It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine
day. Now, here's Nick Coffee. By all accounts, the Louisville Pod
Region whatever we're calling it here for the TBT, the Ville that's of course
the name of the team. By all accounts, Louisville is crushing it when
it comes to ticket sales, right Like if you go to the TBT social
media pages, I mean they're bragging about the amount of tickets Louisville is sold
so far. In fact, just an update from earlier today, it's this
Louisvill leads Lexington in round one ticket sales, but just under two weeks to
go. As right now, it looks like Louisville's got just under four thousand
and the Lexington has just over two thousand. So I don't know, Like
again, seeing Louisville is doing well and right now they're selling more tickets than
any of the other cities that is hosting in the first round of games here,
but yeah, I feel like it's still a low number, Like we
can do better than that, can't we. And keep in mind, you
know, if Louisville wins their region and Kentucky wins. There is in Lexington.
Their team name, of course, is La Familiar. They're gonna play
each other and whoever sells the most tickets will end up hosting. And like,
you know, like I want to go, I'm not gonna go if
it's in Lexington. So this is my you know, encouragement to you to
go buy tickets. All right, It's Coffee and Company Hour number two here
on Sports Talk seven ninety. We are fueled by Thornton's as Jeff Bram had
a press conference earlier today. We talked a little bit about the takeaways from
that in the three o'clock hour and some feedback from from some folks. This
Tex says, Nick, I'm with you. I think this team is going
to be better, but I actually happen to think our schedule is going to
be dramatically tougher, and eight and four or nine and three is most likely
could be. Right when you say dramatically tougher, you know, going to
Notre Dame, going to Clemson is I mean those are just places that people
don't win very often, right, I mean Louisville can win at Notre Dame.
They did it last time they were there. They beat Notre Dame last
year, and I have a feeling, you know, maybe I'm wrong here,
I have a feeling with Marcus Freeman. It's either is that his name,
that's the name of that Notre Dame coach, isn't it. Yes,
they're either going to, I think, take a step forward this year and
be a lot better than they were last year. Not thought they were terrible,
but like they're either going to in my opinion, this year year three
for Marcus Freeman, they're going to either take a small step back or they're
going to take a step forward. And if they take a small step back,
I don't think he's gonna last there that long. I mean, Notre
Dame didn't fire coaches that often, and they haven't had to, you know,
it's Notre Dame. But I again, I think there's a better chance
that of those two teams, again, tough places to play, usually pretty
good teams, Notre Dame in Clemson, I think Clemson's gonna better than them.
I can't really base that on I mean, I just I think Clemson
will always be good enough to be fighting for a spot in the AEC Championship,
even though they don't use the portal and they rarely lose guys. But
anyways, yeah, those are tough games. And I think really like,
if we get to the end of the season, Let's look at it this
way. If we get to the end of the season and you are,
you know, on the outside looking in at the ACC championship game and you
finished eight and four, which, by the way, like that sounds underwhelming
as I said it, Yet we hadn't had an eight and four regular season
for Louisville football since Lamar Jackson was here. So you know, we got
spoiled in year one, no doubt about that. But if we get to
the end of the season and you're eight and four and you didn't get to
the a SEC Championship game, and we are saying, wow, Louisville schedule
actually ended up being tough. Here's what I think happens. Clemson and Notre
Dame are consistent top fifteen caliber teams all throughout the year, and they're just
they're a little better and they're at home. Right, maybe you're competitive in
those games, but you lose Christ of ball in Miami, have a good
year with cam Ward there the transfer from the PAC twelve Washington State kid.
I mean he's got all the talent, and you know, talent's never been
a problem for Miami. They just always seemed to fall short. But they
weren't bad last year, and you know, they had a couple of games
that they literally tried to lose, it seemed. And then maybe SMU is
like a surprise. Maybe s CMU ends up being like a good team in
the ACC, not to where they're competing for the playoff, but you know,
they look as if they're in their first year a top four team in
the league. Like I think that's and let's throw Kentucky out there. Maybe
Kentucky ends up just being a you know, a team that you're still gonna
have a tough time beating. So I'm not saying that that's how it's gonna
play out. And what was gonna lose to all those teams I just mentioned,
But I think the schedule will be tougher. But I'm not ready to
say Louisville has a tough schedule. What I mean by that is we're comparing
last year's schedule, this year's schedule, last year's schedule. It wasn't you
know, It's a little difficult to dissect because you know, they didn't play
any complete bums, right, they didn't play any FCS or G five teams,
but they also, you know, the best team they played at the
end of the season was you know, regular season was I guess Notre Dame.
And I don't think many people thought they were great last year. NC
State ended up finishing strong, but you know, so I'm not ready to
say they have a tough schedule, but it's tougher than last year. But
that's mostly due to the fact that last year just happened to be a pretty
beneficial situation for Jeff Brawm in year one, with how the ACC decided to
schedule this tech says Nick. I hate to say this, but I don't
care about the ACC Championship game this year. Just beat Kentucky. Yeah,
I mean a lot of people feel that way. You know, we had
the conversation not that long ago about how if I had to if you know,
if I could only well, I think somebody rephrased the question to where
it wasn't like such a silly hypothetical, although it kind of still was,
but it was which one is more important to Louisville fans? Like, which
one do you think the fan base needs more a win over Kentucky and football
or a win over Kentucky in basketball. And I think because of the situation
with it being a completely new era here and both programs kind of starting fresh
with a new coach. In fact, both programs are starting completely fresh with
not only a new coaching staff, but an entirely new team. In fact,
I saw something over the weekend. Yeah, so right, there are
nine teams in college basketball that returned zero possession minutes from last season. So
nine teams in college basketball that do not bring back a single player who played
for them last year. Louisville and Kentucky are two of the nine, and
they're the only two from a Power five school it, so all the others
are you know, USC, Upstate, IONA Maryland, Eastern Shore. So
like that's those are such that's the bottom barrel of you know, the bottom
barrel of college basketball to where you're probably literally reloading your team every year with
like because you're those programs are so they're not even mid major, they're low
major. Yeah, so if you're good for one of those teams, you're
gonna try to get the hell out of there, right, So you know,
it's completely brand new. So with that said, I think just ending
this streak to Kentucky is is needed, is needed in a in a major
way. So I'm with you. You know, I don't have anything else
to add, right, I mean, that's the one thing that I hate
about that game being played at the end of the season, because even if
it was played at the first game of the season, we still wouldn't know
anything, right, Like we we haven't watched Louisville or Kentucky play this year
in football because you know, and both teams, by the way, have
new personnel because of the portal. That's just how it works. But there's
no eleven games played prior to the time when these two play on the last
game of the season. Do where you didn't? You have no, Like,
it's just tough for me to say, like, here's here's the matchup
that I think could give Louisville a real advantage, or here's a matchup I'd
be worried about because you know, they're gonna play eleven games before they play
each other. Guys are gonna get hurt. I mean, it's it's the
ultimate unknown as far as how to you know, look at the matchup.
But yes, I'm with you. I hope they'd be Kentucky in a major
way. And last year was it was tough. It was tough. All
right. Let's talk about the short film that was released yesterday by the Louisville
men's basketball program. And I watched it yesterday, and I gotta be honest
with you, and I know I'm not the only one who who says this,
who has said this, I should say, but I'm just being truthful.
It was a tough watch. I just felt like it was over the
top, kind of corny, Like it didn't bother me. I wasn't angry
about it. I wasn't embarrassed as a Louisville fan, nothing like that.
But it was just, you know, it was really corny. But then
I watch it again today and I guess, now kind of knowing what it
is like, I feel I feel. I mean, again, even when
I thought it was corny, I'm still glad they did it because again,
these are things like creative content online in the month of July to keep people
who already are super engaged with the program right now because they're excited about the
new era that is the Pat Kelsey era. I mean, they're gonna keep
probably releasing these. I don't know if they're doing it once a week,
once every couple of weeks, but you know, like this is good stuff
to do to keep your fan base to you know, to keep your you
know, kind of to hold fans over, right, hold you over until
we get to actually watching this team play. Give us things like this,
some behind the scenes stuff and we're gonna eat it up. And that's what
we're doing. So it's corny, but it's it's it's to me, it's
great and it was. It was so well done. And I'm you know,
I'm a nerd. Like my biggest hobby, like something I have such
an interest in as filmmaking and tomatography. I don't know how that became a
thing, but like that's just something I really enjoy learning about. And you
know, I I kind of it's kind of like the thing I get into
that's away from work, if that makes sense. Like this is I mean,
I love sports. It's a huge part of my life and my cult.
You know, it's it's what I did. Your hobby. Yeah,
it's like my it's like my escape, you know what I mean. So,
I mean, so I was super impressed with what went into it.
