KSR - 2025-11-20- KSR - Hour 1

Episode Date: November 20, 2025

KSR is Live at KSBar & Grille talking continued rumors around the Kentucky basketball team, Mitch Barnhart's future at Kentucky, and 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 podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the Iheart Radio app.

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to Learn the Hard Way 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 have to be played with.

And just because you have the capability that does not have. mean that you need to listen to learn the hard way on the iha radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast comedy off broadway in lexington welcome cincinnati native and club favorite josh sneed november 14th and 15th then catch the return of a gt finalist preacher lawson november 21st through the 23rd and november 28th and 29th don't miss the queen of comedy and lexington zone adele givens for tickets to all comedy off broadway shows 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 Thursday. It is November the 20th. I'm Matt Jones here live at KS. Barr. We are here until noon today. Love to have you come out and say hello. Got my friend here from Carlisle County.

Help me with the book when I went out to the West Coast. Yeah, west coast of Kentucky. We don't get a lot of Carlisle County people come around here. You go out there. State champs, right, one year. State runner up in like, what, 82, 83. Look at you. Well, they're very proud of it.

Yeah. And now, are they combining the two counties into one school? No, they're not going to do that. They had talked about it. Wow. And they fought it. Carlisle and what? Livingston?

What's the other county? Ballard? Ballard. Carlislele and Ballard. That's out on the part of the state. People don't. They need to know more about it. Clark's puppet shop phone line.

859-2-80-2-807. A-Vision Auto Glass text machine, 772-7-4, and this edition is sponsored by the T.J. Smith Law Office, you call T.J. I'll Make-May. Those are the Mississippi River counties. A lot of people in Kentucky just don't even think about the fact that we have four counties that board the river. Big thing is, can you get a port? That's what everybody wants to talk about. Can we get a port? That's a big issue there. I remember in your book you talked about one of those counties has a bridge that goes to nowhere. It's like this. a bridge. Fulton County. Well, there's a...

No, no, no. You're thinking of a different part of state. This is why I shouldn't let you be part of this. No, they... Fulton County, you have to cross into Missouri or Tennessee. You have to cross into Missouri to get to the other part of Kentucky. We have a little piece of Kentucky. It's like a little island.

That's on the other side of Missouri. Uh-huh. Which is really strange. Very strange. And most people don't know it. So, yeah, that's a... There's an Indian burial ground up there. in Ballard County.

The Wickham. What? Wycliffe. Wickliff Mounds. That's right. It's way out my way. Even way far away. No, it's way.

You leave today. You get there Monday. I mean, it's far away. For a second there, we thought we had a remote there next week, but Billy had the town wrong. Yeah, that's an interesting, that's an interesting. I don't know if you know about this.

We're off topic, but that's okay. That's okay. That's what we do. Wednesday, before Thanksgiving, we are at Don Franklin, Columbia, which we were supposed to be out a few weeks ago, and for a scheduling reason, I needed to change, and we did it in Lexington instead of Columbia. And they said to me, hey, are you okay doing it the day before Thanksgiving? And I said, sure, I can go to Columbia, right? We can do a little Adair County before Thanksgiving.

So that's next Wednesday. But Billy on the drive goes, I said, where is that remote next Wednesday? And he said, Columbus, Kentucky. And I was like, I don't know where that is. Where's Columbus, Kentucky? And Drew looked it up, and it's like out in Ballard County, right? It's as far away as you can be. It's four hours and 45 minutes.

And I said, Billy, I can't go the day before Thanksgiving, four hours and 45 minutes away. Come back. Kentucky has a game that night. Yeah, they do. I'm like, what do you expect us to go all the way to Columbus and all the way back and do that game the day before Thanksgiving, my family's going to be here. I can't go all the way to Columbus.

Billie's right. Billy's like, you agreed to it. And I said, I know I did not agree to that. I know I did not agree to go four and a half hours away. Well, he had it spelled wrong. He had Columbus and Columbia spelled wrong. So that's why he does think like bring that suitcase is he writes the wrong thing down. Columbia has been a good friend with us.

I love Columbia is great. Columbus, that'd be it. And I'm sure Columbus is good. I'm sure they're a great town. Maybe there are people listening from Columbus. 772-745-254. You can tell me where we would have stayed or where we would have been. Population 140.

I also was like they can't have a Don Franklin dealership in Columbus. But anyway, we're here. All right. A lot of stuff to get to our guy, our Irish soccer announcer is going to join us. Oh, nice. Nice. Because they play tonight. Did you know that in the NCAA tournament?

