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Hour number two here on a Friday afternoon coffee and company. We are fueled
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If you want to jump back in, you can five two, five
to seven. One seventy nine hundred is the number if you want to give
us a call. Start of the show, mentioning just how excited and energized
I am as a Louisville fan just because Louisville, I think has a new
life, regardless of what happened with Kentucky, because they've got a new era
that's you know, a couple of weeks underway. Pat Kelsey, obviously we'll
see if what he's been able to do at Winthrop and at Charleston, we'll
see if it translates here. I have no reason to think that it won't,
but you know, you never really know. And he's also checking boxes
that are really important, not only because of who we are as a fan
base, but because of what's happened recently where there was just really no engagement
with the fan base from the basketball side of things. So so far,
so good. Pat Kelsey actually has some big visitors on campus this weekend,
which we'll get into that a little bit later on. And if you are
on Twitter, they just posted a video of him in full football uniform and
pads, helmet and everything. I didn't get a chance to watch the whole
thing to see exactly what it is he's doing. I don't know if he's
out there kicking field goals or what it is. But he's also going to
throw out the first pitch tomorrow at the Louisville baseball game. So that alone
is exciting. But then when you throw in the Kentucky side of things,
not only are we happy that they are underwhelmed with their higher which look,
I'm not gonna do the Oh, I don't act like you like your coach
because you hate him. You're gonna support him and want him to win and
like him because he's your coach. That's how this works. Is that is
natural. That is again how this works. But I also know that you
were underwhelmed with the higher and I don't think there's any chance that it twenty
four hours ago, anybody thought he would actually be their coach, certainly by
today. So they are dealing with some humble pie and some of it is
I think just them getting a reality check that they can't get anybody they want.
You know, Danny Hurley was always a long shot, but you've got
money to throw at him that ucon probably can't. But he wasn't interested Scott
Drew. I didn't sense a cause. I believe Kentucky fans who say they
felt like they were a little bit relieved that it wasn't Drew. Because Drew's
a nice guy and a good coach. He has a championship, a lot
of early exits in the tournament, and when you really want to prop him
up after that title, which matters a lot. But the secondary stuff to
really use to prop him up would probably just be recruiting, which is important.
But then it's just, well, he's won at Baylor. So I
think if you said, hey, are we taking Scott Drew or we taking
Mark Pope two days ago, you would have said you'd have been disrespected by
the question. I believe so it came at you fast. Drew said no,
and I think there was there was some relief but also a little bit
of shock that, you know, I think they were probably not that sad
that he wasn't going to be their coach, but I think they were shocked
to see that he just simply did not want to come to Kentucky. So
then I think the pivoting started. Well, now we got to throw a
bunch of money at early and then we'll wait for Billy Donovan. And I
think if you take a step back, which at times is hard, and
what I mean by taking a step back, I mean take the emotion out
of it, which again it's impossible. You're a fan. You couldn't stop
loving your team if you tried. But the Donovan thing was just not not
doable. Just the timing and circumstance made that. Honestly, that was a
desperation thing, I believe, because it wasn't realistic as far as the timeline,
and you don't even know for sure if you wanted the job. Everybody
that covered this, from the NBA side and the college side, claim that
they have sources that said Billy Donald would not have any interest in the job,
and I guess that's the arrogance, and that's where the humble Pie comes
in. Because there are Kentucky fans that I know, prominent media members in
the Kentucky world that thought, well that that's not true. And I think
it's because they just assume, how could somebody not want this job. I
think that's where you kind of had a little bit of a reality check there
that yeah, you're great, you got a great program, no doubt about
it. Nobody would argue that. But you can't just get anybody because you're
Kentucky. And also times have changed. Guys will not leave for a better
job when they're already at a good job or a really good job and a
really good situation. So I do think Mark Pope could win there. But
here's what I think Kentucky fans are going to have to deal with is that
it's gonna take a lot of time before you really, truly, deep down
feel like this guy is cap of being your coach and doing the ultimate or
I guess accomplishing the ultimate goal, which is winning a national championship. I
mean, the guy won a tournament game. You have nothing to base that
off of right now, and that's rare for Kentucky. I mean, let's
go back to Billy g I know some people think well, if he didn't
have his own personal demons that he would have, he would have it would
have worked out. What makes you think that? I mean even when,
like I mean, it was a two year thing, but like he recruited
kids that didn't have any division. Maybe you're saying, well, his demons
impacted everything from his his you know, coaching him, him being you know,
embracing the position that he had and recruiting and all that. But like
I you know, I'm not saying he's a bad coach, but like,
I don't think that would ever worked out. But Rick Patino, the guy
was a rock star right away, right took the Unforgettables to the final four,
and that was just the ultimate sign that you guys just got yourself a
rock star who's phenomenal. And then Tubby won a title his first year,
So like right out of the gate, like you knew you had a guy
that could do it. He did it in his first seat. Reason Cali
Perry in his third season. I think it was national championship, bunch of
final fours along the way. So when I talk about the Chris Mack era
kind of completely unraveling and the fans kind of melting down. I'm not kidding
you when I say I do think a global pandemic happening in the midst of
that was a part of it. But also fans lost their minds and said,
get this guy the hell out of town because of the fear they had
that he could not get it done. And who knows, I mean,
I don't know if he ever would have won a title here. We'll never
know. He never coached a game here without there being some pending punishment.
But with Denny, we did't have to worry about that. With Rick,
we did't have to worry about that. Kentucky's in the same situation with cal
and with Tubby and with Beatino. And now this is a guy that it's
just truly a guess. Doesn't mean he can't get it done. But here's
what I think is very realistic to expect from Kentucky under Mark Pope. You
know, maybe he does go get elite talent because it's Kentucky, But is
he gonna be able to do it the way Caliperi did it? No,
because no nobody does and nobody will. That's an insanely high standard to set.
And I know Mark Pope being a likable guy that did in fact play
in the NBA for a little while. That can be viewed as, you
know, an advantage for him, because you know, not many coaches can
say they had to link the NBA career, and he played in the NBA
for looks like too, looks like he played the He I didn't realize he
played the NBA as long as he did. He spent some time overseas as
well, but he had a pro career from ninety six to two thousand and
five, roughly ten years and all. But I think two of those seasons
were in the NBA and that'll help him. But again, like expecting him
to go out and start breeling in the classes Caliperi was doing is just I
don't think realistic. So what you have to worry about now is what's the
ceiling. Kentucky had teams that were underwhelming, but you always knew it's not
a matter of talent, it's not a matter of liability. They got dudes,
and even if they're freshmen and they look lost early, you know that
eventually they're probably gonna get better and you may be able to break through and
win a national championship because they have elite talent that NBA scouts, NBA teams
covet. The ceiling was always high with cal always. That can't be said
for Mark Pope at least I don't think. But maybe he proves me wrong
and he goes out there and puts together the most talented team we've ever seen.
But I could see Kentucky. You know, they'll not lose to some
bums like UNC Wilmington. They'll probably be better at the start of a season.
They'll be older, they'll probably be you know, a little more disciplined.
But what's the ceiling. I mean, how good can they actually be?
And that's where I feel like you just got to wait and see,
which you know, you have to wait and see with every single higher But
I just think that is going to be the drastic difference as far as just
the overall it's the word. The overall brand of Kentucky basketball under Calipari was,
Look, we have guys that are going to be in the NBA.
Don't know what they're going to do when they're here as far as stats and
production, but we got dudes, and you can win championships without those kind
of teams. That's actually what's happening right now. Like to be honest with
you, I'm not trying to say that the Calipari way of doing it would
what was always going to work out, because in fact, he wasn't really
adjusting and it showed. That's how I think he took some steps back.
And you know, to be fair, the two teams that did have the
upsets in the tournament, make no mistake about it, they were really good,
really good national championship contenders in the eyes of most. But his coaching
and him being young when it matters most in the tournament, I think it
came back to bite him. So you know, I mean, I just
think when it comes to when it comes to Mark Pope, and again it's
hard to really know exactly what to expect from ras when really he's not mean,
it's just it's this is all new to him. But with Pope,
they'll be more consistent. But I think you could have a good team that
is the fifth best team in the SEC on a pretty consistent basis, and
it's not because you stink, it's because that league is a lot better.
And let's be real, you know, now, like I think people could
say before, but it felt weird it felt gross just because you know Cal's
Cal. But like in the last five years, Eric Muslman is a better
coach than John cal Perry. Rick Barnes a better coach than John cal Perry.
Bruce Pearl a better coach than John cal Perry. And I'm basing this
off of just like records, results, like performance, like more momentum,
like playing them more modern. I mean, it's just deeper tournament runs,
you know. So you now have Mark Pope, who I don't think you
would claim that cal Perry is is behind. So like when I mentioned all
the SEC coaches, I forgot to mention call earlier right because you got Nat
Oates who's on fire broke through this year. I think he's he's he's part
of the future of college basketball. And he's not accomplished anything anything like Dan
Hurley, but man, he's he's a star. Bruce Pearl at Auburn,
Todd Golden at Florida, I think is a rising star. Buzz Williams,
you never know, occasionally has really good teams. Chris Jian's at Mississippi State.
He's not accomplished a whole lot, but I think he's pretty good coach
Caliperiot, Arkansas, I feel like I'm still missing one either way, those
are guys that, like you just now know, your coach has to actually
do it for a couple of years to know if he's going to be able
to be in that tier. And nobody's patient around here with basketball, trust
me, Louisville fans, Kentucky fans, not even Indiana fans, but there's
going to be a level of patients needed for Kentucky fans that they're not used
to. It's just going to be unnatural. And if Cal brings half his
team that he had in lexingon too Kentucky, he brings that recruiting class to
Kentucky, he gets some big name transfers from Kentucky or you know, from
for any from anywhere, they're going to be farther ahead than Kentucky next year.
And that will be understandable given the situation. But dealing with that,
I'll be surprised if we see a big chunk of that fan base dealing with
that, you know, in an understanding way. And I'm not even criticizing
you if you don't, because again I get it. With Louisville, you
know, we had two seasons that were the worst seasons we'll ever see in
Louisville basketball history. I'm quite confident in that. So we've got a guy
that you know, actually has actually done more than your coach and our bar
Like, if we win fifteen games next year, we're not gonna act like
we're back and we were you know, destined to be a national champion under
Pat Kelsey. But we're more built for this next season with a new coach
than you are. And there's no make no mistake about that. And it's
not I don't say it to brag. It's just because of the situation.
It's because of how bad we've sucked the last couple of years. And you
know, here is I mean, this is this is just this isn't me
like, hey, Pat Kelsey is John Wood and you guys hired the next
Kenny Payne. And I know it'll sound like that to some because again that's
what the rivalry does, right. I mean, you hear what you want,
You have selective hearing because if somebody you know, you know what I
mean. But Pat Kelsey's been a head coach twelve years. Mark Pope's been
a head coach ten years, NCAA Tournament's Pa Kelsey four, Mark Pope two
win percentage. Pat Kelsey's won sixty eight percent of his games. Mark Pope
has won sixty three percent. Pat Kelsey, in his twelve years as a
head coach, has won six regular season titles in two different leagues. Mark
Pope has never won his league conference tournament champs. Pack Kelsey's won his league
conference title five times and the fourth time as far as the fifth time.
Meaning how he didn't get that tournament appearance is because of COVID and that COVID
year he won his TAPT he won his league. Mark popa has never won
his conference tournament doesn't mean he's doesn't mean that that's proof that he sucks.
It's just like the fact that Kentucky hired that when they're fans and even Louisville
fans, myself included, were in disbelief that Louisville was going in that direction
like that. That's something that had to put Kentucky fans jaws on the floor
whenever it became real that it was in fact happening. So you're not gonna
hear me, you know, bad mouth Mark Pope as he's a bum as
a coach, because I don't know that, and I think he's done enough
in his time as a coach to show you that he's been successful. But
you have less results to run with than the Louisville guy. And it,
you know, like one of the things that I've heard BYU was good this
year, Make no mistake about it. They got upset early in lost to
Decaane, but b YU was a good team and I think he was destined
to be successful there if he was able to still bring in the caliber player
that he and I know there are some restrictions as far as what you can
do in recruiting. But one thing that is just not true at all that
I feel like needs to be you know, needs to be mentioned, is
that b YU won before Mark Pope. In fact, Mark Pope, I
mean he he took BYU to the tournament twice and never won a game.
Dave Rose was at BYU from two thousand and five to twenty nineteen, and
he, let's see, he won seventy two percent of his games when they
were in the West Coast Conference and when they went to the Mountain West or
when they were in the Mountain West. You know, he never had more
than four losses in the league play. This is a guy that went to
the Sweet sixteen, won some games in the tournament, So that doesn't have
anything to do with Mark Pope. But this is what I am going to
call you on when you're just grasping for things to make your coach appear to
be something that he's not. I'm not telling you he's a bad coach,
but this notion that, like, who's ever want to b yu He had
a call her earlier and said they have been relevant since Dan Marley. You
ever heard a guy named Jim or for debt? Remember him? He's pretty
good. So we'll see. That's that's all I mean that ultimately, that's
that's what it is. We'll see about both these coaches. But I think
Louisville fans have a little bit more belief that their guy is more capable.
And we had a Kentucky fan who called it earlier says he thinks that that
Pat Kelsey will be more successful than Mark Pope and we'll never know, but
like, it's just a wild thing to me to know how bad Louisvill's been
recently and how down the program has been, and to know that like Kentucky
fans. I mean, they're gonna support their guy, which they should.
You're gonna always you're never gonna not support your team and want them to win
because it's unnatural. But they've got a lot more I guess, you know,
I wouldn't call it false hope, but it's just much more of a
wait and see for them. I guess if that makes sense? All right?
Can I tell you really quickly about my morning? John, tell me
about it? So this, you know, my wife is is a I
was a basketball fan. I consider her to be kind of you know,
I don't know what other woman, other women who listen to the show and
other women that love college basketball, but my wife, she knows enough to
be dangerous, if that makes sense. But she had never heard of Mark
Pope. And I, you know, wouldn't you say? That's probably understandable,
Like, I don't know why she would know who that is? Right?
He played? Yeah, So when I told her they hired Mark Pope,
she was like who, huh who? And I said Mark Pope?
Like she was getting ready for work, I was getting the kids up.
Maya was still asleep, my daughter, and Moose was up and uh,
sometimes he wakes up just like when to go back to bed. Sometimes he
wakes up ready to light the world on fire, and he's hyper. And
that was this morning. And my wife's in the closet getting her you know,
outfit for the day or whatever. We're in the bedroom and our walk
in closet's kind of deep. Not to brag, uh, but you know,
she couldn't hear me, I guess, or she was thinking, are
you saying Mark Pope? Like, yeah, Mark Pope. You know.
That's when I realize she doesn't know who he is, and we're just yelling
back. I'm saying Mark Pope. She's kind of questioning Mark Pope, and
it just it's like an echo chamber. So then Moose he says Mark Poop
and that brought a lot of laughter to me. And then you know,
he felt like he had a good joke, so he wanted to He wanted
to share that joke more and more so a lot of you know, I
was like, do you know who Mark Poop is? He's like, no,
Mark Poop, Mark Poop. And then I told him he was the
cats coach. And now he probably told everybody at daycare that the new coach
for Kentucky basketball is Mark Poop. I got a video of it. I
was gonna maybe post it online, but then I thought, probably shouldn't do
that. There's nothing to gain from it, even though it's adorable and some
may find it funny. But then like, you may have people that would
say like bad things about my kid, and then I would track him down
and kill him and probably ruin my life. So I don't want to do
that, right but here is here is on command. If you ask him
who the Cats coaches? Who's the coach of the Cats? Poop? Who
like Poop Mark Poop? He may start a revolution with l fans? He
might, he might? So can I read really quickly here before we go
to break some of these Some of these uh this is some some message boar
post from Kentucky fans. This is turned into a reality check from hell if
we end up with Pope no uh no offense to Mark. This seems like
an IU move. What's that supposed to? What? India? Kentucky fans
have this insecurity complex to where they just like when they feel when they're like
insecurities creep in about who they are, they just start, you know,
the uncontrolla Indiana, they're so afraid to be Indian. Yeah yeah, and
which, to be fair, it is an Indiana move. You hired an
alum, that's an Indiana did and and it's things that you criticize both Louisville
and Kentucky for do. Yeah, this is I will stop watching college basketball
all together. I will stick to UK football. Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds.
That's it. Jesus Christ, please give me a patina before we get
to the Pope level. Now, if this were to happen, I'm done.
I'm out. I'm not entertaining it. Boosters will never let this happen.
I'll hop on the fire Mitch. And if we try Pope before giving
Donovan or Pearl a college try or reassessing Oates. If Pope is the coach
next year, We've made the biggest mistake of all time. The happiest person
and all of this is Mark Stoops. UK basketball will be on dead and
we'll be a football school. That's all we'll have. I gotta say,
though, at there was an inkling in me last night that made me think
this would be like the Tennessee Football Effect, where there was so much outcry
against this really that maybe Mitch Barnhart would back out, but I know he's
confident in who he is, so I don't know if I truly believed in
that. Oh I don't mix Barn't hates his fans. He'd never do anything
based off of their you know, whining. I mean, there was a
thought that I was like, man, there are so many angry people.
Well because they're that angry, and they're that many of them, right,
Yeah, But Mark Pope's going to be introduced, I believe on Sunday,
and Kentucky fans will absolutely support him and believe and hope for the best,
and that's what you should do as a fan. And Louisville's doing the same
thing with Pat Kelsey. And it kind of feels like this whole thing's restarting.
Clearly bragging right, still belong to the Blue Side, but we got
some new energy here and that alone is exciting. We're gonna get to know
these coaches more. We're gonna see these rosters come together. It's gonna be
great for the station. I can tell you that. All right, quick
break, We'll come back on the other side, keep it rolling along in
its coffee and company. We are fueled bout Thornton's right here on Sportsbok seven
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N Federal Credit Union text line. Stex says, nake your spot on with
cal. The fear wasn't just that he was great and we sucked, and
we would never beat him. Even even when they weren't great, we'd find
a way to lose. This is a new era and there's no fear of
Mark poop, no fear he's done it. But the moose is doing it.
He's starting the Mark Mark poop revolution. We can maybe we can monetize
this, sell some shirts, although I don't know if people would want to,
you know, walk around with that word on their shirt. But hey,
I've seen I've seen shirts in public or around you know, children that
I'm surprised people feel comfortable wearing so. But you know how he is,
though here he doesn't. He won't approve the l's down for Kentucky. If
Louisville fans were wearing Mark poop shirts. He wouldn't be having that either.
I have a feeling he's going to drop that, Like I have a feeling
that I have a feeling that that he will end up not being bothered by
that. But I you know, for the and for those who like,
I don't know if that's a Mark Pope thing or if that's a b YU
thing, because you know, they're much they're very much about that's true.
You know, their brand is like they're going to be respectful, classy,
no trash talk and uh you know that kind of stuff. But Texas came
to play at BYU this past year and Mark Pope, I think he led
his press conference with it about I guess kind of you know, shaming his
own fans for doing L's down. We're not going to do that at all
end, which he looked like a huge dork because what what's the issue with
that? Like that is one thing I've I've never heard any level of explanation
as to why that is viewed as a sensitive thing to outsiders who aren't Texas
fans, meaning like leagues referees, Like why is that like the ultimate disrespect
that is not allowed? Whenever there's all kinds of different things that like signals
or gestures that aren't vulgar, aren't, you know, flipping somebody off.
And it's a part of sports. It's what makes sports great. But here's
what Mark Pope had to say earlier this year when Texas came there to provo
and he didn't like that their fans were doing horns down. Thanks guys.
Hey, if I can, Ty's gonna be mad at me here. But
I don't know you guys reporting on this. Horns down to you guys hearing
this, and just to know from our student from our you know, they
were taking off before the game started, right and from our from the rock
and from our players and from our student body, that's just not us.
That's not how we roll. And it was just a miscalculation on just a
couple eager kids, which we love the eagerness of these fans, but it's
not what you do here. So we love all eighteen thousand people in this
gym. They were incredible at night, and just so you know, that's
not that's not something that works for Okay, awesome, Okay, if you
had a fart sound on your board, I would have you play it right
after that I mean, come on, I have it, but I wish
i'd a known what a I mean, that's just lame. And I know
nobody believes me when I say this. Actually a lot of people do.
Louisville fans are probably in the same boat. A lot of them. Others
are genuinely I think, bothered by it. But like Kentucky fans, doing
L's down is a self own more often than not, like if they're doing
it when they're playing us and they're kicking our ass or something, that's different.
But their obsession with it is adorable, and I mean it's insane.
I mean, you'll have a recruiting class, well previously, you know they
would have a recruiting class where the entire class essentially is a part of the
McDonald's American game. Mark Pope. I don't know if that's gonna happen,
but you know the UK, you know hanks that cover the team that are
there, they're like, well, would you guys get together? Do dow
Ells down? Do ellsdown? These kids don't even know what it means,
but they'll just do it. They'll take a picture and you know it gets
shared by every Kentucky fan in the world. As if they just really stuck
it to us, and it's you know, it's just it's it doesn't make
any sense, Like I get it. You're like it's one thing to do
it again during the game, like when you play each other, but you
can see the crowd. It's like a h what do you call it?
Like a an impulse thing, like they can't control themselves. I know what
you mean. Purdue fans do the same thing with Indiana. They do an
IU sucks chant, and they did it during the National championship game in Macki
Arena. The fans who are watching it from that venue. It's super lame.
They do it to the tune of I don't even know what it's called.
It's it's just it's a typical stadium song that they just add IU sucks
to the end of it. Well that that's a little different, but they
still did it when they're during the National champion But I think that's now that
that my guess is that that that that chant is now with the IU sucks
in it, Like there's no level of them doing it without that being in
it, regardless of the situation. Still lame, but like I just think
that's I think you'll you'll see at a football game the camera will pan to
the crowd who knows the cameras on and when UK's play an l s U
and it's the impulse like just can't control themselves if I can, sorry about
that anyways, they'll just start throwing l's down like they can't help themselves.
Just that's true. Different and the like again, like I'm not exaggerating family
together Christmas photos. Hey, everybody, let's get one where kids, you
guys throw ls down. Me and mom will do the same. We'll put
it on the Christmas card, send it to everybody, Like why because you're
obsessed And that's the one like world, we're both obsessed with each other.
That's what makes the rivalry what it is to an extent. But that's just
weird, Like I don't understand that, Like that's and that doesn't bother a
little. It just it's odd. What is the equivalent? Does Louisville do
something like that that bothers UK fans? Not that I know of. Okay,
I don't think there's any like gesture like that. You know, Kentucky
fans they tie them out, they get married, they're getting the wedding photos,
got the wedding parties together, and then they're just doing some shots of
the bride and groom and then oh, we got to get one of those
down. Like it's just like that. The fact that that comes into mind
is just odd to me. And trust me, like it's not a hey,
yeah, i'd be I'd be doing that too. Man, you got
bragging rights, like no, I mean, I get it if you do
it during the game and if you want to talk all kinds of nonsense about
Louisville, like when when you know, when the opportunity presents itself, knock
yourself out. But the way in which it's just become like a cultural thing
within their fan base is I don't even know what the eqivalent would be for
any fan base. Now I don't I don't follow other rivalries. So maybe
you know, you just shared one with me that I think is on the
same path. But I think this is just weirder, is it not.
I mean it's weirder because you can do it in any scenario. Yeah,
with the IU sucks one. You have to do it with the whole chant
like I remember in two thousand, it was in twenty nineteen. Well,
the earlier years of MAC. I remember I would occasionally, and I'm not
kidding you, I would occasionally see a UK fan at an away game,
no joke, like because they you know, they live or all or over
the planet like I mentioned. And this isn't like a Hey, you guys
come to our games because you're obsessed. I mean you do come to our
games a lot. But like I remember going to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech
game and there was a couple of Kentucky fans there and you know, they
they came up to me, and I guess they either knew who I was
or just saw that I was, you know, media there for Louisville.
Like they just started, like they didn't say anything, just like I wanted
to get my attention and you know, put the l's down and I just
did it right back to him. And they didn't like they didn't know what
to do. Like I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah,
like all ll down harder than you man. So what really, really,
honestly, I believe ended whatever relationship I had with Scott Sadderfield is that
I was very it was very very bothered by the fact that he winded Midfield
about L's down to Mark Stoops after he got his ass kicked, because it's
hard for fans to and I'm not sure if they'd believe us or not,
but who cares. But like it's hard for fans to brush it off like
they usually do without Kentucky fans, you know, like they it fueled it
and gave it new life, because if our coach is crying about it after
the game, then they're going to assume that all of our fans are going
to be crying about it too. And yeah, we're upset and bothered,
pissed off that we got beat. But like the l's down thing, like
it doesn't do a whole lot till there's plenty of like triggers in a back
and forth trash talking session between Louisville and Kentucky fans. There's triggers on both
sides that will actually get a rise out of people, right, like a
soft spot or just something that like they claim that you think is just nonsense.
But I'm telling you, the L's down, it doesn't do much,
and maybe it does come to an end just because maybe it's run its course.
But like Mark Pope, now that I just mentioned the other guy's name
Saderfield. Like he is he Sadderfield, is he Saturfield. He's got some
Saderfield in him. He's got a little bit of that in him, and
he may win at a high level. Again, I think he's a good
coach, and he's a good enough coach to where he could utilize what's at
Kentucky and he could win at a high level. I don't have any doubt
that that could happen. You never really know, but I just think it's
such a drastic difference in what you had before with cal And some will say,
well, that's refreshing, that's what we needed, and you maybe you're
right, and if that's what your opinion is, that's your opinion. But
I just I'm curious if he's shining down in Fayetteville and this is more of
a gradual thing for for pope and then maybe three years in you kind of
feel like fourth best in the SEC is just kind of you know where you're
gonna where you are in the pecking order. I just I know Kentucky fans
won't accept that, and if they do, whatever, that's their choice,
but it would just be much different than I think what they were used to
all right, let's go to the phone lines. Five O two five seven
seventy nine hundred is the number again, five O two five seventy nine hundred
the number. Let's get to one call here before we have to get to
a break. Let's go to Travis. Travis, how are you hey?
I'm doing good? How are you not too bad? Good? Hey?
Uh? I just wanted to time me in on the l's up ells down,
saying, well, first of all, as far as Mark Pope's concerns,
I have no idea what's gonna happen. I think that it's as you
are called Scott Patterfield as a principal salad. It was low hanging fruit.
It was somebody that he knew what must say. No, yeah, and
that's what he went with. Now what comes of that, we'll see.
But as far as the olds up ells down, I do got to ask
you a question, because I've had this conversation before. I don't throw ells
up, else down, or any ll speriod, but with that he instead.
It's always got on my nerves that every time a Louisville fan has a
picture taken, they instantly throw l's up. So it's kind of the same
thing. It's kind of you know, you're like, I don't know if
there's anything that's that annoying to Kentucky fans, but that's just even if you
think it's lame because it's Louisville, I totally get it. You're a Kentucky
fan and it's a rivalry, but that's just them living in their own world
of Louisville and wanting people to know they're a Louisville fan. The l's down
from Kentuck with ells down, that means that there were not a Louisville fan,
right, Well, then I guess we must be so dominant with the
l's up that you have to clarify, you have to. Maybe that's why
every Kentucky fan that calls, which you didn't, by the way, and
that's fine, but they always say, hey, uh, Kentucky fan here,
which is fine. But you know, I just think the drastic difference
there is that Louisville throwing l's up has nothing to do with anybody but them
being Louisville fans. The l's down is you know, I guess just instead
of doing whatever you would do to classify as a UK fan, you just
want to I guess take a shot at Louisville, which whatever, knock yourself
out. Clearly everybody does it. You claim you don't do it, and
that's cool. But I do think there's a big difference in like when you
want to, like, if you're at a game, at a Louisvill if
you're a louis A game, you throw the l up like. I think
that's what people do. Like, I get it. If you think it's
lame, fine, But if you're a Kentucky fan, I would think that
there would be a level of just having some kind of a whatever. I
mean, honestly between us, I think gestures are stupid with the hands.
It doesn't do much for me. But that's what I think the difference is.
Yeah, I mean I can see that. I'm just saying you're saying
that every time you tell Elle, oh, you're just basically claiming that it
has nothing to do with it's your there's nothing new we can doe. No,
I agree. But if I go Elval and it has everything to do
with Louisville, meaning I don't like Louisville, that's fine. And look,
you know what, I can actually respect that because I I'm going to assume
that you like not only don't like Louisville, you probably hate him, and
that's what we need in this rivalry. So you've actually given a little bit
of context as to why it's just it's a it's a well known thing among
Kentucky fans that whatever you know about me, you need to know I don't
like Louisville. Is that fair? What? Okay? Fair enough? Travis?
I appreciate the phone call man. That was a good That was a
good back and forth. Like you know, I love that there's hate between
the schools and the fans. I mean, hopefully don't hate each other and
want to, you know, harm one another. But like, there's nothing
that makes a rivalry healthier than hate. I we'll get to the phone calls
on the other side. Five of two, five seven, one, seventy
nine hundred. It is the number. It'sffee and Company. We are feel
about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety Good stuff here, John,
good stuff. Turn it up. Does it show you what year this song
came out? I know a lot of times you pull the music from YouTube
and it may not show that eighty one. Yeah, this this was an
era that obviously I wasn't alive for but I feel like I belonged there.
I needed to be there. It does fit your vibe, yeah, chest
oh yeah, I take that as a compliment. All right, five or
two, five, seven, seventy nine hundred is the number if you guys
want to jump in and join us on the phone lines. We'll go back
to the phone lines now and welcome in Mike. Mike, how are you
doing this afternoon? I'm doing very well. How are you doing today?
Little brother? Not too bad? Are you? My older brother? Well?
I didn't know I had a brother. Mom, what have you been
keeping from me? All the little vilfas are little Brother? It's a nick
name that Eddie Sudden gave you on and it's been mournerful. It's been so
great. Okay, I'm glad you enjoy it. Yeah, so is that
what you wanted to say? Mike? I just so I have stumbled across
your channel and I'm glad you found us. Yeah, well it was I
thought it was a UK show because it's all it's all UK, UK,
Mark Pope UK. Is anything going on for U of L that you can
talk about? Or is it? I know this is a UK sho,
I'm a UK fan. You're no UK fan? Are you the gatekeeper of
BBN I've got I've got credentials to provide that I'm a member. I'm thinking
maybe you're not a fan. Oh I'm big blue, true, big Blue.
I have a feeling you're telling the truth is that was Is there anything
else you wanted to add to, anything else you wanted to discuss today or
just wanted to to say that? Well, if you want to, if
you really want to be a Kentucky fan, there's plenty of a room,
you can always come over to the Big Blue Nation. I'm already there,
Big Mark Pope fan. Thank you for the Mike. Appreciate you, uh
holding for that. Have a good have a good weekend, my man.
I actually like those kind of phone calls. But I need more, like
I need I need, I need more, I need more. He tricked
me something. He didn't have anything to say. He just he thought he
was gonna own you. And he he really in what way like owe me?
How like he's just trying to fire you up. He just wasn't successful.
Yeah that's I mean, I can get fired up. But hey,
little brother, I mean, if if that if that's the if that's the
initial jab in a troll phone call to try to get somebody worked up and
do the rivalry thing. I mean, it's not gonna work. I mean
like that. I mean that's like, you know, that's like somebody calling
me short, Like, yeah, I've been short my whole life, Like
you're not telling me anything. I don't know. I'm not in denial that
I'm you know, five foot eight and on the shorter side, but you
know whatever, And in all honesty, my life in the rivalry became a
lot better for me, like it used to consume me to where like I
would not do anything crazy like harm someone or be nasty, but just like
I would never stop yelling, like I would just have endless back and forth
with Kentucky fans. That it hit me that, like, look, you
love Kentucky, I love Louisville. We're never going to convince one another on
anything. So what are we doing? What are we yelling about? So
once I just realized that, like, there's nothing I'm gonna say that it's
going to change the way they feel, and there's nothing they're going to say
to change the way I feel. Like does mean we can't talk and converse,
but like as far as just like the you know, nastiness of it,
I just I don't really go there because it doesn't I mean, and
to be honest with you, like Louisville hasn't, you know, hasn't really
you know, had a whole lot of ammunition on the basketball side of things
in a while. So maybe that's part of it. I know some people
probably like that, like the yelling and the and that, but that's just
not me. You know, I'm gonna to talk to my mom because she's
been she's been keeping it from me that I got a big brother. That's
pretty shameful. And I'm kidding for like those who just now turned on the
radio and heard that, Like I don't have a big brother. My mom
didn't keep anything from me. But you know, it's gotta be careful about
you know. I have that fear of somebody just popping in write at a
certain moment and hear hearing hearing a sentence and just thinking, what the hell
is what's going on here? So anyways, quick break, we'll come back
on the other side, get back to your phone calls, keep this thing
rolling along. Five o'clock hours next, right, here on Sports Talk seven ninety