KSR - 2025-01-15- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: January 15, 2025

KSR is Live at KSBar & Grille talking UK's win over Texas A&M and taking your calls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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 SportsSlice 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 headlines. 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 hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 in the TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host, Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor?

It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know.

Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Comedy of Broadway in Lexington welcomes Kentucky's own Ariel Elias, January 9th through the 11th. Then from the Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour, Catch Club Favorite, Edom A, May, January 16th through the 18th,

and experience the outrageous comedy of Casey Rocket, January 23rd through the 25th, for tickets to all shows. Call 859-271 joke or purchase seats online at ComedyoffBroadway.com. Comedy off-Broadway. This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now, here's Matt Jones. Welcome, everyone at Kentucky Sports Radio, Wednesday, January the 15th, on a bitter cold day in Lexington, Kentucky. We are at the KS Bar and Grill.

It's Wings Day. Dollar Wings today throughout the rest of the day. come on out and see us. We'll open 11. I already got some folks here. Probably most of these people went to the game last night and got up in the bitter cold this morning. You can give a shot on Clark's Pump and Shop phone line. That's 859-2-80-2287. A-VeGlass Text Machine, 772-7-7-4-2-5-25-4 in this edition. It's sponsored by the T.J. Smith Law of us. If you call T.J. He'll make them pay. It is, I can't remember the last time how cold I felt like it was this morning.

It is really cold out there. Like, you wouldn't think there's a big difference between 25 and 15, but there is. Yeah, there's cold. There's bitter cold. No, no, don't say, we don't say butt cold. I mean, like, you don't need to say, you don't need to say body parts when you do the cold, but it is very cold. It's very, very cold. I have a little bit of a walk when I go to Kentucky games, so that was fun last night,

and then our reaction was in the cold last night. So I've been. You stood outside after the game. We did. You should watch it, everyone. I won't say it was our best work. We were very snotty and very cold. but yes, it is frigid out there.

Yeah, it was nasty weather last night and today. It's supposed to get better, though. I think it's about tomorrow, like in the 40s before it gets freezing cold again. So hopefully some of this ice will melt. Great game last night for Kentucky. I mean, I think, I said on the post-game show, I think it was one of. I mean, it's not the best team we've beaten, but it may be the game that was the most encouraging to me of any of the games

because we won not really playing all that well offensively. You know, so far this year, every game we've won, we've played really well offensively, and at least in three of the games that were really good, you know, scored over 90 points. This was a game where I don't know that we ever really played great offensively. We had a little run with Jackson Robinson making shots, but in general, they had to grind it out, right?

I mean, it was possessions being grinded out. This was the best defense that I think Kentucky's played all year. certainly the best rebounding they've had against a good team all year. Total rebounds to me is a misleading stat, but they only gave 11 offensive rebounds, and I think if you go back, six of those were like just random balls that just went in weird places. So if you're talking about just getting beat for rebounds, only happened four or five times. Against the best offensive rebounding team in the country, Drew, I thought it was just an excellent performance. And you know, you win by 12 against the team that came in.

ranked 11th in the country. Yeah, it was great to see them beat a team like that. We know if somebody wants to run with Kentucky and Kobe and Jackson are making shots. It's night night. We're going to have lots of fun. Kentucky's going to win that most scenarios. But we've worried about teams like A&M

that get very physical with them. I got to laugh last night. Someone on Twitter said, this A&M wrestling team is pretty good at basketball, but that's kind of how they were playing a little bit early on. Also a lot of trash talking. You know, we wanted Carr said we need to find our nasty. I think A&M might have woke them up a little bit

because that was the most jawing I've seen. game too. But I just like seeing Kentucky have that fight against a team that really likes to muck it up a little bit. Clear Jackson Robinson, you know, I mean, we talked on the pregame show. I kind of threw out there that I'd been told Jackson Robinson had this game circled and kind of had like a little thing. And then, you know, Buzz Williams was said before the game, oh, Jackson is a great kid. We got a great relationship. We talk all the time. I don't know. Maybe that's like he sends text and they're not returned because it didn't look like to me that they have a good relationship.

It was, you know, you jaw at him once, get a technical, and then he did it again at the end of the half. And I thought, man, there's got to be something there. They clearly have something going on. There's something going on there. Some story behind the scenes that we don't know yet. Maybe it'll come out. I don't know. But I love seeing that kind of fight in Jackson Robinson, you know, be a little cocky.

I think we need that from him to kind of carry us the rest of the season. Yeah, I love watching him play like that. And, you know, if you were to draw up a team, if you were to say, Okay, what's the makeup of a team that would give Kentucky the hardest time? Probably you're looking at Tennessee and Texas A&M. Like those are the rosters that are probably built to give us the hardest time, this group. And now you've beaten one of them. And the Tennessee team, which looked really good offensively at the beginning of year,

now not as much, so I feel better about those games. But I actually think these two wins at Mississippi State and Texas A&M are two massive wins for the season and give you a room. to down the road if you drop a game like you did at Georgia, it's okay. And if you had told me before the game, Lamont Butler would have six, Kobe Brea would have five. I wouldn't have parlayed those two together. But that aside, O'A didn't have double digits until the last seconds.

I would have thought, well, there's no way they could win that game. Those three guys have been such big scores, barely getting into double figures with O'A, and they still pull it off, just doing everything else. They, you know, Lamont Butler got hit just about the most ways you can get in the world. I mean, he got hit, you know, he hurt his ankle, he heard his knee, he heard his shoulder, he got hit in the head. Like, I mean, that dude, he got absolutely beaten down, but still, I thought, played great defense and kept coming back. Got kicked in the face that one time, he was down on the ground. I mean, yeah, the guy probably loaded up on some Advil this morning.

I'm sure he's a little sore when he woke up this morning. I like to, well, I don't like that he had to go to the back and get checked out. That was concerning. But while he was in the back is when Travis Perry came in and hit a big shot and completely, you know, lifted. them up, Butler was in the Travis Perry was a huge A couple of minutes He fell down.

Made them both. Thought he played good defense. Ansley Almanor. They're in the first half when they really needed points. You know, I mean, in the first half, there was a time, I think, with eight minutes to go, we only had like 16 points or something, and nine of them were Travis Perry and Ansley Almanor.

You know, they had, they kind of lifted the team up during that period. Brandon Garrison had some good moments. O.A played good defense. A car was clearly hobbled, but did all right. I mean, that really was kind of, Pope said afterwards, a gritty, like, piece things together win, and I think that's true. You know, Kentucky's got the oldest team we've ever had, and yet they have learned how to win these grinded-out-type games.

You know, these games like we had against Clemson and Georgia earlier where we kind of struggled playing this kind of way, these guys have learned how to win a game now. That tells you how good this team can be. Then you had Buzz Williams. Did you like the vest, Shannon? What did you think of the look there from Buzz? You know, that's pretty much every game he wears that three-piece suit.

I think he looked good. Yeah, I mean, that's his thing. Now, I don't know who that assistant coach is he has on the sideline that looks like an English professor. I mean, I thought Buzz dressed a little over the top. That guy, I mean, if you saw that dude on the street of all the professions, you wouldn't guess basketball coach, No, you're turning a paper into that guy for the end of the semester.

That is a professor. I can't believe Buzz lets another three-piece suit that looks better than his on the bench. That's what I was going to say. He keeps his jacket on, so he actually looks better than Buzz. And then the hair? Oh, the hair is magnificent. And then, you know, who knew that you could, like, have plays? I guess, I mean, I guess you could know, but, like, they run plays to rebound off free throws.

They got two of them. Yeah, they did. So it feels like that dude, you know, got probably too much air time, but it feels like, like he might be good at his job. Jimmy Dykes was so ready to talk about that. And then the guy didn't do it the first couple free throws. And they finally did it so he could, Jimmy Dykes could talk about how they could try to steal a possession

by making a rebound on a free throw. Jimmy got the telestrator out just to circle the guy. Like, here he is. Yeah. Can we talk about Jimmy Dykes for just a little bit? Did he take a gummy before he came on the air? Like, he was a little, I mean, you guys were at the games. You may not hurt him, but he was on one last night.

you didn't hear him either, Drew, I guess, right? I can add, last night's the most I've ever gotten texts about a Jimmy Dyke's game. So I do something was up. I don't know if he was, like, you know, let's just say this. I'm not, like, tell him, I'm not the PR police, and I don't work in HR for ESPN. But Jimmy Dykes, I'd take out of my lingo the English or whatever language he speaks for Kirk Crease. Like, that was one of those lines. Kirk Creesa and whatever language he speaks, say and blah, blah, like, you know,

speaks English, man. Like, he's not over here. He doesn't have a translator. That was kind of a weird thing to say, didn't it? Yeah, generally, I really like Jimmy Dykes when he's commentating the UK game. But last night, yeah, you know, he talked about for a lot. But you know, like, what's happening here? You just dropped off the air.

That's what just happened. Are we back? You're back. Well, when we were, when did we go off the air? About 30 seconds ago. Okay, great. Well, then you missed. You got the new equipment, right?

Yeah, this place is falling apart. I mean, I just got new headphones, and they have already broken. They're a week old, if that. Not even a week. That's our first week of using them. Literally, they're already broken, and I just got them a week ago. I heart. I'm adding to the contract.

They don't know, say the bosses are in town. Now is a chance to air your grievances. Yeah, I need to air my grievances. How? Anyway, so we're back now, you're saying. Well, yeah, you were talking to me. Well, I was talking to you a minute ago, and you didn't say anything. That's because you weren't on the air.

All right, shut up. All right, you're in one of your moods. Okay, so anyway, he was a little out of control throughout the game. But I'm glad we got the win. How was the crowd? Good. We've had some great ones this year. I'm not putting it in the great category.

It had moments. Like, well, there were a few, like the Mari Williams foul. That was some of the better booing I've heard in Ruff Arena. But overall, I don't think it was the fastball. It was a good pitch, but not the fastball. Everybody might have been cold. I sit up there at the top end zone, and here lately, they've had their back to the very, very top.

This game, there are a few rows of bleachers. I don't care about that. I mean, a handful of rows is not worth it. I'm just comparing it to past games, so let you know that it wasn't all the way to the tip-top, as it's been a little bit. Yeah, I just meant noise. I'm just talking about noise. It sounded, actually sounded. It did.

It sounded better on the broadcast, which once again shows that when they have, have it on the SEC network, something's wrong with their sound because it was a lot louder on the TV broadcast than it normally is. I was going to say that. You could tell you could hear the crowd at times. Like when Travis Perry hit the three, you could hear how loud it got. And I don't know how you don't do the OA, O, A, Way, O'A, O'A, on those back-to-back dunks. That was the perfect time to get it going last night.

Somebody texted me and said there were people doing it. Yeah, Mario said he heard it last night. But we just, but it still can't get the whole crowd. I saw Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg was right behind the bench. How did you get those seats? He wanted to see good basketball, you know? I mean, he, I'm surprised. He texted me and said he was coming, and I was like,

I wonder what the Louisville fans will say. And then I didn't realize he was going to be directly behind the bench. Yeah, there were several times they took a shot of Coach Pope, and there's Craig Greenberg, right? Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so rapidly.

up in the chase, that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about How healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free iHeartRadio app.

Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Jacob Kingston grew up in an isolated polygamous sect. We were God's chosen kingdom on earth. He felt destined for greatness. So when a swaggering Armenian businessman catapults Jacob into an extraordinary world, he doesn't look back. Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets. meeting the president of Turkey. I'm Michelle McPhee,

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life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout, Kate Martin and rising hockey star Lela Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain.

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At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world, Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, we're back here on Kentucky Sports Radio, maybe.

Thank you all very much. Yeah, there you are. So technical issues occurring. shock whenever but we haven't I guess we haven't had them that much recently but we do have technical issues Shannon we're going to open up the phones and if we lose this while it's getting fixed you just have to go and entertain the masses okay all right we'll have somebody else try to fix the problem in the meantime all right 859-28027 go ahead and call in let us know about the what you thought about the game so what I was saying before we got so rudely interrupted by bad technology

is that going forward, Drew, this game makes me feel better. One of the things I was thinking going as we get into March is, okay, if Kentucky draws Duke, or if they draw Tennessee, or they draw Auburn, or whoever, they play these tough teams in the tournament, I feel like we can beat anybody. But then there's also going to be a worry if we play Wisconsin in the second round or if we play a random team, Texas Tech, that we might lose by 10 if we're not ready.

This was a game that was kind of like that I think is like the second round game. where if you're not careful you could drop it, this was a game like that to win. Yeah, and you can go back to when Pope first built this roster. We knew there would be SEC games that just aren't good for their style of play. And I think Mississippi State and Texas A&M

are two of the teams that a lot of people had in their mind and they went out and won both of those games. I mean, obviously you drop Georgia, it's not perfect. But to show you can win games of physicality against teams that don't score a lot and don't want to run with you, that just shows that they can play to other styles and be versatile and still going to win.

Yeah, I think earlier in the year, Kentucky may not be able to pull that game off at Mississippi State or win beat Texas A&M, but they've learned, like I said earlier, how to play these games. It's grinded out type of games. It may be in the 60s or 70s. I now feel a lot better about how our team can do it. It's the first game they've won all year with defense. First game all year that you can say, okay, we won that by locking them down,

we won that by rebounding. We hadn't won another game this year by defense. That's really the first one we've won. And Pope pretty much said that. He was like, I was having nightmares about ball screen defense at Christmas, wondering if we'd ever get it fixed. we go on to practice, they collect the data, do whatever they got to do. They collect the data.

They resolved a problem, and we're moving on to whatever else needs to be fixed. Yeah, overall, I thought it was good. You know, everybody loves to talk about officiating. I want to say, I thought that was a pretty well-officiated game. They missed the goaltending. I don't understand what the rules are for reviewing goaltending, because they didn't even look at it. His hand went through the basket. They didn't even look at it.

I don't get that. Why wouldn't they at least look at it? I don't know, this came up one other time in the last couple years where there was an obvious goaltending, but they didn't even go to the monitors, don't even check it out. So I don't know what that rule is. Maybe somebody's got to say, go to it, but his hand went through the basket, so I'm really, I was surprised I didn't even look at it. I understand not seeing it in real time. I didn't think it was goaltending in real time, but then it was obvious on the replay.

Yeah, and I mentioned Rupp wasn't that electric. Moments like that when we got a replay, Jackson's technical. A few little moments throughout the game, usually booing is when it really, I took off. The technicals, these refs have got to calm down, okay? I mean, the technical on A&M was stupid, too. Like, that was a dumb technical, and then the technical on Jackson Robinson was stupid.

The problem with officiating is once they gave the stupid technical on A&M, they feel like they have to give the stupid technical on Kentucky to make it even, and both technicals are dumb. Like, let them play. I mean, when Jackson Robinson shoots a three in the corner, the bench is yelling at it why when he makes it can he not yell back

right so the dude on a and m what did he get the he got it for like he took a charge or something is that how he ended up getting it they had one when their bench went on to the court early yeah who celebrating a dunk their whole bench went kind of onto the court

and sermons already warned them once about it then they did it so they got to but didn't they call one on us or i mean they called the robinson one so they got they called the one on the bench yeah we lost the guys again Yeah, they called the one on Jackson Robinson for talking trash to Buzz Williams, which again, to Matt's point, I think, man, it has become soft with all these technical fouls that are being called for weeks. I mean, come on, he was just talking trash to a guy that clearly he has some kind of history with. I didn't like that one.

You're back. Go ahead. Were we gone again? Yeah, but go ahead. Yeah. Well, we also don't know what you heard there. let's just go to the phones. 859-280-2287.

What's up? Let's go to DJ. DJ. What's going on, DJ? Hey, I was just calling in to tell you guys that we stopped down there to the bar, the weekend of the Florida game, and we're from Henderson, been trying to get down that for a while, and it was awesome, man. Like 10 out of 10, what, you know, definitely recommend it.

If you get down that way and you can't get into Rup, get into KSR. Well, thank you very much. That's very kind of you. I appreciate it, sir. And your check will be in the mail, okay? We'll send you one. Appreciate to God. It's all good, man.

I appreciate it. Speaking of the bar, look at this painting up here we got last night. So Montana, Pruitt, she wrote me and said, look at this painting I did. And I was like, man, that is a pretty amazing painting. And then I said, you know what? If I just bought it from you, could we put it in the bar? So I bought it from her, and I actually think that's really good. Like, she painted all the players and the banner.

She did not leave space for the next banner, which is the only complaint I would have about it, but it now will hang above us here, Drew. Came up with a great idea with this because it is very good. I think we need to have a night where me, you, Ryan, we get canvases, and we sit here and we try to paint her painting. Because it's so good. Look how good that is. Imagine we do a smaller version, and we hang ours maybe in the bathroom or in the back hallway.

We think maybe a little art night at KS. Bar, we all try. I don't think you understand how bad I am at art. I do. That's the point of this exercise. I would not be able. I wouldn't be able to paint the UK logo, much less Mark Pope's face. Hers is so picture perfect. I just think we need to bring it down a little bit with our attempts. Yeah.

Well, I do like the addition of it to the bar, but it is, you know, are we on a pace where people are going to kind of remember this team to the point that they'll want to have paintings of it? Like, do you think this team, this kind of group of unknowns that when the season started, not one person new? Do you think we're going to continue on that? I think so because, you know, we as a fan base. We love the Boogie John Wall team because they kind of brought basketball back to us again.

We love the unforgettable. Those guys who kind of brought us back after the probation. So, yeah, I think this team right now, surpassing expectations, they continue to play this way. They may be up in that level. Yeah, but what's weird is with the unforgettable's, there was the connection of so many of them being from the state of Kentucky. And then with the Wall Cousins teams,

it was this overwhelming amount of talent that we just hadn't seen a dude like John Wall here and forever. This one's a little different. I mean, these are like, I mean, they're role player guys in general. And I think the fact that they're all like that, Drew, is in part why we like it so much. That and their coach has a ring from an all-time. favorite team. And then, of course, you got a Western Kentucky representative. You got an Eastern Kentucky representative. There's just so much that pulls people back in. I noticed last night,

you know, in later years with Cal, even when they're winning, you know, a weeknight, you'd leave early, up 10, you'd get out. That game took two hours and 40 months later. At the end, Kentucky got separation. People knew it was over. When the buzzer ended, I think every butt was still in their seat, and there was a go big blue chant around the arena. And then, of course, we know they stay for Pope, that's just changed so much in that building. Like, people don't want to go home. I totally agree. And I also noticed watching Travis Perry last night, even though he's from your part of the state,

he looks like he's from my part of the state. Travis Perry looks like he's from the mountains. And Trent Noah actually looks like he's from your part of the state. So the Eastern Kentucky, it looks like the Western Kentucky. Because when I was sitting there looking at him, I was like, okay, that may say Lyon County, but he looks like Breethick County in the way, Just the haircut and everything. We're not so different on each side.

That's true. I agree. We'll take a break. I'll be right back. This is Kentucky Sports Radio. 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, Kentucky Sports Radio, here at the KS Bar and Grill. It is Wings Day. Fighting through some technical difficulties. But Matt Ryan Drew, Shannon is in studio. We figured out there's like some internet problems. So if we drop out, Shannon will just take you through until we come back.

I like how many people are here and also working. I'm not going to tell your businesses that you're also working. But that's okay. No, no. You feel free to work. I'm just saying if you feel like this is important enough to come in work, then I consider that a compliment. It's good that something's working here.

That's right. We have to note Kentucky wins, game ends, right after Arkansas goes to O and 4, loses on the road to LSU, worst team in the conference beats them. I don't know how much of the game you all saw, but just think about every road game of the last five years that he was the coach and you saw it, right? They got up big, then they didn't score forever,

LSU hit shots they probably don't normally hit, and they win. O and four, they play at Missouri Saturday. Missouri just won at Florida, so you got to think that's going to be, now that Missouri looks like they might be good. I mean, I watched the Field of 68 show last night where they talk about all the games. They talked about very well about us.

They talked about Indiana, which we'll talk about later. But then when it got to Arkansas, Randolph-Childer's, I think it's a pretty good announcer. Randolph-Childers just said, they stink. He just said, they stink, period. They stink. And they stink, Drew. They really do.

They really do stink. We knew there was a chance they wouldn't be good. I didn't have this scenario in mind. I didn't think that they would miss the tournament, and it now looks like, unless they turn it around and get some big wins because they have opportunities ahead, that they will not be participating in March. And honestly, when they cut to the bench

and I just saw those assistant coaches that I wasn't really fond of when they were here, and I just thought, you know what you took them there? This is exactly what we thought would happen, and it's happening just even worse. All right, I guess the guys dropped out. We'll see if we can reconnect with them in a minute. I mean, to their point, I mean, are you guys back now? I guess. I don't know.

You're in, you're out. I never know if you're on or not. I think they're out again. But, I mean, yeah, Arkansas, 0 and 4 right now to start the SEC. The next game they have up on Saturday is at Missouri, who, by the way, just went on the road and beat Florida last night. So if, you know, you're an Arkansas fan and you were laughing at Kentucky because Caliperi came to Arkansas,

you took all the players from the roster last year. year. Now how do you feel? I'm telling you, they are not happy down in Arkansas right now. Yeah. Okay. I don't know. I don't know what we're going to do here. And you're gone again. But, you know, Tyson, Tyson foods that sent us some chicken and was trying to troll us at KS Bar and Grill. I think now would be a good time for us to maybe send a little care package down their way and maybe trolled them a little bit since they had their fun with us when the whole season started with Calipari and everybody. Let's go to the phones.

Let's take some phone calls here. Let's go to Jacob. What's up, Jacob? Hello, can you hear me? Yeah, we got you. What's up, ma'am? First time caller, a long-time listener. I just wanted to say, I was at the game last night.

