KSR - 2024-03-26- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: March 26, 2024

Matt, Ryan, Drew, and Shannon talk Coach Calipari's radio show and the latest on Kentucky basketball.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Welcome, everyone, Kentucky Sports Radio Tuesday. It's March 26. I'm Matt Jones. We are all in studio here in Lexington, except Shannon. Shannon is in Louisville. You can give a shout 859. 280 2287. We will open up the phones here in just a little bit. A-Vigit Autoglass Text Machine is 772-745254. And this is sponsored by the T.J. Smith Law Office

called T.J. I'll make them pay. Guys, it was a big 24 hours. I guess, Ryan, you weren't even on here yesterday. So I want to say that you guys did a great job yesterday. I listened to the whole show and I thought you guys were good. I think you brought the topics that needed to be discussed. You were fair about it. You're saying it like surprised. Well, I guess I was I was a proud big brother yesterday. I should say it that way. But isn't he saying it like I'm shocked? Yeah. Like normally you guys suck without me. Yeah, normally there's no way it would have worked. And for some reason yesterday, Drew, you all were able to handle it. It's what it sounds like to me. Yeah, we didn't trip over our own feet setting up the equipment. I feel like you're just proud. We've got it

done it all. We have Ron's approval though. That's good. I mean, like, you know, it's like you just thought without you here, we would collapse. It's a different element to be a listener and to hear it from that side. And I was very, I appreciate, I'm very proud of you guys. Thank you. Thank you. So let's go over what's happened. About 530 yesterday, Matt Norlander, and then very soon after lots of other people, put out that Mitch Martin Hardy made the decision to keep Cal assuming that their meeting today went well. And it sort of later became clear that it's kind of what I said on Sunday that Mitch was going to say to Cal, you have to do these, however many things, the department, the basketball

department has to run differently in these ways. and assuming that conversation goes well, he will be brought back. If it does not, then maybe a change could be made. But the assumption is Mitch wants to keep Cal. That all leaked out at the same moment from about four different sources. I think the basketball people put that out before. But I also think it's true, even though it came from the basketball fold.

I think it's true. And then at 6 o'clock, Cal does his radio show. And now we wait for the meeting today whenever it happens. So let's start with, I guess let's do a little roundtable. Ron, I'll let you go first since you haven't really talked on it since you were gone. What do you think of that as the decision? You and I talked on Sunday. And I said, I don't think Mitch Barnhart wants to be the guy that fired John Caliper.

I just didn't think he wanted that to be his legacy. He's the guy that actually fired one of the greatest college coaches of all time. I just don't think that was off the table. I don't think it was off the table. I think he decided the other way, but I'm fairly certain it wasn't off the table. That's the wrong word. I didn't, you know, I thought there might be other ways to make a coaching change, but not firing. I just didn't think he'd firing.

Okay. Last night, I think you hear what you want to hear. The cow supporters heard what they needed to hear. the cow detractors didn't hear what they needed to hear. You know, I think. So let's assume your objective. Or is, I mean, I always think it's funny online, Shannon, when people say, Matt, you have an agenda. Matt, you're biased.

Well, yeah, guess what? So are you. Yeah. I mean, no one. Here's a little thing. Opinions are, like, what you say as quote unquote bias is just my opinion. So if that's biased, then so are you. So everyone's biased.

So as unbiasedly as possible, Ryan, you think it's a right decision. Now, remember, on Friday, three of us said we didn't think he'd be the coach the next Friday. Yesterday, Ryan got out of having to say whether or not they should let him go. Lucky dog. But do you think now it's the right decision? I think the time has come where some changes absolutely need to be. made. And there's something about this job. It's just like a 10 year lifespan. And after that 10 years, things seem to go south a little bit with your record and with your relationship with the

fan base. And I think Cal's at that point. So I had thought Cal can save his legacy right now and say, man, it's progress not where it needs to be. I need to step away. We need to bring somebody else in here. And we all would love him again. But you remember at this time last year, Matt, at the exact same week, we had this same conversation. We did. But I don't know that. the powers that be at UK thought like we did. Probably not. I think where we were last year, the administration is at this year. I think that's a good point.

Yep. Where we were, and I think a lot of the fans were, where it's all on this year. Yeah. Yep. I don't think they were like that. And now I think they are. I agree. So, Drew, I mean, we kind of went all year going, this is the year that decides it.

I don't think they did. And now I think that's where they are. Yeah, I just maintain that I just, I don't know how we're all supposed to be like, all right, one last ride. When I kind of feel like we've already had two attempts at a last ride, he would almost have to build an insane all-star roster to get any kind of excitement because this was the team. This is one of my favorite Cal teams ever, and they went 0-2 in March Madden.

I'm never going to get to see Rob Dillingham in a Kentucky uniform again. Like there are a lot of people that think, how can I get up for another try when this was it? And they went home before Saturday of the SEC and in the first round of the NCAA. I mean, what would you have to build to get people 100% behind that again? And Kentucky basketball, a big part of it is the passion and the fans being behind it. And if half of them are rolling their eyes like, here we go again, I just think that's a really broken relationship right there. I think it's going to be a not fun offseason. because I don't think there's much

Cal can say that will change people's minds. I do however think when the game start, everybody's going to cheer. Of course we will. And I think when the games start, everybody, like, I'm not worried about in the Champions Classic, are people going to care about the game?

I do think they will. What I worry about is you lose what happened. Yeah. You know, um, I, here's what I'd like to do. And I'm not going to do this again after today.

Because I think after today, it doesn't do any good. I'm a big believer that if at the end of today, John Calapari is the coach, and I think absent a screw-up in this meeting, he will be. Then at that point, talking about whether he should be the coach is kind of a waste of time. Because he will be. Right? Yes. So I don't want to spend the whole off-season going,

well, should he be the coach? Because he will be. So at that point, it's just about, all right, well, what's next year going to be like? But yesterday, I did do Shannon a survey of, would you keep or change? Right. And it ended up probably 80 to 85%. As we went to the podcast, it became more no than even the show was. So I'm going to put it at 85%.

People said change. Now I'd like to know what they say today. Cal spoke to the fans, you either heard or read his comments, and you now know a little bit about what's going on. So with that 24 hours of knowledge, if you had to make the decision today, keep or change. I want to see if it changed it all. So just on the text machine, 772-774-5254,

just give me a keep or change. Doesn't matter if you voted yesterday or not. I still think it'll be a good sample size. And Shannon, I want to see, did it change anyone's mind? So keep her change. Let's go through it and I'll look and see before we go to break what it is. Do you think it will have changed people's mind, Shannon? No, not at all.

The wound is still fresh. And if you listened to last night to John Calipari, I don't think he said anything that's going to change your mind one way or another. If you believe that Cal should still be here, you probably still believe that. If you think that he should be fired, then you probably still believe that. I don't think anything changed based on what happened last night on the coaches show. Well, I'm going to see as I watch this, if the overall, because, you know, I mean, there's no way to know for sure, but this, we have a control, which was yesterday, right? Do you know

what a control is? Yeah, when you do an experiment. Yeah, you have the, the norm. Yeah. And then you have the, you're testing your, do you know what they call it your guess? What's, you know what the scientific term for a guess that you're testing? You know what that is? What does it start with? V? It does not start with a V. Variable, right? No.

The variable is what is the object you're testing. But your guess is a hypothesis. Nice. My man is a scientist. I slipped at a Holiday Express last night. All right. I like that. You're a scientist.

We are back. Science. Let's see what comes up. Now, what he said yesterday, taught for like an hour. A lot of it was calisms. They're not robots. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. What did you think was notable about what he said?

I had a couple things, but Drew, what do you think? I had a few good and bad. Overall, it was just, like you said, a lot of callisms. I thought early on he did a good job explaining the standard. We're not changing the standard for anyone. You know, Kentucky were championships. We only hang banners for that. that in Final Fours. I liked all that and he seemed to be really upset. It wasn't, I didn't

get the, you know, sometimes we get the Smarmy Cow. I didn't feel any of that, but I didn't feel like that. I didn't think he was, I didn't think he was smart. I felt that he cared. Yeah, I felt that he cared a lot. It did as it went on, get to little machines and robots and that where I kind of just, I want to say I toned out, but it felt like he checked back into Cal mode. But I liked him right away saying it's, you know, we're not changing the standard here. This is about championships and we haven't been reaching that. I did have one big issue. I don't understand the, I can't wait to meet with my guys. I'm eager to meet with Mitch. I love this state and you're calling from New Jersey. I still have a little bit issue with that because one of my big complaints

with Cal is he's a little isolated. If you turn your phone off for two days in your New Jersey, what if the season just didn't, do your players need you? I don't know when a season ends. Is that normal? Do coaches go to their lake houses and disappear? Yeah, I mean, I wish you weren't saying, I love this state while you're on the beat. But I also think, like, one of his players called, I'm sure. But I agree with you. Why is he in New Jersey? I'm just saying his words didn't line up because he's like, I love this state.

I cannot wait to me with my players. It's like you're literally calling in from a different state. But also, to be fair, it would be very hard to be here right now if you were him and to go out somewhere. So, I mean, I... But that was my con and my pros were that you could tell he was really bothered and he's, he knows that that's not how Kentucky operates. He did sound sad, which I like.

I thought some of the things he said. saying that he turned against at the Auburn game, which we did win, that he turned the scouting report over and then just said fight. I don't know about that. He said he wanted to get older. He said he wanted to get more physical, didn't want to go to the Bahamas instead stay here and grind.

Ryan, what was your biggest takeaway? I like him saying that, but man, in the middle of the summer is not when you make your team. You know, they had all season to get. work on that defense and it just didn't get any better, you know? So I don't know if in June is when that happens. You know, you always hear him say, you know, well, we got to put this in first. We've got to put this in first.

Man, these guys aren't elementary school kids. They can pick it up, you know, pretty quick. Let's get it in and get it installed before the first game, not wait until December before finding something gets put in place. Shannon, what did you think? Well, he just kept saying the word physicality. We've got to be more physical. So that tells me he's probably going to go out and get some big.

big dudes from the transfer portal and not be bullied around like they were in the first round of the SEC tournament against A&M. It did seem to me like he was suggesting he'd have a couple guys come back. He did. Including he said a one or two point guards. So that's clearly Reed Shepherd and DJ Wagg. I think the biggest takeaway for me is if Reed Shepherd and DJ Wagner want to come back, it sounds like he might say stay where I don't think that's what he would have done

before. He's always done the, if you want to help your family go, if you want to help mine stay, that tone has changed a little bit this season. It seems like there is certainly room to come back. But you know if those guys come back, we immediately get more excited about. We do. But he also has six freshmen coming in and he ain't going to bench him. Yeah.

I also thought he dropped the ball a little bit. Tom asked him directly the game plan against Oakland, which a lot of people have alleged there wasn't one. And he kind of danced around that. He said, you know, we wanted 15-3s in the first half. but there still wasn't much about how did you let the three-point shooter get to his favorite spot over and over. Yeah. He said, he said, I watched a game where he went one for nine, so we were more concerned about stopping the other guy.

Yeah. Game planning has been a complaint with the fan base all year, and I wish he had given a little more there when Tom asked specifically what the plan was. All right, so I'm looking at the text machine and I've been watching it here for the last five minutes. And I would say that, first of all, you all are about to break. the text machine. Like it can barely handle. This might be the most text, even more than yesterday. I would say yesterday was 80 to 85% change. Today I would say 70 to 75% change.

So he clearly had an effect on 10% at least of the fan base, in my opinion, just looking at it. It's still the majority are change. but I think now that change number is a little bit lower. 70, 75. So I think, you know, if he was successful with 10% of the fan base, that is something. And that number once it is that he's going to be the coach,

I assume that probably goes up because you're like, well, you got to now. So. Also, we don't know. If he truly had Reed and DJ kind of lined up that number. We knew. We don't know the cards he's holding. That number is going to be.

That number's going to be better. Oh, absolutely. There's no doubt. And if they don't, it's probably going to be worse. And I think you're exactly right. If they don't, it'll be worse. So a lot of it now comes down to these two kids and what they do, and we'll see what it is. 8-59-2-8027.

