It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine
day. Now here's Nick Coffee. If you are here to get an update
on the PGA Championship over in Valhalla, Apologies, I'm not one that would
be able to give you that, but we are going to talk to Ken
Spencer coming up here at w h as eleven. I mean, we're not
going to talk to him there. That's where he that's where he works,
but he's gonna be vis at four thirty and he is there at Valhalla covering
it, and I'm obviously not gonna ask him a ton of questions about you
know. I mean, we'll get an update as far as how how the
event's going, as far as you know, who's who's off to a great
start. But I'm more interested just because I'm not like a super golf fan.
I'm more interested in just how are we doing a good job as a
city as far as like showing the PGA that we should get more of these
kind of events, and it seems like we are. But again, Kent
will be with us to discuss that in about thirty minutes or so. It
is Coffee and Company. We are fuel about Thornton's heirero on Sports Talk seven
ninety. We did talk a little earlier about the addition. That was yesterday,
about twenty four hours ago. I guess it became official that Connie Ruth's
the Kahani Ruths. I should say not Connie, but Kahani Ruths is in
the mix here, the only freshman at this point that's committed to Pat Kelsey
and they have, I believe now just two scholarships left, and he's the
eighth highest ranked recruit to ever commit to Louisville. Which I bring that up
for a couple of reasons. One, if you had a guy like this
pre portal, that world of college basketball that no longer exists like this would
be monumental and it is a good get that people are excited about. But
now it's about getting guys in the portal that have played college basketball that you
kind of have a better feel for what you're gonna get. But it also
reminds me of like I mean, Louisville has had many guy like Louisville's a
program that I would say the dudes who were ranked really really really high coming
out of high school. The majority of them didn't you know, didn't have
I mean some of them didn't play here because they went to the NBA,
and then some of them. You know, we're good players, but far
from great. So I am a little curious to see when we get,
you know, seven eight years into the portal, just how different it is
when it comes to recruiting freshmen, because it's going to play out to where
there's going to be I mean, there's going to be a case study,
right, like, hey, we recruited a top ten class for seven straight
years, but did we get anything out of it? Right? As a
freshman? Could they compete and help us right away? And if they did
help us a little bit, but not a whole lot, we were hoping
that the next year they'd be a big time player, but nope, they
hit the portal or they went to the NBA. Like, I can't imagine
there's ever going to be a time where you don't recruit freshmen. But I
just you know, if I was a coach, I mean, I would
make it to where, you know, at least a third of my roster
every year is guys that I went out and recruited as free agents essentially,
all Right, so we played some sound just a moment ago from the ACC
spring meetings where Pat Kelsey did a couple of interviews and this I don't know
if this was yesterday. I think I think it was yesterday because Daboswinny was
making his rounds and you know, Dabo's Dabo, and I actually forgot to
get to this yesterday. But now we actually have some sound from it,
so I guess we'll back up to what he said two days ago on ESPN
about I mean, this is harmless. We know dabo stance on the portal.
He's been very, very upfront. He does not believe in it.
He's not ever taken a kid from the portal. So it's not like he's
saying something that you you know, your jaw hits the floor. But just
think about if another coach said this like what they're what his fan base would
would how they would react. Well, it wasn't really necessarily like an intentional
thing. There's a couple of guys we looked at, but you know,
they got to love you too. But it also tells us you like where
you're around, You like, yeah, that's what That's what the other part
of it. And and honestly, every player is technically a transfer. You
know, we just signed a whole class of guys transferred from high school.
Like that's I mean, that's again because it's Dabbo. You know, that's
just like his nil response from a few years ago. It's Dabbo being Dabbo.
But again, Clemson, it's like a cult man, like they're weird.
Every fan base of college football knows how important the portal is. They
may it, they may you know, wish that it wasn't allowed. And
there are many coaches, there are many, you know, fans of college
sports that think that nil and the portal has ruined everything. But you know,
regardless of what you think about it, you know it's important you have
to do well in that in that world, meaning maintaining your roster, keeping
guys that you want that have value, not letting them get away, and
going out and filling spots when guys leave. So, I mean, this
is Dabo, just flat out. And it's still new, So I don't
think it's it seems as out. You know, two reasons why it doesn't
seem as crazy to some as it does to me is that it's still new.
Also, it's dabos so you're not surprised. But this is a guy
basically admitting he's not going like he's not doing part of his job, and
he's stubborn and consistent. There's no doubt about that. And then he said
this, and again, I just think Dabo's still saying things like he's coming
off of, you know, two national championships in a row or something,
which he never did that. But I mean, they won two titles in
what three four years, and they were really rolling and now you know,
there's still good, Like it kind of wowed me a little bit when I
looked at their their I mean, they've had double digit winning season. They
didn't last year they went nine and three or nine and four, I don't
know what. I think it might have been nine and four. It was
the first time in like eleven twelve years they didn't win double diggit games.
So, like, they're still very good, but they're not in the elite
tier and they're not really close and they're not going to get back there.
They're probably going to keep falling. With the way he with the way he
handles this, but he talks as if he's got you know, five rings
on his hand that were recent national championships because this is I mean, he
says, most of the guys in the portal aren't good enough to play for
Clemson. There's three types of players in the portal. I mean, it's
really pretty simple. Most of the guys in the portal aren't good enough to
play for us. Yeah. Yeah, that's just like, that's just the
reality of it. I mean, we have guys that are backups at Clemson
that go in the portal because they just want to have an opportunity. And
most of them are graduates, by the way, but have guys that are
backups or you know, they want a chance to go play And I got
no problem with that, and so rarely do we have a starter leave Clemson.
Uh So, you know, that's you've got the majority of the guys,
they're guys that are in the portal because they want to have a chance
to go start somewhere. They're not playing where they are. I mean,
it's such a small minded way to look at it, because that's actually not
like when you think about how many players enter the portal, it's probably true
to say that most of them aren't good enough to be a you know,
to be an impact player for you at a power power four level, Like,
I don't think that's crazy. But he doesn't even look at the port
He doesn't he's he's he It's one thing if he evaluates it, says he's
open to it, but doesn't decide to take guys. I mean that that
would also be really stupid. But you know, you think there aren't guys
that are in the portal that could help you and and and you know,
could participate in your four and four season that you just had in the ACC.
I mean, that's just he's not saying anything like totally controversial. He's
not, you know, being an a hole, But he's just such a
unique character within college football. I think that's the best way to describe it.
If he ever falls far enough to be let go by Clemson, obviously
there will be coaches or schools that want Demo Swiney to be their head coach.
But do you think at that point he would adjust or what they would
be dab but they would do it thinking well, I mean if we can
get him, we have to. But yeah, I mean, we know
we're not getting what you know, he's not. It's like Cal, you
know Cal, you know, did you know lean on the portal this year,
and you know he did last year to a little bit. But you're
you know, cal Perry bringing in the number one class in the country every
year. It's not doesn't mean now what it used to because things have changed.
So Dabo, he's still doing things like it's twenty and seventeen and it's
not. And you know, yeah, he'd land somewhere. And I will
never know this, but I believe that if he would have adjusted an adapted,
just like everybody else in college football did, right, Nick Saban Kirby
smart Right, things changed and those guys didn't miss a beat. Had Dabo
done that, I believe they still would have been at the higher that they
would have been in the elite tier with more playoff appearances. Right. I
don't know if they won another championship, but they'd still be a frequent participant
in the playoff in the last three four years. I believe that. And
if that's the case, he's Alabama's coach. I agree with you because he
played there and he he you know, for for a little while. There
wasn't a long run. But you know, right before things shifted with Portland
and il some would have some people would have told you that Dabo Dabo had
had surpassed uh Nick Saban. So you know, I just have a hard
time like they're never gonna be terrible. They're never gonna be you know,
IM not gonna fall off a cliff. But if I'm a Clemson fan,
like, I don't know, if you, I don't know how you would
like not want this guy. He won you two national championships, but it
would be alarming to see that he's just clearly not adjusting and adapting. And
usually when you don't do that, especially when things drastically change, it's it's
it's it's gonna bite you. All right, Let's talk about something that makes
people uncomfortable, at least some people, tipping at restaurants, gratuity. I
think it's always a sensitive subject with certain people because there are some that are
tipping elitists. That's what I call him John. They may they probably don't
tip as well as they claim, but they're always always like, if you
can't tip twenty five percent, then you don't even need to be going out
to eat. You know, somebody can you know, take your cup,
turn around, fill up the fountain, drink, give it back to you
and if you didn't tip. I'm like, we're the tipping elitists. Never
consider the fact like okay, is this something that should be tipped for?
They just assume, like why was you even question that? Did you see
how hard they're working? There was a pandemic like they're just trying to make
a look like those I don't know if you know any of those people,
but they're out there and they annoy me. And I am somebody that I
usually tip at least twenty percent and I sometimes probably shouldn't. I am also
willing to admit that I would never want to be known as the guy that
people claim is not like I don't think of people are out, you know,
having a small talk at a bar. Did you hear nick coffee doesn't
tip? But like I'm aware, like you know, I don't want people
to think that I'm like, you know, not taking care of servers who
work hard and do a good job. And for the most part, I'm
not that tough to please, Like I rarely would ever feel like, well,
I need to consider how much I'm going to tip here because they didn't
do a very good job. So it's not that I'm anti tipping, but
I get annoyed whenever it just becomes like a you know that no matter what,
you have to do this, and if you don't, you aren't.
You're not like you're you aren't worthy of even being in a restaurant and having
a server. And one conversation that's been had many times that I don't know
if there's no like I guess, I mean, everybody has their own opinion
of it. But if I go to pick up carry out and you hand
me the bag and you have, you know, put the food in the
bag and I never get carry out. We did it during like COVID a
few times because it's all we could do. But I don't think the food's
ever as good when you take it home after you get it, like a
sit down restaurant, it's just not worth it for me, especially what it
costs now. But should they is it? Like when did it become a
thing to where you're asked to tip them because you know, in my opinion,
like if you tip them whatever, that's cool. I feel the pressure
to tip them at times and I think, like I guess I'm gonna be
that. I don't want to be that guy to not tip so by getting
it to go. You've kind of chosen to take out what you would then
tip for, which is being taken care of. Am I making sense here?
Perfect? I've I can. I've never tipped carry out, and I
do carry out a lot compared to actually going and sitting down. I do
tip every time, like you whenever I'm going to sit down restaurant. But
I believe during COVID, whenever, there was no way to really tip people.
That's why that became a thing. And it became a thing where like
you would get it and add like a very generous tip, But it wasn't
because it was because that was the only way they could make moneys. And
that made sense back, Yeah, it did. But this is no different
than going up to a drive through, which is also something that sometimes,
depending on where you're at, they'll give you the receipt and they'll give you
a kid to sign something. Are you kidding me? Dead? Seriously?
Not every place, geez, And this I don't even know if this really
qualify. Actually, here's what I got two and I don't I don't want
to. I don't want to talk bad about these places, so I won't
give their names. There's a place in he'llvy and there's a place in Mount
Washington that do it? Is it fast food? One of them is a
coffee shop, and one of them's a pizza place. Okay, yeah,
I mean I just think putting like if it if putting the tip on the
receipt when it's never something anybody'd ever tip before. To me, just screams,
we'll see if they're suckers and do it. That's that's and that bothers
me. But you know what, I'm a sucker, I guess because occasionally
I feel bad now. Also, I you know people who who serve at
restaurants and I don't even mean like fine dining. You can make a really
good living. I'm not sure you're not. You know, it's not like
you're living, you know, in a million dollar home, but like you
can make a like it's to say that, you know, And that's what
I mean by some of the tipping elitists. They act as if like why
would you not be very generous? They're working hard, Like it's almost like
you're you're trying to belittle them, so then people should give Like no,
you don't need to do that. Like and here's the other thing. If
if these people are working so hard, which most of them are. The
companies that they work for need to pay them better because the problem is a
lot of these workers at these restaurants don't get paid very well. They were
lost so heavily on tip. I mean, they make like two bucks an
hour. Here's the thing. And I've never been a server, and I
know it's it's I mean, I wouldn't be good at it, and it
is a hard job. It's not something that like anybody can just do and
be good at it. So I I understand that. But I know a
few of them that have said that if it ever was a thing where tips
were not it and you were just an hourly employee, they wouldn't do it
because they wouldn't make near the money. So, you know, I bring
all this up because of something that happened last night at a restaurant that I
went to. And I'm not going to mention where it is. And I've
had complaints about this place before, and yet I still go every now and
then because it's good. I'll start with what happened a few years ago,
and I still maintain this is insane. We ordered an appetizer and it was
chips and Q so it is not a Mexican restaurant. But they offered,
like a lot of places offered chips and kso that's not a Mexican restaurant,
right, Like many places, it's an appetizer on a lot of places that's
not just for Mexican or text mex or whatever. So we ordered KSO and
you know, they give you the typical you know, actually what they did
here is that it's a basket of chips and in the middle of the basket
is like, you know, the thing of the cheese. So you know,
there's there's enough chips, but you know, we ran out of chips
and we asked for more chips and it was a four dollars charge for more
chips. That insane to me, absolutely insane. Of so, we talked
about it on the show years ago when it happened, and I don't think
anybody took the side of the restaurant as if, like, you know,
that was normal, although you know a lot of people were like, give
them a break, they're just trying to make a living. And I'm like,
well, okay, I mean that that doesn't have anything to do with
what I'm talking about. But like that's just not normal. So what you're
paying for is the cheese. So the one excuse was that, well,
because they don't sell a lot of that, they need to charge for the
chip. Well, then don't offer it, like you know what I'm saying,
Like, don't offer tab chips and case. So if you're gonna charge,
because I would be willing to bet that that most people would not order
that if they knew that was the case, because you oftentimes, especially if
you're sharing the case, so with your table, you're gonna run out of
the chips fairly quickly. I mean, like, if my wife and I
go and we get a small case so somewhere that's will probably not need more
chips. Now, if there's salts there too, maybe we will. But
like that was insane to me, Like the first time I feel like I
was ever Like, you can't be you're you're you're not real. It's not
you're not You're not being serious, are you. So we went there last
night with my with my mom, my stepdad, my two kids, and
me and my wife. So there's six of us, you know, two
two of the two of the people don't order the food themselves, their children
and they split a kid's meal. That's usually what our kids get at dinner.
They'll they'll split something on the kids menu and they'll be that'll be just
enough food for them. So that's six people total. Technically, they don't
tell you, but if you have six people there, they automatically include your
tip and it's nowhere where you can see it without looking at the fine print.
I think that's deceiving. I think that's misleading. I think that's lame
because the majority of the people would not know that you've already included you tip
unless they're looking at it, unless you're and look, maybe I mean,
I'm probably the idiot. In fact I am. I rarely look. I
look at the bill and you know, make sure nothing really stands out,
but rarely will I go, you know, line by line and see if
they were charging me correctly. I have a feeling John does the opposite,
because yeah, it depends on what I've ordered. But you know, it's
it's like an it's like an abbreviation. It doesn't say that that's the tip.
You ask them and then and then they'll tell you. And then you
go to the menu and you'll see in the fine print at the bottom of
the first page of their menu. Parties of six gratuity will already be inclosed.
I just think that that's that's a small amount to have an auto gratuity.
Not only that, but we have too, I mean again, like
we only mean we only ordered six, true, we only ordered we only
ordered six. Like you're not like, my kids aren't asking you for anything.
The only thing you're doing is bringing their kids meal and you know,
their their drink. Not to say that you're not, you know, not
to say that you're not like they don't matter, but like two parts of
that one, it's just lame to kind of sneak that in there. Also
also the you know, I just you know, six is not a big
group of people. It's just not that's three. I mean that's a family,
honestly, Like I think ten or more is the minimum for I could
do eight, depending on where you are, Like I could see that being
you know, I can understand that. But you know, at Churchill Downs
opening night, one of my buddies Dad's was there, and he went and
bought a big round of drinks for people. It was we were celebrating somebody's
birthday, so he bought the first round of drinks. So it was like,
I don't know. At the bar there at Churchill, he bought like
eight beers like or maybe like five beers a seltzer wine and they didn't tell
him, but he got the bill, and like, when you get alcohol
at a place like Churchill Downs on Derby week, like you're probably probably gonna
take a substantial number for you to be like, damn, that can't be
right because again, like alcohol is expensive at those kind of events or that
in that week it's opening night. Well then you know he tipped on like
the receipt because you know that's what you should do. But he doesn't get
back to you know, he gets back and he's thinking, like, man,
that really was expensive. He gets out the receipt and sure enough,
at the very bottom, the smallest text on the receipt, it shows that
he was charged gratuity because of how many how many drinks he was sort of
ordered. There's one dude ordering it and you know you're walking to the refrigerator
and pulling out it, like they're not even serving you draft beer. So
I just I don't know, like at the end of the day, like
it's not a substantial amount of money, but it's just seems deceiving. It's
robbery. Yeah, maybe that's being traumatic, but no, but I think
a lot of people would say the same thing. So I don't know.
I just I said that yesterday whenever I realized that they like that, that
that the tip was already included. And I'm like, I'm talking about this
on the show because I will say this, I feel like gratuity and tipping
is something that regardless of where you stand, I think a lot of people
have strong opinions on it one way or the other. And again for those
just not joining us, you should always tip well if you're taking care of
and you should understand that like that is how people make a living. And
fortunately for me, I've usually had pretty good service to great service to where
like I'm happy to tip because the experience was good because of said server or
bartender or whatever it may be. And and by the way, all these
things, it's not the people who are serving you. It's the court,
it's the restaurant. It's the corporations that are doing that are doing this lame
stuff, you know, because they don't want to pay it. Yeah,
all right, quick break, we'll come back on the other side and try
to catch up with our man, mister Kent Spencer of WHS eleven, who's
live at the PGA Championship right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. It's right
Coffee and Company Field by Thornton's here on Sports Talk seven ninety, rolling along
about halfway through here on a Thursday afternoon, and we now bring in our
special guest, mister Kent Spencer from w h AS eleven, Kent. How
are we doing today, brother buddy. I'm hanging out at Mahall at the
PGA Championship. I don't know if I could be doing much better. I
was hoping you'd say that because I was going to ask you. I know,
as someone who played sports, I'm sure your whole life growing up and
now you have a successful career where sports is a big part of it,
you know. I know, you know you're fortunate, but when it comes
to events that really you know you just enjoy, you know, covering,
I'm sure there's many of them, but where does this one rank for you?
I know you're a big golf guy yourself, and obviously this is a
big, big deal, you know, honestly, like when people say what
is the best event you've ever covered in your life. I always tell people
that it was the two thousand and eight Ryder Cup, and that occurred before
or I ever ever even picked up a golf club and started trying to play
it on a regular release. Yeah. No, it was just like,
you know, imagine like the most raucous college football atmosphere that you can think
of, and just put it on a golf course. That was that oa
Ryder Cup. You know, team USA versus Team Europe and the passion and
you know, back in the day, you know, we had all kinds
of access where you could, you know, you could kind of you know,
move around a lot, a lot better than you can nowadays. But
yeah, and it's not even like, to be honest with you, like,
there's not even a close second like that. It was that fun to
cover that event. Well, I think it's even cooler to hear that like
that got you more interested in the sport to where you decided you were gonna,
you know, pick up a club, start playing and stuff. So
that is cool, buddy, It wasn't It wasn't even that event. Like
I didn't even start playing after that event. I just enjoyed it so much.
But then now that the twenty fourteen PGA was when like, all right,
I'm I've got a little bit of the bug and I need to get
better. I'll tell you a story. I was so bad at golf,
and sometimes, you know, you get invited to play in these these golf
scrambles for events, and people would shake your hand and be like, oh,
great, a, we're gonna have a lot of fun. And then
you start hitting shots and they're like, well, this isn't so much fun
because you're not gonna help us today. Oh do do you just dis That's
happened to me enough to where now I just have to say, look,
I appreciate it. I can't I'm not gonna be in Volde. I can't
do it. I'm not good. It will be bad experience for everybody involved.
I was playing in a golf scramble one time and Denny Crumb was in
our group, but coach at the time he couldn't play because he had some
sort of an injury. He still played golf, but he just didn't play
at that particular time because he had an injury. And we're probably on the
back nine of this round and I am just awful. I would describe myself
as the worst golfer on the planet at the time. And he says to
me, he goes, now, can't what you want to do is you
just want to hit it to the back of that green and that slope will
just bring it right down to the to the hole. As I'm standing over
top of it and I and I couldn't take it anymore. I literally come
up. I look at him. I said, coach, you've been with
me all day. You know, I don't know where this is going to
go. If he looked at me, and he laughed and he goes,
I know, he goes, I just got to do what I gotta do.
Man, how did you I mean, you know, from I understand,
I know you guys, you know the the you guys are technically competitors,
but you know, the guys in the TV market that do sports,
you guys are also friends in golf together. People tell me, you're like,
really good. When did it? When did it kind of click for
you where you felt like, you know, you really turned the corner.
I don't know if I'm I don't know if I'm really good. I have
I have good days. Well compared to those guys, than you are.
I guess I still have awful days, but it's it's kind of one of
those things where I just really enjoyed it and just kind of started putting some
time on it. I got some lessons and and when I'm hitting it good,
can I hit it pretty good? Yeah? I can get it out
there a little bit. Yeah. I I usually play a few times each
year, and each time I get a little more comfortable. Even if I
you know, don't have a score that I'm proud of and it's maybe not
as good as the last time. It's just, you know, the more
repetition, the more the more comfortable you get with it. But no doubt
golf fans for me, For me, as somebody you know who play sports
growing up, a good golf shot nowadays it replaces sometimes a big basket I
would hit in the game, and sometimes it replaces, you know, the
big catch I had in a football game. Does that make sense? Absolutely?
And I'm sure there's many people that play the play golf for that.
But it's something yeah, and you can compete with yourself. Yeah, totally
with you. So before we get to the early results here, how would
you say you know the city is doing as a host here because you know,
obviously I'm a little bit biased, but I feel like, you know,
from all the coverage, rather it be locally from you guys or the
national folks that are here. I mean, I feel like we're kind of
doing doing our thing to show the PGA that they know that it's good for
them to bring an event like this to Valhalla. Well, here's what I
here's what I think. I think, once again, I think we've knocked
it out of the park. And and so I've been here every day since
Monday, and this is obviously the busiest day that it's that it's been.
But I personally think, and i'm biased to I think we've knocked it out
of the park. And look, if they don't want to bring one back
here, that's fine, that's fine, but at least make it a very
difficult decision, because obviously, when it comes to these things, you know
they're decided so far in a dance. I mean, I think right now
they only have two open dates, which is twenty thirty two and twenty thirty
three. I mean, at the moment, twenty thirty four is already spoken
for, so you know, the windows are windows are small man just make
it hard for him. Yeah, I I mean that reminds me of when
you don't see it as much anymore. I think COVID changed it a little
bit when people realized, you know, in college sports, you don't need
to schedule a game fifteen years out. But yeah, that's yeah, And
I guess that's what's led to sort of that being a talking point is you
know, hopefully they'll come back, but as you mentioned, there's not a
whole lot of spots, uh that are open. But uh, the how's
it been for for Justin Thomas? Obviously that's one of the storylines here.
He's, you know, a very successful golfer from Louisville, just recently had
the hometown banner put up here in Louisville and was very emotional. Has there
been a lot of folks there that are that you can since are just really
you know, obviously there's a lot of stars there and Tiger's going to move
the needle like nobody else. But can you sense the hometown love for Justin
Thomas? There? Oh, look, one hundred percent. You know it
started during the practice round days, but even on on on today and he
said that this has been so much cooler and so much more enjoyable than he
anticipated. And I think that he thought it was going to be really cool
and it's and it succeeded the expectations so far. Obviously, he would have
liked to have played just a little bit better in the first round. You
know, he shoots a he shoots a two under. He played alongside the
guy who broke the course record and even a PGA Championship record for the lowest
round ever was Xander Schoffley, who shot at nine under sixty two. But
here's the thing, it's the first round. You can play yourself out of
a tournament, but you can't win it. Justin didn't play himself out of
a tournament. He's seven shots back, but he's very much still in the
thing. So I saw your story. He really enjoyed it the Tiger Woods,
being back here at Louisville, and obviously things are a lot different now
than many many, many years ago. But I like when there are quotes
from Tiger and soundclips that kind of, you know, humanize him a little
bit. I think that's sort of bit. He's been a polarizing figure in
sports for quite some times, but I feel like his legendary status has led
to a lot of people just kind of finding maybe I'm wrong. I know,
I know our friend Lockla McCain will never liked Tiger Woods, but I
do think it seemed very genuine that he does now so not take he doesn't
take for granted the fact that he is a larger than life star within the
sport, and no matter where he goes or how he plays, he's going
to have fanfare that nobody else has. And I just I enjoyed hearing that
he has kind of learned to appreciate that over the years, because you know,
for the most part, he's nowhere near what he once was, but
because he's Tiger, nobody will ever fully count him out. And I think
I think a big part of that is he understands the window is closing and
the opportunity to play in these kind of things for him, just the way
that his body is made up, you know, he doesn't have much time
left, and so I think he kind of sees the end of the road.
And I also see like when you actually see it is when you appreciate
the things around you, when you actually can kind of look around and be
in the moment a little bit more than he was in the past. I
mean, you can imagine, you know, whether it was ten years ago
or two thousand when he played here, he probably never thought that was ever
going to end, like it was just going to be this way his entire
life. And now that he kind of realizes that it's not and then it's
coming close to an end, you definitely do get the sense of that he
appreciates things more. At least that's what he says to the outside world.
So in your in your career, obviously you've been around some legendary athletes before
they became stars, right, guys who played here locally Louisville and UK or
you know other events that you've that you've covered. You know, Tiger's just
different. I've never been around him in person, probably never will be.
You know, this may be a corny question, but like what's it.
I mean, you can probably sense that he you know, not just from
yourself, but just everybody there that like Tiger Woods is kind of one of
one, Like I'm you know, I don't think there's ever anybody that has
been to their sport what Tiger is to golf. And you know, just
knowing he's been in Louisville for over a week now, Like it's just it's
different. Yeah, and and you know, like on Monday, his practice
round day, it was it was crazy to see the flock of people that
just rushed to the eighteen green to see him kind of finishing up to be
there, or the sea of people that followed around on a Monday of a
practice round, and so you can imagine what today look like now. The
only person, honestly this week that is kind of trump Tiger a little bit
was Rory McElroy when he showed up and definitely for his presser the other day,
only because first off, you know, Rory is that other guy in
the sport that like he truly moves the needle. And also he's got you
know, he's got some things going on kicking around with his personal life nowadays.
That that everybody you know, and it's weird. You know, so
so many other sports you know that that that doesn't even matter, but it
feels like golfers and like NFL quarterbacks, that stuff really matters. What what
happens outside of of the ropes are off the plane. I've never thought about
that, but that's absolutely right. I've got an NBA player unless you know,
unless you're like a super superstar, Like that's something that you know,
people may know if they follow closely. But yeah, golferga, you think
it's because on the golf side that it's just it's an individual thing to where
you know, you're not part of an eight man team, it's just you
and if you are, I mean, as you mentioned, Roy Rory is
a star. But yeah, we actually talked about that on the show the
other day, Like there's a lot of things that come with being famous that
are beneficial that you know, you you probably enjoy that someone that's not famous
wouldn't. And there's obviously some cons too, but like your divorce being a
big part of the cop I just that feels gross to me. I don't.
I mean, I'm sure they they're not surprised, meaning celebrities of that
status have their personal life stuff become public, But I don't know. That's
there's a level of the TMC stuff that I'm just like, man, that's
I would I would hate to be that person. Yeah no, no,
no, no, I mean, and that's why it is so different.
But in golf, it's that individual thing and everybody kind of wants to know,
Hey, you know, if things aren't going well off the golf course,
how does that affect you on it? Because you know, in a
in a team sport, if that happens, you've got other dudes that can
pick you up. In golf, you're solely the guy. You are solely
the person. Whether it's a whether it's somebody on the on the PGA Tour,
plan in the Major Championship, LPGA, whatever, you are solely the
person. All right, one more for you can't I know, heading into
the pg Championship, Scottie Scheffler has just been on fire, and today it
sounds like Xander Schoffley got off to a great star. What are some other
takeaways thus far? I know it's early here to get this thing started,
but maybe some guys do you feel like have gotten off to a better stret
than you'd expected, or maybe somebody struggling more than you would have expected.
Well, you know, look, I think you know when you look at
the leaderboard right now. You know, we just talked about Rory mcaway,
right, he's at five under par and he said after his round he just
felt like he scrapped it around, so he scrapped out at five under par.
Or Xander Schoffley is four shots ahead and didn't miss a shot. All
I'm saying is this, if if Rory gets hot, you know what's gonna
happen. What's gonna happen. Then another storyline that I find to be really
cool, to be honest with you, is Adam Hadwin, the former U
of L playing in the PG Championship here back in Louisville. He's currently tied
for tenth three under par. And you know, I talked to the other
day and we did an interview and he said, look, I hope I've
got a few fans this week and threw it and said, you know,
just straight up go cards. I love it, good stuff, can't I'll
let you get back at it and enjoy the beautiful Is it still beautiful weather
out there? I'm in a cave here in the studio. I'm assuming it's
still sunshine out there. You know, it's a little cloudy there. There
was just a few sprinkles, but I think the rain is kind of held
off. But yeah, I know today has been a picture perfect day.
Well, we'll let you get back at it and appreciate you making time for
us. Thanks Kent. Appreciate you man, Hey Broll, appreciate it all
right. That's Ken Spencer from w h AS eleven. Always good stuff there.
Kent's the best sor Ry quick break. We'll come back and wrap up
the four o'clock hour. Keep this party roll and it's coffee and company.
Feel about Thornton's right here on Sports Talk seven ninety so. I mentioned here
and there over the last few weeks that it's always nice when you've got you
know, a lot of eyeballs on the city of Louisville, and it's for
good things, right the Derby. You know, I feel like this year's
Derby with the epic finish and it just felt like, you know, it
was once again another great event that'll have more and more people coming back for
another time next year. And obviously the PGA Championship that doesn't happen that often.
But we just talked to Ken Spencer, who's live there on site at
Valhalla, and he says, you know, we couldn't be doing better as
far as you know, a host city bringing a good atmosphere and a lot
of fans. But another story, I guess that has nothing to do with
sports, where I think it ended up being a good look for Louisville.
Was a scary situation. If you remember when the eighteen wheeler, the semi
truck was hanging off of the Second Street bridge, just the I mean,
it became instantly a global story just because of the optics. To see that,
I mean, it's like something you see in a movie. And to
know that there were first responders there as quick as they were and they pulled
the woman from the from the I mean, it's crazy. It's still wild
to look back and think that that happened and it worked out to where she
was rescued, and Okay, well it's now we now have the dashcam footage
for when the wreck happened, and I have a tough time watching it,
like it's one of the scariest things I've ever seen. And again I'm not
surprised that it's that. I mean, I mean again, imagine being the
woman driving the the eighteen wheeler and ending up dangling from the bridge. I
mean, the fear that you would have, I mean, it's just it's
crazy. So there was a driver of a of a I'm not sure what
kind of it was, a truck. It was a pickup truck that you
know, kind of caused this whole thing, and they're being charged with I
don't know if it's I know one of the charges is driving on a suspended
license or a revoked license. But man, that is just absolutely crazy.
And this is the first time that the woman in the truck or you know,
the eighteen wheeler has has has talked publicly. So yeah, just a
just an absolutely just a miracle really. I mean it's a miracle that like
she was able to survive that and first responders, you know, saved your
life and she's she's healthy. But you know, I mean, I think
I would have just died like I would have. I would have just completely
I mean I would hope that i'd have the ability to I just know my
anxiousness, in my anxiety like I would think. I mean, I think
I could just pass out of fear and shock that I'm in that I'm in
that in that situation. Have you seen it yet, John, Yeah,
I just watched it about two or three times while you're isn't that crazy?
Man? That is I think, like you said, I don't know what
I would do. I'd like to think that I would have the willpower to
to you know, get through something like that. But you'll you would never
know unless you went through it. Oh yeah, and I wouldn't want to
know exactly. Yeah, but yeah, I mean, that's that's wild to
see. And I'm not sure what level of life you know, trouble that
this this this. I think it's a uh you think it's a man who
was driving that truck that again was has since been. I think I think
he's the Jeffersonville native. But I mean again, I don't I don't know
the specifics, so I don't want to talk out of my rear end here
anymore than I typically do. But like, you know, if you are
some somebody who just maybe were driving and didn't realize your license lapsed and it
was just an honest mistake to where you lost control of your vehicle and it
caused that, then you know, imagine knowing that and then seeing the fear
of that. I mean, it just would be be terrible. But I
can't imagine being the car that saw the semi get in front of them go
off the bridge. And you know, this is awful to say, but
like I think instincts for me and I guess it's not awful I just I
would have been trying to get off that bridge as soon as I could because
seeing that, I mean, I would just just you know, I would
assume the bridge is just going to collapse, even though it's not the case.
And they opened it back they opened it back up, not that you
know, not that long after that happened, but like I would be thinking,
Okay, this is thing because I already have a fear anyway of bridges,
especially the Sherman Mitten Yeah, and I don't know why, but I
the Second Street bridge is small, I mean, and it's old. It's
honestly a surprise that more accidents don't have it. But I'm less scared on
that bridge. And I don't know why you can get I guess maybe you
have to go slower on it. Maybe, yeah, Like but but the
big why just how wide open the Sherman Mitton bridges and how you know?
To me just doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of like barriers, like
I don't know, I I have. I wouldn't say it's a phobia,
but I have a fear of of of bridges, and that I mean,
I think most people would believe without knowing the story. Would think like that's
got to be photoshop right like that that that's that's just dangling from the from
from the from the bridge. It's crazy, crazy stuff, all right.
We got to get to the top of the hour break here. We'll come
back with another hour to go. Finish strong here in the five o'clock hour.
Keep it locked with us. Coffee and company. Feel but Thornton's on
Sports Talk seven to ninety