8.19: Football Is Here - Hour 1

We still have to wait a little while longer than you know, the Week zero fans do, but we're getting closer and that has me excited. So let's get it started. It's a Monday. Hopefully everybody had themselves a good weekend. Welcome in Coffee and Company, Fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. My name is Nick Coffee. I hope you knew that. If not, now you do. The company man, Mister John Alden is alongside today. I know,

I didn't forget his name. I just wanted to have that slight pause there, just to kind of build up the anticipation, make it a little more dramatic. Yeah, exactly, exactly. So we're here with you like we always are from three to six. So stick around, make yourself at home, get comfortable again. I'm saying it. Not sure if it's triggering people, if it's making them upset, but I'm saying it.

College football season is here. It's here, I mean kind of we got games to look forward to this upcoming weekend, and we're gonna bet on him and we're gonna have some fun. In fact, I'm a little jealous of the week zero games, meaning like I think Louisville would benefit from having a week zero game. I don't think any of the local teams, Louisville, Kentucky, I know, have it. I don't think in any end hasn't a week's they No,

they have not. Like I it's kind of weird. First of all, I hate that they call it week zero because, like I've heard that from a lot of people. Now I like it. I don't know what people do, but it doesn't make any sense. Zero is not a number like zero is nothing, so like it's it's week one, week one, it's week one. I mean, this is what it is. It is we want an extension of week one. No, I think you could say week what they call week one is actually an extension of week one, because week one,

like week one, is this weekend. There are games this weekend. Not everybody's playing. But like, I think calling it week zero doesn't do it any favors. If you really want people to embrace that as the start of college football season, right, you're gonna always have the bigger weekend be the one after. But for some reason, like week zero is not a thing like by definite, like it's not like zero is nothing. One is is you know, a real number. So calling

it week zero is is a little annoying. But you know, sorry, little astray, I heard something. Didn't see anybody come in. Somebody crawling under the studio and here grabbing some headphones, which pretty sure there's headphones in every studio, and the got two sets in here, three sets. Actually it was odd. Anyways, Uh, we're back on track kind of weirdness. So weeks, like if you look at the games that are on the

schedule this weekend. I mean, the one that will get most attention is the one that features a legitimate top ten team. And I don't say, like I know for sure Florida State is going to be a top ten team when it's all said and done, but you know, they're a storyline in general. They didn't lose a game last year until they got to their bowl game against Georgia and got killed. And now they're going to play I don't know if it's a true standalone, but you

know they are. Are they the only ranked team playing this weekend? That is correct? Yeah, So you know that game will get more attention than the others. And it's not because just just because of Florida State. It's honestly more than anything, because you know, all the other games, to be honest, are just not good. They're not They're not very good at all. So look, I don't know how you end up with a week zero game like the SMU is it SMU Nevada that's playing it is

like that's a non conference game. Like maybe honestly, what it comes down to, I would imagine is network like if Nevada is playing games at home in the non conference I believe the Mountain West CV deal is through FS one, CBS Sports now CBS Okay, there you go, So CBS Sport Like, that's probably how you would you know, you probably talk to the conference and of course the network and they determine. Okay, there's not as much competition as far as getting you know, a standalone game. It's

not as crowded in week zero. So hey, we we're gonna get buried in the weeds on Saturday. Whenever you've got sec ACC, Big ten, Big twelve playing their games, why not, you know, play on the less crowded weekend. Give our chance, give ourselves a chance to have a little bit more viewership. Because you know, if you want to watch college football, if you're horned up to you know, just watch real college football, a real game. I don't have a whole lot of options. Maybe you end up

with us here on CBS Sports Network. So I don't see a scenario where Louisville, Kentucky or even Indiana would have one of these games. But I would be all for it, because again, you do get a chance to like last year and it all ended up being, you know, for nothing. But you remember Notre Dame beat the hell out of was it Navy? Last year? I mean that was the Ireland game one yest year and they look

great doing it. There was a lot of chatter about Notre Dame being back, you know what I mean, like, oh, wow, they actually have some talent. Well, they always have talent, but man, Sam Hartman, this guy is just different. This guy at wake Forest now he was great. Now he's at Notre Dame with better resources around him, better players. Man, did you see what they did to Navy and they beat him? Let me pull it up here. I don't

remember what the score was, but I know it was ugly. Yeah, the score of that game last year was forty two to three. I mean, that is an ass kicking. And for what it's worth, Notre Dame Navy's you know, they're an FBS team, they're in the times, they've been respectable and kind of good. So that got a lot of chatter about Notre Dame that they typically would not have gotten because it wouldn't be a game that everybody wants

to tune in and see. Now, for what it's worth, Notre Dame is a big brand that's always gonna have a bunch of fans watching because they have a humongous fan base. But my point is they were able to take advantage of Week zero, where there's not a whole lot of other games going on, and put up a dominant performance. It gets more attention and they got some buzz.