We'll talk more about what happened yesterday. Take your calls. Louisville is going nuts right now. There's all kinds of stuff going on. UK may be hiring a women's coach. It is a busy day here on Kentucky Sports Radio. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio.

I'm still getting text from five minutes ago. But this text machine is like, you need to tell people to slow down. But no, I like it. I will read these at some point. One person writes, Matt, your poll is not representative of the fan base as whole. It's only representative of your show. Yeah, I mean, that's true, but I'd like for you to tell me a way to poll the fans better than this show. I mean, I guess people out there could say, well, Matt, you are anti-cow, which is not true, but

people will say that. So the people that listen are like that. First of all, I get people who do say to me all the time, man, I wish you in cow, whatever. Like, we have very, we have clearly supportive cow people on here. But show me a better way to poll the fans. Social media is no. You get Facebook, it's mostly older folks.

You get TikTok. It's mostly. younger folks. You get Twitter, there's a mix, but there's also a ton of people not on Twitter, right? Come to my bar. It's going to be people from Lexington during the week, people from the state out on the weekends, go to the arena, it's people who have enough money to buy tickets. I mean, to me, this show is the most representative the fan base can get. So even though it's clearly my show listeners who are polling. Ryan, I don't know a better way to get a cross-section of this state than this audience.

What would it be? Well, I remember like when we went through the Tubby, it used to be the Harold Leader poll. That was the big poll. Okay, fair enough, but not now. You can't do that now. Not now. I mean, now it wouldn't be, show me another entity that is on in the city, the country, young, old men, women, what's it going to be?

And the text line, you can pretty much remain anonymous most of the time. So yesterday I said I was going to film that video and I did. And then somebody said, Matt, you would be showing people's numbers. And I was like, you know what, that's right. So I didn't put it out. Because I was like, you know what, that's not fair to people. People don't have to put their names here. Right.

So, Janet, I mean, what's a better way to poll? No, I think that's the best way. I mean, everybody's got a phone. Everybody can text. I'm not making your call. so you can call it, you can, everybody can text. Yep. If you're working, you're not working.

So I'm not saying it's perfect. But, you know, polling's hard now. You know, in 2016, Trump's people were underpolled. And there are guesses as to why. But some of it was people didn't necessarily want to admit they were for Trump, even though they were. And I think it caused his people to be underpolled. Now, in the last few elections, Democrats have been underpolled.

because young people don't answer their phones. Ryan answers the phone. Ryan shows up in the polls. But you're the only other person I know that would do that. So my point is now polling, I think, is everything else in life has gotten more scientific. I actually think polling has gotten less scientific because it's hard to do. So this is the best thing I can think of to do. You can't do it on social media either because, and I'm guilty of it.

If Tennessee valls put up a poll, I'm voting for the worst option. They're just trolls of other schools and other schools. and other whatever. They're going to just be contrarians and put the opposite of what they want the results. And Twitter has, in part because now so many accounts are anonymous, it is the most extreme on every side. You have to go to the link in their bio apparently.

Oh, my goodness. Everybody's link is now in their bio. That's how you find out who these people are. I almost tweeted that. I made some statement last night. And the first seven responses were looking my bio for whatever. I mean, you can guess what it is. So I think this is the best way that I know how to do it.

I think it will be a fair representative, like I said, because you can be anonymous and you get old people, young people, because you have a phone number or, you know, twice at the most. And I can look and see what you've sent me in the past to know if you've, you know, to what's going on. So anyway, 859-28027. Quickly, I think Kentucky has offered Virginia, 10,000, 107,000, women's coach, Kenny Brooks, the job.

Whether he takes it will probably be decided today or tomorrow. I think UK hopes it's today. He is a, not a good, but a great coach. Built the Virginia Tech program from nothing to, I think there were one seed a year or two ago. I think it would be a huge gift for Kentucky if they get her, if they get him. I mean, they would have been a contender this year.

Their best player got hurt. So all you got to do is look at the Virginia Tech, man stuff when it came out, when I can't put him as a candidate, they're all like sad as they can be. Even though we may not know who he is, Ryan, if Mitch pulls this off, and I'm told they're willing to pay him top 10 money in America. Well, you said it.

