It's time for coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine
day. Now here's Nick coffee. All right, let's get our number two
here started with some football football football. I just saw this cross the timeline
here on Twitter? Are we still calling it twitter? I'm still calling it
Twitter, so am I and I don't. But I don't want to make
it seem as if like I'm doing it to like make a point. It's
just it's always gonna what I'm gonna refer to it as. But now I
am seeing there be a legitimate shift not to only call it X but like
formally known as Twitter, but E or Twitter now known as X Like,
you know, I just want to make sure people know what I'm talking about.
I'll never understand why the name was changed in the first place. Well,
I think it's just because, you know, because it's El and he
wanted to have his own thing. And to be fair, I actually think
Twitter is a stupid name. X is not much better, but it's been
It's it's been Twitter for so long. Like I don't think you just kind
of like snap your fingers and not call it that like Facebook they are now,
I guess like corporation wise. Aren't they called like meta? Yes,
Like I thought the app was going to be called something different and it's not.
But meta is I guess it's like the overlooking. It's kind of like
a parent company of a sense. And I guess now they have AI features
within Facebook to where you can like ask Ai something almost kind of like a
chat. Yeah, and they call it Meta, so you know, ask
Meta. So I still call it Twitter, but I just, you know,
want to make sure people know what platform I'm referring to. But the
teams with the highest percentage chance of winning the ACC this year according to the
ESPN Football Power Index the FPI, which the FPI is still around. It
is still used as a reference point by ESPN, of course because it's their
formula. But I will always go out of my way to let people know
if it gives you something that you're really excited about that you like to see,
meaning it favors your team, or maybe it doesn't favor your team and
you feel like it's nonsense, just know, like good or bad, this
thing has never been real reliable as far as like, I don't know what
their formula is. I'm not sure how they put it together. But they
need to go back to the lab of the analytics folks and retool some things
because it's never I mean, it does these percentage chances of winning, what
the score is going to be. I mean again, like the kin Pom
formula does that too for basketball, but the ESPNFPI it's you know, the
best example I can give you is that when LSU and Joe Burrow won the
national championship, I believe in twenty nineteen, they had arguably one of the
best seasons you'll ever have in college football as far as I mean they did.
They won it all and didn't lose a game, but they beat good
teams along the way, even in the non conference. So after they won
the national championship, they were ranked third in the ESPNFPI, behind the two
teams they beat in the College Football Playoff. Like that should tell you right
away, we gotta we gotta redo this. And maybe they have and it's
gotten better. But I always mention the FPI, letting people know or reminding
people what I feel about it, because I don't want it to turn into
where it's something that I think is great when it favors my team, and
that I think is nonsense, you know when it doesn't, But I think
it is still something that I shouldn't ignore, especially on this platform, because
here's the thing, it's the four letter network, it's ESPN, So you're
gonna see it mentioned all the time because again it's ESPN. The majority of
the games that we're gonna watch on college football, especially our teams here you
know around here, Louisville and Kentucky, it's gonna be on ESPN's when they
show your schedule over the next few weeks, and they've got that percentage next
to each game that is the FPI percentage chance you have to win, which
again doesn't really mean much of anything, but it's going to be in your
face a lot. So Clemson and Florida State have a better chance. At
Louisville, they're winning the the the acc according to the ESPNFBI twenty six point
two percent for Florida State, nineteen point three percent chance for Clemson, and
then Louisville comes in at number It comes at number three with a twelve percent
chance, and then after that you've got Miami at nine point nine and SMU
at nine, which is kind of a surprising thing. SMU was actually pretty
good last year in the American I mean for you know, for that for
that kind of team, And I remember thinking, okay, like that could
you know, because I don't think the ACC is some you know, juggernaut
type of league. I always thought there could be some teams like an SMU
that would come in and compete, not at the top, but like you
know, maybe they'll be slightly above middle of the pack because you know,
they're not terrible. But then they played Boston College last year in a bowl
game and got demolished, So maybe there will be a big jump there in
uh in competition. Also, since we're talking about the ESPN FPI, the
formula, I guess was I guess the numbers were released today. Here's what
it says. The ESPN's computer generated FBI is officially updated after transfer portal editions
and spring football, which how like, how can what what formula like if
you say transfer portal editions, that makes total sense because that's you literally,
I mean you're adding players or removing players post spring, that would that would
potentially impact the formula. But how how could spring football, like, how
could four or five weeks of spring practice in Lexington and Bloomington and Louisville.
How could a formula a computer fact? Like, what are they what are
they basing it off of? Right? Like it's silly, so uh they
they've updated it. However, they did that, and the top twenty five
does feature Louisville. Louisville is at number twenty one, Georgia number one,
Oregon number two, Texas number three, Ohio State number four, Bama number
five, Penn State number six, Notre Dame number seven, ou Is eight,
Tennessee nine, and Missouri ten. That's your top ten. The ACC
has it looks like four teams in it because you've got, yeah, you've
got four Florida State at eleven, actually five, Florida State at eleven,
Clemson at fifteen, Louisville at twenty one, Miami at twenty three, and
SMU at twenty five. So let's just say that played out, not that
exact order. But if the ACC consistently has five teams in the top twenty
five throughout the year, and by the time we get to the College Football
playoff rankings, you still have four or five that are in the mix,
and once you get closer to the final twelve, because it's not going to
be four, it's going to be twelve. Now, like, if you've
got two teams that look like that got a real chance of getting in,
am I am I setting the bar too low to say that that would be
really good for the ACC, because I mean if the play if the playoff
had been twelve teams for the last I don't know five years, how many
times would the ACC have more than one team? Probably not any right,
I mean Louisville of course, would have played themselves out of it with their
loss to Kentucky at the end of the season last year. You know,
I guess the COVID year in twenty twenty one, that was when uh or
was it twenty twenty It was twenty twenty. That was when we played with
like no fans, right, Yes, Indiana had a good year. I
think Pittsburgh was the best team in the league that year. If you remember
and the picket, Yeah picket, can you pick it? That? What's
the play that? Because he did it? Yeah? They changed the rule,
Yeah, they changed the rule. So I you know, part of
me says, hey, there's twelve, like, why can't you get three?
That's you know a fourth? Well, I mean the big ten and
the SEC are going to have more than anybody, I would say, and
then Big twelve, I don't know. I mean, so, I mean,
to be fair, there's just as many Big ten teams in the top
twenty five here as there are ACC teams. Yeah, you're right, a
lot more top heavy, but still the same amount. That's what I was
gonna say, is like that actually is at times ACC honks kind of telling
themselves because you'll have one week of college football playoff rankings that has five ACC
teams in it or four or something, and it'll be Florida State at number
five, Clemson at number I don't know, twelve, and then twenty one
through twenty five will have two, two or three ACC teams and then the
next week they're all gone because they lost, you know. So it's like,
you know, I think anytime you are in the playoff rankings when they're
live, meaning once they've been unveiled like that, that means something for your
program. Now again, if you're in there for a few weeks but you
never end up making it, that's gonna be tough. But like being in
those weekly rankings does give you a legitimate feel for where you are and where
you stand because and you can disagree with where you are, but at the
end of the day, that's the people who put those together. Those are
the ones who will decide who in fact makes the college football playoff. All
right, it's coffee and company. We are feel about Thornton's here on Sports
Talk seven to ninety. Appreciate you hanging out with us. I uh want
to, I guess reset for those of you that are just now joining us.
We did talk about the Colemanhawkins what do you call it? Situation recruitment,
And I feel silly even bringing it up continuously, but I think it
is something fans were talking about over the weekend. But I think it's because
they felt they got a signal from Pat Kelsey that really wasn't a signal.
That's just what I believe. Nobody's told me that for sure from the inside.
But Colemanhawkins. It all started when he sent out in the tweet that
he later deleted that showed him and former high school teammate Big Frank, who
transferred from Frank Islam, who transferred from Georgia and also played at Syracuse.
Prior to that, they were teammates at Prolific prep whenever they were in high
school. And once Big Frank had shared like the official announcement that he has
joined the program, they made an official aspect with all these players. Colemanhawkins
shared that and then shared the picture of them two together and said hey,
Frank then later deleted it, and I thought him quickly deleting it might have
meant that he was being a little too obvious about potentially trying to just make
it appear that Louisville is involved here, and he's trying to maybe drive up
the price, or maybe he wants Louislle to be involved because you know,
they have money. I don't know, But then it turned into, you
know, a day later that Louisville is and I don't think this was like
officially reported by anybody, but truly Donovan, I mean, that's about as
official as you're going to get when it comes to these kind of things,
players in the portal and who's recruiting him, nil that kind of stuff.
You know, he mentioned that Louisville. I mean, they'll they will make
it work, like if they can go get somebody that they feel will help
them. They have a plan. Don't know what the plan is. But
the scholarship limit is not going to be an issue for them, And I
really don't I've been trying to think, like what could it be that would
make them feel I mean, like what is there Like pulling somebody off scholarship
just doesn't seem like realistic. Not only would it not be a cool thing
to do, but like I don't I mean, yeah, so I'm a
little confused as far as like what it is they would end up doing.
I know some people are thinking, well done, Nick, the nil would
make it to where they could just pay to go to school. Nobody would
do that, Like that's not I mean, I know that's an example of
people thinking that the nil numbers are actually what people claim they are. Right,
a full year, you know, for go to school at u of
L and pay every dime of your of your expense. We're talking, you
know, meal plan. I don't know if you'd have to pay I mean
if you live in if you're a walk on and you're paying for tuition and
you live in what used to be called Minoriti Hall, are you still are
you paying to live there too? Like is that considered room and board,
because I mean it is for the typical student. Well, no, it's
not because the typical student couldn't live in Minorty Hall because it's the basket,
but it's still dorm. So I don't know how they Yeah, Like,
I don't know how they were, Like, I don't know how they work
that out. But yeah, I just don't think that's realistic. And if
it was, you would have already seen people doing it, meaning like nil
still relatively new, but if you could get around the scholarship limit by nil
paying for these guys to go to school, others would already be doing it.
So I don't know what their plan is, but they'll go get somebody
if they feel like that that somebody can help them. And even if it's
not Colemanhawkins we talked earlier, there's a kid from the twenty twenty four class,
a freshman to be that has mentioned Louisville as a school that is still
you know, reaching out to him, and that's Jamari Phillips. So I
don't know what's gonna happen with Colemanhawkins. But Pat Kelsey, he tweeted out
something on Friday that I don't believe was like a mistake. I don't think
you know, I wouldn't categorize this as well. He learned, he really
learned how to not you know, mislead fans on social media. And I'm
not really sure if anybody's saying that, but people do get their hopes up.
But that's just because we're crazy. That's because we are We are intoxicated
with the buzz that Louisville basketball has right now with this new era, a
lot of good players that he's added to the portal. I mean, he's
done a lot to energize the fan base to where, you know, this
would be monumental. So I think just the thought of it being potentially him
hinting that Coleman Hawkins might be in the mix, it got people a little
worked up. It was also eight forty five on a Friday. Maybe people
had a little a little booze to go with it, and that just you
know, enhanced the excitement there. But here's what he tweeted. And again,
like I don't I don't see this in any way as something that like
he was wrong for doing, because he just I mean, I guess if
you look at his Twitter account, he rarely tweets unless it is about a
commitment and it says the revival or he posts one of the animated jifts and
you know, post the Zach Bryan revival iTunes app or Apple Music link,
like that's kind of been his signal. He did post some pictures on Derby
here I can see, and then he did post the picture with his parents
at Porchenese, which I'm telling you, in no way that was a random
coincidence. The more I think about that, like, there's just no way
like that he didn't know what like what people who are Louisville basketball fans kind
of are, you know, probably not kind of they do they think of
when they think of Porchenese, they think of what we know Porcinese for other
than being a great restaurant that serves great Italian food. We all know what
happened on the table at Porcinese many years ago. But anyways, you know,
he tweeted out Joker and the Thief if you know, you know,
the revival and then the fire emoji. It's not crazy to think that he's
now learning sort of what that song is to Louisville basketball fans, and for
those who don't know, it's the song that is played in the second half.
I believe right after the final television time out, and it's what gets
the place rocking. Former players who've gone on to play, you know,
an NBA arena as Donovan, Mitchell, Mantres, Harrold or two guys specifically
that I remember at times mentioning. In fact, it was Donovan who really
kind of gave it some added life. Is he asked somebody on Twitter,
man, what's that song they used to play after the final time out?
Like that place When that song would play the place the Ump Center, the
roof would come off. So that kind of made people even more so I
guess embrace it as like wait till they play it. Then you know the
run is coming. The fans are going to be crazy. So maybe Pat
Kelsey just learned about that and thought, okay, that's cool. Joker and
the thief, Like you know, I don't think that means he was insinuating
anything about a player, because again, when he has given us the signal,
it's been pretty consistent. Not not every time does he include the Apple
Music album for Zach Brian who has a song called Revival, but he always
says the Revival and if it's not the link for Apple Music it's the seven
second video that I guess UFL Marketing has created that you know, has the
dunkin Cardinal Bird, has him walking in, you know, to his press
conference when he was introduced. So people may have got their hopes ub but
like, I don't think it's anybody's fault. I just think that's we are
right now. We're I don't want to say on edge, but we've been
so desperate to be excited about something, and he's given us a lot of
things to be excited about at this point. But let's be real, Colemen
Hawkins would automatically be viewed by some as the best player on your team.
So I think that would make it to wear. And again, some people
don't care, And I get it if you don't care, right, like
what people are saying in the off season about Louisville generating buzz to potentially be
a top two tenty five team, to be a tournament team, Like,
I actually think the way people talk about you does matter until you actually get
a chance to go play, right, because that can dictate the momentum and
expectation and all that kind of stuff. So I think if Coleman Hawkins was
eventually added to the Louisville roster. I think you would be viewed by people
as a top twenty five team preseason that probably currently have you like right outside
or maybe you know, in the thirties or something like that. I think
this team will be a tournament team regardless if they get him or not.
But he would be a monumental get and I'm sure they would love to have
him if they could make it work. Now what it would take to make
it work, I have no clue, because you know, is is it
a role, is it money? I don't know. But if they could
make it work, hell yeah. But I would this point. I what
did I say on Friday? I think I said, like forty percent chance
that like Louisville is in the mix here and they get one of four visits
or something like that, I'd now put it to twenty five just because,
you know, I feel like if it would in the works, we would
know. But then again, that's some of these. I mean, let's
go back to when Case and Pryor committed. You know, we knew Louisville
was involved in some way, but he hadn't visited yet. It was Arkansas,
Saint John's Villa Nova getting a lot more attention for him than Louisville.
But you know what great Osibort day before that, he committed to Washington and
within twenty four hours Case and Pryor was a Louisville cardinal. So these things
do move kind of quickly. But maybe by the end of the week we'll
know, like, hey, it's either possible or maybe it's like no chance,
but it would be huge, no doubt. All right, quick break,
we'll come back on the other side. Keep this thing rolling along again.
It's Coffee and Company and we are Field. Beth Thorton's right here on
Sports Talk seven ninety who sings this? Wolf Mother? Okay, is this
I only think of this song for the reasons we've discussed that being played at
U of L game games, But like, was this a radio hit?
Like it was a big from I don't know much about wolf Mother's discography,
but it is one of their bigger hits, wolf Mother Goodness. Like I'm
I may there's a chance I may have never heard it until I heard it
at the UMP Center. But I feel like it's no way that's a big
song. But it's just you know, maybe it's just me and my own
world because it's such a big song for that specific thing. But uh yeah,
I don't think Pat Kelsey's tweet about Joker and the Thief, if you
know, you know, had anything to do with the player. But maybe
maybe it did. Maybe we'll find out in a few days that, like
it was the early sign, it just took a little longer for it to
happen. I don't know. I don't want to anybody's hopes so, but
I think twenty five percent chance that Louisville ends up being a school that you
know, is involved and maybe gets a visit. I hope they do,
because again, Coleman Hawks is a really, really good player. What happened
there? He was asking if we were using it an access unit. Okay,
somebody barged in on John again, and you know, I'm tired of
it. I mean, what if you just didn't respond. You can't do
that, and I would never ask you to do that, because that's just
not you. But like I wonder, there's the thing though, because they'd
still barge in right then, and then they just stay there longer. Yeah,
it's true, that's true. Anyways, we'll move on, all right,
Let's go to the text. Line five O two six five three zero
seven ninety is the L and N Federal Credit Union text line. We did
also talk earlier about the WNBA situation where right now they have more attention than
they've ever had. Probably, I mean, maybe I'm wrong, like maybe
there was something else to where the WNBA really generated this much of all the
platforms out there that talk sports, and some would say it's not for good
reason, and I can't disagree, but it's the type of attention that like
is beneficial for them in some form or fashion. I'm sure the WNBA would
not like it to be because they've got veterans or maybe just other players.
I'm not even sure if the veterans. I'm not even sure if those have
that have taken shots at Caitlin Clark or veterans, but either way, like
it's not a good look for the league. I can't I won't act like
I'm bothered and offended by because I don't care to be honest with you.
And I'm not even somebody that's a big Kaitlyn Clark fan. I find her
to be unlikable at times when I watched her play at IOWA, and maybe
some of it's because she shredded Louisville in the Elite eight two years ago.
But also like there's evidence out there that you can find. It doesn't mean
that you didn't mean that I'm trying to convince you that she's a bad person
because I don't know her at all. She's clearly been great for the game,
and she's a phenomenal player. But I think her behavior some of her
you know, her attitude, the way she talks to teammates and coaches and
referees and flops and takes a cheap shot here and there. Like, I
don't think I'm I'm unbiased because I think that she's you know, kind of
unlikable. But I don't believe that it's the w NBA players that feel that
way too, and they're really just like, you know, putting her in
her place. I think they're jealous. I do, I mean, And
it's not because I'm using a trigger word for women, because if you and
I look, I don't know much about women, don't know much about them
at all. I found one that was willing to put up with me many
many years ago, and we're still to get there. And she's phenomenal.
But I'm also not crazy to say that, Like if you I mean calling
anybody jealous, is it could trigger them. But I think you know,
when it comes to women like that, that they may take that a little
bit differently than anybody else. So it is a strong thing to say.
But I just I'm not saying it because we're talking about a women's sport.
I'm talking that's just what it seems to be. Caitlin Clark is one of
one find me a comparison of a struggling league that doesn't generate any money that
you know, is really just existing as a gift from the NBA. People
can be offended by me saying that that's not an opinion, that's a fact.
That is the reality of this, and she's making crazy money because she's
a superstar and she's really good. Nobody can doctor it up as anything other
than what it is she is. She specifically is bringing more attention to this
league than anybody ever has. Doesn't mean she's the best player of all time.
She didn't acomplish anything in the WNBA just yet. But that's the facts
of the situation. And I think there are really good players that probably think
they're better than she is. That that you know, don't understand the hype.
Why she the one that has led to this amount of attention for us?
Have they not seen what I've been doing and what I accomplished in my
college career, right, Like there's jealousy there and it's again, it's different,
like this doesn't happen in any other league, men or women. There's
not a comparison, and if there is, it's not a mainstream sport.
And WNBA is not a mainstream sport that gets attention like it's getting right now.
But Caitlyn Clark has changed that. I won't lack like I'm watching to
see what happens when Kaitlyn Clark's on the court, but you don't have to
because of the way she's being treated by some of these players that's getting that
much attention. And I don't, you know, I don't think she deserves
to be treated the way she is as far as just some occasional cheap shots
and people just getting in her face and screaming, you know, I mean,
you can clearly see what what words are being used by some of these
players, especially Kennedy Carter, the girl who got you know it was,
I mean, and what makes it even a worse look for the for the
players who are doing this is how they've handled it after the fact, you
know, like to see that she was liking all the responses that she had
on Twitter that were like supporting her and saying that Cayln Clark got what she
deserved, and you know, keep doing it, She's gonna learn, like
learn what Like you're you're jealous because she is a larger than life star and
you may be jealous because she's better than you. Maybe that's part of it
too, But like I just think, to me, I think that's what
we're seeing here. And I think the lack of support from her teammates on
her own team, and the lack of support by her coach, and even
the lack of support on social media from former IOWA players that played with her,
like I think she has done. I mean, she is the biggest
star women's basketball in my lifetime has ever seen as far as the amount of
notoriety she gets. I'm not saying she's the best as far as talent and
accomplishments, but she has generated a following like nobody else that I've ever seen
in women's basketball, and women's basketball especially probably the star players have been desperate
and starving to get more attention and she has it. So they're they're jealous,
Like, that's what this is to me. It's not that complicated.
And I think jealousy some may be more prone to it than others, right,
it may just be how you're wired as a human being. Some may
not ever get jealous. But regardless, if you get jealous a lot,
you're easily jealous or you're rarely jealous. You never want to look jealous.
That's a bad look, right, Like, you're just you have you have
no justification for your behavior, your your your action or reaction. You're just
jealous. Like that's a tough that's a tough l to take, is it
not? And that's what's happening right here and after the fact, the way
they don't come out and talk about it. The players Angel Angel got fined
one thousand dollars because she wouldn't talk to the media after the game because she
had nothing to say. How would she defend that? And then Canny Carter
did talk to the media but said she's not answering any Kaitlin Clark questions.
Kaitlyn Clark questions then goes to Twitter after the press conference and does nothing but
talk about it, and you know, act as if like people are like
she's the victim here, Like that is you taking a big fat l as
just being a jealous loser if I'm being honest with you. And I say
that as somebody who doesn't really like Kaitlyn Clark, and I've made that quite
clear anytime she's come up on the show. I mean, wouldn't you agree,
John, You're a human, Like, being jealous is some at times
you can't control. Nobody wants to be jealous, yeah, and it can't.
Looking jealous can be an l It brings out the worst in people.
Absolutely. There's not a lot of showing rage that make me jealous, but
I mean when it happens, like it's one of the most disgusting feelings.
I feel like you can have oh yeah, yeah, because you you think
to yourself, like why I don't want like I don't want to be jealous.
I have good like Yeah, it's a level of like inferiority and insecurity
that like at times is hard for people to to to, you know,
face in the mirror, Phili, we're turning into like a you know,
doctor Phil here but I mean, I mean, I mean you have been.
I mean, really Indiana fans myself too. Last year, we were
jealous of anybody who made the NCAA tournament. Oh yeah, and Louisville.
You're just jealous of anybody who can get some good wins. I'm jealous of
any basketball team that's had life. The last two years, we didn't have
that. So yeah, I mean, and I don't know if there's gonna
be some level of like, I don't know how they fix this, right,
I guess the fix is just it stopped happening, you know, But
I don't think it's going to because I don't think anybody's addressing it. Right.
There's no internal memo from the WNBA, because if there was, we'd
know that the commissioner's not coming out and talking about it. Her teammates and
her coaches aren't defending her, and maybe she doesn't want them to write.
She's a big girl, she's grown up. But like, I kind of
feel like it's going to keep happening, and if anything, it'll just be
the WNBA being talked about nationally for a longer stretch than they ever have before.
You think there's a boiling point where you know they have to say something.
I don't know. I mean, i'd say the boiling point would be
like if in fact she gets attacked, not cheap shot, not a dirty
play, but like somebody out there just tries to fight and starts swinging on
her like that would be And again, unfortunately that has happened in sports to
where you have to take action. But this is already a storyline, right
like, this wouldn't be Wow, emotions got the best of these players in
a scrum like no, this would be like damn these WNBA players right here
trying to kill her. And at that point then you get clowned for not
being proactive. H yeah, something like that, you know to begin with.
Yeah, that's a good point, John, because I think some level
of like, look, we're we see what's going on here. Don't be
the first that we make an example out of because they I think they've been
pretty lenient on. I mean, I don't know. Part of it is,
Hey, that happens in basketball where somebody after a shot gets you know,
just comes up and you know, shoulder checks you, knocks you down.
Like that's that's that's sobviadly something you're gonna get called out for and get
a technical or maybe get ejected or something like that. That's that's frowned upon,
but it happens. But because it's Kitlin Clark and we already know that
that's already been happening. That's why this has become such a big deal.
And again I'm telling you, I think the way in which they've been,
the players who've done it have been so childish about it is you know,
is the worst look of it all. But that's just for those individuals.
But if you go back to, you know, during her senior season at
Iowa, her last year there, however long she played there, there will
be WNBA players, current informer that would occasionally make a comment that would get
a lot of attention because they sounded like haters, acting as if Caitlin Clark
wasn't going to be able to do what she does at Iowa in the WNBA,
which, to be fair like not at that same level, but like
if the Indiana fevers at their name, Yes, if they wanted to hand
the keys to Kaitlin Clark and say, look, it's your team, run
the show, I think she'd put up similar numbers. Would they be any
good. I don't know, they're not very good now, but like,
I don't have any doubt in my mind that she's good enough to dominate the
WNBA now like she did in college. Probably not, but again, and
she could still be the face of the league and be the best player in
the league. So the fact that they acted as if she wouldn't translate was
really silly, to be honest with you. But maybe maybe there was something
along the lines of them, those players letting it be known that we're just
gonna not let her like we're gonna beat her up to make sure she does
it, which you know, any type of justification that you would feel for
doing that, it's all rooted from one thing, jealousy. Now, somebody
on the text line reminded me of this, and I really I wasn't fully
aware. I mean I remember kind of hearing some stuff about it. But
the WNBA has had a bullying problem before. I mean, the WNBA punished
Becky Hammond, suspended her for two games because a former player accused and I
guess was able to convince the WNBA that she was bullied by Becky Hammon.
In twenty seventeen, there were two players that played for the Minnesota Links that
spoke with ESPN and they did a lengthy story about the culture in the WNBA
is harmful because of bullying within by certain like there's certain women that are running
the league, not even the commissioner, like you know, like I mean,
I say that exaggerating, but it's you know, it's just known like
the you don't want to get on the wrong side of these people, which
part of me says, well, that's you know, that happens. You
know, the alpha, if you will, is established in a lot of
different walks of life, right, and maybe that's what this is. But
I don't know, Like I just have a hard time thinking that a that
a professional athlete could be bullied. But that's just me being naive because you
know, they're human beings. They have feelings too, right, Like,
it's not as if everybody who's playing professional sports is this alpha that if they
do get any level of disrespect or bullying, they're just gonna whoop somebody's ass.
Like that's just not, that's not that's not that's not how everybody's wired.
But we've had a couple of people mentioned this on the text line John
that like either way like this is good for the league, Like if they
keep doing this, it's gonna get more. There's gonna be more and more
attention on it. And I hear what you're saying, But there's no way
they can look at this as like overall this is great, just you know,
but maybe I'm wrong. I mean, at the end of the day,
getting people to discuss, engage with your product, watch it, talk
about it like that's that's important, and they've never had it like this.
And if Caitlin Clarke was in the WNBA like she is right now and none
of this happened and she's just balling out, would there still be this level
of atten I don't think there would be, to be honest with you.
But the players who are creating, who are helping this become, it's at
their expense, you know what I mean. Like they're the ones who look
I think the worst in all this. And I guess, I guess,
and I guess I'm mostly speaking of Kennedy Carter and Angel Lewis. Does Angel
Louis? Is it Angel Reese? Angel Reese? I don't know why I
say Angel Louis. Sometimes I went to school with a girl named Angel Lowis
who doesn't look anything like Angel Reese, but for some reason I get mixed
up every now and then. Apologies. All right, lets get too a
quick break. We'll come back on the keep this thing rolling along. There's
a lot that I want to get into, including believe it or not,
sound from Scott's Sadderfield. Yes, there's sound from Scott Saderfield that I want
to share with you. Acc coaches talk anonymously about Louisville, will let you
hear what they had to say. And Lamar Jackson, he did something or
I guess chose not to do something that has ended up with him being discussed.
And I don't know if I have much of an opinion on it,
but I'm sure people do, so we'll discuss it. Keep it locked right
here, don't go anywhere, don't move, hang tight, keep it what
is, Keep it where you got it, Keep it where you got it.
That's the tony of n Eddie line. So do exactly that right here
on Sports Talk seven ninety so. Scott Sadderfield getting the job at Cincinnati is
still something that every now and then I think about it, and it usually
is because something great happened with Louisville football, and I realize how lucky we
are to have Jeff Brohm or you know, Cincinnati sucks, which they went
three and nine last year in SAT's first year, and hearing him talk after
every game just reminded me of like how you know that sucked. I mean,
he left the program in a better spot than when he got here.
We were never terrible. But to me, he doesn't have like the the
the edge. He didn't have the dog in him, which is an overused
cliche, but maybe it fits here because you know, he he you know,
you are a reflection of your coach at times in any sport, really,
and I think Louisville had guys that would play hard, but like just
the culture was not was all about loving them up. And I think one
of the things that really at the time, and I'm not you know,
I'm not holding any ill will, but you remember this, John, you
were doing the post game shows at the time. I had no problem saying
the thing, it's lame as hell that they throw a party in the locker
room like they won a national championship when they beat Eastern Kentucky or anybody for
that matter. You know it wasn't like I told the kids, they can't
smile and be happy. I just think that that's not a good culture thing,
because you should understand, hey, we got it. We're playing for
something bigger than beating this bum team. And I think over time the culture
was not bad. It wasn't as if they had you know, like bad
character guys or you know, I mean they won more than they lost,
right, although he did have a losing record in the ACC but still,
like Pat Scott, Satterfild just did not have the in factor and it was
hard for fans to get fired up for him. There wasn't a lot of
charisma there to where you would, like, you know, to give you
another cliche run through a brick wall, and it showed because nobody could tell
you that the guy needed to be fired because he had an awful season,
because it wasn't true. He wasn't an unlikable guy. He seems like a
very nice man. I think he's very genuine. I think what you see
is what you get. Was Saturfield for the most part. I think he's
sincere. It's just not but he's not built for what this is. And
I don't want to act as if Louisville is Alabama, but nobody around here
was ever going to be content with going to bowl games, and I think
he was always bothered by the fact that, like we weren't going to be
and he was uncomfortable. And now he's at Cincinnati, and there's no doubt
in my mind that he will end up being fired there after this year because
you can't go to the College Football Playoff and then in two years be this.
Now they'll probably be better than three and nine, but maybe not,
you know, maybe not, and maybe he gets a third year. But
I think Cincinnati started to really care about football once they had the great success
they had one with Brian Kelly and then I mean, Luke Fickle was great
there. They look, they went to the College Football Playoff as a G
five team, So like, I'm gonna give him some respect here, like
they I think they will fire him if he's not much better in year two,
and I don't think that that's gonna happen. But he had an interview
with a really cool platform here. His name is Adam Brenneman, and it's
not you know, it's not the Brenneman's up in Cincinnati. It's spelled differently.
But he is a former college football player. I think he played at
Penn State and at UMass. And you know, he now does his own
thing. He's got his own show, it's called Next Up with Adam and
does a lot of really good social media content. He will travel across the
country and stop in and do interviews with different coaches, and again, it
looks really cool. I think he does a great job. I got to
meet him once, but his most recent stop was in Cincinnati to see Scott
Saderfield. And again, he's coming off a three and nine season. And
the quote here in this clip that I'm about to share with you says this
quote it's hard for fans to fully understand end quote. And this is just
an excuse making loser. I mean that sounds like I'm name calling, but
like this is a guy. This to me sounds like a dude who's not
really driven to win at the highest level. He's kind of content with,
like, well, hey, we're trying hard, we're loving on him,
we're having fun. Last year for us here, that's very difficult. You
know, we didn't win as many games. Obviously, anybody would like it's
tough man, because it's it's our life. This is it, this is
what we do. I mean, you know, we're here every single day,
and in the fall, you're here eighty hours a week, and then
all you're doing is going home to sleep. It's hard for fans to fully
understand that because not having success. Man, you can't even go get gas
or go to the grocery stores. People looking at you funny. You know.
He just want to pull your head down and just just go. I
don't even want to walk in our building to see other people. You know.
It's like, let me get to the office and get in some film
and let's see how we can get better. He just tears you up inside.
I don't think people really fully understand that. So hopefully we can have
some success, so we can I don't think people fully understand that I'm weak
and when I lose and you guys are critical, it hurts my feelings.
Like that's what he said. He's openly admitting that he's not fit for a
job that's going to give him a lot of attention, more expectation. I
mean, like yeah, I mean attention aside. I mean, attention is
there, and it's good when you're winning, but like you're going to get
more attention when you lose. And the reason that you know, you like,
you coach twelve games a year, my man, and you make a
lot of money doing that. So when you do lose and you suck like
you did last year at three and nine, I don't think fans understand that
we work hard, like you're like, you're not built for this. In
Tom Allen, he was a big, loving on him kind of guy,
but he wasn't saying those kinds of things. But Tom Allen had been a
part of high level when it all cost, extremely driven to win, never
satisfied, sat never was man he and this isn't a knock on his character,
it's just the situation. He'd never been a part of any Power five
football and he had success at app State, and I don't take that away
from him. They transitioned to the Division one FBS level really well, I
mean, as good as anybody until James Madison came along. Shout out signetti
and you know he he won there, and again I'll give him credit for
it, but everybody else has won there too. I don't know if you'll
notice that like App State wins, like coaches who've been to AB State.
I mean, Drinkowitz turned it into one year to Missouri and now he's got
a top ten team in the eyes of some. So like that doesn't mean
Sack didn't deserve credit, but like he didn't take app State and put him
on the map, because anything he did, they were already really good under
his former coach, Jerry Jerry Curill. I think it's another that it's a
different coach anyway, the guy who's a state that sat played for, so
you know, to me, he's just not somebody that you know, like
he's just he he played at app State and only coached there, and then
spent one year at Akron, one year at FIU as an as an oc
or quarterback coach, and then went back to app State stayed there, And
I just think that's more that's better for that's better suited for him. I
mean, I'd be highly shocked if this thing works out in Cincinnati and he's
there long term. And actually, here's what's crazy is that he's not.
I don't think he'll ever be a super successful coach in college football at like
a high level program, even a power for program. I just don't see
that happening. But he knows football, and people who know him and know
of him like strategically, like they speak highly of him, like he's a
smart he is a good football mind, actually, you know, other than
the stubborn running on second down every time. Like I thought he was a
pretty creative play caller. I mean, he's nothing compared to Jeff Brawn.
But still, like, I don't think he's a terrible coach. I think
everything that comes with it, as far as how you're how you built,
how you carry yourself, how you're driven, Like he just doesn't have that,
and you need that to win at a at a at a high level
job. All Right, we got the five o'clock hour coming up and a
lot more to get into. Stick with us. It's coffee and company,
feel Abu Thorton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety