It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick Coffee.
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six five three zero seven nineties the number. But he sick, says Nick. Do you believe that Mark Pope will end up making the trip to Freedom Hall to support his law familiar team. I know Pat Kelsey can't be there for obvious reasons, but if Pope is there, we need to.
Make sure we boo his bald ass. Is he is he bald?
Yeah, he's bald, I mean bald or just short, like I'm not bald, right, I mean.
You have you have a I don't even know what you call it, but you have had I guess yeah.
I mean like he's got here though I'm looking at it. Well, he's got something. It's very little, like every picture I'm seeing of him, like you can see a hairline. So like, honestly the picture that I'm looking here at this article that says Mark pope'son talk to take over at Kentucky, that's honestly the same. I mean I never thought about it. Actually I have the same haircut as Mark Pope. Now that I'm looking at I guess you're I mean, like it's it's not really a haircut or a hair style.
It's just we we've decided to have very very little hair and I can I'll give him this. Hope he loses every game he coaches. I hope he gets his ass boot out of Freedom Hall if he shows up but he and I are brothers in this way. We have that haircut because we want it. Don't let people think that it's because we got a bad hairline or that you know, we're balding.
We just we like to keep it short. He doesn't have a good hairline though, it's not it's receding. For sure, it could be worse.
He's a lot older than me, but like it's not. Yeah, I mean, look I got news for you, brother. If you think that's a bad hairline, I mean, I hope some terrible well because I mean, like that's it's receding.
But I'll put it this way.
He has a receding hairline, But I wouldn't say that he has a terrible hairline to where like he's like a lot of people if they got a bad hairline, they're covering up with hair or they're going bald, you know what I mean. Like, I don't think he has anything to be you know, it is age. How old is Mark Pope? Fifty forty eight? Like that he's fifty one, Like I feel like that's a pretty good hairline for fifty one. Yeah, because he's you know, he's he's fifteen sixteen years older.
Than me.
He does absolutely, So I don't know if he'll be there, but it wouldn't shock me if he is there, and I you know, you should be. Yeah, I don't have much worry about the like the team not being there. Somebody else had mentioned that earlier on the text line that it kind of feels like there'll be some mojo missing from this run that the vill is on because the team's going to be in the Bahamas.
But I don't what if cal appeared.
I don't think that would happen.
Oh God, that'd be wild.
Well, because you're right, there's every single one of them are his players that are the former UK guys, the others that in fact, the only guy that plays for them that's not a UK guys is Kareem Cancer, who is in his Cancer's brother, which I guess is you know,
there's there's there's literally a connection there. So yeah, I don't know if he'll be there, but it wouldn't shock me if he is, and uh, you know, heck, I look, I'll be honest with you man, like I know Brom's going to be there unless there's something going on that I'm unaware of. Maybe not because there's camp starting. But either way, like, Brohm's been that every game, and I'm pretty sure Brom has been at every TVT game that
Louisville's had in both seasons. And it isn't just because he knows it's a good look and he wants to show support. My man is all in on these guys. Like when these guys were playing for U of L, Jeff Brom was, I mean, let me look it up here because I know he went back to I know he went back to Western. But yeah, so when Louisville was in the midst of that twenty twelve, twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen run, Jeff Brom had just been hired by
Bobby at WKU. He didn't become the head coach till till twenty fourteen, So you know, and this is not a surprise. This is probably a pretty obvious observation for anybody when you consider Jeff Brohm's story being one of the first, being a member of the first family of Louisville football, just a Louisville man to his core, and a guy who you know, came to Louisville when it wasn't the cool thing to do to play for Howard Stellenberger.
