WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:00.760 Uh. 2 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:02.879 Oh, guess what day it is. 3 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:05.080 Guess what day it is? 4 00:00:05.639 --> 00:00:09.679 Huh anybody, It's hump Day. 5 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:15.080 Yes, it is hump Day. Welcome to the Big Blue 6 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:18.640 Insider Dicabriel with you. Wednesday edition of our program. Coming 7 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:21.320 up tonight, John Clay of the Herold Leader. He will 8 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:25.160 talk about, among other things, the fact that Sovereignty will 9 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:27.320 not run in the Preakness. That word came out of 10 00:00:27.399 --> 00:00:31.160 late yesterday Bill Mott, the trainer who had basically planted 11 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:35.880 that seed of doubt on national television after the Kentucky 12 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:38.840 Derby win, deciding along with the rest of the connections 13 00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:41.759 of the horse, that the colt will not run for 14 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:45.320 the second jewel of racing's Triple crowns. So that has 15 00:00:45.399 --> 00:00:49.079 touched off a lot of debate among fans who like 16 00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:52.560 horse racing and cover the race as well out immediate people. 17 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:55.240 And we'll touch on that in just a moment. So John, 18 00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:58.679 we'll talk about that, as well as Mark Pope's work 19 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:02.560 through the Portal and Mark Stoop's work through the Portal 20 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:05.480 as well. There is news on that a little bit 21 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:08.680 later on. Of course, we'll have Sean Woods, our unforgettable guard. 22 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:11.799 He joins us each and every Wednesday, and Gary Moore, 23 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:14.959 our West End bureau chief, will check in as well. 24 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:19.560 The news from the portal for Kentucky as basically, the 25 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:25.200 subheadline is depth. Because the Wildcats needed help at wide receiver, 26 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:28.159 they got it and this guy ended up being more 27 00:01:28.200 --> 00:01:31.280 than just depth. He manned up being someone who makes 28 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:34.519 an impact on this team. And as far as O 29 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:38.040 line is concerned, the Wildcats need more numbers there and 30 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:40.480 they have signed a kid out of the portal who 31 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.000 will provide, like I said, more depth for the Wildcats. 32 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:46.359 We'll start with the wide receiver though. He's a guy 33 00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:50.920 who played both at SMU. He was there last year 34 00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:59.719 and Oregon. Ashton Cozart chose Oregon over Alabama, Florida, I'm 35 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:05.840 sorry Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Texas. And he also 36 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:09.400 is pretty quick in one hundred he clocked a ten 37 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:12.599 point seventy four and was a broad jumper as well, 38 00:02:13.560 --> 00:02:18.960 So a terrific athlete coming out, and things of course 39 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:21.639 didn't go the way he had hoped at Oregon, so 40 00:02:21.719 --> 00:02:26.159 he transfers to SMU. He did not play in his 41 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:31.479 first and only season in Eugene, so he transfers to SMU. 42 00:02:31.639 --> 00:02:35.159 Played in four games at one catch for twenty four yards. 43 00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:40.159 But this is a team Kentucky that needs people at 44 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:44.960 wide out, so he's got a chance to compete with 45 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:48.280 guys like Kendrick Law and JJ Hester and Harley Gilmore. 46 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:52.039 So yeah, we'll see how this guy makes out. You know, 47 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:55.199 he's got the speed, but evidently he just lacks some 48 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:59.520 skills right now to be a frontline wide receiver. And 49 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:02.599 you gotta have skills, of course to play in the SEC. 50 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:04.360 And you could say the same thing about a young 51 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:09.240 man named Rob Foegler six seven, three oh four at 52 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.800 a ball State. Did not play in either one of 53 00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:16.240 his two seasons with the Cardinals, so he'll have three 54 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:21.520 years left at Kentucky. He's from Cincinnati Cincinnati sant X 55 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:25.400 and coming out of high school, got offers from Pittsburgh, Indiana, 56 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:30.080 Georgia Tech, but as we said, did not get any 57 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:34.319 run at ball State. No idea what he's getting to 58 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:37.439 play if it's a full ride or whatever at Kentucky. 59 00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:40.360 But the bottom line is if they want to get 60 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:43.960 this unit back to where the big Blue Wall was 61 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:46.960 back in the day, back in the glory days, they 62 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:50.360 need depth. They need to be able to rotate people 63 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:53.000 in and out, and they have built quite a bit 64 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:58.800 right now through the portal with kids from Arkansas, Bowling Green, 65 00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:02.120 Western Kentucky and the actually Go state. They got kids 66 00:04:02.120 --> 00:04:05.199 coming back. But they got to replace the likes of 67 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:11.280 Marcus Cox and Eli Cox, Gerald Mincey. So it's a project, 68 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:14.560 there's no question about that. And they got to get busy. 69 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:18.839 So we'll find out more about them when the season begins. 70 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:22.639 We won't know much during the summer what they call 71 00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:27.360 camp when they actually used to camp, not literally, not 72 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:31.480 with tents and sleeping bags, but two days and things 73 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:34.079 like that. They have kind of you hear JEFFI Corel 74 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:36.720 talk about it, they have really gone soft on these players. 75 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.319 I don't know that I buy that, But when you 76 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:42.240 hear old timers like Jeff and others back when we 77 00:04:42.279 --> 00:04:45.120 were there, you know, two and three days and things 78 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:50.560 like that, sometimes four days. But it's it's a different time, 79 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:53.560 no question about that. Well, look at the portal. But 80 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:56.800 now you've got to hope that all of these guys 81 00:04:56.800 --> 00:05:00.720 are hanging out together, working out together, lifting, building all that, 82 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.319 because that was the strength of the big Blue Wall. 83 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:07.959 And one of the guys who was here for Sadly, 84 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:12.600 the last season that the Wildcats had John Salarman was 85 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:17.920 Eli Cox and the UK football program right now has 86 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:23.600 some features on its social media platforms where players who 87 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:25.959 are moving on, including Cox, and they did one with 88 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:30.560 Zion Childress as well, talk about what they got out 89 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:33.279 of playing for Kentucky and essentially why they came here 90 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:37.199 and why they believe it could be if you're a recruit, 91 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:39.720 could be the place for you. Here's Eli Cox. 92 00:05:39.959 --> 00:05:42.079 For me, in Kentucky was the obvious choice. I grew 93 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:44.519 up ten miles away from the stadium. My parents had 94 00:05:44.519 --> 00:05:46.879 season tickets from me when we were kids, and this 95 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:48.720 is a dream come true to be able to play here, 96 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:50.959 and it was even better to actually have a solid 97 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:52.800 career and hopefully have a chance of the NFL. I've 98 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:54.480 known coach Soups for a long time now, and you 99 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:57.560 know he's a players coach, and anything that the guys 100 00:05:57.639 --> 00:05:59.399 need here or anything that he thinks would help us, 101 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:01.120 even the slide, He's going to make sure that we 102 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:03.519 get and I think he's always listening to the players 103 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.680 and is always ready to listen to feedback, be it 104 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:07.360 good or bad, of how he can do his job 105 00:06:07.399 --> 00:06:09.040 better and to serve the players. So I think it 106 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:10.439 was really unique to be able to play at a 107 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:12.639 school that has, you know, a nickname and tradition for 108 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:15.920 offensive line play. You know, it's not an often glorified position, 109 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:17.519 but you know, being a part of a big blue 110 00:06:17.560 --> 00:06:19.360 wall meant a lot to me. And you know, when 111 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:21.480 I first showed up with Coach Larmon and Drake Jackson, 112 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:24.920 Logan Stenberg, Mason Wolf, Luke Fortner or Austin Dotson, I 113 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:26.560 could go land and Young and just go on and 114 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:28.720 on down the line of the guys that set a 115 00:06:28.759 --> 00:06:31.519 standard of elite offensive line play by the way they played, 116 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:34.399 I mean the way they the relationships that they had 117 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:36.199 with each other, and how tight knit those groups were 118 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:38.439 and how well they played together, and the way coach 119 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:40.600 Larmon coached and built his room with something that was 120 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:43.000 really special. And I think that's a tradition that we're 121 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:44.600 going to get back to here soon. I think if 122 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.079 you want to talk about just the plays that truly 123 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:49.399 has even in this poor and aile world, like a 124 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:53.680 family atmosphere, like the relationships that you build, and just 125 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:56.240 the fan buy in being in Lexington, that it's one 126 00:06:56.279 --> 00:06:58.079 of the best places play college football. You're in the 127 00:06:58.120 --> 00:06:59.920 SEC and you're at a school that will do everything 128 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.680 can to make sure that you reach your maximum value 129 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:03.680 potential as a player in. 130 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:06.439 The person that is from the Twitter account or the 131 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:10.720 X account, if you will, of the UK football program itself. 132 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.680 And if you wonder about you know, why are they 133 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:19.040 releasing these now? Because most of the recruiting, if not 134 00:07:19.079 --> 00:07:22.680 all is over, well it's never over, as you well know. 135 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:27.720 And you don't start moving these things in front of 136 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:31.680 prospective recruits before their senior years. You do it now. 137 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:35.639 These are directed at really any kid who might even 138 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:40.519 be thinking about Kentucky freshman, sophomore, junior as well as senior. 139 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:44.839 And we all know this that recruiting is an ongoing process. 140 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:49.439 But in terms of impact, I remember when we went 141 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:53.879 to cover gosh was that eighteen years ago? The Music 142 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:57.959 City Bowl, the first one under Rich Brooks. It was 143 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:02.120 the first media avail the week prior to the game, 144 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:05.199 the week of the game actually, and we all show 145 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:09.800 up in Nashville on Monday, and I remember we talked 146 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:12.399 to Joker Phillips about this and Rich Brooks and we 147 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:16.279 probably talked about it before they even left for Nashville. 148 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:20.240 But they reiterated the fact that this would help recruiting, 149 00:08:20.279 --> 00:08:24.639 but not immediately because at that point we're talking about 150 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:28.879 the final week of December. At that point, recruits had 151 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:33.279 made up their respective minds, So you've got to get 152 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:36.200 in front of it at that point, juniors and some 153 00:08:36.440 --> 00:08:40.279 sophomores and plant that seed. So that's what they're doing 154 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:43.720 right now and looks it's a bombardment. It's twenty four 155 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:46.720 to seven three sixty five, not just for Kentucky but 156 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:53.200 for any school interested in using social media for recruiting. 157 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:54.960 And if you're not doing that, just get out of 158 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:59.120 the business because that's how you reach recruits now obviously, 159 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:03.759 So check it out to the UK football site on Twitter, 160 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:06.200 it may be on other platforms. That's why I saw it, 161 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:10.559 and just gets called Kentucky Football basically, and of course 162 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:14.559 there's always the UK Sports Video people do a terrific job. 163 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:18.759 Oh and speaking of recruiting, there was a tweet earlier 164 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:22.799 today from a young man who goes by Big Blue 165 00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:29.360 Flave of Flave, and he shared a clip from a podcast, 166 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:33.240 I think it's called The Underdog Podcast. A couple of 167 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:38.480 guys talking about UK's facilities as they relate to guys 168 00:09:38.519 --> 00:09:39.399 in a portal here. 169 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:42.279 It is everybody but Kentucky out in the country. By 170 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:47.399 the way, facility check every other university. Kentucky's facilities looks 171 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:50.559 special on these videos, and I don't see enough of 172 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:53.519 the other portal commits doing like tours of the facility, 173 00:09:53.639 --> 00:09:56.320 like on social media and stuff. And I think that's 174 00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:59.559 for a reason, because they're watching, like jeal and Low 175 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.080 in the possing like videos and pictures of the Kentucky facilities, 176 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:04.559 and they're like, we don't want to, we don't want 177 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:07.120 to post docs them. Kentucky facilities look insane. 178 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:11.679 And within that tweet, he wrote, you know, everybody said 179 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:15.000 our program died when it went to Fadville, and I 180 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:18.600 retweeted as seeing who I never heard that at all. 181 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:21.559 I heard some people concerned or read some comments from 182 00:10:21.559 --> 00:10:25.720 people concerned about recruits who went with Caliperi, and I 183 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:28.320 know some people were concerned that Calipari might come back 184 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:30.399 and beat Kentucky and what might happen, and and sure 185 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:32.559 enough it happened, and you know what, the program stayed 186 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:38.159 in business. Nobody said the program died. If you, if 187 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:41.200 anybody did, please direct me to that in hindsight, so 188 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:47.000 uh and again, these are the facilities Caliperi believed needed 189 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:51.279 to be upgraded, to the point where he was so 190 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:55.399 angry about it about not getting what he wanted. I 191 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:57.919 don't know if this is why he left, but it 192 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.360 was just another thing that got him sideways with Mitch Barnhardt. 193 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:04.759 Now I know there are some facilities out there that 194 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:08.399 are pretty damn good. Kentucky's not too bad when you 195 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:13.000 factor in rupp Arena, not too shabby. Coming up in 196 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:15.279 a couple of minutes, we'll talk with John clay At, 197 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:17.879 a Herold leader. After the break, we'll talk about the 198 00:11:17.879 --> 00:11:20.759 Preakness and more. A lot of weirdness going on in 199 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:25.759 the NBA involving some former Wildcats. Later on. Sean Woods 200 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:27.679 and West End Bureau chief Gary Moore here on six 201 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:32.200 thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Moon Sider. Coming 202 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:33.960 up in just a few minutes, John clay At, a 203 00:11:33.960 --> 00:11:36.600 HEROD leader who wrote this morning in this morning's paper 204 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:41.240 about the fact that Sovereignty will not run in the Preakness. 205 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:45.120 Bill Mott and the handlers the connections from Godolphin Racing 206 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:48.879 have decided that two weeks just aren't enough rest for 207 00:11:49.159 --> 00:11:51.840 a three year old coming out of Kentucky Derby, and 208 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:55.600 truth be told, they're probably right, although it's been done 209 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:58.519 more than one occasion, as we all know. But it 210 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:04.279 has just ignited another controversial period in racing where people, 211 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:07.039 first of all, think that it's wrong to not run 212 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:10.039 the horse, and that it's a weak excuse and all that. 213 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:13.720 You know, it's the kind of thing where I used 214 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:17.759 to fall right in line with that because horses have 215 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:21.799 done it for years and years, but so much has 216 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:26.159 changed in the industry and I think it's time to change. 217 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:29.600 I said this last year as well, that if you 218 00:12:29.799 --> 00:12:34.399 really care about the well being of the horse, you'll 219 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:37.960 change the Triple Crown. You'll change the calendar. And I 220 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.120 know you do away with a lot of tradition, but 221 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:45.879 go back through their history books and you'll see that 222 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.879 this wasn't always the calendar for the Triple Crown races. 223 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:53.399 You know, two weeks to the Preakness, three more to 224 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:56.639 the Belmont. Back in the day. They spaced them out 225 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:59.840 quite a bit and it ultimately fell into this path 226 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:03.480 and then it was named at some point the Triple Crown, 227 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:06.879 and it became a great thing for sports and for racing, 228 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:09.960 then we had that long lull where we didn't have 229 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:14.039 a triple Crown winner for nearly forty years. We should have. 230 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:17.720 There were horses that should have won it and either 231 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:20.639 got bad rides or bad breaks or whatever, or had 232 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:23.879 to scratch out of one of the races. But the 233 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:28.720 bottom line is the breed has changed. Now with all 234 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:35.919 these purses that are so great for the owners, breeders, riders, 235 00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:42.480 everybody involved, you got better fields at better times. But 236 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:46.720 what that means is they really started breeding more for 237 00:13:46.799 --> 00:13:49.720 speed than for stamina. And yeah, they can do that. 238 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:54.519 And it's taken a while for breeding practices and successes 239 00:13:54.600 --> 00:13:57.559 to catch up with the sport, but it has happened, 240 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:01.759 and now you don't see the stamp and horses that 241 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:05.039 you used to. You know, there's a reason there used 242 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:08.480 to be a race called the Derby Trial Saturday a 243 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:11.159 week before the Kentucky Derby because a lot of horses 244 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:14.159 raced in that race to see if they were ready 245 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:18.360 for the Kentucky Derby a week later. Never happens now. 246 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:21.440 If there's a race after the Bluegrass Stakes at Lexington, 247 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:24.840 like at Keenland, like the Election in Stakes or whatever, 248 00:14:26.440 --> 00:14:29.960 people wonder is that race too close to the Kentucky Derby, 249 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:32.519 you know, is the horse going to be too tired? Well, 250 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:36.519 Charismatic jumped up and won the Derby after running in 251 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:39.639 a race after the Bluegrass Stakes, but you don't see 252 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:43.639 that much anymore. The stamina is not there. So if 253 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:46.519 you care about the horse and you care about the 254 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:49.960 Triple Crown, you got to change it. And I know 255 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:53.000 you got to make the folks in Baltimore understand that, 256 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:57.399 and the folks in New York at Belmont Park understand that. 257 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:01.240 So we'll talk to John Clay about that coming up. 258 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:05.759 Some of the other things you'll see on Twitter these 259 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:10.840 days the baseball Wildcats fighting for their lives again. They are, 260 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:15.159 according to D one Baseball Projections, one of the last 261 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:20.240 four in as we speak. Two weeks ago, Kentucky was 262 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:25.279 solidly in a three seed, maybe a two. Now, it 263 00:15:25.399 --> 00:15:28.559 says here the Wildcats will be lucky to get in 264 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:31.639 if they can keep winning. They got a series coming 265 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:34.320 up this weekend with Oklahoma. After that they've got to 266 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:37.159 go to Vandy. But according to D one Baseball, these 267 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:43.399 are the last four in Kentucky, Kansas State, the Purple Wildcats, Iowa, 268 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:49.039 and Xavier. Quite the coincidence, Xavier came to town a 269 00:15:49.080 --> 00:15:52.559 few weeks ago and beat Kentucky. That might be the 270 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:55.279 win that puts Xavier in the tournament. A win back 271 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:57.960 on March twenty fifth, And if you go back and 272 00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:03.200 look at that game, it was scoreless until Xavier scored 273 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:07.000 six runs over the next three innings and the Wildcats 274 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:08.960 put up two but then gave up three and the 275 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:12.279 ninth it was just a mess. Nate Harris pitched, he 276 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:15.919 was not sharp, gave up six hits, five earned runs, 277 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:18.879 and after that and by the way, the bullpen took 278 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:22.919 over and other than one player did really well. Simon 279 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:27.480 Gergerson Gregorson Rauter had a bad night, but since then 280 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:32.879 he and Harris have been Razors sharp in almost every outing. 281 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:37.039 Harris struggled against Tennessee, otherwise he's been excellent. So the 282 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:40.240 baseball Wildcats with a big challenge this week. They've got 283 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:44.279 to win the series and if they can somehow sweep it, 284 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:49.519 that would be huge. Another nugget from Corey Price. As always, 285 00:16:50.039 --> 00:16:53.679 this year UK and U of L will play on 286 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:59.080 November eleventh. That's the earliest that game has ever been played. 287 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:02.759 It has been played in the month of November just 288 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:06.000 a couple of times, but around Thanksgiving, so that kind 289 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:09.039 of made it okay in my opinion, on the twenty 290 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:12.279 sixth and eighty three and on the twenty seventh of 291 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:17.680 November in ninety three. And so there's been some fallout obviously, 292 00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:21.160 and how just how terrible that is, and it's terrible 293 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:23.920 for the game and all that. Well, they both teams 294 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:28.200 have got to work to make it even more relevant nationally. 295 00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:33.319 Kentucky get back to the top ten consistently. Louisville get 296 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:36.240 back to the top ten, to top fifteen every once 297 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:38.400 in a while. Remember back in the day when this 298 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:41.799 game matched teams that were in the top five or 299 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:46.279 the top ten. Denny Crumb coaching against Rick Patino or 300 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:50.279 Eddy Sutton, it was a marquee matchup. Gets up to 301 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:53.519 these teams to make it that way again. Don't blame 302 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:56.839 the networks, don't blame the conferences. Those teams have got 303 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.319 to get the job done. John Clay's next on six 304 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:02.200 thirty welcome back to the Big Blue and Cider. As promised, 305 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.559 mister John Clay, veteran of the UK beat sports columnists 306 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:08.799 for The Herald Leader. But before we talk Entucky sports, 307 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:13.559 UK Sports. John, your column today is about Sovereignty skipping 308 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:16.880 the Preakness. This is becoming more and more frequent, and 309 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:19.000 we'd like people to either go online or buy the 310 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:21.160 paper and read it, but without giving away the store. 311 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:25.680 Tell me, tell me why you wrote what you wrote today. 312 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:30.000 Well, Sovereignty is the fourth Kentucky Derby winner in the 313 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:35.559 last seven years, is to bypass the Preakness yesterday. The 314 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:38.000 announcement yesterday was really no surprise. 315 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:40.480 To those of us who we're. 316 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:42.400 Talking to Bill who talked to Bill Mott and Michael 317 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:45.880 Vanahan of Good Dolphins on Sunday morning after the race 318 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:49.839 there at the barn there at Churchill Downs. The way 319 00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:53.079 they talked that day, we all came away. It was 320 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:58.359 funny because Jason Frakes, who covers horse racer high school sports, 321 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:01.200 but us a horse racing for the Courier. Jason, when 322 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:03.160 we got done talking to Bill, Jason said, well, I 323 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:06.200 guess I won't be booking that flight to Baltimore because 324 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:08.039 we got Even though they said they were going to, 325 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:10.880 you know, make a decision a few days, the vibe 326 00:19:10.920 --> 00:19:12.920 we got definitely was that, you know, they're going to 327 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:16.480 skip the Brisness and focus on the Belmont. So I 328 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:21.759 just think that, you know, horse racing, part of the 329 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:24.240 horse racing the deal over time has been that they 330 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:30.519 stand sometimes stand too long on tradition and not changing 331 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:33.400 with the times. But we've got a definite threat, definite 332 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:35.599 trend here. And Bill Mitt said when we talked to 333 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.400 him on Sunday, the biggest concern is just two weeks 334 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:41.400 between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. And as he said, 335 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:43.640 over time, we've learned that the more spacing can give 336 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:46.119 horses a little better they do and the longer their 337 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:50.960 careers last. So my column today kind of makes the 338 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:53.960 argument that some you know needs to change. If we're 339 00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:57.559 gonna the Triple Ground needs to change and change with 340 00:19:57.640 --> 00:19:59.799 the times. Do I think that's going to happen. No, 341 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:02.880 Because one thing that's different about the Triple Crown, It's 342 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:06.079 not like the Breeders' Cup. The Breeders' Cup is an organization. 343 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.279 The Triple Crown is not. It's a name, but the 344 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:13.920 three tracks Churchill Downs for the Derby, Pimlico for Breakness, 345 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:17.240 and Delmont Park for the Belmont. Although it's going to 346 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:19.839 be run this year at Saratoga like it was last 347 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:24.240 year because Belmont's under renovation. They have different owners who 348 00:20:24.279 --> 00:20:27.759 operate independently, so I don't expect there's going to be 349 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:30.559 a change anytime soon, but I think we're going to 350 00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:32.640 see more and more of this. We're definitely seeing a 351 00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:34.839 trend with four out of the last seven Derby winners. 352 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:37.319 Not going on to the breakness, well, people, you bring 353 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:39.839 up a great point. May I realize the triple crown 354 00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:43.559 was a term that was coined by a sports writer 355 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:47.240 way back in the day, and it's stuck. I mean, 356 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:51.039 like all great labels, it's stuck. And you make a 357 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:54.400 great point about the racetracks. But the thing is they 358 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:59.519 all benefit from and enjoy the trappings of the triple crown. 359 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:03.720 And as I mentioned last night, it's always better for 360 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:06.039 racing when a horse goes for a triple crown because 361 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:10.400 just look at the attendance figures, especially the Belmont. You know, 362 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:12.680 when you've got a horse that's racing for the triple Crown, 363 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:16.319 you'll have a healthy crowd because for one thing at Saratoga, 364 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:19.279 but not as good as it should have been with 365 00:21:19.400 --> 00:21:21.559 a triple crown. Now I've done John, I've done a 366 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:23.440 one eighty, and I don't know how how long ago 367 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.319 it was, and maybe all along you've believed this, But 368 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:28.799 for the longest time I dug in. It was like 369 00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:32.599 me against a designated hitter. You know. I finally gave 370 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:34.480 up on that because no one's listening to me. But 371 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:39.680 I dug in because of the tradition of the Triple Crown, 372 00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:42.880 and I wondered, would it cheapen if they space their 373 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:48.279 races longer, wider apart. Would it cheapen the feet? Then 374 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:50.240 I went back and started looking at the history and John, 375 00:21:50.279 --> 00:21:53.920 I'm sure you've seen this. This wasn't always the calendar 376 00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:58.400 for the Triple Crown. It was different. It's changed several times. 377 00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:01.640 That's one argument. But the one I think most of all, John, 378 00:22:01.720 --> 00:22:04.799 is the one I make for poly Track and everybody 379 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:08.319 else hates it, except for Turfway Park. If we really 380 00:22:08.440 --> 00:22:12.599 want what's best for the horses, will change it, you 381 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:14.960 know what I mean right right now? 382 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:18.200 Yeah, No, I'm I'm was with you. I have for 383 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:20.559 a long time. There. I said you need to keep 384 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:23.519 it just because at that time it was more because 385 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:27.359 nobody had accomplished it. We went thirty seven years between 386 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:31.960 you know, between Affirmed and American Pharaoh in twenty fifteen. 387 00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:34.559 But now I think it's gotten to be more like 388 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:36.880 a safety issue, more of a demand issue. My thing 389 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:40.079 is is that you bring up the designated hitter. I mean, look, 390 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:43.680 look at baseball. Baseball finally went to Major League Baseball 391 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:46.119 finally went to the pitchclock. But last year or the 392 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:49.119 year before, you know, they fought that for so long. 393 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:51.839 Same thing with the designatedor. And I was with you. 394 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.480 I was against the designated or. I was especially against 395 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.920 the designated hitor coming to the National League because I 396 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:59.039 thought it took a lot of strategy out of the game. 397 00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:00.319 But now the. 398 00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:03.559 Designator I still watch baseball. I think baseball is better 399 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:06.079 with the pitchclock. I think baseball's better with the When 400 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:08.839 the outlawed the shift, they change with the times. 401 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:09.839