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 00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:20.480 day. Now, here's Nick Coffee. That's right. Hour number two Coffee 3 00:00:20.519 --> 00:00:23.879 and Company fueled by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety. And we're gonna 4 00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:27.239 get our second hour started by bringing in a guest. He is David Hale, 5 00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:31.719 who covers college football covers the ACC for ESPN. David, how we 6 00:00:31.719 --> 00:00:35.280 doing, brother? Having a good summer? My man, Uh yes, 7 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:37.920 I'm trying not to. This is like you know, I used to see 8 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.759 kickoff of course next week. This is like going into your last weekend before 9 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:45.280 school starts again when you were a kid, like you got to you gotta 10 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:49.520 maximize it. It's also kind of slightly depressing. Oh yeah, I mean 11 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:53.640 i'd say the the vibes around the ACC as a whole. I don't know 12 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:56.600 if i'd say depressing top to bottom, but I'm sure that's I'm sure some 13 00:00:56.679 --> 00:01:00.359 are because that just it just nobody seems to be happy and it's understandab So 14 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.439 before we get into the specifics of the a SEC situation, and I'm sure 15 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:06.480 next week we'll still leave Charlotte with a lot of people asking questions that we 16 00:01:06.519 --> 00:01:08.159 don't have the answer to. But as somebody who's done this as long as 17 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:11.840 you have, give me, you know, talking season, you know, 18 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:17.640 the biggest complaint and something that you actually maybe really like that nobody would expect. 19 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:21.319 Right, So obviously the big twelve, the secs there's is ongoing. 20 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:23.159 Now you've got the ACC next week. But you've done this a long time. 21 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.000 Give me your big like, what what is the biggest annoyance for you 22 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:30.040 when it comes to these events where you know, people just yap and it 23 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:34.040 seems like everybody's going through the motions. You occasionally get some good stuff, 24 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:37.079 but you know, I'm sure there's one thing that you just are a dreading 25 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:45.560 next week. Yeah, I'll give you a very good example basically from SEC 26 00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:48.359 stuff that's going I wasn't even add SEC, but I can. I'm aware 27 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:52.879 of it. So two things. One, it annoys me that like the 28 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:57.079 same dumb questions get answer asked again and again and again. It's a whole 29 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:00.599 bunch of time invested in getting And so I will give you a good example 30 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:07.239 of this, which is that Mike Elko today was at SEC Media Days and 31 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:12.240 spent half the day doing god knows what, And then, like mid afternoon, 32 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:15.879 was finally asked about the fact that he will face Notre Dame early this 33 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:21.240 season and Riley Leonard, his former quarterback at Duke, is Notre Dame's quarterback 34 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:23.000 and what is that going to be like? And his answer began with, 35 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:27.080 I can't believe it's taken this long for somebody to ask me about it, 36 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:30.039 Like, stop asking dumb questions. Let's ask thoughtful, smart questions that we 37 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:34.080 get something good out of. And then the flip side of that, which 38 00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:37.319 is the best part about this part of the year, is that every now 39 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:42.439 and again something dumb turns into something really fun. And so, for an 40 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:46.680 example, Greg Sankeie goes on the radio the other day and basically says, 41 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:51.120 Georgia was the best team last year but got left out of the playoff and 42 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:55.039 you didn't hear the SEC complaining and hanking hanging up fake banners and YadA, 43 00:02:55.120 --> 00:03:01.319 YadA, YadA. Oh, and it's just so perfectly college football, angry, 44 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:07.000 stupid, dumb, needling. Oh, it's all the best of how 45 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:12.879 immature this lovely, lovely sport is. And I can't wait to ask Florida 46 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:16.680 State about it this week when we get to Charlotte for ACC media Days, 47 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:23.560 and I hope Mike Norvell, who was probably literally a breath away from taking 48 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:27.520 the Alabama job, will just go all scorched earth on Greg Sanche. This 49 00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:30.080 is what I'm hoping for. Well, that leads me to where I was 50 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:31.479 going next, which I'm glad you did when it comes to Florida State and 51 00:03:31.879 --> 00:03:36.479 Sankie, of course is the SEC commissioner, Like do you think that the 52 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:40.280 report that came out earlier this week and it was a good breakdown from Red 53 00:03:40.360 --> 00:03:46.280 McMurphy for the Action Network getting quotes from folks that you know from the report 54 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:50.479 are clearly connected more so than a lot of us. Like does Florida State 55 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:53.919 one out of the SEC because or the ACC? I'm sorry, because they 56 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:55.719 feel as if they could get in any league they want. Do you think 57 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:00.159 that maybe they got served some humble pie like to me, realignment stuff, 58 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:03.560 it's the biggest Like who really knows what's actually going on? I mean, 59 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:08.159 I think oftentimes people forget that, you know, there are presidents and chancellors 60 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:12.039 and board members of these universities that actually have more of a say so than 61 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:14.960 anybody else, not just the AD or the football coach. But do you 62 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:17.720 feel like Florida State might have been shocked to hear that earlier this week and 63 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:20.160 could it lead to them maybe? You know, I mean, I doubt 64 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:23.079 they're going to back off the lawsuit now, But what do you think? 65 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:25.079 What did you make of that? And how do you think they took that 66 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:31.639 news? Here's what I'll say, And I am in no position to counter 67 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:35.879 any reporting that Brett McMurphy has done, and he's an excellent reporter, so 68 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:39.040 I have no doubt that the folks he has talked to have said that. 69 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:44.480 The folks I have talked to around the Big Ten have perhaps less energetically said 70 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:46.680 like, yeah, we're not looking to expand pick now. And I think 71 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:51.560 that is one hundred percent accurate. Sure, but the notion that Florida State 72 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:55.680 does not have a seat at the big boy table in one of those leagues 73 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:59.680 is I think patently absurd in the big picture, Like, yes, right 74 00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:01.120 now, it is not going to happen. The Big Ten is just starting 75 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:04.240 a new TV deal, We're still figuring out what the future of the playoff 76 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:08.079 is. They've just added four new teams that have yet to play a game 77 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:12.120 in that league yet. Florida State does not know what their media right situation 78 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:15.600 is. There's too many unknowns for anyone in either of the SEC or the 79 00:05:15.639 --> 00:05:18.000 Big Ten to say like, yeah, we want FSU like it just doesn't 80 00:05:18.040 --> 00:05:21.920 work that way. And so I think you're hearing what is basically the company 81 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:27.920 line right now and what is all sort of this very back room sort of 82 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:33.399 I don't know, de facto negotiation that nobody's really at a table negotiating. 83 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:36.639 They're sort of negotiating through their quotes. Here's what I will say, and 84 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:41.639 I truly believe about Florida State, and this applies to Clemson. Two is 85 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.439 that people are asking the wrong question because at the end of the day, 86 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:48.240 Clemson and Florida State will have a home wherever they want one. The question 87 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:51.319 is not can they get into the Big Ten or the SEC. The question 88 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:56.079 is how much money will they be getting from those leagues. So we just 89 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:00.720 saw Oregon and Washington effectively say yes, we'll take forty cents on the dollar 90 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.639 to join the Big Ten to get an invite. We just saw cal SMU 91 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:11.199 and Stanford say we'll take nothing just to be invited into the ACC. The 92 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:15.879 question is what is appropriate for Florida State and Clemson. What do they need 93 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:19.480 to get to make a move worthwhile? And what are those two leagues willing 94 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:23.120 to pony up. If Florida State's willing to go in on the same sort 95 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.360 of deal that Oregon just took or Washington just took, the Big Ten would 96 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:29.319 be stupid not to jump at it. But then you have to ask the 97 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:31.360 question, why would Florida State pay all this money to get out of the 98 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:35.319 ACC to go to the Big Ten to basically be making the same revenue that 99 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:40.160 they're making now in the ACC with a harder path of the playoff. Florida 100 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:43.279 State and Clemson want more than that. So to me, this is all 101 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:47.399 a negotiation to some extent over what the eventual payouts might be if this happens. 102 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:50.399 We're negotiating in courts on one side to see what it's gonna cost to 103 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:54.439 leave, and we're negotiating in the press on the other side to see what 104 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:57.519 it's gonna cost what it's gonna cost the Big Ten of the SEC to get 105 00:06:57.560 --> 00:07:01.360 those teams to come. That's a very well set and I think the expansion 106 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:05.720 talk from the Big the Big twelve is out there because they clearly could use 107 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:09.240 more value. They I mean, I think they're doing a pretty good job 108 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.480 bre at your market keeping their name out there. I think they're not afraid 109 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:14.720 to to you know, they're the first ones I believe that put it out 110 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:16.600 there that hey, we'll sell sponsorship to the name of our league if it 111 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:19.839 brings more money to our members. But the SEC and the Big ten, 112 00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:24.000 they're not just going to expand just to do it, because they don't really 113 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:27.079 need to. And I think there was a comment earlier this earlier today from 114 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:30.199 Sank that I feel like is pretty obvious and not many people think about it, 115 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:32.519 and maybe he should say it more often when asked about expansion. We're 116 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.319 not going to just start sharing more pieces of the pie for no reason. 117 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:36.879 That that's not it. You know, it would be, it would be 118 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:41.800 a gift, and that's one of the expansion doesn't happen just to do it. 119 00:07:41.800 --> 00:07:44.480 There's got to be some kind of a reason. And maybe sometimes that 120 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:46.160 reason is far down the line. Like I think when you add and I 121 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:48.800 want to get your thoughts on this, when it comes to the addition of 122 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:53.879 Stanford cal and SMU again. You know, those guys came in and they 123 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:57.639 just wanted to find a landing spot and get away from their league, and 124 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:01.560 you know PAC twelve is dying. But also so that if you were, 125 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:03.959 if you were able to, if you were ever going to lose a stand 126 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:05.439 Ford or not a stay for but a Clemson or an FSU because they were 127 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:09.519 able to find their way out, Like there's that there's that arrangement with ESPN 128 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:13.120 that the league has to stay as it is at fifteen members, and if 129 00:08:13.160 --> 00:08:16.120 it falls below that, ESPN can step in and kind of say, look, 130 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:18.399 we can reassess the situation, and you may not even make the money 131 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:24.319 you're making now that you're complaining about exactly right, So there's usually some other 132 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:28.040 thing. To my knowledge, the best of my knowledge from the sources that 133 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:31.559 I've talked to, the SEC, the ACC, the Big ten all have 134 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:37.960 the similar sort of language within their media rights contracts that suggest that if they 135 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.080 were to expand that there would be a pro rada increase in what the TV 136 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:46.799 networks have to pay out. But there is so you're not really necessarily losing 137 00:08:46.840 --> 00:08:50.080 a ton of money if you do if you add, and there's some caveats 138 00:08:50.080 --> 00:08:52.120 to that, so I don't want to say it's all equal, but you'd 139 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:56.399 be you wouldn't necessarily be losing money, but you're you're you're changing the calculus 140 00:08:56.399 --> 00:09:00.840 both in the short term and the long term, and you're impacting the TV 141 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:03.840 partner that you have that you want to maintain a good relationship with. So 142 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:07.799 you're not expanding unless there's a reason to. Now, the ACC, as 143 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:11.440 you very eloquently put it, had a reason to. It was an insurance 144 00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:15.759 policy, and it was an insurance policy they were basically getting for free. 145 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:18.960 Yep. So you do it rest on the other On the other does the 146 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:22.840 SEC need this? I think there's a good question about what the value of 147 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:28.320 Florida State and Clemson when you have teams in those markets already in your league 148 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:31.840 is. On the other hand, Florida stateon Clemson make a lot of sense 149 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:33.360 for the Big Ten. If you're trying to go toe to toe with the 150 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:37.600 SEC and invade their footprint, that makes a lot of sense for the Big 151 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:39.840 Ten. Now you flip that back again and say, well, if the 152 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:43.000 SEC's goal is to hold off the Big Ten, well, it makes sense 153 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.080 for the SEC to want those two teams to keep them away from the Big 154 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:50.080 Ten. There's politics behind a lot of this, but again you're matching the 155 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:54.759 politics or the need or the value that they provide with what it's going to 156 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:56.919 cost you, and you're doing a long term and a short term calculus. 157 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:01.120 And again, I think at the end of the day, those two teams 158 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:05.720 in particular provided value to either of those leagues. It's just what is that 159 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:09.159 value? How much is it worth. David Hale, ESPN is our guest 160 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:13.200 joining us here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Let's say, if I mean, 161 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:18.600 can you lay out what potentially could be the best case scenario for the 162 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:24.799 league overall? Meaning obviously the lawsuit drop because Florida State and Clemson find a 163 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:26.559 way out. I mean, that's that's that's that's viewed as what was likely 164 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:28.679 going to be the death blow. I mean, I guess if you don't 165 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.440 have a league to jump to, they'll just all band together, but it'll 166 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:33.559 be nothing compared to what it you know, what it used to be. 167 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:37.720 So is there a scenario you could see that down the line in a few 168 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:41.279 years, there's not as much infighting, there's not multiple lawsuits going on, 169 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:45.720 and you know, the league maybe isn't making the same money that the SEC 170 00:10:45.799 --> 00:10:48.840 in the Big Ten is, but at least they are united, and there's 171 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:54.919 not belief that eventually this thing's just gonna blow up. Uh. I have 172 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:01.360 a hard time seeing an endpoint that is that the big blunt. I'm with 173 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:05.039 you, man, I totally agree. I think you can. You can 174 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:09.399 suggest a storyline that says, for the next three to four years, you 175 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:13.919 can maintain the status quo via court cases and appeals, and nobody's going to 176 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:18.919 be particularly happy, but we're maintaining and moving forward. You know, the 177 00:11:18.279 --> 00:11:24.080 vast majority of folks that I talk to, the power administrators within college sports, 178 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:28.360 both inside the ACC and beyond, are almost, i mean almost sort 179 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:31.080 of resigned to the idea that we're going to get to a power to at 180 00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:35.000 some point, or a super league or super leagues at some point. A 181 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:37.039 question is when do we get there? And what's the you know, how 182 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:43.120 much turmoil is there between now and then? You know, I think that's 183 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.120 what a lot of folks are preparing for. That's each step that we take 184 00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:48.960 in terms of just you look at the you know, often ruling through the 185 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:54.639 latest court stuff, where we're going to be revenue sharing and stuff like that. 186 00:11:54.679 --> 00:11:58.519 I mean, all of this sort of brings us back to a greater 187 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:05.360 diver between haves and have nots. And I just don't see a path unless 188 00:12:05.399 --> 00:12:11.399 there's something that you know has not even occurred to any of us that allows 189 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:15.639 the ACC to keep pace financially with those two big boys. And at some 190 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:18.840 point, if you're the ACC, I mean this is the bottom line is 191 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:24.200 that for the longest time, conferences existed because the sum was greater than the 192 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:28.519 individual parts. But right now as it stands, I think Florida, Stayton, 193 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:33.159 Clemson, and maybe others including North Carolina, Miami or Virginia could make 194 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:37.360 an argument that their individual part is greater than the slice they're getting from the 195 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:41.039 sum of the whole pie, and that's why they want out. And again, 196 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:45.159 I just I struggle to figure out what the math is the calculus is 197 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:48.559 that changes that dynamic at this point, What do you think the rest of 198 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:52.840 the league, as far as those that are in leadership roles athletic directors, 199 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:56.399 presidents, and I guess we could even throw coaches in there. How do 200 00:12:56.440 --> 00:13:01.879 you believe that they feel about Jim Phillips as far as how he's doing in 201 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:07.679 that role. Yeah, my sense is that the majority of the frustration comes 202 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:11.679 is either directed at John Swofford for decisions that got us here before Jim phillips 203 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:16.200 time, or at university presidents who have really stuck their head in the sand 204 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:22.039 for way too long. And I think there is some reasonable criticism of Jim 205 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:26.960 Phillips, but I think a lot of the stuff that people criticized Phillips for 206 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:31.960 is either a just sort of his personality. And you mentioned bretty Ormark earlier 207 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:33.879 and how he's handled things at the Big Twelve, and without question, he 208 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:37.879 has won the PR battle. I don't think the Big Twelve is in any 209 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:41.559 way in a better position than the ACC is currently, but he's won the 210 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:46.480 PR battle hands down. But the other side of it is is Jim Phillips 211 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:50.799 is working for a lot of university presidents and chancellors who view this through a 212 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:54.080 much much different prism than I think a lot of us who are very college 213 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:58.440 football focused to. And so you've got schools, I think in places that 214 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:01.639 are just you know, happy to be getting the check that they're getting for 215 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:05.080 as long as they can get it. I think you have others who are 216 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:09.759 just in flat out denial or or ignorant towards just where things are with college 217 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:13.279 sports right now. And then you have a handful and that certainly includes Florida 218 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:16.200 StatET and Clemson that have seen the writing on the wall for a while, 219 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:20.080 have been, you know, banging the drums saying, come on, people, 220 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:22.320 we've got to do something, and something has not happened. And that's 221 00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:26.639 where they're real frustration is. It's not Jim Phillips, it's just, you 222 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:31.919 know, the lot that they're in through a lot of I think lack of 223 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:35.360 vision that has existed around this league for a long time. Man, you 224 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:37.759 could not have said it better about those because I think you are spot on 225 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:41.600 with those three tiers. You have those upset feeling like, okay, as 226 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:46.759 you mentioned, you know, we we we're bringing more than what we're than 227 00:14:46.759 --> 00:14:50.200 what we're getting as far as we clearly feel as if we're entitled to more 228 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:52.440 because we do bring value, and there's others weighing us down. I think 229 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:56.600 there's that middle that understands that, hey, if there is a you know, 230 00:14:56.840 --> 00:14:58.200 if the league gets poached, we're not going to be probably in the 231 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:01.360 top six. So they're kind of like, well, hey, things are 232 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.840 okay, and we're cool with it. You know, we're all stuck together 233 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:05.679 that grant of right steels ironclad. And then you have the others, like 234 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:09.159 you know, the Boston colleges, who are like, hey, we're not 235 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.879 going to say a word. We're just gonna ride this storm out and hope 236 00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:13.159 that we don't end up, you know, not a part of a league 237 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:16.600 like this. I hadn't looked at it that way, but I think there's 238 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:20.559 three there's three layers there as far as how each member is kind of handling 239 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:22.799 this situation. But Dave, you've been very gracious with your tom. I 240 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:26.000 have one more question before we let you go. We'll actually talk some football 241 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:30.440 here, your predicted order of finish here, as far as who you think 242 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:35.000 the three the top three teams in the ACC are this year, I'm very 243 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:39.120 ill prepared for this, and I don't know that it even comes from my 244 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:41.879 lack of preparation, though I have been working very hard to enjoy my summer. 245 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:46.879 But this is the most wide open I can remember the top of the 246 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:50.320 league. Because I think you can make look the obvious default answers are Clemson 247 00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:54.440 in Florida state one to two in some order. But I think you look 248 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:56.039 at Louisville, you look at NC State, you look at Virginia Tech, 249 00:15:56.080 --> 00:16:00.360 you look at North Carolina, certainly you look at Miami at this point, 250 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:06.000 and you say, all of them have a very reasonable case to suggest we 251 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:11.440 are a genuine competitor for the top of the league. And that's not even 252 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:15.639 considering that there might be some you know, maybe have Virginia makes a big 253 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:18.679 leap, or maybe Syracuse has a you know, they've done well in the 254 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:22.960 portal. There's teams that could could never count Claws in right, right exactly. 255 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:25.799 I mean Wake Forest was not nearly as bad as their record looked last 256 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:27.919 year. They just lacked a quarterback. So you know, I don't know. 257 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:30.519 I will say this, and I say it very with a lot of 258 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:37.120 trepidation. I think Miami is the most talented on paper team in the ACC. 259 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:40.080 This will not be the first time I have said that. If they 260 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:42.559 followed through by winning the ACC, that will be the first time that that 261 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:48.039 happened. So I don't think if you go by sheer talent, it's it's 262 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:51.559 somewhere in Miami, Florida's State, Clemson, but I love the coaching at 263 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:55.360 Louisville. I think NC State is really knocking on the door with as much 264 00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:00.399 particularly offensive skill position talent as they have had under Dave Dorin. And if 265 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:03.120 you look at the way Virginia Tech ended their season and how much they bring 266 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:04.960 back, they should be in that conversation too. I think it has a 267 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:08.599 chance to be a very fun year in the league. I also will be 268 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:12.079 maybe a little bit surprised if there's a twelve to OHO eleven and one team 269 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:15.480 at the end of the season, because I just I think there's a lot 270 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.799 of good at the top, but maybe not an elite, elite team. 271 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:22.559 David, you are the man again. I really appreciate you making Tom Forrest 272 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:23.680 keep up the great work and we will talk down the line. My man, 273 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:27.000 much appreciated. I'm going all right, take care. That's David Hale 274 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:30.920 again does a great job. That's a really, really good informative conversation. 275 00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:33.920 He he knows his stuff, and I feel like he is as connected as 276 00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:40.480 anybody when it comes to the ACC specifically. And I mean I actually want 277 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:42.119 to react to a little bit of what he said as far as kind of 278 00:17:42.119 --> 00:17:45.160 guessing which schools are in those three tiers, because you know, I think 279 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:48.359 Lowell is in that middle. I'm not going to say that Josh Hurd and 280 00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:51.680 those guys are in denial because I think they know what's going on, but 281 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:55.279 they're really there's nothing to do about it, right, But like, I 282 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:56.599 mean, you know, they realize they're not one of those schools that can 283 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:59.799 claim, hey, we're worth way more than what we're getting. They're pretty 284 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:02.319 can I would, you know, I suppose, And then you have the 285 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:06.079 others like the Florida State's Clemsons, and then you know the Boston College the 286 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:08.440 Wakes, who probably realized, hey, let's just stay quiet, all right, 287 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:10.960 we got to run. And also, don't forget, we're going to 288 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:12.440 play some Pat Kelsey sound that I've been mentioning throughout the show today, So 289 00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:15.680 we'll get to that in a lot more. The rest of the way right 290 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:22.160 here on Sports Talk seven ninety is this is this I'm gonna guess confidently, 291 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:27.160 but my confidence is dropping by the second. Is this Dave Matthews Band Bingo. 292 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:30.880 Okay, I feel like that was a no brainer, but I've been 293 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:33.519 so wrong when I guess some of the music that you play that I just 294 00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:34.559 felt like, well, there's no way you knew that quickly. But this 295 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:38.400 is their biggest hit by far. They're pretty there I mean they're a headliner 296 00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:42.160 for Bourbon and Beyond this year. Yeah, who did they add Sting? 297 00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:47.359 Did I see that they did? Sting replaced Neil Young, who I believed 298 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:49.200 out? Yeah, someone in his band got sick. I mean, like 299 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:52.519 that, no offense to Neil Young, but like that's an upgrade, is 300 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:55.720 I feel like it is? I mean Sting's a huge name, so yeah, 301 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:57.440 good stuff. Dave Matthew's band. I mean, are they still touring? 302 00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:00.559 Oh yeah, they tore along putting a new music out. Yeah, 303 00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:03.400 because they had a I don't know, I don't know if they have a 304 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:07.839 name, like the Jimmy Buffett Crew had the parrot Heads. But like I 305 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:11.920 know, people that have been to like twenty different Dave Matthews, it must 306 00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:15.839 be quite the experience because and you know they're they're I wouldn't. I don't 307 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:18.039 know. I don't know if I'm the person that could claim their legendary because 308 00:19:18.039 --> 00:19:22.039 you know, I don't. But they've been popular for a long long time. 309 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:26.079 And when you can maintain your popularity without really putting out new music or 310 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:29.599 new hits, that speaks to you know, the impact you had whenever you 311 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:30.519 made you know, you became a big deal. I mean, they've been 312 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:36.000 around a long time. Have you ever seen the videos of the like when 313 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.319 like Dave Matthews himself is like, I'm just sweating. Yeah, it's just 314 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:44.200 like a fool stage, you know, like people who've never it went viral 315 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:48.039 a few years ago on TikTok. The younger crowd would see it and like, 316 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:49.960 man, what is he on? And then like the majority of the 317 00:19:49.960 --> 00:19:52.000 people in the comments were like, oh, you kids have no clue, 318 00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:56.640 Like that's just what he does, Like, that's that's his energy when he's 319 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:00.359 putting on a show. Which it works because again they they they they could 320 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:03.759 go on tours I feel like forever and continue to get great crowds and whatnot. 321 00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:07.359 So shout out to Dave Matthews band. All right, So the conversation 322 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:10.039 we just had with David Hale of ESPN, I thought he put it perfectly 323 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:15.319 as far as the current members of the ACC and how they view the situation, 324 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:18.960 because here's the facts. All of them are helpless, and some of 325 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:22.799 them felt so helpless they decided to file lawsuits. That's what happened with Florida 326 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:27.039 State and Clemson. So if you're just you know, worrying about what you 327 00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:33.319 can control and not getting caught up in the rumors of expansion to the Big 328 00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:38.519 twelve, which is nonsense. And the obvious lawsuits don't really pertain to you 329 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:42.160 because you know it's out of your control. And I don't want to say 330 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:47.319 it's not your business, because I do think as a league you would want 331 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:49.839 everybody to, you know, work together, and you don't have to love 332 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:55.279 everybody, right, there's rivalries within the league, but like the filing lawsuits 333 00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:57.839 against the league from Clemson and Florida State has just made this I mean, 334 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:00.160 first of all, it made it clear that you know, they weren't gonna 335 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:03.759 just act like they're not bothered. They feel as if they are being held 336 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:08.279 back by the league. But they also signed an agreement and it appears to 337 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:12.920 be pretty ironclad. And again I've yet to hear anyone share any kind of 338 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.559 insight as to it. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but you would think 339 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:25.519 that if there was some some loophole, some you know, situation to where 340 00:21:25.960 --> 00:21:30.319 Florida State and Clemson really felt. I mean, they're just doing it, 341 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:33.440 I think, wasting money and wasting time. But again, maybe they think 342 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:37.319 if they fight long enough, eventually the ac C will Sarah, you guys 343 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:38.160 can leave. We're tired of fighting with you. I mean, I don't 344 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:44.480 know who, but either way, top to bottom, it's there's really nothing 345 00:21:44.519 --> 00:21:48.200 any athletic director or even like a president can can do at this point other 346 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.440 than what Florida State and Clemson are doing. And you don't want to do 347 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:52.759 that because, to be honest with you, Florida State, I feel like 348 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.759 their brand has taken a big hit in the last few days with what has 349 00:21:56.799 --> 00:22:00.920 been said about them. And you know, David Hell mentioned that he he 350 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.720 can't, you know, vouch for what was said to Bret McMurphy and what 351 00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:07.720 he reported in his story, but he also, you know, mentioned that 352 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:11.200 he knows brettanc murphy is a great reporter. And actually, I believe what 353 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:12.839 David Hill said of it. He says that the folks he's talked to, 354 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.440 they weren't as adamant about like, huh, why the hell did anybody went 355 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:18.799 Florida State? And I'm putting words in his mouth. That's not exactly what 356 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:19.599 he said, but he claimed he's like, yeah, we just we're not 357 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:22.799 like we're not doing that right now, like we don't, you know, 358 00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:26.720 because again nobody's going to expand just to expand, and the SEC has no 359 00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:30.359 reason to expand at this point. Now, maybe in a few years they 360 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:33.920 don't end up getting the value they thought they were getting with Texas and Oklahoma, 361 00:22:34.680 --> 00:22:37.640 and they feel as if they want to make a bigger splash. I 362 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:42.160 mean, maybe at that point they reevaluate it. But here's Greg Sanki earlier 363 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:45.559 today, he was on one of the live shows that was taking place at 364 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:51.519 the SEC Media Days. I think it's called uh Next Round the Next Round 365 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:53.960 live stream, And I'm going to try to find the point within the clip 366 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:56.480 to where he just because he was asked about Florida State, he was asked 367 00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:59.319 about Clemson, and he kind of, you know, said the same thing 368 00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:00.880 he said earlier this week, which is that, you know, it's not 369 00:23:02.279 --> 00:23:04.039 his concern. You know, he's not going to comment on the legal side 370 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:07.720 of it, but this is something that probably should be said more than it 371 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:11.720 is, and that is, why would you want to start just giving out 372 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:15.839 more pieces of your pie in giving everybody else less? Like it just doesn't 373 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:18.319 make sense to do that. Our presidents have said very clearly we're not going 374 00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:23.559 to be entangled in legal issues around any consideration of expansion. So it's not 375 00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:27.160 a conversation. Yeah, and we're not going to take our pie and slice 376 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:32.720 it into more pieces that they have to grow the pie, and it's I 377 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:38.440 have to be aware. So the question that led into this analysis is are 378 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:42.759 you like paying attention? So I have to pay attention. But I think 379 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:48.880 we have this group of sixteen is an incredibly strong, well positioned group of 380 00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:53.440 sixteen universities and athletic programs and contiguous states, and there's not this need And 381 00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:59.079 in fact, what's happened over the last three years I think has explained why 382 00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:03.000 he did what we did. We've not been reacting, They've not been in 383 00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:06.640 a position of trying to figure something out. In short order, we were 384 00:24:06.680 --> 00:24:11.319 able to make a decision, and there were other calls before Oklahoma and Texas 385 00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:15.319 reached out a decision that was right, that fits that that can continue to 386 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:18.599 elevate all sixteen now from where we've been, and we've been in a pretty 387 00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:23.720 great spot. So I'm with David in regards to if in fact things blow 388 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:27.759 up. It's not a situation where nobody would want Florida stating Clemson, but 389 00:24:29.880 --> 00:24:33.759 it's you know, without with that you know, without any there's no exit 390 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:37.720 strategy currently from those two schools with other than other than the lawsuit. So 391 00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:41.799 you know, until that day happens, and you know, when you're desperate 392 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:45.119 and you're Florida stating Clemson because I think if you paid a bunch of money 393 00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:48.440 to get out of the SE, to get out of the ACC, one 394 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:52.200 of these schools would probably take you, but you wouldn't have leverage you need 395 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:56.920 them, right, they don't need you, You would need them. And 396 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:00.720 I think the lawsuits really did expose some real airing. It's not just with 397 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:04.559 the ACC. Meaning I think it's clear and it's true Florida State and Clemson 398 00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:07.000 have more value than anybody else in that this league when it comes to football. 399 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:11.319 They know that, so it is true that they are, you know, 400 00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:14.960 the big dogs of this league. But to sue really showed arrogance. 401 00:25:15.119 --> 00:25:18.240 And I don't know, I mean, part of me says it's all just 402 00:25:18.279 --> 00:25:22.359 you know, what you'd expect other commissioners to say. But Sankee had said 403 00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:26.480 it earlier this week, took a pretty pretty direct shot at Florida State in 404 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:30.440 Clemson because of the fact that they're suing their conference. You know that I 405 00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:33.880 mean, I think there are others around the SEC and the Big Ten that 406 00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:37.079 now view these schools, especially Florida State, is not being a good They 407 00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:40.759 wouldn't be. They would be a disruptive member because anybody that would sue their 408 00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:42.319 own conference just it's I mean, that's unheard of, that doesn't happen. 409 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:47.920 And I guess you could make the case that they have a right to feel 410 00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:52.079 justified in doing it because they don't want to be making the same amount of 411 00:25:52.119 --> 00:25:59.880 money as Boston College, Right, but Vandy's making the same money as Alabama. 412 00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:02.720 Like, it's not it's not like you're you're not alone there, Like 413 00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:07.519 it's you're not the only school in a league that shares equal revenue with members 414 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:11.440 that that really aren't worthy of a crumb of that pie. But that's just 415 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:17.079 how this works. And everybody working together collectively understanding that has has you know, 416 00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:18.839 that's a big part of I think how conferences kind of, you know, 417 00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:23.720 survive. All right, let's let's switch gears here, let's go to 418 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:27.599 let's let's let's play some Pat Kelsey sound. Because he talked a couple of 419 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:32.440 nights ago at the season ticket holders event, it was the selectest seat event, 420 00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:37.759 and I think Luke Hancock was the MC and I'm sure he did a 421 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:41.480 great job setting coach Kelsey up and whatnot. So we don't I don't have 422 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:44.799 the full I mean I wasn't there and I haven't heard the full, you 423 00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:47.920 know, the full thing as far as him and his other coaches talking to 424 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:52.799 to the fans. But I did love this roughly two minute clip here of 425 00:26:52.839 --> 00:26:56.599 Pat Kelsey just doing what he's been tasked to do at this time, not 426 00:26:56.640 --> 00:27:00.720 only put together a good team that can get this thing turned around, but 427 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:06.480 getting people excited about Louisville basketball and doing everything he can to make sure that 428 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:10.079 when they open up the doors at the Young Center this season that there's life 429 00:27:10.119 --> 00:27:12.599 there, There's a lot, there's a good turnout, and you know, 430 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:17.359 you're reminded as a fan, oh yeah, this is pretty special. I 431 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:18.960 miss this, and as a player, you're going to think, Okay, 432 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:23.119 this is why Louisville was always believed to be one of the top programs in 433 00:27:23.160 --> 00:27:27.599 the country because they have this kind of support. What is the identity of 434 00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:33.759 the team this year. Well, I think the first thing that jumps out 435 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:38.119 is our experience, right is we have an older veteran team, a bunch 436 00:27:38.119 --> 00:27:44.720 of veteran guys that know how to win at the highest level of college basketball. 437 00:27:44.759 --> 00:27:47.839 So I think for me as a head coach in my first year, 438 00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:52.640 to have that type of team that is experienced, that is sammy veterans is 439 00:27:52.079 --> 00:27:56.319 great. Coach Carr talked about it. You know, we look for certain 440 00:27:56.359 --> 00:28:00.960 types of players. Obviously you have to have the talent ability and the length 441 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:03.599 and the height and the ability to shoot, but the intangibles of how tough, 442 00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:07.680 how competitive basketball IQ? Do you make people around you better? And 443 00:28:07.720 --> 00:28:14.519 are you adaptable? Like these guys were carefully selected to fit what we're about. 444 00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:18.920 And you know we're gonna be good. You mark that down right now. 445 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:22.359 We're gonna be good. Get your butt out here, twenty two thousand 446 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:27.200 strong. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your relatives, get 447 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:30.319 out here. And I know this is coming in a little bit, but 448 00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:34.200 thank you from the bottom of my heart for the passion that you have for 449 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:38.279 Louisville basketball. And some of you are out there and I know I'm supposed 450 00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:41.680 to do this at the end, and maybe we're getting close to the end. 451 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:45.680 Some of you are saying hopefully, but that's your show. Some of 452 00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:48.839 you may be on the fence of am I going to renew? AM? 453 00:28:48.839 --> 00:28:53.200 I got gonna renew. We need you. It's gonna be an unbelievably fun 454 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:56.200 year. It's gonna be a team that you're gonna be a proud of, 455 00:28:56.799 --> 00:29:00.319 and uh, we're gonna do something really really show together. If you have 456 00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:03.200 got your tickets, turn to the person next to you. They have it, 457 00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:06.960 not tell them, And when you go home tonight, tell people in 458 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:11.319 the neighborhood as well that, like Coach Carr said, Louisville Basketball's back. 459 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:15.680 Great to answer coach. So there's some other clips from the other assistant coaches 460 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:19.839 that I may get to at some point, but a lot to unpack. 461 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:26.640 But I think it'd be a huge shock if this is not a really fun 462 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:32.640 year. And fun is going to be different than what fun was for us 463 00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:37.000 ten years ago, right, because fun is something we've really, really, 464 00:29:37.079 --> 00:29:41.440 really missed. I mean it's not an exaggeration to say that the last few 465 00:29:41.480 --> 00:29:48.160 years were torture, miserable. I mean just completely something you never thought you'd 466 00:29:48.200 --> 00:29:52.319 experience as a lois basketball fan. So the bar for fun is so low. 467 00:29:53.119 --> 00:29:56.119 And I don't say that to say louisll is going to be a five 468 00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:59.079 hundred team and everybody's just going to be excited because they don't suck anymore. 469 00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:02.000 And Kenny Payne's gone. I think they're gonna be good. Now, how 470 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:04.119 good, I'm not sure, but he has capable personnel. He's proven to 471 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:07.799 be a good coach, and this won't be a year where you really know, 472 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:12.079 Okay, can Pat Kelsey take the success that he had at Charleston and 473 00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:17.480 really have that level of success here. You find that out in years to 474 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:26.599 come. But I just think the floor for this team is substantially higher than 475 00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:30.400 anything that's happened the last few years for Louisville basketball. And that could mean, 476 00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:34.160 you know, doubling the win total from year one, which would have 477 00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:37.240 been eight, which as they did last year. I mean, you never 478 00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:44.599 know until you see these guys in action, but I think the personnel is 479 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:48.319 clearly as he said there. I mean, these are guys that have won, 480 00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:49.880 that have had success, that know what it takes to be winners, 481 00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:53.240 that are not coming from a losing culture in any way. They've been a 482 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:56.160 part of programs that have won, some of them at a really high level. 483 00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:00.240 Now some of these guys weren't winning you know, tournament game that took 484 00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:03.079 them all the way to the final four. But you know, there's something 485 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:07.359 to be said about a guy that played three years at James Madison or you 486 00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:11.839 know, let's say, I'm trying to think of another example of a guy, 487 00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:18.240 oh Trail Ray at Long Beach State, Like you know that they've always 488 00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:22.160 been good in their league. I mean, again, that's not the acc 489 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:26.039 and there's not a bunch of deep tournament appearances. But I think coming from 490 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:27.319 a winning culture as a transfer, now you gotta have talent, right. 491 00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:30.599 You can't just be a guy who was a part of a team and you 492 00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:33.039 didn't have a big role, but you know they were successful. I mean, 493 00:31:33.079 --> 00:31:33.680 you might be a good locker room guy, but you got to be 494 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:37.680 able to actually bring something to the table, and all these guys do. 495 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:41.559 So I think this team is going to be good. I think fans are 496 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:48.039 going to be over the moon about anything positive. And in times it may 497 00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:51.200 feel weird because you'll think, like, hey, why does it feel so 498 00:31:51.359 --> 00:31:56.279 good to beat you know, Popcorn State by fifty we that's the expectation. 499 00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:59.400 Well, it's because of what we went through recently, and I think nobody. 500 00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:01.160 I mean, I hope there's not a whole lot of bringing up the 501 00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:05.400 last three years once this season gets started. But let's not act like it's 502 00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:13.400 not something that impacted how we're viewing things going forward. So I'm so excited 503 00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:15.599 for Louisville basketball. And I know I've said that many times and it gets 504 00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:20.720 repetitive, but the last few years were miserable, and louisvill basketball has been 505 00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:23.519 something that for so long has just given us joy. I mean, there's 506 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:25.960 been some things along the way, some shenanigans, but to be honest, 507 00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:30.160 when there was some scandal and whatnot, at least we were winning, right, 508 00:32:30.240 --> 00:32:34.720 Like whenever the palace stuff happened, like that was terrible, right, 509 00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:37.640 But louis was in a good shape as a program as far as wins and 510 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:39.279 losses. And I know that, you know, you got to worry about, 511 00:32:39.319 --> 00:32:43.359 you know, scandal and that kind of stuff, but like we've been 512 00:32:43.400 --> 00:32:47.079 lifeless as a program. I feel like in the last few years and Pat 513 00:32:47.160 --> 00:32:51.039 Kelsey has already injected life into the fan base, and I think the results 514 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:53.720 are going to be clearly good enough to where you'll feel as if, Okay, 515 00:32:53.799 --> 00:32:57.519 this was the right move and none of us will know for sure if 516 00:32:57.559 --> 00:33:00.319 it is or not until you get a few years in. But this and 517 00:33:00.079 --> 00:33:06.880 I wanted to compare it to Scott Saderfield's first year because Louisville was so bad 518 00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:10.680 in Bobby's last year and Sack came in and you went from being quite literally 519 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:14.599 the worst Power five team in the country to where you were competitive for a 520 00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:17.440 half with Notre Dame and you were beating ACC teams and you've become Bowl eligible. 521 00:33:19.160 --> 00:33:21.880 You knocked off a ranked team on the road in year one, and 522 00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:24.319 it wasn't anything you'd never done before, but the bar was set low. 523 00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:29.200 You'd gone through a pretty lifeless last previous two years, and then you were 524 00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:31.920 ahead of schedule. So I kind of feel like there are some similarities there. 525 00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:35.759 However, I think Pat Kelsey's team this year has a chance to be 526 00:33:35.759 --> 00:33:38.440 better than that first year team that sad had, just because I think they've 527 00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:43.319 got good players and good pieces, and you know, when I think of 528 00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:46.279 the identity of this team as far as personnel, they're going to be versatile, 529 00:33:46.359 --> 00:33:49.839 They're going to have depth, they've got experience, and they've got a 530 00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:52.240 lot of guys who can shoot the ball. I'd say ninety five percent of 531 00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:57.119 the guys that are going to play major minutes for this team are guys that 532 00:33:57.160 --> 00:34:00.240 if they're getting a good look off of some kind of action or getting open 533 00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:02.920 in transition, they got the green light to fire away. And now they're 534 00:34:02.920 --> 00:34:06.440 gonna have games where they don't shoot it well, and there'll be guys that, 535 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:09.559 you know, maybe don't bring that same shooting efficiency from their previous school, 536 00:34:09.559 --> 00:34:12.880 but there's enough of them out there that I think it'd be a real 537 00:34:12.880 --> 00:34:15.159 shocker if his team's not a good shooting team. So I talked to one 538 00:34:15.159 --> 00:34:19.119 of my buddies, who is is an assistant coach here in the area, 539 00:34:19.159 --> 00:34:22.719 and he went with his boss, the head coach, to watch practice because 540 00:34:22.760 --> 00:34:24.840 Pack Kelsey opened it up to everybody earlier this week, all the all the 541 00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:28.960 local high school coaches, which I think is a great gesture, and you 542 00:34:28.960 --> 00:34:30.719 know, I was, you know, he wanted to tell me he was 543 00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:31.840 really impressive with what he saw, and I was trying to get some you 544 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:36.159 know, some infos, some some some details, some specifics about it, 545 00:34:36.199 --> 00:34:37.159 because you know, I'd love to be a fly on the wall watching this 546 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:42.519 group practice and scrimmage and whatnot. And he kind of left me not underwhelmed. 547 00:34:43.239 --> 00:34:45.320 But you know, I'm thinking, like who look really good and maybe 548 00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:49.000 who was kind of concerning? And you know, he didn't really have a 549 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:52.119 great answer. And I think it's because you don't have like an All American 550 00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:53.000 on this team, at least I don't think you do. Maybe we find 551 00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:55.920 out one of these guys is an All American, but you have a lot 552 00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:59.559 of guys who were kind of the same, and that's you know, I 553 00:34:59.599 --> 00:35:00.960 think at some point you got to question, Hey, if you're playing a 554 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:04.960 team that does have some NBA caliber guys and some All Americans, you know, 555 00:35:05.119 --> 00:35:07.559 is that going to be enough on your end to you know, to 556 00:35:07.840 --> 00:35:10.079 beat them with your balance? And who knows, We'll we'll find out when 557 00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:15.360 we get there. But like, you're going to have two guys that you 558 00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:17.280 kind of feel are the same, and that's not a bad thing, right, 559 00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:20.599 Like, I mean, I think that means you've got depth. That 560 00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:23.760 means it could be you know, let's say Chucky Hepburn's having an off night, 561 00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:27.639 foul trouble. Well, let Krain Johnson run the show and and you 562 00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:30.599 know he may have a huge game, Like you're gonna have that kind of 563 00:35:30.599 --> 00:35:32.599 balance, which is good. But he did say that if if there's a 564 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:39.039 starting lineup he would he would guess that it would be Terrence Edwards, Junior, 565 00:35:39.159 --> 00:35:45.159 Chucky, Hepburn, Noah Waterman, and case In Pryor, and he 566 00:35:45.199 --> 00:35:49.079 didn't give me a fifth and he acted like it could be a bunch of 567 00:35:49.079 --> 00:35:53.360 different guys. He did say that can I Russ the freshman, the only 568 00:35:53.360 --> 00:35:57.679 freshman on this team, you know clearly is younger than a lot of these 569 00:35:57.719 --> 00:36:00.559 guys. But he mentioned that you can tell he's a top thirty caliber player, 570 00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:05.119 has a lot of upside, versatile, and you know, he said 571 00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:07.559 it looked as if he's a sponge with these older guys, which is great. 572 00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:10.440 I mean that's why when we talked about bringing in a freshman, any 573 00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:13.719 of them obviously would have been would have been great if they could get jade 574 00:36:13.719 --> 00:36:16.239 and quaintance. But you know, I think this would be perfect for a 575 00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:21.039 freshman to come in and be, you know, the only one and everybody 576 00:36:21.119 --> 00:36:23.039 you're working with every day are you know, four years older than you, 577 00:36:23.079 --> 00:36:24.920 five years older than you some of them, so you can learn a lot 578 00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:28.960 from them and really soak that up. So yeah, I can't wait for 579 00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:30.960 a basketball season to get here, looking forward to it. All right, 580 00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:32.400 quick break, we'll come back on the other side. Something else we got 581 00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:37.320 to get to at some point, some SEC coaches at Dallas that the media 582 00:36:37.400 --> 00:36:42.159 days have given a number a range as far as what they believe the schools 583 00:36:42.199 --> 00:36:46.559 are going to be paying the actual football players alone, and in no surprise, 584 00:36:46.840 --> 00:36:50.239 the vast majority of that twenty two million is going to be going to 585 00:36:50.280 --> 00:36:52.760 football. Still go this right here, It's coffee and company. Feel abou 586 00:36:52.760 --> 00:36:53.119 Thorton's on Sports Talk seven ninety