In fact, it helped Louisville because by the time Notre Dame got to Louisville, I mean, they still had, you know, a lot of buzz and people looked at Notre Dame as a legitimate playoff contender. So I like week zero. I'm choosing to embrace it also as a sports better I I find myself doing much better when there's not as many games on the board, if that makes sense. Now, it's all luck when I do win. I mean sometimes I convince myself, oh no, Nick, you did your homework.

You saw something that maybe the books didn't. You out smart of the books. You knew something here just didn't make sense, and trusted your gut and you, you know, you were a sharp So that's what I tell myself to make it more fun. But at the end of day, it's all luck if I end up winning. So sometimes I don't, you know, I just kind of are here,

we go let's put this parlay together. What about this game? Yeah, I don't know enough about these two teams, but you know what, I'm gonna trust my gut that this team's gonna be closer than what the spread is like those So now that I don't have as many games to look at. In fact, there's only two games that I know for sure that I'm betting on. Maybe that gives me, you know, maybe because I've been focused on these two more than any Again, there's not a lot of competition.

Maybe that makes it to where I have some luck. But I am looking forward to to placing some wagers and enjoying some college football this weekend. So this is really I mean, I don't get the sense that there's a whole lot of buzz, a whole lot of conversation taking place nationally just kind of like what this season is, but like, this is a big year for college football, not because like something crazy is gonna happen, but there's a lot of change. I mean, first of all, you have,

you know, seventeen teams in new conferences. Think about that. That's the biggest year of shifting around with conference realignment that's ever happened. And it's not just you know, well a bunch of Conference USA schools left to go to the Sun Belt. I mean, you've got four new teams in the Big Ten. You've got three new teams in

the ACC, two new teams in the SEC. I mean, I don't really know how many new teams there are in the Big twelve, but they've added a handful, right You've got you know, last year you had a bunch of newbies, and now you're adding Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado. Who else is in the Big twelve? I feel like there's one more I'm blanking on there tall Yeah, Utah leaving the Pac twelve to go to the Big twelve.

So I mean that's like, that's a lot, man. And I think you know we're all aware, right if you follow college football or college athletics even a little bit, I feel like you are aware of just how different

it's going to be. I mean, especially seeing teams like Texas and Florida playing each other or something, if they even play this year, and knowing, oh, that's a conference game now, right Oregon, they're traveling to Ohio State and it's a Big Ten game, Like it's gonna be like, we know what's happening, but I think seeing it the visual of it, and just kind of realizing, yeah, this is this is a new world, Like this is just like imagine telling somebody five years ago, because I know

realignment's been it's been a thing for a while. It's coming waves, it seems like. But John, you're our Big ten brother, and here you are an Indiana fan. He's a proud who's your imagine five years ago me telling you that USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington would be in the Big ten, Like, it doesn't make any sense, right, It.

We didn't lose them, you know what I mean, Like they don't they're no longer in college football. And Harball, I mean, you know, he was good at Michigan and he got a lot better at Michigan once he was able to rely on the services of Connor Stallions. But like, he's a big name within college football. He's Jim Harball and he's now gone and Saban retires, Like that's I mean, think about that, like that's Those are two of the bigger names. I mean those both those guys played in

the fourteen playoff last year. Right, both those guys have national championships as coaches. So you know college football is going to be different this year. So right now, did you know with those two guys retiring, Well, Harbor didn't retire, he went to the NFL, Saban retired. Do you know how many active coaches in college football have a national championship?

