WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:02.879 Welcome to the Big Blue and sider Dicabrielle with you 2 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:06.960 on a Wednesday tournament a week some teams have already 3 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.439 entered the tournament brackets, and of course we'll find out 4 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:14.640 this weekend where the Wildcats land in the NSA big show. 5 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:17.760 But of course they've gone to Nashville intent on winning 6 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:22.079 the SEC tournament. Mark Pope made that perfectly clear before 7 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:24.239 the Wildcats left. We'll have it for you right here 8 00:00:24.519 --> 00:00:27.879 tomorrow night, nine thirty ish tip off, but our coverage 9 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:31.480 begins for real at seven o'clock. The casts our boys 10 00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:34.920 get started at an eight o'clock. It's network coverage with 11 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.240 Cameron and Dave and then Tom and Jack will have 12 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:39.759 the call. Probably be a little bit of philled, but 13 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:43.039 you know how these tournaments go. Somebody could get into 14 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:46.000 overtime and some of these games take forever. But it 15 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:51.159 is going to be an interesting, interesting week for the Wildcats. 16 00:00:51.159 --> 00:00:54.880 We'll see just how well Kentucky place in its first 17 00:00:55.479 --> 00:01:00.280 SEC tournament under Mark Pope. It has been literally a 18 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:02.799 season for the record books thanks to all those quad 19 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:05.599 one wins, but just also because of the way this 20 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:09.920 season has unfolded with Polpe being hired and the injection 21 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:15.000 of enthusiasm into the program, the big wins, the puzzling losses. 22 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:18.359 It just been a lot of fun. It really has been, 23 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:21.079 you know. And by the way, last night, I watched 24 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:24.000 a little bit of the Gonzaga Saint Mary's game before 25 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:28.439 I nodded off. Gonzaga wins again the West Coast Conference 26 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:33.879 Tournament championship, and when it did it. By doing so, 27 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:39.239 it avenged two regular season losses to Saint Mary's and 28 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:43.840 the Gales had beaten Gonzaga twice. And then Gonzaga turns 29 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:46.480 it around last night fifty eight fifty one. It was 30 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:48.959 an ugly game. I watched like the first half of 31 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:51.719 the first half, and I was surprised at how ugly 32 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:56.000 a game it was. But this is what Gonzaga does. 33 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:59.400 And you can knock the WCC, the West Coast Conference, 34 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:03.159 and I will not the strongest, but Saint Mary's has 35 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:07.719 a good program. That's a good team obviously, But man, 36 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:10.680 and the Gales, by the way, beat Gonzaga last year 37 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:14.520 in the title game. It ended Gonzaga has run a 38 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:20.039 four straight conference championships, ten of eleven and it's an 39 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:23.400 amazing stat when you look at mark few in that 40 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:28.159 tournament fifty three and six through his career in that 41 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:33.240 tournament fifty three and six, and of course Gonzaga. Every 42 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:36.439 time Gonzaga wins a game, it helps Kentucky, whether it's 43 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.520 RPI and whatever. So Gonzaga once again coming in won't 44 00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:44.000 win the national title, but coming in after beating Saint 45 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:51.439 Mary's late last night. Speaking of Kentucky's chances, bet MGM 46 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:55.120 has released some of the odds, and of course Auburn 47 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:58.280 is the favorite at plus three twenty five, meaning a 48 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:00.919 bet one hundred dollars you win three twenty five if 49 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:03.800 Auburn wins the title. Duke is next, of course, at 50 00:03:04.120 --> 00:03:06.120 three point fifty. Duke now the top ranked team in 51 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:10.319 the country after Alabama's went over Auburn, then Florida at 52 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:15.080 six hundred, Houston at eight hundred, Alabama is at twelve hundred, 53 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:19.639 Tennessee is at fifteen hundred. Tennessee is a sixth betting choice, 54 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:22.960 which seems a little high to me, but a lot 55 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:25.520 of people still like those balls. Then you'd get quite 56 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:30.879 a jump to Michigan State at twenty two hundred. Saint 57 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:34.680 John's and Iowa State are at twenty five hundred. Bet 58 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:36.599 one hundred, and if either one of those teams wins 59 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:39.319 it all, you win twenty five hundred bucks. Where are 60 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:44.280 your Wildcats? Their next thirty five hundred bet? One hundred 61 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:47.560 win thirty five hundred. If Kentucky wins it all, if 62 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:50.759 you truly believe in those cats, hey, you could win 63 00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:55.639 some bucks. If they take it, then it's Texas Tech, Kansas, Arizona, 64 00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:59.680 Gonzaga and Maryland. When the season began, would you have 65 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:04.240 believe that Kansas, at least in terms of betting odds, 66 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:08.319 would be a longer shot than Kentucky. Be honest, no, 67 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:12.159 of course not. But that's the way the season is 68 00:04:12.280 --> 00:04:17.160 unfolded for the Wildcats. But you have also thought Saint 69 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:20.920 John's would have been a better bet than Kentucky. Well 70 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:24.240 maybe because of Beatino, But it's just been that kind 71 00:04:24.279 --> 00:04:26.959 of year. That's why it's fun, and that's what it's 72 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:29.959 all about. It's all about the fun. There's a lot 73 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:32.720 going on. Girls Sweet sixteen underway today as we pre record. 74 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:35.439 Can't give you any scores, but I have been in 75 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:39.399 Rapperina all day long and we'll be going back tonight. 76 00:04:39.879 --> 00:04:42.959 Thanks to the miracle of digital technology and having this 77 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:47.879 conversation with you while I'm working that event. But yeah, 78 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:50.720 that's it's that time of year. The boy Sweet sixteen 79 00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:54.759 is next week, so it's a lot of fun this 80 00:04:54.920 --> 00:04:58.920 time of year, no question. Baseball Wildcats had fun last night. 81 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:01.639 They beat Nordernillan. That was the game they added when 82 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:05.839 they lost to Weather lost the game to EKU, so 83 00:05:05.879 --> 00:05:08.399 they added nord In Illinois the last minute and beat 84 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:11.560 the Huskies nine to two. It was at nine to 85 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:13.480 any game because they couldn't get that ten run rule 86 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:18.759 thing happening. But multi hit games for Sean Montoya, Luke Lawrence, 87 00:05:19.399 --> 00:05:22.360 who else got one. Devin Burks had a double at 88 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:25.319 a couple of runs batted in among his two base hits. 89 00:05:25.639 --> 00:05:27.680 There was only one home run that was hit by 90 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:32.560 Northern Illinois, but the Kentucky's Nick Misgione was able to 91 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:35.439 try it out. Six different pitchers got some work out 92 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:38.720 of the bullpen. Starter with Nate Harris goes five innings, 93 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:40.920 gives up one in and run, struck out two, and 94 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:43.360 then five relievers came on and got some work, which 95 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:47.399 is vital going into Southeastern Conference play. The Wildcats open 96 00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:52.639 up Friday night at six point thirty against Georgia SEC 97 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:55.439 play begins. Georgia's got a good team, But then again, 98 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:59.680 you're talking about the SEC, and you know, when you're 99 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.720 talking SEC, you're talking the best league in the country, 100 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:06.839 as you well know. And the Bulldogs are ranked number 101 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:10.199 three in the country. Kentucky's twenty third, but Georgia's number three. 102 00:06:10.360 --> 00:06:13.279 You can see the game on SEC Plus. You can 103 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:15.560 hear the game on our sister station ninety eight point 104 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:20.680 five FM, because there might well be Kentucky basketball on 105 00:06:20.759 --> 00:06:24.519 the air on Friday, depends, of course, on what happens Thursday. 106 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:28.839 There's more going on, of course. But one of the 107 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:31.720 stories that's out there, did you see the video of 108 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:35.759 the high school track runner in Virginia who in a 109 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:40.360 relay race, came upon it was kind of battling with 110 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:44.279 another runner for positioning, and beat her in the head 111 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:48.439 with the baton. She has since released a video She's 112 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:49.959 all weepy the w ONEm talking about the woman who 113 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:54.399 did the hitting and is terribly upset because she has 114 00:06:54.480 --> 00:07:00.000 received threats and criticism and keeps claiming that she didn't 115 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:04.040 do it on purpose, and she clearly did. And the 116 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:07.560 woman who took the blows suffered a concussion and a 117 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:10.680 possible skull fracture. And here's what got me. You know, 118 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:13.000 the arms were flailing, but she clearly hit the woman. 119 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:19.879 After the race, this gual. This woman's down injured, the 120 00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:23.560 woman who hit her, and her coach never even bothered 121 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:27.000 to go over and check if this kid was hurt 122 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:34.680 and never apologized, and now is claiming that she is 123 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:39.439 a victim. It's just nuts. But google it. You'll find 124 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:41.879 it if you're really interested. But that was one of 125 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:44.560 the craziest things I've ever seen. Coming up at the 126 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:46.560 bottom of the hour, John Clay's going to join us 127 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:48.839 from the Harrow Leader. John has just been inducted into 128 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:51.879 the US Basketball Writers Hall of Fame. So we'll talk 129 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:54.199 to John about that a little bit later on our 130 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:57.519 Unforgettable Guard Sean Woods. He'll talk basketball, but as he 131 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:01.720 worked that Great Crossing Frederick Douglass game last night, Great 132 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:05.399 Crossing wins by one bucket and therefore goes to the 133 00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:08.800 Sweet sixteen. And Frederick Douglass had an open look for 134 00:08:08.839 --> 00:08:10.800 a three at the end but couldn't hit it. So 135 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:14.319 Malachi Marino, the future Wildcat, he and his teammates from 136 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:17.680 Georgetown are going back to the Sweet sixteen. Also our 137 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:20.360 West n BUA chief Gary Moore will join us as well, 138 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:24.839 this being Wednesday. Coming up, in our next segment, we're 139 00:08:24.839 --> 00:08:27.319 going to talk a little bit more about Junior bridgmane 140 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:30.000 and we got the word that he had died yesterday 141 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.600 after we had already pre recorded our show. But we'll 142 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:35.799 talk a little bit in our next segment and we'll 143 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:39.320 hear from not just a speech that Bridgeman made about 144 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:42.840 what helped make him successful, because man was he successful, 145 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:47.240 but Shaquille O'Neal talked about it. You probably know because 146 00:08:47.240 --> 00:08:51.679 you cannot avoid his commercials. Shack is the most visible 147 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.840 retired athlete when it comes to selling products and things 148 00:08:54.919 --> 00:08:59.240 like that, and he is crazy successful, so is Michael Jordan. 149 00:08:59.240 --> 00:09:02.000 He's just not as VISI and other athletes around the world. 150 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:07.639 But Shaquille O'Neal said that Junior Bridgeman helped him get 151 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:11.320 started in the business world and was his mentor. Basically, 152 00:09:12.039 --> 00:09:13.919 was a great player at Louisville. One of my all 153 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:17.200 time maybe my all time favorite UILL player when I 154 00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:21.000 was young, Just a tremendous athlete, help U of L 155 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:23.639 get to the seventy five final four when Kentucky was there. 156 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:28.240 Those teams should have played for the national title, but 157 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:31.240 lost him way too young, just seventy one years old, 158 00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:34.440 and had a heart attack while he was making a 159 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:38.519 speech at a fundraiser for the boy Scouts, which comes 160 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.080 as no surprise when you talk about Junior Bridgeman. So 161 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:43.440 we'll talk about him after the break, and then a 162 00:09:43.480 --> 00:09:45.879 little bit later on we'll talk about the basketball Cats 163 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:50.360 with John Clay and Seawan Woods here on six thirty WLAP. 164 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:54.320 Welcome back to the Big Blue and Cider. Coming up 165 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.039 in just a couple of minutes, we're going to hear 166 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:59.240 from Hall of Famer John Clay. He is now a 167 00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:01.840 member of the US Basketball Writers Hall of Fame. It's 168 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:03.879 been on the show many times just to talk about 169 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:06.399 the Wildcats in his role as a commis for the 170 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:08.960 Herald Leader, but now he's a Hall of Famer. So 171 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:11.240 we'll talk to John. Coming up at the bottom of 172 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:13.960 the hour, hour number two. It's Wednesday, so we'll talk 173 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:17.720 with unforgettable guard Sean Woods about the upcoming SEC tournament, 174 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.919 and of course, our Westen Bureau chief Gary Morrow, have 175 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:23.919 some thoughts about the passing of Junior Bridgeman as well. 176 00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:26.600 Gary living in Louisville, now and before he moved to 177 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:29.080 LA he worked here in Lexington and then moved to Louisville, 178 00:10:29.559 --> 00:10:33.559 so quite familiar with Junior Bridgeman, who believe it or not. 179 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:36.440 Growing up in Louisville and rooting for both UK and 180 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:39.720 U of L, I had favored UK players. My first were, 181 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:43.200 of course, Dan Issel and Mike Pratt. And my first 182 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.799 faves of U of L players were West Unseled and 183 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:51.399 Butcher Beard. But I came to really like and respect 184 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:55.080 and he became my favorite U of L player, Junior Bridgeman. 185 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:59.919 This year, my second year of UK, I sat out 186 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:02.480 with my sophomore year. My first semester, I went to 187 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:05.600 a lot of Louisville games that was the seventy four 188 00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:08.679 to seventy five season. I say a lot, probably you know, 189 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:12.240 four or five, but followed them as I was following Kentucky, 190 00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:15.519 you know, the Kevin Greevy jimman' connor team. Then I 191 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:19.320 came back to school that second semester in the spring. 192 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:23.960 Well that was nineteen seventy five, when both teams were 193 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:26.960 heading for the Final four, and I really really believe, 194 00:11:27.720 --> 00:11:29.799 and a lot of people did, that those two teams 195 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:33.759 would collide in the National Championship game and they should have. 196 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:38.759 Kentucky beat Syracuse. Louisville lost to UCLA and John Wooden. 197 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:43.120 Denny Crumb lost to his old boss who held back 198 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.559 that famed UCLA press until the last couple of minutes 199 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:48.320 of the game. Then he throws it to the U 200 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:51.399 of L. They start to turn it over and UCLA 201 00:11:51.559 --> 00:11:54.519 wins it. I think it was in overtime and goes 202 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:58.039 on to beat Kentucky. That was tough. But what I 203 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:02.440 remember about Junior Bridgman, that team, Junior Bridgeman, Alan Murphy, 204 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:06.240 Philip Bond, those guys was everybody was excited as well 205 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.879 they should have been about the super Kittens and Denny Crumb, 206 00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:12.840 trying to stir the pot, talked about the recruiting class 207 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:17.840 that included junior Bridgeman out of East Chicago, Washington, and 208 00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:21.919 he said I'll take my recruiting class over their recruiting 209 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:25.639 class any day now, and said he thought Alan Murphy 210 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:28.279 was a better scorer than her shooter or whatever, than 211 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:31.360 Kevin Greevy. I don't remember what he said about Bridgman, 212 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:34.399 but it boy got everybody's attention, I will tell you that. 213 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:38.759 But I rooted for Bridgman when when he left U 214 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:40.799 of L and went to the NBA, was drafted by 215 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:44.440 the Lakers. Was part of a trade that brought then 216 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:47.720 Leuel Cinder, who had just become Kareem abdul Jabbar, to 217 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:52.799 Los Angeles and sent Junior Bridgman to Milwaukee, where he 218 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:56.000 became an absolute fixture with the Bucks and became an 219 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:00.559 incredibly successful businessman. And if you read it anything about 220 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:04.559 Junior Bridgeman since his passing, you've seen reference to that. 221 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:09.240 Junior came on the Big Blue Insider many years ago. 222 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:12.440 I think it was still called Sports Nightly at that point, 223 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:15.159 and I would I would replay the interview, but the 224 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:20.399 archives were lost, I hate to say. Anyhow, he was 225 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:24.759 gracious and classy, of course, And here's a clip when 226 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:31.720 he was talking at a symposium about early successes. You 227 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:34.639 know he was. He got into Wendy's, he invested, he said, 228 00:13:34.679 --> 00:13:38.600 in four or five Wendy's restaurants, and it took off, 229 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:44.080 and he became a billionaire, not just in Wendy's but 230 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:48.080 in other ventures. But this is a talk he gave 231 00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:53.679 about what led to his success was basically being decent 232 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:58.639 to his employees, being kind to other people. 233 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:03.240 We started off like most companies at that time, if 234 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:06.320 you're black and you're gonna get involved, they're gonna put 235 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:09.919 you in the black area of town. And so it's 236 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:12.559 no different. We started in Milwaukee because I've spent all 237 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:16.840 those years there with five stores in the in the 238 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:20.679 inner city of Milwaukee, and they were not very good restaurants. 239 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.919 But I figured if he worked at it, you could 240 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:28.440 turn things around. And I'll tell you, the average volume 241 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.039 of those five restaurants was only six hundred thousand dollars 242 00:14:32.120 --> 00:14:35.240 a year. And you're not making any money at that volume. 243 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:38.399 Today those restaurants and my son runs them, so we 244 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:40.840 still have a lot of them, but they do over 245 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:41.639 two million. 246 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:42.240 Dollars in sales. 247 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:45.440 And how do you do that by getting involved with 248 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:50.279 the people and letting people know that you care about them? Now, 249 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:53.919 how do you do that? Back at that time in Milwaukee, 250 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:58.440 if you got stopped for any traffic violation, they took 251 00:14:58.440 --> 00:15:01.879 you to jail. It was a crazy law that I'm 252 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:04.639 glad they've changed. But where was all of our people 253 00:15:04.679 --> 00:15:07.600 that they were in jail? So we were bailing people 254 00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:10.120 out every day. And I could take you through other 255 00:15:10.200 --> 00:15:12.559 things that we did to help show people that we 256 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:15.759 cared about them. And once they realized that we cared 257 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.120 about them, then they cared about the business and they 258 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.720 cared about us. And we grew, and as we grew 259 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:25.519 and added more stores, we were able to promote people 260 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:29.559 from a general manager to a district manager to an 261 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:32.039 area operations person. And after a while we had a 262 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:34.639 whole lot of people making over one hundred thousand dollars 263 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:38.000 a year. And you would say, you know, how did 264 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:41.519 that happen? And it was in what I would call 265 00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:44.759 a real American dream. You could come go to work, 266 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:49.080 if you had just natural common sense and you were 267 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:51.279 willing to work hard, you could make a good living 268 00:15:51.320 --> 00:15:53.840 for yourself. And we had people that went on from 269 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:59.200 there and became franchised Z's on their own. So turn 270 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:01.799 around and it was a matter of helping people. And 271 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:03.679 then one day I looked up and we had two 272 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:06.080 hundred and seventy five Wendy's restaurants. 273 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:11.559 It's an incredible story and today the equivalent, best known 274 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.200 equivalent is Shaquille O'Neal. And if you heard or read 275 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:17.759 anything about him, and I've heard him interviewed on podcasts 276 00:16:17.799 --> 00:16:20.919 about his ventures into the business world, and yes, you 277 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:23.440 see him all over commercials. Bridgeman didn't do a lot 278 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:27.519 of them, but Shaq certainly does. And it's not just 279 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:29.960 that he's lending his name to a product. He has 280 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:35.440 a guy who guides him through the business world. I 281 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:37.879 heard him say. People come to him all the time 282 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:41.399 with ideas, Hey invest in this, here's a product, whatever, 283 00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:43.840 and he always, if he has any interest at all, 284 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:49.519 he turns to his business partner and that's how they 285 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:53.320 figure things out. But one of the first mentors basically 286 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:56.240 my word for Shaquille O'Neil, and I'd never heard this 287 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:00.519 was Junior Bridgeman, and he told that story on the 288 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:01.440 TNT set. 289 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:04.240 Yeah, this one really hit hard for me. A lot 290 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:06.400 of people don't know this, but I've patterned my whole 291 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:11.480 business acumen after Junior Bridgman. You know, they always tell 292 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:14.920 us stories about our seventy five percent of athletes zero 293 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:18.720 five years after they're done playing go broke. And I 294 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.279 never wanted to be that, so I always started looking 295 00:17:21.319 --> 00:17:24.519 at people. Michael of course magic. But I remember one 296 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:27.240 time before list came out and I was like, oh, 297 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:29.079 I know I'm on this list. All the commercials I 298 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:31.359 do and I saw his name, I reached out to 299 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:34.640 him and we started talking. And you know, he had Wendy's, 300 00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:37.880 I started Big Chicken, you know, Pepsi and coke. So 301 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:41.160 everything that he did I tried to pattern after him. 302 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:42.880 I just actually just talked to him the other day 303 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:45.359 because we were getting ready to do business. So my 304 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:48.680 condoleces goes out to his partners, shawls, to his family, 305 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.759 his daughter, his son. But this one really hit hard 306 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:53.799 for me because he was definitely somebody that I look 307 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:55.160 up to. I know, I get a lot of credit. 308 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:56.720 Oh you do this and you do that. If it 309 00:17:56.759 --> 00:18:00.000 wasn't for Bridgeman, I wouldn't have known where where to stay. 310 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:02.519 Because I watched this man. I was like man, and 311 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:06.359 I'm always the type I used jealousy as motivation, Like, man, 312 00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:08.720 this man got this man got four hundred windies, let 313 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:11.440 me do something. This man got free distribute, So like 314 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:14.240 I used that and I had a conversation with him, 315 00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:16.640 and he was so nice to me. Nice to go 316 00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:18.759 to this function that he held doing the Derby and 317 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:21.960 Louisville was just a nice, humble young man and he 318 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:22.559 gave me all the. 319 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:25.160 Secrets like he just did. 320 00:18:25.400 --> 00:18:27.559 He opened the book and was like, hey, what matter 321 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:29.480 of fact, I'll help you out, make a call for you. 322 00:18:29.720 --> 00:18:32.000 It's actually how I got into Papa John's also because 323 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:33.799 he lives in Louisville, and you know he knew it, 324 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:36.480 so you know, it was definitely your dear friend. And 325 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:38.920 I got the news at home and I had to 326 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:40.680 sit down for a while, and I actually forgot We 327 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:43.000 had to work. That's why I was kind of running late. 328 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:47.279 But this this one hit hard. So Charles, the Brigman family, 329 00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:50.599 my condoleces goes out. This one hurts a lot. 330 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:54.440 One final note my pal Paul Rodgers, the radio voice 331 00:18:54.480 --> 00:19:00.000 of Louisville Cardinals. At one point they tried to high 332 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:04.079 Junior Bridgeman as the radio color commentator. He had done 333 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:06.240 a little bit of TV, was great at it, crushed it. 334 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:08.480 They we thought, man, this guy'd be great on the 335 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:11.920 radio at all of our games. And they went to 336 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:15.119 him and they said, hey, how about it? And ninety 337 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:17.200 eight percent of athletes would jump on that, and Junior 338 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:19.720 Bridgeman said, no, I don't think so. I'm too busy. 339 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:23.000 I mean, that is something he knew that if he 340 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:26.160 did it, he would want to do it right and 341 00:19:26.359 --> 00:19:29.119 throw himself into it the way he threw himself into 342 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:32.920 all of his business ventures, and he knew because of 343 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:36.720 all those business ventures, he didn't have a time, so 344 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:38.599 he turned it down. I don't remember who they ended 345 00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:41.839 up hiring. I think this was after Jock Sutherland ever retired, 346 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:46.000 But the bottom line was he was a fixture in 347 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:51.200 U of L basketball, in the community, in the Milwaukee community. 348 00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:55.640 And yeah, I was stunned. Seventy one years old, he's 349 00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:00.240 less than two years older than I am. And feel 350 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:04.160 for his family and his friends. Back in just a minute, 351 00:20:04.359 --> 00:20:06.880 John Clay, new Hall of Famer from the Herold Leader 352 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:09.839 and the US Basketball Writers Association Here on six point 353 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:13.160 thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Bull Insider. My 354 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:16.119 next guest has been with us on our celebrity Highline 355 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:18.920 many times, but this is the first time we can 356 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:21.480 adjust John Clay as a Hall of Famer. He is 357 00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:24.400 being voted into, has been voted into, and being inducted 358 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:28.240 into the US Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame with 359 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:32.400 some pretty big name people. John, Congratulations. Yeah, you've been 360 00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:34.119 around for a while, but much deserved. 361 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:35.920 Oh thank you, Dick. 362 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:36.680 I appreciate it. 363 00:20:36.839 --> 00:20:41.480 Honored to go in and I'm really tickled to go 364 00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:45.599 in that My old colleague Chuck Culpember is also going in. 365 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:48.480 We're in the same class. And then Bob Holt, to 366 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:52.200 my long conference from Arkansas, unfortunately passed away during the 367 00:20:52.200 --> 00:20:55.279 football season. He's also a member of the class that's 368 00:20:55.319 --> 00:21:00.319 going in. So bittersweet about Bob that I am' relled 369 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:02.480 to go in and thrilled to go in with Chuck. 370 00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:06.480 Yeah, and unlike you, Chuck has bounced around to a 371 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:11.799 number of yeah of really fine publications, but someone out 372 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:16.240 of business or whatever. But when you signed on with 373 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:20.880 the Herald Leader, did you anticipate staying there for a 374 00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:24.559 long time? I'm not saying forty years, but were you thinking, 375 00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:26.000 because I know what it was like when I came 376 00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:28.279 out of school. You just want a job, you know, 377 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:30.240 I don't think about the next five years. You just 378 00:21:30.279 --> 00:21:33.799 think about making the rent. But what were you thought 379 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:34.799 when you signed up? 380 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:38.759 Do you recall, Yeah, well, I mean, I mean I was, like, 381 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.480 you know, every ambitious kid as sports trader, probably you're 382 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:45.960 ultimately you'd like to work at Sports Illustrated or you know, 383 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:50.400 something like that. But uh, but as I got older 384 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:53.599 and had a family of my own, and uh, you know, 385 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:57.200 my family's close, My wife's family's close. Uh you know, 386 00:21:57.319 --> 00:22:00.359 kids of my own. Uh you know you're you're ambition 387 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:03.079 for doing something like that kind of face, and uh, 388 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:05.799 you know, I'm very happy to be. I've always felt 389 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:07.960 a very lucky to get the job that I got, 390 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:09.599 to be able to do the job that I do, 391 00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:12.240 and to be able to do it, you know, reporting 392 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:14.240 on the team that I followed growing up and with 393 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:17.039 so many people that I know around has been special 394 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:21.359 to me. So I can't complain. My friends all tease 395 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:22.799 me that I never had a real. 396 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:23.839 Job, so I can't. 397 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:24.920 I can't complain. 398 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:28.160 Yeah, people say that to me when I talk about 399 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:29.319 working like working You know. 400 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:32.200 You're right when you start to games. 401 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:34.319