KSR - 2025-02-25- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: February 25, 2025

KSR is Live at KSBar & Grille talking Kentucky Basketball 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. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clivert Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue 42. A rep. My mama want you to wave at her.

What? Where's she at? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to The Cliverts show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Why are we all so obsessed with romance? On the Radio 831 podcast, join us, Sanjana Basker and Tyler McCall, as we unpack all the trending tropes,

fuzzy adaptations, book talk drama, and celebrity love stories with hot takes and sharp guests. Each episode digs into what these stories reveal about desire, fantasy, identity, and how we love now. Listen to the Radio 831 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Comedy of Broadway and Lexington welcomes Dale Jones, February 14th and 15th. Then catch Lucas Zelnick, February 21st and 22nd. And Don't Miss Club favorite Ian Bagg, February 27th through March 1st. Comedy Off Broadway opened in downtown Lexington.

in 1887, and they're still bringing the best and stand-up comedy to the area 38 years later. Call 859-271 joke or visit Comedyoff-Broadway.com. This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now, here's Matt Jones. Welcome, everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. Tuesday, February the 25th. I'm Matt Jones here live at the KS Bar and Grill on an absolutely beautiful day.

Feels like it's not spring yet, but it feels like we've got, you know, the makings of a wonderful day. You can give us a shout on the Clark's Puppet Shop phone line, 859-2-80-2287. A-AVision Auto Glass Text Machine is 772-7-745-254. And this edition is sponsored by the T.J. Smith Law Office, you call T.J. Helm Make them Pay. We got Travis here from Marion County. We got a couple here from Paintsville. You can come on out and have lunch today or just hang out and watch the show. What we like when you buy lunch, because this is ultimate.

a restaurant. Ryan Lemon, you put gel in your hair today. Is that because it's a big day? I think it was the first time I've put anything in my hair since, like, the 90s. Really? I usually just towel dry it because I know you got shot you. So why did you do it this morning? Well, Josiah had a bottle that had like still an inch left in and he was throwing it away.

I'm like there's still some in there. So why did you say today I'm going to put it in my hair? I don't know. Like it's you have very, I mean, your new plugs are slicked. Yeah. And it bunches them together. I really thought Mario was going to be here today and I wouldn't look good for pictures and then he's not here. Yeah.

Well, it's a different look for you. I'll say the gelled in hair is a different look for you, Drew. I've thrown off. I've known Ryan at least 10 years. Never known him to have any product in his hair. Never really known him to comb his hair. Yeah, you look a little bit like you're going in for the school picture. You know, and mom like put a little something in your hair.

Well, I might start doing it every day. You guys keep bragging on me. I think I'm looking pretty stylish, like a movie star. Maybe you should. Maybe we should. Well, all right, so we're going to make this and ask anything Tuesday. You can call in and ask any question. UK basketball or other related, just not politics.

Anything but politics, but you can ask anything else you want. 859-280-2287 or on the text machine, 772-75254. But before we start, Ryan, a little bit of an announcement. Would you like to hear it? Big announcement. Yes, sir. Go for it. So it was just announced.

This got done last week, but it just got announced this morning by IHeart that I've extended my deal with IHeart for five more years to do Kentucky Sports Radio through the end of 2029. Our 15th anniversary is in September, so this will take us basically to our 20th anniversary. I'm excited about it. It took a while, but we got to where we want to. wanted to be. And so, you know, four years and I guess what, 10 months of KSR left that I'm excited to do. I'm going to clap. Yes, amen. Travis. Thanks, Phil. Let's clap. I kind of hope the three people here would clap, but they sit there silently, so that's okay. But nevertheless, it's good news. Well, on behalf of me and my family, thank you very much for signing that deal. I'm excited.

It was for you and your family. Thank you very much. We can survive and eat dinner in the next five years. Nobody saw it. We appreciate it. A five-year deal now. Hang on. Oh, that's true. Yeah, yeah. This is just, this is just Matt.

I mean, like you still have to work for. Oh, I got you. I didn't think about that. Yeah. Well, now you guys, now you all are up to the plate. It's so good. It expires in three days. Yes.

So, so now you guys are up to the plate. But, you know, I'm sure it'll work out. And I'm excited to continue going. You seem excited about it. You know, there was some back and forth there a little bit. You know, they, you know, they. So if you were to, like, go back, if last March, when we walked off the court in Pittsburgh after the loss to Oakland,

I had in my mind that I was probably going to be done, that I was ready to, like, do something else, or at least try some things. It felt, especially once a few days later that it came out that Cal was going to be back. I just kind of thought, you know, it's probably good. it's probably good for me to at least take a year and go do something else. I'd already planned that trip. The two-month trip.