I think his calling card is he's able to rebuild a program and get it back to a net. I mean, he built James Madison from nothing. Yeah, there was another one. And they got good. And then he went to Virginia Tech, and they got good. So to me, and like they're willing to pay him, I'm told top of the SEC money behind Don Staley. Well, if that's the, and I guess Kim Mulkey, if you're the third highest paid coach in the SEC,

you're going to be one of the top 10 in the country. So Drew, obviously they really believe in him. And everything I've seen seems like it would be a good hire. Yeah, I read up on him in Pittsburgh when his name first popped up. He was a VMI, took them from something to nothing. He played at James Madison. and also coached there too, so he's got James Madison ties. But Virginia Tech was nothing when he got there and he had him in the final four.

He's got, I think, seven or eight WNBA players, so he recruits well. I think it's a guy who seems to check all the boxes. So even though we've gotten lost in this other thing, the women's basketball program here was very competitive for a decade. It would be nice to get them back there. I don't envy Mitch Barnhart to have to do this, find a women's coach and now deal with the men's coach all at the same time. That's a lot on his plate right now. you think the Mitch Cal meeting goes well today?

Probably goes well. You do? Probably. I think, well, I actually have some thought. They should live stream it. They should. Oh, can you imagine how many people would watch that? We'll be right back.

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. You know, this is Tracy Chapman, too, right? Yeah. This is an underrated. Tracy Chapman.

Oh, yes. Give me one reason. Give me one reason to call you. Or no, wait a minute. Give me one reason I'll hold you. To stay here. Oh, whatever. And I'll turn it back around.

And you'll turn it right back around. Yeah. I love this song. This one came out like a few years later than Fast Car, but it was very good. One person writes, Matt, I get what you're saying. But I just think every time you do any poll, you need to make sure it's only listenership and not BB in. All right.

Fine. I mean, what do you want me to say? Like, then there's no way to pull BB in unless you go talk to every person. This is the best representation you'll get, and I firmly believe that. And numbers are sky high right now listening to this show. Yeah, I mean, Shannon turned the phone lines on and we didn't say, and within what, two seconds, they were all full, Shannon? Yeah, yeah, which means people have been calling for 30 minutes. People been calling forever.

I mean, yesterday's show will end up top 10 in America in sports podcast. Everybody cares. I mean, like record traffic on, like, everybody cares. And I'm glad that shows that the thing Shannon said yesterday about apathy is not there. Because that's where it gets bad. When there's apathy, that's when your program's in trouble. Just all my friends. Yeah, but you, I mean, look who you hang out with.

I got some good friends. They're all like, I'm not watching another game next season. They're lying. First of all, anybody says they're not watching. They are lying. Yep. The people I know that were the biggest cow critics, They watched every game.

Like I hate when people say I'm not watching, Drew. That's a lie. Now, you might not watch when they play Stonehill. But when they play Tennessee, you're watching. And you'll be cheering. And you'll be cheering. And you'll be cheering. I wrote this on our board yesterday.

No matter who's the coach, I don't really know a scenario where Kentucky's playing basketball and I would be rooting for the other team. Of course not. We have an all-time win record to chase. I don't want to lose grip on that. We don't get draft picks for tanking. You're not a fan.

So in no world, do I want Kentucky to lose ever. I hate when people say you're not a fan if, but you're not a fan if you're cheering against the team. No. At any point. They could have the 15 most unlikable people on the planet and I'd be like, I don't love this roster, but we got to win every game. If they hire Donald Trump to be the coach. Uh-oh. Say it.

I am going to every game and saying go cats. All right. I think you should be considered. Go coach. Trump. Yeah. You'd have a good relationship. with him probably on the radio. I bet he'd like me. He'd probably come on this show. I'm sure he

would come on the show. I was going to do my impression, but they can't see my hands. Give me one good go drop right now. I can't do that. No, no, no, no. I just want to drop. I got enough people yelling at me. I don't need to add the, uh, uh, it's going to be the best team. I'm not going to do that. John. What about May Kentucky basketball great again hats? Well, you did that for football. I mean, you did that for football. I could dust off the old hair making machines. Yes, that was right. John, go ahead, John. John. Yeah, hey, Matt, how are you? What's going on?

