WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:02.080 Welcome to the Big Blue and Sider Dick Gabriel with 2 00:00:02.120 --> 00:00:04.160 you on a Friday as we wrap up the week, 3 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:07.919 and we will be talking football today, basketball as well, 4 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.279 of course, but football in the news. And for one thing, 5 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.759 seventy eight days away from Kentucky's football season beginning. We 6 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:18.320 know this thanks to our buddy Corey Price. He is 7 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:21.239 our statistician on the UK Network and he puts all 8 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:23.960 kinds of interesting stuff on Twitter. And I got to 9 00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:25.640 tell you a couple of days ago. I mentioned the 10 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:29.160 fact that he had eighty days away, of course, and 11 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:32.039 had a photo of one of the football Wildcats and 12 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:35.039 I was pretty sure that this is who it was, 13 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:37.759 but I wasn't entirely certain that. Now I am checked 14 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:41.960 it out, the number eighty. It was a player celebrating 15 00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:45.520 a touchdown. It was TC Drake. TC Drake was a 16 00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:49.320 tight end who played at Kentucky from six to nine. 17 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:51.640 And like too many tight ends, and yeah, we're about 18 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:55.679 to talk about Vince Merrow. They just don't catch enough 19 00:00:55.719 --> 00:01:00.359 football to satisfy you and me and Kentucky fans, everre 20 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.599 for various reasons, chief among them, they have needed the 21 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:07.840 tight end to stay in and block so much over 22 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.920 the last several years, but we have yet to see 23 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:14.519 anybody approach the effectiveness of a Jacob Tammy who played 24 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:17.359 with Drake. That's why Drake didn't catch more balls as 25 00:01:17.400 --> 00:01:19.319 a tight end or James Well. I don't think you'll 26 00:01:19.319 --> 00:01:22.560 ever see anybody brake the James Whalen record. He was 27 00:01:22.599 --> 00:01:25.680 technically an h back but listed as a tight end 28 00:01:26.359 --> 00:01:28.799 and played of course under Mummy and was an All American. 29 00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:35.120 But Drake. The picture that Corey Price used was celebrating 30 00:01:35.159 --> 00:01:39.640 the only touchdown he ever scored at Kentucky, and it 31 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:45.439 was huge. It was the first touchdown in Kentucky's upset 32 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:50.840 win over then top ranked LSU Wildcats won that one 33 00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:56.920 in overtime forty three thirty seven three overtimes really and 34 00:01:57.040 --> 00:02:01.400 knocked LSU from the top of the polls. Kentucky was 35 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:04.840 seventeenth that year. That was the best offense in the 36 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:08.599 history of Kentucky football. Coordinated by Joker Phillips. Rich Brooks 37 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:13.400 was the head coach, Andre Woodson Keen and Burton, Jacob Tammy, Dickey, Lyons, 38 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:17.240 RAFFI had little Tony Dixon. They had it all offensively, 39 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:20.879 really good offensive line, not quite enough defense, that year, 40 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:24.240 they would have gone a lot farther, but anyhow, Drake 41 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:28.360 caught a deflected pass in the back of the end 42 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:33.039 zone on Kentucky's second drive and scored. It was a 43 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:37.120 two yard touchdown pass that would be the only touchdown 44 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:41.800 he scored in his entire career. It was the only 45 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:45.680 pass he caught that season. He had played as a 46 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:50.080 freshman year before, eight games special teams. Basically, he played 47 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:53.680 in all thirteen games as a sophomore, even started one 48 00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:57.680 or two but was a blocker. But he did catch 49 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:01.000 that touchdown pass and gave Kentucky the early and everybody 50 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:04.000 was like, wow, Kentucky's leading LSU. And then it became 51 00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:07.039 the greatest game I've ever covered, not just because Kentucky 52 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:09.919 won and upset the top ranked team in the country 53 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:12.560 in overtime, so that there was added drama, you know, 54 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.360 lon of seber Field goals and things like that, but 55 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:18.280 it was just a great football game by two teams 56 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:21.319 that were on top of their respective games that day. 57 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:25.319 TC Drake the following year caught a dozen balls for 58 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:30.000 a couple hundred yards, no touchdowns unfortunately for him, and 59 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:33.080 average fifteen yards per catch then and nine things dropped 60 00:03:33.080 --> 00:03:36.879 off Randall, Cobb became more of the featured receiver, but 61 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:40.719 he caught seven balls, played in eleven games as a 62 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:45.240 senior in O nine, but that one touchdown was huge 63 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:50.439 U TC Drake unfortunately, about three years later after he 64 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:54.599 got out of UK, was seriously injured in a motorcycle 65 00:03:54.680 --> 00:04:00.479 accident in his home county, Nelson County. But the photo 66 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:02.680 we saw the other day thanks to Corey Price, was 67 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:06.599 TC Drake catching one of the biggest touchdown passes really 68 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:09.840 in the history of UK football because it got things 69 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:14.039 started for Kentucky. In the upset of LSU I mentioned 70 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:16.879 Vince Marrow. It is so weird and the comments are 71 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:20.839 circulated by now came out Lead yesterday. It's official, as 72 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:25.360 Jeff Brahm announces Thursday that Vince Marrow has been added 73 00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:28.920 to the staff. It is so strange to read a 74 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:33.800 U of L press release extolling the virtues of a 75 00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:38.519 coach from Kentucky as saying they said that the twelve 76 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:44.240 highly successful seasons at Kentucky, well not all of them, 77 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:48.879 you know, some better than others, some recruiting seasons better 78 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:53.560 than others. But that's the nature, as you know of 79 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.480 a pr release, You've got to put all your best 80 00:04:57.480 --> 00:05:00.600 stuff out there, Jeff Brom saying, the he amplifies the 81 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:04.959 highest standards of collegiate coaching and recruiting success. Commitment to 82 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:08.920 player development, exceptional ability to connect with young athletes, which 83 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:11.040 is true, have made him one of the best in 84 00:05:11.079 --> 00:05:13.720 the business. And Vince will be a huge asset to 85 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:16.439 the staff. I was reading this and I had forgotten 86 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:21.600 that when Vince Merrow was in Nebraska, and that's where 87 00:05:21.639 --> 00:05:24.480 Mark Stoops plucked him, you know, brought him to Kentucky 88 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:28.560 and immediately gave him a huge job right recruiting coordinator. 89 00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:32.720 He was a GA at Nebraska because he had been 90 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:37.360 coaching primarily in the pro ranks, NFL, Europe, the UFL, 91 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:42.319 but he had been a GA at Nebraska. This is 92 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:45.360 when you look at what happened in Kentucky. That's a 93 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:49.399 meteoric rise. And now he has the relationship with Jeff 94 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:52.759 Brom going back to when they played in the XFL. 95 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:54.879 He said, Jeff and I have known in the release, 96 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:57.639 have known each other for more than twenty five years. 97 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:00.519 I've always admired and respected him in the bron family, 98 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:02.920 and he said, I love the state of Kentucky. This 99 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:06.240 has become my home. The opportunity to take on this 100 00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:08.199 exciting role in the state where I have so many 101 00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:13.120 incredible relationships was something I couldn't pass up. Any thanks stoops, 102 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:18.800 any thanks to fans and hopes that his lifelong friendships remain. Yeah, 103 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:22.879 there are outspoken people on Twitter saying, don't bother because yeah, 104 00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:28.720 it's uku of l and my pal John Wong, the doc, 105 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:31.560 the retired North Thedonis who writes a blog and covers 106 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:36.000 UK for small town newspapers. If you go to Wong's whinings, 107 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:37.759 we'll get John. I think John's out of the country 108 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:41.240 right now. We'll get him on here soon. He wrote 109 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:46.959 a scathing commentary that basically encapsulates I would think the 110 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:50.920 feelings of a lot of Kentucky fans just about feeling 111 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:55.439 heartbroken and betrayed. It's pretty funny actually, But yeah, it's 112 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:57.879 official now, Vince Marrow and he hasn't yet spoken as 113 00:06:57.959 --> 00:06:59.600 I'm sure he has by the time you'll hear this, 114 00:07:00.439 --> 00:07:02.639 But as we record this, he has not yet spoken 115 00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:07.639 publicly about his move. So just another weird chapter in 116 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:13.720 the history of Kentucky football. While we're talking to UK football, 117 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:17.720 the stadium's going to get a facelift. Already, the Board 118 00:07:17.720 --> 00:07:21.399 of Trustees began consideration of proposed investments up to one 119 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:26.720 hundred and ten million dollars in UK Athletics facilities over 120 00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:29.000 the next few years. Meanwhile, they're gonna have to come 121 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:32.519 up with the money to pay players. And as my 122 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:36.680 Paljepikoro sat in here with us yesterday, always wonders where 123 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:38.480 are they going to get this money? Yeah, that's a 124 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:43.800 good question. Now, this is just a proposal presented by 125 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:47.879 UK Athletics, But as Eli Kapoluto said, the goal is 126 00:07:47.879 --> 00:07:53.800 to incentivize innovation remain a premier program by pushing to 127 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:59.480 examine creative ways to grow generate revenues necessary to support 128 00:07:59.480 --> 00:08:03.279 our success. This will generate revenues means, of course, looking 129 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:06.199 for more money, and they're looking right at you. Ticket 130 00:08:06.279 --> 00:08:09.920 prices will go up, that happens, but they're looking at 131 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:14.439 fifteen million for maintenance at Kroger Field Stadium, thirteen million 132 00:08:14.519 --> 00:08:18.879 to renovate Kroger Field corners, suites and elevators. This is 133 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:21.920 to take care of the people who foot the biggest 134 00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:25.519 chunk of the bill. Yes, you pay for your tickets, 135 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:28.920 but those folks you might resent sitting up in suites. 136 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:32.080 They're paying the big money, as you know, and you 137 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:33.639 can resent them all you want, but you know what, 138 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:36.879 you've got the opportunity to do the same thing. You 139 00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:40.440 want to spend that kind of money and invest in 140 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:43.600 the entertainment that is UK football. You can do that, 141 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:49.080 rent yourself a suite because those people who do that 142 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:53.159 are right in the checks. We know this. Five million 143 00:08:53.159 --> 00:08:57.120 bucks to improve soccer and softball. UK Softball, by the way, 144 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:01.879 is going to host the SEC tournament next season. Eight 145 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:06.080 million bucks for initial design of a west end zone 146 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:10.120 club space and Wi Fi improvements at croker Field. That's right, 147 00:09:10.600 --> 00:09:15.440 Why Fi improvements. It's always been terrible for whatever reason, 148 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:19.120 but they believe they can make it better. And if 149 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:21.840 you're wondering about how to pay for it, they've got 150 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:24.960 a proposal for an additional thirty one million dollar operating 151 00:09:25.240 --> 00:09:30.639 loan to be repaid with interest as you can moves forward. 152 00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:32.879 And by the way, they've done this before. They have 153 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:37.679 borrowed money paid it back with interest, so that's how 154 00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:42.759 that works. They're that's soaking state taxpayers. They're borrowing money. 155 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:46.799 It's just when these figures get so huge, it's amazing, 156 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:49.360 so roll that into the house settlement. There's a lot 157 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:54.200 going on financially with college sports and with UK specifically. 158 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:58.639 We talked about the acc SEC challenge for the men 159 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:02.080 they're playing. North Carolina are going to play Miami in 160 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:07.320 Miami Coral Gables on December third, so Kenny Brooks and 161 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:10.600 his team will make a long road trip for that one. 162 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:15.919 Em Plate Sin's December tenth of twenty seventeen. Wildcats lost 163 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:19.600 that one, but they've won six of eight against the Hurricanes. 164 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:22.879 Before we get to the break, a couple of basketball notes. 165 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:26.840 Mock drafts are coming out now, ESPN's latest. They have 166 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:29.879 some of the writers debating who's going to go in 167 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:32.639 the first round. No second round, so we don't see 168 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:38.200 any Kobe Bray or anybody else from Kentucky. But ESPN's 169 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:44.000 experts obviously believe Cooper Flag will go first, but they 170 00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:47.679 also think at least one of them at Konkin Nipple 171 00:10:48.360 --> 00:10:54.120 will go second, shooting guard, shooting forward. That would mean 172 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:57.600 that a school has the top two picks in a draft. 173 00:10:57.639 --> 00:11:03.039 And you know this first time since twenty twelve when 174 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:06.679 Anthony Davis went number one and Michael kid Gilchris went 175 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:11.360 number two a D. He's still playing. Michaels retired, but 176 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:13.120 that was pretty cool, wasn't it that night to see 177 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:16.559 him going to and a surprise? And MKG never had 178 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:20.320 huge stats in terms of points and rebounds consistently in 179 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:22.960 the NBA, but what he did have, even on bad 180 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:29.919 teams was incredibly good plus minus numbers, which I always 181 00:11:29.960 --> 00:11:33.159 thought was fascinating. I don't always put a lot of 182 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:35.919 stock in plus minus, but it seems like it makes 183 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:41.120 more sense in the NBA. One other basketball note, Ole Miss, 184 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:45.120 like everybody else, is out working with their basketball program, 185 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:48.919 including brand new guard Travis Perry. He talked to the 186 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:52.639 media after the very first practice and talked about what 187 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:54.840 led him to Oxford. Yeah, you know, I was. 188 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:58.320 I'm very pleased with my freshman season at Kentucky enough 189 00:11:58.480 --> 00:11:59.960 like we had a great group guys. I was able 190 00:11:59.960 --> 00:12:03.240 to learn a ton from and just kind of transform 191 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.840 my game. It's hard for any freshman coming in, especially 192 00:12:05.879 --> 00:12:08.960 for a freshmen coming into the SEC at the best 193 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:12.679 conference ever in college basketball. So I was very blessed 194 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:15.440 to have that opportunity. So I have nothing but love 195 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:17.240 and respect for those guys. Wish them all the best. 196 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:19.720 But whenever I got into Portal, I felt like that 197 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:22.320 Coach Beard's vision for me was exactly what I was 198 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.360 looking for. And I felt like we had a lot 199 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:27.080 of guys coming here that wanted to win, wanted to 200 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:29.039 compete at a high level, and I felt like I 201 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:30.200 could come in and impact that. 202 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:35.120 Do you want to watch the entire media gathering, It's 203 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:37.919 on YouTube. Just type in Travis Perry and it'll come up. 204 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:40.919 But it's just so weird to see the kids sitting 205 00:12:40.919 --> 00:12:44.320 there next to Chris Beard, great coach, with an old 206 00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:46.440 Miss T shirt, you know, in the backdrop, whatever the 207 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:50.360 sponsor was, but it's like a time warp seeing Travis 208 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:53.600 Perry wearing an ole Miss T shirt. Up next, we'll 209 00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:56.559 talk Entucky basketball here from Brandon Garrison. He talked with 210 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:59.080 the media this week and a little bit later on 211 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:03.120 Chuck Culpe of the Washington Post formerly with The Hero Leader. 212 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.240 Chuck covers a lot of college sports, so we'll get 213 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:07.639 his take on what's been going on, and of course 214 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:11.360 Van Hiles, former Kentucky football defensive back, will get caught 215 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:13.879 up get his thoughts on the Big Dog. Moving on 216 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.000 that and more on the Big Bloe Siders six thirty 217 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:19.399 WLAP Welcome back coming up at the bottom of the hour. 218 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.679 Chuck Culpepper of the Washington Post, formerly with the Hero Leader, 219 00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:25.159 we'll talk a lot about the state of college sports today. 220 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:29.559 A little bit later, Van Hiles. He analyzes UK football 221 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:33.600 SEC football on the interweb. He is a great commentator 222 00:13:33.639 --> 00:13:35.679 when it comes to Wildcat football, and of course, the 223 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:40.600 former UK defensive back himself mentioned Brandon Garrison talked to 224 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:43.679 him earlier this week. He was one of two Wildcats 225 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:47.519 also talk with otega Oway. Garrison coming back was never 226 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:52.039 much of a mystery. Like like Oway, and Garrison figures 227 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:55.600 to get more minutes and if he can begin to 228 00:13:55.679 --> 00:14:00.799 match the effectiveness in the high post of Amari Willia, 229 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:03.360 then the Wildcats are already ahead of the game literally 230 00:14:03.480 --> 00:14:07.360 and figuratively. But of course the question is, and he 231 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:10.759 answered it more than once, how will you get better? 232 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:13.120 What are we going to see this coming season? 233 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:13.559 Yeah? 234 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:16.279 First thing, you can just fight the leader role. I'm 235 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.120 improving on that, so I f like that held my 236 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:21.519 game overall, just like the confidence point of building my game, 237 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.440 you know, just handing on the offseason, improving my overall 238 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:27.559 game just from like shooting him, you know, and just 239 00:14:27.639 --> 00:14:29.799 little things like that. So I fel like my game 240 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.519 will improve a lot his upcoming year. 241 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:34.799 Mark Pope has talked a lot about year one to 242 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:38.600 year two with his players, with his staff, and he 243 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:41.600 says he made it sound like it's inevitable that if 244 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:44.720 a guy puts in the work, knowing the way that 245 00:14:44.840 --> 00:14:48.960 Pope's system operates, both on and off the floor, that 246 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:54.480 guys make these huge strides. So somebody asked Garrison about 247 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:58.000 what kind of conversations he did with Pope regarding how 248 00:14:58.039 --> 00:14:59.759 to get better from year one to year two. 249 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:03.919 First of talking about like being the leader, trying to 250 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:07.840 you know, leave this this team this year, but you know, 251 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:09.559 him just telling me, you know, he got to be 252 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:13.879 in the best condition, obviously improving my overall game, you know, 253 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:16.240 just taking that next step. That's that's all he'd been 254 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:17.639 preaching to me this offseason. 255 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:23.000 Garrison last year had modest numbers overall six points a game, 256 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:27.039 four rebounds a game, two assists per game as a sophomore, 257 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.000 and played in all thirty five games When he was healthy. 258 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:34.399 He had seven double figure scoring efforts and also led 259 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:39.519 the team in blocks seven times and steals seven times, 260 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:43.159 and on three occasions led the team in rebounding. So 261 00:15:43.240 --> 00:15:47.919 he had his moments. In the n SA tournament, went 262 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:51.559 over Troy thirteen points, six boards, a couple of us, 263 00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:55.320 his two steals. He got better, I firmly believe as 264 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:57.679 the year went on. Had a great game against ls 265 00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:03.039 Year fifteen points, four assists, three steals and the road 266 00:16:03.080 --> 00:16:06.919 win at Oklahoma his home state transferred in from Oklahoma State, 267 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:11.039 but he had twelve points, four boards, three steals, two blocks, 268 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:14.519 and you know, so we're talking about it was essentially 269 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:17.039 like a lot of guys. But you know, compared to 270 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:21.879 Mary Williams, was a part time player but had full 271 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:26.639 time effects on teams when he had his big nights. 272 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:33.039 So I think it's fair for fans and coaches to 273 00:16:33.159 --> 00:16:38.080 expect even more from Garrison. His averages were a little 274 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:42.559 bit better at Oklahoma State, probably played more minutes average 275 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:46.120 nearly twenty three minutes a game at Okay State. Average 276 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:47.799 seven and a half, five and a half boards. So 277 00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:52.120 I'm curious to see what this guy does. And he 278 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:55.159 mentioned leadership, so he said he's already talking to some 279 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.840 of the younger guys, which is good news. Speaking of news, 280 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:03.039 earlier this week, we talk with John Clay, who retires 281 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:04.880 from The Hero Leader at the end of the fiscal 282 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:09.680 year June thirtieth after forty plus years. Well, we got 283 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:15.599 a response from Rick Bosic of WDRB dot com or reaction, 284 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:18.240 I should say, because he and John Clay are our 285 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:20.920 very close friends. They're on the road a lot together, 286 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.799 they cover a lot of the same games. Well earlier 287 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:27.319 today and we, as I said, talk to Rick on 288 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:30.920 the show a couple of nights ago. He announced today 289 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:36.759 that he is retiring. Rick Boset stepping down after fifty 290 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:41.319 years of covering sports. Most of his career spent in 291 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:45.559 the state of Kentucky. He's from Indiana, went to IU, 292 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:48.000 started his career at a couple of newspapers there, but 293 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:52.680 came to the Courier Journal in nineteen seventy eight. And 294 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:55.079 I remember that I'm like, Okay, who's the new guy 295 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.480 from the CJ. And you know I had delivered the 296 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:00.599 Courier Journal. I was a stringer for the cur Journal 297 00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:04.480 like the Caurier Journal, and then Rick in twenty twelve 298 00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:10.359 went to WDRB, which I think has a tremendous digital 299 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:13.920 platform when it comes to covering sports. And Eric Crawford 300 00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:17.160 came from the CJ. Rick's a great writer. He's a 301 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:21.240 great journalist and we wish him the best. And as 302 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:23.240 I texted him earlier today, I said, oh, you knew 303 00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:26.440 this all long. He said, I couldn't scoop myself. So 304 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:29.799 best of luck to Rick Bosic. Chuck Culpepper another great writer. 305 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:34.480 Next six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blue, 306 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:36.960 and sider joining us now is a longtime friend of 307 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:40.559 the show. He is a documentary narrator for an award 308 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:44.240 winning documentary, but probably best known as a sports writer. 309 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:47.440 He is Chuck Culpepper of the Washington Post, formerly The 310 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:51.200 Hero Leader and helped us narrate the special we did 311 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:55.319 on the ninety eight Championship team, and is a world 312 00:18:55.319 --> 00:18:59.039 traveler himself. Chuck, how are you? How's your passport? 313 00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:01.279 Oh? 314 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:04.160 I would say the pages have been a little too 315 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:08.400 blank for me of late. Oh really need a few stamps. 316 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:10.720 You know, not everybody gives those stamps anymore. They just 317 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:11.880 wave you on through. 318 00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:13.480 But but I. 319 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:16.119 Would say, yeah, I would say I'm kind of aching 320 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:16.880 to go somewhere. 321 00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:18.480 I don't know where or when. 322 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:20.359 I have a friend that you really ought to medium. 323 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:23.759 He's a new York City Police officer, intelligence officer, but 324 00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:27.799 he's a huge UK fan living in NYC and his 325 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:31.960 goal is to visit every country in the world. You 326 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:35.000 guys could could have some interesting conversations I'm getting Is 327 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:38.480 there anywhere in particular, uh, that you want to go 328 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:41.359 next or that that you haven't visited that you'd like 329 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:41.920 to see. 330 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:46.240 I always try to keep a list of of say 331 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:50.880 three most most wished to see places you know at 332 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:55.279 any time, and then Vietnam is one. I've been to Cambodia, 333 00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:59.200 but I haven't been, uh to Vietnam, which is next 334 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:01.920 to it. Probably Lows is next to that for a 335 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.599 long time eleven and was on the list and it 336 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:04.160 still is. 337 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:07.680 But it's it's difficult now, you know it. 338 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:11.519 And and I've got what else? Oh, I've got Peru 339 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:13.759 on the list, and I've got Tnicha on the list. 340 00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:14.039 Wow. 341 00:20:14.519 --> 00:20:18.880 Right, Well, And obviously work takes you around the world 342 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:21.599 and across the country. And one of the things that 343 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:25.519 you cover, of course college athletics and the house settlement 344 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:29.960 and is you know, kind of opened another doorway, another passage. 345 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:33.960 But it's just incredible of late with the nil to 346 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:38.359 transfer portaland all just how much of an uproar it 347 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:42.039 seems there is to college athletics. Now, do you fear 348 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:43.000 for college sports? 349 00:20:44.519 --> 00:20:50.319 I would say so far, I actually don't. I actually 350 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:54.079 I did four of the games in the football playoffs 351 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:58.559 last year and so and that just seemed, you know, 352 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:01.640 as full as ever and has watched is maybe a 353 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:04.720 little more watched. As I recall, you know, who, I 354 00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:08.079 think about a lot if I would start, I think 355 00:21:08.119 --> 00:21:11.160 about a lot. I think about Kentucky fans. Of course, 356 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:13.559 of course I was there for a while. I have 357 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:18.559 dear friends who are Kentucky fans. And but one of 358 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:20.720 the things to me that was always sort of a 359 00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:23.960 hallmark of Kentucky fans was this idea that you would 360 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:29.319 get to know a player across his four years, and 361 00:21:29.319 --> 00:21:31.759 that would be his or her four years. With the 362 00:21:31.799 --> 00:21:37.039 women's game grown as it has so, and I always 363 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:40.720 found Kentucky fans really they enjoyed that almost as if 364 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:43.839 it were their kid in some ways, you know, And 365 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:47.359 they enjoyed seeing they know enough about the game, more 366 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:50.839 than enough about the game to see where the areas 367 00:21:50.839 --> 00:21:53.400 of development are and to kind of. 368 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:54.119 Thrill in those. 369 00:21:54.599 --> 00:21:57.839 And nobody anywhere really gets that that much. Anymore, right, 370 00:21:57.880 --> 00:22:01.599 because it's just quickly up and gone, you know. 371 00:22:01.559 --> 00:22:02.720 And so you don't. 372 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:05.799 I have one Kentucky fan I'm a good friend with, 373 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:08.799 and she said that there's one player who's in the NBA. 374 00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:10.880 I forgot which, but she said, I actually don't have 375 00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:14.160 any memories of him playing for Kentucky. It was just 376 00:22:14.200 --> 00:22:17.400 one season and you know, and so she said, I 377 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:20.960 can't summon any memories of him playing. So yes, when 378 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:25.599 I think about how it might wither across the century, 379 00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:27.440 maybe I think about that. 380 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:29.079 And that's fair. 381 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:33.240 Yeah, well fans will fans sour on the kind of 382 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:35.680 the the revolving door up. 383 00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:38.880 Yeah, I remember this isn't kind of an odd thing. 384 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:43.119 But when we were talking to Randolph Morris, who I 385 00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:45.319 don't think stayed all four years, but he had been 386 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.480 there a couple of years and we were just kind 387 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:51.480 of informally talking to him, and he mentioned my name. 388 00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:55.119 And this goes way back to the Tubby Smith there, 389 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:58.319 but I thought I was surprised that that guy knew 390 00:22:58.359 --> 00:23:01.920 my name, because even then players were starting to come 391 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:05.440 and go. And now you know, I've all the NBA 392 00:23:05.559 --> 00:23:08.240 kids that that that Tubby's are the tubby that Calipari's 393 00:23:08.279 --> 00:23:10.680 got right now. I had spoken to each and every 394 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:13.079 one of those guys. I guarantee none of them, not 395 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:16.440 that it matters, but none of them have any idea 396 00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:18.880 who I am or who Most of the guys are 397 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:21.279 going to be what they're and they might know our faces, 398 00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:24.279 but and it's it's not that big a deal personally, 399 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:28.079 but it underscores what you just said. You know that 400 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:30.319 they they were it was just a way station, wasn't 401 00:23:30.359 --> 00:23:33.079