It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine
day, Now here's Nick Coffee. One of the things that I have not
discussed today, and it really isn't something you know that I'm just eager to
dive into and discuss. But it is a big story and that is the
uh the UK swimming coach lawsuit, which in fact it's a lawsuit, uh
that is that is from former swimmers at the University of Kentucky. And the
only reason I'm bringing up it starts five o'clock hours because Tim Sullivan. You
know how Sully does. I mean, he's got the he's the Capitol j
he's got the sharpest pencil in town. And he's going to get to the
bottom of it, right. I mean, there's gonna be no scenario.
Mitch Barnhart talked about it yesterday, but he said Tim Tim Sullivan said he
spoke with one of the one of the attorneys for the one of the former
swimmers at the University of Kentucky who is suing the University of Kentucky as well
as their former swim coach, Lars Jorgensen's because of his alleged sexual violence.
But apparently there's gonna be a press conference from that attorney I think Wednesday.
Yeah, there'll be a zoom press conference Wednesday to discuss the case. So,
I mean when that happens, doesn't it typically mean that they're eager to
like really, I mean, this is the attorney for those suings, so
I'm sure they're going to probably just discuss the heinous allegations that are made by
the swimmers that this attorney's representing. So Barnhart was asked about it yesterday and
said that, you know, he can't comment on it, cannot comment on
it because it's illegal matter, which I assume it's probably the truth. But
at some point, I mean, they're going to need to defend them else,
and they will in court, I'm sure. But I mean, here's
just a little bit of what is alleged in the lawsuits. So, based
on interviews and documents obtained by the UK from UK via an open records request
and the complaint, the allegations against their former coach include this, he raped
two members of the swim team of following their team Christmas parties at his home,
raped one of the individuals in hotels on team trips, and I'm not
gonna say the word. It's not something I can't say. But you know,
did something to himself in front of his players in his office, sent
a member of the of the women's swim team photos of you know it,
sent him chaft shots and just videos of himself, you know, being in
ultimate creep. And then he told different sex stories about himself two members of
the swim team and talked to them often about women he fantasized about having sex
with. He asked swimmers about their sexual experience and commented on their their bodies
and just an all around slim bag. But it says here the last one
I'll read before and if you want to. The Athletic has the full story
with all the allegations if you want to check it out. But it says
he implemented punishment workouts in violation of the NCAA policy, made degrading comments,
and body shamed the swimmers. He also withheld food from athletes after poor performances
and assigned extra workouts to swimmers whose body fat percentage exceeded a limit he determined.
He told one swimmer she reminded him of the fat people that walked around
the mall. So that's a bad look. And really what makes it awful
is that before he was hired by Kentucky there are emails from I don't want
to get the school wrong, because you know, having this guy affiliated with
your program in any way and your school is not a good look. But
I believe it was a school in the mac that's where he came from before
Kentucky hired him. And during that process a former player at one of those
schools had reached out to UK to let them know about this guy, and
they didn't you know, and they didn't pursue it, or didn't you know
they didn't take I shouldn't say they didn't pursue it. I don't know.
Maybe we'll find out that they vetted that information and found it to be not
true. But either way, this is a bad look overall. So at
press conference Wednesday, I mean, I guess Kentucky, the University of Kentucky
and Mitch Barnhardt, they're probably going to do what their lawyer told them to
do, which is shut up. Well, we'll fight this out in court
and defend ourselves there. But the more these these victims and their attorney talk,
I think the more people are gonna want, you know, the University
of Kentucky to at least do something and say something, but they probably won't,
So just a messy situation all around. Anyways, welcome in our number
three Coffee and Company. We are feeled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven
to ninety new era in this state for both basketball programs. We've known that,
which is why I said at the start of the show, it kind
of feels like we're picking up or we left off on Friday. But with
Kentucky fans completely filling Rapperini yesterday for a press conference, I think it's safe
to say that they're all in on Mark Pope. I think it's safe to
say Louisville fans are all in on Pat Kelsey, and that alone is exciting
for the rivalry. Now. I hope Kentucky and Mark Pope lose every game,
and you know, none of us know how anybody's really going to do,
but the fact that we both have something, there's some renewed energy here
in the rivalry, which has me certainly excited. But because of it being
a rivalry, I know we are in very similar situations with these two fan
bases where neither side ever thought the guy that's currently the coach that as the
title head men's basketball coach at Louisville or Kentucky. Pat Kelsey Mark Pope were
not names that a month ago any of us thought were realistic and probably wouldn't
have even taken it serious. I mean, is that fair to say,
Joan, you're an outsider a month ago on March fifteenth? If I would
have told you that Mark Pope would be Kentucky's coach and Louisville would have Pat
Kelsey, you know. Or let's say you told fans that, they would
not believe you, right, they would think there's no laughed at Jeff Goodman
from Pat Kelson. That's right. So it kind of played out exactly the
same. You have panic, you have fear because first of all, maybe
there's I mean, I don't know if it's shame embarrassment, but around here
the fan bases are really prideful about their program and Louisville. Again, I
get it, there's some easy jokes to be made there because Louisville won twelve
games in two years, but it's still a great program in a great job,
and I honestly thought more than anything. The reason Louisville wouldn't go in
that direction is because of how important it is to not take a step back
here. Then again, let's be real, like how many we're in a
new era here right where a lot of these guys that are that are really
emerging as the elite tier on the younger side, right, the up and
comers, if you will, they're they're doing it via the mid major route
and getting an opportunity to bigger level and they're and they're knocking it out of
the park. So you know, I just thought Louislle wouldn't do it,
not because you know we're better than that, because like, we can't risk
it. We'll go get somebody, We'll go get tom cream before we get
a guy who's never played in the tournament or never won a game in the
tournament. But sure enough, you know I was wrong, and I now
realize that, and this is something we talked about before. Right. You
want a guy that's hungry, You want a guy that would want that wants
to be here so badly that he'll be fine with knowing he wasn't the top
choice, but he will absolutely thrive. Well I shouldn't say thrive but he'll
he'll take advantage of the opportunity that he has and either succeed or die trying,
because that's how hungry he is to really excel at a at this level.
So you know, we're all and I mean all fans on each each
side are are, you know, feeling great about the future. But the
one thing I feel like we can you know, on the Louisville side,
Like, I mean, why were there why were there so many grown ups
talking about tears yesterday at Rupperna, Like I love this stuff, right,
It's something I still can't believe I've able to, you know, turn it
into a career for me where I get to just yap about these teams locally
and it's awesome. And you know, I talk all the time about the
rivalry being so much different in Louisville because you experience it just at a different
level because there's so many of both sides in this humongous city. I mean,
it's not one of the bigger cities in America, but you know what
I mean, and we all co exist together. So I love the rivalry,
but what would bring genuine like you know, everybody's got certain things that
bring tears to their eyes, but the amount of grown men tweeting out how
they couldn't stop crying while Mark Pope talked what about it? Like gave you
the I mean, I just don't get that. I can't relate. I'm
not judging, because you know, I'm sure there's things that'll bring tears to
my eyes that you guys would say what the hell's wrong with you? And
I'm not saying what the hell's wrong with you? But like, I just
the guy is never coached a game. You could be excited, but I
feel like the emotion that would bring tears is like I can't believe we did
it, we won the national championship or uh, what does Kamala Harris say?
We did it, Joe, like, you know, like some achievement,
like oh my god, like we worked so hard for this. The
guy showed up to be introduced as your coach, and he said a lot
of good stuff. But he wasn't even being sentimental. He wasn't being sappy.
He was just being I mean, he was just being genuine. And
I like Mark Pope, I mean, I'm gonna want him to not get
any players he wants. I want him to lose every game and maybe eventually
I'll learn to, you know, have a dislike for him. But I
don't think he's gonna be very good villain. To be honest with you,
he'll be kind of an easy punching bag if he does, like the corny
stuff and all that, but he's gonna give us to me. He's got
a little bit of Tubby Smith in him. And what I mean by that
is that Tubby seemed like the most likable guy ever at Kentucky, and I
think he was, like he's still somebody that I've never heard anybody say a
bad thing about. I think Mark Pope's gonna be viewed as that same kind
of guy. But with Tubby, he won a title in his first year,
so that kind of that kind of gave him a little bit of of
Okay, he's a nice guy, but man like he's he's really really good,
So we don't like him. I don't know if that's gonna happen with
Mark Pope, but he did. I thought, you know, from an
outsider who listened to a good chunk of his press conference and heard not only
his part, but the questions that he was asked and how he answered him.
It's one thing to say the right things, you know, win the
press conference, play all the hits right. But you know it was different
for Kentucky fans. I think to here's somebody do that, but clearly know
that he's one of you. And that's a genuine connection. This guy loves
Kentucky. Not just because he played there. I mean, that's a part
of it, but at every stop he's been at as a coach Utah Valley
State, BYU, even as an assistant at places like Georgia and BYU.
I mean, he is somebody that will go out of his way to let
people know he played a Kentucky. He's a Kentucky Wildcat. So I think
to hear that, I mean, I get how it's like cool, but
like why, I just don't, you know, the emotion the tears is
just kind of I don't know, like and maybe part of it is like
me thinking about it from a Louisville perspective, Do you know how bad we
were the last two years? Had three thousand people showed up to games.
In the last two years, Louisvills lost to more Division two teams than they've
won games away from their home arena. We didn't cry and Pat Kelsey Man,
he came and did his thing at the press conference and was a master
with the words, right, I mean, just self deprecating, telling stories.
I mean, just holding court, doing the damn thing as they say,
you may cry, Like, I just I don't like it'd be one
thing if you guys, if I could guess as to what really really stood
out that may have brought that emotion over you, is like here's my thing,
y'all ain't been through nothing, Like what do y'all the dude do you
that you know that played there? Now being hired as your coach is a
cool moment, but like the tears of like, oh my god, this
like what if y'all been I mean, I just don't I don't understand the
climax there. I like to know is how many of the people who were
crying were super pissed off? Probably all of them or maybe you know,
maybe not pissed off, but just kind of like, you know, like
no way, yeah, yeah. So I don't know. I just I
think to play you know, psychologists here, I think it reminded him how
much they actually hated Caliperry. I know a lot of them didn't want him
gone, and they really didn't want him gone once you found out it was
going to be somebody named Mark Pope. But what he did yesterday that I
was a little envious of was he owned the moment at the presser, meeting
the presser itself as a guy who said all the right things, but he
did something nobody else could do in that role. Right, he gets it.
He's one of them. Like he can speak on what Kentucky basketball means
and he's not just saying it because he just got the job, and he
knows it's a big deal, right Like he's he's experienced it. So that's
like Jeff Brown, Louisville couldn't pay I mean, Louisville couldn't pay money to
recreate Jeff Bram as far as him understanding what this is and it being a
part of him. You know, Jeff Brohm, whenever he coached at Purdue,
I'm sure he wanted to kill Louisville when they played they played once.
I believe it was, And I know his primary focus was winning at Purdue.
But there's never gonna be a scenario orre if he's not the coacher,
he's not checking it on scores because it's he helped build it, like it's
part of him. Mark Pope is not. I don't think the player that
Jeff is to football for Louisville, and I don't think Pope is that for
basketball. But he did play out a national championship team, you know,
so that's a special moment. So I thought it was as an outsider,
meaning somebody that really doesn't care if he does well or does awful on the
press conference or anything like that. He was very calculated to where he said
some things that were quite clear shots at Calipari and the way he did things
and how he handled stuff, But he also did it in such a nice
like it wasn't in any way personal. There wasn't any real animosity attached to
it. But you know, make no mistake about it. He talked about
going to you know, the winning hanging banners for the SEC tournament. We
care about that kind of stuff. And the one thing that is quite clearly
a shot at John cal Perry. It's actually kind of silly if you're a
Kentucky fan, you know what I'm talking about. But like Cow would never
go to zone, would never switched up defensively, like he was so stubborn.
Only going to do it this way was was zone, no, no
full court pressure, just you know, just playing man to man, Pope
bringing up you know, we're gona mix up our defenses. We'll do different
things like that's clearly a shot at Cal And I think hearing a guy claim,
you know, here's here's something that is that always fascinated me about Cali
Perry in his air at Kentucky, he had the best job in the world.
No school could pay him more money than Kentucky. I mean, the
only other school that you would claim is on par with that job is maybe
Kansas, But like you know, I'd still give Kentucky the edge. So
this is a guy who had a lifetime contract making an insane amount of money.
There's nowhere else he can climb on the ladder within college basketball than where
he was at in Lexington. But he never once felt like I should really
buckle down and make some adjustments and you know, get this thing fixed,
because man, I've got the opportunity of a lifetime here and I I don't
and I want I don't. I don't want to lose it. And you
know, he at times was I guess just stubborn, arrogant, whatever it
was. But like he knew that you all hated whenever he talked about the
talked about the the the NBA play, Like what did he say that the
night they got six or five players drafted in the first round was like the
best moment in program history. Like he knew that you all hated that,
and he it like he used it as fuel. I think to like continuously
like let that be the brand. So I don't know. I just again,
I'm sure I've cried about things, and it's that that that my emotions
have have got the best to me about something that nobody else would understand.
But like, I don't know what would make you cry, Like again,
if it's happy tears, it's cool, it's a feel good but like,
what's the climax, right, Like what accomplishment was made? I guess just
having somebody that is embracing that job and embracing I guess you all as fans,
and I guess if it's people who grew up watching Mark Pope play and
now you see him leading your program, and if you're imagining the possibility of
him taking you to heights that you haven't seen in ten years. I mean
that could do something. Maybe it's a little mutch with you. That's probably
what it is, I think more than anything. And you weren't alive to
experience this, but it's that era, and that era was never forgotten because
they won two championships in ninety six and ninety eight, and as I mentioned
earlier, I think they're ninety seventeen was better, but that era was not
really embraced at a high level because the guy who was coaching you, you
know, for the last fourteen years, hated the guy who was a part
of that, who was responsible for that era, which is Patino. So
I think just to see the the all the ninety six guys there yesterday,
I guess that's probably something that brought out emotions and whatnot, and that hadn't
hadn't happened in a long time. But I think that nineties era, like
that's going to be their brand, right because that's where Pope, that's where
Pope was a part of and they won two titles in three years, and
like again, it wasn't as if anybody was disrespecting that era and acting as
if like that wasn't a big deal. But like Cali Perry wasn't gonna go
out of his way to prop up the nineties at Kentucky. You know why
because the guy who was responsible for it is a guy he hates in Rick
Purtino. And again that's why I think if you missed it earlier, we
talked about it. Eric Pertino just each day throwing out something on Twitter talking
about how much he's just, you know, so happy for Kentucky and Mark
Pope. He did the video last week saying he'd write the nil check if
they need money, which technically I'm not sure he's allowed to do as a
college basketball coach. But either way, I truly believe that Rick is one
thousand percent happy and over the moon about this because he's had a lot of
great players that have gone on to be good coaches. I mean that have
been I mean Billy Donovan won back to back national championships in the in the
two thousands. I mean, he's had some really good players and even I
mean, and I'm not just talking about guys that were you know, coaches
that coach, and I'm talking about guys that were players and then went in
to be coaches. But Mark Pope is like, this is the coolest story
probably for him, because this is a guy who's now coaching at the place
where they were a part of a national championship together. So you know,
the Rick dynamic here is going to be odd because I truly believe Rick has
a great appreciation and love for both fan bases. Now there's one fan base
that it's gonna be tough for them to you know, I mean, the
whole time Rick Patino was at Louisville, I think Kentucky fans, I think
they enjoyed making fun of Rick Pertino more than they enjoyed anything. And I
get it. There was some things that gave the rival some ammunition that like,
you know, we're preventable, like the por Chinese fifteen second incident with
Karen Seiffer, the Minority Hall Katina pal like, don't say we didn't,
you know, load the gun for you, right. But when he comes
back, which he's going to, and Mark Pope's gonna talk him up,
and it's going to be such a moment some of you are going to feel
bad because you're like, man, I love this guy. I'm a fan
because of what happened in the nineties and for the last you know, twenty
years. I've just been making jokes about him only lasting fifteen seconds on a
table at an Italian restaurant. True story, by the way. So anyways,
we'll get back into the recruiting stuff, well, the portal and the
recruiting stuff on the other side, because obviously you know that's never ending,
and there's many players that have entered the portal that are going to be big
time priorities for a lot of schools. They just entered the portal within the
last few hours, like since the show started, So it is it never
anymore. We'll get back into that on the other side. But what I
want to do here is go to the phone on five way twof i'e nine
hundred is the number. If you'd like to give us a call. Let's
go to Rob Robi. You're on Sports Talk seven ninety. How are you,
Nick, I'm doing great. How in the world are you, buddy?
Good to hear from you, brother. How you been. Oh,
I've been great, man. I found I just got back in town,
and of course there's so much going on here. I've had to listen to
most of this from abroad, Nick, and I gotta tell you it's been
an emotional roller coaster. However, as much as it's been a roller coaster
for me and for you and the rest of these lovely Cardinal fans, I
must say that after I saw twenty two thousand screaming go Big Blue fans in
rupp Arena yesterday, which was amazing to see, what made it most amazing
to me Nick, because I can't describe what the UK fans have gone through
as a roller coaster at all. I've got to say that's the most fickle
fan base ever seen. Because all last week, from the moment they said
Coach Pope or as your son said, Coach Poop was on his way,
all I heard was I'm never man to take it again. I swear folk
goodness, I can't believe it. Barr and Hart needs to be fire.
That's all I heard everywhere. I mean it was even the national media.
Everything they had to talk about was you know, UK fans they're just wow.
I mean they're really And then yesterday twenty two thousand out there we love
you, coach. I mean it's I've never seen a more dramatic, just
total spin from burning down that you know, Lexington to we love you twenty
two thousand deep. It's really amazing. I mean, were you not thrown
off by that? Yeah? I mean I thought that they would have a
good crowd, because you know, they just that's what they do. But
to see that many people show up before ever hearing him talk or really knowing
who was gonna be on the team, it does speak to just how insanely
large their fan base is. There's a ton of them, but I mean,
I think even can I mean, there's a reason they delayed. I
think is because they didn't expect there to be that many people there. And
my only theory, Rob is that like this, it's just not Caliperry in
that deep down they didn't realize as a fan base how much they actually hated
that guy the last four or five years or something. Well, I'll tell
you what it's gotta be. If I'm Mark Pope right now, I'm a
little bit excited, and I'm a little bit nervous because he heard all this
stuff. Oh quickly, the turn happened, so he knows they can turn
it on the drop of a dime. And if he loses Sicken to Louisville.
You know, I'm sure he's got that in his mind. If he
starts off the season and you know, has a couple of disappointing losses,
if it's recruiting class doesn't have a couple of Hamburgers, right, He's he's
got to be sweating some Oh, no doubt about it. Rob. I'll
say this, man, I think that the leash with him will be really,
really, really short, despite him being a former player and despiting him
being a guy that they're going to like. And it's because you know,
Cal Perry didn't retire. Kyle Perry's now a competitor and you know, an
enemy essentially in your own league. And I don't know how good Col's gonna
be, but you know what he's gonna get. He's gonna get five star
players at Arkansas. He's gonna get big name transfers, and he's going to
have the Arkansas relevant and Mark Pope unfortunately, he has to win big for
them to be They're always gonna be relevant in the sport because they're Kentucky.
But you know what I mean, Like, he's not a larger than live
figure. He doesn't have a resume that people can point to and say,
Wow, this guy is elite. He was elite here let's see if he
can do it to Kentucky. So you know, all they're gonna do now,
and that's what louisvill fans are gonna do too, Right, there's a
lot of momentum with Pat Kelsey and fans are seeing his energy. It's infectious
and you know, we'll see what happens when this roster gets put together.
But that's where I think Kentucky is gonna be much different next year because Louisville,
let's be honest, like we won twelve games in two years, so
we want Pat Kelsey to win the national championship next year, but also just
being back in the mix with the tournament would be a big step in the
right direction. But Kentucky, if Mark Pope, you know, somehow just
is a bubble guy next year, they're gonna lose their minds absolutely, and
he now has seen how that can swing. But I'm enough about Mark,
enough about uk Nick. You you said something earlier, you said, you
said, you know who really thought that Louisville would have Look I've been away
too long, I said, Louisville. Who I was thought that Louisville would
have would have a Pat Kelsey at the hit coaching spot, and Nick,
I gotta be honest, I didn't think it would be. I didn't know
who it would be, but I was pretty sure that whoever we got was
going to be someone from that tier of coaches. And the main reason is
we lost our mystique with me, with the Kitty Payne hour, with Kenny
pet Payne higher. And I've explained it to people this way. You know
that really cute, beautiful girl that you know, everybody thought was so untouchable,
you know, they were afraid to talk to hers, like, oh
my god, you know, I mean anybody that she even looked at was
always like a jock or or somebody who had a lot of money or a
nice car. Right. Oh yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about.
The moment that girl gets caught, you know, on the corner of
eighteenth Street, you know, doing something promiscuous with a nobody, all of
that clout, all of that mistique, all of that draw vanishes, because
now the mindset becomes, you know, anybody can have her, you know,
that whole untouchable mystique. You gotta be somebody, you know, to
to be considered by her. You know that used to be us the University
of Louisville was that girl. We were that untouchable. You didn't get you
didn't get to be considered. Louisill didn't call you unless you were like somebody
who one day was gonna be in the Hall of Fame. If you weren't
that guy, if you weren't of that tier, you didn't get looked at
by the University of Louisville. And then they caught us on the corner offering
up the goods to someone who never had been a hit coach, even at
a high school man. This that is the best way to to to to
describe it. And I mean, because you're right, like nobody would say
that she isn't still good looking and that she still doesn't have, you know,
all the qualities that that you you would want. But however, that
mystique is gone. I mean that that's a that's very very well said.
And and if you're if you're gonna be joint if you're taking the job,
and the only two guys that have had it in the last I don't know,
sixty years or Rick Patino Denny Crumb, different situation. Well, you
know, now there was there was an in between and and and and Rob,
I appreciate the call. I gotta run to break. Really good to
hear from you. Man, don't be a stranger. I always love when
you call in. And uh, that was really well done. As far
as like describing why Louisville again, nobody's claiming we ain't a good program that
has had success. And you know, can can can win the champion,
can win national titles, but that mostique was gone because again we hired a
guy that like, you know, we know. I've said this many times
when it comes to the free agency that we now have in college sports,
and we talk about college sports here more than we talk about anything and this
you know sports radio market in Kentucky, and and now you can talk about
it for more throughout the year than you used to be able to because again,
you know, new teams, guys leaving, you know, tracking in
IL money and how important it is to get a certain player. I mean,
I'm not saying it's like the most interesting stuff. I find it to
be interesting, but again, it lets us talk about college sports more year
round than we used to. But I'm not kidding you when I tell you
it's hard to keep up with because I'm since the show has started. Every
time we go to break and I refresh Twitter. You know, it's not
just it's not just Louisville and Kentucky players that are either entering, like for
example, JJ trainor earlier committed to go to De Paul. We talked to
Earli about Aaron Bradshaw. He's going to Ohio State. But really, what
really I mean makes it difficult? Is it like Louisville now is going to
have to add like a ton of players right Kentucky may be doing the same
thing, and it's just it's it's tough to keep up with. But hey,
it's exciting at least I think it is all right. I was two.
If I have seven, one seventy nine hundred is the number. If
you guys want to jump in and give us a call, Let's go back
to the phone lines and welcome in, Danny. Danny, you're on Sports
Talk seven ninety. How are you good? Nick? I have a question,
And I know I think every fan base, like like your last caller,
every fan base does that. You guys hated Rick Patino, so he
came to you all of course, Arkansas fans hated Cal Now they love him
that's the silliest thing when you're on those messages. Kentucky fans hated Rick when
he was here, and then if he comes back and him and him and
Poper holding court like it's going to be something that is awesome to them.
And the same with Kelsey. I mean, you guys were were kind of
lukewarm at bathroom. Oh I would say, I would say we weren't lukewarm.
I'd say we were worse than that. Yeah. So but I guess
I guess My question is I do feel like and I don't want to be
confrontation with those things, but and I don't like the little other moniker,
but I do feel like, just for instance, like I grew up in
eastern Kentucky, my died in the wool UK fan live in Louisville now,
so I just kind of caught your show driving home, and I'm addicted to
it now, thank you. Like my family, what they know about Pat
Kelsey is nothing nothing. And then Louisville fans, I've already texted me,
well, Mark Pope's offense looks like this. I just feel and maybe,
like I said, maybe it's the other way that I can only see through
the blue colored lenses. But I feel like Louisville fans the little brother Moniker
for us comes more from you know, as soon as football schedules will come
out, three Louisville fans will text me and say, well, youk's gonna
have a hard time at Tennessee this year. And I can't tell you who
Louisville plays in football. And I feel like when we play, you all,
yeah, that week's fun and that week, but I feel like it's
three sixty five for Louisll fans. And maybe that's just my lens of it.
Maybe if you ask a Louisll fan, they would say, you know,
every time I listen to Matt Jones, all he's talking about is Louisville.
But I honestly was just curious on your take. You see it,
you think that's everything. Well, Danny, I appreciate the call, and
I appreciate you listening, and I appreciate your honesty because you know, you
mentioned that it could be sort of your lens the way you see it,
and I think that's the way with a lot of people, myself included.
You know, I really do try to and I know some Kentucky fans are
gonna hear this and be like, yeah, right, But I feel like
I'm very transparent as far as where I stand what I I mean, I
would never claim to be objective about what I want to happen to Kentucky basketball
or Kentucky football because they're the rival. But I also feel like, you
know, I try my best to at least be honest about their results,
and sometimes though they're probably like it's been a long time since I've been really
really as a Louisville fan, like really bothered by Kentucky to where like maybe
it would just really really be tough for me to acknowledge that they're this good
or that good, you know, because to be honest with you, like,
in football, Louisville losing to them in football was like a I mean
it was like a and it was disaster. It was the one thing you
couldn't do. I mean, it didn't mean that Jeff Brohm had a bad
year. He had a great year when ten games played in the ACC Championship,
but like, you know, that win really only did one thing,
and that was make Kentucky feel a little bit less bad about their season,
and it gave Mark Jumps his biggest win he's ever had as a coach,
he beit a top ten team on the road. So, you know,
with Kentucky basketball, I'm telling you Louisville being so dead for two years,
I mean, Kentucky being good, like I didn't want it, and luckily
they weren't. During the Kinny Payne araa, Kentucky really didn't do anything special.
In fact, what do they win one tournament game in that era?
And the year before Kenny got there, they lost to a fifteen seed.
So when Louisville was just so lousy for a few years and Kentucky was,
you know, good, but you still kind of felt like they weren't a
threat to win at all because you know, cal had been struggling. So
if Louisville, I'll put it this way, I feel like it's been more
easy for me than ever to just kind of like be whatever about Kentucky.
Clearly I don't want them to win because of the rival, but like,
who am I to go out of my way to really discredit Kentucky basketball When
Louisville's been in the position that they're in now again, it could still be
it could still be you know, for example, like it could still be
something you use as far as fuel and ammunition when when you when it comes
to the rivalry. But I just think Louisville fans have been you know,
trolling and keeping up with Kentucky in a different way the last couple of years
in basketball. But to go back to what you'd said about how you know,
the when the Kentucky schedule comes out and Louisville fans will hit you up
and be, you know, talking about Kentucky to you, and you just
think that's kind of weird because you don't really like obviously you know that Louisville's
the rival and I'm sure you don't want them to win, but like you're
not you're not really like in any way caring about what they're doing. That
is where in my belief, it's because you're not from here. You mentioned
you grew up in eastern Kentucky and then you made Louisville your home. It
doesn't mean you you know, you aren't. You aren't part of the rivalry
now in the city because you are. But if you grow up and I'm
talking about grown ups that are like, you know, I'm kind of a
grown up, but like you know, people that are in their forties,
fifties or you know, thirties like me or younger. If you grew up
and the first thing you remember about being a fan of sports is that you
knew you loved Louisville, you loved Kentucky. You went to school with Kentucky
fans and Louisville fans. It's never ending. So a lot of people say
obsession, and maybe that is what it is. But that's something I've always
pushed back on because there's a lot of people who I think kind of tell
on themselves about why are you talking about Kentucky. Huh. We don't like
the guy who called in last week, John, who was like, here's
a Kentucky show. I mean he thought that was like some clever dig or
something like that. I mean, maybe we obsessed. It's just a word
that I just don't think it's the right one to use. But I can't
give you a better one. But yeah, we all keep up with what's
going on in the right with our rival, not to the extent we do
our own team. But the best this weekend for you on a college football
season on a Saturday is your team winning and your rival losing. Like that's
what always really bothered me. I mean, it doesn't make me angry,
but it's just silly for those some people to act as if I don't even
know why we play y'all. Huh who Louisville Well doesn't exist? Like it's
just lame. Like what makes the rivalry great is that we hate each other,
not as people. I mean maybe you do with some, but like
it's gonna be back though, by the way, because Mark Pope may be
great, and I think Mark Pope is a fine coach. Now is he
going to meet the expectations of Kentucky. I don't know. To be honest
with you, I would bet more often if I was making a wager,
I'd be more inclined to wager that Mark Pope will win, but not be
elite there in Kentucky Lea's I check, that's what they strive to be.
I could be proven wrong. Maybe he's awful and I'm wrong because he sucks
and he's not even you know, solid. But one thing I know right
now is nobody scared him or Pope when it comes to recruiting, when it
comes to anything, and I know nobody's scared of Pat Kelsey on the Kentucky
side, and Cali Perry. Maybe fear isn't like the right word because it's
just hard to say, Oh, Cali Perry scares mean. But let's be
honest, that guy, during his time and as a fixture within the rivalry,
he dominated Louisville. I don't think we were scared. We just knew
he was gonna come in here and beat us because he did it more often
than not. I if we'll ever see anybody with a record like that against
the against Louisville. And what makes it even crazy about Calipari is, yeah,
lately he's been just beating up on us, and we've also lost to
Bellerman and you know, Kentucky Wesleyan. But Rick had a really Rick's best
run here at Louisville still included him more often than not getting beat by Caliperry
Kentucky. So I'll admit it. I'm not too proud to say it.
I'm glad. I'm glad Cal's gone because you know, even in years where
you felt like we should beat him, we're better. It just it was
always it was. I can't even think of the game where Louisville played their
best basketball against the Kentucky Cali Perry team, because even when they beat him
in twenty thirteen, when Louislle w in the title and Kentucky went to the
n I T I mean, game is closer than it should have been.
So anyways, I like that call because that was somebody that you know,
asked Anna's question and was also willing to you know, willing to say,
well, maybe it's because you know my lens I'm a Kentucky fan. But
I think the difference is because when you're living out in Eastern Kentucky or western
Kentucky, when you're talking college football, college basketball mostly with your peers,
your your classmates, your coworkers, whatever it may be, kids in the
neighborhood, you're talking Kentucky because there's not many Louisville fans around here. It's
just both NonStop, and I think that's why, you know, you do
see fans in Louisville that are more that are more into I won't say obsessed,
but more into what's going on with the rivalry, with the rival others
than others would expect, because you know why they can't wait to go back
to the cubicle Monday when your team loses to a bum in football, and
they want you to hear about it, right because we're all coexisting together.
When you have a great moment, you probably visualize seeing the friend or coworker
that's on the other side so you can rub it in their face. When
you lose and it's bad, you might think about taking a PTODA because you
don't want to face the music. Like that's what makes this cool to me?
All right, quick break, we'll come back and wrap it up on
the other side at his Coffee and Company, we are a few about Thornton's
right here on Sports Talk seven ninety all right, So just to update those
of you that are you know, just now joining in, or maybe you've
been with us for the last hour or so, we just haven't haven't been
able to discuss it. But the big news on the recruiting front, which
I would still say that the majority of the news for Louisville basketball that's going
to help us figure out this roster will be from the portal. But on
Thursday, one of the best players in the recruiting class of twenty twenty four.
In fact, he's a consensus five star top ten player overall former Kentucky
commit. Obviously, he dec commit it and reopened his recruitment. On's Cali
Perry left, but Jade and Quainton say six to non Center is going to
visit Louisville Thursday. It's an official visit. This is the first visit he's
taken since reopening his recruitment. Don't know if Louisville is getting, you know,
a courtesy visit or something because of the connection that Pat Kelsey's assistant coach
has. He previously coached at Ward of God Christian Academy where Quaintan's played his
high school ball. So but just to know that that's you know, like
that's getting you, let's just say you don't get him. Obviously, some
will say it was all from nothing, and maybe you're right, but I
think this is just this being sort of on the news wire when it comes
to college basketball recruiting and whatnot. Is good for Kelsey. So we'll see,
we will see, all right. One thing I do know is that
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elind dot com is the website. Five two, five twenty eight hundred
is the number if you'd like to give them a call. All right,
what a what a fun three hours that went by really quick, It really
did, And I would imagine, you know, we'll obviously have a lot
of other stuff to get tomorrow, we'll mix it up. But when it
comes to the spring, I mean that's when you're gonna see these rosters come
together, rather it be Louisville or Kentucky, and the new era is here.
Do you think Omar Ballow will Loup taking his visit to louis or do
you think he'll commit to Indiana before tomorrow or I guess before the end of
the day tomorrow. Yeah, I don't know. I don't All the momentum
is is that he's going to go to Indiana. But this is his first
visit, so I would say that he would at least get another visit in.
So maybe he does end up at Louisville. But again, I'm it
certainly looks like, uh, he just posted a picture of Instagram. Do
you see it? Is it the one with uh thet behind him? You
know he's got a it's just him in a jersey in the cannon right pants.
And yeah, I mean he's he looks like he's enjoying his visit.
But you know what, maybe he'll think to himself, Wow, Bloomington was
great. Mother Bear's pizza. You kidding me? But man, this is
Louisville's Pat Kelsey guy. He's he's fun, he's a ball of energy.
I want to play for this guy. Wishful thinking on MIAD, But we
shall see because he is again I mean, if, if, if,
what he lands the number one player in the portal given the fact that he's
also just landed the PAC twelve Freshman of the Year. He's bringing back the
guys who'd want to come back other than you know, the guy that's going
to the NBA, like got five star Bryson Tucker to replace. Yeah about
that one too. So I mean, hopefully he starts getting some respect within
his fan base. People want the results on the floor. I mean,
I don't blame him, but like you think Dusty May is doing this in
Indiana this year, I don't, I mean agree with I don't want dust
You need Indiana. Get him out of here. Nerd. All right,
we're out of time. Everybody have themselves a good evening. We're back at
it tomorrow right here on UH Sports Talk seven ninety