Okay, I didn't know if it's a common tournament still or NCAA. Gavin's playing in St. Louis, I think, tonight. Okay. He's going to get us ready for that game and more. But let's start with, you know things are kind of a little hectic when people's like grandmaws are writing them and asking them what's going on, right? Yes. Yesterday was, you know, there are moments where Big Blue Nation is at its best,

and then there are moments where I won't say it's at its worst, but you see the other side of like, okay, this is the other part of dealing with this job. And I think yesterday was that. I mean, people are understandably frustrated about the Michigan State game and lots of complaints, which is also understandable, but then the kind of like, okay, what's going on went into wild effect. I mean, it was like the old days in the sense of, you know,

Dan Dockich got, like, came from the past to, like, come after me and call you. You could call Big Blue Nation names. The national media, CNN had an article about how Michigan State was doing the future, and Kentucky wasn't, and like a contrast in styles. I didn't even know CNN did sports. You had Gary Parrish, and you had all these guys, like, taking, given their opinion on what's going on. And then, of course, and I, you know, I hate to say, I told you so, but I told you so. The rumor mill started running wild as to what was going on with the chemistry of this team.

I wrote on Twitter that I got nine different stories last night from people who told me they were 100% sure they were true. And some of them were mutually exclusive. They could not have both happened. And I probably believe none of them are true, but everybody had like, you know, Kenny Walker's cousin told me, or it would be like, my son's a friend of the, oh, I had a lot of friends of like Zach Toe, or, you know, there were a lot of friends of or cousins of

or housekeepers of, a lot of that stuff. But I also would say it was inevitable that this would happen and that Mark Pope did this. Mark Pope did what should be Cardinal Rule number one as a coach. Do not say something happened and not say what it is. Okay? Or do not give no answers when people want answers. Because when there is silence, people will fill the void.

I probably said that to John Caliperi 50 times in those last few years. If you leave silence, if you don't tell people the status, of players' injuries, and if you don't do that stuff, the void will be filled with something. And that has now happened, and that's where we are right now. You're right. You know, everybody's trying to find an answer, like what's wrong? So when we don't know, they're going to fill that void, like you said, with just any crazy story that you hear, and then it gets passed around and just gains momentum.

And every time it gets said, it's like the telephone game. It just changed a little bit. and also in people's mind gets more credibility because they're hearing it from a lot of people, even though it's probably the same story, just circling around and hitting everybody. Did you say your parents' ass or somebody's parents? Yes, I mean, it starts going around on these message boards. It gets passed around, and then all of a sudden everybody believes it. It must be true.

He's in the church bulletin at the Nazarene Church. What? No, I'm just kidding. It wasn't, but that's the kind of thing that you could see. Yeah, I was going crazy yesterday. I had people asking me, people I haven't heard from it forever. Hey, is this true? Hey, I heard this.

Someone so told me this. And I agree that there's chemistry issues, but some of the rumors out there, I felt like they had a whole UFC fight card of teammates fighting each other. I heard every combination of player on the team fought each other at some point. And, you know, all of that can't be true. Yeah, I'm trying to think, is there anybody, I didn't hear any, no scenario involved Yellovich. No, he may be the one person that was not involved.

I heard a scenario involving, I think, every other player. Maybe Malachi. Maybe it's something about those bench bigs that keeps them out of the mix. Now, there's also the real-world ramifications. Our assistant basketball coach responded to one of these on Twitter. So there's an account called Man Boy, which I don't understand why that's the name of the account. But it is Mark Maggard. remember Mark Maggard from back and day.

Another name from the past. I didn't know he was still L. People were coming out. When are we going to have TC Cat come back? Like all the names from the past are back. He wrote something sort of, it didn't even really seem that bad to me. It was just like if there are chemistry issues. And then he was, I think, speculating could Garrison leave mid-semester or something

like that? Jason Hart replies to the comment. And Jason Hart says, I don't normally respond. but chaos in the locker room is false. You're making things up, which is unfortunate. So that's good to hear. But I also don't know if that's the forum to respond to it in. But again, Pope did this.

Like, the reason this is happening is because, A, you brought up the pregame Louisville thing, but then B, because kind of the way he was acting after the game, against Michigan State, it kind of leads to this. It does. It goes all back to how he handled the whole Louisville thing. And his response after that game, his response after the game we won, the difference he had to the median and the fan. Yeah, when he said something about Taylor Swift.

Yes. Yeah. And then the response after the Michigan State game, all that has kind of led all of us to speculate and run wild with some of these stories. If you're going to send the fans, Drew, on an adventure of guessing, you can't get mad where they take that adventure, right? and he kind of did that. And Pope's had three, four speaking opportunities,

and only Jason Hart on Twitter is the one denying or putting any kind of stuff out there from the coaching staff. Pope is the one in front of the microphone speaking for the coaching staff, but his assistants are having to go around him and reply on Twitter to let people know that things are okay. So he speaks at noon today. Yes. That's a little unusual.

Usually he will speak once a week before a game. Am I correct about that? Well, the players did Monday. This is his one. Oh, this is his one. So the players did the one for money. Okay. Excuse me.

Never right. So this is his normal one. Wouldn't you say to him if you were giving PR advice, just deal with all this right now. Hit it head on. Just hit it head on. I'm not sure it's going to make anything necessarily better, but maybe it'll quell.

Because right now you have two different conversations going on. The are we good at basketball conversation? And then the what's going on conversation. And then those two kind of bleed into each other. And you can at least end or at least tamper down one of those. See, I'm with you. I mean, it is November. There's a lot of basketball left.

And if you don't hit it head on and get it out there, it's going to follow you like a dark cloud until you address it and tell everybody what's going on. And people like rumor. I mean, they just do. It's why all these shows like love in kettle island and all this stuff occurred. kettle of them except if you had love in kettle island that's a show I would watch

if you've ever been to kettle island where is kettle island it's up in the hollers of bell county wow I would watch that I would want to see that in that love but point being like it's people like that stuff now I want to give

just a basketball point somebody got and I just want your thought on this okay and you don't we'll probably go to break after I say this so you can think about it during break one person wrote and said Matt, here's what I think is ultimately the biggest issue. Pope created a team completely built on analytics, and that all looks good on paper.

But maybe he just forgot to go get us really good players. He said, let's be honest about what we have. We have two guys who, in theory, can be stars. One of them was an inconsistent player from Pitt, and he's hurt. The other one has yet to be on the floor. The third, Otega Owe, was while. our most consistent player last year, would you say he was our best? And he's not playing well. The other players, while great, are all kind of role players. Aberdeen was the fifth leading

score at Florida. Diabate was the sixth leading score at Alabama. Cam Williams was the sixth man at Tulane. Three guys are rookies. None of them were ranked in the top ten. Maybe we just don't have all that much talent, and this is what it is. And it's a team that looks good on paper. But when it actually comes to having great players on the floor, we just don't have as many as everybody else.

What do we think about that? I mean, I think there's a little truth to that, for sure. But I also think the fact the whole team, the whole summer was all built around Jalen Lowe. He was supposed to be your guy. And when you yank him out, they've kind of been in a tailspin and haven't learned to recover yet from that.

You could make an argument that only one guy on this team has had the responsibility of being the best player on a power four team. And that's Jaylen Lowe and he's hurt. And just to contrast that to last year, Kobe Brea, Jackson Robinson, Andrew Carr, Amari Williams, you know, De Lamont Butler, were either the first or second best player on their and do we have one guy on this team besides Lowe and Oway who was the first or second best player? The answer is probably no. I think the big problem, as we all know, is Oway is not being what he is supposed to be.

O'A was the best player last year. He's the preseason player of the year, and he should not even been in the conversation for preseasoned player the year with the way he started. I think he was our most consistent player, and in some ways was our best. But I will say this. I always kind of thought the other guys were as good. It's just he was the most consistent. And now he's not consistent. So I'm not saying I totally agree with that,

but that's an interesting read on the roster. It's a roster that you go, oh, all of these pieces are great. But then you say, well, is there a guy? You know, during the summer, we all thought this was a great roster because he was too deep in every position. That's a roster I thought. But do you win with two deep? deep on sixth men?

Not necessarily. Well, we'll see. My big concern is... It's just an interesting point. I hadn't really thought about it like that. But that's an interesting thought. Pope said he passed on people in recruiting because they're not a fit. If we don't have chemistry, why are we passing on good guys because they don't fit?

Well, he probably thought there was going to be fit. Well, that's a concern if he can't read the room in recruiting. 859-280-2287. We will take a break. 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 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. 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 SportsClyce on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced 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 possession of the thing and we're still chasing it

and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them?

On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports. and wellness, professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going. From the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't

feel like. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it. An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ledecki. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their. face light up and smile. That means the world to me. And that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeartRadio

app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHart Women's Sports. 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.

Welcome back. Excuse me. It's Kentucky Sports Radio. 859-280-2287. Text machine is 772-7-4-5-254. A couple of you're asking if I can get Mark Pope on. I haven't asked, I'll be honest, because I think you have to ask those like selectively, and I'm not sure this is the perfect time.

But, I mean, if they keep losing, yeah, I think we're going to need to do that. One person writes, Matt, I think that answer or the text is completely correct. I also am not sure if Jalen Lowe is the guy. Well, I don't know how you can say that. He's played a game and a half. I mean, I liked him. I still think if he plays this year, we can still be really good. But I do think he's the key.

And I've said that all summer. Still believe it. I just, you know, he is the straw. And without him, we have. I watched Alabama play last night. They won on the road at Illinois. Great win. last eight points the game were scored by foulon

and they couldn't stop him they just could not stop him he got what he wanted at the end of the game we just don't have a guy we don't have that guy we don't have that guy and at the end of a close game or even when you're like struggling to score you need that guy at least I felt like if we had low

he could at least create and get somebody a better look than what we've been getting he did it against Louisville yeah when we struggled especially in the first half he got us some points The minute he came on the floor. Yeah. My thing is still, O-Way is the big reason of this. I still think O-Way was a star last year.

We had like 28 against Oklahoma and the SEC tournament, maybe 20 the NCAA tournament. For me, as much as low hurts them. Him being basically zero at this point is the biggest issue. I just never saw him as a star. I mean, he took over the tournament games. Yeah, but I mean. Like he has taken, he didn't take over Eastern Illinois. Listen, I'm not trying to say he's not really good, but I never saw.

saw him as a star. I mean, I said on this show, I don't, didn't really think he was SEC precinct play. To me, now that doesn't mean, I just felt like he was a dude who could give you 14 every single game, but against a good team, do I think, I mean, you get in a matchup with Louisville down the stretch. They got McHale Brown, you got O.A., who you want. Here's O.A.R.A.R.A.R.A.R.A.R.A. 27, 22, 24, 28, 2020. That is awesome. And that is nowhere near on the roster.

But did you ever, did you ever think that was a guy, though? Auburn, LSU, Missouri. He's done none of that against Eastern Illinois, Nichols, or whoever else we played. Did you ever think, though, that was a guy that you would say, get us back in this game, away? Or was a guy who always won those games? Yeah, I just, I mean, I just disagreed with you. And I watched him in the combine scrimmages, and he looked like one of the best players on the floor.

That guy is not in Lexington right now. Listen, I get it. I never thought that was a guy who clear out, O. he's going to win the game for us. Now, he did get those layups against Oklahoma. I'm not going to, those were awesome plays. But I still thought he was a dude who hit his lanes, who would drive

to the basket, who our shooters could space for, and then it would give him driving lanes. I just you know, but regardless, he's not given that, even if what you're saying is true, he's not given that. Last year. You know, the Louisville game that was that Hardy guy, he was on all way and just totally

had him flustered and did not let him get free at all. I think teams now, going into the game instead of maybe concentrating always maybe the second or third option. They all now know he's supposed to be the first option, so they put all their defensive emphasis on him. I think that's a really good point. There's a difference between a first and a second option, and he is the first option, and I don't know if he's that.

Maybe he will be. Maybe I hope so, but I don't know if he is. All right, switching gears for just a second. Okay. I'm more confident about what I said yesterday. about Mitch than I Really? This will be his last year.

I just want that on the record. The Matt bomb dropped yesterday. Yeah, I think we're going to be getting a new athletic director at the end of the year. Do you still feel like January 1st is when he would? I don't know that. I can't say when he'll announce it. But I just feel like that's very, very likely. I think there's a lot of things that point to it,

including a couple of things just like, you know, You remember he had a donation thing where he was donating so much for that complex and that ends at the end of this year. And, like, there's just a lot of stuff that I think, and just talking to people, I think there's good chance there's a new AD. And then the question would be, who is that? My guess is, I think if you had to guess, it would be one of two people, which is either Dwayne Peevy or the guy who has Dwayne Peev's job now, Mark Hill. I mean, my guess is it's probably one of those two guys. and that sort of that consistency continues. Yeah, and the timeline with Mitch getting that $800,000 a year starting next year.

I mean, that kind of checks out if you're predicting what he would do to wrap up his time. And what do you think about that, by the way, $800,000 a year for two years to be the special assistant to the president? Give me that job. Yeah, I don't like that. Assistant to the regional manager. Show up to some functions, shake some hands. I mean, I know somebody else had to approve that contract, but it's yet another contract where you go.

I agree with you on the candidates, but that eliminates so many people if he's just going to be lingering around. If you did want to get some new blood or some excitement, no one's going to want him just sitting in the office in the corner, making $800,000 a year while you're trying to take over an athletic tournament. Yeah, I mean, if you're Twain Peabier and Mark Hill and you wanted to come in and, like, have your own game plan, having him sitting over there going,

that probably doesn't help. That's true. I think Mitch has done a great job here, but nobody is irreplaceable, right? And so I do hope whenever he steps away, he steps away, right? Let the new guy do his job. You owe it to the new person

to let them do their thing when it's time. We'll take a break. Barry back, KSR. T.J. Smith, personal injury attorney. Call T.J., he'll make them pay. More of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones. Welcome back in Tennessee Sports Radio.

I was dancing here sitting here. Button up your buttons, baby. It's not button up. It's loosen up your buttons. It's loosen up. That would be a Mitch Barnhart. Button up that button, baby. The top button at least.

Yeah, button the top button, baby. We're going to watch Masterpiece Theater. That's the Mitch Marnhart dance. A little different than loosen up my buttons, baby. Kyle says, I usually don't disagree with Matt completely, but Drew is right about O.A. being a huge factor of why we've looked so bad this year. Well, let me be clear. I don't disagree with Drew on that.

The reason we look bad is it always not playing well. Where Drew and I probably disagree is whether or not O.A kind of has the potential to be, like, a number one option like a star, but we may disagree on that. But is it the case that he is the reason, a big reason we're struggling? I completely agree. Let me ask you, Shannon, real quick.

Yep. The Louisville Bats announced that for six games next year in the middle of the summer, they're going to change their name to the Louisville humidity. Right. And their jerseys are going to be orange, and they're going to have sweat stains on them. and the numbers are going to have dripping water on it.

The Louisville humidity for six games. I put that out there. It was a mixed response. Not everybody was negative. Not everybody was positive. I kind of like it. What about you, Shannon? Yeah, I mean, this is the fun of minor league baseball, right?

Anything they can do to get people to come out. Usually the dollar beer works fine for me to get me to go to the games. But I like it. You know, for six games, there'll be the Louisville humidity, and it'll be something that fans can, collect the sweating baseball logo on a baseball hat. I think I'll buy one of those. Yeah, I mean, I think I'm going to buy one.

I love having the jersey have pre-approved sweat stains. I'm a fan. What about you? I'm a big fan. Shannon said it, man, that's what makes minor league baseball fun and special when they have their little gimmicks and things they do to try to attract a crowd. You know, the humidity is so awful. That's probably when their crowds are the least.

Now they'll do it a week where the, you know, you know, It would be hot and sweaty, but people will go just to be a part of this. They call Louisville. I don't know what it's called. Like, is it a heat pocket or a heat? It's got a name because it's kind of got a little dip in the valley and you're on the river and all that. There's some name for it. It's like a heat pack or something.

And that stadium's right there on it. So I kind of like it. Yeah, I love it. They got hats. Imagine, I mean, you're not going to wear a baseball jersey around town all the all the time. But got a nice Louisville humidity hat with sweat, dripping down the side. You like orange, though?

Some people don't like the orange. I don't love that, but it's better than Louisville Red. The soccer team here, the Lexington Sporting, they had like a bourbon barrel uniform. We remember the icicles. I have Legends gear from years ago where they had theme nights. I think it's really cool that that level of sports, you know, does some gimmick stuff to sell more merchandise and get people involved. But you're right, Matt.

It is kind of that Tennessee orange. It's not just orange. It's Tennessee orange. It's that pukin side of a pumpkin orange. I mean, that's the orange. But I'm still going to do it, I think. because I like it. I think it's a cool idea.

I wouldn't have thought, I mean, you talk about it creative. Who would have ever thought to call something the humidity? Remember the wild health genomes that were hungry here? Yeah, the genomes didn't work. For whatever reason, the genomes, that was, I don't know if that was too far, just too nerdy. Counterclocks? The counterclocks didn't really work either.

I didn't know what they meant by that. But now, I kind of like the humidity. I think that was a good call. And it's just a few games. It's not the entire, you know, we're not changing. Six games. Six games. In the hottest time of the year or two.

They had every meteorologist in Louisville at the announcement wearing the jerseys. Oh, they did? That's kind of cool. Oh, did they keep them separated? No, I saw the photo. Oh, wait a minute. The two guys that hated each other were there? I don't know people by faces.

Oh, no, wait. It's Weinberg and Bailey. It's a Lexington Louisville thing. I don't know if two Louisville guys hate each other. Weinberg is the Louisville one. I think it's Weinberg and Bailey that have the beef. I don't know my Louisville meteorologist, but they had about 12 of them in a photo together wearing jerks.

Mark Weinberg is very controversial. And there are people who will take up. There are people who will fight you for and against his weather. People love their weather guys. All right, who's up first, Shannon? Ed. Ed. Go ahead, Ed. Hey, good morning, guys.

Good morning. I'm astonished that I'm up first. Well, you're here, so don't ruin it. I won't ruin it. I want to make a couple, three points real quick. Number one, Matt, you are exactly correct. Every good team, since they'd offer up until now, every good UK team has a floor general. Has someone typically the point guard, there's the floor general, runs the offense, is in charge on the floor,

and without Jalen Lowe, who do we got? We don't have one. It could be Aberdeen, but Aberdeen's got to quit trying to be a hero scoring the ball. He's got to facilitate the offense. if he's going to be the point guard. And what second? Second. We don't share the ball.

My wife and our sitting there watching the Michigan State game and Yelovich who needs to be playing a whole lot more because he hustles and does the little dirty work stuff, plays good D. He was wide open two times in a row down the floor. Nobody guarding him within 15 feet. Oway looks at him, stares at him, never passes him the ball. Yeah. I appreciate the call. I think those two things work together.

I think those two things, you know, in his very few minutes against Louisville, people remember and understandably that the Rush three, that was a bad shot, missing the free throw. But he had some dimes in that game, especially early. He had some passes where he found guys, and we're going to miss that. I don't know if Aberdeen's if that's something he could do or not. I think he probably can. you know, O.A has a tendency to put that head down and go to the basket. And I'm okay with that, but you better finish. You know, if you're going to do that, you've got to finish,

and he hadn't finished like he did last year. Lowe's the only guy on the whole roster who can get anywhere he wants on the court. I mean, we saw that in Louisville. He stepped on the baseline at the end. But if he hadn't done that, he even got down there and had a guy open in the corner. And that is what they're going to miss the most. Aberdeen probably better defensively. He might figure out point guard, but he'll never be able to do what Lowe could do

and just get low and get inside and really go wherever he wanted distribute the ball. Yeah. The game changed the minute low stepped on the floor. The offense changed, more efficient, better open looks for some of the guys. Everything changed. Now they don't have that. I mean, Aberdeen's good, but he can't do it at that level. That low can do it.

So if he doesn't play, what? The ceiling is much lower. The floor is already much lower than I thought it would be. Me too. I never dreamed a scenario this bad. without Lowe, it's hard to imagine them hitting their main objective. I'm going to be, you know, I feel like I've said this now three or four times. I'm going to be interested to see what Pope says, but I am going to be interested to see what Pope says.

Yeah. Because whether they say it or not, they know whether or not Lowe's playing by now, right? In any way they don't know. No, I think they've had all their imaging. They know. And we might find out today. Could be it. I mean, today, by the time you listen this podcast, it might already be out.

But they know if he's going to play. And if he's not going to play, part of me wonders if part of the sadness of him is the realization of if he doesn't play, do we have, we spend all this money. By the way, I still don't think they spent $22 million. I'm just going on. I've said that forever. Now, Matt and Orlando and other people disagree with me,

and I'm not going to say they're wrong because they have a lot of sources. I just don't buy it. I know people who write those checks, and I don't think they wrote that big a check. Let's just with that said, though, we spent more than most people, maybe more than anyone, certainly in the top two, and it doesn't look like that when they play. No, it's going to be a recurring theme until they start playing better. There's no doubt about it. And I'm someone that said the money doesn't matter, but it matters when you're down 24 and 20.

If you lose, because a team shot well from three, a bad matchup, whatever, it's basketball you lose. Getting your teeth kicked in in your first two big games is inexcusable for what they spent, whatever it was. But you're right? Like we said yesterday, it is plausible that Pope's attitude has been because he knows low is done for the year and he doesn't know where to go next, how to fix that problem. If he's done for the year, go find the point guard. There's got to be. It's a big world.

There's got to be one somewhere. Mario's got an eligibility left. We need to keep moving. Yeah, I don't know if he's good enough. He's got, he's with us. We can't lose him. That's right. Who's up next?

Craig. Craig. Craig, go ahead, Craig. Hey, fellas. Thanks for taking my call. Appreciate everything you guys are doing. A couple comments and a question. When Mo went down the second time, it almost felt like it was the worst thing that could happen

if we were aspiring to be national champions. I mean, I settled all my future bets for championship. You've already cashed them all out? for being a champion yeah as far as final four as far as as far as final four appearances no um but i don't i just didn't see any hope in that um secondly uh with pope and how and how with these two losses he it is incredibly unsettling to see how despondent he is yeah um he it almost seems like this is suddenly becoming too big for him.

Well, let's talk about that. I want to hold on to that thought for a second, because I do want to talk about that. It's a point Gary Parrish talked about earlier today, and I want to go over that. So I appreciate the call. I think that's a really good point to raise. If you're a bourbon lover and a UK fan,

why don't you grab a bottle of club blue bourbon, Ryan? It supports the athletes through JMI's NLL services. Ryan and Drew helped select the club blue bourbon recipe so when you drink it it's like you're drinking a little piece of rind that's not a good that's not a good put it in the advertisement they shouldn't put that in there they shouldn't put that in there yeah i wouldn't even taste me either you shouldn't have said that go to club blue bourbon uh it's part of bespoken spirits they're voted best of lexington best date night spot you can learn more at bespoken spirits be e spoken spirits dot com they make private labels have barrel

picks. You can do it for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays. Great folks out there. Bespoken Spirits, B.E.spoken Spirits.com. And by the way, Billy had them create custom labels to give his gifts to his groomsman. That's cool. I hope that wasn't a surprise

because it's in the copy. Congrats, Guernsman. If you don't know yet, surprise. We'll be right back. 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 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 answer. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slic 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, Kier 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. Trip 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 possession of the thing

and we're still chasing it and we don't know when we've done enough because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Keer Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way.

Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Life throws hurdles big and small. The question is, how do you conquer them? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we sit down with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness. Professional athletes, coaches,

and Olympic champions to talk about the challenges that shaped them and the mindset that keeps them going from the WNBA standout Kate Martin and rising hockey star Layla Edwards. If a boy can do it, I don't see why a girl can't. Like, I've never understood that. Like, it didn't make sense in my brain. It's hard to be in spaces that no one looks like you, but don't ever feel like you don't feel like you don't belong. Don't let that be the reason you don't do it.

An Olympic champs Gabby Thomas and Katie Ladeke. The ability to show a gold medal to someone and have their face light up and smile, that means the world to me, and that's what motivates me to win more gold medals. At our level, at this scale, like being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Because resilience isn't just about winning. It's about showing up, even when it's hard.

Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. 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. Techie Sports Radio, 859-280-2287.

Text machine is 772-774-5254. Okay, so Gary Parrish talked about what the caller said about Mark Pope. And I really liked what Gary said. Gary sort of went through the progression. And he said, okay, by the end of Cal's time here, he was kind of disconnected from the fans. I think we all would agree with that. And then he said Mark Pope really made it like his goal to become connected with the

And Gary even mentioned KSR, but the media, the fans, I think that's completely true. He made that a priority. The problem with that, and by the way, that was good. He needed to do that. The problem with that is, according to Gary, you feel then when the criticism comes, right? And he's also right about that. You know, one of the things that makes being connected to a fan base is you've got to be amongst them. You've got to be part of it.

and that means you see when they come after you. I can relate to that because that's also me. It would be like, you know, a lot of times people say, I don't care what the general public says, I don't see it. Well, I do. And like, that's hard. When you, to be really connected, you also have to like almost ingest the criticism.

And Gary's point was Mark is now feeling that, right? he's feeling the criticism because he so wants to be connected and that can be hard and I think that's very true right I mean I in order to do his job right he needs to do this but this is the downside of it is you can feel when things are not going with I think a lot of our fan base's feelings about Pope may dictate on what he does in the next couple weeks

how does he battle back from this what's he going to say to us how's he going to respond I mean, I am, I'm going to be opening my eyes and listening to what he says today, you know? They always happens right after this show. Comes out right at noon. Right, right at noon, always. I would go to all of them, but they put them right at noon. Yeah.

He also, he hears the criticism, but, you know, when they lost to Georgetown, even though in count, he was furious, like, we do not lose in this arena. Like, he gets it, which means he also knows we don't lose to Louisville by 20. And that would end up being close. But, I mean, most of the game, they were down bad. So he knows how bad he's dropped the ball. more than any coach in that spot probably would. Let me ask you a question real quick about my other team, the Cincinnati Reds.

They announced yesterday, Ellie De LaCruz, played half the season last year with a partially torn quad. And I was glad to hear that because he didn't play very well towards the end, and I was worried. But if he had a partially torn quad, I get it. Now, some Reds fans are very angry, and they say, why did you let him do that? And they're mad at the Reds. How do you let him play with a partially torn quad? What I don't understand, Ryan, is I feel like guys, when they get hurt, they can't, like, neither way.

Like, people criticize them either way. If they don't play, well, they're not tough. If they do play, why'd you let him play? Yep. Right? I actually think it's kind of cool that this dude who may one day be worth $500 million, and right now he's playing for $800,000 still wanted to play through a partially torn quad. I give him a lot of credit.