But you know, if he was coaching produced still, he wouldn't be here at the TBT, but he'd probably be watching it cheering those guys on because he's I mean, this is corny and it's over the top, but you could have the most money to pay a college football coach more than anybody out there, but you can't pay what Jeff Brown brings to the table as far as him being clearly and literally one of us. Now, none of that matters if he is terrible as a coach, but you know what, he just won ten games, so
he's not. But anyways, you know, I wouldn't be shocked if if like, like here's here's who I can see making an appearance because he likes to be seen, the big dog, Vince Marrow. You know, Vince Marrow is showing up trying to you know, get a camera on him like he And by the way, I've met Vince Marrow once through Matt and you know, he seems like a genuinely like a nice guy like and I see why
he's a good recruiter. So you know, I wish I hadn't met him because I'd like to, you know, even if I had met him, I wouldn't assume.
That he's like a bad guy, that he's a jerk, or he's.
You know, anything other than just assistant coach that you know is on the.
Other side of the rivalry.
Uh but this, this screams big dog showing up and everybody losing their mind, like on social media.
I wouldn't be shocked.
I mean, stoops, I can't really see him being there, but like I can see Vince Merrill being there. So as far as uh as far as U of L's team, they're gonna be the Bahama, so they can't be there. Pat Kelsey can't be there, so you know that's that's unfortunate. But uh, look, there'll be enough people there to where it's going to be a rowdy atmosphere, and I do believe that they'll be uh more Louisville fans than Kentucky. But we shall see. You never know, this is this
is a different event. You know, this is different. And let's be real, even whenever it's a real game, Blue always gets in everywhere. And thankfully we won't have to worry because they're not They're not. I don't think they're gonna sell it out, but maybe they will, but you'd have to worry about like Blue getting in because Louisville fans sold them tickets, which has always been a sensitive subject because you know, I never want to knock anybody
for doing whatever they do it. I mean, do whatever you want with your tickets. You bought them, you have them, you have the right to sell them. I mean it, it's money, right, but it always bothers Louisville fans to know that, Hey, I'm seeing Blue in these seats at the UM Center, and I know whose seats those are. I know which corporation has those tickets. So anyways, it's Coffee and Company, five o'clock hour here on a Friday afternoon,
getting you set for the weekend. Maybe the weekend's already started for you. If that's the case, then props to you. I'll be there before too long, and then I'm out of here for a week. So again next week, you've got Scott Fitzgerald as well as Tony and Day filling in,
and then I'll be back. And it is a little bit of a bummer because I always try to take my vacation whenever there's not stuff going on, and we have maybe like there cannot be a bigger basketball week that it's taking place in the month of July in my radio career than what's happening next week. Two games in the Bahamas with a brand new team. Pat Kelsey's guys.
I don't know how many fans are going to the Bahamas, but obviously we're gonna be able to watch it on YouTube and that's awesome, and you know, I won't be here to talk about it, and of course the game on Monday night between La Familia and the vill So it's a bummer for me. But you know what, I'm not gonna let it ruin my vacation. It's not I'm
gonna have a good time on vacation. And maybe I'll check in with Scott on Monday or Tuesday to give some thoughts on what happens or what's expected to happen. Probably be best to join him Tuesday to react to whatever happens. But then again, I kind of feel like it's one of those things because of what this event is. There's not a whole lot of postgame react like you know, once you lose, it's kind of, hey, that was fun,
We'll see you next year. Like I don't think, you know, if Louisville, if I was here in the villa, is to lose Monday. I don't think phone lines are going to be full Tuesday with people questioning is rece gains the right coach for the future of the vill and the TPT likes. It's just different, man.
The thing that would really trigger a big reaction be if there was just a moment where maybe there was like a fight or something that broke out.
Yeah, yeah, And look, I do have the ability to use the power of social media to share reactions. So you know if in look, I know a lot of you guys are already dreading next week as you're gonna you're gonna miss out on on the Nick Coffee experience. And I say that clearly being sarcastic. So again, you may you may end up being able to fill that fix, uh scratch that edge if you will, by you know,
my social media stuff. I mean, I probably will end up doing some kind of a video reacting to the the Games and the Bahamas at some point if I can. If I can, you know, my wife will let me. It's like it's gonna take a long time, but you know, I'm gonna overreact to what we see, because that's what we do, overreact in a good way in a bad way, like we always do that. But now we're in a different spot now, right, this is I mean, this is brand new and none of.