I mean. So I don't know, I just feel like that's a I feel like that's a very rare thing to throw out there that in any in any high level sport, pro or college, like high level college like NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, college football, college basketball. Like how I may look into it and this may just be something that you know, nobody gives a flying rats behind about. But you know, it's just my mind doing weird things

because I'm wired in a weird way. I guess, Like, I feel like that's that's just a very random and surprising statu to people that you can there's only three current coaches in the sport that have ever done the ultimate achievement, which is winning a national championship. Like maybe I'm way off. Maybe every league in the pros and college basketball, But that's not the case with college basketball, right of course. I don't know. Maybe I'm way off here,

Like Cal's got one, Rick Scott one, Hurley's got a couple. Yeah, Hurley's got a couple. Now is oh has one? Yeah, even Tony Bennett has one, right, Like.

Hurly now because he won one? And Rick of course, But you know, I don't know, I still hesitate. I still like been a warble. Rick Beteina really isn't in college basketball because because he's not here, and I guess at Saint John's, I just you know, I guess in the next couple of years we'll find out. But like when he was at Iona, like I understood by people would would would start reeling off the best coaches in the game actively and not include him because you're like, yeah,

but he isn't active because he's at Iona. Well now he's at Saint John's and they've got expectations. So anyways, like, I don't know, I just thought that was kind of a when I was looking into like the big changes this year within college football, one of those things I was like, all right, well, we lost two guys that, you know, collectively each have a championship. Saban's got a bunch, Harriball just got the latest. How many other guys And I'm like, well, yeah, it's only it's only it's only

as of August twenty fifth, there were five active coaches. Well, let me see here, let me pull maybe, yeah, you know, it was only three. It's crazy. Changes are coming here in college football, and uh, you know, hopefully it's good. Hope. You know. I can't see anything. Uh you know, I can't see the conference realignment, expanded playoff, the lack of Saban, and the lack of Horrorball doing anything to like, you know, make this college football season a great one. So yeah,

we're getting closer again. I'm ready to say it's here because week zero is here and those here and they're real games, all right. So we've made it. We've made a collective decision here, Coffee and company. The decision this morning. It's that it's here. It is Okay, it's here. It's here, folks, So you're gonna hear me say that and just accept it, and hopefully you know over time if you're if you're fighting it and you're thinking, no, it's not here, well

you'll learn to accept that it is here. That's what you're gonna do, all right.

And I know, the lack of hearing about like oh wow, this guy's killing it in practice or in the scrimmage, like if you people, when people don't hear those things, they get worried a little bit at times, you know, not, you know, it's not like we're hearing that everything's terrible,

although we'll get to Louisville scrimmage from Saturday. But like if you may, if there's if there's newsworthy stuff coming out of practice in fall camp, and I mean something that specifically comes from practice, it's usually bad news and it's usually an injury. And that's what's happened to Louisville here with Colin Lacey, who you know, it sounds like was really starting to come on, starting to get more and more comfortable with his new quarterback, and now he's

going to be out for for a while. So Colin Lacey at practice during the scrimmage on Saturday, I believe that's when it took place. He suffered a broken collar bone and the initial the initial release said that he will miss six to eight weeks. I've since heard that, you know, could be longer than that. I've heard, you know, really and you really never know, right, it just depends.

And we'll talk to doctor Lurry Ben's and pro we have physical therapy at some point this week, and I'd love to get his thoughts sort of on you know what a realistic timeline is here. Obviously, you know, I think six to eight weeks was put out there because I just think, you know, I don't want to say they're guessing, but I would say that's probably the legitimate expectation for somebody who suffers that kind of an injury

and has to go through the process of recovery. And of course, you know, playing a very physical sport to where you're gonna be tackled, but it's probably more than anything. Just all right, here's the here's the window of time. Is he going to be closer to being back sooner rather than later or is it you know, it's kind of lingering, you know, maybe it's maybe it's closer to eight to ten weeks. I mean, only time will tell. We just have to wait and see. So, you know,

I can't dance around it. Here. This sucks. I mean, this is this is a big loss. Now there's a part of me that can't act as if like I'm devastated, and I am devastated for the young man. Hopefully he recovers and can get on the field and have a you know, have a special fifth season of college football. But like, there is something about not really knowing what you lost. We know the production that he brings from South Alabama. I've heard nothing but good things about coldin

Lacy since practice started here in the fall. Well it's not the fault, but you know what I mean, since camp started and in the spring, wasn't hearing that as much. I didn't hear anybody say, oh, this guy. Don't let the rankings fool you, because he was a top one hundred overall transfer, one of the top receivers in the portal. Again, he had thirteen hundred yards last year, seven touchdowns. I mean, he was fifth in college football last year in yards.