I took my buddy, and Drew said it wasn't allowed, and I can say that it wasn't towards the first half, but during the bad calls, like the goal tend, and there's a couple, just like walks, they didn't call. We let them know, like the booze were just outrageous. but I loved it and go cat. Yeah, I mean, for the crowd that I guess, you know, earlier in the year we were kind of critical of,

I will say it seems like Rupp Arena's been rocking the last few games. May have all started with that fan that was standing up and got threatened with jail time if he didn't sit down. It seems like ever since then, though, crowd has been loud. I think there is something to be said about what Matt talks about with the mic placement for the crowd. You know, it's just louder on different broadcast.

But, you know, the last few games, I have no criticism whatsoever for the crowd at Rupp Arena. It's been a great atmosphere. Let's go back to the phones and talk to Kevin. What's up, Kevin? Hey, what's up, Shannon? Hey, guys. Yeah, they're dropped out right now, so we're trying to get reconnected. Until then, it's me and you.

Well, I just want to do. Yeah, so a caller called into the post game show and was talking to Matt last night about how it's, you know, it's nice to know that if we do get behind, And you still have that confidence that they're able to come back and they're able to get the lead and get the win. On the other side of that, Matt just talked about this. Okay, we're connected. For the past three-for- You're not connected again. Okay, we'll jump in there then, guys. We got Kevin on the line.

Go ahead, Kevin. So for the past three-four seasons, it's on the other side of the post game shows the caller, the past three-four seasons when we would get down, I just, we'd be up, sorry. We'd be up 10, 12 points, and I'd have this just terrible feeling that they're going to come back, and we're going to lose. And it's nice this season. I don't have that feeling anymore. If we get up, I'm confident.

I totally agree with you. I appreciate to call. I mean, this team, one of the things we've seen is a 10 or 12 point deficit, Drew, is very fixable. I mean, we were down double digits against Gonzaga. We were down double digits against Duke. We were down double digits against Florida. We were down eight or nine points against Mississippi State. We were down eight or nine points against A&M.

I mean, those deficits. deficits are fixable, whereas in years past, often it felt like it was the death, though. Yeah, I'm pretty tired of seeing the deficits, but even last night in that first half, I really didn't have any moment where I thought Kentucky wouldn't win that game. A&M was shooting at a rate. They don't normally hit. Pope even said, you know, let them shoot. The numbers will even out.

So you just had a comfort, like, we'll be fine. And a lot of these comebacks, you think with the way Kentucky plays and shooting threes, well, I mean, if they make three-threes in a row, you can come back against anyway, against anyone. But like Gonzaga, they did it with defense. The Duke come back, they hit a few threes, but it wasn't. and just going, Kobe Brady getting hot, they found different ways to make their comeback. Well, if you listen to Pope's post game, he said, look, we knew there were some guys on their team,

we wanted to take threes. And then in the first half, they made some, but we still wanted them to take it. I think he felt like the numbers would average themselves out. They did. You know, I tweeted out with two minutes left in the first half. A&M's averaging five threes a game in SEC play. They have seven. They didn't make another one the rest of the game. They missed every three the rest of the game. So that clearly ended up working out. Let me go back to Arkansas, though, just for a second. I was reading their schedule, Shannon. Okay?

Let's look at this schedule. You tell me which of these games they're going to win. They're at Missouri. Who just been in Florida last night. They went in that one? No. Missouri's like number 30 in Ken Pump. Home against 23 ranked Georgia.

Georgia's ranked this week. Could win. Could win, but you don't know that they will. Oklahoma at home. I could win. I think they get that. That's their first way. They get down.

They'll split those. Then they come here, loss. Go to Texas. Loss. Host Alabama, loss. Smoked. Host LSU. Maybe they get that one.

At A&M, loss. At Auburn, loss. Missouri at home? Maybe. Maybe. Probably. Texas at home. Maybe.

At South Carolina. Loss. At Vandy. Loss. Loss. Loss. We're talking about a four-win season in the SEC. The thing is, they actually got a great draw in the SEC.

I don't know if you noticed that the three teams they play twice are LSU, Missouri, and Texas. That's not a bad draw. I mean, we got Alabama and Tennessee twice, right? I think I saw Auburn got Alabama, maybe Mississippi State, and Texas A&M twice. That's a lot harder. They end up getting like the easiest draw. And they still may only win Drew four games. And I wonder not to just create drama out of nowhere,

but if this goes on, that locker room is going to get pretty tired of losing games. What's Davis making like $2 million? He's not doing anything that he did in his last several years of basketball. Big Z's down to six minutes a game. Okay, again, not trying to crush the guy. But if you were a kid in the transfer portal, I want you to think about something for real. If you were a kid in the transfer portal,

why would you go play for Cal? Think about the transfer portal players we had at Kentucky in those last four or five years. With the exception of Antonio Reeves, who for his first year, he wouldn't even play. True. They all were kind of not as good as we thought they were going to be, right? Go back to Olivier Saar, Nate Sestina, Kellyn Grady, Davion Mints. And I think all those dudes were good players. but I think they all didn't reach their potential.

And now you take John L. Davis, who was the number one player in the portal, took a team to the final four, and he can't make a shot. He has like two points a game. Drew, it's crazy to watch them. They are the worst team aesthetically to watch in basketball that I can remember. It reminds me of the COVID team. That's kind of what they look like. I couldn't help but think last night that when he left here, it was, well, I didn't have NIL support.

I'm glad to be at Arkansas. They got my back. Spent all this money on this roster. But now it's like, well, you know, he's new. He had a short window. Well, Mark Pope's where I thought you said the NIL wasn't doing very well. And he had an even shorter window. First of all, I mean, he didn't have NIL cause of him.

That's why he didn't have NIL. But that's my point. He didn't have NIL because of him. And part of my frustration was he actually. acted like it was us. Oh, we didn't care. People didn't want to give to him. It was him.

That's it. The big donors at this school did not want to give to him. The collective, they tried to start it. I could go for 30 minutes on when he tried to start that collective, and what a huge cluster it was. I told them, do not start this collective right before the first game of the SEC tournament. What if you lose? They lost.

I mean, the video. for the collective was a summary of how this thing fell apart, right? Yes. Literally, the person, Ron Brown, who is, let me tell you, the person running the basketball collective is doing a heck of a job. Like you guys, the great thing about him is you don't know what he looks like, but like, because that's what you, you shouldn't know what he looks like, right? He does an awesome job, and he came up with this idea.

Let's do the one Kentucky theme, right? We'll get current players, we'll get Cal, we'll get Mitch, we'll get former players, we'll get the KSR guys. And the idea is worth putting everything behind us. It's a new era. Mitch filmed the video. Former players filmed the video. The last step is they were going to film something with us. Cal just decided when he heard it, don't want Mitch in it, don't want the former players in it, don't want the KSR guys in it.

It'll just be me and Reed Shepherd. And then it got like $10,000. And then he was like, we don't have NIL support. Well, I tell you who does? Mark Pope. It feels like they're getting whatever they want, right? It's because we needed a breath of fresh air. That's why I was not when I'm hearing.

Everyone apologized saying, well, it is his first year, give him time. Well, it's Pope's first year. And I thought the NIL's better there. So how did Mark Pope figure it out where the NIL is so bad? But they're still apologizing for him. Some people now, a lot of people turn on him. But I'm still hearing in Arkansas. Well, it's Cal's first.

year. Next year is when it will really have his class. Can you imagine looking at your boss who films a video? Your boss does not like you. He agrees to do this video where he supports you, films it, and then you find out he kicks you out of the video. Can you imagine that? That was the most sympathetic I've been for Mitch because right around the time Mitch did a video with Stoops and people online were saying, why won't he do one with Cal? But we knew that he had done one and Cal edited him out of the video. The relationship was so bad. Mitch did a video with Stoops. Mitch knew, well, Cal won't let me be in the video with him, so I'll film it separately, and then he didn't even get to be in it at all.

On the editing room floor. Unbelievable. Anyway. Playoffs. Go LSU. We're talking about playoffs. It's the NFL action at draft. No, they're not.

At Draft King's Sportsbook, official sports betting partner of the NFL. If you're ready to place your first bet, go to Draft King's big games this weekend. Four playoff games, Kentucky, Alabama. Go to Draft King's Sportsbook. Use my code, KSR. You bet five bucks you can get $200 in bonus bets. If you have a gambling problem, call 180 gambler. Additional terms, responsible gaming resources, see dkng.c-o-slash audio.

We'll take a break. Be right back. Kentucky Sports Radio. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

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The question is, how do you conquer them? On hurdle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout, Kate Martin, and rising hockey star, Layla Edwards.

If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel on. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeke. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do

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It is Kentucky Sports Radio. 859-28027 here at KS. Barr for Wings Day. Where's everybody from? Somebody's from Chicago, right? You all from Chicago? What about you? Here? Where?

Fitzgerville. What? Fitchville. Where's Fitchville? South of Shelbyville. I'll get the rest of you all the minute. I like to know where people are. That's the Campbellsville ladies over there.

Oh, yeah. No? I thought they were. I love how confidently you said that. What? Henderson. Henderson. They're close.

Yeah, they're right beside each other. Thanks to the folks at the barrel market who made a little KSR barrel box, which is awesome. I'm going to put this in my house. That's really cool. That was very nice of you. And the guy who brought it said, I brought you this because people are mean to you about your politics and I thought well that's nice of you you're right they are but I've done a pretty good job of shutting it all out not totally but pretty good I'll get like one or two days where I get a little

antsy but pretty good I'm going to go into hiding Monday probably for a day money's inauguration but we have the national championship is Monday night so we're going to be doing our giveaway for $4,000 here Monday night be watching we'll talk more about it Thursday and Friday because we will not have a show Monday Day because of Martin Luther King Day and the inauguration we will actually be off. One person writes, Matt, I make a petition that Seth Greenberg cannot be the halftime host at our games anymore. I'm with you. And he's my colleague at ESPN. But he is so, like, it is clear. He hyper doesn't want Kentucky fans to like the team because of how much he liked Cal. I don't think he dislikes Pope. I don't even think he dislikes Kentucky. But he doesn't want us

to be like, he doesn't want to be wrong. He and Jay Williams and all those guys were like, oh, you are going to take a big hit when you lose Cal and now they don't know how to handle. On that note, can I give the tweet of the day? Or kind of the shocking tweet of the day. What is it? Jeff Goodman took a shot at Seth Greenberg just 20 minutes ago.

It's weird seeing like media people go at it at that level, these two college basketball guys. Yeah, they hate each other. Got to wonder what the PR firm of Greenberg, Greenberg, and Greenberg saying about Caliparia now. He tagged him. Oh, he tagged him? Yeah, so we might have some fireworks between the Goodman, Greenberg.

I'm going to watch it. Well, you know, listen, I have mixed emotions because I was harsh on a lot of those guys, often at the behest of Cal. Now, I also agreed with a lot of Cow's criticisms of him, so I don't want to absolve myself. Like, I thought those dudes were jerks to Cowell as well. But I also get it. If I'm Jeff Goodman, Cal tried to and may have actually succeeded. succeeded at getting Goodman fired. So if I'm Jeff Goodman, I get it. You know, I'd be, I'd be

dancing too if I were him. I mean, I get it. It's weird turning on YouTube, but he's got on a Kentucky hat talking about how fun the team is. After those early days of Cal, it's so different. I get it. I mean, if you had somebody who tried to get you taken away from the biggest job, and you'd be the same way, I get it. Yeah, they limited his access to who he can talk to when he comes to a game, they sent him up higher than one. It was more than that. Yeah. Behind the scenes, he got tried to get him out.

And like, I get it. You'd be, I mean, he, well, I'll shut up before I get to. Who's up. Yeah, who's up next? Richard. Richard, go ahead, Richard. That's all I got, boys. Yeah, I mean, I appreciate the call.

I want Creesa back. Don't get me wrong. But if Perry keeps playing at this level, getting Cresa back is not as important. I mean, he's, you know, Creeza's, you know, Creece's. there for the toughness, etc. But really, you need Cresa to play 12 to 15 minutes a game backing up as a guard. And if you can get Travis Perry close to doing that, it doesn't become as big a deal. We're seeing Travis just get more

confident every game and we're seeing Pope have more confidence in him. Letting him play extended minutes now, not just a 30, 45 seconds before a TV timeout. I said on the post game show, a big change in the last few weeks is we don't see a huge drop-off when we put in our bitch. to almanor and they went to Perry and even when they went to Garrison sometimes it was a significant drop. It hasn't been that like that. All right. We'll try to reconnect with the guys.

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So visit cornbread hemp. Enter the promo code KSR at checkout for 30% off your first order. That's cornbread hemp. This is the good life. We'll try to reconnect with the guys back at KS Bar and Grill. Coming up next, 859-280-2287. It's the KSR. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guide,

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, S&L'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 IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice 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 hear.

Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 in the show. a TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on, a Mormon polygamist and an Armenian businessman. Multi-million dollar house, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, private jets, a billion dollar fraud. But how long can this alliance last? Tell me what you know.

Is somebody coming after me? Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hardway with your favorite therapist and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere,

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Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything.

I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your. Your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports.