It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day, Now here's Nick Coffee. I'm just going to assume that either today or yesterday was the deadline for players to pull their name from the NBA Draft, because, uh, these tweets coming out in the last uh in the last I don't know, a few hours have have put me in a panic
here and there. I'm sure other fans have seen the same thing because, you know, for example, I did not realize that case in Pryor, one of Louisvill's top transfers from South Florida, was even going through the draft process. But I think it was Rostein, who you know, reported that he will remove his name from the NBA draft and play at Louisville this year. But they just had one for the Butler kid who's transferring from San Diego State to UH to Kentucky and uh yeah, I mean, I think anybody
who's gonna be going. I think everybody knows now that those announcements, if you will, are in fact, you know, just a formality, like these players aren't putting them out there yet. I feel like it's Rostein and who else is it, maybe Goodman, but somebody. I mean, is that necessary? Like if the players themselves, by the way, we know they're gonna get a graphic designer to make something with some long message that nobody
reads other than the bottom to see. Okay, are you saying you're transferring? Are you saying you're coming back? Like? What are you saying here? I mean, if the players don't even feel the need to let people know that they're going to remove their name from the NBA draft, I'm not sure it needs to be you know, on the news wire here for folks like Rostein and Goodman and you know whoever else is putting it out there. And that's kind of Rostein's brand, isn't it though. Yeah, Rostein breaks
a lot of things that you don't typically see the other reporter's breaks. Like he'll he'll he talks about random non conference games like Chicago State's gonna play against Vanderbilt or something. Yeah, but he'll dress it up as if like,
ooh, looks like we've got some Rossteine scooping. Then it and then it's that it's like, you know, looks like looks like uh, you know, it's it looks like he's gonna play merist on November seventeenth, and that would actually be something that I would have some level of interest in because because I'm a Louisville family. Yeah, like Mike Woodson's gonna bring back his video coordinator for the fourth consecutive year, congratulations, you know, and then whatever,
what's this? What's his saying about? We sleep in may You know what's his saying about Woodson? Does he have one? Like he's got a He's got something he says about every coach, you know what I mean, I've never noticed that. Oh dude, I'm I mean again, I don't catch on to everything, and that must be good when I start mentioning these, I'm gonna pull it up today. I'm gonna pull it up here because
he has shirts that he sells that are you know. For example, the new one for Kentucky is keeping the Faith and it's more Pope with prayers. Let's see Rick Patino the Godfather, Ed Cooley the American Dream. Chris Jans is the dentist for some reason, I don't really know Greg Guard, Silent Assassin, Shaka Smart reincarnation like he clearly they haven't caught on that much. But you know, I can't believe I haven't noticed this. Look up John
like search John Rostein's tweets. I mean, not right now, but whenever you get a chance, I would be willing to bet at John Rostein and then put in Mike Woodson. There'll be some tweet that he put out after Indiana beat somebody, and there'll be some corny tagline about Woodson that you know he's probably trying, and some of them catch on, but some of them don't, like the one for Chris Mack with stone Cold. Don't really know why. Maybe because he's bald like stone Cold. But yeah, yeah,
I just look at up Mike Woodson. Let's see here, doesn't fee like he's got a whole lot of tweets about Wodson. May yeah, maybe he's hating on Woodson. He didn't refer to him as the Portal King at one point, maybe that's going to be you know, what he says or how he you know, refers to him as. I mean, again, they're all corny, but anyways, what a way to get the four o'clock hour
started. I guess this is just a way for me to say, if you do see somebody like Rosstine, reporting about players that have transferred to Kentucky or Louisville, and he mentions the NBA Draft. Read it all the way through because it's not him telling you anything other than you didn't and he's not telling you anything he didn't already know. He's telling you that they're removing their name from the NBA Draft, which they probably already have. So anyways,
it is Coffee and Company Hour number two. Back after a nice vacation, always going to be back. I enjoy vacation, but it also, you know, reminds me that I do, in fact get to do something that I really love for a living because I miss it and I'm looking forward to getting back at it. And that's what we're doing today. So appreciate you guys hanging out with us. I do and remind you we are fueled by Thornton's. Make sure you sign up to become a member of the Thornton's Refreshman
Awards program. If you haven't already, you can do it online or you can download the app Refreshman Awards dot Com. All right, So, overall, as I mentioned to start the show, I didn't really miss out on a whole lot, like you know, there's some things that you know happened last week that you know would have given us something to talk about it. And I'm sure it was discussed by the cast that helped fill help fill in
