KSR - 2025-05-21- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

KSR is Live from KSBar & Grille talking UK Basketball's new commit, Zakai Zeigler suing the NCAA for another year of eligibility, and taking your calls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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 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. Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington welcomes Ginger Billy May 9 through the 11th. Then from White Famous Catch Jay Farrow, May 16th and 17th. And don't miss Rocky Dale Davis, May 23rd and 24th. Comedy Off Broadway opened in downtown Lexington in 1987. And they're still bringing the best in stand-up comedy to the area 38 years later. Call 859-271 joke or visit ComedyoffBroadway.com. This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage.

Now here's Matt Jones. Welcome, everyone to Kentucky Sports Radio. Wednesday, May the 21st. I'm Matt Jones here at the KS Bar and Grill in Lexington, Kentucky, where it's overcast but nice day out after storms last evening. You can give us a shout. It is Ask Anything Wednesday. Shannon, people can ask any question they want, unless I say no.

859-280-2287. So go ahead and get on. I'll take calls earlier. I'm not going to do like I did last time, Shannon, lead with Bob and James. That's not going to happen. But we can have someone else. A Vision Autoglass Text Machine, 772-7474 in this edition, sponsored by the T.J. Smith Law Office. You call T.J. I'll make them pay.

I want to give a shout out here before we start today, Ryan. This is Larry's 88th birthday. Oh, it is. It is his 88th birthday. So happy birthday to Larry. He is in Illinois at Wheaton College, where my mom is in her first week of school, getting her doctor of medicine. Or doctor of medicine. I don't think she's going to med school.

Doctor of religion graduate degree. This was her first week of school, and she is here. They're probably going to go out and really party hard tonight. They did that last night. because tonight is a dinner at a professor's house. So they did that last night they had the wild birthday. So happy 88th day to Larry doesn't look a day over 50. That's true.

Well, happy birthday to Larry. It's true. They're going to have a great time. Might get wild. Maybe even break out the bass. Play a little music on the birthday. He might break out the beast. You know, Larry's having to get used to a different setting.

He's been in Middlesbrough for 50-plus years, and he's having to get used to every few weeks. They're going to be at Wheaton College. He's like seeing the world at him. in his eighth, I guess what? Ninth decade. Some people slow down. He's like, let me see more.

I want to see what this Wheaton College is all about. We can only hope and pray that at 88 years old, we're as good as a condition as Larry is today. We won't be. There's no, you can hope and you can pray, but it is guaranteed probably no one in this group will. So where is Wheaton, Illinois? It's like a little southwest of Chicago.

Okay. I think that would be where it is. I'm on the air right now. We'll do that in a minute. A.59-280-2-80. 2287, had some big news yesterday. Oh, you did? No, Kentucky had some big news.

I thought you said you had some big news. I guess it was big news for Matt, too. Yeah, I mean, I wasn't really excited about it, but besides that, Kentucky gets a commitment. At the end of the session, they end up with the 35th ranked player in America, Braden Hawthorne, who picks Kentucky over West Virginia and Pitt. Drew, you know, I would say in the history of basketball, I'm not sure there's ever been a better 14th player to commit to a team.

I'm going to go on record, say, best 14th man commitment in the history of college basketball. Now, part of that is because you mostly could only have 13 players. But nevertheless, I'm still confident in sight. It is wild. Pope was able to convince the guy who had a huge spring and big offers with potential to play right away. He was convinced him to just come here and just see what happens in your first year and then break out your second year. I'll add at 13-14, they have a McDonald's All-American and Michael Marino. You have a 7-foot-1 Reese Potter who played at Miami, Ohio.

That is the end of your bench. So there's not a three-deep end of the bench better than Kentucky's. But with Hawthorne, I mean, offensively, he looks great. He puts a little weight on, and if he could even do it this summer, you might see him play earlier. But once he gets a little more physical, he's going to be trouble. I should have known. I'm kind of mad at myself at missing. the hint. Do you remember, you know what the hint was that we were getting this kid?

What was it? That they postponed my interview with Pope one day. Remember, he didn't want to do it until the roster was complete. We were going to tape it yesterday at 2.30. Now we're taping it today at 2.30. And when they asked me to tape it a day later, they just said it would be better. And then the commitment was last night. How did we not think he said, they said he didn't want to do it until after the roster was finalized, and he was waiting for the roster to be finalized. I'm an idiot for not coming up with that. You're not an idiot. We're just slipping a little bit.

We should have caught that. But I think it speaks a lot for this kid. I mean, obviously, he knows the roster. He looked at it for him to go ahead and accept this spot knowing there's not a lot of minutes out there right away. I want to just grow and learn and get better, stronger for maybe the next couple years. I think it says a lot about the kid. He said during the interview something to the effect of Drew that he's cool with not playing

if that's how it ends up happening, that he knows that's part of it, which usually don't hear people say that. Yeah. Is that good? Great attitude. You know, I don't know anything about him personally, but just the fact that he would commit to that circumstances says he will appreciate being here and understands the path. Not going to rush anything or complain about playing time. It seems like he has the right.

Tell us about him as a player. He's really skinny. I think that's why it's going to be a while. But he's 6-8, really good score. Like I said, he blew up in the spring. He was barely top 100 until the spring session. He had a bunch of good games against good talent. But putting weight on him will be his main priority because, I'm,

I think he's listed at 180. I'm not sure he's 180 if you look at him on film. But isn't he like six? Six, eight. Six eight, one 80 is. Yeah, he's thin. That's really skinny. And a listed 180 means he's probably less than 180.

The best thing about him is, did you see the picture of him go viral where when he was a kid, he got his picture with the Jobby Hall statue? He's a Kentucky fan. He's sitting over there at the lodge in those chairs. Even if he's in West Virginia. Yeah, not too far away. So that was pretty neat that came out. But great offensive talent.

I can't get over there. 6-8-180. Like, I'm just trying to fathom how skinny that is. That would be like, oh, that's very skinny. So getting some weight on them will be a priority once it gets here. You weigh 180, don't you? I weigh 20, probably, close to 220. I'm about 180, so take me and give me about, what, nine inches?

So you're 180, but you're nine inches shorter than that. And you're little. I'm not little. Well, you're kind of little, to be fair. I mean, well, I mean, Mario, he's been working out. What do you weigh? What do you weigh?

Yeah. 140. Yeah. And how tall and how tall are you? So you're 510, you're 140. I'm 511, 180. Shannon's 511-180. So is that, I mean, maybe is it skinnier than Mario?

I'd say if Mario was taller, I think we're looking at Hawthorne right there. I think he's got the Mario. Now, that makes me feel better because Mario's an elite athlete at 5.11. I could see him getting buckets, so now I feel better about it. You can see me getting buckets? No, I cannot see you getting no buckets. As a matter of fact, I can see you getting negative buckets. While his weight is a little bit of an issue right away, his wingspan is outrageous.

It's like 7-3. So he's got the potential. He's got a pro-build once he bulks up, gets a little older, and gets in the system. So do you expect him to play? A lot of good game. You expect him to play at all this year? Or, like, is this, you know, do you think he ends up in that 12, 13, 14th slot? I mean, he'll get some minutes, but I don't think there's going to be a lot of minutes out there.

I think the transformation we'll see from all three of the freshman. Him and Jasper and Malachi once again in the weight program, gets some weight on all three of them. I think year two be a big jump for all of them. I don't know if we're going to get a year two out of Jasper. I mean, I feel like I'm the person saying, you guys remember, right, that this dude, went to overtime that this dude's had cameras falling him for two years, that this dude's really going. I feel like people just forget that, I mean, if he's here two years, that'd be great,

but it'll only be because he gets a huge NIL deal. Yeah. He is the kind of athlete that could be a one-and-done. Would you agree with that? Yeah, I mentioned that yesterday. As long as Jasper can show he can defend, I mean, he's already a knocked-down shooter, got a good offensive game. They'll only get better.

The only question mark is how he'll be able to handle going up. another level in basketball. In the SEC, you know, it'll get physical. If he can hold his own there, I think it'll be fun. Well, so big get for Kentucky and congrats. Now, we're interviewing Mark Pope this afternoon. You and Mario are going over early. Right.

So let's talk about what has to happen because I'm putting you in charge of this. Okay. Okay. You are going to go over early. Yep. You have to get the radio equipment because we have to connect to the building. Do you have everything? Yep.

What all do you need? Everything we're using right now. explain to people because they can't see what those are. I got our Comrex unit, which connects to the station. Can you connect anywhere in the country as long as we can get a signal. Right now I'm connected on a hard. That's a big low as long as we can get a signal. Yeah.

So I've got a hardline option and I've got a sell card option. I'll have both options, whichever. I'll try to probably try the cell card option with a Mac connect. Do you have our emergency max? It's sitting right over there. So we have something in theory that allows us to connect to, like, it's only for media companies. Like to get cell service maybe when you can't otherwise. wise, right? You have that.

Right. Because when we tried to do Patino last summer, we couldn't get connected inside the building. We had to go out on the part in the sidewalk. So today I think we can get it. That's partially true. Shannon, there was another part of that, which was we couldn't get the cell signal, but Ryan had forgotten the extension cord for the hardline internet. So that was part. So you were partially correct.

We couldn't get the cell phone, but you did forget the other parts. So we're going to get that this time. Well, the hard line I had last time was not long enough because we had to go all the way into the office and I didn't mind wasn't long enough to do that so is this one long enough that okay so that one's long enough so we have that then Mario you're going to set up the cameras are you ready he I'm Shannon I asked him this morning please don't film from the ground yeah people don't need to see mine and pope's thighs uh as we're saying I don't want to see any skin on your own's look yeah I mean I I'm told Pope's gonna be in workout gear so I don't want to

I don't think we both need to be you know this is wings day not thigh day here at KS Bar, so hopefully that'll work too. I believe in Ryan. I didn't know this about the cord last time, but you said you had one, just wasn't long enough. Right. That can, I'm going to blame the craft center for that, but it sounds like he's got his checklist today. Got a collared shirt on, looking good. This will be the longest full interview in theory that we've ever done with the coach.

We've had, we've had Cal on here, but he always had that 30-minute limit because he was not going to sit through a commercial break. You remember about him? He was like. Shannon got him with a hard break one time. He would say to me when he was going to come on, he would go, I'll stay, but I'm not sitting through a commercial break. So the understanding was, oh, he was a little diva-y about it. The understanding was we had to take all the breaks at the end, and that basically gave us 20 minutes with him. That was the max.

And I don't think Stoop has been on longer than that either, has he? Actually, this last one, there was a long one. The last one was just a few weeks ago. It was like three segments. Or the three segments. He even said, I'll stay as long as you need me. That was the best part of the interview was how opening was. breaks as well. Remember we had off-air conversations? Good for him. You were there. I mean,

you were there. I just don't remember a lot of this like we like you, like we're telling you a new story. Well, it's good to refresh my memory on those things. Okay. Well, good. Well, I changed my opinion about how this is going to go to it. He doesn't remember that. So I'm trusting you. Yeah, we got you. You are, you're in charge and you're going to make it work. Because I'm going to be at the studio interviewing Ryan McGee for the podcast. And so this is this is in your hands. We got you. get there. We got you. You have a big day of interview. I know. I've gone from never interviewing anybody to this is the, you got Jalen Lowe tomorrow on here. That got pushed back a day. Mark Pope, Ryan McGee, yesterday interviewed Crystal Ball. We're talking to too many people.

I'm used to only talking to you all and that was flip five. A559-28027. We're going to take a break. We are here at KS Bar and Grill. Ask Anything Wednesday. This is 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. 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. 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.

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Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. 859-2-8-2-827 Wings Day dollar wings here today got some folks here already to try them thank you someone dooredashed us Spalding donuts thank you to whoever out the bottom what was the person's name Jacob jacob jacob just sent it how nice is that to send door dash of donuts here to the bar people uh we're going to do i the contest the donut contest uh in june end of june well spalding is not just a number one seed in the contest.

They're the overall number one seed in the contest. Oh, they're number one for you. Overall number one seed. Remember this is going to be a blind taste test, though. So you're going to, you could end up picking a Maryland-Baltimore County and not even knowing that you did it. It could be tough to knock off the spawning king of the hill, king of the donut hill. Yeah, it is, it is very, very good.

One person writes, Matt, with this being our 14th player, does that mean no walk-ons? Drew, I, I think under the new settlement, it's unlikely we'll see a walk-on again. I think the days of walk-ons are, you know, maybe sadly over. I don't think football or basketball under the new scholarship ways is going to be able to do walk-ons. Guess the dream is dead. You know, there's been a lot of walk-ons. Remember well, some appreciated it like Sam alone.

Others didn't like Brian Long. I think about my guy, Zach, from Madisonville last year. That scenario probably won't happen again. So that is something that will stink in the changes that are coming out. Yeah, it will stink. I think it's really, you're really going to see the effect in football because sometimes the football guys could end up making it to where they played. I mean, Charles Walker is an example. The guy who started as a walk-on and ended up being a good play. Can you think of other ones in football, started as walk-ons? I mean, in basketball, Ravi Moss started as a walk-on. You know, Cal in recent years, he basically turned the walk-ons on to the friends of his kid played. Yeah.

Which, you know, I mean, you couldn't get mad. at because they weren't going to play anyway, but it didn't because. Originally, Walcons were like, well, you're not good enough for a scholarship, but you're a good player. We're going to bring you here. For the most part, cows were, with like the exception of Jared Polson, they were guys he was friends with their dad. Yeah.

And that's, some of those dudes didn't even play in high school, and they ended up on the UK's team. Holson ended up being a scholarship player. Yeah, in the end. But he started that route of, well, not quite good enough for a scholarship, but we'll bring you and then he earned one. I like the, especially in football, when they super, they're supposed to, prize the guys, like at a practice.

They always go crazy. In basketball, was Cameron Mills a walk-on? He was. Yeah, he was a walk-on. Who are the best walk-ons? Cameron Mills might be number one. Yeah. Cameron and Robbie are the two come to mind.