Us have a clue really what to expect.
But speaking of that, here is here's something that that I you know, a couple of things that that I hope to see in these games next week. And I'm aware they could win by fifty and it won't mean a whole lot because of the competition, Like you know, it'll be impressive and I'll be encouraged. But if they end up, you know, being close with one of these teams for a chunk of the game, or they blow both of them out by fifty, it's still gonna be
tough to know exactly what that means. I'd say, you know, you could be in you should be encouraged. If they blow them out, maybe you would think to yourself, Okay, they get a little work to do before they before they kind of round out into form. Either way, like
you know, decide how you want to react. But I think given that they've had practices the available and they got ten extra practices guys because of this event that's a lot in the summer, So they have actually had a lot more work than most teams in the summer, which is important because it's a brand new team.
So what I hope to see is somewhat of an identity.
I think Pat Kelsey's going to play a lot of guys to kind of see what he has, right, Like, I know he evaluated these guys in the portal offered him, liked him clearly, or wouldn't have brought them in. He's been able to see them in practice. But I think there's also something about kind of seeing in a real game situation. And even though it's not a real game, it's an actual game situation. He's gonna play a lot
of guys. But I hope to see the identity that I that I think we're getting with a Pat Kelsey as as the head coach. A team that is gonna play fast, They're gonna they're gonna space it out. We're talking sometimes having five out, Yes you heard that right, five guys out. You know, play really fast, have a lot of possessions, but also you know, have some energy
on defense, you know. I he talked about Alabama in one of his recent actually it was his press commence, I think it was he talked about how he he he thinks defensively, he would compare his teams to what natoates and Alabama does, which you know, a lot of people made fun of that as if that means the defense is gonna suck. Alabama was awful defensively last year,
but they also end up making a Foual four. But in years before that, like they've had like one really bad year defensively, but NATO it's's teams defensively at Alabama in some years have been near the best in the country. So, you know, we had no identity, no style, no calling card, like it was open gym essentially in these last two years.
So the bar is going to be low.
But man, I you know, to see this brand new team already kind of have an identity established to where they you know, they know what they want to do, they know what they want to get in as far as sets, they know what kind of pace they want to you know, initiate, and doing it against that kind
of competition isn't going to mean a lot. But you know, I don't think it's asking too much to see Okay, I can watch this team play, this random bunch of dudes from Bahamas, this team from Canada, and I now can tell you that I know what they want to do, who they want to be, and also I mean I want to I'm excited to see every one of these players because they're all brand new, and you know, when you go to the portal and you're going to get guys that have had good careers, you know, any of
these dudes could ball out and look like, Okay, this guy's going to probably have to start because he looks phenomenal, Like I don't want to act like they got the
dream team here. But again, because of how the roster was put together, the type of personnel that was brought in, like every one of these dudes outside of two I think are entering this entering the Louisville program with Pat Kelsey having accomplished quite a bit and having you know, significant roles where they were now again, maybe it doesn't translate, but like Big Frank who transferred in from Georgia I'm sorry, not Georgia, Yeah, from Georgia by way of Syracuse. And
also Connie Rus who's a freshman. Everybody else man they've had, you know, not roles to where they were the man on their team. But you know, Noah Waterman started every game for BYU, and he averaged ten and five in the toughest conference in the country, in the Big Twelve. So, like, you know, wouldn't shock me if he ends up being one of the best players on this team and has
a great year. But the one guy that I've always been really bullish on that I just I don't want to say people are disrespecting him or they're forgetting him or acting like, you know, he's not any good. But I just don't hear a lot about him. And that is cater trei Ora. He's the transfer from Long Beach State. I mean, this guy is I mean, and his stat sheet is is just makes no sense. Like I don't even know who you'd compare him to. He's I mean, he's he's something special. I mean, you look at his
his numbers. I'm trying to pull up what his stat line was because I mean, it didn't even make sense to have the kind of stat line that he had. Yet so last year at San Diego State, by the way, he had two triple doubles. But he's a six ' five big man kind like he to me is the positionless player because he can handle the ball, he cannot shoot it, doesn't shoot the three well, doesn't shoot it often, and teams know that so they don't guard him out there.
