KSR - 2024-02-05- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: February 5, 2024

KSR is Live at KSBar & Grille talking Kentucky's loss to Tennessee and taking your calls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Kentucky Sports Radio Monday, February the 5th. I am Matt Jones here at Lexington, Kentucky. The biggest story, of course, is the basketball game Saturday. You know, I spoke pretty extensively in a monologue on Saturday night, which people can hear on the podcast from the post game show.

So I guess, Ryan, I'll let you. You were at the game. Both of you were at the game. What were your thoughts? I mean, it was just a beat down. I mean, that's your rival over there, and they came in and beat you down from the opening tip. It was not a ballgame. And I just don't know how you – what was in the last three games you've given up, 94, 96, and 103 points in the last three games. How do you let anybody on your home floor score 103 points, and then it's your rival, and it's your second loss in a row?

I'm obviously frustrated. Most points given up in Rupp since Billy Clyde, the VMI game, which is still an amazing game, if you think about it in your head. And the first most by an SEC opponent, period, since 1993, that Arkansas team. By the way, in a game that was like 104 or 103, it was even different than this one. Drew? I'm still in a little bit of disbelief in how that happened. I knew there was a chance, maybe even a good chance without DJ Wagner, that they could lose. but they got whooped from the very beginning

at no point once Tennessee went up right away did I think Kentucky was going to win because they didn't even look like they belonged on the court in those first few minutes now they made some runs and got close but even then it felt like fools gold it felt like Tennessee was going to just punch right back which they did agree with you on that

that was the weirdest thing is that there was never a moment in the game I thought we were going to win even when they cut it to I think 46 45 I just felt like well hang on you know the one moment i got some optimism was the play at the end where they got a stop and then 5-8 ziegler tips it in to beat the shot clock and i just thought there that was maybe the one chance if they got to stop there because i think they'd cut it to four a little bit

but it was just such a waste well i know we'll talk about how awesome rup arena was that that had the potential to be on my all-time list if they were to win that game when i walked in the guy at the uh security gate he's been there for years we talked to Every game, he goes, buddy, it's a madhouse in here and get ready. And I walk straight from pregame show. This is an hour, over an hour before tip-off. I go to where we check in with the UK folks. They're like, it's crazy in here, get ready.

And it really was. People were, I mean, a lot of people were late arrivers, but the people there were cheering 45 minutes before tip-off, and were like that for most of the game, even when I felt like they didn't have a chance. But then for Kentucky, you never even have the lead. I'm just in shock that that happened. Yeah, no, not just you saying that,

but you're confirming what a lot of people said, which was one of the better pregame atmospheres they ever remember. By the way, on a side note, I am now 100% convinced on my theory that the cameras are different at ESPN than they are at CBS. And here's why I can say that. I was here Saturday during the day, and there was a Fox game that was on, Connecticut St. John's. And it was an insane like the sound in here. In this bar, the crowd sound was so loud. And then they went to Kansas at four.

I was in here, and they went to Kansas. Immediately after that, they go to another game. And immediately, the crowd sound just goes down. Right. And then later, Kansas Houston was on, and people said the Kansas Arena was as loud as it's ever been, and you could barely tell. So I do think it's important when you're judging the Rup crowd to remember

that I just don't think the ESPN cameras make the crowd what it is in person. Because I think it's easy to at home go, well that doesn't look that crazy but I just think ESPN just puts the camera puts the microphone in different places it were up and makes it to where it doesn't work as much I think it'll too because this is an issue that we're hearing over and over

and now you've got the proof where it literally went back to back and the sound in here like cut to half immediately and nobody was back there and nobody was back there flip it just it was the game switching um I was you know I'm not going to say

I don't think I was as upset as I was last when they lost to South Carolina because I thought, like Drew, there was a chance they would lose. I just couldn't believe how we just got whipped the whole game. I mean, how many games have there been? Did I see there's only been four times that Kentucky's been ranked? There was some stat like this since the start of the program where they've never led at home in a game. Really? 39 minutes and 48 seconds.

Tennessee was leading. And the only and the other 12 were tied. They got the ball, went down and hit a three. Kentucky was in the game for 12 seconds. Yeah, I mean, never led. I mean, there are not very many games at all at Rupp where Kentucky never has a lead the entire game. It was the most frustrated I've seen the fan base like, I don't want to say ever, but it's, it might be the most frustrated of the Cal here.

Would you agree with that? Even though, again, I don't think it's so much this game. Like, this is a loseable game, but on the heels of Florida and on the heels of, you know, all the other stuff in just the last couple years. I don't want to say it felt like a total breaking point, but it felt like a tipping point where some people who were kind of on the edge were kind of moving in a negative direction. Yeah, I think it definitely was a tipping point. To lose these two games at home in the same week, two teams that were basically kind of your

rivals and to get beat down the way you did on Saturday. I mean, I piggyback what Drew said, man. The crowd was awesome. It was into it. There were a lot of former players there. Tayshan, Michael Kit Gilfries, Patrick Patterson, did the Y. There were so many people. So many people there.

Chris Rodriguez, Wondell. I mean, there were so many guys there. And if you told me they were going to hold Connect, what do you get up? 16, 17 points? Five for 14. He had 12 points before the free throws started. And I thought, you're going to win if you hold him to that. But I just, for everybody else, that little Ziegler dude, he.

And he's actually over the years not played well against that. But he did last night. Boy, he did Saturday. He may be the best defensive player in the SEC. He totally took us out of everything we were trying to do offensively by his defensive president. By the way, we still, I think it's worth noting. Rob Dillon had put up 35. It was incredible.

I mean, we lose by 25 points if he has a normal game. I mean, if he just scores 20, it's embarrassing, right? Our guards scored 72 of the 92 points. Antonio Reeves again scored 21, and he doesn't. don't even feel like he was no he played uh four points from people over six eight yeah that's second in the row trey mitchell's kind of disappeared but when you're bigs six eight or over combined for four points yeah i mean that's i mean you're not going to win like no i have been uh you know well i was just i was so disappointed by it and it and you know i have to admit part

of it was on the heels of friday and we'll talk a little more about this later, but what happened on Friday after our show and just the way there became like an avalanche of frustration and flood at the, at the, at the, at the KSR, but I, I was very disappointed in the game. And then Cal doesn't do the post game. Now, I said this on the post on the, uh, my post game. I texted Drew right for the game and go, you know, he'll do the postgame radio, right? And Drew was like, like, of course. And then he didn't.

And I articulated this more on the show, but they sent Justin Edwards to do the player interview. The kid who's probably taken the most criticism of any player on the team this year. And he did it, and he did a good job. And then Cal skipped it. I couldn't believe he did that, Ryan. I mean, I couldn't. Like, I made this point on the post game.

he, one of his great traits has always been. He preaches accountability. That phrase, I can't hide you. You're at Kentucky. And his principle is you can't do other stuff here. And then he doesn't go. Now, I'm sure tonight when he's on his show, he'll have a reason, whatever. But that show could have taken 10 minutes.

There's no show tonight, too. And Brewzer is doing today's press conference. There's no show tonight. Because travel. Because it travels. So there'll be a show Wednesday. And they'll probably have won by the end and then he'll talk. But Bruce is doing the press conference today.

Yeah, I feel like maybe now would be a good time to do it. I mean, so he's not even going to talk at all. I mean, Ryan, that's unbelievably lame. It is unbelievably lame because you preach all the time about accountability. And your players preach, you tell these players they have to do something. You are making $10 million a year. and you have yet to say a word. And don't give me the press conference they do with the press.

There's like eight people there. And that's not going to be heard like the radio is. It's just, I think it's ridiculous, right? I do. I think it's Cal has been amazing here. He's been a great ambassador here. He has understood this program as well as any coach that's ever been here. That might be the lamest thing that he has done since he's been here.

It's chicken blank. It's exactly what it is. you've got to own up and face the music when things are bad. You do it when they sure do it when they're good. Do you think he'd have been out there if they won? 100%. Shannon, you think he's out there if they win? Oh, I know he's out there if they win.

Every time he wins, has he ever missed it when they win? And he would have said, you know, everybody was saying. Like, we know what he would have said, and then he loses and he doesn't even come. And let me give Orlando credit. Orlando sat there, answered every question, did a good job. But like, I love Orlando. But nobody wants to hear from Orlando, Drew. They want to hear from Cal.

I couldn't believe it. I don't go to press conferences. I sit out there and listen to the radio. You know, we have Jack and Zach go to the press conference. It kind of cover both. And I'm sitting there and people are walking by me on their way to the press conference going, Cal are going to come out? I'm like, I text to you.

I'm like, of course he is. Like, he knows the importance of this one. And when Coach O started walking out of that tunnel, I had to pick my jaw off the floor. I could not believe it. And the people out there are groaning going, where's Cal? Where's Cal? Oh, you can hear it over the radio. You can hear a couple people screaming, where's Cal?

And really, it's not even about what he's going to say. We all know he's got stock answers. But he spent the last two weeks begging Rupp Arena to show up, and they did. And a crowd hung around 30, 45 minutes after the game to hear from him. The people he begged to be there and that he doesn't walk out, that's what got me, the asking people to show up and then you don't show up. Even if you don't have the right answers, the kids out there with the basketball out, You can still send a few people home with smiles.

I mean, the radio crowd, you might not please, but there are still a few people there that can have a positive night if you show up. Maybe it's kids' first game. You just watched this team get their butt kicked. Maybe they get their ball sound and go home with a smile. You didn't even show your face. I couldn't believe it. I mean, Wednesday night, he did it for just a handful of minutes and goes,

listen, I'm tired. I've got to go. And then after a loss. And then Saturday, doesn't do it at all. I just think that used to be the thing you were the best at. You got this program. The people need to hear from you. There are still a lot of people.

There are people listening now who support Cal through and through. And those are the people you've got to say to them whatever. And he just has just, he's just deserted that. He has just completely gone away from everything that made him him. He was the best person that I've seen at this school at getting what Big Blue Nation is, and he has gotten away from all of it. He just has. And, you know, those folks that some of the younger folks didn't really live through those early years where he was doing all that stuff. But he was great at it, and I don't know what has happened with him.

Do you? No. You know, good leaders. patch you on the back when things are good and they help pick you up when things are bad when you're down okay he's our leader man be a leader i used to mock patino when every big loss not every but many big losses he would skip out you can't and so did all of us all of us did that we can't all of a sudden excuse it because it's our guy we just can't i i was shocked that he did that and then on the heels of that performance it was pretty terrible

8.5.9, go ahead. Well, I was just going to add, the one previewed the Tennessee game, Friday's press conference, Justin Edwards. Like he didn't even do Fridays, didn't do Saturdays post-game radio, and we get Bruiser today. This is when people need to hear from you. I know taking time off, do that a couple times a year, in the middle of a two-game losing streak in Rup Arena

is not when people need to hear from Bruiser Flint, Justin Edwards. Let me have to go break. 8-9-2807. We'll come back and we'll go right back to this. This is Kentucky Sports Radio. Welcome back, Techies Sports Radio. 859-280-2-807. We'll go to the phones here in just a second.

You were saying everyone left early? And I have to admit I did. When Ziegler got that put back at the end of the shot clock, went in, I'm like, there's just no, it's over. You know, so that's when I got up and left. What do you make of the Z? He's sick, but then he was up in the crowd, hanging out with the fans.

he's available in an emergency. It felt like an emergency shannon at times on Saturday. When the bigs only have four points, it feels a little bit like an emergency. Couldn't have done any worse. Yeah, that's sort of mysterious too, right? Like, if he's sick, why is he out there? That's the second time. I mean, Justin Edwards, I think, was like that too.

Sick, but they're on the, like. Edwards was too hurt to start, but checked in four minutes over the game. Well, there was someone else, though, that was earlier this year sick. Dillingham was sick at Florida on the bench. But he was still sitting there. Right. Big Z was in uniform before the game. And he was warming up.

And he was warming up. And he was going through warmups. So I don't understand that one either. Just all this misinformation just kind of all adds up to the frustration everybody's feeling right now. I don't understand why we, I mean, I know we're bad at defense. But that was some of the worst defense I've ever seen. I mean, everyone was open.

they, you know, they had to take one dribble. The guy called the post game show, I thought he was serious. I think he was kidding, but it goes to show you that he could have been serious when he said, you know, Matt, our defense is not as bad as you think. We're good as long as they don't set a pick. And he was like, 94% of the plays a pick is set, they score. And, like, that was a joke, but, like, I actually could have believed it. Yeah, I did.

I'm believing it right now. You know, I could have believed it because we, it felt like Tennessee could get, drew any shot they wanted at any point. We'll never know what happens in practice, but now that it's been weeks of the baseline stuff, I don't understand something that, I'm not being a smart ass, legit middle schoolers know how to stop.

They have not seemed to have made one adjustment. Ryan, I know drives you as crazy as anyone. And not just once, twice, and not just layups, slam dunks. So they got two layups and two, wide open threes. Unbelievable. They had 10 points without

doing anything but throwing the ball to the guy that's open. Those dunks, I mean, Jimmy Dykes, again, you are at the game. He says, I don't know why Reed Shepard's back is to the ball.

He goes, I've never seen anyone do that. And he did it the whole game. He did it the whole game, and he's done it the last few games. And Jimmy Dykes literally was like, I don't know why he does that. Well, clearly he does it because no one tells him not to do it. Maybe they've told him to do it because he's been doing it for the last dunks.

I know. One of the ones where Kinek got a dunk, Reid, you're supposed to be in between the inbounds and the goal, and it's like he's trying to guard them from getting to the tunnel to go to the locker room. Like he's not even in a position. I don't even know what he's guarding. He's like completely in no man's land with his handout. And Rick Barnes is no dummy.

He knows Kentucky's only going to play man to man so he can design plays that he knows. or we're going to get lost on it's going to work on out of bounds play time and time again and you can tell jimmy dykes really likes cow but i have felt like the whole game he was like close to going what are you doing cow like you could tell like you could kind of hear his voice going uh-huh what what what is going on like it was it was amazing and what and then you know you start to think about the bigger picture numbers and i read a lot of numbers yesterday Yeah. But the one that I think got the biggest reaction,

Shannon was my NCAA tournament number last night. Did you see that on Twitter, Shannon? No, I don't think I did. So here's my numbers. Since 2017, the Fox Monk Bampton. So I'm giving us credit for our Elite 8 run in 2019. Okay. All right.

Yeah. Which I could start with the COVID year, but then everybody would go, oh, you're just starting with the COVID year. So I actually go back to a couple years where we've been. played all right. I'm going to read you the amount of NCAA tournament wins for programs starting with the 2018 tournament. Okay. So basically for people, the last five NCAA tournaments. Because in 2020, we didn't have one. Gonzaga, 15. Kansas, 13. Villanova, 13. Houston, 12. Duke, 10. Baylor, nine. Michigan, nine. North Carolina, eight.

UCLA 8, Michigan State, 8, Arkansas 8, Auburn 8, Kentucky 6, 1 since 2019. That hurts, man. How does that happen? How does that happen with all the talent that they've had throughout those years? You get one. I mean, that's brutal. That is brutal. And when people say, and I read this a lot, man, you don't get it, there's so much more parity

now, parody, parody, parity. Okay, fine. Then how do you explain Gonzaga 15? Yeah. Kansas 13. Duke, 10, North Carolina. And I'll also note,

some of these teams, this number's about to go up. Kansas, Houston, Duke, North Carolina, their numbers are going up this year. Now, some of them aren't. Gonzaga probably won't. Baylor's going up. Michigan won't.

But Tennessee, we always make fun. How much do we make fun? fun of Rick Barnes in the post seat. All the time. You know how many Tennessee has? Six, exact same amount as that. And they haven't been to an elite eight, so at least they're consistently winning a couple games every year.

They have six. By the way, I left some teams out. Virginia has seven. I mean, there's a lot. There are more teams that have more than us. But that hurts. That stings a little bit. And one since 2019.

I hate heard about parody in the SEC, too, while we're on the subject. I know because Kentucky's records down, like I say the league's harder. Alabama has one loss. Last year they had two losses. The year before that, I think they had two losses. Last year, Auburn had two losses, maybe three the year before that. Those teams are having the same records that Kentucky was having when they were in the league.

It's like we just flip places with them. If the league's so much harder, how are they still going 16 and 2? Objectively, if you look since 2018, be totally objective. In the regular season, we're probably fourth best in the conference. behind Auburn, Tennessee, and Alabama, we're probably still ahead of Arkansas. If you throw in the postseason, Arkansas's probably ahead of us. Oh, no doubt.

And we're probably fifth best in the SEC since 2018. So I don't care what your argument is for parity. There should never, ever, ever be a time at Kentucky, where we're not either the first or second best program consistently in the conference. And in the last six years, we've been fourth, maybe fifth. To me, that's all you need to say right there. We'll take your calls. We'll be right back.

This is KSR. T.J. Smith, personal injury attorney. Call T.J. He'll make them pay. Now, more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones. Welcome back, Tucky Sports Radio. 859-280-2287. One person writes on the text machine, Matt, I listen to your post-game show.

I think it's good you just let the fans talk. But some of them seem very angry. Were you surprised? No. I actually thought people would be angry. like two people really angry. I thought there would be more than that. I also thought there'd be a couple of people,

though, call in to sort of take up and be positive. We really didn't have any of that. You know, so where do you think the fan base is real quick? Like, do you think the fan base? I know what I think the read on the fan base is. Ryan, you talk to a different kind of fan than I do. I probably talk to the, you know, 35 to 45-year-old fan and then the online fan, so I think that's it.

You kind of talked to 50 and over fan. Where do you think they are? Extremely, extremely frustrated. I think it's maybe just an accumulation of the last couple years, but I think this week it's probably the most frustration I've felt maybe since I've been here. Is that right? I mean, because it's just you see the talent, you see the players,

you know they should be better, and it's just the whole defensive thing I think is what, For my generation, you know, we were defense wins championships. You play good defense, you're going to win. And you had a team Tennessee that scored, what, 59 points the previous game, and they come in and had 53 in the second half against us. 57 in the second half. Scored 59 for the entire game against South Carolina.

That's crazy. I mean, Drew, you talked to similar people to me, but they're pretty bad. Oh, yeah, yeah. There's some positivity out there. I haven't scanned every corner of Big Blue Nation, but I'd say I've only mostly negative. And my friends, people in my life, it's almost all get them out of here. My text messages were basically just $9 million is all they said as that game ended. I'd say that people in Rupp Arena, Cal heard a lot of that walking out of the tunnel.

I could hear it from where I was sitting so I know he heard it. So there's a lot of people that are just completely done. Now, there are a few that are still on, but I'd say overall it is a lot of frustration and some past a breaking point. I want to give you one more number. So you remember what it was like at the end of the tubby era? Yes. A lot of our younger fans were little kids during that. So they may not remember it at all.

But at the end of the tubby era, it was pretty much universal agreement. It needed to end. Even the people who really liked him, like me. I was much more of a tubby. If there was a scale of tubby supporters slash tubby detractors, I was towards the upper end of the tubby supporter scale. I was too. So I'm going to give you the last five years of Kentucky NCAA terms.

Well, I just did. We've won six games. Let's go look at the last five years of Tubby. Okay. 2007, they won one tournament game. 2006, they won one. That's two. 2005, they won three.

That's five. 2004, they won one. That's six. And then in 2005, they won three. Excuse me, 2003, they won three. So they had nine tournament wins in five. years and this fan base was like get him out yep 10 lost tubby get him out that was five let me just tell you that was nine tournament wins to cal six during that period we were the number one overall seed

twice right the number so we had regular season success during those five years you know how i said we've won two combined SEC or tournament titles tubby won five Tubby had nine tournament wins, five SEC regular season or tournament wins. Cows had six and two. And everyone was ready for Tubby to go. Yep. And think about what, I'm probably going to miss one, but tubby had Rondo, Chuck Hayes, Keith Bogans, that are three NBA players. Hell, there's seven on this team.

Now, and that gets me to my final point, which is about what happened Friday. So we do the show, Shannon. I leave, I have to go to the dentist. Yeah. Who wants to go to the dentist? And they're about an hour. So when I leave, all the comments, I look at the comments from the show, pretty much universal positivity. It was nice with all the people at Kentucky branded saying hey to them, et cetera.

No negative. I go to the dentist. I get out at like 2 o'clock. And all of a sudden, my phone is blowing up with people not just furious. Like Matt Jones ruins the program. And I'm like, what are people, what? And I go and find the sort of basis of it. And it's that a handful of accounts had said that me and Drew had basically said DJ Wagner and quit the team or was going to quit the team.

Which was never said. It wasn't even hinted at. No. I go back and listen just to make sure, like, all right, was there anything? It was literally, it was just us talking about how. how there were some online reports that he had taken all his UK stuff off his Instagram, which turned out to be false. I said, I have no idea if that's true.

I'm not even on it. You said you didn't know. We noted that there, I think you said, Drew, there were some conspiracy theories, but you and I both praised what he was like on the bench. And we both made our predictions at the end as if he was going to play. Yeah. I even said they'd lose Shannon. It was Shannon's prediction that they'd lose if he didn't play.

And yet, all of a sudden, I became like the scourge of Big Blue Nation. And all of these people were like, Matt has led the charge against Cal. The fans don't like Cow because of Matt, just all this crazy stuff. And I just wanted to go, did you all live through the Tubby Smith era? I didn't even have a radio show then. And as I just showed you, they ran him out for far more success during that period than Cowes had. Now, I'm not going to sit here and spend the day like defending myself, but I will admit, Ryan, I couldn't believe it. And the way that people thought that somehow coming at me was like, like we were the ruin of the Kentucky basketball program is absolutely crazy to me.

Nobody in the world wants this program to win more than us, not just as fans. I literally sometimes can't watch games, I'm so nervous. But if you just think I'm not a fan, just from a business perspective, it's so much better when we win. Wouldn't we love to be celebrating beating Tennessee on this show and talking trash? Ryan, I have to tell you, you know, I'm used to getting criticized. I've been, you know, when I taught politics, criticized for any UK sport. I couldn't believe it Friday. I could not believe it.

And I, luckily, kind of was able to, you know, do other stuff and get away from it. But I couldn't believe it. It's totally. And no one, and none of them had listened to it. Sure. None of them had listened to what it said. Because when it did go up, somebody put the clip up, people were like, that's what everybody's upset about. but somebody who already had an agenda against you,

probably for political reasons, put something out there and it takes off, you know, not warranted, unfair. Like you said, the people don't even hear it. They just think they see something online. And they think, oh, that's the reason Kentucky basketball is playing bad because it's Matt Jones. Do you remember, Shannon, the amount of people that said,

I don't listen anymore, but Matt is a blobly, blah, blah, blah, blah. Yet they can quote stuff from the show somehow. Yeah, I don't listen anymore, but you're way too negative. Well, then how in the world would you even know that? It's like we don't listen to the clutter yet. You can point out specific things that we would say. So, you know, listen, I appreciate many listeners did take up for us. I got tons of encouraging message.

I just, I have to tell you, I wasn't prepared for, like, I didn't see that coming. And I, you know. Fans are frustrated, but you're not the poster child for what's going on with Kentucky basketball. I mean, listen, I like to think that we've had a heck of. of a success here. But if we are not that powerful, there's still a huge part of this fan base and has no idea who any of us are.

True. You know? So like, come on, give me a break. Also, where's this energy when SEC coaches are laughing because their game plans are working perfectly playing against our basketball team. I mean, listen, Florida's coach after they beat us.

It got lost in the shuffle, but basically laughed at UK. He basically laughed at UK and said, because Cali Perry had come up and said, you know, we beat them on every stat but won. And Florida's coach pulled out the stats and read them and goes, that's just factually incorrect. You know, so that's not on KSR. All right, who's up first, Shannon? Let's go to Bob.

Hang on. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Let's go to Bill. Bob was up first, but we'll go to Bill first. We'll go to Bill. Thank you very much. Alfred. Order.

Bill, then Bob. that, Shannon. Yes. So, I mean, I'm probably, I'm probably going to sound like everybody else. I had a buddy of mine a couple years ago, like five years ago, say that we would never, never see another final four under Cal. And I called him crazy at the time. But I'm just frustrated. And Ryan, actually hit my main point. You know how easy it is for these Division I basketball coaches to prepare for us when they know we will never. throw a zone at them, they know the offense we're going to run every single time, and they know they're going to get eight to 12 points on underneath out-of-bounds

plays. I'm not saying fire the guy, but the worst malpractice that this guy can do is fail us in March again and stick around because he knows he can't be fired and make us Kentucky fans go through this crap again, and I'm done. Appreciate the call. There's no situation where, I said at the end of the post-game show, we have to have a good march. We just have to.

Because if we don't, this will be one of the most toxic relationships. Because let's be real. Cow is kind of done with us. You don't say. Not just me. I don't mean KSR. Oh, I thought you're pointing at this table. He's been done, I think, with us for a long time.

But cows, I think, kind of worn out with the fans. I think Saturday was a big message for that. Yeah. And he also, I mean, he's been, you know, he always has lectured the fans, but he's done the whole, don't analyze. you know, cheer. I mean, honestly, that's like your dad telling a teenager. You don't want to like that music, like the Eagles.

And he's told us three times this year. It's a little weird, but he's like, he went to a Phillies game, and he's like, I just want you all to be like Philadelphia. It was so passionate there. It's like a weird comparison. Be like Philadelphia. They boo everybody. They boo Santa.

But he keeps bringing up this baseball game he went to. We got to be like these baseball games. I well I think we're going to get into a situation where we're in a marriage where people it's two groups of people that really just get annoyed by each other don't you?

Yeah and I think he even said it himself and I know Tubby said it and I think Joe B. Hall said it. It's like a 10-year shelf life for this job and after about that 10th year it does seem to kind of get a little rocky and we're seeing it again right now. Yeah, we are. And by the way, those two other coaches

their last five years were better than this last five years. They just weren't. I mean, that's just a fact. When Gonzaga gets here Saturday, could be up against the first time ever lost three games at home ever in the history of the program. We're going to win that one, hopefully. Hey, Matt, here to tell you resolutioners

to stay active and healthy when keep your goals with court physical therapy. Kentucky has been getting back to therapy, and they've been getting rid of the aches and pains that are part of their life. If you're looking to get in better shape this year, but your body isn't cooperating, it's court physical therapy, KORT.com. They'll get you out the door and back into the gym. It's court.com.

That's KORT.com. We'll take a break and be right back. It's KSR. To talk to Matt Jones and the crew, call the Clark's Pump and Shop phone line at 859-28027 or 1-800-606-4263. And send us the Kentucky branded tweet of the day by tweeting Matt at KY Sports Radio. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. 859-2-80-2287.

One person writes on the text machine, which is 772-7-45-25-4. Matt, I love Cal. But Cal is not the same Cal he was a few years ago. I don't know why, but I wish he would just get back to what that was because that person was my favorite coach of all time. I think there's a lot.

I feel a lot of people feel, to be honest. Another person writes goes, Matt, here we go. Kentucky sports rumors again, you're defending your divisive actions. Who put the crown on your head to be UK's voice? That's your doing. Yeah, I've come on here all the time, Shannon. I'm said the voice of UK. Look, you don't, the crown is yours. That's true. Now, the crowd is yours at Draft Kings. No one makes you folks listen. I mean, you know, I'm glad people listen, but like, we've never claimed to be the voice of UK sports. We're the voice of us. And,

a lot of people enjoy it. But like, if you give my words outside, outsize importance, that's you that's doing it. I will make this argument. The people that blasted me and you for quote unquote spreading DJ rumors, which we didn't even do,

you all gave those rumors more life than we did. Because no one said anything after we said it. Everybody moved on with their lives. You all are the ones that made it. It's the Barber Streisand. effect, right? Yep. You know, I say that we see it all the time in society.

The outrage is a lot bigger than the act. So, anyway, I, at the end of the day, we all want this team to win. And Saturday was, if we're honest, kind of an embarrassment. It was 100% an embarrassment because they beat Kentucky down. Like I said, from start to finish, that was a beat down at home by your rival, your second loss at home. And Drew said that if they lose the Gonzaggon's side, it would be three losses in a row.

I can't fathom that. I can't even fathom that. I don't want to think about that right now. Who's next, Shannon? Shane from Grayson. Shane from Grayson. How are you? Pretty good, fellas.

Hey, my question is, hey, what does dog protect our territory? Okay. We're not protecting our territory. Ain't no way. Cow comes out and hollers. We got dogs. I don't see that nowhere.

I mean, we all direct the Kool-A when we hired Cal in, but I'm telling you, three-minute cows, when it comes to last three minutes of game, is probably one of the worst coaches I've ever seen. And I think we're more like fluffy kittens than we are, dogs. What do you all think? Well, appreciate the call. I will say, I still think his first eight years here were awesome. That run from 2010 to 2017 is going to be hard to ever duplicate.

But at the end of the day, you have to judge what we have now, right? It's like an aging quarterback in the NFL. You can sit there and say, man, he was really good six years ago. But you've got to talk about the guy you're putting on the field now. Right. Joey Votto with the Reds. My Derek Henry right now.

Yeah, okay. But let me do Votto because I know him better. I wasn't really around when Votto was great. But I see the Votto that hits 200 and only gets hits rarely when it matters. that guy the Reds had to say that's we got to let you go man right and that had to be hard he played there forever but he wasn't the same guy I'm not saying that that's Cal but he's not in the last few years been the same guy he was at the beginning so is it time for a big boy talk between it's not until the end of the year for me and so I will say that because I get a lot of people who are now trying to push me

in the other direction say he needs to be replaced I'm not going to say that let's see what happens But March has got to be good. Yeah. We have. I told Rod and Drew, Shannon, during the break, I haven't told you. We're going to the first and second round because we have to. The first and second round, I don't care where they go, is going to be the most important first and second round for Kentucky.

Since last year. No, it's more important than last year. Because last year, even if we, it would have been embarrassing if we lost, but like we had this huge class coming in. A huge class is not going to tide people over again. True. You know what I mean? I don't care who we got coming in next year.

People are not going to be tied over. Yep. This is the year. Last year, you're right, Shannon, the Providence game was a big deal because of the Bryce Hopkins. But this is different. If he loses in the first weekend, like, I don't know how the fan base goes. And so we have to be there. So even if it's in Spokane, Washington, Ryan.

Here we go. Spokane you up. Here we're going to have to go. Better start driving right now to get to Spokane. Bokane, Washington. Who's next? Let's go to Donnie. Doddy.

What's up? What up, Dottie? Hey, guys. Thanks for taking my call. Listen, Matt, I'm going to throw this out there. I don't want to, but I have to to make my point. Trump did not win the election.

UK fans don't have a clue. They're going to, some of them, some of them that criticize you. You dissect the. game, you break it down in all areas. It is what it is, and fans are going to think what they want to think. Cal is the best ambassador we've ever had. I love that. I agree.

This program, where it is now, is consuming him. The second year into his tenure, here's what I'm thinking. You got 30 seconds real quick because he's got to go break. All right. All right. This man will not change. He is the, he will adjust to nothing, refuses to adjust. It is what it is.

It's going to take him out because he believes in his way. And this game has changed. But thank you. Well, we're going to have to let. I'm not to stop you. I'm sorry because we got to go. But there's some good points. I don't know what the Trump part.

was about but the rest of it completely understand. We will take a break and come back. Hour number two. This is Kentucky Sports Radio. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and

hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes, themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to

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