Hey, listen, yesterday you had that gentleman on, and he seemed like, you know, he was a straight shooter as far as talking about the NIL situation with Antonio Reeves. Correct me if I'm wrong. Didn't we have someone in charge of NIL and then he left for North Carolina or another job? He did, but he was not, I mean, I don't he left for North Carolina yeah but it was not really he still is following the directives of the people in charge

like he was in charge of Kentucky's yeah I mean I think that's fair to say yeah okay but then you know from what this gentleman said in the timeline Antonio had a six figure deal and I was probably one of the reasons maybe why he came back um did anybody in the basketball department hand this off to anybody? I don't know. I don't know. I mean,

what he, I have no information, and I appreciate the call. I have no information about all that beyond what he said. And while I know who Nate is and know he's done a lot of deals, I mean,

I'm not going to independently say everything he said is correct, because I don't know. Here's what I do know. For two years, NIL at Kentucky was a problem because some of the players that came in here, going back to the Oscar year, didn't feel like they got what they were kind of assuming they were going to get.

I think there was a little bit of that this year, but I think a lot of that stuff has been improved, and I don't know that that will be a problem going forward. I think some of the law familiar stuff was in part to try to organize what had been a very disorganized process. And I'm not going to speak for, anybody that left, but I think some of the frustration about the lack of organization is why some people went in other directions. But I do think that stuff is on the way to being better

if it's not already better now. But as far as Nate's claim, I have no reason to doubt it, but I also am not going to act like I know I wasn't there, you know, so it is, you know, everybody can make their own determinations about it. Let's go to T.O. What's up to T. Hey, Matt, God bless you guys. Love the show. Thank you. I just want to say that it's proven to me every year when Kentucky gets beat out in the first round, I stopped watching the tournament. This year I decided to watch the games, and almost every team I watched, I feel like would have beat Kentucky.

Every game was extremely physical. All the teams were going and rebound and playing defense. Just absolutely given 100% effort. And if you look at our games of St. Peter's and this year, I mean, it was just, I don't know, it's like our guys were just completely asleep. It's interesting you say that. I watched Drew more of the tournament after us out this year than I ever have. Normally I'm like that guy.

Thank you, T.L. I appreciate it. The moment we lose, I'm done. This year I watched a lot. You and I were driving Friday, but I watched a lot of the games Saturday and Sunday. And when I watched, I did think all of these teams would have beating us up. Now, I do think we would have scored on a lot of the teams. We could have beaten any of them. But like when I watched Purdue and I watched Yukon, I was like, I don't know if we would have had that. Without even watching a lot of other games, just in the second half of Oakland, I was thinking, even if we come back, how is this team going to keep going up in class for five more wins to get to a national championship? I also think just looking at results,

and it's not my opinion, the big bad SEC that we thought we were getting these big wins and over these big great coaches. They got out-coached and out-played. It wasn't just they were upset. I mean, they looked pretty bad in a lot of their performances too. A&M played pretty well and Tennessee played well. South Carolina, we thought they were a tough team with good defense and they got smoked. Auburn, Mississippi State.

Mississippi State disaster. I mean, we, you know, we all were saying, you know, one of the arguments always been, oh, the SEC is so much better, so much harder. They didn't look like it in the tournament this year. And like Drew said, it seemed like all the SEC games, I watched. It was the physical, physicality was on the other end.

Except A&M. A&M played very, very physical. Buzz has some magic with the postseason. It's like three straight years of they're on the bubble. They're a heck of a run. They were down 11 with a minute and a half left and came back. Came back and tied it in overtime. And then, you know, Houston.

Shane, did you see that kid, the walk on, have to shoot that free throw? Yeah. Did you imagine that pressure? Can you imagine he shot two? He missed the first one and it looked like he, needed to go to the restroom. Like, I mean, he was, but then he made the second one, though, right?

What a moment. I mean, you haven't played all year, and they put you in, and then you get fouled, and he had to look like, gulp. I wouldn't be able to physically hold the basketball. I'd be trembling so bad. But then he made the second one, and they were able to win the next game. Go ahead, Darren. What's up, Darren?

What's going on, guys? Can you hear me? Yes. I just wanted to make sure. I got a lot of things to say, man, but I tell you, I'll just try to hit the highlights here. Give me your two most important ones. Well, I just, you know, me and my dad, I've been a Kentucky fan all my life. I'm 40, be 46-year-old in July, and, you know, me and you's probably around the same age.

And I tell you, man, I've been of a Kentucky fan since I was a little kid. And I love Kentucky, man. I love these players. You know, me and my dad was talking about it, and he was telling me about stripping tobacco, you know, when he was a little kid in the 60s, when Rupp was the coach, you know, and listening to him on the radio while he was stripping tobacco and stuff.

But anyway, I'll get to my point. You know, Cal done a super good job the first 10 years or whatever. But I just think the games just outran him, to be honest with you. And I don't know, man, if he can't get at least three or four of these guys to come back, I mean, he needs, his biggest problem is he don't have nobody physical inside, in my opinion. But if he could get reading them, I think that would help him tremendously, man. But he's got to get some kind of inside presence because we are weak inside. I mean, no offense to our players.

I love Zing them, but they just get, I mean, if they get bumped, they knock them off the court. You're exactly right. I appreciate the call. One of the things that's been clear year after year in the tournament is the refs wall, whistle a lot more. It's a much more physical game in the tournament. And we got, and, you know, Cal said over and over, we got to get more physical. Somebody wrote and asked me, Matt, do you believe in the changes that Cal said?

I sat in the parking lot of the mall, Fayette Mall parking lot, listen to that last night. Because I just happened to be over there. I wanted to focus. I picture you, like, sitting on your hood with the music. No, I was sitting in my car. I was about to go in somewhere in Ead. Listen, the whole thing. And I mean this.

I thought he did a fine job. I thought his tone was good considering what was going on. But Ryan, I don't mean this to be rude. It's just a fact. Nothing he says is going to change my mind. Not because I don't believe him, but because, like, he just talks.

You know, I'm going to have to see it. Right? I'm going to have to see it. And then I'll believe it. This is no offense to him, but like we've heard the same speech for 50s. 15 years. It's all going to be about what happens when they play, right?

That's what we go back to. We said this at this point last year. You know, this was supposed to be the year where he had all these guys and things were going to get better. We were believing in him. But I don't think the administration felt that way. I think the fans did. The biggest takeaway I took from this weekend, Ryan,

is the administration had no idea how the fans felt. How can he be that out of touch with it? well, let's be real. If you're not on social media, if you don't listen to the radio, if all you see are news reports, how would you know? I mean, how would you?

That's why you got to be, as my mom would say, amongst them. And this stat, they aren't. Vince Mero is amongst them. He is. You're in Pittsburgh. Yeah, I mean, he was in Pittsburgh taking pictures. He comes to KS Bar. He went to Nashville.

The basketball staff is not like that. And the athletics department is not like that. They just aren't. I mean, and that's not, I'm not criticizing them. Everybody should live their life the way they want. But how would you know? And if you're with, if you're Cal, and I said this on my Twitter space,

I think Cala Perry and a lot of people in the basketball office blamed us, me specifically, but us. Well, Matt and them are just, you know, they're just leading the fans, whatever.

But if you really believe that, then you just assume any criticism is not real fans. Right? How many times you hear Cal this year say, real fans, you know, write me letters?

Yeah. I think this was the first time everybody stepped back and went, whoa, there's a lot out there. Maybe that'll be a humbling experience. We'll see. I don't know.

859-280. 2287. UK Federal Credit Union is the official credit union of the University of Kentucky. Award winning best place to work. UKFCU is here for you and here for life. They will help you get 186 years of value in education and community and they have mobile banking. Unlike Ryan's phone, which doesn't work. Mobile banking at the UKFCU app does. And membership eligibility is required. Federally insured by NCUA. Check out UK Federal Credit Union. We'll take a break. Be right back. KSR. Welcome back. Tuggy Sports Radio, 859-280, 2287. This story in Baltimore is awful, isn't it? The video of that bridge collapsing is horrifying. I mean, it's awful. Thank God it was in the middle of the night. Yes.

What if it was during like rush hour? That bridge is a mile and a half long. Wow. And it looked like just like a Lego bridge, the way it fell and so sad. They're very lucky. It was at 1.30 in the morning. There's no doubt. Yeah.

I guess the guy's ship, the power went out. So he couldn't steer it. So he couldn't steer it. You see the smoke coming up was apparently him trying to like take it in reverse, but he couldn't do it. You see those video, Shannon, of the cars that looks like they got through right before it happened. Could you imagine? Could you imagine if you were on that bridge?

Yeah. Seven people was tragic, but it could have been a lot worse. It could have been a lot worse. Oh, yeah. on a mile and a half bridge. I mean, and that's a big, I mean, it's sad, awful what happened to people. But like now, I mean, that bridge is a connection. Like, how are people, like, that's going to disrupt life there for quite a long time.

Years, I would think. Right? Yeah, I mean, the tragedy is the most important. But moving forward, that's probably going to be a nightmare situation to clean up. And just logistically, I mean, that's a big port city. I don't know how that's involved. The traffic with that bridge. there. I don't know, but it's certainly a tragic thing. We all woke up to this morning.

Assuming like everything is on the up and up and he didn't have any substance and all that, I actually feel really sorry for the ship capped. Can you imagine having that on your conscience, Shannon? Even if you didn't do anything wrong, it would just be awful, you know? In that moment, you know, there's nothing you can do. There's nothing you can do. And here you come about to knock down a bridge. Whoever that is. I feel sorry for that. I always try to think in situations like that. What would the person, like it's easy to feel tragedy for the people that died in the cars, and I do.

But like, sometimes you don't think about the person like that who was driving the thing and who now just has to live with that. And there's really, there's nothing he could do if the ship lost power. There's nothing he could do. And did you say it hit it in the, in the, like the worst spot? If it hit it other places, it might have partially collapsed, but it hit it in the one spot that would bring it all about. Wow.

Like, which is that sinner thing. So, Corey, go. ahead, Corey. Corey. No, go there, go ahead. Sorry, I've got a comment and a question. My comment is all week I've wondered, you know, I'd hate to be in Mitch's shoes.

I have no idea how you process this, how you think about this, how you decide on this. I miss feeling that way with Cal. Like, I miss feeling dumb for thinking I'm smarter than the coach. And something as simple as what our lineup should be, I can't believe. like we can't figure out the right lineup. So yeah. And then. Go ahead.

And then my question for you is, you know, I've always admired your, you being objective, you being honest. I loved everything you said this week. How do you, how do you weigh in a season like this, you know, how to be honest, knowing that you're also going to have to like, you're still going to see Mitch. You're still going to see how. Oh, it's impossible. I mean, it's impossible.

I, you know, I appreciate the call. Actually, I'm going to talk about that to start the second hour. But the short answer to the question is, I knew walking from the arena to do the post-game show. There's not one thing I can say that will not make people furious at me. Right? I mean, I'm getting message after message. Have some guts, Matt.

Call for him to be fired. And I'm thinking to myself, if I say he should be replaced and they keep him, what do I do then? And then what about the people who are like, you're a disgrace. You know, the problem is this is a great problem, but we've gotten almost Shannon too big in the sense that everyone else can have. Like, we're not the only people that said cows should be replaced. Almost everyone has in the media.

But the only name that ever gets associated to it is mine. that's the price you got to pay for being the biggest show. And it is the price. It is. But it also, you know, I'm not going to say it doesn't suck. So part of that loss was I'd hope this year, Ryan, they would go on a run so that everyone could unify. Right? Yes.

And the moment we had that loss, it's like, well, that's not going to happen. They all unified the other way. Yes. But then once it's a natural thing, once they decide to keep him, then they're going to be people flip back to the other side because it's natural and we're kind of back to where we were where we're headed for a year where people are sniping at each other. And even no, literally, everyone in the media for the most part said, except John Clay, and they spelled Cal's name wrong in it.

They all said we probably need to make a change. But if you look online, the only people that said it were KSR and Matt Jones. And that it is what it is, Drew, you know. A lot of the big cow optimists for saying on Twitter, too, not just media. Everyone was saying, but they won't be remembered as having said it. And that's the way it goes. We'll talk some more about this and what's happening at Louisville, which is wild. That's next.

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