I believe it was in sixth in receptions. I think so like this guy. I mean, he's a highly touted player that just about everybody wanted in the portal and he was a big gef for Louisville. But during the spring, you know, it just there wasn't a whole lot of buzz about him. I don't know if people just hesitated to talk about him because they weren't impressed or what it was. But you know, here lately it sounds as

if he was really starting to come on. And I hate even throwing this name out there because Sky was an electrifying player. But you know, I personally had the I had the the you know, I guess the fantasy if you will that like you're going to start seeing Jeff Brahm utilized Colin Lacy like he did Rondell Moore at Purdue, and we all know that was exciting as

hell to watch. So I don't want to act like this guy was going to be Rondell Moore, but you know, given the type of receiver that he is, the way he was utilized at South Alabama, like you could see that potentially happening, and now we may see it, but it's certainly going to be a little later than what we wanted because of this injury. So it sucks, you know, and I don't want to give you the cliche, but like you know, next man up. So again, it sucks.

There's no way around it. I'm not going to act like this is not concerning news because a guy that at the receiver spot, and we'll talk about personnel at that position, because obviously Jacorey Brooks comes in from Alabama and you know he was a good receiver at Alabama. He was a productive and impactful guy for that offense that you know was pretty successful when Bryce Shung was

slinging it to him. So you know he's healthy, and I you know, I feel good knowing, Hey, if that guy can be pretty good at Alabama, I'd say he could be pretty good here louisll now that he's healthy. Obviously, you know, there's hope that Chris Bell takes a big step forward. I hope that that ends up happening. But I think Colin Lacey is of all the receivers, is the one that you know, probably fans were most excited to see, just because he didn't have a guy like

that last year. Five ten shifty, really good speed. I mean, a guy that you know, Jeff Brohm knowing of course who he is as a coach offensively, he could get really creative with. So again, it's not like he's never gonna play here, but you know, this is a tough mean he's gonna be out six to eight weeks. Again, I I wouldn't even beg I wouldn't be a foolish of me to speculate that, you know, maybe he's back sooner better than later. Maybe he ends up, you know,

missing more time than expected. I think it's probably just a wait and see situation. So to gain back to what I was saying is that this is no knock on Colin Lacy. But because I've never seen him play for Louisville, you know just how I'm processing it as a fan, I don't know what we're gonna miss, right, you know what I mean, Like it's the intrigue of

the unknown. You know, you give me this guy that has these credentials, this resume, some great stats at South Alabama, and you know that everybody in the country wanted him. That's intrigued. It's like, oh hell yeah, like this is awesome. Like this guy he's gonna be after looking like Rondell Moore. Like that's the intrigue of the unknown. On a positive side, But now that you tell me we aren't going to have this guy for you know, the first few games,

it's a bummer. But I can't, you know, I can't be like, oh my gosh, we just like we've never seen him play here. So because of the unknown, as far as how much of it really transitions, it's still a loss. But you know, it's not like when Devonte Parker got hurt. Right before he got hurt, he came back for his last season with Bobby Patrino being here for his first year, and Davante ended up missing I think it might have been like three four games. That

was heartbreaking. In fact, it's funny how that How that? I mean, I remember I remember being at the Kentucky State Fair, I believe on a Friday night, and you know, phone starts going off, people talking, and it was like, yeah, DeVante Parker got hurt, like I think he actually might have to have surgery, which he did. I mean, that was devastating because DeVante was one of the most electronic receivers that ever played here, Like he was just a

touchdown machine. And you know he preseason All American too, and he's hurt and he missed some time. But I knew what you lost there, right, Like that's a guy who you knew was a bona fide star. And not to say that Colin Lacy isn't, because he might be.

But it was also at the State first Saturday when my phone started going off, people telling me, I think Colin Lacy's like really hurt, Like I think, like I think, you know, I think he's gonna miss some time, like he might be out of the year, and then sure enough ul actually does release a statement confirming that he did break his collar bone and he's out six state weeks.

