It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety. Holy crap, I don't know who the hell we think we are. Get off our show, idiot.
The kids are playing or trail off their countries.
Are screwing it up.
Gold Play Inner Murals, Brother, gold Play Inner Murals.
They're supposed to be mature adults, but they're really not. Who's the kid here?
Who's the kid here?
Are you kidding me? Now? Here's Nick Coffee.
I feel like today's one of those days. I don't even need to ask you, guys if you're ready. I know you're ready. I can feel it, I can sense it. You are ready to rock and roll. Here on a Wednesday edition of Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety, Nick Coffee. That is me, the company man, mister John all On alongside today. I know John's ready. I was in the I was in my car. I don't know why I do this. I usually park and just sit, and it's not because like I'm dreading
getting out and walking into work. I love what I do for a living. I mean it's it's it's awesome. I'm very fortunate, and I don't really do like I don't. I just sit. I don't know why. I know a lot of people talk about when they get home and they pull in the driveway or the garage, they just kind of sit. I do that too, but I'd be a liar if I said it's because like I'm dreading what I'm about to walk into. I don't know, just
something that something that I do. But anyways, I'm sitting there and all of a sudden, in my rear view, I can see somebody walking up the garage, and it reminded me of what you see when they show NBA players when they're in the bowels of the arena. They're walking in showing off a fresh outfit, game face on the cameras are showing them. That's what the company man looked like as he was strolling in here to our iHeart Studios today, So I know he's ready to rock and.
ROLLA That may be the nicest compliment you've ever given me, the best hype up you've ever.
Got, Oh dude, I can hype my guys up. If there's one thing I'm gonna I'm gonna hip the fellaws up. That's something that just is it's something that I I mean not to brag, but I'm good at it. I'm good at that. So I mean he's ready. I saw him walking in. I mean he looked like he was focused, looks like he was ready to put together a phenomenal show today. And that's what we're gonna try to do. So let's let's do it, shall we again? Coffee and Company,
that's us. Don't forget. You could take us with you wherever you go. Listen live on the Aheart Radio. Listen live. It's seven ninety Louisville dot com. It's football season, folks. I mean we've got college football games tomorrow and then of course you've got Friday games as well. I mean, this weekend is just I mean, it's a it's a football frenzy. NFL starts next week, of course, a week
from tomorrow. So I'm excited. And you know, I don't want to pick on anybody, but I couldn't help but just laugh at one of the emails I got earlier today. So I get emails from PR companies not because they know who I am, because like I'm on the list, right, they get all the email addresses for those that have a talk radio platform, and these PR companies are out there trying to pimp out whoever hired them to, you know, pimp them out. Right, Do you want to bring on
this guest to talk about his book? He wrote, so like, they don't know that I'm a sports radio host, and then I don't give a damn about what they're promoting. I'm just one of many, and they do personalize it, right, Hi, Nick? And I'm sure you know they've got some kind of software maybe AI even that can generate you know, just by looking at the email address and knowing to just add first name here and then you know, the same
message goes out to thousands of people. But you know, I mean, let me read it to you, Hi, Nick. I wanted to reach out as I'm working with Homer Simpson's favorite band of all time, legendary seventies rock band Grand Funk Railroad on the road following last year's American Band Tour. They'll be performing at the Louisville Palace on October seventeenth. We've got a show teaser you can watch here.
Love to coordinate an interview with the original member Don Brew where he did vocals and drums for a feature to run ahead of the show, if possible, let me know more on Grand Funk Railroad below, Like, do you know it's football season here? Sir, with all due respect, No, I'm not interested.
And then it's a Grand Funk Railroad season.
Man, No, it's not not right, not now. John. I could sense that you were actually would be interested in that, right, Are you a Simpsons guy.
I'm not a Simpsons guy, nor am I a Grand Funk Railroad guy. But I know that they're They're pretty instrumental when it comes to the history of rock in the United States.
I know that much.
Okay, Well, I know they are old. They're from the seventh Are they known from the Simpsons? They must be Like I was gonna say, why bring that into it? By the way, they must assume you're a Simpsons fan. Well, I don't say this like to brag, because I have nothing against it. It's one of the most successful shows ever as far as how long it's lasted. But I do feel like I am in a very small minority. I've never watched a second of The Simpsons never. I mean, is it still on?
It is?
Right?
I think it's got a million seasons. I've never seen any like you you've never seen it either. I mean maybe clips here and there, but I've never sit down and set aside time to watch an episode of The Simpsons.
