It's time for coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine
day. Now here's Nick Coffee. All right, let's get the four o'clock
hours started. Shall we Coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk
seven ninety. That is us. My name is Nick Coffee. The company
man John Alden. He's with me for the next couple of hours, and
then we are out of here for a extended weekend celebrating the fourth of July.
And I want to get the four o'clock hours started by letting you guys
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I'm sure many of you have been like that or maybe are like that currently,
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right, So I just saw this during the break and it's just a reminder
of how stupid the NCUABLEA is. I mean, you got to have rules
in place, and you have to hold people accountable if they break rules,
because if you don't, then there really is no point of a rule.
It's not a rule if you don't have to actually follow it and you don't
have to suffer any consequence for not following it. But whenever you see self
reported NCUAA violations from schools, I used to just assume, oh, oh,
like they must have done something crazy bad, but usually like if you
self report, In fact, how often has a self reported violation been something
major? I mean there was a time where the NCUAA had a lot more
power. You were fearful of them. You still should be here, I
mean technically they do still. I mean college sports as of now still technically
falls underneath the organization that is the NCULEA. But now we've seen firsthand.
You can hire lawyers, you can fight them in court, and they just
they don't have a lot of power. They keep losing, they keep taking
l's meaning the NCAA. But when they used to have the ability to put
fear into you. Anytime you heard instead of a violations, rather it be
somebody breaking a story or self reported violations by the school, you just assume
the worst. At least I did, and unfortunately, as a louisvl fan,
I got a lot more experience than other fan bases, because you know,
we've had a lot of issues when it comes to that kind of stuff.
But that's all in the past now. But here are some things that
had to be self reported that are coming out of Tuscaloosa. So Alabama has
reported eleven n CUAAA violations and only one of them came from men's basketball,
zero came from football, men's golf. Non athletic staff member tended two meals
where recruits were present. That's a violation. Yeah, oh dude, you
you'd have no. I mean, they're the things that are in that rule
book that you know again rule viola. If you break the rule, it's
a violation. I mean that's technically what It blow your mind, you know
there, if you're non athletic staff, you can't be near recruits. I
mean, just to give you an example, when Chris Jones, who,
by the way, long time ago, Chris Jones was visiting Louisville while he
was at junior college did juco All American And by the way, I keep
forgett he's going to play on the Louisville TBT team coming up here in a
few weeks, which he should be a good asset to the squad this year.
But Chris Jones was tailgating at a u of L football game with Rick
Patino over in that spot if you know, the area where the men's basketball
team used to always hang out in tailgate near the right where the cabooses start
the tailgating caboos is like right under that underpass to the to the far right
if you're looking away from the stadium, and Vinnie Tatum would set up over
there, and some other officer Dale who's been the officer that's been I guess,
you know, security and really the officer that's around the men's basketball program
for many many years. They would all hang out over there, and you'd
see occasionally Patino. That was rare, but you'd see Patino sometimes. You'd
often see assistant coaches, and you would often see players. And I remember
he was visiting and I took a picture with him, and I think I
might have been Angel Nunez who was was Maybe Angel was already gone. Either
way, I took a picture of Chris Jones tailgating and ink he might have
been next to There were other players around, and I think I tweeted something
along the lines that said Hey, Chris Jones seems to be enjoying his visit.
Here he is, you know, with Shane Bhannon and somebody else.
Well, I guess because I'm a credential media member, and I made the
comment that, like, he's enjoying his visit, or maybe I said he
says he's enjoying his visit, because I did talk to him. You know,
I was trying to get in. I was trying to get info at
the time to like see how his visit was going, which you know,
I wasn't like I was like, hey, you know, can I get
a picture with you? I'm a big fan, but like, I was
just trying and I went over there to talk to some people that I knew
and saw that he was there, and then that's when I was like,
hey, you know, you enjoying yourself when't like a formal interview, but
I was just trying to get some feedback or whatnot. In fact, it
was an assistant coach who introduced him to me whenever that happened. But anyways,
I got a call from Kitny Klein the next day on Sunday and he
was like, hey, can you take that picture down? I was like,
sure, you know why what happened, and that was an instead of
a violation because I was a credentialed media media member and I was I was,
I guess interviewing a recruit visiting that was like an unofficial visit or something
like that, like you can take pictures of him, you can, you
can say they're there. But it was because I implied and probably didn't imply,
I probably said it that I had communicated with him while he was visiting.
That was an instead of a violation. So that was when it really
hit me just how stupid this stuff is. But back to Alabama swimming and
diving coach is mistakingly paid for transfer recruits meal valued at thirty two dollars what
I mean mistakingly paid for. So I guess if he's a transfer recruit,
you can't pay for their food, I guess, And maybe you can.
Here's what I think happened. They probably are allowed to pay, like with
funds for the school to like put you know, to feed some of the
other swimmers and whatnot, but the visitor who was potential transfer, you're not
allowed to do that. So maybe that's where the rural broke broke place.
An associate women's soccer coach accidentally email or recruit before the permissible date. An
assistant women's rowing coach worked at a privately owned camp that didn't meet institutional camp
requirements. Gymnastics staff had contact with a potential recruit before the permissible date.
A baseball recruit made an official visit before being added to the NCAAL Eligibility Center's
institutional request list. A swimming coach had in permissionble electronic contact with an athlete
who hadn't initiated a notification of transfer yet. I mean, that's essentially tampering,
is making contact with somebody who hadn't initiated the notification of transfer, which,
by the way, tweeting your transferring is not a notification. Notification of
transfer is letting your compliance people at the university know. They then put it
in the system and it goes to the nc DOUABLEA. So like it's to
me, it just seems silly, I mean, with like, why does
any of that really matter in the grain scheme of things? Now, you
know what I mean? Like, it just doesn't matter, especially doesn't give
you, it doesn't give you an advantage. What percentage of schools do you
think tamper with the transfer all the time exactly, and you know what,
you know what I here's what I actually, here's what I hate about coaches
complaining about tampering. One they probably do it too, but also put somebody's
name on it. Like I just think it's you really think think about it.
It's a weak thing to do in the current landscape of college athletics for
a coach to you know, call out somebody, or basically they don't.
They're not calling somebody out, They're just saying that people are tampering. And
I mean, you know, it's almost like you're you're already making excuses for
not having success. That and sol is the most common thing here. I
feel like, oh yeah, this is one that I'm looking here down on
a long list of self reported violations over the years. This was from Clemson.
A Clemson football player impermissively sold team issued gear, triggering a level three
instead of a violation. I mean, you can't do that, although I
know a lot of level players who have done it, and I'm sure Kentucky
now you can, by the way, Which that's funny timing here because earlier
this week there was an Ohio State recruit, by the way, Like,
if you're a big time Ohio State recruit, you're making a ton of money
right now. Like if you're a player on the Ohio State team and you're
a high level player, you're making a lot of money. Nil Yet Jim
Tressel, a very successful coach for them, got fired because of violations that
took place whenever his star quarterback paid for a tattoo because he didn't have any
money, paid for a tattoo by giving away some of his jersey, some
of his gear. So there was a player earlier, might have been the
running back for Ohio State that got a new tattoo himself and he gifted you
know, he added a tip to the tattoo, which I didn't know that
was the thing, and it was his signed jersey. Like I mean that
you're clearly doing that, you know, to make the joke, but like
it is a reminder for people how crazy college athletics is now compared to what
he once was. And I guess I shouldn't say it's crazy. It's just
so different. It's a different world. This is one from Michigan. Like,
how do you even like I would I would love to be the person
that got in trouble for this and go in for the NCAA and mess with
him. But this is the violation an analyst coached instead of analyzing. I
would love to say, Okay, I'm gonna fight this charge. I want
to I want to meet with the infractions committee whoever the hell it is that
you know puts this stuff in. You know that that tries to, you
know, hold people accountable for these silly violations, and say, okay,
prove it, prove that I was coaching and not analyzing. You can't so
stupid. There's some more here, but we'll move on. I just I
you know, it's it's just a reminder for me that the nc double a
kind of lives in its own world because these things probably happen all the time,
all the time, and there are people who I guarantee you work in
college athletics at some level, or they've been players, and they've committed violations
and would never even know that it was a violation. I mean, this
is a good example of just how I mean, like, what is the
point of of of like what what competitive advantage is somebody getting? I mean,
I know, again, if you have a role in place and you
don't hold somebody accountable for breaking the rule, then you know it's not really
a rule. But again, these shouldn't be rules like this. This shouldn't
exist, some of this silly stuff. But Katie George, when she was
a student athlete at uf L, she was also going through the process of
she was Miss Kentucky and I don't you know, while still playing volleyball and
throughout that process of the pageant, you know, she's I don't want to
say training for but you know, getting ready for it, and there's a
lot that goes into it and there and she told the story on the air.
She used to be a part of our morning show. In fact,
she got hired the same time I did, back in twenty sixteen. And
now she's, you know, moved on up. She's she's the one you
see interviewing, you know, players after they win an NBA championship or players
after they win a college football national championship. She's doing big things. So
shout out to KG. But she told the story about how, while she
was still playing volleyball and going through the process of you know, the pageant
and whatnot, she got something from somebody. I think she I think it
might have been a pillow. It might have been a somebody gifted her a
pillow because she'd mentioned how she was really having a tough time sleeping or something.
And it led to her realizing that the NABAA was looking into her because
throughout the process of going through the you know, becoming Miss Kentucky, she
was going to probably get like sponsorships or get you know, things gifted to
her or compt you know, she was gonna get camped. And I think
somebody worked at like a store. I don't know, I know, I'm
not making it something about a pillow and the n double A came in and
was like, look, you have you have to turn all that stuff back
in or you have to pay back money to the n C double A of
what that of what that cost. And it was just like an eye opener
for me because they, I mean, it's like the investigation process wasn't as
if we're investigating you for something silly that doesn't matter that you really wouldn't even
get in trouble for I think the people that are working like for the n
S double A investigating they treat it like you might go to prison, Like
it's just they take them elves way too seriously, and they just they're not
needed like that's they're needed for smaller level college sports and they have value there
just because they are the organization. They are, you know, the governing
body essentially, but man high level college sports, it's pro sports now,
that's what it is. Like MEANSBOL is not needed. They're just in the
way. Like the breakaway will happen at some point. I don't know when
it happens, but it's gonna happen, and I don't know if it's gonna
be for better for worse as far as college athletics as we know it.
But they they're just not needed. But anyways, we'll move on all right.
Again it's coffee and company. We are fueled by Thornton's here on a
sports talk seven to ninety. Appreciate you guys hanging out with us as though
we gain as we again get you set for the holiday weekend looking forward to
the fourth of July. We did talk about the weather earlier. We're not
mediorologists here, but it doesn't look like weather is expected to be great.
But I do want to remind you fifty percent of a chance of rain like
doesn't mean it's gonna rain. I mean, like, let's be real,
they've probably had seventy eighty percent chance of rain, and I mean they're wrong
often. So let's hope that tomorrow is in fact a day where they are
there they are wrong, because you know, it'd be nice to be nice
to get to get some nice weather, hang out around the pool. I
mean, I'll probably end up going to my mom's. I think they're gonna
have a cookout and you know, celebrate, celebrate America, celebrate our freedom.
All right, So real quick, this is uh, this is something
that was in our show sheet earlier today that gets sent out each day,
the fireworks. So says here that last year, ninety seven hundred people were
sent to the emergency rooms due to firework mishaps on the fourth of July.
Does that surprise you? Ninety seven hundred people? Is that the entire United
States? Yeah, that seems believable. It does seem like a lot of
people. But when you consider the entire country, I guess it's not too
bad. But how many people like I'm not setting off fireworks? You're not
set off fireworks? Right? Like? You know, it's not like you
know, you got to consider the amount of people who are actually lighting them
off. Like, if you've got if you've got if you've got ninety to
one hundred people gathered around watching fireworks, there's probably two peoples lighting those off,
you know what I mean. Yeah, but I guess you got to
think about some of the larger areas to like New York, if they're if
they're at a large firework show and maybe something goes wrong and at one of
the sections, and you get not a mass number of people, but more
than you would typically expect. Maybe that's what inflates burns types numbers, burns
to the hands or face. Blast injuries, including loss of fingers, and
eye injuries were the most common, so you know stall eye or just eye
injuries, eye injuries, loss of loss of fingers, which you know,
there's I'm sure there are tragic accidents where people have lost their finger, lost
multiple fingers, have lost their hand, but like that's not that common.
Like that's not common at all, right, Like somebody like it's one thing
to you know, get burned, it's one thing to you know, hurt
yours like this this notion that like every year a handful of people lose a
finger, Like I just have a hard time thinking that's real. But then
again, I say that as somebody who doesn't light off fireworks, so maybe
I don't realize just how dangerous it is whenever you're you're right there in front
of the you know, like, how would that happen? Though? You
just like being a dumb ass, being drunk or something like probably because if
you're losing a finger, doesn't that mean that it was in your hand when
it went off? I mean, what's the other you're losing exactly. Yeah,
So like if you are somebody that loses a finger lighting off a firework,
I'm going to assume that it's operator air and it's not the fireworks fault.
It's your fault. You're sticking your hand above where they're shooting off,
trying to be a dangerous And there's always you know, there's always somebody at
a firework party or you know. And I don't mean like if you go
to some like public park where the city, you know, where your community
is going to have a firework show, but I mean if you're just in
the neighborhood and you go to somebody's house and they've got it set up and
you know, there's the guy that spends way more money than most people,
and they just love to blow stuff up. They're in their own element.
They just love loud noises, and you know this is their time to shine,
right. They're not worried about, Hey, did you put up any
money to enjoy these fireworks? They're telling you to sit down and enjoy the
show because this is what they do. They're firework guy like. They're always
eager to toe the line for somebody to say, hey, be careful,
I wait to stay because they I think they get off on like, you
know, want people to know. They're not afraid. They like to blow
stuff up. I still think that fireworks have been relatively mild where I lived,
John, I don't know about you, so I men told me earlier
it was bad. It was bad last like going into last weekend. It
hasn't been too terrible in the last couple of days. But at this point
they're saving up. They're waiting for Thursday. But here's the thing, though,
Friday too, Saturday too. Once Thursday hits, it's gonna be Thursday
through Sunday people knocking out or blowing up fireworks, no doubt about it.
No doubt about it. Has it been just loud you just notice it hasn't
been like super invasive yet, but like you just kind of hear it.
Like last night, when we were getting ready for bed, we heard a
couple of just noises. We thought something maybe had fallen in our living room,
But after hearing it multiple times, you're like, okay, never mind,
somebody in the distance is shooting off fireworks. Yeah. So last night
was the first night for us to where the kids were in bed. We
were on the couch watching a new show, which I do want to mention
later, a really good show on Apple TV that we I think we watched
four episodes last night. So we were up a little later than we usually
are, and every now and then I would hear, you know, a
big boom that clearly was a firework. It was coming from the street behind
us, but it wasn't It wasn't constant, and it wasn't really really late
where I used to live and even the house before that. I mean,
I swear to you, I'm not exaggerating. I feel like for ten days
prior to fourth of July, and then about four days after fourth of July,
it was every night. Now it wasn't the same level, but like
as you got closer to the fourth later and louder, and then of course
by you know, on fourth, like tomorrow night, like you know,
even if I am annoyed or something and by it, which I won't be,
like, I understand it's the actual holiday, you know what I mean,
But I don't know what it is. We did have some people reach
out on the text line earlier this week when we were talking about it,
saying that one of the reasons why they're just not is eager to do it
is because it is really expensive and you know a lot of other things.
In fact, everything else seems to be more expensive than it once was.
So maybe you're sacrificing with fireworks. And I would bet that some of you
that do that will realize you don't miss it. But maybe that's just me.
All right, quick break, we'll come back on the other side.
Keep this thing rolling along. I do want to talk a little bit about
lebron James's son, Bronnie James's contract, because anybody claim and we already know
there's nepotism involved here, but they're not even trying to hide it with the
contract he got so stick with us again. We are with you till six
o'clock right here Coffee and Company Field by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Does it get any more American than Brooks and Dunn? I'm not sure.
I mean, I said the same thing about Springsteen when you played it earlier.
But you know, Brooks and Done. Have you ever met anybody that
doesn't like Brooks and Done? Like, clearly some people like Brooks and Done
more than others. But like, who's saying no, I'm out on Brooks?
I'm with you, Like they don't have to be your cup of tea
every day of the week. But I don't. I couldn't tell you somebody
who doesn't appreciate I kind of feel like as a country, it's it's kind
of instincts as Americans to to kind of step forward and do something about it.
If you hear somebody talking down about Brooks and that's how That's how I
live my life. But that's just me, all right. So Bronnie James
last week drafted by the Lakers. Everybody saw it coming. And he's drafted
by the Lakers because his father is Lebron James and he plays for the Lakers.
And yet the last few days have really been and I guess it's late
last week after the draft, and of course yesterday when he had his press
conference when he was introduced as a Laker in LA. I just we all
know what this is. And I although I do realize the expectation of Bronnie
J James saying yeah, of course, yeah, I'm only here because my
dad. I mean, you gotta see me play. I'm not an NBA
guy. Come on like that. You know, I know he's not going
to say that, But don't lie to us, man, like you could
be a little a little more with us. In reality, we're not stupid.
And I've always said this about lebron James. He is the least self
aware person. He does not understand how he comes off. He has no
ability to read the room. He's not relatable to anybody, and I think
that has really been a big disservice to him as far as the public perception
of him. You know, he's not a criminal. He's usually been very
respectful when in front of a camera. You know, he's professional. He
flops a lot, you know, he cries and whatnot, but you know,
he's not a guy that, you know, you got to worry about
making the news because he's you know, doing something illegal or something shady.
I mean, he's he's you know, if you only don't like Lebron,
probably just hate him because they love Michael Jordan and they get triggered when somebody
acts as if he could be in you know, if he could sniff Jordan's
shoes, and I get that. You know, it's two legends. You
know, there's a lot of great players in the NBA, but let's be
real, the back to back all tom greats are Jordan, I mean Jordan
Lebron. So I've always felt though, like just him just being Lebron,
and I wish I had a better way to to to to I guess you
know convey what I'm what I'm trying to say here, But like how often
have you heard Lebron in a press conference or you've heard him in an interview
or after a game and you just or you see him flop and you're like,
oh, come on, Lebron, like really, like do you think
people are gonna believe that you were really fouled like that hard? Do you
really think that like they're not going to show the replay like there is there
a sniper up in the nosebleed seats that that took you down. Like,
I mean, come on, man like and everybody fly. But again,
when you're Lebron, there's a lot more eyeballs on you. So I've always
had a difficult not relationship with Lebron because this may surprise you guys, but
he doesn't know who hell I am. But I respect his greatness. And
what I mean by that is, yeah, he bounced around to teams,
created a super team. Like he didn't do it the way a lot of
other athletes would do it, but like, he's one of the best players
that's ever played this game. That's undisputable, and I you know, I'm
aware of that. I've at times rooted against him, at times I've rooted
for him. I do realize now that his run in Cleveland, when I
was all in it was only because I hated the Warriors that much. But
I want to like Lebron more than I do, because again, I think,
you know, it's insane to see that he's been able to exceed the
unbelievable hype that was attached to him whenever he came out of high school.
I mean back in two thousand and four, whenever he was leaving Saint Vincent,
Saint Mary. I mean, you know, you got to keep in
mind, you know, the internet was still relatively young at that point.
That was, you know, twenty one years ago, twenty years ago,
whatever it was, and you know, there hadn't been an athlete from the
high school ranks of in any sport that got that level of notoriety. I
mean it was unbelievable. And this day and age, I would feel like,
you know, if if the hype machine and the news cycle was now
what it was, if it was if it was the same way now as
it was back then, I don't think he would have been able to Cause,
again, we have everybody's got access to the inn and on their phone
now, right That wasn't the case back when Lebron was coming up, So
there would just be so much more hype around him. I think it would
have been impossible for him to meet those expectations. But you know, a
different time and again I think he's been I mean the fact that he now
has what is it for NBA Championships, I mean, he's still playing at
an insanely high level at this age. But you know, the one thing
that's always made me just kind of feel like, you know, I can't
do it. Man. I want to defend you to people who knock you.
I want to, you know, be able to say I was somewhat
of a fan when I watched your entire career because you know, he's I
didn't watch Jordan in the NBA, right, I was too young. Lebron's
gonna be the all time great. Kobe's up there too, but like Lebron
is a better all time player, and Lebron, I mean, he's he's
a legend. But if I've been annoyed and like just you know, bothered
and just done with Lebron doing things before, it's gonna be really bad with
his son. And I should have seen this coming. I guess we all
knew it was coming, but to hear the way the Lakers, Bronni and
Lebron have like discussed this thing as if like that's a weird question, Like
do you think that? I mean, like they're acting as if people are
out of line to ask questions if he was drafted by the Lakers because his
dad is Lebron James. I mean, it's just I mean, it's and
again, don't treat us like idiots. There are a lot of idiots out
there on one of them, so you know, I'm an idiot, but
not that big of an idiot to just oh, oh you really you go.
It's it's insulting, is what it is. So Bronni James was draft
did with the fifty fifty fifth pick. Fifty fifth pick, I think it
was. I mean, double check here, because he signed a contract that
is fully guaranteed. And when you look at the other players that were drafted
at that exact same spot in previous drafts, I mean it's I mean it's
it's nepotism, Like it's it's because his father's Lebron James. And I'm saying
that as if, like can you believe it happened? But like, this
is something that's avoidable if you were worried and you had any awareness or cared
at all about making it clear that you're you're gonna have to earn what you
get. And I don't mean brownie, he's not in charge of who gets
him a contract. But like this is proof that they think we're bigger idiots
than we really are, because they want us to think that this seven point
nine four year, seven point nine million, four years guaranteed is like because
of something he's done and proven and earned, Like it's just not Yeah,
seven point nine million over four years and all of it is guaranteed. Does
he have a better deal than Dalton Connect? I don't know what he got.
Oh, he also was drafted. No, Dalton Connect will have more
of a Dalton Connect's bigger contract will be will be bigger just because of it's
slotted at that rate, you know what I'm saying. Like when year that
early in the draft, which he fell just out of the lottery, so
he did miss out on some money, But no, just by the fact,
just because it's by the way, second round picks are not guaranteed for
anybody. He got a four year, fully guaranteed deal, Brownie James did.
So that's why it's so important to go in the first round because you
get guaranteed money. Now, the life changing money for you probably really comes
whenever you can get that second contract. But four years, seven point nine
million, I mean, let me give you the previous three draft picks that
were taken at that same at that same slot. Last year, it was
Isaiah Wong who played at Miami. Really good player, right acc Player of
the Year. He went to a Final four. He was the fifty fifth
pick by my Indiana Pacers. And his contract was a two way. Yeah,
it was a two way contract, not even like a I mean,
it was a two way deal where of course he's going to spend a lot
of time on a two way contract in the G League. But it was
for one year, five hundred and fifty nine thousand dollars in some change.
I mean, and everybody else other than one player in the last four years
at that spot all got two way contracts because that's what typically happens now with
those picks that late in the draft. You know, they've invested in you
a little bit more than they invest in guys that they signed to come on
and you know, try to make their team in camp. And Bronnie got
a guarantee of multiple millions of dollars. And it's just and I don't know
why I care, right, you know, he didn't need money. It's
not like I'm thinking, you know, he could play in the NBA for
ten years and not collect a diyme from the NBA as far as a salary
and still never need money. I mean, his father's a billionaire. I
mean, so it's not like I, you know, even if I didn't
like it, because I feel like he didn't deserve any money. He's gonna
always have money. It's not about that. But I just I can appreciate
those that read the room, understand the situation and don't try to just you
know, insult people. Not verbally, right, not with an actual insult,
But it is insulting to assume that anybody with a brain would hear and
see the nonsense of this entire situation and think that it's anything other than what
it is. I don't think it's crazy to think that they'll wheel him out
in the starting lineup either at this point, even if he doesn't deserve it.
I mean, you wouldn't. I mean, I wouldn't put it past
him. I mean again, like it's a conflict of interest. Like Lebron
James does not have the ability to be biased in this situation. He can
say that he does, but he doesn't. Just like me, you know,
I mean, if I if I'm coaching my son, like I'll be
honest with you, I don't want to coach my son at high level sports,
which I don't think I will, because I'm not a coach, but
it would be difficult because I would I would overthink it because I would,
I would probably do my son a disservice because I would always be in the
back of my mind thinking that it's going to look bad if I started him,
it's gonna look bad if I run a play for him to get the
last shot. Lebron's not worried about any of that, clearly, I mean,
and now I can. I think it's even more clear now why Dane
Hurley wasn't that interesting the Lakers. Oh God, I'm I don't think that's
crazy at all. And there's no think like, there's no scenario that Lebron
James did not have influence and say so in the contract that his son got.
There's no way, no way, because it's one thing to just draft
him because his dad's on the team and his dad as Lebron James, but
you know, to to give him that deal like that, it's not in
any way typical for anybody to get that kind of a contract for any team
that is drafted in that spot, and this kid got it. Any averaged
five points a game last year and shot less than twenty percent from three like
it's just insulting. Yeah, two way contract in twenty twenty one for Aaron
Wiggins of OKC, there was a foreign guy who did not get a two
way contract, which I think that's pretty rare for those guys to get a
two way contract because they they usually if they if they're on a two way
and they're making the two way money, which is like seventy Yes, this
guy gold Santo's for Golden State, was that pick in twenty twenty two,
and he had a seventy five thousand dollars guarantee on the contract. And clearly
he probably will, you know, go make more money playing in another country
where he's from, I would assume. But yeah, Isaiah Loong two way
contract. Again, two way contracts, very little of it's guaranteed. In
fact, sometimes nothing is guaranteed on a two way contract. Ronnie James seven
point nine million. I will correct myself, not all of it is guaranteed,
but four point four million of it is guaranteed, which is still a
lot of money. And here's the thing, it'd be different if he was
good. He's not right. I mean this may sound crazy, but anything
with the James family, apparently you can. Nothing's unbelievable. What if he
purposefully I'm talking about Brownie purposefully underperformed so it would be easier for the Lakers
to pick him later on in the draft and he ends up being better than
he looked in college. I mean, I wouldn't. Nothing would shock me.
Nothing would shock me. And for what it's worth, like I just
mentioned his five points a game. If he was even that, it might
have been less than that. And you know, that's not a good look
for him. But in a way, his season at USC you don't throw
it away like dead matter what you saw. But like you know, he
he probably has a better chance to actually be productive in that system in the
NBA, especially because his dad's looking out for But like at USC, he
he didn't play for a long time because he had that cardiac issue that kept
him out. They eased him back in and USC to be fair, I
mean one of the reasons that that that Andy Enfield was looking to get the
hell out of USC is because things just got really really sour between him and
the administration and the athletic department, because he did not want to take Ronnie
James because of everything that comes with it. That was a big talking point
when Bronie was recruit right, We had the conversation I think on the show
John like before we committed, like from going to like the Overtime Elite or
something. Yeah, yeah, that and and or going to Ohio State because
Lebron's of course big Ohio State fan, being from Ohio. And then when
he's gonna transfer, they talked about him going to transfer to Dekane And you
remember why, It's because one of Lebron's former high school coaches was Ducane's coach
and like that, you know, and and Bronnie would probably do much better
at that level, you know what I mean. So Andy Infield did not
want to draft Bronnie James for obvious reasons, I mean, because there's so
much that comes with it, and he was kind of forced to do it,
so they did and it just became it. So there's a chance that
maybe Andy Enfield, like you know, like, hey, he's thained himself.
Look, I'm getting out here when I can. They're gonna fire me.
I'm gonna leave, and this kid ain't good to play here, so
I'm not going to play him. So you know, he should ignore how
ineffective he was in one year at USC. But you know, it may
not tell the end because I don't think he's He's gifted physically, he can
jump out of the gym. He's built like he's been in the weight room
since birth. He's a really good defender, and he's eighteen years old.
So like you know, he could turn into being a good player. But
his dad hadn't done him any favors in my opinion when it comes to the
perception of this entire thing. But then again, how can I say that
knowing that his dad did a huge favor because without his dad, he's not
drafted. So real quick, this is Browny James. Whenever, whenever he
was asked about, you know, potentially playing with his dad, which of
course now he's going to You played one year at USC and joined the team,
you know after the season already began. What about the timing to come
into this year's draft compelled you to make that decision? And then how much
of a consideration was while my father is still an active player? For me,
you know, I always try to put that narrative of me trying to
get my name out for myself, but just coming in and trying to get
better. You know, Robb has told me that there's a great development system
here. So I just want to come in and get my work in and
get better every day. But I never really had a thought of, you
know, me going to play with my dad. But that's always you know,
there to you know, take part of. But it wasn't a main
focus of minditor. I mean, he's a kid, but there's no scenario
even though he's a young kid, that he believes that anyone on planet Earth
believes that he never I never thought about going to play with my dad.
Like crazy, how it turned out? Like the hell out of here?
Man? What if he was told to say that, he probably was like
that's what's cause again, like these people, I mean, no self awareness,
and I guess they don't need it, right, you know, they're
doing okay in life. All right, quick break, we'll come back on
the other side, wrap up the four o'clock hour. Keep it rolling along
right here, Coffee and Company. Fulbeth Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety.
You gotta be honest, I don't know this one. This is Billy Ray
Cyrus. I recognize the voice. I knew it was Billy Ray but I
is this a hit. It's got ten million views on YouTube and it's a
hit to me. He could sing, He's got a unique voice. I
like Billy Ray Cyrus, but man, he's a good example of somebody that,
you know, when you have the type of hit that he had that
really made him famous. Ach you break you Heart. It's still to this
day, many many many years later. You know, all people think about
or they think about his daughter, who's become, you know, a bigger
star than he was. Is that fair to say? I mean, I
know you weren't around, definitely more in the mainstream. I feel like,
yeah, you weren't alive whenever he was, you know, I mean,
you weren't allowed for the a era, a television you know, kids television
star either that she was was. He was mainstream there for a little while,
you know, not to the point that she ever has been. But
uh yeah he he's also from Kentucky, flat Woods, Kentucky. Yeah,
Billy Ray Cyrus. Uh, I remember the uh the yeah. So this
this is a little bit misleading, but I remember whenever he jumped on Little
nas X's song the uh yeah uh that ended up that ended up becoming at
that time the most streamed song in the history of the Internet. And uh
it, you know, it surpassed anything he'd ever done musically, including because
he's on that he's I mean, he's that's part of his song and that
means that wild How that came together is how this dude's on the internet?
What was he on Twitch or something or was it was it TikTok? I
think that is it the very beginning of TikTok. Yeah, like he was
just he was not an acting practice, he wasn't a musician. He was
just kind of messing around, you know, creating stuff for the Internet.
And that Old Town Road song, I mean it's almost like he's probably,
like, to be honest with you, he's probably making fun of country music.
Yeah, that's kind of And then you know it became like the most
shared sound within the TikTok world or one of the platforms. I think it
was TikTok and then of course you know that became little nas X. He's
a little different, but you know he's had some big hits, no doubt.
But when Billy Ray Sowers jumped on that was and it's so corny,
but like it in a way. It's also kind of wholesome how it all
came together because if you remember a little nas X that that song Old Town
Road, it became like it was. It was all over the radio,
right, Yes, it started to jump up the charts and country and it
was a big deal because people were saying, no, that's not country,
Like you can't say that that's country. It's not country. And it became
a big deal from I guess the country music world that like, we're not
this is not accept that his country music, whatever the criteria is, this
is not it. And Billy ray Cyrus reached out to him basically saying,
you know, hey, look, same thing happened to me. Brother.
I did a song a little different than what you were hearing from you know,
Marty Stewart and Alan Jackson. I did a song called Achy Breaky Heart
that really made country music uncomfortable. And you know, he's like, I
can relate, we'll do this together, and it worked out. I don't
know if he was, you know, being self serving, because again that
that gave benefited him clearly. Yeah, but that is it is a similar
thing, like, yeah, I don't know, this is why these shows
are just weird on days like this because I never expected us to be here,
but here we are. There was one award show where like, do
you know the song here's a quarter called someone who Cares? About Travis Trittyes,
Travis Trip is really outspoken. He still isn't now about a lot of
things politics, but Travis Tripp was really outspoken about being anti Like, we
cannot let Billy Cyrus be considered country. Look at him, he's a you
know, he's a freak show. Ach you breaking heart is not country.
Well, Billy Ray Cyrus won an award and walked up to accept it and
at you know, the podium or whatever it was in front of the mic,
took out a quarter and slammed it down and said, here's a quarter
called someone who Cares. Oh you never heard that. That's it's on the
internet. Like that was real, not manufactured for for for you know,
entertainment. That was a real country music beef. Usually it's just wrap you
get beef in right. Yeah, you didn't know that some some rock some
sometimes stupid I did not know that was uh oh yeah, here's a quarter
call someone who Cares. I mean it was quite clear of what he was
talking about like it was. It was spicy. Yeah, all right,
we we got one more hour to go. We'll finish strong. I mean,
it's Friday to most of us, feels like a Friday to me.
So we're gonna try to have some fun here and get you set for a
fourth of July holiday and hopefully a long weekend. So don't go anywhere,
and I mean it, stay put right here, keep it locked on Sports
Talk seven ninety