But like John watched it for the first time before the show today, and
that's the first thing stood out to you. Right, It's like it's a
it's a it's like a cinema movie. Like it looks like something you could
be watching it in a movie theater. If you didn't know who those people
were, you might think you're looking at Hollywood actors. Yeah, and they
didn't have a whole lot, you know, to to pull off as far
as the the lines, right, Like the script was minimal, but like
Peyton Siva and Luke Hancock. Like again, if I didn't know who those
guys were, I would say that those guys are actors. And again,
it wasn't as if they had to play a lead role in a feature film.
The video itself was about three minutes long, but really well done.
And I think you I'm gonna play it, John, because obviously if you
haven't seen it, you're gonna think to yourself, you know, But I
think you can just hear the narration and what's going on and know sort of
what they're trying to what the what the story is here in this short film,
and it's about the portal and how coach Kelsey has completely used the portal
to build this team. But yeah, here we go. This is this
and and if there's things like I feel like you need to know who's saying
something, I'll tell you. But this is Operation Revival, a short film.
Ladies and gentlemen, We have breaking news tonight. Pat Kelsey, head
coach for rublemen's basketball. It's just moments away from entering what appears to be
the transfer portal at the KFC Young Senate. So they've got him walking in
a space suit. Revival. A live newscast talking about it has captured the
world's attention as we await further updates from his team monitoring the mission. So
this is Cardinal Command Center. Do you copy loud and clear Cardinal Command Operation
Revival Ready to rock copy of that coach caship Portal Activation sequence initiated stand by
for transition Rock Soviet pauses just to give you the scene here. And by
the way, you haven't go you haven't watched you go check it out.
It's all over social media. Louisllman's basketball all their pages has it. But
that's Luke, Luke Hancock and Peyton Siva in what looks to be like a
real command center. As Pat Kelsey's dressed up like he's about to go to
space, and uh, he's not going to space. He's going into the
portal. And I guess through the communication there, Peyton is kind of leading
him on this, on this whatever you call it, expedition. Yeah,
exactly that Cardinal Command online. Ready, Coach Kloman opened the portal portals open,
sir. So that's Coach that voice you heard there that said the portal's
opened. So that was such a subtle part of it that I thought was
really well done. Coach Brian Clohman is Pat Kelsey's top assistant, which,
by the way, when we had Coach Kelsey on a few weeks ago,
he actually shared that it was Coach Clohman who kind of came up with the
revival thing, which has clearly become the new slogan here. But he's it's
almost like he's got like the power to open it up, which I'm you
know, as as Coach Kelsey's top assistant, I'm sure he was heavily involved
in everything they did within the portal. All right, y'all, let's go
get some dudes entering the portal. Now, he looks like an astronaut.
Comssen or to Coach Kelsey, what are you seeing there? It's like nothing
I've ever seen before. It's a sea a red. We seem to be
experiencing some technical difficulties. Oh, I think we may have lost him in
the portal. Lost our communication with PK. PK. This is Cardinal Command.
Please respond. We will update you as soon as we find out what
is going on. What we do know now is that Coach Kelsey's whereabouts are
currently unknown. Uh oh, doesn't look good, guys, there's panic.
Card is your guy Coach Kelsey again, I'm back. Sorry for that brief
loss of communication. You will believe what we got in here. Operation Revival
going as planned, y'all. Can let Cardination know Louisville Basketball is back,
appitiating entry back to the yard, celebration in the command center, and now
he is returning from the portal his astronaut suit with the entire team, which
again he brought back from the portal. So I thought it was really really
well done. I mean a little corny, sure, but I just can't
get over it. Again. I'm a nerd for this, Tim. I
can't get over how good it looks like it's I mean, it is cinematic,
it's and apparently there's a there's a an entire crew of people behind the
scenes that now work in like content creation for high level athletic programs at big
universities, right, I mean you've got a department that, you know,
you've got three or four people that like they create cinematic type film content for
just a basketball program, and then one that does it just for football.
So I know JB. Allen, who's worked at UVL for a long time,
has was was, I guess, kind of the lead on this project,
with the help of a lot of other people who also work within the
creative department with UL Athletics. But yeah, video creative director JB. Allen
apparently is the guy who really turned this into a masterpiece, with the help
of a lot of other people as well. But yeah, I mean again,
if people are gonna like, if you go look at the reaction,
I mean, especially at a place like Twitter, I mean you're gonna see
like it's it's a toxic. Is it mostly self deprecation like from Louisville fans,
or is it Big Blue Nation coming over it's throwing their two ninety five
Big Blue Nation. I mean it's I'm not kidding you. I mean I
haven't looked at every response to it, but I feel like ninety percent of
anybody that is either right like like replying to it or quote tweeting it,
it's a Kentucky fan just saying, you know, never change Louisville. You
know, act like corny cornball exactly. I mean he's I mean, yeah,
like again, that's the first thing I said once we knew that Mark
Pope was going to be their coach. Like, look, I don't know
what's gonna happen with wins and losses, but like all that yeap and you
guys were doing about us having a corny dork like you probably should have some
self awareness and realize that's not you know, there's a lot of fodder out
there for rivalry smack talk. That's probably not one you want to go down
just because I mean, Mark Pope maybe a great coach. I think he's
a good coach. I don't know good he's gonna bea Kentucky but I think
he's good coach. I think he's a good guy. But like he's a
dork, So I guess that you know, I I don't have any reaction
or care of the Kentucky fans are making fun of it, because that's just
what we do in this rivalry. Like if Louisville was on the other end
in Kentucky made this video, we'd probably make it fun of them, Like
that's just how that's how this works. So I feel like there wasn't nearly
as much backlash last year when they did the Louisville football videos, like the
spoof from Top Gun Mavericke. Oh yeah, I feel like that was universally
appreciated. Maybe YEAHS weren't super involved with that one as much, but I
forgot about that. You're right, like that that was a big hit,
like like that that went viral not just around here, but around like the
college football internet, Like people thought that was really cool. It was really
the same thing, really really well done cinematic. I just couldn't relate because
I've never watched the movie, but it was well done. And yeah,
I don't know, I don't know what led to this getting a little bit
Maybe I don't know. Maybe it's because, let's be real, they can
make fun of Pat Kelsey, but like until he gets a couple of years
in or there's some results there, Like they don't really have anything to grasp
onto, you know what I mean, Like anything Louisville does, they're just
gonna says corny and lame because it's Loserville. Because that's I mean, we're
all getting to know each other a little bit. But even though we don't
know a lot about Mark Pope and his personality and like you know how he's
gonna do same thing it could be said about Pat Kelsey. Here's what we
know as Louisville fans and Kentucky fans. We don't like each other, and
we're gonna make fun of each other because it's the rivalry, you know what
I mean. So like anything I think right now is gonna be viewed as
fair game to make fun of because it's it's all brand new. A year
I mean, imagine a year ago me saying that the new coaches for Louisville
basketball in Kentucky basketball are going to be Pat Kelsey and Mark Pope, Like
I would have been laughed out of town. I mean, I wouldn't mean
if you'd have told me that and showed me proof one that'd being awesome that
you you know, be able to you know, show me what happens in
the future. But like I wouldn't still wouldn't believe it because it just doesn't
seem in any way, you know, believable at all. But again,
for me, it's just the fact that you're still keeping fans engaged with the
program with this kind of stuff on social media. I think the TBT,
which has nothing to do with this current I mean, if Kenny Payne was
still here, they'd still have the TBT, I would believe. But you
know, Pat Kelsey's gonna be there Freedom Hall supporting those guys. I'm sure
whenever Fox does the broadcast, he'll probably do uh, he'll probably sit in
and do a you know, an interview with Fanta, which, by the
way, how about John Fanta come into town. He's going to be calling
the tvt Johnny's going to come join us in the studio for a show.
Oh wow, that'll be aweso. Yeah, I'm looking forward to catching up
with Fanta, who, by the way, like I've known John Fanta for
about five six years now, back when he just worked specifically for the Big
East. We've had him on the show many times. My man Fant is
blown up like he's he's I mean, he's always been super talented, but
like, I don't know what's led to it other than him just continuing to,
you know, be able to grow his brand. He did a lot
of games on Fox this year for college basketball, and yeah, fantas like,
I feel like, you know, I'm gonna be a little starstruck whenever
I see Fanta in studio with us, because he's he's become like one of
the guys in college basketball. Does he carry around the Fanta soft drink?
I don't know any sponsor they still make that. I thought it. I
get Fanta and Fago mixed up. Okay, Yeah, there is two different
ones. Which one is for the gathering of the juggalos. I think that
I think that maybe I don't know. I just remember the the one of
Fonta commercials. It was like the four ladies and they were like always dancing
around. I always thought those were really funny. Yeah, so, uh,
I think Fago is for the for the gathering of the juggalos icep.
I mean, I don't think you have to drink it. I don't think
you have to drink it if you're there, vice versa. But like that's
what a lot of people associate that drink with and that has nothing to do
with that. That's like the least compatible thing for John Fanta, the gathering
of the Juggalos and same clown Possi. So I don't know, yea,
if he doesn't have an endorsement deal with Fanta, he should, I mean,
that's a swing and a miss if he doesn't. All right, quick
break, we'll come back on the other side. Keep this thing rolling along.
Get back to the text line. Appreciate you guys being interactive with us
today. And look, I know that everybody's feeling the impact of just everything
being way more expensive than it once was. But there is a TikTok that's
gone viral that I want to play for you guys that really, I think
will put in perspective like how insane it is, not like since twenty twenty,
since twenty twenty two, two years ago, the increase that in just
everything is costs more and it's insane, sad, But well, I mean,
I guess we wait and see if it gets better. But like usually
I feel like prices never go back down exactly. That's what scares me.
Like, I don't mean this is just the new way of life, which
I hated. It's sad, but all right, don't go anywhere again.
It's coffee and company. Keep it locked right here on Sports Talk seven ninety
so is this insane clown posse? It is with the song Juggalo Homies.
I gotta be honest with you. I don't think I could name a single
song of theirs, and I'm not sure I would know them if you played
them. They were never really my cup of tea, but you know they
are. They just music. I feel like they're so like that they had
such a cult following, but I feel like it was because of something other
than just music. Yeah, I feel like they really didn't they wrestle at
some point. I think they were professionally. The crowd is normally like kind
of the gothy crowd, but like they're not like your typical goth if that
makes sense. I mean they like paint their face and stuff like you know,
so, yeah, shout out to ACP. They're still around, right,
like they're not. I think they're not dead, are they? Yeah?
For some reason, I feel like they might have made a louder than
life appearance. It more. Really, I could be wrong. I know
they're not coming this year, but it wouldn't surprise. They kind of fit.
They fit the vibe. Oh yeah, I mean I but but again,
I feel like that I was gonna say that's that event has become like
the biggest rock even still, you got three six Mafia coming around. Yeah,
Joey, Valence and Brain. So didn't Snoop Dogg do it one year
or something? I was supposed to? I think he was the year that
COVID gotcha, so he did end up doing that. Can you name the
name of the two guys that make up in Saint Clown Possi? I can't,
Violent Jay and Shaggy Too Dope. Violent Jay and Shaggy Too Dope.
Violent Jay is the guy who if you wiped off the makeup from his face,
you might believe that it's Guy Fieri. Okay, you know I'm talking
about the bond is and then the other one that's bald is is Shaggy two
Dope. So anyway, shout out to i CP. All right, so
I'm want to turn this into like, you know, a complaining session.
But if we all could collectively complain about something I feel like, regardless of
rooting interest, regardless of what side of a rivalry you're on, Like,
nobody can be cool with the amount of money we're paying for everything, like
just going to any store. I mean everything is way more expensive cost of
living. I mean, it's and that happens, right, that that happens
over time, But the drastic change in like two years is still crazy to
me. Like it's not surprising. I guess when you go to the register
and you check out and you see a number that you were dreading because you
knew it was gonna be expensive. Like I guess eventually you get kind of
used to that. But it wasn't that long ago when it was substantially cheaper
to just live, to just live. So there is the video that has
gone viral on TikTok from this young guy who I guess realized he can go
back and look at his previous Walmart orders because that's how we get groceries now.
We buy online. We didn't start doing it until like a year ago,
and it's so convenient. I mean, sometimes they mess up and forget
something. Sometimes you get food that you didn't order, and obviously you just
get to keep it. Like somehow we ended up with two humongous packs of
ribs which we don't even eat, but my wife showed them to me.
She was like, you want going to make these? And I'm like,
hell yeah, and they were delicious. So it's not perfect, but it's
so convenient. Still costs money, but it's worth it. I mean,
the amount of money you have to pay a month just to have that service
and then you know, you tip your driver and stuff, like, it's
totally worth it in my opinion, especially because of convenience. But this guy's
been doing it for a while now and he went back to the you can
so if you have like a I'm sure people use the app this way to
where they just know, hey, here's here's an order of the essentials that
I know I'm gonna need every two weeks. And I go in and I
just hit reorder and it you know, you don't have to search for it
anymore, like it's right there. Well, this guy pulled up his grocery
order from years ago, two years ago, in fact, exactly two years
ago, fifty three items, and the difference in what it would cost today
to order these fifty three items compared to what it costs two years ago is
is absolutely insane. Let me see if I can get this video to play
for you. Here we go, let's see. I just like look through
my Walmart history and I found this, like Walmart order from two years ago
for the whole month worth of groceries forty five items cost one hundred and twenty
six dollars. A whole month of groceries just for me, basically. But
I did notice this reorder all button, and I wanted to see how much
it would cost now. Now, this order of forty five items for one
month would have cost four hundred and fourteen dollars. Think about that. The
same order two years later, fifty three items in twenty twenty two, it
cost one hundred and twenty six dollars and sixty seven cents. Today it would
cost four hundred and fourteen dollars and thirty nine cents. I'm sure there's all
kinds of examples people could really dig up that really put in perspective how much
more you're spending. But I think if you do that as somebody who is
living not necessarily just check to check. But obviously you don't have a lot
of disposable income like it would make you depressed. Even one I mean,
it's just it's crazy. That's nearly I thout that that's like a three hundred
ndred percent increase in cost inflation. Wasn't that bad? No? Never,
never, never, And you know, I don't. I don't get into
you know, maybe this is a bad way to look at it, but
it's what keeps me happy in life. I assume I have no control over
this, but I don't. And I know people will say, well,
no, if you you better pay attention to you vote for Okay, Well
yeah, I mean, but like I still live my life, just wanting
to assume that, like, just deal with whatever comes your way, accept
it, and don't you know, don't get been out of shape about something
like, for example, whoever wins the election in November. Obviously I have
a preference, but whoever wins the election in November, Like I'm going to
tell myself, you know, if it's somebody that I didn't want, I'm
going to say, well, you know what, Oh, well, like
I got to live my life, right, you know, I can't.
I can't dwell on it because I can't do anything about it now. And
you know, but I just I it's insane to see that big of a
difference, and this isn't this what I'm getting. This isn't sustainable right,
Like here, I am turning into like a political talk show host and I'm
not even really talking politics politics specifically, but the country is not sustainable with
the prices of everything climbing the way that it is. I feel like companies
continue to just push and push and push until they start to see a significant
enough of a decrease in customer purchases. And that's kind of what I feel
like you're seeing with fast food restaurants. Like I think it's a few of
the You may have even mentioned this on the show a couple of weeks ago.
I think it was like McDonald's or Wendy's is putting out a new value
menu, and now that the other fast food restaurants are trying to do the
same because people just aren't going to fast food restaurants. Yeah, they they
had. I'm not sure what they're Here's what I think is happening, and
maybe this is just the way I choose to look at it. I can't
have no facts to prove this or anything like that, but I think I'll
probably still post these fast food restaurants, probably record breaking revenue, but sales
themselves will be down, Visits will be down because not as many people are
going, but the people who do go are paying forty to fifty percent more
than they did two years ago for certain things at fast food places. So
they are going to know they can still get those people to do it,
because hey, you've raised the prices and you're still you're still full at the
drive through because enough people, even if it is hitting them hard in the
pockets, they're still going to get fast food because they don't want to cook.
But now you're going to try to put together a value menu that can
cater to those people who stop coming because they quite literally cannot afford it,
like they don't have the money in their account to pay for a meal at
you know, certain places. And that's I just I think that there's certain
things that just have been well everything else is expensive, So let's every industry
raise every price and we can't. There's no like it's not costing them any
more money for certain things, probably as far as supplying it, you know,
but it's just an it's an excuse that every industry can use, now
you know what I mean? Yes, that that that's what it takes money.
Nobody's going to do enough digging on their own to see if it really
matters. And again, like I think it might have been Starbucks, and
I've never given them business ever because it's just not my kind of thing,
Like there is don't quote me on that. Maybe it's not Starbucks, but
it was one of these places that you know is expected to post a record
number, you know, of revenue, which you know, to me says
that business is great and they're just charging more people more money because they know
that they can and they're going to pay for it. And look, I
guess they're entitled to do that, but like everything has skyrocketed and it's is
aggravating when they use the excuse, Oh, it's just inflation, man,
Yeah, it's inflation. Yeah. I mean like if I sell, you
know, a used car that is not that I'm not using, can I
now like just add twenty five percent and so, well, you know inflation?
Yeah, I mean, what do you? I mean? Like it
it's just an excuse for everybody. And as you said earlier, and I'm
with you, you don't usually see us go backs, right, Like the
only thing that really fluctuates is gas prices. Yeah, that's true, and
it can fluctuate in a major way. Ye, be honest with you.
Like, I remember the COVID gas prices. I mean obviously that was because
people were not driving. Yeah, I mean you could get gas for like
a dollar fifty. I feel like, yeah, I miss that. All
right, let's go to the text line five two six five three zero seven
ninety. That is the Llen and Federal Credit Union text line. Members get
more at Ellen and Federal Credit Union. You can learn more and open your
account today at LNFCU dot com. So this text says Nick. As excited
as I am about basketball, I still find it very weird that I can
see our entire team walking alongside Pat Kelsey dressed as an astronaut and I can't
pick out that many of the guys on the roster. Yeah, I mean,
like that's just that. Look, this is an extreme roster rehaul,
if that makes sense. Is that a word rehaul restructuring maybe because overhaul is
the word I think I was going before there. Ye. Sorry, sometimes
that just you know, just blame it on inflation. Yeah, exactly,
it's inflation's fault, damn it. But this is this is not going to
be the norm where you have an entire new team. In fact, we
talked about it earlier, Kentucky and Louisville both entire new, entirely new teams,
entirely new coaching staffs. That the only two Power five programs in college
basketball, they don't return a single player that played any any basketball for them,
So that's because of coaching change took place. So the days of having
roster continuity like we used to, that's not happening anymore. But this is
extreme, So I think more often than not, you're going to see some
fred You know, maybe a couple of freshmen come in and they're going to
be new, and you know that they probably won't be expected to play a
whole lot because again, if if you're a really good freshman that can make
an impact, you'll find some minutes. But with the portal making it to
where coaches don't have to be young if they want to be young, a
lot of them are gonna want to be young. So I just think freshmen
are going to have a harder time unless they're elite at really making an impact
right away, especially at a top or Power five program. So I think,
you know, the goal is that you want to bring back the guys
that you want back, and I think you know, let's say there are
six guys that you that you know you're you want back. Is the head
coach from you from your previous year's team. I'd say if you get four
of them, you feel like you did a pretty good job. Because if
you get the four guys back, that means they're happy with their role.
They're being taken care of an NIL and they're probably expecting maybe even a bump
in NIL or a bump in playing time, like they're going to have a
bigger role because they're coming back, like you're gonna have returning players. And
if you're good and you have the NIL stuff in place, you may still
lose them to the portal because you just never know anymore. But that's all
that's best you can do. If a guy's being paid really well and he's
got a he's got a really good role where he's get a lot of minutes,
he's a big factor in what you do, and he still chooses to
leave, Like people are gonna blame the coach, but like these guys sometimes
are gonna leave and it's nobody's fault. They just are doing it because they
can. So if you get four guys back and you get you know,
let's say you bring in three freshmen, Let's say you got five guys back,
or let's say you get all six like I think more often than not
for Louisville. Programs like Louisville, you're gonna probably see you get thirteen scholarship
players. I'd say six to seven newcomers every year, with seventy five percent
being transfers that are ready to come in and play right away, and then
the other twenty five percent being freshmen, and it'll fluxuate. Right maybe one
year you have a bigger class of freshmen, so you don't bring back as
many, you don't bring in as many transfers. So the days of like
just knowing everybody on your team because everybody came back and the only newcomer is
too is a freshman or two, that's just not realistic anymore. The game
has changed. You know, when Louisville was preseason top five in the country
in twenty twenty twenty nineteen twenty twenty, of course, the year that is
forgotten because of COVID. They brought back everybody, which is why they were
preseason, you know, top five, top ten, opinting on where you
look, because that team, you know, I thought overachieved in year one
for MAC and then they brought everybody back. Jordan Warra really showed that he
was a hell of a player, you know, Dwayne Sutton, I mean,
the team was. They brought back good players, then they added fresh
Kimball, who at the time was a big get pre portal. I say
pre portal because nobody called it the portal until like everybody could transfer, right,
like the portal became a thing, or maybe it just became more known.
But like there used to be dudes who transferred because they had a grad
year or they got injured, and yet they took a red shirt and they've
graduated. They don't have to sit out, So you know, I get
it. Like looking back at especially these guys who are back in Louisville getting
ready for the TVT like Kyle Kerrich, we watched his journey from start to
finish, Peyton Russ, those guys, even Shane Bhannon, who of course
his you know, journey ended a little premature due to some other but like
that's just not the way it's gonna be anymore. It can still happen,
but it's going to be I think an extreme rare situation when you see a
really good team and you look at their rotation of seven man eight man,
and like six to seven of them are dudes who've been there three years,
who've just kind of grinded their way up. I mean again, it can
happen. It's not impossible. You're allowed to do it. I just don't
think that's how you're going to see these rosters of all of over time.
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number if you want to give them a call. All right, don't go
anywhere. We'll come back and wrap up the four o'clock hour. On the
other side, it's called Company Field. Beth Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety.
This question came in earlier. Were gonna have a whole lot of time
left here in the four o'clock hours, So uh, text line we go.
It's the Ellen in Federal Credit Union tex line. But this question says,
Nick, did you notice the lack of the Louisville presence in the NBA
Summer League? What's up with that? I did not notice that. I
haven't watched any summer league yet. But you know now that you say that,
I can't think of many Louisville players that I've seen are playing in the
summer league. I mean, the summer league is tricky because there's not a
whole lot of evidence that anybody has taken the opportunity with a summer league invite
to really kind of revive their career. In fact, there's a lot of
examples of dudes who were really, really good in the summer League that like,
it didn't turn out to do to mean anything. There were guys that
were, you know, not that effective, like for example, Wim Binyama
if you remember last year that was a big talking point in the summer league,
is that he he didn't look like he belonged on the floor at times,
and he ended up having a phenomenal rookie season. You know, in
fact, he was way better as a rookie than I realized he was.
I knew he was really you know, productive and didn't look like a bust
or anything, but he was good. So it may just be that you're
seeing seeing guys that just have decided like I'm going I now know, and
I'm content with the fact that I'm going to be a professional basketball player,
but it's not going to be in the NBA, So I don't need to
go risk injury and play you know, for for pennies in Vegas and and
you know, waste my time. Really, so I think it's pretty obvious
that that usually is not a great resource. But then again, it is
a connection to the NBA. Right You're playing for an NBA team in their
summer league, and that's at least I guess a foot in the door.
Maybe Another thing you have to keep in mind is the is the the Olympics
are coming up. Like for example, like right now, you've got three
former Louisville players that are all competing to try to earn a roster spot on
the South sud Anne team for the Olympic Games coming up, and they're in
training camp. And that's Carlik Jones, Mango, Mattheang and Dingadell who car
League certainly could be in the in the Summer League, and I think he'd
be a good guy to I think he'd ball out if he got a chance
to play in the summer league. So yeah, I mean another factor is
that Louisville has not put guys in the NBA in a while, right,
I mean, who's the last was David Johnson? I guess David Johnson was
the last NBA draft pick for Louisville. And you know, I was surprised
that David didn't play. I mean he was. He's been in the G
League really since he got into the NBA or since he got drafted, and
you know, he's been effective in the G League and usually guys like him
in that position. I feel like typically end up end up playing in the
summer league, but he's not, and he'll be playing for the TBT,
which is great. At least I haven't seen that he's on a summer league
roster. Yeah, David was the last guy drafted in twenty twenty one,
and war A drafted in twenty twenty. I'm curious, you know, you
didn't have a guy drafted in the last three NBA drafts. I wonder what
the longest draft is for Louisville not to have somebody taken in a draft.
That'd be a good trivia question. I think I've just found it here by
looking at the the seventy seven player breakdown all Louisville players that have ever been
drafted in the NBA. In nineteen ninety seven, you had Dwan Wheat and
then you didn't have another draft pick until Reese Gains in twenty two thousand and
three, which again that was the time where you know, things kind of
fell apart there at the end for Denny and you know Rick got here in
what two thousand and one, So that's a big factor. That's a big
part of it, right, Like Chennanu got drafted and he's obviously playing well
professionally, and there's just I don't think there's any benefit from him playing in
the summer league because he's not going to play in the NBA. And then
Donovan and Terry Rozier and you know those guys, they're they're they're doing well
enough to where you know, they don't need to play in the summer league.
All right, quick break, we'll come back and keep this thing rolling
along. Five o'clock hour, coming up next, talk a little more about
what Jeff Brohm had to say. It is press conference earlier today, and
you know, mix it up here in the five o'clock hours, So stick
around right here on Sports Talk seven ninety