So maybe that's like the one negative thing I could stay about the State Fair, Johnason, when I go to the State Fair during fall camp for Louis of football. There's now been two injuries that you know, I find out about when I'm there, and now you get PTSD thinking about it. Yeah, like I'm not going to the Fair. I can't go to the Fair the rest of the time that it's here because I can't. I can't risk it. I don't blame it. I go to the Fair till

tomorrow or something. We may find out somebody else gets hurt. But again, it's pretty to me. It's a loss, but it does give you a chance to, you know, kind of see what you have. There are guys who will get opportunities, and who knows, maybe they don't make the most of those opportunities, but there are gonna be guys that get a chance to get out there under the lights against weaker competition in the first couple of weeks to kind of not try out, but like, you know,

show what they can do. That maybe they haven't shown in practice, And maybe they haven't shown it in practice because they have not been getting the same type of reps because you know what, Colton Lacy's gonna be on the field when he's healthy, He's gonna play a lot. So you know, it sucks, there's no way around it. But I still trust Jeff Brom, and I think some Louisville fans are forgetting what Jeff Brom is known for, and that is being an offensive mastermind, a guy that

can do more with less. Right, players who you know nobody would have expected to be really good, Jeff Brom can plug them in, make them a pro at their position, and they can go on and play in the NFL. I mean not to say that it's all Jeff's doing, Clearly, you know the players deserve a lot of credit too.

But like I think, because last year was so weird offensively, nobody would have ever envisioned Louisville winning ten games and going to the ACC Championship with a team that was mostly in that position because their defense was really good and on offense they were good. They were balanced. I mean, it wasn't as if you had, you know, a terrible offense, that just couldn't move the ball, but it wasn't your strength.

And on offense, when you did have a hell of a day and you really felt like, you know, you had a chance to do something special, it was because the ground game. It was because you had that duo of Isaac Grindo in Juar Jordan, and you know, there, no, there was not a whole lot of tight end involvements.

So like I think, you know, not that people are doubting Jeff Brown's ability to put a high powered offense on the field, but you know, I wouldn't be shocked if there's a guy on this team this that like nobody was expecting to really you know, put up big numbers and I don't mean you know, all American type numbers, but like, I still think there's enough there at that position to where if your quarterback can do his part

and the offensive line can keep that quarterback clean. I mean, I feel like it wouldn't be a shock to see Louisville's receiving corps maybe have a lead guy in Jacory Brooks and maybe Chris bell Is that is that guy night in and night out as well. You know, your two studs, if you will and then while Colin Lacy gets healthy, you know, you can lean on Antonio Meeks, you can lean on Jimmy Callaway, Jayden Thompson. These are guys who you know will have an opportunity now more

so than they probably would have had Colin Lacy gotten hurt. Now, again, maybe out of the first few weeks we think, oh, let's hope that guy gets that collar bone healed quickly. I mean, we'll never We won't know until we actually see what these guys do out there on the field. So again, that was me talking about how I still have a lot of faith in Jeff Brohm, But it didn't sound like after the scrimmage on Saturday, the Jeff brabm has a whole lot of faith in his offense.

So he was pretty clear that defense dominated that scrimmage on Saturday. I guess it was their final scrimmage of camp, and you know, let's hear what he had to say, but not a good day for his offense. And you can choose how you want to look at that, right, Does that mean defense is going to be nasty, which, by the way, I think it is, or is it you know, maybe maybe he's just being transparent here and just letting us know. Yeah, I'm not really pleased with

where we are offensively, I don't go anywhere. We got a lot more to get into. And yes, college football season is in fact here, folks, it's here. It's coffee and Company feel about Thortons right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. That's right. It is Monday here, Coffee and Company fuel about Thornton's. Mondays usually are you know, not terrible. I mean, I actually don't really mind Monday's as much as most. But you know, if you've had a long weekend or had if you had a fun weekend, maybe

you're maybe you're still hurting from the weekend. I don't know. Sometimes that could be a good thing because it means you had some fun. But hey, it's a Monday. But it's a Monday during college football season. We have decided that we're officially saying football seasons here, despite there not being any actual games until this weekend and it being something that they call week zero, which is actually not

a thing. We're making it a thing, meaning that we're going to embrace the fact that we got college football this Saturday, and that's that's worth embracing. Especially when you wait and I feel like it takes forever for this to usually get here, and it's here to ev your weekend, John, I did. I went to the Loose City game. It was a really fun atmosphere to I heard the atmosphere there was awesome. I had a couple of friends that ended up going, and I ended up seeing them yesterday

at our fantasy football draft. And you know, they I don't think they've ever been to a game at the at the stadium. I know a lot of folks, if you haven't been in recent years, then when you went, when you went before, you'd go to Slugger Field to see the team because they didn't have their own stadium for a while. But I heard it was awesome. And again I say this all the time, like it's so rare that this team, this club, I should say that was you know launched what eight nine, ten years? Ten

years is their tenth anniversary. Yes, they've been good ever since they've existed, and I just you know, I don't have any data to back up like how rare that is. But more often than not, if you're sort of a startup franchise in any level of professional sports and you're kind of starting from scratch, like an expansion type team. It's going to take a long time for there to be any real expectation to be successful. They've been successful since the beginning, and it doesn't look as if that's

going to be stopping anytime soon. I mean, was it that match on Saturday between the two best teams in the league in the East? For sure? Okay, yeah, I mean I don't know about the West, but the two top in the East. I mean, I think they had well like thirteen fourteen thousand people there.

But they've been so fortunate, and I don't want to say is if it's all luck, Like people haven't worked their ass off to make it happen, but like they don't even know what kind of turnouts they would have

and really what life would look like. And I don't mean if they had a bad year where they were terrible that they would close up shop and not exist, but like clearly, when you're struggling and you're not winning, it's harder to get people to want to be a part of it, meaning buying tickets and coming out and experiencing the atmosphere and all that kind of stuff. Even if you like put it this way, I guarantee you thirteen thousand and five hundred of that crowd, Like, what

percentage would you say are casuals at best? I'd say a lott half of them. Yeah, at least you have a better likelihood of getting those kind of people to show up and show out, even if they don't know much about the sport or the team or the league. If they just know that, hey, we're good and this is our team in our city, they'll be That's more of an incentive to be a part of it, is it not?

I went to a bunch of NBA. I'm not a bunch, but I went to a handful of NBA games as a kid because my dad would take me and I was a big NBA fan. But you're a kid, like you're not like I'm just I'm just worried. I'm thinking, like, hey, if I get over here when they go to the locker roomt halftime, well I'll be able to reach out and touch Reggie Miller's sweaty head. Like you're a kid,

you don't think about that kind of stuff. But in the last five six years, when I've gone to NFL games or even you know, a Loose City game or a game at Slugger Field with the bats, like professional sports it's always been more of a like it's entertainment.

Like I don't want to act as if like the game is a secondary kind of thing, but like in order for you to get because if you rely just on diehards only to buy tickets and go to your games, like, you're not gonna have that many people, so you've got to do things to make it to wear. Okay, the casuals will come out, They'll want to be a part of the atmosphere. They'll know there's gonna be things for

their kids to do while they're there. They're gonna know that there's all kinds of different options when it comes

to food and beer and all that. Like that kind of stuff matters, and you see that in a major way when you go to like NFL games or again even around here, and lou City does a good job of that to where obviously it's all about what's happening on the pitch, as they say, but there's so much else going on to where you can have fun and not feel as if you're so like overwhelmed because you don't follow soccer that much, you know what I mean, Like a.

So like those casuals that show up, they don't really care where their ticket is, but they're there, I don't know, every game because they want to hang out at that bar and socialize and just you know, enjoy the vibe. There's people that do that every Saturday at Cardinal Stadium because they want a party at the party deck. And yet they're like they're they're shamed for it. You know, go to your seats. That's why the stadium looks half empty.

You losers go to a bar and drink like, I don't know, it's just we and I think college college events they're now learning we need entertainment attractions involved with the action on the field in court as well, because there's just not as much of an incentive to say you were there right like, cause again you can get

with social media. You can you can be following a game on your television, watching it, following those that cover the game, the game on Twitter, and like you're not there, but you kind of know everything is going on right like I mean, so I think it's it's been a it's been a real reminder for me in recent years when I go to other pro events, even the ones that are in this town, even though we don't really have I guess racing is the only legitimate and maybe

not tiers. Yeah I shouldn't say legitimate, but yeah, the highest tier of a professional sport in this country. Racing is the only team we have that is a member of that top tier league. But you know, you have to have those kind of things in place, attractions, entertainment, because if you just think you're gonna get thirteen to five out there and it's just because they'll do anything, they'll pay whatever to just be there to watch soccer, that's not realistic at all. And I'm not even picking

on soccer. That's the same thing. It's like like when Louisville football was going through the Saturnfield era, Louisville wasn't terrible and you were you know, you were winning enough to go to Bowl games, and Satterfield I don't think ever gave you a fireable season as far as just results alone in one year, but you know it was well, no,

not going on. Like people could easily talk themselves out of going to games when Saturfield was here, and I'm sure people will do that, you know during the bram era. But like whenever you get off to a start like he did, winning ten games in year one, and you just know the vibes are good because he's our coach, and you feel like at any moment, you know, you could see this team light up a scoreboard because that's kind of what Jeff Brohm is known for. I think

that is. You know, it just increases the likelihood of somebody saying, Okay, I'm gonna make sure I get season tickets, so I'm gonna make sure I get to two or three games this year, And you know, you got to be winning at a high level, putting a good product on the field to world but eat. Even if you have a really good team and it's exciting and it feels like this is a special year, it's still in

your best interest too. Maybe not like cater to the casuals more than you typically would, but like you got to have something there for them because that's going to keep them more likely to again buy tickets and give you money and you know, be there to help fill your stadium. Like I don't know why. I guess there's there's so much pride and like it's such a serious thing, right if you're a member of Cardination or Big Blue Nation, is who's your nation? Thing? It is who's your nation?

Like but when you say this, people like don't believe you and they think like you're insulting them. It's just the reality of sports. If Cardinal Stadium on I don't know, Saturday, what is the best home game this year? Is it? Note? Is it Miami's at Miami? Yeah? Like, so let's say you have a full sold out crowd, and I mean, like, not only do you know that they they announce to sell out, but you look around when you're there or you're on watching it on TV, and you're thinking damn,

they're an empty seed in there. That is what roughly sixty thousand people. The percentage of that number that are there for the atmosphere that are there for a social aspect, they're gonna be wearing cardinal gear. They're gonna be they're gonna be into it. They know they love Louisville, but they they're not listening. A lot of these people probably listen into shows like this on a daily basis. Like

they're what I would call casual fans. And I don't mean that in an insulting way, like, oh they're casual. They don't really care. They're not crying themselves to sleep at night after a Jack Plumber interception like me, Like it's not an insult, Like they have lives, like you know what I mean. So my point is this, if I was to tell you that sixty thousand people are there and maybe forty percent of them aren't living and dying by every snap, like people would sell no, no way,

you kidd me. We have with the best fan base ever. We know everybody there, everybody there is you know, it's the religion, like it's it's their life, and like it's not like you know, it's just not realistic. We get especially this this like this here, like this is a sports talk radio show that spends the majority of its time in a three hour show every day talking about

Louisville and Kentucky sports for the most part, among other nonsense. Right, So, like, if you're here with us for even a little bit every day, like you're kind of like, you know, not to call you a sick a fan, but you know, you're probably a little bit more into it than the average fan. And there's a lot of people that go to these games that aren't aren't even close to as into it as you are. And that's not a knock.

Go to Alabama, I guarantee you when they have sellouts, there's more people there than you would imagine that are just kind of there because you know what, I'm a fan, but man, I just wanted this is social. Then this is a party. Like I wanted to tailgate. I wanted to take it in and it's normal. So you know, you're gonna have your You're gonna have your hardcore fans

that are gonna be there front and center. Even when you know you have the Cragthorpe ear, the Ron Cooper era and Bobby's the end of Bobby right, even sadderfield when things weren't going great, They're gonna always be there. And then when you have more success, there'll be more

people there. But when you have a special type season and the vibes are just good, there's gonna be a ton of casuals thing too, and you need those you do, because I mean, you can't fill your stadium with just people who were like living and breathing every second of their life. Thinking about Jeff Brohm's next play call, I feel like Jack Plumber took astray there, didn't he He may have taken astray. Well. I cried myself to sleep

last year after some of those interceptions. So let's just you know, I'm giving it to you from, you know, the perspective of being a lunatic about it, and I'm a proud lunatic about it. All right, quick break, we'll come back on the other side of wrap up a three o'clock hour. Keep the party rolling along coffee and company fuel by Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven to ninety. As expected, the preseason accolades continue to roll

in for Ashton Jilotti. He was named a preseason AP first Team All American, which gosh, there can't be many of those, meaning Louisville players that have received that honor I mean in preseason. Is not one that you know, you brag about until I mean really, I mean, you can brag about it now, and you should. I mean, Aston Jelotti has proven to be as good as advertised over his college career, but you know, it means more to be named that legitimately when it's all said and

done at the end of the season. But again, that just speaks to the kind of buzz and kind of respect that he is that he has garnered in the world of college football. And again, preseason or even you know, after the season ends, there are not there have not been that many First Team All Americans at Louisville. So wouldn't shock meet all if he ends up being named the first team All American when it's all said and done once this season wraps up. And that's why Louisville's defense.

