WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:08.640 It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine 2 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:11.599 day, Holy crap, I don't know who the hell we think when we 3 00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:15.919 are get off our show, idiot. The kids are playing a trail off. 4 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:19.160 The countries are screwing it up. Gold Play inter Murals, Brother, 5 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:23.960 gold Play Intermurals. They're supposed to be mature adults, but they're really not. 6 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:28.519 Who's the kid here? Who's the kid here? Are you kidding me? 7 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:33.560 Now? Here's Nick Coffee? Well, not exactly, Nick Coffee. 8 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:37.439 Just call me your substitute teacher. Good afternoon. I'm Scott Fitzgerald, filling 9 00:00:37.479 --> 00:00:41.679 in for Nick Coffee on a well deserved time off for Nick. We're gonna 10 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:45.679 keep you company on your way home, and it's it's just a pleasure to 11 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:48.799 be back here, of course, with the great John Alden down in where 12 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:51.479 it's I gotta get my studio straight, John, I'm all turned around here, 13 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:54.560 but we're in Studio B and I'm in studio E. Oh, I 14 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:57.079 got you. I'm used to being in a you know, A or D 15 00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:59.439 I don't know where I am, dude, I don't know, but it's 16 00:00:59.479 --> 00:01:02.679 all good because I can see you. You can see me and great to 17 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:04.120 be back with you. Man, it's a pleasure. I won't the last 18 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:07.120 thing I remember that happened. Whenever you were doing the Oaks Day coverage for 19 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.319 US down at Churchill Downs you you were talking about the end of the race 20 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:15.879 and mentioning how Brian Hernandez was going for the double. And that's exactly what 21 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.799 happened, isn't it. It wasn't that a wild as wild? It was 22 00:01:18.920 --> 00:01:21.640 wild on all accounts. It was. Let me tell you something, let 23 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:23.920 me tell you what the spring has been like. I just put it up 24 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:25.599 on X by the way, if you want to follow a long I mean 25 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:30.319 s fits underscore eight forty whas. It has been a wild November. I 26 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:34.319 was got home, so I when did I get home? Jeez, everything's 27 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.519 in whirlwind. I went to the PGA, got home Sunday night, and 28 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:42.000 okay, it started with thunder over Louisville the top of the Alley Center. 29 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:45.200 We were broadcast in live out there. Beautiful night, beautiful night, big 30 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:49.120 crowds awesome. Went from there, did the Oaks with you, did the 31 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:53.480 Derby with Venetti, and then took off and went to the NFL Draft man 32 00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:57.120 and then and then went to the PGA last weekend. I told my wife, 33 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:00.439 I said, I am going nowhere this weekend. In fact, I 34 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:02.239 had some folks say, hey, you want to roll up to Indy. 35 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:05.280 They wanted to go to the Indy five hundred, and I'm like, I'm 36 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:08.599 done with crowds, gag no offense. It's been a fun ride, but 37 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:13.400 dude, I am done with crowds and it's but it's been fun. I'm 38 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:15.919 truly blessed to be able to do all that, and it just was crazy, 39 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:19.520 and of course we thought would get a triple Crown winner. Sees the 40 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:22.960 Gray was your Preakness winner for d Waye Lucas. Couldn't ask for a better 41 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:25.919 storyline there, and we'll see how things unfold into the Belmont and boy, 42 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:30.599 Oi, John do we have a lot of sports to unpack over the next 43 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:34.719 three hours. I'll start you off And in case you're wondering, University of 44 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:38.599 Louisville baseball losing today to Miami eight to five at the ACC Tournament. They 45 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:43.240 are in pool play, so we'll be able to get another shot in and 46 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:47.840 they play Clemson on Friday again. Pitching continuing to be a struggle for the 47 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:51.400 Cards, they just can't get out of their own way when it comes to 48 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:53.719 pitching. Evan Webster was your starter, or excuse me, not Webster. 49 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.680 It was Patrick Forbes, the freshman out of Bowling Green was your starter. 50 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:02.080 He went five innings game, two hundred runs to five hits, by the 51 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:07.560 way, and struck out five. It was Patrick Evan Webster coming at the 52 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:09.919 end of the former Ryle County stand out. He got rocked as well. 53 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:14.840 He gave up three runs on four hits, only struck out one. So 54 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:17.919 the Cards took it on the chin, and they'll try to look again against 55 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:23.800 Clemson. We'll see what they can do on Friday, and we'll break down 56 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:27.639 more college baseball as we go on through the afternoon. This afternoon, we 57 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:30.199 got Will Clark coming up with us, the one and only Will Clark, 58 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:31.280 you know, used to be in our newsroom. I don't know if you 59 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:35.520 remember squatch there, John. I'll tell you what he is. Definitely one 60 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:38.400 of the most I don't even know how to describe it. He's probably the 61 00:03:38.439 --> 00:03:43.360 biggest character, at least for the few years that I've worked here at iHeart 62 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:46.879 and the family of stations that we have, he's the biggest character and no, 63 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:50.879 pun intended that. I've been around for sure. And I mean when 64 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:54.120 you said the biggest character, literally, he's the biggest character. I saw 65 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:58.400 him. I saw him at Derby and he came clumping up there under the 66 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:00.560 grand stand. I mean, dude is just growing. He keeps growing. 67 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:04.680 I was interning for Howie Lindsay back in the summer of twenty nineteen. That's 68 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:08.159 back when we were still over at Newburgh Road, obviously, and I didn't 69 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:11.639 know who Will Clark was, but I remember that there was a monstrous human 70 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:15.879 being who would run down the hallways to the newsroom, right and I was 71 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:17.160 just like, what is this guy doing? Man, what's his deal? 72 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:20.160 It was? I mean I learned all about it once I came on board. 73 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:25.319 He almost collided in the old studios with Paul Rodgers come around the corner. 74 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:28.040 It was hilarious. He was running. I mean, he would you 75 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:30.519 talk about Terry Tait. I mean, he clearly would have shot Paul Rogers 76 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:34.759 across the newsroom had he hit him. But he's gonna join us one because 77 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:38.160 one he was at the PGA. I'm gonna get his thoughts on the PGA. 78 00:04:38.279 --> 00:04:42.160 He also the Indy five hundred is his baby. He's in Indiana Native 79 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:46.000 that is something he's very very close to. We'll get the loaddown on there. 80 00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:49.000 They had their final practice yesterday. Carb Day is Friday. We'll get 81 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:51.439 the straight skinny. No, it's not the bad carbs. You're not eating 82 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:55.839 bread or anything like that. It's literally carved day. We'll get the straight 83 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:58.519 skinny from him and what we can expect. Of course, all eyes will 84 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:01.279 be on Kyle Larson, who's going to what they call the double that is 85 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.879 run Indy and then go run at the Coca Cola six hundred and Charlotte. 86 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:10.360 That is eleven hundred miles if I'm not mistaken. So we're gonna talk to 87 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:13.439 him about that and get his thoughts on what he did. We'll I's gonna 88 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:16.879 talk with Jeff Milby, and if you listen to our show on Saturday mornings, 89 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:19.079 Jeff comes in. We do footy talk, and he's of course the 90 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:23.639 radio voice of Racing Louisville and lou City, so we're gonna talk to him 91 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:27.720 about what's in store for both clubs. Racing Louisville had a better than expected 92 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:30.519 performance that against North Carolina over the weekend, so we'll talk to him about 93 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:33.079 that and get his thoughts as both those teams will be in action too. 94 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:36.639 I mean, is we're gonna talk that we got? The NBA Playoffs are 95 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:40.199 back on tonight. This should be a heck of a series. A Pacer 96 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:43.839 fan, I'm in partial here, Okay, John, I know Nick is 97 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:46.279 a big Pacer fan. He is a big Pacer fan. Where do you 98 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:48.639 lie? So I would say, if I was picking a camp, I'd 99 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:53.199 pick the Pacers. I haven't followed them as closely as a lot of people 100 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:56.199 have, but one thing you can't ignore is just the fact that what they've 101 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.160 done to get to this point. You're in the Eastern Conference Finals. A 102 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:02.199 lot of people thought that this would kind of be another rebuilding season for the 103 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:05.600 franchise, and yet they're doing I don't want to say the unthinkable, but 104 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:10.399 they've defied expectations so far. I mean, you're going in Hang I don't 105 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:12.639 care who you are. You going in Hang twenty one on New York. 106 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.800 I mean, that's something special. That's you're really doing something special there. 107 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.399 So that's what they did to get there, So we'll talk about them. 108 00:06:18.439 --> 00:06:23.560 You got Karl Anthony Towns and of course the Minnesota Timberwolves. They're making some 109 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:27.079 noise out there. Going to be an exciting time. And I know there's 110 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:29.959 a small hockey crowd. I won't dwell on it. I'm a hockey guy. 111 00:06:29.959 --> 00:06:31.399 I won't dwell on it. But the NHL playoffs are back, so 112 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:34.000 we'll give you a full service. We're gonna talk about that. We're gonna 113 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:40.199 talk about the PGA Tour definitely. With motorsports being on everybody's mind, F 114 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:45.040 one is starting to see a resurgence now as well. And it's apparently they 115 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:48.480 got the TV ratings are in from the Miami Grand Prix and they did very 116 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:50.800 well when they went head to head against There were some other factors, but 117 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:57.199 they did very well when they went head to head with of course, NASCAR. 118 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:00.519 So the important thing to remember is that when someone I do this all 119 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:02.800 the time too, because I have a lot of favorite radio shows that I 120 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:04.879 like to listen to. When someone new comes in, you're like, oh, 121 00:07:04.959 --> 00:07:08.240 man, come on, I was used to Nick. I need my 122 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:12.279 Nick fix, and I can tell you one I'm not Nick. Nick's not 123 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:16.720 me, but Nick and I had a very long conversation at the Kentucky Derby 124 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:20.240 off the air, off the record conversation. He and I have a lot 125 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:24.639 in common. I mean, he's we we could we definitely can't have a 126 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:28.720 beer together. In fact, we did and we really shared kind of the 127 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:30.680 same thoughts. But I may deviate a little bit a little bit off, 128 00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:33.800 Nick, I'll be with you today and tomorrow we are going to talk. 129 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:38.600 By the way, Tomorrow, we're going to talk some horse racing with good 130 00:07:38.600 --> 00:07:41.800 folks at Racing Dudes, And if you follow, you can follow my next. 131 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:44.920 They're awesome and they're talking all things horse racing and what's in store. 132 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:46.079 So if you want to little win a little money there, you can. 133 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:48.560 I gotta say something real quick to you, Scott, shout out to you 134 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:53.240 for being able to call Twitter x and not even blink and eye about it, 135 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:56.879 because that's something that both myself, Nick, and several other people that 136 00:07:56.920 --> 00:07:59.800 I talk with, we still can't not call it Twitter. Well, to 137 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:03.040 your point, my question is when are they going to get rid of being 138 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:05.920 able to log on Twitter? Yeah? You know, when when is it 139 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:09.120 gonna Because it went to did your I guess everybody's feed went to all black. 140 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:13.480 It's the one thing that I do al like whenever I'm typing in all 141 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:16.199 of my tabs for the show always type it still lets me type into Twitter 142 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:20.199 dot com. Yeah right, but it'll it'll it'll recalibrate itself and show it 143 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:22.720 as x dot com. So still lets you type it in that way, 144 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:28.720 but it redirects you. Yeah, And you know it's funny when when when 145 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:33.080 Eon Elon Eon went to when he had his little spat with the public, 146 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:37.120 so many people I'm getting off Twitter, I'm getting off Twitter, and and 147 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:41.360 every everybody made that fun jump to to what was it? Threads? That's 148 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:46.759 right, Instagram affiliation. Threads is like the new Coke Zero of social media. 149 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:50.480 I mean, that was an abysmal failure on every life. And it's 150 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:54.759 one of those things that it had such a strong day or two that if 151 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:58.120 they would have put the right resources and maybe some money into it, some 152 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:01.320 promotion, it had a chance to compete with Twitter, and whoever is in 153 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:03.679 charge of doing that, they just kind of let the ball. They drop 154 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.240 the ball. Yeah, yeah, you're right, And I think I think 155 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:11.080 Twitter's become such a way of life or x It's become a way of life 156 00:09:11.080 --> 00:09:13.720 for all of us. I use it more for informational purposes than I do 157 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:18.759 posting anything. I'm more of a casual. I'm an observer of social media 158 00:09:18.840 --> 00:09:22.960 more than I do post, and I feel sometimes if I post too much, 159 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:24.600 you know, people are just kind of like, come on, you 160 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:28.759 post it again? You post this? I mean, you gotta think before 161 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:33.960 you post. I am. I have zero problems with TikTok. I'll go 162 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:37.080 on the record as saying that I know it scares some people. Tony Cruz 163 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:39.200 and I go back and forth all the time in the morning about it. 164 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:41.720 I think TikTok, but then it was a very late adopter with TikTok. 165 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:43.759 I was late. I was like coming to the party. Now I can't 166 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:46.240 put it down, dude, Now I can't. If I'm sitting there watching 167 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:50.320 the game at night and I'm flowing through TikTok, I'm like, I'm going 168 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:52.519 down this rabbit hole and i gotta put my phone. I gotta put it 169 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:56.799 down. But there are some entertaining people on TikTok. The only problem is 170 00:09:56.840 --> 00:09:58.519 now if my daughter sends me one more TikTok and then asked me, you 171 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:03.000 said, tiko talk, see that TikTok, see that TikTok uh. But 172 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:07.960 I I like TikTok Tony's scared of it. But then again, he was 173 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:11.879 scared to bank. He's scared of everything he did. That's a shock to 174 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:16.519 no. No, he was scared. He was scared to do online banking 175 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:18.919 when that first came out in the coffee shop. He's scared of he was 176 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:22.799 gonna hack his WiFi. So so, I'm a big TikTok guy. But 177 00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:26.320 again, I don't post a lot on it. I'm simply there just to 178 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:28.440 see what's out there. Now if I'm at an event, like when I 179 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:31.840 was at the PGA, Now that you know I was, I was posting 180 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:37.399 on our has X feed. That was because there was you gotta have some 181 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:39.200 meat and potatoes. When you post. You can't just post for the sake 182 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:43.960 of posting. And there are certain people I follow just because I like what 183 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:46.440 they have to say. I like you know, I like their takes, 184 00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:48.200 I like what they do. And I was trying to think of how many 185 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:50.480 people. I was looking to see how many people I was following at this 186 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:54.720 point, I have way more people I am. That's I'm on seven nineties. 187 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:58.240 Now let me go over to mind I am. Let's see, I'm 188 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:03.399 gonna look at my pro file. I am following about twelve hundred people right 189 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:07.759 now as opposed to my followers. And and that's fine, and I appreciate 190 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:11.480 everybody who's following me, but if you're looking for a massive entertainment from me 191 00:11:11.559 --> 00:11:13.240 by following me, it's just not there. And it's so funny how in 192 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:18.720 society we're all we're all on board by how many followers we have. You 193 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:20.759 know, I used to be the kind of off I lost a couple followers, 194 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:22.320 like what did I say? What did I do? And there used 195 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:24.799 to be and I think there still might be some apps that would tell you 196 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:28.440 when somebody unfollowed you, Yes, you could do that, there was a 197 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:33.000 way you could do that. Now I left Facebook years ago, I mean, 198 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:35.039 and this is like six years. I mean, I still have the 199 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:41.679 problem is is I still have my Facebook profile and everything, but I've got 200 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:43.840 so many pictures on there from when my kids were younger, and I just 201 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:48.360 made a conscious I think it was one time somebody, I'm somebody was complaining 202 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:52.440 about something I was. I'm a political atheist. I have zero political affiliation. 203 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:56.720 I don't care. I really don't because nothing's changed and the forty years 204 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:01.000 I've been able to vote through nothing has changed. I like that term, 205 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:03.799 by the way, political atheists. Yeah, I mean nothing has changed. 206 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:07.240 So you know, and so what I I think I got to the point 207 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:11.559 I saw somebody posting something really stupid on Facebook about politics, and at that 208 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:16.679 point I said, I'm done with you all. I'm done. And now 209 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:20.120 Instagram I love because Instagram just gives you random, random posts, like I'll 210 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:22.159 see somebody's post from six days ago, and it's very simple, yes, 211 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:26.440 yes, and it's more photo driven than anything else, so it's it's easy 212 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:30.799 to catch up on. In for sports, I think Instagram is fantastic. 213 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.720 I'm a big minor league baseball guy. I love like the intricacies the nuances 214 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.240 of the minor league when they play as Team B, like when the when 215 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:43.399 you get the bats, they'll go on play as the Masters. And I 216 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:46.919 follow a couple of Twitter feeds that watch that stuff. So that's the kind 217 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:50.240 of stuff that I follow on social media. And you know, I don't 218 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:52.000 know, you don't need to comment on every post, you know, I 219 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:56.080 like just scrolling through and sometimes I see so many places like it's like people 220 00:12:56.120 --> 00:13:00.240 in this business who used to say, like your biggest mistaken in fact, 221 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:03.919 our first programming director Kelly Carl's, the first one I worked for, told 222 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:09.039 me. He said, do not judge your strengths and weaknesses on the air 223 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:11.320 by the number of phone calls you get, because they said, on average 224 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:15.600 they've done studies about three percent of all people listening actually called radio station. 225 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.440 I got to thinking about it, when was the last time I saw something 226 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:22.279 on TV and I called the radio station? In fact, it was Christy 227 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:24.320 Dutton who said it to me. She used to work for Wave three when 228 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:26.840 we were partners with them. She said to me, somewhere she said, 229 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:28.879 somebody called the station and was complained about something I wore. She goes, 230 00:13:28.919 --> 00:13:33.919 who calls the station? Who does that? And so and so. Now, 231 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.799 so like when I look at my you know, so many people out 232 00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:39.559 there that and I feel bad for like cause I talked to my son and 233 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:43.080 daughter about this all the time. I feel bad for that kind of generation 234 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.759 coming up because if they're not getting likes or they're not getting you know, 235 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:50.000 the attention on social media, that's that's a problem for them. But then 236 00:13:50.039 --> 00:13:52.399 again, that's the world they live in too. And it's like if we 237 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:56.279 went to the mall and nobody talked to us when we were growing up, 238 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:58.679 then you'd be like, what's wrong with me? If but to follow on 239 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:01.799 social media and Twitter. I think I think X is fantastic for sports. 240 00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:05.159 In fact, that's one of the first places I go for sports. I 241 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:07.120 love it, dude. I love it because I can go there, I 242 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:11.720 can get the scores I need. I think I think sports organizations have done 243 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:16.360 a fantastic job of keeping you updated and posting. One that comes to mind 244 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:18.399 is UOL baseball. I think if I'm not in a place where I can 245 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:22.240 watch the game, like actively stream the game, then uo L is great 246 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:26.679 about posting when they score and it's a short, simple score. Now it's 247 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:28.960 not like I can't, you know, call it my phone and type in 248 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:33.320 Google, you know, and just typing little baseball and moment pops up. 249 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:37.039 But they give you a little bit more background. So that's that's my big 250 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.679 me. That's my big use for social media. And when I was at 251 00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:41.639 the NFL Draft and I was able to post up to there. If you're 252 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:45.559 interviewing people man on the street, that kind of thing, that's it's great 253 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:48.919 for it. But you know, it's so hard with social media. You 254 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:52.000 can't paint every single user with the same brush because everybody has a different meaning 255 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:56.679 for it. And now there's so many people and it's probably across all social 256 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:58.759 media. They don't use the real name, they don't use the real profile, 257 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:03.039 p sure, and they kind of use it as an avenue to kind 258 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:05.519 of hide behind something yep, to be able to say whatever they want. 259 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:09.799 And that's when you get this tox success pool of people who you mentioned. 260 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:13.879 They comment on everything. They sometimes say things they probably shouldn't and that's the 261 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:18.679 downside to the social media stuff right right. Well, for example, I 262 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.879 still I do get on Facebook to post for over at whas because we do 263 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:28.759 stuff for the shows and for my actual position, and we have access to 264 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.120 the inbox that we get and you should read some of the stuff people send 265 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:35.240 it. Is it nasty? Oh, I mean it gets It's just awful, 266 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:41.000 dude. And the problem is what's interesting about Facebook is it's almost opposite 267 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:43.399 of what you're talking about. There's their profile. Like one time we had 268 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.360 somebody I won't even repeat it, but it was it was politically driven, 269 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:50.960 it was vile, and yet the guy had pictures of he and his kids 270 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:54.120 up there and join a camping trip in his profile picture. I'm like, 271 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:58.320 dude, is this the same guy? So so it's it's a beautiful thing. 272 00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:02.720 It's a beautiful thing. Though when it comes to sports. I certainly 273 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:06.639 understand where marketers are coming from when it comes to social media, because there's 274 00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:10.679 an avenue if you're a quote unquote influencer. I understand that because if you're 275 00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:14.440 if you're an influencer, you're valuable to a marketer. And but that's just 276 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:17.080 for me. That's not really my cup of tea, not at this point 277 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.000 in my life. I get it is for some people, but certainly not 278 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:22.519 for me. But you know, it is. It is a way, 279 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:25.480 it's it's a way of being. I think the one guy who has mastered 280 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:29.679 social media though, is Nick Coffee. His his vibe checks are amazing. 281 00:16:29.799 --> 00:16:33.000 They are. I was like, dude, where did you come up with 282 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:36.279 that idea? When he was it louder than Life? That was? That 283 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:41.120 was So we played best of Yesterday and the day after we did the Louder 284 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.720 than Life vibe check he talked about on the show obviously, and we replayed 285 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:48.120 that segment because Nick was so taken aback because he had never been in that 286 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:53.399 kind of environment and the amount of people that you see excuse me, yeah, 287 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:56.639 excuse me, not of people you see it louder than life that just 288 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:00.720 come from all walks of life in different parts of the country and even across 289 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:04.200 different countries. It was mind blowing to him and well, and Nick does 290 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:08.079 such a great job of just capturing He's a master interview is what I like 291 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:11.680 to He's he's got a very open mind when interviews. He lets the person 292 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.039 talk. He interviews, you know, he gives him time to talk. 293 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:18.640 He's here, and he keeps an even head to him about it like nobody 294 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:19.920 I've ever seen. And I told him that when we talked at the Kentucky 295 00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:22.960 Derby, and it's just he does such a great job with that. And 296 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:27.519 he utilizes social media very well. I enjoy reading his stuff when he posts. 297 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:30.200 That's the other thing I do like about social media. And I follow 298 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:33.359 a couple of people that for the teams that I follow, whether it be 299 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:36.880 the Red Wings, there's there's a podcast that I listen to for the Red 300 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:40.400 Wings, and there's people that so they live tweet during the game. That 301 00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:45.079 feature I like when if you can find somebody that gives you a solid tweet 302 00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:48.000 during a game and gives you their thoughts and they're not just you know, 303 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:51.880 spouting off random stuff. Like I've seen Nick before, he's offered up some 304 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:55.519 analysis, some insight as to what's going on. And I've done that at 305 00:17:55.559 --> 00:17:56.599 games and followed him there, and I do the same thing with the Red 306 00:17:56.599 --> 00:18:00.480 Wings. That's where it comes in handy and you're able to really just kind 307 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:03.759 of kind of utilize it. It brings another level to sport. Now. 308 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:07.880 I did do one thing along those lines. I was in the treadmill last 309 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:11.640 week and for whatever reason, it just struck me. I watched the nineteen 310 00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:18.039 ninety one Detroit Lions Dallas Cowboys game because it was Barry Sanders. It was 311 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:22.720 Barry Sanders Nimmitt Smith. So it was really weird watching that dude with with 312 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:26.160 like you didn't have all the fancy graphics hitting in the face, you didn't 313 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:29.960 know how much time was left, you didn't know what the score was. 314 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:33.480 And Verne Lunque it was with Vern Lunquist and Dan Fouts and all you had 315 00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:40.119 was their commentary. And it was at that point that I realized, this 316 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:42.720 is a much better way to watch a game. We weren't. And again, 317 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:45.920 it's it's old school. So I don't know that it would work with 318 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:48.759 this generation because a lot of people are just used to Once that genie is 319 00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:51.119 out of the ball, it's hard to go back to it. But you 320 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:53.680 heard Vern Lunquist give you the stats that normally you would see flashed on the 321 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.799 screen, and Vern would do it in a way whereas he was just having 322 00:18:56.839 --> 00:19:02.319 a conversation with you. But I get with fantasy sports now and with betting 323 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:06.000 and with analytics, you can't get away with that because people want to know 324 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:08.000 the numbers right now. In fact, we went to PGA. My son 325 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:12.039 was live betting at PGA. Yeah, so you you got to have that 326 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:17.359 info right in front of you. But I did appreciate I did appreciate the 327 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:21.039 fact that I was really kind of listening to it. It wasn't laid back. 328 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:23.599 The game was exciting, it wasn't laid back, but it also wasn't 329 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:27.519 the hit you in the face graphics that they tend to give you. And 330 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:30.799 I kind of asked myself. I was kind of thinking, could we do 331 00:19:30.839 --> 00:19:36.079 this today? Would people embrace this today? And honestly, I don't think 332 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:38.759 they would, you know, And being a NASCAR fan, I was watching 333 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:41.839 some of the older races in NASCAR, and that was before they had the 334 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:45.200 big graphic where all the drivers were at and how far they were behind. 335 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:48.759 And nascars had to adapt so much over the past ten or fifteen years as 336 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:52.799 well. They used once they implemented the chase and all that kind of stuff. 337 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:56.200 That's when everything really began to change for NASCAR. It did, You're 338 00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:59.680 right, John, and they really embraced the social media aspect because for so 339 00:19:59.799 --> 00:20:03.880 long NASCAR was just a good old boy sport and they were real resistant to 340 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:07.839 change. And I think just a few years ago they got fully on board 341 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:11.440 with having solid they got on board with having women drivers. I'll put it 342 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:15.400 that way because when Hailey Digan was racing last week at Darlington, she was 343 00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:19.960 running Dale Earnhard Junior's old old logo on her car, and I was on 344 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:22.799 social media and I was reading some of the stuff people were posting, and 345 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:26.319 and there's still some people that got to learn this twenty twenty four. I 346 00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:30.799 mean, you know, it's just it was one thing, but it is 347 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:33.720 funny to watch how social media has changed the game. And of course now 348 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:37.160 we have the big storyline. We'll talk about that as we go in through 349 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:40.640 the morning. The big Anil story that broke this afternoon, where you have 350 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:45.720 a former player now suing a coach and a program because they pulled a deal 351 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:48.920 out from under them. And I've got some thoughts on that as we move 352 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:52.599 forward, but it's kind of like, this is what we've come to, 353 00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:56.920 is that now we have players. In some ways, I get his point. 354 00:20:57.160 --> 00:21:00.839 I get why he's suing. I mean, you're throwing life changing money 355 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:06.480 at these guys and suddenly you're pulling the rug out from under him. But 356 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:08.640 it's a wild place to be, dude. And I said, for the 357 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:12.400 longest time, and I had a college football show on this station for nine 358 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:17.200 years, and when college football started looking more and more like the NFL, 359 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:19.880 I'm like, I'm just going to the NFL. College Football's got some questions 360 00:21:19.960 --> 00:21:23.200 right now, a lot of questions. But and there'll be a whole generation 361 00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:26.880 that that's what they know. So we got a lot to unpack here, 362 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:29.480 a lot going on. He's John Olden, I'm Scott Fitzgerald filling in for 363 00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:33.240 Nick Coffee today and tomorrow right home with us. Will you if you don't 364 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:36.640 like what we say, I totally understand ten percent love me ten percent hate 365 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:37.880 me. The rest of the village just don't care about me, So won't 366 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:41.400 leave it at that. Take a break here on Sports Talk seven ninety. 367 00:21:44.519 --> 00:21:47.240 Great choice, John, you have me all fired up playing a little crew 368 00:21:47.319 --> 00:21:49.799 right there. Great choice, buddy. Welcome back. I am Scott Fitzgeriald 369 00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:55.519 filling in for the vacationing Nick Coffee, taking some well deserved time off. 370 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:56.880 My man has been working his keyster off. John. We gotta get you 371 00:21:56.920 --> 00:22:00.319 some time off, buddy. It's coming up here in a couple weeks. 372 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:03.440 Good good. You going somewhere special, Just going to kind of out of 373 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:04.839 the ordinary place. We're going to Delaware, me and my wife. Oh, 374 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:07.359 I want to talk to you about that. Okay, let's talk vacations 375 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:11.079 when we come back at some point. We got we got plenty of sports 376 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:12.279 to unpack again. Just want to bring you up to speed real quick. 377 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:17.279 Louisville losing at the ACC Conference Baseball tournament to Miami eight to five. We'll 378 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:19.400 talk about that more as we go on through. But you heard Jay Cardosi's 379 00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:25.400 forecast. It's hot. That must mean it's time for what the Indianapolis five 380 00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:29.799 hundred. Yeah, they had their final practice yesterday ahead of it was ahead 381 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:32.359 of a Friday's carb day, and then, of course we have the one 382 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:36.720 hundred and eighth running of the Indianapolis five hundred and was reigning Indy five hundred 383 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:40.440 champion Joseph Neugarten leading the way with the best lap of just over two hundred 384 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:44.720 and twenty six miles an hour. Colton Herda, who qualified thirteenth, posted 385 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:48.880 the second fastest time and had this to say about his practice session. I 386 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:52.359 definitely felt very good. I felt very confident in the car and what it 387 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:55.519 was able to do, especially with the tailwind where you usually get big under 388 00:22:55.559 --> 00:22:59.559 sears, you know, out of turn two today and the car just felt 389 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:03.880 solid, was right underneath me. I think the guys that you would expect 390 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:07.039 probably look at like New Garden look good unless the Penske Scott was okay, 391 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:11.240 but I didn't really run around him though that much. I thought my teammate 392 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:15.400 Kyle looked good. And then there are some guys that seem to be struggling 393 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:18.519 too and joining us now, guy who knows a thing or two about the 394 00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:22.119 Indy five hundred, Indianapolis's favorite son this side of Jim Nabors. I think 395 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:25.559 the big the one and only Will Clark. Willie, how are you, 396 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:29.839 buddy? Doing good? Well? My man? Are you excited? Dude? 397 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:30.880 You're like me? Man, I was. I was talking with Tony 398 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:33.799 on the air and I told John when we came on, I said, 399 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:37.680 look, I've done thunder over Louisville. I've done the NFL Draft, I've 400 00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:41.599 done Oaks and Derby and then the PGA last week. Unlike you, I'm 401 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:49.119 going to sit on my couch this weekend. I can't do that. I've 402 00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:55.759 got so much Indy five hundred of my blood that yeah, I like the 403 00:23:56.440 --> 00:24:00.680 thought of not going right to the speedway on race day. He just drives 404 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:06.960 me up the wall to the point that. And my wife didn't realize this 405 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:10.839 at one point, but she scheduled a vacation. She goes, oh, 406 00:24:10.920 --> 00:24:12.559 yeah, we'll come back on that Memorial Day Sunday. I was like, 407 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:18.640 no, No, this was like a full blown Disney vacation. And we 408 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:22.400 moved it back like a day or two. So we flew back the night 409 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:23.920 before the five hundred, and I took a nap, went to the race. 410 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:26.160 Oh my god, well Willie again, we're talking. I want to 411 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:29.839 let folks know we're talking to Will Clark. He's our former news guy here 412 00:24:29.880 --> 00:24:33.200 at at iHeartMedia and Louisville News Radio eight forty WHS and we and we miss 413 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:37.279 him dearly and we give anything to have him back. But he's doing bigger 414 00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:40.640 and better things now. And Willie, where did your love affair with the 415 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:48.960 Indy five hundred start? I think it goes back to my mom lived behind 416 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:56.680 the track for a few years before she got married to the like close enough 417 00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:59.839 that she could sit on the back porch and like listen to the PA and 418 00:24:59.880 --> 00:25:03.640 I like, you're the track. Yeah. And my dad worked up there 419 00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:10.839 for I bet he did thirty five hundred, twenty five or thirty with the 420 00:25:10.839 --> 00:25:14.519 state police because they just kind of like how Kentucky State Police come and do 421 00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:18.519 the derby, they bring Indiana State Police in from all over the place and 422 00:25:18.519 --> 00:25:23.039 they get certain assignments. And he had Gate ten for years, and you 423 00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:26.279 know, you get everybody in before the race and he'd come wandering, watch 424 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:30.359 thirty laps or so, go take a nap and then reverse the traffic pattern 425 00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:36.519 everybody goes home. So it was always one of those things that it was 426 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:44.079 just unspoken that and at the time it was still the two weekend qualification process 427 00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:47.319 that oh okay, well dad's going to work three weekends in May and Indy, 428 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:48.559 all right, and then you watch the race and you knew when the 429 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:52.039 race was over, it's about six hours later he'd be home. So it 430 00:25:52.119 --> 00:25:56.400 was always just kind of that part of May for me, right right, 431 00:25:56.599 --> 00:26:00.200 what a lot of people do for Derby, gain Will Clark joining guys, 432 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:03.039 he's going to be covering the Indy five hundred. I assumably you're going to 433 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:07.599 be covering for ABC Sports as well, right, yes, okay, yeah, 434 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:10.319 because you covered the pg I'll get your thoughts on the PGA here too. 435 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:14.039 Coming up. Wellie, when you think as many as as many Indy 436 00:26:14.039 --> 00:26:18.359 five hundreds as you've been to, what's your what's your most favorite memory? 437 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:21.000 I guess of an Indy five hundred? What do you remember most? What 438 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:26.400 sticks out in your mind? Oh? There's a lot of another of us. 439 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:33.240 Probably the most bizarre was the fanless five hundred, which you know, 440 00:26:33.799 --> 00:26:38.559 right up there with the fanless Derby when we're all standing there and it's it 441 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:41.799 had been moved from May. They were trying to hopefully they thought, well, 442 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:45.400 we can pull it off maybe with some fans. Later in the year, 443 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:48.839 and as we learned with Derby, that's just it didn't work out. 444 00:26:49.559 --> 00:26:56.880 And to be standing there and there's maybe maybe two hundred people total in this 445 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:03.400 place that's built a whole two hund and fifty three hundred thousand people, and 446 00:27:03.160 --> 00:27:11.799 they're going through the full process of the pre race ceremony with the invocation and 447 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:18.000 taps and all of that stuff, and they give the command to start the 448 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:22.640 engines and there's no one in the stands. It is just the creepiest thing 449 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:27.000 that I've ever seen. And it was I mean, I'm glad that we 450 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:32.440 had a five hundred that year and they were able to persevere through it, 451 00:27:32.440 --> 00:27:36.680 but it was just you realize at that point how much the fans make the 452 00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:41.160 place all right right, and they're expecting another Is it sold out yet? 453 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:44.200 Are there still tickets available? I know it's got to be getting close to 454 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:51.119 it sell out the last number I saw. I think that they're within ten 455 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:55.240 thousand or so. This is about a week or two ago, now ten 456 00:27:55.240 --> 00:28:00.240 thousand or so of selling out the reserve seats, but the infield it's again 457 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:04.119 it's a lot like Churchill, like theyn't sell it until the fire Marshal says, 458 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:08.880 ooh, that might be a problem. While we're talking with Will Clark 459 00:28:08.920 --> 00:28:11.319 again. You know his voice, you know the Will Clark he was with 460 00:28:11.400 --> 00:28:15.599 us here at iHeart Louisville News Radio eight forty whs with us in the mornings 461 00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:18.759 for a long long time. And Willie, as I understand it, we've 462 00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:23.480 got a special pace car driver at the five hundred this year. Yeah, 463 00:28:23.599 --> 00:28:27.720 Ken Griffy Jr. Oh cool. Yeah, I really didn't see that coming. 464 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:30.759 I didn't either. I looked at that they put the release out and 465 00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:33.400 I was like, whoa wait, wait a minute. I wonder if he'll 466 00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:37.759 bring his camera because now he's turned in apparently an avid photographer. Yeah, 467 00:28:37.839 --> 00:28:44.200 him and Randy Johnson seemed to be making the rounds taking pictures. But I 468 00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:49.839 mean, it kind of makes sense from a local perspective. Indianapolis is kind 469 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:56.319 of sort of a Reds market, kind of sort of a Chicago market. 470 00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:00.319 Of course, they've got the farm team for Pittsburgh is up there with the 471 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:07.400 Indians, so, right, a weird hodgepodge of because that's the one of 472 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:14.359 the major sports they don't really have a grasp on, right, That's I 473 00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:17.319 mean, I guess it it makes sense in a way, and then a 474 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:22.000 way it doesn't because I don't I just don't understand it. Yeah, but 475 00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:25.480 I mean that's it's cool. I'm glad he's going to do it. I 476 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:29.519 mean, it's I'm sure when Indy calls you and says, hey, you 477 00:29:29.559 --> 00:29:32.720 want to drive the pace cards, you don't know I can exactly say no. 478 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:33.799 Well, I talked to you a little bit. We'll get we're talking 479 00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:37.440 about Little Clark, former news guy here at iHeartMedia here and news radio eight 480 00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:41.079 forty whs. He'll be covering the Indy five hundred for ABC Sports. All 481 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:45.119 Right, let's take it on the track, Willie and Uh. The biggest 482 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:48.519 story this side of Joseph's New Garden has got to be Kyle Larson. I've 483 00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:51.400 been watching him on the tube. He's been talking about going back and forth 484 00:29:51.440 --> 00:29:53.599 between Charlotte and he's going to do the double. In fact, I think 485 00:29:53.640 --> 00:29:59.000 it just came out late today. That is it real? Well always name 486 00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:02.200 is the scheme of But Kyle it says he wants to give it a shot. 487 00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:04.640 Team owner says, yeah, he'll back them one hundred percent. You 488 00:30:06.440 --> 00:30:10.799 go eleven hundred miles. Tony Stewart is the only driver to be able to 489 00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:15.359 do this without falling off the lead lab. Is Kyle Larson capable of pulling 490 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:19.480 this off? I think so. I think the potential is there. I 491 00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:23.519 think his biggest obstacle is going to be dealing with the weather. Yeah, 492 00:30:23.559 --> 00:30:29.920 what is the weather by the way for Sunday? About? Like what it's 493 00:30:29.960 --> 00:30:33.920 they're calling for here? Just kind of a chance for some thunderstorms. But 494 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:37.720 the window is so tight for him as it is now to get from Indy 495 00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:44.319 to Charlotte that if you throw in a rain delay in there, he's gonna 496 00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:48.839 have to probably throw in the towel at Indy and just say I'm going to 497 00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:52.240 Charlotte. Yeah, I think I heard. I think he's publicly said that 498 00:30:52.359 --> 00:30:56.319 Charlotte's going to be his priority if he can't do Indy. Do you think 499 00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:59.039 is that a big storyline up in Indy right now? I mean, it's 500 00:30:59.079 --> 00:31:02.200 it's not unprecedent yet, it's unusual. I think Kurt Busch was the last 501 00:31:02.200 --> 00:31:03.319 one to do it. Is that going to get a lot of media play 502 00:31:03.400 --> 00:31:07.440 up there? Do you think the day of it will? I mean it 503 00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:11.359 got a lot of media play last year. Yeah, when they made a 504 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:17.720 big deal of bringing out the car to show off the scheme and kind of 505 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:21.200 showing it off. And I think it's great. I think it ought to 506 00:31:21.240 --> 00:31:25.920 be kind of a triple crown sort of right, you throw in some bonus 507 00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:30.799 if you can pull off the Memorial Day double. I think it should be 508 00:31:30.200 --> 00:31:36.720 a thing. I think the NASCAR and IndyCar could use a few more crossover 509 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:38.720 stories like this. Oh, I agree. I agree. Talking with well 510 00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:42.720 Clark, our former news guy at news radio eight forty WHS and big player 511 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:47.440 here at iHeartMedia, and again we're going to continue every time he comes on 512 00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:48.680 with us to try to rope him back here, but he can't get him 513 00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:52.839 away from his present gig that he loves and as he should. And we'll 514 00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:55.759 talk a little bit about that Willie as we go through here. I do 515 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:57.319 want to get your take. You were at the PGA. I was there 516 00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:00.759 as a fan, you were working there, and it was very jealous walking 517 00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:04.799 past the media area because it looked very nice there. But what were your 518 00:32:04.839 --> 00:32:08.160 thoughts of the PGA this past weekend. I think Valhalla hit it out of 519 00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:15.079 the park. From a local perspective, was a little worried, maybe no 520 00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:20.240 knock on the new ownership group. But you know, when you go from 521 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:23.799 being owned by the PGA to local ownership groups, you would expect maybe there's 522 00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:32.359 some level of drop off. But the course and everything around it seemed just 523 00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:37.720 as good as it was in twenty fourteen, if not better. I think 524 00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:42.160 so. I mean, I think that if they're making an argument for a 525 00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:46.559 future tournament, they've done everything they could do that they could control, and 526 00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:51.200 I think that they're deserving of it. You know, I'm glad you said 527 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:53.400 that, because it seemed like and there were people in this building that were, 528 00:32:53.519 --> 00:32:57.319 like, immediately after the Scottie scheffer thing with Dot was all I'd say, 529 00:32:57.400 --> 00:33:00.240 we're not getting a tournament. We're never gonna get it again. Like 530 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:04.000 why don't you all let the cake bake here? Why don't you all relax? 531 00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:07.960 I mean that you don't invest thirty million dollars in the facility without seeing 532 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:10.559 it long term. And if something like the Scottie Scheffler circus is going to 533 00:33:10.759 --> 00:33:15.799 derail any future tournaments from coming here, then the sport itself has bigger problems. 534 00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:20.880 I think. I will say that you know that Valhalla, from the 535 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:25.920 shuttles to the people, to the volunteers. It was a fantastic day on 536 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:29.880 Sunday, top to bottom for us. We loved it. It was warm, 537 00:33:29.960 --> 00:33:35.160 but we loved it. And I would be shocked if a big tournament 538 00:33:35.160 --> 00:33:37.920 did not come back to Valhalla. I mean, I think that the course 539 00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:43.519 is deserving of it. And yeah, the Scheffler incident notwithstanding, and that 540 00:33:43.640 --> 00:33:47.000 will run its course. Whatever did or didn't happen there, right, But 541 00:33:49.319 --> 00:33:52.680 and whatever again, whatever did er didn't happen there, there's things to be 542 00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:55.440 learned on both sides. Maybe it improves the traffic patterner look at the very 543 00:33:55.480 --> 00:34:01.279 middle m h. But if you're going to use that to judge the entire 544 00:34:01.400 --> 00:34:08.280 week at large and the course itself and the actual en course facilities, amenities, 545 00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:13.760 all that, then you're from the whole point well right, And I 546 00:34:13.800 --> 00:34:15.880 think, you know, reading some comments on social media about you know, 547 00:34:15.960 --> 00:34:19.760 you got the ya who's that are sitting home on their couch, sitting on 548 00:34:19.800 --> 00:34:22.760 mick lights, going oh the course, there's too long scores for that course. 549 00:34:22.760 --> 00:34:28.880 It's too easy. Really really, there was a lot of drama unfolding, 550 00:34:29.880 --> 00:34:34.239 you know, Sunday after late Sunday afternoon. What I thought was interesting, 551 00:34:34.280 --> 00:34:37.400 bro is we parked ourselves. My son and I parked ourselves on eighteen 552 00:34:37.159 --> 00:34:39.599 and at the end there and there were a bunch of people sitting down. 553 00:34:39.599 --> 00:34:43.639 They all had chairs, and my son goes, oh, this is great. 554 00:34:43.639 --> 00:34:45.440 We're right on eighteen. We can see it. I said, dude, 555 00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:49.000 don't hold that thought, bro, because everybody is going to stand at 556 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:51.119 the end if this thing comes down to what I think it's going to come 557 00:34:51.159 --> 00:34:52.719 down to. And sure enough, and it was the people we were all 558 00:34:52.760 --> 00:34:55.840 standing behind. I didn't care personally because I could see on the jumbo trone, 559 00:34:57.159 --> 00:35:00.400 but people were getting upset at all those people who were camped out early 560 00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:04.920 in chairs. Everybody stood up and so they couldn't see anything. But I'm 561 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:07.000 kind of like, what do you guys want them to do? I mean, 562 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:08.000 this thing is coming down. I mean they've been sitting here all day. 563 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:10.559 They kind of marked their territory. You know, if you wanted to 564 00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:14.599 be on eighteen, get down here early and you can mark your territory. 565 00:35:14.599 --> 00:35:15.960 But when it was all said and done, everybody was on their way home. 566 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:20.280 I think I did think. I think I read it right where TV 567 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:22.960 ratings were up ten percent as well. I think those were up so I 568 00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:27.960 think it was a good day had by all. Yeah, I think it 569 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:31.000 was a good week at the course. And this is coming from somebody who 570 00:35:31.800 --> 00:35:37.760 couldn't hit a round under part or they live right all right, Willie? 571 00:35:37.800 --> 00:35:38.719 Quickly, I gotta let you go because they've got to hit a break. 572 00:35:39.079 --> 00:35:42.239 So what are you up to now? Let fill folks in on what you've 573 00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:45.639 been doing since you left us at iHeart, I'm out at the University Louisville 574 00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:51.119 working with the TV production. So pretty much if you've seen a UFL game 575 00:35:51.159 --> 00:35:57.119 on TV, it came through our facility. Nice setting up cameras and then 576 00:35:57.800 --> 00:36:00.840 checking equipment all that stuff. So still out and about, just a little 577 00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:04.480 more behind the scenes, you know, like being over there at UO L. 578 00:36:04.679 --> 00:36:06.880 I know you're always big on the production side of it, Bro, 579 00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:08.119 and I've seen it in a couple games. We can't miss you at the 580 00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:13.000 basketball court. Even amongst the other tall basketball players, you'll see Willie out 581 00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:15.039 there. You'll see him for sure. No, I still get it down 582 00:36:15.079 --> 00:36:17.880 in front. So are you gonna keep busy in football? You looking forward 583 00:36:17.880 --> 00:36:22.239 to football season? Bro? I am? I am. I look forward 584 00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:25.079 to all seasons. Yeah, you know, I'm a junkie for that sort 585 00:36:25.119 --> 00:36:28.960 of thing. I know you are well, Willie. Enjoy your time at 586 00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:31.199 Indie brother. I look forward to getting your reports. We'll carry you via 587 00:36:31.239 --> 00:36:35.440 ABC News. I wish we were carrying you for us, but enjoy and 588 00:36:35.480 --> 00:36:37.599 we'll catch up after you get back from Indy and talk to you a little 589 00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:40.400 bit about that as well. All right, all right, that's will Clark, 590 00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:43.760 Ladies and gentlemen. There he goes. One of the best in the 591 00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:46.119 business. And boy do we miss him dearly around here. We do. 592 00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:49.920 You think I'm kidding when I tell you we try to get him back every 593 00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:52.559 time we talked to him, like Willy, come back and work with us, 594 00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:54.719 bro, come back, and he's like, no, I'm loving life 595 00:36:54.719 --> 00:36:58.639 over. He loves working for UO L that's for sure. Hey, he's 596 00:36:58.679 --> 00:37:00.559 John Alden, I'm Scott fitz. We're way with you for the vacationing Nick 597 00:37:00.639 --> 00:37:05.000 Coffee, who is just having the time of his life and well deserved by 598 00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:07.840 the way, John. I did see our Paul Miles out of our newsroom 599 00:37:07.880 --> 00:37:10.960 posted about two hours ago. The Krispy Kreme Donut place on Barstown, Roban 600 00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:15.920 was on fire. Really, Oh yeah, it's a disturbing image. That's 601 00:37:15.079 --> 00:37:19.400 wow. No donuts from that Krispy Kreme and they were heavy hitters too. 602 00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:22.519 So we'll follow that story longs and we come back and talk to John about 603 00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:28.239 his vacation. We're back after this on Sports Talk seven ninety. You just 604 00:37:28.280 --> 00:37:30.159 want to do whatever it takes. I mean, we got to score one 605 00:37:30.199 --> 00:37:32.400 hundred and fifty to win, and we gotta be able to score one to 606 00:37:32.440 --> 00:37:38.280 fifty. But I don't see it being like that. I think obviously like 607 00:37:38.559 --> 00:37:42.920 they have a great offense, like you know, down, but just trying 608 00:37:42.920 --> 00:37:45.480 to slow them down. That is twenty seventeen first round pick of the San 609 00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:50.840 Antonio Spurs out of Colorado via Colorado Colorado Springs. Derek White are now in 610 00:37:50.920 --> 00:37:53.840 place for the Celtics. Is they get ready to open the Eastern Conference semifinals. 611 00:37:53.880 --> 00:37:57.559 T I'm Scott Fitzgerald. Welcome to your ride home. It is May 612 00:37:57.599 --> 00:38:00.480 twenty first, three fifty two in the afternoon. It's a hot one out 613 00:38:00.480 --> 00:38:01.679 there on your way home. Gonna be a hot one, toy night. 614 00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:06.280 The Pacers, by the way, a ten and a half point dog to 615 00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:08.480 the Celtics. The Celtics won the regular season series three games to two, 616 00:38:08.519 --> 00:38:13.519 winning both games in Boston, taking one of three in Indie. John and 617 00:38:13.559 --> 00:38:15.039 we were talking before we came out in the this one's going, this one's 618 00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:17.400 shaped up, This could be good. Yeah. That ten and a half 619 00:38:17.400 --> 00:38:21.760 point spread, that seems like a lot. I get what they're basing it 620 00:38:21.800 --> 00:38:24.280 off of. Obviously, the Pacers coming off a hard fought seven game series 621 00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:28.840 with only a day of rest in between, and you're also playing on the 622 00:38:28.920 --> 00:38:32.480 road to a team that has had an opportunity to rest. So I mean, 623 00:38:34.159 --> 00:38:37.599 I do think it wouldn't be super surprising to see the Pacers steal game 624 00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:42.960 one, but it also w wasn't surprised me to see the Celtics win by 625 00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:45.719 twenty right, right. The one thing I liked about what I saw on 626 00:38:45.760 --> 00:38:47.960 the Pacers against the Knicks was their depth. I mean, the Pacers will 627 00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:53.119 go nine deep in their rotation and if you can hustle on Boston because during 628 00:38:53.119 --> 00:38:57.199 the Cleveland series there were some weaknesses that we saw. They're not many, 629 00:38:57.679 --> 00:39:00.920 but there were some weaknesses by the Celtics, and you know, you keep 630 00:39:00.960 --> 00:39:02.280 an eye on. I mean, look at a guy like Al Horford, 631 00:39:02.519 --> 00:39:07.880 thirty seven years old. My man was a first round pick, I say 632 00:39:07.880 --> 00:39:10.000 two thousand and seven. I say that affectionately, dude. I mean, 633 00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:14.239 we're three years away from that being twenty years ago. That is crazy. 634 00:39:14.719 --> 00:39:17.519 I feel like you just won a national championship at Florida. But you know, 635 00:39:17.760 --> 00:39:21.880 if he can get his game going. But more importantly, it's gonna 636 00:39:21.880 --> 00:39:22.639 take a lot for the Pacers. To your point, I want to see 637 00:39:22.679 --> 00:39:27.320 it. Maybe they're gassed a little bit. Everybody expects the Celtics to win 638 00:39:27.360 --> 00:39:30.800 this series. I wouldn't mind just seeing a great series. If you could 639 00:39:30.800 --> 00:39:32.760 take this one to six or seven, I'd be okay with that. And 640 00:39:32.840 --> 00:39:36.440 the Pacers they can afford to kind of take the night off. I know 641 00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:39.599 that's kind of weird to say, but what's important is protecting your home floor, 642 00:39:39.639 --> 00:39:44.480 and I think stealing Game five. If you're really serious about getting to 643 00:39:44.519 --> 00:39:46.639 the NBA Finals, you're gonna find a way to win one of these road 644 00:39:46.679 --> 00:39:51.599 games, and I think the most likely if they take care of business on 645 00:39:51.679 --> 00:39:52.920 their home floor. They need to do it in Game five. You know 646 00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:57.440 what sucks for the city, Well, I guess for TV really, because 647 00:39:57.480 --> 00:39:59.599 they had a chance her I didn't think about this to I was sitting on 648 00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:02.800 the couch this weekend. I said, they almost had the Boston New York 649 00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:08.440 matchup in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, and almost had it in the NHL. 650 00:40:08.920 --> 00:40:12.840 Oh wow, they almost had the Range and the Bruins. That would 651 00:40:12.840 --> 00:40:16.280 have been like a windfall for the networks. I mean, talk about two 652 00:40:16.519 --> 00:40:21.840 huge media markets. Not to take anything away from Indy, And to your 653 00:40:21.880 --> 00:40:24.519 point, if Indy can steal one and make this a series, this one 654 00:40:24.519 --> 00:40:28.719 will have some ratings to it. Although a lot of people are really kind 655 00:40:28.719 --> 00:40:30.840 of getting in Minnesota's corner. They're they're liking what they see out of there, 656 00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:35.039 out of Minnesota. The story with Karl Anthony Towns of course lost his 657 00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:37.480 mom to COVID and has now had to come back. And I mean, 658 00:40:37.519 --> 00:40:40.719 I'm pulling for the Tea Wolves. I'm gonna pull form it now. You 659 00:40:40.719 --> 00:40:45.559 know, I'm kind of impartial here. I don't. I think Boston is 660 00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:49.559 a really cool sports town. Although I hate everything about the Bruins and Brad 661 00:40:49.639 --> 00:40:53.679 Marshan, but I think Boston is a really cool sports town. And to 662 00:40:53.719 --> 00:40:57.760 be honest with you, if I my wife and I we went to Cape 663 00:40:57.800 --> 00:41:00.639 Cod for our honeymoon when we were married, and we took the five dollars 664 00:41:00.679 --> 00:41:02.400 at the time, five dollars two or a Fenway, and I fell in 665 00:41:02.440 --> 00:41:07.159 love with that ballpark. And you know that although if I lived on the 666 00:41:07.159 --> 00:41:09.199 East Coast, I would be more partial to the Yankees than I would the 667 00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:14.639 Red Sox. But but I think they really missed an opportunity. So I 668 00:41:14.639 --> 00:41:19.800 hope both these games go well. If we had, say a Minnesota Boston 669 00:41:20.039 --> 00:41:23.199 NBA Finals, I think that might be a good rating scrabber. If you've 670 00:41:23.239 --> 00:41:27.119 got Anthony Edwards, That's what I'm saying. Yeah, I mean it's you 671 00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:30.079 would ever need, so either way, you can't lose. I'm looking forward 672 00:41:30.079 --> 00:41:31.760 to this one tonight. This is gonna be the time of year where I'm 673 00:41:31.760 --> 00:41:35.719 just gonna have my hands on the remote. We were talking about TikTok earlier. 674 00:41:35.719 --> 00:41:37.119 That's my go to in the commercials and not gonna go back and forth. 675 00:41:37.159 --> 00:41:40.960 But I love I love Spring crossoverseason almost as much as I like to 676 00:41:40.960 --> 00:41:44.760 fall because there's so much going on. Hey, when we come back, 677 00:41:44.800 --> 00:41:46.800 we'll talk a little, we'll talk a little other sports. We talk about 678 00:41:46.880 --> 00:41:51.239 John's vacation. Jeff Milby is going to join us at the bottom of the 679 00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:54.039 hour. We're gonna talk not only racing Louisville and lou City, but Jeff's 680 00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:58.000 been calling college baseball and we got the Cardinals. They were in action today. 681 00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:00.679 We'll update you on that talk a little. Every local team's in action 682 00:42:00.760 --> 00:42:04.599 and we got some and they were seated pretty high. So we're gonna take 683 00:42:04.639 --> 00:42:07.280 a break. He as John Alden on Scott Fitzgerie. We're back after top 684 00:42:07.320 --> 00:42:12.280 of the hour. You're listening to Sports Talk seven ninety