And I thought, you know, I'm going to confirm in my mind on that trip. But my general response was to not. And then, you know, obviously things changed quickly. You ended up with Mark Pope here. There was a lot of energy, which I could feel, which was good. And then I did my trip, and I had, it was really exactly what I need to do. And then I came back and I thought, you know what, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, only in my mid-40s.

I'm not ready to move to a retirement home yet. So then we started talking and we're able to make it happen. Do you think it was during your trip that you kind of came to realization I want to stay for a lot, like another five years? Well, it was during my trip that I realized like, okay, so life is short, right? And I want to be able to do more things than, I mean, this job has wedded me to a place for 50, 20 years, really. I mean, I, you know, I would take those two weeks and drive around the country, and that was about it.

And I worked with that hard, and they did a good job of, like, giving me the freedom, like, from April to August, I'll be doing this show the normal amount of time, but I might not always be here. And they gave me some freedom to do that. And then just, you know, listen, it's a new air, and it's exciting. I mean, how could you not be wrapped up, you know, that Sunday at Rupp Arena was like, I called, it a big blue, it was like a revival, you know, a tent revival in some ways, but it was for the fans. I think it was for the program. It was for Mark. And on a personal level, it was for me. And I was like, okay, there is a path. I could not see myself doing what we did last year again.

I really could, because after every game, if we lost, it was my fault to a lot of people. And if we won, they just go eat it. And I was like, I just can't, I can't do dead anymore. And then that ended up. So thank you to Arkansas for also. I think that was chicken. That was part of it. Yeah. A, congratulations. But B, you walked right into my question. Did the public reception you got in April kind of help? Well, that was nice. But everybody was real nasty. Not everyone, but there was a lot of nastiness. No, I mean, that was nice. That was nice. And that certainly made reminded you, hey, the people that yell at you online are a minority. But it was also just a part. I mean, I started this website when I was 26 years old.

while also being a lawyer. And for 20 straight years, I never stopped. Like, I mean, never stopped. There was a period, Drew, you know, for 14 years where I wrote every single day. And then, you know, when you took a chance to stop and you were like, okay, let's reprioritize. And then when I came back, I realized you can still do this show well and have a life. And so I was like, yeah, let's keep going. Ryan, let's be honest. That's why I put probably things on today too. I would miss if I didn't do it,

I would miss you all. I mean, I'm, when I was at my worst health crisis, the happiest two hours of my day was this, right? I never didn't enjoy doing this. And so, yeah, I wanted to keep going. And like, yeah, being with you all, I mean, how many shows keep the core group? That's true. For 13 years. I mean, the first two years were a little different. I was with Zach for a year, and then I was with Shannon and random people for a year. But really for 13 years, it's been this core group. And they're just, you know, there are not too many shows that could do that. No, you listen to even the successful radio shows.

Their hosts are together like maybe two, three years tops. Well, because they end up hating each other. Like, I mean, I've seen that from ESPN. Almost all, I mean, almost all national shows, the host all end up hating each other. and we like each other and we are friends, except for Shannon not invited us to the Christmas party,

we always get along very well and it's, you know, so it's a great time. It's really nice. Five more years for me to invite you to one of the parties. And then I can start coming when we don't work together?

Okay, that's fair enough. This morning, you called us work friends, by the way. Yeah, you're not real friends. Wait, me, you called us work friends. I don't hang out with you guys after work and grab a beer with you ever. It's always like I see you guys at work.

That's not true, though. We do. It's just we're in different places. But you and I, once a year, hang out, get wet, walking to O'Shea's and, you know, there's a handful of time. I think the key to success is cross-country road trips with Airbnb's. Really, that if national guys, if Mike and Mike had done that, they'd still be pitching subway in the mornings on ESPN.

I think that helps bring us together, too. And there's a, let me also say this. I've heard a lot more of this since April. But, you know, people have been saying this for him. The role this show plays in other people's life and the things they're going in is immensely gratifying. I mean, the role when people say, you know, I had a family member sick and we sat and listened to this, or, you know, I will get text messages literally five to six a week of someone who says to me, I'm going through X, Y, or Z, and listening to this helped me. or there's a lot of lonely people in the world but who feel like so like all that stuff is

is a huge part of why I really enjoy it the thing that always gets me to is when like somebody says my dad was in failing health but the one thing we talked about every day we listen to the show gets me every time and and we've and this is a testament to bringing on Mario we have picked up in the last year a younger audience I can feel it I mean I can feel it with

those videos and bringing in Mario has helped us reach a generation. There had become a point that I wondered if, like, that people 25 and under, if we just, like, we're old now and we'll never connect to them. But Mario has helped make that happen in a way that I think is really, really exciting. And so now you can get 80-year-olds and 50-year-olds.

And sports radio in general in this country gets 35-to-55-year-old men. And that's it. And that's it. Yep. this does a lot more, and I think that's part of what makes it great. Yeah, I mean, the number show is still growing. It's fun. I think the bar, you know, we actually get to see, like, kids coming here to get Ryan Lemon's autograph.

That lets us know there's a little bit of future, and we still have some unfinished business, some brackets, some Sopranos podcast. I mean, we were the number one. We were the number one radio station in Kentucky last time for 25 to 54-year-old women. There's no sports show in America. That never happened. There's none. There's no sports show that's in the top 10 in that demographic. And we're number one.

So like how can you not be excited? And listen, this has been a fun year. I mean, even though we're 18 and 9 or whatever, and there have been years, people would say, well, that's not elite. I think you got to go back for me to like maybe the last team before COVID as a team that I've just enjoyed the ride as much as I've enjoyed this one. For basketball, I think there's no doubt. There's been some rough seasons, which led us to have some rough times on this radio show

because people were so frustrated. Like I said, before, we were a fractured fan base, and we felt it on this show, by the way, the people that called in. Yeah, this is such a fun group, not just with Pope being here and everything's starting new, everything fresh. That's always going to give you new energy. But whatever happens with this team, it's one of my favorites. I kind of said that last year, too, and it really ended poorly. but I mean this this group is one that I already will remember for a long time and they'll be among my favorites.

Well, I want to thank you guys for being like great partners, friends, co-hosts for the last, for you all. Shannon, 14 years. Yes, to you guys, 13 years. And, you know, thanks to everybody who's played a part of it, Billy and Mario, more recent additions, but have been great. And really to the audience, you know, this is. I never would have thought 25 years ago that this would be my life. I went to law school, and I thought I'm just going to be like, maybe if I'm lucky I'll be in a courtroom and be arguing somewhere,

and this is so much more fulfilling for me, and it's because of those of you that read the blog during the Patterson, Lucas, you know, Alan Cutler, chasing Billy Gillespie, John Caliperi getting hired, the National Championship, platoons, Mark Stoops, you know, all the way through the college world series last year to the new Mark Pope revolution. You know, it's because of you, all this has happened. And I'm excited to do five more years, but also thankful to everybody that helped make it happen.

859-2-80-2287. Text machine is 772-745254. We might as well get started with the next five years. It starts today. It's exactly right. It's Ask Anything Tuesday. And we'll take a break. I'll be right back.

This is KSR. Last night, a blown call changed the 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, 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife Life 12 and 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.

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some things coming on the text machine one person writes Matt why do you guys keep doing radio don't you think you should do other mediums radio is too old school for me well first of all no because radio is is the best medium radio you know I don't think radio and podcasts are different radio does have commercials live but then we put it up on podcast, and if you hate the commercials, you can just wait and do the podcast. It's live. I like the fact you can react to things live. I also think when podcast, for those of you that listen to podcasts, they do live

podcasts. Guess what that is? A radio show. Like, that's the same thing. Now, I do think eventually we'll get it to where it streams on YouTube. I think that will eventually happen one day. I don't know if it'll be like in the next year, but I do think that'll happen at some point. but to me radio slash podcast because I do consider that the same thing it's the most growing media

TV's dying but radio you can take it with you and I also think I've said this many times when you listen to someone on the radio like that's who they are you can fake it Ryan on television you can't fake it on radio like you're going to end up being who you are in some form yeah it's a two hour live show so you can show your personality And when you're doing sports on TV on a newscast, you have three minutes to condense everything in three minutes. We're on this radio show. We've got a two-hour show. You can kind of be yourself.

And podcasts can be edited. And live radio cannot. So like if somebody says something they wish they didn't, well, you can kind of manipulate that. But on radio, like, it's out there. It's gone. You might edit it after the fact, but it still went out there. So, like, you know, it is what it's a different kind of thing. That can be part of the fun.

guy next to me sometimes might say something backwards and a podcast would edit that and let him fix it. You know, I thought of you, Ryan, when Saturday Night Live on their 50th anniversary, they did the in-memorium rather than putting up pictures of people that died, they put up skits, pictures of skits that wouldn't play in today's world that were maybe a little problematic. And I thought, you know, KSR could have the Ryan Lemon version of that. Ryan Lemon things that have been said, you know, I talked about this a lot, but when I was thinking about running for Senate, and I had to pay for my own background check, and it was like 50 pages, 45 of which were old KSR posts.

And you sit there and you read it, most of them weren't mine. Most of them were this guy sitting over here and another friend of mine. But sitting there reading it, I thought even stuff I'd written, I was like, I can't believe I ever wrote that. But, you know, things change over time and things that. seemed okay then, seem less okay now sometimes. Ryan Lemon, I think, has some of those on the air. I just watched a movie, and there was some scenes in the movie, like, okay, that would not fly

in today's world. Yeah, you could, there's just some things that, I mean, there were some things that I said that I, like, look back and go, what was I thinking? Like, you know, it's just, that's what happens. Well, the hangover, one of the biggest movies of the year, their trailer had some things we don't say anymore. If you go back and you're like, that was in the movie trailer? Like, that was on TV as a commercial?

Yeah. So, I mean, that's, you know, that's part of growing. One person writes, Matt, I was listening to your very first KSR show, and I remember thinking this guy will never make it. He's too nervous. I was really nervous in those days, especially when we started because, you know, I was on every crappy station in Louisville for years. And then they finally put me on A-Heart, and I was like, well, I can't screw this up.

So I was very nervous when we first started. You did? If you go to listen to those shows, it sounds like a different show. It doesn't even sound like the same thing. I mean, I don't even sound like the same person. You did podcast for how long before you did the radio show, the one on? Well, I named this thing Kentucky Sports Radio because I one day wanted to be on the radio. And we created a podcast very soon after.

I've told this story a lot, and then I'll shut up and we'll talk about the game. I went to every radio station, every single one of them in Lexington, Louisville, and I went to ones in like Winchester, Nicholasville, Herodzburg. I physically walked into every station in these cities and said, give me a show, I'll do it for free. And every one of them said no.

And so I was like, you know what? All right, I'll just do one myself. And I had heard a radio show talk about the idea of podcast, Adam Curry, former MTV Vijay. I was like, well, I could do that. I think, I'm not saying this to be like, bragging, I think it's a truth.

I think we had the first podcast in Kentucky. Because it didn't even exist. It wasn't even a medium that existed. And I created it. I went to the people at Kentucky Sports Report. Yeah. And I said, can I take this podcast I'm making and put it on here? Because I need somewhere to host it.

I didn't even know what that word meant, right? And so I went to him and said, you don't even have to pay me. Can I just put it here? And they said, no, we don't want that. And I went, well, now what? And I was at Hubby's house in his basement, and Hubby goes, well, you could just make you a website. And then Kentucky Sports Radio really just existed for me to have somewhere to put my podcast on. And then I was like, well, now I can write stuff.

And then that's kind of how it happened. But it happened because every single station in Kentucky told me no. And I was like, all right, well, then I'll just do it myself. Kicking themselves now, ain't they? I don't know. You have to ask them. I kind of missed the days of the podcast in Hubby's basement when his wife would be folding clothes and next to us.

No, his wife hated it. His wife was like, what are you all doing? Why are you doing this? Like, I got laundry to do. And then one time we picked Drew up, drunk at Tin Roof, and brought him to the house. No, no, that's the time. Well, I was drunk, definitely.

but you all brought a guy that you thought was my friend. That's right. Yeah, that's a true story. Drew was at Tenruh for like a soccer. You had soccer game. Yeah, World Cup. Started early. We barely knew Drew.

It's my birthday. And I went to pick him up to have him come do the podcast. And this dude just got in the car with us. And I assumed it was Drew's friend. It was just a random guy who got in a car. And then we got out at Hubby's house, and there's just this random guy sitting there. I thought he was with you all. And I thought he was with you.

Yeah, we didn't know each other very well. And I looked at Drew and I was like, so who's your friend? And Drew's like, I don't know that guy. I have never heard this story. And he's just sitting in hubby's basement, this random guy. You might be listening right now. A random guy. And then finally I was like, dude, you got to go.

Like, we don't know you. I barely knew hubby, barely knew you. I've never heard that. That's awesome. So there you go. 859-280-2287. One more thing about the deal. I will also be doing a one-hour weekly.

show that will be non-sports where I interview people. It'll air on WHAS and WLAP, but then also be available on podcast. That'll start in May, but it'll be like my old Matt Jones podcast, but I'll be doing that once a week, both on radio, but also on podcast. Very cool. I knew you, that was in the works. I didn't know if you were ready to announce that, so I didn't ask you about it, but that's got to be something exciting for you to do a different avenue of what we do here.

Well, it's just going to be a, it will not be UK sports. It will get to be other stuff. All right, Shannon, who's up first? We'll start with Jen. Jen, go ahead, Jen. So I am originally from Seattle, Washington, and I'm a diehard. Don't hang up on me now. I'm a die hard.

Okay, I just got a minute, though, Jen. That's the thing. I just got a minute. Go, go. Okay, so here's a thing. My husband converted me over to a Kentucky basketball fan. So as a world-renowned attorney and also a world-renowned radio star, what would be your closing argument to get me to turn over to a Kentucky football fan as well?

From what? What's your team? The volunteers go Tennessee. Oh, because here's what I would do. I would go to a Tennessee game and I would look around at those human beings and say, do I want to be associated with these people? because if I am a Tennessee fan, the world will look at me like I look at these human beings. If you want to be a person of importance, yes, you cheer for Kentucky over Tennessee records regardless in football.

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. Welcome back. Tucky Sports Radio, 859-280, 2287. I have people tell me the first time they ever learned of this show. That's kind of interesting. If you have an interesting story, 772-774-5-254, what's the first time you ever learned of this? Here's a couple.

All right. One person writes, Matt, I was listening to the BTI sucks first show. I was a Louisville fan. When I heard the show was coming on, I thought it was a Louisville show. I got really mad when I realized it was a Kentucky show, but I've still listened for 20 years, even though I hate Kentucky. That's what you know you're doing your job. That's a good answer. Yeah, that's a great answer.

One person writes, Matt, first time I heard of KSR was 2006. I was at a UK football game and a really attractive woman came and handed me a piece of paper that said, listen to the Kentucky Sports Radio podcast. That's exactly right. We did do that. We were trying to figure out how to get the word out, and me and hubby and Rob Godell would walk around and hand out little cards that said, listen to Kentucky Sports Radio. Nobody cared. Like, nobody cared.

They were like, get this dude with the mullet away from me, like nobody cares. So then somebody said, you know, you ought to get women that are attractive to carry it around. And I knew a young woman in Louisville, she and her friends, we paid them like $50, and they each, and they walked around. Had a lot more people take the cards after that. I bet. That was a lot more. That was a good beast of early marketing to realize. You got your money's worth of that one person that's still listening almost 20.

Yeah, exactly. They had to work 20 years later, and they still are listening. Don't you feel like we're doing our job? We can get fans of other teams. He loves saying that shit, and that's his phrase. He loves this phrase doing our jobs. Go ahead. Older fans, fans of other teams, they listen every day or tune in.

We know we're doing our job. Before I go, the phones, let's talk for a second about Mark Pope's radio show last night. Mark Pope said in his radio show that Lamont Butler and Jackson Robin, Robinson, were both progressing to play, which I think was a very good sign. That's the first time he said with Robinson specifically that he thought he was going to play. He kind of hinted that with Butler,

but he did not say it with Robinson. They both are, this is kind of, if you were listening to the scuttle butt Monday, you kind of heard this. He said Butler is practicing. Robinson is starting to practice. No word on if they play Wednesday. I'm still going to put my money on.

We see Butler against Auburn. I don't know that we see him tomorrow night, but we'll see. Robinson, I think, takes a game or two later. But Drew, very good signs, at least, from Mark Pope's comments last night to me. Definitely, especially the Robinson part. I've always felt pretty good about Butler getting back at some point, but Robinson has been very mysterious, and Pope said we're hopeful for both.

I think he said Butler was still a little bit limited and that Jackson is doing skill work, but the fact that they're both out there practicing is a great sign with a couple weeks left in the season. Great sign. Exactly what you want to hear. He also then was asked by a caller, good question by the caller, about Amari Williams and why doesn't he play more? And Mark Pope gave his answer.

It's not an answer that I necessarily like, but at least we know the answer. And it's exactly what the guy who did the TV told me. He said, we did studies, and Amari Williams is at his most efficient between 22 and 28 minutes. And we're trying to figure out whether we can get him to 28 or it's more like 22. I didn't like that answer because I think it needs to be more than 28. And the fact that 22 is even on the table scares me a little bit. But he is going to take the view that he wants to play these guys at maximum efficiency. And I think whereas my inclination would be 80% Amari is better than 100% Garrison,

he's looking for 100% from everybody. And so I think that's what we're going to see. I don't think we're going to see more than 28 minutes a game from Amari Williams. I think Amari, to me, he's been the MVP of the SEC season. During the SEC play, I think he's been the best player since Butler and Robertson's been out. He's been the guy. And so why not, you know, increase your sample size then? Why not play him over 30 minutes and just see how he does?

And maybe the stats will move a little bit for you, and you can get more minutes out of him. Well, but he's not doing that. It was clear when he said that. He basically was like, this is what it is. And he seemed, it's interesting. I wouldn't use the word stubborn with Mark Pope, because Mark Pope's all of his opinions, I think, come from data, and data can change, whereas I think John Caliperi,

his opinion wasn't going to change no matter what. But I do think my man is beholden to the data, and I'd rather have that than somebody just beholden totally their gut. I would say a mix is probably best, but we are going to be beholden to the numbers. Yeah, he was ready for that question saying that it becomes clear that Amari is not as efficient once he hits that certain mark, and he's averaging 22 this season, so he's on the low end of that 22 to. But I would ask him, I would wonder, and I want to ask him this during the offseason,

obviously Amari at like 24 minutes is going to be more efficient than Amari at 35. But really for me, the mathematical question is those 11 minutes between 24 and 35 is Amari more efficient than 100% Brandon Garrison? I mean, to me, that's the question, is would you, what is more efficient? Garrison at his fullest or Amari a little tired? And I don't know the answer to that question. We've seen Garrison at times play pretty well, but overall, I think I would take an 80% Amari over that. So that to me, he answered it without answering what is actually my question about it, if that makes sense. Yeah, and I would still want to know, like, do you ever think about the combinations you have in?

Because, okay, maybe his minutes aren't ever going to be 30-something. But we all know that at least once a game we look up and there's four dudes in that can't guard or three guys they can't score. And it's almost like I wish he would work on the combos a little more. But obviously he knows a lot more than I do. And that was a clear answer of him explaining a question a lot of people have had. All right, so we play Oklahoma on Wednesday. Oklahoma is reeling. Their coach, I mean, you want to talk about a game where the other side has a ton at stake.

Oklahoma beat Mississippi State. So if they can beat us, I think they got a pretty good shot at the tournament. Porter Moser, the coach, probably needs to make the tournament to keep his job. So you could make an argument that that coach goes into the locker room and says, boys, we come out of here tonight on ESPN. If we win, we're in the tournament, and I might be your coach next year. And if we lose, neither of those things will be true. We better show up.

Because, like, that's good. I mean, they're 4 and 10, but 4 and 10 can still make the tournament and they were undefeated in the non-conference. That's what scares me about this game, really. I mean, you know, we kind of had a little bit of that. We went down to Texas. It was meant a lot more to Texas than it did to us. I kind of feel the same way tomorrow night.

Big game for Otega O.A. going back to his old school and playing against his teammates, so maybe he'll be able to pull everybody through and win the game. And they showed they're not quitting on Moser at Mississippi State or had them at home. But, I mean, they had lost five straight, three and ten at that point. That could have easily been a time that they were done. And by beating, you know, I think Mississippi State was 21st. That showed that they're willing to fight for him.

Because it has not. I mean, when they made that higher, that's the old Loyola coach. You know, he's got one of the most famous runs that exists. They haven't been to the tournament with him, so his seat's very hot. Do you think we're an underdog? Maybe like a point. I think it'll be a very close spread either way. I would probably make Kentucky give a point a half, but it won't shock me.

I could be very wrong there. I just, it's, I don't know how the desert reacts to these injuries. Like, if we were healthy, I would definitely think. Well, the desert got it wrong last game because they put it out six and a half and it ended up 12. And it was a 13-point game, so the desert was right. I had Alabama under 96 and a half. They scored 96. Nobody scores 90s.

Well, I say the desert. Desert got it wrong, but the betters got it to where it needed to go. Who's next, Shannon? Farmer Steve. Farmer Steve, how are you? I'm fine. First time, long time. You guys deserve the extension, and congratulations.

Thank you. I have a, I think, perfect name for the team. It's organic. It's illiterative. Think about it. That's what he did. No team. Hey, you guys want to play ball?

We're going to have fun. We're going to be at Kentucky. They're gone at the end of the year. All right. Appreciate the call. Doesn't quite hit it with me, but, you know, that's okay. Popes, pickups. I'm sticking.

You know, the Mountain Momba. I think you get one good nickname out of the season. You just roll with it. And we got Mountain Bomb, but I think we should just be happy with that, right? We got one. That was good. Yeah, I ain't doing it for me, Doug. Pope's pickups.

I'm not going to go with that. Wow. Was that Randy Jackson? That's Randy Jackson, yeah. Ain't doing it for me, dog. Product in his hair. What are you doing? Like, what was that?

Ain't doing it for me, though. Ain't doing it for me, dog. Pope's pickups. I just didn't expect to hear it like that from you. So, uh, so, so is new Ryan? Ryan, too. This is this new product hair Ryan? A little feisty, yeah.

Was it like a paste or a gel? Yeah. Is it a pomade? It's like a lotion. It's like a lotion. It looked like a lotion. He did pull it out of a lot of. bottle and put in your hand and put in your hair.

He's a dapper, Dan, man. You are a dapper Dan, man, aren't you? He's a dapper Dan, man. Well, Cornbread Hemp, you know, next Friday we're going to be at Cornbread Hemp. They're going to show you all. They've already shown me how they make it. You know, they make it out in Louisville.

In Louisville, right? This little thing. And it may be February, but we still have a ways to go this winter, so stay cozy and help rest with cornbread Hemp. Full-spectrum products formulated to 15 seconds. Help brighten your mood. No, 15. That was, Shannon, that was supposed to be how many 15 seconds are left in the thing.

I shouldn't have. That was a Ron Berger deal moment. I just read it right there. And it was not in there. Kentucky grow quality and results, 10 seconds. All time first cornbread hemp customers can enter the code KSR at checkout and get 30% off your first order. It's cornbreadheadhimp.com code KSR. Cornbread hemp is the good life. We're going to take a break. Be right back.

It's Kentucky Sports Radio. Last night, a blown call changed the game. This morning. internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice 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 athlete 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. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic 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

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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. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio here live. 859-280-2-82-87. People are giving me the first time they heard of KSR. All right.

One person writes, Matt, I heard about it on a website called Wildcat Thunder. They had a link to your site. I remember Wildcat Thunder. It was just like a set of links. I don't know what happened to that. There was a lot of those. What were some of the old websites? You had Wildcat Faithful.

I don't remember that one. You had Wildcat Thunder. You had what was the guy? who had all the links. Walters Wild World of Kentucky. Danny Jets Inter Circle. Danny Jets Inner Circle. Danny Jets Inter Circle produced one of the best KSR episodes of all time, by the way.

I don't wonder, shout out to Danny Jett, wherever you are. I miss Aaron's Links. We actually saw him in Michigan last year on our road trip. Aaron's links, that's right. What else? Can you think of other old school old school blogs? True Blue, Kentucky was that was that was Mark Magrard's side. That was Mark Maggard's side.

Sports Report, which I don't know if that still exists or not, but that was the site for a long time. That was big for a while, Kentucky Sports Report. I remember the first time I found out about you. I told this story before. Gabe Pendleton said, Judge Gabe said, hey, man, check out this blog, my friends, my college friends and some of my other friends have put this together. You're really going to like it. That's how I found out about it. One person writes, 2014, I was working on a garbage truck, and the guy I worked with that day made me listen.

I hated him for a while, but over time I ended up liking it. One person writes, Matt, I heard a KSR on the Big Blue Dawn documentary during Cal's first year. You remember that documentary? I just saw that. I watched it, but I have it on DVD. That's a good documentary. Yeah, it was the documentary of the Wall Cousins year. I wonder if you can still get that.

I'm not sure. I'll let's my borrow it if they want. Can I tell everybody about an incoming disaster that's going to happen two weeks from tomorrow? Uh-oh. So the SEC tournament, you know, you can buy. passes to the whole tournament. But they started a few years ago, and it was been a pretty good idea, they just let you in on Wednesday night.

A couple years they did it for free. Now it's like 20 bucks or something like that. But there's no assigned seating on Wednesday night. Well, here's a little secret. What if Kentucky plays Wednesday at 1? Okay. What if Kentucky plays Wednesday at 1 and fans who have bought seats? Your seat is not a side.

for Wednesday night. So your seat may say you have a seat on like row one, but you do not. If you get there, someone may be sitting there and they take your seat. And a lot of people, I'll go so far as to say most people will have no idea. And they're going to come in and do the whole, what, Cedric the entertainer, two. I got those two right here. Seats four and five.

Four and five, like one of those. and then they're going to go, sorry, I ain't leaving. When they created that policy, they couldn't have thought Kentucky was going to play. So what if the first game, all of you that have books, and it'll be on the seat number that you have it, but you don't have it because it'll be first come first serve. And if Kentucky plays on Wednesday and you're going, get there at 11, whatever that time they open, you might sit with the best seats you've ever set for a Kentucky game ever because it's first come first serve we don't hope we wish yeah it's from us from that skit i actually told some friends just two days ago

i was like hey there's a chance wednesday's in play and you can go to ticket master right now for 20 american dollars and buy a ticket for general admission and potentially be watching Kentucky versus whoever this is what i would say to all of you Mississippi state and us are tied if we finish tied we will be one seat ahead of them, but their schedule's easy. If we lose tomorrow night, there's a decent chance we're playing on Wednesday. Now, I want us to win tomorrow night. But if we lose, I would get on Ticketmaster right after the game and just buy a Wednesday seat.

It's 20 bucks. You might have a chance to sit in the front row for a Kentucky game because it's general admission. So, I mean, for me, what's the worst that happens? You end up going. Cal might be playing that round anyway, right? But there is a real chance that there is going to be absolute chaos in Nashville Wednesday at 1 o'clock because Kentucky might play for a general admission game.

That has, when has Kentucky played where it's general admission? I don't know ever. Ever? Even blue-white game you've got assigned seats. I'm shocked they didn't change the policy with the new format where there's more games. I mean, there's going to be ranked teams on Wednesday. I'm surprised they're doing general admission. So I would just say to you, if we lose tomorrow night, you should be upset, but get on ticket master.

You'll never see a Kentucky. First of all, they'll change this rule if this happens. Yeah, they will. Which means you'll never see a Kentucky game ever again for this cause. And in the postseason. Yeah. Come on. So just a little heads up of what could be to come if we lose tomorrow night.

Who's next? Mark Anthony. Mark Anthony, how are you? Hey, good morning, Matthew, Andrew, Shannon. Hey, Matt, I'm so happy we're going to have another five years. But it brought me to my question. You said that you were on the fence at the end of last season, and Mark Pope was announced as the coach,

which may have had you lean in a little bit one way, until the show the following day when everything was positive and then the introduction when Rupp was packed people were going crazy and a little thing happened they introduced Matt Jones to the crowd and he was warmly received so tell me Matt had that not happened do you think maybe we wouldn't have another five years I just I mean it wasn't I mean the applause was awesome and I'll remember that

for the rest of my life but that it wasn't that particular thing. So I've talked about this, but I appreciate the call. I get a call on Mark, excuse me, John Cal Perry does his interview with Mitch Barnhart on Tuesday. I think that airs Tuesday night. On Wednesday, I get a phone call that basically says, hey, let's be really careful what's going on because they're trying to really force our hand and, you know, we don't

have to go into the details of the phone call, but it was not positive. and that night I talked to one of my friends and I was like I think I'm done you know what I'm not going to fight with this dude for another two years I'm done

so the next day I call my boss and I'm like you know what if they push it don't worry about it just tell them it's fine I'm and he was and she was like

just wait wait you're taking a vacation let's talk about it after the vacation don't make a rash decision and I said, you know, that's probably the right way to look at it. And then three days later, the whole thing changes. And all of a sudden, my viewpoint of it flipped. And then once I was on vacation, I was like, yeah, I'd like to do it again.

I mean, you know, we all had private conversation with you. You were set. I mean, people may or may not. But like, again, it's over and I don't want it to be like, Mario's not here to tape it, so it's not a big deal. But like, it, folks don't realize. and it wasn't just me. Folks don't realize what that last year or two was like.

The idea that the internet sometimes acted like, like everybody just created this out of nowhere. How many people left their jobs in the last two years to get out of that basketball office? We had a lifelong Kentucky fan decide to go to North Carolina. We had one guy get out of the business completely to go, like, work at a blood center. Like, it was bad.

Okay? So it worked out really well, I think, for everybody. We're going to take a break and be right back. This is hour number two. This is Kentucky Sports Radio. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends.

Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement home. 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 a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headlines.

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Rockerum stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlic. 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. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Cliverts show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff.

Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at What? Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Rhett, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Why are we all so obsessed with romance? On the Radio 831 podcast, join us, Sanjana Basker and Tyler McCall, as we unpack all the trending tropes, fuzzy adaptations, book talk drama, and celebrity love stories with hot takes and sharp guests. Each episode digs into what these stories reveal about desire, fantasy, identity, and how we love now. Listen to the Radio 831 podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.