Okay, I'd say it be impossible to not have like seen like it, clips of it or whatever on the internet, or like back in the day when I used to watch live TV before the streaming world existed, I mean, you'd see all kinds of promotional commercials about programming on different networks. Right and now that I think of it, I'm trying when I watch NFL games on Fox, I think that's when I see something about The Simpsons. But I've never watched it. And again it's not because I'm
like it sucks. It's just, first of all, it's never really been It's just not my kind of thing. But I feel like it as long as it's been around. I mean, in fact, it's kind of clearly it has a huge fan base of people who love the Simpsons, or it wouldn't be on for you know, a million seasons, as you said. So anyways, again I'm not distracted, but did people know where we are here? It's end of August, it's about to go down. It's about to happen. I mean,
it already has happened with a Week zero. That was just that was just the appetizer, right, and the appetiser was pretty filling. If I'm going to be honest with you, nice upset FSU going down SMU Nevada. I mean that was actually a weird game. SMU shouldn't have won, but
they did. And then I don't think that this I knew how this game ended, but I had FS one on FS one on the TV the other night on Monday night when I was going to bed, just because they were replaying the game, and like, I didn't realize how exciting the very end of the NOVAA of the New Mexican New Mexico Montana State game. So you know, week zero it was a tease. But now we're here, folks, and I you know, with all due respect, I don't want to talk about the Grand Funk Railroad today.
That doesn't even sound like a band name, to be honest. It sounds like I don't even know what it sounds like to be I mean, I told you I'm familiar with who they are, but Grand Funk Railroad. What's the first thing that comes to mind if you didn't know they were a seventies rock band.
Oh, I think funk. I'm thinking like because I actually like funk. Funk is a legitimate genre that I'm a fan of. But says they're known as the American Band. The high energy five piece group includes original founding members Don Brine. We need to get another names, but now you have to play at least one Grand Funk Railroad return. Okay, okay, And that's why you're the best, Because you are. I didn't even need to tell him, folks, he knew it.
Look at me stepping on the toes here as he arrived ready to deliver today, because that's what he does in the.
Horn of Grand Funk rail Road before I came in the garage.
That's what it was. That's why you had that pep in your step, and that had look in your eye of focus and just ready to ready to get after it today. Good stuff, all right. Speaking of good stuff, shout out to the Louisville volleyball team last night. I didn't talk much about it yesterday. In fact, I don't
think I mentioned it at all. And it wasn't because you know, I was anti volleyball but you know, it's just not something that typically comes to mind whenever I'm on the air here, and I'm not sure if it's ever going to be a sport that really gets a ton of coverage on a platform like this, but there's no doubt it's a growing sport. And any time we talk volleyball, which is rare, I say the same thing. But I think it's worth saying again because it remains
to be true. It's a really really undervalued television product. Now maybe not as much anymore, because last night, what a great way to get the volleyball season started. At the collegiate level. You had what four top ten teams playing Kentucky and Nebraska.
I think was it, Yeah, it was Nebraska.
And then of course Louisville in Wisconsin, and Louisville was able to hold on and win against the number three team in the country. I think they won in four sets. So, you know, Danny Busboom Kelly, you know, she like Jeff Walls and Dan McDonald and I know you know, as far as recency, Jeff didn't have his best season last year, but you know, wouldn't be shot. I mean, Jeff's kind of guy that if he goes to a final four
any year, nobody's surprised. And with Dann McDonald, clearly things have fallen off a little bit, but I feel like momentum is heading in the right direction and they've been able to really utilize some good NIL funds to get back on track. But what I'm getting at is thatdie Bus from Kelly is now is now in the tier to where she has the program near the top in the country, certainly in the top tier among others, and in any moment, if that breakthrough happens and she wins
a national championship, nobody's gonna be surprised. So by the way, that was, I forgot to turn the soundboard down. That was like an ad that almost started playing on If you heard that or not, John.
No, I didn't hear it.
It was like a little almost sound like a spaceship coming in. Might have been the Grand Funk Revival coming to hijack the show road, right, would I say the revival?
Yeah?
Basketball, Yeah, that's what it is.
Anyways, So you know it's a It's when I talk about it being a good TV product, you can have no clue who any team is. Now, Clearly you do when it comes to But you can be someone just looking for live sports or just looking for something live
to watch on television. You can stumble upon college volleyball, and even if you're not that exposed to the sport, or really you've never been exposed to it, you can you can easily understand how it works, how they score points, like what's going on, and it's high energy, there's very little downtime, like it's I enjoy watching it.
Again.
I'm not gonna lie to you and say I seek it out. But last night the wife, the kids went to bed relatively early for them. But this game they call it a game, with it a match. I think it's a match, right.
Actually, that's a good question. I think you're correct.
Look, I'm gonna be transparent and honest with you, like I'm not I if I start talking volleyball, I'll slip up and really show how much I don't know about it. But I think they call it a match, right, I think.
So volleyball match? That sounds correct. Yeah.
So this match, because there it was a double header, didn't start till very late into the evening, and I, I mean I kept it on until the very end because I was into it. It was good stuff. So shout out to the Loull women's volleyball I mean volleyball. There's not a men's volleyball team, but anyways, they had a great start to their season last night, knocking off
a top three team. And again, when you've got the personnel they've got coming back, led by Anna de Beer, who of course is a local product, an All American ACC Player of the Year last year, and of course she ended the match with a great block. You're in your I mean again, I'm not gonna be a phony and act like you know I I've some huge fan that goes to every match or anything like that. I've
been to a couple over the years. And you know, but when you have a program on campus that is in the top tier of their sport, that again, at any moment, that breakthrough could happen to where you win the whole thing. You know, don't take that for granted because it hasn't happened yet for Jeff Walls, and it hasn't happened yet for Dan McDonald. And you know, again, at any moment, especially with Jeff Walls, that could you flip at the switch in your back and nobody would
be shocked. But you know, never take those for granted any time, because you just never know when that you know that can go away. I mean, look at Louis of men's basketball. You know there was run there where, maybe not every year, you felt like you were right
there to where you should win a national championship. I mean, I think there's been a couple of years where that's that's been the case, but you know, you always felt like you were good enough to compete with just about anybody, and on any given night wouldn't be a shocker if you won a game to advance you to the Final four, or maybe won a game to get you to the national championship game. And obviously when it comes to men's basketball, my goodness, a lot has changed since then. I think
they're in a good place now. But anyway, shout out to Danny Busmim Kelly, her program, and all the fans that stayed late last night because it was it was a very very late night. All right, I guess we'll start where we have started many days, it seems like in the last week and a half, and that is Hamari Huggins Bruce. So it's official. He is on the roster. He is officially you know, practicing, and I guess he's eligible.
I mean, I mean, there hasn't been anything official from the University of Louisville in regards to them appealing something or them awaiting clearance. They just I mean, it's been pretty vague. And I know, I yesterday I read what was over at Matt mcgavick's site, you know, kind of detailing things. And you know, I know Matt wouldn't put this out there unless he got it from somebody probably within U of L, meaning you know, a spokesperson for
the program, and uh, you know, we'll see. I mean, I actually, let me let me see here did he update it? He might have updated it unless I'm looking at something old. Here we go, now, never mind, this is this is this was? There we go. I clicked, I clicked the wrong story. Apologies.
Yeah.
Here here, I'm gonna read it once again. Says that, uh, he will be immediately eligible to play so long as he meets certain academic requirements according to legislation passed by the n CULA earlier this year. Now, John, you're smarter than I am. I'm just gonna read that sentence one more time. You try to tell me with that big brain ears how to decipher this. We're gonna decipher things like the great Connor Stallions. Does he decipher for signals?
John's gonna decipher this sentence for a dumb ass like me. He will be immediately eligible to play, so long as he meets certain academic requirements, according to legislation passed by the NCAA earlier this year. I'm not smart enough to read that sentence coherently. I mean, does that mean? What does that mean?
It reminds me kind of of what Tyler Johnson went through last year for some reason. I don't know if it's the exact same thing.
We no with him.
They were just waiting like they knew that they had to wait for the nc double A okay here, I mean again like that. There's two sides of it that I keep going back and forth on. One is well, I mean, if he's here and he's practicing, they feel like he's gonna be able to play and they're good
to go. The other side is well they're not. I mean, am I wrong here to say that if he was eligible to play and compete and be on the field for Saturday's game against Austin p they would say that in a statement, right, yes, So like maybe they don't. I mean, again, we don't even know if there are any rules anymore. Right, we're talking about the NCAA. So maybe there's a chance that they just, you know, they
don't really know what they can and can't do. NCAA headn't returned to an email like they maybe they don't know what to do. But one thing I will say is that if somehow he is able to get out there, I mean, if like we find out, hey, no, he's here, he's good to go, Like, they can put him in the game if they want, they can start him on Saturday.
I was talking to somebody yesterday who you know. Again, when I start yapping about things I don't really know and I'm just kind of guessing and speculating, I try not to mislead people. I try to make it pretty clear whenever I'm just you know, speculating and guessing. And I have no problem telling anybody when it comes to certain things like hey, I got no clue. I'm in the same boat as you guys. In fact, some of
you guys made no more information than me. But they're gonna give guys like Jayden Thompson, Harris Hicks, Jelil McClain. They're gonna get their first crack at being that slot guy to fill in for Colin Lacey. And it really has nothing to do with the Marriy Huggins Bruce. It's just because they've they've been here and they've earned it. Like they've been they've been competing in camp and I
think they are welcoming Amari back with open arms. When I say they, I mean the program meeting Jeff Brohm, but he left, So again, I don't think that they're doing this because oh no, he can't. He's gonna have to really start from the very bottom because he decided to transfer. I mean, this is a business now, this is pro sports, and Maury Huggins Bruce hit the portal and I don't even think Jeff brom could have blamed him. Right.
They brought in Colin Lacey, which it's really starting to really starting to make me sad about him because we hear Jeff not only say, but if you watch the press conference, his face kind of set it too that he was really coming on before the injury and they were gonna use him in a variety of different ways.
But also I'm looking at all these preseason lists, and I don't mean like awards watch list, but like, I've got a couple of you know, couple of PDFs that I pay for to get access to that can help me make wagers. One I'm gonna give it another shot. It didn't help me much last year. There's another one
that was pretty useful. But they're mentioning like best transfers at receiver, best transfers coming out of the G five, all Americans at just this position, best ten receivers in the country, and like Colin Lacy's name's popping up everywhere.
So it's a bummer to see him go. And he has great credentials, an impressive resume, which is why when you're a Mario Huggins Bruce and you see this guy coming in, Hey, no hard feelings, love you guys, but I'm gonna go back home and do what's best for me and you know, try to compete there and get a starting spot. Well it didn't work out. He didn't get a starting spot, so he's back here at Louisville, and it's a good thing. But if he is giving the green light, and he's eligible to play right now.
I still think you're gonna see other guys get a chance, not just this week, but next week before they decide not to say he won't get a snap here or there. Maybe they'll throw him out there. But you know, I think me yesterday mentioning if they start Huggins Bruce, it would say a lot more about what they think of those guys than anything else. I think that probably triggered somebody to say, hey, you know, let him know that these guys we you know, cause again I talked about it.
Maybe it wasn't yesterday, but I know upset it at some point. I think when it comes to the receiver position, Jeff Brohm likes the talent that he has. He likes the pieces that he has. Obviously they're much better at that spot if they have called a lacy back, but he likes what he has to work with. Therefore, you know, it's just about can you become a consistent playmaker when it matters, you know, against against another opponent, when the lights are on, when it's you know, when it's when
it's real. So he's here, he's practicing, is he actually eligible that I don't know, so we'll see. All right, we're loaded today. Yesterday I made it an executive decision on behalf of the city of Louisville to ban andy casts. He might have redeemed himself today with a new list. We'll take a look at that. And also we're getting closer, folks. Tomorrow we got college football, and then of course it's it's college football Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. You
kid me. It's good stuff. So I want to get into some of the some of the games I'm interested in wagering on, and again you won't. You guys know how this works, right. You can either listen to me share why I'm betting something and think, man, this guy knows his stuff. I'm getting in on this, or you can be like, man, I am gonna do what I did last year, put a nice little chunk in the kid's college savings account. Fading knicks picks. Let's do it again.
We'll send the kids to whatever school they want. Tuition won't be a problem. So whatever you want to do, do exactly that. But we are going to talk about some sports wagering. We're gonna be joined by Alex Kupper coming up at four oh five. He'll give us his thoughts on you know, this matchup, and we're not going to talk a lot about Austin p Why would we do that. But Cup can give us some perspective as far as what it's like as a player when you know you're about to go against a team that's just
there to again collect the check. Bend over, take a butt whoopin. People get uncomfortable when I say bend over. I don't know why you can been over. You've been over entire shoe Folks like you guys are perverts. When I say bend over, people, you guys are, get your head out of the gutter. Grow up?
Would you.
Can you guys match my maturity level? That was sarcasm. If you didn't, if you didn't pick up on that. So again, we're loaded today and I hope you guys will stick with us. We'll let you guys be a part of the show. Five oh two five seven seventy nine hundred is the number. If you want to give us a call. You could text in on the LNN Federal Credit Union text line at five oh two six five three zero seven ninety and I'm waiting for an RSVP.
On another guest, We're gonna talk to Brian Edwards from Vegas Insider at some point Vegas Insider, I barely know her. Can I keep doing that?
Or is that gonna?
Is that gonna get stick?
I think you can keep doing that because I.
You know, when you say, Insider, what was you know?
What was?
What was the other one?
I did the other day?
Something I remember? You know what I'm talking about though, something about like I barely know or who was it? It's gonna drive me crazy. Anyways. Uh, he's got like six jobs now, so he was doing his live show for Vegas Insider. I think it is earlier today, and I'm trying to see if he's gonna be able to do a fourth or five thirty today. If not, we'll get him on tomorrow. Still with us again, it's Coffee and Company. We are feeling about Thornton's right here on
Sports Talk seven ninety. It's a very known song.
Right this is their biggest tip.
I would say, text line let me know like that. I would be lucky to have a conversation with this this great group. And look, I'm just not familiar, but let me ask you this. If you told this gentleman, I've already forgotten his name.
The Dawn guy. I can't remember his name either, Don Brewer, Don Brewer Grant.
If you told Don Brewer from Grand Funk Railroad, Hey, we're gonna promote your your show coming up in Louisville. We're gonna put you on with a thirty six year old sports talk radio host who doesn't know who you are, gonna be a real he would say, what do you do? He'd fire this pr coump. He would like, it doesn't make any sense, Like I'm not gonna make him look good. I don't know what about him.
He didn't need me.
I'd have one question for me to say. I would just say, how does it feel to out last Black Sabbath? Because they're retired, they're from the same era.
You could you could do it like you if you if you put ten minutes into preparing an interview, you would do a really good job because, like you know, you're you way more musically in cline than I am, even about music that is way before my time, but even more so before your time.
Yes, and that.
Would like that's actually that would be a good question, Like that would be that's a nice light question that just would make that interview conversational. Does that make sense? And I would just be so uncomfortable knowing I'm swe out of my element. Does that make sense?
Yeah, I'd get it.
It's like whenever somebody randomly brings me a guest when we're doing a live show somewhere, like, I'm just not built. I'm not as good as others when it comes to being able to handle that.
Like one of you, I remember you told me one of your very first interviews. I think it was a w KU administrator or something like that.
So we did a we did. It was when I worked for a different station and we were doing a show at a golf course. And I don't believe it had anything to do with this event. I think we were just there doing a remote at the golf course, but it was. It was when w KU was doing their Topper tour. And like that's kind of like the Cardinal Caravan, kind of like Who's your Indiana does the who what they call it?
I don't know if I can't remember the name, but yeah, but they.
Go to all kinds of places across the state just to kind of promote you know it's it's a it's a comedic common thing with an athletic athletic department. So they're there, and uh the s I d at WKU at the time, I think thought I was there because I just I wanted to you know, I wanted to get I wanted to be up close and personal with the you know, the brass of the athletic department at Western Kentucky. So and I knew this guy. His name
was Stats. He went by Stats, went to Trinity. He's like my age, and he's he was a PR superstar at a young age, and he, I guess just thought he was hooking me up. He brought uh, he brought Ray Harper over to the to the to the table. I was doing the show and he just had him sit down. Ray Harper is just doing what he's told him. Who the hell I am? So like, I guess that was an invitation. Hey, we've got you, Ray Harper. I think there's a big miscommunication. They just assumed I was
there for them and I wasn't. So Ray Harper puts on a headset. The WKU basketball coach, I knew one player on his team. It was George Fant who had just it was probably the highest ranked high school recruit to come to Western Kentucky. He's from Bowling Green, by the way. He's actually an NFL player right now, an offensive lineman. But he was a highly ranked guy, probably not the highest ranked WKU's had because you know, what's his name was there buying all the players before it
was before it was legal to do it. Who's the guy they moved on from WKU. Stansbury, Yeah, Stansbury. So anyways, I mean, I'm just, I mean, i' I'm just yapping, don't even know what I'm saying, not even sure what's coming out of my mouth. And I think I asked him just five different questions about one specific player who was just an incoming freshman who never played a game, and he looked at me kind of like, the Hell's
wrong with this guy? And I'm just so I always remember that, and maybe if that didn't happen, I'd be
a little more comfortable. But I always go back to that Ray Harper interview when somebody just, you know, whenever I'm out of my element and I'm interviewing somebody, not only that I wasn't prepared for, but like that, I don't know a whole lot about like, believe it or not, when we bring on some of our guests that are joining us on behalf of our partners, I put a lot of time into educating myself enough to where I can have a conversation and ask questions without sounding as
if like I'm speaking a foreign language to them. So like whenever I'm at the ACC Basketball media Days, which by the way, I'm gonna go to that next month, and they just bring over a random coach like one that's not really like that, that's not really what this
show is. But also like no offense, I don't really have any interest in talking to them, but they assume that if you're there, then you want all the coaches, and that's just you know, it's not really my thing and more than you mean, I'm sure people would love to hear coaches more so than me, But like I just I don't know, I don't know enough of I can't fake that I'm really interested in talking to somebody. Does that make sense? Yes, Vannetti's great at that, and
I shouldn't assume that he's faking it. He's faking it a lot of the time. He's faking it when he had interested in talking to me. That's just who that she's a good sales Oh absolutely, he is nobody better. But anyways, shout out to a Grand Funk Railroad. I'll tell you this. They got a lot of free plug today on this show. They did we need to do the exactly don't know the palace? Now you do exactly? Now you do October seventeenth. So so there you go.
All right, we'll get back into football coming up here shortly.
But I do want to share with you something that that I think I'm going to have a hard time doing, and that is, you know, not being able to control myself from defending Pack Kelsey when those that still somehow believe that Kenny Payne was wronged come after my man, p K. And the reason this is on my mind is because I'm looking at pictures here on social media because I knew I smelled something funny when I got out of my car today, Mark.
Pope's and Louisville John oh Man.
Yeah, so Pat Kelsey, Mark Pope and Mayor Craig Greenberg are I mean, I guess it's concluded now. It was earlier this afternoon, but they were speaking at what is
the event here. It is the leadership Louisville luncheon, and again both Kelsey and Pope along with Mayor Greenberg Any be Shears there as well, So the big brass here and when it comes to basketball in this state as well as leadership in Louisville and in this state with Greenberg and besher So, you know, I see Kelsey here looking like a million bucks, and you know, I go back to what I saw earlier today I had I had to get into the weeds once again on Twitter,
and I just couldn't help myself. Well you know how I couldn't help myself when people would try to act like I was like my criticism and just what I mean, it is criticism, but it was just stating the obvious. It was just acknowledging what was happening. It really wasn't opinion based. And people would claim that, you know, acknowledging the lotwle of basketball had fallen to a level nobody
ever thought possible. Was That's just me manufacturing that because I'm a hater and I'm you know, anti Kenny Payne, Like still can't believe people thought that way. And yet there are people now and I don't want to act like this is a big representation. It's a tiny, tiny minority, and I need to just get over it. I need to, you know, just not let myself get caught up in it. But I have a hard time. So I'll share with
you some context here to what I'm referring to. So Mark Pope, as you know, landed Malachi Moreno, I think it was earlier this month, and that's a big time recruit kid right there in their backyard in Lexington. And then also Jasper Johnson. I mean, he's going to make his decision next week at Woodford County High School and the belief is that he's going to go to Kentucky, which again I've been pretty clear, that's huge for Kentucky,
that's huge for Mark Pope. Do those kids come to Kentucky if they're not from Kentucky, Probably not, but either way it doesn't matter. You know, they weren't gonna come to Kentucky probably and now they are, and you know that would be a big get for them. I won't try away from that. But one of the people who still believe Kenny Payne was wronged and that he was a good coach, I can't even speaking on people who
think that and believed, like I can't. I just can't in any way process or comprehend that anybody could have that thought and actually believe it. But they do, and it fascinates me. But this tweet came out yesterday, I guess it was, and I saw it this morning. If Pope lands both Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson, Pat Kelsey is on the clock. Kelsey has yet to land his first commitment for the class of twenty twenty five. The honeymoon is over. We need recruits. That's a real person
meaning what they're saying. That's not sarcasm, that's not trying to troll, because it's the same person that you know at times had blocked me and came at me personally about like, you know, my appearance and about you know me personally. If you don't like me, that's fine. But like when I tell you Kenny Payne was allows he coach, I'm stating an obvious fact. That's not even an opinion, that's factual. There's evidence that supports that as a fact.
You go to the dictionary awful coach, they probably will reference him as an example. Maybe the lead example, So you say things like that, and again, that's not personal about Kenny Payne's him. That's aout him as a coach, and it would lead to people, you know, just being the worst Kenny Payne. He hasn't he won four games in year one. Nick Coffee, you look like you were
you know, you look like a deformed beaver. I was told one time I looked like I was conceived by a ball, a beaver and a bald lesbian, which actually was pretty pretty. That was one where I was reading the mean comments that i'd gotten and I said that when my wife laughed, and I've never let her live it down. She thought that was funny. She must think it's true. Well, you had kids with me, so the joke's on you, honey. Anyways, Like, what do we do with these with people who put this stuff out there
into the air. I know the answer, ignore it, but I can't because it's it's it's insane to me that people believe that, and it's not. Again, it's a small group. And the responses here, you know, are are exactly the way I'm feeling. And and my response was this, like the last staff did not recruit at all, not a single visitor last fall during a ten win football season. And yet fans like this, and you're not a Louisville fan, you're a Kenny Payne fan, right that you. I mean
that that's what it is. But they shamefully defended that man at all costs when he didn't do anything. He didn't he didn't try. And Pat Kelsey and his staff they're gonna put together a really good class. I don't know where it's gonna I don't know how many guys they're gonna get. And that's just like somebody trying to set this guy up for failure. And you know, they'll claim that that's how it worked out with Kenny. It's
not at all. Kenny Payne showed us from day one he was incompetent, he was not qualified, was gonna be terrible, and it played out exactly that way. And I say this with sincerity. The best thing that ever happened was that man being consistent because we knew right like from day one, he never did anything that showed you in any way that things were gonna be okay and he was gonna be able to I mean not only I mean like not even succeed like he was so bad and we all know that, and I just thought we
were all removed from the toxicity of that era. And yet because there's a lot of people who were probably in the same I shouldn't say a lot, but you know, you know, there was a handful of fans that still, you know, just acted as if it was all the fans fault because we were negative and like the stuff that Kenny Paine said in his last press conference at Louisville, like they believe they agreed with him. I just can't process that.
Again.
I think that's somebody that's more of a Kenny Paine fan than a Louisville fan. But nonetheless, a lot of those people that were in that small minority have completely all bought in, and you know, they realized that they were, you know, just and again there's something to be said about just hey, if he's your coach, you're that big of a fan, you're just going to support, support, support, be a fan the way you want to be a fan.
But I don't think that's being a fan. Again, Why bring up like that's just looking for like it's the first time I've seen what I hope wouldn't happen, which is somebody trying to find an opportunity to criticize Pat Kelsey, So then maybe they can feel a little bit better about the way the Kenny Payne era ended. And by the way, again he's going to put together a good class, not to mention, he landed the ninth best recruit in program history, the ninth best player that's ever committed to
Louislle is Kahani rus who's the only freshman on this team. So, I, you know, I should ignore it. I should leave it alone, but I can't. If I could, I would, I could, I would, all right, five two the number if you want to give us a call. You can also text in on the Ellen and Federal Credit Union text line. Let's go to the phone lines and welcome in mister Steve. Steve, how are you doing today?
Hey?
Nick, I can hear the anger of your voice. I wish you could let it go because it's over and it's done.
Uh you know.
And I would tell this person, well, gee, p K is getting a visit from the number one recruit in the country on during the uh you know, the October thing that they're going to do this year.
Yep.
Yeah, So I just think that you know that it's just ridiculous and how much longer do we have to put up with this crap? Who knows? But I think one of the funniest and most pathetic, maybe not funny. Who is the recruit that came into town and got off the plane and then went up to Lexington.
I forget already forgotten his name.
But I know that, yeah, exactly.
I mean that was just so sad, empathetic, and I think that's when our program hits probably as low as it could go at that point, even though they lost more games after that happened, but it was just such a I love your show and I wish you will hopefully you'll let it go.
Thank you. I appreciate it. Steve. Yeah, that was I mean that was again, there were countless things you could just you could just stack up that that really is just a out of you know, doesn't seem real, right, Twilight Zone, like this can't be happening. Yeah, I forgot about that kid. He was from Boston, I think it was. And you know, there was reports that because that's what Kenny and it guess what Kenny tried to do is to and when everybody was worried in fact, worry was gone.
Everybody was well aware of what this was, you know, because he didn't recruit at all. He did not recruit in In in the twenty twenty five or im sorry, twenty twenty four class, like he didn't. They didn't have any visitors. At one point, they were the only Power five school that did not have a commitment, and I think they ended up being the only school that never got a freshman to commit, you know. And then of course he was fired and now we had we have
Khani rus in the mix. But yes, that was just I mean, that was that was something added to the list. So again I will look, I'll try to move on, and I you know, if anything, I'm transparent, but like that just that aid at me because I'm thinking, like we're so removed from it, and yet momentum is great right now for basketball, I mean, couldn't be better.
Now.
Again, We'll see what happens when the season's here, and I think they're gonna be able to win some games and give fans something to not only be excited about this year, but something to believe in moving forward to where you feel like the program is going to be in great shape in years to come and trying to manufacture some non existent failure there in recruiting. It just it took me back to the dark place, John, and I.
Don't want to go back.
No, no, specifically, I mean, I doubt that, but I mean, and that's the thing. This was some rando, but it's somebody out recognize pawn the platform who was oftentimes acting as if my criticism in my comments were a part of Kenny Payne's failure like it, you know, which, I appreciate you thinking I have some kind of an impact like that. But anyways, let's go back to the fall lines. Let's go to Jeff. Jeff, you're on sport Stock seventy ninety. What's happening here?
You goes, thanks for taking my call. Like I'm I lived in a little fifteen years and like a most of my family's UFL fans, I'm a UK fan, but like I follow u of L since Betino, and I just think like the UFL fan base, and I'll be honest, I'm being dead honest being a UK fan. When things are hot at Louisville and things are banging like that, there's no better atmosphere than at the Young Center. And the thing is is, like you, like the fans have
long suffered so much because of Kenny Payne. I just think like they're just psychologically they might be freaking out. At the same time they have delusions of graender because obviously louisvel is the top ten all time program. They want things to happen overnight. The same thing with a UK, like people just people have got to let the process take hold. The guy's young, he's exciting, he's charismatic, he's electric,
just like a lot like Pope, embrace it. I mean, people have to understand the old guards leaving, cal Perry's getting old, Rick Mattino, all these all the stuff that you know, we have identified I'm in my early forties, that we've identified as success in our states, of our state as a UK or U of l Fan as far as basketball, that success of those of those those coaches. They're gone and we have to embrace the new breed. And it's gonna take Tom to for that level to
get back up. But I know I understand people as much as they're getting paid in the and everything, they want to get to the top as quick as possible. But it's gonna take Tom you know, and and now with college basketball there's more parody. You're gonna have mid mid majors, smaller colleges that's gonna have way more success. And that's just the way it is now. But they're gonna definitely, I will say, they're definitely gonna have to
take hold and do well at the NIL. But I I really like this coach, uh, Jeff.
I appreciate the phone call. Look, I think that it's you know, from what I do, you know, from my perspective, meaning you know, talking sports every day to both fan bases, this is exciting and you know, take the rivalry stuff out of it. These two guys are young, energetic, they're fiery, they're passionate. They know that they are very fortunate to have the jobs they have, and I think that enthusiasm that they bring has rubbed off on both fan bases.
And by the way, both fan bases were not thrilled to know that these were the guys that were going to be their coaches. However, you know, all it took was these guys kind of introducing themselves, talking about their plan and and really sharing their passion and appreciation for the gig to where, you know, fans bought in and now we got to wait and see, you know, when the wins were, when the wins are going to come.
But he mentioned being a Kentucky fan and just you know how Louisville when it's rock and it's rocking, and he's right then he said, you know, I mean, I'll just say this, as much as Louisville has been through with a basketball program, we're not well mentally. We know that we're broken. But right now we have genuine excitement and enthusiasm and I think Pat Kelsey has delivered on that. And that was that's the first task, right he can't coach games till the seasons here, but he's put together
a good team. He has energized the fan base. There's real excitement, and that's that's the first step. Are we got to get to a break. We'll come back on the other side. Wrap at the three o'clock hour right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Speaking of enthusiasm and you know, excitement, The Villains, which is the u OFL Student Student Section student group, and they have sold out all of their memberships officially for the first time in
nearly ten years. So again that's just another example of momentum, morale, enthusiasm, it's there and that you know, I want all the sports that you've all to do great, but everything's got to you know, I mean, everything's better when your main sports men's basketball and football are in a good place.
And obviously little of basketball they haven't started their season yet, but but there's clearly it's already regardless of what happens overall, you're in a better position now than you were with the previous regime. And hoops, Jeff Brom's coming off with ten one season. So all right, we have very little time left here in the three o'clock hours, so let's uh, let's go to the phone lines once again. We've got another Jeff that's joining us. Jeff, you're on Sports Talk
seven ninety. What's happening?
Hey, Nick, thanks for the thanks for taking my call.
I love the show.
I'm thanking forward to the start of football and this year's basketball season. Uh, but I do have a question that has that has just weighed me down for a couple of years, and I just think you're the best guy that answer it, probably because you're the only one with the testicular fortitude to answer it.
All right.
But it seemed that before the hire of KP. Kiddy Faine, that a lot of a lot of that momentum, if you will, was kind of brought on by a lot of the local sports guys, you know, like you're you know, not saying you, but got to know what you mean? I got you, so I guess what I'm wanting to know is what And it was almost seemed like there was inside things that nobody else knew. The public didn't know. They were like, just trust this, Kenny Payne's our guy.
Can you shed any light on what any of that may have been that caused us to go in the direction of hiring our own Billy Gillespie here in the form of Kenny Payne. And I'll shut up and listen.
All right, Thank you, Jeff. I appreciate it, and I appreciate you acknowledging the testicular fortitude that I do carry. I'll say this, I think that there were there was a couple of people that probably felt that they would benefit with Kenny Payne being the coach, just because maybe access and maybe maybe they have a relationship with him or somebody close to him to where you know, it was like, hey, this, but I also think that a
lot of people believed he would succeed here. I think that it's just you know, and I don't have a lot of thought enough time to really get into it, Jeff, But what I will say is this, Louisville Basketball should have never hired somebody who'd never been a head coach before they did it, because at the time, coaches who had been successful that would be interested, that were actually had co which is, were guys that most people would be turned off by, myself included, like I thought to myself, no,
don't go get Matt McMahon at Murray State. I don't want to hire Kenny Payne because he's never been a head coach, but hey, at least that guy. There's the connection here. And the biggest lie was that Kenny Payne was this ace recruiter. Kenny Payne recruited at Kentucky with John cal Perry. I mean not to say anybody could do that, but let's be real here. So I just think it was all everybody was misled about what he
actually did at Kentucky. And that's not to say he didn't have any value there, but like any everything he did as an assistant coach really didn't have anything to do with what comes with being a head coach. And I think enough digging, enough talking, or would would would would tell you that. But I just think it were you know, as far as you're asking about those in the media, those that have a platform like this, they were advocating for Kenny. Maybe they believed in him. I
don't know. Maybe they thought that it would give them a chance. Because look a lot of people in what this is, they want to be latched. They want to latch onto a coach and have a relationship and have access and whatnot. And I can't lie and act like that's not a beneficial thing. But you know, I'm a Louisville fan to where like I thought to myself, uh, oh,
like this, it's a good story. He might recruit. But I just you know, I was never the guy that said you better not do it, it'll ruin the program. Nobody could have ever seen it playing out the way that it did. But I just like Louisville basketball is not a place you hire a guy who's never coached before. And we learned the hard way about that. All right, quick break, Alex Cupper's gonna join us coming up here on the other side. Two more hours to go, right here On Sports Talk seven ninety