We'll get into this more in the four o'clock hour. We'll let you hear what Jeff Brom had to say, because you know, he was pretty pretty direct, and that was that the defense dominated the offense and their scrimmage over the weekend, And do I think that sounds great? Not? No, I mean that's not like, oh hell yeah, because you need both to be good for you to have the

type of season that's expected around here. But I also am not going to put too much into it because I still, you know, I don't know, maybe we'll find out that Jeff's just been brutally honest and he doesn't like his offense, or you know, maybe this is, you know, just coach is doing what coaches do as far as how they answer questions. And I think he was answering honestly.

But I think Louisville's defense, Like put it this way, would anybody be shocked at the Louisville offense once they actually play real games against other teams, they realize that the defense that they're going up against any scrimmages in camp, are you know, the Louisvill's first string defense in these scrimmages is going to be a better defense than the majority of the defense louis is going to play this year. That's not Homer. That's not a Homer thing to say.

That's just legitimate. Look at Louisville's defense is expected to do this year, especially coming off of how good it was last year. So we'll let you hear from Brohm in the four o'clock hour. All right, it is coffee and company and we are feel about Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven to ninety. Appreciate you hanging out with us. Some awful news just south of us here, just south

of the Louisville down in Hardin County. Just an absolute horrific situation earlier today that unfortunately, despite how awful it is, and I don't think anybody would minimize it or act like it's not as big of a deal. But it's just sad that these things don't shock you as much as they once did. And that is a mass shooting. I'm reading here from WDRB that a man wanted for gunning down three people in a deadly shooting outside of the Hardin County Courthouse earlier Monday morning is in the

hospital after shooting himself in the head. And I don't does it say that he's I can't Is he dead. If he's in the hospital, then you know, assume he's not dead. But he did shoot himself in the head. It is what it says here after a police chase.

So says during a media briefing Monday afternoon, Lisabeteth Police Chief Jeremy Thompson said police used flock cameras to track Christopher Elder to Western Kentucky after the early morning shooting outside of the courthouse and then one hundred block of Dixie Avenue round nine am, just before Elder was scheduled to appear for a hearing involving an EPO. Thompson said

Elder opened fire outside the courthouse. He was dating one of the victims who died at the scene, and apparently that victim's mother also was hospitalized after the shooting but did die from those injuries. And a man was also shot and he remains hospitalized in stable condition. And that's

according to Elizabethtown Police Department. So just to mean awful And again, like am I always get uncomfortable because I don't want to act as if like I'm hearing it in just like one air out the other, huh, Like like you know, like you're hearing about a traffic jam because of a fender bender. But like I want to live in a world where you hear that that happens and you're horrified like we are about this, But then you think, like that's only happened like once in a

hundred years. Now, these kind of things just don't They don't shock you as much. Now, obviously there's going to be some real shock for folks who are more connected and close to like for example, it was much different like whenever the old National Bank shooting took place, because that's just I mean, that's right here in Louisville. I mean, and that was of course, you know, that was horrific.

And that's when you realize, oh, yeah, like you do think yourself, I don't think it could never happen to me, but like you know, you don't mean you can't. You shouldn't live your life thinking any day now I'm gonna be the I'm gonna be the next victim in a mass shooting. Like who would want to live that way? But like if it happens, it's you know.

I mean it's just just awful, you know this. I'm not bringing this up as like a political situation, and this is not about guns or anything. It's just these type of shootings in these type of you know, situations, any time it happens a hundred times or one time.

It's each of each situation is a tragedy that I you know that that I could never begin to understand what family members and loved ones of those victims go through because again I've I've been fortunate to never have have that happen, but like just crazy knowing, how is it fair to I don't want to say, I don't want to say that it's common, but like it just doesn't surprise you the way that I wish it did, because it's also something that happens more than happening. One

time is one time too many. But it's just I don't know. It's sad, sad stuff, no doubt. All right, we got two hours left. Stick around, it's a Monday. We are gonna talk some loois football coming up little later on. We'll probably do it in the five o'clock hour. We're gonna bring in them the one the only Alex Kupper get his thoughts on some LOISLL football. So again, stick with us, Coffee and Company. Feel about Thort's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety