It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick Coffee. There's something awesome about texting back and forth with the fellas talking about, Hey, what are you doing for the game? You're still going? You want to get some beers before, you know,
that kind of stuff. It's awesome. It's one of the things I love about being, you know, a Louisville fan and having great friends and family that are Louisville fans, and you know, usually do that during football season, during basketball season. Doesn't often times happen during the month of July. But here we are. The TBT is just days away. Louisville will get started on Saturday, I think the first game for everybody. We're not for everybody, but for some of the teams we'll be on on on Friday
here. But yeah, I looking for I'm looking forward to to seeing this team in action, and I hope to see a great crowd on hand on Saturday afternoon. I keep wanting to say the Young Center, but it is at Freedom Hall, and that alone provides some nostalgia. And last year, again I didn't get a chance to go in person because I was out of town, but I think at that time only two players on that roster had actually ever played in Freedom Hall, which really tells you just how long it's
been since that was the home for for louisvill men's basketball. But Peyton played his freshman season there. I don't think Russ was ever there. Kyle Kurrick of course shut that place down in epic fashion, and really unfortunate that Kyle can't can't play. I don't know what's what the situation is with his family,
but hopefully it's nothing too serious. But they have finalized the roster and added a couple of guys, and I'm glad to see that one of the players that is returning from from last year's team is not a not a Louisville Cardinal, but a Louisville native that I'm sure a lot of people around here are familiar with. He played for Louisville's team last year, and you know, I think he I think he's somebody that can that can certainly help.
And the name is Chris Dao, who played at Eastern and then went on to Bellarman, had a great career. I know as of last year he was still playing high level basketball professionally overseas. So the final roster is Rus Smith, Payton, Siva Montrez, Harrold, Chris Jones, David Johnson, Shane Behanon Shanan I want to walk you, Dylan Avar, Nick Mayo, Omar Pruitt, Chris Dow and Derek Walker. So, Dylan Avar was on the team last year. So is Nick Mayo, and so was Omar Pruitt.
For those who aren't familiar with those guys, I mean Nick Mayo was a was a notable player for last year's team. I mean gave him great energy off the bench, a really good place player professionally, and you know, I'm glad to see he's back on the roster. And then Christal same thing. And then Omar Prude is from out in the state, I believe for Montgomery County. He played I think at William and Mary which is a
Division I school, and he's also still playing pro overseas. So Derek Walker is the name that I got, to be honest with you, I wasn't. I mean, I don't know that. I still don't know the connection. I don't know how he ended up on Louisvel's roster, but he was a really good player at Nebraska, so I think he graduated from Nebraska in
twenty twenty three. So he's a young guy and was honorable mention All Big Ten in his last season, and in fact, in his senior season he averaged let's see here, I can't pull up his stats from college, but yeah, he's another young body. Again, He's a guy who just finished playing college not that long ago, which, to be honest with you, I think this year's team they have added some youth. I mean makes me feel old to say that Peyton and Russ aren't young guys, but neither is
my and I guess neither is Chris Jones. But David Johnson is still very young compared to a lot of guys that are going to be playing in this and you know, I think he'll have a big impact. So really excited to see this game on Saturday. If you remember, they're taking on a Bellerman team that should be pretty challenging. I mean, I know we're talking about some of the all time greats here at Louisville when it comes to these names, but Bellerman, some of their all time greats are going to be
playing as well. And although they didn't have the same level of success in college at you know, winning national championships, going to final fours. I mean, these guys, some of these guys won a championship at the D two level for Scotti before they made the jump to Division one, and are really familiar with a lot of these guys. I mean, I know when Peyton Russ and Shane and Chris and all those guys, even Nanu like. I don't know if it still happens now, but a lot of the summer
runs with you know, during the summer was against Louisville Bellerman players. I mean, and I know some of these guys have played against each other for years. Rather it be whenever Louisville and be Lemon would play in an exhibition game, or when they would play, you know, in these pickup games that were highly competitive. Heck, some of these guys have probably played against each other, maybe with each other, depending on where they've played professionally since
they left college. So it's a it's a let's see one o'clock. I thought it was two o'clock. It's one o'clock on Saturday at UH at Freedom Hall, and it'll be on Fox. If you guys can't make it like, if you're out of town and you're not in Louisville, then you can still check it out and watch it. And if you are in town, you should go. Should be should be, should be a lot of fun. All right. It is Coffee and Company. That's us. We are
fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven nights. You don't forget to sign up to become a member of the Thornton's Refreshment Awards program if you haven't already. If you haven't, I don't really know what to tell you. I don't know how. I don't know how you do it. I mean, I don't know how you go home to your family every night knowing you're missing out on all the rewards you get by being a member of the Refreshment Awards.
So to incentivize you even further to sign up, what they're doing right now is if you sign up, you get a free red Bull. So one free red Bull when you sign up to go along with all the other perks to come with it. So again we are fueled by Thornton's here on a Coffee and Company. All right. For those just now joining in, we did talk once again a little bit about conference realignment, not because of any big news about expansion in other leagues, but Florida State was handed some
humble pie earlier today, courtesy of Brett McMurphy of the Action Network. And look, maybe they don't believe it, Maybe they think it's nonsense. Maybe they think that hey, as soon as we're available, we'll see if one of these leagues, the SEC of the Big Ten, don't give us an invitation. We're Florida State. But it sounds as if that is exactly like. They're fighting like hell to get out of the ACC. They're the ones who first and I give them credit at least they weren't just acting as everything
was okay. They were willing to complain and then they took action by filing a lawsuit. Now I still don't think they have a good chane of winning said lawsuit, but you know, they want out of the ACC. They're not making any secrets about it, but they don't have anywhere to go. There's no invite coming from the SEC. It sounds like and the Big Ten is not interested at all, not only or not just because they don't ever want to expand, but because they don't have any interest in Florida State.
So I don't know, like if Florida State does find out that everything that was told to Brett McMurphy about the potential chances of them landing in the SEC or the Big Ten. And by the way, these weren't just random sources from Brett McMurphy. These were the people he talked to that he quoted without using their name of course, in this article. I mean these are university
presidents, conference personnel, athletic directors, network executives, consultants. I mean he got quotes from all different kinds of people within the college, you know, the high level college athletics world, and each and every one of them, for the most part, in some former fashion, basically said yeah, no thanks, we don't need Florida State. They don't do anything for us.
So I'm curious get if they get confirmation that that's legit and they and they really feel as if, Okay, we're fighting like crazy, those billable hours are racking up for the lawyers that we have trying to find us an exit strategy from the ACC. Maybe we should just call it quits and realize, hey, let's just try to make this work. I mean, they've already gone this long, you'd have to wonder if they're if they would just stop now. But again I've always said that I don't know why the Big
Ten of the SEC would just randomly add Florida State. And I say that knowing that they would have more value as far as brand and reach than Louisville and a lot of the schools in the ACC. But what never gets discussed in all the different conference realignment stuff that does get discussed. You don't expand just to expand nobody does that. That doesn't make any sense. That's a waste of time and it's a waste of money because again, if you're bringing
in members just to bring in members, you know what that means. You've got to put a plate down at the table to feed somebody else. Why would you do that? Right, This makes no sense. So, you know, Florida State, I think they clearly are a top level college football program. Historically, they've got a huge fan base, great tradition, But like that doesn't mean that it makes sense for the SEC or the Big Ten to want to add them to to the lead or yeah, the SEC the
Big Ten to want to add them. So some more from this article, and this is this is in regards to the the I guess the academic component here. Let's see. Let me find the right part of this article I was referencing. So, uh, well where is it? Yeah, it says, uh, Florida State's Association of American University status is an their red flag in regards to the Big Ten. So every Big Ten school is a member of the prestigious AAU. And when I say AAU, a lot of
people are thinking basketball. But again it's the Association of American Universities. So all but Nebraska are members, which was which wasn't a member when it joined the Big Ten but currently is not. I'm not sure how that played out, but Florida State is not. So it's not a requirement for the Big Ten to be an AAU member, but it is a preference. This is another quote from one of these sources that Brett McMurphy sided says. It's it's
klubby among the presidents and AU membership is significant to them. Remember, these are presidents and chancellors that make these expansion decisions. That's another thing that I feel like it is not often thought about or mentioned whenever we talk realignment. It in't just your ad, it's the it's the president, the board, the chancellors, these people who, by the way, are there not because of athletics. They are there for the academic educational component of I mean again,
these are schools. It's hard to remember that at times, especially now that it's pro sports at the college level, because that's exactly what it is. But these people who have the most influence and power are not sports people.
Now. I think if they're good at what they do, they would understand that athletics can be the biggest, the biggest marketing tool that you have, and if you're successful and you invest in it, it's good for everybody involved, not only the athletic side of things, but also the university as a whole. There are a lot of people across the country that have decided to go to a certain school because of the impact that that school had during
their childhood in sports. I mean, maybe it didn't make them a super fan, but they were familiar with Hey man, look at these games at Ole Miss. That looks like a hell of a place. What kind of programs do they offer there? I might go there, like athletics is super important when it comes to that when it comes to that stuff in Florida State, you know doesn't even doesn't even check that box. In fact, I think they've had some they've had some real messes on their hands when it comes
to the academic side of things. I think it was last time there was like an I don't know if it's an annual thing, but they you know, they they they grade out these universities as far as like which school is considered to be the best as far as you know academics only, and schools that Florida State clearly thinks they're better than, and are and they are better than in sports than South Florida and Central Florida. But those are actually better
schools as far as you know the academic side. And while it seems silly to think that that matters in a major way, it's got to matter a little bit because again we're talking chancellors and and presidents and board members. These are people that really, you know, they wouldn't like it if one of their peers in their league, you know, is basically a junior college academically compared to their prestigious academic institution. So Clemson, you know, Clemson is
uh is is a different story. And I think they would have some value, but not enough to where you just randomly add one team I mean Florida State. I mean, what do you think, John, I mean, we'll never know, I mean until until we you know, until it plays
out. But if I'm Florida State, like and I'm and I'm and I'm getting this information and doing some vetting on my end to like confirm, I mean, you would you wouldn't think that they would go through this process and spend millions of dollars to get out of the ACC if they didn't already have an invitation to go somewhere else. But it doesn't sound like they do.
So therefore, like if they get if they're learning this the hard way, like, I don't think it's crazy to think that they might just decide to take the gloves off and you know, go back to the table with the ACC leadership and say, look, let's try to figure out how we can
salvage this because we can't go anywhere. Yeah, they've they've kind of been the annoying kitten class and that might be a corny way to reference it, but they've they've been the loudest school at least from the ACC's perspective in terms
of how to get that wanting to be out of the ACC. Yeah, they've made it quite clear with their actions that they think they're above everyone in this league and they're not going to stand for it anymore, right, I mean, yeah, and now, if the big boys don't want you, you're just kind of embarrassing yourself and really quite frankly embarrassing the rest of the
league. I feel like, yeah, I mean, if everybody was was you know, locked in together, which technically they are, but if there was truly a if there was some unity that made it to where everybody just realized, we we can't leave. So let's do everything we can. Let's work collectively as a conference to try to find revenue streams to close that gap. Let's see if we can make ourselves more valuable in some form or fashion to where we could get more money in our you know, media rights deal.
And that's not easy. And if that, if there was an easy way to do it, they would have already done it long ago. Let's be real. But they're stuck together, man like again. The thing that that is viewed as the potential death blow to this league is also the one thing that is still keeping it alive, and that is the fact that they're
all stuck together. And there are some new revenue incentives for league members who have success, like you are going to be you're gonna you know, you're gonna be rewarded more than others if you are a school that is winning at
a higher level, and that's the way it should be. But I don't know, like, if we're all being honest with ourselves, everybody in the ACC, if you could get in, like if there was a way for you to do it without paying a gazillion dollars and you knew you had an invite, every one of the everybody in the ACC would happily go to the Big ten or the SEC. But now that that just appears to be so
unlikely, you know, I think maybe could get some unity here. It may not be for the right reasons, but it's at least something because unless there's some level of like everybody coming together to try to change them morale and be proactive and trying to fix the situation rather than filing lawsuits and trying to leave, I mean, unless that happens, I think this is a never ending situation where we're just like the league is just for years going to be
discussed as this league is essentially dead, but you know it's actually not because they're all stuck, you know, like and it's not fun. It's not a fun league to be in. And look, I'm sure there are like a lot of ace Like again, it's just Florida State mostly. I mean, Clemson's also filed a lawsuit, but they've not been as public about you