But you know what he does. He's got such a good vision.
He's such a good passer that you know he'll he'll he's not just going to be shy out there. He'll he'll get in the lane and make a play and drop it off to somebody. I mean, he's that really good vision. But he averaged twelve points, eight rebounds, four and a half assists in one block I'm sorry, one point five blocks per game last year. I mean, he just he stuffs the stat sheet, shot fifty one percent
from the field. Overall, does a little bit of everything, and he's got length and athleticism to where I mean, somebody asked me the other day, like, who do you think is gonna have the most dunks on the team. My guess is on him because of just how long an athletic he is, and he runs the floor. So I think he'll be a guy that maybe doesn't start but still plays a lot of minutes and there'll be games.
I feel like, just given his unique skill set and a guy that seemingly can do a lot of things, I wouldn't.
Be shocked if if he's a guy that you look back.
At the end of next year and feel like, Okay, without him, we don't win that game. All right, real quick, before we get to a break, we are going to effort our man.
I say our man. I mean he's a doctor, and I shouldn't just say he's like one of our buddies. I mean he is. We love him.
He's doctor Eric Miclroy. But you know, I got to put some respect on his name. He's an MD. But we're going to try to get him on the line coming up here in the next ten minutes or so. I believe we're going to be able to make that happen. Talk to him about the Olympics, and I'm just curious from the sports medicine side, the physical therapy side of the of the Olympics, as far as what these guys
go through with training. I mean, there's certain sports to where the training regiment is probably not only intense, but like something you would never expect an athlete to do. But again, there's a lot of sports in the Olympics that you would probably did know existed. But real quick, what I wanted to get to before I run out of time.
When it comes to the ACC's current position, I don't think there's a scenario where you just do this and everybody's happy and the ACC is no longer worried about its future and the big dogs are not, you know, worried about being lapped multiple times when it comes to annual revenue for media rites like I don't know if that scenario exists, but maybe this is that.
Maybe this is it.
So see all Brown, to give him a lot of credit, he put this together at the Courier Journal, and I think this is this is something you could realistically do and it would make a big impact. I'll just read directly from his column here, says he wrote that Phillips needs Phillips needs to make a move that's so obvious he's already helped implement.
So move back up a second.
Yes, says Phillips needs to make a move that's so obvious he's already helped implement it on a smaller scale. To save the league, Phillips must go all in and revamp the revenue share structure. No more equal pay for just being a member. It's time schools earn their share based on production. It's the best way the league can solidify its membership. In the same way, signing the grant
of rights continues to keep it together. The ACC is already embraced, albeit reluctantly, awarding a performance based bonus to schools and how they fare in the top two revenue generating sports, football and men's basketball. Phillips said that between twenty to twenty five million in additional revenue can be earned by schools based on their success in those two sports.
And look, let's be real. The team that would be not willing to do that, right, they would fight you and say, oh no, I don't think so we agreed to this, you know, Boston College, SMU CAL and Stanford.
No, we agreed.
And by the way, those school aren't getting any any of the They're not getting an equal share for for quite some time. But you know, I keep mentioning Boston College. I don't want to pick on them, but they're the obvious one. Georgia Tech throw them in there too.
I mean.
Pittsburgh, I mean, they've not done much of anything for the major sports in a long time. I guess they did have that random COVID year. I mean, heck, throw Syracuse in there. They've stunke in basketball and they've always kind of stunk in football. So with I mean, wake Forest, throw them in there. So when it comes and I look, I know elephant in the room, Loisvell has not. You know, Molvi did play in the a SEC championship game last year.
That's pretty big deal. And also in basketball, yeah, they've not been good in a while, and you know, they would be entitled to no new revenue. But here's the thing, they still when it comes to what's valued, they still bring a lot of eyeballs. I mean they didn't during
the Kenny Pyne air. But even when they weren't winning the ACC, Louisville basketball was still one of the bigger products in the conference when it comes to men's hoops because it's a program that will generate a ton of viewership and that kind of stuff matters, and you you know, and wouldn't be a shocker if Louisville basketball becomes good again. The league is not as good as it once was, and you know, Pat kelsey Evan success here would not
be a shock to many people. So if those schools like Boston College, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, like if they wanted to say, oh no, you can't do that, we agree to it. I mean tell them, well, hey, then we're probably gonna have you know, well, what do you want? You want to lose this lawsuit and let Florida State and Clemson walk and then we have to
reset and we're going to get even less money. Like you know, they don't have anywhere to go, they have no leverage, they know they're not worthy of the money that they get from the ACC. So I think this is actually and let's be honest with you when it comes to the hey.
Look, you get what you're worth, You get what you earn.
That's now the new world of college athletics when it comes to nil, right, Like that's what we're telling these athletes. Why can't we tell these schools the same thing, Like don't be jealous. I mean, hey, if if your teammates getting your teammates getting you know, a ten thousand dollars a month in IL deal and you got a deal that's you know, worth a hundred bucks, like that's that's that's what you're worth by definition, that's what somebody is
willing to pay you. So, you know, I think if you really fatten the pockets and look as much as they've been crying about it and you don't want it, is given what they want. Florida State and Clemson are right that they do have way more value than anybody in the league when it comes to brand and honestly success. They've won national championships in the last decade or so. So I doubt it happens because I don't think Phillips is a kind of guy that would ever do that.
But I think that is actually a realistic scenario that could sort of change how people view the future of this league. And louisvill wouldn't be entitled to the same amount that Florida State, Clemson and maybe you know, North Carolina.
I don't know. I don't know how would break down.
But let's be real, even during the bad years of Saderfield, Louisville was still the third most watched college football program in the league, and that matters. All right, quick break, We'll come back on the other side and see if we can chat with our friend doctor McElroy right here in Sports Talk seven ninety.
That's right, thirty.
Minutes left or so here before we get out of here for the weekend, and we now bring him in. He is doctor Eric McElroy from Pro Reap Physical Therapy. Eric is somebody who is you know, former athlete yourself obviously still very much involved in the sports world with sports medicine.
Physical therapy. Are you a big Olympics guy?
Like, is it something you really try to set aside time to get into it, because I've admitted throughout the week it's one of those things that I I mean, if I really wanted to get into it, I would, but I just it's never really took off from me, and I feel like a bad sports fan, a bad American in fact, Well, I.
Don't think you're a bad sports fan.
These are sports that you know, it's just hard to follow, right, They're not mainstream, they're not out there all the time. There's a lot of competition obviously in the States where we live.
So but to answer your question, I absolutely love the Olympics.
But as you know from all the years of us doing this, I love all sports.
I can watch anything. I just love human performance.
It's incredible to me what these athletes can do with their bodies, and whether the Olympics or any sport. But yeah, I'm very big into the Olympics, and I just appreciate the pressure the most. I think that it's you know, if I'm in football and I tweet my hamstring, I missed a game. I got another game too, you know, two or three weeks down the road. If I'm a hundred meter track athlete that's had a chance to go
to the Olympics, I tweak my hamskirt, hamstring. I got four years before I can do it again if I get there.
And I just think the pressure is unbelievable.
And I just think that, you know, watching these athletes you have to.
Do yeah, And I think, you know, at times when it comes to professional sports, I mean I think we deep down, if we thought about it, we would say, yeah, these guys that we watch in the NFL, who watch in the NBA, they probably really work hard and and really put a lot into making sure their bodies are you know, doing what they're doing what they can to prevent injury as best as possible and taking care of
themselves and whatnot. But I think there's you know, when you're just sitting at home watching on the couch, you sometimes just think, like, that guy is so talented. He just showed up to work and and and you know, looked like one of the best athletes on the planet. I think the Olympics, at least for me, it's it's it's really been an eye opener as far as man.
It's it's one thing to have the ability and the skill and what not to be an Olympic athlete representing your country, but man, just the the daily routine as far as taking care of your body to be able to Like the reason I'm bringing up is because I feel like swimmers, divers, like I'm sure every professional app every Olympic athlete has a very intense training regimen. They got to make you know, they got to be always
be making sure they're taking care of themselves. But when I hear stories of swimmers and divers and sort of what their day looks like, you know, year round, almost like it's insane. I guess I'm asking, you know, are there some sports to where like people wouldn't believe like what goes into even being in that position outside of just you know, watching somebody out there performing.
Yeah, ye, I don't know if I can think of a sport in particular. I mean, you named any of these sports. I mean, I think table tennis. I mean I think you know, it was funny I had a patient local maybe you know, three or four years ago, maybe longer. He's he was able to go to the Olympic Trials and table tennis.
And at the time he was now he's in his.
You know, late forties, early fifties maybe, but just hearing him talk about everything he had to do and something that we play in our garage or basement to compete at the level he needed to table tennis and to obviously he didn't make it through the Olympics, but then to compare that to some of these countries that are just extremely good and something like that, and what they can do. You know, we think we're we're you know, good with table tennis and how we spin a ball on occasion.
I mean, stuff that they do is just insane.
And it's just the amount of work and effort and time it takes for something that we think of as you know, something we would do with our buddies.
It's incredible.
Uh.
And and those are sports that I think that we kind of joke about. And it's funny because it's not you know, the mainstream track and field, you know, swimming, gymnastics, those things that we we you know, really appreciate the athleticism of these athletes, but you know it's all these other sports that we kind of take for granted, and then you put it in perspectives compared to like a normal quote unquote amateur, and it's like totally count and they have to work really hard.
They have injuries, and they have issues and.
Have to train, and they have to work on endurance and on of coordination and things that we take for granted we don't think about it. It goes into making them, you know, get.
To the level that they could go of gold medal.
So, you know, I still think when you would also appreciate is when you hear these athletes talk about, you know, what it means to them to win a gold medal.
I mean, you have NBA players.
Who've won NBA championships and they still think about there's something to be said about showing you're the best in the world.
Yeah, And I mean it's so and it's also something that I would imagine can take you back to you know, there are there are there are athletes representing their country and the Olympic Games competing in a sport that you know is not mainstream. But even the guys that are, you know, the NBA players, I'm sure there's something about this to where, you know, it takes them back to before they ever were paid to play the game, before
they ever became super famous that I find. You know, that that sounds corny, but that's something I kind of think about when I see all these guys, the best players in the world out there playing for you know, because they want to represent their country and they want
to have that experience. But also, you know, these other sports, the ones that don't get as much attention, Like there are people who put so much time, effort, work into it and dedicate their entire life, and you know they're not doing it for fame and attention because that's not that's not something that comes with most of these sports
that aren't you know, in the mainstream. And again I'm getting a little corny here, but like there's something to be said about like and again I'm sure there's professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, major League Baseball that you know didn't set out to do it because they wanted to be famous and be on TV. But you know, now that they have it, I'm sure they appreciate it
and do enjoy that aspect of it. But you know the others man, they're they're putting as much work in, maybe more, and they know deep down, even if they are gold medal winners, they're gonna get you know, attention, They're gonna get notoriety, They're gonna be compensated. But you know that isn't the reason they got into it, you know what I mean?
Oh absolutely, And I give you a local example.
You know, Louisville as one of the most and you know most most local Louisville fans bringing it back to here, you know know that that the University of louisll has one of the best swim programs in the country and they've produced multiple multiple Olympians and not just from the United States, but from you know, internationally, and it's and we've been very fortunate to work with some and one
in particular who wasn't who is an American. Uh, you know, she had the world record at the one hundred meters fly at one time, and it's like the world record that's the best time ever stamped right on in the world ever. And she can walk in and out of the clinic and people know she's an athlete, but that's it, you know what I mean. Whereas we've had some other athletes in there, they're a little bit more and you know, a little bigger exposure sports that are more.
Mainstream, and they may not even be at the highest level, but they're all like, oh, that's so, and.
So, that's so and so, you know, and it's just incredible, like you said, the work that she put in to that. Yeah, and it's just like insane, you know what I mean. Yeah, So you know, and it's and like you said, it's.
Not because she wanted notoriety at all. It's because this is these.
Are ambitions and goals and yet she's made her successful and she's done well, but it's not to the level like you and I I would think of as somebody who's putting that same amount of work and effort into a sport where obviously the monetary gain is substantially different.
Yep.
And that's a great example, because you know, her having that world record and being you know, that good at her craft, what she does in her sport is something that you know, guys who've made millions of millions of dollars in one championships in the NBA, in the NFL, like they can't claim that they have that kind of
record that they held for a while. So and again, you're right, you know, those are the kind of athletes that you know, I'm sure they do get some attention and it's it's appreciated and whatnot, but you know, knowing that's not the root of of what goes into it. And I'm sure there's plenty of others that are at the elite level of the major sports to get attention that that was never the root of why they wanted
to do it. But you know, there's no denying these are athletes that are doing it all because man, their competitors, they're not driven.
By the outside stuff.
They know, they're probably very competitive within themselves too, right, Like you got to think, like, hey, even if I do get this accomplishment, that's not going to be what maybe another sport would would have. So yeah, I I think that's something even me. I'm not an athlete myself to this day, but you know, I find motivation from others that are motivated and driven to accomplish big things, and there's no doubt Kelsey was. Certainly, it's certainly somebody that.
Is a good example of that. All Right.
One of the athletes here as well that's well known across the globe is Lebron James and he's gonna be forty years old in December, Eric, and I think seeing him still playing at this level, it's not really a
surprise because he's never slowed down. But in your profession, I mean, is he going to be a case study as far as somebody that you know, not only is one of the most athletic, god gifted talented people ever, but like the way his body has held up, the way he has invested so much money in taking care of his body, I mean, you could make the case right now he's still the best basketball player on the planet and at thirty nine years old, that is far from usual.
Yeah, I would argue that he is probably physically one of the most gifted.
Totally agree, if.
Not the gifted.
I mean it's just, you know, not saying the best basketball player per se, but the best, the most gifted athlete hands down, And I think he could have played in the NFL. I mean, there's very few things that he couldn't have done. I'm convinced, and I think he is.
A case study. I think the ability for him to be able to.
Minimize the amount of injuries considering that he you know, the mount he's played and the level he's played for and the amount of games he's played.
You know, not that college is you know, not a grind. But you know, he came in obviously right out of the gates and has been an NBA for a long time.
And to be able to, like you said, still be one of the top players and not be you know, have significant injuries that have really held him out for too long of a period of time, it's incredible.
Uh. And I just think that, you know, some of it is obviously his ability to take care of himself. I think that's it. And it's all of us just his gifts.
Yeah, And I think that you.
Know, there's just certain people.
It's survival, the fittest, it's it's the you know, he's he's a freak.
He's an outlier.
You know, he's not going to be some you know, so he's not going to be the.
Norm or the mean. So and you just got to appreciate it.
Yeah, I think Lebron is somebody that you know, I at times forget that he's the age that he is and he's not an old man. But I mean there are dudes who, you know, father time will get him at thirty three, thirty two, and it's just it's not
that uncommon. And he has maintained I mean just I mean, being again an athletic freak, and I think you know, he's I would love to hear maybe it's out there and I just haven't haven't you know, heard about his story, but you know, this is a guy that really has been fortunate to never have any real big injury that he had to have a major comeback from. But there's clearly always been a level of, hey, I gotta I
gotta take care of them. I got to not only take care of my boy and be mindful of everything. I also need to continue to educate myself on things I could do to make sure that if there's something, because again he's gonna have resources that nobody else would have.
He's Lebron James, and you know, I just I would love to know where he got that from, because I think some people learn the hard way, not that they've done anything wrong, but they realized, oh wow, you know, I never I thought I was invincible, And you know, maybe he is that because he's so gifted. But yeah, Lebron is uh, he's one of one, and I'd look forward to seeing him and the rest of the team USA and and hopefully they can. I don't see a scenario they don't bring back the gold, but you know,
well we'll see, we'll see what happens. But Eric, I appreciate you just always making time for us. Enjoy the rest of your Friday, have a great weekend, and we will talk soon.
My friend.
That sounds good, Nick, I have a going man.
Take care of that's doctor Eric McElroy. PROTI of physical there. But we always enjoy the conversation. Good stuff there. All right, we'll come back on the other side, wrap this thing up and get out of here for the weekend.
And I'm gonna get out of here for a whole week. That's right.
It is coffee and Company fuel Bute Thornton's. And we only have a few minutes left before we get out of here for the weekend. And and I'm out here for a week. You got a big week planged John.
And I'm going down to or I should say, up to Patoco Lake with my family time this summer. So I'm looking forward to that. Haven't been out on the boat in a while and it should be a good weekend for nice. Patoco Lake is really, really nice. I used to go there a lot as a kid with my stepmother's family. But yeah, it's a nice place. Is it gonna be hot as can beed?
You know?
And I think the high tomorrow is ninety and I do think there's not really much of a chance of rain, but hopefully the humidity's pretty low. But you know what, regardless, there's always the water if you need to cool off. But I'm not the kind of guy who I don't really like being in the water the way that I used to. I like to just chill in the boat, have a huge drinks, not even really alcoholic beverages, but just like some gatorades or whatever, and you know, talking with people.
That's what I like to do.
I have become like I've never been a big guy. I've never been a big water guy when it comes to a lake or I like getting in the ocean, but you know, it's not like I you know, obsessed with or anything. But even now, like when I go to a pool, I find myself just you know, like if I can survive without getting in you know where I'm not burning alive, I'll do that. And I'm not I'm not I'm not big on the water myself, but yeah,
I uh, I'll tell you what. The the lake scene is always something that I've envied people who, you know, that's a big part of their like their life in summers and springs, you know, they they get out for the weekend, head.
To the lake.
But uh, yeah, I'm also scared of the water too, which is yeah, I mean not really the lake, but like if I'm out in the ocean somewhere.
Like That's why I've never gone on a cruise. Have you ever gone on a cruise? I haven't.
I would be willing to, depending on the type of cruise.
Yeah, but like I would love to.
Go on a rock and roll cruise. There's a lot of those out there in the relays. I think those would be fun.
Yeah, there's all kinds of niche cruises, like you know, like for certain interests, which I think is totally cool, like the I I wish I was not afraid, and I think I would be fired if I went on it and I would get over it. Maybe it would be something, you know, fun for me to conquer my fear.
Uh.
But if I'm on if I'm on water and I can't see land, I'm I have a panic attack, which hasn't happened often, but it has happened. Like we went to Cabo last year, we did venture out far enough to where you started to lose distance of anything around you, and I didn't.
I didn't like that that.
If there's enough things to distract me from thinking about that, hopefully I would be fine. But again I've never tried it, so I guess I would have to do it to find out.
Yeah, I think even like last year when we went to Destin, which is where we're going next week, my wife was trying to do some kind of like dolphin cruise and that wouldn't take us, you know, for the kids and whatnot, but that wouldn't take us far enough to wear out. But I would still just be a nervous wreck. I'm I'm I'm a weirdo. I am all
right again. You guys are gonna be a good company next week with me out and I'll return the following week, and you know, maybe i'll pop on pop on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube live and do something to react to the to the games next week. Maybe I won't. I'm not sure I'll play by year, but uh, I'm gonna miss out on, you know, talking about things that I want to talk about. But we'll have the following week and I'm not going to let it, you know, impact the vacation that's coming up.
So everybody have a good weekend and I'll talk to you guys on August the fifth,