Todd's Foboto, he was a walk-on. But he was a good player. He had played at Northern, right? And played well, and then he transferred here and played like one year or two, whatever. He was good, though. Trying to think of some other basketball. My favorite walk-on story is a guy by the name of Yerami

Bell from Clark County, walked on the EKU football team, ended up playing for the Miami Dolphins. Ended up the NFL as a walk-on at EKU. That's pretty good. Well, the guy from Iowa, or was it Iowa, Ohio State, there was a first round pick that started as a walk-on, one of those linebackers this year. That's amazing. So anyway, that is a bummer, Drew, about the news.

The days of walking on for your dream are probably gone. Now we're just going to have to shoot at a scholarship player that's getting paid when he checks. That'll be a little bit different, I think. Who's up first? Let's go to Jerry. Jerry, go ahead, Jerry. 859-28027. Ask anything Wednesday.

Today's the day if you don't call much to come and give your thing. Go ahead, Jerry. Hey, Matt. Dr. Ryan was having them, Nico, but if Tennessee got kicked out of the SEC over there, NIL-S fanningans and starting all this NIL bull crap with Nico and tampering and everything else, that will be so sweet. Don Day and her clowns and Knoxville got Tennessee kicked out of the SEC.

That would be sweet, poetic justice. I would love. And the other... Go ahead. And what the other thing is to say is, and it kind of funny thing, it's fun to listen to Tennessee's postgame show after they lose

is they were crying last year after Ohio State game about Ohio State spending $30 million on their roster. Well, guess what, guys? You got Mr. Pilead old billionaire down there, but Ohio State's got 30 guys like that. Texas has 40 or 50. It'll be...

Jerry getting worked up. I'm going to leave you there. I appreciate to call. he's getting worked up. I do think it would be hilarious if Tennessee got kicked out of the SEC because of this state law. Now, I do not think it's going to happen. I do not think that it is likely to happen. Matter of fact, I think it is extremely unlikely,

but it would be hilarious, Drew, and I would be rooting it on. It is fun to dream about them. Just leaving the SEC and not having a place to go. Maybe they're like a barnstorming tour that just goes around Tennessee all the time and plays local Tennessee teams, but I don't think it will actually get to that point. I don't either, but I am still, I have yet to read a story that has explained why they passed that state law. Because clearly they did it to try to basically get to do whatever they want. And the SEC, you don't remember, I said on this show Monday, this is dangerous.

This is the kind of thing that can ruin the NCAA. And it seems like the other conferences saw it as well and immediately tried to put a kibosh on it. the best thing apart of all the powerful conferences joined together and agreed that this is we're not going to stand for this you know Tennessee let them go well I don't know what they're going to play like I said yesterday they're going to play in conference USA what are you going to do you need the SEC well I don't yeah it's so ridiculous that it's almost hard to fathom but they I mean the the SEC that if you read that document they were like you will sign this and if you don't sign this school you're out I mean, it's kind of amazing, isn't it? They've always been terrible, but it seems like here lately, they've really just been like, we're not Biden by the rules. Even when N.I.L. first started, they're bragging about all the money.

They're playing players and just openly doing the collective thing. Just seems like they've been more defiant than any other college athletics program in the last few years. What do you think about Zichai Ziegler, who has played in college for 12 years, has asked the NCAA for another year. He has sued the NCAA saying that the four-year ban, basically your four-year thing is not enough, that legally he should be able to play college basketball forever if he wants to, as long as the school lets him in. Another Tennessee attempt at the rules.

What do you think about this one? Just ignoring everything. I mean, there's some crazy situations where guys are in school way too long, but there's at least been injuries or red shirts. He's played 34 games a season for four years. He's third all time on the SEC's assist list. He has had a full career without injuries or missing any time. I don't even know what his argument is, but it's Tennessee behavior.

Well, here's what his argument is. His argument is, which I think will fail. But his argument is college basketball is basically a monopoly for academic basketball, right? Now I can be paid in it. You cannot be a monopoly without being paid. and as long as this school wants to let me come to school has an academic whatever for me to do, then the NCAA you should not be able to ban me from playing sports as long as Tennessee wants me to go to school. Now, I think that's not going to work for a variety of legal reasons.

I think it's different than the question of whether you get paid. But if anybody was going to push the envelope, of course, it would be Tennessee. And it feels like it would be someone like Zichai Ziegler, who was extremely frustrating. and, you know, one of those dudes that if he's not on your team, you're like, come on. It's also confusing to me. I mean, the people are getting extra years for COVID, getting extra years for injuries, getting extra years for playing at junior colleges, getting extra years for sitting out of family emergencies. I mean, it's like guys are playing.

What's confusing about all that? People are getting like six or seven years regardless. Well, COVID, I mean, COVID, everybody got a year. So that's one answer. So could he, could he argue that? He didn't play during COVID, though. He's after COVID. He has had a, he's started since he was a friend, he's played in 138 games.