know. I mean I remember whenever there were stories coming out of those board meetings that were taking place in Tallahassee of the things that were said, and you know, I think they looked I mean, Florida State quite literally looks at themselves as much superior school program than anybody in the ACC. And although that may be true when it comes to like tradition and I guess brand I mean, they haven't really been that successful and you know, in a long
time. Last year was a big breakthrough for him, no doubt. But I've become anti Florida State because of how they've handled this thing, which is kind of weird because in a way it doesn't really impact Louisville and in any way, but wouldn't it be weird if they just like out of nowhere, announced their independence, like they were seceding from the ACC and just said come
get us. Well, they'll be by ourselves until somebody takes us. But that would that would they can't even do that exactly, and I know they can't, but it'd be funny if they did something more well, because but here's the thing, if they found a way out, I feel like that would be you know, that would be the only thing they could do,
and they wouldn't be on a network like it would be you know. And by the way, that is why that number gets so astronomical, is because you know, you could the amount of years on that deal, like it's something about like, for example, if they were able to get out of like this is something I read a few weeks ago that you know this because I was digging to try to find if is there anybody out there that's a legal expert that is covering this lawsuit that has given some kind of an opinion
on which way this is going to go, and if if Florida State or Clemson might have some leverage or whatever. And the only thing that I saw, and it made it even more confusing, is that like, even if they did find a certain amount of money, they could they could get a reduced buyout, and it really wouldn't be a buyout, but it would be your way of saying, because because the ACC is foolish to give them any
buyout, they just they would be they'd be silly. But they could pay a certain amount that is not the you know, half a billion or whatever it is. But yet they couldn't have games on TV until twenty thirty four because the ACC owns that. Still. That's why, that's why that number is so big. It's because it's for it's for that many amount of years.
So I mean, we'll see, I mean I I once once, you know, season getting what alignment really is a big talking point in July because we're just anxiously, you know, impatiently waiting for the season to start. And typically this I feel like this is the time of the year when we always spend time discussing realignment, and more often than not, it's all for nothing. All right, quick break, we'll come back on the other side, taking you up till six o'clock. We'll stick around right here on
Sports Talk seven ninety. I'd say there are a lot of bars around town right now, really everywhere across the planet, that as of five thirty pm, they're still on happy hour. Some places don't offer happy hour, but a lot of places do. And you know, it's a place to it's the time of the day where you can get drinks and maybe some appetizers for cheaper than what you get them any other time of the day. And this story is one that I really wouldn't believe was real until you know, I
see that it is coming from legitimate news sources. But the state of Massachusetts is on the verge of overturning its forty year ban on happy hours. So for forty years it has been illegal for or bars, restaurants, establishments you know that serve alcohol to have some. I mean, I don't know what the actual regulation is of a happy hour as far as like what has to
constitute as a real happy hour. Would to say, it's just when you're giving people a certain window of time where they can come in and get drinks for a reduced price. And forty years ago, in nineteen eighty four, they did ban it in Massachusetts. This is from Boston News twenty five. It says happy hours one step closer to making a comeback in Massachusetts. On Thursday, the Senate approved an amendment and a larger economic package to let bars
offer discounts on alcoholic drinks before ten pm. The amendment is part of a two point eight billion dollar economic bill filed by one of the senators who represents the Cape and Islands. This is a quote from from Let's See. I'm not sure who it's from, maybe it's from this senator, but it says
it's been forty years since the happy hour ban was put in place. Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to have a happy hour ban, and at the time in nineteen eight before it probably made some good sense where the dangers of happy hour and with the dangers of happy hour and especially drunk and driving at a rampant rate across the country. So now they're going to go
back and change it. So shout out to those in Massachusetts that may be able to have happy hour again, even if you're not really saving that amount of money, Like drinking during happy hour kind of feels awesome, Like it feels better than when you're drinking and enjoying a drink when it's not happy hour. Even if it's maybe the same price and you're just told, hey, it's happy hour, there's gonna be an added vibe and it's awesome. It
feels very anti Massachusetts don't even have a law like that. I agree. Now, Back in the day, though, like I mean, I know what it costs to you know, get a gallon of gas was much cheaper forty years ago. And what it mean, like, obviously the cost of living has is clearly going to always rise. But with alcohol, you know, the same beer you're drinking now, I mean, you could get it for like a quarter during a happy hour, and like you could make the
case that maybe beer draft beer at a restaurant or a bar. I mean, what has gone up in price more than that since nineteen eighty four.
I mean, I'm sure you could find something that the percentage of of I mean, it's way more expensive as far as just you know, but like I've heard stories from my you know, family members that are older than me, just people I know that are you know, a lot older than me that talk about how, you know, they could go out and just get completely tanked and spend a couple bucks, which sounds crazy and I'm probably exaggerating
a little bit, but you know you can't do that now. Like, one of the things that I think at times can keep people from over indulging is that it's just not affordable. I mean, heck, you go to dinner and you're not looking to get ham. I wouldn't think, but like
it's an investment to drink alcohol at a sit down restaurant. I mean especially you know, it's like, for example, I feel like any Mexican restaurant you go to now, like if because my wife and I, she always is going to get a frozen margarita and I'm always going to get one of those thirty two ounce draft beers. That's just our go to when we go
to a Mexican restaurant. And you know, they always tell you if you try to order one that's you know, smaller, like a twenty two ounce instead of a thirty two ounce, or a medium sized margarita instead of the jumbo, Like they always tell you, what, hey, this one's this one's a better deal, you know, and it probably is because of the amount you're getting, But you know, we really don't need that amount.
I mean, I could just get a smaller beer and be fine with eating my meal, but you know, like that it ends up being super expensive because of that. Like we've at times looked at our bill and thought, man, if we didn't get it, you know, get a drink of you know, it's got water or maybe even like a coke or something instead of a beer and a Margarita're like, you know, how much money we'd save. But we're degenerates. We like drinking, so we don't ever.
I mean, if we're gonna sacrifice, we just won't eat what is drink and let our kids eat. I mean I say that kind of jokingly, but also kind of not joking, because you know, I could eat at home and be fine. So yeah, shout out to Massachusetts for being able
to potentially get happy hour back. And again, I bet there's people listening right now on their way to catch a happy hour real quick before six o'clock because a lot of them, I don't know, I guess a lot of them cut off different times, and it varies, but I feel like usually that's one of the things about this gig. We're always on the air during
happy hour, and that's you know, that's that's the price. Peo Page on to be drivetime Radio on the biggest sports station, you know, as far as reach and signal in this in this state, there are benefits though. We don't have to sit in traffic like some of these. That is so true. Yeah, I mean getting home at six point thirty seven,
I've gotten used to it by now and it's really not that late. But whenever I was getting ready to make the move to afternoons, I did think like, oh, this is going to be a big adjustment for me, me not getting off work till six o'clock and not being able to like meet the family or get home until closer to seven. I just felt like it would be a big adjustment, and it wasn't at all. It's actually kind of awesome because we miss all the hustle and bustle of everybody end in their
day. I mean, most people by six o'clock that are downtown have already left. I mean, it's not a ghost town. But I rarely hit any traffic downtown when we leave here. Yeah, me neither. The only thing. The only time I ever hit traffic is if you know, there's an accident. Yeah, and that's I mean, that's usually pretty rare too. I mean, and I feel like this really speaks to the amount of
people who usually have finished their commuting for the day when we leave. There could be an accident that I feel like if it happened an hour before we were there, we'd be sitting for many hours. Whereas it six o'clocks or six thirty or whatever it may be, Like, you can, you know, might hold you up for you know, just a little bit of just a little bit of time. All right, Le's go to text one five O two six five three zero seven nineties the number if you guys would like
to text in this text, says Nick. Any clue. Coach Lieberman decided not to coach this group in the TVT once again. I felt like he was a big part of last year's success. Yeah, I don't know why he did not want to participate in in coaching once again. Mark did a great job last year and he's a hell of a coach. I would imagine that his decision to not do it this year is because he just got a
new gig. He's now coaching at Holy Cross High School here in town, so I know he's putting a lot of his energy and effort into taking over that program. And I'm sure he's happy to be back coaching to where that is you know, his his gig, his you know his I mean, he's a lifelong coach, made Louisville his home whenever he moved here to join Rick Patino's staff and had some great years and I know his his daughter is still here in in the area, which is why I think he's made Louisville
home. And uh, yeah, my guess would be that is why he is. He's not coaching, but Rhys Gaines uh is going to be leading this group and you know he can he can pick up where where coach Lieberman left off. All right, So do you I don't think, well, I don't know, now that I think about it, I probably have, but I don't know if you have. Are you an emoji guy? Do you text with emojis? John? I mean not excessively, but sometimes I'll kind of tag a text message with an emoji. That's so that I don't
I think that's different. I think that when you say tagg, do you mean like, because you can you can hold like and respond with one of those emojis, right, Yeah, What I mean by tag is like, I'll say a couple of sentences and if I want to show emotion with the very last thing I'll put could be an emoji. Okay, that makes sense.
I do the same thing and it's not. I'm with you, and I don't think it's like excessive, and I don't think I mean, this is a survey that that you know, I never know how legit it is, but this is by s WNS Digital. It says forty percent of Americans
think a text feels naked without an emoji. I'd say nine out of every ten texts I said don't have an emoji, but I will throw it in there when I feel like it. Like, to me, it's the vibe emojis have replaced the LOL, Like LOL just became so played out and such a lie because ninety nine point nine percent of the time when somebody says LOL and a text message or on a post, you know what, they're not
really laughing out loud. It's a lie. They're misleading you. And by the way, did LOL come from like the chat room world and carry over to texting? It wouldn't surprise me, because the longevity of LOL really surprised me. Yes, I feel like so the very first time I had a cell phone that could text. It was one of those flip flips, the flip phones, And I feel like it was way more commonplace back in those times to use you know, shorter words or things that weren't even words,
but like text could be txt instead of t e xt. It would be silly stuff like that, and there was more work on a on a flip phone. And really the early like pre smartphone, even early age of smartphones, I feel like it is harder to text, Like it wasn't as convenient to where you can just I mean, and you weren't using your phone for
anything like that at the time because these phones didn't have the Internet. Now we use these things so often that typing out a forced sentenced text message is really a breeze because of how often we use to type on these things anyway, you know what I mean, like emails and I mean, heck, social media, that kind of stuff, like I mean, I know I know people who have I mean, and this makes sense. This isn't you
know I mean, this, this doesn't this isn't that crazy. I was about to present it as if it's like you wouldn't believe this, but I guess it's actually the new world now is that I know people whose jobs like they have a work computer and they occasionally might need to like, you know, put together a PDF, but like they just use their phone, you know when it comes to making calls, text messages, emails, research information, Like you can really do anything on your phone. So you know,
the emojis do they come? I mean again, I should know this as an iPhone guy, but like you don't have to have like an app to be able to have access to like all the emojis, do you? No, not for any smartphone that I'm aware of. Yeah, maybe I'm thinking of like the Yeah, because there's an app I have on my phone that I'm not even really sure if I still need it, But it's like a it's a Jiff app, And I feel like if I didn't have that app when I go to send a Jiff in a text, it wouldn't Yeah,
Jiff keyboard. I have that on my on my iPhone, and I feel like that's what that's that's what is utilized whenever I try to send a Jiff through text. Yeah, the most I mean, the laughing emoji is what I use often. Yeah, now that I'm looking at all the available e mojis, I feel like I have used of more than maybe I maybe I realized. But the most frequently used mojis, according to the survey, is just the standard smile face, coming in at number one twenty three percent.
Right behind it at twenty one percent is the red heart. I don't think i've ever sent that. I have You're a lover, that's right, thumbs up eighteen percent. I've sent that one. That's probably the most common one that I send. Yeah, roll yeah, Actually, now that I think of it, I think that's like if somebody, yeah, somebody asked me a question, I'll hit them with the thumbs up. Yeah, that's that's usually my quick way to respond. Rolling on the floor laughing. I don't
use that one very often. Tears of joy. I do use that, in fact, the tears of joy, laughing tears essentially, that's probably one of my more commonly used emojis. And let's see here, there's one that's blushing. So yeah, I don't know if i'd say that. I feel like a text message feels naked without it. But this conversation and just looking at all these emojis has made me realize that I do, in fact use it more than I realized, all right, quick break, we'll come back
on the other side. Put the finishing touches here. On a Tuesday edition of the show, again, it's coffee and Company. Feel by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety I'm not sure if this has become like a huge story in the world of sports. If so, it's probably just because of, you know, the time of the year. But I did find it refreshing to see someone that is, you know, a caliber star like Jalen Brown, you know, understand perception matters right, be able to read the room.