while I was gone. But that's the best type of vacation to take in this role, at least in my opinion, is that you know, it's not as if I had Fomo right, I wasn't wishing I was back on the air talking about some big developing story that I know many people would be interested in. Again, I think the Scotty Scheffler stuff has kind of carried over, and we did just share some news at the end of the end
of the three o'clock hour that you guys may not be aware of. But there is going to be a press conference tomorrow at one point thirty with Steve Romins, the attorney for Scotti Scheffler. Scheffler will not be there and at one o'clock well, actually I don't know. I mean, let me just read the exact details here, because maybe it'll be a presser with Scheffler being
present. Actually no, he's not gonna be. Just it just says that Scheffler's attorney, Steve Romins, is gonna a press conference at one thirty, So the Jefferson County Attorney, Mike O'Connell is going to be in court to speak with the judge about this case at one o'clock. Presser at one thirty
with Scheffler's lawyer. So again, what do I know, But a lot of people seem to be coming to the conclusion that this is likely going to be an announcement that charges are dropped, which I hope that's the case. I hope that that's how this thing ends up working out, because I don't
believe that Scottie Scheffler did anything that would warn him being arrested. And we will never know the full extent of it because there's no sound, clearly, and the guy who was involved in it violated the LMPD policy by not having his body came on. So it's still an embarrassing look though, and it
could have been avoided. And you know, I tried to give law enforcement and I always do and will continue in most instances to assume because I know, I'm not even saying that, you know, the cop who did this, Brian Gillis he may not be a bad human being. He may not be a terrible cop, although there's some things on his rap sheet, if we can call it that, that make it make me question as if why he's still employed. But even if he's just even if he's guilty of just
being a knucklehead. One, you probably shouldn't be a knucklehead and be a police officer because that's a big role, that's a tall task, and that's something that you should always be not doing things like that. But I know that many of those that, in fact, the vast majority of those that are part of law enforcement, are very professional and good at what they do. You know, you wish that everybody was perfect, but that's just not
reality. That's not planet Earth, that's just not how things work. But I wanted I didn't want Scotty Scheffler to be on video looking like an a hole, But I wanted to make some sense of how this happened, because I've from from the beginning. When it played out like it did two Fridays ago, at seven o'clock in the morning, I'm thinking to myself, there's no what is this can be real? So I was just hoping there would
be some explanation that would make it make sense. And here we are ten even days later, and I still don't think it makes any sense as to
how it ended up in that type of a situation. So if chargers are dropped, that'll, I think, will be a good thing, But the embarrassment is still there, and I just hate that, you know, because there are people who don't come to Louisville very often, maybe they've never come to Louisville and they only really know the Louisville headlines that get national, sometimes worldwide attention, and unfortunately, over the years, we've had a handful of
those that weren't great looks for this city that you know, I've lived in my whole life and will never leave unless they kick me out. And it just I hate that, Like there that you bring up Louisville at an airport in Texas tomorrow. Wouldn't be shocked if people start making fun of LMPD for you know, or maybe not making fun of them, but just you know, talking about how bad they are at about how Louisville will never get a big event again. And it's just one person, But like that, I
just feel like it could have been avoided. Sometimes things can't be avoided, and it's just it's unfortunate, right, Like, I don't think anybody blamed Louisville for the tragic situation that happened. I mean a mass shooting, but you know, but that's just that's a tragic situation. That's sad. There's good stuff that goes on here. I love this place, and we had the PGA Championship here, which of course is a huge event, and it
seems as if everything went extremely well other than that. And I don't just mean the incident where Scotti Schefler was arrested, but the tragic accident that led to somebody losing their life who was volunteering. So if charges there dropped, I would say that that's the right thing. It's a good thing. But it still just sucks that everything happened the way that it did. And I don't want to get you know, I don't want to get too serious about
it. And I'm not trying to get I'm not like emotional, I'm not fighting tears, and I'm just trying to find the right way to describe this without it's sounding like I'm being over the top. But if Scotty Scheffler wasn't Scotty Scheffler, and this entire thing happened an innocent man from what I can tell, and the only evidence that that is real other than that it's just this guy's word, meaning Giles the officer. I mean, this guy would
probably be going to prison. Like that's that's scary to think about, right, Like they could be sending you know, like this guy, this Brian gillis kill us whatever I think it's kill us. He got irritated and clearly just lost his mind and started banging on the window. He was not.
And again for those who claimed, well you didn't see everything, the video didn't actually have the initial the initial exchange between the two and that's where he that's where he he dragged him ten to fifteen yards, because there's no way a cop would lie. And we have to hold like people who say that, okay, whatever, but use your brain even if it's not big Mine's
not big mine didn't work great. But I know a little bit about, you know, reading a situation by body language and by reaction of other people. If when he made the you know, when he when he stopped the vehicle and he you know, because he was banging on the window, if that was because the man had just been dragged ten to fifteen yards. As it said in the report, every other law enforcement officer around him would have been I mean they'd had their guns out. They would have because he was
drying a cop and they didn't because it was it was nothing. So I just, you know, I hate that. But again, if in fact, I mean, let's just say Scheffler couldn't make bail because he wasn't Scotty Scheffler, he was Scotty Something, he'd be sitting in jail right now waiting for these charges to hopefully be dropped. I mean, that's scary, is
it not. I just I don't know, I don't know people think about that kind of stuff, and I know it sounds I mean, I'm not trying to be too dramatic, but that's the first thing I thought of whenever I saw the video, and like, knowing what we don't everybody's side of it, because again I think every I mean everything Scotti Scheffler said, from what we can tell, appeared to be true misunderstanding. He didn't tell them who he was, He didn't try to mean, they didn't know who they
arrested, and that shouldn't matter anyway. But the people who lied from what we can tell is the officer. And if he didn't and he wants people to believe him, good luck. I mean, I mean, did you see some of the things he was acute that he's been written up for. John, I didn't look at his rap sheet. I did see the video, well, I mean, and that's totally you know. I mean when I say look at his rap sheet, I don't mean like I didn't pull
an open records request. But this became a big story on I guess it was last Wednesday, maybe roughly a week ago. I mean, he's been suspended more than once for policy violations, including a violation where he drove an intoxicated person in his police car on duty doing donuts in a parking lot.
Like you want people like that to get the benefit of the doubt when they choose to not have their body came on, Like you can't, Like, it's insulting to think that you can just believe someone who says that because they are law enforcement, especially when they've had legitimately other incidents that make it clear that they're not always maybe on their best behavior. But that is just one part of it that when I think about it now, I don't think about
Scotty Shuffler. I think about it could have been Scotty Scotty and he may don't have a lot of money, he may not have resources. He'd be sitting in jail right now, not being able to make bail, and maybe they wouldn't be you know, maybe they wouldn't drop the charges like that. Look, it's unfortunate, but it's the reality. There are many people who end up getting in charge with stuff and you later found out that it was bogus. There are people who go to prison you later find out it wasn't
legit and they were in there for something they didn't do. It's a scary, scary thing to think about. And this is not that right. I mean, everybody's okay at least you know from this situation between Scheffler and law enforcement, and he's he was able to play golf right after he ended up getting arrested, and he was able to get back home to his family. He just had a newborn baby, So like, I'm not trying to paint him as a victim, but it's just another reminder that there that we need
to be able to trust law enforcement. And when you know body cam footage exists for a reason, and I'm kind of a nerd for this. There's these TikTok accounts that all they do is show you, like a five part video of somebody getting pulled over and somebody making an ass out of themselves and you know, just being a complete criminal and just lunatic. And the cops
are on their best behavior, doing everything by the book. And it's because they know they're being recorded, and they look forward to telling the criminal who they're arresting. Oh, don't worry, everything's being recorded. Yeah, I'd love to show the judge how you're acting like that, like that like that helps, right, I mean, that's that level of transparency. You know,
doesn't mean everybody's perfect. Clearly they're going to still make mistakes and do things they shouldn't do, because again, nobody's no profession has everybody that does everything the right way. I mean, that's just not it's not it's not realistic. But if you intentionally turn your body cam off as a cop, there's got to be a reason for that. And I'm not saying he did that. Maybe he never had it on, Maybe he never had it on
him. I don't know. And that those details haven't haven't been made public.
It may they may not be made public. But you know, if you if your body camera stops working at a time where you know the person you arrested is claiming you did this or that and you don't don't know to just stop working for you know, ninety seconds while I beat this person's brain in, Like I just you should be held accountable to the point where you can't still be a law enforcement officer if you can't, if you can't do that part And another side of it though, is and this is this is
true, like now many people are signing up to do that job anymore. And I don't blame them because it would be difficult. It could be a thankless to me, it's a thankless type of position. And the people who do it and take pride in it, they're passionate about it. It's their career. They protect and serve, it's the job. Like God bless those people, because again, like that's I wouldn't want to do it. I wouldn't be good at it, you know, I mean, they put their
life on the line. But I just wish there was more accountability at times. And the one thing I don't understand. And I'm getting a little sidetracked here, but who cares if you use your status as law enforcement to break a law you know a little easier than someone else could because of your position, because of maybe access you have to things, or maybe because you think that you can get away with it. You should be held accountable differently than
anybody. In my opinion, like that is disgraceful, it's disgusting. And oftentimes you see to where law enforcement doesn't get nearly the type of punishment or even a punishment at all, that someone else would get. And that's what I don't understand. Now, maybe there's a maybe there's somebody that's thinking right now, oh here, let me tell you, Nick, it's because you know, despite this mistake or this issue for years, this person did sacrifice
their life by being in you know, being law enforcement. But that doesn't mean they get a free pass for stuff. And I'm not talking about some like well, some of this stuff is pretty it's pretty crazy. But there's a guy that I went to high school with and I'm not gonna name his
name, but I'm sure you know the story. He is one of the LMPD officers who was throwing slushies on people in the street, and you know that is an awful thing to do, to be a cop and be throwing slushies at random strangers on the side of the street, Like that's just like that's disgusting behavior. Well, he was part of that, but he also was in trouble for using law using his status in law enforcement to you know again, I don't I don't want to get sued. I'll just read you
the direct headline here from WDRB on June thirtieth of last year. Former NBD officer convicted for throwing slushies in people's faces. He faces lawsuit for sex stortion. So he's also involved in a sex stortion case if you don't know what that is, looking up sex stortion and he was found. I mean, he clearly did it, and you know, he was charged with it. I don't know if he went to trial, if he pleaded, but like he ended up going to prison. He's getting out in shock probation, maybe
already is out. Maybe he's a listening right now. I don't know, but I went to school with this guy, and like it just kills me to know that, Like I know somebody or knew somebody who could do something like that, and like he's not even like he's not really getting punished to the level that I feel like most people would. I guess I can't know. I can't. I can't comprehend that. But anyways, back to the whole Scotty Cheffer thing, if they drop charges tomorrow, I would say that
that is that's the best thing you could do at this time. But I just feel like this thing could have been completely avoided. And I don't even think it'll have anything to do with Louisville no longer getting a PG event because by the time, I mean, there's not many events they can even pick from to throw Louisville in the mix, because they've already picked most of the places they're gonna be going for the few. Like, it's just it was
very unrealistic even before that happened. But I know now that, like, you know, five six years down the line, if they don't get one, and there'll be people that just well, you know why, and that may you know, it could have helped their situation. But I just again, what makes this, in my opinion, just such a frustration for me because I don't care about the PG. I mean, I'm not a golf fan, trust me, and you know I don't. I don't feel terrible
for Scotti Scheffer. I mean, I hate that that happen to him, but like he's okay, and he's probably gonna sue LMPD and probably take a lot of money. But it just could have easily been avoided, and I wanted there to be at least something that made it make a little more sense. And it actually left me questioning more than I was even the day that had happened, because law enforcement is supposed to de escalate things, and I feel like that was de escalated by one person. And I'm sorry, I
don't. I wouldn't give this guy the benefit of that out knowing he didn't have a body cam on and he's been punished by a MPDE before for you know, just being being a knucklehead for lack of a better word, quick break will come back on the other side. Keep it rolling along. It's coffee and company. We are fuel. But Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety so thank you to someone on the text line reminded me of the
other I guess write ups policy violations that Detective Brian Gillis. Jillis has had reprimands that range from being found at fault in an accident, failing to appear in court, and conduct unbecoming of an officer. If that was already on my record with my employer, I wouldn't I would probably have my body came on at home, off duty, just to make sure I don't. You know, I can defend myself if something happen happens, because I'm not going
to get the bene of it out because I've made mistakes already. And again, I'm not trying to claim that this guy is the worst human being in the world, but I mean, it's hard to I mean, and I would say this. And by the way, this definitely generated a lot of feedback from people, and most people are having, you know, civil responses. It's not like they're claiming you're in any year, you know, but
again it's of you. Well, if you had your body came on and you still do what you did and they still you know, they still charged him, you know, it's still would happened. You looked even more foolish if in fact what we do see in the video is really all that had
happened. But it's just hard to If this was a random person and not Scottie Scheffler, I would say the same thing, meaning like this guy, I mean, he looks like he looks like he escalat it rather than de escalated and turned it into something it just didn't need to be, all right. So we did talk about Bill Walton earlier in the show, and I meant it when I said it. I loved Bill Walton, and I always talked about that whenever I felt you know, at times, I remember thinking,
like, man, I coul talk about Bill Walton all day. But I know a lot of people don't really want to hear that because either they don't care, it's not relevant to them, or you know, maybe they don't like it. But I would. It became pretty clear to me in the last twenty four hours that I did talk enough about him to where people
realized that I was a super fan. And I was sad yesterday. I mean I was, and I think somebody who could get an unbelievable amount of love from countless fans and supporters of him, knowing he was terminally ill and going to die, and just chew and chose not to to not make it. I mean again, I hate even saying, like to make it about yourself, because I don't think if you do that, that's what you're doing.
I would be scared to death. To figure I a better way to say that, because like, that's not I'm not trying to make a joke. It's just me being a dumbass. I would be so scared. I would be terrified if I knew I didn't have that much longer to live because of a health condition like cancer. I would want people on my side at all times, not showering me with praise and compliments, but just loving me. So I feel, you know, a little bit of a numbness to
my fear. And I'm sure he had that with his close ones, but you know, he chose to keep it private. And I just think that's a selfless thing and it kind of speaks to him. And I think he was somebody that you know, and people may not know this about Bill. He used to talk openly about depression and suicide. I mean, he contemplated killing himself many times in his life. He was always in pain. I mean he I think he spent the amount of time he spent in a hospital
as an adult, you know, because of injuries. I mean just he was a banged up player that had I mean, he could barely move, you know, at times. And I don't think in the last thirty years he's really done a whole lot of active things just because again his health from playing from playing basketball. But he one of the things that he had said that that, you know, I remember hearing it a while back, and
I have heard it and have seen people mention it on social media. Happiness begins when selfishness ends, and I think he did, you know, I just choose to believe he did find some peace and really presented himself as a really just the happiest guy ever, right Like, I don't think you could ever hear any of Bill Walton stories or you know, especially not in the last you know, twenty five thirty years. A lot of the stories of him that you've heard, or you you know, you hear him on games
as a broadcaster. He seemed like a guy who loved life, maybe more than anybody. And I think that's why you hear folks who say I met Bill Walton randomly, and I'm just a random joe. He talked to me for an hour because I think he was that selfless to where he would give you. I mean, it was just his spirit. You know. People can say he was hippie. I think he kind of was, like I
think that was kind of his brand. But he had an ability to, I think, kind of see everybody and I mean everybody the exact same way and not I mean he he talked to you. I mean again, I don't know this first time. I wish I would have gotten a chance to meet him. But my buddy Aaron Torres, who you guys here on the
show. From time to time you hear him on Fox Sports Radio. I remember right before the pandemic put a halt to sports, he got a chance to interview Bill Walton, and he he ended up I think delaying the interview because I think it was at the Pac twelve tournament and it might have been the day that all hell broke loose where he had some teams playing in the early rounds of the conference tournaments. By the time you get to the end
of the night, the NBA's canceled. You know, there's seasons put on hold, and then then the next day you didn't get any basketball other than like one team played like a first half somewhere so the interview that he did with Bill Walton, as far as the timing of it, you know, I don't want to say it became a dud. And I listened to it and it was a great interview, but you know, releasing it right would not have been the would not have been, you know, the right timing
to do it. By the way, Aaron has re released that shared it on a social media I check it out if you're a big, big Bill Walton fan. But I remember Aaron telling me, He's like, dude, you wouldn't believe it. It was great, but like I didn't have to ask any questions and I'm kind of following on my phone what's going on? Was with like, you know what Corona is doing to the world in sports, and Bill Walton's just rolling like he never stopped, like he just kept
talking me. He didn't want to. You know, it wasn't usually the interview somebody of that of that status, you would think that, all right, I got eight minutes here. I got to make sure I maximize what I have. Bill Walton. We'll talk to anybody for any amount of time, and it's one thing to do that and just be somebody that makes everything about you that you know is so self absorbed to where you just make any And we all know people like that, right, any conversation you have with
somebody, they're going to find a way to make it about them. That's just how some people are are wired. You know, Bill would talk a lot to people, but he wouldn't make it all about him. In fact, I mean there's some people that just casual younger fans, they probably know him as the WACKI announce, or they may I know anything about him as a player. He was a legendary player. So I was very sad to see that he passed away yesterday, But it's also not a surprise by any
means to know that he made such an impact on so many people. And I just you know, he's a perfect example of like just your your attitude, your energy, and again this is the word that I guess some people will will attach to like being a hippie, but like his spirit. It made me at times think, like, you know, I would ever be man this guy's I mean, he's loving life. Like if I had this
outlook, I mean, nothing could ever be that bad. So I'm very very sad that he passed away, But he clearly had a lot of fans. It wasn't just me. He's a legend and I forgot about this, but Jason Bennetti, who became one of his broadcast partners by the way, Dave Pash and Jason Benetti were the two guys that worked with him mostly at ESPN. Those guys were clearly I mean, it was all about Bill Walton whenever he was doing a game, but he wasn't a play by play guy's
color analyst, and usually he wasn't doing much of that. He was just being Bill Walden. Then I know id annoyed people that he wouldn't talk about the actual game, and like, I get it, but I think those two guys, Benetti and Pash never got enough credit for kind of knowing how to do a game with Bill Walton and keeping it on the rails as best you can and knowing that, look, he's going to say something at least once per half that's probably going to be all anybody on Twitter is talking about,
because that's what Bill Walden does. I went viral for the first time on Twitter during the MAUI Invitational because they were playing in in Nashville. Because of COVID Indiana was playing. It might have been Davidson. Does that sound right, John, It's one of those schools, yes, and somebody. It might have been somebody on Indiana, but I know what you're talking about. There was a player who you know, came out and had like eight points in the first ten minutes in Walton, Oh my god, this is
the best game of his life. And he was a I don't know why I just did a dick if I tell there, but he's I mean, and the announcer said, he's a true freshman. This is his second career game. And Bill Walton, you know, just acted like he didn't say anything. And I shared the exchange, not the video, but just the quote and pardon my take. At one point, I think it's still up
there one of the most popular podcasts in the world. They screenshoted my tweet and put it like on a graphic next to Bill Walton and like, of course, like that's a that's a typical Bill Walton thing. But those guys were really good. I think it making that at times be you know, comedic. And here's what I said this when because I used to get a lot of heat from people like pushback, like why do you say Bill Walton's
great? Bill Walton's the worst. He never talks about the game. He's just a clown gotta and I get that it would be bother some to have him on a game when you are really into it. And I'm glad I never had that. Bill never called a game I had real rooting interest in. He was probably on the call for games I bet on, but like you never called a Louisville game. I wish I would have had that experience in a way, but I'm kind of glad I didn't, because I don't
want to have any different you know. I mean, I would tune in if he was on just to see what wacky stuff he would say. So I experienced it a couple of times, and it was I guess it was during that Mali Invitational that Indiana was in, and maybe for me specifically, it wasn't because I don't think Indian did very well in that Maley Invitational, and I think him being himself helped the losses not be as difficult to over. And I'm somebody who likes Bill Walton. I know a lot of people
don't like his name. You really I was, I mean, I feel like your age group doesn't appreciate Bill Walden. And I remember and again this is how I love that man. And when John told me when we started working together he actually liked him, I love that. I thought that was like I was like, man, we'll see how this goes. I love John already, but man, he's already earned some extra points with me. Not that that matters because he likes Bill Walton well, because he helped me
make light of something that normally pissed me off. You wouldn't take you that you would you didn't take it as serious as suppose and it didn't bother you because you know, his perspective had kind of rubbed off on you a little bit. But Bennetti also, I think he actually has moved on to do games elsewhere. But he was the Chicago White Sox play by play guy on television for a while and they brought Bill Walton to do the baseball game with
him. And this is one of those. This is a thirty or I'm sorry, a forty five second clip from his debut as a baseball announcer White Sox and Angels at the Diamond in the Park. This is your first ever baseball game doing this job, right, This is a job that's true. Well, I understand that it starts and then you play, yeah, but that the offense can't touch the ball and that the defense goes first, and then there's no time limits and you just go until somebody says it's over.
Sounds very much like a dead show. It's a timeless game. I love timeless than this. You're timeless. Well, the one thing, I've been dead for quite a few years, and we all maybe by the end of the night. The music playing means we are actually out. And there are people who don't find that funny, and that's fine. Everybody has their own sense of humor. But that Bill Walton, that's what made him, in my opinion, you know great. And there's another one that I saw for
the first time yesterday. He was on years ago with part of my take Big Cat in PFT. And I don't believe there's any cursing in here, so I'll just play it and we're good. I don't think there is. I know he doesn't curse, and I don't think they do in this question. But like it just this to me, especially the end of this thirty second clip, like it really lets you know where like Bill Walton, I think just stayed high. Like that's just like he's high on life at all
times. When you go off in the middle of the broadcast, do you ever get lost in your own mind and you like almost forget where you are. I get lost all the time, and it's it's unbelievable to listen to like people, it's late night on the East Coast. It's fun to get lost, and it's important to get lost. But getting lost that implies that I know where I am to begin with, and and that's a giant leap
of faith, right. I mean if somebody came up to me and said, I get lost all the time, but you know, it also lets me know where I like, I would I would think, like, what is kot talking about? But that I'm like Scout's brilliant. Worry about him yesterday where he said he was a very shy human being up until I think it was his late twenties. He said he had hardly he would never do interviews that kind of thing. As a player. He always had a tough
time expressing himself. But then that once he began to, I guess learn how to do that. He says the best experience of life he ever had. I guess that was the beginning of Bill Walton truly becoming Bill Walton at that point. And I think everything you saw was you know, genuine in him being himself, which I loved. But there's also times where I'm like, Okay, I think he's trying to make a joke there, and it's
actually hilarious. Because his son, Luke was named the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and he was supposed to do a press conference, and he did do a press conference, but it was on the same night that Luke and his and Bill were going to go to a Grateful Dead concert. I'm sure they've gone to many, and Luke had to tell him, you know, hey, Dad, not going to be able to make the concert
because you know, check this out. I just became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and Bill Walton and Bill Walton didn't share this story. Luke did that. Bill Walton told him he's proud of him, but he does think he needs to reassess his priorities, which again is that that's Bill Walton being Bill Walton. I love all time, all time. Let's get to a quick break. We'll come back on the other side, wrap up the four o'clock hour, keep this thing rolling along. So the ACC.
I didn't miss anything when I was gone about the ACC specifically, however, I think they're going to fight like hell to keep Clemson in Florida state because I think they have the ability to do that with this grant of rights. But I think there's some early signs as far as what direction they may go in if they ever have to, you know, exist without those two and I don't like it, but we'll talk about it next right here. Coffee
and Company. Fil Beth Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety no joke the entire break there. I watched a ten watched as much as I could have a ten minute highlight mix of Bill Walton not playing, but just you know, many of the things he said during broadcasts, so Bill to sixty eight props to them. I don't know how they found all the great archived footage over
the years, but good stuff. I won't you know, I won't play a whole lot more because I know, you know, even if you are somebody that is a of Bill Walton or just you know, appreciate everything he brought to the world. You know, we're not going to play everything, but I do want to share a clip of him describing Denny Crumb and really
highlighting Denny Crumb's involvement. And maybe I'm under selling it by just saying involvement, but you know, he really made it quite clear Denny was hugely responsible for the great talent that John Wooden had to work with at UCLA. That of course led to, you know, one of the best runs you'll ever see in any sport. But I'll save that for the five o'clocker. We don't have a whole lot of time left here, but let's talk about the
future of the ACC. So I was happy to know that the ACC is a league does not seem to be interested in letting Clemson in Florida State out of their agreement. And I don't mean like just letting them walk. They'd never do that. That'd be stupid. But there was some discussion maybe they'll let him go for eighty percent of what it would cost, and these two schools would be able to round up the money to do that, And it
sounds like they're not going to do that. They're gonna, I mean, because the best case scenario for the ACC is that somehow they unify and the league finds a way to make themselves more valuable. And what's unfortunate there is that just by winning and being better and having a bigger presence in college football, as far as you know the hierarchy of it, that doesn't always mean
you're gonna get more money from your TV deal. And like it or not, everybody in the league agreed to sign this grant of rights deal that runs till twenty thirty six while all these other leagues are getting more money than you. Every so often, you're locked in. And we all know that that's not an ideal thing. But Clemson in Florida State still being in the league gives the league its best chance of survival. And I find it to be, you know, more than interesting. I mean, it's unheard of really
because everybody knows they want to leave. Everybody knows anybody in the ACC or SEC would leave if they could to go to the Big ten or the SEC. I mean that I say SECM in ACC. Everybody in the ACC would leave to go to the SEC or Big Ten if they could. And I think that if they could get out of the grant of rights, Clemson in Florida State would find a home somewhere. You know, Florida State probably ends
up in the Big Ten. Heck, maybe both Florida State and Clemson end up in the Big Ten because that would give them presents in a place that the league doesn't have right now, meaning the Big Ten. So you know, if they are stuck together, I think that's best case scenario. But that's coming from a Louisville fan, right Like, if you're Clemson, like everybody knows that the league is does not look to be in great shape compared
to the top two. And if you can be the third, meaning you can be the third best league outside of I mean, really you're you're in first place of the second division. And I hate to frame it that way, but like the SEC and the Big Ten, they have the power. The Big Ten doesn't have the success. They just won their first championship in how long, right like, and they're good. I'm not claiming that the ACC is a better league than the Big Ten in football, but think about
that. Like the SEC has the power of the money and the success. The Big Ten they have relevance and they have good programs. But like they're not close to the SEC when it comes to like accomplishments, but you know, they've got humongous alumni bases and that matters. There's value there. They have huge brands that are valuable to you know, that help you get these
lucrative television deals. So if you're third place and you're miles behind the other two, but maybe many miles ahead of everybody else, you're probably not happy. If you're Clemson and you know that South Carolina is quadrupling your annual revenue. If you are Florida State and you know that Florida in Miami specifically or
no, Miami's in your league. But if you're Florida State and you're in you're Miami and you know that you're getting left behind Florida by three times four times the amount, maybe that's not as bad as Flida's actually a good program. South Carolina not as much. Historically. Let me give you a good example, because this could happen right the Big twelve. They will have two maybe three resets of contracts right TV deals like you know, because nobody does
a twenty year one like Swafford did for the ACC. I don't I mean I don't think they can do anything about it. But can you imagine how pissed off Florida State and Miami would be to know that Central Florida may in five years make more money than them from their conference TV deal. Again, they're powerless, they can't do anything. They sign an agreement, but Central Florida ten to fifteen years ago wasn't even a Division one school. Like, think about that. Like, so they're going to fight it, but I
just don't think they can. So the best case snary for the ACC is to stick together. But if they do get a way out, it sounds like Utah Sandy, like they would just go more in the West coast and make it like a national conference. But I don't know, Man, if you lose Florida State and Clemson, you could still exist as a league. But I don't know if you could. I mean, it would feel as
if you're no longer really a part of a power league. And I hate to say that it all just comes down to those two, but like, let's be real here, those are the two big brands that have I mean, especially Clemson that has maintained relevance and even they're slipping, all right, quick break we'll come back on the other hour. One more hour to go right here on sports Stock seven to ninety