He has had a very, actually more than normal career. Like he should absolutely go get a job and let some freshmen come in and play basketball. Yeah, remember, so he has no unique circumstances. The COVID year was 2020, 2021. Okay. So it was that year. We have had four seasons since that. Ziegler did not play that year.

So he is, all of his four seasons were not in COVID. So he has no argument for COVID. I have not seen that he has a family emergency. As you said, Drew, he was never injured. He is just saying, college basketball should let me play as long as I want to play. Like he's the guy in the Rose's parking lot who keeps hanging out with the high schoolers, right? Like he wants to play forever. And the NCAA, someone was going to challenge this.

It turns out it's going to be here. He's like ranked for the most games ever played at Tennessee. He's like one of their all-time just. just, you know, played the most, and he still wants to play more? Would you like to have it where people could play college basketball forever? I mean, would you like it to where Oscar Sheewe could have played until he was 30? No, because the new guys need a chance. We don't need – we already have a few 30-year-olds.

We don't need more. Play four years. If you got hurt, we'll settle it, and then get the hell out of here and get a job. Get a job. Well, I mean, again, their argument would be this is a job. I can make more money doing this than I can do what I was going to do next. Right. Well, our argument is cool. Leave. There are other people waiting for your spot. But we've got a quarterback who's coming in for seven years.

We do. We have a quarterback. I mean, it's hard for you to think. Our quarterback is going to be a seventh year this year. All those fifth year guys we had on the basketball team last year. We like them. Yep. Yeah. All right, we'll take a break. Very back. This is KSR. T. TJ 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. He's a hockey sports radio. 859, 280, 2287. There's some people telling me that Sakad Ziegler did one year tears ACL,

but he played half the year. I don't think you're allowed when you, I don't know what the percentage of games. It's got to be a very small amount of games for it to not count towards your year. I don't, if he played half the year, he would have played too much to get it. He's played at least 30 games every season. He averages 34 and a half games a year, so I don't think that's true. Oh, well, a bunch of people said it.

Would you think all these people are lying to me? We have 138 career games in four seasons. Yeah, so if you go four, you're right, yeah. So then once you tell these people to hush? No, well, let's tell Zachai to get a job. He graduated. He has a degree in merchandise and retail management. Go out and manage the retail and merchandise.

Yes, I looked it up. We need to get this retail and merchandise managed. Yeah, I mean, to be honest with you, I feel like there's retail and merchandise that needs to be managed. Yeah, we've already seen you as a point guard. Now, go out there and show us what you can do with that degree. Makes sense. I think that, right.

All right, we missed some walk-ons. Okay. Anthony Epps was a walk-on. I forgot it. I forgot. Start with. Anthony Eps was a really good walk-on. Somebody has tell me, was Jeff Brasso a lot, walk-on his first year?

If he was, it was one of those things where he just agreed to do it. Because he was highly recruited, right? Yeah, I can't confirm that one. Nehemiah Jr. Braddie. Yeah. He was on my list. Baseball player, too. Played baseball.

Yeah. Junior Braddy was he was on like what Patino's first team I believe so yeah yeah so those are good Anthony Epps is one you'll forget that's that's the best one right yeah and it's not there was something even with that like he got a scholarship the next year promise the scholarship to next year or something like that that may have been true I do I do vaguely remember that he was so just real quick thank you to everybody that subscribed to the Matt Jones podcast it it hit overnight, number one is the number one sports podcast. Yes.

Now, great, when they do, thank you very much. That's very nice. I was hoping they would clap, but they didn't. I was waiting to make sure it was your Matt Jones podcast first. I don't know if the other one rose in the right. I bet he did. But the way they do it is, you know, they give you a little bump for new ones. But even it's the first time we've had any of those end up number one.

So I took the screenshots. So I'll always have it of this number one. And pardon my take number two. texted Big Cat and said, there you go. Look who's zoomed ahead of you. But that was very nice to people, and people seemed to have enjoyed it. So thank you very much. So the next episode is-

I've already taped it. So we taped Crystal Ball yesterday. I'm taping Ryan McGee today. Ryan McGee will come out tonight. Okay. And then Crystal Ball will come out after we aired on WHAS Thursday. Her name is really Crystal Ball. Yes, her name is Crystal Ball.

Her parents had a weird sense of humor. Are you? Name their kid, Crystal Ball. What's her brother's name, Basket? You hear the silence after these jokes. You're not even getting a chuckle from Shannon. You give all of these jokes a chuckle. I was holding back, Ryan.

That was a good one. I was trying to. It was not good. When Ryan laughs at himself, it's my favorite thing. You have a confidence about the jokes, even if no one else laughs, you will still laugh. You can't laugh at yourself, where can you laugh at all? Laugh at yourself. That's another saying that doesn't make sense.

If you can't laugh at yourself, where can you laugh at all? Yeah. So love it yourself. Orlem Cook. Who's up first? Cody. Cody, go ahead, Cody. Yeah, I have two things.

Real quick question. What are the odds that Mark Pope runs the platoon system with this squad? Zero. And second thing, give a big shout out to the men of KSR Facebook page for just to your past 1,000 followers. All right. Well, thank you very much. The platoon system, zero, right?

Zero. Zero. I mean, the platoon system was cool. I'm still not sure that was the best decision, but it was cool. And it was obviously made us known. I don't think Pope sort of operates like that. Do you? No, and definitely not what we're calling.

calling this the blue patoon and this is the white platoon and you're doing hockey subs. Now, I think the minutes might look like they're platooning a little bit. I think a lot of the guys, especially where they're competing at those same spots where you don't know who will start, you'll see their minutes won't be too far apart, but I don't think we'll see the, all right, five in, five out, and we're nicknamed them and, you know, you know your team and they got the other five. Did you like that in hindsight? Were you, was that something you look back on fondly? I mean, like all of us, we brought into it, and, you know, I mentioned it on, on,

the internet recently, almost like saying it didn't work, but that someone reminded me, they did win, it did go 31 and 0, so it's hard to say it didn't work. I mean, they went 38 and 1, and to be fair to Cal, when we lost, we didn't run the, you know what I mean? Like that game. Well, we lost because he quit giving the ball to Carl and he wanted shot clock violations instead. Yeah, but we didn't, we didn't platoon the second half of that game. And we were ahead when we were platooning. So, I mean, I don't think we can blame the platooning for losing.

So we blame Cal for losing. Yeah. But in hindsight, do you like it looking back? My favorite thing about it was you could see the other team with their hands on their knees, and they would look up at the other five at the scores they were waiting to check in. That was great. And they were terrified.

You could see it in their face like, what in the hell is about to happen? I'm gasping for error, and five fresh legs of NBA players are about to check in. That's a really good point. It did wear teams down, down the stretch. And it also could lead where you could beat teams by just, large margins because they would quit at the end of games. Did you like it? Yeah, looking back now, it seems kind of ridiculous, but during that time, I loved it.

And we know the crowd loved it. We were putting on blue t-shirts and white t-shirts in the interruption zone, whatever the platoon was in that time. But, I think we all liked it until the Wisconsin game. So what were the platoons again? You had the twins, Carl, Willie, and Alex? Liles. Well, yeah.

No, Lyles. You're right. Liles would start with the first group. And then the second group would be Booker, Ulyss, Alex, DeCe. Carrey, Marcus Lee? I don't remember which was blue and which was white, but we were all about it. Other names,

it's like he never really mixed up the five that often either. And it's still amazing that that team, Derek Willis and Dominic Hawkins, were the 11th and 12th guys. I mean, those are dudes. Future SEC tournament, all-tournament team, and a future, like, NBA player were the 11th and 12th men on that. I mean, next year's team, just on depth,

now not their potential and star power, but next year's teams just as deep as far as guys that are able to go in and play. Yeah, the top line. The top line talent's not as good. Yeah, but as far as bodies, it's in the conversation. You're probably right. Who's next?

Tyler. Tyler, 859-2-80-2287. Go ahead. Hey, man, good to talk to y'all this morning. Man, I'll tell you, I don't know why, but when I call into the show, I don't do it a ton. But it is very, I get, the nerves that I feel when I call into this show is, I don't experience them very often. Why do you think calling in makes you nervous?

Are you worried that I'm going to get upset at you? Because I'm not. I think you're a wonderful person, even though I don't know you. Well, I appreciate that. I think you're a touch intimidating to talk to, and I think the fear of getting interrupted is real, especially for me, and I would think a lot of other people. But I said, I don't know you.

Do you think I'm something hard to talk, like, nervous to talk to? I think people are afraid that maybe you're going to do an argument with them, and you're going to win the argument. you know you're a great debater. Yes. You're growing up. I knew he normally, you know he was going to say something else. And he's growing up.

I'm glad you used the word great. All right, go ahead, sir. No interruption, no intimidation. You have the floor. Well, I got two things if you don't mind. So the first thing, I know it's too soon to talk about it, but the 2015 game in the press conference, Andrew Harrison, you all talking about what we lost the game.

Andrew Harrison was the one that ended up apologizing saying that he didn't do what quote, which Cal told him to do down the stretch. And then Cal was like, no, you're good. So I guess I don't want to win. He was always good about taking up for his players in those situations. And I do give him credit for that. He was not a guy who would ever throw his player into the bus after a loss or something like that.

I appreciate that about him. What's your second one? Yeah. And then so I know it's May in football seasons a long way away, and we haven't heard much from the team or from any of the staff or anything like that. but I know Stoops, I don't really know the situation with it, but I know Stoops is kind of on the hot seat or he's been on the hot seat. I didn't know if you could give us the scenario this year where, okay, this happens.

He's safe. Yeah, I mean, I... Okay, so let's appreciate the call. Is there a scenario, Ryan, where you think Mark Stoops could be fired? Let's use that word. Is there a scenario where he could be fired? I guess if the wins aren't there and the crowd stays away, I think that could lead to maybe Mitch can at least considering it.

Not considering it. Is there a situation where he would be fired? Yeah, I guess there is. Do you think there's a situation he could be fired? Aline, no. I mean, it was obvious the fan base was tired of Cal last year, and we thought we was leaving, and Mitch had that weird press conference and defended him right as Cal turned around and left.

So Mitch showed me last year he's not going to be quick to fire anyone. If Stoops were to win one game, okay, maybe. But if he's in that four or five range, I don't think Mitch would do it. How much would they owe him? I mean, it's still owe him a lot of. of money. A lot of money in a year where your budget is increasing by $22 million. So I think firing is extremely unlikely. I'm not going to say impossible. If he went and won two games, they might not have a choice. But I think it is extremely unlikely.

I do think there's a scenario, though, where Cal had, and maybe even worse, where you get a scenario where it doesn't feel like he can stay. And that could happen. But I think the more likely scenario is this is why it's so important to go to a bowl game. Because if he wins five games or four games, this fan base is going to be miserable, and he's not going to go anywhere probably, and you're just going to be stuck in this, you know, malaise, which is terrible for everyone involved. I think if it were to go to him leaving, it would come down to, hey, we can't afford your buyout, but we can get this close, and he would have to make the decision.

decision is that enough money for me to get because he doesn't want to be in a toxic environment either so say they owe them 30 but they're like we can give you 18 if stoop hates it so much here that it was so bad people weren't showing up maybe he just says all right i'll take a short discount and go ahead and move on yeah i don't know hopefully we don't get to that point but i you can see a scenario where you know they're over under's four and a half right if you get four or five i think we're in this scenario right and that's not good yeah that's why when you ask the question is there a possibility, yeah, there is that possibility. If you lose the Toledo and you win two games, you've got to maybe make some hard decisions.

Because he won't want to be here if it's that bad. I mean, nobody would want to live. Well, if he wins two, then I don't think it's a hard decision. I just don't know if Mitchell will do it. Because you've got to find $30 million. And where is that? Who's got it? The only person that would even contemplate paying it is very close to Stubes.

Yeah. And I can't imagine. You know, so that makes it hard? It just makes it hard. Titchin bourbon lovers. Commonwealth causes it back with their May bourbon raffle. And you won't want to miss it. The collection is next Thursday, May 29th, an epic lineup of bourbon worth Ryan $20,000.

That's amazing. Six bottle Pappy Van Winkle set. But that's not all. They got a weller six bottles set. Old Forrester birthday bourbon 24. What's that? Oh, that's a hard one to get. Very hard to get.

Is it? Yeah. Why? Just very rare. Okay. They allocate them. You can't get your hands on them. You know somebody or know somebody or win this.

Well, I know somebody. Commonwealth Causes.org. Get in your drawing now and you can get these got-to-know-sumbody bourbons and help UK NIL with Commonwealth causes. We'll take a break. Be right back here at KS. Bar. It's Wingsday. It's 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. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise.

Breaking down the plays, the controversy. 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. 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,

wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica 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. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in 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 or are you a good person because you're afraid because that's two different intentions bro absolutely and that that's two different levels of trust I want you to just really be a good person join me Kear gains is we have real conversations about healing growth fatherhood pressure and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free Our Heart Radio 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. And this is one of the most shocking criminal conspiracies I've ever come across. When Jacob met Levan this went to a billion dollar fraud.

But with two kings from entirely different worlds, just how long can their empire survive? The largest tax investigation in American history. You need to tell me what you know. Is somebody coming after me? Jacob told Levan, you're ruining my life. Listen to Kingdom of Fraud on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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's 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. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. 859-2-8027. Ask Anything Wednesday. Text machine is 772-7745254.

One person writes, Matt, my wife has started listening to this show in the last year or two. She loves you, but she got very, very upset at your comment about not posting pictures of your kids' graduation. She actually listened and wrote down your words and said, I will use this against Matt one day when he posts pictures of his kids. Well, I mean, it's not going to happen. You get them on the day they're born, then you don't get them anymore. You know, people have gotten mad at me, including female friends of mine who have kids. I had to look at my friend Tall's kids after they had just listened to me to say

that I didn't want to see pictures of people's kids, and I had to make an exception and go, no, Natalie and Olivia, you all are different. You're talking about other kids, not them. I was talking about other people's kids, but people didn't seem to love that. I still generally stand by, though. There's too many pictures of people.

You know, it's also weird to me, like, why do you want to put that out in the world for some people? Because, you know, it's just, but some people do. I've had some people tell me in the last week you've waged war on their household with the kid graduation. and anti some people's favorite vacation spots. And I think there was one more. But, yeah, I think some of your opinions have upset some of the audience.

Well, they're all upset and fun, but there's always truth to the fun as well. I was also surprised how many people wrote me and said they had gotten on their honeymoon to Orlando like you, Ryan. That was a more popular honeymoon destination than I would have imagined, because I would have imagined it would be a destination of only shotgun weddings. but I was wrong about that. No, I mean, there's something to it. Obviously, it's not maybe for you, but it is for a lot of other people, including myself back in 1991. Would you go now?

Would you take Yoga Girl to Orlando now? She sent me a text yesterday during this conversation said, absolutely no way in hell. So she's more on our side. Yeah. Good. I'm glad. I'm glad we want her back over. Did you hear yesterday the U.S. Senate agreed unanimously to the provision.

say no taxes on tips. Unanimously. They don't do anything you do. I mean, literally, they don't do anything unanimously. Unanimously to take away taxes on tips. That doesn't become law yet, but it probably will, honestly. Do you are you for that? I'm definitely for that. The minimum wage for servers and waitresses and hostesses is ridiculously low anyway. This is the way they make their living, basically by tips.

So I don't think it's fair to take that away from them, too. Some of that. Some people would argue, though, people in other jobs still have taxes. But do they make tips? Like, do they, like a barber? Do you tip them? Do they have to pay taxes on their tip? No tips, anyone.

But that wasn't my point. My point is like, if you work in construction, all of the money you make is taxed, do you think people who work in restaurants should get the exception that people who work in construction do not get. I guess if we pay the people in restaurant what they're worth, $15, $20 an hour, instead of $2 or $3 an hour, going to have the construction workers, they're going to get, you know, $20, $25 an hour or whatever. So if we pay them comparably, maybe I might change my mind.

But right now we're only getting $2 or $3 an hour, absolutely don't. Yeah, but a server might make $100 an hour. Yeah, I mean, I don't know that that argument's what really works with what you're saying, because, like, the reason that, first of all, if you're a server, and for whatever reason, let's say the restaurant's not full, and you still owe that person up to minimum wage. So they make $2 or $3 an hour, but if their tips don't match it,

you still have to pay a minimum wage, right? So that's, and honestly, most servers are going to make a lot more than that, or they wouldn't do it? The question is just, do you believe that servers should be able to be the one set of people that don't have their whole incomes taxed? I think people who make tips like that? No, they should not have it taxed.

Okay, go ahead. What about you? As a former server, I was pretty surprised the past, especially unanimously. Yeah, because I mean, even though it's set up different, that's still your income, and I just feel like your income should be taxed. Now, I will say as a former server,

not me, but occasionally you lie about what you made. Okay, so that gets to occasionally. Shannon, I'll get to that. Are you for it? You know, I hate paying taxes in general, but it's the reality of the world, right? So if I got to pay taxes,

they are probably making more per hour a lot of times than I am, so why should they be exempt. I think they should have to pay taxes too. All right, so I'm fine with it. I actually think it's a lot closer issue than people act like. I'm fine with it because like you said,

Drew, I think it already happens. But here is what is going to happen. Anytime you have a rule, what do people try to do? They're going to try to exploit it. Right? They just are. So what I think is businesses are going to do is businesses

are going to work with people not in the restaurant industry. Let's just say, again, like construction, and say, okay, I was going to pay you $30 an hour, and they'll agree, I'll tell you what, if you'll take $28 an hour, which means I'll pay less in taxes,

I'll pay you minimum wage, and the rest is, quote, unquote, a tip. I think there's going to be a lot of businesses, depending on how they write this, that will do it for businesses that are not normally tipped industries. The employer will have an incentive to do it because they won't have to pay as much pay, payroll tax because it's quote unquote a tip and the employee's going to want it because they don't have to pay taxes on it at all so i actually think

i think it's going to be i'm still probably for it but i do think ryan it gives people incentives some big incentives to go around the law just you explain it i'm thinking to myself it's that's going to happen there are going to be places it's definitely going to happen so when a politician gets up and says something like no tax on tips but then when you actually think about how it's going to actually happen, it may not be the way you think. Can I blow your yard for $10 and a $90 tip? Exactly. You can do it.

Landscaping. Exactly. I'll give you minimum wage. But by the way, the rest of your money's in a tip and you don't have to pay taxes on it. And neither do I. That's going to happen. We'll take a break. Be right back.

It's KSR. 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 podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. is telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline.

And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slices Life 12 in the 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-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. 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.