You know, if they were out of the playoff picture, maybe he would have shut it down, but he wanted to play to help them. They were fighting for a playoff spot to get to playoffs, and they did. You know, he wanted to help his team, help his family. He should be praising the guy. I would think so. It's not bad, right? I agree with you that if he hadn't have played and then the playoff push,

it'd be rub some dirt on it. Why is he just sitting there and help your team? He does that, and you know better than me. I don't know how he played during the stretch, but they were in that hunt until the very end. He was not his normal self, but he was better than whoever would have replaced him. And they were in the mix. You know, so what about you, Shane? You're a baseball guy.

That's impressive, especially at his position, you've got to be very athletic at shortstop and then, you know, running the bases, I didn't notice it. You would think somebody with a partially one quad. He was slower. They were doing, they were showing during that stretch that he didn't run as fast. Well, now we know why.

Yeah. Still faster than, what, over half the people in the big leagues. But then he's running at all on that is impressive. All right. So what's your quad? Is that this thing right here? That's that muscle right there, I think. Top of your thigh. That's my weakest muscle.

It is. I don't do well with this muscle. This is the muscle when I, start working out that it says okay what are you doing stop that's that's the muscle like when you're doing squats right squats lunges leg extensions are you not lunging uh when kentucky's losing in games you got a lunge if you were to say to me matt what is what is hell it is a world where you only do lunges i hate it i can barely like so so tearing that i can't imagine anything so you wouldn't have put or done lunges in the first place.

When my lunges are sore, I just say I'm not moving this weekend. So as a quad, I think I'm staying. I'm not playing. Like Shannon said, you know, you run every game that had to kind of hurt every time he was trying to run and, you know, beat out a base hit or go to the second base, steal a base. Are you good at lunges? I hate lunges.

That's going to be one of the worst things there. What are they, and those up downs, whatever they call those. Burpees. Hate them. Burpees are the word. Those should be illegal, actually. Amen. My trainer,

Sonny, she's a wonderful woman, but she was way too into burpees. And, like, sometimes I sometimes think, you know, I need to get started again, and then I'm like, she's going to make me do a burpee. Then I'm not going. And I think I would rather sit here than go do a burpee. They should be outlawed. It's a terrible thing. It's awful.

It's the worst exercise in the history of exercise. Yeah. So. That's why we're on a radio show sitting down in their pajamas. Shout out to Ellie for playing through it. Agreed. And I don't understand. My guy Lance McAllister's like, this shows the Reds are a terrible organization.

What do you want to? I mean, he's trying to help the organization in the playoffs. Are you going to say, no, let's play San Antonio Espinall more? Who's next? George. George. George. Go ahead, George. Good morning, gentlemen.

Good morning. I think the biggest trouble to me is the bait and switch we've had with Mark Pope and his offense. I mean, we were promised a modern, free-flowing, you know, shoot a lot of threes, ball movement, offense. And what I saw against Michigan State was worse than anything we had in Cal's last two or three years. I mean, it is completely not what we were promised. It's not what he typically does. He built a roster that can't play the way he wants to play. Why is anybody's questioning? We're struggling. It's his issue. Yeah, I agree. I think the real issue is, did you build the right roster? And, oh, way, what do you,

like, why don't you play? Would you start Moreno next game? Oh, yes. I probably would have started him last game. I said on our pregame for Michigan State, Brandon Garrison, this is your last opportunity to prove you deserve that spot, and it did not go well. That clip of him giving up those offensive rebounds is burned into my brain.

I can't get it out of there. So, yes, I would go Marino. I'd go more Yelovich. And Quaintance, we don't really mention him, but he's still projected mid-December. That could certainly help when he gets here. That could help. Garrison, his time may be ticketed. He went the wrong way.

Like, he's supposed to get a little better. He got worse. He sprinted in the wrong direction. All right, we're going to come back. Hour number two here at KS Bar Grill. It's Kentucky Sports Radio. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends.

Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel. Help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the 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. In 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 SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Life is full of hurdles. So how do you keep going? On Hurtle with Emily Abadi, we're talking with the most inspiring women in sports and wellness, from professional athletes, coaches, and Olympic champions about the challenges that shape them and the mindset that keeps them moving forward. At our level, at this scale, being able to fail in front of the entire world. Like, I can do anything. I can do anything. Listen to Hurtle with Emily Abadi on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. I'm Michelle McPhee, and I've been unraveling the strangest criminal alliance I've ever reported on. A Mormon polygamous 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 IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.