And what I'm getting at is he was spotted at the Summer League watching the Lakers play last night, and he was with someone, a woman, and he looked over and they happened to have the camera on him at the worst possible time for him, I suppose, But he was I mean, it was quite clear he in fact, he was sitting somebody who was in but I guess it was his girlfriend. But Angel Reese was next to him.
But he says, I don't think Brownie is a pro, And it's quite clear that's exactly what he said, Like you can read his lips. There's really I mean, I don't know. Have you ever seen those videos where they yeah, like that makes it to wear. Okay, No, now that you have changed to what you've changed the words of what was actually
said. As crazy as it is, it sounds, and I know it's not real, like I would believe it because you know, I guess that's actually a good sign that you can't actually read lips the way that you think you can. But he didn't deny it, like he didn't once every button once he became a story and everybody started sharing the clip of him saying it. You couldn't hear him, but it was clear that he was saying,
I don't think Bronni's a pro. You know, it was just another another hit to this whole charade that is Lebron James finessing the Lakers into drafting his son. And I mean, I can't fake emotion that's not there. Like I'm not like genuinely sad about it, but like the whole thing is sad, not as if like he's a victim. I mean the guy. I mean, even if he never played in the NBA, he's gonna always have a lot more going for him than most of us because he's Lebron James's son,
he'll never go without. Like he's I mean, his name is Lebron James Junior. He's just called Bronni, So I mean, like he's he's gonna be okay even if it doesn't work out in the NBA. And there's others that if it doesn't work out in the NBA, you know, hopefully they can find, you know, a career elsewhere. But I just, you know, this whole like it's pathetic. It really is, like I
you know, and I don't take this out on Bronnie. He's a kid, but like there's no way Lebron James can actually believe that anyone sees this as anything other than what it is. So again, the comments from Brown took off on social media, and you know, I'm sure he wasn't happy that that was the case, and he didn't deny it, but he did say this. This was something he tweeted out, which he hadn't tweeted in
a while, but he said this on Twitter. He says, well, I don't have the actual tweet, but the article I'm referencing here says bron later clarified or Brown later clarified his comments symphesizing the greatness and longevity of lebron James and expressed his anticipation for Bronnie's growth, indicating that Bronnie has all the
tools to be successful. The discussion also touched on Yeah, the rest of the article just goes on to talk about how you know, it's on fair for Bronnie because he now has expectating even if his dad wasn't doing what he's
doing. And I also at times feel uncomfortable claiming like, oh, what an awful guy, because he's just I mean, he's he has leverage, and if you're gonna use your leverage to help your children, I can't really fault you, because I feel like that's human instincts to do that kind of stuff for your kids. But then again, like you know, it's also
making you look bad in your workplace, if that makes sense. But again, you have the ability to look bad and not it not matter to you at all because you are, you know, one of the best that's ever done it. But even if his dad wasn't you know, trying to pull this whole charade on everybody that his son is legitimately like an NBA prospect, an NBA future NBA player. Just being Lebron James's son and playing basketball would come with like a lot of things that would suck again off the floor.
It's not like you're going without You're gonna probably be okay, But the pressure of being the son of one of the best players that's ever played is is a lot man And I think Bronnie for the most part, always handled himself really well until you know, he got drafted and acted as if he never had even thought about But I never even thought about being in the league with
my dad. I just know you own Like, I mean, come on now, he's a chip off the old block, right ye apple, don't fall far from the tree as far as just you know, not having any real clue of how you come off to people. Like I'm curious, like if he spends two years in the G League and like he doesn't produce there and like he's just you know, on the bottom of that roster whatever the Lakers G League team is, I mean, does he just I mean,
like, what do they do? Like it wouldn't surprise me if they do like a fake injury type of thing where he's sitting out and just never plays ever. And that's just his way. His legacy, I mean sucks, but I mean, who knows, I would believe anything. There's got to be an exit strategy for him if it doesn't work out, because there have been guys who were young, undeveloped, just raw that you know, don't show much potential and don't show a whole lot right out of the gate when
they get to the pros and the summer legue. And maybe that's Browny here, but there's also really been never any there's never been any level at any point that shows that he's like that good of a player. He's clearly talented and skilled in athletic and he's got great jeans. But like I mean, even at the high school level, I mean, he was probably not a top one fifty player, and yet he ended up there because you know, he's Lebron James junior. All Right, everybody, have a good night.
We'll be back at it tomorrow right here on Sports Talk seven ninety