8.26: Bend Over and Take It - Hour 2

held up pretty pretty good. Like I think even the younger generation, even younger than you know John, because he's old. N he's twenty seven after this weekend. Like people know what.

years at Akron or maybe Toledo. I think it might have been Toledo.

for it, and he got here. And you know what a guy who has been a running back at Louisville for three four years, a guy that's been a running back at Miami for three four years, and Cheney, you know those guys, they don't have the numbers, but they also didn't have the opportunity to be the primary back

in the MAC for Toledo. So you know, he thinks the grass is greener when he gets to Louisville because he's gonna get all these carries and he's gonna have nil money and he's going to play for a power program. But you know, he wasn't that good. So his exit was was a learning experience. I think for Jeff Brohm and his staff to make sure, not to say they do, they do more vetting. But you know, he was unhappy and it started he started to kind of create a

bad environment in the locker room. Now he didn't have the control obviously, you know Louisville's locker room and you know, team chemistry, morale and all that stuff. I think it's in a really good place. But he was somebody that was trying to disrupt that because he was a tur to be honest with you, So on his way out he didn't go about it the right way. I mean

at all. That was pretty clear. And then if you remember, he couldn't get in at certain schools, and maybe those schools weren't going to offer him the nil money that Louisville was because you know what, they didn't need him that bad. He's a he's a mac running back who was at the power five already at a place Maryland, and he wasn't good there. That's why he loved Maryland. So the initial depth chart has come out for his

new school. If you remember, he thought he was going to go to Oklahoma State, thought he was going to go to Oregon, thought he was going to go to Georgia or cant and he couldn't get into Kentucky. I think Kentucky would have taken him, but he couldn't get in. So he ends up going to play for Central Florida. Gus Melson not Gus Smellson.

They don't see the talent that I have. Well, he goes to a lower program in Central Florida and he is now listed at or on the depth chart, but not for first string and not for second string. He might at best be the third guy on their depth chart at running back at Central Florida and the guy who won that job as a former Cincinnati running back who didn't get a lot of reps at Cincinnati. So this guy, you know, maybe maybe the grass sitting always greener on the other side is not the best. In fact,

that would more so fit with him at Tledo. Would it not like you should have stayed there? Many that's where you belong, and you knew it already because you played Power five football the Big Ten at Maryland. You weren't good there, so you know he's at Louisville instead of being appreciative of the fact that you know, he is going to get a chance to you if you didn't get a chance to start. But he wasn't the starter after the spring and he got an eye on money,

and it sounds like he wanted more. He decided to stand on business and the business he was standing on was was not you know, didn't have a great rating by the Better Business Bureau. John, it was a really bad dad joke, wasn't it?

I guess hopefully future Louisville cardinal. Is he back on the team, what's his role going to be with the team, and maybe walk us through the process of him coming back to Louisville.

communication to know that that could work. Now, I don't know if anybody guaranteed him that it would all work out. I think everybody involved here's taken a little bit of a risk. I'm already taking a bigger risk because you know, if he's not eligible to play, I mean, Louisville just moves on.

and you know, didn't didn't make the first drink. Doesn't mean he's terrible, but you know, I think when Amari Huggins Bruce decided to leave South Carolina and he knew, if I'm going to play football anywhere else, it's going to be Louisville. And now it's just in the hands of the n S DOUBLEA. So again, I I don't want to sound so dismissive of it, as if like there's no way he plays, And I guess I do sound like that when I say this, I don't know how he played, Like, I don't know what the loophole

would be that mean there isn't one. I'm just telling you that I don't know what it is, so heck, maybe he is prepared to sit out a year and play next year. I don't know, but clearly there's something. I mean, this is real, right meeting. He's here, and Jeff wouldn't even be allowed to I mean, Jeff answered that, and I would wouldn't be surprised if that was played.

As far as that little question there, I mean, he knew he was gonna get a question, but clearly I think his statement was to cover their ear in, to make it clear that they're not because they know they're, and not to revisit the whole thing from a week ago. But the portal exists not just for people to transfer, because you know, if you just leave school, you know

you're but you have to enter the transfer portal. Therefore, schools can actually reach out and talk to you in community with you and recruit you if you don't go through the portal, which he could not go through the portal because the portal has closed.

and not go through the portal. I'm gonna enroll as a student and then just you know, show up and be on the team and that'll leave me from that'll keep me from having to go through the actual process of documenting. Hey, I'm basically entering free agency. But he's not going to play this week. Clearly he's not on the team right now. Maybe that changes soon, you know.

So that's the latest on that, and as far as who is going to step in for And by the way, it was really tough to hear Jeff talk about how well Colin Lacy had started to play before his injury and talked about how they had a lot of different plans as far as how they were going to utilize what he can do. So, you know, I'm not sure if we see him at all this year. To be honest with you, that's not me sharing, you know, behind the scenes news. That's not me with any kind of

a scoop. But I just think you know, we had doctor Larry Benson last week, and I don't think he was, you know, just throwing this timeline out there, just guessing. I think eight to twelve weeks is a more realistic window of time for Colin Lacy given the you know, the bad break that he had in that collar bone and the surgery that was needed to you know, for him to recover. So you don't have Colin Lacey, we've known that, and you don't have a Mariy Huggins Bruce

at least right now. Maybe you do down the line, but it sounds like the first receiver that's going to get a chance to fill that void left with Lacy's injury is Jaden Thompson, who you know, he's one of many guys at receiver for Louisville that I think they like what they have as far as you know his ability, you just want it to be consistent, and you want them to be a reliable option, a reliable playmaker, a

reliable weapon for you. And I don't know what the is for Jayden Thompson as far as you know, could he be an All Conference caliber player, But you know, I mean, it sounds like he's made enough plays in practice to where they feel like he's he's good enough. But man, in football, I'm sure there's plenty of guys that when it comes to just pure ability, coaches don't really question that. It's about can you consistently be a reliable option? And I feel like Jayden Thompson is kind

of there with Chris Bell now. Jayden Thompson last year just twelve catches, one touchdown. I mean, it wasn't as if he had the same type of year that Chris Bell had. But you know, you don't even have to be an insider, you know, Jaydon Thompson is a guy that when it comes to just talent and ability, there's been enough out there on him that, you know, the coaching staff clearly thinks he's good, but he's not done enough to earn a starting spot until I guess now

because of this injury. And Chris Bell has actually made some pretty big time plays. And by the way, he caught twenty nine passes last year, four hundred yards, two touchdowns, and I feel like a few of those twenty nine catches were pretty impressive plays where he just went up and made a play, looking like an NBA two guard out there just you know, elevating over guys and making

a big play. So I think they love him. It's just is he gonna be the guy that when the lights are on and you're playing real games, is he going to get open? He's gonna get himself open enough?

So I think with Chris Bell, with Jaden Thompson, with Jimmy Callaway, with Antonio Meek's Jacorey I mentioned Jegory Brooks guitarist Hicks like those are guys that I don't think the staff is having an internal conversation about their position and thinking they don't have it, they don't have the ability. It's just are these guys going to be able to get it done when it matters when the lights are on.

And there's many gay, I mean, there's many guys over the years that it's one of the other right, Like look out there, make a play that you never would have expected. But man, when the lights are on, there different in a good way. And then there's guys that, man, they're all American looking at times in practice, but it just never has translated to you know, the actual field in a real game. I don't want to mention guys that you know you heard were great in practice, but

it never translated. I'm sure you guys can think of some. But there's no better example for Louisville football as somebody like Kyle Bolin. I mean, he wasn't an All American, but there was never really any talk of him, you know, emerging as a real threat to win the starting quarterback job at Louisville when he was here. But man, when somebody went whenever I guess it was whenever, who was it? Was it Reggie Bonifon, Yeah, Bona Fon. Reggie went when

Reggie went down. But I feel like twice Kyle came in for the starting quarterback. It might have been. It might have been Will Gardner who was your starter, and then Bona Fon got to play because Gardner was hurt, and then, yeah, that's what it was that season. It was Reggie became the starter because because Will Gardner got hurt and then you ended up on your third stringer with Kyle Bollen. And you know, not to say he was a bad practice player. I've never heard anything but

good stuff about him. But you know, I think the staff was very, very much pleasantly surprised whenever they put him out there and he was just out there making plays. Helps when you can just throw it up to Devonte Parker. But yeah, I mean, I look, if these guys do show up and they make Sports Center highlight type plays against Austin p and against Jacksonville State, surely it's not going to, you know, be the same thing as if they did it against Florida State or against Miami or Clemson.

But I think given the fact that they've never had big roles and they're going to be asked to have bigger roles this year, I mean, again, you have to wait and see if it's something that can translate when the competition gets much better but it would be a very encouraging sign if Tyler Shuck is out there and he's spreading it around and you're seeing these guys not only have the ability to get open but just make plays.

And again, I know it's different doing it against Austin p than ACC teams, but I actually feel like it sets up nicely this year to where I don't mind that Louisville's playing Nobody's to get the season started. Selfishly, as a fan, I love when you open up against somebody that matters, because you know, it just puts more significance on the game. There's something that actually you know is real. Although you know these two games are real, that louis is gonna play in Week one and Week two,

but it's just different. But I think now that you've got a lot of new pieces, and you're gonna have new pieces probably every year, because I think Brom's gonna continue to lean on the portal and I have in a major way. I think it actually makes sense to have these kind of games to kind of cut your teeth and get your feet underneath you a little bit. And by the way, I've never you know, just kind of going back to some of the other things that Jeff.

As Jeff talked about today in his press conference, I've never felt as if his comments about the offense after their scrimmages was an alarming thing, although it wasn't something you should just ignore. And I also thought to myself, you know what, Jeff brohms probably in these scrimmages, calling place for an offense as they go up against the best defense he's ever gone up against in a training in a fall camp scrimmage. I mean, Louisville has depth

on defense. They should be really good defensively this year. I'd be very disappointed if they're not one of the best defenses in the ACC this year, maybe top you know. I mean, they were one of the best defenses in the country last year for a good chunk of the season. I see no reason why they can't do that this year.

So today it was nice to hear him not walk back what he had said, but you know, mention that it was really just that day, and sometimes you have bad days, and you don't want to have a bad day on a game day, right because you'll lose. It'll

it'll get your beat. But it was nice to hear not only him kind of mention the defense being a factor in that struggle that struggled that they have offensively in the last fall in their last Saturday fall scrimmage, but he did say they scrimmaged this past Wednesday and the offense was much better. So, you know, I know it sounds like I'm building Louisville up to be, you know, a for sure playoff team when I say this, but you know, I don't mean it to sound like that.

But Louisville's offense in practice and in scrimmages specifically, they're probably going to be facing a better defense than they will in the majority of the games they play this year because the defense is you know, even if the offense is pretty damn good this year, I'd still say the defense will be your strength, which, hey, that's a good thing. Means the offense doesn't have as much pressure

to score. But it just feels weird knowing that Jeff Bram's your coach, because any scenario where Louisville looks like a team to really look out for and potentially maybe find themselves flirting for the playoff, not saying that's for sure we're gonna happen this year, but just when you think of Louisville having a really high ceiling with Jeff Brown being the coach, you think about the scoreboard being

lit up pretty frequently. And last year we didn't see that as much as we probably would have ex did given the record that they had. But it's a good thing. It means the offense doesn't have as much pressure. All right, quick break, we'll come back. Keep this thing rolling along. We'll say you about what Deon Sanders. Two things this weekend. Deon Sanders made the news. For one, he's getting praised for the other, not so much. Stick around. It's coffee

and company. Feel about Thorton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. That's right, Coffee and Company here on Sports Talk seven to ninety, rolling along on a Monday afternoon, proudly fueled by Thornton's. Make sure you keep Thornton's in mind, not only just when you need to, you know, fill up the tank. And by the way, if you're a member of the Refreshing Awards program, you're gonna save money

every time you do exactly that. If you're a new member and you sign up now, you save twenty five cents off on your first fill up, so keep that in mind, but also keep in mind for lunch or a snack. They've got delicious food items. Last time I was in there, I noticed those mini tacos they have that seem to be very popular. They also have some pretzel bites, and of course, you know, the breakfast items

are always great. I love the breakfast sandwich. Is the best breakfast sandwich ever in my opinion is their sausage, egg and cheese croissant. So again we are proudly fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety nick Coffee. That's me the company man John all On alongside. Today he had a birthday. He's feeling a little bit older. I feel very old looking at this list from FanDuel's Sportsbook, and that is a list of the father's son connections

that we have this year in college football. One of them is on Louisville's team, aj Vin Terry, a Louisville Kickers, of course, the son of Adam Miniterry. But a lot of former NFL players that I had no clue had kids that played high level college football. I'm gonna assume a lot of these guys aren't like elite players because if so, it would be a storyline. It'd be I mean, if a better chance of being mentioned if you're good

and you are the son of a legendary player. But Brian Rlacker has a son at Notre Dame that's a safety, had no clue. Willis Mcgahee's son, Willis McGahee the fifth is a linebacker at Nebraska.

I'm sorry, not Emmitt Smith Junior.

you know, when they were so young. It's just the fact that, like, I'm getting old, and that's that's a sad thing. I don't think it makes anybody else sad but me. But you know, another reminder, every they're in my face every day, John now being twenty seven, that makes.

them started on saving money. You know, obviously if you're playing for Colorado, it sounds like you're making big money because of nil, So that's really doing some of the legwork to you know, use that money to you know, to benefit not just you when you want to hang out and you know, buy video games or buy a new car, but you know, save some of that money for your child, not only for maybe their college fund,

but you know, having a child, it costs money. I mean, I can I can tell you that firsthand, so that that's a good, good gesture. But the other thing he's in the news for, I just think is another reminder that this guy. He One thing Dion Sanders is not is dumb. He knows what he's doing.

It doesn't consume me. But if they lose and they fail this year, I have no problem in telling you I'm going to take great satisfaction because that's you know, I think that's human nature for a lot of people, myself included. When you act entitled, when you act is if you've accomplished something, you are superior. You can do things different because you're better than everybody, and yet you have nothing to actually give you that feel like there's

no substance there with him, it's all flash. I just think there's a lot of folks that just here hear people that are entitled for no reason and they wanted to be humbled. I think it's human nature. And yes, he's accomplished a lot as a celebrity. As an athlete, I mean, he was a hell of a player. There's nobody that would deny that, and what he did when he did it is not something you'll probably ever see again. As far as being able to play both and be

really good at both at times. I mean, he wasn't just a guy who just decided to get out on the baseball field like Michael Jordan.

That doesn't I mean like him being voted as the second worst team or i'm sorry, the second worst coach in the Big Twelve this year was insanely justifiable given the fact that he went four and eighty years ago with two kids that everybody in the country wanted on their team more than two. But like you know, clearly he hit Trevis Hunter. I mean, let's be real here, his son. People think Shittor is going to be a

maybe the first pick in the draft. I mean, I think that's nonsense that people think that's really what's gonna happen. But either way, like he has a lot of arrogance out him, but it's it's misplaced. I don't think anybody

should be overly arrogant. But look, if you've got the credentials, you've got the resume, it's still I think a turn off to a lot of people when it comes to your personality if you're arrogant, but it's different, and there's a difference in being extremely arrogant and having really nothing to show for it and then being you know, but there's difference of doing that and then being arrogant, and it's just as you know, a turn off to people as again as far as your personality, but at least

you do have some credentials. As he coach, Deon Sanders hasn't done anything at this level that would warrant him feeling like he can just you know, do things differently

than anybody else has done it. As a coach, again, it's one thing to just go against the grain and not just you know, go with emotion and do what you think be yourself, right, There's something to be original, There's something to be said about being original and you know, being unique, and that's clearly what Dion's always going to be. But for him to ban a columnist from asking questions at a press conference is the softest, just most ridiculous

thing ever. And you gotta wonder, if you're Colorado, do you have any control of your program? Because anybody that works within the athletic department at Colorado knows that this is a terrible look for them, not only because like, that's not how this works. You don't just let people ask questions who are going to drool over you and act like you are, you know great. You ask questions from people who are there to objectively report on your

team and your program. So Stafford, Yeah, he's a columnist. Let's see what his name is here. He works for the Yeah, he's a Denver columnist, and he has been told he's not going to be allowed to ask questions at the press conferences this year for Colorado football because this series of sustained personal attacks on Dion. Sanders, a sports information staffer for Colorado, cited this writer's use of the phrases such as false profit deposition, don Planet Prime,

Bruce Lee of BS the Dion kool Aid Circus. Again, that's a columnist sharing his opinion, which is what he's supposed to do. That's how this has worked since the beginning of time when it comes to college football. In those that are columnists and that are supposed to share opinions, They're not supposed to drool over you. They're not supposed to be fanboys. That's not their job. Like, this is a guy just doing his job. And the fact that it's getting under your skin is such a weak look.

And you can't claim it's not getting under your skin and you've already shown your insanely thin skin.

of that, here's what it says, says. After a series of sustained personal attacks on the football program and specifically coach Prime, the cu athletic Department, in conjunction with the football program, have decided not to take questions from Denver

Post columnist Sean Keeler at football related events. Keeler is still permitted to a ten football related activities as a credential member of the media, and other reporters from the Denver Poster welcome to ask questions of football program personnel made available to the media, including coaches, players and staff. Look, media people feel entitled a lot. I understand that totally. Like I get it. Like media complaining about the meals they get is such a nauseating thing because like you're

not really part of the show. You're there, like you have a job to do, and coverage is important to a lot of people, but like you know where your seat is, Like if you get if they let you in and you have access, and you know, maybe you don't like the meal, or maybe you missed the meal, or maybe you're not treated as nicely here as you were, Like you're not entitled to that, but to be told you're allowed to come, but we're not taking your question.

You were mean, Like that's the softest thing I've ever seen in college football. And yes, all coaches are thin skinned, especially those that you know, feel like they should be respected more than they are because they have a different view of themselves than other people. But like Dion hasn't won anything, and I don't know if he's really getting disrespected.

I mean, if the local guy who writes for the Denver Post that most of us has ever heard of, that, Like, imagine what happens if, like, you know, the college game day crew starts coming after you because you keep losing. What are you gonna do then? Like, I just don't get it. Dion Sanders could win national he won't, but he could win a national championship for the next five years. Maybe he wins two in the next decade. You know

what's gonna happen. There's still gonna be people that want to want to tear you down, still going to be columnists that are going to try to go against the grain and discredit you, because that's how all this works, you idiot. No matter what you do, the media will always try to find a way to discredit act as if what you accomplished is not as impressive. That's how this works. Look at the best basketball player on the planet,

Lebron James. It's one of the other people talking about his legacy as if he's better than Jordan, or people claiming he's not even as good as you think he is. He hasn't done this, he hasn't done that. That's how this works. So to not have accomplished anything and already feel as if you're mean to me, you're soft, and you can't go out there on the field and shut people up. You have to coach the players on the field to shut people up. And we don't know if

you can do that yet, Prime, We don't know. You haven't shown us that. And the fact that Colorado's athletic department releases things and only calls him coach Prime makes me one of vomit. I'm getting crotchety in my old age.

to me. All right, Five two, five, seven, seventy nine hundred is the number. If you guys want to jump in and give us a call. Let's go to Austin. Austin, what's happening?

be tricky. They can come after every one minute, build you up, you're this, you're that, and then the next minute see him something.

how it works. Like in fact, I think he should be more prepared to deal with this kind of stuff, and yet I just I don't know. To me, it seems more like a circus to him.

in this industry as a coach. I mean, there are coaches who are a holes compared to Dion. I think they would never do that because they understand like that's just you know, they probably want to tell everybody who asked him a question, shut up, you're not worthy of a response for me, get out of my presence. Coaches are arrogant, a holes, but they like, that's not how this works. And Dion is just trying to change it. And again he's getting away with it. His bosses are

letting him do it. But that makes to me, like again, with the way he's carried himself and the way he's gone about everything, it to me, it's put it to where, dude, you better win. If not, the noise is going to be loud as can be from people who want to clown you, including myself. I'm one of those people. And yet I guess you know, if I worked for a Colorado outlet and I did it, I wouldn't be allowed around anymore to ask any question. It's just the softest

thing ever. All Right, we got a run. We'll have a short segment here to wrap up four o'clock hour, Its coffee and company. Feel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Some big news in the NFL today, as ceedee, Lamb has signed a big time extension. I believe he is the second highest paid player now in the NFL. Out that's not a quarterback. So that's a guy that Dallas needed to make sure the care of.

I mean, I don't know if this means that Dallas with Lamb back is going to be, you know, contending for a super Bowl, because you know, I believe that when I see it. But that guy had actually deserved and earned a big contract, where some other guys at his positioned, not to say they didn't deserve to be paid, but like City, Lamb had a hell of a year last year, and it's going to be I think a huge, huge factor in the NFL for many years to come.

So four years, one hundred and thirty six million dollar extension with one hundred million dollars of that guaranteed, So you know, a lot more money than me and probably you too, if we're being honest. So here is the income after taxes. Thirty four million in salary because twelve point six million is in federal tax, There's one million in jock tax, one million to his agent, and then eight hundred thousand in Medicare, So his net income eighteen

point six million. That's according to a sports business analyst here, that does a good job of nerding out on the real fiveinancials of these guys, which, yes, you know, Uncle Sam gets a cut, and he gets a huge cut if you've got a huge amount of money. That's how it works, all right. So it's not just Dion that

you know has gone soft here. Apparently Dabo Sweeney has gone which I'll be honest with you, I don't know for sure, but I would be willing to bet that Dabbo is not the one who decided they'd no longer take calls on his Coaches show, because I think Dabbo likes tee and off on people, and I can respect that. Dabo a lot of the things he says I get.

I mean, you're gonna say one thing about Dabbo. He's at least consistent, and he's he's you know, he's gonna do what he wants to do, and he's gonna, I think, give you honest answers. And I mean, again, that didn't make me like him. I don't think he's a very likable guy, but I can at least appreciate that part

of it. So the Clemson sid has reported that they will no longer or I guess inform the media that they're not long gonna take live callers on that radio show, and this comes after their encounter with Tyler from Spartan during last year's football season, after Clemson started the season four and four.

complain and criticize the coaches and question everything. People like you, all right, When I hired Tony Elliott to be the offensive coordinator who never called a play in his life, I'm sure you were critical then, all right, and he took us to two national championships. People like you who just love to destroy people with your comments. All right, I'm sure you've never made any bad decisions. I'm sure you've lived a perfect life. I'm sure you've never I'm

sure you've led a bunch of people. I'm sure you do your job in front. So to answer your question, I started as the lowest paid coach in this freaking business, all right, And I'm where I am because I've worked my ass off every single day and I ain't gonna let some smart ass kid get on this phone and create this stuff.

can at least respect that. All Right, we got to get to the top of the hour break here. We got one more hour to go, the five o'clock hour, and a lot to get to dig around. I mean, why would you not what else you got to do? Whatever it is you were thinking about doing, I can tell you it won't be as good as this five o'clock hour.