5.28: Cloudy Wednesday - Hour 1

Hopefully you can stay dry as well. I always always kind of walk myself into that because I do realize there are folks who don't have the ability to, uh, you know, be inside in comfortable conditions throughout the day, whether it be nice cool ac in the brutal summer or nice warm heat when it's nasty and cold outside. So whatever you're doing, I hope you're comfortable, and I hope you'll stick with us for these next three hours, because I mean, we're gonna We're gonna take advantage of

the final hours we have left here. So today, tomorrow, and Friday, that's it for me, and then I'm making the move to eight forty whas and really just two more days left for Austin. He's out Friday with some some some plans. Is it a graduation? Is that right? Had the golf scramble? Oh yeah, that's right. I have to leave early for they got your wedding, That's right, they got you doing everything.

in spirit. I'll be tuning in, I'll be listening for sure, And I tell you what, I I don't want to. I don't want to at all insinuate that I'm keeping this quiet until it's official, because man, it's going to be big news and it's going to blow you away. I'm not I'm not doing that. But I also don't want to put something out there until I know for sure that it's actually going to happen. So we'll see. And I'm content with sort of how these last couple

of weeks have played out. I've been so focused and so just ready, not necessarily like for this to end in me to make that move to has but I'm just I'm so hungry and excited to, you know, take on this new challenge, which will be a new challenge.

But because I've already kind of been focusing on that and trying my best to be prepared and be able to handle that adjustment as best as possible, it's kind of left me just where I've always been with this show, which is just making sure, you know, ready to rock every day at three plenty to talk about and just not overthinking it because I think if I spent a ton of time just thinking, oh man, after this segment.

You know, with me being a very paranoid person in general, like I worry about things way more than I ever should and need to. It's just my nature. Unfortunately, I feel like without looking ahead to the challenge that is the new gig, I would just be thinking, oh, Nick, now you only have thirteen segments left and then it's all over, which would be no way to go about the last few weeks, because you know, I want to live in the moment and enjoy it and not think

about it coming to an end. And my hope is that I'll do that and that will make it to make it to where it's a it's a it's a fun and really doesn't you know it's a fun. But again, I'm not I'm not leaving this company. I'm just I'm still gonna be here. I'm still gonna see Austin every day. So I guess maybe that's why it hasn't really hit me,

because my wife asked me this last night. She was like, have you like this is kind of crazy that you're no longer going to be on seven ninety after a few days, Like, I guess she just she knows me Austin. She thought, yeah, she thought I'd be a wreck. She thought I'd be you know, I'd be sad and all that, which you know is a bummer. But the situation would be totally different if I was like retiring, or if I was leaving the market to go somewhere else, or if I was just you know, I was leaving to

go do a different gig. But I'm not. I'm still gonna be here every day, just not on this station at this time, and I won't be able to say a word about what happens here once I'm once I've made the move, just because I know things aren't aren't

moving along that quickly. However, I mean, I feel much better now than I ever did in the last couple of weeks as far as just there's like there'll be something here for you at some point, and I if it's what I hope it is, then I think you'll really enjoy it.

been my producer. You've also been on AMZ for a long time. Now you have your the official host of the iHeart Radio the iHeart Media Wrestling podcast. You know you you you're also again at all the events for promotions. So you are you met the Derby? Yeah you've been, Yeah, you are. You were one of our reporters for the Derby.

Day parade. I'm not even a veteran. What's crazy is that all of those different roles that we just laid out like they're all, for the most part, from different departments, right, Like one is considered you know, it's on air, the others reporting, the other's producing the other's promotions. Like you you've had your hand in a little bit of everything.

THEO It's what the phone are asking. So anyways, uh, you know, we'll we'll finish strong and with the rest of this week, and uh, I will let you guys know more about Friday whenever I feel a little better about being able to, you know, share what and all it is is potentially, uh you know, being somewhere and giving folks the opportunity if they would want to even you know, I don't know if you'd want to or not, but uh, you know, it'd be nice to not be in the cave for the final show. So if we

can make that happen, then we will. If not, then I'll be in the cave. And it's not a bad place to be. I've been here a lot. I enjoy it. This is uh. This is a lot of fun. So if you guys want to take us with to you rever you go, you can. You can listen live right now on the out radiop also listened live at seven ninety Louisville dot Com. Plenty of ways for you guys to listen in, also, plenty of ways for you guys to be a part of the show today. A lot

that we can certainly get to. Let's go. Let's go ahead and get the table set. I don't really have a whole lot to add about the Pacers and next series that we haven't already said, other than just I guess emphasizing once again how hilarious it is that the NBA players believe that Tyrese Haliburton is the most overrated player in their league. I'm not surprised they did that at the time, just because I get it, Like I think he kind of seems like, maybe at times a

little corny to other NBA players. He certainly benefits in every way from the Pacers system. I'm not sure there are many other players in the league as far as the skill set that that would thrive more and what the Pacers want to do. So I've always been a big fan of him. I mean, he's just he's super skilled. And what you're seeing now is he's on a team that does make postseason runs and and you know he's

a competitor. He's clutch. I mean he's been He's been the biggest factor in the Pacers comebacks throughout this entire postseason. Clearly Aaron Smith was insane, was insane in Game one. But you're we're learning about this is the way because again, I know a lot of people want to want to want to bag on the NBA players who voted and most underrated, And I'll be honest with you, I like

last night seeing him do what he did. If you guys missed it, I mean you missed out because I'm sure this is coming from not only the truth, but a little bit of maybe me being a Pacers fan here. But you could argue his performance last night statistically is one of the best things you'll ever see. Yeah. Always had a triple double in the first half. Yeah, I mean thirty three points, fifteen assists, in twelve rebounds in

zero turnovers. He's the first player in NBA history with a triple double on zero turnovers in the Conference finals. I mean, he's so again, these are things. I think everybody knew that he was a skilled player. But he's with the Kings for a while, and when he first got to Indianapolis, I don't think that they were I don't think they were that good right out of the gate. But maybe I'm wrong here. But here they are back to back Eastern Conference finals, one game away from getting

to the NBA Finals. He is the franchise player, certainly has some good players around him. Siakam has been sensational in this series. And see I mean Siakam was the second best player on a team that won an NBA championship Toronto, which by the way, got to be the most forgettable NBA title of all time. But I mean, this guy's this guy's insane, and they won me forty

bucks last night. Hell yeah, let's go good stuff. So when it comes to the Pacers and and Halliburton, I as much as I last night was even making some comments on Twitter about how hilarious that, like the NBA, the association views this guy as the most overrated When when is you know, take away anything about overrated, underrated, any kind of rating in any way, Just look at results. And performance, and you know facts, this guy is delivering as good as anybody in the NBA right now, and

you know it's satisfying to see him. I guess prove those people wrong. But then again, sometimes people are just wrong, like I've never maybe it's just because of the platform we have here and what we do. Like I'm wrong a lot, Like I'm not afraid to be wrong. I'm not I'm not embarrassed to admit when I'm wrong. I'm

I'm I'm very comfortable. I shouldn't say I'm comfortable being wrong, because you know, I think you prefer to be right much more than But I know that I can get things wrong, and I will never hesitate to say, hey, my opinion was wrong. I've been proven wrong. Now you can be wrong and not be at fault right and

not be a bad person. So, like, it wouldn't shock me if there's NBA players that right now, although they're not going to come out and say it, I would not be shocked if there's been some thought among the NBA, the players that voted him the most overrated player in the league. Yeah, he's shown me that he's not. Because again, like I think maybe they were just thinking, Okay, that guy's good, but he's getting way too much hype. The Pacers aren't that good. He's just putting up big numbers

in a good system and they're not. But now, I mean, I would imagine if they're being real with themselves, they would say, yeah, I now think that the rating he was getting, the hype he was getting, I now believe that it's actually genuinely deserved, which maybe before this run in the postseason they didn't see it that way. Regardless, people can have an opinion and it can just be their opinion and it doesn't mean that they you know, you can have a bad opinion, but at the end

of the day, like it's your opinion. So I do take satisfaction seeing that be a storyline that everybody's kind of thinking, how the hell the NBA get this wrong? Which I don't even know I remember what it was how they determined it. I think it was some kind of an anonymous poll. I don't think it was the NBA Players Association Awards, but maybe it was because NBA Players Association they do have awards that they give out

that the players specifically vote on. But I can't imagine that the Players Association would find it to be productive for their league to have everybody vote who they think is the most overrated. But maybe they did it. But regardless, the Pacers just one game away. And I already know and I said it a couple of weeks ago, so trust me, it's not like I am shocked to hear this, but I certainly don't care as a fan. But yeah, the Thunder and the Pacers in the NBA Finals would

be a disastrous thing for the NBA ahead of time. Now, the reason I say that is because, I mean, I know that the Knicks have a bigger brand than most in the NBA just because of the Knicks. I mean,

it's certainly not based off of anything they've accomplished. And the Nuggets, they are a recent NBA champ, and they also have a guy who is I mean, honestly, they've got three big stars, well two two that are really big stars in Jokic and Murray, but even you know, even like Aaron Gordon, I mean he became a star in Orlando and then also because he was the Dunk

Contest champ. So anyways, my point is, there are other teams that have been eliminated or I guess are one game away from elimination right now, that them being in the finals would probably be a better thing on paper going into the NBA Finals, And who knows, maybe if it's the Pacers and it's the Thunder and you get to the end of the series and the Thunder winning six or the Pacers winning six or seven, and it ends up being a dud when it comes to viewership,

I can't say that I'm going to be shocked, because again, the Pacers don't have a they're not a big market, and Halliburton is their biggest star, but he's still relatively unknown to a lot of people that aren't big time NBA fans. And obviously the Thunder that's just weird. Like I now am fascinated by the Thunder being as good as they are, but there clearly just doesn't seem to be a ton of respect around them this year from the casuals because you just don't know, like you don't

know enough about them. To THEEREM. You know they're good, you see they're winning loss record, you see SGA being the MVP, but you're just not exposed to them a whole lot unless you're really go looking for them, because let's be honest, they didn't become really good until the last couple of years, and they don't get the major

TV games that the other big market teams get. So like, even if you wanted to be exposed to them like you are the other great teams in the NBA or just the other big markets in the NBA, you probably need League Pass or something. And I don't want to act like they're never on TV, but I would be shocked if SGA has the fewest national elevised games primetime games I should say for an MVP, because you got to keep in mind when KD won it, when RUSS

won it. I mean, the Thunder had already been to the finals what twice I think it was, and that matters.

So all I'm getting at is it may end up being a dud, and if so, I won't be surprised, because again, this is just not ideal when it comes to reaching the most amount of people that you can reach for your for your championship, right the seven game series that determines who wins the NBA title, But as anybody considered how entertaining it could be when you consider how these teams play, are you kidding me, Like, the Knicks have done a good job at making these games

competitive and really entertaining. They're down, They're down three to one now, and look, they could come back and win the series. I don't think they will, but the thunder, the way they want to play, and the way that the Pacers play, I mean, this could be take away who you want to root for. This could just be some really really high level entertaining basketball with a lot of points scored and probably a lot of free throws too,

with SGA and whatnot. But I mean, maybe that's just wishful thinking on my end, but I wouldn't be shocked if Game one ends up being a really competitive game that maybe goes to overtime or something and you feel like, damn,

that was the hell of a game. And if that's the case, I mean, maybe that'll get more people to tune in because the NBA Finals, I guess where you could have a bad number as far as rating and viewership would just be that the folks that annually will tune into an NBA Finals game but don't really care. I guess those people wouldn't maybe be interested because for them, it's not about being really into the NBA or basketball itself. It's just, Hey, the NBA Finals are here, let's turn

it on. But maybe you won't even remember or notice that they're on, because again, the teams that are going to likely be there are ones that you know. Somebody said this on a national show I was listening to last night, and it's true if you just take random casual NBA fan in any place in the country. When I say casual, I mean like probably more than most of us, Like somebody who does keep up with it and knows who's good and who's not. They've got a team they root for, but they keep up with it

because they're interested in the league. Put it this way, more than you, more than you hear it talked about year round on this show. I bet you could ask ten of those people, right, those that fit in that demo if they know a Pacers fan or if they know a Thunder fan, and they probably tell you no, right, because like, you don't really become a fan of those teams unless unless you're around you live around there. I mean,

the Thunder is still relatively new franchise. And another thing I hadn't thought about until I heard this National show talking about it if you were a big time Thunder fan ten years ago and that's when you became a big time fan, and you don't live in Okac, you probably were no longer a fan once it blew up and Kevin Durant left and Russell Russell Wilson, Russell Russell Westbrook left, So you know, like they they're big in their market, but their market small, and with the Pacers,

I'd never really thought about it, but it's true, like I don't know. I mean, I'm a Pacer spim, but I don't know many. I don't know many. I don't know many others. I really don't unless there are people who just are from Indy, live in Indie and just support the cults, the Pacers and the Hoosiers or the or Purdue or whatever it is. And honestly, the best era to become a Pacers fan as far as when

they were exciting and good. A lot of those kids who didn't have a team that you know, didn't live in a market that had an NBA team, you know who, they became a fan of Michael Jordan. So the time to really jump on and be a fan of the Pacers during you know when you're a kid, if you're somebody within my age range, you probably just became a fan of Jordan. And the reason I'm a Pacers fan is because my dad Indiana when I was a kid.

He lived there a lot growing up, and with his job, we had access to some Pacers tickets and I was hooked. I just became a fan, and you know, here we are. So I'm not going to be triggered by the talk about the lowly washed NBA Finals between the Pacers and the Thunder if that's what we get, because I understand it.

But I'm also willing to at least leave the door open to say that, yeah, when you get too teams that nobody knows, not ideal, but man, if the play, if the quality of play is at a high, high level, people will tune that in more. They're going to go tune into baseball in May and early June. So all right, some other things we'll get into today. I mean, the SEC just embarrassing itself with just all the whining and complaining.

And you would think that the SEC is the conference in college football that has been a victim the way some of these coaches are just bitching and complaining and acting like it's unfit means it's insane. It is insane. And there's plenty from the SEC meetings that are going on that we can certainly get into, including Brian Kelly of LSU talking about having a different opinion than apparently

the rest of the SEC has. As far as the college football playoff situation, Kirby Smart's claiming that collectives are out there paying high school kids from like sophomore year on to be you know, silent commits. So it's it's it's drama, but drama sells. Drama that works, and we've got some drama in college football with a real I was gonna say a power struggle, but I mean, it

really isn't about that. It's just about the SEC just again living in their own world as if they are they're and again they are better than everybody at football. That's a best league in college football. It already was, and then they added Oklahoma and Texas. But if that's the case, why why are you just entitled to so much? I mean, just go earn it, because that's really wean, It's kind of what you it's what you do anyway

for the most part, all right, stick with us. We got a lot more to get into before six o'clock hits. So again, hang out right here on Sports Talk seven ninety Apologies, How late was I Austin? I feel like the music could have been playing ten minutes now and ten fifty seconds good, perfect timing, ten fifteen seconds. That's all I need, be honest, all right, that's all I need. Behind But I mean sometimes I could, I could, you know,

some of I wish I could. You know, sometimes I wish that I could give more time, But you know, sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. Take that as a compliment, you know, if we're being honest. But anyways, did you see miss Joy was here? No, I did not. She went to lunch with someone today and she she stopped in and I chatted with her for a little bit. And then also just you know, just chatting up with the folks here as this big moves about to happen,

this big transition. So you know, sometimes you just lose track of time when you're shooting the you know what with your colleagues. And I literally opened the door and heard the music, and I'm like, you know what, man, my mind has been in a lot of places. I could have been thirty seconds late. I could have been thirty minutes late. I'm not really sure I would have known. But anyways, let's keep it rolling.

so they're fresh, delicious doughnuts. I mean they're voluptuous. Can I say that about a donut? I just did. It's a voluptuous donut, just plump, thick and perfect. So the doughnuts have always been good. Now I don't even know if it's considered like a classic, but to me, it's been years. I've been getting the sausage, egg and cheese croissants, such a dynamite breakfast sandwich. So you know, they keep what I like. But then they'll just throw out something like,

I wish it was still there. But they had a they had a pizza wedge. It was like a pizza quesadilla and it they didn't have it a long time, and I'm, you know, kind of bummed about that, but it was so good. It was so good. I remember one day I hit two Thorntons, they didn't have it. I made sure I found one at the third because I needed that pizza wedge. And now they've got breakfast chariso tacos. I mean, think about that. This is high. I mean you can't look at that. Can you see that?

I'm showing Austin a picture here? Like it's yeah hot? I mean, I mean you bring these breakfast chariso tacos. I mean you could cater it for your for your girlfriend, your wife, and she would think you went to some real hipster brunch place to get a you know, teach to an actual tacos. Yeah, because that's how good they look.

We're talking. They got the tortilla, the egg, the chiso, ham bell, pepper onions, cheese, it is it's delicious soon yeah, I mean, and I do see here that they actually tell you how long they're gonna They don't keep everything around the entire year. But from May seventh to September second, you can get these breakfast Chariso tacos, a two pack, two of them for just five bucks. Take advantage. It's Thornton's. You know where feel about Thorton's.

they have competitions. I don't know what to compare it to, but they always I mean, they have a lot of options when it comes to breakfast, and that, you know, that makes sense as to why when I go in there on any morning, it's it's packed because you know, people know they can get a lot of different things there, and of course they can get their day started to get a cup of coffee, and you know, just take the vibes from Thornton's with you, and I bet your

day will be better. I can't prove it, but I believe it.

to go to the DMV. I don't want to. I mean, I don't even know people still do it now. But like the mall, it can either be something you really want to go because the mall used to be cool, or it can be or it can be like a task that's like you know, oh, it's going to be a mess because it's two weeks till Christmas. You know what I'm saying. Have you ever dreaded having to go into a gas station? I mean maybe you have because it was not Thornton's or and it was gross or

something like that, But it's convenient. Therefore, you know you can get in and get I mean, like, no joke, I don't just say this here. I am circling it back around to my friends at Thornton's. But I even when there are eighty five percent of the spots taken up in the parking lot and at the pump, I can walk in and be out of there in ninety seconds or less because they have the self checkout. Like I don't know why that wasn't a thing sooner, And

I don't mean like for Thornton specifically. And I feel as if I am in a different era, in a different generation when I go into a convenience store and they don't have self checkout. I know that sounds like you know, hoiity toity, because a lot of them, I guess still don't. But I only go to Thornton's and the majority of them that I go to, they have a self checkout and it's convenient as can be. And it also makes me wonder why are there so many

people that don't use it? I mean, I shouldn't say so many people, but.

some final clips. I'm working on a video for Thornton's, and well, I mean, i'm I'm, I'm I'm working on it and it's just gonna be me, you know, showing how great Thorntons is because they're a great partner. I don't want to act like they hired me to do it, because I don't. I'm sure they could find somebody much better than me when it comes to the creative stuff.

But either way, like it's it's hard to find any Thorntons nearly any time of the day where I can get I can get the cameras set up and get some good stuff without there being a ton. I mean, there's just a lot of people to go there, because again, what can you not get? Cigarettes, beer, scratch off tickets, good food items, candy. I mean they've they've they've got it all. In fact, I saw somebody checking out this morning. They had I guess they were running low on oil.

I mean, again makes sense you can get some oil at a gas station, but I've never purchased it before. But you know, just another enough, just another example of all the things you can get. It's just something about it, no doubt about it. All right. So let's I mean, I guess the latest on the college football playoff stuff. To me, the most logical way of setting it up as far as who gets in, which conference gets auto bids that kind of stuff. I mean, this is one

of those things where if you told me. There was a lot of discussion all about a lot of different scenarios as far as what it could look like, meaning the future of the college football playoff. And by the way, there are a lot of different things being thrown out there, and we got to this model. I would say, yeah, why would it be anything else if you're gonna go to sixteen teams a college football playoff with five auto bids power conference champs and one G one from the

G six plus the rest of the field. The rest of the field filled with late at large, like with teams that just get in because you know they were in that next tier and win a championship in their conference, but man, they're that good. And then obviously Notre Dame would be a part of that too. Why would we not do that? Like, and if you don't do that, just eliminate auto bids and just seed it one through sixteen based off of the best sixteen teams that you

you know that you believe are deserving. I mean, you've now got people saying, just like people, I don't think you become an athletic director, a president of a school, a commissioner of a conference. I don't think you become someone with that type of position, you know, unless you are really really smart or at least, you know, just not stupid. Maybe you're not. Maybe they're not all smart, And I guess how smart somebody is can be viewed

in a lot of different ways. But it felt like it'd be hard for you to be a dummy when it comes to, you know, that role that you have. And yet some of these people are saying really stupid stuff like who is it the U the missioner or not the commissioner. I'm sorry, it's the it's the Yeah, I'll make sure I got it Right's Florida's athletic director Scott Strickland. He said recently a committee is not ideal to choose a postseason I question whether it's appropriate for

college football. Does he not understand that everyone like literally every single I can't I shouldn't say every single because I genuinely don't know about some of the non revenue sports really at all, but sports that people you know, follow a lot or at least a little bit. As far as having a reach at the college level, it's a committee of people who decide who gets in. Like that's that's the way it's always been, and it just to me that screams more of the SEC noise of

just how well you know you guys. It's almost like, well you, I mean, you guys hear yourself and we're thinking on our end, like do you hear yourself? Like why would like why would you be entitled to it? And again I don't need to say the same thing I've said a billion times as far as it's not about the SEC not being the best league, but just because they've been the best league for you know, a good chunk of the last twenty five, thirty years or maybe even longer, what would that have to do with

the following season. You should never be rewarded as a league or as a program based off of performances from a year ago or fifty years ago. Now again, your brand doesn't. That's human nature. That's not avoidable to an extent, right, there's just no way around that people are going to take a team more serious that has in fact been

there before. But having it automatically set up to where those that came before you long long ago have grandfathered you four automatic spots, really half the field of the big ten in the SEC, it just doesn't make any sense. I mean, again, it makes sense if you just want to make it a popularity contest, and I just they

needed to come out and say that. I mean. So, anyways, when it comes to the discussions going on, I doubt we're going to get any kind of clarity here in the coming days as far as what the plan is, because clearly there's there's there's I was gonna say confusion. I don't really think it's confusion. I think actually it's pretty clear we know what the SEC wants, and then we also know that others are going to sit back

and say why would we do that? You know, and in fact, it could work out to where, like I'm not saying that the SEC shouldn't get four or six or eight in. There could be years where it turns out to where the SEC has ten. But just to say there's automatically four that get in, like that's that's really stupid. And again, unless you want to make it a popularity contest, and last I checked, I don't. I don't think that's what people want, but what do I know?

So anyways, this is something that Greg Sankie had said in the last I don't think it was yesterday, might have been the day before, but he did say that the SEC. I'm reading directly from Brett McMurphy here. Sorry for spinning my wheels. I just want to make sure I had it correct. But SEC's Greg Sankie said deadline for finalizing the twenty twenty six college football playoff format by contract is either November thirtieth or December first, So there is there's a long way to go, and looks

luckily there's time to get there. But I just I don't really see either side caving And in fact, what's sad as I see the have nots of this group

of power for caving before the SEC. But why like, stand your ground because I think what's clear here is that the pushback that we're now getting that wasn't there initially about this College Sports Commission where Donald Trump met with Nick Saban, the booster who's become super successful and appears to have a really good plan in place as far as how you regulate college sports, the guy from Texas Tech. There was interest in, oh, yeah, this could

be good. We could have somebody that actually oversees everything. Well then now it's the SEC folks, including Saban, that don't feel like it's needed anymore. And maybe it's just because you truly don't believe it's needed, or maybe it's because you want to continue to just do things the way you want because you're the big bully on the block. And I can't really fault people like Greg Sankee for doing that because again, you know, your job is to,

no matter what, look out for your league. But that's the same thing for the ACC, the Big Twelve, and the Big Ten too. I mean, it would be foolish to expect any of these leaders from these different conferences to It's one thing to collectively work together and to come towards an agreement that you know you could you know you work together on, but you don't work together. You compete with each other. And it's a super competitive

and caddy like business meaning college football. Like when you hear some of the quotes, and I don't mean that these people are just like the worst, but just the cattiness, Like when I read quotes from guys like Brett McMurphy, even my guy Zach Barnett, who covers college football, when I read things that they share that coaches say, I feel like that's something you'd hear somebody in the seventh

grade Hallway say it's just Caddy and Petty. So the belief that we can all just get along and make it all work, I just don't think that's realistic because whatever the SEC pushes for probably isn't going to be in the best interest of another league. Whatever the Big twelve pushes for may not be the way that the SEC or the Big ten c fit as far as what's best for them. Now, I do think what's clear here that needs to be said that probably actually doesn't

need to be said. I think it's obvious here nobody from the other side is asking for anything guaranteed. It's just the SEC, and I guess the Big ten is not against it. But Sankie's already playing VICM like he's the bad guy, and technically I guess the Big ten is not going to say no to having four automatic spots. But anyways, there's a lot of drama. We'll talk to more college football because coming up in the four o'clock hour, the highest win totals as far as the power for

and the lowest. There's some surprises here, I believe, So we can take a look at that and see if there's any other updates. I do want to talk about Kirby Smarts comment about what collectives are doing to get in really early with recruits paying their families' salaries just because their kids are in high school and look like they're going to be five star recruits at some point.

I mean, again, that's just an example of how, no matter what, you're going to try to find an edge and an advantage because it's that competitive and it means that much to people, No pun intended. The sec just means more. Also, we got to get to I mean, I don't think there's been an update since the show started, but Otega Away still has yet to announce what he's

going to do. And I'm now hearing people that I know in respect saying that they believe, not that they're hearing, they're not reporting it, they're not even mentioning a rumor, but they think that this late last minute situation means that he wants to go pro and that's what he's going to do. I just I'll be stunned. I will be stunned if he doesn't decide to come back to Kentucky. But again, as of right now, it doesn't look like he's made that decision unless I've just missed it in

the last few minutes. All right, quick, Bright, keep a locked right here on Sports Talk seven ninety Now back.

obviously him coming back to Kentucky would be huge. And it does feel as if this would be and I'm probably wrong in saying this, because I just I wouldn't know, because I don't follow every program, but this would be a rare thing in the new world, even though we're still again very young in early stages in this new world where you just assumed the guy didn't have good enough draft stock and yet he can make a lot of money in college at a big time place like Kentucky.

So I mean, you would have never thought he was going to go pro. I mean, but technically that's just the assumption that he's going to not take a chance on himself because he doesn't have great draft stock, or maybe you just think that he needs all this money when maybe I mean, I don't know, I'm just I just think if there is a scenario where he does. And I don't know anything about this young man other

than he's a really good player. But you know, maybe he is somebody that really just doesn't know what he wants to do, or maybe he likes the thought of leaving people on the edge of their seat because it'll lead to a bigger reaction when he doesn'tnce he's coming back. Who knows other than him, But he has yet to make a decision at least as of as of right now at three point fifty four, Aduth Thierro did just make a decision to stay in the NBA draft, And then r J lewise no clue if he's made any

kind of decision just yet. And then there's some other names that, like, I gotta be honest, I don't really know much about them, like Miles Bird at San Diego State, Nate Biddle at Oregon, like those are the other guys listed here as far as being names that if they come back to college, it would be a big thing for the school that they're currently with, or like r. J. Lewise, who doesn't currently have a school, he'd be a big

player to go get. Here's something I could see happening, because you know that this is true, and I've heard a lot of Kentucky fans say, and by way, I should have mentioned this initially, but I didn't. I forgot. He did work out today for the New Jersey Nets I think it was, or the Brooklyn Nets, I should say. So maybe he just wanted to get that final feedback from a team or whatever that process looks like day of and then decide. But he is still in fact

going through this process us until the last minute. And it maybe because look again, if he decided to pull out of the process two days ago, like a lot of players did, he wouldn't have been able to work out for the Nets today. So my guess is still that he's just absolutely utilizing this experience to the fullest extent and really getting everything he can as far as feedback from the NBA and whatever else that comes with the process of testing the waters because he doesn't have

good draft stock. So again I just to me, I'd be stunned. But he's yet to make a decision. And if you're a Kentucky fan and you're nervous, I get it, and I have her Kentucky fans mentioned well, if he does leave, that would be a bummer. But man, you now have a lot of money to go replace him. True, but there's not many great players out there. I mean, most players have decided where they're going to go. I mean,

the portal's pretty empty, is it not. Maybe you could use it to bring somebody from overseas, although we need to talk about that in the next hour. If there really is a complete stop on student visas and players expecting to play college hoops next year have yet to get student visa, that could become a big problem. I feel like I'm already on has hear that talk about student visas Austin coming up your news top of the

hour and can wasting no time. We could still be childish and immature here until Friday, but I could see it playing out where if O take Away does decide to stay in the draft and knock going back to Kentucky. R J. Luiz just takes a spot, takes his money like that. That would be a transaction. I could absolutely

see happening. Although I think Oway is a better player, and I'm not just you know, trust me, this is not a I'm gonna guss him up as a great player now and so when you lose him, I can say that you guys think because if you listen to me even a little bit, I've always felt like this guy was not getting the proper love that he that he should have. Nobody said he was bad at all, but I just felt like throughout the season there was so much talk about other guys when I felt like, dude,

this is our best player. Like he's the best athlete. He's physical, he's a scorer, he's tough. You know, he's not a great shooter, but he can make him He's not an elite defender, but he can. But he can guard. It's big. I mean, he's you know, he's He's the reason why Kentucky is viewed as a top ten team next year. Yes, they've got Jalen Low, who I think is going to be good for them, just a talented player.

I don't really know how he fits with Mark Pope like they've they've got good pieces, trust me, but the one guy that makes them a preseason top ten team by just about everybody, your top fifteen team is is O takeaway? Now? If he isn't there, do they fall out of the top twenty five? I would imagine not, but I don't really know, because again, you got good pieces.

But I mean, he was arguably your best player last year, and he's expected to come back unless you know, he doesn't, And it is wild like he didn't have to say anything, right like, I'm sure he will. I'm sure he'll announce that he's coming back, but you know, if he doesn't file paperwork that gets I guess handled or submitted like it's supposed to before midnight, it's just over. He's just gone. Now again, I don't see that playing out. But you know, he didn't have He didn't have to walk up to

a podium today. He didn't have to actually show up and say anything like he has declared for the draft. The actual action that needs to take place for him to come back would be filing something and getting it submitted before midnight tonight. All right, quick break, we got two hours left and a lot more to get into, so stick around. It's coffee and company we're feel about Thorn's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety