people around here don't really care about the Pacers or the NBA. But I mean, what a finish, I mean, what a phenomenal basketball game. That's what a lot of people are understandably saying, and they're they're correct, because it was a great game from start to finish. And that's the obvious observation if you watch
with really no rooting interest. But for me, I mean, i was watching at his Nie Smith went full Reggie Miller. I'm thinking to myself, well, this is great because they're going to be down one and obviously, you know they could have won this game if they.
Do a little bit better.
On the backboard if they you know, just little things. If they would have lost last night, I would have felt still confident that they can win. Obviously, you know, easier Seve than done. But they were competitive. I don't think they played great, but you know, hey, they're competitive. Eventually you're gonna have to steal one in New York. So maybe maybe next maybe game two will be when that happens. Well, they ended up stealing game one with
another comeback that just makes absolutely no sense. And Nie Smith, I mean, that was one of the best things you'll ever see from I mean anybody in that situation for him to I mean make Yeah. I wanted to pull up the specific stat here, but in NBA history, two players have had twenty plus points and five plus threes in the fourth quarter of a playoff game on the
opponent's court. Both did so for the Pacers at Madison Square Garden in the Eastern Conference Finals on a Wednesday for that matter, last night, Aaron NEI Smith and then on June first, nineteen ninety four, Reggie Miller did it. And for Reggie Miller to be on the call as Nie Smith goes full Reggie Miller Halliburton seemingly hits the game winner and does the Reggie Miller choke gesture on the Madison Square Garden court, only for us to see that he was clearly.
On the line.
They go to overtime and then win it. But like that was cinema. That was absolute, straight out of a movie kind of thing. Like you could not have scripted Game one really any better at all for the Indiana Pacers. I mean, I guess it would have been pretty special had the buzzer beater actually been a three point shot and not a two because he was on the line.
But I'm happy they went to overtime and it was.
Actually more impressive they were able to extend the game and then just go beat them, and I kind of feel like they I mean, there was a couple of plays late where they were just like off balance around the rim, where I'm.
Like, man, you can't you can't be point.
Blank around the rim, even if you're getting bumped, even if you know, even if you're off balance, you got to you gotta convert around the rim. So I'm thinking in any moment him showed him doing the choking gesture and then it not ending the game. I did have a little bit of fear feeling the same thing, and
understandably so, a lot of people did. I did until the ball tipped in overtime, and I just could feel that the momentum had completely shifted and the way in which the Pacers extended that game and came back and tied it that defeated the Knicks. The Knicks were defeated at that point. And yes, you had a big, a big jumper late from might have been Towns and maybe maybe McBride on know who. It wasn't overtime for them
that hit a couple of shots in Hotel. Town scored early, they got up, they had a they had a four point lead at one point I think it was Towns, and then Brunson had a bucket they were up for and I kind of felt like, okay, yeah, this this doesn't look good. But then again, I mean quickly the Pacers would respond. I mean the nim Hart three.
In the corner was huge.
Yeah, maybe they missed the goaltending call, but there were many calls missed, including I mean that dunk from uh from from top and he was hacked.
Yeah, I mean he that that's.
A guy who is so strong at attacking the rim, and he clearly loves playing above the rim. That's that's where he's comfortable at that you would never know he got fouled, like there was never any like you had to look at the replay to see the contact because what he did didn't show that he had been contacted at all.
Nobody.
I mean, he he made a couple of plays last night that were just only something an athlete like him could do.
But I mean the game was pretty physical in both yeah.
And it was and look, I thought about I guess midway through the second quarter that the Knicks were really showing that they were going to be the better team on the glass, and that was going to be a real problem for the Pacers. That if their shots aren't falling there and then they're giving up second chance points after they get a potential stop, then that just isn't a good recipe. And really that was the way things had played out until Nie Smith decided he was going
to be Reggie Miller. And how many people do you think don't even know who this guy is?
Probably a lot.
I mean, he's a good player, certainly for the Pacers, but the Pacers, again, they're a small market team to an extent. They're not the thunder right, They're not a team that didn't exist, you know, fifteen years ago, but they just, you know, their stars don't typically like the last time, the Pacers, I feel like, had superstar level players that got league wide attention that were not just you know, good for being on a good team.
But like with Jermaine O'Neil had that a little bit.
He's actually a forgotten Pacer that I think I at times even needed.
I mean he was rare.
I mean he was.
He was right after Reggie and you went from having one superstar to another. And then obviously there was Danny Granger and then Paul George and Paul George. I guess Paul George did have ye Yeah, Granger was good, but the Pacers weren't that good.
When he was there.
He was a two K legend.
Yeah he was really good, but they weren't great when he was there. And then with Paul George, clearly they got better and they were good. But when Lebron was in Miami, nothing was going to Nothing in the Eastern Conference was going to get more attention than Bron and the Heat understandably, So I mean that was what a three four year window whenever you had d Wade and Lebron and Bosh and I mean Miami Lebron was different.
So I feel like the Pacers right now are really in the limelight more than they've been in a long time. I mean, look, they're back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a long time. That alone is special. I mean, that was their first win in the Eastern Conference Finals last night since two thousand and four, which was twenty years ago. I think it was maybe
even for longer than that. Actually, So if you're not entertained by last night's game, I mean you might have went to bed thinking it was over, and if you did, understandably so, or maybe you just didn't think to tune in because you're just not locked into the playoffs. But if you watch that game from start to finish, I
think you would have to say you were entertained. And even even if you watch towards the end, like but again, who would turn it on late, see the score and see the amount of time left and think, Okay, let me lock in for this one. In fact, it's a pretty easy channel change if you just tune in as they're in desperation mode, firing up threes and trying to get stops.
But it worked out.
And I mean I woke up and I woke up this morning almost in like disbelief that that that happened. And I kept my son up way too late because I wanted him to keep to keep watching with me. And I'm so happy it turned out the way that it did. And last night was kind of his moment.
He's known that I've liked the Pacers, but he's never really gotten into it like me, just because you know, I don't sit around and watch a lot of Pacers games because you know, the NBA is not a really entertaining product during the eighty two game regular season the last night we were watching and I was trying to explain to him and he didn't have a clue what
I was talking about. But I was explaining the Reggie Miller dynamic and explaining the whole choking thing, and it was just it was it was a hell of a night for me, a Pacers fan. But even if you're not a Pacers fan, I mean, if you're a Knicks fan, that probably was something you really did not like to see.
But are you surprised. Are you surprised?
I can't say this about many teams that I root for in any sport, any level, but I can say this about my Pacers. When it comes to the New York Knicks, we own you like we own you.
We just do.
And maybe he'll end up losing this series meeting the Pacers, and I won't be able to say that, But like last night has got to be one of the most demoralized, demoralizing losses of a franchise can have.
Doesn't mean it's over. They're REI right.
I mean, wouldn't shock me if they come out and win Game two. But the Pacers have already stolen home court advantage and I'm still in disbelief that that happened. I mean, some more crazy stats that put into perspective that come back last night. NBA teams were zero in nine hundred and seventy in the playoffs over the last twenty seven years when trailing by fourteen or more points with under three minutes left in regulation. Now it's one in nine to seventy. And it's the Indiana Pacers who
did it. And that's just their dying's that's their DNA. This is this team. They could lose the next four and have their season come to an end, which, by god, I hope that doesn't happen, but they could do that and I think still be viewed as maybe the most clutched team we've ever seen in the postseason of the NBA playoffs. I mean, they now have three wins that are unheard of, and they've done it all this postseason
and three different series. Down seven with forty seconds left, first the Bucks, they win down seven with forty seven seconds left. Against the Calves, they win down fourteen with two point thirty five left against the Knicks. Last night they win. I mean, it's it's it's almost unbelievable. People talk about the NBA Draft lottery being rigged, You might be able to convince me that the NBA has somehow rigged it for the Pacers to pull off these never
before seen come from behind victories. And Jalen Brunson I have a lot of respect for him. In fact, one of the things, you you know, when you consider the Mavericks getting lucky for being a dumb ass franchise that let Luca, that traded away Luca and got an old, often injured player that clearly, if he's out of the league in four years, I won't be shocked.
They also gave up Jalen Brunson.
Like people forget Jalen Brunson was on the Mavericks and he was good and they let him go, and then they have Luca let him go, and then they get the lottery and they're gonna get Cooper Flag. So what I've always felt like, Joylyn Brunson is a guy that did not check boxes that everybody said you had to check to be good in the NBA. He wins, he's competitive, he's tough, but he was a guy that this year, I'm pretty sure they said it on the broadcast last
night he won clutch Player of the Year. He wasn't very clutch, and Nie Smith and Haliburton collectively were insanely more clutch than he was. And Halliburton when he had the ball late and it was tied, I'm sorry when they were down two. I mean, Austin asked me this before the show. I mean, I felt like he was gonna score in some way, just because not only has he proven to really thribe in those moments and he's shown it this postseason, but also the Knicks were just defeated,
like they were on their heels. They were in disbelief. The air had been sucked out of Madison Square Garden. All the bandwagon celebrities that want to show up and sit court side and act like they like the Knicks year round, they were all in disbelief, or maybe they weren't because they don't really care.
They're fake fans.
Spike Lee's the only guy who I think legitimately we can say he's a day one. Also, I'll give Ben Stiller a little bit of a pass here too, because I think he's always been a knit guy.
And Larry David, maybe because I like Larry David.
But like Larry David, I haven't seen him courtside at a lot of Knicks games recently, but he was there last night. So anyways, I felt like he was gonna go score, but just for him to realize, Okay, we're a little out of sorts here. I'm certainly gonna try to take the last shot, but you know what, I've got somewhat of a pack.
To the rim. Now I'm gonna go try to win it.
And for him to pull off that step back that really he wasn't I mean, I don't want to bag on Brunson too much, but like I don't Brunson was awful defensively against him late. I'm pretty sure that's who was on him. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but whoever it was, Halliburton hit the step back and when the ball hit the back of the rim and elevated seemingly ten feet in the air, I felt like it was in the air for ten minutes. It's like
time stopped. And at no moment did I have any any doubt that that was going in which I mean most would assume there's no way he gets the perfect bounce, and he did. But I had such confidence because again, that's what this Pacers team has done in the postseason, and it's been phenomenal, phenomenal to see, especially from my standpoint as somebody who's who's a Pacers fan. I also don't think anybody even thought about could his foot have
been on the line. I mean, it all happened so quickly, and the reaction after the fact clearly that that was what you would expect whenever you can when you think you just won. But Halliburton, to me, maybe this is a little bit of an overreaction. Maybe this is some recency biased on my end, but he he showed more.
I think of his clutch gene if you will, last night, because I think most would have had a little bit of uh, they would have been a little tight in overtime knowing that they hit that big shot, celebrated the way they did, and yet it didn't actually end the game, It just extended it. But you know, you could, I mean you could see what he was visually. You could visually read his lips in what he was saying right as soon as the overtime was about to tip off. And I can't say what it was he said, but
he was ready. I mean, they they knew that they just by coming back and tying it, maybe even before they tied it, they knew they'd already beat the Knicks. And then the Knicks did what the Knicks do, the biggest front running franchise I've ever seen in any in any sport. They've never done anything in my lifetime that is like like a big accomplishment. Yeah, they've made the Eastern Conference finals. I guess they did. They play in
the in the finals. At one point in the nineties maybe when Jordan retired or did I dream that.
I don't know.
But yet anytime they have a little splash of success, they act as if they've done this many times and that they are entitled and like they this is what they do, especially when it comes to my Pacers. We own the New York Knicks, I can't really say. I mean, I'm a Colts fan, and I'm obviously a big time
Louisville fan. Louisville has had has gotten the best of certain teams in certain sports over the years, but I don't know if I can say that like we own any I mean, clearly, I don't think we can say we own Kentucky and basketball, No, we can't say that. And in football we still feel like we have always been superior. But obviously, you know, they did beat us, what five straight times or whatever it was before we
got the cutback. So it's just nice to be able to say it about a rival because clearly the Knicks and the Pacers, that's a rivalry. So again, I was enjoying every bit of last night, and I don't know how. I mean, maybe the Knicks do come back and they win this series. That could certainly happen. I'm not saying that it's already over, but if they just kind of wilt the rest of the way, I won't be shocked
because talk about demoralizing. All right, let's get the table set for the next couple of hours here that we've got with you. We do have an updated look at the coaching rankings that CBS puts out. We'll talk about that. See where Jeff Bram ends up. Also, we need to take a look at what just got I guess approved unanimously to the college football playoff coming up this season. And I think there's one specific fact, there's one specific outcome that could come from this change to the college
football playoff that not many are thinking about. But we'll get into that and a lot more. Again, we got about two hours left. We're out early today because of the Bats game, But hope you.
Stick with us. You could take us with you where you go.
Listen live on the AHET Radio ab Listen live at seven ninety Louisville dot com. It is Coffee and Company and we are fuel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
So in just our second season with a expanded college football playoff twelve team playoff, they've already made a change, and that is that they're going to have straight seeding, which means that we won't have to winning your conference doesn't just automatically mean that you get one of those top four spots and a buy which I think this is the way that it should be. I understand wanting to incentivize those who who win a conference championship, because
that's that's a real it's a real accomplishment. However, I mean knowing that you have to actually like if you win the regular season in your conference, actually think that's more impressive than winning the championship game. I mean, they're going to still have these conference champions ship games that take place once the regular season comes to an end,
because those are big paydays for television and whatnot. But I mean, does it really feel like if you won your regular season in your league and you are the Big Ten, the ACC or i'm sorry, the SEC of the Big ten and maybe even the ACC, there's a good chance you're you're still likely going to make the twelve team playoff. So yeah, adding a conference championship that's at the you know, I guess that technically is considered the championship is a big deal, but you're still alive
for the actual national championship and that always. I mean, it's like in college basketball, winning your conference championship tournament is a big deal. It's an accomplishment. But like, you know, had Duke lost to Louisville and the ACC championship this year, like it wouldn't have probably been a big deal to them because you know, Cooper Flag didn't play one and also like they know they were a championship caliber team. And in football, now you have that because the playoff
is expanded. In a previous world when it's a two team which wouldn't be a playoff, it's just when the BCS formula just decided who plays. You know, you can just chalk it up as, hey, you know, we know we're really good, we got a great resume, but man, only two teams get to play for the championship. You can still kind of say that in the four team format too, knowing that hey, we're gonna have a tough time seeing ourselves getting in in one of those four spots,
but man, we could still go win our conference championship. Well, now, if you were even in the position to play for your conference championship and you're one of the Power four leagues, you're probably still thinking about making it a run to the actual championship game and winning a college football national championship.
But maybe I'm wrong because.
As I say that, I'm thinking back that really there's.
Now more inclusion at the top of the sport.
Right, more teams can can punch a ticket to the playoff, which I feel like we'll be looked at as the equivalent of making a Final four in college basketball. But it hasn't really changed the fact that national championship contenders usually there's probably two three teams when you get to midway through the season that you really feel like are legitimately going to be able to win the entire thing.
But yeah, I think this is the right move. And what this does is it actually gives Notre Dame a chance to get one of the top four spots and get a buye, which Notre Dame, if you really wanted to sign that they were committed to their independence because of the previous format, they don't play in a conference. Therefore, no matter what they were never going to be able to get a bye. Now they could also host a championship.
They can host a playoff game, which you know, obviously having to win less games to win a national championship is probably the preferable route if you want to be a national championship program. But man, the revenue you could get and just the atmosphere.
You could get.
Eventually it'll wear off because it'll be a constant thing. But in the early years here, like the thought of Louisville putting themselves in a position where they could host a college football playoff game, like, that's crazy to think about the atmosphere of the environment. So I think this
is the right This is the right move. And really there's such an imbalance when it comes to the the conferences now right like like last year, who let me, I need to look up the bracket from last year because you know, Arizona State getting a bye like didn't make a lot of sense. Now again, they still actually perform better in the playoff than I think that I
think most you know, most people expected. But it should just be the four best teams regardless of your conference, and you know, will that lead to the top four spots typically going to Big Ten and SEC teams. Yeah, probably will, but I can't really argue that that wouldn't be that wouldn't be justified. So yeah, I forgot Boise got the the Boise gotta buy, Georgia gotta buy, Arizona
State gotta buy, and Oregon gotta buy. So you had Texas hosting Clemson, Ohio State hosting Tennessee, Penn State hosting SMU,
Notre Dame hosting Indiana. So and for what it's worth, the expansion of the playoff that we've talked about in recent weeks because these spring meetings have been going on, and the College Football Playoff, I guess they had their meeting in Dallas a few weeks back, and you know, the SEC and the Big Ten are fighting for four automatic spots and an expanded playoff that it would go
to twelve from twelve to sixteen. And that's when the whole thing got brought up about considering television viewership as a criteria to get in, which is crazy and I don't I truly don't believe that'll ever be a part of the equation. But nonetheless, all the talks we've had about changes to the playoff that wouldn't be until the following season, so not this upcoming season, but the one
after that. And Ross Tellinger of Yahoo Sports. He has a good write up over at Yahoo just about how they're still currently it's still currently unknown as far as what the future holds, because the latest reports were that there's a little resistance. Right there are people that are that are fighting back, saying, hey, why would we just agree to give four spots to the Big ten automatically?
In four spots to the SEC automatically? If they're as good as they claim they are, then they shouldn't have any issue getting for or more in But just to give it to them regardless is stupid. Not saying that they that it won't end up playing out that way because it won't shock me if it will. But I'm happy to see that there's some resistance because if you're the Big twelve and you're the ACC, I mean, why
would you agree to that. I don't know what kind of leverage you have and what you could really do to far, you know, to hold lot, you know, to fight this, but I mean make them earn it. I mean, and again it's not I don't say that to insinuate that they won't earn it, but just to automatically know that half the field is Big ten in SEC before anybody's played a single game. It's just fundamentally stupid. It just is, I mean, it's weak. So we'll see what
ends up shaken out. But another thing that I believe has kind of backfired a little bit. If you remember, there was the Commission on College Sports that that Donald Trump had mentioned after meeting with Nick Saban, and Saban was going to be the leader along with a former Texas Texas Tech booster who's now created their collective. I can't think of the guy's name, but either way, that went from being something everybody wanted to happen to now
not so much. And wouldn't be a shocker to me if there's now some cold feet about actually having this, because it wouldn't be something that's just catered to the Big ten in the SEC, like Greg Sankie wouldn't be running the show. It would be it would be it would be people in place that would look out for the greater good of the entire sport, not just one
league or another league. And again I don't even mean to to fault guys like Greg Sank, but his job is to specifically look out for his league and not worry about what happens to anybody else. So why would I mean the notion that everyone can collectively be unbiased and not let, you know, things get in the way
of these big decisions. Like it's just it's it's not even a criticism, it's just human nature, Like you would need someone who does not in any way like Saban shouldn't even really technically, I respect Saban a lot, don't think there's anybody better to speak about college football than him. But he's biased. That's not a criticism, it's a fact.
He coached at Alabama for however many years that clearly he's gonna always just side with the SEC based off of benefit of the doubt and previous history, which those things do matter, but it shouldn't have any any factor in how somebody or how a tournament is put together, like a playoff racket is put together based off just.
We're gonna you know.
But with the football it's different though, because you only played twelve regular season games and you can have a lot of teams with the same record, but you know, it's impossible to truly know where how these teams stack up against each other, because again, you don't play in the same conference. And what we learned last year, which I'm not really sure how you get around that, but what we learned last year is that you can play
in the Big Ten or even in the SEC. And because there's so many teams in these leagues now, you have no control if you end up getting a really tough schedule or you don't like Indiana. Last year, Indiana played too. Indiana was probably not nearly as good as they were ranked, but Indiana's schedule played out to where they really didn't have that many opportunities to go get
big time wins. The only team that beat them in the regular season was Ohio State, who ended up winning the national championship, but on their schedule going into the season, they played the two teams that had just played for the national championship the year prior, in Washington and Michigan.
They beat both of them. So I don't see us.
Ever in a situation where we're not yelling about the college football Playoff either needing to be fixed or somebody, you know, not getting a fair look because of conference affiliation and as much as that'll be annoying to people like myself, it's probably good for college football because people are talking about it and how the playoff itself even before it went to twelve and it was at four that absolutely it enhanced the regular season because now you
know you're alive for a longer amount of time to potentially get there, whereas before, I mean, you could lose a game and it was pretty clear even if you were a really good team, yeah, you're not going to be able to play for a national championship now after week three. Now, a part of me said that that always made the regular season super special in college football because every single week mattered, and if you slip up and you've got big aspirations, that slip up could really
cost you. And I do think regular season games to an extent no longer have that same value, but I do think it's still a plus. It's still a plus rather than a you know, it's more beneficial to have the inclusion to where everybody is feeling alive and discussing potential playoff scenarios rather than just knowing, hey, a Week three loss essentially ends the team's potential chances. All right,
quick break will come back on the other side. We got a lot more to get into it before we get out of here, so stick around, don't go anywhere. It's coffee and company and we're feel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven to ninety.
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I don't know about you, but when it comes to burgers, I'm a big burger guy. But this might make me sound less sophisticated, not that anybody really has ever probably viewed me as somebody that's sophisticated. But if I'm thinking about getting a burger Austin, yeah, I'm I'm more so inclined to hit like a burger chain fast food, like I'll get a burger, I'll get a burger at a restaurant.
But maybe, you know, maybe it's just me having white trash taste buds or white trash sack pallette palette like you give me like a top shelf burger at a nice, nice restaurant here in town, like one of the one of the nice places that gets really propped up during like Burger Week that we have around here. Whenever that is, I'm sure there burger's fine.
I would enjoy it. But if I'm like picking, I wouldn't.
I mean, I might just go get a double cheeseburger for McDonald's or you know, maybe get a double, maybe get a whopper or something like that's much cheaper. Yeah, that and I can I can be satisfied with that. So anyways, we've got an updated list here of the top ten burger chains in the United States. And I refuse to believe this list is real, but it's at YELP, so I guess it's real. But they these there's burger chains that that I mean, do we even have any
of these around here? Like I'll start probably, I'll start with number ten. We'll go down the list. Red Robin, we have one that I know of. Yeah, it's been a while since I've had some Red Robin, but it is. It's all right if I remember. And but to me, like Red Robin is more of like the sit down restaurant to where yes, it is known for their burgers, but to me, that's a fast casual place. Yeah, and
again I'm sure their burger's fine. But like if I could bottom, if I could get the Red Robin burger, if I could get a burger from Culver's, I would probably take the burger from Culver's right same.
Now, have you ever heard of mu yah burgers, fries and shakes?
No, I can't say I have me either.
There are number nine way back? Is it number eight?
It doesn't ring a bell.
Five guys burgers and fries we have? We like five guys, Yeah, me too. It's really expensive. But and again, like for example, five guys is probably viewed as a better burger than what you're gonna get at a McDonald's.
A Burger King, or maybe even a Windy's.
But I would prefer the cheaper that is probably not as popular, just because again, like I know, I know what I like, and I don't need to be trying all kinds of different burgers if I know I'm going to get a burger if I want, if I'm in the mood for a burger, I know where I'm going and it's probably not going to be at a sit down restaurant. But yeah, five guys is good, really expensive, yeah.
I love the memes where it says, like, guys, I'm going into five guys with seventeen dollars, what do you think I can get? And people reply a nice smell.
Yeah, they might just let you hang out for a few minutes.
You'll have a bag of peanuts.
I've yet to try this place, but it's it's There's at least a couple of them that I know of in the area. One is actually in in you know, near my neck of the woods in Bullet County, but Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steak Burgers. Haven't had anything from there. But anybody I know that's tried it really really liked it.
You've heard of it.
I've heard of it, but I've never tried it.
What about island restaurants? Never heard of that?
Nope.
All right, so let's get to the top four. Here's yeah, four is Culvers, and there's a Culvers in me. I probably haven't eaten Culvers in ten plus years. Culver's is good, Yeah, it is. Culver's is one of those places that again, been a long time packed. Yeah, been a long time since I've had it. But whenever I do, I'm like, you know, what I should. I should keep this in mind if I am going to get fast food, because it's really good.
You haven't had Culvers in ten years?
I bet I haven't had cold So they.
Had culver Is in like four weeks.
I mean, there's not that many of them around, are there.
Yeah, there's like two or three. I think there's one in. There's one that's in I guess. It's on Preston Highway, not far from where I'm at. And it's actually I feel like it was one of the first that opened up here in the area, and it's it's always crowded, but it's it's not visible from from from the main road to where like I don't really see it. Therefore it's and honest, I don't eat a lot of fast food anyway.
There's one on Hearst board, and there's one out at the Simpsonville mall the outs.
I'm trying to make a mental note here that like, next time you're gonna get fast food, Nick, go to Culver's because it's good and it's again it's.
Not too far away. Have you had shake Shack that's at number three.
I haven't had the shake Shack yet.
Either, but it's really popular.
Uh.
And then the Habit Burger Grill. Don't even know what that is?
How is it?
I mean again, I guess to be Yeah, to be a chain, you can you can have a ton of restaurants and they can all just be in one designated region of the country to where none of us would know. But I'm looking at the Habit Burger and Grill website logo, I don't recognize any of this, and it looks like, you know, most of them are. Yeah, they're the closest one to us. Looks like it is in let's see, South Carolina, so not not not close at all. And then there's a ton of them on the west coast,
so good call there. That's that's where they're. That's where there. Most of their locations are very very far from us. And then at number one, this place is really popular in and out.
Oh yes, I was hoping you'd say that, And I'm not.
At all surprised it in and out, in and out is uh is number one, because it's just I mean.
I've got a very special place in my heart.
So I mean, there are people who I've heard I can't think of, I think of who it was I had a buddy who doesn't go to the West coast.
Who is it?
It's gonnadrap me crazy and it's totally not relevant. But anyways, it's not uncommon for people who end up in an area where there isn't in and out, they'll they'll as soon as they land, that's first thing they do is to go get in and out because they like it that much and they don't get there's not any near where they live. So it's it's clearly really really popular. I just you know, I've never actually had it. You have anue and you you vouched for, you vouch for the hype.
Every time I go, like out West, I have to go. I still dream about those animal style fries dog and they can is.
The animal sauce?
Is that?
Or animal style? Is that like basically their version of like Big Mac sauce.
Yeah, and there it's their sort of special sauce.
Gotcha.
They also keep it simple because there's not a lot of things on the menu. But if you know they got they have that, they got that secret menu and that's how you ask for the animals, because you can't just look for animal style fries on the menu.
God to ask for it and they.
Also give like there's different code names and make it cute for like just a vegetarian burger or just a burger with no bun, milkshakes a different a lot of different milkshake options. And that was always when it first came out, like that was a place to work. Everybody wanted to go work at In and Out Burger. I remember standing in line one summer for like two three hours at like a hiring job fair because I wanted to work at In and Out Burger. It's like apparently
the greatest thing ever. And one of my old managers at the BATS work there, and he was about to graduate or after he graduated, they had like a position open and for him and like san Antonio running his own store, and he says to this day he probably should have never left, because In and Out was the greatest job he's ever had.
I'm looking at their map here.
They've got eighty locations in the San Francisco area. One hundred and eighty five in the LA.
Area, yeah, big big West coast.
Yeah, nineteen in Vegas, And it looks like the closest one to us is there's forty three locations in Dallas other than that they've made here in Arizona. In Arizona, there are a total of thirty five.
Oh wow, that's a lot. Yeah.
So yeah, outside of outside of LA.
And San Francisco, there are more in the Arizona, Phoenix area, Tucson area than anywhere else. So my people, Yeah, I've not had it, but eventually I'm going to try it, and I hope that it can live up to the hepe. But I've not heard from anybody that said it wasn't really really really good. Now I will say this.
Is just reminded.
I was thinking about people who when they go to the West Coast, they make sure they get it in and out before they head back to this side of the country because there's not any here. My wife's uncle, I guess my wife's great uncle. I guess that would make him my great uncle in law. He lives in LA. He was in town last week for a while. We got to catch up with him, and I'd forgotten it anytime he comes back to Louisville, which is where he's
from originally. He's lived in LA for a long long time, but he as soon as he gets off, as soon as he leaves the airport, he goes to white Castle. Oh yeah, and he goes to white Castle like four times while he's here. He is he has he has actually taken some if he's packed some up in a suitcase and taking him home. And you know, I mean we're talking like it not in his carry on, but in like you know, in in his uh, his his bag that he checks. And obviously it smells like onions
when he gets his clothes out. But he said it's well worth it because he just and you can you can buy white Castle at like.
At the grocery store. But it's not the same.
Man.
I've never seen any fast food or even a cat even a fast casual restaurant, if they've got a food item that they offer frozen in a restaurant or i'm sorry, at a grocery store, or even like a sauce, it's never the same.
Yeah, like we used to we used to Chick fil A sauces. If you buy those, they are the same.
Well that makes sense because it's like there, well Chick fil As is different.
But like Taco Bell sauce at a at a at a grocery store, it's got the taco bell like logo on it.
But it's not the same.
Yeah, in the seasoning it's not the.
Same, and you can't recreate it. And uh yeah, so shout out to shout out to in and out and right.
White Castle is is. I don't eat that very often, but man, it's good.
They had a movie made after. Yeah, white Castle iconic. White Castle's good stuff. But again that's something like we just they're they're all over the place here near us. But if you are somebody that's probably on the West coast, you don't, you don't, you don't get it.
So anyways, let's get to a quick break. We'll come back. We got another hour and a half before we get out of here. Stick around, keep it locked right here on Sports Talk seven ninety